Friday, November 29, 2019

Home Depot Implements free essay sample

Home Depot was the biggest home improvement retailer which was set up in the late 1970s, to provide low price of home-improvement and construction products and services. It operates in different places in the world and follows excellent social responsibility activities in different areas. Home Depot applied new technology initiatives to satisfy the customer needs and improve its operation process. In this paper, we have tried to give a short brief on Home Depot history, challenges, achievements, social responsibilities participations and other related issues. We have divided the paper into six major parts, which are: * Introduction Facts and numbers * Improvements * Challenges * Questions and answers on the below issues: * Company strategy and performance with environmental and employee stakeholders * Home Depot charity * Home Depot recessionary strategy * Conclusion Introduction The Home Depot was found in 1979, in Atlanta and become the largest home-improvement retailer in the world with $66 billion in revenues and more than 22 million customers. We will write a custom essay sample on Home Depot Implements or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Home Depot believes in diversity and environmental care. Customer satisfaction is their concern too, by providing special services to the customers based on their needs. For example, Home Depot offer the installation services but also give the customer the right to do it by themselves and guide them to do so. Home Depot mission is to empower the customers to achieve the home or condo of their dreams. It achieved the excellence by applying different strategies to recover the fall down in the different stages [challenges section below]. Home Depot focuses in the social responsibilities in different areas, such as the environment because it believes that the customer fell more confident about companies who care about the environment [Social responsibility points under the facts and numbers sections]. It introduces different initiatives and was the first retailer to join a drive-through recycling center with one of its store. Also, it introduces the in store recycling program for CFL bulbs, which help customer to return the bulbs back to the store protecting the environment. Home Depot strongly believes in providing the employees with all training needs and career developments for both male and female equally. Technology always helps the industry to move very fast if its applied in the right way. For Home Depot applied a lot of new technology initiatives to improve customer services and become more professional [improvement section below]. Facts and Numbers * More than 40,000 different products. * Offer 250,000 special order products. * Employs more than 300,000 people and operates over 2,200 stores in the world. * Home Depot ranked number 12 in 2005 Reputation Quotient Survey. * Home Depot ranked number 6 in 2008 on Fortunes Most Admired Companies. * Lowes is the critical competitor to Home Depot. * Social responsibility activities: * Program for children to teach them carpentry skills. Kids workshops in all stores for free. * Women workshops. * Use recycled content in advertisements, signs and shopping bags. * Introduce the reverse distribution program. * Provide the effort on reasonable housing and disaster relief. * Repair home for low-income families. * 16% reduce in energy between 2004-2010. * Work with 350 affiliates of Habitat for Humanity and one of its store donate more than $30,000 to them. * Rank number 13 for Multicultural Business Opportunities in 2010. Improvements and moving toward excellence * New philosophy You can do it. We can help by providing the maxima help to the customers by explaining, marketing and provide the support needed. Employees are trained to offer the installation and design advice. * Applying new technologies such as: * Introduce mobile application. * First phone device that replaced computer on associates carts, which has a lot of benefits. * Redesign the webpage and added new features. * Reduce the customer response time from 24 hours to one hour. * Create new principles with its suppliers to minimize the conflicts. Challenges * Collapse in 2008-2009, because of customers who spend less on their home. Home Depot cut back the discounts and promotion. * Focus in improving the existing stores. * Closed the EXPO store in 2009 and cut 7,000 jobs. * Negative publicity related to customer satisfaction done by the University of Michigan. It reflects that the drop of customer satisfaction was a result to the decrease of Home Depot stock. Questions and answers 1. On the basis of Home Depots response to environmental issues, describe the attributes (power, legitimacy, urgency) of this stakeholder. Assess the companys strategy and performance with environmental and employee stakeholders. The table below reflects the Home Depot response to the different attributes. Attributes| Home Depot’s response| Power| Home Depot was the first retailer to join a drive-through recycling center with one of its Georgia store. Also become the first home improvement retailer to offer wood products from tropical and temperate forests which were certified. Also Home Depot offer large selection of products with lower price. It cares about the environments and the social responsibility activities. It sales green products and have huge impact on the community it serve. | Legitimacy| Home Depot want to apply govern principle internally and externally for good reputation and to be on the safe side. * Creating new standard and principles to govern its relationship with the supplier. * Adapt the environmental principle. | Urgency| Time is very important for any success especially when it is related to customers satisfactions. Home Depot focus on: * Respond immediately to the growing need for large corporations to be economically responsible. * Build a strategy based on the situation. Example include in the challenges section above. * Minimize the time response to the customer from 24 hour to 1 hour. | Home Depot’s strategy in environmental area and employee stakeholders shows positive impact and good performance by applying different approaches. I believe that overall Home Depot is using a positive approach and doing more than what is required by the industry especially in the social responsibility field. Home Depot certified in many different organizations and donated millions for the disaster relief, affordable housing and philanthropy support. In the environmental issues, Home Depot: * Save energy * Use recycle products * Store recycling program for CFL bulbs In the employees stakeholders issues, Home Depot: * Involve the employees in the community – volunteer and civic activities * Provide 2 million volunteer service hours each year. * Diversity in population with equal treatment on career development and payment. 2. As a publicly traded corporation, how can Home Depot justify budgeting so much money for philanthropy? What areas other than the environment, disaster relief, affordable housing, and at-risk youth might be appropriate for strategic philanthropy by Home Depot? Being one of the publicly-traded companies, shareholders prefers budgeting large amount of money which would justify the current situation of Home Depot doing so. In 2007, a stock buy-back program was suspended by the company  so as to avoid possible losses as well as  the need to borrow additional money. As a result, committing available resources to  serve both social and environmental causes is the step is that is taken by the company, fulfilling the need for the customers and the public in general to have something to hold onto. Giving funds to save the rainforest could also be one of the things that House Depot takes advantage from with the purpose of drawing the public’s attention toward this issue and other similar issues. Taking such a step would greatly benefit the company in terms of achieving a better image and appearance for the company which would accordingly help them gain more publicity and customers in their side; this is emphasizing that the company cannot take any advantage specific to the rain forest area. The company might then be able to claim uniqueness as the single lumber sales company, which despite cutting down trees being in its core business; it seeks to save as many trees as it can simultaneously. I think that this has a great influence in soothing people’s concerns with regards to the company’s environmental responsibility. Additionally, Home Depot can provide the support and donate to the hospital and especially for people who are suffering from cancers. Focusing on patients and people heath will get people attention and will really care about the companies who funds patients. Is Home Depots recessionary strategy of eliminating debt and halting growth a wise one? What would you recommend to the CEO? The strategy followed by Home Depot in the time of recessionary is of a wise strategy as it is highly dependent on getting rid of debt and cutting short growth. This led to the fact that nobody can deny that Home Depot stands ahead when compared when Lowes which stands right behind as number two. Therefore, Lowe is taking a serious risk with their strategy with the possibility of over-expanding. The risk here is that the company might be dragged into big losses, not to mention the likelihood of being pulled to the back instead of securing the second place at lease ending up in the tail end during the recession. On the other hand, Home Depot has its place secured with a strategy that smartly does not do good to company, nor does it hurt them at the same time. It is expected by this that the company would be back to where it was before the recession. This would be more advantageous, I think, as it leads towards achieving the status of debt-free and preventing possible losses. In addition, being on top will be secured as they are already there, and they will keep striving even after the recession has come to an end and people are back to the â€Å"habit† of spending once again. Another point worth mentioning is that despite Lowe’s violent strategy and its ability to make a complete repayment as the succession fades away,  Ã‚   as soon as Home Depot along with other department stores are put back in that hard race, they are more likely to eventually become obligated to cut expenditure again and therefore being force to close the majority of the stores. Conclusion Home Depot had a big social responsible reputation with stakeholders. Although it receives low scores in the past on the customers surveys, it has worked hard to bring those scores back up. Home Depot concerns about its environmental impact by creating new principles to direct its relationship with its suppliers. Moreover, Home Depots humanitarian activities and its promotion of its products low prices and high value continue to make it a popular shopping destination. The most important thing to Home Depot is that they care about their customers as well as the environmental and social issues. In conclusion, all industries in the world should survive in order to success by applying dynamic strategies and knowing their customer’s needs. References Fraedrich,J. , Ferrell,L. , Ferrell,O. (1976). Ethical decision making in business a managerial approach. Canada: Nelson Education, Ltd.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Glow-in-the-Dark Crystal Snowflake

Glow-in-the-Dark Crystal Snowflake Learn how to make a glow-in-the-dark crystal snowflake or another glowing holiday ornament. This is a safe and easy project thats great for kids of all ages. The crystal ornaments are light-weight and inexpensive to make. You can use  borax to make ornaments, but if you try this project with younger children and are concerned about safety then you can use sugar (borax isnt particularly dangerous; just dont drink the solution and do wash your hands if you handle the ornaments.) The snowflake in the photo is a variation on the borax crystal snowflake project. Materials for a Glowing Ornament borax (or could use alum or Epsom salts equally well; sugar works but follow instructions for rock candy to grow the crystals)very hot water (I used water from my coffee maker)glow-in-the-dark paintpipe cleanersscissors or wire cutters (optional)butter knife or pencilglass or jar big enough for your ornamentmeasuring cup or larger glass for making the solutionpaintbrush or cotton swab (optional) Make a Glowing Ornament Shape your ornament. To make a snowflake, cut a pipe cleaner into thirds (doesnt have to be exact). Line up the pieces and twist them in the center. Bend the arms out to make the snowflake shape. Trim the arms to make them even, except the longest arm, which you can bend over a knife or pencil to suspend the ornament in crystal-growing solution. You can make other shapes, of course, like trees, stars, bells, etc.Coat the pipe cleaner shape with the glowing paint. Let your ornament dry or least set up to ensure good coverage. Allow it to sit 15-30 minutes, depending on how much paint you used.Prepare your solution. Pour hot water into your crystal-growing glass to fill it (this is measuring your volume). Dump this hot water into a larger glass or cup (where you will prepare the actual solution).Stir in borax or alum or Epsom salts until the solid stops dissolving and start collecting at the bottom of the container. The reason you are using separate containers for making the solution a nd growing the crystals is because you want a saturated solution for quick crystal growth, but no solids, which would compete with your ornament for crystal growth. Pour the clear solution into your crystal-growing glass. Rinse out your other container so no one accidentally drinks crystal solution.If your pipe cleaner has a long arm, attach the ornament directly to a knife or pencil (otherwise you will have to tie the ornament or use a second pipe cleaner, twisted onto the ornament and the knife/pencil). Rest the knife on top of the glass, being sure the ornament is completely immersed in the solution and not touching the sides or bottom of the container.Allow crystals to grow overnight or longer (until you like the way they look).Remove the ornament from the solution and allow it to dry. You can hang it over an empty glass or set it on a paper towel (unless you used sugar, for obvious reasons).You can store the ornaments wrapped in tissue paper. Tips and Safety Dont drink crystal-growing solution, dont eat the ornaments, etc. If you used sugar or alum (both found in food), the ornaments are very safe to handle. Even though the glowing paint is non-toxic, ornaments arent food.If you used borax or Epsom salts, rinse the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Its safe to wash any of these materials down the drain.You can vary the size of the crystals by using a less saturated solution (like 3 tablespoons of borax per cup of boiling water) and by controlling the cooling rate of the solution. If you are up for some experimentation, try refrigerating your warm solution and see what happens. What do you get if you keep the solution warm, like on sunny window?

Friday, November 22, 2019

A Beautiful Mind a film by Ron Howard (2001) Essay

A Beautiful Mind a film by Ron Howard (2001) - Essay Example He soon outgrows the enthusiasm for his MIT position and accepts a more challenging role by Parcher William, on behalf of the US. D.o.D. HIS attempts to discover patterns hidden by the Soviet make him rather obsessive. Nash marriage to Alicia is rocked with problems since Nash experiences bouts of hallucination that make it hard for him to separate reality. For instance, he realizes that three characters, Marcee, Charles, and Parcher are only his imaginations figment. After treatment, Nash is able to deal more effectively with his hallucination, and is eventually offered a teaching position by his former rival Hansen, now heading the mathematics department at Hansen. Nash goes on to win a Nobel Prize in the field of economics. In terms of happiness, I would rather be a happy average person than an unhappy genius. Being a genius is meant to be a way by which to achieve a more fulfilling life. If it does not fulfill this fundamental requirement, then leading an average life proves more fulfilling than having accolades that bring no joy. The human nature is such that his well-being is tied to their happiness. A happy individual, average or not, is definitely leading a better life, the life I

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

International Conflict Resolution Research Paper

International Conflict Resolution - Research Paper Example Ethnic conflict threatened the territorial integrity of countries throughout the world including Somalia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Liberia in Africa; Bosnia and Kosovo in Eastern Europe; state-sponsored ethnic cleansing in East Timor in Asia and extreme violence on the North American island nation of Haiti. Although ethnic conflict and humanitarian crises have existed since the dawn of time, for the first time ever images of extreme bloodshed, violence, and even genocide were broadcast into the homes of everyday Americans through international television stations like the Cable News Network (CNN), Fox and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Despite shocking violence perpetrated by a variety of militia forces in the Western African countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia, the international community, by and large, stood still while extreme violence and crimes against humanity were carried out with seeming impunity. While it is evident that conflict has been endemic in the modern post-Cold War world, how has conflict been resolved in recent times? There are a variety of theories to international conflict resolution including peacebuilding, peacekeeping, and Alternative Dispute Resolution. This essay will discuss each theoretical paradigm and will persuasively show that peacebuilding and peacekeeping go hand in hand and that they are the most viable means through which global conflict can be managed and averted. We will explore the case of Sierra Leone and argue that it emphatically demonstrates that international actors must work to maintain the peace in societies which have experienced incredible violence and social collapse and that both peacekeeping and peacebuilding must take place in order to heal old wounds and ensure that conflict does not reemerge. Alternative Dispute Resolution is a third-party resolution process whereby mediation is undertaken by an external party to help resolve the c onflict.  

Monday, November 18, 2019

Stages of criminal trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stages of criminal trial - Essay Example The choice of this paper is in the case of a admitting a guilty verdict and the process of sentencing. 1984 The US Sentencing Commission issued guidelines: what kind of sentence, length, if fined, how much, whether supervised released and multiple sentencing. Honesty in sentencing. Guidelines applied to facts. Statistical data tables to establish sentencing range. In Government document. (2011 Sentencing has been standardized. Everything has been quantified to a point system. A person who is guilty of having tried to sell over 500g of an illegal substance and has never committed a felony is liable to 51-63 months of prison. If the prison sentence is over 11 months. He will have 4 years of and there is now a book of tables showing if the guilty person . Because of the having committed manslaughter, the judge did not take into account the probation report according to Fisher (2011) because he was given 5 years of parole after his 12 months in jail. Rule 32 establishes the number of poi nts by the Probation officer. The probation officer also supplies the judge with a detail report with intimate information about the guilty person including his background, his participation with the authorities and whether he helped in his conviction by plea bargaining. Probation officers gives presentence reports(rule 32) to the judge.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Antibody Screening, Identification and Cross Match

Antibody Screening, Identification and Cross Match Antibody Screening, Identification and Cross Match: Case studies from Bristol Memorial Hospital Simon Avery and Malcolm Grey, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, BS8 ITH Summary Antibody screening, identification, and cross matching comprises an essential element of pre-transfusion testing procedure that is of paramount importance in blood bank establishments. Clinically significant antibodies can cause haemolytic transfusion reactions. Antibody screening is crucial for patients who require blood transfusions to detect the presence of any unexpected antibodies and ensure selection of the most compatible unit. We report on five patient case studies regarding the use of antibody screening and identification to select the most appropriate red cell units available. At this time, limited blood units were available. An analysis is provided with key emphasis on the importance of antibody cross matching and compatibility testing. Keywords: Antibody Screening, Clinically Significant, Compatibility testing, ABO, RhD Red Blood Cells (RBCs) carry a varying number of blood group antigens on their cell surface (Dean, 2005). To date, there are over 600 identified antigens within 30 distinguished blood group systems (Dean, 2005). To ensure the provision of safe blood for transfusion, antibody screening and identification is routinely performed in blood bank establishments in accordance with pre-transfusion testing procedures (Makroo et al., 2014). This is primarily achieved through the microcolumn gel technique, which has become the most prevalent technique used in blood bank laboratories worldwide (Hwang Shin et al., 2009). The aim is to detect unexpected antibodies and quantify their specificity to provide blood that lacks the corresponding antigen, forming an element of fundamental importance in clinical transfusion (Makroo et al., 2014). Alloimmunisation commonly occurs following blood transfusions and is defined as the immune response to antigens that are recognised as foreign (Yazdanbakhsh, 2012). The most important RBC alloantibodies in transfusion practice include the Rh (D, C, E, c, and e) and Kell antigens, in addition to the Duffy, Kidd, and MNS blood group antigens (Makroo et al., 2014; Dean, 2005). Antibodies that are considered clinically significant can cause haemolytic transfusion reactions, following the accelerated destruction and shortened survival of transfused RBCs (Garratty, 2012). Furthermore, clinically significant antibodies are associated with haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (Daniels et al., 2002). Therefore, it is critical to recognise and consider clinically significant antibodies present in a patient in order to select the most appropriate unit for transfusion (Makarovska-Bojadzieva, 2009). As a result, the blood service aims to provide a regular supply of all blood groups and blo od types. In this study, we present a case by case report of antibody screening, identification and cross matching for five patients, in addition to the management and use of blood units from a limited supply, highlighting the importance of clinically significant antibodies and their detection in transfusion medicine. Materials and Methods Patients The patients included in this study comprise five individuals with varying medical and transfusion history. The details of each patient are outlined in table 1. IAT Gel Antibody Screening DiaMed IAT gel cards were used to detect antibodies and performed on all five patients. Each well was labelled with the patient identification number (1-5) with 2 wells used for each patient. 50ÃŽÂ ¼l of 0.8% screening Cell Stab reagents and 25ÃŽÂ ¼l of patients plasma were added to the DiaMed IAT gel cards. Two controls, positive and negative, were prepared using 50ÃŽÂ ¼l of 0.8% O R1r in Cell Stab, with 25ÃŽÂ ¼l of AB serum added to the negative control and 25ÃŽÂ ¼l of weak anti-D added to the positive control. Cards were incubated at 37 °C for 15 minutes and spun in the DiaMed ID-Centrifuge 12 S II for 10 minutes at 1030 rpm. Cards were analysed for agglutination and results were scored accordingly from 0 to 5, where a negative score of 0 indicates no agglutination and a positive score of 5 indicates agglutination. Antibody Identification Antibody identification was performed on patients 2, 3, and 4 with a positive antibody screen, using enzyme and IAT panels. A 1% red cell suspension was prepared from 10ÃŽÂ ¼l packed red cells and 1mL DiaMed diluent. 50ÃŽÂ ¼l was added to each well followed by 25ÃŽÂ ¼l of patients plasma. Two controls were prepared. An IAT control was prepared from 50ÃŽÂ ¼l of R1r control cells and 25ÃŽÂ ¼l of weak anti-D. An enzyme testing control was prepared using R1R1 control cells and 25ÃŽÂ ¼l of anti-K. Cards were incubated at 37 °C for 15 minutes and spun in the DiaMed ID-Centrifuge 12 S II for 10 minutes at 1030 rpm. Cards were analysed using a light box and scored accordingly. Compatibility testing DiaMed IAT gel cards were used to perform compatibility tests for each patient against donor units. Each well was labelled accordingly with patient number and donor unit. 50ÃŽÂ ¼l of 1% donor unit cells in Cell Stab reagents and 25ÃŽÂ ¼l of patients plasma were added to the corresponding wells. Two controls, positive and negative, were prepared using 50ÃŽÂ ¼l of 1% O R1r in Cell Stab, with 25ÃŽÂ ¼l of AB serum added to the negative control and 25ÃŽÂ ¼l of weak anti-D added to the positive control. Cards were incubated at 37 °C for 15 minutes and spun in the DiaMed ID-Centrifuge 12 S II for 10 minutes at 1030 rpm. Cards were analysed and scored for agglutination, 0-5. Results Patient Gender Age Transfusion History Additional Medical Details 1 Female, 70 years old No history of blood transfusions Scheduled for repair of fractured hip joint following a fall 2 Female, 34 years old Undergone several surgeries to treat disease. Received blood during last surgery 5 years ago. Crohns disease Undergoing evaluation for unexplained anaemia 3 Male, 58 years old Received 4 units of RBCs during surgery 8 years ago. History of cardiovascular disease Undergone heart bypass surgery 4 Male, 14 years old Receives frequent blood transfusions for the management of his condition. Last transfusion dated 6 months ago. Sickle cell anaemia History of anti-K 5 Female, 19 years old No history of blood transfusions Involved in a road traffic accident Table 1 The medical history of each patient, including transfusion history. Patient ABO/RhD Type Screening Cell 1 Screening Cell 2 Interpretation 1 A+ * 0 0 No antibody detected 2 A+ 0 5 Antibody detected 3 B+ 3 0 Antibody detected 4 O+ 0 4 Antibody detected 5 O 0 0 No antibody detected Table 2 The ABO and RHD typing of each patient and results obtained from the antibody screening panel. Interpretation of results is also provided.* A mix field reaction was detected for patient 1 in the ABO/RHD screening.   Patient Antibody Present Probable Genotype Further Patient Information 1 Dce/dce R1r (31%) May require more units of red cells in the future but not today 2 Anti-c, Anti-E DCe/Dce R1R1 (18%) Requires 2 units today 3 Anti-Fya, Anti-K Dce/dce R0r ( Requires 2 units of red cells as soon as possible 4 Anti-K Dce/dce R1r (31%) Requires 3 units of red cells 5 Dce/dce rr (14%) No longer needs any blood Table 3 Results of the antibody identification screening panel and transfusion requirements for each patient. Patient Unit ABO/RhD Antigens 1 G M A / RhD Positive D+C+E-c+e+ A / RhD Negative D-C-E-c+e+ K Fya, S, M Negative Fya, JKa Negative 2 S F A / RhD Positive D+C+E-c-e+ O / RhD Positive D+C+E-c-e+ K, Fya, S, M Negative K, Fya, S, M, HbS Negative 3 Q R B / RhD Positive D+C-E-c+e+ B / RhD Negative D-C+E-c+e+ K, Fya, S, M, HbS Negative K, Fya, S, s, M Negative 4 J K I O / RhD Positive D+C+E+c+e+ O / RhD Positive D+C+E-c+e+ O / RhD Positive D+C-E-c+e+ K, Fya, S Negative K, Jka, S, M Negative K, Fyb, S, Lea Negative 5 T O / Rhd Negative D-C-E-c+e+ Fya, HbS Negative Table 4 Compatibility testing of each patient against selected donor units. Discussion Our first case study is a 70-year-old female who has been admitted for an operation to repair a fracture to her left hip joint, following a fall. The patient has no history of previous blood transfusions and appears in good health. Her son reports that she has been healthy throughout her life and only admitted to hospital for child birth. Pre-transfusion testing procedures were carried out to order blood for her upcoming surgery. The results for this patients ABO and RhD typing revealed a mixed field reaction for anti-D. Extended Rh typing also revealed a mixed field reaction for anti-c. Antibody identification was performed to determine if this patient has any clinically significant antibodies, in which none were detected. It is therefore possible that this patients ABO type may be A3, a subgroup of the A blood type. Weak subgroups of A3 are known to cause mixed field reactions (Dean, 2005), therefore we have requested this patients serum to be typed against A1, A2 and A3 cells. However, extensive ABO and RH typing is required to precisely determine this patients blood phenotype. This patient requires red cell units in the future for a planned operation. The units that have been designated for this patient include unit G and unit B, which are both A RhD positive red cell units. However, a full assessment of this patients blood type must be analysed before the administration of these components. Patient 2 forms our second case study, a 34-year-old female who suffers from Crohns disease. This patient has been admitted regarding unexplained anaemia. Patient 2 has previously undergone several surgeries to manage her condition. Her last surgery was 7 years ago, in which she received a blood transfusion. This patient has a haemoglobin level of 7.9 g/dL and 2 units of RBCs have been ordered for transfusion today. The antibody identification revealed clinically significant antibodies, including anti-c and anti-E. Most Rh blood group antibodies are warm reacting IgG antibodies that cause haemolytic and delayed transfusion reactions and haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn; therefore, they are considered clinically significant. Anti-C and anti-E are most commonly found together in patients, as most patients who have developed anti-E often go on to develop anti-c. The c antigen is highly immunogenic in comparison to the E antigen. As a result, anti-c may cause severe haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn in this patient, whereas anti-e may cause a mild reaction. However, as the patients RhD type is positive, it is unlikely that she will require anti-D prophylaxis. This patient requires two RBCs units today. The units that have been designated for this patient include unit S and unit F. Unit S is A RhD positive and unit F is O RhD positive, in which both units are negative for anti-c and anti-E. Our third patient is a 58-year-old male who has been admitted into hospital after complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath. This patient has a history of cardiovascular disease and underwent heart bypass surgery 8 years ago, in which he received 4 RBC transfusions. Upon arrival, a diagnosis of heart failure was determined and need for immediate surgery. Antibody testing for this patient revealed the patient is both positive for anti-Fya and anti-K. Furthermore, the probable genotype of this patient suggests African descent, therefore the patient will also receive anti-c and anti-e positive red cells. This patient requires two units of blood as soon as possible, in which unit Q and unit R have been allocated. The fourth patient in our case report is a 14-year-old male that suffers from sickle cell anaemia and has a history of anti-K. This patient receives frequent blood transfusions for the management of his condition, with his last transfusion dated 6 months prior to admission. The patient was brought in by his family regarding fatigue and shortness of breath. The patient has been kept in hospital for observation pending suspicion of sickle cell crisis. Three RBC units have been allocated for this patient including units J, K, and I. Each unit is O RhD positive and negative for anti-K.      Ã‚   Finally, the fifth patient featured in this report is a 19-year-old female that was involved in a road traffic accident. This patient has no history of previous blood transfusions and has never been admitted to hospital prior to this occasion, with her parents citing excellent health. The patient was admitted with trauma to the head, in which a single blood unit was allocated unit T. However, the patient no longer requires the unit at this time. The unit will be kept for the patient whilst she remains in hospital following any complications. Unit T was selected for this patient and is O RhD negative. This patient does not have any clinically significant antibodies. Throughout the treatment and assessment of these 5 patients, only 12 of blood were available. A total of 10 units were used to treat all 5 patients. Severe weather across the United Kingdom has impacted the distribution of blood from the NHS Blood and Transplant manufacturing sites located in Bristol, London, and Manchester. Access by road, rail, and air have all been affected by severe storms and rendered transport at a halt. The nearest blood bank could not be accessed and therefore a limited number of RBC units were available. References Daniels, G., Poole, J., de Silva, M., et al. (2002) The clinical significance of blood group antibodies. Transfusion Medicine. 12(5), 287 295. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-3148.2002.00399.x/abstract [Accessed 21/03/17] Dean, L. (2005) Blood Groups and Red Cell Antigens. National Centre for Biotechnology Information. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2264/ Garratty, G. (2012) What is a clinically significant antibody? ISBT Science Series, 7(1), 54 57. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/j.1751-2824.2012.01594.x/full [Accessed 22/03/17] Hwang-Shin, J., Young Lee, J., Hyen Kim, J., et al. (2009) Screening and Identification of Unexpected Red Cell Antibodies by Simultaneous LISS/Coombs and NaCI/Enzyme Gel Methods. J Korean Med Sci. 24(4), 632 635. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2719182/ [Accessed 21/03/17] Makarovska-Bojadzieva T, Blagoevska M, Kolevski P, Kostovska S. (2009) Optimal blood grouping and antibody screening for safe transfusion. Prilozi, 30(1), 119-128. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19736535 [Accessed 22/03/17] Makroo, RN., Bhatia, A., Hegde, V., et al. (2014) Antibody screening and identification in the general patient population at a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi, India. Indian J Med Res. 140(3), 401-405. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4248387/ [Accessed 21/03/17] Yazdanbakhsh, K., Ware R., Pirenne, F. (2012) Red blood cell alloimmunisation in sickle cell disease: pathophysiology, risk factors and transfusion management. Blood. 120(3), 528 537. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3401213/ [Accessed 22/03/17]

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Colonists Living Among Natives in the New World Essay -- American Amer

Colonists Living Among Natives in the New World When the Europeans invaded the New World in 1492 they brought along their culture and way of life. The Europeans were not prepared to encounter a previously developed culture, which was home to the Indians. The negative stereotype of the Indians as viscous savages and barbarians was immediately formed by the Europeans beginning as early as Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World. These negative stereotypes made Europeans believe that Indians were hardly human and "believed that no civilized person would choose to become an Indian" (Axtell, Invasion 302). When in fact the opposite became true. Despite the European view of Indians as savages, there were many English and French colonists who actually chose to live among the Indians. The colonists lived among the Indians when they discovered that the Indians had a more desirable way of life and a very moral society. The colonists also joined the Indian society to escape the corruption of the colonial society and to gain personal freedom with the Indians. This paper focuses primarily on the English and French colonists experiences with Indians of the Northeastern United States. But the Spanish, who were the first to arrive at the New World, did spend time living with the Indians as well. One of the most important examples of a Spanish person who lived with the Indians was the discoverer of America, Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci actually spent some time living and observing the Indian way of life (Washburn 6). He wanted to share in their lives so he shared their experiences, or as Gerbi world say, "he becomes a savage to understand the savages" (41). During the time that Vespucci stayed with the Indians, he found the Indian... ...ife and the rejection of the corrupt colonial society led to the number of colonists who voluntarily spent their lives with the Indians to be quite large and could have been even larger. "Had [the captives] not been compelled to return to colonial society by militarily enforced peace treaties, the ranks of the white Indians would have been greatly enlarged" (306). WORKS CITED Axtell, James. The European and the Indian. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981. Axtell, James. The Invasion Within: The Contest of Cultures in Colonial North America. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985. Gerbi, Antonello. Nature in the New World. Pittsburgh: U of Pittsburgh Press, 1975. Rosenstiel, Annette. Red & White: Indian Views of the White Man. New York: Universe Books, 1983. Washburn, Wilcomb E., ed. The Indian and the White Man. New York: Anchor Books, 1964.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Design a computer system for a video hire shop Essay

I have noticed that keeping customer records on paper can be time consuming and neither practical or easy to use. The aim of this project is to create a database for a company or an organization; I have chosen Vinnie’s videos. My database will include customer information to make organization and customer relations simpler; the new system will be more practical. An electronic database will make life easier as it will be superior to a card filling system and will save time and money. A computer system is better than the old card filing method for many reasons. Example, searches can be carried out instantly rather than many manual records being waded through, customer information for a hundred people can be copied almost instantly to a standard letter. Vinny will be able to keep customer information lists, detailing contact information, stats on the customers videos, lists of regular jobs that need to be performed i. e. check who has videos out; in order that notices can be sent using mail merge. This will help Vinny keep up to data and on top of customer relations and business. A search function for my database will make it simple for letters detailing special offers which are customer specific to be sent out easily. After considering the pros and cons of the two systems I have decided that it is definitely more practical to use a computer system over a card filling system. Strengths and Weaknesses of current system: Vinny currently has a very primitive filling system, It has a lot weaknesses. It takes a long time to find records, as they are stored in a filling cabinet. When editing a record you must remove the entire card and rewrite it, it is time consuming to add new records. To re-sort the records would take a very long time as it would obviously have to be done manually. To search for information is also time consuming, especially if you are looking for a number of customers with similar records for some purpose. However the database is comprehensive and does contain all the records needed. What I need to do is design and makes a new database with all the information from the old one transferred into it. There are also a number of programs that I could consider using, they are Microsoft word, Microsoft excel or Microsoft access. I will need to use a database creation package like MS Access, Fox Pro, DBASE II or IV or Borland Database Explorer to create my database tables, queries, forms, reports and macros easily and also program them with the Visual Basic programming script to make my database into a professional running program. According to the user requirements MS Access is the best one also because it is mostly familiar to people. I will need a word processing package like MS Word, Notepad, WordPad and Word Perfect. MS Word is the best one to use because you can use word art and insert pictures or print screens into the document and also is mostly used by people. Hardware needed: I need a computer that can run Microsoft Access and Microsoft Word just in case I need to use the mail merge. For this I will use a QWERTY keyboard for the manual input of data and the commands for the computer. I will need a mouse or trackball to design the database forms, to navigate the GUI of the OS and to move copy and paste data. I will need to use a 31/2 inch floppy disk and drive or a CDRW disk and drive in order to save my database and to make backups of my database. I will only use a CDRW if the database exceeds 1. 38-1. 44 MB. CDRW’s can hold from 500-700 MB of information. I will need a printer to print out the design of my database of for word documentation of the database. The system should have at least 300 MHZ hard drive speed, and 5 GB memory, it should have at least a 128 MB RAM. Problem1: a system management to put the videos in order Form of output: a database Information to be output: video title, video director, main actor, year released, length and genre, how many copies are available and how many are on loan. Data needed to produce the output: video title, video director, main actor, year released, length and genre, which will be provided by Vinny. Desired outcomes and performance criteria: It has to be sorted so you can see a certain type of genre or year. Testing: To see if all the correct records are in the right query. Problem 2: needs a system to store all the members’ names and addresses Form of output: a database Information to be output: name, address, user number, telephone. Data needed to produce the output: name, address, user number, telephone. This is provided by Vinny. Desired outcomes and performance criteria: member’s details available so we can contact them if needed. Testing: not needed Problem 3: I don’t have a system to see who has what video checked out and who has videos that are over due. Form of output: database Information to be output: name, user number, video rented, date taken out, date due back Data needed to produce the output: name, user number, video rented, date taken out, date due back. This will be provided by Vinny, anyone that rents a new video will be entered into the database. Desired outcomes and performance criteria: a list to see which videos are on loan. When somebody rents a video out all I want to have to do is click on the film name and type their name in. The rental time allowance will be 3 days and automatically entered Testing: see if the people who have taken a video out have a book due on the database Analysis of Strategies for Backup and Security. The system will be backed up on CD-RW’s daily and on hard disk drives and a server. The database will have an encrypted modification password and it will be write-protected so it cannot be deleted. If a staff member needs to access the database to modify it, then a staff password is needed. It will not open until the password is correct Information Flow Error Checking To ensure that the information is correct the staff will send the members an invoice with their details they have inputted and attached is another form to fill in the correct information and then collect it and update the database. For the videos the staff will do daily checks on the database to see any obscure looking information in the database and will edit this info by getting the video and re-entering the video data again. Or the staff will do two copies of information identical to each other because the information will be inputted twice and if they are not identical then one or the other or both are changed with the correct information. Skills The user is a competent pc user and will not need any sort of training, he would like it to be user friendly though, so if any new staff join, it will be easy to pick up.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Casino by Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi essays

Casino by Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi essays The book Casino by Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi is a story set in Nevada during an era when mob activity in the Casinos was a focused topic of discussion for many politicians and law enforcement officials. It was a time of transition because before the events of the book the mafias had a reputed stronghold on all ofhte Las Vegas activity with regards to the gambling. People and corporations that owned casinos were told that they were selling to various entities(Scorsese, Pileggi, 1995). Whether they wanted to sell of or not, they were aware of the pressure to sell and concerned with what could happen to them or their families if they refused. The sales and the movement within the city of sin eventually brought the mafia into complete control. The story includes all of the suspense elements that make it a page turner. There are murders, marriages, stories of revenge and adultery. It is a story that details the eventual derailing of the Mafias stronghold on the industry in Las Vegas and the many people that went down with that reduction of power. The most important theme of the book is the idea that good over powers evil every time it has the opportunity to do so. For many years the mob provided crime and blackmail to those who were involved with the casino business. There was corruption, murder for hire and territorial issues that are exclusive to mob involvement. The theme of good outdoes evil is a popular one in many books and movies today however, Casino drives it home with extremes(Scorsese, Pileggi, 1995). The extremes occur when the murders in the desert happen but also during the more mundane events. There are many examples of the evil that the mob brought to the casino business. The mob was out of Chicago and there were constant Las Vegas issues including the skimming of books and other elements that are common to the world of crime. The theme of good versus evil continues to play out as the casino own...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Using Haber and Estar for Spanish Compound Past Tenses

Using Haber and Estar for Spanish Compound Past Tenses Spanish students usually learn fairly early in their coursework that Spanish has two simple past tenses, the preterite and the imperfect. However, these two past tenses arent the only past tenses available. Auxiliary verbs can also be used to form perfect and progressive, also known as continuous, tenses, some of which refer to the past. Present Perfect Despite its name, the present perfect tense refers to past actions. It is formed by using the present tense of haber followed by the past participle and is the rough equivalent of the same tense in English. Thus He estudiado - he is the first-person indicative singular form of haber, and estudiado is the past participle of estudiar - would usually be translated as I have studied, where studied is the past participle of to study. In general, the present perfect tense is used to discuss actions that took place in the past but still have relevance to the present or are continuing up to the present. Note, however, that the present perfect tense of Spanish doesnt always coincide exactly with that of English; in some cases, the tense in Spanish may be translated to the English using the simple past. And there are regional variations in the tenses as well; especially in Spain, for example, it is common to use the present perfect for very recent events. Nunca he conocido a nadie como tà º. (I have never met someone like you.) ¿Cul es el mejor CD que has comprado? (What is the best CD you have purchased?)Hemos sufrido una pà ©rdida irreparable. (We have suffered an irreparable loss.)Bolivia y Nicaragua han pedido que el Consejo de Seguridad sea convocado de urgencia. (Bolivia and Nicaragua have asked that the Security Council be convened in emergency session.)Hace una hora ha nacido mi sobrina. (An hour ago, my niece was born. In some regions, the preterite would be preferred: Hace una hora nacià ³ mi sobrina.)Hoy he visto algo raro. (Today I saw something unusual.) Past Perfect Also known as the pluperfect, the past perfect tense is formed by using the imperfect form of haber followed by the past participle. Its uses generally coincide with the past perfect of English, formed by using had and the past participle. The distinction in meaning with the present perfect is that in the pluperfect the verbs action is completed and clearly distinct from the present. Yo habà ­a entendido los conceptos del curso, pero no los habà ­a aplicado. (I had understood the concepts of the course, but I had not applied them.)A medio kilà ³metro de distancia se encontraron otros cuatro cuerpos masculinos, que hasta el momento no habà ­an sido identificados. (A half kilometer away four other male bodies were found, which until that moment had not been identified.)Habà ­amos luchado durante tres aà ±os defendiendo la Repà ºblica. (We had fought for three years defending the Republic.)Mi padre habà ­a tenido una vida dura, pero llena de triunfos. (My father had had a hard life, but one full of triumphs.) Preterite Perfect The preterite perfect, sometimes known as the pretà ©rito anterior, is rarely used today except for literary effect; you are unlikely to hear it in everyday speech. It most often follows a time expression (such as cuando or despuà ©s que) and is formed by using the preterite of haber followed by past participle. It is usually translated to English the same way as the past perfect. Cuando el nià ±o se hubo dormido, el cura me pidià ³ permiso para dejarme. (When the boy had fallen asleep, the priest asked me for permission to leave me.)Tan pronto hubo escuchado aquellas palabras, salià ³ corriendo hacia la plaza. (As soon as he had heard those words, he left running toward the plaza.) Preterite Progressive The preterite progressive or preterite continuous is formed by using the preterite form of estar before the gerund. It is the equivalent of the was/were verb -ing construction in English but is used much less frequently. The Spanish preterite progressive often suggests that an action takes place or is repeated over an extended period of time. Este fin de semana pasado estuve andando por las calles de Oslo. (This past weekend I was walking through the streets of Oslo.)Estuve leyendo todos sus mensajes.  (I was reading all your messages.)Estuvimos muriendo de frà ­o. (We were dying of cold.) Imperfect Progressive The imperfect progressive (or imperfect continuous) is similar in meaning to the preterite progressive and is somewhat more common. It also is usually the equivalent of the was/were verb -ing construction in English. The imperfect progressive often suggests the ongoing nature of an action, while the preterite subjunctive suggests that it had an end. In practice, however, the distinction is a subtle one; all the example sentences with the preterite progressive could have been said in the imperfect progressive with little if any translatable difference in meaning. Un dà ­a antes del examen estuve estudiando con mi amigo. (One day before the test I was studying with my friend.)El actor estaba comiendo saludable como siempre. (The actor was eating healthfully as always.) Past Perfect Progressive Tenses Combine the gerund with the present perfect or pluperfect tense of estar (or of to be in English), and you end up with the past perfect progressive tenses. Their usage in the two languages is similar. Present indicative of haber estado gerund is the equivalent of have/has been gerund and imperfect of haber estado gerund is the equivalent of had been gerund. The present perfect progressive can refer to continuing actions that may be taking place up to the present:  ¿Cà ³mo se sabe si alguien ha estado usando marihuana? (How do you know if someone has been using marijuana?)He estado pensando en ti.  (I have been thinking about you.)Mam y yo hemos estado hablando del futuro.  (Mom and I have been talking about the future.) The pluperfect progressive tense, in contrast, generally refers to continuing actions that are completed (or, if still occurring, are no longer relevant): Andrea habà ­a estado hablando con Pablo todo el dà ­a.  (Andrea had been talking with Pablo all day.)Habà ­amos estado buscando una casa en Madrid. (We had been looking for a house in Madrid.)Habà ­an estado viviendo allà ­ mucho antes de que los espaà ±oles llegaran.  (They had been living there long before the Spaniards arrived.)

Monday, November 4, 2019

Discuss a portion of the clip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discuss a portion of the clip - Essay Example Firstly, the film producer relies on music to place the film in its immediate context. Application of Nazi anthem illustrates the political era depicted by the films plot. The filmmaker intends to illustrate life in the midst of wars and political revolutions. Thus, the clip applies music to illustrate the thin boundary that exists within emotions. The clip illustrates romance that flourished in the midst of war and anguish. Despite the immediate political situation, the characters purposed to maintain their romantic relationships. La Marseillaise is the French national anthem and it stands out as a symbol of love and harmony throughout the film. Finally, the film uses sound tracks or music to enhance interest among its audience. The use of popular music such as the French national anthem makes the audience associate themselves with the film, hence increasing their interest. Both pieces of music illustrate different points of view among the film’s

Saturday, November 2, 2019

The Process of Managing and Design of Projects in the Construction Essay

The Process of Managing and Design of Projects in the Construction Industry - Essay Example The building has large gently sloping roofs with open vaulted ceilings and steel truss systems. It has large walls roofs and magnificent floor panels. The straight walls prevent bowing and curve hence enabling installation of tall shelves and cabinets. The building envelope considers the heated and unheated general warehouses for the rack, bulk, and storage of bins, shipping space, creating and toilet space. The design focuses on functionality and efficiency, safety, comfort, display of aesthetics, landscaping, and work safety among others. The form of the retail warehouse considers storage space, office space, and dockyard for loading, space for light industry and centres for computers. Meanwhile, warehouses are designing based on future and current needs; maximize space with good and sufficient employee movement and material handling. Layout and configuration should be optimized for quick material handling and storage. Connect the exterior and interior for goods flow in the process . Aisle widths, the design of lighting, mezzanine space, fire guards and egress design is provided for alternative material handling methods. This consists of narrow two-story terraced bungalows sitting on large block s in the city suburbs. These flats are indeed increasing in numbers. The locality may constitute both detached and semi-detached houses. The choice of terraced forms is its prevalence in the inner city which came into existence before the establishments of car bazaars. Population growth has necessitated the growth of multi-unit apartments. This has also been provoked by pressure on the environment and economy to reduce family numbers.