Gift of Fear, Just 2 Seconds, and On Combat Essay

Gift of Fear, Just 2 Seconds, and On Combat - Essay Example The book incorporates a couple of ideas. It provides tactics that seek to help readers, especially women, to avoid violence and trauma by educating them on a variety of warning signs as well as precursors to hostility. The novel presents a paradox of genre. Becker seeks to emphasize the inherent predictability of brutality by setting patterns of abuse and violence in his book. The book looks at various settings where violent behavior may occur. These places are the workplace, school, home, and dating venues (Becker 1). Just 2 Seconds, on the other hand, incorporates four critical lessons for protectors. These four ideas are categorized as how to evade attacks, how to evade close attacks, how to evade incidents that imperil other persons, and additional resources that could keep protectors from violent behaviors. The book is based on more than 1,400 violent attacks, especially assassinations of many world prominent people. Hence, the author’s aim is to try to ease these cases and create awareness of how people could avoid them (Becker 1). Finally, On Combat explores, thoroughly, what happens mentally and physically to most people when they meet a deadly threat. The book speaks of coping with the diverse aspects of combat, although from the perception of how people cope with combat. The main ideas of the book comprise the physiology of combat, perceptual distortions that take place during a fatal force encounter, metal attitudes as well as the aftermaths of combats (Becker 1). According to The Gift of Fear, the most powerful tool of preventing violence is through focusing on the verbal as well as non-verbal clues a person gives off. This could predict whether or not the individual or circumstances will lead to violence. The author demonstrates that people who keep to themselves are clearly boiling time bombs waiting to blow up. If SSAs could keep this in mind, then it would help them avoid future violent cases (Becker 1). Just 2 Seconds, on the other

Consumer Packaged Goods Industry Essay Example for Free

Consumer Packaged Goods Industry Essay Wonderware relies on their services and expertise to take it into new opportunities and markets. From the 625 VAR/OEMs, approximately 2. 5% use Wonderware software to create solutions for food-products machinery in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry. Out of almost exactly 3,000 SI companies currently active in the Wonderware Solution Provider Program, more than 46% devote some portion of their practice to serving customers in the CPG industry. 63 % of Wonderware Certified SIs and 82% of Wonderware’s ArchestrA Certified SIs are involved in the CPG industry. But just what do we mean when we talk about the CPG industry? The free reference section at Hoover’s online (www. hoovers. com/free/ind/dir. xhtml) includes a useful directory of industries and the following general definition: Consumer Products Manufacturers Companies that design, manufacture and/or market apparel, cleaning products, hand and power tools, home furniture, housewares, linens, and consumer electronics and appliances. However, things may not really be that simple. It’s actually more meaningful to describe the CPG industry as a set of consumer behaviors rather than trying to draw boundaries around a specific list of product names or brands. And the key behavior that best describes the CPG market is that of replenishment on some regular or frequent basis. The items are in fact consumed, in some sense or another, fairly rapidly. This means that they do have a shelf life – whether it’s the perishable nature of a snack food item or the fleeting glamour of a cell phone with features like text or pictures or videos. And of course that can mean that the value of an entire warehouse inventory, for a whole generation of product can go to zero in a hurry! Those behaviors tend to result in a steady flow of small recurring expenses (for a tube of toothpaste, a pack of beverages or even the latest personal electronic gadget) rather than large infrequent ones like the acquisition of a major capital asset for manufacturing. The problem for our manufacturing customers is that those small replenishable items still require the major manufacturing assets to produce them. The ability to rapidly reconfigure and re-task those expensive production machines and factories when customer whims change – in other words, agile manufacturing – can make the difference between profitability and receivership. The Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Industry and Solution Providers Page 3 2. Industry Comparisons The financial research tools at www. etrade. com (account membership required) offer some useful comparisons between the consumer goods industry and other major industry sectors. It’s not necessarily the fastest-growing business ector – compared to general technology, financial or energy companies – but certainly respectable when it comes to overall sector profit margins. The non-cyclical sub-category of the CPG industry, in fact, ranks well above the Transportation, Basic Materials, and Capital Goods and Services industries. The consumer cyclical category includes apparel, recreational products, personal electronics, automobiles and replacement parts such as tires. The non-cyclical category includes beverages, tobacco, personal products, office supplies and food items. The Industry Browser information tools at the Yahoo! Finance Industry Center (biz. yahoo. com/p/3conameu. html) may surprise you in terms of the relative sizes and profitability of some segments in the Consumer Goods categories. For instance, the top five segments by market capitalization are as follows: The Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Industry and Solution Providers Page 4 Segment Auto manufacturers Food – major diversified Cigarettes Beverages – soft drinks Cleaning products Market Capitalization ($B) 296 281 269 266 205 The largest segments are not necessarily the most profitable, however. The top five segments by overall profit margin are: Segment Cigarettes Cleaning products Beverages – brewers Beverages – soft drinks Confectioners Net Profit Margin (%) 17 13 12 11 10 Somewhat surprisingly, the largest segment by market capitalization – Auto Manufacturers – is one of the least profitable at just 1. 8%. The sizable and highly visible – but keenly competitive – Electronic Equipment category is squeezed down to just 2. 5% overall net margin. 3. What CPG Companies Need from Solution Providers For our Consumer Packaged Goods customers to succeed, they must deal with a number of internal and external pressures and demands. Those internal drivers include: Protecting or increasing profits Reducing costs related to: o Supply-chain management – Net asset turns on raw materials and finished goods inventories, efficient sourcing decisions and reducing scrap or return rates o Manufacturing – Improving operational efficiency and employee productivity o Information technology – Cost containment and outsourcing, standardization and consolidation of server assets, increasing reusability, and an application infrastructure that protects and maximizes key databases and information assets Mergers, acquisitions, breakups and spin-offs The Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Industry and Solution Providers Page 5 o o Integration (or disconnection! ) of supply-chain linkages Operational complexity and startup costs – dealing with dissimilar bestpractice philosophies, variations in processes, applications and technology, and training to improve and align vital human resources. External forces and demands that our CPG customers face include: Meeting changing customer needs and requirements Preserving brand integrity – through product quality and safety as well as regulatory requirements Speed to market with more (and often complicated) new products. Now, with all those pressures facing our Consumer Packaged Goods manufacturing customers, what can we – a world-class community of solution providers and a world-class software supplier – provide to help them face such challenges? First of all, we can provide a platform for growth – an eco-vision – that can grow and evolve as the fickle customer marketplace changes and the companies adapt. We can offer an architecture built around re-usable components – not just software objects, but encapsulated best practices and intellectual capital. That means lower project-to-project costs and a common service architecture from production to process. We can deliver an architecture for incremental investment, avoiding the â€Å"big bang† approach that held back the promise of advanced manufacturing execution systems (MES) for so long, for example.

GMF and Effects on Human Health Essay -- genetic engineering genetical

Effects on Human Health   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the way technology has grown, especially in the field of genetic engineering, has led scientists to figure out a way to alter how food is made. This raises concerns and lot of questions regarding the methods they are using. From what possible side effects can occur to the risks it poses to everyone and everything. Unfortunately, there has been limited research and testing done. With that in mind there is not enough information available about the hazards of genetically modified foods. But, what we do know is alarming. Most of the debate surrounding GM foods are focus on the following three issues: 1. Human and environmental safety, 2. Labeling , and 3. Consumer choice. In this section of the paper I will be discussing how genetically modified food can be dangerous on the health of humans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First we will start with the definition of Genetically Modified (GM) is â€Å"a special set of technologies that alter the genetic makeup of such living organisms as animals, plants, or bacteria. Biotechnology, a more general term, refers to using living organisms or their components, such as enzymes, to make products that include medicines and vaccines, foods and food ingredients, feeds, and fibers†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The unique structure of GM food creates risk to humans which can affect them in the following ways: allergic reactions, toxicity, antibiotic resistance, adverse health side effects and death. It is impossible to foresee the damage inflicted ...

A Study On Colleges Online Education Essay

The instruction system in India today has evolved significantly in the last 20 old ages. In the 1990s, most pupils went to a college in their metropolis and studied whatever class was offered at that place. If they lived in a smaller town without a good college, so they were forced to go to their nearest metropolis and live a fighting pupil life, far off from their household. At the terminal of the first decennary in the twenty-first century, nevertheless, the options that pupils have for college have exploded massively. Today, pupils have their pick of college, grade and topics, sitting in the comfort of their place, no affair how little their town is. All they need is a computing machine & A ; the Internet. There are several colleges online that a pupil can take from. From the oldest and most reputed IGNOU ( Indira Gandhi National Open University ) to the vicinity metropolis college, a pupil has their choice of colleges online where they can obtain grades, sheepskin and certifications in any topic they choose. Colleges online typically find B.A. , B.Com. & A ; B.Sc. courses more popular among pupils and IGNOU offers grades in rarer topics like Medical Imaging & A ; Radiology, Fashion Merchandising, Textile Design and even Architecture online. There are a few colleges online that offer complete sheepskin classs online with no text edition or notes in paper at all. These ‘virtual ‘ classs are typically non complete grades but station alumnus sheepskin classs in some specialisations like Cyber Law, Food Safety, Business Process Outsourcing, etc. Most colleges online will follow a method of direction as follows:Printed educational material/textbooks/guides are giving to the pupils at the start of the classRegular assignments, trials are given online which the pupil has to finish in a timely modeFace-to-face contact Sessionss, on-line confabs by which the pupil can clear up uncertainties with the moduleSome colleges online like IGNOU besides offer video cyclosis of lessons which the pupil can see at his or her ain leisureThere are several advantages to analyzing from colleges online. Some of them are given below:The pupil has the pick of colleges to analyze from instead being restricted to the college in their townThe pupil has a wider pick of capable & A ; specialisation to analyze from when taking colleges onlineThe pupil has the flexibleness of agenda with colleges online go forthing clip free for prosecuting another grade, working or even looking after their householdHowever, there are besides many safeguards that a pupil must take before taking from the several colleges online. Some of the safeguards are:Choose a echt college: First, a simple cheque on the University Grants Commission ( UGC ) web site ( www.ugc.ac.in ) will state the pupil whether their college has been reported as sham or has been given accreditation by UGC.Talk to Alumni: All good colleges online will give the pupils some manner to reach alumnas who have completed their class and who prospective pupils can acquire admittance from.Physical Contact: If possible, see the college ‘s office in individual or speak to them through the telephone and justice whether they are an existent college offering existent instruction.Online MBA gradesSeveral Online MBA grades are available on the Internet presents and the pupil is spoilt for pick. How does a pupil travel about measuring which Online MBA grade is the best option for them? There are many standards which are of import when taking an On-line MBA plan and we shall discourse some of them below:The repute of the institute:It is really of import non to acquire an online MBA grade from any unheard of on-line university. If possible, look at on-line MBA grade ‘s merely from colleges that offer full-time MBA grades. Then it will be easier to measure the college utilizing published rankings which appear in magazines. If the college offers merely on-line MBA grades and non full-time grades, so you must look into whether the college is affiliated to a university and authorized to run this plan.The course of study:Merely because it is an on-line MBA grade does n't intend that you should non acquire a good instruction. You are paying the fees for an MBA and you should have an MBA instruction every bit good as a grade. Compare the course of study of the online MBA grade with that of the university ‘s full-time plan.The faculty-student interaction:Some on- line MBA grades merely direct you the class stuff and trials whereas others offer a confab installation with module and the best 1s offer video streaming talks, confabs, webinars and other manners of on-line interaction. Look for the maximal points of interaction between module & A ; pupil ; it will maintain the class interesting for you. Besides make certain that if you need assist or guidance, a module member will be available for you to reach.Contact Sessionss:Though the grade may be an on-line MBA grade, you should hold the option of go toing unrecorded talks and meetings with the module one time in 3-6 months. This is besides an chance to run into other pupils and acquire to cognize them.Alumnuss:Contact old pupils of the online MBA grade plan at the college you plan to go to and see what they have to state about the college. You are finally taking an MBA to foster your calling chances and if your online MBA grade is seen as non utile or worse, harmful, so it could be a waste o f your clip or money. Check the mentions carefully before you pay any fees or sedimentations.Finally some general advice:An online MBA grade can be a rewarding and enriching measure on the corporate ladder.Making the right pick of college and plan for your online MBA grade can do all the difference between it being a great measure or a little measure on your manner to success.Evaluate all your options sagely, talk to as many people as you can.Do n't listen merely to the college ‘s selling talk, what is the best option for the college may non be the best option for your online MBA grade.Online MBA grades can assist you acquire a making while you have a full-time occupation or place duties during the twenty-four hours. But they still require survey and difficult work if you want to derive an instruction from it.While taking an online MBA grade, besides take a expression at the specialisation that is right for your calling way and where you want to travel in the hereafter. The ri ght pick of specialisation can besides assist you alter your calling way.

Solving Problems and Making Decisions Essay

Background The aim of the cervical screening programme is to reduce the incidence of, and morbidity and mortality from, invasive cervical cancer. This is achieved by screening eligible women between the ages of 25 and 65 years. In my role as an acting Senior Biomedical Scientist in the cytology department, I screen and report negative and inadequate cervical samples in line with XXX protocols as well as facilitating the flow of abnormal cervical samples through to consultant pathologists and ensuring appropriate recall management is given to patients. I am also involved with the supervision of staff and the production and management of in-house standard operating procedures. Description of Problem Although always monitored by XXX, the timeframe from taking a cervical sample to when it was reported has never been given a strict turnaround time target, unlike the screening programme in England, which since 2010 has had a 14-day turnaround time target. However, this is to change as XXX want women screened in XXX to have an equitable service to that of the women in England and with the introduction of new testing alongside the current cervical cytology test, laboratory turnaround times need to be under 3 weeks. In May 2013, the majority of our work was turned-around in 3.5 weeks with only 0.9% of our workload being reported within the proposed 3 week timeframe. Being aware that XXX were likely to implement changes within the next 12 months, we wanted to be proactive and improve our performance before XXX enforce improvement methods upon us or worse the service was moved from XXX. Therefore, the problem was identified as: How can we reduce our turnaround times to under 3 weeks (from date received in laboratory to date authorised)? Analysis of the Problem We were aware as a service that our turnaround times had increased over the last couple of years due to the loss of staff through retirement and centralisation and due to the transportation of work to an off-site laboratory for processing and then its transport to our department for screening and reporting. However, to identify the areas that we could improve, we created a work-stream to understand the flow of work through the laboratory process. A simplified version of the work-stream is found below: (Removed for confidentiality reasons) The days in the green ovals are average accumulative working days it would take to achieve a reported sample from arrival at the laboratory. These are working days and do not include weekends, therefore it is possible a further 2 to 4 days could be added to the actual turnaround time, making a possible estimated laboratory turnaround time of between 4 and 10 days. These days are calculated with no backlog, and therefore the next step would be to identify were backlogs or bottlenecks were occurring. The processing of work at XXX was beyond our control. As was the transport to and from XXX, which occurs on alternative days and is governed by XXX. Therefore, the two areas we could concentrate on were the booking in and the screening of slides. In May 2013, the administration staff based in XXX had a slight backlog of samples to book in, this equated to 1 to 2 days delay. The main cause of this delay was lack of staff and it wasn’t something we could address immediately as recruitment of new staff would take time and screening staff could not help as the backlog and delay in slides being screened was even greater. In the same month, the backlog of slides waiting to be screened was estimated at 2 to 3 weeks, this equated to around 3000 slides waiting to be screened. The backlog of screening work was not only affecting swift results to the patients it was also having an effect upon the screening staff morale as they had to see large numbers of slides waiting to be screened, which  could affect the turnaround further. We were also notified at this time that a member of the screening team would be leaving and therefore the urgency in reducing our turnaround times became more imminent as we would have less staff in a month or two. If no action was taken now the turnaround times would increase further once the member of staff left. As a result, the area we need to concentrate on and identify possible solutions to was the matter of reducing screening times of slides, by attacking this element of the laboratory process we should be able to reduce our overall laboratory turnaround times. Identification of Possible Solutions The Cytology senior staff members, including myself, started with a brain-storming exercise of trying to identify possible solutions. Due to constraints and safe-practices put in place by the NHS Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP) and XXX it is not possible to ask screening staff to screen each slide faster, as false positives and false negative results would increase and the quality would be affected. And we could not ask staff to screen for a longer length of time in the day, as screeners can only primary screen slides for a maximum of 5 hours a day, again due to the quality risk. However, staff could work overtime by coming in at weekends. To try and improve the workflow pathway within the screening room I decided to re-read the †Cytology improvement guide – achieving a 14 day turnaround time in cytology† produced by the NHSCSP when England was undergoing changes to its screening programme turnaround times. This guide is a collection of evidence-based ideas for improving workflow and turnaround times in the laboratory and administration departments of the cervical programme. We had already adopted one suggestion from the guide in 2010 regarding batching sizes of work, whereby we have reduced the number of slides in a tray from 20 to 8 slides. Although each slide was still being screened for the same time length, a tray of slides were being finished quicker and therefore the screening staff felt happier and kept the work flowing through  the laboratory. However, on inspection the work wasn’t flowing, as after primary screening, trays were being placed into the rapid review box and only taken out for review twice a day (first thing in morning and after lunch), with some staff only reviewing slides once per day. This was causing the first bottleneck and it was also having a knock-on effect on the authorising of samples by senior staff as large chunks of authorising was occurring first thing in the morning or after lunch, which due to the monotony of checking details and results was causing errors to occur in reporting. We therefore needed to undert ake a Lean transformation. Lean is an improvement approach to enhance flow and eliminate waste that was developed by Toyota. Lean is basically about getting the right things to the right place, at the right time, in the right quantities, while minimising waste and being flexible and open to change. Lean thinking focuses on what the customer values, any activity that is not valued is waste. If you remove the waste, the customer receives a more value-added service. In our department this means reducing our turnaround times, so that the customer (XXX women) get their cervical results in 3 weeks. We therefore had to remove processes that were not adding value to the end result. By investigating further it was noted that some screening staff were writing on the front and the back of the sample request forms if the samples were negative. There was no benefit in duplicating the result on the back of the form and therefore as part of Lean it is considered waste. Distraction was also a large issue in the screening room. To screen and report slides, it requires concentration to process and distinguish abnormal cells from normal samples. However, staff were regularly stopping screening to chat or employees from other departments were coming in to talk, make a cup of tea or to eat biscuits causing distractions of up to 30 minutes at times. The telephone was also a regular distraction, with service users phoning up for advice and results and the XXX administration department phoning up regularly to change and update patient managements. Summary of Options We eventually decided the options available to us were: 1. Screening staff to work overtime. If every member of the screening team and senior team (Senior Biomedical Scientist and Cytology Manager) were to partake in overtime work on one day of the weekend and managed to screen an average of 30 slides per day the backlog could be cleared in 9 to 10 weekends. However, partaking in overtime is a voluntary decision and not all staff members would want to or be able to work overtime. This means that if we were to only adopt overtime as an option a minimum of 9 weekends would need to be worked, and as we were not changing the day-to-day workflow process a further period of overtime may be needed in the future to minimise any further backlogs. Working overtime also had a cost implementation, as staff would need reimbursing for their time given. As overtime would be over a weekend this would be calculated at time and a half pay. 2. One tray of primary screening followed by one tray of rapid reviews. To overcome the current bottleneck of work after primary screening, it would be more advantageous to rapid review slides little and often instead of first thing in the morning or after lunch. The preferred scenario would be to primary screen a tray of slides and then screen a tray of rapid review slides and alternate like this throughout the day. This means the throughput of work is more constant and turnaround is less. These examples explain this option further: Current example – As you can see this example of current working practice means the slides take approximately 22 hours from being initially primary screened to being authorised. Proposed example – This example shows that by alternating between primary and rapid review screening the whole process up to authorising should take approximately 75 minutes. A saving in time of 20 hours and 45 minutes for those 8 slides to be reported and authorised. Some work primary screened at the end of the day will have to wait until the next day for rapid review, but on the whole most work will be turned around at a much faster pace. This could be implemented immediately with no cost implications or changes to staffs working pattern. 3. Authorising work little and often. The examples used above also outline how this can improve the bottleneck between rapid review and authorising. Currently authorising is carried out in large batches after rapid review has been completed mainly at lunchtime and occasional first thing in the morning. These large batches of work are monotonous and transcription errors can arise due to this. By having rapid review completed in small batches of 8, it is possible for senior staff to authorise in these small batches as soon as rapid reviews have been completed. This means authorisation can be achieved much sooner and hopeful reduce the risk of mistakes occurring. 4. Reduce waste. A Lean approach was considered and any process that didn’t add value was removed. The first wasteful process identified was writing on both front and back of request forms, writing on the back was considered worthless. This process approximately took 10 seconds to carry out. Therefore if this was stopped each screening staff member screening 30 slides a day on average would save 300 seconds a day. This equates to 5 minutes, which is more than enough time to screen one or two extra slides a day. Which over a week could mean 10 extra slides been screened by one screening staff member or 80 slides a week if all screening staff stopped. The second process considered was the taking of primary screening work from the work pile before necessary. Some individuals would pick up 2 trays of primary screening or would leave unfinished trays on their desks overnight. If these trays were left in the pile or half trays placed back into the work pile before going home, it would allow another member of staff to screen them sooner and therefore have them moving along the work-stream quicker. 5. Adopt quiet-time. The most controversial option considered was to implement quiet-time in the screening rooms. An initial quiet-time of between 9.30am-12.30pm and 1.30-3.30pm was suggested, asking all staff member to keep any talking to  work-related questions only and to deter any colleagues from other departments from coming into the screening room or phoning the department. No mobile phones would allowed in the department during these times and work emails were to be checked first thing in the morning or first thing after lunch. Evaluation of Options The NHSCSP advise on using a PDSA cycle (plan, do, study, act) to evaluate and to test out ideas to ensure changes make the improvement required before implementation. Although the cycle is good at temporarily trialling a change and assessing its impact, it’s not useful in highlighting the best option or options to adopt without trialling them all. We therefore need to analyse the strength and weakness of each option first. A decision matrix was created to evaluate and prioritise the 5 options above. The criteria we used to make the decisions were: Cost implications; would there be any extra cost involved with each option and was this a small or large cost. (Rated from 1 (high cost) to 3 (low cost)) Speed of implication; were we able to implement this option immediately or would it require much planning. (Rated from 1 (slow) to 3 (fast)) Effect on staff; would the staff be happy with these measure, would it cause a negative effect in the work place. Did the staff have to make large adjustments to their working practice. (Rated from 1 (high detriment) to 3 (low)) Speed of improvements; how long would it take for us to see a change in turnaround times if option was implemented. (Rated from 1 (slow) to 3 (fast)) Each option was rated for each criterion, so that we could establish any issues with each option. From looking at the table above, options 2 and 3 have scored well on all 4 criteria and therefore would be able to be implemented with little disruption but with a good impact on turnaround times. Option 1 unfortunately had too many issues regarding cost and the time it would take to gain agreement for funding the overtime and for staff to agree to giving up their free weekends. Also every staff member wasn’t able to participate due to personal commitments and families, this meant the overtime worked could vary greatly week to week. It was therefore decided options 2 and 3 would be trialled further and option 1 would be abandoned. Although option 4 would take time to see results, it was decided that by ‘Leaning’ up the work process could only be a good thing and that the ideas suggested to reduce waste in the workplace should be implemented immediately. The main cause for concern with option 5 was the detriment to the staff,  however this change to working practice was considered to be the one that would have the greatest affect on reduction of turnaround times. It was therefore decided to trial this for a while, and that once the backlog was reduced we could relax the quiet time option and re-implement it if the backlog was to increase again. We could now look at the PDSA cycle and using turnaround time as a measurement assess the capabilities of option 2,3,4 and 5. By starting to trial the options and regularly monitoring and studying the turnaround times (Do & Study) we can highlight any changes that may be necessary (Act) and think of new plans to tackle any issues that arise (Plan). Implementation Before implementing and disseminating the information to all the staff, the cytology manager and cytopathologist went over all the presented options and made the final decision to implement the improvements for reducing turnaround times. They were happy to put forward the 4 options identified to all the staff and create action plans for implementation. A staff meeting was held to explain the situation regarding increasing turnaround times and the options put forward in the form of an action plan to the staff on how we could reduce the turnaround times. The action plans presented were: It was important to us to use SMART action plans, which meant we had to be specific in our actions and create measurable, achievable and realistic plans. An achievable time frame was set by creating weekly and monthly milestones for reviewing our turnaround times. Staff were asked to provide their thoughts on these actions and identify any issues or bring forward any options not already covered. Staff members made known their fears regarding quiet time, with one staff pointing out their working times were 9.30am until 2.30pm, and therefore apart from lunchtime she cannot talk during her working hours. This was taken into consideration  and the hours of quiet-time were altered. It was also stated the quiet time was a short term proposal and would be lifted as the backlog reduced/ended. An idea of moving the boxes holding the work needing rapid review and the boxes holding forms for authorising was also put forward. As currently the boxes were located across two different rooms and in the furthest corner of one room, meaning the entire screening room was being disturbed when someone went to put work/forms in the boxes. By moving the boxes to an equidistant place between both room, it would reduce the time wasted in walking to the boxes and reduce disturbance to other staff. Therefore the new and modified action plans were added. The staff was also advised that the turnaround times would initially be monitored in-house on a weekly basis to trial these changes and if the turnaround times were improving the monitoring would default to the XXX monthly monitoring. The aim was to try and authorise 300 cases a day, this was a realistic number to screen between 8 screening and 2 senior biomedical scientist staff. This equated to 1500 slides a week authorised, and as approximately 1000 slides were received and booked in each week, this meant we would be clearing approximately 500 slides from the backlog each week. Review of Outcomes Work levels were reviewed weekly by the Cytology Manager using the laboratories computer system. It was possible to see that the workload being reported was greater than that of the workload coming into the laboratory, and therefore the backlog of work was decreasing. However, what helped staff morale and made them aware of a reduction in the backlog and an improvement in turnaround times was being able to visualise the time between the date the sample was taken and the date the sample was screened and also seeing the reduction in the pile of work that was waiting for screening. As all options were implemented at the same time it was not possible to identify the effects of each individual option. XXX were also gathering the 3 week turnaround figures for all laboratories and these were being disseminated amongst the screening staff on a monthly basis. From the graph provided by XXX, it is clear from the implementation of changes in June 2013 the percentage of samples turned around in less than 3 weeks has steadily increased. A slight dip in the percentage is noted between August and September 2013, this coincided with the loss of a staff member and a move to a new laboratory building, which resulted in screening down-time for a couple of working days. It was at this time a decision was taken to stop the strict enforcement of quiet time, allowing the occasional ‘chatter’ within the screening room. This made work more welcoming and created a happier work environment, this in turn seems to have helped in the increase of samples turned around in 3 weeks. The introduction of these measures over the past 12 months have seen the departments 3 week turnaround times increase from 0.9% to 100%. References NHS Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP) – Cytology improvement guide: achieving a 14 day turnaround time in cytology NHS Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP) – Continuous improvement in cytology: sustaining and accelerating improvement

Labelling essays

Labelling essays In todays society, people are labelled and treated differently depending on their nationality. This is something that everyone is guilty of, including yourself. At least once in your lifetime you will describe someone by their nationality or give them a label such as wog, dego, gook etc. Its not only the people who have different nationalities that are being labelled today, its also the Australians and the native people who are being labelled as well. They have been given names such as boongs, red-necks, doggas etc. Labelling leads people to think that these different nationalities have people that look a certain way and that they will have some kind of personality trait depending on their nationality. A couple of prime examples of this are when people are described as wogs. When described as a wog you immediately think they are greasy, hairy, dont know any other English other than fully sick, be stuck up, always get their hair done at Hair Machine, drive a Valiant, Monaro or VL Calais and where their Kappa tracksuit all year round (Kappa considered to be a wog brand). Another example would be the labelling of the Australians. Really people call them doggas, how society came up with that name, no one really knows. When labelled as a dogga you are immediately seen as someone with a mullet, wears stubby shorts and flannelette shirts, wears thongs all year, always says Gday mate, said to be rude and always uses foul language, addresses females as Sheilas and will only ever drink beer. These ar e the types of things that people think of when some one has got a label to them. This is the power of imagery and also stereotypes. Not all people take these labels to heart. Some people are proud to have a label. There are also people who have started gangs using their label. M.E.B Middle Eastern Boys are a gang ...

How to Choose the Best ACT Test Locations

How to Choose the Best ACT Test Locations SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips We all want to max out brainpower on the day of the ACT. But what can help, besides studying? One factor worth considering is where you take the test. You want a place that allows you to focus completely on the test without other anxieties, concerns or discomfort. And guess where a lot of test-day anxieties, concerns and discomfort can come from? That's right, they can be direct results of choosing a distracting or inconvenient testing center. In this article, we give you all the information you need to make the right decision about which of all ACT test centers to choose In this article, we’ll cover how you find the ACT locations administering the test. Then, we’ll discuss the important factors you need to consider to choosing your test location. Finally, we’ll give you a few tips and reminders you might not have known about test centers. How Do I Find Which Locations Are Near Me? There are two ways to find test locations. 1) Use the ACT'sSearch Toolto Find a Test Center Near You I recommend that on this form you search by state, and not by city. If you enter the city, you’ll only receive schools for that exact city, not neighboring areas. You’ll see a list of cities and center names. When you click on the addition sign, you'll see the center code and the dates the ACT is offered at that center. Not all centers have all test dates, so make sure you plan ahead! 2) Start Registering for the Test You don't need to go through with the whole registration, and they won't charge you for it. You’ll need to log into your ACT account, and then click the link to register for the test. This will take you through many questionnaires. Finally, when you get to Test Date, choose your intended test date. Go through a few more pages, and you’ll get to the Test Center. On this page, you’ll be able to enter a Zip Code, and the ACT will conveniently show all ACT testing centers within 25 miles. It’s unclear why they don’t make the zip code search available publicly without registering for the test. Which ACT Test Location Should I Choose? Your best choice of ACT test locations depends on a number of factors. In order of importance: How long does it take to get there? How familiar are you with the location and layout? Will you know a lot of people at that location? How will that affect you? Are there known aspects about the location that make it problematic? Let’s cover each in order. How Long Does It Take to Get There? Timing is the primary concern when choosing the test location. Because the ACT requires that you arrive by 8AM sharp, you’ll need to wake up early to get to the test location. For example, if it takes you an hour to drive to the test location, you’ll likely need to wake up around 6AM to have enough time to get energized, eat breakfast, and arrive at the site with time to spare. Keep in mind that the longer you have to travel, the more variability there will be in your arrival time – a 10 minute drive might be delayed only by 5 minutes, but a 60 minute drive can be delayed by 30 minutes. Recommendation: generally try to choose locations that are closer to where you live. How Familiar Are You With the Location and Layout? Knowing exactly how to get to the ACT test center is an advantage. The morning of the test, you want as little distraction as possible when getting yourself in the mindset for acing the test. If you’re driving to an unknown location, you might run into unexpected traffic or construction, and you might confuse directions. This can cause anxiety that might not wear off until well into the test. Similarly, knowing the layout of the test center is helpful during bathroom breaks. Because breaks are tightly regulated in time, getting lost in the hallways of a school can be damaging to your concentration. Test centers at high schools typically use only a small portion of the school for testing, so it’s possible for you to lose your way if you’re unfamiliar with the location. Recommendation: Try to choose a location that you’re familiar with. If you must choose an unfamiliar location, try to scope it out beforehand, or budget extra time to get there and know the layout. Will You Know a Lot of People at That Location? How Will That Affect You? If you choose your local high school like most students, you’ll likely run into a lot of people you know. People respond very differently to this. To some, being around friends is helpful. It relieves the stress of the situation, and chatting casually during breaks might help them feel less nervous. To these people, going to an unfamiliar location with strangers causes additional stress. To others, the opposite is true - being around friends for the ACT is stressful. You might want as little distraction as possible, and talking to your friends might take your head out of the game. You want to concentrate silently during breaks, but you don’t want to give the impression that you’re rudely brushing off your friends. Plus, what if you take the test in the same room as your crush? It might be hard to take the test without sneaking glances at the person. Which group do you fit into? Each person is different, so act accordingly. Recommendation: If being around friends on test day is helpful, register at your high school. If it’s stressful, register elsewhere, keeping in mind the location and layout factors above. Are There Known Issues at the Location That Bother You? You’ll usually only know this ahead of time if you’re thinking about taking it at your high school. Here are things that you might worry about: Temperature control: do you know if the location can maintain a temperature that’s comfortable for you? Windows: do you tend to feel claustrophobic in this location, and might the presence of windows help? Testing environment: do you know if the location has noises, smells, or other factors that might be distracting? Do you tend to focus at school or drift off? Recommendation: Avoid testing centers with known problems that bother you. All these factors bring us to one important question that affect most students: Should You Take the ACT at Your High School? This is the default choice of most test takers, because it happens to be convenient. Some students don’t have this choice because their high school doesn’t offer the ACT – in this case, follow the guidelines above. But if you are able to take the ACT at your high school, don’t just assume this is the best option. You should NOT take the ACT at your high school if: There’s another testing location that is substantially closer to your home (saving more than 10 minutes of transit time) Testing around people you know stresses you out and can throw off your concentration You know there are problems at your school, like bad temperature control, uneven desks, or others. Other Tips and Facts Your test center may be changed before the test. If the ACT doesn’t have enough registered students at your chosen test center, they will reassign you to a different location you didn’t expect. Your test might even get rescheduled due to bad weather or other factors. If the location is unfamiliar, consider visiting it days before the test. You’ll practice getting to the location quickly, and you can take a brief look around so the environment is familiar the day of the test. If you have to choose a test center far away (30 minutes or more), here are some tips. Wake up earlier to give yourself buffer time in case problems happen. Prepare a breakfast to eat on the way, and notes to review on the way there. If music relaxes you, listen to it along the way. You can change your location, but it’ll cost you. If you make the change by the registration deadline, there’s a $23 fee. If you change it after your late registration deadline, your only option is to request standby testing, at which point you might as well take it at your original location. What's Next? Now that you know where to take the ACT, learn WHEN to take it. Find out the best ACT test dates and how you should schedule your tests. What's a good ACT score for you? Read this guide to figure out what score you need to aim for. Want to improve by 4 points or more on the ACT? Click below to get our free guide to 5 strategies you must remember to make big improvements on the ACT. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! 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11 Forms of Word Patronage to Forgo

11 Forms of Word Patronage to Forgo 11 Forms of Word Patronage to Forgo 11 Forms of Word Patronage to Forgo By Mark Nichol Various specimens of a curious class of self-referential expressions often find their way into spoken and written discourse. Such locutions in speech are nigh inevitable, because spontaneous communication frequently necessitates verbal placeholders, and the speaker’s self-consciousness or self-regard demands self-induced back-pedaling or backslapping. However, in both oration and composition especially in the latter, because the writer has ample opportunity to omit them they call undue attention to the writer’s putative sagacity and/or wit and are usually labored and distracting. Bryan A. Garner, the dean of American English usage, calls such phrasing â€Å"word patronage†; rhetoricians refer to it as metanoia or correctio. I’ve never met one that didn’t annoy me, and I advise correction: 1. As It Were This truncation of the subjunctive (conjectural) â€Å"as if it were so† ostensibly invites the reader to note that a preceding statement or expression is more practical that precise for the context, an imperfect metaphor: â€Å"The competition between Starbucks and Peet’s is a tempest in a coffee cup, as it were.† But its true and superfluous function is to say, â€Å"There, wasn’t that clever?† 2. If I May Say So Also rendered as â€Å"If I may be so bold,† this apology has such a musty Victorian odor of mock humility that it is suitable only in a jocular sense: â€Å"If I may be so bold, your dog’s mandibular attachment to my ankle is counterproductive to my health.† 3. If You Will This phrase, an abbreviation of â€Å"If you will allow me to use the phrase,† is more innocuous than its variations â€Å"If you will pardon my saying so† and â€Å"If you will permit me to say,† which warn the recipient of a communication that what follows may be critical or provocative. â€Å"If you will,† conversely, merely asks the reader to accept an interpretation, but an argument should stand on its own, without such verbal bowing and scraping. 4. In a Manner of Speaking This almost meaningless expression is intended as an apology for how an idea or opinion is expressed: â€Å"Are you calling me crazy?† â€Å"In a manner of speaking, yes.† 5. It Goes Without Saying This is a gentler way of saying, â€Å"It should be obvious,† as in â€Å"It goes without saying that the belief in alien abduction is a fringe belief.† If it goes without saying, then don’t say that it goes without saying. 6. Not to Put Too Fine a Point on It This elaborately pretentious expression is deployed usually before but sometimes after one writes exactly what one means, even if it may offend a reader. The writer is, in this case, doing just the opposite putting a fine point, or jabbing, the reader with the truth: â€Å"Not to put too fine a point on it, but your breath is toxic.† 7. Not to Mention Of course, this phrase immediately precedes something mentioned in spite of the writer’s promise not to mention it: â€Å"The flooding ruined the furniture, not to mention the floor.† It is perhaps the most innocuous entry on this list (I say so because I use it sometimes), sometimes helpful to emphasize that what follows is more significant a point than an earlier statement, but consider, during revision, whether your statement can stand on its own without it. 8. So to Speak â€Å"So to speak† is a simpler version of â€Å"in a manner of speaking,† though some wits myself included indulge in its use after an accidental (or a deliberate) pun, to make sure the listener noticed it and is duly amused: â€Å"The pregnant woman was expectant, so to speak.† In writing, however, it is ingratiating and grating. 9. To Coin a Phrase This phrase is an apology for using a clichà ©, an attempt by the writer to ensure that the reader knows the writer is contrite about letting a trite expression loose: â€Å"It’s like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse, to coin a phrase.† 10. To Say Nothing This is a milder variation on â€Å"not to mention† with a stronger connotation that what’s about to be mentioned is more significant: â€Å"Her perfume annoyed me, to say nothing of her manner.† 11. With All Due Respect This obsequious apology serves to smooth the not-yet-ruffled feathers of someone whose ego is about to be bruised: â€Å"With all due respect, I disagree.† The speaker or writer is acknowledging the superior authority and/or wisdom, or other qualities, of the listener or reader. Instead of employing this preface, however, either soften the blow or commit to striking it. If you find yourself writing any of these phrases, consider it a signal to rework the passage. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†Awoken or Awakened?10 Humorous, Derisive, or Slang Synonyms for â€Å"Leader† or â€Å"Official†

Responsible Government In The Canadian Regime Essay

Responsible Government In The Canadian Regime - Essay Example Soon, people began to agitate and rebel seeking "reform" of the constitutional system. As a result, Lord Durham was sent to Canada to investigate the cause of the rebellions and to figure out a solution. Lord Durham stressed that "the complete assimilation of French Canadians" (Malcomson and Myers 2005) was necessary and proposed the Act of Union. Further, he stated that a responsible government was needed to handle the situation and the British Government eventually acknowledged the idea. Canada's constitution has therefore been under the principle of responsible government, based on the fusion of power, which is distinct from a separation of powers. This fusion of power is the most important and fundamental factor in the responsible government system that helps the Canadian government remarkably efficient. It also increase voters' accountability, and imposes strong influence over the confidence in the House of Commons. The responsible government which depends on the fusion of power, allows the cabinet not only to acts as an executive but also to take a role in legislative action. There are no "standstills of the sort[and] once the cabinet backed by a parliamentary majoritythere is nothing to stand in its way." (Malcomson and Myers 2005) Because the same group is responsible for legislating, practicing and enforcing the law, they can take decisions without transferring the proposal from one branch to another for permission. Moreover, in a responsible government, the "power is married to responsibility". (Kam, Sept 19, 2006) Under separation of powers, it is hard to blame a particular branch or a person for unsatisfactory political events. However, in a responsible government, the power is fused into one system, and therefore, the responsibility for positive or negative events lies on one entity alone. This also influences the voters' evaluation of their elected servants. The fusion of power increases the accountability to the voters much more than separation of powers. Under the principles of responsible government, the prime minister and the cabinet's legitimacy solely depend on the confidence of the House of Commons which generates unique characteristics for the government. The prime minister and the cabinet are not directly elected by the people. Because of this, their democratic legitimacy depends on the confidence of the House of Commons. Consequently, if the members of the party do no support each other and cooperate in order to endorse the ministry, they will soon lose the confidence of the House and their right to rule would be taken away. For this reason, the party discipline in Canada is pretty strong. Furthermore, it prompts MPs to vote in support of their party instead of their constituents' desires. The dependence on the confidence of the House of Commons also influences the date of the election in Canada. Under the principle of separation of powers, each branch and the president are elected separately. Once they are elected, they each have their own mandate. However, in Canada, "the timing of parliamentary elections is normally decided by the prime minister". They "canlose that confidence at anytime,[so] it is essential to be able to hold elections at any time." (Malcomson and Myers 2005) The responsible government system originated from the British, but soon percolated into the Canadian government, creating distinctive features in the

Who I am Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Who I am - Essay Example My migration to the United States was a significant event in my life. Although I took some time to adjust to the new culture, I gradually started feeling at home. I started seeing the merits of the American values. I also greatly admire and enjoy the freedoms that the citizens are entitled. I have a total of 8 siblings – 3 brothers and 5 sisters. I am the youngest of them all. We are a closely knit family. My mother took the sole responsibility of raising all of us, in the absence of my father. My mother struggled hard to keep the family afloat and it is to her that I am most indebted. Her hard work had paid off and we are all successful in our lives today. I do not have any friends. However, my extended family provides me with all the warmth and companionship that I require. I cherish the moments of love and care that I shared with my brothers and sisters. Being the last child of the family, I was particularly well looked after by everyone. Some of my brothers and sisters live in different parts of the country. But we are in regular contact and the distance has not diminished our mutual concern. My mother especially enjoys visiting all her children scattered across this expansive country of ours. I am married and have two children. The elder one is Theresa, who is 3 and half years old. The younger one is Alicia, who is 17 months old. I have a very supporting husband who can understand and relate to all my concerns and worries. My children bring such joy into my life. I am keen on providing them with quality education and all the assistance and guidance to fulfill their potentials. My husband and children are very dear to me. My well being is directly connected to my family’s wellbeing. This is another motivation for my getting professionally qualified. On successful completion of this course on Radiology, I would be eligible to seek a job as a Radiologist in a hospital laboratory. The

Fulfilling the promise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fulfilling the promise - Essay Example eve through various ways, and I will strongly agree to the fact that America has made a wide progress towards achieving â€Å"The Promise of America Life†. â€Å"Organized labor had never been more powerful than at the end of World War II. Cold War page 798† â€Å"A knowledge of history is, in addition, a means of strength. (John F. Kennedy paragraph 7, line 1), we realize that this led to the increment of in the number of women workforce in 1953 as well as the increment of job opportunity. During this period, America improved their civil and voting rights. American democracy was reshaped thrusting the federal government more deeply into economic and social life. America experienced the Atomic Age as well as the communist period, thus the country tried to fight against the communist in the state. â€Å"During the social, political, and military crisis of the 1960s, Americans had largely taken the economy for granted. Living with Less (page 880).† This was all brought by failing of businesses, government and economists, multinational giant strategies combined to weaken the foundation prosperity. â€Å"†¦.United states began as an underdeveloped nation which seized its independence by carrying out a successful revolution†¦ (John F. Kennedy paragraph 6 line 3).† The shortage oil spread well beyond gas stations, truck drivers blockaded highways to protest the high cost of fuels and low speed limits, and this challenged the state and thus contributed to the realization of, The Promise of America Life. â€Å"There is little that is more important for an American citizen to know than the history and traditions of his country† (John F. Kennedy paragraph 1 line 1). The Cold War marked the age of globalization, as the state established regional relations to various countries worldwide and contributed to the development of new communication technologies which sped up the global flow of news, ideas and money through the development of communication satellites. It also saw the

Iraq and the Security Challenges Facing the US Essay

Iraq and the Security Challenges Facing the US - Essay Example It's the 21st century, the world is modernizing, and superpowers are helping developing countries develop. The UN, composed f members from most f the countries f the world, was founded to promote peace, security, and economic development throughout the world. As one of, if not the only, current superpower, the United States has an obligation to spread democracy throughout the world, mainly Iraq, as stabilizing the country would bring stability to the volatile Middle-East. The deposition f Saddam Hussein would clear the space for the Iraqi people to establish a truly democratic government and serve as a beacon and inspiration for the spread f democracy throughout the Islamic world. Saddam Hussein massacred his people, the Kurds, and even his own family members, yet he was supposedly elected by 99% f the population. This is the result f a dictatorship government where the people have little to no say. By establishing a democracy in Iraq the people would be bestowed the gift f freedom. We all remember watching the people f Iraq proudly waving their purple-dyed fingers in triumph after voting in their first real elections. Iraqis would have a constitutional democracy in the Arab world, and Americans would have a partner for peace and moderation in the Middle East. The Bush Administration was well aware f these facts, and thus this acted as the motivation for invading Iraq. Some make the argument that by spreading democracy in Iraq, we are doing nothing but imposing a foreign belief on a nation uninterested in this alien form f government. To this it could be said that democracy takes different forms in different cultures, successful free societies are built on common foundations f rule f law, freedom f speech, freedom f assembly, a free economy, and freedom f worship. These are fundamental rights that any nation or population can appreciate. Additionally, according to the "Democratic Domino theory", if and when democracy is established in Iraq, it would spread beyond the nation's borders to the other undemocratic countries f the region, leading to a stable and free Middle East. As President Bush declared, "All Iraqis must have a voice in the new government, and all citizens must have their rights protected." It would be hypocritical f the United States to praise its successful democratic government, but do nothing to promote it in other countries. Thus the spread and establishment f democracy was an absolute real motivation for the invasion f Iraq. To some this argument is flawed. They claim all this was propaganda promoted by the Bush Administration and used as a front to sell the war to the nation. Others, such as the chief foreign columnist f the New York Times, Thomas Friedman, believe the opposite. In a July 16 column entitled "Winning the Real War", Friedman hails the formation f an Iraqi "governing council," handpicked by the US colonial administrator L. Paul Bremer, as the real "liberation" f Iraq,

What is the significance of 'participatory culture' to contemporary Essay

What is the significance of 'participatory culture' to contemporary graphic design practice - Essay Example Nonetheless, this kind of participation fails to enable the recipient to change the final appearance of the data, or to customize it according to their needs. In the recent past, however, there has been a significant concern among designers to create more interactive graphical interfaces for maximum gains. Otherwise referred to as co-creation, the future of technologies is likely to shift more in the direction of ensuring a greater level of participation by receivers in a way that will make modern technologies virtually owned by end-users. Since the beginning of the 21st century, and the rapid growth of Internet technologies around the world, there has been a need to create graphic designs that are flexible and more responsive to end-users (Barnes, 2013). Designers and instructors are working around the clock to achieve a complete integration of graphic design and other disciplines such as business. In all of these relationships, there are high chances that the technology trends will continue to evolve, as will the present-day socio-economic, cultural, environmental, and political forces into a more participatory operational context. The current world is witnessing a situation whereby graphical designs and or objects are no longer the ultimate consequence of design practice (Denning, 2013). Neuhauser et al (2009) have noted that, even though, posters, billboards, print media and navigational technologies are still commonly used among graphic designers, designers are more concerned with generating services, graphical e xperiences, and information that engage the end-user more than ever before. The rush towards a more participatory project designs based on users’ tastes and preferences is becoming more and more intensified by each passing day. Designers are increasingly seeing the need to create ‘users’ in the current technology era in order to facilitate more human-machine interactions as a way of enhancing efficiency

The Drama Of The Love Triangle In Literature Essay - 1

The Drama Of The Love Triangle In Literature - Essay Example The door goes unanswered after they rang the doorbell for several times, but as they were about to leave, they heard footsteps from the inside of the house. The door opened and there stood Liz wearing her chequered black and white pajama and a cheeky smile, which was so unusual for her. After exchanging pleasantries, they entered the house, and this time Kelvin’s attempt to hold Linda’s hand was not rejected. They walked hand in hand up to the living room and from the look on Liz’s face, the gesture was not welcome. Kelvin having known Liz for a long time let off Linda’s hand. Liz rushed to the kitchen to fetch a drink for them and Kelvin could not help staring at the rich bosom that Liz displayed when she was rising from her seat to go to the kitchen. When he realized he was being watched, he tried to look the other way, but Linda had already noticed and she mumbled something that was not coherent. Liz returned with a bottle of grape juice, which they proceeded to take as they chatted over general things. When it was time to leave, Kelvin explained to Liz their reason for coming and signaled Linda to give Liz the story as she had narrated to him before they left college premises earlier in the day. Linda gave her side of the story as she had given it to Kelvin, although this time she seemed more emotional, which at one point moved Liz to tears. Kelvin, who was used to seeing women cry, started to get irritated when he saw the discussion was getting emotional, so he excused himself to the washroom. After leaving, the two women looked at each other with te ary eyes, and a sense of connection between them attracted them to each other; however, to Linda there was something about Liz that made her suspicious, but since her newfound friend Kelvin had told her that she is a God fearing person, she had no reason to worry.

What is the significance of 'participatory culture' to contemporary Essay

What is the significance of 'participatory culture' to contemporary graphic design practice - Essay Example Nonetheless, this kind of participation fails to enable the recipient to change the final appearance of the data, or to customize it according to their needs. In the recent past, however, there has been a significant concern among designers to create more interactive graphical interfaces for maximum gains. Otherwise referred to as co-creation, the future of technologies is likely to shift more in the direction of ensuring a greater level of participation by receivers in a way that will make modern technologies virtually owned by end-users. Since the beginning of the 21st century, and the rapid growth of Internet technologies around the world, there has been a need to create graphic designs that are flexible and more responsive to end-users (Barnes, 2013). Designers and instructors are working around the clock to achieve a complete integration of graphic design and other disciplines such as business. In all of these relationships, there are high chances that the technology trends will continue to evolve, as will the present-day socio-economic, cultural, environmental, and political forces into a more participatory operational context. The current world is witnessing a situation whereby graphical designs and or objects are no longer the ultimate consequence of design practice (Denning, 2013). Neuhauser et al (2009) have noted that, even though, posters, billboards, print media and navigational technologies are still commonly used among graphic designers, designers are more concerned with generating services, graphical e xperiences, and information that engage the end-user more than ever before. The rush towards a more participatory project designs based on users’ tastes and preferences is becoming more and more intensified by each passing day. Designers are increasingly seeing the need to create ‘users’ in the current technology era in order to facilitate more human-machine interactions as a way of enhancing efficiency

To what extent does a mature and cyclical product market drive Essay

To what extent does a mature and cyclical product market drive corporate restructuring - Essay Example Does maturity necessarily lead to deterioration of market? This question can be answered using the concept of cyclicality. Economics in Business Context (Haslam et al. 2002, p.92) further defines cyclical markets as â€Å"generally mature markets in which volume fluctuates at or around steady pattern of demand†. Depending on the replacement period of the product, the product will be required by the customers every few years, months or weeks. During the period when maximum customers replace the product, the demand for the product will be at its positive peak. This period is followed by a period of low sales. Thus, fluctuation in the demand for a mature product makes it cyclical. Some products have longer replacement periods than the others, making them cyclical. For example, a refrigerator may be replaced after every ten years but cold drinks manufactured by Coco Cola or Pepsi are bought by billions of people every day. Therefore, refrigerators may be termed as mature and cyclical. Coco Cola and Pepsi have reached maturity but they are not cyclical. Let me illustrate with the help of a hypothetical example. Consider a product XYZ. Say, I had introduced XYZ in the market in 1990. The replacement period of this product was five years. Using excellent marketing strategy, XYZ had gained popularity amongst the customers by 1991. But, I had not yet sold XYZ to maximum number of targeted customers. I had to maximize my sales as well as confront a new problem; a competitor introduced a similar product called ABC in the market in the year 1992. After a research on XYZ, I realized that the product could be manufactured in a better way, leading to an increase its durability. The replacement period after increase in durability became 8 years. Increase in the durability of XYZ attracted more number of customers. Because it was a very popular product, XYZ reached maturity by 1995. It was sold to maximum number of customers. If I had not

Attending Skills Essay Example for Free

Attending Skills Essay Bolton, in his book People Skills (1979), describes attending as giving all of your physical attention to another person. The process of attending, whether you realize it or not, has a considerable impact on the quality of communication that goes on between two people. For example, by attending you are saying to the other person I am intersted in what you have to say, however, a lack of good attending communicates that I really dont care about what you have to say. The body can be used as a tool to facilitate good communication. This is done through positioning the parts of the body so that they invite and hold an interpersonal relation. A relaxed alertness expressed by body posture seems best suited for fostering good communication. Bolton offers these suggestions to establish a posture of involvment: * Lean toward the speaker. This will communicate energy and attentiveness. * Face the other squarly (i. e. , your right sholuder to the speakers left). This communicates your involvment. It is especially important for you to position yourself so that you are at eye level with the speaker if you are seen as a authority figure. This will circumnavigate feelings of threat and can greatly aid in forming an interpersonal relationship. * Maintaining an open posture is also important for fostering interpersonal relatedness. A closed posture (i. e. , crossed arms and or legs) often communicates coldness and defensiveness. * You also need to be aware of your proximity to the speaker. We all have a concept of personal space. When those boundaries are crossed it puts the other on the defensive and makes them feel uncomfortable. However, to much distance communicates aloofness and disconectedness. Body motion, its a funny thing! Have you ever paid attention to what your hands were doing during the course of a conversation? Some of us simply shove them in our pockets or let them hang aimlessly by our sides. Then there are others, like me, who tend to fling them around as if to place some kind of emphasis on each word! There is such a thing as too little and too much. Body motion is good but it can be over done if you are not careful. The purpose of gesturing when you are listening is to encourage the speaker to continue speaking. This can most easily be done with a periodic head nod. A good listener moves his or her body in response to the speaker. Effective eye contact says that you are visually attuned to what the speaker is saying. Good eye contact involves focusing on the speakers face and occasionally shifting the focus to other parts of the body. The key is that the other is aware that they have your attention because your eyes are on them. Good eye contact should seem natural to the other person. What ever you do, dont stare them down. This makes you seem anxious and sometimes critical of them. The environment where the communication takes place is also an important factor in whether an interpersonal relationship can be formed. It is not always posible to move the conversation into a private room or office, but every attempt should be made to reduce the number of distractions that are present. In his book, The Skilled Helper (1998), Gerad Egan offers what he has labled the Micro Skills of Attending. The are very close to the infomation I have presented above from Boltons People Skills. He has developed the following acronym to help counseling students remeber these vital skills in communication. The listener has a specific responsibility in the course of communication. That is to stay out of the speakers way and to try and follow where he or she is leading. The goal of listening is not responding but understanding what is trying to be communicated. A door opener is a noncoercive inivitation to talk. Sometimes door openers are not necessay to get the ball rolling, but may be needed later in the conversation if the speaker does not seem to want to continue. Door openers dont have to be verbal cues, a good listener can also use his or her body to send the signal I am interested, you have my attention, please tell me more. The four elements of a door opener, as discussed, by Bolton are; (1) A discription of the other persons body language (i. e. , you dont look like you are feeling well today. ) (2) An invitation to talk (3) Silence (to give the other person time to decide if they want to talk and what they are going to say. ) (4) Attending (this inclueds all of the attending sk ills that are discused on the attending skills page. ) What on earth are minimal encourages? In the attempt to follow it is important not to become a nonparticipant in the conversation. Minimal encourages refers to the amount the listener speakes and the amount of direction the listener gives to the conversation, which should be very little. Sometimes encouragement is needed but the speaker needs to remain in control of the conversation. The same is true for questioning as is for encouraging. The problem is not questioning itself but the fact that most people do not do it well. Most people ask closed questions that only require specific and short answers such as yes and no. The trick is to ask open questions that are designed to spur the conversation on when it gets stuck. This means that questioning will be relatively infrequent. Finally, attentive silence is one of the most important elements in following the listener. We live in a culture in which silence is not comfortable. We often inturpert it as a cue that we need to jump in and say something. In fact, silence is an opportunity for the speaker to reflect on what he or she has said and to gather their thoughts before their next statment. What we say is not as important as giving the speaker the time he or she needs to clearly communicate their point. An important aspect of listening is to help the listner clarify his or her communication so that they can get their meaning across. To practice reflective listening is to serve as a mirror for the person speaking. One way that the speaker can do this is through paraphrasing. A paraphrase is a conscise response to the speaker that restates the essence of the communication in the listeners own words. The paraphrase deals with facts or ideas and not the emotions. In this respect it focuses the content of the speakers message. Another aspect of reflecting is the mirroring back of the speakers emotions as they make their statments. It is important to tune into the speakers emotions. If we, as listeners, miss the feeling content we have missed a major part of the speakers reaction and experience. Reflecting feelings also give the speaker an opportunity to evaluate how he or she is responding to a problem situation. Not only should the listener reflect feeling, he or she also needs to reflect meaning. Content + feeling = meaning. Sounds simple, doesnt it? But, if you get the feelings wrong or the content wrong then you cant understand the speaker. Reflecting meaning alows you to be sure you are getting what the speaker is saying. Reflecting feeling and content are the baby steps to reflecting meaning. Meaning expression can use the basic empathic formula; you feel _______ because _________ , or some variation on this formla. After a while the formula will disaper and a natural empathic responding style will develop. Finally, there is the concept of sumative reflections. This reflective response is designed to recap the major themes of the conversation and comes after an extended period of the conversation. During the course of the conversation bits of useless information can acrue. The sumation can serve to help the speaker to sort through the litter and to construct a more complete and compact conceptualization of the issue being discussed.

The Instrumentation And Measurement Engineering Essay

The Instrumentation And Measurement Engineering Essay A single strain gauge having a resistance of 500à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦, gauge factor of 2 and a temperature coefficient of 1 ÃÆ'- 10-5 per  °C at room temperature is mounted on the beam and connected in the arm AB of the bridge shown in figure Q4 for measuring a strain in cantilaver beam. The other three arms BC, CD and DA of the bridge have resistance of 100à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦, 100à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ and 500 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ respectively. The detector connected across A and C of the bridge has a resistance (Rg) of 100 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ and sensitivity 5 mm per  µA. The voltage supply to the bridge is 12 V. Determine the detector deflection for a gauge strain of 0.002. Given:- R1 = 500 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ R2 = 100 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ R3 = 500 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ R4 = 100 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ Resistance across A and C of the bridge, Rg = 100 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ ÃŽÂ ± = temperature coefficient of 1 x 10-5  °C Gauge strain, = 0.002 Voltage supply = 12 V Sensitivity 5 mm / ÃŽÂ ¼A Gauge factor of 2 Solution:- When a strain is introduced, the strain sensitivity, which is also called the gage factor (GF), and also the strain is defined as the amount of deformation per unit length of an object when a load is applied. Strain is calculated by dividing the total deformation of the original length by the original length (L). Substitute all the value that given and find out change in resistance, After get the change in resistance, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  R1. Total resistance measured is equal to R1 and R3 in parallel and R2 and R4 in parallel. If strain gauge is changes even a little bit in value can cause the bridge unbalanced and can define that R1 = à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  R1 + R1. Wheatstone resistive bridge sensors can be analyzed using Thevenins Theorem, where the circuit is reduced to voltage sources with series resistance Voltage across the bridge, VAC varies change as strain gauge, R1 So we can determine the voltage across the bridge, VAC terminals by applying the Ohms Law. R is the resistance that across the A and C of the bridge Lastly, determine the detector deflection for a gauge strain and the deflection are known as below, Deflection = Sensitivity x Current, Ig flow at VAC Deflection = (5 mm / ÃŽÂ ¼A) x 29.71 ÃŽÂ ¼A Deflection = 148.55 mm Determine the change in strain indicated for an increase of 20  °C in room temperature. Substitute the value that to the equivalent change in strain QUESTION 2 A telephone line will be used to carry measurement data as a frequency-modulated signal from 5kHz to 6kHz. The line is shared with unwanted voice data below 500Hz, and switching noise occurs above 500kHz. Design a band-pass RC filter that reduces the unwanted voice by 80% and reduces the switching noise by 90%. Assume CH is 0.05 µF, and use a resistance ratio r of 0.02. What is the Vout/Vin on the passband frequency of 5.5kHz? Given:- Frequency modulated signal from 5 kHz to 6 kHz Unwanted voice data below 500Hz Switching noise above 500 kHz Reduced unwanted voice 80% Reduced switching noise 90% CH = 0.05 ÃŽÂ ¼F Resistance ratio, r = 0.02 First need to find out the low pass filter Passive RC Low Pass Filter Also know that the capacitive reactance of a capacitor in an AC circuit is given as below The High Pass Filter is the exact opposite to the low pass filter. This filter has no output voltage from DC (0Hz), up to a specified cut-off frequency (Æ’c) point. This lower cut-off frequency point is 70.7% or -3dB (dB = -20log Vout/Vin) of the voltage gain allowed to pass. Passive RC High Pass Filter Also know that the capacitive reactance of a capacitor in an AC circuit is given as below After getting value of then substituting to the Substitute the R1 value to the formula to get the R2 value as well Using the FCL find out the C2 Band Pass Filter Circuit Passive RC Band Pass Filter Band Pass Filters passes signals within a certain band or spread of frequencies without distorting the input signal or introducing extra noise. This band of frequencies can be any width and is known as the filters Bandwidth Band Pass Filter Bode Plot QUESTION 3 Describe how the sensor control works in cycle with relay in filling and draining water from the tank. Find the value of amplifier gain, K, required to open the valve when the level reached 1.5 m. Description:- Input flow Q1 and Q2 fill the tank without controlled. When the level of water in tank reaches the height h = 1.5m, the level sensor sends signals voltage, Vh to the amplifier to amplify the voltage to relays voltage Vr = KVh with a gain of K, which the voltage of relay will be large enough to drive the relay closes. As the relays voltage reaches Vr = 6V, the relay is closed and activates the valve to open and water in the tank is started to drain out. After some time, the water level drops to 1.1m and the level sensor will read the signal. Again, the voltage Vh is amplified to Vr = 4.8V and latch the relay to open. The open relay is then instructed the valve to close. Even though the water stops draining out, the water tank is still filling with water. The water level will increase to h = 1.5m again. The same cycle is expected to occur continuously. Given:- Level sensors voltage, Vh = 0.8h + 0.4V Relays voltage, Vr = KVh Relays voltage closes, Vr = 6V h = 1.5m Find the amplifier gain, K Solution:- Level sensor linear static operating characteristics which is given, Vh = 0.8h + 0.4V. Apply this formula to the voltage relay to get the value of amplifier gain, K. Substitute all the info that given to the relays voltage, Vr = KVh At what level does the valve close? Given:- Relays voltage closes, Vr = 4.8V Level sensors voltage, Vh = 0.8h + 0.4V Amplifier gain, K = 3.75 Solution:- When the valve close, the voltage of relay, Vr = 4.8V and given that K = 3.75 and substitute to the formula relays voltage to get the level, h of valve close. 1.28 = 0.8h + 0.4 0.8h = 0.88 h = 1.1 m Suppose Q1 = 5 m3/min, Q2 = 2 m3/min, and Qout = 9 m3/min (when open). Determine the time for water level to rise from 1.1 to 1.5 meters and the time to drain out. Find the total time of cycle. Given:- Input flow rate (velocity), Q1 = 5m3/min and Q2 = 2m3/min Output flow rate (velocity), Qout = 9m3/min (when valve open) Solution:- Time for water level to rise from 1.1m to 1.5m Velocity shows how fast an object is moving to which direction. Average velocity can be calculated by dividing displacement over time. Where the t1 is the time when water start rise at height 1.1m. Assume the t1 = 0 (Initial time) Time for water level to drain out from 1.5m to 1.1m Output flow rate (velocity), Qout = 9m3/min (when valve open) t2 is the time when water reaches 1.1m, water drains out is stopped. Assume t2 = 0 QUESTION 4 A measurement of temperature using a sensor that outputs 6.5 mV/ËÅ ¡C must measure to 100ËÅ ¡C. A 6-bit ADC with a 10V reference is used. Develop a circuit to interface the sensor and the ADC. Find the temperature resolution. Given:- Output of the sensor = 6.5 mV/ ËÅ ¡C measure to 100ËÅ ¡C 6-bit ADC = 10Vref Solution:- Find the output sensor during 100ËÅ ¡C where the output sensor 6.5 mV/ ËÅ ¡C measure 1ËÅ ¡C is given. Resolution can define electrically, and expressed in volts. The minimum change in voltage required to guarantee a change in the output code level is called the LSB (least significant bit, since this is the voltage represented by a change in the LSB). The resolution Q of the ADC is equal to the LSB voltage. The voltage resolution of an ADC is equal to its overall voltage measurement range divided by the number of discrete voltage intervals: N is the number of voltage intervals, EFSR is the full scale voltage range, 10 V Normally, the number of voltage intervals is given by, Where the M is the ADCs resolution in bits. Solution:- Develop a circuit to interface the sensor Block Diagram Figure 4.1 Interfacing an Analog Output Temperature Sensor to an ADC At first sensor consists of a band gap reference circuit that produces a voltage. A switched capacitor op amp amplifier is used to amplify the temperature coefficient to a voltage mV/ °C because of the ease of building capacitors that are a ratio of each other. Lowpass filter is used to remove the switching noise of the amplified signal. The output signal is then driven by a buffer amplifier. The temperature sensors output pin is driven by an op amp that has output impedance (ROUT). The input of the ADC consists of a simple sample and hold circuit. A switch is used to connect the signal source with a sampling capacitor, while the ADC measures the CSAMPLE capacitors voltage in order to determine the temperature. The ROUT and RSWITCH resistances and the CSAMPLE capacitor form a time constant that must be less than the sampling rate (TSAMPLE) of the ADC as shown. An external capacitor can be added to the output pin to provide additional filtering and to form an anti-aliasing filter for the ADC. This capacitor may impact the time response of the sensor and the designer must allow time for the capacitor to charge sufficiently between ADC conversions. Also, the sensor amplifier may oscillate if the filter capacitor is too large. A small resistor of approximately 10 to 100ÃŽÂ © can be added between the output pin of the sensor and CFILTER to isolate the sensors amplifier from the capacitive load. The output impedance of the sensor (ROUT) varies as a function of frequency. Thus, a series resistor should be added to the effective ROUT resistance if CFILTER is intended to serve as the ADCs anti-aliasing filter. The output impedance of the TC1047A is less than 1ÃŽÂ © because operational amplifier A2 functions as a voltage buffer. The output impedance of the sensor is low due to the negative feedback of the buffer circuit topology. The negative feedback results in an output impedance that is equal to the impedance of the amplifier divided by the open-loop gain of the amplifier. The open-loop gain of the op amp is relatively large which, in turn, forces the output impedance to be small. QUESTION 5 A pressure sensor has a resistance that changes with pressure according to R = (0.15 kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦/psi)p + 2.5 kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦. This resistance is then converted to a voltage with the transfer function, The sensor time constant is 350 ms. At t = 0, the pressure changes suddenly from 40 psi to 150 psi. What is the voltage output at 0.5 s? What is the indicated pressure at this time? Given:- Pressure sensor has resistance changes with pressure, R = (0.15 kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦/psi)P + 2.5 kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ Transfer function of voltage, Sensor time constant, à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ = 350 ms At t = 0, Pressure, P change suddenly from 40 psi à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 150 psi Solution:- Pressure changes suddenly from 40 psi to 150 psi and we can assume that the initial pressure, Po = 150 psi Voltage output after t = 0.5 sec, find pressure after 0.5 sec first; Basic formula a quantity pressure depends exponentially on time t if. During the resistance 0.5 sec, P = 35.95 psi. Substitute the indicated pressure at 0.5s, P in resistance changes with pressure according to to find out the resistance during 0.5 sec Voltage output at 0.5 s, 2. At what time does the output reach 5.0 V? Find out the resistance by substitute the output voltage at the formula that giving Indicated pressure at output 5.0 V 50 psi A quantity pressure depends exponentially on time t if, substitute the value of initial pressure, indicated pressure output at 5.0 V and time constant is giving 350 ms. Finally we can get the time does the output reach 5.0 V. ,

Opium Wars in China Essay -- Chinese Opium Research History Essays

Opium Wars in China The Opium Wars were a series of three wars between the Chinese and the British; primarily fought in regard to the illegal trade of opium in China during the 19th century. They manifested the conflicting natures of both nations and demonstrated China’s misconceptions of its own superiority. The Opium Wars resulted in the humiliating defeat of the Chinese to a country they considered to be â€Å"barbarians†. There were many problems with the system of trade in China; even before opium trading began. China, believing herself to be the most civilized and advanced country, did not feel the need to satisfy Britain, a â€Å"barbarian† country’s request for freer trade and were concerned the British wanted land. Britain however, had no desire for land and only wished to trade, believing it was their right to do so. These misunderstandings and differing opinions were only the start of more to come. They set the foundations to the British and Chinese hostilities. China’s monopolistic system of trade caused great frustration for the British. The incompatible British and Chinese views on trade resulted in the First Opium War. All trade in China was channeled through the city of Canton and was regulated by a group of Chinese merchants known as the â€Å"cohong† who imposed irregular taxes. No direct contact between the foreigners and Chinese were allowed. Such limitations and conditions caused dissatisfaction among the foreign merchants, in particular the British, who ...

Group Dynamics Essay

‘Hundreds of fish swimming together is called a school. A pack of foraging baboons is a troupe. A half dozen crows on a telephone wire is a murder. A gam is a group of whales. But what is a collection of human beings called? A group’. (Forsyth, 2006 P.2) A group can consist of two or more people interacting. Bruce Tuckman and Meredith Belbin both devised theories relating to the interactions and dynamics of groups, whilst Tuckman concentrated on the group as a whole, Belbin focused on the roles individuals played within a group. ‘For centuries, sages and scholars have been fascinated by groups – by the way they form, change over time, dissipate unexpectedly, achieve great goals, and sometimes commit great wrongs’ (Forsyth, 2006 P.2) While roots of group dynamics go back to the late 1800s, group dynamics gained prominence as a field of study in the early 1940s. ‘During World War II, Americans needed a better understanding of how democratic organi zations could be made to function more effectively.’ (Levine, R. Rodreges, A. Zelezny, L. 2008 p.1). Tuckman believed that a group moved through several stages which he referred to as; forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. Forming, he felt, was the initial founding of the group when there was a high dependence on a leader for guidance and direction, whereas storming was the period of adjusting and adapting to group roles and dynamics where team members vie for position as they attempt to establish themselves in relation to other team members, the norming stage he believed was when everyone had found their place within the group, which was when performing would start to happen and lastly adjourning, when the group finally disseminated. Whereas, Belbin focused on each individual within a group/team and the role they played ‘A team is not a bunch of people with job titles, but a congregation of individuals, each of whom has a role which is understood by other members. Members of a team seek out certain roles and they perform most effectively in the ones that are most natural to them’(Belbin, 2014, p1). Belbin believed that there were nine role types spilt into 3 categories- cerebral, action orientated and people orientated. In the first category he placed plant, specialist and monitor evaluator. In the second category he placed implementer, shaper  and completer finisher and in the last category he grouped team-worker, co-ordinator and resource investigator believing that each person in the group would fit into or identify with one or more roles. He devised ‘The Belbin Test’ in which is a series of statements grouped into categories and a points system which will determine which of the nine role types people doing the test would fit into. When completing ‘The Belbin Test’ myself, using the two groups I am apart of (the larger counselling group and the small research group that we were split into for this units task) I emerged as a ME (Monitor Evaluator). According to Belbin the characteristics for this role are; sober, unemotional and prudent and I would definitely agree with prudent and sober however, I would strongly disagree with unemotional although, I do feel that in certain situations I can separate emotion, behaviour and so I can stand back from raw emotion. They are slow deciders who weigh up the pros and cons of options which describe me very well. He talks about the strengths of a Monitor Evaluator’s strengths as being- judgment, discretion and hard-headedness, the latter, in regards to me, I would disagree with. Belbin also thought that their allowable weaknesses were, lack of inspiration or the ability to motivate others, which I feel from doing the research task I have learnt about myself. Whereas, in Tuckman’s ‘Teamwork Survey’ our research group scored as follows; 23 froming,20 storming, 16 norming and 19 performing, which according to Tuckman our team is still in the forming stage but he felt that if the scores were all fairly lose together then the group has no clear perception of the way the team operates. Judging by this I would say that from my perspective that Tuckman is correct because I feel that we weren’t a team at all, we didn’t really work together. One contributing factor I feel was that one member of our group was absent for the first session and was also absent for the first part of the following session and another member of the group went for a short break leaving two of us to discuss what we were going to do. I felt at this point that w e were wasting valuable time because decisions couldn’t be made without others present. There was no plan or real discussion, the most vocal of our group decided what she was going to do and asked if there were any objections and I had already analysed where my strengths lay and decided to voice that opinion too and although another member also expressed an interest, I decided that I would prudently push for  the task of designing the PowerPoint slides. On reflection, when the names were being drawn out of a hat in order to decide on members for the research groups, I felt fairly nervous because there were two members of the group that, given a choice, I wouldn’t have chosen to work with, one because I have had the least social interaction with so far and the other because I find her slightly overbearing in her demeanour, although I do feel that her manner maybe due to insecurity rather than disrespect. There are many different types of groups, such as planned groups, which are deliberately formed, concocted groups i.e. military units or sports teams, founded g roups- for instance, study groups or clubs, emergent groups such as smoking groups, circumstantial groups for example audiences or crowds and self-organising groups for instance, regular customers in a bar or friendship cliques in the workplace. Groups can be brought together for many different reasons which can be split into four categories, intimacy groups (families), task groups (teams), weak associations (crowds) and social categories (women or doctors etc.) There are thirteen people in our student group, comprising of eleven females and two males and the one thing we all have in common is our goal of reaching the end of the two year course which will enable us to work as qualified counsellors. There are also many other similarities but there are also many differences. In therapy ‘early forms of group work were pioneered by Moreno with psychodrama, by Lewin through his invention of T-groups’ and by Bion in his psychoanalytic groups.’ (McLeod 1993, p.445) Carl Rogers coined the term, ‘The Basic Encounter’ Group to identify groups that operated on the principles of the person-centred approach. ‘The Basic Encounter Group is quite unique and, in fact, offers a different paradigm for gro up therapy.’ (The Basic Encounter Group 2014) And in 1968 Carl Rogers, along with Richard Farson, took part in a touching documentary/film of an encounter group, in which eight strangers were brought together in a room and permitted to explore their inner thoughts feeling openly which was facilitated by Rogers and Farson. After watching the video and order to get a flavour of how it felt to be a part of an encounter group, our counselling group set up an encounter group session where anyone could offer a thought or feeling they had about an issue that they didn’t mind disclosing to the rest of the group and other members could join in or just observe. For me it felt both heart-warming  and frustrating. Heart-warming because it felt as if there was a collective consciousness and genuine warmth towards each other, however there were times when I felt as if a few people were starting to give advice which I found frustrating because I felt as if they were trying to rescue people instead of listening without judgment. Although there are many advantages of working in groups therapeutically, such as, a feeling of shared experiences and unity, a sense of support and social aspects (meeting new people) there are also disadvantages such as, issues around confidentiality, concerns around emotions or people getting out of hand and feelings for some people of vulnerability amongst others. In the large counselling group, although I would describe myself as an introvert I don’t feel that I am too quiet and I wouldn’t describe myself as shy I feel that I contribute to the group and I definitely feel as if I am an fundamental member of the group. If I were to analyse my role(s) within the group according to Belbin, I would say that I am ‘Monitor Evaluator’ and a ‘Team Worker’ because I weigh things up before making a decision and look at all the options and I am interested in other peoples point of view as well as trying hard to be as versatile as possible but the down side to that is that I find it hard to motivate others and have great difficulty making a quick decision. However, in the research group I feel that I did take more of a dominant role because there was no natural leader/organiser so after realising that I just naturally started to make suggestions and ask opinions. In my opinion I would agree with my results (when doing the Belbin test) of Monitor Evaluator and if I had to guess at the roles the other three members of our research group according to this test, I would say that LK was an ‘Implementer’ because she was disciplined, reliable, conservative and efficient but DJ played the role of ‘Team Worker’ because he was co-operative, mild perceptive and diplomatic, whereas LE’s role, in my opinion, was ‘Resource Investigator’ because she is extrovert, enthusiastic and communicative. The presentation I felt came together fairly well, although I feel it could have been more of a success if we had had more time for the group to develop and had discussed equally and openly our thoughts and feelings about the task ahead. Personally I felt that we wasted valuable time and avoided issues that may have caused conflict. Our group researched German-American psychologist Kurt Lewin who set up a Research  Cent re for Group Dynamics (RCGD) in the late 1930’s and 1940’s. The RCGD revitalized the empirical approach and, more important, created one that was different from anything in the past and that still defines the best of the field today’ (Levine, R. Rodreges, A. Zelezny, L. 2008). Our presentation mainly focused on his ‘Three Stage Model’ for change. Lewin recognised a ‘need to provide a process whereby the members could be engaged in and committed to changing their behaviour’ (Lewin, 2004 p. 983) His three stage process for change comprised of the principle of unfreezing, changing and refreezing. Using the analogy of an ice-cube, the first step is to unfreeze/melt the cube, the second stage is to change the shape of the liquid and the third stage was to refreeze it into a different shape. He believed that if there was good communication, rumours were dispelled, everyone was included and by praising people’s efforts, change could occur but it would take time. I like this model of change because I can relate to it and I have recently had experience of such a change because the school that I work in has just (on June 1st) become an academy. In conclusion, I feel that I identified mostly with Belbin’s theory of roles people play within groups because the results from the Belbin test, for me, fitted very well with how I worked within our research group, however, having frequently worked with groups of young people, I know that Tuckman’s theory can be useful in determining where a group is at in terms of effective performance and it would have been valuable in our research group if we had had more time to develop as a group. Lewin’s three stage model I feel would be effective when working in a team/company although I got a sense of how it worked within our whole counselling group when unforeseen circumstances meant that the group had to get used to a new tutor and teaching style.