Information Systems Applications - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 20 Words: 5898 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Information Management and Systems It is defined as the discipline that covers several applications including people,procedures and technologies.these a ppliocations aree collectively reffered to as information systems. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Information Systems Applications" essay for you Create order Information Systems Management(ISM) are distinct from the normal information systems in the sense that they are capable of analyzing other information sytems that are apllied in operational activities of an organization.It is a planned system of perfoming collection,storingand dissemination of data in the form of the required information for carrying out necessary management functions. In the academic world the term is used to refer to,a group of information management methods twined to the automation of human decision making.Such systems include;Expert Systems,excecutive information Systems and Decicion Support Systems. ISM includes the application of Information Technology in support of major functions and activities in an organization or institution.ISM supports processes of:Storage,collection,manipulation,utilization and distribution of information resources of an organization.Manual processes are also included in an information system.This term is used as a synonym for information that are computer-based. Information systems will often deal with dockets such as use,development and management of an organizations information technology infrastructure. It includes systems that are not intended for decision making Currently the focus of companies has shifted from product oriented to information oriented.this means that there is more competition in process and innovation,by market operators, rather than product.There is much emphasis on the production process and services that accompanies the process of production. One of the most valued asset of a company is its information.This calls for a very strong information infrastructure.Therefore the study of information systems is keen on why and how technology can be put into excellent use in service to information flow within an organization. A great majority of information systems are developed for people.This peole employ the same in various areas including functional areas such as;human resource,marketing,finance,accounting etc.ISM professionals require a strong mixture of both technical and business knowledge for them to develop an information system that meets the needs of an organization. They must understand organizations objectives,its structures,operations and financial implications that are relative to these factors.Good understanding of these factors will give the ISM professionals a good base for effective communication with users before designing systems that will support their needs.It is also a good attribute of an ISM manager or professional to be updated with the evolving information technologies.They should posses a strong foundation of technical skills so as to select appropriate technologies and implementation of computer based information system. OVERVIEW In the current workplace,it is definite that technology works both effectively and reliably.ISM professionals have a key role in implementing technology within organizations. Infomation Systems Managers plan,network,and direct research and facilitate all computer related duties of firms.They are functional in determining both business and technical goals during consultation with the top management.They make detailed plans in accomplishing these goals.They give directions to other computer related workers e.g computer programmers,system analysts etc.They also aid in planning and coordinating activities like installation and upgrading of hardware and software,developing computer networks,implementation of internet and intranet sites and systems designing.They are involved with upkeep,security and mantainance of networks.They have a role in analyzing the computer and information needs of the organizations they work with from a strategic and operational persp[ective.Hence determining the longrange personnel and equipment requirements.Their duties also include assigning and reviewing their surbodinates work.They are also supposed to ensure that their organizat ions do not lag behind competitors. INFORMATION NEEDS End users of a system have different information needs depending on what he/she is trying to find,why she/he is trying to find and when she/he is trying to find the information.An example is the design of a staff directory,where there is an assumption that most users will be able to perfoam known item searching.Thet the user knows exactly what he is looking for,e.g Kerrys phone number.He has necessary terms to articulate the need,e.g he knows Kerrys second name is Brown and thats what he will search under.And finally he knows that that staff directory exists and that its the right place to look. Identification of information needs is important in designing an information system and to the provision of relative information services.For effective identification of information needs one has to identify the different methods for gathering information on various factors influencing those needs.A selection depending on the needs of the user is necessary.A step by step procedure is necessary in identifying information needs of most users.a careful analysis is to be made to distinguish the actual needs from the data gathered. The information needs identifierwill be able to discover, as a bye product, several ideas, tools, methods and techniques of satisfying the users in meeting their needs.At present,insufficient self sufficiency constitutes information needs. These information needs represent vacuums in the current knowledge of the enduser. Besides the expressed or articulated needs, there exists unexpressed needs which the user is aware of but will not like to express. The other category of need is the dormant need which the user is not aware of. But the information services provider might be able to bring to light these needs . A need is specific.It is generally time bound,either immediate or deferred.Information provided for a need will be used.Information provided may also be used or may not be used. Information needs depend on: Area of interest Hierarchical position of individuals work activity need to take a decision Availability of facilities. Need to seek new ideas Motivation factors for information needs Need to establish priority for recovery etc Information needs are also affected by a variety of factors including: The consequences of information Range of information sources available Background,professional,motivational orientation Uses of which information will be used. The social, political, economic, legal and regulatory systems surrounding the user Information needs identification is also somewhat a complex process. Some of the factors rendering it complex include: Original documents needed by researchers Individual preferences and behavioural aspects add a further dimension. Same information is perceived differently by users Information is put to different uses Need is satisfied by having access to the identified information in a particular package and form, and at a suitable time The flow of information and channels of communication are complex and add to the complexity The main steps in the process of identifying information needs is shown below: Studying the subject(s) of interest to the organization and or User(s Studying the organisation and its environs Studying the immediate environment of the User(s) Studying the User(s) Performing a formal interview Identifying and recording of the information needs Analysing and refining the identified information needs. Preparation for identifying information needs A very undefined situation is faced maybe only by the information professionals. They are unable to prescribe the required information to their clientele in the way the other professionals like physicians prescribe.Such prescriptions have a final say and authority, and which are embraced by the clients.Prescription is authoritative mainly because the clients of physicians and other professionals are seeking advice in a field which they themselves are ignorant of. But the clients of information professionals are more often specialists in the areas they seek information and professional advice. The main reason why there are difficulties experienced by the information professionals in distinguishing the wishes or the desires from the actual needs of the users . Therefore the information professional has to prepare himself/ herself in such a way as to create confidence in the users about his/ her professional capabilities. It will also be important if the investigation of information nee ds is to be successful, it is above all good to bear in mind that the person chosen to be the information needs identifier will need to be acceptable at all levels of users and have credibility. most guidelines in the form of a step by step procedure to identify information needs is presented incorporating the steps to be taken by the information system adentifier to equip himself/ herself for this investigative work. Study of subjects An information needs identifier must study the subjects of interest to the organization,users, and identify the central, peripheral and supporting areas.The result of such a study would produce a handbook on the subject to guide further work of identifying the information needs. This handbook is not a technical manual for technical personnel but a handy tool for the information professional. Such a handbook would present a birds eye view of the subject giving the following : Definitions of the subject concerned, collected from different authoritative sources bringing out the similarities and differences; scope of the subject giving definitions and scope of divisions and subdivisions; scope of the subjects that are tool subjects applicable to the subject concerned for its development; and scope of the subject in terms of the areas/subjects where the subject concerned is applied for their development. The different types of classification of the subject concerned including special subject classifications, taxonomic classifications, general document classifications, and vocabulary control tools such as thesaurus. The historical development of the subject giving the landmarks (significant contributions) under the broad divisions and subdivisions; the trend of research in the subject concerned as revealed in review documents marking out the broad areas in which current researches are in progress; and the trend of education and training in the subject concerne d. The important sources of information such as documentary sources , institutional sources and human sources; and the information transfer process among the users of information on the subject. After carrying out such a study of subject the Information Needs Identifier becomes confident enough to continue the work of identifying the information needs as he is exposed to the technical terminology and structure of the subject. Study the organization and its environment This is the second step in studying the organisation and its environment and preparing a profile for the organisation. Here, it is helpful for the information need identifier to know the type of the organisation for example, whether it is a corporate office, business or industrial enterprise and also differentiate whether it is public sector or private sector government or non government organisation, profit making or not for profit organisation, so as to identify the different types and styles of management and decision making processes which have a bearing on the information needs. As for this purpose, the information need identifier has to study the overall objectives, functions and the factors that affect the functions of the organisation concerned. Hence the organizations chart, the functions/ activities chart, annual reports, project reports, internal reports and other publications of the organisation would have to be studied. It will be of benefit to the information need ident ifier to attend special training courses/ orientation programmes usually organised for the benefit of new employees/ entrants/ management trainees by the organisation. The training courses are usually in the form of a series of lectures by senior personnel in the organisation spread over a period of three to six months. It would cover all subjects relating to the work of the organisation the basic scientific and technical background and detailed aspects of the engineering and technology of production. Further the participants would be taken to the different divisions of the organisation for observation and practical knowledge of the different items of work. Further, the environment in which the organisation works and its impact would have to be analysed. An information need identifier may have to study the super ordinate organisation, its objectives, functions etc., forming the environment and the factors that may affect the particular organisation concerned. Incase of a national organisation, then the countrys political, social, economical and technological environment having a bearing on the organisation as well as government regulatory environment would have to be taken note of. Study of the users specific environment At this point, it may be necessary to define in an ordely manner, the category of users whose information needs are to be identified. The Information need identifier must get himself well acquainted with the department of the individual user before conducting any actual interview with the user for the identification of his/her information needs. Most of the aspects to be covered in this study are: History of the concerned department, its objectives and functions. Organisational structure. Details of products and/ or processes of manufacture and/ or research. Details of plant, machinery, equipment, testing and other facilities. Scope of each discernible activity of the department. Information flow in the functioning of the department. Present sources of information and the channels and media used in the departments. Types of information services being used in the departments. Specific subjects on which information is being sought including type of information and kind of presentation required. Recent significant events and problems solved and the way they are solved including specific information used in solving the problems. Any other items of interest such as on going projects, training programmes etc., in the unit. Some of the sources that are to be studied for this purpose include the monthly/ quarterly/ annual reports by and on the department/ unit and its functions, minutes of meetings on and by the department/ unit, progress reports, project reports, all investigation/ review reports, performance reports, correspondence, proposals by and on the department, records of equipment, machinery and other facilities etc. It may be necessary for the INI to spend sufficient time in the users department to understand and acquaint himself with the working of the department, its organisational set up, the various activities etc., and thereby understand the situation in which the user is operating. This understanding will help the INI to easily correlate the users information needs in relation to his environment/ situation and enable the INI to grasp what the user is intending to communicate during any future interview with the user. Study of the user Users often tend to classify their wants/ interests into fragmented shopping lists, whereas their true needs may only be identified from a greater understanding of the user as a person . Therefore,emphasis should be placed on the basic needs of the individual as person . As such, it is essential that information need identifier should attempt to perceive the users problems as holistically as possible. If this is acceptable, then the expression of the information need ceases to be scientifically impersonal objective entity and becomes an expression which cannot be fully communicated apart from the user. Therefore, the next step, after the study of the users environment, is to study each of the individual users. Users are individuals. Nevertheless, in designing information systems, it is useful to classify groups of users. In relation to a specific existing or planned information facility, at least four different types of users can be distinguished .. Potential user; the one who needs information which might be provided by specific services of the information facility. Expected user; the one who is known to have the intent of using certain information services (subscriber to a specific information service such as an abstracting service). Actual User; the one who has actually used an information service regardless of whether any advantage was derived from it or not. Beneficiary; the one who derives measurable advantage from information services. Turning a potential user into an actual user and into a beneficiary should of course be the aim of planners, designers and operators of information systems. Users may be further classified into the following broad functional groups : Top Management which is responsible for policy making, strategic/ long range planning regarding mergers, acquisitions, capitals, new product lines. Scientists responsible for research, innovation, technical know how generation etc. Middle Management responsible for solving problems and making decisions required to fulfill the goals and implement policies set up by the top management. Supervisors responsible for ensuring that the products and services are produced on time, within the cost and quality level set. Operating Personnel / Technicians responsible for routine operations. Moreover, in an organisation setting, a user may play different specific work roles in performing his duties and in carrying out his functions and responsibilities. Some of the specific roles managers play, for instance include : Team Leader Liaison Monitor/ Controller Disseminator Spokesman Trouble shooter Resource allocator Resource Seeker Negotiator Decision Maker. Some of the communication activities of a manager and the percentage of events for each of the activities are given below: Receiving information, facts 27.8 % Receiving request for information, facts 8.0 % Receiving request for action 5.1 % Receiving request for approval 1.1 % Receiving opinion 0.7 % Receiving request for opinion 0.4 % Receiving applications for positions 0.4 % Receiving invitation 0.4 % Giving information, facts 12.1 % Giving opinions 0.7 % Giving instructions 0.7 % Seeking information, facts 9.2 % Requesting action 3.3 % Seeking opinion 0.4 % Checking and signing documents 6.6 % Circulating and moving documents 2.6 % Making notes and writing 1.5 % Interviewing 1.1 % Discussing interviewees 0.7 % Introducing speaker 0.4 % Participating in decision making 0.4 % Delaying response 0.4 % General discussion, meetings 12.8 % Complex events 1.8 % Others 1.5 % Further an individual may form a node in the following three directions of information flow in the organisation: Communicating down the line which is basically of five types : Giving job instructions and specific task directives. Job rationale information that is designed to produce understanding of the task and its relation to other organisational tasks. Information about organizational procedures and practices. Feedback to the subordinate about their performance. Indoctrination of goals information of an ideological character to inculcate a sense of mission. Communicating upward which may be reduced to what people say: about themselves, their performance and their problems; about others and their problems; about organisational policies and practices; and about what needs to be done and how. Horizontally communicating with colleagues in the same hierarchical level. A user, in his professional capacity, is in continuous interaction with: his culture that sets values and policies, and other influences and attitude. formal organisations such as his employing organization. invisible colleges, gate keepers as a type of reference group sufficiently distinguished by its membership criteria and communication patterns to warrant separate identification. the political system that can promote or inhibit activity and information flow. the legal and economic systems that impose legal and financial restraints on access to information. his work team, a sub system of the organisation that is distinguished because of interpersonal characteristics. himself, that is his cognitive system, motivations, attitudes etc formal information systems such as libraries and information centres. membership groups like professional societies that control information channels reference group made up of individuals having similar specialisation or interests but who are not necessarily in the same membership groups. Users who find themselves in such complex situations may have to be studied using a combination of various direct and indirect methods. Direct methods of user study are: Personal informal contacts with the user. Observing the user while at discussion with his colleagues; Survey using questionnaire Dialogue with the user while rendering information services to him/her Observing the user at his work spot (office, laboratory, factory, group meeting etc.) Interviewing the user, his supervisors, his subordinates, his personal secretary/assistant or his colleagues of co ordinate status. Observing the user while using information sources and services. Observing the user while giving a lecture/demonstration etc. Indirect methods include: Study of diary record of activities/ functions/ events maintained by the user. Study of citations received by the users publications Study of citations/ references given in the users publications Study of papers, books etc., published by the user Study of job description of the user Analysis of users response/ feedback to information services Analysis of reference queries received from the user Study of documents used by the user Analysis of the patents, designs etc., held by the user Scanning correspondence and reports prepared and received by the user Advantages of direct observation are that the information need identifier comes in direct and personal contact with the user in a dialogue, interview or discussion and that it provides an opportunity for observing the users in their normal environment. Therefore direct observation provides information on the personality and behaviour pattern of the user in different action situations. A disadvantage of the direct observation is that it so much depends on the observers own capability and adequacy in carrying out such observational studies. Inadequacies may come up in professional attainments, ability in communicating, maturity, tact and knowledge of and skill in carrying out an observational studies. It is also necessary to note that the inferences drawn from the observations may have incidence of subjective element of the observer. The analysis and inferences from indirect studies are based on the work done by the users which is based on serious thought on their part and is not merely some kind of off hand ad hoc statements.Therefore the records of users is adequate in providence of a more reliable indication of his/her subject interests, level of understanding, orientation, up to date in the subject and the skill to express ideas in writing for communication with peers. These studies also provide adequate time for analysis.The data collected is about a situation at a point in time and in a particular context which is to be extrapolated to a dynamic changing situation.Users are a living, developing beings, working in a system which itself is subjected to constant change.Few methods of study of users are discussed below: Preliminary survey of users. To begin with it is very useful to start with a survey of users.key attributes of a user may be grouped as follows: Subject interest Normal field of specialisation Specific topics of interest within the field of specialisation Subjects closely related to the above Academic background and orientation Educational background Professional background Background of research, developmental activity, management activity etc. Psychological attributes, particularly Temperament Reception and communication of ideas Attitudes towards professional team mates, colleagues, etc., in the organisation Ability to express ideas precisely Attitude to using and acquiring ability to use the tools and techniques of information services Specifically the information need identifier would need information about the user relating to the following : Foreign language competence. Types of reports both internal and external received and sent by the user Types of reports both internal and external which the user is not receiving but would like to receive Functions, activities, tasks (job description) and responsibilities (specific work roles) in the organisation; Authors and Corporate Bodies, whose works are of interest Education, training and special expertise. Membership in professional bodies Channels of communication between the user and other departments/ personnel of the organisation Outside organisations with which the user has academic or professional contacts Membership in committees, task groups Periodicals and other information services received through membership Subject and associated interests specific subjects, allied subjects Annual Reviews and other Series publications in which interested. Periodicals often containing articles of interest which are to be specifically notified Kinds of information media preferred by the user; Time most convenient to the user to receive information services Position of the user in the organization. Types of information notices/ services preferred by the user Approximate time available to the user in a day or week for reading Also information about the user may be obtained by a study of his/ her resume.Information need identifier should also carryout surveys using questionnaires for collecting such preliminary information about the users. He should fill up the questionnaire himself after following the steps of studying the subject, the organization, the specific department and the resume of the user. This would show some gaps in the resume and would help concentrate on information not available from it. A shortcoming with the questionnaire method is the low return rate. Study of Work Diary Maintained by the User Users may maintain a diary about their work for their own use. It records; important activities like filing of license applications, critical events and incidents comments on how improvement could be achieved in the organization discussions/ meetings with experts and / or with colleagues, for specific problems and their solution the consultants/ consultancy organisations preferred method of solution or probable reasons for non solution route of search for specific information, kinds of documents/ sources/ services/ channels/ media consulted and used and their usefulness procedures, techniques s/he has used and/ or has planned to use details of projects s/he is engaged in working details observations cases of problems faced results arrived at Some organisations it is mandatory that such a diary or record is maintained by each member of staff above a certain level as a part of the project routine, in a general prescribed form. Users to be studied should be asked to maintain a diary of all important events, cases of problems faced, method of solution, the specific information sources/ services/ channels/ media used and their usefulness. Also, they may be asked to record each and every event in the order of occurrence. Such a diary record, properly designed and carefully maintained can be a source of useful information on the specific topics of interest to the user.The methods and techniques s/he has used or planned to use in his work; the kinds of documents, information sources and services s/he uses extensively; the extent of time he normally spends in reading books, articles, reports etc., in discussion with colleagues, experts; and the kind of personal information services s/he prefers. Occassionally it may give some inf ormation on the persons in the organisation and outside it, with whom he usually associates himself with. Survey of information sources used The next step is to make a study of the different sources of information/ information services being used by the users. This aim of this study is to bring out the relevance of different types of sources/ services, the frequency of use, the availability/ accessibility of the sources/ services; preferences/ priority assigned to the different types of sources and services, and the relevance of record keeping in the users departments/ units 6 FORMAL INTERVIEW The next step is to have a formal interview with the user. After the stages mentioned above, the information need identifier may be in a position to draw up the relevant questions to be asked, the clarification to be sought and such other points for discussion with each individual user. This would depend upon, among other things, the category of the user, his environment and the specific roles he plays in carrying out his responsibilities. The questions would be mostly related to the specific work roles the user plays.Before having a formal interview with the user, the information need identifier, as a result of all the stages mentioned above , should prepare for each user a document giving; the types of information services required the sources and services that are available but not used the existing information sources and services in the organisation which are being used a rough estimate of a list of anticipated information needs of each uer. This estimate of draft information needs is the basic document for subsequent confirmation and modification by interviewing to confirm actual needs and to eliminate pseudo needs. Some of the data gathered will require clarification from the user. Some of the information needs identified may turn out to be temporary interests. The intended use of information has a greater bearing on the actual information required than the users discipline. therefore, the information need identifier should find out by appropriate questioning : what information for which need in which form how often/ when needed to perform which role For each specific information need in what quantity enough to read/ see/ hear in 5 minutes/ 10 / 30 minutes. with what priority very high, high, low. in what form digest, executive brief, table, graph, state of the art, trend report, original document in what media print, audio, visual presentation through graphic software what kind of information facts , opinions, view points, advice, technical details, statistical data, news, theory. to what extent of coverage exhaustive, selective, only recent, limited by specific time period; how often daily, weekly, monthly, as often as required depending on announcement/publication of such information The information need identifier should show the appropriate information service product to the user to make him express his need. The information need identifier should cross check to assess whether a need is a true need or a pseudo need. It has been found from experience that there is a tendency especially among the executives either to exaggerate their information requirements or to overlook some of them as unimportant due to certain reasons perhaps personal reasons. Often the user should be made to make specific, the value of the need in relation to his specific function /task . Thiswill aid assessing whether a need is a true need or a pseudo need. Interviewing the super ordinate and the sub ordinates may help to clarify these. The value attached to a need is an indicator of the priority that can be assigned to a need. In other words, in the interview, the information need identifier by suitable questioning of the user should delineate which needs are of high priority, which are actual, which are potential, which are distantly related, which may be dropped from and which are to be added to the forecasted needs. The value of the information need can be correlated to the value/ cost of the consequences of the use of the information supplied to satisfy the need. Priorities of information needs depend on the changes taking place from time to time in the users : Regulatory measures which affect his work either directly or indirectly affecting the whole organization Functions Responsibilities Position in the organizational structure Organizational functions and procedures affecting his work. Own priorities for various activities. To sense the changes and modifications in the information needs, their priorities and in anticipating new potential information needs; and already identified information needs converting into demands, it is necessary to attend committee/ task force/ project/ technical and other problem solving/ decision making meetings in which problems and projects are discussed of which the user is a member. It may also be necessary to attend committee meetings in areas which fall within the purview of the functions and responsibilities of the user. Feed back from information services rendered and suggestions from users about their changing interests, of the departments and of the organization as a whole would be of help. Periodic invited group discussions of users would throw much light on the changes taking place and likely to take place in future in the organization. It is to be noted that in order to have free exchange of ideas, it is better to have an appointment with users when they are free from important work. During the time of the interview, information need identifier should transact with the users tactfully; By giving examples of relevant information services and show how he can be helped in meeting his information needs. As far as possible, these examples must be from users own subject field or related fields of interest. By posing the actual problems likely to be faced by the user in the day to day activities for which information is sought and extract from them their potential information needs i.e., needs which are there but not expressed explicitly. By providing appropriate terminology to help the users enunciate their subject interests clearly and unambiguously. By using the subject profile of the organisation prepared by INI or a good schedule of classification scheme or thesaurus of relevant subjects, help the user pinpoint his subject interests precisely. By illustrating a few services which the user has already contemplated, gather opinions about different types of services required, by seeking their own ideas of services. By showing different sources of information, identify the other sources the user uses and also the most useful sources from which ideas for cost/ product improvement come. By showing the formal channels prevailing in the organization, unearth the informal modes of communication used by the user CONTINUOUS REFINEMENT AND UPDATING INFORMATION NEEDS It is a good practice to invite periodically small groups, not more than 15 persons of homogenous composition all design engineers, or all technicians / operators on a particular variety of machinery, or those doing different aspects of a particular task for discussion with information need identifier and other information service personnel about the information services provided, and the information needs, including changes in the information needs of the group. Members should be encouraged to mention in some detail about the present work they are engaged in, the problems they face, the information required and the information service likely to be of interest and help in their work, including comments on how the existing information services should be tuned/ refined to suit their particular information needs. If the discussion is conducted on proper lines such a users group meeting can combine some of the advantages of survey by questionnaire, interview and informal discussion with the users . Moreover, through these discussions the changes that are taking place and that are likely to take place in future, could be ascertained and the organisations dynamic situation could be monitored. This would help in continuous modification and up dating of information needs and tune the services to suit the changing needs. CONCLUSION Identifying a need is one thing and satisfying the need is another. The concept of information need is embedded in the studies of users, their environment, and information use. This area is one of the most amorphous areas of research in library and information science over the past four decades. In actuality, the methodology used for most studies have been found inadequate for uncovering users real needs which have been difficult to discover, measure and classify . It is hoped that the methodology discussed here, would be easy to perceive and be translatable into practice. Perhaps the methodology would become clearer and clearer as each step in it, is put into practice. Following the methodology would enhance the understanding of the scenario and help in fine tuning the procedure to be followed in particular situations to unearth real information needs. The proposed methodology is not only useful in identifying the information needs, but also information need identifier has a profound impact on finding ways and means to satisfy such needs. Simultaneously the information need identifier would discover, as a bye product, several ideas, tools, methods and tech niques of satisfying the users in meeting their information needs. In other words, if you identify the information needs of your clients this way, the documentation and information services that you would be rendering to satisfy these needs, would initiate action and bring about changes in the users, their outlook and in the organisation as a whole. REFERENCES CRONIN, Blaise. Assessing information needs. (Aslib Proceedings. 33(2); 1981; pp 40). ELLIS, David; COX, Deborah and HALL, Katherine. A comparison of the information seeking patterns of researchers in the physical and social sciences. (Journal of Documentation. 49(4); 1993; pp 356 369). HOMER, J.H. Patterns in the use of information : The right to be different. (Journal of American Society for Information Science. 1981; March; pp 103 112). SLATER, M. Information needs of social scientists : A study by desk research and interview. Boston Spa, BLRDD. 1989. (British Library Research Paper No. 60). DERVIN, B and NILAN, M. Information needs and uses. (Annual Review of Information Science and Technology. 21; 1986; pp 3 33).

Fahrenheit 451 - Symbolism Essay examples - 1350 Words

Symbolism in Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury, perhaps one of the best-known science fiction, wrote the amazing novel Fahrenheit 451. The novel is about Guy Montag, a ‘fireman’ who produces fires instead of eliminating them in order to burn books (Watt 2). One night while he is walking home from work he meets a young girl who stirs up his thoughts and curiosities like no one has before. She tells him of a world where fireman put out fires instead of starting them and where people read books and think for themselves (Allen 1). At a bookhouse, a woman chooses to burn and die with her books and afterwards Montag begins to believe that there is something truly amazing in books, something so amazing that a woman would kill herself for (Allen†¦show more content†¦In an interesting thought Montag comes upon an idea about burning that states amp;quot;the sun burnt every day. It burnt time†¦So if he burnt things with the firemen and the sun burnt Time, that meant that everything burnt! One of them had to stop burningamp;quot; (141). Secondly, Fire is a greatly important element of symbolism in Fahrenheit 451. Fire consumes minds, spirits, men, ideas, and books (McNelly 3). Fire’s importance is put at the beginning of the book when a clear picture of firemen is first seen and the narrator says, quot;With his symbolic helmet numbered 451 on his stolid head, and his eyes all orange flame with the thought of what came next, he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and blackamp;quot; (3). Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which books burn and is symbolically written on the firemen’s helmets, tanks, and in the firestation. Faber represents the amp;quot;quiet, nourishing flameamp;quot; of the imaginative spirit while in contrast, Beatty symbolizes the destroying function of fire (Watt 2). Fire, Montag’s reality and world, refines and purifies his mind and also gives unity and depth to the story (McNelly 3). Montag interprets his experiences in terms of fire (Watt 2). In Montag’s society the fireman’s torch has become a flame of reason (Slusser 63). Scientists also consider fire aShow MoreRelatedFahrenheit 451 - Symbolism1432 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury, perhaps one of the best-known science fiction, wrote the amazing novel Fahrenheit 451. The novel is about Guy Montag, a ‘fireman who produces fires instead of eliminating them in order to burn books (Watt 2). One night while he is walking home from work he meets a young girl who stirs up his thoughts and curiosities like no one has before. 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It is against the law to have any book of any kind in your possession. Paul Trout says this is because books disturb people by posing questions and books

Liquid-Liquid Heat Exchange Process And Operation Of Pilot Plant

Question: Describe about the Process and Operation of Pilot Plant? Answer: Introduction and Aims Baciocchi et al. (2013) presumed that thermal conductivity and thickness influenced the overall heat transfer coefficient of the mediums. Falsanisi et al. (2010) argued that the larger coefficient make the heating process easy in transferring heat to the products from sources. A heat transfer film coefficient is the process of fluid confined in a particular vessel that outlines the flow of heat of the fluid. Apart from that, film coefficient heat exchanger divided the heat based on per unit area of the vessel. Thus, it differentiates the temperature of the fluid in the interior and surface of the wall. Mahmoud (2012) stated that film coefficient heat exchanger known as the convection coefficient from the point of view of heat exchanger. In the pilot plant, the overall heat transfer coefficient U determines the logarithmic meaning the difference of temperature. The equation of the logarithmic can helps in identifying the value of U that directly relates to the Q (the rate of heat transfer). Thermal Resistance is also an effective method of heat exchanger. It helps in calculating the overall heat transfer coefficient of the pilot plant properly. In the pilot plant, thermal resistance split works in several areas such as transfer of heat between the wall and fluid in one resistance, transfer heat in one resistance and the transfer of heat between the second fluid and wall in one resistance. McConville (2002) suggested that in order to decrease the overall heat transfer coefficient in the wall of pilot plant, need to add extra thermal resistance of surface coating. The main aims of this study are To examine the effects of flow configuration, varying liquid flow rates, addition number of tubes in the heat exchangers To identify the effects of flow configuration, varying liquid flow rates on performance s heat exchanger in pilot plant and shell side and tube pressure drops To realize the impacts as well as significance of experimental errors on the calculation of heat transfer To develop the standards procedures for process and validation of data collection regarding heat exchanger Theory 1. Heat Transfer Equation 1.1 Counter Flow heat transfer Qh = mh.Cph. (Th1 Th2) Qc = mc.Cch. (Tc2 Tc1) Where h= hot side c= cold side 1 = inlet 2 = outlet with no losses Qh = Qc If the Qh losses from the Qc then the equation will be Qh Qc Qm = (Qh + Qc) / 2 Qm = U. Am. Tlm (Here U considers the power of overall heat transfer coefficient. Apart from the lm is stand for this equation as a Logarithmic temperature) Tlm = T2 T1/ In * T2/ T1 T2 = Th2 - Tc1 T2 = Th1 Tc2 Am = Ah Ac / In * Ah/Ac (Here Ac and Ah stand for the area for the heat transfer on the cold as well as hot side respectively) 1.2 How does a heat exchanger work It is noted that a heat exchanger basically revolves around the fact that as soon as there is a temperature difference, there will be a possibility of occurring heat transfer. So, in most of the cases, it utilizes both cold stream as well as a hot stream, which are detached with the help of a thin, solid wall. In this context it is very crucial to make the wall thin as well as conductive so that heat exchange takes place. However, there is requiring ensuring that the wall must be strong enough to protect the system. Due to which copper is used here. Below is the simple flow diagram which exploring how heat transfers in a heat exchanger. Figure: flow diagram showing how heat transfers in a heat exchanger In order to describe the heat exchanger, the analysts used several components such as tank of water, thermostat, ball valves, P. C. interface, water connection, test stand, heater, etc. The properties, which depend on the quality of matter, may change as the system increases in size. The physical and the chemical residues of the system may have an effect on each other and give rise to unstable results. A good illustration of this property is surface area to liquid ratio. Suppose on a chemical scale, in a particular flask has a moderately large surface area to the liquid ratio (Reichl et al. 2014). If scaled the reaction to fit in a tank of 500 gallon, the surface area to the liquid ratio becomes minute to a great extent. Therefore the difference in the surface area to the liquid ratio, the reaction and same nature of thermodynamics changes in a deviating way. An effect in beaker can perform very differently from same reaction on a large scale process of production (Sun et al., 2008). After the collection of data from the pilot plant operation, a huge production scale capacity might be built. Some business entity still continues to control pilot plant so as to experiment concepts intended for the innovative products, operating conditions or new feedstock. The current trend is to keep the plant size small to save the costs. Reference List Baciocchi, R., Carnevale, E., Corti, A., Costa, G., Lombardi, L., Olivieri, T., Zanchi, L. and Zingaretti, D. (2013). Innovative process for biogas upgrading with CO2 storage: Results from pilot plant operation. Biomass and Bioenergy, 53, pp.128-137. Falsanisi, D., Liberti, L. and Notarnicola, M. (2010). Ultrafiltration (UF) Pilot Plant for Municipal Wastewater Reuse in Agriculture: Impact of the Operation Mode on Process Performance. Water, 2(4), pp.872-885. Mahmoud, (2012). Managing Process Hazards in Lab-Scale Pilot Plant for Safe Operation. American Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 5(1), pp.84-88. McConville, F. (2002). The pilot plant real book. Worcester, Mass.: FXM Engineering and Design. Reichl, A., Schneider, R., Ohligschlger, A., Rogalinski, T. and Hauke, S. (2014). Process Development and Scale-up for Post Combustion Carbon Capture - Validation with Pilot Plant Operation. Energy Procedia, 63, pp.6379-6392. Sun, H., Hankins, N., Azzopardi, B., Hilal, N. and Almeida, C. (2008). A pilot-plant study of the adsorptive micellar flocculation process: Optimum design and operation. Separation and Purification Technology, 62(2), pp.273-280.

Voluntary Bribery Essays - Campaign Finance In The United States

Voluntary Bribery? Political Action Committees by definition are associations of individuals who, exercising the First Amendment rights of political speech and association, advance their political and/or ideological goals by pooling their resources to make contributions and/or expenditures to affect the outcome of an election (www.pacfinder.com). The fact that corporate America determines the outcomes of our elections, influences our law makers', and has all but total control over our government has been greatly concealed from the American public. The reason for this concealment is because Superclass leaders prefer to keep the existence of and details about the extent of their class-based power out of sight. Also, the above definition does not suggest that corporations are one of these superclass powers and that they have influence over political campaigns/elections. The truth however, of their existence in this process is clearly evident to the person who is seeking it. As former president Woodrow Wilson once observed, the masters of the government of the United States are the combined capitalists and manufacturers of the U.S. (The New Class Society, Pg. 103). President Wilson's comments although correct, were frowned upon by the superclass and thusly his works and achievements have been greatly marginalized by the privileged-class-controlled mass media. This suggests that our elected officials are merely representatives of the superclass and once they act in a manner representing the working or poor-classes their power and influence is quickly undermined or outright removed. Current day political campaigns can be thought of as battles to an extent. The days of a person fighting for what he believes in are over. Times have shown the person with the most money and backers wins an election today. When we see a person on television running for a particular office, we just see him. What the vast majority of people do not see and are not allowed to see, are the smiling faces of the large corporate sponsors standing in the shadows. These sponsors are not interested in the welfare of the people nor do they believe in their candidate's ideas. These sponsors are merely interested in maintaining or increasing their influence over our society. The history of PACs dates back to the 1940's during the election years of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented election to a third White House term. During this election President Roosevelt was given large gifts of money from the United Mine Workers of America, which helped him easily win over other less funded presidential candidates. By the time he sought a fourth term he had already had the full financial support of the UMOA however, a law had been passed to ban gifts of money from such organizations. The president of the United Mine Workers at the time was a man named John L. Lewis. Lewis sidestepped the ban by establishing the National Citizen's Political Action Committee to collect voluntary contributions from mineworkers and others. Instead of using labor union treasury funds, he used NCPAC's funds to make contributions to Roosevelt's campaign. Today, such groups are called PACs for no reason other than that was what the first one choose to call itself (www.pacfinder.com). In 1974, when Congress was debating a post-Watergate version of the Federal Election Campaign Act, Rep. George Hansen (R-Idaho) successfully attached an amendment to the measure that gave birth to explosive growth in PAC sponsorship by corporations and trade associations. The Hansen Amendment made clear that corporations and trade associations could use their treasury funds to finance the administrative and fundraising solicitation costs of a PAC, in much the same manner as labor unions had already been doing for several decades (www.pacfinder.com). There has always been an implied relationship between corporations and lawmaker decisions due to the fact that most PACs and political officials are connected and are both based in Washington, D.C. The implication is actually a reality but the superclass's second tier autonomous representatives, including lawyers and specialists are quick to suppress any hard evidence of this influence or their existence. If one was to compare the Fortune 500's list of the largest and most powerful corporations in America and the Federal Government's list of the top 100 PACs and their associated corporations, one would find the two list to be almost identical. This is no

Sugar mama Review Essay Example

Sugar mama Review Paper Essay on Sugar mama For a long time, neither of which he could not say good things about Russian literature. Already ten years our absolutely nothing to show the world, even Limonov and Pelevin stopped writing at least that is more or less decent. And all because of a very terrible secondary of each new book. There is always the feeling that somewhere youve already read it all But not this time, the book is really worthy of translation into other languages. The action takes place in Havana, at the radio station, and then at the dacha outside Moscow. And constantly compares national mentalities. The book tells about the Russians inability to truly love and be truly happy, or about how Havana prostitutes ( rider) and local sorcerers are full-fledged members of the Cuban society. About how an art dealer and a school teacher can easily be also a pimp. Havana last place in the world where prostitutes are making love, not sex. And the protagonist of course the Marlboro Man, who has the biggest dick in the w orld, and with the help of his dignity, he decided no one dozen global political problems, having trained in parallel Carnegie art of communication. But Marlborough uchuvstvuet no visible effect, it hides behind the lines of the book in the dialogues of heroes, who love to mention it in various parables, with a hint of Zen Buddhism. Marlboro Man, that something in the nature of the new saint for our world, that he must save. He teaches us to listen to your inner voice and be in harmony with yourself.  «One day, when the Marlboro Man sold his calves, he was approached by Henry Ford, who worry the question of what should be the best in the American car. How much gobies, son? said Ford in Marlborough -. Tell this idiot that you have the largest penis prompted the internal voice We will write a custom essay sample on Sugar mama Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sugar mama Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sugar mama Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer -. I have the biggest penis in Texas said Marlborough Ford . So, Henry Ford made American cars the worlds largest  » and the moral is, if you have at least one advantage, that it is necessary to use it and then you will find your place in the world. and of course we can not forget about Hemingway, what a Havana without him. The entire novel imbued with the spirit of his books. The local bars are still lying branches of mint for mahito waiting for his return. The story comes from different persons, from bitchy Muscovite finishing angels destiny. This helps to more fully understand what is happening the action. In general, I advise everyone to this book. I do not think that in the near future in Russia will be more stories of this level.

How did Kodak change its strategy to respond to the opportunities and threats in the photographic imaging market

How did Kodak change its strategy to respond to the opportunities and threats in the photographic imaging market 3. - How did Kodak change its strategy to respond to the opportunities and threats in the photographic imaging market?In the beginning the strategy followed by Kodak due to a new and a big market of the recording imaging in paper "the photography" was: mass production to lower production costs; maintaining the lead in technological development; extensive product advertising; and the development of a multinational business to exploit the world market.Along many years the company operated in monopoly, with a lot of investment to growth and to consolidate the position, but the high cost, a inflexible structure made it to adapt to a low cost policy and new products such as the simple to use 35mm camera or the instant photography, photographic laboratories and new products to recording images.Despite of the more aggressive environment the chief executive Colby Chandler changed the strategy of Kodak in order to increase the competitiveness and to take some opportunities of the market.Colby Chandler (All My Children)The company focused in 4 operating groups: imaging, information systems, health and chemical.In the imaging group the idea was to cover some necessities in the photographic market, create new and better products, and improve its position in the film processing market.So, the company had to reduce costs again and bought some companies (Texas-Based, Fox Photo Inc.) and formed ventures to create products with the name of Kodak (i.e. Matsushita or Chinon). Also it was needed to increase the amount in publicity to compete with other brands such as Fuji.The strategies of Kodak in the other operating groups were basically to acquire companies in order to diversificate the business. That was possible because Kodak has been the leader in the photography market for many years, this capability made that was able to pay s in 1985 for...

Outline and critically discuss what you see as the main examples of Essay

Outline and critically discuss what you see as the main examples of attempts to control crime using 'environmental controls - Essay Example Furthermore, the designs are meant for long term controls rather than employing more security guards or personnel in certain areas (Brewer, 2001). The designs are also likely to reduce the conflict or danger between the criminals and the judicial system among other benefits. Natural surveillance is the process of using modern cameras and technology to capture major incidences in certain areas for future reference and to pose threat to the criminals. Formal surveillance is the process through which the government or relevant authority installs watching mechanisms to record any criminal or suspicious acts in the community. The process could also mean ensuring sufficient space and light so that every activity in various places can be monitored without strain (Burke, 2004). This would increase chances to noting fishy activities and taking the appropriate actions. Natural surveillance may also limit the criminals from escaping the crime scenes and this would discourage them from making an y criminal attempts. This strategy could be implemented in various ways and this includes having landscape designs with well lit entries, having transparent walls in entry corridors to enhance noting anybody entering or leaving certain premise. The lighting designs should ensure good distribution of lighting devices and limit blind spots that may favor easy escape of criminals. There should be sufficient lightening in strategic areas like the ATMs, bus stations, children’s playgrounds, parking sites, recreational zones and major and minor pathways among others, and this should be placed in appropriate heights to capture everybody’s face and movements. Pedestrian tacks should be alongside the motor vehicle tracks to create more surveillance. Bright lights should be avoided in such strategic areas as it may cause blindness and favor criminal activities. It is important to consider the best light intensity in accordance to normal human sights. Curved streets have been use d in major developed nations to ease viewing of majority of residential entrances and reduce traffic speeds in case a certain criminal has been spotted. Natural surveillance may also involve installing mechanical monitoring devices like closed circuit television (CCTV) and cameras to capture the major movements or images in certain strategic places. The cameras are strategically placed at the entrances to record the entry or existence of every individual in such places. Some CCTVS and cameras are connected to alarming systems and this raises awareness in instances fishy or awkward activities are suspected. CCTVs are made with high resolution to capture both close and far objects, for future analysis. Informal surveillance on the other hand involves the community taking its own initiative to protect itself from criminal acts. Neighborhood watch schemes are popular in various regions of the United States and Europe, among other places. The community members are encouraged by homeland security to remain vigilant and report any suspicious individuals in the community. This has helped reduce domestic assaults, rape, negligence and bestiality among other crimes. Controlling access points is another environmental strategy to

Reporting Results Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Reporting Results - Essay Example They represent loans received. The security holder is entitled to repayment of principal and receiving of interest payments. Equity securities reflect ownership of interest and trading securities get a fair value report (Finkler, 2010). For the available for sale securities, they are reported at fair value. Their income excludes the unrealized losses and gains. They are reported as separate equity part that has no effect on the year’s net income. On the hand, not-for-profit health care organizations have all debts and equity reported at fair value (Finkler, 2010). A change in the net assets includes losses and gains. These gains and losses are reflected in the unrestricted net assets unless a donor or law prohibits it. An important feature is that all debt securities are depicted at fair value inclusive of those considered held to maturity by the former group. In this category, focus is not on net income; however, importance is vested on the total available resources. This makes the inclusion of gains or losses in the net income to be

Business ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Business ethics - Assignment Example Minority groups and women have had to deal with issues of ethical dilemma in work places, and Karen is no exception. There are three eligible managers for promotion, namely: Carmen, Ralph and Yingzi. Making a decision as to whom the position should go to is quite complex. This is due to the fact that each of the three seems best suited to the position. A critical analysis is therefore necessary to solve Karen’s problem. There are three eligible managers for the promotion. Each of the three persons has had a contribution to the company. A number of factors have to be considered in order to assess and evaluate the manager who is best suited to the promotion. In order to do so, all the three candidates have to be critically evaluated in the light of their suitability to the job. Each of the three will be considered individually. Carmen is an African American female aged 34 years. She is divorced and a mother of one; Heather. She is from time to time caught up in family crisis because her daughter has had medical problems. Minority groups and women have had issues in their places of work, thereby facing significant problems that related to their duties and responsibilities at their work place. From the case, it is evident that African Americans have hardly worked here. This is evidenced by the fact that promoting Carmen would be historical in the company since she would be the very first African American to reach such a position in the company. In considering her academics, qualifications and work experience, Carmen studied at Northwest State College. Her performance was average since she graduated in the lower half of her class. She has worked for the company for a period of four years. On the same note, she has been in this industry for not less than eight years now. In the work place, Carmen is considered a mediocre performer, and so are her ratings in the company. However, her energy level at work is promising, although she has

Patients With Post Stroke Dysphagia Health And Social Care Essay

Patients With Post Stroke Dysphagia Health And Social Care Essay This chapter deals with discussion, summary and conclusions drawn. It clarifies the limitations of the study, the implications and recommendations given for different areas in Nursing practice, Education, administration and research. DISCUSSION The present study was designed to assess the effectiveness of Selected Nursing Interventions among patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia at KMCH, Coimbatore-14. The researcher carried out the study among 30 patients and adopted pre-experimental research design with single group pre test post test design. The researcher used non probability purposive sampling technique to select the 30 subjects. The researcher conducted this study to assess the effectiveness of Shaker Exercise and Hyoid Lift Maneuver on Swallowing and Feeding Performance among patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. DEMOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF SUBJECTS The demographic variables included in the study were Age, Sex, Education and Habits. The mean Age of the subjects was 60. Half of the subjects were in the Age group 50-70 years. Almost equal numbers of subjects were in the 30-50 and above 70 years Age groups and it was about 23 and 27 percent respectively. Regarding the Sex, nearly equal numbers of subjects were in the male and female Sex group and it showed 53 and 47 percent respectively. On the basis of their Educational Status, 67 percent of the subjects were studied up to secondary Education. About 33.33 percent of the subjects completed any one of the graduate degree course. In accordance with their Personal Habits, 53.33 percent had no bad Habits like Smoking and Alcoholism. Ten percent of subjects had the habit of Tobacco use. Seven percent of subjects were consuming Alcohol. Thirty percent of the subjects had the habit of both Tobacco and Alcohol consumption. CLINICAL DESCRIPTION OF SUBJECTS The clinical variables include Type of Stroke and Co-morbid Illness. In consistent with the Type of Stroke, 10 percent of the subjects had Stroke due to the problem in anterior circulation, 40 percent of the subjects had Stroke due to problem in middle circulation and 50 percent of the subjects had Stroke due to problem in the posterior circulation. With reference to the Co-morbid Illness, 13.33 percent of the subjects had No Co-morbid Illness. About 10 and 40 percent of the subjects had the complaints of Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension respectively. Remaining 36.67 percent of the subjects had both Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus. The major findings of the study were discussed according to the objectives: The first objective was to assess the Swallowing and Feeding Performance of patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. In the pre test assessment of the Swallowing Performance using GUSS Score indicates 23.33% of the subjects had Mild Dysphagia, 40% of the subjects had Moderate Dysphagia and 36.67% of the subjects had Severe Dysphagia. The post-test assessment of Swallowing Performance explains that 16.67% of the subjects were improved to the No Dysphagia stage with good Swallowing and Feeding Performance. About 26.67% of the subjects had Mild Dysphagia and 23.33% of the subjects had Moderate Dysphagia. Remaining 33.33% of the subjects had severe Dysphagia with various improvements in the Swallowing Performance. The pre test and post test Feeding Performance Score using FOIS describes equal number of subjects in the Tube Dependent (36.67%) and Total Oral Intake category (63.33%). Despite the result revealed an equal number of subjects in the pre and post test assessment, the subjects had an improvement in the Feeding Performance during the post test assessment from no oral intake level to tube supplement with consistent oral intake level in the Tube Dependent category. Likewise, subjects showed an improvement from the intake of single consistency to the total intake with no restriction in the Total Oral Intake category. The present study was supported by Trapl et al., who conducted study in 2002 and described that out of 30 patients, 30 to 50% had Severe Dysphagia and showed significantly higher risk of aspiration with liquids compared with semisolid textures (p=0.001). Therefore they confirmed the subsequent sequence of GUSS. The second objective was to determine the effectiveness of Selected Nursing Interventions on Swallowing and Feeding Performance in patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. With reference to the Swallowing Performance based on the GUSS Score, the mean pre-test SwallowingS among subjects was 12.50 and the mean post-test Swallowing Score was 13.87 based on the GUSS tool. Paired t test was used to compute the mean difference. The t value for this mean difference between pre and post test Swallowing Score was 6.150. The t value obtained at .001 level of significance and at 29 degrees of freedom. Hence there is a significant difference exist between the mean pre and post test Swallowing Scores. It further implies that the Swallowing Score in the post test was higher than the pre test Swallowing Score. This improvement was due to the Selected Nursing Interventions such as Swallowing Exercises and Positioning while Swallowing. So the Swallowing Exercises such as Shaker Exercise and Hyoid Lift Maneuver found to be effective in improving the Swallowing Performance in Stroke patients. The final result concluded that 22 subjects (73.3%) expressed improvement after the treatment. Remaining 8 subjects (26.7%) had no changes in their Swallowing Performance after the therapy. The median of pre-test Feeding Score among subjects was 5 and the median of post-test Feeding Score was 6.5. Sign test was computed to find out the difference between the pre and post test median Scores of Feeding. The sign test Score showed the p value 0.000 which was significant at .001 level. It showed that, a significant difference present between the pre and post test Feeding Scores. It further implies that the Feeding Score in post test was higher than the pre test Feeding Score. This improvement in the Feeding Performance was due to the Selected Nursing Interventions. So the Swallowing Exercises were effective in improving the Feeding Performance in Stroke patients having Dysphagia. Median test was used to compare the effect between the pre test and post test group instead of mean as because the FOIS was a 7 point likert scale. As the variables did not follow the normality and the highest Score was 7, parametric test was not applicable. Hence non parametric sign test was adopt ed which is equivalent to paired t test to find out the effectiveness. The result of the present study was substantiated with a study conducted by Mepani et al., in 2005 on augmentation of deglutitive thyrohyoid muscle shortening by the Shaker Exercise. The study involved the effect of 6 weeks shaker exercise in 11 dysphagic patients; six patients were randomized to control group and 5 patients to the Shaker Exercise group. After the therapy the change in thyrohyoid distance among Shaker Exercise group was significantly greater compared to the control group (p=0.034), this subsequently improve the swallowing function of the patients. Association of the Swallowing and Feeding Performance with selected Demographic and Clinical variables among patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia The Fisher exact test was used to associate the selected Demographic and Clinical variables with the Swallowing and Feeding Performance of the patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. The calculated p values for the association between the Swallowing Performance of Post Stroke patients with the selected Demographic and Clinical variables such as Sex, Habits, Type of Stroke and Co-morbid Illness were not significant and hence there exist no association between them. The calculated p values for the association between the Feeding Performance of Post Stroke patients with selected Demographic and Clinical variables such as Sex, Habits, Type of Stroke and history of Co-morbid Illness were not significant and hence there is no association between them. SUMMARY The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of Selected Nursing Interventions on Swallowing and Feeding Performance among patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia, for which the following objectives were formulated; To assess the Swallowing and Feeding Performance of patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. To determine the effectiveness of Selected Nursing Interventions on Swallowing and Feeding Performance in patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. To associate the Swallowing and Feeding Performance with selected Demographic and Clinical variables. The study was based on Ernesteine Wiedenbachs helping art of clinical nursing theory (1970). The research design applied for the study was pre experimental single group pre test-post test design. Study was conducted in KMCH. 30 samples were selected by non probability purposive sampling technique. The tool used for data collection consists of Demographic and Clinical variables, Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS) and Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) to assess the Swallowing and Feeding Performance in Post Stroke Dysphagic patients. The data were collected for a period of 6 weeks. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in statistical analysis, to assess the effectiveness of Selected Nursing Interventions among patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. Fisher exact test was used to find out the association between the selected Demographic and Clinical variables with the Swallowing and Feeding Performance in patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. Major findings of the study On the basis of Gugging Swallowing Screening (GUSS), the investigator observed the degrees of improvement in Swallowing difficulty after the therapy among patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. About 16.67% of the subjects had No Dysphagia, 26.67% had Mild Dysphagia, 23.33% had Moderate Dysphagia, and 33.33% had Severe Dysphagia. In accordance with the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), 36.67% of the subjects were in Tube Dependent category and 63.33% were in Total Oral Intake category with sustained improvement in the Feeding Performance. The mean pre test score of the Swallowing Performance using Gugging Swallowing Screening (GUSS) tool was 12.50. The mean post test Score of the Swallowing Performance using GUSS evaluation tool was 13.87. There was a significant difference between the mean pre-test and post-test Swallowing Performance Score. The t value obtained was 6.150 which is significant at 0.001 level and at 29 degrees of freedom. The final result explained that, 22 subjects (73.3%) expressed Swallowing improvement after the treatment. Remaining eight subjects (26.7%) had no changes in their Swallowing Performance after the therapy. Median test was used to compare the Feeding Performance Score of the pre and post test groups. The median pre test Feeding Performance of the patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia was 5 with a range of 1 to 6 and that of post median test was 6.5 with a range of 1 to 7. The non parametric sign test was used to find out the effectiveness of the therapy on Feeding Performance. The obtained p value was 0.000 at 0.01 level of significance. This revealed a significant improvement in the Feeding Performance of Post Stroke Dysphagic patients. The final result revealed that 24 respondents (80%) showed an improvement in their Feeding Performance after the therapy and was assessed by FOIS scoring. But remaining six respondents (20%) showed no changes in the Feeding Performance when assessed by FOIS. There was no significant association exist between the Swallowing and Feeding Performance of the Post Stroke Dysphagic patients with the selected Demographic and Clinical variables. CONCLUSION The study was tested and accepted the hypothesis that there is a significant difference in Swallowing and Feeding Performance before and after the implementation of Selected Nursing Interventions in Post Stroke patients with Dysphagia. The result concluded that the study group had better outcome than the others. There was a significant improvement in the Swallowing and Feeding Performance of the Post Stroke Dysphagic patients after the Exercise and Positioning therapy. The participants had reduced the risk of aspiration and aspiration related complications after the therapy. Hence, Selected Nursing Interventions such as Swallowing Exercises like Shaker exercise and Hyoid Lift Maneuver and positioning during Swallowing can be recommended for the patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. IMPLICATIONS The present study has its own implications in nursing practice, nursing education, nursing administration and nursing research. Nursing practice: Dysphagia is one of the major complications among Post Stroke patients. This study implies the effectiveness of Selected Nursing Interventions in the improvement of Swallowing and Feeding Performance among the Post Stroke Dysphagic patients. This study creates awareness among the nursing personnel about the importance of the various complications after the Stroke and its various evidence based management. The present study shows that the exercise intervention for the Post Stroke Dysphagic patients can prevent the risk of aspiration and aspiration pneumonia. The result shows that, Selected Nursing Intervention for the Post Stroke patients can reduce the risk of malnourishment. Nurses can gain skill for providing Swallowing Exercises in the Post Stroke Dysphagic patients to improve their quality of life. Nursing Education: The nurse educator can create awareness among the health care professionals about the complicated effects of Stroke and its various evidence based management. The nurse educator can arrange in-service Education programs to update their knowledge regarding the new techniques and modalities to manage the Post Stroke Dysphagia. The nurse educator can teach the students about the present study findings and its implication in patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. This will help to improve the knowledge of the students on Swallowing Exercises. The nurse educator can motivate the nursing personnel and students to use this Swallowing Exercises and positioning in the improvement of Swallowing and Feeding Performance and in the reduction of aspiration risk in Post Stroke Dysphagic patients. Nursing administration: Nurse administrator should aware of the problem experienced by the clients after the Stroke. Nurse administrator can provide continuing education or short term courses in the clinical area for preparing the nurses with competence in managing the after effects of Stroke especially Dysphagia. Nurse administrator can plan and organize seminars, workshops and conferences about Selected Nursing Interventions for the improvements of Swallowing and Feeding Performance among patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. Nurse administrator can formulate protocol to incorporate the study findings in nursing intervention. Nursing research: This study provides a basis for further studies. The findings of the study can be a foundation for conducting the study on large sample to strongly support the efficacy. The implications of the study can be used as a motivation for nurses to conduct research in India, where the health care system is advancing. This study helps to update the knowledge and proper utilization of resources in the field of nursing practice. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The study was limited to small sample size of 30 subjects. The study was limited to a single setting. The study was conducted using a single group. RECOMMENDATIONS A similar study can be conducted with large number of subjects to generalize the research findings. A study can be conducted at different settings. Similar study can be undertaken using different Swallowing and lingual exercises. This study can be conducted with experimental and quasi experimental design. A comparative study can be conducted between different types of Swallowing Exercises in Post Stroke Dysphagic patients. A similar study can be done to assess the effectiveness of Swallowing Exercises among patients with Dysphagia who are receiving head and neck radiation for cancer. ABSTRACT The present study entitled Effectiveness of Selected Nursing Interventions on Swallowing and Feeding Performance among patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia at KMCH, Coimbatore-14. This study was undertaken during the year 2012-2013, in partial fulfillment of requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Nursing at KMCH College of Nursing, Coimbatore, which is affiliated to the Tamilnadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai. Objectives: 1.To assess the Swallowing and Feeding Performance of patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. 2. To determine the effectiveness of Selected Nursing Interventions on Swallowing and Feeding Performance in patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. 3. To associate the Swallowing and Feeding Performance with selected Demographic and Clinical variables. Research Design: Pre experimental design with single group pre test-post test design. Setting: Neuro inpatient and outpatient department of Kovai Medical Center and Hospital, Coimbatore. Samples: All Post Stroke Dysphagic patients. Sample Size: The sample size was 30. Sampling Technique: Non probability purposive sampling. Conceptual framework: Ernestine Widenbachs Helping Art of Clinical Nursing Theory (1970) was adopted. Intervention: Selected Nursing Interventions such as Swallowing Exercises and Positioning during the swallowing were incorporated. The clients were instructed to do the Shaker Exercise and Hyoid Lift Manoeuvre 3 to 6 times a day for a period of 6 weeks. The subjects were instructed to elevate or down the chin and tilt the head towards stronger side while Swallowing. Outcome Measures: Swallowing and Feeding Performance was assessed by Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS) and Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) respectively. Results: The mean difference between pre and post test Swallowing Score was 6.150 and which was significant at 0.001 level. The p value obtained for Feeding Score was 0.000 at 0.001 level of significance. The result showed a significant improvement in the Swallowing and Feeding Performance. Conclusion: This study proved that the implementation of Selected Nursing Interventions rather than the other conventional treatment will improve Swallowing and Feeding Performance among Post Stroke patients with Dysphagia. Hence the Swallowing Exercises and Positioning can be recommended in clinical practice to improve the Swallowing and Feeding Performance in Post Stroke Dysphagic patients.

Bonnie And Clyde Famous Cases :: essays research papers

Clyde Champion Barrow and his companion, Bonnie Parker, were shot to death by officers in an ambush near Sailes, Bienville Parish, Louisiana, on May 23, 1934, after one of the most colorful and spectacular manhunts the Nation had seen up to that time. Barrow was suspected of numerous killings and was wanted for murder, robbery, and state charges of kidnaping. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), then called the Bureau of Investigation, became interested in Barrow and his paramour late in December, 1932, through a singular bit of evidence. A Ford automobile, which had been stolen in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, was found abandoned near Jackson, Michigan in September of that year. At Pawhuska, it was learned another Ford car had been abandoned there which had been stolen in Illinois. A search of this car revealed it had been occupied by a man and a woman, indicated by abandoned articles therein. In this car was found a prescription bottle, which led Special Agents to a drug store in Nacogdoches, Texas, where investigation disclosed the woman for whom the prescription had been filled was Clyde Barrow's aunt. Further investigation revealed that the woman who obtained the prescription had been visited recently by Clyde Barrow, Bonnie Parker, and Clyde's brother, L. C. Barrow. It also was learned that these three were driving a Ford car, identified as the one stolen in Illinois. It was further shown that L. C. Barrow had secured the empty prescription bottle from a son of the woman who had originally obtained it. On May 20, 1933, the United States Commissioner at Dallas, Texas, issued a warrant against Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, charging them with the interstate transportation, from Dallas to Oklahoma, of the automobile stolen in Illinois. The FBI then started its hunt for this elusive pair. BACKGROUND Bonnie and Clyde met in Texas in January, 1930. At the time, Bonnie was 19 and married to an imprisoned murderer; Clyde was 21 and unmarried. Soon after, he was arrested for a burglary and sent to jail. He escaped, using a gun Bonnie had smuggled to him, was recaptured, and was sent back to prison. Clyde was paroled in February, 1932, rejoined Bonnie, and resumed a life of crime. In addition to the automobile theft charge, Bonnie and Clyde were suspects in other crimes. At the time they were killed in 1934, they were believed to have committed 13 murders and several robberies and burglaries. Barrow, for example, was suspected of murdering two police officers at Joplin, Missouri, and kidnaping a man and a woman in rural Louisiana.

Language Teaching and Translation

LANGUAGE TEACHING AND TRANSLATION The use of translation as an inherent part of FLT was prevalent until early in the present century. The Grammar-Translation method, dominant during the first half of the century, stressed translation and grammatical analysis, and put greater emphasis on accuracy than on fluency, preferring academic erudition to communicative competence (Titone& Danesi 1985).At the turn of the century, the Grammar-Translation method gradually gave way to the Direct Method (more characteristic of ELT in Europe than in America (Rivers 1991)), which advocated maximum exposure to the target language, with no recourse either to L1 or to translation. During this period, â€Å"Translation used to be regarded as a necessary evil† (Levenston 1985a). The Direct Method made its way very prominently into the field of ELT in the east during the British Mandate (Bamberger 1958).The American behaviorist school (Skinner 1938; Watson 1913) of language teaching ushered in the Au dio-lingual Method, which concentrated on patterns and structure with an emphasis on drill and technique. The product, not the process, was important; there was to be minimal explanation of rules and no recourse to translation (Larsen-Free-man 1962). The reaction to the audio-lingual method, grounded in the Chomskian Revolution, was the Communicative Approach (Ministry of Education 1988; Savignon 1987).Communicative competence â€Å"has come to be used in language teaching contexts to refer to the ability to negotiate meaning, to successfully combine a knowledge of linguistic and sociolinguistic rules in communicative interactions†(Savignon 1987: 16). At the same time, the advance of cognitive psychology, which was also influenced by the Chomskian revolution, made an impact on ELT (Titone & Danesi 1985). The findings of cognitive psychology indicated that â€Å"deductive, or rule-based, strategies play a prominent role in language learning.Deductive teaching methods are ther efore based on the learning principles of cognitive psychology and its linguistic counterpart, transformationalism, and are generally known as cognitive-code procedures† (Titone & Danesi 1985: 110). â€Å"The role of the teacher is to recognize the importance of mental activity in learning† (Chastain 1971:92). Teachers of FLT were now called upon to address the problems of consciousness raising. (Bialystok 1986, 1988; Carrel 1989; Castillo 1991; Cohen 1986; Gerloff 1986; Hosenfeld 1978; Kern 1989; Rivers 1991; Rubin 1975; Templeton 1989; Thomas 1988; Vieira 1991; Wenden & Rubin 1987).It came to be realized that the study of translation skills might have value as a means of raising the learner's linguistic awareness with regard to his or her native as well as to the foreign language (Boersch 1986; Carton 1966, cited by Rubin 1986; Faerch ; Kasper 1986; Hosenfeld 1978; Lehmann 1986; Levenston 1985b; Loerscher 1986; Ministry of Education 1990; Naiman 1978, quoted by Levens ton 1985a; Rosenblith, stated in Ackerman 1992; Sharwood Smith 1981; Titford 1983).The contrastive analysis of the two languages, L1 and L2, which accompanies the translation process, is presumed to heighten the learner's metalinguistic awareness of both languages and to facilitate their perception as abstract language systems.

The Iliad and Song of Roland essays

The Iliad and Song of Roland essays The Iliad by Homer and Song of Roland are two enjoyable novels that both deal with the basic nature of war. They are set in different eras of history, but they both manage to depict the image of war and conquest very well. With that said, they do indeed share obvious plot characteristics. However, the manner of which the subject of war is portrayed in both novels is considerably different. The Iliad leans toward a more graphic and honest depiction whereas Song of Roland illustrates a more glorious and honorable view of battle. In The Iliad, Homer tells the tale of the war between the Achaeans and the Trojans. They are fighting an intense and gruesome battle with each other. The two warriors that stand out the most in the novel are Achilles, who is fighting on the side of the Achaeans, and Hector, who is the great Trojan warrior. They fight back and forth in many battles, asking the gods to help them with different tasks. In Song of Roland, the story is told of Charlemagne and his army, who are fighting the Muslims in Spain. Their conquest proves to be a success. This success has much to do with the mighty and skillful warrior Roland, who is the hero of the novel. He ends up dying a martyrs death and is held with the highest regard amongst his people. As you can see, these two stories both have heroes in them, and they both deal with war and battle. Song of Roland seems to glorify the attitude of war by using more of a bold and egotistical tone when describing its conquests. Charlemagnes army is off to rid the world of pagans and convert as many of them as possible into Christians. They feel themselves to be superior to the pagans due to their Muslim belief. They will stop at nothing when it comes to pushing their belief of Christianity on them; the pagans only other option being death. This self-righteous attitude prevails through ...

Recycling and Dear Fellow Friends.standing Essays

Recycling and Dear Fellow Friends.standing Essays Recycling and Dear Fellow Friends.standing Essay Recycling and Dear Fellow Friends.standing Essay Recycling Good morning to our beloved teachers, Puan Rusni and my dear fellow friends. Standing here today,I would like to deliver a speech entitled,Recycling. According to the Asian Development Bank,rapid development,rising personal consumption and unprecedented levels of waste in Asia where cities will generate on estimated 1. 8 million tonnes of rubbish per day by 2025. In Malaysia alone,we produce over 15,000 tonnes pf rubbish daily and it is a matter of time before we run out of space to dispose them. In dealing with this phenomenon,we shall discuss some of the suggestions that all of us can adapt through the process of recycling to conserve the environment. One of the ways to recycle is to sell old newspapers to the junkman who will eventually send them to the recycling centres. By selling the old newspapers,we can earn some extra money at the price of RM0. 03 per kilogramme of old newspapers. Buying recycled paper is also another option. On the average,about 17 market sized trees are felled to produce a tonne of paper or one tree is felled to produce 20 reams of A4 size paper. Today,we recognise the limits of resource demand and this is the reason why recycled paper is critical part of our aspiration for a healthy global environment. We should also use both sides of a sheet of paper because it cultivates the habit of not being wasterful while saving our earth from further deterioration. In addition,glass bottles should be recycled. The energy saved by recycling a glass container can light a 100-watt bulb for up to four hours. Avoiding the use of plastic products is another recommended way to protect our Mother Nature because plastic is non-biodegradable,it may survive as long as 700 years. Apart from that,it is indispensably necessary for us to save water and electricity as much as possible. We have to save electricity because we are running fast out of fossil fuels. The fossil fuels saved by turning off the water taps while brushing our teeth. By doing this we can save the energy used to filter purify and transport the water to the end users. On the other hand,electricity can be saved by switching off the light,television,radio and fan before leaving any rooms. This is because the primary environmental impact of electricity consumption is the production of greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming. Hence,saving electricity is the key preserve our Mother Nature, Another advice that everyone ought to take head of is not to throw away leftover rice but instead,make fried rice,tamarind rice,pepper rice and yoghurt rice. This is because many poor nations of the Third World countries are suffering from famine and malnutrition due to accute shortage of food such as Mozumbigue and Sudun and Myannar. Lastly but not least,we can also use water for washing clothes to wash our parentscars and other non-drinking purpose such as watering plants,washing toilets and mapping floors. As a conclusion,our planet is in a bad shape but most people choose to be indifferent to the effects initiated by the goverment to safeguard to dire condition of the environment. Majority of Malaysians choose to ignore the gathering storm clouds and hope the problem will magically take care of itslef. In Klang Valley,for instance,it produces more than 5000 tonnes of rubbish everyday which can cover the whole of Petronas Twin Towers,one of the tallest buildings in the world,in ten days and this is the reason why we must reduce,reuse and recycle. Whether the planet lives or dies,it depends on us and so,everyone plays a significant role by starting to recycle even from homes because a small change in behaviour has a measurable impact on our Earth. Thank you for lending me your ears. I hope all of you are benefited from my speech today.