Physical Examination Health Assessment in a Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient The WritePass Journal

Physical Examination Health Assessment in a Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient Introduction Physical Examination Health Assessment in a Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient IntroductionA. BackgroundB. HistoryB1. Biographical DataB2. Reason for Seeking CareB3. Health HistoryB4. Family HistoryB5. Physical ExaminationB6. InterviewC. Health Assessment and ResultC1. InspectionC2. PalpationC3. Range of MotionC4. Pain AssessmentConclusionReferenceRelated Introduction Physical examination and health assessment are major components when you first meet your patient every time he or she admitted.   They are important in the aid of collecting patient’s data, designing care plans, giving treatments, and evaluating the outcomes. Physical examination is a process during which you use your senses to collect objective data. Know normal findings before you begin to distinguish the abnormal ones.   Effective communication skills are essential in establishing the trust needed to proceed with the examination.   Physical examination provides another perspective; whereas the health history allows you to see your patient subjectively through eyes, the physical examination now allows you to see your patient objectively through senses.   The objective data complete the patient’s health picture. Health assessment is an important component in clinical settings.   Health assessment is to collect data relevant to the patient’s health status, to identify deviations from normal, to discover the patient’s strengths and coping resources, to pinpoint actual problems, and to spot factors that place the patient at risk for health problems. Following is a case study of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis, who was admitted because of swelling and burning pain.   We will look into how health assessment is important to her and what is the difference in the outcome of care to the patient. A. Background Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the bodys immune system attacks normal joint tissues, causing inflammation of the joint lining.   This inflammation of the joint lining, synovium causes pain, stiffness, swelling, warmth, and redness of the affected area.   The affected joint may also lose its shape, resulting in loss of range of motion.   Rheumatoid arthritis is an ongoing disease, with active periods of pain and inflammation, which is called flares or flare-ups, alternating with periods of remission, when pain and inflammation disappear.   Rheumatoid arthritis can affect many different joints.   It can even affect parts of the body other than the joints, including the eyes, blood, the lungs, and the heart in some people (Pfizer, 2010). B. History B1. Biographical Data Ms. Li Ho Lam was born in 3rd December 1959; she is now 52 years old.   Ms. Li’s education level is up to Form three in secondary school.   She quitted her job as a salesperson 5 years ago, and she is now a housewife.   Ms. Li is married and has two daughters which are 20 and 17 years old.   The four of them live together in an apartment in Shek Kip Mei.   Her cell phone number is 99871256 and her husband’s cell number is 91235520. B2. Reason for Seeking Care Ms. Li complained that both of her hands are swelling and have burning pain for one day.   Her pain scale is 8, and she did not take any medication. B3. Health History For health history, Ms. Li is allergic to seafood.   After taking any kinds of seafood, rashes will appear on Ms. Li’s body and they will be itchy.   Ms. Li was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in year 2010.   She is taking aspirin to relief her flare-ups, but she has stopped for a few days.   She does not have any other health problems besides this. Ms. Li had chicken pox in year 1965, and had recovered in two weeks.   For hospitalization and operation, Ms. Li has had two times of caesarean section with general anaesthesia done in QueenElizabethHospital in year 1991 and 1994. B4. Family History Ms. Li’s mother had a history of rheumatoid arthritis; and her father had a history of hypertension and high cholesterol. B5. Physical Examination Ms. Li is 155 cm tall and weighs 59 kg.   Ms. Li’s vital signs are taken.   Her blood pressure is 140/86 mmHg; pulse rate is 66/min; respiration rate is 16/min; and temperature is 37.2â„Æ' B6. Interview Since Ms. Li was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, she has flare-ups every six to eight months.   Acute episodes involve hand joints are treated with aspirin which gives relief.   She experiences morning stiffness, which lasts half an hour to one hour.   Her joints feel warm, swollen and tender.   She had lost 5 kg over last three years and feels fatigued much of the time.   Ms. Li could not sleep well and did not rest more.   She was encouraged to do daily exercises, but she did not do them regularly due to her fatigue.   She took aspirin for acute flare-ups, but when she feels better in a few days, she decreased dose by herself. C. Health Assessment and Result C1. Inspection Inspection has to be done because swelling, masses, and deformity at joints greatly affect range of motion and activities of daily living. First, Jarvis (2004) stated that note the size and contour of Ms. Li’s joint.   Inspect her skin and tissues over the joints for color, swelling, and any masses or deformity.   Presence of swelling is significant and signals joint irritation. Ms. Li’s hands are swelling; it may be due to excess joint fluid, thickening of the synovial lining, inflammation of surrounding soft tissues, such as bursae and tendons, or bony enlargement.   Deformities include dislocation, subluxation, contracture, or ankylosis, but it does not present in Ms. Li’s case.   She might have to take Aspirin as prescribed to relief pain and to reduce inflammation (Poulis, Kretsi, Apostolopoulo, Zeeris Vagenas, 2003). C2. Palpation Palpation is an important examination tool as it can help to find out many abnormalities, such as fluid accumulated in joints and tenderness.   Patients might feel pain, flare-ups, and hard to move the joints. Tijhuis, Zwinderman, Hazes, Breedveld, Vlieland (2003) stated that, to start palpation, palpate each joint of Ms. Li’s hands, including its skin for temperature, its muscles, bony articulations, and area of joint capsule.   Notice any heat, tenderness, swelling, or masses on Ms. Li’s hands.   Joints normally are not tender to palpation.   If any tenderness does occur, try to localize it to specific anatomic structures, such as skin, muscles, bursae, ligaments, tendons, fat pads, or joint capsule.   The synovial membrane normally is not palpable.   When thickened, it feels â€Å"doughy† or â€Å"boggy†.   A small amount of fluid is present in the normal joint, but it is not palpable.   Palpable fluid is abnormal, as fluid is contained in an enclosed sac.   If you push on one side of the sac, the fluid will shift and cause a visible bulging on another side. Ms. Li’s hands are tender, but no masses found in her joints.   However, fluid is palpated as â€Å"boggy†.   This can also be shown by her swelling hands.   She might have to take Aspirin as prescribed to relief pain and to reduce inflammation as mentioned above (Karlsson, Berglin, Wa Jonsson, 2006). C3. Range of Motion Assessing the range of motion is important too because it extremely affects the activities of daily living when the range of motion is decreased, and limitations occur.   Patients might have to refer to physiotherapist to learn some exercises in order to improve the range of motion and back to normal again. Codd, Stapleton, Veale, FitzGerald Bresnihan (2010) stated that when assessing for the range of motion, ask Ms. Li for active range of motion while stabilizing the body area proximal to that being moved.   Familiarize with the type of each joint and its normal range of motion in order to recognize limitations.   If there is a limitation, gently attempt passive motion.   Anchor the joint with one hand while the other hand slowly moves it to its limit.   The normal ranges of active and passive motion should be the same.   If any limitation or any increase in range of motion occurs, use a goniometer to measure the angles precisely.   Joint motion normally causes no tenderness, pain or crepitation. Ms. Li’s range of motion of her wrists and fingers appear limitations, but they can be moved in passive motion slowly.   It might be affected by her swelling hands and the accumulation fluid in the joints.   She might have to consult physiotherapist for exercising since she did not exercise regularly and has a decreased in range of motion (Palmer, Gaafary Miedany, 2007). C4. Pain Assessment Patients’ self-report is considered the most accurate way to detect and measure pain. Pain can be categorized by duration, site of pain (location), cause (etiology), or qualities (severity).   Use the mnemonic COLDSPA to recall and assess the current symptoms of Ms. Li by asking the following questions: 1. Character: What does it feel like? 2. Onset: When did the pain begin? 3. Location: Where does it hurt? Can you point to where it hurts? 4. Duration: How long does it last? 5. Severity: Rate severity by using appropriate pain scale. 6. Pattern: Does anything make it better or worse? 7. Associated Factors: What other symptoms occur with it? Ms. Li answered by saying the pain on her hands feels like burning; it began yesterday when she woke up in the morning; it hurts both of her hands, especially fingers and wrists; the pain lasts forever and does not go away; pain scale is 8; resting is better, but it became worse when she moves her hands; there is no other symptoms with it. After understanding the situation of Ms. Li, medication prescribed can be given to her, such as Aspirin which can help to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Conclusion Physical examination and health assessment are very important in understanding patients’ health condition as shown in the example above.   However, it only showed a few of them, there are much more ways of physical examination and health assessment to look at. Reference Pfizer Inc. (2010). What is Rheumatoid Arthritis? Retrieved March 15, 2011, from arthritis.com/rheumatoid_arthritis_symptoms.aspx Jarvis, C. (2004). Physical Examination Health Assessment (4th ed.). Philadelphia: Elsevier Poulis, S., Kretsi, Z., Apostolopoulo, L., Zeeris, L., Vagenas, G. (2003). Functional and isokinetic assessment of hands with early stage of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Isokinetics and Exercise Science, 11, 225-230. Karlsson, B., Berglin, E., Wa, S., Jonsson, L. (2006). Life satisfaction in early rheumatoid arthritis: A prospective study. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 13, 193-199. doi:10.1080/11038120500462337 Palmer, D., Gaafary, M. E., Miedany, Y. E. (2007). Improving patient care: measurement of outcome in rheumatoid arthritis. British Journal of Nursing, 16(16), 1010-1015 Tijhuis, G. J., Zwinderman, A. H., Hazes, J. M.W., Breedveld, F. C., Vlieland, P. M. T. V. (2003). Two-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial of a clinical nurse specialist intervention, inpatient, and day patient team care in rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 41(1), 34-43. Codd, Y., Stapleton, T., Veale, D. J., FitzGerald, O., Bresnihan, B. (2010). A qualitative study of work participation in early rheumatoid arthritis. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 17(1), 24-33.

Syria Geography, Facts, and History

Syria Geography, Facts, and History Capital and Major Cities Capital: Damascus, population 1.7 million Major Cities: Aleppo, 4.6 million Homs, 1.7 million Hama, 1.5 million Idleb, 1.4 million al-Hasakeh, 1.4 million Dayr al-Zur, 1.1 million Latakia, 1 million Dara, 1 million Government of Syria The Syrian Arab Republic is nominally a republic, but in actuality, it is ruled by an authoritarian regime headed by President Bashar al-Assad and the Arab Socialist Baath Party. In the 2007 elections, Assad received 97.6% of the vote. From 1963 to 2011, Syria was under a State of Emergency that allowed the president extraordinary powers; although the State of Emergency has officially been lifted today, civil liberties remain curtailed. Along with the president, Syria has two vice presidents - one in charge of domestic policy and the other for foreign policy. The 250-seat legislature or Majlis al-Shaab is elected by popular vote for four-year terms. The president serves as the head of the Supreme Judicial Council in Syria. He also appoints the members of the Supreme Constitutional Court, which oversees elections and rules on the constitutionality of laws. There are secular appeals courts and courts of the first instance, as well as Personal Status Courts that use sharia law to rule on marriage and divorce cases. Languages The official language of Syria is Arabic, a Semitic language. Important minority languages include Kurdish, which is from the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European; Armenian, which is Indo-European on the Greek branch; Aramaic, another Semitic language; and Circassian, a Caucasian language. In addition to these mother tongues, many Syrians can speak French. France was the League of Nations mandatory power in Syria after World War I. English is also growing in popularity as a language of international discourse in Syria. Population The population of Syria is approximately 22.5 million (2012 estimate). Of those, about 90% are Arab, 9% are Kurds, and the remaining 1% is made up of small numbers of Armenians, Circassians, and Turkmens. In addition, there are about 18,000 Israeli settlers occupying the Golan Heights. Syrias population is growing quickly, with annual growth of 2.4%. The average life expectancy for men is 69.8 years, and for women 72.7 years. Religion in Syria Syria has a complex array of religions represented among its citizens. Approximately 74% of Syrians are Sunni Muslims. Another 12% (including the al-Assad family) are Alawis or Alawites, an off-shoot of the Twelver school within Shiism. Approximately 10% are Christians, mostly of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, but also including Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, and Assyrian Church of the East members. Approximately three percent of Syrians are Druze; this unique faith combines Shia beliefs of the Ismaili school with Greek philosophy and Gnosticism. Small numbers of Syrians are Jewish or Yazidist. Yazidism is a syncretic belief system mostly among ethnic Kurds that combines Zoroastrianism and Islamic Sufism. Geography Syria is situated on the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. It has a total area of 185,180 square kilometers (71,500 square miles), divided into fourteen administrative units. Syria shares land borders with Turkey to the north and west, Iraq to the east, Jordan and Israel to the south, and Lebanon to the southwest. Although much of Syria is desert, 28% of its land is arable, thanks in large part to irrigation water from the Euphrates River. The highest point in Syria is Mount Hermon, at 2,814 meters (9,232 feet). The lowest point is near the Sea of Galilee, at -200 meters from the sea (-656 feet). Climate Syrias climate is quite varied, with a relatively humid coast and a desert interior separated by a semiarid zone in between. While the coast averages only about 27 °C (81 °F) in August, temperatures in the desert regularly surpass 45 °C (113 °F). Similarly, rainfall along the Mediterranean averages 750 to 1,000 mm per year (30 to 40 inches), while the desert sees just 250 millimeters (10 inches). Economy Although it has risen into the middle ranks of nations in terms of the economy over recent decades, Syria faces economic uncertainty due to political unrest and international sanctions. It depends on agriculture and oil exports, both of which are declining. Corruption is also an issue.on agriculture and oil exports, both of which are declining. Corruption is also an issue. Approximately 17% of the Syrian workforce is in the agriculture sector, while 16% are in industry and 67% in services. The unemployment rate is 8.1%, and 11.9% of the population live below the poverty line. Syrias per capita GDP in 2011 was about $5,100 US. As of June 2012, 1 US dollar 63.75 Syrian pounds. History of Syria Syria was one of the early centers of Neolithic human culture 12,000 years ago. Important advances in agriculture, such as the development of domestic grain varieties and the taming of livestock, likely took place in the Levant, which includes Syria. By about 3000 BCE, the Syrian city-state of Ebla was the capital of a major Semitic empire that had trade relations with Sumer, Akkad and even Egypt. The invasions of the Sea Peoples interrupted this civilization during the second millennium BCE, however. Syria came under Persian control during the Achaemenid period (550-336 BCE)  and then fell to the Macedonians under Alexander the Great following Persias defeat in the Battle of Gaugamela (331 BCE). Over the next three centuries, Syria would be ruled by the Seleucids, the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Armenians. Finally, in 64 BCE it became a Roman province  and remained so until 636 CE. Syria rose to prominence after the founding of the Muslim Umayyad Empire in 636 CE, which named Damascus as its capital. When the Abbasid Empire displaced the Umayyads in 750, however, the new rulers moved the capital of the Islamic world to Baghdad. The Byzantine (Eastern Roman) sought to regain control over Syria, repeatedly attacking, capturing and then losing major Syrian cities between 960 and 1020 CE. Byzantine aspirations faded when the Seljuk Turks invaded Byzantium in the late 11th century, also conquering parts of Syria itself. At the same time, however, Christian Crusaders from Europe began establishing the small Crusader States along the Syrian coast. They were opposed by anti-Crusader warriors including, among others, the famous Saladin, who was the sultan of Syria and Egypt. Both the Muslims and the Crusaders in Syria faced an existential threat in the 13th century, in the form of the rapidly expanding Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanate Mongols invaded Syria  and met fierce resistance from opponents including the Egyptian Mamluk army, which defeated the Mongols soundly at the Battle of Ayn Jalut in 1260. The foes fought on until 1322, but in the meanwhile, the leaders of the Mongol army in the Middle East converted to Islam and became assimilated into the culture of the area. The Ilkhanate faded out of existence in the mid 14th century, and the Mamluk Sultanate solidified its grip on the area. In 1516, a new power took control of Syria. The Ottoman Empire, based in Turkey, would rule Syria and the rest of the Levant until 1918. Syria became a relatively little-regarded backwater in the vast Ottoman territories. The Ottoman sultan made the mistake of aligning himself with the Germans and Austro-Hungarians in World War I; when they lost the war, the Ottoman Empire, also known as the Sick Man of Europe, fell apart. Under supervision by the new League of Nations, Britain and France divided the former Ottoman lands in the Middle East between themselves. Syria and Lebanon became French mandates. An anti-colonial revolt in 1925 by a unified Syrian populace frightened the French so much that they resorted to brutal tactics to put down the rebellion. In a preview of French policies a few decades later in Vietnam, the French army drove tanks through the cities of Syria, knocking down houses, summarily executing suspected rebels, and even bombing civilians from the air. During World War II, the Free French government declared Syria independent from Vichy France, while reserving the right to veto any bill passed by the new Syrian legislature. The last French troops left Syria in April of 1946, and the country gained a measure of true independence. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Syrian politics were bloody and chaotic. In 1963, a coup put the Baath Party into power; it remains in control to this day. Hafez al-Assad took over both the party and the country in a 1970 coup  and the presidency passed to his son Bashar al-Assad following Hafez al-Assads death in 2000. The younger Assad was seen as a potential reformer and modernizer, but his regime has proved corrupt and ruthless. Beginning in the spring of 2011, a Syrian Uprising sought to overthrow Assad as part of the Arab Spring movement.

Hospitality industries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Hospitality industries - Essay Example Since the inception of the hotel, Travelodge had undergone a drastic expansion and growth. It has opened more than 500 hotels with over 37,000 rooms and thus had gradually moved from a roadside hotel chain to become one of the fastest, largest as well as the most famous brand of budget hotels in the United Kingdom. It has been ascertained that nearly 16.5 million people stayed in Travelodge in the previous year (2012). It is worth mentioning that about 90 per cent reservations are made through the website of Travelodge, thus attracting more than 1.1 million visitors per week (Travelodge, 2013). Travelodge is the smartest choice for leisure and business travels. It consistently offers the customers with great value of hotels depending on their choice to reside. It is interesting to highlight that nearly 80 per cent of the Travelodge hotels are located in famous holiday hot spots, towns and city centres. It has a range of hotel designs comprising of budget built hotels, office conversi ons, acquirement of the present hotels, grade II listed building and co-partnerships with leading super markets, pubs and retailers among others. Travelodge was set to build further 14 hotels with 1,742 rooms at an expense of 141.5 million pounds. With respect to the UK locations, four major hotels are London including Bethnal Green, Vauxhall, Hounslow and Walthamstow. The other hotels of Travelodge which are at the door of starting by 2013 will be located at the two major cities of Spain i.e. in Madrid and Barcelona. The inaugurations of hotels in these cities will double the room stock of Travelodge to 700 in Spain (Travelodge, 2013). A key part of the investment of Travelodge largely relies on the new room brands which had been created by taking into account the comfort and preferences of the customers of Travelodge. In January 2013, Travelodge made an announcement of investing 223 million pound that would further help the company to grow and expand its business. The cash investm ent of the hotel would enhance the sustainable growth of the company and would strengthen the company’s brand offerings. This will also ensure that the customers are delivered with the best value in the market place. It has also been ascertained that by the end of 2013, Travelodge will make considerable investment on the renovation of 50 per cent of all the rooms acquired by the company. Furthermore, the company intended to incorporate the new room designs in almost 90 per cent of the estates of Travel Lodge by the end of autumn, 2014. Thus for the next 18 months more than 50 rooms on an average would be refurnished (Travelodge, 2013). As per the latest Budget Hotel Reports of 2010 a total of 54 new budget hotels were inaugurated in the year 2012 with more than 5,446 new rooms. Travelodge is the fastest growing budget hotel chain in the UK for the ended year 2012 wherein more than 3,883 rooms were added to its portfolio. Regardless the tremendous growth rate, the company is e ncountered with intense competition from its major rival Premier Inn. Correspondingly, 27 per cent market share in

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 11

Globalization - Essay Example This essay stresses that economic globalisation is also evident in the global restructuring and readjustment of industries. Movement from labor-intensive to capital-intensive production is increasing in developing countries. Due to competition for the international markets, economic globalisation has taken a different trend. Mergers, acquisitions, and strategic alliances are now normal to improve competitiveness. Examples are international economic and financial organisations, such as World Bank controlled by the west. As a result, the West uses this advantage to promote and control economic globalisation. Through the control of these institutions, they can control less developed countries and influence their economic development agenda. China's quick entry as a WTO member also goes to show how much nations are interested in being part of economic globalisation. This paper makes a conclusion that in the wake of accelerated economic globalisation less developed countries find themselves in a dilemma. Should they isolate themselves from the process, they will surely not benefit from technology transfers. FDIs are sidelined in the development process. Participation also carries its risks. The developed countries dominance in the process of economic globalisation will reduce them to mere annexes of the developed countries. As a result, there is need to safeguard interests of developing countries in the development of new economic orders.

How the Maid Made a Difference Essay Example for Free

How the Maid Made a Difference Essay Maid in Manhattan is one of the many Hollywood movies which portrayed the typical fairytale cliche—a love that went wrong but with the couple eventually ending happily ever after. The movie rose above the usual chick flicks in the industry through its capitalistic twist, nonetheless. Marisa Ventura, the hotel maid and single mother from the Bronx, and Chris Marshall, a successor to an American political dynasty, crossed paths and consequently fell into each others’ hands and hearts. The on-screen chemistry of the two artists, as well as the romantic, light, and interesting flow of the plot evidently captivated millions of audience worldwide. Not many, however, might have seen the presence of a deeper elaboration of significant and pressing issues in the movie. An allegory regarding ethnicity and culture, Maid in Manhattan was successful in revealing the ongoing plight of Latin immigrants in the United States. Due to their brown skin color, native tongue, and diverse beliefs, these individuals have been usually employed in blue-collar jobs, as depicted in the movie. The hotel in which Marisa worked in was headed by purely white Americans, with brown-bloods like her assigned for housekeeping. When Marisa’s friend pushed her into applying for the vacated managerial position, she initially declined due to the fact that black or brown was and still remains to be the opposite of white in terms of class status. Aside from the manager application scene, a number of other portions in the movie clearly showcased the same idea in order to emphasize the continuous emergence of cultural inequity. Marisa and Chris’ romance flourished despite their differences in ethnicity and culture. It is necessary to note, however, that during the first time Chris saw Marisa, he did not take notice of her since she was merely a hotel maid cleaning the senatorial candidate’s bathroom. Once Marisa donned the white Dolce and Gabbana suit of Caroline, one of the hotel guests, Marisa turned from ugly duckling into a beautiful swan in the eyes of Chris. This, indeed, is an example of commodification of identity. According to Knadler, this idea signifies the strong power of products and commodities in developing a political representation in society. Unfortunately, however, the political voice and visibility of an American usually depends on his â€Å"whiteness† or financial capacity. As shown in the movie, the physical appearance of Marisa greatly affected how Chris admired and understood her. In addition, it seemed that if the politician met Marisa as her real self, the profoundness of her political opinions with respect to issues such as electoral publicity and housing programs would seem less believable and significant for him. Hence, it can be said that intelligence is inevitably correlated to social class. Caroline’s friend Rachel also judged Marisa’s intellectual capacity during another suite scene. Rachel’s remark that Marisa knew only little English for she was of Latin descent visibly portrayed political prejudice based merely on the difference between skin pigmentation. This kind of misconception is known as victimization ideology, the power and control of vital social institutions to create weakness in a certain class or group (Faun). Unfortunately, this power and control is defined by monetary value. The financially deprived thus continue to end up as underdogs in the field, leaving them lower than they already are. Nevertheless, these conflicts should not be blamed solely outside the group of American immigrants. They, too, are internally outlawed by their own political and social inhibitions. Brown-bloods like Marisa learned to depend too much on the norms readily established in the society that they overlook the fact that these norms are merely standards; these do not dictate yet only inform them how they should live their lives based on a historical point of view that is not their own. It was Marisa’s mother, though, who was significantly captured by these biases and discrimination that she was the one directly trying to put her daughter down. She saw Marisa as a housekeeper and only as a housekeeper for, according to her, that is what the society has supposedly established for Marisa. This limited and narrow outlook regarding one’s concept of self is hence determined and shaped by both outward and inward influences. Maid in Manhattan successfully utilized the abovementioned scenes in order to bring forth an image explaining how cultural differences greatly affect social and working relations to its audience. However, the way in which the viewers comprehend this image is dependent on what group these people hail from. In my opinion, if it were a white-skinned audience, these specific scenes may imply how American immigrants are dedicated to their jobs, whatever this may be. Conversely, if those who are watching this film are of the same heritage as Marisa, then their perception of the movie would be fairly different. In my opinion, the movie serves as a venue for American immigrants to shatter borders and to assimilate themselves with the white culture. This act of multicultural integration remains to be their aspiration—their dream—in a world divided by money and power. Moreover, the brown-skinned audience would very much appreciate a film regarding their own social and political plight. Despite the â€Å"white-washing† of entertainment nowadays, films like these are still produced in the attempt to introduce the culture of the Latin descent and to communicate change in society (â€Å"Ethnic†). Visibility in Media is indeed a positive and necessary step in order to create more meaningful grounds for the harmony and amalgamation of ethnicities. This multicultural integration in Maid in Manhattan is denoted by two symbols, both related metaphorically to Chris and Marisa’s marriage. First is the actual bind of person-to-person through matrimony. In the context of the movie, nevertheless, the connection established was between and among races. This signifies the mergence of people, no matter what their skin complexion is, where they came from, or how much they earn monthly. In addition, the main characters’ marriage represented the unity of ideologies and cultures that define both parties. Individuals may co-exist with each other despite the differences of their beliefs, traditions, and lifestyles as long as they learn to compromise and adapt to each other’s way of living. These two concepts of â€Å"marriage† in Maid in Manhattan uphold egalitarianism, â€Å"a social philosophy advocating the removal of inequalities among people† (Weebies). Though the battle for human and racial equality is still not completely won, there will always be hope not only in the future but in one’s self. â€Å"Although we serve them, we are not their servants. What we do does not define who we are. What defines us is how we rise after falling,† shared Lionel, Marisa’s co-housekeeper in the hotel. Indeed, classes may rise and fall. Mistakes may be done once or all over again. Money can change or damage. Love can make us happy or sad. Whatever occurs in our lifetime, one thing remains the same: we are all humans—humans like everyone else, humans who can make a difference. We just have to believe that we can create our own identity and destiny. Works Cited â€Å"Ethnic and Visible Minorities in Entertainment Media. † Media Issues. 2008. Media Awareness Network. 10 Apr. 2008 http://www. media-awareness. ca/english/issues/ stereotyping/ethnics_and_minorities/minorities_entertainment. cfm. Faun, Feral. â€Å"The Ideology of Victimization. † Insurgent Desire. 1992. Black and Green Network. 10 Apr. 2008 http://www. insurgentdesire. org. uk/victimization. htm. Knadler, S. â€Å"Blanca from the Block: Whiteness and the Transnational Latina Body. † Genders Online Journal. 2005. Anne Kibbey. 10 Apr. 2008 http://www. genders. org/g41/g41_ knadler. html. Maid in Manhattan. Dir. Wayne Wang. Per. Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Bob Hoskins, and Kevin Wade. Revolution Studios Distribution Company, 2002. Weebies. â€Å"Egalitarianism: The Holy Grail of Socialism. † Strike The Root. 2004. 10 Apr. 2008 http://www. strike-the-root. com/4/weebies/weebies5. html.

growaw Personal Growth and Death of Edna Pontellier in Kate Chopins The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

The Awakening:   Personal Growth and Death      The Awakening is a novel about the growth of a woman becoming her own person; in spite of the expectations society has for her. The book follows Edna Pontellier   as she struggles to find her identity. Edna knows that she cannot be happy filling the role that society has created for her. She did not believe that she could break from this pattern because of the pressures of society. As a result she ends up taking her own life.   However, readers should not sympathize with her for taking her own life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Edna Pontellier was on her way to an awakening. She realized during the book, she was not happy with her position in life. It is apparent that she had never really been fully unaware   However, because her own summary of this was some sort of blissful ignorance. Especially in the years of life before her newly appearing independence, THE READER SEES HOW she has never been content with the way her life had turned out. For example she admits she married Mr. Pontellier out of convenience rather than love. EDNA knew he loved her, but she did not love him. It was not that she did not know what love was, for she had BEEN INFATUATED BEFORE, AND BELIEVED IT WAS love. She consciously chose to marry Mr. Pontellier even though she did not love him. When she falls in love with Robert she regrets her decision TO MARRY Mr. Pontellier. HOWEVER, readers should not sympathize, because she was the one who set her own trap. She did not love her husband whe n she married him, but SHE never once ADMITS that it was a bad decision. She attributes all the problems of her marriage to the way IN WHICH SOCIETY HAS defined the roles of men and women. She does not ACCEPT ANY OF THE BLAME, AS HER OWN.   The only other example of married life, in the book, is Mr. and Mrs. Ratignolle, who portray the traditional role of married men and women of the time. Mr. Pontellier also seems to be a typical man of society. Edna, ON THE OTHER HAND, was not A TYPICAL WOMAN OF SOCIETY. Mr. Pontellier knew this but OBVIOUSLY HAD NOT ALWAYS. This shows IS APPARENT in the complete lack of constructive communication between the two. If she had been able to communicate with her husband they may have been able to work OUT THEIR PROBLEMS, WHICH MIGHT HAVE MADE Edna MORE SATISFIED WITH her life.

Public Smoking Ban In The UK

Smoking is a major income to the government; it brings in about à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10 billion pounds annually. The government has proceeded to raise the tax rate of tobacco above the inflation rate from 1993 to the present day, this was implemented to help reduce consumption further. This policy has resulted that tax on tobacco in the UK is amongst the highest in the world and far ahead of any of those in other EU member states. For example the price of a typical pack of cigarettes in the UK is currently à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5.54, whilst in Belgium the price is about à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.70 and in Latvia they retail at a mere 42p. The cost to the NHS of smoking related illnesses is generally not believed to outweigh the income the government makes out of tobacco sales. The government is being very hypocritical of themselves because a large amount of public money comes from the tax of cigarettes but at the same time the government is trying to stop people form smoking by banning people to smoke in public places and also with adverts on television urging people to stop smoking. There has been a lot of opposition to the smoking ban of which the arguments have been that the ban will be disastrous to small pubs that rely on smokers to keep their business afloat. Small pub landlords have said that they will loose vital trade from people who normally go out to the pub to have a smoke and a pint who now will stay at home instead and smoke and drink there. A knock on effect of the economic down turn is perceived to be a loss of jobs across the industry and rising pub prices as landlords would have no choice but to subsidise their loss of business by increasing prices. The closure of pubs would ultimately result in a lack of choice for the customer. People who are still against the ban argue alternative methods of how to reduce the health impact of passive smoking. The introduction of the use of ventilation is regarded by some as an adequate solution on its own. Some respondents are strongly of the opinion that ventilation removes all the harmful effects of smoking from the air. Designated smoking areas in public places are have previously been used before the smoking ban came into effect in various shopping malls, restaurants and clubs. People did not complain about these smoking areas, of which people who wanted to smoke could do so inside out of the way of other people who did not want to smoke. People against the smoking ban argue that separate designated smoking areas with good ventilation is a better alternative then banning smoking in public places altogether. The government doesn't want to stop there with banning smoking. They have almost banned the rights of people to smoke in their own car. The law now states that if the driver is smoking and does not have full control of the vehicle the driver can be prosecuted for smoking while driving. This is an extension of the current law which is that the driver must have full control of the vehicle at all times. What I do not understand is that why the government feels that they now have to have a separate law to cover smoking while driving, does that not also come under the law that states that the driver must have full control of the vehicle at all times? There have now also been talks that a law is trying to be passed to stop adults smoking in their own vehicle while a child is present, is this just saying to the nation that they cannot look after their own children? Ibi from Birmingham thinks that banning smoking is a way for the government to take all of our fun away. â€Å"This seems ok but doesnt anybody else worry about this being a slippery slope. First, no smoking in public places, then no smoking at all, then no drinking, no shouting, no laughing, no talking and no fun. And once this is all done they will find something else to ban. And im a non smoker.† Howard John Dell from Chelmsford agrees that the money made by the government from smokers is too high to ignore the rights of one of its biggest money makers. â€Å"I do not agree with a total ban on smoking. It is my right to smoke and the government make a considerable amount of money from my smoking through taxes which easily pays for any health cost tot he NHS.† Colin McEwan from Edinburgh agrees that the smoking ban could have bigger economic consequences than we think. â€Å"The Scottish government is drafting its own regulations regarding smoking and seems to be bent on a total ban. This, in my view is a step too far at this time. I work in Ireland where such a ban has, I believe, reduced pub sales substantially in some areas and has cost many jobs. I have no issue with the argument that people must not be subjected to passive smoking. But the alternatives, such as designated smoking areas with proper ventilation have not been properly considered. Sure it will be difficult to implement properly but the ‘Ban it everywhere' brigade does not seem to be interested in the logic †¦ only the principle.† The smoking ban seams to be supported by many more non-smokers than smokers. I think that because smokers are a minority here, the majority have won their case outright. There seams to be more suitable alternative methods than the banning of smoking in public places completely. I think that the banning of smoking in public places was a policy set up by the government to try and win the votes of the majority of people because people had lost faith in the current government because of the currently unsuccessful invasion of Iraq.

Managerial Accounting Case Analysis Essay

Compare assigned costs per product under both methods. Why has Activity-based costing changed the total costs assigned to each product? By comparing the two cost assigned methods, there are some differences existed: Unit Product Cost:| Gadgets| Smidgets| Smadgets| Smadgets| Traditional Costing Method| 400| 1,000| 1,350| 850| Activity-Based Costing Method| 590| 1,100| 760| 1,250| Overhead Cost| Widgets| Gadgets| Smidgets| Smadgets| Traditional Costing Method| 200,000| 600,000| 800,000| 400,000| Activity-Based Costing Method| 390,000| 600,000| 210,000| 800,000| I deduct the main reason for that are: Traditional Costing Method use the Overhead Rate (200% of direct labor) and the Activity-Base Costing Method just use the Overhead Cost Drives. As for Traditional Costing Method, the company just accumulate costs into a cost center (Three kinds of costs: director material, director labor, Manufacturing Overhead) , and the Manufacturing overhead just equals the director labor multiply by 200% , the Overhead Rate. These three kind of costs added together we got the total cost, and the total cost divided by the each unit built, we get the final unit product cost, I think it is a rough calculating process. The result depends on the direct labor hours and regardless of any other elements, if direct labor dose not account for a larger portion of the product, the result will not be accurate. In terms of Activity-based costing method, the company use Overhead Cost Drives (There are three allocation bases in the ABC method: depreciation, machine set-up and rent). The Overhead expense just use cost drivers (Such as Machine hours, Set-up hours and Rent) to apply the costs on the products. On the basis of these three, we can get the Overhead cost drive’s Pool Rate, and we also get the actual Cost Driver Quantity for Product Line, and finally we can know what is the exact Activity Cost for Product Line with respect products, finally, we got the total ABC Overhead cost for the three products. So I think this allocating process is more accurate, because it use the Cost drives into different part in detail.

Religion in America Professor Ramos Blog

Religion in America https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MpeDAaedxNID8jIa4R_sfG9xLM2nD1ySPYhRh1kirys/edit?usp=sharing

Edwin Howard Armstrong, Inventor of FM Radio

Edwin Howard Armstrong, Inventor of FM Radio Edwin Howard Armstrong (December 18, 1890–February 1, 1954) was an American inventor and one of the great engineers of the 20th century. He is best known for developing the technology for FM (frequency modulation) radio. Armstrong won numerous patents for his inventions and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1980. Fast Facts: Edwin Howard Armstrong Known For: Armstrong was an accomplished inventor who developed the technology for FM radio.Born: December 18, 1890 in New York, New YorkParents: John and Emily ArmstrongDied: February 1, 1954 in New York, New YorkEducation: Columbia UniversityAwards and Honors: National Inventors Hall of Fame, Institute of Radio Engineers Medal of Honor, French Legion of Honor, Franklin MedalSpouse: Marion MacInnis (m.  1922-1954) Early Life Armstrong was born in New York City on December 18, 1890, the son of John and Emily Armstrong. His father was an employee of Oxford University Press, while his mother was deeply involved in the Presbyterian Church. When he was still very young Armstrong became afflicted with St. Vitus Dance- a muscular disorder- which forced him to be home-schooled for two years. Education Armstrong was only 11 years old when Guglielmo Marconi made the first trans-Atlantic radio transmission. Enthralled, the young Armstrong began studying radio and building homemade wireless equipment, including a 125-foot antenna in his parents backyard. His interest in science and technology took Armstrong to Columbia University, where he studied at the schools Hartley Laboratories and made a strong impression on several of his professors. He finished college in 1913 with a degree in electrical engineering. Regenerative Circuit The same year he graduated, Armstrong invented the regenerative or feedback circuit. Regeneration amplification worked by feeding a received radio signal through a radio tube 20,000 times per second, increasing the power of the received radio signal and allowing radio broadcasts to have a greater range. In 1914, Armstrong was awarded a patent for this invention. His success, however, was short-lived; the following year another inventor, Lee de Forest, filed several applications for competing patents. De Forest believed that he had developed the regenerative circuit first, as did several other inventors who became involved in the legal dispute that lasted many years. Although an initial case was resolved in Armstrongs favor, a later decision ruled that De Forest was the true inventor of the regenerative circuit. This was Armstrongs first experience with the legal system that would later cause him so much turmoil. FM Radio Armstrong is most commonly known for inventing frequency modulation, or FM radio, in 1933. FM improved the audio signal of radio by controlling the static caused by electrical equipment and the earths atmosphere. Prior to this, amplitude modulation (AM) radio had been extremely susceptible to such interference, which was what prompted Armstrong to investigate the problem in the first place. He conducted his experiments in the basement of Columbia Universitys Philosophy Hall. In 1933, Armstrong received U.S. patent 1,342,885 for a Method of Receiving High-Frequency Oscillations Radio for his FM technology. Again, Armstrong was not the only one experimenting with such technology. Scientists at the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) were also testing frequency modulation techniques to improve radio transmissions. In 1934, Armstrong presented his latest finding to a group of RCA officials; he later demonstrated the power of the technology using an antenna at the top of the Empire State Building. RCA, however, decided not to invest in the technology and instead focused on television broadcasting. Armstrong had not lost faith in his discovery, though. He continued to refine and promote FM radio technology, first by partnering with smaller companies such as General Electric and then by presenting the technology to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Unlike the RCA officials, those at the FCC presentation were impressed by Armstrongs demonstration; when he played them a jazz recording over FM radio, they were struck by the clarity of the sound. Improvements to FM technology over the 1930s made it more and more competitive with existing technologies. In 1940, the FCC decided to create a commercial FM service, which launched the following year with 40 channels. However, the outbreak of World War II limited the resources that could be put toward new radio infrastructure. Conflicts with RCA- which was still using AM transmissions- also prevented FM radio from taking off. It was not until after the war that the technology began to win popular support. In 1940, RCA, seeing that it was losing the technological race, tried to license Armstrongs patents, but he refused the offer. The company then developed its own FM system. Armstrong accused RCA of patent infringement and began litigation against the company, hoping to win damages for lost royalties. Death Armstrongs inventions made him a rich man, and he held 42 patents in his lifetime. However, he also found himself embroiled in protracted legal disputes with RCA, which viewed FM radio as a threat to its AM radio business. Much of Armstrongs time, as a consequence of the litigation, was devoted to legal matters rather than work on new inventions. Struggling with personal and financial problems, Armstrong committed suicide in 1954 by jumping to his death from his New York City apartment. He was buried in Merrimac, Massachusetts. Legacy In addition to frequency modulation, Armstrong is also known for developing a number of other key innovations. Every radio or television set today makes use of one or more of his inventions. Armstrong even invented the superheterodyne tuner that allowed radios to tune into different radio stations. During the 1960s, NASA used FM transmissions to communicate with its astronauts while they were in space. Today, FM technology is still used throughout the world for most forms of audio broadcasting. Sources Sterling, Christopher H., and Michael C. Keith.  Sounds of Change: a History of FM Broadcasting in America. University of North Carolina Press, 2008.Richter, William A.  Radio: a Complete Guide to the Industry. Lang, 2006.

Creative Accounting and Earnings Management Essay

Creative Accounting and Earnings Management - Essay Example According to the research findings it can therefore be said that financial statements are prepared by managers of a company or enterprise to represent the true and fair view of the affairs of the company. They are then used by the shareholders and other users of financial statements for the decision making process. It is a very critical part of financial accounting because it provides information for the users of financial statements to interpret and come to a conclusion about the performance of the company. Creative accounting practices are such malpractices in accounting which may be legal and in accordance with the existing accounting standards but may not be in line with the true spirits of the rules laid down under accounting standards. In other words, when financial statements are prepared by the relevant managers of a company that is inconsistent with the purpose or intention of the existing accounting standards, then it is said to be a practice of creative accounting. The man agers do so by taking advantage of the flexibilities available in the letter of the rules in accounting standards practices. Earnings management is a term which acts as a substitute for creative accounting. Trying to manipulate the earnings which are reported by the managers of a company, by taking help of some specific accounting process, is termed as earnings management. The company does so to influence its earnings in a short term horizon. Earnings management makes use of accrual accounting.... The accounting standards are revised often to help fill its loopholes. More and more regulatory measures are taken to keep a track on how the financial information is reported by the firms. These measures taken are proving quite effective in preventing current creative accounting practices, but the question is whether it will be able to stop these malpractices completely or not. It is indeed very difficult to put an end to creative accounting in future (Keupp, 2002, p.1). Key Elements of Creative Accounting It is not very easy to precisely define creative accounting. Still, three elements can be regarded as key elements of creative accounting. They are: a. Flexibility: Accounting is always associated with flexibilities present in it. While accounting, one can use their discretion to choose their own preferred way of recording sales or turnover of the company, the method of depreciation to be used by the company, the method of valuation of inventory, etc. This type of flexibility help s the managers of a company to represent the true and fair view of the company’s affairs and its earnings in the financial statements. However, in practice the case may be quite different. These flexibilities in the hands of managers can be used by them to present the company’s performance in a more favourable way than what it is in reality. These methods can be applied by staying within the regulatory framework. b. Account Management: Accounting policies can be utilized by the managers of a company to accomplish the objectives of the management of the company and may not fulfil the essential requirements of the users. It can thus be used as a tool that can be managed and not as a means to