Wednesday, July 31, 2019

How To Create Edits

DATA†, when the edit is loaded onto the machine, he edit will appear With the title â€Å"Liverwurst†. The second method involves using Symphony which allows you convert a Stephanie simile (. Sir file) into the DATA format generated by Kinsman's online Step Editor. Stephanie is generally seen as having a better user interface and testing environment for creating edit data than Kinsman's online editor. Symphony also allows you to convert songs that the Sonoma Step Editor does not support, including older songs from past mixes and DIR XX songs. First, you must download the latest version of Symphony at http://sites. Goose. Mom/site/dairymaid/Symphony. Zip . Extract the files into a folder on your computer. Launch the program. You may receive an error that an Internet connection is needed to use Symphony. Symphony works by simulating the Sonoma Step Editor by sending the website the step data needed to generate an edit file, but it will replace the appropriate music id so t hat the file generated works for the song you choose. Because of the is, an internet connection is needed. The first step is to find the simile of the song you want to convert. Typically, Stephanie songs are found in If electroplatesSongs or Files(ex.)StephanieSongs (for Vista/7).Select the . SMS file and the title of the song will be displayed in the textbook below it. Below this is a list of songs from the master id list that might possibly represent the song you chose. Sometimes the title of your . SMS file may not match what is found in the master id list. Try editing the title of the song so that the list of songs eventually shows you the song you are converting. An example is when you edit â€Å"Healing Vision(Angelic Mix)†, the master id list has it titled â€Å"Healing Vision -Angelic Mix-â€Å". Modifying the textbook to â€Å"Healing Vision† will show several songs with the name, including â€Å"HealingVision -Angelic Mix-â€Å". Select that song as the o ne you are converting. Once you have selected the song, select the style of play you are converting (single, double or couple). The difficulty below it indicates which chart from the . SMS file you are converting over. This might be a â€Å"Challenge† chart or â€Å"Edit† chart. If there are multiple Edit charts in your . SMS file, only the first one can be read. On the right Of Symphony's screen are options for the edit data produced. The region is for the region your playing in (North America or Europe). The Difficulty indicates what the chart will show up as in DIR X/XX.Remember, some songs in XX will play a Chinese version if the Challenge chart is selected, so if your edit indicates it is a Challenge chart and the song has a Chinese version, the Chinese version will play for your edit. The rating is the number of â€Å"feet† the song is rated. The comments are generic comments you can give your edit that show up in the game. The edits name is the name of yo ur edit (limited to 8 characters). Finally, the Measure offset is used for cases where your . SMS file's first beat isn't on the same measure as the official data's first beat. An example is the song Red Zone.In the official data, the first beat is found on the 5th measure, but in the . Sir file found on genius-I-banisher's website, the first beat starts on the 6th measure. Because of this, the offset must be set to -1 , which indicates the first beat will be moved backwards one measure. For songs in which a known offset is needed, Symphony will have the offset already programmed in. As more songs are discovered to need an offset, Symphony will be updated to reflect what those offsets are. When you have set all of your options, click â€Å"Generate . DATA†. After several seconds, a Save File Dialog should display, allowing you to save your enervated .DATA file to your computer. After you have generated all of your edits, you must combine the edits into a â€Å"zip† fil e. Windows has a built in Zip program, but other alternatives are zip and Winner. You can include up to 30 edits in one zip file. Once you have done this, you must visit Kinsman's library manager at http://direct. Contamination. Com/address/library_manager/ index. PH. Here you will select what region you are in and select the zip file you just created and click â€Å"Save†. A file will be returned to you titled DIR EDIT U. DATA. The . DATA generated this time MUST be named or (for Europe).This file must be saved to a folder â€Å"DIR_EDIT' at the root level of your USB drive. Once this is done, you may use the thumb drive to play your edits on a DIR X or XX machine! Troubleshooting put the -SMS files onto my thumb drive and the game didn't recognize them. DIR X/XX does not recognize the . SMS format, this is why the program Symphony is needed. Symphony converts the . SMS format to a format readable by DIR X/ put the -DATA files in DIR EDIT and the game did not recognize them . This is because the game does not recognized individual . DATA file. The game requires that all edits are compiled into a single .DATA file called for Europe). This is what the Library Manager found on Kinsman's website (see above) is used for. 3. My edit seems off, how do I sync it? Edits do not contain any syncing data, only step placement and note types. If the step data seems to be a measure or more early or late, use the Measure offset feature to adjust the data so that it lines up with the game's music. If the song's official data is off sync, your edit data will be off sync as well. 4. My edit has blank measures, what gives? Edit data only supports 4th, 8th, 1 oh and 12th notes. This, 32nd and this are not supported.Also, because of the limited format, 12th notes can only exist inside a single quarter note range. Any quarter note section that contains this and any other note (ethos, this, etc) will be blank. 5. What about hands? The game supports hands if they are part of a freeze, but hands as a set of notes pressed on the same beat are not supported by the game. 6. Some of my freezes are being combined into a long freeze, what gives? If freeze arrows of the same direction are only separated by a 16th note, the game will combine these into a single freeze arrow. This is a bug that's present in edit mode in all DIR versions.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Shoplifting and Its Effect on Society

Shoplifting and its effect on society. Shoplifting seems like a victimless crime, but the damages caused are far from minor. I myself was recently caught shoplifting, and now I need to pay for the consequences of my crime. There are many reasons why people shoplift, it can be a obsessive compulsion disorder (OCD) all the way to a dare from a friend, either way Shoplifting does not only affect the individual, but it also affects the community, the retailer, and the consumer.Shoplifting affects not only me but my family as well. I feel embarrassed and worthless yet if I felt like that. â€Å"Why did I do it in the first place? † Because shoplifting is tempting, the shoplifter thinks they’re getting the product for free. But the truth is that someone has to pay for our mistake, thus price rises and the community has to pay. And some stores could even go bankrupt because of shoplifting. It is unfair to people who do not shoplift to pay for the mistakes that shoplifters make .People in the community who are not as wealthy as others have a harder time paying for their food and needs, and when they feel they can’t afford spending too much money at a certain retail store they will have to go to another destination to shop, causing a great inconvience to them and also the retail store will be losing money and might even close down in the future. We also suffer on a personal level, when an employee who realizes an item has been stolen from their store. They often feel violated, and when they feel violated it causes them to lose trust in others.So store employee follow potential merchants, watching their every move, making potential merchants uneasy and guilty when they are innocent. As there is no ‘look’ of a shoplifter, there is no way to identify whether a person is going to shoplift or not. And thus trust is lost between the merchant and the retailer. Resulting in an uncomfortable environment to shop in. Only about three percent of sho plifters are professionals. The rest of the shoplifters, shoplift as a response to experiencing stress in their personal lives.I myself am an immigrant from Singapore I just moved to Canada last year and a lot has happened since then. I survived being poor and unsatisfying for a year, so â€Å"why did I shoplift? † part of me believes that it is because I’m poor and I just wanted something, but part of me believes that it also because of what I’m going through a lot of stress and I feel depressed at times. Its like I need to fill up a hole in me. I thought shoplifting would make me feel better but the truth is you will lose all self-confidence in yourself.You become even more depressed and emotional you start to feel as if you don’t deserve a lot of things, or that others are better than you. Shoplifting has broken up many families and friends, the distrust and the disappointment they have when they look at you will consume you and soon you yourself will change. I was fortunate that my mother was very understanding and offered to help me out of my depression. She did admitted her disappointment in me but she told me I am still a good person.That made me realized that as a individual we belong to a community, and we make up what the community will become, each of us play a role to become someone bigger than themselves. When someone does well another will also want to do well. We could start by doing community work and volunteering at places that need our help. Helping others can without a doubt make you feel better about yourself, shoplifting will only make that empty feeling deeper as you start to feel guilty and worthless that others are better than you for not shoplifting. You’ll feel like the bad guy.Nowadays people not only shoplift, but steal and con others of their money this is because people who becomes thieves usually starts as shoplifters at a young age. Shoplifting when young can often lead to becoming thieves and robbers in the future. In fact ninety percent of convicts admitted that they have shoplifted before in their teenage years or younger. Statistics shows that there is an average of twenty-seven million shoplifters in the United States of America alone, which equates to one person in eleven, and only ten million have been caught within the past five years.Kids make up twenty-five percent of shoplifter; adults, seventy-five percent. People have been doing this for a long time because fifty-five percent of adults claim they began to shoplift as teenagers, and when asked, seventy-three percent of adults and seventy-two percent of juveniles do not plan to shoplift, it just an act of impulse. And also, an astonishing eighty-nine percent of kids say they know of other kids who shoplift and sixty-six percent say they associate with them. And only three percent of shoplifters are professionals, but they make up 10 percent of the item they sell.Some even after being caught in the act, fifty-se ven percent of adults and thirty-three percent of juveniles say it is difficult to stop even after being caught. Habits are hard to break, shoplifting becomes an addiction and you try to stop but you just can’t. And when you reach that point statistics show that habitual shoplifters steal at least two times a week. So when I got caught on my first time I’m grateful for it, for without it I might have become addicted to shoplifting or worse wanted to make it my professional career. Shoplifting is illegal and is a punishable crime by law.It is not a small crime whether you stole fifty dollars worth of items or ten dollars worth of items. The crime is the same you have shoplifted from the store, and stolen something that doesn’t belong to you. For example, you can be arrested and paraded through a store in handcuffs, banned from stores or malls, and you may even end up with a criminal record. If you get a criminal record especially when you are young people will tr eat you like an ex-convict, it’ll be harder to get a job, get into college, or anything else that need a criminal background check. Which is mostly everything.Shoplifting can ruin your life but remember even without getting caught can shoplifting also ruin your life, as I have already stated that shoplifting affects you emotionally the same thing applies here you lose your self-respect and your respect for others. Small crime doesn’t mean no crime. Responsibilty for your family, friends and the people surrounding you, there are people that look up, like you’re their role model. I myself have siblings and I hope very much they don’t follow in my footsteps; I have never done anything that would cause people to lose their faith and respect in me.It is my responsibilty to set a good role model for my younger siblings. Also you as an individual have a responsibility as a civilent to be a good role model to the community. Never think that there is no one watchi ng you, there is always someone watching and looking up to you in respect if you’ve done the right things. Respect is something you earn not given. By shoplifting you are openly disrespecting the community and although you may not notice now, but you are also disrespecting yourself. When you shoplift you are disrespecting the community by

Monday, July 29, 2019

Assessment of Glenda Medical Condition

Chronic kidney disease abbreviated as CKD is also referred to as the chronic renal failure and it is responsible for most cases of mortality and morbidity in the elderly in Australia (Wen et al., 2014). Moreover, CKD is associated with reducing the significant role of the kidney through causing damages and blockage (Vassalotti et al., 2016). Research shows that the period it takes for CKD to cause complete renal failure depends on the stages of CKD and the nursing interventions in place (Tonelli and Wanner, 2014). Notably, it should be made clear that chronic kidney disease has no cure, but early identification and application of nursing intervention as per Levett-Jones clinical reasoning cycle will help slow the progress and improve the patient's symptoms. As of the year 2005, the NHS reported that chronic kidney disease is at an alarming rate as most of the hospitals in the region reported to have increased renal replacement surgery (Gatchel et al., 2014). Also, according to Hung e t al., 2014 are of the opinion that chronic kidney disease increases the chances of cardiovascular complications. Again, a report by the WHO indicated that there would be high chances of chronic kidney disease in Australia for the next ten years and the likelihood of the cases leveling off are dismal due to the lifestyle of locals (mostly the native Australians) who are reluctant to seek medication from public hospitals (Collins et al., 2015). The underlying factor towards the behavior by most natives is cultural-based. The residents feel left behind regarding development and that the foreigners are interfering with their way of life (Tong et al., 2015). With that in mind, the case focuses on describing the care, management, and assessment interventions for Glenda, a 46-year-old woman who presents with chronic kidney disease. The previous medical history indicates the following symptoms generalized swelling of the face, hands, feet, and ankles. Also, she finds difficulty in walking due to stiffness and pain in her knee and elbow joints. Her current medical condition indicates increased body temperature of 38.8 degrees Celsius and increased blood pressure of 180/100 mmHg which relates to the high number of cigarettes consumed daily. As such, Glenda is taken to the emergency renal ward at Darwin hospital where she undergoes an X-ray, EUC, and ECG. After inserting a vas catheter, Glenda is scheduled for surgery in a week's time to have fistula formation in her left arm.   The condition makes Glenda admitted for almost twelve months a situation that makes her daughter Roseen uncomfortable. Later, the nurses, family, and friends organiz ed a meeting and ensure Glenda is discharged and receives medication from her home in Tiwi Island and undergo her dialysis at Renal Dialysis unit at Wurrumiyang clinic. As such, ideas in this article seek to critique the care, management, and assessment for Glenda at each stage of her chronic kidney disease. Notably, the paper will set a discussion on the evaluation of renal function. Furthermore, the article will offer a succinct summary of the ideas concerning the thesis statement as shown below. When Glenda first attended Wurrumiyanga clinic at her home in Tiwi Island, the doctors had to screen her kidney to identify any symptoms of chronic kidney disease due to the physical symptoms she presented (Diamantidis nd Becker, 2014). Also, Wen et al., 2014) are of the opinion that screening helps in prescribing medical intervention for CKD at stages 1-3 hence appropriate procedural processes in combating the condition. That said, the following test helped the doctor in assessing the renal functioning and impairment for Glenda: urinalysis-the test makes use of urine, and with the inclusion of a urine dipstick the nurses can determine the presence or absence of bacteria and casts on a microscope. Urinary protein excretion-the model analyzes urine after every 24 hours to measure the albumin-creatine ration abbreviated as ACR. An increase in the ACR shows a high risk for cardiovascular complications. Renal imaging-the technique pays attention to the shape of the kidney and checks the presence of cysts (Fang et al., 2014). Notably, the assessment model is of significant role in patients with CKD stages 4 and 5. Also, patients with stages 1-3 ought to undergo an ultrasound in case of reduced eGFR. Finally, renal biopsy a patient with stages 4-5 CKD is advised to undergo the assessment to check the level of proteinuria. Britt et al., 2013 are of the opinion that renal biopsy is of great value as the histological analysis provides nurses with information to know when and how to diagnose the impaired kidney failure. There are five stages of chronic kidney disease that Glenda is diagnosed with: ranging from stage 1-5. The evaluation model follows the in-depth analysis of Glenda's medical history which reveals her physical symptoms: swollen face, feet, and hands, social life showing her smoking and drinking habits, and her family history which records no case of CKD (Angeli et al., 2014). The post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis diagnosis at Royal Darwin Hospital indicates that there was thickening of the membranes due to the accumulation of protein in the glomeruli hence need for checking the blood glucose levels (Tonelli and Wanner, 2014). Moreover, it is important to control the blood pressure to reduce the risk of proteinuria. In addition, Glenda's medical history at the time of admission indicates hypertension as blood pressure beyond 140/90 mmHg is considered hypertensive. eGFR more than 89/ml/min/1.73m2 but is not less than 59ml/min/1.73m2 (albuminuria included) Urea and electrolytes including eGFR. Scheduled clinical and laboratory assessment. Also, the nurses in charge offer advice on lifestyle practices. When the eGFR is less than 59ml/min/1.73m2 The inclusion of dipstick in the sample of urine collected to test for urinalysis for proteinuria. Regular checking of blood glucose levels. Analysis of full blood count to check the level of Parathyroid hormone (Levey et al., 2015). Also, the nurse reviews medical history and administers new medication which acts as an anti-inflammatory medication. The collected urine is assessed to check for urinary symptoms, heart failure, and hypovolaemia (Levey et al., 2015). For efficient management of the different stages of CKD, it is of significant value to first identify the symptoms associated with chronic kidney disease. What is more is that the clinical signs for CKD remain unrecognized until there is acute renal failure (Stevens and Levin, 2013). That is to say that a patient can be asymptomatic at an advanced stage of the condition. Therefore, early identification sets a platform for integration of early interventions which aim towards assessment and management of the state. As such, the symptoms of CKD include but are not limited to loss of appetite, nausea, minor ankle edema, change in urine pattern, and fatigue (Jha et al., 2013). Also, it is wise for Glenda to have a balanced diet characterized with enough proteins. Regulate the blood pressure to less than 135/80mmHg. Besides, inhibitors can be induced to slow the effects of renal deformity. Notably, when the eGFR reduces to less than 25% of the baseline value, it is important to cease the ACR inhibitor and refer Glenda to a Nephrologist (Mills et al., 2015) Schedule a workout program starting with walking the progressively to jogging and running: aim at improving the aerobic rate. Monitor the drinking patterns of Glenda. First, start with reducing then progressively rehabilitate her by stopping the supply and access to alcohol. Flu vaccination and pneumococcal vaccination During admission, Glenda needs to hydrate t avoid dehydration. Also, the nurses in charge can describe an antiviral medication. After being discharged Glenda can as well as use prescribed cough suppressant. Reduce the consumption of sugary coca cola drink from 500ml a day to 250ml then after some time you cut short and provide safe source of sugars such as Drink a lot of water to avoid thirst. Ensure Glenda consumes less salt: especially adding raw salt to the food at the table. Reduce the intake of coca cola and later cut short. Significantly, the End-Stage Renal Disease abbreviated as ESRD is the term used to refer to patients who are responding to the treatment from acute renal failure (Wen et al., 2014). Also, ESRD is commonly known as stage 5 of CKD. What is more is the availability of shared ideas between amongst nurses, patients, and their families: the ideas help in making informed decisions aimed towards treating stage 5 CKD (Locatelli et al., 2013). As such, the table below provides a description to types of treatment for stage 5 CKD. If it is critical it may call for surgery. Also, the period may wait for up to 6 years in case of deceased donor Glenda will be free to work and live a normal life. Moreover, Glenda has increased rate of survival after the transplant is done. Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis(CAPD) Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD) During the day four bags are changed by the APD entails the overnight exchange of bags by a machine The treatment ensures Glenda has the freedom to work without disturbance of the urinary tract: due to the PD catheter. The CAPD allows for ample time during one-week training. The APD allows the nurse on duty to rest. Requires no dialysis or transplant. It can be managed at the community level (Wurrumiyanga clinic). Again, the model is supported by palliative care Emphasizes on mediation and balanced diet. Non-dialysis supportive care increases survival chances in elderly patients thus increased life expectancy (Model, 2015). The nurse in charge of Glenda is working extra hard to avoid further complications of the conditions. Therefore, educating Glenda, her daughter Roseen and the community as a whole will ensure the sustainability and ease of combating CKD (Diamantidis and Becker, 2014). Notably, the primary risk factor identified is the danger of reduced cardiac output. The condition is associated with inadequate pumping of the blood to the heart to facilitate metabolic processes. The related risk factors include but are not limited to: first, fluid imbalances resulting in a lapse in the current volume and heart workload (Mills et al., 2015). Second, there is the risk of increased deposits of urea and calcium phosphate blocking the baseline membrane. Thirdly, lapse and alteration in electrolyte balance. The nurse can prescribe medication after observing and assessing the presented physical symptoms. To establish desired outcomes for Glenda the table below shows the nursing intervention and the possible justification. Analyze heart and lung sound to evaluate presence of peripheral edema and cases of dysponea. Diagnosed with flu hence wheezes, edema, and dysponea Assess the degree of hypertension and blood pressure Renal dysfunction causes hypertension. Also, orthostatic hypertension occurs due to imbalances in the intravascular fluids. Assess the presence of chest pains paying attention to the location and degree of pain Lack of potential risk of pericardial effusion associated due to home dialysis. Assess heart sounds, blood pressure, and temperature Narrow pulse pressure, temperature above 37.5 degrees Celsius, and presence of irregular hypotension. Assess and evaluate the physical activity Dormant nature alludes to HF and presence of anemia Need to monitor and assess lab and diagnostic results Potassium, calcium, and magnesium electrolytes When imbalanced they affect the heart functioning by altering the electrical transmission Used in identification of soft-tissue calcification Administering antihypertensive drugs such as Apresoline: a hydralazine Useful in reducing vascular resistance and tension hence reduce myocardial workload. Also, useful in preventing HF. Reduce accumulation of urea. Again, corrects the electrolytes and fluid imbalances. To exclude the pericardial sacs as it may result in cardiac arrest through myocardial contractility. The burden of CKD led to the longer hospitalization of Glenda, and it is important to include multidisciplinary care clinics to improve service delivery (Gatchel et al., 2014). The approach integrates different health professionals and family members to offer long-term support to Glenda as shown below. Assess and evaluate etiology of Glenda’s CKD to determine the care plan (Diamantidis and Becker, 2014) Offer advice on nutritional intake and manage the intravascular fluid Provide education to Glenda regarding effectiveness of modern medication and herbal treatment Substitute Roseen on transporting the mother to hospital Educate Glenda about transplant before the surgery (Davison et al., 2015) Provides education regarding CKD and acute renal failure. Also, coordinates care with Glenda’s family and the locals. Less attention has been paid to monitor the role awareness has to CKD patients. Although early identification proves to be a mechanism to slow the progression of CKD and ESRD, there is a growing need for the establishment of a customer-oriented platform for nurses to exercise to administer patient-center to patients such as Glenda (Papademetriou et al., 2015). Also, encouraging Glenda to attend guiding and counseling sessions in Tiwi Islands will help boost her morale and change her perception of life. And it is known that once the mind is stimulated so does the endorphin hence the body relaxes. The model will allow Glenda get back to her feet and provide for her family. In nursing, providing care, assessing, and management of diseases is a plan that allows nurses to incorporate Levett-Jones cycle of clinical reasoning: a period that allows for an understanding of the patient's past medical history and ethnic background before commencing with data collection and administering medication. As for Glenda the condition grows and gets of hand hence the inclusion of interdisciplinary team approach to offer long-term support emotionally, physically, and medically. To that end, it is possible to discern that CKD cannot be treated, but approaches as integrating family members and the community help to slow its progress. Angeli, P., Rodrà ­guez, E., Piano, S., Ariza, X., Morando, F., Solà  , E., ... & Gerbes, A. (2014). Acute kidney injury and acute-on-chronic liver failure classifications in prognosis assessment of patients with acute decompensation of cirrhosis. Gut, gutjnl-2014. Britt, H., Miller, G. C., Henderson, J., Bayram, C., Valenti, L., Harrison, C., ... & O'Halloran, J. (2013). General Practice Activity in Australia 2012-13: BEACH: Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (No. 33). Sydney University Press. Collins, A. J., Foley, R. N., Gilbertson, D. T., & Chen, S. C. (2015). United States Renal Data System public health surveillance of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. Kidney international supplements, 5(1), 2-7. Davison, S. N., Levin, A., Moss, A. H., Jha, V., Brown, E. A., Brennan, F., ... & Morton, R. L. (2015). Executive summary of the KDIGO Controversies Conference on Supportive Care in Chronic Kidney Disease: developing a roadmap to improving quality care. Diamantidis, C. J., & Becker, S. (2014). Health information technology (IT) to improve the care of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). BMC nephrology, 15(1), 7. Fang, Y., Ginsberg, C., Sugatani, T., Monier-Faugere, M. C., Malluche, H., & Hruska, K. A. (2014). Early chronic kidney disease–mineral bone disorder stimulates vascular calcification. Kidney international, 85(1), 142-150. Gatchel, R. J., McGeary, D. D., McGeary, C. A., & Lippe, B. (2014). Interdisciplinary chronic pain management: past, present, and future. American Psychologist, 69(2), 119. Hung, S. C., Kuo, K. L., Peng, C. H., Wu, C. H., Lien, Y. C., Wang, Y. C., & Tarng, D. C. (2014). Volume overload correlates with cardiovascular risk factors in patients with chronic kidney disease. Kidney international, 85(3), 703-709. January, C. T., Wann, L. S., Alpert, J. S., Calkins, H., Cigarroa, J. E., Cleveland, J. C., ... & Murray, K. T. (2014). 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society. J Am Coll Cardiol, 64(21), 2246-2280. Jha, V., Garcia-Garcia, G., Iseki, K., Li, Z., Naicker, S., Plattner, B., ... & Yang, C. W. (2013). Chronic kidney disease: global dimension and perspectives. The Lancet, 382(9888), 260-272. Levey, A. S., Becker, C., & Inker, L. A. (2015). Glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria for detection and staging of acute and chronic kidney disease in adults: a systematic review. Jama, 313(8), 837-846. Locatelli, F., Bà ¡rà ¡ny, P., Covic, A., De Francisco, A., Del Vecchio, L., Goldsmith, D., ... & Abramovicz, D. (2013). Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes guidelines on anaemia management in chronic kidney disease: a European Renal Best Practice position statement. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, 28(6), 1346-1359. Mills, K. T., Xu, Y., Zhang, W., Bundy, J. D., Chen, C. S., Kelly, T. N., ... & He, J. (2015). A systematic analysis of worldwide population-based data on the global burden of chronic kidney disease in 2010. Kidney international, 88(5), 950-957. Model, C. C. (2015). Standards of medical care in diabetes—2015 abridged for primary care providers. Diabetes care, 38(1), S1-S94. Papademetriou, V., Lovato, L., Doumas, M., Nylen, E., Mottl, A., Cohen, R. M., ... & Cushman, W. C. (2015). Chronic kidney disease and intensive glycemic control increase cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. Kidney international, 87(3), 649-659. Stevens, P. E., & Levin, A. (2013). Evaluation and management of chronic kidney disease: synopsis of the kidney disease: improving global outcomes 2012 clinical practice guideline. Annals of internal medicine, 158(11), 825-830. Tonelli, M., & Wanner, C. (2014). Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes Lipid Guideline Development Work Group Members. Lipid management in chronic kidney disease: synopsis of the kidney disease: improving global outcomes 2013 clinical practice guideline. Ann Intern Med, 160(3), 182. Tong, A., Crowe, S., Chando, S., Cass, A., Chadban, S. J., Chapman, J. R., ... & Johnson, D. W. (2015). Research priorities in CKD: report of a national workshop conducted in Australia. American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 66(2), 212-222. Vassalotti, J. A., Centor, R., Turner, B. J., Greer, R. C., Choi, M., Sequist, T. D., & National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative. (2016). Practical approach to detection and management of chronic kidney disease for the primary care clinician. The American journal of medicine, 129(2), 153-162. Wen, C. P., Matsushita, K., Coresh, J., Iseki, K., Islam, M., Katz, R., ... & Astor, B. C. (2014). Relative risks of chronic kidney disease for mortality and end-stage renal disease across races are similar. Kidney international, 86(4), 819-827.

Marketing Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Marketing Communication - Essay Example Since the JJB leisure clubs are being launched, therefore, to educate the public comparatively detailed print and television advertising would have to be carried out. The purpose of the advertising would be to inform and persuade prospective clients to invest in the services of JJB. TV commercials: a five minute commercial highlighting all the services and concluding on â€Å" JJB will soon be serving members in Ireland†. To economize, in the initial stages, only one international ad will be made that would be run in Ireland as well as UK. TV Documentary: This detailed 15 minute documentary would include everything from the history and formation of JJB to what it is currently and what future plans they have. This documentary proposed to be aired in Ireland before the launch of the outlet in Derry. Likewise, this documentary to be aired on significant channels in the UK before the launch of any more clubs in UK. Print Advertising: One print ad showing multiple views of the various club services, containing the unique selling proposition, the positioning statement and the logo to be developed and released before the launches or before any new services are announced. Direct Mail: Brochures to be designed carrying in depth detail on the various services being offered by the club and sent in direct mail to the respective clients. Data collected from the JJB outlets walk in customers by taking their contact details. In view of the expansion pressures, the JJB’s health and fitness clubs have identified Ireland (Derry) as a potential market for opening outlets. JJB might be a highly recognized sports retail brand in UK but in Ireland, it would have to create its brand awareness. This would serve dual purposes of getting publicity in UK as well as Ireland since it is one of the most high profile events. JJB will reinforce its sports orientation as well as create awareness for

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Kant's Prolegomena to any Future Metaphysics Essay

Kant's Prolegomena to any Future Metaphysics - Essay Example For an empiricist, a priori knowledge is impossible because this is beyond experience. However, Kant, an empiricist himself, shows how a priori knowledge is possible. By his definition, a priori which he also terms as analytic, is something that is known not before anything else but in relation to the subject of knowing. Given Kant’s example â€Å"all bodies are extended† where the concept of extension is always related with the concept of bodies is analytic. In contrast with this is the synthetic judgment (by definition of synthesis is adding) and is clearly illustrated in his example â€Å"all bodies have weight† where the concept of weight was observed and was thought of as being added to the concept of bodies. In other words, something known to be innate or built in with the subject of knowing is analytic while something known to be a description of the subject of knowing is synthetic. Synthetic knowledge is also categorized into those arising from experience and those arising from mathematics. As for those from experience, it is obvious that when I experience a cold soda drink, I put the concept of cold, the concept of soda and the concept that the soda can be taken in the liquid form, and together they form the concept of a cold soda drink. This is also similar with mathematics, putting the concept of the number 1 and another number 1, adding them produces the concept of number 2. Since synthetic a priori knowledge is possible, then metaphysics is also possible since this is how metaphysics is to be known. According to Kant, â€Å"space and time†¦ are therefore pure intuitions that lie a priori at the basis of the empirical † (Sect 10). The concept of space and time is different from our conception of cold soda drink or extended bodies where we experience them (see, feel, taste) because unlike bodies and soda drinks that are objects in themselves, time and space are not

Saturday, July 27, 2019

The Christian Life Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The Christian Life - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that throughout the scriptures, God is referred to as Holy and His holiness provides the motivation for sanctification – a process by which God has chosen to create a people for Himself. God is not only the â€Å"motivation for holiness, He is also the agent of holiness†. Since God is holy, He requires His children also to be holy and it is He who enables them to become holy with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is therefore the sanctifying agent that enables believers to be transformed. It is of vital importance that believers cooperate with and obey the Holy Spirit to experience Christ like living. Even though the Holy Spirit empowers the believers, the transformation into Christ like living will not manifest unless they willingly surrender and cooperate with the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is important as the goal of every conversion is for believers to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. This is cl early stated in Romans 8:29 (New International Version) which says, â€Å"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.† Holiness involves putting to death the sin nature which God has already sentenced to death on the cross and living the new life that is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. In the book of Romans, Paul introduces two aspects pertaining to holiness – justification or positional sanctification (Rom 1-5) and experiential sanctification (Rom 6-8). ... w he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.† Holiness involves putting to death the sin nature which God has already sentenced to death on the cross and living the new life that is indwelt by the Holy Spirit.2 Thesis Statement Accepting the scriptural truth that a believer is united with Christ and has the power to walk the victorious Christian life by surrendering to the indwelling Holy Spirit is the key to be transformed into the image of Christ. Justification and Sanctification In the book of Romans, Paul introduces two aspects pertaining to holiness – justification or positional sanctification (Rom 1-5) and experiential sanctification (Rom 6-8). Justification is the legal title declaring that a believer is now holy and righteous and is accomplished by the believer simply placing their trust on the finished work of Christ at the cross, whereby God’s holiness and righteousness is imputed on the believer. Experiential sanctification is the process of being made holy to align with the new legal identity of the believer and is manifested by the believer’s surrender and obedience to the Holy Spirit. It is therefore an important aspect of God’s redemptive plan and the primary work He does to develop godly character in His people. Indwelling of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is central to Paul’s theology. Throughout his writings, Paul emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is granted to all believers in Christ. He underscores that being a Christian is not just accepting certain truths about Christ but rather to have an indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is clearly recorded in Rom 8:9 which reads, â€Å"You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if

Friday, July 26, 2019

Creative workplace - Is the 'studio' still important in the world of Essay

Creative workplace - Is the 'studio' still important in the world of Design - Essay Example Then, along came the virtual revolution and now designers of all kinds, hobbyists and housewives, students and retirees, the wealthy and the poor can harness the tremendous resources of online studio space and creative software to accomplish what used to require a warehouse or loft flat hybrid. This paper will review relevant literature to explore the question of how important the studio is, given the availability of virtual resources; under what conditions the non-virtual studio is or is not required, how the present-day shift to online creative space will likely effect the industry, and more importantly for me, personally, whether I yearn for a future (real) studio of my own? The first point it seems wise to make, in this paper, is that not all design studios are or should be alike. Actually, Dorgan differentiates between â€Å"space† and â€Å"place†, saying that space is uninhabited, abstract and open to all potentiality, while place is negotiated within space, and is defined in a specific way by the communication and action meanings that take place (Dorgan 2). A design studio is the inhabitation and negotiation of space into place (3). A studio is social and densely interactive; political and functionally negotiating (4) and is activist, transforming circumstances with intention (5). The studio is where we begin to shape our imagination toward transformation (15). I see that each of these characteristics can happen both in physical space and in virtual space, suggesting that studio place can be successfully negotiated in either one. The collage below, Figure 1, shows a sampling of various design studios. The collage below that one, Figure 2, shows a sampling of graphic design studios. Even a casual glance immediately registers an impression that, while many design studios attend to material storage and the mood induced by artistic physical environments, graphic design studios rely primarily on computer

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Combating Sex-trafficking in the United States Term Paper

Combating Sex-trafficking in the United States - Term Paper Example In today's modern, civilized society, a world where human rights are given such considerable emphasis and so many laws, acts and bills have been passed to protect those rights, it seems that slavery would be a forgotten and lost concept. Sadly however this is not true. Slavery in every sense of its meaning is still alive, whether it be in the form of exploiting humans for forced labor, or more prevalently, as members of a world wide illegal sex trade and trafficking industry. Statistics from the International Labor Office show that there are 12.3 million victims of forced labor and commercial sex trafficking trade throughout the world at any given time. Shocking as those figures are, what is more shocking is that many of these human sex slaves are employed in fully legal trade rings, such as legalized prostitution or pornography. This happens not in one country or two, but in countries all over the world, the United States included. Are the laws that legalize prostitution and pornogr aphy contributing towards the promotion and encouragement of sex trafficking and commercialized sex trade? Furthermore, if there are laws that encourage these industries, where do these victims find their sanctuary? These are the questions this paper aims to investigate and to argue that the only way sex trafficking victims can be kept away from the industry, even if the industry itself is not shut down, is through effective communication between the ICE, the local police and social workers. Human trafficking is a practice prevalent all across the world. There might be differences in the way the humans are marketed or transported but ultimately it all follows the same process. The victim is lured into the trader's ring under false pretenses or promises of a bright future in another country, through lawful, legal employment. Once the victim agrees and the process of transporting them begins, their legal documents are taken from them and they start to be blackmailed, with threats of d eportation, arrest, violence or safety. Helpless, the victims have to follow the orders of their captors which often translate to joining either the forced labor trade or the sex trade. The female and children victims of human-trafficking mostly end up in brothels, some of which are legal, which clearly indicates that legalized prostitution and sex-trafficking are linked (Kara, 2008). Why is then that nothing is being done to separate those who are voluntarily in the industry and those who are forced into it? The prime reason for that is probably a lack of understanding and communication. Authorities feel that most sex workers that work in legal brothels or pornography have a way to earn a living without having the necessary qualifications to work in other jobs. Another reason this illegal trade employs these victims is that it is one of the most profitable criminal activities, generating an estimated $9.5 billion each year. Because they want the industry to expand, they hire these victims illegally, making it the third most profitable destination for them, with first and second being drugs and weapons trafficking respectively but according to observers, within ten years, human trafficking will surpass drugs and weapons trafficking to become the most profitable criminal activity in the world. As said in Kara's book, '†¦the most effective measures to eradicate the global sex trafficking industry are those that reduce the aggregate demand for sex slaves and consumers through an attack on the industry's immense profitability.' Trafficking even occurs within the

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Vampire Influences on Modern Popular Culture Research Paper

Vampire Influences on Modern Popular Culture - Research Paper Example â€Å"In essence, the domain of eroticism is the domain of violence, of violation,† Bataille wrote in the text ‘Death and Sensuality’ (1957). â€Å"The most violent thing of all for us is death which jerks us out of a tenacious obsession with the lastingness of our discontinuous being.† (Bataille, 1957) The area of experience which Bataille writes about is typically kept under the veils of secrecy and taboo, not to be spoken of publicly. Nevertheless, his theories open up an understanding of why the vampire mythologies have become so popular and prevalent in modern culture, because he shows how the sensuality of the experience is heightened when the religious, sexual, violent, and erotic images are mixed with narrative in a dramatic fashion. Bataille critically worshipped the orgasm as â€Å"la petite mort† or â€Å"the little death† in French, and through this association the power of the vampire stories can be seen in evoking a transcendence that takes the initiate from the realm of common life to the existence of immortals. (Fuchs, 2011, p.3) This theme is seen repeatedly whether it is in the â€Å"Interview with the Vampire,† Twilight,† â€Å"Lost Boys,† or â€Å"Dracula† imagery. The fusion of mystical, religious, and erotic imagery has the effect of taking the narrative beyond social taboos and therefore heightening excitement through the combined semantic value of the symbols in the minds of the audience. Death and Eroticism Bataille was an early member of the Surrealist movement in France, but focused primarily on literature and exploring the psychological relationship between death and eroticism in experience. His early work focuses on the violation of religious and social taboos, just as the vampire mythologies do in contemporary culture, albeit in a far more extreme manner than the television and films typically depict today. The reason for Bataille’s excesses can be seen in t he phenomenon of transgressive sexuality combining elements of religious mysticism, artistic creation, style, symbolic drama, and violence in the practice of eroticism. The vampire mythologies follow this same pattern, for example in the â€Å"Twilight† series, Bella wants to marry and experience eternal life with Edward Cullen as a type of higher love, while the settings of the vampire myth include religious elements fused with eroticism. As Bataille wrote, â€Å"The whole business of eroticism is to strike to the inmost core of the living being, so that the heart stands still. The transition from the normal state to that of erotic desire presupposes a partial dissolution of the person as he exists in the realm of discontinuity. Dissolution — this expression corresponds with dissolute life, the familiar phrase linked with erotic activity. In the process of dissolution, the male partner has generally an active role, while the female partner is passive. The passive, fe male side is essentially the one that is dissolved as a separate entity. But for the male partner the dissolution of the passive partner means one thing only: it is paving the way for a fusion where both are mingled, attaining at length the same degree of dissolution. The whole business

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

A Tour to History Colorado Center Research Paper

A Tour to History Colorado Center - Research Paper Example From this study it is clear that  Ancient Puebbloan people domesticated turkey for a number of reasons. One of the reasons was it was rich source of protein that could replaces the decreasing number of deers who also proved very difficult to hunt and they were also over hunted hence their reduction in population. Archeologists have found remains of turkey in pens together with their gizzards stones, eggshell in large number and these have been collected and brought into o the center.   Within the center you would come across heals damages of turkey preserved in the center and this also support mass hunting of turkey by ancient Puebloan people.  This discussion stresses that  various artifacts such as needles, neck less which shows how creative the first Puebloan of Mesa Verde area in Colorado was in designing their tools from hallow bones which they used in making blankets from turkey feathers. Dust Bowl. This shows how man has learnt how to survive in very challenging enviro nment. The tour to the center also reflected how economical and less demanding it was to keep turkey because they consume approximately half a pound of maize grains daily and some small insects which could be found in the natural environment. This encounter therefore would be very useful to entrepreneurs who don’t have huge capital but are interesting in engaging in farming activities.  Certain cultural orientations may be grounded on straight traditions.

Loneliness and outsiders Essay Example for Free

Loneliness and outsiders Essay An outsider like crippled Crooks has no one to protect him, all he has is his American Civil Law book which defends his rights as a individual living in the U. S. A and seems to give him a certain comfort knowing that not anyone can argue against his tattered old book. Just as all of his feelings are exposed, Curleys wife threatens him and once again, he withdraws himself back to the liniment which seems to be the only thing in the world that makes Crooks feels better, even if he is ostracised from the rest. Curleys wife is one of the most significant characters to the novel because she shows loneliness on different levels. Because of being married to Curley she has a high status in the ranch, but this is exactly why she has no one but herself. Workers are afraid of getting too close to her in case innocent talking turns into more which could cost them their jobs or even lives. Nevertheless she is led to seek solace with the other men even if they are at the bottom of the social hierarchy on the ranch. And due to all the isolation, the only way to get noticed by the other men is to be a charmer, but this is what makes her so misunderstood. She expresses her true feelings about what could have been to Lennie while he sits on the hay and absorbs absolutely nothing but reflects on the poor little pup that he unintentionally killed. Curleys wife reminisces about how she could have been a Hollywood star and had all the superficial items that so many celebrities buy. Throughout her time on the ranch she has always thought her mother was the reason why Hollywood never became a reality for her, she said, I never got that letter, I always thought my old lady stole it. So I married Curley. This was her dream while on the ranch and like so many others, it shows how much of an outsider and a gullible person she was. In her life there had always been dominant figures like her mother and then Curley. So she has no real idea about how to be autonomous and become more of an independent woman. It could be said that she doesnt know how to interact correctly with people, persistently asking sympathetic rhetorical questions and also being very manipulative and discerning. These virtues are what make Curleys wife such a great character, she has no official name but is possibly one of the most complex characters to depict. Lennie is a simple person, mentally and literally. No one actually understands what he is saying most of the time because the ranch workers have never seen anyone so perplexed and bewildered as he. Without George he would be lost in life, Lennie relies on him to eat and to get him out of trouble whenever its needed most. Even though he blows arguments out of proportion by saying things like, I wouldnt eat no ketchup if it was right here beside me although he really does want the ketchup and is just playing on his own innocence. In one perspective Lennie is quite clever because if there is an opportunity where he can get George to take pity on him, then he will take it, but the majority of the time he is just retarded through no fault of his own. In the book sometimes Lennie is compared to an animal, like when he didnt want to give the mouse to George but then handed it over and started to sulk, Slowly, like a terrier who doesnt want to bring a ball back to its master, Lennie approached. And another time was when he was walking along the dusty road with George, He walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. Steinbeck chooses to describe him as an animal to symbolise the title, Of Mice and Men, maybe Lennie is the mouse and George is the man or the other way round. Thats how Lennie is an outsider, because hes an amoral animal who doesnt know his own strength, which is sometimes practical, but when he handles creatures and humans too ruthlessly, he does not know when to stop and that is when the exertion begins for George and Lennie. Lennie and George stick together through thick and thin, even when times get complicated, George seems to find a way out for the pair of them. Circular narrative is when something happens in a story and after a while it occurs again. Throughout the novel Lennie repeats phrases and quotes to George that they have already talked about previously, like the whole ketchup scenario, tending the rabbits, owning and living off the fat of the land etc. This shows that Lennie knows George so well that he assumes all there is to talk about is rabbits and land. That is what makes him a lonesome man because all the conversation is about the same thing and whatever he wants to talk about. All the characters in Of Mice and Men go through a form of loneliness and a feeling of not belonging. At times they can be self-centred which is mainly when two characters are in discussion which each other but not paying attention to the other. Maybe this is one of the reasons that loneliness strikes them, as they do not listen and are all wrapped up in their own impenetrable worlds. But this is what makes the book Of Mice and Men so fascinating to read, all the people have their own problems and dreams because they all share the strong emotions of loneliness and individuality, and even though they may think that they are all diverse, the audience can grasp that each person is more and more like the other.

Monday, July 22, 2019

ICT in Logistics Management Essay Example for Free

ICT in Logistics Management Essay Surviving in the competitive nature of the modern-day business environment calls for organizations to be creative and robust enough in securing competitive advantages. For this to be achieved, all aspects within an organization ought to upgraded to counter these challenges while at the same time reducing running costs and delivery time. Logistics management is not an exception to this. Fortunately, technological advancement offers wide range opportunities for firms to improve the functioning of logistical operations. This is because it has become vital for any firm in logistics management to review the working of its logistical processes as key strategy to create a competitive edge. Developments in the business world as well as the rapidly evolving customer preferences has made provision of services and goods a challenging task, since customers prefer to receive better quality products at an even shorter time. While it is still a recent development, Information Communication Technology (ICT) has a lot to offer the logistics industry. The most compelling truth is that ICT is not industry specific but rather is applicable to all types and all sizes of industries. Statistical data shows that a number of firms have already adopted the technology and are already reaping the benefits (Bourlakis Bourlakis, 2006). Application of the internet, computers and information communication systems into various aspects of logistics management such as procurement, warehousing, transportation and inventory management has been shown to be highly beneficial. As business operations change with the changing consumer markets, businesses are pursuing opportunities by integrating, coordinating, collaborating and cooperating with respect to the supply chain management. It is essential that businesses work together to benefit from collective advantages resulting from working as a chain rather than a single entity. This calls for effective information sharing and this is only capable with the application of ICT. However, the most challenging task for firms then is to identify the best ICT model that fits their logistical processes.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Compensation System For Multinational Corporations Economics Essay

Compensation System For Multinational Corporations Economics Essay Global compensation managers that is, everyone involved at any level in pay-related decisions increasingly deal with two areas of focus. They must manage highly complex and turbulent local details while concurrently building and maintaining a unified, strategic pattern of compensation policies, practices and values. For multinationals successfully to manage compensation and benefits requires knowledge of employment and taxation law, customs, environment and employment practices of many foreign countries, familiarity with currency fluctuations and the effect of inflation on compensation and an understanding of why and when special allowances must be supplied and which allowances are necessary in what countries all within the context of shifting political, economic and social conditions. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MULTI NATIONAL CORPORATION (MNC) AND TRANS NATIONAL CORPORATION (TNC) The both multinationals corporations and transnational corporations operate internationally and their compensation or reward system is also similar, but some differences exist between two, which are: MNCs operate in several different countries while transnational implies just across the border as in the US and Canada. Obviously, both operate internationally A MNC has a centralized headquarters is a corporation with extensive ties international operations in more than one foreign country. Examples are Coke, Pepsi, General Electric, Exxon, Wal-Mart, and Mitsubishi. A transnational company has no head office and moves whatever base of operations it has fluidly between its national offices. It is a MNC that operates worldwide without being identified with a national home base i.e. it is said to operate on a borderless basis. Examples are Daewoo, Saint Gobain, Sony, Samsung Group, Shell Oil etc. OBJECTIVES OF INTERNATIONAL COMPENSATION When developing international compensation policies, a firm seeks to satisfy several objectives. The policy should be consistent with the overall strategy, structure and business needs of the multinational. The policy must work to attract and retain staff in the areas where the multinational has the greatest needs and opportunities. Hence the policy must be competitive and recognize factors such as incentive for Foreign Service, tax equalization and reimbursement for reasonable costs. The policy should facilitate the transfer of international employees in the most cost-effective manner for the firm. The policy must give due consideration to equity and ease of administration. The international employee will also have a number of objectives that need to be achieved from the firms compensation policy. First, the employee will expect the policy to offer financial protection in terms of benefits, social security and living costs in the foreign location. Second, the employee will expect a foreign assignment to offer opportunities for financial advancement through income and/or savings. Third, the employee will expect issues such as housing, education of children and recreation to be addressed in the policy. If we contrast the objectives of the multinational and the employee, we see, of course, the potential for many complexities and possible problems, as some of these objectives cannot be maximized on both sides. Firms must rethink the traditional view that local conditions dominate international compensation strategy. COMPENSATION MANAGEMENT OR SYSTEM The type and amount of compensation necessary to attract technically and culturally qualified international managers and technical professionals to the three nationals or country categories involved international human resource management activities from which employees are selected whether the people are: PCNs (parent country nationals) TCNs (third country nationals) HCNs (host country nationals) An expatriate is an employee working in a country other than their country of origin. PCNs (Parent Country Nationals) Those personnel who are of the same nationality as the contracting government or personnel from headquarters They come from the home country of the operation. The policy of using PCNs is usually employed when one or more of the following situations exist: (1) the host country cannot readily supply desired managerial personnel, (2) efficient communication with headquarters is required, and (3) the company adopts a centralized approach to globalization. TCNs (Third Country Nationals) Those personnel of a separate nationality to both the contracting government and the area of operations i.e. whose nation of residence is neither the host country nor the home country. Such an employee normally is recruited from outside the host country and relocated from the point of recruitment to the host country. HCNs (Host Country Nationals) These are Indigs (Indigenous Personnel) / Nationals / Locals those personnel who are indigenous to the area of operations Whose basic residence or home is the host nation. Local colleagues of the expatriate, they are valuable socializing agents, sources of social support, assistance, and friendship to expatriates. Expatriates are more likely to adjust when HCNs engage in this behavior. HR managers focus on their strategic objectives to develop a comprehensive compensation plan, in terms of considering base pay, short and long-term incentives, benefits and growth opportunities. The objective of this kind of strategy is to ensure that both TNC/MNCs long and short-term objectives coexist in the compensation system without overlap, which would duplicate a single pay plan for the same objectives. The purpose of the planning is also designed to ensure that the compensation system attracts and retains the desired employees and that it motivates them to do those things that support the business plan. KEY COMPONENTS OF AN INTERNATIONAL COMPENSATION PROGRAM The area of international compensation is complex primarily because multinationals must cater to three categories of employees: PCNs, TCNs and HCNs. Key components of international compensation are as follows: COMPONENTS OF MNCS COMPENSATION BASIC SALARY ALLOWANCES OTHER BENEFITS 1. Base Salary In a domestic context, base salary denotes the amount of cash compensation serving as a benchmark for other compensation elements (such as bonuses and benefits). For expatriates, it is the primary component of a package of allowances, many of which are directly related to base salary (e.g. Foreign Service premium, cost-of-living allowance, housing allowance) and also the basis for in-service benefits and pension contributions. It may be paid in home or local-country currency. The base salary is the foundation block for international compensation whether the employee is a PCN or TCN. Major differences can occur in the employees package depending on whether the base salary is linked to the home country of the PCN or TCN, or whether an international rate is paid. Foreign Service inducement/hardship premium Parent-country nationals often receive a salary premium as an inducement to accept a foreign assignment or as compensation for any hardship caused by the transfer. The definition of hardship, eligibility for the premium and amount and timing of payment must be addressed. In cases in which hardship is determined, US firms often refer to the US Department of States Hardship Post Differentials Guidelines to determine an appropriate level of payment. Making international comparisons of the cost of living is problematic. These payments are more commonly paid to PCNs than TCNs. Foreign service inducements, if used, are usually made in the form of a percentage of salary, usually 5-40 per cent of base pay. Such payments vary, depending upon the assignment, actual hardship, tax consequences and length of assignment. 2. Allowances Issues concerning allowances can be very challenging to a firm establishing an overall compensation policy, partly because of the various forms of allowances that exist. (a)The cost-of-living allowance (COLA), which typically receives the most attention, involves a payment to compensate for differences in expenditures between the home country and the foreign country (to account for inflation differentials, for example). The COLA may also include payments for housing and utilities, personal income tax or discretionary items. (b)The provision of a housing allowance implies that employees should be entitled to maintain their home-country living standards (or, in some cases, receive accommodation that is equivalent to that provided for similar foreign employees and peers). Other alternatives include company-provided housing, either mandatory or optional, a fixed housing allowance or assessment of a portion of income, out of which actual housing costs are paid. As a firm internationalizes, formal policies become more necessary and efficient. (c)There is also a provision for home leave allowances. Many employers cover the expense of one or more trips back to the home country each year. Firms allowing use of home leave allowances for foreign travel need to be aware that expatriate employees with limited international experience who opt for foreign travel rather than returning home may become more homesick than other expatriates who return home for a reality check with fellow employees and friends. (d)Education allowances for expatriates children are also an integral part of any international compensation policy. Allowances for education can cover items such as tuition, language class tuition, enrolment fees, books and supplies, transportation, room and board and uniforms. PCNs and TCNs usually receive the same treatment concerning educational expenses. (e)Relocation allowances usually cover moving, shipping and storage charges, temporary living expenses, subsidies regarding appliance or car purchases (or sales) and down payments or lease-related charges. Allowances regarding perquisites (cars, club memberships, servants10 and so on) may also need to be considered (usually for more senior positions, but this varies according to location). These allowances are often contingent upon tax-equalization policies and practices in both the home and the host countries. (f)Spouse assistance to help guard against or offset income lost by an expatriates spouse as a result of relocating abroad. Although some firms may pay an allowance to make up for a spouses lost income, US firms are beginning to focus on providing spouses with employment opportunities abroad, either by offering job-search assistance or employment in the firms foreign office (subject to a work visa being available). (g)Multinationals generally pay allowances in order to encourage employees to take international assignments and to keep employees whole relative to home standards. In terms of housing, companies usually pay a tax-equalized housing allowance in order to discourage the purchase of housing and/or to compensate for higher housing costs. This allowance is adjusted periodically based on estimates of both local and foreign housing costs. 3. Benefits The complexity inherent in international benefits often brings more difficulties than when dealing with compensation. Pension plans are very difficult to deal with country-to-country, as national practices vary considerably. Transportability of pension plans, medical coverage and social security benefits are very difficult to normalize. Firms need to address many issues when considering benefits, including: Whether or not to maintain expatriates in home-country programs, particularly if the firm does not receive a tax deduction for it. Whether firms have the option of enrolling expatriates in host-country benefit programs and/or making up any difference in coverage. Whether expatriates should receive home-country or host-country social security benefits. In some countries, expatriates cannot opt out of local social security programs. In such circumstances, the firm normally pays for these additional costs. Laws governing private benefit practices differ from country to country, and firm practices also vary. Multinationals have generally done a good job of planning for the retirement needs of their PCN employees, but this is generally less the case for TCNs. TCNs may have little or no home-country social security coverage; They may have spent many years in countries that do not permit currency transfers of accrued benefit payments; Or they may spend their final year or two of employment in a country where final average salary is in a currency that relates unfavourably to their home-country currency. In addition to the already discussed benefits, multinationals also provide vacations and special leave. Included as part of the employees regular vacation, annual home leave usually provides airfares for families to return to their home countries. Rest and rehabilitation leave, based on the conditions of the host country, also provides the employees family with free airfares to a more comfortable location near the host country. Emergency provisions are available in case of a death or illness in the family. Employees in hardship locations often receive additional leave expense payments and rest and rehabilitation periods. ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS AND SERVICES Lifestyle enhancement services à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provision for employee family to learn the local language à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Education training of employee family on local culture, customs and social expectations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Counseling services for employee family à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Assistance in finding a home at the foreign work site / school suitable education programmes for children dependents à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Company car, driver, domestic staff, and child care à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Use of Fitness facilities / subsidized health care services à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Assistance in joining local civic, social, professional organizations Allowances Premiums à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Foreign Service premium tax equalization allowance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Temporary living allowance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Currency protection à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mobility premium à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Stopover allowance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Completion of assignment bonus à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Assignment extension bonus à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Emergency loan à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Extended work-week payment APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL COMPENSATION There are two main approaches in the area of international compensation The Going Rate Approach (also referred to as the Market Rate Approach) The Balance Sheet Approach (also known as the Build-up Approach). (a)The Going Rate Approach With this approach, the base salary for international transfer is linked to the salary structure in the host country. The multinational usually obtains information from local compensation surveys and must decide whether local nationals (HCNs), expatriates of the same nationality or expatriates of all nationalities will be the reference point in terms of benchmarking. For example, a Japanese bank operating in New York would need to decide whether its reference point would be local US salaries, other Japanese competitors in New York or all foreign banks operating in New York. With the Going Rate Approach, if the location is in a low-pay county, the multinational usually supplements base pay with additional benefits and payments. The Balance Sheet Approach The basic objective is to keep the expatriate whole (that is, maintaining relativity to PCN colleagues and compensating for the costs of an international assignment) through maintenance of home-country living standard plus a financial inducement to make the package attractive. The approach links the base salary for PCNs and TCNs to the salary structure of the relevant home country. For example, a US executive taking up an international position would have his or her compensation package built upon the US base-salary level rather than that applicable to the host country. The key assumption of this approach is that foreign assignees should not suffer a material loss due to their transfer, and this is accomplished through the utilization of what is generally referred to as the Balance-sheet Approach. COMPENSATION ISSUES IN INTERNATIONAL SCENARIO Incentives provided to stimulate movement or expatriation to a foreign location/ host country Allowances for repatriation to home country Additional tax burdens placed on employees working in a foreign location Labour regulations in home and host country Cost-of-living allowances in the host country Home country and host country currency fluctuation Formal and informal compensation practices unique to the host country Determining home country for setting base pay of TCNs MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL BENEFITS COMPENSATION Compensation is one of the most complex areas of international human resource management Pay systems must conform to local laws and customs for employee compensation while also fitting into global MNC policies Managers face diverse political systems, laws regulations; confront different economic climates, economic development, tax policies, diverse culture, customs, the role of labor unions, standard of living It is also important for MNCs to consider carefully the motivational use of incentives and rewards among the employees drawn from three national or country categories The traditional function of pay to attract, retain and motivate employees has not changed The emphasis has shifted from the attraction and retention functions to the motivation function. TNC/MNCs must ensure that those skilled employees are compensated for achieving goals that make the international business operations succeed HR managers focus on their strategic objectives to develop a comprehensive compensation plan, in terms of considering base pay, short and long-term incentives, benefits and growth opportunities The objective of this kind of strategy is to ensure that both TNC/MNCs long and short-term objectives coexist in the compensation system without overlap, which would duplicate a single pay plan for the same objectives. The purpose of the planning is also designed to ensure that the compensation system attracts and retains the desired employees and that it motivates them to do those things that support the business plan The compensation costs of a family with children are shifted to hardship allowance for schooling, childcare, increased residence cost and all fringe benefits associated with supporting a family life cycle It may be that international compensation administration is more complex than its domestic counterpart, but not radically different in pattern or form. QUESTIONS:- Q1. What is international compensation system? Explain its objectives. Q2. Explain the parties involved in international compensation system? Q3. List the components of an international compensation program. Q4. Explain the approaches to international compensation system. Q5. What are different challenges faced by the management concerned to various benefits in international compensation program.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Right Brain, Left Brain :: essays research papers

The article in which I chose to examine is called Right Brain, Left Brain: Fact and Fiction, written by Jerre Levy. In the past fifteen years or so there has been a lot of talk of left brain and right brain people. Levy's reason for righting this article was clearly to stop the misconceptions and show the truth about how our brain hemispheres operate. Levy first explores the myth of the left brain and right brain theory. She states that generally people see the left hemisphere of the brain controlling logic and language and the right, creativity and intuition. In addition people differ in their styles of thought, depending on which half of the brain is dominant. She believes that most of what these notions state is farce. Next the article explores the history of this fascination of the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Apparently the study of this aspect of the brain traces back to time of Hippocrates. Levy weaves in and out of the various theories and prominent people known for contributing to the confusion. It wasn't until 1962 when Roger W. Sperry began experimenting on certain aspects of the brain that contribute to the truth of the left and right brain theory. Sperry studied people who had undergone surgical division of the corpus callosum, the bridge between the two hemispheres. His studies showed that, "an object placed in the right hand (left hemisphere) could be named readily, but one placed in the left hand (nonverbal right hemisphere) could be neither named nor described. Next to branch off of Sperry's studies was psychologist Doreen Kimura. Kimura developed behavioral methods which involved presenting visual stimuli rapidly to either the left or right visual fields. Another important method developed was "dichotic listening" which centered around the use of sound to study the hemispheres. Through these tests and the continual study the theory that the left brain controlled ended. Instead a new theory was born known as the two-brain theory. This said that at different times one of the two hemispheres would be operating. An example of this is that the right hemisphere is in control when an artist paints but the left hemisphere was in control when a novelist wrote a book. This theory failed because of one physical studies showed that people with hemispheres surgically disconnected could operate in everyday life. Also, research demonstrated that each hemisphere had its own functional expertise, and that the two halves were complementary. Next, the article states its worth. The author shows the up to date agreed upon theory of the two hemispheres in five simple points.

Adolescence and Juvenile Delinquency Essay -- Juvenile Delinquent Crim

I couldn't begin to cover all the possible reasons that may cause an adolescent to become a "juvenile delinquent." During my research, I found that the term juvenile delinquency is defined a number of ways. Mosby's Medical Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary summed up juvenile delinquency best with this definition; "resistant antisocial, illegal, or criminal behavior by children or adolescents to the degree that it cannot be controlled or corrected by the parents, endangers others in the community, and becomes the concern of a law enforcement agency"(1994). I found that most theories about what causes delinquency in children and adolescents originate with families and parenting. Many statistics and studies have been conducted comparing the number of youths that had chosen a delinquent life style, with single parent households, or parents who were drug and alcohol dependant. It is my belief that three out of four parenting styles that we have studied in our text, when taken to extremes, can be just as damaging to an adolescent as a parent suffering from drug or alcohol addiction. Parents who exhibit an indifferent parenting style send the worst possible message to their children. "When permissiveness is accompanied by high hostility, the child feels free to give rein to his most destructive impulses"(Craig, 1996, p.316). And where exactly in the question of causation does nature Vs nurture fit in. What about the child who seemingly has balanced, consistent authoritative parents, and still chooses a delinquent lifestyle. I'm going to address some of these issues in the pages to follow, beginning with an external factor that may influence some of our younger children; TV. The impact of television violence has been debated since TV first arrived in America. According to a study highlighted in US News and World Report, the more violent TV programs children watch, the more likely they are to commit violent crimes. "The greatest impact is on pre-adolescent children who do not yet have the capacity to gauge what is real and what is not" (Zuckerman, Aug. 2,1993). The theory states, that combined with a lack of parenting by "plugging" children into the TV, these children later in life will be conditioned to violence, regarding it as exciting, charismatic, and effective. Opponents of this theory argue... ...est in their role as a parent, and combine this with a low level of affection. This indifferent parenting style offers absolutely no guidance to an adolescent, leaving plenty of room for those environmental factors to take over. A clearly more effective parenting style models the authoritative style highlighted in our text. Children brought up under this framework have a much better chance of avoiding the pit falls of delinquency. There has also been legislation introduced to use public funds to empower religious institutions to act as safe havens for at risk children. Many deterrents have been tried to reduce the effects of juvenile delinquency. More youths are being tried as adults in certain cases, and curfews are being enforced now more than ever. Law enforcement agiencies aggressivly enforce truency laws, and most officers I talk to are very intollerent of the slightest sign of disrespect when approaching suspect youths. Child and family counseling techniques have changed to fit more complex and extreme situations. The fact is that we live in an imperfect world, and final solutions to this problem will probably not be found by men, but by God.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Lsd :: essays research papers

LSD The use of drugs among Americans is rapidly rising. They can be bought and sold almost anywhere, from the streets to hallways of schools. A drug on the rapid rise from the 70's is LSD. Some people attribute this to the fact it is extremely inexpensive, $2-4 a hit, the wrong belief by users that it is a safer drug than marijuana because it isn't physically addicting. However, LSD is a hallucinogenic drug that is very dangerous, despite popular belief. LSD stands for Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. Lysergic acid is extracted from the fungus Ergot, and then left to crystallize until it is pure. It was first accidentally discovered by Albert Hoffman in 1938 in Switzerland, who was searching for possible therapeutic uses of Ergot. Hoffman continued his experiments, but never came in contact with the crystals until1943. (LSD can be absorbed through the skin.) Hoffman then sent LSD around the world to be tested and investigated to find medical uses. Lysergic acid deviates were found to relieve migraines and control postpartum hemorrhage because it causes veins to contract, but also caused gangrene of the limbs, and so further experimentation with the drug was abandoned. In the late 50's, however, LSD was used by the CIA as an interrogation drug for spies. However, it was proven to be unreliable and was later replaced with other interrogation drugs. LSD comes in the forms of crystals, liquids, tablets, gelatins, or blotting squares. The squares have designs on them such a flowers, dragons, shapes, animals, and cartoon characters to make them more attractive to young children. Often called acid, white lightning, stamps, microdot, and grateful dead, LSD is usually taken orally. There are 4 levels of experience an LSD user will go through. The first takes place within 45 minutes of ingestion. The user begins to feel enhanced senses. Colors are brighter, sounds are more distinct, and a user may feel dizzy. The second level is the plateau. Between hours one and three, the user will "see" sounds and "hear" objects. This experience of a mingling of the senses is called synethesva. Patterns within material such as sweaters and blankets appear. A user may see figures within smoke from incense, or spend extended periods of time examining lines on the palm of their hand. Clock time becomes distorted and slows almost to a stand still, whole minutes seem to pass like hours. Slight hallucinations may appear. The third stage from hours 4-7 is the climax. Colors are greatly magnified, while once familiar shapes distorted beyond recognition. The hallucinations become intense, and total unreal objects may appear.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Communication Research and Advertising Essay

1 MAIN ISSUE Content analysis of different creative concepts and their characteristics applied in eight selected advertisements found in two publications – weekly magazines – Drum and You of July 11, 2013. 1.1Main issue criteria Creative concepts applied in the advertisement will play a meaningful role whether the campaign succeeds or not. Pictures, text and captions are but some of the few items that are used to structure the advertisement. In other instances, advertisers use unique payoff lines which enable them to be a cut above the rest. 1.1.1Nature of research The research approach is both qualitative and quantitative. The use of narrative data on the study prompted the adoption of qualitative approach. The quantitative approach came as a result of a data that was counted and numerically measured. 1.1.2Time dimension The nature of the research is cross-sectional. The study is conducted through the use of July 11, 2013 editions of Drum and You. Both are weekly magazines. Therefore research findings are limited to the abovementioned period. 1.1.3Action Exploratory and descriptive studies are used to determine characteristics of creative concepts used in selected advertisements for the research project. see more:pta meeting narrative report 1.1.4Issue The issue at hand is to look at creative concepts used by various advertisers from the selected advertisements published in the July 11, 2013 editions of Drum and You. 1.1.5Method A content analysis of two publications – Drum and You – and promotional messages carried through the use eight selected advertisements. 2RESEARCH CRITERIA Every study conducted has to meet research criteria. It had to be relevant, researchable, cost-effective and should not violate acceptable ethical standards. 2.1Relevance Drum and You form part of the print media which remain vital component of mass communication. Advertisers also used these platforms to reach out to the target market. As a result of that, the research issue is relevant and meets the criteria for communication research. 2.2Researchability Every newspaper and magazine carries various advertisements. Advertisers pay for the space booked in the publication. The study will therefore be easily conducted due to the growing number of businesses that used these platforms to promote their goods and services. Every advertisement has atleast a creative concept. 2.3Feasibility Drum and You have been readily available. There were other daily and weekly newspapers to choose from. The same goes about magazines; there were weekly and monthly magazines which were available at a reasonable cost. One has chosen these two publications as they were already in the collection. They form part of researcher’s regular weekly and monthly read. Decision to choose the two publications was somehow influence by the content they offer. The other one carries women issues while the next one is for soccer enthusiasts. 2.4Ethical acceptability Advertisements used will be acknowledged in the ‘sources consulted’ section. The same will apply about publications that carried them, Drum and You. 3EXTENT Two publications have been chosen to conduct the research; they are July 11, 2013 editions of Drum and You – both are weekly magazines. The study analyses creative concepts applied in the advertisements. 3.1Brief background of the publications It is imperative to know about the publications used for the study. In this research we use popular weekly publications. 3.1.1Drum Drum is a family magazine mainly aimed at black readers and contains market news, entertainment and feature articles. It was established in 1951 as â€Å"African Drum† by former test cricketer and author Bob Crisp and Jim Bailey. In 2005 Drum was described as the first black lifestyle magazine in Africa. Drum’s heyday in the 1950s fell between the Defiance Campaign and the tragedy at Sharpeville. This was the decade of potential Black emergence, the decade when the Freedom Charter was written. The aim was to promote an equal society. The Nationalist government responded with apartheid crackdowns and treason trials. Drum was a â€Å"record of naivety, optimism, frustration, defiance, courage, dancing, drink, jazz, gangsters, exile and death†. The magazine described the world of the urban Black; the culture, the colour, dreams, ambitions, hopes and struggles. The backbone of the magazine was crime, investigative reporting, sex (especially if across the colour line) and sport. This was fleshed out by imaginative photography. The formula worked and made for compulsive reading. Each issue of Drum was read by up to nine people, passed from hand to hand on the streets, in the clubs or on the trains. It became a symbol of Black urban life. About 240000 copies were distributed each month across Africa. This was more than any other African magazine. 3.1.2You You is a South African family magazine which is aimed at demographically diverse South African English-speaking readers of different ethnicities with coverage on current events and â€Å"interesting people†. It has two sister magazines: Huisgenoot (aimed at White and Coloured Afrikaans-speaking readers) and Drum. The You magazine was launched in 1987 by Nasionale Pers, which later became Media24. You is published in Cape Town. The publication covers human interest articles, celebrity news, both local and international current affairs. 3.2Geographical boundary The study will be conducted in Bloemfontein, Free State. The researcher is based in the Free State capital hence the reason for the study to be conducted in the area. 3.3Nature of the time dimension This is a cross-sectional study which will be conducted through the use of Drum and You – July 11, 2013 editions. Drum has variety of advertisements targeting general society, from body lotions to luxury vehicles. You on the other hand had advertisements such as education, men’s health promotions and cellphones. The study will be conducted between July and September 2013. 3.3.1Motivation for choice of time Both copies of Drum and You have been purchased a few weeks after one has registered for the course – Communication Research (COM3706). Advertisements which met basic requirements for the assignment were readily available. This is the main reason why the choice of time is relevant to pursue the study. 4POPULATION According to Van Rensburg (2010:150) a population can be defined as the entire group of persons or set of objects and events the researcher wants to study. 4.1Target population According to Du Plooy, GM (2009:109) target population is the actual population to which the study is used to generalise results. The population for the study has to be all the newspapers and magazines from which various advertisements were reviewed before a final decision was taken by the researcher. Eventually two publications – Drum and You – were identified. Four advertisements have been selected from each publication. Both copies have carried many other advertisements but the assignment’s requirement is to select just four of them from a copy. The researcher has gone through weekly and weekend newspapers. They included Sowetan, Daily Sun, The Citizen, The New Age, Mail & Guardian, City Press and Sunday Times. On the other hand magazines included KickOff, Move, Real, Soul, True Love, Drum and You. 4.2Accessible population In this regard, the accessible population is the publications from which the sample will be drawn for the study. Drum and You are conveniently available for the researcher to identify advertisements that will be analysed for research purposes. 4.3Population characteristics Advertisements comprise various creative concepts to make sense of the meaning and messages conveyed to the target market. Therefore various population parameters have been used to achieve advertisers’ goal with the published promotion. In the study, we have seen how pictures, punchy headlines, well-designed texts, among others, were used to draft different creative concepts. Below is the list of four population characteristics that one reported about in the research findings. âÅ"“ Colour codes applied âÅ"“ Headline âÅ"“ Photographs âÅ"“ Body copy âÅ"“ Text visuals 4.4Units of analysis The smallest units that were analysed for the study, among others, include well-designed texts to differentiate certain products from that of their competitors. Pictures of the advertised products were also attached. In Drum, DSTV, Rajah, Playtex and Edgars advertisements have been identified for the research. On the other hand, in You the researcher has identified advertisements of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Samsung, Dermalex and Regal Pet Health. Various eye-catchers have been applied in the advertisements used for the study. Subheadings were punchy, but we cannot confirm if they were indeed factual. Headlines and pictures seemed to complement each other. So far, headings that promised customers benefit appeared to work the best. One has analysed pictures and graphics used, slogans, text applied, including headlines used in the advertisement. The abovementioned elements form a backbone in making sense of creative concepts. 5ASSUMPTIONS Lingerie designers use young, beautiful ladies in their promotional campaigns to drive the message home that their underwears will make them look stunning and energetic. Advertisers use slogans to catch the attention of consumers and thus ensuring that they easily recall their products. And more importantly, they were able to differentiate them from those of their competitors. Amplification creative concept becomes a must when advertisers promote expensive goods such as cars. Brand names are repeated more than once in the advertisements and this is done through the use of well-designed texts, logos and pictures. 5.1Sub issues Do lingerie designers use young and gorgeous ladies to promote their wears? Do advertisers use slogans to get the attention of consumers in order to ensure that they recall their products and not confuse them with those of their competitors? Is an amplification creative concept a must when advertisers promote expensive goods such as cars? Do brand names get repeated more than once in the advertisements through the use of well-designed texts, logos and pictures? 6GOAL and OBJECTIVES The study seeks to investigate practical issues which are creative concepts used in advertisements. 6.1Nature of the goal The nature of the research is applied goal. The researcher has investigated how creative concepts can be more effective in the advertisements. The study is more practical as one had to cut advertisements from both Drum and You magazines before they could be converted into soft version via the use of a scanner. 6.2Relationship of goal to the main issue By its own nature applied communication research is descriptive and explorative. This is also the case with the study the researcher is persuading. The explanatory objective is as a result of practical exercises to be conducted throughout the course of the study. The descriptive objective is as a result of determining how creative concepts will be applied in the selected advertisements from Drum and You. 7RESEARCH QUESTIONS Does the use of young models in lingerie effective to attractive customers and connect them with the benefits of the advertised underwears? Can advertisement deliver the good message to the intended audience even if the slogan was not applied to the optimum use? Why is it so vital to use amplification creative concept over others when promoting expensive goods such as vehicle? What is the role played by headlines, pictures and copy text in conveying the advertisement message? 8THEORETICAL APPROACH The theory that is applicable for the study will be explained through both connotative and denotative. Some of the creative concepts used are attached to literal meaning while others are figurative. For instance, some beauty products claimed that they will enhance the skin of young ladies and they will appear more attractive than ever before after using their lotions. The use of young models offered the literal meaning as one could easily associate with what was seen on the photo accompanying the advertisement. Pond’s and Johnson’s African Nurture are case in point in this regard. Figurative meaning, for example, can be seen in the Toyota Etios advertisement. The words such as, ‘Take your smile for a test drive’. It was a figurative expression that one will be happy to drive the car and the testimony of that can be found in the test drive. 8.1What each creative concept mean Pink is the feminine colour. The Pond’s and Johnson’s African Nurture advertisements made use of the colour as they promote women’s beauty products. The happy looking ladies, who have been used as the faces of these products, somehow, were a sign of the benefit that comes with their use. The promise of benefit was one of the fundamental creative concepts. The ladies were used as a proof to the claim that was made by the advertisers that their products will do wonders for the users. Another colour that was used by the advertisers was yellow. The denotative meaning of the colour was happiness. The Toyota Etios advertisement promised users some excitement as they will be smiling. The yellow colour was used extensively in the background of the advertisement. The same colour yellow was used heavily in yet another Johnson’s African Nurture advertisement. We have seen a group of young gorgeous ladies, mostly dressed in yellow dresses, overjoyed after using the beauty-enhancing product. A factual approach was applied that one can hammer on was in the SuperSport advertisement of HD-PVR Decoder. Action pictures of footballers such Orlando Pirates striker Benni McCarthy and Chelsea forward Fernando Torres have been used to back up the story. Over and above watching high definition pictures on television, viewers will have the benefit of watching best football matches in Europe – the live coverage of Barclays Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German’s Bundesliga, South Africa’s Premier Soccer League and the UEFA Champions League matches. Slogans on the other hand form a vital component. The advertisements of Peugeot, Toyota and Pond’s were among those that have used this creative concept to back up their brands. A detailed explanation of the new Toyota Etios summed up the use of amplification creative concept in the advertisement. Users were informed in not so many words about the benefits of the car and which features have been installed. Both the Johnson’s African Nurture advertisements were loaded with the appeal creative concept. They were specifically targeted at African women. The SuperSport advertisement provokes curiosity while it also had the slogan on, â€Å"World of champions†. They urge readers and â€Å"welcome them to the next level†. It was a metaphor used to urge readers to use HD PVR Decoder for better and quality television pictures. The Scorpion Legal Protection advertisement urged the consumers to take action by enlisting their legal services from as little as R39. Clients were also provided with an sms number for further clarity. A classic example of the use of brand name in the advertisement was visible in the Peugeot promotion. It was repeated with words and pictorially with the logo emblazoned. 9RESEARCH DESIGN The research design is both qualitative and quantitative. 9.1Qualitative design The design is relevant as the study will identify and examine various creative concepts used on eight selected advertisements. Effectively this also serves to examine elements that distinguished various advertised products from those of their competitors. Creative concepts remain fundamental muscle of each advertisement. The critical aspect in this regard is the fact that the design is all about analysing content from, among others, pictures, texts, messages used from selected advertisements for the purpose of the study. The study will go further to analyse data by comparing findings from all identified advertisements. The researcher will look at the similarities and differences spotted on the selected advertisements. The comparative analysis comes as a result of explanations of similarities and differences found in eight selected advertisements which prompt the study. This, after having realised how various advertisers use creative concepts in getting messages across. 9.2Quantitative design The researcher will count the number of creative concepts applied in each an every single advertisement selected. The figures will be presented on the tally sheet. The tally sheet will show in detail which advertisement that has used many creative concepts compared to others. However, we cannot make a claim directly that there was a common and obvious creative concept appearing most often or less often in any advertisement. 9.3Inductive reasoning This was applicable as the researcher has interpreted the collected data for the study. For example, the use of certain colours such pink and purpose would best be aligned with femininity. This was the reason why Playtex has resorted to these colours for their advertisement. 9.4Deductive reasoning The researcher looks on how general assumptions related to the advertisement messages are applied. For instance, creative concepts remain the lifeblood of each an every advertisement. 9.5Methods and techniques to collect qualitative data The researcher will read and look intently on how advertisements are crafted. How the graphics, pictures, headline texts and words, among others, are put together in building creative concepts and eventually producing the advertisements. We get to understand the meaning even though connotative and denotative messages are delivered to draw the attention of the readers. One had to understand the style and language used and its relevance to the advertisement. The researcher looks on how certain colour codes are applied to ensure certain advertisements live to the theme of the promoters. 9.6Methods and techniques to collect quantitative data Content analyses of various advertisements as well as inferential statistics of the number of creative concepts used were fundamental in this regard. As outlined earlier, the outcomes to this fact had been presented in the tally sheet as appeared in the data analysis section. 10CONCLUSIONS 11SELF-ASSESSMENT AND REFLECTIONS Learnt Skills Shortcomings Outcomes SOURCES CONSULTED Barker, R & Angelopulo, G. 2009. Integrated Organisational Communication. Cape Town: Juta. Du Plooy, T. 2001. Communication research. Only study guide for COM306D. Pretoria: University of South Africa. Du Plooy, GM. 2009. Communication research: Techniques, methods and applications. Cape Town: Juta. Fourie, PJ (ed). 2009. Media Studies Volume 3: Media content and media audiences. Cape Town: Juta. Johnson’s African Nurture advertisement. 2012a. Real, August: 2. Johnson’s African Nurture advertisement. 2012b. Real, August: 47. Koekemoer, L (ed). 2005. Marketing Communications. Cape Town: Juta. Peugeot advertisement. 2012. KickOff, August: 5. Pond’s advertisement. 2012. Real, August: 51. Reid, J & Van Heerden, M (eds). 2009. Media studies: media content and media audiences. Only study guide for COM303A. Pretoria: University of South Africa. Scorpion Legal Protection advertisement. 2012. KickOff, August: 22. SuperSport advertisement. 2012. KickOff, August: 83. Toyota advertisement. 2012. Real, August: 111. University of South Africa. 2012. Department of Communication Science. CMNALLE. Important guidelines and Information regarding your studies: University of South Africa. University of South Africa. 2012. Department of Communication Science. Communication Research. Tutorial Letter 101/2012: Semesters 1 and 2: University of South Africa. University of South Africa. 2012. Department of Communication Science. Communication Research. Tutorial Letter 102/2012: Semesters 1 and 2: University of South Africa. University of South Africa. 2012. Department of Communication Science. Communication Research. Tutorial Letter 103/2012: Semesters 1 and 2: University of South Africa. Van Rensburg, GH. 2010. Research in the social sciences. Only study guide for RSC2601. Pretoria: University of South Africa. Vaseline advertisement. 2012. KickOff, August: 17. SELF-ASSESSMENT AND SELF-REFLECTION The researcher has learnt about effective techniques of how to collect research data, analyse and interpret for both the research proposal and the final study. One has also been able to identify and solve research problems. Important skills earned from the study were to understand how advertisements can use more than one creative concept to convey the message to the users. The concepts used completed each other and pointed out to different angles of the final output. It goes without saying that one has managed and was able to interpret print advertisements accurately. To get to understand subproblems and underlying assumptions in the research study and how to formulate relevant research questions. In addition to that, the researcher is now able to craft relevant research designs that are appropriate for investigating the main research problem. A notable shortcoming of the study was that it could not address all the problems identified as the advertisements were already been printed. But could only make certain inputs. Due to the changes in the market, researchers were prompted to always come with the ways and ideas of overcoming these challenges and gauging the emotions of consumers.