Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Marketing - Assignment Example A steward is usually concerned with the three disciplines of mapping, building and aligning a channel value system. Channel value system can be improved and converted from an assembly of certain elements to a highly integrated and efficient system with a deliberate strategy. Mapping is all about coming up with a strategy on how the goods or products will reach the consumer from the producer. It means detailing ones go to market world. It involves coming up with an overview of the system and what drives it. Understanding customer needs and their demand is also important in mapping for channel stewards. It also involves coming up with diagrams showing flow of products and services through the channel value chain, Gauging outside forces shaping the market, Catalog channel member division and cost of labor and calculating a case for channel stewardship investing. Building involves assembling a new and improved overall system and putting it into aligned practice. This basically means creating the stewardship plan. It also deals with targeting value chain value properties of key customer segments, Identifying levels of operation up and down the chain based on perspectives shared with stewardship groups by respected people from each channel partner and prioritizing and demarcating roles and investments is the final step in the building task. Aligning is all about harmonizing the channel value chain. It includes; Engendering the 3 T’s truth, transparency and trust, resolving channel discrepancies and reconciling differences between competing channels, and sustain senior executive engagement from all players. Internet shopping has brought a lot of changes in the marketing sector since almost all goods and services nowadays are being marketed and transacted online wise. Incorporating the internet into a channel strategy and overcoming common obstacles that prevent transformation has been

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Essay Example for Free

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Essay SARS is a highly contagious ailment, whose indications closely resemble those of influenza. Some of the symptoms of SARS are chills, headaches, muscle pains, sore throat and high fever. As the disease continues, there is an onset of pneumonia, which can prove to be fatal. In this context, the World Health Organization had estimated that fifteen percent of the cases of SARS infection proved to be fatal. This disease has defied all attempts at a cure; moreover, there is no vaccine for this disease. The SARS virus underwent a mutation, which enabled to cross the species barrier from animals to people. SARS is a respiratory illness and the symptoms of this illness are fever when the virus infects the human body. Normally the temperature of the human body of an infected person would be in excess of 100. 40F. The infected person develops chills and symptoms like headache, discomfort and body pains. In addition, there could be mild symptoms of respiratory distress in the beginning. Within two to seven days the patient develops a dry and nonproductive cough. The nonproductive cough would result in insufficient supply of oxygen to the blood. Some patients could even require the administering of clinical ventilation. SARS is a contagious disease and it spreads through the droplets that issue forth from a person who is coughing or sneezing into the air, if that person has been infected by the SARS virus. The primary manner of transmission of the virus is through the air or from objects that are contaminated with the virus (TARGET SARS Target II SARS/CoV 3CL-PRO). In 2003, an outbreak occurred of a previously unrecognized illness – termed SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. It was caused by infection with a newly identified coronavirus, SARS-COV. Infection produced an illness with Pneumonia as the main disease; however, some patients developed other complications like the loss of appetite, diarrhea and bleeding in the abdomen or stomach. Many of those who developed this disease were health-care workers and the infection rate among them was very high (SARS. Blacks Medical Dictionary, 41st Edition. CredoReference ). Extraordinary and exceptional isolation procedures had to be necessarily adopted because the Epidemic threatened to spread all over the world from its origin in Hong Kong. Some of the measures adopted, in order to reduce the risk of the spread of this infection was the concentration of patients in individual hospitals, which were converted into isolation units. Visitors were not allowed into such hospitals. Staff and other patients who had been exposed to persons suffering from this disease were segregated in such special units. Further, routine care for in patients in the hospital was discontinued and screening of likely contacts was conducted. In addition, a number of restrictions were imposed on travel. Due to this strategy, which had been performed in coordination with the World Health Organization, the SARS pandemic was finally controlled (SARS. Blacks Medical Dictionary, 41st Edition. CredoReference ). The virus genome on careful analysis revealed that this virus was a recombinant of virus relating to bird bronchitis and a virus relating to mouse hepatitis. It takes between two to ten days for the symptoms caused by the SARS virus to become noticeable after the infection takes place. With the increasing age of the patients there is a corresponding increase in mortality rate and proves to be fatal in approximately half of the patients whose age is above sixty years of age (SARS. The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas CredoReference). In the month of November 2002, the first incidence of SARS infection was discovered. This was in a place that was close to Foshan in the Guangdong province of southern China. However, this disease caught the attention of the people in the month of February 2003, when it spread globally due to air travel by infected persons. In the month of February 2003, Carlo Urbani, who worked for the World Health Organization in Bangkok, was asked to go to Hanoi in Vietnam, in order to treat an industrialist, from the US, who showed symptoms of an unknown disease. In this manner, Carlo Urbani became the first person to identify this disease as a new disease (SARS. The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas CredoReference). Several scientists, especially those from Canada, were successful in establishing that this new SARS virus belonged to the family of the coronavirus. This disease spreads to other persons, if the victim is located very close to an infected person who spreads this disease by coughing. Further, this disease spreads to people who enter a place in which infected people have deposited exhaled droplets of phlegm or other fluids in their body. Moreover, infection with this disease occurs if contact is made with door handles and similar objects that have contaminated droplets on their surface. Furthermore, it is possible to get infected with this disease if a person enters an enclosed place like a lift in which contaminated droplets are present. Eight thousand victims of SARS were identified by the end of is outbreak in the year 2003. Out of these SARS victims, seven hundred lost their life. The maximum damage due to this virus took place in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. In Toronto, Canada there were one hundred and forty cases of such infection and twenty five of such infected persons died. In Singapore, there were around three hundred instances of this infection and out of these thirty persons lost their life (SARS. The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas CredoReference). In the year 2003 scientists were successful in discovering the gene that made the human body prone to infection by the SARS virus. While studying the human leukocyte antigen or HLA proteins, they realized that the variation in a gene that produces the HLA-B*4601 protein was common in the South China population. This was the area of origin of the SARS virus and people with this gene variation displayed a reaction to the SARS virus that was greater in severity in comparison to those who did not have this particular gene variation. Moreover, SARS infections are very rare in people who do not possess this HLA-B*4601 gene variation. Most of the people who belong to Taiwan and Europe do not have this gene variation (SARS. The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas CredoReference). At the time of the rapid spread of SARS, the World Health Organization sent out a global alert in which it asked the people to mask their face in public places, to avoid air travel, to thoroughly check airplane passengers for increase in body temperature and to quarantine infected persons. A number of scientists are engaged in developing a vaccine for this disease. However, this disease was controlled by the beginning of the year 2005 and does not exist anywhere in the world, except in the laboratories (SARS. The Crystal Reference Encyclopedia CredoReference). SARS has defied all attempts at a cure and there is no specific vaccine for it. This has restricted the treatment to reducing the severity of the symptoms shown by the patient and treating any side effects of this infection (SARS in full severe acute respiratory syndrome. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia CredoReference ). It is now common knowledge that in the year 2003, in Guangdong province of China, the first occurrence of this severe atypical pneumonia was observed. The epidemic was suspected to be associated with a new virus and subsequently, researchers isolated an avian influenza A (H5N1) virus from a patient in Hong Kong. Researchers focused on members of the Paramyxoviridae family since some particles were detected by the process of electron microscopy of respiratory samples from patients in Hong Kong and Frankfurt (Peiris, Chu and Cheng). Subsequent investigations revealed that the human metapneumovirus or hMPV existed in SARS patients. Researchers in China had detected the Chlamydia organism in patients who had died due to atypical pneumonia during the outbreak of SARS in Guangdong. However, these organisms were not present in patients outside China. In the month of March 2003, researchers in the United States, Hong Kong and Germany found traces of a previously unknown coronavirus in SARS patients. This discovery was in different ways and some of these methods included isolation on cell culture, demonstration by electron microscopy, demonstration of specific genomic sequence by polymerase chain reaction or PSR and by the use of microarray techniques and the indirect immunofluorescent antibody tests (Peiris, Chu and Cheng). In this context, the World Health Organization announced on the 16th of April, 2003, that the coronavirus had not been discovered in humans and animals till that date and that it was a new virus, which was the cause of SARS. Before announcing the discovery of this new virus, thirteen laboratories in ten countries tested this new coronavirus in accordance with the postulates of Koch, which is essential to prove that this new virus causes SARS. This virus causes interstitial pneumonia that shows symptoms that are similar to SARS, and the virus was isolated from the nose and throat of infected monkeys. The corona viruses belong to the family of Coronaviridae. This family consists of very large, positive – sense single – stranded RNA viruses, which replicate themselves in the cytoplasm of the animal host cells (Siddell, Wege and Meulen). The gene factors of corona viruses range in length from 27 to 32 kb, and are the largest of the RNA viruses. The diameter of the virions ranges vary from 100 to 140 nanometers. Most of the viral particles bear the distinct appearance of surface projections and these spikes extend to twenty nanometers from their base. In animals, corona viruses cause extremely virulent respiratory, enteric and neurological diseases. They also cause hepatitis, respiratory diseases that are temporarily prevalent and widespread in animals and gastroenteritis having short incubation periods between two to seven days. The symptoms revealed in SARS are the same (Holmes). Corona viruses are species – specific and when they attack immunocompetent hosts, their infection extracts neutralizing antibodies and cell – mediated immune responses, which in turn kill the infected cells (Holmes). Most of the corona viruses cause terminal diseases in animals such as feline infectious peritonitis virus or FIPV, hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis or HEV of swine and some strains of avian infectious bronchitis virus or IBV and mouse hepatitis virus or MHV. They replicate themselves in the liver, lungs, kidneys, gut, spleen, brain, spinal cord and other tissues (Holmes). Human corona viruses HCoVs were found to cause minor diseases. They are found in group 1 known as HCoV – 229E and group 2 known as HCoV – O43, and they cause minor respiratory problems (Makela). Sometimes they cause severe infections of the lower respiratory tract in children and adults and a condition termed as necrotizing enterocolitis in newborn babies. They can survive on normal environmental surfaces for three hours and they are transmitted among humans by droplets, hand contamination, fomites and small particle aerosols (Ijaz). The Coronaviruses produce Coronavirus Main Protease protein or 3CL – PRO. This protein helps the virus to replicate itself and thereby spread the infection. In order to stop the infection, it is essential to bring about a disabling of the protein from working and this would consequently, contain the virus production and the attendant infection. Therefore, researchers had concentrated on producing a drug that would hinder the functioning of the 3CL PRO protein. With the achievement of this breakthrough, pharmaceutical companies started to prepare drugs that would hinder the functions of the 3CL – PRO protein, which is responsible for the multiplication of the virus and the resultant SARS infection. Ritonavir and Indinavir are the major ingredients of the anti – HIV drugs. The Coronavirus Main Proteinase is the principal drug that is used in the treatment of SARS (TARGET SARS Target II SARS/CoV 3CL-PRO). The HIV virus and other viruses that cause influenza on infecting people have been described as wily because of their characteristic of mutating rapidly. This trait helps them to obtain immunity from antiviral drugs or from the human immune system. However, the SARS virus has not been undergoing mutation. Clinical examinations of the genome sequences of fourteen isolates from patients in Singapore, Toronto, China and Hong Kong did not establish any mutations of the original sequence and it can be concluded that the SARS virus is invariant. However, this notion that SARS virus does not mutate or fails to mutate cannot be taken for granted since the virus did not face significant resistance from human hosts (Knight). Coronaviruses are not so active in the replication of their genetic material and as a result they make one error for every ten thousand nucleotides that they replicate. This is similar to what the HIV virus does. Coronaviruses have a significant characteristic that helps them to reject mutations as and when they occur. These viruses have an enzyme that enables them to replicate their genetic material and spreads among several copies of the viral genome instead of being restricted to a single template of the genome. The result of this is that each genome is copied from multiple templates. This procedure reduces the chances of mutations in the populations of the coronavirus (Knight). The enzyme that brings about the copying of the virus functions in such a manner that instead of using just one template genome it accesses several such templates and this results in a drastic reduction in the possibility that any particular mutation will dominate in a viral population. Moreover, such haphazard template access can entail an inaccurate access by the enzyme (Knight). The consequence of such access by the enzyme would be the deletion of some portion of an essential gene, which could produce results that would be drastic, particularly, if the mutation affects the protein spikes that are bound to the surface of the viruses’ cellular victims. In 1984, there was an outbreak of a new ailment on European farms that were rearing pigs. It was determined to be a mutant of the coronavirus, in which the altered spike protein had effected changes in respect of the type of cells that could be invaded by the virus. Although, this mutant did not prove to be fatal, all the same it has spread globally and made the diagnosis of gut disease more difficult (Knight). It is assumed that genetic deletion was responsible for the SARS virus to find a new target, namely, the human body, from its previous animal hosts. In that case the mutation could be of a totally different type due to the fact that the spike protein has remained unaltered. While comparing with the viral strains present in the animals sold in the Chinese markets, it became evident that the SARS virus does not have twenty nine nucleotides in the gene for a protein whose function could not be determined. This protein was found to be appended to the inside of the protective layer of the virus (Knight). The WHO spearheaded the battle against SARS and was extremely successful in uniting the global community in combating this menace. Dr Carlo Urbani became a martyr in the battle against SARS. This disease demonstrated that there are several dangers that could surface when least expected to do with terrifying results (SARS: how a global epidemic was stopped). Within a short period of seven months, around eight thousand people were infected by this disease in twenty nine countries. 1755 persons were infected in Hong Kong and of these 299 succumbed to the disease. This disease had a serious psychological effect on its victims and it was established that such effects persisted for long periods after the disease had been cured. Several studies conducted a month after patients had been discharged revealed that thirteen to thirty two percent of them were suffering from moderate to severe anxiety and that eighteen to twenty six percent had moderate to severe depression. Another four percent were found to be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD (Lee). The spread of SARS had a number of economic, political and sociological ramifications, due to extreme demands made on the countries, in which this disease was prevalent, by the WHO. Some of these demands were related to a curtailment if not the rescission of economic activities like trade, tourism, and investment. Despite SARS occurring mainly in Asia, its effects were experienced in almost every major market across the world. This epidemic brought about a tremendous increase in medical expenditure and travel. In addition consumer confidence and investment reached their nadir (Political Influences on the Response to SARS and Economic Impacts of the Disease).

Emptiness in The Hollow Men Essay -- Hollow Men Essays

Emptiness in The Hollow Men  Ã‚     Ã‚   After Eliot had published The Waste Land, he felt as though he had not been able to fully convey the sense of desperation and emptiness in that work. Beginning with "Doris’s Dream Songs" and "Eyes I Last Saw in Tears," he explored these themes, eventually uniting all such poems in The Hollow Men. The end product is a work that, unlike The Waste Land and its ultimate chance for redemption, has only the indelible emptiness of the hollow men as its conclusion. The hollow men are those who, in life, did not act on their beliefs; they resisted any action at all, and as a result stagnate eternally in "the Shadow," a land in between heaven and hell, completely isolated from both. Eliot’s allusions give a familiar literary and popular basis to the setting, while the symbols and lyrical progression convey the futility and spiritual "brokenness" of the men. The poem’s initial epigraph, "Mistah Kurtz-- He dead" is the first of many allusions to Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness. Eliot uses the references to draw the reader’s attention to the moral situation of Kurtz and the others "who have crossed/ With direct eyes, to death’s other Kingdom." These men and Kurtz defined themselves through their actions, whether or not they were good. In Baudelaire’s words, "So far as we are human, what we do must be either evil or good; so far as we do evil or good, we are human; and it is better, in a paradoxical way, to do evil than to do nothing: at least, we exist" (Drew 94). An accurate description of the condition of the hollow men, this quote has also been used in criticism of Heart of Darkness. Thus the (spiritual) stagnation of the "tumid river" and those who wait beside it is contrasted with the dynamici... ...ubmission to a world that ends "not with a bang but a whimper."    Works Cited Brady, Ann Patrick. Lyricism in the Poetry of T.S. Eliot. London: Kennikat Press, 1978. Drew, Elizabeth. T.S. Eliot: The Design of His Poetry. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1949. Headings, Philip R.. T.S. Eliot, Revised Edition. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1982. Moody, A. David. The Cambridge Companion to T.S. Eliot. Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press, 1994. Moody, A. David. T.S. Eliot, Poet. Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press, 1994. Raine, Craig. "The Awful Daring of T.S. Eliot". The Guardian. 21. August 19, 1988. Roessel, David. "Guy Fawkes Day and the Versailles Peace in ‘The Hollow Men’". English Language Notes, Sept. 1990. 52-58. Vol. 28. Williamson, George. A Reader’s Guide to T.S. Eliot. New York: Octagon Books, 1974.      

Lucent Technologies

Case analysis on Lucent Technologies: Global Supply Chain Management By, ROOPANVI DANDU Lucent Technologies: Global Supply Chain Management Lucent technologies are a manufacturing company that was a part of American Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (AT&T) until 1996. Lucent’s main product was the 5ESS switch. The switch was worlds most reliable and widely used switching system. Prior to 1996 the Asian supply chain has not been a high priority.The demand for Asian joint ventures was easily met by the manufacturing unit in United States. The high volume of production in Oklahoma City led to low production costs. Also AT&T’s large cash flow from the phone bills had insulated its manufacturing wing from the consequences of inefficient assent management and long time delivery times. Lucent’s independence made them loose the deep pockets of AT&T.At the same time many other factors like the booming Asian marketplace, significant price erosion for telecomm unications equipment, original part resourcing and manufacturing capabilities forced then to redesign the Asian supply chain. After the redesign the results were dramatic. 82 percent of parts were sourced with Asia, which led the factory to be three times as productive, inventory days of sales fell by more than half, time difference and long distance that had inhibited responsiveness were eliminated.Also due to its intimate knowledge of product cost, the factory was able to steer many bids towards configurations in which the switch had great cost advantage leading to competitive advantage needed to win the bid. They were many factors that led to revisit the Asia supply chain strategy. Due to unprecedented growth in cellular and Internet sectors, components demand outstripped supply, and huge material shortage developed. Leading edge procurement arrangements were sorely tested and in some cases broke down.The main five problematic areas were sole –sourced component lead times more than doubled, inventories increased by about 25 percent as assemblies could not be completed, the Taiwan factory had to commit to early parts delivery to ensure availability, product shipment to costumers were jeopardized and orders were at risk due to an inability to ship on time, premium prices were required in order to obtain expedited shipments of missing parts. Also the contract manufacturers were starting to get more involved in sophisticated telecommunication electronics.The switch was reaching the mature part of its life cycle. All these external and internal factors forced to rethink about the strategy. I would recommend reevaluation of supply chain to reduce the competition. To reduce material shortage I would suggest to design new technology that uses general products, forecast the demand, use contract manufacturers where their own manufacturing assets are not so profitable, order the parts beforehand so that premium prices can be avoided for missing parts.The main l esson learned form this case study would be to reevaluate your supply chain strategy every few years to be successful and ahead of the competitors. In order to effectively balance risk and opportunity, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers need to periodically rethink their strategies. . To improve the Supply Chain network Enhanced Collaboration should be implemented. It would dramatically minimize the delays and also reduces the costs. Work with suppliers to create contingency plans. Also to make supply chain more flexible increase product component standardization.

Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 17

Well, she wasn't telling humans anything-but she did defy the authority of the Night World,† Ash said in his most lazy, careless voice. Quinn said succinctly, â€Å"How?† It was late Monday afternoon and the sun was streaming through the western windows of the Burdock farmhouse. Ash was wearing a brand-new shirt bought at the Briar Creek general store, a turtleneckwith long sleeves that covered the almost-healedscars on his throat and arms. His jeans werebleached white, his hair was combed over the scabon the back of his head, and he was playing the scene of his life. â€Å"She knew about a rogue werewolf and didn't tell.anybody about him.† â€Å"So she was a traitor. And what did you do?† Ash shrugged. â€Å"Staked her.† Quinn laughed out loud. â€Å"No, really,† Ash said earnestly, looking intoQuinn's face with what he knew were wide, guileless eyes-probably blue. â€Å"See?† Without taking his eyes from Quinn's he whipped a pink-and-green country quilt off the bundle on the couch. Quinn's eyebrows flew upward. He stared for a moment at Aunt Opal, who had been cleaned so that you'd never know she'd ever been buried, and who had the picket stake carefully replaced in her chest. Quinn actually swallowed. It was the first time Ash had ever seen him falter. â€Å"You really did it,† he said. There was reluctant respect in his voice-and definite shock. You know, Quinn, I don't think you're quite as tough as you pretend. After all, no matter how you try to act like an Elder, you're only eighteen. And you'll always be eighteen, and next year maybe I'll be older. â€Å"Well,† Quinn said, blinking rapidly. â€Å"Well. Well___ I have to hand it to you.† â€Å"Yeah, I just decided the best thing to do was cleanup the whole situation. She was getting on, you know.† Quinn's dark eyes widened fractionally. â€Å"I have toadmit -I didn't think you were that ruthless.† â€Å"You've gotta do what you've gotta do. For the family honor, of course.† Quinn cleared his throat. â€Å"So-what about thewerewolf?† â€Å"Oh, I took care of that, too.† Ash meandered over and whipped a brown-and-white quilt off Exhibit B. The wolf was a charred and contorted corpse. It had given Mary-Lynnette hysterics when Ash insisted on pulling it out of the car, and Quinn's nostrils quivered when he looked at it. â€Å"Sorry, it does smell like burnt hair, doesn't it? Igot a little sooty myself, keeping him in the fire†¦.† â€Å"You burned himalive?† â€Å"Well, it is one of the traditional methods†¦.†Ã¢â‚¬ Just put the blanket back, all right?† Ash put the blanket back. â€Å"So, you see, everything's taken care of. No humans involved, no extermination necessary.† â€Å"Yes, all right †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Quinn's eyes were still on the quilt. Ash decided the moment was right. â€Å"And by the way, it turns out the girls had aperfectly legitimate reason for coming. They just wanted to learn to hunt. Nothing illegal about that,is there?† â€Å"What? Oh. No.† Quinn glanced at Aunt Opal, then finally looked back at Ash. â€Å"So they're coming back now that they've learned it.† â€Å"Well, eventually. They haven't quite learned it yet†¦ so they're staying.† â€Å"They'restaying?† †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†Right. Look, I'm the head of the familyon the West Coast, aren't I? And I say they're staying.† â€Å"Ash†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å" â€Å"It's about time there was a Night World outpost in this area, don't you think? You see what's happened without one. You get families of outlaw werewolves wandering around. Somebody's got to stay here and hold down the fort.† â€Å"Ash †¦ you couldn't payNight People to strand themselves out here. Nothing but animals to feed on, nobody but humans to associate with †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah, it's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.Besides, wasn't it you who said it's not good living your whole life isolated on an island?† Quinn stared at him, then said, â€Å"Well, I don't thinkthis is much better.† â€Å"Then it serves my sisters right. Maybe in a few years they'll appreciate the island more. Then theycan hand the job over to someone else.† â€Å"Ash †¦ no one else is going to comehere.† â€Å"Well.† With the battle won, and Quinn simplylooking dazed and as if he wanted to get back to LosAngeles as fast as possible, Ash allowed himself a small measure of truth. â€Å"I might come visit them someday,† he said. â€Å"He did a beautiful job,† Rowan said that evening. â€Å"We heard it all from the kitchen. You would have loved it.† Mary-Lynnette smiled. â€Å"Quinn can't wait to get away,† Jade said, in tertwining her fingers with Mark's. Kestrel said to Ash, â€Å"I'd just like to be around when you explain all this to Dad.† â€Å"That's funny,† Ash said. â€Å"I feel just the opposite.† Everyone laughed-except Mary-Lynnette. The big farm kitchen was warm and bright, but the windowswere darkening. She couldn't see anything in the gathering darkness-in the last two days the effects of her blood exchange had faded. Her senses were ordinary human senses again. â€Å"You're sure you won't get in trouble?† sheasked Ash. â€Å"No. I'll tell our dad the truth-mostly. That anoutlaw werewolf killed Aunt Opal and that I killed the werewolf. And that the girls are better off here,hunting quietly and watching out for other rogues. There's sure to be some record of the Lovett fam ily†¦. Dad can check out the history all he wants.† â€Å"A whole family of outlaw werewolves,† Kestrel said musingly. â€Å"Ofcrazy werewolves,† Ash said. â€Å"They were as dangerous to the Night World as any vampire hunters could be. God knows how long they've beenhere-long enough for their land to get named Mad Dog Creek.† â€Å"And for people to mistake them for Sasquatch,† Mark said. Rowan's brown eyes were troubled. â€Å"And it wasmy fault that you didn't know,† she said to MaryLynnette. â€Å"I told you-he couldn't be the killer. I'm sorry.† Mary-Lynnette captured her gaze and held it. â€Å"Rowan, you arenotgoing to feel guilty for this. You couldn't have realized. He wasn't killing for food like a normal werewolf. He was killing to protect his territory-and to scare us.† â€Å"And it might have worked,† Mark said. â€Å"Exceptthat you guys didn't have anywhere else to go.† Ash looked at Mark, then at his sisters. â€Å"I have a question. Is the territory around here going to be enough foryou?† â€Å"Of course,† Rowan said, with gentle surprise. â€Å"We don't always need tokill the animals,† Jade said. â€Å"We're getting it down pat now. We can take a little here and a little there. Heck, we can even trythe goat. â€Å" â€Å"I'd rather try Tiggy,† Kestrel said, and for a moment her golden eyes glimmered. Mary-Lynnette didn't say it, but she wondered sometimes about Kestrel. If maybe, someday, Kestrel might need a bigger territory of her own. She was a lot like Jeremy in some ways. Beautiful, ruthless, single-minded. A true Night Person. â€Å"And what about you?† Ash said, looking at mark. â€Å"Me? Uh†¦ Well, when you get down to it, I'm kind of a hamburger guy†¦.† â€Å"I tried to take him hunting last night,† Jade interpreted. â€Å"You know, just to show him. But he threw up.† â€Å"I didn't actually-â€Å" â€Å"Yes, you did,† Jade said calmly and cheerfully. Mark looked away. Mary-Lynnette noticed they didn't stop holding hands. â€Å"So I take it you're not going to become a vampire,† Ash said to Mark. â€Å"Uh, let's just say not any time soon.† Ash turned to Mary-Lynnette. â€Å"And what about the human end of things? Do we have that taken care of?† â€Å"Well, I know everything that's going on intown-by which I mean that I talked with BunnyMarten this morning. I'm so glad she's not a vampire, incidentally Mark said, â€Å"I always knew it† â€Å"Anyway, here's the quick version.† MaryLynnette held up a finger. â€Å"One, everybody knowsthat Jeremy is gone-his boss at the gas stationmissed him yesterday and went up to check the trailer. They found a lot of weird stuff there. But all they know is that he's disappeared.† â€Å"Good,† Rowan said. Mary-Lynnette held up another finger. â€Å"Two,Dad is sorry but not surprised that the stationwagon blew up. Claudine has been predicting itwould for a year.† Another finger. â€Å"Three, Mr. Kimble doesn't have any ideawhatkilled his horse-but now he thinks it was an animal instead of a person. Vic Kimble thinks it was maybe Sasquatch. He and Todd are very spooked and want to get out of Briar Creek forgood â€Å"And let's have a moment of silence to show howwe'll miss them,† Mark said solemnly, and blew a raspberry. â€Å"Four,† Mary-Lynnette said, holding up a fourthfinger, â€Å"you girls are eventually going to have to mention that your aunt hasn't come back from her ‘vacation.' But I thinkyou can wait awhile. Nobody comes out here so nobody will notice she's gone. And I think we can bury her and Jeremy safely. Even if somebody finds them, what have they got? A mummy that looks about a thousand years old and a wolf. They won't be able to connect them to the missing people.† â€Å"Poor old Aunt Opal,† Jade said, still cheerful.†But she helped us in the end, didn't she?† Mary-Lynnette looked at her. Yes, there it is, shethought. The silver in the eyes when you laugh about death. Jade is a true Night Person, too. â€Å"She did help. And I'm going to miss her,† she said out loud. Kestrel said, â€Å"So everything is taken care of.† â€Å"Seems like it.† Ash hesitated. â€Å"And Quinn is waiting down the road. I_ told him it would only takea couple hours to finish making arrangements and say goodbye.† There was a silence. â€Å"I'll see you off,† Mary-Lynnette said at last. They went together to the front door. When theywere outside in the twilight Ash shut the door be hind them. â€Å"You still can come with me, you know.† â€Å"With you and Quinn?† â€Å"I'll send him away. Or I'll go and come back tomorrow and get you. Or I'll come back and stay†¦.† â€Å"You need to go tell your father about this. Make everything right with him, so it's safe for your sisters. You knowthat.† â€Å"Well, I'll come back afterthat,†Ash said, with an edge of desperation to his voice. Mary-Lynnette looked away. The sun was gone. Looking east, the sky was already the darkest purple imaginable. Almost black. Even as she watched, a starcame out. Or-not a star. Jupiter. â€Å"I'm not ready yet. I wish I were.† â€Å"No, you don't,† Ash said, and he was right, of course. She'd known ever since she sat there by theroad, crying while her car burned. And althoughshe'd thought and thought about it since then, sitting in her darkened room, there was nothing she coulddo to change her own mind. She would never be a vampire. She just wasn't cutout for it. She couldn't do the things vampires hadto do-and stay sane. She wasn't like Jade or Kestrelor even Rowan with her pale sinewy feet and her instinctive love of the hunt. She'd looked into the heart of the Night World . . .and she couldn't join it. â€Å"I don't want you to be like that,† Ash said. â€Å"Iwant you to be likeyou. â€Å" Without looking at him, Mary-Lynnette said, â€Å"Butwe're not kids. We can't be like Jade and Mark, and just hold hands and giggle and never think about the future.† â€Å"No, we're only soulmates, that's all. We're onlydestined to be together forever†¦.† â€Å"If we've got forever, then you can give me time,† Mary-Lynnette said. â€Å"Go back and' wander a little. Take a look at the Night World and make sure youwant to give it up â€Å"I know that already.† â€Å"Take a look at humans and make sure you wantto be tied to one of them.† â€Å"And think about the things I've done to humans, maybe?† Mary-Lynnette looked at him directly. â€Å"Yes.† He looked away. â€Å"All right. I admit it. I've got a lot to make up for†¦.† Mary-Lynnette knew it. He'd thought of humansas vermin-and food. The things she'd seen in hismind made her not want to picture more. â€Å"Then make up for what you can,† she said, although she didn't dare really hope that he would. â€Å"Take time to do that. And giveme time to finish growing up. I'm still in high school, Ash.† â€Å"You'll be out in a year. I'll come back then.† â€Å"It may be too soon.† â€Å"I know. I'll come back anyway.† He smiled ironically. â€Å"And in the meantime I'll fight dragons, just like any knight for his lady. I'll prove myself. You'll be proud of me.† Mary-Lynnette's throat hurt. Ash's smile disappeared. They just stood looking at each other. It was the obvious time for a kiss. Instead, they just stood staring like hurt kids, and then one ofthem moved and they were holding on to each other. Mary-Lynnette held on tighter and tighter, her face buried in Ash's shoulder. Ash, who seemed to have lost it altogether, was raining kisses on the back of her neck, saying, â€Å"I wish I were a human. I wishI were.† â€Å"No, you don't,† Mary-Lynnette said, seriously unsteady because of the kisses. â€Å"I do. I do.† But it wouldn't help, and Mary-Lynnette knew he knew it. The problem wasn't simply what he was, it was what he'd done-and what he was going to do. He'd seen too much of the dark side of life to be a normal person. His nature was already formed, and she wasn't sure he could fight it. â€Å"Believe in me,† he said, as if he could hear her. Mary-Lynnette couldn't say yes or no. So she did the only thing she could do-she lifted her head. Hislips were in the right place to meet hers. The electric sparks weren't painful anymore, she discovered? and the pink haze could be quite wonderful. For a time everything was warm and sweet and strangelypeaceful. And then, behind them, somebody knocked on thedoor. Mary-Lynnette and Ash jumped and separated.They looked at each other, startled, emotions still tooraw, and then Mary-Lynnette realized where she was. She laughed and so did Ash. â€Å"Come out,† they said simultaneously. Mark and Jade came out. Rowan and Kestrel werebehind them. They all stood on the porch-avoiding the hole. They all smiled at Ash and Mary-Lynnette in a way that made Mary-Lynnette blush. â€Å"Goodbye,† she said firmly to Ash. He looked at her for a long moment, then looked at the road behind him. Then he turned to go. Mary-Lynnette watched him, blinking away tears.She still couldn't let herself believe in him. But there was no harm in hoping, was there? In wishing. Evenif wishes almost never came true†¦. Jade gasped. â€Å"Look!† They all saw it, and Mary-Lynnette felt her heartjump violently. A bolt of light was streaking acrossthe darkness in the northeast. Not a little wimpyshooting star-a brilliant green meteor that crossedhalf the sky, showering sparks. It was right above Ash's path, as if lighting his way. A late Perseid. The last of the summer meteors. But it seemed like a blessing. â€Å"Quick, quick, wish,† Mark was telling Jade eagerly. â€Å"A wish on that star you gotta get.† Mary-Lynnette glanced at his excited face, at theway his eyes shone with excitement. Beside him, Jade was clapping, her own eyes wide with delight. I'm so glad you're happy, Mary-Lynnette thought. My wish for you came true. So now maybe I can wish for myself. I wish †¦ I wish †¦ Ash turned around and smiled at her. â€Å"See you next year,† he said. â€Å"With slain dragons!† He started down the weed-strewn path to the road. For a moment, in the deep violet twilight, he didlook to Mary-Lynnette like a knight walking off ona quest. A knight-errant with shining blond hair and no weapons, going off into a very dark and dangerous wilderness. Then he turned around and walked backward, waving, which ruined the effect. Everyone shouted goodbyes. Mary-Lynnette could feel them around her, her brother and her three blood-sisters, all radiating warmth and support. Playful Jade. Fierce Kestrel. Wise and gentle Rowan. And Mark, who wasn't sullen and solitary anymore. Tiggy wound himselfaround her ankles, purring amiably. â€Å"Even when we're apart, we'll be looking at the same sky!† Ash yelled. â€Å"What a line,† Mary-Lynnette called back. But hewas right. The sky would be there for both of them.She'd alwaysknow hewas out there somewhere,looking up at it in wonder. Just knowing that was important. And she was clear on who she was at last. Shewas Mary-Lynnette, and someday she'd discover a supernova or a comet or a black hole, but she'd doit as a human. And Ash would come back next year. And she would always love the night. [The End]

The Apology essays

The Apology essays In Platos Five Dialogues, Socrates makes some pretty strong comments pertaining to the authority of the state government and its laws. These comments show up in both the Apology and the Crito. However, the fundamental claims Socrates makes in the Crito, are apparently contradictory with the ones made previously in the Apology. Although there exists some tension between Socrates statements in the two dialogues, the important claims about the rights of the state in the Crito can be interpreted in a way as to be consistently tied together with the Apology. In the Apology, Socrates seems willing to defy the state laws, and in this case the jury. However, in the Crito Socrates argues for the laws of the state and how nobody should disobey them, or any legally constituted body of government. This becomes confusing because they are contradictory statements, yet Socrates speaks of them almost as fundamental truths. Most would argue that it is impossible for these two statements to be consistently tied together, and convey similar opinions. But Socrates words, specifically in the Crito, can be interpreted as to allow for someone to do what is morally right. One prominent claim Socrates makes about the authority of state occurs in the Crito at 51b. Speaking as the actual laws, Socrates states, ...your country is to be honored more than your mother, your father... [And] you must worship it, yield to it (51). Socrates argues that, because of the states role as a provider of benefits such as security, the citizens of the state are like its children and must offer complete loyalty to it. He deduces that citizens are so subordinate to the state, that if they see any fault, they must either try to persuade it or obey its orders (51b). This is evident within the Apology, in which Socrates had tried to persuade the jury that he was not guilty of the false accusations presented upon him, and ...

THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF ECONOM essays

THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF ECONOM essays According to U.S. News and World Report, January 15, 1998, the United Nations estimates that nearly one million Iraqi children are chronically malnourished. Infant mortality and waterborne illnesses are also up dramatically.(Omstad 42) These problems are a direct result of economic sanctions imposed on Iraq by the United States. Thomas Omstad, a field reporter for U.S. News and World Report describes the sanctions as, a blunt instrument that can clearly take innocent lives. It is because of this and a multitude of other reasons that the statement the use of economic sanctions to achieve U.S. foreign policy goals is moral does not ring true. In order to prove that economic sanctions are not morally right we must first understand what an economic sanction is. Economic sanction is defined as the withholding of supplies from countries that do not agree with, or follow the policies laid out for them by the United States. This definition is given by the mission work organization Pastors for Peace based out of Chicago Illinois. It is also the working definition for the sanctions that the United States has Sanctions are immoral because they harm innocents. As I stated earlier, there is a senseless harming of innocent people in the sanctions imposed against Iraq. Part of the reason for this is the way the U.S. government classifies materials. The level of sanctions imposed against Iraq still allows for some humanitarian aid to be sent there from the U.S., but it is very limited.(Sirico15) For example, according to documents released by the state department, a chair has the same military classification as a handgun.(Sirico15) What this means is that as Iraq tries to set up schools, the cannot get chairs from aid groups, because the U.S. state department feels that they can be used in militay efforts. This same analysis applies to many pharmaceuticals. Th ...

Great Rift Valley - Crack in the Planets Crust

Great Rift Valley - Crack in the Planet's Crust The Rift Valley of eastern Africa and Asia (sometimes called the Great Rift Valley [GRV] or East African Rift system [EAR or EARS]) is an enormous geological split in the crust of the earth, thousands of kilometers long, up to 125 miles (200 kilometers) wide, and between a few hundred to thousands of meters deep. First designated as the Great Rift Valley in the late 19th century and visible from space, the valley has also been a great source of hominid fossils, most famously in Tanzanias Olduvai Gorge. Key Takeaways: Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is a huge fracture in the crust of the earth in the eastern part of Africa.  Crustal rifts are found all over the world, but the one in East Africa is the largest.  The rift is a complex series of faultlines that runs from the Red Sea down into Mozambique.The Lake Turkana basin in the rift region is known as the Cradle of Mankind and has been a source of hominid fossils since the 1970s.A 2019 paper suggests that the Kenyan and Ethiopian rifts are evolving into one single oblique rift.   The Rift Valley is the result of an ancient series of faults, rifts, and volcanoes deriving from the shifting of tectonic plates at the junction between the Somalian and the African plates. Scholars recognize two branches of the GRV: the eastern half- which is that piece north of Lake Victoria that runs NE/SW and meets the Red Sea; and the western half- running nearly N/S from Victoria to the Zambezi river in Mozambique. The eastern branch rifts first occurred 30 million years ago, the western 12.6 million years ago. In terms of rift evolution, many parts of the Great Rift Valley are in different stages, from pre-rift in the Limpopo valley, to initial-rift stage at the Malawi rift; to typical-rift stage in the northern Tanganyika rift region; to advanced-rift stage in the Ethiopian rift region; and finally to oceanic-rift stage in the Afar range. That means the region is still quite tectonically active: see Chorowicz (2005) for much more detail concerning the ages of the different rift regions. Geography and Topography The East African Rift System stretches from the Red Sea to Mozambique. It is marked by the African Great Lakes and is currently the largest rift of the world. S. Brune; Kartengrundlage: Nasa-World-Wind The Eastern African Rift Valley is a long valley flanked by uplifted shoulders that step down to the central rift by more or less parallel faults. The main valley is classed as a continental rift, extending from 12 degrees north to 15 degrees south of our planets​ equator. It extends a length of 3,500 km  and intersects major portions of the modern countries of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique and minor portions of others. The width of the valley varies between 30 km to 200 km (20-125 mi), with the widest section at the northern end where it links to the Red Sea in the Afar region of Ethiopia. The depth of the valley varies across eastern Africa, but for most of its length it is more than 1 km (3280 feet) deep and at its deepest, in Ethiopia, it is over 3 km (9,800 ft) deep. The topographical steepness of its shoulders and the depth of the valley have created specialized microclimates and hydrology within its walls. Most rivers are short and small within the valley, but a few follow the rifts for hundreds of kilometers, discharging into deep lake basins. The valley acts as a north-south corridor for the migration of animals and birds  and inhibits east/west movements. When glaciers dominated most of Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene, the rift lake basins were havens for animals and plant life, including early hominins. History of the Rift Valley Studies Following on the mid- to late-19th-century work of dozens of explorers including the famous David Livingstone, the concept of an East African rift fracture was established by Austrian geologist Eduard Suess, and named the Great Rift Valley of East Africa in 1896 by British geologist John Walter Gregory. In 1921, Gregory described the GRV as a system of graben basins which included the valleys of the Red and Dead Seas in western Asia, as the Afro-Arabian rift system. Gregorys interpretation of the GRV formation was that two faults had opened up and a central piece dropped down forming the valley (called a graben). Since Gregorys investigations, scholars have re-interpreted the rift as the result of multiple graben faults organized over a major fault line at the plate juncture. The faults occurred in time from the Paleozoic to Quaternary eras, a time span of some 500 million years. In many areas, there have been repeated rifting events, including at least seven phases of rifting over the past 200 million years. Paleontology in the Rift Valley In the 1970s, paleontologist Richard Leakey designated the East African Rift region as the Cradle of Mankind, and there is no doubt that the earliest hominids- members of the Homo species- arose within its boundaries. Why that happened is a matter of conjecture, but may have something to do with the steep valley walls and microclimates created within them. The interior of the rift valley was isolated from the rest of Africa during the Pleistocene ice age  and sheltered freshwater lakes located in savannahs. As with other animals, our early ancestors may have found refuge there when the ice covered much of the planet and then evolved as hominids within its tall shoulders. An interesting study on the genetics of frog species by Freilich and colleagues showed that the valleys micro-climates and topography are at least, in this case, a biogeographic barrier that resulted in the splitting of the species into two separate gene pools. It is the eastern branch (much of Kenya and Ethiopia) where much of the paleontological work has identified hominids. Beginning about 2 million years ago, barriers in the eastern branch eroded away, a time which is coeval (as much as that clock can be called co-eval) with the spread of Homo species outside of Africa. Rift Evolution Analysis of the rift reported by German geologist Sascha Brune and colleagues in March 2019 (Corti et al. 2019) suggests that although the rift began as two overlapping disconnected rifts (Ethiopian and Kenyan), the lateral offset that lies in the Turkana depression has evolved and continues to evolve into a single oblique rift.   In March of 2018, a great crack measuring 50 feet wide and miles long opened up in the Suswa area of southwestern Kenya. Scientists believe the cause was not a sudden recent shift of the tectonic plates, but rather the abrupt erosion to the surface of a long-standing subsurface crack that developed over thousands of years. Recent heavy rains caused the soil to collapse over the crack, exposing it to the surface, rather like a sinkhole.  Ã‚   Selected Sources Blinkhorn, J., and M. Grove. The Structure of the Middle Stone Age of Eastern Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews 195 (2018): 1–20. Print.Chorowicz, Jean. The East African Rift System. Journal of African Earth Sciences 43.1–3 (2005): 379–410. Print.Corti, Giacomo, et al. Aborted Propagation of the Ethiopian Rift Caused by Linkage with the Kenyan Rift. Nature Communications 10.1 (2019): 1309. Print.Deino, Alan L., et al. Chronology of the Acheulean to Middle Stone Age Transition in Eastern Africa. Science 360.6384 (2018): 95–98. Print.Freilich, Xenia, et al. Comparative Phylogeography of Ethiopian Anurans: Impact of the Great Rift Valley and Pleistocene Climate Change. BMC Evolutionary Biology 16.1 (2016): 206. Print.Frostick, L. Africa: Rift Valley. Encyclopedia of Geology. Eds. Cocks, L. Robin M. and Ian R. Plimer. Oxford: Elsevier, 2005. 26–34. Print.Sahnouni, Mohamed, et al. 1.9-Million- and 2.4-Million-Year-Old Artifacts and Stone Tool-Cutmarked Bones from Ain Boucherit, Algeria. Science 362.6420 (2018): 1297–301. Print. Simon, Brendan, et al. Deformation and Sedimentary Evolution of the Lake Albert Rift (Uganda, East African Rift System). Marine and Petroleum Geology 86 (2017): 17–37. Print.

Economics Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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Blog # 6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Liberalism - Why do liberalists place so much emphasis on democracy Essay

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Sustainable tourism practice and planning Essay

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Evaluation of Diabetes Mellitus Intervention Plan Essay

Evaluation of Diabetes Mellitus Intervention Plan - Essay Example The paper looks into the evaluation of the intervention plans proposed earlier. Nutrition formed the necessary intervention plan for diabetic patients because of the sensitivity of the condition to blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels depend directly on the diet adopted by a patient. The evaluation of the nutrition plan looks into the physiological changes in the patients. A clear evaluation plan dictates the success of the dietary intervention programs because adjustments are possible to ascertain the accomplishment of the intended purpose (Ali, Echouffo-Tcheugui & Williamson, 2012). As a change in lifestyle, nutritional adjustment should come with benefits. Evaluation of the intervention plans can take place via three different strategies. With each type designed to ensure the patients suffering from diabetes mellitus comply and exhibit an improvement in their health status. The first method is the formative that entails providing the diabetic patients with information regarding a particular intervention plan. At this stage, the patients must confirm their full comprehension of the beneficial features of the program in question. In the nutritional intervention program, the patients need to be fully aware of the advantages of adjusting their diet. It is mandatory for the nurse to confirm the convenience and suitability of the nutritional program for its intended purpose. Scientific coherence consideration occurs at the informative stage. The second method applicable in the evaluation of the nutritional plan is process evaluation. It is vital for the nurses to have information perception adopted by the patients of the plan. The process evaluation presents a platform through which the nurses can determine the level of interest and willingness of the diabetic patients to embrace the nutritional plan. At this point, based on the reaction of the patients, adjustments are

Dangerous Driving Habits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dangerous Driving Habits - Essay Example In order to reduce the number the number of these cases, more assertive actions need to be undertaken, which will deliver the message to the people and make them aware of the risks they face and pose to others (FIA Foundation web). One of the habits that I find most annoying is the problem caused by tailgating. This happens when drivers lose patience and start overlapping other drivers on the roads. In such cases, people either have to come across an exasperated driver or the creepier driver who is a deliberate tailgater. These drivers cause road rages and the problem increases each day (FIA Foundation web). Another major problem is the use of cell phones while driving. These habits occur with the majority being teenage drivers. According to a recent survey done by FIA foundation, a huge number of teenage drivers 62 admitted that they used cell phones when driving. In addition, nearly half of high school teenagers who do not yet drive together with 47 of intermediate school students presume they will participate in this conduct when they start driving. However, 90 percent of the students will designate themselves as safe drivers (FIA Foundation web). Another dangerous habit is improper lane changes. This kind of trend has been persistent over the years and has been the lengthiest unsafe driving tradition. This habit has caused many road accidents not only in the US but also to other countries across the world. According to the FIA Foundation, this habit contributes to more than seventy percent of the road accidents today. It has also been a big issue to try to educate people the importance of not engaging in the dangerous behavior since most drivers lose patience and fear that they would be late to their destinations (FIA Foundation web). Another dangerous driving habit that has been on the increase is driving while under the influence of alcohol.  

Evaluation of Diabetes Mellitus Intervention Plan Essay

Evaluation of Diabetes Mellitus Intervention Plan - Essay Example The paper looks into the evaluation of the intervention plans proposed earlier. Nutrition formed the necessary intervention plan for diabetic patients because of the sensitivity of the condition to blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels depend directly on the diet adopted by a patient. The evaluation of the nutrition plan looks into the physiological changes in the patients. A clear evaluation plan dictates the success of the dietary intervention programs because adjustments are possible to ascertain the accomplishment of the intended purpose (Ali, Echouffo-Tcheugui & Williamson, 2012). As a change in lifestyle, nutritional adjustment should come with benefits. Evaluation of the intervention plans can take place via three different strategies. With each type designed to ensure the patients suffering from diabetes mellitus comply and exhibit an improvement in their health status. The first method is the formative that entails providing the diabetic patients with information regarding a particular intervention plan. At this stage, the patients must confirm their full comprehension of the beneficial features of the program in question. In the nutritional intervention program, the patients need to be fully aware of the advantages of adjusting their diet. It is mandatory for the nurse to confirm the convenience and suitability of the nutritional program for its intended purpose. Scientific coherence consideration occurs at the informative stage. The second method applicable in the evaluation of the nutritional plan is process evaluation. It is vital for the nurses to have information perception adopted by the patients of the plan. The process evaluation presents a platform through which the nurses can determine the level of interest and willingness of the diabetic patients to embrace the nutritional plan. At this point, based on the reaction of the patients, adjustments are

Hospital Acquired Infections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hospital Acquired Infections - Essay Example According to the study both patients and healthcare providers should collaborative to alleviate favorability of the environment that allows HAIs to thrive. Resolutions to this problem should also focus on the likely implications that they create. Ethical, legal, financial, social, economic, and political implications are realized in the HAIs context. Every individual that these implications affect can actively constitute a resolution to the underlying problem. In other words, the collaboration of patients and healthcare providers at all levels serve as an adequate source of solutions to the problem of HAIs and subsequent negative implications. This paper outlines that healthcare organizations among other stakeholders in the healthcare sector already run measures and programs that are tailored towards alleviating the problem of HAIs and the implications it poses to the healthcare sector. In other words, there are some solutions that are already implemented in healthcare organizations. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities run preventative measures to minimize cases of HAIs, which consequently influences the manner in which HAIs implications are dealt with. Creating awareness about HAI and other related infections have exacerbated in the recent times. On the same note, addressing medical errors, HAIs included is not a cheap pursuit. Funds have been mobilized and still continue to be mobilized for healthcare pursuits that relate to medical errors. Interventions and intensive research into medical errors, and specifically HAIs continue to be undertaken, serving as a critical resolution pursuit to HAI and other medical errors problems.  

ITT Tech MA3110 Vocab 1 Essay Example for Free

ITT Tech MA3110 Vocab 1 Essay Statistics – the science of planning studies and experiments, obtaining data, and then organizing, summarizing, presenting, analyzing, interpreting, and drawing conclusions based on the data. Population – the collection of all elements to be studied. Census – a collection of data from every member of the population Sample – a subset of members selected from a population Vocabulary 1 – Chapter 1 Section 2 Statistical Significance – an arbitrary limit where an observed difference is reasonably assumed to be due to some factor other than pure chance. Practical significance – an arbitrary limit where an observed difference is of some practical use in the real world. Vocabulary 1 – Chapter 1 Section 3 Parameter – a numerical measurement of a population characteristic. Statistic – a numerical measurement of a sample characteristic. Quantitative Data – data that consists of numbers representing counts of measurements. Categorical Data – data that can be separated into different categories that are distinguished by some nonnumeric characteristic. Discrete Data – data that has a finite number or countable number of possible values. Continuous Data – data that has an infinite number of possible values, with no gaps in the possible values. Nominal Level of Measurement – data that are qualitative only. Ordinal Level of Measurement – data that can be ordered, but computational differences are meaningless. Interval Level of Measurement – data that are ordinal level, and also having meaningful computational differences, but having no significant zero value. Ratio Level of Measurement – data that are interval level, and also having meaningful computational differences, and having a significant zero value. Vocabulary 1 – Chapter 1 Section 4 Voluntary Response Sampling – a style of sampling that incorporates non probability sampling methods in its research. Correlation – the degree to which two or more attributes or measurements on the same group of elements show a tendency to vary together. Causality – the principle that nothing can happen without being caused. Order of Questions – sometimes survey questions  are unintentionally loaded by factors of the items being considered. Nonresponse – occurs when someone either refuses to respond to a survey question or is unavailable. Missing Data – occurs when no data value is stored for the variable in an observation. Vocabulary 1 – Chapter 1 Section 5 Observational Study – observe and gather data without attempting to modify the subjects. Experiment – apply some treatment and then observe the effects of the treatment on the subjects. Simple Random Sample – a sample of n subjects that is selected in a way that makes every possible sample of size n is equally likely. Random Sample – a sample in which each individual member of a population is equally likely to be chosen. Probability Sample – a sample in which each individual member of a population has a known chance of being chosen. Systematic Sample – a sample selected by choosing a starting point in the list of subjects and then selecting every kth subject from that point on. Convenience Sample – a sample selected by choosing subjects that are most easily accessed. Stratified Sample – a sample selected by dividing the population into at least two subgroups and then choosing subjects from each subgroup. Cluster Sample – a sample selected by dividing the population into at least two subgroups, randomly selecting subgroups, and then choosing all subjects from the selected subgroups. Sampling Error – error in a statistical analysis arising from the unrepresentativeness of the sample taken.

Retailing in the Digital Age :: M&M’s World at Leicester Square

Introduction To expand the customers’ shopping experience and satisfaction, the atmosphere while they are shopping was necessary. The atmospherics were first founded by Kotler (1973) as an essential instrument to hold the shopping environment to produce the emotional effect on the customer buying decision. There are further studied to classify these. However, most of them were about the physical environment but after the 21st century, concepts of an online store were applied. Multiple channels are a concept of this era, to be the survivor retailers have to adapt themselves as well. This report contains the findings and analyses, which include the atmospheric variables, online retail environment, online retail atmosphere and opportunities and challenge of e-retailing. Findings and Analyses Atmospherics in term of Kotler (1973) definition are an important marketing tool that effect directly to the customer behaviour. Putting it simply, this is about the sensory effect atmosphere including sight, sound, scent and touch. This is also a part of the product that could effect to the consumer behaviour. To attempt and hold the specific segment of the target could increase the atmosphere in the store an increase buyers’ rate consumption thereby causing the increase of purchase probability. According to Turley and Milliman (2000), the behaviour of consumer could influence by the environment. From the study, there could come up with five categories that effect to the consumers’ evaluation and lead the behaviour response consist of external variables, general interior variables, layout and design variables, point-of-purchase and decoration variables and human variables as can be seen in figure 1. Figure 1: Turley and Milliman’s retail atmospherics framework Nowadays, the retail industry transitioned from brick-and-mortar to click-and-mortar retailing. As a result of developing on the Internet that has increased the flexibility for retailers to operate an online store in addition from their physical store. Moreover, the online channel also offers the benefit in selling products to the online shopper that value another customer segment (Ofek et al, 2010). Otherwise, the consumers’ behaviour in the era was not relying on one channel. They use relevant of technologies to search for an information in different ways, such as, read reviews from other customers, visit the physical store before purchasing online, finding the best price of purchase (Aubrey and Judge, 2012). This could illustrate that the customers use multi-channel for their purchase decision. In the 21st century, customers tend to be the multi-channel shopper that effect in the retailing industry.

DISCRIMINATION Essay -- essays research papers

Although I had always thought that I could never be discriminated for any reason, two years ago I felt discriminated. One Friday, while working in a large corporation in the administrative department, the president of the corporation organized a meeting for the administrative and accounting departments. The president of the company mentioned that the accounting department was opening a new position as Junior Controller Management. Moreover, he said that there were only two candidates who were postulated for it. I knew I was one of them. In fact, most of my co-workers started talking about it and all were claiming me as the winner. I was extremely happy. But, I wanted to wait for the real nomination that was going to take place the following Friday after the executive meeting in which each department’s director needed to vote either for me or for my co-worker, who was a man older than me. I knew I did not have to worry, so I was extremely relax the entire week. I always loved to work, and I always did a good job, so I thought that the position as a Junior Controller was mine. Unfortunately, it was not true. Although management knew that I was extremely qualified for the position, they could not give it to me for two reasons. The first one is that I was only 22 years old, and they thought that I was too young to handle such a high level position. Second, they told me, men always occupied the highest positions in this company, and even if they understand that life had evolved ...

Whay Is There a Lack of Active Teacher Participation in Curriculum Development

Why is there a lack of active teacher participation in curriculum development? ED359 RESEARCH PROJECT Dharmendra . P. Sharma S99007424 Introduction and background In Fiji and in many Pacific Island countries there is a serious lack of active teacher participation in the curriculum development and implementation process. While there are some practicing teachers who write the curriculum in certain subject areas they are merely excluded from the decision making process regarding what is to be taught in schools and how it is taught.Curriculum development is considered a dynamic process and curriculum can be constructed through the work of the main stakeholders who are the teachers. However in most Pacific Island countries this may not be the case as the curriculum is sometimes referred to as a â€Å"Teacher proof† and â€Å"ready to teach† curriculum meaning that they do not have the liberty to choose from and modify certain aspects of the material given to better suit the classroom situation.From most of the research conducted in the past three decades it is clearly identified there is a serious concern regarding their involvement in setting the objectives, determining the teaching /learning approaches and the evaluation process . These aspects are largely taken care off by the Curriculum Development Unit. AimWith this is mind the aim of this research project is to investigate the reasons for the lack of active teacher participation in curriculum development and also to investigate strategies that would encourage more participation in every level of the decision making process when it comes to the development and implementation of curriculum in this country. After all teachers play a pivotal role in implementing the curriculum. At present the development and implementation are carried out by two different sets of people.The main research question therefore is why there is a lack of active teacher participation in curriculum development. This research project is justified as curriculum development is a universal issue and is of major importance in the pacific region as we try and adopt a curriculum which is suitable and relevant. The focus and the limitations The focus is mainly on the curriculum practices in Fiji with a few examples from around the region and some developed countries such as Australia and the United States. This provides a basis for comparison with the issues that we are facing.Studies from developed countries are also important in the sense that teachers in these countries have the liberty to choose from a given curriculum to be applied in the classroom. The main limitation of this research project is that curriculum change is a long term process and with the ongoing research in the areas of curriculum development there are many questions that are still unanswered. With the limited time and resources it may be difficult to look into all the areas of curriculum development. Another limitation for this project i s in regards to the Data collection.Getting views from all the Heads Of departments who are currently involved in curriculum development will not be possible as a result of time and financial constraints. Delimitations The study is delimited to Heads of Departments, Teachers with at least 5 years experience, Senior C. D. U officials and Principals of secondary schools. The research question The Main research question for this project is â€Å"Why is there a lack of active teacher Participation in Curriculum Development? † Since this is a sensitive issue in Pacific Education there are some prominent Pacific Academics Who have already looked into this Problem .Some of the issues that are highlighted in most of the available literature can be clearly divided into the following subtopics. Inadequate Training, The lack of Incentives, The role of principals and administrators, the role of the CDU and the school based curriculum development and the ten percent model. Literature revi ew Inadequate training The articles point out that most teachers are not taking part actively in curriculum development because they lack skills in that area. According to (Sharma) Teachers at times lack the necessary skills to take part in the curriculum development process.This is regarded as a major limitation in the area of School Based Curriculum Development which is applicable to Fiji. (Sharma, pp 5-8). In the case of Kiribati the case is more extreme as teachers in the field lack the basic teacher education in the first place. Tearo mentions that many of the teachers who remain in the teaching profession have no formal teacher training at all (Tearo,pp-9-11). This brings us directly to the issue of Teacher training. There is a need for relevant programs in the teacher training courses to deal with the issue of curriculum development and implementation. Thaman 1990) highlights the fact that the teacher education programs have not prepared the teachers for this new role therefo re they lack the necessary skills to actively take part . (Thaman 1990,pp 1-12) In the past teachers did not require teacher training in order to be posted to schools . This has a negative impact on the students educational achievements . Without this basic training in place curriculum development is definitely out of the question for most of the teachers. The lack of financial incentives A major issue while dealing with teacher participation in curriculum development is the issue of the remuneration.Most of the articles highlight the fact that the financial incentives provided are not attractive enough for the teachers. This scenario is directly related to the fact that the CDU lacks financial resources to adequately reward the teachers who at times have to spend the school holidays developing curriculum. In his report to the Fiji Islands Education Panel ( Sharma2001)clearly recommends the need for an increase in funding and resources that is allocated to the CDU in order to allow the Unit to play a more effective role in providing school based assistance to teachers. Sharma2001). (Young 1988) also highlights the plight of teachers In Canada where they felt that they were not adequately compensated for the time they spent in curriculum development activities. (Young 1988,pp109-121). In an invited plenary paper, presented at a regional conference in 1990 Thaman mentions that the teachers lack the professional and material support to be effectively involved in curriculum development process (Thaman 1990, pp1-12). The role of the Principal and administrators Another important reason that affects the degree of teacher participation in urriculum development is the role of the school principals. When the teachers have a favorable environment in school there is the possibility that their participation rates will increase . These includes the introduction of staff development programs. The Principals play an important role as according to (Sharma) they can help the t eachers change their attitude towards curriculum and also their profession in general. This is also a recommendation that was made to the education Panel in 2000(Sharma).There is also a challenge here for the teachers as at times the principals and administrators do not fully realize the important role teachers can play in curriculum development and they seem to adopt a narrow minded approach towards the role of the teachers . They do not allow them to participate in curriculum activities outside the school and also giving little recognition to the work of the teachers. Young 1988 clearly identifies the problem as ion her paper she highlights one of the critical findings.The administrators had a narrow view on the role of the teachers and the teachers received little recognition as well as the principals negative response to the release required by b the teachers to take part in curriculum development activities which at times required a two day release. (Young 1988,pp109-121). The Role of the CDU The Curriculum development Unit also plays an important role in encouraging a higher degree of teacher participation in Curriculum development.Although some teachers are involved in designing the curriculum they have little role to play when it comes to the decision making process on what is to be sent to schools as prescriptions. According to (Sharma 2001) some teachers expressed their concerns on the educational value of many curriculum materials sent to schools. (Sharma 2001). This is one of the reasons teachers do not feel like participating in Curriculum development activities as the prescriptions given by the CDU are making the teachers more passive and de-skilled.This leads to a more laid back approach and decreases the teachers desire to participate in curriculum development programs. School Based Curriculum development and The Ten percent model School, based curriculum development is also an initiative which will widely increase the rate of teacher participa tion. This is a move away from the more centralized models of development such as system and school based models. The teachers role in the curriculum development process cannot be overemphasized .The teachers can tasked with 10% of the over curriculum enabling them to work in areas of curriculum development in which they have most interest in. With this the teachers should be given more responsibility to develop curriculum at the school level. The curriculum can then be developed by the teachers themselves or in partnership with the parents and the communities. (Garret R. M 1990). Sharma also emphasizes the importance of school based curriculum development as teachers can be given the task of preparing curriculum for non-examination based subjects such as music and art& craft. Sharma) The school based approach and the 10% model are effective tools as they can boost the morale of the teachers and encourage them to be involved actively in the curriculum development process. These are the factors that are responsible for the low degree of teacher participation in curriculum development. Improvements in these areas are required in achieving an education system which will include teachers more actively in the curriculum development. Methodology Project Design The research method for this project is that of a Qualitative nature.The design is that of a case study . This research method and design are most suitable for this particular research project as there are multiple possibilities or outcomes possible for the research question. An Inductive nature of reasoning is synonymous with qualitative studies Samples are taken from populations to draw conclusions for the whole population. (Leedy&Omrod 2010). In this project interviews with teachers will provide a basis for drawing conclusions for teachers in general in regards to their response to the research question.Case studies are useful in evaluating any educational approach which in this case is Curriculum Developme nt. Sample & Population This study is aimed at the teachers who play the most important role in curriculum development and design as they are the implementers of curriculum themselves. CDU officials and Principals of Secondary Schools will also be aimed in this study as the secondary targets to clarify some of the issues raised in this research project. Data Collection and Analysis Data will be collected mainly in the form of interviews.For this purpose a recording device will be utilized as well as notes taken alongside. For the interviews prior arrangements will be made with the respectable institutions. Consent forms will be utilized for this exercise . The interviews will include open ended questions. The data collected from these interviews will then be organized thematically. Some of procedures utilized in organizing and analyzing data will be followed. This will include open coding, Axial coding, Selective coding, finding patterns and determining categories Results (Research findings)/DiscussionsThe teacher’s perspective on curriculum development From the several teachers who were interviewed and from the general talanoa sessions the data collected were assigned descriptive codes and the relationship s were used to determine common themes. This was an essential step to be used in presenting the research findings. From the interview with the several teachers from schools around the Suva area, the following categories were present after analyzing the data. * Experience/Inadequate training * Workload * Financial incentives * Teacher proof curriculum * External factors Experience/Inadequate trainingMajority of the teachers who were interviewed mentioned that they felt that more experience was required to take part in curriculum development activities . The normal selection criteria as mentioned by a senior education official in the C. D. U requires a teacher to have at least five years experience as well as to be the Head Of Department in that subjec t of interest to be considered by the C. D. U. The teachers also mentioned that being involved in Curriculum development was a task too difficult for them as they had taught that particular subject for only a certain number of years.A teacher who had 17 years of work experience admitted that she felt at ease while working as a curriculum developer and was never under any real pressure. Another interesting point mentioned was that most of the teachers did not undergo proper training in order to fully understand the importance of curriculum work in their teacher education programs. This as mentioned by some of the teachers was one of the major reasons for them lacking the general interest to take part on the curriculum development process. This goes well in line with the Research findings of Akhilanand Sharma.Where he mentions that Teachers may lack the necessary skills to take part in the curriculum development process. This is regarded as a major limitation in the area of School Bas ed Curriculum Development which is applicable to Fiji. (Sharma, pp 5-8). This clearly shows that if the teachers do not acquire the necessary skills, this becomes a limiting factor in their participation in curriculum development activities Workload Another area of concern for the teachers was the immense workload that they had as compared to the yesteryears . ith the introduction of the classroom based assessment and internal assessment there was more work for the teachers. Upon invitation by the C. D. U the teachers sometimes had to think twice as participation in curriculum workshops meant playing catch up later which can be a daunting task . This was one of the reasons given for not being actively involved in curriculum work. Young 1988 mentions that her study of teachers involved in curriculum work the teachers found little point in taking part when the materials produced were not necessarily used and on top of that it added to an n already heavy teaching load. Young 1988, pp11 9) Although this particular research was carried out in Canada from the informal conversations with the teachers there was a always a mention of the extra workload. – Financial incentives Although the teachers knew that it was important to contribute towards curriculum development majority felt that there was a general lack in financial incentives. Although amounts were not disclosed some teachers felt that that were not receiving the correct financial compensation for their time spent in developing curriculum.An interesting comment was made by one of the teachers as she mentioned that if curriculum review work was being funded by AID Organizations such as Aus Aid then the financial rewards were way better off than compared to being involved in curriculum activities with the local government. Thaman 1988 highlighted the plight for teachers as she mentioned that financial assistance to teachers in the form of allowances was merely enough to compensate the teachers for their ti me and effort and was minimal when compared to the huge amounts spent on overseas consultants. (Thaman 1988, pp4). This is certainly an area that needs to be looked into.However this depend on the current political and economic climate of the country concerned and also the policies that are in place in regards to financing curriculum development work. Teacher proof curriculum Most teachers believed that the C. D. U was providing prescriptions with largely ready to teach material and therefore the teaching becomes passive and the teachers are not challenged enough. Majority of the participants believed tha5t they were comfortable with this particular approach while come voiced their concerned as ready to teach materials were undermining the professional capabilities of the teachers.This seriously highlights the need to adopt the school based curriculum development model as mentioned by Sharma, where teachers select from whatever curriculum material is available and develop them for f urther use in the classrooms (Sharma). External factors There were other factors which were mentioned by the Heads of Departments . These included factors such as family commitment, the attitude of the principals towards their participation in curriculum activities. Some teachers mentioned that the principals at times had a negative attitude towards them participating in curriculum development activities.The curriculum development Unit From the interviews carried out at the curriculum development the data gathered can be categorized in the following areas * The actual process * The attitude of teachers * Financial benefits * The credibility of the C. D. U officers The actual process A senior education officer explained that the actual process in curriculum development. The Heads of departments who are selected for curriculum activities were done through recommendation from the C. D. U officials who conducted curriculum workshops in various schools.Upon selection the participants wer e trained in their respective areas. An interesting point to note here is that there are different groups assigned to the different tasks involved in the curriculum development process. While one group wrote the curriculum another group carried out the vetting and editing . This was required to make improvements to the curriculum produced. It verified the context, avoided repetition of concepts from another subject area and generally raised the standard of the curriculum material produced. At the point where decisions are made by the C.D. U on what is to be taught in schools the representatives of the teachers are informed of the implementation. The senior education officer also mentioned that some teachers may not be aware of the curriculum changes if the representatives fail to pass on the message to their colleagues. It is argued by Stenhouse 1975that prescriptions should be curriculum proposals that inform the teachers planning of the teaching and learning process rather than to determine the teacher’s plan of action. (Stenhouse 1975) The attitude of teachersAnother important point to mention that the C. D. U officials highlighted was that there were rare cases when the teachers rejected the offer to participate in curriculum work. This was mainly because of the fear of participating in curriculum development activities which was considered to be a higher level playing field as compared to teaching in the classrooms. As a result of this certain teachers had declined the offer to contribute towards curriculum development in their subject areas. Financial benefits Upon questioning the senior education officer agreed that financial ompensation may be a factor affecting certain teachers from participating in curriculum work. The Ministry Of Education has set aside a certain portion of their budget for curriculum development activities. The Officer mentioned that in certain cases the teachers who travelled from the rural areas had to file for claims on t he expenses incurred and it would take some time before they received their claims. There were some cases where the claims filed were not received on time and these may be the teachers who felt that they were not being compensated properly.The teachers generally had become money –minded and were not concerned about the important role they played in developing or reforming curriculum at the national level. The credibility of the C. D. U officers One of the major concerns that have been raised in many research papers is the creditability of the C. D. U officers in being part of the curriculum process. Upon questioning a senior education official mentioned that the selection criteria for the officials were very strict and personnel selected for positions within the department were highly qualified and carried the necessary experience.For example in senior positions most officials had more than a decade of experience. This is directly in line with the comments made regarding the department where Sharma 2001 mentioned that some C. D. U staff were not suitably qualified to develop and implement curriculum (Sharma p281) The Principals role in curriculum development. The principal plays an important role in facilitating active teacher participation in curriculum development. From the interviews conducted one very important theme can be derived. This includes Principal’s involvement in Curriculum developmentIt can be clearly identified that the principals are mostly willing to allow their teachers to participate in curriculum work. There was an exception however if the C. D. U requested the help of the teachers at a busy time in the annual calendar. If the Principal felt that the teachers performance in school would be affected he or she would not allow the teacher to engage in curriculum work. All the principals interviewed shared the same opinion. Development programs were also in place in collaboration with the C. D.U to facilitate the training of teac hers in the field of curriculum development . When posed with the question of their involvement in curriculum development, the principals mentioned that their first priority was the administrative affairs of the school simply meaning that curriculum development was not really a priority. As mentioned in a paper entitled â€Å"Principal a s a curriculum facilitator† Dr Sharma mentions that a contemporary secondary school principal is more involved in the administrative affairs of the school and as a result curriculum work is assigned top department heads .This has a major effect on the leadership and the supervisory role as a whole. (Sharma 1992, pp 18). One of the principals disagree with this notion stating that he was able to perform his duties as a leader by maintaining a balance between issues within the school and national issues such as curriculum work. Conclusion The research project makes an attempt to understand the reasons behind the lack of active teacher participa tion in curriculum development in the context of the Fiji Islands.The Research Question is to investigate the reasons for the lack of active teacher participation in curriculum development and also to investigate strategies that would encourage more participation in every level of the decision making process when it comes to the development and implementation of curriculum in Fiji. As a result of this the main target audience in the research includes the Heads of Departments who are actually involved in curriculum work at the ground level; the secondary target audiences are the Curriculum Development unit staff and Principals from selected schools from the Greater Suva Area.The Method use for this research is the Qualitative approach as there are multiple possibilities and outcomes for the study. From the small scale research conducted it can be clearly identified that there may be several reasons why teachers may not be actively participating in curriculum development. From the Tea chers perspective the reasons include the lack of training and inexperience, financial intensives and some external factors such as the role of the school, principals as they are the facilitators in encouraging active participation of teachers in curriculum development work.However from the information gathered at the C. D. U it can be stated that there may be some changes in the role that teachers play in the developing and implementing curriculum at the national level. Their role has become more active as they are being thoroughly consulted in all levels of the decision making process except the policy making of the Curriculum development Unit. As The research project was inspired by a paper written in the year 2000 it can be seen that there have been major reforms when it comes to the teacher’s role in curriculum development.It must be noted that the Principals also play an important role in encouraging teachers to be part of the curriculum process . It can be clearly iden tified from the data collected that there are programs in place which are focused at the professional development of the teachers. The principals therefore are facilitating and providing an encouraging environment for the teachers so that they can become active participants in the curriculum, development process It can be stated that in the coming years there will be a greater participation from the teachers in the curriculum development process.This is mainly due to the changes that are visible at present. With teacher education programs emphasizing curriculum development and the changing roles of the school principals it can be said that the future is looking bright as far as curriculum development is concerned in Fiji. References 1. Garret. R. M. 1990. The introduction of a school based curriculum development in a centralized education system ;A possible System†. In international Journal of educational Development,109(4)303-309. 2. Leedy. Paul D &Ormrod Jeanne E, 2010 Pract ical research, planning and design and design. Interenational Edition. New Jersey .Pearson educational Inc. 3. Sharma, Akhilanand. â€Å"Teacher Participation in curriculum Development-The Fiji context. † directions. . page. Web. 12 Aug. 2012. http://directions. usp. ac. fj/collect/direct/index/assoc/D1175398. dir/doc. pdf 4. Sharma, A. 2001. The National curriculum . In Learning together: Directions for education in the Fiji Islands (Ministry of Education Report of the Fiji Islands Education Commission/Panel 2000 pp278-89). Suva, Fiji: Government Printer. 5. Sharma, Akhilanand. â€Å"The Principal as a curriculum facilitator. â€Å"Directions. n. page. Web. 17 Aug. 2012. . 6. Stenhouse, L. 1975. An introduction to curriculum research and development, London: Heinemann 7. The National curriculum . In learning together: Directions for education in the Fiji Islands, Tewaeariki. â€Å"Strategies for optimizing the input of Teachers to Curriculum Development in Kiribati. †Å"Directions. n. page. Web. 17 Aug. 2012. . 8. Thaman, K. Helu. â€Å"Towards a Culture Sensitive Model of Curriculum Development for Pacific Island Countries. â€Å"Directions. n. page. Web. 16 Aug. 2012. . 9. Young, Jean. H. â€Å"Teacher Participation on Curriculum Development: What status does it have? † 3. 2 (1988): 109-121. Web. 17 Aug. 2012 Appendices For this project both structured and unstructured questions were utilized to gather the data required. For the teachers the questions mainly involved * Their involvement in the curriculum development process. * The quality of the materials produced at the C. D. U. * Whether the materials were teacher proof or not. * Their views on the reasons why they may not be actively participating in curriculum process if that is the case.For the C. D. U officers the questions involved * Explanations on the curriculum process. * Their views whether teachers were actively participating in The curriculum development process. * The sel ection criteria for the C. D. U officers For the principals the questions mainly involved * Their willingness to allow teachers to participate in curriculum activities. * Their involvement in Curriculum development. * The programs in the school that encourage professional development of the teachers. * Their views on the current state of affairs in regards to