Employer's Duty of Care and Issues of Compensation Assignment - 1

Employer's Duty of Care and Issues of Compensation - Assignment Example If the instructions are not stated clearly, the employee may act in good faith to fulfill a particular duty of obedience. This should be done in a manner that is reasonable especially considering the existing circumstances at that particular moment. Jake has been employed on a contract basis as certified auto mechanic at the Rally motors. This therefore means that Jake may perform any job assigned to him by his employer provided the job is reasonable. Even as Jake performs the job assigned to him, he is aware of what is expected of him by the federal or state regulations. Basing on the movie, one can comfortably say that Jake’s actions are within his scope of employment. The current job of oil change is, most likely, not what Jake expected as he entered into an employment agreement with Herman. Instead it is a promotional offer invented by Herman to attract more customers as he says that as the customers’ cars are being serviced, the customers get a chance to check out the new car models. So Jake may argue that as far as what is expected of him in terms of standards is concerned, his actions are within his scope of employment (Goss, 2004). It may be argued that every employee has an obligation to perform his duties as directed by his employer. Such arguments may be as a result shortsightedness in terms of the potential impacts it may have on the business in the future. In this case, for example, customers expect a fully serviced vehicle from the service department especially if the service personnel like Jake are certified. So, it is Jake’s responsibility to do thorough service work on the customers’ vehicles and this includes checking and where possible servicing the tires, brakes and transmission as would be expected of a certified auto mechanic (Murolo & Chitty, 2001). This ensures that the vehicle is safe for driving by the customer. If a vehicle from the service centre gets involved in an accident and the resultant

The Mental Health Nurses Role Social Work Essay

The Mental Health Nurses Role Social Work Essay Care planning, provision and management are essential parts of the mental health nurses role. Ongoing interaction and assessment of clients needs creates a basis for providing and organising care that is inclusive, effective and adaptive through evaluation and review. The creation of a framework of care established on the premise of recovery, as it is viewed in mental health terms, can not only provide for a clients basic needs but can also allow them to continue to grow as an individual and lead a fulfilling life even in the presence of a mental health problem or illness (Hall, Wren Kirby, 2008). This case study will explain and discuss the nursing care of an individual that has a mental health problem. A plan of care will be outlined including the reasoning and evidence base that prompted such direction. Parahoo (2006) reminds us that all nursing practice should be based on sound principles and processes that stem from reliable sources. Firstly we will look at the specifics of the scenario and set up some working premises which will then allow us to further speculate on the development and implementation of a structured care plan. The case study is based around a 69 year old female named Simone. After recent lapses in memory, orientation and changes in mood were disclosed to her GP she was further assessed and consequently diagnosed with early onset dementia. Simone lives with her 40 year old daughter in a semi detached bungalow in a quiet suburban area. Simones daughter has paraplegia after an accident ten years ago. She is able to care for herself to a certain extent but does require occasional assistance from Simone. Simones daughter also recently experienced bouts of depression which lasted several months. Recently Simone had an incident when she became disorientated on a trip to the local shops and had to be escorted home by a neighbour. The role of the nurse in this case study is that of a community psychiatric nurse working with older adults. After meeting Simone and carrying out an initial assessment there are several pertinent pieces of information to continue with: Simone appears to be physically well and her home is clean and well equipped for both her and her daughter; She seems to understand where she is but at times can become flustered when unable to answer certain questions; Her daughter reports that, on a few recent occasions, Simone has burned food while cooking; She has no other family living locally and has lost touch with many of her friends since looking after her daughter; Simone states that she does not require any assistance at this time as she feels that she will be able to cope, however, she seems to be very anxious about her diagnosis and the consequences for her and her daughter and whether they will be able to continue managing to live at home. To be able to begin to make any kind of conjecture on what plans of care may be suitable for Simone we have to make several key assumptions about the skill of the nurse. For this we will use some of the attributes identified by Gerard Egan (2010) in his skilled helper model. Firstly we must assume that through accomplished communication skills and core empathic values a working therapeutic relationship is possible to establish. Also that the care plan proposals which are being put forward are ones that have been discussed and accepted by all involved parties as suitable to Simones preferences after reviewing alternatives. Finally, we must presume that through encouragement, motivation and reasoning, Simone will consent to nursing, psychiatric and other agency involvement. From the initial assessment it would seem that Simone has an apparent need for information pertaining to her condition as well as emotional support and counselling. She may require psychiatric input in terms of ongoing assessment, medication prescribing and monitoring. It also seems as though Simone may need some sort of support or assistance in certain daily activities, this could be direct support or the creation of systems and routines which enable her to perform tasks independently. A growing level of social isolation looks to be occurring and Simone may benefit by having assistance to address this. Simone may need access to support groups relating to her diagnosis of dementia, her role as a carer but also to her social and personal interest or activities. These could promote social inclusion as well as cognitive enhancement. Simone has also stated that she has concerns over the wellbeing of her daughter if she should be unable to perform the duties for her that she has up until this point. This may require a level of involvement within Simones care for her daughter, to learn about Simones condition and also to look at possible ways in which she can assist, perhaps by considering some form of support for herself or by means of being actively involved in the care plans. Therefore, with these needs in mind, we can begin to create an all encompassing, holistic care plan which is not purely based on the historical medical model that you are ill and we can cure you, or even the more modern social model that purports that you have needs and we can meet them but is instead more firmly based on the progressive view of recovery which states that you may have a problem but with help you can grow beyond it (Hall, Wren Kirby, 2008). This positivity in the face of such adversity may go against the grain of traditional treatment of dementia sufferers but the goal of restoring and maintaining mental health to its achievable optimum capacity, even when it may be in inexorable decline, should remain exactly the same as in all other areas of mental health treatment (Hughes, 2006). For care plans to be efficient they also have to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed (SMART), as this allows a flexibility to the planning process because effectivene ss can be evaluated and appropriate changes can be made as required (Brooker Waugh, 2007). So for this particular case study, the initial care plan would comprise of tasks for the nurse to complete, either as a direct care provider or as a care manager. These tasks would hopefully address the current needs of Simone over an interim period, whilst improving relations, knowledge, involvement and empowerment which could help to provide her with a greater amount of control over her current situation. The tasks will firstly be detailed in a basic format and then what each task entails will be comprehensively discussed thereafter. As care provider: Weekly home visits Liaise with psychiatrist, monthly psychiatric appointments Family work Risk assessment Creation of advanced statements As care manager: Link in with multidisciplinary team Signpost, assist to access support/interest groups Being able to have face to face communication with an individual on a regular basis is the cornerstone of effective nursing practice (Ewels Simnett, 2003). As Simone had stated that she did not feel that she required any external involvement at this time, even when we are working on the assumption that she will accept it, it would be important not to initially overwhelm her. She may be feeling very frightened and vulnerable. A study of older independent living people in 1998 identified dementia as a primary fear, rating higher than cancer (Mackinlay, 2006). General awareness of dementia issues is relatively low even though it is a common enough condition to affect more than 1 in 100 people aged over 65 (Alzheimers Scotland, 2010). A bombardment of too much input or information may cause her to be defensive and withdraw her engagement with CPN services. Starting off with a planned weekly visit of around one hour in length which follows up on the preliminary visit and assessment would perhaps not seem overly intrusive. During this time the nurse can provide much needed emotional support and counselling, building up a more robust working relationship. Information about Simones diagnosis, such as how her dementia developed to this point, how it may progress in the future, what to expect, how to prepare, what options are available and any other pertinent questions can be answered as and when Simone feels ready to discuss such things. Overtime Simone can start to identify weaknesses to focus on and strengths which can be utilised and begin to compile her own plans and goals which she can work on in a more independent fashion. These can be more specific goals such as taking up a new hobby or interest or could even be to plan how to visit the local shops and return home safely or cook a meal without the worry of burning it. These goals can then be broken down into achievable tasks for Simone which she can carry out with minimal support. Increased independence can ofte n involve an element of therapeutic risk and it is important not to confuse care with control (Watkins, 2009). Weekly visits give the opportunity to provide tangible support and to continually assess the progress of Simones dementia, mental health, general health, the continuing suitability and condition of her residence, activity levels, relationships and inclusiveness in the wider community. Informal and also formal rating scales, such as the MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination), MADRS (Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale) as well as clinical observations can be regularly recorded to monitor any developments, patterns or trends. Frequent visits allow more effective methods of communication techniques to be developed which suit Simones personality and current capabilities. Care becomes not only person centred but also relationship centred and this bond can foster trust and relieve anxiety, stress and agitation (Innes, 2009) The community psychiatric nurse would work in tandem with a designated psychiatrist, reporting to them weekly. The psychiatrist that originally assessed Simone and made the diagnosis of dementia would be most preferable to aid continuity of care. For this commencement period of Simones involvement with psychiatric services to have a monthly appointment with a psychiatrist would be both realistic and achievable. This would be an opportunity to receive further support and review ongoing mental health and mental state assessments such as the MMSE or the more comprehensive ACE-R (Addenbrookes Cognitive Examination Revised). A psychiatrist would be able to provide any ongoing prescription support if required or provide access to relevant psychosocial therapies. The NICE-SCIE Guidelines for Dementia Care (2006) states that this would depend on the results of cognitive tests and perceived cognitive functioning. Using the MMSE as an example, it is recommended that only people with a score b etween 10-20, denoting moderate Alzheimers type dementia should begin courses of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors such as donepezil, galantamine and rivastigmine. The effectiveness of these drugs for individuals scoring lower than 10 points drops dramatically. For people with mild to moderate Alzheimers type dementia, scores over 20, should be given the opportunity to participate in structured group cognitive stimulation programmes and alternative therapies. In the journal article, Dementia: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Management, Salama (2008) recognises the effectiveness of these programmes and therapies for the management of cognitive symptoms such as agitation, anxiety, depression and aggression. It would seem from the needs outlined from the scenario this type of intervention would be beneficial to Simone. It is always important to remember that often people with dementia do not exist solely in isolation and inevitably family members and friends will become involved in their journey. Innes (2009) talks about the importance of a partnership between the nurse and individual diagnosed with dementia and states that these partnerships can extend to close family members or carers creating a triad of care. With Simones consent, sessions could include her daughter, helping to educate and inform her therefore better preparing her to cope with the possible demands of continued cohabitation with her mother. The NICE- SCIE Guidelines for Dementia Care (2006) state that people living in the community diagnosed with dementia should be supported to remain living in their own homes for as long as possible rather than being uprooted to an unfamiliar environment. Also if Simones dementia is seen to have a possible genetic link her daughter should be briefed on the risk of developing the condition hersel f. Simones daughter may be able to inform of ways in which she may be able to assist, however, the information provided in the case study suggests that due to Simones daughters disability her ability to support her mother in some aspects of care may be limited. Studies have consistently shown that stressors faced by family members of people with dementia are amongst the most difficult to cope with of all chronic illnesses and this can lead to an increased risk of depression, loneliness and self injury (Keady cited in Norman and Ryrie, 2009). As Simones daughter is already prone to depression a recommendation of how to assist her mother could be to receive more direct support herself subsequently alleviating some of the caring duties for Simone. The importance of relationships and friendships should not be underestimated. The emotional support from an extended social network can be invaluable and Simone should be encouraged to renew links with family and friends to strengthen existin g relations and reduce isolation. Leff and Warner (2006) identify social inclusion as one of the key factors to maximising mental health in dementia. One of the most important duties of the community mental health nurse is to ensure the health and wellbeing of the client, their family and wider community. In order to do this they have to assess the risks involved within the situation. For Simone, her recent dementia symptoms pose new risks, to herself and others, which consequently have to be identified and managed. The most appropriate way to assess risk is in conjunction with the individual you are working with, even though their view of the risks involved may vary from yours. This collaboration means that any decisions feel agreed rather than imposed and are therefore more likely to be conformed to whilst also enhancing the therapeutic relationship between the individual and nurse (Ramsay et al, 2001). From the case study we can see that there are possibilities for Simone to inadvertently bring harm to either herself, her daughter, her neighbours or even the wider community through a number of negative eventualities such as wan dering, causing fire hazards or lapses while driving if she does indeed drive. However, although assessing risk can highlight the dangers a situation or condition can cause it can also help to recognise positive skills and strengths which may be utilised. As part of a recovery focused care plan therapeutic risk must be considered and encouraged in order for Simone to maintain the sense that she is still author to her own story. Barker (2009) promotes the idea that personal growth and development through new or continued experiences does not stop with a diagnosis of mental illness or dementia but should be encouraged to continue unabated. Another consideration which could be brought to Simones attention is advanced statements. These are personal statements of preference in terms of the types of treatments a person with a mental illness may or may not wish to have in the future in the event of a decline in their mental health. These wishes and preference must then be upheld under Part 18 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. Simone may not feel ready to start compiling these statements straight away but if she is aware of them, over time, her preferences can be documented. Under Part 17 Chapter 2 of the same mental health act Simone also has the right to independent advocacy which she may wish to utilise to create any advance statements or to reinforce them if required. If Simones dementia does decline to the stage where she is no longer deemed to have adequate capacity for appropriate decision making she would come under the legal realm of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. In tim es of better mental health Simone may wish to select a named person to act on her behalf should this be required in the future. All decisions made on Simones behalf must be to her benefit and be the least restrictive option. With these factors in mind, part of the community psychiatric nurses role would be to promote the use of advance statements in order that Simone may continue to be cared for in a manner of her choosing, even after the possible loss of capacity, thus maintaining a sense of self and control over her own treatment. Both of these elements are identified by Pilgrim (2009) as being key points in aiding recovery in mental health treatment. Multidisciplinary team and multiagency working is an essential part of modern health care provision (Brooker and Waugh, 2007). Community nurses can appear to be working autonomously but are often supported by and linked in with a number of other health professionals and social care workers such as physiotherapists, dieticians, occupational therapists, social workers, general practitioners, psychiatrists and care assistants to name but a few. Norman and Ryrie (2009) claim that the effectiveness of this way of working lies in the diversity of skills and experience which is able to be drawn upon to facilitate more effective care for specialist needs or requirements. In the case of Simone any identified needs that would be unable to be met by the community nurse or that would be more effectively met by other workers could be referred on. In this way Simones care becomes collaborative, with her at the centre and people with the specific knowledge and skills being utilised around her. As well as engagement with health and social care professionals there are numerous charities, agencies, groups and organisations that offer external support. For Simone this could be in the form of local support groups for issues that affect her, such as dementia, stress or being a carer, or could perhaps be more focused on activities that suit her general interests. The community psychiatric nurse could possibly assist Simone to source, access or even in the short term, attend these kinds of pursuits. Interacting with others in groups or focusing on enjoyable tasks has the therapeutic benefit of enhancing both social and cognitive proficiency for a person diagnosed with dementia (Gilhooly et al 2003). Leff and Warner (2006) also stress the importance of social inclusion by naming it amongst their four key areas for improved quality of life alongside independence, health and choice. So in summary, we have outlined the case study scenario of Simone, identified her needs and created a plan that is intended to meet these needs. In addition to meeting the identified needs, a deeper analysis of the plan depicts how it will benefit Simone in a more holistic sense. By keeping the notion of recovery firmly in mind, the overall aim is to build up Simone, the person, as a whole and not purely to assist with the symptoms of dementia. For Simone to recover she must be supported to live a full life in the existence if her dementia, be able to remain independent for as long as possible, be included in the community, plan for the future and enjoy a quality of life that she finds gratifying. As this care plan created for Simone progresses, being updated and augmented as required, it should mean that her dementia should become to be viewed as illness which is being managed and not as a defining characteristic of her personality. Paraphrasing from a letter written to the notable neurologist Oliver Sacks: A person does not consist of memory alone. They have feeling, will, sensibilities and moral being, matters of which neurology cannot speak. It is here, beyond the realm of an impersonal psychology, that you may find ways to touch them, and to change them (Luria cited in Sacks 1985).

Crusades :: essays research papers

While the goal of the Christian Crusades was only successful once, it still brought about many changes in the time including an end to feudalism, advancement in warfare, and expansion of trade. The Seljuq Turks began to take over â€Å"the Holy Land† in Palestine and this upset Pope Urban II. He was eager to regain the Holy Land and thus began the First Crusade. The French and Italian lords led armies through Palestine to their main target Jerusalem. They were heavy armor and wool while marching through the desert and because of this some died of heat exhaustion. Despite this problem, they reached Jerusalem and after many vicious battles the city was captured. Now most of the Holy Land was under European control. The Europeans brought many of their customs with them including feudalism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Turks slowly began to regain control of the Holy Land. They united and began to take back cities that were captured as a result the Second Crusade began. King Louis VII and Conrad III led armies to Damascus but they failed to recapture the city and the Turks still held power. In 1187 Saladin, a Muslim leader, gained control of Jerusalem. Frederick Barbarossa, King Philip II, and King Richard I led armies to take back the Holy Land in the Third Crusade. On the way there Barbarossa drowned so his army turned back. Philip and Richard got into a fight and Philip went back to France to take back land from the English. Richard went on to the Holy Land but failed to recapture it. He did make a truce with Saladin which allowed Christians to enter the Holy land and control of some towns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There was one last effort to take the Holy Land back by Pope Innocent III who put together French knights in the Fourth Crusade. The knights left on ships provided by Venice and were asked to attack Zadar, a rival trading city to Venice. Since Zadar was a Christian city the knights who attacked and looted it were excommunicated. The knights went on to attack and loot another Christian city Constantinople. The Crusades led to changes in the middle ages.

Lady Macbeth Chracter Sketch Essay

Still in her sleep, Lady Macbeth asks, â€Å"what, will these hands ne’re be clean? † foreseeing that she will never have peace of mind. She also tells events of the day Duncan was murdered. The doctor tells the gentlewoman that what Lady Macbeth needs is spiritual and not physical help. Lady Macbeth’s condition worsens, and she goes in and out of sleep with crazy visions. Macbeth asks the doctor to cure her or give her a drug that will erase the troubles of the heart. The doctor responds that he cures physical not mental problems. Later, as the battle is going on outside of Dunsinane, Lady Macbeth commits suicide. At the beginning Lady Macbeth finds strength to entice Macbeth to murder Duncan and to follow through with the murder herself. As time goes on, her pretended strength fais as she fights her conscience. Tending to her conscience consumes and enables her to support Macbeth against Malcolm. Lady Macbeth’s attempts to put down her conscience fails. At the end she chooses death because she can no longer bear the her guilt.

Ipad

Everywhere you look, there's an iPad. Apple's on a roll and is moving really quickly to not only expand its dominance but also to blanket every retail and reseller channel to get its devices into people's hands. Apple's pushing the iPad into every channel that it can because there's a major shift starting now in computing, from the laptop form factor to tablets, which leverage smartphone operating systems,. Apple started out using exclusive distribution when starting to sell the iPad in April of 2010 only through its own website and U. S. -based Apple stores.The company currently has a total of about 200 stores worldwide. Apple eventually began to take part in selective distribution by expanded to selling through Best Buy. More recently, the iPad has been made available through Amazon and Target (1,740 U. S. stores), and now debuts in some Wal-Mart and Verizon stores . The iPad is available through more than 2,300 stores by now. Apple Ipad is already a very successful product for the computer giant, and it can only get bigger as the company allows its largest distributors to provide all six models of the must-have tablet to authorized resellers across the U.S. This move continues Apple’s careful expansion of iPad availability, and allows users to gain access to the device at various locations worldwide. Tech Data Corporation, a major distributor of Apple’s products, revealed today that the company has now been given permission by Apple to sell the iPad to its customers for the first time – those customers being IT solution providers in over 100 countries. This is a significant move by Apple, as they’ve been very protective of the iPad’s image and third-party availability since the device’s launch back in April.Many online resellers can still only offer the iPad over the phone, as Apple’s strict rules prevent them from selling online due to the approval of promotional graphics. The move is sure to increase sales. Apple has expanded its go-to-market strategy for its iPad tablet device, pushing it through retailers such as Wal-Mart, expanding carrier sales through a deal with Verizon, and also taking the device through IT distribution via a deal with Tech Data

Ben Bernanke Recommendation Essays

Ben Bernanke Recommendation Essays Ben Bernanke Recommendation Essays While I respect Ben Bernanke’s approach to the Financial Crisis of 2008 to 2009, there was a better way to handle the situation. In order to understand this different plan, one must read this from the lens of a 2008 U.S citizen. This comes in the form of a 5 point fast recovery plan. The overarching idea to all of this is to, STOP THE BAILOUTS and FIX THE BANKS. The goal is to solve the loan issue, fix the derivative dilemma, and reassemble whole loan mortgage. In 2008, the US economy was shrinking quickly because businesses could not get the loans that the needed to optimally function. Lenders and Bankers had accumulated billions of dollars in bad loans and were afraid to give out any more. In response to this problem, the US government gave them billions of dollars in bailout money, but banks ended up keeping it for themselves. As a result, our financial system was seen as deceitful because there was a mixture of bad loans with the good ones. Banks did not trust ANY loan, an d the credit market stopped performing properly. The U.S bank continued to shrink until the bad loans could be straightened out. Once the bad loans are weeded out, they could be dealt will accordingly. Through this action, trust would be redeemed, credit would flow seamlessly, and the economy would expand. Out of political views and sheer ignorance, the government was spending trillions of dollars on â€Å"pork projects† and bailouts. Pork projects are defined as, spending which is intended to benefit constituents of a politician in return for their political support, either in the form of campaign contributions or votes. This was not the first financial crisis that the U.S has experienced, and the problem was remedied previously. A better fix was possible, which is involved in the plan. One must start with the Resolution Trust Corporation, which was created by the Federal Government to solve and settle a saving and loans problem back in the 1980’s. RTC should buy up securitized home loans that have been packed into large groups to be sold to investors. If roughly 4000 mortgages are compiled, securitized and sold like a stock. Government also should have reassembled whole loans from securitized mortgage components and derivatives. They could have used traditional mortgage experts and get lines in order to package home loan into quality groups. Then government should sell those reassembled whole loans to common mortgage banks. This resolved the problem or renegotiating home loans with homeowners. The law would need to be altered so that home loans could not be securitized into derivatives or it would continue the negative cycle that caused the issue in the

Pablo Neruda’s United Fruit Company and Ode to the Americas Essay Example

Pablo Neruda’s United Fruit Company and Ode to the Americas Essay Example Pablo Neruda’s United Fruit Company and Ode to the Americas Essay Pablo Neruda’s United Fruit Company and Ode to the Americas Essay Pablo Neruda’s political poems are unlike his other poems because of his keen focus on social commitment and harsh realities of life. His language is simple and being a common man wrote for the common man. His work is greatly criticized because of his metaphorical references in his political poems unlike any other poems of his time. His political poem majorly intervenes the Neo-Imperialism in the US during the 19th century. He denigrates the corporation due to the greed experienced by Latin American people during that age. This essay focuses on the study of ‘United Fruit Company’ and ‘Ode to Americas’ political poems. Both the poems portray the major theme of economic and political greed in Latin America. This greed is impactful at a physical, mental and emotional scale. Pablo Neruda uses a metaphor to personify natural objects and objectify humans to illustrate physical and emotional state caused by greed. The ‘Ode of Americas’ divides itself into a tripartite structure where there is the past, present, and future. The opening stanza of the ode reveals the positive and tranquil past in Latin America. The speaker’s use of â€Å"pure Americas† shows Neruda’s strong feelings he has for his country. The word â€Å"intact† suggests that the imperialists had not scathed the country. The â€Å"ocean guarded† which kept it untouched. This is more or less a military metaphor. A dependency occurred between the people and nature is highlighted with the phrasesâ€Å"shapers of pitchers† and â€Å"workers of stone†. However â€Å"United Fruit Company†expresses at the start itself how greedy they were towards the Latin Americans. The phrase â€Å"Jehovah gave the world to Coca-Cola Inc., Anaconda, Ford Motors† metaphorically means God chose to give the earth to these corrupted corporations instead of the common native peopl e or maintaining equality. The people stand powerless and suffer due to God’s will. If nature is a creation of God

Proofreading from Hard Copy

Proofreading from Hard Copy Proofreading from Hard Copy Proofreading from Hard Copy By Guest Author Few people now (with the possible exception of poets) write on paper. For most of us, our thoughts take shape on screen, and our words exist as magnetic patterns on disk, rendered as phosphor dots, or the flat screen equivalent. Sometimes thats the final form of the writing. Its destined for the Web or another online destination, and may never exist in permanent form. Of course, it has not always been this way. The only way of reading words, until recently was through marks on a writing surface such as paper, sometimes referred to derisively by techno-nerds as sliced dead trees. This is the way we all learned to read, and many people still recommend proofreading long pieces of writing using printed output, since it comes more naturally to most than screen-based checking. For any long pieces of writing (long being over 1,000 words), I almost always print out my documents and sit down with a red pencil, away from the computer. Ive picked up some basic ideas in the course of years to deal with the problem of proofreading from paper. Some may work for you, some may not. Use Courier, or some other non-proportional typeface. Mistakes (especially punctuation errors) often seem to show themselves more often when your writing appears in this form. Dont try to lay the piece out in its final format concentrate on the words, not the appearance. Print out your work double-spaced, and leave wide margins at left and right for comments and corrections. Number the pages, especially if you print double-sided. Dont make the corrections on the computer as you find them. Move away from the computer, or at least close the file. When you have finished proofreading the entire piece, make the corrections on the computer, crossing them off on paper as you go. Read your work out loud. It forces a higher level of concentration than silent reading. Use a red (or at least a color other than black) pen or pencil to mark up your text. When you come to make the corrections on the computer, use another color (say blue) to check off the corrections as you make them. Take the trouble to learn the standard proofreading signs and symbols. It means that you will be able to work on other peoples work, and they on yours when necessary. For proofreading (i.e. basic spell-checking in context), read backwards (i.e. from the bottom of the page upwards). Since the words come in an unfamiliar and unnatural order, you are more likely to find mistakes than if you read forwards and read what you expect to see, instead of whats already there. As I say, you may not find that all these work for you, but all are worth trying at least once. Hugh Ashton was born in the UK, and now lives in Kamakura, Japan, where he has lived for 21 years. He works as a writer and journalist, specializing in IT- and financial-related work. His first novel, Beneath Gray Skies, an alternate history novel dealing with a Confederacy in the 1920s, is available through Amazon, etc. Details here. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Spelling Test 1A While vs AwhileNarrative, Plot, and Story

Tutorial Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tutorial Paper - Essay Example In addition to the direct economic costs associated with terrorism and the threat of further terrorism, 9/11 also had important international ramifications. Seeking to strengthen its ties with allies in the Middle East region following the attacks the United States sought to immediately solidify its relationships with its major allies in the region. (Orr, Bram & Rappaport, 2002) Accordingly, support for dictatorships in the Middle East emphatically demonstrates that cold, hard geopolitical factors influence American state behavior and supersede any concern the United States may have for other factors such as Middle Eastern democracy or the promotion of human rights. Human rights abuses are routinely ignored in Egypt, where President Hosni Mubarak has resisted calls for democratic reform and remains President of the Egyptian Republic since the assassination of his predecessor Anwar Sadat in 1981. Saudi Arabia is a notorious oppressor of human rights and commits rights violations against women and religious and sexual minorities on a near daily basis. Since Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest producers of crude oil, the United States has turned a blind eye to human rights violations and has helped propped up the theocratic Saudi monarchy since the days of Ibn Saud. Both countries, either overtly or tacitly, supported the US invasion of Iraq (Mor ag, 2006). The US invasion of Iraq of 2003, codenamed â€Å"Operation Iraqi Freedom† curiously was not undertaken following Saddam Hussein’s genocide of the Kurdish minority in Halabja in 1988, nor after the violent suppression of a Shi’a insurgency following the First Gulf War. Instead US interests lie in securing the availability and continued flow of oil from one of the world’s most important producers of this important natural resource. Although cloaked in rhetoric concerning the freedom of the Iraqi people, the

Nervous systems,function and survival Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nervous systems,function and survival - Essay Example Sensory nervous system for instance sends viable information across to the CNS. The kind of information send through this channel is mostly gotten from external stimuli or from internal organs. From the CNS, the cells from the motor nervous system will carry loads of relevant information to organs, glands and muscles (Rudolf, 2008). Some elements of the nervous system perform such vital functions as contracting the bladder, constricting pupils as well as inhibiting heart rates. These are done by the parasympathetic division of the nervous system. On the same breath, the sympathetic division reverses these by speeding up the heart rate, relaxing the bladder and even dilating the pupils. This is in form of corrective measure to avert potential danger that accelerated heart rate can come with. It is said that each and every emotion that one experiences has to pass through the central nervous system. The CNS plays a pivotal role to initiate certain systems of reactions as soon as it is t riggered. As soon as the CNS starts to facilitate these systems, thoughts, experiences and movements, it does so to reach the rest of the body through organs, neurons and cells. A sense of balance is also vital to the body. This means that the body may want to stick to a strict mode of operation. The CNS manages to assist the body do this so as to enable one survive. Response to situations that are considered stressful are also controlled as much as possible, mostly through the launch of adrenaline that makes the stress patterns have little or no effect on the rest of the body. The CNS also manages to regulate serotonim production which has adverse effects on daily functions of life like desire for sex, hunger and sleep (Valery, 2006). The human body has immune system that contains various organs. These organs have billions of cells that function towards facilitating immunity. The endocrine system always releases hormones that support CNS so as to enable people or animals survive. T he white blood cells are the major stars in this effort as they check for foreign invaders in circulation of the blood. They facilitate immune response and fight against any unwanted materials that may invade the blood or the tissues. Living with stress tends to threaten the stability of an individual or an animal, and therefore homeostasis tends to restore the balance by responses that are either behavioral or physiological to attack intruders. The severity by which the intruders attack will act to activate the CNS which will in turn appoint the relevant adaptive responses. In this way the body stays quite safe and has the ability to fight diseases (Valery, 2006). Doctors have pointed out in studies that inflammations are the major causes of degenerative and chronic diseases like allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes chronic fatigue, heart disease, lupus as well as many other diseases. This form of inflammation causes strong response witnessed from immune systems against pathogens that cause illness and physical injury. All these diseases have adverse effects on the immune system especially if they occur alongside stress. The immune system will be overcrowded and hence weakened leading to a compromise state of affairs in the immune system and hence this exposes people to many other illnesses (Rudolf, 2008). Hormones release is majorly done to facilitate

A research into Sick Building Syndrome who suffers more male or female Coursework - 1

A research into Sick Building Syndrome who suffers more male or female - Coursework Example When twenty percent or more of a building’s occupants complain of these conditions, it is said that these individuals may be suffering from sick building syndrome (Akovali, 2007). Sick building syndrome is described as a condition wherein a group of people in the same building or similar structure experiences acute health symptoms which improves or disappears once they go out of the building. These symptoms include headache; irritated eyes, nose, and throat; cough; dry and itchy skin; dizziness and nausea; inability to concentrate; sensitivity to odours; and fatigue. Its underlying cause remains unclear. However most attribute the phenomenon to inadequate building ventilation, contaminants and stress (Fraser, 2008). According to the study by Bischof and Bullinger (1998), symptoms of sick building syndrome were reported on both air-conditioned and naturally-ventilated buildings. However, incidents of SBS were more evident in poorly maintained air-conditioned buildings. Inadequate building ventilation. At the start of the 20th century, building ventilation standards set the ventilation rate to 15 cubic feet per minute per occupant. However, the oil crisis in the 1970s caused a reduction of ventilation rates to 5 cfm. The reduced flow of outdoor air was discovered to cause discomfort and acute health symptoms among the building’s occupants. In order to minimize energy use and attain an acceptable Indoor Air Quality level, the American National Standards Institute / American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers had updated its ventilation standard to 20 cfm for office spaces (Environmental Protection Agency, 1991). Airborne contaminants. Ventilation systems for office buildings usually acquire air from the outside. As outdoor air gets inside the building, it also brings airborne contaminants. Sources of contaminants include motor vehicle fumes, plumbing and building exhausts;

JUDICIAL SYSTEM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

JUDICIAL SYSTEM - Essay Example The presiding judge enters the courtroom after all others have settled this is usually at precisely 10:00 am. When he does, the people present stand as a show of respect to the authority bestowed upon that judge. He sits down, he then orders for the rest of the people to be sitting. To the left of the preceding judge a panel of twelve juries is sitting, to the right slightly in front of the judge we have witness box, behind the judge we have a door leading to the judge’s chambers (Waye & Paul 337). Mr. Howard is answering charges of raping of a girl by the name Ann while she was playing in a garden at the back of an apartment where they live. The trial begins with prosecution side making remarks directing to jury. The prosecution is laying the ground for what they believe is true and showing their readiness to prove that Mr. Howard is guilty. The defense side addresses the jury with determination to prove that Mr. Howard is innocent and a law-abiding citizen. The opening statements from each side holds a lot of conviction on what they intend to prove (Waye & Paul 338). The prosecution starts to call out his witness and asks questions, the witness gives the evidence in their own words; they narrate what they witnessed as they answer the questions asked. The witness is under an oath, to tell the truth and only the truth. In this case, the first and only witness was a woman who shared the apartment with the victim and the accused. She claims to have observed Mr. Howard on different occasions looking at the Ann suggestively (Waye & Paul 339). On the evening of the unfortunate accident while in her apartment, she heard muffled screams from the garden. She moved towards her window that faced the garden in time to Mr. Howard jump across to the road from the garden. She emphasizes that she is sure it is Mr. Howard. The defense side then takes over and cross-examines the witness. Since, under the

Staff Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Staff Motivation - Essay Example The organization and the group’s primary objective is to help employees transition towards a better career and to help individuals with their talent. The group also aims to target organizations through better talent hunting and management programs. The problem at hand with the group is that outplacement has become more of a commodity as a result of which price in the industry is being cut and the group is losing business to its peers in the ensuing fierce competition. With several players in the market, margins have reduced significantly and thus the service offerings by the group are not earning enough revenues for the organization. The primary aim of the organization is now to earn a significant revenue stream that will help boost its share price. The company has set up a benchmark to improve its share prices from 31.5p currently to ?2 in the future. With this aim, the management will need to earn about ?20 million in revenues and about ?4 million in profit. The management i s also of the view that despite the state of the economy, the business is well placed and thus can earn this stream of revenues. The paper aims to evaluate the various options that the management has along with developing a theoretical framework that will help in deciding the plan of action that the management should undertake in order to boost its revenue stream. A diagnostic as well as change model will also be presented that will help the organization towards improved revenues. Literature Review Human resource management is one of the key support functions within an organization and helps leverage the organization’s performance through the usage of human resources. Some of the key areas within the realms of human resource management include hiring, promotions, appraisals, training, placement and talent management, along with coaching and outplacement of employees. Human resource management is now critically integrated with organizational learning as well as strategic manag ement making it one of key fields that organizations should focus on for better results. The key human resource problems that are part of today’s economy include globalization where diversity has various ranges and a spectrum that is difficult to define. (Papalexandrisa, 1996; Boxall, 1996; Garavan, Costine and Heraty, 1995; Garavan, Heraty and Barnicle, 1999; Becker and Huselid, 1999; Stewart, Marhine and Hall, 1999; Stewart, 1996; Garavan, 1991; Gilley and Eggland, 1992) Other issues include problems with finding the right talent with respect to the job description and the creation of various jobs with descriptions that are difficult to fill up due to their technical nature. Retention is also one of the key areas where human resource management is important and where organizations need to be focused on. Retaining employees is one of the cheaper alternatives to hiring another resource where hiring takes long hours and resources to actually fulfil. One of key ways through whi ch human resource management consultancies help includes helping find the right resources towards the jobs that need to be filled by organizations, along with helping in training these employees, equipping them with the tools and techniques on getting the work done

Development and environment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Development and environment - Research Paper Example Development and environment are related. The world is developing rapidly. More buildings and industries are coming up. Modern technologies are also being developed each passing day. All these have an effect on the environment. Lack of proper planning during development ventures can lead to environmental degradation. Disasters have been a major setback to development. Disasters are natural and cannot be prevented but their effects can be reduced through disaster risk reduction approach in coming up with development policies. If this is done, more vulnerable people will be empowered to develop and more resources will be availed for development projects rather than providing relief during disasters. This paper deals with two issues, first is the impact of development on environment and second is the importance of disaster risk reduction in developmental policies. Impact of development on environment Deforestation Development has greatly resulted in reduction of forest cover. As more res idential and industrial buildings are developed forests are cut so as to give room for these buildings. Technological development has also led to invention of tools that can bring down forests very fast. One such example is the power saw that can easily be used to cut trees. Warfare has also been the cause of deforestation. There have been developments of weapons of mass destruction such as bombs. Chemicals also used during war time can greatly reduce the forest cover. These chemicals can impair the physiological functioning of trees leading to their drying. When these technologies are harnessed in warfare they can lead to massive reduction of forest cover. It is approximated that in Vietnam, bombing caused a destruction of about 22,000 square kilometres of forests (Mai and Nguyen 2). The investment in shrimp aquaculture has also led to destruction of mangrove forests in several countries. Over the years, forest cover has inversely been related to development. As more buildings and more advanced technologies are invented, the forest cover has come under great threat. Water Pollution Development has led to many industries that discharge their effluents into rivers, canals, rice fields and lakes. These untreated effluents from industrial and municipal discharges have caused degradation of water sources. The discharge of organic and nutrient wastes into the rivers has led to an increase of (biological oxygen demand) BOD in rivers. This is because these wastes are decomposable and require oxygen during disintegration. Lack of sufficient oxygen would lead to anaerobic decomposition accompanied by foul smells. Waste water also contains chemicals such as PCBs and Organochlorine pesticides. Agriculture and flood control activities have also led to water pollution. With technological development, almost all farming is done using fertilizers. These fertilizers are washed away into rivers, lakes, and ocean. The fertilizers contain chemicals that if they accumulate into w ater bodies, they are harmful to human, animal, and aquatic life. The advance in flood mitigation methods has also led to accumulation of arsenic in ground water in India and Bangladesh. Chemical pollution Failure to properly use pesticides, chemicals for agricultural, industrial, and fighting diseases has led to chemical pollution across the globe. These chemicals may contain organic compounds that are persistent such as PCBs, DDT, furans, hexachlorobenzene and dioxins. Polychlorinated biphenyls are used in some capacitors and transformers, paint additives, hydraulic and heat transfer fluids and lubrication oil. A portion of the contaminated oil may be released into the environment resulting into pollution. DDT was extensively used to combat malaria before its ban in 1992. This chemical was sprayed in homesteads in order to eradicate mosquitoes. The technology was very efficient in eradicating mosquitoes but it had long term side effect. DDT is a persistent chemical and when

Staff Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Staff Motivation - Essay Example The organization and the group’s primary objective is to help employees transition towards a better career and to help individuals with their talent. The group also aims to target organizations through better talent hunting and management programs. The problem at hand with the group is that outplacement has become more of a commodity as a result of which price in the industry is being cut and the group is losing business to its peers in the ensuing fierce competition. With several players in the market, margins have reduced significantly and thus the service offerings by the group are not earning enough revenues for the organization. The primary aim of the organization is now to earn a significant revenue stream that will help boost its share price. The company has set up a benchmark to improve its share prices from 31.5p currently to ?2 in the future. With this aim, the management will need to earn about ?20 million in revenues and about ?4 million in profit. The management i s also of the view that despite the state of the economy, the business is well placed and thus can earn this stream of revenues. The paper aims to evaluate the various options that the management has along with developing a theoretical framework that will help in deciding the plan of action that the management should undertake in order to boost its revenue stream. A diagnostic as well as change model will also be presented that will help the organization towards improved revenues. Literature Review Human resource management is one of the key support functions within an organization and helps leverage the organization’s performance through the usage of human resources. Some of the key areas within the realms of human resource management include hiring, promotions, appraisals, training, placement and talent management, along with coaching and outplacement of employees. Human resource management is now critically integrated with organizational learning as well as strategic manag ement making it one of key fields that organizations should focus on for better results. The key human resource problems that are part of today’s economy include globalization where diversity has various ranges and a spectrum that is difficult to define. (Papalexandrisa, 1996; Boxall, 1996; Garavan, Costine and Heraty, 1995; Garavan, Heraty and Barnicle, 1999; Becker and Huselid, 1999; Stewart, Marhine and Hall, 1999; Stewart, 1996; Garavan, 1991; Gilley and Eggland, 1992) Other issues include problems with finding the right talent with respect to the job description and the creation of various jobs with descriptions that are difficult to fill up due to their technical nature. Retention is also one of the key areas where human resource management is important and where organizations need to be focused on. Retaining employees is one of the cheaper alternatives to hiring another resource where hiring takes long hours and resources to actually fulfil. One of key ways through whi ch human resource management consultancies help includes helping find the right resources towards the jobs that need to be filled by organizations, along with helping in training these employees, equipping them with the tools and techniques on getting the work done

Building a Cyber Security Pipeline to Attract, Train, and Retain Women Research Paper

Building a Cyber Security Pipeline to Attract, Train, and Retain Women - Research Paper Example al, 2010). The focus is training for the positions that do not require the candidate to have a college or university degree. The education is very convenient as it takes the form of online training and women can train as they perform their daily duties. Some of the most important training will be in mitigating risk solutions and networks mapping. The training will assist in the protection of the information for various users such as companies, organizations, as well as individuals and governments and ensure that women remain in the cyber security job for long. Cyber crime rates are very high challenging security in many countries including the US and training many adult women is a strategy that will help reduce the menace. The talented women will have all the skills concerning cyber security, which will improve the cyber security and reduce the labor shortage in the cyber security markets. Targeting adult women for the training programs in cyber security is important since most of them will have a chance to further their studies and earn extra income. Adults are also more available and responsible for the job than children in the high school and other levels. Current information on the US professional workforce shows that women comprise a small percentage of the employees in the Information Technology (IT). Targeting adult women for the cyber security training will, therefore, increase the number of women in the sector and encourage more to enroll. One major reason for the few adult women in the cyber security jobs is that lack of focus in education and interest in sciences, engineering, and technology for women. A strategy that targets adult women to join the cyber security course will be very effective, as they will realize their potential and encourage other to venture in the same career. There are several resources available for adult women on such issues as education, training, and careers in cyber

Information System of Retail Shop

Information System of Retail Shop Prepared by: Travis McEachron Shakil Kamran Muhammad Tanvir Hasan Fabrice Hecdivert Rhea Farrell The objective of the class project is to investigate and evaluate an information system of GAP Inc. GAP Inc. is a retail organization that is comprised of stores nationwide as well as being internationally based. They are mainly branded as Athleta, GAP, Old Navy, Intermix and Banana Republic. Its first store opened in the year 1969 and now spans across the United States of America and many other countries. Over the years, the organization has grown into large businesses with numbers of franchises. In addition to its onsite stores, it provides an e-commerce platform for its large customer base. The information system we decided to base our project on is GAPs Supply Chain Management System. Our team looked at the Supply Chain Management System used by GAP. Throughout, this report shows the findings, summary and recommendations for GAPs organization. The main goal of this research is to identify how GAP operates and how does the Supply Chain Management System play a role in this. It goes into further details about competing with its competitors, and identify how GAP is performing in the apparel market. According to Thomas Wailgum (2007), Supply chain management (SCM) is the combination of art and science that goes into improving the way your company finds the raw components it needs to make a product or service and deliver it to customers. The Global Supply Chain at Gap Inc. is employed with thousands of individuals around the world whereby creating the right product, made well and delivered at the right time. Gap praise its size and scale, as it continues to change the retail industry, its Global Supply Chain is the instrument of innovativeness.- Gap Inc. Careers. GAP Inc. is one of the largest for pr1ofit, American specialty retail corporations. GAP was first started by Donald and Doris F. Fisher in 1969. Art Peck is currently the President and CEO of GAP Inc. Their headquarters is located in San Francisco, California. GAP specializes in selling apparel: clothing, shoes and accessories.  The company has about 40 franchise suppliers, and also has over 3,700 stores worldwide. It operates in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and several locations in Europe. GAP has a hybrid organizational structure. GAP started as a single store in San Francisco, California and now has a chain of companies, including Old Navy, GAP, Banana Republic, and many more. The company offers products such as clothing, accessories, and care products for men, women, and children. GAP offers its services worldwide. Its Omni-channel supply chain allows GAPs many branches to stay interconnected. It also provides an e-commerce division, known as Growth Innovation Digital (GID), thus being able to expand its market over the years. GAPs main shipping carriers include FedEx, United States Postal Service, and United Parcel Service. In addition, GAP sales revenue for 2016 was 15.8Billion; however, there was a decrease in sales growth at -3.88%. GAP Inc. competes with other large retailers, such as Macys, Wal-Mart, Target and other major stores. Unlike some companies, GAP only provides apparel, where companies like Wal-Mart sell apparel, furniture, house appliances and so forth. Mission Statement GAP Inc. is a brand-builder. We create emotional connections with customers around the world through inspiring product design, unique store experience compelling marketing.   Ã‚   Organizational Structure Information Systems Gap Inc. is large business that does business which includes retailers, such as Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta, Intermix, etc. Therefore Gap Inc. uses a cloud computing infrastructure in order to support their global business. Gap Inc. uses an omni- channel technology which allows and ensures customers get the products they when and where they want it. Gap Inc. also developed a Business Intelligence Group which allows the organizations to stay on a unified platform data which makes Big Data accessible supporting the companys strategic decision making. With this knowledge, I was able to decipher that this organization uses a decision support system (DSS) mainly because Gap Inc. has an automatic loop systems that fits customers needs with any other concerns. There is a 24hrs (automated) customer service operator unless the concern is urgent, customers will then be transferred over to customer relations specialist that best fits that category of the customers concern. This company d oes have an IT support team that is only accessible to Gap Inc. employees. Technical Information Any companies software and Hardware they buy depends so much on the size, sophistication, and budget of the retailer. The applications include merchandising systems, demand forecasting, replenishment, allocation, price management, price optimization, sourcing, product lifecycle management, inventory control, point of sale, sales analysis, merchandise planning, location planning, markdown optimization, store operations, e-commerce, analytics and business intelligence, customer relationship management, and so on. GAP Inc. is a retail chains company, so they usually used apparel retailers software. Apparel retailers tend to have different systems needs from hardlines retailers or grocery retailers. GAP also use Dressing Room apps. Its available in Apple and Android both. This app was created to assist customers virtually. This tool came with a try on clothing capability and can be performed using smartphone, Augmented Reality experience. The Dressing Room by GAP app was created in association with Avametric technology, to deliver accurate shoes and texture of each clothing. GAP Inc. top priorities is continuing to improve their technical knowledge around how the fabric stretch, drape and feel impact the sensation of fit. Technology gives customers incredible autonomy around the shopping experience and its companys opportunity to explore new ways to make customers shopping experience effortless and find different solutions that will add value to a customers experience. The Dressing Room by GAP pilot app is just one element of our longer-term strategic plan in this space. The GAP Inc. is taking advantage of software-defined (SD) networking, which is used to connect its several stores through the internet in the corporate network. It can now route traffic through the public Internet using encrypted connections. The company is installing new software-defined routers from Viptela Inc. at each store to build a more cost-effective WAN to connect store branches. Network upgrades or changes can all be done remotely, which makes GAP work easier. The routers allow GAP to segment its network as security technique. GAP Inc. is currently using the SCMS PO application to manage purchased orders. In loyalty marketing, data and technical infrastructure are critical. At GAP Inc., marketing owns the customer database, which offers a true 360-degree view of the customer. GAP Inc. uses third party service providers to manage the site and assist with business needs. Gap Inc. may share personal information with service providers in order to deliver the site and services as described in this Privacy Statement. These third parties include Taleo. Third party providers who are receiving personal information are expected to apply the same level of privacy protection as contained in this Global Privacy Statement. Also, they are required to keep personal information confidential for any purpose other than as originally intended. Global-Technology Platform GAP Technology uses the DevOps principle. The DevOps principle refer to a set of practices which emphasize the collaboration and communication of both software developers and information technology professionals. The DevOps tool uses Holistic system thinking, no silos, Rapid and useful feedback and automate drudgery away. Ecommerce Technology GAP is comprised of 5 different e-commerce sites GAP, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Athlete and Intermix. With serving customers on a global customer base the E-commerce technology is needed. Growth Innovation Digital (GID) is the award-winning e-commerce division of GAP Inc. The Multi-brand shopping platform drives the web and mobile experience and multi-channel capabilities. Open source technology such as chef and OpenStack also plays a large role the online based websites to manage large jobs. Open Source Technology GAP uses Open Source technology such as chef which is used for writing system configurations. With many plugins and features at a low-cost savings is key for large businesses such as GAP. Chef is used to streamline the task of configuring and maintaining a companys servers and can integrate with cloud-based platforms such as Chef OpenStack, Amazon EC2 etc., Chef is able to manage large jobs on any infrastructure no matter the size. They enable services and features to deployed and update more frequently with small chances of down time. All at a respectable price range. Openstack is a free and open source software platform for cloud computing. The platform is made up of related components which control diverse, multi-vendor hardware pools for processing, storage and network resources through a data center. Omni-Channel Technology Logistics Omni-channel technology and logistics uses a Global-Technology Platform. An Omni-channel supply chain uses a central stock pool to control a number of factors such as pricing, fulfilment, sales, stock management and ordering. These orders are fulfilled from numerous retail channels such as concessions, franchises, catalogue, web, stores and mobile. The central stock pool is the heart of all these operations. The supply chain is now on the front line thanks to Omni-channel. Omni-Channel interrelates everything from sales to your connected. The online store connects to the mobile store which connect to a retailor store. Such as you creating an order online and being able to go get that product from the store. It creates an interlock of transactions which is smarter and give the customer multiple choices of how to interact and get the required products they need. Enterprise Platforms GAP uses a custom J2EE enterprise ecommerce platform. J2EE stands for Java 2 Enterprise Edition. The Java Centric environment with a set of services, API, and protocols that provide the functionality for developing multitude, web based applications. Security being implemented and Privacy and Ethical concerns with current laws GAP was founded on doing business honestly, responsibly and ethically so corporate compliance is critical and taken very seriously. GAP has developed a Code of Business Conduct (COBC) where it gives employees an overview on what is acceptable use of GAP Inc. data and what is not tolerated. Each employee and director is responsible for complying with GAP Inc. COBC. GAP Inc. has created Global Integrity Department to implant the companys existing compliance infrastructure. The Global Integrity Department works with Human Resources, Global Corporate Affairs, Internal Audit, Loss Prevention and Corporate Security to raise code awareness within the company, to monitor and audit Code compliance and to investigate all suspected code violations. For customers GAP Inc., has implemented a Customer Bill of Rights which is a basic customer policy on the rights you are entitled to as a GAP Inc. customer such as profiling being prohibited with any GAP Inc. facility, as well as unreasonable searche s of customers by any employee. However the policy also includes rules on how GAP Inc. will react in case of any serious matters as stated A person may be detained only in a reasonable manner and for not more than a reasonable time to permit investigation or questioning, provided an authorized employee has reasonable grounds to believe that the person so detained was guilty of criminal possession of an anti-security item or was committing or attempting to commit shoplifting on the premises (New York State General Business Law, Section 218). Security is also implemented physically by the presence of security guards to assure the safety of employees as well as shoppers within every GAP Inc. facility. Business Information The business aspect of GAP Inc. is focused on three major stages: creation, integration and impact. Creation is when they first act or develop an innovative approach to creating social or environmental change. Once they demonstrate that the efforts bring benefits both to the people and communities they serve, as well as to their business, they move on to integration. Integration leads them away from a model in which sustainability is a separate function and toward one in which a much broader group of actors drives change. The result of this strategy is impact on a bigger scale and in a way, that is sustainable for the long term. A prime example of how business integration can help the company move forward involves their efforts to improve working conditions for the people who make their clothes. They have been expanding these efforts for more than two decades and have played a leading role in multi-stakeholder innovations such as the Better Work program, a collaborative approach to monitoring factories. While they have made significant progress through the work of our sustainability team, they recognize that to create lasting, widespread change, their sourcing team and brands also need to play active roles. These teams are finding new ways to collaborate every day, including the setting of shared sustainability goals. They are also taking an integrated approach to measuring the performance of our suppliers across all dimensions that are important to them, from working conditions to environmental performance. The technology is integrated through the use of machinery that stitches together the fabrics to make a certain piece of cloth. Nowadays its more computerized than before so when a layer of fabric is done the other departments can see the status of the job as they can have an expected ETA of when the clothing would be boxed, packaged and ready to go. They see the retail brick n mortar as costly, and Gap sees it actually as a way to connect the two areas of physical and non-physical stores. Reserving in store for quicker pick up is helpful, but it also drives foot traffic. Having the reverse ability to limit in-store products drives people online. Having it done through one seamless inventory makes sense. GAP must have a global assortment. So far, Old Navy, the outlets and GAP are all global ass ortment, and Banana Republic is mostly a global assortment with some changes. The assortment then goes to universal fit, so Old Navy is a universal fit, outlets are a universal fit. The retailer can now ship a unit from a store to satisfy an online customer and that process will become seamless. The Information System and Competition GAP Inc. is one of the many businesses in the retail market, which include a number of competitors such as Aeropostale, Macys, J.C Penney and many more. All of the aforementioned stores sells clothing, shoes and many different products. They all compete to sell the best quality of designer outfits all priced differently. As businesses continue to compete for a larger customer base and target groups, branding and pricing are two major factors for its growth. The advantages are providing better customer service, providing longer training periods for new employees and providing incentive programs. A well-known company as GAP faces little threat to new retail businesses just entering the market. These businesses will initially have a hard time competing with Gaps larger customer base, global presence, their ability to sell their apparel at a lower cost, their multimedia advertising, and their large-scale production market, which are parts of the Supply Chain Management. Competing on a Global Scale GAP Inc. is one of the leading international retail companies with five different brands in the United States of America, France, Canada, United Kingdom and so forth. Their supply chain franchise spans across 40 countries, in Asia, Australia, South America and Africa. Its employees play a huge role in sourcing, making, and delivering these many products. It also combines stores, outlets and multiple franchises. This allows it to compete with many retailers on a global scale. With its international presence on six continents. GAP Inc. has a huge advantage in attracting customers and making its large presence around the world known. Over the years, GAP Inc. through its many stores has provided its customers with an e commerce online market to buy products. Competing on Quality and Design GAP Inc. has a large customer base and has to create up-to-date trends for its customers. To reiterate, GAP Inc. is franchised in many places around the world. It provides high quality designs at reasonable prices. It has managed to add an abundance of stores to differentiate its brand from other retailers: Intermix and Banana Republic are just a few. They have also expanded their markets to attract teens, while keeping their existing customers. For example, Old Navy has added a baby department. Competing on Business Processes GAP works to reorganize and redesign its organizational structure of its business to help expand its company and increase its customer base. Big data plays a huge role in this goal. Companies such as GAP collect huge amounts of information to see what customers want and need. With this, large data is analyzed based on consumer trends on a day-to-day basis. This allows them to change their market strategy and increase productivity in order to deliver more value to its large customer base. Also, GAP keeps track of what its competitors are doing to see how it can improve service. Furthermore, GAP is focused on providing quality products to the market by changing its planning and allocation processes, its operation, and its process design. GAP continues to improve its global growth, customer relationships and speed. The company is using the Business Process Redesign (BPR) to exploit technologies to reconstruct its organization, two of these technologies are Omni-channel technology and e- commerce. Porters Five Competitive Forces When addressing how GAP competes with other businesses, it is essential to refer to Porters five competitive forces. The following shows an analysis of Porters five competitive forces based on GAP Inc. and highlights the view of a competitive retail industry. When looking at GAPs competitive analysis differentiation, operational effectiveness, innovation and customer orientation strategy is essential to GAPs goals and approach to compete with other businesses. The threat of entry of new competitors The threat of entry of new competitors is low. There is an abundance of retail stores worldwide who compete with GAP on a daily basis. These stores often sell substitute apparel to GAP and at a lower cost. However, advertising and the promotion of a brand name are risky for new competitors and gives GAP an advantage when new competitors are trying to enter. New customers will find it hard to compete with GAPs large customer base located in over 3,700 countries worldwide, including the United States and England. The bargaining power of suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers is low. GAP purchase its products from factories in almost 40 countries, including Asia and South America. The fact GAP does not dependent on a single supply makes it easier for them to bargain with its franchises. It is equally important for suppliers to kept businesses with GAP because of its high demand of orders. The bargaining power of customers (buyers) The bargaining power of customers is high. GAP provides to a huge customer base in countries, such as Canada, Japan, North America and the United Kingdom. With the large retail market customers have the ability to choose from an abundance of retail stores worldwide, including HM, American Eagle and Aeropostale. However, some customers look at brand image and choose to buy at a particular store. This gives GAP an advantage because of advertisement and its many locations. The threat of substitute products and services The threat of substitute products and services is high. Gaps multiple brands have become some of the most recognizable labels within the apparel industry. Many retail stores sell the same apparel as GAP, including clothing, accessories and shoes. GAP Inc. is able to compete with other companies because it is large and has the ability to sell products at a low cost. However, because GAPs brand name it makes it easier for them to perform with companies who sells the same products. The rivalry among existing firms in the industry The rivalry among existing firms in the industry is high. As it relates to this competitive force GAPs main competitors include business such as JCPenney, Aeropostale and American Eagle Outfitters. However, despites GAPs presence in the apparel market, it holds just about 5% in market share, when compared with Macys and Wal-Mart who holds 9% and 7% respectively. GAP competes with companies on a national and international scale. Over the years, GAP has been able to expand its market to reach a larger customer base, for example, adding its e-commerce market. Also, it has been able to sell its products at a lower cost to compete with other businesses. It was found that, GAP does not have a large market share, however, GAP has the ability to maintain its competitive status. In addition, GAP is using Porters five competitive forces to strategically compete with other businesses. Statistics also shows that GAP has been decreasing with sales, in 2016 it showed that there was a decrease in sales growth of -3.88%. Also, GAP has been able to keep its a large customer base. With GAPs geographic presence and the help of its e-commerce market, the company has been able to expand over the years. GAP offer customers the opportunity to shop online from anywhere in the world. Customers are able to return products bought online directly to the store. GAP e-commerce presence allows for its continued growth, increase customer base and increase productivity. Furthermore, GAP has been able to compete with new and existing businesses. Since GAP is not the only company who sells apparel, they are often challenged to fluctuate prices, and maintain a quality brand name. Using Omni-channel technology has also helped GAP significantly. This has allowed the corporation to connect its branches with a single supply chain management system to improve efficiency. There are many recommendations unheard of by the public or consumer side of the market by GAP. Inc. Ways to make a such highly praised company such as GAP increase profit and gain more loyal customers who see more than just a brand name. Innovations that can create an unstoppable marketing and ecommerce business to bring them all the way to the top. All the competitors of GAP are thinking of new ways to beat out the company by making their market on top of the rest. Which is why clothing retail being such a hotspot due to the constant demand for clothing. A new business based Omni-channel where they adding such devices and application to technology such as smart TVs, Smartwatches and even a new device that allows to you order distinctly from their retailers such as Banana Republic, Athleta, Old Navy, and Intermix would be nothing but genius. This device would also include for those who shop at these of branches coupons, giveaways, discounts etc. The device would be free but would require you to be a valued customer with a GAP account for a certain number of months, years etc. This is a new idea seeing that not many retailers within the clothing company own their own device to do such a thing. It is a concept in the making and just an idea but an innovating idea at that. New innovative ideas can help GAP tremendously. GAP has the ability to sell new products that is not offered by other and improve its original brand. I recommend that GAP provides its on customer on a high level of professional development by offering their customers extreme value, for instance, keeping up with the latest trends. In addition, the organization should provide customers with high quality product in order to distinguish itself from its competitors. GAP has begun productivity improvement whereby they will a number of their locations worldwide and expand its brand to North America. Also, GAP must be focused on its customer base. This means that it should us collected data to see what customers are buying on daily basis. GAP is using a cloud based optimization system to focus on its inventory. This will allow GAP to strategical positon its many businesses. GAP certainly has the ability to improve the business operations. The company can improve their e-commerce market by integrating their e-commerce platform and physical store. Overall, the GAP must improve productivity along with its profit margin. GAP Inc. Logo  GAP Inc. Market Share   GAP Inc. Many Locations Worldwide  Ã‚  Omni-channel Logistics References Ahmed, R. R. (2014). Case Study Report: GAP Inc. Supply Chain Managment. Retrieved February 20, 2017, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.academia.edu/7583705/Case_Study_Report_GAP_Inc._-  Supply_Chain_Managment Corporate Compliance. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://www.gapinc.com/content/gapinc/html/investors/corporate_compliance.ht  ml Customer Bill of Rights. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://www.gapinc.com/content/gapinc/html/aboutus/customer_rights.html Gap Inc Careers. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2017, from https://jobs.gapinc.com/global-supply Gap Inc. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2017, from http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/gps/financials Gap Inc. (2017, March 15). Retrieved March 5, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gap_Inc. Gap Inc. Porters Five Forces Analysis: A Highly Competitive Industry with Immense   Buyer Bargaining Power. (2016, October 23). Retrieved March 7, 2017, from   http://research-methodology.net/gap-inc-porters-five-forces-analysis-a-highly-  competitive-industry-with-immense-buyer-bargaining-power/ Osmanay, A. (n.d.). Gap Inc.: Marketing Strategy Analysis of the Company. Retrieved   Ã‚  February 21, 2017, from   Ã‚  http://www.academia.edu/19985431/Gap_Inc._Marketing_Strategy_Analysis_of_  Ã‚  the_Company Our Sustainability Strategy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2017, from http://www.gapincsustainability.com/strategy/our-sustainability-strategy Shop By Department. (n.d.). Retrieved March 8, 2017, from http://www.gap.com/browse/info.do?cid=80004 The worlds favorite for American style. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2017, from http://www.gapinc.com/content/gapinc/html/aboutus.html Wailgum, T. (2007, March 19). Supply Chain Management Definition and Solutions.   Retrieved February 21, 2017, from http://www.cio.com/article/2439493/supply-  chain-management/supply-chain-management-definition-and-solutions.html !company_name! | Company Profile from Hoovers. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2017, from   http://www.hoovers.com/company-  information/cs/companyprofile.the_gap_inc.5b8839480138c8d6.html

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Essay -- Charlotte Brontë Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre Jane Eyre, a classic Victorian novel by Charlotte Brontà «, is regarded as one of the finest novels in English literature. The main character, Jane Eyre, demonstrates a strong need to be herself, a young girl trying to retain all the individuality possible for a dependent of her time. Although this effort guides her to a passionate and impulsive nature, Jane is still willing to accept change in her life knowing it may not always seem the most pleasant. Her tolerance of change begins very early in the novel and helps her in developing a strong sense of independence. The first two primary changes in Jane’s life, dealing mainly with setting, are when she leaves Gateshead Hall, the hateful environment containing Mrs. Reed and her children, and when she leaves Lowood, a rigorous Christian boarding school. These two instances are important in the development of her self-assured character and resiliently intense resolve, which will help determine the path of her life. Janeâ⠂¬â„¢s leaving Gateshead and Jane’s leaving Lowood may be compared on the basis of Jane’s desire for change, and may be contrasted on the bases of the reasons for Jane’s leaving and her anticipations for leaving. In each instance of Jane’s departure, whether from Gateshead or from Lowood, she desires change: something new to experience. Before Jane leaves Gateshead, she is even more shut out by the Reeds’ due to the holiday season of Christmas. Because of this extreme separation between her and the ever hardening Reeds, Jane is expecting not to be tolerated among them for much longer (20-22). This prospect elevating her spirits, she narrates, â€Å"I gathered enough of hope to suffice as a motive for wishing to get well: a change seemed near—I desired... ... to embark on a †new life in the unknown† (85). Jane’s leaving Gateshead and her departure from Lowood are the most important two events in her life playing a role in the shaping of her personality. This personality, one of strength, resilience, and spirit, can be regarded as one of the best developed in literature. Jane’s desire, in both cases, leads to the reasons for her departure. Once she knows she is departing, her anticipations, always of something better than the present, guide her and help her survive. After everything, she undoubtedly has a better life with a true sense of satisfaction and gratification. Understanding these two changes in her life can lead to a better explanation of the rest of her life: the path she chooses, decisions she makes, how she interacts with her surroundings, and how she finds happiness ever after: the best part of all.

Philippa Foots Hypothetical Imperatives Essays -- Ethics Kant Philoso

Philippa Foot's Hypothetical Imperatives Philippa Foot finds trouble with the arguments of Kant, who said that it was necessary to distinguish moral judgments from hypothetical imperatives. Although this may have become an unquestionable truth, Foot says that this is a misunderstanding. Kant defined a hypothetical imperative as an action that addresses what "should" or "ought" to be done. He believed that the necessity of performing a certain action was based on other desires. This particular action would only be important if it was beneficial for another reason. It is prudent that a man feel the responsibility to achieve his own wants. However, Kant speaks of a second group of imperatives known as "categorical imperatives." These are actions which are important in themselves, without considerations of any other matter. At a glance it appears that Kant is accurate in saying that moral judgments are categorical imperatives. Perhaps the best way to analyze this is to break down the uses of the words "should" and "ought." For example, consider a man in a business suit looking lost a railroad station on a Friday afternoon. One would point the man to the train that will take the man home, assuming the man in the business suit was on his way home. If however, that man is headed somewhere else, then the statement should be withdrawn. Our should is unsupported. However, the use of should and ought in moral contexts is different. The situation changes if the man being advised is receiving suggestions regarding a moral judgment. An opinion on a moral judgment does not need to be backed up because in essence it is not an opinion. Rather, it is a strict rule in which the considerations of the man do not matter. One need not ... ...w a matter of etiquette or moral judgment without questioning why he must do it, this same man can refuse to follow the rules until a reason to follow is stated. This leaves us with one conclusion, which is best stated by Philippa Foot: Kant and his followers defend having morals in the group of categorical imperatives "are relying on an illusion, as if trying to give the moral `ought' a magic force." Society is losing grip as a result of lacking explanation of moral law. There is no hard evidence backing moral judgment and society is losing touch with doing "what's right." Foot claims that we maintain moral judgments to be categorical imperatives simply because in doing so we are forced to care about the issue. Analyzing this from a broader stance, we are conditioning ourselves to believe in something that will hopefully influence the betterment of society.

The Nature of the Soul

In St. Thomas Aquinas' comprehensive Summa Theologica, the work consists of a detailed summary that pertains to the theological explanation on the notion of the existence of God and the relationship between God and man. The summa also tackles the divine reconciliation of man and how it is achieved through Christ. Aquinas also enumerates the nature of God and proofs of his existence through questions supported by arguments and claims. This method adopts several Aristotelian concepts where Aquinas explains the nature, origin, and purpose of the universe and how the totality of all concepts in a universal existence as an integral part in achieving that purpose. Aquinas attempts to explain the totality of universal existence of the soul, the existence of God, and Catholic doctrines through a rationalistic view. Aquinas attempts to explain the nature of the human soul by positing seven questions coupled with several objections in order to clearly define the soul’s nature. These questions ask whether the soul is a body and whether the soul is a subsistence. Aquinas’ inquiry is furthered into the question of the souls of brute animals, if man’s soul is composed of body, soul, matter, and form. The last two questions inquire on the soul’s corruptibility and its comparison to the species of angels. First, Aquinas asks whether the soul is a body and poses the following objections. The soul is a body since the soul is the foremost moving principle and the body cannot act without a soul. Thus, if there is a thing that moves but not moved, according to Aquinas, that thing is the main cause of eternal movement. Hence, Aquinas proves that the soul is a body since the soul is a mover that is moved, and every mover moved possesses a body. To further the objection, Aquinas elaborates that knowledge is caused by likeness that is integral in assuming corporeal things. â€Å"If, therefore, the soul were not a body, it could not have knowledge of corporeal things† (Aquinas 663). The nature of the soul then is defined as the main principle or essence that is present in all things that live, which Aquinas calls as animate, meaning having a soul. The inanimate are those that have no life. Life is separated by knowledge and movement. Furthermore, Aquinas criticizes the ancient philosophers of having to maintain the ideal that the soul is corporeal or specified in the physical aspect. â€Å"The philosophers of old, not being able to rise above their imagination, supposed that the principle of these actions was something corporeal; for they asserted that only bodies were real things, and that what is not corporeal is nothing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Aquinas 663). The ancient philosophers (the pre-Platonics, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle) defined the soul as a material essence as a part of the universal order. If the soul is not corporeal or bordered by physical matter, then it cannot be construed as something real. Aquinas rejects this statement by manifesting the difference between the body and soul. â€Å"For it is clear that to be a principle of life, or to be a living thing, does not belong to a body as such; since of, that were the case, every body would be a living thing, or a principle of life† (Aquinas, 664). Thus, the soul is the act of the body, since the body in itself is the first principle that defines life. Aquinas attempts to differentiate the soul between the animate and inanimate as well as the rational and irrational souls. Unique to human beings, man has will of reason or the ability to conceptualize choice. This will of reason is also the rational appetite of the individual that attempts to fulfill its purpose and attaining the good. In addition, Aquinas answers his first objection through the soul as something that is moved. Everything that moves is definitely moved by something else but not every mover is moved. Thus, certain things remain stationary or permanent as an effect of preceding causes. This explains the nature of the soul as a thing that is not essentially moved but moved accidentally. The body is then a thing that is moved inessentially, contrary to the soul. To be moved means that the soul passes from being a potential to being real or actual. The soul transcends from bodily knowledge through the intellect – immaterial and universal. However, God is the source of understanding and therefore is the only being capable of true understanding. Furthermore, the soul is divided into the cognitive soul, wherein it has the choice of forming understanding and sensation. Contrary to Plato’s Theory of Forms where knowledge is derived, Aquinas argues that real knowledge comes from God: â€Å"Now participated existence is limited by the capacity of the participator, so that God alone, who is his own existence, is pure act and infinite† (Aquinas, 671). Knowledge is then formed through the combination of the potential or passive senses (body) and the active or actual intellect (soul). On the question of the soul’s subsistence, Aquinas equates the soul as an act of understanding, meaning that the soul is the action of the body. Thus, the soul necessarily becomes incorporeal (separate from the body) and subsistent. Man can only understand the nature of all physical things through the body. â€Å"For it is clear that by means of the intellect, man can have knowledge of all corporeal things. Now whatever knows certain things cannot have any of them in its own nature; because that which is in it naturally would impede the knowledge of anything else† (Aquinas, 665). Man’s experiences are then dependent on the body, which is the only avenue in understanding the physical knowledge, different from the understanding of the soul. Similar to the foremost arguments and objections, man’s soul is rational, and thus separates itself from that of animalistic reason. â€Å"The body is necessary for the action of the intellect, not as its origin of action, but on the part of the object; for the phantasm is to the intellect what color is for sight† (Aquinas, 666). Thus, these mental images are essential in acquiring knowledge as well as utilizing the use of sense experience in order to abstract such forms for understanding. On the notion of the soul’s incorruptibility, Aquinas argues that the soul may be corrupted in two ways: per se and accidentally. He argues that any substance that can be corrupted accidentally is impossible since corruption is considered as a thing, along with existence. â€Å"Therefore, whatever has existence ‘per se’ cannot be generated or corrupted except ‘per se’; while things which do not subsist, such as accident and material forms, acquire existence or lost through the generation or corruption of composite things† (Aquinas, 672). Man’s soul is then dependent on the subjective sensual experience that the individual experiences everyday in attaining the ideal since man is created in the image and likeness of God. The passage also implies causal explanations towards the nature of man’s choice—that every actions constitutes a reaction that necessarily ‘corrupts’ the soul of man. This corruption comes from man itself and not from another generation or cause. The soul remains pure while the body experiences corruption because of misleading sensual experiences that does not act as universals. In addition, Aquinas adds that even though the soul may be composed by matter and form, it still remains incorruptible for corruption possesses contradiction. â€Å"Since generation and corruption are from contraries and into contraries. Wherefore the heavenly bodies, since they have no matter subject to contrariety, are incorruptible†¦there can be nor contrariety in the human soul for it receives according to the manner of its existence†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Aquinas 673). The attainment of knowledge lies in the nature of man’s soul where the intellectual capability of the individual is a separate entity from that of the soul while remaining a part of the soul. The soul is also the capacity to reason, a similar term used by Platonic philosophers and the like as a means of attaining knowledge. Aquinas shares the same similarities with Aristotle as man’s essence is its rationality. However, Aquinas does not total man’s entirety with rationality, contrary to Aristotle. In addition, Aquinas also rejects the nature of innate ideas of Plato since the physical mind forms ‘phantasms’ that are derived mental images from sensual experience. From this, human being form passive knowledge from experience and the soul forms active knowledge. â€Å"Further, if the soul were subsistent, it would have some operation apart from the body. However, it has no operation apart from the body, not even that of understanding; for the act of understanding does not take place without a phantasm, which cannot exist apart from the body† (Aquinas, 665). These phantasms are not considered as universal knowledge since there is would be subjectivism instead of an objective standard of truth. According to Aquinas, God is the only source of knowledge contrary to a subjective sensual experience which contradicts the notion of an objective truth. The soul is then a reaction, the unmoved object that grants substantial truth as it relates itself to the function of the body. Moreover, the body is also an integral part of knowledge, as it provides sensual experience that directly hands abstractions. Though sensual experience does not necessitate in becoming universal knowledge, the soul’s active intellect filters the passive knowledge of the body into one. However, even though sense experience is necessary in formulation phantasms or mental images of an object as well as a universal concepts that applies to all things, it is impossible to have knowledge of a particular material object because there is already a conception of a mental image of it. Though the way to know the essence of a physical object is through abstraction, we cannot entirely have a real grasp of what that object is. All knowledge then is necessitated as abstract. This abstraction process leads to the use of scientific knowledge where there is an inkling of knowledge through cause and effect. On the other hand, it remains that the intellect has limitations with regard to abstract knowledge. We may have a concept or a grasp of what is sweet or sour through experience but we can never understand the real meaning of sweetness and sourness in itself.