Research Paper based on company of your choice except Walmart

Based on company of your choice except Walmart - Research Paper Example Next section of the study will discuss the major milestones for the company. Time Period Milestones 1905 Nestle took over Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company. 1920-1944 Nestle shut down operation in many plants and invested capital in launching Nescafe. 1945-1974 In this era, Nestle took the strategic decision to diversify its product portfolio. They took over Alimentana in order to launch Maggi. Nestle invested money for becoming one of the largest shareholder in L'Oreal. 1975-1979 Nestle took initiative to enter in pharmaceutical industry with the help of buyouts and strategic acquisition decisions. The company acquired Alcon Laboratories in order to enter American pharmaceutical industry. 1980-1994 Nestle used the acquisition strategy in order to increase height, breadth and depth of its food product portfolio. The Vevey based organization acquired food giant Carnation in order increase depth of the product line. Nestle enhanced the strength of the Nescafe brand by launching Nespre sso which was a form of espresso coffee. 1996-2005 Nestle diversified its business into nutritional and health division. The Swiss company entered into of health, nutrition and wellness business segment with the help of series of merger and acquisition activities. 2006-2009 Nestle took few major steps like acquiring nutritional division of Novartis, establishing shared value forum in different countries, trimming down the value chain for bottled water segment in order to increase sustainability and profitability of business. 2010-2012 Nestle launched Cocoa Plan for supplying disease defiant plantlets to their value chain partners. (Source: Nestle, â€Å"History†) SWOT Analysis & Impact of External Environment Strengths Strong Brand equity is the major strength for Nestle. The company has established strong brand presence with the help of its diversified product portfolio. The Swiss giant offers more than 4000 brands to customers which talks about the product diversification c apacity of the company. The company is the market leader in more than twenty five product categories like confectionery, pet care, coffee, bottled water, frozen meal, nutritional division and dairy products. Nestle has achieved leadership position in non-alcoholic beverage market with the help of products like Milo (energy drink), Nestle Pure Life (bottled water), Nescafe (coffee) etc. Nestle Pure Life is the highest selling bottle water brand in the world. Top brands of the company are growing at a rate of 10-20% annually which proves the strong brand equity of Nestle (Market Line, â€Å"Nestle S.A†). Research and development capability is the major strength for Nestle. The company has established more than thirty two research and development centers across five continents in order to incorporate high degree of diversification in product offering. The Vevey based company operates business with the help of three hundred application groups in order to develop products in accor dance with the local market preference. Weaknesses Major weakness of Nestle is its inability to generate revenue from all the markets it caters to in equal proportion. For example, 58% of Nestle’s revenue comes from its operation in developed countries like USA, UK and other European countries (Market Line, â€Å"Nestle S.A†). The company is facing problem in maintaining its revenue growth in European

Reflective Essay NU-AGE

Reflective Essay NU-AGE NU-AGE is a module that has had a profound influence of my understanding about the concept and self-perception about ageing. Having to learn how much more biology, lifestyle, clinical aspects, technology, living conditions and solutions can directly or indirectly alter how an individual age. Ageism in one major concern that was given much attention to in the module. Ageism was thought be the direct action of our society towards the ageing population(reference). For the past century, the institutionalisation and the idea of making the older population redundant was a major concern to both the economy. Many had to opt for poor relief, begging, paid work when possible, charity, growing food, use of common rights and help from family. Unequal access to improved occupational and private pension have been a concern to how the ageing population had access to an income to support them through later life has contributed much to the of the negative concept of ageing. This led the population to have a stereotypical view of the prevalence of loneliness at older people that their prevalence of illness and disease were more likely higher and older workers are less efficient. Despite all these negative stereotypical views positive ideas and views have been acknowledged, but many recogn ise that the ageing population have a perceived superior wisdom from experience. Health Nutrition and health has an undoubtedly profound aspect on how progression of ageing occurs. Research has shown that people in poorer parts of England lived on average 7 years less than those of in richer parts. This has been affiliated with the qualities of life the two regions face and the conditions they are assumed to face in such regions. The poorer regions are proposed to be subjected to adverse environment conditions, more stress and poorer diet. Richer regions are assumed to have the direct opposite qualities of those of the poorer regions. Research has proven that the genotype of an individual has a profound effect on the progression of ageing of an individual, such as having the Age-1 gene. All these factors are known to contribute oxidative stress, metabolic stress and inflammation which known to affect the trajectory of how ageing progresses and the prognostic implications in later life. It has been proven that diets low in calorific value and higher in unsaturated fats a nd omaga-3, such as the Mediterranean diet, showed marked decrease in the causes of mortality such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. Physical activity has been a key player in the progression of how we age. Mental health has been shown to be related to how much an individual is involved in the arts and society. For example, risks of showing onsets of dementias have been shown to decrease with engaging in thought and social processes. (reference) This clearly shows us the ageing is plastic. This relates very strongly to the Clinical Ageing and Health module I took this year in Biomedical Sciences, iterating much of what was covered but in a simplified coherent manner. Ageing affect individuals related to the ones ageing. Residents in the care homes haves generally shown that there are losses of formal association with members they have had earlier in life thus leading to increased prevalence to neurodegenerative disease and loneliness. This has been addressed by providing and involving the ageing population in the arts whereby bonding with those of a similar age, ethnicity and class which provides a strengthened emotional support, and social identities. Wealth Engagement of the ageing population has been a paramount interest of discussion over the years. Establishments of capital development projects were one of the topics of interest that has been of great interest to me, especially one EX-BEX member shared his thoughts of how he thinks that life savings in the bank might not gain as much capital gains as when other forms of investment out-weighed the risks since equity has been rising for the past century. Through this module, I have truly come to grasp of the global scale of what society is expecting from ageing, how it is perceived and what we as the younger generation can implement to address issues in relation to the current ageing population and to the younger generation to age in a graceful manner. I have learnt that ageing is not a concept to be worried about and that it should be regarded in a positive aspect to consider in life. Being an international student, I have come to experience thoughts and aspects of ageing in the UK and through other international students which I propose to implement in the Seychelles. Seychelles has had a graceful ageing population two decades ago, unfortunately the can no longer be said with confidence. Prevalences of age related diseases are rising and life-spans are decreasing. No strong investigation has been made to determine why such decline is occurring. I feel that it is my duty as a Seychellois to lead the way to investigate and support th e ageing population into the aspect of graceful and healthy. My hope is to promote the Seychelles as an example to the world that ageing is in our control and we should not fear it. My dream is to see the ageing population of Seychelles to be healthy, active and vibrant thus defeating the ideology and perception of ageism.

Atrribute of God :: essays research papers fc

Truth an Attribute of God   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The definition of truth according to Webster’s is conformity to fact or actuality, reality, actuality. Ryrie defines truth as â€Å"agreement to that which is represented it includes veracity, faithfulness, and consistency.† To say that God is true is to say that he is consistent with himself. He is all that he should be; he has revealed himself as he really is. His revelations are completely reliable. For man to understand that truth is knowable to him and life does make sense, he should first understand that all truth is known to God regardless of if it is found in the Bible or other sources. Therefore, it should be called God’s truth because Colossians 2:3b says, â€Å"are hid all treasures of wisdom and knowledge.† People think that God has hid his truth from them, making it inaccessible to man so they cannot understand God’s truth. Men do not practice good exegesis when the word ‘hid’ is taken out of context and means, to some people, that God is hiding his truth from them. I think that Paul is trying to say that the truth about Christ is the focal center to which all other truth about everything in creation is connected. That is to say, God is truth. We are totally dependent upon God to know truth because God is the creator of all things. He is our source for knowledge. God revealed both grace and truth to us by incarnating himself. Truth is unchanging and universal; it is not relative but is absolute. (Holmes 8) The Old Testament term for truth is emeth. This is primarily ethical rather epistemological term. Truth depends on unchanging reality, is personal, cannot change, and remains the same for every time and place in creation. It is absolute. To say these things is to say that God’s knowledge is complete and perfectly true. Truth is the implication that God exist. So one cannot believe in truth and believe that God is non-existence. We need a renewed commitment to the truth as found in the Scriptures and as summarized in theological and doctrinal propositions. (Phillips 26)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Pilate ask the question ‘what is truth,’ the Lord answered this in the upper room when he said â€Å"I am the way the truth and the life†. No one should deny to Christ a personal identification with truth. Before we say we hold Christ and the Bible as central to education, we need to do some serious thinking about God’s Truth.

Junk Food Prevalence and Its Physical and Mental Implications

Name: Ali Hussain Al-Attas Date: 15/10/2011 Cause & Effect Junk Food Prevalence and its Physical and Mental Implications Introduction: A study conducted lately, showed that junk food affects the function and structure of the brain which could change peoples’ behavior, especially that of children. By definition, junk food is pre-prepared food that has low nutritional value and is high in calories. The aim of this paper is to explore the causes of junk food prevalence and its physical and mental effects. Paragraph 1: Causes: Abundance and Advertisements:Junk food has become very popular among people owing to its accessibility, taste, cost and strong media advertising. It’s difficult to find a district, or even a street, without a fast-food restaurant. Statistics indicate that the number of these restaurants tripled in the last decade. An example of advertisement is putting surprises, free toys, with every â€Å"happy meal† to attract children. The rise of the numbe r of fast-food restaurant leads to an increase in its physical and mental hazards. Paragraph 2: Effects: Physical Implications:Junk food physical hazards of can be broadly categorized into two groups. The first is the immediate effect, namely, obesity that presents health risks. In 2005, a study conducted by NIH found higher rates of obesity in high schools with nearby fast-food restaurants. According to a study carried out on general education students in Saudi Arabia, the rate of obesity among those who frequently eat fast food is 38. 20%, while the rate is 19. 43% among those eating only one meal a week. Another study revealed that about one out of four (or 23. 6%) of Saudi adults are classified as obese.The second group is the distal effects. Being overweight and can increase the chances of getting chronic illnesses. The OSG pointed out that simply becoming obese, with over 30 BMI, raises the likelihood of developing many diseases including heart attack, stroke and few types of cancer. A 14-year prospective study showed men aged 40 to 65 years with a BMI more than 29 had a 72% increased risk of getting nonfatal or fatal coronary heart disease. Clearly, there are direct and indirect connections between junk food and a number of physical illnesses. Paragraph 3: Effects: Mental Implications:Similarly, Junk food results in emotional issues, such as, hyperactivity, and depression. What it does is that it changes the order of the brain. A recent study, conducted at 2010, revealed that it raises the risk of depression by 55%. Another research, involved 80 participants, showed that a drop in anger, aggression and depression resulted from replacing it with more healthy food. It also affects the educational attainment of students by secreting hormones that cause a partial mind inactivity. From that, it can be inferred that there is a strong link between consuming junk food and several behavioral problems.Conclusion: This paper illustrated the spread of junk food as an important factor for many physical and mental problems. Consuming junk food has direct implications, such as obesity. In addition, it leads indirectly to a number of chronic diseases. Furthermore, it changes peoples’ behavior and causes emotional illnesses e. g. aggression and depression. But it still widely spread because of the strong advertisement and few minor reasons. The awareness of this problem is on the increase, but the danger still exists, and governments and official organizations have to do something to reduce these risks.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Essay

One should not stop going for what they want. Through the struggles and obstacles being thrown at two people who are in love but the others may not be able to see it, they will always find a way back to each other. This book demonstrates the hardship two young people who are in love to find a way to each other even though at the time, interracial dating was not very common and looked down upon. During the Japanese internment in WWII, Henry, who is a first-generation Chinese American, went to an only non-white school was forced to work in the kitchen during lunch and clean after school because that was how his â€Å"scholarship† was being paid for. At that school, he met a Japanese-American girl named Keiko and became friends instantly. Even though Henry’s father was not very fond of the â€Å"enemy† Japanese people, that did not stop Henry from being her friend. One night, both Henry and Keiko snuck out to see each other. When they saw each other, Keiko gave him her family pictures because all Japanese had to get rid of any possession that could link them being known as Japanese so they could avoid being taken away. Japantown was filled with families and businesses who were forced to shut down and leave to the safer internment camps. Henry had to go through that pain of watching Keiko’s entire family leave, he was helpless to stop them but at the same time afraid that he would be herded with them for his similar physical appearance. Because it was a tradition for the Chinese to send their children back to China to complete their schooling, that is what Henry’s father did. He sent him back to China. He agrees to go if his father saves the Panama Hotel where Keiko’s family stored a lot of their belongings when they were shipped to the internment camps. While sending letters back and forth letters to Keiko, that is how Henry met the women he ended up marrying, Ethel. She worked at the post office and befriended him. As the war was going on, Keiko’s letters stop coming. The only reason why Keiko’s letter stops coming because his father interfered with the delivery of the mail for Henry’s own good. That is when Henry eventually moves on with his life, finishes school and marrying Ethel, but does not forget about Keiko. After the wife dies of  cancer he tries to find meaning for living. By doing so he goes back and visits the last Japanese habitation, which was the Panama Hotel. He never really forgot about Keiko, that was his first love. Even though Henry’s son, Marty, and Henry were not close, slowly but surely he eventually told him about Keiko. Marty and his fiancà © go out finding Keiko and sends Henry to New York to be reunited with his first love, Keiko. Being in Henry’s father’s shoes, I could see why he stopped the communication between Henry and Keiko. He was really just doing what is best for his children. At that time interracial relationships were not common but I guess nowadays parents cannot really choose who is going to marry their children. You cannot help how you feel and when you feel a certain way you will do whatever it takes to be back with the one you love. I think it was so cute how Keiko and Henry sent letters back and forth, nowadays it is only text messages or snapchats being sent. There was no sentimental feeling like there was before. Now we rely on technology as our form of communication and that is why some relationships fail. It is hard bringing your culture to America especially when you want to live the American lifestyle or culture. I know Henry’s father did not want him speaking Cantonese at home because if he spoke English, he would be more acceptable as an American. He was proud that Henry was going to an American school but of course he was not going to let some of the traditions go so therefore sends him to China. Henry’s father’s morals are very different with Henry as he grows up to being a father. When Henry has a son who is planning on marrying an American girl. At that time, dating outside the race is more acceptable. With me dating outside the Filipino race, my parents are okay with that. To them race does not matter. What matters is how the other person feels about you and vice versa. One that cares for you, takes care of you, and how they treat you should be the bigger concern and not the race. I always thought I would have to date within my race because I know that is what my parents would want, but they told me race should not matter. It is just how the other person can make you feel that matters the most. As long as I am happy, my parents are happy. I wish Henry’s father saw that Henry was happy with Keiko, but since his father was not very fond of the  Japanese, he did everything he can for them not to keep in contact. The story ends on a sweet note. The first thing Henry says when they meet was a Japanese phrase to tell her how beautiful she was, that he learned when he was a boy. Through the search from the city and pain and memories Henry had in the past, finding Keiko was the main purpose in his life. He wanted to be rekindled with his first love again. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet did a good job at alternating between telling the story at adolescent Henry’s war years with his later life in 1986. The author manages to tell the story of the Japanese evacuation, of the struggles between generations in immigrant families, and of the friendship that later turned into love between Henry and Keiko. This book also tells an important story, that of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and it was heartbreaking to watch Keiko’s family as they were evacuated, despite the fact that her family was more â€Å"American† than Japanese, and that Keiko was born in the U.S. Keiko’s frustration at seeing those of Japanese heritage taken away and her family’s strength as they are forced to leave behind their entire life is hard. I cannot image being taken to an unknown place with my family because of who we were. I liked how the author incorporated the generation of Chinese-American Henry and his immigrant parents. Henry’s father demands that he speak only English in their home, despite the fact that this leaves Henry unable to communicate with his parents but be more acceptable to the American culture. This book was overall a touching book. It was more than a love story between two people, it was the hardships that was going on during the WWII that kept those two from being with each other and with Henry’s father stopping communication between Keiko and Henry. I had mixed emotions because I was happy they found their way back to each other but at the same time I was upset because I wanted to know what would happen next.

The Scientific Possibilities of Time Travel

The Scientific Possibilities of Time Travel Stories regarding travel into the past and the future have long captured our imagination, but the question of whether time travel is possible is a thorny one that gets right to the heart of understanding what physicists mean when they use the word time.   Modern physics teaches us that time is one of the most mysterious aspects of our universe, though it may at first seem straightforward. Einstein revolutionized our understanding of the concept, but even with this revised understanding, some scientists still ponder the question of whether or not ​time actually exists or whether it is a mere stubbornly persistent illusion (as Einstein once called it). Whatever time is, though, physicists (and fiction writers) have found some interesting ways to manipulate it to consider traversing it in unorthodox ways. Time and Relativity Though referenced in H.G. Wells The Time Machine (1895), the actual science of time travel didnt come into being until well into the twentieth century, as a side-effect of Albert Einsteins theory of general relativity (developed in 1915). Relativity describes the physical fabric of the universe in terms of a 4-dimensional spacetime, which includes three spatial dimensions (up/down, left/right, and front/back) along with one time dimension. Under this theory, which has been proven by numerous experiments over the last century, gravity is a result of the bending of this spacetime in response to the presence of matter. In other words, given a certain configuration of matter, the actual spacetime fabric of the universe can be altered in significant ways. One of the amazing consequences of relativity is that movement can result in a difference in the way time passes, a process known as time dilation. This is most dramatically manifested in the classic Twin Paradox. In this method of time travel, you can move into the future faster than normal, but theres not really any way back. (Theres a slight exception, but more on that later in the article.) Early Time Travel In 1937, Scottish physicist W. J. van Stockum first applied general relativity in a way that opened the door for time travel. By applying the equation of general relativity to a situation with an infinitely long, extremely dense rotating cylinder (kind of like an endless barbershop pole). The rotation of such a massive object actually creates a phenomenon known as frame dragging, which is that it actually drags spacetime along with it. Van Stockum found that in this situation, you could create a path in 4-dimensional spacetime which began and ended at the same point - something called a closed timelike curve - which is the physical result that allows time travel. You can set off in a space ship and travel a path which brings you back to the exact same moment you started out at. Though an intriguing result, this was a fairly contrived situation, so there wasnt really much concern about it taking place. A new interpretation was about to come along, however, which was much more controversial. In 1949, the mathematician Kurt Godel - a friend of Einsteins and a colleague at Princeton Universitys Institute for Advanced Study - decided to tackle a situation where the whole universe is rotating. In Godels solutions, time travel was actually allowed by the equations if the universe were rotating. A rotating universe could itself function as a time machine. Now, if the universe were rotating, there would be ways to detect it (light beams would bend, for example, if the whole universe were rotating), and so far the evidence is overwhelmingly strong that there is no sort of universal rotation. So again, time travel is ruled out by this particular set of results. But the fact is that things in the universe do rotate, and that again opens up the possibility. Time Travel and Black Holes In 1963, New Zealand mathematician Roy Kerr used the field equations to analyze a rotating black hole, called a Kerr black hole, and found that the results allowed a path through a wormhole in the black hole, missing the singularity at the center, and make it out the other end. This scenario also allows for closed timelike curves, as theoretical physicist Kip Thorne realized years later. In the early 1980s, while Carl Sagan worked on his 1985 novel Contact, he approached Kip Thorne with a question about the physics of time travel, which inspired Thorne to examine the concept of using a black hole as a means of time travel. Together with the physicist Sung-Won Kim, Thorne realized that you could (in theory) have a black hole with a wormhole connecting it to another point in space held open by some form of negative energy. But just because you have a wormhole doesnt mean that you have a time machine. Now, lets assume that you could move one end of the wormhole (the movable end). You place the movable end on a spaceship, shooting it off into space at nearly the speed of light. Time dilation kicks in, and the time experienced by the movable end is much less than the time experienced by the fixed end. Lets assume that you move the movable end 5,000 years into the future of the Earth, but the movable end only ages 5 years. So you leave in 2010 AD, say, and arrive in 7010 AD. However, if you travel through the movable end, you will actually pop out of the fixed end in 2015 AD (since 5 years have passed back on Earth). What? How does this work? Well, the fact is that the two ends of the wormhole are connected. No matter how far apart they are, in spacetime, theyre still basically near each other. Since the movable end is only five years older than when it left, going through it will send you back to the related point on the fixed wormhole. And if someone from 2015 AD Earth steps through the fixed wormhole, theyd come out in 7010 AD from the movable wormhole. (If someone stepped through the wormhole in 2012 AD, theyd end up on the spaceship somewhere in the middle of the trip and so on.) Though this is the most physically reasonable description of a time machine, there are still problems. No one knows if wormholes or negative energy exist, nor how to put them together in this way if they do exist. But it is (in theory) possible.

Environmental Formces Impacts on Greggs Essays

Environmental Formces Impacts on Greggs Essays Environmental Formces Impacts on Greggs Paper Environmental Formces Impacts on Greggs Paper Also in 1 994 Gregg acquired 424 bakers oven shops which enabled Gregg to have an in store bakery this enabled them to put Gregg shops in built up busy areas and Bakers oven shops in smaller previously untouched areas with a lower population as the shops could bake what is needed for demand. Gregg offers take outs so it can be a quick and easy visit to the store whilst bakers oven offers seating and works similar to a restaurant for people on the move wanting a seat and something to eat. Gregg competes with all bakery chains and food outlets as ell as coffee shops to gain customers as Gregg relies on people needing food so they must make their products affordable and of high quality in able to ensure that customers will choose their products rather than other food retailers. Gregg has also set the standard for other bakery chains by expanding outside of the UK with two shops in Belgium and plans for many more shops in Europe making them the first British bakery chain to attempt and expansion outside of the ASK. In 2008 the global bakery products market is estimated to have been worth SIS$275 billion making it a very profitable market which is ever increasing. The forces talked about earlier are environmental forces, which are made up of the macro and micro environment, macro environment is uncontrollable external factors to the business, which consists of political, economic, social, technological, legal and CEO environmental factors. The micro environment is made up of stakeholders and how their ideas and demands affect how the business operates. For the purpose of this essay will concentrate on the macro environmental forces in the form of a Pestle analysis. Gregg is British bakery chain which operates mainly in the LIKE with at least 1 500 shops, the overspent in the UK is classed as stable so this is of benefit to Gregg as it does not have to keep changing because of an unstable government making changes to laws and legislations or with a shift of power between parties battling to gain power. Political factors affecting Gregg consist of health and safety regulations for employees which means that Gregg must operate in a safe way in order to prevent any injuries to staff or customers. All businesses must take great interest in health and safety but Gregg being a bakery chain that sell food products must pay extra attention to health and safety as a cut loud contaminate products and cause waste. Staff members must be careful while working to ensure there are fire exits accessible and the floors are clear of obstruction along with suitable oven cleaning equipment and personal protective equipment. Gregg must adhere to food hygiene legislation set forth by the government such as the HACK to ensure that no cross contamination has occurred and no bodily fluids or pathogens have come into contact with the food which could cause harm to a customer through food poisoning. Also any plasters worn must be blue in color and waterproof o if it comes off in the baking process and comes into contact with any of the bread mixes or pastry mixes it is easily identified and taken out preventing contamination through blood etc. Therefore all food must be of optimum quality and not posing a risk to consumers health and wellbeing by being unhygienic or uncooked. This brings me onto my next point of food safety legislations that state that meat products must be cooked to achieve a temperature of degrees also legislation to do with hot holding foods and how long food can be hot held. Another political factor is the minimum wage s the government and not Gregg sets the minimum wage it expects Gregg to pay its workers, this can pose threats to some bakery chains as the pay rate for people over 21 is E. 8 and usually there are a few people in the stores working for a few hours so this is going to eat away at the profits and smaller stores will be the worst affected however it will affect the likes of Gregg as well through eating profits. Gregg must also adhere to public holidays by not opening up on days that are specified to enable workers to have a day off, the government sets the public holidays and the business es must adhere. Gregg stated that the 2 extra public holidays in 2011 had cost the business E million in profit. The government in the UK may be classed as stable but the economy of the UK like so other many countries is in ruin, but has this had an adverse effect on Gregg? At the Start of the recession in 2008 Gregg pre-tax profits were EYE. 2 million up from EYE million in 2007 which was just before the start of the recession. Was this rise in profits a freak anomaly? No, Gregg is making steady progress year on year throughout the recession with pre-tax profits in 2009 of EYE. Million and 2010 EYE. 2 million especially. This goes to show that the recession has actually helped Gregg as a business with people cash strapped and in need of food the delicacy of a reasonably priced pasty seems to have been first port of call. However the recession has affected people all over the UK and in 201 1 the London riots showed just how bad it was with 19 shops being forced to closed whilst one shop was looted and another set on fire in Peacock. The London riots also badly disrupted the Gregg delivery vehicles through prevention of access to stores and damage to vehicles. This has ultimately caused damage to profits Of roughly El . 2 million as profits dropped. The London riots were one Of few social impacts that affected Gregg in 2011 along with recession which as I have already said saw Gregg prosper with profits rising, this was due to Gregg selling cheap, quality food in readily available areas to attract customers. Gregg, like all businesses cares about its consumer perception, this has led to the creation of 1 50 breakfast clubs in primary schools which aim to give school children a free nutritional breakfast which is provided by Gregg. This scheme also gets parents and careers in on the action as they can lunette to serve up the food after the delivery of food is made to the schools this will give Gregg a better consumer perception. The breakfast club scheme has been running since 2000 and will continue to run and expand to include more schools. Gregg also recognizes that where its shops are located will determine the sales outcome, so it has opened stores in student friendly areas in towns and indeed in some university campuses as it recognizes that the typical student stereotype is someone that is always busy hasnt got time to wait around and is pretty skink most of the time, what better place to locate popular bakery that has cheap products than in an area that is predominantly student and work orientated with lots of people wanting the products on offer. Gregg also has a foundation set up with a hardship fund, this helps there consumer perception as they allow people to apply for household appliances if they cannot afford to buy them due to poverty. The hardship fund operates in the four counties of Northeast England and has been running since 1993 and has so far given around E million to people in poverty in the Northeast. Having things like this showing people that Gregg Ares will predominantly boost sales as it helps their social status and people will know that Gregg helps people in poverty with its profits and as a result of this people may be more willing to purchase Gregg products. Technologically Gregg has been affected with an increase in computer technology which has led to new advertising campaigns, as well as Gregg advertising with billboards and television adverts etc. Hey now also advertise on the internet through their easy to use website and not only are their advertising techniques improving with technology but their checkout ermines are improving too with new compactness technology being implemented in stores which enables bank cards with this technology to just be tapped against the terminal and the payment will be made, this has been implemented to cut down on queues at peak trading times to keep the customers happy so they are not waiting around for ages. Gregg also benefited through some free advertising on the 20/6/2011 with a newspaper having the headline queen has Gregg cater for dinner party with 8000 big name guests, this will no doubt have boosted Gregg sales With royalists hinging if its good enough for the queen its good enough for us so this will have led to an increase in profits. Gregg has plans to open up 600 more stores in the UK to help boost profits by having more stores in areas that do not currently have Gregg stores to tap into new customer pools to generate a larger customer base. Along with the plans for expansion in size are plans to expand into new areas such as frozen food with Gregg planning to create branded frozen foods such as sausage rolls to be sold the Iceland food store chain. This will help Gregg also tap into new markets as they have never before been involved with frozen food sales and this offers great scope for expansion. Gregg is affected legally though hygiene laws and requirements such as the HACK food hygiene regulations guarding against food poisoning. This prevents Gregg from being unhygienic and posing a risk to consumers. Gregg must also abide by the data protection act 1998 as it takes customer information for storage etc. It must not distribute this to third party groups or do anything else with it without the persons permission. Gregg is also legally required to pay the national minimum wage to its employees. When laws are eased in regards to bakeries etc. Gregg must accept them and work within the law or face the risk of prosecution, court cases and potential fines or store closures. Like all businesses Gregg knows that people are getting more environmentally friendly and as a result are striving to be more CEO environmentally friendly themselves, trying to work upon the reduce, reuse and recycle principle. Gregg is trying to reduce landfill waste, recycle what it can and reuse what it can in order to cut down on pollution. Gregg is also offering some of its unsold food to charities in order to try and give people he chance to have food if they cannot afford it or if they are homeless. Gregg are not handing out free carrier bags to everybody now as well unless people ask for one if they have a lot of stuff they wont get one. Also on Gregg paper bags it says keep Britain tidy which shows that it wants the customers to put the packaging in the bin or recycle it if possible. Paper is also bio degradable so will rot away so will not damage the environment as much as plastic will. Gregg knows that it needs a good consumer perception and as a result throughout the different environmental forces affecting the inning of the business Gregg has stayed focused on this aspect with focus on charities and the Gregg foundation along with the breakfast clubs. Gregg is an ethical company with interests to help the people in need of it and trying to reduce its carbon footprint whilst offering tasty, reasonably priced foods. Gregg is not really threatened by the changing environment as it is still making a profit which is getting bigger every year it is more prompted to do things slightly different for example the packaging and not giving out free plastic bags to everyone. As a result of my PESTLE analysis have formulated n Insofar matrix to help formulate an idea for Gregg to respond to and prosper in its changing environment. For market penetration I thought of new advertising campaigns advertising new applications for android and tablet technology such as the pad which will give users details of where the nearest Gregg store is and what deals are on in the store along with prices. This brings me onto my next idea for market penetration, with the UK being in a financial crisis if prices are slightly lower or there are offers on for multiple purchases this could increase the sales and ultimately the profits if here is say a 2 for El . 0 on app pasties this will no doubt increase the number of sales as people like to think they are getting a bargain. For market development came up with the idea of new stores in other areas that do not currently have Gregg possibly because of a smaller population, this could gain Gregg a larger customer base. Also came up with the idea of focusing on expansion and opening more stores outside of the UK in order to globalize Gregg more so further expanding the customer base. My last idea for market development is to have Gregg stores on more university campuses tit student friendly deals on which would boost sales on products currently sold through Gregg. For product development I came up with the an idea for more pasties and sandwiches along with more varieties of hot drink potentially even a coffee bar inside the stores or in certain stores kind of like a mini Cataracts so there are a larger range of coffees so that people can call in and get a quick bite to eat and get a nice coffee in the same place rather than have to go to numerous places or just settle for a basic coffee. For diversification I came up with an idea for frozen food, as a kind of expansion o Gregg plans to sell frozen sausage rolls in Iceland stores and develop from there I thought Gregg could sell part baked frozen breads in store for customers that potentially want bread but not straight away for example if they are having a dinner party and are preparing a week in advance or so they could buy them put them in the freezer and are then able to bake them prior to the event starting so the bread is still warm. I also thought Gregg could allocate a cake maker to larger stores so they could receive orders for cakes for special occasions and make cakes to specifications of the customer or example special birthday cakes or a cake for a wake after a funeral. The idea I think Gregg should take on to prosper in the changing environment is simply market penetration, I believe they would benefit from an application for android or tablet technology which would inform potential customers where the nearest Gregg store is and the deals they have on. Also new television advertising campaigns advertising the application and the deals that are on in store would increase the number of potential customers entering the stores. Having lower prices or better promotions on products will cost profits as more people will be willing to buy more than one thing so will increase their basket spend, this would mean that potentially a El visit to the store could turn into a E visit with the right promotions in store and advertised well. Due to the current financial crisis and talk of double dip recessions believe this would help Gregg continue to make profits in tough times and potentially make profits soar higher. By lowering prices and having better promotions it eliminates the risk of being undercut by smaller bakeries as they will not be able to afford to undercut the prices of Gregg as they will et less customers and if Gregg a more reputable bakery is cheaper they will struggle to generate as many sales. Also new technology and advertising campaigns could increase the size of the customer base with potentially more people hearing about the deals and knowing where their nearest store will be. Smaller bakeries will not be able to afford extra advertising to this scale or the increase in technology to hire someone to create applications. This would also see off threats from supermarkets with bakeries as Gregg would stay market leader for bakery products in the UK and it would give them the scope o develop further.

Aqua Regia Definition in Chemistry

Aqua Regia Definition in Chemistry Aqua Regia Definition Aqua regia is a mixture of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and nitric acid (HNO3) at a ratio of either 3:1 or 4:1. It is a reddish-orange or yellowish-orange fuming liquid. The term is a Latin phrase, meaning kings water. The name reflects the ability of aqua regia to dissolve the noble metals gold, platinum, and palladium. Note aqua regia will not dissolve all noble metals. For example, iridium and tantalum are not dissolved.Also Known As: Aqua regia is also known as  royal water, or nitro-muriatic acid (1789 name by Antoine Lavoisier) Aqua Regia History Some records indicate a Muslim alchemist  discovered aqua regia around 800 AD by mixing a salt with vitriol (sulfuric acid). Alchemists in the Middle Ages tried to use aqua regia to find the philosphers stone. The process to make the acid was not described in chemistry literature until 1890. The most interesting story about aqua regia is about an event that occurred during World War II. When Germany invaded Denmark, the chemist George de Hevesy dissolved the Nobel Prize medals belonging to Max von Laue and James Franck into aqua regia. He did this to prevent the Nazis from taking the medals, which were made of gold. He put the solution of aqua regia and gold on the shelf in his lab at the Niels Bohr Institute, where it looked like just another jar of chemicals. de Hevesy returned to his laboratory when the war was over and reclaimed the jar. The recovered the gold and gave it to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences so the Nobel Foundation to re-make the Nobel prize medals to give to Laue and Franck. Aqua Regia Uses Aqua regia is useful to dissolve gold  and platinum and finds application in the extraction and purification of these metals. Chloroauric acid may be made by using aqua regia to produce electrolytes for the Wohlwill process. This process refines gold to extremely high purity (99.999%). A similar process is used to produce high-purity platinum. Aqua regia is used to etch metals and for analytic chemical analysis. The acid is used to clean metals and organics from machines and laboratory glassware. In particular, its preferable to use aqua regia rather than chromic acid to clean NMR tubes because chromic acid is toxic and because it deposits traces of chromium, which ruin NMR spectra. Aqua Regia Hazards Aqua regia should be prepared immediately before use. Once the acids are mixed, they continue to react. Although the solution remains a strong acid following decomposition, it loses effectiveness. Aqua regia is extremely corrosive and reactive. Lab accidents have occurred when the acid exploded. Disposal Depending on local regulations and the specific use of aqua regia, the acid may be neutralized using a base and poured down the drain or the solution should be stored for disposal. Generally, aqua regia shouldnt be poured down the drain when the solution contains potentially toxic dissolved metals.

Popular Recreation and Resistance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Popular Recreation and Resistance - Essay Example The popular culture is usually observable in such area including clothing, cooking, sports and recreation and also consumption and entertainment. On recreation, we can view golf playing as a popular culture practiced by the rich in the society. Today cultural activities are segregated and there exist restrictions that are formal and also informal. Restrictions apply to those that are not part of that culture and may be tempted to join that culture. Some cultural activities are highly restricted by the laws of the society, an example is a beer drinking, beer drinking, for example, is prohibited in Saudi Arabia and there exist a law that will prosecute those found drinking beer. The drinking of beer, therefore, is a popular culture among the masses of many societies and this culture is proposed by the mass media through advertisements of these brands, the culture is restricted in some societies like Saudi Arabia formally. There also exist informal restrictions to cultural practices, these informal restrictions are those restrictions that do not exist in writing but are termed as norms in the society, and they do not exist in writing but are termed as rules governing behavior. These informal restrictions include the expected reaction by society, the society has informal ways in which to discourage behavior example a person doing wrong may be isolated by society, for example, the case where people have tattoos all over their body, this is a popular culture among the young but in some society the making of such decorations on the skin may lead to one being isolated and disown by the society.  Ã‚  

IT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

IT - Assignment Example s the data; prepare prescriptions to be sent to the pharmacies via communication technology; get instant and accurate results from the laboratories directly; communicate with their patients on a regular basis no matter which part of the globe they live in; and, give better suggestions regarding their health and lifestyle. On the other hand, the patients, here referred to as e-Patients, can have access to doctors all around the world with the use of information and communication technology, telemedicine and e-Health systems, get diagnosis (known as remote diagnosis) and treatment regarding their diseases, and thus, remain better informed about their problems in particular and health care in general. Eysenbach writes in his article that e-Health has a major contribution in solving the communication problem between the practitioners providing healthcare in remote areas and healthcare institutions in the city. E-Health brings the best healthcare providers in competition which enhances the quality of healthcare practice. It has created a trustworthy doctor-patient relationship, as e-Health systems ensure the patients’ privacy. It provides tools, known as e-Health tools, which facilitate health services like diagnosis and treatment. These include electronic databases, mobile monitors, health portals, and many more. E-Health is also cost-effective as money is not spent on staffing and traveling resources. The European Union (EU) is the leader in the development of e-Health systems and tools. ICT1 has made it possible to provide faster, reliable, cost-effective, and responsive solutions to mankind in the health sector (Europe’s Information Society). E-Patients use ICT to have a better knowledge about their diseases and other issues. They can communicate with their physicians and fellow sufferers. ICT has enabled the patients to be part of the health decision process who are constantly requesting to view and access the data about their diseases contained in their

Comparison of two Asian Megacities Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparison of two Asian Megacities - Term Paper Example Also the internal migration brought about a rapid change with regard to the economical, social, political and demographic aspects of these cities which in turn became mega cities. It will be interesting to study Mumbai and Bangkok in the above mentioned context. Demographics: Mumbai-formerly known as Bombay until 1995- is the capital city of Maharashtra state, India; but is well deservingly called the commercial and financial capital of India. It is also one of the world’s most densely populated mega cities. Its population of lately has reached a whooping 16 million mark. As per the wikipedia information â€Å"As of 2009, Mumbai was named an Alpha world city. Mumbai is also the richest city in India and has the highest GDP of any city in South, West or Central Asia.† Mumbai is popularly known as a cultural melting pot as one finds migrants from all regions of India settled here and many more pouring in daily. Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand. Its population is ab out 9 million. It is the largest urban city of Thailand popularly known as the city of angels. Bangkok is perhaps the most apt example of a city representing a population of diverse cultures. Referbangkok.com confirms that â€Å"Bangkok has a true international culture with a sizable population of immigrants from China, Japan, India, America, Europe, Taiwan, South Korea, Nigeria, Malaysia and Singapore. Bangkok is also believed to be a host for a good number (approx. 400 – 600 thousand) of illegal immigrants from Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Russia, Ukraine, Pakistan, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, China, and other countries.† Economy: In older times Mumbai’s economy revolved around its cotton textile industry. Textile industries still bear a lot of importance in Mumbai’s economy. But as a result of globalization Mumbai has emerged as an epicenter of a large number of economic activities. City-data.com gives the current account of Mumbai’s financial str engths mentioning that â€Å"Mumbai is home to some of India's largest and wealthiest industrial conglomerates, such as the Aditya Birla Group, Godrej, and Tata & Sons. More specialized economic activities are diamond cutting, computers, and movie making (in sheer numbers, Mumbai, or "Bollywood," produces more movies than any other city in the world, including Hollywood). In addition to manufacturing, Mumbai is a leading commercial and financial center. The city is home to the Reserve Bank of India, the Mumbai Stock Exchange, and a variety of other major financial institutions. The government and service sectors are also important in the city's economy.† Bangkok too is the financial center of Thailand. At one time, the major source of income in Bangkok was agriculture. But over the period of time it has solidified Thailand’s economy through establishing itself as the commercial center of not only Thailand but also Southeast Asia for imports and exports. Referring to Ba ngkok industries City-data.com reveals that †Food processing, textiles, and the production of building materials are the chief manufacturing enterprises. Other industries include cement, electronics, petroleum refining, and tourism.† The presence of Bangkok stock exchange and a majority of banks in Bangkok confirm the city’s status as the financial center of Thailand. Environmental Issues: The local politicians, administrators play an important role in the growth of a city in general. But Mumbai perhaps is the worst example

The causes of the Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The causes of the Civil War - Essay Example Today the American Civil War represents one of the most important conflicts in the history of the United States. While the war itself only lasted from 1861-1865, the effects have been felt significantly throughout the United States since. In addition to enacting significant death tolls on both the Northern and Southern participants, the political ramifications of the conflict were truly revolutionary as they resulted in the emancipation of slaves throughout the country. While ostensibly the Civil War was a direct result of then President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, declaring the abolishment of slavery, upon further inspection it’s clear there are a number of complex causes behind the war. This essay considers the various causes to the Civil War in an attempt to gain a broader understanding of their political implications. Perhaps the primary catalyst behind the Civil War was the economic differences between the Northern and Southern states. While indust rialization had enacted factory production and similar means of economic subsistence in the Northern states, the Southern states had evolved along a different path. Within the Southern regions, where the climate encouraged more agricultural means of production, the economy had become almost entirely reliant on cotton production. Within this spectrum of existence, cheap labor was essential to ensure the economy functioned, so slavery became a key part of Southern existence. In addition to embracing slavery, the Northern modes of city-life encouraged greater means of interaction between the social classes. As a result, it’s argued that Northern regions evolved more progressive views on the social hierarchy, while the Southern regions remained in an antiquated order (Chambers 1999). This would led to conflicting perspectives that would eventually mount, greatly contributing to the opposing regions engaging in warfare. Another pivotal aspect that contributed to the start of the C ivil War was general disagreements on political policy between the Northern and Southern regions. In these regards, one of the primary disagreements was between the belief the Southern belief that states should be primarily responsible for determining legal policy, versus the Northern view that the Federal government should be the primary decision maker in these matters. One of the primary arguments was advanced by politician John C Calhoun and referred to as nullification. This would give states the power to nullify laws that were passed by the Federal Government. As it became clear that such a measure would not be allowed, the Southern states moved toward seceding from the Union (Jones 1999). Ultimately, this would be a primary influence in bringing the Southern states to war. Another primary political issue was the moral disagreement between individuals that supported slavery and those that were vehemently opposed to it. As slavery had become a long-entrenched aspect of the Ameri can economic landscape, even as growing concern over its immoral aspects mounted it became increasingly difficult to break the nation from these past practices. With the Louisiana Purchase, the United States gained a large portion of land in the Western United States. The Federal Government deemed that new states admitted to the Union through this land would be free from slavery, placing increased pressure on the Southern states that embraced slavery to move toward abolishment. In addition to these aspects, tension began to emerge between the Southern and Northern states regarding slave laws. With laws such as the Compromise of 1850, Federal officials in southern and northern regions were forced to arrest fugitive slaves, or else themselves be arrested or fined (Gienapp 2001). Laws such as this caused tension with Northern individuals that believed these laws violated general human rights. In addition, there existed a growing abolitionist movement of political revolutionaries that s ought to end slavery through protesting and sometimes violent means. These

Picasso's Painting A Disheveled Woman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Picasso's Painting A Disheveled Woman - Essay Example The essay "Picasso's Painting A Disheveled Woman" gives detailed information about the important artwork of Pablo Picasso, A disheveled woman. Picasso's Painting, ‘A Disheveled Woman’ was a painting created in 1901. Red, orange and brown background colors are mixed in the paintings background such that it is not possible to discern the color of the dress worn by the woman. Therefore, lines become the fundamental artistic elements that are applied to produce this figure of a woman against the background of mixed colors. The painting has applied black lines that are drawn unevenly bold from the woman’s hair and head, but starts to thin out from the arm regions and approaching the dress frills, which are marked by thinner lines compared to the ones used to draw the body frame of the woman. The painting does not apply straight lines to mark the body frame of the disheveled woman, but rather uses crooked and rugged ones. Additionally, the lines marking the dress and it s frills are also warped, curved and discontinued at certain points. Further, the lines drawn to show the woman’s hair are also rough, irregular and clumped together towards the back neck and around the shoulders, while loosened on the woman’s front regions of the head. According to the Visual Grounded Theory, a comprehensive analysis of a visual object must encompass its context of creation, to the product, its contents, and also its stylistic structures, in order to be able to discern the comprehensive message communicated by the visual image .

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy Research Paper

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy - Research Paper Example On entering Afghanistan in the first lime, the U.S. troop focused on overthrowing the governing Taliban, which had provided haven for al-Qaeda. Although the U.S. troop took several years before fully taking control, on entering Afghanistan, they took less than three months and defeated the Taliban. In 2009, the war still continued. Researchers believe that the economy of Pakistan has since then been destabilized. On coming into power, President Obama, through his advisors documented that the destabilization would be one of the countries biggest foreign policy challenge (Scott, 2003). Therefore, Obama committed another 17,000 troops to Afghanistan to increase the number to approximately 55,000 troops. Obama’s commitment into the war has since then seen the war change the name from Afghan war to Obama’s war.U.S. focuses on counter attacking terrorism and promote the stability of the country. Obama’s strategy was to disrupt, dismantle, and conquer al-Qaeda based in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Baker, 2009). It is hopeful that this attack will prevent their return back into the country. Vietnam is another country whose relation is similar to that of Afghanistan as discussed below. Vietnam War, according to historians is arguably a war that caused death many innocent people. As documented by Levy, (2004), this war claimed not less than 2 million people who were civilians, over 200,000 South Vietnamese army troops, over a million soldiers from the north, and approximately 58,000 soldiers from America. Although the communist North eventually defeated South Vietnam, U.S. contributed immensely to end this war through their support to South Vietnam. From the communist perspective, U.S. were to blame for ruining the country. The reason why U.S. was highly blamed was due to the use of herbicides. These herbicides like Agent Orange polluted the Vietnam environment contributing to health hazards. SRV, popularly known as Socialist Republic of Vietnam, was fo rmed by the United Vietnam and its capital set at Hanoi. The relationship that existed between America and the formed SRV was unstable, which caused the U.S. army to react. The two countries (U.S and Vietnam) remained connected due to the concern that U.S. showed to its prisoners who were held in Vietnam during the war. In addition, the Water Scandal contributed significantly to the deterioration of the relation. As a result, communist Vietnam lost trust with U.S. Since U.S. proved persistent, the effects brought about by the post-Vietnam War period impacted U.S. development positively leading to a new world formation. By mid 1990s, there existed no established diplomatic relations. The efforts to have the two countries united seemed unrealizable. However, after creation of Ambassador between the two countries, this dreams seemed close to realization. When this association was introduced, other associations came in and successfully moved forward. For instance, a bilateral trade Agre ement was signed in 2000. Further still, Vietnam was included in the World trade Organization at the start of 2006 (Levy, 2004). Other significant association that occurred during these times was the close visits by senior officials. For instance, the then U.S. president Bill Clinton visited Vietnam in 2000, while the Van Khai, the then prime minister visited US in several occasions in 2005. From 2006, it is evident that the U.S. and Vietnam relation has had a positive turn. In 2007, Nguyen Minh, the Vietnam president visited U.S. for the first time ever

Picasso's Painting A Disheveled Woman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Picasso's Painting A Disheveled Woman - Essay Example The essay "Picasso's Painting A Disheveled Woman" gives detailed information about the important artwork of Pablo Picasso, A disheveled woman. Picasso's Painting, ‘A Disheveled Woman’ was a painting created in 1901. Red, orange and brown background colors are mixed in the paintings background such that it is not possible to discern the color of the dress worn by the woman. Therefore, lines become the fundamental artistic elements that are applied to produce this figure of a woman against the background of mixed colors. The painting has applied black lines that are drawn unevenly bold from the woman’s hair and head, but starts to thin out from the arm regions and approaching the dress frills, which are marked by thinner lines compared to the ones used to draw the body frame of the woman. The painting does not apply straight lines to mark the body frame of the disheveled woman, but rather uses crooked and rugged ones. Additionally, the lines marking the dress and it s frills are also warped, curved and discontinued at certain points. Further, the lines drawn to show the woman’s hair are also rough, irregular and clumped together towards the back neck and around the shoulders, while loosened on the woman’s front regions of the head. According to the Visual Grounded Theory, a comprehensive analysis of a visual object must encompass its context of creation, to the product, its contents, and also its stylistic structures, in order to be able to discern the comprehensive message communicated by the visual image .

Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor versus Pressurized Water Reactor debate Essay

Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor versus Pressurized Water Reactor debate - Essay Example On the contrary, the Pressurized Water Reactors are cheaper to maintain, environmentally safe and reliable. This prompted the government to commission the Sizewell B project. Future energy generation considerations are likely to favor the use of renewable sources that are cheaper, and environment friendly. Contents 1.0 Introduction From the 1960s, there was a clarion call to develop nuclear energy in UK with Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactors (AGRs) being the preferred choice. The first prototype of the advanced gas-cooled reactor was developed in 1962, but the first commercial AGR became operational in 1976. Complexities in implementation of the prototype delayed completion of the first AGR commercial plants. Other AGR projects were to be commissioned later in the 70s, and the 80s. However, they faced the same challenge (delayed implantation) compounded with a heavy cost implication. This led to an acrimonious debate about the use of AGR technology to generate electricity, when other econ omically viable means were available. The immense pressure forced the UK government to abandon building AGRs anymore and instead focused on the Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). This led to the commissioning of Sizewell B in 1987 to 1995. The PWRs were considered to be cheaper, environmentally safer and more reliable than the AGRs. ... The AGR is designed to use carbon dioxide as a coolant and graphite as a moderator. The AGR is a specifically UK breed of reactor developed, from the design for the very first nuclear reactor, to generate electricity for commercial use, a reactor built at Calder Hall in Cumbria, UK (Breeze, 2005, p. 258). Figure 1: Schematic diagram of an AGR Source: World Nuclear Association There are several advanced gas-cooled reactors built in the UK, but they have been found to be costly to operate. Most of the AGR plants cost more at the completion than it was initially anticipated and no further units of the design are planned. Instead, the last nuclear power plant built in the UK employed a United States PWR design (Breeze, 2005, p. 258). Pressurized water reactors (PWRs) are used in light-water reactor power plants. Although, there are different manufacturers in the United States, the fundamental characteristics of the PWRs are the same: the main coolant brings up steam vapor in the heat exc hanger, known as the steam generator and this steam drives the turbines. Figure 2: Schematic diagram of a PWR Source: Tennessee Valley authority By the 1970s, United Kingdom was the only major Western Europe country yet to adopt the use of light water reactors (LWR) technology to develop. This was a result of a protracted debate between the protagonist of the AGR and the LWR. It was argued that the LWR was unsafe, thus the promotion of AGR usage. The Magnox stations in UK had for a long time been faced with the problems of low volumetric power density, low operating temperatures and low pressures. The time had come to look for an alternative, and well improved design. This led to the development of the advanced gas-cooled reactors.

Hot Cross Bun Formulation

Hot Cross Bun Formulation The purpose of this study is to reflect on the package of care offered to a client and to critically evaluate the evidence base for the model which might be considered best practice for a specific client problem, or issue. This entails identifying a particular clients presenting issues while describing the evidence that is available for a suitable therapeutic approach, or model which would promote best practice. The study will reflect on a client who has been diagnosed with post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of a road traffic accident (RTI) and concentrates on the use of imaginal exposure therapy (IET) for the treatment of symptoms. Triggers and maintenance factors contributing to the clients deteriorating well-being will be explained using formulation as well as the protective and predisposing elements that were explored in therapy. Relevant literature will be cited throughout and appropriate research articles that have been critically reviewed will be discussed. Pre sentation, referencing and informed consent are consistent with the School of Health and Social Cares guidance and have been adhered to throughout this assignment. Introduction PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to one or more terrifying events, in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. It is a severe and ongoing emotional reaction to an extreme psychological trauma. The trauma may involve someones actual death or a threat to the individuals or someone elses life. The PTSD sufferer is affected to a degree that usual psychological defenses are incapable of coping. Reports of battle-associated stress appear as early as the 6th century BC. PTSD-like symptoms have been recognised in many combat veterans in many conflicts since. These symptoms have been called shell shock, traumatic war neurosis, and Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS). The modern understanding of PTSD dates from the 1970s, largely as a result of the problems that were still being experienced by Vietnam veterans. The term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was coined in the mid-1970s. Early in 1978, the term was used in a working group finding presented to the Committee of Reactive Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association. The term was formally recognised in 1980 in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association. Although a controversial diagnosis when first introduced, PTSD has filled an important gap in psychiatric theory and practice. From an historical perspective, the significant change ushered in by the PTSD concept was the stipulation that the etiological agent was outside the individual him or herself (i.e., the traumatic event) rather than an inherent individual weakness (i.e., a traumatic neurosis). The key to understanding the scientific basis and clinical expression of PTSD is the concept of trauma. DSM-IV-TR criteria for PTSD In 2000, the American Psychiatric Association revised the PTSD diagnostic criteria in the fourth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)(1). Diagnostic criteria for PTSD include a history of exposure to a traumatic event meeting two criteria and symptoms from each of three symptom clusters: intrusive recollections, avoidant/numbing symptoms, and hyper-arousal symptoms. A fifth criterion concerns duration of symptoms and a sixth assesses functioning. PTSD is unique among other psychiatric diagnoses because of the great importance placed upon the etiological agent, the traumatic stressor. In fact, one cannot make a PTSD diagnosis unless the patient has actually met the stressor criterion which means that he or she has been exposed to an historical event that is considered traumatic. Clinical experience with the PTSD diagnosis has shown, however, that there are individual differences regarding the capacity to cope with catastrophic stress so that while some people exposed to traumatic events do not develop PTSD, others go on to develop the full-blown syndrome. Such observations have prompted a recognition that trauma, like pain, is not an external phenomenon that can be completely objectified. Like pain, the traumatic experience is filtered through cognitive and emotional processes before it can be appraised as an extreme threat. Because of individual differences in this appraisal process, different people appear to have different trauma thresholds, some more protected and some more vulnerable to developing clinical symptoms after exposure to extremely stressful situations. Although there is a renewed interest in subjective aspects of traumatic exposure, it must be emphasised that exposure to events such as rape, torture, genocide, and severe war zone stress, are experienced as traumatic events by nearly everyone. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published guidance to help the National Health Service (NHS) recognise and treat people who develop PTSD after traumatic events. Recommendations include psychological treatment in the form of trauma-focussed cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and/or a course of anti-depressant medication while receiving therapy. Trauma-focussed CBT focuses on a persons distressing feelings, thoughts (or cognitions) and behaviour and helps to bring about a positive change. In trauma-focused CBT, the treatment concentrates specifically on the memories, thoughts and feelings that a person has about the traumatic event. Imaginal exposure therapy (IET) is a component of trauma-focused CBT and involves revisiting the traumatic memory or memories in a safe and controlled environment so that the intensity of the individuals anxious and fearful reactions (thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and behaviours) is reduced. Clients are exposed to the trauma memory by repeatedly describing the events of the trauma aloud until the anxiety response is reduced. This process is referred to as habituation. The treatment aims to eventually eliminate the fearful responses so that the client can face a feared situation without experiencing anxiety or fear. The goal IET is to process the trauma memories and to reduce distress and avoidant behaviours that the traumatic memory evokes. CBT, as we know it today, is a result of a group of modern related therapies that have empirical psychological support. There have been two main influences to modern CBT and these are behaviour therapy (BT), as developed by Wolpe, Skinner and others in the 1950s and 1960s and cognitive therapy (CT) as developed by Beck and others in the 1960s and 1970s (Westbrook, et al. 2011, p2). Freudian psychoanalysis had dominated the psycho-therapeutic world since the late 1800s, but in the 1950s, Eysneck and others in the psychological community questioned the lack of empirical evidence to support psychoanalysis. As a result, BT developed within the academic and scientific psychology community, basing its methodology on observable events between stimuli and response. Despite the success of BT, there was still some dissatisfaction with what was seen as the limitations of a purely behavioural approach (Westbrook, et al. 2011, p3). Beck and others were developing ideas about CT as early as the 1950s; these ideas focussed on mental processes such as thoughts, beliefs and our interpretation of events, and continued to maintain an empirical approach to validate its theory to the psychological world (Westbrook, et al. 2011, p3). Although Beck was not the first to link faulty behaviour with irrational thought and unhealthy emotions, his work revolutionised the psychology world a nd continues to be used today. Background to the Client Throughout this assignment the client will be referred to as T. Protecting the clients identity complies with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapies (BABCP) guidelines regarding client anonymity as described in the Ethical Framework for Good Practice and fulfils the requirements of the Universitys School of Health and Social Cares policy on confidentiality. T was seen in a primary care setting with a counselling service that offers short to medium term therapy for clients over the age of 16 years. She was referred to the service by her GP. She is a 25 year old female who is married with two boys aged 7 and 5 years. She is currently unemployed and lives in social housing with her husband who works in a local factory. T was raised and lived in an area where the 2007 Index of Deprivation (ID2007) indicates deprivation is 110.6% higher than the national average. There is a higher proportion of the working age population claiming incapacity benefit than the County average (Area Action Partnership). T first went to her GP shortly after being released from hospital after an RTA. She was a front seat passenger and received injuries to her face, arms and legs which included severe bruising, cuts and a temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) injury. Three months after the accident T continued to experience nightmares and flashbacks. The GPs letter to the service noted the clients deterioration and the original diagnosis of acute stress disorder (ASD) that had been diagnosed in the first month following the accident was amended to PTSD. Several studies have provided convincing evidence that early CBT treatment of ASD reduces the possibility of the development of PTSD (Moulds, et al. 2009, p16). ASD was introduced into the fourth edition of the diagnostic statistical manual (DSM) in 1994. The diagnostic criteria for ASD (Appendix A) are similar to those of PTSD, but differ in two fundamental areas. Firstly, ASD can only be diagnosed in the first month following the traumatic event and secondly, ASD includes a greater emphasis on dissociative symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). During their consultation, the GP noted that T had become withdrawn and distanced from her family and friends, she reported feeling like she was watching the world from inside a bell jar, this dissociative symptom is described as derealisation, and is common in ASD patients (Simeon and Abugel, 2006, p86). The GP assessed T using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ 9) and the General Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD 7) which resulted in scores of 15 and 19 respectively. These scores indicate that T was suffering with moderate to severe anxiety with depression. T was seen over a period of 13 sessions. The duration of each session lasted between 1 hour and 90 minutes. Longer sessions were included to provide sufficient time for sharing the trauma history and allow time for anxiety levels to decrease (Leahy and Holland, 2000, p197). The contract between the counselling service and T was explained. This included informed consent to tape sessions, confidentiality and its limitations and an evaluation of risk. Evaluation of risk is an important part of the therapeutic process and is done throughout therapy. It involves assessing the client, the environment and also the therapists own personal and professional limitations (Mueller, et al. 2010, p 65). CORE OM was used to calculate a risk score and also to assess Ts suitability for therapy. The Cognitive Therapy Rating Scale as developed by Safran and Segal was not available to the therapist during the first session, but subsequent reviewing of the scale indicated that T was a suitable candidate for cognitive behavioural interventions. CORE OM score is shown below in figure 1. Prior to developing a treatment plan, the therapist socialised the client to CBT explaining the evidence that supported using CBT interventions for PTSD. (Bryant, et al. 1999) and (Westbrook, et al. 2011, p81-83). First session therapist notes detailed Ts past history, the development of problems and the protective factors in her life (Appendix B). T was clear about what she wanted from therapy. Her problems fell into three main areas: (1) Nightmares, poor sleep, anxiety around bedtime, which resulted in an increased irritability with others; (2) Avoiding travelling in any form of transport, which resulted in her relying on others to take her children to school and other social or sporting events; (3) Withdrawing from friends and family, which led to her isolating herself socially. She believed that if she avoided all forms of transport and stayed inside, she would reduce the chances of experiencing any flashbacks or getting very panicky which she found extremely distressing and frig htening. T and the therapist created a Problem and Goal form to capture this information (Appendix C) and agreed to discuss the problems and goals again when the treatment plan was formulated. The specific client issue selected is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is defined as a common anxiety disorder that develops after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened (DSM-IV-TR: 463). The DSM-IV-TRs criteria are precisely written as: exposure to a traumatic event, persistent re-experience of the event, avoidance of the stimuli, persistent avoidance of increased arousal, duration of disturbance and impairment of social occupational or other important areas of functioning. Within the criteria there are subsets portraying greater detail of the types of symptoms that may be experienced by the client (Appendix A). T was seen over a period of 13 sessions. The duration of each session lasted between 1 hour and 90 minutes. Longer sessions were included to provide sufficient time for sharing the trauma history and allow time for anxiety levels to decrease (Leahy and Holland, 2000, p197). The contract between the counselling service and T was explained. This included informed consent to tape sessions, confidentiality and its limitations and an evaluation of risk. Evaluation of risk is an important part of the therapeutic process and is done throughout therapy. It involves assessing the client, the environment and also the therapists own personal and professional limitations (Mueller, et al. 2010, p 65). CORE OM was used to calculate a risk score and also to assess Ts suitability for therapy. The Cognitive Therapy Rating Scale as developed by Safran and Segal was not available to the therapist during the first session, but subsequent reviewing of the scale indicated that T was a suitable candidate for cognitive behavioural interventions. CORE OM score is shown below in figure 1. Prior to developing a treatment plan, the therapist socialised the client to CBT explaining the evidence that supported using CBT interventions for ASD. (Bryant, et al. 1999) and (Westbrook, et al. 2011, p81-83). First session therapist notes detailed Ts past history, the development of problems and the protective factors in her life (Appendix B). T was clear about what she wanted from therapy. Her problems fell into three main areas: (1) Nightmares, poor sleep, anxiety around bedtime, which resulted in an increased irritability with others; (2) Avoiding travelling in any form of transport, which resulted in her relying on others to take her children to school and other social or sporting events; (3) Withdrawing from friends and family, which led to her isolating herself socially. She believed that if she avoided all forms of transport and stayed inside, she would reduce the chances of experiencing any flashbacks or getting very panicky which she found extremely distressing and frigh tening. T and the therapist created a Problem and Goal form to capture this information (Appendix C) and agreed to discuss the problems and goals again when the treatment plan was formulated. The therapist asked T if she could recall her most recent experience of a flashback (Figure 2a). T reported that the pattern of events leading to feeling panicked or experiencing a flashback were the same. She would make an effort to do a certain activity, but flashbacks and panic were triggered by (in particular) smells or sounds that could not be avoided. The hot cross bun formulation in figure 2a tracks events from leaving the house, hearing cars and smelling petrol, which was the trigger point. On this occasion T reported having a clear memory of being trapped in the car (which was also her recurring nightmare), she could remember smelling petrol and hearing the screeching of brakes. Her brain misinterpreted these signs for an actual threat, creating distorted thinking: Ive got to get home something terrible is going to happen, hostile emotions; fear, anxiety and terror, unpleasant physiological reaction; heart pounding, shaking, feeling nauseous, which led to her avoidant behavi our to reduce her anxiety and escape her perceived fearful situation. Flashbacks are defined in DSM IV as a recurrence of a memory, feeling, or perceptual experience from the past (American Psychiatric Association,1994). Another example of a flashback involved T sitting in her garden when a neighbour was mowing the lawn with a petrol engine lawn mower. T could smell the petrol and this triggered a flashback to the events of the RTA. The therapist encouraged T to follow the formulation and create her own diagram based on her experience in the garden (Figure 2b). T and the therapist were able to look at both diagrams and see that the pattern was similar. A sound or smell was identified as the trigger in both examples. Her thought process, affect and physiology were similar, but crucially, this led again to her avoidant behaviour. Hot Cross Bun Formulation Event/Trigger: Walking to the shop to buy milk, hearing the cars and smelling petrol Flashback of being trapped in the car Thoughts: Im going to die, Ill never see me children again Ive got to get away from here Ive got to get home, something terrible is going to happen Behaviour: Emotions: Escape the situation Fear Tearful Terror Anxiety Physiology: Heart pounding, Nausea, Tense, Sweating, Shaking Based on Hot Cross Bun (Padesky, 1993) Hot Cross Bun Formulation (originally hand drawn by client) Event/Trigger: Sitting outside in the garden, having a cup of tea Hearing neighbour start up his lawn mower Smelling petrol from the lawn mower Flashback of fear of being burned alive Thoughts: Oh God! Its happening again Ive got to get inside the house. Ill be safe there Behaviour: Emotions: Tearful Fear Needing to get inside the house Terror Anxiety Physiology: Heart pounding, Nausea, Tense, Sweating, Shaking, Based on Hot Cross Bun (Padesky, 1993) T and the therapist discussed the process of recording details in this format and agreed that it gave them both a greater understanding of Ts situation. This collaborative approach is characteristic of CBT and was necessary when working towards a treatment plan for factors that needed to be targeted in therapy and homework setting. Padesky and Greenberger (1995, p6) explain the importance of the client and therapist working as a team, particularly as clients may have an expectation that the therapist is going to fix them. Milton (2009, p104) agrees adding that the therapist also plays the role of a trainer, encouraging the client to become an observer of themselves in order to challenge their thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Westbrook et al (2011, p238) cites Kazantzis et al (2002) in providing evidence of greater improvement in those clients who complete homework. T was keen to monitor any anxiety provoking scenarios at home using the hot cross bun model. She was aware that if her se cond goal was to be achieved (Appendix C) she needed to reduce and eventually eliminate her avoidant behaviour (Wells, 1997, p49-50). A treatment plan was discussed and agreed with T based on her problem list and goals for therapy (Appendix C). The treatment plan included the following elements: Pyscho-Education Grounding and Safety Work Imaginal Exposure Therapy Cognitive Restructuring Relapse Management The session on psycho-education gave T the opportunity to learn about her symptoms, and to recognise and anticipate them for effective management. Fisher, (1999) states that psycho-education is an essential element for stabilising a trauma client. Briere and Scott (2006, p87) agree, adding that psycho-education provides the client with accurate information about the nature of their trauma, which gives them a greater understanding of their situation. Psychoeducation involved justification of use of IET, a history of our learning experience and the fight or flight response. Regular reference was made to the clients formulation so that she could understand how and why her threat response had been activated. Once T understood her anxiety response in relation to her experiences, she felt ready to continue onto the next stage of therapy. Grounding and safety work was completed prior to IET. Herman (1997, p155) argues that the central task of the first phase of trauma therapy must be safety. The client needs to feel safe within themselves; learning grounding and safety skills gives the client the opportunity to manage potential uncontrolled flashbacks. This also formed part of Ts relapse management in the later stages of therapy. Once safety and grounding work was completed, the therapeutic process moved onto the trauma itself using IET. Throughout therapy there were opportunities to explore Ts present situation and past events. This information was initially written down in a mind map format and shared with T during the session. As additional information was gathered in subsequent sessions this was written in longitudinal format (Figure 3). From the information gathered, the client recognised how and why she had always been the rescuer in the family. This included an age inappropriate responsibility when her father had left the family home and T had taken on the role of carer to her distraught mother and siblings. She suffered an emotional breakdown at the age of 14, over whelmed by the pressure of doing well at school so that she could get a good job and support the family. T recognised how this belief system developed after her father left and how it was effecting how she saw herself in the present. During therapy T and the therapist discussed the importance of this belief and how it had allowed her to cope during those years growing up. The therapist asked what purpose this belief served in her life now when she was happy with her family and well supported by her husband. She no longer needed to be the rescuer. T and the therapist explored how this belief may be affecting what was happening to her when she was fearful of having a flashback. T concluded that she needed to add I must always cope to her beliefs in Figure 3 and I cant cope to her thought process. T recognised the contradiction between this thought and her rescuer belief. Longitudinal Formulation Early Experiences 5 years old, Dad leaves family home Oldest of four children, Takes on a helping role Later supports mother through depression Breakdown at school aged 14 years due to self- imposed pressure Met future husband aged 16,Pregnant at 17 years and married at 18 years old Beliefs Its my responsibility to take care of everyone and make things right I must always cope Assumptions and Rules I must be perfect and do everything right, otherwise I will let everyone down If something goes wrong it will be my fault Critical Incident Car Accident Activation of Beliefs Its my responsibility to save everyone Automatic Thoughts I should have got B out of the car. I didnt do everything I could have I failed. I cant cope with this Behavioural Emotions: Avoidance Fear Social withdrawal Anxiety Fearful to go outside Guilt Fearful to travel in any transportation Worry Physiology Poor Sleep Tense Heart Pounding Sweating The goal of IET is to expose the client to the memory of the trauma rather than to relive the trauma itself. Ts therapy involved her retelling the story initially in the past tense and then in the present tense. An important part of the healing process was encouraging T to bring those traumatic memories to mind, in a safe and trusting environment, while remaining in the present. The client learns through repetitive description, that the memory of the event is not dangerous and will also allow habituation to take place (Zayfert and Becker, 2008, p127). T decided that she would record the sessions on the voice recorder section of her mobile phone and listen to the recordings at home as part of her homework. Zayfert and Becker (2008, p130) emphasise how critical listening to the tapes at home is as the repetition is vital if the exposure is going to be successful. The therapist explained that T would be asked to close her eyes and describe the events of that day. Leahy and Holland (2000, p 198) suggest breaking the clients story down into smaller parts if there are a series of traumatic events. T was asked to recall the events of that day in terms of chapters; several chapters were listed (Appendix D). Ts experienced anticipatory anxiety at the thought of retelling the story and this was discussed. The therapist reassured her she would be experiencing the memory, that the RTA was not happening right now and that she was safe in the room and could open her eyes at any time. T began at a point in time when she felt safe and ended the narration at a point in time when again she felt out of danger. The therapist explained the Subjective Units of Distress (SUDS) Rating Scale and then T began narrating her story in the past tense and was allowed to do this uninterrupted; the therapist only intervening to check on Ts anxiety. Ts SUDS score was noted for each chapter (Appendix D col A). At the end of each session, T was given time to process her experience before leaving. T gave the therapist feedback on how she felt sessions had gone, and what, if anything she had learned. The next session involved the client narrating the story, but this time in the present tense. T found this difficult at first and often resumed the past tense. T and the therapist had discussed the likelihood of this happening and T agreed that the therapist would prompt her to return to the present tense. SUDS scores were again noted (Appendix D col B). T reported being surprised at the change in scores from the previous week. There were certain sections of the story that T found very difficult to narrate; these sections were narrated without much detail. After discussing this briefly, T and the therapist listened to the recording of the present tense narration. T recorded SUDS levels herself (Appendix D col C) and once complete, the three SUDS scores were examined and discussed. T noted how scores had both increased and decreased from first narration to second narration, but that all scores had reduced on her first listening to the tape. T was then asked to grade the chapters and chose five (the most anxiety provoking) to work on. The five chapters were listed chronologically (figure 4) and then in order of their anxiety rating (figure 5). For the next five sessions each chapter was narrated and listened to repeatedly until Ts SUDS rating had dropped; starting with the least and working towards the most anxiety provoking. The therapist asked questions relating to the clients senses and emotions and physiology so that her memories were fully activated (Leahy and Holland, 2000, p197). To Ts surprise, narrating in the present tense and sensory questioning produced additional memories that T had not remembered in the previous narrations. Figure 4 Chronological Order 1Â  Car flips over upside down smell of petrol 2Â  Wood coming towards the car 3Â  The car door wont open (Ts recurring nightmare) 4Â  B is not moving 5Â  G is screaming at T to get them out of the car Figure 5 Order of Severity Least to Worst 5 4 3 2 1 Wood coming towards the car Car flips over upside down smell of petrol G is screaming at T to get them out of the car The car door wont open (Ts recurring nightmare) B is not moving The therapist noted the five chapters as hot spots (Figure 6) and asked T what her thoughts were when she brought the scene to mind. These were also noted together with the emotion that went with them. The therapist was able to challenge Ts distorted thoughts through cognitive restructuring which included her rescuer belief that she was somehow responsible for getting everyone out of the car that day. Once SUDS levels had been reduced for all five chapters Appendix E), T was able to say out loud her re-evaluation statement for each chapter accepting and believing it. Fig 6 Re-Evaluation of Peak Experiences Hot Spot Thought Belief Emotion Re-Evaluation The car has flipped Ive survived the crash Fear I did not burn to death. Over onto its top; there but now Im going to burn I did not die, I did survive Is a smell of petrol to death the experience and I am safe now. Its over. THIS IS A FACT Wood from a fence is The wood is going to hit Fear The wood did not hit me or anyone else. Flying towards the car me. Ill never see my boys I did survive the experience. I am safe. again. My children are safe. Its over. THIS IS A FACT The car door wont open. Its not going to open, Terror I was not trapped. I did get out of the car. It just wont budge at all Im trapped. I am not trapped now, I am safe now. Its over. THIS IS A FACT B goes limp and his head Oh my God! B is dead Terror B did not die. He did survive the accident Falls forward He is safe now. Its over. THIS IS A FACT Sister G screams to T to I must break the window. Fear We all got out of the car. We did not die. Get them all out of the car I have to get us all out. We are all safe now and its over. If I dont break the window THIS IS A FACT Were all going to die Outcomes and Personal Reflection Ts post therapy CORE score of 31 (figure 7) represents a mean score of 0.912 (9.12) and falls within the healthy range of the Core measure. As there is a mean difference of over 5, this, according to CORE measurement indicates a clinical and reliable change (CORE ims). Fig. 7 Core OM Results Pre and Post therapy Pre Post Well Being 14 06 Functioning 21 05 Risk 02 00 Problems 42 20 Total 79 31 Ts presentation improved in the finals stages of therapy. Her cuts and bruises had healed well and she was no longer suffering with TMJ. T reported healthier sleeping patterns, but still with occasional dreams. She believed that she had spent so much time listening to her chapter on being trapped in the car that she became fed up of listening to it, rather than it provoking any anxiety. She was able to travel as a passenger in a car, and also to drive the car herself, but did not feel ready to drive on her own in the car. As a result understanding her an

Perceptions of Anomalous Cognition :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Why Psi: Perceptions of Anomalous Cognition Why would I risk the ridicule of my peers to explore a topic as controversial and inflammatory as that which is known as "psi" phenomenon? And more importantly how and why is it relevant to the study of neurobiology? Given the nature of the topic, it may not always be easy to discuss such scientifically or diplomatically. It is my contention; however, that serious review of the scientific evidence, legitimate scientific discourse and funding for research has been seriously impeded because of its controversial nature. And, furthermore, that it is as relevant a topic for investigation as are other methods by which information is perceived by humans. There are some valid reasons for the prejudice that surrounds this topic. Often when one thinks of psi phenomenon some strange themes come to mind such as UFO's and Alien Abductions, ESP, crop circles, Astrology, Ghosts, Mediums, Channeling and Angles. Most of these come under the heading of "paranormal" and are decidedly difficult to examine scientifically. The plethora of information on such subjects that floods the internet is more likely to reference mysticism, faith and spiritually than offer scientific theory or experimental outcomes and I will leave such to those realms. I, therefore, in this paper will not be referring to alien astrologers channeling their horoscopes through mediums who have been abducted. Only the concepts that comprise that which is known as "anomalous cognition will be discussed." Its components are telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition (1). My first exposure to the term "anomalous cognition" came as a result of my research for this paper. I just had always called it "knowing." Ever since I was a little girl, however, I have been repeatedly told that my experiences were "all in my head." That had been exactly my position also. But what my critics, who included my family members, friends and my husband, really meant was that my experiences existed only in my imagination. They argued, as is commonly believed and sometimes verified, that experiences like mine could be caused by selective or faulty memory, wishful thinking or subliminal clues (2). And for many years, I tried to believe that one of those explanations applied to me. My husband the scientist, engineer and amateur magician has been telling me for years what he believed to be the prevailing opinion about psi within much of the scientific community. The picture was not very flattering.