Existentialism and Humanism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Existentialism and Humanism - Essay Example This is what will be discussed in the following. Existentialism is basically a type of philosophical movement which tends to embrace the view that focuses on that of individual existence and subjectivity, and although it generally refers to the belief that one shapes in regards to one's basic nature and the way that they choose to live throughout their life, at the same time it captures much more than that. In part being a reaction to such names as Hegel and Nietzsche, it is a belief which considers that you are the one who is able to determine yourself, and that your personality and your own self is not given to you at birth, but rather it is given after you make decisions and thoughts and gain your personality. Humanism, on the other hand, is considered as being "a rational philosophy based on belief in the dignity of human beings, informed by science and motivated by human hope and human compassion. Humanists revere the natural world, knowing of no other place to set good examples, to work, and to show love". (Dorrell, 2002). P eople who are humanists are considered as being those who encourage moral excellence, have faith in other people to choose good over evil, promote positive relationships and human dignity, and who believe that moral values are neither divinely revealed nor that the special property in regards to any type of religious tradition. Basically existentialism and humanism have for the most forever been considered as being two separate and in fact almost opposite issues in a way, however there is one person in particular, of which we will be discussing critically in this dissertation, who believes in fact that 'existentialism is humanism'. This person is Jean-Paul Sartre, and Sartre, (June 21, 1905 - April 15, 1980), was a French existentialist philosopher, dramatist and screenwriter, novelist and critic. He was one of the most noted and leading figures in all of 20th century French philosophy, and the opinions that he made over his life, especially that in regards to existentialism and humanism being one in the same, have been argued against or agreed with by some of the most influential people in the world's history since his day. When Sartre was a junior lecturer at the Lycee du Havre in the year 1938, it was then that he wrote the novel entitled La Nausee, which even to this day remains as being one of his most popular books of all, and it has been considered by many that this particular literary work of his was one which in ways served as a sort of manifesto of existentialism. He shows in this book how he believed that "our ideas are the product of experiences of real-life situations, and that novels and plays describing such fundamental experiences have as much value as do discursive essays for the elaboration oh philosophical theories". (Wikipedia, 2007). Beginning from there, Sartre began to become even stronger in regards to his view on how existentialism is humanism, and he began to use Edmund Husserl as a sort of backing man, in

Therapeutic Communication Essay Example for Free

Therapeutic Communication Essay The medical dictionary describes a therapeutic communication as â€Å"A process in which the nurse consciously influences a client or helps the client to a better understanding through verbal or nonverbal communication†. This communication summary will describe an event which occurred on a work placement in practise. A reflective frame work will be used to evaluate the interaction; Gibb’s reflective model will be used within the essay. hilst on placement with the district nurse we received a call from a patient informing us that her leg was not â€Å"quite right†, as she has problems with her eye sight she wasn’t able to give us a description on what state her leg was in. I went out and discovered when observing that this patient had leg ulceration which was on both sides of her left leg. I questioned descriptively to see how long she was feeling uncomfortable, she reported that it was over two months; this enabled me to place the event in time and helped me to gain a visual picture of the circumstances. I encouraged description of events by asking the patient how it went on noticed as she has carers visiting her twice a day to apply creams. It happened as a result in the carers having communication issues as they did not report changes on the breakdown of the patient’s skin. Whilst focusing on the wound I decided the appropriate form of intervention would be compression bandages. The patient was reluctant to have a bandage applied to her leg although I empathised with the patient by informing them what would happen if the appropriate bandage was not applied and that it was the only possible way of getting it to heal properly. At the time I was thinking that the patient was not informing me properly and felt they were not telling me the full story of how the wound got to the stage it has. The fact that I got information from the patient was good as I was able to see how they felt and what appropriate measures had to be taken. The bad part of the experience was that the patient seemed reluctant to give me information as she didn’t want the wound to appear as bad and she was trying to avoid bandages being applied to her legs. I realised that the situation was not managed well, and that if there was no communication issues between the carers and the district nurse the situation would have been avoided. I could have asked a lot more closed questions and kept open questions to a minimal to gather specific information. I also could have reassured the patient a lot more by telling them that the decision of using compression bandages and explained the purpose of using compression, and explained how this would make a huge different to the wound in a short period of time. If the situation was to rise again I would approach it a lot more sensitively and I would try and gather more information by firstly gaining a better rapport with the patient, then asking open questions to gather a wider amount of information, then to gain specific information I would ask closed questions. This will allow me to get all the information I need and at the same time the patient will be more relaxed and comfortable with the decision and outcome.

Shooting An Elephant Essay -- essays research papers

The story that my evaluation will be based on is Shooting an Elephant written in 1936. The author George Orwell was born in 1903 in India to a British officer raised in England. He attended Eton College, which introduced him to England’s middle and upper classes. He was denied a scholarship, which led him to become a police officer for the Indian Imperial in 1922. He served in Burma until resigning in 1927 due to the lack of respect for the justice of British Imperialism in Burma and India. He was now determined to become a writer, so at the brink of poverty he began to pay close attention to social outcasts and laborers. This led him to write Down and Out in Paris and London (1933) during the Spanish Civil War. He embodied his hate for totalitarian system in his book Animal Farm (1945). George Orwell fell to the disease of tuberculosis at forty-seven, but not before he released many works. He wrote six novels, three documentary works, over seven hundred reviews and newspaper articles, and a volume of essays (1149). This particular story was very interesting and found it to hold a lot of truth. Shooting an Elephant is about an English man that was a police officer in Burman, who was hated for his race and felt it almost impossible to do his job. He had to deal with a lot of hatred and disrespect, but yet he was expected to do what the town’s people asked of him when they asked. When the elephant got loose the first person the sub-inspector at the opposite end of the town called was the main character, who was to be nameless throughout the entire story. He wanted him to go do something about the loose elephant because the mahout (the keeper and driver of an elephant) was away and no one else could handle a situation such as this. The main character grabbed his 44 rifle and set out to find the elephant. The purpose of the gun was not to kill the elephant but to just scare it with the noise. Little did the officer know the act of grabbing the gun to just scare the elephant would lead to its demise. On the way to find the elephant the officer learned it had destroyed a garden, a bamboo hut, devoured some stock and had trampled a cow. As the officer went further on he found that the elephant had killed a townsman just minutes before. Now thinking that the elephant could be dangerous he asked for a larger and more powerful rifle. He only wanted the bigger gun in... ...t; I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool" (685). This made me feel that he had no real remorse for the killing and that his reputation was winning out over his very own conscious. This story did fit into this particular section very well because of the portrayal of the cultural and identity aspects of life. The officer is forced to deal with and question his identity by the feelings he has when finds and kills the elephant. The culture is represented by the "coolie, yellow faces, and Buddhist" (680-685). It also fits very well with the author’s feelings on imperialism, because the main character states that he feels that it is an evil thing (680). In all consideration I understood why the author had to describe the slaughter of the elephant in such detail. It added to the effectiveness of the story by painting a very clear picture that the actions of the officer were wrong. His point would not have been taken so seriously if he just stated that the el ephant died after many shots or in any other basic way. Overall I did enjoy the message very much and felt that it fit into the section very well, but I did not care for the way the author displayed the message.

Laura’s Struggle for Growth in The Garden Party Essay -- Garden Party

Laura’s Struggle for Growth in The Garden Party  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Through her short story "The Garden Party," Katherine Mansfield portrays a young woman’s struggle through adolescence and her tumultuous entrance into adulthood. Mansfield paints a tale of grievance, bewilderment, enlightenment, and maturation furthered by the complications of class distinctions. Mansfield’s protagonist, Laura, encounters considerable hardship in growing up and must denounce all of the puerile convictions in her chimerical world in order to attain maturity in the real adult world. As does any normal teenager, Laura Sheridan struggles to make sense of her adolescent life. As Don Klein remarks, "The story’s focus—and central dramatic impulse—is the young girl’s secret struggle to grow up" (124). Grappling with excessive inner turmoil, she attempts to erect a unique identity for herself, one set apart from those of her family members. In order to effect such radical transformation, she is first compelled to overcome several major impediments in her life, the most encumbering being her mother. The overbearing presence of Laura’s mother and her mother’s ideals pose an impending hindrance in Laura’s progression to adulthood. As Laura battles with maturity, she begins shedding the skin of her childhood and hence begins transcending the mold created for her by her mother’s upbringing. Laura also begins to denounce the snug, evasive dream world that her mother has suffocated her in. Mrs. Sheridan intentionally raises her children in this dream world in order that she have complete control over their thoughts and actions without their knowledge. She furthers this dream world by letting them believe that they, and not she, are actually in control. For in... ... the daily life struggles of an average teenager, but also, on a more personal level, she gives insight into her own adolescent hardships as well. Works Cited Davis, Robert Murray. "The Unity of ‘The Garden Party.’ "Short Story Criticism 23 (1993): 128-30. Klein, Don W. "’The Garden Party’: A Portrait of the Artist." Short Story Criticism 23.(1993): 123-8. Mansfield, Katherine. "The Garden Party." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 6th ed. Ed. M. H. Abrams. New York: Norton, 1996. 2510-20. Taylor, Donald S. "Crashing the Garden Party: A Dream-A Wakening." Short Story Criticism 23 (1993): 121-2. Walker, Warren S. "The Unresolved Conflict in ‘The Garden Party.’" Short Story Criticism 23 (1993): 119-21. Weiss, Daniel A. "Crashing the Garden Party: The Garden Party of Proserpina." Short Story Criticism 23 (1993): 122-1.      

Pakistan Cement Industry Analysis

LUCKY CEMENT This report studies LUCKY CEMENT as a target against other companies studied as a basis for comparable analysis in the industry. Lucky Cement is the largest cement manufacturer in Pakistan and its upcoming expansion in Karachi will take its capacity from 6. 5mntpa to 9mntpa, further cementing its spot as the market leader. Lucky Cement Limited was incorporated in Pakistan on September 18, 1993 under the Companies Ordinance, 1984 (the Ordinance). The shares of the company are quoted on all the three stock exchanges in Pakistan.The Company has also issued GDRs which are listed and traded on the Professional Securities Market of the London Stock Exchange. BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: Lucky Cement aims at producing cement to suit every user. The following types of cement are available: ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENT (OPC) Ordinary Portland cement is available in darker shade as well as in light shades in Lucky Star with different brand names to s uit the requirement of users. SULPHATE RESISTANT CEMENT (SRC)Sulphate resistant Cement’s best quality is to provide effective and long lasting strength against sulphate attacks and is very suitable for constructions near sea shores as well as for canals linings. It provides very effective protection against alkali attacks. The company currently  produces five brands: * Lucky Cement * Lucky Star * Lucky Gold * Chairman * Lucky  sulphate resistant cement(SRC) CUSTOMERS AND END MARKETS Lucky Cement aims at producing cement to suit every user.At present, it is producing Grey Portland Cement and also Sulphate Resistant cement. The customers are able to get Portland cement both in dark shade as well as in light shade with different brand names to suit the requirement of user. The Portland cement specifically made for prefabrication industry with a lower setting time is also available. In addition, the plant also produce Slag cement for specific users. DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS Deal ers, retailers and block makers are the integral part of Lucky Cement's sales strategy.This strong network of more than 200 dealers, located at strategic locations throughout the country, has enabled the company to create an impressive distribution system and access to markets at even the remote parts of the country. FINANCIAL PROFILE | | 30-Jun| 30-Jun| 30-Jun| 30-Jun| | | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| | | Restated| PKR| Reclassified| PKR| Gross Profit Margin| 25. 69%| 37. 26%| 32. 55%| 33. 48%| EBITDA Margin| 23. 91%| 31. 77%| 23. 07%| 25. 87%| EBIT Margin| 18. 14%| 27. 41%| 17. 31%| 19. 83%| Net Income Margin| 15. 79%| 17. 45%| 12. 08%| 15. 26%| Return on Invested Capital| 9. 06%| 19. 2%| 11. 17%| 12. 63%| Return On Equity| 14. 35%| 19. 77%| 12. 50%| 14. 29%| Return On Assets| 7. 82%| 11. 97%| 8. 18%| 9. 63%| Leverage Ratio| 3. 84%| 1. 82%| 2. 33%| 1. 99%| Debt to total capitalization| 45. 51%| 39. 43%| 34. 49%| 32. 60%| PROFITABILITY The profitability of the company is quite decent, a nd shows an upward trend, which can be seen by the financial ratios of the firm. There was a slight dip in the year 2010, but then increased considerably in year 2011. This was mainly due to the decrease in the cost of production for Lucky Cement (decrease in the cost of raw materials).The prospects of the company are bright, which are demonstrated by high net income margin and return on invested capital ratios. GROWTH PROFILE Lucky Cement is growing at a brisk pace, as the overall cement industry is facing a desirable scenario, which is also demonstrated by high return on equity and return on assets ratio. The company is also paying its creditors back shown by the decrease in leverage and debt to total capitalization ratios, which is a positive sign for the firm, and shows that it is growing at a considerable rate. RETURN ON INVESTMENTThe return on investment of Lucky Cement from years 2008-2011 is above 10% on average, which is quite a decent number, and shows the profitability of the firm’s investments. It is 12. 63% in year 2011, and displays a favorable scenario for Lucky Cement. CREDIT PROFILE The credit profile of the company shows a positive sign as the firm’s debt to total capitalization ratio declined from 45. 51% in year 2008, to 32. 60% in year 2011. Moreover, the leverage ratio of Lucky Cement has also seen a decline, which shows that the company is paying back its debts and is maintaining a decent credit profile among its lenders and suppliers.ATTOCK CEMENT Attock Cement Pakistan Limited (ACPL) is a public limited company, listed on KSE since 2002. Main business of the company is manufacturing and sales of cement. ACPL, is part of the Pharaon Group, which in addition to investment to cement industry has diversified stakes in Pakistan mainly in the oil and gas sector, power and real estate sector. The Attock Cement project was conceived and the company was incorporated in 1981, the plant finally commenced commercial production on Jun e 1, 1988. The project is a Pak Saudi joint venture and involved initial capital outlay of around Rs 1. billion with foreign exchange component of around US $ 45 million. This made it one of the largest enterprises in the private sector. Pharaon Commercial Investment Company Limited holds 84. 06% of total paid up share capital whereas the general public holds a total of 15. 94% shares. BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: The main product of the Company is ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENT (OPC) but in addition to this ACPL also produces SULPHATE RESISTANT CEMENT (SRC) and PORTLAND BLAST FURNACE CEMENT (PBFC), which sells under the registered brand name of â€Å"FALCON CEMENT† in the market.DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS: At ACPL Sales and Marketing team focuses on delighting customers through making available quality products at the market place. ACPL has a network of dealers all around Pakistan. ACPL keep on recognizing the efforts of its dealers through periodic i ncentive plans based on their sales performance. Sales and marketing forces lead in taking initiatives ahead of the competitors. Few example of ACPL faster first include the export of clinker to the UAE and Qatar, along with cement exports to Iraq. FINANCIAL PROFILE | | 30-Jun| 30-Jun| 30-Jun| 30-Jun| | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| | | Restated| PKR| Reclassified| PKR| Gross Profit Margin| 22. 27%| 31. 80%| 25. 53%| 20. 23%| EBITDA Margin| 24. 22%| 28. 56%| 20. 12%| 14. 69%| EBIT Margin| 16. 20%| 22. 99%| 16. 59%| 11. 52%| Net Income Margin| 8. 69%| 17. 54%| 13. 25%| 8%| Return on Invested Capital| 14. 06%| 32. 07%| 19. 23%| 13%| Return On Equity| 12. 31%| 31. 24%| 18. 84%| 11. 80%| Return On Assets| 7. 41%| 21. 41%| 14. 40%| 8. 83%| Leverage Ratio| 1. 93%| 0. 90%| 1. 08%| 1. 54%| Debt to total capitalization| 39. 84%| 31. 47%| 23. 56%| 25. 11%| PROFITABILITYThe profitability of Attock Cement is quite satisfactory too but not as good as Lucky Cement. The company’s gross profit mar gin was very low as compared to that of Lucky Cement, however, the firm’s net profit margin is at par. It can be seen that Attock Cement has more operating expenses as compared to Lucky Cement, which it needs to cut and achieve efficiency, to match with the profitability performance of Lucky Cement. GROWTH PROFILE Attock Cement has a very fluctuating, or rather, a very inconsistent growth rate, as can be seen by the return on equity and return on assets ratios.Both the ratios were fairly decent in the year 2008, but then both saw a decline in consecutive years 2009 and 2010, after which they came back to an acceptable level in year 2011. RETURN ON INVESTMENT The return on investment of Attock Cement was again very unpredictable, fluctuating drastically between years 2008-2011. It touched a very high 32. 07% in year 2009, but then declined to a level which was similar to that in year 2008. Overall, the return on invested capital was at a satisfactory level as compared to Lucky Cement, which shows the positive nature of the company’s investments. CREDIT PROFILEThe credit profile of Attock Cement is a fairly acceptable one, as can be seen by the decreasing leverage and debt to total capitalization ratios. This means that Attock Cement, like Lucky Cement, is also paying back its creditors and suppliers, which will mean that the lenders will be happy to lend money and raw materials to the company, as they’re able to meet their financial obligations effectively. D. G. KHAN CEMENT D. G. Khan Cement Company Limited (DGKCC), a unit of Nishat group, is the largest cement-manufacturing unit in Pakistan with a production capacity of 5,500 tons clinker per day.It has a countrywide distribution network and its products are preferred on projects of national repute both locally and internationally due to the unparallel and consistent quality. It is list on all the Stock Exchanges of Pakistan. BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: There are two types of cement products of D. G. Khan: * Ordinary Portland Cement * Sulphate Resistant Cement DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS: Two different products are produced at DGKCC namely Ordinary Portland Cement and Sulphate Resistant Cement.These products are marketed through two different brands: * DG brand ; Elephant brand Ordinary Portland Cement * DG brand Sulphate Resistant Cement DG Khan  Cement Company  supplies cement throughout Pakistan especially in the provinces of Punjab, Sind and Baluchistan. This extensive distribution is achieved through following regional sales offices: * Lahore Regional Sales Office * Multan Regional Sales Office * Rawalpindi Regional Sales Office * DG Khan Regional Sales Office * Karachi Regional Sales OfficeThese regional sales offices operate in assigned areas and have netweork of dealers in each area to achieve maximum sales in their territories. Moreover, direct sales are also make to institutional Clients for projects. FINANCIAL PROFILE | | 30-Jun| 30-Jun| 30-Jun| 30-Jun| | | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| | | Restated| PKR| Reclassified| PKR| Gross Profit Margin| 15. 51%| 31. 61%| 17. 93%| 24. 00%| EBITDA Margin| 21. 25%| 28. 05%| 19. 24%| 17. 91%| EBIT Margin| 10. 25%| 20. 33%| 10. 74%| 10. 32%| Net Income Margin| 0. 24%| 2. 46%| 1. 61%| 0. 95%| Return on Invested Capital| 2. 9%| 8. 55%| 3. 77%| 3. 93%| Return On Equity| 0. 01%| 2. 12%| 1. 01%| 0. 60%| Return On Assets| 0. 06%| 1. 03%| 0. 56%| 0. 36%| Leverage Ratio| 8. 73%| 4. 17%| 6. 61%| 5. 91%| Debt to total capitalization| 43. 12%| 51. 54%| 44. 45%| 40. 16%| PROFITABILITY The profitability of DG Khan Cement is very low and unsatisfactory as compared to the other two companies in the cement industry, Lucky and Attock Cement Ltd. DG Khan Cement is paying a hefty amount as interest expense, which can be seen by the lower net income margin ratio of the firm, ranging from 0. 4-2. 46%. However, the EBIT and EBITDA margins of DG Khan Cement were quite satisfactory, and at pa r with the other two companies in the industry. GROWTH PROFILE DG Khan Cement has a very poor growth rate, evident by the very low return on equity and return on assets ratios. The growth of the company is badly hampered by the interest expense and the debt the firm has taken. Furthermore, the debt to total capitalization ratio of the company is also very high (higher than the other two companies in the industry), which was more than 50% in year 2009.These are negative implications for the company, and the investors must be unhappy with the performance of the firm. RETURN ON INVESTMENT: The return on invested capital for DG Khan Cement was also quite inadequate when comparing with that of Lucky and Attock Cement. It was 2. 39% in year 2008, increased to 8. 55% in year 2009, after which it settled on a level between 3-4% in years 2010-2011. This adversity was again due to the high debt ratio and hefty interest payments made by the company, because of which the return on investments w ere very low as compared to its competitors.CREDIT PROFILE: As opposed to its competitors, DG Khan Cement has a really horrific credit profile, as it is maintaining its debt to total capitalization and leverage ratios at a very high level and took up more loan in the year 2009, due to which its profitability is also getting affected adversely, and also its creditors and suppliers will be unwilling to lend DG Khan Cement more in the future, doubting the firm’s ability to pay them back, as it already has outstanding amounts to be received from the company. FECTO CEMENTEstablished at Sangjani, near Islamabad, the ISO 9001:2000 certified Fecto Cement Limited is Pakistan's first anti-pollution cement manufacturing plant and also the first of its kind in South Asia. As one of the most integrated manufacturing units in the country, it has a rated capacity to produce 600,000 tonnes of clinker per annum BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS: It supplies cement throughout Pakistan through a huge properly maintained distribution channel consisting of wholesalers, retailers and finally to the customers. FINANCIAL PROFILE | | | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| Gross Profit Margin| | 8. 3%| 23. 21%| 5. 26%| 18. 33%| EBITDA Margin| | -2. 64%| 13. 88%| -7. 77%| 5. 42%| EBIT Margin| | -51. 03%| 11. 96%| -10. 04%| 2. 78%| Net Income Margin| | -3. 53%| 9. 49%| -7. 17%| 1. 98%| Return on Invested Capital| | -4. 67%| 13. 74%| -8. 02%| 2. 47%| Return On Equity| | -13. 80%| 33. 80%| -30. 20%| 8. 93%| Return On Assets| | -51. 50%| 15. 21%| -9. 33%| 2. 95%| Leverage Ratio| | -22. 30%| 3. 11%| -9. 56%| 11. 59%| Debt to total capitalization| | 61. 52%| 55%| 69. 10%| 67%| PROFITABILITY The company has increased its gross profit margin from last year as sales have improved more than the rise in cost of sales.The net profit margin has improved as compare to the last year as the company was incurring loss in 2010. However, it under performed in comparison to the indus try. GROWTH PROFILE The growth rate has considerably improved from last year but the overall industry growth is much more than Fecto. The company needs to increase its growth by retaining more than half of its earnings and re-investing it to increase its income in the coming years otherwise it will fall way behind the industry and would take a long time to recover. RETURN ON INVESTMENT The return on investment has improved from the prior year.This implies that company is capitalizing its assets in a more efficient manner with an increase in the accumulated profits. However, it is not at all satisfactory in comparison to its competitors. CREDIT PROFILE: The debt to capitalization and leverage ratio is very high which means Fecto has more debt as compare to its equity. It has declined from the preceding year but it is fairly high with regards to its competitors. This shows a weak financial position as compared to the industry and poses more default risk for the company. MAPLE CEMENT A t the time of privatization in 1992, the capacity of Maple Leaf to produceOrdinary Portland Cement (OPC) was 1000 tones per day (tpd). A second plant of 4000 tpd was commissioned in 1998 and a third plant of 6700 tpd came into production in 2006. It increased the total capacity to 11,700 tpd. The capacity of White Cement has also increased from 100 tpd to 500tpd with the addition of a new plant. This plant also has provisions for doubling the capacity to 1000tpd. Presently Maple Leaf cement has 9% of the market share of OPC and is a leading brand in Pakistan with a diverse customer base. It is also the largest producer of White Cement in the country with 80% of market share.BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry PRODUCTS AND SERVICES The two main products are: * Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) with a capacity of 11700 tones per day. * White Cement, its present capacity is 500 tones per day which shall be doubled to 1000 tones per day in near future. FINANCIAL PROFILE | | | 2008| 20 09| 2010| 2011| Gross Profit Margin| | 16. 94%| 32. 49%| 21. 56%| 16. 64%| EBITDA Margin| | 16. 88%| 23. 19%| 3. 45%| 14. 14%| EBIT Margin| | 5. 73%| 16. 27%| -3. 74%| 4. 47%| Net Income Margin| | -8. 65%| -6. 45%| -18. 96%| -13. 53%| Return on Invested Capital| | 1. 72%| 9. 1%| 1. 69%| 1. 75%| Return On Equity| | -8. 08%| -14. 63%| -50. 32%| -20. 37%| Return On Assets| | -2. 58%| -3. 83%| -9. 90%| -5. 25%| Leverage Ratio| | 13. 47%| 5. 35%| 38. 80%| 13. 52%| Debt to total capitalization| | 68. 02%| 73. 80%| 80. 32%| 74. 23%| PROFITABILITY The net profit margin increased by 5. 43% and settled at 13. 53% as compare to the prior year which was in negative. This is a good sign as the company is moving towards profitability as compare to the last two years. However, the company needs to improve its asset management in order to compete with the industryGROWTH PROFILE The growth rate is improving as compare to the previous year which is surely a green sign for the company. From last year the earnings have fairly increased but Maple Leaf is still under performing as compared to the industry earning. A lot of efforts need to be put in for the company to be competing with the industry. RETURN ON INVESTMENT The return on investment is almost the same as compare to the last year. This means that the company needs to increase its sales in order to get a favorable outcome in the coming years. CREDIT PROFILEThe leverage ratio as well as the debt to equity ratio is fairly high as compare to the industry which refers to declining operational efficiency and ineffective asset management. Maple needs to decrease its reliance on debt to get a better ratio in the coming years. FAUJI CEMENT A longtime leader in the cement manufacturing industry, Fauji Cement Company, headquartered in Rawalpindi, operates a cement plant at Jhang Bahtar, Tehsil Fateh Jang, District Attock in the province of Punjab. The Company has a strong and longstanding tradition of service, reliability, and quali ty that reaches back more than 13 years.Sponsored by Fauji Foundation the Company was incorporated in Rawalpindi in 1992. BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: Ordinary Portland cement is the major product. CUSTOMERS: The Company has been set up with the primary objective of producing and selling ordinary portland cement. The finest quality of cement is available for all types of customers whether for dams, canals, industrial structures, highways, commercial or residential needs using latest state of the art dry process cement manufacturing process.FINANCIAL PROFILE | | | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| Gross Profit Margin| | 18. 56%| 31. 75%| 13. 54%| 17. 35%| EBITDA Margin| | 18. 56%| 17. 12%| 32. 61%| 21. 35%| EBIT Margin| | 16. 96%| 30. 98%| 9. 61%| 12. 48%| Net Income Margin| | 11. 66%| 18. 96%| 6. 57%| 8. 98%| Return on Invested Capital| | 3. 69%| 9. 90%| 1. 95%| 1. 71%| Return On Equity| | 4. 45%| 10. 39%| 2. 60%| 3. 86%| Return On Assets| | 3. 32%| 4. 70%| 0. 93%| 1. 32%| Leverage Ratio| | 4. 18%| 8. 29%| 25. 70%| 20. 40%| Debt to total capitalization| | 25. 0%| 67. 06%| 62. 60%| 55. 90%| PROFITABILITY: The profit margin has increased as compare to the previous year but if we match it with past performance of the company it is still at a declining rate. This decrease is also due to the overall decline in the cement industry GROWTH PROFILE: The growth rate has improved but it is not much satisfactory when compared with the industry. In order to compete with the dominant companies, Fauji needs to utilize its assets in a more efficient manner RETURN ON INVESTMENT:As compared with 2011 to 2010 it has been in the same position, Fauji needs to increase its growth by retaining more than half of its earnings and re-investing it to increase its income in the coming years otherwise it will fall way behind the industry and would take a long time to recover. CREDIT PROFILE: The credit profile of the company is fairly below the industry. However, the leverage ratio of Thatta Cement has seen a remarkable increase, which shows that the company is paying back its debts and is maintaining a decent credit profile among its lenders and suppliers.THATTA CEMENT Thatta Cement Company Limited was incorporated in 1980 as a public limited company. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of the State Cement Corporation of Pakistan (Pvt. ) Limited. The manufacturing facility was commissioned in 1982. The plant based on dry process technology, had a total installed capacity of 1,000 tons per day of clinker. The plant was supplied by M/s. Mitsubishi Corporation, Japan. In the year 2004 the consortium of Mr. Arif Habib and Al-Abbas Group acquired 100% shares of the Company from the Privatization Commission and took over its management control.BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: * Ordinary Portland Cement * Sulphate Resistant Cement * Portland Blast Furnace Slag Cement * Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag CUSTOMERS AND END MARKETS: Some of the valued customers: * Lucky Paragon (Ready-Mix) * DGDP, FWO (Frontier Works Organization), Siam Group, CGGC, AJK,SAMBU Pakistan, Bahria Icon, Envicrete, Hubcrete and Atlas Ready Mix. FINANCIAL PROFILE | | | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| Gross Profit Margin| | 14. 69%| 27. 69%| 17. 96%| 12. 88%| EBITDA Margin| | 8. 95%| 21. 50%| 5. 96%| 0. 79%|EBIT Margin| | 5. 65%| 18. 96%| 2. 63%| -2. 04%| Net Income Margin| | 2. 79%| 11. 36%| 0. 06%| -4. 02%| Return on Invested Capital| | 39. 15%| 84. 50%| 36. 40%| 36. 28%| Return On Equity| | 6. 92%| 26. 45%| 0. 12%| -10. 64%| Return On Assets| | 2. 94%| 0. 07%| 14. 37%| 3. 75%| Leverage Ratio| | 6. 11%| 16. 77%| 7. 25%| 68. 25%| Debt to total capitalization| | 0. 57%| 4. 56%| 0. 46%| 0. 51%| PROFITABILITY The profitability has declined as compare to the previous year due to the performance of the plant was badly affected by frequent interruptions in power supply by HESCO.The substantial loss is also due to the increase in the pr oduction cost such as the purchase price of raw materials and huge increase in fuel and power cost. GROWTH PROFILE The growth rate is declining as compare to the last year mainly due to the increase in COGS and also the company has also invested in the long-term. There is also an increase in the distribution cost which is due to the increase of appreciation in exports related freight and other charges which increased by 11. 61% despite of decrease in sales volume of export by 18. 3%. RETURN ON INVESTMENT: The return on invested capital is same as the previous year which is fairly high as compare to the other companies. This means that return from investments is considerably more than the industry average. CREDIT PROFILE: The credit profile of the company is not much satisfactory. Moreover, the leverage ratio of Thatta Cement has also seen a decline, which shows that the company is paying back its debts and is maintaining a decent credit profile among its lenders and suppliers

The Factors That Influence Communication Essays

The Factors That Influence Communication Essays The Factors That Influence Communication Paper The Factors That Influence Communication Paper The factors that influence communication as a process range from those that are induced through individuality, by the society, cultures, ethics and others that work together. For instance, an individuals surrounding and those they relate with shapes their way of communication. A great example suffices in the manner of a lady who is seeking to further her education in a tertiary institution, say Betty. Her parent, a businessperson, experiences life from a different environment, hence is likely to miss out on Bettys experience. This greatly influences how they communicate with each other. Secondly, the society sets standards by which most people operate. These are like guidelines that shape how people communicate with each other. A person from a community like the minorities more often than not has a set of beliefs that keep them communicating in a certain way. As such, cultural factors set a context within which people in the said culture communicate. For instance, it is expected that the communities with the father as the head of the family eave a more conservative way of communicating, while more liberal communities accept independent views (Mayans et. Al. , 2012). In conclusion, the cultures as influenced by a society, individuality, ethical amongst many other factors usually influence how people communicate. While individual factors like personality shape how one communicates, societal expectations may also serve to model how they do so. In spite of all this, the most universal factor among them all is ethics since it applies to a eider range of communities without consideration of the less influencing factors. For instance, at school, it is expected that all students communicate in a certain way without much influence from their communities and even families.

Confusing I and Me

Confusing I and Me Picture this: Jesse Kasserman, a high school senior with a strong academic record and high hopes, walks into the office of Dr. James, an admission representative of XYZ University. â€Å"Thank you for inviting my mom and I to see the campus,† he says. The college representative cringes. Which is Correct? Jesse might have blown the interview already. Why? Jesse should have said â€Å"my mom and me.† Smart people everywhere agonize over the misuse of â€Å"I† and â€Å"me.† It’s one of the most common mistakes in word usage. People seem to fear the word â€Å"me†Ã‚  and  to many people, it sounds just as wrong to hear the sentence, â€Å"The secret is just between you and I.† But its correct.   â€Å"I† is a nominative pronoun and is used as a subject of a sentence or clause, while â€Å"me† is an objective pronoun and used as an object. Sound too technical? Then think of this: The trouble with â€Å"me† usually begins when speakers are stringing together two or more objects in a sentence. â€Å"I† is not an objective case word, but people try to plug it in as an object because it just sounds smarter. Examples All you have to do is leave out the second object. Look over these examples, and you’ll see it’s really simple. You might be tempted to say:WRONG: â€Å"Would you explain that to John and I?† But then, when you omit the other object, you’ll have:WRONG: â€Å"Would you explain that to I?† Now that just sounds silly. Try this: RIGHT: â€Å"Would you explain that to John and me?†RIGHT: â€Å"Would you explain that to me?† Practice Now practice with these: WRONG: Leave the decision to Laura and I.RIGHT: Leave the decision to me.RIGHT: Leave the decision to Laura and me. WRONG: Please join Glenna and I for lunch.RIGHT: Please join me for lunch.RIGHT: Please join Glenna and me for lunch. WRONG: It’s just between you and I.RIGHT: It’s just between you and me. WRONG: The group consists of Laura, Joe, and I.RIGHT: The group consists of Laura, Joe, and me. Dont forget, when composing an essay or any research paper, be sure to go back and proofread carefully.

Reflections Edge Review

Reflections Edge Review Free Online Research Papers Reflection’s edge (www.reflectionsedge.com) is an online publication that specializes in creative writing for amateur writers. Released monthly, the homepage of the e-zine is the actual current newsletter. The categories are featured articles, book reviews, new fiction (submitted by writers) and new resources. It is in HMTL format. The links on the left of the page are home, about, and back issues; You can search by either month or by fiction, nons of this are science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, the supernatural, westerns, adventure, magical realism, erotica (not pornography), fables (non mainstream fiction). In their resource section for writers they try to cover everything from science fiction world building to recognizing and fixing grammar mistakes. While most of the articles are written just for the e-zine; some are from off-site links. Some links are also to actual books. They do accept stories from any amateur writer that are 18 years of age and older. The work has to be between 500 to 10,000 words. Fiction story submissions have to be original and unpublished fiction. They do not accept mainstream or literary fiction, true stories, derivative work (Anne Rice style vampires), plays, novels, poems, short stories, flash fiction, non-narrative artwork, pornography, or vulgar, bigoted, and anything violent. Up to 10 new fiction stories are published per month, which upon publication the author is paid $15 for their story. Favorite story or essay of the month pays a bonus $50. Reflection’s edge also publishes up to six non-fiction essays a month. Essay’s to be submitted can be about current or historic works, science, culture, or any area of expertise. An interview with a fiction writer is also accepted. They do not accept person accounts about the difficulties to be a struggling writer, quotes, press releases, or inaccurate work. The same age limit also applies to this category, which is the writer has to be 18 years or older. If the essay is published, the rate paid for it is the same as the fiction rate ($15 per story). Although the story submission link states they take just about any type of genre work, most of the new fiction stories I read on the web site were geared toward science fiction and/or fantasy. A few of the stories I enjoyed reading; there were a couple of stories that seemed to me to have no pattern in their writing. One of the stories, Catch and Release by Brian Wang, was well written, but the end was not what I expected. The online publication overall is a very thorough web site. The resource link has a lot of great links that could cover just about any type of writing issue. And if a person is interested in getting some tips on science fiction writing, this is a great web site for them. Â · Research Papers on Reflection’s Edge ReviewMind TravelHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThe Fifth HorsemanHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayThree Concepts of PsychodynamicEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite Religion

Outline of Financial Fraud by Bernie Madoff Essay

Outline of Financial Fraud by Bernie Madoff - Essay Example The fraud crime committed by Bernie Madoff remains the biggest fraud crime ever committed by anyone. It was beyond anybody’s imagination that a single person could trick so many intelligent and smart investors. Mr Madoff’s Ponzi scheme involved fraud of $65 billion, making a huge impact on the areas of the financial services industry. This was an example of a Ponzi scheme. A Ponzi scheme refers to the idea of using the new money to pay off old investors (Brigham & Ehrhardt 2013, p.265). Even though Mr Madoff was later on arrested in 2008 and is currently serving his 150-year imprisonment sentence, investors are still afraid of a recurrence of such a fraudulent scheme. Questions without answers continue streaming onto how even his close family members like his wife and two sons were unable to detect his fraudulent means. Madoff claimed that he carried out the fraud by himself, but there was a total of five others who had pleaded guilty to criminal charges by December 201 1 (Giles 2012, p.10). The Ponzi scheme like the one by Bernie Madoff was perpetrated based on the theory of rational expectations, mainly built on trust. His massive investment fraud was as a result of the trust investors had on him, built on his success in the Wall Street. It is common for general to rely on the judgements of others when making their investment decisions. Madoff would, for instance, use the word of mouth to popularise his investment ventures. For years, he had been a well-respected figure in the investment community. The success of his fraud could, therefore, be attributed to trust many people had on him. He used the many people who trusted him, so as to gain the trust of others. A small amount of initial trust grew into a large amount of trust, even though most of the trust was based on the little first-hand information. Instead of scrutinizing the primary source materials behind his venture, the investors tended to rely on the identities and the reputations of those who already trusted Madoff.     

The Ancient Egyptians' Wall Painting Techniques Research Paper

The Ancient Egyptians' Wall Painting Techniques - Research Paper Example The research paper studies the changes in the techniques of the ancient Egyptian wall paintings. Several individuals sometimes argue that the ancient Egyptian civilization endured without necessarily undergoing much change for a period of over three thousand years. This claim is partially true because the Egyptian lifestyle changes considerably over a period. Art and craft in the ancient Egypt is far from what people understand today to be art and craft. What is referred to as the Egyptian Art was created originally for magical and religious purposes. The functions and symbols of this art reveal the beliefs of the Egyptians about the world and their effort to comprehend and relate to it. In the religious and social context of Egypt, the works of Art played a practical role whose direct physicality is not easy or simple for the modern viewer to recognize. Most of the basics of Egyptian art were established or created at the beginning of the history of Egyptians and changed little afte r that. Most of the subject matter portrayed by this art remained unchanging over several years creating a mistaken notion or a misconception that the Egyptian art remained the same virtually or similar for a period of three thousand years. Therefore the only reason that would have necessitated a fundamental change in the depictions of Egyptian artists would be an alteration in the purpose of Egyptian art. This article will discuss how the ancient Egyptians' wall painting techniques changed through time from the Old Kingdom to the New Kingdom. The paper will further outline the significances of the paintings and why the Egyptians used that technique to paint the wall. The ancient Egyptian civilization having much stability necessitated that the artistic conventions remain the same or similar for most of the Egyptian art history. However, a closer examination at various art works depicts differences in style showing those of the old, middle, and new kingdom with differences. Art was all round or surrounded entirely the ancient Egyptians. Starting from every temple and public building art down to the pharaohs and their families and ministers’ tombs, the message spreading being that of the God King and his position or place in maintaining order in the world. Starting with the earliest history, the art of the pre dynastic was popular from the funeral offerings. This art was consisted largely of the painted figurines and pottery, cosmetic palettes, carvings, and finely worked weapons (flint weapons). In painting, the monumental treatment was granted to designs such as those drawn in red on buff-colored pottery. The monopolistic figures depicting the gods curved from limestone come up towards the end of the pre dynastic period. The old kingdom period that followed the pre dynastic period or era had the reliefs and wall paintings reflecting the concept of art that served the gods of cult, the dead, and the kings. The traditional poses were combined with the id ealistic features in the royal statuary. The statuary depicted the royalty as physically strong having softened features like touch of realism in some instances. Wall spaces found in the temples and tombs started using paintings and reliefs to depict or show the daily activities in estates, workshops, and homes. The paintings and reliefs were at times executed to indicate or show the activities of birds, animals, and working groups. The raised or sunken paintings and reliefs were proportioned well and composed with extreme or fine details particularly the Saqqara tombs. El Aaal Et all (5) while analyzing the paints argues that the polychromatic decorations of the

Ecological Debt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ecological Debt - Essay Example Knowing the definition of ecological debt, I've learned three important things that have opened my mind. First, the major cause of ecological debt comes from the excessive, if not abusive use of natural resources. Industrialized countries are the ones running up an ecological debt by too much consumption of resources from marine, land, forests, oil, etc. coming from the Third World countries. Second, the advantages in the economy of developed countries are causing disadvantages to the countries in the South by inconsiderable exportation of products - both raw materials and prepared goods, and even human services/workforce in very low price range. Between the supplier and the consumer, they take advantage of the monetary aspect, thus ending up exploiting the environment. Furthermore, The World Revolution (n. d.) says, "According to United Nations figures, 20% of the population of the world, the majority who live in the North, consume 80% of the planet's natural resources." Third, beca use of this imbalance, we are now suffering from the effects we have caused to the Earth.

Chinese Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Chinese Society - Essay Example the general citizenry of urban areas and the affect of widespread technological advances, such as online educational opportunities upon the traditional Chinese family. This feeling is entrenched within ancient Confucian culture and has escalated with inception of the one-child policy in 1979. Despite China’s rapid ascent into the global economy, which has resulted in increased exposure into the global cultures, the sexism from ancient times has persevered and increased as is evidenced by the disproportionate male to female births over the past two decades. This policy was intended simply to limit the skyrocketing population of the country but has affected population arrangements, economic growth, resource deployment and the stream of migration throughout China. Marriage and child-bearing ages have risen, the size of families has decreased, male-to-female ratio has increased and urban populations have escalated. Unquestionably, the far-reaching effects of the one child policy cannot be understood by merely measuring population numbers or birth rates. One also must factor quality of life into the equation including living standards, crime and education. Moreover, the sex-imbalance can be represented by the rising sex ratio at birth (Hung 2004). The current trend of noticeable labor migration from rural to urban China is becoming a significant social factor greatly altering the whole of society. Studies conducted in 1995 determined that 70 million people nationwide had abandoned their home town for temporary or continuing employment in larger towns within the region or to urban areas (Shukai, 1996). The mass amounts of people constantly streaming into urban areas have put a strain on the infrastructures of many cities in China. This has become a serious problem because most cities’ governing bodies could, at best, barely support its present population in terms of social amenities. For example, most railway stations in big cities experienced massive

Finding Partners Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Finding Partners - Coursework Example They will also be encouraged that having AIDS is not the end of everything they should go on and fight for their lives. As a public health officer, I will need help from different people such as, other local health officers, church bishop, politicians, school principal, and government officer in land department. I will also need help from; mahindi investments, NGOS, university in health departments, eldowers and radio presenter from a local station. With the help of this people, I will be able to eliminate AIDS from my community leaving my people healthy and fit. Bishop Njenga will be instrumental in encouraging and advising the victims living with HIV/AIDS. He will also assist in reducing the level of stigmatization of AIDS patients within the community. The Catholic Church has particular interest in helping the sick and the needy. This is the main reason why the bishop, as a representative of the Catholic Church, will heed to join this mission. Mr. Kibwana will be instrumental in this project by assigning the AIDS victims with a portion of land provided by the government to support people living with the disease. The government is keen on ensuring that the people living with the disease have equal opportunities within the society, such as the right to land ownership, which some of them usually lose owing to the high level of stigmatization within the community. Mr. Kibwana will be an interested partner in this project because it will assist him in identifying people living with HIV/AIDS in the community. Mr. Musyoka will be instrumental in this project by providing the necessary funds needed to undertake the project. The city of Sirare is on a heightened initiative to create HIV/AIDS awareness within the community owing to the high rate of victims who succumb to the disease. For instance, the immediate former town mayor died of HIV/AIDS. As such, this project

Chinese Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Chinese Society - Essay Example the general citizenry of urban areas and the affect of widespread technological advances, such as online educational opportunities upon the traditional Chinese family. This feeling is entrenched within ancient Confucian culture and has escalated with inception of the one-child policy in 1979. Despite China’s rapid ascent into the global economy, which has resulted in increased exposure into the global cultures, the sexism from ancient times has persevered and increased as is evidenced by the disproportionate male to female births over the past two decades. This policy was intended simply to limit the skyrocketing population of the country but has affected population arrangements, economic growth, resource deployment and the stream of migration throughout China. Marriage and child-bearing ages have risen, the size of families has decreased, male-to-female ratio has increased and urban populations have escalated. Unquestionably, the far-reaching effects of the one child policy cannot be understood by merely measuring population numbers or birth rates. One also must factor quality of life into the equation including living standards, crime and education. Moreover, the sex-imbalance can be represented by the rising sex ratio at birth (Hung 2004). The current trend of noticeable labor migration from rural to urban China is becoming a significant social factor greatly altering the whole of society. Studies conducted in 1995 determined that 70 million people nationwide had abandoned their home town for temporary or continuing employment in larger towns within the region or to urban areas (Shukai, 1996). The mass amounts of people constantly streaming into urban areas have put a strain on the infrastructures of many cities in China. This has become a serious problem because most cities’ governing bodies could, at best, barely support its present population in terms of social amenities. For example, most railway stations in big cities experienced massive

Pre-Attack Techniques Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pre-Attack Techniques - Coursework Example Unnecessary software and daemons should be deactivated and disabled given that they are most vulnerable for attack. Constant patching to system application and software should be done in order to eliminate the gaps and security holes that exist. Installation of new updates and new versions of existing application will ensure heighten and improved security. Constant updates ensure that al the patches are fixed thus eliminating system vulnerabilities (Scambray, 2009). Both hardware and software application forms of firewall such Symantec-Axents Firewall/VPN 100 Appliance and Zone Alarm can be installed in an organization’s system and network. Firewall installation discriminate against access request from unknown and unauthorized sources that may be of potential threat to computer systems and network. Network security assessment is done in order to see and expose the vulnerability that exists within a network and a system. Port scanning an organizations network will reveal the exposed services. Running a vulnerability scanner against an organization’s servers ensures that all the vulnerabilities are exposed and necessary actions taken to eliminate them in order to secure servers. Most of these pre-attack techniques and method for preventing hack attack against an organization are controllable from an organizations perspective. It is up to an organization to put up measures and install the necessary application in order to ensure the security of its systems and information including the network.

Critical thinking Essay Example for Free

Critical thinking Essay Utilitarianists are often persecuted for holding a morality in which the end always justifies the means, no matter how repulsive it may be to intuitional moral standards. Hare attempts to quiet controversy by combining act and rule utilitarianism in daily life in such a way that internal moral standards are satisfied and overall good is promoted. Kymlicka stays firm in his opposition to Hare’s theories and shuns the idea of consequentialism having intrinsic value greater than that of intuitive moral standards. Hare’s process of critical thinking combined with intuitionism leads to a flawless conclusion based on systematic procedure that will benefit the most people in the long term even against Kymlicka’s well thought out arguments. Kymlicka thinks that utilitarianism bypasses immediate obligations that should be fulfilled. He believes that utilitarianists’ foresight actually hinders their ability to do what is â€Å"right† or â€Å"just† in the present. He also believes that utilitarianism gives too much weight to illegitimate preferences, meaning that utilitarianists can often choose to do the worse option in consideration in order to satiate a desire for immoral happiness. In the specific case that he puts forward, Kymlicka uses the simple example of an everyday action in which a loan is given to him and he faces the moral dilemma of whether or not he should repay it. He believes that the utilitarianist might keep the money or give it away rather than repaying it if he thought that it would produce the most good in the end to himself or some other party. One may argue that by loaning out money it is consensual and therefore cannot be categorized as theft when the amount is not repaid. However, the loan was made with the qualification and equal understanding that the money would be repaid. Since Kymlicka uses the term â€Å"loan,† he is very much aware that he has the obligation to pay the money back. This may be called breaking a promise as well as theft, so it is doubly breaking a moral standard. Herein lays Kymlicka’s problem with utilitarianism and its criteria of morality. Phil 434 First Writing Assignment 1. Due Mon. Sep 13 Hare believes that there are two levels to moral thinking – critical and intuitive. Critical thinking is systematic and calculated while intuitive thinking is vaguer and based on feelings rather than a systematic procedure. It is said that each person starts at the intuitive level and then progresses to the critical level with age and maturity in understanding. He uses the example of two beings from opposite ends of the spectrum to show what one must be to think purely critically or intuitively – an archangel and a prole. The archangel has no human flaws thus can think critically all the time, and a prole has human flaws to an extreme degree thus must rely on intuitive thinking all the time. Consequentialism is the major theme of critical thinking, which aims to promote the most good to the most people in the end. He postulates, however, that since the human condition is flawed and cannot predict with certainty and without bias what is best in the long run, intuition must be used. Where intuition comes from is a controversial subject – but most believe that upbringing and environment have a strong effect on it and therefore may be tampered with. Since both levels have the possibility to be flawed, they must be used in conjunction. Vacillating between the two is the only way to make good moral decisions throughout one’s entire life. It can be argued that the two levels agree many times in normal day-to-day cases since there is a commonality to moral thinking, such as the law of non-maleficence. Both place in high respect accomplishing what is â€Å"good,† but both have different criteria as to what qualifies – namely what promotes the most good versus what you intuitively know to be the right thing to do. According to the utilitarianist, in a perfect world, critical thinking would be used all the time. Since humans have limits, however, Hare allows and even encourages intuitionism to be used and used often even though he views critical thinking to be superior. One cannot expect to sever himself of all emotion and possess the capability to see the exact outcomes of all possible Phil 434 First Writing Assignment 2.

Teaching exam classes

Teaching exam classes Teaching exam classes Getting students to participate in writing activities in class can be an arduous task. However, our best efforts as teachers to make the prospect of writing a fun and collaborative activity, it is often met with groans of reluctance. Often, students have had negative experiences of writing in the language classroom in the past, perhaps they see it as a waste of class-time, which could be better spent practicing their oral skills, or perhaps they simply find writing a difficult and laborious task even in their first language. Whatever the reason, getting adult students motivated to write in class can be tough. However, for teachers it can be very useful to monitor students writing in class. They are at hand to answer any language difficulties, give advice on how to structure sentences in a more natural way, provide vocabulary that students are lacking and generally be available to deal with individual needs as well as noting common problem areas. This is of great benefit to students too of course, much more so than receiving a marked piece of written homework covered in red pen. Exam writing Students who are studying for exams do tend to be slightly more motivated when it comes to writing in class but still often prefer to do the actual task for homework. The following activity ideas are ways in which we can teach the nuts and bolts of academic writing in an analytical way, illustrating a step-by-step approach that will hopefully show students the value of writing in the classroom without the pressure of simply being told to put pen to paper. Each of the seven activities focuses on specific areas of writing, such as planning, layout, content, etc. However, the activities are fairly general and could be easily adapted to suit most task types that exam candidates are required to do, such as writing a formal letter or an article. In this activity students get a good idea of what examiners are looking for and learn how to avoid making common mistakes while also picking up tips on good examples of language. Students look at 2-4 model texts ranging in level from a fail to a strong pass. Real candidate answers are ideal if you get them. Students note the good and bad points about each answer and write comments under headings such as layout, organization, content, style and accuracy. Students share their comments with each other before looking at the real examiners comments if you have them. Here, students are made aware of differences in register and appropriacy of language, while building up a stock of suitable phrases they can use in formal letters. Students receive a formal letter which has several phrases written in the wrong register, i.e. informal/slang. Students identify which phrases they think are unsuitable for a formal letter and underline them. Then, they try and rewrite the phrases using a more formal style of language. Finally, students choose the correct answers from a list provided. You can make this activity more communicative by dividing the class into two groups and giving each group a different letter to work on. When they have rewritten their phrases they pair up with a student from the other group who has the answers for their letter and compare answers. How to teach an FCE class The First Certificate in English (FCE), administered by UCLES, is a general English examination for upper intermediate learners. Teaching an exam class for the first time can be daunting but experienced teachers tend to agree on the following advice. The first task will be getting to grips with the exam specifications. I need to be familiar with each of the five papers, which are Reading, Writing, Use of English, Listening and Speaking, ideally before student begin in first class. The Exams Officer in my school should have a copy of the FCE Handbook, which explains exactly what skills and language knowledge my students need to have before they take the exam, as well as providing a sample paper. Be aware of issues like learner motivation and classroom morale. Learners in exam classes tend to be more goal oriented that those in a general English class. Remember that students will have to pay a fee to sit the FCE as well as for the preparation course, the advantage of which is that having invested in an exam course then the average FCE student tends to be highly motivated to succeed. However, motivation and high morale can be very fragile things. If my students need to be familiar with the exam conditions and requirements, and regular timed practice under exam conditions will help them get used to exam rubrics, different question formats, time restraints, doing tasks efficiently and filling in the answer sheets correctly. Dont be afraid to share information with your students by explaining, for example, the marking criteria for assessing their writing tasks. Be explicit about the value of classroom activities. As well as having high expectations , I may find that my students have quite definite ideas about what an exam class should be like. A student may try to undermine by saying that discussion activities, for example, are a waste of time in an exam preparation class and that time should be spent doing grammar exercises or practice tests. However, this situation is less likely to happen if I explain at the outset that pair and group work activities are invaluable for the Speaking paper, in which candidates are examined in pairs and their ability to interact with a partner is assessed. Try to instill good study habits from the start. What my students do outside the exam classroom is just as vital in preparing for the exam. Use tutorial time to help individuals identify their strengths and weaknesses in each paper and to structure their homework/self-directed learning accordingly. Often, the most successful learners are those who keep good records of their learning. Encourage learners to keep a vocabulary notebook, organized in a way that is meaningful to them. Types of exams and exam questions There are many types of exam questions used at university and need to prepare for different types of questions in different ways. To prepare well for exams should enquire about the nature, length and value of each exam so that can allow adequate time and effort for preparation. Check assessment details in course materials and with teaching staff. May find it useful to record for each exam so that clear about what the exam will cover and when and where it will be held. This information will help guide preparation for the exam. Some different types of exams questions, with a brief description, are listed below. For each type, use the link to additional suggestions relating to this type of question, how can best prepare for it and practical strategies for answering the question: Multiple choice questions offer a range of choices from which select the most appropriate response. Short answer questions require answers of up to a paragraph. The nature of the questions may vary. Some questions may test you recall of information, others may test ability to apply concepts to new situations. Essay question require you to write an essay type response to a topic. Essay questions may be arranged in sections in the exam paper which reflect different sections of the course. Open book questions allow to bring and use reference materials in the exam room. Take home questions are questions that are given to take away and complete and then return within a specified time e.g. 24 hours. Oral questions are used to test oral language skills. Typically they are taken individually. Practical questions test practical skills and techniquesusually in laboratory, clinical or field settings. There are differences in the learning need to do for different types of questions. I previous experience of exams may mean that I have developed very good approaches for some types of questions but not for others. If I tackling new types of questions, find out about my student lecturers expectations as well as the exam requirements. The timing and duration of my preparation will be determined by a number of factors. For example, if my exam is worth a high proportion of the overall grade, I would be wise to prepare throughout the semester. If its worth a small percentage of the grade I may decide to study intensely in last few weeks, but Ill need to lay the groundwork for that study in the way I take notes and file my work throughout the semester. Exam Materials Responsible for what you leave outside the exam venue. There will be no bag drop at exam venue. Bags left outside the exam venue are left at the owners risk and are not the responsibility of the University. Responsible for what you bring into an exam. Bring only what you need for the exam, especially your student card. Cheating includes introducing into an exam venue any book, note, document, or instrument which is not authorized by the examiner or the examinations officer. The consequences are severe. About on-line learning We believe that distance learning works best when it captures, as far as possible, the dynamics of face to face learning, even when that means less flexibility (see below). A sense of isolation can cause people to drop out of distance learning courses. Our Distance/On-line Teaching Exam Classes Courses have the following key features, which ensure motivation remains high. Variety of ways of learning Through our virtual learning environment you will use the internet to communicate with tutors and fellow course members, access materials and complete learning tasks. Interaction Our virtual learning environment (VLE) allows you to communicate individually and collectively with tutors and other course members, both for social and study purposes. You will be assigned individual, group and pair tasks, as in a real classroom with the difference that, instead of all working at the same time you can log on and off and contribute at times which are convenient to you. You may, on a few occasions, be required to log on at the same time as other course members for lessons, conferences or chats in the virtual classroom. A real class of fellow students In many distance courses, learners start and finish courses at any time of the year and join an infinite number of other distance learners at various stages of their course. Our courses have start and finish dates and a defined group of participants, just like our face-to-face courses. You will have tasks and deadlines to keep and be expected to maintain an appropriate rhythm. In other words, flexibility is limited in order to maintain motivation. Learning how to learn on-line As well as learning about teaching and language you will have the opportunity to experience and reflect on the nature of on-line learning itself. Ease of use You will find it easy to use the virtual learning environment, even if you are relatively unfamiliar with this kind of learning and there will be plenty of support and guidance from tutors to deal with any queries and make sure you are on track. upload and download course information and material access materials on and off-line participate in live and non-synchronised discussions send work to tutors and receive feedback communicate with tutors and other members of the class individually and as a group. interact in ways similar to a real classroom with the advantage of being able to access it at times convenient to you. We use style/messenger or telephone for personal tutorials. You will need to have regular access to a computer with internet connection, but wont need to spend huge amounts of time actually on line. We recommend you install style if you dont have it already to take advantage of cost free calls to tutors. Conclusion All of the activities are intended to facilitate each stage of the writing process, from planning a first draft to editing the final answer. By analysis both good and bad model texts, students are made aware of what examiners are looking for and can learn to avoid common errors. Overall, this very guided approach to exam writing should make students feel more confident about attempting writing tasks.

The Era of Privatisation :: Business Management Studies

The Era of Privatisation Introduction It was under the Thatcher government that the era of privatisation started and it was â€Å"the most radical change in the 20th century British politics† (Young, 2001, p. 1). From 1984 to 1991, the telecommunications, gas, water and electricity industries which were under government control, were sold to become privately owned and controlled. The privatisation of the electricity industry occurred in 1990 but had already begun in 1987 with the creation of a programme describing the different tasks involved in privatising the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. According to Young (2001), the considerable number of privatisations can be explained by the intention of improving the efficiency and a more economic reason concerning the proceeds of the flotation. As far as the case of electricity is concerned, David Parker (1999) argues that the main reason was to promote competition and that all the producers of the four activities (generation, transmission, distribution and supply), could be divided into separate corporations responsible for each activity and open to competition. After the privatisation of the electricity industry, a regulatory office was created, the Office of Electricity Regulation - also known as Offer. The need for regulatory bodies such as Offer can be explained for example by the requirement of preventing unfair competition when several companies work in the same fields or provide customers the same service, or the need to protect the work force. Moreover, as Parker argues it can attract international attention. This essay will firstly attempt to explain the situation of the electricity industry before 1997 and the changes it was subjected to, then it will identify the regulation office responsible for this industry and the role it plays, and finally it will highlight the benefits and the drawbacks of this regulation. I- The situation of the British electricity industry A) A historic review up to 1997 Ø The early days As John Surrey (1996) explains, the Electricity industry existed for about 150 years and it has always required a form of regulation especially when the technology started progressing. The first model of regulation were acts of legislation taken for example after the First World War, in 1926, by the Conservative Government to â€Å"establish the Central Electricity Board as the owner of a national grid† (Surrey, 1996, p. XV). Some of the issues were solved, such as the voltage distribution between the different regions but others remained, like the considerable numbers of suppliers. All these considerations tend to explain the nationalisation of the industry in 1948. Ø Privatisation State control lasted forty years until 1989, however the need to promote competition in generation and in retail electricity supply, and to separate the transmission from the generation, led the Thatcher

The Effect of Telecommunications Technology on our Work and Play :: Technology Impact Technological Essays

Cell phones have changed the atmosphere of our workplaces, making them more escapable physically, yet at the same time making them less escapable mentally. Enhanced with other phone services such as caller ID, call forwarding, and answering machines they have created whole new sets of contacting games between employee's and their co-workers. They have made our roads more dangerous, yet having them in our cars has made it easier to call a tow truck when you're stranded, or to call a radio station to report gridlock. The same person that uses their phone in line at the store to get the advantage over the unreachable employee to gain status at the office, also loses status in the community due to the snickering behind them in line. The recent telecommunications improvements provide an opportunity for the appealing psuedo-self-employed aspects of telecommuting. For parents, cell phones have eliminated the excuses of the late night returning child when asked 'Why didn't you call?" Cell ph ones have obviously intruded into our lives in more ways than we even realize at first glimpse, while making a great deal of things we do much easier. In this paper I will attempt to expand on how these changing relationships effect our always stressed out society. Wireless Communications is in the grand scheme of technological development, a rather recent event. But the quickness to which the market of cellular phones has expanded shows that some people have definitely embraced it as a positive. The graph on the following page shows the rapidity of America's love affair with the cell phone. Radio Telephone technology started in 1977 when Motorola, American Radio Telephone, and AT&T were licensed by the FCC to develop a high capacity radio telephone system for shortwave radio bands. In 1978 AT&T began the first radio telephone system test operations in Chicago. The Japenese inaugurated the first commercial cellular telephone system in Tokyo in 1979. In the United States, the Federal Communications commission authorized commercial cell phones in 1982 and the first system was set up by Ameritech in Chicago the following year. AT&T and Motorola followed in 1984 with their own systems in New York and Washington D.C.. The amount of customers and potential customers rapidly expanded and by 1990 there were systems in place, or close to being completed in every market in the United States. As the graph shows the early 1990's gave way to an exponential growth in ownership of cell phones especially as the new digital lighter weight phones became available in 1992.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis

DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS INTRODUCTION Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a very serious complication of diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disorder that is characterized by hyperglycemia, metabolic acidosis, and increased body ketone concentrations. The most common causes of DKA are infection and poor compliance with medication regimens. Other causes include undiagnosed diabetes, alcohol abuse, and a multitude of medical conditions such as cerebrovascular accident (CVA), complicated pregnancy, myocardial infarction, pancreatitis, and stress. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a complicated pathology.Early recognition of DKA, a good understanding of the pathological processes of DKA, and aggressive treatment are the keys to successful treatment. With good care, DKA can be managed and the patient will survive. OBJECTIVES When the student has finished studying this module, he/she will be able to: 1. Identify the correct definition of DKA. 2. Identify a basic function of insulin. 3. Identify the insulin dera ngements of types I and II diabetes. 4. Identify the basic cause of DKA. 5. Identify two specific causes of DKA. 6. Identify the two pathogenic mechanisms that produce the signs/symptoms of DKA. . Identify metabolic consequences of increased hormone concentrations in DKA. 8. Identify the criteria used to diagnose DKA. 9. Identify common signs and symptoms of DKA. 10. Identify laboratory abnormalities seen in DKA. 11. Identify complications of DKA. 12. Identify the three most important therapies for treating DKA. 13. Identify the correct roles of sodium bicarbonate and phosphate in treating DKA. 14. Identify an important rule for using potassium replacement in DKA. 15. Identify an important rule for switching from IV to subcutaneous insulin.EPIDEMIOLOGY Most cases of DKA are seen in patients with type I diabetes, but approximately 10%-30% of all cases of DKA occur in patients with type II diabetes. 1 The incidence of DKA appears to be rising, and this may not be related to the well p ublicized increase in the incidence of diabetes that has become a serious public health problem. 2 Diabetic ketoacidosis accounts for 50% of all diabetes-related admissions in young people with the disease, and DKA is the most common cause of diabetes-related death in children and adolescents with type I diabetes. Diabetic ketoacidosis is much more common in children than in adults, it is more common in women than in men, and it is more common in Caucasians. 4 The exact incidence of death from DKA is not known, but it has been estimated to be between 1%-10%. 5 Survival depends on the severity of the case, the age of the patient, the presence/absence of certain medical conditions, and how quickly DKA is recognized and how effectively it is treated. If the condition is promptly diagnosed and properly treated, the mortality rate can be 250 mg/dL) metabolic acidosis (blood pH ? . 30) and an elevated level of serum ketones (> 5 mEq/L) and/or ketones in the urine. 11 Patients will also ha ve an anion gap (Na+ – Cl- + HCO3-), an elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN), hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, and the serum amylase may be elevated. The total body phosphate level may be low but the serum level may be normal or elevated. At this time, there is no universally agreed upon consensus for the diagnostic criteria of DKA, and some sources feel that an anion gap > 10-12 mEq/L and serum bicarbonate (HCO3) ? 8 mEq/L should be part of the criteria. Learning Break: Some authors feel that most important test for diagnosing DKA is total blood ketone concentration. 12,13 The acidosis and hyperglycemia of DKA and the electrolyte changes that are so commonly seen in DKA are closely related. The shift in metabolism and the high concentration of acidic ketones seen in cases of DKA produces a metabolic acidosis. Acidosis and insulin deficiency causes potassium to shift from the intracellular space to the extracellular space and serum hyperkalemia is common.However, the osmotic diuresi s that is characteristic of DKA causes potassium to be excreted in the urine; although the serum potassium level may be high, the patient may be profoundly depleted. Sodium and phosphate are also excreted by the osmotic diuresis, and hyponatremia is common. However, the serum phosphate level is often falsely normal or falsely elevated because phosphate, like potassium, is excreted in the urine but acidosis induces phosphate to move from the intracellular space to the extracellular space.The serum level might be normal, but the actual total body load is low. Learning Break: The serum glucose can be very elevated in severe cases of DKA. However, serum glucose can be close to normal, and approximately 10% of patients with DKA will be euglycemic with a serum glucose ? 250 mg/dL. 14 COMPLICATIONS OF DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS Patients who have diabetic ketoacidosis that is promptly recognized and promptly and correctly treated should survive. The complications of DKA are complications of trea tment and cerebral edema.Treatment complications are hypoglycemia, hyperkalemia, and occasionally pulmonary edema. These can be avoided by using low-dose insulin therapy, monitoring blood glucose very closely, and by carefully managing fluid replacement. Cerebral edema is a very serious complication of DKA. It occurs in approximately 1% of all children with DKA, but the mortality rate and the rate of neurological sequelae for these children have both been reported to be 21%, and the mortality rate and rate of sequelae can be as high as 24% and 26% respectively15,16 Adults with DKA rarely develop cerebral edema. 7 Signs and symptoms include mental status changes, bradycardia, seizures, abnormal response to pain, and decorticate and decerebrate posturing. TREATMENT FOR DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS The most important treatments for DKA are fluid replacement, insulin therapy, and correcting electrolyte balances. Obtain baseline serum electrolytes, BUN, creatinine, serum glucose, an arterial or venous blood gas (either one is appropriate), a complete blood count, an ECG, and a CXR. Consider other laboratory studies if DKA is thought to be caused by an underlying disease. Fluid replacement: Fluid replacement will replace the fluid deficit, help decrease the blood glucose level, and maintain renal function. If the patient is severely hypovolemic, give 1 liter of 0. 9% sodium chloride over 30 minutes. If the patient is mildly dehydrated, check the serum sodium. If it is normal or high, give 0. 45% sodium chloride IV at a rate of 250-500 mL/h. If the serum sodium is low, give 0. 9% sodium chloride IV at a rate of 15-20 mL/kg per hour. Once the blood glucose is approximately 200 mg/dL, a solution of % dextrose with 0. 45% sodium chloride can be used. 18Learning Break: In the first hour of treating a patient with DKA, fluid replacement is more important than insulin therapy and should take precedent. 19,20 †¢ Insulin therapy: Insulin is a critical part – perhaps the critical part – of the treatment of DKA. It can be given as an IV infusion or frequent subcutaneous injections: they are equally effective. Most clinicians prefer the IV route as the onset of action is quicker and the half-life is shorter with the IV route than the onset of action of and half-life of insulin given subcutaneously: because of that, therapy can be closely monitored.The American Diabetes Association recommends giving an initial IV bolus of regular insulin, 0. 1 U/kg. (Note: If the serum potassium is < 3. 3 mEq/L insulin should not be given). Following the bolus dose, start a continuous IV infusion of regular insulin at a rate of 0. 1 U/kg/h. An alternative is to omit the bolus dose and start a continuous IV infusion of regular insulin at a rate of 0. 14 U/kg/h. If the serum glucose does not decrease by 10% within an hour of starting the insulin, give 0. 14 U/kg as a bolus dose, then continue the IV infusion.Once the serum glucose is < 200 mg/dL, reduce the insul in dose to 0. 02-0. 05 U/kg/h or give subcutaneous doses of rapid-acting insulin, 0. 1 U/kg every two hours. The goal at this point is to keep the serum glucose between 150-200 mg/dL. 21 0. 1 U/kg IV bolus v 0. 1 U/kg/hr * v When serum glucose < 200 mg/dL, decrease infusion to 0. 02-0. 05 U/kg/h v Keep serum glucose between 150-200 mg/dL until DKA resolves * If serum glucose doesn’t v by at least 10% in the 1st hour of insulin therapy, give an IV bolus of 0. 14 U/kg and adjust the infusion. Correcting electrolyte imbalances: If the serum potassium is < 3. 3 mEq/L, do not start insulin therapy and give 20-30 mEq of potassium per hour until the serum level is >3. 3 mEq/L. Fluid replacement and insulin therapy lower blood sugar and correct acidosis and they also move potassium into the cells. If the serum potassium is < 3. 3 mEq/L, serious arrhythmias could result. Once the hypokalemia has been corrected, insulin therapy can be started, and 20-30 mEq of potassium can be added to each liter of IV solution in order to maintain a serum potassium level between 4. -5. 0 mEq/L. Learning Break: Serum glucose and serum potassium should be checked every hour until the patient is stable. Two other considerations for treatment are administering sodium bicarbonate to help correct the acidosis and replacing phosphate losses. Using sodium bicarbonate is controversial. Severe acidosis can decrease myocardial contractility, can cause and prolong coma, shifts the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve to the right, etc. , so correcting an acidosis would seem important. However, there are risks involved (e. g. making body hypokalemia worse, cerebral edema), there are many clinical studies that indicate sodium bicarbonate therapy is not effective for patients with DKA, and for many patients the acidosis will correct with fluids and insulin and because they have adequate stores of bicarbonate. 22 The use of sodium bicarbonate should not be standard care for DKA. However, the Americ an Diabetes Association does recommend that if a patient has a severe acidosis with a pH < 6. 9, the patent should receive 100 mEq of NaHCO3 in 400 mL IV fluid along with 20 mEq of potassium chloride; this should be infused at 200 mL/h.Repeat this every two hours until the pH is ? 7. 0. 23 Low phosphate levels will usually correct as the hyperglycemia and acidosis are corrected, and phosphate replacement is not standard care for DKA. However, if the phosphate is very low – < 1. 0 mg/dL – or the patient has anemia, cardiac disease, or hypoxia, 20-30 mEq of phosphate can be given. 24,25 SWITCHING TO SUBCUTANEOUS INSULIN Diabetic ketoacidosis is considered to be resolved when the blood glucose is < 200 mg/dL and at least two of these laboratory values are present: a venous pH > 7. 3, an anion gap < 12 mEq/L, and a serum bicarbonate level > 15. mEq/L. 26 If these laboratory values are present and the patient can eat, it is safe to start subcutaneous insulin. Intravenous in sulin should be continued for one to two hours after the first dose of subcutaneous insulin has been given. If this is not done, hyperglycemia and ketosis may recur. NURSING CARE, PREVENTION AND EDUCATION When providing care for a patient in the acute phase of DKA, the nurse should focus on hydration status/fluid replacement, monitoring of acid-base status, serum glucose, and serum electrolytes, close observation of the patient’s neurological status, and vital signs.Once a case of DKA has resolved it is important to know why it happened. Infections, medical conditions, and drugs are common causes of DKA. However, one of the most important causes of DKA is patient non-compliance with diabetic treatment regimens: patients do not take their medication or do not take them properly, they fail to follow their prescribed diet and lifestyle plans, and they do not or cannot understand the basics of self-care and prevention as they relate to diabetes.If non-compliance was the cause of a particular case of DKA, it is very important to determine why the non-compliance occurred, and there many possible reasons. Some of the more common ones are: †¢ Poor access to medical care: The patient may not have access to health care information, may not have easy access to a physician, clinic, etc. , may not have or not know how to use community or public access health care resources. The patient may not have money for medications. Lack of information: The patient may have a poor understanding of diabetes, and the patient may not understand the treatment regimens that have been prescribed. Lack of information can be damaging in many ways. If the patient doesn’t understand the disease of diabetes, he/she might be less willing to comply with lifestyle and diet restrictions and less willing to take medications. The patient would not recognize possible warning signals of DKA. †¢ Emotional issues: For many people, diabetes requires lifestyle changes that they may n ot be willing to emotionally accept.Learning Break: Although it may be said that non-compliance happens when the patient fails to provide good self-care, the word fail typically has a negative connotation. Also, when many people hear the term non-compliance, they think of a person willfully failing to do what he/she knows is best. However, there are many cases of non-compliance that happen because the patient has not been properly educated, or doesn’t have or doesn’t know how to get the resources he/she needs.So when it has been determined that non-compliance was the cause of a particular case of DKA, interview the patient and find out a) the emotional impact of diabetes on the patient’s life, b) how much he/she knows about the disease and the treatments, and c) what financial, medical, personal, and social resources the patient has available for self-treatment. Some of these issues must be addressed by social workers, psychologists, or the patient’s phys ician. However, nurses have a primary role in supporting and educating patients who have had an incident of DKA related to on-compliance. The nurse will often be the first person to find out that the patient did not seek medical attention for an infection because of financial concerns, or due to inability to each a physician, or because of a lack of understanding of the implications of infection in diabetes. The nurse must then discuss making the appropriate referrals and then set up a teaching plan. Some of the nursing diagnoses that might apply in theses situations would be imbalanced nutrition, noncompliance, knowledge deficient, and risk for injury. SUMMARY Diabetic ketoacidosis is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia, metabolic acidosis, and elevated body ketone concentrations. †¢ The basic cause of DKA is insulin deficiency, absolute or relative. The insulin deficiency most often occurs because of infection or non-compliance with diabetic treatment regimens . †¢ Excess hormone concentration and a metabolic shift are the pathogenic mechanisms that cause the signs and symptoms of DKA. †¢ The hormone concentrations cause hyperglycemia, and the metabolic shift causes acidosis and elevated body ketones. The basic diagnostic criteria for DKA are a blood glucose > 250 mg/dL, a serum pH < 7. 3, and elevated serum and/or urine ketone concentrations. †¢ Other important criteria are an anion gap > 10-12 mEq/L and serum bicarbonate (HCO3) ? 18 mEq/L. †¢ Hyperkalemia and hyponatremia are common in DKA. Hypophosphatemia can be seen. However, the total body load of potassium and phosphate is often low. †¢ Common signs and symptoms include dehydration, mental status changes, polydipsia, polyuria, vomiting, weakness, and weight loss. †¢ Complications of DKA include complications caused by treatment and cerebral edema. Treatment for DKA should focus on fluid replacement, insulin therapy, and correcting electrolyte abnormali ties. Sodium bicarbonate is not standard care. †¢ If DKA if promptly recognized and properly an aggressively treated, patients should survive. REFERENCES 1. Wilson JF. In the clinic: Diabetic ketoacidosis. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2010; 152:ITC-1-ITC-16. 2. Kitabchi AE, Umpierrez GE, Miles JM, Fisher JN. Hyperglycemic crises in adult patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1335-1343. 3. Wolfsdorf J, Glaser N, Sperling MA.Diabetic ketoacidosis in infants, children, and adolescents: a consensus statement from the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2006;29:1150-1159. 4. Hamdy O. Diabetic ketoacidosis. eMedicine. September 9, 2009. Available at: http://emedicine. medscape. com/article/118361. Accessed December 24, 2010. 5. Hamdy O. Diabetic ketoacidosis. eMedicine. September 9, 2009. Available at: http://emedicine. medscape. com/article/118361. Accessed December 24, 2010, 6. Kitabchi AE, Umpierrez GE, Miles JM, Fisher JN. Hyperglycemic crises in adult patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1335-1343. . Rucker DW. Diabetic ketoacidosis. eMedicine. June 4, 2010. Available at: http://emedcine. medscape. com/article/766275. Accessed December 24, 2010. 8. Kitabchi AE, Umpierrez GE, Miles JM, Fisher JN. Hyperglycemic crises in adult patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1335-1343. 9. Kitabchi AE, Umpierrez GE, Murphy MB, Barrett EJ et al. Management of hyperglycemic crises in patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2001;24:131-153. 10. Kitabchi AE, Umpierrez GE, Miles JM, Fisher JN. Hyperglycemic crises in adult patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1335-1343. 11. Hamdy O.Diabetic ketoacidosis. eMedicine. September 9, 2009. Available at: http://emedicine. medscape. com/article/118361. Accessed December 24, 2010. 12. Wilson JF. In the clinic: Diabetic ketoacidosis. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2010; 152:ITC-1-ITC-16. 13. Kitabchi AE, Umpierrez GE, Miles JM, Fisher JN. Hyperglycemic crises in adult patients with diabetes . Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1335-1343. 14. Miles JM, Gehrich JE. Glucose and ketone body kinetics in diabetic ketoacidosis. Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 1983;1:303-319. 15. Glaser NS, Wooton-Gorges SL, Buonocore MH, Marcin JP, Rewers A, Strain J. et al. Frequency of sub-clinical cerebral edema in children with diabetic ketoacidosis. Pediatric Diabetes. 2006;7:75-80. 16. Wolfsdorf J, Glaser N, Sperling MA. Diabetic ketoacidosis in infants, children, and adolescents: a consensus statement from the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2006;29:1150-1159. 17. Haringhuizen A, Tjan DHT, Grool A, van Vugt R, van Zanten ARH. Fatal cerebral oedema in adult diabetic ketoacidosis. The Netherlands Journal of Medicine. 2010;68:35-37. 18. Wilson JF. In the clinic: Diabetic ketoacidosis. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2010; 152:ITC-1-ITC-16. 19.Goyal N, Miller JB, Sankey SS, Mossallam U. Utility of initial bolus insulin in treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis. Journal of Emergency Medicin e. 2010;38:422-427. 20. Rucker DW. Diabetic ketoacidosis. eMedicine. June 4, 2010. Available at: http://emedcine. medscape. com/article/766275. Accessed December 24, 2010. 21. Kitabchi AE, Umpierrez GE, Miles JM, Fisher JN. Hyperglycemic crises in adult patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1335-1343. 22. Kitabchi AE, Umpierrez GE, Miles JM, Fisher JN. Hyperglycemic crises in adult patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1335-1343. 23.Wilson JF. In the clinic: Diabetic ketoacidosis. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2010; 152:ITC-1-ITC-16. 24. Kitabchi AE, Umpierrez GE, Fisher JN, Murphy NB, Stentz FB. Thirty years of personal experience in hyperglycemic crises: diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2008;93:1541-1552. 25. Wilson JF. In the clinic: Diabetic ketoacidosis. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2010; 152:ITC-1-ITC-16. 26. Kitabchi AE, Umpierrez GE, Miles JM, Fisher JN. Hyperglycemic crises in adult patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1335-1343.