Wednesday, October 30, 2019
A Comparative Analysis of Dell's and HP's products and services from Essay
A Comparative Analysis of Dell's and HP's products and services from the Perspective of the Firm and Customer - Essay Example These models have been employed in this paper for checking the status of two popular firms, HP and Dell, in terms of the quality of their products and services. HP is more focused on quality while Dell seems to emphasize on the market performance of their products. However, both firms have made important initiatives to ensure the high quality of their products and services. The effectiveness of their efforts are presented and analysed below using appropriate literature. Table of contents Executive Summary 2 Table of contents 3 1. Introduction 4 2. HP and Dell 7 2a. Analysis of HPââ¬â¢s products and services from the perspective of the firm and customer 7 2b. Analysis of Dellââ¬â¢s products and services from the perspective of the firm and customer 10 2c. Comparative analysis of HP and Dell in regard to their products and services 12 3. Conclusions 15 4. Recommendations 17 References 18 Appendix 19 1. Introduction The development of organizations in the international market is u sually promoted through specific strategies. Competition seems to be of key importance for strategy makers in most firms. Moreover, it has been proved that competing rivals can be a challenging effort, especially during periods of economic instability. On the other hand, firms that are already well established in the global market are more efficient in developing competitive advantage. The potential role of a specific framework, of Total Quality Management (TQM), in the growth of business activities is reviewed in this paper. The products and services of two, well-known, organizations, Hewlett-Packard and Dell, have been reviewed in order to check whether TQM can help modern firms to improve their market position and increase their customer base. The above firms have been chosen on the basis of the following criteria: a) their activation in the same industry, b) their presence in the global market and c) their efforts in regard to the promotion of TQM, as analytically explained in s ection 2 of this study. It should be noted that the involvement of TQM in the design of these firmââ¬â¢s products/ services is reviewed from two different perspectives: the perspective of the firm and the perspective of the customer. Quality is an element of organizational success. Indeed, firms with products/ services of high quality are expected to compete effectively their rivals even in adverse market conditions. Quality, as an element of organizational environment, has appeared after the end of WWII and has been related to ââ¬Ëthe ideas of Edwards Demingââ¬â¢ (Daft and Marcic 2010, p.33). In practice, quality became part of organizational activities due to the initiatives of Japanese firms that first emphasized on the need for ââ¬Ëthe involvement of employees in identifying quality problems across the organizationââ¬â¢ (Daft and Marcic 2010, p.33). Different approaches have been used for the promotion of quality in organizations of different structure and culture . One of the most known systems for ensuring quality is the just-in-time system (see Figure 1, Appendix), which was first developed by Toyota. The specific system focuses on the elimination, as possible, of waste, emphasizing on the production only of those products that are necessary and of the amount and quality set by the customer (Ho 1999). It should be noted that the promotion of quality in the organizational environment had appeared quite early, many decades before the introduction of the just-in-time system in Toyota. In fact, it was about 1924 that the first statistical tool for quality control appeared
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Integrated Occupational Therapy Practice Case Study
Integrated Occupational Therapy Practice Case Study Introduction This report will focus on the occupational therapy (OT) process for Meera (Appendix A), a 56-year-old woman with a left cerebral vascular accident (CVA). Stroke is the death of brain cells due to the lack of oxygen (Bartels et al. 2016).It can either present as haemorrhagic or ischaemic in nature. Risk factors of CVA include hypertension and hypercholesterolemia which Meera has. Stroke may lead to neurological, psychological, speech and musculoskeletal complications. Meeras symptoms of right hemiplegia, right sided neglect and speech difficulties can be attributed to the occlusion of her left middle cerebral artery (Mtui et al. 2016). A multidisciplinary inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit was involved with Meeras post-stroke rehabilitation. Stroke patients who underwent treatment inpatient stroke care were found to have improved independence (Stroke Unit Trialists Collaboration 2013). Treatment was aimed at managing vital problems through restorative and compensatory approaches in order to prepare her for discharge (Edmans 2010). Thus, this service was most appropriate for Meera due to her recent onset of stroke. The OT process was guided by recommendations from the College of Occupational Therapist, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)(2013) and Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party (ISWP)(2016)(Edmans 2010). Assessments and Problems Identified An initial assessment was gathered through an interview using the Kawa Model. It portrays a persons life as a river and various objects such as rocks, river banks and driftwood depict circumstances experienced by a person (Teoh and Iwama 2015). Younger stroke patients such as Meera may require services which cater particularly to their needs which most stroke units were found not to do so (ISWP 2016). As Kawa focuses on the view of the client, it allows the therapist to know what is important to Meera in order to formulate priorities for intervention. The assessment is shown below: Life flow and priorities (river) Past Medical History: Hypertension Hypercholesterolemia Roles and Occupations: Independent in self-care Proud Stay at home mother Took charge of matters at home such as: Cleaning Shopping Gardening Laundry Enjoys cooking for family Present Medical History: Stroke Roles and Occupations: Patient Needs assistance in most self-care tasks Loss of previous role and not engaging in occupations meaningful to her Future Meera felt afraid and pointless to talk about the future, worrying that she may have another stroke if she engaged in activity. Obstacle and Challenges (rocks) Occupational performance challenges: Right hemiplegia with increased spasticity in right arm and leg, causing difficulty in: Sitting Coordination of movement Tasks that require her hands due to being right handed Unable to feel sensations on right hand Feels she cannot remember things as easily and may not know the time and place she is at Right sided neglect with visual agnosia, resulting in difficulty : washing right side awareness of people approaching from affected side interacting with others Expressive dysphagia hinders communication with others. Feeling low mostly Feels useless Embarrassed that people are taking care of her Fatigues easily Concerns Family unable to function as she is unable to manage the household A burden to family, especially her husband who needs to manage the household together with the pressure at work now that she is in hospital Childrens studies and social life may be affected as they may be concerned about Meera and visiting her in hospital may affect their daily life Physical and Social Environment (river banks) Physical (Home) 3 room semi-detached Bathroom, toilet and bedroom on the upper storey Kitchen, combined living and dining room on ground floor Nearest bus stop and convenience store 10 minutes walk away Social Close knit family Meera usually supports family members as they will confide her during difficulties Looks forward to dinner every day where family will gather together Family is most vital source of support for Meera Frequent interaction with neighbours and will help each other with chores if needed Occasionally communicates with extended family overseas on phone Personal resources (driftwood) Personality Hardworking Afraid of trying new things Kind and caring Responsible With information from the initial assessment, the problem list was formulated in a client-centred manner (ISWP 2016). Stroke survivors felt more engaged in the therapeutic process when their perspectives were taken into account (Peoples et al. 2011). Interventions were based on Meeras perceived problems in order to increase her motivation in therapy which she lacked. However the Kawa model only shows the problems perceived by Meera but not the therapists views. In order to gather a clinical and therapeutic point of view, standardized assessments were conducted as well. The table below depicts the various assessment conducted, reasons for use, limitations and results. Assessment Reasons for use and limitations Results Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) (Fisher and Jones 2010) AMPS evaluates motor and processing skills of clients through observation of appropriate tasks (Fisher and Jones 2010). Self-care, specifically showering, dressing and cooking tasks which was important to Meera, were used to assess. This allowed the OT to break the tasks down and acknowledge the challenges Meera faced in order to formulate an appropriate intervention. AMPS was found to be valid, reliable and standardized among cultures but results has to be computer generated in order to be valid which may make the process tedious (Fisher and Jones 2010). Less than 1 for both motor (Moderate increase in physical effort) and process (Moderate inefficiency and disorganization) skills. Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) (Itzkovich et al. 2000) LOTCA evaluates the orientation, visual and spatial perception, visual-motor organization and thinking operations through the use of various activities included in the kit (Itzkovich et al. 2000). This allowed the OT to assess Meeras right sided neglect and to discover any underlying cognitive deficits. The LOTCA is reliable and valid for use in people with stroke but needed to be conducted in more than one sitting as assessments were long and tedious for Meera who experience fatigue (Katz et al. 2000). Meera was able to sequence tasks but was unable to complete tasks involving her right field of vision. She needed prompts to complete orientation tasks. Activities involving memory were also a challenge for her. Rivermead Motor Assessment (RMA) (Lincoln and Leadbitter 1979) The RMA consists of tests evaluating the gross, leg, trunk and arm function of a stroke patient (Lincoln and Leadbitter 1979). This was conducted together with the physiotherapist. The RMA allowed the team to know which movements Meera had difficulties in order to formulate appropriate interventions. This assessment was found to be reliable and valid but due to being strenuous and long, it had to be conducted in a few sessions due to Meera showing signs of fatigue (Kurtais 2009) Meera was not independent in transfers and mobility, she required assistance of one for transfers and used a wheelchair for mobility. She also had minimum trunk and leg control at her affected side and require assistance for movement. However, she is able to hold objects using her affected arm but cannot reach for an object far away due to scapular instability. Ã From these assessments, 3 problems Meera faced, in order of significance was developed: 1. Loss of independence in self-care affected Meera the most. From the assessments conducted, it was found that challenges in motor, cognition and perception affected her performance in self-care. Managing self-care would focus on these domains as well (NICE 2013). It was hoped that Meera would be more engaged in therapy by focusing on an issue she perceived as critical. This was evidenced by a study where patients were more motivated and engaged more in interventions when treatment was catered to their perceived needs (Combs et al. 2010). This would also help Meera to elevate her mood as low involvement in self-care was found to be a factor for post-stroke depression (Jiang et al. 2014). The psychologist in the team would be managing Meeras low mood as well (ISWP 2016). By working with Meera on her self-care would also remove some burden from Sanjay, who was assumed to be her main carer when she is discharged from hospital. 2. Problems with visual perception, specifically right side neglect and agnosia, were targeted as it was found to have an influence on self-care (Barker-Collo et. al 2010). This would help Meera in performing self-care tasks. Her visual deficits also affected her social life and transfers. Managing her perceptual problems would allow her to interact more with other patients in the ward which could provide her with social support. 3. Meeras motor challenges, specifically right side weakness and spasticity were addressed as it was one of the major challenges faced during self-care. It was hoped that through the management of motor deficits, Meera would increase her engagement in occupations. This would also have a positive effect for Meera in future as it was shown that physical function affected quality of life in stroke patients (Ellis et al. 2013). Motor challenges faced by Meera would be managed in conjunction with the physiotherapist (ISWP 2016). Skills in managing motor challenges can also be transferred to other aspects such as cooking and reinstating her role as a homemaker. Treatment Plan Client Aims: Meera wants to be more engaged in her personal care. Therapist Aims: To increase Meeras engagement in her self-care tasks. To manage Meeras right sided neglect and agnosia. To manage Meeras weakness and spasticity in her right arm, leg and trunk. Objectives: Meera should be able take charge of her own shower and dressing every morning for an hour, with assistance of one, in 4 weeks. Meera should be able to independently identify items required on her right field of vision for washing and dressing every morning in 4 weeks. Meera should be able to go from lying to sitting, and pivot transfer from bed to wheelchair as well as from wheelchair to shower chair, every morning with assistance of one in 4 weeks. Intervention Washing and dressing assessment was conducted through the use of AMPS. This allowed the OT to formulate an appropriate wash and dress plan for multi-disciplinary use through identified difficulties in motor and processing skills (Fisher and Jones 2010). Using a meaningful occupation as a basis for intervention was beneficial for Meera. This can be supported by a study where occupation based intervention was shown to be critical in improving occupational performance (Wolf et al. 2015). The intensity of the intervention would be higher than the recommended minimum frequency of 45 minutes, 5 days a week as it was included in Meeras daily routine (NICE 2013). The washing and dressing plan was adapted from Salisbury District Hospitals (2013) assessment form. The OT conducted the first session in order to teach Meera the relevant compensatory and visual scanning skills. Other sessions could be conducted by other staff with guidance from the plan. A further review after every few days would also be required in accordance to recommendations (ISWP 2016). Washing and dressing plan for Meera Transfers Bed Mobility: Meera is able to roll to her right side independently. She requires assistance from lying to sitting. Bed to wheelchair: Require assistance of one for pivot transfer Standing: Require assistance of one and grab rail in the bathroom Wheelchair to shower chair: Require assistance of one for pivot transfer Allow Meera to navigate to bathroom Washing Notes: Require the use of a shower chair in the shower Allow Meera to initiate and sequence task independently Only give Meera assistance when she asks for it Place items necessary for shower on Meeras right side If Meera seems to be searching for something, prompt her to look for it by turning her head Encourage use of right hand to wash herself Meera may require assistance to release her grip on objects Provide assistance if Meera feel fatigue Upper body: Meera is able to wash her right side independently Meera require assistance to wash above her elbows on her left side Assistance may be needed to wash hair and back thoroughly Lower Body: Meera should be able to wash her genitals and front upper thighs independently Assist Meera in standing with the grab rail with one person supporting at all times Another person will assist Meera in cleaning her bottom and her rear upper thigh Encourage Meera to wash her lower thighs but prevent her from falling from the shower chair Assist in cleaning the rest of the lower thighs Dressing Upper Body: Encourage Meera to put on the bra independently using the one arm method. Allow Meera to use the one hand method to wear her t-shirt. Prompt her by reminding her of the steps if she is struggling Lower Body: Meera requires assistance to put on her trousers while assisted in standing. Both the restorative and adaptive approach was used to guide the intervention. Restorative approach is grounded upon neuroplasticity where relearning takes place when new neural connections form in the brain during constant exposure to various stimulus (Gillen 2016). By practising various movements of her affected side during self-care, Meera should have a reduction in her impairments. This is supported by a study where patients who went through functional motor relearning therapy were found to have improved balance and performance in self-care (Chan et al. 2006). The compensatory approach is where tasks are modified to be easier for the clients to achieve (Edmans 2010). Even though this approach has been criticized for hindering motor recovery in people with stroke, it is still appropriate for Meera (Jones 2017). The compensatory method of using the one hand dressing method served as a feedback mechanism which could improve motivation as supported by Popovic et al. (2014). This would thus encourage Meera to engage in therapy. Risk Management Plan Meera might be fatigue and may not be able to do some of the tasks required. The staff in charge will assist when required and allow Meera to rest when needed. Due to the intimate nature of a wash and dress, Meera might feel embarrassed and down during the process. In order to preserve her dignity, sensitive areas would be covered whenever necessary and observation would be subtle. Environmental hazards would be checked before commencing any transfers or wash and dress in order to prevent falls. Relapse prevention In the hospital setting, encouragement for frequent engagement in occupation and usage of relevant motor and cognitive skills would prevent Meeras occupational performance from deteriorating (Brainin et al. 2015; Ullberg et al. 2015). According to NICE (2013), long-term health and social support should include education on symptoms and dysfunction relating to stroke, services available and participation in meaningful occupation. As such, Meera and her family would be briefed on these strategies. Outcome Measures Evaluation of treatment outcomes is important to conclude if the intervention was successful and used to change the treatment plan according (Mew and Ivey 2010). The outcomes were evaluated by using goals and comparing standardized assessment at baseline and outcome. Firstly, intervention was evaluated through the achievement of goals. Goal achievement was linked to client satisfaction and a significant client-centred outcome (Custer et al. 2013). Meera was able to achieve the objectives as expected. Secondly, the AMPS was conducted again, using the task of showering and dressing (Fisher and Jones 2010). Meera scored higher in these tasks but still required some assistance in achieving them. Thirdly, Meera improved on the LOTCA tasks which involved visual scanning, little to no improvement was seen on the orientation and memory tasks (Itzkovich et al. 2000). Lastly, the RMA was conducted again (Lincoln and Leadbitter 1979). Meera improved in the trunk, leg and upper limb function but there were still signs of weakness and instability involved. Further plans Other domains of concern would be managed as according to initial assessment and outcome measures. Further interventions would include management of cognitive function such as memory and orientation through cooking. Including Meera in a social group such as breakfast club in the ward would be beneficial to her as well (Venna et al. 2014). To prepare for discharge, Meera would be referred to the Early Supported Discharge team. The team would help Meera and her family by introducing appropriate adaptations at home and relevant education on stroke (ISWP 2016). A smooth transition from hospital to home was found to improve patients function in activities of daily living and service satisfaction (Fearon et al. 2012). This would thus be beneficial for both Meera and her family. References Bartels MN, Duffy CA and Beland HE (2016) Pathophysiology, Medical Management, and Acute Rehabilitation of Stroke Survivors IN: Gillen G (ed) Stroke Rehabilitation: A Function-Based Approach (4th Edition). Missouri: Elsevier 2-45 Brainin M, Tuomilehto J, Heiss WD, Bornstein NM, Bath PMW, Teuschi Y, Richard E, Guekht A and Quinn T (2015) Post-stroke cognitive decline: an update and perspectives for clinical research. European Journal of Neurology 22(2):299-e16 Chan DYL, Chan CCH and Au DKS (2006) Motor relearning programme for stroke patients: A randomized controlled trial. Clinical Rehabilitation 30(3):191-200 Combs SA, Kelly SP, Barton R, Ivaska M and Nowak K (2010) Effects of an intensive, task-specific rehabilitation program for individuals with chronic stroke: A case series. Disability and Rehabilitation 32(8):669-678 Custer MG, Huebner RA, Freudenberger L, Nichols LR (2013) Client-chosen goals in occupational therapy: Strategy and instrument pilot. Occupational Therapy in Health Care 27(1):58-70 Edmans J (ed) (2010) Occupational Therapy and Stroke (2nd Edition). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell Ellis C, Grubaugh AL and Egede LE (2013) Factors associated with SF-12 physical and mental health quality of life scores in adults with stroke. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases 22(4):309-317 Fearon P, Langhorne P and Early Supported Discharge Trailists (2012) Services for reducing duration of hospital care for acute stroke patients. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 7: CD000443 Fisher AG and Jones KB (2010) Assessment of Motor and Process Skills Vol. 1: Development, Standardization and Administration Manual (7th Edition). Fort Collins: Three Star Press Gillen G (2016) Stroke Rehabilitation: A Functional-Based Approach (4th Edition). Missouri: Elsevier Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party (2016) National Clinical Guideline for Stroke. Royal College of Physicians. Available from: https://www.strokeaudit.org/SupportFiles/Documents/Guidelines/2016-National-Clinical-Guideline-for-Stroke-5t-(1).aspx [Accessed 28 March 2016] Itzkovich M, Averbuch S, Elazar B and Katz N (2000) Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) Battery (2nd Edition). New Jersey: Maddak Inc. Jiang XG, Lin Y and Li YS (2014) Correlative study on risk factor of depression among acute stroke patients. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences 18(9):1315-1323 Jones TA (2017) Motor compensation and its effects on neural reorganization after stroke. Nature Reviews Neuroscience doi:10.1038. Available from: https://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/vaop/ncurrent/pdf/nrn.2017.26.pdf [Accessed 28 March 2017] Katz N, Hartman-Maeir A, Ring H and Soroker N (2000) Relationships of cognitive performance and daily function of clients following right hemisphere stroke: Predictive and ecological validity of the LOTCA battery. Occupation, Participation and Health 20(1):3-17 Kurtais Y, Kucukdeveci A, Elhan A, Yilmaz A, Kalli T, Tur BS and Tennant A (2009) Psychometric properties of the Rivermead Motor Assessment: Its utility in stroke. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 41(13):1055-1061 Lincoln N and Leadbitter D (1979) Assessment of motor function in stroke patients. Physiotherapy 65(2): 48-51 Mew M and Ivey J (2010) The Occupational Therapy Process IN: Edmans J (ed) Occupational Therapy and Stroke (2nd Edition). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell 49-63 Mtui M, Gruener G and Docker P (2016) Fitzgeralds Clinical Neuroanatomy and Neuroscience (7th Edition). Philadelphia: Elsevier National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2013) Stroke Rehabilitation in Adults. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg162/resources/stroke-rehabilitation-in-adults-35109688408261 [Accessed 28 March 2016] Peoples H, Satink T and Steultjens (2011) Stroke surviors experiences of rehabilitation: A systematic review of qualitative studies. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy 18(3):163-171 Popovic MD, Kostic MD, Rodic SZ and Konstantinovic LM (2014) Feedback-mediated upper extremities exercise: Increasing patient motivation in poststroke rehabilitation. BioMed Research International 2014(2014): Article ID 520374. Available from: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/520374/ [Accessed 28 March 2017] Salisbury District Hospital (2013) Occupational Therapy Washing and Dressing Assessment. Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. Available from: http://www.icid.salisbury.nhs.uk/ClinicalManagement/RecordsAndForms/Documents/12e3053a7be542cabff277c26634947aAcuteOTWashDressAssv1007091.doc [Accessed 28 March 2017] Stroke Unit Trialists Collaboration (2013). Organised inpatient (stroke unit) care for stroke. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 9:CD000197 Toeh JY and Iwama MK (2015) The Kawa Model Made Easy: A Guide to Applying the Kawa Model in Occupational Therapy Practice (2nd Edition). Available from: http://www.kawamodel.com/download/KawaMadeEasy2015.pdf [Accessed 28 March 2017] Ullberg T, Zia E, Petersson J and Norrving B (2015) Changes in functional outcome over the first year after stroke: An observational study from the Swedish Stroke Register. Stroke 46(2):389-394 Venna VR, Xu Y, Doran SJ, Patrizz A and McCullough LD (2014) Social interaction plays a critical role in neurogenesis and recovery after stroke. Translational Psychiatry 4(1):e351 Appendix A Meera CVA Meera is a 56-year-old woman who was recently admitted with a left Cerebral Vascular Accident affecting the middle cerebral artery. She has a history of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. She was admitted via A E after being found by her husband. Her husband reports that she felt unwell and made her way upstairs to have a lie down. He went out to walk the dog and on his return found her on the floor in the bathroom. Meera presents with a right hemiplegia with increased spasticity in her right arm and leg. As a result, she has difficult with sitting balance and co-ordinating her movements in order to engage in activities such as washing and dressing. Meera also presents with right sided neglect, which results in her failing to identify objects on her right side, difficulty washing her right side and responding to others who approach her from her right. She has difficulty in articulating in a meaningful way to get her needs met and is very tearful. The Occupational Therapist under took an initial assessment with Meera, the report is detailed below. Initial assessment summary Meera appears low in mood and is reluctant to talk about the future. She is worried that she may have another stroke and consequently is reluctant to engage in activity. Meera is embarrassed that she needs help in personal activities of daily living and is reluctant to talk about activities that she finds difficult. Family Meera is married to Sanjay, a 58-year-old man who works as a plumber. They have two children, Anni aged 18 years who has just completed her A levels and will be attending a local university in one months time, and Sam aged 17 who is at secondary school. Social situation The family live in a privately owned three bedroomed semi-detached property in a small town. Sanjay describes Meera as a stay at home mum who prides herself on her family and her cookery skills. Posture Meera has a right- sided hemiplegia; her scapular is unstable and she finds it difficult to flex her arm above 90 degrees. Elbow extension is uncontrolled and there is stiffness in her forearm making supination difficult. She is able to grasp objects but finds release very difficult. Sensory assessment Meera has poor deep and light sensation in her right hand, which has a profound effect on a range of performance areas. Cognition and perception Meera has a right sided neglect which interfers with washing and dressing, and transfers. She also has difficulty socialising with other patients on the ward due to to this. Meera has some cognitive impairment which presents as poor memory and disorientation. These features are more prominent at the end of the day when Meera is tired. Mobility Meera currently uses a wheelchair but can manage a controlled transfer with one person assisting.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Stranger On A Train :: essays research papers
Stranger On A Train According to me, the model of "the classic cinema" is respected in the movie Strangers On a Train. The movie starts on a train, where we are introduced to the two main characters, having a conversation. The subject of the conversation is basically the most important part of the setup. By listening to them, we could predict the direction that the story was going towards. Throughout the rest of the introduction, we are introduced to the rest of the important characters. The first plot point, as expected, takes place when Bruno murders the protagonist's wife. After doing so, he expects the protagonist to do his part of the plan, who refuses Bruno's offer because they never had planned it. The protagonist's identity is threatened because he's accused of a crime which he never committed. We could also see the presence of oedipus complex: Bruno's hatred towards his father since his childhood. According to me, the model of "the classic cinema" is respected in the movie Strangers On a Train. The movie starts on a train, where we are introduced to the two main characters, having a conversation. The subject of the conversation is basically the most important part of the setup. By listening to them, we could predict the direction that the story was going towards. Throughout the rest of the introduction, we are introduced to the rest of the important characters. The first plot point, as expected, takes place when Bruno murders the protagonist's wife. After doing so, he expects the protagonist to do his part of the plan, who refuses Bruno's offer because they never had planned it. The protagonist's identity is threatened because he's accused of a crime which he never committed. We could also see the presence of oedipus complex: Bruno's hatred towards his father since his childhood. The object of the protagonist's and the camera's look was usually women. When Bruno was committing the murder, we could see only her (the victim) and the reflecting light on her glasses. Also by the time when Bruno was demonstrating
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Benefits and Concerns of Surveillance
Many of us go about our day with little thought we are being watched. We take our privacy for granted. In some instances where we go or what we do is recorded by CCTV cameras. These little cameras housed in a black round domes seem to be everywhere hanging over our heads. Are they invading our privacy? Are they there to protect us? There is always a debate discussing the benefits and concerns of surveillance. What is surveillance? Surveillance is a French word meaning ââ¬Å"watching overâ⬠. It is also the monitoring of activities and behaviours of people usually individuals or groups from a distance. It is used by government agencies and law enforcement to maintain social control and prevent criminal activity. Surveillance come in other forms than a CCTV camera. There is computer surveillance, Telephone surveillance, Biometric surveillance, aerial surveillance and more. With the increasing speed of computers and the internet it is not only the government and private corporations watching us it is also ourselves. Our culture has changed dramatically over the past two decades. It used to be personal hand held video cameras that recorded those family milestones such as a babyââ¬â¢s first step or a birthday. Now the personal video camera has now turned into the instrument to catch the unexpected, but not in our personal life but the public. So not only has surveillance invaded our privacy we have also made it a part of lives to use surveillance on others. There are many benefits and concerns to surveillance. The debate is what are the true benefits and concerns of surveillance in our society? Audio & Biometric Surveillanceà Audio surveillance has been a major component in surveillance monitoring since wiretapping began on telegraph lines. Audio surveillance became more difficult with the introduction of the telephone, as the rate of information increased dramatically. Audio surveillance has become easier with the advancements in recording ability and computing power. Traditionally telephone calls had to be listened to live and transcribed to paper. Today human agents are not required to monitor calls. The first Speech-to-text machines was introduced in 1952, but was restricted to recognizing spoken numbers. Almost sixty years later software now creates readable text from intercepted audio and is then processed by automated call-analysis programs (Charles Piller, 2002). Audio surveillance provides raw information for investigations and has been successful for many law enforcement agencies. In the united states agencies have million dollar contracts that require phone companies to keep all call records easily searchable and accessible (Singel, 2007). The private sector benefits in audio surveillance by using software programs in cal centers that isolate phrases used frequently. These trends can be used by analysts to identify potential problems so actions can be taken. These early identifiers can help reduce call volumes, improve the bottom line, and greatly increase customer satisfaction (Wint). Software based audio surveillance provides a certain amount of privacy. The entirety of an audio recording might be available to listen to, but the huge amount of audio information being produced today means that software has to be used to search for key words. This helps introduce a level of privacy for the public and also gives the general public a higher level of safety. Law enforcement agencies and direct their man power to calls with repeated illegal activity instead of jeopardizing the privacy of the public. With increased power comes increased responsibility. The software searching through audio is controlled by humans, this introduces concern on privacy. Operators could use these systems for their own benefit instead of the greater good of a company or nation. Biometrics is the study of measurable biological characteristics (Random House Dictionary). Biometrics is concerned with the analysis of biological data obtained from video, audio nd even physical data. Face, fingerprint, retina, signature, veins, and voice recognition are all examples of biometric identification schemes (Random House Dictionary). Biometrics really helps to enhance current surveillance technologies. It allows for the automated identification of individuals. Automated identification is the major benefit and also the biggest concern. Currently biometrics is used to track and quickly identify targets and itââ¬â¢s argued that they are completely useless without a well constructed threat mode to track. (Biometrics: Who's Watching You? 2003) The biggest current threat with using biometrics is the assault on individuals to gain secured access with a biometric device (Biometrics: Who's Watching You? , 2003). For example, in 2005, Malaysian car thieves cut off the finger of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class owner when attempting to steal the car. (Kent, 2005). Video & Electronic Surveillance After taking root in the late 19th century video surveillance started as an all analog video surveillance system, also known as closed-circuit television monitoring. The transmission distance was not too far and mainly used for small scale monitoring. Todayââ¬â¢s digital equipment has given birth to intelligent analysis technology that is able to provide more substantial results, such as motion detection, face recognition and target tracking with the capability to transmit over great distances in virtually any setting. Likewise the advancement in computer technology has opened opportunity for other means of electronic surveillance. One example is data tracking, sometimes referred to as data logging, which is the ability to capture information such as places of preferred visit, individual purchases, telephone activity, choice of TV programming and internet websites of interest to name a few. Chuck Huff writes ââ¬Å"with technology comes knowledge and with that comes responsibilityâ⬠. So is todayââ¬â¢s surveillance responsible or are we inadvertently stepping the boundaries of acceptable supervision? Yes one could argue the whole point of surveillance is to keep us safer from those in society who could potentially hurt us. Might it be a true statement to consider the fewer cameras there are, the higher chance of crime happening. Unfortunately surveillance cameras are not able to prevent the crimes or stop the criminals. Yes, cameras can make us aware but unfortunately donââ¬â¢t protect us. Consider the privacy impact on both cameras and data logging. The laws that most affect the legality of using these types of surveillance are personal privacy laws that limit the collection, use and disclosure of individualsââ¬â¢ personal information, this law is PIPEDA (personal information protection and electronic documents act). Cameras in public areas like parks tend to make the laws outlined in PIPEDA seem opaque and unclear. If cameras are put in public areas doesnââ¬â¢t that now make it a private area because the whole idea of being watched is added in? This is of course if we accept public areas defined as that which is open to all persons. So if we put more surveillance in a grocery store, does it become a private venue? No, it does not. In the same way, employers using cameras, blackberry surveillance software, listening to live calls, GPS tracking, secretly reading text messages and viewing call logs in the workplace doesnââ¬â¢t mean that itââ¬â¢s an invasion of privacy or illegal; it just means that the use of surveillance in the workplace is subject to restrictions. In the end, just because people donââ¬â¢t like being watched doesnââ¬â¢t mean we sacrifice our inherent rights as a society to have safety, security and stability. Society must also consider the impact of surveillance on individual perception. There is the potential that added surveillance in a neighborhood will cause communities to lose money and possibly raise taxes, which makes the community less popular. Yet cameras and data logging violate the countryââ¬â¢s Privacy Act, because it records the actions of thousands of people in public areas / spaces without there being any reasonable grounds that a criminal act is occurring. Society canââ¬â¢t help but ask, when does surveillance inadvertently switch from supervision to ââ¬Å"snoopervisionâ⬠? Ultimately the use of technology has outpaced Canadaââ¬â¢s privacy laws, especially in a post September 11th, 2001 world where security concerns threaten individual rights. Conclusion Surveillance technology compositions such as audio, video too much more complex system such as data tracking and biometrics offer great importance to national security, public safety and overall protection of people from harm. These surveillance systems also neglect individual freedom and right to privacy. Surveillance technology protects society against child molesters, terrorist attacks and destruction. But at the same time these technology is used to neglects individual rights by tracking everyoneââ¬â¢s actions which intern harms society because they do not protect peopleââ¬â¢s privacy. There are benefits and concerns of using surveillance system because different situation compels us to take measures that can protect or neglect society as a whole.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
The Dangers of Television
SUMARY The Dangers of Television by Harriet B Fuller (USA) According to Harriet in the United States, television has played in changing American values as follows. In the 1940s, television was predicted to bring families closer together. Its influence, however, has splintered family relations. The first danger of television, as the author mentions is the lack of as family outingsââ¬Å¡ the going of the whole family together such as family take a walk, dine out, go to the cinema are constrain when one or more family members do not go by they want watching more go out.The second danger mentioned by the author is the limitation of family time together at home. The recreational activities before TV include: games, songs, and hobbies. They will replace the time of the occasion for talking in family: debate and talk with family members. The final danger as the author claims is the ââ¬Å"dominationâ⬠of TV in our daily life. This is ââ¬Å"dominatesâ⬠the family. The family acti vity depend on TV.In conclusion, the writer gives an alarm that if children watch TV for hours; it has become a pacifier and a baby-sitter. Parents' roles as educators have been replaced by TV, preventing necessary interactions between family members Reaction paragraph According to Harriet in the United States, television it now ââ¬Å"dominatesâ⬠the family and In my opinion, the writer is completely true. Obviously,I have seen the effects of television on my family and agree with the author of this article.As a child, I can remember watching very little television. The majority of my time was spent outdoors with my family gardening, playing, caring for livestock. However, I did have a younger brother who preferred watching television to joining our family activities. and bad effect to our family. In conclusion, it is significant that we need to consider the dangers of television to our life and future because it effect to family relationship.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Modern society and Traditional soceity essays
Modern society and Traditional soceity essays There is a very simple way to define the difference between Traditional and Modern societies. The fundamental difference is that of the personal and the impersonal society. The personal or traditional society is quite formal. Peoples names are indicators of social status. The community is aware of who belongs in their given space and who doesnt. There is a strong sense of morality that is generally shared by members of the community. Even time is kept by a concrete system governed by harvests, solar or lunar cycles. The impersonal or modern society is much more abstract and informal. Names are arbitrary and can be changed at will without any significant social effect. Individuals rarely know their next door neighbors let alone who belongs in their community. Morality is left more or less to the individual although the individual must behave in accordance with agreed upon laws established by communal morality. Time is also arbitrary yet extremely important. Peoples lives, careers and even mental health are greatly affected by a system of time that has no solid basis for existence. These examples show the clear difference between Traditional and Modern societies. As we read in lecture no pure example of either exists anywhere in the world. Each example is something any given society strives for based on which example more closely represents their current social organization. 3. Puzos The Godfather reflects a traditional outlook on society and politics. Amerigo Bonasera an apparent immigrant to the United States put a great deal of faith in the American political system, in particular the judicial system when his daughter was severely beaten. Amerigo was disappointed in the ruling of the court to essentially free his daughters attackers citing their young age, clean records and fine families as reason for light punishment. If the law had more of a modern approach none of the previously ...
Monday, October 21, 2019
What to Do With Your PSAT Scores
What to Do With Your PSAT Scores SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Youââ¬â¢ve taken the PSAT and gotten your score report, but whatââ¬â¢s next? This is a guide as to how to interpret and use your PSAT score to help you prepare for the SAT. Read on to make the most of your PSAT score. Interpreting Your PSAT Scores On your PSAT score report, you will get scores for each section and an overall composite score. On the ââ¬Å"oldâ⬠PSAT (any PSAT taken during the 2014-15 school year and earlier), the test is scored out of 240 total points, with Critical Reading, Writing, and Math each being worth 80 points (notice that this matches with the current 2400 SAT scoring system). The scores on the new PSAT (which will start being given during the 2015-2016 year) will be matched up with the New SAT (which is scored out of 1600) and scored between 320 and 1520 ââ¬â 160-760 for Math, and 160-760 for Reading and Writing combined. Your PSAT score is designed to predict your actual SAT score, so if you get a 1300 PSAT that means you are predicted to get around a 1300 SAT. (The PSAT scale doesn't go up to a perfect 1600 since the SAT is harder than the PSAT. So even if you score very high on the PSAT you won't necessarily be set up to get a perfect 1600 on the SAT, though you will be predicted to get a very high score.) You also get subscores for Math, Reading, and Writing so you can see which subsections you are best at. You will also get score ranges on the report ââ¬â these are meant to show the extent your score could change with repeated testing. Keep in mind these ranges are just estimates, so donââ¬â¢t think that you canââ¬â¢t get a higher score than the top of your score range on the real SAT. Also donââ¬â¢t assume that you wonââ¬â¢t score any lower than your predicted ranges. Furthermore, your predicted SAT score is also an estimate, and certainly not set in stone. Your actual SAT score will depend on numerous factors, including how much you study and how much more difficult the real SAT is. What You Can Learn from Score Comparisons Your PSAT score report will also include a number of score comparisons to put your score in context. These comparisons are a lot more helpful than just comparing your PSAT score report with your friends' reports (as exhilarating as that can be). For all you know, your school could have PSAT scores well below or above the national average. First, the score report will show the average scores that other test-takers got nationwide per grade. According to College Board, if youââ¬â¢re at the average score or higher, youââ¬â¢re on track to develop the reading, writing, and math skills youââ¬â¢ll need in college. College Board also includes benchmarks for each section. These are scores you should meet or exceed to be considered on track for college. (College Board doesnââ¬â¢t specify what happens if the average score is lower than the benchmarks they set. Likely the benchmark should take precedent over the score average, since the average is dependent on the students who take the test. So if you score above the average but are still below the college-readiness benchmark, assume you need to put in more work to be considered on track for college.) Percentiles are also given for each section, comparing you to others in your grade. For example, if you are in the 70th percentile in the Reading section, you scored higher than 70% of other students in your grade on this section. These comparisons are a good measure of your overall progress and ability, and can help you spot any potential red flags. For example, if youââ¬â¢re above the 90th percentile for Reading and Writing but at the 50th percentile for Math, you know that you will have the most work to do in the Math section when you study for the SAT. It might also be a cue to work harder in math class. But keep in mind itââ¬â¢s more important to meet your own SAT goals (like a score high enough for your top school) than to be at the top of the percentile charts. How College Boardââ¬â¢s Tools Can Help You Study Part of the PSATââ¬â¢s purpose is to help students get introduced to the SAT in a low-stress context and learn about their skills and weaknesses on the SAT. College Board is trying to expand this by creating a more detailed online score report for the new PSAT. It will include performance summaries for each section, insights into strengths and weaknesses grouped by content area and level of difficulty, and a scanned copy of your essay so you can evaluate your performance. The old score reports had many of these elements, including breaking down sections into concepts and reporting how many questions you got right for each. But they didn't expressly analyze your strengths and weaknesses, include detailed percentile rankings, or include your essay. College Board is also adding additional resources. One of these is a partnership with Khan Academy, that will give students targeted SAT practice based on their PSAT performance. They are also adding a feature that predicts your readiness for AP courses, and even a personality profiler to help you explore college majors and careers. How You Can Go Further to Prepare for the SAT As we've discussed, your PSAT report gives you tons of valuable data about how you are shaping up to do on the SAT. But now that you have the report, you can use more than just College Board's tools. Come up with a personal target SAT score, create a plan, and study until you're positive you'll achieve your target score. By doing that, you can get an SAT score that will help you get into your top schools. Does that seem a bit ambitious? We'll take it step by step. First, Know Your Goal You can't hit the target if it doesn't exist! While College Board analyzes your PSAT score in detail, before you start studying for the real SAT, itââ¬â¢s important to have an end goal in mind. There is a huge difference between going from a 1300 PSAT to a 1400 SAT than a 1300 PSAT to a 1600 SAT. So how do you know your SAT target score? Based on the score ranges of the most competitive schools you want to get into. We have a detailed guide to coming up with your SAT target score based on your top colleges. You might also base your target score off scholarship score cut-offs at state schools. Once you have your goal in mind, you can determine how long you need to study and schedule your study plan. For example, if you decide you need to study 40 hours, will you study for 4 hours a week for 10 weeks or 10 hours a week for a month? Actionables from this section: set your SAT target score, determine the length of time youââ¬â¢ll study. Second, Analyze Your Weaknesses and Strengths Before you begin to study, you also need to know where your strong points are and where youââ¬â¢re weak. The PSAT does a good amount of this for you on the score report by analyzing the problems you got wrong. However, it doesnââ¬â¢t tell you why you got certain problems wrong ââ¬â for example, you may see you missed 3 Pre-Algebra problems, but the score report canââ¬â¢t explain why you got them wrong. Did you completely misunderstand the questions or were you going too fast and making silly mistakes? The why is what youââ¬â¢ll get at as you start studying. We recommend grabbing a notebook and making an initial inventory of your strengths and weaknesses based on the PSAT score report. As you start doing SAT practice problems and tests, expand on this list and add detail as to why youââ¬â¢re getting problems wrong and what you need to do to fix your mistakes. The goal is to shrink your list of weaknesses as you study. Remember ââ¬â donââ¬â¢t just study until you can get something right, study it until youââ¬â¢re positive you canââ¬â¢t get it wrong. Actionables from this section: create your ââ¬Å"weaknessâ⬠notebook based on your PSAT report. Third, Gather Resources to Study Of course, you canââ¬â¢t study for the SAT with your PSAT score report alone. An easy place to start is the free online resources from the SAT, like the Khan Academy program we described above. You can also check out other free, online resources we have gathered for studying, as well as SAT practice tests you can access online. We also have a study guide for the new SAT, and tips for studying vocabulary on the new SAT. But websites alone might not cut it. Check out our advice on the best SAT prep books on the market, including math-specific prep books. Remember to keep the "quality over quantity" rule in mind. Don't spend time finding 15 different resources if you're only going to use a few of them. Finally, if you're considering a formal preparation program, we highly recommend our PrepScholar program ââ¬â not just because itââ¬â¢s ours, but because it was created by experts. We truly believe itââ¬â¢s the best test preparation service on the market. Actionables from this section: determine which study tools youââ¬â¢ll use and gather them. Remember: The PSAT Is Just Your Starting Point Your PSAT performance will give you some great data on how you are shaping up to do on the SAT. From detailed section performance breakdowns to your final predicted SAT score, the PSAT gives you a lot of info about your potential SAAT performance. However, the main reason to take the PSAT is to practice for the SAT. Just because youââ¬â¢ve taken the PSAT, donââ¬â¢t underestimate the SAT itself, which is longer and more difficult. Full practice tests should be part of your study regimen. Also, do not assume your PSAT score dictates your eventual SAT score! Itââ¬â¢s more than possible to outscore your PSAT on the real SAT if you study. Itââ¬â¢s also more than possible to score lower than your PSAT if you donââ¬â¢t study enough. Use your PSAT score as just one tool as you move into serious studying for the SAT. Used correctly, it can be a very helpful tool. Whatââ¬â¢s Next? Get a complete guide to the new 2015-16 PSAT, a practice test for the new PSAT, and a guide to the new SAT in 2016. If youââ¬â¢re in the class of 2017, youââ¬â¢re probably wondering whether you should take the old or new SAT. Get an in-depth analysis of the pros and cons of each possibility here. If you want to compare the percentiles on your PSAT report with actual SAT scores, check out our guide to SAT percentile ranks. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:
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