Inappropriate Use of Social Media in Healthcare

Inappropriate Use of Social Media in Healthcare The rapid growth and widespread use of social media has changed the way many people communicate and share information. Social media include various websites such as Facebook and Twitter which are the two most popular social networking providers, video sharing websites like YouTube, a variety of blogs which enable users to post their own articles and allow visitors to leave feedback, discussion forums and other social networking platforms of communication that people can use for educational or other purposes. In recent years a huge number of people around the world have become active users of social media. Network of Global Agenda Councils Reports (2011-2012) showed that worldwide more than 1.2 billion of people use social media, a number that accounts for 82% of all internet users around the world (Councils, 2012). Many of these users explore internet in order to access medical information and other to share their concerns about health related issues or to seek out medical treatment. Furthermore many healthcare professionals such as physicians, pharmacists and nurses use social media as a platform of communication to promote patient health and safety as well as an education tool (Frances Griffiths, 2012). However irresponsible and misuse use of social media can result to a number of unpleasant situations. Both healthcare providers and patients should be aware of the risks of using social platforms of communication. Potential risks among others include the breach of personal data, the publication of poor quality medical information and the underestimation concerning the seriousness of a situation from a healthcare professional either due to lack of adequate information or due to provision of incorrect or inaccurate data provided by a patient during an online consultation (Harlow, 2012). In UK there is not any specific guidance provided from the Health and Care Professions Council, but it has been made clear that social media should be used within the relevant standards of conduct, performance and ethics. It recognises that social networking is a valuable way to communicate and share information but also points out that the healthcare professionals who will decide to use it as part of their work must make sure that will behave with honesty and integrity for the best interest of the public protecting patient confidentiality and exhibiting their professionalism at all times (Health Professions Council Newsletter: Issue 34 April 2011). Nevertheless in the past have been reported many incidents of inappropriate use of social media and unprofessional behaviour where patients personal data disclosed on the internet without their consent or cases where patients offended because of comments made from other users related to their health status. Guardian reported that between 2008 and 2011, were carried out 72 separate actions by 16 trusts against staff for inappropriate use of social media. Some of these cases were related to the breach of personal data and some other were associated either with posting of racists or sex comments or with sharing of inappropriate pictures and videos through public internet forums. These incidences encouraged British Medical Association to provide guidance to its members about how to use social media in an appropriate way. (Laja, 2011). The use of social media allows patients to interact with healthcare professionals in a rapid and cost-effective way. Also gives them the ability to participate on their own care in order to manage their health and monitor their treatment by having quick access to medical journals and having view of different treatment options before and during consultation from their doctor and by using health related online applications. Likewise social media used from healthcare professionals to connect with individuals from different geographical areas in order to contribute on their health improvement by providing them with medical documents and by creating discussion forums on health related topics. This advantage gave them the opportunity to expand their activities introducing new services such as the online consultation and the provision of different treatment options at low cost. There are cases where social media used to promote communication both among patients and among Healthcare Professi onals. Patients have the ability to share their concerns and discuss about common diseases or possible medical treatments and on the other hand Healthcare Professionals are enabled to share information, experiences and ideas supporting their lifelong learning (KPMG, 2011). Some social networking platforms are free to the public but to some other the patients will have to pay if they need an online consultation by a healthcare professional or if they wish to discuss and share their concerns with other healthcare providers or other patients that suffering from the same condition. In UK operate websites like NetDoctor.co.uk which is provided and operated by National Health Service (NHS) and offer a wide range of services such as pregnancy email service and online doctor diagnosis from registered UK-based General practitioners, discussion forums and online applications like symptom checker that help patients to get a better understanding of their healthcare needs. NHS in UK uses social media in order to improve public health by providing health related information through NHS choices. Also it has been integrated to other social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to promote its services and offer a broad spectrum of applications. For instance onlin e healthy life style advisor, smoking secession programmes and body mass index (BMI) health weight calculator. These services and applications enable patients to decide whether or not they require visiting a doctor for further advice retaining their privacy. However this way of communication can be very ineffective, as examining and interpreting medical notes without the availability of a full medical history and with the absence of physical exams can be a serious threat to the patient (Britton, 2012). In addition diagnosis can become unreliable due to lack of information and accuracy of data provided by the patient or due to underestimation of the seriousness of the situation, making online consultation inferior to a face to face consultation. Internet usage statistics showed that the adults that are active users of Facebook and Twitter in UK come to 37.4 million and 15.5 million respectively (Ayres, 2012). Considering this amount of people it is easy to understand how important is for Healthcare Professionals to use social media wisely and with professionalism. Inappropriate use of social media can affect healthcares personal and professional life. Many of them choose to disclose patients personal data for maintaining an easily accessible online medical record for personal use but they are unaware that many of that information (including videos or pictures) they upload on the internet in some cases can be accessed, used and spread from the general public without control (Thompson LA, 2008). It is therefore Healthcare professionals ethical and legal responsibility to protect patient confidentiality at all times on the internet as well as to other media. Some social networking platforms give the ability to the users to set privacy settings in order to prevent uncontrolled distribution of data and to put restrictions to individuals seeking access to information that have been chosen to be kept private (Thompson LA, 2008). However concerns have been raised in the past related to protection of personal data. Many social networks upload and share data without considering any legal or ethical considerations. Publishing personal information of patients without their consent can result to legal implications. In UK Data Protection Act limits healthcare providers from disclosing any personal information without patient consent with few exemptions. According Data Protection Act (1998) all personal data should be fairly and lawfully processed, they should be used for limited and specific purposes in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive, they should be accurate, held up to date and for no longer than its necessary and finally should be kept safe and not transferred to countries without adequate date protection. Nowadays social media have become an integral part of our lives. General public uses them to obtain health related information, to connect with other users with the intention to discuss issues concerning their health, to get educated by reading medical documents so that will get a better understanding of their condition or their disease and to pursue new treatment options in a fast and inexpensive way. Social media have also become an essential way for healthcare professionals to provide their services in order to improve and monitor patient needs such as the online consultation. On the other hand the rapid and uncontrolled sharing of information can result to potential risks and have negative impact to the provision of health care and personal lives of both patients and healthcare professionals. Breach of personal data protection, publication of untrustworthy medical documents and faulty consultation due to lack of evidence can be some of the pitfalls that users may face. In order to avoid these drawbacks both patients and healthcare professionals need to understand the limitations of the use of social media. Creating bounds between personal and professional use of social media is essential. Healthcare professionals who choose to interact with patients online must maintain appropriate boundaries concerning the relations between them. For instance, they should not discuss about health related matters on a friendly but only on a professional level. Additionally in order to ensure that high quality information is provided and that a conversation between a patient and a healthcare professional will have a positive outcome, both of them must build a relationship of trust by being precise and honest to each other regarding the information they share. This will cause the patient to capitalize on the doctors consultation appropriately and follow essential tips for a better result and will make it easier to healthcare professional to give the most appropriate advice. Also in my opinion healthcare professionals should only share medical documents that based on scientific studies while patients should consult their health provider before taking any action based on information obtained using social media. There are personal data that should not be allowed to be shared through social media as it is very likely patients to be offended. So individuals who use social networking platforms, especially for medical purposes should be able to consider whether is safe or not to share their data with the public. Healthcare professionals must recognize that they have an ethical and legal obligation to maintain patient privacy and confidentiality at all times and need to be aware that social media cannot be completed safe for protecting the information they share. For this reason they should use social networking platforms that privacy settings can be set and are secure to the highest level. Finally I believe that healthcare professionals should be restricted from disclosing patient personal information on public internet forums and any health related data should be safeguarded and be disclosed only to the patient or other healthcare professionals if its necessary and only for the use of medical purposes and with the consent of the patient.

Investigating the Properties of Ph

Investigating the Properties of pH The manufacture’s claim is that Sensodyne toothpaste micro hardens tooth enamel to help protect against the effects of acid wear, helps stop the twinges of pain from sensitive teeth formulated with low abrasivity, neutral pH and gentle yet effective cleaning system. To find out if the manufactures claim on Sensodyne toothpaste is the correct level of pH. I expect the Sensodyne toothpaste to be a neutral pH level as the manufactures claim that this products pH level is neutral. This would be indicated by a level of pH 6 and 7. The equipment needed for this practical * Sensodyne (toothpaste) Universal indicator * Universal paper * pH meter * Petri dish x 3 * Measuring cylinder x 6 * Wooden stick * Distilled water * Tap water * Ruler Method 1. Test the distilled water and tap water for the pH level to see if it were neutral so it wouldn’t make a difference to the results. 2. Set up 3 petri dishes and 3 measuring cylinders 3. Measure 10mls of tap water. Add water to the petri dish and add 5cm of Sensodyne (toothpaste) into each petri dish and repeat this step 3 times. 4. Measure 10mls of distilled water and add to the measuring cylinders as well as adding 5cm of Sensodyne (toothpaste) and repeat this step 3 times. . Mix the substances together with the wooden stick. 6. Put universal indicator (liquid) into the petri dish repeat this step 3 times. Record the results from each petri dish. 7. Put universal indicator (paper) into the measuring cylinder repeat this step 3 times Record the results from each measuring cylinder. 8. Set up pH meter, Put the pH meter into the measuring cylinder record the pH reading and repeat this step 3 times for a reliable. Results Table Universal Indicator Universal Paper pH Meter Test 1 pH6 6 7. 0 Test 2 pH6 6 6. 99 Test 3 pH6 6 7. 09 Photographic evidence of experiments Before: After: Before: After: Discussion * The results show pH of the toothpaste is neutral according to the pH meter, and slightly acidic according to the paper and indicator. The pH was discovered to be between 6 and 7 in all the tests done * The manufacturers’ claim was the pH level of the sensodyne (toothpaste) was neutral. My hypothesis was that the toothpaste was pH neutral and this was supported by the results. * I compared distilled water and tap water because of the different chemicals mixed with the water, but the results showed no difference so it didn’t affect the pH. The pH meter showed little varying but not too much this could be that the pH meter is out or that there could be something wrong with the meter because with my supported evidence its unlikely to be wrong. To improve this experiment would be to test with more than one pH meter to see if there’s a difference in comparison. Otherwise it may be more efficient if there were more tests done for more support towards the result. * My independent variable is the sensodyne (toothpaste) because in every experiment I used the same amount of sensodyne. The dependant variable was the pH levels were I did not have control over what the pH level would indicate. This is the reason the results are reliable because I repeated the steps three times in each test and continued to get the same results. This experiment could be improved by obtaining samples of toothpaste from a variety of locations. This will identify and inconsistency’s in the product itself. Conclusion * The experiment found that the manufactures claim of pH is correct and it is a neutral pH with supported evidence. Teeth would be affected by acidic toothpaste or alkaline toothpaste. Therefore a pH between 6 and 7 is an appropriate toothpaste . This sensodyne (toothpaste) is designed to help people with sensitive teeth.

The Problem Of Prescription Drugs - 1279 Words

Every year millions of teenagers experiment with prescription drugs and many they think prescription drugs are safer than illicit drugs found on the streets. â€Å"According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, teens who abuse prescription drugs are twice as likely to use alcohol, five times more likely to use marijuana, and twelve to twenty times more likely to use illegal street drugs such as heroin, Ecstasy and cocaine than teens who do not abuse prescription drugs† (Drug free world, n.d., p. A1). These figures demonstrate the need and urgency we must teach our young people to avoid drug use which will minimize their chances of developing other substance abuse problems. The Taskforce will†¦show more content†¦With support and training from area hospitals on the administering of Naloxone, firefighters will learn to embrace their role in the opioid crisis. Furthermore, the AFD will develop and host several internal meetin gs to discuss the importance of protecting the community from all threats, not just traditional fire department roles. The Chief staff will be tasked with exploring financial options for training all firefighters to be at the minimum an emergency medical technician, but also identify financial sources to fund some firefighters to become paramedics. A paramedic program will take the time to develop due to the expensive equipment and medical direction, but will greatly enhance the fire department s ability to protect the community. It will take some time to change the culture and opinions about EMS calls, but open communication and encouragement from the Chief and staff will help to motive firefighters to adopt the change. In addition to responding to calls, the Taskforce recommends that adoption of a Safe Station program like the one developed in Manchester, New Hampshire. The Taskforce recommends that AFD fire stations become receiving facilities for drug users seeking help. The Manchester Safe Station program invites any drug addicts seeking help to visit one of their fire stationsShow MoreRelatedPrescription Drugs Are Not A Problem961 Words   |  4 Pagesthere has been a growing concern for illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco products, over-the-counter drugs, and prescription drugs. All of these legal and illegal drugs have caused issues throughout North Carolina as well as the country, but one of the growing concerns is prescription drug abuse. One of the counties in North Carolina that has been affected the most by this epidemic is Robeson County. According to National Institute on Drug Abuse, â€Å"prescription medications, such as those used to treat painRead MoreThe Problem Of Prescription Drugs1319 Words   |  6 Pagespeople forgoing certain needs in order to not have to reduce their prescription use. Rather than forcing themselves to space out their medication more than they are supposed to be as prescribed, these people start cost cutting in othe r areas of their lives. Many will forgo basic needs, such as food, in order to get to a point of affordability of their medication. This cost-cutting generally can occur before the gap, just as drug reduction does, and typically continues through the gap until catastrophicRead MoreThe Drug Problem Of Addicted With Prescription Drugs888 Words   |  4 Pagesfactors, working together to create the addiction that consume and destroy people lives. Most people become addicted with prescription drugs they are taking; however, there are cases where individuals have used recreational and prescription drugs without becoming addicts. Once an individual starts using drugs, he/she becomes physically and emotionally dependent on them. Drug abuse can cause great amount of pain and suffering depending on each individual and the extent of his or her addiction. TheRead MoreThe Problem Of Prescription Drug Abuse1461 Words   |  6 Pages(Quotes about Drug Abuse). This quote by Wayne Gerald Trotma n describes how heartbreaking it is to contemplate on exactly how many people’s lives have been adversely impacted as a result of abuse. Child abuse, animal abuse, and sexual abuse are all major types of abuse; however, prescription drug abuse is a problem that is drastically skyrocketing in today’s society. While other addictions and abuses are equally significant, it is imperative that people put a stop to prescription drug abuse using twoRead MoreThe Problem Of Prescription Drug Addiction944 Words   |  4 Pageswork and success with having a loving family. Anyone would meet Katie and her husband, Lewis, would think they have everything anyone could ever want. Even with her seemingly perfect life, Katie hides a secret. Katie has succumbed to a life of prescription drug addiction. About 10 years ago, Katie was involved in a car accident which caused her a great deal of lower back pain. The doctors prescribed her painkillers to help with the pain, she started taking them according to the doctor’s directionsRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse Is A Serious Problem1547 Words   |  7 PagesLandgrebe Advanced Composition/4 21 December 2014 Research Paper Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem in today’s society. Prescription drug abuse is taking medicine prescribed for someone else, for another purpose, a larger dose than prescribed, in a different way than one is specifically prescribed. (â€Å"Prescription Medline† par. 1). This includes using a prescription to get high by crushing, snorting, or injecting them (â€Å"Prescription Medline† par. 4 and 5). By using these methods to put them intoRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse1298 Words   |  5 Pagessick. Prescription drugs are being taken for reasons other than the ones they are being prescribed for, fueling an addiction that impacts as many as 48 million Americans (Prescription Drug Abuse WebMD). According to MedLinePlus, an estimated 20 percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons. This is prescription drug abuse. While a considerable amount of time, resources, and attention are focused on the problems asso ciated with illicit drugs, prescriptionRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse And Prescription Drugs Essay1413 Words   |  6 PagesMost people are familiar with prescription medications; almost everyone has taken them at one point or another during their lifetime. Not all prescription drugs are addicting, but a large number of them are. Prescription drug abuse is a disease that has become a major problem in the United States, which affects over six-million Americans. Prescription drug abuse not only affects the individual, but can additionally have far-reaching consequences that affect family, personal health, employmentRead Moreprescription drug abuse1523 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Prescription Drug Abuse Millions of people throughout the world are taking drugs on a daily basis. If you were to ask someone why they take prescription drugs, most people would be taking them for the right reason. However, it’s estimated that twenty percent of people in the United States alone have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons.1 Prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing problem that often goes unnoticed. Abusing these drugs can often lead to addiction and even deathRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse And Prescription Drugs1487 Words   |  6 PagesPrescription Drug Abuse Prescription Drug Abuse has increased in an alarming rate over recent years! Prescription drug related deaths now outnumber those from heroin and cocaine combined. The abuse in prescription drugs in America goes back more than a hundred years ago. Prescription drug abuse is the use of a medication without a prescription, in a way other than prescribed, or for the experience or feelings elicited. Although prescription medications are intended to help individuals, they can

Taking a Look at the Formalist Theory - 1241 Words

The formalist approach of the four main types of literary criticisms, closely follow the idea of close reading and emphasis on the text itself. Formalists invest time on the work of the author to determine the meaning. They focus on structure, imagery, symbols, setting, and themes, completely disregarding all other types of ideologies. In the text, â€Å"To Build a Fire,† by Jack London, these literary elements flood the story, allowing it to be seen from a different perspective and giving it a whole new meaning. The formalist approach will make the reader take into account all the different factors such as: characters, situational irony, similes, and the use of symbolic vocabulary in relationship to tension and ambiguity. All of these literary elements are not to be looked at individually, but by being put together it will accurately describe the reader’s experience. London’s use of all the various elements such as: imagery, characters, symbols, setting, and the me allows the reader to believe that there is a different meaning behind the authors work. These literary elements may have also been used in numerous locations in his text to allow us to uncover these hidden messages and meanings. As London wrote, â€Å"To Build a Fire†, he didn’t want just a simple story about a man on a journey through the Yukon, but a journey with twists. He wanted to place a deeper meaning behind some items or objects that he used but didn’t mention in great detail. Formalists tend to pay closeShow MoreRelatedFice Of Fair Trading V Abbey National Lord Phillips Essay1888 Words   |  8 Pagesperspectives of the formalists, what was their view of applying rules. Continuing onto the American Legal Realists views, assumptions and looking at their two main critiques of formalism, rule and fact scepticism. We shall also review the theories of H.L.A. Hart regarding the application of legal rules. By analysing some modern day cases and examples we will further compare and contrast formalism, realism and Hart. Finally we shall review aspects of the essay and draw conclusions. Formalists were legalRead MoreIn The Case Of The Office Of Fair Trading V Abbey National11885 Words   |  8 Pagesperspectives of the formalists, what was their view of applying rules. Continuing onto the American Legal Realists views, assumptions and looking at their two main critiques of formalism, rule and fact scepticism. We shall also review the theories of H.L.A. Hart regarding the application of legal rules. By analysing some modern day cases and examples we will further compare and contrast formalism, realism and Hart. Finally we shall review aspects of the essay and draw conclusions. Formalists were legalRead MoreArchitecture: Words or Shapes2756 Words   |  12 Pagesimportant to architecture, its shape or the words that describe it? Aesthetic theory is a greatly important topic in the realm of architecture. It dictates how we view architecture, what makes it beautiful and why it is important to us. This is why there has been so much debate on the topic throughout history. The debate has developed over time and continues today with numerous theorists bringing their ideas forward and taking different positions on the topic. Position This paper holds the positionRead MoreAbuse of Power in Heart of Darkness and in Frankenstein1614 Words   |  7 Pages- like yours - the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough’ Throughout the book Marlow refers the natives as ‘ugly’ and strips them of humanity. Looking at Conrad’s masterpiece from a formalist point of view would certainly lead us to believe that he is distancing himself from his work to avoid racist claims that comments like this are inevitably going to provoke, however during the period that Conrad wrote the book (the late 1890s) framedRead MoreThree Basic Theories of Art Criticism1097 Words   |  4 Pagesthree basic theories of art criticism and explain each one. Just like everything else in life, art has its critics. Art criticism is the expression used to describe the act of making selective judgments, both positive and negative, about an art piece. Just as art is so diversely expressed and interpreted, those who critique it also have various methods and use various standards when criticizing an art piece. There are many theories critics use to evaluate art but there are three basic theories most commonlyRead MoreFear Oneself : Freud s View On Psychoanalysis Essay1247 Words   |  5 Pageshis process through his essay The Uncanny by explaining how something that is uncanny is considered terrifying â€Å"because it is not known and familiar† (418). He also mentions the works of other authors and how they resemble to uncanniness. Freud’s theory does have its advantages on different characters in different stories when readers can examine and understand how they live out their lives and find ways of relieving them of their pers onal problems however; it doesn’t necessarily help them dealRead MoreAmelie: Interesting Premise and Beautiful Cinematography Essay2478 Words   |  10 Pageswe are assigned to watch one international film and study it thereafter. We are to identify its genre and its particular conventions such as themes, sub-themes and etc. However, the main idea of this assignment is the film theory. We are to apply one of the nine film theories into our film choices and analyze it thoroughly in terms of mise-en scene, narrative structure, character interaction and any other criteria. For our film selection, we have gone through and watched a few international filmsRead MoreFilm Analysis Of The Lion King1845 Words   |  8 Pagesextraordinary animated film from the Walt Disney Collection. The film uses many theatrical features such as the choice of sound and music, lighting, and the actors and actresses’ voices behind the characters. I will be analyzing this film through formalist theory. â€Å"A formalist approach to analysis is concerned with film form, or how the basic elements are organized to convey certain meanings.† (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2014) Contextual Information †¢ Title- The Lion King †¢ Directors- Ron Minkoff RogerRead MoreEssay on Like water for chocolate6961 Words   |  28 Pagessister was prohibited to marry so that she could take care of her mother in old age, and so I created Tita, my protagonist. Sacrificed by her mother, Tita is able to bring to fruition her love and do away with that terrible tradition of the youngest taking charge of the mother.† Romance/The Romantic Novel The term romance refers to works replete with excitement, passion, mystery, and action. A number of critics have described Esquivel’s novel as a romance. According to Holmon and Harmon’s A HandbookRead MoreFilm Review-Hunger Games3033 Words   |  13 Pagessuccessful award winning fantasy film that captured the hearts of audiences world-wide through storytelling, acting, cinematography, editing and sound. The purpose of this review is to explore those elements and the film’s overall textual themes from a formalist approach. The film derives from the science fiction novel written in 2008 by Suzanne Collins. â€Å"The Hunger Games is directed by Gary Ross, with a screenplay by Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force

`` Hills Like White Elephants `` An Omniscient Third...

Ernest Hemmingway’s â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† is narrated in an omniscient third-person point of view. Hemingway’s minimalistic style doesn’t discuss many characters in the story, but rather focuses on their engagements and discourse. The narrator in this story gives little to no insight into what is happening. However, with this style of writing, Hemingway is able to present many themes that are apparent throughout the short story. One of the themes I have chosen to focus on is alcohol. Alcohol is highlighted throughout the two-character’s serious discussion. The conversation is full of tension regarding the operation that the man wants the girl to undergo. With all this tension, the alcohol seems to act as a distraction or escape†¦show more content†¦Drinking is the only source of relief that the man and the girl can find from both the harsh, hot sunlight and the complications of their own relationship. A rather simple quote fr om Jig, â€Å"Let’s drink beer† is actually an indicator to other portions of the story where Jig steers the action with her speech. Jig is actually the one doing much of the decision making in the story. This could be because the American is obviously asking Jig to perform an operation that he knows is in his favor, while Jig is still uncertain. This in hand allows Jig to hold most of the power throughout the story. On page 643, Jig makes a seemingly mean comment on the surface. â€Å"They look like white elephants,† she said. â€Å"I’ve never seen one,† the man drank his beer. â€Å"No, you wouldn’t have.† As we soon learn she becomes very disappointed in the American because he wants her to have an abortion and doesn’t want to marry her. Yet, her jab has nothing to do with that. It is more of a subtle, underhand approach, as she attempts to belittle the man, because he hasn’t traveled as much as she has. But even more than that, the context behind the white elephants mentioned, is in reference to the hills they see. In general, a white elephant signifies something that no one wants, and in this novelette it is the unborn child. Initially her comment seems to be casual, but it actually forms a segue for her and the man to discuss theShow MoreRelatedEng 125 Week 2 Assignment with Reference Page882 Words   |  4 Pagesgenre of this short story is very much similar to the genre of a how simple short stories are told and it has managed to create a real conversation which is set in a fairly realistic place, although the entire scenario is fictional. The â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† is about a frustrating talk between the two couple in which the American man is trying to convince her girlfriend on not having a baby as it may ruin their happy life. By the highlighting the symbols, it is clarified that the girl is pregnantRead More Comparing Where Are you going, Where Have You Been and Hills Like White Elephants1320 Words   |  6 Pagesstories often use good technical writing skills. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast two short stories: Where Are you going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates and Hills Like White Elephants by Earnest Hemingway. The comparison and contrast will be done based on their use of plot, point of view and character development. The short story where are you going, where have you been is about a teenage girl who is, vain, self-doubting and affixed in the present. She does not know anythingRead MoreRoman Fever and Hills Like White Elephants Essay2110 Words   |  9 Pagesof carefully developing their unique characters and through point of view, both Edith Wharton and Ernest Hemingway ultimately convey the significant revelation in the short stories, â€Å"Roman Fever† and â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† respectively. The use of these two literary techniques is essential because they provide the readers with the necessary clues to realize the ultimate revelations. â€Å"Roman Fever† and â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† are two stories that on surface seem very different from oneRead More Comparison of Hemingways Hills Like White Elephants and Cat In The Rain1013 Words   |  5 PagesComparison of Hemingways Hills Like White Elephants and Cat In The Rain Cat In The Rain is set in an Italian hotel where we meet an American couple. Outside a cat is trapped in the rain, and the wife wants to save it. When she goes to get it, it is gone but the maid later brings her one. The point of view in the story is a third person narrator, but the perspective changes going from the wife to the husband and an objective narrator who tells it like it is. The story is told retrospectivelyRead MoreHills like white elephant5316 Words   |  22 PagesHills Like White Elephants: The Jilting of Jig Hashmi, Nilofer. The Hemingway Review, Volume 23, Number 1, Fall 2003, pp. 72-83 (Article) Published by University of Idaho Department of English DOI: 10.1353/hem.2004.0009 For additional information about this article http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/hem/summary/v023/23.1hashmi.html Access Provided by Chulalongkorn University at 11/21/11 7:26AM GMT â€Å"hills like white elephants†: T h e j i lt i n g of j i g nilofer hashmi Georgia SouthernRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesexplicitly dramatized or presented in an early scene or chapter. Some conflicts, in fact, are never made explicit and must be inferred by the reader from what the characters do or say as the plot unfolds (as, for example, in Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants†). Conflict, then, is the basic opposition, or tension, that sets the plot in motion; it engages the reader, builds the suspense or mystery of the work, and arouses expectation for the vents that are to follow. The plot of the traditionalRead MoreThe Most Dangerous Game8910 Words   |  36 Pagesand the idea or intent in his mind. It includes the author’s POV and is HOW the author tells the story. Look for 1st, 3rd or 3rd person omniscient narration. Look for clues of an unreliable narrator such as blatant, untrue statements, the claim to be mentally ill and delusional and elements of the story that suggest the narrator may have a distorted or biased point-of-view. Tone vs. Mood First to clarify the difference between tone and mood: The tone is the authors attitude, stated or implied

McDonald’s in British Free Essays

The UK is the largest European market for fast-food, probably because the market is more developed than in other European countries. McDonald’s first British unit opened in Woolwich, London, in 1974. Its growth from the first restaurant was dramatic. We will write a custom essay sample on McDonald’s in British or any similar topic only for you Order Now At the end of 1999, it had over 1,000 outlets in the UK, of which 302 were run by franchisees. McDonald’s employed over 48,000 people; a further 16,500 worked in its franchises. The total sales from both its company owned restaurants and its franchised outlets reached  £400 million and it catered for 2.5 million people a day. By the end of the twentieth century, McDonald’s logo was no longer confined to the high streets but extended to leisure centres and retail parks as well as airports and cross-Channel ferries. McDonald’s has gone beyond this by opening its own motorway service station called McDonald’s Services which it opened on the M5 in Devon in 1999. In February 2001 McDonald’s bought a 33 per cent stake in Prà ªt à   Manger. McDonald’s dominates the chained fast-food sector both in terms of company and brand terms, taking a share, by value, of 52 per cent n 1999. Together McDonald’s and Burger King had 73 per cent of the market in 1999. In a busy world where one does not even have time to change out of his work clothes to spend â€Å"quality† time with his or her daughter, McDonald’s is there to help. The food is necessary to have the fun and companionship, but what the food consists of is irrelevant. Love (1995) points out that as McDonald’s started to expand in the late 1960s it realized that to cultivate a national mass market, it needed to develop a media campaign that focused on the family rather than the product and price. When McDonald’s returned to their complete American menu, altered their buildings to be more similar to their American architecture, and modified their ad campaigns to â€Å"food, folks, and fun,† – the myths of hard work and leisure, Americana and American culture and consensus – did their work. In Britain the McDonald’s ads proclaimed,   â€Å"The United Tastes of America.† In the UK, adverts were aimed in the middle of the biggest market, the family segment. If children wanted to have fun at McDonald’s, their parents would take them, and they would be McDonald’s customers for life. From my perspective, the McDonald’s success is based upon its ability to tell a story, a story that does not make sense from a logical perspective but rather from an aesthetic one. The story has coherence and fidelity and helps one solve his or her problem through the purchase and possession of commodities. McDonald’s is successful not through the components of a rational system that includes efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control, but through its advertising campaign that hails each of us to come in and buy its product of â€Å"food, folks, and fun,† to come in and fulfil our American dream. Although most Americans would not consider McDonald’s to make the â€Å"best† hamburger in their home towns, McDonald’s is hugely successful on an international basis. One does not go to McDonald’s expecting the best hamburger in town. One goes to McDonald’s expecting the image. McDonald’s success is due to their creation of a narrative that is not necessarily true but rather provides us with a sense of personal identity, a sense of community life, a basis for conduct, and explanations of that which cannot be known. Labour shortages encourage fast-food employers to alter their work systems in ways that minimize the demand for labour through reorganization or technological change. Subway Sandwiches supplies franchisees with pre-portioned sandwich ingredients from centralized food preparation plants; McDonald’s has experimented with robotic french fry makers, automated touch-screen ordering machines, and automatic electronic payment systems for cashless drive-through service. McDonald’s also expects its new â€Å"Made for You† food preparation system to reduce employee turnover and provide some labour savings. Before the imposition of the minimum wage McDonald’s employees worked in the regions under 18 started on  £3.25 per hour and those over 18 started on  £3.50 per hour. In the UK McDonald’s has three separate pay ‘scales’ for inner London, outer London and the provinces and it has both under-18 and over-18 starting rates. In fact McDonald’s increased its UK pay rates again by a flat rate of 10 pence on 28 March 1999 to bring the over-18 starting rate to  £3.60 outside London. Something like 70 per cent of McDonald’s UK employees are under 21, and approximately 30 per cent are under 18. In October 1999 McDonald’s was the last of the leading fast-food chains to remove the youth rate for under 18s. In 2000 McDonald’s increased its minimum rate outside London to  £3.75, once again probably in response to the small increase in the minimum wage for that year of  £3.70. Figures from IDS (2001) suggest that McDonald’s does not pay the lowest wages in the sector: it actually appears somewhere in the middle compared with other companies. However, its dominance in the market place undoubtedly has a constraining effect on wages amongst its competitors. The evidence at the McLibel trial also confirms this. Vidal (1997:312) states that the judge commented that: â€Å"the British McDonald’s operation pays low wages and it depresses wages for other workers in the industry.† Of course McDonald’s has been increasingly involved in the acquisition of other companies in recent years. In the UK the purchase of the Aroma coffee chain and more recently Prà ªt à   Manger may signal a new corporate strategy. In any case the relatively small number of restaurants in Europe compared with that in the US suggests that the European market is likely to experience a lot more expansion in future, although McDonald’s is already the market leader in the UK. The UK McDonald’s is, as in many other countries, expanding rapidly and becoming an increasingly important feature of modern employment. Although the majority of outlets in the sector are independent operations, it is the chain operations often owned by large multinationals which are the most profitable and which are driving growth. It is a highly competitive industry and labour costs are a large percentage of the overall costs of the business. It is hardly surprising therefore that there is likely to be a continual and persistent downward pressure on wages and conditions in this sector. Bibliography IDS. 2001, â€Å"The national minimum wage in pubs and restaurants†, Incomes Data Services, March: 1-8. Love J. F. 1995, McDonald’s: Behind the arches. New York: Bantam. Vidal, J. 1997, McLibel: Burger Culture on Trial, London: Macmillan.    How to cite McDonald’s in British, Essay examples

Phylum Lab free essay sample

The diversity of animal life on Earth is astounding. Each animal has a unique body plan which allows it to survive and adapt to its given surroundings. With such an abundance of species, classifying animals into different categories is necessary. At first the diversity of animals can be overwhelming, but after further research and observation, many likenesses appear. These similarities become the basis for taxonomists, the biologists who specialize in classifying animals, to organize and bring order to the animal kingdom. Animals are classified into categories called taxa and are sorted according to their phylogeny (evolutionary history), body plan and similarity of characteristics. There are seven principle levels that organisms can be placed into: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. All animals are in the Kingdom Animalia. As you move from species to kingdom, the animals that are grouped together share fewer and fewer characteristics at each succeeding level. The next level after Kingdom is Phyla, which is the main focus of the lab today. Even though there are approximately thirty-five phyla within the animal kingdom, 98 percent of all animals are classified into eight of them. To get even more specific, seven of the eight phyla are invertebrates. Invertebrates comprise most of the animal kingdom, with almost 75 percent of all animals on earth being insects. They out number humans by a million to one! From Phylum, animals are then broken down into more specific categories: class, order, family, genus, species. For example, a shark, a bird, and a human are all in the Phylum Chordata. So, what similarities do these animals have? Taxonomists would agree that all these animals have similar internal skeletons. However, these animals would not be grouped in the same Class. This process would continue until the animal is classified all the way to species type. Keep in mind that sub-phyla, do exist and even though most animals are place into these eight phyla, not only are there visible difference amongst the eight phyla, but also within each phyla. The following description of each phylum are from the â€Å"Shape of Life† guide (Sea studios Foundation, 2002). Purpose Students will use the descriptions of the phyla (provided) to create a phylum key. By organizing characteristics into eight phyla, they will have a guide to assist them in determining which phylum is represented by preserved specimen presented to them. Materials Phyla Descriptions Characteristic Cards Answer Sheet Teacher’s transparency (answer key) Preserved specimen from each of the eight phyla Procedure 1. Review the phyla descriptions provided, or use your notes/test to review the key characteristics from each phylum. 2. Each card contains a main characteristic of one of the eight main phyla. Each group/student will cut apart the cards and try to arrange them appropriately on their answer sheet. The end product is a comparison of the main characteristics of each phyla. 3. Once the answer sheet has been completed, ask your teacher to check your work. 4. When you have correctly assembled your answer sheet you may glue the characteristic cards down onto the answer sheet. Porifera Sponges The Phylum Porifera consists only of sponges, which is unique since these animals are entirely aquatic; with 98% found only in marine environments and a small percentage found in freshwater lakes and streams. Sponges are considered the oldest and of the animal phyla. Translated from Latin, Porifera means â€Å"pore bearer. † Sponges play an important role in aquatic ecosystems, acting to filter particles out of the water especially bacteria. Sponges can be found living with coral reefs. The surface of a sponge is covered with a skin which is one cell thick. This skin is penetrated by numerous small pores and a few larger openings. These larger openings are the entrances and exits for a complex system of canals and chambers through which the sponge pumps a current of water. The body of a sponge between this system of canals is a loose assemblage of cells that secrets a supporting skeleton of collagen fibers and mineral spicules (glass or calcium carbonate) and carries out the process of growth, repair, nourishment, and reproduction. Sponges can filter/clean water at a rate of their entire volume in less than a minute? As the sponge pumps in water at this amazing rate, it captures tiny food items as small as a single micron in diameter. Choanocytes are specialized flagellated cells, also called collar cells, that allow sponges to pump the water. Since sponges are filter feeders they often have to filter over a ton of water to secure just a single ounce of food? Sponges reproduce asexually by fragmentation or budding, sexually (eggs and sperm), or hermaphroditic, a single species with both male and female gametes. Their commercial importance includes use as bath sponges as well as being tested for possible anti-cancer drugs or antibiotics. Sponges provide a micro habitat for other organisms and they aid in cleaning the water. Since sponges are considered the simplest of the all animal phyla, they are important subjects for analyzing the evolution of animals. Studies indicate that the Phylum Porifera is at the base of the animal tree of life. Features: * Asymmetrical * Organized as an assemblage of different kinds of specialized cells, e. g. collar cells * No tissues * Skeleton lacking or made of spicules Cnidaria Jellyfish, Corals, Anenomes, Hydra The phylum cnidaria includes such animals as jellyfish, corals, sea pens, sea anemones, and hydras. This phylum contains the most venomous marine creature. It is the Australian box jellyfish. It is known to kill more people than sharks, crocodiles and stonefish combined. It can cause shock and heart failure within minutes. Sea turtles prey upon the box jellyfish but are not affected by the venom. Most cnidaria alternate between two different body forms in their life: the free-swimming form, called the medusa, and the stationary form, called the polyp. Both body types follow the same basic plan. They are radially symmetrical with three layers of tissue. Each species has a single opening that serves as both the mouth and the anus. That shared opening is usually surrounded by a ring of tentacles, allowing the animal to capture prey in all directions. Cnidarians have a defined top and bottom and two distinct layers of tissue: an epidermis outer layer and an internal gastrodermis. Between these tissue layers is a layer called the mesoglea. In the form of a medusa, the mesoglea is an elastic, clear jelly with fibers made of protein called collagen. The mesoglea aids in locomotion by elastically recoiling in response to muscle contractions. Cnidarians’ muscles and nerves are located at the base of the tissue layers. The internal space, surrounded by the layers of tissue and mesoglea, is the gut or gastrovascular cavity. In order to capture prey, cnidarians have stinging cells. Located in their tentacles, these stinging cells, called cnidocytes, contain tiny, often toxic harpoons, called nematocysts. Triggered by touch or certain chemicals, nematocysts fire out of the cnidocyte housing at lightning speed. Some hydra can fire these harpoons with an accelerated force equal to 40,000 times the acceleration of gravity. That’s 10,000 times the acceleration force of a space shuttle. Once the nematocyst hits it mark, usually lethal poisons are injected into the prey. The combination of defined tissues, muscles, nerves and a gut allowed ancestral cnidarians to be the first animals on the planet to show animated behavior. The named Cnidaria comes from the Latin word meaning â€Å"nettle. † Features: * Two tissue layers with nerve and muscle tissues * Nematocysts structures contained in special cells called cnidocytes or cnidoblasts that can act in both offense and defense * Two main life forms free-swimming medusa (e. g. jellyfish) or stationary polyp (e. g. anenome) Platyhelminthes Flatworms This particular phylum is one of the lesser-known groups and includes such animals as freshwater planaria, colorful marine polycads and parasitic tapeworms and flukes. The name Platyhelminthes in Latin means â€Å"flat worm. † Fossilized worm tracks in the early Cambrian period (over 550 million years ago) hint at the origin of this body plan. While the actual classification of Platyhelminthes remains controversial, flatworms share distinctive features. They are bilaterally symmetrical with a defined head and tail region and a centralized nervous system containing a brain and nerve cords. Clusters of light-sensitive cells make up what are called eyespots The head region of the flatworm also contains other sense organs, which are connected to the flatworm’s simple brain. Like most animals, except sponges and cnidarians, flatworms possess three tissue layers making them triploblastic. The middle tissue layer, called the mesoderm, helps form true organs, including reproductive organs, such as ovaries, testes, and a penis. Flatworms are hermaphroditic and capable of sexual and asexual reproduction. They are, as their name implies, flat. They have no circulatory system or body cavity (coelom), but they do have an excretory and digestive system. Passive diffusion through the skin supplies oxygen to their body parts. The highly branched gastrovascular (gut) cavity distributes nutrients to their cells. Most species of flatworms are parasitic having evolved protective skin coverings and elaborate attachment mechanisms to allow them to live inside their hosts. Features: * Bilaterally symmetrical with a head and tail * Centralized nervous system * Three tissue layers * No coelom (body cavity), no circulatory system and no hard skeleton Annelida Polychaetes, Earthworms, Leeches Cambrian Explosion The Cambrian period began approximately 543 million years ago. Of the eight major phyla, two were known from fossils of this time Porifera and Cnidaria. Shortly thereafter, a profuse radiation of fossils representing the other animal body plans occurred over a relatively brief span of about 10 million years (by some estimates, 530 million years ago. ) The rest of the animal phyla all evolved during, or shortly after, this evolutionary explosion of new life forms in the Cambrian period. The Annelida body plan is equal in complexity to that of chordates. Far from being lowly worms, these creatures are impressively powerful and capable animals. Annelids are bilaterally symmetrical. They also contain three tissue layers and a true body cavity) or coelom. The coelom surrounds a one-way muscular digestive tract that runs from the mouth to the anus and includes a pharynx, intestine, and other structures. Annelids have a closed-circulatory system with capillaries connecting to arteries and veins, as well as a segmented central nervous system that includes a simple brain located in the head region. One of the distinctive traits of an annelid is that it has many segments, or rings, that comprise its bo4 In fact, Annelida means â€Å"little ring† in Latin. Each segment has a number of bristles, called setae, which help the worm move. The evolution of segmentation is an important step for the annelids because it provides an opportunity for separate regions of the body to specialize in different tasks. The fluid-filled coelom was another important innovation for annelids, as it insulated the gut from body locomotor muscles and provided a hydrostatic fluid skeleton against which the muscle system could work quite effectively. Features: Elongate and bilateral with segmented true body cavity (coelom) * Complete circulatory system with capillaries, arteries and veins * Continuous gut running from mouth to anus with own musculature * Bristle-like structures, called setae, projecting from body (except in leeches) Arthropoda Crustaceans, Spiders, Millipedes, Centipedes, Insects Of all the phyla in the animal kingdom, Arthropoda is by far the largest and most diverse. All arthropods have segmented bodies and are covered in a hard, yet flexible, protective armor called an exoskeleton. Their body muscles attach to the inside of the exoskeleton. The name Arthropoda means â€Å"jointed foot† and refers to their jointed appendages. In order to grow, arthropods must shed their chiton-filled exoskeleton periodically, engaging in an activity called molting. When an arthropod passes through specific developmental stages during molting, it is said to by metamorphosing. Radical changes in body design can come from metamorphosis. For example, an arthropod like a dragonfly can start life in a pond as a swimming larva and then metamorphose into a completely different-looking, winged adult. Arthropods, like all animals, first appeared in the sea, yet became the first animal group to invade land and even take to the skies. (Our direct ancestors, the chordates, didn’t invade land for another 100 million years. ) Once on land, arthropods adapted superbly to the new environment. The incredible diversity and success of the arthropods can be attributed to their extraordinarily adaptable body plan. A key feature of this plan lies in the development of myriad types of appendages (antennae, claws, wings, shields, mouthparts) that allowed arthropods to exploit nearly every niche on Earth. Features: * Hard exoskeleton made of chitin and protein * Possess numerous jointed appendages and a segmented body * Must molt to grow Mollusca Clams, Snails, Slugs, Nautilus, Octopus Animals in this phylum, including chitons, snails, slugs, clams, squid, and octopus, show an amazing degree of diversity. All molluscs have soft bodies. In fact, the name Mollusc means â€Å"soft† in Latin. Most molluscs are covered by a hard shell, which is secreted by a layer of tissue called the mantle that overlays the internal organs of the mollusc. Molluscs also have a strong muscular foot, which is used for movement or grasping. They have gills, a mouth and an anus. One feature unique to molluscs is a file-like, rasping tool called a radula. This structure allows them to scrape algae and other food of rocks and even to drill into prey or catch fish. The diversity of molluscs demonstrates how a basic body plan can evolve into a variety of different forms that allow survival in specific environments. For example, the hard shell in a land-dwelling snail is relatively large and serves to protect the animal. In the fast-swimming squid, however, the shell has been reduced to a small pen-shaped structure. Features: * Rasping organ called a radula- present in all groups except bivalves and Aplacophora * Muscular foot- used for locomotion and other tasks * A sheath of tissue called the mantle that covers body and can secrete the shell (if there is one) * A mantle cavity that houses the gills or lungs * A calcium shell present in most mollusks- some mollusks have greatly reduced their shells, e. g. , squid; while others have completely lost it, e. g. , slugs, nudibranchs, and octopus Echinodermata Sea stars, Sea Lilies, Sea Urchins, Sea Cucumbers, Brittle Stars There are about 6000 living species belonging to the phylum Echinodermata. The bodies of echinoderms are made of tough, calcium-based plates that are often spiny and covered by a thin skin. This tough body is how they get their name- Echinoderms (echino-spiny, derm-skin). Echinoderms are exclusively marine animals. This phylum includes sea stars, sea lilies, urchins, sea cucumbers, sand dollars and brittle stars. Echinoderms do not have a bilateral body plan with a distinct head and tail. Instead, many Echinoderms begin life as bilateral larvae and later develop into radial organisms with five-part symmetry. The mouths of most Echinoderms are located on the underside of their bodies. Echinoderms move, feed, and respire with a unique water-vascular system ending in tube feet. Sea stars use their tube feet to slowly pry open clams, mussels, or other prey. Some sea stars can even extrude their stomachs from their bodies and insert them into the tiny openings between the two shells of bivalves and digest the soft parts inside. An interesting ability of both sea stars and sea urchins is that of regeneration. If body parts such as legs, tube feet, and spines are lost to a predator they can grow back. While most echinoderms are either stationary or slow-moving, methodical animals, they are nevertheless prominent members of the marine environment. Features: * Internal skeleton made of little calcium plates * Five-part symmetry * Special fluid-filled system (called a water vascular system) that operates the tube feet Chordata Tunicates, Lancelets, Vertebrates (including Amphibians, Reptiles, Mammals) The Phylum Chordata includes a wide range of animals from tunicates that look superficially more like sponges, to vertebrates, including fishes, frogs, snakes, birds, and humans. Despite this diversity virtually all chordates share certain features at some point in their lives. These include a stiffening rod, called a notochord, that in many members (e. g. the vertebrates) is later replaced by a bony, vertebral column. In most adult vertebrates, the notochord only remains as a disk between the vertebrae. Another chordate feature is a hollow nerve structure called a dorsal nerve cord that in most members becomes the spinal cord and brain. Also included in the chordate body plan are structures called pharyngeal gill slits, or clefts. These skeletal elements function as jaws and jaw supports, and in some animals take on a variety of other functions. The most conspicuous group of Chordates is the subphylum Vertebrata. Vertebrates include a wide range of animals, from the jawless fishes to the more familiar mammals and birds. Unlike arthropods that wear their skeletons on the outside, chordates have their skeletons on the inside. This design, as in the echinoderms, allows chordates to grow continuously with no need for molting. Such a robust internal skeleton helps vertebrates grow to the size of an African elephant, or support the powerful movements of swimming fish. Another major innovation in the evolution of vertebrates is the appearance of jaws and a bony skull. A quadrupling of genetic information and the appearance of a special population of migratory cells, called neural crest are correlated with the emergence of the all-important vertebrate jaws and skulk. These new features offered a host of new opportunities. Vertebrates fall into two main categories: fishes and a group of animals called tetrapods. Tetrapods developed from a distinct lineage of fishes that possessed unique internal fin bones. These structures eventually aided in supporting the weight of animals on land and laid the foundation for arms and legs and the first amphibians. The development of a shelled, water-retaining egg, the amniotic egg, enabled tetrapods to remain on land and develop into reptiles, birds, and mammals. From an ancient reptilian ancestor, two groups of animals, mammals and birds, independently developed the capacity to maintain constant body temperature.