Ideology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ideology - Essay Example Of course, by its manifestations in every aspect of the material world including social structure and gender roles, ideology comes to have a material existence of its own (165). When I express 'my own thoughts' in 'my own words' I am greatly circumscribed by ideological norms about what I can express and how I can express it: whether to a single listener or to a global audience. By making visible the powerful influences on communication (the material relations between author and recipient; the choice of form and style as historically determined), the study of ideology enables a piece of communication to be viewed as a product of the status quo with which it dialectically engages. Language - whether verbal or nonverbal - is a system of symbols which are given meaning by mutual agreement. There is no universal physical reality to the representation of a particular entity by the word 'dog.' In the case of onomatopoeic words there is some auditory similarity between the represented sound and the representing word: e.g. 'bow wow' is a loose mimicry of a dog barking. But the vast majority of signifiers: words (me), signs (the exclamation point) and symbols (the Mitsubishi logo) are pure symbols: the signification is perfectly non-representative. The most sophisticated forms of communication are purely symbolic: the oldest known script, Sumerian hieroglyphics, began with representative drawings which became more and more stylised and symbolic. Of course, the non-universality of symbols is not obvious: when we learn a language we agree that 'dog' indicates a particular entity in the real world and that the purely arbitrary collection of symbols 'dog' is associated w ith particular ways of moving our articulators and producing sound. Is language then, artificial Noam Chomsky suggests that human beings are born with the inherent ability to imbibe language; and this ability seems to be universal. People can learn new languages well into late life and babies can acquire multiple languages simultaneously and apparently effortlessly. It is not language that is artificial but the particular significations (signifier-signified relationships) of any given language. This kind of artificiality typifies ideology or any of its components, for example the ascription of certain human qualities to inanimate entities (the rose as a symbol of love suggests something about the culture that accepts such a symbol). Any given communication, whether interpersonal or mass-scale, can then be viewed as an iceberg, with the bulk of meaning residing under the level of consciousness. A rose with its petals being torn off by the wind evokes strong emotions not attributable to the mere sensation of watching a flower being disassembled. The ro se is not 'saying' anything new; rather, its very presence and conditions call forth a predictable set of responses: to quote Barthes: "it comes and seeks me out in order to oblige me to acknowledge the body of intentions which have motivated it and arranged it there as the signal of an individual history, as a confidence and a complicity" (Mythologies 48). The tremendous importance of

Pulmonary embolism CT scan case Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pulmonary embolism CT scan case - Dissertation Example Pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism is the second most common cause of sudden death. Death occurs within few hours of onset of the condition and in many situations, death occurs much before the diagnosis is made. In those who survive, recurrent embolism and mortality can be prevented by prompt diagnosis and management. However, diagnosis is often missed because of signs and symptoms that are nonspecific. Untreated individuals, who have survived the initial episode, are likely to die due to repeat embolism. Pulmonary embolism can be acute or chronic. Acute embolism occurs when the embolus is situated in the central portion of the vascular lumen or if the embolus occludes the lumen. Chronic embolism occurs when the embolus is eccentric, being contiguous with the wall of the vessel, decreases the diameter of the involved artery by atleast 50 percent and there is evidence of recanalisation or arterial web. Acute embolism distends the the vessel (Ouellette, 2011). Figure 1: Mechanism of pulmonary embolism (medicalook.com) Pulmonary embolism can be peripheral or central based on the branch of the artery located. Main pulmonary artery and its branches, the right and left pulmonary arteries and their subsequent main branches,the anterior trunk, the right and left interlobar arteries, right and left lower lobe arteries, right middle lobe artery and left upper lobe trunk are considered to be central zones. Other branches are peripheral zones (Ouellette, 2011). Pulmonary embolism can be massive or non-massive. Massive embolism occurs when hemodynamic compromise occurs (Ouellette, 2011). The clinical presentation of the condition is highly variable and hence provides scope for missed diagnosis. Classic presentation includes sudden onset of shortness of breath, pleuritic chest pain and hypoxia (Ouellette, 2011). Pulmonary embolism is considered to be a complication of venous thromboembolism like deep vein thrombosis, rather than just a disease. Thus, every individual who is at risk of venous thromboembolism is at risk of developing pulmonary embolism (Ouellette, 2011). In normal individuals, microthrombi, which are nothing but aggregates of platelets, lysed red blood cells and fibrin, are formed and subsequently lysed continuously in the venous system. Through such a mechanism, local hemostasis is possible in response to injury, thus preventing uncontrolled propagation of clot (Ouellette, 2011). In view of nonspecific clinical presentation, every individual with unexplained chest pain, tachypnea or dyspnea must undergo specific diagnostic tests to rule out the disease. Non-specific routine tests ar not helpful in establishing or giving clue for diagnosis. The criterion standard for diagnosis of pulmonary embolism is pulmonary angiography. However, this is rarely performed now and is replaced by computed tomography angiography or CT angiography which is more sensitive and specific (Ouellette, 2011). Famous personality who died of pulmonary embolism O ne of the famous personalities who died of pulmonary embolism is David Bloom, a noted TV journalist (DPSinfo, 2004). Anatomy The key for accurate interpretation of CT angiography is based on the understanding of bronchovascular anatomy (Refer to Figures 2 and 3). It is very important to adopt systematic approach of identifying vessels (Ouellette, 2011). Figure-2: Branches of pulmonary artery (imaios.com) Figure-3: Bronchopulmonary segments (imaios.com). Pathology Both hemodynamic and respiratory consequences arise due to pulmonary

Are knowledge and talent skills that can be taught in the workplace, Essay

Are knowledge and talent skills that can be taught in the workplace, or are they only acquired from experience - Essay Example Knowledge can be acquired through both teaching of an individual at the workplace and can also be acquired through experience. It is noteworthy that no skills are inborn but they are acquired by an individual as they grow. Many employers write job descriptions requiring skills for certain posts. Most hiring employers look for employees with certain skills rather than an individual with best talents. It is important for managers to understand that skill is a learned competence and everyone can be taught to develop a particular skill. Talent is a gift from God and reflects etymological roots of an individual. Talent cannot be taught in a workplace. If one wants to be a salesman, then with enough training, he or she can be taught to acquire this particular skill. In fields such as accounting, many people can read bank statements but few people can manage to manipulate the statements to identify viable investment opportunities. Communication is another area that clearly differentiates be tween the inborn or gifted characteristic and skills that can be acquired through teaching. Some people can talk throughout the day and what they are talking about influences other people. Some people have no ability to talk even for one hour. From these, we can note that skills can be acquired through teaching and experience (Santana, 2005). For more than 10 years, I have been hiring talented and skillful personnel to be my operations assistants. Last year, I was looking for a person with high profile in terms of skills that they were taught. I decided to employ a young man who had no skills.. I hired him because he had passion in the job. It was very fortunate that he learned how to do the job within a short period of time; he became the best among my employees. He turned out to be very productive more than the rest of the employees. From this, I learned that skills and knowledge can be acquired

Configuration Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Configuration Management - Essay Example This paper would particularly discuss the research paper of I. Hsin Chou1 and his proposed methods to implement change in a nuclear power plant without compromising on the security of the system. In a nuclear power plant security is given utmost priority. Any lapse in security could have serious consequences. To ensure that there is no lapse in security during the implementation of any change regarding the software of the system some steps, related to security, needs to be included in the system development life cycle. 1. Introduction Software configuration management is the study of managing and tracking changes during the development of software. The main purpose of software configuration management is to provide coordination among individuals working on a change regarding particular software through a series of managerial and technical decisions2. 1.1 Importance of change management Proper change management could help increase the coordination between different departments and emp loyees. Change management also reduces the chances of errors and bugs in a program. The project manager is provided with complete knowledge, from the resources needed to the time of completion that the team needs to complete the change3. 1.2 Importance of tracking change As mentioned before software configuration helps with the management and tracking of the changes in software. It is understandable why there is a need to manage change but why track it. Tracking of change helps keep the project manager informed about the status of the change or what phase is the change going through, providing a general idea about the completion of the software4. 2. Use Of Software Configuration Management to Develop Nuclear Safety Software The difference between the development of commercial software and nuclear safety software is the increase in the risk factors. A fault in the safety system of a nuclear power plant could have dire economic and physical consequences. With so much at risk there is practically no room for error and the authorities responsible must be vigilante and make sure that no errors are left unchecked when it comes to nuclear safety. However safety during the development of nuclear based software has been ignored. 2.1 Problem As mentioned above software configuration helps manage change. The first step to configuration management is identifying the configuration items. Configuration items are the basic structural units of a configuration management system. These configuration items can range from the tools being used to the models being followed. After identifying the configuration items the next step is to bring about the required changes to these configuration items. In most of the cases these configuration items are controlled by the operations department. The software related incidents in nuclear power plants caused the loss of more than 1.6 million MW-hours5. However the use of software and hardware products available in the market can lead to a lap se in the security and would make nuclear power plants an easy target for hackers. A recent attack on Iran’s Nuclear power plant is an example of such attacks. The power plant was attacked by the Stuxnet worm, a bug that hinders the working of the Uranium enriching machine6. From software configuration point of view there are three main threats to the system7. The first threat is from unauthorized users working from outside the system. These personnel are neither employees of the power plant nor are they working with the development team. The

Accounting Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Accounting Theory - Essay Example There were implications of the non working of the capital market to reflect the different factors that could have brought the prices of Enron’s stock price. This could be dramatized in the loss to trust of the investors in the reliability of the financial statement of all other companies which are listed in the stock exchanges. This fact was confirmed by surveys. It was found also that there are kinds of asymmetry of information which may prevent the efficient operation of capital markets. It could be the "moral hazard" type and the adverse selection type, which were both analyzed to have caused the demise of Enron. It was also further found that there could be perspectives in the choice of accounting policy that could affect the very life or the probability of success of a corporation. One is under the efficient perspective of positive accounting theory; where management would be encouraged to works first for the firm and the stockholders before their own. Such perspective has also its grounding in cost effective accounting system that would promote accountability with the company’s assets. On the other hand there is the other perspective, which is called opportunistic perspective positive accounting theory. It was found theoretically that the efficiency perspective was the very opposite of the opportunistic perspective and therefore its adoption could actually prevent the operation of the latter. What happened then in the Enron was that there was the adoption of the opportunistic perspective. Such adoption was evidenced in the design of the compensation system of the company executives as well as in the retirement system of the employees. Enron was virtually under a situation where the executives will have to choose committing fraud or taking risk because of their (executives) tendency to rather make themselves rich before the company under the opportunistic perspective of accounting theory. At the last part of the paper, Enron

Smoking ban in London Parks Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Smoking ban in London Parks - Coursework Example To alter this, there is the need to ban smoking from all public places, including the parks that are in London. This will begin to assist with the problems with pollution while ensuring that others aren’t affected by the harmful substances of cigarettes. Aims The aim of this specific project will be to ban the smoking that is currently in public areas, specifically which is occurring in places such as parks and areas where children and youth are. The aim achieve will be based on providing assistance for health among those who are exposed to the cigarette smoke while offering an alternative to those who are conscious of the environment and aren’t interested in the complexities smoking leads to with the environment and health. By banning the smoking in London public parks, there will be further opportunities for better health and initiatives for environmental awareness in the community. Methodology To ban the smoking in public areas, there will first need to be a focus on the parks and the governance which creates the main policies within the area. The policies will need to consist of fines or other consequences if individuals are caught smoking in the parks, as well as agreements on how to initialize consequences to stop the smoking in the public areas. The ban that will take place will then need to be followed by ways to communicate this to the public through press releases, marketing campaigns and initiatives that will support the policy on stopping public smoking in the outdoor areas in London. Background The current changes with smoking in public areas began in 2002 in the United States with the initiative to stop public smoking in bars, restaurants and work areas. This led to a nation wide ban which supported the initiative to stop smoking, specifically with academic leads which showed that smoke – free workplaces led to better options for health, working and habits for those within a given area. The main ideal was to create a space in which non – smokers were protected from passive smoking, specifically with evidence which led to the health problems which were stimulated with second hand smoke. This was combined with the environmental problems of not having fresh air within the buildings and the ways in which this could harm the health of those that were located in an area where there were smoking bans (Fichtenberg, Glantz, 2002). The smoking ban which was first initialized was tested in several areas, specifically to see if this resulted in changes with health and from those which were said to be affected through second hand smoke. It was found after the first smoking bans were initialized that admittance into hospitals for complexions such as coronary heart disease began to rapidly decline. This decreased from an average of 47% to 39% within a year, showing a difference in the amount of health issues, specifically which related to the smoking ban and the monitoring of health effects of those who were bei ng affected by the environmental smoking and the complexities which it had for those with severe health problems (Khuder, Milz, Jordan, 2007). Another study which was initiated after the smoking ban was conducted on the environmental health and the air pollution which was a part of each of the areas. The environmental tobacco smoke which was associated with the ban was studied in several areas, including bars, hotels and general office areas which allowed

Treasury Yield Curve Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Treasury Yield Curve - Research Paper Example The trailing 12-month U.S. speculative-grade corporate default rate tumbled to 1.7 percent a month ago, the most minimal smallest since March 2008, as per Standard & Poors. The rate, which declined from 2.1 percent in December, will most likely build through the following few months, said Diane Vazza, the leader of S&P's worldwide altered wage research, in an announcement from the credit rating agency why. There were no appraised what does this mean corporate U.S. high-yield defaults in January, making it the sixth month in 14 years without a default. There were 43 U.S. speculative evaluation defaults in the majority of we have full year data 2013 and 47 in 2012, New York-based S&P said.(Summers)you need footnotesThe U.S. default ratio what is the default ratio? declined to 5.2 percent in January from 5.3 percent in the early part of February, over its low since the money related emergency of 5.1 percent in May 2013 what does this mean, S&P said. Distressed bonds are those with yield s no less than 10 rate focuses more than comparable development Treasuries.High-yield, high-risk securities are appraised less than BBB-at S&P and beneath Baa3 by Moody's Investors Service no definitions.Since 2008, the movements of the Federal Reserve have put the U.S. on a way to economic disappointment. To stem the economic slide of the U.S. lodging crumple what is this that initially surfaced in 2005, the Federal Reserve divulged three diverse quantitative maneuvering (QE) exertions.