Thursday, November 28, 2019

Initial Point of View and the other Side of the Story

Public surveillance is known to instill some fear among the populace to the extent that the limits of the nature of information shared even to close associates for fear of reprisal. Therefore, in my view, surveillance should be limited to certain places especially the CCTV cameras that have been placed in every place that people pass by particularly in towns.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Initial Point of View and the other Side of the Story specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The public should be offered the right to its privacy as stipulated in many constitutions of different countries. This will bring about freely interaction among the members of the public where they can express their views freely without any worry that the information will leak and become privy to parties deemed to be wrong (Monmonier 55). The other limitation of surveillance to the public is on telephone use. People are denied their right to freedom of expression through monitoring of the information they pass through phones. Surveillance through the telephone forces people to limit the information they pass on phones as they feel insecure. Furthermore, a person can be traced where he is and when the conversation took place and it may be used as evidence in a court of law if the information threatens public safety. It has also been noted that surveillance gadgets fixed at work places also limit employees’ privacy. They limit their social interaction and behavior while working. They tend to make them remain focused on their work without any unauthorized side-jobs or informal conversations. However on the other side, Monmonier (180), explains that the use of surveillance helps in monitoring the behavior of individuals in public places such as riots, use of abusive language and any unruly behavior among the public. The security bodies through the use of surveillance gadgets such as the CCTV fitted in public places are to obtain information of what happens and in case an awkward behavior erupts, they are able to know the people involved in such activities. Thus, the members of the public in such gatherings can control their behavior and that of their friends. Herman (469) also explains that the surveillance gadgets fitted in the streets and other social places such as banks helps to prevent unacceptable acts like crime. People carry on their daily business without fear since the surveillance gadgets provide 24 hour coverage. In case of any crime committed, it is followed up as the gadgets record all the activities and the concerned persons. Security officers can easily monitor people’s behavior in a public meeting through the use surveillance gadgets without having to be there physically. The surveillance gadgets are fixed on the entrance and inside the meeting grounds and thus recording all the people’s activities within the meeting.Advertising Looking for essay on social s ciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When people are aware of the presence of surveillance gadgets such as CCTV and voice recording, they will avoid any misconduct to secure themselves from law breaking. This is used mostly in public gatherings and social places where there are large crowds of people (Herman 300). The surveillance gadgets can also be used by employers or supervisors to monitor the work in progress. The surveillance gadgets are fixed at the working points and from a single point, the supervisor can easily follow what the workers are doing and even how far they are with the work. This reduces the administration costs to the firm as only few administrators may be needed. Lastly, with the faster transfer of information, it is very easy to even monitor terrorism globally as the surveillance gadgets records for 24 hours and this information can be viewed in any part of the world (Monmonier 112). Works Cited Herman, K ruegle. CCTV Surveillance: Analog and Digital Video Practices and  Technology. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2007. Print. Monmonier, Mark. Spying with Maps: Surveillance Technologies and the Future of  Privacy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004. Print. This essay on Initial Point of View and the other Side of the Story was written and submitted by user Celestials to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley essays

Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley essays In the novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelley paints an image of a man who, driven by the desire to attain knowledge, creates a veritable monster. This man is Victor Frankenstein and is far from the flat characters of many modern-day novels; in fact, he shows many aspects of a deep personality, making him a very realistic character in that, like most human beings, he is neither wholly good nor wholly evil but has good intentions which, because of his flaws, result in his undoing. Throughout the main sections of the story his initial family life, his time at Ingolstadt, and the time of and period after the creation of the Creature Frankenstein's faceted personality is revealed to the reader as he describes his reactions to different events. During his blissful childhood and early teenage years, five base characteristics of Frankenstein's personality are revealed which provide a foundation for his actions later on in the story. The first of these which we see is his optimism toward his family. Most only children, when faced with the possibility of losing the full attention of their parents, become envious of that which takes the attention away from them. This is not the case with Victor: When Elizabeth is adopted, he is not only not envious of her, but loves her dearly and gives her the same devoted kindness that his parents do. Similarly, when his brother William is born, Frankenstein dotes on him as the rest of his family does. Tied in with this familial love is the protectiveness that Frankenstein feels toward those he cares for particularly Elizabeth. When Caroline Frankenstein prepares to adopt Elizabeth, she tells young Victor that she has a gift for him. And when, on the morrow, she presented Elizabeth to me as her promised gift, I, with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally, and looked upon Elizabeth as mine mine to protect, love, and cherish. Al...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Marketing Plan for Al Jazzira Poultry Case Study

Marketing Plan for Al Jazzira Poultry - Case Study Example The main reason behind this is to control the production chain and be less affected by the external factors (suppliers) and to ensure quality. The success and profitability of the poultry farm depends on the selection of good genetic stock and their sound and efficient management. Selection of right type of chicken considering the prevalent the local conditions and the demand for poultry products in the market decide the performance of any poultry farm. The performance of layers with respect to important productivity factors like egg production, feed conversion and bird mortality also influence the profitability of the poultry farming business. Any poultry farming business enterprise should consider the starting up the business in a location from different view points like biological aspect which takes into account the needs of the poultry farming of a clean, dry, quite and comfortable place and business aspect that takes into account good transportation and communication facilities. With this background this paper presents a detailed marketing plan for the poultry firm 'Al Jazzira Poultry' in the country of Jordan. The production of the poultry meat has become the largest facet of the popular industry in Jordan - reports the World Poultry Journal. The total investments in the industry were estimated at US $ 430 million in the year 2003. The number of broiler farms has increased at a remarkable rate during the period from 1981 through the 2000s. There has been tremendous improvement in the production capacity of the firms that were engaged in the farming business. The increase in the production capacity was the result of more number of new business firms entering the business. There are a number of factors which influenced the people to enter into this business. Some important factors that contributed to the development of the poultry farming business in Jordan are: "The limited area of land needed to run poultry farms compared to other agricultural enterprises. Poultry businesses often require small amounts of water, a very important aspect in Jordan, being dependent mainly on rainfall and frequently encountering water supply problems. The short production cycles in poultry allowing a more frequent cash flow compared to other agricultural activities." Apart from the inherent advantages the support from the government also has helped the industry grow to great proportions. The government adopted a floatation

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Equine Rescue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Equine Rescue - Essay Example animals with the intent of giving them good care are now floundering as their original plans prove too expensive and they are unsure how and where to cut the expenses. Neglect becomes a consequence of not knowing how to formulate an alternative plan for the care of their horses. In order to understand the issue, it is important to understand the responsibilities of an owner in caring for a horse. Every animal has a designed physical system that must be fed in a specific way. For the horse, the digestive system developed so that it could accommodate a nomadic lifestyle that provided a constant source of grazing (Prince & Collier, 1989, p. 81). Proper dental care for the horse is central to maintaining healthy eating habits as the horse must be able to liquefy his food through chewing before it is swallowed. The best way to feed a horse is to let them graze in a pasture. This sort of food provision is in line with nature and will provide most of his or her needs, except perhaps for an addition of salt if this is lacking in the area. If this is not feasible, then a cereal grain hay such as oat, barley or wheat would be the next A horse will need an area in which to exercise, and an area that will protect them from inclement weather and the elements. Ideally, anyone who has purchased a horse has a stable and land adequate for exercise available. According to Prince and Collier (1989), â€Å"A good stable site will allow for dry foundations, free drainage, good lighting, adequate water supply, and pure air† (p. 28). Loafing sheds are a place where horses can get out of the weather, yet still have access to the outside areas. These are usually built with three walls and are shared with several horses who have free access to them. Barbed wire, while used throughout a good deal of the West, is not ideal as fencing material because the horses end up with a great deal of injuries that can ultimately become infected or cause other health risks. Regular assessments of the

Monday, November 18, 2019

Theoretical Aspects of the US Position in ODS and OIF Essay

Theoretical Aspects of the US Position in ODS and OIF - Essay Example s see communities, as well as the identities and norms they help to create and sustain, as the most critical determinants of order, whether at home or abroad (Lebow 56), this explanation could be considered rather plausible. On the other hand, according to Thucydides and classical realists more generally, military power and alliances are necessary safeguards in the volatile world of international relations, but also double-edged swords; thus being considered as likely to provoke as to prevent conflict (Lebow 56). The history of the North Atlantic Alliance appeared the genuine article of such an ambiguity. NATO’s existence during the Cold War was a major factor that prevented military conflict in Europe, standing out against the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet geopolitical aspirations; while after the fall of the Berlin wall and the demise of the Soviet Union, the alliance got involved in military conflicts in Europe and beyond the alliance’s geographical range – start ing with the 1990 invasion in Iraq, as part of the UN-authorized multinational coalition force – thus significantly expanding its influence and geography (Gordon and Shapiro 31, 39). Finally, realism would render another explanation of the 1990 invasion in Iraq, namely as a preventive war waged by status quo powers on a ‘rising’ regional challenger such as Saddam Hussein’s regime (see Lebow 57); which, being tempted to believe that has the advantage of possessing arguably the largest military capabilities in the region, and plenty of elbow room due to messy world of international politics by that time, invaded and occupied Kuwait. Having failed to prevent the war, the balance of power – in accordance with Morgenthau’s postulates (see Morgenthau 155-9, 162-6, 170, cited in Lebow 57) – is... From the research it can be comprehended that considering the importance of community in imposing limits on the ends and means of power, as well as exploring the relationship between domestic and international politics, classical realism presents plausible explanations of Operation Desert Storm, whereas it’s much more convincing in regard to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Having distinguished between interest and power, and delivering a sophisticated understanding of the balance of power, relative power position of the US, and the strengths and weaknesses of both allies and adversaries, classical realism explains not only the reasons for the 2003 invasion, but also the choice of invading Iraq, rather than some other of the so-called ‘rogue’ states, later designated by George Bush Jr to be constituent parts of the ‘axis of evil’. Neorealism, in turn, based on the assumption of power as the first and last resort in the anarchic self-help system of internation al politics, couldn’t satisfactorily explain many of the ODS features, including the role of the UN in authorizing the military action against Iraq. By stark contrast, in regard to OIF, neorealism provides extremely powerful explanations of most, if not all, aspects of the American position and actions, including the motives behind the invasion, the reason why Iraq was targeted, as well as the far-reaching goals and implications of the US-led campaign.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Content Analysis of Web-based Norovirus Education Materials

Content Analysis of Web-based Norovirus Education Materials Content Analysis of Web-based Norovirus Education Materials Targeting Consumers Who Prepare and Handle Food: An Assessment of Alignment and Readability Hillary Evansa Morgan Gettya Cortney M. Leonea Michael Finneyb Angela Frasera* aDepartment of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA bDepartment of Mathematical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA ABSTRACT word count Huma noroviruses sicken 19-21 million people in the U.S. each year, suggesting the need for education. The World Wide Web is a readily accessible source of information about how to prevent a norovirus infection but at present the accuracy and readability of materials targeting consumers is unknown. The aim of our study was to evaluate the alignment and readability of web-based norovirus education materials targeting consumers using CDC guidelines and Microsoft Word readability formulas. Our search yielded 60 artifacts. Most did not address duration of handwashing (83%), use of hand sanitizers (83%), type of drying devices (92%), or avoidance of bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods (97%). Less than half (n=29) recommended minimizing contact with sick persons. Two-thirds of the artifacts (n=40) also did not mention the recommended concentration of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solution to be used to disinfect surfaces contaminated with Noroviruses. The mean Flesch Reading Ease scor e was 47.75 (score of >70 is easy to read), and the mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level was 10.36 so documents were written at a 10th grade level. The alignment and readability of web-based educational materials about Noroviruses must be improved as knowledge is a prerequisite to application of behaviors that can prevent one from becoming infected with Noroviruses. Key words: Huma noroviruses, content analysis, consumer education, food safety, readability Content Analysis of Web-based Norovirus Education Materials Targeting Consumers who Prepare and Handle Food: An Assessment of Alignment and Readability INTRODUCTION Worldwide, noroviruses are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis. In the U.S., an estimated 21 million individuals (1 in 14) are sickened each year by this group of viruses resulting in $777 million in healthcare costs (Hall et al., 2013). Most reported outbreaks are attributed to person-to-person contact (69%) followed by the consumption of contaminated food (23%) making noroviruses the most common cause of foodborne disease (58% of cases) in the U.S. ((Hall, Wikswo, Pringle, Gould, Parashar, 2014; Scallan et al, 2011). Results from a nationally representative survey of 1051 U.S. adults revealed that consumers are not aware of noroviruses and have limited knowledge about how to prevent an infection. Forty-seven percent of respondents reported awareness of noroviruses, and 85% had heard of the terms cruise ship virus, the stomach bug, or the stomach flu, which are commonly used to describe norovirusess (Cates, Kosa, Brophy, Hall, Fraser, 2015). Less than one-third (341) correctly answered 50% or more of the 22 true-and-false questions, suggesting consumers have limited knowledge on how to prevent a norovirus infection. These findings support the need to provide consumers with accurate and complete information about noroviruses as knowledge is a prerequisite to implementation of a behavior (DiClemente et al., 1989; Fisher Fisher, 1992). The World Wide Web (hereafter referred to as the Web) is one way to reach consumers with information about how to prevent a norovirus infection. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of U.S. adults use the internet, and of those, 72 percent use the Web to seek health information (Pew Research Center, 2014). While the internet has accelerated the speed and spread of information, it also has a downside allowing the dissemination and diffusion of information without checks and balances, peer review, and/or fact checking. Three studies that evaluated health information available online reported a lack of quality information characterized by accuracy of content and/or appropriate design and usability (Berland et al., 2001; Scullard, Peacock, Davies, 2010; Irwin et al., 2011). Moreover, a systematic review of medical information further supported the above-mentioned authors conclusions that there is a lack of high-quality sites on the Web that offer complete and accurate information on various heal th topics (Eysenbach, Powell, Kuss, Sa, 2002). One problem with inaccurate or misleading health information being so accessible on the Web is that the user of this information might implement recommendations that have no effect on preventing the targeted disease or condition or even worse one might implement recommendations that cause harm (Ilic, 2010). In addition to providing accurate and complete information, it is also important to determine if recommendations, or changes that might become recommendations in the near future, are relevant and practical under real-world conditions. Another problem is the readability of the text. If the text is not easy to read its usability is greatly diminished. To illustrate how wide ranging this problem could be one needs to simply read the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), released in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Education. The authors report that 30 million adults struggle with basic reading tasks, which represents nearly 10% of the U.S. population (Kutner, Greenburg, Jin, Paulsen, 2006). Within the context of health information, Kessels (2003) pointed out that 40-80% of information provided to patients by health professionals is forgotten immediately not only because terminology is too difficult to understand but often too much information is presented at one time leading to poor recall. One conclusion is that when text is too difficult to read, the reader could become frustrated hence they stop reading, hence the purpose of the materials is not achieved improving knowledge. Using the results of a readability formula is also recommended by experts to guide the development of written work as it is recommended to write documents for U.S. adults at the 7th grade level and documents about health, medicine, or safety at the 5th grade level (DuBay, 2004). As an assessment tool, one of the several dozen readability formulas are useful and convenient but must be employed with caution. These formulas determine the grade level demand of specific written information based on an analysis of sentence structure and word length. But, readability does not necessarily guarantee comprehension, which is the degree to which one understands what they have read (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Assessing comprehension is a much more complex task, which is why readability is more commonly used as a general indicator of how easy a document is to read. Therefore, we assert that if consumer education materials are aligned with evidence-based guidance documents and are easy to read, the reader is more likely to engage in behaviors known to prevent Noroviruses. Thus, the aim of our study was to evaluate the alignment and readability of Noroviruses consumer education materials available on the Web using evidence-based guidance documents and Microsoft Word readability formulas. Two research questions guided our study: 1) Are noroviruses materials targeting consumers who handle food aligned with the three prevention strategies for noroviruses recommended in CDC guidance documents? and 2) Are materials written at the recommended grade level for health-related documents (5th grade level)? Our study findings can be used to inform the revision or creation of consumer education materials that focus on preventing a norovirus infection. METHODS To be included in the sample, eligible educational materials (referred to as artifacts hereafter) were published between January 1, 2011 and May 23, 2013 and: 1) target adult consumers, 2) pertain to preparing food in the home, and 3) be available via Advanced Search of Google.com. The start date of our search was chosen because in January 2011, Scallan et al. (2011) reported that Noroviruses causes 58% of foodborne disease in the U.S. We excluded artifacts directed toward children and those formatted as blogs, news articles, theses, dissertations, research articles, Wikipedia entries, question/answer sites, forums, and continuing education training materials. We conducted a Google.com Advanced Search using the following search string: Norovirus AND food handling AND food preparation. Food-related terms were chosen as we assumed this would narrow our findings to artifacts that address preventing Norovirus infections related to food preparation in the home. Artifacts were sorted by re levance, and two team members screened each artifact based on inclusion criteria. All eligible artifacts were downloaded as Portable Document Format (PDF) files or HyperText Markup Language (HTML) files. A coding manual comprised of 71 items divided into four topic areas was created. The topic areas included: 1) identifying information, 2) format (including readability statistics), 3) content (including food safety hazards), and 4) prevention strategies. The items in Table 1 assess three prevention strategies outlined in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for preventing and managing a norovirus infection: 1) hand hygiene, 2) exclusion and isolation of sick individuals, and 3) environmental sanitation (Hall et al., 2011). While these guidelines were designed for use in health care and not home settings, at the time of the analysis we believed and continue to believe they were the best source of evidence-based information to prevent norovirus infections. A corresponding SurveyMonkey ® (Survey Monkey Inc., Paolo Alto, CA) instrument served as the coding sheet. Four trained coders independently conducted a pilot-test of the coding manual. Inconsistencies or ambiguities found in the manual during piloting were corrected before analysis began. Two trained coders then independently reviewed each artifact. Responses were entered into the SurveyMonkey ® instrument. All responses were exported to an Excel spreadsheet. A third coder reconciled disagreements between coders. Based on alignment, each artifact was assigned a total score, and sub-scores across the three disease management guidance documents were assessed: hand hygiene, isolation and exclusion of sick persons, and environmental sanitation. The maximum possible quality scores for each topic area were 7, 2, and 5, respectively. Response frequencies as well as mean scores, standard deviations, and ranges were calculated using SAS 9.3 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC). To assess readability, we used two formulas Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level both available in Microsoft Word. Flesch Reading Ease scores range from 0-100, with a lower score indicating that a document is more difficult to read than one with a higher score. A score of 70 or above is classified as easy and is written at the grade school level. A score of 60 to 70 is standard and is written at the high school level. A score of 60 or below is difficult. The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level uses mean sentence and word length to determine grade level between grades 3 and 12 (DAlessandro, Kingsley, Johnson-West, 2001). RESULTS Our Google Advanced Search yielded 826 results. After opening and viewing the first 292 results (sorted by relevance) the following was displayed on the results listing screen: In order to show you the most relevant results, we have omitted some entries very similar to the 292 already displayed. If you like, you can repeat the search with the omitted results included. We repeated the search and determined all results were duplicates of those already viewed. These 292 results were screened using our three eligibility criteria and yielded 74 artifacts which were then downloaded. After a second screening, 14 artifacts were removed due to page unavailability, duplicity, or wrong target audience. A total of 60 artifacts were included and analyzed. Research Question 1: Alignment with Prevention Strategies The total mean score across all three prevention strategies was low 5.2 of 14 points suggesting artifacts were not aligned with CDC guidance documents (Table 2). All (N=60; 100%) artifacts mentioned at least one of the seven components of hand hygiene we assessed but the mean sub-score for hand hygiene was low, 2.3 of 7 points (SD=0.77). Most artifacts (83%) did not address length of handwashing, type of drying devices (92%), avoidance of bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods (97%), or use of hand sanitizers (83%). One artifact stated that hand sanitizers were an acceptable alternative to hand washing. Of the artifacts that mentioned exclusion and isolation of sick individuals (78%), the mean score was 1.2 of 2. In nearly all artifacts (72%) sick individuals were discouraged from preparing food for others, but 48% recommended minimizing contact with sick persons. Less than half (48%) addressed at least one aspect of environmental sanitation with the mean quality score 1.7 of 5. Research Question 2: Readability The mean Flesch Reading Ease for our sample was 47.6, indicating artifacts were difficult to read as the score is th grade) for health-related materials (DAlessandro, Kingsley, Johnson-West, 2001). DISCUSSION Knowledge is an underlying construct in many health behavior models necessary for one to take informed action, such as implementing strategies to prevent a norovirus infection. So it is reasonable to assert that if one does not have accurate and complete information about these strategies, then one cannot engage in necessary behaviors, defeating the purpose of consumer education. In addition to providing accurate and complete information, the information must also be practical and presented in a manner that is easy to read to increase the likelihood that the recommendations will be implemented. For these reasons, we analyzed consumer-targeted materials available on the Web to determine if existing materials need to be revised or new materials created as we believe consumer education is critical to preventing norovirus infections. In our analysis, we found information was omitted and/or inconsistent with the CDC guidelines. For example, many artifacts did not address length of hand washing, use of hand sanitizers, type of drying devices, and avoidance of bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods. While many discouraged preparing food, less than half recommended minimize contact with sick persons. Furthermore, disinfection was frequently mentioned but the recommended concentration of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solution to be used to disinfect surfaces contaminated with noroviruses was not. And, none addressed the clean up of vomit and fecal matter. It is through the proper implementation of the three prevention strategies (hand hygiene, exclusion and isolation of sick individuals, and environmental sanitation) that we begin to reduce the burden of illness attributed to noroviruses. One obvious reason for the incompleteness and/or omission of information is the creators of materials in our sample might not have known about the CDC prevention guidelines. The guidelines were published in March 2011 in Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) which is in the public domain, but MMWR might not be a known or commonly used source of information for those who author consumer education materials. As a result, information to guide development of materials came from other sources, for which the evidence base might be unknown or possibly incorrect. To illustrate, it is well known that an effective hand wash can disrupt transmission of noroviruses with effective hand wash defined as applying hand soap to hands then using friction (rubbing hands together) for a sufficient time (Michaels et al., 2002). While a scrub time of 10-20 seconds is commonly recommended as sufficient by the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 2013; Hall et al., 2011), three laboratory s tudies report longer wash times are needed to remove microorganisms (Ojajà ¤rvi, 1980; Fuls et al., 2008; Jensen, Danyluk, Harris, and Schaffner, 2015). To further complicate matters, some experts question the evidence base for scrubbing hands for 10-20 seconds suggesting an even shorter time (Bloomfield et al, FILL IN). These various positions on length of a handwash illustrates the importance of creating (and subsequently using) evidence-based guidelines to inform development of consumer education materials as recommendations cannot be based on one or two published studies. In health care, clinicians commonly use clinical evidence-based practice guidelines, recommendations systematically developed by panels of experts who have access to the available evidence and an understanding of the clinical problem and research methods as these clinicians, just like food safety educators, might not have the expertise to consider the quality of the evidence. Thus, evidence-based guidelines such as those prepared by the CDC should underpin consumer education efforts about preventing norovirus infections. However, these guidelines should be routinely reviewed and updated as even within the CDC guidelines there are gaps in information as the present evidence base to inform norovirus prevention strategies is incomplete. When educators are faced with incomplete information they might use whatever information is available, even if it is not grounded in science, or and simply ignore omit details (Kardes et al., 2008; Sanbonmatsu, Kardes, Herr, 1992; Simmons Lynch, 1991). One clear example of this centers around vomit and fecal matter clean up, which none of the reviewed materials addressed. To disrupt the transmission of noroviruses, vomitus and feces must be properly cleaned up. But, how far out one needs to disinfect an area to eliminate noroviruses is unknown as the evidence to support a geographic radius is inconclusive. The only published evidence we have suggests that vomit can be deposited up to 25 feet from its point source but these findings are based on one epidemiological stud y and not a well-designed laboratory-controlled study (Booth, 2014). Moreover, even when the evidence base is good, sometimes information that is presented is not complete. Case in point, many materials recommended using sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solutions to treat surfaces, which is correct, but most did not state a concentration of the disinfection solution. Norovirus is a hardy pathogen that resists most disinfection strategies and persists in the environment for long periods, possibly weeks (give citation) illustrating the importance of using a chlorine solution at the proper concentration (Doultree, Druce, Birch, Marshall, 1999; Gulati, Allwood, Hedberg, Goyal, 2001; Jimenez Chiang 2006; Belliot, Lavaux, Souihel, Agnello, Pothier, 2008). One explanation for this lack of detail could be that some authors presented motivational messages, which tend to be briefer than procedural messages. While motivation is important, alone it is not sufficient because one can be motivated to enact a behavior but do it wrong which is why consumers must have accurate as well as complete information. It is important to note that we did not evaluate the messaging approach as this was beyond the scope of this study but an analysis of messaging approach should be considered in future analyses of materials. Another potential problem is that in the absence of consumer-targeted prevention strategies, government regulations are often used as a proxy. This appears to be a sensible approach as the presumption is that most regulations are grounded in science. However, one must exercise caution as regulations might not always based on the most current evidence given the often lengthy adoption process. Take for example the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers as an alternative for hand washing, which the U.S. Food Code prohibits, and which most artifacts in our sample did not mention. In 2002 the CDC released Guidelines for Hand Hygiene in Healthcare but in May 2003 the FDA prepared a written response, clearly stating the CDC guidelines could not be applied to foodservice establishments (FDA, 2003). The underlying logic was that (1) pathogens commonly transmitted by hands in health-care settings differ from those transmitted in foodservice settings; (2) the use of alcohol-based hand rubs in pla ce of hand-washing has not been shown to reduce important foodborne pathogens on food worker hands; and (3) the types and levels of soil on the hands of health care workers differ from that on the hands of foodservice and retail food handlers. Another concern was that while alcohol-based hand sanitizers have been demonstrated to be effective for many pathogens, their efficacy has not been consistently demonstrated for norovirus. It is unclear how much published evidence has been used to support these recommendations as much has been learned about hand hygiene in the last 20 years. In reality, information suggests that some hand sanitizer formulations may be somewhat effective while others are not. Obviously, this situation is complex, and in the interest of providing a clear message, it may be unclear whether to include recommendations regarding alcohol-based hand sanitizers or to rely on government regulations. The conservative approach would be to omit the recommendation; whereas, some authors may decide to provide the knowledge under the impression that recommending some hand cleaning behavior is better than no recommendation. Some guidelines might be viewed by educators as impractical or unnecessary to implement in a home setting. An example of this is not handling food when sick, which was mentioned but minimizing contact with sick persons was addressed less frequently. This is a significant oversight as many people do not realize that noroviruses are transferred via the fecal-oral route (i.e., associated with contacting persons, contaminated surfaces, and food) (CATES ARTICLE). In a regulated food facility, workers cannot work while ill to minimize sickening others as well as contaminating surfaces and food. This recommendation might not be possible in a home setting as one probably cannot isolate themselves from others in the household as well as they might be the primary food preparer. This illustrates why it is important to analyze not only the accuracy and completeness of information but also its practicality. Along with lack of alignment, the artifacts in our sample were also not easy to read written at a high school grade level and not at the 5th grade level as suggested. Our study findings are consistent with a study conducted by Badarudeen and Sanjeev (2010) who concluded that in a health-care setting patient education materials were often too difficult to read and could not be comprehended by a substantial portion of the adult U.S. population. Therefore, even when information is accurate, if a reader cannot understand it, they cannot act on it. Educational materials are only as beneficial as the knowledge gained as a result of being able to read them. Limitations Due to the ever changing nature of the Web, artifacts sampled during the study could change as time progresses so new materials that might be better aligned with CDC guidance documents and that are easy to read might be available. Likewise, knowledge evolves: in late 2014, the CDC published on their website five messages to help consumers prevent a norovirus infections: 1) practice proper hand hygiene; 2) take care in the kitchen; 3) do not prepare food while infected; 4) clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces; and 5) wash laundry thoroughly (CDC, 2015). However, coding and analysis had already been completed so kitchen and laundry practices were not assessed, demonstrating the challenge of evaluating web-based health messages. Further, to analyze the readability of the artifacts in our sample, we used two readability formulas available through Microsoft Word. This method is widely used, but also not comprehensive, as it only considers factors such as word and sentence length so d oes not take into consideration comprehension. Future research should also be done to assess materials using the CDC Clear Communication Index, which is a set of 20 items that can be used to develop as well as assess public communication products (CDC, 2014a). The 20 items in the Index build on and expand plain language techniques described in the Federal Plain Language Guidance documents (Plain Language Action and Information Network, 2011). CONCLUSION At present, there still is a need to revise and possibly create materials that are accurate, complete, practical, and easy to read. Consumer education, if approached properly, could help reduce the burden of illness attributed to noroviruses, the number one cause of acute gastroenteritis and foodborne disease. To be effective, consumer-targeted materials must be aligned with evidence-based guidelines that carefully assess the practicality and necessity of the recommendations in a home environment. While government regulations are sometimes used as a proxy for recommendations to be applied in a home setting, one must use caution in doing so as the regulatory provisions might not be grounded in the most current science or might be impractical under home conditions. Most importantly, evidence-based guidelines also need to be periodically as the evidence base to inform practices continues to grow. Finally, the readability of the materials must be evaluated and REFERENCE THE CDC CLEAR COM MUNICATION INDEX. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Building Capacity to Control Viral Foodborne Disease: A Translational, Multidisciplinary Approach, Grant No. 2011-68003-30395. REFERENCES Abad, F. X., Pintà ³, R. M., Bosch, A.(1994). Survival of enteric viruses on environmental fomites. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 60(10), p. 3704-3710. Atmar, R. L., Opekun, A. R., Gilger, M. A., Estes, M. K., Crawford, S. E., Neill, F. H., Ramani, S., Hill, H., Ferreira, J., Graham, D. Y. (2014).Determination of the 50% human infectious dose for Norwalk virus. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 209, 1016-1022. Badarudeen, S. Sabharwal, S. (2010). Assessing Readability of Patient Education Materials: Current Role in Orthopaedics. Clinical Orthopedic Related Research, 468(1):2572-2580. Barker, J., Vipond, I. B., Bloomfield, S. F. (2004).Effects of cleaning and disinfection in reducing the spread of norovirus contamination via environmental surfaces. Journal of Hospital Infection,58(1), 42-49. Belliot, G., Lavaux, A., Souihel, D., Agnello, D., Pothier, P. (2008). Use of murine norovirus as a surrogate to evaluate resistance of huma norovirus to disinfectants. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74(10), 3315-3318. Berland, G. K., Elliott, M. N., Morales, L. S., Algazy, J. I., Kravitz, R. L., Broder, M. S., Kanouse, D. E., Muà ±oz, J. A., Puyol, J.-A., Lara, M., Watkins, K. E., Yang, H., McGlynn, E. A. (2001). Health information on the internet: accessibility, quality, and readability in English and Spanish. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285(20), 2612-2621. Bloomfield, S. F., Aiello, A. E., Cookson, B., OBoyle, C., Larson, E. L. (2007). The effectiveness of hand hygiene procedures in reducing the risks of infections in home and community settings including handwashing and alcohol-based hand sanitizers. American Journal of Infection Control, 35(10), S27-S64. Booth, C. M. (2014). Vomiting Larry: a simulated vomiting system for assessing environmental contamination from projectile vomiting related to norovirus infection. Journal of Infection Prevention, 15(5), 176-180. Cates, S. C., Kosa, K. M., Brophy, J. E., Hall, A. J., Fraser, A. (2015). Consumer education needed on norovirus prevention and control: findings from a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults. Journal of Food Protection, 78(3), 484-490. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Preventing Norovirus Infection. Accessed 29 October 2015. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/preventing-infection.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014a). The CDC clear communication index. Accessed 27 August 2015. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014b). Norovirus. Accessed 27 August 2015. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/ DAlessandro, D. M., Kingsley, P., Johnson-West, J. (2001).The readability of pediatric patient education materials on the World Wide Web. Archives of Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine, 155(7), 807-812. DiClemente, R. J., Pies, C. A., Stoller, E. J., Straits, C., Olivia, G. E., Haskin, J., Rutherford, G. W. (1989). Evaluation of school-based AIDS education curricula in San Francisco.The Journal of Sex Research, 26(2), 188-198. Doultree, J. C., Druce, J. D., Birch, C. J., Bowden, D. S., Marshall, J. A. (1999). Inactivation of feline calicivirus, a Norwalk virus surrogate. Journal of Hospital Infection, 41, 51-57. DuBay, W. H. (2004).The principles of readability. Costa Mesa, CA: Impact Information. Eysenbach, G., Powell, J., Kuss, O., Sa, E.-R. (2002). Empirical studies assessing the quality of health information for consumers on the World Wide Web: a systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Association, 287(20), 2691-2700. Fisher, J. D., Fisher, W. A. (1992). Changing AIDS risk behavior. Psychological Bulletin, 3, 455-474. Fuls, J. L., Rodgers, N. D.,Fischler, G. E., Howard, J. M., Patel, M.,Weidner, P. L., Duran, M. H. (2008). Alternative hand contamination technique to compare the activities of antimicrobial and non-antimicrobial soaps under different test conditions. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74(12), 3739-3744. Girard, M., Ngazoa, S., Mattison, K., Jean, J. (2010).Attachment of noroviruses to stainless steel and their inactivation, using household disinfectants. Journal of Food Protection, 73(2), 400-404. Gulati, B. R., Allwood, P. B., Hedberg, C. W., Goyal, S. M. (2001). Efficacy of commonly used disinfectants for the inactivation of calicivirus on strawberry, lettuce, and a food-contact surface. Journal of Food Protection, 64(9), 1430-1434. Hall, A. J., Lopman, B. A., Payne, D. C., Patel, M. M., Gastaà ±aduy, P. A., Vinjà ©, J., Parashar, U. D. (2013). Norovirus disease in the United States. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 19(8), 1198-1205. Hall, A. J., Vinjà ©, J., Lopman, B., Park, G. W., Yen, C., Gregoricus, N., Parashar, U. (2011). Updated norovirus outbreak management and disease prevention guidance documents. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 60(3), 1-15. Hall, A. J., Wikswo, M. E., Pringle, K., Gould, L. H., Parashar, U. D. (2014). Vital signs: foodborne norovirus outbreaks- United States, 2009-2012.Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 63(22), 491-495. Huang, C., Ma, W., Stack, S. (2012). The hygienic efficacy of different hand-drying methods: a review of the evidence. Mayo Clini

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Common Vulnerabilities Facing IT Managers Essay examples -- Informatio

Vulnerabilities are like a thorn in the side of every single organization doing business today. In the IT world vulnerabilities are bugs or flaws, a weakness, or an exposure of an application, system, device, or service which could lead to a failure of confidentiality, integrity, or availability (Liu & Zhang, 2011). They are to companies today what the black plague was to Europe in the 1300’s. It doesn’t even matter if the organization is connected to the internet or not it’s still vulnerable to some type of attack. Regardless of what a company actually produces and what its mission statement states their number one internal concern is â€Å"vulnerability†. How do IT Departments and IT Managers combat these threats? Every company has some type of Cyber Security team or department. Cyber security is defined by the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team as protecting that information by preventing, detecting, and responding to attacks (McDo well & Householder, 2009). Every year companies spend billions upon billions of dollars in cyber security assessing and combating possible vulnerabilities of their organization's hardware and software systems, transmission media, local area networks, wide area networks, enterprise networks, Intranets, and Internet. This paper will evaluate 3 company’s networks and assess their vulnerabilities. Company A Weebles, Inc has several hundred employees in their main office and two hundred at the shipping plant just a few miles away. The LAN or Local Area Network uses 100 gb/1000gb connectivity speeds over Ethernet circuits. Local Area Networks cover small geographical locations and enable individual computers to communicate with each other to share information (Pang, 2011). The Wid... ... external IP address. Works Cited Liu, Q., & Zhang, Y. (2011, March). VRSS: A new system for rating and scoring vulnerabilities. Computer Communications, 34(3), 264-273. Retrieved June 08, 2011, from Computers & Applied Sciences Complete. McDowell, M., & Householder, A. (2009, May 6). Cyber Security Tip ST04-001. In US-CERT. Retrieved June 08, 2011, from CSEC610 9041 Webliography. Valacich, J, & Schneider, C. (2012). Information Systems Today: Managing in the Digital World 5th Edition. (pp. 12-37). Pearson. ISBN-13: 978-0-13-706699-5. UMUC. (2011). Custom Textbook for CSEC 610 (pp. 1-13). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 978-0-470-92331-3. Pang, L. (2011). The vulnerability of information systems in CSEC610. Course module 2 posted in University of Maryland University College CSEC 610 9041 online classroom, archived at: http://webtycho.umuc.edu

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Soron Case

1. In this case, it is estimated that there are 9 million residential pools in the U. S. The average length of pool usage is 5 months, from May to September, with less people swimming in cold weather from October to April. The majority of chemicals are used during these warm months, but only 25% of these people use chemicals and clarifiers regularly. That being said there are only around 2,250,000 pools that use clarifiers regularly (9,000,000*. 25). From this number, it can be concluded that the maximum reasonable marketing revenue for residential pools is roughly $52,309,152 (39. 06*2,250,000*. 25*14. 8/25) based on the manufacturer price of Coracle. Coracle's main competitors, Keystone Chemical, Jackson Laboratories, and Kymera each possess 15%-20% of the market share, leaving 40%-55% of the market share to Coracle and other smaller competitors. If you factor in Coracle's three main competitors along with the many other smaller-scale suppliers, it can be suggested that roughly 15% of the market share is what Coracle needs to address. It can then be concluded that the addressable market size for Coracle is around $7,846,373 (. 15*52,309,152). I would conclude from the above analysis that the first year goal of $1. million in sales is reasonable for Coracle. If you divide the addressable market size of $7,846,373 by 5 (5 months of average pool usage), it comes to around $1. 57 million, only slightly higher than the target $1. 5 million. 2. One of the reasons Soren Chemical is struggling to sell Coracle is because it is new to developing a brand and relatively inexperienced with marketing to wholesalers, retailers, pool services and consumers. This inexperience has led to miscommunication in its marketing channels, causing only 30% of consumers who inquired about Coracle to actually receive the information regarding the product.Also 70% of consumers stated that Coracle was not even offered by their distributers. These issues clearly point to the fact that Soren Chemical's inexperience is affecting sales and preventing it from communicating the benefits of Coracle to the consumer. Also the distribution channel structure Soren has to go through might also have a negative effect on sales. The distributor and retailer demand a 30% and 15% gross margin, increasing Soren's price from $14. 88 per unit to $25 per unit. Consumers find this inconvenient and expensive. 3.In order to determine the highest price Soren can set for Coracle along with how Coracle can be priced relative to consumers, the actual worth to end-users must be considered. One way to estimate the worth to end-users would be to calculate the annual EVC of Coracle. This can be done by using the annual cost of a substitute as the reference value and adding it to the differentiation value of the two products. One substitute, ClearBlu, has an annual cost of $56. 25, the reference value. Coracle reduces the need for chlorine, treatments, and enzymes, and for pool owners and reduces th eir annual chemical cost by 20%-30%, for an average of 25%.ClearBlu reduces the annual cost of chemicals for pool owners by 15%, making the increase in savings by using Coracle 10%. The annual chemical cost excluding clarifiers is $300. Thus the annual EVC of Coracle is $56. 25+. 1*300=$86. 25. 4. Coracle should initially adopt a push strategy because it is a new brand and possesses low brand loyalty and awareness. A push strategy would create awareness among consumers and expose the product to them. A push strategy would also encourage distributors to stock their shelves with the product.According to the study, only 25% of consumers use clarifiers regularly and understand their benefits. This displays a low involvement in the purchasing decision of consumers and further proves that push strategy would be more beneficial for Coracle. Conversely, Coracle could also adopt a pull strategy and focus more time and money on communicating the value of the product to the consumer. This woul d be done through advertisements and raising brand awareness. However, such an expenditure would be costly and time consuming, making a push strategy appear to be more efficient.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Common Wording Mistakes You Might Make in an Essay

Common Wording Mistakes You Might Make in an Essay Common Wording Mistakes You Might Make in an Essay Writing a powerful essay requires fully understanding the words you use, whether writing about a simple or complex subject. Proper word usage is necessary to convey the message to your audience and allows the reader to comprehend what you are trying to say. Here are some of the most commonly confused/misused words found in essays: Accept/Except The words accept and except are homophones and easy to misuse, especially when writing in a rush. Knowing the difference between the two can help you choose the correct word. Accept means to receive something willingly. Example: She was eager to accept her new engagement ring. The word except means to exclude. Example: He was eager to begin his new job, except for the fact he would have to relocate. Compliment/Complement If you share a positive thought about something or someone, you are giving a compliment. Example: He received a compliment for his outstanding performance. When something complements another, the two items/ideas go well together. Example: My husbands love for cooking complements my passion for baking. Effect/Affect The word effect is a noun describing the impact of an event or feeling. Example: The effect my professor had on me was immeasurable. â€Å"Affect† is an adjective that describes an action. Example: The devastating storms likely affect the population of the small town. Desert/Dessert Desert and dessert are easily mistaken because of their similar spelling. If you are out on a dry, hot day, you might say It feels like a desert out here. On the other hand, a delicious, sweet after-dinner treat is a dessert. Capital/Capitol Capitol is generally used to describe a city where the government of a state or country resides. Example: The capitol of Michigan is located in the city of Lansing. When you are looking to raise money for any reason (such as a business investment), you are seeking capital. Example: We were able to raise $2 million in capital this year alone. Need help with homework, essay-writing, or research? Contact today.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Insights provided by behavioural finance for personal finance strategy creation The WritePass Journal

Insights provided by behavioural finance for personal finance strategy creation Abstract Insights provided by behavioural finance for personal finance strategy creation ).   With clear success in defining and removing behavioural impediments, many investors are looking to this field of research for potential edges in determining future strategy. Conclusion Behavioural finance is argued to provide substantial impact on personal finance and personal   planning and the results of this essay support that contention. Despite the desire for a black and white investment environment, there is no escaping the impact that inherent bias, shortcoming and basic human error play on the implementation of an effective investment scheme. The material presented illustrates the potential for personal bias based on such base elements as the food consumed prior to making decisions, yet, the process of identification has the potential to offset the negative and enhance the positive. Further, intuition has been credited with propelling many investors to success, yet, this is separate from the decision making process that allows for the creation of bias and the inclusion of errant material. A clear benefit to the implementation of a personal financial strategy is knowledge of the elements that make up the field of behavioural finance, allowing the creation of an effective process to offset any negative pattern of investment behaviour.   In the end, as with all manner of investments, it comes to discipline, skill, patience and the determination of the investor to not be swayed in the face of adversity but hold to the reality of any situation. References Baker, H. and Nofsinger, J. (2010).  Behavioural finance. 1st ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Baker, M. and Wurgler, J. (2011). Behavioural corporate finance: Wiley. Banerjee, A. (2011). Application of Behavioural Finance in Investment Decisions: An Overview.  The Management Accountant, 46(10). Benartzi, S. (2010). Behavioural Finance in Action. Allianz 1(1) p. 3-6. Brigham, E. and Ehrhardt, M. (2005).  Financial management. 1st ed. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western. Deaves, R. and Charupat, N (2005). Behavioural Finance. Journal of Personal Finance 1(1). P. 48-53. DeBondt, W., Forbes, W., Hamalainen, P. and Muradoglu, Y. (2010). What can behavioural finance teach us about finance?.  Qualitative Research in Financial Markets, 2(1), pp.2936. Forbes, W. (2009).  Behavioural finance. 1st ed. New York: Wiley. Hens, T. and Bachmann, K. (2008).  Behavioural finance for private banking. 1st ed. Chichester, England: John Wiley Sons. McAuley, I (2009). Understanding human behaviour in financial decision making. Centre for Policy Development 1(1). p. 1-5. Meier, S. (2010). Insights from Behavioural Economics for Personal Finance. Behavioural Economics and Personal Finance 1(1). p. 1-3 Montier, J. (2007).  Behavioural investing. 1st ed. Chichester, England: John Wiley Sons. Muradoglu, G. and Harvey, N. (2012). Behavioural finance: the role of psychological factors in financial decisions.  Review of Behavioral Finance, 4(2), pp.68-80. Paramasivan, C. and Subramanian, T. (2009).  Financial management. 1st ed. New Delhi: New Age International (P) Ltd., Publishers. Pompian, M. (2006).  Behavioural finance and wealth management. 1st ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Redhead, K. (2008).  Personal finance and investments. 1st ed. London [u.a.]: Routledge. Sewell, M. (2007). Behavioural finance.  University of Cambridge. UK Subrahmanyam, A. (2008). Behavioural finance: A review and synthesis.  European Financial Management, 14(1), pp.1229.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Personal statment Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Statment - Personal Statement Example The successful completion of this course served to whet my appetite for anything and everything connected with medicine and health care. In college I undertook a course in criminal justice. On being drafted into military service, I lost no opportunity to improve my medical knowledge. Thus, I completed the hospital A school, wherein I was exposed to nursing and paramedical procedures. In addition, I gained knowledge regarding cpr phlebotomy. Thereafter, I undertook field medical service school, where I learned triage, field sanitation, trauma care and surgery. Furthermore, I also garnered information regarding hazmat, dental and medical emergencies. These skills enabled me to develop a patient and balanced approach to the sick and injured. Some of these procedures are to be performed in critical situations and my interest and skill, developed right from my childhood, stood me in good stead. I can proudly declare that I have never lost my presence of mind, even in the most demanding situations. On many an occasion, the patient in the field will be severely injured and this could deter many people from providing emergency medical attention. However, I have never been overwhelmed or distressed by the sight of severe injuries. During such encounters, I always view the situation objectively and try to render the best possible medical assistance, to the best of my ability and in the shortest time possible. This trait of mine has been recognized and lauded by my superior officers on several occasions. It has always been my firm belief that providing medical relief to our armed forces is fraught with great difficulty. At present, the US intervenes militarily in many areas of the world. Some of these places are extremely dangerous, and our men face the risk of death or serious injury at every turn. The situation is rendered all the more difficult, due to the difficult and hostile terrain and the lack of proper

Friday, November 1, 2019

Approaches to the 'city' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Approaches to the 'city' - Essay Example In one of the poems, cities are described as man’s tight hold on nature. The attitude of the poets reveals that in the eyes of architectural philosophers such as Constant Nieuwenhuys and Le Corbusier cities are a nuisance. To the above men, architecture has lost its way due to the confusion and the lack of uniformity, which has become the hallmark of modern cities. In Constant Nieuwenhuys and Le Corbusier’s theories, there is a relentless quest for cities to regain their lost glory, which to them can only be achieved by enhancing uniformity. The modern day cities are problematic which may be attributable to the state or architecture. Looking back, architecture has given us beautiful buildings such the Westminster Abbey and the tower of Piazza. In addition, architecture has also created beautiful cities such as Venice, Nancy and old Paris. However, it is vital to consider the contextual challenges that architecture is encountering if at all solutions will be coined for the appalling conditions of the modern cities. To begin with, it is vital to pose certain critical queries, which should provide guidance going forwards. Is it practical or realistic for modern architecture to hold on to the ideals that have guided architects in the past? Are the ideals of past architecture relevant in the present day? And if so, which ideals should we embrace? In the past, the most dominant values were simplicity and uniformity (Le Corbusier 1976, 32). One of the dominant characters of cities is the disparity in the individual cells or ho use units, which form the city. Individualism should take an equal share of the blame for the present state of the cities. According to Le Corbusier, there is need to establish certain standards which will guide construction. The emergence of discipline, astuteness and concord are the only factors, which can help the modern city rediscover uniformity, which exemplified past