Outline of Revelation

Introduction

The book of revelation is the final one in the bible and coincidentally also one that gives a description of how the world will come to an end in Jesus’ second coming. It was written by John and this is confirmed through the mention of his name severally in Revelation’s chapters.

This book is divided into four major parts and having an understanding of these can be very helpful to a theological scholar who is studying it.

• The first section of the book of Revelation is the Introduction.
• This is followed by a series of visions letters to seven churches in Asia are written
• The third section is about prophecies of how the end of world including signs that attest to its nearing.
• The fourth part is the conclusion where the Author as well as God presents their final submissions to the reader.

1. The Introduction Revelation 1 vs. 1-20

The first part of this introduction is focused on the application of the term revelation. The author describes the origins of the prophesies contained in the book as Jesus Christ himself. This part also beseeches the reader to take heed of the contents of the message that is contained. John also passes regards to the churches contained in the Asian districts. Following these greetings, he addresses these seven churches namely Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. In this address, he mentions the angels or spirits that represent these churches (Krell, 2003).

Chapter seven of this book prophesies Jesus’ second coming and the fact that it will be evident to all who will be on earth at that time. The last part of this introduction talks about Jesus being glorified in his second coming. This is done through graphic description of how Jesus will come back as well as the cosmic events that will accompany him (Sola Scripture, n.d.).

2. The visions of the seven scrolls addressing the seven churches from Revelation 2-3 vs. 22

This part focuses on the churches in Asia Minor and the different issues that the Spirit of God wanted them to address. This is done through the mention of specific issues that are being experienced in these churches.

The first church that is mentioned is the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2 vs., 1-7

This is the church that forgot its first love. The first thing that John does is to acknowledge the churches’ angel or divine leadership. He then commends them for their hard work and other toils that they have done in the name of God. After this, the church in Ephesus is rebuked because of the fact that they had forgotten their first love. This is in reference to the fact that they have fallen from their previous glory.

The letter to the church in Smyrna Revelation 2 vs. 8-11

This congregation is told that prosecution is imminent for them. The first part of this letter to Smyrna exhorts them for their patience despite the challenges that they are facing as well as the tenacity in all this. Following this, the church is told of prosecution that they will face. They are however told not to be afraid (Kenison, 2009).

The church in Pergamum Revelation 2 vs. 12-17

This church is commanded to repent urgently or face God’s wrath for their sins. Those who heed this call are promised good tidings.

The Church in Thyatira Revelation 2 vs. 18-29

The main issue that was facing this church was the presence of a false prophetess and this is what they were warned to be watchful about.

The Church in Sardis, Revelation 3 vs. 16

This community of believers had fallen asleep and their spirituality had dulled thus making them ineffective.

The church in Philadelphia Revelation 3 vs. 10

They had been patient through the hardships that came with being Christians during that day and age.

The church in Laodicea Revelation 3 vs. 14

The church in Laodicea had grown lukewarm and hence somewhat indifferent in the spiritual fight thus greatly angering God.

3. Visions of the end of the age that brought forth a new heaven and a new earth Revelation 4-20

This is a continuation of visions revealed to John and the first one in this series is that of the Seven Seals. He first sees heaven and then Jesus in all his glory being the one appointed to open the seals. In total, there are seven seals that Jesus proceeds to open.

There is also the vision of the seven trumpets which are sounded in succession signifying different cataclysmic events. The first four trumpets announce human sufferings through plagues. The fifth trumpet signifies the devil’s turn to torment the earth. The sixth is used to expose the falsehoods that Satan has used to deceive those who are in the church. The seventh and final trumpet in this vision shows God and Jesus emerging victorious (Christian Inconnect, 2001).

The fourth vision is one that has seven different visions within it. The first one features a great red dragon, second has a beast from the sea, third is a beast from the earth, fourth is that of the lamb and the 144000, fifth we have the three angels, then the harvest of God and finally there is a vision of God’s seven angels who carry out the final seven plagues.

The fifth vision shows the last seven plagues such as false teachings, attacks by the beasts and finally the destruction of the earth and all of God’s enemies.

The sixth vision that John writes about is that of victory over the Anti-Christ.

The final vision is about the Church of Christ claiming victory as Christ takes away the devil’s power to deceive men. There is also the emergence of a new heaven, a new earth, a New Jerusalem and John’s vision where he sees the restoration of paradise as it was in the beginning.

4. Conclusion of the book of Revelation-Revelation 22 vs. 6-21

In this part of the book of Revelation, Jesus through John does a recap of all the items that have been revealed through the author’s visions. Jesus begins by reassuring his believers of his second coming. This is followed by the instructions that John was given about the revelation. Jesus again reiterates his promise about returning to earth. Jesus also confirms through testimony that his angel indeed ensured the revelation’s contents reached the seven churches. After the church welcomes Jesus to come, he signs off with promises as well as final warnings to the believers. John too signs off with a benedictory message to the churches of Christ (Swindoll, 2013).

 

 

References

Christian Inonnect (2001) An Overview of the Book of Revelation. Retrieved from             http://www.christianinconnect.com/revelation.htm  on March 29, 2013

Kenison, F. (2009)  A brief Summary of Revelation. Retrieved from             http://www.biblestudybooksfree.com/briefsummary.htm   on March 29, 2013

Krell, K. (2003) The book of Revelation- An Overview. Retrieved from     http://bible.org/seriespage/book-revelation-overview  on March 29, 2013

Sola Scripture (n.d.) Revelation Commentary- An overview of the book of Revelation. Retrieved             from http://www.revelationcommentary.org/overview.html   on March 29, 2013

Swindoll, C. (2013) Revelation- What’s the Big Idea. Retrieved from             http://www.insight.org/ministry/bible/revelation.html  on March 29, 2013

The NIV and CEV Bibles

 

Business Law (International Law)

The international legal issue that will come into play with regard to the international transactions entered into by Luxottica is market monopoly. Luxottica Group is the largest eyewear company in the world. It designs and manufactures stylish specs/glasses for several companies including Prada, Tiffany, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren among others, and has control over a huge chunk of the business. Approximately 500 million people are wearing their specs at any moment. It bought and owns two premium brands, Ray-Ban – the best selling sun-glass brand worldwide – and Oakley (CBS News, 2012). Because of monopolizing the market, it raked in $8 billion in 2011.

Not only did Luxottica buy Ray-Ban, but also LensCrafters, the leading eyewear retail chain in the entire North America. At LensCrafters, the average price of specs is nearly $300, and the optical products are largely from Luxottica. There is no choice for other glasses and customers are not given a break from Luxottica products hence monopolizing the market. Other large eyewear retail chains owned by Luxottica are Pearle Vision, Target optical, Sears optical and Oliver Peoples. Moreover, the company also owns several boutique chains such as Ilori. Sunglass Hut, the biggest sunglass chain on the globe is also owned by Luxottica. There is no free market in the eyewear industry since Luxottica has extreme dominance over other players in the market. Oakley was the company’s biggest competitor. They tried to compete but lost, and then Luxottica bought them (CBS News, 2012). As such, it owns the two premium brands of sunglass in the world, Oakley and Ray-Ban. This ensures that Luxottica continues to dominate and monopolize the international specs and sunglass market.

Their biggest competitors in the United States are Costco, Wal-Mart and upcoming online companies such as Warby Parker. Nevertheless, Luxottica still dominates the market in such a way that if other manufacturers make glasses, they would have to be in Luxottica’s stores, and if other companies possess stores, they would have to sell Luxottica’s Ray-Ban glasses. As such, Luxottica could set prices of specs/glasses as high as it desires. As a price-maker, it sets prices and other companies will follow, thus making glasses in general to cost very much. Insurance companies covering vision also do not complain since Luxottica owns one of the country’s leading vision care plan, EyeMed, which covers glasses and eye exams (CBS News, 2012).

In conclusion, a vast majority of specs are made by a single corporation and a single corporation owns nearly all the specs/glasses retail stores – this single corporation is Luxottica Group. This creates an international legal issue in the sense that people in most countries will be forced to buy specs/glasses made by Luxottica since it controls both the manufacturing and sale of glasses/specs. The company is the largest manufacturer of glasses in the world and owns the largest retail chains/stores worldwide, hence giving people little option to buy specs/glasses from other companies.

Reference

CBS News. 2012. 60 Minutes. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7424700n

Key Security Issues Facing the World Today

Security is a complex issue that is intertwined with cultural, social, and economic factors among other things (Altman, Camilleri, Eckersley & Hoffstaedter, 2012; Williams, 2012). What might be of great concern to a certain group might not necessary be an issue to another one. However, there is a consensus that some issues transcend our natural boundaries and can have detrimental effects on a large group of people. These can be referred to as security issues since they can have a devastating impact on the lives of many people. World security is a complex issue because often, one problem degenerates and gives birth to another problem. For instance, political differences can spill over and become an inter-state conflict (Williams, 2012).  A good example is what is happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where neighbouring countries have been drawn to solve an internal conflict. Indeed, greed among the political class, which reveals itself in poor governance, is the main cause of the security issues affecting the world today. This paper will analyse the factors in the light of their importance and significance.

 

• Poor Governance

Poor governance is the leading cause of most of the security concerns bedevilling the world today. It is because of the lack of trust in the ruling class leaders that instability breeds and gains ground in most countries. Obviously, most of these security issues result from a complex vicious circle. It is not easy to know exactly what breeds what; however, poor governance is the most likely cause of turmoil in many countries. Poor priorities often lead to the rising cost of living or misallocation of funds in addressing the challenges facing a state (Dupont & Reckmeyer, 2012). For instance, most countries in Africa misuse donor funds, leading to the high cost of living in these countries. Political players, at the instigation of outside forces, gang up to push inept governments out of power. A good example is what happened in the Arab world in the early 2011 as the governments were toppled because of corruption, (Williams, 2012) among other allegations. Hosni Mubarak lost grip on power because of corruption allegations and his governments’ efforts to stifle dissent during his tenure. The Muslim Brotherhood, a group that has been associated with terror activities has currently taken over the running of the government (theisraelproject.org, 2012). It is no wonder that terrorism in the Sinai Peninsula has increased in the last one year. Another example is the conflict in the great Lakes Region, pitting the government of Congo Brazzaville and the neighbouring countries. The conflict has continued for many years. The underlying factors are greed, poor governance, and political intrigues among others. Indeed, the Congo War has not only devastated the country, but has also drawn the neighbouring countries into the conflict (Prunier, 2009). The point here is, poor governance, can lead to political instability, which leads to loss of lives and poverty among millions of people. The challenge falls on the United Nations. The UN must compel world leaders to respect the will of the people as well as the sovereignty of other countries (Dupont & Reckmeyer, 2012). For instance, the Congo War has made the country’s border more porous. This case is not unique in this area alone. Illegal trade, such as the sale of small arms, done with the knowledge of the ruling class, continue to flourish in many parts of the world (Forest & Sousa, 2006). This makes physical security virtually impossible to guarantee.

 

• Terrorism

Terrorism has become a major security scare in many parts of the world (Williams, 2012). The early forms of terrorism are often disputed. However, it is clear that political groupings in many parts of the world used terror as a way of achieving their political end (Williams, 2012). For instance, terrorism activities were rife during the French Revolution. Those who opposed the revolution were executed (Linton, 2003). The rise in terrorism is associated with oppression propagated by the ruling class against a certain group or all the people. Today, terror activities are associated with illegal groups like Al Qaeda. According to the United Nations (UN), terrorism is a threat to humanity in many ways. First, it leads to loss of lives and, secondly, it has pushed millions of people into poverty. For example, the 9/11 terror attack increased the number of people living below the poverty line by 10 million. This is far less compared to the threat posed by nuclear confrontations as most states continue to boast about their nuclear capabilities.

 

• Fiscal Stability

It is difficultto draw a clear distinction between the many security issues affecting the world because of their interrelationships (Dupont & Reckmeyer, 2012). This becomes more apparent as one observes the role of global and fiscal stability in light of security issues affecting the world. Developing and developed countries must put more resources in financing infrastructure, environmental programs, and innovation to safeguard against any future crisis (Bassanini & Reviglio, 2011). The devastating effects of the 2007/2008 financial crisis are evident to all. However, the worry is that leaders rarely learn from history. The 2007 global crisis emerged from poor regulatory frameworks that saw people borrow money at low rates of interest to build or buy houses. Banks and financial institutions did not carryout background checks on borrowers because of competition to get customers. The global crisis of 1937 had the same origins. Indeed, another crisis is inevitable, and the results might even be worse than what transpired in 2007. Fiscal instability leads to loss of unemployment, social unrest, poverty, lack of trust in the government (Bassanini & Reviglio, 2011). These are possible grounds for political instability.

 

• Cyber Crime

The advancements in technological information cannot be ignored in this discussion. Indeed, cyber warfare has become a serious threat that might easily overshadow other forms of security concerns in the near future (Susskind, 2013; Williams, 2012). Cyber crimes have traditionally taken the form of cyber-exhortation. Nowadays, the game has shifted to online identity theft, which has affected millions of people (Williams, 2012). People within a state or outside have executed systematic attacks on secure networks. A lone hacker might not pose a big threat to national security. However, radical groups, working in cohorts, can cause serious breaches to national security. A country’s security alignments can be affected if a rival or a militia group can access sensitive information by hacking its information systems (Susskind, 2013; Williams, 2012).

 

• Conclusion

In summary, security issues refer to those problems that can lead to a massive loss of lives or suffering among many people. The most serious challenges discussed in this paper are poor governance, terrorism, conflicts among states, fiscal instability, and cyber crimes. Security issues often overlap such that one problem can trigger the others in an endless circle. Indeed, some of these problems are easy to deal with if political players can learn to respect the rights of others. For instance, political instability can arise due to mistrust or corrupt practices by a certain regime. Political instability can lead to a rise in armed militia groups that plan retaliatory attacks. Terrorists can also flourish in such environments. Therefore, political will to govern states by respecting the rights of others can go a long way in mitigating the numerous security challenges facing the world today. Governments face a great challenge in determining and addressing these challenges. It is imperative that the setting of national values, as well as budgets must be inline with predetermined security priorities. In addition, the UN has made critical steps in resolving and addressing these challenges. However, the success can only be realized if countries show a determined effort to respect the rights of its citizens, as well as the right of other countries. Without this, it would be impossible to have a secure planet.

Reference List

Altman, D. Camilleri, J.,  Eckersley, R. & Hoffstaedter, G.  2012. Why Human Security Matters: Rethinking Australian Foreign Policy .  London: Allen &Unwin

Bassanini, F. & Reviglio, E. 2011.Financial Stability, Fiscal Consolidation and Long-Term Investment after the Crisis. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/finance/financial-markets/48609330.pdf

Dupont,  A & Reckmeyer, W. J. 2012. Australia’s national security priorities: addressing strategic risk in a globalised world, Australian Journal of International Affairs, (66) 1: 34-51.

Forest, J. F. & Sousa, V. M. 2006. Oil and Terrorism in the New Gulf: Framing U.S. Energy and Security Policies for the Gulf of Guinea. London: Lexington Books.

Linton, M. 2003.  The Terror in the French Revolution. Retrieved from http://www.port.ac.uk/special/france1815to2003/chapter1/interviews/filetodownload,20545,en.pdf

Prunier, G. 2009. Africa’s World War: Congo, the Rwandan Genocide, and the Making of a Continental Catastrophe. New York: Oxford University Press.

Susskind, J. 2013. Cyber Security, Not Terrorism, Number One Threat to National Security. Retrieved from http://ivn.us/2013/03/15/cyber-security-not-terrorism-number-one-threat-to-national-security/

theisraelproject.org 2012. Terrorists seek to Perpetrate Attacks in Sinai over the Weekend. Retrieved from http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=ewJXKcOUJlIaG&b=7712195&ct=12259385#.UVaFrXrixkg

United Nations, 2004. Report of the United Nations High Level Panel for Threats, Challenges and Change, a More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility Retrieved from http://www.un.org/secureworld/

Williams, P. D.  2013. Security Studies: An Introduction. London and New York: Routledge.

 

Physiological and psychological responses to illness and

treatment modalities

Analysis of physiological and psychological responses to illness and treatment modalities

In the human body, the level of sodium and potassium level vary with small margins of between (±12 mEq/L). Potassium is important and it is both a mineral and an electrolyte that helps in regulation of minerals-water balance in the body as well as enhancing functioning of muscles and nerves.   Even though, the level of sodium and potassium are closely related, at times there is drastic difference in their levels. The level of sodium and potassium in Smiths, body may have differed because of the reasons below:

In human body, endocrine urinary and circulatory systems work together in maintaining these narrow normal ranges of these substances. The reason that causes low level of potassium is associated with medical conditions. Kidney disease hinders the normal functioning of the kidney, which contributes, or alters the level of potassium in the body.  Kidney regulates the amount of sodium and potassium to be retained and excreted in the urine (Lemann, Pleuss & Gray, 1993). For instance, when renal system fails to perform well, it causes kidney to reabsorb sodium in order to conserve water in the human body. This therefore causes reduction of potassium.

Another cause is the consumption of high burns. This causes reduction in total body water, which leads to increased levels of sodium and reduced potassium because they are found in cells. Medication also affects the level of potassium in the body. For instance, use of loop diuretics reduced total body water leading to increased level of sodium and reduces potassium levels.  Excess fluid are removed from the body and blood pressure is reduced when lop diuretics are used.

 

 

Question two

White blood cells in a women urinalysis results is an indication that the women is suffering from cystitis or pyelonephritis. Urine does not contain blood cells and any presence of these white blood cells in urine sample is an indication that there is infection or inflammations within the kidney or the urinary tract. Cystitis affects bladder and usually leads to presence of white blood cells in the urine of a person suffering from the disease (Merck, 2007).  Likewise, Pyelonephritis affects the kidney and is more severe than cystitis. The diseases are caused by bacteria infections and can lead to death if not treated. To determine whether the woman has cystitis or pyelonephritis, a number of diagnosis and tests must be carried out.  Furthermore, symptoms may be investigated to be able to determine specific disease that the woman suffers from. In case of cystitis, screening of the urine will help to tell that the woman has either of the disease (Gupta et al 2011, p. 561). Symptoms will then be investigated. If the woman is suffering from cystitis, there will be bladder spasms, there is a sense of urinating every after few minutes and the woman should be feeling some pain above her pubic bone.

In case of pyelonephritis, two common tests will be conducted to determine whether the kidney has infections, the urine specimens will be examined under a microscope and culturing bacteria to determine the kind of bacteria in the blood.  Symptoms will also be scrutinized such as chills, pains in the lower part of the woman back on either of the side nausea and vomiting.  The woman may also be experiencing some of the symptoms of cystitis, pain when urinating,

 

Referencing

Lemann, J., Pleuss, J., & Gray, W. (1993). Potassium causes calcium retention in healthy   adults. J Nut, 123:1623– 1626.

Gupta, K et al (2011). Executive Summary: International Clinical Practice Guidelines for the        Treatment of Acute Uncomplicated Cystitis and Pyelonephritis in Women: A 2010         Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the European Society for     Microbiology, Clinical Infectious Diseases, 52 (5):561-564.

Merck, T. (2007).  Manual: Bladder Infection (Cystitis)

 

 

Electronic Medical Records

Assessment/Implementation Plan Assignment for the OLINDA/EXM personal computer

            OLINDA/EXM stands for Organ Level Internal Dose Assessment/Exponential Modeling and is used in calculating radiation doses to dissimilar body organs from systemically administered radiopharmaceuticals. It executes regression analysis on user-supplied biokinetic data in order to support such calculations. The OLINDA/EXM version 1.0 personal computer code was developed in order to replace the extensively used MIRDOSE3.1 code (Stabin, Sparks & Crowe, 2005). The purpose of this paper is to prepare an implementation plan for use of this device/system in a patient care setting.

The system commonly runs on Windows-XP or Windows-2000 based personal computers, with at least 256 MB RAM and 100 MB free space on the hard disk. When obtaining the software, a comprehensive instruction manual which includes implementation tests is supplied to the users by the vendors. The implementation tests typically illustrate a sequence of sample problems which could be run to make sure that the software is installed correctly and in an approved manner. Apart from the comprehensive instruction manual that is provided together with the code/software, some on-screen help is also supplied. Moreover, active support regarding the use of the software is also provided through fax, email, phone or regular mail (Stabin, Sparks & Crowe, 2005).

Description of the setting and those who will use the device or system

The OLINDA/EXM software application is planned to be deployed to an oncology or cancer clinic and those who will use it are nuclear medicine physicians or medical professionals within the radiopharmaceutical industry. OLINDA/EXM code will be used in performing dose calculations as well as kinetic modeling for radiopharmaceuticals (Khalil, 2011). OLINDA will calculate radiation doses to dissimilar body organs from radiopharmaceuticals that have been administered systemically, and will perform regression analysis on the user supplied biokinetic data in order to support such calculations for nuclear medicine drugs. According to the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization (CTTC), these calculations will be used by the nuclear medicine physicians in performing risk/benefit assessments of the use of such pharmaceuticals in therapeutic and diagnostic applications in nuclear medicine (2012).

OLINDA will be used to perform internal dose calculations chiefly for radiopharmaceuticals, with the use of RADAR technique of dose calculations as well as RADAR dose factors, while the EXM module will be used to fit kinetic data to the sums of exponential functions (Khalil, 2011). RADAR simply refers to the RAdiation Dose Assessment Resource – a working group which maintains resources for external and internal dose calculations. OLINDA executes the dose factors from the website of RADAR in a code which allows users to input kinetic data for radiopharmaceuticals (CTTC, 2012).
Description of the patient/client population to be served

Patients to be served include those suffering from cancer such as prostate cancer and thyroid cancer, and the OLINDA/EXM personal computer code will be used to perform dose calculations and kinetic modeling for radiopharmaceuticals (Khalil, 2011).

Timeline for implementing the system

Stabin, Sparks and Crowe (2005) pointed out that implementation of the system in clinical practice is a linear process with a clearly defined starting point, goals as well as readily identifiable phases. Successfully implementing OLINDA/EXM personal computer will involve more than just selecting the appropriate vendor and signing the contract. The process of implementing the system will start with specifically defined goals and a project implementation team identified. The implementation plan will address everything including workflow, software and hardware selection, installation to user/staff training. Here is the process the clinic will go through as they adopt the new system.

• March 2013: Defining goals and identifying the project implementation team
• April 2013: Begin evaluating the different versions of OLINDA/EXM personal computers
• May 2013: Choose the relevant OLINDA/EXM personal computer software and acquire the appropriate hardware
• June 2013: Sign contract with OLINDA/EXM personal computer vendor
• August 2013: Conduct initial basic skills assessment staff training
• October 2013: Install the system to the clinic for use by nuclear medicine physicians and conduct application-specific staff training.

Plan for staff training-include time required, content outline for training and identification of who should conduct the training

            The staff training will involve two stages – initial basic skills assessment and the application-specific training – and they will be performed for two months and one week respectively before starting to use the system. The initial basic skills assessment training will last for one week and the content outline will be the basics/fundamentals or overview of OLINDA/EXM personal computer. This initial training will not cover the details of the software. The second staff training will also last one week and its content will cover OLINDA/EXM personal computer in detail including how to use it effectively. Questions from the trainees will be answered adequately to ensure they have proper understanding of the software. The training will be carried out by personnel from the vendor who has adequate knowledge of OLINDA/EXM personal computer. Moreover, the vendor’s trainer will stay on site during installation and two weeks after installation in order to answer questions and deal with problems that may arise.

Plan for evaluation of the effectiveness of the device or system

System evaluation plan will involve the following essential steps; the first one is determining whether the system meets its intended goal from the viewpoint of the user who will interact with the system on a regular basis. In this step, the system will be compared to the goals identified prior to implementing the system in order to determine whether the intended goals have been attained. The second step involves evaluating the ease of use and user satisfaction. In general, the system should be easy for the users to use. Third step will be about economic effectiveness, and this will require identifying the costs and benefits of the system and properly evaluating them. Benefits derived from the system will be expected to outweigh the overall costs of acquisition and implementation (Khalil, 2011).
Possible disruption or impact of implementation on usual work of the patient care setting

There will be a possible disruption or impact of system implementation with regard to the usual work of the patient care setting. This will arise largely because of the physician meetings that will be called to address any issues or problems regarding the system. Moreover, they will also continue to meet occasionally to discuss OLINDA/EXM personal computer issues and problems. As such, these meetings will likely have an impact on the usual work of the patient care setting.

Conclusion

The wide testing of OLINDA/EXM software program, which was based on comparison with literature-established dose calculations and with the extensively tested and accepted MIRDOSE3.1 code ought to give users confidence with regard to its output. With an effective plan, OLINDA/EXM software should be particularly easy for MIRDOSE users to accept and for new users to understand and adopt. It would be helpful in automating and standardizing internal dose calculations, evaluating doses in clinical trials with radiopharmaceuticals, teaching, performing theoretic calculations for the existing pharmaceuticals, and other purposes. Implementing the OLINDA/EXM personal computer in clinical practice is a daunting task requiring good planning, effective leadership and supportive employees. The most immediate benefit of the software will be its use in calculating radiation doses to dissimilar body organs from systemically administered radiopharmaceuticals.

 

Reference

Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization. (2012). OLINDA/EXM Radiation Dose Assessment Software Application (FDA Approved). Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University.

Khalil, M. (2011). Basic Sciences of Nuclear Medicine. San Francisco, CA: Springer

Stabin, M., Sparks, R., & Crowe, E. (2005). OLINDA/EXM: The Second-generation Personal Computer for Internal Dose Assessment in Nuclear Medicine. Retrieved from http://lib.bioinfo.pl/paper:15937315

Advanced Pathophysiology – Cancer

Introduction

Cancer is also known as malignant neoplasm in medical terms. Cancer is caused by unregulated and continued cell growth which divides and grows uncontrollably, and forms malignant tumors that invade parts of the human body. It spreads to the other parts of the body via the lymphatic system or the bloodstream. Benign tumors are a type of cancer with limited growth and doesn’t invade or spread to the nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body.

Benign tumors grow gradually, their capsule are well-defined, are not invasive, and are well differentiated, with low mitotic index that don’t metastasize. Benign tumors are named after the tissues from which they are from that’s from fatty tissues are lipoma, from the brain glioma, from the muscles leiomyoma and from joints chondroma.

Malignant tumors grow very rapidly, are not encapsulated, are invasive and poorly differentiated. They spread distantly i.e. metastasis, have a high mitotic index and have ability to grow immortally. Malignant tumors are also named after the tissues from which they are from. Epi tumors are equal to carcinomas (adenocarcinoma and the basal cell carcinoma). Malignant CT tumors are known as sarcomaschondrosarcoma, osteosarcome.

Neoplasisa means new growth and proliferation to form new tissue. They don’t wait for signs or signals from the body that new tissues are needed i.e. they ignore apoptoic signs. The numbers of cells are constantly kept because they don’t diet away the stem cell (progenitor cell).

The cancer stem cells are self renewable and multipotent i.e. they can differentiate into many types of cells with each stem cell resulting in the carriage of that cancer through with every cell. Tumor markers are a variety of biological substances which are produced by the cancer cells found on the cell membranes in the plasma. (Pazdur, et al., 2009)

Cancer signs and symptoms.

The location of cancer metastasis determines the symptoms of cancer. When cancer begins it has no signs as it gathers mass around it and continues to grow or ulcerates. The symptoms are generally distant effects of the cancer that are not directly related to metastatic condition. They may include weight loss, fatigue, fever and changes to skin texture.( Kleinsmith, 2006)

Metastasis

Symptoms of metastasis are due to the continued spread of cancer to other different locations in the body. They include enlarged lymph nodes, hepatomegaly which means enlarged liver or the splenomegaly, (enlarged spleen). These can be felt in the abdomen or other parts of affected bones.

Causes

Almost 90% of all causes of cancer are from the environment and only ten percent are inherited genetically. Major environmental factors that contribute to cancer deaths are food and obesity (35 %), tobacco (30%), infections (20 %), radiation (non/ionizing, 10%) others though not so significant are stress related, lack of exercise and environmental pollutants. Cancers are caused by a multiple of causes and they are not all from the same source. For instance if a smoker develops  cancer, then it’s not definite that he acquired it from tobacco since he’s a smoker but there’s an equal chance that he may have  inherited or acquired it from air pollution or radiation since everyone has a small chance of acquiring and developing cancer from the environment.

Heredity. (Cancer syndrome).

Most cancers are not hereditary. Cancers that are hereditary are caused by genetic malfunction causes the defect. Currently less than 0.3 % of the world’s populations are carriers of the gene that causes cancer that causes about 3-10% of cancer cases worldwide. These syndromes include specific inherited mutations in particular genes i.e. BRCA1/2 with a rsk of over 75% in breast and ovarian cancer.

Physical agents

Some physical attributes of certain substances like asbestos, through prolonged exposure to their naturally occurring fibres emit mesothelioma; a serous cancer membrane usually formed surrounding the lungs. Others are glass wool, wollastonite, rock wool, attapulgite. Others include powdered metallic irons like cobalt, nickel and some crystalline silica. These carcinogens must find their way into the human body through inhalation.( Kleinsmith, 2006)

Hormones

Some hormones encourage the growth of cancer by promoting additional cell proliferation. Breast cancer, endometrium, prostrate, ovary, testis, thyroid and bone cancer are agents in sex related cancers. African men have a higher level of testosterone than men from a Europe countries hence they have higher chances of developing prostate cancer. Asian men have the lowest level of testosterone which activates the androstanediol.

Obese people have an increased level of hormones related to cancer. Women who take hormone replacement and enhancement therapy have an increased risk of developing cancers that are related to these hormones. People who exercise have lower levels of these hormones and lower risks of acquiring cancer. Osteosarchoma may be promoted and supported by growth hormones.

Radiation (radiation-induced cancer)

More than 10% of all invasive cancers are associated with radiation exposure; these include the none/ ionizing radiation and ultraviolet radiation. A large majority of non invasive cancers are not melanoma skin related cancers that are caused by non-ionizing ultraviolet radiation. Medical imaging and radon glass are the major sources of ionizing radiation. Some people with certain nevoid basal cell carcinoma and retinoblast are more likely to develop cancer when exposed to radiation. Nuclear power plants have very little or no effect cancer.

Dietary (diet and cancer)

While many nutritionists have argued on the reduced risk of developing cancer while on particular diets, few have been able to prove these facts. The major habits that promote cancer are excessive eating habits leading to obesity and alcohol consumption. A diet with low fruits and vegetables with high red meat may contribute a little to the predisposing factors that cause cancer. Studies have associated consumption of processed meat to an increased breast cancer, cancer of the colon and the pancreatic cancer, a condition which could be due to the contamination of meat cooked at high temperatures with carcinogens.

Dietary recommendations for a healthy living may include fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and avoidance or reduced consumption of red meat and animal fat.

Reference.

Holland, F. (2009). Holland-Frei cancer medicine. (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

Medical.

Kleinsmith, L. (2006). Principles of cancer biology. Pearson Benjamin: Cummings.

Mukherjee, S. (2010). The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. Simon and

Schuster. Accessdate used without URL

Pazdur, R. et al. (2009). Cancer Management: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Cmp

United Business Media.  (online at cancernetwork.com)

Tannock, Ian (2005). The basic science of oncology. McGraw-Hill Professional.

Manfred S. (2008). Encyclopedia of Cancer (4 Volume Set). Berlin: Springer. Olson,

James, S (1999). “10”. In Cameron, Lynne; Low, Graham. Researching

and applying metaphor. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Sulik, G. (2010). Pink Ribbon Blues: How Breast Cancer Culture Undermines

Women’s Health. New York: Oxford University Press.

Stuart (2002). Bathsheba’s Breast: Women, Cancer and History.

Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Ehrenreich, B. (2009). Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking

HasUndermined America. New York: Metropolitan Books. pp. 15–44.

 

Critical Thinking: Treatment of Renal Calculi

Renal calculi, also known as kidney stones or nephrolithiasis, are hard, crystalline mineral substances formed within the urinary tract or kidney, symptomized by flank pain, and hematuria (Curhan, 2011). Though some run within the lineage, their occurrence is prompted by a decrease in volume of urine, or an excess of substances that form stones within the urine. To confirm the presence or absence of kidney stones, various diagnostic tests are carried out, including blood tests to check the levels of calcium, uric acid, phosphorus, and electrolytes; kidney function tests; urinalysis, which is done to check for red blood cells in the urine, or crystals; and stone type examinations. In addition, abdominal CT scans can also be carried out, as well as MRI, X-rays, Ultrasound and Intravenous pyelogram (IVP) of the kidney and abdomen (Pietrow, 2007).

Treatment of kidney stones is dependent on the cause of the calculi, which is specific for every type of stone. The most common ones are calcium stones, cysteine stones which form in people with cystinuria, struvite stones mostly found in women, uric acid stones more common in men than women, and other substances including triamterene, indinavir and acyclovir medications (Pietrow, 2007).

Usually, small stones pass on their own with intake of fluids. However, bigger stones may need some medications to decrease their formation and help to fragment them. Allopurinal is used for uric stones; antibiotics are common for struvite stones; phosphate solutions for calcium stones; sodium citrate and thiazide diuretics for general use (Curhan, 2011). Surgical procedures like lithotripsy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy and ureteroscopy may be necessary if the condition is worse, as is deemed by the doctor (Pietrow, 2007).

 

 

References

Curhan, G. C. (2011). Nephrolithiasis. In: Goldman, L. & Schafer, A.I., (eds.). Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier.

Pietrow, P. K.  (2007). Preminger GM. Evaluation and medical management of urinary lithiasis. In: Wein AJ, ed. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier.

 

Emerging trends in development of literacy skills

Introduction

Various researches conducted illustrate the importance of adopting appropriate strategies in

developing of literacy skills among children.  These skills develop at a tender age and this requires the initiative of teachers and parents to enhance its development.   Chapter 4 of the textbook Teaching Reading in Today’s Elementary Schools (Roe & Smith, 2012), The role of literacy in early childhood education (Dorothy et al 2011) and Ecological influences of the home and the child-care center on preschool-age children’s literacy development (Daniel, Sally & Kymberley, 2011), provide a range of information and ideas that can be adopted by teachers in promoting literary skills. The paper delineates on these three sources in highlighting their contribution to the topic, their differences and further expresses personal responses to the ideas postulated. These insights are expected to add value and increase the knowledge base of the teachers on the best modalities of developing literacy skills among students.

In Chapter 4 of the textbook Teaching Reading in Today’s Elementary Schools, Roe & Smith (2012), postulate the importance of development of cognitive skills among children. This is one of the most important stage and more so defining in the life of children.  At this stage, the most important things that children develop is language. Language development varies from one children to another. These variations are brought by the differences in the environments and the ways the children relate with both their parents and teachers.  Learning to read and write requires application of different strategies. Teachers must therefore possess skills and knowledge to guide children at this early stage of their learning.  At this stage, children develop their phonemic awareness and therefore, they require adequate preparation for them to comprehend and understand them well.  At this stage, children learn how to recognize letters and alphabetic principles that are important in their comprehension of language. They are also introduced to print concepts and conventions whereby they can relate what is written and comprehend it. Teachers are also required to guide the children by reading the letters aloud. Sometimes self selected reading and writing helps students to comprehend and understand various words easily. At this stage, students develop oral language skills and therefore, they must be good listeners, involve in dramatic play and creative dramatics.  Such avenues help them to sharpen their oral skills. Classroom environment is yet another important consideration, when it comes to development of literacy skills among children.  There needs to be diversity in classroom to ensure that students are triggered to be creative.  School and home connection plays fundamental role in the children acquisition of literacy skills and therefore this also should be factored in by teachers. Some students may not acquire literary skills such as language easily because, of the influence of their homes language. Therefore, this is a challenge that requires to be addressed by the teachers to ensure that they help their students to develop these skills appropriately.  One of the importance things that need to be done by the teachers is to assess their children on their progress. This assessment is not done in vein but rather to provide early interventions to children that may be lagging behind. It should be understood that this is one of the most important development of literacy stage in children and therefore, nothing should be left untouched.

Ecological influences of the home and the child-care center on preschool-age children’s literacy development by Daniel, Sally & Kymberley, (2011), asserts that home and school environments play a fundamental role in the development of literary skills among children. This seems to be an extension of what the chapter 4 textbook by Roe and Smith alludes. Environments seem to play a key role in the acquisition of literary skills and language development among children.

The article provided a conclusion that the environments from which children comes from affected them differently because they come from different backgrounds; they are differently socialized and this impacts on their language and literary development when they join a school. Therefore, understanding this difference is essential for the teachers to allow them an opportunity to teach these children better. Furthermore, it is a very critical stage, which requires devotion and determination and application of appropriate teaching skills to help these children get accustomed to the new environment.

The article further, consent to the fact that, the aspects of home and school play a critical role in supporting of the children skills.  According to the article, the change in environment may take one year for the children to adapt to the new environment. Therefore, teachers have the responsibility to ensure that they continuously work on streamlining their children to adapt to the new environment. This article therefore provides concrete ways in which teachers in schools might organize, plan and implement their strategies.  Therefore, this article is excellent in providing tangible evidence about the early stages of cognitive development and therefore, a good extension of chapter four main messages on the issues that need to be considered in their learning process.  I do believe that this article will be re-visited and adopted by teachers to help in their teaching profession.

Another article, “The role of literacy in early childhood education” by Dorothy et al (2011) retaliate the previous views of the other two articles on advancing literary and language skills amongst children. The article provides an emphasis for the teachers to work closely with parents and guardians in advancing their early literary skills. The articles contends that research has shown that parental involvement where parents use literacy and engage children in activities that promote their literacy skills are well prepared for school as opposed to those that do not engage their children in the same. According to Dorothy et al (2011), learning to read and write is an ongoing process and it does not necessarily begin at the kindergarten but rather at home (p. 86).  Therefore, parents’ support is paramount from the early stage of children life.

The article further acknowledges that children should be involved in the learning process to have an added advantage in terms of acquiring vocabulary knowledge, print awareness, writing skills, and letter recognition skills. These are important skills in the cognitive development of children in the subsequent grades.  Language development and writing and reading skills are important factors that contribute to the cognitive development of a child at this at stage.  Phonological awareness begins early among the children with rhyming chants and games on their parents’ knees. They also learn from listening and talking and this contributes to their development of their ability to read and write.

 Teachers have a role too in ensuring that children are able to acquire literacy skills.  These skills need not to be taught in isolation but rather, teachers need to teach their children how to apply the skills they have learned to impact on their ability to read. This allows children to have the ability of manipulating sounds and word and this contributes to their understanding and reading outcomes.  Therefore, teachers have the role of creating a good learning environment that would enable these children to understand these concepts at this early stage of their literary education. The article further acknowledges the use of direct teaching or teacher-child interactions as one of the strategies in their teaching. This strategy is not frequently used and yet it is appropriate in developing literacy skills among the children.  Opportunity to encourage children to interact with their literacy related materials such as giving children opportunity to use various writing materials need to be used in their teaching. Therefore, this requires that environment at which learning takes place should be conducive to enhance the process of skill acquisition.

Dorothy et al (2011) further provides key implications for parents and teachers inn development of literacy skills among children.  Both the parents and teachers need to understand that learning capacity of a child is not determined at their birth. This means that every child have the potential and capability to develop good literacy skills if the parents and teachers provide them with good environment to develop these skills.   Second is that language and literacy skills can be developed at home through various informal and enjoyable ways and that parents and teachers need to provide opportunity to their children to use what they know about literacy and language in order to help them use what they know in other situations.

At these early stages of children, both parents and teachers need to take time to listen and respond to their children, explain things to them, engage children in extended conversations on various issues such as print media, events, storybooks, and use sophisticated words when appropriate when talking to children. This will help children to learn and develop cognitive skills quickly.

Just like the two other articles, there is a concerted effort to ensure that learners acquire broad, deep, universal understanding of various early developing literary skills. This research, acknowledge the important of teachers and parents’ guidance and participation in the acquisition of these skills among children.  The rest of the article as Roe and Smith article provides specific   activities and course of actions that teacher needs to bring to the educational table to engage their students to acquire literary skills at their preschools.

Therefore, all three articles present meticulous ideas that together provide an opportunity for learners to develop concrete literary schools in their early age. The textbook, is instrumental in providing guidance and enhancing holistic understanding of the needs of a child as they develop their literary skills. It gives an expansive elaboration or explanation of what it is required in ensuring that indeed children benefit at this early stage.

Daniel, Sally & Kymberley (2011) article continues to expand, on the ideas and concept of Roe and Smith on the needs of enhancing the learning environment. It is actually important to factor in the different environments, that is home and school in the development of literacy skills among children. There is an immediate shock or change of environment and this may affect on how the children comprehend what they are taught at school. Therefore, using appropriate strategies becomes an important thing in providing instruction to these children.

Dorothy et al (2005), on the other hand, has provided a depth analysis of the duties of parents and teachers to impact positively on the learning process of their children. The article expands the educational landscape and encourages integration of learning strategies for the improvement of literary skills among children.  Environment is also one of the considerations those parents and teachers need to factor in their interactions with children. Children develop their literacy and language skills from listening and talking and impacts of their capability to read and write. Hence, all the studies meet the threshold of efficacy and best practices. Development of literary skills is one of the fundamental stages in the development of children cognitive. Therefore, it is upon teachers and parents to use the best strategies as captured in these studies.  Environment is yet another important factor that needs to be considered in developing literary skills. Children come from different backgrounds, therefore, teachers, and parent’s plays a role of ensuring that the learning continuum they are exposed to produces successful educational outcomes.

 

References

Daniel, W., Sally, M., & Kymberley B. (2011). Ecological influences of the home and the child-   care center on preschool-age children’s literacy development, Reading Research    Quarterly, 40(2): 204-233.

Dorothy, S et al (2011). The role of literacy in early childhood education, The Reading Teacher, 58(1):86-100.

Roe, B. D., & Smith, S. H. (2012). Teaching reading in today’s elementary schools. (11th ed., pp. 301-345). Canada: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

 

 

Consumer Behavior

A consumer is the ultimate end user of a company’s product or service. Consumer behavior refers to how consumers make a decision to purchase a particular product. Marketers of a company always strive to understand the consumer behavior to enable them to design effective marketing stimuli that will lead to an increase in sales and brand loyalty. Coca Cola is among the leading companies in the world in terms of marketing strategy. In order to maintain a high brand among its consumers, the company invests heavily in market research to understand the consumer behavior. This paper will address how Coca Cola Company utilizes marketing mix stimuli to influence consumer behavior towards the consumption of Coke brand and other products.

Coca Cola is one of the most recognizable brands in the world. The company has established a brand that attracts consumers and hence is regarded as a successful organization due to its high brand equity. One of the key elements for the company’s success is its branding strategies (Lopez, 2012).  Since 1866 when the company started its operations, the branding strategies have been raising consumer interest making Coca Cola to remain a highly competitive company. Through continuous reinvention of its brand has contributed towards making Coca Cola a leading non-alcoholic beverage in the world.

Coca Cola has adopted a strategy of global marketing where it considers the whole world as a single market place.  With this approach, the company uses a uniform marketing strategy that is applicable to all countries where the Coca Cola brand is sold. The use of marketing mix stimuli has seen the company use different marketing campaigns for the different regions of the world as determined by consumer behavior.

Distribution is about getting the products close to consumers in a strategic way. In 1919 Coca cola decided to expand to the global market. Thorough market research was conducted in Central America, China, and other countries in the world where Coca cola planned to introduced its brand. Due to efficient and successful marketing research, the company launched its product in the global market. There are various reasons why the company decided to venture into the global market. Coca cola is brand that can be consumed by many people irrespective of their age, gender, race, or other social affiliations. Marketing in the global market requires the company to have a marketing team that understands the consumer behavior.

With a presence in 200 countries, Coca Cola must have effective and reliable distribution channels. In order to reach out to all its consumers, Coca Cola Company has established extensive distribution systems that ensure constant supply of Coke brand products.  The distributors are also involved in the pricing of the Coke products in relation to the prevailing market conditions. It is also through these distribution channels that Coke is always available to its consumers. When consumers fail to get their favorite products from the market, they are likely to look for alternatives from the competing brands. This is the scenario that Coke has been avoiding by ensuring constant supply of its products. The company has established bottling plants in different regions of the world where it commands the market share. It is for this reason, that Coca Cola products are available in thousands of supermarkets and other sales outlets in the world.

After the company identifies its consumers it establishes a national bottling plant that is responsible for bottling of the Coca products in a given country. This brings the products closer to the consumers. Coca Cola does not have shares in the running of the local bottling plants. To ensure that the Coke products are distributed to various selling points, the company cooperates with the bottling plants to identify business people who can establish a reliable supply chain for the Coke products. It is for this reason that Coke products are found even in the remotest parts of the world. This has a positive effect in the consumer behavior since no consumer is denied a chance to get Coca Cola products due to their location. In regard to this, Coke has attained a status of a universal drink that is used by all consumers irrespective of their social status.

The change in marketing strategies for the Coke brand is driven by how consumers spend their time. In the earlier days when the Coca cola Company was established, the Coke brand had not been established because brand identity was not strong. Things have however changed and the company has focused in brand management that has made Coke to be an international brand that is almost synonymous with the Coca cola Company. The Coke brand just like the other Coca Cola products has remained consisted for the last 125 years when the company started its operations (Lopez, 2012).  The Coke brand is similar in all markets a move that have made consumers to develop brand loyalty over the years. The company has been involved in product innovation that has made it possible to retain the ingredients for its products even when it needs to introduce change. This is evident from the company logo that has remained the same despite some competitors making improvement on their logos as a re-branding strategy. The company has standardized its brand visions and architecture.

Coca Cola Company is aware that consumers can only buy its brands if they are aware of its existence. In relation to this, the company engages in brand awareness as a general communication for the promotion strategies. By enhancing brand awareness, the company hopes to influence its consumers to always think of the Coke brand whenever they are presented with options for quenching thirst or for entertainment purpose. Some of the common approaches used by the company for brand awareness include advertising, sales promotion, and personal selling.

Coke is in a category of products that are consumed daily, and hence it is necessary to have strategies of connecting with consumers. The marketing strategy for the Coca cola is to communicate to the consumers on a daily basis. Promotions for the Coke brand are done on regular basis and target specific market as determined by market demand. During sales promotions, the company uses various tactics to get the attention of the consumers. In most cases, discounts are used as the main aspect of promotion (Mantel & Frank, 2009).  For instance, a sales promotion for the Coke brand may introduce sports challenges where consumers get coupons where that they use for sending their details to be included in some competitions. The rewards for the sales promotions are determined by the marketing team based on the type on consumers being targeted in the promotion. If the promotion targets students, then it is held during schools opening periods or when schools have closed.

Promotion for Coke products are often held during festive occasions such as Christmas, Easter, and New Year celebrations. Coke has been uses the image of Santa Claus while promoting its products during the festive season. Santa Claus is in nowadays an image that is associated with the Coke brand due to its white and red colors that are also present on Coke bottles. The use of this image has been successful in attracting younger consumers who get a feeling that Coke is an ideal drink to be consumed during Christmas season. This prepares consumers psychologically with some of them making purchases before Christmas to avoid last minute rush (Lopez, 2012). In other situations, the Coca Cola Company carries its promotions based on minority groups. As such, it may have promotions in certain regions in the world where there are local celebration. It is also within the company’s policy to recognize the national holidays for the countries where it is based. This makes the local consumers to connect to the company brands in appreciation of its involvement in local events.

Television advertising is one method that has been adopted by the company as a way of reaching out to the world market. All the Coke adverts are tailor-made to fit the local or the international market. To address the needs of the various regions, TV commercials are aired in different languages with English being the language with the largest following. The need to use other local languages was arrived at after it was realized that Coke was being consumed by customers from diverse backgrounds. According to market statistics, the advertising through TV commercials has been very successful in maintaining customers as well as in attracting new customers for the Coke product. According to the Company reports, a lot of money is spent for various forms of advertising with TV adverts taking the largest share. In TV, the company focuses on the 60-second commercials that are described as marketing strategist as effective.

Coca Cola has also introduced digital marketing with an aim of capturing the many consumers who use internet on daily basis. For instance, the company has established a website referred to as mycokerewards.com in USA that has more than 15 million people registered on that website. These people engage with the company on daily basis through blogs and emails. In this way, the consumers are given a change to raise their concerns to the company that are then addressed accordingly. This in return reinforces the love that consumers have for the Coke brand.

Another way that the Coca cola Company has enhanced digital marketing is through the social media. In Facebook, the Coca cola fun page that has more than 22 million followers. These are some of the consumers of the Coca-cola products who regularly post important information that is useful to the company for brand improvement. Very few brands, if any, have a following of 22 million fans on social media and hence this is a clear indication of the brand loyalty that consumers have towards Coke (Lopez, 2012). Company reports indicate there are more than one billion servings of Coke everyday and hence the people on the social media are just a small percentage of the total consumers for the Coke brand.

By looking at some of the posts on the fan page, it is possible to understand consumer behavior and expectation. There are some who show their love for the Coke brand by posting photographs showing houses furnished with Coke memorabilia. This is indeed a real passion for the Coke products. Studies have shown that people become fans of Coke on Facebook because they love the brand and want to find out how other consumers express their love for the brand. Consumer behaviors are also revealed on these sites as people post videos and photos of real Coke consumption occasions (Lopez, 2012). Through the customer relations department, the company engages with its consumers in the social media by regularly posting on the social pages as a brand. In addition, the company does not regulate what people can say in the social media and they sometimes post nasty things about the company. The strategy for dealing with the consumers from the social media is being open with critical information regarding the brand and to avoid being defensive.

It is of importance to note that all the adverting for the Coke brand is designed to make the consumers associate the brand with a sense of happiness.  Most of the Coke adverts are designed with the international audience in mind. Advertising ahs the greatest influence to the consumers where most of them start being loyal to Coke brand after watching beautiful advertisements (East, Wright, & Yanhuele, 2008). Advertising is supposed to persuade people into consuming a specific product in the market. However, some people may not be easily convinced to use the Coke product probably due to prior beliefs. The company tries to attract the attention of such people by including famous personalities in the advertisements. These may be actors, musicians, or professional models. Consumers form cognitive responses to these personalities which eventually lead to a change in attitude towards the ads.

Coca Cola Company has also been connecting to its consumers by sponsoring world events. The company has been consistent in sponsoring Olympics and FIFA World Cup events for more than 75 years. It is within the understanding of the company that such events attract millions of fans most of whom are consumers or potential consumers for the Coca Cola products. The advantage that Coca Cola has over other companies sponsoring the events is its huge network due to the many countries where the brand is consumed (Solomon, 2003). The company also creates an integrated communication program where it consolidates the world support for those events. The company benefits by tapping the consumer passion surrounding such events. During such international events, Coca Cola benefits by advertising its products to the fans attending the events.  It is also notable that the company gets more viewership during such events by introducing television adverts when important games are taking place. Although the company states that it spends a lot of money in sponsoring international events, it has always appreciated the consumer interaction.

Lately there have been a lot of concerns on the health issues brought about by the consumption of soft drinks such as Coke. Many campaigns are held by health activists informing consumers on the dangers of using the soft drinks. If consumers were to listen to this, the implication would be drastic drop in sales (Mantel & Frank, 2009).  In the Coca Cola, the management has been concerned with the global health campaigns against the use of non-alcoholic beverages. The Coke brand has been a particular target with some rumors being spread that it causes cancer to consumers. This is a health scare that may lead to consumers seeking for alternative brands from other companies to avoid health complication. The company responded through international media and refuted the claims that the drink has cancer-causing elements. To achieve positive influence in this response, the company had to maintain its principle of letting consumers make a choice on the products they want to use. Other health concerns have been that Coca Cola products, and especially Coke, have tendencies of causing obesity if taken regularly. Although the company has not been keen in defending such allegations, it is a common knowledge that obesity may be caused by many other products that contain sugar. To deal with this scare, the company introduced many other brands that do not have a lot of sugar or have no sugar at all. Some of these brands include Soda water, Tonic soda, and bitter lemon. Lately, the company also introduced Coke Zero which is a brand that does not contain soluble sugar (Lopez, 2012).  This brand is gaining popularity in the market as its main target is men and other consumers who may be having diabetic problems.

In order to serve various consumer interests in beverages, the Coke brand has been keen in developing its packaging.  Under this circumstance, the company has introduced the multiserve packs that allow consumers to buy the drink and consume it at their comfort. Coke is an affordable drink that makes it possible for consumers to have moments of happiness with minimum expenses (Hawkins, Best, & Coney, 2003). This has made the brand to succeed as people can take the drink in restaurants, movie theaters, and from their homes after meals.

One of the main strengths for the Coca Cola Company has been its bottling system.  This permits the company to conduct business on a global scale while at the same time maintain a national approach. All the bottling plants are domestically owned and run by independent businessmen who are authorized by Coca Cola to sell its products. Since Coke does not have a total ownership for the bottling systems, its main source of revenue comes from the sales of syrup or concentrate to the bottlers.

Bottling plants located in different regions are responsible for making the packaging for various Coca Cola brands. In order to bring diversity and freshness to the Coke products, the Coke brand is packed in different sizes from 200 ml to 2 liters. The Coke bottle has a unique shape that is not easy to be imitated by competitors. As a way of targeting travelers, the company introduced plastic contour bottles for the 500ml and 2 liters (Murthi & Kannan, 2004). This was received well by consumers since the bottles are not returnable and therefore can be used for storing other house hold items. In reality, there are some consumers who buy the plastic Coke with an intention to reuse the bottle for storing water.

In order to target the youth and those consumers interested in sports, Coca Cola introduced the contour aluminium can to the market. This had a positive impact to the consumers who could use the cans to carry their drinks to sporting events such as football without being embarrassed. The cans are also used to put other fluids such as juice or water and hence making consumers to feel a real value for their money.

Another way that Coke has been using marketing mix stimuli to influence consumer behavior is through point of purchase display. The company applies specific patterns in displaying its products in supermarkets, shops and other selling points. The products are arranged in such a way that this can catch consumers attention due to the combination of white and red colors in the displays. In supermarkets Coke products are arranged together to create a feeling of plenty. Red and white banners may also be included in the display to add glamour. Positioning of the Coke products is normally strategic to ensure that all the consumers visiting a supermarket or a shopping mall can locate the products at ease. In most places, the display for the Coke products is situated near the points of sale to encourage consumers to pick the products when probably paying for their other purchases. The company also puts a lot of effort in ensuring effective display for its products by providing coolers to all sellers dealing coke products. This is done with the assistance from local distributors or the bottling companies.

Coca Cola has managed to remain a leading company in the sale of soft drinks due to its application of marketing mix stimuli to influence consumer behavior through cognitive responses. The company has been keen in establishing formidable marketing strategies to enable its products to reach out to the billion of consumers in the global market. The pricing of its products is affordable to many consumers. It is successful in the distribution of its products through collaborations with national bottling companies and distributors in the local markets. To create brand awareness, the company also holds regular promotions for the Coke products in addition to constant advertising. This has made its consumers to develop brand loyalty resulting to increased sales for the Coke products.

 

List of References

East, R., Wright, M., & Yanhuele, M. (2008). Consumer Behavior: Applications in Marketing.      New York: Routldge.

Hawkins, D.  Best, R., & Coney, K. (2003). Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing Strategy.     New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Lopez, D. (2012). Brand Development of Coca- Cola Company: Exploring New Branding.           London: GRIN Verlag.

Mantel, P. & Frank, K. (2009). The Role of Direction of Comparison, Attribute-Based      Processing, and Attitude-Based Processing in Consumer Preference.” Journal of         Consumer Research, 12(1), 58-63.

Murthi, B., & Kannan,  S. (2004). Consumers’ Extent of Evaluation in Brand Choice. Journal of   Business, 7(6), 112-145.

Onkivisit, S., & shaw, J. (2008). International Marketing: Strategy and Theory. New York:            Routledge.

Solomon, Michae,l R. (2003). Consumer Behavior. New York: Prentice Hall.

An Overview of the Accounting Profession

 

During my college years, I have been faced with numerous important decisions pertaining to my career choice, for instance my career path has really been an issue of concern, as well as the kind of organization I would work for.  I am an accounts student therefore I chose to interview an internal auditor working for the central government to gain insight in the field. This paper would strive to shed more light about the accounting field by analyzing data collected through interviewing a professional accountant.

Accounting is the process of recording, analyzing and discussing the financial data of a business. They maintain the company’s financial record and provide expert advice on contracts and business deals. Contrast to popular belief that one has to be a mathematician to practice accounting, one only need to be equipped with the basic components of math like addition and subtraction. There are four sub-fields in accounting: management accountants, public accountants, government accountants and internal accountants. I aspire to be a public accountant. Public accountants could be contracted to carry out various accounting tasks like: auditing, accounting and offering advice on tax. They could be contracted by NGOs, the government, corporations or even individual clients.

As mentioned earlier, my respondent is a government accountant. The sole responsibility is to examine and evaluate the government departmental records. Their secondary obligations include: performance evaluation, budgeting, asset management, and cost evaluation. They organize and evaluate the information that state secretaries should consider in the making of crucial decisions. My respondent informed me that it is the public accountants that make sure that the funds allocated to a government department is utilized according to the law.

My respondent was firmly rooted in the field, having attained a CPA, certificate, ACCA and a bachelor’s degree in commerce. He chose the career because of his great interests for arithmetic and evaluation. His favorite subject in high school was mathematics; nevertheless, he stated that as long as one is familiar with the fundamentals in math, then one could practice accounting. According to my respondent, a high proportion of accounting firms point to poor communication skill as a chief reason for job termination. Good communication strategies are important for communicating and writing accounting reports. Many employers are screening probable employees for written and oral communication techniques, besides the accounting qualifications, and how those skills would benefit the company. The field is a service field, and communication with a client enables one to understand where the client is coming from.

Some firms send their employees to training, and upon their return, they share a pool of knowledge on how to maximize a customer’s relationship with the rest of the organization. He advised me to make maximum use of such opportunities and volunteer my services. Majority of firms place a great premium on mentoring. My respondent advised me to seek more information on mentorship programs and get someone who would show him how the practice is conducted.

My respondent confessed to having rubber band shootouts all through the tax season to release a bit of tension and enjoy some free time. By the end of the tax period, a typical accountant could complete an average of 70 hours per week.(only if the accountant is organized). He continued that the tax seasons have been the major points of surprise in the course of his career. The busiest season falls in April, and he usually take an extension on any returns that are brought into the office as from April 1^st. he states that this is a strategy he applies in order to get some relieve during the peak times.

My respondent provides main book keeping services like bank reconciliations, payroll financial statement compilations and general ledger posting. He also offers HR functions such as employee handbook assemblage and the management of benefits. Excellent client service is his aim. Y respondent focused his concentration on accounting while in high school and worked as a bookkeeper in lots of small organizations. He finally landed an offer as a CPA and absorbed the accounting spirit. He started at a local community college and attained his Associates in the field before enrolling for a degree in commerce. He plans to enroll for a master’s degree in Forensic Accounting once he secures a study leave from his employer. He confessed that the most one of the important stepping stone for a college student in the field is to seek as much transitional jobs on the field as possible. He stated that employers are seeking experienced candidates more than college graduates with only their academic qualifications to show.

Practical experience is highly valued in the field, particularly the sub-field of Forensic Accounting. They are on high demand in fraud cases, divorce proceedings and buy-outs. I a personality likes playing psychologist, detective, and enjoys accounting, then this is the path to take. A CAP could become a CFE; Certified Fraud Examiner. Accounting is a pretty established career. Audit, taxes and book keeping always need to be evaluated. It is quite demanding, but working for your own firm is could be the best option in terms of pay and benefits. If the option of owning your own firm is a dream, but resources are limited, one could start with a small CPA firm with the objective of getting into partnership and finally an owner.

The entry-level jobs in the field vary as per the level of one’s education. For instance, the positions of a bookkeeper and an accounting clerk require a high school certificate and maybe a two-year associate degree in the field. The position requires that one should show an in-depth understanding of the concepts thus a minimum of a four-year degree in accounting. Some accountants opt to become certified Public Accountants in order to widen the scope of their opportunities. A CPA requires only a college credit over and above the accounting major, reflect some work experience, and finally, one needs to excel in the CPA exams to be on the safe side.

Te field offers collegial working environment in terms of being surrounded by numerous people with similar concerns and interests. Many accounting firms usually hire large classes of fresh college graduates resulting to an enhanced acclimation to the job as well as the firm. It also offers fertile ground for networking. My respondent stated that he started off alongside 100 other college graduates, and their bonding was rapid in the course of training. While most of his former college mates have long left the firm, he still maintains contact with most of them which is exciting, since they’ve all spread out to different companies.

The accounting knowledge is also applicable to various functions. A great deal of the accounting knowledge can be applied in many management functions, including manufacturing and purchasing, retailing and wholesaling, finance and marketing. It offers a basis on which to establish broad knowledge on typically all industries and business functions. As the gatherers and collectors of financial data, accountants acquire substantive knowledge on what is taking place and close relationships with chief decision makers. They are growingly being called upon to provide strategic advice. That is why senior controllers and accountants are selected for appointment as marketing or production executives since they have attained deep general managerial skills.

Another reason that informed my respondent’s choice of the career is the better hours and much less stress than management consulting and investment banking. The hours and mobility required by a professional accountant are more predictable and less stressful than that for investment bankers. In the case of public accountants, one expects to be busy during the tax periods and then settle to a manageable 40-46 hours per week. On the other hand, investment bankers and financial consultants are reputable for their regular pull of 60-80 hours every week.

The profession greatly favors women. Women represent around 60% of the total number of accountants in the United States. The field has taken proactive measures in the implementation of flexible work organizations and other ventures to provide favorable lifestyles for women. His 17 years of experience have worked to reveal that women make better accountants than men because women give enough attention even to small details, as opposed to men who tend to focus the whole of their attention only on the big picture. It is common knowledge that the field requires a detail-oriented approach more than any other profession.

One of the major cons of the profession is its lower pay as compared to consulting investment banking. The more convenient lifestyle has its substitution, and it is lower pay. On average, the starting basic salary of a professional accountant is lower to investment banking and consulting by 15-20%, excluding the significant bonus incentives that would raise the bankers’ and consultants’ pay. However, my respondent reiterated that he makes a the same money as compared to an investment banker with the same level of qualifications because of his posting with the government- the government offers many benefits and allowances.

Another reason that makes the profession a little less desirable is the multiple projects that a public accountant could be subjected to. They are assigned numerous projects at the same time and should organize themselves by prioritizing the tasks. According to my respondent, juggling through projects has proved to be a hard nut to crack. He confessed to having mixed up some tasks out of the pressure of multiple projects and really got into trouble with his seniors because of a perceived lack of attention.

Lastly, the profession forces one to become chargeable through billing a high proportion of your of your hours to work performed for paying clients, and not to a non-billable projects. This is one of the single-most subtler, yet greatly sensitive periods of being a professional accountant. Just like lawyers, public accountants usually work under billable hour organizations. This insinuates that they should account for every single minute spent on work and accurately allocate enough time to each project, whether it is client related or otherwise. This arrangement, while usually tedious, is absolutely sensitive to the profession. It provides the basis for how the public accountants evaluate revenues, profitability, expenses, efficiency, performance and a host of other parameters. With such practical items in jeopardy, chargeability and timesheets are mainly the subject of much consternation and stress.

The profession is wide and interesting to explore. My respondent was categorical to state that in all his 17 years in the field, he has never made a token of regret. He confessed that the challenges offer a new way of appreciating the profession every time.

 

Reference List

Irvin, G. (2006). Internal audit role in governance, risk, and control. Gainesville: Fla Gleim.

Needle, B., Powers, M., & Croson, S. (2011). special journal. Cliff’s notes , 2.