Case Pre -Meningitis Essay Example

Case Pre -Meningitis Essay Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs. Meningitis can be life-threatening because of the inflammations proximity to the brain and spinal cord; therefore the condition is classified as a medical emergency. The most common symptoms of meningitis are headache and neck stiffness associated with fever, confusion or altered consciousness, vomiting, and an inability to tolerate light (photophobia) or loud noises (phonophobia). In adults, a severe headache is the most common symptom of meningitis – occurring in almost 90% of cases of bacterial meningitis, followed by nuchal rigidity (inability to flex the neck forward passively due to increased neck muscle tone and stiffness). Nuchal rigidity occurs in 70% of adult cases of bacterial meningitis. Other signs of meningism include the presence of positive Kernigs sign or Brudzinskis sign. Kernigs sign is assessed with the patient lying supine, with the hip and knee flexed to 90 degrees. In a patient with a positive Kernigs sign, pain limits passive extension of the knee. A positive Brudzinskis sign occurs when flexion of the neck causes involuntary flexion of the knee and hip. Although Kernigs and Brudzinskis signs are both commonly used to screen for meningitis, the sensitivity of these tests is limited. Our group decided to take this particular case because based in our knowledge before; meningitis can be acquired through a head injury or contusion. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Pre -Meningitis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Case Pre -Meningitis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Case Pre -Meningitis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We became more interested with the case as we get hold of the patient’s chart. Then we found out that meningitis has lots of origin or roots. And as we go on with her chart, we found the three common signs of meningitis, the nuchal rigidity, headache and fever. We want to have more background and knowledge about this disease, because there are still many people that are not aware of this disease, and we want to share our gained knowledge for them to become aware and they will know the risk factors on how it is being acquired. If they become aware of this, they will learn and know how to prevent such diseases and there will be less mortality rate due to meningitis. We are hoping that through this case presentation each of one of us will understand this very well to help other people in the community to become more aware and will live a healthy lifestyle. Patient History ?Patient’s Name: Ms. EE ?Hospital Number: 493132 ?Address: Block 16 Planters, Cainta Rizal ?Date of Birth: April 19, 1991 ?Age: 19 Occupation: unemployed ?Birthplace: Pasig ?Nationality: Filipino ?Religion: Catholic ?Date Admitted: May 4, 2010 @ 9:18 pm Attending Physician: Felix Roberto G. Torres II. NURSING HISTORY A. PAST HEALTH HISTORY ?The client, Ms. EE has had childhood illness such as measles and as she can remember she acquired this when she was 8 years old. She forgot if she has a complete immunization. She has no known allergies to any food, drugs, insects or any other environmental agents. She also said that there is no o ne her family has known communicable or infectious disease. It is her first time to be hospitalized with her chief complaint, which is neck stiffness. Despite of this she does not take any medications to ease her pain. B. HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS ?Two weeks prior to admission, patient had carbuncle in the forehead, then after a week the carbuncle spread on nape and right leg. Neither consultation done nor medication taken. Then 5 days prior to admission, the patient developed fever, headache, nausea without vomiting. And still neither consultation done nor medication taken. And 2 days after, she experienced pain of the neck and jaw, drooping of the left eyelid with associated changes in sensorium. The patient consulted at San Lazaro Hospital hence admitted. C. FAMILY HISTORY ?The patient denied of having any familial disease. She said that every member of their family has no known communicable or non-communicable disease. III. PATTERNS OF FUNCTIONING A. PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH ?Ms. EE seems to cope very well in every problem she encounters. But during our interaction with her we found out that she is not a demonstrative person, a shy type and does not want to be asked of so many questions especially about her health conditions.. When it comes to her cognitive patterns, her memory stays the same however she experiences problems when it comes to her eye sight(drooping of the left eyelid), hearing( otitis media), and smelling( with nasal discharges). She’s proud of whom she is but still, she said that she’s not yet satisfied with everything that she has. Now that she’s in the hospital, she looks depressed and not interested in expressing her thoughts and feelings. Before she got hospitalized she’s a happy and living in an ordinary world, as a teenager, she does some night life and fond of having friends. But now, she’s in the hospital, she’s a little bit bored and worried about her condition. ? Interpretation: EE exhibits an unhealthy lifestyle. She’s quite satisfied with what she has right now but still she tries to improve in every aspect. Her self-esteem is negatively projected. She seems having a hard time to adjust with certain problems and tries to hide them. ?Analysis: Each person has certain psychologic needs, such as the need for love, security, and self-esteem, which must be met to maintain psychologic homeostasis. When one or more of these needs is not met or is threatened, certain coping mechanisms are activated to protect the person and provide psychologic homeostais. ?The coping mechanisms families and individuals develop reflect their individual resourcefulness. Families may use coping patterns rather consistently over time or may change their coping strategies when new demands are made on the family. The success of a family largely on how well it copes with the stresses it experiences. (Fundamentals of Nursing 7th ed. by Kozier, Barbara et al. pp 189 and 193) B. SOCIO CULTURAL PATTERNS ?The patient is a typical filipina. She observes the Lenten season, Christmas day, and other Filipino traditions. She believes in certain Filipino myths like that of not sweeping the floor at night for it will surely bring misfortune. During her spare time, she can be seen watching the television. She’s also fond of going to the mall and some parks. And whenever she can, she takes a nap in the afternoon to compensate for her sleepless nights due to her anxiety. She describes her environment as something that is not conducive to healthy living. She has a good relationship with her neighbors. She is unemployed, but whenever her budget is short, she gets help from her siblings. She admitted that their environment is not that conducive for a healthy living, but still their barangay is doing some clean up to improve their community. Before she got hospitalized, her mother is always at her side and during her hospitalization her mother is still there. She prays before she go to sleep at night. †¢Interpretation: EE adheres to what her family has lived up to. She follows cultural norms and respects other cultures as well. ?Analysis: A person’s perceptions of and reactions to hospital experience are influenced by individual factors, including family health beliefs and practices, economic factors and cultural and ethnic backgrounds. (Fundamentals of Nursing by: Taylor et al. P 791) Having a support network (family, friends, or a confidant) and job satisfaction helps people avoid illness. Support people also help the person confirm that illness exists. People with inadequate support networks sometimes allow themselves to become increasingly ill before confirming the illness and seeking therapy. Support people also provide the stimulus for an ill person to become well again. (Fundamentals of Nursing 7th Edition by Barbara Kozier et al. p. 178, 406) SPIRITUAL PATTERNS ?The patient’s belongs to a Religious affiliation called Roman Catholic but admitted that she attend the Sunday mass occasionally. She’s not active in joining religious groups. ?Interpretation: The patient is observing religious practices as a catholic. ?Analysis: Both positive and negative experiences can influence spirituality, and in turn are influenced by the meaning of a person’s spiritual beliefs attribute to them. (Fundamentals of Nursing by: Taylor et al. p. 982) ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING Activities of Daily LivingBefore Hospitalization During Hospitalization Interpretation and Analysis 1. Nutrition She eats more than three times a day. It includes lots of rice, meat, poultry, vegetables, and at times a few serving of fruits. She’s not picky when it comes to food. She drinks plenty of fluids. She ate a three day recall in the hospital. When she got hospitalized, her appetite changed. However she eats whatever is served to her. Interpretation: Changes occurred when it comes to the patient’s appetite. She takes enough calories per day. Analysis: The nutritional habits established during young adulthood often lay the foundation for the patterns maintained throughout a person’s life. Many young adults are aware of the food groups but may not be knowledgeable about how many servings of each group they need or how much constitutes a serving. Kozier, Barbara et al. Fundamentals of Nursing Concepts, Process, and Practice, 7th Edition. p. 1180 Activities of Daily LivingBefore Hospitalization During Hospitalization Interpretation and Analysis 2. Elimination She defecates once or twice a day and she said that her stools are brown and are soft with foul smell. She experiences no pain in defecating. She voids at least 5 times a day and more especially when she drinks a lot of fluids. She said that her urine is yellow and has an aromatic odor. During her first week in the hospital, she didn’t void or defecate because she finds doing such hard. But now, she sees to it that she regularly excretes her wastes because she’s also afraid of further complications. Her stool is sometimes scanty and sometimes is copious in amount and brownish in color and with odor. The urine is yellowish in color. Interpretation: The patient experienced discomfort when she was admitted to the hospital. Her bladder and bowel movement changed due to sudden change in environment. Analysis: Bowel and bladder movements differ according to each person; they do not necessarily occur daily. http://www. virginia. edu/studenthealth/ Activities of Daily LivingBefore Hospitalization During Hospitalization Interpretation and Analysis 3. Exercise Ms. EE doesn’t perform exercises regularly, for her, walking is her major exercise, but at times, when she feels like it, she jogs along their street in the morning. She’s able to move minimally because of her condition. But she said that she follows what the nurses tell her Interpretation: She’s contented with her own physical activities. She doesn’t consider exercising a priority, thus there are greater chances of impaired physical mobility. Analysis: People often define their health and physical fitness by their activity because mental well being and the effectiveness of body functioning depend largely on their mobility status. Kozier, Barbara et al. Fundamentals of Nursing Concepts, Process, and Practice, 7th Edition. p. 394 Activities of Daily LivingBefore Hospitalization During Hospitalization Interpretation and Analysis 4. Hygiene She takes a bath twice a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. She bathes for 10-20 minutes. She brushes her teeth after every meal and said that she sees to it that it will last for at least 3 minutes. She does not received bed bath and bed shampoo everyday but performs sponge bath at least once a day.. She still brushes her teeth but only when she remembers to do so or if there’s someone to assist her. Interpretation: Her personal hygiene changed much. She appears not well-groomed. Analysis: Bathing produces a sense of well being. it is refreshing and relaxing and frequently improves morale, appearance and self-respect. Kozier, Barbara et al. Fundamentals of Nursing Concepts, Process, and Practice, 7th Edition. p. 394 Activities of Daily LivingBefore Hospitalization During Hospitalization Interpretation and Analysis 5. Substance Abuse EE drinks constantly. She’s a habitual drinkers and smokers. No substance abuse Interpretation: The client is a habitual drinker and smoker. This just goes to show that the patient is living an unhealthy lifestyle. Analysis: The cardiovascular is affected by cigarette smoking. Nicotine increases the heart rate, blood pressure, and peripheral vascular resistance, increasing the heart’s work load. Smoking causes vasoconstriction, and in areas where vessels already are narrowed by atherosclerosis, tissue oxygenation can be impaired. Recent studies suggest that moderate alcohol use may actually reduce the risk of heart disease; however, excessive alcohol intake affects oxygenation several ways. Alcohol is a respiratory depressant, slowing respiration. Alcohol abusers often are malnourished, increasing their risk of anemia and infections. Excess alcohol intake also increases the risk of hypertension. Kozier, Barbara et al. Fundamentals of Nursing Concepts, Process, and Practice, 7th Edition. p. 1339 Activities of Daily LivingBefore Hospitalization During Hospitalization Interpretation and Analysis 6. Sleep and Rest She usually sleeps for 6 hour. From 11pm to 5am. She said that she’s unsatisfied with it and she still feels sleepy during daytime. She sleeps earlier especially when the room is quiet. Interpretation: EE’s sleep cycle improved when she got confined to the hospital. She appears contented and shows no sign of sleep deprivation. Analysis:The sleep wake cycle is very important to young adults they usually have an active lifestyle, and are thought to require 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night but mat may do well on less. Kozier, Barbara et al. Fundamentals of Nursing Concepts, Process, and Practice, 7th Edition. p. 1116 Activities of Daily LivingBefore Hospitalization During Hospitalization Interpretation and Analysis 7. Sexual Activity She’s a lesbian, She doesn’t think of it any more. She’d rather do something else more important than thinking of it. No sexual activity Interpretation: The patient lacks fulfillment in this physiologic aspect. Her perspective detached her from performing and satisfying her sexual urges. Analysis: People experience sexual gratification in many ways, and what is considered normal differs from one individual to another and among cultures. Fundamentals of Nursing by: Taylor et al. p. 932 Physical Assessment: System Review General survey: ?Vital Signs: Temperature: 36. 9  ° via Axilla Pulse Rate: 66 bpm Respiratory Rate: 29 bpm Blood Pressure: 110/60 mmHg Pale and weak in appearance †¢Conscious, and coherent †¢Thin and slightly slouched †¢Appears depressed and shows withdrawal †¢With minimal body odor Integumentary system: †¢Pallor skin and nail beds †¢Normal skin turgor †¢With healing wounds on the forehead †¢Presence of dandruff on scalp EENT: Eyes †¢No edema or tearing †¢Black in color, equal in size, PERRLA (Pupil Equally Round Reactive to Light Accommodation) †¢Both eyes coordinated Ears: †¢With discharges on both ears- foul smelling and greenish †¢Symmetrical †¢Able to hear on both ears Nose: †¢Symmetric and straight †¢With yellowish nasal discharges Throat: †¢No complaints of difficulty in swallowing Musculoskeltal System: †¢Equal on both sides †¢weakness and flaccidity on left leg, †¢with poor ROM †¢(+) nuchal rigidity †¢No swelling and tenderness †¢No bone deformities Respiratory: †¢Equal lung symmetry †¢With equal lung expansion †¢Crakles heard upon auscultation †¢presence cough with bloody sputum, scanty in amount Cardiovascular: †¢with full pulsations †¢normal heart rate †¢no sound heard on auscultations G. I tract: †¢no diarrhea †¢no evidence of liver or spleen enlargement †¢audible bowel sounds †¢no tenderness †¢with normal bowel movement

Critical Analysis on Summer Reading essays

Critical Analysis on Summer Reading essays Books have been around for over a millennium, while the motion picture industry is no more than a century old. Despite this age difference, many of the qualities that make a book deep and entertaining are no different than what makes those two hours at your local cinema so immersive. Occasionally, a book will even take the form of a movie or visa-verse. Many times, however, a book that would seem rather irrelevant to a movie of a completely different nature may have more in common than one would assume. A great example of this literary connection is the similarity between the novel In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez and the movie Jakob the Liar starring Robin Williams. Three themes that are portrayed throughout both stories are hope, the utilization of propaganda, and using corruption to gain power. Propaganda plays a big role in both stories. For example, in Jakob the Liar, a Russian propaganda radio broadcast tells of German defeat, and Jakob spreads the news around the ghetto. Meanwhile, the Nazi regime is using propaganda to convince the German people that they are in control of the war effort. Similarly, an example of the use of propaganda in In the Time of the Butterflies is the twisted and guiltless lies about General Raphael Trujillo. He was viewed as a saint by all those who were ignorant of his ruthless regime. Those who were educated and did speak up did so at the cost of their lives. Through propaganda, Trujillo proclaims himself as more than just a president but a divine King. When she is still fairly young, Minerva Mirabal even admits, At home, Trujillo hung on the wall by the picture of Our Lord Jesus with a whole flock of the cutest lambs (Alvarez 17). Although no evil man like Trujillo should ever be viewed as equal to a God, at least this type of propaganda i s not physically harmful. The corruption and dishonesty needed to reach that point, however, is much more treacherous. ...

Operations and Quality Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operations and Quality Management - Assignment Example Visibility: It is perhaps not very necessary for the kitchen and preparation areas of the restaurant to be highly visible to the customers. Medium visibility would be an ideal option in this case. However, since the entire kitchen is "on display" to the customers, there is a high degree of visibility. Variation: There will be a fairly high variation in demand for the dishes at the restaurant. Thus, Yo! Sushi will have to establish corresponding operations to match the variations in demand. There should be a constant check on the demand and other factors should be adjusted accordingly. Yo! Sushi's operations signify that is has a "service shop" process type for the food production based on customer demand. Keeping into view the 4V Profile of the restaurant, this process type complements the profile more than contradicting it. The only setback is that there are a moderate number of transactions and thus the applicability of the service shop process type would be slightly off the mark. However, the other characteristics conform to the 4V profile and complement it. The combination of a cell layout, product and functional layout strategy at Yo! Sushi's makes it very efficient and resilient for change. It is quite optimized and there are few, if any, chances for a change that would make it more effective. For one, the cell layout strategy means that there are tables categorized into cells for each group of 4-6 people that the conveyor belt also caters to. Secondly the product-layout strategy is due to the fact that there is a conveyor belt mounted to the central zone of the restaurant running across it catering to the customers. There is a combination of an assembly line and a fixed-cell layout buffering concept in the kitchen and dining areas making the design suitable for flexible operations. The functional layout is overlapping the cell and product layouts and thus the existing layout of Yo! Sushi is quite comprehensively designed and is in no need of change for the better. The existing technology to process menus and automated handling of demand is a first-class example of how the layout is effective and that there are no changes needed at the moment. The job design is greatly affected by the 4V profile and the aspects of the layout implemented at Yo! Sushi. The fact that there is a great deal of emphasis on quality and flexibility, there is a corresponding effect on the job design: the menu attendants are expected to be flexible and carry out tasks beyond a specific well-defined horizon. They are expected to be aware of the processes in and out of the kitchen in order to make up for any absentees or to complement the short-comings of a particular process or person. The health and safety implications also

European Convention of Human Rights and UK law Essay

European Convention of Human Rights and UK law - Essay Example The various conflicts and revolutions in the world have shaped the concept of human rights as we know it. In the last two hundred and fifty years, we see the clamour for human rights as the clamour of a world and of the various peoples inside it for equality and freedom. The European Convention on Human Rights was crafted with the end in view of promoting and preserving these rights. In the ECHR, the writer has chosen Articles 10, which pertains to Freedom of Expression. It While the right to free speech and assembly is a crystallized principle that has been place almost since the beginning of time, enjoying a cherished position in the bill of rights of virtually all civilized legal systems, the interpretation of what constitutes free and protected speech still has yet to be perfectly refined. This provision has been invoked many times over in the course of history, whether within the European Union or outside, successfully and unsuccessfully; and Courts have had many opportunities to set standards and devise guidelines to determine if the speech in question should be protected or not. It becomes more difficult when the right to free speech competes with another principle, for example, the principle of public order. In "easy" cases, all that should be done is look through jurisprudence until one finds the applicable case with similar facts. In "hard" cases with novel facts, the role of the judge becomes infinitely more difficult. The boundaries are ever-shifting; and internally, the judge will be trying not only to apply the law, but to subject the facts of the case in question to her own subjective inquiry in order to determine intent or mens rea. Statement of the law Article 10 of the ECHR reads: 1. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. this right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises. 2. The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or the rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary. The United Kingdom law that will be examined in light of compatibilities and non-compatibilities are the Human Rights Act 1998, in particular the provision on the right to free expression and the right to privacy and the Public Order Act. The Human Rights Act 1998 received royal assent on November 9, 1998 and came into force on October 2, 2000. The objective of said Act was to harmonize the domestic law of the United Kingdom with the European Convention on Human Rights. To reaffirm the commitment of the UK to human rights and civil

Adaptation of the Fennec Fox to the Desert

Adaptation of the Fennec Fox to the Desert How the fennec fox (Vulpes zedra) has adapted to the desert environment The fennec fox is the smallest member of the Vulpes genus (formally in the Fennecus genus) only weighing 2.2 – 3.3 lbs. It is highly distinguishable by its huge ears measuring 6 inches, and a body length of up to 16 inches. It is a nocturnal animal that stays in its burrow and rests for the hottest parts of the day (The Nature of Wildworks, 2014.). It is a highly social animal and lives in family groups of up to 10 individuals (Fox, 1975). Formerly in the fennecus genus, it was later re-classified into the Vulpes genus which is the main taxonomic group of all foxes. Its geographical range is the north Sahara and Arabian deserts. The fox is under decline due to being hunted for the fur and pet trade which has had significant impacts on the wild species (The Nature of Wildworks, 2014.) The fennec fox has many adaptions to living in a desert environment. These can be broken down into 3 categories; Morphological, Physiological and Behavioural. Morphological Morphological adaptions are changes in the animal’s structure that helps it adapt to the extreme conditions of the Saharan dessert. One of the most significant morphological adaptations that the fennec possesses is its large ears. The ears are used to dissipate heat and maintain the optimum body temperature of the animal (Wathen, et al., 1971). The ear needs to be large to have a large surface area for heat dissipation. The statement that these actually cool the animal is not entirely true, they do not cool the animal and lower its body temperature, but instead maintain the optimum body temperature. In a study on jack rabbits, the ears were found to dissipate nearly 100% of all metabolic heat at air temperatures of only 30Â °C (Wathen, et al., 1971). This is only possible if the temperature of the fox is above the environmental temperature. The ears also play a critical role in nocturnal hunting (Wathen, et al., 1971). The large pinnae of the ear help direct low level sound i nto the ear which gives the fennec acute hearing allowing directional hearing (Ewer, 1973). This is a key adaption for hunting at night due to the low light levels, thus giving the fennec the ability to hunt effectively at night using sound as well as excellent night vision. The feet of the fennec are adapted to walking on the hot sand by having hairs covering their fleshy foot pads (Ewer, 1973). This prevents the foot from actually touching the scolding sand and will prevent injury when the fox is digging its burrow and walking across the hot dessert floor. The front paws are specially designed for digging burrows which the fennecs live and breeds in (Ewer, 1973). The fur of the fennec like most dessert animals is vital to coping with desert life. Not only does this insulate the animal, but studies have shown that the light fur of the animal can also reflect the solar radiation, therefore lessening the impact and reducing the heat load on the animal (Dawson Brown, 1970). This is most true in the fennec fox due to its sandy coloured or sometimes white fur. Meanwhile the thickness of the fur is a protection from the solar radiation of the skin. By creating this barrier, the fur prevents any damage to the skin from direct solar radiation. This is because the fur, as said before, partially reflects the solar radiation while the thicker deeper fur absorbs the heat (Dawson Brown, 1970). The heat absorption also helps the fox survive the freezing dessert nights while it feeds, by preventing the fennecs core body temperature from dropping too low. Physiological Physiological adaptions are changes in the animal’s system processes to enable them to adapt to changes in the environment. These changes enable the fennec to adapt to the extreme environment of the North African deserts. Carnivores, just as the fennec, are found in a number of deserts around the world. A major challenge that these organisms face is the replenishment of water. The fennec gains its water requirements solely from having mostly a carnivorous diet. The fennec, by eating alone, can maintain its water balance for over 100 days without having to drink (Vaughn, et al., 2000). This is done by the fennec having very concentrated urine that uses the least amount of water possible to function. This conserves a vast amount of water and coupled with its very low evaporate loss. Therefore it rivals small desert rodents in its water conservation (Vaughn, et al., 2000). This relates to selective predation and an ability to feed on a wide variety of food stuffs, while being abl e to become more economical with its metabolic water. The adaption of having a low basal metabolic rate is crucial to survival in dessert conditions. The fennec is no exception to this; it has one of the lowest BMRs of all Vulpes species of 60.7 percent (Golightly Ohmart, 1983). This means at rest the fox only uses the minimal amount of water needed to survive. This adaption allows a minimalized endogenous heat load which conserves metabolic water. This saving of water becomes critical in the desert due to the low precipitation levels and therefore having the adaptation of a low BMR helps maintain any dietary water acquired and conserves it. Behavioural Behavioural adaptations are changes in the animals conduct help it survive in a certain environment. Previously, little was known about the fennec foxes diet. It was previously thought that they were primarily insectivores and had barely any variety in their diet. However, a new study has shown that they are actually opportunistic feeders with food items being mostly insects, but it also feeds on small mammals and even plant material (Brahmi, et al., 2012). The study also shows that locality and abundance of food can also change the feeding behaviour of the fennec. This adaption is critical to the survival of any dessert animals. The ability to feed on many different food sources opens up many more niches and availability for the animal to survive and feed (Brahmi, et al., 2012). Panting is an adaption that requires short shallow respiration and is solely used in heat dissipation. Panting makes use of evaporative cooling of the mouth, lung and nasal mucosa. This is a very effective way of cooling down without having to sweat. This main advantage over sweating is that in sweating there is salt loss, while in panting there is not (Vaughn, et al., 2000). This is key to the survival of the fennec because of the shortage of food; therefore the fennec cannot regain the salt quicker than the animal uses up. If the fennec sweated this could become a huge problem, so it has overcome this problem by making use of the more efficient panting for heat dissipation (Vaughn, et al., 2000). Fennec fox families live and thrive in burrows; these help counteract the daily effects of high temperature and low humidity of the desert days. They provide shelter from sun exposure and the highest temperatures of the dessert day. A study in tortoises shows that burrows provide a great place to refuge in a desert environment. The study showed that the burrow at 10:00 -12:00 hrs had much higher humidity and lower temperature than the external environment (Bulova, 2002). This lowers the total evaporate water loss which helps the animal, in this case the fennec, conserve metabolic water, which is key to desert survival. Fennecs therefore make use of the much more stable and milder environment inside the burrow. This helps shelter the fennec from extreme conditions and helps conserve water. This is due to the soil temperature maintaining stability no matter what the conditions are outside. The burrow controls the internal environment due to the thermal insulating properties of the soil (Reichman Smith, 1990). Therefore the burrow is cooler during the day and warmer during the freezing desert nights. Conclusion To conclude there are many adaptations the fennec has; may that be morphological, physiological and behavioural. The adaptations are a necessity to survive in such an extreme climate, such as the dessert; with high heat loads during the day, freezing temperatures in the night, food and water sources are scarce. The adaptions that the fennec utilises all boil down to protection from the incredible temperature change in the dessert, by having large ears to dissipate heat and fur that can reflect but also absorb the heat. This gives protection from solar radiation during the day, and insulation during the night. The other main reason for having many complex adaptations is to conserve water. The fennec’s metabolic water level is maintained by having a low BMR which uses less water in metabolic activity at rest, and also the concentrated urine which reduces the loss of water via waste. In my mind the fennec fox is perfectly adapted to cope with the extremes of desert life, by contr olling its water conservation and body temperature. Word count: 1,508 References: Brahmi, K. et al., 2012. First quantitative data on the diet of the fennec fox, Vulpes zerda (Canidae, Carnivora), in Algeria. Folia Zoologica, 61(1), pp. 61-70. Bulova, j., 2002. How temperature, humidity, and burrow selection affect evaporative water loss in desert tortoises. Journal Of Thermal Biology, 27(3), pp. 175-189. Dawson, T. Brown, G., 1970. Comparison Of The Insulative AndReflective Properties Of The Fur of Desert Kangaroos. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Volume 37, pp. 23-28. Ewer, R., 1973. The Carnivores. 1st ed. s.l.:weidenfeld and nicolson. Fox, M., 1975. The Wild Canids Their Systematics, Behavioural Ecology and Evolution. 1st ed. s.l.:Litton Educational Publishing, Inc. Golightly, R. Ohmart, R., 1983. Metabolism and body temperature of two desert canids: cototes and kit foxes. Journal of Mammalogy, 64(4), pp. 624-635. The Nature of Wildworks. 2014. The Nature of Wildworks. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.natureofwildworks.org/species.html#ffox. [Accessed 12 February 2014]. Reichman, O. Smith, S., 1990. Burrows And Burrowing Behavior By Mammals. Current Mammalogy, pp. 197-224. Vaughn, t., Ryan, J. Czaplewski, N., 2000. Mammology. 4th ed. s.l.:Saunders college publishing. Wathen, P., Mitchell, J. Porter, W., 1971. Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Energy Exchange from Jackrabbit Ears and Cylindrically Shaped Appendages. Biophysical Journal, 11(12), pp. 1030-1047. Harvard – Anglia 2008

Internal and external factors effecting the cost position Essay

The increased imports of the European as well as the Japanese make of automobiles in the United States significantly impacted the demand of the automobiles manufactured by the US manufacturers. â€Å"Imports of sub-compact cars from Europe and Japan rose steadily in the 1950s, often as families’ second cars but US manufacturers retained their hold on the lucrative markets for larger vehicles. † (French, 1997, p142) The US manufactures saw their market shrink as the more aware and price conscious consumers shifted to the European and Japanese counter parts for their automobiles, while the US manufacturers were left with making large, excessive fuel consuming vehicles that denoted social status and personal style. Aside from this the increasing prices of crude oil in the international market in the 1970s also significantly changed the demand of the automobiles as depicted by the consumers. â€Å"A crisis in the US car-market developed as a result of sudden unforeseen shifts in the general environment which allowed overseas producers to expand market share rapidly. New car sales faltered in the 1970s and excess capacity increased. At the same time the leap in fuel prices shifted the consumer preference towards smaller, more fuel efficient cars which Japanese and European makers already supplied in their domestic markets and were better able to produce that were the US manufacturers used to making larger, more up-market ‘gas-guzzlers’† (French, 1997, p142) The automobiles of French and Japanese make were smaller, more fuel efficient as well as more stylish yet cheaper than the those manufactured by the big three US automobile manufactures. As a result the consumers opted for purchasing the imported cars instead of those manufactured by the Unites States manufacturers. The recession of the 1970s also further reduced the disposal income and the propensity to save for the people in the United States which made purchasing the imported European and Japanese models of automobiles much more attractive to the consumers instead of opting for those models manufactured by the big three US automobile manufacturers. In the same period the perception of the consumers also significantly changed as was marked by the baby boomer generation and the hippy era. In this period, the consumer became more aware of the environment, the increasing pollution and the contribution that automobiles made towards adding to the pollution levels. As a result the consumers started to look for cheaper alternatives of travel and those which were more environmental friendly that the vehicles manufactured by the big three US automobile manufacturers. The internal factors that contributed to the changing cost position of the Bridgestone Industries, specifically at the plant pertained to the decreasing demand of the US manufactured cars and increased demand for cheaper cars that was reflected un the restricting cost based purchases being made by the big three manufactures form the Bridgestone Industries. As the volume of sales decreased for Bridgestone Industries, along with the margin for profits on sales made due to the rising overhead costs the cost position of the Bridgestone Industries significantly changed to become negative and resulted in the closing of the automotive component and fabrication facility by the Bridgestone Industries. Overhead Burden Rate The Bridgestone Industries had a specific method for determining the overhead burden rate for the products that was proposed and set on an annual basis. â€Å"The budgeted unit costs provided by the plant for the 1987 model year study included overhead (burden) applied to products as a percentage of direct labor dollar cost. The overhead percentage was calculated at the budget time and used throughout the model year to allocate overhead to products using a single overhead pool. The overhead rate used in the study was 435% of direct labor cost† (Patricia & Cooper, 1993) The following table depicts the overhead burden rate for the years starting 1987 through to 1990. Overhead Burden Rate (‘000) 1987 1988 1989 1990 Total Overheads 107,954 109,890 78,157 79,393 Total Direct Labor Dollar Cost 24,682 25,294 13,537 14,102 Overhead Burden Rate 437 434 577 562 The analysis of the overhead burden that was determined for the years, 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990 showed that the total over heads increased from 1987 to 1988. However in 1989, there was a drop in the overhead level as the muffler exhausts and the oil pan based product lines were merged with the other three product lines. This reduced the overheads significantly. In 1990 however the trend shows that the overheads for the Bridgestone Industries increased again on an annual basis. The direct labor dollar cost showed a similar trend as well reflecting the increasing expenses along with the effect that the closure of the muffler/exhaust and oil pan lines had on the labor cost. The overhead burden rate that was determined pertained to approximately 437 percent in 1987, 434 percent in 1988, 577 percent in 1989 and 562 percent in 1990. The following table depicts the overhead burden shared by the respective product lines at the Bridgestone Industries for the years starting 1987 through to 1990. Overhead Burden Share per Product Line (‘000) Overhead Burden 1987 1988 1989 1990 Fuel Tanks 18,234. 35 18,412. 03 25,490. 37 25,891. 96 Manifolds 25,744. 16 26,184. 35 36,246. 56 36,819. 62 Doors 11,463. 72 11,864. 85 16,420. 07 16,681. 43 Mufflers/Exhausts 24,646. 33 25,050. 44 0 0 Oil Pans 27,865. 45 28,378. 33 0 0 107,954 109,890 78,157 79,393 The overheads shared by the respective product lines also depicted significant change in the years from 1987 to 1990. On average the oil pans product line had the largest overheads allocated to its while the product line for the front and rear doors had the lowest overhead levels for the years 1987 and 1988. When the product lines were merged in 1989, the manifolds product line had the largest level of overheads allocated to it, while the product line for front and rear doors had the lowest level of overheads assigned to it. On a year to year basis, the overhead burden level has decreased by a small gradual percentage over the four years highlighted. This is not due to the fact that the overheads for the company have been decreasing; instead this has occurred due to the fact that the dollar cost of the direct labor has incrementally increased over the four year period as well resulting in the decrease in the overhead burden rate.

Summer Writing Assignment †College Essay

Among all the characters that I have encountered in books and movies, one persona stood out as the one I want to emulate the most. He went by the name Equality 7-2521 from the novel entitled â€Å"Anthem† by Ayn Rand. He appealed me the moment I read the book because he embodied what I am striving to be.His personality was the quintessence of the qualities I needed to be successful. When I read the book, I was utterly impressed by his determination, intelligence, and more importantly, his perseverance as an individual. He has a significant influence on me and I find him a great source of inspiration to struggle harder in the complexities of life.It was during my sophomore year that I read the book â€Å"Anthem.† At that time, I was in a predicament over whether I should concentrate on schooling or finding a part-time job.The reason why I had such qualms was that even I made endeavors to complete my school works properly and attempted to attain high scores, my poor Engli sh proficiency derailed my plans. I was discouraged by the inconsistency of my efforts and grades printed in my report card.The course of things changed when I read â€Å"Anthem.† I was impressed by the characteristics of Equality 7-2521, the protagonist in the novel. The story was set in a fictional world which was dominated by collectivism. Equality 7-2521, who was seeking for self-identification, struggled in a society that rejected individualism in favor of collectivism.Equality 7-2521 discovered a tunnel where he began hiding regularly to conduct scientific experiments. Later on, he invented the light bulb and decided to share his device with the World Council of Scholars, even though he knew the way he came to discover electricity was illegal and sinful. Subsequently, Equality 7-2521's presentation of the light bulb to the World Council of Scholars permanently severed him from society and forced him out on his own.The reason that the World Council of Scholars made this decision was that collectivism does not allow people to think or work individually but jointly. As a result, Equality 7-2521 was exiled yet he did not stop pursuing his goal. He kept studying in the woods and eventually discovered the meaning of individualism and the word â€Å"I.†As I read the book thoroughly, I realized the qualities that I must possess in order to achieve my ambitions. Equality 7-2521 had a worse situation than mine, but by the virtue of his positive attributes, he successfully pulled off his discovery. He believed in individualism and rejected the collectivist society around him. He was insightful, perseverant, truth-seeking, resolute, and intelligent. He was deeply curious and desired freedom to explore and think, and he was unafraid of the society of mindless drones around him.Equality 7-2521 represented the superiority of a singular intellect to the homogeneity of the masses, who could not think of themselves and were indistinguishable from one another . I plan to get a high score as well. I believe I could reach my aspirations if I exemplify the qualities that Equality 7-2521 had. The strong and firm character Equality 7-2521 held inspired me every time I face a dilemma in real life.Equality 7-2521’s story assured me that nothing is impossible and that I can succeed too even in my simple but unrelenting ways. Along this line, I should stay focused on my work and studies, and possibly make a significant improvement in the coming marking period.He had a tremendous impact on my personality, not only in my study habits, but also in the determination to confront difficulties. Whoever and whatever I am now, I owe it for the most part to Equality 7-2521 for transforming me to the kind of person I never imagined I could ever be. Life indeed is like a roller coaster with ups and downs to render it more interesting and breathtaking. And above all, what is of the essence is that Equality 7-2521 indirectly made me complete and unexpec tedly happy as well.