Becomin a Dentist Assistant

Dental assistants work closely with, and under the supervision of, dentists. (See the statement on dentists elsewhere in the Handbook. ) Assistants perform a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties. Dental assistants should not be confused with dental hygienists, who are licensed to perform different clinical tasks. (See the statement on dental hygienists elsewhere in the Handbook. ) Dental assistants sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment, prepare and lay out the instruments and materials required to treat each patient, and obtain patients’ dental records. Assistants make patients as comfortable as possible in the dental chair and prepare them for treatment. During dental procedures, assistants work alongside the dentist to provide assistance. They hand instruments and materials to dentists and keep patients’ mouths dry and clear by using suction or other devices. They also instruct patients on postoperative and general oral health care. Dental assistants may prepare materials for impressions and restorations, take dental x rays, and process x-ray film as directed by a dentist. They also may remove sutures, apply topical anesthetics to gums or cavity-preventive agents to teeth, remove excess cement used in the filling process, and place rubber dams on the teeth to isolate them for individual treatment. Some States are expanding dental assistants’ duties to include tasks such as coronal polishing and restorative dentistry functions for those assistants that meet specific training and experience requirements. Dental assistants with laboratory duties make casts of the teeth and mouth from impressions, clean and polish removable appliances, and make temporary crowns. Those with office duties schedule and confirm appointments, receive patients, keep treatment records, send bills, receive payments, and order dental supplies and materials. Work environment. Dental assistants work in a well-lighted, clean environment. Their work area usually is near the dental chair so that they can arrange instruments, materials, and medication and hand them to the dentist when needed. Dental assistants must wear gloves, masks, eyewear, and protective clothing to protect themselves and their patients from infectious diseases. Assistants also follow safety procedures to minimize the risks associated with the use of x-ray machines. About half of dental assistants have a 35- to 40-hour workweek. Most of the rest work part-time or have variable schedules. Depending on the hours of the dental office where they work, assistants may have to work on Saturdays or evenings. Some dental assistants hold multiple jobs by working at dental offices that are open on different days or scheduling their work at a second office around the hours they work at their primary office. Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement [About this section] Back to Top Back to Top Many assistants learn their skills on the job, although an increasing number are trained in dental-assisting programs offered by community and junior colleges, trade schools, technical institutes, or the Armed Forces. Education and training. High school students interested in a career as a dental assistant should take courses in biology, chemistry, health, and office practices. For those wishing to pursue further education, the Commission on Dental Accreditation within the American Dental Association (ADA) approved 269 dental-assisting training programs in 2006. Programs include classroom, laboratory, and preclinical instruction in dental-assisting skills and related theory. In addition, students gain practical experience in dental schools, clinics, or dental offices. Most programs take 1 year or less to complete and lead to a certificate or diploma. Two-year programs offered in community and junior colleges lead to an associate degree. All programs require a high school diploma or its equivalent, and some require science or computer-related courses for admission. A number of private vocational schools offer 4- to 6-month courses in dental assisting, but the Commission on Dental Accreditation does not accredit these programs. A large number of dental assistants learn through on-the-job training. In these situations, the employing dentist or other dental assistants in the dental office teach the new assistant dental terminology, the names of the instruments, how to perform daily duties, how to interact with patients, and other things necessary to help keep the dental office running smoothly. While some things can be picked up easily, it may be a few months before new dental assistants are completely knowledgeable about their duties and comfortable doing all of their tasks without assistance. A period of on-the-job training is often required even for those that have completed a dental-assisting program or have some previous experience. Different dentists may have their own styles of doing things that need to be learned before an assistant can be comfortable working with them. Office-specific information, such as where files are kept, will need to be learned at each new job. Also, as dental technology changes, dental assistants need to stay familiar with the tools and procedures that they will be using or helping dentists to use. On-the-job training is often sufficient to keep assistants up-to-date on these matters. Licensure. Most States regulate the duties that dental assistants are allowed to perform. Some States require licensure or registration, which may include passing a written or practical examination. There are a variety of schools offering courses—approximately 10 to 12 months in length—that meet their State’s requirements. Other States require dental assistants to complete State-approved education courses of 4 to 12 hours in length. Some States offer registration of other dental assisting credentials with little or no education required. Some States require continuing education to maintain licensure or registration. A few States allow dental assistants to perform any function delegated to them by the dentist. Individual States have adopted different standards for dental assistants who perform certain advanced duties. In some States, for example, dental assistants who perform radiological procedures must complete additional training. Completion of the Radiation Health and Safety examination offered by Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) meets the standards in more than 30 States. Some States require completion of a State-approved course in radiology as well. Certification and other qualifications. Certification is available through the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) and is recognized or required in more than 30 States. Certification is an acknowledgment of an assistant’s qualifications and professional competence and may be an asset when one is seeking employment. Candidates may qualify to take the DANB certification examination by graduating from an ADA-accredited dental assisting education program or by having 2 years of full-time, or 4 years of part-time, experience as a dental assistant. In addition, applicants must have current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. For annual recertification, individuals must earn continuing education credits. Other organizations offer registration, most often at the State level. Dental assistants must be a second pair of hands for a dentist; therefore, dentists look for people who are reliable, work well with others, and have good manual dexterity. Advancement. Without further education, advancement opportunities are limited. Some dental assistants become office managers, dental-assisting instructors, dental product sales representatives, or insurance claims processors for dental insurance companies. Others go back to school to become dental hygienists. For many, this entry-level occupation provides basic training and experience and serves as a steppingstone to more highly skilled and higher paying jobs. Employment [About this section] Back to Top Back to Top Dental assistants held about 280,000 jobs in 2006. Almost all jobs for dental assistants were in offices of dentists. A small number of jobs were in the Federal, State, and local governments or in offices of physicians. About 35 percent of dental assistants worked part time, sometimes in more than one dental office. Job Outlook [About this section] Back to Top Back to Top Employment is expected to increase much faster than average; job prospects are expected to be excellent. Employment change. Employment is expected to grow 29 percent from 2006 to 2016, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. In fact, dental assistants are expected to be among the fastest growing occupations over the 2006-16 projection period. Population growth, greater retention of natural teeth by middle-aged and older people, and an increased focus on preventative dental care for younger generations will fuel demand for dental services. Older dentists, who have been less likely to employ assistants or have employed fewer, are leaving the occupation and will be replaced by recent graduates, who are more likely to use one or more assistants. In addition, as dentists’ workloads increase, they are expected to hire more assistants to perform routine tasks, so that they may devote their own time to more complex procedures. Job prospects. Job prospects for dental assistants should be excellent. In addition to job openings due to employment growth, numerous job openings will arise out of the need to replace assistants who transfer to other occupations, retire, or leave for other reasons. Many opportunities for entry-level positions offer on-the-job training, but some dentists prefer to hire experienced assistants or those who have completed a dental-assisting program.

CIS8000 GLOBAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS Essay

This assignment specifically addresses the following learning objectives of the course: LO5 Demonstrate effective communication by composing writing that communicates ideas, meaning and/or argument in a format that broadly follows conventions in the information systems field. LO6 Apply technology and online skills to locate relevant information for the  assignments, analyse the presented problems and data, and engage in the use of the resources provided on UConnect. Individual submission Students should complete this assignment individually. You are encouraged to discuss the assignment with others to improve your understanding and clarify requirements but you should develop the solution to the assignment on your own. Plagiarism check You must subject your written assignment to a plagiarism check by the TURNITIN software prior to its submission in the EASE system. The TURNITIN software can be indirectly accessed through the Study Desk without the need to provide any login-id or password. Further details on how you should interpret the TURNITIN results will be posted in the Study Desk. No assignment will be marked if it is not accompanied by the TURNITIN summary report. Case Study You are the CTO of a successful software development company that operates internationally. The organisation is human resource intensive and one of the challenges encountered was to provide an upto-date time sheet record for salary calculation purposes. In order to improve the HR system, you recently attended a seminar on technological innovation that can assist automated clocking of employee attendance, and you were very impressed with the concepts presented in the seminar. It occurred to you that this would offer potential solution to some of the challenges encountered by your organisation and would be well received by the management. As a result of attending this seminar, and subsequent consultation with your senior managers, it was decided that wearable computing based identification cards would be worth an investigation. As an initial step, you wanted to present this concept and associated vision of how wearable technology would benefit the organisation, specifically in resolving time sheet issues for payroll system input. You are required to research the background for a  project to implement and manage wearable computing, use Microsoft Excel to model a business plan, perform sensitivity analysis to validate assumptions, and create a presentation to seek funding and authorisation from senior management to implement and manage wearable computing based identification tags in your organisation. 1 CIS8000 Global Information Systems Strategy Assignment A Activity A: Journal (maximum 500 words) Prepare a journal which records your activities and progress related to completing this assignment. In date order, clearly list the following: ââ€"  Date of research activity/discussion ââ€"  Topic researched or discussed ââ€"  Time duration ââ€"  Brief description of research activity/discussion. Submit this journal (Activity A) as appendix A to the actual report (Activity B) to CEO. Your journal must provide all these activity details to be awarded marks. Activity B: Presentation to Senior Management (maximum 2000 words) Before you commence this assignment ensure you have completed Hands-on MIS Project # 1 to 5 in Appendix S.1 in the Study Book. These exercises are designed to familiarise you with the software, techniques and methods used in the assignment. Part 1: Research the background for the wearable identification tags project Conduct an Internet search to gather relevant background information on the above. In particular, you should address the following: 1. How wearable computing is utilised and its associated risks 2. Advantages and disadvantages 3. The infrastructure required 4. Best-practice for how wearable tags should be managed. Submit this part of Activity B (Part 1) as initial section of your report to CEO (the actual report for assignment A) to be able to understand the concept of wearable computing and identification tags concepts. Remember: some of the readers of the report to the CEO are from non-technical background and do not understand technical jargons and technology behind the wearable computing and identification tags. You are advised to adopt a balanced approach in your writing style in this business report to CEO ( any highly technical information can go into the appendix B of the report). Part 2: Develop the Excel model of the business case Once you have completed Part 1, develop a spread-sheet model of your business costs over a 4 year period. Some of the materials provided in the MIS Projects may help you to come up with a simple modelling. For the purpose of modelling, assume a discount rate of 10 per cent. Your business model should include the following analysis to ascertain the financial viability of the project: 1. Payback period 2. Net present value (NPV) 3. Internal rate of return (IRR) 4. Profitability index HINTS: To obtain the payback period you would first need to calculate the cumulative net cash flow. Use the NPV and IRR functions provided in Microsoft Excel. You may need to search the Internet for information if you are not familiar with how to use these functions. Interpret your results. Use the note in MIS Project #4 – Capital Budgeting Methods for Information System Investments to guide you. Remember: some of the readers of the report to the CEO are from non-financial background and do not understand, Payback period, NPV, IRR, and Profitability index. You are advised to provide descriptions, analysis, and implications of these technical aspects in your actual report to CEO. CIS8000 Global Information Systems Strategy Assignment A Part 3: Perform a sensitivity analysis for the business case Using the results you obtained in Part 2 as the base case, conduct a sensitivity analysis to examine the impact of the critical cost and benefit variables on the viability of the wearable tags project. Provide three specific scenarios of consideration. You must clearly specify the basis of the three scenarios i.e. which critical cost variables they are examining in the sensitivity analysis Carefully analyse your results and make appropriate recommendations to the company’s senior management as to how the critical cost variables should be managed to ensure that the wearable tags project is both viable and sustainable in the long term. NOTE: If you are unfamiliar with the business case and sensitivity analysis concepts you should make an effort to read appropriate material, including those from the Internet, to learn about them. Remember: some of the readers of the report to the CEO are from non-financial background and do not understand sensitivity. You are advised to provide descriptions, analysis, and implications of these technical aspects in your actual report to CEO. Part 4: Create a report to senior management 4.1 Consolidate and cross-analyse your results and findings with justifications and implications from Part 1, 2 and 3. Then prepare an executive business report to the company’s senior management to seek their financial support and authorisation to embark on the project. 3 CIS8000 Global Information Systems Strategy Assignment A Marking criteria You are strongly advised to read the marking criteria carefully before starting on your assignment. In particular, note the marks allocation for each part and sub-part in Activities. Ensure that the length of your solution should be commensurate with the allocated marks. General guidelines for Activity B Your submission must be submitted to the CEO as a report in a single document, not an essay. Please note that reports do have subheadings and an appropriate letter of transmittal is required.  The word count does not include the following: executive summary, letter of transmittal, table of contents, figures, tables, references or appendices. The body of the report should be about 2000 words in length and you may lose marks if it varies by more than 10%. You must demonstrate additional research from outside the text. Suggestions for other references include other general texts on information systems  management, industry journals, periodicals, electronic databases etc. (many of which are available online from the USQ Library at: Use the Harvard referencing format for in-text references and the reference list. Your references should include at least one web/electronic link but all the references should not be from the web (ie URLs). Refer to chapter 2 (referencing) of the Communication Skills Handbook 3ed. for further details. Inappropriate referencing or excessive grammar/spelling errors will incur a penalty. You should refrain from cutting and pasting chunks of materials from the Internet as this will be treated as plagiarism. To avoid any allegation of academic misconduct from unintentional plagiarism from Internet sources it is compulsory that you use the TURNITIN software to check your work before submitting it. Remember TURNITIN may take more than 24 hours to produce the report. There are few other free applications available on the net to check plagiarism and you are allowed to use them as well. You must state your assumptions clearly, validate the stated assumptions through proper literature search, provide a compelling case for cost and budget figures. You may use any format for the report, and the Internet provides many examples of Executive Type report, and you are encouraged to search for samples that suit your needs. (each report supposed to have title page, letter of transmission, table of contents, executive summary, conclusion & recommendations, references and appendixes) Report formatting instructions Major headings should be in upper case, 14 point Times New Roman Bold. Minor headings should be in lower-case, 12 point Times New Roman Bold. Body text should be formatted to 12 point, Times New Roman. Page size should be A4. Allow for a 25 mm margin on both sides of each page, a 25 mm margin at the top of each page and a 25 mm margin at the bottom of each page. Use single line spacing. Your assignment should be submitted in one of the following formats: – Portable Document Format (.pdf).

Purinex, Inc Warren Buffett Essay

1. What is the possible meaning of the changes in stock price for Berkshire Hathaway and Scottish Power plc on the day of the acquisition announcement? Specifically, what does the $2.55 billion gain in Berkshire’s market value of equity imply about the intrinsic value of PacifiCorp? Answer1: The increase in the stock price of Scottish Power plc and Berkshire Hathaway indicate a market approval for the acquisition and created value for both buyers and sellers. Answer2: a. the possible meaning of the changes in stock price is due to the fact that the deal created value for both buyers and sellers; Berkshire was more diversified after the acquisition. b. The $2.55 billion gain in Berkshire’s market value of equity implied that the intrinsic value of PacifiCorp was good because it fell within the range of competitors based on the following calculations: $2.55 billion / 312/18 million = $8.17 – Berkshire is willing to pay this premium for each share of PacifiCorp 5.1 billion / 312.18 million = $16.30 per share of PacifiCorp $8.17 + 16.30 = $24.47 (see Exhibit 9) Answer3: The possible explanations in the change in stock price for Berkshire would be for a couple of reasons. One of them is that investors invest based on the behavioral finance theory which implies that their investments are driven by psychological factors. These factors would be that believing that Mr. Buffet is the guru of investment, therefore he is right and it must be a very good investment. Moreover looking at the financial statements of march 2005 we see that the book value of PacifiCorp = 3377.1 Billions/312.12 million shares =$10.82 per share. However, the increase of 2.17 billion dollars at the day of the announcements of Berkshire implies that that true value of PacifiCorp should be higher if we divide the 2.17 billions /312.12 million shares we have that the PacifiCorp share should have a $ 6.95 dollar value higher. 2. Based on the multiples for comparable regulated utilities, what is the range of possible values for PacifiCorp? What questions might you have about this range? Answer1: a. we find the range of possible values for PacifiCorp in Exhibit 10. i. Revenue median of $6.252 Billion, mean of $6.584 Billion. ii. EBIT median of $8.775 Billion, mean of $9.289 Billion. iii. EBITDA median of $9.023 Billion, mean of $9.076 Billion. iv. Net Income median of $7.596 Billion, mean of $7.553 Billion. v. EPS median of $4.277 Billion, and a mean of $4.308 Billion. vi. Book value median of $5.904 Billion, mean of $5.678 Billion. b. Question about revenue; the implied value of PacifiCorp is giving impractical results for range of revenue as compared to EBIT, EBITDA, & Net income (Expected: Revenue > EBITDA > EBIT > NI). Answer2: Alliant E. Corp Low price P/E =23.50/1.42=16.55 High price P/E =28.80/1.42=20.28 Cinergy Corp Low price P/E =34.90/1.42 =16.23 High price P/E =42.60/2.15=19.81 NSTAR Low price P/E =22.70/1,79=12.75 High price P/E =27.20/1.78 =15.28 SCANA Corp Low price P/E =32.80/2.34=14.02 High price P/E =39.70/2.34 =16.93 WEC Low price P/E =29.50/2.62=11.26 High price P/E =34.60/2.62 =13.21 Industry average low price P/E=14.20 Industry average high price P/E =17.11 PacifiCorp EPS =0.81 Stock price of PacifiCorp= EPS x (P/E industry) Range of PacifiCorp possible values Low price >0.81Ãâ€"14.20= $11.50 High price >0.81Ãâ€"17.11=$13.86 Possible value for PacifiCorp using EBITDA Total value Company =market value + net debt Market multiple =total value company /EBITDA EBITDA Alliant E. Corp= 7.45x NSTAR 7.53x SCANA Corp 9.25x WEC 8.47x Average =8.18x Total value of company = Market multiple X EBITDA PacifiCorp’s EBITDA=1093.30 Market multiple =8.1 Value of PacifiCorp = 8.18Ãâ€"1093.30 =8,943.19 million dollars 3. Assess the bid for PacifiCorp. How does it compare with the firm’s intrinsic value? As an alternative, the instructor could suggest that students perform a simple discounted cash-flow (DCF) analysis. Answer1: If you use CAPM for the simple DCF analysis: K=rf+B(rm-rt) rf =5.762K=5.762+.75(10.5-5.762) B=.75=9.32%=Discount rate rm=10.5 $5.1/(1+.0932)=$4.76 => it is in range of the rest of the comparable firms. Answer2: 4. How well has Berkshire Hathaway performed? How well has it performed in the aggregate? What about its investment in MidAmerican Energy Holdings? Answer1: Overall, Berkshire Hathaway has performed brilliantly in the last 40 years. Berkshire’s class A shares have been among the highest-priced shares on the New York Stock Exchange, in part because they have never had a stock split and never paid a dividend, retaining corporate earnings on its balance sheet in a manner that is impermissible for private investors and mutual funds. The company averaged an annual growth in book value of 20.3% to its shareholders for the last 40 years. Answer2: It has performed very well. Berkshire Hathaway has consistently outperformed the market since its inception in 1965. In 1977, the firm’s year end closing share price was $107; on May 24, 2005 the closing price on its Class A shares reached $85,500. Berkshire has had an annual increase of wealth of 24% since 1965, which is more than double the 10.5% of the average increase for other large stocks. It started out with a decline due to inflation, technological change, and intensifying competition from foreign competitors, but has recuperated well after closing the textile side of their business. Berkshire Hathaway had recently been performing below S&P 500 Index according to Exhibit 1, from April 2005 to May 2005. Scottish Power had consistently outperformed the S&P 500 Index from March to May 2005. This probably was one aspect that attracted Berkshire to purchase PacifiCorp. We believe that it was a good investment. In 2002 they owned 9.9% of the voting interest and 83.7% of the economic interest in the equity of MidAmerican. This allows them to have a major stake in the company without violating utility laws, which has proven to be successful for them. According to Exhibit 6, MidAmerican Holdings had a net earnings of 170 million in 2004, but compared to 2003 net earnings of 416 million, MidAmerican had a net loss from 2003-2004. Acquiring PacifiCorp would supply much needed new, more profitable investments to raise their net income in 2005. Answer3: Performance of Berkshire since 1977 to 2005 PV=102 FV=85500 N=28 I=34% ` S & P performance since 1977 to 2005 PV =96 FV=1192 N=28 I=9.42 Berkshire has outperformed S & P by 24.58% 5. What is your assessment of Berkshire’s investments in Buffett’s Big Four: American Express, Coca-Cola, Gillette, and Wells Fargo? Answer1: They invested in well established and successful firms. They put a lot of money up front for these investments, but since have made substantial gains for their investment. The total cost to Berkshires investment in the Big 4 was $3.832 Billion, but the market value of their investment was $24.681 Billion. This means that Berkshire’s current gain on their investment in the big 4 is $20.849 Billion. Their gain is 5.44 times their investment I would have to say that these were very well thought out and successful investments. Answer2: Buffet’s approach of investments is based on the fundamental analysis of the company itself. It is based on simplicity and consistency of its operation history, attractiveness of long term prospects, quality of management and firm’s capacity to create value. The big four, Coca-Cola, American Express, Gillette and Wells Fargo have all these characteristics. For instance Coca- Cola has been in business since 1919(Reuters). It is a multinational with the biggest market share worldwide. Coca-Cola’s finished beverage products bearing its trademarks are sold in more than 200 countries (reuters.com). Buffet looks at what the consumers are looking for and what the general economic trend is at that time and what it will be over time. He researches a company as a whole and looks at what people want and what people are transitioning into in the future. For instance most of his investments in the big four were done in 1992. During these 13 years we can see how well the big four have performed compare with the S& P 500 S & P 500 At January 1992 adjusted to dividends and splits =408.78 At December 2005 adjusted to dividends and splits =1248.29 n=13 Return =8.96% American Express. Price at January 1992 adjusted to dividends and splits =4.02 Price at December 2005 adjusted to dividends and splits =49.68 N= 13 Return =21.34% Wells Fargo Price at January 1992 adjusted to dividends and splits =2.69 Price at December 2005 adjusted to dividends and splits =28.25 N=13 Return =19.82% Coca-Cola Price at January 1992 adjusted to dividends and split =14.5 Price at December 2005 adjusted to dividends and splits 37.50 N=13 Return =7.50% 6. From Warren Buffett’s perspective, what is the intrinsic value? Why is it accorded such importance? How is it estimated? What are the alternatives to intrinsic value? Why does Buffett reject them? Answer1: a. the discounted value of the cash that can be taken out of a business during its remaining life. Intrinsic value is per-share progress. Buffett assessed intrinsic value as the present value of future expected performance. b. Because if focuses on ability to earn returns in excess of the cost of capital, not accounting profit. Only logical way is to evaluate the relative attractiveness. c. The gain in intrinsic value could be modeled as the value added by a business above and beyond the charge for the use of capital in that business. d. Accounting profit, performance of Berkshire by its size, consolidated reported earnings e. Accounting reality was conservative, backward looking, and governed by GAAP (measures in terms of net profit). Investment decisions should be based on economic reality. This includes intangible assets such as patents, trademarks, special managerial expertise, reputation, etc. Answer2: The definition of intrinsic value according to Mr. Buffet is the present value of all future expected cash flows or performance. The measurements of intrinsic value are focused on the ability of the company to earn a return in excess of the cost of capital including the opportunity cost. Intrinsic value is not based only on the net profit. Alternatives to intrinsic value: 1) Accounting profit. Mr. Buffet believes that the true value of a company is based on its intrinsic value not on its accounting profit. Financial statements prepared by accountants are conformed around rules that do not adequately represent the economic reality of business. 2) Technical analysis. Mr. Buffet rejects the technical analysis that attempts to predict the stock prices based on momentum of trends. He believes in long term investment. 3) Efficient market hypothesis. Mr. Buffet rejects the efficient market hypothesis theory (EHM). He believes that there are opportunities out there. Investing should be based on information analysis of the company. 7. Critically assess Buffett’s investment philosophy. Be prepared to identify points where you agree and disagree with him. Answer1: Warren Buffett has a very simple method of investment strategy compared to other investors. Buffett’s philosophy is defined in 8 elements. We will discuss whether we agree or disagree with each one individually. We agree with Buffett’s first element of analyzing economic reality of investments. Most investors focus on financial statements and net profit, but don’t take into consideration intangible assets such as management experience and patents. We also agree with Buffett’s second element of lost opportunity cost comparison. By analyzing expected returns of an investment compared to the rate of return of using that same investment money in another investment, Buffett takes a simple idea that everyone uses in almost every decision, and applies it to a much more complex investment strategy. Everyone weigh’s the alternative when making a decision, whether that decision is a choice of a coffee or a coke or something more complex like a college education versus not getting an education. Buffett uses the third element of intrinsic value instead of book value or historical data to determine his investment choices. We agree with this element, but do believe a combination of the two methods would work better to show historically how the company has performed, and how much that company will be worth in the future. The rate of return reflects more of the economic value of an investment. In the fourth element, Buffett measures performance by per share basis. We do agree with his reasoning for using this method, but we think overall performance should be measured as well to show a better figure of what the whole is worth compared to the parts. The fifth element is one that we don’t agree with. Buffett uses a 30 year U.S. Treasury Bond Rate of Return instead of the traditional CAPM rate, because he believes that his investments are so solid, they don’t need risk factored in. We disagree with his choice for rate of return because all investments have a degree of risk, and return should be factored according to that level of risk. Buffett not believing in risk is like someone not believing we breathe air. Even though we can’t see it, it is still there. The sixth element is also a point of disagreement for me. Buffett says he doesn’t believe in diversification of investments, even stating that diversification is considered protection against ignorance. What Buffett does not realize is that by saying he does not believe in diversification, he is being a hypocrite. Berkshire Hathaway itself is a massively diverse company with several subsidiaries and holdings in many different industries from apparel to energy. Buffett may own most of his stock in his own company, but he knows by diversifying Berkshire, he will avoid adding more risk, which is exactly the strategy that is used by other investors when diversifying their stocks. We agree with the seventh element that investment decisions should be made by doing proper research on information about the company, and not by following an anonymous tip or a gut feeling. Finally, we agree with the eighth element that a firm’s management and shareholders should have the same goals for the firm. Management should have most of their wealth in company stock so as to serve the shareholders better in day-to-day decision making that affects the value of their investments. Answer2: Mr. Buffet does not believe in diversification. We believe that diversification helps in times like the one that the market is having right know. For instance stock value of American Express in the last year has ranged from $53 a year ago to $15 dollars this week resulting in a loss of 70 % and also the market value of Wells Fargo is down by 65% (yahoo finance). If you compare those two companies with the S & P during the last year it is only down by 40%. This also means that market risk is still there. We believe that Mr. Buffet has not had a situation in the economy such as the one that the country is having now. Even he, the guru of investments is losing money, so we know that the risk is there. We agree on his philosophy on investing behavior. It should not be driven by emotion or hunch but should be a well thought out plan that came about by information, analysis and self-discipline. If you go by hunch or emotion then anyone can work you up and sell you the worst deal of your life, but make you think it is the best one you will ever get. We agree with his belief on the alignment of owners and investors. It is always a good thing when the owner has more than 50% of his net worth invested in the company because the goal would definitely be increasing shareholder wealth. 8. Should Berkshire Hathaway’s shareholders endorse the acquisition of PacifiCorp? Answer1: Yes, PacifiCorp will add around $250 million in net income for MidAmerican Holdings if PacifiCorp keeps at its same net income pattern of the last two years. This added net income will increase shareholder wealth in Berkshire Hathaway and provide a stable long term investment for the future. Also, since PacifiCorp’s intrinsic value is comparable to the industry, Berkshire is not adding much more risk to their portfolio. Berkshire should look at adding more of these type safer investments to their portfolio. Answer2: The Berkshire Hathaway shareholders should endorse the acquisition of PacifiCorp. It took a while for Mr. Buffet to finally invest their cash equivalents because he was looking for an â€Å"elephant† which is a company that makes significant gains. Factors that make it a good acquisition include the fact that PacifiCorp is a low-cost energy producer but has the biggest market share among the energy companies which is 1.6 million customers divided among 6 states plus the intrinsic value of the company is much higher than the market value of PacifiCorp.

Criminal Justice Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminal Justice Portfolio - Essay Example It may also encompass legal guarantees of access to information, protection of journalists, public’s limited access to the media and right of reply or correction†. Discussion: My position on the issue is that the press should be given complete freedom to function within its own framework of guidelines, and there should be restrictions only on careless or false reporting. My opinion is correct because the public has the right to the true facts of any information of significance, and transparency will ensure decline in corruption. According to the Final Annotated Survey of the State of the First Amendment (2005: p.2), the results show that 47% of the public felt that the amount of freedom the press enjoyed was â€Å"about right†, 39% felt that the press had too much freedom, too little freedom was the verdict of only 10%, and the remaining 4% did not know. The viewpoint of the majority is supported by McQuail (2003: p.54) who states that social responsibility theory became an essential point of reference in the growing trend towards the professionalization and self-regulation of the press. Conclusion: The small minority of the public who believe that the press should have less freedom should consider one important reason for freedom of the press: that those in high public office, in businesses or in responsible social posts will need to show results, and also keep free from wrongdoings. Introduction: According to Klay; Sewell (1996: p.241) development and application of criminal justice technology for the purpose of individual liberty is possible only in communities that share and perpetuate democratic norms. Emphasizing on â€Å"responsible use†, the democratic communitarian theory requres the use of technology to strengthen unity within the community, while exercising restraint and avoiding the creation of potentially threatening technologies. Discussion: My

Accident Investigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 118

Accident Investigation - Essay Example With reference to daily life routine that involves instances that expose one to accidents, as well as prior research, it is alleged that 96% of this accidents are because of unsafe human acts and methodologies of living. The 4% remainders are accidents facilitated by unsafe conditions. Taking a leap of the work environments, it is evident that these areas are not strange to accidents and such misfortunes. Incident investigation in such areas usually comes as a reactive approach by the entire company. In some instances, though rare, the community comes in as those who fall victim are born of the community (Manuele 59). With the revelation of information such as details of the injured individual, the nature of the injury endured and the body orientation to the particular line of duty, it brings light to the situation, giving precision as to whom or what was at fault. This kind of information makes it possible to answer questions that eye at discovering what happened when it happened, and how it happened. From this, comes revelation on what exactly tend to transpire. This is where research puts percentages, marking the main causes of most of these accidents. It is widely discovered; true to prior research, that majority of these accidents tend to happen because of unsafe acts by the parties involved, thus the repercussions faced. Viewing, in particular, the cause of an accident involving the collapse of a building may mainly lie on parties involved in the putting up of that particular building. In such a situation, blame and fault may fall on the architect or else the contractor who facilitated the building of that actual structure. For example, he or she may have poorly planned and designed the putting up of that building (Manuele 108). This may lead to further destruction of poor management may facilitate the use of poor building material, low wages for the workers that have the negative impact on them, leading to poor worker services.

Critique Two Articles 0.5 page each Research Paper

Critique Two Articles 0.5 page each - Research Paper Example This research has been conducted in Eastern cities of the US and hence it is limited to the people of that area. The results in Western cities of the US may turn out to be different than that of results of Easter cities of the US. This article is about behavioral counseling to promote a healthful diet and physical activity for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in adults with Cardiovascular Risk Factors. Published in 2014 in Annals of Internal Medicine, this article is recommendation statement of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The writer Michael L. LeFevre has logically stated all facts but there are some points that cast doubts about its proofs. Authors did not provide solid proofs whether primary care-relevant counseling interventions for a healthful diet and physical activity modify self-reported behaviors. The article does not provide detailed information about the risk factors to adults and adverse effects of counseling on adults of age 18 and older. The USPSTF recommendations about referring adults with obesity for behavioral counseling are not supported by solid proofs. Teaching and Learning, University of Illinois at Springfield. [Online] Available at: http://www.uis.edu/ctl/wp-content/uploads/sites/76/2013/03/Howtocritiqueajournalarticle.pdf. Accessed: 5th April

SOCIAL SCIENCES APPLIED TO HEALTH & NURSING Essay

SOCIAL SCIENCES APPLIED TO HEALTH & NURSING - Essay Example The profile of the patient can be found in the appendix at the end of this study. Like any other research study involving human a consent form is given to be filled up by the relative or the participant itself. A consent form 1 includes the following details: reason for the study; what specifically is being tested; why was the subject selected; and what exactly is required of participants. Consent form 2 includes the potential risks / potential benefits; anonymity; right to decline or withdraw; who to contact if concerns and a copy for patient ( www.nmc-uk.org, 2004 ). This paper includes a different approach in having a healthy life throughout the entire life span. The shift from treating the disease to preventing the disease has helped a lot of people understand their risk of having a disease. A person health is affected by the following factors; environment, family history, lifestyle and beliefs. The purpose of this study is to be able to convince a client that health is not merely having free of disease but it is the total wellness of an individual. There is a saying that if you are free from disease the person is healthy. There are 6 dimensions of health that will be discussed in this paper. They are the Social, Emotional, Physical, Intellectual, Environmental and Spiritual wellness of an individual. Comparison in the definition of health is discussed from traditional to Western to modern. It is better to prevent the disease than curing it, which is why government are having health promotions to educate the people on how to prevent disease. The models and different approach in health promotion will be presented and analyzed. The role of a nurse is said to be important in health promotion, one of the factor to be able to have a success in health promotion is how the nurse would play his role. At the end of this paper we will be able to analyze and advised the client as to how she will be able to achieve a healthy life span. The traditional definition of health includes the definition given by the Greek physicians; they believed health to be a condition of perfect body equilibrium. (Kirsten, 2001). The ancient Chinese believed that health was a reflection of a vital body force called "Qi"(Edelman, 1986). However the definition given by the Western medicine became the most famous definition of health focusing on the single component diseases. Not until recently wherein Health was defined by WHO as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (Russel 1975). Health and wellness are interrelated, wellness is multidimensional, an expanded idea of health, it is a popular model used by health programs that encompasses 6 dimensions of health. Wellness is a life long process that includes the awareness of making a choice and making decisions toward a balanced and fulfilling life. Precepts of wellness includes holism, balance, lack of sufficient at tention, self-responsibility and positive and proactive. Holism is your health and well being as an outcome of the constant interaction between the natural dimensions of life and wellness. Balance is by giving significant attention to each of the dimension. Lack of sufficient attention to any one will result in less than optimal development as a person, and may lead to

Germany and the Gurmans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Germany and the Gurmans - Essay Example The thought of that period painted in me a negative perception towards Germany and the German people in general. However, my current perception is that of respect and understanding of how Germany has contributed significantly to some of the technological advancements we enjoy in the world today. The historical significance of Germany in shaping the politics of the world is also without doubt. A key theme in this perspective is that Germany has always been a primary player in the world politics and as a result a major contributor to the global affairs. Although I had known that Germany had significant influence in the course of things during the 1st and the 2nd world war, I had not known that the influence dated back centuries ago to great leaders such as Frederick the Great. Germany has also produced one of the best scientists that have contributed significantly to the field of medicine. For instance, scientists like Paul Elhrich and Robert Koch who contributed significantly to the scientific fields of medicine, microbiology and immunology. These are men who dedicated their lives for the noble course of humanity with the aim of improving better understanding of diseases. One wonders the condition of the world had there not existed such scientists. Germany is a country that strived to ensure that it was at the forefront of scientific inventions and therefore consolidating its position as one of the leading countries in the world. Such scientists had the whole world in perspective when conducting their experiments in order to find solutions not to the problems of Germany alone but to the problems of the whole world. In the field of psychology and sociology, Germany also produced one of the key contributors in these fields. The contributions of German sociologists and psychologists improved the understanding of mental diseases and human behaviors in the society, thereby setting the pace for contemporary sociologists and

Mathematical Tasks Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mathematical Tasks - Math Problem Example which is 4. Then we have 14 x 4 -= 56cm Similarly, CD = 15 x 4 = 60 cm The perimeter of CDE then becomes 60+52+56 = 168cm Measurement as a mathematical object is also very necessary in this mathematical task where the measurement units are given in centimeters. Mathematical process like connection where mathematic ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent whole has highly been applied on this task. Mathematical processes like representation is also very important as it helps the learner to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas. Geometric reasoning. (ii) Chapter 3 is about geometric reasoning. Basing on task 3.3.3 the following mathematical task has been formulated. B A C To construct a circle inside the triangle to touch the side of the triangle which is generally termed as an inscribed circle, then there is a lot of geometry involved (Bates, 1979). This can be done as follows: - (a) Bisection of angle BAC and extending the bisecting line to a point, p. (b) Bisecting the angle ACB and extending the bisector to a point, m. Where the two bisecting lines meet, say point O, becomes the centre of the circle. With a pair of compasses, you pin at the meeting point of the two lines and draw a circle that touches the vertices of the triangle ABC. This is what is called an inscribed circle. This can be shown in fig,1.2 below: - B o A C Measurement as a mathematical tool is highly used here. The length of the sides of the triangle can be measured as well as the radius of the inscribed circle. Reasoning and proof are mathematical processes that are also applied on this mathematical task. It is only...A mathematical task like the one below entails many more mathematical objects apart from geometry because algebra can also be involved. Measurement as a mathematical object is also very necessary in this mathematical task where the measurement units are given in centimeters. Mathematical process like connection where mathematic ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent whole has highly been applied on this task. Mathematical processes like representation is also very important as it helps the learner to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas. Measurement as a mathematical tool is highly used here. The length of the sides of the triangle can be measured as well as the radius of the inscribed circle. Reasoning and proof are mathematical processes that are also applied on this mathematical task. It is only through concrete reasoning and proofing what you reason by for example bisecting the angles that one comes to see that the circle touches the sides of the triangle but not the vertices. Use of mathematical tools like a pair of compasses, calculators and rulers has also been highly applied to solve this mathematical task. Mathematics thinking and language is highly exercised and mathematics ideas expressed precisely. (iii) In chapter 4 which is

The Australian Health care system is founded on the concept of equity Essay

The Australian Health care system is founded on the concept of equity of access. Discuss this statement with relation to the con - Essay Example (Braveman, 2003). Identification of those people can be made through the use of census data using the criteria such as geographic, socio economic, epidemiological or clinical or through the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) or ambulatory care sensitive condition hospital admission data (Muecke, 2010). Australian initiatives The National Health and Hospital Reform Commission (2008) and the National Health Performance Framework (2004) have given rise to the following principles for delivering improved healthcare to rural and remote populations. Accordingly, the services should 1) be accessible and equitable in that services should be need based and payable consistent with paying capacity. 2) be needs based and should be sensitive to cultural differences, cultural diversity and choices 3) ensure early intervention aimed at maintaining wellness, prevention of illness and achieving optimal health. 4) aim at comprehensives of services through coordinated services of diverse spe cialists in the wake of incidence of chronic diseases, 5) ensure safety and quality of health care which should be appropriate, in time and effective consistent with the best available evidence, 6) be efficient by minimising cost and maximising value, 7) be sustainable and 8) be based on the principle of accountability (Humphreys & Wakerman, n.d ). The Final report June 2009 of the health reform commission towards a better health for all Australians by tackling major access and equity issues prioritises five issues towards that end. 1) First, to improve the health outcomes for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 2) Second, mental health care to be improved. 3) Third, to extend support for those living in remote and rural areas. 4) Fourth, improved access to dental health care. And 5) Fifth, Quicker access to health care in public hospitals (DepartmentOfHealthandAgeing, 2009). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. This long neglected segment of the Australia n population has caught the attention of the policy makers who have made determined efforts to give the top most priority for better health care delivery to these people. The Australian government have publicly apologised to these people. The intensity and sincerity of purpose to improve health outcomes to the First Australians living in isolation both in rural and urban areas have been unprecedented. Towards this end, a separate authority of National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Authority (NATSIHA) has been formed. All the funding are aggregated and entrusted to this authority which is expected to utilise the funds for purchasing and commissioning the best available health care services. The services are expected to be effective, of high quality, appropriate to their culture and to meet the needs of these populations with a focus of the family and community of each member. Health care delivery does not mean treating illness alone. In order to promote their well bein g, their low nutrition intake has been targeted to be improved so as to close the health gap among these people. As a part of this initiative, vegetable and fruits hitherto unavailable to them owing to their remoteness are to be made available at their places of living at affordable prices (DepartmentOfHealthandAgeing, 2009). Serious mental illness The next priority has been accorded to

Health Related Website Eval Form and Nursing Article from Bay College Assignment

Health Related Website Eval Form and Nursing Article from Bay College Library - Assignment Example It provides an opportunity for students to check out issues in the periodic stalks for a week. The article is reliable as it provides reliable and verifiable information. Students do not have to pay any money for accessing information. The article provides quality information that is available for students from home and in campus (Bay College Library: Resource for Nursing, 2012). People can understand evidence based practice by establishing the meaning of this approach and understanding its benefits. Geriatric article explains how evidence based practice can connect gaps between, theory and practice. It is quite unfortunate, as many nurses do not have the skills of incorporating evidenced based nursing in clinical practice. This article explains patient centered approach as an approach used in evidence based nursing as a strategy for improving patience care (Rubin, 2011). The article illustrates that the nursing profession, as a practice should strive to improve patients care (Barker, 2009). Evidence based practice is not only based on research since it includes all forms of research. It is a research practice where nurses use current information to make clinical

Strategic Imperative of Marketing Management Essay Example for Free

Strategic Imperative of Marketing Management Essay Discuss the strategic imperative of marketing management to the success of business organizations. In my opinion, the marketing strategy that the management department from a company or organization develops is a central role or one of the most important strategies that companies have to analyze in order to be successful on the product or service that they are promoting. As stated on the Marketing Management book by Philip Kotler and Kevin Keller; â€Å"Successful marketing requires companies to have capabilities such as understanding customer value, creating customer value, delivering customer value, capturing customer value, and sustaining customer value. † The strategic imperative of marketing may be exposed using a basic study which is called the SWOT analysis; it focuses on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the business. The strengths of the business relates to the product and consumer perception. The weaknesses analysis is just as critical for the long-term success. The opportunities come up from favorable conditions, including social and cultural advantages. And the threats come up from factors such as changes in the economy and the presence of new, powerful competitors. The relationship between a company and its customers is one of the main key factors to develop, maintain and or change if necessary a marketing strategy. Business success requires a steady commitment to the customer. This commitment includes a mindset of understanding the customers world. Understanding the customer’s wants and needs provides the business with a greater opportunity to earn loyal customers, and toward what you can do to improve the life of your customers. Ready access, increased knowledge and rapid speed of decision-making are the drivers for customer wants and decisions. If organizations fail to keep up with the speed of customer decision-making and fail to adapt quickly to changes the businesses will loss. Other factors to be successful might be considered when developing the marketing strategy. Such as: product awareness and branding. Without product awareness, consumers wont know about its availability and lack of branding will result in consumers quickly forgetting about the product and its significance on their lives.

Case Study: Mathematics In Primary School

Case Study: Mathematics In Primary School During a childs early years it is vital to develop the cognitive and social skills that will allow them to generate a foundation of knowledge and a basic set of skills for learning, which can be applied and developed throughout the rest of their schooling and adult life. This begins with the parental and familial influence on the child and progresses through their Primary School years and interaction with teachers and peers. Communication between parents, teacher and child are therefore of vital importance. Without these ingredients, a child may not achieve their full potential. For the reasons noted above it is necessary to ensure that the mathematical ability of young pupils is well established in the early years setting. A number of recommendations which have implications for pupils and Early Years practitioners are made in the Williams report and will be reviewed below. The impact of parental influence on the developing child is immeasurable. As such it is critical to ensure that the mathematical ability of, and teaching method used by parents is sufficient to understand and teach their child in a way which is relevant to the current syllabus (parents mathematical skills may be weak or outdated). It is also important for parents to encourage positivity towards mathematics this is only possible if they are confident with mathematics themselves. Provision of programmes, such as Sure Start, Effective Provision of Pre-School Education and the work of Parent Support Advisors, aim to achieve this and should continue to receive funding to break the continuing cycle of negativity towards mathematics. It is the responsibility of the Early Years teacher, with specific regard to mathematics, to: Form effective bonds with pupils to affect their learning (one of the key features of Early Years Foundation Stage). Treat the child as a unique individual and adapt pedagogy accordingly, creating an enabling environment for all pupils. Generate interest in the subject matter. Provide basic skills in the core mathematical operations. It is suggested that learning goals should be expanded to include time and capacity. This seems a logical expansion of the core mathematical concepts and will allow for accelerated understanding of the more difficult concepts. Challenge the pupil and generate progression of knowledge, thinking skills and learning methods. However, the child must not be overloaded. Assess progress or lack thereof (allowing generation of the childs Individual Education Plan), provide intervention if necessary, supervise the intervention and correctly assess and acknowledge progress. Involve parents in the childs learning process and provide feedback, especially if the child needs extra support. This can bring the childs ability in-line with peers and prevent the child from falling behind. This is also important in the converse scenario; it is important to challenge a gifted pupil. Parents can be influential here. Assist in the generation of a positive attitude towards Mathematics for pupil and parent(s)/guardian(s). Ensure that the childs confidence is maintained and therefore retain the childs appetite for new learning. Therefore it is vital that teachers develop an effective pedagogy. This process begins with the development of teaching strategies through Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and is enhanced through continuous professional development (CPD). The application of effective pedagogy includes focusing learning appropriately (with guidance from the syllabus), creating realistic yet challenging and tailored educational aims, implementing a well honed teaching technique to achieve educational aims, supported by sufficient subject knowledge. Provision of quality teaching shares a linear relationship with the mean qualification level of all staff. Consequently it is suggested that the DCSF continues to increase the proportion of graduate practitioners in early years settings recognising the respective contributions of the Qualified Teacher. This provides further support for the direction of all staff toward CPD which should be tailored around childrens understanding of mathematical concepts and way s of learning. Effective Early Years mathematical pedagogy must support children in developing new skills, generating the ability to understand and analyse mathematical concepts, and eventually to evaluate and apply those concepts to problem solving tasks. The learning environment should make mathematics less stressful from an early age. With Early Years pupils in mind it is important to utilise play and daily routines to generate interest in numeracy and mathematical problem solving. Simple activities can carry a mathematical concept such as division by sharing, addition/subtraction in weighing activities, assessing shape etc. To continue the cycle, mathematical exercises must be fun to retain the childs interest and expand confidence. Involving peers in problem solving tasks expands social skills and provides partners for discussion whilst knowledge is improved. The head teacher and management team should prioritise and manage professional development opportunities to develop subject knowledge and pedagogy, through learning, coaching and mentoring initiatives for all staff members. It must be ensured that this is not detrimental to contact time. Williams review would encourage the inclusion of a mathematics component in the CPD programme for head teachers themselves. The head teacher must manage resources in-line with the advice of the management team regarding finance available for manpower and learning aids. It is appropriate for the head teacher to appoint subject leaders who become subject specialists, capable of training and supporting other teachers. Ultimately the head teacher and management team are responsible for demonstrating and coaching good practice to their staff. The head teacher should encourage their staff to deliver the curriculum content to emphasis connections between various mathematical concepts. It is important to note that mathematical concepts and the analysis and evaluation of these concepts cannot occur in the absence of English language skills. Pupils and teacher must be comfortable with mathematical language. Problems with language can cause a cyclical reduction of confidence which generates a lack of motivation and ultimately lack of progress. If the child does experience a difficulty in either numeracy or literacy, some form of intervention should be utilised to raise the attainment level of the child. This can be one of three waves of intervention based within the Primary National Strategy. The three waves are of increasing intensity and correlate largely with the group size requiring intervention. The Every Child Counts programme is delivered during wave 3 intervention and targets year 2 pupils who are not expected to achieve expected levels of attainment by the end of Key Stage 1. Currently in its second year of development, for national application in 2010-11, Every Child Counts aims to develop a highly effective numeracy intervention for young children with the greatest difficulties in mathematics (http://www.everychildachancetrust.org/counts/index.cfm). In support of this aim, Every Child Counts provides training and support for teachers. However, teachers must ensure that their CPD targets allow them to effectively deliver any intervention which they deem necessary for the pupils in their care. Understanding intervention, when it is necessary and its importance should be included within the content of ITT understanding of these factors in the early part of a teachers career allows them to apply the principles during delivery of high quality teaching tailored to each chil d on a daily basis (rather than as purely remedial action). As noted earlier, the childs familial and social situation impact upon their education. As such, the Every Child Counts programme is developed in line with the Every Child a Chance Trust which aims to maximise the achievement of children from socially disadvantaged groups. However, it is important to note that wave 3 intervention delivered through the Every Child Counts scheme is targeted at the 5% lowest attaining pupils nationally, not the lowest 5% in each school. This decision has to be based upon time and resources, the availability of specialists to deliver the intervention and costs of the aforementioned it is impossible to provide intervention for all. Unfortunately this leaves a number of pupils without the support they need. As such it must be a long-term target to provide intervention for more children to prevent disadvantaging one over another. According to the Williams report, wave 1 intervention involves quality first teaching in a daily mathematics lesson. This suggests that quality teaching of mathematics is provided only when remedial action becomes necessary, perhaps this is due to a lack of confidence of the teacher with mathematics. Regardless of the specific reason for this assertion, it has implications for teachers and trainee teachers. ITT and CPD courses must also ensure that their mathematical ability, and confidence with mathematics, is high. Furthermore, it is suggested that a Mathematics Specialist is employed to ensure delivery of high quality teaching in mathematics through support of teachers and assistance with intensive wave three interventions. Any intervention technique/programme has a number of essential components/considerations; (i) assessment, (ii) timing, (iii) duration, (iv) withdrawal from regular schooling, (v) group size, (vi) the intervention leader, (vii) intervention resources and (viii) parents. It is critical to continually monitor the progress of all pupils (in comparison with peers and themselves) in order to accurately assess the need for intervention. The assessment phase should highlight goals for and the likely timing of the intervention based on attainment, without negative impact upon the childs confidence in their achievements or ability. Continual assessment through the programme will update the duration of the intervention (determined during assessment. It is suggested that implementation of Every Child Counts is appropriate in Year 2 is timely and practical and will appropriately limit the pressure on Year 1 teachers and pupils. The supportive and corrective intervention programme must not be detrimental to, the need for the pupil to continue learning in other subjects. The intervention must also prevent isolation from peers. Wave 2 intervention is often able to ensure that pupils are brought up-to-speed with the rest of the class whilst receiving the remedial action they require. With this in mind, it is also important to consider the group size used in any intervention. As noted by Dowkers review of the research conducted by Denvir and Brown (1986b), pupils are more relaxed and positive when taught in a group but can often be distracted by others. This has been reflected in the research phase of Every Child Counts. The head teacher and staff must collaborate on the choice to stream children to support the provision of teaching which stretches all pupils. It becomes more difficult to tailor the intervention activities to the unique needs of each child if they are provided in a group session. Progress assessments can also become difficult if the child hides during comprehension activities. It is therefore necessary to balance the benefits against the consequences of group based intervention. The intervention leader and resources needed must be selected according to the level of support required to sufficiently increase attainment; delivery can be undertaken by the class teacher, teaching assistant, Mathematics Specialist (as suggested by Williams) or parents. Cost factors must also be considered, for example, it is more economical for a teaching assistant to deliver a group intervention than a highly qualified teacher or specialist to deliver one-to-one intervention. It is important to ensure that parents understand and are committed to the intervention and provide learning support at home. It is important for the head teacher to allocate time to assess progress of Year 2 pupils with teachers throughout the year allowing them to plan and manage the timetabling and allocation of/need for resources, including intervention resources. To summarise, best practice in teaching mathematics gives children an understanding and appreciation of mathematics. This requires and effective pedagogy which generates progression of knowledge and understanding. The teacher must be confident, inventive and possess excellent communication skills. ITT is central to developing these skills which should be supported by subject-specific Specialists and CPD programmes provided by the Head teacher. Quality teaching and Intervention and programmes such as Every Child Counts must be regarded as an investment in a childs abilities at an early stage to allow them to contribute positively to the economy in adult life. The head teacher and management team must consider the suggestion to employ and manage a Mathematics Specialist and recruit staff who can deliver effective teaching in collaboration with TAs and parents. Work referenced: http://www.everychildachancetrust.org/counts/index.cfm accessed on 30 August 2010

Tim Hortons Design of Goods Services

Tim Hortons Design of Goods Services Tim Hortons Inc. is a fast food giant operating in North America and Canada. The Companys offerings includes premium coffee, flavored cappuccinos, specialty teas, home-style soups, fresh sandwiches, wraps, hot breakfast sandwiches and fresh baked goods. While the company is expanding it is challenged by the concerns of design of goods and just in time concepts of operations management. II. Literature Review Operations Management is the science and art of ensuring that goods and services are created and delivered successfully to customers. Applying the principles of OM entails a solid understanding of people, processes, and technology, and how they are integrated within business systems to create value. The way in which goods and services, and the processes that create and support them, are designed and managed can make the difference between a delightful or unhappy customer experiences. Operations management is the only function by which managers can directly affect the value provided to all stakeholders customers, employees, investors, and society. Effective operations management is essential to providing high-quality goods and services that customers demand, motivating, and developing the skills of the people who actually do the work, maintaining efficient operations to ensure an adequate return on investment, and protecting the environment. Operations management focuses on carefully managing the processes to produce and distribute products and services. Major, overall activities often include product creation, development, production and distribution. Related activities include managing purchases, inventory control, quality control, storage, logistics and evaluations of processes. A great deal of focus is on efficiency and effectiveness of processes. Therefore, operations management often includes substantial measurement and analysis of internal processes. Ultimately, the nature of how operations management is carried out in an organization depends very much on the nature of the products or services in the organization, for example, on retail, manufacturing or wholesale (1). Understanding Design of Goods and Services A good is a physical product that one can see, touch, or possibly consume. Examples of goods include oranges, flowers, televisions, soap, airplanes, fish, furniture, coal, coffee, lumber, and personal computers. A durable good is a product that typically lasts at least three years. Vehicles, dishwashers, and furniture are some examples of durable goods. A nondurable good is perishable and generally lasts for less than three years. Examples are toothpaste, software, shoes, and fruit. A service is any primary or complementary activity that does not directly produce a physical product. Services represent the nongoods part of a transaction between a buyer (customer) and seller (supplier).1 Common examples of services are hotels, legal and financial firms, airlines, health care organizations, museums, and consulting firms. Product (or service) management includes a wide range of management activities, ranging from the time that theres a new idea for a product to eventually providing ongoing support to customers who have purchased the new product. Every organization conducts product development, whether its done intentionally or unintentionally (2). Goods and services have many similarities. They are driven by customers and provide value and satisfaction to customers. They can be standardized for mass market or customized to individual needs. Just in Time Just-in-time (JIT) is a management philosophy that originated in the 1970s. Taiichi Ohno is credited with developing JIT and perfected it for Toyotas manufacturing plants in Japan. The main goal of JIT is to eliminate anything that does not add value from the customers perspective. Non-value-added activities are referred to as waste in JIT (4). Examples of waste include: overproduction beyond what is needed to satisfy immediate demand waiting time (work-in-process, customer waiting) unnecessary transportation (material handling, customer travel through a facility, etc.) processing waste (yield rates, start-up costs) inventory storage waste (space, deterioration, obsolescence, etc.) unnecessary motion and activity (waste in work techniques, etc.) waste from product and service defects (rework, scrap, warranty, etc.) Just-in-time (JIT) refers to a collection of practices that is designed to eliminate waste. These organizational practices encompass the entire logistics flow of materials from purchasing through production and distribution. The elements of JIT may include shared product design with suppliers and customers, movement toward single sourcing, proximate suppliers and customers, reduced set-up times, preventive maintenance, reliance on analytic tools to identify sources of defects and plant optimization layout (re)configurations, among others. The benefits are pervasive and can include lower total system costs and improved product quality when managed at optimum levels. A fair amount of evidence is available to support the claim of improved performance derived from the adoption of JIT or some of its components. Companies have reduced in-process inventory more than 50% and lead times by more than 80%. An inventory system managed to the extreme with JIT principles correlates inversely with the level of labor efficiency. Outsourcing is an essential tool for every business executive. JIT Inventory Modeling brings a unique perspective that can help clients make and implement the best decisions even in these unprecedented times (5). The use of JIT in services A review of the major academic research journals found most articles focused on JIT in manufacturing firms. Non-manufacturing environments have been given little emphasis in the research literature. However, a review of recent applied journals revealed articles describing JIT precepts migrating to non-manufacturing environments. These non-manufacturing environments include typical service businesses such as insurance firms, retailers and mail-order firms. Continuous improvement of the process As part of JIT implementation, organizations must instill the habit of expecting continuous small improvements in the process. The operators must never be satisfied with the current environment, but always be moving closer to the ideal situation. Service operations are ripe for significant productivity gains that can be achieved through process improvements. However, recognizing processes that can be improved through the implementation of JIT techniques has been difficult. Holistic approach to elimination of waste The JIT philosophy must be adopted throughout all levels and in all functions of the organization. Chase (1991) provides an excellent argument for and examples of the need to consider the service aspects of the manufacturing firm as potential areas for competitive advantage. He argues further that service innovations typically cut across departmental boundaries and cross-functional support is required for a successful implementation. From a non-manufacturing perspective, inventory and purchasing are the most obvious areas for implementing JIT techniques because of the common vocabulary, of which many examples can be found. According to Schonberger and Gilbert (1983), the just-in-time concept as applied to purchasing translates into frequent releases and deliveries. They developed a list of characteristics describing a JIT purchasing environment. As can be seen from the items listed below, these characteristics could be descriptive of almost any purchasing operation, be it in a manufa cturing or service environment: (1) Suppliers: few suppliers; nearby suppliers; repeat business with same suppliers; active use of analysis to enable desirable suppliers to become/stay price-competitive; clusters of remote suppliers, competitive bidding mostly limited to new part numbers; buyer plant resists vertical integration and subsequent wipeout of supplier business; suppliers are encouraged to extend JIT buying to their suppliers; (2) Quantities: steady output rate (a desirable prerequisite); frequent delivery in small quantities; long-term contract agreements; minimal release paperwork; delivery quantities variable from release to release, but fixed for whole contract term; little or no permissible overage or underage of receipts; suppliers encouraged to package in exact quantities; suppliers encouraged to reduce their production lot sizes (or store unreleased material); (3) Quality: minimal product specifications imposed on supplier; help suppliers to meet quality requirements; close relationships between buyers and suppliers quality assurance people; suppliers encouraged to use process control charts instead of lot sampling inspection; Inman and Mehra (1991) examined the potential for JIT in service industries through three purchasing-oriented case studies. These cases highlight the application of JIT to three areas identified as: the purchase of sub-components/ services; maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) goods; and quasi-MRO goods. They concluded that the utilization of JIT in a service industry is more than justifiable. They also offered suggestions for implementing JIT in service industries that strongly resembled those offered to manufacturing firms contemplating adoption of JIT. Flexibility in the use of resources Firms should have the ability to change processes rapidly to meet customer demands without wasting resources. Because the output from service processes is often highly customized, flexibility is a key element for many successful service organizations. Improving the timing and quantity of resource allocations for performing a process to avoid employing human and material resources when they are not needed is another facet of JIT. Decreasing the cost of maintaining patient accounts was the purpose of applying JIT techniques in a hospital as reported by Groenevelt (1990). While this implementation also could have fallen under the improving work flow emphasis, many of the JIT techniques discussed in this article reflect employee centred techniques increasing the flexibility of the workforce. Workers were involved in decisions; training and education programmes were established to create a pool of multi-skilled workers; standardized procedures were established; performance standards were created and monitored; and a special emphasis was placed on fostering co-operation and commitment to the JIT philosophy. Another mathematical model is offered by Ramasesh (1990) for the implementation of JIT techniques in purchasing systems that have not yet advanced to the ultimate level of JIT purchasing (lot size of one). He treated the fixed costs associated with the adoption of JIT as investment, and justified it based on the savings generated using any of the techniques of investment analysis. He modified the traditional economic order quantity model to include explicitly the costs of small-lot shipments. He also provided guidelines and formulae for determining the order quantity and the optimal number of shipments. Respect for people Because customers are directly involved in the service delivery process, service employees play a crucial role in affecting the customers perception of the quality and value of the service. Employees must respect customer requirements and provide service in a timely and efficient manner. Those same employees deserve the respect of the companys management. This means helping employees work smarter, not harder, through training and supervisory assistance, and involving all employees in problem solving and process improvements. Many of the articles discussed in other categories mentioned the need to implement various techniques for helping employees work smarter, not harder (Billesbach and Schneiderjans, 1989; Carlson, 1989; Groenevelt, 1990; Savage-Moore, 1988; to name a few). Most of these articles focused primarily on operational changes. However, they also recognized the vital role employees have in service industries and emphasized methods for improving their performance. Service firms working for JIT manufacturing firms must be aware of the impact of the customers JIT emphasis on their own companies. Bagchi et al. (1987) investigated the importance of various service factors considered by both JIT and non-JIT firms when selecting a transportation carrier. They concluded that executives in JIT firms regard customer service-related factors as more important than others. JIT firms place significantly more emphasis on service-related determinants, such as frequency of service, delivery predictability, transit time, service schedule changes and service flexibility. Carriers and other service providers must design effective service offerings which include the customer service requirements of their JIT customers. III. Company Analysis Company Profile Tim Hortons has been founded in 1964 as a coffee and donut shop and opened its first outlet in Hamilton, Canada. As of today, they have more than 2600 stores in Canada. There is one outlet for every 8,707 people in Ontario, compared with one outlet for every 18,906 people in the western provinces of Canada. Also, Tim Hortons has more than 250 outlets in USA. Tim Hortons has generated revenue of US $1.2 billion for its corporate parent, Wendys International, in 2005. Tim Hortons is committed to offer always fresh, fast, convenient, and wide varieties of the products. One of the specialities of Tim Hortons is they want to make sure that their menu is being embellished by adding a new taste. Hot Smoothee is one of their new tastes, and it was launched in October 2005. Goods and Services Selection Tim Hortons Inc. is a quick service restaurant operating in North America and Canada. The Companys offerings includes premium coffee, flavored cappuccinos, specialty teas, home-style soups, fresh sandwiches, wraps, hot breakfast sandwiches and fresh baked goods. It directly owns and operates small number of company restaurants in Canada and the United States. The Company also has warehouse and distribution operations, which supplies paper and dry goods to the Canada-based restaurants, and supply frozen baked goods and some refrigerated products to the Ontario-based restaurants. In the United States, the Company supplies similar products to system restaurants through third-party distributors. The operations also include coffee roasting plants in Rochester, New York and Hamilton, Ontario, a joint-venture bakery, and a fondant and fills manufacturing facility. In July 2009, the Company began serving its signature coffee in New York City. Competitive Advantage Tim Hortons is a dominant player in Canada, and the chain has a 75 per cent market share in Canadian coffee-doughnut industry. Starting March 2006, Tim Hortons Inc. started trading publicly on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges and made itself more valuable. The company is now one of the strongest franchises in Canada, with annual sales of $1.6 billion, 1700 outlets, and an aggressive expansion plan into the United States. One in three cups of coffee sold in Canada comes from Tim Hortons, and Canada-a country with more donut shops per capita than any other country-seems to be a country in love with coffee and donuts. Canadian soldiers even take tins of Tim Hortons coffee with them on overseas deployment, and one of the competitors, Country Style Donuts, recognizes the dominance and sets its sights on becoming number two in the market-they are not even considering challenging the companys dominant position. Even the purchase of the company by U.S.-based Wendys International doesnt seem to have slowed the company down or tainted its image as a Canadian icon. Customers are able to find Tim Hortons outlets more than competitor cafà ©-shops across country. This is the one of the advantages Tim Hortons has. They have more than 2600 stores in Canada. There is one outlet for every 8,707 people in Ontario. This advantage makes Tim Hortons more competitive, but just only in the caffeine product. Hot Smoothee has shown their banner all around Tim Horton store, but they couldnt catch consumers. Whereas Starbucks has about 600 outlets in Canada, Second Cup operates more than 370 outlets across country. Issues Encountered with the Design of Goods Obesity levels are reaching unprecedented levels and the rates of diabetes are skyrocketing. Canadians, and North Americans in general, are becoming increasingly health conscious. With almost a quarter of Canadians obese, obesity is- no pun intended-at epic proportions, and that could affect Tim Hortons in terms of lawsuits, regulation, and complaints from public interest groups. For example, a group of obese U.S. teenagers sued McDonalds, claiming its food had made them fat. While a judge threw the case out, any fast-food restaurant could be a target and the cost of defending the company could easily exceed several million dollars per case, and thats only if you win. The concern about fat and carbohydrates pretty much focuses on what a donut is-fat and carbohydrates. If the growing interest in eating health food wasnt worrying enough, an aggressive new U.S. competitor is entering your market-Krispy Kreme. Although Krispy Kreme has only about a third of the sales (all U.S.) of Tim Hortons, its growth rate has been phenomenal. It has doubled its sales and stores over the last five years, including an incredible 40 percent increase in sales in the last year alone. Even Hollywood has jumped on the Krispy Kreme bandwagon, with Nicole Kidman declaring them Gods gift to donut lovers, and the product has been seen on over 80 TV shows. It now has plans to aggressively enter the Canadian market and take Tim Hortons head on. In the meantime, Tim Hortonss U.S. expansion plans havent gone well, with the company losing millions of dollars. New Product Opportunity The latest taste of Tim Hortons is non-caffeinated hot beverage: Hot Smoothee. It was introduced in October 2005 with four flavors: butter caramel, raspberry, hazelnut, and orange. Tim Hortons Hot Smoothee is served either in cartoon or ceramic cup. Specially, ceramic cups made customers feel like at home. Hot Smoothee has no special design for their cups. In addition, they organized the label together with the description for the flavor which might lead to confusion. At Tim Hortons, customers dont expect the ambience and quality of service that Starbucks and Second Cup provide. Customers expectations are not high as much as when they go to Tim Hortons. They only expect to have hot drink, fast service and convenient place. This factor makes Tim Hortons and competitors target audience different. Product-by-Value Analysis In terms of place design/atmosphere, Tim Hortons is more about convenience and saving time. Starbucks is more than that drinking coffee; it has been about sitting in the cafe and enjoying the ambience. Meanwhile, Second Cup provides their customers cozy environment as Starbucks does. But also, starting from 2005, customers are able to bring their laptops or handheld devices and surf the Internet over coffee. This factor makes Second Cup more competitive comparing to Starbucks. At Tim Hortons, customers dont expect the ambience and quality of service that Starbucks and Second Cup provide. Customers expectations are not high as much as when they go to Tim Hortons. They only expect to have hot drink, fast service and convenient place. This factor makes Tim Hortons and competitors target audience different. A Starbucks experience is-each cup is made to a customers personal order. Especially that baby boomers are looking for quality, individual choice and personalized service. They have the money and they are willing to pay for it. They are looking for more than having coffee. Tim Hortons also serves to baby boomers for more than 40 years in Canada, but they are falling behind competitors like Starbucks when it comes to quality, unique choices and excellent service. IV. Executive Summary Tim Hortons, as a fast-food company giant is challenged by issues concerning operations managements concepts of design of goods and just in time. North America is beset with alarming rate of obesity, and Tim Hortons whose products involves doughnuts, which main ingredients are fat and sugar. Due to this, Tim Hortons is besieged by a challenge to come up with products that are keener to the health of its customer. Just-In-Time touches on all operations in a firm including design, accounting, finance, marketing, distribution among other. The application of the concept of Just-In-Time to a service and product company like Tim Horton will further enhance customer experience and allow the company to eliminate waste and make true their statement to always serve fresh, fast, convenient, and wide varieties of the products.

Creating a Market for Electric Cars Essay example -- Electric Cars Ess

When Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903, it would go on to start a revolution for the American auto industry. Ford pioneered the assembly line and increased auto production substantially. Today, Ford is one of the most successful auto makers in the world. According to the company, a key factor of success is the focus on building relationships and placing the consumer first. Understanding the consumer and how they view business helps Ford to continue improvement ("Marketing strategy", 2010). Ford is a first-rate example of good marketing techniques. They know how to sell a vehicle to a consumer, as displayed by their position in the top eight of U. S. auto makers. New technology paves the way for new ideas, and new ideas do best when they use existing models. That is why the relatively new concept of battery operated cars should look to already successful auto makers for example. Battery powered cars are becoming more and more marketable with more research and a developing consumer base. Although there is plenty of development to ensue, this paper can help marketing managers figure out the best way to utilize the power of new technology and, in time, have a consumer base that desires battery powered cars for various reasons. This paper will show an array of issues that support an argument for the marketability of cars that operate on battery power. Battery powered cars are more complex than they sound. One might think that the mechanics behind battery power merely consist of charging the battery before a road trip. There is actually an entire process that transforms energy into power. Whereas a gasoline powered vehicle uses an internal combustion engine to convert gasoline into energy, battery powered vehicles generate... .../2013/01/03/why-2013-will-be-another-huge-year-for-car-sales/ Electronic Design, 59(8), 18. U.S. Census Bureau (2008). A Gas Station for Every 2,500 People - County Business Patterns - Newsroom. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/county_business_patterns/c b08-96.html U.S. Department of Energy (2014a). Alternative fuels data center: Electric vehicle charging station locations. Retrieved from http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_locations.html U.S. Department of Energy (2014b). Alternative fuels data center: Emissions from hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles. Retrieved from http://www.afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/electric_emissions.php U.S. Department of Energy (n.d.). EnerDel/Argonne advanced high-power battery for hybrid electric vehicles. Retrieved from ://www.transportation.anl.gov/batteries/enerdel.html

Essay --

YHWH gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments. These Ten Commandments â€Å"set the Israelites apart and enabled them to mold a distinctive culture† as said in the text book The Human Records sources of global history volume 1: to 1500. The Human Records mentioned that â€Å"Israelites evolved the idea that they enjoyed the special protection of god (YHWH)†. The Ten Commandments are the exact words of God which were engraved on a stone that was given to Moses by god. As mentioned in the text book The Human Records , in return for protection of the YHWH, the Israelites deity demanded their sole devotion. They were going to success in Canaan, a land the YHWH had promised them and had to maintain religious and cultural distance from all other people. First commandment lets the Israelites know that they should not have any other god before him, he should be everyone priority. Second commandment says that there should not be any other image of God and God should be worshiped. Third commandment says that Gods name should only be used with respect and nothing else. Fourth commandment is the Sabbath day Sunday, the seventh days where you shall not do any work and remember that you were a servant and god brought you out with a mighty hand. Fifth commandment says that you should respect you parents both mother and father. Sixth commandment says that â€Å"you should not kill â€Å"straight forward as the commandment says. Seventh commandment says that couples should be faithful in their marriage and not cheat. Eighth commandment says that you should never steal. Ninth commandment says that you should not lie. At last the tenth commandment says that you should not be envious of other people don’t say I’m going to buy thi s because they have that . The Hammur... ...ne that was given to Moses by god. Their differences show there unique distinction from the Ten Commandments and the Hammurabi code. Both are very important because both are still used today. The Ten Commandments up to this day I still use and believe in them and know that they will always show up and not disappear. The Code of Hammurabi probably had some modifications done to the code but some laws can still apply today. The Code of Hammurabi is far more detailed then the Ten Commandments .The Ten Commandment is written straight forward and addressing god. At the end there differences brings them apart the Hammurabi as the stricter than Ten Commandments. At the end there differences brings them apart the Hammurabi as the stricter than Ten Commandments. Ten Commandments a religious belief that many fallow counting myself and Code of Hammurabi set of punishable laws.

The Role of Fate in Oedipus the King – Essay Sample

Oedipus the King was written by Sophocles and was is titled Oedipus Rex in Latin. It is one of the most well-known Greek tragedies. As is the case with Greek tragedies—or roughly most tragedies that make their way to stage—fate plays a key role in the events in Oedipus the King. The play is also the origin of the term â€Å"Oedipus complex. † Fate as Antagonist The primary antagonist in this tale is fate. Most tragedies where fate is the driving theme the characters in its web all attempt to escape it.Unfortunately fate can’t be avoided and if it is tempted fate will usually render a far worse conclusion for attempting to deprive it of its will. Laius’ Fate Apollo tells Laius that he and Jocasta would have a son that would kill him. When Oedipus is born, Jocasta sends Oedipus to his own fate and leaves him on a mountainside to die. Jocasta attempts to cheat fate by doing away with her son to save her husband, but Oedipus is found by a shepherd who s aw the whole thing and raised by King Polybus.Laius’ fate comes when he kidnaps the son of King Pelops and basically showed little respect for Pelops’ hospitality by doing so. The Fate of Thebes Oedipus sends Creon to the temple of Apollo to figure out what will become of Thebes and how to do away with the plague. Fate is tempted here by the Oedipus attempting to end the plague when it is not his place to do so. Apollo tells Oedipus that he will end up killing his father and taking his mother. Oedipus believes he will end up killing King Polybus. Oedipus’ Fate Teiresias—Apollo’s blind prophet—tells Creon of Oedipus’ fate.Oedipus is busy trying to find the murderer of Laius. Teiresias cryptically tells Oedipus the nature of his marriage, but Oedipus doesn’t interpret the meaning in Teiresias’ words. He tells Oedipus that the shame of his relationship will bring about ruin and that the insults Oedipus gives to him will be returned as a result of his deed. Oedipus sets himself up for downfall further when he forsakes Teiresias’ word and says he has no special ability.As prophets are basically the mouth of the gods and do their direct  will, Oedipus is in a way committing blasphemy. The provocation leads Teiresias to—again cryptically—tell Oedipus that he is actually on level footing with his children and that the truth with crush him. When Oedipus relays the events to his wife, she tells him to ignore the prophecy and that Apollo’s prophecy didn’t hold up as she believed that her husband was killed by a bandit. Strands of Fate Tied Up Oedipus finds out that Polybus doesn’t die at his hands, but of natural causes so it seems the prophecy didn’t come true.However, Laius is killed by Oedipus when the two argued over who had the right of way on a road. Neither man recognized the other. Oedipus marries Jocasta, widow of Laius making his both wife and son t o her and father and brother to his children. Oedipus finds out about the true nature from a shepherd, finds his wife Jocasta who had hung herself, took her jewelry and smashed them into his eyes. Oedipus ends up blind and destitute and his children cursed by being the product of incest.