Embryonic Stem Cell Research Essay examples - 2167 Words

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Embryonic stem cell research is a controversial topic nationwide, because of its clash of ethical and moral values. Many people, including those suffering from diseases that this research is seeking to cure, do not believe in killing a living embryo in order to advance research and science. â€Å"Even though having Parkinson’s Disease is something I’d rather not go through, I cannot find it in me to support embryonic stem cell research at this time in my life, simply because my improvement or being cured shouldn’t depend on the killing of an innocent life,† said Wilbanice Ayala, 22, of Hudson, New Hampshire. President George W. Bush is one who also does not believe in the â€Å"killing of an innocent life† for†¦show more content†¦Still, the reason why researchers are so focused on using embryos instead of stem cells from an existing person is quite obvious. Embryonic stem cells are special because they are the only cells that can make all parts of the body,† said Douglas Melton, in an interactive videoconference available at athome.harvard.edu. The conference was hosted in New York and broadcasted to Cambridge, Washington D.C., and Naples, Florida on March 2, 2004. Embryonic stem cells can do everything. So if you want to work on replenishing tissues, that’s where you go. Melton is a professor at Harvard University and a leading researcher of embryonic stem cells. The reason Harvard can proceed in this area despite the ban on federal funds is because it is privately funded. The ban vowed not to give federal aid to researchers doing embryonic stem cell research because of the debate over moral and ethical values. Thus, the financial support provided to Harvard gives a lot of hope to people living with degenerative diseases such as Type I diabetes, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Parkinson’s Disease. One of the leading voices in support of this research is actor Michael J. Fox, who is the founder of a foundation making the most money for Parkinson’s Disease research. At a rally for presidential candidate John F. Kerry in New Hampshire on October 4, 2004, Fox expressed his discontent with Bush’s decision saying it hindered research in the area of stem cells. He said that the people of thisShow MoreRelatedEmbryonic Of Stem Cell Research Essay1576 Words   |  7 PagesEmbryonic Stem Cell Research Francois Rabelais, the famous Renaissance humanist, once said, â€Å"Science without conscience is the death of the soul† (Rabelais, Francois). Since the late 1960’s, this has been the stance for opponents of embryonic stem cell research. This is saying, if we are willing to take a fertilized embryo and kill it before it has even had time to develop, where is our conscience, our heart? We consider this form of stem cell research to be immoral and unethical. ScientistsRead MoreEmbryonic Of Stem Cell Research942 Words   |  4 PagesEmbryonic Stem Cell is when you have to destroy the egg inside, thus rendering that egg to become a human. The Stem Cell is put into a petri dish where it will be cultured and feed nutrients (Bethesda). The Stem Cell is almost like a blank code, It can replenish a part of the body that is hurt or has a disease (Bigloo). Stem cells can be programed any where in the body to fix the issue. When the stem cell divides it will keep pro ducing till the part of the body is back to normal (Bethesda). StemRead MoreThe Debate Of Embryonic Stem Cell Research1292 Words   |  6 PagesEmbryonic stem cells research is the most debated type of stem cell research. The moral standings of embryonic stem cell research have been debated since the research started. The side against the research claims that it is wrong to value one’s life above another and that the elimination of the most basic form of life is murder. While the side supporting the research claims that the research could bring about the cure for many types of diseases and help save the lives of millions. Embryonic stemRead MoreThe Debate Of Embryonic Stem Cell Research1460 Words   |  6 Pages I believe that embryonic stem cell research should be allowed in the United States. From previous encounters with the topic I have learned that the many benefits that can come from stem cell research are without a doubt astounding and unimaginable. There are simpl y endless possibilities that can arise if the research was allowed to be conducted. From giving back vision to rebuilding tissue, any advance in stem cell research would be beneficial to the medical world. With the help that the advancesRead MoreEmbryonic Stem Cell Research Essay710 Words   |  3 PagesResearch on stem embryonic stem cells We live in a world where genetic sciences have gone beyond laws, and past the imagination. We have come to a point where we don’t know anymore what is right, and what is wrong. We have to decide. In fact, studies are made on embryonic stem cells that for now have the purpose to better our overall health. These stem cells are extracted from extra IVF embryos; they are used and destroyed. While it’s true that this research could cure serious illnesses as Parkinson’sRead MoreThe Debate Of Embryonic Stem Cell Research931 Words   |  4 Pages Embryonic stem cell research is the study of stem cells derived from the undifferentiated inner mass cells of a human embryo. For many years now, the ethics of embryonic stem cell research has been argued. A recent advance in this line of research is the ability to clone the embryonic stem cells, which allows for researchers to create a completely compatible embryonic stem cell to the individual’s tissue type. Though thi s new science may be very beneficial, not everyone can agree on the ethics ofRead MoreThe Debate Of Embryonic Stem Cell Research1711 Words   |  7 PagesEmbryonic stem cell research is a hot topic of debate in our modern age, as scientific development continues to push the boundaries of ethics. The debates lies in whether or not it is helping or hindering society, as the procedure involves the manipulation of a human embryo. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are derived from a week old human embryo (blastocyst), often developed from unused in vitro fertilised eggs. They are pluripotent, meaning they are capable of undergoing directed differentiation andRead MoreHuman Embryonic Stem Cell Research1625 Words   |  7 PagesProduction and the Scientific and Therapeutic Use of Human Embryonic Stem Cells, the Pontifical Academy for Life presents the field of stem cell research with a statement regarding the official Roman Catholic position on the moral aspects of acquiring and using human embryonic stem cells.  They have declared that it is not morally legitimate to produce or use human embryos as a source of stem cells, nor is it acceptable to use stem cells from cell lines already established. Thus, bringing up the conflictingRead More Embryonic Stem Cell Research Essay1451 Words   |  6 Pagestechnology has allowed for a new understanding of stem cells and further developments in research. The use of stem ce lls in regenerative medicine may hold significant benefits for those suffering from degenerative diseases. To avail such advancements in stem cell research could see the alleviation or complete cure of afflictions that take the lives of millions worldwide each year. (McLaren, 2001) A stem cell 1 is able differentiate into any somatic cell found in the human body, including those identicalRead MoreHuman Embryonic Stem Cell Research2490 Words   |  10 PagesFederal Government to fund stem cell research through the National Institute of Health. There are various types of stem cells, but the policy issue mainly covers human embryonic stem cells. This policy revokes President George W. Bush s executive order 13435 which put heavy limitations on federal funding for stem cell research. Although this policy has already taken effect, there are still bans and immense regulation on particular methods of human embryonic stem cell extraction that involve the

Plato s Symposium A Glimpse Into Antiquity Of Some...

Plato’s Symposium is a glimpse into antiquity of some philosophical conversations on love. The focus here is on two different perspectives between Aristophanes and Socrates. Aristophanes gives us his view on love by telling a mythical account on how human nature came to be. There were once three types of beings, male-male, female-female and male-female, which the later would be known as androgynous. They were each round with four arms, four legs, and two faces on opposite sides of their being and each pair had associated genitals. They could do anything they chose, walking or rolling. The gods thought that they were a bit too powerful but didn’t want to kill them because then the gods wouldn’t get their dutiful sacrifices. So Zeus said†¦show more content†¦That the seeker of knowledge is the one who gains wisdom opposed to the one who says they know. It is not the seeking of an object but of an ideal. In this way love cannot be taken away it always abides. Diotima’s ladder of love leads us from the body, to the mind, to the abstract, to the Form of beauty itself. It is in this we see the essence of beauty itself. And by purs ing the essence of beauty it will produce true virtue rather than images of virtue and it is here that love resides. There is a great contrast between what Aristophanes tells us regarding love and what Socrates tells us. Aristophanes definition of love is a physical connection that is looking to be made whole once again. Trying to heal a wound that can only be healed when we reunite with our other half. And if we never find this person or they reject us love does not exist. It is only a shadow of what it could have been. Left with the desire for love that can never be obtained. This kind of love is not love at all; it is suffering and bondage. Socrates tells us love is not a physical obtainment that can come and go as all material things do but an intangible aspiration. Leaving us hurt or betrayed. Socrates ideal of love is the in-between that resides in beauty, wisdom and happiness, born of plenty and poverty. Given to the idea that it is better not to obtain something but to pursue it. The idea that self-sufficiency is freedom from the bonds of dependency, that if

Personal Statement My Underlying Fear - 901 Words

The reason I picked these two individuals to interview is because I knew that they were both in a relationship and I knew them well enough personally that they would be comfortable talking about personal moments in their lives that would allow me to fully examine and evaluate their responses. My underlying fear was that both of the interviews would bring about very similar data with no room for comparisons, but thankfully my fears proved unwarranted. Both of the interviewees had a vested interest in happiness and relationships. To code my two interviewees, I will first regard what characteristics or backgrounds each person had that could have influenced their thoughts on happiness or relationships. Such traits could be their demographics, as both of them were Hispanic and were born in a different country before moving to the United States when they were very young. Both are bilingual in English and Spanish. Both have a younger sibling and a strong maternal figure. Employment status, another coding variable, was different between them. Interviewee 1 had had jobs, but was no longer working, but interviewee 2 continues to work his job during the graveyard shift. Both are in intimate relationships, but the happiness from each relationship varies between the two, along with the thoughts of their partners. Interviewee 1 rarely spoke of problems she had with her significant other while interviewee 2 listed several traits that he found damaging in his significant other. TheseShow MoreRelatedHow Does Social Anxiety Disorder Effect the Routine of a Person?661 Words   |  3 PagesThe idea of â€Å"social fear† goes back as early as 400 B.C. where Hippocrates described the overly shy person as someone who â€Å"thinks every man observes him.† Even Charles Darwin wrote about the physiology concerning blushing and shyness. The psychiatric term â€Å"social phobia† wasn’t used until the early 1900s. In 1994, the fourth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) was published and the term social anxiety disorder (SAD) replaced â€Å"social phobia.† Social anxietyRead More Death of a Salesman is a Tragedy as Defined in Millers Tragedy and the Common Man1046 Words   |  5 PagesLoman.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Another point by Miller is that, â€Å"the tragic feeling is invoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is willing to lay down his life... to secure one thing- his sense of personal dignity.† Willie Loman is that kind of man. He will go to any length to preserve his personal dignity. Much of his sense of identity stems from his vocation. He is a salesman. His importance is derived from that designation. Thus, his self-dignity is directly related to his occupational successRead More Abandonment in Jamaica Kincaids Autobiography of My Mother Essay examples728 Words   |  3 PagesKincaids Autobiography of My Mother Xuela, the protagonist of Jamaica Kincaids novel, The Autobiography of My Mother , comments, I felt I did not want to belong to anyone, that since the one person I would have consented to own me had never lived to do so, I did not want anyone to belong to me (112). The outward coldness of this statement is clearly observed, but it is the underlying statement Xuela is making that is truly a significant theme within the novel; Xuelas fear of abandonment. She abortsRead MoreShould Privacy Be Legal?1296 Words   |  6 Pagescitizens personal data produced is very controversial. Some people agree that â€Å"if you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to fear†, while others contend that this issue is invading our privacy and violating two different amendments (Solove). What is at stake is not fear of people knowing what we buy or look up, but rather the government having the power to invade our privacy and not needing to notify us. I believe that the government having the legal ability to look into our personal data onlineRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Othello, By William Shakespeare1040 Words   |  5 Pagestexts are considered together, their universal themes and ideas lead to greater understanding, appreciation and insight of both the old and the new. The texts Othello, William Shakespeare (1600) and Othello, Geoffrey Sax (2001), ring true for this statement. Despite the differing contexts and ages, the universal themes of racism and betrayal bring new meaning to each of the texts. The primary meaning from the juxtaposition of the two is that of the human condition, and how the problems faced in theRead MorePersonal Statement On Educational Leadership1423 Words   |  6 PagesWill Hardin 5040 Create a personal, professional mission statement summarizing philosophy, knowledge and skills of instructional supervision from which to guide future leadership actions. Assessment: Students will articulate a personal theory of instructional leadership and specify a personal, professional mission statement as a guide to socially responsible, ethical leadership behavior. Mission Statement â€Å"We are all in this together. Once we know that we are, we’re all stars and we see thatRead MoreReaction To Who Moved My Cheese By Spencer Johnson Essay1211 Words   |  5 Pagesas they related to Johnsons message, my life, and to each other. Now, after writing this paper, I can assert that this story appeals to its audience on a level much more personal than their career. The story assists ones self in diminishing a fear of change. It is this core purpose that has the potential to influence the many facets of a humans life, be it in the workplace, love, or another achievement. It is through this personal appeal that I will write my reaction to the text. Spencer JohnsonRead MoreWilly Loman, the Modern Hero in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman1739 Words   |  7 Pagesprotagonist in tragic Greek writing evokes a quality known as catharsis, which, with the help of events, evokes pity and fear within the audience to the character (Gioai G30): â€Å"Tragic heroes move us to pity because their misfortunes are greater than they deserve, because they are not evil, having committed the fateful deed or deeds unwittingly and involuntarily. They also move us to fear, because we recognize in ourselves similar possibilities of error. We share with the tragic hero a common world ofRead MoreShould The Government Should Call The Shots1200 Words   |  5 Pagesmandatory for everyone who can receive them safely because of the protection they provide for an individual’s health, the protection of our herd immunity, and the protection of those who cannot receive vaccines for medical reasons. The underlying technology of vaccinations can be traced back to the sixteenth century in China to a process that exposed people to smallpox to grow their immunity and increase their survival rates. In 1796 the technology spread to Europe, here Edward Jenner andRead MoreHuman Development And Family Relations1556 Words   |  7 Pagesto understand the formation of its studies. The field of psychology commonly uses experimental methods in what is known as experimental psychology. Researchers design experiments to test specific hypotheses, or to evaluate functional relationships. My paper will attempt to look at why people are subjected to authority figures, on their obedience to authority figures. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY RELATIONS: Professionals rely on research findings. For example, counselors need to know about the latest

Child Development Piaget - 5238 Words

Introduction Jean Piagets Background Jean Piaget was born in Switzerland in 1896. Based upon his observations, he concluded that children were not less intelligent than adults, they simply think differently. Albert Einstein called Piaget’s discovery so simple only a genius could have thought of it. Piagets stage theory describes the cognitive development of children. Cognitive development involves changes in cognitive process and abilities. What is the relationship between Piaget’s theory and the Child Development’s short coursework? Jean Piaget’s theory is being applied in child development study because his theory shows that it has stimulated much research and has found wide support among educators. He had developed a set of†¦show more content†¦He also applies his information that he gained to fit his ideas. Teaching a child at this stage needs some equipment which can give him some space to play with and have an active role in learning. Furthermore, the concrete stage starts about first grade to early adolescence. During this stage, a child has developed different views or opinions which need to be satisfied. Their accommodation had increased. The child develops an ability to think abstractly and to make rational judgments about concrete or observable phenomena at which in the past he needed work by himself to understand. Lastly, he will going through the formal operations which is adolescence. At this stage, the persons will reach their cognition to the final form. This person no longer requires concrete objects to make rational judgments because he is capable of doing the hypothetical and deductive reasoning. The task: 1. Two equal slices of sponge is used 2. One of the sponge is divided into four pieces while the other one is in original shape Then, 1. Arrange the divided cheese in different order The task 1. Take two equal length of ruler 2. Then arrange both of the ruler in 2 rows 2. Then, make a distance for a ruler in the 1st row The task 2. Take 2 same size of bottles 3. Pour liquid in bottles in same amount Then, 4. Change the first bottles to a shorter and wider bottle 5. Pour the same amount of water into both of theShow MoreRelatedPiaget And Vygotsky Influence On Child Development1569 Words   |  7 PagesChildren#39;s health, development, and early learning provide a groundwork on which later learning—and lifelong progress—is built. This essay will discuss influences on human development and learn across the lifespan and its domains such as physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language and relate these domains to Piaget and Vygotsky theories. Jean Piaget was an influential experimenter and theorist in the field of developmental psychology and identified 4 stages of cognitive development: the sensorimotorRead MorePiaget s Theory Of Child Development1085 Words   |  5 PagesTheories of Child Development Child development is the study of how a child’s behavior and thought processes affect their ability to develop at the proper rate. There are many factors to be considered when referring to the development of a child as children are so easily moldable. A child starts out with a blank slate and from then on their experiences, their social groups, parents, environment and so much more will take part in how they will develop. Two very influential people in psychology, SigmundRead MorePiaget Of A Child s Brain Development Theory1057 Words   |  5 Pagesconstantly learning about new theories and expanding the knowledge on those that we already know, about the physical and mental development of Children. Through past and present theorists, we are shown whole new aspects of how a child develops to make up the being that they become. Through Piaget’s ‘Congnitive development theory’ we are shown the stages of a child’s brain development with a strong focus on the ages newborn – 11 years onwards. Piaget’s main theory is that children are able to construct theirRead MoreJean Piaget s Theory On Child Development2312 Words   |  10 PagesJean Piaget has introduced theories on child development from 1896-1980. He is the the most cited and most influential on cognitive development. Piaget is the foundation of current child developmental in psychology. His inspiration came from observing children’s as he even used his own. His development of the cognitive deployment focused on mental process, remembering, believing and reasoning. To help explain his theory, Piaget’s came up with Stage-bound cognitive development. â€Å"Stage-bound isRead MorePiaget Of The Child : Theories Of Development Essay960 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Study of the Child: Theories of Development I† (Learning Seed, 1997), according to Vygotsky, the cognitive development in children is in direct relationship, and dependent on interaction with others. (Feldman 2010, pg. 20). Vygotsky believed to truly understand cognitive development; a child’s social and cultural experiences must be considered. Piaget believes theorists that focus on the mind are called cognitive theorists. Piaget was most interested in how children think. Piaget describes stagesRead MorePiaget And Vygotsky And Theories Of Child Development2299 Words   |  10 Pagesthe subject of education and child development there are many different philosophers who each had their own theories, about the subject. This paper will focus on Piaget and Vygotsky and their theories of child development and how they are similar and/or different. It will also discuss how the role of cultural context in child development is presented in each of their theories of child development. Piaget believed that children are active in constructing their development and their understanding ofRead MorePiaget s Theory On Child Development920 Words   |  4 Pagesare not simply small adults who are still growing; they learn differently and experience the world in a variation of ways that opposes adult reasoning. Piaget’s theory on child development asserts that there are four stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Piaget also suggested that human thinking is arranged into schemes, â€Å"organized mental patterns that represent behaviors and actions† (Feldman, 2015, p. 17). These schemes are theRead MorePiaget s Theory Of Child Development Essay1597 Words   |  7 Pageschildren’s development and developing a proper classroom and lesson plan well help you to properly prepare and help each student in your center. Throughout this paper we will summarize Piaget’s Stage Theory, id entify and describe the developmental characteristics of the age group of 2-4 years old, design and describe the physical layout of facility or classroom that aligns with Piaget’s Stage Theory, and create an activity for each developmental domain. Jean Piaget is one of the pioneers to child developmentRead MoreJean Piaget And The Contemporary Field Of Child Development1454 Words   |  6 Pageshundreds of psychologists and theorists actively researching child development. However, if there was a God of child development it is, without question, Jean Piaget. Piaget (1896-1980) was a Swiss theorist who â€Å"had influenced the contemporary field of child development more than any other† (Berk, 2006, p.18). Although Piagets work is remarkable, Berk (2006) stated that â€Å"it did not get much attention until the 1960s, mainly because Piagets ideas were at odds with behaviorism, which dominated NorthRead MoreIntellectual Development Child Theory by Theorist, Piaget644 Words   |  3 Pages High/ Scope is based upon a well-known child theorist Piaget and his intellectual development theory. His theory promotes realistic educational experiences geared to the child’s current stages of development, the constructive process of learning necessary to broaden emerging intellectual and social skills. (Morrison, 2010). High/scope helps teacher become more effective in their classrooms. Researchers have linked early intervention with infants to brain enhancement. By having direct

Digital Business Environment Free Essays

string(67) " or different part of garment, or using alphabet-order brand list\." Introduction The scientists who developed the Internet probably did not realise their invention completely changed our world today. From how people communicating, connecting with social network, to how and where people work, Internet is now affecting our daily life in every dimension. Internet still and will continue change our life and behavior, according to data, nearly a third of world population are Internet user, and this number is still growing at an unprecedented speed (IWC, 2012). We will write a custom essay sample on Digital Business Environment or any similar topic only for you Order Now Internet affects almost every aspect of people daily activities, thanks to the Internet, people can virtually shopping without going out and get their items delivered to the doorstep in a matter of days. Information is now much more accessible over the Internet, people can share their life using blogging, and not to mention that business world has expanded to a whole new dimension. Company or individual can now target a much more wide consumers around the world. As much as the Internet has changed our personal lives, the business world has revolutionsied almost beyond recognition since the Internet era. Jeremy (2011) states the rise of Internet and other technologies is the start of Third Industrial Revolution. Although there is still ongoing debates about this theory, that the Internet has changed the face and pace of our modern business world. Hosted on the server, accessed using the Internet, the website or simply known as the site or web page, is one of the fundamental elements that forms the Internet we use today. It is also the most common way that a company or individual promote and conduct their business. This paper will thoroughly analyse and discuses a chosen website, the purpose is to take an insight to the digital business environment. Terms such as E-commerce, and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) will be mention and discuss. The technical details of how to build and maintain a website will not be discussed in this article. Overview The website chosen in this paper is Oki-ni, before further analyse the company and the website, it is essential to understand some of the basic about website. Organised by function, a website may fall into one of these catalogue (Yuan, 2005) * A personal website, e. g. blogging * A commercial website, e. g. company website, such as Microsoft, Apple * A government website, e. g. NASA website, City Council website * A nonprofit organisation website, Greenpeace, or RedCross website According to this catalogue, Oki-ni is a commercial website. Another terms that need to understand is Electronic commerce, or commonly known as E-commerce. There are many different definition of E-commerce from different perspectives in different discipline. Mamta (2005) summarised that E-commerce is the process of buying and selling or exchanging of products, services and information via telecommunication and computer networks including Internet. Mamta (2005) further generalised that based on the types of parties (business, consumer, etc) involved, E-commerce may be of the following types: * Business-to-Business (B2B) * Bsuiness-to-Consumer (B2C) * Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) * Consumer-to-Business (C2B) * Intrabusiness Based on that definition, Oki-ni is a B2C type of E-commerce, different from other B2C website, the Britain based company focused on high-end menswear. The name originated from a Japanese dialect, means ‘Hello’, Oki-ni was created to work with established brands and progressive designers, to offer innovative products to knowledgeable fashion consumers. In another words, Oki-ni sells more than clothing, but a life-style. The company also collaborated with other fashion brands such as Paul Smith, Adidas, to produce unique pieces. This paper will focus itself on evaluating the use and implementation of digital information system on the chosen website, applications on the website will be paid extra attention and thoroughly analyse, such as inventory system, newsletter, multimedia applications. Furthermore, the OVP (Online Value Proposition), Online revenue models and other factors will be critically reviewed. Using researcher’s extensive knowledge, the concept and application of CRM on the website will be analyse. Lastly, researcher will proposed some recommendations to improve the website followed by the digital business strategy. Analyse of The Website For E-commerce site, the primary purpose is to sell. However, most online retailers fell to the wrong direction when even building their website. They spent heavily on how to attract more visitors to the site and simply forgot what is the point if the consumer visited the site but not buying anything. There may be many factors that contribute and affecting consumers’ buying behavior, but the inappropriate implementation of information system is more often seen in business operation. Customer cannot locate the item they want, or found themselves cannot checkout with the system, modern information technology brings a great convenient, however, sometimes it can be chaos without properly used. For an enterprise, it is critically important to aware its organisational goals and objectives as well as the implementation of information system. (Mehdi, 2006) For the company of Oki-ni, the website serve the purpose of sales and providing customer service. Thus, the inventory information and customer information are vital to the company’s lifeline. Furthermore, to provide an enhanced online shopping experience, the supply chain management, online information security, and multimedia interactive applications are equally important. Inventory Management When running an E-commerce, it is very easy to get caught up in other aspects and neglect the importance of inventory management. Ritendra (2008) emphasis that its crucial to run inventory management effectively for the business to be profitably. For Oki-ni, there are thousands of items and new items in stock everyday, how to manage it efficiently become vital to the company, what’s more, it has two layers of meaning. Firstly, for the staff, effective inventory system should allow them to locate specific item easily, and overview the whole inventory to see which items are running low on stock, and which are the best selling. Secondly, for customer, the inventory system should provide an easy accessible. Oki-ni website provide a simply and minimalism searching interface for the customer, customer can search the items they looking for by their preferable method, such as, using keywords, sort it by color, price range, sizing, or different part of garment, or using alphabet-order brand list. You read "Digital Business Environment" in category "Papers" On the top page of Oki-ni site, customer can easily find new arrivals or discount information. Customer Information Comparing with tradition in-store shopping, online retailer has the advantage on tracking, storing and anaylsing customer data. Oki-ni gathering customer information by encouraging customer registered with their e-mail address. By using these e-mail addresses with the concerns of customer, Oki-ni sends out newsletters to customer. Newsletters are an effective way to build goodwill and keep in touch with potential customer (Janice, 2004). Customer received promotion, new arrivals and other information from the website. When comes to place order, for security and privacy concern, the company only takes the minimum information that required for delivering, such as address, telephone number. Internet is an ever-changing, competitive-intensive environment, the recently raise of new social network drew a lot attention. As a company aiming itself not only sales, but to promote a lifestyle, Oki-ni has extended its content to other different social-network, such as Facebook, Google+, and Twitter, customer can find sales information, new product on these social network. Also, Oki-ni can gather customer information on other platforms, it’s a win-win situations. Multimedia Interactive One of the major advantages of E-commerce comparing traditional retailing is convenience; customer can search for product and compare it, finally checkout in a short amount of time by just clicking the mouse, however, E-commerce has deprived its users of the reality (Vincent Franck, 2004). Material color, texture, tactile impression, those physical details cannot be display or feel by the two-dimensional images and texts on a computer screen. Most people have on-line shopping experiences have those situations that sometimes the products they received are different from their expectations. In order to provide better shopping experiences, Oki-ni provide an enhanced multimedia interface. In every product description page, the website provides high-resolution photos of the products, customer can click zoom-in to see the details of the texture, and a short video to demonstrate the product. For music product, such as CD, preview services are provided. Critical Review In this part, the website’s OVP (Online Value Proposition), ORM (Online Revenue Model) and target audience will be critically reviewed. Online Value Proposition What’s the Online Value Proposition? It is a statement of the benefits of e-commerce services that ideally should not be available in competitor offerings of offline offerings (David, 2006). Michael Susan (2012) further states that in an E-commerce context the differential advantage and positioning can be clarified and communicated by developing an online value proposition. Simply speaking, OVP is the USP of the brand or the website, a strong OVP is a crucial way to attract new visitors into the site and decided to stay or leave, the decisions often made in minutes or even in seconds. Developing an OVP, involves: * Developing messages that reinforce core brand proposition and credibility * Communicate what a visitor can get from an online brand that other competitors can not offer or they cannot get offline (Micheal Susan, 2012) Translate these theories into simply language, a good OVP should answer the questions ‘Why am I here? ’ ‘Does this site offer me what I need? ’ In the digital business environment, the competition is much fierce and intensive then ever before. How to stand out from the crowd in a matters of seconds when visitor first open the site become vital to success. There a great numbers of online clothing retailer, from high-street brand, such as Topshop, ASOS, to luxury brand, e. g. Net-a-porter, Browns. Being good is not enough to win the competition, a good OVP is essential for Oki-ni to survive in the competition. More than ten years passed the establishment of Oki-ni, the website is still focusing on menswear, more specifically, they aiming to discover and break the most inspiring brands and products available, while hosting them in an rich, inspiring and innovative environment. The home page of Oki-ni featuring a simplicity style filled with inspiration contents. Existing customer can easily find what they want in a few clicks; in the meanwhile the video and music can attract the attention of new customer. The website keep updating its FEATURES section with vibrant and forward-thinking videos and music. There is no differentiated of so call ‘high-street’ or ‘luxury’ on Oki-ni’s product, customer can find shorts cost 20 pounds to a coat valued a few hundreds. But there is one thing in common, all product were carefully selected. Featuring more than cloth, customer can also buy books, CDs on the website. In order to keep a fresh look, Oki-ni redesign the website every six month, from layout to the content. To sum up, Oki-ni’s strong OVP is that they not only sell cloth, but the promote an innovation life-style. Online Revenue Model In the article, Business Models on the Web by professor Micheal Rappa (2006). He suggests that ‘business models are perhaps the most discussed and least understood aspect of the web. ’ In this regards, he summarised the business model into the following * Brokerage * Advertising * Informediary * Merchant * Manufacturer * Affiliate Community * Subscription * Utility The revenue model may be different in these business model, some website get paid by doing advertising, some website generated income by subscription. In the case of Oki-ni, the revenue model is easy to identify, the company produce service and sell it to customer. When the revenues from sales exceed the operational cost, then the company gets profit. Comparing to store retai ler, the website is relatively easier to operate. No rent, less labor cost, means the website can provide a much more competitive price than physical store. However, on the other hand, the maintaining of website post a great challenge to the company. Target Audience The company target a niche market of luxury product segment. Focusing on menswear only, the website sells a wide range of product from selective clothing line from Japan, Italy, to limited edition CDs. There is no particular age range on the Oki-ni’s customers, the company targeting a small group who required a innovated and forward-thinking life-style, and willing to the pay a premium price for that. Customer Relationship Management The term of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is now much more frequently seen in the E-commerce article, what’s CRM? The followings are different CRM definitions by scholars CRM involves various different elements, which includes customer-prospecting, relationship with customers; interact between customer and business, understanding customer expectations, empowerment, partnerships, and personalisation, and son on. (Fjermestad Romano, 2006). CRM is an enterprise approach to understanding and influencing behavior through meaningful communication in order to improve customer acquisition, customer retention, customer loyalty, and customer profitability. (Swift, 2006) So far, there is no universally accepted definition of CRM. It not a software or a service, it is an overall business strategy. Shanmugasundaram (n. d) identified that the three main components in CRM system, namely * Operational * Analytical * Collaborative Nowadays, not only global companies seeking helps from CRM, more and more SMEs (Small and Medium Size Enterprise) were implemented with CRMs. Oki-ni is no exceptional, the company used the first hand data not only to promote its product, but to provide a better service. From time to time, Newsletters were sent to customer, the content of those newsletters were not just about product information. Featuring styling tips, or invitations to special events, the company always try to encourage customer come to visitor site. Recommendation Running an E-commerce is far more complicated than just setting up a website, other than the business and the customer, it involves many their parties, such as vendor, supply chain, banking. Researcher found a rather interesting phenomenal when customer rated Oki-ni’s service, some customer give top rate on both delivery speed and money transaction. However, on the other hand, some customer extremely disappointed on their service quoted ‘the clothes arrived and were excellent although delivery is very slow’ (Ciao, 2007). The inconsistence performance may due to the delivery company and Oki-ni should try to avoid in the future. Moreover, there is more potential of the CRM waiting to be discovered. Oki-ni using CRM mainly on providing customer ervice and promoting products, CRM is much more than customer service, researcher suggest the company analyse the customer’s shopping behavior, such as what kind of brand they like the most, how frequently they shopped on the site, etc. to improve customer shopping experience. The company can also use the data to collaborative with other parties, such as bank, to improve online payment security, or delivery company, to improve performance. Lastly, the competition of digital business environment is much more intensive than ever before. The OVP (Online Value Proposition) may be seems strong and unique at this moment, with successful of Oki-ni, more and more website will try to follow the same model. How to maintain the competitive edge is vital for the company’s future. Conclusion By discussing and critically reviewed the Oki-ni’s website, this paper take an insight into the digital business environment. In the Internet era, trading become much more easier, even individual can set up a website with the know-how and the equipment. However, the competition is much more intensive. E-commerce is a complex term that involved many aspects, the terms and concepts researcher discussed in this paper barely scratch the surface. with the fast advancing technology, new issues now raised, such as legal issue and Internet security. Concepts of CRM, Online business model may need further investigation in the future. Reference: Ciao. (2007). Review of Oki-ni. com. Available from: http://www. ciao. co. uk/Reviews/Oki_Ni_com__5315436 [Accessed 10 Nov, 2012]. Fjermestad, Jerry, and Nicholas C. Romano. (2006) Electronic Customer Relationship Management. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe,. Print. pp. 121-65 Internet World Stats, 2011. World Internet Usage Statistics News and World Population Stats. Available from: http://www. internetworldstats. com/stats. htm [Accessed 12 Nov. 2012]. Janice,Reynolds (2004). ’The Complete E-Commerce Book: Design, Build Maintain a Successful Web-Based Business’. NewYork, Taylor Francis. Print. pp. 268+. Jeremy, Rifkin. (2011). ‘The Third Industrial Revolution: How Lateral Power Is Transforming Energy, the Economy, and the World’. London, Palgrave Macmillan. Mamta, Bushry. (2005). ‘E-commerce. New Delhi, Firewall Media. Print. pp. 69 Mehdi, Khosrow-Pour. (2006) ‘Cases on Electronic Commerce Technologies and Applications. Hershey’, PA: Idea Group. Michael, Rappa (2006). ‘Business Models On the Web’. Available from: http://digitalenterprise. org/models/models. html [Accessed 9 Nov, 2012]. Ritendra, Goel. (2008) ‘Electronic Commerce Technology and Prosecpts. â₠¬â„¢ E-commerce. New Delhi: New Age International Pvt. Swift, Ronald S. (2000) ‘Accelerating Customer Relationships: Using CRM and Relationship Technologies. ’ Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall PTR. Print. pp. 25+ Shanmugasundaram, S. (N. d) ‘Customer Relationship Management: Modern Trends And Perspectives’ New Delhi. PHI learning, Ltd. Vincent, Roca Franck Rousseau. (2004). ‘Interactive Multimedia and Next Generation Networks: Second International Workshop on Multimedia Interactive Protocols and Systems’. Springer. Available from: http://www. springer. com/computer/information+systems+and+applications/book/978-3-540-23928-4? cm_mmc=Google-_-Book%20Search-_-Springer-_-0 [Accessed 8 Nov 2012]. Yuan, Gao (2005). ‘Web Systems Design And Online Consumer Behavior’. London, Idea Group Inc. How to cite Digital Business Environment, Papers Digital Business Environment Free Essays string(67) " or different part of garment, or using alphabet-order brand list\." Introduction The scientists who developed the Internet probably did not realise their invention completely changed our world today. From how people communicating, connecting with social network, to how and where people work, Internet is now affecting our daily life in every dimension. Internet still and will continue change our life and behavior, according to data, nearly a third of world population are Internet user, and this number is still growing at an unprecedented speed (IWC, 2012). We will write a custom essay sample on Digital Business Environment or any similar topic only for you Order Now Internet affects almost every aspect of people daily activities, thanks to the Internet, people can virtually shopping without going out and get their items delivered to the doorstep in a matter of days. Information is now much more accessible over the Internet, people can share their life using blogging, and not to mention that business world has expanded to a whole new dimension. Company or individual can now target a much more wide consumers around the world. As much as the Internet has changed our personal lives, the business world has revolutionsied almost beyond recognition since the Internet era. Jeremy (2011) states the rise of Internet and other technologies is the start of Third Industrial Revolution. Although there is still ongoing debates about this theory, that the Internet has changed the face and pace of our modern business world. Hosted on the server, accessed using the Internet, the website or simply known as the site or web page, is one of the fundamental elements that forms the Internet we use today. It is also the most common way that a company or individual promote and conduct their business. This paper will thoroughly analyse and discuses a chosen website, the purpose is to take an insight to the digital business environment. Terms such as E-commerce, and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) will be mention and discuss. The technical details of how to build and maintain a website will not be discussed in this article. Overview The website chosen in this paper is Oki-ni, before further analyse the company and the website, it is essential to understand some of the basic about website. Organised by function, a website may fall into one of these catalogue (Yuan, 2005) * A personal website, e. g. blogging * A commercial website, e. g. company website, such as Microsoft, Apple * A government website, e. g. NASA website, City Council website * A nonprofit organisation website, Greenpeace, or RedCross website According to this catalogue, Oki-ni is a commercial website. Another terms that need to understand is Electronic commerce, or commonly known as E-commerce. There are many different definition of E-commerce from different perspectives in different discipline. Mamta (2005) summarised that E-commerce is the process of buying and selling or exchanging of products, services and information via telecommunication and computer networks including Internet. Mamta (2005) further generalised that based on the types of parties (business, consumer, etc) involved, E-commerce may be of the following types: * Business-to-Business (B2B) * Bsuiness-to-Consumer (B2C) * Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) * Consumer-to-Business (C2B) * Intrabusiness Based on that definition, Oki-ni is a B2C type of E-commerce, different from other B2C website, the Britain based company focused on high-end menswear. The name originated from a Japanese dialect, means ‘Hello’, Oki-ni was created to work with established brands and progressive designers, to offer innovative products to knowledgeable fashion consumers. In another words, Oki-ni sells more than clothing, but a life-style. The company also collaborated with other fashion brands such as Paul Smith, Adidas, to produce unique pieces. This paper will focus itself on evaluating the use and implementation of digital information system on the chosen website, applications on the website will be paid extra attention and thoroughly analyse, such as inventory system, newsletter, multimedia applications. Furthermore, the OVP (Online Value Proposition), Online revenue models and other factors will be critically reviewed. Using researcher’s extensive knowledge, the concept and application of CRM on the website will be analyse. Lastly, researcher will proposed some recommendations to improve the website followed by the digital business strategy. Analyse of The Website For E-commerce site, the primary purpose is to sell. However, most online retailers fell to the wrong direction when even building their website. They spent heavily on how to attract more visitors to the site and simply forgot what is the point if the consumer visited the site but not buying anything. There may be many factors that contribute and affecting consumers’ buying behavior, but the inappropriate implementation of information system is more often seen in business operation. Customer cannot locate the item they want, or found themselves cannot checkout with the system, modern information technology brings a great convenient, however, sometimes it can be chaos without properly used. For an enterprise, it is critically important to aware its organisational goals and objectives as well as the implementation of information system. (Mehdi, 2006) For the company of Oki-ni, the website serve the purpose of sales and providing customer service. Thus, the inventory information and customer information are vital to the company’s lifeline. Furthermore, to provide an enhanced online shopping experience, the supply chain management, online information security, and multimedia interactive applications are equally important. Inventory Management When running an E-commerce, it is very easy to get caught up in other aspects and neglect the importance of inventory management. Ritendra (2008) emphasis that its crucial to run inventory management effectively for the business to be profitably. For Oki-ni, there are thousands of items and new items in stock everyday, how to manage it efficiently become vital to the company, what’s more, it has two layers of meaning. Firstly, for the staff, effective inventory system should allow them to locate specific item easily, and overview the whole inventory to see which items are running low on stock, and which are the best selling. Secondly, for customer, the inventory system should provide an easy accessible. Oki-ni website provide a simply and minimalism searching interface for the customer, customer can search the items they looking for by their preferable method, such as, using keywords, sort it by color, price range, sizing, or different part of garment, or using alphabet-order brand list. You read "Digital Business Environment" in category "Essay examples" On the top page of Oki-ni site, customer can easily find new arrivals or discount information. Customer Information Comparing with tradition in-store shopping, online retailer has the advantage on tracking, storing and anaylsing customer data. Oki-ni gathering customer information by encouraging customer registered with their e-mail address. By using these e-mail addresses with the concerns of customer, Oki-ni sends out newsletters to customer. Newsletters are an effective way to build goodwill and keep in touch with potential customer (Janice, 2004). Customer received promotion, new arrivals and other information from the website. When comes to place order, for security and privacy concern, the company only takes the minimum information that required for delivering, such as address, telephone number. Internet is an ever-changing, competitive-intensive environment, the recently raise of new social network drew a lot attention. As a company aiming itself not only sales, but to promote a lifestyle, Oki-ni has extended its content to other different social-network, such as Facebook, Google+, and Twitter, customer can find sales information, new product on these social network. Also, Oki-ni can gather customer information on other platforms, it’s a win-win situations. Multimedia Interactive One of the major advantages of E-commerce comparing traditional retailing is convenience; customer can search for product and compare it, finally checkout in a short amount of time by just clicking the mouse, however, E-commerce has deprived its users of the reality (Vincent Franck, 2004). Material color, texture, tactile impression, those physical details cannot be display or feel by the two-dimensional images and texts on a computer screen. Most people have on-line shopping experiences have those situations that sometimes the products they received are different from their expectations. In order to provide better shopping experiences, Oki-ni provide an enhanced multimedia interface. In every product description page, the website provides high-resolution photos of the products, customer can click zoom-in to see the details of the texture, and a short video to demonstrate the product. For music product, such as CD, preview services are provided. Critical Review In this part, the website’s OVP (Online Value Proposition), ORM (Online Revenue Model) and target audience will be critically reviewed. Online Value Proposition What’s the Online Value Proposition? It is a statement of the benefits of e-commerce services that ideally should not be available in competitor offerings of offline offerings (David, 2006). Michael Susan (2012) further states that in an E-commerce context the differential advantage and positioning can be clarified and communicated by developing an online value proposition. Simply speaking, OVP is the USP of the brand or the website, a strong OVP is a crucial way to attract new visitors into the site and decided to stay or leave, the decisions often made in minutes or even in seconds. Developing an OVP, involves: * Developing messages that reinforce core brand proposition and credibility * Communicate what a visitor can get from an online brand that other competitors can not offer or they cannot get offline (Micheal Susan, 2012) Translate these theories into simply language, a good OVP should answer the questions ‘Why am I here? ’ ‘Does this site offer me what I need? ’ In the digital business environment, the competition is much fierce and intensive then ever before. How to stand out from the crowd in a matters of seconds when visitor first open the site become vital to success. There a great numbers of online clothing retailer, from high-street brand, such as Topshop, ASOS, to luxury brand, e. g. Net-a-porter, Browns. Being good is not enough to win the competition, a good OVP is essential for Oki-ni to survive in the competition. More than ten years passed the establishment of Oki-ni, the website is still focusing on menswear, more specifically, they aiming to discover and break the most inspiring brands and products available, while hosting them in an rich, inspiring and innovative environment. The home page of Oki-ni featuring a simplicity style filled with inspiration contents. Existing customer can easily find what they want in a few clicks; in the meanwhile the video and music can attract the attention of new customer. The website keep updating its FEATURES section with vibrant and forward-thinking videos and music. There is no differentiated of so call ‘high-street’ or ‘luxury’ on Oki-ni’s product, customer can find shorts cost 20 pounds to a coat valued a few hundreds. But there is one thing in common, all product were carefully selected. Featuring more than cloth, customer can also buy books, CDs on the website. In order to keep a fresh look, Oki-ni redesign the website every six month, from layout to the content. To sum up, Oki-ni’s strong OVP is that they not only sell cloth, but the promote an innovation life-style. Online Revenue Model In the article, Business Models on the Web by professor Micheal Rappa (2006). He suggests that ‘business models are perhaps the most discussed and least understood aspect of the web. ’ In this regards, he summarised the business model into the following * Brokerage * Advertising * Informediary * Merchant * Manufacturer * Affiliate Community * Subscription * Utility The revenue model may be different in these business model, some website get paid by doing advertising, some website generated income by subscription. In the case of Oki-ni, the revenue model is easy to identify, the company produce service and sell it to customer. When the revenues from sales exceed the operational cost, then the company gets profit. Comparing to store retai ler, the website is relatively easier to operate. No rent, less labor cost, means the website can provide a much more competitive price than physical store. However, on the other hand, the maintaining of website post a great challenge to the company. Target Audience The company target a niche market of luxury product segment. Focusing on menswear only, the website sells a wide range of product from selective clothing line from Japan, Italy, to limited edition CDs. There is no particular age range on the Oki-ni’s customers, the company targeting a small group who required a innovated and forward-thinking life-style, and willing to the pay a premium price for that. Customer Relationship Management The term of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is now much more frequently seen in the E-commerce article, what’s CRM? The followings are different CRM definitions by scholars CRM involves various different elements, which includes customer-prospecting, relationship with customers; interact between customer and business, understanding customer expectations, empowerment, partnerships, and personalisation, and son on. (Fjermestad Romano, 2006). CRM is an enterprise approach to understanding and influencing behavior through meaningful communication in order to improve customer acquisition, customer retention, customer loyalty, and customer profitability. (Swift, 2006) So far, there is no universally accepted definition of CRM. It not a software or a service, it is an overall business strategy. Shanmugasundaram (n. d) identified that the three main components in CRM system, namely * Operational * Analytical * Collaborative Nowadays, not only global companies seeking helps from CRM, more and more SMEs (Small and Medium Size Enterprise) were implemented with CRMs. Oki-ni is no exceptional, the company used the first hand data not only to promote its product, but to provide a better service. From time to time, Newsletters were sent to customer, the content of those newsletters were not just about product information. Featuring styling tips, or invitations to special events, the company always try to encourage customer come to visitor site. Recommendation Running an E-commerce is far more complicated than just setting up a website, other than the business and the customer, it involves many their parties, such as vendor, supply chain, banking. Researcher found a rather interesting phenomenal when customer rated Oki-ni’s service, some customer give top rate on both delivery speed and money transaction. However, on the other hand, some customer extremely disappointed on their service quoted ‘the clothes arrived and were excellent although delivery is very slow’ (Ciao, 2007). The inconsistence performance may due to the delivery company and Oki-ni should try to avoid in the future. Moreover, there is more potential of the CRM waiting to be discovered. Oki-ni using CRM mainly on providing customer ervice and promoting products, CRM is much more than customer service, researcher suggest the company analyse the customer’s shopping behavior, such as what kind of brand they like the most, how frequently they shopped on the site, etc. to improve customer shopping experience. The company can also use the data to collaborative with other parties, such as bank, to improve online payment security, or delivery company, to improve performance. Lastly, the competition of digital business environment is much more intensive than ever before. The OVP (Online Value Proposition) may be seems strong and unique at this moment, with successful of Oki-ni, more and more website will try to follow the same model. How to maintain the competitive edge is vital for the company’s future. Conclusion By discussing and critically reviewed the Oki-ni’s website, this paper take an insight into the digital business environment. In the Internet era, trading become much more easier, even individual can set up a website with the know-how and the equipment. However, the competition is much more intensive. E-commerce is a complex term that involved many aspects, the terms and concepts researcher discussed in this paper barely scratch the surface. with the fast advancing technology, new issues now raised, such as legal issue and Internet security. Concepts of CRM, Online business model may need further investigation in the future. Reference: Ciao. (2007). Review of Oki-ni. com. Available from: http://www. ciao. co. uk/Reviews/Oki_Ni_com__5315436 [Accessed 10 Nov, 2012]. Fjermestad, Jerry, and Nicholas C. Romano. (2006) Electronic Customer Relationship Management. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe,. Print. pp. 121-65 Internet World Stats, 2011. World Internet Usage Statistics News and World Population Stats. Available from: http://www. internetworldstats. com/stats. htm [Accessed 12 Nov. 2012]. Janice,Reynolds (2004). ’The Complete E-Commerce Book: Design, Build Maintain a Successful Web-Based Business’. NewYork, Taylor Francis. Print. pp. 268+. Jeremy, Rifkin. (2011). ‘The Third Industrial Revolution: How Lateral Power Is Transforming Energy, the Economy, and the World’. London, Palgrave Macmillan. Mamta, Bushry. (2005). ‘E-commerce. New Delhi, Firewall Media. Print. pp. 69 Mehdi, Khosrow-Pour. (2006) ‘Cases on Electronic Commerce Technologies and Applications. Hershey’, PA: Idea Group. Michael, Rappa (2006). ‘Business Models On the Web’. Available from: http://digitalenterprise. org/models/models. html [Accessed 9 Nov, 2012]. Ritendra, Goel. (2008) ‘Electronic Commerce Technology and Prosecpts. â₠¬â„¢ E-commerce. New Delhi: New Age International Pvt. Swift, Ronald S. (2000) ‘Accelerating Customer Relationships: Using CRM and Relationship Technologies. ’ Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall PTR. Print. pp. 25+ Shanmugasundaram, S. (N. d) ‘Customer Relationship Management: Modern Trends And Perspectives’ New Delhi. PHI learning, Ltd. Vincent, Roca Franck Rousseau. (2004). ‘Interactive Multimedia and Next Generation Networks: Second International Workshop on Multimedia Interactive Protocols and Systems’. Springer. Available from: http://www. springer. com/computer/information+systems+and+applications/book/978-3-540-23928-4? cm_mmc=Google-_-Book%20Search-_-Springer-_-0 [Accessed 8 Nov 2012]. Yuan, Gao (2005). ‘Web Systems Design And Online Consumer Behavior’. London, Idea Group Inc. How to cite Digital Business Environment, Essay examples

The Missing Acts of a Mother Essay Example For Students

The Missing Acts of a Mother Essay On a cold winter day, lying like a lifeless body, she lay on the couch. Not a movement was made. Slung out on drugs, she left my 10-year-old sister with the responsibility of taking care of a 6-year-old child (me) when she could barely take care of herself. What kind of mother would do that? She would go missing in the midnight hour, leaving myself full of fear to close my eyes. For when I awoke, I would be living in a nightmare that would once become my reality. Being a child, the one thing you need in life are your parents for their inspirational guidance. Seemingly, that was not what God intended for my life to consist of. Apart from having a great man (my dad) as the main provider in my life, many would think, Oh Tori has no struggles to live with, well in fact that statement is very inaccurate. At the age of 18, her first child was born. For her, it seemed like her dreams would never come true. Raising a child with little help could be hard for anyone, but at the same time you must grow up and take care of your responsibilities. Only to find ut 4 years later, she is now going to be the mother of two, added more stress and responsibility to her already chaotic life. With the struggles comes pain and no desire to strive, she then headed down the wrong road and thats where the missing act of a mother began. I remember there were so many events in my life that my mother had missed, such as birthday parties, holidays, award ceremonies, and sporting events. Growing up, all of my other friends always had both parents at all of their childhood events. For me, having just my dad was the normal. Not seeing or talking to my mom for months was something that I just had to get used to. The nurturing, protecting, and best friend act of a mother is something that Ive always missed in my life and will probably never have. As a child, many promises were made but were nearly always broken. Having anyone in your family who is addicted to drugs brings a lot of worries to your life. Flashes of negative images always occurred, like waking up and finding out your mother was dead, or she was arrested and would be in jail for a while, or even just finding out that she was nowhere in sight and could not be found. Trust me, I have had visions of them all, but through out the negative aspects of her life, I have truly learned many lessons from her mistakes. As I get older, all of the pain remains the same within my heart and healing from the hurt that she has caused me will take plenty of time. Now that I have a younger sister I see a reflection of myself as a child, because she is going through the same promises and heartaches that I have been through. I think of myself as her role model. I hope that she is paying attention to all the great things I have accomplished in life, at an early age of 18, with school and sports. As a young lady, I dream big and strive hard to accomplish the goals that I have set for my future, so that I never follow in my mothers footsteps. I have learned that life is a journey and many things can go wrong, but as long as you follow your faith and keep your head up anything can be done.

Point of Care Devices (POCT) for Creatinine and Troponin Test

Question: Discuss about thePoint of Care Devices (POCT) for Creatinine and Troponin Test. Answer: Introduction With significant advancement in health science related research, a number of technological devices are being developed, which have the health care diagnosis easier and faster. Point of care devices are becoming very useful in rapid diagnosis, as the tests are done in easy processes within very short time and the devices gives accurate results, thereby stimulating the medical interventions (5). In this assignment, the focus is to compare the point of care devices (PCOT) developed for easy diagnosis of creatinine and troponin. Creatinine Test Creatinine is a pivotal biomarker and it has a very important contribution in the diagnosis of kidney disease, because, due to malfunctioning of kidney, the filtration is impaired and the level of creatinine in blood increases (4). In this assignment, four point of care devices have been compared, these are i-STAT, ABL 800 Flex, Reflotron and Nova Starsensor. i-STAT and Nova Starsensor, both are developed by USA based companies and requires whole blood as a sample, which is more available. However, ABL 800 Flex and Reflotron include whole blood, plasma or serum as sample (9). Therefore, the last two devices are more diverse, considering the sample type. In case of sample volume, ABL 800 Flex requires the highest amount, 250l and Nova Starsensor requires the least amount, 1.2l (6). Nova Starsensor also shows the best characteristics, based on time of sample analysis; it requires only 30 seconds showing the result. All the devices have approval from FDA. Two USA based devices are lightweight, compared to other two devices. All the devices follow enzymatic method of sample measurement. The range of detection is higher in ABL 800 Flex (10-2000 mol/L). Except Reflotron, all three devices use Amperometric biosensor, as a method of principle; it has high sensitivity compared to Dye Reflectance. Nova Starsensor has the least weight within these f our (400 gram), making it the best choice for the patient to carry the device anywhere (8). Therefore, based on the above criteria, usability and availability of sample, the Nova Starsensor is recommended as the best point of care device for creatinine test. Troponin Test Troponin is a significant biomarker, which helps in diagnosis of heart attack, because, during myocardial infarction, the damaged heart muscle induces the release of this biomarker in blood, thereby elevating its level in blood. As heart attack needs immediate diagnosis, several point of care devices are used for easy and faster diagnosis, within which four devices, Triage Cardiac Panel Troponin I, i-STAT cardiac troponin I, PATHFAST troponin I and RAMP troponin I has been compared in this assignment (1). Within the above four devices, all devices required whole blood sample, but instead of i-STAT cardiac troponin I, other devices requires heparinized or EDTA whole blood, therefore, the sample cannot be tested directly, through these devices, however, a patient undergoing a heart attack needs immediate diagnosis, thus, i-STAT cardiac troponin I would be a good choice (7). On the other hand, compared to the Triage cardiac panel troponin I, other three devices can be used in room temperature. However, the i-STAT device has the lowest weight and required the lowest volume of sample (16 L), compared to the other three devices. The analysis time is also minimum for this device (10 minutes), within these four devices; thus, it is more user-friendly, compared to others (2). In Triage cardiac panel troponin I and RAMP troponin I, chromatography is used as the principle of method, whereas, i-STAT uses ELISA and PATHFAST troponin I uses magnetic beads. ELISA is the most relevant, hazard free an d fast technique within the above three principles. Thus, based on the above comparison, i-STAT cardiac troponin I is recommended as the best point of care device for troponin test (3). Reference List Bingisser R, Cairns C, Christ M, Hausfater P, Lindahl B, Mair J, Panteghini M, Price C, Venge P. Cardiac troponin: a critical review of the case for point-of-care testing in the ED. The American journal of emergency medicine. 2012 Oct 31;30(8):1639-49. Chan CP, Mak WC, Cheung KY, Sin KK, Yu CM, Rainer TH, Renneberg R. Evidence-based point-of-care diagnostics: current status and emerging technologies. Annual review of analytical chemistry. 2013 Jun 12;6:191-211. Diercks DB, Peacock WF, Hollander JE, Singer AJ, Birkhahn R, Shapiro N, Glynn T, Nowack R, Safdar B, Miller CD, Lewandrowski E. Diagnostic accuracy of a point-of-care troponin I assay for acute myocardial infarction within 3 hours after presentation in early presenters to the emergency department with chest pain. American heart journal. 2012 Jan 31;163(1):74-80. Lee-Lewandrowski E, Chang C, Gregory K, Lewandrowski K. Evaluation of rapid point-of-care creatinine testing in the radiology service of a large academic medical center: impact on clinical operations and patient disposition. Clinica Chimica Acta. 2012 Jan 18;413(1):88-92. Pecoraro V, Germagnoli L, Banfi G. Point-of-care testing: where is the evidence? A systematic survey. Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. 2014 Mar 1;52(3):313-24. Pollock NR, Rolland JP, Kumar S, Beattie PD, Jain S, Noubary F, Wong VL, Pohlmann RA, Ryan US, Whitesides GM. A paper-based multiplexed transaminase test for low-cost, point-of-care liver function testing. Science translational medicine. 2012 Sep 19;4(152):152ra129-. Qureshi A, Gurbuz Y, Niazi JH. Biosensors for cardiac biomarkers detection: A review. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical. 2012 Sep 30;171:62-76. Skurup A, Kristensen T, Wennecke G. New creatinine sensor for point-of-care testing of creatinine meets the National Kidney Disease Education Program guidelines. Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. 2008 Jan 1;46(1):3-8. Vashist SK, Luppa PB, Yeo LY, Ozcan A, Luong JH. Emerging technologies for next-generation point-of-care testing. Trends in biotechnology. 2015 Nov 30;33(11):692-705.