Why Marriage Matters Essay Example for Free

Why Marriage Matters Essay Marriage matters. If marriage did not matter, would it even be considered when growing up? Today, I feel that the word â€Å"marriage† is often misunderstood, and that’s why I am intrigued by any research that has been done on this topic. Like most, I believed that the divorce rate was skyrocketing. However, as I was going through my Marriage and Family book, I quickly began to realize that marriage has survived through it all due to its importance. According to the report I chose, â€Å"Why Marriage Matters,† in the later half of the twentieth century, divorce posed the biggest threat to marriage and was the event most likely to undercut the quality and stability of children’s family lives in the United States. Since, then divorce rates have come down and children who are now born to married couples are actually more likely to grow up with both of their parents than were children born at the height of the divorce revolution. Today, cohabitation has emerged as a powerful alternative to and competitor with marriage but also has become an unrecognized threat to the quality and stability of children’s family lives. Today’s children are also more likely to spend time in a cohabiting household than they are to see their parents’ divorce. About a fourth of children are born to cohabiting couples than to single mothers. This report focuses on the impact that cohabitation is having on marriage, family life, and the welfare of children. Children and health are two of the most important aspects of life. According to research, the structure of a family is the most important thing when considering the health of your child. Children in cohabiting households do significantly worse than children than children in intact, married families and about as poorly as children living in single-parent homes. Also, children in cohabiting homes are more likely to be physically, sexually, and emotionally abused according to recent federal data. American life is becoming increasingly unstable for children. Multiple transitions are especially linked to higher reports of school failure, behavioral problems, and drug use among many other problems. It is not just the structure of a family that matters it is the stability as well. One of the biggest reasons that children’s lives are increasingly turbulent is that cohabitation households are much more fragile than married families. â€Å"Complex households,† where parents have children with more than one partner, have shown that the children whom come from these relationships will have poor relationships with their parents and can sometimes lead to health and behavioral problems. When it comes to a child’s wellbeing, research suggests that family structure is a better predictor of children’s psychological and social welfare.

Gojira 1954 And Godzilla 1998 Film Studies Essay

Gojira 1954 And Godzilla 1998 Film Studies Essay Humans have been around for thousands of years. Today, many movies have been created based on stories and legends of influential people and life-changing events that were recorded in history. Inspiration for the 1954 film Gojira came about as a result of World War Two during the twentieth century. The devastation brought on Japan by the two nuclear bombs had inevitably raised a wide spread awareness about nuclear weapons and its radioactive destruction (Ragone 2007). Both, Gojiras and Godzillas creation were linked to the nuclear bomb. With reference to the 1998 film Godzilla, it can be seen that the creation of the terrible lizard was linked to French nuclear weapons testing in the French Polynesia. Similarly in the Japanese context, Gojira was shown to be linked not only to the atomic bombs, but the hydrogen ones as well. With the devastation of the two atomic bombs still fresh in the Japanese minds, further H-bomb tests were carried out near Japan and eventually, the radiation fallout directly impacted on the Japanese fishing industry, causing a sharp decline. With all these tragic events occurring within a short span of time, Gojira was concocted out as an incarnation of the war itself (Ragone 2007 pg. 35) as the producers wanted a real-world scenario that reflected the Japanese concerns that time. In order to effectively protray the nature of destruction caused in the films Gojira and Godzilla, visual effects became increasingly important as it was necessary to provide an acceptable level of realism for audiences who will be watching the film. Therefore, this led to the development and creation of different visual effect techniques. Then with the advancements in technology, some older techniques were modified and re-developed accordingly. In this investigation, it will bring to light the common, yet contrasting comparisons of filmmaking between the analogue and digital eras. 2| Scene Selection | I will be comparing two parallel special effects sequences in both Gojira and Godzilla. A breakdown of this complex scene will be accompanied with a description of its technical aspects in laymans terms. The scenes involve the two animals going on a rampage through a major city at night causing massive damages. It also includes military forces trying to eliminate the creature. These two scenes were specifically chosen as I will like to highlight the core visual effects elements that can be found throughout the films. 3| The Character| It was called Gojira, but was later known as Godzilla for the American audiences. (Godzilla, King of the Monsters 1998) In the 1954 Gojira, visual effects director Eiji Tsuburaya pioneered a technique called Suit-mation. The main reason for the introduction of Suit-mation was because of the need to complete the job within a short timespan (Ragone 2007). If stop-motion technique was used, it would have taken them seven years to complete the film. The suit was constructed mainly from hand-stirred latex and then refined subsequently. Even after refinements, the suit could only be worn for several minutes due to the unbearable heat and almost non-existent ventilation within. Due to its flexibility limitations and tremendous weight, the first suit was scrapped as the actor inside could not even move. In certain scenes where only the legs of Gojira were filmed, the suit was cut into two and attached to suspenders, allowing the actor to be more comfortable while filming (Godzilla, Designing Godzilla featurette 2005). Figure |Man in halved Gojira suit Development on analogue visual effect techniques can be seen clearly in the 1998 Godzilla, when Tsuburayas technique of Suitmation was used. Trained professional puppeteers were hired for shots that needed more physical realism with the miniatures that they were interacting with. Eventually, the Godzilla suit would be replaced with a CG Godzilla. Animatronics, a technique similar to the Suitmation technique, was introduced. In this case, instead of Human actors in the creatures costumes, machines were used to replace them. This method allowed many close-up interaction shots which enabled a high level of realism (Aberly 1998). The suit was not entirely presented as a guy-in-a-suit. Primitive visual effects were added to give Gojira a scarier feel. In the shot where Gojira was tearing up Tokyo and boasting its bright flashing hind fins, hundreds of cells were hand drawn frame by frame (Ryfle 1998). In several shots where Gojira was using its atomic breath, the creature was actually a hand puppet (Godzilla 2005). With much use for puppetry and animatronics, computer generated graphics still triumphed as the best tool for visual effects in the digital era. In addition, with the developments of computer animation software and techniques, realism took to a new height. Puppeteers whom took the role of Gojira would soon be replaced with computer animators sitting behind the desk. While the actor in the Gojira suit was acting for the scene, he would be filmed using a high speed camera at around 240 frames-per-second. The film would then be projected at 24 frames-per-second giving the feel of weight and size (Faller 2010). Using modern day tools to make Godzilla (1998) move, instead of shooting a guy-in-a-suit at a high frame rate, Centropolis FX had Godzilla key-frame animated in the computer. Due to the difficulty of animating such a huge creature, the team of animators grew from twelve to sixty (Martin 1998). Subsequently, After many failed attempts of animating a proper walk cycle, the team managed to get the same feel of the high speed camera shots by animating Godzillas movement at a slower speed (Martin 1998). From using chicken wires and glued latex for the construction of the 1954 Gojira (Designing Godzilla featurette 2005), polygons and NURBS took over in the digital era. The Gojira suit was made by wrapping thin wires and bamboo with chicken wire. Cushions and fabric were also added for the actors comfort. Hand stirred latex was later applied onto the suit as skin (Designing Godzilla featurette 2005). Even though CGI was of an advanced technology, there were still setbacks. Modelers had to split up their work of digitizing the entire creature by manually using a stylus to draw out every single mesh into the computer. Furthermore, the software was not perfect and had its limitations. A Special Projects team was sent from Soft Image to trouble-shoot problems encountered by the CGI crew (Aberly 1998). Ideally, Gojira was thought to have suffered burns and scars from the H-bomb test. The textures and the suit of Gojira were hand crafted by two people. Tireless hours were spent modeling the skin bumps by using latex and then gluing it onto the skin (Godzilla, Designing Godzilla featurette 2005). However in the modern day Godzilla, there was the technology of displacement mapping whereby the 3D geometry of Godzilla would be displaced using a texture map that contained details of the skin. With the model rendered out in different passes (Martin 1998), the process was more effective and also gave compositors more freedom in manipulating the image to create a realistic Godzilla. 4| The Set | As the two Godzillas enter the city and begin their trail of destruction, the set they were on had to look real. Although both movies used miniatures for filming, this special effects technique was inevitably developed and refined extensively due to technological advancements. 4.1| Miniatures | Miniatures for Gojira (1954) were made for use as a city scape. Tsuburaya had the miniatures built mostly in the 1/25 scale, with the exception of the Diet building which was a 1/33 scale (Ragone 2007). With reference to the scale of the Gojira suit with the miniature set scale, it created an illusion of Gojiras large size. Buildings were made in a forced perspective method where buildings closer to the camera were built bigger and those at the horizon smaller. The sets were actually built on wooden platforms to allow cameramen to do low angle shots, making the buildings look even bigger (Ryfle 1998). Thin plaster and wood were used for the buildings framework. Elaborate planning of the citys construction included custom made streets that would create footprints when being stepped on. Plaster was poured over sawdust to create that effect (Ryfle 1998). Digital techniques such as CG effects animation helped the 1998 Godzilla in creating street cracks. With the help of Thomas Hollier, a senior technical director, street impact technology was created. This allowed a pipeline for a more effective way for animating pavements that would crack under Godzillas weight (Martin 1998). Miniatures were also widely used in the making of Godzilla (1998). Huge 1/24 size models were built to accommodate Godzillas path of destruction. Huge 1/10 models were also built for close-up shots. The buildings were much more detailed with some featuring plumbing and even desks. There were several miniature buildings that were reused from The Hudsucker Proxy and The Fifth Element. With this, a great amount of production time was saved as redesigning of the rest of the set was no longer required. Although both Godzilla movies incorporated miniatures, Godzilla (1998) added extensive digital compositing over its miniatures to give it more realism (Martin 1998). Techniques adopted for destroying the miniature buildings were much more sophisticated in the newer film. In the 1954 version, kerosene soaked rags were used to set the miniatures ablaze (Ragone 2007). For those that were to be destroyed by Gojiras fiery breath, explosives were set behind the buildings. Several buildings even had gasoline sprayed on them to make them burn more easily. For buildings that were supposed to be destroyed by physical contact, small cracks were made in those miniatures so that it would crumble in a more believable fashion when Gojira crushed it. It was a daunting task for the actor inside as he had to get it right on the first take as there was not enough budget and time for a rebuild (Ryfle 1998). In 1998, there were more types of pyrotechniques available and one such example would be the military type. Different methods were developed to be used on the different types of destruction. As Godzilla races through the city with its tail in free motion causing damages to buildings, cable pulls were attached to sandbags in the buildings interiors. When they were pulled, a trail of damage would occur as if Godzillas tail had swept through them. Mechanical rigs were also used to blast through a building with the CG Godzilla to be composited in later. The Chrysler Building in the scene which was destroyed by a misfire from the attack helicopters were very complex mechanical rigs. Right after the top floors exploded, it was orchestrated to shift and descend towards the camera (Aberly 1998). On the whole, miniature destruction could be choreographed with more control. Miniature vehicles were also used on the set for both films. The military elements used in the Gojira scene were tanks. Extensive pyrotechnical effects were used for the firing of the tank weapons. When the tank shells hit Gojira, blasts were created by wire rigged charges (Ryfle 1998). Comparing this to a similar scene in the 1998 movie, instead of tanks, CG Apache attack helicopters were used. Tracer fire, blasts including debris and smoke from the damage were all entirely computer generated. In addition of the rain and lighting effects which included the volumetric searchlights, RenderMan shaders were developed solely for the wet look of the helicopter. However, at the shot when Godzilla decides to lash out at the attacking military helicopters, a miniature was used. With creative ingenuity, a 1/8 scale model was made loaded with pyrotechnics and detonated (Martin 1998). 4.2| Atmosphere | To create the perfect terrorising atmosphere, Gojira (1954) was shot using a low-key lighting effect (Biodrowski 2007). This is because Low key lighting would create a darker toned picture with contrasting bright contours which is more suitable for dramatic shots. The grainy cinematography would also feed an extra punch to the eerie effect throughout the film (Ryfle et al. 2007). With the advancements in technology, analogue methods would be often replaced by colour grading and compositing. In Godzilla (1998), instead of using a low-key effect to give the dramatic shots, the environment was given a CG rain touch up. This was a complicated scene where many effects animations were applied. Not only was computer generated imagery used, acquisition footage was also being recorded for the environments. From rain to shattering windows, these footages would later be composited at different scales to tie up the scene together with the CG Godzilla (Martin 1998). Lighting was a key element in creating the perfect environment. Real lights from orange and bluish street lamps had to be reflected onto the CG Godzilla. Due to location shots where real lights were aimed at buildings when Godzilla was supposed to be in the foreground, artists had to rotoscope out the real lights and animate the CG ones. More complications had arisen when Godzilla rampaged and took out the real street lamps. Firstly, lights from the real lamps had to be rotoscoped out. A CG lamp would then be created and animated to flip or be destroyed (Martin 1998). Although this entire sequence would seem small compared to the main character, it made the scene look believable. Another small detail to add on is the stationary cars from the live action footage that underwent rotoscoping when Godzilla stomped past them. Compositing artists had to create rotoscope mattes for the vehicles and animate their bounce by hand. The add-on of the camera shake at post-production level also helped with the realism (Martin 1998). 5| The Conclusion| In my chosen scenes which depict the destructions from the streets of Tokyo to Manhattan, both Gojira and Godzilla held similar iconic symbolisms and metaphors. In the 1950s when Gojira was made, there were many underlying reasons for its creation. The focal point was the atomic bombs. Since Japan had directly experienced the impact of the bombs, it would have held a deep significance for them. To a certain extent, it was believed that without the two atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Gojira would not have surfaced. Gojiras rampage through Tokyo would serve as a reminder of the recent devastating nuclear attack on Japan to the survivors of the atomic bombs as well as to the rest of the Japanese. Gojira also created awareness on new nuclear weapon testing and how our interference with Mother Nature might one day prove apocalyptic and leave a trail of death and devastation. Today, in the modern world context where technological advances are ever improving and as well as relative peace, Godzilla (1998) still carries the same essence as it did 44 years ago. With the threat of existing nuclear weapons and even deforestation which leads to Global Warming, metaphorically, Godzilla still serves as a reminder and warning of an impending disaster if we do not change our ways. Iconically, Godzilla would be referred to as a present doomsday movie. From comparing the different special effects techniques that were used in 1954 to those used in 1998, one could see how the technology leap into the digital era made a big difference in improving film quality and the workflow efficiency of special effects artists. Even though gone were the days where analogue techniques such as filming in front of glass mattes were regarded as the modern methods of special effects, several analogue techniques are still considered relevant with the present world. The integration of both analogue and digital effects proved to be a success in creating a hyper-real Godzilla. With the age of computers and constant development on digital techniques and tools, no one knows what the future might hold for us as special effects artists. However, like all foundations of buildings, the journey of learning the history and methodology of analogue techniques should be deemed as equally important for future developments. 6| Bilbliography| BOOKS Aberly, R., 1998. The making of godzilla. London: Titan books. Kalat, D., 1997. A critical history and filmography of tohos godzilla series. 2nd ed. USA: Mcfarland and company, inc. Ragone, A., 2007. Eiji tsuburaya: masters of monsters. San Francisco: Chronicle books. Ryfle, S., 1998. Japans favourite mon-star: the unauthorised biography of the big g. Canada: ECW press. JOURNALS Martin, K., 1998. The sound and the fury. Cinefex, 74(3), 84-107. WEBSITES Faller, G., 2010. Tsuburaya, eiji. Available from: http://www.filmreference.com/Writers-and-Production-Artists-Ta-Vi/Tsuburaya-Eiji.html [Accessed 9 October 2010] Biodrowski, S., 2007. Gojira(1954)/Godzilla, king of the monsters(1954)-Film and DVD review. Available from: http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2007/11/godzilla-1954-film-dvd-review/ [Accessed 25th October 2010] Ryfle, S. and Goldstein, B., 2007. Godzilla 50th Anniversary Pressbook. Available from: http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2007/12/06/godzilla-50th-anniversary-pressbook/ [Accessed 1st October 2010] DVD Godziszewski, E., Ryfle, S. and Aiken, S., 2005. Godzilla. DVD. UK: British Film Institute. Godziszewski, E., 2005. Godzilla-Designing Godzilla featurette. DVD. UK: British Film Institute. VIDEO Godzilla, King of the Monsters, 1998. Video. UK: BBC Video.

Fifthe Business Essay -- essays papers

Fifthe Business Guilt is defined as a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime or wrong committed. Guilt is a major theme in the novel Fifth Business. Dunny has been raised in a strict Presbyterian household which has encouraged him to feel guilt about many minor things. Even though Paul was not born at the time of the snowball incident, Paul Dempster still feels guilty towards his mothers simple mindedness. Percy Boyd Stautons repressed guilt does considerable damage and ultimately recoils on himself. In Fifth Business many characters feel guilt due to the snowball incident. Dunny Ramsay feels extremely guilty because he had anticipated that Percy, with whom he had been arguing, would throw one final snowball at him before he eats dinner. He felt Mrs. Ramsay’s pain when she was crying. â€Å"I had never heard an adult cry in pain before and the sound was terrible for me.† Dunny is still very young, and most likely, he has the perception that the adults should be the strong ones. To hear Mrs. Dempster cry must have been very emotionally difficult for ...

Political Communication Essay -- Functions of Communication

Politics and the media have long been intimately involved with each other, with media strongly setting an agenda in which politics is very important. (Harris 1999,p.167) â€Å"Our perceived reality of the real world is largely a product of the media.† (Harris 1999,p.186) It is not known which influences more but there are definitely two sides to the story. Many studies have been done to decide but each comes out with different answers. Many say that the media has more of an impact on politics than does politics on the media. â€Å"The two have always been natural adversaries.† â€Å"Skewering each other in print and in conversation, but generally enjoying each other’s company. (Forum) It is the role of the mass media to keep the general public informed and up to date with current news and events in their community, state, country, and around the world. In politics the media can either build or damage a political figure by changing the public’s opinion. Many people depend heavily on television as their source of information where they see or hear about political issues, events, and policies because television is the single most powerful medium of global communication and nightly newscasts are the most frequently watched source of information for the public. (Forum) The mass media is everywhere we turn, from television sets, to airwaves, to print, and even the Internet. In their role, are they actually giving us the right message or is it a rumor, which you often see in tabloids in which it is created just to sell? 75% of the public believes that the top priority of the media is to find and report important information on public issues. Approximately 18% say that it is to give readers and viewers what they ask for. Less than 6% say that it should be for profit. (Forum) The Forum Magazine (September 1994) also discussed a survey done by Kees, a former executive editor of The Fresno Bee, and Phillips former chief of staff of the Republican National Committee. The survey results found many accusations were made about the media. They were more interested in sensationalism than issue, they were political insider’s who can’t report fairly, they didn’t understand the real issues facing the country, they underestimate the public’s taste, and they conspire to disgrace politicians. On the other hand the survey also accused the poli ticians of wrongful doings. It was stated that they... ...d the media. American Political Science Review. 93. 327-342. Harris, R. (1999). A cognitive psychology of mass communication. Makwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Haynes, A. & Murray, S. (1998, October). Why do the media cover certain candidates more than others. American Political Science Quarterly. 26. 420-438. Iyengar, S. (1987, September). Television news and citizen’s explanations of national issues. American Poltical Science Review. p.828. Jacques, W. & Ratzan, S. (1997, August). The Internet’s worldwide web and political accountability. American Behavioral Scientist. 40. 1226-1237. Kalb, M. & Sullivan, A. (1999, September 12). News media give politics short shrift. Greensboro News Record. p.h2. Kiousis, S. (1999, August). Candidate image attributes. Communication Research. 36. 414-428. London, S. (1999). How the media frames political issues. Pippa, N. (1996) Women, media, and politics. Oxford University. Shaw, D. (1999, June). The effect of tv ads and candidate appearances on statewide presidential votes, 1988-96). American Political Science Review. 93. 345-361. The love-hate relationship between politicians and the news media. (1994, September). The Forum Magazine.

John Savage Desires What Makes Essay -- essays research papers

Brave New World illustrates a world where everything that is morally right in our society, is wrong. Monogamy is sinful, massive orgies are not. Serious thinking is unnecessary because life has already been planned out. Hardships and stress can be solved with a few tablets of soma. This is the world which John Savage and others in the novel foolishly came to hate. All of the things that John Savage desires are the things that make our society unstable. Huxley uses John Savage to show the reader that this world is distopian, when this society is the closest example to a stable, utopian society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uninhibited sexual freedom provides happiness to this society’s citizens, the Fordians. Promiscuity is encouraged, and monogamy is discouraged. There is no room for love, or real emotional ties. John Savage does not agree with these ideas, but he fails to see the implications of loving others. In our society, love and sexual desire are the causes of murder, suicide, and rape. â€Å"Everyone belongs to everyone else†(pg.35). This is one of the many hypnopaedic messages that are repeated to the Fordians. It prevents them from feeling passion, desire, lust, jealousy, and true love. In absence of these feelings, they are free from emotional ties and have no reason to rape or murder someone because of inner desires. They are able to express their sexuality with others, and release sexual tension. Hurt and pain is eliminated from their minds, and these people can live the rest of their lives with child-like bliss. John Savage disagrees with these ideas and objects by stating, â€Å"The murkiest den, the most opportune place† (the voice or conscience thundered poetically), â€Å"the strongest suggestion our worser genius can, shall never melt mine honour into lust. Never, never!† (pg. 174-175) This occurs when Lenina wanted to have sex with John. Instead of accepting her invitation, he lashes out at her screaming, â€Å"Whore! Impudent strumpet!† (pg. 176). Meaning that he fails to understand how the Fordian society works. Not only that, but the fact that there are many in our society who can only wish to be in his place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another form of happiness that Huxley supplies to the Fordians is soma. The hypnopaedic message â€Å"†¦a gramme is better than a damn,†(pg.49) is repeated to these individuals so that they take soma instead of worrying... ...ot independent ideas of their own. Everyone, in a word, who’s anyone.† (pg.207) Even ‘free thinkers’ are able to live peacefully in the Fordian society. They have the choice to retreat to an island where there are many people who may share the same views. The Fordian society is not communistic. They do not execute those who think for themselves, but allow them to grow. Even though they may not have the ability to spread their knowledge on to others, their needs are fulfilled.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is the Fordian society utopian? It is impossible to say no when there is less conflict, no pain, happiness, no jealousy, harmony, efficiency, stability, and no disease. John Savage entered the Fordian world, not the other way around. If he wanted to be singled out, beaten, and hated, then he could have stayed in the reservation. The Fordian society was prepared to embrace him, but he was not willing to adapt. Due to his stubborn nature he eventually committed suicide. John was offered a unique opportunity to live along with the Fordians, but his inability to change himself led to his death. If any other savage were given such an opportunity, they would have take in immediately.

Market scenario: demand and supply Essay

The market situation is such that the production of computers and the pace of technology have outpaced the overall growth in demand for computers. More importantly the increase in the demand for computers has been in phases when a shift in demand has caused a slight increase in computer prices. The decline in prices is also evident because of transfer of technology amongst different regions of the globe. Many of the developing countries have received technology and cheaper computers from the developed world which has further increased the process of better technological innovation and ever declining prices of computers. There is also a case of understanding that computers are a type of machine that must be renovated or renewed periodically therefore many companies are willing to sell them at lower prices knowing that costumers will buy new machines in the future and they will invest in newer technology. Therefore computer manufacturers have been pursuing brand holding strategies which includes selling computers to buyers at competitive rates. If we look at the above diagram we get to know that as the demand increased and shifted to demand’ there was also a change in the supply curve toward the right which was driven by higher production because of newer technology, and lower costs. Another crucial aspect is related to how supply curve shifted to right by so much that it overcame the increase in demand and ensured that prices actually declined over the years. We also have to look at how prices declined over the years and boosted the quantity demanded of computers. From 1963 to 2003 real prices of computers have been consistently falling; this piece of statistic in itself explains how costs and eventually prices of computers have pushed down over the decades. The market mechanics are such in the technology industry that competition and the realization of new products and the addition of new companies keeps existing firms on their tows especially in terms of the cost of production as it is one of the major ways of increasing margins without hiking the prices. Availability or the threat that in the future better products will evenntually take away the market of the current products drives the technology business. This focus on innovation and creation of new products breeds efficiency and higher productivity that leads to better prices for the consumer. Conclusion It must be understood that the way technology market works is completely different from many traditional markets that we see around us. This is a result of the new dynamics that technology companies bring with them for instance companies like HP, IBM, Apple and Dell fight for different costumer target groups with products that cater to that particular target markets needs. The main point is that within these categories prices continue to fall even though there is an aggregate rise in demand. This increase in demand could be explained in two ways. Firstly, the increase in the quantity demanded continued to increase as a result of fall in prices. This occured because due to technological advancements and better production techniques cost of production fell and there was an increased demand for different variants, laptops and handheld devices which kept the competition robust and costs low. Secondly the increase in demand could be explained as the shift in the demand curve but this shift was supported by a stronger shift in the supply curve as a result of favorable supply factors throughout the world. The basic requirements to produce computers became more available both in terms of labor and raw material. Similarly newer technological advancements made older technologies redundant and this required even greater innovation and product creation. In which ever way we look at it the changes in both supply and demand have resulted in lower prices in the long-run. Another crucial aspect to product-led markets such as the computer market is that all new products must be adequately priced because companies earn profits due to volume and repeat purchases not because of one time purchases and high prices. This factor also pushes initial prices downward as companies want consumers to first like the product by atleast making the fist purchase. The PC market gets impacted by the launch of new items such as Ipods, handheld devices and other computing devices which can substitute the work of PCs therefore prices have continually seen a downward trend. The declining price trends point toward a healthy market and towards an industry which has evolved rapidly in the past few decade. It must be understood that ideally the steps of all firms are towards providing cheaper and more efficient products but raw material and other factor prices push the final products higher than previous level; but with the technology industry the scenario is kind of reversed, the cost of production has consistently declined more so because many companies were able to outsource so many of their production facilities to many parts of the world which offer relaxed regulations and cheaper labor. This has meant an even greater opportunity towards reduced costs of future products. Bibliography: Lipsey G. Richard & Chrystal K, 2007. Economics, Oxford University Press. Glazer, Hirshleifer, 2005. Price theory and applications: decisions, markets, and information, Cambridge University Press Sameulson, Nordhaus, 2005. Microeconomics. McGraw-Hill, 2005 Lipsey & Chrystal, 2007. The market for computer chips, viewed February 5, 2010 http://www. oup. com/uk/orc/bin/9780199286416/01student/interactive/lipsey_extra_ch03/page_01. htm Employment Policy Foundation, 2002. Economic Impact and Characteristics of the Computer Business Services Industry Cohen, Robert, 1995, The economic impact of information technology viewed February, 6 2010 < http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1094/is_n4_v30/ai_17603698/>.

Quality Improvement Proposal Essay

Preventive measures to stop the spread of the infections is lacking tremendously in the work and aim to provide safety for all patient’s health. The work conveyed to you is an effort to lower the expansion of the infections talked about above that bring chaos in a patient’s healing process. The main priorities that will help patients’ health and better their outcomes when it comes to their medical needs are detecting causes of the infections, resolutions as well as quality improvement steps. This second paragraph will discuss infections received from hospitals. Infections that patients with weaker immune systems/who are sick tend to get as was stated earlier are TB (Tuberculosis), VRE (Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus), VAP (Ventilator Associated Pneumonia), C-diff (Clostridium difficile), UTI (Urinary Tract Infection), and MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). VRE is described as an inherited altered stretch of enterococcus that was first created in humans who were exposed to an antibiotic called vancomycin (Hedman, 2010). VRE cannot have an effect on people whose health is in good condition, but can be deadly to those whose immune systems are weakened. VRE is dispersed through indirect and direct contact. VAP is a contamination of one’s lungs that they picked up from a hospital visit or stay. (A. D. A. M. , 2011). In a typical healthy person, pneumonia is generally not deadly. Pneumonia received from a hospital can be deadly to a person with a weakened immune system, newborn, or the elderly, as it gets germs from the ventilation. C-diff is spore-foaming bacteria that are picked up through cells in feces that are tough to kill (Hedman, 2010). A person can receive C-dff also by consuming too many antibiotics. Spores in feces can expand onto the hands of people who have come into contact with another patient who has C-diff. C-diff spores can stay alive for several months and can be found in unclean places, for example floors and bedpans (Hedman, 2010). UTI is received through perineal care of patients, where there was not a proper procedure of cleaning methods. UTI is bladder inflammation and creates a burning feeling mostly when urinating (Hedman, 2010). Catheters can also cause UTI’s if not taken care of properly are by being kept in too long. Lastly MRSA is an antibiotic-resistant infection that a lot of times is contracted from people that are hospitalized in other medical facilities for example, long-term care facilities (Hedman, Fuzy, & Rymer, 2010). It can also be transmitted by close physical contact with another person who has it or by touching something that that infected individual has touched. This paragraph discusses some causes of infections contracted through a hospital. A huge cause of infections is improper sanitary actions and attire among patients. A prerequisite for hospital workers when they go into a patients room that has a contaminated person in it is to put on personal protective equipment for example, gloves, gown, goggles and a mask depending on how serious the patients infected illness is. There are health workers that think proper procedure is not necessary and that they cannot contract the infection through their work clothes or through them since they are healthy (Melissa, CNA instructor, personal communication, 2012). What they do not consider is the transferring of germs from patient to patient through staff transfer. Unfortunately they do not take into consideration the transfer of germs from one patient to another then to a health worker. Among reviewing CNAs at a long-term care facility, it was seen that some CNA’s did not take off their gloves between giving perineal care of a patient after the patient used the bathroom and the CNA reached for the patient’s attire to put on the patient for that day. The CNA put every patient at risk of contracting the infection and the patients clothes could have became a source of C-diff. There are many cases similar to the one above where health workers are in a rush and do not perform their job/skills that they have been taught correctly. Health workers being in a rush also is due to shortage of staff. The CNAs at the long term facility discussed in this paragraph work a 9:1 ratio, which causes challenges for the health workers to give quality care to the patients. This paragraph explains ways to prevent infections contracted from hospitals. The number one way to lower the spread of infections contracted through a hospital is correct sanitation customs. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a federal government agency has come up with guidelines in order to safeguard against the expansion of infections and diseases for patients and the workers (Hedman, 2010). It is mandatory for administrators of hospitals to write a disclosure policy to protect the workers from infections like Hepatitis B and other infections and bad bacteria. Minimizing infections that the workers have can aid in stopping the spread of nosomical infections. The World Health Organization (WHO) explains that â€Å"prevention of nosomical infections requires an integrated, monitored, programme† (Ducel, Fabry & Nicole, 2002, p 30). The plan-do-check-act will benefit to minimize the nosomical infections and advance to a patient’s positive result. The following are steps for the pan-do-check-act first off develop a plan to help find the issue, secondly put together a group that will oversee the quality improvement proceedings, thirdly explain the procedure by creating some type of charts, and lastly choosing the correct proceedings to implement quality improvement. Every single one of those steps used will aid in minimizing the infections contracted from hospitals that are plaguing hospital environments (Buchbinder & Shanks, 2007). This program will make sure the correct methods for washing hands, wearing personal equipment to protect, and disinfect properly. The workers need to acknowledge their environment when it poses a risk of transmitting infections. When a staff member soils their clothes with anything like blood or any type of fluid that has threatening pathogens, it is a must to change their attire. (Ducel, 2002). Another main requirement is to clean/sterilize equipment and instruments correctly to rid all pathogens. It is very essential to perform the correct steps and procedures during disinfecting and cleaning hospital rooms after each patient leaves. Ways to help reduce contracting infections from hospitals are by each worker following sanitary procedures as well. Lastly, this paragraph describes stakeholders that will be affected from the implementation of this proposal. Stakeholders that will be influenced by the proposal are the employer, providers, patients, and the payers. As long as osomical infections remain to be an agent in medical facilities then providers jeopardize losing their bonuses, because of the rate of infections received from hospitals being high. The ones who are paying want providers to give quality health care to the patients without anything that causes more needed health care visits, and tests (Patient safety, 2005); the infections contracted from hospitals are placed under the scope of quality medical care and require a higher payout. The one the patient works for loses management time while the patient is not there. The one who is mainly affected from this proposal is the patient. Not only does the patient have to pay for their time at the hospital but also have to worry about an unwanted infection. From this proposal the patient will gain a better outcome, have less of a financial burden, and better health. The ones who pay and their provider will maintain their agreement of quality improved health care. The employer of the patient as well will retrieve normal production, because of their worker returning quickly. In conclusion, contracting infections from hospitals can be deadly to newborns, the elderly, and ones with weakened immune systems. One thing that will lower nosomical infections are health care staff taking the proper steps of sanitation. Another main source of giving patients a positive result is the plan-do-check-act plan of quality improvement. Most patients give trust to their medical providers. With that said it is feasible that a patient should be able to put trust in all his providers to see that he recovers fast with contracting no other infections.