Special Stains Laboratory Report Free Essays

Introduction Staining is a technique that is used to diagnose or study the morphology of abnormal cells such as cancerous cells by highlighting the structural components of a tissue (Bancroft and Gamble, 2008). Staining provides a contrast between different structures in a tissue specimen and allows its examination under a light microscope (Cook, 2006). Haematoxylin and eosin (HE) is a routine stain that is used to microscopically diagnose a vast majority of specimens in which the haematoxylin stains the nuclei, whereas the eosin is used to stain cytoplasm and other extracellular materials (Bancroft and Cook, 1995). We will write a custom essay sample on Special Stains Laboratory Report or any similar topic only for you Order Now According to Slauson and Cooper (2002) special stains are histochemical stains that react with known substances in the tissue. Mohan (2005) explains that special stains are required in various circumstances, where the pathologist needs to demonstrate certain constituent of the cells or the tissue to confirm the diagnosis by etiologic, histogenic and pathogenic components. This technique is called special because they are not a routine stain that is performed on a tissue specimen, instead they are used in addition to HE stained sections (Bancroft and Gamble, 2008). Special stains can identify the presence and abundance of any specific class of molecules in a tissue specimen for example periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction is used to identify carbohydrate substances such as glycogen (Slauson and Cooper, 2002). Other examples include Toluidine blue stain which is used to stain mast cell granules, Perl’s stain demonstrates iron in haemochromatosis, Ziehl-Neelsen stains mycobacteri a and Giemsa staining is used to identify Helicobacter Pylori and Giardia organisms (Slauson and Cooper, 2002 and Bass et al., 2005) Masson’s trichrome (MT) and Congo red are the two main special staining methods used in pathology laboratories. Connective tissues consist of cells such as collagen fibres, elastic fibres, and glycosaminoglycans that are scattered within an extracellular matrix (Starr et al., 2011). These cells are distinguished by using a combination of dyes to stain different structures in various different colours (Starr et al., 2011). Masson’s trichrome is used to express collagen in tissues and involves staining with three different sized dyes to stain three diverse tissue densities (Cook, 2006). MT staining produces three distinct colours as the name suggests; nuclei and other basophilic structures are stained black with iron hematoxylin; collagen is stained green or blue depending on aniline light green or aniline blue; and cytoplasm, muscle, erythrocytes and keratin are stained bright red with Biebrich scarlet stain (Young et al., 2006). Since erythrocytes are the densest as the y are packed with haemoglobin, and less porous tissues they are stained with the smallest dye molecule, the intermediate cytoplasm and muscles cells are stained by the intermediate sized dye and the collagen is stained with the biggest dye (Bancroft and Gamble, 2008). However, it has also been suggested that the acid dye which is the Biebrich Scarlet, first stains the tissue as it binds to its acidophilic elements (Carson, 2001). Subsequently, the tissue is treated with phosphomolybdic/phosphotungstic acids so that the less permeable components retain the red colour, whereas it is diffused out of the collagen fibers causing it to bind with the aniline blue or aniline light green (Bancroft and Gamble, 2008). Young et al., (2006) describes that in addition to the use MT stain in assessing the degree of fibrosis, it is also used to evaluate portal tract structures such as the bile ducts, arteries and veins in inflamed liver According to Romhanyi (1971) (cited in Bely, 2006) Congo red is a special stain that is highly specific and a sensitive method for early diagnosis and recognition of amyloidosis. Cook (2006) states that Congo red is used as the preferred method to identify amyloids in most laboratories on formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue of patients with amyloidosis. Kiernan (2007) describes that amyloid is an intercellular material that varies in its composition and is deposited in tissues such as heart, muscle, kidneys, spleen, liver and brain, deposits differ in their composition. Rubin and Strayer (2008) explains that Congo red stain has a linear shaped molecule which helps it to bind to the ? pleated sheet structure of the amyloid through non-polar hydrogen bonds, giving it a red colour. Sen and Basdemir (2003) states that Congo red fluorescence (CRF) is another method that examines the amyloid deposits stained with Congo red under polarized light which shows a red-green birefringence a nd according to Rocken and Eriksson (2009) this is the gold standard for diagnosing amyloid. During this experiment special stain techniques were used to analyse specific tissue elements Aims To identify fibroids in uterine tissue section using Masson’s trichrome stain To identify amyloid in spleen tissue section using Congo red stain To discuss advantages of special stains To use special stains to identify important diagnostic features of the tissue To understand the mechanism used by special stains Method Masson’s Trichrome The formalin fixed and paraffin-embedded uterine tissue section was deparaffinized and rehydrated through 100% alcohol, 95% alcohol, and 70% alcohol. The section was washed in distilled water and then stained in Weigert’s iron hemotoxylin working solution for 10 minutes. It was then rinsed in running warm tap water for 10 minutes and then washed in distilled water. The next step was to stain the uterine tissue section in Biebrich scarlet-acid fuchsin solution for 15 minutes, and then it was washed using distilled water. It was then differentiated in phosphomolybdic – phosphotungstic solution for 15 minutes or until collagen was not red. The tissue section was then transferred directly (without rinsing) to aniline blue solution and stained for 5-10 minutes. Afterwards the tissue section was rinsed briefly in distilled water and differentiated in 1% acetic acid solution for 1 minute. It was then washed in distilled water and dehydrated very quickly through 95% ethyl alco hol, absolute ethyl alcohol (to wipe off Biebrich scarlet-acid fuschin staining) and then cleared in xylene. The section was then mounted with resinous mounting medium. Finally the slide was examined under the light microscope. Congo Red The spleen tissue section was deparaffinized and hydrated to distilled water. The section was then stained in Congo red working solution for 10 minutes and rinsed in distilled water. It was then quickly differentiated (5-10 dips) in alkaline alcohol solution and rinsed in tap water. The section was then counterstained in Gill’s haematoxylin for 10 seconds and rinsed in tap water for 2 minutes. Following that, the section was dipped in ammonia water (made by adding a few drops of ammonium hydroxide to tap water and mixing it well) for 30 seconds or until the sections had turned blue. It was then rinsed in tap water for another 5 minutes and dehydrated through 95% alcohol, and 100% alcohol. The section was cleared in xylene and mounted with mounting medium. The slide was then examined under a light microscope. Fig 1: Normal uterine tissue stained with Masson’s trichrome viewed under 10 x 10 microscopic magnification Fig 2: Fibroid uterine tissue stained with Masson’s trichrome viewed under 10 x 10 microscopic magnification The microscopic slide (Fig. 1) shows a normal uterus tissue that was stained with Masson’s trichrome, which showed the nuclei stained black, smooth muscle stained red and the collagen fibres stained blue. Figure 2 shows a uterus tissue specimen stained with Masson’s trichrome that revealed excessive amount of collagen stained in blue, smooth muscle stained red and nuclei stained black. Fig 3: Spleen tissue stained with Congo red showing amyloid deposits under 10?10 microscopic magnification Fig. 4 Spleen tissue stained with Congo red adapted from Stevens and Lowe, (2000) Discussion Norwitz and Schorge (2006) states that fibroids also referred to as Leiomyomata, are benign tumours of the myometirum of the uterus that is mainly composed of smooth muscle and extracellular fibrous material such as the collagen, Fibroids do not invade surrounding tissues or organs and they can occur in different locations within the uterus (Lark, 1996). The symptoms include heavy periods, frequent urination, constipation, bloating and backache (Tulandi, 2003) Masson’s trichrome was used to stain the uterus tissue (Fig. 1) which showed the collagen stained in blue, smooth muscle and erythrocytes stained red and the nuclei appeared black. MT stain revealed that the normal uterus tissue (Fig. 1) had a small amount of collagen present whereas the other uterus tissue (Fig. 2) showed an elevated amount of collagen stained in blue which suggested fibrosis. MT is an advantageous technique in medicine as it allows comparing the degree of fibrosis before and after the treatment biopsies to show if the treatment has been effective and successful. It is a routine stain for kidney and liver biopsies and this can be used on paraffin fixed sections as well as on frozen sections. Kambic et al., (1986) describes that there are different types of collagen and their organization is better shown using Sirius red with polarized light. Sirius red is a hydrophilic dye, in which type I collagen appears orange or red whereas type III collagen appears green (Kumar, 2005). Congo red was used to stain a spleen tissue section where figure 3 showed amyloid deposits in pink and nuclei in blue. Fig. 4 revealed a high amount of amyloid deposits in pink which suggested amyloidosis that is the disorder caused by abnormal deposition of intracellular or extracellular insoluble amyloid which changes the normal tissue function (Stevens and Lowe, 2000). Special stains is an important tool for pathologists as it allows to the microscopically view and identify cells, tissues and microorganisms, providing an alternative to immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry and various other diagnostic techniques. References Bancroft, J. D. Gamble, M. (2008). ‘Theory and practice of histological techniques’. [Online]. (6th ed). Philadelphia, PA : Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Dhn2KispfdQCprintsec=frontcoverdq=Theory+and+practice+of+histological+techniqueshl=enei=ifGETZKEPcWwhAfSvPW_BAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false. [Accessed 7th March 2011]. Bancroft. J. D. Cook, H. C. (1995). ‘Manual of histological techniques and their diagnostic application’. Edinburgh [u.a.] : Churchill Livingstone. Bass, P., Burroughs, S. Way, C. (2005). ‘Systematic pathology : a clinically-orientated core text with self assessment’. Edinburgh : Elsevier Churchill Livingstone. Bely, M. (2006). ‘Histochemical differential diagnosis and polarization optical analysis of amyloid and amyloidosis’ TheScientificWorldJournal. 6, p.154-168. Carson, F. L. (2001). ‘Histotechnology : a self-instructional text’. (2nd ed). Chicago : ASCP Press. Cook, D. J. (2006). ‘Cellular pathology : introduction to techniques and applications’. (2nd ed). Bloxham: Scion Publishing Limited. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1440-1827.2003.01513.x/abstract Kiernan, J. A. (2007). ‘Histological and histochemical methods’. (4th ed). Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.) : Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. Mohan, H. (2005). ‘Essential pathology for dental students’. [online]. (3rd ed). New Delhi : Jaypee Brothers. Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HmkTtLyxXF8Cprintsec=frontcoverdq=essential+pathology+for+dental+studentshl=enei=xRCCTaiHMs24hAezp6G8BAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=bookthumbnailresnum=1ved=0CDAQ6wEwAA#v=onepageqf=false. [Accessed: 11th March 2011]. Odze, R. D. Goldblum, J. R. (2009). ‘Surgical pathology of the GI tract, liver, biliary tract and pancreas’. [Online]. (2nd ed). Philadelphia, PA : Saunders/Elsevier. Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8ITX093f1j0Cpg=PA1143dq=Masson%27s+trichrome+staining+in+liverhl=enei=OB2GTYuVLYuqhAfJ_6m8BAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=book-thumbnailresnum=2ved=0CDgQ6wEwAQ#v=onepageq=Masson%27s%20trichrome%20staining%20in%20liverf=false. [Assessed 16th March 2011] Rocken, C. Eriksson, M. (2009). ‘Amyloid and amyloidoses’ Der Pathologe. 30, (3), p.182-192. Rubin, R. Strayer, D. S. (2008). ‘Rubin’s Pathology : clinicopathologic foundations of medicine’. [Online]. (5th ed). Philadelphia [u.a.] : Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kD9VZ267wDECpg=PA990dq=mechanism+of+congo+red+stainhl=enei=ADGFTcSQDZGJhQf-n5iuBAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=book-thumbnailresnum=4ved=0CEUQ6wEwAw#v=onepageq=mechanism%20of%20congo%20red%20stainf=false. [Assessed 7th March 2011]. Sen, S. Basdemir, G. (2003). ‘Diagnosis of renal amyloidosis using Congo red fluorescence’ Pathology international. 53, (8), p.534-538. Slauson, D. O. Cooper, B. J. (2002). ‘Mechanisms of disease : a textbook of comparative general pathology’. [Online]. (3rd ed). St. Louis, MO. [u.a.] : Mosby. Available from : http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vRhtM0UMUh4Cpg=PA5dq=special+stainshl=enei=-vSETaMeqJKEB83RwccEsa=Xoi=book_resultct=book-thumbnailresnum=1ved=0CCoQ6wEwADgK#v=onepageq=special%20stainsf=false. [Accessed 4th March 2011]. Young B., Lowe, J. S, Stevens, A. Heath, J. W. (2006). ‘Wheater’s functional histology : a text and colour atlas’. (5th ed). Edinburgh : Churchill Livingstone Tulandi, T. (2003). ‘Uterine fibroids : embolization and other treatments’. [Online]. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=fZ8eha5yIfcCprintsec=frontcoverdq=fibroidshl=enei=oyOGTfnfMJGGhQeY_92_BAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=book-thumbnailresnum=7ved=0CGAQ6wEwBg#v=onepageqf=false. [Assessed 15th March 2011]. Stevens, A. Lowe, J. (2000). ‘Pathology’. (2nd ed). Edinburgh [u. a.] : Mosby Starr, C., Evers, C. A. Starr, L. (2011). ‘Biology : concept and applications’. [Online]. (8th ed). United States : Cengage Learning. Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_16xbB2Py_UCpg=PA454dq=connective+tissuehl=enei=zYeITdaEAsywhAf61cm6Dgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=book-thumbnailresnum=10ved=0CFYQ6wEwCTgK#v=onepageq=connective%20tissuef=false. [Assessed 8th March 2011]. Lark, S. M. (1996). ‘Natural treatment of fibroid tumors and endometriosis : effective natural solutions for relieving the heavy bleeding, cramps and infertility that accompany these common female problems’. New Canaan, Conn : Keats Pub. Norwitz, E. R. Schorge, J. O. (2006). ‘Obstetrics and Gynaecology at a glance’. (2nd ed). Malden, Massachusetts : Blackwell. Kumar, R. K. (2005). ‘Morphological methods for assessment of fibrosis’ Methods in Molecular Medicine. 117, p.179-188. Kambic, H. E., Kantrowitz, A. Sung, P. (1986). ‘Vacular graft update : safety and performance, a symposium’. [Online]. Philadelphia, PA : ASTM. Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=NU0cVwIPk_oCpg=PA162dq=limitations+of+collagen+stainhl=enei=AEKLTcmzMsmYhQe1hJHEDgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=10ved=0CFsQ6AEwCQ#v=onepageqf=false. [Assessed 20th March 2011]. How to cite Special Stains Laboratory Report, Essay examples

The Crucible and the Scarlet Letter free essay sample

The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter share many themes that are still present in today’s society, such as the use of public humiliation as a punishment. Because of their sins, both John Proctor and Hester Prynn were alienated and punished by their peers and town leaders. The public humiliation that they faced helped shape the characters in the eyes of the reader and effected the way that they behaved and acted. In The Crucible John Proctor and the other towns people were punished by means of public humiliation because of their apparent use of witch craft. When they were accused each person was placed on a mobil cart, like cattle, and were transported to the local court where they were tried for their crime. Each trial was public, and towns members went to these trials to ridicule and give condescending comments while the judges were deciding. No jury was present and the only way each defendant could escape hanging was to confess, even if they were not guilty. We will write a custom essay sample on The Crucible and the Scarlet Letter or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The accused who refused to confess were publicly hung for all to see, as if to give warning to all other citizens to pray and stay pure because if they did not they would be hung also. t even went as far as publicly displaying names. People would do anything to try and save themselves, even if it meant humiliating and accusing their friends. When John Proctor signed his name on a certificate proving his confession, it was said that it would be hung over the church door to show to, and warn others. This idea of loosing his name, and the shame that would come with the public humiliation was too much for John, so he rebuked his confession. The fear of witches and public humiliation was the death of John Proctor and many others in the Puritan society. In The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynn was accused and found guilty of adultery after the birth of her child, while her husband was away. Because of this she was condemned to wear a scarlet and gold letter on her chest. Due to this letter, everyone, even people that she didn’t know looked down upon her because of her sin. Everyone has sinned in one way or another, but Hester was cursed to display it and was humiliated daily. She could have gotten off with a different sentence, but because the court wanted her to â€Å"pay† for what she had done, they took on the role of God himself, and attempted to unish her on Earth by having to carry that burden with her everywhere she went as a constant reminder. Hester stood on the scaffolding by herself and in front of the whole town for all to see. She was ridiculed and beaten down with words, as the humiliation continued. By being publicly humiliated Hester at first became depressed because she felt alone in the world with only her daughter to comfort her, who was still another reminder of what she had done. Eventually Hester came to terms with the letter that she bore, but the public humiliation that she went through scarred her and was the cause of many unnecessary hardships that occurred throughout her life. Public humiliation was not uncommon in the past, but it has decreased greatly in recent years, as the outcomes of ethics trials and laws against capital punishment were instated. Although the laws have changed, some people haven’t. In New Jersey a boy named Tyler Clementi committed suicide as a result of public humiliation. Students of the Rutgers campus posted videos of him online of him kissing another man. Clementi was ridiculed and tormented because of his homosexuality and the release of that video. The same students responsible for it also tried to capture and post other videos. Every where he went on and even off campus Clementi was humiliated by people who had seen the video. People enjoyed humiliating him, and other loved watching him be abused. As a direct affect of public humiliation, Tyler Clementi killed himself. Public humiliation is a theme that is present in many different novels and even in present day. This humiliation changed the characters in The Crucible and Hester Prynn in The Scarlet Letter in several ways. The towns people and John proctor had to endure unfair trials and social alienation, while Hester had to live with her sin every single day of her life wile displaying it for the world to see. Although they did not take such extreme measures on themselves

Medtronic, Inc. Marketing Plan

Background and Goals Medtronic Inc is the leading medical technology company in the world, controlling more than half of the world’s annual revenue on the heart-pacing market (Anonymous, 2010). Its headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota and it operates in over 120 countries.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Medtronic, Inc. Marketing Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, around sixty-six percent of its revenue is generated locally, twenty percent in Europe, ten percent in the pacific Asia and the remaining percentage in the rest of the world. As it expanded, the firm employed Picker International Corporation of White Plains, New York to assist in running the business internationally. The founder of Medtronic Inc was an electrical engineer a profession that boosted his knowledge on specializing in medical devices. He established the company by specializing in pace making which has taken Medtr onic to very high heights (Anonymous, 2010). Medtronic is a manufacturer of diversified and exclusive medical equipment, which are capable of handling any medical complication. It continues to develop better and advanced equipment in order to maintain its top position. Moreover, the firm has recently developed Combo Insulin Pump and Glucose Monitor for Diabetes, which is the best device for managing diabetes in the world. Since Medtronic is a world-class company, it aims at coming up with a marketing plan that will enable it do extensive sales in the whole world. The first step is to identify a country whereby its sales can pick significantly. Medtronic objective To ensure that every person on this earth has an opportunity to live as healthy, innovative, creative, and successful lives as they can. Combo Insulin Pump and Glucose Monitor for Diabetes For a long time, patients with diabetes have been facing acute challenges in treating and managing their insulin levels due to lack of p roper devices. The devices Medtronic made would help the patients but were not as effective.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Diabetic patients would have their live revolve around treating the disease which involved boiling of the syringes, sharpening needles, injecting animal-based insulin formulations, checking on the diet and doing exercise. Maintaining unpredictable glucose levels has been challenging and no single and portable device was available in the market. Patients had to carry a combination of devices for checking glucose levels and injecting insulin (Fowler, 2009). Minneapolis-based medical technology company Medtronic, Inc. has however developed an Insulin Pump and Continuous Glucose Monitoring System which, integrates a glucose meter and an insulin pump with a dose calculator into one device. The device combines an insulin pump with a glucose monitor, facilita tes data interchange between the two and FDA has cleared and approved the product. The device operates day and night and in case glucose levels gets dangerously low or high, it sounds or vibrates an alarm thus giving the patients confidence of leading a healthy life (Dave, 2010). The device is meant to enable people to manage their diabetes more conveniently and give them confidence of day to day healthy living. This is because the patient is aware of what is exactly happening in his body instead of doing guesswork with only a couple of finger sticks. The new device is around as three times as effective as standard therapy (David, 2010). The integrated device can be used in hospitals, clinical and medical research laboratories, blood and plasma collection centers, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, doctors’ offices and by patients at home under physician supervision. Medtronic, Inc. Marketing Plan Having come up with a diabetic device that will ease the daily lives of the patients, Medtronic, Inc has a full opportunity in the USA and outside the country. Apart from the local market, which assures Medtronic more than sixty percent of its annual revenue, the best foreign country for Medtronic to establish extensive market for its new device would be the United Kingdom.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Medtronic, Inc. Marketing Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More United Kingdom is located in Europe and Statistics show that the second best market for Medtronic, Inc devices lies in Europe. This is because sixty-six percent of Medtronic’s annual revenue is generated locally and the next twenty percent is generated from Europe. Coupled with the fact that UK is ranked position three in the list of obese population, then it will be a potential market for Combo Insulin Pump and Glucose Monitor (Anonymous, 2010). Let us compare the UK and the US market with some potential markets i n the world.    Country Comparison      Mexico The level of poverty in Mexico does not allow it to make a good market for Medtronic diabetic devices. The US-Mexico borders mark the highest population with diabetes in Mexico. By 1997, diabetes was the leading cause of death among the Mexican community at the border whereby the mortality rate was 50% higher than the rest of the country. However, the living environment in Mexico makes it hard for the population to obtain medical attention. This is characterized by rapidly growing population, poor infrastructure, high uninformed and armed patrols instilling fear to the people, over concentration by the government on control of drug cartels, which sums up to poverty (Zazworsky Gaubeca, 2005).      Slovakia Slovakia can make a good market for the diabetes devices manufactured by Medtronics, Inc since it is located in one of the companies’ best market. It also has a large population suffering from diabet es thus the demand can be high. However, the population is slightly lower than that of the UK making UK a better market.      Greece Greece is ranked position five in percentage of people suffering from obesity. It has a potential market for obesity devices due to the high population suffering from the disease but the biggest challenge is the public administration system. This problem has been outstanding for a long time and has adverse effects on health care system. There is no tradition of preparing public health reports and this may hinder effective marketing of Combo Insulin Pump and Glucose Monitor in the country (Ritsatakis, WHO Maka, 2009, pg 106). Marketing Plan Budget Proposal We have met with our accounting department and have been the approval of budgeting 2.5 million dollars towards this new plan. Our advertising and research teams have come up with a time limit of one year to implement all of the areas we will communicate this to our distributors and to t he customers. The budget is mainly meant to create awareness of the new product in the market through advertisement. Due to the availability of technology and the benefits of globalization, advertisement will be done through Billboards, Online, Newspaper, website, Brochures, CD’s, Trade Shows, and Conventions Events Money Budget Newspaper costs ($1,200,000) Trade Shows/Conventions/Events ($250,000) Direct e-mail costs ($250,000) Brochures/CD’s ($300,000) Billboards ($450,000) Hidden Costs ($100,000) Time budget January through April- Begin sending literature and doing extensive advertisement in the United Kingdom along with a calendar of events for upcoming trade shows, events and conventions. May- Largest trade show will be set up for both presentations and workshops in the US. All distributors and any team leaders that can will be available.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More June- The trade fair will now take place in UK July through September- Extensive marketing in the UK October through December- Constant monitoring by departments will also be done. Final Evaluation At the end of six months, we will evaluate how well our plan is doing by looking at sales and expenditures. At this time, we will also look at how smoothly the shipping is being done and how effective the shows are. We will also have our team leaders meet with the distributors at a gathered meeting evaluate how sales are moving. SWOT analysis Strength- The new device has combined all the important aspects in to one unit making it portable and suitable to the patients. Weakness- It can be hard to convince people to drop their old ways of managing diabetes and apply the new device Opportunity- The rates of diabetes population in the world is very high thus there is a ready market for the new device Threats – New culture, shipping to a new country, makes product known and used. Maki ng sure, we communicate the product to a new country in a way that will make it desirable. Conclusion After doing enough evaluation and reconnaissance, we have decided to begin our marketing in the UK since due to the bigger market and few marketing challenges. UK has been a good market for the rest of our products and it will probably be for the new diabetic product. By the end of the year, we will have established the product at home, in the UK and we will be ready to venture the rest of the world. However, the local market remains the leading consumer since the local people have more confidence with Medtronic and competition is not as high as in foreign countries. References Anonymous. (2010). Medtronic, Inc. – Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Medtronic, Inc. Web. Dave, G. (2010). FDA Approves World’s First Combo Insulin Pump And Glucose Monitor For Diabetes; Device Alerts Users When Glucose Gets Too High Or Low. Web. David, O. (2010). Medtronic Device Beats Finger Stick in Diabetes Study. Web. Fowler, M. (2009). Diabetes Devices. Web. Ritsatakis, A., WHO Maka, P. (2009). Gaining Health. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office Europe. Web. Zazworsky, D. Gaubeca, V. (2005). Handbook of diabetes management. Moscow: Birkhà ¤user. Web. This essay on Medtronic, Inc. Marketing Plan was written and submitted by user Asia Lott to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Best Sources to Upgrade Your Research

The Best Sources to Upgrade Your Research Wikipedia is a good source for information. It is a good source, that is, if you just want some general information that random people have contributed on a topic. Wikipedia is not a resource for academic research works. In fact, no encyclopedia should be used when students conduct serious research. The question then becomes, can a student find scholarly websites for serious research? The answer to that question is yes, provided students have the ability to find them. In order to make your journey through the web in search of research websites a bit easier, we have compiled a list of the most reputable places with a brief description. iSeek This is sort of the scholars rendition of Ask.com. Students can pose a question based upon the topic they have chosen for an essay or paper, the search engine will spit out resources from government, reputable and established non-commercial sites, and from universities. This is one of the most highly respected scholarly search engines on the web. In fact, teachers and professors use it for their own research. Google Scholar Among academic search engines, this one is pretty cool. It focuses on the type of scholarly literature that grad students need for their research. Just enter some keywords or phrases, and Google will churn out papers, books, dissertation abstracts, theses, current research articles from scholarly journals, and more. These are primary source materials. Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) This library is maintained by the U.S. Department of Education and currently holds more than 1.3 million resource materials dissertations, technical reports, policy papers, research syntheses, targeted scholarly journals and articles. Students can search in virtually any content field and find hundreds or resources. If is one of the most commonly used research websites for students who are beginning their theses or dissertations all primary source material. Intute Intute is not a library of itself. Rather, it is unique among academic search engines, based in the UK that will point students to appropriate websites for their research. Students can enter their specific topics and receive the names and URLs of scholarly websites for their research. This site is particularly cool because it also has free tutorials produced by professors and librarians related to web-based research. Scirus Here is a science students dream among all other research sites. It houses over 350 million pages of articles, journal publications, and major research works from respected higher education institutions everywhere. Virtual Learning Resources Center If you want to find any scholarly website related to any academic discipline, you will want to use this research website. It is actually an index and houses the names of scholarly websites that are recommended by professors, high school and university librarians. The student can plug in his/her topic area and immediately get a list of reputable websites that house scholarly publications in that academic field. Noodle Tools This is one of the best educational search engines for high school students, although undergrad students find it really helpful as well. It provides both primary and secondary resources for any topic. The neat additional feature is that is has a citation generator tool for APA, MLA and Chicago format style. WorldCat The perfecct site if you are looking for a specific book. Type in the book title and this great site will searh through libraries looking for it. Ultimately, it will tell you where you can find that book in a libarary geograpically close to your location. It will do the same for video and CDs. Students can search for other digital sources like audiobooks and other rare text that is not available publicly. American Memory Undergrad and grad history students will never need to look for another source. This is the door to the Library of Congresss nine million-plus digital documents all primary sources - including books, articles, sound recordings, maps, etc.

Fashion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Fashion - Research Paper Example She also proclaimed and advised that the society ought not to underplay the repercussions of the situation, with regard to the message that most personalities had sent earlier (Breward, 2002). Furthermore, in accordance with a magazine that communicates issues regarding and surrounding the fashion confines, it was devastating that approximately 80% of young ladies in the fifth grades via twelve had been under influence of such fashion magazines, with regard to the images displayed (Davis, 2005). They confessed that most of these advances within the fashion magazines contained material that would probably alter their feeding habits and intake of various substances. Moreover, in the pro-anorexia programmes, posters communicating the notion of participation in television fashion shows and purportedly combing their magazines for ‘thinspiration’. However a bit intricate intelligence exists regarding whether the ubiquity of the excessively thin models results into persons outs ide the fields to innovate disordered feeding or fully blown food consumption chaos. Generally, Dr. Broft confessed that in the course of their working with their patients, this notion of the thinning always arises. Additionally, the psychiatrist within the foodstuff consumption program in the Columbia psychiatry explicated additionally that feeding disorders are extremely intricate based on their aetiology. Additionally, it is reasonable to proclaim that disclosure may be a truth in the innovation of feeding disorders and that an unfussy connection had not been conventional. In addition, the national affiliation of health prospects that the lifetime pervasiveness of anorexia is approximately 1.5% of the adult populace in the U.S.A. However, between the age gap of twelve to eighteen year olds is around 2.5%. Additionally, there immense risk prospects inclusive of their femininity and age among others as influences and the past (Breward, 2002). In accordance with a psychologist at th e Cleveland clinic, disclosure to skinny models could probably take a role. Moreover, though skinny models are not the reason behind feeding disorders, they may trigger or elicit a prospect in up keeping a feeding anomaly (Furze, 2011). Additionally, she proclaimed that if a lady has an establishment for a feeding anomaly and takes most of their time browsing via fashion papers can be one of the prospects that elicit a negative feeling of their body, which initiates them into feeding disorders, like excessive eating. Moreover, consummate research has introduced a relation of the two purporting that there has not existed any single descriptive scientific explication. Furthermore, specialists proclaim that her explication is one of the most fascinating on how the general media can implicate on bodily issues and image regards too. Becker’s exertion has concentrated on Fiji, where she discovered the entry of television coincided with, among other things, an augmentation in disord ered feeding, inclusive of throwing up to lose or take critical control of weight. Additionally, a following up research discovered that peer disclosure was specifically strong, with allies deliberating and internalizing the general media images (Davis, 2005). Though Becker warned against projection of such results to the American, she proclaimed

Organisational begaviour management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organisational begaviour management - Essay Example By gaining a deeper understanding of individual differences an organisation will be able to proactively address organisational issues (Pearn 2002). In times when individual differences produce tension and conflict in an organization, the most viable solution entails the identification of a common ground where in spite of the differences, there is a possibility of a compromise. Therefore, performing a thorough analysis is the key ingredient in finding this common ground. The main argument of this paper is that individual differences bring about a variety of behaviours in the organization. Hence, managing organizational behaviour would require synergy of a plethora of concepts and principles to generate potent strategies towards organizational effectiveness. In order to identify the common ground among individuals in an organization, the following key points condensed from the theme of the researches included in the annotated bibliography should serve both as a guide in this discussion : (1) positive organizational behaviours should be cultivated; (2) organizational citizenship complements positive organizational behaviours; (3) moods, emotions, and diversity are significant factors influencing organizational behaviour; (4) organizations can benefit from recognizing emotional intelligence as scaffolds in forging healthy relationships in an organization; and (5) researchers need to sustain their exploits in discovering how the management of organizational behaviour can enhance the effectiveness of organizations. Positive behaviours should be cultivated in an organization. Youssef and Luthans (2007) revealed that hope, optimism, and resilience share a positive relationship with job performance, job satisfaction, work happiness, and organizational commitment. Optimism is a key factor in attaining occupational success. Optimists are observed to be: motivated to work harder; more satisfied; experience high levels of morale and aspiration; persistent in the face of obst acles and difficulties; views personal setbacks as temporary and not as personal inadequacy; and more likely to feel good and invigorated. Meanwhile, hope provides individuals with willpower and waypower. On the other hand, resiliency allows individuals to bounce back from stressful situations (Hoffmann, Farrell, Lilford, Ellis & Cant 2007). Meanwhile, Giachetti and So (2009) posited that: (1) the impact of positive organizational behaviours on strategy implementation may be mediated by organizational culture and leadership strategy articulation; and (2) positive management impacts organizational strategy and performance through collaborative management. In addition, the authors suggested the evaluation of the relationship between employee behaviour and capabilities on implementation of organizational strategies by managers on future researches. Luthans and Youssef (2007) emphasized the need for employees to capitalize on their strengths and improving on their weakness. Though signi ficant progress has been observed in the research and practice of positive organizational behaviour, the authors suggested further research on enhancing POB understanding and utilization with the aim of affecting work performance. Organizational citizenship complements positive organizational behaviours. Based on the analysis of LePine, Erez, and Johnson (2002) a strong association was uncovered among most of the dimensions of

Achieving A Congruence In Organisation Strategy Business Essay

Achieving A Congruence In Organisation Strategy Business Essay This essay first discusses about the importance of achieving congruence between an organisations strategy, structure and human resource management (HRM) practices. The author begins with defining strategy, structure and practices. The example of a software support organisation is used to illustrate the points in this essay; ensues by the outlining of its business objectives and strategies. It strives to be the leading integration software support service provider offering cutting edge service quality and achieving high customer satisfaction. Being in the service industry, the strategies revolve very much around human resource administration. The author subsequently delves into each strategy explaining why there must be congruence in order to accomplish the objectives. The second segment of discussion directs the attention to the relevance and effectiveness of HRM in achieving a competitive edge for the organisation. In the instance of the support organisation, information technology (IT) knowledge and customer service skills are a crucial part of work. Technology is ever-evolving and customers demands intensify in time. With proper management of skill and practices the organisation will be able to adapt well to external and internal changes giving it an advantage over other support organisations. As the conclusion, performance is obtained by systematic interactions and integration among the various HRM practices (Boxall, 2003). HRM has to be aligned to the corporate strategy and structure and this gives the organisation a competitive edge. First and foremost it is good to introduce and define the key elements of the essay. Organisational strategy defines the direction in which an organisation intends to move and establishes the framework for action through which it intends to get there (as quoted in Stone, 2008, p. 13). Organisational structure refers to the organisations framework or design (as quoted in Stone, 2008, p. 34). HRM practices relate to the human resource routines that are undertaken to manage specific skills, values and knowledge of employees (Ennen Richter, 2010). It is important to achieve congruence between these three elements to increase operational performance by meeting the organisational objectives and at the same time promoting achievement of employee goals (Stone, 2008). Advantage occurs when an organisation substantially builds the quality of its human capital and links it to the business and strategy (Boxall, 2003). Hence it can become a leader or winner in the industry. Work situation of a software support organisation will be discussed here. Its strategic business objectives are to be the market leader in integration software support excellence providing services around the globe 247, increase revenue opportunities and endorse effective cost control through: Understanding and growing the employee skills and interests. Retaining the right people by showing appreciation of their contribution. Empowering employees to provide value for achieving customers goal. Achieving high customers satisfaction and keeping them happy. Expanding the organisation in cost effective locations. The business strategy depends profoundly on the work force which is the organisation structure and the management of workers. The corporate business strategy of being the leader in customer service is to be achieved by first of all understanding and growing the employee skills and interests. This is in fact one of HRM practices and activities. Understanding the employee can be done by performing individual appraisal and growing them is a part of HR development and career planning (Stone, 2008). These days, less attention is paid to the persons position or tenure, rather the market value of skills is focused on (Cascio, 2010). Besides skills, their interests need to be taken care of, depending what they are. For example an employee that gets promoted is more committed to the companys goals attainment (Joseph Dai, 2009). A design that focuses on wellness of workers is more likely to be successful in achieving the operational goals. Without proper management of people who are going to run the organisation, its strategic business objectives execution would go the wrong direction. Secondly, the retaining and hiring of desirable skills directly affect the corporate performance (Wei, 2006). HRM strategies have to be aligned fittingly to this in order that the company does not dissipate unnecessary costs hiring new support engineers to replace those who leave the job due to feeling of disapproval. To keep capable workers, it is important for them to feel appreciated for their contribution. Engaging a reward system, incentives-motivated performance measurement is a good way to retain employees. Good organisation coordination can promote a trust environment that enables two way feedbacks between employer-employee (Collins, 2010). Constructive and beneficial feedback has to be acted upon to show that management is receptive to the peoples voice. HR activities such as recruitment and selection should aim to support the organisations strategy of focusing on the customer-employee relationship. Competent candidates ought to be selected for the job to ensure customer obt ain the service they seek from the knowledge workers. Thirdly, the researcher discusses why the empowerment of employee has to be fitted with the right HRM practices and organisational structure. The support organisation has offices in different parts of the world, therefore it is structured in the way that there is a Regional Time Zone Manager who heads the Product Line Manager who manages the Support Managers. The Support Managers deal directly with the Support Engineers. Communication is most of the time vertical and bureaucratic. The author thinks this design complicates the HR practices; for example there will be multiple level approval processes, hence employees are not empowered appropriately. Non-hierarchical decision making is becoming a more popular managerial structure because it is creating added creativity in workplace through proper delegation of work (Joseph Dai, 2009). The author thinks the support organisation could adopt this flat organisational structure. In this way there will be cutback of redundant escalation and reporting processes. Strategic plans can to be communicated immediately to the employees, who carry them out (York, 2010). Managers and employees should share a common understanding of execution plan details without obvious rank barrier. Then the engineers would know the main areas of concern. Keeping customers happy is one of them which will to be discussed next. The fourth strategic plan is to achieve high customers satisfaction. Managing human resource by adopting development-orientated practices is essential to improve the organisations capability in satisfying the customers. IT workers have to be developed regularly to keep up with the latest technological knowledge (Joseph Dai, 2009). Customer interaction effectiveness can be enhanced by communication training and development, hence boosting customer fulfilment. An open and interactive organisational design structure is helpful in building a good customer-support relationship. Customers are free to reach out to the Customer Services Managers for any conflicts or queries that occur during the support process so they get all the assistance they need. Consequently more new customers are attracted to sign up while existing customer stayed satisfied. The company will be able to meet its business objective of generating more revenue from the customers maintenance contracts. Finally, to promote cost effectiveness via the strategic decision to grow the support team internationally, supporting a global set of customers around the clock. One of the initiatives is to have more shifts in lower cost hub, providing customer service remotely through phone and email communication. HRM supports this by recruiting the required support engineers before the shifts start. HR planning of estimating how many workers are needed has to be done carefully to ensure cost efficiency. The planning would have to take into account the existing workers and the time required for the new workers to start contributing to the company (Ahmad, 2000). As the setup activity spans across the globe, the structure has to be in place before execution. The alignment of HRM practices and policies to the organisational strategy, design and structure will significantly increase productivity (Joseph Dai, 2009) especially in the condition where remote supervision is required. The author agrees with the statement One of the aims of HRM is to give an organisation a competitive edge. In fact HRM has to be strategized to help integrate the organisational strategy and polish its structure in a unique way that enhances the overall value to provide a competitive advantage. Human resources management focuses on managing the employer and employee relations and productively use it to achieve the strategic corporate strategy (Stone, 2008). Again in the example of the Support Centre, information technology (IT) knowledge and customer services skills are a crucial part of work. As described above, HRM activity such as training and development could improve these skills which add value to the customer. Customer usually tends to compare the quality of service provided among all other support organisations offering the same services. Distinguished service that stands out is in the advantage to keep the customers. HRM practices and policies describe factors that determine with what skills, values and knowledge organisational routines are implemented (Ennen Richter, 2010). A good HRM system takes care of changes that happen externally as well as internally. External factor such as technological divergence which is ever-evolving requires the attainment of new technical know-how for continuous improvement. With the right resource management, existing hardware and software can be replaced before they get obsolete. New technology can be acquired and utilized to create a better environment for support engineers to trouble-shoot complicated technical cases. Customers are always impressed with fresh ideas and fast resolution time. Transformation that happens internally for example team restructuring will probably affect day to day practices. HR administrative mechanism plays an important role to ensure employees adapt well to the changes. If a formal notification about re-allocation of duties is deli vered, workers will not be caught off guard and can prepare for the change. Productivity would drop tremendously if the various factors are not managed well. HRM that aligns to business strategies controls work activities and direct employees back on track for the organisation to stay competitive. Ennen Richter, 2010, through empirical research concludes that congruence practices, policies, strategy and organisational structure would give firms a competitive advantage over the organisations lacking such fit. The support organisation which is in the service sector covers a huge range of human services and practices. Productivity is best served by systematic interactions and integration among the various practices (Boxall, 2003). The support organisation focuses on human capital but at the same time it wishes to control cost in the most efficient way. Business hubs have been set up in lower maintenance cost locations. To have Asians providing support service to Europeans for example opens to issues such as cultural and expectation differences. HR strategy to hire the best job applicant with strong competencies such as good etiquette, resilience to cultural differences, strong verbal and written communication becomes a significant factor in ensuring the success of the organisati on. The author concludes that the aim of HRM is to achieve congruence between an organisations strategy, structure and its practices for inducing a competitive edge. When the human capital is taken care of, all other aspects such as technology, customer, culture, social and others will be handled appropriately by precise HRM strategy guidelines. The managers design the strategies and model then delegate the tasks. The workers follow instructions to achieve goal. The managers then collect feedback from the workers to continuously improve the system and produce result. Productivity is best served by systematic interactions and integration among the various HRM practices (Boxall, 2003). HRM has to be aligned to the corporate strategy and structure and this relationship gives the organisation a competitive edge. All said about having a system associated with strategies in place and the extensive information available today, the traditional multi-layer organisation charts value is declining ( Collins, 2010). As we move more into the knowledge age, managers role can be made redundant or will be trimmed down. Perhaps as food for thought, one day organisation would prefer workers performing their functional activities without the managers, but through forming multi-domains networked together by technological intelligence. Word count: 1754 (Excluding Abstract and References)