Employee Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

Employee Relations - Essay Example internal environment & external environment. SWOT stands for S - Strength, W - Weaknesses, O - Opportunities, T - Threats and the analysis done through these four segments and is popularly known as SWOT Analysis. It helps in knowing the firms capabilities in the competitive environment in which it operates. The following diagram shows SWOT Analysis framework. The Trust employed around 1,000 staff in its Operations Supportive departments, which provides the technical, operational & professional and staff workers for the services like security, cleaning, maintaining the estate, managing the car-parking and also catering.  Ã‚   Unions’ rates up to 60%, having a membership of Unison, GMB, and TGWU represents the crafts work and skills of the employees.  Unions’ relation is good, along with 2 monthly meetings between the management and unions forms into a multi-union forum.   In the hospital, management teams have developed communication policy, this results in improving  in the feedback of staff through attitude surveys because of the relation with the top management. It is stated that the management will provide information to the staff about the changes which are going to prevail and what the reasons for such changes. Around 60% of the employees are stable in the job for more than 8 years. The groups work in an independent manner from each other and even from the organizations itself. In an effective way of management, the workers are developing demarcation and differentiating factors and their representatives of union are changing. There are issues regarding the delegatory, communicating, team-building, and employee empowerment  from the low to middle level of the members.   Those issues are subjected to be heated discussions among managers, union representatives and workers, particularly the changes which are â€Å"pushed†Ã‚  than negotiated.   There is a bad tendency of some supervisors and middle level managers to remove few

Detection of Apoptosing Retinal Cells in Glaucoma Diagnosis

Detection of Apoptosing Retinal Cells in Glaucoma Diagnosis Study Proposal Investigating a possible correlation between DARC (Detection of Apoptosing Retinal Cells) and Psychophysical methods (e.g. Contrast Sensitivity, Colour Vision, LogMAR Visual Acuity in different contrast levels) in Glaucoma diagnosis and assessing treatment efficacy. Background Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative eye disease and one of the major causes offor blindness in developed countries. It is a chronic degenerative disease of the optic nerve, which has been characterised by a progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons (Sommer, 1989). Glaucoma is a collective term for a complex group of conditions that cause progressive optic neuropathy, which may result in irreversible loss of visual function.[E1] Therefore, assessment of visual function is essential in diagnosis and treatment of Glaucoma. Although several diagnostic tools have been developed to detect and monitor this disease, none is sensitive enough to identify it at a preclinical stage or to distinguish small changes in retinal health in a relatively short periods (Normando et al., 2013) In Glaucoma, irreversible visual changes may occur before neuronal damages are discovered. The detection of glaucomatous structural damage might happen before, during and after glaucomatous visual field defects findings (Kass et al., 2002). Clinical assessment of visual function in parafoveal regions is mostly dependent on the examination of visual fields by using standard perimetry (Rauscher et al., 2013). Perimetry plots often do not represent full extent of visual loss as conventional field assessments only examine a single feature at the location tested, which usually is the differential light threshold. Although, outcome for absolute thresholds of flashed stimuli is useful but frequently these findings are the final component of visual function that are affected in disease. It should be taken into consideration that visual field defects cannot be detected until 20-40% of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) which are the key cells associated with the development of irreversible blindne ss in glaucoma, have already been lost (Guo and Cordeiro, 2008). In many of the eye disease, sensitivity for detection of fine spatial detail and colour signals can be damaged prior to visual field loss (Barbur and Konstantakopoulou, 2012). In studies such as (Rauscher et al., 2013) colour thresholds revealed the highest sensitivity to early glaucomatous changes and Red/Green losses tended to happen before perimetric loss of binocular visual field sensitivity. It should be noted that simple measures of perimetriy are not sensitive enough to detect selective loss of specific visual attributes and therefore fail to show a strong correlation with Quality Of Life (QOL) measures. Moreover, the ability to differentiate contrast plays an important role in patients everyday vision and quality of life. Contrast sensitivity testing can identify many ocular diseases and provides additional useful clinical information to standard visual acuity assessments (Richman et al., 2013). Additionally, a new noninvasive real-time imaging technology, has recently been developed which is named DARC (Detection of Apoptosing Retinal Cells). Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death that is involved in both pathological and physiological processes throughout the body. Although, Apoptosis plays a vital role in normal development and ageing but deregulation of this process is responsible for many disease including neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, in vivo imaging of apoptosis may prove a useful tool for both laboratory research and clinical diagnostics (Galvao et al., 2013) DARC visualizes single RGC, which undergo apoptosis, as the earliest sign of glaucoma. Use of fluorescent annexin A5 is one of the most widely accepted in vitro assay for apoptotic cells (Normando et al., 2013). DARC is a non-radioactive approach that can evaluate the efficiency of the treatments by monitoring RGC apoptosis in the same living eye over time by using fluorescently labeled annexin 5 and confocal laser scanning ophthalmoscopy. DARC uses unique optical properties of the eye for direct microscopic observation of cellular processes in the retina. DARC has been used to assess different neuroprotective therapies in glaucoma-related animal models and demonstrated to be a useful tool in screening neuroprotective strategies. As DARC directly evaluates the RGC death process, it will potentially provide a meaningful clinical end point. DARC can be used in tracking disease, assessing treatment efficacy and may lead to the early identification of patients with glaucoma (Cordeiro et al., 2010; Cordeiro et al., 2011; Guo and Cordeiro, 2008; Normando et al., 2013). DARC uses a novel automated algorithm, which enables accurate quantification of apoptosing RGCs and is highly comparable to manual counting. This appears to minimise operator-bias and at the same time being both fast and reproducible. Quantification of apoptosing retinal cells may prove to be a valuable method, particularly in relation to translation in the clinic now that a Phase I clinical trial of DARC in glaucoma patients is due to start shortly (Bizrah et al., 2014). 3 year plan 1st Year Ethics approval Pre-Screening patients with glaucoma for suitability using LogMAR visual acuity in low contrast level and any available visual field findings 2nd Year Recruiting candidates Study both psychophysical methods (Contrast sensitivity and colour vision) and DARC 3RD Year Data analyzing Writing up Expecting outcome Better evaluation of sensation in patients with glaucoma Better evaluation of Quality Of Life (QOL) Better evaluation of the most suitable method for early diagnostic and follow-up treatments in glaucoma Possible diagnostic and follow-up applications of the selected methods for other neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer and Parkinson References Barbur JL, Konstantakopoulou E (2012) Changes in color vision with decreasing light level: separating the effects of normal aging from disease. J Opt Soc Am A Opt Image Sci Vis 29:A27–A35 Bizrah, M., S. C. Dakin, L. Guo, F. Rahman, M. Parnell, E. Normando, S. Nizari, B. Davis, A. Younis, and M. F. Cordeiro, 2014, A semi-automated technique for labeling and counting of apoptosing retinal cells: BMC Bioinformatics, v. 15, p. 169. Cordeiro, M. F., L. Guo, K. M. Coxon, J. Duggan, S. Nizari, E. M. Normando, S. L. Sensi, A. M. Sillito, F. W. Fitzke, T. E. Salt, and S. E. Moss, 2010, Imaging multiple phases of neurodegeneration: a novel approach to assessing cell death in vivo: Cell Death Dis, v. 1, p. e3. Cordeiro, M. F., C. Migdal, P. Bloom, F. W. Fitzke, and S. E. Moss, 2011, Imaging apoptosis in the eye: Eye (Lond), v. 25, p. 545-53. Galvao, J., B. M. Davis, and M. F. Cordeiro, 2013, In vivo imaging of retinal ganglion cell apoptosis: Curr Opin Pharmacol, v. 13, p. 123-7. Guo, L., and M. F. Cordeiro, 2008, Assessment of neuroprotection in the retina with DARC: Prog Brain Res, v. 173, p. 437-50. Kass, M. A., D. K. Heuer, E. J. Higginbotham, C. A. Johnson, J. L. Keltner, J. P. Miller, R. K. Parrish, M. R. Wilson, and M. O. Gordon, 2002, The Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study: a randomized trial determines that topical ocular hypotensive medication delays or prevents the onset of primary open-angle glaucoma: Arch Ophthalmol, v. 120, p. 701-13; discussion 829-30. Lek, J. J., A. J. Vingrys, and A. M. McKendrick, 2014, Rapid contrast adaptation in glaucoma and in aging: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, v. 55, p. 3171-8. Normando, E. M., L. A. Turner, and M. F. Cordeiro, 2013, The potential of annexin-labelling for the diagnosis and follow-up of glaucoma: Cell Tissue Res, v. 353, p. 279-85. Rauscher, F. G., C. M. Chisholm, D. F. Edgar, and J. L. Barbur, 2013, Assessment of novel binocular colour, motion and contrast tests in glaucoma: Cell Tissue Res, v. 353, p. 297-310. Richman, J., G. L. Spaeth, and B. Wirostko, 2013, Contrast sensitivity basics and a critique of currently available tests: J Cataract Refract Surg, v. 39, p. 1100-6. Sommer, A., 1989, Intraocular pressure and glaucoma: Am J Ophthalmol, v. 107, p. 186-8. [E1]it looks too similar to the sentence in the article below. Could you please rephrase? http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/3294/1/Author version Edgar DF paper 1432-0878 15 03 14.pdf

LL Bean :: essays research papers

LL Bean: A Strategy For The Future Leon Leonwood Bean, known as L.L., was born in the small township of Greenwood, Maine, in 1872. He was raised on a set of simple yet powerful principles†¦ Nature was something to be revered. Family ties were a priority. Being neighborly was a matter of course. And "do unto others" was more than just a saying; it was a way of life. When L.L. launched his company with the first Maine Hunting Shoe in 1912, he believed so strongly in the Golden Rule that he made it the foundation of his business. This rule "Sell good merchandise at a reasonable profit, treat your customers like human beings, and they will always come back for more" became the foundation of the company. For the next fifty years, Bean forged a business, selling clothing and related gear tailored specifically for people who enjoyed the outdoors. Products including boots, clothing, canoes, fly reels, tents and camping gear became the cornerstone of the company. Bean stated, †I attribute our success to the fact that, to the best of my judgment, every article we offer for sale is practical for the purpose for which we recommend it.† (1)The company sold products through both the store in Maine, and through a growing store catalog. Bean retained active control over his company until he died in 1967 at the age of 94. Leon Gorman took over the business after Bean’s passing in 1967. Although he sited his grandfather as being happy with the size of the company, Gorman was ready for growth. He accomplished this by incorporating technology wherever he could, and expanding product lines, introducing new catalogs for specific markets, and entering foreign markets. Even with this extensive growth, Gorman remained true to the founders values of high quality products, superior customer service, and the company guarantee to replace or refund on any purchase that a customer found unsatisfactory. Gorman realized that building on the L.L. Bean brand would be critical to the success to the company. The company’s goal was to associate the brand name with the image of â€Å"Maine’s natural beauty†, along with the legend of the company’s founder. These efforts led the company thirty years of 20% annual growth. Most impressive is the fact that the company was able to finance this growth internally, ad remain privately held by family members. When Gorman took the position of Chairman in 2001, Chris McCormick became the first non-family member to run the company, taking over the role of President and CEO.

A Good Friendship

The Bible: Ecclesiastes notes that â€Å"two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe unto him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. † A good friendship is one of the most important relationships we will have in our lives. What is a friend anyways? It’s one who comforts you and has a lot in common with you. Sure, we have family, but it is often a friend we go to when we need comfort and advice. Being a true friend requires certain important characteristics. A friend needs to be dependable, supportive, and giving. First, dependability is part of being a good friend. A good friend is dependable and you can trust them. She makes you feel safe and secure. Your friend will not share your secrets with others. She sticks with you in good times and in bad. When you ask for advice, a good friend points you toward the right direction. Privately, she points out your mistakes and also helps you overcome them. A good friend always tells you the truth, even if it’s something you don’t want to hear. Secondly, not only do good friends have to be dependable, they also have to be supportive. A good friend is supportive of you reaching your goals. She doesn’t try to change who you are or drag you into situations that make you feel uncomfortable. A good friend doesn’t wait for you to call; she makes an effort to keep in touch with you, even if it is through a quick phone call or an email. When you need to talk, a good friend is always there. In a time of crisis she is the first person to come to your aid. Also, she doesn’t allow you to indulge in any addictions or illicit activities. She understands that you have family, other friends and colleagues who are part of your life too, and she doesn’t cling to you always. A good friend respects your privacy. Whether you have good news to share or grievances, she gives you her full attention. Another very important attribute of being a good friend is giving. A good friend gives more than what is asked of her. When she sees a need, she responds before the other has a chance to ask for help. She doesn’t expect anything in return. A good true friend shares her time if you need help with a project or a goal, she is there. She shares her knowledge on how to successfully complete the project, or she may even offer a few words of wisdom. When you’re between a rock and a hard spot, she gives you her assistance. It might be to loan you money. Also, she shares her possessions, such as a simple screwdriver to finish the project. It might be more complicated such as the loan of a beautiful dress to go on that special date. Best of all she has a generous spirit. A good friend can be defined in many different ways. Some examples: In kindergarten, my idea of a good friend was the person who let me have the red crayon when all that was left was the ugly black one that no one wanted. In ninth grade, my idea of a good friend was the person who would go with me to a party thrown by a senior so that I wouldn’t be the only freshman there. The summer after graduation, my idea of a good friend was the person who helped me clean up bottles from a party and helped me sneak out of the house when I just couldn’t deal with my parents. She helped me pack up for college and just silently hugged me as I looked through misty eyes back at 18 years of memories I was going to leave behind. As I get older, friendship grows and means so much more. As of right now, my idea of a good friend is still the person who gives me the better of two choices and most of all, lets me know that I am always loved.

Huckleberry Finn: Sweet Home Mississippi

Christian Morganstern once explained, â€Å"home is not where you live, but where you understand yourself† (Morgenstern 1). The transcendentalist finds his home, and therefore himself, not in civilization, but in nature. In Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck runs away from his â€Å"civilized† home to the Mississippi River to seek refuge. Much like Thoreau going to Walden's pond to escape the corruption of society, Huck finds solace on the river. Only when he goes ashore does the peace and tranquility of the River get interrupted by people and society. Ironically, they travel down the Mississippi toward the corrupt slave culture of the pre-Civil War South. The journey on the river symbolizes Huck's escape from the immorality of society into an idealistic, or utopian home on the raft where he can develop his own moral beliefs while the southward direction represents the ultimate inescapability of society. Although the Mighty Mississippi represents Huck's sanctuary, it ironically propels Jim and him southward toward the very slave culture they are trying to escape. Resembling Marlow's adventure on the Thames in Joseph' Conrad's The Heart of Darkness, the Mississippi transports Huck toward evil. While traveling into the Heart of Darkness, â€Å"the air was dark above Gravesend, and farther back still seemed condensed into mournful gloom, brooding motionless over†¦ † (Conrad 1). Although the circumstances differ, the idea that they are traveling down hints that they are bound for hell or in the direction of evil. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the evil they are headed towards is slavery. As they travel down the river, the world around them becomes increasingly chaotic. In the antebellum South, Huck witnesses this disarray first hand when Colonel Sherburn shoots Boggs. Sherburn explains to Huck that people â€Å"in the South†¦ think [they] are braver than any other people–whereas [they're] just AS brave, and no braver. Why don't juries hang murderers? Because they're afraid the man's friends will shoot them in the back, in the dark–and it's just what they WOULD do† (Twain 149). This passage is Twain making a reference to the Ku Klux Klan. He vicariously speaks through Sherburn, a Northerner, to convey with judgments of the corrupted South. As Huck travels further South, Twain†¦ However, as long as Huck and Jim stayed away from civilization, they were untouched by the evils of society. This suggests that maybe it is not the direction they are headed, but rather the people who lived upon the shores that are evil. As long as they stay on the raft, their own little lifeboat, Huck and Jim were untouched by the wickedness that dwelled around them. Thoreau, a Transcendental author, reinforces this reverence for nature when he explains that â€Å"Nature [is] not our foe, but an ally, not a dark force to be beaten back, but a marvelous force to be admired† (Garner 1). Nature acted as a sanctuary for Huck, and he felt more at home on the Mississippi than with the unethical people of society. Whenever Huck leaves his raft, his symbolic Walden sanctuary, and came to shore, he ran was faced with the corruption of society. The first time this occurred is when they met the King and the Duke. Not long after, Huck realizes that â€Å"these liars warn't no kings nor dukes, at all, but just low-down humbugs and frauds,† but puts up with them for Jim's protection (Twain 128). These two men would put on shows and con people out of their money and then run away. As soon as Huck could, he planned on leaving them behind so Jim and he could go back to their peaceful times on the river. In addition, when floating down the river Huck is able to define his own morals away from the pressures of society. The river is not just an unknowing, unfeeling body of water, but becomes the catalyst to assist Huck with his moral growth. He learns that â€Å"a sound heart is a surer guide than an ill-trained conscience† and that he should listen himself and not the ways of his more civilized elders (Hammond 3). Over the coarse of the novel, Huck finds a home and his morals while traveling down the Mississippi River. Although the people on the shores try to civilize and make him conform to their evil ways, he refuses because the river has become his asylum.