Shea's One of a Kind Boutique Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Shea's One of a Kind Boutique - Term Paper Example For the success of an organization, it is highly important that the organization is structured efficiently. If the overall structure of an organization is effective, there would be a good flow of communication throughout the organization and the overall efficiency of the management would increase. In this organization, supervisory managers are responsible for the operations of their respective departments and they present the performance reports to the directors. The team of advisors helps the organization carry out risk assessment properly and to operate safely without any legal issues. The team for quality control ensures that all the processes in the organization are operating effectively. This is done by assessing different processes for their effectiveness. The accountants keep the records of the business of the organization. The record keeping system is completely automated and the accountants ensure that the system is operating effectively and in compliance with the financial reporting standards. Section 3: Business Teams The management of the organization understands the concept of synergy therefore formation of teams for different tasks is highly encouraged in the organization (Robbins & Judge, 2010). The concept of teams is very frequently applied in the organization. Since the business is of such a nature that it requires so much brainstorming, working in teams is the optimum way to carry out the task. In order to come up with innovative marketing techniques or new ideas for the clothes, teams are formed by the management and they are given the tasks. The group dynamics bring out synergy and the members of a group remain motivated towards completing the task efficiently. The strengths of business teams include; motivation, efficient completion of the tasks and origination of innovative ideas. The weaknesses may be; the team members may divert from the actual purpose of the formation of the team and there may be negative dynamic of the group if there is lack of congeniality among the group members. Section 4: Management Philosophy regarding Communication and Organizational Culture The management philosophy regarding

Critical Analysis on the Prevention of Tissue Breakdown on Grade 2 Essay

Critical Analysis on the Prevention of Tissue Breakdown on Grade 2 Pressure Ulcer at Sacral Area of Patient with Public Rami - Essay Example As a senior nurse, this incident was significant because it provided efficient cues on the management of pressure ulcers, including preventing infection, preventing its progression to higher pressure ulcer grades, as well as promoting efficient and speedy patient recovery. The main clinical issues which arose from the incident included the following: prevention of tissue breakdown of pressure ulcer, promoting mobility, and preventing infection. This study sought to establish how the author could make a difference or improve the care for the patient as a senior nurse in her department. Main Body The management for this patient included several nursing interventions. These interventions included the following: regular assessment of pressure ulcer and of other pressure points in the body, promoting early mobility at least every two hours, keeping the patient’s sacrum and back clean and dry at all times, regular cleaning of pressure ulcer, placing pressure-reducing overlays on mat tresses, chairs, and other surfaces used by patient (Bluestein and Javaheri, 2008). These interventions help promote wound healing as well as help prevent the progression of the pressure ulcer to higher grades (Bluestein and Javaheri, 2008). Pressure ulcers are one of the most difficult wounds to manage and heal. Once they manifest, they are often not responsive to antibiotic therapy (Paquay, et.al., 2010). Moreover, complete healing is not always possible. For those under long-term care, the degree of healing often depends on the primary stages of the pressure ulcer (Paquay, et.al., 2010). Where the initial stages are managed well, the healing rate is high, however, as the grade level of the pressure ulcer progresses, the rate of healing is also reduced (Paquay, et.al., 2010). Prevention and early management of pressure ulcers is therefore an important consideration in the management of chronic care patients. Patient Assessment The assessment process in pressure ulcers is one of th e initial and important elements in the management of pressure ulcers. There are various assessment scales which have been recommended for use by experts. In the UK, the European Pressure Ulcer (EUPAP) Grading System has been recommended for use (NHS, 2012). Based on patient assessment, the patient manifests with a Grade 2 pressure ulcer with some of the outer surface of the skin damaged. The ulcer manifests as an open wound or blister (NHS, 2012). The goal for this patient now is to promote the healing of such ulceration, to prevent its progression (higher grade levels), as well as its infection. Assessment of a pressure ulcer also involved the complete medical assessment of the patient, including the onset as well as the duration of the pressure ulcer, including his history of pressure ulcers (Bluestein and Javaheri, 2008). This was the patient’s first time to have a pressure ulcer and the pressure ulcer started to manifest about two weeks following his injury. His wound ca re mostly involved standard dressings which were changed daily. He had difficulty changing positions on the bed and mostly stayed in one position all day. He was of regular body build, with a BMI within the normal levels. He was alert and socially responsive, especially with his family and with the hospital staff. He had limited assistance when discharged as it was only him and his wife in their house. They needed support services at home. There was one grade 2 pressure ul

Report about Cedar Breaks Park Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Report about Cedar Breaks Park - Term Paper Example It feels as which you are touching the sky as this park is 10,000 feet above a cliff edge with a spectacular view of forests, meadows, deserts and rocky spires. This breath-taking scenery was completely a treat for me as I had never seen such an amazing, well-kept park which was an amazing source of recreation for all of us. Cedar Breaks Park got the name ‘Cedar’ because of abundance of cedar in the forests surrounding this mesmerizing piece of land. This park is open all year and we visited during the same peak timings in between 6am-10pm. basically, this park is operated by the very efficient US Army Corps and they are remarkably performing their duties and maintaining the park well. History: This heaven on earth-Cedar Breaks Park could not have been constructed if this beautiful place could have been declared as National Monument by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 12th, 1992. People have been actually visiting this place 9000 years before and these were call ed as the first visitors of Cedar Break who came to this place for many things and activities (Laine and Laine 521). After the creation of Cedar Break Lodges, Cedar Break Park Company lodges were also constructed. Park tour buses used to stop for dinners at these lodges seating around 120 people at one time. In this way, people started to visit this place and got to know about this amazing place. As now, Cedar Break was in sight of many people, many groups of people started to utilizing this beautiful scenic beauty into some useful project. After Franklin’s Deceleration, this place was now ready to be considered as national monument. Once this was done, the idea of constructing Cedar Break Park clouded in the minds of many people and with time, these thoughts became reality which now we can clearly see in front of us. Cedar Break’s Climate, animals and plants-making it an unforgettable place! Cedar Break Park is one of those places which do not offer a great time to re lax in the lush green meadows, recreation due to numerous fun activities but also the animal and bird lovers can have a great time as this park can also be seen as a mini zoo. When I visited this place, i was so amazed to see the wide range of animals and birds being exhibited in this well-maintained park. Animals including different birds, insects, spiders, millipedes, mammals etc. are found in this park. Various varieties of birds like grouse, juncos, kinglets, finches, thrushes, warblers and many others were caged, providing a great source to amuse children and many adults who adore birds. The rhythmic chirping of the birds produced a beautiful background music which relaxed every bone of my body. I was not able to stop looking at these beautiful, small, colorful birds who sat behind the wires of the cages. When it comes to talking about insects and creepy crawlies found in the park, one will always encounter spruce bark beetle in this park. This is a beetle which lay its eggs in Spruce trees which acts like a renewal in the old forests. As I walked along the park, I saw great numbers of dead spruce trees. After enquiring from one of the staff members of the park, I got to know that the same beetle is actually responsible for the death of these trees as it cuts off the flow of water and nutrients to the tops of the trees. Moreover, our recreation continued when we visited the cages of the extensive

Superpower Machine Essay Example for Free

Superpower Machine Essay Every once in a while I cant help but think about what it would be like if I have powers. If I can build a machine that can do anything, I want a machine that can transform me into any hero I want with any superpower there is. It would be an amazing thing to have the ability to do something noble and help people while having fun at the same time. In case of an emergency, I can turn into someone with superman or batman powers or any other hero depending on the situation. For example,if there was any trouble at sea, I can turn into Aqua man or if speed is needed I can easily become Flash. Another power that I am curious enough to try is the power of invisibility. I think it would be exciting to observe people when they do not know that anybody is around. I would also love to have the power to read somebody elses mind. Although somethings are better left unsaid, still, it would be brilliant to know what people are thinking. The bottom line is that these heroes make a big impact in the lives of people they do not even know and I want to be a part of it. Hackneyed as this may sound, Uncle Ben was right in saying that with great powers have great responsibilities. Saving the say is not all about the glamor and the excitement like what televisions and movies are portraying. Everyday we have regular unsung heroes like policemen and fireman who are willing to go to inside a burning building at the verge of collapse with just saving the trapped victim inside. In our everyday lives we encounter heroism that we do not even notice because we have our own notion about what a hero is and what it would be like to be saved. A man giving up his seat in the subway or a young lad helping an old lady cross the street; this is a typical picture of the modern day hero. They are no batman or superman but they end up saving the day. I guess I do not need any machine to make a difference in the world after all but it would still be great to have it as an option.

Fordist And Taylorist Production Systems Cultural Studies Essay

Fordist And Taylorist Production Systems Cultural Studies Essay Fordism, named after the Henry Ford from US, who refers to a variety of communal theories about production, assembling and related socio-economic phenomena  [1]  . Although Henry Ford was not the inventor of the automobile but he developed extraordinary methods of production and marketing that allowed the automobile to become reachable to the American working class. Ford always wanted to make cars that his team workers could afford easily. So, the mass production began in Detroit in 1914, when Ford discovered that a moving assembly line using interchangeable parts which could completely reduce the cost of making motor cars. After that he created the Ford Motor Company, which was one of a dozen small automobile manufacturers that emerged in the early 20th century. Mass production was really an unpleasant work, with high turnover because new production system must be oriented towards multi-skilling and rapid re-skilling workers; in order to hold the search for shifting a newly form ing market in a post mass production (cf. Piore, M. and Sabel, C., 1984). Just to retain his unskilled workforce, Ford doubled their wages to $5 per day justified by higher productivity  [2]  . After three years of production, he introduced the Model T, which was simple and light yet sturdy enough to drive on the countrys very elementary road system. He sold 18m Model T Fords, transforming to America into the first car-owning democracy, at a low price that dropped from $600 to $250 over 15 years. Henry Fords success and revolutionary techniques of production were then termed Fordism  [3]  . The scale of mass production is hard to understand. Fords River Rouge plant in Detroit, completed in 1928, he extended for a mile along a tributary of the Detroit River and employed 100,000 men workers. Raw materials like iron ore and rubber were unloaded at one end, and finished cars emerged from the other end, 72 hours later. But Fords system proved less efficient than GM  [4]  , which produced a range of models for different pocketbooks. Labour relations were troubled, sit-down strike, at the big automakers in the 1930s with layoffs and speed-ups, the end of organized capitalism has a tendency to become dis-organized in that the labour-employer relationships are fracturing (cf. Lash, S. and Urry, J. 1987) . GM was the first company forced to recognize the UAW  [5]  union after a sit-down strike closed its plants in Flint, Michigan in 1937. After more battles, the workers won higher wages and benefits, sharing in the American Dream. Unions also negotiated rigid work rules to protect workers from exploitation by foremen. Ford was even more determined to oppose unions than GM, and Henry Ford employed 3,000 service department personnel to prevent them taking hold. In 1937 they beat up key UAW union organizers attempting to hand out leaflets near the River Rouge factory. But in 1941, even Ford was forced to yield to union power, to ensure industrial peace during wartime. But the legacy of bitter industrial relations e ndured. The decline of mass production is due to Post Fordism; small scale batch production in small medium plants not mass production in large plant, only customized not standardized products, using multi-skilled workers with flexible work roles not fixed job descriptions, robots and computerized work teams instead of moving assembly lines (cf. Murray, R. 1989). Car manufacture ceased with the outbreak of World War II, but the auto manufacturers made good profits helping with the war effort, producing everything from jeeps to aircraft engines. The mass production helped the Allies win the war, and led to further consolidation in the industry. The war also brought new social groups, like women and black people, into the auto industry, but also increased social tensions in Detroit. Unemployment disappeared, and the UAWs power grew. The end of the war released an enormous surge of pent-up demand, especially for cars and houses, and Detroit boomed as never before. Car workers wages soared and many became homeowners. The Big three car companies dominated production as never before. In 1955 GM became the first company to make $1bn profit. Big cars predominated, promoted by sexy adverts  [6]  . The first signs that all was not well with Detroit was the 1973 oil crisis, when Middle East producers declared a boycott. Queues formed at petrol stations, and consumers for the first time switched in large numbers to smaller, more economical cars-often made by the Japanese; which they found more reliable. The Detroit-made cars had more defects, and Detroits attempts to build a successful small car failed. The auto industry now is much better prepared to withstand the effects of an oil crisis and meet consumer demand for highly fuel-efficient vehicles than it was during the Middle East oil crisis of the 1970s, Ford Motor Company Chairman Harold A. Poling said  [7]  . Imports of Japanese cars soared in the 1980s as consumers gradually grew to prefer the smaller, more reliable cars. The unions and the US companies reacted to the threat by trying to get the US government to block imports, and by the mid-1980s had succeeded in getting Japan to agree intended export chains (cf. Womack, J., P., Jones, J.T., Roos, D., 1990). But the move backfired as Japanese firms became more profitable and moved up market, launching cars like the Lexus. The US companies determined that they could make more money by selling sports utility vehicles, built on a truck chassis. In the 1990s sales of SUVs  [8]  and minivans soared. Imported SUVs attracted a higher tariff rate, blocking Japanese rivals. They were not very fuel-efficient, but with oil prices at $18 a barrel, no one seemed to mind. As imports flooded in, the car market became increasingly dominated by foreign producers, who imported millions of cars from overseas factories. Companies also increasingly relo cated production to Canada and Mexico after the Nafta free trade agreement. GM, Ford and Chrysler thought that the Japanese had an unfair advantage due to an undervalued (low) currency. They also believed that oil prices would return to lower levels. Lean production, Japanese manufacturers like Toyota and Nissan were also building more factories within the US to escape import controls, threat from Japan,(cf. Womack, J., P., Jones, J.T., Roos, D., 1990) in the response to eliminate waste by introducing this method. These factories were based on a new and more efficient production system, and they also allowed the transplants to develop new models more quickly. They also developed closer relationships with suppliers, using just-in-time methods. Soon they were competing across the whole range of vehicles, from trucks to compact cars. Green cars, in the last year many Americans have accepted the reality of global warming, and the demand for green vehicles has grown. Toyota sells 100,000 Prius hybrids a year and is rolling the hybrid technology out across its entire range. Both Ford and GM exposed electric-powered concept cars at the 2007 Detroit Motor Show, but they may be years away from mass production. Taylorism, a system of production devised by F. W. Taylor (1911), and characterized by the division of factory work into the smallest and simplest jobs while closely co-ordinating the sequence of tasks in order to achieve maximum efficiency, as, for example, on a production line. As a result, skilled managers and technicians oversee semi-skilled or unskilled workers who are engaged in simple, repetitive chores. This system of production has had profound spatial implications, as large firms often allocate skilled and unskilled jobs to different locations, creating a division of labour  [9]  . Taylorism is often mentioned along with Fordism, because it was closely associated with mass production methods in manufacturing factories. Taylors own name for his approach was scientific management  [10]  . Applications of scientific management sometimes fail to account for two inherent difficulties: Individuals are different from each other: the most efficient way of working for one person may be inefficient for another. The economic interests of workers and management are rarely identical, so that both the measurement processes and the retraining required by Taylors methods are frequently resented and sometimes sabotaged by the workforce. Both difficulties were recognized by Taylor, but are generally not fully addressed by managers who only see the potential improvements to efficiency. Taylor believed that scientific management cannot work unless the worker benefits. In his view management should arrange the work in such a way that one is able to produce more and get paid more, by teaching and implementing more efficient procedures for producing a product. Although Taylor did not compare workers with machines, some of his critics use this image to explain how his approach makes work more efficient by removing unnecessary or wasted effort (cf. Parker M. and Slaughter, J., 1988). However, some would say that this approach ignores the complications introduced because workers are necessarily human: personal needs, interpersonal difficulties and the very real difficulties introduced by making jobs so efficient that workers have no time to relax. As a result, workers worked harder, but became dissatisfied with the work environment. Some have argued that this discounting of worker personalities led to the rise of labour unions. It can also be said that the rise in labor unions is leading to a push on the part of industry to accelerate the process of automation, a process that is undergoing a renaissance with the invention of a host of new technologies starting with the computer and the Internet. This shift in production to machines was clearly one of the goals of Taylorism (cf. Berggren, C., 1989), and represents a victory for his theories. It may not be adaptive to changing scenarios; it overemphasizes routine procedures, i.e. strictly following a given set of rules and regulations, work procedures, production centeredness etc. However, tactfully choosing to ignore the still controversial process of automating human work is also politically expedient, so many still say that practical problems caused by Taylorism led to its replacement by the human relations school of management in 1930. Others (cf. Braverman, H., 1974) insisted that human relations did not replace Taylorism but that both approaches are rather opposite: Taylorism determining the actual organization of the work process and human relations helping to adapt the workers to the new procedures. However, Taylors theories were clearly at the roots of a global revival in theories of scientific management in the last two decades of the 20th century, under the moniker of corporate reengineering or business process re-engineering (cf. Milkman, R., 1997). As such, Taylors ideas can be seen as the root of a very influential series of developments in the workplace, with the goal being the eventual elimination of industrys need for unskilled, and later perhaps, even most skilled labor in any form, directly following Taylors recipe for deconstructing a process. This has come to be known as commoditization, and no skilled profession, even medicine, has proven to be immune from the efforts of Taylors followers, the re-engineers, who are often called derogatory names such as bean counters. A complex division of labour  [11]  and the expansion of economic interdependence accompanied the emergence of industrial capitalism. The division of labour reached its logical conclusion in the emergence of Taylorism and its mass production partner, Fordism. These had their weaknesses including high start-up costs and a relatively rigid production process. Such low-trust systems can be contrasted with high-trust systems, where workers operate with greater autonomy and cooperation. A whole series of techniques and initiatives are described by the term post-Fordism including group production and mass customization. These are epitomized by the Quality Circle, a concept alien to Taylorist assumptions that workers need to be stripped of opportunities for creative input. Such systems tend to be marked by high skill levels and rapid turnover of product designs. The decline of manufacturing industry as an employer can be explained both by competition from the Far East and the increasing rate of technological change. Global production systems have also contributed to the movement of industry around the world. These processes have led to a steady decline in trade union membership since the 1970s. The separation of home and work contributed to the marginalization of women from paid employment, a pattern gradually reversed during the twentieth century. Within the economy women remain concentrated in poorly paid routine occupations  [12]  . Either work becomes recreated as womens work, or heartlands of female employment slowly have their status eroded over time. Labour-force participation is higher among childless women, though many more females now return to their full-time jobs after childbirth than they did a decade ago. Women dominate part-time employment, though their reasons for remaining in such jobs remain the source of controversy  [13]  . The most notable change in working life in developed countries has been the expansion of female participation in the paid labour market and resulting erosion of the male breadwinner model within families. Among men, the trend has been away from manual work and currently also away from routine non-manual labour. These trends have levelled off in recent years, with women remaining over-represented in routine white-collar jobs and men over-represented in skilled manual work. Despite womens advances across the economy, the top posts remain the preserve of men. Women in the most recent generation have benefited from the legislation passed in the 1970s, but the pay divide remains substantial over a lifetime. Debates on skills in the workplace have tended to become polarized between those, (cf. Braverman, H., 1974), who see capitalism as continually deskilling the workforce as new machines and technologies replace crafts and creativity; who argue that it is not technology but the way this i s used that is most important  [14]  . Unemployment has a long history and has ebbed and flowed throughout the twentieth century. There are significant effects for individuals, communities and the wider society. These are disproportionately borne by the young and ethnic minorities. A key task for individuals will be to find ways of forging long-term life plans in a society that privileges the short-term. In 1990s the the new industrial relations associated with the introduction of HRM, also seeks to create an atmosphere and a framework for union-management collaboration (cf. Guest, D., 1989, Storey, J., 1992). From the above it is possible to deduce some conclusions. First of all, there are changes in the way by which work is done and controlled. The Fordism model is dictatorial, with rigid discipline, technical and specific personnel training, taking man as a simple addition of the machine and separating the intellectual from the manual work. Classical management control is performed by rigid supervision procedures. The number of problem with general post-Fordist paradigm has implication for the potential embedding (cf. Kelly, J., 1998) The post-Fordist model presents flexible authority and control systems by which conformism and passivity open spaces for dynamism and creativity (according to the management model established earlier). However, when this analysis is centred on the objects and ideology that guide the productive process, one can conclude that no evolution has occurred. Management, yesterday and today, aims toward maximum rationalization of the production system, greater increase in productivity, profitability and competition, maintaining together the older way of production (cf. Sparrow, P. and Marchington, M., 1998). When that concentration is measured in employment terms, aggregate data for the mid-70s to the mid-80s show that larger firms in all three societies have been shedding labour, even though disproportionately. This fact must be analysed also by the quality of employment, the quality of life and the security of economic recovery, and not just from the point of view of job creation in terms of head-counts. The de-centralization of decision-making and flattening of managerial hierarchies in post-Fordist has led to a de-centralization of managerial control, or whether Fordist centralized management control is being maintained, even in spatially decentralized units, through the development of new control technologies (cf. Lane, C., 1995). In fact, there is not, in either model, a proposal that guarantee the autonomy of the worker. In both, Taylor and Ford, task obligations are reached through rigid control and supervision concerning the worker. In the post-Fordism model, task obligations occur by way of a rigid management scheme. Direct supervisory control is inhibited, assuming either the form of auto-control or control by complex technological procedures; nevertheless, it continues to exist. Beyond the work strengthening and capital concentration, the post-Fordism model maintains the division of work, although on more ample bases. If in Taylorism-Fordism the tasks were broken down into simple and routine movements, in post-Fordism the division into fractions of work happens with the attribution of responsibility to the groups that fulfil a set of specific tasks (activities). There is widespread agreement in the literature that due to the need for more flexible and speedier reaction to changing market demands, de-centralization of decision-making and flattening of managerial hierarchies has occurred (cf. Lane, C., 1995). However, there is little systematic evidence as to what form that de-centralization has taken and which hierarchical levels have been affected. To the post-Fordism is like Fordism as well as post-modernism is like modernism. Postmodernism is another version of that historical amnesia characteristic of American culture the tyranny of the new. According to the Green (cf. Green, A., 1997), postmodernism should be seen not as a development beyond modernism but rather as a continuation of a certain idealist current within it. One can make the same statement about Fordism and post-Fordism. Finally, it seems opportune to repeat the words of Ford from back in the 40s (cf. Ford, H., 1991): We are not living in a machine age; we are living in the power age. This power age of ours has great possibilities, depending upon how we use it. Of course it can be mistreated. But, it can also be used greatly to benefit mankind. If this sentence were true during that period of time, today it seems even more adequate. References

Food and Nutritional Requirements for Dogs

Food and Nutritional Requirements for Dogs INTRODUCTION Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) are the most popular pet species in Britain, excluding fish (PFMA, 2014), and as such there are a wide variety of stakeholders in dog welfare, ranging from the owner and veterinarian to insurance companies and animal welfare charities (Buckland et al., 2013). The pet food business is a multi-million pound industry which aims to produce adequate foodstuffs for pets in terms of nutritional content, but also aims to turn a profit as in any other trade (Thompson, 2008; FEDIAF, 2012). As such, the nutritional quality of pet food varies between brands and the usage of non-meat sources of protein has been questioned (Hilton, 1987). This paper aims to highlight the carnivorous origins of domestic dogs, review their major protein, vitamin and mineral requirements including some of the issues pertaining to inadequate pet food nutrition and develop a conclusion to the hypothesis: dogs can survive on a ‘vegetarian’ diet. TAXONOMY AND EVOLUTION All dogs, Family Canidae, are members of the Order Carnivora and possess the enlarged carnassial teeth associated with the carnivorous diet characteristic of this taxon (Wang et al., 2004). Carnivora is split into two suborders: Feliformia, which includes felids, and Caniformia which includes canids. The Suborder Caniformia is then further divided into two sister subfamilies: Cynoidea, which includes Canidae, and Arctoidea which includes the Mustelidae, Procyonidae, Ursidae and Pinnepedia. Canidae is reported to be the earliest diverging family of the Caniformia, approximately nine million years ago (Wayne O’Brien, 1987) and currently hosts 34 extant species of wolf, dog and fox. Domestication of dogs has been traced back approximately 15,000 years, with the earliest known C. familiaris fossil dating back 14,000 years (Sablin Khlopachev, 2002). The grey wolf (Canis lupus) was almost certainly the precursor species of the domestic dog, based on mitochondrial DNA sequencing (Garcia-Moreno et al., 1996). Studies on grey wolf diet have shown it to be a primary carnivore which is highly adaptable to variations in prey, whereas domestic dogs have a much wider tolerance of different food types, facilitated by the adaptation of three genes involved in starch metabolism (Axelsson et al., 2013). Distinctive breeds appear to have diverged approximately 3000-4000 years ago (Harcourt, 1974; Clutton-Brock, 1984), with the greyhound being one of the most ancient breeds, however modern domestic dogs are known to exhibit similar foraging behaviours to their wild ancestors (Bradshaw, 2006). The variation in size and therefore energy requirements of breeds within dogs is the largest of any mammalian species (Lauten, 2006). Therefore pet food must accommodate not only differences in breed and size, but also other factors such as age, activity, reproductive status, environment and health (FEDIAF, 2013). PHYSIOLOGY Cats are described as obligate carnivores because protein is metabolised for energy as well as functioning in structural and synthetic processes (Zoran, 2002). In contrast, dogs can survive on an omnivorous diet by adjusting the catabolism of protein within the body when fed a low-protein diet, and can metabolise glucose from higher concentrations of carbohydrate thereby reducing the need for proteinaceous energy (Zoran, 2002). Dogs are unable to synthesise ten essential amino acids which are required for the synthesis of protein within the body for structural and metabolic processes (Lotspeich, 1949). Therefore protein is in essential component of the diet, providing a vital source of essential amino acids. NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS For adult dogs, the minimum recommended level of protein within dry matter food is 18g/100gDM. For pregnancy and early growth stages, i.e. puppies under 14 weeks old, this requirement is increased to 25g/100gDM. Above 14 weeks old, but still before adulthood, a minimum of 20g/100gDM is recommended (FEDIAF, 2013). With every 1%DM increase in protein, an extra 0.01g of arginine is recommended (NRC, 2006). Pet food manufacturers are required to meet these minimum recommended amounts of dietary nutrition for the target consumer animal they are producing for (FEDIAF, 2013); this means that owners have peace of mind when choosing a diet for their dog, knowing that it is nutritionally balanced. However, constituents of pet food must meet optimal criteria for nutrition, palatability, digestibility and be economical (Thompson, 2008). If a food is too expensive, owners are likely to resort to a lower cost food or feed their dog upon scraps which increases the risk of an unbalanced diet and imp roper nutrition (Coffee et al., 1980). Table 1: Popular and premium dog food constituent comparisons. Prices with a sourced from Tesco (2015) or b from Petplanet (2015), dashes indicate no data. Dog Food Brand Dry/Wet Crude Protein (%) Fat (%) Crude Ash (%) Fibre (%) Moisture (%) Cost ( £/kg) Source Bakers Complete Tasty Beef Dry 21.0 10.0 8.0 2.5 2.66a Bakers (2015) Ceser Can with Chicken and Turkey Wet 9.0 5.0 0.3 83.0 3.73a Tesco (2015) Hi Life Feed Me with Turkey and Chicken Dry 21.0 7.0 3.0 21.0 2.50a Tesco (2015) Iams ProActive Health Adult Small Medium Breed Dry 26.0 15.0 7.4 3.0 8.0 2.50a Iams (2015) James Wellbeloved Adult Fish and Rice Dry 21.5 10.5 7.3 3.1 2.79b James Wellbeloved (2015) James Wellbeloved Adult Turkey and Rice Wet 6.5 4.0 1.5 0.5 81.0 4.66b Pedigree Complete Adult with Chicken Dry 21.0 13.0 3.0 12.0 2.50a Pedigree (2015) Pedigree Complete Puppy Nutrition Chicken and Rice Dry 28.0 16.0 2.5 12.0 2.33a Pedigree with Beef In Gravy Wet 7.0 5.5 0.5 81.0 1.50a Royal Canin Giant Adult Dry 28.0 20.0 5.2 1.8 8.0 2.93b Royal Canin (2014) Royal Canin Medium Adult Dry 25.0 14.0 5.9 1.2 9.5 2.93b Royal Canin X-Small Adult Dry 24.0 18.0 5.7 1.7 9.5 5.66b Tesco Everyday Value Beef Chunks in Gravy Wet 6.5 4.0 2.0 0.5 81.5 0.81a Tesco (2015) Tesco Everyday Value Complete Dog Food Dry 21.0 8.5 3.0 0.59a Wafcol Vegetarian Dog Food Dry 20.0 5.0 7.0 6.0 1.73b Petplanet (2015) DOG FOOD CONSTITUENTS Complete dog foods are those which are nutritionally balanced and suitable to be fed daily (FEDIAF, 2013). They meet the minimum FEDIAF standards and do not exceed maximal recommendations where stated (e.g. lysine during growth), although differences in protein, fat and carbohydrate ratios are seen among brands with cost typically increasing with protein content (Thompson, 2008), as described in table 1. Traditional dog foods use meat protein sourced from cuts of meat, viscera or meat meal and may be packaged in cans or within cereal based dry kibble which is treated with meat flavours to improve palatability (McGrane, 2006). Extrusion is a technique used in the production of about 95% of dry pet foods in order to improve the palatability and utilisation of protein through heat treatment (Bednar et al., 2000; Tran et al., 2008). Processing of soybeans is carried out to remove toxins such as lectin and protease inhibitors but also destroys the naturally high concentrations of B vitamins such a thiamine (Gregory, 1985; Hilton, 1987; LebiedziÅ„ska Szefer, 2006). Dietary protein may come from either animal or vegetable sources (NRC, 2006), with a huge increase in the usage of soybean products (ground soybeans, soy flour, soy hulls, soybean oil and concentrate) reducing production costs of pet food and facilitating the anthropomorphic ‘vegetarian’ diet which some owners are feeding their pets (McGrane, 2006). However, Kienzle Engelhard (2001) found that only two of the twelve commercially available foods investigated in their European study provided adequate nutrition according to recommendations set out by AAFCO, mainly on the basis of protein concentration. As shown in table 1, the vegetarian food had the lowest percentage of protein, and it has been suggested that the vegetable products those diets are made up of may not contain the correct balance of amino acids neccessary for a healthy dog (Coffee et al., 1980; Hilton, 1987). For example, arginine, which is required for optimal growth in young dogs and plays an intermediate role in the urea cycle (Burns et al., 1981; FEDIAF, 2013), cystine and methionine, both implemental in coat condition, are all naturally abundant in animal tissue (Wu Morris, 1998). The levels and source of dietary protein and the form it is delivered in can have significant effects on the health of a dog. For example, diets low in protein can cause hypoproteinemia (a low concentration of albumin and total protein in the blood) leading to edema (Weech et al., 1935) or pancreatitis in high-fat, low-protein diets (Lindsay et al., 1948). Zhao et al. (1997) demonstrated that assimilation of protein into the gut is limited by digestibility, which in turn is affected by the form of protein with a food. If the source of protein available within the food is intact, around 40% remains undigested but available within the ileum four hours after a meal. In comparison, hydrolysed proteins (those which have been broken down into constituent amino acids) have an absorption rate of over 70% within an hour in humans (Chung et al., 1979). EFFECTS OF A VEGETARIAN DIET Diets reduced in meat and fish are most often fed to dogs due to owner preference as opposed to health reasons; in studies recruiting pets fed vegetarian diets all owners report being vegetarian themselves (Kienzle Engelhard, 2001; Michel, 2006; Rothgerber, 2014). The reported effects of a vegetable-based diet for dogs are variable due to the low incidence of vegetarian dogs in the population and the lack of long term studies (Kienzle Engelhard, 2001). Some diets are strictly vegan and supplemented with vitamins and minerals, whereas others are more lenient and treated with meat-based products in order to increase palatability (Michel, 2006). In a study carried out across Germany, Switzerland and Belgium (Kienzle Engelhard, 2001), nutrient intake of 86 dogs fed a vegetarian diet was investigated through owner interviews and blood samples. The study found that protein intake was not sufficient in over half of those dogs tested, 62% showed sub-optimal calcium levels, 73% showed insufficient sodium intake and deficiencies in zinc, iron and vitamin D were also common. In a separate study, zinc deficiency caused by phytate, a zinc-binding molecule present in soybean meal, led to the development of skin conditions in puppies fed on a soy based diet (Sanecki et al., 1982). The high fibre content associated with vegetable and cereal foods can cause bowel irritation by affecting gastrointestinal motility and absorption of nutrients (Bueno et al., 1981; Earle et al., 1998). Proteins play a vital role in the condition of a dog’s coat, particularly those high in methionine and cystine amino acids because they synthesise keratin (Dethioux, 2008). Complete dog food diets contain these amino acids in suitable concentrations through meat protein, however vegetarian diets show a marked deficiency in these amino acids, and soy protein has a proven negative effect on serum lipids (Anderson et al., 1995); therefore the dog may suffer from alopecia and depleted coat condition when on a plant-protein diet (Dethioux, 2008). Thiamine is a vital part of carbohydrate metabolism and deficiency can severely affect parts of the body which have high energy requirements, such as the brain (Markovich et al., 2013). Clinical signs of thiamine deficiency may take weeks to develop, but will be characterised by a progressive loss of normal motor function such as a head tilt, falling and lack of coordination, ultimately ending in seizures and death if untreated (Markovich et al., 2013). Furthermore, soy has been identified in controlled studies as an important allergen, although incidences of soy allergies were significantly lower than those relating to beef and dairy (4.7% and 34.2% respectively) (Wills Harvey, 1994). Treatment for amino acid, vitamin and mineral deficiencies involve feeding a balanced nutritional diet appropriate for the dog’s size, age, activity level and health, which in a vegetarian diet is possible through the addition of supplements (Michel, 2006). CONCLUSION Proteins from non-meat sources are harder for dogs to digest and therefore are of less nutritional value than meat. While dogs can survive on this diet, the lack of sufficient protein and other dietary constituents such as vitamins and minerals will lead to improper nutritional value which can ultimately affect the health of the animal. From a manufacturer’s perspective, it is possible to create a vegetarian pet food which complies to AAFCO standards of nutritional content, however the economic savings of not using meat are offset by the need to add supplements and highly refined components to improve palatability and digestibility. For the owner, although they may feel less guilt by feeding their pet a vegetarian diet, they must feed a greater quantity to achieve similar levels of protein and nutrients within the animal (Rothberger, 2014) and the general healthy appearance of their pet is often diminished (Dethioux, 2008). Although dogs can survive on a diet of vegetarian-bas ed protein, the natural instincts of a hunting animal still exist from the ancestral wolf and given the opportunity a dog will forage for alternative sources of food (Bradshaw, 2006). The general literary consensus remains that dogs are opportunistic feeders within the Carnivora, and their physiology shows a preference for ingesting and digesting meat protein (Hilton, 1987).

Commentary on poem After The Flood :: English Literature

Commentary on poem After The Flood The poem â€Å"After The Flood† has a slow and steady tempo. The poet created it by not mentioning too many events at once, but slowly, and gives time for the observer to recall – â€Å"I remembered...† and gives his own opinion on the events – â€Å"It had not been a bad rise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  These give the readers a better understanding and a clearer picture on what is happening. As we read through the poem, we have an image of the observer, standing at the ruins of the park, observing carefully what is going on around and describing them in words what he sees and comparing them with the past condition – which was before the flood. The pace of the observer in observing is somewhat unified with the tempo of the poem, so the reader is like ‘following’ the observer and listening to him. After reading the poem, a calm and tense less image of the observer is created in our mind. Phrases like â€Å"The morning it was over†, shows that the observer is feeling calm and believes that everything is over and there is nothing more to worry about. â€Å"I walked†¦Ã¢â‚¬  shows the observer is worried of nothing and walked calmly to the Jersey side. â€Å"It had not been a bad rise† also shows that the observer doesn’t exaggerate on what he sees, but judges it fairly according to his own thoughts. â€Å"I felt I must surely†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ so familiar†, this sort of tell us that the poet is so unworried and have time to recall the past and being a little nostalgic. Line 17-24 shows us the observer comparing the condition of the river presently and during the flood, he is calm and carefully observing the situation and even the sounds around him. The river in this poem is described through comparisons or figures of speech. The observer thinks the river is amazing as its intensity has decreased considerably. The water is described as ‘swollen’; this gives us the image of the water flowing along the river in a rough motion and is forming little waves. It is disordered and dirty. Line 19-20 is a simile where the flowing river is compared to a beast that is sneaking around. It is referred as ‘beast’ as it had created a massive destruction to the place and has ruined everybody’s mood. Now, it is as if the ‘beast’ is tired and retreats slowly, so it is said to be sneaking around. Another role of the river in this poem is to show continuity of life. Though the place had been devastated and the