How To Make Your Content More Social Media Friendly

How To Make Your Content More Social Media Friendly Social media is key for  content marketing success.  Once youve put the work into producing a piece of content, you want it to catch fire and get tons of shares. All you have to do is blast the link across your social channels, and watch all the shares and traffic roll in. Right? Well, that isnt quite how it works. And if your social media content isnt performing, it could be because it isnt very social media friendly. Depending on how you look at it, social media can be a blessing or a curse. Sure, it is a great low cost channel for spreading your content, but it can also be a crippling scapegoat if you arent careful. You could but be publishing on social media regularly with little return on your investment, all with the appearance of doing great content marketing. Are your readers actually  sharing your content?  Are your really achieving the social traction that you expected or deserve? Is the good old hub-and-spoke model of content marketing actually working for you? Fortunately, the problem may be entirely your fault. You may just need to make some basic adjustments to make your content more social media friendly. The more friendly you make your content, after all, the more likely your readers will be to share it with their audience. Here are five easy ways that you can do just that. Want more people to share your content? Make it more social media friendly. 1.  Make Sure Your Content Looks Good On Social Media One of the first things that you need to do is to make sure that your content look good when it is shared on social media. This relies on  Ã‚  a small bit of meta-tag code that should included the HEAD of your html page. This code will provide instructions to networks like Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest by telling them which image, title, and description to use when a post goes live. You can preview what your own link previews look like using this  handy debug tool provided by Facebook. There are several ways to ensure that your link previews always look great. The free  JetPack plugin  or  Yoast SEO plugin  for WordPress will make a "best guess" at what these link previews should include using data from the post itself. This is a good starting point, but may not offer enough flexibility for the power user. Tools like our own allow you to completely  customize your link previews, giving you maximum editing control. Recommended Reading: Best Practices Guide For Making Sure Your Posts Look Good On Social Media 2. Write Emotional Headlines Because They Get  Shared More One of the ways to make your content more social media friendly is to write headlines that are more likely to be shared with others. There are some very simple ways to do this. For example, our research has proved that headlines with more emotional value tend to get shared more with others. With millions of headlines in our system, we went through each one and calculated its  Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) – a rating that attempts to measure the emotional value of a headlines. What we learned was that headlines with a higher emotional value were more likely to be shared on line. The  Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer  Ã‚  is a free tool from  the Advanced Marketing Institute that you can use to calculate the EMV of your own headlines. Can this tool predict shares? Maybe. Simply copy and paste your headline into the box and it will give you a calculated score of your headline’s EMV Score. After researching EMV, we thought a great tool would combine that research with other elements of headlines that drive shares, traffic, and search results. That's why we built the headline analyzer. Try this tool to write even better headlines. Write More Shareable  Headlines With Our Free Headline Analyzer The headline analyzer  will help you: Use headline types that get the most traction for social shares, traffic, and search engine ranking. Make sure you have the right word balance to write readable headlines that command attention. See the best  word and character length for search engines like Google and email subject lines, while also seeing  how your readers will scan your headlines. Try The Free Headline Analyzer Now Recommended  Reading: Proof That Emotional Headlines Get Shared More On Social Media 3.  Make Your Content  Easy To Share By adding simplicity to your page, you can increase the likelihood that someone will share your content, immediately making it more social media friendly. There are few simple things that you can do to make this more likely. Make Sure Your Social Sharing Buttons Are In The Right Spot Not long ago we took at look  at how the placement of social sharing buttons could  best influence social sharing from  our blog layout. What we found was that  the top/left side of the page seemed to perform the  best for most situations.  Because most websites load content on the left side of the page, and based on how people typically look through a site, it is pretty easy to see that the most noticeable place for this type of activity is in the top-left portion of the page.   Recommended Reading: What is the Best Placement for Social Media Buttons? Add Easily Sharable Content To Your Post Here at we made a simple plugin for our own use, and have  recently  made it available to everyone for free. This simple tool allows you to easily add tweetable content to your posts.  Ã‚  These boxes create important triggers that you can use to get your readers sharing content for you. Create beautiful boxes in your blog posts. #ClickToTweet Make Your Images Easy To Share SumoMe makes a great little tool that allows your readers to easily share your blog images via Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. It is the best option out there for sharing your visual content across the web. Recommended Reading: 25 Growth Hacks Your Content Marketing Desperately Needs 4. Publish Your Content At The  Right  Time When is the best time to publish a blog post? KISSmetrics in corporation with  Dan Zarrella  has been able to crack the code on this very idea. Key Takeaways: Most blog content is read in the mornings. However, men tend to be more likely to read content in the evenings. Monday is the best day of the week to publish content. Most blog posts gets the most traffic around 11am. Saturday and early morning visitors (9am) tend to leave more comments. Monday and Tuesday are the highest drivers of inbound traffic. The take away on this data is  pretty easy to see. It is likely in your best interest to publish your content early in the week, and early in the morning to maximize your social media  impact.

3 Reasons Why Tough Job Interviews are Good for You

3 Reasons Why Tough Job Interviews are Good for You Dr. Andrew Chamberlain, Chief Economist at Glassdoor.com, has advice for the interview-averse among us. And it’s not just you- they’re a lot more intense than they used to be! Maybe you used to get called in based on a cold call or a particularly appealing resume, but now the average job interview process lasts 22.9 days, not the former 12.6. Companies are more demanding, and the interviews are more rigorous and could involve presentations, puzzles, tests, or on-the-spot problem-solving. The good news is, the more exacting process can be positive for candidates. Those tough interview questions might benefit you later. A tougher interview is associated with a higher job satisfaction rating later on- maybe this is because employees feel like they â€Å"earned† it, but I think it’s more likely that companies were able to identify traits they really valued and select the best possible candidate.1. Rigorous interviewing makes for better matches.Think of it a li ttle like dating- if you’re just meeting for drinks at a bar, you’re relying on small-talk to know if you’ve just met the life partner who will help you survive the zombie apocalypse. If you invite someone on a bowling/rock climbing/ice skating date, you’re going to know their skills, their strengths, their competitive instincts, and their response to physical stress. Which second date would you rather go on?2. A detailed  application process puts expectations on the table.You can tell a lot about what a company wants by where they ask you to focus your energy during the application process. All of their questions are tied to specific work they’ll likely ask you to be doing; work backwards from the question to make educated guesses about the kinds of scenarios they’d be hiring you to handle. You’ll know what they’re looking for, and if that’s something you want to provide.3. The harder the process, the more theyâ€℠¢ll value you.When a company asks a great deal of you during the interview process, it should tell you two things- they regard this job highly, and they’re willing to expend resources to make sure they can depend on you. This should also give you a healthy appreciation for your own value- you must have something impressive to offer if they’re this invested in making sure you’re a good fit for their company.Remember to keep your positive attitude and a fake-it-til-you-make-it confidence at the forefront, even if demands seem excessive or more than what you bargained for.

CVS Internal assesment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CVS Internal assesment - Research Paper Example They create visual representations that show the customers’ position in relation to client’s tastes and the competing brands (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007). A marketing strategy is a process in which an organization uses its limited resources to maximize its greatest opportunities with a hope to gain or retain a competitive advantage (Metcalfe & Warde, 2002). The CVS is a leader in pharmaceutical services industry. This happens through delivery of customer prescriptions. The company also helps customers to access medicines easily. CVS Caremark uses a number of marketing strategies to deal with its competitors. CVS Caremark is positioned in convenient locations to easy customer access. The company offers 24 hours service. These two strategies make CVS Caremark’s products easy to access especially for those who like frequent glossary shopping. The company’s biggest challenge is high competition in the market environment (Dibb & Simkin, 2008). CVS Caremark is working towards winning customer trust, confidence and loyalty. The company is using the social media as a strong marketing tool. The company also gives customized offers from its local stores. CVS Caremark after reviewing its marketing strategies claimed that customers were more informed and involved in their healthcare products than ever. Walgreens was a relatively small company a few years ago. However, the company has undergone a transformation which has made it prosperous. Walgreens developed a desire to pay more attention to the needs of its clients. This was particularly done to the young mothers who had multiple children. This means the company was investing for more sales with these mothers in the coming days. The company also built strong internal relationships strategically. They included functional interdepartmental relationships. This is because the CEO of the company believed that relationships and connections are necessary for the entire company to

Australian commonwealth Bank Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Australian commonwealth Bank - Research Paper Example The Commonwealth Bank was founded as per Commonwealth Bank Act during 1911 and finally, it started operations since 1912. This bank is also one of the oldest and the most trusted banks offered a number of corporate and retail financial services. After the rapid development of globalisation and international trade, the bank experienced very rapid growth and currently, there are 800,000 shareholders are associated with the banks with 52,000 employees in the global market place (Commonwealth Bank Group-1, 2011). Australian Commonwealth Bank basically, offers three types of banking and other financial services for the personal, business and corporate. The financial service is one the most important sectors for the growth of economies as the financial institutions offers major necessary financial assistance to the population and industry of the economy. Like the other manufacturing and technology industries, the research and development is also important for the financial services sectors . In financial services, it is easier to develop a product but its viability is always questionable. Moreover, ineffective financial products are harmful for the entire economy; for example, the mortgage backed securities were one of the prime factors which had led to bring the U.S. mortgage crisis. Therefore, the financial institutions should develop their research and development process for innovating viable and effective financial product and services (Financial Services Innovation Centre, 2009). One the key factors for the success of Australian Commonwealth Bank is its innovative operational and product development process. The bank has realized the necessity of the innovation for gaining a sustainable competitive advantage in the global competitions. Innovation requires necessary resources including infrastructure and skilled employees. The banks is financial very stable and has invested significantly to acquired necessary physical resources for infrastructural and technologic al development. Besides, its intangible resources like innovative and highly skilled employees are also vital determinants for innovations in the organisation (Commonwealth Bank of Australia, 2008, p.6-7). The following diagram depicts the structure of Australian Commonwealth Bank that plays a key role in managing the innovation within the organisation. Figure 1: Value Chain Element of Australian Commonwealth Bank (Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, 2008, p.7) This bank has been constantly trying to bring innovative products and services to increase the value of its services and its business. Recently, the banks have brought a number of innovative process, services and products signifying the better business performance. During 2010, it has launched a number of successful products and services and some of them are listed below. Introduced Core Banking by 10 million accounts. Launched a savings product with high interest bearing, called GoalSaver. Brought in the new premium prod ucts like Diamond Awards credit card. Better and user friendly technological development has led to increase its netbank users by 20%. Net banking trough mobile device has also been upgraded. It has also brought many new developments and expansion in its School Banking programme for increasing financial literacy. Due to such successful product and process innovation, it has become of the pioneer in customer service satisfaction. These initiatives for innovations have offered the banks a number of

John Sutter and the Western United States Essay Example for Free

John Sutter and the Western United States Essay During the mid-1800s, people were eager to explore most of the United States in search for a better place to live in. Those who came from Europe settled in most parts of the Eastern United States. But there are those who ventured further, going deeper into the West. One of them is John Sutter, born in Germany and of Swiss descent. He became a captain of the Swiss Army, and was driven away from his family because of debts, going to the United States to look for a greener pasture. According to Albert Hurtado in his book, John Sutter: a Life on the North American Frontier, John Sutter deserves to have a title of an entrepreneur. All his achievements were the product of his hard work and entrepreneurship (Hurtado). He roamed the United States by using these characteristics to earn enough money to fund his ventures. The Eastern part of the United States at that time were already populated, where trade and commerce is flourishing all over the place. He joined a trading venture to New Mexico, where he was successful enough, returning with wine, several mules and money. When he celebrated the Independence Day of 1839 in Monterey California, he met Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado. This meeting paved the way for a settlement grant of more than 48,000 acres of land for Sutter, the start of the monumental â€Å"New Helvetia Settlement† which pioneered American life in the Western United States. One of the few requirements for John Sutter to be awarded the land grant was to become a citizen of Mexico. This would give him thousands of acres of land where he can establish a pioneering settlement. In less than a year after becoming a Mexican citizen, he was awarded the vast lands in the central valley of California. In order to properly run this vast acreage of agricultural lands, he employed various Native Americans, as well as welcomed immigrants from different places. John Sutter’s Fort became a famous stop-over for those wishing to venture into new lands. With this account from Albert Hurtado’s book, we can see that the Western part of the United States at John Sutter’s time promises new beginnings to those who wish for a different life. The East was somehow been congested with various people migrating from other nearby countries. Because of this, some wanted, and even dared to explore other parts of the â€Å"foreign land† they have settled in. But not all parts of the west are conducive for living. In the account of John Bidwell, he describes most of the west especially California as â€Å"the country was brown and parched; throughout the State wheat, beans, everything had failed†¦cattle were almost starving for grass, and the people, except perhaps a few of the best families, were without bread, and were eating chiefly meat, and that often of a very poor quality† (Bidwell). This means that the west may promise a good life, but there are also risks in living there. It is still an uncharted territory for the migrants, and that they were all going to start from scratch. They have no clear idea on how to handle things at first, especially because they did not originate in the area. However, it is also filled with resources just waiting to be exploited. According to Bidwell, the place also has some good points, â€Å"there were no other settlements in the valley; it was, apparently, still just as new as when Columbus discovered America, and roaming over it were countless thousands of wild horses, of elk, and of antelope† (Bidwell). The Western part of the United States was truly a place of uncertainty, wherein you’ll have to risk everything if you choose to settle in the area. John Sutter was able to survive and was successful in establishing a settlement in the area. In a sense, we could say that Sutter was successful in taming the Wild West. Sutter’s Fort housed a number of people ranging from natives to settlers, even those who were lost in their way, and these people contributed well enough in cultivating the vast lands of the settlement. In a few years time, John Sutter became a major supplier of horses, cattle, and wheat (Doti). The Western United States became a melting pot of different cultures. These cultures blended well with each other despite of their differences. This is essential for the success of the settlement, where everyone has to do their part in order for their efforts to flourish. John Sutter bridged the gap between the settlers, the natives and even the bordering Mexicans. Sutter’s works not only gave rise to a new settlement, but also to a new world found in the West. This is a very important contribution in the history of the nation, as it expanded the country’s influence across the borders. The culture in the Eastern United States at that time was generally influenced by the countries which they came from. Most these are European countries that are why they have developed mixtures of various European cultures. On the other hand, the Western United States is not only a mixture of European cultures, but also accompanied by various customs of the Native Americans and the bordering Mexican culture. This diversity has proven great importance in the formation of the Western United States, because western settlements were the products of various cultures cooperating with each other in so that they would achieve peace and order in their respective communities. Works Cited: Bidwell, John. Life in California before the Gold Discovery. 1890. The Century Magazine. November 19 2007. http://www. sfmuseum. org/hist2/bidwell1. html. Doti, Lynne Pierson. John Sutter: A Life on the North American Frontier Book Reviews. 2006. Chapman University. November 19 2007. http://eh. net/bookreviews/library/1116. Hurtado, Albert L. John Sutter: A Life on the North American Frontier. 1st edition ed: University of Oklahoma Press, 2006.

The Success of a New Product Essay -- Marketing Toilet Seats Retail Co

The Success of a New Product Feasibility Analysis Introduction Our product is a toilet seat that lifts up with the step of a pedal. The purpose of our report is to test whether or not our product will be of success and or test what things are necessary to launch our business, J.J.L. Industries. Concept Testing The ‘Toilet Stepper’ was tested using a survey that was designed to understand the bathroom experiences and habits of all types of individuals (Male, female, young, mid-aged, old). When discussing the concept with the surveyed individuals we found that overall everyone thought it was a good idea, however, some males felt it was sexist that they needed to have to pick up the toilet seat and put it down when finished. These individuals felt that a woman should have to put down the toilet seat and lift it back up when they are done with it. (These were generally married couples). While asking some key industry participants such as Home Depot and Menards about the idea and survey they tended not to comment, stating it was against company policy and/or the boss was overlooking them and they would prefer not to take part in the survey. The most information we received through them was through the verbal conversation which we will call ‘interviews’. Through the ‘interviews’ we found that the industry participants felt that it was a good idea and also found it quite humorous. Our Concept Statement was mainly showed to relatives, friends, classmates, and strangers. Unfortunately the our concept statement was not shown to companies/businesses due to the fact that companies could neither partake in the activity (company policy/work time) or they didn’t have time for ‘non-serious’ business related issues. Overall we learned that just about everyone is picky about restrooms/toilets. We also learned that it is very hard to get information from key people when there is no reward or benefit in return. Being viewed at as a student doing research rather than a business partner, company managers/employees don’t seem to have or want to take the time to help you. If we were to do this again we would most likely hide the fact that we are students taking introducing an idea and taking a survey and pretend more like we are actually in the business of selling these ‘Toilet Steppers’. Usability Testing We conducted our u... ... toilet stepper is not really high because of all of the capital that was given to us by Louie’s father and how inexpensive it is to produce the product. The break-even point in units is 2,280, which is a low number for the year. This means that we would have to sell about 44 units per week to get the $45,000 dollars that the three owners put into the company at the beginning of the year. The rate of return that we are looking at is about 115% on three owners’ investments. The rate of return is high, but that is also because the net income is high, since our costs are low. The rate of return could change, of course, depending on what the plans for the company are in the future. Works Cited Chantanuser, Wichit. â€Å"Bowled over: Toto of Japan Elevates Mundane Bathroom Fixtures† Bangkok Post 27 May 2005 â€Å"The Nearest† PerformanceToilets.com 1 Nov 2005 http://www.performancetoilets.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=7 â€Å"The Toilet Marketplace† Supple House Times 1 Nov 2005 http://www.supplyht.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP_Features_Item/ 0,5333,107103,00.html Stratton, Lee. â€Å"Super Toilet Not Only Rises to Occasion But Refreshes.† The Columbus

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a “Child-Free”Lifestyle

Amtrak: Long Distance Trains: FY 2008 Long-Distance Train Facts †¢ A long-distance train typically consists of sleepers, coaches, a diner and/or a lounge car. †¢ Long-distance trains travel as far as 2,800 miles and pass through as many as 12 states. †¢ Amtrak operates 15 long-distance trains over 18,500 route miles serving 39 states and the District of Columbia. These trains provide the only rail passenger service to 23 states. †¢ In FY 2008 these trains carried 4. 2 million passengers accounting for 2. billion passenger miles—42% of Amtrak’s total—and produced ticket revenues of $415 million. †¢ The average long-distance train passenger traveled 626 miles in FY08. †¢ Long-distance trains run primarily on tracks owned and maintained by private freight railroads. †¢ These trains are not the big money-losers that they are often portrayed to be; only about $300 million annually would be saved if they were eliminated, and only afte r a five-year period. Background InformationAmtrak’s long-distance trains provide an essential transportation service for many communities and to a significant percentage of the general public. Many long-distance trains serve small communities with limited or no significant air or bus service, especially in remote or isolated areas in the United States. As a result of airline deregulation and decisions by national bus carriers to exit many communities, rail transportation may provide the only feasible common carrier transportation option for a growing number of areas. If long-distance trains were eliminated, 23 states and 243 communities would be left with no intercity passenger rail service and 18 other states would lose some service. No state or private operator has picked up a long-distance route that Amtrak has eliminated. Amtrak Government Affairs: February 2009 Amtrak: Long Distance Trains: FY 2008 Importance of the Long-Distance Trains The route across the northern tie r of states, the Empire Builder, with 554,000 passengers in 2008, is the only public transportation service in many communities in North Dakota, Montana and eastern Washington.For most of the states along the Empire Builder, tourism serves as a major economic engine. A recent study identifying the economic contributions of the Empire Builder showed nearly $14 million in annual economic benefits in Montana alone. 2 Long-distance trains also provide transportation during periods Amtrak’s California Zephyr follows the of severe weather or emergencies that stall other modes of same route over Donner Pass as the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. transportation.This was demonstrated after the September 11 terrorist attacks that grounded air travel. Additionally, these trains provide a strong economic benefit for the states and communities that they serve. The majority of passengers on the long-distance trains do not travel between the endpoints, but rather to any com bination of city pairs. For example, the Southwest Chief, which travels from Chicago to Los Angeles via Kansas City, has 33 stops, creating 528 possible trip combinations.Measuring Financial Performance of Long-Distance Trains Most of Amtrak’s expenditures are due to the immense capital needs of its infrastructure, particularly the Northeast Corridor, not the operating costs of the long-distance trains. These operating cost figures should be cited with caution. Critics often refer to the â€Å"loss per passenger† of the longdistance trains. However, each long-distance train passenger is the equivalent of five short distance train passengers because of the greater distances traveled.More importantly, these â€Å"loss per passenger† figures often include not only the â€Å"avoidable† costs of operating individual long-distance trains (such as the cost of diesel fuel) but all of the shared costs that Amtrak incurs for the benefit of both long-distance and co rridor trains (such as the cost of mechanical facilities, Amtrak’s computer systems, and stations like Los Angeles Union Station). Including shared costs produces inflated and misleading â€Å"loss† figures, since these costs will not go away if long-distance trains are eliminated. Eliminating all long-distance trains would produce negligible cost savings in the first few ears because Amtrak must pay labor protection to impacted employees. When these payments end after five years, the savings would still be minimal—around $300 million annually, or about a quarter of Amtrak’s annual appropriation in recent years. Eliminating individual trains produces even fewer savings—most of the shared costs of Amtrak’s long-distance network would remain. Additionally, Amtrak continues to make changes to its long-distance trains that will improve revenue and finances for the system. Amtrak exited from the mail and express business in 2004, resulting in sho rter and more convenient schedules, with reduced labor costs.The repair of wreck-damaged equipment continues and will allow Amtrak to increase capacity, and therefore revenues, on long-distance trains, which often sell out. Amtrak began a Simplified Dining Service on most long-distance trains in early 2006. These changes will help further reduce the losses of long-distance trains. 1 Intercity Passenger Rail Transportation: AASHTO, 2002. 2 Analysis of the Economic Benefits of the Empire Builder, R. L. Banks & Associates: http://www. mdt. state. mt. us/tranplan/docs/empire_builder. pdf Amtrak Government Affairs: February 2009

Do Nursing Interventions Have an Impact on Cancer Patients? Essay

Critical Appraisal is a means of which research data is evaluated and examined for the validity and quality of individual studies after the elimination of studies that do not contribute to determining current best evidence (Hamric, Hanson, Tracy, & O’Grady, 2014). This evaluation can be used to eliminate studies that do not meet criteria for meta-analysis. Critical Appraisal is used to help people develop certain skills to make sense of available scientific research evidence based on the validity, results, and relevance. It consist of a systematic process through which the strengths and weaknesses of a research study can be identified (Young ; Solomon, 2009). The basis for my beginning research has been focused around home care patients and since I have a background of working on an oncology floor I have decided to further explore cancer research for homecare patients. This paper is a review of both quantitative and qualitative research completed in the efficacy of treating cancer patients in the home setting. The burning question is â€Å"Do nursing interventions implemented in the home setting improve the quality of life for cancer patients†? Upon completion of this assignment I hope to gain a general understanding of what a critical appraisal is. In addition, a basic knowledge of the difference between a qualitative and a quantitative review will be established. Cancer is a disease caused by the uncontrolled division and growth of abnormal cells in the body. If a cell is cancerous it is referred to as a malignant cell. According to World Health Organization (WHO) Cancer represents 30% of the burden posed by non-communicable diseases in the Region of the Americas (Luciana, Cabanes, Prieto-Lara, ; Gawryszewski, 2013). Research articles presented in the paper assess whether or not interventions implemented within the home or outpatient setting have a positive or negative impact on physical endurance and the quality of life of a cancer patient. Loss of physical function is one of the most distressing symptoms of cancer patients’ leading to additional emotional and psychological breakdown (Lowe, Watanabe, Baracos, ; Courneya, 2013). Purpose The purpose of this paper is to take levels of evidence in a meta-synthesis (qualitative) review as well as a meta-analysis (quantitative) review and critically evaluate the information. The findings for these methods are taken from multiple studies, combined, and analyzed statistically. A meta-synthesis involves integrating qualitative research findings on a specific topic that are themselves interpretive syntheses of narrative information (Polit ; Beck, 2012). Qualitative designs are used best to understand patients’ experiences, attitudes, and beliefs (DiCenso, Guyatt, ; Ciliska, 2005). Meta-analysis is a method of integrating quantitative findings statistically (Polit ; Beck, 2012). Three questions in particular are asked when a quantitative or qualitative study is appraised, they generally are: What are the results? Are the results of the study valid? How can the results be applied in the identified case? Critical Appraisal: Quantitative Study Quantitative studies are used for evaluating the effectiveness and safety of nursing interventions, the accuracy and precision of nursing assessment measures or diagnostic tests, the strength of causal relationships, and the cost-effectiveness of nursing interventions (DiCenso, Guyatt, ; Ciliska, 2005). The selected quantitative article for critical appraisal is titled â€Å"Home-based functional walking program for advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care: a case series†. This article presented a clearly focused research question related to evaluating how physical activity interventions implemented in the home or outpatient setting impact a cancer patients’ quality of life. The purpose of this study was to examine the initial development and pilot testing of a physical activity intervention in patients with advanced stage cancer receiving palliative care (Lowe, Watanabe, Baracos, ; Courneya, 2013). Researchers wanted to see if a home based walking program would help to decrease the rates of declining physical function in advanced stage cancer patients or add to the quality of life for these patients. Methods and Results This research study was conducted using qualifying participants in an outpatient or homecare setting receiving palliative care. This was a trial study in which participants were not randomized. Participants meeting study criteria were identified by researchers and consent to participate in the study was obtained by all participants before trial monitoring began. Inclusion criteria required subjects to be age 18 years or older, english speaking, have the cognitive ability to participate, and to have a diagnosis of progressive, incurable and locally recurrent or metastatic cancer and receiving palliative care. Nine adult cancer patients were chosen for this study all residing either in a palliative home care environment. By the time baseline information was taken three participants dropped out of the program due to hospitalization or feeling overwhelmed, another three left the study due to severe symptoms leaving three remaining participants to complete the program. The sample consisted of two men and one woman with the median age of 55. This physical activity program was monitored over the course of six weeks. A quasi-experimental pilot study design was used to provide preliminary data of the six week physical activity program among advanced stage cancer patients. The quasi-experimental design can be descriptive or correlational and takes place when the researcher actively manipulates the independent variable to see the effect on the dependent variable (Zaccagnini ; White, 2011). The interventions used was a modified home based functional walking program combined with muscle strengthening excercises. Duration and intensity was individually set for each participant based on baseline results of a physical function test. Previous surveys of patients with advanced stage cancer presented findings with a median survival of 104 days. Findings of this quantitative study revealed that post intervention scores showed that all three participants showed worsening symptoms and fatigue scores by the end of the six week home-based walking program. Two of the three participants passed away within 90 days of completing the program. Although study results demonstrated challenges associated with physical activity interventions in advanced stage cancer patients, no definitive proof was uncovered showing improvement in the quality of life for advanced stage cancer patients. Critical Appraisal: Qualitative Study Quanlitative study designs are well-suited for helping to understand the illness experience (DiCenso, Guyatt, ; Ciliska, 2005). The selected qualitative study article for critical appraisal was titled â€Å"Early support visits by district nurses to cancer patients at home: A multi-perspective qualitative study†, posed a clearly focused research question. Multi-perspective study can be defined as combining multiple viewpoints, representations and roles. Many palliative care patients spend most of their final days at home with caregivers and some support healthcare staff. It is said that nurses make frequent support visits to patients, yet there is still very little known about what is actually provided by visiting nurses to homecare palliative patients and their caregivers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to address limitations of previous studies of reported practice by taking a multi-perspective approach, along with views of nurses, patients, and caregivers and directly observing and reporting findings (Griffiths, Ewing, ; Rogers, 2012). Participants were studied in focus groups. This study was developed to help present findings that explored how district nurses early support visits to advanced stage cancer patients is both described and carried out. Previous studies identified have been limited to the reports of practice by nurses. With this study researchers were able to observe interactions between nurse, patient, and caregivers during home visits in order to record findings. This observation by researchers was then used to identify how home visits were conducted and what they entailed. Methods and Results This research study was completed using a focus group design method. The study sample included a total of 77 participants, 10 palliative care patients (seven women, three men), nine caregivers (five spouses, four daughters), and 58 nurses. Of these 58 nurses 28 were leaders and 30 were staff nurses. The age range of the 10 patients was 53-85 with a median age of 72. All of the patients had a diagnosis of various advanced staged cancer. Data was collected by experienced qualitative researchers that worked as community nurses. The setting for this study took place in the North West (urban), and South East (rural) regions of England. Prior to data collection ethical approval was granted and participants provided written consent. Each focus group session lasted from 60-90 minutes. Researchers began recruitment by making observations of visits, with each patient receiving two observation visits. Patients and caregivers were interviewed both before and after observations in order to retrieve needed background information for research. Upon collection and analysis of data audio recordings were used during home visits. Findings revealed that the nurses that participated in this study showed great value for palliative care. There were four types of visits described: assessment of physical care needs, assessment and delivery of practical help, and two cross cuttig themes of information giving and enabling talk. Detailed observations of these visits with interviews were presented from the nurses in the assessment of physical care needs and while nurses reported carrying out early support visits there was difficulty in articulating the content covered in these visist. In the assessment and delivery of practical help it was noted by nurses that physical needs dominated visits but this was mostly a review of what patients needed as far as equipment, etc. Research findings show that this particular study can be applied to patient care by educating support staff that early support visits could potentially play a part in reducing costly hospital admissions. Patients also reported a decrease in stress levels with support from visiting nurses. Overall this multi-perspective approach provided new insights about support visits by district nurses. Conclusion Qualitative and quantitative research methods make different contributions to knowledge (DiCenso, Guyatt, ; Ciliska, 2005). Critical appraisal is an essential part of evidenced-based research and its methods help to form a portion of the systematic review process. It is the analysis of findings that allows the reader to form an opinion about the validity and reliability that such research can be used in patient practice. This process enables the reader to assess the study’s usefulness and whether or not the findings are trustworthy (Young ; Solomon, 2009). Teamwork is an essential part to providing palliative home care and nurse play a vital role (Griffiths, Ewing, ; Rogers, 2012). Although earlier studies have found that physical activity interventions in early stage cancer patients present positive results, that has not been confirmed in patients with advanced stage cancer and further research will be required. Overall I found that the results presented in the quantitative study were not valid due to lack of identifiable evidence shown. While reviewing the qualitative study I found  that the sample size was not large enough to provide a definitive answer as to whether this study provided valid results. When referring to the burning question I think that it has been shown that to a certain point nursing interventions implemented in the home such as adding physical activity and nursing support visits to cancer patients’ agenda can positively affect the patient’s quality of life. When searching for effective interventions researchers must always remember to incorporate patient preferences in their studies because this will help to enhance both recruitment and adherence.

Free Essays on The Truth Behind Drinking And Driving

The Truth behind Drinking and Driving Imagine being in a bar with a few of your good friends. Everyone is drinking and having a good time. You are going to leave and go home, but your friends won't let you because they know the dangers of driving after having a few drinks. Instead they call a cab to give you a ride home. You would be extremely lucky to have such smart friends. Drunk driving is a very serious problem in our society today, but it is becoming socially unacceptable causing the numbers of alcohol related traffic fatalities to decline considerably. Drunk driving can be very deadly. Yet many people drive while under the influence everyday. Drivers who are drunk are blamed for the loss of as many as twenty-five thousand lives in highway crashes each year and hundreds of thousands of severe injuries. It is thought that drunk drivers have a long history of doing this and many prior arrests. In addition, most of those killed are just innocent victims whose behavior did not contribute to their deaths. These last two statements are both false. On average a drunk driver that kills has never been involved in an alcohol related accident before and has no O’Brien 2 prior convictions for drunk driving. The part about the people killed are just innocent bystanders is unexaggerated also. Most of the drunk drivers’ victims are the drivers themselves. They are often passengers, and the drunken pedestrians and cyclists. Despite this, drunk driving is still very dangerous. It is the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in America today. In fact, it is said that about forty percent of the population will be involved in an alcohol related crash during their life. Drunk driving is especially dangerous to young people, who seem to be more involved than others. Drunk driving is the number one cause of death among young people, accounting for twenty percent of all deaths from ages fifteen to twenty. Drunk driving is ... Free Essays on The Truth Behind Drinking And Driving Free Essays on The Truth Behind Drinking And Driving The Truth behind Drinking and Driving Imagine being in a bar with a few of your good friends. Everyone is drinking and having a good time. You are going to leave and go home, but your friends won't let you because they know the dangers of driving after having a few drinks. Instead they call a cab to give you a ride home. You would be extremely lucky to have such smart friends. Drunk driving is a very serious problem in our society today, but it is becoming socially unacceptable causing the numbers of alcohol related traffic fatalities to decline considerably. Drunk driving can be very deadly. Yet many people drive while under the influence everyday. Drivers who are drunk are blamed for the loss of as many as twenty-five thousand lives in highway crashes each year and hundreds of thousands of severe injuries. It is thought that drunk drivers have a long history of doing this and many prior arrests. In addition, most of those killed are just innocent victims whose behavior did not contribute to their deaths. These last two statements are both false. On average a drunk driver that kills has never been involved in an alcohol related accident before and has no O’Brien 2 prior convictions for drunk driving. The part about the people killed are just innocent bystanders is unexaggerated also. Most of the drunk drivers’ victims are the drivers themselves. They are often passengers, and the drunken pedestrians and cyclists. Despite this, drunk driving is still very dangerous. It is the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in America today. In fact, it is said that about forty percent of the population will be involved in an alcohol related crash during their life. Drunk driving is especially dangerous to young people, who seem to be more involved than others. Drunk driving is the number one cause of death among young people, accounting for twenty percent of all deaths from ages fifteen to twenty. Drunk driving is ...

Roots of the Mexican-American War

Roots of the Mexican-American War The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) was a long, bloody conflict between the United States of America and Mexico. It would be fought from California to Mexico City and many points in between, all of them on Mexican soil. The USA won the war by capturing Mexico City in September of 1847 and forcing the Mexicans to negotiate a truce favorable to US interests. By 1846, war was nearly inevitable between the USA and Mexico. On the Mexican side, the lingering resentment over the loss of Texas was intolerable. In 1835, Texas, then part of the Mexican State of Coahuila and Texas, had risen in revolt. After setbacks at the Battle of the Alamo and the Goliad Massacre, the Texan rebels stunned Mexican General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. Santa Anna was taken prisoner and forced to recognize Texas as an independent nation. Mexico, however, did not accept Santa Annas agreements and considered Texas nothing more than a rebellious province. Since 1836, Mexico had half-heartedly tried to invade Texas and take it back, without much success. The Mexican people, however, clamored for their politicians to do something about this outrage. Although privately many Mexican leaders knew that reclaiming Texas was impossible, to say so in public was political suicide. The Mexican politicians outdid each other in their rhetoric saying that Texas must be brought back into Mexico. Meanwhile, tensions were high on the Texas/Mexico border. In 1842, Santa Anna sent a small army to attack San Antonio: the Texas responded by attacking Santa Fe. Not long after, a bunch of Texan hotheads raided the Mexican town of Mier: they were captured and poorly treated until their release. These events and others were reported in the American press and were generally slanted to favor the Texan side. The simmering disdain of Texans for Mexico thus spread to the entire USA. In 1845, the USA began the process of annexing Texas to the union. This was truly intolerable for Mexicans, who may have been able to accept Texas as a free republic but never part of the United States of America. Through diplomatic channels, Mexico let it be known that to annex Texas was practically a declaration of war. The USA went ahead anyway, which left Mexican politicians in a pinch: they had to do some saber-rattling or look weak. Meanwhile, the USA had its eye on Mexicos northwestern possessions, such as California and New Mexico. The Americans wanted more land and believed that their country should stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The belief that America should expand to fill the continent was called Manifest Destiny. This philosophy was expansionist and racist: its proponents believed that the noble and industrious Americans deserved those lands more than the degenerate Mexicans and Native Americans who lived there. The USA tried on a couple of occasions to purchase those lands from Mexico, and was rebuffed every time. President James K. Polk, however, would not take no for an answer: he meant to have California and Mexicos other western territories and he would go to war to have them. Fortunately for Polk, the border of Texas was still in question: Mexico claimed it was the Nueces River while the Americans claimed it was the Rio Grande. In early 1846, both sides sent armies to the border: by then, both nations were looking for an excuse to fight. It wasnt long before a series of small skirmishes bloomed into war. The worst of the incidents was the so-called Thornton Affair of April 25, 1846 in which a squad of American cavalrymen under the command of Captain Seth Thornton was attacked by a much larger Mexican force: 16 Americans were killed. Because the Mexicans were in contested territory, President Polk was able to ask for a declaration of war because Mexico had †¦shed American blood upon the American soil. Larger battles followed within two weeks and both nations had declared war on one another by May 13. The war would last about two years, until spring of 1848. The Mexicans and Americans would fight about ten major battles, and the Americans would win all of them. In the end, the Americans would capture and occupy Mexico City and dictate terms of the peace agreement to Mexico. Polk got his lands: according to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, formalized in May of 1848, Mexico would hand over most of the current US Southwest (the border established by the treaty is very similar to todays border between the two nations) in exchange for $15 million dollars and forgiveness of some previous debt. Sources: Brands, H.W. Lone Star Nation: the Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence. New York: Anchor Books, 2004. Eisenhower, John S.D. So Far from God: the U.S. War with Mexico, 1846-1848. Norman: the University of Oklahoma Press, 1989 Henderson, Timothy J. A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and its War with the United States.New York: Hill and Wang, 2007. Wheelan, Joseph. Invading Mexico: Americas Continental Dream and the Mexican War, 1846-1848. New York: Carroll and Graf, 2007.

God does not Play Dice but Science does Research Paper

God does not Play Dice but Science does - Research Paper Example Before the Big Bang our cosmos was no bigger than the size of an atomic nucleus. Science explains that since then the universe has been expanding at a steady rate (John, 1997). It was Edwin Hubble in 1929 whose observations confirmed this assumption. Although the cosmos is expanding, no one knows what it is expanding into. The laws of science could explain the initial conditions of the universe but would fail to clarify the reason because of which the universe began. Before the Eighteenth century, it was believed that such questions belonged to the realm of metaphysics or religion. Today such an approach is widely considered preposterous as science in the 21st century could unravel the most astounding mysteries. Our perceptions of space and time have been greatly influenced by theories including Einstein’s general theory of Relativity, Newton's theory of gravity and largely by the Quantum theory. Einstein's special theory of relativity, which was later modified as the general theory of relativity and Newton's theory are classical theories. Their implications proposed that space and time were a fixed background. Time was like a long track stretching in only two directions. Einstein found innumerable difficulties when he tried to reconcile his special theory with Newton's theory of Gravity. He eventually resorted to the conclusion that space itself was curved and it was not separate from time. He highlighted the fact that gravity had distorted everything in space. Objects in space would try to move in a straight direction but their paths would appear to be bent. It was thus evaluated that due to sun's mass space-time would curve which bends the path of the planets. Space-time could be defined as the four dimensional space whose each point is an event. Einstein's General theory of relativity which further stated that the laws of science should be same for all observers was confirmed in 1915, approximately ten years after the acceptance of the special theory of relativity. Now one might wonder that reality could be stranger than fiction because the laws which govern cosmos can shape reality in the most unusual fashion. It is inevitable to ignore these complex notions if we are to develop an understanding of space and time from a scientific angle. The discovery of Quantum mechanics in 1926 was one of the greatest achievements ever for science. Einstein was partly responsible for its discovery but Max Planck played the major role. The word 'Quantum' has been derived from 'Quanta' which means packets. Quantum physics deals with the study of sub-atomic particles and according to many scientists this theory has brought an element of uncertainty in modern physics (Michel, 2006). An important concept which forms the basis of Quantum theory is the Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. It states that one cannot accurately determine the velocity and position of a particle simultaneously. If you would try to measure a particle's location accurately , then you will not be able to determine its actual velocity. Einstein had earlier suggested that light consisted of particles known as 'photons'. He thus explained how electrons in a solid body would be dislodged if light fell on it. It should be noted that Quantum mechanics function on a very small scale but it remains a significant part of Science. However Richard Feynman's theory without which the Quantum theory is incomplete can be applied on a larger scale. According to its principles every event or

Importance of Communication to Criminal Justice Professionals Essay - 1

Importance of Communication to Criminal Justice Professionals - Essay Example Barriers to effective communication as well as probable solutions have also been identified. Communication can either be verbal or nonverbal. Verbal communication uses the spoken language to convey a particular message. It can be used to respond to verbal or nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication does not involve speaking. Rather, it employs the use of signs and gestures to convey information. It involves extensive use of the body organs in communication. There are various components of communication. These include; the source of information, the message or the information itself, the method or the channel through which the information will reach the recipient, the recipient as well as the feed back of the information. All these are significant in the communication between professionals in the criminal justice and also between them and their clients. In order for accused persons to be judged of a certain crime, the professionals need to analyze and evaluate the in formation provided by the accused or the aggrieved. Effective communication becomes essential in order for the parties involved to understand the matters and make an informed decision. The process of communication is vital in the criminal justice. It should present all the involved parties with a chance to put forward complaints or defense regarding particular cases. Professionals in criminal justice should offer assistance depending on the information provided by the victim. Sharing of information is important in order for each and every player to understand his or her role in the process. The process involves sharing information from one level to another (Casey 2000). The components of communication are significant in this process since the judge highly depends on them to make the evaluation. The prosecutor presents his/her information against the accused who is also supposed to be effective in communicating in defense. The second most important component is the message or