Information systems strategy - Free Essay Example

PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose of report: This report has been requested by Mr Frank Hedge, the CEO of Myer Department Stores- Australia. The reports purpose is to investigate and analyse the strategic role of information technology (IT) to Myers business, including an IT infrastructure audit. Cloud computing is evaluated, and recommendations made for its partial adoption. 1.2 Limitations: This report is limited by the lack of IT infrastructure details provided by Myer. Assumptions were made when required, to enable completion of the report. 1.3 Scope of the report: This report focuses on Myer and the potential use of cloud computing within its IT infrastructure. Divided into four main sections, the report covers Myer; IT infrastructure challenges; cloud computing costs/ benefits and recommendations for cloud computing adoption. It has been compiled from research literature and phone/email interviews with two Myer store managers. 1.4) Myer and its industry Homepage URL; https://www.myer.com.au/ Myer is Australias largest department store group with 65 stores and approximately 14,000 employees. It is present in 25 of Australias top 30 retail centres and attracted 185 million customers in 2009 (Myer 2010). Myer generated net profits of $106.8 million for the first half of the 2011 financial year (AAP 2011). Myer operates across major segments of the Australian non-food retail industry as a department store chain. This industry consists of four segments; household goods, clothing soft goods, department stores and other (eg newspapers, books) (Myer 2010). Myer competes with other department stores, discount department stores, and single store operators as well as internet retailers and direct retailers. Within the department store segment, David Jones is Myers main competition though the former targets a slightly higher income group (Myer 2010). Competition exists with other retailers on price, store location, product range and customer service. Additionally, consum er demand hinges on factors such as disposable income which are sensitive to macroeconomic conditions eg interest rate rises (Myer 2010). The industry has struggled recently, due to weak consumer confidence and increased competition from cheaper overseas internet retailers (GST free and strong Australian Dollar) (Brooks 2010). 1.5) Myers products services: Myer offers approximately 600 000 product lines from 800 suppliers globally including categories such as; clothing; beauty and cosmetics; electrical and homewares (Myer 2010). Myer provides additional products and services such as; Myer One customer loyalty program, over 3 million members. Gift cards Myer corporate sales- eg corporate gifts, office fit outs, VIP nights Insurance (home, contents, travel, car) Bridal gift registry Myer Visa Card (Myer 2010). 1.6) Myers corporate mission corporate structure: ‘At Myer we strive to offer customers a wide and relevant choice of brands, rewards and ideas in a way that makes them feel both welcome and inspired, (Myer 2010, p.3). Myers corporate structure is shown in Figure 1.1. Head office operates under a hybrid of divisional (eg apparel, electrical division) and functional groups (Finance, marketing etc). A national retail store manager oversees regional store managers, who oversee individual store managers. Head office functional groups, directly manage their particular function (eg HR) in the individual stores (Myer 2010; S Johnson 2011, pers. comm., 20 April). (Adapted from: Myer 2010, pp. 25-7). 1.7) Myers major business processes: Laudon and Laudon (2010), note business processes are sets of activities to produce a product or service. Due to its variety of offer, Myer has many business processes such as; Sourcing product to offer in store. Automating administrative processes. Reducing stock theft. Creating visual merchandise displays. Analysing potential sites for new stores. Refurbishing existing stores. Making sales (Myer 2010). 1.8) Myers business strategy Myer has invested substantially in its business since 2006 ($500 million) realizing a world class supply chain, improved retail execution and focused customer service (competitive advantages) (Myer 2010). Myer aims for additional margin and sales growth using specific strategies of; Opening 15 new stores in next five years. Revitalizing instore environments for a better customer experience. Expanding the Myer One program. Implementing a new point of sale system (POS) improving productivity customer service. Implementing a CCTV system to reduce losses (Myer 2010). 1.9) Myers relationships with external entities: Myer has significant relationships with a variety of entities which include; Its 800 global suppliers (Myer 2010). Global sourcing offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai (Algar 2011). Partnership with Melbourne Institute of Technology for paid internship for students (RMIT 2011). Myers involved with philanthropic and community programs including children and womens charities and Melbourne Christmas Carols (Myer 2010). PART 2: IT INFRASTRUCTURE: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES(727 words) 2.1) Description of Myers IT infrastructure: Laudon and Laudon (2010 p. 191) describe IT infrastructure as, ‘the shared technology resources that provide the platform for the firms specific information system applications. It includes investment in hardware, software, and services†¦that are shared across the entire firm†¦. Myers IT infrastructure was analysed according to Laudon and Laudons (2010 p. 203) model which comprises of seven components. The required information was obtained from Myers Head Office IT department and interviews with two store managers (Appendix 1). A summary of each component is presented in Table 2.1. The IT infrastructure differs between head office and individual stores, due to centralization (Slotty 2009). TABLE 2.1 Summary of Myers IT infrastructure ecosystem. Component Head Office Individual Stores 1) Computer hardware platforms Client machines- eg desktops (mainly IBM types eg Lenovo), laptops smart phones used. Servers- IBM types eg x86. Mainframes- N/A Floor staff- terminals only. Managers- Desktops (eg Lenovo and some older HP), mobile phones (voice only).IBM server/s present. 2) Operating system platforms Clients- Microsoft Windows 7. Servers- Linux Clients- Mainly Windows 7. Servers- Linux 3) Enterprise software applications An Oracle portal is present (middleware) to bring together Myers newer systems. SAP HR is a legacy system via the portal. Staff have access only to relevant systems via the portal. 4) Networking/ Telecommunication Networking hardware by IBM working with Cisco. Telecommunicating services by Telstra (voice data). LANs WANs based on Linux. Wireless internet in head office. As per head office, though wireless internet not available. Intranets (within store and with head office) extranets with suppliers exist. 5) Consultants/ system integrators IBM supplies a range of IT services to Myer, eg networking, desktop, applications, help desk. IBM supplies a range of IT services to Myer, eg networking, desktop, applications, help desk. 6) Data management storage Myer uses a 3rd party data center for main storage. Myers data accessed via Oracles retail data warehouse software (RDW). Localized content saved to a local server. RDW software available to managers for limited functions eg comparison of sales. 7) Internet platforms Website uses Microsoft.NET software as well as Java. Not aware of hosting services or hardware used.Website most likely outsourced. Stores internet access- email (managers only). Only electrical division has world wide web access. (Adapted: Myer IT department; Interview with two Myer Store managers 2011). The key findings from the analysis of Myers IT infrastructure presented above, are as follows; Computer hardware platforms: Client machines (desktops) are not standardized across Myer. A small number of servers exist at multiple locations (65 stores) doing replicated tasks (localized data storage, networking etc). Operating system platforms: Client and server machine software is licensed per computer with Windows variability on client machines. Large information asymmetry exists between managers and sales staff due to their limited access to software (Laudon Laudon 2010). Enterprise software applications: While an intranet portal exists to link to Myers applications, only newer applications (eg Mymerch- merchandising, POS) are fully integrated. Many legacy systems remain isolated and not integrated. Networking/Telecommunications: Myer operates both analog (phone system) and digital (data) networks using two providers (Telstra and IBM). While Myer accesses the internet, it also operates private networks (intranet) in the form of LANs and WANs. Networking is not possible between individual stores. Consultants System Integrators: Integration and implementation of new IT infrastructure is outsourced to IBM, including training. Data management storage: While the majority of Myers data is stored with a third party vendor, localized data storage occurs at individual stores (65). Internet platforms: Physical infrastructure and maintenance of Myers website is outsourced to third parties. Information asymmetry exists, with very limited access to internet for individual stores. Myers network infrastructure is further illustrated in Figure 2.1, which outlines information flows. Note information does not flow between stores, only between stores and head office. (Adapted: Myer IT department; Interview with two Myer Store managers 2011). 2.2) The issues and challenges of managing Myers IT infrastructure: Myer faces several challenges and issues in managing its IT infrastructure. Laudon and Laudon (2010) identify challenges arising from platform and technology change, management and governance and investing in infrastructure prudently. These challenges are also influenced by the strategic role of IT to the business and the impact of the industry in which the organization operates. By revisiting section 1.8 it can be seen that IT plays an important strategic role in achieving Myers medium term goals of increased operating margins and sales growth by; Facilitating increased supplier and sales volumes from new store initiatives (eg hardware and software required). Optimizing productivity, cost savings and customer satisfaction via implementation of new applications (POS system and CCTV loss prevention system). Catering for an expanded Myer One loyalty program (increased data storage and analysis needs for targeted marketing) (Myer 2010). As a result of ITs important strategic role, the challenges of managing Myers IT infrastructure are intensified. This is best demonstrated by specific examples; The challenge of platform and infrastructure change: To best accommodate expected future growth, improved productivity, cost efficiencies and increased data needs, infrastructure components need to be easily scalable (Armbrust et al 2010). This will be particularly true with regards to Myers hardware software platforms, its enterprise software applications and its networking, internet and data storage platforms. Currently, significant pressures exist within Myers industry. Consumer spending is down and offshore internet retailers are offering cheaper prices due to the strong Australian dollar and absence of GST (Brooks 2010). This poses further challenges to Myer to adjust components of its IT infrastructure quickly to generate database driven marketing programs or improve its operating efficiencies (Myer 2010). If cloud computing platforms are considered as future components of Myers infrastructure, then appropriate use guidelines and practices will be needed. Service level agreements (SLAs) for example would commit cloud computing vendors to minimum levels of performance and reliability for Myers systems (Hinchcliffe 2009). The challenge of management and governance: The management and governance of Myers IT infrastructure is significant, considering its strategic role, further evidenced by the commitment of $500 million to its IT program since 2006 (Myer 2010). Aspects to be considered include the location of IT control (centralized or decentralized model), the allocation of IT costs to functional groups or stores, the strategies and policies for using IT and measuring effective return on IT investments (Laudon Laudon 2010). The challenge of investing in IT infrastructure prudently: Considering the significance of IT infrastructure for Myer as it seeks its business goals, this is a crucial challenge. Whether Myer should rent or buy its infrastructure components will be further investigated in section 4 of this report. (Laudon Laudon 2010) PART 3: CLOUD COMPUTING ITS BUSINESS BENEFITS COSTS(986 words) 3.1)An overview of Cloud Computing: Zhang et al. (2010) note cloud computing is not a new idea. While many definitions abound, from an organizations perspective, ‘Cloud computing is an architecture in which companies consume technology resources as an internet service rather than as an owned system (Brandel 2009, p. 1). Most people have already experienced cloud computing through the use of Hotmail, Gmail or Facebook (Wyld 2009). Recent improvements in internet bandwidth, virtualization of servers and storage, open source software, adoption of Web 2.0 standards, has pushed cloud computing strongly into the business sphere (Kennedy 2011). Mell and Grance (2011) claim that cloud computing consists of five crucial characteristics, three service models (software, platform and infrastructure as services) and four deployment models (private, community, public and hybrid clouds) which are outlined in Tables 3.1 and 3.2. Potentially cloud computing can deliver to a business most of its IT needs (from computing po wer to collaboration tools to software) as an on demand service, wherever and whenever required. As long as an internet connection exists, computing becomes location and device independent (Agger 2009). TABLE3.1 The crucial characteristics, and service models of cloud computing. Crucial Characteristics Description/ Outline On-demand self-service Consumer can provision their computing capabilities automatically without needing human interaction with a services provider. Broad network access Capabilities are accessed via network, through standard mechanisms, promoting use by mixed client platforms (eg mobiles, PDAs). Resource pooling Providers computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model. Resources dynamically assigned/reassigned dependent on demand, include storage, processing, memory, bandwidth Rapid elasticity Capabilities can be rapidly elastically provisioned, to quickly scale out rapidly released to quickly scale in. Purchased as required. Measured Service Cloud system automatically control optimize resource use by using a metering capability relevant to the type of service. Resource usage can be monitored, controlled reported for the utilized service. Cloud Service Models Description/ Outline Software as a Service (SaaS) Offers renting application functionality from a service provider rather than buying, installing and managing software yourself. Examples include Salesforce.com and Gmail. Platform as a Service (PaaS) Provides a platform in the cloud, upon which applications can be developed executed. Eg Microsoft (Azure), Google AppEngine. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Vendors offer computing power storage space on demand. Eg Rackspace Amazon EC2 (compute) S3 (storage). (Adapted from: Mell Grance 2011, pp. 2-3; Department of Finance Deregulation 2011, pp. 12-3) TABLE3.2 The deployment models of cloud computing. Deployment Models Description/ Outline Private (internal) cloud Cloud services are provided solely for an organization are managed by the organization or third party. These services may exist on/off site. Community cloud Cloud services are shared by several organizations support a specific community that has shared concerns. Services may be managed by the organizations or a third party and may exist off site eg government. Public cloud Cloud services are available to the public and owned by an organization selling cloud services eg Amazon.EC2. Hybrid cloud An integrated cloud services pact that includes a cloud model something else (another cloud model, back end systems, etc), eg data kept in private cloud database, used by program running in public cloud (Adapted from: Mell Grance 2011, pp. 2-3; Department of Finance Deregulation 2011, pp. 12-3) 3.2) Current trends in Cloud Computing: Present studies suggest, ‘†¦the number of organizations using cloud computing to rise to 43% within four years as they continue to cut their costs (Cross 2011 p. 1). In addition to greater cloud computing use in general, there are several trends within cloud computing concerning areas such as; User type deployment models- ONeill (2011), notes small to medium enterprises using cloud computing are typically accessing public clouds for cost savings compared with private clouds. Alternatively larger enterprises use private clouds (third party or onsite) for greater control. Governments (federal level) are trialing SaaS and Ouellette (2011) believes state and local governments will soon follow. Purposes for using cloud services- Its principal use remains as a testing/developing environment and/or as a platform for less critical services and applications (Knorr Gruman 2010). Synder (in The Australian 2010) believes moving core applications to the cloud is still to come. ITs changing role- Hakala (2009) believes the need for IT workers performing maintenance tasks will contract as cloud computing is embraced and employees can ‘self serve directly from the cloud. Innovation- Cloud computing will continue to be a conduit for business innovation due to its low costs and rapid scalability of IT resources (Kennedy 2011; Information Age 2011) Pricing- Cloud computing pricing (especially commodity) continues to become cheaper and simpler for users. Thibodeau (2009) suggests models utilizing a set number of hours for a range of cloud services. SLAs improved security- Improving cloud computing reliability via strong service level agreements (SLAs) continues (Hinchcliffe 2009). Colley (2011) Violino (2010) expect most businesses will demand independent certification of cloud providers reliability in next few years. Cloud providers are targeting improved security to allay user concerns. Working groups such as the Cloud Security Alliance are focusing on this issue (Thibodeau 2009). Violino (2010) noted a need for better access control and identity management within and across clouds. Improved performance and service- The performance of cloud services rises, as more managed service providers enter the market (Ouellette 2011) and performance monitoring standardises (Thibodeau 2009). Typically IT staff connect cloud services individually, though cloud aggregators and integrators are emerging to smooth this barrier (Knorr Gruman 2010). 3.3) The business benefits of Cloud Computing: Cloud computing offers many benefits to business. Leighton (2009 p. 5) asserts, cloud computing will ‘transform the way IT is consumed and managed, promising improved cost efficiencies, accelerated innovation, faster time-to-market, and the ability to scale applications on demand. Sagari (c. 2010) notes the level of benefits cloud computing brings to an organization will vary dependant on the types of services utilized, the business processes evident and the degree of integration achieved. Major business benefits can include; Reduced costs (set up ongoing) * Increased flexibility response times Scalability increased efficiencies * Increased business focus. Increased innovation * Improved mobility Armbrust et al (2010) maintains, one of the most impressive benefits of cloud computing is scalability (elasticity of resources). The business pays for its hardware needs (servers, storage) on demand with the cloud providing great elasticity. Business needs can be scaled up or down as required, saving time, money and improving revenue in peak periods (Zhang et al. 2006; Waxer n.d.). Additional business benefits offered by cloud computing include; Smoothed cash flow * Increased strategic role for IT Reduced business risk * Improved sustainability. Greater computation power * Improved business continuity These benefits are further expanded in Appendix 2 with business examples and their references. 3.4) Cloud computing solutions for Myer: Section 4 details specific cloud computing recommendations to be adopted by Myer. In contrast, Table 3.3, outlines cloud computing solutions best suited to Myer for the aspect identified in column one. The reasons for these choices are as follows; Servers for serving applications- Amazon EC2 has been the market leader in this area and for good reason (Huang 2010). It exceeds Microsoft Azures new offering and it has a superior range of operating systems to use (eg Linux, Myer using), compared with Googles App Engine (Amazon 2011). Servers for storage- Amazon S3 was preferred over Microsoft Azure and Nirvanix for the reasons noted in Table 3.3 eg a price leader, very easy to use and highly reliable, SLA exceeding 99.99% (Huang 2010). Client productivity software- Microsofts new Office 365 retains the known office layout of which Myer staff are familiar. Additionally it incorporates email, calendar collaboration tools. Superior in features to Google Docs or Zoho (McAllister 2010). Private cloud- If recommended to Myer, Amazons virtual private cloud is a good solution. It integrates easily with a firms existing IT infrastructure, including firewalls and security systems (Amazon 2011). Applications- As an application development platform, Force.com has been suggested for its long history of business application development. Furthermore, to use this environment, subscription to Salesforce.com CRM applications are required, which may be beneficial to Myer (Force.com c.2011). TABLE 3.3Most suitable cloud computing solutions for Myer. Aspect Model Vendor Reasons Selected Servers-serving/ processing IaaS Amazon: EC2 Reputation, elastic, flexible- supports many uses and languages, ease of use, payment flexibility- on demand basis $/hr. secure. SLA- 99.95%, Storage IaaS Amazon: S3 Very easy to use, price leader (eg $0.15/GB/mth) and highly reliable SLA exceeds 99.99%. Client productivity soft SaaS Microsoft: Office 365 Familiar Microsoft Office platform via the cloud, email also other tools. Eg $6/user/mth, SLA 99.9% Private Cloud Multi Amazon Amazons virtual private cloud- integrates easily, firms security systems wrap around it. Applications Multi Salesforce / Force.com Salesforces-CRM application- sales service cloud, Force.com for application development platform. (Adapted from: Amazon 2011;Force.com c. 2011; Microsoft 2011) 3.5) Costs of cloud computing to Myer: Typically the IT industry uses ‘Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) to determine the total cost of a technology implementation (Laudon Laudon 2010). Table 3.4 provides an estimate of the costs to Myer in implementing the cloud computing solutions listed in Table 3.3. As can be seen, support, maintenance, space and energy costs pass to the cloud provider and hardware and software acquisition costs are essentially avoided. Some training costs of the IT staff involved in implementing and/or the staff using the cloud services would be incurred (Aggarwal McCabe 2009). A small amount of ongoing support to Office 365 users may also be required. Integration issues and costs are not expected, as the servers and software to be sourced via the cloud will not be critical systems. Additional infrastructure costs (eg bandwidth) resulting from cloud computings greater internet reliance, may occur. Downtime estimates from providers SLAs are less than typical IT departments of large compani es ie 44hrs/yr (Mann 2010). Moving data into and out of Amazon S3 storage, will incur costs (Amazon 2011). Finally, Aggarwal and McCabe (2009), reported TCO savings of some 50% over four years, for medium sized businesses implementing CRM software from the cloud, compared with on-premise deployment. TABLE 3.4 Total cost of ownership (TCO) for Myers cloud computing solutions. Infrastructure Component 1) Servers Processing (Amazon EC2) 2) Servers storage (Amazon S3) 3) Client soft. (eg Microsoft Office 365) 4) Applications Development (Force.com) Hardware acquisition Nil cost Nil cost Use existing Use existing Software acquisition Db small cost Nil cost Eg $6/user/mth Nil cost Installation Minimal cost Data in $0.1/GB Data out varies Need web browser Need web browser Training Minimal to IT Minimal to IT staff. Minimal to IT staff. Self taught to IT (2 -3 hours) Support By provider By provider Minimal By provider Maintenance By provider By provider By provider By provider Infrastructure Internet cost Internet cost Internet cost Internet cost Downtime 4.5hrs/yr. 52mins/yr. 8.75hrs/yr. 8.75hrs/yr. Space energy By provider By provider By provider By provider Cost to use service ~ $0.50/hr using Linux OS ~ $0.15/GB/mth Eg $6/user/mth $15 to $75/user /mth (Adapted from: Laudon Laudon 2010, p. 224; Amazon 2011; Microsoft 2011; Force.com c.2011 ) PART 4: RECOMMENDATION OF CLOUD COMPUTING ADOPTION/ ADAPTION(785 words) 4.1) Competitive forces model for IT infrastructure Investment: Specific recommendations for the adoption of a cloud computing strategy by Myer will soon be made. These recommendations will be based on the preceding analysis and also take into account the ‘competitive forces model for IT infrastructure as described in Laudon and Laudon (2010 pp. 222-3). Table 4.1 summarises the main points of this model as it relates to Myer. TABLE 4.1: Competitive forces model for IT infrastructure investment of Myer Model components Outcome 1) Market demand for Myers services (eg customer, supplier enterprise): Myers point of sale (POS) system supply chain improvements are based on extensive research of their services. These systems improved efficiency speed, and are satisfying customers, suppliers staff (Tindal 2010) Information asymmetry especially with sales staff is affecting performance. Current IT investment (CII) is meeting this aspect. 2) Myers business strategy: Myers five year goals are to increase operating margins sales growth. Major initiatives which are being implemented (section 1.8), are delivering many of these aims. Cloud computing capabilities could provide further cost savings. CII is mostly meeting this aspect. 3) Myers IT strategy, infrastructure and cost: As noted in section 2.2, the IT strategy is closely aligned with Myers goals and helping to drive growth and improved margins. Further centralization of IT (cloud computing) would reduce costs (Table 3.4 for TCO). CII is mostly meeting this aspect, cut costs further. 4) Information technology assessment: $500 million of IT investment over the last 5 years has Myer well situated in terms of technology uptake. It was previously lagging. Adoption of some cloud computing aspects at this date (maturing market) is positive (Gartner 2010). CII is mostly meeting this aspect, trial cloud service 5) Competitor firms IT services: David Jones is using IT by growing its etail business, maximising its store credit card system (David Jones 2010). Myers IT investments bring competitive advantage to its supply chain superior customer service compared with other department stores (Myer 2010). Internet is bringing challenges to Myer. CII is mostly meeting this aspect, cut costs further 6) Competitor firms IT infrastructure investments: Benchmarking Myers IT infrastructure spending against competitors was not attainable. Its expected Myer is at the forefront of IT investment in their field. CII is meeting this aspect. (Adapted from: Laudon Laudon 2010, pp. 222-3) The competitive forces model above, can help determine if Myers spending on IT infrastructure is adequate to sustain, grow and compete in their field (Laudon Laudon 2010). From this review, it appears Myers current level of IT investment is sufficient to attain their stated goals of improved sales growth and increased operating margins (ie decreased costs). The following points though, should be noted; Information asymmetry is affecting the performance of sales staff. Cloud computing initiatives and further centralization of IT could reduce costs. Cloud computing is maturing, providing a good time to trial services (Gartner 2010). Internet retailers (especially overseas) are challenging Myer, cost cutting is required. 4.2) Recommendations: Based on the results of the competitive forces model above, and sections 1 to 3 of this report, the following recommendations concerning cloud computing adoption by Myer, will now be made; The servers at the 65 stores to be replaced by Amazon EC2 and S3 cloud computing services. The client machines (eg desktops) throughout Myer to migrate to Microsoft Office 365 (SaaS) Head office sales/marketing staff to trial Salesforce.com CRM software (SaaS). Force.com to be utilized as a development and testing platform for non-critical applications. Investigate the use of a private cloud by Myer in the future (next 3 years). As discussed in section 4.1, Myers current level of IT investment is not inhibiting business growth. Rather, the cloud computing recommendations made, offer possibilities for increased productivity and cost reductions. They also provide opportunities to trial and test cloud solutions with non-critical systems and data, which should ease concerns over provider reliability or data security (Strickland 2008). Amazons S3 data storage for example is backed up at several diverse locations in the event of failure (Amazon 2011). Training of IT staff or other staff will be minimal as outlined in section 3.5. There should be no major issues or concerns regarding the successful implementation of these recommendations. Leighton (2009) noted, cloud computing can bring cost efficiencies, faster innovation, as well as ability to scale. These are all attributes Myer desires. The reasons for each of these recommendations will now be explained. Recommendation 1: Replacing the servers at the individual stores with cloud solutions will decrease operating costs (section 3.5). Servers currently performing networking and non-critical application serving can be replaced by Amazons EC2. Servers used for localized data storage at individual stores (excludes data in the data center) can be replaced by Amazons S3 service. This will help solve scalability issues, mentioned in Section 2.2. This recommendation further centralizes the role of IT at Myer as the maintenance of the servers at 65 stores will pass to Amazon. In large organizations such as Myer, a centralized role is advantageous due to cost efficiencies and increased production (Slotty 2009). Recommendation 2: Replacing Microsoft productivity software (eg office, outlook) on desktops/laptops with a cloud version (Office 365) will further drive cost efficiencies (section 3.5). Continuing to use a Microsoft product is comfortable for staff, and they can test ‘software as a service. Providing sales staff with access to some of these communication and collaboration tools will reduce information asymmetry and improve performance (Laudon Laudon 2010). Ideally, desktop hardware and operating systems (eg Windows 7) would also be standardized across Myer to improve efficiencies (Slotty 2009). Recommendations 3 4: Recommendations 3 4 achieve two goals. Firstly head office sales/marketing staff can trial the leading CRM cloud software for minimal cost (Salesforce.com 2011). They may find some functions useful to their work and/or generate new ideas for Myer applications. Secondly, IT can use the sister site, Force.com as a development and testing platform for non-critical applications. This provides the benefits of flexibility, rapid scalability for testing and allows greater innovation to occur as trialing new products becomes inexpensive and easy to provision (Knorr Gruman 2010). Recommendation 5: Myer should investigate the future use of a private cloud to further streamline operating efficiencies and drive innovation. This cloud could be outsourced to a third party or built in house and managed by a cloud provider eg Amazon virtual private cloud. Its envisaged this cloud would host all data and core enterprise systems. While potentially several years away, as data security and reliability of cloud services continues to improve, this is a stronger possibility (Hinchcliffe 2009). Finally, its advised that Myer also moves fully to an internet based architecture for its networks (eg LAN WAN). Its analog phone system could be moved to the internet via VOIP technology, further reducing costs (Laudon Laudon 2010). These measures would help to open up lines of communication between stores, which are currently missing. PART 5: CONCLUSIONS This report has investigated the strategic role of Information technology (IT) to Myers business and particularly the position cloud computing can take in its future. After extensive consultation with Myer and relevant literature several points were noted. Myer is operating within a challenging retail environment with increased competition from overseas internet retailers. IT infrastructure investment and systems of Myer are generally sufficient for their stated goals of continued sales growth and improved operating margins. Information asymmetry between staff members exists, as does restrictions to internet access. A detailed cloud computing analysis produced several recommendations for the partial adoption of cloud services. Migration of non-critical data and replicated systems at individual stores to a cloud environment, would provide Myer with further cost efficiencies, increased innovation and the ability to scale infrastructure quickly. Minimal disruption to Myer and it s staff would result from the cost effective implementation process. Finally, improving internet access and reducing information asymmetry amongst staff will deliver improved performance and continued sales growth for Myer.

Poverty Of The Great Depression - 2381 Words

Poverty in the Great Depression Do you want to live in a dictatorship? During the Great Depression President Franklin D. Roosevelt said â€Å"True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made of†. The Great Depression in the United States began after the stock market crash of October 1929 because Americans gambled on the stock market with money they didn’t really have and when the prices of stocks started to drop panicked investors tried to bail out. Investors dumped shares. A record 12.9 million shares was traded on October 24, 1929, â€Å"Black Thursday†, then five days later on October 29, 1929, â€Å"Black Tuesday†, 16 million†¦show more content†¦The New Deal stabilized banking, created employment and created a support system for the needy. The New Deal also created Federal agencies which gave Americans hope and faith in a government of social justice. From the New Deal came the Banking Act of 1933, which stabilized banks by guaranteeing Americans that their deposits were safe as the Federal government would insure it via the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation). Agencies to protect employment was created, such as: the Works Progress Administration, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the Agricultural Adjustment Administration; along with regulatory agencies like the Securities Exchange Commission, the Federal Housing Administration, the National Labor Relations Board, the Civil Aeronautics Authority, and the Federal Communications Commission. The New Deal created the Social Security Act, giving rise to the Social Security Administration which provided pensions to the old, and support to dependent children and the disabled. The Great Depression brought about the need for leadership because of the widespread poverty being experienced by the American people. People were unemployed, hungry and homeless, with many also l osing their life savings due to the large number of banks that failed. Millions of people across the United States lost their jobs, leading to losses of homes. It was estimated that 20%-25% (1 in 4) persons

Human Trafficking Is The Exchange Of Human Beings Worldwide

Human trafficking is the exchange of human beings worldwide. As devastating as it is, human trafficking has been taking place since the United States was granted freedom from Britian. Everyone from the African Americans, children, women, and grown men have been victims of this color-blind crime. No one is quite sure how many African slaves were forced into America but the number is estimated to be between 92,000 and 291,126 between the U.S.’s birth of a nation and the Civil War (Ingersoll, 2005). Any historical record of Africans before the mid-eighteenth century was virtually non-existent (Eltis, 2008, p. 349). During the time of African slaves, there were three definitions of â€Å"U.S. Slave Trade,† the first one being the ships that brought the slaves to American soil. The second one was the human cargo transported on the journeys arranged on American territory. The third and last definition was any slave trade that takes place underneath the American flag (Eltis, 2 008, p.348). In fact, nearly half of the slave trades were operated in America (Eltis, 2008, p. 361). African slaves were thought of as chattel (Boundless, 2014, para. 1) They were whipped, shackled, hung, beaten, burned, mutilated, branded, imprisoned, and raped (Boundless, 2014, para. 1). After multiple generations of this treatment â€Å"partus sequitur ventrem† was brought into effect in Virginia in 1662. The law protected any white male that may have a child with a female slave, by stating that any child of aShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Human Trafficking851 Words   |  4 Pagessearching for better lives resort to human trafficking as a result. It is a worldwide issue that can be defined as the trading of humans, most commonly by force, sexual slavery, or commercial. It is one of the top leading crimes in the world today that puts not only women, but also men in danger. Human trafficking is a worldwide issue that has been going on for decades, and all the issues of the trafficking would make one wonder, how can it be stopped? Human trafficking has become the modern-day slaveryRead MoreProstitution Is The Oldest Profession922 Words   |  4 Pagesare usually thought to be the lowest form a part of the human species, people make assumptions as to why a women would even bother with the idea of subjecting herself to harsh treatment by others, people often correlate the idea of prostitution with human trafficking. That each of these categories are of association, prostitution is â€Å"the practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment.† While human trafficking is â€Å"the illegal movement of people, typically for the purposesRead MoreHuman Trafficking Is an Inhumane Act of Mankind Essay examples857 Words   |  4 Pages Human trafficking can be dated back to pre-historic times. Slavery, a cruel form of human trafficking, lasted in the United States of America for over two centuries. Even after slavery stopped existing, human trafficking remains to be a problem worldwide. Many people have come to believe that this human act only occurs in third world countries but there are about 50,000 people trafficked a year in the United States. Human trafficking is an inhumane act of mankind and is an issue that a lot of AmericansRead MoreHuman Trafficking : Prostitution And Prostitution981 Words   |  4 PagesHuman Trafficking in Prostitution Prostitution, â€Å"Providing or receiving sexual acts, between a prostitute and a client, in exchange for money or some other form of remuneration† (Hock 557). The idea of exchanging sex for valuables has been seen since the beginning of human society. The first reported data about prostitution was reported around 3000 B.C.E in Mesopotamia, one of the first known civilizations (Caraboi and Fierbinteanu 362). Also, prostitution is often referred to as â€Å"the world’sRead MoreThe Many Victims of Human Trafficking675 Words   |  3 Pageswomen and children are victims of human trafficking. Human trafficking is used for many purposes and benefits. Sex, forced labor and other forms of disgracing exploitation is dangerously happening worldwide. It’s necessary to know what the term trafficking means because it can be very misleading, trafficking places importance on the transaction aspect of a cruel crime, trafficking is more than described by the media. Enslavement is a word that can describe trafficking briefly and compactly, exploitationRead MoreHuman Trafficking : A Form Of Modern Slavery1601 Words   |  7 PagesHuman trafficking, or the offering and purchasing of individual, is a well-shrouded yet noticeable issue inside of today s general public. It is both a corrupt and awful theme that needs conveyed to consideration and managed. At the point when people are controlled into work, sexual bondage, or monetary hardship, human trafficking is happening. Human trafficking transpires to be a highly committed crime thats, perpetrated throughout the world, affecting women and children that being put throughRead MoreA Project On Child Trafficking1473 Words   |  6 Pages A Project on CHILD TRAFFICKING IN INDIA Sociology Monsoon Semester 2014 ___________________________________________________________________________ Naresh Rawat ID No. : 214071 ___________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION: Trafficking in people, particularly in ladies, and children has turned into a matter of genuine national and universal concern. Ladies and children – young men what s more young ladies – have been presented to uncommon vulnerabilitiesRead MoreThe Problem Of Trafficking Of Kids1417 Words   |  6 PagesTrafficking in people, particularly in ladies, and kids has turned into a matter of genuine national and universal concern. Ladies and kids – young men what s more young ladies – have been presented to uncommon vulnerabilities business misuse of these vulnerabilities has turned into an enormous composed wrongdoing and a multimillion dollar business. Countries are endeavoring to battle this exchange human wretchedness through administrative, official, legal and social activity. Trafficking of kidsRead MoreThe Trafficking of Women1516 Words   |  7 PagesThe Trafficking of Women The trafficking of women and girls for the purpose of prostitution is big business. It has been and still is one of the biggest industries worldwide. These unfortunate women and girls do not lead normal lives, but rather they are bought and sold as commodities. They also usually have no control over their lives and live in conditions of extreme poverty and abuse. Trafficking, debt bondage, forced labor, and other abuse is suffered by women all over the world and it isRead MoreSex Trafficking Is The Trade Of Humans Essay1267 Words   |  6 PagesSex Trafficking     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sex trafficking is the trade of humans, most commonly for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extraction of organs or tissues, including for surrogacy and ova removal.Sex trafficking is a very dangerous thing to be going on in this world.   Human trafficking can occur within a country or trans-nationally. The Metro-Atlanta

See If Vitamin C Is an Organic Compound

Yes, vitamin C is an organic compound. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid or ascorbate, has the chemical formula C6H8O6. Because it is comprised of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, vitamin C is classified as organic, whether or not it comes from a fruit, is made within an organism, or is synthesized in a laboratory. What Makes Vitamin C Organic In chemistry, the term organic refers to carbon chemistry. Basically, when you see carbon in a compounds molecular structure, this is a hint youre dealing with an organic molecule. However, simply containing carbon isnt sufficient, as some compounds (e.g., carbon dioxide) are inorganic. Basic organic compounds also contain hydrogen, in addition to carbon. Many also contain oxygen, nitrogen, and other elements, although these arent essential in order for a compound to be classed as organic. You may be surprised to learn vitamin C isnt just one specific compound, but rather, a group of related molecules called vitamers. The vitamers include ascorbic acid, the ascorbate salts, and oxidized forms of ascorbic acid, such as dehydroascorbic acid. In the human body, when one of these compounds is introduced, metabolism results in the presence of several forms of the molecule. The vitamers act primarily as cofactors in enzymatic reactions, including collagen synthesis, antioxidant activity, and wound-healing. The molecule is a stereoisomer, where the L-form is the one with biological activity. The D-enantiomer is not found in nature but can be synthesized in a lab. When given to animals that lack the ability to make their own vitamin C (such as humans), D-ascorbate has less cofactor activity, even though it is an equally potent antioxidant. Vitamin C From Pills Man-made or synthetic vitamin C is a crystalline white solid derived from the sugar dextrose (glucose). One method, the Reichstein process, is a combined microbial and chemical multi-step method of producing ascorbic acid from D-glucose. The other common method is a two-step fermentation process. Industrially synthesized ascorbic acid is chemically identical to vitamin C from a plant source, such as an orange. Plants typically synthesize vitamin C by enzymatic conversion of the sugars mannose or galactose into ascorbic acid. Although primates and a few other kinds of animals dont produce their own vitamin C, most animals do synthesize the compound and can be used as a source of the vitamin. So, organic in chemistry has nothing to do with whether a compound was derived from a plant or an industrial process. If the source material was a plant or animal, it doesnt matter whether the organism was grown using organic processes, such as free-range grazing, natural fertilizers, or no pesticides. If the compound contains carbon bonded to hydrogen, its organic. Is Vitamin C an antioxidant? A related question concerns whether or not vitamin C is an antioxidant. Regardless of whether its natural or synthetic and whether its the D-enantiomer or the L-enantiomer, vitamin C is an antioxidant. What this means is that ascorbic acid and the related vitamers are capable of inhibiting oxidation of other molecules. Vitamin C, like other antioxidants, acts by being oxidized itself. This means vitamin C is an example of a reducing agent.

Elie Wiesel Night Reflection - 1035 Words

The Holocaust is known for its vast dehumanization; nevertheless, history does not acknowledge the faith destroyed as a result. Elie Wiesel, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and author of the memoir Night, recounts his experiences telling his own story of faith being taken away from him. Wiesel, like many other Jews of this time, was taken from his home to Nazi-controlled concentration camps. Before his deportation, Wiesel’s faith used to be an eminent aspect of his life, describing himself as a child of the Talmud; however, the camps, Auschwitz, Buna, Gleiwitz, and Buchenwald, shatter all of his remaining faith. Wiesel’s writing conveys the idea that the less one is respected like a human being, the less one sees themselves and others as a†¦show more content†¦The experiences of Moshe foreshadow the way that the concentration camps will affect Wiesel and his future. Wiesel’s first major rebellion against his god transpires after he and his father are at Ausch witz, but his angst towards Him only gets stronger with time. After the veteran prisoners reveal the likely fate of ending up in the crematories Wiesel’s father whispers, â€Å"May His Name be blessed and magnified†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wiesel 31). As a retort, Wiesel thinks, â€Å"For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless His name? The Eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-Powerful and Terrible, was silent. What had I to thank him for?† (31). Him revolting towards his god reveals how he is beginning to doubt his faith and His power. Wiesel reflects on his first night writing†¦ Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky. Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes. Never shall I forget those things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never. (32) Wiesel describes him and the otherShow MoreRelatedElie Wiesel Night Reflection794 Words   |  4 PagesElie Wiesel was born in the Romanian town of Sighet. His parents came from Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish families. Both of hi parents died in the Nazi concentration camps, as did his younger sister; his two elder sister survived. After the war, Wiesel went an Orp hanage in France, studies at the Sorbonne, and became a journalist. The name of the book is call the Night. It were written in the 1955-1958. It also were written from South America, France. The book was published in Argentina, France. TheRead MoreThe Destruction Of The Holocaust1203 Words   |  5 Pagespreventing it. Elie Wiesel’s fulfilled his purpose of showing the heinous crimes of the Holocaust through the change of characterization of Elie before, during and after the events of Wiesel s 1940 memoir-Night. The Holocaust is remembered as a stain on history, where a massive genocide occurred. but we must also recognize the souls and personalities that were killed and burned. Wiesel trembling hands picked up these ashes, personifying their ebony remains into a young child-Elie. For every soulRead MoreThe Holocaust: Night by Elie Wiesel1635 Words   |  7 PagesJews were persecuted, tortured and slaughtered in concentration camps (â€Å"The Holocaust† 1). Night by Elie Wiesel is the powerful memoir of his experiences during the Holocaust. Night shows the tragedy of the Holocaust through the use literary devices, including the themes of loss of faith and cruelty toward other human beings, night as a symbol of suffering and fear, and the use of first person narrative. Night allows the reader to emotionally connect with the victims of the Holocaust, encourages themRead MoreNight, By Elie Wiesel1476 Words   |  6 PagesIn Night, by Elie Wiesel, one man tells his story of how he survived his terrible experience during the Holocaust. Wiesel takes you on a journey through his â€Å"night† of the Holocaust, and how he survived the world’s deadliest place, Auschwitz-Birkenau. Elie Wiesel will captivate you on his earth shattering journey th rough his endless night. Elie Wiesel’s book Night forces you to open your eyes to the real world by using; irony, diction, and repetition to prove that man does have the capability toRead MoreThe Inhumane Treatment Of The Holocaust1714 Words   |  7 Pagesmillion of these people being Jewish. Not only were millions murdered, but hundreds of thousands who survived the concentration camps were forever scarred by the dehumanizing events that they saw, committed, and lived through. In the novel â€Å"Night† by Elie Wiesel, Wiesel recounts the spine-chillingly horrific events of the Holocaust that affected him first-hand, in an attempt to make the reality of the Holocaust clear and understandable to those who could not believe it. What was arguably one of the worstRead MoreThe Death Of The Cattle Cars1610 Words   |  7 Pageswhich no one believed, helped to pass the time. The few days we lived here went by pleasantly enough, in peace. There were no longer questions of w ealth, of social distinction, and importance only people condemned to the same fate-still unknown† (Night 20). Elie and the others Jews from his community lose some of their innocence when placed on the train to go to the camps. Overall, nobody seemed to think they would actually be doing this and at first still had hope. After being forced on the train theyRead MoreNight by Elie Wiesel Essay1004 Words   |  5 PagesNight by Elie Wiesel Night is a memoir written by Elie Wiesel, a young Jewish boy, who tells of his experiences during the Holocaust. Elie is a deeply religious boy whose favorite activities are studying the Talmud and spending time at the Temple with his spiritual mentor, Moshe the Beadle. At an early age, Elie has a naive, yet strong faith in God. But this faith is tested when the Nazis moves him from his small town. Night begins in 1941, when Elie, is twelve years old. Having grown upRead MoreNight And Maus Reflection1343 Words   |  6 Pageskilled , many survived the Holocaust to tell their story . Some like Elie Wiesel, wrote their story from personal experience.Others like Vladek Spiegelman told told their story with the help of relatives. In Elie Wiesel’s story , he talks about how his life was before and during the Holocaust. In Vladeks story , by his son, Art, Spiegelman, was told through a series of interviews and a graphic novel. The authors of Night and Maus portray the Holocaust through survivor testimony , interviewsRead MoreNight And Dawn : The End And The Beginning Of A Day1667 Words   |  7 PagesNight and Dawn. The end and the beginning of a day. Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, noted author and recipient of the Noble Peace Prize, writes of both the darkness of the Holocaust and of the dawn of its ending. While Night is Wiesel’s autobiographical tale of h is experiences during the Holocaust, both in his hometown and in the concentration camps, Dawn is a fictional tale of Elisha, an eighteen-year-old Holocaust survivor, who has joined the Jewish Resistance movement in Palestine. Both are storiesRead MoreElie Wiesel : A Resilient, Compassionate, Wise, And Intelligent Human Being Essay1380 Words   |  6 Pagescourageous, and wise? It’s hard to know how you would act during this circumstance, nevertheless to imagine this situation at all. However, Elie Wiesel was one to not only experience this horrible situation but survive it. Through his journey he stayed strong and courageous, even if he didn’t realize that is what he was doing at the time. In my opinion, Elie Wiesel was a resilient, compassionate, wise, and an intelligent human being. Of course, no one would have realized that they were being strong or

The Bean Trees Free Essays

In the book The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, there is a young girl named Taylor who did not want to be like the typical girls from Kentucky. She wanted to go and get out of the small town. She got in her old beat up car and traveled throughout the United States, until she landed in Arizona. We will write a custom essay sample on The Bean Trees or any similar topic only for you Order Now When she was there she not only had to deal with herself, but she now had a little girl who she named Turtle. This was not her daughter; instead someone she barely knew handed her off to Taylor. Turtle was not your average toddler, she was what some people call retarded or slow, but Taylor did not even notice that, all she saw was a little girl in need of help. Even though Taylor could not give Turtle a life of riches, she knew she could at least do better than before. Throughout the rest of the book Taylor experiences many events that portray evil. â€Å"Turtle’s main goal in life, other than hanging on to things, seemed to be to pass unnoticed† (81). Turtle was a mentally slow child. When she was given to Taylor the woman said that her mother had died and that the little girl had no home. Taylor was just being a good person and taking Turtle, so that she could live in a better place. Once she had Turtle she took her back to the hotel and gave her a bath. When she did she realized that the black and blue marks on her body was not just dirt, but bruises. Taylor had grown up in a loving house with a loving mother who taught her the necessities of life. Seeing Turtle and beat up and scared broke Taylor’s heart. There was a cactus with bushy arms and a coat of yellow spines as thick as fur. A bird had built her nest in it. In and out she flew among the horrible spiny branches, never once hesitating. You just couldn’t imagine how she’d made a home in there† (130). Which makes Turtle’s new life, not glamorous, but a lot better than it could have been. Turtle was not the only person in Taylor’s life. There were two immigrants that were friends of hers they were Esperanza and Esteven. She knew that they were in the country illegally, but Taylor did not care. They were nice people who had been tortured in their life as well. The government had been trying to get them and everyone seemed to be very rude to them. â€Å"You can go and visit heaven. What? You see a room just like the first one, the same table, the same pot of stew, the same spoons as long as a sponge mop. But these people are all happy and fat† (113). Esteven meant that there is people will help you in heaven, but no one will help you in hell. He was influencing that he was in hell because someone had kidnapped his very own kid, and the government is out to get rid of them. This shows how their whole life they have been trying to run away from evil. Turtle was a very unlucky and lucky girl. She was unlucky in the sense that she had been abused and almost lost and kidnapped. She was in the park one day playing with Lou Ann’s child, when this scary man came up and was going to take her. Her babysitter put up her cane and scared the man away. Turtle did not just forget about it though. She went on not talking to anyone about anything, even Taylor. Taylor had always been very strong when hard or scary situations came upon them. In this case she was not, she was going crazy worried that Turtle would never talk again. She also started feeling sorry for herself, like she wasn’t good enough to be a mother to Turtle. She soon came to realize that she was the best life that Turtle could have right now. Eventually Turtle talked again but it she felt most comfortable with Taylor. Throughout this book there were many bad experiences that happened to Taylor. She found a sad little girl that was abandoned and bruised, friends that were in trouble with the government, and a new daughter that was almost kidnapped. Even throughout all of those hard times Taylor managed to not â€Å"freak out† she always looked at life in the positive eye. Taylor is a strong woman, and even though people have their weaknesses she was a great mother to Turtle. Out of all the evil in her life she made it look so simple to deal with. â€Å"†¦I was not the smartest or even particularly outstanding but I was there and staying out of trouble and I intended to finish† (3). Taylor was not the perfect mother or a perfect person, but she had a great heart and a great passion to do the right thing, and that she was amazing at. How to cite The Bean Trees, Essay examples

Mechanism Behind Cystine-Tellurite Blood Agar free essay sample

These tellurite-resistant bacteria reduce tellurite to its elemental less toxic form tellurium Te0 intracellularly. The result is the accumulation of black deposits inside the cell is due to either internal or periplasmic accumulation of Te. Tellurite toxicity results from its ability to act as a strong oxidizing agent over a variety of cell components. Tellurite could exert its toxicity through intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Tellurite inhibits the cellular response to oxidative stresses. To inhibit the growth of most normal bacterial inhabitants of the upper respiratory tract, including most species of Streptococcus and Staphylococcus, is to inhibit the growth of aerobic organisms through the presence of oxygen and high concentration of tellurite. Reactive oxygen species compounds such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion (O2-) and hydroxyl redical (OH-) are natural byproducts of the normal metabolism of oxygen that can be formed by exposure of cells to free-radical generating molecules like metals and metalloids. We will write a custom essay sample on Mechanism Behind Cystine-Tellurite Blood Agar or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ROS compounds are generally very small molecules and are highly reactive due to the presence of unpaired valence shell electrons. Increase of ROS levels dramatically due to the action of tellurite will result in significant damage to cell structures. This situation is known as oxidative stress. Generally, harmful effects of reactive oxygen species on the cell are most often: 1. damage of DNA 2. oxidations of polydesaturated fatty acids in lipids 3. xidations of amino acids in proteins 4. oxidatively inactivate specific enzymes by oxidation of co-factors In aerobic organisms, the energy needed to fuel biological functions is produced in the mitochondria via the electron transport chain, in addition to energy reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced which have the potential to cause cellular damage. ROS can damage DNA, RNA, and proteins. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is converted from superoxide that leaks from the mitochondria. Within the bacterial cell, there is catalase and superoxide dismutase that help to minimize the damaging effects of hydrogen peroxide by converting it into oxygen and water, benign molecules, however this conversion is not 100% efficient, and residual peroxides persist in the cell. Thus, excessive amounts of can cause damage to the bacterial cell. The resistance of C. diphtheriae to tellurite increases approximately ten-fold when cells are grown under anaerobic conditions, which is presumably due to the cell’s inability to produce ROS products under oxygen deprivation conditions. Gram-positive bacteria have an intrinsic low-level resistance to TeO32? , while high-level resistance has been determined in certain gram-negative obligate aerobic photosynthetic species. The capacity of these bacteria to grow at the presence of high tellurite concentrations depends on two factors: a. Plasmids (such as IncHI, IncHII, and IncP plasmids) have genetic determinants that allows the adaption of tellurite-resistant organisms to survive. b. Chromosomal genes important for growth in the presence of K2TeO3 have been identified in a few species, but their role has not been clearly determined. Most gram-negative bacteria do not grow in the presence of tellurite because they do not have these plasmids and chromosomal genes to help in the adaption. Most tellurite toxicity takes place in an aerobic environment. The increasing level of resistance of an organism depends primarily on the absence of oxygen. References:

Mental Health in Acute Care Free Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Mental Health in Acute Care. Answer: NURS6055 I am mental health nurse and have done my graduation in mental health in acute care. I have more than one year of experience in mental health and acute care. Since from my childhood, I had immense urge to work for the people who are suffering from mental complications and that is the reason behind my enrolment in this course. The successful completion of the course helped me enrich my knowledge in mental health nursing. It also helped me understand that how proper management of symptoms is crucial in nursing care. I practise strictly in accordance with the professional standards ofNursing and Midwifery Board of Australia however; I am planning to enrich my skills as a mental health nurse via refining my communication skills and practise-based learning improvement. Two Personal Goals Enrich the skills in effective communication in order to attain proficiency verbal, non-verbal message, effective listening and responding. SMART Goal Specific I want to enrich my communication skills as it a crucial parameter for mental healthnursing Meaningful This goal is important because it will help to refine my skills as a nurse and at the same time will help me to connect with my patients more effectively Achievable I will enrol in a effective communication training crash course and will examine my senior registered nurses during the duty in order to study how they study Realistic I know I can achieve this because, Regular exposure to work along with training will help me attain faster proficiency Plus I am extremely determinant to excel in communication skills. Time Span 6 months Practise-based learning improvement via highlighting the personal strengths and deficiencies SMART Goal Specific This goal is important because it will help me to work on the deficiencies while helping me to attain refinement in my strength and this as a whole will help me to provide quality care to my patients, one of the important professional code of conduct ofNursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Meaningful This goal is important because it will help to refine my clinical nursing skills Achievable I will assist my seniors in providing quality treatment to patients Realistic I know I can achieve this because, regular exposure to work will help me attain enriched experience Time Span 1 year NURS6450 My main motivation behind undertaking the course of symptom management in clinical practise is to learn the ethics of appreciation extended towards supporting people in chronic symptoms management of mental health. This in turn goes with the professional code of conduct of Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia that states that nurse must value informed decision making. My belief of symptom management goes with importance of learning the theoretical perspectives of symptoms management while identifying the relationship between nursing response towards symptom management and client system outcomes. This learning connects with the ethical guidelines of Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia that states that nurse must value quality nursing care for all the patients. My two goals in this domain of nursing is to study more papers based on evidence based practice on patients experience on symptoms and to interact with in-patients on daily basis to ascertain their psychological perspectives on symptoms management. The main rationale behind these goals are: this will help me to ascertain patient perceptive towards pain or symptom management while implementing best possible practise based on evidenced based research. NURS6095 I choose to enrol in this course because I belief that a nurse must practise in a culturally competent manner and this exposure can only be achieved via participating in community based nursing interventions. My goals which I plan to achieve via participating in this practise is to attain excellence in understating the historical background of the aboriginals residing in Australia (Torres-Strait Islander) and my second goal is to increase my professional and personal capacity via working in collaboration with health care professionals and non-government service providers.