Benefits of Animal Experimentation essays

Benefits of Animal Experimentation essays Are we to let concern for the rights of pests cost human lives? The answer is a simple one-no. Animal research, although often the subject of debate is a positive thing. Without it, where would the world be? Tests certainly cannot be done on humans, for what human will risk his or her life if there is a more convenient and sensible option. Yes the animals endure pain and, at times, lose their lives but new advances are being made in that field as well. Studies are always being done to ensure the maximum safety and comfort for these subjects. Animal Testing-Good for Mankind or Violation of Rights? Animal testing-is it inapplicable? Many researchers shout yes; results received from small animals and rodents do not apply to humans. If this is so, then why have so many advances been made since the dawning of animal testing? Dozens of vaccines have been found not to mention antibiotics. Indeed, we cannot think of an area of medical research that does not owe many of its most important advances to animal experiments (Rowan, p.21). The main argument of animal research opponents is that animal tests are inapplicable. Animals and humans biologically differ from each other. So results from animal experiments cant be applied directly to humans (Chang, p.2). Other arguments include: Humane alternatives to much of animal research, such as tissue samples and computer models, already exist. Animals have rights. When engaging in animal research, they violate the rights of an animal to be free of unnatural diseases, injuries, or mental and behavioral problems (Chang, p.2). If cures are to be found, animal testing is necessary. In addition to discovering microorganisms, animal experimentation has led to significant medical findings related ...

Possessive Pronouns Formation and Usage

Possessive Pronouns Formation and Usage Possessive pronouns are used to show ownership of an item or an idea. Possessive pronouns are very similar to possessive adjectives and its easy to confuse the two. Here are some examples of possessive pronouns immediately followed by possessive adjectives that are different in structure, but similar in meaning. Possessive Pronouns Examples That dog is hers.That beautiful house on the hill is theirs.The two motorcycles parked over there are his. Possessive Adjective Examples Her dog is over there.Their house on the hill is beautiful.His two motorcycles are parked over there. The easiest way to make sure you are using a possessive pronoun is to notice the placement. Possessive pronouns are always placed at the end of a sentence. They are not placed directly before the noun they modify which is the case for other possessive forms. Possessive Pronoun Usage Possessive pronouns are used to indicate possession when pointing out something to someone. Sentences using possessive pronouns generally use other modifiers to point something out and claim ownership. Examples Whose car is that? Its mine. Its mine.Wheres their house? That house is theirs. Possessive pronouns  are only used when the object of possession (what is yours, hers, ours, etc.) is understood from the context. In other words, what is possessed is usually referred to in a previous statement. The possessive pronoun is then used to clarify to whom the object belongs. Here is a list of possessive pronouns. I - mineYou - yoursHe - hisShe - hersWe - oursYou - yoursThey - theirs Is this your lunch? - No, that one over there is mine.Whose tennis rackets are those? - Theyre yours!Whose house is it? - Its his.Do you know who that belongs to? - Its hers.This isnt your house. Its oursWhose cars are these? - Theyre yours.Whose dog is that? - Its theirs. Possessive nouns are also be used in the same manner as possessive pronouns when stating that something belongs to someone in particular. Examples Whose cell phone is that? - Its Johns.Who do these computers belong to? - Theyre our parents. Possessive Pronoun Checklist Possessive pronouns are used when the object of possession is understood from the contextPlace possessive pronouns directly at end of sentencesPossessive pronouns are very similar in usage to possessive adjectivesPossessive pronouns are used when the context is clear who is in possession of an objectNote the similarity in form between possessive pronouns and adjectives Use these resources for more detailed information on other individual possessive forms: Possessive Nouns - For example, Johns house, the bicycles color, etc.Possessive Adjectives - For example, our neighborhood, his niece, etc. This general guide to possessive forms quickly compares all three types of possessive forms.

Is the use of nostalgia in the media necessarily a conservative Essay

Is the use of nostalgia in the media necessarily a conservative impulse - Essay Example It helps the customers to easily remember and relate with past products or services, which in turn helps them to accept new or rebranded products. As a matter of fact, many companies or organizations are using nostalgia as a marketing strategy as a strategy to simultaneously reach out to new consumers and retain current consumers (Uten and Solomon, 2013). This has been triggered by the digitization of the world through technology, and the global economic trends. The global economy is highly competitive and hence there is need for retaining excellent past products, rebranding these products, as well as innovatively creating new products (Wheatley, 2007). The use of nostalgia as a marketing strategy helps in creating familiarity within the consumers and further creates curiosity to try new products or services from the same organizations or companies. The use of old products to usher in new or rebranded ones gives the consumers a sense of belonging and helps the customer to easily fami liarize and accept the new or rebranded products (Uten and Solomon, 2013). As much as there is a need to develop new products due to market competition, it is also important to relate new products with other past successful products and maintain the latter. The fashion industry has seen the development of great designs that have a conceptual vintage design (Tungate, 2008). Nostalgia has been highly used as a strategic marketing tool in advertisement, where is helps in reaching out to resident and new consumers who relate to successful past experiences with the product (Sprengler, 2009). This creates a sense of security, comfort and belonging and hence creates a strong foundation for marketers to advertise their products, which has led to mass media diversity, especially in advertisement. Pull media is a classification of traditional media, such as television, newspaper, or radio, where the consumer is willingly engaged (Bell

Choose one from the essay4 topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Choose one from the essay4 topic - Essay Example McKeon sounds a bit more pragmatic since he informs us about how the separation of the household from the business enterprise has left a substantial impact in the materialization of the capitalism and the modern culture. It was, however, Bordo’s notion of male-body that I found most interesting. Bordo focuses upon the cultural and psychological understanding of the male body in the post-modern world. Her writing also provides a good deal of argument on the gender issues related to body exposure in a variety of media. Though the issues discussed by McKeon and Bordo are not directly relevant to the pedagogical issues, yet we can derive a theory of education out of what they have presented in their works. My concept of education before reading the three authors was somewhat different. The study I believed that education was all about teaching and learning and that a teacher had to play pivotal role in the pedagogical process. The notion of education cannot be limited to formal education. Students spend more time at home or at other places than in schools. Their learning is a continuing process, which involves a variety of factors. A child’s education starts from the lap of her/his mother and then the exposure to society, peers, media, and a number of other factors directly or indirectly teach the child how to live, behave, interact, and handle problems. I also believed that a student-centered and activity-based education is better than the teacher-based education which involves extensive lecturing. I believed that a teacher must follow reflective teaching which involves creativity, experimentation and melioration of the pedagogical process through flexibility and acceptance of new formal/informal methods of teaching. The most important thing, in my opinion, was joy of learning. An ideal teacher should strive hard to teach in an interactive manner and make the students enjoy while learning new concepts. The authors we read during the course have

Personal Fitness Notes Essay Example for Free

Personal Fitness Notes Essay †¢Why did you initially choose this diet? I chose this diet because it was recommended by a close friend of mines, who was also having trouble with his weight. I told me that the meals provided in the diet were really delicious and he was seeing an improvement. So I decided to give it a try. †¢What is the basic premise of this diet/eating plan? The premise of the diet was to help me lose weight with entrees and snacks that contained not so much calories. †¢What were two positive aspects of the diet? The positive aspects of the diet were that the food, which was sold as frozen entrees in supermarkets, was in fact amazing. †¢Were there any downsides to the diet plan? Explain. †¢Did you have success on this diet? I saw moderate success. It didn’t help me lose as much weight as I desired (I wanted to lose 50 pounds or more) but at least I shedded off a couple of pounds. †¢Are you still on the diet plan? I am not on the diet pan as of now. †¢Have you maintained your weight loss? Yes I have. I used to weigh 190 pounds and I’m at 173. †¢Do you feel the diet is safe? Why or why not? The diet is pretty safe because the caloric intake values are pretty decent and the meals are cost efficient. †¢Did you exercise while on the diet? I exercised here and there. I would go running a few times as well as bicycling. †¢Would you follow this diet plan again? Maybe, in the near future. Tell us what you think about the diet used by your interviewee. Explain your thoughts in a reflection paragraph. Compare the diet plan used by the interviewee with the Long Haul Approach that was explained earlier in the course. Which plan would you determine to be better? Please explain your choice. I think the diet was okay because she was able to purchase the meals for a low price instead of those other expensive diets. The Long Haul Approach would be a better diet since she didn’t exercise daily while on it. I believe that’s the reason why she didn’t lose as much weight she wanted to in the first place. The Long Haul Approach would’ve been a much more effective diet for her.

john wilde :: essays research papers

Art History John Wilde Gallery Paper Well walking through the gallery the only piece that stood out to me was John Wilde's piece "A Tribute to the Rubber Stamp #7" a silver point on paper. The piece itself has a very simple composition that contains a hand coming into the page from the left side about about a third of the way up the page. The arm has a shirt on with a pinstripe jacket over it. On the right side of the page is a six banded armadillo with a snail with wings. These animals are placed in the right third of the page. Behind the hand is very light mountain forms that peaks right above the hand and slowly slopes down to pretty much the center of the page and flows fairly flat and parallel with the hand. The mountains are the only thing with a sense of color in the piece, they are washed with a very subtle brown wash. The only other thing that has any sense of color is the armadillos shadow and thats extremely minimal. The armadillo and snail seem to be pretty much proportioned properly except that the armadillos tail is a little to long and the back side of the nail is too big. I think the wings that are on the back of the snail looks exactly like the Detroit Red Wings emblem, minus the color. Everything seems to be drawn graphicly except for the mountains that are drawn fairly loose. The palm of the hand has very good detail and it looks fairly realistic even without any shading. The armadillo and snail are drawn very well, there's a good amount of detail like the tiny hairs that come out of the front of the armadillos she right under its face, and the scale of the armadillo are are very good. The mountains split the composition and give the piece a background and a foreground. The way the mountains go through the page makes the background go back into space and the foreground come forward even though all it is, is wide open white space. another things the mountains do is take your eye from the left side of the page and slowly guides them to the right side, the hand also aids the composition in this almost pointing you towards the right side of the page towards the animals.

Organic Food Industry in India Essay

India today is on the threshold of an organic revolution and Indian Organic Food industry though at a nascent stage, has experienced steadfast growth in past few years. The country’s budding organic food market is transforming into world’s fastest growing organic food market backed by a shift in consumer behavior and spending patterns. Trends in the Industry Organic Food Stores New Varieties on offer Rising Investments Marketing Techniques Organic Food Industry has been blossoming in India. The industry to which overseas demand/exports was oxygen to breathe will be experiencing a colossal change in the consumption pattern in times to come. With growing health awareness among the people coupled with rising disposable incomes and support from Indian government, organic food will surely secure a permanent place in Indian households. Evolving perception of organic food from being a luxury only for elite to a necessity will drive the domestic consumption. Also, overseas demand for Indian organic food will remain robust and continue to drive the industry to rare heights. Indian Organic Food industry currently pegged at USD 189 million in 2011 is stated to grow at a CAGR of ~45%, to reach USD 1733 million by 2017. SCOPE OF THE REPORT Indian Organic Food Industry at a glance Emerging trends in the industry like organic food stores, Rising investments, Marketing techniques etc Demand Supply scenario encompassing production, demand & export numbers and projections Factors driving growth, Issues & Challenges Government Regulations & Initiatives in Indian market Major players Forecasts REASONS TO BUY To understand the various factors which are fuelling the growth and those which are/will be critical for the industry performance in the near term Comprehensive report covering all the aspects required to understand the industry performance and future prospects. The report elucidates the current market scenario of the industry and forecasts key parameters which helps to anticipate the industry performance A burgeoning organic market beckons to India’s rural farmers Indian farmers have started to reap dividends from their budding interest in organic farming. It wasn’t long back, around seven years ago, when Indian farmers started to go organic. In 2006-07, around 4. 32 lakh ha reported organic produce — a large portion came from wild and non-agricultural land — which has now reached around 11 lakh ha, as per the recent report ‘The World of Organic Agriculture, 2013’ by FiBL and IFOAM (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements). â€Å"The growth rate has reached around 20% per year, much higher than early expectations,† says Krishan Chandra, director, National Centre of Organic Farming. The current market for organic foods in India is pegged at Rs. 2,500 crore, which according to ASSOCHAM, is expected to reach Rs. 6,000 crore by 2015. It’ll still leave us at 1% of the global market. Thus, a huge potential is seen in the nascent Indian organic sector. â€Å"Apart from states like Sikkim or MP, we’re seeing a rising interest in Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, UP and Bihar,† says Chandra. India outnumbers every other country in terms of organic producers — with an estimated 5,47,591. Organic products, which until now were mainly being exported, are now finding consumers in the domestic market. â€Å"Even Tier II cities like Nagpur, Allahabad, Gorakhpur and Bhatinda show an increase in organic consumption,† says Sunil Kumar, AGM at Morarka Rural Research Foundation. According to a survey of 1,000 consumers in ten cities done by Morarka Organic Foods, around 30% of Indian consumers preferred organic products and were even prepared to pay 10 to 20% more for them. â€Å"Soil abused by chemical fertiliser excesses takes more time to produce comparable yields. Although, the cost of organic cultivation is much less, reducing cost incurred in purchasing costly inputs,† says Rohitashwa Ghakar, Project Head, International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture. * Regions reap their rewards North Growth: In UP, organic certification has gone up 36 fold in the last six years. The area under organic cultivation rose from 3,034 to 111,644 ha. However, most of the organic farming is under a corporate-farmer contract. In Haryana, with hardly any takers till 2008, organic crops today are produced in more than 10,000 ha. However, Punjab farmers have shown little interest. Of the total 4046 lakh ha of land under cultivation, only a minuscule portion 2104 ha is under organic farming. Popular organic crops: Nearly 40,000 farmers in UP are growing organic wheat, rice, pulses, maize, and numerous herbs like Tulsi, Ashwagandh, Aloe Vera. Haryana grows mostly vegetables like tomato, beans, or fruits like summer-squash, melons and mangoes. â€Å"Although I sell the produce in Delhi, most of it goes to retail chains†, says Kanwal Chauhan, a farmer in Sonepat. Challenges: Punjab State Farmers’ Commission consultant Dr PS Rangi feels that organic farming cannot feed the entire country. â€Å"One can grow vegetables or some wheat for personal use, but it can’t be grown on a large scale. † (By Pankaj Jaiswal, Rajesh Moudgil and Gurpreet Nibber) South Growth: In Kerala, at least 40 % of the farming is organic and the state is set to become the second fully organic state after Sikkim in 2016. From 7,000 ha in 2007, the state has spread organic cultivation to 16,000 ha. In Andhra Pradesh another 11,500 ha would be added to the current 4273. 54 ha this year. In Karnataka, under the organic programmes of the state, an area of 1,18,676 ha has seen organic farming benefiting around one lakh farmers, said R Anuradha, agriculture department. Popular organic crops: More than grains and pulses in Kerala organic farming is prevalent in cash crops, rice and vegetables. In Andhra’s smaller towns and villages, people are slowly shifting to organically grown rice, ragi and other millets. In Karnataka, crops like pepper, vanilla, coffee, nutmeg — which are not available in other parts of India — are a popular choice. Challenges: In large tracts of the state’s tribal belt like Karnataka and AP, the farmers have engaged in slash/burn farming for generations and do not use any pesticide or fertilizer. There have been no efforts to take this into account. (By Ramesh Babu, Ashok Das and Naveen Ammembala) North East Growth: 30. 92 lakh ha out of the net cultivated area of 43 lakh ha in the region have never seen the use of chemical fertilisers. Almost 89% of farmland is categorised as organic in Mizoram, which passed an Organic Act in 2004. Whereas Meghalaya, a major strawberry producer, eyes a turnout of 500 MT from the current 250 MT a year. Popular organic crops: Much of the area in the region is taken up by paddy, vegetables and fruits such as grapes. The more prosperous farmers are into cultivation of medicinal plants, rose and anthurium, primarily for export. â€Å"Mizoram has become the largest anthurium flower producer in India, owing to almost 98% of women anthurium growers,† said Samuel Rosanglura of Mizoram’s horticulture department. Challenges: Most state governments promote vermi-compost and manure in the region since bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides are difficult to access. (By Rahul Karmakar) West Growth: Gujarat has seen substantial growth in organic farming. It currently utilises around 42,000 ha under organic farming. Maharashtra has been a front runner in organic farming with around 6. 5 lakh ha under it, a huge rise from 18,786 ha in 2005-06. In Rajasthan, there has been a ten-fold increase. From around 22,000 ha in 2005-06, the state has taken a leap to 2,17,712 ha. Popular organic crops: Gujarat grows organic wheat, pulses and fruits like mango, chikoo and papaya. While cotton, turmeric, ginger are some crops grown in Rajasthan. In Maharashtra, cotton, cereals, fruits dominate the organic farming scene. The state has initiated a pilot project to grow grapes that will produce organic wine. Challenges: â€Å"Tribals who hardly use chemical fertilisers are left out of organic benefits,† says Kapil Shah of Jatan Trust that promotes organic farming. (By Mahesh Langa) Yoav Lev was a 22-year-old backpacker when he first came to India in 1987. A graduate from an agricultural boarding school in Israel, he came seeking inner peace from his ‘spiritual guru’, the late H. W. L. Poonja of Lucknow, better known as Papaji. â€Å"The quest was to find my true purpose and true self,† he says. He eventually stayed on in India, taking on a new name, Bharat Mitra, and is currently the Founder and President of Organic India, one of India’s leading organic foods companies. It ended 2012 with Rs 60 crore revenues and hopes to reach Rs 90 crore this year, with about half of its sales in India. Five years ago, 75 per cent of our revenue came from exports and the rest from the domestic market. Now both markets have equal share:Raj Seelam Photo: A Prabhakar Rao Organic foods are those made from agricultural products grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilisers. It was from Papaji that Lev learnt the healing power of tulsi (basil plant). By 1997, he had begun cultivating three types of tulsi organically in Azamgarh in eastern Uttar Pradesh. In 2006 he launched Organic India with tulsi tea as its flagship product. Today, the company makes 18 different flavours of tulsi tea and 33 different herbal formulations or supplements, which are said to have medicinal value. He is gearing up to launch a complete range of organic food items, including rice and pulses. â€Å"We are in the final stages of a very promising joint venture to launch a comprehensive range of products both for the Indian market and for exports,† says Lev. He prefers not to reveal the name of the well known Indian company he is negotiating with. Lev is not alone. A clutch of entrepreneurs in India is betting big on the domestic organic food market . Consider Raj Seelam, an Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad alumnus. When Lev first took up tulsi cultivation, some 1,200 km down south in Hyderabad, Seelam was still selling pesticides and fertilisers. From 1988 to 2000, he worked in the farm inputs division of E. I. D Parry, a Murugappa Group company, one of the largest industrial groups in India. â€Å"It gave me a chance to interact closely with farmers and see the havoc that indiscriminate use of pesticides can create,† he says. This spurred him to consider organic farming, even though he was aware agribusinesses rarely succeed in India, because of low margins and excessive government control. Today, his company, Sresta Natural Bioproducts, sells a range of 200 organic products in India and overseas from rice, pulses, sugar, and juices to breakfast cereals and jams. â€Å"Five years ago, 75 per cent of our revenue came from exports and the balance from the domestic market. Now both markets have equal share,† he says. Indeed, the demand for organic foods in India has seen a sharp growth in recent years. While earlier, organic food producers primarily aimed at exports to Europe and the United States, there is now a gradual shift. â€Å"The demand for organic foods has been growing and today we stock a range of around 38 different organic foods in 40 stores as against just about half a dozen stores three years ago,† says S. Jagdish Krishnan, Chief Operating Officer of the retail and bakery divisions of Heritage Foods, an organic food company with a big presence in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. Most of the big retail chains now stock organic products, including Godrej Nature’s Basket, Hyper City, Food Bazaar, More, Nilgiris, Spencers and Tesco – Starbazar. While no of-ficial figures are available, industry estimates put the organic food market within India at close to Rs 100 crore, having grown five-fold in the last six years. When Seelam began organic cultivation in 2004, not a single domestic retailer was willing to stock his products. They feared stocks would not move, since organic foods are significantly more expensive than conventional foods. That is partly due to higher processing costs, since they choose to eschew chemical additives, as well as higher packaging costs, to ensure a reasonably long shelf life. A kilo of Sona Masuri rice, a well known brand, for instance, sells at Rs 40 per kg while organic rice of the same variety costs Rs 60 per kg. Again, tur dal (a commonly used variety of pulses in India) is available at Rs 90 per kg while its organic version costs Rs 140 per kg. This is despite the doubling of prices of these commodities in the past three years, while the organic variants have stayed at almost the same price levels. Seelam was forced to focus on exports. But unwilling to give up on the local market, he set up his own retail stores in four cities – Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune and Chennai – to promote organic products. Today, almost every major retail outlet is willing to stock his products. He has a presence in close to 40 cities and towns, ranging from Patiala in the north to Guntur in the south, and broke even last year. So, why have domestic consumers taken to organic foods despite their cost? Mukesh Gupta, Director of Morarka Organic, which mainly focuses on the domestic market, attributes it to rising disposable incomes and improved awareness about the health benefits of organic foods. â€Å"From 2007 to 2012, the average middle class income in India has shot up. The consumer is willing to pay more for good quality food,† he says. Between 2007 and 2012, the average middle class income in India has shot up. The consumer is willing to pay more for goodquality food: Mukesh Gupta Photo: Vivan Mehra/www. indiatodayimages. com The demand for organic foods will only grow in India, organic food producers claim, with the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act from February this year. The new law sets more stringent standards of food safety – raising the bar on the quality of food manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import. The stress on quality under the new Act will push up prices of foodstuff made using conventional techniques, reducing the price differential with organic food, and boosting sales, asserts Gupta. However, consumers would do well to ensure that they only buy certified organic products, say producers. Organic food products manufactured in and exported from India are marked with the ‘India Organic’ certification mark issued by certification agencies accredited under the the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) and monitored by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). Most of the ing organic food companies in India voluntarily opt for this certification, though it is not mandatory for domestic sales. â€Å"The demand for certified organic foods has been growing since 2001. These are produced by about 570,000 small farmers in India with 500,000 hectares under cultivation,† says National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) Organic products are grown under a system of agriculture without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides with an environmentally and socially responsible approach. This is a method of farming that works at grass root level preserving the reproductive and regenerative capacity of the soil, good plant nutrition, and sound soil management, produces nutritious food rich in vitality which has resistance to diseases. India is bestowed with lot of potential to produce all varieties of organic products due to its various agro climatic regions. In several parts of the country, the inherited tradition of organic farming is an added advantage. This holds promise for the organic producers to tap the market which is growing steadily in the domestic market related to the export market. Currently, India ranks 33rd in terms of total land under organic cultivation and 88th position for agriculture land under organic crops to total farming area. The cultivated land under certification is around 4. 43 million Ha ( 2010-11). The Government of India has implemented the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). The national programme involves the accreditation programme for certification bodies, norms for organic production, promotion of organic farming etc. The NPOP standards for production and accreditation system have been recognized by European Commission and Switzerland as equivalent to their country standards. Similarly, USDA has recognized NPOP conformity assessment procedures of accreditation as equivalent to that of US. With these recognitions, Indian organic products duly certified by the accredited certification bodies of India are accepted by the importing countries. PRODUCTION India produced around 3. 88 million MT of certified organic products which includes all varieties of food products namely Basmati rice, Pulses, Honey, Tea, Spices, Coffee, Oil Seeds, Fruits, Processed food, Cereals, Herbal medicines and there value added products. The production is not limited to the edible sector but also produces organic cotton fiber, garments, cosmetics, functional food products, body care products, etc. EXPORTS India exported 86 items last year (2010-11) with the total volume of 69837 MT. The export realization was around 157. 22 million US $ registering a 33% growth over the previous year. Organic products are mainly exported to EU, US, Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, South Africa and Middle East. Oil Crops (except Sesame) leads among the products exported (17966 MT).

Evaluating Compliance Strategies Essay

The compliance process is very important in medical billing and coding. After a patient is seen, physicians document the patient’s visit. Medical administrators then post the medical codes of the visit in the practice management program (PMP) and prepare the claim. It is important to prepare claims correctly in order to stay in compliance. A correct claim connects a billed service to a diagnosis. The diagnosis has to relate to the billed service to treat the patient’s ailment. The connection is referred to as code linkage. It is important to correctly link procedures and diagnosis’ because if they aren’t correctly link the payer will reject the claim and will not pay for the services which then makes the patient responsible for payment. To be in compliance, medical insurance specialists need to know each payer’s billing rules stated in each insurance policy. These are subject to change and updated frequently so medical insurance specialists also use payer bulletins, websites, and maintain communication with payer representatives to make sure they are staying in compliance. Medicare also has its own set of rules and regulations. The Medicare National correct coding initiative (CCI) controls improper coding. CCI edits are used by computers to check claims for errors that would lead to improper payment of services. The CCI prevents two procedures from being billed that could not have been performed together. Private payers also have code edits similar to the CCI. Compliance errors sometimes occur. Submitting an improper claim may just be a simple mistake such as a typo, or sometimes it may be a deliberate act of fraud. Other common errors that are sometimes made are truncated coding, incorrect gender or age of the patient, assumption coding, altering documentation, coding without proper documentation, reporting services provided by unlicensed providers, and coding a unilateral service twice instead of choosing the bilateral code. For these reasons there are several billing and coding compliance strategies that have been put in place. One compliance strategy used by healthcare professionals is to carefully define bundled code and know global periods. A medical insurance specialist needs to be clear on what individual procedures are contained in bundled codes and what the global periods are for surgical procedures. Another strategy is to benchmark the practices E/M codes with national average. By comparing the practice reports with national averages, upcoding is able to be monitored. Another strategy is to use modifiers appropriately, and be clear on professional courtesy and discounts to uninsured and low income patients. The strategy that I find the most useful and am in support of is to maintain compliant job reference aids and documentation templates. Job reference aids are a form of a cheat sheet that lists procedures and CPT codes that are most often used by each individual practice. I think that the only way this strategy can be improved is to make sure that the job reference aids are updated frequently when new services are added to the practice, and when codes change or new ones are added. This can be accomplished by keeping track of when codes are updated or changed. There are many implications of incorrect medical coding. An improper claim will get rejected or denied by the payer. When this happens the physician will need to either file an appeal, or correct the issue. If the error can be corrected the claim can be resubmitted, however this is still unfortunate because the process will take longer than if it had been done right in the first place. When coding errors are made due to fraudulent attempts, the person who prepared the claim will lose their job and face legal action. Also, sometimes the physician in charge of the practice will be liable and possibly sued, because he/she is responsible for their employee’s and their actions. Medical coding, physician, and payer fees are all related to the compliance process. Any services performed by a physician will need to be correctly coded so that they can be paid for. Medical coding must be done properly in order to stay in compliance. Physicians must be honest and provide proper documentation of any and all services performed in order for an insurance company to accept a claim and pay for the services that were performed. As long as everyone works as a team, and works in honesty, it is easy to stay in compliance. And by using the strategies I have outlined, compliance is not difficult to follow.

10X Marketing Formula Book Launch - #OverheardAtCoSchedule

10X Marketing Formula Book Launch The 10X Marketing Formula  is finally here! If you’ve been following for the past few months, you might know it’s our CEO and co-founder Garrett Moon’s new book. It explains how grew from zero to over 8,000 customers in less than four years by pushing back on conventional marketing wisdom. Best of all, it shows how you can do the same. This isn’t just another marketing book, though. It’s packed with actionable advice that actually works, sharing the same strategies we implement every day at . You’ll learn all about: What should marketers do when content marketing doesn’t work? What is competition-free content, and how can a blue ocean strategy drive results? And above all, how can marketers push past work that drives 10% improvements, and focus on projects that drive 10X results? On this episode of Overheard At , we’re getting Garrett’s insights into what The 10X Marketing Formula  is all about. This marks a major milestone for all of us here, and we can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the book.

Detox your writing - Emphasis

Detox your writing Detox your writing Is your writing feeling a bit flabby and out of shape? Treat it to a one-month detox treatment by following these three rules. Get active The active voice is more direct, dynamic and accountable. The Government took no action is better than No action was taken or No action was taken by the Government. Its far better to have people or organisations taking action than to describe things as mysteriously happening or being done. When you use the active voice, you sometimes find an even simpler way of expressing yourself. A payment was made by the chief executive last week. becomes The chief executive made a payment last week. which you can then change to The chief executive paid last week. Stay structured Few of the people you write for are psychic or have infallible memories. If you put the main part of the sentence at the end, they will have to read to the end before they can start to understand the beginning. This mental back-flip could be all it takes to confuse them, distract them, or put them off. Structuring sentences logically will: keep your readers reading make sure they need to read each sentence only once get your message across. Always put the primary clause first. Or, in other words, put the what before the why. So, rather than In order to achieve these targets within the specified timeframe, we need to begin the training now. write We need to begin the training now, in order to achieve these targets within the specified timeframe. or, even better (see Lose the padding, below) We need to begin the training now, so we can hit our targets on time. Also, try to stick to the rule of one sentence = one idea. Aim for an average sentence length of 15-20 words; an absolute maximum of 35. Remember, there is no limit to the number of full stops you can use. Lose the padding Never mistake the ability to use elaborate phrases for a sign of intellect. Whats the point of using your brain to translate a short word into a long one, so that your readers have to use their brains to translate it back again before they even start to take in your message? Its also a fallacy that short words are somehow lightweight or less useful. In fact, they are often the most powerful. No one is saying that you have to use them all the time that would be boring. But if you want your sentences to have more impact, streamline them by doing these three simple things: cut out redundant words replace long words with short ones replace long phrases with short ones. After the detox Just as with healthy eating and exercise regimes, the secrets of writing well in the long term are to enjoy it and to let yourself experiment. Use this month as an opportunity to clamp down on any bad writing habits youve slipped into by really focusing on these three points. But that doesnt mean that you can never again use the passive voice or your favourite long word. This month, we fast. In the long term, its all about the moderation. Challenge Meanwhile, heres a quick four-point exercise to ponder as you crunch your carrots: 1. Reduce this sentence from nine words to five: It is possible that the Chancellor will cut taxes. 2. Rewrite this sentence without the nominalisation (-tion words): It was his conviction that the provision of bicycles to law officers would lead to a reduction in crime. 3. Cut two words out of this sentence: Sarah Thompson, who is our marketing director, will lead the discussion. 4. Rewrite this sentence without the prepositions (of, on, in, by, to): The recession is of great concern to small-business owners.

Outsourcing and Its Impacts on Corporations Research Paper

Outsourcing and Its Impacts on Corporations - Research Paper Example The paper looks at the core of Apple's business model and its operations, and identifies the key problem as relating to its need to manage its outsourcing relationships and networks in order to secure its manufacturing strategy. The ensuing analysis makes use of IOM concepts and tools to identify technological and management interventions to make the outsourcing strategy work (Wailgum, 2011; Terry, 2013; Chen, 2012; Kabin, 2013; Langlois and Robertson, 1989; Gupta, Kim and Levine, 2013; Smith, Buddress and Raedels, n.d.; Google, 2013; Reuters, 2013). II. Background Information The business problem is outsourcing and the impact of outsourcing on corporations, and this problem is culled from relevant business and academic articles and cases. In general outsourcing is seen as providing benefit to many companies in terms of paring down costs of doing business and being able to delegate work that is better and more efficiently done by third parties so companies can focus on the things tha t they do well, and which add to their overall ability to compete and do well in their respective industries. Outsourcing has been a key reality in doing business for several decades now, and earnest literature recognizing its importance and its groundbreaking impacts on global business extends to at least 2006, with all industries and all kinds of firms profoundly affected by the outsourcing of different kinds of work and corporate functions to India and other parts of Asia, and with outsourcing becoming such a crucial issue that is has been singled out as a political issue in presidential elections in the US (Engardio, Arndt and Foust, 2006; Hochschild, 2012; Corn, 2012). Of particular interest in this paper is the role that outsourcing plays in Apple Inc. Apple is in the business of designing, marketing and manufacturing devices for communications as well as for multimedia, geared towards consumer markets, together with computing devices, software platforms, services, and content and apps developed by parties for the operating systems and software platforms that the company develops. The core products of the firm include its iconic iPhones smart phones and iPad tablet computers, as well as Mac computers and laptops. Platform-rendered services out of its core computing platforms are iTunes, and the Mac Store, as well as its App Store, which serve up music and other digital multimedia content, as well as third party software and apps. Together these software, services, devices and content delivery platforms make up an ecosystem that caters to the comprehensive network of products and services for everyday consumer computing and telecommunications. The company is also branching out into new areas of computing, including search and cloud computing, with a growing array of core technologies being developed and or acquired to beef up competencies in those emerging areas of consumer computing, and in reaction to new market realities and opportunities, as well as c ompetition initiatives and strategies. Its core competitors include Microsoft, Samsung, Google, Motorola, HP, Nokia, and HTC, for different aspects of its primary businesses (Google, 2013; Reuters, 2013). Apple has been extraordinarily successful not just in its own technological sector, but in general as an American company reaping extraordinary levels of revenues and profits, even besting oil in terms of its overall market valuation. This is reflected in the high historical

Mid term exam essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mid term exam - Essay Example I have never had the opportunity, or the confidence, to try my hand at creative writing. In fact, the idea of becoming a writer never crossed my mind. I held the view that ‘Writing is very difficult’ and is suitable only for very gifted, clever persons. I started learning English only in the seventh grade. Unfortunately, English remained a difficult foreign language to be studied at school, and I did not do any reading outside of my classes. I completed High School in Saudi Arabia without doing any additional reading in English. On my arrival in the United States as a baccalaureate student, I was fully occupied with making adjustments to a strange country and culture. As I started my study of Respiratory Therapy at the University of Indianapolis, I was completely focused on meeting my academic requirements and did not do any reading. It is my good fortune that English 102 is a part of my course. English 102 has rekindled my interest in reading. I am totally surprised at the variety of books available in English. There is something to suit the taste of every individual. I realize that, to this point of my life, I have made the mistake of ignoring any reading or writing which did not fall into my academic syllabus. I have been introduced to poems and stories which have opened a new world for me. I consider it a success that I am beginning to understand and deeply enjoy reading stories and poems in English. The delight I get is definitely worth the effort. I am also slowly beginning to think that I can also try to write! Of course, I realize that this is going to be a very slow process, as I have a long way to go in mastering the English language. But I am developing the confidence that I can read and write good English. The piece of short fiction which has kindled a genuine delight in English literature in me is Ernest Hemingway’s story, â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants.† I am