Avoid the HMRC backlash - Emphasis

Avoid the HMRC backlash Avoid the HMRC backlash You may recall that six million people have through no fault of their own paid the wrong amount of tax over the last few years, thanks to a blunder at HM Revenue Customs (HMRC). The story dominated the column inches last month, in part because of the way HMRC so unceremoniously delivered this bombshell to its customers (in the form of a standard tax calculation letter) and in part because of the backlash that followed from taxpayers. Being customer-centred Arguably some of the controversy could have been avoided through a large dose of subtlety and a more customer-centred approach from HMRC. And if it had actually taken into account how its customers might receive the news (particularly if you were one of the 1.4 million poor souls who had underpaid). HMRC was never going to make friends in this situation, but equally it didnt have to make enemies. The tone of its letter was on the clinical side at best and unapologetic at worst. Heres an extract to give you a flavour: Dear taxpayer [Name] I have reviewed your income tax liability for the year shown above to see whether you have underpaid or overpaid tax for that year. My calculation is given on the enclosed sheet. The calculation result is given near the foot of that page. The See Notes column refers to the numbered notes in the guidance leaflet Understanding your tax calculation which I also enclose. A copy of this calculation has been sent to [Agent name]. Part of this underpayment is already being collected through your tax code during [year] and the rest will be collected during [yearyear] (Source: BBC News) Keeping letter writing customer-centred is always important, but probably never more so than when giving bad news. The last thing you want is to exacerbate the situation by not only delivering a blow, but by also sounding like a robot as you do so. To avoid this, try the SCRAP (Situation, Complication, Resolution, Action, Politeness) formula. Situation Begin by explaining the situation (or where they [your readers] are). By doing this, your readers will realise you understand and empathise with them. In the case of HMRC, this could have involved briefly summing up (and owning up to) mistakes in the PAYE system, and suggesting it was at least aware of the worry this might cause to its customers. As you may be aware, HMRC has recently found that some taxpayers have paid the wrong amount of tax through the PAYE system over the last two years. We understand that many people will now be concerned about how this may affect them. Complication Introduce the idea that theres a problem readers need to solve or a request they need to fulfil (why they cant stay there). Here, of course, this will be the money taxpayers owe (or are due). It would also be wise to reinforce this with an apology. Im very sorry to tell you that you have been undercharged by X for the year XX, as the enclosed calculation shows. Resolution State your resolution to the problem or request. Your readers may well be relieved that youre offering a ready-made way of fixing things. (In the case of HMRC, such a sense of relief would unfortunately elude those taxpayers suddenly finding themselves seriously out of pocket.) We are now in the process of collecting underpayments. For those who have underpaid by less than 2000, like you, we will do this by altering your tax code to reclaim the money in monthly instalments over the next X year[s]. We would also like to assure you that from now on, we will be using a new computer system that will minimise the risk of such a mistake happening again. Action Suggest what action the reader can or should take. In some cases, this will be what further action you, the writer, are going to take. Make sure that this follows on logically from the resolution. HMRC has been criticised for not being entirely open about taxpayers possible rights to appeal. If these were made clear at this point, it might avoid being bombarded with letters of appeal sent on the off-chance. You dont need to do anything at this point: your new tax code will be applied automatically. The additional tax taken each month will be X. If, however, you feel that you provided all the necessary information for us to tax you correctly, you may be entitled to appeal. Please see the enclosed leaflet for details on whether this applies to you and how to contact us. Politeness Finally, end with a polite sign-off. And, in this example, a second apology. I hope you understand why we need to take this corrective action. Once again, Im sorry for the effect that our mistake may have on your financial situation. Yours sincerely [name] Apologise like a human No-one likes to admit theyve made a mistake, but owning up and apologising when its justified will always have a better reception from your reader than trying to wriggle out of it. And, while I apologise is better than nothing, Im sorry is much better: it sounds more sincere and more personal. The language of we apologise for any inconvenience caused has been dubbed professionalese by Daniel H Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Pink advises avoiding the phrase entirely, because it makes the author seem like theyre distancing themselves from the mistake. We speak human at home and professionalese at work, he explains. And that might be hurting our businesses more than we realise. In childhood were often told to say were sorry and mean it. And it seems that remains the best advice at every level. In his book The Upside of Irrationality, Dan Ariely found that a simple Im sorry, uttered following a mistake, stopped the other person from getting annoyed and retaliating in some way. Say, for example, refusing to pay back tax. Want to improve your teams customer-letter writing? See our in-house customer-letter writing course.

Gender of Italian Nouns - Genere del Nome

Gender of Italian Nouns - Genere del Nome In Italian, the gender of a noun can be maschile (masculine) or femminile (feminine). Regarding people and animals, the distinction is in relation to sex; nouns of male living beings are masculine: padre (father), scrittore (writer), infermiere (nurse), gatto (cat), leone (lion), while nouns of female living beings are feminine: madre (mother), scrittrice (writer), infermiera (nurse), gatta (cat), leonessa (lioness). However, there is not always a correspondence between grammar gender and natural gender. There are, in fact, several nouns of the type that, while considered feminine in grammatical gender, denote men: la guardia (guard), la vedetta (sentry), la sentinella (sentry), la recluta (recruit), la spia (spy). Conversely, there are other nouns that refer to women, even though they are grammatically considered the male gender: il soprano, il mezzosoprano, il contralto. In these instances, the agreement of words that refer to the noun should take into account the grammatical gender: La guardia à ¨ svelta.The guard is quick. La sentinella à ¨ attenta.The sentinel is attentive. Il soprano à ¨ bravo. (not bravo)The soprano is good. Le reclute sono arrivate. (not arrivati).The recruits arrived. For the nouns of things (both concrete and abstract) the distinction between genere maschile or genere femminile is purely conventional; only with use over time have words such as abito, fiume, and clima been assigned the masculine gender, while others such as cenere, sedia, crisi have been established as feminine. Masculine or Feminine? Besides experience and consulting the dictionary, there are two elements that can help determine the gender of a noun: the significance and the ending of the word. According to the meaning, the following are masculine: The names of trees: labete (fir), larancio (orange), il melo (apple), il pino (pine), il pioppo (poplar), lulivo (olive); but there are also those that are feminine: la palma (palm), la quercia (oak), la vite (grapevine); The names of metals and chemical elements: loro (gold), largento (silver), il ferro (iron), il rame (copper), il bronzo (bronze), lossigeno (oxygen), lidrogeno (hydrogen), luranio (uranium); The names of the months and days of the week (except Sunday): lafoso agosto (muggy August), il freddo dicembre (cold December), il lunedà ¬ (Monday), il sabato (Saturday); The names of mountains, seas, rivers, and lakes: il Cervino (the Matterhorn), lEtna (Mount Etna), lEverest (Mount Everest), i Pirenei (the Pyrenees), lAtlantico (the Atlantic), il Tirreno (the Tyrrhenian Sea), il Po (the Po), il Tevere (the Tiber), il Tamigi (the Thames), il Danubio (the Danube), il Garda, il Trasimeno. But many names of mountains are feminine: la Maiella, le Alpi (the Alps), le Dolomiti (the Dolomites), le Ande (the Andes); as well as many names of rivers: La Senna (the Seine), la Loira (the Loire), la Garonna (the Garonne); The names of the cardinal points: il Nord (il Settentrione), il Sud (il Mezzogiorno, il Meridione), lEst (il Levante, lOriente), lOvest (il Ponente, lOccidente). According to the meaning, the following are feminine: The name of fruit: la ciliegia (cherry), la mela (apple), la pera (pear), lalbicocca (apricot), la pesca (peach), la banana (banana). What is remarkable, however, is the number of fruits that are considered masculine: il limone (lemon), il dattero (date), il fico (fig), lananas (pineapple); The names of the sciences and in general abstract notions: la matematica (mathematics), la chimica (chemistry), la biologia (biology), la linguistica (linguistics), la bont (goodness), la giustizia (justice), la fede (faith), la pace (peace); The names of continents, states, regions, cities, and islands: lEuropa (Europe), lAfrica (Africa); lItalia (Italy), la Francia (France), la Spagna (Spain), lIndia (India), lArgentina (Argentina); la Toscana, la Calabria, lUmbria, le Marche; la dotta Bologna, la Napoli degli Angioini; la Sicilia, la Sardegna, la Groenlandia (Greenland), le Antille (West Indies). But there are also many names considered masculine, including those of states and regions: il Belgio (Belgium), il Perà ¹ (Peru), lEgitto (Egypt), gli Stati Uniti (United States): il Piemonte, il Lazio; and those of cities and islands: il Cairo, il Madagascar. Depending on the ending, the following are masculine: Nouns ending in -o: il libro, il prezzo, il quadro, il vaso, il muro. There are not many instances in which nouns ending in -o are feminine: la mano, la radio, la dinamo, la moto, lauto, la foto, la virago, la biro. By convention eco in the singular is feminine (uneco, una forte eco), but frequently is considered masculine as well; in the plural it is always regarded as masculine (gli echi) Nouns ending in a consonant, mainly of foreign origin: lo sport, il bar, il gas, il tram, il film; but there are also foreign words ending in a consonant that are feminine: la gang, la holding. The following are feminine: Nouns ending in -a: la casa, la sedia, la penna, la terra, la pianta. However, many are masculine. Apart from nouns ending in -a that apply to both genders (such as il giornalista / la giornalista), various nouns derived from Greek are masculine, such as those that end in -ma: il poema, il teorema, il problema, il diploma, il dramma; and others such as il vaglia, il pigiama, il nulla; Nouns ending in -i: la crisi, lanalisi, la tesi, la diagnosi, loasi. But brindisi is masculine; Nouns ending in -t and in -tà ¹: la bont, la civilt, la verit, lausterit, la virtà ¹, la gioventà ¹, la servità ¹. Nouns ending in -e, unless they belong to certain classes of suffixes (-zione, -tore, -ite), can be either gender: il ponte, lamore, il fiume, il dente; la mente, la fame, la notte, la chiave.

Measures of Effectiveness in BP Accident Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Measures of Effectiveness in BP Accident - Essay Example Managers must always therefore monitor the functionality of a company’s infrastructure often making renovations whenever necessary. This ensures that a company has an effective and updated infrastructure. Additionally, constant supervision of the infrastructure ensures early detection of malfunctions thus instituting timely remedies. Another equally important lesson from the oil spill is the need for a functional contingency plan coupled with adequate resources to facilitate such plans in case of eventualities. The British Petroleum took long to respond to the disaster a feature that enhanced the effects of the accident. Effective contingency plan ensures that a company responds appropriately to disasters. Response to disasters includes taking responsibility where necessary thereby responding appropriately to mitigate the undesirable effects of such accidents. An appropriate contingency plan coupled with adequate financial resources enhances effectiveness of operations in a company especially in times of disasters since the company takes control of such accidents thereby limiting their effects. BP incurred immense financial loses owing to its inability to institute a timely response to the disaster. Contingency plans are dynamic in nature and would therefore provide a timely response to a calamity thereby cushio ning a company from incurring similar

English Essay Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

English Confessions of an Economic Hit Man - Essay Example After having left his job he wrote this book and is nowadays ahead of the movement that proclaims the increase of social, economic and ecological responsibility of businesses. After leaving his job as an economic hit man, Perkins founded the Independent Powers System, Inc. in1980 – a company in a very risky sphere – and later became the defender of the aboriginal rights in Amazonia, published several books on social responsibility, founded several non-profit organisations, among which is a famous Dream Change Coalition that, on the one hand, inspires people to achieve their goals, and on the other – invites them to be extremely careful about how their lives influence the rest of the society and our planet in the whole. All these facts make it obvious that Perkins is sincere in his book, and that it is not a purely PR campaign designed to turn attention to himself but truly precious confessions that make people aware of the crimes performed against the global community by certain structures and separate people. After all, it was not before the September 11, 2001 attacks that John Perkins decided to write about his activity as an econom ic hit man, disregarding all the threats that he had to face. Perkins was firm in his decision to share his knowledge about the contribution of the USA government and multiple global corporations into making these tragic events possible. According to John Perkins, the â€Å"help† that the corporations and other organisations promised to the third-world countries, eventually turned out to be a disaster for people in these countries. Being an economic hit man, John Perkins travelled all over the world and took part in dramatic events of the modern history, including the money washing in Saudi Arabia, the defeat of the Iran Sheikh, the death of Panama President Omar Torrijos, and many others. In his

Key aspects of legislation Essay Example for Free

Key aspects of legislation Essay For example: Having a training session in a room only accessible by stairs would discriminate against a person with difficulty walking due to disability or age. Unnecessarily strict dress codes could discriminate against a person who wears a turban, hijab or sari. In most cases, such inadvertent discrimination could be avoided by ensuring that full details of any requirements are obtained at registration. It is vital that the reasonable adjustments required by the student are available right from the start, if possible without the student having to ask for them. This will enable that student to participate at the same level as their peers, without drawing specific attention to their additional requirements. A teacher would also need to be on guard to ensure that no deliberate or accidental discrimination took place between students, such as sexism or racism, even in jest. One way of addressing this is to have the students themselves develop and agree to a code of conduct from the start. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 This Act is concerned with securing the â€Å"health, safety and welfare of persons at work† (Health and Safety Act 1974) as well as protecting other people in connection with the activities of the person at work (for example, students). Some examples of this might include: Ensuring that electrical equipment is tested and safe before use Ensuring that there are no trailing wires which may cause a trip hazard Ensuring the teaching space is safe and suitable before the students arrive Checking any materials for possible hazards, such as risk of allergic reaction Carrying out and maintaining a risk assessment. Other legislation and codes of conduct to be mindful of include: Child Protection Guidelines – although my area of interest is with teaching adults, it is feasible that I would come into contact with children under 16 professionally Data Protection Act 1998 – I would need to ensure that all personal data held on my students was stored accordingly Freedom of Information Act 2000 – this legislation may apply should I be employed by a public body Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 – for example, the use of photographs downloaded from the internet and used in training materials Specific codes of conduct issued by employers. References www.legislation.gov.uk Last accessed:12th May 2014

Flaming on the Internet :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Flaming on the Internet You're sitting in front of your computer, checking your email like you do everyday. This time, however, you get an email from someone whose name you don't recognize. Your curious nature getting the best of you, you click on it and see this: Guess what! I'm a woman, and I'm sending you e-mail. I must be able to use a computer. I also do not take a herd of women into the restroom with me. Women do not do that. Men just like to think that we do. Who do you think you are exactly? Guess what! I know exactly what you are. You are a pitiful, pathetic excuse for a piece of poor white trailer trash man whose angry because he's an ignorant, chauvinist little prick who can not bribe a decent, intelligent woman into coming within a mile of him and has to resort to cheap, stupid whores to keep him company. What exactly is "this"? It's a flame, of course, courtesy of "Flaming on the 'Net." Susan Herring in her essay entitled "Bringing Familiar Baggage to the New Frontier" defines flaming as "'the expression of strong, negative emotion,' use of 'derogatory, obscene, or inappropriate language', and 'personal insults'" (149). The flame shown above is only one of several different types that are exchanged over the Internet. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Net is growing at the estimated rate of two million novices each month (Sandberg). Thus, the potential increase in flaming as more and more people log on is obviously a problem. However, are there any benefits to this phenomenon? As the debate rages on, my opinion on the matter is that flaming is not the action one should take because it is more harmful than not. On the one hand, the argument stands that flaming does indeed prove itself as an asset. One such instance is to curb scammers. Scammers view the Internet as a cheap avenue to reach millions of people and, by misleading them, making money off of their deception. For example, companies throughout the globe sell their products over the Internet. Not everyone, however, is able to discern which company is reputable and which is not, which allows for an individual to be "taken in" by a great offer.

Difficult Transition Essay

Q1.Identify different several concepts and characteristics from the field of organisational behaviour that this case illustrates. The Organizational Behaviour between the two firms were very different and identifiable. Tony Stark started working at O’Grady and things had been great there. The firm made sure that people who worked there, their personal goals be met and broadened their perspective towards work thereafter. O’Grady was a decentralized firm giving everybody a chance to grow and feel like a part of the firm as their opinion would be incorporated while the managers did decision making. The surroundings were very friendly and socially psychological. There was a lot of freedom given to the workers in terms of the work they did. The firm practiced managing workforce diversity. Tony Stark had a sense of job satisfaction and would have continued working there if the firm did not shut down. Now if we look on to the firm that Tony Stark had to take up after the closure of O’Grady was the Reece Enterprise. This firm had an entirely different way of operation. There was reward based on how long they had been there and played the politics. Top managers only were concerned about the work being complete and not how it was done or who did a good job. Even though Reece was a much more organized and structured organization, it still failed to be practicing a decentralisation. There was a requirement of three signatures from the higher authority without which any decision making would not have proceeded and therefore made the entire process really slow as reaching the top managers wasn’t easily accessible and interoffice memos had very low priority. The environment among the workers wasn’t very pleasing either. They did not accept anyone new which was appointed at the same stature. This not only was ignorant but also very demeaning. Tony Stark regretted accepting the offer without researching about the firm. Q2.what advice can you give tony? How would this advice be supported or tempered by behavioral concepts and processes? Tony Stark could look for another job and perhaps this time research about the company and then join it or he could make a difference in the firm he was working and bring about a change. Changing working situations in such a huge firm is very difficult but its not impossible. He probably is not the only one facing the problem. There might be a few others and would join him to help him take the decision of change. This change could be bought about by effectively talking to the high authority. Letting them know that people don’t have a job satisfaction nor are they excited about the work, which would eventually lead to the downfall of the firm and further shut down. This could be avoided if decision making was made more efficient and incorporative. If there was an introduction to a suggestion box or if any other form of easy communication with higher authority, making the work more target attached. Q3. Is it possible to find an ‘ideal’ place to work? Explain. It is not easy to find an ‘ideal’ work place or maybe possible. You have to make a place ideal according to your goals and perspective. The definition of ideal will vary from person to person. It may mean friendly environment for someone and work oriented for the other. It may be too philosophical but that’s how human behaviour works. Its unpredictable. It will vary from person to person. Humanized Robots Q1.How successful do you think helen bower’s new plan will be ? Helen Bower was a young lady who had a very different way of running the business as compared to her father from whom she inherited it. She was a very business oriented woman. She knew where she wanted her company to be in the next few years. She knew her competitors and was aware of the market conditions. The problems that came along with the way she handled business was workers  not being satisfied or involved in the process. She treated them like hired help or rather as machines, who were paid to work for her. She paid them average wages and expected them to work to their full capacity and produce as much as they could. She didn’t think of herself as a leader but as a boss. She was interested in the profit and not sharing the profit among the workers who made her earn that profit. This sort of behaviour led to marginal changes in production and the growth of the corporation. To understand the reason as to why the company wasn’t growing enough she hired a consultant. He carefully researched the organization and recommended to go back to his fathers way of supervision which she thought was ‘humanistic nonsense’. She took steps that she thought were the best for the company from her point of view and announced a 10 percent cut for those who failed to increase their productivity. She did not realise that this would worsen the condition. Workers might start a protest or even worse quit. Worker satisfaction should be the utmost priority of any company or firm. Q2.What challenges does helen confront? Helen was a very straight forward person. She knew what she was doing and knew what steps would help her company grow. She never treated the people working for her as humans. Since she was paying them the average wage she thought she was doing more than enough for them. But she had to realise that at the end of the day they also had some desires to fulfil and a family back home. They needed to be paid more than average and treated more than as merely machines. Her behaviour towards workers led to problems. She had to face challenges like keeping them motivated to work, reach the target, retain in the competitive market. Q3. If you were helen’s consultant, what would you advice her to do? If I was Helen’s consultant I would have advised her to change the way she approaches her target. She has to not only focus on the global market but also the work that’s being conducted in her business. She needs to built a more systematic way of functioning in which workers also have a say. They need to be heard and given a choice to voice their opinion. It should be like how the government works- Democratically. Being like Hitler would only help you keep power in your hands but not earn respect from people. As a consultant I would also advise her to be like her father just as the consultant in the case study does. Maybe that path would lead to a slow growth of the company but it will be an everlasting growth. A growth with very strong pillars. Also being a businesswoman and always thinking about workers well being would also lead to too much pampering of the workers. They should be handled with a lot of attention. They need to be focused on the targets and help you reach the productivity with low cost. They should be understanding enough.

One Should Never Judge a Person by External Appearances Essay

I certainly agree with the above statement. â€Å"Never judge a book by its cover.† The word â€Å"book† also refers to person. External appearances can trick us. If you only look at a person by his outlook, you will never find and have a true friend because the most important is inner beauty or character. Person who has fierce face, frightening appearances looks like a rascal may be a friendly and kind person. He probably has reason to act like that. It may be caused of family problems, a bad memories or something that won’t even pops up in our mind. Don’t ever be afraid to say â€Å"hi† or just give a smile. It will impact something good. Usually, person like that doesn’t want to greet others first. He may be a nice person. In the other hand, a ‘good-looking’ person may be a bad one. We won’t realize that he has an evil plan to prick behind us because his outlook covers everything. They may look friendly outside but depraved inside. Silent doesn’t always mean golden. He may think or even plan something bad when he’s in silent. He may hide his anger deep inside and covers it so that nobody will know. But, he can’t keep it for the rest of his life. Sometimes, he must be angry and usually it will be more frightening than people in common. So, at the end, by this essay, I just want to say that outer beauty isn’t the most important, but inner beauty is. An outlook hide what’s inside. But, it doesn’t mean a ‘good-looking’ person is always bad. A good friend is he who always be there for us although we don’t see them.

The Basics of Narrative Voice

The Basics of Narrative Voice The Basics of Narrative Voice â€Å"Narrative† refers to how a story is told. A â€Å"narrative voice,† then, is a voice that tells a story. This makes it important for authors to understand the basics! In this post, therefore, we’re looking at key aspects of narrative voice. Grammatical Person One key element of narrative voice is point of view. This is reflected in the grammatical person used. In most narrative writing, this will either be first person or third person: First-person narration tells a story from the point of view of the narrator (i.e., using â€Å"I† or â€Å"we† pronouns). This will often be the main character in the story, but it could also be someone else recalling what they witnessed or a story they heard. In third-person narration, the narrator isn’t the main focus of the story. They may be part of the story, such as an onlooker giving their version of events. But a third-person narrator may also be the disembodied voice of the â€Å"author† telling the story. Either way, they refer to characters with third-person pronouns such as â€Å"he,† â€Å"she,† and â€Å"they,† but not â€Å"I† or â€Å"we.† While not impossible, it is unusual to use the second person in narration. This is because it involves addressing the reader directly, as if you were telling a story about the person reading it! What Does the Narrator Know? A narrator can be either limited or omniscient. A limited narrator knows only what they would know within the bounds of the story (e.g., a character recounting their version of events). An omniscient narrator knows everything that is happening in the world of the story. First-person narrators are usually limited since first-person narration is subjective. But third-person narrators can be either limited or omniscient depending on their relation to the story itself. Narrative Reliability Another element of narration is how trustworthy the narrative voice is. A reliable narrator provides a straightforward, credible account of events. An unreliable narrator, on the other hand, tells a story that should not be taken at face value. This may be because the narrator is lying, misinformed, or even insane. The point of this is to: Make the reader question what they are being told Show the reader something about the narrator For example, an unreliable narrator may be trying to persuade the reader to sympathize with an unsympathetic character, such as Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. Or it can be used to show us how the world appears to the narrator, such as in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, where the story is told from the point of view of an autistic child. Both good books, albeit in very different ways. Combining These Elements in Narrative Voice You can combine the elements above in various ways. As mentioned, for example, a third person narrator can be either limited or omniscient. You can also use different narrative voices in different parts of a story. Try experimenting with telling your story in different ways. They key is finding a voice that works for you. To work out what type of narration to use: Think about what you want to reader to feel and think as they read Consider how you want the reader to relate to the narrator Work out what type of voice will let you achieve this Whatever   you choose to do, though, remember that narrative voice is an essential part of storytelling.

House Centipedes, Scutigera coleoptrata

House Centipedes, Scutigera coleoptrata Put down that newspaper! House centipedes look like spiders on steroids, and your first reaction to seeing one might be to kill it. But scary as it may seem, the house centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata, is really quite harmless. And if youve got other pests in your home, its actually doing some good. What Do House Centipedes Look Like? Even people who appreciate bugs can be startled by a house centipede. A fully grown adult may reach 1.5 inches in body length, but its many long legs make it appear much larger. The last pair of legs on a female house centipede is elongated and may be twice as long as the body. The house centipede is light yellow-brown in color, with three dark longitudinal stripes down its body. Its legs are marked with alternating bands of light and dark. House centipedes also have large compound eyes, which is unusual for centipedes. Although the house centipede does possess venom, it rarely bites anything larger than itself. If you are bitten by  Scutigera coleoptrata,  you arent likely to suffer much pain.  Do take care to clean the wound to prevent a secondary infection. How Are House Centipedes Classified? Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass - ChilopodaOrder - ScutigeromorphaFamily - ScutigeridaeGenus - ScutigeraSpecies - coleoptrata What Do House Centipedes Eat? House centipedes are skilled hunters that prey on insects and other arthropods. Like all centipedes, their front legs are modified into poison claws used to inject venom into their prey. Within your home, they provide efficient (and free) pest control services for you, as they feed on silverfish, firebrats, cockroaches, carpet beetles, and other household pests. The House Centipede Life Cycle Female house centipedes can live as long as 3 years and produce between 35 and 150 eggs during their lifetimes. The first instar larvae have only four pairs of legs. Larvae progress through 6 instars, gaining legs with each molt. Although it has its full complement of 15 pairs of legs, the immature house centipede will then molt 4 more times to reach adulthood. Interesting Behaviors ofHouse Centipedes The centipede makes good use of its long legs. It can run at alarming speeds –the equivalent of over 40 mph in human terms. It stops and starts quickly, which can make even the most diehard arthropod enthusiast squeal with fright. This athleticism isnt meant to scare you, though, the house centipede is simply well-equipped to pursue and catch prey. Just as their speed helps them capture prey, it also enables the centipede to escape predators. If a predator does manage to grab a leg, the house centipede can shed the limb and flee. Strangely, the house centipedes detached leg will continue to move for several minutes after its owner has left the scene. House centipedes continue to molt as adults and will regenerate lost limbs when they do. Where DoHouse Centipedes Live? Whether it lives outdoors or in, the house centipede prefers cool, damp, and dark locations. In a natural habitat, it can be found hiding under leaf litter or hidden in shady crevices in rocks or tree bark. In human dwellings, house centipedes often inhabit basements and bathrooms. In northern climates, house centipedes remain indoors during cold months but may be seen outside from spring to fall. The house centipede is thought to be native to the Mediterranean region, but Scutigera coleoptrata Is now well-established throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. Sources: House Centipedes, Entomology Dept., Penn State University. Accessed online June 3, 2014.Species Scutigera coleoptrata - House Centipede, Bugguide.net. Accessed online June 3, 2014.House Centipedes on the Move, Whats Bugging You?, Dr. Arthur Evans. Accessed online

Teaching Plan for Patients with Hypertension Essay

Teaching Plan for Patients with Hypertension - Essay Example These patients are composed of middle aged adults living alone in suburban areas. Setting: Private Doctor’s Office Anticipated Client Outcomes: 1. Patient should be able to keep a record of two blood pressure readings a day. Blood pressure is checked through a digital sphygmomanometer once in the morning and in the afternoon. 2. Patient should be able to keep a monitoring sheet for daily intake of prescribed anti-hypertensive medication. Patients should also be able to verbalize understanding on the precautions in taking medications. 3. Patient should be able to eat a balanced diet with strict avoidance of foods rich in fat and salt. This is measured through cholesterol determination and comparison with previously obtained results. Methodology: Patients will be divided into two groups with a minimum of five members each. Teaching classes are conducted every week. These patients are diagnosed with Stage 1 and Stage 2 Hypertension with systolic blood pressure of 140-179 and dias tolic pressure of 90-109 (McGowan 6). They have been prescribed with a variety of anti-hypertensive medications, all of which are taken every morning. Handouts will be distributed a day prior to discussion so that patients can do an advance reading and prepare questions, hence, fostering active participation. During class, basic information about blood pressure and hypertension will be provided through lecture discussion with the aid of power point and video presentations. The information presented primarily consists of definition, physiology, signs, symptoms, treatment modalities and complications of hypertension. All these information are discussed using mostly layman’s terms to facilitate better understanding among patients. Patients will be taught on the proper use of digital sphygmomanometer. If there is unavailability of sphygmomanometer, it will be suggested to buy the cheapest but reliable ones. If it is unavailable due to financial constraints, patients who live in a neighborhood are encouraged to share the sphygmomanometer amongst them. Record books are provided for each patient. These log books are divided into four columns – the first column is for blood pressure reading in the morning, the second column is for the anti-hypertensive medication, the third is for blood pressure reading in the evening, and the fourth column is for additional remarks. In the fourth column, patients can write their notes such as the symptoms experienced for that day. Proper use of digital sphygmomanometer is taught through demonstration. The nurse will show how to properly apply the BP cuff on a volunteer patient’s arm (5). Pointers will be provided so that patients can easily remember the location of the cuff. Most digital sphygmomanometers require one touch of a button to facilitate reading, so the nurse will focus on discussing the do’s and don’ts while the sphygmomanometer is reading. The nurse will also discuss the normal range fo r blood pressure (8) and the importance of adherence to intake of prescribed medications. Alongside with this, the nurse will emphasize that blood pressure readings of 100/70 and below will require the patients not to take the medication temporarily to avoid sudden drop in blood pressure. In cases like this, close monitoring of blood pressure must be done to avoid sudden hypertensive episodes. Since these patients are living alone, they are also responsible for the preparation and selection of their foods.