Human Resource Strategies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Resource Strategies - Case Study Example It has Discount Stores, Supercenters (for one-stop shopping), and Neighborhood Markets (convenience stores). It also operates Sam's Club, America's leading members-only warehouse club (Our Retail Divisions 2007). Being the leader not just in a particular industry but to the whole business world as a whole in terms of revenues is a result of effective policies, plans, and strategies against its competitors. In case of Wal-Mart, their competitive advantage lies on how well and effective they make their principles into reality. Wal-Mart considers its corporate culture as one of the keys for its outstanding success. Walton was able instill his inspiring and motivating beliefs and principles that is being abided and taken by heart by his employees then, until now. Wal-Mart has retained the culture based on tested principles for a successful business and life (The Wal-Mart Culture 2007). The cornerstones by which Wal-Mart stands on are its Three Basic Beliefs. These three main thrust play an important role in decision making and other activities the company does. They are also the standards by which the accomplishments and performances of individual personnel or of the entire organization is measured. Respect the Individual - Wal-Mart believes that they are a group of dedicated, hardworking and ordinary individuals who are united "to make extraordinary things." Being an organization as such is no easy task. One of the essentials of making this happen goal happen is to treat each individual member within and outside the organization with respect and dignity. Service to our Customers - The retail giant knows that they are nothing without their customers. Because of this the company strives to ensure that each of the hard-earned dollar spent by their customers to their service is compensated accordingly by offering quality merchandise at the lowest price while providing outstanding service to them. Strive for Excellence - Wal-Mart's amazing success is a product of innovative and trailblazing ideas and goals that stretch their horizons further. For Walton, it is not enough that Wal-Mart offers low prices or high quality. He believed that striving for excellence by incorporating fresh and innovative ideas that will get them ahead of the pack. Accomplishing a feat is not enough. Complacency is never attained at Wal-Mart as the company takes each accomplishment as a stepping stone for another success. Sustainable improvement is what Walton wants for his organization (Three Basic Beliefs 2007). Sam's Rules for Building Businesses Perhaps still unsatisfied with the brevity of his three basic beliefs, Walton elaborated ten rules that would rev up his business steps higher. Together with the three basic beliefs, he had revealed much of his secrets before his death in April 1992. Commit to your business - The unwavering passion for making the business a phenomenal success is what Walton instilled in the minds and the hearts of his employees. For him the love for work and the desire to excel in it is needed in this fiercely competitive world. Share your profits with all your associates, and treat them as partners. - For Walton encouraging his associates to hold a stake in a company is important for them to accompany Wal-Mart in pursuing their dreams. By offering them discounted

3 Element's The Need for Affordable Healthcare is Now Essay

3 Element's The Need for Affordable Healthcare is Now - Essay Example The above statement is adequate for the audiences as well as the readers because it informs them of the perceived benefits. It makes them paint a picture of what they are likely to encounter with the implementation of the policy. â€Å"Businesses and corporations that offer benefits packages to their employees spend a large portion of their budget to ensure that in case of a medical emergency, their families and themselves are covered through private insurance companies." "in 2011, a report predicted that by 2014, 30% of health insurance benefits packages were going stop being offered due to the increasing awareness and accessibility to alternate care packages like ObamaCare." "In a 2001 survey, 46.2% filed bankruptcies were directly related to medical problems. Since then, the number has risen to 62 percent of filed bankruptcies in 2009, where over 90 percent of medical debtors were at least $5000 in medical debt or 10% of their family income before taxes". The writer has used evidences to support the thesis statement by giving out figures. Similarly, the figures show the statistics that the policy will have positive effects on the employees as well as employers. Generally, the content o the essay was up to the task because it fulfilled its purpose, had a clear thesis statement, which was supported by evidence. Through all these, the reader is convinced of the content as well as the reliability of the

A history of ultrasound physics and the properties of the transducer Research Paper

A history of ultrasound physics and the properties of the transducer - Research Paper Example Prior to the second World War, sonar, which is the technique of transmitting waves of sound through water and observing the echoes that return to characterize the objects that are submerged, was an inspiration to the pioneers of ultrasound investigators in exploring ways and in turn applying the medical diagnosis concepts. This paper will highlight the history of ultrasound and discuss the properties of transducers. History of ultrasound According to Orenstein, (2008) Pythagoras, popular for his theory about right-angled triangles was the pioneer of ultrasound, since he invented the sonometer, which was used to study musical sounds. Boethius (c. 480-c.525) was the first to give comparison between sound waves to waves that were produced when a pebble was dropped into calm water. Pierre Curie, a French physicist discovered piezoelectricity in 1877, the moment that ultrasound was conceived. Later on, as Orenstein continues to assert, sonographic imaging was developed by French professor and physicist Paul Lavengin. Many scientists had the desire to see inside the human body and in turn developed probes and scopes for diagnosis and treatment during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For instance, the discovery of X-rays by William Conrad in 1865 played an important role in the history of ultrasound. Moreover, in 1912, when the Titanic sank while on its maiden voyage made people to be curious in detecting submerged s ubstances. Like many other technological advances, ultrasound also owes its development to the World War. Lavengin was called upon by the French government to develop an object that was able to detect the sub marines of the enemy during the World War One. The device he invented applied the piezoelectric effect he had learned as Curies’ student (Orenstein, 2008). The transducer is one of the most critical componenets of any diagnostic ultrasound system. There exists various types of ultrasound transducers that can be chosen prior to performing an ultrasound investigation, therefore, much attention should be accorded towards choosing the most suitable transducer for the ultrasound application (Gibbs, Cole, & Sassano, 2009 p27). However, Lavengin did not complete the device he developed in 1917 so that it could be used during the First World War, but it indeed formed the basis of sonar detection that was developed in the World War II (Orenstein, 2008). In 1928, Sergei Sokolov, a Russian physicist made important suggestions that saw ultrasound being used for industrial purposes that included detecting flaws in metallic devices. Ultrasound is a new aspect in the field of medicine. For instance, in the 1920s and the 1930s, ultrasound was used by members of European football clubs as a physical therapy. Additionally, as reported by Orenstein, ultrasound was utilized in the sterilization of vaccines as well as for cancer therapy in conjunction with radiation therapy. Subsequently, in 1948, other ultrasound pioneers such as Douglas Howry subjected his efforts towards developing a B-mode equipment that compared pathology to cross-sectional anatomy. The late 60s and early 70s was the period of sonic boom. A 2D echo was pioneered by Klaus Bom. Don Baker, John Reid and Dennis Watkins were able to develop a pulsed Doppler in 1966, which was able to detect the flow of blood from the different corners of the heart. Real-time ultrasound was developed in

3 Element's The Need for Affordable Healthcare is Now Essay

3 Element's The Need for Affordable Healthcare is Now - Essay Example The above statement is adequate for the audiences as well as the readers because it informs them of the perceived benefits. It makes them paint a picture of what they are likely to encounter with the implementation of the policy. â€Å"Businesses and corporations that offer benefits packages to their employees spend a large portion of their budget to ensure that in case of a medical emergency, their families and themselves are covered through private insurance companies." "in 2011, a report predicted that by 2014, 30% of health insurance benefits packages were going stop being offered due to the increasing awareness and accessibility to alternate care packages like ObamaCare." "In a 2001 survey, 46.2% filed bankruptcies were directly related to medical problems. Since then, the number has risen to 62 percent of filed bankruptcies in 2009, where over 90 percent of medical debtors were at least $5000 in medical debt or 10% of their family income before taxes". The writer has used evidences to support the thesis statement by giving out figures. Similarly, the figures show the statistics that the policy will have positive effects on the employees as well as employers. Generally, the content o the essay was up to the task because it fulfilled its purpose, had a clear thesis statement, which was supported by evidence. Through all these, the reader is convinced of the content as well as the reliability of the

Creative Piece for as Level English Literature Coursework Comparing Two Film Adaptations of Hamlet Essay Example for Free

Creative Piece for as Level English Literature Coursework Comparing Two Film Adaptations of Hamlet Essay Kenneth Branagh takes Hamlet from play to screen in an intense, full-length adaptation and he got it right! Gregory Doran also takes a whack at bringing Hamlet from the stage to the screen but with a more modern-day interpretation. Branagh restores Hamlet’s greatest scenes and brings out the most in Shakespeare’s awe-inspiring revenge-tragedy plot; in both performance and direction, Branagh displays energy and cogency. The language has the upmost clarity and makes the film feel accessible and comprehensible for a range of viewers. Branagh’s pragmatic approach, which includes short illustrative ‘flashbacks’, work as a perfectly credible cinematic device that helps the audience to understand the complex scenarios. Branagh tends to rant on and shout throughout the film, especially in his soliloquys, but to the audience it could feel commanding and passionate and so it creates quite an impressive effect. The musical scores are generally helpful, although on occasions they don’t quite fit in with the mood, for example in Act 4, Scene 4, during Hamlet’s speech, the music just made it more humorous rather than serious and dramatic, honestly it sounded more like a cheesy American speech with a flag in the background! At the start of the film, the setting is a bit weak, with the shaking of the earth and the appearance of the ghost proving to be a poor attempt at special effects! However the film then gets flooded with colour and majestically inviting grand halls and rooms which are truly beautiful. The BBC’s adaptation of Hamlet (2009), takes a modern-day approach; from the start it is clear that this adaptation is modern dress, Hamlet wears jeans and a T-shirt and he kills Polonius with a handgun, as well as there being Helicopters and women in military roles. Some dialogue and scenes were ‘trimmed’ and adapted to suit viewers of the modern day and unlike the exuberant, bravura styling of Branagh’s version, Doran has favoured a more refined minimalist dramatization. Whilst the production design is theatrical, Doran directs the camera in a manner that is more typical of television; he uses a few cinematic flourishes and can reach angles that would be impossible on the stage. The use of modern CCTV may enforce the element of surveillance but their clumsy, intrusive functioning is more distractive rather than innovative. It is interesting however how Doran puts a camera in Hamlet’s hands to highlight that character’s observations of others. Onstage, Tennant made eye-contact with the audience, bringing  viewers into the plot and the tense impression of the play; this quality was also apparent in the film where Tennant looks directly into the camera, enhancing the meaning behind the text whilst recreating the theatrical intimacy. Branagh doesn’t stray from the original text in his exciting adaptation of Hamlet and the cast, acting, set and overall production was brilliant and can really captivate viewers. However despite the fact the former Doctor Who star tackled his role with an excellent fierceness, Doran’s modern-day approach was nowhere near as dynamic as Branagh’s performance.

Leadership and teamwork in nursing

Leadership and teamwork in nursing ABSTRACT Introduction: The treatment of vertebral osteomyelitis includes antibiotics with or without surgical intervention. Debridement is warranted for the treatment of idiopathic spondylo-discitis in case of neurological deficits, deformity, instability, abscess formation, intractable pain or failure of medical management. The use of instrumentation is still controversial. Objective: Is to evaluate the surgical outcome of idiopathic lumbar spondylodiscitis treated with posterior debridement combined with single-stage posterior instrumentation and autologus bone grafting. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the outcome of 15 cases of idiopathic lumbar spondylo-discitis treated with posterior debridement combined with single-stage posterior instrumentation and grafting. All patients were followed up for up to 1 year post-operative. We evaluated operative time, blood loss, and complications. Visual analogue scale (VAS), activities of daily living (ADL) (Barthel index), C reactive proteins (CRP), and Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in the preoperative, postoperative and final follow-up periods were used to evaluate the surgical outcome. Results: All 15 cases of lumbar infections resolved without recurrence. Bony union was obtained in all cases. Twelve out of 15 patients (80%) were completely relieved of pain and fully active with improvement neurological deficits, while the other 3 patients (20%) obtained a good result. No post-operative major complications were reported among the studied group. There were two superficial infections, which healed with debridement and antibiotics. Conclusion: According to the results reported in this short study, the proposed technique is an effective and safe treatment for idiopathic lumbar spondylo-discitis, if surgery is mandatory. Keywords: spondylo-discitis, debridement, posterior fixation. INTRODUCTION The increasing number of spinal infections has become a global health concern. It is currently due to reactivation of latent infections, more drug resistant agents and more immuno-compromised patients. It has been shown that delay in diagnosis can lead to increased morbidity and mortality, early diagnosis and treatment are therefore of paramount importance.(1) Spinal infections encompass a spectrum of conditions comprising spondylitis, discitis, spondylodiscitis, pyogenic facet arthropathy, epidural infection, meningitis, polyradiculopathy and myelitis. All of these have a specific presentation and clinical course.(2) Osteomyelitis of the spine accounts for approximately 1 to 7% of all osseous infections. In recent years, there have been an increasing incidence of spinal infections, which is now estimated to occur in approximately 1/100,000 individuals annually. This rise may be attributed to the increasing prevalence of elderly and immuno-compromised individuals in the population.(3) The predominant organism in almost all studies is Staphylococcus aureus, accounting for approximately 40 to 80% of all spinal infections. Other Gram-positive organisms such as S. epidermidis and Streptococcus species are also common.(4) Establishing the diagnosis of vertebral osteomyelitis in a timely fashion is critical to preventing catastrophic neurological injury. In the modern imaging era, magnetic resonance imaging, in particular, has facilitated the diagnosis of osteomyelitis even before the onset of neurological signs or symptoms. Nevertheless, despite advancements in diagnosis, there remains disagreement regarding appropriate treatment. Antibiotics are the main- stay of therapy.(5) The treatment of pyogenic spondylodiscitis with intravenous antibiotics is universally agreed upon. More than 75% of patients can be treated with intravenous antibiotics and immobilization.(6) Although no difference in clinical outcomes has been observed when comparing antibiotics alone with antibiotics plus surgical debridement, debridement of infected and dead tissue removes the source of continuing sepsis, may allow shorter courses of antibiotic treatment and may also allow early mobilization of the patient.(7) Surgery is generally reserved for patients with neurological involvement, spinal instability, severe deformity, and/or those in whom antibiotics alone have not been effective. Current surgical treatment options include anterior or posterior decompression with or without fusion, and with or without instrumentation. The fact that there exist several alternative surgical approaches highlights the lack of a consensus on the optimal operative treatment for vertebral osteomyelitis. The decision to place instrumentation into an infected spinal column remains controversial. Numerous authors have shown that instrumentation in patients with osteomyelitis can be performed safely.(8) There is still controversy about the best surgical treatment. Many spine surgeons are unwilling to place an implant in an infected area. Some authors go one step further and advocate debridement-only surgery, followed by antibiotic treatment and second- stage instrumentation. Other authors propose single-stage anterior decompression, bone grafting and instrumentation.(9) Aim of the work The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the surgical outcome of idiopathic lumbar spondylodiscitis treated with posterior debridement combined with single-stage posterior instrumentation and autologus bone grafting. METHODS This retrospective study included 15 patients (9 males, 6 females) with a mean age of 66 years (range: 43-80) who were admitted to El-Menoufia University Hospitals Neurosurgical Department, in the period from Aug 2007 to Nov 2008. The inclusion criteria were: MRI of lumbo-sacral spine showing evidence of spondylodiscitis. Plain radiographs revealed disc space narrowing with erosion and sclerosis of the adjacent end-plates. Persistent high levels of laboratory tests: white blood cell count (WBC; count/mm3), C-reactive protein (CRP; mg/dl) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR; mm/h). Failure of conservative treatment for about 3 months. Development of neurological deficit. The exclusion criteria were: Postoperative spondylodiscitis. Decreasing ESR and CRP levels with conservative treatment. Medically unfit patients. The mean duration of symptoms before admission was 3.7 months (range: 0.5 to 12 months) and the mean duration of conservative treatment before surgery was 2.2 months (range: 1 to 3 months). The average follow-up period was 12 months. Six out of 15 patients (40 %) had an elevated white blood cell count, while all 15 had an elevated ESR and CRP level .Plain radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with and without contrast were performed in all patients. Conservative treatment was given to all cases preoperatively in the form of two bactericidal and synergistic antibiotics were administered intravenously in high doses: mostly a first-generation cephalosporin and an aminoglycoside. Postoperatively, the antibiotics were adapted to the antibiogram performed on the specimens obtained. The duration of treatment was determined by the clinical evolution, the ESR and the C-reactive protein. Generally speaking, the antibiotics were administered intravenously for 6 weeks, and orally for 6 weeks. Patients were operated in the prone position for the posterior instrumentation and grafting. A meticulous debridement of all granulation tissue, devitalized disc and sequestra was carried out to the point where healthy cancellous bone is exposed. Wide decompression of the thecal sac was done, with drainage of any epidural abscess and depridment of any necrotic tissue, which were submitted for bacteriological culture and sensitivity, and histological examination. Finally, trans-pedicular screw fixation was done combined with autologus done chips graft. Postoperatively all patients were immediately mobilized with an external lumbo-sacral orthosis. Duration of surgery and operative blood loss were recorded. The clinical outcome was assessed according to Barthel Index,(10) which has been used since the 1960s because of its high reliability and validity, as regards the activities of daily living (ADL), and the VPAS as regards the severity of back pain. Fig 1: Preoperative sagittal MRI-scan of the lumbar spine. T2-weighted images showing L3-L4 spondylodiscitis. Fig 2: A, B. Postoperative antero-posterior and lateral radiographs showing L3-L4 posterior trans-pedicular screw fixation RESULTS After surgery, infection was successfully controlled in all patients, with return of the white blood cell count, ESR and CRP to normal within a mean period of 4 months (range, 2 to 6 months). Two patients (13% of cases) had a superficial wound infection which healed with debridement and antibiotics. The estimated blood loss was 650 ml (range 450-1000 ml). The mean duration of surgery was 3 hours (range: 2 hours to 4 hours). Bony fusion with incorporation of the graft was achieved in all patients. . Table I: Pre-operative clinical presentations No. % Persistent low back pain 15 100 % Radiculopathy 12 80 % Constitutional symptoms 6 40 % Table II: Pre-operative laboratory findings No. % Elevated ESR 15 100 % Elevated CRP 10 66 % Leukocytosis 6 40 % Table III: Pre-operative radiological leveling No. % L 3/4 spondylodiscitis 8 53 % L4/5 Spondylodiscitis 5 33 % L5/S1 Spondylodiscitis 2 14 % Table IV: Associated risk factors No. % DM 5 33 % Chronic Liver Disease 2 14 % Urinary tract infection 4 28 % Table V: Post-operative outcome according to Barthel Index No. % Excellent 12 80 % Good 3 20 % Total 15 100 % DISCUSSION Although there have been advances in diagnosis and treatment of spinal infections with further refinement of microbiological and histopathological techniques, early detection and management remain a matter of considerable difficulty.(11) A correct diagnosis may be delayed by more than a month in over two thirds of the patients. A rise in the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s elderly and immuno-compromised populations is bringing an increased incidence of pyogenic and granulomatous infections of the spine, hence, timely diagnosis of pyogenic spondylodiscitis with back pain and fever may prevent greater tissue destruction, spinal instability and progressive neurological deficit. Advances in therapy have reduced mortality rates, but early diagnosis is essential for a satisfactory outcome.(12) The exact cause of lumbar spondylodiscitis is controversial; some authors believe that there are two types of spondylodiscitis, a septic form caused by an infectious agent and an aseptic form resulting from an inflammatory reaction. (13) Others believe that there is no such thing as an aseptic spondylodiscitis and that this form is actually the result of a less virulent, low grade infection.(14) Once inoculated, the process of infection and discitis begins. More than often, the main causative organism is not identified. When an organism is identified, the most common infectious etiologic agent is Staphylococcus aureus followed by other Staphylococcus species and anaerobic organisms. Other less common organisms include Streptococcus viridans and other Streptococcus species, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.(15) Traditionally, the mainstay treatment of pyogenic infections of the spine remains medical management, with external immobilization and culture specific antibiotics for a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks. However, large clinical series have demonstrated the need for surgical intervention in up to 43% to 57% of the patients, in case of neurological compromise, deformity, instability, abscess formation, extensive destruction, intractable pain or failure of medical management.(16) Because all the patients in our study were from the low socio-economic class and because of the difficulty to identify the causative organism, we elected not to perform CT guided biopsy and give the patients empirical broad spectrum antibiotics covering both aerobic and anerobic pathogens. It has been reported that the most sensitive laboratory studies indicative of the presence of an inflammatory process are the ESR and the CRP. However, it should be noted that in adults, ESR trends are confused by associated medical conditions. Nevertheless, the ESR was a useful tool in the management of adult pyogenic spondylodiscitis, and the authors of most studies on this matter, view a 60 to 85% reduction in the ESR as compatible with eradication of infection, and this correlates with the results in our study which reported reduction of ESR in 80% of case.(17) MRI is the radiographic imaging modality of choice in diagnosing lumbar spondylodiscitis with a reported sensitivity and specificity of 93% and 97%, respectively. It has been shown that MRI is superior in showing loss of disc space height. This can be accompanied with erosion of the vertebral end plates above and below the infected disc space, and these changes were reported in all cases included in our study.(18) In the surgical treatment of spondylodiscitis, numerous authors have advocated a staged operation with a period of antibiotic therapy bridging the debridement and instrumentation procedures. Open surgical drainage for spondylodiscitis was historically reserved for patients with an epidural abscess. The prognosis is stated to be better when treatment is instituted early during the infection.(19) Posterior debridement combined with trans-pedicular screw fixation has been advocated by several authors. Dai et al(20) obtained 100% of good results with this technique in a series of 22 cases and we used the same technique in this short study. The first series describing the consistent placement of posterior instrumentation at the time of debridement was published in 1988 by Redfern et al(21) In 1996, Rath et al(22) reported on a series of 43 patients with thoracic or lumbar spondylodiscitis who were treated entirely via a posterior approach. This approach is based on the principle that instrumentation placed posteriorly involves a second operating field that is not (at least directly) contaminated. Single-stage procedure surgery (autograft and posterior instrumentation) was used in this study and its results correlates with the Kuklo et al(23) study which included 21 patients with pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis managed by a single-stage with neither recurrence of infection nor perioperative complications. A single-stage procedure has several advantages, such as avoidance of a second anesthesia, reduced blood loss, avoidance of graft displacement during transfers, earlier mobilization, less anxiety for the patient, shortened hospital stay and less expense. (23) According to Barthel Index,(10) 80 % of our patients had an excellent result, without pain or restriction of activity. From a neurological viewpoint, ten patients (83%) of the 12 with a neurological deficit improved and these findings were consistent with Fayazi et al(24) who reported 85% improvement after posterior approach for lumbar spondylo-discitis. After posterior instrumentation, fusion rates up to 93% and 96% have been reported (25) the current study yielded a 100% fusion rate. As stated by Hadjipavlou et al(26) posterior stabilization through instrumentation was the critical factor in these improved results. We believe that posterior instrumentation and grafting is the principal stabilizer of the vertebral column in order to achieve a successful fusion. Conclusion Although this is a limited series, we found that a posterior debridement combined with trans-pedicular screw fixation and autologus grafting may be a safe and effective surgical treatment for selected patients with lumbar spondylodiscitis and may not be associated with recurrent hardware infections and/or any major complications.

Berkeley :: essays research papers

Berkeley As man progressed through the various stages of evolution, it is assumed that at a certain point he began to ponder the world around him. Of course, these first attempts fell short of being scholarly, probably consisting of a few grunts and snorts at best. As time passed on, though, these ideas persisted and were eventually tackled by the more intellectual, so-called philosophers. Thus, excavation of "the external world" began. As the authoritarinism of the ancients gave way to the more liberal views of the modernists, two main positions concerning epistemology and the nature of the world arose. The first view was exemplified by the empiricists, who stated that all knowledge comes from the senses. In opposition, the rationalists maintained that knowledge comes purely from deduction, and that this knowledge is processed by certain innate schema in the mind. Those that belonged to the empiricist school of thought developed quite separate and distinct ideas concerning the nature of the substratum of sensible objects. John Locke and David Hume upheld the belief that sensible things were composed of material substance, the basic framework for the materialist position. The main figure who believed that material substance did not exist is George Berkeley. In truth, it is the immaterialist position that seems the most logical when placed under close scrutiny. The initial groundwork for Berkeley's position is the truism that the materialist is a skeptic. In the writing of his three dialogues, Berkeley develops two characters: Hylas (the materialist) and Philonous (Berkeley himself). Philonous draws upon one central supposition of the materialist to formulate his argument of skepticism against him; this idea is that one can never perceive the real essence of anything. In short, the materialist feels that the information received through sense experience gives a representative picture of the outside world (the representative theory of perception), and one can not penetrate to the true essece of an object. This makes logical sense, for the only way to perceive this real essence would be to become the object itself! Although the idea is logical, it does contain a certain grounding for agnosticism. Let the reader consider this: if there is no way to actually sense the true material essence of anything, and all knowledge in empiricism comes from the senses, then the real material essence can not be perceived and therefore it can not be posited. This deserves careful consideration, for the materialist has been self-proclaimed a skeptic! If the believer in this theory were asked if a mythical beast such as a cyclops existed he would most certainly say no. As part of his reply he might add that because it can not be sensed it