Cliptomania Web Store Essay

It is the American Dream: own your own business, and make loads of money. Well, that’s the dream part, then reality sets in: business licenses, put-up money, taxes, etc. In the case study of the Cliptomania Web Store, in 1999, John and Candy Santo discovered a marketing niche that they could tap into; selling clip-on earrings, over the internet, throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand (Brown, DeHayes, Hoffer, Martin, & Perkins, 2012). This type of marketing is called Business to Commerce or (B2C) e-commerce, which is way of purchasing, or selling goods and services over the internet. As with any new business venture, it started out of the home with a low-level of overhead. In 1999, John and Christy Santo started an online web store, Cliptomania.com, out of their home, using $10,000 of their savings as start-up capital. At the time, selling only clip-on earrings was a market that not many had tapped into, since most people who wear earrings have pierced ears. Cliptomania.com sells nothing but clip-on earrings, and offered its customers hundreds of different styles. With research done by John Santo, he decided to contract with the vendor Yahoo! Store in 1999. The Yahoo! Store uses a ratings system for customers to rate their service, and by 2003, due to their rating by customers, they became one of the top 5 selling jewelry stores on Yahoo!, in gross sales because of having a quality product and excellent customer service. One of the challenges the Santo’s faced was the technology aspect of the business, or the how to start up the web store. No one in the family was familiar with web design and they did not have the money to pay a service provider for the site design. By doing their own research They found that by hiring a vendor to host their website, the computer resources, as well as the software and templates, for a price, would allow a company to tailor the web pages to suit their needs. The second challenge was management of their web store. In 2006, for whatever reason, customers started having problems with the Yahoo! Store website. Customers were having trouble placing orders, and the Santo’s were being charged for some transactions that weren’t valid. So, when they tried  to fix the issue, and could not, they decided to change web servers, and went from a .com to a .net website. They ran both sites, but it confused the search engines. The reason for the confusion, could have been due to the issue of the difference between domain names extensions. The difference of the domain name extensions could be defined as: â€Å".COM is for commercial websites, and .NET was hosting networks. (Gil, n.d.) The Santo’s tried to work out the bugs, but eventually had to move back to a .com domain address. The third strategic challenge was marketing on the web. Marketing on the web is primarily getting customers to visit your web store. The best way to be found was by being picked up by one of the major search engines, Yahoo! Search, Google, or Microsoft’s Bing. At the time Cliptomaniaâ„ ¢ was using the search engines on the internet were still listing sites by significance or how close the words being used matched in the search box. If you are not listed on the first page of the search results, than you probably would not be found by customers. So, it was important for them to learn about how search engines determine their rankings, so a company can be found the first time around. (Martin, 2010) Using the SWOT Analysis to analyze the future of John and Candy Santo’s web store, a strength is their offering of a quality product and excellent customer service. They will have a loyalty base of customers who appreciate dealing with a company that treats them well, and can obtain new business from word-of-mouth recommendations. A weakness is the ever-changing technology and the economy. As long as the Santo’s stay current with new developments in web retailing, and adjust to a downturn in the economy, they will stay afloat. An opportunity for the web store is to ever improve on the relevance rankings on the web search engines. Trying techniques, such as having other companies advertise on their site, and maybe advertise on social media blogs and sites, can help boost exposure of the web store. A threat can be competition from others selling on other sites such as EBay, that sell their personal items or store items, and Etsy which sells homemade items; keeping an eye on the competition and looking at the trends of how customers are purchasing can help them stay in business for the long-haul. The Cliptomania web store, all in all, is in good shape to stay successful. When John and Candy Santo began their business, it was out of their home, with a low startup cost, and hardly any competition in the clip-on earring market. They have had their trials and tribulations with the boom and bust of the dot-com industry, how to learn about their market, and their competitors, and how retailing on the internet is done. Although nothing is certain in today’s economy, the Santo’s will be able to weather the storm by still offering top-notch products, and one of a kind customer service. After all, customers keep going back to whom they receive a good deal and good service.

Is There Such a Phenomena as ‘Pilot Error’ in Aviation Accidents

The term ‘Pilot error’ has been attributed to 78%[1] of Army aviation accidents. Despite the technological advances in Rotary Wing (RW) aircraft i. e. , helicopters accidents attributed to technology failure are decreasing, whilst pilot error is increasing. Currently, RW accidents are investigated and recorded using a taxonomy shown to suffer difficulties when coding human error and quantifying the sequence of events prior to an air accident. As Human Factors (HF) attributed accidents are increasing, lessons aren’t being identified nor the root cause is known. Therefore, I propose to introduce Human Factors Analysis and Classification system (HFACS) an untried taxonomy to the UK military developed as an analytical framework to investigate the role of HF in United States of America (USA) aviation accidents. HFACS, supports organizational structure, pre-cursors of psychological error and actual error; but little research exists to explain the intra-relations between the levels and components, or the application in the military RW domain. Therefore, I intend to conduct post-hoc analysis using HFACS of 30+ air accidents between 1993 to present. Implications of this research are to develop a greater understanding of how Occupational Psychology (OP) can help pilots understand HF, raise flight awareness and reduce HF attributed fatalities. Introduction â€Å"On 2 June 1994 an RAF Chinook Mk2 helicopter, ZD 576, crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on a flight from RAF Aldergrove to Fort George, near Inverness. All on board were killed: the two pilots, the two crewmembers and the 25 passengers. This was to have been a routine, non-operational flight, to take senior personnel of the security services to a conference. The sortie was planned in advance; it was entirely appropriate for these pilots, Flt Lts Jonathan Tapper and Richard Cook, and for the aircraft, ZD576, to have been assigned this mission. An RAF Board of Inquiry (BOI) was convened following the accident and carried out a detailed investigation. BOIs are established to investigate the cause of serious accidents, primarily, to make safety recommendations but, at the time of this crash, to also determine if human failings were involved. Their conclusion, after an exhaustive investigation was there was not one single piece of known fact that does not fit the conclusion that this tragic accident was a controlled flight into terrain. † The BOI found no evidence of mechanical failure and multiple witnesses stated that the aircraft appeared to be flying at 100ft at 150 knots there was no engine note change, the aircraft didn’t appear to be in distress and at the crash scene the throttle controls were still in the cruise position (not at emergency power if collision with the ground was imminent). 2] So the causation moved to Human Factors (HF). But some questions remain unanswered, on that fateful day why did these seasoned and experienced pilots fly their aircraft and passengers into a hillside at 150 knots. If this accident was attributed to HF it now appears to some that the aircrew themselves are more deadly than the aircraft they fly (Mason, 1993: cited in Murray, 1997). The crucial issue therefore is to understand why pilots Flt Lts Jonathan Tapper and Richard Cooks’ actions made sense to them at the time the fatal accident happened. Relevance of Research So why is this topic relevant to OP research? The British Army branch of aviation is an organization called the Army Air Corps (AAC) and in keeping with the trends of the other two services the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, it has seen a steep decline in accidents in recent years. However, accidents attributed to Human Factors (HF) have steadily risen and are responsible for 90% of all aviation accidents. [3]. This research will depart from the traditional perspective of the label â€Å"pilot error† as the underlying causation of Aviation accidents, whereby current theory and research purport a ‘systemic’ approach to human factors investigation of Aviation accidents. This approach is derived from Reasons Model of Accident Causation, which examines the causal factors of organizational accidents across a spectrum of sectors from; nuclear power industry (e. g. , Chernobyl), off-shore oil and gas production (e. g. Piper Alpha) to transportation (e. g. Charring Cross) (Reason 1990). This approach recognizes that humans, as components of socio-technical systems, are involved in designing, manufacturing, maintaining, managing and operating aviation systems including the methods of selecting and assessing potential employees to the aviation industry from Pilots, Cabin crew, Engineers and Baggage handlers. Therefore, our ability to identify, understand and manage these potential issues enables us to develop systems that are more error-tolerant, thus reducing risk and the potential for accidents. I intend to be able to provide a more consistent, reliable and detailed analysis of HF causal factors that attribute to aviation accidents within the AAC. On average, the AAC experiences around 6 major accidents per year, although a record year was recorded with only two accidents in 1993. However, in 1992 aviation accidents cost over ?10M[4] in taxpayer’s money. Usually the causation of accidents are classified (human error, technical failure or operational hazard). Whilst there was a reduced figure of ?1M for 1993, the satisfaction of this financial success was marred by the fact that one of the two accidents resulted in a fatality. However, it is the concept of human error or pilot error that dominates the outcome of most BOIs particularly when there are fatalities. Current taxonomies used to classify accident causal groups do not extend beyond this distinction although more recently organizational factors have been included to reflect a more systemic view of accident causation. However, the HF domain is extensive and current taxonomies employed by the AAC do not encapsulate this. By using HFACS (currently adopted by the US Navy, Army, Airforce, and Coast Guard), a human error orientated accident investigation and analysis process; I will conduct post-hoc analysis of 30+ category four and five accidents from 1993 to present day. Literature review Before we start to look at any reduction in Air Accidents we need to grasp an understanding of category of accident. How many times when we hear about air accidents, â€Å"it was pilot error†, merely noting HF was responsible doesn’t prevent repetition nor identify any critical lessons, plus the description is far too generic. The term pilot error doesn’t assist us in understanding the processes underlying what leads to a crash, nor does it give us a means to apply remediation or even identify lessons to prevent re-occurrence. The other issue is that it is very seldom one single factor caused the helicopter to crash. Professor RG Green (1996) uses a categorization method: Modes of failure, Aircrew Factors and System failures. Within each of these exist sub-categories. E. g. , in Modes of Failure category lists a number of common errors made by the individual or individuals from; selective attention, automatic behaviour, forming inappropriate mental models, affects of fatigue and perceptual challenges leading to spatial disorientation, particularly common to RW flight. Aircrew factors, refers to background factors relevant to individuals: decision-making, personality, problem solving, Crew composition, Cockpit Authority Gradient (CAG) and Life stress. Finally, the systems factors applicable to the organization that we serve under, termed enabling conditions such as: Ergonomics, Job pressures and Organizational Culture. Bodies of Research Now, human error doesn’t just happen, usually a sequence of events will unfold prior to the accident. Human error is often a product of deeper problems; they are systematically connected to features of the individual’s tools, tasks and the surrounding media (Dekker, 2001). Therefore, in order to provide remediation through the development of strategies it is vital that we understand the various perspectives experienced through flight and how these could effect a pilot; these range from: cognitive, ergonomic, behavioural, psychosocial, aeromedical, and the Organizational Perspectives (Weigmann and Shappell 2003). Within the environment of human performance error is a unique state of a pilot’s operational environment that could be affected by anyone of, or all of the perspectives. Rasmussen (1982) utilized a cognitive methodology to understanding aircraft accidents. O’Hare et al. (1994) described the system as consisting of six stages: ‘detection of stimulus; diagnosis of the system; setting the goal; selection of strategy; adoption of procedure; and the action stage'. The model was found to be helpful in identifying the human errors involved in aviation accidents and incidents (O’Hare et al. 1994). One draw back being that these models using cognition are operator centric and do not consider other factors such as; the working environment, task properties, or the upervisory and work organization (Wiegmann and Sappell, 2001c). Edwards (1972) developed the ‘HELS system' model, which was subsequently called the ‘SHEL' model. Citing that Humans do not perform tasks on their own but within the context of a system; initially SHEL was a system focusing on the ergonomics and considered the man-machine interface. A tool that can be appli ed to investigate air accidents through the evaluation of human-machine systems failure. The ‘SHEL' model categorizes failure into: software, hardware, liveware and environment conditions. However the SHEL model fails to address the functions of management and the cultural aspects of society. Empirical findings Bird’s Domino Theory (1974) views accidents as a linear sequence of related factors or series of events that lead to an actual mishap. The theory covers the five-step sequence First domain Safety/Loss of control, the second domain, basic causes, identifies the origin of causes, such as human, environment or task related. The immediate causes include substandard practices and circumstances. The fourth domain involves contact with hazards. The last domain could be related to personal injury and damage to assets (Bird, 1974; and Heinreich, et al. , 1980). It is much like falling dominos each step causes the next to occur. Removing the factors from any of the first three dominos could prevent an accident. This view has been expanded upon by Reason (1990). Reason’s ‘Swiss cheese' model fig 1, includes four levels of human failure: organizational factors, unsafe supervision, preconditions for unsafe acts and unsafe acts. The HFACS was developed from this model in order to address some of limitations. The starting point for the chain of event is the organization ‘Fallible decisions' take place at higher levels, resulting in latent defects waiting for enabling factors (Reason, 1990). Management and safe supervision underpins any air operation through flight operations, planning, maintenance and training. However, it is the corporate executives, the decision makers who make available the resources, finances and set budgets. These are then cascaded down through the tiers of management and to the operator. Now this sounds like an efficient and effective organization and according to Reason failures in the organization come about by the breakdown in interactions and holes begin to form in the cheese. Within an organization unsafe acts may be manifested by lack of supervision attributed to organizational cultures operating within a: high-pressure environment, insufficient training or poor communication. The latent conditions at the unsafe supervision level promote hazard formation and increase the operational risks. Working towards the accident, the third level of the model is preconditions for unsafe acts. Performance of the aircrew can be affected by fatigue, complacency, inadequate design and their psychological and physical state (USNSC, 2001; Shappell and Wiegmann, 2001a; Wiegmann and Shappell, 2003). Finally, the unsafe acts of the operator are the direct causal factor of the accident. These actions committed by the aircrew could be either intentional or unintentional (Reason, 1990). The ‘Swiss cheese' model sees the aviation environment as a multifaceted system that does not work well when an incorrect decision been taken at higher levels (Wiegmann and Shappell, 2003). The model depicts a thin veneer of cheese the veneer symbolizing the defence against Aviation accidents and the dotted holes portray a latent condition or active failure. It is a chain of events that usually lead to an accident however as errors are made the holes begin to appear in the cheese, a datum line penetrates the cheese and if all the holes pass through the line, then a catastrophic failure occurs and a crash ensues. These causal attributions of poor management and supervision (organizational perspective) may only be unearthed if equipment is found in poor maintenance (ergonomic). If the organizational culture is one of a pressured environment then this could place unnecessary demands on the aircrew producing fatigue (Aeromedical). Or management could ignore pilots’ concerns if the CAG was at imbalance (psychosocial perspective). All of these factors could hinder and prevent aircrew from processing and performing efficiently in the cockpit, which could result in pilot error followed later by an Air Accident. However, with Reasons model it doesn’t identify what the holes in the cheese depict. For any intervention strategy to function and prevent reoccurrence the organization must be able to identify the causal factors involved. The important issue in a HF investigation is to understand why pilots’ actions made sense to them at the time the accident happened (Dekker, 2002). HFACS was specifically developed to define latent and active failures implicated in Reasons Swiss Cheese model so it could be used an accident investigation and analysis tool (Shappel and Weigmann, 1997; 1998; 1999; 2000; 2001). The framework was developed and refined by analyzing hundreds of accident reports containing thousands of human causal factors. Although designed originally for use within the context of the military aviation HFACS has shown to be effective within the civil aviation arena as well (Wiegmann and Shappel, 2001b). Specifically HFACS describes four levels of failure; each one corresponds to one of the cheese slices of Reasons model. These are a) Unsafe acts b) Pre-conditions for Unsafe acts c) Unsafe supervision and d) Organizational influences (Weigmann and Shappel, 2001c) Methodology By using a combination of qualitative (i. e. the process of recoding causal factors based on individual and group discussions) and quantitative (causal factor analysis of recoded narratives against HFACS taxonomy) research methodologies to identify further causal groups to be used in classifying accidents and to assess the validity of the HFACS framework as a tool to classify and analyze accidents. Data to be used in this study will be derived from the narrative findings of AAC BOIs conducted between 1990 and 2006[5]. This should equate to approximately 30-35 narratives to be used in the analysis. Authority to access the Board of Inquiry library has been granted by the Army's Flight Safety and Standards Inspectorate, which is the AAC organization responsible for conducting Aviation accident investigations and analysis. Data will only be used that comprises of category 4 accidents (single fatalities and severe damage to aircraft) and category 5 (multiple fatalities and loss of aircraft). In addition to the narrative description in the report, the following information will also be collected: the type of mission in which the accident happened (e. . low-level flying, exercise, HELEARM[6]); the flight phase (e. g. take-off, in the hover, flight in the operational area, approach, and landing); the rank of the pilot(s) (to measure CAG and see if this is a contributory factor) involved and the type and category of aircraft. This study will concentrate on all Army helicopters; including all variants of the Lynx, Gazelle and Squirrel trainer. Coding frames will be developed and tested for use in the final recoding exercise. An Occupational Psychologist from the Human Factors epartment of the MOD will supervise the training and the coders will be a number of RW pilots with a minimum of 1000hours flying time at the time of the research. Each pilot will be provided with a workshop in the use of HFACS framework. This is to ensure parity and that all coders understand the HFACS categories. After the period of training the raters will be randomly assigned air accidents so that two independent raters can independently code each accident. It is intended to code the inter-rater reliability on a category-by-category basis. The degree of agreement (the inter-rater reliability) initially between the two coders will be achieved by Cohens Kappa (Cohen, 1960;Landis and Koch, 1977). SPSS v. 15. 0 will be used to quantify the frequency of causal factors of the 30+ narratives. It is also hoped to compare the inter-rater reliability between all the coders using Fleiss Kappa. Fleiss’s Kappa assessment method is used to measure the similarity agreement of observers and treats them symmetrically (Fleiss, 1981). The level of agreement between the raters is statistically measured against what could be achieved through chance. The Kappa level range would be classed as achieving moderate inter reliability if it were between 0. 41-0. 60. Cohen’s Kappa is based on the statistical measurement analysis of the level of agreement between raters in excess of (Landis and Koch, 1977). Discussion The research intends to apply an untried methodology not as yet sanctioned by the UKs Ministry of Defence in order to analyze a number of Air Accidents within the AAC between 1993 and present day. Thirty plus serious Category 4 and 5 accidents will be re-classified using the taxonomy of HFACS. It is intended where pilot error was the cause, to identify the HF associated and attribute to each accident. It is also hoped that the HFACS taxonomy can accommodate the HF identified during re-coding and therefore provide tangible evidence that HFACS could be used by the AAC as a reliable tool. It is hoped a number of comparison analysis can be achieved and are accidents more prevalent when flying in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) or poor visibility instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) therefore two sets of visual conditions; VMC and daylight or impoverished visual conditions IMC or twilight/nighttime. Wiegmann, D. A. and Shappell, S. A. (2003). What would also be interesting was the causation and aircrew behaviours of fatal and non-fatal accidents and are these more prevalent on operations or during training. The author was in Afghanistan 2006 and over 6-month period there wasn’t a single crash let alone fatality. But the AAC records 6 crashes a year so again this is worthy of investigation. The ranks of the pilot is also worthy of interest with regards to achieving a good CAG there may be causal evidence to indicate that an imbalance between ranks could have lead to an aircrash. The Organizational hierarchy will; also be researched is it one specific organization that keeps having crashes is there an issue with the pressures placed on the pilots by the organization. The inter-rater reliability will also be calculated by using Fleiss Kappa which will work for more than two raters, it is intended that an acceptable level of inter rater reliability will be recorded. In addition, the intra-rater reliability as a holistic measurement is hoped to be high in order to support the credibility of the results. An Organization could benefit from gaining a standardized, consistent coding methodology and that data can be used for identifying trends and intervention strategies can then target these trends in accident causation. It is hoped that granularity can be achieved beyond the label â€Å"pilot error† and identify the underlying causation of the accident. If successful and if HFACS is adopted UK military wide, perhaps the real cause of why ZD576 flew into the Mull of Kyntre could be unearthed. If other Military organizations can reap success then HFACS could be a reliable tool to identify causation and could be used in accident investigation. Ethics I will comply fully with the BPS[7] ethical principles when conducting research with human participants. All identifiable information relating to individuals discussed in the narrative findings will be removed in accordance with the data protection act, for the purposes of analysis and reporting. All participates will be fully appraised of my research, recognize that all the coders are volunteers and give informed consent before the research and to understand how the information will be used. The coders will be reviewing material depicting instances of fatalities therefore it is important that the coders do not come to any psychological harm, over and above the risk of harm in ordinary life (participants will be invited to contact me if participation causes concern at any time or to ask questions). Maintaining a good rapport particularly with the coders is also a desirable. Being an Aeronautical Engineer should also bridge any cultural gaps and maintain a good working relationship.

Metaphysics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Metaphysics - Assignment Example These things are real and anyone can vividly attest to that fact. There are however a lot of miseries that still remains uncovered, or things that can not be measured to ascertain their reality. One cannot come up with a conclusive answer as to their reality existence. This is why theories have been developed to answer these rhetorical questions. Reality Theories There are different theories that tend to describe and give meaning to the word reality. To exhaustively discuss reality, we must have an in-depth understanding of these theories and how relevant they are to our lives. These reality theories are; Reality 1; this is the summation of all things that are real. In this theory, reality is what is experienced as they are not as they are imagined or illusion. Reality 1 holds that, everything that exists in singular totality like the universe is real. Talking about the universe, one would obviously know that it is the summation of the planets, stars, space and everything else that c onstitutes this. This meaning does not cover reality exhaustively and thus the need for another reality theory which is reality 2. Reality 2 is what someone experiences out of reality 1. Every person has what he thinks or he experiences as a result of the totality of what is real. Since not even twins can have the same experience, thus reality according to this theory, is what everyone knows or believes in. it means that there are multiple realities since every person will experience something different from his friend. It is thus possible that reality in this case is divided and different among different classes of people like the poor and the rich, men and women, children and adults. Every group has its own reality. Multiple Realities is thus what a person thinks; it is thus brought about by one’s consciousness. The sole thought of individuals. This is what has generated the world’s illusion on history, sport, art, wars, pleasure and the like. Reality is brought abou t by the conscious mind of an individual and what he or she strongly believes in. Monism theory; this is a reality theory which talks against pluralistic or dualistic view of reality. Monism holds that, there has to be unity in any field of analysis, for example, the existence of God. Monism holds that there is one supreme God  but he manifests himself in many ways according to different religions.   Reality according to this theory holds that for anything to be real, it must consist of an amalgamated whole thus everything that exists can be attributed or illustrated using a single model. From Monism theory it can also be concluded that there is one earth but according to different people, many have diverse understanding of what it is or what it looks like. Likewise, the matter and the mind are formed or emerge from same principle or substance. Monism is further categorized into; idealism, mentalistic monism and phenomenalism. Dualism; it holds that reality is constituted by an unchanging whole. Change for this case is considered as just a mere illusion. Dualism does not give room for any change, reality is thus unchanging and it remains to be unified as one. Reality is thus specific, there can not exists two realities at a go, something is either real or not real. Idealism; this is an epistemological theory which holds that reality is attested when the datum or an object of realization are identical. Reality is thus what is

Sharif Husayn ibn Ali achievements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sharif Husayn ibn Ali achievements - Essay Example amascus after emerging victorious against the Ottoman and German armies after motivating his army by claiming a Jihad, to fight for their sovereignty (Mehran, 2011, p. 67). Other achievements of Sharif Husayn include the use of stamps and paper money in Mecca, which promoted trade in the ports that he had captured during the war. His ability to unite different Arab clans and group is a great achievement that proved essential in the victory against Ottoman Empire. Sharif Husayn motivational skills and unity of the Arab Muslims, Jewish and Christians proved key for the coexistence of the Arabs long after his death (Stuart, Norvig & Davis, 2010, p. 97). This achievement may be controversial but it is under Sharif Husayn leadership that Arab Nationalism began. The Arabs were able to lay aside their religious beliefs to fight for their rights (Carol, Phelan, & Bierman, 2012, p. 43). Finally, the lines in the dust although they brought controversy and war, it was his negotiation skills that led to the borders that eventually became sovereign

XML-Based Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

XML-Based Project - Assignment Example Thereafter, using the transformation language XSLT, the information from within the XML document was to be extracted and presented differently depicting different scenarios. Oxygen XML Editor was used for the project. 3. Discussion A total of 7 webpages were taken from the Internet for the project. This section presents the reasons that motivated the various decisions that were taken during each stage of the project. 4. The Material Chosen The site is an informational site that lists down the companies falling in different application areas and where jobs can be hunted. The material chosen for the project were taken from the same site so there is a hierarchy in between the different web pages. Furthermore, the content on each page also follows a hierarchal structure that can be translated into relations. This would facilitate the markup language. The selected webpages covered the most commonly used elements of informational sites (i.e. headings, text, links, paragraphs, lists, etc.). This presented an opportunity of learning to encode the different elements into XML. Besides possessing a hierarchal structure of the selected pages, a repeating structure is also present in each page. This facilitates the marking up process. 5. The Document Analysis The first task was to analyze the documents and identify the manner and relation in which the data was presented in them. It was found that one page pre sented a list of companies categorized into their respective application areas. While the remaining 6 pages presented detail of 6 of these companies. So the relationship between the 7 documents was identified as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 Tree Structure of Pages Within each of these pages, a pattern was found in the way the information was presented. Within the home page, there were categories, and list of companies in each category. Figure 2 Structure of Home Page In the remaining 6 pages, information regarding a company was presented under the related headings which exhibited a pattern. Some headings were common in all the 6 companies. Figure 3 Common Structure of About Pages Thus, the information from all the 7 pages was united and a tree structure was formed that represented the way portions of information were related to one another by the relationship of root, parent, child and siblings. Figure 4 Unified Tree Structure Once the document tree was identified, the document was m arked up accordingly into an XML file (guide.xml) where the leaves of the tree were presented as child elements with no children. Figure shows the tree structure of the XML formed. Figure 5 XML Tree Structure Once the skeleton XML was formed, the data was filled in. 6. Encoding Scheme The next task was to validate the XML against an encoding scheme. This is important as it defines the rulings for the structure of XML that all inputs must adhere to. Any entry made that is not in accordance to the scheme set, makes the XML invalid and it will not remain well-formed. Two options were present to validate the defined XML document against; XML DTD or XML Schema. Although both are standardized (so developers can understand them equally easily) and both the options deliver the same functionality yet there is a difference in their definition. DTD has the lowest definition of data as CDATA

Performance-Enhancing Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Performance-Enhancing Drugs - Essay Example Nowadays, sportsmen and women will go to extreme lengths to improve their athletic abilities (Mottram 18). Many sports personalities admit that the competitive desire to be victorious is unusually severe. Apart from the pleasure of benefiting individually, sports individuals share a dream to participate in large sporting events, high class teams, and the young athletes pursue the school scholarships. The common, competitive situation, made by the human culture, has caused the widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs such as stimulants, sedatives, lean mass builders and painkillers among individuals taking part in sporting activities (Bahrke and Yesalis 8). The people who use the substances for enhancement may appear to have acquired gains that are physical. There has not been a thorough study on the long-term effects of performance-enhancement drugs, but evidence suggests that the short-term effects are destructive with numerous consequences like loss of scholarships, medals, el igibility, side-effects, and sometimes death. This paper will look at the performance-enhancement drugs that should be accepted in sports, and whether creatine should be illegalized in Major League Baseball Several performance enhancement drugs should be legalized in sports, they include: Lean Mass Builders This are the types of performance-enhancement substances that are used to amplify or facilitate the enlargement of lean body mass and muscles, and from time to time to lessen fats in the body. These drugs may include several human hormones, anabolic steroids, and Chromium Picolinate. Chromium Picolinate, for instance, helps an individual to make use of the body glucose. It helps an individuals’ body to access fats and convert it to energy. This drug is more useful to people who have additional body fat and they would like to lose it (Mottram 23). Stimulants They are used to stimulate an individual’s mind and body to function at the top level by increasing energy, aggression, and focus. The examples are amphetamine and caffeine. Caffeine has been for a long time been used as an aid for muscle endurance by many athletes. Caffeine lengthens the duration of fatigue that occurs in the muscles at the heightened power levels. Nowadays, caffeine is a performance-enhancing drug that is not listed as illegal for use by sports personalities. In addition it is proven that stimulants can promote endurance, enhance accuracy, and improve reaction time. The dose of caffeine and the athlete’s condition and exercise determine if the person’s performance is enhanced or not (Mottram 26). Painkillers Painkillers cover up pain that is experienced by the sportsmen so that they can keep on performing and competing without their normal pain limit. Painkillers used in sports vary from over-the-counter administered drugs to prescriptions that are powerful, such as narcotics and NSAIDs (Mottram 28). Sedatives The drugs in this category are mostly used by people who take part in sports which have the need for being steady, accurate and overcome too much discomfort and nervousness. Examples include valium, alcohol, and marijuana (Jeffrey, Jose, and Douglas 34). Diuretics These are drugs that remove water from the body. Diuretics are most often used in different t ypes of wrestling and contact sports because the sportsmen have to conform to weight restraints (Jeffrey, Jose, a

Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Issues in the Conservative Essay

Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Issues in the Conservative Party - Essay Example This assignment will examine the Conservative party in terms of its formation and the composition of its membership. Thereafter, it will look at the organisational structure, organisation culture and the leadership of the party. In addition this assignment will analyse the organisational behaviour and human resource impact on the operations of the party. The party was established on the basis of inclusion, reform of abuses, organizational law and order, reformed and organised system of taxation, trade, and industry (Kohan 2008). In 2014 The Conservative Party is guided by principles such as a stronger economy at home, renewed respect abroad and real change in Europe (www.conservatives.com). Today under the leadership of David Cameron has consistently emphasized the twin principles of trust and shared responsibility (Cameron 2005a). Most frequently, reference has been made back to the 19th century, a period when problems of social dislocation and breakdown were resolved by local initiatives, embodying ‘a new spirit of responsibility’ combined with ‘freedom and self-help’ (Cameron 2005c). In today’s world this translates into David Cameron’s Big Society (http://www.economist.com/blogs/blighty/2013/08/big-society) The Conservative Party needs to become more attractive both at the voluntary and professional level to a wider section of the population. The party needs to represent more women, people from different ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds. It needs more MPs, associations Chairs, and party workers at all levels coming from different backgrounds. This assignment will focus on the current problem, why this has happened and whether it has been sufficiently identified by the party.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 206

Assignment Example It can also track the non-performing segments and provide a platform from which the group can decide whether or not to clear with some departments. Using Stern Stewart’s lists of effective management with regards to maximizing on the components of EVA, it is possible to see just how appropriate capital employed serves the business. The Capital Light strategy seeks to make available larger sums of capital all in the name of taking advantage of the way in which potential investors will hold the fort in case of an expected payday. EVA can be put to task with regards to its effectiveness in picking out the non-performing segments or investments. As the instigator of EVA, Stern Stewart and Co., enjoy a significant share in the market and a healthy result for their years of service. The current levels of compensation seem excessive especially when put into perspective regarding profit and loss. The example of Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae shows just how far the rot has spread with the company now operating at a loss in the name of maintaining staff with major skills. It becomes a major burden ensuring that the objectives of the shareholders are satisfied. The compensation levels however, should come into play even before a CEO’s term ends. The payment will make a significant impact on whether or not the company continues in the set pathway. The way in which a CEO drives forward his/her agenda is mainly dependent on the manner of their economic contribution (Fortune, n.d). An imbalanced and overpaid leader will impact negatively on morale and lead to loss of profit levels. It is especially true in the event of an economic downturn. The question of giving raises and bonuses to the employees of the federal and state governments during poor economic performances desires an answer. These governments have the power within them to improve living standards for

Nutrition (any title that you will choose Essay

Nutrition (any title that you will choose - Essay Example It is undeniable that the government cares substantially about public nutrition and economics related to this aspect. Technically, nutrition refers to the science of food materials, and the role of food substances in a human body. Nutrition is not only concerned with food consumption but also revolves around understanding utilization of food matter within the body (Arlene 56). Areas of interest include the role of nutrients in health, and identification of diseases and medical problems resulting from dietary factors. This essay seeks to examine the relationship between nutrition and economics, especially from a governmental perspective. As mentioned earlier, nutrition has a close link with health aspects of diseases. Conventionally, cancer is associated with smoking of cigarette and use of unsaturated fats in frying foods. In addition, obesity derives its roots from excess intake of calories, and can lead to medical complications like heart attack. Clinically, fruits and vegetables tends of extend individual’s lives by approximately 5 years. Based on these facts, one can appreciate the fact that dietary patterns can either cause diseases or promote health improvement. Nutrition maintains health by preventing diseases. In fact good nutrition can reduce the increasing death rate associated with cancer and heath attack. Despite having great benefits, all members of the public will not consume fruits as a means of deterring nutrition related diseases. This means that there are numerous factors affecting nutrition. Common factors include economics, especially the aspect of income levels, politics and sociology am ong others. In developed countries like Canada, duties of the national government include responding to matters of public health. The government formulates health policies and implements intervention programs during public health emergencies. Economically, the government pays for treatment costs of its citizens,

Avata,2009 ( this is Film class paper) Movie Review

Avata,2009 ( this is Film class paper) - Movie Review Example The unity present in the scene, rhythm, visual balance and most importantly the color for it greatly relates to the mood and feelings that are to be depicted in the scene. One of the most important factors in cinematography is the usage of the proper camera and that too in the most efficient way keeping view the directionality, frame rate and so on. The cinematographer must know how to manipulate with the colors that is where to use soft light or hard light. The cinematography is also called as the Director of Photography and the director must also have enough information of cinematographic principles. The film we are going to analyze with reference to this is Avatar, a film directed by the genius of sci-fi James Cameron. James Cameron is an unparallel direction and writer when comes to science fictions movies and high end technology. He is has got a very wild imagination and excellent style for portraying which makes his all films flawless masterpieces. This film has also set ground breaking records and created revolution in cinematography through technological advances and excellent motion pictures. His former wife is also very famous and has produced some remarkable films, His current wife Gale Anne Hard is also a well-known producer. The opening scene if the film is entirely focused on the mail lead of the film who is a paralyzed former marine who spends most of his time drinking and lives in a small dank room. Jake Sully is main hero is asked to replace his slain brother in a project that has been sent to outer space to a star that happens to have certain resources that could revitalize the decaying earth. The film has set in 2148 where earth is totally destructed with no more greenery left more than 20milion people living in poverty. Deadly wars, nuclear warfare, famine, natural disasters and pollution are now the description of earth. There are hardly four to five minutes where the films has been shown depicting earth rest is on the moon Pandora where th ere lives a tribe known as Na ‘vi. This is from where the brilliance of the film starts though all of the scene have computer generated or shot through digital cameras abut all of it looks real like. Avatar with all the budget and gard work seems to be paying off every cent as well as augments the technical effects and throws challenge to other filmmakers dealing with this genre (McCarthy & Variety). Coming to the scenes of the film where the technicalities are at its best though the whole films classifies on this basis. The avatars created which are blue like people 9 ft tall, the different creatures; plants on the planets are all so real though it’s all digital imagery. The expressions of the people on that planet are inexplicable and nicely done. The best scene being when the shuttle nears the planet and the sound of the drums grows louder and louder increasing the excitement and curiosity of the viewers. Then there alien like tress, winged creatures, everything colo red a bit towards cyan. The lace seems like some other forest on earth except it’s so beautifully extravagant that it looks extraterrestrial. Avatar has an aura around it which spell binds to watch it and takes you on roller coaster ride like you never been to one (Turan, NewYork Times). The scene in which they show the princess who has fallen in love with the Avatar of Jake Sully takes him on a tour to her land is also stunning. The spiritual tress, the way everything illuminates in the night, the colors are extremely heart

Business Research Essay Example for Free

Business Research Essay Our research is concerned with the different factors affecting revenue of fast food restaurant located in close proximity of educational institutions. The purpose of the research is to study how exactly consumers disposable income impact the fast food restaurants revenue. For conducting the research, the sample of data has been taken from students; teachers and administrators of two colleges say Bangalore Management Academy and CRM IMS. The results reveal that restaurants make much profit on school days and less profit when closed because the success of the restaurants depends on consumer’s disposable income. INTRODUCTION. INTRODUCTION A fast food is a food that can be cooked and served very quickly sold in restaurant. We noticed in the last decade, a growth of fast food restaurants in India as Indian eating-out habit has considerably increased. This phenomenon is also observed where we could daily see a flux of adolescent and youngest population and that places are nothing but nearby educational institutions. The targeted customers are mostly students, teachers, administrators and people located in close proximity to educational institutions and the aim of the restaurants owners is to make profit, maximize and sustain their revenue. However it exist a relationship between restaurant’s location, revenue, and consumers disposable income. PROBLEM STATEMENT Although, building a fast food nearby educational institutions is the most suitable way to get many customers and make more profit but this also can have bad side effect because it is not taking in consideration of some factors like consumer’s income, and schools days. HYPOTHESIS Variation of consumer’s disposable income impact the revenue of fast food restaurants located in close proximity of educational institutions. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This proposed research will determine the factors affecting educational institutions’ proximity fast food restaurants revenue. STATEMENT OF THE QUESTIONS What are the students and school administrators eating-out habits? What are their disposable incomes? How do their spend it? In what way consumer’s disposable income affects the educational institution proximity fast food’s revenue? SCOPE AND LIMITATION The scopes of this research are the fast food restaurants located in close proximity to educational institutions. The limitations of the research are the restaurants that are not reachable by the educational institutional members which are allowed to participate in the research. LITERATURE REVIEW LITERATURE REVIEW One of the rising businesses that have become a considerable phenomenon in India is fast food restaurant. Caused by Indian eating out habit that becoming very popular, fast food restaurants is also slated to growth approximately by 20% per year (Gaurav Marya, 2012). Fast foods business have been such that they continuously changing along with the time and life style changing and they get adapted to immigration, travel as well as socio-economic environment (Kittler and Sucher, 1995). However, in order to attract customers, fast food restaurants afford different foods at different prices according to consumer’s income and eating habit. The restaurateurs have a clear understanding of the customer’s perceptions (Sundaram et al. , 1997) as they create a special attention to the environment around schools where children and younger are vulnerable to repeated exposures (Kelly et al., 2008). Revenue is the most important in any business and restaurant industry face a challenge which is of sustaining their profitability. Kimes (2004) suggest that the elements that determine the potential of a restaurant’s revenue is the capacity directly related to the quality of service and configuration of tables. The customers’ satisfactions may be influenced by the effect that a particular restaurant gives back to him and their associate that perception to the type of restaurant (Noone et al. , 2007:233). However, the time of increase or decrease of revenue depends on the customer’s disposable income that goes in parallel way with the restaurants owners’ policy. If the customers perceive the policy unfair they may be reluctant (Mc Guire and Kimes, 2006:123). Few studies have shown a great success of restaurants businesses in this recently years. METHODOLOGY METHODOLOGY RESEARCH DESIGN The research will involve the role play by the consumer’s disposable income on restaurants revenue through constructed and structured questionnaire that we would give to restaurant’s owners and educational institutional members to fill out the needed data. The interview scheduled is comprised of two sections. 1 – Collection of information about consumers and their disposable income 2 – Accumulation of information regarding location and annual turnover of the business SAMPLING Our study will follow the multistage stratified method of sampling based on some criterion to select the person and restaurants to conduct the research. Educational institutions members will be divided into three groups: Students, Teachers and Administrators. The next sampling group will be the schools proximities fast food restaurants owners. DATA COLLECTION TOOLS The primary data sources used to collect data are structured questionnaires that will be submitted to students and owners of fast food restaurants located to close proximity educational institution and educational institution’s members. Along with questionnaires, interviews also will be conducted. The secondary data will be collected through various publications, newspapers, websites and magazines. CONCLUSION CONCLUSION. The research was conducted on variations of educational institutions close proximities restaurants’ revenues and these restaurants’ customers’ disposable income and their food habit. It was conducted in Bangalore city among restaurants owners and students, administrators of particular schools; therefore, it has been possible to collect data from a small sample keeping in mind limitations. The result has then been gathered through qualitative as well as quantitative data collections and analysis by questioning and interviewing restaurant’s owners and customers. At the end of the study, it seems that the rise of fast food restaurants number in close proximity to educational institutions is a method to attract more targeted customers in order to make more profit. This is attractive method goes along with the consumers eating-out habit and conditioned by the main factor which is consumer’s disposable income. The restaurants then depend on the consumer’s disposable income. When this income is low customers eat less food or low price foods so they spend less money and the restaurants revenue is less a this period. But in the case their income is much then customers eat much and revenue of the restaurants is high. The second factor is the school program. The restaurants owners should consider also the opening and closing program of the educational institutions near which they located their business. QUESTIONNAIRE QUESTIONNAIRE To the consumers Name 😠 You are? | | Male| | | Female| | How old are you? | | 15-20| | | 21-25| | | 26-35| | | 35 and above| | What is your occupation? | | School administrator| | | Teacher| | | Student| | Where do you live? | | On campus| | | Around campus| |. | Within walking distance| | | Far from campus| | What is your meal plan per day? | | 2| | | 3| | | Above 3| | | No meal plan| | Do you often eat out? | | Yes| | | No| | How do you often eat out? | | Never| | | Occasionally| | | 1 to 2 days a week| | | More than 2 days a week| | | Daily| | How do you often prepare your own meals during school weeks? | | Never| | | Occasionally| | | All the time| | What kind of restaurant do you eat at during school time? | | Fast food| | | Casual dining| | | Casual food| | What is your monthly disposable income? | | Less than 15000| | | 15000-20000| |. | 21000-35000| | | More than 35000| | What is the average amount of money you spend off campus every day? | | Rs. 20 50| | | Rs. 55 100| | | Above Rs. 100| | | I don’t spend money on campus| | INTERVIEWS INTERVIEWS With the students Interviewer: Hi, I am Bamba Adama, MBA student of Bangalore Management Academy; with your permission, I would like to conduct an interview with you for a business research purpose. The purpose of this interview is to look for different factors that affect your eating habit and you spend your disposable income according to your food habit. Interviewer: Can you tell me a little something about yourself? Student Interviewer: Where do you live? Do you live with family or alone? Student Interviewer: What do you enjoy eating daily? Why? Student Interviewer: Do you cook the foods yourself? Student: Interviewer: What do you enjoy eating daily? Why? Student Interviewer: Do you use to you eat different food outside precisely in one of the restaurants around campus? Why / why not? Student Interviewer: Is there any other reasons like foods prices? Student: Interviewer: How much around do you spend weekly by eating outside? Student Interviewer: Who provides you your income? I mean your pocket money? Student With Restaurant owner Interviewer: Hi, I am Bamba Adama, MBA student of Bangalore Management Academy; with your permission, I would like to conduct an interview with you for a business research purpose. The purpose of this interview is to look for different factors that affect your restaurant’s revenue according to your location. Interviewer: Can you tell me a little something about yourself and your business? Restaurant Owner Interviewer: What types of food do you cook? Restaurant Owner Interviewer: Were you located somewhere before? Restaurant Owner Interviewer: What motivated you to build your business at this particular location? Restaurant Owner Interviewer: Who are your main customers? Restaurant Owner Interviewer: At what period of time you get more customers? Restaurant Owner Interviewer: What is your revenue before and after this particular period of time? Restaurant Owner Interviewer: What is your approximate daily revenue at these particular times? Restaurant Owner.

Reducing HIV Stigma Among Nursing Students

Reducing HIV Stigma Among Nursing Students 1 The journal article being critiqued is a study of HIV stigma and a study’s intervention at reducing that stigma among nursing students. First, stigma is introduced, the type of stigma’s seen with HIV, and then how those are interpreted in nursing practice. The purpose of the study was to reduce HIV stigma in nursing students through a dynamic course given at a nursing school. The article will be reviewed, analyzed, and critiqued in its significance as a research source and implementation value. A study was carried out by the University of California in India, at a nursing school in a city where HIV prevalence was high. This study consisted of a curriculum, and 91 nursing students. The class was focused on educating and reducing different stigma-influencing measures of HIV. The sample received a pre and posttest that served as the main set of data for how the class influenced the student’s HIV stigma. Statistics was used to evaluate student response data in its measures of standard deviation and confidence intervals. These measures helped the study in deciding whether student answers were significant, or how effective their class was on reducing HIV stigma. An HIV stigma is something that can alters one’s view of a person with HIV that is based on some cultural or social belief. The study believes that stigma can devalue or interfere with care for a person with HIV. This commonly effects people who are drug users, sex workers, or of the male homosexual population. It not only affects a nurse’s care, but also the patient’s motivation to seek care. The study states, â€Å"HIV stigma is considered to be among the greatest impediments to effectively combating the global HIV epi- demic.† There is instrumental and symbolic stigma, which includes misconceptions about transmission and attitudes or beliefs towards the previously stated populations commonly believed to have HIV. The method of this study was at a nursing school in India, St John’s College of Nursing. Second year, English speaking students were the sample group. They were given information about what the study was going to test and signed informed consent to participate. The control group was 46 people, and the intervention group was 45 people. The course was focused on the two types of stigmas previously mentioned and offered on session on instrumental stigma, which included knowledge, fears, epidemiology, transmission, prevention and proper use of PPE. The second session was on symbolic stigma and had a speaker come and talk about their experience with HIV and HIV stigmas. The control received no intervention. A questionnaire was given before and after the interventions that assessed student’s symbolic and instrumental stigmas. They were asked questions like their gender and age, prior care for a person with HIV, their attitudes, misconceptions, fears, discrimination, and so fo rth. The topics of the questionnaires tested demographics, experience with persons with HIV, knowledge of HIV, endorsement of coercive measures, worry about HIV infections, blame, and intent to discriminate. This is included true or false, with different right and wrong misconceptions or truths about HIV. They were tested on whether they agreed with certain statements like mandatory testing, right to refuse an HIV patient, to marry, have children, etc. One question asked if the student blamed people with HIV for their disease or thought they deserved it. There were multiple-choice questions about medication administration and blood draws and precautions to take that tested the student’s intent to discriminate. Each section had a few questions that was intended to test the students aptitude in that subject area. All participants were female and between 18 and 29 years old. Results were found to be significant. Post-intervention found many changes from the baseline that showed a reduction in stigma based on previous definitions. There was a lower percentage of misconceptions in the intervention group compared to the control group. Participants who had preexisting discrimination among people with HIV lowered with a question regarding medication administration, but did not lower with regard to drawing blood. There were a slightly lower number of people who worried about transmission of HIV but were not statistically significant when compared to the control group. On average about 95% of students believed the session was helpful and would change their care towards a person with HIV. About 40% of students were embarrassed to reveal their opinions about it. The questionnaire taken before the intervention showed that the students had a fairly high HIV stigma. Compared the post questionnaire, control group, and preceding results, a conclusion that the course â€Å"showed promise† in lowering stigma of people with HIV was perceived. The questionnaire showed that students had high levels of â€Å"intent to discriminate while performing nursing duties.† In the study it says this may be because of lack of experience. Also students said that people with HIV were blamed for their disease if it was through drugs or sex and believed mandatory testing of sex workers and male homosexuals was called for. One of the biggest findings of this questionnaire was that there was seen to be a lack of knowledge among nursing students in transmission of HIV, blame of persons with HIV, discrimination in a professional workplace, and calling of coercive measures. This shows high stigma levels, which were akin to high discrimination levels of peopl e with HIV. After the course however, it was shown to be effective in giving students more knowledge base for HIV stigma across many dynamics. The post questionnaire showed fewer misconceptions, less blame, and decreased discrimination. Not all data deemed to be statistically significant, but the data that was significant still deemed the course in reducing HIV held promise. It might be more effective with a larger sample that also included male nurses, varying ages, and varying schools. It is significant that this study used a â€Å"convenience sample† of people that were readily available and in a high prevalence HIV area. Taking the study to various states, cities, and people of different cultural and moral values would make this study more significant in it’s actual effectiveness in reducing HIV stigma. Future continuation of this study should look at various population content and high numbers of people, mainly. All measures used to define stigmas, assess stigma levels, and test prejudice was based on a previously developed theoretical model of HIV that had been formulated in India. The definitions and guidelines of the curriculum seemed to be well defined and showed a good possibility of being standardized for larger sample size testing. They were also easy to understand and interpret. The questionnaire was a successful evaluation too l for this study (with 29 questions) and was well defined in the article. It might also benefit this study to try different methods of evaluation other than only using a questionnaire survey technique. It may even be interesting to compare the nursing students results with already registered nurses, experienced nurses, doctors, UAP’s, and patients/civilians. This study is very important to nursing care today. HIV stigma is prevalent and something that is seen daily. Marginalized groups such as homosexual populations, female sex workers, and drug users should not be stigmatized from the moment they enter a hospital or become a patient, that is something they do experience as not only a marginalized group, but also the select few with HIV. Nurses are the basis of these patients’ care and need to be able to give care without bias or discrimination. This requires evaluating ones own beliefs of this stigma. A course that helps nurses through this process while also giving them a dynamic educational and experiential background of stigma’s, transmission, and persons with HIV would be extremely helpful to that patients care. Anything that can help nurses become better, give more effective care, and be more sensitive to others cultures, beliefs and illness is helpful to the medical field, and more importantly, helpful to the patient s healing and disease process. Personally, I believe that people with HIV are stigmatized well beyond due cause. Yes they have an incurable disease, and it can be transmitted through blood, which we deal with a lot as a nurse. But we still need to be professional and give proper care. A person with HIV is something that has been very popular to stigmatize, especially in our social and cultural society in the United States. Even I realized I hold some of these beliefs as I read this study. It is important as a professional, and as a nurse, to make sure we hold everyone to the same standard of care and give continuity in our nursing process. If this course was available to me it is definitely something I would be interested in taking. It can only help me to become a more effective and sensitive nurse to a patient with HIV and it is something that could easily be added into hospital orientation. It would be great to make it available to all staff and be more knowledgeable and less discriminatory against those with HI V and the marginalized population we target when we have an HIV stigma. This study is really just the tip of the iceberg on the subject of reducing HIV stigma, but I feel it’s the step in the right direction and could be vital in finding a way to resolve prejudices against HIV. Citation List 1. Shah, S., Srinivasan, K., Perumpil, S., Ekstrand, M. (2014). Reducing HIV Stigma Among Nursing Students: A Brief Intervention. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 36(10), 1323-1337. Retrieved October 19, 2014, from Sagepub.

History of Communism Containment

History of Communism Containment After the Second World War, the United States began seeing an expansion of communism into Eastern Europe and sought to stop the spread of communism by adopting a policy of containment. The U.S and President Truman saw the Soviet Union to be a serious threat to the free world and as a result, they were about to enter a new kind of war: the Cold War. After defeating Germany during World War II, most of Europe and Asia lay in ruins, and on the horizon a new threat appeared, communism. Even though the U.S. and the Soviet Union were allies during World War II, they both emerged from the war as global powers, with differences on their perspectives of the world. Both nations were competing with each other economically and militarily and where in at an impasse. The U.S. was the richest country in the world and it promoted democracy and capitalism, while the Soviets thought communism was a better (political system because it transformed their economy and status in the world from nothing but a declining empire to a super power once again) (StudyWorld). By 1947, relations between the two countries had broken down completely. President Truman took decisive steps to contain Soviet expansion in regions in which the U.S. had vital interests. With the takeover of Greece and Turkey by a Soviet backed guerilla movement, this was the first sign of communist aggression that forced the U.S. to react. In March 1947, Truman decided to (draw a line in the sand)(US History)by asking Congress to appropriate $400 million for these two nations to help them in the form of military and economic assistance. The Truman Doctrine came about as direct result of the Soviet aggression and was basically an (open pact to any group willing to stand against communism, guaranteeing them military and financial aid)(US Dept of State). This is also the beginning of an embarrassing an unprecedented series of foreign policy blunders on the part of the U.S. The Truman Doctrine would later be used to justify shady actions in Korea, Vietnam, and Cuba. The second step in containment was the Marshall Plan, which provided economic relief to the rebuilding of Western European nations such as Great Britain, France, Belgium and even Germany. By boosting these economies, the U.S. ensured that (communism would not rise in any of these countries from a weak economy)(Studynotes). Four years later, not only were the Western European industries producing twice the amount that they had before war broke out, but the U.S. saw a postwar economic boom with record levels of trade. At first the U.S. Congress wasnt in favor of the proposed plan, but following a coup by communist in Czechoslovakia, they approved it. An official alliance with other nations that opposed communism came to be after the coup in Czechoslovakia. In April 1949, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was founded. The countries agreed that they would (stand by each other as one, and any attack on a member of the alliance is an attack on all)(US Dept of State). At the time, this was a great idea; trying to prevent communism from taking over the world. But as time went by, we have come to realize that as a part of NATO, the U.S. is the majority partner, and is becoming the worlds police and major contributor of the funds for these efforts. I think that the U.S. needs to withdraw from NATO and try and get the U.S. back to status of the worlds super power. We dont have the funds to bail out the rest of the world, when our own economy is in such dire straits. Being a member of NATO, provides a presidential loophole for military intervention by America in any foreign struggle without Congress declaring war, which is a bad idea. All this did was force the Soviet Union to flex its muscles and in 1955, it formed an alliance, known as the Warsaw Pact, with other Eastern European nations, such as Poland, Bulgaria, E. Germany, and Romania. Now, these countries are (no more than puppet nations held by the Grand Puppeteer, Russia)(Pieper). In one fell swoop the Soviet Union (gained almost as much land as Napoleon or Hitler; but without a war)(US History). Americas idea of a united effort at the containment of Communism had exponential grown into a united expansion of communism, just the opposite effect the U.S. was trying to accomplish. After World War II, redrawing of boundaries all over the world came about. Korea, who was conquered by Japan during the war, was divided at the 38th parallel, and the northern part of the country was given to the Soviet Union and the southern half to the U.S. In 1950, the Soviets left N. Korea leaving a communist regime behind. That regime, funded and equipped by China, invaded S. Korea. The United Nations, led, of course, by the United States, (raised an army to restore peace and expel the aggressors)(Pieper). The U.S. established a cease-fire zone, but not before the victory changed hands twice and lasted three years. Some might say that (communism in this case was successfully contained but with the loss of 53,000 American lives in a fruitless attempt to topple a regime is hardly a victory)(US Dept of State). Another failure of containment by the United States would be in Vietnam. After the fighting with France ended in 1954, Vietnam was split in two like Korea, North Vietnam being Communist and South Vietnam led by the Vietnamese who supported the French. In 1963, the South Vietnamese leader was assassinated, and the U.S. sent over American troops to support the non-Communist regime, while in accordance with the Truman Doctrine. The resulting struggle would prove to be (the most agonizing and long defeat of the American military in history)(StudyWorld). Two elements of the U.Ss failure of Vietnam were trying to win a traditional war in a guerrilla setting and not having full support of the U.S. people. This resulted in a loss of 68,000 U.S. soldiers and over 400,000 South Vietnamese. The U.S. started withdrawing troops in 1973, but by 1976, all of Vietnam came under communist rule, proving once again that containment didnt work. Even after the Korean War and the creation of the Warsaw Pact, the expansion of communism was not over. In 1959, a rag-tag band of guerillas overtook the government of Cuba and it fell under Fidel Castros regime. The U.S. was unwilling or unprepared to stop this, either for fear of judgment from the international community or of the (shortsightedness caused by a general distaste for Cubas previous government)(Nuclearfiles). This would later come back to haunt them, in both the Bay of Pigs fiasco and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Realizing the problem that Castro could cause, the U.S. planned a literal exertion of the Truman Doctrine. President Kennedy ordered the execution of The Bay of Pigs operation and in April 1961, 1500 Cuban exiles landed in the Bay of Pigs. American air support never arrived and the plan backfired and all of the exiles were gunned down mercilessly. Again containment was once again dashed. A year later was probably the scariest moment of the Cold War. The Soviet Union made a deal with Castro to place nuclear missiles on Cuba and those missiles gave the Soviets a chance to hit U.S. soil without an air offensive. The range of those missiles was 3000 miles, which could demolish the whole eastern seaboard. After a U2 flight over Cuba, President Kennedy ordered a blockade of Cuba and stated that any further attempts to arm Cuba would result in an act of war. The Soviets backed down and removed the silos from Cuba. It was found later, that Russias president made a secret deal with the U.S. agreeing to remove the missiles from Cuba if the U.S. would remove missiles from Turkey. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a (propaganda victory for the U.S. and an undisclosed blow to containment)(Nuclearfiles). Even though 1989 marked the end of the Cold War, some say that since the Soviet Union ultimately fell, the policy of containment was successful. I think this is wrong. The Soviet Union fell under its own weight; the countries expenditures were huge. They had a very large army to support and the cost of such a large country could not be sustained, leaving them no choose but to declare bankruptcy. Another symbol of the U.S. failures to contain communism, is that the nations under the Soviet bloc remain to this day; Vietnam, North Korea, Cuba, and China are still completely Communist nations. Not only was American (containment in the height of the Cold War a failure)(US History), those failures can still be seen to this day. And if the U.S. isnt careful, we too could come under communist rule due to our astronomical debt in which China holds the note. Works Citied Containment of Communism Nuclearfiles.org. Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. 1998-2012. Web. 5 Nov 12 Pieper, Moritz. Containment and the Cold War: Reexaming the Doctrine of Containment as a Grand Strategy Driving US Cold War Interventions. Student Pulse. 2012. Web. 5 Nov 12. Studynotes.org. 2008. Web. 5 Nov 12. Studyworld.com. Oakwood Mgt. 1996-2012. Web. 5 Nov 12. U.S. Department of State. Office of the Historian. US Department of State. Web. 6 Nov 12. USHistory.org. Containment and the Marshall Plan. Hall Assoc. 2008-2012. Web. 5 Nov 12