Breakdown of IT during Hurricane Katrina Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Breakdown of IT during Hurricane Katrina - Essay Example They want to pool their knowledge and interpretations of the situation, understand what resources are available, assess options, plan responses, decide, commit, act, and coordinate. The heart of the network is the communication system they use and the ways they interact within it" (16). There are five elements that make up an HFN which includes "(1) a network of people established rapidly (2) from different communities, (3) working together in a shared conversation space (4) in which they plan, commit to, and execute actions, to (5) fulfil a large, urgent mission" (Denning, 16-17). The basis for forming an HFN for quick responses to emergencies or an urgent task, then disbanding the entire group upon completion of the desired outcome is not an entirely new concept as historically, an HFN has become a necessity in such devastating events such as: "(1) the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack that took 2,749 lives which resulted in severe economic impact, especially to airlines, and a stock market loss of $1.2 trillion, (2) the December 26, 2004 tsunami from a 9.1 earthquake that took over 283,000 lives, (3) the August 29, 2005 category-5 hurricane Katrina, which knocked out electric and communication infrastructure, over 90,000 square miles of Louisiana and Mississippi and displacing 1.5 million people" (Denning, 15) No matterNo matter the severity of the disasters and the impact on economic and environmental containments, there is an important moot point to be made: the "quality of the response depends not on response planning or on new equipment, but on the quality of the network that came together to provide relief" (Denning, 15) This type of response is not simply limited to what and how quickly relief was provided but also in how quickly the infrastructure response was mobilized. This infrastructure response includes restoration of voice and data communications, medical needs, etc. which are indirectly tied to the victims or those who are affected by natural disaster events. There are three categories that have been awarded when an HFN will respond and are broken down in the following table (Table 1): Category Characteristics Examples K: Known Know what to do Use existing network structures May choose not to respond Fast response team for time-critical business problem or opportunity KU: Known/Unknown Know what to do Don't know time or place Responding network structure known Local fire, small earthquake, civil unrest, military campaigns UU: Unknown / Unknown Don't know what to do Don't know time or place Responding network structure unknown 9/11 attack, other terrorist attacks, large earthquake, major natural disasters (Note: KU events can become UU events when scaled up to large areas or populations) Table 1: Kinds of events requiring response from hastily formed networks1 To further explain the category challenges, "the first category is the easiest and the least likely to stress the HFN; the middle category is the type that emergency agencies such as police and fire departments prepare for; but, the third category challenges are more defined as: Genuine surprise: the precipitating event is in no known category. There has been no advanced planning, training, or positioning equipment Chaos: everyone is

The institution and I Essay Example for Free

The institution and I Essay This is similar to Brett; the protagonist in Scott Monks unconventionally written novel Raw. We first meet Brett at his umpteenth time of committing a crime. On his journey to his latest institution; The Farm, we learn of his negative attitude and surprise of being sent to a federation-styled homestead instead of a concentration camp patrolled by Dobermans and gun-toting guards. His negative attitude to authority is exemplified by constantly referring to the police as pigs and similies like Cops and food go together like pigs and slop. Sam is the symbolic role model who initiates Bretts reform, he offers his hand for a handshake, but Brett declines the offer. This symbolises his reluctance to change from his former self and habits. Scott Monk has deliberately put this theme of binary opposites in  the novel, to show how different the experiences are on individuals on different sides of the rules. When Brett first meets the other criminals occupying The Farm he is shown two different paths he can follow while there; he can follow the rules and rely on the institution for support and be like Josh. The other option is to have a blatant disregard and disrespect for the rules; and turn to violence as the answer to everything and be like Tyson. Brett is always at crossroads and does not show any change until the end of the novel, where he is put in a position where he must choose what path he wants to lead in life. The Farm does not use solitary confinement or violence as a form of punishment towards the boys, instead they are enforced upon the individual i.e. When Brett drink drives and crashes the Ute, he is punished by doing chores such as †¦pulling out weeds†¦ and †¦scrubbing the rust off oil drums†¦. Brett does not prefer to do such chores because he knows he is already being sent back to Sydney for breaking the law. Another way is by punishing the whole group for an individuals action, this leads to the individual harassment and negative victimisation towards this individual i.e. Brett tries to escape and is victimised by Tyson and his group who shave the hair off his head for the fear of losing privileges. The symbolic affects of before and after The Farm is represented by Rebecca and Caitlyn. The significance of Rebecca proves that Brett is only semi-rehabilitated; Rebecca symbolises Bretts continuing path to crime. Caitlyns personalities of being conservative and conformist replicate the path that Bretts life will lead to if he abides to the rules while staying at The Farm. It is because of Rebecca that he is sent away and Sam tells him only you can change ur life. This is the main theme to the whole novel, and has been put in deliberately by Scott Monk. He does this because he knows that his book is aimed at young teenagers and he knows that it will attract the attention of a lot of young teenagers because of its contents; rebelling amongst the  whole world because †¦it hates you†¦, fights, sex and run-ins with the law. Dissimilar to Raw, Shawshank Redemption a film directed by Frank Darabont, is set on themes focusing on the negative effects on the individual while in prison. Shawshank focuses mainly on physical abuse and punishment, this is seen in the fourth scene when Warden Norton is laying out the rules; †¦no blasphemy but verbal and physical abuse is condoned. Shawshank is different to Raw because it can be seen that, the guards physically abuse the inmates. Also; the plot of Raw is that the change is within the individual, but in Shawshank, the plot is to keep the criminals inside the dull grey walls away from the emerging and colourful society; There is only 3 ways to spend money on prisons: more walls, more bars, more guards. This piece of dialogue is ironic because the warden himself is in charge of a money laundering scheme throughout the prison, this is only possible with the help of the smart Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins). This operation leads Andy to find sarcasm in saying that On the outside I was an honest man, straight as an arrow, I had to come to prison to be a crook. This is an individual effect that Andy has had because of the institution; he has become a criminal. There is a belief that if an inmate has been in a prison for too long they rely upon the institution and become institutionalised i.e. Brooks; he served his 50 year sentence and throughout that time he is the prison librarian; †¦outside he is nothing. Upon leaving the prison he is given a place to stay and a job at Food Way. He doesnt like how the world has changed so fast and all he wants to really do is †¦get a gun and rob the Food Way so they would send me home. _Home_, he refers to the prison as home, by being away from a growing society, the institution has left him with a negative effect of being confused and not knowing anything about the outside world, but relying on the support of the institution. Brooks was rendered so incapable of independent thought and human operation in the world that he committed suicide. This portrays how Shawshank has become the opposite of rehabilitation and shuns out the beliefs of hope and ever getting out of the high; stone walls. Just like it did to Red, when Andy tries to explain how he can never become institutionalised, Red replies  with: Hope is a dangerous thing. It can drive a man insane. This explains how in Shawshank, redemption is a hard thing to find. Redemption is the improving of something, but if inmates are _hoping_ to _improve_, will they find redemption? Richard Nevilles article Come on, kids dare to resist published by The Sydney Morning Herald on the 3rd of May 2004. Outlines how the selfish gen Xers are more afraid of losing their credit cards than losing the planet. A gen Xer is a person born on Earth anytime between 1965 and 1980. Richard Neville is a man who doesnt want technology to rule our worlds, he is a hero to some and an enemy to others, his views are more futuristic, he is very concerned to where the future is headed and how we will get there. He himself is portrayed as the institution here, it is his views that make a lasting impact on people, the reason he is well known for his publicity. When commenting on a recent protest about young university students wanting lower fees he says this; The students have a point about the fees, but why cant they get upset about other peoples problems? He is referring to the war in Iraq. He wants the young students to look to the positive side and see that they have the education that they are taking for granted; the education a person their age in Iraq is deprived of even if they can afford it. These youngsters in Australia do not understand how lucky they are to be friends with America and not enemies like Iraq. His political based comments do not stop there; As for the future leaders of Australia, the strapping young professionals, the entrepreneurs, the trainee philosophers, where are they? Locked up with mortgage brokers, every one. See how he predicts a positive effect and job prospects towards _all_ future leaders of Australia and by saying that they are Locked up with mortgage brokers, every one. He is emphasising that they are experiencing a negative effect from their institutions and are becoming institutionalised by not being able to reach for that final goal; they can see it, but they cant have it. This is just like Brett in Raw he wanted to be like Josh, but couldnt because he could never leave his old habits behind him. This can also be related to Andy in Shawshank Redemption, he could see himself  outside the prison in New Mexico, but he was restricted by the greed and abuse of human rights. So he chose to break out and reach his goal, even if it was giving the institution a r eason to finally keep him there. Now readers the task is upon you to judge from what you have read here, go read Raw and go watch Shawshank Redemption, I have only expressed to you my opinion of these two excellent texts and their analysation of different institutions and their effects. It is now your turn to experience the self-discovery of how you lead your life and how the institutions around you lead their occupants lives. It is also an incredulous opportunity that todays HSC students are able to study this subject more thoroughly. It is because of this elective in year 12 English classes that the young adults of tomorrow can see where their futures may be heading and know now that there is always time for reform and change in their habits. Studying such socially active topics at school will prove useful in their future lives, as it will help them understand how they should deal with problems they face from institutions that they may come across in their life. Might I also add to keep a watch on Richard Neville, he has some intriguing predictions about the future on his website: http://www.richardneville.com.au

Dualits Marketing Strategy Analysis

Dualits Marketing Strategy Analysis Over the next three years the market for kitchen products and appliances is expected to grow by up to 17.6% (Datamonitor, 2009). This growing market makes it the ideal time to be the manufacturer of these goods.   Consumers of these goods are looking for products which are both stylish and built to last.   Dualit has created a product with has incorporated both these key elements; the Dualit NewGen toaster. Dualit is a British company which designs and manufactures toasters and other kitchen appliances.   Founded in the early 1940s (Dualit, 2010), Dualit is portrayed as a company which offers high quality and well-engineered products. The first Dualit toaster to be made with a timer and manual eject button was created in 1952 and ever since Dualit has continued to produce toasters based on the original design (Dualit, 2010). In this essay Dualits marketing strategy will be assessed using the 4Ps framework.   This framework allows product, place, price and promotion to be considered (Marketing Teacher, 2010).   As well as looking at the companys marketing mix, their targeting, positioning and segmentation will also be evaluated.   By considering all of these aspects, alternatives can be suggested on how Dualit can improve their strategy.   All the information used for this essay will come from secondary sources. Dualit want to be considered as a company which offer high quality products which are superior to their competitors (Dualit, 2010).   This is illustrated in the way in which they target their customers.   Dualit use a differentiated marketing strategy to target their consumers.   Using a differentiated marketing strategy allows them to target several markets and design a separate offering for each market (Armstrong et al, 2009).   Products which use a differentiated strategy tend to be valued by customers and customers perceive the product to be better than or different from products of the competition.   Also, according to Michel Porters model if a company has a corporate reputation for quality and innovation like Dualit does, then they will usually use a differentiated strategy (QuickMBA, 2010). Dualit segment their market using psycographic segmentation, this allows Dualit to divide its buyers into different groups based on social class, lifestyle or personality characteristics (QuickMBA, 2010).   Dualits 2 slice NewGen toaster will appeal to people with a high disposable income that will pay a lot to get a stylish product like the NewGen toaster but who also care about the environment, as the NewGen has a control which allows only one slot to be heated.   Whereas, the 4 slice NewGen toaster appeals more to the commercial users such as cafes and restaurants, who might need to make several slices at any one time.   By targeting more than one target market it allows Dualit to increase its market share. After considering their target market and deciding how to segment them, Dualit can then consider all aspects of their marketing mix and how the different aspects work together. Dualits NewGen toaster can be split into three product levels.   These three levels are the core product, the actual product and the augmented product.   The core product is the benefits the customer will receive (Kotler et al, 2008).   Buyers of the NewGen toaster range will benefit from a product which makes toast but at the same time is compact and stylish and comes in over ten colours meaning it will complement almost any kitchen.   The core benefits are offered through the components that make up the actual product (Armstrong et al, 2009). The actual product includes styling, features and design.   The extra wide slots on the NewGen toaster that allow for nearly every type of bread to be toasted can be seen as a core benefit.   The augmented product is built around the core benefits and the actual product by offering additional customer service (Armstrong et al, 2009).   Dualit offer a two year guarantee on the elements in the toaster and a one year guarantee on al l other parts.   Customers are also given a users guild to allow them to see other ways to use their toaster, this guide is also available from their website.   The Dualit NewGen toaster also has replaceable parts meaning that if it breaks it doesnt need to be thrown out, it can be fixed.   This means it will last significantly longer than any other toaster. There is no obvious improvement that Dualit could make to the NewGen toaster as it has more features than every other toaster currently on the market. Dualit make some of the most expensive kitchen appliances on the market.   The NewGen toaster ranges in price from  £135 to  £195 depending on the size of the toaster and how it is finished (John Lewis, 2010).   Dualit appear to use two pricing strategies.   They appear to use product line pricing, where a company prices different models within a range at different prices (Armstrong et al, 2009).   It is more expensive for a 4 slice NewGen toaster than it is for a 2 slice NewGen toaster; this is a perfect example of product line pricing.   However, Dualit also appear to use value based pricing as a way of pricing their range, whereby buyers perceptions, not the sellers costs are key to pricing (Armstrong et al, 2009). Dualits toaster may be highly priced but the consumers perception is that the high price means it is high quality.   Unfortunately for Dualit many of its competitors offer a similar product in a similar style for a fraction of the price that is sold by t he same retailer.   Although they dont have as many features as the NewGen toaster, they still do the same job so potential customers may feel it is unnecessary to buy a toaster that costs  £135 and purchase a rival toaster instead.   Dualit may need to consider lowering their prices if it begins to affect them in the future.   The Dualit NewGen toaster hasnt been highly publicised.   The only advertising that Dualit does for the range is on their own website.   Any other advertising is mostly done by the individual retailers that sell the product.   John Lewis currently offer a five year guarantee with all NewGen toasters, this may act as an incentive to potential customers as they feel they are getting more for their money and their product is protected longer.   Dualits lack of advertising may be a way to reduce costs but in the long run it could cost them potential customers.   The NewGen toaster is currently sold out on one of its main retailers website so their lack of advertising doesnt currently seem to be affecting their sales but in the future it could, so to increase publicity Dualit may consider taking part in a joint advertising campaign with a premium bread company such a Warburtons or Hovis, which are both popular brands.   This would allow Dualit to target a wider market which ma y, as a result increase their market share. Dualit currently sell their product on their own website and through high end retailers such as John Lewis and House of Frasers, which are as reputable but expensive department stores.   This enhances Dualits image of being manufacturers of high quality products.   Department stores carry a wide range of product lines (Armstrong et al, 2009) which can attract a larger range of customers, so by selling their product they may increase their market share.   Dualit may want to appeal to a larger target market.   They could do this by selling their products in large supermarkets such as Tesco or Asda because thousands of people go to these shops every day.   Although this would allow them to reach a larger target marker, it may put off existing customers as they may feel that it takes away from the brands high end reputation.   If Dualit did consider this they would have to decide if they would rather gain new customers or risk losing existing customers. After having analysed all the aspects of Dualits marketing mix, it can be seen that although there are a few improvements which they could make to their marketing strategy such as more advertising or vary where they sell the products overall their current marketing strategy is working well as their products are sold out on retailers websites.   With the market for kitchen appliances set to largely increase, Dualit may have to consider altering their marketing if they wish to dominate more of this increasing market.   If Dualit do decide to change their marketing strategy in the future it should be for the better as long as they continue to make high quality products that out perform their rivals. References Armstrong, G.; Kotler, P.; Harker, M. Brennan, R. (2009) Marketing An Introduction. 8th Ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Dualit (2010) Dualit Our History. Available at: http://www.dualit.com/our-history (Accessed: 12 February 2010). John Lewis (2010) Search Results NewGen. Available at: http://www.johnlewis.com/Search/Search.aspx?SearchTerm=NewGen (Accessed: 13 February 2010). Kotler,P.; Armstrong, G.; Wong,V. Saunders, J. (2008) Principles of Marketing. 5th Ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Marketing Teacher (2010) Marketing Mix. Available at: http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_marketing_mix.htm (Accessed: 11 February 2010). QuickMBA (2010) Market Segmentation. Available at: http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/market-segmentation (Accessed: 12 February 2010). Datamonitor (2009) Kitchen Appliances Global Industry Guide, Special Report, London, The Data Monitor Group

Performance-based Compensation - Pay for Performance Essay -- Job Work

Performance-based Compensation - Pay for Performance Corporations are looking for new ways to improve employee performance as well as remain competitive. Pay for performance is one method some businesses are utilizing to improve employee performance. Performance-based compensation exists when compensation is tied directly to that portion of an individual’s performance that can be effectively measured. There are a number of ways in which this may be accomplished and a number of examples as well how it is applied. One of the oldest examples is taken from the ancient Egyptians, where slaves working in the pyramids were given bread for superior performance. Payment of commission for sales production is one of the methods used today. Most will agree that knowledge is the ‘key’ resource in this post-industrial economy. The challenge for many companies is developing an organization that creates and cultivates knowledge and learning. Pay plays a significant role in shaping workplace behavior. Most of the traditional pay systems reward the job the individual performs rather than the skills he/she brings to the job. The system is not being able to reward the things the company needs and this presents a barrier. The trend has moved away from pay for the value of the job, service and seniority. It is being replaced with paying for skills, knowledge, competency, performance and productivity, all which can be delivered through different invitations, from changes to base pay to introducing gainsharing. HOW DOES PAY FOR PERFORMANCE WORK? If part or all of the one’s salary is contingent on how well you actually perform your job, one will go the extra mile. The individual will attack his/her work with vigor and revel in the rewards. And... ...aining 34, Number 12 (December 1998): 34-40 Hays, Scott. "Pros & Cons of Pay for Performance." Workforce 78, Number 2 (February 1997): 68-72 Johnson, Sam T. "Plan your organization’s reward strategy through pay for performance dynamics: Compensation & Benefits Review 30, Number 3: (May/June 1998): 67-72 Kalbaugh, G. Edward. "Opportunity Compensation." Rough Notes 141, Number 7 (July 1998): 71-72 Marino, Sal F. "Pay your rank and file fairly." Industry Week 248, Number 3 (February 1999): 18 Morrison, Arnold. "Performance Management and Pay Programs." [http://www/mdcs.state.mi.us/wf_aquis/Programs2.htm]. April 1997. "Bonus and Incentive Pay Plans – FAQ." [http://www.ipma-hr.org/research/bonusfaq.htm]. January 1999. "Guidelines for Administration of Merit Pay Plan." [http://www.hr.ucsd.edu/docs/classification/merits/guideline.html]. September 1998.

Learning Experiences with Linear and Systemic Questioning Essay

In this paper I will have a detailed interview process laid out in order of focus. First, I am focusing my interview on the background of my partner and what motivates her to go to school and further her education. Secondly, I will ask her why she chose to specialize in her field of work and what are side hobbies or enjoyments that she does besides working towards her career goal. Lastly, I will be asking about her family and their views on education. I will be asking both linear and systemic questions to get my answers. I have looked up the meaning of linear and systemic questioning and their differences before writing out the questions I am using for Michele. I feel like this assignment has helped me to understand and recognize the difference in the questions being asked and which ones will give me a more detailed answer. Learning Experience with Linear and Systemic Questioning I am doing an interview process with Michele Renner to learn more about her as a student, professional, and person. I know that this assignment is a stepping stone to learning all I need to know to be a MFT. The interview process will teach me how to reply and question in a professional matter and how to talk with a complete stranger without there being any uneasiness. I believe that this interview essay is relevant to my education needed for MFT work. I think it is a great way to quickly get to know a part of my fellow classmate’s life and see the inside without having met her yet. Michele has a very busy life, I know this much from reading her introduction in class. She has six children and that isn’t the only thing keeping her on her toes. I admire the fact that she is continuing her education despite all that is going on in her life; it shows that her motivation is strong. Michele not only has a strong motivation for continuing her education but a very inspirational story. Question Development Michele chose education to be the main focus of our interview process with me as her interviewer. I have lined up eight linear questions and seven systemic questions all around the topic of education and how it affects her family and time with extracurricular activities. My questions are listed in Appendix A. Since Michele only chose education I was able to format my questions in a way to gain more insight on her everyday life by asking how education affects her, her kids, her spouse, and her work. All the questions are relevant to my case and were not over personal or intruding. She was a great person to talk to and I could imagine myself laughing with her over coffee or in an actual counseling set up. Linear Questions I developed my linear questions based on the information she may be willing to share. I am asking some closed questions that only require a short answer and some open questions that will follow with the systemic questions I have lined up next. The open ended questions will give Michele a chance to go into further detail with the question and her answers. Linear questions are questions that are problem explanation and definition questions, they usually begin with Who, What, Where, When, and Why? They are investigative questions that lead up to gaining some insight to the person you are talking to but they don’t give a full explanation. The limitations of linear questions are that they are narrow, short-term questions and don’t get to the heart of the problem. Short-term, linear approaches have several inherent limitations. First, they are based on a problem-solving model that is more associated with American corporate thinking than with client suffering and therapeutic healing. Typically, the model includes the following sequence: (a) identify the problem, (b) consider various interventions to solve the problem, (c) choose the best interventions, (d) apply the interventions, (e) assess progress periodically, and (f) modify the interventions as needed. This clear-cut, linear approach appeals to executives, administrators, and others in positions of authority and has proven itself effective as an approach to solving problems in corporate and other settings. It is no accident that the trend toward streamlined, linear approaches in clinical work coincided with the rise of managed care and its corporate mentality (Ackley, 1997; Miller, 1996c). Linear questions don’t help the client without the involvement of also another form of questions. Using linear questions alone are ineffective to getting the desired results from the client, which can leave the client and the counselor both feeling misunderstood and upset. Systemic Questions I developed my systemic questions based on what my linear questions were about. I wanted to make sure some of the questions were the same type of question as my linear question but worded in a circular way that would get me more detailed answers and more depth behind her answers. Systemic questions are both circular and reflexive. They are behavioral effect questions, difference questions, hypothetical future questions, and observer perspective questions. The reflexive questions are intended to indirectly influence the family and are predominantly facilitative. The circular questions are more exploratory as the counselor tries to discover the way everything is connected together. Because the distinction between lineal and circular may be regarded as complementary, and not just as either/or, these assumptions and their associations may overlap and enrich one another. Most therapists have internalized these concepts to varying degrees and probably operate with both sets of ideas, but in differing ways, with differing consistency, and at different times. Although these assumptions and presuppositions tend to exert their effects covertly and non-consciously, they still have a significant effect on the nature of the questions asked. Hence, this second dimension adds considerable depth to an understanding of differences among the questions asked. If the therapist assumes that influence only occurs indirectly, through a perturbation of preexisting circular processes in or among family members, the influencing questions are considered â€Å"reflexive questions. † (Tomm, 1988, p. 3). If the therapist has established a Batesonian cybernetic orientation toward mental process, and has developed skills in maintaining a conceptual posture of circular ypothesizing, these questions will come easily and freely. Two general types of circular questions, â€Å"difference questions† and â€Å"contextual questions,† have been associated with Bateson’s fundamental patterns of symmetry and complementarities. The Interview When I called Michele I was immediately at ease with her as a person. She was very upbeat and forthcoming with her information. After asking her how she was I jumped right into the questions. I explained to her which questions I was doing first and how many there were for each linear and systemic questionings. She had no problems going into elaborate detail about her life and why she is doing what she is doing today, she talked as fast as I could type her answers! Since I did not have a recorder I did have to ask her to repeat herself if I did not finish typing the answers that she was giving me but she was very nice about it and as soon as we concluded our interview I made sure to immediately formulate the answers into more coherent sentences while it was all fresh in my mind. Interview Themes  The themes and content that came out of this interview with Michele are few. One theme or content that was revealed to me was that her inspiration for education came from her mother who did not complete high school. The content that came out from the systemic questions would be how supportive her family is even though it is a financial strain on them. The linear questions brought out her main reasons for wanting her education and the systemic questions went into more depth of what the education means for her and her family as a whole. Theme one. The first theme would be her mention of her mother and losing her father when she was young. She brought up her mother quite a bit in our interview and I could tell that her mother was a great factor in her decision to keep going to school no matter how long it took her to succeed. She is very proud of her mother for the way she was, raising children alone with no degree and no financial backups. Michele doesn’t want her kids to ever have to worry about wanting or needing things and she wants to get her degree to be able to enjoy what she loves doing most. Theme two. The second theme is that of finances. She did bring up the fact that she has been in school for a very long time because she is only taking one class per quarter so that she can pay for it and still have time to do her work, school, and family life in a balance that is easier on her. She teaches her children that it doesn’t matter how long it takes you to get there, it is important to have dreams and goals and make them come true. The future of her children won’t be as hard on them as it was on Michele growing up. Interviewer Role Stance. As an observer for the linear questions I realized that the questions were straight to the point without asking for more detailed information from Michele and it was pretty basic. I felt that I was getting to know Michele through my linear questions but I was able to understand more through the systemic questioning. My systemic questions were open-ended questions that helped our conversation go into further detail because Michele felt that the questions opened up for her to go into more of her life story. Relationship with the interviewee. I started each set of questions by letting Michele know what type of questions I was asking. She was very forthcoming and she said that some of the questions I asked her were really good because she hadn’t thought about it in the way that I asked it. She is a very nice person, easy to talk to and get along with. We talked about how we both found Capella, the weather changes, and the state we live in. The systemic approach definitely went into further detail but I feel like I gained a lot of insight from the linear questions as well. Multicultural/diversity issues. Michele and I did not talk about cultural backgrounds as she only wanted to talk about her educational background. I feel now, that I could have incorporated some cultural questions into the topic of education. We did talk about her family and how they are very supportive of her career and educational goals and we never stepped on a touchy subject that made her hesitate to answer me. Curiosity. I am naturally a very curious person about other people and how they think and what they do and why they do it. So it was no problem for me to ask more questions on top of the ones I have listed. I knew by intuition which topics not to go into further detail with her about since I don’t know her that well and it was irrelevant to her education. One thing I wanted to know was more about her dad. I did however; ask her about her grandparents influence and more about her mother. My curiosity helped me to see in greater detail the aspects of her relationship with each member of her family. Assessment of Interviewer. I really liked the questions that I asked, and I was polite and made jokes so that we were on easy footing. I do think back on the interview and wish I had asked different questions because some of them seemed to be repetitive even though she answered them each in a different way. For example, What made you change your path to this specific one? Was a question I asked after asking why she chose being an MFT. She had answered in the previous question the answer to both questions which turned out to be one and the same. I had chosen that question because in my experience most people at one time had wanted to be something else first and then changed their mind later in life.

Writing Tips Dialogue Tags in Fiction

Writing Tips Dialogue Tags in Fiction Writing Tips: Dialogue Tags in Fiction Dialogue is an important part of fiction. But when you have multiple characters, you may need to help the reader keep track of who is speaking. This is where dialogue tags come in. But what exactly are dialogue tags? And how do you present them in your writing? Let us explain. Basic Dialogue Tags Dialogue tags tell us who is speaking. One common way to do this is to add a dialogue tag after the spoken dialogue. For instance, a line of dialogue in fiction may look like this: â€Å"Digging is hard work,† Terri said. Here, we can see that â€Å"Terri† is speaking. And as shown above, if a dialogue tag comes after speech, you will usually end the spoken part with a comma inside the closing quotation mark. This changes slightly with questions and exclamations. In these cases, you should omit the comma and give the relevant punctuation mark instead (i.e., a question mark or exclamation point): â€Å"Digging is hard work!† said Terri. â€Å"Why is digging so hard?† asked Terri. However, while these do not use a comma, the punctuation still goes inside the closing quote mark. Dialogue Tag Position You can also place a dialogue tag before speech. For example: James said, â€Å"I am home at last.† The key difference here is the punctuation. Rather than ending the spoken dialogue with a comma, we use a period (or other terminal punctuation) to show that the sentence has ended. In addition, we use a comma before the opening quotation mark to introduce the dialogue. To place a dialogue tag mid-dialogue, meanwhile, you will need to introduce it with a comma. However, the rest of the punctuation will depend on the situation. If the line of dialogue you’re interrupting would be a single sentence without the tag, start and end with a comma: â€Å"I am going home,† said James, â€Å"to sleep.† But if the dialogue tag comes at the end of a full sentence, you should use a period before beginning a new sentence when the dialogue continues: â€Å"I am so tired,† said James. â€Å"I can’t wait to get home.† Here, for example, we use a period after â€Å"James† because â€Å"I am so tired† is a sentence by itself. Omitting Dialogue Tags You don’t always have to name the person who is speaking in a dialogue tag. If you have already named the speaker in the text, for example, you might use a suitable pronoun instead: Aisha looked around the room. â€Å"It could be tidier,† she said. In this case, we’ve used the pronoun â€Å"she† to avoid repeating â€Å"Aisha.† Alternatively, you can omit the dialogue tag completely. This is quite important when writing a conversation, as saying â€Å"he said† and â€Å"she said† for every line would be repetitive: â€Å"Have you been here before?† Tim asked. â€Å"No,† said Aisha. â€Å"Did you want me to lead the way?† â€Å"Sure. I’ll follow.† Tim walked down the corridor. â€Å"Are you nervous?† he asked. â€Å"Yeah. A bit. Maybe.† â€Å"Don’t be. It’ll be fine, I promise.† Aisha smiled. â€Å"Thanks,† she said. â€Å"That helps.† In the exchange above, we don’t need to name the speaker in every line, or even use â€Å"he said† and â€Å"she said† repeatedly. This is because we know there are two people taking turns to speak, so all we need to do is remind the reader who is speaking from time to time. The key, then, is to use dialogue tags to ensure clarity, but also to use them sparingly. This will ensure that the dialogue in your writing is easy to follow while also being a pleasure to read.

Bilingaul Education essays

Bilingaul Education essays Many American students have the misconception that bilingual education is just another blow-off or easy-A class; yet more world languages are spoken in the United States today than ever before (Crawford, par. 1). What many blind teenagers and some adults fail to realize is that bilingualism has the potential to be either a crutch or a helping hand for their future. Bilingual education opens the doors of communication throughout the world, which in turn not only expands opportunities, but it aids in the understanding of different cultures, and grants easier access for exploration. First, bilingual comes from the Latin word bi, meaning two, and lingua, meaning tongue (McArthur 126). A bilingual is a person who can speak two languages (Oxford 189). Although the meaning of this term is common, it is easy to disregard the value of it. Communication is the key to any relationship; whether between friends, a teacher and his/her classroom, or countries, it is imperative. Therefore, the purpose of classes such as Spanish, French, and German, are to provide knowledge base for the learner to gain another way of communicating to people outside of his native tongue. It is impossible to conceive that the United States would ever seclude themselves from the rest of the world because our Nation and other countries are dependent upon each other for different resources, such as oil and other textiles. Because of this, it will soon be crucial to have a second language. America is the Great Melting Pot, where citizens of surrounding countries are migrating to (Blanco 454). Daily, one can find a diverse group of different languages spoken at local fast-food restaurants. Bilingualism is at least as common as monolingualism; about half the worlds population (some 2.5bn people) is bilingual (McArthur 127). Not only is it bene...

Free sample - Cannabis. translation missing

Cannabis. CannabisAccording to Brown (1998), Cannabis can be defined as a genus among the flowering plants comprising of three recognized species namely, Cannabis indica, Cannabis ruderalis, and Cannabis sativa. The three classifications are autochthonous to South Asia, and Central Asia. Cannabis is a very unique plant that is used for a number of reasons, both positive and negative and its uses can affect the entire global society. Cannabis is known by a number of names, for instance, Marijuana, Grass, Attention Getter-weed, Dope, and Pot. For a number of years, there has been a stigma accompanying the Cannabis plant and it has been seen as an inherently evil plant by most of the people in any given society. Apparently, it is the use or misuse of the plant that is bad or good, and not the plant itself. Cannabis can be eaten, smoked, or drunk just like tea. If Cannabis is taken in low doses it can bring about a relaxed state of mood while higher doses of Cannabis may bring about euphoria. It has been clear that, not every individual sees positive consequences from cannabis, for instance, most of the novice users and the high dose steady users have experienced increased paranoia or anxiety. It has been found that the main active ingredient of cannabis called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, affects processing of information as well as speed of response such that the activities that involve skilled responses like driving can be affected negatively (Nahas Latour, 1993).  Ã‚   Cannabis is a long-lasting hemp plant. Over many years, the cannabis plant has been used to manufacture a variety of products namely, pulp, seeds, and medicine. The Cannabis plant pulp has been used as fuel and as a raw material for making paper. The seed has been used in foods but the oil that is extracted from the seed can be utilized as a base for varnishes and paints. The leaves and blossoms of the hemp plant excrete a sticky resin which is usually used in a number of medicinal functions and in most cases for entertaining people as they abuse its use (Potter Joy 1998). Most consciousness-altering drugs comprise of both constructive and destructive effects. Apparently, people use drugs following their constructive effects but most of them are not aware of the possible destructive effects. Therefore, it is the ratio of the constructive to destructive effects that propels much of the debates regarding drugs. Some individuals perceive the use of Cannabis as a better option, while for other people the use of Cannabis is more casual. Just like all the other substances, there is a possible price that can be paid regarding the risks to one’s health (Brown, 1998). References Brown, D., (1998). Cannabis: the Genus Cannabis. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Potter, B., Joy, D. (1998). The Healing Magic of Cannabis. USA: Ronin Publishing. Nahas, G., Latour, C. (1993). Cannabis. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

Census Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Census - Research Paper Example This method of collecting census data is periodic, although as previously mentioned statistics are gathered on a continuous basis also. There are also more regular data inputs from various samples, with 1% of the population being questioned in 1995 and 2005, and 0.1% of the population being questioned on a yearly basis (BBC, 2011). Some of the major problems with the Chinese census stem from the simple fact that it is difficult to gather information on 6 billion people living within one autocratic nation. Although the error margin for the 2010 Chinese census was estimated to be only 2%, this represents over 26.7 million people. Another issue with the Chinese census has been that Chinese people have gradually been becoming aware of the rights that they have when it comes to privacy, and it has been noted that around a third of Chinese residents would be uncomfortable with letting the enumerators into their homes (Branigan, 2011). Opposition has, however, been minimal. Germany Germany uses the registration method for births, deaths and marriages but has not held an official enumeration census since 1987. Between 1875 and 1910, the census was held every 5 years, but since then full population censuses have been sporadic, mainly because Germany was split into East and West for a large part of the 20th century.

Self-reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self-reflection - Essay Example A patient can easily cajole a therapist to an extent a therapist assumes the role of a parent for the patient. In this case, the process is unconscious given that the therapist is a social being and does not realize that she has given into the patient’s nagging behavior. Broadly, this is one of the negative effects of counter-transference. The other negative effect of the counter-transference especially during HIV/AIDS patient counseling is compromise of the counselor. The concept helps in counseling because it enhances patient-counselor communication. Counter-transference enables the HIV/AIDS patient to be open to the counselor because of the development of trust and faith upon the counselor. The counselor also automatically listens to the challenges facing the patients because he assumes a friend role. Therefore, counter-transference is vital in counseling of HIV patients. However, counter-transference negatively influences the performance of a counselor because of the subjectivity of the counselors. The film Endgame: AIDS in Black America, AIDS statistics reveal the disparity caused by the scourge on the Black community. The most appalling thing is that half of AIDS victims are Blacks. The film covers the personal stories of the Black AIDS victims. One of the interviewees endured stigma, drugs, prejudice and prostitution. The interviewees confirm that the HIV is a human virus as opposed to the common perception that the virus was only associated with white gay men. The difference in the HIV cases in San Francisco and Oakland reveals that HIV cases are higher in Francisco than Oakland. As a result, the HIV cases in San Francisco receive adequate medical attention compared to Oakland. The creation of awareness is critical in the alleviation of the scourge. Creation of awareness on HIV made many people to be aware of their HIV status in San Francisco. One can transmit the virus to another. In this regard, Nel Davis was at crossroads with regard to

THE GLOBAL ECONOMY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

THE GLOBAL ECONOMY - Essay Example bserved that cutting edge improvements in the area of information technology (IT) have made most of the business processes easier as well as economical, apart from pushing geographical boundaries into near obsolescence. These improvements â€Å"have made it less costly for consumers to determine the characteristics of products produced abroad† (Krol, 2008, P.3), and have also provided the producers/manufacturers with the ease to gauge consumer preferences. As a result the manufacturers are in a better position to customize their products and/or services with an aim to tap the foreign markets. Hence it can easily be comprehended that the modern business scenario that prevails in the global arena is highly competitive and the players are keen on utilizing every possible avenue to maximize their gains. It may be observed that â€Å"income growth in developed countries and even in some less-developed countries has increased the demand for goods and services produced domestically as well as from abroad† (Krol, 2008, P.4), which implies that the volumes of international trade – and hence its inherent perils – have been rising incrementally, thereby calling for efficient trade protection policies. Another important reason for the implementation of such policies is that â€Å"trade restrictions have decreased significantly since World War II† (Krol, 2008, P.4). In the context of global economies it has been observed that the developed nations can afford to subsidise, the developing nations prefer barriers to protect their trading activities. Data from the World Bank reveal that a large number of trade restrictions have been brought into effect as â€Å"several countries, including 17 of the G-20, have implemented 47 measures whose effect is to restrict trade at the expense of other countries† (Gamberoni & Newfarmer, 2009, P.1). Within the eventful cauldron of international trade one of the phenomena that raise concern is that of dumping which, according to the World

Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Presentation - Essay Example Two categories of workers, that is, those who are highly talented and those considered less competitive have found themselves benefiting either way. In slower economic times, the less active and semi passive takes up the opportunities left as the top talented pool moves to more secure top jobs. The process creates a counter balancing effect in the employment industry. Both the semi-active and the less half-passive candidates find themselves well occupied in the job market. Many companies have become very aggressive regardless of the economic cycle to enable them secure a large share of top talented candidates into their firms. The leading company that has complied with effort to become an employer of choice is the Google, a place that initially belonged to the Microsoft. McKinsey is holding the top spot as a consulting firm of choice. If you aspire to be a CPA, then Dolomite, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, and Ernst & Young are still the top four to join. The positions W. L. Gore, Legman’s and Genentech hold in the Fortune Magazine â€Å"Best 100 Places to Work† give them the advantage of attraction over other

REFLECTIVE WRITING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

REFLECTIVE WRITING - Essay Example I also ensured that all the company’s activities were run according to the set plan. This is mainly to ensure that there would be no discrepancies between the plan of the company and the results obtained. Being a multinational company, Caltex experienced a number of changes in its operations. Therefore, as the organizational manager, I had to ensure that I identify all activities which are to be performed in the company, and any changes that could have occurred. In addition, I also had to organize activities according to departments. This is whereby; activities of the personnel department would be separated from activities of the accounting department (Sims, 2002, 9). This helped me to be organized and to ensure that there was no conflict in the activities of the company. The learning theory that extremely helped during my work is the Kolb’s experiential learning theory. This involved; a clear observation of all the experiences that occurred in the company. After any pa rticular occurrence, whether good or bad, I would take time and observe its causes and its implications. For example, during a time when the company’s sales were falling, I observed the issue carefully and the possible mechanisms that would help to increase the sales back. Other experiences such as fall in the customer numbers, conflicts among employees or poor media coverage also helped me to learn from them. Afterwards, I would then try to formalize the concepts that could have been associated with the occurrence. I would then generalize these concepts in order to access the possibility of the situation occurring again. For instance, in a case where the sales of the company were falling, I would use concepts such as new promotion methods, or increasing the sales personnel. If there were employee conflicts within the organization, I would use concepts such as having peace talks within the organization, and counseling of the employees. After assessing the concepts that are ap plicable to a new situation, I would then use them on a new situation. Therefore, in case of future falling of sales or future employee conflicts, I would know the concepts to use. This learning theory has really helped me to learn from challenges and make use of them instead of getting discouraged (Leonard, 2002, 69). Substantive Topic Applied: Managing Organizational Change Organizational change occurs when a company goes through a transition from its current state to some desired state (Inc.com, 2012, 1). Therefore, managing organizational change is the process of planning, controlling and implementing change in the organization. This is important because; in some organizations change is resisted by the employees. In addition, managing organizational change is important since; it might be very costly for the company at times. In Caltex Company, we experienced a series of changes especially with the improved technology. For instance, the company introduced electronic payment of bi lls by customers. This is whereby; customers could purchase fuel and pay for it electronically without requiring an attendant at the petrol stations. The company also introduced online purchasing of petroleum products and door-to-door delivery of the products. This technology had a lot of impact on the company since; it reduced the number of employees thus, lowering the salary expenses. With introduction of online purchasing, the customers also increased greatly. The company had to embrace the technology and hence, there were a lot of

Decision Modelling and Decision Analysis--JOB SELECTION Essay

Decision Modelling and Decision Analysis--JOB SELECTION - Essay Example A research on the job location revealed the most expensive and least expensive cities. Probability scores in the range of 1-10 were used to rank the various alternatives on criteria. Final scores of the product of weights and probability scores helped to reach the conclusion that American Systems Developers provides the best opportunity to Claire. Table of Contents S.No. Topic Page No. 1 Introduction 3 2 Problem statement 3 3 Goal statement 3 4 Background 3 5 Main criteria for job selection 4 6 Various alternatives available 5 7 Linking interests and alternatives 6 8 Methodology 7 9 Assumptions 8 10 Results 9 11 Conclusion 10 Introduction Claire Dale has job offers from five different companies. Each company has different salary structure to offer and a different job profile. Some are offering a job requiring a lot of travel while others are offering single location jobs. Claire also needs to look at the location where she will be working from so that she is able to balance her profe ssional and personal life. She has a number of criteria which she has to look at before deciding which job has the potential to offer her maximum job satisfaction as well as compensate her financially and allow her to pursue her personal interests. Problem statement The candidate has been presented with five job offers. She is unable to decide which is best for her. Goal statement Selecting the right job offer which helps to satisfy the financial, professional and personal expectations of Claire. Background In real life situations, it sometimes become very difficult to decide which options to choose from when there are many criteria for deciding upon an option. MCDA techniques help us in deciding the best possible option in a scientific and methodological way. MCDA has a number of techniques to help in zeroing on an alternative and they all follow â€Å"similar steps of organization and decision matrix construction† (Linkov et al. 2006). However, each differs in the way it an alyses the data. Some of the commonly used approaches are MAUT (Multi-Attribute Utility Theory), MAVT (Multi-Attribute Value Theory, AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) and Outranking. The first three approaches are grouped under optimization approaches. For example, MAUT tries to provide a numerical criterion to evaluate the various alternatives. It gives scores to the various criteria to show the merits of each. The final scores can be seen by summing up the individual scores. Similarly, AHP tries to judge alternatives based on their scores and chooses the one with the highest score. It compares pairs. Outranking is a technique assumes that one alternative has more dominance over the other (Linkov et al. 2006). This technique does not assume that one alternative can be identified. It compares two or more alternatives at a time and tries to find out the â€Å"extent to which one can be preferred over the other† (Linkov et al. 2006). This method looks at favoring an alternativ e that performs best on maximum number of criteria. Thus, the weaknesses that one criterion has are compensated by the advantages that are there in the other criteria. Main criteria for selecting the job After a discussion with Claire and the project team, following criteria were identified which would impact her, the most (in order of importance, first one being the most important) once she decides on a particular offer: 1. Financial –

Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Presentation - Essay Example Two categories of workers, that is, those who are highly talented and those considered less competitive have found themselves benefiting either way. In slower economic times, the less active and semi passive takes up the opportunities left as the top talented pool moves to more secure top jobs. The process creates a counter balancing effect in the employment industry. Both the semi-active and the less half-passive candidates find themselves well occupied in the job market. Many companies have become very aggressive regardless of the economic cycle to enable them secure a large share of top talented candidates into their firms. The leading company that has complied with effort to become an employer of choice is the Google, a place that initially belonged to the Microsoft. McKinsey is holding the top spot as a consulting firm of choice. If you aspire to be a CPA, then Dolomite, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, and Ernst & Young are still the top four to join. The positions W. L. Gore, Legman’s and Genentech hold in the Fortune Magazine â€Å"Best 100 Places to Work† give them the advantage of attraction over other

Decision Modelling and Decision Analysis--JOB SELECTION Essay

Decision Modelling and Decision Analysis--JOB SELECTION - Essay Example A research on the job location revealed the most expensive and least expensive cities. Probability scores in the range of 1-10 were used to rank the various alternatives on criteria. Final scores of the product of weights and probability scores helped to reach the conclusion that American Systems Developers provides the best opportunity to Claire. Table of Contents S.No. Topic Page No. 1 Introduction 3 2 Problem statement 3 3 Goal statement 3 4 Background 3 5 Main criteria for job selection 4 6 Various alternatives available 5 7 Linking interests and alternatives 6 8 Methodology 7 9 Assumptions 8 10 Results 9 11 Conclusion 10 Introduction Claire Dale has job offers from five different companies. Each company has different salary structure to offer and a different job profile. Some are offering a job requiring a lot of travel while others are offering single location jobs. Claire also needs to look at the location where she will be working from so that she is able to balance her profe ssional and personal life. She has a number of criteria which she has to look at before deciding which job has the potential to offer her maximum job satisfaction as well as compensate her financially and allow her to pursue her personal interests. Problem statement The candidate has been presented with five job offers. She is unable to decide which is best for her. Goal statement Selecting the right job offer which helps to satisfy the financial, professional and personal expectations of Claire. Background In real life situations, it sometimes become very difficult to decide which options to choose from when there are many criteria for deciding upon an option. MCDA techniques help us in deciding the best possible option in a scientific and methodological way. MCDA has a number of techniques to help in zeroing on an alternative and they all follow â€Å"similar steps of organization and decision matrix construction† (Linkov et al. 2006). However, each differs in the way it an alyses the data. Some of the commonly used approaches are MAUT (Multi-Attribute Utility Theory), MAVT (Multi-Attribute Value Theory, AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) and Outranking. The first three approaches are grouped under optimization approaches. For example, MAUT tries to provide a numerical criterion to evaluate the various alternatives. It gives scores to the various criteria to show the merits of each. The final scores can be seen by summing up the individual scores. Similarly, AHP tries to judge alternatives based on their scores and chooses the one with the highest score. It compares pairs. Outranking is a technique assumes that one alternative has more dominance over the other (Linkov et al. 2006). This technique does not assume that one alternative can be identified. It compares two or more alternatives at a time and tries to find out the â€Å"extent to which one can be preferred over the other† (Linkov et al. 2006). This method looks at favoring an alternativ e that performs best on maximum number of criteria. Thus, the weaknesses that one criterion has are compensated by the advantages that are there in the other criteria. Main criteria for selecting the job After a discussion with Claire and the project team, following criteria were identified which would impact her, the most (in order of importance, first one being the most important) once she decides on a particular offer: 1. Financial –

Psychological Factors of the Issue Essay Example for Free

Psychological Factors of the Issue Essay Psychological factors include motivation, perception, learning, beliefs and attitudes. These factors are largely unconscious and that a person cannot fully understand his own motivations. People decide based on what h perceives as dictated by his environment that serves as the stimulus and not necessarily that which is real. In marketing, perceptions are more important than reality. Characteristics of Adolescence Adolescence is often a period of stress and conflict, particularly in Western society. The adolescent confronts a host of new, varied and difficult problems of adjustment within a brief period of time. The adolescent attempts to acquire a sense of identity, a sense of who one is and where one is going. Every adolescent wants to be popular. They commonly think, †What can I do to have all the kids at school like me? † â€Å"What can I do to feel I belong to a group? † â€Å"How can I be popular with both girls and boys? † â€Å"What kinds of clothes will make me feel like I am one of them? † Sometimes adolescents go to great lengths to be popular. In some cases, parents go to even greater lengths to try to insulate their adolescents from the rejection and to increase the likelihood that they will be popular. Students show off because it gets attention and makes their peers laugh. Parents set up elaborate parties, buy clothes for their teens and drive adolescents and their friends all over in the hope that their sons and daughters will be popular (Santrock, John). Dr. Riesman in his study of the basic changes taking place in the American characters during the twentieth century (that is, from inner-directed to outer-directed) found that our growing pre-occupation with acts of consumption reflects the change. This pre-occupation, he noted, was particularly intense (and intensively encouraged by product makers). He characterized the children of America as ‘consumer trainees. ’ (Santrock, John). The adolescent confronts a host of new, varied and difficult problems of adjustment within a brief period of time. Physiological changes – rapid body growth, sexual maturity, increases in sex hormonesoften precipitate special conflicts and self-doubts. Almost simultaneously, the adolescent is expected to achieve independence from the family, establish satisfying relationships with peers of both sexes, decide on – and prepare for – a set of consistent moral principles to guide decisions and actions. Fashion, therefore, lures the adolescents to try something new and not get stuck with the traditional ways of dressing and doing things. Back then in the 60s, the clothes that the â€Å"old school† hip hop artists donned were expressions of individuality but they even carried a purpose which was a functional one. The Puma branded sneakers that sported fat-laces and sweatsuits were all the rave back then. The colorful clothing which also had resemblance to the beautiful graffitis on the walls were also very popular back then. The dress-code of being loose and comfortable became a style of dressing which identified all those people as exceptional and unpretentious. Because the people in the ghettos had limited resources, they made the most out of what they had. The style and the fashion sense that they sported spoke of a willingness to create a style of their own despite several constraints (Wikipedia 2004). In the hip-hop culture today, fashion has undoubtedly become more stylish, more pronounced and more accessible in this day and age. It has indeed come a long way in the past twenty or so years. Ever since its inception, it has been proven to be a driving force in the fashion scene. From its modest beginnings in the â€Å"ghettos† of the African-American suburbs of New York, the hip hop fashion has transcended race, culture, gender as well as international borders as you will now see different ethnicities and races who have adopted their own hip hop style. The one thing that will immediately identify a person if he listens to hip hop or not is by the way they dress and what they put on themselves. Today, the hip hop clothing and apparel industry grosses over a billion dollars but despite its popularity among people who have the money to spend for the type of look they are sporting, it is still accessible by even the youngest boy in hopes of making it big in the future as an advocate of the hip hop music and fashion (Wikipedia 2004)

About Cervical Cancer

About Cervical Cancer Abstract: Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in developing countries. The cause of cervical cancer is the human papilloma virus (HPV). Cervical cancer has other risk factors, like: having multiple male sexual partners, starting to have sexual intercourse at an early age, having other sexually transmitted disease, having weak immune system and smoking. Cervical cancer can be prevented by avoiding risk factors and undergoing regular screening tests. The most common methods used in cervical screening are Pap testing and HPV testing. World Health Organization estimated that about 510,000 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed yearly. HPV testing is used as a primary screening method in some developed countries. Fewer amounts of tests required and better cost efficiency can be achieved by doing HPV testing first and Pap testing as a second test. Some studies suggested that HPV testing might be the effective cervical screening method and other studies did not suggest that. The study HPV Screening for Cervical Cancer in Rural India indicated that HPV testing was the most objective and reproducible of all other cervical screening tests. It seems to be a good study with well designed methodology and reliable results and conclusions, but it was criticized by R Marshall and Chengquan. They showed clearly that the study marred by test group biases and ethical concerns. More well designed studies are needed to clarify this issue and to show which method is proper to that country or to this geographical area. Introduction: Cervical cancer is the cancer of the lowest part of the uterus, which is known as cervix. Cervical cancer is very slow growing, but in some cases it can grow and spread quickly (Dolinsky Hill-Kayser, 2009). There are many types of cervical cancer. The most common type is called squamous cell carcinoma (figure 1), which found in about 80% of cervical cancer cases, whereas adenocarcinoma is the second most common type of cervical cancer (Dolinsky Hill-Kayser, 2009). Cervical cancer is more common in developing countries than it is in developed countries. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in developing countries. It can affect young women who are 20 years old or some time younger than that (Dolinsky Hill-Kayser, 2009). The cause of cervical cancer is the human papilloma virus (HPV) (figure 2) which was discovered by Harald zur Hausen who won the Nobel Prize in 2008 for this discovery (Nobel Prize organization, 2009). This virus is a sexually transmitted virus. It can cause genital warts which may or may not change to a cervical cancer (Dolinsky Hill-Kayser, 2009). The subtypes of HPV which have been confirmed to cause cervical cancer are 16, 18, 31 and 33 (Murray et al., 1998; Dolinsky Hill-Kayser, 2009). Other researches suggested that subtypes 35 and 45 also can cause cervical cancer (NHS cancer screening programmes, 2009). A woman has HPV infection does not mean that she is going to have a cervical cancer (Dolinsky Hill-Kayser, 2009). Other risk factors for cervical cancer are: having multiple male sexual partners, starting to have sexual intercourse at an early age, having other sexually transmitted disease (herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea or Chlamydia), having weak immune system (HIV, organ transplantation or Hodgkins disease) and smoking (Dolinsky Hill-Kayser, 2009). The early stages of this disease usually do not have any symptoms, but as tumor increase in size, some non-specific symptoms for cervical cancer will occur, like: abnormal bleeding, abnormal vaginal discharge, pelvic or back pain, pain during urination and bloody stool or urine (Dolinsky Hill-Kayser, 2009). Cervical cancer can be diagnosed by Pap testing, HPV testing, liquid-base cytology and by taking a biopsy during Colposcopy. The biopsy is the only way to be sure if the patient has a cervical censer. Radiologic testing may also help in the diagnosing of this disease (Dolinsky Hill-Kayser, 2009). Cervical cancer can be treated by Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy (Dolinsky Hill-Kayser, 2009). It can be prevented by avoiding risk factors which have been discussed previously and undergoing regular screening tests (Dolinsky Hill-Kayser, 2009). In Islam religion for example, smoking and any sexual relationship not done between wives and husbands (reducing sexually transmitted diseases) are strictly forbidden, this can reduce the chance of having cervical cancer within Muslim societies (Adam, 2009). In addition, male circumcision which is a part of Islam religion has found to be a good factor in cervical cancer prevention as researches have found that the wives of circumcised men have less risk of getting this disease than the wives of uncircumcised (Mission Islam, 2009). Moreover, many countries have started to do cervical cancer screening to diagnose this disease in its early stages. Pap testing (cytological testing), HPV testing and liquid-base cytology can be used in this screening programs which will be discussed later (Kufe et al., 2003; Jamison et al., 2006). Now a day, the vaccine Gardasil is used to prevent cervical cancer in women who are not exposed to HPV (Dolinsky Hill-Kayser, 2009). This study is aimed to discus the importance of HPV screening in the control of cervical cancer and clarifies the most appropriate method for cervical cancer screening. The Global Burden of Cervical Cancer and the Available Methods for Controlling the Disease: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among females worldwide with about 493,000 new cases and 274,000 deaths in 2002. Cases occur in developing countries are estimated to be about 83% (Bosch et al., 2009). Thomas Rohan and others stated that opportunities for cervical cancer prevention have been created by our understanding of the cause, particularly the role of HPV infection (Rohan et al., 2003). In addition, World Health Organization estimated that about 510,000 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed yearly. In Africa, about 68,000 new cases are reported every year, whereas 77,000 new cases are reported in Latin America and 245,000 in Asia (Pagliusi, 2009). In United Kingdom, about 25.51 millions females who are 15 years old are at risk of having a cervical cancer during their life. This kind of cancer is ranked as the 11th most common cancer in females in UK and the 2nd most common cancer in females between 15 and 44 years old. In addition, about 8.9% of females in the population of UK are estimated to have HPV infection at a given time. Currently in UK, it is estimated that about 3181 females are reported with a cervical cancer yearly and about 1529 deaths (Bosch et al., 2009). Many researches suggested that the decline in incidence and mortality of cervical cancer which have been observed in the last 50 years in developed countries can be related to the introduction of screening programs (Kufe et al., 2003). The most common methods used in cervical screening are Pap (cytological) testing and HPV testing (Kufe et al., 2003). The most widely used method in the world is the Pap testing. This method is simple, cheap and some times is used as a secondary screening method. It basically involves exfoliating epithelial cells collection from the squamocolumnar junction of cervix or transformation zone (Walker et al., 1990; Kufe et al., 2003). In addition, HPV testing is used as a primary screening method in some developed countries. It is used mostly to distinguish between a high risk women group and others (Kufe et al., 2003). The study of Joakim Dillner and others suggested that HPV testing as a screening method is safe and effective when it is done every six years (Dillner et al., 2008) and it should be done for women who are 30 years old or older because they are typically past the peak age of self-limited infection (Castle, 2008). HPV DNA testing might be a more clinically effective method than cervical smear, but its specificity is low because it could lead to unnecessary repeated screening and follow up (Nelson (I), 2009). Fewer amounts of tests required and better cost efficiency can be achieved by doing HPV testing first and Pap testing as a second test (Medscape Medical News, 2009; Nelson (I), 2009). Existing Randomized Controlled Trails Investigating the Use of HPV Testing in the Control of Cervical Cancer: Many randomized controlled trails have been done to investigate the use of HPV testing in the control of cervical cancer. Some studies suggested that HPV testing might be the effective cervical cancer screening method (Grce and Davies, 2008; Rebar, 2008; Nelson (II), 2009). On the other hand, other studies suggested that HPV testing does not improve cervical cancer screening (Brown, 2009; NHS cancer screening programs, 2009). In Italy, the second recruitment phase of the study titled: New Technologies for Cervical Cancer Screening (NTCC), women to conventional cytology (24,661 women) with referral to colposcopy if cytology indicated a typical squamous cells of undetermined significance or more sever abnormality or to HPV DNA testing alone by Hybrid Capture 2 (24,535 women) with referral to colposcopy if the test was positive at a concentration of HPV DNA 1 pg/mL or greater were randomly assigned. It has been concluded that HPV testing with a cutoff of 2 pg/mL achieves a substantial gain in sensitivity compared to cytology with only a small reduction in Positive Predictive Value among a group of women aged 35 to 60 years. In contrast, for women aged 25 to 34 years, it is suggested that there is a frequent regression of CIN2+ that is detected by direct referral of younger HPV testing-positive women to colposcopy as a result of the large relative sensitivity of HPV testing compared with conventional cytology (Ronco et al., 2008). In addition, the results from a 6-year prospective study in Rural China demonstrated that a single oncogenic HPV DNA testing is more effective than cytology in predicting future CIN2+ status (Shi et al., 2009). The study Human Papillomavirus DNA versus Papanicolaou Screening Tests for Cervical Cancer which was done in Canada, conducted a randomized trial comparing the two methods, found that HPV testing has greater sensitivity than Pap testing for the detection of cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (Mayrand et al., 2007). The Population Based Screening Study Amsterdam (POBASCAM) which is a population based randomized controlled trial for implementation of hrHPV testing by GP5+/6+ PCR-enzyme immunoassay (EIA) with a classical cytology as a control group was done between January 1999 and September 2002. It was done among 44,102 women aged between 29 and 61 who participated in the regular Dutch screening program. This study (POBASCAM) indicated that large scale hrHPV testing is accepted by both participating women and general practitioners, is practically feasible and yield highly reproducible results (Bulkmans et al., 2004). In 1997, a 10-year study Randomized Controlled Trial of Human Papillomavirus Testing in Primary Cervical Cancer Screening (SWEDESCREEN) was started. This study aimed to investigate whether HPV-based cervical cancer screening which is known to increase sensitivity for detection of high grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is represent overdiagnosis or a protective effect. It included 12,527 women aged between 32 and 38 years and were randomized (1:1) to HPV testing and cytology testing (intervention arm) or cytology only (control arm). Its conclusion indicated that HPV testing with a cytology testing is more sensitive than cytology testing alone (U.S. National Institute of Health, 2009). In another study, titled Randomized Controlled Trial of Human Papillomavirus Testing Versus Pap Cytology in the Screening for Cervical Cancer Precursors, the Canadian Cervical Cancer Screening Trial (CCCaST), randomized women aged between 30 and 69 years were categorized in to Pap testing group and HPV testing group. The findings at recruitment phase of this study indicated that HPV testing is more sensitivity and less specificity than Pap cytology testing (Mayrand et al., 2006). An Overview on the Methodology, Results and Conclusions of the Study: HPV Screening for Cervical Cancer in Rural India: Rengaswamy and others began their study HPV Screening for Cervical Cancer in Rural India in 1999 and finished after 8 years. In this study, 52 clusters of villages with a total of 131,746 healthy women aged between 30 and 59 years were randomly assigned to 4 groups of 13 clusters each. These groups assigned to go through screening by: HPV testing group (34,126 women) (27,192 were screened and 2812 (10.3%) had positive results). Cytology testing group (32,058 women) (25,549 were screened and 1787 (7.0%) had positive results). Visual Inspection of the Cervix with Acetic Acid (VIA) group (34,074 women) (26,765 were screened and 3733 (13.9%) had positive results). Standard care group (control) (31,488 women) (not offered screening but were advised on how to seek screening) (only 1946 (6.2%) requested screening and that means (93.8%) stayed without screening. Women who had positive results went through colposcopy and biopsies were taken and those with cervical precancerous lesions or cancer received appropriate treatment (Sankaranarayanan et al., 2009). The results of this study showed that:   In HPV testing group: cervical cancer was diagnosed in 127 women and 34 deaths occurred. In Cytology testing group: cervical cancer was diagnosed in 152 women and 54 deaths occurred. In VIA group: cervical cancer was diagnosed in 157 women and 56 deaths occurred. In Control group: cervical cancer was diagnosed in 118 women and 64 deaths occurred. In addition, this study indicated that of the 131,806 women, 60 died or migrated before the study began. The study groups were equally distributed in terms of household type, religion, occupation, marital status and number of pregnancies. The well balanced study will help to remove any biases to any group of the study. The results of this study showed also: Invasive cervical cancer developed in 8 (0.033%) of 24,380 HPV negative results women. Invasive cervical cancer developed in 22 (0.093%) of 23,762 cytology negative results women. Invasive cervical cancer developed in 25 (0.109%) of 23,032 VIA negative results women (Sankaranarayanan et al., 2009). The protocol of this study was reviewed and approved by the scientific and ethical review committees of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the Tata Memorial Center (TMC) and the Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Hospital (NDMCH). It was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention (Sankaranarayanan et al., 2009). This study concluded that a single round of HPV testing was associated with a significant decline in the rate of advanced cervical cancers and associated deaths compared with the unscreened control group, whereas there was no significant reduction in the rate of death in either the cytology testing or the VIA group compared with the control group. Previous conclusions indicated that HPV testing was the most objective and reproducible of all other cervical screening tests (Sankaranarayanan et al., 2009). This study seems to be a good one with well designed methodology and reliable results and conclusions, but it is clear that about 93.8% of the control group did not do any cervical screening during the 8 years which may raised an ethical issue might affecting the approval of this study if it was done in different country. Further more, the courses and training period given to different staffs who participated in this study may be not enough to give them good experience in order to have less chance of error during the diagnosis. An Overview on the Criticizing Article Titled: Test Group Biases and Ethical Concerns Mar New England Journal of Medicine Articles Promoting HPV Screening for Cervical Cancer in Rural India:   A few months after the publication of previous study, R Marshall and Chengquan had criticized it. They suggested that unexpected biases might have occurred in some of the test groups of the study. The study stated that the positive predictive value for detecting CIN 2-3 was 19.3% in the cytology testing group, higher than 11.3% in the HPV testing group and the study results indicated that essentially the same number of cervical cancers was detected after positive screening test results in the cytology group (88 women) and in the HPV group (87 women) (Austin Zhao, 2009). Also, they observed that in the report of 2005, this study indicated that the detection rates of HPV testing did not show any improvement over cytology, but its conclusion of 2009 indicated different findings (Austin Zhao, 2009). I think this is not a problem as findings and conclusions of scientific studies usually change over time. In addition, of 54 cervical cancers related deaths in the cytology group, 27 deaths were in the assigned but not screened group and another 18 deaths were in patients who had abnormal cytology results. In HPV group, 19% fewer cervical cancer deaths (22 women) were in the assigned but not screened group and 33% fewer deaths (12 women) occurred in women with abnormal HPV testing results. These data supported the hypothesis that biases were introduced in the study groups. (Austin Zhao, 2009). I think it is possibly true, because these data can show that the follow up and treatments were not equally effective in the two groups. So, even when cytological detection is successful, women can still die from cervical cancer due to inappropriate management. In addition, these data also can show that the effectiveness of cytology as a cervical screening method is depended on its acceptance by women.   R Marshall and Chengquan have raised questions about the partnership between AACPs coordinating organization and the HPV test manufacturer (Austin Zhao, 2009). I think this partnership if it is real, it can affect the final results and conclusion in way that show the advantages of HPV testing in order to increase the income of the manufacture. Also they stated that it is not fare to allow a large number of control group to go without any screening during the study (Austin Zhao, 2009). I think it is true that it is not fare to leave women in the control group without any screening and this can lead to ethical concerns. In addition, cytology screeners were trained for only three months, which was very short period. They concluded that cytology screening is better than HPV screening according to the results of the previous study (Austin Zhao, 2009). In my opinion, the criticizing letter might be in the correct direction. From a brief reading and viewing of the study, the reader might believe that its finding indicated that HPV testing as a cervical cancer screening method is better than other tests, but deep reading will show him the limitation errors of this study which were firstly published by R Marshal and Chengquan. They showed clearly that the study marred by test group biases and ethical concerns. The study might try to cover and exclude some facts which can show that cytology testing was better than HPV testing. Use or Not to Use HPV Testing as a Primary Screening Test for Cervical Neoplasia: It has been argued that HPV testing is the best method for cervical cancer primary screening. I think that HPV testing is a good method to be used in cervical cancer primary screening in developing countries as well as in developed countries to reduce the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer. Studies which concluded that HPV testing is better than cytology testing are more than those which showed the opposite. The high cost of HPV testing can be overcome by the support of WHO and privet sector companies in these developing countries. Also, the high cost of HPV testing can be overcome by the selective use of HPV testing, e.g. in the over 30s. Many studies suggested that Human Papillomavirus is found in most of cervical cancer cases if not all. So, the use of HPV DNA testing in a well designed screening program may help in diagnosis early stages of cervical cancer, giving better chance for treatment compared with Pap testing which may give false negative results.   Ã‚   In conclusion, it is clear that different results and findings were gathered from different studies which try to find the proper method for cervical cancer screening. These differences may be occurred because the studies done in different countries. And is it known that each country has its own geography, rate of mortality, rate of incidence and other factors which may affect the burden of cervical cancer disease. So, more well designed studies are needed to clarify this issue and to show which method is proper to that country or to this geographical area in order to save womens lives. References: Adam, A. (2009), Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Islam. Kuwait.   Available from: http://www.islamset.com/hip/anvir_adam.html [Accessed 30-11-2009]. Austin, R. M., Zhao, C. (2009), Test group biases and ethical concerns mar New England Journal of Medicine articles promoting HPV screening for cervical cancer in rural India. CytoJournal, 6 (12), pp. 1-5. Bosch, F. X., Castellsague, X., Sanjose, S., Alarcon, F., Albero, G., Bruni, L., Ferrer, E., Louie, K. S., Miralles, C., Monfulleda, N., Munoz, J., Perez, S., Rajo, C., Roura, E. (2009), Human papillomavirus and related cancers. United Kingdom, WHO/ICO Information Centre on HPV and Cervical Cancer.   Available from: http://apps.who.int/hpvcentre/statistics/dynamic/ico/country_pdf/GBR.pdf?CFID=278048CFTOKEN=18959369 [Accessed 1-12-2009]. Brown, A. J. (2009), HPV testing does not improve cervical cancer screening. The Lancet Oncology, 16 (52), pp. 02 -0400. Bulkmans, N. W. J., Rozendaal, L., Snijders, P. J. F., Voorhorst, F. J., Boeke, A. J., Zandwijken, G. R., van Kemenade, F. J., Verheijen, R. H., Groningen, K., Boon, M. E., Keuning, H. J., van Ballegooijen, M., van den Brule, A. J., Meijer, C. J. L. M. (2004), POBASCAM, a population-based randomized controlled trial for implementation of high-risk HPV testing in cervical screening: design, methods and baseline data of 44,102 women. International Journal of Cancer, 110, pp. 94-101. Castle, P. E. (2008), Invited commentary: is monitoring of human papillomavirus infection for viral persistence ready for use in cervical cancer screening. American Journal of Epidemiology, 168 (2), pp. 138-144. Dillner, J., Rebolj, M., Birembaut, P., Petry, K. U., Szarewski, A., Munk, C., Sanjose, S., Naucler, P., Lloveras, B., Kjaer, S., Cuzick, J., Ballegooijen, M., Clavel, C., Iftner, T. (2008), Long term predictive values of cytology and human papillomavirus testing in cervical cancer screening: joint European cohort study. British Medical Journal, 337 (1754), p. a1754. Dolinsky, C., Hill-Kayser, C. (2009), Cervical Cancer: The Basics. United States of America, Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Available from: http://www.oncolink.org/types/article.cfm?c=6s=17ss=129id=8226p=1 [Accessed 30-11-2009]. Grce, M., Davies, P. (2008), Human papillomavirus testing for primary cervical cancer screening. Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics, 8 (5), pp. 599-605. Jamison, D. T., Breman, J. G., Measham, A. R., Alleyne, G., Claeson, M., Evans, D. B., Jha, P., Mills, A., Musgrove, P. (eds.) (2006), Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries.   Washington: The World Bank and Oxford University Press. Kufe, D. W., Pollock, R. E., Weichselbaum, R. R., Bast, R. C., Gansler, T. S., Holland, J. F., Frei III, E. (eds.) (2003), Cancer Medicine. Canada: BC Decker Inc. Mayrand, M. H., Duarte-Franco, E., Coutlee, F., Rodrigues, I., Walter, S. D., Ratnam, S., Franco, E. L. (2006), Randomized controlled trial of human papillomavirus testing versus Pap cytology in the primary screening for cervical cancer precursors: Design, methods and preliminary accrual results of the Canadian cervical cancer screening trial (CCCaST). International Journal of Cancer, 119 (3), pp. 615-23. Mayrand, M. H., Duarte-Franco, E., Rodrigues, I., Walter, S. D., Hanley, J., Ferenczy, A., Ratnam, S., Coutlà ©e, F., Franco, E. L. (2007), Human papillomavirus DNA versus papanicolaou screening tests for cervical cancer. New England journal of Medicine, 357, pp. 1579-1588. Medscape Medical News. (2009), UK Government Announces Initial Adoption of HPV Testing. United States of America. Available from: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/411529 [Accessed 30-11-2009]. Mission Islam. (2009), Male Circumcision in Islam. Available from: http://www.missionislam.com/health/circumcisionislam.html [Accessed 30-11-2009]. Murray, P. R., Rosenthal, K. S., Kobayahsi, G. S., Pfaller, M. A. (1998), Medical Microbiology. London: Mosby. Nelson (I), R. (2009), HPV testing followed by cytology triage improves cervical cancer screening. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 101, pp. 88-99. Nelson (II), R. (2009), HPV testing most successful method for cervical cancer screening in developing countries. The New England Journal of Medicine, 360, pp. 1385-1394. NHS cancer screening programmes. (2009), Human Papilloma virus. United Kingdom. Available from: http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/cervical/hpv.html [Accessed 30-11-2009]. Nobel Prize organization. (2009), The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine 2008. United States of America. Available from: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2008/press.html [Accessed 10-12-2009]. Pagliusi, S. (2009), Initiative for Vaccine Research. Switzerland, WHO.  Ã‚   Available from: http://www.who.int/vaccine_research/diseases/hpv/en/ [Accessed 1-12-2009]. Rebar, R. W. (2008), HPV testing improves yield of cervical cancer screening. Journal Watch, 7 (11). Rohan, T. E., Burk, R. D., Franco, E. L. (2003), Toward a reduction of the global burden of cervical cancer. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 189 (4), pp. S37-S39. Ronco, G., Giorgi-Rossi, P., Carozzi, F., Confortini, M., Palma, P. D., Mistro, A. D., Gillio-Tos, A., Minucci, D., Naldoni, C., Rizzolo, R., Schincaglia, P., Volante, R., Zappa, M., Zorzi, M., Cuzick, J., Segnan, N. (2008), Results at recruitment from a randomized controlled trial comparing human papillomavirus testing alone with conventional cytology as the primary cervical cancer screening test. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 100 (7), pp. 492-501. Sankaranarayanan, R., Nene, B. M., Shastri, S. S., Jayant, K., Muwonge, R., Budukh, A. M., Hingmire, S., Malvi, S. G., Thorat, R., Kothari, A., Chinoy, R., Kelkar, R., Kane, S., Desai, S., Keskar, V. R., Rajeshwarkar, R., Panse, N., Dinshaw, K. A. (2009), HPV screening for cervical cancer in rural India. The New England Journal of Medicine. 360 (14), pp. 1385-94. Shi, J. F., Belinson, J. L., Zhao, F. H., Pretorius, R. G., Li, J., Ma, J. F., Chen, F., Xiang, W., Pan, Q. J., Zhang, X., Zhang, W. H., Qiao, Y. L., Smith, J. S. (2009), Human Papillomavirus Testing for Cervical Cancer Screening: Results From a 6-Year Prospective Study in Rural China. American Journal of Epidemiology, 170 (6), pp. 708-716. Stephens, J. (2010), Therapy Analysis Human papillomavirus. United Kingdom, Pharmaprojects. Available from: http://www.pharmaprojects.com/therapy_analysis/hpv_1009.htm [Accessed 10-1-2010]. U.S. National Institute of Health. (2009), Randomized controlled trial of human papillomavirus testing in primary cervical cancer screening (SWEDESCREEN). United States of America. Available from: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00479375 [Accessed 1-12-2009]. Walker, H.K., Hall, W.D., Hurst, J.W. (eds.) (1990), Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations. Stoneham: Butterworth Publishers. Zmuida, C. (2009), Cervical cancer FAQs. United States of America. Available from: http://www.ehow.com/about_5378940_cervical-cancer-faqs.html [Accessed 10-12-2009].

The Purpose of Shoes Essay -- purpose essays

Shoes are not only worn to protect the human feet. They are also worn because they add the final touch to the style you are trying to create. The history of shoes is very long and nobody really knows when the first shoes were created but we do know that they were originally made to warm the feet. Now, there are many different types and each kind helps you function a different way. The shoe is also made up of many parts and every kind of shoe has different parts then other types. Year by year, shoes have been improving and becoming more and more popular. Now, we have all the equipment and all the materials we need to make the shoe better than ever. The very first pair of shoes was created many years ago. Its purpose was to protect the feet from rocks and debris and also to provide warmth. It was created in a very simple form. People used to make shoes by wrapping their feet in dried grasses, straws, cowhide and leathers. Later on, pieces were developed from an oval piece of leather which was bound by a piece of strong leather strings. This may have looked like one of today’s sandal...

Racist Mind :: essays research papers

The Racist Mind In looking at the idea of being racist we must look at why people are like that. I would hope that most people would not be racist, but that would be in a perfect world and we don’t live there. Conflict theorists would say people are attracted to the message of hate because the way the power elite keeps us at odds. They keep us believing that the other race is trying to take what little there is left. If the power elite can keep us at one another’s throats then we won’t rise up and fight against the power elite. We won’t realize that we really don’t have anything. There are examples of this all over. We take peoples jobs away and give them to minorities or another minority. This produces hatred toward that minority. If we do this then they won’t take to changing their life around them The same is within education and making sure that some people are given a right to enter a college not based on scores, but on color of skin. This gives us hate. We think some group is trying to take our stuff. The Ku Klux Klan believes that blacks are taking all their jobs or because they are there they are running the companies out of town. The power elite enforces this rhetoric and only causes the people to continue the cycle of hate. The leaders and followers of the Ku Klux Klan and neo-nazi groups believe that they are the only superior people and everyone is taking what is rightfully theirs. They are taking their stuff. Their jobs, their homes, their land. â€Å"They believe life is war. The world is made of distinct racial groups and life is about the war between those groups.† They only believe what they want to believe. These people live in their own world and you can never talk them out of it. Mr. Ezekiel stated this â€Å"[There is a] ready pool of whites who will respond to the racist signal†¦.This population is always hungry for activity -or for the talk of activity- that promises dignity and meaning to lives that are working poorly in a highly competitive world.† This is so true. Most of these people that belong to these groups are poor, down and out. They feel now like they have power. If they have power ten they can change the world.