Through A Narrow Chink An Ethical Dilemma Essay Example For Students

Through A Narrow Chink: An Ethical Dilemma Essay Through A Narrow Chink: An Ethical Dilemma Essay by Pablo Baez Science 104 Prof. Holme In 1951 Carl Djerassi, with the Mexican pharmaceutical organization Syntex, built up the primary oral prophylactic by combining and changing the regular hormone Progesterone into a superpotent, exceptionally powerful oral progestational hormone called norethindrone. In fact, the elements and significance of this find were dumbfounding, since before this the main methods for contraception was fetus removal, and even that was not authorized at that point. The race to deliver this manufactured specialist was profoundly serious, being looked for after by numerous pharmaceuticals all through the world, and for a little juvenile organization in Mexico out of every other place on earth to think that its first just added to the fervor of the accomplishment. However beside this energy and serious enthusiasm something incredible and upsetting was being skirted. We will compose a custom paper on Through A Narrow Chink: An Ethical Dilemma explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now Science, in my view had accomplished something incredible without investigating the potential outcomes of where this would lead. I trust Djerassi, like most researchers of his day, was so spellbound by the energy of blending his item and accomplishing his objective that he didn't stop to think about the repercussions of his achievement. The moral predicament was not investigated before hand, and this to me is the extraordinary disaster of most logical disclosure, since I immovably accept every researcher is liable for that which he makes. Djerassi stands up to a couple of inquiries of morals and ethical quality after the actuality. On page 61, in part 6, he thinks about the contention of the utilization of poor Mexican and Puertorrican ladies for primer trials. Is this equitable another indication of misuse of poor people? Djerassi says by no means. Truly, the poor our the underlying guinea pigs for research yet this is no not quite the same as what dental specialists, hairdressers, and youthful specialists do. These bunches utilize the poor to sharpen their aptitudes, not in view of the poor womens numbness but since working class, resident, white ladies are probably not going to volunteer their administrations for science. My fundamental issue with this is he guarantees they won't volunteer their administrations. Obviously not, they know about the conceivable adverse impacts of such experimentation. This is clearly on the grounds that they are most likely all the more exceptionally instructed the poor Hispanic ladies. Destitution frequently blocks a need of good tutoring and training. Hence the familiarity with such a gathering to logical examinations will in all probability be a lot of lower. They most likely knew nothing of logical exploration by any means, not to mention how to peruse an assent structure that leaves them without lawful response. Djerassi specifies this too, the possibility that he can not offer them assent structures since they cannot peruse. That appears to be over the top to me! In the event that he can not illuminate his patients regarding the conceivable symptoms, at that point what chance do they have at equity if some heedlessly regulated medication causes them hurt? Returning to his unique contention, he asserted residents were most certainly not prone to chip in their administrations for logical investigation, however I dare contend the poor ladies in all probability didn't chip in yet were inquired. Did he inquire the residents? I exceptionally question it was even proposed. In part 9 Djerassi addresses another inquiry he was regularly gone up against with. What is your opinion about the social result of the work?. He replied this with a shrug of his shoulders and a basic, I couldnt have changed things. Once more, I am upset by the nervy way of his reaction. Truly, he recognized the effect the Pill had on the sexual unrest, however neglects to see past what has just happened, asserting frailty against the pace of science. Let me state that he is in all likelihood halfway right. There is very little to be done when science decides to accomplish something and the race starts toward that objective. .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342 , .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342 .postImageUrl , .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342 .focused content zone { min-tallness: 80px; position: relative; } .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342 , .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342:hover , .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342:visited , .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342:active { border:0!important; } .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342 .clearfix:after { content: ; show: table; clear: both; } .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342 { show: square; change: foundation shading 250ms; webkit-progress: foundation shading 250ms; width: 100%; haziness: 1; progress: mistiness 250ms; webkit-change: darkness 250ms; foundation shading: #95A5A6; } .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342:active , .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342:hover { obscurity: 1; change: murkiness 250ms; webkit-progress: murkiness 250ms; foundation shading: #2C3E50; } .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342 .focused content zone { width: 100%; position: relative; } .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342 .ctaText { outskirt base: 0 strong #fff; shading: #2980B9; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: striking; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; text-enhancement: underline; } .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342 .postTitle { shading: #FFFFFF; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: 600; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; width: 100%; } .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342 .ctaButton { foundation shading: #7F8C8D!important; shading: #2980B9; fringe: none; outskirt sweep: 3px; box-shadow: none; text dimension: 14px; textual style weight: intense; line-stature: 26px; moz-outskirt span: 3px; text-adjust: focus; text-embellishment: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-stature: 80px; foundation: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/modules/intelly-related-posts/resources/pictures/basic arrow.png)no-rehash; position: supreme; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342:hover .ctaButton { foundation shading: #34495E!important; } .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42a aa9b631342 .focused content { show: table; stature: 80px; cushioning left: 18px; top: 0; } .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342-content { show: table-cell; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; cushioning right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-adjust: center; width: 100%; } .u7574d1de20490b0b10b42aaa9b631342:after { content: ; show: square; clear: both; } READ: Prostitution Essay But to guarantee oneself unfit to have had any kind of effect, particularly somebody of his insight and impact, is strikingly tragic. I immovably accept that the course of science, however hard to stop or on the other hand turn totally, can be controlled by those bleeding edge researchers enough to at least look for revelation with a specific social mindfulness. This case of weakness is a cop out, clear and straightforward, and no indirect language or guarantee of numbness will give the casualties their typical lives back. This has been the situation in atomic, clinical, and synthetic exploration. Perpetually somebody endures because of the deceitfulness of others. Perhaps I am being somewhat cruel. Djerassis Pill gave ladies an incredible force, the ability to control labor, just as a more prominent opportunity toward sexuality that before this was consumed by . Through A Narrow Chink An Ethical Dilemma Essay Example For Students Through A Narrow Chink: An Ethical Dilemma Essay by Pablo Baez Science 104 Prof. Holme In 1951 Carl Djerassi, with the Mexican pharmaceutical organization Syntex, built up the principal oral preventative by integrating and modifying the regular hormone Progesterone into a superpotent, exceptionally powerful oral progestational hormone called norethindrone. Truly, the elements and significance of this find were astonishing, since before this the main methods for contraception was fetus removal, and even that was not sanctioned at that point. The race to deliver this manufactured specialist was exceptionally serious, being looked for after by numerous pharmaceuticals all through the world, and for a little juvenile organization in Mexico out of every other place on earth to think that its first just added to the fervor of the accomplishment. However beside this energy and serious intensity something incredible and upsetting was being avoided. We will compose a custom article on Through A Narrow Chink: An Ethical Dilemma explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now Science, in my view had accomplished something extraordinary without investigating the potential outcomes of where this would lead. I trust Djerassi, like most researchers of his day, was so spellbound by the fervor of combining his item and accomplishing his objective that he didn't stop to think about the repercussions of his achievement. The moral quandary was not investigated before hand, and this to me is the incredible catastrophe of most logical revelation, since I immovably accept every researcher is liable for that which he makes. Djerassi stands up to a couple of inquiries of morals and ethical quality after the certainty. On page 61, in part 6, he ponders the contention of the utilization of poor Mexican and Puertorrican ladies for primer investigations. Is this equitable another sign of abuse of poor people? Djerassi says in no way, shape or form. Indeed, the poor our the underlying guinea pigs for research however this is no unique in relation to what dental specialists, stylists, and youthful specialists do. These bunches utilize the poor to sharpen their abilities, not on account of the poor womens obliviousness but since working class, resident, white ladies are probably not going to volunteer their administrations for science. My principle issue with this is he guarantees they won't volunteer their administrations. Obviously not, they know about the conceivable inconvenient impacts of such experimentation. This is clearly in light of the fact that they are most likely all the more exceptionally taught the poor Hispanic ladies. Destitution frequently blocks a need of good tutoring and training. Subsequently the consciousness of such a gathering to logical examinations will in all likelihood be a lot of lower. They probabl

Recording of Music on CDs Essays

Recording of Music on CDs Essays Recording of Music on CDs Essay Recording of Music on CDs Essay In the mid 1980s when CDs were first presented, there were required to hold information (for example PC programming, music and so on) in an advanced configuration! What do we as a whole need in a CD? Well for the model we would utilize a music CD. The primary point is make an account with extremely high devotion which implies the closeness between the first sign and the replicated signal. The propagation of sound which regardless of how often a track is played would even now be a similar quality as you initially played it! In this report, it will give you how simple and computerized innovation work with CDs. Simple Simply out of general intrigue, the word Analog originates from two Greek words significance in exactly the same words. A case of how another simple gadget functions is a clock. The hands of the clock make a total circuit in a moment or in an hour or into equal parts a day, contingent upon which hand it is. The hands would constantly circumvent similarly as the Earth turns totally around on its hub in a day. Simple chronicles attract an impression of sound waves the scrawl direct in vinyl records or as varieties of attractive vitality in tape. The vinyl records and tape store these photos of the sound examples and permit them to be played back again and again. Figure 1.1 shows a regular simple tape. There are a few issues with this framework that I will simply feature: * The data gets stirred up with the blunders of the medium. A clock hand that doesn't stay aware of different hands gives incorrect data. * Dust in a record groove causes sounds not intended to be there. * Tape blemishes cause murmur that was not part of the first stable. * Fidelity If you have music and play it again and again on a simple configuration then the sound would not be that of the first. At the end of the day the nature of the sound would step by step crumble. The chart (Figure 1.0) shows what a simple sign would resemble scratching onto the tin chamber can! The machine which records it is called Edisons phonograph. Rather than taking note of it down on a chamber can, we can do it electronically! You can see a case of this on Figure 1.2 underneath. The diagram is indicating the situation of the mouthpiece stomach (Y pivot) after some time (X hub). The stomach is vibrating on the request for 1,000 motions for each second. You can see that the vibrations that are taking note of down the sound are working rapidly! In any event, saying a hard like hi has a specific tone! The chart is showing it going all over which came about 500-hertz (500 motions for each second) wave. Computerized Data The word computerized in Latin methods digitus or finger, since everybody since the beginning figures out how to rely on his/her fingers. We have ten fingers, so with us people, the normal numbering framework is to the base 10 (0 to 9). For PCs, they utilize 0 and 1 since they dont have fingers! Normally 0 is off and 1 is on. This is the thing that we call the parallel framework. With computerized accounts, the PC utilizes the twofold coding framework to disentangle and encode. A model: How accomplishes it work? We can take a composition for instance, if oil was spilled on the painting it is mind boggling to reestablish what was there before in light of the fact that the oil has become some portion of the work of art. In any case on the off chance that somebody recorded the work of art with a paint-by-number plan in incredible detail, the oil wouldnt matter there no numbers doled out to the oil! The craftsman could redraw the artistic creation by following the number codes precisely. Just this time the oil spillage wouldnt be there! Indistinguishable duplicates can be produced using here. Computerized information works precisely like this which is the reason it can recreate what it had initially just by utilizing numbers. Advanced chronicles can that maintains a strategic distance from the hindrances that simple get. It doesn't attempt to draw the data that is being spared. As another option, it changes over the data into a scientific code that overlooks the blemishes of whatever medium (The transporter between a wellspring of data and its target group!) is putting away the information. Figure 1.3 shows what a CD resembles: Changing over Data To improve yield of sound quality and effective, we would need to change over a simple sound into advanced before it is yielded! How is this done might you inquire? Well advanced chronicle changes over the simple wave into a flood of numbers and records the numbers rather than the wave which we saw on the chart graphs figures 1.1 and 1.2. The change is finished by a gadget called a simple to-advanced converter (ADC). To play back the music, the surge of numbers is changed over back to a simple waves by a computerized to-simple converter (DAC). The simple wave delivered by the DAC is gotten through an intensifier which creates the sound out through speakers. The sound of a CD would be of the equivalent each time you play it except if for instance the numbers that are being changed over is adulterated. The simple wave created by the DAC will be the equivalent or close to enough unique simple waves if the ADC produces precise numbers and it is examined at a high rate. Smaller Disk (CD) At the point when CDs examining rate and exactness is working, it creates a ton of information. On a CD, the computerized numbers created by the ADC are put away as bytes! Only for actuality, all that's needed is two bytes to speak to 65,536 degrees. A CD can put away to 74 minutes of music. In this way the aggregate sum of computerized information that must be put away on a CD is! How is this worked out is what you are thinking? Well the condition for this is by: 44,100 examples/(channel*second) * 2 bytes/test * 2 channels * 74 minutes * 60 seconds/minute = 783,216,000 bytes The CD player The CD player has the activity of finding and perusing the information put away as knocks on the CD. Taking into account how little the knocks are, the CD player is extremely exact when examining the knocks! A laser and a focal point framework center in around and read the knocks. A following system moves the laser gathering with the goal that the lasers shaft can follow the winding track which can go all over the CD. Underneath on Figure 1.4 shows what is within a CD player. A portion of the parts are marked so it is simpler to recognize what's going on with everything! Recovery of simple signals in the CD player Inside the CD player there is a DAC. Within the DAC, there is a clock that recovers the advanced information stream of the CD-player. Recovery is finished by something many refer to as Phase Locked Loop (PLL) which is situated in the info beneficiary. Anyway in this DAC plan an extra PLL is applied between the information recipient and the DA converters. A weakness is the PLL has a moderate following of recurrence changes however it is adequate in light of the fact that the information stream is created with truly stable X-tal oscillator inside the CD-player. The PLL exists of a Voltage Controlled X-tal Oscillator (VCXO) which is contrasted and the recovered clock from the information recipient. This mistake signal, sifted with a low pass channel with a low data transfer capacity (far underneath the sound range), controls the VCXO. In any case, the unfiltered mistake signal is accessible as a yield. We called this yield PLL sound. With a perfect CD-player and perfect PLL this sign ought to be a consistent voltage. Anyway after estimation and listening we would know better. At the yield an extremely little sign is available with clamor and sign that is some how corresponding with the simple music signal. By associating an enhancer with high addition to this yield, contrasts between various players could be recognized. It is even conceivable to decide contrasts between the first CD and a few CD-ROM duplicates (the brand just as composing speed). There is a connection between the sound nature of the CD-player (utilized as information source just for the DAC) and the sign at the PLL sound yield. This component makes it workable for the DAC proprietor to tune in to the nature of the CD-player and conceivably to improve it. The PLL sound yield is something like an emotional clock range analyser. End Throughout the years, innovation has moved quickly particularly with the chronicle of music as an advanced sign on a CD and the manner in which simple sign is recovered on a CD player. Today most would tune in to an advanced type of music however the procedures despite everything include simple signals en route! Here we have indicated that albeit simply playing a CD could be as simple as squeezing the Play button, the rationale and procedures are to some degree obscure to many! By the day's end these advances would just make tuning in to music increasingly agreeable for individuals.

How Angry Birds Started and Why It Got So Successful

How Angry Birds Started and Why It Got So Successful © Shutterstock.com | OlegDoroshinIn this article, we will look at 1) Angry Birds â€" an introduction, 2) how Angry Birds got so successful, 3) global impact, and 4) what enterprises can learn from Angry Birds.ANGRY BIRDS â€" AN INTRODUCTIONThis video game franchise was created by Rovio Entertainment, a Finnish computer game developer. The game was inspired by a sketch of stylized wingless birds. The first release was on the Apple iOS platform in December 2009 and by October 2010 the game had sold 12 million copies on the Apple app store. At this point, the game was developed for other smartphones including those on the Android, Symbian and Windows Systems. The game has also expanded to video game consoles and PCs.The game has seen phenomenal success in all its platforms for its addictive gameplay, comical style and low price to play. The large market for game related merchandise is also present with items featuring game characters. There are also multiple spin-off games and a TV ser ies with longer terms plan for a feature film.Total downloads for the game across all platforms for all editions total 2 billion. The game is the highest downloaded game series that employs a freemium model.  The British Prime Minister, David Cameron has admitted to having a slight addiction for the game as well as other famous people such as Dick Cheney, actor John Hamm and many more.GameplayOne main reason for the games immense popularity is its simple design. There are barely any instructions or complicated controls allowing people of all ages and technical prowess to easily play the game. The game screen features the antagonist pigs to the right while the angry birds are to the left. The pig are sheltered in structures made of wood, concrete, steel or ice. The birds have to be catapulted through the air to destroy the forts and squash the pigs.The game appears simple but there is science behind it. A bird on the right trajectory can wreak havoc on the pigs while a wrong one can lead to failure and the level restarting.History of Angry BirdsAngry Birds Games and Spin offsThe game has led to many different versions. These include Angry Birds (2009), Angry Birds Seasons (2010), Angry Birds Rio (2011), Angry Birds Friends (2012), Angry Birds Space (2012), Angry Birds Star Wars (2012), Angry Birds Start Wars II (2013), Angry Birds Go! (2013), Angry Birds Epic (2014), Angry Birds Transformers (2014), Angry Birds Fight (2013) and Angry Birds Under Pigstruction (2015).Spin Offs include Bad Piggies (2012), Angry Birds Stella (2014) and Angry Birds Stella POP! (2015).Angry Birds Statistics The game has been downloaded 2.5 billion times by 1.7 billion smartphone users globally. These users have thrown 600 billion birds collectively and earned 150 billion stars across all Angry Birds games. In comparison, the Milky Way only has 100 billion stars! By the end of 2011, 300 million minutes of the game were played daily.According to The Guardian, in 2013 Rovio’s growth s talled and revenues grew by only 2.5% year-on-year. The company reported revenues of €156m ( £128.4m) for 2013 compared to 2012s €152.2m â€" which represented more than double the €75.6m that Angry Birds made in 2011. 47% percent of this revenue came from the consumer products division which includes toys, books and other licensed products.Some other interesting infographics about the game can be seen here and here.HOW ANGRY BIRDS GOT SO SUCCESSFULThe creators of Angry Birds managed to formulate the perfect recipe for a casual game with everything in just the right quantities. According to Michael Chorost, there are four main reasons for the game’s popularity. Underlying these reasons is the delicious delay between the birds being launched and the results. This feeds our primal pleasure centers.The dopamine action in your brain makes you want to know, urgently, what will happen when you fire the bird. And its extremely easy to get yourself in a position of wanting, because t he game is so simple. It gives you intermittent but extremely satisfying rewards. So you pull the slingshot again and again and again. And again and  again  and  again  and AGAIN.Another opinion is by Raph Koster who believes that a primeval skill is re-awakened in humans through the central aiming mechanism.Its evolutionarily useful that the brain fastens on challenging problems that have to do with trajectories. Physics calculations like this were extremely valuable if you made your living with a spear.Some other reasons for the game’s success are described below.Simple Yet Engaging ConceptThis may seem like an obvious combination to aim for when developing a game. But it is not always translated practically. In Angry Birds, the developers have ensured that the game is easy to pick up for a new player and factors such as age or intelligence are not barriers to enjoying the game and even doing well as it. This means that none of the challenges presented by the game are impossible and can all be overcome with some time and effort. This makes for a relaxing and low stress game which can be played at any time for any period of time.This simplicity can also be a danger to the engagement level of a game. If a game is too simple in concept, then people may lose interest faster. But because the game is based on trajectories, there is a slightly different result every time. In addition, though people quickly develop a mental model of the game’s methodology, strategy and scoring, it remains engaging because there is carefully planned expansion of this mental model through increasing complexity as the game progresses with more birds and more complex structures to destroy.Cleverly Managed Response TimeGenerally, applications will attempt to provide users with a faster response time. This is a key requirement for many products such as google, email or instant messaging. However, in other types of applications, a more prudent use of response time can actually add dept h and quality to user engagement with an interface. In Angry Birds, this response time is utilized quite cleverly where the bird is released at a leisurely pace and its trajectory is marked and observable. The pigs and their structures take their time to fall apart or be destroyed completely. This slow pace allows users to correct their errors, study what they did right or wrong and plan their strategy. It also allows the game to remain relaxing rather than nerve racking.Short Term Memory ManagementHuman short term memory is exceedingly limited when compared to other aspects of our system of memory. This short term memory allows humans to recall a small number of items, behaviors or patterns for a short time frame allowing us to operate without the more complex process of bringing in the long term memory. The Angry Birds game design manipulates this short term memory in the most intuitive way by bending it to create better engagement with the game. This short term memory loss is cre ated in a way that it does not become a negative for the player but adds to the complexity of the game. One example of this in action is when the screen loads at the beginning of each game. The player sees a quick view of the pigs in their structure before panning back to the birds, driving the structure out of mind and removing the ability to strategize. The player will then move back to view the structure again, allowing the short term memory to recharge.MysteryThe element of mystery, big or small, has the ability to keep humans engaged. Whether this mystery is in art, advertising or a movie, we tend to find these mysterious details compelling. The game is full of these little mysteries such as the presence of small bananas in some levels, the shaking of pig abodes right before the level begins, why birds sometimes somersault when released and not every time and many more. These small questions are not enough to frustrate but enough to add another layer to the engagement of the ga me.Casual Play TimeAnother appeal of the game is that it can be played for as short or as long a time period as the user wants. This means that a quick game can be taken in while waiting in a line, during a lunch or tea break or while traveling in a taxi or bus. The game is meant to be played casually but with enough goals and objectives to keep even hardcore gamers involved.SatisfactionAll the visual and audio effects of the game come together to make a satisfying and enjoyable experience for any kind of player. The game play allows for satisfaction and achievement with every successful level, whether it is finished in one try or several dozen.Popularity Breeds more PopularityHuman curiosity makes us want to try out what is deeply engaging another person. With the initial buzz of the game on its release, more and more people wanted to try out this new sensation, thus leading to increased referrals and yet more interest.GLOBAL IMPACTAngry Birds is a true phenomenon, having entered t he lexicon of the current times. Its impact can be seen extensively in all aspects of modern entertainment and culture. Some of these examples are:Television FilmThe characters from the game have been mentioned in various TV shows around the world. These include Israeli comedy show Eretz Nehederet’s satirized version of Israeli-Palestinian peace attempts featuring the Angry Birds negotiating with the pigs. Other mentions include Conan, The Daily Show and Tosh.0 as well as 30 Rock. Fans of the game include British Prime Minister David Cameron, author Salma Rushdie, basketball star Kevin Durant and actor Jon Hamm. The game was also featured in film G.I Joe: Retaliation, TV series VEEP and referenced in a parody of The Hunger Games.AdvertisingThe characters have also been featured in advertisements for different products. These include a series for Microsoft’s search engine Bing, one for Nokia’s N8 phone, T-Mobile, Finnair as well as Rovio created promotional variants for other companies. These include Finnish snack company Fazer, Spanish pizza chain Telepizza, Japanese TV network Fuji TV, Cheetos and Coca Cola.SportsFormula 1 driver Heikki Kovalinen was sponsored by Rovio in 2012 and wore an Angry Birds helmet and a promotional web-based version of the game was released in his honor. Another driver, Kimi Raikkonen also has an Angry Birds Space logo on his cap. For the 2012 Monaco Grand Prix, Rovio teamed up with the Lotus team to affix its logo on top of each Lotus Renault F1 car.An angry hockey player bird, HockeyBird was unveiled as the official mascot for the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships designed by Toni Kysenius and Rovio.Video GamesThe game has inspired knock-off and parody games which use the same basic mechanics as the original. Some of these include Angry Turds, where monkeys throw feces at hunters. Yet another is Chicks’n’Vixens where the birds and pigs are chickens and foxes. This game was released on the Windows phone platform a s a challenge to Rovio, who had not released the game for the platform.WHAT ENTERPRISES CAN LEARN FROM ANGRY BIRDSThis app can help enterprises learn about how to handle large amounts of critical data. According to Andy Gross of Basho, there is a connection between a mobile gaming app and an effective, strong enterprise infrastructure. This connection is the huge amounts of critical data as well the constant pressure to meet customer expectations.Data Customer Expectation Handling at RovioThe creators of the game have to handle more data than many enterprises do. By 2013, the game had been downloaded 2 billion times with 263 million monthly users. All these users bring in considerable data such as personal information and player stats among others. To manage customer expectations, companies such as Rovio manage critical data by keeping a focus on the key factors that have an effect on business revenue and user experiences. In this case, these are game performance and availability. This means that the game needs to be available all the time with no downtime and that users can access their data such as scores and stats at all time without any loss of data or errors. These learnings can be translated to enterprises easily.Catering to high user expectations   To ensure a perfect user experience, companies such as Rovio, Amazon and Facebook have put in place distributed systems to guarantee availability, zero data loss and zero downtime. This is possible only through distributed databases.Flexible Storage   The Rovio databases have a schemaless design as well as no restrictions on data formats. This allows all critical user data to be easily stores, managed and delivered with no unified format required.Low Latency Design  In a distributed system, data is replicated on different multiple nodes to provide a higher tolerance for hardware failure and allows the system to continue to function with no loss of critical data.Global Data Locality   A multi-datacenter repl ication makes sure that data is present close to users in order to ensure optimal performance anywhere in the world.Scalability to Manage Growth   As more users enter the fray, more data is brought in the need to scale becomes crucial to success. The Rovio infrastructure allows them to add and remove nodes and scale from tens to hundreds of servers to meet customer demand.Companies therefore, need to learn to not only capture big data but also leverage it to improve the bottom line.

Vaccines Are Safe And One Of The Greatest Public Health...

From January 1st to April 24th of this year, 166 people from 19 different states and the District of Columbia were reported to have measles in the U.S. (â€Å"Measles Cases and Outbreaks, 2015). This recent outbreak has sparked a conversation in the media about whether or not parents should be required by law to immunize their children. Even though no mandatory federal vaccination law currently exists, all 50 states require children to be immunized before starting public school. However, all 50 states issue medical exemptions, 48 issue religious exemptions, and 19 issue philosophical exemptions (â€Å"School Vaccination Requirements,† 2011). Proponents of vaccinations argue that vaccines are safe and one of the greatest public health developments of the 20th century. They state vaccines are saving millions of lives and are preventing illnesses like rubella, diphtheria, smallpox, polio and whooping cough. On the other hand, opponents of vaccinations argue that children’ s immune systems are capable of fighting most infections naturally and injecting questionable materials into a child, or any person for that matter, may cause deleterious side effects. Although many counterarguments regarding the efficacy of vaccines are valid, others are not supported by evidence. Overall, the benefits of vaccines far outweigh any risks. As previously mentioned, opponents of immunization argue that some vaccines can trigger health problems like sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The belief thatShow MoreRelatedShould Vaccines Be Required By Law?1670 Words   |  7 PagesShould Vaccines be Required by Law? Introduction The Center for Disease Control estimated that 732,000 American children have been saved by vaccines in the last ten years. Vaccines should be required by law so that we can protect ourselves by building our immunity to preventable illnesses, in an easy, quick, and inexpensive fashion, helping stop major epidemics, and in conclusion, save lives. Body Con 1 - Vaccines weaken a person s immune system, and can in cases make someone ill. Vaccines are sometimesRead MoreShould Those Opposed For Immunization Conform For The Safety As A Nation?1170 Words   |  5 PagesExposing unvaccinated children in public schools increases the chances of spreading an outbreak. According to a 2015 article found on Why I Choose.org by the California Immunization Coalition states an unvaccinated person infected can become a threat to others (Why I Choose, 2015). This increases the chance of being exposed to life threatening diseases, by those who refuse immunization. The government should enforce any federal or state funding programs such as: public schools, charter schools, preschoolsRead MoreEthical Concerns Regarding Pediatric Vaccinations1623 Words   |  7 Pagesparent’s concern is to protect their children. Parents want to know more about how vaccines work - the risks and side effects, vaccine ingredients, and vaccine safety - before deciding to vaccinate a child. The responsibility of the medical professional is to pr otect the public while preserving the rights of the patient. The ethical issues concerning childhood immunization in the United States affect policy development and clinical practice. The question of whether to vaccinate or not is a hotly debatedRead MoreVaccinations Are Necessary For Our Youth1305 Words   |  6 Pagescountry’s youth. In order to maintain the safety of the public and protect the health of children, the scheduled vaccinations should be maintained by all families throughout our country. This is the only way to lessen the effects of disease and keep our young protected. Since the 1920’s vaccinations have developed rapidly and have saved the lives of many citizen’s in the United States. These developments have been considered one of medicine’s greatest achievements. In the 1920’s there were a total ofRead MoreVaccines Are Highly Beneficial?985 Words   |  4 Pages What are vaccines?: Vaccines are products that produce immunity from a disease and can be administered into the human body by injection, mouth, or by aerosol. Getting vaccinated is a safe and effective way to keep you healthy and prevent you from catching the many dangerous diseases lurking in the open world. Here in the United States, vaccinations are required. Therefore, it is evident that vaccines are highly beneficial. Origin: Around 10,000 BC, the deadly disease, called smallpox came intoRead MoreA Link Between Vaccines And The Development Of Autism1452 Words   |  6 Pagesconsidered to be one of the greatest medical advancements of our time. The first vaccine was created in 1796 and many more have been created since. These deadly diseases such as smallpox, polio, and diphtheria are now being prevented. Since vaccines have been doing their job, we do not see them around anymore. The media is now displaying vaccines in a negative way and people are listening to the misconstrued knowledge. Parents are worried about the risks associated with the vaccines instead of theRead More The Importance of Childhood Vaccination Essay1489 Words   |  6 Pageswell-intentioned desire to keep children safe from autism, the act of not vaccinating children actually causes far greater damage by exposing them to acquiring potentially life-threatening illnesses and removing a critical link in the chain of herd immun ity. Over the last 12 years, a growing population of parents have chosen to avoid immunizing their children with the misguided belief that they are protecting their children from the specter of autism. One of the most common concerns in this veinRead MoreVaccination Research : Vaccines And Vaccines1316 Words   |  6 Pagesearliest form of vaccinations was called â€Å"inoculation† and was being debated if it was considered safe. The fear was understandable, because the process to inoculate against the smallpox was riskier than todays modern vaccine. In the 1700’s inoculating statistics proved that it helped reduce the number of deaths. Inoculating took weeks and in the 1700’s George Washington did not have many soldiers to spare if one contracted small pox. Today, may historians credit inoculating with helping the ContinentalRead MoreHpv Essay1220 Words   |  5 Pagesthroughout the United States and worldwide (World Health Organization (WHO), 2016). There are ove r 100 different forms of the virus with 13 of these types being capable of causing cancer (WHO, 2016). HPV can lead to the development of serious health problems. Theses health problems are especially an issue for adolescent women due to the highly increasing STD rates among this age group (Kostas-Polston, Johnson-Mallard Berman, 2012). There is a vaccine for many of the common types of HPV, however, manyRead More The Importance of Childhood Vaccination Essay1519 Words   |  7 Pagesimmunity essentially means that when a small percentage of a social group â€Å"cant get certain vaccines for medical reasons, or some children are not able to respond to certain vaccines. For these children, the immunity of people around them is their only protection† (â€Å"Childhood†). While some parents concerns over the safety of vaccinations are based upon the well-intentioned desire to keep children safe from autism, the act of choosing to not vaccinate their children actually cau ses far greater damage

Video Games

If there is one thing that young English learners and ESL classes have in common around the world, its their passion for playing video games. It doesnt matter what platform they use: Playstation 2, XBox, GameBoy or Nitendo - and especially smart phones, they love to play and talk about playing. Taking cue from this passion for video games, this lesson is devoted to getting them to talk about video games - but in English! Aim: Getting students to talk, learning new vocabulary Activity: Discussing video games - Making video games vocabulary trees Level: Intermediate to advanced Outline: Have students read the short video game advertisement.Discuss new words and other related vocabulary.Ask students to get into small groups of three or four and fill in a MindMap or vocabulary tree for video games.Ask students to fill in the types of games worksheet individually.Divide students into small groups. Students should brainstorm on the types of games they play. For example, are they multiplayer or arcade games? The game equipment theyll need. This is especially useful for hardcore gamers as theyll have extra gear. The video games they currently play and how to play the games.  Ask each student (or group of students) to write  Ask students to NOT use the name of the game, but write a description of one of their favorite video games using the vocabulary in the vocabulary tree, on their worksheet and in their discussions. Make sure to point out that directions should be given in the imperative voice (i.e., Open the door, go to the chest, get the gold, etc. NOT You must ope n the door, you must then go to the chest, you must get the gold from the chest, etc.)Have students read their game descriptions to the class. Ask the other students to guess which game is being described. Reading: Do You Love Gaming? If the answer is yes (and were sure it is!), then youre going to love this new classic! Star Hunters is the game with something for everyone! Designed for multiple platforms including: Playstation, XBox - and smart phone versions for iPhone and Android. This 3-D game puts you in control! A cross between a role-playing, action, educational and fighting game, youll be wowed by its incredibly addictive nature. This game has got it all, puzzles to solve, tasks to complete and missions to accomplish - and all these in various player modes. Just think, if you like to fight, you can fight your way to the top. If you prefer quizzes, the wizards have plenty of questions to ask as you learn your way to success. All this with multiple navigation systems: joystick, keyboard and mouse. Get Star Hunters - the fun has just begun! Mind Map Create a mind map or vocabulary tree of words related to: Verbs - Actions: What do you do?  Nouns - Things - Places: What things can you find? Where do you go? Where are you at?Adjectives - What does the game look like? How does it seem? Worksheet: Types of Games What types of games do you play? What categories might you use? Are the games puzzles, multiplayer, or arcade games? Describe your games. Game Environment What equipment do you need to play in the game? What kind of environment does the game take place in? Does it have a race track or mountain scenes? Does the game take place on a field? Video Games Which video games do you usually play? Do other students play those games?   Rules of the Game What are the rules of your favorite games?   Your Best Game Describe your best game. What happened? What was the score? Who or what did you beat?

Is costumer behavior a quantitative science or qualitativ Free Essays

Introduction All of us are consumers. We consume good everyday, we consume and buy products and services according to our needs, preferences and buying power. What we buy, how we buy, where and when we buy, in how much quantity we buy depends on our social and cultural background and our age and family but also on our perception, attitudes, beliefs and values, motivation, personality, and many other factors that are both internal and external to us. We will write a custom essay sample on Is costumer behavior a quantitative science or qualitativ or any similar topic only for you Order Now All this process is what we call in economics term consumer behaviour. It is important to say that we also consider before buying whether to buy or not to buy and, from which source or sellers. The marketers try to understand the needs of different consumers and having understood different behaviours require they study in their internal and external environment, they formulate their plans for marketing. I will try to develop an interdisciplinary approach of consumer behaviour starting from defining the concept moving to microeconomics methodological study and passing through the behavioural economics highly mphasizing on factors that influence the decision-making process of consumers behaviour I think two summarize more the concepts: â€Å"Customer behaviour reflects the totally of consumer decision with respect to the acquisition, consumption and disposing of goods, services, activities experiences, people and ideas by (human) decision-making†l . Customer behaviour means more than Just the way that a person buys tangible product such as cars. It also included peoples use of services, experiences and activities such as going to the doctor. Microeconomics and Behaviour economics I start with a brief overview of to microeconomics theory, which represents a starting point for examining costumer behaviour. The microeconomics theory makes the assumption that â€Å"Consumer behave rationally and given the chance they will choose the best alternative of with their level of income and preference2† Neoclassical economic coincided with the dominance of the positivist methodological position that judges a theory by its ability to make predictions that are supported by the evidence. In Microeconomics â€Å"the individual firm rationally maximizes profit through purchase decision†3. n sum the microeconomics theory balances tour elements tn consumer’s available income, the price of the goods, the consumer’s tastes or preferences, and the assumption of utility maximization. In such models, utility can best be thought of as levels of satisfaction, happiness or personal benefit. By using the assumption that individuals act in order to maximize personal subjective benefits, economists make costumer behaviour analyse quite simple as they â€Å"apply powerful mathematical techniques for modelling behaviour outcomes4†. The Microeconomics model of costumer behaviour often correspond to how costumer ehave however clear and voluminous evidence from psychology has shown that the rationality assumption of standards economics are wrong. Evidence from psychology has shown that we often are irrational. â€Å"This selfish maximization principle of Homo economicus limits the application of neoclassical economics to other areas†5 Recognition of these difficulties had led to a series of new approaches to modelling the individual behaviour, mostly based on challenges to the assumption of neoclassical economics. At the end of the 20th century the strict neoclassical position came under attack from many different directions. Some of these merely suggested more complex objectives and constraints, while others took economics is new directions by putting an emphasis on uncertainty and risk†6. Simon argued that human behaviour is best modelled as aspiration-based, rather than as optimizing behaviour. In his view is important to achieve aspiration levels with satisfactory outcomes indicating that â€Å"satisfy’ behaviour is normal and optimizing behaviour is abnormal. How to cite Is costumer behavior a quantitative science or qualitativ, Papers

Systematic Process Credit Rating In Germany â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Systematic Process Credit Rating In Germany? Answer: Introducation With the ramified economic changes and complex business functioning, banks and financial institutions before granting loans, needs to implement credit analysis of company. This analysis helps in evaluating the credit worthiness and companys capacity to honor its financial obligations in determined approach. In this report, Grammar AG Company has been taken to evaluate the credit worthiness. It is observed that it is joint stock Company having is headquarter in Amberg, Germany which has been running its business since 1990. Business model of Grammar AG Company This company is specialized in developing and manufacturing components and system for car interiors and passengers seat. This business model of company is related to installing cyber computing enterprises resource planning and entering into integrated strategic planning. This level of business model has allowed company to establish proper value chain activities to deliver goods and services to clients. It is considered that entering into strategic alliance with other organizations assist in delivering proper level of business services to clients. Company has created core competency in developing and delivering system for car interiors and passengers seat (Presbitero, Udell Zazzaro, 2014). Industry highlighted Automotive industry has been showing high amount of growth in Germany. It is evaluated that many new entrants who are coming up with their marketing strategies to sell auto parts and other components of car are selling their products at very high cost. Grammar AG Company has created brand image in Germany and shown high amount of growth in Germany. Therefore, it could be inferred that if Grammar AG Company could expand its business by injecting more capital then it will increase its market share and overall growth in determined approach (Allen, et al. 2014). Strength and weakness of credit analysis of company. After evaluating the annual report and market conditions of Germany Automotive industry, it could be inferred that Grammar AG Company has high credit worthiness. In addition to this, it has observed that company has various strategic alliances and invested more than EUR 500 million in its business capital. Company has vision to expand its business with a view to increase overall clients satisfaction (Bluhm, Overbeck Wagner, 2016). Grammar AG Company has been facing high amount of challenges such as sluggish market conditions, loss of business structure, high penalties and traits. The main weakness of company is related to creation of charge on its assets. Company already had EUR 9.5 million loans only as promissory loan. Total amount of loan raised by company in the market is around EUR 110 million (Trampusch, 2014) Simple model Company has vision to expand its business to increase its overall market share. Cyber computing ERP system will help Grammar AG to have proper communication channel and effective business functioning (Bedendo Colla, 2015). Financial projections Company has total revenue of EUR 1.42billion and shown more than 5% increase in its total revenue as compared to last five year data. Company has paid consideration of EUR 300 million with a view to enter into strategic alliance with other partner. Debt to equity ratio of company is also Particular 2014 2015 2016 DEBT 606 739 781 Equity 231 253 270 After evaluating the debt to equity of company, it could be inferred that company has taken loan and debt which is already very high as compared to its equity capital. In addition to this, it has increased its debt portion by 20% since last three years. This level of increment in debt has shown that company has increased its overall financial leverage and debt portion throughout the time. With the help of financial projection, it could be considered how much revenue and Expenses Company would have in future through the time. It could be based on its past years earning. Particular 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Revenue 1366 1426 1695 1795 1870 2097 This trend analysis has shown that company has increasing its earning throughout the time and it will increase its sustainability and credit worthiness throughout the time. Particular 2014 2015 2016 Financial leverage 3.62 3.93 3.89 This financial leverage has shown that company maintained stable financial risk. However, company has effective credit worthiness throughout the time. References Allen, L., Brand, A., Scott, J., Altman, M., Hlava, M. (2014). Credit where credit is due.Nature,508(7496), 312-313. Bedendo, M., Colla, P. (2015). Sovereign and corporate credit risk: Evidence from the Eurozone.Journal of Corporate Finance,33, 34-52. Bluhm, C., Overbeck, L., Wagner, C. (2016).Introduction to credit risk modeling. Crc Press. Presbitero, A. F., Udell, G. F., Zazzaro, A. (2014). The home bias and the credit crunch: A regional perspective.Journal of Money, Credit and Banking,46(s1), 53-85. Trampusch, C. (2014). Why preferences and institutions change: A systematic process analysis of credit rating in Germany.European Journal of Political Research,53(2), Management. Turner, A. (2017).Between debt and the devil: Money, credit, and fixing global finance. Princeton University Press.

President Barack Obamas Healthcare Reforms

Introduction Since President Barack Obama took over office in 2008, there has been a heated debate on his healthcare plans for all Americans. A significant number of people have faulted the healthcare plan on various grounds. Some of the prominent critics of Obama’s health policy proposition were members of the Republican Party. This is well described by O’Connor, Sabato, and Yanus (166). However, there are also those who have lauded the plan.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on President Barack Obama’s Healthcare Reforms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More View about the healthcare policy It is important to note that healthcare is one of the basic human needs in the world and specifically in the United States of America. However, a significant number of American citizens do not have access to better healthcare and health insurance policy. It is approximated that over 45 million Americans lack medic al cover and about 100 million have no sufficient insurance for long term or chronic illnesses. These statistics are discussed by both McKenna and Feingold (180). These numbers are alarming; hence, the government needs to take some measures to ensure that all citizens have access to sufficient medical services. According to McKenna and Feingold (180) the United States the world’s leader in medical research and training; as such, the citizens of the United States should have access to the best and sufficient medical coverage as compared to citizens in other nations. It is ironical to see other nations like Canada, Great Britain, France and Germany provide better healthcare to their citizens at low cost yet their medical research and education are ranked below that of the United States. Therefore, the United States of America needs a national health insurance. The private sector is mostly profit-oriented and the players in the sector will always ensure their profit margins are as large as they can make them. Therefore, living the healthcare to the private sector will lock out low income earners from accessing better and high quality healthcare. National health insurance will ensure that all American citizens, irrespective of economic class one belongs to, have access to better healthcare services. It is unfair for the law to grant all citizens the right to better healthcare services yet the state players do not ensure it by providing easy access to health insurance and medical cover. Without state involvement, the right to health may just be on paper.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Even though it may be viewed as an element of socialism, it is crucial for the government of the United States of America to play a significant role on the issues of health insurance and medical cover. It is only this way that low income earners can also access better hea lthcare services. This is because the government is not profit oriented; it acts for the interest of all American citizens irrespective of their economic, social or political statuses. The private sector does not work for the interest of all. It only offers the best to those who are ready to give them high returns. Nonetheless, it is also noteworthy that full involvement of the government may jeopardize the health insurance in the private sector thereby interfering with profitability in the sector. The only workable modality is that both the government and the private sector should be involved in healthcare. This will ensure higher income earners who prefer private sector health services get the services they can afford and at the same time the low income earners are also able to get proper healthcare services. Obama’s recent healthcare reforms Obama’s healthcare reforms have been subject of debate for quite sometimes since he took over office in 2008. However, the hea lthcare reforms are a step in the right direction. The new reforms will ensure that non-elderly American citizens have access to inexpensive healthcare insurance. The reforms have established the provision of these services through a recipe of a newly formulated program similar to Medicare program and the existing health plans provided by the employers. The healthcare reforms will ensure that all American citizens access high quality healthcare services. The reforms provide that every individual legally living in the United States of America and is not covered by either health plans provided for by employers or Medicare can purchase healthcare coverage via Health Care for America.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on President Barack Obama’s Healthcare Reforms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This implies that the government will ensure that all citizens and legal residents are not discriminated against by the cost of obtaining healthcare services. Under the reforms, the United States employers are required to provide their employees with health care coverage comparable to Health Care for American or alternatively pay employees a proper payroll-based tax in order to give support to the program of Health Care for America and assist the employees to purchase their own health coverage. This healthcare plan is very good even for the immigrants since the Congress had passed an anti-discrimination legislation embodied in the Civil Rights Act of the year 1964; this was also past in the Voting Rights Act of 195 (O’Connor, Sabato, and Yanus 135). This implies that irrespective of one’s economic status, it will still be possible for one to afford a better healthcare coverage. However, it remains a fact that President Obama’s healthcare reforms are expensive. This is one of the grounds on which they have been criticized. The modes of funding the reforms are likely to be burdens ome to many American citizens who work hard to earn their money. Hence, the Obama administration should carry on with the reforms but find alternative funding sources. In other words, the reforms are good, but they should not place selective burden on a section of citizens while favoring the other. Conclusion The healthcare services in the United States should not be left to the private sector. Doing this will deny low income class from accessing quality healthcare services. Therefore, both the government and the private sector should be involved. Again, it is important to state that President Obama’s healthcare reforms are a step in the right direction since they will make access to quality healthcare services possible for most American citizens irrespective of their economic, political and social statuses.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited McKenna, George, and Feingold Stanley. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Political Issues, 17th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. Print. O’Connor, Karen, Sabato Larry, and Yanus Alixandra. Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reforms, 2009 edition. United States: Longman, 2011. Print. This essay on President Barack Obama’s Healthcare Reforms was written and submitted by user Derr1ck to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

ghost essays

ghost essays Using all of his seemingly infinite faculties to compose Hamlet, Shakespeare gives each significant character in the play all the depth and emotion of a living human being. Because of this, the characters, as well as the plot, become extremely intricate and difficult to define. Simply assigning a "label" to each character does not do justice to their complexity because no one character acts according to any easily discernible guidelines. By this reasoning, it is difficult to determine for certain whether the ghost of Hamlet's father is either a "Spirit of Health" or a "Goblin Damn'd." In order to do this, it is necessary to look, not at the ghost's intentions, but at the effect of its message on Hamlet's life. If an assessment of the ghost had to be made, it would probably be considered a "Goblin Damn'd" rather than a "Spirit of Health," based on the disastrous effects its words had on the course of Hamlet's life. When the Ghost utters the fateful words "Revenge his [the Ghost's] foul and most unnatural murder," Hamlet's life is forever changed for the worse. Not only does Hamlet's quest for revenge divide his family and friends, but it also divides Hamlet himself. Seems, madam? Nay, it is. I know not "seems." In the exchange that follows this line between the Queen and Hamlet, Hamlet's distaste over his mother and uncle's brief period of mourning becomes evident. It also demonstrates some of Hamlet's suspicion concerning the circumstances surrounding his father's death. This exchange, however, occurs befor...

Discuss the theme of dream and reality in The Metamorphosis by Franz Essay

Discuss the theme of dream and reality in The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - Essay Example Samsa also finds an apartment for the family to live in. "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from a troubled dream he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous insect. He was lying on his hard, as it were armor-plated, back and when he lifted his head a little he could see his dome-like brown belly divided into corrugated segments on top of which the bed quilt could hardly keep in position and was about to slide off completely. His numerous legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulk, flickered and shimmered helplessly before his eyes. There is a wonderful rhythmic sound to this dreamy narrative passage. Gregor is half-asleep and gradually realizes that the transformation is indeed real and no nightmare. It also occurs to him that he still retains his human memories and human cognitive capacity, which means that the transformation is incomplete (Grà ¼nbein). "Ach Gott, he thought, what an exhausting job Ive picked on! Traveling about day in, day out. Many more anxieties on the road than in the office, the plague of worrying about train connections, the bad and irregular meals, casual acquaintances never to be seen again, never to become intimate friends. The hell with it all!† The metamorphosis, though shocking and striking, is yet grounded in reality. For example, when we go to bed everyday in new surroundings, we are expect to feel a moment of surprise on waking up - a sudden sense of unreality, and this experience must occur repeatedly over in the life of a traveling salesman. It is the sort of thing that makes any sense of continuity in life impossible, as the sense of reality depends upon continuity, upon duration. Also, awakening as a gigantic insect is similar in effect to awakening as Julius Caesar or Benjamin Franklin (Preece 23). Kafka brings about a sardonic tone to the narrative by using a broad range of literary devices. The

Incentive Plans Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Incentive Plans Paper - Essay Example However, all incentive plans are not equally effective. The effectiveness and efficiency of a particular plan is dependent on two major aspects – 1) organizational metrics which influence the performances of the employees and 2) the degree of customizability of the incentive plan (Bohlander & Snell, 2009). The incentive plans should be developed considering the actual needs of the employees of the organization. An effective incentive plan is likely to be transparent, objective oriented and measurable (Durai, 2010). In simple words it can be said that good incentive plan motivate the employees to achieve their individual goals in the organization and the collective achievement of the individual objectives enable the organization to achieve its overall objectives. The aspect of the relationship between the incentive plan and organizational goal is explained below in the context of a real organization. India based Adamas Consulting Pvt Ltd is a medium sized company that works in the content writing industry. It has clients that are based in US, UK, Australia and India. There are almost 50 qualified writers in the company. Performance of each and every of them is evaluated on the basis of quantity as well as quality of their writing. Projects that are accepted can be of different sizes. They are distributed on the basis of the domain of the subject and the qualification of the writers. Each and every project come with a certain point and this is determined on the basis of the number of pages that are to be written and time period within which it needs to be completed. Writers who work as permanent employees in the company have a target of 1200 points in month. On the other side, writers who are in the probationary period have to make at least 900 points per month. The incentive plan of the company says that in case of a permanent employee every point beyond 1200 points gives additional INR 10. However, in case of an employee who is in the probationary period every additional point gives only INR 5. The person who will make maximum points in a year will receive a special bonus which is equals to 25% of his/her monthly salary. The company is planning to add few more features in the incentive plans in near future. The main objective of Adamas is to make as much revenue as possible, because it has plans to expand within the current fiscal into other sectors. The company likes to get into the industry of web designing and internet marketing. As a result, the company wants to earn a significant volume of revenue from its existing business. The incentive plan is in alignment with this objective of the company. Adamas believes that the plan is motivating enough to make the employees work to the best of their potential. If the entire situation is analyzed keeping the present organizational objectives and goals in mind it seems that the incentive program supports the overall objective of the company. However, if the situation is analyzed from th e long term perspective it will be found that the present incentive plan may have a negative impact on the quality of services and this can hurt the relationship with the existing clients of the company. Writing is such job that requires enough thinking to make the best one. If the writers write for making more and more money only then the quality is likely to fall. This in turn will increase the number of revision request from the customers and hence time required to complete

What is the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Women?

What is the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Women? ABSTRACT This dissertation will outline the major issues surrounding HIV/AIDS infection as it relates to women, with specific reference to women in Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom (UK). It will explore the reasons why women are increasingly at greater risk of infection than males. Underpinned by a feminist analysis of womens oppression, it will include a discussion of how biological, social, sexual, economic and cultural inequalities contribute to womens vulnerability. It will also look at the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and how these factors can influence them to seek services. The differences in what is deemed â€Å"social work† in terms of both definition and practice as well as the differences in the health systems and the healthcare workers involved in delivering services in both countries will also be explored. INTRODUCTION AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a disease that makes it difficult for the body to fight off infectious diseases. The human immunodeficiency virus known as HIV causes AIDS by infecting and damaging part of the bodys defences its lymphocytes against infection. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell in the bodys immune system and are supposed to fight off invading germs. People may be infected (HIV positive) for many years before full AIDS develops, and they may be unaware of their status. HIV can only be passed on if infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk gets inside another persons body. HIV and AIDS can be treated, but there are no vaccines or cures for them (WHO, 2003). HIV/AIDS PREVALENCE IN WOMEN IN ZIMBABWE AND THE UK Increasingly, â€Å"the face of HIV/AIDS is a womans face† (UNAIDS, 2004). AIDS is now the leading cause of death in Sub-Saharan Africa and the fourth-highest cause of death globally (UNAIDS, 2002). AIDS is a profound human tragedy and has been referred to as the â€Å"worlds most deadly undeclared war† (Richardson, 1987). Women and girls are especially vulnerable to HIV infection due to a host of biological, social, cultural and economic factors, including womens entrenched social and economic inequality within sexual relationships and marriage. HIV/AIDS continue their devastating spread, affecting the lives of 16,000 people each day, with women, babies and young people being increasingly affected. The number of people living with HIV/AIDS has now reached almost 40 million globally (UNAIDS and WHO, 2006), and of these an estimated two-thirds live in Sub-Saharan Africa, Zimbabwe included. Zimbabwe is experiencing one of the harshest AIDS epidemics in the world. The HIV prevalence rate in Zimbabwe is among the highest in the world, although recent evidence suggests that prevalence may be starting to decline. In Zimbabwe 1.8 million adults and children are living with HIV/AIDS, with 24.6% of adults infected: women represent 58% of those infected among the 20- to 49-year-old age range. (Consortium on AIDS and International Development, 2006) In a country with such a tense political and social climate, it has been difficult to respond to the crisis. President Robert Mugabe and his government have been widely criticised by the international community, and Zimbabwe has become increasingly isolated, both politically and economically. The country has had to confront a number of severe crises in the past few years, including an unprecedented rise in inflation (in January 2008 it reached 100,000%), a severe cholera epidemic, high rates of unemployment, political violence, and a near-total collapse of the health system (AIDS and HIV Information, 2009). In Britain, HIV prevalence is relatively low and currently stands at 0.2% of the population. Statistics show that at the end of 2008 there were an estimated 88,300 people living with HIV, of whom over a quarter (22,400, or 27%) were unaware of their infection. This compares to the 77,000 people estimated to be living with HIV in 2007, of whom 28% were estimated to be unaware of their HIV infection. Of all diagnoses to the end of 2008, 45% resulted from sex between men and 42% from heterosexual sex, with black Africans representing 35% of newly diagnosed infections (HPA, 2009). According to the Health Protection Agency (2009), there has also been a dramatic increase in the number of women diagnosed with HIV. In the years up to and including 1992, females accounted for 12% of HIV diagnoses, but in 2008 that was 37%. Therefore, as HIV/AIDS is a global pandemic, the eradication of this health issue represents one of humanitys greatest challenges one that requires co-operation and comprehensive collaboration between scientific disciplines, governments, social institutions, the media, social work and healthcare professionals, and the general public (IFSW, 2009). Social workers, by virtue of their training, their commitment to human rights, and the fact that they are uniquely placed within a wide variety of health and welfare settings, can play a very effective role in the global effort to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic (IFSW, 2009). 1. CHAPTER 1 1.1 OVERVIEW OF GENDER AND VULNERABILITY TO HIV/AIDS While women are battling for equal rights throughout the international community, the existing power imbalance between men and women renders women particularly vulnerable to contracting HIV. Womens subordinate position places them at a considerable disadvantage with respect to their fundamental human right to control their own sexuality, and to access prevention, care, treatment, and support services and information. This subordination of women is mainly caused by the socially-constructed relations between men and women or, in other words, the patriarchal structure which is oppressive to women. (Walby, 1990, cited in Richardson, 2000) defines patriarchy as the â€Å"system of social structures and practices that men use to dominate, oppress and exploit women†, thus giving them greater opportunities to access services compared to females. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) and many governments are implementing educational programmes to teach women about protecting th eir health, traditional and cultural practices continue to perpetuate discrimination against women, in turn forcing women into high-risk situations. Unless proactive human-rights policies are enacted to empower, educate, and protect women with regard to their sexual autonomy, HIV/AIDS will continue to spread at an alarming rate and will have a devastating impact on all aspects of society. Even though the root of womens vulnerability lies in the imbalance in power between men and women, biological and sexual practices have an important role to play and mean that HIV transmission is unfortunately more efficient in women than in men. 1.2 WOMENS BIOLOGICAL VULNERABILITY TO HIV/AIDS Women are more biologically vulnerable to HIV than men; research has shown that women are at greater risk than men of contracting HIV both from an individual act of intercourse and from each sexual partnership. This â€Å"biological sexism† applies not only to HIV but to most other sexually transmitted diseases (Hatcher, et al, 1989). A woman has a 50 per cent chance of acquiring gonorrhoea from an infected male partner while a man has a 25 per cent chance if he has sex with an infected woman (Doyal et al., 1994). This is because the vaginal tissue absorbs fluids more easily, including the sperm, which has a higher concentration of the HIV virus than female vaginal secretions and may remain in the vagina for hours following intercourse, thus increasing womens vulnerability to infection. Not only are women more vulnerable to STIs than men, but â€Å"untreated genital infections, especially genital ulcer disease, syphilis and genital herpes, all predispose to HIV infection† (Doyal, 1994). While STDs are not necessarily gender specific, it is likely that women with STDs will remain undiagnosed and untreated for longer, increasing their risk of infection (Finnegan, et al, 1993). This is largely because women tend to remain symptomless for longer than men (Doyal, 1994). Even though much is known about the transmission of HIV to women through unprotected sex with men, less is known about the manifestations, progression, treatment and care of HIV/AIDS in women. Due to the lack of research we can at best speculate on the reasons for this. One reason may be the failure of medical professionals to pick up on possible symptoms which are often present in women: â€Å"existing diagnostic guidelines pay little attention to symptoms such as thrush, herpes, menstrual problems and cervical cell abnormalities that seem to characterise the early stages of the disease process in many women. Indeed a significant number are diagnosed only during pregnancy or when their child is found to be HIV positive†. (Doyal, 1994, p13) Therefore, if researchers persist in ignoring the biological differences, then the realities of the risks of infection and the disease progression in women will remain unacknowledged. As a consequence of this, women will continue to be diagnosed later than men, which ultimately leads to an earlier death. (Gorst, 2001,) Further research into biological differences and the effects of HIV on womens bodies is urgently needed. 1.3 TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS Traditional and customary practices play a part in the vulnerability of women to HIV infection. Practices such as early marriage and the payment of lobola in marriages make women and girls more vulnerable to HIV infection. Marriages among black women in Zimbabwe include bride wealth â€Å"lobola† if the couple is to be socially approved. Bride wealth is increasingly becoming big business in Zimbabwe, with some parents charging as much as US$2,500 plus five or more cattle for an educated girl. (IRIN NEWS, 2009) The insistence on bride wealth as the basis of validating a marriage makes female sexuality a commodity and reduces women to sexual objects, with limited rights and privileges compared to their husbands, who pay in order to marry them, thus leaving them without a say in their relationship. Patriarchal attitudes are also found in Christianity and these have strengthened the traditional customs that men use to control womens sexuality. (Human Rights Monitor, 2001) For example, Eves alleged creation from Adams rib has made women occupy a subordinate position in the Church as well as in the family. Women are therefore viewed merely as second-class citizens who were created as an afterthought. This is to say that if God had seen it fit for Adam to stay alone, then Eve would never have been created and hence women would not exist in this world. Such patriarchal attitudes have seen women being forced to be submissive to males. To make matters worse, once Eve was created she wreaked havoc by giving in to the Devils temptation and pulling Adam into sin. This portrayal of women as the weaker sex has made men treat women as people who have to be kept under constant supervision. St Pauls letter to the Colossians is one example of the letters which Zimbabwean men quote as a justifi cation of their control over women. The woman is expected â€Å"to submit to her husband† (Colossians 3:18) whilst the husband has to love his wife (Colossians 3:19). Therefore, because of these beliefs, women will remain passive and powerless in relation to sexual health, making them more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. 1.4 CONFLICT AND CIVIL UNREST Migration or displacement as a result of civil strife, natural disasters, drought, famine and political oppression has a greater impact on womens vulnerability to HIV infection compared to men. About 75 per cent of all refugees and displaced people are women and children. The political and economic crisis in many African and Asian countries has caused many women to come to the UK in search of safer lives and employment (Freedman, 2003). The World Health Organization (WHO, 2003) states that female immigrant workers are more vulnerable to sexual barter as they try to negotiate for necessary documentation, employment and housing, which further increases their risk of HIV/AIDS infection. In addition, because of the lack of legal documentation these women will experience limited options, receive low status, receive low pay and are often isolated in their work, including marriage, domestic, factory and sex work. These situations place women in vulnerable and powerless positions, with little ability to refuse or negotiate safe sex, thereby increasing their risk to HIV/AIDS. Despite the risks associated with the migration process it is important to recognise the right to ‘freedom of movement and travel irrespective of HIV status (ICW 12 Statement and the Barcelona Bill of Rights, 2002). This was a focal point during the Barcelona HIV/AIDS conference in 2002, because the Spanish authorities denied visas to numerous people from the South many of whom were open about their HIV status. Some countries do have discriminatory policies regarding travel of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) and others are instituting stricter controls. For example, Canada has recently introduced the need for an HIV test for people emigrating to Canada and Australia. Whilst they say it will not affect the final decision it is not clear why they need the information (Tallis, 2002). 1.5 POVERTY AND INEQUALITY Women and men experience poverty differently because of gender inequality: The causes and outcomes of poverty are heavily engendered and yet traditional conceptualisations consistently fail to delineate povertys gender dimensions resulting in policies and programmes which fail to improve the lives of poor women and their families (Beneria and Bisnath, 1998). Despite worldwide attention to existing inequalities and the way these violate a socially-just society, there is no society in the world in which women are treated as equals with men (Doyal, 2001). Major inequalities between men and women still exist in many places from opportunities in education and employment to choices in relationships. Gender and social inequalities make women more vulnerable to HIV infection, especially in societies which afford women a lower status than men. Worldwide, women and girls are disproportionately impacted by poverty, representing 70 per cent of the 1.2 billion people who live in poverty worldwide (Amnesty International, 2005), a phenomenon commonly referred to as the â€Å"feminisation of poverty†. Worldwide, women receive an average of 30-40 per cent less pay than men for the same work (Card et al, 2007). This economic inequality may influence womens ability to control the timing and safety of sexual intercourse. Specifically, economic dependence on men, especially those who are not educated and do not have good jobs, forces women to remain silent about HIV risk issues and to stay with partners who refuse to engage in safe-sex practices. Poverty also leads to greater HIV risk among women by leading them to barter sex for economic gain or survival (Weiss et al, 1996). Commercial sex work is the most well-known way for women to exchange sex for money, food, shelter or other necessities. Most of this sex will be unsafe as women will be at risk of losing economic support from men by insisting on safer sex. Where substance abuse is a factor, the means for obtaining clean needles may be traded for other essentials. Trading or sharing needles is a way to reduce drug-addiction costs. Risk behaviours and disease potential are predictable under such compromised circumstances (Albertyn, 2000, cited in Card, 2007). Educational inequality also contributes to a womans HIV risk directly, by making information on HIV/AIDS less accessible to her, and indirectly, by increasing her economic dependence on a male partner. In particular, studies show that more-educated women are more likely to know how to prevent HIV transmission, delay sexual activity, use healthcare services, and take other steps to prevent the spread of HIV (UNIFEM, 2004). Because many cultures value ignorance about sex as a feature of femininity, many young women are prevented by husbands, fathers, or other family members from obtaining information about HIV/AIDS. Others decline to seek such information out of fear for their reputations. Lack of education about the causes, prevention, and treatment of HIV/AIDS will increase these womens vulnerability to infection. Legal systems and cultural norms in many countries reinforce gender inequality by giving men control over productive resources such as land, through marriage laws that subordinate wives to their husbands and inheritance customs that make males the principal beneficiaries of family property (Baylies, 2000). For example, Zimbabwe has a dual legal system, recognising both common and customary law in marriage. This creates inequalities for many women upon divorce or their husbands death. Women in customary marriages, especially those who are not educated and who live in rural areas, make up approximately 80% of marriages in Zimbabwe, and are not entitled to the same rights as those married under common law; this means that they are often barred from inheriting property and land, or getting custody of their children, thus making them more vulnerable to male dominance and increasing their risk of getting infected with STIs (Womankind, 2002). 1.6 CONCLUSION Power inequalities at social, economic, biological, political and cultural levels mean that women continue to be increasingly more at risk from HIV infection. It is therefore critical that social workers and other healthcare professionals make sure that HIV/AIDS prevention and care programmes address the most immediate perceived barriers to accessing HIV/AIDS prevention and care services. Measures could include vocational training, employment, micro-finance programmes, legal support, safe housing and childcare services. Such measures would empower these women to have options and to take voluntary and informed decisions regarding the adoption of safer practices to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS (UNODC, 2006). There is also the need for a female-controlled form of protection which women can use to protect themselves, for example microbicides, which women can use without the consent or even the knowledge of their partner, thus enabling them to protect themselves if they are forced to engage in unprotected sex. 2. CHAPTER 2 2.1 HIGH-RISK GROUPS OF WOMEN Although there is a vast literature on HIV/AIDS, relatively little has been written about how HIV/AIDS affects women, and what constitutes a high-risk group. In part, this reflects the way AIDS was initially perceived in the West as a â€Å"mens disease†, so much so that until a few years ago a common response to the topic of women and AIDS was â€Å"Do women get AIDS?†, the assumption being that women were at little or no risk (Doyal, et al, 1994). This has never been true of Africa, where the appallingly pervasive epidemic has always been a heterosexual disease and where 55 per cent of those who have been infected were women. In recent years it has become increasingly clear that women can both become infected with HIV and transmit the virus. A study conducted by AWARE (Association for Womens AIDS Research and Education) in America found that women who inject and share needles, have sexual contact with or are artificially inseminated by a man, lesbians, sex workers and those from an ethnic minority, especially black women, were at increased risk of HIV infection (Richardson, 1987). The study also found that most people in these groups are underrepresented in prevention or treatment interventions, and often suffer social stigma, isolation, poverty and marginalisation, which place them at higher risk. Therefore, in this chapter I am going to discuss how some of these groups are vulnerable to infection, and what can be done to prevent and treat infection in these vulnerable groups without inadvertently increasing their stigmatisation. 2.2 PROSTITUTES There is a substantial body of research on the correlation between HIV/AIDS infection and female prostitution. Studies worldwide have revealed cause-and-effect relationships between AIDS and prostitution in a number of areas, including the use of alcohol and/or psychoactive drugs, and have revealed variance in the rate and circumstance of infection from one country to another (OLeary et al, 1996). For example, researchers have found the high rate of AIDS in Africa to be largely a reflection of exposure through sexual activity only, while in the US and Europe, transmission of the AIDS virus is more likely to come from prostitutes or customers who are also IV drug users. Many writers have pointed out that real social concern about HIV infection did not materialise until its potential â€Å"spread to heterosexuals† was recognised. What is less often pointed out is that concern for the â€Å"spread to heterosexuals† has mostly been manifest in concern for the spread to heterosexual men, not heterosexual women (Flowers, 1998). The expressed fear is that HIV will spread from women to men, allegedly through prostitution. In the press and the international scientific literature on AIDS, often the light cast upon Women in Prostitution (WIP) has been a harsh one. WIP have been identified as a â€Å"risk group†, a â€Å"reservoir of infection†, and a â€Å"bridge† for the HIV epidemic. Such technical, epidemiological language has depicted WIP as vectors of HIV infection (Scharf and Toole, 1992). Rather than presenting WIP as links in broader networks of heterosexual HIV transmission, women categorised as prostitutes have bee n described as â€Å"infecting† their unborn infants, their clients and indirectly their clients other female sexual partners, as though HIV originated among WIP (Scharf and Toole, 1992). Like posters from WWI and WWII which aimed to warn armed servicemen in Europe of the danger of contracting gonorrhoea and syphilis (Brandt, 1985, cited in Flowers et al, 1998), some AIDS-prevention posters have caricatured WIP as evil sirens ready to entice men to their deaths (New African, 1987, cited in Larson, 1988). Interestingly, there is evidence that some HIV-positive men may be inclined to claim that their infection came from a female prostitute, in order to cover up its real origins: sex with a man, or IV drug use. 2.3 PROSTITUTION IN ZIMBABWE There are many reasons why women engage in prostitution in Zimbabwe. Studies show that poverty and deviance are the main causes. Other studies have shown that many women engage themselves in prostitution by their own choice and see it as a career path whilst others might be forced into it (Chudakov, 1995). In Zimbabwe prostitution is illegal, and many women and young girls, especially orphans who engage in prostitution, are driven to it by poverty and economic dislocation, which is being caused by the current economic and political crisis the country is experiencing. According to the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the hunger and disease-ridden conditions in much of Zimbabwe have forced many children into prostitution in order to feed themselves (UNICEF, 2008). Save the Children, a non-governmental organisation working to create positive changes for disadvantaged children in the country, estimate that girls as young as 12 are now selling their bodies for even the most meagr e of meals, such as biscuits and chips. They also state that the issue is further complicated by the growing presence of child traffickers in the region, looking for young girls to abduct and take to South Africa for the use of potential clients at the 2010 World Cup (Mediaglobal, 2009). Combating child prostitution and trafficking is complicated, but prioritising the alleviation of poverty with particular emphasis on fighting poverty from a childs perspective; prioritising education for all, with emphasis on improving access for girls; and provision of information to victims and survivors of child prostitution and/or trafficking, including information about available counselling and legislative services would be helpful (WHO, 2003). 2.4 PROSTITUTION IN THE UK Prostitution in the UK is different from that in Zimbabwe. The laws around prostitution in England and Wales are far from straight-forward. The act of prostitution is not in itself illegal but a string of laws criminalises activities around it. Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, it is an offence to cause or incite prostitution or control it for personal gain. The 1956 Sexual Offences Act bans running a brothel and its against the law to loiter or solicit sex on the street. Kerb-crawling is also banned, providing it can be shown that the individual was causing a persistent annoyance (BBC NEWS, 2008). Though actual s are scarce, it has been estimated that at least 2 million women are selling sexual favours in Britain. The bulk of these are brothel prostitutes working in parlours, saunas or private health clubs. According to The First Post published on 18/08/08, prostitution was viewed as â€Å"the new profession†. The article stated that prostitution in Britain is booming, and that thousands of young women have chosen prostitution for independence and financial security. The key factor which has led to a huge rise in this kind of prostitution is the influx of girls from Poland and other Eastern European countries which acceded to the EU in 2000. A strong relationship also exists between UK prostitutes and substance abuse, which drives many into the sex business. Intravenous-drug-using prostitutes are particularly prominent in Scottish cities such as Glasgow (OLeary et al, 1996). According to researchers, 70 per cent of the citys streetwalkers are IV drug addicts, injecting heroin, temazepam and tengesic. In Edinburgh, which has the highest rate of HIV-seropositive IV drug addicts of all cities in Britain, a significant number of those addicts testing HIV positive have been identified as prostitutes. Even though sex workers can transmit HIV/AIDS, blaming them encourages stigma and discrimination against all women. It allows the men who infect sex workers and their own wives to deny that they are infecting others. Wives too can infect their husbands, who can in turn infect sex workers. It is therefore important to note that sex workers and their clients are not serving as a â€Å"bridge† for HIV transmission into the rest of the population. 2.4 LESBIANS Can women transmit the disease to other women through sexual activity? The answer to this question is crucial for a community that knows that HIV is within it even though the question might be difficult to answer as there is â€Å"very little† information on this subject (Richardson, 1987). Lesbians were seen as least likely to be infected, as there was an understanding of HIV as a disease which existed in specific groups of people, for example gay males and intravenous-drug users. Because of these biased attitudes toward people, rather than risk behaviours, no data was systematically gathered. This understanding prevented the healthcare system from defining sexual risk behaviours: it stressed people, not sexual behaviours. It has therefore been noted that most lesbians have been in â€Å"risk situations† or engaged in what would be considered as â€Å"risky behaviour† at some stage. Some lesbians inject drugs and may share needles. Also, a significant number of lesbians have had sex with men before coming out, and many will have had unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse Some may still have sex with men for reproductive purposes (Gorna, 1996). Some may be prostitutes who, for economic reasons or through pressure from a pimp, may have had unprotected sex with clients (Richardson, 1989). According to records from a London sexual health clinic for lesbians, 35 per cent of the lesbians who attended had had sex with a man in the previous six months (Gorna, 1996). As Gorna puts it, this emphasises the fact that â€Å"activity is not always consistent with identity†. In other words, â€Å"we are put at risk by what we do, not by how we define ourselves or who we are† (Bury, 1994, p32). Although the risk of HIV infection from sex between women is very small, it is important for lesbians to look at what they do, how they do it and with whom they do it, just like everyone else, as, â€Å"Low risk isnt no risk† (Richardson, D, 2004). However, they may find it difficult to access services and, if they become ill, they may experience special problems, given that the healthcare system is designed for and administered by a predominantly heterosexual population. There may be a lack of recognition of their relationships, which could lead to isolation and depression. For example in Zimbabwe homosexuality is illegal and punishable by imprisonment of up to 10 years. The President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, views lesbians and gays as â€Å"sexual perverts† who are â€Å"lower than dogs and pigs† (BBC NEWS, 1998). In 1995 he ordered the Zimbabwe International Book Fair to ban an exhibit by the civil-rights group Gays and Lesbians in Zimbabwe (GALZ). He follo wed this ban with warnings that homosexuals should leave the country â€Å"voluntarily† or face â€Å"dire consequences†. Soon afterwards Mugabe urged the public to track down and arrest lesbians and gays. Since these incitements, homosexuals have been fire-bombed, arrested, interrogated and threatened with death (Tatchell, 2001). This makes it difficult for lesbians in Zimbabwe to access information and other services, thus increasing their vulnerability to HIV infection. 2.5 ELDERLY WOMEN The number of older people (older than 50 years) with HIV/AIDS is growing fast. Older adults are infected through the same high-risk behaviours as young adults, though they may be unaware that they are at risk of HIV/AIDS. However, when assessing the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic upon the worlds population, older people are often overlooked. HIV-prevention measures rarely target the older generation, despite the fact that many older people are sexually active and therefore still at risk of being exposed to HIV. The older population is steadily growing larger with the maturing of the â€Å"baby-boomer† generation as well as the availability of antiretroviral drugs which extend peoples life expectancy. Social norms about divorce, sex, and dating are changing, and drugs such as Viagra are facilitating a more active sex life for older adults (NAHOF, 2007, cited in Lundy et al, 2009). Heterosexual women aged 50 and older are most in need of the HIV-prevention message. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS, 2006) estimates that around 2.8 million adults aged 50 years and over are living with HIV, representing 7 per cent of all cases. In the UK, the Health Protection Agency reported that almost 4,000 HIV-infected people who were accessing care in 2006 were aged 55 years or over. Data on this subject from low-income countries like Zimbabwe is fairly patchy. This is because HIV/AIDS surveillance is commonly conducted in antenatal clinics, as many people have little other direct contact with medical services. Data from antenatal clinics does not provide information about people who are above child-bearing age, thus making it difficult for healthcare and service providers to make policies that will impact on the elderly who are infected. Firstly, it has been noted that elderly women can be exposed to HIV via non-consensual sexual contact or rape. Research has shown that some criminals appear to target older women for sexual crimes because they appear to be, and often are, vulnerable to attack (Muram et al, 1992). Elderly women in institutional settings such as nursing homes may also be at greater risk. Some estimates suggest that up to 15 per cent of elderly nursing-home residents have been victims of either sexual or physical abuse, thus increasing their vulnerability to HIV infection (Collins, 2002). Exposure to blood tainted with HIV may also occur when an older woman provides care to adult children who may be suffering from AIDS (Levine-Perkell, 1996). Allers (1990) revealed that more than one-third of all adults who contract A Organisational Flexibility: Definition and Benefits Organisational Flexibility: Definition and Benefits How can we define organizational flexibility? There are many definitions for flexibility. In the sense of managing human resources, flexibility can be defined as the organisation adapting to size, composition, responsiveness and the people . their inputs and costs required to achieved organisational objectives and goals. Organisational flexibility can also be defined when work gets done, where it gets done and how work gets done. Organisational Flexibility includes: Having flex time, so the employee chooses the start of their day and the end of their day, Being able to take off time through the day to take care of family issues, for example an employee being able to go everyday to fetch their children from school and take them home then returning to work, Taking a few days off in order to take care of family matters and not losing any leave days or pay. So an example would be taking days off in order to go look after a sick family member or to go to a funeral or something, An employee working some of their daily work hours at home, so an employee either coming into work late due working at home in the morning, or leaving work early and working at home a few hours, Working shifts, this means employees working different times. Maybe working day shift one week and night shift the other week. Some people might prefer this as it would be more predictable. Therefore they can plan lives, When people choose when they want to work, the hours they want to work, knowing when they can take time off each day. Employees will generally have control over their work day or schedule, Employees can sometimes work longer hours during some days of the week in order to get some days off; they have compressed their work week. Which allows them to have more time for themselves, In some cases employees can advance, go up in their jobs even of they choose their work hours or compress their weeks The need for flexibility in the workplace The need for organisational flexibility is very important. When looking at why there is a need a for flexibility there are factors that are creating the need for flexibility in the workplace. Things are changing all the time, which means an organisation, must be able to take on these changes. Aspects such as social, technological, economical, legal, political and other global factors in which a business operate within are changing all the time, so organisations should be able to adapt when these changes happen. So in other words they need to be flexible. As it says there is a need for flexibility in the workplace, but there is also a need for flexibility in the workforce, meaning the staff. As change happens, how work gets done too changes therefore the workforce should also be flexible. Those aspects I mentioned above, I find is not the factor of change that requires the workplace to be flexible. Another factor I find to be important is the employees. People are changing. Their needs and wants are changing, their ways are changing, how they live is changing and how they work is changing too. Therefore some people are not wanting to work normally, having a Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 job. People are wanting to be more flexible with their time, therefore wanting to work less hours, certain days of the week, have time off or whatever it may be. Therefore some of the workplaces might benefit if they make themselves flexible in the sense of offering these things to employees. So the workplace should be flexible with that factor too. There are some aspects that have allowed flexibility to be put in place in the workplace: * The biggest asset to an organisation is the people who work there, therefore this can create competitive advantage through people. Its best if the organisation is flexible in the number of people and the skills in the workplace * Organisation are becoming more flexible in specialization production, so making specialized goods. And shifting from mass productions. Making goods of the same in bulk * There are changes in life-style, private and work life balance and social changes * There are constant technological changes. Therefore HR services are becoming wider; organisations are doing things differently in the sense of technology. E working and so on I suppose in the past organisations were very structured, rigid. And today there still has to be structure in the workplace, as an organisation wont work if there wasnt some form of structure. In todays workplace, heavily structured organisations, with rigid job specifications, with strict management styles wont work. The workplace is changing due the ever changing and not predictable environments. Therefore that is why there is a need for organisational flexibility. Types of Organisational Flexibility There are a number of different types of organisational flexibility. They are: Functional Flexibility- Functional flexibility basically states that employees will do jobs that go beyond what they are actually there to do. So they will perform jobs that they werent originally specified to do. So employees should be able to do different jobs but still do their own. So the organisation will require multi-skilled employees. So for example would be in an organisation, a debtors clerk doing their own job, which is debtors, but also being able to do creditors when required. Numerical Flexibility- This basically involves an organisation bring labour in or taking labour out in accordance service or product demand. The state of the economy can also be a factor for the organisation to bring in or go without labour. They can control this by the number of employees they need at the time. Therefore they will hire as they need. They can do this by hiring casuals or part time workers. Financial Flexibility- Procedural Flexibility- Skills Flexibility- Attitudinal Flexibility- Structural Flexibility-