Final IB Draft Sashi Ratnayake

The final and third chapter would be to understand how the company responds to the Integration Responsiveness Framework (IRE) and the pressures it face when local responsiveness is been discussed along with how the company reacts to global responsiveness. The key learning and the findings after formulation of the report are, The Coca-Cola Company is one that followed geocentric policy but now it's a recognition policy. Due to unfavorable situations, in its performance the company moved to the transnational strategy from the global strategy.Coca- Cola as a company holds a higher stake in the integration responsiveness ramekin while it concentrates on worldwide learning and flexibility. Acknowledgement would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude to our lecturer Dry. Mashes Samaritan for her tremendous support and guidance throughout this assignment. It is due to her teaching, supervision and encouragement that I have been able to successfully understand and com plete this assignment. Would specially thank my parents for helping me out financially and morally to plan my career for the following two years.And I would like to thank all the staff members at PIPIT city campus and all hose of the individuals, who's the names are not mentioned. Without the help of you all, the completion of this assignment would have never been possible. This exercise is not done with the soul intension of obtaining good grades but to increase my work skills and business skills in planning out a bright future ahead. Thankful again. The report is formulated in such a way to explain how The Coca-Cola Company came up in rankings as the world's largest beverage manufacturer, while evaluating its international business environment.The report will critically evaluate the following questions and sub sections: Chapter 1- Aim 1 is to critically analyze how The Coca-Cola Company executes their international staffing policies and how the company develop global managers Aim 2 is to demonstrate how Coca-Cola's overall Human Resource Management (HARM) Chapter 2- Aim 1 is to critically analyze Coca-Cola's internationalization strategy and the advantages that they derive from that particular strategy. Aim 2 is to critically evaluate how Coca-Cola achieves efficiency, flexibility and worldwide learning.Chapter 3- Aim 1 is to analyze Coca-Cola's Integration responsiveness framework Aim 2 is to analyze the pressures that Coca-Cola faces for local responsiveness and lobar integration Figure 1 – Explanation of Questions and aims Source: Authors work The structure of the report will critically unveils the companies' values, culture, entry strategies, internationalization strategy, ethical standards and the impacts faced by other competitors for local responsiveness. Meanwhile, to prepare the following report key reference books, leading journal articles and relevant websites utilized in the area of International Business were used. We strive to have a lim ited number of international people in the field because generally local people are better equipped to do business at their mom locations,† argued Peters, director of HER for corporate finance and human resources in Atlanta, previously HER director for Coca-Cola's Northwest European division, Infusion (1994). According to Permute (1969) Mac's were thinking about doing business on a global scale, and how this mindset was shaping the companies orientation towards doing business around the world.The orientation of a NC can be reflected in its product offerings, organizational culture, methods to managing foreign workers and recruitment of employees for top positions. 1 . Ethnocentric Orientation – home country 2. Polytechnic Orientation – host country . Geocentric Orientation – whole world Recalling the above statement from one of the key individuals of the Coca- Cola Company it is evident that Coca-Cola sees itself not as a global organization, but as a tran snational enterprise following a geocentric policy which has been extended into a recognition policy.Coca-Cola's transnational strategy allows business operations in more than 200 destinations worldwide while operating under the respective local laws, trends and cultural differences. Therefore the technique used by the beverage giant is to employee many nationals in its international business. The Coca-Cola Company, 2014) Though such a trend exist within the boundaries of the company the need of expatriates have been arousing based on two reasons. Sweatshops, 2010) As argued by Sweatshops (2010) one reason is to fill a need for a specific set of skills that may not exist at a particular location. The second reason according to Sweatshops, (2010) is that if employees cross borders and relocate themselves in different locations and subsidiaries it would be for their own development. Infusion (1994) explains how Peters supporting this argument said, â€Å"before you take on serious se nior managerial accessibility in the company, you should have had an international exposure. The above statement also touches upon how Coca-Cola develop individuals till they reach the level of global managers while focusing on how much international exposures is there before selecting global managers who should possess international caliber. (Infusion, 1994) Figure 2 – Linkage of Staffing Strategies Source: International Business E by Sweatshops (2010) According to Permute (1969) and Sweatshops (2010) there are pros and cons throughout, while Coca-Cola identifies the below as strengths and threats, StrengthsThe best use of human resources Building a cadre of international employees compatible with any culture Multidimensional transfer of core competencies help in creating value through an experience curve of different economies According to the Coca-Cola Company (2010) the above advancements in the year 2009, when they entered the Great Place to Work Institute United Kingdom 's rankings for Great Britain for the first time as No. 26.The reads Host government restrictions on staffing Very high expenses due to the need of providing for the families of transfer employees Meanwhile, Coca Cola focus on human resources development by incineration on the education and training of its employees spending millions every year for training. After significant investigation and researches, Coca Cola In 2007, launched Coca Cola university (Call) a virtual, global university for all learning and capability-building activities across the Company. E-Learning was used to train Coca Cola newly recruited managers and expatriates (Sweatshops, 2010).According to Bandmaster (1995) introduces four methods that is now used by Coca-Cola to train expatriates for international assignments, 1. Pre-departure training for expatriates These training sessions will provide expatriates and their family with information related housing, schools, shopping, and health care facilities in the host Country. 2. On-site training for expatriates At the host country the expatriate will receive additional onsite training to familiarize the expatriate with the local working procedures and work environment.These formal programs will deliver orientation about the host country customs and cultures. 3. Repatriation Expatriates and their family Will adapt the host country norms and culture especially in long-term assignment. Usually they will experience high level of tress and cultural shock when return to the home country as a result Of changes that have taken place since their leaving. 4. Training for Host Country Nationals (Hess) and Third Country Nationals (Tics) All employees from team leaders upwards are given an annual skills assessment and development plan.When looking at the above facts and figures, it is evident that the Coca-Cola Company is a geocentric company trying to extend the branches to grow as a recognition company. The staffing methods used by Coca-Cola can be pr aised due to the allocation of labor units throughout the world while ongoing what is best for the company and the locality of the subsidiaries. The overall HARM structure of the company also lies at a very high stake with a promise to grow more with a high level human friendly environment. Boozer (201 1) argued that, â€Å"the key for international companies is finding the right mix of global and local in their operations.

Love: An Inexpressible and Indescribable Feeling

Love is an indescribable and inexpressible feeling. It can affect a person to the point of recklessness. Once a soul has realized its counterpart in another, the effects can cause one to surrender themselves completely. Judgment becomes clouded and rationality no longer exists. In the end, all that remains is pure, indefinable emotion. This emotion is what fuels the person. Love is why almost everybody on Earth looks forward to tomorrow. Those who lack it will try to look for it. Those who have it, will work themselves to the bone Just for the ones they love.It is the best possible feeling Christopher Final Essay Love is an inexpressible and indescribable feeling. It can affect a person to the point of recklessness. Once a soul has recognized its counterpart in another, the effects can cause one to surrender themselves completely. Judgment becomes clouded and rationality no longer exists. In the end, all that remains is pure, indefinable emotion. This indefinable emotion is what fuel s the person. Love is the reason why almost everybody on Earth looks forward to tomorrow. Those who do not have it, tries to look for it.Those who have it, will work themselves to the bone Just for the ones they love. It is the best possible feeling one could ever feel. While love seems like a splendid thing, it also has its flaws. The most well-known negative thing that comes along with love is Jealousy. Jealousy is a special form of emotive Kim k unemotional anxiety, which occurs due to the lack of a sense of security in relation to the one who is loved. The Jealousy directed to a third party, I. E. , the competitor who is perceived as the rival for the affection of the person who is loved.Jealousy is n emotion having components of both anger and fear commonly found in children. It originates from the lack of a sense of security for the affections of one who is loved and more attended to. The play, A Midnight Summer's Dream is about several couples in love and the problems that ca use relationships to crumble like dominoes, one after another. Shakespeare is mainly focusing on the crazy things that people do when they are in love. People tend to break the shackles of normalcy and common sense and do things for their own madness.In the play, A Midnight Summer's Dream, Shakespeare uses the shifting of the peoples' personalities to emphasize what love could do to people. As a person falls deeper in love, he or she becomes blind to things that happen around them and could care less about anything else except their own love affairs. Shakespeare portrays this in A Midsummer Night's Dream when Helena accuses Demerits of killing Lessened and asks him if he has killed Lessened. The shift in her personality reveals the interference of love since she starts blaming others groundlessly.Shakespeare uses this to show how people react to problems hat involve love and how foolish their actions are. Another major problem caused by love is rivalry and how easily friendship can be crumbled when it comes to the issue of love. When Hermit enters the scene while Demerits and Lessened are with Helena, Hermit blindly enters and is questioned by Helena because Demerits and Lessened both originally liked Hermit. Therefore, she thinks it is a trick and they are when her close friend is involved. Thus, Helena starts the argument which causes her friendship with Hermit to crumble.Shakespeare is clearly showing the message of owe the common nature of people causes them to make rash decisions and change personalities because of love. People in love will see the world in a different perspective, they become so obsessed with their love to the extent that their world revolves around the person they love. This type of love can cause trouble, especially when deep and intense. This is seen almost every day in real life. For example, heartbroken girlfriends throwing pots down the window and locking their boyfriends out is the first image that comes to mind when thinking of J ealousy.

LENGUA Y LITERATURA/2

LENGUA Y LITERATURA/2 LENGUA Y LITERATURA/2 Trabajo practico: El cuento de ciencia ficcià ³n . La nocià ³n de intertextualidad . 1. Lean los recuadros de las paginas 92 y 98 del libro de texto, y respondan el siguiente cuestionario: ?Cà ³mo puede definirse el cuento de ciencia ficcià ³n ? Los cuentos de ciencia ficcià ³n son narraciones que expresan temores e ilusiones acerca del destino de la humanidad. Asà ¬, en este tipo de literatura, se crean sociedades futuras o mundos paralelos en los que suceden hechos que pueden explicarse desde la là ³gica racional de la ciencia. B ?Que preguntas sobre la ciencia produjo a la humanidad la Revolucià ³n Industrial ? Despues de la Rev. Industrial, comienza a pensarse que la ciencia tiene infinitas posibilidades de avance. Esto generà ³ esperanzas que tambien se reflejan en la literatura: ?Puede el ser humano ser mejor, vivir en un mundo mas justo, terminar con la guerra y el odio Pueden curarse todas las enfermedadesEs posible evitar la muerte? Pero tambien habà ¬an temores:   ?Tiene el ser humano derecho a manipular la vidaY si la tecnologà ¬a arruina las relaciones entre las personas?, etc. B De acuerdo al tipo de temas que aborda, ?que tipos de cuentos de ciencia ficcià ³n existen? La llamada ciencia ficcià ³n â€Å"dura†, que gira especialmente en torno a los avances, las formas y las consecuencias de la tecnologà ¬a y otra mas preocupada por las relaciones humanas y sociales. B Definan utopà ¬a ycontra utopà ¬a . Una utopà ¬a es una idea que parece imposible de realizar, inalcanzable, dentro de un mundo ideal que representa los deseos de perfeccià ³n de quien imagina ese mundo. Un mundo contra utà ³picoCONTRAUTÓPICO, sonES en los queAQUEL EN EL QUE los seres humanos, valiendose de los avances de la ciencia, destruyen las relaciones interpersonales, la naturaleza, la cultura y hasta el planeta, ya sea el propio o una colonizado. B 2. Lean el siguiente cuento: Barb a brillante De Fredric Brown Ella estaba asustada, terriblemente asustada, desde que su padre la concediera en matrimonio al extrano hombre de la barba de color encendido.  ¡Habà ¬a algo tan siniestro en el, en su gran fuerza, en sus ojos aguilenos, en el modo como la miraba†¦! Ademas corrà ¬a el rumor -sà ³lo un rumor, por supuesto- de que tuvo otras esposas y que nadie sabà ¬a lo que les habà ¬a ocurrido. Y tambien el extrano asunto del cuarto al que le prohibià ³ entrar, y ni siquiera sà ³lo asomarse al interior. Hasta hoy lo habà ¬a obedecido especialmente despues de intentar abrir la habitacià ³n y encontrarla cerrada con llave. Pero ahora esta de pie enfrente de la puerta, con la llave, o con lo que creà ¬a era la llave, en su mano. Era una llave que habà ¬a encontrado, apenas una hora antes, en el escritorio de su esposo; sin duda se deslizà ³ de uno de sus bolsillos, y parecà ¬a del tamano justo para el agujero de la cerradura de la puerta del cuarto proh ibido.

Skateboarding in the Middle East Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Skateboarding in the Middle East - Research Paper Example Skateboarding does not have to be confined in urban spaces as Wanner believes. Skateboarding represents creative play that it is universally appreciated by children and adults alike all over the world. It area of play is not only â€Å"Where there is an asphalt space of sprawl† but also in the asphalts and deserts of Middle East. In fact, skateboarding may be more beneficial and may be more appreciated in the Middle East than in the urban centers of California because many children are scathe by war in those regions whose growth and development is interrupted by war. Skateboarding, being creative and playful as it is, has a big place among those children in the war torn countries in the Middle East to at least provide them with the coping mechanism with the terror of war they are exposed of. The extent, fierceness and length of war in the Middle East that had exposed countless of children that leaves one to wonder not only on the depth of the scathe that war had left on the children but also on the interruption of their development. Play according to Smilansky and Shefatya, play is essential to children’s social competence and maturity (cited in Jalongo, 2014). Play could also be a very good antidote to extremism because it undermines the very foundation of extremism which is intolerance. Play according to Smilansky and Shefatya let children experience other’s â€Å"points of view by working through conflicts about space, materials, or rules positively† (cited Jalongo, 2014). Through seeing and experiencing other people’s perspectives, children learns to become tolerant and more resistant to extremist ideologies thereby could reduce if not totally remove extremism in the region. Finally, skateboarding or any other play should be experienced by children. Let children be children to have fun and have a sense of wonder in discovering the world. Play by itself with an atmosphere of laughing children creates a positive society where

Introduction, Analysis, Recommendations and Draft of Paper Research

Introduction, Analysis, Recommendations and Draft of - Research Paper Example The paper will consider asking questions various stakeholders in the business field. These are managers, behavioral experts and the employees themselves. It will show how the world views the organizations affected by bad behavior, in particular growing firms. The paper will mainly concentrate on the childrens and teachers opinion. Observation is an important tool used by this paper to find the effects. The motivation of this project is the fact that most business employees are joyful and in the right mood, they would cooperate with interviewers.  It  will contribute to the findings of this paper by recording the findings after interaction. This paper will consider the keys to implementing successful behavioral change in an organization. It will then observe the employees, according to the response they give. In particular, it will identify the bad lessons various technological issues has brought to the employees. This paper will have a report from customers, who have encountered the effects of services from bad-mannered employees. The motivation for the report  is the need to have successful behavioral change in any organization. The paper will show the extent at which colleges have gone in training of their employees. Most colleges do not have necessary skills to teach good morals and behaviors to students. In particular, the paper will focus on young employees who have had recent employment. More so, it will focus a little on the experienced employees. Overall relationship between senior and junior employees will be part of the discussion in this paper. An interim study by a group of Australian education experts found out bad behavior has affected the production level of most firms. Good behavior requires much sacrifice from the employee, and it is always out of the heart. The stakeholder meeting involving firm managers from growing firms in Italy, drawing from Government (2012),

Netflix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Netflix - Essay Example Netflix definitely has the first-mover advantage in the online video streaming industry. Over the years, other companies have jumped into the fray to cash in on the lucrative market. The major competitors of Netflix include Amazon Prime Instant Video, HBO GO and Hulu. Amazon competes with Netflix by shipping millions of items and rented ebooks. Anyone can stream a TV show or video on the company’s website. HBO Gos Nordic service, an over-the-top (OTT) video-on-demand (VOD), is a potent challenger to Netflix. HBO has also announced its plans to launch its Internet TV service next year (Seitz, 2014). Meanwhile, the Vudu-Walmart alliance enables subscribers to stream on Walmart.com (Cablefax Daily, 2011). Netflix has always maintained leadership position in the online video streaming industry. It is not difficult to fathom why Netflix has been so popular. The online video streaming company provides a compelling value proposition to its customers. Netflix members pay a low monthly price and in return get unlimited hours of access to TV shows and movies. The members can enjoy this access anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. The icing on the cake is that the content is commercial free. Moreover, subscribers can pause and resume viewing the content at will (Netflix.com, 2014). In 2000, the company launched the personalized movie recommendation system whereby member ratings were used to accurately gauge the movie choices for all the Netflix subscribers. The streaming service was introduced in 2007. A year later, Netflix inked pacts with numerous companies so that its subscribers could steam on Xbox 360, Blu-ray disc players and TV set-top boxes. The initial success prompted Netflix to pursue more tie-ups and stream on the PS3, Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, and the Nintendo Wii (Pr.netflix.com, 2014). Recently, Netflix introduced a feature whereby subscribers could automatically share what they saw on

Productivity Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Productivity Management - Essay Example He illustrates the benefits of utilizing the system in a managerial perspective. Such advantages include diminished stress, decreased rates of procrastination, work balance, increased motivation, vitality, and overall achievements. In addition, the team will be more focused in achievement of goals. There is a rise in time improvement and people management, creativity and freedom. A leader cannot be successful without the cohorts of the scheme described above. It all assists the leader to work and lead others strategically, working towards achievement of clear goals (Allen, 2008). The parallels presented by the author are very valid and relate well with the five functions of management. Without proper incorporation of the five functions of management in any firm, the model described above cannot work to great success. The five functions of management are planning, organizing, directing, staffing, coordination and to some extent budgeting. Proper utilization of each management function will bring order, saving time and hence increasing productivity as the extent of confusion is decreased largely. Planning acts as a cover-up of all the other functions of management. The concepts presented aid one to have a planned life, a life that will demonstrate order as one moves in a certain direction to achieve leadership objectives. In essence, the parallels presented work hand in hand with the five functions of management to influence to a leader’s life

Summa Theologica Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Summa Theologica - Essay Example Second evidence of the existence of God is based on the concept of efficient cause which means that one thing can only cause change to another. This will result in a chain of questioning the first cause, thus, the existence of God is the answer. The third evidence that Aquinas presented is also based on the chain of causes. According to him, one thing owes existence to another which is based on the view of â€Å"possibility and necessity.† This means that an object’s existence is based on pre-existing things. He argued that all things exist due to a certain need by another and only God exists for His own reason (Aquinas, 1996; Kretzmann and Stump, 1993). These three proofs can be contradicted by most contemporary theories of the existence of things. But in this case Aquinas is theorizing the existence of God through scientific views. Faith is the main evidence in the existence of God since he is the first mover, the first cause and the one who exists based on his own reason. Aquinas’s views on the existence of God though had been refuted by most philosophers specifically in the rise of the concepts of evolution and intelligent design. Basically evolution is the scientific view of the existence of the different entities, both living and non-living in the world as advocated by Charles Darwin. This is the main contradicting view against the religious views of creation. On the other hand, through the continuous study of the said issue, the rise of the concept of intelligent design occurred which is known to be the bridge between the two concepts. It falls between the two concepts. It in fact intersects the two fields of study, sc ience and theology. Based on the said view, the universe existed due to intelligent causes such as natural selection. Thus, it unites the two views (Dembski, 2002). Although, experts from both sides are questioning the said view, the message of unity can be considered as an important merit. Other philosophers such

Supply Chain Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Supply Chain - Case Study Example There are crucial stakeholders representing diverse interests within companies, but equally important, there are also numerous stakeholders outside as well who include suppliers and primary producers of raw materials. To sustainably remain in business, companies must address potential risks facing both internal and external stakeholders, and supply chain ethics form a critical aspect of this component (Mills, Schmitz & Frizelle 2004, p. 1021). Compliance practices, ethics and culture of the entire supply chain members must be examined and addressed to reduce risks. This paper will examine Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s case study and determine its and its suppliers’ supply chain and business risks in the event of their unethical behaviour as well as strategic advantages to suppliers and customers when they embrace ethical practices. Consumers, business partners, investors, media organisations and regulators all expect businesses and their supply chains to demonstrate high standards of ethical behaviour (Coughlan 2005, p. 49). Ethical scandals generated by suppliers are probably the least foreseen and biggest risks businesses face in the modern world. In view of this, Nestlà © understands the potential damage that can be suffered when the risks materialise and, hence, has adopted protective measures in the form of social corporate responsibility (SCR). In this sense, the company extends its culture beyond internal control to ensure its policies and principles are concerned with the activities of suppliers and consumers and practices of labour and human rights. The environment also forms a key area of concern. The underlying significance of this approach is that it creates new and shared value for both shareholders and society through a strategic partnership with customers, suppliers and distributors in areas wh ere Nestlà © can have the greatest

Communication and organizational performance Essay

Communication and organizational performance - Essay Example The work of management is to facilitate formal communication in all levels of the hierarchy to ensure proper spread of correct data, directives and initiatives so as to raise the output of the firm. Basically, significant announcements, policy changes, information affecting the organization management, rule and procedures are all made available through communication. The management thus uses this vital tool to manipulate understanding and ensure that the employees comply with organizational directives by facilitating both formal and informal communication. The mode and tone of conversation in communication set the boundaries in the firm between the parties. The communication pattern is essential since, through it, most of the goals are met in the organization. Individuals are encouraged to bring out their feelings, concerns and even proposals to the management all of which are achieved through communication. There are various ways and in a different scenario through which the managem ent uses communication to ensure that the goal are achieved. Firstly, in any organization, a proper team is required to meet the activities. In other words, a reliable human resource is normally selected to meet the activities and work in the firm within a period. This requires proper advertising, recruitment and training of the appropriate team and an eventual induction in the office place. The process of recruitment entails setting up job advertisements with specifications so as to reach a wide base and also facilitating a team to select the most appropriate and qualified personnel that will meet the target of the firm. All these processes entail communication between the outside world and the internal parts of the management. To meet the directives of a firm communication is used during recruitment to achieve a strong team that is capable of producing the expected output. Secondly, a brilliant and a clear sense of the organizational direction are essential if the objectives of th e firm re to be met. This promotes the corporate health as it maintains awareness and focus of the core business, purpose, strategies and the visions of the firm. Communication is a tool used to achieve this awareness in the induction process where all employees are detailed on the corporate policies and structure of the firm. Subordinates are informed of the policy changes and information from the supervisors through an efficient channel of communication. If an agency is to maintain high performance in a particular sector, a continuous circulation of information is essential both formally and informally. The middle management level receives information from the top management and communicates this to the low level which reciprocates this to the top level management. Informal communication is also established, and a rapport created in the internal environment so as to create free interactions of the workers. Informal communication is actually essential as it accelerates the flow of information thus speeding up the communication process. However, when this is overused in a firm, it distorts the leadership pattern and undermines the management structure of the firm through too much familiarity (Kuhn, 2008, p.1234). The chain of command thus becomes

A Definition of Collaborative vs Cooperative Learning Essay Example for Free

A Definition of Collaborative vs Cooperative Learning Essay I have been searching for many years for the Holy Grail of interactive learning, a distinction between collaborative and cooperative learning definitions. I am getting closer to my elusive goal all the time but I am still not completely satisfied with my perception of the two concepts. I believe my confusion arises when I look at processes associated with each concept and see some overlap or inter-concept usage. I will make a humble attempt to clarify this question by presenting my definitions and reviewing those of other authors who have helped clarify my thinking. Collaboration is a philosophy of interaction and personal lifestyle whereas cooperation is a structure of interaction designed to facilitate the accomplishment of an end product or goal. Collaborative learning (CL) is a personal philosophy, not just a classroom technique. In all situations where people come together in groups, it suggests a way of dealing with people which respects and highlights individual group members abilities and contributions. There is a sharing of authority and acceptance of responsibility among group members for the groups actions. The underlying premise of collaborative learning is based upon consensus building through cooperation by group members, in contrast to competition in which individuals best other group members. CL practitioners apply this philosophy in the classroom, at committee meetings, with community groups, within their families and generally as a way of living with and dealing with other people. Cooperative learning is defined by a set of processes which help people interact together in order to accomplish a specific goal or develop an end product which is usually content specific. It is more directive than a collaboratve system of governance and closely controlled by the teacher. While there are many mechanisms for group analysis and introspection the fundamental approach is teacher centered whereas collaborative learning is more student centered. Spencer Kagan in an article in Educational Leadership (Dec/Jan 1989/1990) provides an excellent definition of cooperative learning by looking at general structures which can be applied to any situation. His definition provides an unbrella for the work cooperative learning specialists including he Johnsons, Slavin, Cooper, Graves and Graves, Millis, etc. It follows below: The structural approach to cooperative learning is based on the creation, analysis and systematic application of structures, or content-free ways of organizing social interaction in the classroom. Structures usually involve a series of steps, with proscribed behavior at each step. An important cornerstone of the approach is the distinction between st ructures and activities. To illustrate, teachers can design many excellent cooperative activities, such as making a team mural or a quilt. Such activities almost always have a specific content-bound objective and thus cannot be used to deliver a range of academic content. Structures may be used repeatedly with almost any subject matter, at a wide range of grade levels and at various points in a lesson plan. John Myers (Cooperative Learning vol 11 #4 July 1991) points out that the dictionary definitions of collaboration, derived from its Latin root, focus on the process of working together; the root word for cooperation stresses the product of such work. Co-operative learning has largely American roots from the philosophical writings of John Dewey stressing the social nature of learning and the work on group dynamics by Kurt Lewin. Collaborative learning has British roots, based on the work of English teachers exploring ways to help students respond to literature by taking a more active role in their own learning. The cooperative learning tradition tends to use quantitative methods which look at achievement: i. e. , the product of learning. The collaborative tradition takes a more qualitative approach, analyzing student talk in response to a piece of literature or a primary source in history. Myers points out some differences between the two concepts: Supporters of co-operative learning tend to be more teacher-centered, for example when forming heterogeneous groups, structuring positive inter- dependence, and teaching co-operative skills. Collaborative learning advocates distrust structure and allow students more say if forming friendhip and interest groups. Student talk is stressed as a means for working things out. Discovery and contextural approaches are used to teach interpersonal skills. Such differences can lead to disagreements. I contend the dispute is not about research, but more about the morality of what should happen in the schools. Beliefs as to whast should happen in the schools can be viewed as a continuum of orientations toward curriculum from transmission to transaction to transmission. At one end is the transmission position. As the name suggests, the aim of this orientation is to transmit knowledge to students in the form of facts, skills and values. The transformation position at the other end of the continuum stresses personal and social change in which the person is said to be interrelated with the environment rather than having control over it. The aim of this orientation is self-actualization, personal or organizational change. Rocky Rockwood (National Teaching and Learning Forum vol 4 #6, 1995 part 1) describes the differences by acknowledging the parallels they both have in that they both use groups, both assign specific tasks, and both have the groups share and compare their procedures and conclusions in plenary class sessions. The major difference lies in the fact that cooperative deals exclusively with traditional (canonical) knowledge while collaborative ties into the social constructivist movement, asserting that both knowledge and authority of knowledge have changed dramatically in the last century. The result has been a transition from foundational (cognitive) understanding of knowledge, to a nonfoundational ground where we understand knowledge to be a social construct and learning a social process (Brufee, Collaborative learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge, 1993). Rockwood states: In the ideal collaborative environment, the authority for testing and determining the appropriateness of the group product rests with, first, the small group, second, the plenary group (the whole class) and finally (but always understood to be subject to challenge and revision) the requisite knowledge community (i. e. the discipline: geography, history, biology etc. ) The concept of non- foundational knowledge challenges not only the product acquired, but also the process employed in the acquisition of foundational knowledge. Most importantly, in cooperative, the authority remains with the instructor, who retains ownership of the task, which involves either a closed or a closable (that is to say foundational) problem ( the instructor knows or can predict the answer). In collaborative, the instructoronce the task is set transfers all authority to the group. In the ideal, the groups task is always open ended. Seen from this perspective, cooperative does not empower st udents. It employs them to serve the instructors ends and produces a right or acceptable answer. Collaborative does truly empower and braves all the risks of empowerment (for example, having the group or class agree to an embarrassingly simplistic or unconvincing position or produce a solution in conflict with the instructors). Every person, Brufee holds, belongs to several interpretative or knowledge communities that share vocabularies, points of view, histories, values, conventions and interests. The job of the instructor id to help students learn to negotiate the boundaries between the communities they already belong to and the community represented by the teachers academic discipline, which the students want to join. Every knowledge community has a core of foundational knowledge that its members consider as given (but not necessarily absolute). To function independently within a knowledge community, the fledgling scholar must master enough material to become conversant with the community. Rockwood concludes: In my teaching experience, cooperative represents the best means to approach mastery of foundational knowledge. Once students become reasonably conversant, they are ready for collaborative, ready to discuss and assess,. Myers suggests use of the transaction orientation as a compromise between taking hard positions advocating either methodology. This orientation views education as a dialogue between the student and the curriculum. Students are viewed as problem solvers. Problem solving and inquiry approaches stressing cognitive skills and the ideas of Vygotsky, Piaget, Kohlberg and Bruner are linked to transaction. This perspective views teaching as a conversation in which teachers and students learn together through a process of negotiation with the curriculum to develop a shared view of the world. It is clear to me that in undertaking the exercize of defining differences between the two ideas we run the risk of polarizing the educational community into a we versus them mentality. There are so many benefits which acrue from both ideas that it would be a shame to lose any advantage gained from the student-student-teacher interactions created by both methods. We must be careful to avoid a one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to education paradigms. As a final thought, I think it behooves teachers to educate themselves about the myriad of techniques and philosophies which create interactive environments where students take more responsibility for their own learning and that of their peers. Then it will become possible to pick and chose those methods which best fit a particular educational goal or community of learners.

The Types And Techniques Of Steganography Computer Science Essay

The Types And Techniques Of Steganography Computer Science Essay This document focus on an unfamiliar field of study in IT sector i.e. Steganography. This document covers various concepts in Steganography, A brief history of Steganography and introducing few types of techniques available today in Steganography. It also covers other topics like security in Steganography, mobile messaging, MMS Steganography related information. This document closes with a summery and proper solution . The initial footages of Steganography were by the Greek historian Herodotus in hischronicles known as Histories and date back to around 440 BC. Herodotus recorded two stories of Steganographic techniques during this time in Greece. The first stated that King Darius of Susa shaved the head of one of his prisoners and wrote a secret message on his scalp. When the prisoners hair grew back, he was sent to the Kings son in law Aristogoras in Miletus undetected. The second story also came from Herodotus, which claims that a soldier named Demeratus needed to send a message to Sparta that Xerxes intended to invade Greece. Back then, the writing medium was text written on wax-covered tablets. Demeratus removed the wax from the tablet, wrote the secret message on the underlying wood, recovered the tablet with wax to make it appear as a blank tablet and finally sent the document without being detected. Romans used invisible inks, which were based on natural substances such as fruit juices and m ilk. This was accomplished by heating the hidden text, thus revealing its contents. Invisible inks have become much more advanced and are still in limited use today. During the 15th and 16th centuries, many writers including Johannes Trithemius (author of Steganographia) and Gaspari Schotti (author or Steganographica) wrote on Steganagraphic techniques such as coding techniques for text, invisible inks, and incorporating hidden messages in music. Between 1883 and 1907, further development can be attributed to the publications of Auguste Kerckhoff (author of Cryptographic Militaire) and Charles Briquet (author of Les Filigranes). These books were mostly about Cryptography, but both can be attributed to the foundation of some Steganographic systems and more significantly to watermarking techniques. During the times of WWI (World War 1) and WWII (World War 11), significant advances in Steganography took place. Concepts such as null ciphers (taking the 3rd letter from each word in a harmless message to create a hidden message, etc), image substitution and microdot (taking data such as pictures and reducing it to the size of a large period on a piece of paper) were introduced and embraced as great steganographic techniques. In the recent digital world of today, namely 1992 to present, Steganography is being used all over the world on computer systems. Many tools and technologies have been created that take advantage of old steganographic techniques such as null ciphers, coding in images, audio, video and microdot. With the research this topic is now getting a lot of great applications for Steganography in the near future. HOW STEGANOGRAPHY WORKS Steganography replaces unneeded or unused bits in regular computer files (Graphics, sound, text) with bits of different and invisible information. Hidden information can be any other regular computer file or encrypted data. Steganography differs from cryptography in a way that it masks the existence of the message where cryptography works to mask the content of the message. Steganography sometimes used in conjunction with encryption. An encrypted file may still hide information using steganography, so even if the encrypted file is deciphered,the hidden information is not seen. . TYPES OF STEGANOGRAPHY There are different ways to hide the message in another, well known are Least Significant bytes and Injection. When a file or an image is created there are few bytes in the file or image which are not necessary or least important. These type of bytes can be replaced with a message without damaging or replacing the original message, by which the secrete message is hidden in the file or image. Another way is a message can be directly injected into a file or image. But in this way the size of the file would be increasing accordingly depending on the secrete message STEGANOGRAPHY IN IMAGE Digital images are the most widely used cover objects for steganography. Due to the availability of various file formats for various applications the algorithm used for these formats differs accordingly. An image is collection of bytes (know as pixels for images) containing different light intensities in different areas of the image. When dealing with digital images for use with Steganography, 8-bit and 24-bit per pixel image files are typical. Both have advantages and disadvantages 8-bit images are a great format to use because of their relatively small size. The drawback is that only 256 possible colors can be used which can be a potential problem during encoding. Usually a gray scale color palette is used when dealing with 8-bit images such as (.GIF) because its gradual change in color would be harder to detect after the image has been encoded with the secret message. 24-bit images offer much more flexibility when used for Steganography. The large numbers of colors (over 16 million) that can be used go well beyond the human visual system (HVS), which makes it very hard to detect once a secret message, has been encoded. Large amount of data can be encoded in to 24-bit images as it is compared to 8-bit images. The drawback of 24-bit digital images is their size which is very high and this makes them suspicious our internet due to their heavy size when compared to 8-bit images. Depending on the type of message and type of the image different algorithms are used. Few types in Steganography in Images: Least significant bit insertion Masking and filtering Redundant Pattern Encoding Encrypt and Scatter Algorithms and transformations Least significant bit insertion Least Significant Bit (LSB) insertion is most widely known algorithm for image steganography ,it involves the modification of LSB layer of image. In this technique,the message is stored in the LSB of the pixels which could be considered as random noise.Thus, altering them does not have any obvious effect to the image. Masking and filtering Masking and filtering techniques work better with 24 bit and grey scale images. They hide info in a way similar to watermarks on actual paper and are sometimes used as digital watermarks. Masking the images changes the images. To ensure that changes cannot be detected make the changes in multiple small proportions. Compared to LSB masking is more robust and masked images passes cropping, compression and some image processing. Masking techniques embed information in significant areas so that the hidden message is more integral to the cover image than just hiding it in the noise level. This makes it more suitable than LSB with, for instance, lossy JPEG images. Redundant Pattern Encoding Redundant pattern encoding is to some extent similar to spread spectrum technique. In this technique, the message is scattered through out the image based on algorithm. This technique makes the image ineffective for cropping and rotation. Multiple smaller images with redundancy increase the chance of recovering even when the stegano-image is manipulated. Encrypt and Scatter Encrypt and Scatter techniques hides the message as white noise and White Noise Storm is an example which uses employs spread spectrum and frequency hopping. Previous window size and data channel are used to generate a random number.And with in this random number ,on all the eight channels message is scattered through out the message.Each channel rotates,swaps and interlaces with every other channel. Single channel represents one bit and as a result there are many unaffected bits in each channel. In this technique it is very complex to draw out the actual message from stegano-image. This technique is more secure compared to LSB as it needs both algorithm and key to decode the bit message from stegano-image. Some users prefer this methos for its security as it needs both algorithm and key despite the stegano image. This method like LSB lets image degradation in terms of image processing, and compression. Algorithms and transformations LSB modification technique for images does hold good if any kind of compression is done on the resultant stego-image e.g. JPEG, GIF. JPEG images use the discrete cosine transform to achieve compression. DCT is a lossy compression transform because the cosine values cannot be calculated exactly, and repeated calculations using limited precision numbers introduce rounding errors into the final result. Variances between original data values and restored data values depend on the method used to calculate DCT STEGANOGRAPHY IN AUDIO Implanting secrete message into an audio is the most challenging technique in Steganography. This is because the human auditory system (HAS) has such a vibrant range that it can listen over. To put this in perspective, the (HAS) recognize over a range of power greater than one million to one and a range of frequencies greater than one thousand to one making it extremely hard to add or remove data from the original data structure. The only weakness in the (HAS) comes at trying to differentiate sounds (loud sounds drown out quiet sounds) and this is what must be exploited to encode secret messages in audio without being detected. Below are the lists of methods which are commonly used for audio Steganography. LSB coding Parity coding Phase coding Spread spectrum Echo hiding LSB coding Using the least-significant bit is possible for audio, as modifications usually would not create recognizable changes to the sounds. Another method takes advantage of human limitations. It is possible to encode messages using frequencies that are indistinct to the human ear. Using frequencies above 20.000Hz, messages can be hidden inside sound files and can not be detected by human checks. Parity coding Instead of breaking a signal down into individual samples, the parity coding method breaks a signal down into separate regions of samples and encodes each bit from the secret message in a sample regions parity bit. If the parity bit of a selected region does not match the secret bit to be encoded, the process flips the LSB of one of the samples in the region. Thus, the sender has more of a choice in encoding the secret bit, and the signal can be changed in a more unobtrusive fashion. Phase coding Phase coding attends to the disadvantages of the noise inducing methods of audio Steganography. Phase coding uses the fact that the phase components of sound are not as audible to the human ear as noise is. Rather than introducing perturbations, this technique encodes the message bits as phase shifts in the phase spectrum of a digital signal, attaining an indistinct encoding in terms of signal-to-perceived noise ratio. Spread spectrum In the context of audio Steganography, the basic spread spectrum (SS) method attempts to spread secret information across the audio signals frequency spectrum as much as possible. This is comparable to a system using an implementation of the LSB coding that randomly spreads the message bits over the entire audio file. However, unlike LSB coding, the SS method spreads the secret message over the sound files frequency spectrum, using a code that is independent of the actual signal. As a result, the final signal occupies a bandwidth in excess of what is actually required for broadcast. Echo hiding In echo hiding, information is implanted in a sound file by introducing an echo into the separate signal. Like the spread spectrum method, it too provides advantages in that it allows for a high data transmission rate and provides superior strength when compared to the noise inducing methods. If only one echo was produced from the original signal, only one bit of information could be encoded. Therefore, the original signal is broken down into blocks before the encoding process begins. Once the encoding process is completed, the blocks are concatenated back together to create the final signal. STEGANOGRAPHY IN VIDEO In video steganography, a video file would be embedded with supplementary data to hide secret messages. In the process, an intermediate signal which is a function of hidden message data and data of content signal would be generated. Content data (video file) is then combined with this intermediate signal to result encoding. The supplementary data can include copy control data which can be brains by consumer electronic device and used to disable copying. The intermediate signal may also contain a pseudo arbitrary key data so as to hide encoding and decode needs corresponding key to extract hidden information from encoded content. In some implementations regulation data is embedded in the content signal with auxiliary data. This regulation data consists of known properties enabling its identification in the embedded content signal. This encoding is robust against scaling, resampling and other forms of content degradation, so that the supplementary data can be detected from the content which might have been degraded. There are different approaches for video steganography apart from the above mentioned. Most widely known are listed and discussed below. Least Significant Bit Insertion This is the most simple and popular approach for all types of steganography. In this method the digital video file is considered as separate frames and changes the displayed image of each video frame. LSB of 1 byte in the image is used to store the secret information. Effecting changes are too small to be recognized by human eye. This method enhances the capacity of the hidden message but compromises the security requirements such as data integrity. Real time video steganography This kind of steganography involves hiding information on the output image on the device. This method considers each frame shown at any moment irrespective of whether it is image; text .The image is then divided into blocks. If pixel colors of the blocks are similar then changes color characteristics of number of these pixels to some extent. By labeling each frame with a sequence number it would even be easy to identify missing parts of information. To extract the information, the displayed image should be recorded first and relevant program is used then. STEGANOGRAPHY IN DOCUMENT Steganography in documents just focuses on altering some of its characteristics. They can either be characteristics of text or even text formatting. Below are few ways listed and discussed to implement the same. Since everyone can read, encoding text in neutral sentences is doubtfully effective. But taking the first letter of each word of the previous sentence, one can see that it is possible and not very difficult. Hiding information in plain text can be done in many different ways. One way is by simple adding white space and tabs to the ends of the lines of the document .The last technique was successfully used in practice and even after a text has been printed and copied on paper for ten times, the secret message could still be retrieved. Another possible way of storing a secret inside a text is using a publicly available cover source, a book or a newspaper, and using a code which consists for example of a combination of a page number, a line number and a character number. This way, no information stored inside the cover source leads to the hidden message. Discovering it depends exclusively on gaining knowledge of the secret key. Setting background color and font color is one of the mainly used staganographic approach. This method is focused for Microsoft word documents. Choose predefined colors and set font and background colors of invisible characters such as space, tab or the carriage return characters. R,G,B values are 8 bits means we have allowed range of 0 to 255.Most of the viewers would not feel interested about color values of these invisible characters hence 3 bytes of information is easily hidden in each occurrence of space,tab or carriage return.This approach needs no extra information to hide required bits. SECURITY IN STEGANOGRAPHY PURE KEY STEGANOGRAPHY Pure Steganography is a Steganography system that doesnt require prior exchange of some secret information before sending message; therefore, no information is required to start the communication process: the security of the system thus depends entirely on its secrecy .The pure Steganography can be defined as the quadruple (C, M, D, and E) where: C: the set of possible covers. M: the set of secret massage with |C| à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ |M|. E: CÃÆ'-Mà ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢C the embedding function. D: Cà ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢M of the extraction function with the property that D (E(c,m))=m for all m à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ M and c à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ C. Cover (C) Message (M) Embedding (E) Extracting (D) Strgo-Object Message(M) In most applications, pure Steganography is preferred, since no stego-key must be shared between the communication partners, although a pure Steganography protocols dont provide any security if an attacker knows the embedding method PRIVATE KEY STEGANOGRAPHY A Private Key Steganography system is similar to a symmetric cipher, where the sender chooses a cover and embeds the secret message into the cover using a secret key. If the Private Key used in the embedding process is known to the receiver, he can reverse the process and extract the secret message. Anyone who doesnt know the Private Key should not be able to obtain evidence of the encoded information. The Private Key Steganography can be defined as the quintuple (C, M, K, DK, and EK) where: C: the set of possible covers. M: the set of secret message. K: the set of secret keys. Ek: CÃÆ'-MÃÆ'-Kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢C With the property that DK (EK(c,m,k),k)=m for all m à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ M, c à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ C and k à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ K KEY KEY Strgo-Object Cover (C) Embedding (E) Message (M) Extracting (D) Message (M) PUBLIC KEY STEGANOGRAPHY Public key Steganography does not depend on the swapping of a private key. It necessitates two keys, one of them private (secret) and the other public: the public key is stored in a public database, whereas the public key is used in the embedding process. The Private Key is used to reconstruct the secret message One way to build a public key Steganography system is to use a public key crypto system. The sender and the receiver can exchange public keys of some public key cryptography algorithm before imprisonment. Public key Steganography utilizes the fact that the decoding function in a Steganography system can be applied to any cover, whether or not it already contains a secret message. The public key Steganography relies on the fact that encrypted information is random enough to hide in plain sight. The sender encrypts the information with the receivers public key to obtain a random-looking massage and embeds it in a channel known to the receiver, thereby replacing some of the natu ral arbitrariness with which every communication process is accompanied. Assume that both the cryptographic algorithms and the embedding functions are publicly known. The receiver who cannot decide a priori if secret information is transmitted in a specific cover suspect the arrival of message and simply try to extract and decrypt it using his private key. If the cover actually contained information, the decryption information is the senders message OTHER TYPES MOBILE MESSAGING STEGANOGRAPHY Mobile Messaging Service enables mobile users to send and receive messages containing image, audio and video. These messages are exchanged ultimately through a component known as Mobile Switching Center. MMS messages have several benefits like communicating even when the server is busy, exchanging messages while making calls, sending offline messages. They also provide services like eCommerce. As there is possibility of disclosure of confidential and personal information between various systems, information security has got immense importance. MMS Steganography provides confidentiality and integrity with subtle unremovability.Users can profit from concealed channels in order to send and receive hidden messages and keys. Multimedia objects may contain hidden information embedded to them using steganography techniques. The steganography technique used must satisfy following: Reliability of secreted information after it has been embedded inside the content should be correct. Content object should remain intact or almost unchanged to the human eyes. There can be mainly two types of steganography techniques possible for MMS objects. Fragile steganography comprises of implanting information into a file which is destroyed if the file is modified. Video Technique: Works over video files. Combinations of sound and image techniques are used to implement this as whole. The scope of adding lots of data is much greater. Sound Technique: Works over audio files like Mp3 files. Encode data as binary to sound like noise and can be identified by receiver with correct key. Data being added is in narrow bandwidth compared to the medium. Robust techniques aim to embed information into a file which cannot easily be destroyed. Image Hiding: Works over images. Lease Significant Bit Least significant bits of each pixel in one image are used to hide the most significant bits of another. Simple and easy way of information hiding. Direct Cosine Transform Transformed DCT coefficients would be altered. Image would be made robust by scattering the hiding information evenly. Wavelet Transform Dividing whole image into small wavelets and then hide the information. Coefficients of wavelets are altered with tolerable noise. Text Technique: Works over documents.Just by changing some of the characteristics of the content information can be embedded. Alterations would not be visible to user. As MMS Steganography becomes more widely used now there must be a clear definition of robustness. This definition helps to prevent detection and removal of embedded data. Below are the few properties a good technique should hold: Quality of media should not perceptibly degrade after embedding secret data. Secret data should be imperceptible with out secret knowledge, typically the key. If several data are there, they should not hamper with each other. Secret data should survive which dont degrade the perceived quality of work. MMS STEGANOGRAPHY RELATED WORK As MMS carries multi formatted data such as Text, Audio, Video and images, it has got more chances of sending secret messages and can implement various methodologies in order to keep the message safe and secret. Currently this study is all about Text and Video based Steganography. An MMS capable mobile with inbuilt cameras and customized applications has high importance in terms of steganography creation and extraction Capacity Efficiency Processing time Resource time consumption Advantage Text technique Less More Less Less Easy and simple to implement Video technique More More More More Holds lot of information compared to text technique Table -1- comparison between Text and Video steganography Techniques PROPER SOLUTION MMS Messages can hold any of video, audio, image and text encapsulated with in Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) . The recommended steganography deals with three major parts of MMS which can provide us with maximum capacity possible and not compromising main aim which is total security. The most important issues in steganography are secrecy, payload, robustness and speed. Below steps describes proposed steganography working model: First part of the process hides stegno key in SMIL using white space algorithm. Then Least Significant Bit algorithm is used to hide the secret message in video. Rest of the information would be hidden inside text of the MMS using abbreviation algorithm. Ratio of information hiding in video part to text part is 6:1 hence I bit stored in text corresponds to 6 bits stored in 3gp video. High security can be granted with reasonable processing speed and without affecting the performance of mobile. 2.10 CHAPTER SUMMERY This document is all about available Steganography techniques and methodologies. It has listed down the various methodologies and their uses. Along with these, it has also included about the MMS Steganography importance and ways to do that.

Peripheral Neuropathy among Patients Living with Diabetes

Peripheral Neuropathy among Patients Living with Diabetes Update on Foot Care: Identifying Early signs of Peripheral Neuropathy among  Patients Living with Diabetes Mellitus Bernice S. Samuel DNP  and  Susan J. Appel, PhD, APRN-BC, CCRN, FAHA Introduction Among those individuals living with diabetes, peripheral neuropathy (PNP) is a major contributor in the development of foot ulcers.1 Even though there has been a decline in recent limb amputations due to advanced management of foot ulcers, 7% of those affected with type 2 diabetes (T2D) will still develop foot ulcers.2 Diabetes-related foot ulcers not only cause further physical disability, they also reduce the quality of life and increase the risks of lower extremity amputations. 3 The CDC 4 reports that 65,700 non-traumatic lower-limb amputations were performed among people living with diabetes. While diabetes is a major cause of complications such as vasculopathies and PNP, foot ulcers are the most easily prevented complications. 5 Therefore, practitioners must be fully apprised of tools and methods used to identify early PNP and prevent foot ulcers. Practitioners should also focus on actively educating the patient and family regarding PNP. Most practitioners are familiar with the Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament testing (SWMT) as the gold standard used in primary care to assess for PNP. Mayfield and Sugarman reported the use of the SWMT as a useful tool in the primary care office for practitioners to assess patients for PNP, but indicated it is not without limitations. 6 Further interventions are needed when there is a loss of sensation detected, such as proper footwear and patient education, to prevent trauma and foot ulcers. 6 Research has shown that practitioners can continue to assess patients with diabetes using the monofilament testing as long as PNP is not present. Once PNP is noted, additional assessment and management techniques are warranted. A yearly thorough foot exam by a podiatrist has been recommended by the American Diabetes Association for those living with diabetes. 7 In addition, persons with diabetes and one or more risk factors need frequent assessments of their feet during routine office visits. 5 Patients with known risk factors for foot ulcers (e.g., poor vision, previous foot ulcers or amputation, monofilament insensitivity, and fungal infections of skin or nails) deserve special attention. 8 When practitioners have available clinical information that can help to predict the development of diabetes- related foot ulcers, patients will have better outcomes. 8 These predictors were found to be helpful in accurately targeting clients at high risks of contracting foot ulcers for preventative interventions. The use of proper footwear such as diabetes specialized shoes with proper diabetes foot insoles has been found to be a protective intervention. Pathophysiology of Foot Ulcers Diabetes related foot lesions occur as a result of two or more risk factors: PNP and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). 9 Diabetes-related PNP is a leading contributor to foot lesions. 10 The presence of PAD increases the risk for foot infections and ulcers among people living with diabetes. 11 Foot lesions are less likely to heal due to vascular insufficiency. 12 Research shows that there are three factors that leads to foot ulcers and infections: foot deformities, PNP, and minor trauma. 13 It is important to understand that the longer an individual lives with elevated blood glucose, the more likely he or she will develop PNP. 2 Long term hyperglycemia can affect the skin and delay wound healing if minor cuts or sores occur on the foot. 14 PNP According to Benbow, 14 PNP can be classified as sensory, autonomic or motor. In sensory system PNP, an individual with diabetes has no feeling of sensation on his or her feet, does not feel hot or cold temperature, and does not feel cuts or trauma to his or her feet. 14 When PNP affects the autonomic system an individual will experience a decrease in sweat, resulting in cracked or fissured skin, dilated dorsal veins and an increase in temperature of their feet. 14 When the motor system is affected by PNP, the patient will be at risk for developing foot deformities such as Charcot foot. 14 Commonly, these patients report symptoms of aches and pains with tingling in their feet when PNP is present. 13 Foot Deformities According to Abad Safdar, 13 foot deformities are the second causative factor that leads to foot ulcers among people living with diabetes. People affected by neuropathy have decreased sensation in their feet, and are more prone to foot deformities. 13 These foot deformities affect the muscles and bones of the foot leading to bony protrusions that put the individual at increased risk for ulceration especially when PNP is present. 13 The correlation of PNP and foot deformities was examined by Soyupek, Ceceli, Suslu, Yorgancioglu, 15 utilizing x-rays. Their study showed that the patients with PNP commonly also have foot deformities such as pes planus, pes cavus, tendon calcifications and osteoporosis. 15 Patients living with type 1 diabetes are particularly at risk for developing Charcot neuropathy that causes destruction of the bones of the foot. 16The resultant bone thinning causes the bones to be fragile and leads to foot deformities. 16 Foot Trauma Abad Safar 13 identify foot trauma as the third factor that can lead to foot ulcers. Foot ulceration occurs when there is breaking of the skin, which leads to impaired healing of the lesion. 12 People affected by PNP have sensory loss of their feet and are unable to identify foot pain, trauma, calluses or injury to their feet. 13 Wearing ill-fitting shoes, calluses, onychomycosis, and foot infections that are not treated are all causes of foot trauma leading to ulceration. Once ulceration occurs due to trauma, the wound becomes infected. Testing Tuning Fork and Neurothesiometer A study by Kà ¤stenbauer, Sauseng, Brath, Abrahamian, Irsigler 17 investigated the effectiveness of the Rydel-Seiffer tuning fork in helping with the detection of diabetes-related neuropathy and compared its ability with that of the electronic neurothesiometer. In this study a 128-Hz tuning fork and a neurothesiometer were used at the bedside. 17 The results of the study showed that vibration perception threshold (VPT) was normal in 1917 individuals and abnormal in about 105 individuals when the tuning fork was used. 17 The participants who had abnormal results were older and also had elevated A1c results. The researchers used the neurothesiometer and the results showed that VPT was 2.5 times higher among patients who had an abnormal tuning fork test. 17 The researchers concluded that the tuning fork had a higher sensitivity and a better predictive value in diagnosing PNP at the bedside. 17 The tuning fork is a reliable instrument in helping to detect PNP in the outpatient setting. It is an appropriate clinical tool that practitioners can utilize either at the bedside or in primary care. Neurometer A double-blinded study by Nather and et al. 18 showed that there were other testing methods that were superior in comparison to the SWMT in detecting PNP. One useful tool was neurometer testing. The neurometer measures readings from rapid current perception threshold (R-CPT) which is derived from the lowest strength of stimulus that the patient could perceive. 18 Three different rates of current signals at levels measuring between 0 and 10 mA were applied by the neurometer to the big toe and ankle. 18 Neurometer testing was found to be highly sensitive as compared to the SWMT. Sensory neuropathy was detected with better accuracy when using the neurometer testing at the big toe and ankle sites in comparison to the SWMT. 18 Studies show that the neurometer is an effective tool that practitioners can use to detect PNP. Temperature guided avoidance therapy Research shows that the best intervention in the prevention of foot ulcers was foot temperature guided avoidance therapy (TGAT). 19 A study by Lavery et al. 20 sought to evaluate the effectiveness of infrared temperature monitoring among individuals at a high risk for diabetes related ulceration and amputations. Patients were placed in a usual therapy group or an enhanced therapy group. 20 The enhanced therapy group had additional tasks such as such as the use of a handheld infrared skin thermometer to measure the temperatures on the bottom of their feet twice a day. 20Participants contacted a nurse if they noted a difference in temperature >4 °F between the left and right foot. 20 The results of the study showed that the enhanced therapy group had notably fewer diabetes related foot complications. 20 The TGAT is an effective method in the detection of PNP where practitioners can assist patients in identifying sensory loss so that foot ulcers and complications can be prevented. Scales for Neuropathy Symptoms The Diabetes Neuropathy Symptom (DNS) score is a valuable tool that can be used to screen for and identify PNP. 21 The scoring is based upon symptoms such as ataxic walking, neuropathic pain, paraesthesia, and/or numbness. The DNS criteria are scored with 1 point each and there is a total of 4 points that can be given. 21 Presence of PNP is present with a score of 1, or more. 21 Similarly, the Diabetic Neuropathy Examination (DNE) is another valuable scoring system that helps to identify PNP. This scoring system consists of a total of eight items: two of the items describe the person’s muscle strength; one item addresses reflexes of the tendon and the other five items address sensation. 21 There is a total of 16 points that can be scored with this system. Any score above 3 points is considered to be abnormal and is PNP. 21 Treatment Educating patients Educational interventions are an important tool in reducing foot ulcers. A randomized controlled trial by Gershater and et al. 22 was designed to investigate the effectiveness of patients learning in groups versus learning on their own with information that is provided to them. The authors sought to understand what types of learning would decrease the incidence of foot ulcers. The study results showed that about 42% of the patients got foot ulcers. 22 Some of the reasons for ulcer development were: stress- related plantar ulcer and trauma. 22 The study showed that education in group sessions among patients who are at increased risk for foot ulcers did not have an effect on whether they would develop ulcers of the foot. 22 It was concluded that sessions conducted within a group educational method may be suitable for patients who have a low risk of getting foot ulcers. The authors of the study suggests that it is important to educate practitioners involved in the patient’s medic al care and also their caregivers regarding improved foot care such as footwear and signs of foot problems. Implications for Practice The conclusive results show the best methods to identify PNP and to prevent foot ulcers was the TGAT, the neurothesiometer and the tuning fork. The TGAT method shows that patients can complete this task at home and alert their practitioner about the results. The TGAT is valuable in showing the results of further neuropathy or damage if patients have a prior history of insensitivity to the SWMT. The SWMT is valuable for practitioners to use in the office setting as this is an inexpensive test. The SWMT is not valid once neuropathy is diagnosed. The practitioner should consider the use of the TGAT at this point and teach the patient how to use an infrared sensitive skin thermometer. The patient should be advised to keep a log book and if the temperature on the designated site is >4 °F, he or she will need to reduce the number of steps taken in the following days and contact their practitioner. The tuning fork was also validated as being highly sensitive in diagnosing PNP and is a goo d test for practitioners to use at the bedside. Certain clinical information about the patient is valuable in predicting future foot ulcers. These predictors were high A1c levels, poor vision, prior history of foot ulcer and/or amputation, monofilament insensitivity, tinea pedis and onychomycosis. The practitioner needs to be aware of these predictors and educate the patient about foot care. Practitioners need to increase monitoring of the patient’s foot at every office visit when these predictors are identified. Education is an important criterion in managing PNP. Patients need to be educated about PNP, foot ulcers, proper fitting shoes and the signs of foot infections. This review of the evidence- based literature revealed that basic SWMT is useful in predicting neuropathy but is not useful in preventing ulcers once neuropathy is diagnosed. There is a common misconception among practitioners that SWMT can be used even when neuropathy is diagnosed. The re-education of practitioners is important with the introduction of new testing methods such as TGAT once neuropathy is already diagnosed. This best practice will help to prevent ulcers among persons affected by diabetes and therefore improve the quality of their life. References Meaney, B. (2012). Diabetic foot care: Prevention is better than cure. Journal Of Renal Care, 3890-98. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-6686.2012.00276.x Eddy, J., Price, T. (2009). Diabetic foot care: Tips and tools to streamline your approach. Journal Of Family Practice, 58(12), 646-653 Dorresteijn, J., Kriegsman, D., Valk, D. (2011). Complex interventions for preventing diabetic foot ulceration. The Cochrane Library. Retrieved from http://www.thecochranelibrary.com Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012). Diabetes data and trend. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/prev/national/figraceethsex.htm Broersma, A. (2004). Preventing amputations in patients with Diabetes and Chronic kidney disease. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 31(1), 53-64. Mayfield, J. A., Sugarman, J. R. (2000). The use of the Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament and other threshold tests for preventing foot ulceration and amputation in persons with diabetes. Journal Of Family Practice, 49(11), S17-S29. American Diabetes Association. (2013). Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes. Diabetes care. Retrieved from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/36/Supplement_1/S11.full Boyko, E.J., Ahroni , J.H., Cohen, V., Nelson, K.M., Heagerty, P.J. (2006). Prediction of diabetic foot ulcer occurrence using commonly available clinical information: The Seattle Diabetic Foot Study. Diabetes Care, 29(6):1202-7. Retrieved from: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/29/6/1202.full.pdf+html Bakker, K., Apelqvist, J., . Schaper, N. C. (2012). Practical guidelines on the management and prevention of the diabetic foot 2011. Diabetes/metabolism Research and Reviews, 28, 225-231. doi:10.1002/dmrr.2253 Bakker, K., Apelqvist, J., . Schaper, N. C. (2012). Practical guidelines on the management and prevention of the diabetic foot 2011. Diabetes/metabolism Research and Reviews, 28, 225-231. doi:10.1002/dmrr.2253 Jarrett, L. (2013). Prevention and management of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers. Nursing Standard, 28(7), 55-65. Nagoba, B., Gandhi, R., Wadher, B., Rao, A., Hartalkar, A., Selkar, S. (2010). A simple and effective approach for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers with different Wagner grades. International Wound Journal, 7(3), 153-158. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1742- 481X.2010.00666.x Abad, C., . Safdar, N. (2012). From Ulcer to Infection: An Update on Clinical Practice and Adjunctive Treatments of Diabetic Foot Ulcers. Curr Infect Dis Re, 14:540–550. DOI 10.1007/s11908-012-0283-3 Benbow, M. (2012). Diabetic foot ulcers. Journal Of Community Nursing, 26(5), 16 Soyupek, F., Ceceli, E., Suslu, F., Yorgancioglu, R. (2007). Neurologic and radiologic abnormalities of the foot in diabetic patients. Journal Of Back Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, 20(2/3), 55-60 Holt, P. (2013). Assessment and management of patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Nursing Standard, 27(27), 49-55 Kà ¤stenbauer, T., Sauseng, S., Brath, H., Abrahamian, H., Irsigler, K. (2004). The value of the Rydel-Seiffer tuning fork as a predictor of diabetic polyneuropathy compared with a neurothesiometer. Diabetic Medicine, 21(6), 563-567. Nather, A., Keng, W., Aziz, Z., Ong, C., McFeng, B., Lin. C. (2011). Assessment of sensory neuropathy in patients with diabetic foot problems. Diabetic Foot Ankle.2(10). Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22396819 19. Arad, Y., Fonseca, V., Peters, A., Vinik, A.( 2011). Beyond the monofilament for the insensate diabetic foot: a systematic review of randomized trials to prevent the occurrence of plantar foot ulcers in patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care, 34(4):1041-6. doi: 10.2337/dc10-1666. Lavery, L., Higgins, K., Lanctot, D., Constantinides, G., Zamorano, R., Armstrong, D., Kyriacos, A., Agrawal, M. (2004). Home Monitoring of Foot Skin Temperatures to Prevent Ulceration. Diabetes Care, 27 (11):2642-2647. Meijer, J.W., Bosma, E., Lefrandt, J., Links, T., Smit, A., Stewart, R., Van Der Hoeven, J. (2003). Clinical Diagnosis of Diabetic Polyneuropathy With the Diabetic Neuropathy Symptom and Diabetic Neuropathy Examination Scores Diabetes Care, 26(3), 697-701. Retrieved from: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/ Gershater, M., Pilhammar, E., Apelqvist, J., Alm-Roijer, C,. (2011). Patient education for the prevention of diabetic foot ulcers. European Diabetes Nursing, 8(3), 102-107b. Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/edn.189

Fantasy in Theatre :: Fantasy Shakespeare Theatre Drama Essays

Fantasy in Theatre In preperation for our performance on the above subject, we firstly listened to several pieces of fantasy music as a guided visualisation in which we were asked to imagine going through different doors and to visualise what was behind them. This then inspired us to experiment with diferent stylistic devices to include in our performance. We were given two pieces of text that was goin to be the scope for our piece of Drama, they were: A Midsummer Night's Dream - A play by William Shakespeare. Era wise, there were no problems with using this, as Shakespeare is timeless and can be set in any period of history, including modern day. This particular play is set in the dream like world of fairies. The Lord of the fairies, Oberon, has an argument with his lover, Titiania, over a young boy she has adopted after the death of her waiting woman. Oberon wants her to hand over the child to him, Titania refuses. Oberon decides to send Puck to fetch a magic flower, the juice of which, dropped into Titanias' eyes will make her fall in love with the first thing she sees in order to trick her. He hopes that this will distract her so he can take the boy. The Jabberwocky - This is a poem written by Lewis Carroll (from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872) It tells of the defeat of a mythical monster. By reading the text, we can see that it doesn't really make much sense, but we can make some sense of the words by their sounds. In our group, we started discussing our ideas then looked at the two texts and fitted our ideas around them. In our performance, we decided to have good and evil involved, we had 2 dream masters and 4 other people. 2 of which were taken by the evil dream master who gave them nightmares, the other 2 were taken by the good dream master who fulfilled their fantasies. The 4 characters had there own dream, one wanted everything they asked for, another wanted to be an Indian, another wanted to remain popular and successful at school, and lastly the focal point was on the character who wanted to see her Mother again because she passed away. We used the idea out of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' where Titania was put asleep, in our play,we also took the idea of having 2 dream masters from the characters Oberon and Puck. The dream master puts the 4 characters to sleep using his powers. The first 3 characters have there dream or fantasy then the girl who

Faust Essay -- essays research papers

The legend of Faust was a legend that occurred in the 1500’s in Europe. Over time, as the story was told and passed on through generations, many different ideas on what happened were brought up, but the main idea of the story is the same in most cases. One of the most interesting things about this legend is the fact that though this story is more than four hundred years old, it is still told in some contemporary films to this day. All though it is not always as direct as a deal with the actual devil, the same basis of the story can be seen in present day films. In one of the most successful movies of the year 2000, The Matrix, a Faustian theme is evident. The Matrix is a science fiction movie directed by the Wachowski brothers. The old legend of Faust is, in short, about a young scholar who made a deal with Mephistopheles, the devil. Faust was seeking ultimate knowledge and in the deal the devil said he would grant Faust ultimate knowledge in return for his soul. Faust agrees to the deal and after a certain time period of possessing ultimate knowledge Faust suddenly dies. There are many different versions of the story as to exactly how he died, and some versions of the story go into more detail than others. As time passed, Faustian legends were being told in many different stories, many different ways. To have a Faust story, four basic elements should be present: a Faust figure, a devil figure, some sort of temptation, and a price.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Matrix is about a man, called Neo, who was living an average life, and was heavily into computer hacking. One day he receives messages appearing on his computer leading him towards a meeting with a powerful man named Morphius. Morphius alerts Neo that the reason that the reason that all of federal agents were chasing him and all of these other things were happening to him because he was â€Å"the one†. He was searches for a greater truth in the world than what was just there in his face, and Morphius says that he could show Neo that truth. Morphius then holds two pills in his hands, one pill would lead him to the truth, the other would just take him back to his regular life as if nothing ever happened. Neo wanted the truth about the world so Morphius explained it. He said that the perception is that our day-in, day-out world is real; in reality, that world is a hoax, an elaborate deception spun by al... ...ant to make Faust a hero of some sort.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If someone could go back in time and show this film to people that know of the Faust legend back in around the 1700’s, it would make absolutely no sense. It would seem like a whole lot of unrealistic garbage to those people, but in present times, though the Matrix is very futuristic, it almost seems as if it could be possible. The whole idea of the movie plot seems brilliant and makes people question themselves to whether or not this concept could actually be possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The links between the Matrix and the Faust legend can be seen throughout the entire film. Even though the storyline of the legend has gone through a number of changes over time, it is truly amazing how a story that probably is not even true still comes into use in society today. The Faust legend is used in other situations besides just films, stories, or plays; it is also seen in everyday situations for people. There are many ways in which a Faustian theme can come into play in everyday life. For example, any one who has ever sold themselves out for something, gambled, or done drugs has been in a Faustian situation.

Book Review of Business Policy and Strategy: An Action Guide :: Accounting Finances Businesses Essays

Book Review of Business Policy and Strategy: An Action Guide Business Policy and Strategy: An Action Guide, by Robert Murdick, R. Carl Moor and Richard H. Eckhouse, attempts to tie together the broad policies and interrelationships that exist among the many functional areas which undergraduate students typically study. The authors intend the text to supplement the typical case book and/or computer simulations used in teaching business strategy (ix). Situational analysis is presented, as is a structure for developing strategy. Practicality and real world experience is combined with educational theory to provide as complete a picture as possible of strategy in business. The authors have divided the text into 15 chapters with no further subdivisions. It is possible, however, to group the chapters into specific areas of study. For example, the first chapter, "Business Failure -- Business Success," examines why businesses fail, and provides the reason for continuing with the remainder of the text. The next two chapters focus on the "field of action," including the business environment and the business system. The fourth and fifth chapters introduce strategic management (chapter 4) and the struggle not only to survive, but to prosper using strategic management (chapter 5). Chapters Six through Nine address specific functional areas (marketing, accounting/finance, production, and engineering/research and development). Chapters 10 and 11 introduce the reader to the problems of managing human resources (chapter 10) and data processing resources (chapter 11). The last four chapters discuss the issues involved with analyzing business situations. Multinational business analysis is the subject of chapter 12, while chapter 13 turns the reader's attention to how to conduct an industry study. Chapters 14 and 15 focus on how to analyze a case and illustrations of case analysis, respectively. The text concludes with an appendix of symbols used by those who evaluate reports and a general index to topics within the book. The authors make good and frequent use of charts, graphs, forms and other graphic techniques to illustrate their points. Each chapter concludes with a selected bibliography that the student may use for additional research. The book is printed entirely in black ink; the use of color for key concepts would have enhanced the book's value as a teaching text. Visually, the book is crowded without much white space for readers to make notes. Key concepts could also have been separated from supporting text in a more clear manner. While each chapter has a summary, they do not have an introduction or a listing of key words of concepts that the student should learn as a result of studying each chapter. Such aids would make

Walmart Spot Rate

a. A. Walmart’s use of the spot market in China would allow the retailer to exchange their excess required holdings into other foreign currencies. The spot market makes the exchange of yuan into other currencies a seamless process. If Walmart consistently purchases home goods from manufacturing plants in Russia, the spot market will allow Walmart to convert their earned yuan into rubles to pay for Russian goods. b. c. B. Walmart may at sometime utilize an international money market in order to borrow short-term funds to build new retail outlets in emerging markets. Excess funds from sales in China could be placed into a foreign money market in anticipation of new operations in the respective country. Advantage of utilizing this type of money market is to secure better interest rate or the country’s currency may be expected to increase in the near future. Any advantage a company has in anticipation of expected currency appreciations, the better off they will be when operations begin, their money will go further. d. e. C. Walmart may also choose to take on long-term debt with the use of the international bond market. Much like anticipating a foreign countries increase in currency in the money market, a bond market will allow Walmart to take in immediate debt in the respective country. Once operations begin in this new market, earnings received in the new currency can be used to pay off interest of this new debt. Walmart will also attract more attention from foreign investors, if they issue bonds in those foreign countries. Walmart must use caution, depending on which way the exchange rate works in their favor, it may either prove to be beneficial or they may realize a loss due to currency deflation. Chapter 4 Problem 5 If Japan relaxes its import controls: a. A. The US demand schedule for Japanese yen will shift inward b. B. The supply schedule of yen will shift outward c. C. The equilibrium value will decrease Problem 21 1. Borrow 10 Million Singapore dollars 2. Convert the Singapore dollars to US = (10,000,000 x . 43) = 4,300,000 US Dollars 3. Lend the US dollars @ 7%, which represents a over the 60 day period. After 60 days the bank will receive (computed as $4,300,000 x (1 + . 0117) = 4,350,310 4. (7 x (60/360)) = 1. 17 5. Repay the Singapore loan = 10,000,000 x {1 + (24% x 60/360)} = 10,400,000 6. Based on spot rate , US dollars to repay Singapore loan = 10,400,000 x . 42 = 4,368,000 7. After repaying loan the bank will have a speculative loss of 4,368,000 – 4,350,310 = 17,690 If the speculation is correct the bank will have done too much work for a loss in profit.

Vietnam Research Paper

Why is the Vietnam War so significant in American history? How did it really affect America? The Vietnam War was the prolonged struggle between nationalist forces trying to unify Vietnam under a communist government, and the United States attempting to prevent the spread of communism. There are many lessons learned throughout this war that America, hopefully, will never undergo again. There are a series of events that led up to this full-scale war. First, the U. S. tried to prevent Vietnam from becoming a communist nation, so they sent the French military aid to help rule against this. Soon enough, France wanted to withdraw their troops out of Vietnam; the Geneva Conference was a meeting between many nations deciding how France could peacefully pull out troops. A bit later, there was supposed to be a General democratic election held, but America refused to agree to the election, afraid that the communists would win. In 1965, the U. S. sent ground troops to help South Vietnam, sparking tensions between the U. S. and North Vietnam. From 1965 to 1969, America was involved in a limited war in Vietnam, meaning weak efforts to attack North Vietnam. U. S. orces became easily frustrated because war in the jungle was found difficult. Vietnam would attack in ambushes, set up booby traps, and escape through underground tunnels. To prove even more difficult, Northern Vietnam troops and the Viet Cong surprised South Vietnam and U. S. troops. On January 30, 1968 they attacked hundreds of South Vietnamese cities and towns, known as the Tet Offensive. Without a doubt, it showed that the enemy was stronger and better prepared. While the public’s support for the war was way gone, there was new hope with Richard Nixon, the new president of America. Soon after taking office, Richard Nixon planned the policy Vietnamization, which was a process to remove U. S. troops from Vietnam while handing back the fighting to the South Vietnamese. While America had almost completed the withdrawal of their troops from Vietnam, the North Vietnam attacked South Vietnam and the remaining troops on March 30, 1972. This attack is known as the Easter Offensive. This rough battle resulted in about 40,000 deaths and 60,000 people wounded or missing in the People’s Army of North Vietnam (PAVN). The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) estimated at 10,000 deaths and 33,000 troops wounded. The offensive was defeated, but the PAVN continued to occupy about 10 percent of South Vietnam after this battle. Nixon was in the process of his Vietnamization policy, when discussions had arisen about restoring peace in Vietnam. Soon began peace talks in Paris that finally succeeded in producing a cease-fire agreement. Nixon declares the news of the decisions made during the Paris peace talks. â€Å"Good evening. I have asked for this radio and television time tonight for the purpose of announcing that we today have concluded an agreement to end the war and bring peace with honor in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia. The following statement is being issued at this moment in Washington and Hanoi: At 12:30 Paris time today [Tuesday], January 23, 1973, the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam was initialed by Dr. Henry Kissinger on behalf of the United States, and Special Adviser Le Duc Tho on behalf of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The agreement will be formally signed by the parties participating in the Paris Conference on Vietnam on January 27, 1973, at the International Conference Center in Paris. The cease-fire will take effect at 2400 Greenwich Mean Time, January 27, 1973. The United States and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam express the hope that this agreement will insure stable peace in Vietnam and contribute to the preservation of lasting peace in Indochina and Southeast Asia†¦The important thing was not to talk about peace, but to get peace and to get the right kind of peace. This we have done† (â€Å"Peace with Honor† 1). After signing the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam, on March 29, 1973 the last group of U. S. troops left Vietnam. The North Vietnam toppled the Southern Vietnamese government, and South Vietnam officially surrendered in 1975 to communist North Vietnam. Tolerating all the hard work and fighting was proved pointless for American and ARVN troops when Vietnam was reunited as a communist country in 1976. Often in history, major events such as wars or disasters are the key elements that seem to influence and shape our society. The major event that shaped American society during the ‘70s was the Vietnam War, having a massive social impact. The Vietnam War acted as a catalyst to the counterculture movement, and changed the art, music, and education.

American Beauty †Analysis Essay

I had seen the movie American Beauty when it was first released, however it was a different experience for me this time. I was closely examining the interpersonal conflict in the movie. The movie is based around the Burnham family. Lester and Carolyn are husband and wife, and they have a teenage daugther, Janie. On the outside they appear to be a normal family. As the movie plays, it is obvious the characters are all a negative result of interpersonal conflict. â€Å"Conflict is a critical event in the course of a relationship. Conflict can cause resentment, hostility and perhaps the ending of the relatonship†(DonnaBellafiore). Carolyn is extremely self-centered and demanding. She controls the family with her underlying anger. Lester is a shell of a man. His self-concept is very low and he is depressed. This undoubtedly due to his lack of communication with his wife. â€Å"Self-concept is the idea you have of who you are and what makes you different from everyone else†( Sole,K). In part of the movie he realizes he has lost something, but he doesn’t know what. He has lost his self-esteem due his interpersonal conflict with his wife and daughter. In one scene Carolyn and Lester have arrived at a party Lester doesn’t want to attend. Carolyn tells him to act happy, but sadly she never wonders why he is not happy. In another scene the family is at the dinner table. Carolyn is talking about her day and Lester informs her that he has quit his job. She mocks him for doing so and tries to get Janie into the conversation. Lester becomes extremely angry, and they begin to blame each other for their lack of communication. Their behaviors not only affect their relationship negatively, but has weakened the relationship they have with Janie. Carolyn handles her conflict by having an affair rather than communicating her frustrations with her husband, Lester. Lester black-mails his boss, quits his job and demands a years pay and benefits. This is one way that Lester handles his anger. Janie and her relationship with her parents, especially her father, continues to deteriorate. Janie becomes emotionaly involved with the new neighbor a nd school-mate Ricky. When Janie’s friend Angela, comes over to visit, her father always gets excited and flirts with her. This upsets Janie, but Angela likes it. Angela tells Janie Lesters attraction to her makes her realize she has potential to be a model. Angela shows no empathy for Janie’s feelings of negativity towards her father. â€Å"Empathy is the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts and experience of another†(merrriam-websterdictionary). As a result of his attraction to Angela, Lester begins working out. He begins to feel better about himself as a result of getting in shape. There is a scene in the movie where Lester sits on the sofa next to his wife, Carolyn. He begins softly speaking to her and useing non-verbal cues reminding her of how much fun she was when they were younger. She begins to smile, and for a moment you believe they are going to be kind to each other. instead, Carolyn jumps up and freaks out because Lester almost spilled his beer on the sofa. Lester becomes angry as he tries to explain to her that her material things mean more to her than living. The moment of kindness between them is over-destroyed by Carolyns confusion with her priorities and her need to be in control. It is always about her. As Janie becomes more angry with her father, she befriends her neighbor, Ricky Fitz. Ricky is forth-coming and confident. However, he has been physicaly and verbaly abused by his father. Mr. Fitz is an ex-marine. When he introduces himself to people he always says â€Å"Frank Fitz Cornel in the Marine Corps†(SamMendes, producer,1999,AmericanBeauty). He has a need for people to see him as a strong man, having been a Marine. This is his great accomplishment in life. he has beaten Ricky and verbaly abused him, and sent him away for 2 years as a result of Ricky severely beating a boy, most likely a reaction to his anger towards his father. Franks wife, Ricky’s Mom, is emotionless. She has no self-concept due to Franks personality, anger and overpowerment. Their house is a cold environment. There is no normal communication between the three of them. There is a scene where Frank and Ricky meet the neighbors-JIm and JIm. They are a gay couple who have just moved into the neighborhood . Frank freaks out about the couple. His reaction shows that he is homophobic by his negative comments. Ricky agrees with his father in an effort to keep the situaton stable. Ricky is trying to avoid a beating. Ricky and Janie are building a relationship and becoming close. Ricky has also built a relationshio with Lester. He sells Lester Marijuana . Ricky goes to Lester’s house to sell him marijuana one particular night. Frank can see Ricky and lester through the window. Frank thinks what he is seeing is Ricky having oral sex with Lester. He beats Ricky when he comes home. Ricky runs to Janie and asks her to run away with him, s he agrees. At the end of the movie, Lester is in the garage. Frank approaches him, as he walks through the pouring rain. He has an expression of pain and fear on his face. Lester approaches Lester (thinking lester is gay) and wraps his arms around him in a hug. Lester tries to be comforting, but then Lester tries to kiss him. Lester pulls back expressing to Frank that there must be some kind of understanding. Lester is not a gay man. Frank walks away with tears in his eyes. Ricky and Janie are up in her room planning their departure, and Carolyn is on her way home. She has been taking shooting lessons and carrys a gun in her glove compartment. Suddenly a gun shot is heard. Carolyn has justed pulled into the driveway, we wonder was it her who killed Lester? Jamie and Ricky find Lester shot in the head. Frank Fitz has shot Lester. He would rather have him dead than risk sharing Franks secret with anyone. Frank was a gay man. He spent his entire life covering up this reality, and in the process destroyed his wife and abused his child. After shooting Lester, Frank goes home to his room filled with guns and military memorabilia, and shoots himself. The families in this movie had such poor interpersonal communication that they destroyed each other. It was a schock for me to see such a lack of communication cause such destruction.