ABC Case Study

Inc. Has made some crucial errors within their company. Failed organization, teamwork, lack of proper training and time management seem to play the largest role in the problems that BBC is currently facing. These problems can all be worked on and inevitably corrected with the usage of the correct solution. Background Carl Robins has been appointed the new recruiter for BBC, Inc. Upon entry of his new position, he has been assigned the task of recruiting and hiring new employees for the Operations Supervisor, Monica Carroll.This Job would leave him with many there responsibilities, which Include, but are not limited to: scheduling the training, hosting orientation, preparing manuals and policy booklets, conducting physicals, and sending recruits in to be drug tested. Confident in his abilities to accomplish this, Carl Robins assures Robin that he could handle this, no problem. Even though Carl had roughly 2 months to prepare for the orientation and hiring of his new recruits, he faile d to look over his materials in a timely manner.Just a couple weeks before the orientation, he noticed that none of the trainees had been sent to drug jesting and a number of them had incomplete applications and transcripts. On top of that, he had no complete orientation manuals prepared for the 15 recruits. While running out of time and already frustrated with the current situation, he goes to the training room and realizes that it has been double booked during the time when he was to be giving the orientations. Carl has become overwhelmed and does not know what to do next. Key Problems The problems within BBC, Inc. As well as with Carl Robins, are obvious. There is a serious lack of team effort In a place and Job that requires such. Being able to work within a team Improves productivity and success, as well as enriches employee relationships (Mukluk, 2013). It would be in BBC, Inc. ‘s best interest to improve upon this. Proper teamwork would also improve Abs's organizational skills which seem to be lacking. Incomplete manuals and double booking of a training room would likely not occur with proper organization and team ability. On the Job training is also lacking within this company.Carl Robins was clearly unprepared for his Job of recruiting and training his prospective employees. He had no real understanding of hat all went into this before taking on such a big project. It's clear that he assumed things would be more organized and prepared for him to where he could wait until the last minute and be K. This was not the case and brings us into another key problem for Carl Robins, which is time management. Carl had ample time in the beginning to prepare for this Job, yet he waited over a month to start reviewing all his paperwork and scheduling affairs for his recruitment.He would not have felt near the overwhelming sense of pressure had he used his time wisely. Alternatives There are many different ways that BBC, Inc. Could've made this process go smoo ther and with more efficiency. Carl Robins, first, could have shadowed the former recruiter prior to taking on this Job. This way he would have known exactly what to expect when doing it on his own. He would know: where everything is, what is normal procedure, what typical problems arise and how long it takes to accomplish each increase his time management, Carl could have created a checklist and a deadline for each item on the checklist.This way he would not be pressed for time and would not verse any important factors within his efforts. This would increase his organization, as well as allow him to focus on one thing at a time. Another thing he could do to make this process go better, and within a timely manner, is to create a team within the workplace in which he could delegate different Jobs to. With the checklist and deadlines, he would know exactly what needs to get done and when, of which he could relay to his teammates.In response to the double booked room, Carl could try to work something out with his co-worker where he would give him the space for the ay of orientation, or he could find a different room to use. If he uses a different room, there's a chance it will not be able to accommodate all 15 trainees and he may have to split their orientations into two separate days. Proposed Solutions My proposed solution is to increase on the Job training. BBC had given a Job to an employee who was ill prepared. There is no reason that he should have expected manuals to be completed for future recruits when there wasn't even one available.This shows the lack of organization within the company prior to the entrance of Mr.. Robins. If this was a known fact, it should've been relayed to him with proper communication from his supervisor or any other co-workers who work alongside him. Carl should not have been thrown into a situation, first thing, where he had many hoops to Jump through. I also encourage creating checklists with deadlines. Focusing on one thing at a time decreases the chances of getting overwhelmed. For example, he should make sure all applications were completed, one recruit at a time, and then moved them straight into the drug testing.Drug testing should be done quickly as a arm of pre-qualification for the Job. Since drug testing costs money, it should go along with a complete application, in which also pre-qualifies the recruit for the Job. This would go more smoothly if not only he had a checklist for each task, but for each recruit. This way he could see his progress and overall completion for each trainee. He would not be surprised with every incomplete document and the fact that no one has been drug tested. He should be working with his co-workers with effective communication skills in order to ensure these things get completed.Team building exercises should be implemented within the whole company. Many problems factor back to a lack of teamwork and communication between employees. Some possible demodulating exercise s for BBC could be, Job shadowing (Hatfield, 2014), lunch room discussions, and back-to-back drawings (Middleton, 2014). Job shadowing is to be done within different departments (Hatfield, 2014). Allow employees the chance to shadow someone outside of their own department so they are familiarized with what other employees are doing. This would eliminate confusion on who is accessibility for what Job at BBC, Inc.This could also spark ideas of how employees could work together more effectively to accomplish tasks. Lunch room discussions would involve employees splitting off into discussion groups during a scheduled lunch time (Middleton, 2014). Employees would be split up at random with the intermingling of each department. In these groups, they will discuss problems within the workplace, as well as, examples of problems that could arise and what solutions they come up with for each issue. This would be very beneficial in creating a team deter communication.Two employees sit back-to-b ack and try to work together to complete a goal, solely with communication. One person has a shape in mind and the other person has a pencil and paper. The employee with the shape has to explain what to do with the pencil in order to complete the proper drawing without using any examples of the shapes itself. When finished, the two employees compare the shapes and encourage questions on communication and interpretations of employees. Recommendations I highly encourage team building exercises throughout the entire company.This will allow employees to understand what is happening with all their co-workers and gives them a better understanding of where they fit in. This will also allow them to work together in order to avoid scheduling conflicts. I also recommend better on-the-Job training. Carl should have been left in a much better position than what he was, despite some failures on his part. I also encourage organizational skills to be added into the workplace. Focusing on organizat ion is important to complete each Job in an effective and timely manner.

Critical Reasoning

Critical Reasoning Assignment I (Exercise 2) 1. Sappho- The type or style of writing that Sappho used in â€Å"To Absent Lovers’† was poetry. This literary work was very familiar to me and was fairly easy to comprehend. The basic subject matter of this story was about two people that seemed to be in love with one another that eventually had to separate in the end. Ban Zhao- In the passage â€Å"Admonitions For Women,† it basically tells us about the way of the woman in ancient medieval China. This was a very informative outlook on the way the women were viewed and treated in China. It is a very recognizable literary work, but it is different from anything I have read. The way the modern woman is viewed today in the U. S. is very different than the way they were viewed in China. They were pretty much expected to do their part and do whatever the men needed done. If a woman was to mess up, they were expected to confess and admit it. If they did something good, they were expected not to mention it. Lady Murasaki- The type or style of â€Å"The Tale of Genji† was mainly romance. I have never seen a literary work that was quite like this. To me, it was hard to understand and comprehend. It did, however, give a good deal of information about the outlook on romance in Japanese cultures. Anna Comnena- The style of writing in the passage â€Å"The Alexiad† was basically just describing different people. It went in to great detail of describing every little thing about each person. Marie de France- I honestly did not understand this passage very well. For some reason it was harder to understand than the others. It obviously was a romantic story but I didn’t get it. 2. After reading the five passages, I found some similarities and some differences in the writers and their work. I found that three of the five passages were about romance. This tells me that these passages were obviously written in a romantic time in history. I think Ban Zhao tended to be more different from any of the other writers. In the passage she wrote, â€Å"Admonitions For Women,† she basically described the role of the woman in the ancient medieval China rather than romance. 3. In my opinion, I think there certainly is a uniquely feminine perspective. The reason for this is most of the time women have a different point of view or mind-set than men. Women tend to view things differently than men and that is just a natural trait. For example, something that means nothing to a man could mean the world to a woman. After reading â€Å"A Night’s Tale,† I think the tone is slightly different. I don’t think anyone could draw a conclusion to this simply because there are so many opinions and you couldn’t base your opinions on one passage. . The passage I enjoyed the most was â€Å"Admonitions For Women† by Ban Zhao. Something that really appealed to me in this passage was the way she elaborated on how the women of China used to be treated. It gave me a great sense of visualization and allowed me to really see what women had to go through. It also showed me how much different the role of the woman in China was rather than in the U. S. The reason I preferred reading this passage rather than the others was it was easier for me to read and it was very interesting in every aspect.

Analysis of protocol for Management of Hypertension in Adults Research Paper

Analysis of protocol for Management of Hypertension in Adults - Research Paper Example A decision to embark upon antihypertensive therapy effectively commits the patient to life-long treatment, hence it is vital that blood pressure (BP) monitoring and management be taken seriously by pursuing the set norms and protocols to safeguard individuals from numerous predicaments (High Blood Pressure). The present article is an analysis of the Protocol For Management Of Hypertension in Adults to have a deeper understanding for hypertension measurement. Blood Pressure Measurement "Protocol For Management Of Hypertension In Adults" is based on the guidelines of National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) for the hypertension management in adults in primary care. The protocol lays emphasis on the accuracy and precision of the blood pressure management, appropriate training of the health care provider and periodic review of the individual suspected or confirmed with the condition of hypertension. This holds true because precision is imperative in measurement of blood pressure. Any inaccuracy in the measurement of blood pressure may turn out to be overwhelming. Measurement of blood pressure is the most prevalent assessment in clinics, interpretation or analysis of the results or outcomes procured are responsible for future implications, an imperative step for the individual whose BP is measured. Any error in the reading or ignorance in taking the exact reading or taking a low reading than actual, may deprive the individual from taking medication at the right time and thereby enhances the susceptibility of the person for stroke or heart attack. Alternatively, if the person is normal and the measurement of the blood pressure is taken high the individual may be exposed to the BP lowering medication without any basis. These may result in serious implications, therefore, it is highly imperative to get an accurate measurement of blood pressure (O’Brien, et al, 2010; Hypertensive Crises: Recognition and Management). The current protocol emphasizes on the appropriate servicing and calibration of the equipment. As blood pressure is a hemodynamic variable, to get an accurate reading of blood pressure it is highly essential to have a validated measuring device in clinical settings in order to prevent erroneous outcomes. As per the protocol routine blood pressure measurement must be performed at least every 5 years until the age of 80 years, under normal circumstances, every individual who is around 40 years of age or above must get the BP checkup as a routine in 5 years to avert morbidity and mortality caused due to hypertension (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2011). However, the current protocol does not mention that treatment and care should consider individual requirement, i.e. care should be person-centred care, which is well explained in the protocol of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, (2011). The current protocol does not lay emphasis on development of excellent communication skill, wh ich is essential for better compliance and prognosis and is also encouraged by evidence- based research studies. The protocol provided by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, (2011) on the other hand, facilitates individuals to accomplish learned decisions about their care all. The current protocol further emphasize the fact that individuals with above normal values with the range of 135-139/85-89

Analyzing Ads Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analyzing Ads - Research Paper Example However, this changed with Listerine ads, such as the one analyzed in this paper from 1932, which brought the previously obscure term halitosis to national popularity (Twitchell 39). This particular ad shows a young woman who is part of five million women who had reached marriageable age at that moment. It contends that she should worry about her breath if she is to make the grade and get a husband. Through this ad and the creation of fear around halitosis, Listerine brought the painful effects of bad breath to young single American women, especially that of getting a husband and settling down. The ad is attempting to make life for young and single American women easier by making them a promise, which is that using Listerine will make them socially acceptable and attractive to eligible men. It seeks to maintain a consumer culture that Listerine had already created around the importance of good breath, especially for women. In this case, they sought to integrate Listerine into a culture that viewed consumption as beneficial to an individual’s happiness (Twitchell 40). The message is that women should strive to achieve good breath in order to charm and romance men. It also seeks to attract men to the fact that women should have good breath for them to be marriageable, which can only be achieved by Listerine. The idea of being attractive is that the young girls should have nice breath, especially when they are youthful. They also make the consequences of having bad breath clear to the young women. Those who fail to use Listerine prior to each date will suffer from hali tosis, which will mean a life of boredom, loneliness, and being single (Twitchell 41). However, if they use Listerine, there will be good times ahead with a man they can attract and hold onto. The ad succeeds in making halitosis a fearsome condition of bad breath that nullifies all other charms. Listerine, therefore, is the only way for young women

Research Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Research Method - Essay Example ompetencies as per the job requirements and the analysis of the reward structure and their effectiveness on the job satisfaction, motivation and job performance of workforce. Hence, the study is focused on discussing the suitable and required research methods, strategy and techniques as per the purposes. The analysis of skills and competencies of different employees is essential to properly allocate the job roles and responsibilities (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). Draganidis and Mentzas, G. (2006) have mentioned that the increase in global competition has rapidly enhanced the pace of change in organisational work culture and structure which demand the continuous modification of current skill sets of the workforce. Tripathi and Agrawal, (2014) have described that the manager’s job within any organisation is to identify the employees with lower than the required skills while implementing continuous learning procedure. According to Acemoglu and Autor, (2011), analysis of the skill and competencies of workforce is also very essential to properly allocate job roles. This process allows the management to increase the work motivation and output of the employees. Lunenburg, (2011) has evaluated the Vroom’s motivational theory in accordance to the practices of reward and recognition. According to the researcher, the work motivation is highly dependent on the expectation of workforce in terms of their ability to perform a particular task and receive adequate and deserved reward. Manzoor, (2012) has evaluated that employees display less motivation and dissatisfaction in organisations which neglect the aspect of rewards. Alternatively, employees demonstrate high motivation and satisfaction with adequate growth opportunities in terms of innovative rewards program. Research design demonstrates the detailed outline regarding the steps essential for a systematic research procedure. There are generally three types of research design such as qualitative, quantitative and mixed

Organisational Culture Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Organisational Culture - Research Proposal Example This paper is a research proposal on the organization culture of McDonalds that has enabled it to be successful in the emerging market of India. The hypothesis for the research is that McDonalds organization culture and entry strategy into India is the main factor that has contributed to the success of the organization in the market. The proposal will explore the literature on international business and emerging markets and relate them to the success of the organization in India. The final study will use primary inquiry to identify if and how the organization culture relates to success in the international market. Over the years and especially in the last thirty years, the global business competition has become a very important consideration for entrepreneurs (Knight & Kim 2009)(Griffith et al. 2008). The competition has begun to have a decisive influence on the strategic planning, organisational culture and management both in the large corporations and in other small companies that have previously relied on the local markets (Ghemawat 2003). Corporations are now largely involved in establishing their place in international business environment either directly or indirectly. The increasing need for globalization and exploration of international business has led many companies in the world to allocate more resources to cross-cultural management (Doz 2011) (Kedia & Englis 2011). The nature of culture and its implication on the internationalization of business have been studies for long (Field et al. 2010). Hofstede (2009) defines culture as the programmed state of mind that distinguishes members of one group of people from those of another. In the case of international business, culture can be defined as the way of doing things that differentiate people from one country to another or one organization to another (Hofstede 2009). Culture, be it of a country or

Iconic building, building underground Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Iconic building, building underground - Essay Example The debates mainly covered topics such as: One of the proposed solutions to future attacks is the underground construction of buildings. For example, there have been proposals to expand the city of Amsterdam with a futuristic and massive underground network of activities. This paper seeks to examine the construction lessons learned from the WTC attacks and the possibility of considering underground construction as a way of avoiding attacks situations similar to the one of the WTC. The twin towers were designed and constructed five decades ago as new way of building skyscrapers in which they were to be very light in weight and involved modular methods of construction meant to reduce costs and accelerate the building schedule. They were constructed using an egg-crate design having extra columns that would hold the building standing in case one or two columns were to be lost (Eager & Musso, 2001). This design made the towers to be some of the most resilient buildings ever constructed and it is no wonder their collapse was that astonishing and generated so much speculations and debates among knowledgeable structural engineers (FEMA, 2002; National Institute of Science and Technology, 2008)). Prior to the WTC attacks, security in design was not all that an important concern to engineers, architects or builders (Bazant and Cedolin, 1991). Security was normally only considered a design priority when designing and constructing specific types of projects such as consulates, government facilities and prisons and State Department embassies. Following the attacks, security has become of absolute importance in virtually all types of construction including educational, healthcare, commercial, residential and institutional. The drastic change in the construction environment, which occurred virtually overnight, makes it important that all suitable technology and security safeguards are incorporated into the initial

To be determe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

To be determe - Essay Example The same thing is happening in the second poem Benevolence where the father is so weak that he can’t even talk properly. In both the poems the poet is speaking about the weaknesses and difficulties that the parents are facing because of their health. In the poems they are describing their weaknesses and their behavior and the way they changed. The poem describes the position of the poet when his mother was dependent on him for everything since she was weak and â€Å"past the point of saying no†. The poet says that this was a good chance for him to help her out and take care of her like she took care of him when he was young. He describes how he prepared a bath for her and made it â€Å"just right† after which he himself lowered her in it and cleaned her with soap and water. The poet uses crude words in describing the experience and explains how his mother’s body was wasted and in a sorry state. At nights when the poet used to be reading or working while his mother slept he often noticed the sharp breaths she took in sleep instead of the smooth breathing characteristic of a normal healthy person. He listened to that sound and the thought that came to his mind was that he was lucky enough that he was now getting a chance to pay back what his mother had done for him in his younger years. He seems to be an egoistic person who cannot take anything from anyone not even his mother. And therefore he thinks that by taking care of his mother at this stage is going to repay all that she did for him previously. He thinks that he can pay his â€Å"heavy debt of punishment and love/ with love and punishment†. Not only does the poet think about the love that his mother gave him, but also the punishments. And he actually sets upon to repay that as well. For instance, when he is lifting out his mother from the bath and before setting her down on the wheelchair

Molecular Changes in Oral Cancer Progression and Their Underlying Essay

Molecular Changes in Oral Cancer Progression and Their Underlying Mechanisms - Essay Example Alcohol has been found to be a primary risk factor in oral SCC.5 Other factors include tobacco consumption, genetic predisposition, viral infection, and denture related factors.2, 6, 7 The process of oral carcinogenesis is a multifactorial and multistep process occurring when epithelial cells are exposed to genetic alterations.8 Complex molecular changes associated with oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes (TSG), and other factors underlie the development and progression of oral cancer. A study of these molecular mechanisms is vital in order to better diagnose and detect oral cancer related alterations that are often invisible under a microscope.8 The present paper outlines some of the molecular changes that are believed to contribute to oral cancer progression. The mechanisms underlying some of these molecular changes are also discussed. II. Progression of Oral Cancer The pathological progression of cancer takes place when normal cells are transformed to pre-malignant cells and then to malignant cells through the accumulation of mutations.9 The progression of oral cancer from dysplasia to the stage of metastasis is associated with multistage pathologic changes caused by molecular alterations.10 The pathologic phenotypes involved in cancer progression include increase in cell proliferation, horizontal spread and survival, which are associated with molecular changes such as altered expression of molecules such as p53 that regulate cell cycle, altered growth factor response, altered protein metabolism and synthesis, and cell immortality associated with telomerase.10 The progression of oral cancer may also be attributed to other molecular changes that lead to the overproduction of growth factors, increase in the number of cell surface receptors, alterations in transcriptional factors and signal messengers, etc.8 III. Molecular Changes Contributing to the Progression of Oral Cancer As already stated, the progression of oral cancer occurs as a result of multistep genet ic alterations resulting from molecular changes. The normal functioning of the oncogenes and TSGs is altered due to which there is an increase in the production of growth factors, transcription factors, intracellular signal messengers and/or number of cell surface receptors.11 These alterations lead to phenotypic changes in the cell, which facilitate cell proliferation and suppress cell cohesion, subsequently enabling the infiltration of malignant cells.11 McGregor et al. have shown that the initial stages of oral cancer progression from the dysplasia stage are associated with loss of the expression of (RAR)-? retinoic acid receptor, loss of expression of p16 cell cycle inhibitor, mutations in p53, and an increase in the levels of telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA.12 There is an increase in the expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor after the dysplasia sta

Db4 2 managing organiz change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Db4 2 managing organiz change - Research Paper Example For instance, organizations consult to have their staff trained in using more sophisticated technology, for knowledge on the best programs to employ, cost implications involved, and structural adjustment needed. The impact of technology on the process of organizational change is evident considering a significant number of businesses are continuously incorporating the latest technology in their operations (Kiernan, 1995). Currently, almost all organizations have set a technology and information system department with the aim of achieving a more efficient and profitable change process. In my opinion using technology as a catalyst or the means of implementing change should be considered positive. Technological programs allow quick communication, sharing and transfer of information among employees regardless the location. For example, the VIP Task manager is one of the software commonly used during organizational-change process. It enables organizations pass information to its clients, update management plan, as well as, enhancing collaborations and communication of change strategies (TMG, 2004). In conclusion, with the current advancements in technology more programs on change management are expected. For instance, programs that allow access of internet in developing areas will enable organizations develop business in area that could not before due to lack of communication means. Additionally, incorporating technology will lead organizational change focusing on global strategies so as to be competitive globally. Task Management Guide (TMG). (2004). Change management software - example of effective tool for carrying out organizational management. Retrieved from

African American Culture 5 Essay Example for Free

African American Culture 5 Essay Question# 4: African cultures, by and large, bring a similar world view to the relationship between man and the spiritual realm, one that is marked by an extremely personal interaction. In the broader African spiritual world human beings are seen to be under the constant influence of other people, their ancestors, minor deities, the Creator, and various forces of nature. As a result the African spiritual world can be described as interactive since all things are endowed with life-force. How is this idea expressed in ritual approaches to morality, wrongdoing, and spiritual empowerment? African American religion has always been heavily involved and influenced by the notion of morality, wrong doing and spiritual empowerment since the slave days if not earlier, African Americans came to embrace Protestant Christianity and adapted their own version of it which is consistent with evidence in the 19th century and a little bit of the 18th, at the time Christianity had little effect on slave society through the efforts of Anglicans, but it was not because African Americans rejected the gospel but because whites seized Christian brotherhood from blacks. As blacks in the South and in the British Caribbean struggled to develop individual and collective identities from the ideas and ways of African culture and their new conditions of life, the series of efforts by evangelicals to convert slaves eventually gave rise to a distinct African-American form of Christian theology, worship style, and religious community. The importance of religion and having their own take on it is among African Americans, as among all people, rests on fulfilling the human need for an understanding of one’s place in both the spiritual and temporal world. Although it was difficult, African Americans discovered in evangelical conversion requirements an opportunity to reassert personal authority based on their ability to communicate directly with God and to bring others to recognize the need for personal repentance and acceptance of Jesus. A perfect example that supports the connection between religious involvement and a sense of personal identity, is found in a slave woman who, back then it was not common for them to tell missionaries that her people have come from across the sea and lost their father and mother, and therefore want to know the Father. The displacement of Africans, for whom locality was critical to interactions with the spiritual world, did not strip them of their religious identity, but required them to learn the spiritual landscape of their new home and reshape their practices accordingly. â€Å"Come Shouting to Zion† details the many religious rituals that Africans preserved in the new world, especially those surrounding fundamental life events such as the birth and naming of children, marriage, burial ceremonies, and ritual dancing and singing to communicate with ancestors and deities. The influence of Africans with many diverse but fundamentally similar cultures in a strange new land encouraged slaves to form new pan-African cultures, which grew increasingly popular as later generations of slaves were born into bondage in America, establishing a distinct African-American culture. The pidgin African-English is a prime example of Africans in American creating a system of communication that was not traceable to a particular African ethnic origin, nor was it a perfect imitation of American English, but was instead shared by blacks in America. As slaves first encountered a foreign language that whites wished them to learn well enough to be more productive but not well enough to pose a threat to the race-based socioeconomic hierarchy, so they became acquainted with Christianity at the will of whites, but when given the opportunity, appropriated it for their own purposes. In the early encounters between slaves and Christianity it is without question that African, and particularly American-born slaves, sought a spirituality that would explain or show their temporal condition. Some salves looked to a theology of liberation and equality among Christians, which they could glean from 18th century evangelicals, mostly Anglicans, who tried to downplay these aspects of biblical teaching. The early period of evangelism was restricted by the fears of slave-owners that slaves who converted to Christianity would feel empowered to revolt against their bondage. Several conspired rebellions and many smaller incidents of black assertion were linked to blacks who had heard enough preaching to identify themselves with the enslaved nation of Israel. This fed the fears of whites, and Anglicans continued to complain that the planters who prohibited them from educating slaves on religious matters were the largest hindrance to saving African American souls. While racism was strengthened and slaves were unable to improve their social status by conforming to white European-American values, very few blacks found the Christian message Anglicans shared with them appealing . Anglican churches maintained strict separation of rich and poor, white and black, during services and sacraments. The high-church emphasized that learned men alone were authorized to teach and that blacks would listen without questioning and to accept the extension of their temporal message and isolation from whites into the religious sphere. Under these terms, it is I am not surprised that Christianity failed to take root as a meaningful religion, a spiritual world that Africans wanted to live in. But it is essential to recognize the role of whites in shaping the message that Africans were allowed to hear, and the role specifically of slaveholders in excluding blacks from access to Christianity. That blacks expressed their agency in rejecting this early version of Christianity offered to them. . At the same time Anglicans were confused over their lack of success in the Southern mainland, Moravians made a significant impact on blacks in the Caribbean by bringing a different vision of a Christian community. Moravians, Methodists, Separate Baptists, and a few other missionaries in the late 18th and early 19th centuries who sought out African Americans stressed spiritual, if not always worldly, equality. Africans identified with and embraced images of a savior who had suffered like they did, and joined these Christian images with African musical modes of expression to create spirituals that reminded: â€Å"Jesus been down to de mire/ You must bow low to de mire† (Stuckey, 139). However, you must finally accept Christianity as an affirmation of their lowly place in society and a divine exhortation to obedience and docility, as many white slaveholders had hoped they would. Rather, blacks found opportunities at biracial revival meetings which were meetings held at locations most often church, in which slaves and blacks were black would interpret what they heard and to share their divinely inspired interpretations of Christian faith, even from pulpits. During this critical period when a significant portion of blacks in the Caribbean and American South were first offered Christianity, they clearly adopted it and transformed it into something that was their own. After the period of revivals that first sparked wide-scale conversions in the South, many African-Americans focused on building a community in which they could support one another and worship in their own African-influenced style. Local black congregations extended their religious community, most notably with the founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in1816. As an institution spanning several states, the A. M. E. Church allowed blacks to take part at different levels in a collective, hierarchical social system as had never before been possible under American slavery. blacks continued to participate as minorities in biracial congregations (still with segregated seating) in most parts of the south and the expanding frontier, but found fewer opportunities to become ordained preachers or lay leaders in mixed parishes, where they were likely only to be allowed to â€Å"exercise the gift, provided they teach sound Doctrine sic† under the approval of whites (Frey Wood, 166). In the creation of their own religious communities in which no whites were present to criticize â€Å"overemotional† black forms of religious expression and persisting practices, such as polygamy and dancing, African-Americans actively designed a spirituality that fulfilled their needs in the slave societies of the Americas. African-American religiosity was then, as it is now, â€Å"centered on extended and expanding families and households, the importance of self-determination and personal dignity, mutual aid, and shared responsibility for the progress of the race† (Hortons, xi). In my opinion, African agency is most clearly supported by evidence of Africans defining their faith, modes of worship, and religious ties as part of a larger emerging African-American culture. Change was a relentless fact of life for Africans in 18th and 19th century America, most tragically present in enslavement and removal from Africa and domestic trade within the Americas that broke up families as masters bought and sold property. Outside the personal struggles of individual slaves, the changes in ideology and society wrought by the era of the American Revolution exposed Africans and their descendents to evolving external ideas about their place within American society, their rights as humans, and their needs as spiritual beings. Religion was one of the few arenas in which African-Americans could control the changes in their individual lives and their culture as a whole. Evolving religious traditions provided individuals over generations with a source of spiritual renewal and a supportive community and prepared an institution that could serve future generations. The long and turbulent transition from African forms of religiosity to African-influenced forms of Protestantism shows that black Americans created, out of all religious ideas and structures available to them, a faith that was their own. Question#3 The musical selections in this section come from Africa and the Americas. Some are examples of the preservation of traditional musical styles; others are examples of the adaptation of traditional modes of expression to modern styles. Prevalent in each performance is the use of either percussion instruments such as drums or singing in groups or by soloists. How do these musical selections exemplify a common African musical aesthetic, i. e. rhythmic syncopation, call-and-response, melodic constructions, vocal colors, in both traditional and contemporary expressions? African dance has contributed many characteristics to dance in America. We see evidence of this in many aspects of dance today. Being such a diverse nation, America has the blessing of combining original dances from different cultures to create an amazing dance repertoire. American dance as we know would be completely different, if it weren’t for the Africans. African dance began with the different rhythms of the tribes. Its roots in America began with the slave trade. The American slave trade began in 1619, (However, Africans were imported as slaves to the West Indies staring almost a century before that) with the arrival of Dutch trading ships carrying a cargo of Africans to Virginia. They were first brought over by boat to places such as Brazil, Cuba, and Haiti. Eventually different countries end up taking over those nations and slaves fall under their rule. In Brazil, the Portuguese take over, in Cuba the Spanish take over, and in Haiti, the French take over. The retaining of African culture by those in slavery was stronger in the other nations than in America, as the Spanish and French rulers adhered to the more lenient view of dancing taken by the Catholic Church. In America, the Protestant church strongly disapproved of dance. Therefore, dances that occurred in the West Indies, Brazil, Haiti and Cuba retained more of the African dance structure, than those in America did. Those dances can be classified as recreational or sacred. An example of a recreational dance is the Juba, which was a competitive dance where opponents would outdo each other in feats of skill, sometimes while balancing something on their head. Sacred dances were based on the worship of religious gods. The goal of the dance was for the dancer to become possessed by the god so that it would speak through the dancer. Two examples are voodoo and Shango dances. Traces of the African religious practice of possession, or disengaging from reality through the combined effects of music and dance, can be detected in the appeal of some forms of jazz dance. In America, the dance movement of Africa was restrained mainly by two factors: the attitude of the church towards dancing as being immoral and the restricted use of the primary African instrument (the drum). Drumming was banned in 1739 following a slave insurrection. White plantation owners responded by banning all drums and that forced slaves to search for other percussion options. They substituted with banjos, clapping hands, stomping feet, and the fiddle. Dances that occurred on the Plantations were for recreation and religious reasons also. Because of the European influence in America, the movement gave a distinct American appearance, rather than a strictly African one. Many dances imitated animals. There were also circle dances and dances for celebrations. Another category that emerged was competitive dances. The most well known one was the cakewalk. The slaves had witnessed their owners’ dancing festivities and imitated their stiff upper bodies while contrasting it with loose leg movements. The owners enjoyed watching this and gave a cake to the best dancer. The observation of African dancing by the whites led to them stereotyping the dancing slave. They began to blacken their faces and imitate them using such indigenous movements as the ‘shuffle’. The imitation dances by whites started an era of American entertainment based on the stereotype on the dancing ‘Negro’. Before the Civil War, professional dancers were mostly white, with the exception of William Henry Lane. He was also known as Master Juba and was a freeborn slave thought to be the best dancer in the World. He had lived in Manhattan where the Irish immigrants also lived. His dancing was a combination of Irish jig dancing and African rhythm, just like the slaves who were forced to compete with the Irish migrant workers aboard the ships. Both his movements and the Nigerian slaves are said to be the start of tap dance. Minstrelsy was also a popular form of entertainment in America from 1845 –1900. The Minstrel show was a group of male performers that portrayed the Negro as either slow and shuffling or sharply dressed and quick moving. The minstrel show proved prominent in spreading vernacular dances like the cakewalk and jig dancing on a wide scale. The next major change after minstrelsy came with the birth of ragtime music and ballroom dancing after 1910. A bunch of animal dances were seen in white ballrooms. Examples were the Turkey Trot, and Chicken Scratch. The invasion of ballrooms with native inspired dances set the stage for the same process to occur on Broadway. Zeigfield borrowed some of these dances for his Follies. Social dance became introduced on the theatrical stage. The big aspect being borrowed wasn’t the actual dances, but their swinging qualities. In 1921, Shuffle Along featured a jazz inspired dance called the Charleston. It left the audience with a lot of energy and a new respect towards black dancing. Tap was now also brought to white audiences and the musical comedies took on a new, more rhythmic life. In the late 1920s, jazz inspired songs replaced the popular white standards and America accepted Jazz music as its own. Louis Armstrong was a big part of the creation of swing music. It was a style of jazz music that emphasized African influenced rhythm and was played by big bands. Faster and sharper footwork came about and the Lindy was the new dance craze. It incorporated the shuffle and glide and buck and wing movements from early African dances. The Lindy was significant for starting jazz dance styles used in later musicals. It also gave the opportunity for white choreographers to experience African swing. Jazz music and dancing slowed down in popularity after WWII. Technology and music were evolving. The beat became more complex and musicians like Charlie Parker and Dizie Gillespie explored more with improve. The overall result was, jazz music became something more to listen to rather than to dance socially. The advent of Television in the 1950s also kept people at home instead of on the dance floors. African American dance became more of an artistic expression than a social means. Professional companies and dancers restored early African rhythms and the beauty and emotion of their traditional songs, including Catherine Dunham’s Shango, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations and Bill T. Jones’ Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In the past 50 years, African American dance has been rich in innovations as well as connections with the past. The definition of professional dance has broadened beyond ballet, modern, and jazz. Popular and social dances, including the urban black dance forms of break dancing and hip-hop have been recognized for their artistry and expressiveness. Dance created and performed by African Americans has become a permanent part of American dance. Every dancer and almost every person in America, in one way or another has danced steps that resemble early African polyrhythmic movements. Personally, I think the dance World in America could no have flourished as well as it did without it’s African influences. since the slave trade the drum has been used all over the world as a means of communication and self expression. Its broad variety of users includes the early African tribes, using them for ceremonial purposes. The Africans brought drums with them to the Americas and helped to develop their popularity among American musicians. In the mid 1900’s drum sets were brought about. These revolutionary collaborations of percussive pieces started off with a pair of hi-hats, a bass and snare drum, and a couple of tom toms. Later as the music progressed, so did the drum kits, completely eliminating the need for an entire drum section. With the coming of the rock and roll movement the drum kits were changing, they needed to accommodate the new music styles. They became sonically diverse and even electronic drums were brought about; making them infinitely adjustable both ergonomically and musically. With every major drum manufacturer competing to have the best product on the market drums will always be evolving. African American musicians and early slaves choose to use drums as a common form of expression because of the deep bass that was used to duplicate heart beat and thunder. The sound waves for open ended and string instruments is fairly straight forward. However, for a closed end instrument, such as a drum, the sound waves are different. A lot of the energy is dissipated through the shell of the drum, which is the reason for the variance in drum construction these days. Many different kinds of wood are used to generate different sounds, or a different amount of energy absorption. For a warmer, deeper sound maple construction is used while birch is used to get a high, resonant tone full of vibration. The heaviest wood that dissipates the most amount of energy is oak, creating a lower, flat sound. Question#1 I believe that Egypt’s economic progress over the last decade is a great example of showing how They have come a long way and are still vastly improving. Egypt is the third-largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa region (after Saudi Arabia and Israel), as well as one of the strongest, with significant potential for future economic growth and diversification. With a real commitment to economic reform, which favors a large privatization program and the encouragement of private investment and growth. The improvement in Ghana is evident in how their country has such a diverse economy. The Gold Coast was renamed Ghana upon independence in 1957 because of indications that present-day inhabitants descended from migrants who moved south from the ancient kingdom of Ghana. By West African standards, Ghana has a relatively diverse and rich natural resource base Mineralsprincipally gold, diamonds, manganese ore, and bauxiteare produced and exported. Exploration for oil and gas resources is ongoing. Timber and marine resources are important but declining resources. Agriculture remains a mainstay of the economy, accounting for more than one-third of GDP and about 55% of formal employment. Cash crops consist primarily of cocoa and cocoa products, which typically provide about one-third of export revenue, timber products, coconuts and other palm products, shear nuts , and coffee. Ghana also has established a successful program of nontraditional agricultural products for export including pineapples, cashews, and peppers. Cassava, yams, plantains, corn, rice, peanuts, millet, and sorghum are the basic foodstuffs. Fish, poultry, and meat also are important dietary staples. Ghanas industrial base is relatively advanced compared to many other African countries. Industries include textiles, apparel, steel (using scrap), tires, oil refining, flour milling, beverages, tobacco, simple consumer goods, and car, truck, and bus assembly. Industry, including mining, manufacturing, construction and electricity, accounts for about 25% of GDP. I strongly believe that since Ghana and Egypt have improved so vastly it is helping African Americans improve in general, the saying â€Å"We come from a long line of kings and queens is such a truthful statement if you look back on history. We have a lot of ancestry that lies within Ghana and Egypt. With the knowledge of the past it will help us to continue realize our past and bring us to terms with the future. We can reverse the process by not letting people hold us back and to not blame others. I also believe that strong knowledge of Ghana and Egypt and Mali, will also further our culture by being educated and not told how our past was. There are a lot of invention by many great African Americans that most people do not know that black inventors were behind the idea, not that is matters that a black or a white person constructed or came up with an idea for a patent, it is essential that we are have contributed just as many things if not more than any other culture. There have been so many contributions to society to western civilization and I feel it is so important that we surround our selves with knowledge of our ancestors because they worked hard to get us to the point today where we are able to vote and the possibility of a black president. The saying that we come from a long line kings and queens is so powerful because it shows you that black really is beautiful and if you retrace our ancestors you will find out that our people were just as important as kings and queens. Lewis Temple was the inventor of a whaling harpoon called the Temples Toggle and the Temples Iron. He was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1800 and arrived in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1829. He worked as a blacksmith and had lots of friends that were whalers who bought harpoons and had lots of conversations with them. Granville T. Wood was known as the black Edison. Woods was born in Columbus, Ohio on April 23,1856. He never finished elementary school and he worked in a machine shop at a very young age. He moved to Missouri in 1872 at the age of sixteen. By 1881 he opened a factory in Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactured telephone, telegraph and electrical equipment. He filed for his first application for a patent in 1884 for an improved steam-boiler furnace. Woods patented the telographony , a combination of the telegraph and the telephone. He produced one of his most important inventions in 1887, it was called the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph. It enabled messages to be sent from moving trains and railways stations. In 1890 he set out to improve the lighting system by creating an efficient safe economical dimmer. It was safer and and resulted in 40% energy savings. Woods also created an overhead conducting system for electrical railways and the electrified third rail. By the time of his death in 1910 he had 150 patents awarded to him all together. Lewis H. L was a pioneer in the development of the electric light bulb. He was also the only black member of the Edison Pioneers, a group of inventors and scientists who worked with Thomas Edison. He was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1848 and was raised in Boston. He enlisted in the Navy and served as a cabin boy on the U. S. S Massaoitta the age of sixteen. Latimer was given the assignment to draw plans for Alexander Graham Bells telephone patent . In 1879 Latimer went to work as a draftsman for Hiram Maxim, who invented the machine gun and headed the electric lighting company. Latimer worked on improving the quality of the carbon filament used in the light bulb. In 1882 he received a patent for an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments. Gerrett is best remembered for his invention of the gas mask and the three way traffic signal. Mogan was born on March 4,1875 in Paris, Kentucky. He left school after fifth grade at the age of fourteen. He left Kentucky and headed for Cincinnati, Ohio and got a job as a handy man in a sewing shop. Morgan directed his attention to the frequent instances of firemen being overcome by fumes and thick smoke when they went into burning buildings. He perfected breathing device which he patented in 1914. In 1923morgan patented an automatic traffic signal which he sold to the General Electric Company for four thousand dollars. In 1963 Garrett A. Morgan died at ht age of 88 in Cleveland, Ohio after he was ill for two years. Just to name a few ,those were a couple of major contributors to the African American culture and western civilization.

Management of Poor Nutrition in Child

Management of Poor Nutrition in Child In each phase of life, human beings have specific dietary needs. During the first six months of life an infant acquires all its dietary needs from either breast milk or formula milk (Department of Health, 2005, p2). However after the age of six months it is important that the infant begins to complimentary feed in the form of a well-balanced diet that has the correct macro/micronutrients for optimum growth and development (Morgan Dickerson, 2003, p234). This part of the assignment will critically discuss the benefits of a well-balanced diet for the growing and developing infant. This will be undertaken with regards to the scenario given. The scenario is about a ten month old infant girl called Jasmine. She has been admitted to hospital for initial management of poor growth and malnutrition. The term malnutrition refers to both under-nutrition and over-nutrition. However, for the purposes of this essay the term malnutrition will be used for the term under-nutrition. Malnutrition can result from too little or the wrong kinds of food, or can be secondary to an underlying illness. Signs of malnutrition include short stature, thin arms and legs, skin and hair in poor condition, clearly visible vertebrae and rib cage, wasted buttocks, and in extreme cases, oedema, wasted facial appearance and lethargy (RCN, 2006, p30). Jasmine is still being fed on formula milk; however she has not be successfully weaned onto a solid diet. Delayed weaning can lead to slower growth and deficiencies in nutrients such as iron, zinc, fat soluble vitamins and fatty acids (EUFIC, 2000, p2). Adequate calorific intake is required for the infant’s growth, digestion, physical activity and maintenance of organ metabolic function. Carbohydrates are very important in the diet of a young infant as babies have only small hepatic glycogen stores and have a limited ability to carry out both gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis. It is recommended that carbohydrates should make up at least forty-forty-five percent of the infant’s total calorific intake (Turner, 2001, p572). Similarly, fat should make up around fifteen percent of an infants calorific intake. It is needed to provide energy and essential fatty acids, required for growth and tissue maintenance. As mentioned dietary fat is an important part of an infant’s diet. Infants need energy to enable the enormous growth of the first year and also facilitate high activity levels. Therefore, it is suggested that they require an energy-dense diet. Although this can be provided by carbohydrates, fat has almost twice as many joules of energy for weight than carbohydrate. As well as the energy component of fat in the diet, the infant requires the essential fatty acids for correct development of the nervous system (Livingstone, 1997, p9). It has been suggested that the lack of essential fatty acids may explain why malnourished children consistently achieve lower intellectual level, compared with their well nourished counterparts (Walker et al., 2007, p146). It is important to note however, that studies into this issue have methodical limitations that affect the results of the studies. The research had only a very small cohort of children, who had other psychosocial problems apart from being under-nourished. It is argued therefore that the findings can not be generalisable to al under-nourished children. Essential fatty acids can only be obtained from lipids (oils and fats) in the diet. Fat is also a source of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, each of which is needed by the infant to some degree. In very young infants the lack of vitamin D may produce hypercalcaemia and or hypocalcaemia convulsions alongside poor quality bone growth, resulting in rickets. Dietary vitamin D can be obtained through fish, cream and cheese (Morgan Dickerson, 2003, p315). Iron is another nutrient that is particularly important in an infant’s diet. By the age of six months, iron from foetal stores, breastfeeding or fortified formula milk is no longer sufficient to meet the infant’s demands. It is during this period of rapid growth and a simple weaning diet that dietary intake of iron may be insufficient to maintain normal haemoglobin. Therefore, infants need to be consuming significant amounts of iron in their diet. Iron is found in red meats, fish, liver and some leafy green vegetables. Absorption of iron can be enhanced by Vitamin C and intake of protein in the same meal or inhibited by phytates in cereals, legumes and tannins in tea and coffee (Neill Knowles, 2004, p162). Therefore, it is essential that Jasmine eats foods that have sufficient iron for her needs, in meals that have the correct amount of protein and Vitamin C. Iron-fortified infant cereals, alongside pureed iron-rich foods are a good start to the weaning process. Iron is essential to all cells. It is so important that the body has evolved specific mechanisms for its absorption, transportation and recycling. Iron is a mineral found in every cell of the body. Iron is considered an essential mineral because it is needed to make part of erythrocytes. The human body needs iron to make the oxygen-carrying proteins haemoglobin and myoglobin. Haemoglobin is found in red blood cells and myoglobin is found in muscles. Iron also makes up part of many proteins in the body. Haemoglobin is a protein found in erythrocytes that helps to transport oxygen around the body. Lack of iron in the diet can lead to iron-defciency anaemia (IDA). IDA is characterised by falling haemoglobin levels and increasing problems with breathlessness with ultimately, high output cardiac failure. Infants over the age of six months with IDA, which at this stage is primarily dietary in origin and which can develop slowly may reach extremely low levels of haemoglobin before any problem is diagnosed. Clinically, iron-deficient infants are often miserable, apathethic, with poor appitites and negative behaviours (Morgan Dickerson, 2003, p309). Besides calcium that is needed for the healthy growth of bones, another micronutrient that is important in an infant’s diet is zinc. Zinc has been found to be deficient, even in generally well-nourished infants. Zinc is an essential mineral that is found in almost every cell. It stimulates enzyme activity (substances that promote biochemical reactions the body). Zinc also maintains a healthy immune system, is required for wound healing, assists in sustaining the sense of taste and smell, and is necessary for DNA synthesis. Zinc also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence. Mild deficiency can lead to dermatitis, gingivitis, diarrhoea and loss of appetite. If the deficiency is severe and persistent this may lead to â€Å"failure to thrive† and neurological changes. Meat is a useful source of zinc, alongside dark green, leafy vegetables (Coutts, 2000, p2206). Infancy is a critical period for growth and development. After the first six months of life, babies can no longer acquire their nutritional needs from breast or formula milk alone. Weaning is the term used when solid foods begin to be introduced into the diet alongside milk feeds. From the evidence given, it appears that infants are at risk from certain disorders, diseases and delays in growth and development if certain macro/micronutrients are absent or deficient in the diet. It is essential therefore, that growing infants are given a well-balanced diet, which promotes and maximises the chance of the child having a long and healthy life. References Coutts A (2000) Nutrition and the life cycle 2: infancy and weaning, British Journal of Nursing, 9, 21, 2205-2216 Department of Health (2005) Weaning, http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4117080, date accessed August 2007 EUFIC (2000) Getting a Good Start in Life, Food Today, 11, 2 Livingstone B (1997) Healthy eating in infancy, Professional Care for Mother and Child, 7, 1, 9-11 Morgan J Dickerson JWT (2003) Nutrition in Early Life, Chichester, Wiley Sons Inc Neill S Knowles H (2004) The Biology of Child Health, Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan RCN (2006) Recognising Nutrition, Paediatric Nursing, 18, 5, 30 Turner A (2001) Infant nutritional needs: an overview, British Journal of Midwifery, 9, 9, 572- 574 Walker S, Wachs T Gardner J (2007) Child development: risk factors for adverse outcomes in developing countries, Lancet, 369, 145-157 Essay question 2 The biological sciences in nursing curricula encompass anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, immunology, pharmacology, genetics and microbiology, a group of disciplines frequently referred to collectively as the biosciences (McVicar Clancy, 2001, p1415). This kind of scientific knowledge consists of facts, information, principles and theories. Debatably, in nursing, it includes evidence-based research findings and conceptual models of nursing, as well as research findings in other disciplines such as psychology, physiology, pharmacology and genetics. It is proposed that having this scientific knowledge base can help nurses describe, explain and predict (Wilkinson, 2007, p41). It is important to note that the study of biosciences and the specific study of child anatomy and physiology should go hand-in-hand with the social science of nursing and care so that a fully holistic approach to care and nursing is undertaken (Richardson, et al., 2001, p34). This will then empower and enable the paediatric nurse to give best-practice care that is person-centred and family-centred. This part of the assignment will discuss how knowledge of biosciences informs practice and contributes to the ability to meet both the nursing and dietary needs of Jasmine in a family-centred manner. It is proposed that understanding the biological influences on development allows for a better understanding of what possible errors may occur. With regards to nutrition, it is suggested that a paediatric nurse needs to know how various nutrients help the anatomical and physiological development of an infant. Jasmine has been admitted to hospital for initial management of poor growth and under-nutrition. It is suggested that it is a multi-disciplinary responsibility to ensure that Jasmine’s nutritional needs are met, and paediatric nurses have particular areas of responsibility and expertise (RCN, 2007, p2). These occur at all levels, entailing screening, assessing, planning, implementing, evaluating and monitoring the delivery of evidence based care that meets the nutritional and hydration needs of Jasmine. It is argued that, the ability to assess an infant’s nutritional status using anthropometry, observation and history is vital, but it is also as important for the paediatric nurse to have an understanding of the implications of information gained during an assessment. It is debated therefore that this is when knowledge of the biosciences is of particular importance. For instance, anthropometry, the measurement of the human body, can give useful information about growth and current nutritional status when compared with established norms. Here, knowledge of normal child anatomy and physiology is important so that any differences can be recognised. It is important to note however, that an assessment of nutritional status or growth should not rely on these measurements alone. Consideration must also be given to other factors, such as feeding history (Khair Morton, 2000, p2). It is debated that, knowledge of the biosciences if used with knowledge of psychosocial and environmental influences on health within a nursing context, will enhance patient care. Just relying on the importance of biological influences and not taking into account external influences on health can said to be â€Å"reductionist†. Arguably, reductionism in any form will lessen the quality of care. When taking into account external influences on health, the nurse in charge of Jasmine’s care must involve the family in the education of Jasmine’s nutritional needs. It is proposed that the greatest influence on a child is the family. Debatably, the infant’s experiences within the family have a considerable effect on their health, social and emotional development and these influences are not always positive. It is suggested that, there may be problems of poverty and depravation in Jasmine’s family and the paediatric nurse must have knowledge of other profess ionals who can give help and guidance to the family (Ross, 2003, p37). Arguably, in this way the family can learn together in partnership with other health and care professionals such as dieticians, social workers, psychologists, etc. From the evidence given, knowledge of biosciences when used in conjunction with other nursing care concepts can help paediatric nurses influence future health risks by educating families on the necessity of a well-balanced diet. However, nurses must first acquire an understanding of how nutrients affect a body’s growth and development. This understanding, alongside multi-disciplinary team work will provide the best holistic care possible. References Khair J Morton L (2000) Nutritional assessment and screening in children, Nursing Times, 96, 49, 2 McVicar A Clancy J (2001) The biosciences and Fitness for Practice: a time for review? British Journal of Nursing, 10, 21, 1415-1420 Richardson J, McEwing G Glasper EA (2001) Pre-registration children’s and young people’s nurse preparation: A SWOT analysis, Paediatric Nursing, 18, 10, 34-38 Ross A (2003) Promoting health: Challenges for children’s nurses, Paediatric Nursing, 15, 4, 37-39 RCN (2007) Nutrition Now: Principles for nutrition and hydration, www2.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/33898/Nutrition_now_Pamphlet_V7.pdf, date accessed August 2007 Wilkinson JM (2007) Nursing Process and Critical Thinking, New Jersey, Pearson-Prentice Hall

Security Issues Associated With Mobile Commerce Information Technology Essay

Security Issues Associated With Mobile Commerce Information Technology Essay The report investigates the current state of the Mobile-commerce based on its security and examines the predicted future developments of the system. A brief background of the M-commerce and its applications is initially outlined. The discussion will then focus on the security issues and solutions based on the five security objectives (standards): Confidentiality, Authentication, Authorisation, Integrity and Non-repudiation. The applications of these security standards will then be applied on two M-commerce applications, both involving mobile transaction: Mobile-Payment and Mobile-Banking. It is concluded that further technological development in M-commerce system will be required, in order to improve the quality of service and ensure the user that such a system is safe to use. Nestor Mfuamba Introduction The term M-commerce (mobile-commerce) derives from E-commerce (e-commerce) which denotes business transactions over the internet. The transactions could be buying and selling goods/services by accessing the internet. Both M-commerce and E-commerce are part of two districts business markets: B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumer), the two distinct from dealing with business for the first and dealing end consumer for the last. From these business concepts, we can see that a B2B market, is more like E-commerce, where a business / user, accessing the internet for business transactions from an unstated devices. The technology used for this system could either be wireline (home PC, end user devices) or wireless (via mobile phones, PDAs, end user devices). In fact the term M-commerce, is all about a wireless E-commerce that is where a mobile device is used to access the internet for business transactions either in B2B or B2C markets. With the ubiquitous availability of mobile phones (other end user devices), M-commerce services have a promising future, especially in the B2C market. Future development applications include buying over the phone, purchase and redemption of tickets and reward schemes, travel and weather information, and writing contracts on the move. However, the success of M-commerce today, very much depends on the security of the underlying technologies. For example, credit card charges for transactions on the internet are 15%, versus 1% for POS (Point-of-Sales) credit card transactions. The chargeback rates grow to 30% digital product are sold. For M-commerce to take off, fraud rates have to be reduced to an acceptable level. As much security can be regarded as an enabling factor for the success of M-commerce applications. In this report, I discuss the security issues associated with M-commerce and their solutions based on two existing M-commerce applications, namely: Mobile Payment Systems: business transactions on the internet require the payments of either goods or services. M-payment systems have different requirements and characteristics than E-payment systems (electronic-payment). Mobile-Banking Systems: types of execution of financial services in the course of which within an electronic procedure the consumer uses mobile communication techniques in conjunction with mobile devices for banking transactions. M-commerce Definition The term m-commerce can be defined in many ways. From own experience and research, m-commerce is just an electronic commerce system that is accessed from mobile phones. Both e-commerce and m-commerce are B2C (Business to Consumer) systems. According to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development), e-commerce follows two criteria that are: Automation of transaction Spatial separation of transactions and delivery By definition m-commerce is a business commerce system using mobile device for business transactions performed over a mobile telecommunication network, possibly involving the transfer of money. Based on research done by Kalkota Ravi and Robinson Maria, they have actually divided m-commerce into five descriptive phases: Messaging m-commerce (SMS)-based m-commerce) Info connectivity m-commerce (web based m-commerce) Transactions m-commerce (strategy for organisations in order to evolve revenue generating mcommerce) Transformation m-commerce (m-commerce is interconnected and implemented into business processes within and between organisations) Infusion -m-commerce (and m-commerce is a normal way to do business this means a culture change from one, in which technology is occasionally handed over to the other one where technology is an accepted part) Technology and Applications The technology of M-commerce is built on several key technologies. They distinguish by their common uses. Mobile phones have developed gradually, making significant changes to their standards, starting from the first generation (analogue phones) to the third generation (3G): first-generation or analogue phones good for voice calls second-generation phones use digital technology and are typical of the average phone in use today 2.5G digital phones support the transmission of data using general packet radio service (GPRS) third generation (3G) digital phones support voice and data transmission at greatly increased speeds 3G supports services that were not possible with earlier technologies: video calls can be made and received from other 3G users video and other types of media can be downloaded to play on your phone 3G phones often have cameras, so you can take and transmit digital pictures location-based services can be accessed in order to see a map of where you are, or find out the nearest garage, restaurant, bank, etc M-commerce developments are focused very strongly on the use of 3G phone technology. Wireless application protocol (WAP) enables mobile devices to browse the internet because the web browsers built into these devices support hypertext markup language (HTML) and extensible markup language (XML) the key languages used for internet content. WAP-enabled devices run microbrowsers. These are applications that suit the: small screen and small memory size of handheld devices low bandwidths that are a feature of wireless networks for handheld devices Another important m-commerce technology is short message service (SMS), also known as texting. This popular service allows short text messages of up to 160 characters to be sent from and to mobile devices at a low cost. This has a wide application in m-commerce technology. Improvements to the service, such as T9 predictive text to help you type faster, have helped to improve the service, and a number of enhancements such as enhanced messaging (EMS) led to multimedia messaging service (MMS) messaging. With an MMS-enabled phone, you can: take digital photographs and store photographs on the internet send and receive full color pictures add a text message to your picture send and receive voice clips purchase pictures and sounds from the internet have enhanced polyphonic ringtones Mobile Application Types Communications: E-mail Clients IM Clients Mobile Web and Internet Browsers News/Information Clients On-Device Portals (Java Portals) Social Network Clients Games: Puzzle/Strategy (e.g., Tetris, Sudoku, Mah-jong, Chess, Board Games) Cards/Casino (e.g., Solitaire, Blackjack, Roulette, Poker) Action/Adventure (e.g., Doom, Pirates of the Caribbean, Role-Playing Games) Sports (e.g., Football, Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, Racing, Boxing, Skiing) Leisure Sports (e.g., Bowling, Pool, Darts, Fishing, Air Hockey) Multimedia: Graphics/Image Viewers Presentation Viewers Video Players Audio Players Streaming Players (Audio/Video) Productivity: Calendars Calculators Diary Notepad/Memo/Word Processors Spreadsheets Directory Services (e.g., yellow pages) Banking/Finance Travel: City Guides Currency Converters Translators GPS/Maps Itineraries/Schedules Weather Mobile System Architecture The figure bellow shows the architecture of an m-commerce system: from the design, we can clearly see that a user/client access the web via an xml server connected to a database. Figure1. Proposed M-commerce system architecture Mobile devices The applications of M-commerce can be implemented on different kinds of end user devices other than only mobile phones: Mobile phones PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) Smart phone the smart phone combines mobile phone and PDA technology into one device Laptop Earpiece device such as Bluetooth (as part of a Personal Area Network) The choice of devices in M-commerce is mainly based on the device features, and network technology used for transmission, the last allows the bandwidth capacity to vary and influence the kind of services the end user is able to receive. In mobile phones, the technology differs from other end user devices by their ability to have internal smart cards that determine their memory capacities. Nowadays, three solutions exist: Single SIM widely used around the world and confidential user information is stored one smart card. Dual Chip, means two smart cards in one mobile phone, as one used for user authentication to the network operator as the other, is used for value-added services such as m-payment or digital signature. Dual Slot, this type of mobile phones, has a SIM card and card slot for fully-sized external smart card. This solutions consists on using different cards one after the other. e.g. POS and ATM terminals. M-commerce vs. E-commerce This part of the report doesnt compare the two business systems. However, present advantages and disadvantages of M-commerce system over and E-commerce system. As defined in part 1.1., M-commerce is subset of the E-commerce but using end user devices as transaction platforms. The following list summarises, the advantages: Accessibility accessibility is related to ubiquity and means that the end user is accessible anywhere at any time. Accessibility is probably the major advantage by comparison with E-commerce applications involving a wired end user device. Ubiquity the end user device is mobile, that is, the user can access M-commerce applications in real time at any place. Security depending on the specific end user device, the device offers a certain level of inherent security. For example, the SIM card commonly employed in mobile phones is a smart card that stores confidential user information, such as the users secret authentication key. As such, the mobile phone can be regarded as a smart card reader with smart card. Localisation a network operator can localise registered users by using a positioning systems, such as GPS, or via GSM or UMTS network technology, and offer location- dependent services. Those services include local information services about hotels, restaurants, and amenities, travel information, emergency calls, and mobile office facilities. Personalisation mobile devices are usually not shared between users. This makes it possible to adjust a mobile device to the users needs and wishes (starting with the mobile phone housing and ringtones). On the other hand, a mobile operator can offer personalised services to its users, depending on specified user characteristics (e.g. a user may prefer Italian food) and the users location (see above). Convenience the size and weight of mobile devices and their ubiquity and accessibility makes them an ideal tool for performing personal tasks. Along with these advantages, we also have disadvantages, the following list summarises, the facts: Mobile devices offer limited capabilities between mobile devices these capabilities vary so much that end user services will need to be customised accordingly. The heterogeneity of devices, operating systems, and network technologies is a challenge for a uniform end user platform. For this reason, standardisation bodies consisting of telecommunication companies, device manufacturers, and value-added service providers integrate their work (see Section 4.5). For example, many current mobile devices implement an IP stack to provide standard network connectivity. At the application level, the Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) offers a standardized application platform for heterogeneous devices. Mobile devices are more prone to theft and destruction. According to a government report, more than 700000 mobile phones are stolen in the UK each year [12]. Since mobile phones are highly personalised and contain confidential user information, they need to be protected according to the highest security standards. The communication over the air interface between mobile device and network introduces additional security threats (e.g. eavesdropping, winds etc †¦). Security Concept and Challenges The concept of security in M-commerce is the most important aspect of a business that a mobile-system should respond to. There is no need to implement, such system without securing its environment, especially where transactions involve monetary value. Different views from participants in an M-commerce scenario, percept, security and privacy as major factors for markets breakthrough of the according system. Moving from participants point of views, I have defined five security objectives / standards that a system should respond to: Confidentiality: ensure privacy, the content of the transaction cannot be viewed by unauthorised persons and enables encryption. Authentication: ensure that the content of the transaction originates from the presumed sender/partner. Integrity: ensure that the content of transaction is not modified during the delivery and cannot be altered at any time. The technique used is called digital signatures. Authorisation: ensure that anyone involved in the transaction must be recognize and verified in order to authorize/allow the transaction to take place. It is more like digital certificates. Non-repudiation: no-one should be able to claim that any transaction on his/her behalf was made without their knowledge. The concept of digital signatures is applied. This standards dont just apply to end user devices, but to the whole systems involving device users, network (e.g. WAP, WEP), financial and administrative institutions (e.g. banks, governments etc.). I have identified, few security challenges related to the system: The mobile device confidential user data on the mobile device as well as the device itself should be protected from unauthorised use. The security mechanisms employed here include user authentication (e.g. PIN or password authentication), secure storage of confidential data (e.g. SIM card in mobile phones) and security of the operating system. The radio interface access to a telecommunication network requires the protection of transmitted data in terms of confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. In particular, the users personal data should be protected from eavesdropping. Different security mechanisms for different mobile network technologies (i.e. in 2G, 3G, and other systems) were explained in part 2.2 The network operator infrastructure security mechanisms for the end user often terminate in the access network. This raises questions regarding the security of the users data within and beyond the access network. Moreover, the user receives certain services for which he/she has to pay. This often involves the network operator and he/she will want to be assured about correct charging and billing. The kind of M-commerce application m-commerce applications, especially those involving payment, need to be secured to assure customers, merchants, and network operators. For example, in a payment scenario both sides will want to authenticate each other before committing to a payment. Also, the customer will want assurance about the delivery of goods or services. In addition to the authenticity, confidentiality and integrity of sent payment information, non-repudiation is important. Threats scenarios In this part, I am going to present major threats to security based on the M-commerce security standards and address ideal scenarios, observed during each methods. The following list shows the threats: Money thefts: as long as, m-commerce involves transaction, driven by monetary values. The system will always attract hackers, crackers and anyone with the knowledge of exploiting and abusing the system. They often set fake websites, in order to extract customers personal data, credit card details etc. Threats to the system: mobile devices are not spared from those deceptive methods of stealing information. Viruses, Trojans, Worms are often planted by individuals for reasons known best to them alone, in order to compromise the credibility of all m-commerce system. Threats observed during authentication: Observation: An adversary can download the client on a laptop/desktop and use its insecurities for malicious purposes. An adversary can obtain the user credentials stored on the mobile phone by transferring the contents to pc/laptop from the phone or memory card. An adversary can register with valid details of a valid bank account holder and access his/her account details or make transactions. An adversary can access user credentials directly from the phones folders or from phones memory card. An adversary can obtain the new PIN for transacting using the weak forgot password feature or an adversary can change the password/PIN of a valid user without authentication/authorization. An adversary can use the auto-complete feature to access a valid users account. An adversary can guess weak passwords/PIN to retrieve customer information. Ideal scenario: An adversary can download the client on laptop/desktop and use its insecurities for malicious purposes. An adversary can use the auto-complete feature to access a valid users account. The customer has to first register with the bank. Customer details like full name, postal address, e-mail address, bank account details and mobile phone number should be provided. The bank would inform the vendor to push the mobile client application to the mobile number provided by the customer. This can be done through a system which communicates between the server at vendor end and bank end. The vendor enters the mobile number of the customer and the client application is pushed to it. This ensures that the client is not downloaded to a pc or laptop and misused. In case the push is not possible, the customer has to be informed and the client application installed by the vendor. The application has to ensure that during installation a few checks are done Transfer the banks and vendors public key for encryption purposes. There can be two keys generated for the vendor; one for storage and one for data transmission. The client files/folders are installed on the phone and not in the memory card. The files and folders should be restricted from being transferred to a memory card or pc/laptop. The access to these files should only be through the executable and not directly. The installer should be removed after installation. Application should not allow auto-complete feature. Threats observed during transactions Observation: Based on the services provided to the customer the following threats can be observed: An adversary can sniff the contents of transaction and obtain confidential information. An adversary can bypass authentication controls. An adversary can make bogus shopping or purchase transactions for another valid customer. An adversary can view the account details of another user. An adversary can modify the from account and amount field during a fund transfer process. An adversary can predict the session id and perform transactions as a valid user. An adversary can access a valid account using an active session which has not been terminated after a long time of inactivity. An adversary can login using his credentials and view/modify the details of another valid customer. Illegal/Invalid transactions can be performed without continuous authentication process for each transaction. Ideal scenario An adversary can sniff the contents of transaction and obtain confidential information. All transactions should be through a secured connection. Data transmitted between the client application and the vendor server should be through HTTPS or another secured channel and also encrypted through the vendors transport public key. The data flowing back from vendor sever to the client should be through HTTPS or a secured channel. The data flowing between the vendor server and bank server should be through HTTPS. Also the customer details, which are not required by the vendor, should be encrypted using the banks public key. The return should be through HTTPS. Any data flowing between bank/vendor to other third parties or merchants like for mobile shopping should be through a secured payment gateway. An adversary can bypass authentication controls, Illegal/Invalid transactions can be performed without continuous authentication process for each transaction and view the account details of another user. Each transaction or operation should be authenticated either using a single layer or a dual layer. The vendor side application should authenticate the customer using the PIN for non-critical operations. Validation checks should be in place to ensure that this authentication control is not bypassed. For critical transactions, there can be dual authentication mechanism, one using the PIN at the vendor and other using the Internet banking ID at the bank side. Validation checks should be in place to ensure that this authentication control is not bypassed. An adversary can make bogus shopping or purchase transactions for another valid customer. An adversary can modify the from account and amount field during a fund transfer process. For example, in a fund transfer operation the bank should ask for the Internet banking credentials from the customer for authentication and verification. Also checks need to be in place to ensure that the from account field cannot be modified or the amount field is not negative. An adversary can predict the session id and perform transactions as a valid user. For example, an adversary can access a valid account using an active session which has not been terminated after a long time of inactivity and login using his credentials and view/modify the details of another valid customer.In mobile shopping operation, the payment should be through a secured payment gateway. Ideally, the vendor should not store the details of the shopping done by the customer. In case the vendor performs the payment for the customer for his/her purchases, then only the details need to be stored at the vendor. Then the customer authorizes the bank to transfer the amount to the vendors account for making the payment to the merchant for his/her item. Having a good session management mechanism ensures that attackers dont use a valid session id for login purposes. Also the application should ensure that users are not able to change the data and view another customers details. Other possible threats: An adversary can upload malicious files to the server/application. Ideally, a mobile banking scenario would not require a customer to upload files to the server. Hence the same can be disabled for customers. An adversary can obtain the confidential customer data and source code from the server. All customer data and application source code at the vendor server should be protected not only from the outside attackers, but from internal users/developers also. Malicious activities are undetected. Audit trails and logging need to be maintained for the application which mentions the customer name, bank details and transaction performed with time and date for future reference. An adversary can obtain the details of the server or error messages provide information for the adversary to perform specific attacks. The application should ensure no messages are provided to the outside world which would reveal information about the system. An adversary can obtain the vendor private key from the server to perform man-in-the-middle attacks. The private keys should be stored securely and access should only be given to the application to use the keys during any kind of operations. Security Technology This part of my report focuses on the network technologies, which are relevant to a secure M-commerce system. The security itself focuses on three aspects, studied in the IST SHAMAN project: M-commerce network security, Transport layer security and Service security. The IST SHAMAN has studied the security architecture of current and potential future mobile systems. Here, they are discussed: M-commerce Network Security GSM (General System for Mobile Communication): established in the early 1990s, the GSM is the first generation mobile phones and major device for M-commerce. The devices presented strong limitations with respect to their capabilities other than telephony. In term of data service, the dial-in data sessions over circuit switched connections were possible but relatively slow, at 9, 6 Kbits/s and required a separate device such a computer, which reduced its mobility. As the GSM core network extended, a number of data services where established such as: The Short Message Service (SMS) The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) allowing internet access The High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD) providing higher data rates The General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) extends GSM with packet oriented services The figure, below shows an architecture of GSM, including GPRS, IN (Intelligent Network) and SMS. Figure 2: GSM Architecture What is the scenario in this architecture and what does the GSM provides as security features? The mobile station communicates over the wireless interface with a base transceiver station (BTS) which is part of a base station subsystem (BSS). The base station controller (BSC) is connected with a MSC (Mobile Switching Centre) and a SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node). The latter two are the central switching components for circuit and packet switched data. When a customer subscribes, the GSM home network assigns the mobile station a unique identifier, the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and an authentication key Ki. The IMSI and the secret authentication key Ki of the mobile station (MS) are stored in the SIM (subscriber identity module), which is assumed to be tamper proof. On the network side, the IMSI, Ki and other information are stored in the HLR (Home Location Register) and AuC (Authentication Centre). GSM provides the following security features for the link between the mobile station and the network: †¢ IMSI confidentiality †¢ IMSI authentication †¢ User data confidentiality on physical connections †¢ Connectionless user data confidentiality †¢ Signaling information element confidentiality In general, the security architecture of GSM, presents basic security mechanisms for M-commerce systems. The authentication towards the network, from a mobile customer is based on a secret ki that will derive to a symmetric key, used to encrypt the link between the mobile station and the BTS. The secret key ki is never sent over the network. From there, we can say that GSM presents two weaknesses, Authentication and Encryption as it is optional. UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System): the security architecture of UMTS is designed to fix the security weaknesses of GMS. In UMTS, authentication is mutual, and encryption is mandatory unless the mobile station and the network agree on an unciphered connection. In addition, integrity protection is always mandatory and protects against replay or modification of signaling messages. UMTS introduces new cipher algorithms and longer encryption keys. Thus, UMTS doesnt seem to have any security weaknesses. The architecture of this technology is depicted below: Figure 3  : UTRAN system WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network): The IEEE standard 802.11 specifies families of WLANs which operate in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz band. The standards specify the physical layer (PHY) and the medium access control layer (MAC). When operated in the infrastructure mode, the mobile station attaches to an AP which provides connectivity to fixed net IP networks (e.g. the internet) or to other mobile stations. While, in the default mode, WLAN is not secured, this means: there is a possibility of an eavesdrop attack. In order to provide a measure of security, the IEEE and IETF, have defined the WEP (Wireless Equivalent Privacy) and the VPN (Virtual Privacy Network). WEP was designed to provide: Authentication to protect the association to an AP Integrity protection on MAC frames Confidentiality on MAC frames In comparison to other network technologies, the WEP is insecure. Based on its secret key, that serves as input for the RC4 stream cipher, the authentication and integrity protection is completely insecure and encryption at least partly insecure. There is a possibility for an attacker to intercept a single successful authentication transaction between a mobile station and the AP and be able to authenticate without knowing the secret keys. Furthermore, since a CRC checksum is used for integrity protection, an attacker can modify the data and adapt the checksum accordingly. For example, if the position of commercially sensitive information (e.g. an amount) within a datagram is known, the corresponding bits can be ex-ored with any value. With a large number of intercepted frames, the WEP keys can even be recovered, breaking the encryption. Furthermore, since the WEP keys are network keys, preserving their secrecy is difficult for private networks and impossible for public WLAN hotspots. In recent work of the IEEE Task group on security (TgI), the new security standard IEEE 802.1X has been adopted. 802.1X is a framework for authentication and key management which employs the Extensible Authentication Protocol for a variety of authentication mechanisms, e.g. certificate based TLS. But the weaknesses of WEP cannot be remedied by the new authentication and key management schemes in 802.1X. The IEEE is currently working towards a new standard (WEP2), and a number of proposals are in circulation. VPN: the technology is employ to particular IPsec, in order to establish network layer security. The IPsec protocol (or more specifically the ESP Tunnel protocol) is an internet s