Women And Aids Essays - HIVAIDS, HIV-positive People,

Women And Aids Understanding the Issues of Women and HIV/AIDS Rachel Seldin, Colgate University, Hamilton NY 13346 ABTRACT: Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) had emerged as a major health problem for women in the United States. Family physicians can play an important role in the detection and care of HIV-infected women. The epidemiology and natural history of HIV infection in women were reviewed. HIV infection is now a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among young women in the United States, particularly women of racial and ethnic minorities. Most cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in women occur as a result of injection-drug use or heterosexual transmission. Based on limited information, women and men appear to have similar AIDS-defining conditions. Gynecological problems are common n HIV-infected women. Pregnancy does not seem to be affected by early HIV infection, but women with advanced disease might be at increased risk for obstetric complications. More women need to be included in natural history studies and clinical drug trials. Early awareness of HIV infe ction and better access to health care services are required to improve the treatment and survival of HIV-infected women. KEYWORDS: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Pregnancy, Zidovudine (AZT), Vaginal Candidasis, Transmission Methods of HIV/AIDS, Perinatal Transmission, Women and HIV INTRODUCTION: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has been declared ?the public health threat of the century' (1 cited in 2). The US Surgeon General has designated it as the nation's number one health priority (2). AIDS is a disease that affects the immune system. The term immunodeficiency refers to the inability of the immune system to function properly, thus making the individual susceptible to a variety of infections not typically found in a healthy immune system (3). A syndrome is a group of symptoms or illnesses originating from one cause. The main agent causing AIDS is a retrovirus known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HIV is the agent of a sexually transmitted disease that can also be contracted through blood transfusions or IV drug use; the disease can also be passed on to a fetus during pregnancy. When people are infected with HIV, they are not necessarily also infected with AIDS. A person is not infected with AIDS until HIV reduces immune function to a certain level or when one or more serious illnesses related to HIV occurs. (4) Everyone is at risk of contracting the HIV virus, although women with HIV/AIDS face more difficulties living with this disease than do men. HIV/AIDS women are of special interest because they are the major source of infection of infants. Not only do they have to think about the effects on their own lives, but also they must think about their infants if they choose to conceive. In my paper, I will review the ways in which HIV/AIDS affects women differently than men, through clinical issues and gynecological manifestations. I will also discuss the virus itself and issues concerning HIV positive women who are planning to conceive. WHAT IS AIDS? In early 1983, a team at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France led by Dr. Luc Montagnier first announced the discovery of HIV (5). They originally named it LAV, or lymphadenopathy-associated virus. However, it was not until the American team, led by Dr. Robert Gallo, called the virus HTLV-3 or human T-cell lymphotrophic virus that both teams collaborated and simplified it to just HIV (5). HIV can cause a range of conditions, of which AIDS is the worst. For example, it can lead to persistent swelling of the lymph nodes (5). Other people may have more serious symptoms but still show no sign of AIDS. This condition is known as AIDS related-complex ( ARC) (5). Some of the symptoms of ARC include swollen glands, severe or chronic diarrhea, severe fatigue, rapid unexplained weight loss, drenching night sweats, fevers, and yeast infections, Although it can be serious, ARC is not fatal (5). The cause of AIDS is not fully understood. There are other factors are involved in the development of AIDS. Once a person tests positive to HIV, alcohol or drug use, poor nutrition, high stress levels, frequent exposure to other disease (especially sexually transmitted disease), have all been suggested to increase the risk of developing full blown AIDS (5). HIV

The Truth About Government Grants

The Truth About Government Grants Contrary to what books and TV ads say, the U.S. government is not giving away free grant money. A government grant is not a Christmas present. According to the book American Government Politics, by Jay M. Shafritz, a grant is, A form of gift that entails certain obligations on the part of the grantee and expectations on the part of the grantor. The key word there is obligations. Getting a government grant will get you lot of obligations and not fulfilling them will grant you a lot of legal troubles. In fact, the tantalizing but false lure of â€Å"free† money from the government has spawned some potentially disastrous government grant scams. Few Grants for Individuals Most federal grants are awarded to organizations, institutions, and state and local governments planning major projects that will benefit specific sectors of the population or the community as a whole, for example:   A neighborhood street paving projectA state-wide program to re-train displaced workersA project to attract new businesses to a depressed downtown areaA regional water conservation programA state or county-wide flood control project   Organizations that get government grants are subject to strict government oversight and must meet detailed government performance standards during the duration of the project and funding period of the grant. All project expenditures must be strictly accounted for and detailed audits are conducted by the government at least annually. All granted funds must be spent. Any money not spent goes back to the Treasury. Detailed program goals must be developed, approved and carried out exactly as specified in the grant application. Any project changes must be approved by the government. All project phases must be completed on time. And, of course, the project must be completed with demonstrable success. Failure on the part of the grant recipient to perform under the requirements of the grant can result in penalties ranging from economic sanctions to prison in cases of improper use or theft of public funds. By far, most government grants are applied for and awarded to other government agencies, states, cities, colleges and universities, and research organizations. Few individuals have the money or expertise necessary to prepare adequate applications for federal grants. Most active grant-seekers, in fact, employ full time staffs to do nothing but apply for and administer federal grants. The plain truth is that with federal funding cutbacks and competition for grants becoming more intense, seeking a federal grant always requires a lot of time and potentially a lot of money up front with no guarantee of success. Program or Project Budget Approval Through the annual federal budget process, Congress passes laws making money lots of it available to the various government agencies for doing major projects designed to assist some sector of the public. The projects may be suggested by the agencies, members of Congress, the president, states, cities, or members of the public. But, in the end, Congress decides which programs get how much money for how long. Finding and Applying for Grants Once the federal budget is approved, funds for the grant projects start to become available and are announced in the Federal Register throughout the year. The official access point for information on all federal grants is the Grants.gov website. Who is Eligible to Apply for Grants? The grant’s entry on the Grants.gov website will list which organizations or individuals are eligible to apply for the grants. The entry for all grants will also explain: How  the grant money can be used;How to apply including detailed contact information;How applications will be reviewed, judged and awarded; andWhat is expected of successful grantees including reports, audits, and performance standards Other Types of Federal Government Benefits While grants are clearly off the table, there are several other federal government benefit and assistance programs that can and do help individuals with many needs and life situations Beware the ‘Free’ Government Grant Scams The illusion that government grants are somehow â€Å"owed† to taxpayers and are thus available for â€Å"free† has inevitably led to numerous dangerous grant-getting scams. Consider the following offer. â€Å"Because you pay your income taxes on time, you have been awarded a free $12,500 government grant! To get your grant, simply give us your checking account information, and we will direct-deposit the grant into your bank account!† So compelling! But as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency warns, such money for nothing† grant offers are almost always scams. Some ads will claim that just about anybody will qualify to get â€Å"free grants† to pay for education, home improvements, business expenses, even credit card balances. Along with email ads, grants scammers often make telephone calls claiming they work for a â€Å"government agency† that has â€Å"discovered† you qualify for a grant. In either case, the claim is the same: your application for a grant is guaranteed to be accepted, and you’ll never have to pay the money back. No matter what the offer’s bait is, the hook is always the same. After congratulating them on their eligibility, the scammer asks their victim for their checking account information so the grant money can be â€Å"deposited directly† into their account or to cover a â€Å"one-time processing fee.† The scammer may even reassure the victims that they will get a full refund if they are not satisfied. Of course, the reality is that while the victims never see any grant money, they do see money disappear from the bank accounts. As the FTC advises, consumers should never give out their bank account information to anyone they don’t know. â€Å"Always keep your bank account information confidential. Don’t share it unless you are familiar with the company and know why the information is necessary,† warns the FTC. Persons who suspect they have been a victim of a government grant scam should file a complaint with the FTC online, or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Assess The Company Pixar Media Essay

Assess The Company Pixar Media Essay This report is going to assess the company Pixar from an innovation perspective. This report will focus on the good and bad points of the company to give an insight into its attitude towards innovation. A number of different methods were used to gather the information in this report, such as websites, interviews, articles and books. Steve Jobs (Apple CEO) purchased the computer graphics section of Lucasfilm Ltd in 1986 and called this new company Pixar. Pixar started as a very small company with only 44 employees. Pixar started making short animations films which were at the forefront of CGI technology. Pixar also created a number of adverts for companies such as Listerine in their early years. The first feature length movie Pixar created was Toy Story and it was the first fully computer generated animated film ever, Toy Story grossed $362 million worldwide. Pixar did not just create animations, they also developed a lot of the technology which allowed them to create their films. Wo rk teams and some individuals won numerous awards from organisations like The Scientific and Engineering Academy Awards in fields such as Digital scanning and Direct input devices. One huge advantage Pixar has over other animation companies is their unique understanding of innovation in company structure and employee relations, this report will aim to discuss this in further detail. Section 2 – Employee relations Pixar is a very organic company which disagrees with the structure of mechanistic organisations. A mechanistic organisation has a very hierarchical structure and the companies future is dictated by those in senior roles. Section 2.1 – Brad Bird Steve Jobs hired Brad Bird into the company after its first three successful films, Jobs was worried that they had ran out of creativity and he did not want the company to go stale. Brad Bird understood that there was room for improvement in the companies creative process. Bird understood that every employees input is v alid and has its use. He knew that communication is vital in the innovation process so everyone can help each other to create the best work possible. The main problem with this is that It is difficult to get employees to speak their minds as they are often afraid of criticism from their peers, and they have good reason to fear this as they are working with some of the best animators in the world. Birds solution to this problem was to get the employees in groups to look at the work each member had done that day. Bird wanted to encourage people to speak their minds, he talked about the strong and weak points of each persons work and praised people for challenging his criticisms. At first this did not work very well, before Bird was introduced to the company the animators were afraid to criticise any work as previous managers did not take kindly to criticism, however constructive it was. It took nearly two months for any of the employees to actively participate in these group discussio ns, however one employee finally did and the rest of the employees saw that Bird praised this employee for doing so as he knew it was the best way to get everyone comfortable with this process.

Wireless Deployment Plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wireless Deployment Plan - Term Paper Example Both users and administrators have experienced increased value in learning institutions. The efficiency is achieved by proper deployment of the wireless network through a wireless deployment plan. A wireless network provides an ideal and effective connection given the mobility of students and the staff (Cisco, 2010). This requires a wireless deployment solution that will address the wireless network security, management, deployment, and control of deployment aspects. It is important to note that the deployment should combine the best elements of secure wireless networking and wired networking that is capable of delivering scalable secure and efficient wireless networks on low total cost. This report provides a wireless deployment plan for a higher institution of learning with one campus but with several buildings (Cisco, 2010). The wireless deployment plan provides a framework through which the network can be installed and implemented. Additionally it entails the management, maintenance and control procedures for the network. Most importantly, the plan entails the requirements to implement the wireless network. The wireless technologies that can be adopted for such a network include 802.11 Standard (Cisco, 2010). Best wireless networks are delivered through a well-planned deployment strategy. This wireless deployment plan provides the structure for the campus wide wireless network solution that will be used by both the students and the staff. The deployment plan purposely addresses the strategy of implementing the wireless network. It enhances security in the wireless network and provides management and maintenance frameworks (Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., 2010). Wireless networks are highly sensitive to overlapping frequencies therefore; the use of wireless technologies must be planned. The purpose of this deployment plan is to

ArticleAbstract Assignments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

ArticleAbstract Assignments - Essay Example icle, based on its two research questions, concludes that league matches are the products of the professional leagues and that the products are sold to four parties, â€Å"the fans, television and other media,† communities that either support or offer services to league teams and â€Å"corporations† (Mason 410). It makes an important contribution by creating awareness of the roles of different stakeholders in the sports market. By identifying the fans, for example, through their attendance or media charges, as primary buyers of the sports’ product and not the media product, the article motivates them and promotes their commitment to supporting the economic activity at both social and economic levels. It therefore succeeds in promoting the economic aspect of the sports by identifying benefits to all the involved consumers (Mason 403-414). The article can however be criticized for relying on outdated resources. Using resources that are more than two decades old can mislead because of the dynamic nature of sports and markets. The researcher also failed to outline his

Prime Duty of the Government Is to Serve Essay Example for Free

Prime Duty of the Government Is to Serve Essay The dining area is more than just an area to place the  tables and chair. It should be inviting, warm and cozy, a place where the family enjoys sitting together. Think back to your childhood. Chances are, mealtimes stand out in your memory. The family sits together, eats, and talks. If you dont want everyone to just eat and run, strive to make this place as inviting as possible. Here are some tips. Seating All too often we come across sleek  dining room chairs  with little or no padding. Although these may look good depending on the rest of the decor, they are not the most comfortable. If you like to linger over a meal with your loved ones, ensure that the seats are as comfortable as can be, with plenty of padding. If the dining table is placed in the corner of a room, consider placing sofa-bench style seating on the wall-side of the table. You could have comfortable chairs on the other side. Candles Eat by candlelight! You dont need to spend a fortune replenishing candles. Take a tall glass, fill it up with water, and float a tea-light on the top. Light this every night. A single tea-light burns for around four hours, so it should last you three or four nights. You could lower the lights and truly enjoy the experience and reduce electricity costs. Place a  dimmer  switch on the lights. Keep a tall candlestand on the center of the table to hold straight, elegant candles. Light these when entertaining. Flowers A vase of flowers looks charming. Ensure it doesnt occupy too much space, and you dont need to remove it when serving the food or when seated at the table. Also, remember that the flowers should not prevent people on the table from seeing each other. Tablecloth Stay clear from  plastic tablecloths, no matter how practical they are! If your children spill when they eat and want to avoid staining wooden polish, invest in a table with a  glass tabletop. Alternatively, use a regular cloth tablecloth. Anything simple, which you can subject to regular wear and tear, will do. Keep the fancy tablecloths for entertaining. When purchasing tableware, dont pick up anything that catches your fancy. Try to co-ordinate the items. This is easy to ensure when you are decorating your home from scratch. If you already have a crockery set that you use on a daily basis, pick up a couple of tablecloths to match this crockery. Pick up a separate tablecloth to go with your expensive crockery that you plan to use only when entertaining. In any case, whether to use a tablecloth or not is entirely up to you. If you table is very attractive by itself, skip the tablecloth entirely. But if your table is stained or otherwise in poor condition, cover it up. Mats Always use  placemats  though. A table is not completely set without mats. If you are using  cloth napkins, it is a good idea to starch them. Sideboard If you have the space in your dining room, invest in a sideboard. You can store your crockery, cutlery,  placemats, napkins and tablecloths here, so when you are  setting the table, everything will be easily within reach. In addition, you can always keep valuable crockery, like silverware, in your sideboard under  lock and key.

Societal Views of Women in the Victorian Era in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s

Societal Views of Women in the Victorian Era in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen, creates a peephole into the lives of a family in the Victorian Era. The play portrays a female viewpoint in a male-dominated society. The values of the society are described using the actions of a woman, Nora, who rebels against the injustices inflicted upon her gender. Women’s equality with men was not recognized by society in the late 1800’s. Rather, a woman was considered a doll, a child, and a servant. Nora’s alienation reveals society’s assumptions and values about gender. A woman was considered by society to be a doll because she was expected to be subordinate to her husband’s whims. Referring to a ball that she would attend, Nora asks her husband, Torvald, if he would â€Å"take me in hand and decide what I shall go as and what sort of dress I should wear† (26). Nora relies completely on how her husband would dress her, just like a doll. Just as Nora is treated as a doll, she interacts with her children as such. She doesn’t raise them, she merely â€Å"play[s] and romp[s] with the children† (13). She tells Torvald, â€Å"our home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll wife, just as at home I was Papa’s doll child; and here the children have been my dolls† (67). In this conversation, she shows her alienation as a woman in society by expressing discontent with her role in life. In addition to being treated like a doll, Nora is also regarded as a small child. Victorian society looks upon women’s intelligence as no better than a child’s. Torvald tells her, â€Å"You talk like a child. You don’t understand the conditions of the world in which you live† (69). Yet, he does nothing to rectify the situation. While ... ... a heedless child† (70). Because of Torvald’s inability to grasp the concept of equality, Nora leaves him. Society’s values are revealed by Nora’s declaration of equality and independence. Through Nora’s rebellious declaration and departure, she removes herself from society’s standards and makes a move towards equality. She renounces society’s views of a woman as a child, doll, and slave. Men in Victorian society told a woman how to act as a parent to a child, how to dress for a public event as an owner to a doll, and how to keep her thoughts to herself as a master to a slave. Henrik Ibsen portrayed qualities of the Victorian era through the alienated female gender, represented by Nora. Works Cited Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House. Dover Thrift Edition, 1992 Northam, John. Ibsen. A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. 1965.