Feminist vs Functionalist View on Education - 897 Words

I am going to look at the Feminist point of view on Education and also, the Functionalist point of view on Education. Feminism There are many different types of feminists, there are Radical Feminists who are the most extreme in voicing their opinion about gender and the rights of women. There are Conservative Feminists, who adopt and appreciate the male need for a career and public achievement as female goals, thereby denying women s need for intimacy, family, and children. There are Liberal Feminists, they see everyone as equal. They believe sexism as a dysfunction in society. There are also Social Feminists, who link gender differences to class as well. They see it as sexism rewards the working class male and allows them control†¦show more content†¦Functionalism Functionalism sees society as a whole. It is often referred to as the consensus theory as it doesn t choose to see the issue of conflict in society. It looks at the important factors which make up society such as the economy, the family, the political system and the educational system. It is how these all function together as a whole to create society that functionalists look at. If you think of society as a human body, and the factors functionalists see as important and the organs. If one does not work then it prevents the others from working. In order for society to run smoothly everyone must see these factors as critical and work to keep them going as smoothly as possible. To understand how any part of society, for example education, the functionalists would look at how education in terms of its contribution to the maintenance of the social system as a whole works. All the key institutions in society need to be well integrated for society to survive and operate efficiently. Functionalists believe that the education system has three main functions. †¢ It socializes young people and teaches them cultural values like equality and the fairness of opportunity also, religious morality. They believe education emphasizes moral responsibilities. †¢ Education teaches children work skills for their future, such as literacy and numeracy. †¢ Lastly, according to functionalistsShow MoreRelatedScly1 Past Papers7036 Words   |  29 Pageson abortion; divorce; contraception; reproductive technology; marriage; adoption; pensions; benefits; taxes; education; childcare; child protection; sexuality; immigration may be discussed Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance by comparing the impact of different policies/laws or by discussing perspectives on social policy and the family (eg New Right, feminist, functionalist etc) From the examiner’s report: The most successful answers were able to identify relevant policies whichRead MorePakulski and Waters2272 Words   |  10 Pagesclass theory are extrapolated through theoretical development, ultimately having the function of negatively evaluating the tenability of class analysis in modern society. These facets are used in a way the presents the argument in a structural functionalist format, using qualitative research, mostly involving The increasing importance of authority relations established in organisational contexts: Theorist: Weber - â€Å"The social fabric always involves a warp of class relations and a weft of statusRead MoreUnderstanding Conflict Through Sociological Perspective Essay5342 Words   |  22 Pagesconcerns. Within this simple definition there are several important understandings that emerge. The contemporary discipline of sociology is theoretically multi-paradigmatic.  Modern sociological theory descends from the historical foundations of functionalist (Durkheim) and conflict-centered (Marx) accounts of social structure, as well as the micro-scale structural (Simmel) and  pragmatist  (Mead) theories of social interaction. Contemporary sociological theory retains traces of these approaches. 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Develop In Sex Identity There is a lot of debate about how much of a person’s gender identification, among other factors, is due to their scientific makeup (nature) and how much is due to their public surroundings and the way they are brought up (nurture)Read MoreSociology Essay20437 Words   |  82 Pages‘Religious schools â€Å"show bias for rich†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢: Middle class favoured, study shows: Faith schools deny selection claim’, The Observer, 02.03.08. Copyright  © Guardian News Media Ltd 2008; Philip Allan Updates for material from, ‘Gender differences in education: The underachievement of boys, Sociology Review, Vol. 8, Issue 1, Sept. 1998; and ‘Figure 2 Marriages, divorces and remarriages, 1950–2005, In Focus, Sociology Review, Vol. 17, No. 2, Nov. 2007; Times Educational Supplement for an extract fromRead MoreChris Pawling2932 Words   |  12 Pages‘serious’ literature is not so impervious to markets, consumption patterns and economic profit as to warrant assessment only in terms of what Pierre Bordieux calls ‘symbolic profit.’ (See Randal Johnson’s discussion of Bordieux’s argument about economic vs. symbolic profit in ‘Pierre Bourdieux on Art, Literature and Culture’- Editor’s Introduction to Pierre Bourdieux, The Field of Cultural Production: Essays on Art and Literature. 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Case Study Toys, Inc. - 1053 Words

This case focuses on Toys, Inc., a 20 year old company that manufactures toys and board games. The company has established a good reputation due to the innovation and quality of the products (Stevenson, 2015). In the recent years the company has been experiencing decreasing profits and sales due to several issues. Take the role of a consultant who has been called in for advice by the company president, Marybeth Corbella. What do you recommend? The company has several options. As the consultant, here are some recommendations that will help the company with their predicament. One of the main problem is the defective part that the customers. The company can collect data directly from the customers by sending out questionnaires in the mail. Questionnaires â€Å"consists of a set of questions presented to respondents. Because of its flexibility, it is by far the most common instrument used to collect primary data† (Kotler Keller, 2012, p.104). Doing this the company can gather data about the defective parts and find out what the problem. With the questionnaire the company can deduce if the problem has to do with product quality, a manufacturer defect, or is it due to customer misuse. By gathering this data the can put in place a strategic plan to correct the plan and thus increase cus tomer satisfaction and sales. When evaluating a company and a problem, a very important tool to use is SWOT Analysis. It is a strength-weaknesses-opportunities-threats assessments, and it â€Å"isShow MoreRelatedThe Galaxy Toys, Inc. Case Study1330 Words   |  6 Pagesgoals and objectives developed by the production managers was conducted to provide a relevant list of goals and objectives. This paper serves a third review of the Galaxy Toys, Inc. case study which will cover the last three functions of the P-O-L-C, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling. 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To Acquire or Not to Acquire? Andrii Alekseienko Corporate Strategy Case Study 18 September, 2015 The Walt Disney Company and Pixar Inc. To Acquire or Not to Acquire? To answer the main question of the case, we must think of the main problems that it faces. We need to find the solution for Bob Iger. What to do with Disney: to make some improvements in the existed company to compete better with Pixar, or to make a deal with another studio? Or shouldRead MoreThe Ethical And Social Responsibility Of The Mattel Toys1414 Words   |  6 Pagesor racing Hot Wheel cars are most often thought about. Do you ever stop to think, where those toys were made, or if the company making them is ethical? Most consumers do not, however the leaders at Mattel do. Mattel knows they have an ethical and social responsibility to their customers. Their goal is to produce toys that are not only safe but also made at ethically run production facilities. 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Public Relations Error of a company - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about theoutlining the PR errors made by a company in a real case from the business world; and make recommendations as to how the company should have handled the issue from a PR perspective. Answer: Introduction Public Relations, often abbreviated as PR, is an art of spreading and managing the information between an organization and its public, be it the internal public of the organization or external. The organization can be anything such as a private company, business, or government agencies, non-profit organizations and non-governmental organizations and others. It acts as a bridge which connects the road of communication between an individual or an organization and its publics. It is a way of gaining exposure of a company or individual to their publics through marketing communications, publicity and advertising (Austin Pinkleton, 2015). The aim of a Public Relations manager is to inform a particular companys publics and prospective customers about the companys products, leadership or political decisions. The report throws light on the Public Relations errors made by United Airlines company on the removal of Dr. David Dao from the Flight 3411, which was awaiting departure from Chicago to Louisville and was overbooked (Austin, Fisher Liu Jin, 2012). The report throws light on the duties and responsibilities of a Public Relations manager with an explanation of its publics and the factors which may influence his or her decisions. Moreover, this report contains a brief description on how the company should have handled this issue from a Public Relations perspective, along with some recommendations. Discussion Public Relations is the relationship state between an organization or a company or some famous personality and the publics. In other words, it is a process of communication that helps in building a mutual and beneficial relationship between an organization and its public. A Public Relations manager has loads of responsibilities for his/her company. He/she acts as the chief advocate for the company; the communicator, problem solver and opening maestro of the company who is responsible for the companys success (Bryce, 2017). United Airlines Incident On April 9, 2017, Dr David Dao was forcefully dragged from United Airlines, when he refused to move out of the flight, on the managements demand. David screamed when the officers were pulling him out of the seat. During this struggle, his face hit a seats armrest and he fell unconscious. He was dragged out of the flight with blood on his face. The management provided the passengers with travel vouchers in order to vacate the seats for four airlines employees, and Dao was one of the passengers. He refused to move out as he needed to go home, which resulted in such a horrific situation. The incident went viral which resulted in an outrage and several passengers criticized the Airlines management (Coombs, 2014). Public Relations error made by the Company The upsetting incident was handled in more disastrous way which enraged many. The CEO of the company didnt apologize for the occurrence of such a situation, rather stated that he felt sorry for re-accommodating such passengers. He defended his employees and said that the passenger was belligerent and disruptive. This led to intense criticism and the Airlines reputation was marred, as the angry customers threatened to stop flying with them (Cutlip, 2013). Moreover, they concealed many facts, regarding overbooking and more, from the media, which the eye witnesses revealed. This created a negative impact on the companys reputation in the eyes of the media. The company underestimated the power of the social media, which was its greatest mistake. They even made remarks on the behavior of Daos co passengers (Dozier, Grunig Grunig, 2013). How the PR manager should have handled the issue The Public Relations officer of the United Airlines could have easily handled the crisis situation in a different manner. One thing that should always be kept in mind is underestimating the power of social media can lead to serious consequences. The incident got instantly viral with millions of viewers from different parts of the world. The Airlines got severely criticized for this shameful act, which resulted in an outrage. In such a situation, the first and foremost duty of the Public Relations manager is to respond to the customers incidents quickly and directly apologizing to the people who got affected (Duh, 2015). The company is responsible for such a horrific situation, and, thus they must have shown empathy towards the passengers family. Secondly, the Public Relations practitioner must get all the facts clearly, related to the incident. He/she must be aware of the full situation, with every detail, before drawing a vague conclusion. After getting all the details of the incide nt, the Public Relations practitioner now must decide whose fault it actually was and based on that he/she must take actions, without any prejudices (Grunig, 2013). Thirdly, a Public Relations practitioner is always accused of withholding the companys information from its publics. This is ethically wrong. A companys publics have the right to know about the companys strategies or policies, its products, failure and success and others. Therefore, Public Relations manager of the United Airlines must be honest and transparent in front of the media. Distortion of the reality mars the companys reputation and progress (Helmig, Jegers Lapsley, 2014). Along with that, he/she should maintain integrity and transparency to avoid conflicts among employees. Fourthly, it is his/her duty to own the response. It was fully the companys mistake, therefore, the Public Relations officer should have the guts to own it and apologize for the situation. He/she must be able to address the problem properly to the media and the external as well as internal public of the company, knowing what to say and what not to say. It is his/her duty to put all the necessary tools in place in order to manage such a situation and see that such incidents do not occur in future (Hendrix, Hayes Kumar, 2012). Public criticism and recommendations from the PR perspective The United Airlines, after this incident, faced severe criticism from the media and people across the world. Many tweeted regarding the upsetting issue, expressing their hatred towards the flights management. Handling the situation in a smarter way could have helped the company to save its image to some extent. The Public Relations manager could have scanned the entire incident before letting the CEO comment on that (Johansen, Aggerholm Frandsen, 2012). He/she needs to make sure beforehand, whether such statements would be beneficial for the company and its future or not. It is his/her responsibility to build a scenario or a good image of the company in front of its publics and media. It is important to convince them that in future such horrific situation will not occur. This requires Public Relations manager to have good communication and convincing skills. Most importantly, he/she needs to be a good orator (Kunczik, 2016). Hiding failure details may mar the companys reputation. So the Public Relations manager must be honest, truthful and avoid hiding details of the company to its publics. Moreover, he/she should implement some strategy and policies to gain the trust of the people and the media in order to stick to the companys mission. This includes detailed description of the companys good will and image, the good things it has done in the past and what it is going to do in the future (Mehta Xavier, 2012). This may help the company gain some positive feedbacks and publicity. In such crisis situations, it is the companys duty to behave in a humble manner. The company must be empathetic towards the passengers. Behaving in an insensible manner can even worsen the situation and enrage the customers. Therefore, the Public Relations officer should open up and plan accordingly with the companys CEO, in order to gain their faith and trust. Managing such a crisis may be tough, but handling such sensitive issu es in a sensible way may prove beneficial for the company (Pang, 2013). A Public Relations practitioner needs to know the proper definition of ethics. Ethics is the study of right and wrong in human endeavors. It basically answers the question what to do? and what not to do?. He/she should know the organizational values. He/she must be as transparent as possible to maintain the credibility of the company or organization. Lying or distorting the reality may mar the organizations image. He/she must be able to manage crisis (Parsons, 2016). For instance, when the Airlines Companys employees took such a drastic measure of throwing out a passenger, it was the Public Relations officers duty to look after the matter without any biasness. It was his/her responsibility to convey this message to the companys owner without any distortion of the reality. The Public Relations manager could have applied some strategies in order to fix things, by apologizing in front of the media (Pearson Mitroff, 2013). A few months later, a giant rabbit was found dead on the United Airlines, which was flying to Chicago from London. An incident like this does not make international news, but due to the Doctors case, each and every mistake made by the Airlines group was shown across the world. Such was the negative impact of the company, that even the Public Relations officer couldnt manage the crisis (Smith, 2013). The brutal video drew huge attention of people even in China, which is an emerging market for the Airlines Company. Dao claimed that he was being targeted most likely because he is Asian. Therefore, this will also have an adverse affect on the companys business in that zone, as majority of the future passengers would have probably seen the video (Stacks, 2016). In order to avoid such a situation in the future and to gain customers trust and faith, the Public Relations officer of the company need to undertake several strategies and implement those. Being the companys life blood, it is his/her duty to change its impression and bring it into positive light. In my opinion, the company should not allow the security forces to get involved in situations where they are not required. Dr. Dao was being forcefully removed by the security agents from the flight even when he didnt pose any security risk. The Public Relations practitioner must make the companys employees clear regarding their duties and responsibilities (Wilcox, Cameron Reber, 2015). Secondly, none of the customers will be forced in giving their seats up, involuntarily, unless there is a safety or security issue. Therefore, it is the duty of the officer to undertake such strategies to save the companys image. Thirdly, if any customer voluntarily gives his/her seat up, he/she must be off ered with compensation up to 10,000 dollars. In the flight, where Daos incident occurred the passengers were given only 800 dollars travel credit, with expenses and accommodation for that particular time being (Ye Ki, 2012). The company must create a solutions team for the customers, whose task will be finding alternative solutions for the flights which are overbooked, like rerouting the customers in nearby airports. The Public Relations officer must be available, if any issue occurs at the time of selection. His/her duty is to make the customers understand in a very humble way. Crew members of the flight should be booked at least sixty minutes before the departure. Daos incident occurred because the Airlines tried accommodating four members from the crew, as because their earlier flight got delayed (Bryce, 2017). Staffs must receive trainings on how to behave with the passengers. The Public Relations officer must make the employees understand on how to handle tough and most difficult situations in the most effective and efficient way. Automated systems must be introduced through the apps, which will record a customers interest if he voluntarily gives up his/her seat in overbooked flights. In such a case , the Public Relations practitioner must check the entire issue and arrange for compensation. Even if any customers bag is lost, the company must be ready to pay compensation for the loss (Coombs, 2014). In this era of social media, news travels really fast, be it bad or good. Social media has the ability to bring out the truth. A Public Relations officer has no longer the ability to shape his/her opinion through a Press Release or House Journal. The raw and opinionated news have already started shaping peoples views. If any mishap occurs, anybody can record the entire incident and upload it very quickly. So there is no point of hiding the truth from the media and at times, media comes to know about an incident before the company itself (Austin Pinkleton, 2015). This gives rise to crisis situations. Over here, the Public Relations officer of the company comes to the rescue. With his strong communication skills and good command over language, he/she has the ability to turn any incident into the companys favor. At times, saying the word sorry can change everything. Therefore, it is his/her duty to take full responsibility of the companys wrong doings and manage things in accordance wi th that (Austin, Fisher Liu Jin, 2012). Conclusion To conclude, Public Relations managers are appointed by every company and reputed individuals. Famous personalities, especially politicians employ Public Relations professionals in order to maintain a good image in front of their followers. It is a strategy which helps any organization or individual in maintaining its corporate identity. The sole purpose of Public Relations is to develop a two way communication, in order to resolve the conflicts of interest and by seeking common areas or grounds of mutual interest. It helps to establish an understanding based on the truth, with full information and knowledge. Therefore, Public Relations is building a relating with a unit, that is, organization or any individual, on which it depends for its viability. Its practice as a profession can be regarded as art being applied to science. A Public Relations officer should be a professional journalist. He/she should maintain high moral and ethical standards as his/her conduct reflects the conduct of an organization or a company. Effective Public Relations helps in establishing a meeting point to the highest degree of adjustment between an organization and its publics. It is based on reality and not on images, whether true or false. Actions and deeds that serve the interest of the public are the basis of sound Public Relations. Recommendations The Public Relations manager needs to scan the future of the company where he/she works. He/she needs to build a scenario or a good image of the company in front of its publics. The Public Relations manager should have good communication and convincing skills. He/she needs to be a good orator. Moreover, he/she can write press releases, house journals, and present annual reports or organize a press conference, which will give detailed information about the companys products or what it deals with, its success and failure as well. Hiding failure details may mar the companys reputation. So the Public Relations manager must be honest, truthful and avoid hiding details of the company to its sponsors. He/she should open up and discuss plans with the companys publics in order to gain their faith and trust. Odwalla Foods Company PR crisis The Odwalla Foods Company had the worst nightmare when Washington State linked e-coli outbreak to Odwallas unpasteurized apple juice. It caught medias attention immediately and the outcome was so bad that the companys CEO Stephen Williamson promised to pay all the medical costs for those who got affected. It spent the next few months in building its good image and reputation. It focused on the relations, by advertising, publicizing and organizing press conferences. However, due to inefficient Public Relations, the Odwalla Foods Company lost the battle and suffered huge losses. Eventually, Coca Cola food Company bought the Odwalla Company for 186 million dollars in the year 2001 (Duh, 2015). Pepsi PR management Therefore, from the above example, it is evident that a company needs a good Public Relations officer, to manage the crisis, whenever needed. A good example of managing crisis can be the involvement of the famous aerated drink, Pepsi, with a case which marred the image of the drink in Washington. Rumor was; a syringe was allegedly found in the drink. There were more than fifty reports of tampering Diet Pepsi but all those turned out to be a hoax. Negative publicity is never ideal, no matter what the situation is. However, Pepsi then managed to work with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and produced reports which were in favor of the company, conveying that the story was not real and was fabricated. The company was able to gain trust of the people and the media and CEO Craig Weatherup himself appeared on all news channels with the evidences and reports, which were in favor of the company. Sales did fall at that point of time, but good crisis management help the company to earn f aith from its publics (Parsons, 2016). References Austin, E. W., Pinkleton, B. E. (2015).Strategic public relations management: Planning and managing effective communication campaigns(Vol. 10). Routledge. Austin, L., Fisher Liu, B., Jin, Y. (2012). How audiences seek out crisis information: Exploring the social-mediated crisis communication model.Journal of Applied Communication Research,40(2), 188-207. Bryce, H. J. (2017).Financial and strategic management for nonprofit organizations. Walter de Gruyter GmbH Co KG. Coombs, W. T. (2014).Ongoing crisis communication: Planning, managing, and responding. Sage Publications. Cutlip, S. M. (2013).The unseen power: Public relations: A history. Routledge. Dozier, D. M., Grunig, L. A., Grunig, J. E. (2013).Manager's guide to excellence in public relations and communication management. Routledge. Duh, S. (2015). An overview of new media research in public relations journals from 1981 to 2014.Public Relations Review,41(2), 153-169. Grunig, J. E. (Ed.). (2013).Excellence in public relations and communication management. Routledge. Helmig, B., Jegers, M., Lapsley, I. (2014). Challenges in managing nonprofit organizations: A research overview.Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations,15(2), 101-116. Hendrix, J. A., Hayes, D. C., Kumar, P. D. (2012).Public relations cases. Cengage Learning. Johansen, W., Aggerholm, H. K., Frandsen, F. (2012). Entering new territory: A study of internal crisis management and crisis communication in organizations.Public Relations Review,38(2), 270-279. Kunczik, M. (2016).Images of nations and international public relations. Routledge. Mehta, A., Xavier, R. (2012). Tracking the defining moments of crisis process and practice.Public Relations Review,38(3), 376-382. Pang, A. (2013). Social media hype in times of crises: Nature, characteristics and impact on organizations.Asia Pacific Media Educator,23(2), 309-336. Parsons, P. J. (2016).Ethics in public relations: A guide to best practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Pearson, C. M., Mitroff, I. I. (2013). From crisis prone to crisis prepared: A framework for crisis management.The academy of management executive,7(1), 48-59. Smith, R. D. (2013).Strategic planning for public relations. Routledge. Stacks, D. W. (2016).Primer of public relations research. Guilford Publications. Wilcox, D. L., Cameron, G. T., Reber, B. H. (2015).Public relations: Strategies and tactics. New York, NY: Pearson. Ye, L., Ki, E. J. (2012). The status of online public relations research: An analysis of published articles in 19922009.Journal of Public Relations Research,24(5), 409-434.

Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience. Answer: Introduction: Edmodo is an educational technology organization which offer communications, collaborations as well ascoaching resources to the K-12 colleges and instructors (Ngoma, 2012). The Edmodo network allows the teachers to manage to share the content management, disperse the quizzes, projects, as well and also manage the interaction with the students, colleagues and parents. In April 2017 a hacker was able to steal millions of account details from this organization management, and the data was apparently for sale on the dark-web. The hacker was able to steal seventy seven million of the user account which included the email addresses, usernames as well as the hashed passwords (Baker, Hylender, Pamula, Porter Spitler, 2011). According to the Motherboard, which is a tech and science publication organization reported that the hacker put the data on sale on the dark marker for some one thousand dollars. On the twelve of May 2017, there was a reference which was published in regards to the potential hack of the Edmodo. There have been numerous posts that were discovered later in which the information was being sold on the black market (Baker, Hylender, Pamula, Porter Spitler, 2011). On the seventh of May 2017 the organization acknowledged a security incident to which they warned the users by the email. How and why it occurred A hacker by the name nclay claimed that he had stolen more than seventy seven million user accounts from the Edmodo, a K-12 societal studying network of more than seventy seven thousand instructors, students, parents along with other members, and place the information accessible in the dark web (Ngoma, 2012). Let take a look at precisely how this hack occurred. The information dump began with two attack features in the Python which the hackers might have accustomed to attack on the site (Business, 2009). One of these attackers installed a malicious file which was names xd.exe, and they remained it to api.exe which was probably a boot loader. The IP address may have launched various web attacks several of these happen to be captured by network id signatures which are pointed out in the Alien Vault OTX database: There was also a trace of the execution of the exfiltration, with the data that was sent to the IP 80.82.77.46 and the port 666: The breach notification site LeakBase they offered the Motherboard a sample to more than two million records (ODowd, 2017). The data revealed a mix of the usernames, email address as well as the hashed password (Baker, Hylender, Pamula, Porter Spitler, 2011). Motherboard verified on this information using a large, and random data sample in order to try and create new Edmodo user accounts. This was the second large scale data breach of an education technology organization management. This attack was unclear as to whether or to some extent it was related to the global Cyberattacks in the early may which affected the two hundred thousand computers and one fifty countries (Baker, Hylender, Pamula, Porter Spitler, 2011). Nonetheless, the organization highlighted that protecting the privacy of its users was the utmost importance to the Edmodo. They highlighted that they will be investigating in regards to the attack. What are possible solutions? There are various ways to which Edmodo could have prevented this attack from occurring. One of the things they should have done would be to create a security awareness (ODowd, 2017). Prevention of a doomsday scenarios usually start with the creation of the security awareness (Kruse, Frederick, Jacobson Monticone, 2017). The sensitive data of the organization such as the users accounts details more often turns to be insufficiently secured. Each of the devices that are within the organization area security risk. These ranges are the devices which are used for the business as well as the private functions (Gandhi, 2017). For the employees, it is vital to be aware of the risks. Every device that is unsecured is vulnerable within an organization and it could be used conveniently by the hackers through exploiting on its vulnerabilities. Another thing the organization could have done would have been keep training of the employees regularly (Mohurle Patil, 2017). Training employees regular ly is important in order to keep them aware of the significance of the information technology. It is important to teach them, especially how to recognize the phishing as well as the malicious attachments (HEARING, 2014). In this way the organization can prevent itself from the loss of the data as well as cut the costs of restoring a locked or perhaps an infected computer. Additionally, it is important to show these employees how the cyber criminals work and what to do to help in preventing a digital burglary. Another aspect the organization should focus on the making of the agreements. Every individual within an organization is a security risk. It is therefore important to test every individual and see if certain users possibly have many rights. It is important for the organization to make agreements and to document them well. Moreover, making security and monitoring is an important priority (Shaw, 2009). Every business device should have a proper security measure and software. This could range from up to data virus scanners as well as the firewalls which are hard to guess password and encryption. Besides all the users accounts and the login credentials that are used in the business context need to be sufficiently secure. A two-step authentication for the user email accounts, would ensure that the hackers do not have enough data for getting access when one have one password (Shaw, 2009). It is also important for the business to have a critical password policy within the company. Each of the account should have its own unique and hard to guess password. A ransomware is a nasty kind of the malware which obstructs the usage of the computer or even the information and the attackers demand money for releasing it (Faulkner, 2007). The WannaCry ransomware attack occurred in May 2017 was the globally Cyber-attack. The WannaCry is a ransomware cryptoworm that focused the computer systems which are functioning employing the Microsoft Windows operating-system by encrypting on the data (Faulkner, 2007). The next thing would be to demand the ransomware payment which was to be in form of bitcoin cryptocurrency. Who were affected and how? The WannaCry malicious attack affected more than two hundred and thirty thousand computers to over one hundred and fifty countries with organization such as the Britains National Health Service (Young Yung, 2017). This triggered it to run certain services for instance surgeries on an emergency only basis in the course of the attack (Ngoma, 2012). The workers were compelled to revert to pen in addition to paper and use their very own mobiles after the attack because it impacted on the vital systems which integrated the telephones (Ngoma, 2012). The hospitals and doctors surgeries in part of England were compelled to turn the patients away and even cancel out on some of the appointments after they were affected with the ransomware, which scrambled their data on the computer systems and demanded the payments of three hundred dollars to restore the access emails (Pope, 2016). Individuals in the affected areas were encouraged to look for the medical care only in the emergencies situation s. Other major companies affected were Spanish phone company Telefonia as well as the German state railways. In Japan Hitachi which is the Japanese electronics firms their computers systems were experiencing the problems since the weekend, which included sending and receiving of the emails (Pope, 2016). In Russia the Russian Central bank they discovered the malware bulk emails to their banks but they detected no compromise of the resources. Additionally, the interior ministry in Russia they acknowledged the ransomware attack on their computers which they added that less than one percent of their computers were affected. How was the attack carried out? The hackers had been spreading the ransomware which was regarded as the WannaCry (Ngoma, 2012). This cryptoworm is delivered through the emails that trick the recipient into opening these attachment as well as releasing on the malware onto their system into the technique which is regarded as phishing (Kruse, Frederick, Jacobson Monticone, 2017). As soon as the computer gets affected, it locks up on the data files after which encrypts them in ways which they are incapable to gain access to them any longer. It then demands on the bitcoin to manage to gain the access (Kruse, Frederick, Jacobson Monticone, 2017). The WannaCry exploits on the vulnerability in the Microsoft. Individuals not installing of the updates as well as the patches on their computer systems signifies that vulnerabilities could remain open to the hackers to get in (Ngoma, 2012). The WannaCry propagates there is use of the EternalBlue which is an exploit to the Window server message Block protocol. What could have been done to prevent the attack? One of the way which could have prevented the ransomware attack is for the businesses to constantly update on their software as well as installing of the appropriate security patches. Moreover, it also requires one to keep the current and the latest operating systems (Young Yung, 2017). The patch could only work with the current system, which leaves the old version to the state of worsening security (Young Yung, 2017). Another way to which to prevent such an attack from occurring would be for the organization to have a plan in action through considering the worst case scenario in case an cyber case event would occur. The organization should be in a position of how they would be able to handle it. Planning for these scenarios as well as putting a safety measure in place could be expensive and onerous. But from the past it has been shown that the cost of not preparing for them could be far higher (Young Yung, 2017). Organization needs to plan and put the measures in place to prevent any shortcoming of these attacks from occurring. It is important for businesses to make safe and secure on their backups. Once the files have been encrypted, the options becomes limited one of the option could be a backup (Gandhi, 2017). In case of the attack the best option could be the recovery of the shadow volumes copies which some version of the windows have, since some ransomware can target the backup files. Having multiple backups to both in the cloud services and the physical disks drives could help a lot. The presence of a backup for the files helps the drive to remain entirely discounted from the networks (Young Yung, 2017). Educating of the workforce could have helped significantly (Ngoma, 2012). The basic protocol such as stressing what the employees should not click on the questionable links or perhaps the suspicious attachments can save a lot of the headaches. The system administrators needs to ensure that the workers do not have unnecessary access to parts of the networks which are not vital to their work (Ngoma, 20 12). This would help in limiting the spread of the ransomware in case the hackers do get into the system. References Baker, W., Hylender, A., Pamula, C. D., Porter, J., Spitler, C. (2011). 2011 data breachinvestigations report. Verizon RISK Team, Available: www. verizonbusiness. com/resources/reports/rp_databreach-investigationsreport-2011_en_xg. pdf, 1-72. Business, V. (2009). Data breach investigations report. Faulkner, B. (2007). Hacking into data breach notification laws. Fla. L. Rev., 59, 1097. Gandhi, K. A. (2017). Survey on Ransomware: A New Era of Cyber Attack. International Journal of Computer Applications, 168(3). Hawkins, N. (2017). Why communication is vital during a cyber-attack. Network Security, 2017(3), 12-14. HEARING, J. (2014). How data mining threatens student privacy. Kruse, C. S., Frederick, B., Jacobson, T., Monticone, D. K. (2017). Cybersecurity in healthcare: A systematic review of modern threats and trends. Technology and Health Care, 25(1), 1-10. ODowd, A. (2017). Major global cyber-attack hits NHS and delays treatment. Pope, J. (2016). Ransomware: Minimizing the Risks. Innovations in clinical neuroscience. 13(11-12), 37. Mohurle, S., Patil, M. (2017). A brief study of Wannacry Threat: Ransomware Attack 2017. International Journal, 8(5). Ngoma, S. (2012). Vulnerability of IT Infrastructures: Internal and External Threats. Shaw, A. (2009). Data breach: From notification to prevention using PCI DSS. Colum. JL Soc. Probs., 43, 517. Young, A. L., Yung, M. (2017). Cryptovirology: The birth, neglect, and explosion of ransomware. Communications of the ACM, 60(7), 24-26.

010 Topic and Research Questions Professor Ramos Blog

010 Topic and Research Questions Quick Write Quick Write What topic are you going to research? What questions do you have about the report? Specific Research Questions The topic or issue will help narrow down what you can research for your report. A specific research question will help focus your research to a specific area. A broad question like â€Å"What is global warming?† is way to big to write about and try to research in our time allotted. Plus, that one has already been answered. A better, more narrow question on this topic would be, â€Å"How does global warming affect the California shorelines?† This research question narrows down a broad topic and connects it to you. If you are a Business major, you might want to ask, â€Å"What are carbon credits, and how might they affect the California economy?† This question connects your interest or topic to your major. Report Purpose and Topic Answer questions. Review what is already known about a subject. Report new knowledge. I take your point The concepts we will be studying about writing also pertain to oral conversations. The templates from Chapter 12 show how to frame a comment in response to a discussion or argument. How to change a topic as well as how to be clear when speaking and writing. Reality is Broken Introduction What is McGonigal arguing for in her introduction? We will spend todays discussion framing our responses to one another. Chapter 12 helps us understand this idea. Take a look at the templates used to frame a comment in response to someone else.

Using Question Words That Begin With Wh in English

Using Question Words That Begin With Wh in English There are a number of ways you can ask a question in English, but the most common way is to use a word that begins with the letter combination wh-. There are nine wh-  question words, which are also called  interrogatives. One of them, how, is spelled differently, but it functions the same way and is thus considered a wh- question: What (What  do you want for dinner?)Who (Who  do you think will win the election?)Whom (I want to know to  whom  I should address this letter.)Whose (Whose  sock is this?)Which (Which  of these shirts should I buy?)When (When  does the concert begin?)Where (Where  should we visit in Spain?)Why (Why  is the sky blue?)How (How  do we get there from here?) By using one of these words to ask a question, the speaker is inferring that he or she expects a reply that is more detailed than a simple  yes or no  can satisfy. They imply that the subject has a range of options from which to choose or possess specific knowledge of a subject. Using Wh-  Question Words Wh-  question words are pretty easy to identify because they nearly always are found at the beginning of a sentence. This is called  subject/verb inversion  (or subject-auxiliary inversion), because the subjects of these sentences follow the verbs, rather than precede them. For instance: What did you do at the mall? (Subject is you)Where should we go on vacation? (Subject is we) As with much of English grammar, there are exceptions to this rule, such as when the  subject  is itself a  wh- word, as in these examples: When is not important; we need to decide where to go first.Who left the door open?What is that doing here? Another exception applies youre asking a question about the  object of a preposition  in a declarative sentence: To whom is that package addressed?For whom is the subject matter of this film appropriate? This kind of formal language, while grammatically correct, is not used often in informal conversation. But its quite common for  academic writing. Special Cases If your question is urgent or you want to follow up your first query to get more information, you can use the auxiliary verb do to add emphasis. For example, consider this dialogue: Where did you go on vacation? (verb phrase: did go)We went to Mexico City.What did you do there?   (verb phrase: did do)We visited our friends who live there. You must also use do if youre using a wh-  question in the negative, including instances where the wh-word functions as the subject: Who doesnt love freebies?Why I didnt buy this shirt earlier is beyond me. Finally, remember that you can also use wh-  words to ask a question by placing them at the end of a sentence, rather than at the beginning, where theyre usually found: Youll be visiting Spain until when?Todays date is what?Your wedding is being held where? Sources BBC World Service staff. Learning English: Wh- Questions. BBC.co.uk.Carter, Ronald; McCarthy, Michael; Mark, Geraldine; and OKeeffe, Anne. Wh-  Questions: From  English Grammar Today. Dictionary.Cambridge.org.

Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Information Systems - Essay Example Best of breed has a lot of advantages over one vendor. First best of breed is deeper and more industry specific. It also creates a potential that minimizes software functionality. The organization also gets the advantage of not getting locked with one vendor. One of the major disadvantages is the cost of ownership due to the expense of buying from different vendors unlike buying everything from one vendor. The best breed also adds a lot of complexity to the footprint of the IT (Hebda, 2009). Meditech is the name of the system used in all of the floors of the hospital. It is where all nurses do their necessary assessment and documentation of various things in the system. The radiology laboratory also uses this system as well as the blood bank to know the amount of blood needed and available at a particular time. The pharmacy departments also use this system to control the flow of drugs in and out of the pharmacy and to store drug statistics. Doctors also use the same system to enter p atient data. This system is available in English and Spanish. The system is interfaced such that it provides an easy to use paradigm. The epic system is the system in use in the emergency rooms. The same system is used in the clinics and the urgent care rooms. This system is not as integrated as the Mediates but also has an easy to use interface. The system interface is HL7. It was specifically meant for use in healthcare facilities. It boasts as one of the most widely used application in healthcare places. Health level 7 provides a good interface that is user friendly. Data entry is made easier by the use of tables and forms. The user is also able to change the interface color to the desired color without any problem. The font can also be adjusted to the desired level depending on the user needs. This is convenient especially for patients and staff members with bad vision. Information security and patient privacy are one of the major challenges faced by most organizations. However for our system, this is maintained by two very convenient ways. By domain authentication each and every user is located a unique address in the database. To get into his/her account, each user needs a user name and a password. The username is unique to every user and the password is generated by the users themselves (Saba, 2009). This makes it very hard for someone to get into confidential patient information without the username and the password. The other way of ensuring security and privacy is through the encryption of data in the hard drive. Data stored in the hard drive is encrypted. Encryption is where the data is stored in different parts. The data is Brocken down into unreadable parts and then stored differently. It is therefore impossible for one to read the data without having the whole parts of the data. This type of data protection is very convenient and ensures that incase of theft of a hard drive, the thief will not be able to decrypt back the data without the other pa rt of the data or the encryption code. Yes I believe the system in my hospital provides enough nursing support. First of all it improves patient safety. This it does by providing a lot of support in decision making among the nurses. Therefore, it reduces any chances of errors being made. The system is also very

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example This thought was advanced by economists of the free market school of thought into the neo-liberalism economics. This new school of thought emerged a century later following the burst of free market ideals, growing out of the existing liberalism economics theory. What therefore was this old liberalism theory all about? Economic liberalism prevailed in America in the 1800 and early 1900 granting individuals the right to make profit in an increasingly unregulated market. Profit was therefore pursuable at no restrictions; an anything goes analogy that would soon plunge the world into unfathomed crisis a few decades later. Subsequent to the economic crush of the 1929 occasioned by the crash of the stock market, the world was plunged into major turmoil; this lead to the emergence of two primary concerns as to how to restore balance to economies that had been into chaos. Firstly, that government had the duty and obligation to spend where others (largely the private sector) would not. Second ly, and in stark opposition to this was, that the intervention of state was both pointless in addition to being potentially dangerous in the long-run health of the aggregate economy (Wapshott, 2011). These early debates still linger till now striking strong and ferocious debates and reactions both within the government and amongst corporate bodies. The subsidence of this World crisis and the decline in profitability in industries prompted the elite to revive economic liberalism leading to the development of neo-liberalism economics (Roberts, 2010). The neo-liberalism economics propagated for the exclusive rule of the markets within the economy; deregulation of government role on any aspect that would cut back on enterprise profitability (including workers’ safety, environment safety and workers’ unionization); privatization of public amenities and resources and reduced public welfare expenditure such as healthcare and education. On the global scale, the spread of this new world order was halted by the World Wars. Subsequent to these was the United States’ Marshall Plan that once more made Europe a major trading bloc with the United States. The tide of independence and freedom of markets was meanwhile blowing across the Atlantics greatly positioning the new economic order to states that were alien due to prolonged socialism and colonization (Robbins, 2004). It is against this widespread neo-liberalism particularly by the United Sates (in its newly found capacity as the world’s superpower) that economists such as Polanyi forecasted the setting in motions events that are yet to lead to another world crisis. The blatant permission of free market forces to be a lone determinant of the fate of humanity and the natural environment would ultimately result in the destruction of society (Polanyi, 2001). However, in an apparent contradiction of his prophecy, Polanyi further went to argue that such a societal destruction could not abound since the developments within the system would guarantee the supremacy of society over the economic system.

Information and Energy Control Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Information and Energy Control Systems - Essay Example The essay endeavors to highlight the important aspects and components of the Computer networking .The main aim behind this essay is to investigate how the information is transferred through the system and what process the system to advance further. In this regard, the whole system components that collectively take part in this procedure would be discussed. Majority of the businesses run today, operate computers such that the computer department in the business organization is usually termed as the Data Processing Department. Data Processing generally means working upon raw facts and converting them into useful information. When this data processing is accomplished through Electronic Equipment, it is known as Electronic Data Processing .Basically, it comprises of three steps Input, Process and output. Input devices include keyboard, mouse etc which enables the user to enter the data to get processed into the computer. From Input devices, the data is transferred into process stage and after under going the process, the final result is released, which we generally called in computer term as, the output. The computer has its own language and understanding for the instructions. It works as it is directed by the user with its own language .Computer reads Binary digit codes which are either 0 or 1 i.e. either false or true. Bit is the smallest non-addressable unit of storage which a computer recognizes. Bit is an abbreviation of Binary digit. Once the data is entered by Input devices; these devices convert the information into a series of electric signals. Each signal is merely a presence or absence of voltage or current. The data is worked upon in the processing zone. Incase of Information transfer, the computer is attached to devices like modem. The Modem stands for Modulator and Demodulator. It converts computer output for transmitting along communication lines such as telephone lines. The

Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms: An Overview

Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms: An Overview Pancreatic cancer often goes undetected until its advanced and difficult to treat. In the vast majority of cases, symptoms only develop after pancreatic cancer has grown and begun to spread. Because more than 95% of pancreatic cancer is the adenocarcinoma type, well describe those symptoms first, followed by symptoms of rare forms of pancreatic cancer. Recommended Related to Pancreatic Cancer Understanding Pancreatic Cancer the Basics The pancreas is an organ located behind your stomach next to the top of the small intestine. It is about six inches long but is less than 2 inches wide and functions as two separate organs. It has two big manufacturing jobs in the body: It makes digestive juices that help the intestines break down food. It produces hormones including insulin that regulate the bodys use of sugars and starches. The pancreas is divided into three sections: the head, the body, and the tail. The Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms: Location Matters Initially, pancreatic cancer tends to be silent and painless as it grows. By the time its large enough to cause symptoms, pancreatic cancer has generally grown outside the pancreas. At this point, symptoms depend on the cancers location within the pancreas: Pancreatic cancer in the head of the pancreas tends to cause symptoms such as weight loss, jaundice (yellow skin), dark urine, light stool color, itching, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, back pain, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. Pancreatic cancer in the body or tail of the pancreas usually causes belly and/or back pain and weight loss. In general, symptoms appear earlier from cancers in the head of the pancreas, compared to those in the body and tail. Pancreatic Cancer: Gastrointestinal Symptoms Because pancreatic cancer grows around important areas of the digestive system, gastrointestinal symptoms often predominate: Abdominal pain. More than 80% of people with pancreatic cancer eventually experience some abdominal pain as the tumor grows. Pancreatic cancer can cause a dull ache in the upper abdomen radiating to the back. The pain may come and go. Bloating. Some people with pancreatic cancer have a sense of early fullness with meals (satiety) or an uncomfortable swelling in the abdomen. Nausea Diarrhea Pale-colored stools. If the duct draining bile into the intestine is blocked by pancreatic cancer, the stools may lose their brown color and become pale or clay-colored. Urine may become darker. Pancreatic Cancer: Constitutional (Whole-Body) Symptoms As it grows and spreads, pancreatic cancer affects the whole body. Constitutional symptoms can include: Weight loss Malaise Loss of appetite Elevated blood sugars. Some people with pancreatic cancer develop diabetes as the cancer impairs the pancreas ability to produce insulin. (However, the vast majority of people with a new diagnosis of diabetes do not have pancreatic cancer.) Pancreatic Cancer: Skin Symptoms Jaundice: As pancreatic cancer blocks the duct that releases bile into the intestine (common bile duct), the ingredients of bile build up in the blood. This turns the skin and the eyes yellow, a condition called jaundice. The same blockage causes dark urine and light-colored stools. Itching: People with pancreatic cancer sometimes report itching all over. Blockage of the bile ducts is often responsible. Symptoms of Rare Pancreatic Cancers Islet cell tumors, also called neuroendocrine tumors, arise from the cells in the pancreas that make hormones. Islet cell tumors account for only 1.5% of all pancreas tumors. Like pancreatic adenocarcinoma, islet cell tumors may cause abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea, and vomiting. Hormones released by an islet cell tumor can also cause symptoms: Insulinomas (excess insulin): sweating, anxiety, lightheadedness, and fainting from low blood sugar. Glucagonomas (excess glucagon): diarrhea, excessive thirst or urination, weight loss. Gastrinomas (excess gastrin): abdominal pain, nonhealing stomach ulcers, reflux, weight loss. Somatostatinomas (excess somatostatin): diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal pain, foul-smelling fatty stools. VIPomas (excess vasoactive intestinal peptide): abdominal cramping, watery diarrhea, facial flushing. Pancreatic Cancers Sneaky Symptoms In a very small number of people with pancreatic cancer, early symptoms might be present that could lead to an earlier diagnosis. Unfortunately, researchers have been unable to identify any predictable pattern. One study that surveyed 305 people with pancreatic cancer illustrated the challenge: About 4% reported having a sudden disgust for preferred tastes (like coffee, smoking, or wine) that preceded other symptoms by more than six months. 5% of people had loss of appetite, a feeling of early fullness with meals, or profound weakness, more than six months before more obvious symptoms developed. 1% of people had attacks of acute pancreatitis more than six months before their diagnosis with pancreatic cancer. The rarity and vagueness of these situations points out the difficulty of using early symptoms to catch pancreatic cancer at an earlier stage. That said, symptoms like weight loss, persistent loss of appetite, yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, or light-colored stools should always prompt concern. Consistent or worsening discomfort, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea are also disconcerting. If you feel somethings not right, see your doctor. MedicineNet, 2013 What are the symptoms and signs of pancreatic cancer? Because the pancreas lies deep in the belly in front of the spine, pancreatic cancer often grows silently for months before it is discovered. Early symptoms can be absent or quite subtle. More easily identifiable symptoms develop once the tumor grows large enough to press on other nearby structures such as nerves (which causes pain), the intestines (which affects appetite and causes nausea along with weight loss), or the bile ducts (which causes jaundice or a yellowing of the skin and can cause loss of appetite and itching). Symptoms in women rarely differ from those in men. Once the tumor sheds cancer cells into the blood and lymph systems and metastasizes, more symptoms usually arise depending on the location of the metastasis. Frequent sites of metastasis for pancreatic cancer include the liver, the lymph nodes, and the lining of the abdomen (called the peritoneum). Unfortunately, most pancreatic cancers are found after the cancer has grown beyond the pancreas or has metastasized to other places. 2013 Pancreatic Cancer UK Signs and symptoms Signs and symptoms are diagnostic tools that help doctors to work out what is wrong with someone and make a diagnosis. Symptoms are the things that you are experiencing, e.g. pain or loss of appetite that you will tell your doctor about. Signs are what the doctor can see when they examine someone, e.g. someone wincing when they touch a painful area. Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer doesnt usually give rise to any symptoms or signs in the early stages. This is the main reason it can be so difficult to detect and diagnose. As the cancer grows the symptoms it causes will depend on the type of pancreatic cancerand where it is in the pancreas. Any symptoms people do have can be quite vague and may come and go at first. An example is abdominal pain, which may start off as occasional discomfort before becoming more painful and more frequent. The symptoms can also be a sign of other more common, less serious illnesses. This means that people may end up seeing their GP several times or being sent for a number of different testsbefore pancreatic cancer is even considered. It is important to remember that any of the symptoms described here are common for lots of illnesses and may not be a sign of pancreatic cancer. But if you have persistent unexplained symptoms its important for your GP to refer you for tests to explore what is causing them. It can help to note down the frequency of your symptoms and mention anything unusual you are experiencing, even if it seems unrelated. If your symptoms get worse or you develop any new symptoms suddenly you should always get in touch with your GP. Most common symptoms of pancreatic cancer Most pancreatic cancers are exocrine tumours (90%). Their symptoms can be very vague and depend on whether the tumour is in the head, body or tail of the pancreas. à ¯Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¿Abdominal pain Pain is a symptom in about 70% of pancreatic cancer cases. It often starts as general discomfort or pain in the abdomen (tummy) which can spread to the back. It can be worse after eating or when you are lying down. Sitting forward can sometimes relieve the pain. At first the pain may come and go, but over time it may become more constant. If any of the organs (pancreas, liver or gall bladder) in your abdomen are inflamed or enlarged the area may also be tender to touch. Pain is caused by the cancer affecting nerves or organs near the pancreas. It can also be a result of a tumour causing a blockage in the stomach or duodenum (top part of the small intestines). Jaundice Jaundice occurs in about 50% of pancreatic cancer cases. Its an illness where the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow. Other signs of jaundice include dark urine, pale stools and itchy skin. Jaundice develops when there is a build-up in the blood of a chemical called bilirubin. This chemical is always present in the blood. It usually gets removed from the body in the bile fluid produced by the liver which empties into the small intestines through the bile duct. Cancer growing in the pancreas can block the bile duct so that bile and bilirubin keep building up in the body. This is known as obstructive jaundice. Jaundice can be caused by other non-cancerous conditions, such as a gallstone blocking the bile duct, so its important for all the obvious causes to be explored. Weight loss Losing a lot of weight for no particular reason can be a sign that something is wrong. People may also notice a loss of appetite or changes in what they feel like eating. Pancreatic cancer can affect the ability of the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes that help to digest food. This means that the body cant digest food properly or get the nutrients it needs, leading to weight loss. Weight loss is more common with cancers in the head of the pancreas. Other common symptoms of pancreatic cancer These symptoms are also common, though not everyone will have every symptom. People may have these symptoms before a diagnosis, develop them later on, or perhaps not get them at all. Bowel problems A condition called steatorrhoea (stools that are large, pale, oily, floating and smelly) is a common symptom of diseases of the pancreas. It happens because the cancer affects the production of the enzymes needed to digest food, particularly high fat food. Undigested food passing quickly through the body can also cause diarrhoea and subsequent weight loss. Nausea and vomiting Nausea (feeling sick) and sickness can occur for several different reasons. A tumour can block the bile duct or press on the duodenum, which obstructs digestion. It may also cause inflammation around it in the pancreas, or jaundice. Both of these can lead to a chemical imbalance in the body which can make people feel sick. Fever and shivering If the pancreas is inflamed or the ducts are blocked because of the tumour, this can cause a high temperature and shivering. Diabetes Diabetes can develop if a tumour stops the pancreas from functioning properly. This is because the pancreas produces the hormone insulin which the body needs to regulate the amount of sugar in the blood. People with diabetes often feel extremely thirsty, pass more urine than normal, lose weight and feel weak and lacking in energy. Diabetes is particularly associated with pancreatic cancer in older people. If someone develops late onset diabetes with no other explanation their GP should consider the possibility of pancreatic cancer. Symptoms of endocrine pancreatic tumours Less than 5% of all pancreatic cancers are endocrine tumours, which develop in the hormone producing cells of the pancreas. They are divided into functioning and non-functioning tumours, depending on whether or not they overproduce hormones and cause a chemical syndrome. Most endocrine tumours do not produce a clinical syndrome (non-functioning) so they do not cause specific symptoms. As they grow or spread they may cause pain, jaundice or a lump that can be felt in the abdomen. Some endocrine tumours overproduce hormones and cause a clinical syndrome (functioning). These give rise to different symptoms depending on the type of tumour and the hormone it produces. Gastrinomas overproduce gastrin, which causes peptic ulcers in the stomach or duodenum. Symptoms include severe pain, black tarry stools and diarrhoea. Glucagonomas overproduce glucagon. Symptoms include a specific type of skin rash (redness, ulceration and scabbing), anaemia (lack of red blood cells), weight loss and inflammation inside the cheeks and lips. Insulinomas overproduce insulin, leading to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels). Symptoms may include weakness, drowsiness, dizziness or lack of energy. Somatostatinomasoverproduce somatostatin, which causes gall stones, diabetes, diarrhoea and steatorrhoea. VIPomas overproduce a hormone called vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Symptoms include watery diarrhoea, high blood pressure and flushing of the face. 2009, Nick James and the late Sally Tweddle Pancreatic cancer symptoms This page has information on the symptoms of pancreatic cancer. You can find the following information A quick guide to whats on this page Early symptoms Other symptoms of pancreatic cancer Symptoms from endocrine pancreatic tumours More information Open box A quick guide to whats on this page Pancreatic cancer symptoms The most common type of cancer of the pancreas are exocrine tumours. The symptoms can be quite vague. And they vary depending on where the cancer is in your pancreas in the head, body or tail. Early symptoms can include weight loss, pain in the stomach area, back pain and jaundice. More than half of patients have jaundice when they first go to their doctor. Jaundice without pain is the most common reason for first going to the doctor in patients who have pancreatic cancer that can be removed with surgery. Symptoms of jaundice can include yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, severe itching, darkened urine, and pale coloured stools (bowel motions). Other symptoms There are other symptoms that you can have with cancer of the pancreas. These include diabetes, itching, sickness, change in bowel motions, fever and shivering. There is an uncommon group of pancreatic tumours called neuroendocrine tumours. About a third of these produce hormones. The symptoms are different for each type, depending on the hormone the tumour makes. You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the about pancreatic cancer section. Back to top Early symptoms The commonest types of cancer of the pancreas are exocrine tumours. The symptoms can be quite vague. And they vary depending on where the cancer is in your pancreas in the head, body or tail. Early symptoms can include Weight loss Pain in the stomach area Jaundice More early symptoms Weight loss People diagnosed with pancreatic cancer may have recently lost a lot of weight (at least 10% of their total body weight) for no apparent reason. This symptom is more common in cancers of the head of the pancreas. Pain in the stomach area About 7 out of 10 people with pancreatic cancer first go to their doctors because they have pain. Pain is more common in cancers of the body and tail of the pancreas. People describe it as a dull pain that feels as if it is boring into you. It can begin in the stomach area and spread around to the back. The pain is worse when you lie down and is better if you sit forward. It can be worse after meals. Your abdomen may also be generally tender or painful if your liver, pancreas or gallbladder are inflamed or enlarged. Jaundice More than half of patients have jaundice when they first go to their doctors. Jaundice is yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. The urine is darker than normal and bowel motions may be lighter in colour. Jaundice is more common with cancer of the head of the pancreas because the tumour blocks the bile duct. This tube carries bile into the duodenum. If it is blocked the bile ends up in your bloodstream instead. Bile contains a lot of yellow pigments so it turns the skin yellow. Jaundice is a common symptom of many liver and gallbladder diseases. It is often easier to spot in the whites of the eyes rather than the skin. More early symptoms Other early symptoms might include loss of appetite and back pain. Back to top Other symptoms of pancreatic cancer There are other symptoms that you can have with cancer of the pancreas. You may have any of these symptoms from before you are diagnosed. Or you may develop them later. Of course, you may not have all of them. Not everyone has every symptom. But these non specific symptoms are common in pancreatic cancer. You may have Diabetes Itching Sickness Bowel changes Fever and shivering Diabetes Some people diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas are found to be newly diabetic. Some have been diagnosed with diabetes within the previous year. If you have diabetes you are not producing enough insulin. So there is too much sugar in your blood. The sugar is passed out of the body in the urine and takes a great deal of water with it. This causes Thirst Passing a lot of urine Weakness Weight loss and hunger Itching You may have itching if you have bad jaundice. The bile salts in the bloodstream cause itching in the skin. Sickness You may feel or be sick because you have jaundice or an inflamed pancreas. Both these conditions upset the delicate chemical balance of the body, which can make you sick. You may also be sick if the cancer, or inflammation around it, is beginning to block the duodenum. This will stop digested food from passing through to the small bowel. Bowel changes Again, if you have jaundice you may develop a symptom called steatorrhoea. This means fatty stools. You may pass frequent, large bowel motions that are pale coloured and smelly. These bowel disturbances can mean that you are not absorbing your food properly. So this may be a cause of weight loss. Fever and shivering You may have a temperature from time to time because you have jaundice or an inflamed pancreas. When your temperature is high you may feel cold and shivery. Back to top Symptoms from endocrine pancreatic tumours Endocrine pancreatic tumours are uncommon. They are also called neuroendocrine tumours. About a third of these pancreatic tumours produce hormones (functional tumours). The symptoms are different for each type, depending on the hormone the tumour produces. They are Insulinoma Gastrinoma Somatostatinoma VIPoma Glucagonoma Insulinomas Insulinomas produce too much insulin, causing weakness, loss of energy, dizziness and drowsiness. Gastrinomas Gastrinomas produce too much gastrin, causing peptic ulcers in the stomach or duodenum. This leads to severe pain, bleeding causing black tarry stools (faeces), and diarrhoea. Somatostatinomas Somatostatinomas produce too much of a hormone called somatostatin. This causes gallstones, diabetes and diarrhoea with bulky fatty and smelly stools (steatorrhoea). VIPomas VIPomas produce too much of a hormone called VIP. This causes a great deal of watery diarrhoea, flushing of the face, and high blood pressure. Glucagonomas Glucagonomas produce too much of a hormone called glucagon. This causes a very specific type of skin rash (redness, ulceration and scabbing), anaemia, mouth ulcers and diarrhoea. About two thirds of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours do not produce hormones and so do not cause specific symptoms. As these tumours get larger or spread they may cause symptoms such as pain, a lump in the abdomen or jaundice. The average general health article on pancreatic cancer states flatly that there are no early symptoms of pancreatic cancer. People diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are typically already in the advanced stage of the disease by the time its caught, and the typical prognosis is death within five years. With pancreatic cancer much on everyones mind due to the untimely death of Steve Jobs, it seems like a good time to ask the question thats on all of our minds:Are there any early warning signs of pancreatic cancer? The answer is yes, there are. But to understand these signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer, its important to understand where the pancreas is, and what it does. Located deep inside the abdomen, the pancreas is only 4 to 6 inches long and shaped like a tadpole. In the tail of the pancreas are cells that produce insulin, and tumors at this end are usually endocrine tumors. Theyre easier to diagnose, but are much rarer. At the other end, the head of the pancreas, are cells that produce digestive enzymes, and tumors at this end are called exocrine tumors. These are by far the most common, and are much more difficult to detect. However, the idea that a pancreatic tumor is asymptomatic is a bit of a myth. Dig deep into journal articles and ask patients what they remember and the result is a long list of odd signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer to watch out for. Taken one by one, these symptoms could mean many things. But if you find yourself experiencing two or three of these early warning signs of pancreatic cancer, call your doctor and ask for a scan. Imaging techniques such as MRIs can detect pancreatic cancer some of the time, depending on the location of the tumor. Early Warning Signs of Pancreatic Cancer Diabetes, especially if it comes on suddenly. Recently, the Mayo Clinic published startling research showing that 40 percent of pancreatic cancer patients had been diagnosed with diabetes one to two years before discovering they had a pancreatic tumor. Researchers believe the diabetes is caused by tumors that simply havent been detected yet. The problem is, diabetes is very common, and the majority of diabetes isnt pancreatic cancer, so doctors are trying to develop screening tools to tell the difference. Right now, they say family history is an important clue. If youre diagnosed with diabetes that seems to come on suddenly and you have no family history of diabetes, bring this to your doctors attention and ask for further screening for pancreatic cancer. Yellowing of the eyes or skin. Even a small pancreatic tumor can block the bile duct in the head of the pancreas, causing bile to build up. This causes jaundice. Itchy skin, palms, and soles of feet. A little-known side-effect of jaundice is itchy hands and feet. Its due to a skin reaction to the bilirubin, the yellowish brown liver chemical that causes jaundice. Lack of appetite. An Italian study found that six to eight months before being diagnosed with pancreatic tumors, patients reported a sudden drop in their appetite and a tendency to feel full after eating very little. Changes in taste. In the same Italian study, some of the patients surveyed said theyd suddenly lost their taste for coffee, wine, and smoking. In fact, they said, they felt disgust for the smell and taste of coffee and alcohol. Abdominal pain. Pancreatic cancer sufferers remember this pain as a gnawing pain, rather than a sharp cramp or ache, and it radiates toward the back. A characteristic clue: the pain goes away when you lean forward. An enlarged gall bladder. The same blockage of the bile duct that causes jaundice can also cause an enlarged gallbladder, as the bile builds up behind the duct. The good news is that an enlarged gallbladder can be seen on imaging tests, and it may even be possible for a doctor to feel it during a physical exam. Pale, floating, smelly stools. If a pancreatic tumor prevents digestive enzymes from reaching the intestine, the result is an inability to digest fatty foods. So you end up with loose, smelly floaters as a result of the excess fat. Doctors say this symptom, in particular, can be an early clue and is too often overlooked. Dark, tarry stools. Bleeding in the upper intestines causes this symptom. Sudden, unexplained weight loss. Weight loss is not always, as many people mistakenly believe, a sign of advanced cancer thats spread to the liver. It can also happen because a lack of pancreatic enzymes is causing fat to pass through the body undigested. What do you do if youre worried about any of these symptoms? Document all symptoms, and report them to your doctor in as much detail as possible. If your doctor is convinced you have legitimate concerns (and remember, you may have to do some convincing) tests such as an ultrasound, a CT scan, and an endoscopy followed by a biopsy can be used to search for a pancreatic tumor. Theres also a blood test for a biomarker called CA-19-9 that can be used in conjunction with other tests to diagnose pancreatic cancer early. While tragic early deaths like Steve Jobs are the hard reality of pancreatic cancer, there are also people living productive lives thanks to an early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Such was the case with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whos still practicing after having a tiny pancreatic tumor surgically removed. Yes, she got lucky, as she put it but she also got a CT scan, which is how the tumor was found. Further Reading: Islet Cell Tumors (Endocrine Pancreas) Treatment (PDQ ®) Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation for Diabetes-Topic Overview Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation for Diabetes-Related Information Pancreatic Islet Cell Tumor Islet Cell Carcinoma (Endocrine Pancreas) Islet Cell Carcinoma (Endocrine Pancreas) Islet Cell Carcinoma (Endocrine Pancreas) See All Islet Cell Tumors Topics

Women of the Odyssey Essay -- Homer Epics Essays

The Women of the Odyssey   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people regard Homer’s epics as war stories—stories about men; those people often overlook the important roles that women play in the Odyssey. While there are not many female characters in the Odyssey, the few that there are, play pivotal roles in the story and one can gain a lot of insight by analyzing how those women are portrayed. Homer portrays the females in contradictory ways: the characters of Athena and Eurykleia are given strong, admirable roles while Melantho, the Sirens and Circe are depicted in a much more negative way. Penelope—the central female character—is given both negative and positive attributes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Athena, the grey-eyed goddess of wisdom and battle, has a soft spot for Odysseus and Telemachos. The action begins with a meeting of the gods, where Athena makes a plea on behalf of Odysseus, asking her father, â€Å"Why, Zeus, are you now so harsh with him?† (I, 62). This action, paired with another intervention into a meeting of the gods, shows Athena’s initiative and nerve, two traits which would have been greatly admired by Homer’s audience. Athena also shows cleverness and ingenuity when she disguises herself and others on several occasions: The goddess first appears as Mentes, and then later as Mentor, Telemachos himself, Penelope’s sister, a friend of Nausikaa’s, and various servants. Not only is she a master of disguises, but Athena has an incredible sense of when it is necessary to appear as someone else in order to achieve her goals. While possibly just a product of Athena’s goddess status, her ability to view th e â€Å"big picture† is quite a highly regarded trait. Athena also has the virtue of restraint which she demonstrates when she does not take part in the final battle between Odysseus and Telemachos and the suitors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In addition to Athena’s abilities and traits, the traits which she herself values give great insight into her own virtues. For example, she considers hospitality to be of great importance. This is shown several times in the Odyssey: first, when she arrives in Ithaka and is received so well by Telemachos, and a second time when she assists Odysseus by gaining the favor of Arete and Nausicaa. Athena is also very concerned with glory, which becomes clear when she sends Telemachos on his voyages with the primary purpose to grow up so that he does â€Å"not go on clinging to [his] child... ...will greatly upset her. She is seen as indecisive in the sense that she never outright refuses to marry any of the suitors and leads them on to an extent (I, 245). Finally, while the audience is certainly sympathetic to Penelope’s grief, it has been twenty years since she has seen Odysseus and ten since she expected him to return. Even Odysseus himself told her that if he did not return, she had his permission to marry again when Telemachos was grown. The fact that she has not done so and has not made any progress towards that end gives her a negative image, consequently affecting the image of all females in the Odyssey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The contradictory views of women presented by Homer, and the complexities of all main characters in the Odyssey, prove that Homer had a very good sense about human nature. Not all women are virtuous and admirable, but not all women lack positive virtues; and of course, some women cannot fit either extreme. Even the characters he sets up as role models are not perfect. Homer’s works have been so successful throughout history largely for that reason, I believe. Regardless, the Odyssey is a fascinating study of human nature and an exciting story of homecoming.

Pros and Cons of Same Sex Marriage

Pros and Cons of Same Sex Marriage Jasmaine Joseph April 19, 2013 Final Grade Same sex marriage is when two people with the same gender get married. Most people label it as homosexual, gay or lesbian marriage. Allowing same gender couples to legally marry is considered to be one of the most important of all  LGBT rights. Same sex marriage isn’t hurting anyone, personal I don’t have a problem with it. People should love and be able to marry anyone they please. America is supposed to be a free place.Argentina,  Belgium,  Canada,  Denmark,  Iceland the  Netherlands,  New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, and Sweden are the 12 countries that allow same sex marriage. Alaska and Hawaii were the first states to legally ban gay marriage in 1998. As of Nov. 7, 2012, gay marriage has been legalized in nine US states (ME, MD, MA, CT, IA, VT, NH, NY, and WA) and the District of Columbia. Though gay marriage wasn't legal until the 2000s, gay couples were getting married on TV shows in the 1990s.Sitcom Roseanne featured a gay marriage in 1995 while Friends featured a lesbian wedding in 1996. In 2004, the House passed what it called the Marriage Protection Act. This legislation would have prevented the federal courts from addressing the issue of marriage. The legislation was not brought up for a vote in the Senate. On May 9, 2012, President Obama made US History when he told ABC News, â€Å"I think same sex couples should be able to get married. † Obama was reelected for a second term in November, 2012.In recent polls, about 70 percent of voters under the age of 30 support same-sex marriage. It would be a major step forward for our country in ensuring all citizens have equal rights and no one is discriminated against based on things such as race, gender, religion, sexual preference, disability, and other factors that don’t determine a person’s self-worth and contribution to society. One issue that people have with same sex marriage is parenting. Scientific research shows that lesbian and gay parents are as fit and capable as heterosexual parents.I don’t think it’s fair that when a same gender couple adopt one parent has to be labeled as the step parent. Since gay couples cannot have kids naturally, this will likely increase the desire to adopt. Since there are so many kids around the country in need of adoption, this is a good thing. Marriage benefits should be available to all couples even if they are same sex. It is completely unfair to deny these privileges to people because their relationship doesn't fit the state's  definition  of one. Denying these marriages is a form of minority discrimination.Denying marriage to a homosexual couple is no different than denying marriage to  Hispanic  or black couples. An overwhelming amount of  research  has been done showing that homosexuality has a biological causation; not a genetic one, but a biological one. The easiest w ay to think of it is as a hormonal switch that gets thrown one way or the other. And if you think about it, it makes logical sense. Consider many gays and lesbians you've seen. The only thing that should matter in marriage is love. Marriage is commitments that say â€Å"I love you so much and I’m not leaving you for nothing in this world. There are lower STD rates among married homosexuals than among non-married or cohabiting homosexual couples. Married gay couples have higher average incomes than non-married or cohabiting gay couples. The same financial benefits that apply to opposite sex marriages would apply to same-sex marriages. These are some cons people have to say about same sex marriage. Most religions consider homosexuality a sin. Virtually every religion in the world, including the major ones in this country, considers homosexuality unacceptable.It is offensive and a swipe to the religious freedom of the majority to have to recognize a relationship they consider s inful. It confuses children about gender roles and expectations of society, and only a man & woman can pro-create. Children learn about expectations and gender roles from society. It's difficult to teach the importance and traditions of the family when such confusion is thrust upon them. The gay lifestyle is not something to be encouraged, as a lot of research shows it leads to a much lower life expectancy, psychological disorders, and other problems.Studies show that homosexuals, for a variety of reasons, have life expectancies of approximately 20 years less than the general population. Just like a lifestyle of smoking and drinking unhealthy lifestyles should be discouraged. It would weaken the definition and respect for the institution of marriage. Marriage should not be extended to same-sex couples because homosexual relationships have nothing to do with procreation. Allowing gay marriage would only further shift the purpose of marriage from producing and raising children to adul t gratification.Transmission rates of STDs through homosexual intercourse are higher than heterosexual intercourse. Both cannot be biological parents of their own children. Timeline †¢ September 21, 1996: President Clinton signs the Defense of Marriage Act, banning federal recognition of same-sex marriage and defining marriage as â€Å"a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife. † †¢ December 20, 1999: The Vermont Supreme Court rules that gay and lesbian couples should be given the same rights as heterosexual couples. November 18, 2003: The Massachusetts Supreme Court rules that a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. †¢ February 20, 2004: Sandoval County, New Mexico, issues 26 same-sex marriage licenses, but they are nullified by the state attorney general that day. †¢ February 12 to March 11, 2004: Nearly 4,000 same-sex couples get marriage licenses in San Francisco. †¢ February 24, 2004: President Bush announces support for a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. †¢ February 27, 2004: New Paltz, New York, Mayor Jason West performs same-sex marriages for about a dozen couples. March 3, 2004: In Portland, Oregon, the Multnomah County Clerk's Office issues marriage licenses for same-sex couples. Benton County follows on March 24. †¢ June 7, 2004: West is issued a permanent injunction by the Ulster County Supreme Court against marrying same-sex couples. †¢ March 11, 2004: The California Supreme Court orders San Francisco to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. †¢ May 17, 2004: The first legal same-sex marriages in U. S. history are performed in Cambridge, Massachusetts. †¢ July 14, 2004: The U.S. Senate blocks a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage (48 votes out of 60 needed). †¢ August 12, 2004: The California Supreme Court orders San Francisco officials, including Mayor Gavin Newsom, not to license additional sa me-sex marriages, pending resolution of the constitutional challenges to state marriage statutes †¢ April 25, 2011: King & Spalding, the private law firm hired by House Speaker John Boehner, backs out of defending the Defense of Marriage Act. †¢ May 12, 2011: Delaware Gov.Jack Markell signs legislation allowing civil unions between same-sex couples. The bill will take effect January 1, 2012. †¢ June 14, 2011: Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York proposes the Marriage Equality Act, a bill to legalizes marriage for same-sex couples. †¢ June 14, 2011: U. S. District Court for the Northern District of California upholds a lower court ruling invalidating California's Proposition 8's ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional. The ruling had been challenged when the lower court's judge was found to be gay. June 24, 2011: The New York Senate votes to legalize same-sex marriage. Cuomo signs the bill just before midnight, and the bill goes into effect July 24, 2011. †¢ Ju ly 2, 2011: Gov. Lincoln Chafee signs legislation making Rhode Island the fifth state to allow civil unions between same-sex couples. †¢ September 30, 2011: The U. S. Department of Defense issues guidelines allowing military chaplains to perform same-sex ceremonies. †¢ January 30, 2012: Legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in the state of Washington passes a House committee vote and heads to the Senate.Gov. Chris Gregoire is in favor of the bill. †¢ February 1, 2012: The Washington state Senate passes a bill to legalize same-sex marriage by a vote of 28-21. On February 8, the House approves the measure by a vote of 55-43. †¢ February 7, 2012: A three-judge panel with the 9th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco rules that Proposition 8, the voter-approved same-sex marriage ban, violates the Constitution. †¢ February 13, 2012: Gregoire signs a law making same-sex marriage is signed into law in Washington state.The law will go into effect in Ju ne unless opponents halt its implementation by putting it on the November 2012 ballot. †¢ February 13, 2012: The New Jersey state Senate passes a bill to legalize same-sex marriage by a vote of 24-16. †¢ February 17, 2012: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoes a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. New Jersey lawmakers have until the legislative session ends in January 2014 to override Christie's veto and would need a two-thirds majority in both houses to succeed. †¢ February 23, 2012: The Maryland Senate passes a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.The bill passed the Maryland House vote earlier in the month, and Gov. Martin O'Malley has promised to sign it into law. The law will go into effect in the summer if it survives a likely court challenge. †¢ May 8, 2012: North Carolina voters pass a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, putting a ban that already existed in state law into the state's charter. †¢ May 9, 2012: Excerpts from an interview w ith ABC air in which Obama endorses same-sex marriage, the first such statement by a sitting president. He feels that the legal decision should be up to the states to determine. May 30, 2012: A lawsuit is filed in Illinois by nine same-sex couples challenging the constitutionality of a state law that denies same-sex couples the right to marry. References  © 2013 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved ( http://www. cnn. com/2012/05/31/us/ff-same-sex-marriage ) Written by: Joe Messerli ( http://www. balancedpolitics. org/same_sex_marriages. htm ) http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage http://topics. nytimes. com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/same_sex_marriage/index. html