Definition, Usage, and Examples of Italics

Definition, Usage, and Examples of Italics Italics  is a style of typeface in which letters slant to the right:  This sentence is printed in italics. Verb: italicize. In handwriting, the equivalent of italics is underlining. As shown below, italics are most commonly used for the titles of works that stand by themselves, such as the names of books, films, and video games.  Another customary use of  italics is  to give emphasis to key words and phrases in a sentence. Although its important to use italics appropriately in formal, academic  writing, italic type is not always available in less formal communications, such as in emails and text messages.   Etymology From the Latin, Italy Guidelines for Using Italics As a general rule, italicize the titles of complete works: Albums and CDs:  1989  by Taylor SwiftBooks: To Kill a Mockingbird  by Harper LeeMagazines and journals (print and online): Sports Illustrated, Slate, and  Journal of LinguisticsNewspapers: The New York TimesMovies: The MartianPlays:  A Raisin in the Sun  by Lorraine HansberrySoftware programs:  Microsoft PowerPoint  Television programs: Doctor WhoVideo games:  Grand Theft Auto VWorks of art: Nighthawks  by Edward Hopper The titles of comparatively short works- songs, poems, short stories, essays, and episodes of TV programs- should be enclosed in quotation marks. As a general rule, italicize the names of aircraft, ships, and trains; foreign words used in an English sentence; and words and letters discussed as words and letters: These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise.From 1925 to 1953, a passenger train named the Orange Blossom Special brought vacationers to sunny Florida from New York.There is no danger that Titanic will sink. The boat is unsinkable and nothing but inconvenience will be suffered by the passengers.Come kiss me, and say goodbye like a man. No, not good-bye, au revoir.Every word she writes is a lie, including and and the. As a general rule, use italics to emphasize words and phrases- but dont overwork this device: Then I started reading this timetable I had in my pocket. Just to stop lying. Once I get started, I can go on for hours if I feel like it. No kidding.  Hours. Observations Italics rarely fail to insult the readers intelligence. More often than not they tell us to emphasize a word or phrase that we would emphasize automatically in any natural reading of the sentence.Think of italics as butterflies that might swoop across the page, allow them to flit about, land here and there, softly; gently; dont treat them as a blanket that must spread itself across the entire page. The butterfly approach will bring a dash of color; the blanket approach will darken everything.Underlining is to... handwritten papers what italics are to more formal publishing... Today the only widespread use of underlined text is to denote clickable links in Web documents. (The newspaper convention, which I use as a newspaperman and which was also a response to a technical inability to use italics, is quotation marks for book, movie, and other titles.) Pronunciation ih-TAL-iks Sources Title sequence of the original  Star Trek  TV series Phillip Franklin, Vice President of White Star Line William Graham, Chats With Jane Clermont, 1893 Mary McCarthy on Lillian Hellman J. D. Salinger,  The Catcher in the Rye, 1951 Paul Robinson, The Philosophy of Punctuation.  Opera, Sex, and Other Vital Matters. University of Chicago Press, 2002 William Noble,  Nobles Book of Writing Blunders (and How to Avoid Them). Writers Digest Books, 2006 Bill Walsh,  The Elephants of Style. McGraw-Hill, 2004

Blue-Ringed Octopus Facts

Blue-Ringed Octopus Facts The blue-ringed octopus is an extremely venomous animal known for the bright, iridescent blue rings it displays when threatened. The small octopuses are common in tropical and subtropical coral reefs and tide pools of the Pacific and Indian Ocean, ranging from southern Japan to Australia. Although the blue-ringed octopus bite contains the powerful neurotoxin tetrodotoxin, the animal is docile and unlikely to bite unless handled. Blue-ringed octopuses belong to the genus Hapalochlaena, which includes four species: H. lunulata, H. fasciata, H. maculosa, and H. nierstrazi. Fast Facts: Blue-Ringed Octopus Common Name: Blue-ringed octopusScientific Name: Hapalochlaena sp.Distinguishing Features: Small octopus with yellowish skin that flashes bright blue rings when threatened.Size: 12 to 20 cm (5 to 8 in)Diet: Small crabs and shrimpAverage Lifespan: 1 to 2 yearsHabitat: Shallow warm coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific OceansConservation Status: Not evaluated; common within its rangeKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: MolluscaClass: CephalopodaOrder: OctopodaFun Fact: The blue-ringed octopus is immune to its own venom. Physical Characteristics When not threatened, the blue-ringed octopus rings may be brown or invisible. Brook Peterson/Stocktrek Images / Getty Images Like other octopuses, the blue-ringed octopus has a sac-like body and eight tentacles. Ordinarily, a blue-ringed octopus is tan-colored and blends in with its surroundings. The iridescent blue rings only appear when the animal is disturbed or threatened. In addition to up to 25 rings, this type of octopus also has a blue line running through its eyes. Adults range in size from 12 to 20 cm (5 to 8 in) and weigh from 10 to 100 grams. Females are slightly larger than males, but the size of any octopus varies greatly depending on nutrition, temperature, and available light. Prey and Feeding The blue-ringed octopus hunts small crabs and shrimp during the day, but it will eat bivalves and small fish if it can catch them. The octopus pounces upon its prey, using its tentacles to pull its catch toward its mouth. Then, its beak pierces the crustaceans exoskeleton and delivers the paralyzing venom. The venom is produced by bacteria in octopus saliva. It contains tetrodotoxin, histamine, taurine, octopamine, acetylcholine, and dopamine. Once the prey is immobilized, the octopus uses its beak to tear off chunks of the animal to eat. The saliva also contains enzymes that partially digest flesh, so that the octopus can suck it out of the shell. The blue-ringed octopus is immune to its own venom. Venom and Bite Treatment Encounters with this reclusive creature are rare, but people have been bitten after handling accidentally stepping on a blue-ringed octopus. A bite leaves a tiny mark and may be painless, so its possible to be unaware of danger until respiratory distress and paralysis occur. Other symptoms include nausea, blindness, and heart failure, but death (if it occurs) usually results from paralysis of the diaphragm. There is no antivenom for a blue-octopus bite, but tetradotoxin is metabolized and excreted within a few hours. First aid treatment consists of applying pressure to the wound to slow the effects of the venom and artificial respiration once the victim stops breathing, which usually occurs within minutes of the bite. If artificial respiration is started immediately and continued until the toxin wears off, most victims recover. Behavior Hal Beral / Getty Images During the day, the octopus crawls through coral and across the shallow sea floor, seeking to ambush prey. It swims by expelling water through its siphon in a type of jet propulsion. While juvenile blue-ringed octopuses can produce ink, they lose this defensive ability as they mature. The aposematic warning display deters most predators, but the octopus piles up rocks to block the entrance to its lair as a safeguard. Blue-ringed octopuses are not aggressive. Reproduction Blue-ringed octopuses reach sexual maturity when they are less than a year old. A mature male will pounce on any other mature octopus of its own species, whether its male or female. The male holds the other octopus mantle and tries to insert a modified arm called a hectocotylus into the female mantle cavity. If the male is successful, he releases spermatophores into the female. If the other octopus is a male or a female that already has sufficient sperm packets, the mounting octopus typically withdraws without a struggle. In her lifetime, the female lays a single clutch of about 50 eggs. Eggs are laid in autumn, shortly after mating, and incubated under the females arms for around six months. Females dont eat while incubating eggs. When the eggs hatch, the juvenile octopuses sink to the sea floor to seek prey, while the female dies. The blue-ringed octopus lives one to two years. Conservation Status None of the species of blue-ringed octopus have been evaluated with respect to conservation status. They are not listed on the IUCN Red List, nor are they protected. Generally, people dont eat these octopuses, but some are captured for the pet trade. Sources Cheng, M.W.; Caldwell, R.L. (2000). Sex identification and mating in the blue-ringed octopus,  Hapalochlaena lunulata.  Anim Behav.  60  (1): 27–33.  Lippmann, John and Bugg, Stan, DAN S.E. Asia-Pacific Diving First Aid Manual, J.L. Publications, Australia, May 2004. ISBN 0-646-23183-9Mthger, L.M.; Bell, G.R.; Kuzirian, A.M.; Allen, J.J. Hanlon, R.T. (2012). How does the blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) flash its blue rings?. Journal of Experimental Biology. 215 (21): 3752–3757. doi:10.1242/jeb.076869Robson, G. C. (1929). Notes on the Cephalopoda. - VIII. The genera and subgenera of Octopodinae and Bathypolypodinae. Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Series 10. 3 (18): 607–608. doi:10.1080/00222932908673017Sheumack D.D., Howden M.E., Spence I., Quinn R.J. (1978). Maculotoxin: a neurotoxin from the venom glands of the octopus Hapalochlaena maculosa identified as tetrodotoxin. Science. 199 (4325): 188–9. doi:10.1126/science.619451

A personal statement for UC transfer applicant

A for UC transfer applicant - Personal Statement Example My high school was among the top schools in China. My dad owned a technology business and employed a diverse workforce. The composition of his workforce had an influence on me that made me learn Japanese and English. I studied Japanese for seven years while in high school. In addition, I learned English as my second language while in middle school and high school. Through my studies, I ensured that I learned the best skills that would assist in my family businesses later in my life. My desire to study a major in economics is also driven by my experience in stock exchange market which my parent also engages in as part of their business. I am interested in the stock market, and I look forward to starting trading when I am through with my major. Thus learning the best skills required to make earning out of stock will help me take over on my mother’s stock market business. I wish also to help my dad and mom while studying even before I complete my major in Economics. I have volunteered during holidays as a community social worker. During my time in campus, I helped organize campus events such as group debate. Moreover, I have been a member of AGS since the spring of 2014 and had held meetings with people intending to join the organization. In addition, I supervised fund raising and all events of the AGS. Furthermore, I have off-campus experiences involving food bank visiting, state park events and attending beach rallies. Moreover, I worked for Starbucks as a part-time intern for over a year. Throughout my internship, I met a lot of people and learned more on how to make beverages. Moreover, it is during my time at the company that I perfected my communication skills. I learnt how to interact will customers and how to handle those who were dissatisfied with the company products and services. Before, my time in Starbuck I was very shy and timid when facing new people. However, the company exposed to me all I needed to fit in the business

Concentration Indices Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Concentration Indices - Research Paper Example This index also shows the amount of competition present among the companies. Basically it takes market shares in account and calculates the sum of shares of the market shares of all the companies present in that particular industry. So if there are N firms in an industry, the HHI is calculated as Where s is the market share of the firm and 'n' represents the number of the firms in the whole industry. If we see a decrease in HHI index we can say that there is an increase in competition and there has been a loss of pricing power and it's vice versa when there is an increase in the value. Other significant variants which typically revolve around the value of HHI are unconcentrated index which is indicated when H index is below 1000. HHI index between 1000 and 1800 indicates moderate concentration value and HHI index above 1800 indicates high concentration Concentration Ration is defined as the percentage of market share which is owned by N largest firms in an industry. Usually the value of N is 4 but sometimes some other larger number is taken. It is expressed as CRn, so a concentration ration for N largest firms in an industry is defined as follows Where s defines the market share of the firm and n defines the number of the large firms if the value of the index is near zero then we can say that the industry is extremely competitive. However as general thumb rule followed by the industry analysts, that if CR value is lower then 40 then it implies that the industry has very stiff competition among the firms present in them and that none of them have a major chunk of market share in them. While on the other scenario where the value is close to 95 then we can say that one firm which is dominating the whole scenario. It can be called a monopolistic scenario. Lerner Index: This index value considers the market positioning of the firm. It talks about the pricing and measures the extent to which a given firm's prices exceed marginal costs. Basically it is measured as the difference between the price and the marginal cost of the goods and it is defined as One thing we need to understand is that a high index value does not indicate the firm's exercising market power. Prices may exceed marginal costs Gini Coefficient: One of the most famous indexes is the gini coefficient; it is termed as a measure of inequality of a distribution. It is defined as the ratio of areas on the Lorenz curve If the area between the line of perfect equality and Lorenz curve is M, and the area under the Lorenz curve is N, then we can say that the Gini coefficient is M/(M+N). we can say that this index is used as health inequality or finance related inequality metrics. It is termed between 0 and 1 where if it becomes 0 it is termed as perfect income or health equality. And 1 related to perfect inequality. A practical value usually lies in between them. Costs and Benefits of the Indices There are benefits and advantages of some of the indices and some issues with others. If we look at HHI index we can say that it is a costly proposition. It considers all the firms in one single industry and if suppose the industry has 10000 firms under its belt then taking the considerations of 10000

Year of Wonders Essay Example for Free

Year of Wonders Essay Geraldine Brooks work of historical fiction, Year of Wonders, concentrates on emotional and physical conflict and the innate response of the villagers of Eyam at a time of crisis. The novel reflects on Anna Frith, an ordinary resident of the village, highlighting her profound mental and emotional development as the events unfold. With the guidance of Elinor Mompellion, Anna endeavoured to support her community throughout the plague, establishing the archetype of hero. Although the central female characters of the novel, Anna and Elinor, were conveyed as heroic, the majority of women struggled to have any notable positive impact, largely due to the oppression of their dominant husbands. Furthermore, there were a number of male characters who strived to do good, contrary to their generalisation of being characterised as negative and destructive. However, the focus of heroism is drawn towards the female characters. Annas efforts throughout the plague were transcendent, surpassing that of any other villager. The novel encompassed Annas journey throughout the course of events, having significantly more importance to the plot than the plague itself. However, it was Elinor that begun Anna on her journey, helping her see that the good she could do, no matter how trivial, could help others profoundly. It was through Elinor that Anna discovered hope, which fuelled her desire to step up as the compassionate hero of Eyam. She was able to accomplish this by detaching herself from religious ideology, which was the cause of humanity seeing the world in dark and light [which] was how [she] was taught to view the world. Anna was able to fully embrace life, which enabled her to develop a passion for midwifing, fulfilling her characterisation as a hero. Elinors endeavours concerning the crisis, too, was of a benevolent nature. When juxtaposing the two heroines, it is made clear they are extraordinarily similar in personality; they both had an intimate relationship with nature. Although both Anna and Elinor carried incredible emotional burdens, neither relinquished their duties as carers of the village. There had been so much futile effort expended since the coming of the Plague, and yet they continued to support thers, displaying the characteristics of a true hero. There were a number of male characters in the novel who were committed to relieving the burden the plague had put on the villagers, but none more so than Michael Mompellion, the Anglican rector of Eyam. He was a man distinguished by exceptional courage, nobility and strength the ideal hero. This was evident in his efforts as the intrinsic leader of the village, reassuring them that the plague was an act of God, and that [they] must trust in God to perform His wonders. Michaels actions throughout the novel was continually justified as being a part of Gods will maintaining his namesake as being a soldier of God; he was able to embrace what God had given them. With his persuasive aural techniques, Michael was able to convince the community to quarantine themselves for the sake of humanity: Let us carry [the burden] in Gods Holy Name! There was no malevolent intention with this sacrifice; the sole purpose was to help save the souls of the people, directing them on a path of salvation. Tending to those who lay dying from the ill-effects of the plague, Michael sought to help those atone from their sins, helping them escape from the world cruelly desecrated by the plague. Although his pledge that none should die alone had become a heavy burden upon him, Michael continued to do so, proving that, beyond doubt, his communal deeds were protagonistic. The overwhelming majority of women were unable to develop an independent understanding of the plague, due to being fettered by their male kin; they did not make any positive contribution to plague efforts. However, this was not uncommon in the seventeenth century; women were made to be a mans chattel. Anna and Elinor are two female characters who were able to involve themselves in plague affairs: As a widow, Anna is truly independent; Elinor is not constrained by her husband, Michael, when there is potential for a positive outcome to her actions. On the other hand, every other female character in the novel (omitting Anys and Mem Gowdie) is shackled by their husbands or fathers, being unable to claim independence. Women were forced to follow the master of the house in their ideas and values. A notable example is Colonel Bradfords treatment of Mrs. Bradford, who seemed to take a perverse amusement in belittling his wife. Oppressed women were unable to establish their own methods of supporting others through the plague; they were forced to do what they are told. It appears Brooks intended to omit any account of any other woman in the village stepping up as a hero, possibly to further highlight Anys independence and Annas journey to become self-sufficient. In a general sense, it is blatant that the female characters cannot claim to be more heroic than the male characters. Year of Wonders focuses on human response to pandemonium. In particular, the novel highlights how certain characters have the potential to take charge during a crisis, becoming heroes. Anna, Elinor and Michael are among those who were able to accomplish this. Neither gender could be generalised as being more heroic than the other when the plague encapsulated Eyam, though. However, other female characters had the potential to fill the shoes of a hero; their role in society made this impossible. It was only the women who claimed independence who were able to demonstrate a sound attempt in supporting plague efforts.

Essay --

Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore’s book Defying Dixie: The Radical Roots of Civil Rights, 1919-1950 shows the Civil Rights movement in the same light as those writers like Jacquelyn Dowd Hall who believed in â€Å"The Long Movement.† Gilmore sets out to prove that much more time and aspects went into the Civil Rights Era and that it did not just start at the time of Brown v. Board of Education and the civil rights acts of the nineteen sixties. The book adhered to the ideology of â€Å"The Long movement† aspects of the civil rights era during its earlier times. However it also differs by displaying the more unorthodox, often unseen origins of the movement in Communism, labor, and fascism. She also shows that Black civil rights is not a problem faced by many countries. In Fact, that the United States can share the shame of holding a race of people down, with only few others. In Gilmore’s opinion the movement began in 1919, When African American Soldiers began returning from WWI and even though they risked their lives that same as the whites, African American’s still faced oppression. In this book...

Perception on the Nursing Profession and Career Choice of High School Students Essay

According to Wieck (2006), the nursing workforce seems to be at an exciting crossroad of change, both in recruiting and in curriculum. The environment of healthcare has changed and so has nursing, resulting in students asking, â€Å"What is nursing?† This question creates a challenge for nurse educators. In order to attract and retain bright, capable students in nursing, there must be changes in the nursing curriculum to provide and assure accurate and definitive perceptions of nursing. Factors which currently contribute to students’ perceptions of nursing must be identified in order to establish and provide students with the career making skills necessary in choosing a nursing career, find job satisfaction following graduation, and remain in nursing as a career. Peterson (2006) stated that historically, nurses have been predominantly females who were easily recognized by a white hat and uniform making the professional and the profession more visible. Today, white uniforms and hats have been replaced by vivid colored scrub suits worn by both male and female nurses. Students’ perceptions of nursing are based on visual images that are often limited to bedside care and drug administration instead of that of a highly skilled and well-educated nursing professional with an important role to play in healthcare. Foskett and Hensley-Brown (2008) suggests that students’ career perceptions are highly individual, and are the product of contracted images of jobs they see for themselves, derived images from media, and delegated images from parents and friends. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2000) lists nursing as one of the top 40 growth jobs for the next ten years. But looking in today’s scenario, the number of students applying to baccalaureate nursing programs across the nation is decreasing. In the Philippines, according to CHED Executive Director Julito Vitriolo (2010), nursing is considered one of the country’s oversubscribed courses – programs that have continually rising enrolment rates in the face of dwindling job vacancies, leading to an oversupply of graduates. With the study, the researchers would like to know view of high school graduating students regarding nursing profession and their career choice in college, whether to take up nursing or not. As reflected in today’s reality, many notice that there is a continuous decline in students taking up nursing course and being taken by some to be their future job but not as a profession as it should be. The researchers hope that this study will help schools on how they will intervene with the nursing curriculum being offered. Statement of the Problem This study aimed to determine the perception of high school students on the nursing profession and their career choice. Specifically, this study answered the following questions: 1. What is the profile of the 4th Year high school students in terms of: 1.1 Sex 1.2 Family’s Monthly Income 2. What is the career choice of high school students? 2.1 Courses in the College of Commerce 2.2 Courses in the College of Aviation 2.3 College of Criminology 2.4 College of Theology 2.5 College of Law 2.6 Courses in the College of Science 2.7 Courses in the College of Engineering 2.8 Courses in the College of Medicine and Health Care 2.9 Courses in the College of Arts 2.10 Courses in the College of Computer Studies 2.11 Courses in the College of Education 2.12 Courses in the College of Architecture and Fine Arts 3. What are the reasons of 4th year high school students in their preferred courses? 4. What are the perceptions of 4th year high school students on the nursing profession? Theoretical Framework People have a way of seeing the world and interpreting what is experienced. When encountering new knowledge or an experience that cannot be integrated comfortably with current ways of seeing the world, one has a choice of rejecting the new information or revising previous views. Mezirow calls this â€Å"transformative learning†, which can be done by reading or hearing something new, taking a course, or by having a discussion with friends or colleagues. Transformative learning involves changing one’s perspective. Mezirow also uses the term â€Å"meaning perspective† to describe how one sees the world. One expects to see things a certain way because of past experiences. This frame of reference or perspective stems from the way an individual grew up, one’s culture, and knowledge that has been acquired. Mezirow describes meaning perspectives as values of culture that have been accepted without question (i.e. because one grew up with it). For example, nursing is commonly perceived as a female profession. The opportunity to influence students’ perspectives about nursing can influence whether accurate perceptions are used in making a career decision about nursing. Transformative learning about nursing can satisfy certain needs that many students may have in order to make a more informed career decision regarding nursing. Students’ meaning perspectives about nursing that are outdated or inaccurate and not redirected by providing transformative learning, can affect students’ interests in nursing. Frank Parsons’ Trait-and Factor theory maintained that an individual would be best satisfied with a career that was matched with the characteristics of the individual. Parsons wrote the first book on career decision-making early in the twentieth century entitled Choosing a Vocation. His conceptual framework for helping an individual select a career one liked and that matched one’s abilities provides a systematic plan for career guidance. Shadowing, volunteer experiences, and academia about nursing can provide a conceptual framework for prenursing students that will allow them to determine if nursing is a satisfying career choice and matches their strongest personal skills. Ginsburg, Ginsburg, Axelrod, and Herma developed the first approach of career development from individual developmental stages. These researchers viewed career choice as a life-long developmental process and cited three stages categorized by characteristics within age groups. First, fantasy period of childhood before age 11, purely a play orientation early in the stage, becoming more work-oriented near the end of the stage. Second, tentative period of early adolescence, ages 11-17, a period of gradual recognition of work requirements, interests, abilities, work reward, values, and time perspectives. Third, realistic period involves adolescents, age 17 to young adult. Within this age, individuals integrate capacities and interests, further develop values, specify occupational choice, and crystallize occupational patterns. The Realistic Period is the age group and period of the typical prenursing student. Ginsberg theorized that as career decisions were made during this period, other careers were no longer potential choices. Although this was later proven to be false, Ginsberg continued to stress earlier choices in the career decision-making process. Conceptual Framework Figure 1. Perception on Nursing Profession and Career Choice of Fouth Year High School Students The figure on the next page shows the profile of fourth year high school students namely sex, and family income. Each respondent would be asked to specify their gender and how much their family earns every month. The study would gather the courses preferred by fourth year high school students through a variety of courses list given by the researchers. The study would tackle the reasons behind the choice of course made by the students. The study would also tackle the number of students who have chosen nursing as a course for college, and the reasons for such preference for nursing. Lastly, the study will show how fourth year high school students view nursing as a profession regardless of their course preferences. Assumptions of the Study This part of the study aims to shows the perceived possible cause-and- effect relationship to simplify a complex analysis. Female Fouth Year high school students choose nursing as their course in college than male 4th year high students. Fouth Year high school students from high earner families choose nursing as a course than 4th year high school students from low earner families. Fouth Year high school students who have relatives or family members who are in the medical field tend to enroll in the nursing curriculum than 4th year high school students who have no relatives or family members in the medical field. Fouth Year high school students who have friends enrolling in the nursing curriculum follow the same course than students without friends enrolling in the nursing curriculum. Significance of the Study This part of the study aims to show where it is relevant and useful. It provides insight to the following institutions and individuals which will serves as benefactors of this study. Parents. The study will provide better understanding of the students’ perception on choosing a career, thus, parents can help their children in the hardest decision in choosing a career that would suit them. It will make them be aware with the perceptions of students about nursing as a profession and a life career. Nursing Schools. Determining students’ perceptions about nursing would provide Nursing Schools with a basis for curriculum development. Identifying these perceptions can lead to academic standards and healthcare experiences that could prove crucial to meeting students’ individual career development needs both now and in the future. Graduate Nurses/Registered Nurses. This research is also important because it could provide information related to current perceptions about the nursing profession that experienced nurses could address as they mentor students. Students who wish to enrolled in nursing need to have nurse role models that present positive and accurate characteristics about nursing, as well as the negative aspects of the profession. Knowledge of both types of factors can provide students the necessary skills to formulate quality perceptions for career decision making. Nurses in the Academe. The result of this research can serve as a tool for nurse educators in developing a challenging curriculum preparing nursing students to integrate seriously the career into their life. The result can also serve to be a basis for an improve way of education and promotion of nursing profession to the young generation. Future Researchers. For researchers who want to pursue the study, it will be a great contribution in taking up steps to find further answers and knowledge on the perceptions of students and the relevance of nursing as a profession. Furthermore, the study can be a guide to know an increase or a decline on the number of nursing enrollees for the future Scope and Limitation This research study was conducted on Fouth Year high school students. This research is limited only to the first section of graduating high school students that enrolled for the school year 2013-2014 at Notre Dame of Marbel University – Integrated Basic Education Department, Notre Dame of Sienna School of Marbel, and Koronadal National Comprehensive High School located in the City of Koronadal, South Cotabato. Definition of Terms This part of the study provides meaning of terms being used by the researchers to support the understanding of the readers. Perception on the Nursing Profession. This term refers to a mental image of a person to the nursing profession. Perception is a subjective mater affected by different factors that vary from person to person. A person perceives nursing profession based on his observations in his day-to-day living in the society. Nursing Profession. It is a kind of career that gives an opportunity in rendering care and service to others. People who are in this profession are persons who has knowledge and skills in promoting health and wellness among individuals, families and communities he or she cared for. Career. The occupation in which a person does for a period of time. This is an occupation which a person has the opportunity to progress and it is regarded as a long-term or lifelong activity Career choice. A decision made by an individual to choose a field to specialize in for progression of jobs. A decision to attain career goals set by an individual. College. This term describes an institution of higher learning that offers tertiary level of education and awards bachelor’s and sometimes master’s degrees. College offers courses of different fields for undergraduates to specialize in. Chapter II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This section presented a review of related literature based from different sources such as from previous studies that supported the reliability of the study. Historical Perspective of Nursing Since Florence Nightingale’s pioneering work, only five generations of nurses have set their footprints in history. In that short time, nursing has grown enormously in knowledge, skill, prestige, and value. Nursing needs to be recognized as a member of the scientific discipline that can make valuable contributions to healthcare (Mundinger, 2000). America witnessed nursing first in the 20th century in home visiting and community-based care. Then, during World War II nurses cared for patients on the European front and ran hospitals in the United States while physicians were at war. Nurses were entrepreneurs for soup kitchens for the poor, directed individual and family counseling on dietetics and school health stations, and provided most community-based care with physicians seeing only the critically ill. Nurses shed their uniforms for coveralls in the war and worked with their medical colleagues in the indistinguishable teamwork of saving lives, only to return after the war to resume their prewar status (Mundinger, 2000). Associate degree (AD) hospital based nursing programs, which had been the education and clinical training centers for nurses and supplied its nursing workforce, began to decline. Baccalaureate nursing programs, which offered a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) in addition to preparation for RN licensure became the focus for nursing education. The BSN degree began its ascendancy with emphasis on public health and leadership training, which resulted in advancing the BSN nurse as the hospital head nurse (Mundinger, 2000). Today NPs work in institutions and in private practice as clinical specialists where they see patients over an extended time period and across many settings and accountability in advanced nursing practice is growing. These advancements have fostered nurses with authoritative and complementary roles in team care with physicians (Mundinger, 2000). The valuable background of professional development of nursing is influenced by need, biomedical knowledge, and the economic and financial structure of the nation and its health care system. Among nursing’s greatest contributions are primarily counseling, teaching, disease prevention, and health promotion, which are much less riveting to the public than elegant technology and life-and-death medical situations that are often associated with the physician (Mundinger, 2000). Thus, nursing has struggled for recognition and independence as well as opportunity while often overshadowed by its partner, medicine. Mundinger further said that nursing has proven that it can advance its future by educational preparation, securing public recognition and access through research, and by developing a structure in the nation’s healthcare system that uses nursing services in a protected and focused way. Instead of preparing students for a specific job, literature suggests that nurse educators are equipped with knowledge, skills, and experiences that will allow them flexibility and an opportunity to advance throughout their careers (Moore, 2000). Key words to look for in nursing will be Advanced Nursing Practice (APN), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Nurse Practitioner (NP), and Nursing Role (Lynch, 2000). Image of Nursing Career images of nursing can be shaped by a number of influences. Data by researchers in a South Hampton, United Kingdom study involving secondary and college age students, confirmed the importance of career images and perceptions in shaping the career choices of individual students (Foskett and Hemsley-Brown, 2000). The word â€Å"perception† is defined as the â€Å"ability to perceive and the result of perceiving, to realize or become aware of something through the senses, an impression accompanied by an understanding of what it is† (Webster, 2000). Foskett and Hemsley-Brown (2000) state that gender images influence perceptions of nursing. Historically, nursing has been an occupation of women, as seen in all female nursing management, staffing, teaching, discipline, and organization. In fact, males under 10 years of age included in this study did not take the question about males in nursing seriously. The 17-year old males, however, were more conscious of being politically correct but still referred to the stereotypically feminine personality characteristics needed to be a nurse (i.e., patient, nice, caring). Additional data indicate that young men are unlikely to make a decision to enter nursing before age 21. College age males felt that male masculinity would be doubted if men chose a nursing career. Interestingly, the focus of a career as a physician centered around intellectual potential, whereas nursing focused around personality traits (Marshland, 2000). This could indicate a significance of role models and mentors as key factors influencing a student’s image of nursing. Students’ focus on the roles and tasks of nursing showed that younger students in the Foskett and Hemsley-Brown (2000) study saw nursing as very task oriented (i.e., related to visible tasks of patient care at the bedside). A greater percentage of older students appeared to perceive nursing as carrying out orders without responsibility, status, or authority. Foskett and Hemsley-Brown (2000) suggest that images of career progression and security are very important factors to students in formulating career perceptions. For example, most students in the research chose jobs they believed to offer greater career opportunities than nursing. These students chose jobs which were difficult to enter or highly selective, such as sports and acting. Understanding why students choose or reject a nursing career is relevant in designing a recruiting program for students. Nurse educators face the challenge of providing students with a variety of informative factors about nursing, which are important to students in career decision-making. Students are currently formulating career decisions from a variety of sources that do not include nurses; therefore, students may have vague, distorted, or inaccurate images of nursing that result in disillusioned career choices. A review of literature suggests that increasing numbers of students are making career decisions related to nursing based on a limited range of informational factors and deficient career making skills. The following data define how students presently view the nursing profession, at what age they begin to make decisions related to nursing, and some identified factors influencing students’ images of nursing. According to Kerstern, Barkwell, and Meyers’ (2001) students chose nursing related to five categories of reasons. In order of frequency students’ reasons stemmed from a desire to nurture, meet emotional needs, employment opportunities, financial opportunities, and interest in science/disease. Stevens and Walker (2003) reported the most frequent reason for collegebound students to choose nursing was the desire to help people, followed by wanting to do important work and the desire to work with all kinds of people. Kelly, Shoemaker, and Steele (2006) examined the motivational factors for males choosing a career in the predominantly female dominated field. The results revealed that the choice of a career in nursing was influenced by the following: job security/availability; desire to help people, professional autonomy, and previous contact with the healthcare system (i.e. volunteering, working, family member, etc.), and family support. The foregoing studies revealed that most male and female students’ primary interest in nursing was not linked to cognitive understanding of nursing, but on emotional desires, such as helping people and the desire to nurture. In the three studies cited in examining students’ interests in nursing, at least two of the studies showed significant interest in each of the remaining areas. Students’ knowledge base of educational programs for nursing, nursing licensure, professional opportunities, or professional responsibilities were not indicated. (Foskett and Hemsley-Brown, 2000) Beck (2000) suggests that nurse educators need to use creative strategies and programs in career education to attract more applicants, and that first-hand knowledge of why students choose nursing as a career is basic and necessary. Three new pieces of important information on students’ reasons for choosing a nursing career that emerged through Beck’s study in the year 2000 were the powerful effect of observing nurses in action, feeling as though something was missing from their original career choice, and not gaining acceptance into medical school. Although Beck’s study cannot be broadly generalized, it does have implications for nurse educators. It confirmed a repetitive pattern among students entering nursing as a career, namely a strong desire to help people and to experience an idealized â€Å"one to one† relationship with patients. A student’s perception that the nursing profession reaps benefits for both patient and nurse are not always matched with the realities of today’s healthcare delivery. Consistently, a student’s strongest perception about nursing is that of a nurse’s one to one relationship with patients, which in today’s managed healthcare system is not a reality. One implication in general for nursing educators was that of not setting up students for disillusionment. Changes in nursing practice need to be made clear to students. Curriculum must be implemented to help students and new graduates adjust to realities of today’s healthcare. Importantly, students must still be able to realize satisfaction and pleasure in the career they have perceived as one of caring for others. Otherwise, students are more likely to drop out of nursing programs or leave the profession after entering the workforce. (Author) Why are students overlooking careers in nursing? The Journal of Vocational Education and Training (Foskett and Hemsley-Brown, 2000) sought to develop an understanding of how students perceive nursing as a career at various stages in their education, and how these perceptions affect students’ interests in nursing. The study indicates that decisions about jobs are being made at an early age and that by late elementary school students have often rejected jobs on the basis of perceptions. Thus, it is important to provide career information and experience for well-defined perceptions about nursing that can be developed for greater career decision-making skills. On many campuses, curriculum-based community â€Å"service learning,† as it is most frequently referred to rather than traditional co-curricular volunteerism, represents a real growth area to enhance career-making skills (Fisher, 2006). Bringle and Hatcher (2006) define service learning as a credit-bearing educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs. Students reflect on the service to gain further understanding of the course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. Overall, the data revealed that young people have a very limited and out-dated understanding of career progression of nursing and were unaware of changes in nurse education and training. Nurse educators have a responsibility not to set up students for disillusionment but instead to identify prenursing students’ perceptions about nursing, help them to formulate accurate perceptions of nursing, and to adequately prepare them to succeed in nursing education and the nursing workforce. Impending Nursing Shortage Nursing programs everywhere are using inventive tactics of tuition reimbursement, financial aid, high school â€Å"shadowing† programs, and opening doors to immigrant and minority students in order to attract the volume of students needed to provide the nursing workforce to care for the future population. Declining enrollment in baccalaureate nursing programs, an aging nursing workforce, the majority of nurse educators nearing retirement, and the current environment of healthcare are key factors underlying the current nursing shortage. (Benjamin, 2000) Although recruitment incentives are being offered, little is being done to influence a prenursing student’s image of nursing, career making skills, or factors that negatively affect students’ images of nursing. Sound images of nursing and more informed dimensional career opportunities in nursing could provide students significant skills for more informed career decisions. Developing improved career-making skills allows prenursing opportunities to explore career/job satisfaction in nursing. Locke (2009) states, â€Å"Job satisfaction is the pleasurable emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job as achieving or facilitating the achievement of one’s job values.† Job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are functions perceived by what we want and what we obtain. Periodic assessments are needed periodically to determine the changes of students’ desire and need in a career. Locke says students who make more informed career decisions tend to find greater satisfaction in a chosen career. Therefore, students who choose a nursing career based on a more informed career decision should find greater career satisfaction as a nurse. Although the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2000) predicts a significant 21 percent job growth rate among RNs by 2006, the largest among all professions, fewer students are choosing careers in nursing. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing Media Relations (2000) states that with the steady decline of enrollment in baccalaureate nursing programs, the need to attract nursing students appears imperative. The Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Nursing (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000a), estimates that by 2010 the country will need 1.4 million RNs with a BSN, but will have only 635,000. Of the 532,000 nursing positions requiring a master’s degree or Ph.D., only 250,000 nurses will actually be available to fill the demand. Literature reflects the aging of the current nursing workforce, indicating the average age of RNs to be 44.3 years, with those under age 30 representing only 10 percent (Peterson, 2001). Alarmingly, one-third of these young nurses indicated that they plan to leave the nursing profession within the next year (Hagan, 2001). Most nurse educators are nearing retirement with an average age of 55.5 years. This will affect the future of nursing education and the supply of students to fill nursing vacancies according to the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses Preliminary Findings (U.S. Department of Health Services, 2000a; Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2000). Conversely, changes in financing and organization of healthcare delivery resulted in a decreased demand for nursing services through the 1990s. In addition, forced deteriorations in quality healthcare resulting from constant cutbacks have made it difficult for frustrated nurses to encourage students to become nurses (Peterson, 2001). The projected intersection of supply and demand to the current shortage of nursing is estimated to be 2010, when the supply of RNs will no longer exceed the need. The future supply and demand of RNs will show a widening gap unless measures are taken to attract students into nursing, reduce attrition rates, and retain nursing graduates (Peterson, 2001) Virtually everyone has been in contact with and experienced the importance of having a nurse care for them during one’s lifetime. Dicey Smith, MSN RN, an expert in the field says, â€Å"Nursing is the only profession I know that allows one to impact the lives of others from birth to the grave (Smith, 2001).† It is often referred to as the â€Å"heart and soul† of health care (Harris, 2000). Studies prompted by Congressional involvement showed a strong and consistent relationship between nurse staffing and important patient outcomes in acute care hospitals inpatient units (Needleman, 2001). The results of these studies indicated that patients cared for by a higher RN share of total staffing had a reduction in secondary infections and length of stay in hospital. Also, careful monitoring of in-home technology by nurses showed improved clinical outcomes (Compher, 2001). A number of related factors provide useful guidelines to indicate the increasing need for RNs. Study results indicate that older Americans compose a greater segment of the U.S. population than ever before. The U. S. Census Bureau (1995) and the U.S. Government Census (2000) report that since 1990, the percentage of Americans aged 65 and older has tripled, and the elderly population itself is getting older. Americans 85 and older, representing 4.0 million individuals, is 33 times larger. According to the Programs and Initiatives for Aging (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000b), one out of every six Americans, a total of over 89 million, will live to be 100 years old in the next 30 years (Peterson, 2001). An adequate nursing force will be needed to care for this aging population of â€Å"baby boomers,† who are living longer and healthier lives and are expected to live well into their 80s and 90s. Nurses oversee patient care in the community; provide primary care in a variety of non-acute settings, and highly technical care with acutely ill patients requiring hospitalization. Nurses are among a few health professionals responsible to their patients and profession to validate the safety and efficacy of healthcare practice. Over 50 million people a year are hospitalized, and because of the central role nurses plays in hospitals and nursing homes across the nation, the nursing shortage is everyone’s problem (Nursing World, 2000; Nevidjon and Erickson, 2001). Importance of Informed Career Decision-Making Studs Turkel stated, â€Å"A career is about daily meaning as well as daily bread. For recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short for a sort of life rather than Monday through Friday sort of dying. We have a right to ask about work that includes its meaning, recognition and astonishment, and life† (Byars, 2006). Many prenursing students are uncertain about what career opportunities nursing will offer them, and some have misconceptions about what a nurse actually does. Some students have just never considered nursing. Could informed career decision-making influence recruitment of students into nursing, lower attrition rates, and help retain nursing graduates in the workforce? Career development is a lifelong process, which incorporates education, occupational training, and work, as well as one’s social and leisure life (Zunker, 2000). Today, the changes in the work-world and new definitions of what a career is are challenging us to make sense of our careers and reassess their meaning in our lives. Traditional job definitions are vaporizing, and it is never too early to begin preparing for a life-long career (Alaniz, 20001). Career guidance and counseling are components of a total career education program. Students need to understand themselves in order to explore and plan a career. The School-To-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 states the strong need for career education and development programs for all students in order to provide students with information sharing, outreach, communication, career education, labor market information, job placement, work experience programs, counseling and assessment, and public relations (Cunanan, et. al, 2000). Developing accurate perceptions about the career in which a student is interested is one key to informed career decision-making. Recruiting students into nursing can begin with younger students as they formulate career goals and look to mentors as role models in careers they identify with. â€Å"Eyes to the Future† is an online multi-age magazine targeting middle school girls interested in math and science. It reaches them at an age when they are thinking about which career path they might take for the future. It also links middle school girls with high school girls interested in math and sciences who can be mentors and help the former make wise career choices (Little, 2000). The curriculum for an Introduction to orientation to nursing course could include placing prenursing students as mentors for younger students whose images of nursing are gradually increasing. A greater number of students may choose careers in nursing if provided with better decision-making skills and positive perceptions at a younger age, before negative images of nursing are shaped. There are many challenges for nursing to develop programs to interest students in nursing. Primary Care Resource Initiative for Missouri (PRIMO) is an example of a career development program designed to remedy the shortage of nurses by placing students in grades 7-12 in summer â€Å"shadowing† health-related professional programs. PRIMO serves as a successful career decision-making tool for students interested in health careers, and encourages students in high school through post-graduation education to remain and practice in Missouri (Northeast Missouri Area Health Education Center, 2000). Some nursing programs encourage or require a volunteer or â€Å"shadowing† experience for admission. This experience helps students to see firsthand what a career in nursing has to offer (Benjamin, 2000). A introduction to Nursing course that is designed to acquaint students with professional nursing could provide students further opportunities to explore the academia of nursing, as well as clinical images, before a career choice is made. If bright, capable students are uncertain or have not made a decision about a career, the orientation class may provide them with insight into an excellent and promising career of nursing. Foskett and Hemsley-Brown’s study (2000) indicates that the main reason individuals desire to become a nurse is helping people. Indifference is the main reason for not wanting to enter nursing; therefore, many students had not rejected a nursing career but instead had not given it any consideration. Identifying students’ perceptions about nursing academia can indicate to nurse educators, advisors, and recruiters whether or not students’ perceptions are based on accurate information from professional sources. Also, by linking students’ images of clinical nursing in the setting with facts, nurse professionals can help students to develop accurate perceptions, which can determine career goals now and in the future. To provide an adequate nursing workforce and to replace waning numbers of nurse educators, it is important to understand factors contributing to students’ current career decision-making skills (Beck, 2000). This researcher’s findings could provide data to professional nurses related to current student expectations about the nurse workforce. Recently, career opportunities for women have escalated and the mostly female dominated profession of nursing is facing stiff competition in career choice alternatives. Schools of nursing, nurse advisors/recruiters, and nurse mentors could utilize information related to current student perceptions of nursing in understanding what students are looking for in making career choices. Prenursing students could make more informed career decisions about a career in nursing if their perceptions were clearly understood by professionals and those who educate nursing’s future practitioners. (Marshland, 2000) Little research has been done to determine prenursing students’ academic and clinical perceptions regarding nursing. It is the researcher’s intent to determine what these students’ perceptions are, and to identify any factors that may have influenced their development. Data collected can then be used by nurse educators to develop a curriculum that will address student’s needs, which may affect recruitment and/or retention of prenursing students. Identifying images that may affect the perceptions of nursing can also provide data for improving or developing a new curriculum in career education for prenursing students. Questions that can be targeted in an Introduction to Nursing course may include: What are the reasons students are not choosing a nursing career, what are students’ perceptions of a professional nurse, or what can one do with a degree in nursing, and can students be recruited into the nursing profession through career education/development? These questions need to be answered in order to address the current shortage of baccalaureate nursing students in our universities and in the nursing workforce. (Hinshaw, 2001) Teenagers see nursing as working irregular shifts, taking orders from doctors, and bedside care probably forever (Sherrod, 2001). Many students still see nursing and think of bedpans and needles. Although this certainly can be part of nursing care, the role of the registered nurse today is a team coordinator of healthcare providers assuring quality care for all patients (Corcoran, 2001). Alaniz (2000) says that nursing students will need to possess the qualities: motivator, savvy, and team player. They will need to speak several languages and understand the cultures from which those languages come; master the Internet and know how to navigate its sea of information to find the precise data needed; feel at ease with all of the latest medical technology; be knowledgeable of all medical insurance policies and legal and ethical codes (state and federal) related to healthcare; and understand the human 32 psyche. Nurses must also be excellent communicators and maintain clear communication with all colleagues, doctors, and patients defusing all interpersonal conflicts in a flash. The nurse of the future must anticipate healthcare trends years away and train for them now. A nurse will marry and raise a family, coach children’s sports teams, care for aging parents, and finish graduate degrees while completing research. If that is not enough, they will be on the cutting edge in telemedicine and consulting on several committees and boards. The nursing profession and America must be sensitive to the needs of providing career development to students and adults, formulating well-defined perceptions about professional nursing in the 21st century. In the study conducted by Rasmussen (2001), he mentioned that high school students of today want some adventure in their lives and some travel in their careers as cited by Diane Mancino, Ed.D. RN, executive director of the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA). The NSNA has recently produced a youth recruitment video, â€Å"Nursing: The Ultimate Adventure,† targeting youth at the high school level in promoting modern images of nursing. The video creates a sense of excitement about the field and discusses the emotional effect a nurse can have on patients. It shows interviews with students who want to go into nursing, and new images of career opportunities in nursing such as, research, the pharmaceutical industry, technology, and law, and the ability to make autonomous decisions on a moment-to moment basis in healthcare delivery. Byars (2000) says that exploring careers is essential for youth to understand the world of work, but it must also include career education that will inform youth of challenges of adult life. Reaching one’s career goals does not guarantee happiness, success, and personal fulfillment. Synthesis of the Review of Related Literature As times goes on, Nursing as a profession must need to recognized as one of the important professions aligned with scientific discipline that always make valuable contributions to the society. In early times, nurses were already known as individuals who gave care to the sick and they were the assistants of physicians in treating those ill and sick persons. Today, in these modern times, nurses work in institutions and in private practice as clinical specialists where they see patients over an extended time period and across many settings and accountability in advanced nursing practice is developing. Theses advancements offered nurses to have authority and complementary roles as members in the health team with physicians. Indeed, nursing is a profession that our society needs. This is because each of us should have knowledge about diseases so that we will be able to manage if certain diseases will attack our health and then because our healthcare system is suffering from economic and financial constraints. Expert says that one factor that influences perception on nursing profession is the gender criterion. Many people see nursing as a profession only for female. They are only few males who take up nursing than females. Another is, people see nursing as very task oriented profession. There should be that appropriate career image of nursing so that people will be guided to what is nursing really about. Also, understanding why students choose or reject nursing as their career is relevant in designing an recruiting program for students especially for those nursing schools. There must be an instillitation to the students’ minds about basic and appropriate information regarding the nursing profession so that they will be guided appropriately in perceiving nursing as a profession and in choosing nursing as their career. A study showed that students chose nursing because they have the desire to nurture, to meet their emotional needs, because of employment opportunities, financial opportunities, and because they have an interest to science and diseases. Some says they chose nursing as their career because they have the willingness to help people and the desire to work with all kinds of people. Chapter III METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the methodology, the setting, the respondents involved, the instruments used which will be validated to establish reliability of the questionnaires, and summary of the data obtained to be interpreted. Research Design Generally, the study is a descriptive study; descriptive research designs that provided researchers with information about the perception of Fourth Year high school students on the nursing profession. This will further describe their views. Their career choice and the reasons for the course preferences and preference for nursing. Research Instruments A questionnaire-type instrument was chosen, the researchers aim to have accurate results on the career choice of Fourth Year high School students, their perception on nursing profession, and their reasons for their course preference. The instrument was subjected to evaluation and validation by panel of experts. It was subjected to a pre-test to evaluate its appropriateness to the study. To test validity, the method Content Validity. The questionnaire was criticized and evaluated by a group of experts to validate reliability and accuracy of questionnaire. Target Population and Sampling Procedures The target population of the study was the Fourth Year high school students. This fourth year high school students were taken from Notre Dame of Marbel University – IBED, Notre Dame Sienna School of Marbel, and Koronadal National Comprehensive High School located in Koronadal City, South Cotabato. It is limited to the Fourth Year high school students enrolled for School Year (S.Y) 2013 – 2014) and belonged to the first section of the three (3) schools mentioned above located in Koronadal City, South Cotabato. The first section was chosen because of the following characteristics: Nursing grade standards. Thus, convenience sampling was adopted as the sampling method of the study. Setting of the Study The study was conducted in three different High Schools of Koronadal City, South Cotabato. The researchers entered the firsts sections of each school and conducted the study. Chapter IV FINDINGS This chapter includes the presentation analysis and the interpretation of the data gathered about the perception of fourth year high school students presents the interpretation of the data gathered about The Perception on the Nursing Profession and Career Choice of High School Students. Table 1.1 shows the sex distribution of the respondents of the study. Out of one hundred twenty eight (128) total respondents of the study, eighty eight (88) were females and forty (40) were males. Table 1.2 shows the sex distribution of the respondents that chose nursing as their career. Out of seven (7) who chose nursing, all are females. Table 1.3 shows the family’s monthy income of the respondents of the study. Among the given projected monthly family income, above fifty thousand one pesos (50,001php) is the highest monthly family income and below ten thousand (10,000) being the lowest. Out of one hundred twenty eight (128) total respondents of the study, fourteen (14) respondents have a family income of below ten thousand pesos (10,000php) per month, thirty-four (34) respondents have ten thousand one to twenty thousand pesos (10,001 – P20,000php) per month, twenty-four (24) have twenty thousand one pesos to thirty thousand (20,001 – 30,000php), ten (10) have thirty thousand one pesos to forty thousand pesos (30,001 – 40,000) monthly family income, fourteen (14) have forty thousand one pesos to fifty thousand pesos (40,001 – 50,000php) monthly family income, thirty-two (32) have a family income of above fifty thousand one pesos (50,001php). Table 1.4 shows the family monthly income of the respondents that chose nursing as their career. Out of seven (7) students that chose nursing, the distribution are as follows: Below ten thousand pesos (10,000php) (0); ten thousand one pesos to twenty thousand pesos (10,001 – 20,000) (2); twenty thousand one to thirty thousand pesos (20,001 – 30,000php) (2); thirty thousand one pesos to forty thousand (30,001 – 40,000php) (0); forty thousand one pesos to fifty thousand pesos (40,001 – 50,000php) (1); above fifty thousand one pesos (50,001php) (2). Communication, Public Relations and Communications, Journalism, Political Science, Legal Management, Philosophy, Specialization in Software Technology, Specialization in Network Engineering, Information and Communication Technology Management, Specialization in Instructional Systems Technology, Management Information Systems, Home Economics, Nutrition and Dietetics, Library Science, Child Development and Education, Music, Special Education, Advertising, Arts Management, Creative Writing, Industrial Design, Fashion Design and Merchandising, Music/Music Production got none. Table 3.1. Shows the reasons behind students’ preference for nursing as their career. Among the seven (7) students who chose nursing, four (4) said that they preferred nursing because of their desire to nurture, interest in science and disease, and their previous contact with healthcare system (relatives, peers, etc.). Three (3) out of seven also said that they chose nursing to meet their emotional needs, and because of their desire to work with all kinds of people. And one (1) said that she chose nursing because of employments/financial opportunities. Table 3.2. Shows the reason of Fourth Year high school students for their preference for other courses. Out of one hundred twenty-one students who chose other courses, eighty-eight said that they chose their desired course because of their own personal interest; twenty-nine (29) said that it was because their course of choice is aligned with their proficiency; twenty-six (26) said that it’s for certainty of employment; twenty-four (24) said that it is their parents/benefactors’ choice; brother’s choice, high salary, and family background got one (1) each. Table 4. Shows the perception of Fourth Year high School students to the nursing profession provided by the said respondents. Among the one hundred twenty-eight respondents, the perception of Fourth year high school students are as follow: nursing means providing care (27); nursing is a hard/difficult profession (24); nursing provides less job opportunities (17); nurses are overpopulated (11); nursing as a preparatory course for medicine (10); nursing means helping others (6); nurses save lives (4); nursing is not aligned to their interest (3); nursing deals with the health of people (2); nursing is an important aspect of the society (2); a nurse is someone who would specialize in different medical aspect (2); nursing is an important and a risky job (1), nursing is a way abroad (1); courageous job(1); tiresome job (1); very common job (1); boring job (1); nursing profession is enjoyable (1); nursing is a profession to be proud of (1); nursing tackles sciences and diseases’ information (1); no idea (1). Chapter V SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary The researchers found out that the most students perceive nursing as â€Å"providing care†, and that majority of fourth year high school students prefer to take other courses than nursing because of their personal interest, certainty of employment, alignment with their proficiency, and the choice of their parents/benefactors. The main objective of this study is to find out the perception of fourth year high school students studying in Koronadal on the nursing profession and their career choice. Specifically, the study answered questions about what fourth year high school students prefer to take as a course on college and the different reasons for the preference for such courses, and the reasons for the preference to take nursing. The study used the Descriptive Survey Method and the main tool used was the research-made or self-made type of examination (questionnaire), including the record sheet as instrumentally utilized for the 128 students as selected respondents in the fourth year. Majority of students, 26 students or 20.30% prefer Accounting over other courses followed by Medical Technology (14 students/10.9375%). The reasons for choosing these courses are their personal interest, certainty of employment, alignment with their proficiency, and the choice of their parents/benefactors. Seven (7) or 5.46875% students prefer nursing over other course, the top three (3) reasons for this are their desire to nurture, interest in science and diseases, and their previous contact with healthcare system. The researchers found out that majority of students (27 students) perceive nursing profession as â€Å"providing care†; followed by â€Å"nursing is hard/difficult profession† (24 students); and â€Å"nurses are over populated† (11 students). Conclusion Based on the results, the researchers concluded the following: Therefore, the respondents that choose nursing as their career were all females. Therefore, the respondents that choose nursing as their career mostly have fifty thousands (50,000 Php) and above family income. Therefore, the top reasons why students choose to take up nursing were their desire to nurture, they have an interest in sciences and disease, and they had previous contact with health care system. Therefore, the top reason of students for choosing other courses instead of nursing were their personal interest lies to their chosen course. And therefore, the respondents perceive nursing profession mostly as a profession that provides care. Recommendation Based from the result of the study, the researchers recommended the following: For nursing schools, that they will offer more high quality curriculum to attract more nursing enrollees and to have more proper dissemination of information about what the nursing profession truly is. For the Commission in Higher Education of the Philippines, that they will continuously monitor nursing schools in the country in delivering high quality nursing curriculum to produce skillful, knowledgeable and with good attitude professional nurses. For the parents, that they should always become a good support system for their sons and daughters in choosing their career in life. For students, in choosing a career, they must first assess their capacities, skills, personalities and abilities if it is really suited on the career they will choose. And for the future researchers, that they will conduct more studies with wider scope regarding the perception on nursing profession and career choice of high school students to obtain a more accurate and up-to-date results and interpretation. Recom: further studies why no male choose nursing Recom: career choice; in-demand courses (reasons)   

Christianity and Paganism in Beowulf Essay

The literature of a period is often regarded as the purest manifestation of the social, political, and cultural atmosphere of a particular era. At a crossroads, often than not, these works narrate the development of a culture besieged by new ideas and influences. Considered as the earliest extant poem in a modern European language, the Germanic epic entitled Beowulf is a clear example of how two warring cultural ideologies are melded together to create a population’s own unique social identity. Peppered with pagan images of magic and monsters, one would almost immediately assume that the poem was created as an account of heroism in the likes of Greek myths and epics, but it is easy to acknowledge that the over-arching motive that pushes the narrative is the relationship of the people with their new God, the Higher Being proclaimed by the burgeoning Christian religion. Taking this into account, one could easily characterize Beowulf as the product of â€Å"folk Christianity†Ã¢â‚¬â€the reconciliation of the newfound religion of Christianity and traditional paganism, a melding that suited the culture of the Anglo-Saxon people. The sense of paganism in Beowulf can be easily attributed to the prolific existence of otherworldly monsters and supernatural events in the text. Revolving around the three â€Å"monsters† portrayed in the poem—the man-killing Grendel, the vengeful witch of the marsh that is his mother, and the dragon that would be the catalyst to the end—these characters or images portray a Scandinavia that was overwhelmed by a wide array of mythological creatures that wreck havoc in the small communities, a Scandinavia of pagan lore. But amidst this, a hero called Beowulf would appear from the distance, a Christian â€Å"savior of mankind†, to expunge the lands of these vicious beasts. From this mere premise we immediately assume the tension that exists between the two different ideologies: Beowulf exemplifies the new order of Scandinavian warriors, those that follow a new God but still abide by their traditional beliefs, while the monsters symbolize the mayhem and destruction of paganism. Such dynamic was taken advantage of by an anonymous medieval monk who had put the story of Beowulf on paper, showing the power of Christianity over paganism. An earlier example of a â€Å"pagan† monstrosity and Christian heroism found in the text is Beowulf’s battle with Grendel. The monster had been terrorizing the lands of Hrothgar, and news of this had spread throughout the land. It is interesting to note that Grendel has been described as â€Å"Conceived by a pair of those monsters born/ Of Cain, murderous creatures/ Banished by God, punished forever for the crime of Abel’s death (line 105-108). † This portrayal of the Christianity’s first murder pushes further the idea that those of the supernatural and pagan element are, as Grendel is shown, â€Å"banished by God†. Beowulf arrives at Hrothgar’s land, a warrior of epic capacity, and lends his service albeit for the price of wealth and fame. He destroys this monster with no weapon at hand, and gains the respect of the people—clearly showing the power of Christianity over paganism. Another aspect of Christianity that is liberally addressed throughout the text is the concept of Christian fate. When our heroes talk of God, they do so in acknowledgement of His all-encompassing power and dominion. Lines such as â€Å"’twas the judgment of God†, â€Å"Blessed God†, and â€Å"the mercy of God† can be read throughout the text and shows how these characters entrust their life and fate to their newly found religion. Overall, Beowulf should be considered not as a pagan text but rather a Christian one because Christian values compose the backbone of the prose. Beowulf is essentially an insight into the history of a people who have come to comfortably adapt to new ideas and beliefs through changing times.

Smart socket Essays

Smart socket Essays Smart socket Essay Smart socket Essay Although ad-hoc solutions exist for some of these problems, it is usually up to the applications user to discover the cause of the connectivity problems and find a solution. In this paper we describe Smokestacks, a communication library that lifts this burden by automatically discovering the connectivity problems and solving them with as little support from the user as possible. Categories and Subject Descriptors: C. 2. 4 [Distributed Systems]: Distributed applications General Terms: Algorithms, Design, Reliability Keywords: Connectivity Problems, Grids, Networking, Parallel Applications 1 . Parallel applications are increasingly run in Grid environments. Unfortunately, on many Grid sites the ability of machines to create or accept network connections is severely limited by network address translation (NAT) [14, 26] or firewalls [15]. There are even sites that completely disallow any direct communication between the compute nodes and the rest of the world (e. G. , the French Grinding system [3]). In addition, multi homing (machines with multiple network addresses) can further complicate connection setup. For parallel applications that require direct communication between their components, these limitations have hampered the transition from traditional multi receptors or cluster systems to Grids. When a combination of Grid sites is used, serious connectivity problems are often encountered. Smokestacks is part of the Ibis project, and can be found at CSS. Vi. Ml/ibis Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or the full citation on the first page. Many problems, however, can only be solved by adapting the application or the communication library it uses. To make matters worse, as soon as the set of Grid systems being used changes, large part of this process needs to be repeated. As a result, running a parallel application on multiple Grid sites can be a strenuous task [34]. In this paper we will describe a solution to this problem: the Smokestacks communication library. The primary focus of Smokestacks is on ease of use. It automatically discovers a wide range of connectivity problems and attempts to solve them with little or no support from the user. Smokestacks combines many known solutions, such as port forwarding, TCP splicing and SSH tunneling, and introduces several new ones that resolve problems with multi homing and machine identification. In 30 connection setup experiments, using 6 different sites worldwide, Smokestacks was always able to establish a connection, while conventional sockets only worked in 6 experiments. Using heuristics and caching, Smokestacks is able to significantly improve the connection setup performance. Smokestacks offers a single integrated solution that hides the complexity of connection setup in Grids behind a simple interface that closely resembles sockets. We will show that it is relatively straightforward to port an existing application to Smokestacks, provided that certain programming guidelines are followed. Smokestacks is not specifically intended for use in parallel applications or Grids. It can also be applied to other distributed applications, such as visualization, cooperative environments, or even consumer applications such as instant messaging, file sharing, or online gaming. However, many of these applications only require a very limited degree of connectivity. Often, clients simply connect to a server in a well-known location, making it relatively easy to apply an ad-hoc solution when a connectivity problem occurs. Parallel applications, however, can be much more challenging. They often require a large number of connections between the participating machines, and each machine must such applications in a Grid environment with limited connectivity is difficult. Therefore, this paper will focus on this domain. N Section 2 we describe the connectivity related problems encountered while running applications on multiple Grid sites. Section 3 describes how these problems are solved in Smokestacks and briefly looks at the programming interface. Section 4 evaluates the performance of Smokestacks, Section 5 describes related work, and Section 6 concludes. 2. CONNECTIVITY PROBLEMS In this section we will give a description of the network related problems that can occur when running a single parallel or distributed application on multiple Grid sites. . 1 Firewalls As described in [1 5], A firewall is an agent which screens network traffic in some way, blocking traffic it believes to be inappropriate, dangerous, or both. . Many sites use firewalls to protect their network from unauthorized access. Firewalls usually allow outbound connections, but block incoming connections, often with the exception of a few welkin ports (e. G. , port 22 for SSH). It is obvious that this inactivity restriction can cause severe problems when running a parallel application on multiple sites. When only a single participating site uses firewall, the connectivity problems can sometimes be solved by ensuring that the connections setups are in the right direction, I. E. , that all required connections between open and firewall machines are initiated at the firewall site. This solution may require changes to the applications or communication libraries, however. Also, if both sites use a firewall, this approach can no longer be used. In this case, a firewall will always be encountered regardless of he connection setup direction. One way to solve the problems is to request an open port range in the firewall. Connectivity can then be restored by adapting the application to only use ports in this range. Besides requiring reconfiguration of the firewall, open ports are also seen as a threat to site security. When both machines are behind a firewall it may still be possible to establish a direct connection using a mechanism called TCP splicing [6, 10, 13, 20]. Simply put, this mechanism works by simultaneously performing a connection setup from both sides. Since this approach requires explicit cooperation teens the machines, some alternative communication channel must be available. . 2 Network Address Translation As described in [21], Network Address Translation is a method by which IP addresses are mapped from one address realm to another, providing transparent routing to end hosts. . NAT was introduced in [12] as a temporary solution to the problem of IPPP address depletion. Although the intended solution for this problem, IPPP, has been available for some time, NAT is still widely used to day. Frequently used [21, 29]. This type of NAT allows outbound connections from sites using riveter addresses, but does not allow incoming connections. Both the IP address (and related fields) and the transport identifier (e. G. , TCP and JODI port numbers) of packets are translated, thereby preventing port number collisions when a set of hosts share a single external address. As mentioned above, NAT only allows outbound network connections. Incoming connections are rejected, since the connection request does not contain enough information to find the destination machine (I. E. , only the external IP address is provided, but that may be shared by many machines). This restriction leads to connectivity problems hat are very similar to those caused by firewalls. Therefore, the solution described in Section 2. 1 (connecting in the right direction) also applies too NAT setup, and fails in a similar way when multiple NAT sites try to interconnect. Although the TCP splicing mechanism can also be used to connect two NAT sites, a more complex algorithm is required to compensate for the port translation performed by NAT [6, 20]. Some NAT implementations have support for port forwarding, where all incoming connections on a certain port can be automatically forwarded to a certain host inside the NAT site. Using mechanisms such as Upon [5], DIF [28], or MEDICO [30], applications can contact the NAT implementation and change the port forwarding rules on demand. Port forwarding lifts many of the restrictions on incoming connections. Unfortunately, Upon is mostly found in consumer devices, MEDICO is still under development, and DIF only supports NAT (and firewall) implementations based on Interfile [1]. As a result, these mechanisms are not (yet) generally usable in Grid applications. Currently, Smokestacks only supports Upon. In addition to causing connection setup problems, NAT also complicates machine identification. Machines in a NAT tit generally use IP addresses in the private range [26]. These addresses are only usable within a local network and are not globally unique. Unfortunately, parallel applications often use a machines IP address to create a unique identifier for that machine. When multiple NAT sites participate in a single parallel run, however, this approach can not be used, since the machine addresses are no longer guaranteed to be unique. 2. 3 Non-routed networks On some sites no direct communication between the compute nodes and the outside world is possible due to a strict separation between the internal and external networks. No aching is accessible, and the connectivity of this machine may be limited by a firewall or NAT. Two of the sites used in Section 4 use such a setup. It is clear that this is a major limitation when the site is used in a parallel application. The only possibility for the compute nodes to communicate with other sites is to use front-end machine as a bridge to the outside world, using, for example, an SSH tunnel or a SOCKS [24] proxy. These are non-trivial to set up, however. 2. 4 Multi Homing When multi-homed machines (I. E. , machines with multiple network addresses) participate in a parallel application, another interesting problem occurs. When creating a connection to such a machine, a choice must be made on which of the possible target addresses to use. The outcome of this choice may depend on the location of the machine that initiates the connection. For example, the front-end machine of a site has two addresses, a public one, reachable over the internet, and a private one used to communicate with the sites compute nodes. As a result, a different address must be used to reach teachings depending on whether the connection originates inside or outside of the site. In [34] we called this the Reverse Routing Problem. Normally, when a multi-homed machine is trying to connect to a single IP address, a routing table on the machine decides which network is used for the outgoing connection. In the example described above the reverse problem is encountered. Instead of having to decide how to exit a multi-homed machine, we must decide on how to enter it. This problem is non-trivial, since the source machine generally does not have enough information available to select the correct target address. As a result, several connection attempts to different addresses of the target may be necessary before a connection can be established. In Section 3. 2 we will describe heuristics that can be used to speed up this process. Multi homing can have a major effect on the implementation of parallel programming libraries. The example above shows that it is not sufficient to use a single address to represent a multi-homed machine. Instead, all addresses must be made available to the other participants of the parallel application. In addition, some of the addresses may be in a private range and refer to a different machine when used in a different site. Therefore, it is also essential to check if a connection was established to the correct machine. 3. SMOKESTACKS In this section we will give an overview of the design, implementation and programming interface of the Smokestacks library, and describe how it solves the problems described in the previous section. 3. 1 Overview Currently, Smokestacks offers four different connection setup mechanisms, Direct, Reverse, Splicing, and Routed. An overview of how these mechanisms solve the connectivity problems described in Section 2. As the table shows, each problem is solved by at least one mechanism. Table 1 : Overview of connectivity problems and their solutions. Connection Setup Mechanism Problems Direct Reverse Splicing Routed Identification X Multi Homing X Single FEW/NAT pox xx Dual MINOT (X) XX No Routing X The machine identification and multi-homing problems are solved by the direct connection setup. As will be explained below, this approach also has limited firewall traversal capabilities (using SSH tunneling), so in certain situations it may succeed in establishing a connection in a single or even a dual firewall setting. In the table these entries are shown between brackets. A reverse connection setup is only capable of creating a connection when a single firewall or NAT limits the connectivity. Splicing is capable of middling both single and dual firewall/NAT configurations. However, this approach is significantly more complex than a reverse connection setup (especially with dual NAT) and may not always succeed. Therefore, reverse connection setup is preferred for single firewall/NAT configurations. A routed connection setup can be used in any situation where the connectivity is limited. Unlike the previous two approaches it does not result in a direct connection. Instead all network traffic is routed via external processes called hubs (explained in Section 3. 3), which may degrade both latency and throughput of the connection. Therefore, the previous mechanisms are preferred. When connecting to or from a machine on a non-routed network, however, a routed connection is the only choice. The Smokestacks implementation is divided into two layers, a low-level Direct Connection Layer, responsible for all actions that can be initiated on a single machine, and a high-level Virtual Connection Layer that uses side-channel communication to implement actions that require cooperation of multiple machines. The direct connection layer is implemented using the standard socket library. The virtual connection layer is implemented using the direct connection layer. Both layers will be explained in more detail below. Currently, Smokestacks is implemented using Java [2]. 3. 2 Direct Connection Layer do not require explicit cooperation between machines, such as determining the local addresses or creating a direct connection. It also supports a limited form of SSH tunneling. 3. 2. 1 Machine Identification During initialization, the direct connection layer starts by scanning all available network interfaces to determine which IP addresses are available to the machine. It then generates a unique machine identifier that contains these addresses, and that can be used to contact the machine. This identifier will automatically be unique if it contains at least one public address. If all addresses are private, however, additional work must be done. A machine that only has private addresses is either in a NAT site or uses a non-routed network. In the first case, a unique identifier can still be generated for the machine by acquiring the external address of the NAT. Provided that this address is public, the combination of external and machine addresses should also be unique, since other machines in the same NAT site should have a different set of private addresses, and all other NAT sites should have different external address. The Smokestacks library will use Upon to discover the external address of the NAT site. If this discovery fails, or if the returned address is not public, a Universally Unique Identifier (JUDI) [23], will be generated and included in the machine identifier, thereby making it unique. 3. 2. 2 Connection Setup Once initialized, the direct connection layer can be used to set up connections to other machines. The identifier of the target machine may contain multiple network addresses, some of which may not be reachable from the current location. The private dresses in the identifier may even refer to a completely different machine, so it is important that the identity of the machine is checked during connection setup. As a result, several connection attempts may be necessary before the correct connection can be established. When multiple target addresses are available, a choice must be made in which order the connection attempts will be performed. Although simply using the addresses in an arbitrary order should always result in a connection (pro-vided that a direct connection is possible), this may not be the most efficient approach. Many Grid sites offer historiographer networks such as Merriment [7] or Infinite [4] in addition to a regular Ethernet network. Using such a network for inter-site communication may significantly improve the applications performance. In general, these fast networks are not routed and use addresses in the private range, while the regular Ethernet networks (often) use public addresses. Therefore, by sorting the target addresses and trying all private ones first, the fast local networks will automatically be selected in sites with such a setup. The drawback of if the connection originates on a different site. This may cause a significant overhead. Therefore, Smokestacks uses a heuristic that sorts the target addresses in relation to the addresses that are available locally. For example, if only a public address is available on the local machine, it is unlikely that it will be able to create a direct connection to a private address of a target. As a result, the connection order public before private is used. This order is also used if both machines have public and private addresses, but the private addresses refer to a different network (e. G. , 10. 0. 0. 10 vs 192. 168. 1. 20). The order private before public is only used if both machines have private addresses in the same range. Section 4 will illustrate the performance benefits of this heuristic. Unfortunately, it is impossible to make a distinction between addresses of the same class. For example, if a target has multiple private addresses, we can not automatically determine which address is best. Therefore, if a certain network is preferred, the user must specify this explicitly. Without this explicit configuration, Smokestacks will still create a direct connection (if possible), and the parallel application will run, but its performance may be suboptimal. When a connection has been established, an identity check s performed to ensure that the correct machine has been reached. This would be a simple comparison if the complete identifier of the target is available, but unfortunately this is not always the case. User provided addresses are often used to bootstrap a parallel application. These addresses are often limited to a single hosannas or IP address, which may only be part of the addresses available to the target machine. Therefore, the identity check used by Smokestacks also allows the use of partial identifiers. Whenever a connection is created, the target machine provides its complete identity o the machine initiating the connection. This machine then checks if both the public and private addresses in the partial identity are a subset of the ones in the complete identity. If so, the partial identity is accepted as a subset of the complete identity, and the connection is established. Note that although the connection is created to a machine that matches the address specified by the user, it is not necessarily the correct machine from the viewpoint of the parallel application. Unfortunately, in such cases it is up to the user to provide an address that contains enough information to reach the correct machine. . 2. 3 Open Port Ranges and Port Forwarding When a firewall has an open port range available, Smokestacks can ensure that all sockets used for incoming connections are bound to a port in this range. There is no way of discovering this range automatically, however, so it must be specified explicitly by the user. In addition, Smokestacks can use the Upon protocol to configure a NAT to do port forwarding, I. E. Automatically forward all incoming connections on a certain external port to a specified internal address. However, as explained before, this protocol is mainly used in consumer devices. In addition to regular network connections, the direct connection layer also has limited support for SSH tunneling. This feature is useful for connecting to machines behind a firewall that allows SSH connections to pass through. It does, however, require a suitabl e SSH setup (I. E. , public key authentication must be enabled). Creating an SSH tunnel is similar to a regular connection setup. The target addresses are sorted and tried consecutively. Instead of using the port specified in the connection setup, however, the default SSH port (I. E. , 22) is used. When a connection is established and the authentication is successful, the receiving SSH daemon is instructed to forward all traffic to the original destination port on the same machine. If this succeeds, the regular identity check will be performed to ensure that the right machine has been reached. Although this approach is useful, it can only be used to set up a tunnel to a different process on the target machine. Using this approach to forward traffic to different machines requires extra information. For example, setting up an SSH tunnel to a compute node of a site through the sites fronted, can only be done if it is clear that the fronted must be contacted in order to reach the target machine. Although this approach is used in some projects [8], the necessary information cannot be obtained automatically and must be provided by the user. Therefore, Smokestacks uses a different approach which will be described in detail in Section 3. 3. 3. 2. Limitations The direct connection layer offers several types of connection setup which have in common that they can be initiated by a single machine. No explicit cooperation between machines is necessary to establish the connection. There are many cases, however, where connectivity is too limited and the direct connection layer cannot be used. In general, direct connections to sites that use NAT or a firewall are not possible. Although SSH tunneling and o pen port ranges alleviate the firewall problems, they require a suitable SSH setup or extra information from the user. Port forwarding reduces the problems with NAT, but is rarely supported in Grid systems. Therefore, these features are of limited use. In the next section we will give a detailed description of the virtual connection layer, which solves these problems. 3. 3 Virtual Connection Layer Like the direct connection layer, the virtual connection layer implements several types of connection setup. It offers a simple, socket-like API and has a modular design, making it easy to extend. Besides a direct module that uses the direct connection layer described above, it contains several modules that offer more advanced types of connection setup. These modules have in common that they cooperation (and thus communication) between the source and target machines in order to establish a connection. As a result, side-channel communication is required to implement these modules. 3. 3. 1 Side-Channel Communication In Smokestacks, side-channel communication is implemented by creating a network f interconnected processes called hubs. These hubs are typically started on the fronted machines of each participating site, so their number is usually small. When a hub is started, the location of one or more other hubs must be provided. Each hub will attempt to setup a connection to the others using the direct connection layer. Although many of these connections may fail to be established, this is not a problem as long as a spanning tree is created that connects all hubs. The hubs use a gossiping protocol to exchange information about themselves and the hubs they know, with the hubs that they are connected to. This way information about each hub quickly spreads to all hubs in the network. Whenever a hub receives information about a hub it has not seen before, it will attempt to set up a connection to this hub. This way, new connections will be discovered automatically. All gossiped information contains a state number indicating the state of the originating machine when the information was sent. Since information from a hub may reach another hub through multiple paths, the state number allows the receiver to decide which information is most recent. By recording the length of the path traversed thus far in he gossiped information, hubs can determine the distance to the sites that they can not reach directly. Whenever a hub receives a piece of information about another hub containing a shorter distance than it has seen so far, it will remember both the distance and the hub from which the information was obtained. This way, we automatically create a distributed routing table with the shortest paths between each pair of hubs. This table is later used to forward application information (as will be described below). When an application is started, the virtual layer on each machine creates a single connection to the hub local to its tit. The location of this hub can either be explicitly species- fled or discovered automatically using JODI multicast. 3. 3. 2 Virtual Addresses The connection to the hub can now be used as a side channel to forward requests to otherwise unreachable machines. To ensure that the target machines can be found, addresses are used, consisting of the machine identifier (see Section 3. 2), a port number, and the identifier of the hub the machine is connected to. All requests for the target machine can then be sent to the local hub, which forwards it in the direction of the target