To Kill a Mockingbird Analysis

Themes play an important role in the novel for it presents the main dead or the underlying meaning of the literary work. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the themes are made to surface through the shared feelings and attitudes of the main characters like Scout, Gem and Tactics Finch. The characters' thoughts and conversations, especially the ideas which are repeated in several dialogue exchanges and their actions in significant events also develop the novel's themes. The novel presents the oldest yet timeless conflict between good versus evil.This is evident in most situations and conversations which explored human morality and the innateness of oddness and evilness of people in the society. Tactics Finch represents the moral voice of the novel because he believes that people have aspects of both good and evil, but good will always prevail. He has never lost his faith on the goodness of man amidst the fact that man has also the tendency to do bad things. In the novel, he struggles to defend a black man of false accusation in a racist society but he never gives up and firmly holds on unto the idea that someday the truth and the good will overpower racism in their community.The same theme is manifested through the experiences of Scout and Gem. Tactics, their father, teaches them to believe in the goodness of all people and values and morals guide everyone in their actions but as the story progresses, both children are exposed to the reality that the world isn't really that perfect. Their innocence is stripped away from them through several incidents that made them think twice of their father's belief.Scout, in the beginning, is an innocent and good -hearted little girl who has no experience with the evils of the world but as she encounters racial discrimination in their town, she starts to get confused and questions everything around her. Gem, n the other hand, is older and in the midst Of entering puberty but the effect of the societal prejudice to a convicted black ma n is much graver compared to Scout's. Gem gets frustrated and disappointed to the harsh reality that sometimes justices will not prevail. This leaves him vulnerable and traumatized in an important facet of his life.Harper Lee manages to exhibit children's transition from innocence to maturity. She intelligently portrayed the fact that at some point in time in a significant event, children will be bound to graduate from their innocence and learn the facts about life and its imperfections. With children as the main characters in the novel, education is but obvious for a theme. In the initial chapters, the novel discusses the difference between institutionalized education and education at home. A conflict emerges as Miss Caroline scolds her for being too advance for their class.Scout gets disappointed for being punished because she is taught well in home by her father and their black servant. Miss Caroline even reminds Scout to tell her father that he shouldn't teach his child because he doesn't really know how to. He is in no position to teach for he is not a teacher. This conflict shows criticism to institutionalized education. This presents the conceitedness of teachers and the curriculum in providing education to learners. The system is too strict and traditional in their pedagogies thus resulting to ineffectiveness in developing and molding a child's intelligence and ability.Clearly, Lee expresses a lack of belief in the Institutionalized educational system. Furthermore, this makes one realize that true education is not experienced in school but outside it. Education shouldn't be limited in the four walls of the classroom; instead it should be brought out to the outside world where reality and life lessons are best learned through experience. The novel also presents moral education in question. Scout believes that she learns moral lessons best in home rather in school. Her teachers appear to be hypocritical as they teach things that are not even true in real ity.Scout notices this most obviously when learning about the Holocaust. Miss Gates explains that such oppression of one group of people could never happen in the United States however racial discrimination to black people is very evident in their town. Scout sees conflict with the lesson aught by Miss Gates when she heard her talk about black people and say : â€Å"time somebody taught them a lesson, they thought they was getting' way above themselves, an' the next thing they think they can do is marry us. This makes Scout doubt her education and rather listen to her father than to attend school. Hypocrisy is apparent in the system. The teachers breach what they teach thus emphasizing the incompetence and ineffectiveness of instruction provided by the educational institutions. This further implies that moral education and good values are not necessary best taught in school. Sometimes, it is best learned from other places like ones home. In a town of Macomb, Alabama, Lee illustrate s the complexities of social hierarchy.The well-off Finches are near the top of the pyramid, the Cunningham family are mere farmers thus Stay in the higher bottom above the white-trash Lowell family. These social statuses greatly confuse the children especially the rules that come along with them. Because of the structure, the children are prop bibbed to mingle with other families who are lesser in standing. This frustrates them most especially Scout because she ants to choose her own friends based on her definition of what makes a good person and not because of family income.The novel presents the dilemma of social inequality. The story takes place during the Great Depression thus social standing is as important as survival. People battle with society rules and structure. Lee exhibits how injustice and partiality divides a community and hinders human interaction thus contributing nothing but negativity to the people and the society as a whole. Racism, which is closely related to so cial inequality, is another focus of the novel. Harper Lee creates Macomb as a town separated by race.Harper Lee shows the bitterness that remains in the whites five decades after the end of slavery. This bitterness is best illustrated by the way that the way blacks are still oppressed, not by force but by fear and suppression. California, the Finch's servant is to be exceptionally bright, she even teaches Scout to write in script, but because she is black and a woman she cannot land a better job. The whites belittle and harass the blacks because they firmly believe that they are greater and more superior. This racial tension foreshadows Tom Robinsons case.Right in the beginning, everybody knows that Tom is innocent but because he is a black man, the prejudice jury still convicted him guilty of harassing and raping a white woman. The conclusion of the Tom Robinsons case ends with Tom being shot repeatedly while trying to escape despite his injury. Racism is considered as a social di sease. It brings out the evil nature of man as prejudice and discrimination overpowers conscience and moral code. It is through this novel that people are made to understand how nobody can ever benefit from racism.It only causes the creation of walls teen people thus hindering relationships and interactions to blossom. Lee shows the significance of human perspective in the processing of events and solving of problems. The character's outlook in life is deemed important in the development of the story and how each managed to understand the situation. In the novel, Tactics encourages Scout and Gem to be more considerate of other people and understand their situations. The children shouldn't immediately judge as it is not fair to the others.Tactics urges his children to try to step into other people's shoes to understand how they see he world: â€Å"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. † This lesson helps Scout gain insight into how other people view life and the world. Moreover, this broadens her moral education and social understanding. This theme was evident when Tactics requires Gem to go to Mrs.. Double's house to read to her as punishment for cutting all the flowers in her front yard.Gem didn't like Mrs.. Dubos and claims that she is an awful woman. Tactics tells Gem and Scout to try to understand Mrs.. Double's point of view. She is an old woman, very set her in ways, and she is entirely alone in the world. Gem and Scout agree to visit her and from that experience, they understood how she felt because they were able to see the world from her perspective. Scout applies her father's lesson when she meets Boo Raddled, a black man who kept himself hidden from the public because of the unjust and prejudice treatment.After she walks him home, Scout stands on Boob's porch and imagines many of the events of the story (Tactics shooting the mad dog the chil dren finding Boob's presents in the oak tree) as they must have looked to Boo. She then last realizes the love and protection that he has silently offered her and Gem all along. Scout's ability to assume another person's perspective sympathetically is the culmination of the novel. The final theme and probably the most significant is the mockingbird which represents the idea of innocence. Remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. † That was the only time I ever heard Tactics say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maude about it. â€Å"Your father's right,† she said. â€Å"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy .. .But sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. † When Scout and Gem receive arraigns for Christmas, Tactics tells them that although he would prefer that they practice their shooting with tin cans, if they must shoot at living things, they must never shoot at mockingbirds.Tactics explai ns that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Clearly, this is the title scene, but the theme continues throughout the book. Miss Maude explains why Tactics is correct – mockingbirds never do anyone any harm, and are not pests in any way. All they do is sing beautifully and live peacefully. Therefore, it is a sin to kill them. The mockingbird represents true goodness and purity. Tom Robinson is one example of a human â€Å"mockingbird†. He is accused of raping and beating Malay Lowell, but is innocent of the charges.

Academic performance Essay

CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction Learning performance talks about how do the student is accomplishing his or her duties,responsibilities and studies. There are some factors that determine the status and the rate of students. Learning performanceis what you have shown you can do in a certain subject. Ability is a talent,skills or proficiency in a particular area. It is what you can do, given ideal circumtance.You can think of it as being internal and hidden untilyou show what what you can do with your performance. Performance is the execution of an action,something accomplished. It is external and what people see. For example,someone that freaks out when they have graded recitation may bomb it and have poor performance, even though they knew the material and had the ability to do the graded recitation if they hadn’t been so nervous. The term â€Å"Learning† is given a range of meaning. In everyday talk, media and television it is rarely used. When it is, it usually implies â€Å"being taught†. In the world of education learning may be used a lot, but on closer inspection the term can be standing in for distinctly different processes such as teaching, producing,performing according to certain criteria, and so on. And in classroom it is rarely heard. Learning achievement or learning performance is the outcome of education, the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has acchieved their education goals. Learning achievement is commonly measured by examinations or continuous assesment but there is no general agreement on how it is best tested on which aspect are most impotant procedural knowledge such as skills or declarative knowledge such as facts. Learning performance refers to how student deal with their studies and how they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers. It is the ability to study and remember facts and being able to communicate your knowledge verbally or down on paper. *According to researh,a review of devlopments across the 20th century highlighted that learning is now seen as change in knowledge occuring through a process of knowledge construction in which the social context of learning is important 1.Learner differences and contextual differences are both shown to be influential. Studies of the social context of learning have helped us see that understanding is a shared phenomenon that learning may usefully be seen as joining a knowledge community, and that much learning remains very  specific to the social situation in which it was originally learned2. In every school and every classroom, views of learning are present, even if they remain implicit. The long standing culture of classroom is : teaching is telling, learning is listening. Knowledge is subject matter taught by teachers and found in books3.This does not accord with evidence from research. But it will inhabit classroom life unless there is clear action to counter it. And there is important research showing that classroom can create a better view.In the meaning held by learners themselves, views of learning have become a key focus of research. Studies of adult students have identified a range of learning: Increasing one’s knowledge memorizing and reproducing applying, general rules to particulars understanding, making sense changing the peson4 Effective learners are likely to have a rich conception of learning, along with strengths in what researchers have identified as metacognition, self-monitoring and self-regulation. There are several thing that effect the learning performance of the office administration student. First is financial problem wherein the students are financial capable in supporting their studies and needs. The student don’t have enough money to pay their tuition fees, school projects, photo copies, assignment, and other needs in school.Second is family problems. Family has a big part in students life. It affects their learning performance to catch up the lessons according to their daily lives. Crisis in family is one of the major problem why does the students fail to focus or give their 100% to understand the lessons. Then time management. Most of the students are having difficulties in dividing their time of their academic and non-academic activities, rackets or partime job. This may result to the student a bad performance in school. There times that they missed the classes because of their partime job and other activities.Followed by the student habits, some of tha students don’t read their books and lectures after school hours and didn’t listen in class discuccion because of inproper used of gadgets like cellphones, tablets and ipads so they didn’t understand much the lessons. Next is the student discipline. Some of the students didn’t obey the school policies, rules and  regulations, educational norms and school traditions. Then problem with the professors. Some students don’t want to attend or don’t want to listen to their professors because he or she is boring so that the student become not interested in the lessons, also when the professors are ve ry terror and stressful the student’s vission they found it hard to give their full focus in learning because of the way their professors discipline them. Peer pressure. There are some students skip classes because their friends or classmates influence to just go to malls, playing computer games, drink alcoholic beveranges and other gimmics instead of attending classes. Romantic relationship. The students can’t concentrate studying because they keep on thinking about their problems. The latter sometimes didn’t attend class because of the heartache caused by their boyfriend or girlfriend. They didn’t know how to handle such situations that bring them to fail their subjects. Second to the last thing are facilities and equipments. Most of the equipment and facilities such as rooms, laboratories, chairs, typewritters and computers are not suitable or limited for the population we have in our university. The students can’t concentrate studying because of the noise outside the classroom that usually came from the school quadrangle. They may not acquire the actual knowledge and skills they need. Lastly is educational psychology. It is the study of how the student learnin educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and social psychology of schools as oganizations. Every individual has differences in learning. There are some students who easily underrstand the topic discussed inside the classroom and there are also students who can’t understand the lessons that easy as others can and the problem is they don’t even asking so they totally don’t know what are the lessons discussed. The study of learning performance is for better improvement f office management student performance gaining knowledge. It can enhance the self-esteem of the students to perform well. and enridh their studies. A focus on learning can enhance perfomance, whereas a focus on perfomance (alone) can depress performance. The effects of performance orientation include greater helplessness, reduced help-seeking, less strategy use, more maladaptive strategies and a greater focus on grade feedback. There is an increase strategic behaviour rather than learning behaviour, a focus on looking good rather than learning well, and a tendency  to perceive education as a process of jumping through hoops, rather than something more transferable and lasting. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK This part presents the conceptual framework and problem analysis of the study. The main research question is the thing that are affecting the gaining knowledge performance of the students. Sub topic research question such as financial problems, family problems, time management, problem with the professors, peer pressure, study habits, romantic relationship, student discipline, facilities and equipment and educational psychology have been found to have an effect on student’s learning performance. It affects student learning performance in terms of time demanded and the psychological state they may cause.

Aftershock: World War I and its Political, Social and Economic Legacy to America Essay

Though the major fighting in World War I was largely confined to a relatively limited area (Western Europe, the Balkan peninsula, Russia and the Alpine frontier of Austria-Hungary and Italy, and what is now known as the Middle East), millions people all over the world felt the effects of war. In its wake, the war left over10 million people dead, with the men lost in combat leaving a deep chasm in the socio-economic milieu of the post-war world (Ellis and Cox 20). On the American home front, significant changes were forged upon the nation. Primarily World War I created labor shortages, which led thousands of African Americans to migrate to the North and work on its steel mills, ammunition plants and stockyards (Tucker 250). This migration in turn provoked racial tensions and led to rioting in some cities, as was the case in Illinois, when race riots erupted in East Saint Louis (July 1917) and Chicago (July 1919). The labor shortages also profoundly altered the traditional roles of men and women, as men were called to the battlefields and women had to step up into traditionally male occupations in industries – women learned to become railroad workers, shipbuilders, among others. They thus achieved a certain degree of independence and self-reliance through the opportunities provided by the war, and ultimately mustered enough support for women suffrage with the 19th Amendment finally passed by Congress in 1919, granting women the right to vote (Venzon 118). On the political front, the war had greatly increased the responsibilities of the federal government, leading to the creation of new government agencies to persuade the public’s voluntary compliance in support of the U.  S. cause. New ways for revenue generation in order to finance the war were also in order, leading the federal government to increase income and excise taxes, the institution of a war-profit tax, and selling of war bonds (Venzon 128). With countries involved having to borrow heavily to pay for the war, either from their own citizens of foreign lenders, such deficit-financing led to high levels of inflation, which in turn impoverished many citizens earning fixed incomes. Such pressures wrought by the war evoked hostility and suspicion, particularly antagonism toward immigrants, especially those of German and Italian descent. Repressive laws were passed by Congress for fear of sabotage and retaliation, such as the Espionage Act of 1917, followed by the Sedition Act of 1918, resulting in thousands of arrests and convictions for antiwar activities (Venzon 1995). People on the left were hard pressed, following wartime concerns on dissent and hostility toward the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 in Russia. Fear of radicalism, horror at Soviet communism, and the impact of wartime hysteria led to a series of attacks on radicals, i. e. the Palmer Raids of January 1920 led to arrests of thousands in 33 cities. Though the postwar Red Scare eventually abated, suspicion of foreigners, dissenters, and nonconformists prevailed well into the 1920s (Venzon 1995). The spirit of vindictiveness among the Allies influenced the drafting of the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919, leaving Germany shackled by the armistice and angered by the peace treaty (Taylor 291). The deplorable conditions in postwar Germany would later give rise to a fascist leadership in the 1930s, which would ultimately plunge the world to another war of a greater scale. The American experience of the Great War, brief and distant from the nation’s shores as it might have been, proved the turning point for the United States to realize its might – it had effectively mobilized its industrial forces and held its own in world affairs. At the end of the war, the U. S. was recognized as a world power (Taylor 315). While Europe tried to rebuild from the ashes of war, the U. S. ained overseas territories, access to markets and raw materials to fuel its industries. On the domestic front, the economy expanded with improvements in assembly-line production. The gains from improved auto production spread beyond car factories into the steel, glass, rubber and petroleum industries (Taylor 326). The federal government funded programs to build roads and highways, with previously isolated rural areas filled with tourist cabins and gas stations, leading to a growth in the construction industry as new suburbs rose at the outskirts of cities, transforming the nation’s landscape. The 1920s became characterized by mass consumption, particularly in the leisure and culture industries, easy credit, and advertising (Venzon 135). Yet even as profits soared, American zeal for reform waned, and business and government resumed their long-term affinity, and not everyone benefitted from these gains of economic prosperity. The mixture of economic change, political conservatism, and cultural conflict made the 1920s a decade of contradictions.

Carnap Empiricism, Semantics and Ontology Essay

Carnap Empiricism, Semantics and Ontology - Essay Example The concern on the use of abstract entities in semantics comes from the two divergent views held by semanticists. One group of semanticists; especially those inclined to science hold that some expressions refer to entities including both concrete materials and abstract entities. Concrete materials refer to tangible objects such as trees. However, other semanticists oppose such a view and argue that such a perspective goes against the principles of empiricism and takes semantics back to the â€Å"Metaphysical Ontology of the Platonic Kind† (Carnap 242). By saying that such a perspective takes semantics to â€Å"Metaphysical of the Platonic Kind† implies that the approach reduces semantics to imitation where semantics can only refer to observable objects. The paper will therefore explore the best approach that may used in inclusion of abstract entities into semantics and avert a controversy as one brought out by Carnap. It will be achieved by first discussing linguistic f rameworks, numbers as abstract realities and the implication of accepting a new kind of entities. To dispel the controversy presented above, Carnap begin by discussing the linguistic frameworks. Carnap poses a question on whether there exist classes, properties and propositions and goes ahead to assert that such can only be understood by recognizing the distinction between two forms of questions touching on the reality of entities (242). Firstly, Carnap discusses about internal questions that are formulated using new structures of expression. Answers to internal questions may only be achieved by following a logical sequence or empirical methods based on whether the framework is a factual or logical one (242). Logical sequencing refers to finding answers through a series of questions. Empirical method refers to answering question using theories. On the other hand, external questions are in complex forms and require closer evaluation. The reason

Use valid academic sources to illustrate the proximate causes for the Research Paper

Use valid academic sources to illustrate the proximate causes for the massive downturn of the U.S. economy 2009 - Research Paper Example What is however, significant to note that the crisis created a kind of contagion effect on other sectors of the economy also and started to take deeper roots in terms of creating recessionary pressures on the economy? During the last quarter of 2007, US officially went into the recession and official response from US government started to emerge. US took massive action in terms of supporting the failing institutions and government injected tax payers’ money in order to ensure that the whole financial system of the country should not collapse. This also included separate responses from the different actors of the State including The President, Congress, Treasury as well as the Fed Chairman while working in their official capacity. As discussed above that the original cause of financial crisis was the busting of asset bubble wherein the subprime mortgage portfolio of the banks started to get worse. Over the period of time, banks started the practice of lending to subprime borrowers- borrowers with impaired credit history- in order to earn higher returns. Most of the banks however, also securitized their mortgage portfolio and subsequently repackaged their loans and sold them in the form of mortgage based securities. (Cocheo. 2007). The real issue started to emerge when the subprime borrowers started to default and the banks have to divert their own funds to payoff their obligations on the mortgage based securities. This mismatching of the cash flows therefore created the credit crunch for other sectors of the economy and slowly started to engulf the whole economy. The apparent reason may be the subprime mortgages however, underlying this crisis, many critical weaknesses of the regulatory environment of the country. It is generally argued that the overall regulatory environment of the developed countries was so relaxed that the firms took undue advantage and started to adapt the business practices which were risky and put the entire

To what extent does Twitter's mission statement reflect its usage Literature review

To what extent does Twitter's mission statement reflect its usage - Literature review Example The organisation claims it to be ‘the fastest, simplest way to stay close to everything you care’ (Twitter, 2012). Twitter is based upon the four fundamentals, namely, Microblogging, Social Networking, Social Media and Computer-Mediated Communication. In recent times, the importance of social networking and media has been noticed largely among the youth generation. Not only have the young people, but also companies in modern days, use social networks to transfer information among the people who are by large the users of these social media. The organisations have been using a tool named microblogging which can be stated as the process of posting smaller digital contents such as, pictures, short videos, links and other media contents in the internet. Although, there are many social networking sites, Facebook has been another social media which have recently gained huge popularity, in comparison to Twitter. The difference between Twitter and Facebook is the class of users, i.e. while Twitter is generally used by most of the celebrities and dignitaries; Facebook is used by all the classes of the society. Micro-blogging According to Java & et. al. (n.d.), Twitter is currently the most accepted microblogging stage which enables users to update their current statuses through short message services (SMSs), digital photos or short videos. In other words, an online community is formed by inviting friends and colleagues who share information of their recent happenings through short texts or audio-visual clips. Furthermore, it can be stated that microblogging in recent times has become an extremely famous media for both personal and professional recreation. Friends use it to keep in touch, professionals use it to co-ordinate business meetings and share important resources; similarly, celebrities and political dignitaries use it for gaining publicity by posting comments regarding their tour schedules, concert presences and film releases (Java & et. al., n.d.). According to a publication of the 17th European Conference on Information Systems (2009), it has been observed that the term microblogging has developed additional terms such as microsharing and activity streaming which are being used commonly by recent users. It has also been noted that Twitter is being used at a higher degree for micro-blogging in comparison to other accessible social networking sites; although, many people have complained about its reliability and functionality (17th European Conference on Information Systems, 2009). As stated by Ehrlich & Shami (2010), posts or ‘tweets’ can be viewed by anyone who is following the person or even attempts to view the public profiles. Furthermore, the authors state that the concept of ‘following’ is very different from ‘friending’ as in social networks consent from both the parties are required to share and view other people’s information. Whereas in the case of Twitter, consent is not necessary and a person can automatically follow other person according to their likes and tastes. Thus, it can be stated that the popularity of Twitter has grown rapidly due to its unique qualities (Ehrlich & Shami, 2010). In this respect, Ebner & Schiefner (2008) observed that the success of microblogging or ‘weblogs’, shortly called as blogs are due to the three factors;

Contemporry artist Fatimah Tuggar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Contemporry artist Fatimah Tuggar - Essay Example These images happened to be digitally made and reveal their constructed nature to question today's commercial system of representation and how cultural image is formed. [Fortin, 2001] Tuggar's sculptures include real images, primarily domestic ones, which include a leather cushion setting arrangement, a make-up holder, a Calabash bowl, a ceiling fan, an old-fashioned radio, writing tables and dowery plates. Thus, they are pulled into three dimensions. Fatimah manipulates these objects which continue to function but in a re-informed social content and personal history. Fatimah Tuggar digitally combines photographs of her native Nigeria with images of the West (taken from fashion magazines, mail-order catalogues), thus, creating artworks which raise questions of self-identity and cultural differences. Her works reflect her place in both American and African society. Instead of creating simple binary oppositions, she looks closely at cultural nuances; she looks between the cultural products and structures to better understand how media technology influences and affects the daily lives of people. She says, that she focuses 'on the internal relationships of the individuals within the image, tempered by the surrounding power structures'. [Kino, 2001] Sylvie Fortin, the investigator of Fatimah's creations, stays that her digital montages combine sections of images that are garnered from two distinct sources. A first one is considered to be shot in the artist's travels in Northern Nigeria and elsewhere - they betray varying degrees of intimacy and immediacy. The second, boundless virtual bank of found images includes the vast script of Western print and electronic mass media of the last 70 years. That is cinema, travel and fashion and lifestyle magazines, television, advertising and the web. In most cases, the work's conceptualization is launched by the artist's photographs, where the retrieval of a public image follows, thus, creating the intersection of two image systems on its surface. [Fortin, 2001] Fatimah Tuggar's work, or her digital imaging, is a tool, a method, and a metaphor for genetic manipulation; it's also a site for the nuanced public negotiation of performances of African contemporaneity. Her 'Money and Matter' is made up of series of nine images that examine the relationship of human beings to capital, both on a personal level and from a social perspective. She uses entertainment technologies as a vehicle for commentary on various and conflicting histories, journeys and materials of her experience. Money as a symbol, is both a subject and object of what people desire and fear. The main theme is the tension between the money's power gaming and elements of distraction and the substance of what matters in people's lives. Here she presents the dynamics of money and matter. In 'Lady and the Maid' the background

Community Health Nusing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Community Health Nusing - Essay Example I learnt to design and implement health education campaigns and diseases prevention activities such as immunization, sex education, abstinence and screenings. To do this, I had to monitor health trends by looking at students’ past health records in order to identify heath risk factors that were unique to Cesar Chavez High School. I believe a person’s health is affected by factors like environmental changes, lifestyle and genetic composition. Effective prevention measures would include health care education, proper nutrition, efficient safety practices, and early detection of common diseases (Appleby et al, 2005). I learnt how to identify and respond to potential health issues. I also learnt about the importance of patient-doctor confidentiality; hence I was able to encourage the students to come for medication irrespective of their medical conditions. Admittedly, the students have changed substantially since I got to Cesar Chavez High School. Most of them have dropped their bad habits. Usually, high school students are curious and tend to pursue satisfaction of their curiosity by experimenting on new things. Some of them were into drugs while others were just naughty and would fake sickness in order to avoid exams. Teen pregnancies were also rampant. Most of them did not take their health seriously because those who were sick would take up to a week before seeking medical attention. This delay was making treatment difficult for me as a nurse. In addition, cleaning the environment was perceived as a punishment to students. I set out to address these issues on the grounds that prevention was better than cure by educating both the staff and the students on the importance of getting rid of health prejudice. In addition, I stressed the importance of disease prevention. For instance, maintaining high hygienic conditions would lower the chances of contacting diseases such as dysentery.

Practical UNIX Security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Practical UNIX Security - Assignment Example There are various versions of Unix available however they are slightly different. The most admired varieties of Unix are GNU/Linux, Sun Solaris and MacOS X (Rosen Kenneth H., 2006). UNIX security is the way of protecting a UNIX or any other Unix-like operating system (Ross Seth T., 2000). A safe atmosphere cannot be obtained by just designing conception of these operating systems but by observant administrative and user practices. LDAP that is Lightweight Directory Access Protocol is nothing but an application protocol used for editing and reading directories over an internet protocol network (Morimoto Rand, 2008). Directory here refers to the set of organized records, for instance, a telephone directory is organized in an alphabetical record of people and organizations with the address and contact number in every record. LDAP not only stores information about persons but is also used to find encryption certificates, printers, pointers and other various services on a network. It also facilitates single signon where a single password for an operator is shared among various services. The LDAP is most suitable for any type of directory in cases where in-frequent updates and quick lookups are the requirements. As it is a protocol, LDAP does not describe how programs work on server side as well as on the client side. It defines the language used as communication for client programs to speak to servers. On the side of client, a client may be having an address book, an email program, or it can be a printer browser. The server may use only LDAP or may have various other ways for data exchange and LDAP could just an add-on method. Suppose if someone has an email program it may or may not supports LDAP. Most of the LDAP clients have option of reading from a server only. Apart from this, search abilities are also different for different users. Few of the clients have option of updating or writing information however LDAP does not provide security or encryption so addition al protection like encrypted SSL connection becomes imperative (Ciampa Mark, 2008). LDAP offers number of features which is difficult to understand at a glance. Below given are some of the features of LDAP. Remote Communications: Sometimes Remote communication can be or sometimes it cannot be a security issue (Negus Christopher, 2009). If unlimited access is provided to non-sensitive LDAP records then the security of data becomes doubtful. In such situation one possibly become susceptible to do’s and don’t do’s assault through cruel LDAP query loads. However it is not that important but still it should be taken care of. You may choose to operate using simple clear text passwords and without using any additional security if you are sure that all the LDAP communications will occur inside trusted network only. However in such cases it becomes easier to scrutinize sensitive data or to sniff traffic or obtain passwords sent in clear. The risk of sniffing, snooping, m an in the middle and other various risks increase when a communication takes place across a non reliable network. The increasing emphasis on monitoring (cn=monitor) and run-time configuration (RTC) may make it a rule that LDAP browsers develop into the remote consoles to administers LDAP server (Kopper Karl, 2005). This traffic is highly sensitive by its nature. The next step depends upon the answer to the question that do we need to protect password

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - Essay Example Systems to address construction project risk†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.5 a. Technology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 b. People†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 c. Planning†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.6 IV. Catastrophic failure fault tree†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 V. Discussion of fault tree†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 a. Reduce risks†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...8 b. Mitigate risks†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..8 c. Avoid risks†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.9 VI. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..9 VII. Appendix†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦..10 VIII. References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..11 Introduction The Deepwater Horizon disaster was triggered by failure of the sea-bed oil gusher to control the flow of oil following the 20th April 2010 blowout of the oil drilling rig. The incident, blamed on failure of the rig owner to rein in the warning signs and put in place adequate risk prevention and management programs, killed almost a dozen crew members and injured several others. The development then resulted in a massive leakage of oil into the sea, resulting in an unfathomable environmental disaster in the Gulf Sea. The catastrophic failure of the BP Oil drilling rig was generally the most dangerous ever in the history of offshore oil drilling projects. Sources of construction project risk a. Timeline On January 30th 2010, the Deepwater Horizon transferred its equipment to about 45 miles off the Louisiana coast in order to begin oil drilling operations at the Macondo well (Owens, 2012). In early April, an assessment was carried out to ascertain rig’s condition after Transocean Ltd., the chief operator the facility saw it wise to do so. On April 15, a cement job expert at the well-site travelled abroad to attend a conference on rig management techniques (Balaguer, 2010). A Halliburton’s employee specialized in designing cement job for plugging the well against spills, advised BP that the site needed 21 stabilizers to position the drill pipe at the centre, but BP superiors overruled his decision and directed the work to continue with only six centralizers in place. On April 18, Halliburton carried out a vital test on the cement that was set for use, but denied BP some of the results. Meanwhile the company advised BP that the well was at risk of leaks if the work proceeded with fewer than the earlier recommended 21 centralizers. On April 19, the drilling work was completed to the desirable depths. This paved way for installation of the casing and pumping of the cement to stabilize the rig. Whereas, the work was behind schedule by more than a month, finishing touches were done on 20th April. However, the well immediately failed, and triggered a blowout (Owens, 2012). b. Costs Transocean through Triton Asset Leasing Company was managing the rig. However, BP entered into a contract to use the rig for three years off the Louisiana coast. The contract was valued at $544 million, for the equipment only, with employees, supporting gear and other vessels costing

Referee Report for Economics Manuscript Essay Example for Free

Referee Report for Economics Manuscript Essay â€Å"Different Risk-Adjusted Fund Performance Measures: A Comparison† Summary This paper compares various risk-adjusted performance measures for a set of mutual funds. The authors argue that performance measures based on Value-at-Risk (VaR) or Extreme Value Theory (EVT) are more appropriate than other popular performance measures such as the Sharpe ratio (SR), the Treynor index (TI) or Jensen ´s Alpha (JA) . They propose a performance index similar to the SR and the TI based on losses calculated by means of VaR together with EVT. They find that EVT-VaR measures are more appropriate in the presence of non-normal data. Main Comments The topic of the paper is of relevance for financial practitioners as well as academics and it is certainly applicable to the current financial stability context. The paper is also generally wellwritten. However, I have some comments for its improvement. 1. The contribution of the paper is not clearly stated. In the 6th paragraph of the introduction, the authors suggest that their main contribution is the construction of a performance index based on EVT-VAR. However, it is not very clear why the new proposed measure should be better in relation to existing measures as it is now explained. It is true that VaR or EVT should be more reliable measures for extreme events but when looking at formula (13) it is not apparent why this measure should be more reliable than the traditional measures. The denominator has, in fact, an â€Å"extreme return† as opposed to the SR or TI which have strictly second moments, so it is not very straight forward to relate these measures. A better job should be done at explaining the implications of such VaR based measure, how it relates to other measures and why it should be better. 2. Why have the measures been compared only in a â€Å"static† way? It is widely known in the finance literature that asset return volatility is time-varying, and to some extent, also expected returns. It would be possible to go around the latter by arguing market efficiency (which is also questionable) but it is certainly much more difficult to argue against time-variability of the standard deviation in the VaR measures (or in the SA and TI ratios). This is very important as the â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad† applicability of a particular performance measure could be sample dependent and as it is now with unconditional measures, this is hard to uncover. For instance, while the authors account for nonnormality of returns in the modified-VaR measure by means of a Corner-Fisher quantile, they assume a constant standard deviation which means that in periods of high volatility they could still understate the VaR. So at the minimum, the performance comparisons should be done for the full sample and different sub-samples and it should be tested whether the measures obtained are significantly different over different samples. 3. The authors concentrate on top 10 and bottom 10 funds for their analysis and discarded the other funds â€Å"for the sake of simplicity†. However, by choosing only the â€Å"tail† funds, the authors are giving from the start an advantage to EVT or VaR measures. It would be more appropriate to also report results on (say) 10 â€Å"mid† funds. 4. It is not very clear why the top 10 funds â€Å"show more departures from normality† in relation to bottom funds. This finding should be expanded and the intuition behind it should be better explained. One could argue that â€Å"losers† could be more volatile than â€Å"winners† as the level of uncertainty with respect to the fund might increase which could lead to more extreme returns. In fact, in the 3rd paragraph of the empirical result section it says â€Å"the bottom 10 funds have, in general, higher VaR values than the top ones, which means that they are more susceptible to extreme events† which is somewhat contradictory with the finding that the top 10 funds exhibit more departures from normality. Moreover, one of the main findings of the study is that the VaR and EVT performance measures perform best in relation to other measures when there are more departures from normality in returns. A better attempt to reconcile the findings of nonnormality, the â€Å"winner vs. looser† funds and the results on the performance measures with some previous studies or satisfactory intuition should be done. Other comments 1. The contributions of the paper should be stated earlier in the paper and not almost at the end of the introduction as it is now. The contributions should be clearer (see also point 1 above) and should be better related to the existing relevant literature. 2. The conclusion is too long. The concluding remarks should be much shorter and should only summarize the main findings and reconcile them with the issues raised in the introduction as well as highlight possible extensions for future work. 3. The tables should also be improved. They should have a short description of the contents to facilitate reading. As it is now, the reader has to constantly come back to the main text to find out what the contents mean. 4. The figures are hardly visible, they should also be improved and a short explanation should be given.

Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

Romeo and Juliet Essay Romeo and Juliet is a story about two star crossed lovers. Who fall deeply in love with each outher the moment they meet. At the beginning of the play Juliet is a child like innocent little girl. She does whatever her mother and father tell her to do, I can tell this by when her mother calls her she runs to her mother, and her first words to her mother are madam what is your will? Here she expresses that she is ready to do as she is told. She knows nothing about the world. This is because she has been educated at home. If Juliet does need to go out of the house it is always with the accompany of the nurse or her mother. Juliet is very obedient to her father. The first rapid change we see within Juliet, the innocent little girl. This happens the minute she meets Romeo. She turns really devious. This all happens after Juliet has kissed Romeo, he is about to set off home. Juliet wants to know what his name is, so she asks the nurse, the names of outher young men before actually asking Romeos name. Whats he that now is going out of door? Marry, that I think be young petruchio Whats he that follows there, that would not dance? here she is referring to Romeo. When the nurse does not know his name Juliet sends the nurse to go and ask him. When the nurse returns she tells Juliet his name is Romeo, and a Montague, the only son of your great enemy. This is the first step Juliet takes where she starts to develop her changes from an innocent girl to a young lady who has to make a decision for herself. This is where Juliet has to make a decision whether or not to for get Romeo or to still think of him knowing that he is one of her great enemies. This is also one of the decisions she has to make on her own, without her mother or anyone knowing. Even though she is crafty Juliet is also rather levelheaded. She shows this when Romeo is deeply in love with Juliet and all he talks about in love non-stop. With loves light wings did I oerperch these, walls, for story limits cannot hold love out: and what love can do, that dares love attempt: therefore the kinsmen are no stop to me. At this moment Romeo is just to deeply in love, and does not really think of what he is saying or doing. Whereas Juliet is more down to earth, and reminds Romeo if what danger he could be in. If they do see thee, they will murder thee. It is still the same night she met Romeo, Juliet turns from a child like daughter into a young lady who just does what she feels like doing. This happens when Juliet purposes to Romeo and asks him to send her his answer the next day. At this point Juliet does not really think of what she is doing, Juliet takes things into her own hands and does not bother thinking of the consequences. Juliet does not even ask anyone else before she asks Romeo to marry him, but instead takes matters into her own hands. One other thing that changes about Juliet is that she does not wait for Romeo to bring up the marriage, but brings it up her self. Which is unusual for the girl to be the one that suggests marriage. After taking matters into her own hands Juliet also becomes very demanding, and impatient, something that you would not expect an nai ve girl to be come like in such short time. The clock struck none when I did send the nurse: In half an hour she promised to return therefore here Juliet remembers how long the nurse had told she would take and Juliet had remembered, this also shows that Juliet has kept track of time and has been counting each minute the nurse has been. When the nurse does finally return with the answer Juliet does not lat her sit down knowing she is out of breath, she just wants to her the reply back. But the nurse who just wants to play around with Juliet gives her a hard time, by not telling her the answer. When Juliet says sweet, sweet, sweet Nurse, tell me, what says my love? Repeating sweet three times Juliet sweet talks her way back to the nurse, which makes the nurse to give in. Juliet becomes very romantic and, loving. This is another one of Juliets changes after she meets Romeo. But to be frank and give it the again: And yet I wish but for the thing I have. My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep: the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite. Juliet here is saying all this to Romeo and expressing her love to him, so much that she says my love as deep the more I give to thee the more love she gives to Romeo the more I have for both are infinite the more never ending love she holds inside her. Wilt thou be gone? It is not near day. It was the nightingale, and not the lark this is when Romeo and Juliet have spent the night in Juliets bedroom, mourning has broke but Juliet denies that it is mourning when she says it was the nightingale the bird that comes out at night, and that it was not the lark the bird that comes in the mourning. So here Juliet denies that it is mourning because being with Romeo makes time fly past. Therefore this is where Juliet is not the sensible one, and this is the point where Juliet is in an adoring mood. Juliet also shows integrity by saying no to her marriage with Paris. This is where she takes things the hard way. What she could have done she could have married Paris and forget all about Romeo as he was banished. But she loved Romeo and took the hard way. There is another frantic change in Juliet. Being with Romeo has also made her very brave. The first brave aspect we see in Juliet is when she marries her fathers enemys son, Romeo. Knowing what can happen to Romeo and her she still takes the big step in marring Romeo. She is also exceedingly brave when she tells her father that she will not marry Paris. Not proud you have, but thankful that you have. Proud can I never be of what I hate, but thankful even for hate that is meant love. This is the first time ever she has disobeyed her father. Making her point loud and clear in saying no to marring Paris. She is also very brave when she takes the potion. At first she cant wait to get her hands on the potion, give me give me. Knowing the potion can go wrong and if she does wake before Romeo has got to her. When I am laid into the tomb, I wake before the time that Romeo comes to re deem me. She still takes the potion for her loves sake. Again she is extremely brave when she kills herself when she sees Romeo dead on the floor Juliet sees the dagger as some sort of cover that will protect her from everything that is happing and take her to her Romeo O happy dagger! This is thy sheath, there rust, and let me die. On the whole I think Juliet does what she does because of the difficulties this feud has caused for her relationship with Romeo. I also think that it is good that Juliet changed throughout the story because if she did stay as an innocent girl she would have never gone as far as marring Romeo. Throughout the whole play every change that she made helped her in many ways. If Juliet did not turn crafty or disloyal to her father she would have never ended up dieing with Romeo. Hansa Saleem 11E Romeo and Juliet essay.

Endotracheal Intubation to Supraglottic Airway Device

Endotracheal Intubation to Supraglottic Airway Device Discussion Response 1 Much debate has occurred recently about high failure rates and adverse effects associated with pre-hospital paramedic endotracheal intubation. Should ETT be removed entirely and replaced with supraglottic airways? Maintaining an airway in a safe and effective manner is critical in pre-hospital management of the patient in respiratory distress. The debate regarding the most appropriate device to manage this situation in the pre-hospital setting will continue as devices and education and training of paramedics continues to improve. This discussion compares the failure rates and adverse effects of endotracheal intubation to supraglottic airway devices and discusses the possibility of removal of endotracheal tubes in favour of the use of supraglottic airways. The indications for endotracheal intubation for Victorian Paramedics are cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, GCS greater than or equal to 10 with suspected airway burns (a consult is required), GCS less than 10 due to respiratory failure, neurological injury, overdose, status epilepticus, hyperglycaemia with blood glucose level reading high or suspected airway burns. The paramedic requires clinical experience to recognise the 5 main indicators for intubation failure to ventilate, failure to oxygenate, inability to protect against aspiration, inability to maintain airway patency or predicting patient deterioration to respiratory failure (Lafferty Dillinger, 2016). Intubation success rates range from 69% to 98.4% the variation accounts for the level of education, training and case exposure. The success rate or lack thereof is directly proportional to the amount of education, training and case exposure received (Jacobs Grabinsky, 2014 and Piegeler, et al., 2016). In Australian studies it was found that Victorian HEMS based paramedics who underwent extensive training that included hospital based practice (Bernard S. A., et al., 2015) attained 97% (Bernard S. , Smith, Foster, Hogan, Patrick, 2002) 100% (Andrew, et al., 2015) success rate. These intubations showed improvements with oxygen saturation, end tidal carbon dioxide levels, blood pressure (Bernard S. , Smith, Foster, Hogan, Patrick, 2002) and pain scores (Andrew, et al., 2015). There is a recommendation from the European Resuscitation Council that only well trained and experienced paramedics should perform endotracheal intubation and alternate airway devices should be used by less trai ned paramedics (Schalk, et al., 2012). Failure to maintain competency of this skill increases the risk of errors eliminating the benefits of endotracheal intubation and results in a negative patient outcome (Tiah, et al., 2014). Endotracheal intubation is performed to ensure adequate ventilation and oxygenation also to avoid aspiration of gastric contents or blood during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (Piegeler, et al., 2016) and when the airway is threatened due to oedema in the setting of facial burns or suspected inhalation burns (Price Milner, 2012). Improved patient outcomes were demonstrated when endotracheal intubation was successfully achieved compared to those with a supraglottic device, there was a higher incidence of return of spontaneous circulation, survival to hospital admission, neurologically intact, survival to hospital discharge. (Benoit, Gerecht, Steuerwald, McMullan, 2015). Temporary harm from airway management is common however serious injury is not (Cook MacDougall-Davis, 2012). Complications attributed to endotracheal intubation are commonly hoarseness and sore throat, however patients can also experience lip swelling, laceration and bleeding, tongue laceration and bleeding, oral bleeding, dental damage, gingival bleeding, and pharyngeal bleeding (Toda, Toda, Arakawa, 2013). Failed intubation is associated with oxygen desaturation, hypertension, admission to ICU and complications at extubating (Cook MacDougall-Davis, 2012). The risks associated with out of hospital endotracheal intubation are pulmonary aspiration, delay in transport due to several attempts, tube misplacement or difficult airway management. In these cases, where an invasive and time consuming technique may delay definitive care it may be more appropriate to utilise a supraglottic airway device as an alternative (Piegeler, et al., 2016). The indications for the use of a supraglottic airway device are unconscious patient without gag reflex, ineffective ventilation with BVM and oro- or nasal-pharyngeal airway, predicted greater than 10 minutes assisted ventilation required, or unable to intubate or difficult intubation (Ambulance Victoria, 2016). Many studies indicate a less than 1% failure rate of supraglottic airway devices (Cook MacDougall-Davis, 2012) this is due to the lower education and training requirement and the device being less invasive (Jacobs Grabinsky, 2014). The failure rates were contributed to airway soiling and aspiration before paramedic treatment commenced. Proficiency of use is quickly attained (Haske, Schempf, Gaier, Niederberger, 2013), the device is faster to insert with higher success rate (Duckett, Fell, Kimber, Taylor, 2014) decreasing interruptions during a cardiac arrest and ventilation is possible with continuous compressions (Haske, Schempf, Gaier, Niederberger, 2013). The i-gel is a 2nd generation supraglottic airway device that exerts very low pressures on the pharyngeal mucosa resulting in low incidence of airway complication such as hoarseness and sore throat (Michalek, 2013). The major concerns of the use of any supraglottic airway device is the potential for air leak, airway, vocal cord and soft tissue injury, hypoxemia, and hypercapnia (Jacobs Grabinsky, 2014) and aspiration of gastric contents (Piegeler, et al., 2016). This generation of device is designed with a channel to insert a gastric tube to drain the stomach contents or air (Michalek, 2013) to prevent aspiration. Comparing placement success and time to ventilate when comparing unassisted endotracheal intubation and supraglottic airway device (Frascone, et al., 2011), hospital admission and survival to hospital discharge, and neurological or functional status (Tiah, et al., 2014) there is no significant difference between the two types of devices (Frascone, et al., 2011 and Tiah, et al., 2014). In the metropolitan setting of paramedic practice there is a solid argument for the cessation of endotracheal use in favour of a supraglottic device. The low level of education and training required to ensure proficiency, fast insertion time and the addition of the gastric tube channel along with the shorter transport times to definitive care indicates that a supraglottic airway is most appropriate airway device. References Ambulance Victoria. (2016). Clinical Practice Guidelines for Ambulance and MICA Paramedics (Revised Edition ed.). Doncaster, Victoria, Australia: Ambulance Victoria. Retrieved March 19, 2017 Andrew, E., de Wit, A., Meadley, B., Cox, S., Bernard, S., Smith, K. (2015, July/September). Characteristics of patients transported by a paramedic-staffed helicopter emergency medical service in Victoria, Australia. Prehospital Emergency Care, 19(3), 416 424. doi:10.3109/10903127.2014.995846 Benoit, J. L., Gerecht, R. B., Steuerwald, M. T., McMullan, J. T. (2015). Endotracheal intubation versus supraglottic airway placement in out-of-hospital cardiac arret: A meta-analysis. Resuscitation, 93, 20 26. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2015.05.007 Bernard, S. A., Smith, K., Porter, R., Jones, C., Gailey, A., Cresswell, B., . . . St Clair, T. (2015). Paramedic rapid sequence intubation in patients with non-traumatic coma. Emergency Medicine Journal, 32, 60 64. doi:10.1136/emermed-2013-202930 Bernard, S., Smith, K., Foster, S., Hogan, P., Patrick, I. (2002, December). The use of rapid sequence intubation by ambulance paramedics for patients with severe head injury. Emergency Medicine Australasia, 14(4), 406 411. doi:10.1046/j.1442-2026.2002.00382 Bernhard, M., Mohr, S., A., W. M., Martin, E., Walther, A. (2012, February). Developing the skill of endotracheal intubation: implication for emergency medicine. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, 56(2), 164 171. doi:10.1111/j.1399-6576.2011.02547 Cook, T. M., MacDougall-Davis, S. R. (2012). Complications and failure of airway management. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 109(S1), i68 i85. doi:10.1093/bja/aes393 Duckett, J., Fell, P., Kimber, C., Taylor, C. (2014). Introduction of the i-gel supraglottic airway device for prehospital airway management in a UK ambulance service. Emergency Medicine Journal, 31, 505 507. doi:10.1136/emermed-2012-202126 Frascone, R. J., Russi, C., Lick, C., Conterato, M., Wewerka, S. S., Griffith, K. R., . . . Salzman, J. G. (2011). Comparison of prehospital insertion success rates and time to insertion between standard endotracheal intubation and supraglottic airway. Resuscitation, 82, 1529 1536. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2011.07.009 Haske, D., Schempf, B., Gaier, G., Niederberger, C. (2013). Performance of the i-gel during pre-hospital cardiopulmonary resiscitation. Resuscitation, 564, 72 77. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2013.04.025 Jacobs, P., Grabinsky, A. (2014, January March). Advances in prehospital airway management. International Journal of Critical Illness and Injury Science, 4(1), 57 64. doi:10.4103/2229-5151.128014 Lafferty, K. A., Dillinger, R. (2016, December 30). Rapid Sequence Intubation. (R. P. Byrd, Ed.) Retrieved March 19, 2017, from Medscape: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/80222-overview#a1 Michalek, P. D. (2013). The I-Gel Supraglottic Airway. Nova Science Publishing Inc. Retrieved March 3, 2017, from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/detail.action?docID=3022405 Piegeler, T., Roessler, B., Goliasch, G., Fischer, H., Schlaepfer, M., Lang, S., Ruetzler, K. (2016, May). Evaluation of six different airway devices regarding regurgitation and pulmonary aspiration during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) A human cadaver pilot study. Resuscitation, 102, 70 74. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2016.02.17 Price, L. A., Milner, S. M. (2012). The totality of burn care. Trauma, 15(1), 16 28. doi:10.1177/1460408612462311 Schalk, R., Auhuber, T., Haller, O., Latasch, L., Wetzel, S., Weber, C. F., . . . Byhahn, C. (2012, January). Implementation of the laryngeal tube for prehospital airway management: training of 1,069 emergency physicians and paramedics. Der Anaethesist, 61(1), 35 40. doi:10.1007 Tiah, L., Kajino, K., Alsakaf, O., Bautista, D. C., Ong, M., Lie, D., . . . Gan, H. N. (2014, November). Does Pre-hospital Endotracheal Intubation Improve Survival in Adults with Non-traumatic Out-of hospital Cardiac Arrest? A Systematic Review. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, XV(7), 749 757. doi:10.5811/westjem.2014.9.20291 Toda, J., Toda, A. A., Arakawa, J. (2013, October 17). Learning curve for paramedic endotracheal intubation and complications. International Journal of Emergency Medicine, 6(38). doi:10.1186/1865-1380-6-38

Rappaccinis Daughter Essay: Finding the Heart in Rappaccinis Daughte

Finding the Heart in Rappaccini's Daughter         In Hawthorne's short story, "Rappaccini's Daughter", Rappaccini is ostensibly a cold, calculating scientist. A pure scientist who would willingly give his daughter, himself, or whatever else most precious to him "for the sake of adding so much as a grain of mustard seed to the great heap of his accumulated knowledge" (1641). This leads most to believe that Rappaccini lacks any emotion and concern for his "scientific subjects" and their desires. This assumption, however, is incorrect. Rappaccini cares dearly for, if no one else, one person and is willing to use his science to meet her needs. This person is his own daughter. Upon Giovanni's angry outburst to Beatrice, Rappaccini says, "My science and the sympathy between thee and him have so wrought within his system that he now stands apart from common men, as thou dost, daughter of my pride and triumph, from ordinary women" (1655). Rappaccini clearly cares dearly for his daughter and is willing to use his science to make Giovann i compatible with Beatrice because he recognizes her human need for companionship.    The conclusion reached by a cursory read of "Rappaccini's Daughter" is that Dr. Rappaccini is an evil, cold, and calculating scientist with only his scientific advancement in mind. This conclusion stems from Professor Baglioni's portrait of him. By Professor Baglioni's account, Dr. Rappaccini "cares infinitely more for science than for mankind" (1641). The hints of poison in Beatrice's person and the poisonous vegetation in Dr. Rappaccini's garden seem to support this assumption. There is an obvious parallel between the beautiful flowers, their wonderful scents and Beatrice's beauty and scented breath. Professor... ...and the love between her and Giovanni. He wanted only to be able to say, "My daughter, thou art no longer lonely in the world," and to see his beloved daughter happy, as is the wish of every parent for his child. Doctor Giacomo Rappaccini was not a cruel, bent, old man with an exclusive zeal for science and science alone. Rather, he was a "thunder stricken man of science" devastated by the horrible intolerance of one Professor Pietro Baglioni who, looking forth from the window of Dr. Rappaccini's house at the moment of Beatrice's death, "called loudly, in a tone of triumph [ . . . ] Rappaccini! Rappaccini! And is this the upshot of your experiment!" (1655).    Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Rappaccini's Daughter." The Tradition in American Literature Ed. George Perkins, et al, vol. 1, 7th ed. New York: McGraw Hill Publishing Company, 1990. 1637 - 1655.

Protecting Women from Domestic Violence Essay -- Abuse Violence Essays

â€Å"Domestic violence is the most ubiquitous constant in women’s lives around the world. There is virtually no place where it is not a significant problem, and women of no race, class, or age are exempt from its reach† -Joni Seager Abstract: Domestic violence against women is a social problem that occurs in nearly every corner of the world. Recently, some states have begun to recognize that women must be protected from abuse by family members and intimates. While policies and practices designed to protect women have emerged in a number of countries, many lag behind on the issue. This paper will examine the causal factors behind the variation in protection for women. The literature on women and politics suggests that women’s representation may increase the level of protection against domestic violence because female legislators are more likely to put women’s issues on the agenda and make policy choices that benefit their sex. Alternatively, the culture of a state may determine whether the society supports rights for women, including protection from domestic violence. A variety of statistics indicating women’s representation and culture were gathered for analysis. Using bi variate cor relation and multiple regression, the theories were tested against each other in an attempt to determine the cause of variation in levels of protection. The findings suggest that both women’s representation and culture are significantly correlated to level of protection. Because the number of women in elected office influences protection to a greater extent than culture, improving women’s representation appears to be an important factor in fighting the domestic violence problem. THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROBLEM Across... .... [3] For data source, see UN. The World’s Women 2000: Trends and Statistics. NY, 2000. [4] For data source, see World Development Indicators, 2003 [5] For data source, see UN, The World’s Women 2000: Trends and Statistics. NY, 2000. [6] For data sources, see Kamerman, Neuman, Waldfogel and Brooks-Gunn. â€Å"Social Policies, Family Types and Child Outcomes in Selected OECD Countries.† OECD, 2003. Luxembourg Income Study, 1997; expert opinion [7] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003. [8] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003. [9] For data source, see The World Bank Statistics, 2001 [10] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003. Protecting Women from Domestic Violence Essay -- Abuse Violence Essays â€Å"Domestic violence is the most ubiquitous constant in women’s lives around the world. There is virtually no place where it is not a significant problem, and women of no race, class, or age are exempt from its reach† -Joni Seager Abstract: Domestic violence against women is a social problem that occurs in nearly every corner of the world. Recently, some states have begun to recognize that women must be protected from abuse by family members and intimates. While policies and practices designed to protect women have emerged in a number of countries, many lag behind on the issue. This paper will examine the causal factors behind the variation in protection for women. The literature on women and politics suggests that women’s representation may increase the level of protection against domestic violence because female legislators are more likely to put women’s issues on the agenda and make policy choices that benefit their sex. Alternatively, the culture of a state may determine whether the society supports rights for women, including protection from domestic violence. A variety of statistics indicating women’s representation and culture were gathered for analysis. Using bi variate cor relation and multiple regression, the theories were tested against each other in an attempt to determine the cause of variation in levels of protection. The findings suggest that both women’s representation and culture are significantly correlated to level of protection. Because the number of women in elected office influences protection to a greater extent than culture, improving women’s representation appears to be an important factor in fighting the domestic violence problem. THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROBLEM Across... .... [3] For data source, see UN. The World’s Women 2000: Trends and Statistics. NY, 2000. [4] For data source, see World Development Indicators, 2003 [5] For data source, see UN, The World’s Women 2000: Trends and Statistics. NY, 2000. [6] For data sources, see Kamerman, Neuman, Waldfogel and Brooks-Gunn. â€Å"Social Policies, Family Types and Child Outcomes in Selected OECD Countries.† OECD, 2003. Luxembourg Income Study, 1997; expert opinion [7] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003. [8] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003. [9] For data source, see The World Bank Statistics, 2001 [10] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003.

Teodoro Moscoso :: Essays Papers

Teodoro Moscoso Teodoro Moscoso and Puerto Rico’s Operation Bootstrap by Alex W. Maldonado tells us about the life of Teodoro Moscoso, the architect of the â€Å"economic miracle† which most experts did not believe could happen in Puerto Rico. Teodoro Moscoso was born in Barcelona on November 26, 1910. His mother, named Alejandrina Mora Fajardo, was a Spaniard from the Balearic island of Majorca. His father, also named Teodoro, was a pharmacist. He wanted to have a son that could help him accomplish, a branch of pharmacies through Puerto Rico. Moscoso attended school in New York and became a good English speaker. He graduated from Ponce High School; soon after this, he was attending the Philadelphia School of Pharmacy. After studying there for 3 years he insisted to his father, to transfer him to the University of Michigan. He wanted to go there because it offered liberal arts courses which he wanted to study. After graduation in 1932 Moscoso returned to Ponce to work at his father’s pharmacy. He married Gloria Sà ¡nchez Vilella, sister of future Puerto Rico governor Roberto Sà ¡nchez Vilella (1965-1969). Pharmacy work bored Moscoso, and in the mid 1930’s when the Ponce Housing Authority (PHA) was about to lose a two million dollar grant, Pedro Juan Rosaly, a PHA board member approached Moscoso’s father and asked if his son could help. Moscoso’s command of the English language was what drew the interest of PHA officials. Moscoso saved the grant and from 1937 to 1941 he build nearly one thousand housing units, clearing many Ponce slums in the process. It was Moscoso’s work at PHA which captured the interest of the newly appointed governor of Puerto Rico, Rexford G. Tugwell. Tugwell was a member President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s brain trust, a group of well educated, committed Americans who went to Washington during the Great Depression to try to lift the nation out of the economic crisis. After a chance meeting when Tugwell visited Moscoso’s pharmacy in Ponce, Teodoro went to work in La Fortaleza as assistant for housing. The title was a formality in order to get Moscoso a salary for his work, but the actual duties were far broader. Another important event in Teodoro Moscoso’s life occurred in the summer of 1940 when Moscoso met Luis Muà ±oz Marà ­n.

Children Dealing With Obesity Essay

Obesity is a sensitive issue for adults’ so one can imagine how a child with obesity is affected mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually; emotionally: children have low self-esteem, mentally: children are stressed, physically: children are overweight, and it affects their well-being altogether. This is why it is so important that mandating that Parent, Teachers, and the community is educated on Childhood Obesity. After closely evaluating the situation and speaking to various parents, physicians, and viewing the actions of the children it has shown that all children are not Obese because of bad parenting. Obesity in children can come from various medical problems in children such as a thyroid issue meaning that his or her metabolism is not functioning correctly, or a pituitary gland issue meaning that he or she is growing too fast. Childhood obesity can also be genetic meaning that the child can be prone to it because of family history; no matter what the issue or problem it is necessary that we as a community be educated and parents should involve themselves in their child’s activities as well. The National Academies (2015) website recommends that the Government, families, industries, communities, and schools should support the children by showing leadership and commitment in evaluating prevention programs, food intake, make the evaluation capacity stronger by having good quality interventions. Schools can begin by monitoring students by placing cameras in the school cafeterias, and also schools and families can monitor the amount of food placed on a child’s plate, making sure that the plates are colorful with adequate fruits, veggies, whole grains, and dairy, caregivers and families should also monitor physical activities and the consumption of water. According to The National Academies (2015), â€Å"There will be a greater likelihood of success when public, private, and voluntary organizations purposefully combine their respective resources, strengths,  and comparative advantages to ensure a coordinated effort over the long term† (Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity: How Do We Measure Up?). In order for this policy to be analyzed, the cameras had to be viewed, attestation, and possibly re-educate everyone. It seems to be working; the children are drinking more water, and eating healthier, and has included more quality physical exercise in his and her program. Parents are asking the right questions and getting more involved as well, parents are spending more and more time with their children as the teachers. Group sessions are working because the child has begun to speak up more, and is smiling and loving themselves more and more each session. Parents and teachers attended workshops to educate them in the maintenance and long-term prevention of obesity. One in five children are overweight, while one-third are obese that is why parents need to learn major factors that stimulate the development of childhood obesity. There should be some sort of consequences given if the stakeholders: being parents, schools and physicians are not willing to cooperate and get involved, possibly higher insurance premium until he or she cooperates, as for the teachers and or schools, begin by minimizing the school funds, because the schools funds are to educate and make sure the child is healthy and safe. In the conclusion the child’s lifestyle, nutrition, and environment needs to change for the better of the child. Parents need to be more educated on the illnesses that can and will develop unless these workshops are attended. It is understandable that organic foods and even most healthy foods and beverages are expensive and are not affordable, but parents can help by baking and not frying, by not supporting fast foods; schools can help by offering fruits instead of chips and junk food, offer milk instead of soda, and both parents and schools she push more water. References The National Academies. (2015). The National Academies Press. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11722&page=70 Shi, L. (2014). Introduction to Health Policy. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.

Product Samsung

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www. emeraldinsight. com/0309-0566. htm EJM 44,7/8 Consumer responses to brand extensions: a comprehensive model ? ? Eva Mart? nez and Jose M. Pina ? Facultad de Ciencias Economicas y Empresariales, The University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain Abstract Purpose – This paper aims to understand the reciprocal spill-over effects of brand extensions by testing a comprehensive model that gathers both the brand extension evaluation process and the later in? uence on brand image. Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained from 699 face-to-face interviews conducted in Spain.Structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings – The results indicate that brand extensions have feedback effects on brand image depending on the attitude toward the new product and perceived image ? t. Consumer attitude depends, in turn, on initial brand associations, perceived category ? t, perceived image ? t and consumer innovativeness. Brand familiarity also shows indirect effects. Research limitations/implications – The model should be tested with extensions of the same (line extensions) or different categories.It is also necessary to analyse non-? ctitious products, and to take different moderating effects into account. Practical implications – The results suggest how to protect the brand image from unsuitable extension strategies. The paper shows what kind of perceived ? t is more important for consumers as well as the direct and indirect role of several variables. Originality/value – The paper extends previous research by proposing a complete framework that considers the factors that in? uence either the attitude to the extension or the attitude to the extended brand.Samsung Distribution ChannelKeywords Brand extensions, Brand image, Brand equity, Consumer behaviour, Spain Paper type Research paper 1182 Received January 2008 Revised October 2008 January 2009 Accepted February 2009 Introduction Brand extension is a strategy that many companies follow with the aim of bene? ting from the brand knowledge achieved in the current markets (Aaker and Keller, 1990; Milberg et al. , 1997). When a new product is marketed under a well-known brand name, failure rates and marketing costs are reduced (Milewicz and Herbig, 1994; Keller, 2003). Keller (2003) states that more than 80 per cent of ? ms resort to brand extensions as a way of marketing goods and services. The support that the brand gives to the new product often leads to a change in the brand image associations. Both the affection and the speci? c knowledge associated with the brand and the new product are interchanged in the consumers’ mind (Czellar, 2003). European Journal of Marketing Vol. 44 No. 7/8, 2010 pp. 1182-1205 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0309-0566 DOI 10. 1108/03090561011047580 The authors would like to thank the following sources for their ? nanc ial help: CICYT (Ref: ?SEJ2005-02315) and Government of Aragon (â€Å"GENERES†, Ref. S-09; â€Å"PM0262/2006†). They also gratefully acknowledge the constructive comments of the three anonymous EJM reviewers. This feedback process can increase the memory and strength of brand associations (Morrin, 1999; Aaker, 2002) and, thus, improve the positioning of the brand (Park et al. , 1986). Nevertheless, several authors indicate that the dilution of current beliefs is more likely (Tauber, 1988; Ries and Trout, 1993; John et al. , 1998). This dilution effect can take place even though the extension is not related to negative information (Morrin, 1999; ?Ahluwalia and Gurhan-Canli, 2000; Mart? nez and Pina, 2003). Virgin, for instance, is a company that has grown through extensions into the audiovisual sector, retailing, alcoholic drinks, passenger transport (by railway and air) and space tourism, among others. However, market research studies suggest that customers’ per ceptions of the Virgin brand mainly depend on the performance of the airline, which implies a constant threat of image dilution (Hughes, 2007). The in? uence of brand extension on brand image is explained by several theories, most of them coming from Psychology.According to the â€Å"associative network theory†, brand image may be understood as a mental scheme formed by a network of concepts (nodes) interconnected by linkages or associations (Anderson, 1983; Morrin, 1999). Park et al. (1993) explain that extensions which are coherent with the brand schema will not lead to image dilution (assimilation process). On the other hand, the brand schema will be modi? ed to accommodate examples that are far from current brand attitudes and beliefs (accommodation process). Following Weber and Crocker’s (1983) ? ork, Gurhan-Canli and Maheswaran (1998) suggest that the image modi? cation could be re? ected in the formation of a mental subcategory inside the brand scheme (sub-typin g model) or in a complete modi? cation of brand associations (conversion model). The sub-typing or conversion processes may occur when perceived ? t or typicality between the extension category and the brand is low. However, it is just possible that brand attitudes and beliefs would always change because of the new information, which is called the bookkeeping model (Weber and Crocker, 1983; Loken and John, ? 993; Gurhan-Canli and Maheswaran, 1998). Consumers could react according to the bookkeeping model when the information on the new product is highly accessible. Regardless of perceived ? t, higher accessibility gives rise to an image enhancement, whereas lower accessibility has a negative effect on brand evaluations (Ahluwalia and ? Gurhan-Canli, 2000). The brand extension literature shows that brand extensions can affect both the ? general brand associations (Mart? nez and de Chernatony, 2004) and the beliefs in speci? attributes (Keller and Aaker, 1992; Loken and John, 1993). T he beliefs related to the most representative product of the brand, or ? agship product, are more resistant to dilution ( John et al. , 1998; Chang, 2002), as well as the perceptions linked to the brand personality (Diamantopoulos et al. , 2005). Most previous research on brand extensions develops experimental designs, focusing on a reduced number of variables (e. g. Loken and John, 1993; John et al. , 1998; Alexander and Colgate, 2005). Some authors have tested models through structural ? equation modelling (e. g.Bhat and Reddy, 2001; Volckner and Sattler, 2006) although they concentrate on consumer attitude toward brand extensions and not on reciprocal spillover effects. According to literature, brand extensions may give rise to both a â€Å"forward† effect from the parent brand to the new product and a â€Å"feedback† or â€Å"backward† effect from the new product to the parent brand (Milberg et al. , 1997; Responses to brand extensions 1183 EJM 44,7/8 1184 B alachander and Ghose, 2003). Neglecting this potential backward effect affords a limited view of consumer behaviour and may lead to inappropriate marketing actions.With the goal of better understanding the way that extensions in? uence brand image, our work proposes and validates a theoretical model that, according to the previous literature, integrates the most relevant variables. With the exception of the ? contribution of Volckner and Sattler (2006), previous models only focus on a few variables, which makes it dif? cult to determine how the consumers’ responses to brand extensions are generated. Furthermore, the proposed model considers both the brand image before the extension and the image variation, which is a step forward in literature.As well as brand image, we will analyse the effects of brand familiarity, attitude to the extension, extension-brand ? t (category and image ? t), perceived dif? culty in manufacturing the extension product and consumer innovativeness. Hence, the study expands previous research by testing a comprehensive model that gathers both the brand extension evaluation process and the later in? uence on brand image. This model can help brand managers to protect their brands from unsuitable brand extensions by showing the main determinants of spillover effects and the direct and indirect effects of the speci? variables. Relationships that have been individually supported in previous works could be rejected when considering complex models with several dependent and independent variables. The study is structured in four sections. The next section contains a brief review of the literature to justify the theoretical model and the relations established in the hypotheses. The third section describes the methodology used to validate the model, and the results are reported in the fourth section. Finally, we address the conclusions and managerial recommendations.Proposed model and hypotheses The proposed model helps us to understand t he in? uence of brand extensions on brand image. For this reason, the model includes the variables with the greatest impact on extension attitude (Aaker and Keller, 1990; Hem et al. , 2003). This attitude will determine the development of the brand image (Lane and Jacobson, 1997), affecting the current associations. The model stems from the initial brand image and attempts to identify the main relations and interactions that follow the launching of the brand extension and its potential effects on the established associations.Generally, consumer attitudes toward brand extensions can depend on factors related to brand associations, extended category, perceived ? t, and consumer characteristics (Czellar, 2003; Reast, 2005; ? Volckner and Sattler, 2006). Hence, two brand knowledge factors, brand familiarity and initial brand image, are considered. In relation to the new product and its ? t with the parent brand, we consider perceived dif? culty in manufacturing, perceived category ? t a nd perceived brand image ? t. Extension attitude and consumer innovativeness are also taken into consideration. Whereas brand associations and ? have been examined in nearly every study on brand extensions, perceived dif? culty and consumer innovativeness have received lesser attention. Since Aaker and Keller’s (1990) fundamental study and all subsequent replications (Barrett et al. , 1999) analysed perceived dif? culty with inconclusive results, it seems necessary to study this variable more in depth. On the other hand, the whole literature on brand extensions relies on the assumption that a known brand reduces the risk associated with buying new products (Smith and Park, 1992), and consumer innovativeness re? ects the consumer’s risk aversion.The proposed effects of these variables and the remaining ones are depicted in Figure 1. The ? rst variable included in our model is brand familiarity. This variable is closely related to the dimension of brand equity labelled a s awareness by Aaker (1996), since familiar brand names usually present high awareness. Moreover, it is also akin to the brand image construct, which refers to the different â€Å"perceptions about a brand re? ected as associations existing in the memory of the consumer† (Keller, 1993). Direct effects on extension attitude are expected for brand familiarity as well as indirect ones through brand image.First, individuals will have a better initial image of the brands they are familiar with (Low and Lamb, 2000; Lemmink et al. , 2003). By means of a â€Å"halo effect†, the impressions of familiar attributes are used to form precise opinions on brands (Reynolds, 1965) and develop more complete knowledge structures (Alba and Hutchinson, 1987; Grime et al. , 2002). Furthermore, familiarity indirectly re? ects the experience with a brand (Alba and Hutchinson, 1987), presenting a clear relationship between experience and brand image (Hoek et al. , 2000).Familiarity can also ha ve a direct effect on brand extension evaluations. Consumers are more inclined to buy products of brands they have previously consumed (Swaminathan, 2003) and know better, unless the experience has been unsatisfactory (Swaminathan et al. , 2001). Although some works have failed to prove that familiarity affects consumer attitude to an extension (Glynn and Brodie, 1998) and to the extended brand (Diamantopoulus et al. , 2005), we hypothesise: H1. The greater the familiarity of the core brand, the more positive the initial brand image. H2.The greater the familiarity of the core brand, the more favourable the attitude to the extension. Brand image is an essential factor for understanding consumer attitude toward brand extensions, since the credibility of the new product increases when brand perceptions become more favourable (de Ruyter and Wetzels, 2000). If the brand image consists of Responses to brand extensions 1185 Figure 1. Proposed model to analyse the effect of brand extension strategy on brand image EJM 44,7/8 1186 associations such as a high-perceived quality, the extension attitude will be better (van ? Riel et al. 2001; Volckner and Sattler, 2006). In the same vein, the extension attitude is positively related to the perceptions of reputation (Hem et al. , 2003), prestige (Park et al. , 1991) and the consumers’ affection for the brand (Sheinin and Schmitt, 1994). In the case of corporate and service brands, a positive image also clearly generates favourable perceptions of the new products (Brown and Dacin, 1997; de Ruyter and Wetzels, 2000). Given that the extension leverages the current brand associations, the better the initial brand image the more positive will be the consumers’ response.Therefore: H3. The more positive the initial brand image, the more favourable the attitude to the extension. If consumers perceive a high ? t between the brand and the new product, the brand leveraging increases and the potential negative effects are less likely (Czellar, 2003). Some authors state that consumers can consider a category ? t or an image ? t (Bhat and Reddy, 2001; Grime et al. , 2002; Czellar, 2003). Thus, individuals can believe that the new product is physically similar to the other products of the brand (category ? t) or coherent with the general brand associations (image ? ) (Grime et al. , 2002; Czellar, 2003). Whatever the case, the consistency between cognitive elements and the similarity among various stimuli ease and improve consumers’ evaluations (Aaker and Keller, 1990; Eagly and Chaiken, 1993). Brand image-perceived ? t interaction effects are revealed in the literature (Boush et al. , 1987; Aaker and Keller, 1990) as well as ? direct effects (Volckner and Sattler, 2006). The next hypotheses deal with the direct effects of perceived ? t dimensions on extension evaluation. As commented above, perceived category and image ? will directly affect the consumer attitude to the extension. Generally, the assessment of an extension will be more positive as perceived closeness with the brand grows (Aaker and Keller, 1990; ? Volckner and Sattler, 2006), even in the case of non-prestige brands (Park et al. ,1991). However, consumers believe that extensions to non-related categories are not very reliable and offer low quality, which causes a negative assessment (Kirmani et al. , 1999). According to the literature, a high-perceived category or image ? t makes success more likely (Boush et al. 1987; Boush and Loken, 1991; Park et al. , 1991). The important thing is to get the consumers to relate the new product to the brand, independently of the kind of closeness. This discussion leads to the following hypotheses: H4. The greater the perceived category ? t between the extension and the core brand, the more favourable the attitude to the extension. H5. The greater the perceived image ? t between the extension and the core brand, the more favourable the attitude to the extension. Another va riable included in our model is perceived dif? ulty in manufacturing or offering a new good or service. This variable has been analysed in numerous works, although it is not clear whether it in? uences consumer behaviour or not (Barrett et al. , 1999; van Riel et al. , 2001). Moreover, present research does not clarify whether this in? uence is positive (Aaker and Keller, 1990; van Riel and Ouwersloot, 2005) or negative (Semeijn et al. , 2004). This diversity of results re? ects that the in? uence of dif? culty in manufacturing might depend on the study settings and the variables interacting with such dif? culty.Generally, consumers who think that the new product category requires little manufacturing effort may question its advisability (Aaker and Keller, 1990). They could even think that high-quality brands are trying to make fast money by overpricing trivial products (Aaker and Keller, 1990; van Riel et al. , 2001). In a sense, easy-to-make extensions could resemble downscale ext ensions, where the brand stretches down by offering lower price-quality products (Kirmani et al. , 1999). Consequently, we posit: H6. The greater the perceived dif? culty in manufacturing the new product, the more favourable the attitude to the extension.The last variable of our model to explain attitude to the extension is consumer innovativeness, a concept that represents the consumers’ propensity to buy new products and consider new ideas (Roehrich, 2004). Since innovative people are more risk-prone (Klink and Smith, 2001; Hem et al. , 2003), they show a better attitude toward brand extensions, whatever their perceived ? t (Klink and Smith, 2001). In this sense, some authors have found that higher consumer innovativeness increases perceived quality and purchase intention of new services (Hem et al. , 2003; Siu et al. , 2004) and ? tangible products (Volckner and Sattler, 2006).Rogers (1983) claims that one of the most salient traits of consumer innovators is the comfort th ey gain from taking risk. Unlike later adopters, highly-innovative individuals ? nd far extensions appealing (Xie, 2008) and, consequently, do not mind trying products that get away from the company’s core business. As a matter of fact, they should be more prone to try new products regardless of the degree of brand knowledge or perceived ? t. Consequently, we posit: H7. The greater consumer innovativeness, the more favourable the attitude to the extension. The following hypotheses relate to the feedback effect on brand image.Because of the new information, the brand schema could vary its structure of nodes and links (Morrin, 1999). There is no doubt that most brand associations will remain stable after stretching to new categories, being the ? nal perceptions mainly determined by the ? initial ones (Lee and Ulgado, 1993; Mart? nez and Pina, 2003). However, product introductions in the marketplace involve providing consumers with information, which not always ? ts with the ini tial beliefs and feelings about the brand. As elucidated by previous research, the attitude to the extension is a major driver of spillover effects from the extension to the parent brand.Low quality or negatively ? assessed extensions will entail a detriment of brand image (Chang, 2002; Mart? nez and ? Pina, 2003), diluting both general and speci? c beliefs (Mart? nez and de Chernatony, 2004). Diamantopoulos et al. (2005) found that brand personality is more dilution-resistant, although any brand association is exposed to the risk of dilution. A way of reducing this risk is to strengthen the attitude to the extension, given that consumers who are satis? ed with the extension are usually satis? ed with the brand (Alexander and Colgate, 2005). The following hypothesis is based on these arguments. H8.The better the attitude to the extension, the more favourable the feedback effect on the extended brand. Responses to brand extensions 1187 EJM 44,7/8 1188 The literature reveals that the attitude to an extended brand directly depends on the degree of ? t with the extension (Grime et al. , 2002). The introduction of extensions far from the core business will involve losing brand differentiation and credibility, whereas extensions to related markets will avoid potential damage (Aaker, 2002). Some authors like Milberg et al. (1997) have proved that low-? t extensions generate negative feedback in terms of attributes or image.Similarly, Lee and Ulgado (1993) ? veri? ed that ? t has a positive effect on the image of service ? rms, whereas Mart? nez and de Chernatony (2004) veri? ed the same for tangible product extensions. Other works equally suggest that the impact of brand extensions on the parent brand is ? directly related to similarity (Mart? nez and Pina, 2003) or image ? t (Loken and John, 1993; John et al. , 1998). All in all, we expect a more positive feedback effect provided the brand stretches coherently with either its image or current products. H9. The great er the perceived category ? between the extension and the core brand, the more favourable the feedback effect on the extended brand. H10. The greater the perceived image ? t between the extension and the core brand, the more favourable the feedback effect on the extended brand. Methodology An empirical study was conducted to contrast the hypotheses and validate the model displayed in Figure 1. Following the usual procedures, we utilised real brands and realistic hypothetical extensions (Aaker and Keller, 1990; van Riel et al. , 2001; van Riel and Ouwersloot, 2005) that were previously selected through three pre-tests.Below, we explain these and other aspects related to the methodology applied. Pre-tests In line with previous research, a sample of undergraduates was employed in the pre-tests (Sheinin and Schmitt, 1994; Kim, 2003). The speci? c brands and extensions were selected by means of Wilcoxon tests, which were necessary due to the lack of normality in the data. The aim of the ? rst pre-test, conducted with 91 students, was to choose brands in three sectors (fast moving consumer goods, durable consumer goods and services) that were familiar (F) to individuals and had a different image perception (I).Familiarity is an essential requisite to guarantee that consumers have a clear image to evaluate (Low and Lamb, 2000). Two questions were thus formulated to assess those concepts in seven-point Likert scales (1 ? Totally unfamiliar/7 ? Very familiar; 1 ? Bad image/7 ? Excellent image) for a total of 11 brands. According to the results, Colgate ? and Signal (FC ? 6. 38; FS ? 5. 50), Nike and Puma (FN ? 6. 56; FP ? 5. 64), Telefonica Movistar and Amena (FT ? 6. 64; FA ? 6. 27) were chosen as familiar brands. The image is signi? cantly different in toothpaste brands (IC ? 5. 74; IS ? 4. 96; Z ? 2 4. 618; p , 0. 0001), sports brands (IN ? 6. 21; IP ? 5. 10; Z ? 2 5. 449; p , 0. 00001) and mobile phones (IT ? 5. 67; IA ? 4. 88; Z ? 2 4. 001; p , 0. 00001). The seco nd and third pre-tests, where 98 and 81 students, respectively, participated, were aimed at ? nding two extensions –one for each sector– with differences in perceived ? t. Both perceived category ? t (CF) and brand image ? t (IF) were considered (Bhat and Reddy, 2001) in two Likert scales (1 ? Not at all similar/7 ? Very similar; 1 ? Non-coherent/7 ? Very coherent). For the toothpaste brands, â€Å"sugar-free whitening tooth decay-preventing sweets† and â€Å"sunglasses† were selected.The ? rst showed a higher perceived ? t than the second for Colgate (CF1 ? 5. 36; CF2 ? 1. 31; Z ? 2 5. 341; p , 0. 00001) (IF1 ? 5. 69; IF2 ? 1. 54; Z ? 2 5. 339; p , 0. 00001) and Signal (CF1 ? 4. 86; CF2 ? 1. 19; Z ? 2 5. 120; p , 0. 00001) (IF1 ? 5. 19; IF2 ? 1. 25; Z ? 2 5. 019; p , 0. 00001). On the other hand, for the sports brands, we chose â€Å"skis† as a close extension and â€Å"DVD players† as a far extension, both from the perspective of product c ategory of Nike (CF1 ? 3. 33; CF2 ? 1. 28; Z ? 2 5. 120; p , 0. 00001) and Puma (CF1 ? 3. 32; CF2 ? 1. 14; Z ? 2 4. 910; p , 0. 00001).Similarly, there were statistical differences between the image ? t of the extensions for Nike (IF1 ? 4. 23; IF2 ? 1. 36; Z ? 2 5. 561; p , 0. 00001) and Puma (IF1 ? 3. 89; IF2 ? 1. 14; Z ? 2 5. 113; p , 0. 00001). Finally, â€Å"telecommunication on-line courses† and â€Å"insurance† were the service extensions selected. Speci? cally, the perceived category ? and image ? t were statistically different for Telefonica Movistar (CF1 ? 4. 67; CF2 ? 1. 84; Z ? 2 5. 475; p , 0. 00001) (IF1 ? 4. 72; IF2 ? 1. 72; Z ? 2 5. 543; p , 0. 00001) and Amena (CF1 ? 3. 73; CF2 ? 1. 76; Z ? 2 4. 283; p , 0. 00001) (IF1 ? 4. 27; IF2 ? 1. 84; Z ? 2 4. 61; p , 0. 00001). Sample and procedure Subsequent to the pre-tests, we elaborated 12 questionnaires with a different brand-extension combination. On the ? rst page, individuals had to indicate their consume r innovativeness and answer some questions about the corresponding brand (familiarity and image) and product category (perceived dif? culty). Then, on the second page of the questionnaire, respondents were required to imagine that the speci? c brand launched the extension. Questions then assessed the ? t, the respondents’ attitudes towards the extension and the brand image, supposing the existence of the new product category.No additional information about the products’ attributes was provided in order to avoid bias that could defeat the objective of the study (Bhat and Reddy, 2001). The surveys were answered by a total sample of 720 individuals (699 valid cases) in a Spanish city, which is sometimes considered as a test market for products aimed at Spain. The respondents were approached by a team of interviewers in different parts of the city, on different days and at different times during May 2005. By following a quota sampling procedure, the sample was required to match the population structure by sex (50. 9 per cent women and 49. per cent men) and age (46. 5 per cent 26-45 years, 33. 3 per cent 16-25 years, 20. 2 per cent 46-64 years). These demographical variables may be strong predictors of changes in attitudes and behavior (Hansman and Schutjens, 1993) and, therefore, should be controlled to get adequate variance in the data. Table I shows the type of questionnaires used in our research and the speci? c number of individuals who satisfactorily responded to each. No individual answered more than one questionnaire. Measures Variables were measured through seven-point Likert scales by requesting individuals either to state their level of agreement with the speci? statement (1 ? Totally disagree, 7 ? Totally agree) or directly assess the variable (e. g. 1 ? Not at all familiar, 7 ? Very familiar). In all cases, items were extracted or based on the literature. In order to avoid potential order effects (Klink and Smith, 2001), perceived Respons es to brand extensions 1189 EJM 44,7/8 N8 Brand 49 Colgate Extension (high ? t) Sugar-free whitening tooth decaypreventing sweets Sugar-free whitening tooth decay†¦ Skis Skis Telecommunication online courses Telecommunication online courses N8 Brand 50 Colgate 48 49 49 80 Signal Nike Puma ? Telefonica Movistar 75 AmenaExtension (low ? t) Sunglasses Sunglasses DVD players DVD players Insurance Insurance 1190 Table I. Type and number of questionnaires Signal Nike Puma ? Telefonica Movistar 79 Amena 49 48 49 74 dif? culty was assessed prior to brand characteristics and ? t. For the same reason, ? nal image was measured once the individuals had formed an opinion about the brand extension. Table II shows the scales used for each factor. First, consumer innovativeness was measured with the items proposed by Roehrich (1994), who considers a dual perspective, â€Å"hedonistic† and â€Å"social†. Perceived dif? ulty was assessed through an item used by Aaker and Keller (19 90) and two additional items coherent with the concept. For brand familiarity, we used Dawar’s scale (Dawar, 1996), whereas the scale validated by Martinez et al. (2004) was employed to assess initial and ? nal brand image. This scale utilises items from several works (Martin and Brown, 1990; Weiss et al. , 1999) which attempt to assess tangible (functional image) and intangible (affective image) attributes and bene? ts, as well as the global attitude to the brand (reputation). The distinction made by several authors between category ? t or similarity and image ? or consistency with brand image (Park et al. , 1991; Bhat and Reddy, 2001; Grime et al. , 2002) was used to measure perceived ? t. Thus, a series of items that assess ? t from both perspectives (Aaker and Keller, 1990; Taylor and Bearden, 2002) were chosen. Finally, extension attitude items were suggested by authors like Aaker and Keller (1990) or Pryor and Brodie (1998) considering both the general assessment of the new product and purchase intentions. Results The collected data were analysed by means of structural equations methodology, assessing both the measurement and the structural model (Kline, 2005).The structural model allows us to know whether there is evidence to reject the proposed hypotheses, although previously the measurement model has to evaluate the psychometric properties of the scales in terms of unidimensionality, reliability and validity. Furthermore, some ? t indicators show whether the measurement and structural models explain the collected data with relative precision (Hair et al. , 1998). Scale validation Prior to analysing all the variables as a whole, we studied whether initial brand image, ? nal brand image, consumer innovativeness and perceived ? should be considered as multidimensional or unidimensional factors, since the distinction between the Scale Consumer innovativeness. Roehrich (1994) Measured concept Hedonist innovativeness (HINN) HINN1: I am more intereste d in buying new than known products HINN2: I like to buy new and different products HINN3: New products excite me Social innovativeness (SINN) SINN1: I am usually among the ? rst to try new products SINN2: I try new products before my friends and neighbours SINN3: I know more than others about the latest new products DIFF1: Dif? ulty in designing and making the product DIFF2: Complex techniques or knowledge are needed DIFF3: Specialised resources are needed (personnel, facilities. . . ) FAMI1: Familiarity with the brand’s products FAMI2: Purchase frequency of the brand’s products FAMI3: Knowledge of the brand’s products Functional image (FUIM) (initial/? nal) FUIM1i/FUIM1f: The products have a high quality FUIM2i/FUIM2f: The products have better characteristics than competitors’ FUIM3i/FUIM3f: The products of the competitors are usually cheaper Affective image (AFIM) (initial/? al) AFIM1i/AFIM1f: The brand is nice AFIM2i/AFIM2f: The brand has a personalit y that distinguishes it from competitors AFIM3i/AFIM3f: It is a brand that does not disappoint its customers Reputation (REIM) (initial/? nal) REIM1i/REIM1f: It is one of the best brands in the sector REIM2i/REIM2f: The brand is very consolidated in the market Category ? t (CAFI) CAFI1: The extension is similar to the brand’s products CAFI2: The ? rm’s resources are helpful to make the product extension Image ? t (IMFI) IMFI1: The product extension ? s with the brand image IMFI2: Launching the extension is logical for the company IMFI3: Launching the extension is appropriate for the company EXAT1: Favourable attitude towards the extension EXAT2: Perceived quality of the extension EXAT3: Likelihood of trying the extension Responses to brand extensions 1191 Perceived dif? culty (DIFF). Aaker and Keller (1990) Brand familiarity (FAMI). Dawar (1996) ? Brand image. Mart? nez et al. (2004). Based on: Martin and Brown (1990) Aaker (1996); Weiss et al. (1999); Villarejo (2002) Perceived ? t. Aaker and Keller (1990); Taylor and Bearden (2002) Extension attitude (EXAT).Aaker and Keller (1990); Pryor and Brodie (1998) Table II. Scales used in the questionnaires EJM 44,7/8 1192 proposed dimensions (e. g. hedonistic and social innovativeness) could be statistically non-advisable. Through a previous analysis with SPSS 13. 0, we detected a weak item-total correlation of FUIM3i (corr. ? 0. 281) and FUIM3f (corr. ? 0. 296) with the respective dimensions of functional image. After eliminating them, we conducted an explanatory factor analysis for the unidimensional and multidimensional models using the EQS 5. b and ERLS (elliptical re-weighted least squares) estimation method.The initial image, ? ?nal image and perceived ? t scales proved to be reliable in both models (Joreskog and ? Sorbom, 1993), although it was advisable to eliminate HINN1 related to consumer innovativeness. Although the factor loadings exceeded the cut point lU ? 0:540; lM ? 0:673? ; the R 2 co ef? cients ? R 2 ? 0:292; R 2 ? 0:453? were below those recommended in the literature (Hair et al. , 1998). Once the scales had been properly re? ned, we proceeded to compare the unidimensional and multidimensional models through several indicators (Hair et al. , 1998; Kline, 2005). Tables III and IV display the coef? ients obtained, which clearly favour the consideration of independent dimensions for all the factors analysed. The only indexes in which the unidimensional model surpasses the multidimensional one are PNFI and PGFI for the factors of initial brand image (PNFI ? 0. 511 , 0. 638; Comparative indicators Initial image Unidimen. Multidimen. 126. 181 0. 047 0. 221 112. 181 0. 160 0. 638a 0. 466a 154. 181 72. 177a 0. 034a 0. 152a 61. 177a 0. 088a 0. 511 0. 377 106. 177a Final image Unidimen. Multidimen. 211. 559 0. 053 0. 343 197. 559 0. 283 0. 628a 0. 449a 239. 559 51. 082a 0. 027a 0. 122a 40. 082a 0. 057a 0. 516 0. 382 85. 082a x2RMSR (Root mean square residual) ECVI (Expec ted cross-validation index) NCP (Noncentrality parameter) SNCP (Scaled noncentrality parameter) PNFI (Parsimonious normed ? t index) PGFI (Parsimonious goodness of ? t index) AIC (Akaike information criterion) Table III. Indicators of the alternative models of brand image (initial and ? nal) Note: aCoef? cients that are favourable to the speci? ed model Comparative indicators Consumer innov. Unidimen. Multidimen. 195. 411 0. 079 0. 309 190. 411 0. 272 0. 453a 0. 292a 215. 411 31. 088a 0. 022a 0. 076a 27. 088a 0. 039a 0. 394 0. 261 53. 088a Perceived ? t Unidimen. Multidimen. 77. 634 0. 34 0. 140 72. 634 0. 104 0. 483a 0. 314a 97. 634 50. 164a 0. 025a 0. 103a 46. 164a 0. 066a 0. 391 0. 256 72. 164a x2 RMSR (Root mean square residual) ECVI (Expected cross-validation index) NCP (Noncentrality parameter) SNCP (Scaled noncentrality parameter) PNFI (Parsimonious normed ? t index) PGFI (Parsimonious goodness of ? t index) AIC (Akaike information criterion) Table IV. Indicators of the alter native models of consumer innovativeness and ? t Note: aCoef? cients that are favourable to the speci? ed model PGFI ? 0. 377 , 0. 466), ? nal image (PNFI ? 0. 516 , 0. 628; PGFI ? 0. 382 , 0. 449), consumer innovativeness (PNFI ? . 394 , 0. 453; PGFI ? 0. 261 , 0. 292) and perceived ? t (PNFI ? 0. 391 , 0. 483; PGFI ? 0. 256 , 0. 314). Nevertheless, the parsimony indicator, AIC, which allows us to choose between models with a different number of latent variables, as in our case, presents better values in the multidimensional structure: initial image (AIC ? 106. 177 , 154. 181), ? nal image (AIC ? 85. 082 , 239. 559), consumer innovativeness (AIC ? 53. 088 , 215. 411) and perceived ? t (AIC ? 72. 164 , 97. 634). After verifying the multidimensional character of initial brand image, ? nal brand image, consumer innovativeness and perceived ? , our next step was to conduct a factor analysis of all the scales. Again, we used EQS and ERLS, obtaining the results shown in Table V. We can i nfer from these results that the scales present good statistical properties. As can be seen in Table V, all the proposed items unidimensionally ? t the respective 13 factors or latent variables. The values obtained in composite reliability coef? cients and extracted variance analysis (EVA) are above 0. 6 and 0. 5, respectively, which guarantees the internal consistency of the scales. Moreover, the validity criterion was satis? ed from both convergent and discriminant viewpoints.Thus, all lambda coef? cients for the observed variables are signi? cant (t . 1. 96) and they load on the corresponding factors with standard loadings above 0. 5. The con? dence intervals of between-factor correlations were calculated to analyse discriminant validity. No intervals included value 1, which indicates the differentiated character of the factors. The main goodness-of-? t indicators for the measurement model are shown at the bottom of Table V, distinguishing between global and incremental ? t index es. On the whole, the indicators are positive and above the minimum established by researchers (Hair et al. 1998; Kline, 2005). With regard to global ? t, GFI is above 0. 8 (GFI ? 0. 884), whereas RMSEA and SRMR error statistics were below the maximum values of 0. 06 (RMSEA ? 0. 053) and 0. 08 (SRMR ? 0. 040) recommended by Hu and Bentler (1999). The only unsuitable indicator is the Chi-square test (x 2(417) ? 1224. 142; p , 0. 001), which often occurs in samples of over 400 observations. On the other hand, all the incremental ? t measures were above the required 0. 8 (AGFI ? 0. 844) and 0. 9 (CFI ? 0. 973; IFI ? 0. 973; NFI ? 0. 960; NNFI ? 0. 966) levels, which proves the statistical convenience of the proposed model.The validation process concluded with the estimation of three second-order models for the dimensions of brand image (initial and ? nal) and consumer innovativeness. These models presented favourable ? t indicators for initial image (GFI ? 0. 958; SRMR ? 0. 035; NFI ? 0. 975; IFI ? 0. 979), ? nal image (GFI ? 0. 972; SRMR ? 0. 028; NFI ? 0. 985; IFI ? 0. 989) and consumer innovativeness (GFI ? 0. 978; SRMR ? 0. 022; NFI ? 0. 985; IFI ? 0. 987). Model and hypotheses contrasting After analysing the psychometric properties of the scales, we proceeded to the estimation of the structural model, which corresponds to the structure shown in Figure 1.Previously, the global effect of extensions on brand image was analysed, comparing the values of initial and ? nal image in each scenario. Responses to brand extensions 1193 EJM 44,7/8 Factor HINN SINN Items HINN2 HINN3 SINN1 SINN2 SINN3 FUIM1i FUIM2i FUim1f FUIM2f AFIM1i AFIM2i AFIM3i AFIM1f AFIM2f AFIM3f REIM1i REIM2i REIM1f REIM2f FAMI1 FAMI2 FAMI3 DIFF1 DIFF2 DIFF3 EXAT1 EXAT2 EXAT3 CAFI1 CAFI2 IMFI1 IMFI2 IMFI3 Reliability t (. 1. 96) l(. 0. 5) 22. 230 20. 993 26. 547 25. 862 19. 829 22. 534 20. 543 24. 779 24. 208 21. 076 19. 473 17. 864 21. 545 21. 680 17. 880 23. 342 18. 125 25. 834 19. 868 22. 112 19 . 930 20. 822 18. 05 24. 402 18. 291 22. 956 18. 606 21. 579 22. 312 18. 837 26. 733 26. 683 24. 607 0. 861 0. 820 0. 915 0. 899 0. 744 0. 835 0. 776 0. 873 0. 859 0. 787 0. 741 0. 693 0. 798 0. 802 0. 694 0. 871 0. 706 0. 919 0. 751 0. 838 0. 771 0. 799 0. 729 0. 926 0. 725 0. 831 0. 712 0. 795 0. 839 0. 730 0. 906 0. 905 0. 859 Convergent validity * CRC (. 0. 6) EVA (. 0. 5) 0. 828 0. 891 0. 787 0. 857 0. 785 0. 810 0. 770 0. 825 0. 845 0. 839 0. 824 0. 763 0. 920 0. 707 0. 733 0. 650 0. 750 0. 550 0. 587 0. 629 0. 704 0. 645 0. 638 0. 610 0. 618 0. 793 1194 FUIM (i) FUIM (f) AFIM (i) AFIM (f) REIM (i) REIM (f) FAMI DIFF EXAT CAFI IMFITable V. Reliability, convergent validity and ? t of the measurement model Notes: Fit indices: Global ? t: x 2 ? 1224. 142 (417) p , 0. 001; GFI ? 0. 884; RMSEA ? 0. 053; SRMR ? 0. 040. Incremental ? t: AGFI ? 0. 844; CFI ? 0. 973; IFI ? 0. 973; NFI ? 0. 960; NNFI ? 0. 966; CRC: Composite reliability coef? cient; EVA: Extracted variance analysis, GFI : Goodness of ? t index; RMSEA: Root mean square error of approximation; SRMR: Standardised root mean square residual; AGFI: Adjusted goodness of ? t index; CFI: Comparative ? t index; IFI: Incremental ? t index; NFI: Normed ? t index; NNFI: Non-normed ? t indexGiven that the Cronbach alphas exceeded 0. 7, a single measure of initial and ? nal image, obtained as the mean of all the underlying items, was considered. Figures 2-4 gather the results according to the sector. For a better understanding of the effect on image, a single initial image (IMAG * (i)), calculated as the mean of initial brand images for close and far extensions, was taken into consideration. A new ? nal brand image (IMAG * (f)), resulting from adding IMAG * (i) to the difference obtained between the ? nal and the initial image in each scenario, was also considered. In general, these Responses to brand extensions 195 Figure 2. Brand image variation (toothpaste brands) Figure 3. Brand image variation (sport brands) Figure 4. Brand image variation (mobile phones brands) graphics suggest that ? rms should avoid entering markets far from their sector, since such extensions clearly entail brand image dilution. Once the global effect of extensions was analysed, the model hypotheses were tested. To test hypotheses related to feedback effects we created new variables based on unstandardised residuals. These residuals represent the brand image variation in such a way that higher values indicate more favourable feedback effects.They were obtained by regressing the post-test scores against the corresponding post-test scores, and the psychometrical properties of the resulting construct were similar to those of brand image factors (Cronbach’s alpha ? 0. 795). EJM 44,7/8 1196 Table VI contains the results of the model estimation and goodness of ? t measurements, which are acceptable and above the thresholds established in literature. Again, reasonable values were obtained for the error statistics ( RMSEA ? 0. 044; SRMR ? 0. 077) and the global ? t GFI (0. 892). The incremental ? t indexes also met the statistical requirements (AGFI ? 0. 74; CFI ? 0. 972; IFI ? 0. 972; NFI ? 0. 952; NNFI ? 0. 969). Next, the speci? c results concerning the hypotheses are commented. First, familiarity has a direct and signi? cant in? uence on initial brand image (best ? 0. 485; t-value ? 10. 419), as proposed in H1. However, contrary to H2, familiarity seems to have no signi? cant effect on extension attitude (best ? 2 0. 052; t-value ? 2 1. 443). Consequently, the most familiar brands will lead to more favourable brand associations, although not necessarily to a better assessment of the extension. The effect of initial brand image on extension attitude is signi? ant and positive (best ? 0. 232; t-value ? 6. 351), as proposed in H3. Therefore, consumers will prefer the brand extensions of companies that have managed to build and communicate positive brand associations. Since brand image depends on brand familiarity, consumer attitude toward brand extensions seems to be the result of a cognitive-affective sequence (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). Supporting H4, category ? t seems to be a clear determinant of extension attitude (best ? 0. 299; t-value ? 2. 439). In the same way, extension attitude is signi? cantly dependant on image ? t (best ? 0. 587; t-value ? 4. 76), which con? rms H5. Consequently, consumers will prefer those extensions marketed in a category that ? ts the brand portfolio, especially in terms of general brand associations. The effect of perceived dif? culty on extension attitude is positive (best ? 0. 035), as expected. Nevertheless, the coef? cient relating both factors fails to reach statistical signi? cance (t-value ? 1. 186), which implies rejecting H6. This lack of statistical signi? cance reveals that consumers do not consider dif? culty of manufacturing as a heuristic of the perceived quality of the new product. Hypotheses H1: FAMI !IMAG (i) H2: FAMI ! EXAT H3: IMAG (i) ! EXAT H4: CAFI ! EXAT H5: IMFI ! EXAT H6: DIFF ! EXAT H7: INNV ! EXAT H8: EXAT ! IMAG variation H9: CAFI ! IMAG variation H10: IMFI ! IMAG variation Standardised b (t) 0. 485 * 2 0. 052 0. 232 * 0. 299 * 0. 587 * 0. 035 0. 093 * 0. 631 * 2 0. 050 0. 159 (10. 419) (2 1. 443) (6. 351) (2. 439) (4. 876) (1. 186) (2. 924) (5. 846) (2 0. 313) (1. 004) Hypotheses validation Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Table VI. Results of the structural model Notes: *Signi? cant at p # 0. 05; Fit indices: Global ? t: x 2 ? 1131. 700 (481); p , 0. 001; GFI ? 0. 892; RMSEA ? . 044; SRMR ? 0. 077. Incremental ? t: AGFI ? 0. 874; CFI ? 0. 972; IFI ? 0. 972; NFI ? 0. 952; NNFI ? 0. 969; CRC: Composite reliability coef? cient; EVA: Extracted variance analysis, GFI: Goodness of ? t index; RMSEA: Root mean square error of approximation; SRMR: Standardised root mean square residual; AGFI: Adjusted goodness of ? t index; CFI: Comparative ? t index; IFI: Incremental ? t index; NFI: Normed ? t index; NNFI: Non-normed ? t index Regarding H7, consumer innovativeness appears to have a clear, though reduced, effect on extension attitude (best ? 0. 093; t-value ? 2. 924).All in all, attitude towards extensions will be fundamentally explained by the initial brand image (H3), perceived ? t (H4 and H5) and, to a lesser extent, by other factors such as consumer innovativeness (H7). H8 to H10 indicate the factors that explain the potential feedback effects of brand extensions on brand image. With respect to H8, extension attitude has a positive and signi? cant effect on brand image variation (best ? 0. 631; t ? 5. 846). Hence, the more favourable the attitude to the extension is, the more favourable the attitude toward the extended brand will be. Because of the high coef? ient obtained, companies launching brand extensions will have to avoid damaging their brands with low quality products. Contrary to our expectations, perceived category ? t has no direct effect on brand image variation, which rejects H9 (best ? 2 0. 050; t ? 2 0. 313). Despite showing a relatively high and positive coef? cient, the effect of image ? t proposed in H10 is not signi? cant either (best ? 0. 159; t ? 1. 004). The lack of signi? cance in both coef? cients suggests that the in? uence of ? t on brand image variation is only indirect through extension attitude (H4 and H5).To sum up, then, while perceived image and category ? t are essential factors for the success of a brand extension, it is signi? cant that extension attitude synthesises their effects. The centralising role of extension attitude was also corroborated by checking through the estimation of competitive models that neither brand familiarity nor consumer innovativeness nor perceived dif? culty have direct effects on brand image variation. Given the importance that literature attaches to perceived ? t to explain feedback effect (e. g. Loken and John, 1993; John et al. , 1998) and the lack of signi? ant effects in our model, we took a new step in the analysis. According to Czellar (2003), perceived ? t may moderate the in? uence of the attitude to the extension on the attitude to the extended brand. In the same way that high-perceived ? t increases the transference of brand associations to the new product (Aaker and Keller, 1990; Czellar, 2003), we think that the opposite effect could take place. This possibility was explored by means of two multi-sample analyses for each of the ? t dimensions, category ? t and image ? t. Speci? cally, the sample was split into high ? t (mean . 4) and low ? (mean , 4) and the structural model were replicated without considering direct effects of ? t. The Lagrange Multiplier (LM) Test and the maximum likelihood estimation method determined whether the model coef? cients are signi? cantly different (Iglesias and ? Vazquez, 2001). The comparison between the considered sub-samples yields interesting results. Although the effect of extension attitude on image variati on was similar for category ? t (x2dif ? 0. 182; p . 0. 1), the results lend support to the existence of moderating effects for image ? t at 90 per cent (x2dif ? 2. 868; p ? 0. 090). In the expected direction, the in? ence of extension attitude was higher in the high ? t condition (best ? 0. 810; t ? 12. 740) than in the low ? t one (best ? 0. 666; t ? 11. 203). In consequence, spillover effects between the brand and the extension (forward and backward) will depend on image ? t perceptions rather than on category ? t. Responses to brand extensions 1197 EJM 44,7/8 1198 Discussion A brand is one of the most important assets for ? rms and, therefore, marketing managers must be on the alert for inadequate strategies that erode brand assets. One of this potentially risky strategies involves the launching of unsuitable brand extensions ? hat erode extended brand bene? ts and associations (Mart? nez and de Chernatony, 2004; Diamantopoulos et al. , 2005). However, so far there is no clear u nderstanding of the main variables leading to spillover effects between brand extensions and parent brands and their relative in? uence. The present work proposes a model to ? nd out how extension strategies affect brand image, one of the major dimensions of brand equity. Unlike most previous research, this paper focuses on extension evaluation and feedback effects on the core brand as interrelated rather than independent phenomena.Moreover, it incorporates a few key variables into an operative model instead of considering most of the potential variables that might divert the attention of researchers and practitioners alike. The estimation of this model showed positive goodness-of-? t indexes and, without considering non-validated relationships, it sheds some light on the main factors and processes explaining consumer attitude. According to the literature, core parent brand experience positively in? uences probability of extension trial (Swaminathan et al. , 2001; Swaminathan, 2003) .However, our results reveal an indirect effect of brand experience or brand familiarity on consumer attitude to brand extensions. This variable has a distinctive in? uence on brand image, which, in turn, affects the assessment of the new category. These results are coherent with the behaviour models de? ned by some authors who maintain that the individual’s beliefs determine attitude and this, in turn, determines purchase behaviour (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). From this perspective, brand image, rather than brand familiarity, would explain consumer attitude to the extension. Our ? dings validate previous results in the literature concerning the positive effects of perceived ? t, either category or image ? t, on consumer attitude. In the same way, it was con? rmed that consumer innovativeness increases likelihood of consumer ? acceptance, although to a lesser extent than perceived ? t (Volckner and Sattler, 2006). Nevertheless, we could not verify the proposed relationship bet ween the attitude to the extension and dif? culty in manufacturing the new category. Due to the clear inconsistency of results along studies, the relevance of this variable proposed by Aaker and Keller (1990) should be questioned.In relation to feedback effects, our results suggest that perceived ? t (category and image) has no direct effect on the extended brand image, though an indirect effect occurs through attitude to the extension. Previous works focusing on the in? uence of perceived ? t on parent brand associations have mostly resorted to experimental settings (e. g. Loken and John, 1993; Milberg et al. , 1997; John et al. , 1998) rather than SEM models. Therefore, this relationship cannot be taken for granted in complex models where several constructs are interrelated. The estimation of the model also revealed that image ? moderates the effect of extension attitude on image variation. In the light of the results, consumers that perceive the extension as coherent with the bra nd image will modify their brand associations mainly on the basis of their resulting attitude. A high ? t perception usually entails a categorisation process where the extension is associated to the brand category and leverages the current beliefs and attitudes (Monga and Houston, 2002). According to our results, this process occurs in the opposite direction in such a way that a high ? t will involve the leveraging of the attitude to the extension.The results obtained are thus in line with those works that indicate that consumer attitude toward brand extensions mainly depends on perceived ? t (Aaker and ? Keller, 1990; van Riel et al. , 2001; Volckner and Sattler, 2006). Moreover, it contributes to the body of knowledge by showing that the effect of perceived category and image ? t on the extended brand image is not direct. On the contrary, it occurs an indirect effect through extension attitude and, in the case of image ? t, a further moderating effect on the relationship between e xtension attitude and image variation. To sum up, the coef? ients obtained indicate that extension attitude is especially determined by perceived category ? t, image ? t and initial brand image, which, in turn depends on familiarity. Consumer innovativeness is also a factor that explains consumer response to brand extensions. Furthermore, the results reveal that the existence of positive feedback effects will be an immediate consequence of the attitude to the extension. These results clearly support the basic argument of our model: the consumer will assess the product according to a series of variables and, as a result, the consumers will modify the initial brand schema.Implications Considering all the results obtained as a whole, we can make some recommendations for ? rms launching brand extensions. There is no doubt that the most important aspect for the success of an extension is coherence with the image of the extended brand. Though positive, it is not essential that the new pro duct or service belongs to a new category, but the ? rm has to be able to communicate the brand essence to the different markets (Kim, 2003). Once the new product is ? rmly associated to the current brand image, consumers will perceive a high quality of the new product and the risk associated to purchasing it will be lowered.Although innovative consumers are expected to prefer low-? t products (Xie, 2008), consumer innovativeness is a factor with a weak effect on the attitude to the extension. In comparison to introducing a new brand name, brand extensions will increase consumer trust and reduce the weight of consumer innovativeness as a risk reliever. Since consumer behaviour will be relatively similar regardless of consumer predisposition to new products, this factor should not be used for potential market segmentation. In consequence, companies must identify other consumer characteristics able to alter perceptions of quality and purchase ntentions of speci? c product categories. A favourable initial image will also be positive for consumer acceptance increasing the appeal of the new product. This image is hard to obtain in the short term, although our model suggests that increasing familiarity through communication or brand trials is an effective way of building brand associations. Since brand familiarity does not directly in? uence extension attitude, companies do not have to worry when their brands are not familiar enough or the current market share is scarce.Whenever they are capable of transmitting a positive brand image and ? t is high, success should be easy to obtain. Moreover, launching products perceived as trivial or very easy to make will not prevent consumers from trying the new product, a concern highlighted by Aaker and Keller (1990). Responses to brand extensions 1199 EJM 44,7/8 1200 Once consumers have developed a favourable attitude toward the new product, the brand associations might not be diluted but even strengthened. Provided perceived ? between the extension and the core brand is high, especially on the basis of image ? t, the attitude to the extension will be the main driver of feedback effects. Consequently, increasing the success of brand extensions and protecting the leveraged image are not con? icting but complementary goals. Companies should thus address their efforts towards the success of the extension by building a bundle of coherent and strong brand associations. This is the best way to avoid the risk of image dilution. Future research Our ? ndings raise several issues for future research. The ? st issue refers to the lack of time between the extension stimulus and the subsequent measurement of brand image, which is the common procedure in most studies. The fact of the matter is that higher experience reduces the likelihood of negative feedback effects (Sheinin, 2000; Swaminathan, 2003), since the mere exposure to the new product affords consumers to establish links with the brand that, otherwise, woul d not exist (Klink and Smith, 2001). However, experiments requiring the cooperation of respondents over time are likely to suffer from a â€Å"history problem† caused by the in? ence of external events (Campbell ? and Stanley, 1963). By analysing FMCG through a longitudinal study, Volckner and Sattler (2008) show that feedback effects diminish over time, although they also admit the possibility of confounding effects. Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of the different procedures, the present study opted to exclude extraneous variables by minimising the time between pre and post-test scores. Since we aimed to test the interrelationships between factors, the setting of the study was designed to reinforce internal validity as much as possible.Consequently, it must be observed that the paper generates a picture of feedback effects in the short-term and these effects should be checked through a long period of time. It would be also advisable to verify whether th e validated relationships are consistent when consumers are exposed to all the market signals (competitors action, distribution support, etc. ) by using real extensions. Another issue to consider is whether the model can be applied to extensions of the same category or line extensions. Since line extensions are products with a higher perceived degree of ? t (Grime et al. 2002), there is a possibility that the relationships are sustained. It might be even more interesting to study whether service companies can successfully extend to the goods markets and vice versa. Indeed, it would be worthwhile to examine the brand and extension conditions that lead to higher effects of perceived ? t dimensions on the extension attitude toward the brand. Given that the in? uence of consumer innovativeness on extension attitude was less than expected, further research could also explore whether consumer innovativeness has moderating effects rather than mediating ones.Klink and Smith (2001) proved th at the in? uence of perceived ? t on extension attitude is lower among innovative consumers, who are more receptive to new products. 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