Urban Legend Needles Hidden Under Gas Pump Handles

A viral alert warns that evildoers are exposing innocent victims to the AIDS virus by attaching HIV-contaminated needles to gas pump handles. This is a long-discredited hoax that has been circulating since 2000 but continues to crop up years and even decades later. The samples of the hoax postings are included for your comparison. If you receive a similar warning via email or social media, you can safely ignore it. Its best not to continue circulating this hoax. Description: Internet hoax via email and social mediaCirculating since: June 2000Status: False Example Email contributed by R. Anderson, June 13, 2000: Please read and forward to anyone you know who drives. My name is Captain Abraham Sands of the Jacksonville, Florida Police Department. I have been asked by state and local authorities to write this email in order to get the word out to car drivers of a very dangerous prank that is occurring in numerous states. Some person or persons have been affixing hypodermic needles to the underside of gas pump handles. These needles appear to be infected with HIV positive blood. In the Jacksonville area alone there have been 17 cases of people being stuck by these needles over the past five months. We have verified reports of at least 12 others in various states around the country. It is believed that these may be copycat incidents due to someone reading about the crimes or seeing them reported on the television. At this point no one has been arrested and catching the perpetrator(s) has become our top priority. Shockingly, of the 17 people who where stuck, eight have tested HIV positive and because of the nature of the disease, the others could test positive in a couple years. Evidently the consumers go to fill their car with gas, and when picking up the pump handle get stuck with the infected needle. IT IS IMPERATIVE TO CAREFULLY CHECK THE HANDLE of the gas pump each time you use one. LOOK AT EVERY SURFACE YOUR HAND MAY TOUCH, INCLUDING UNDER THE HANDLE. If you do find a needle affixed to one, immediately contact your local police department so they can collect the evidence. ********* PLEASE HELP US BY MAINTAINING A VIGILANCE AND BY FORWARDING THIS EMAIL TO ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO DRIVES. THE MORE PEOPLE WHO KNOW OF THIS THE BETTER PROTECTED WE CAN ALL BE. ********** Social Media Posting As posted on Facebook, Jan. 26, 2013: HIV/AIDS Needles hidden under gas pumps In Florida and other places on the East Coast a group of people are putting HIV/AIDS infected and filled needles underneath gas pump handles so when someone reaches to pick it up and put gas in their car, they get stabbed with it. 16 people have been a victim of this crime so far and 10 tested HIC positive. Instead of posting that stupid crap about how your love life will suck for years to come of you dont re-post, post this. Its important to inform people, even if you dont drive, a family member might, and what if they were next? CHECK UNDER THE HANDLE BEFORE YOU GRAB IT!!! IT MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE! Analysis of Viral Warnings On June 20, 2000, mere days after the overwrought warning above first slammed inboxes across the Internet, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Department issued a press release declaring it a hoax. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office has had no reports of such incidents and there is no Capt. Abraham Sands at the JSO, the statement said. Nor had any such incidents been reported elsewhere in the United States. Moreover, according to the CDC, there are no documented cases of HIV being transmitted via needle-sticks in non-health care settings, ever. The viral warning was, and is, entirely fictitious. It did add an interesting new wrinkle to the HIV needle-stick rumors already circulating online in various forms since 1997. Previous variants warned of tainted syringes planted in movie theater seats and pay phone coin slots, not to mention random stealth prickings (for lack of a better phrase) in nightclubs and other crowded public places. Copycat Pranks All these variants have been investigated and deemed false by authorities with the sole exception of a spate of apparent copycat pranks that occurred around the beginning of 1999 in western Virginia. According to police there, actual hypodermic needles were found in the coin slots of public phones and bank night deposit slots in a couple of small towns in the area. None were found to be contaminated with HIV or any other biological agent. Presumably, the pranksters were imitating rumors that had already been circulating online for months. Groundless though it may be, the conviction that unknown assailants are intentionally spreading AIDS by hiding contaminated needles in public places remains popular, especially on the email forwarding circuit. One reason is that these tales and other urban legends like them provide an outlet for unspoken fears—of strangers, of the motives of some of the more marginal members of society, of AIDS itself. Theyre cautionary tales, albeit ones that dont really function as such—not literally, at any rate—in that they fail to address the primary way HIV is actually transmitted: unsafe sex. Personal Risk By virtue of the fact that each of these fictitious scenarios depicts the transmission of HIV via acts of penetration, each works as a metaphor for sex. Consider the claim that one risks exposure to HIV simply by inserting ones finger into the coin slot of a public phone. The imagery isnt pretty, but its apt. Now were being warned to be careful when pumping gas, to take all due precautions before sliding the nozzle into the tank. Sound advice? Metaphorically speaking, yes! CDC Statement This statement appeared on the CDC.gov site in 2010. Have people been infected with HIV from being stuck by needles in non-health care settings? No. While it is possible to get infected with HIV if you are stuck with a needle that is contaminated with HIV, there are no documented cases of transmission outside of a health-care setting. CDC has received inquiries about used needles left by HIV-infected injection drug users in coin return slots of pay phones, the underside of gas pump handles, and on movie theater seats. Some reports have falsely indicated that CDC confirmed the presence of HIV in the needles. CDC has not tested such needles nor has CDC confirmed the presence or absence of HIV in any sample related to these rumors. The majority of these reports and warnings appear to be rumors/myths. Sources CDC. HIV Transmission: Questions Answers. Centers for Disease Control. 25 Mar. 2010.Chapin, Veronica. â€Å"Calls About Email Hoax Flood Sheriffs Office.† Florida Times-Union.McKenzie, Aline. HIV Hoax Pumps Up the Fear of Infection. Dallas Morning News, 26 May 2001.Sun Media. Infected Needles Tale a Hoax. London Free Press, 22 Mar. 2007.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Essay - 1276 Words

As of 2013, one sixth of the entire country was enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Through this program, 47 million Americans are given federal financial aid to purchase fresh groceries (Plumer). One of the highly debated provisions of the SNAP program is what participants should be allowed to use their food stamps for. As of right now, food stamps can only be used to purchase food that can be cooked or eaten at home, preventing families from spending the federal aid at restaurants (USDA). Recently, the fast food corporation YUM!, which owns Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut, has lobbied to change this restriction (USA Today). Should people benefitting from the SNAP program have the right to spend their money on†¦show more content†¦If food stamps are designed to feed the hungry then does it really make sense to deny them access to certain foods? I understand Gourdine’s point; that it seems counterproductive for the government to fund the pu rchasing of foods that are known to cause health complications. However the purpose of the SNAP program is not to promote a healthier country. According to the Food Stamp Act of 1977 created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the intention of the SNAP program is â€Å"to alleviate hunger and malnutrition †¦ by increasing food purchasing power for all eligible households who apply for participation† (FRAC). Therefore, widespread access to food should be the primary concern, not increased healthcare costs or nutritional value. The hope in forcing food stamp recipients to buy only fresh food is that they will venture to the grocery store and engage in healthier eating habits. Having said that, there are very few restrictions regarding what you can use SNAP benefits once when you get to the grocery store. The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 definesShow MoreRelatedThe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program1387 Words   |  6 Pagesmay have the poorest h ealth of any aggregate in the United States and the least access to affordable healthcare (Nies, 2011). In Indiana, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food assistance to low and no income people and families living in the United States (U.S.). It is a federal aid program administered by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), however, distribution of benefits occurs at the state level. In Indiana, the Family andRead MoreThe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Essay2344 Words   |  10 PagesThe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as SNAP, originates from the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933. It was established in the Great Depression era as the Federal Surplus Relief Corporation when crop prices fell drastically and farms were struggling to deal with the excess supply. The Federal government bought the surplus as discounted prices and distributed them to hunger relief agencies. In 1939 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal program, the FoodRead MoreThe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Essay1852 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a policy that was created to provide aid to many low-income families and individuals by offering nutritional assistance. The main social problem this policy intends to address is hunger caused by poverty. Poor nutrition is a major problem that cripples low-income families and is one of the biggest causes of death today in young children. Poverty and hunger have a mutual relationship because those who often lack the resources orRead MoreThe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Essay1285 Words   |  6 Pages1 The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has become an immense support for food insecurity, particularly in low-income families in our country. The SNAP program has been initiated to reduce hunger during economic crisis and has become crucial in helping its participants to meet their dietary needs (Blumenthal, 2012 pg.50). However, there is a main concern is that SNAP participants are also at risk for developing obesity and other chronic disease. The SNAP program finds that theRead MoreThe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program2412 Words   |  10 PagesPurpose of Program In regards to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the purpose of the organization could be described as insuring that eligible, low-income individuals and families have access to nutritional and economic benefits. According to the United Stated Department of Agriculture, SNAP is the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net (USDA, 2016). The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) assists state agencies, nutrition educators, neighborhood, and faith-based organizationsRead MoreSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( Snap )1969 Words   |  8 PagesSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Issues dealt with by the policy The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a program developed and administered by the United States Department Agriculture; to support families and individuals with low income by providing nutrition assistance in coordination with State agencies and other organizations such as State agencies, faith based organizations and educators. In addition, SNAP provides a variety of parallel benefits to society regardingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program734 Words   |  3 PagesBackground The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the largest federal expenditures in North Carolina. The North Carolina General Assembly has charged the State Auditor with including but not limited to independently examining: operating and administrative procedures and practices; whether programs and activities are expending funds in a faithful, efficient, and economical manner in compliance with applicable laws and regulations; whether activities or programs are effectivelyRead MoreSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( Snap )1668 Words   |  7 Pagesthe importance of food assistance initiative continue to become popular among million of American citizens, across the country (Plumer, 2013). This paper will focus on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) popularly known as Food Stamps as one of the most important food assistance program in the Country. Statistics/Current Situation According to the recent statistics by United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition, the country’s Food Stamps Program (FSP) experienced varyingRead MoreSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( Snap )2351 Words   |  10 Pages Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Introduction The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, was introduced in 1939 to alleviate poverty and hunger in the United States. The main purpose of the program is to help people with low-income to afford nutritious diet by elevating their purchasing power (Cuunyngham et al., 2006). In 1943, when the economic situation stabilized the subsidies were stopped. However, the Senate kept on discussing theRead MoreAnalysis Of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program885 Words   |  4 PagesIn the United States the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is regulated and funded by policies made by our elected officials. The authors at the Food Research Action Center complied the percentages of participants in the SNAP program by state and compared that to the national average. Maine households participating in SNAP is 15% and nationally it is 13% of the population.1 Focusing on our home state, Maine has 104,115 households and 199,689 individu als with SNAP.2 Working in a state with

Information Technology IT Has Expandedâ€Free Samples for Students

Question: How To The Information Technology IT Has Expanded? Answer: Introduction Information Technology (IT) has expanded and is being used at such a massive scale that its absence from the business operations and organizations can no longer be imagined. Also, it has become the need to innovate and develop new services and applications so that customer expectations are met. One of the industries in which IT has a great role to play is the healthcare sector. The application and need of IT in Tunstall healthcare has been carried out to understand the role of IT in business (Tunstallhealthcare, 2017). Need of IT Tunstall Healthcare is an Australian based organization that is a leading provider of healthcare solutions to the customers. There are millions of people and end users that are associated with Tunstall along with its partners and staff members. It is required for Tunstall to manage its healthcare services and solutions with the use of IT in its architecture. It will allow the organization to achieve its objectives in a better way. Importance of IT Tunstall provides the healthcare solutions to the patients in various health conditions such as chronic diseases, dementia, epilepsy and many more. Remote health monitoring and services is a necessity so that the people that reside in the remote areas and do not have access to the medical centres may also avail the health services provided by Tunstall. Also, tele-health monitoring will allow Tunstall to achieve its business objective of providing best in-class healthcare services to the customers (Sawa, 2011). Requirements of IT for Tunstall In order to reach out to the maximum number of users and the ones that are staying in the rural areas, it will be necessary to develop a tele-health monitoring system that shall allow the users to keep a track of their health at all times (Chae, 2012). IT will play an important role in this case as the system will be designed using the basic components of IT such as software, hardware, networks, information management systems etc. These components will enable the resources to come up with a required system for Tunstall (Lee, 2016). Usage of IT in Tunstall The tele-health monitoring system that will be designed for Tunstall shall be capable of accomplishing the following. Patients shall be allowed to login to the tele-health monitoring system to view them health details and medical reports (Dimitrov, 2016). Patients shall be allowed to feed their medical data. Medical and clinical staff members shall be able to view the data that is fed by the patients and shall be able to analyze it. Clinical and medical staff shall be able to upload the medical reports through the system. Information shall be efficiently managed by the system in terms of its addition, deletion, modification and storage along with other data operations (Park, 2011). Reports that are present on the system shall get downloaded as per the desired format. There are also certain aspects in terms of system qualities that must be included in the tele-health monitoring system. Tele-health monitoring system shall have a key quality as system performance. This is the quality that will allow the users to have a good experience with the system as the response given by the system will be quick. System usability will also be a desirable and mandatory property that shall be included in the teal-health monitoring system. It will allow the system to be designed in accordance with the specifications that are provided (Ng, Sim and Tan, 2006). Tele-health monitoring system shall have a key quality as system reliability. This is the quality that will allow the users to view and gain valid and verified information from the system System agility will also be a desirable and mandatory property that shall be included in the teal-health monitoring system. It will make the system flexible and adaptable to all the possible scenarios that may occur. Tele-health monitoring system shall have a key quality as system availability. This is the quality that will allow the users to access their health data and details at any time (Al Ameen, Liu and Kwak, 2010). System maintainability will also be a desirable and mandatory property that shall be included in the teal-health monitoring system. It will allow the system to be upgraded or modified easily. Tele-health monitoring system shall have a key quality as system security. This is the quality that will allow the users to be assured that their private and sensitive health information is always protected. Benefits Advantages of IT Tunstall will have several advantages and benefits with the use of IT in its architecture. Health conditions of Australia will improve as Tunstall is the prime provider of healthcare solutions and will be able to reach more number of people with the use of IT. Objectives that are determined along with the goals and aims will be achieved rapidly and accurately. The patients along with the staff members associated with Tunstall will be able to have richer and better experience. Information will be managed effectively and there will be lesser chances of its loss or displacements. Posisble Risks Health information stored in the tele-health systems and the automated information systems may be breached and accessed by the attackers. Tracking of the patterns that are used by the staff members or the patients may be done. Attacks related to the network and the information passing on through the network may take place. Integrity Attacks Tunstall is an organization that deals with the health information of the patients and the health information is considered to be sensitive and critical in nature. Any damages to this information results in a lot of damage to the users and the organization and the impact on the integrity can have devastating impacts. The same may occur by execution of message alterations by the malevolent entities which will involve use of practices by which either the content or the structure will be modified (M.M. El-Emary, Q. Husain and A. Alyoubi, 2012). Tunstall is an organization that deals with the health information of the patients and the health information is considered to be sensitive and critical in nature. Any damages to this information results in a lot of damage to the users and the organization and the impact on the integrity can have devastating impacts. The same may occur by execution of media alterations by the malevolent entities which will involve use of practices by which either the content or the structure will be modified. Attacks on Availability Deterioration of the quality of tele-health monitoring system and other information systems will impact the availability which is the key quality to be included. There may also be denial attacks that may be executed to hamper the availability of the systems (Jadhav, 2017). IT Maintenance IT Monitoring IT may act as a boon to the organizations such as Tunstall only when there is adequate maintenance and monitoring of the components that are associated with it. Maintenance of IT is referred to the post-deployment activities that include tracking and upgrades. Tele-health monitoring and other information systems will be developed as per the latest available technology. However, the technology that is latest in the present times is sure to get obsolete after a certain period of time. It will therefore be required to maintain the IT components by regularly upgrading them. It will also assist in the avoidance of the security risks and attacks that may otherwise occur. Monitoring of IT is another practice that will be required to be carried out. It will comprise of two components as validation and verification. Verification is a form of monitoring that shall include evaluations, reviews, inspections and audits at regular intervals. These techniques will make sure that any of the attempts to violate the security is got hold of and treated with immediate effect. These shall be primarily carried out by the administration and management of Tunstall to make sure that there are system and network audits along with reviews and inspection executed. There will also be a number of validation processes that will be needed to be carried out. These processes will include the application of technical control and testing techniques so that the risks to the security are avoided. One of the greatest inventions of IT is the automated tools that are designed to automatically execute a particular task or an activity. In case of Tunstall, there are several risks that may occur in terms of denial attacks, malware attacks etc. These risks will be prevented with the installation of automated tools such as anti-attack tools designed for preventing the attacks of any form of a malware or denial attempt. Identity management is also one of the significant technical steps that shall be taken which shall include the validation of the user identity through authentication and access control measures. The primary aim of the validation techniques will be to keep the information protected in all the scenarios. This aim will be realized only when the information will be encrypted in all the locations so that the attackers do not succeed in acquiring it. There are various testing techniques that shall also be carried out to validate the IT systems aspects and the defects that may be present in them. Conclusion IT is a necessity of the modern day systems and organizations. Healthcare industry is one of the most significant and huge industries that has several organizations that are working under it. One such organization is Tunstall that is based out of Australia and provides healthcare solutions to the users. There are millions of people and end users that are associated with Tunstall along with its partners and staff members. It is required for Tunstall to manage its healthcare services and solutions with the use of IT in its architecture. IT will play an important role in this case as the system will be designed using the basic components of IT such as software, hardware, networks, information management systems etc. These components will enable the resources to come up with a required system for Tunstall. References Al Ameen, M., Liu, J. and Kwak, K. (2010). Security and Privacy Issues in Wireless Sensor Networks for Healthcare Applications. Journal of Medical Systems, 36(1), pp.93-101. Chae, Y. (2012). Management Issues in Healthcare Information Technology. Healthcare Informatics Research, 18(2), p.85. Dimitrov, D. (2016). Medical Internet of Things and Big Data in Healthcare. Healthcare Informatics Research, 22(3), p.156. Jadhav, R. (2017). Security Issues and Solutions in Wireless Sensor Networks. International Journal of Computer Applications, 162(2), pp.14-19. Lee, J. (2016). Future of the Smartphone for Patients and Healthcare Providers. Healthcare Informatics Research, 22(1), p.1. M.M. El-Emary, I., Q. Husain, K. and A. Alyoubi, B. (2012). Security issues of wireless sensor networks in various applications. International Journal of Academic Research, 4(6), pp.317-328. Ng, H., Sim, M. and Tan, C. (2006). Security issues of wireless sensor networks in healthcare applications. BT Technology Journal, 24(2), pp.138-144. Park, H. (2011). Pervasive Healthcare Computing: EMR/EHR, Wireless and Health Monitoring. Healthcare Informatics Research, 17(1), p.89. Sawa, T. (2011). Leveraging Devices, Data and Discovery for Smarter Healthcare in Japan. Healthcare Informatics Research, 17(3), p.184. Tunstallhealthcare (2017). Tunstall Healthcare. [online] Tunstallhealthcare.com.au. Available at: https://www.tunstallhealthcare.com.au/ [Accessed 18 May 2017].

Nursing and Philosophy

Positivism has been used in nursing for a long time even though it has some shortcomings. It may have been important during Hempel’s time because there were no better alternatives then. Old methods of treatment have been practiced for quite some time in nursing perhaps because of overdependence in old times views; a case which may not be applicable today. In pathology where specialists use statistics to make an informed decision, the life of a patient may be compromised because of mere numbers which might not be consistent with reality.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nursing and Philosophy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In a developed world, there are new and better ways of doing things. As a result, people should embrace new ideas and improve the old ones. If more noninvasive devices are supported by the majority to be used on postoperative cardiac patients, then people should completely forget about t hose that are phasing out because they become irrelevant. Hempel regards some subjective complains from patients with psychiatric disorder as cognitively meaningless. This is because the information cannot be analyzed or verified hence their classification cannot be done properly. Wrong judgment can easily be made or some facts about the patient can be omitted when this happens. Therefore, questions of how positivism will handle this are not clearly answered thus making it even more complicated. Positivism is at times good because it can woks as a backup tool. Nurses should, however, not limit themselves to this because it may compromise the life of a patient. It may seem as though the numbers are more important than the patience in question. The situation in ICU is a relevant example; if more focus in placed on the machines then this means no one gets credible training. Maybe some hidden information can be got by merely taking keen interest on the patient. Discussion 2 Time changes , so must people. It is true that science has transformed and become different from what it was. On the contrary, people still use the same old methods. Kuhn, after his discovery, advices people to try and find out how the scientists come up with the various theories instead of merely following them blindly. People’s views may be different and hence there will be room for challenging those ideas and practices or even making improvement where necessary because ideas evolve. Holding fast to a theory without accepting the reality on the ground can make man slaves. It, therefore, needs some level of faith because people are bound to the old paradigms and as a result they become so rigid to change. Looking at a scientist as a problem solver makes us believe in the methods they use. It makes it even hard to be innovative because we are bound to old beliefs. Kuhn viewed the scientist as puzzle solver and did not look at his way of defining criterion as a methodology. It is true that problems are there to test people’s individual ability. This is an indication that everyone can try and find solutions instead of simply leaving it to some known scholars.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Kuhn’s revolution can be adopted in nursing science because it provides room for thinking and coming up with new ideas. It was as a result of this thought that George Bananno came out clearly to criticize Elizabeth Kubler Ross’s view on the manner in which those who suffer from losses grieve. Kuhn’s revolution also brought a difference in the way people did things. The methodology of research changed so nurses can today think of better ways of evaluating grief responses. There is, therefore, no need to classify patients without grief as pathological cases. This idea can be better than positivist approach. Discussion 3 Kuhn explains the role of other disciplines in evolution of science and challenges the positivist and empiricist. Unless one understands these disciplines and how they are related to science, it becomes difficult to solve scientific problems and instead focus on puzzle solving. This, however, cannot be achieved when people still hold first to the old views. Rationality is important in decision making but people should have no rational attachment to the working environment because it has an influence in the way they view science hence they cannot embrace its evolution. Bringing a new idea especially in a field that people had already set standards was not easy for Kuhn. His predecessors never shared the same views. Questions regarding history as a discipline and how it affected science could not arise because Kuhn was right about the past and its implication in the present and the future. Some of the diseases, for instance, used to occur more frequently in some seasons and the same pattern may follow today. Histor y, therefore, becomes important in analyzing the information already at the disposal of researchers. Other factors such as psychology of a patient contribute more to his/her information. Conclusion People should not, therefore, always agree with scientists who created structures, hierarchies and models which are not conducive to the 21st century. They should try and articulate these facts with their own opinions. Thanks to Kuhn, a new era has come.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nursing and Philosophy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on Nursing and Philosophy was written and submitted by user Enzo Cote to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.