I need a summary for those 3 articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

I need a summary for those 3 articles - Essay Example Meanwhile the Quakers also made a minimal contribution to the college movement. In later times, Methodist and Baptist started establishing colleges which was a resort to middle class society of America. The American colleges soon became a medium of social investment. The American colleges gave birth to a concept of ‘self taught and self made man’ .By the end of 19th century, American colleges also propagated that a man should not spend more than half of his time on studies. An English men visiting American definitely found a very motivated young men and students who could serve the country at the best in the future. The American universities are in hard situation as to make choices in protecting the academic value and there were no political body taking leadership for it. Some universities prefer quality and want to preserve it and proved that they have brain as well as body.Some universities wants to improve the quality of citizen ship and ethical conduct of students .Few universities which maintained their integrity and marveled were Harvard, Stanford, Cornell, Yale, MTI,Brown, Berkeley and Michigan.Accomodating large number of students always been the problem faced by many universities.As economic growth is the responsibility of the Federal government , they are supposed to give subsidies to the graduates to increase productivity. The two areas which offer opportunity in America is education and healthsector.Higher education is becoming business minded where as they should be interested in producing good citizens with creative talent and productivity.Universties and society is interrelated and universities need to utilize full resources to upgrade the students and their utility to the society. Magnet schools which introduced in America in 20th century, gained popularity in 1970s as they promoted racial diversity and improved scholarship opportunities and catered to individual needs and interests of students.

Failed Products Essay Example for Free

Failed Products Essay A clothier, such as Levi Strauss, that has been around for 150 years is bound to have their share of hits and misses because fashion is terribly fickle and largely unpredictable. But this doesn’t mean you should ignore your target audience. In late 2002, Levi Strauss began a massive marketing push to launch what was being touted as one of the company’s most significant launches in history, Type 1 Jeans. The line unnecessarily went to great lengths to accentuate all those signature design details already long-associated with Levi’s, such as the red tab logo, buttons, rivets, and the two-horse back patch. To accompany the launch, Levi Strauss spent $2 million on an artsy, misguided  Super Bowl commercial  that confused viewers. Going against common practice, they placed Type 1 in retailers with inconsistent prices, ranging from $30 at a retailer like JC Penney’s to over $100 at Barney’s, with no discernable difference in quality. Levi Strauss pulled the entire line after less than two years and Type 1 proved to be the proud clothier’s most spectacular flop. How marketing can cause a product to fail? I have discussed in the past many good examples of  marketing helped a product to succeed. Apple is the first brand that comes to mind when we talk about marketing. The communication and design of the products has led to its wide spread success and Apple becoming one of the  most valuable companies in the world. But what about marketing failures? For every Apple there are many products that fail due to bad marketing strategies. In this piece I would like to discuss one of them-  The TATA Nano. - In a recent trip to Sri Lanka, I saw the TATA Nano being used extensively as a Taxi. As I asked around the average Sri Lankan felt that the Nano though a good car  did not carry enough prestige to be a passenger car. And this they felt was a result of the positioning taken by the marketing managers of the brand. As I look back at the previous campaigns for the Nano, it suddenly struck me that Nano was a consumer behavior assessment failure. The brand managers positioned the car as the next upgrade for a family of four with a two wheeler. But every such household had an aspiration to move to something better and not necessarily cheaper. Even if the consumer was in that income bracket, he aspired for something cooler. This point was not taken into consideration while the brand managers were coming up with the positioning. The next campaign focused on the tier 2 cities with bad roads and little or no inclination to move things along. This further hit the car sales. Finally now the Nano has been positioned as a cool car to have fun with. Also the colors and the powerful AC are being positioned as the differentiators along with the classic adage of better fuel efficiency that has helped its sales. I personally feel that positioning a product or service would be a strong spin off from consumer behavior and without understanding the hopes and aspirations of the masses a product is bound to not have the stickiness factor. TATA Nano was a classic case of a product manager who chooses not to respect the aspirations of his prospective consumers. A famous marketer once told me that â€Å"A man buys a car for what he wants to be and buys a house based on what he is†.

Essay --

A merger is the combining of two separate firms to merge into one firm. Usually when two firms merge, the smaller firm will merge into the larger firm. Only the acquiring company retains its identity. There are An acquisition refers to the purchase of a company’s assets or the controlling shares of a company by the acquiring company. Types of mergers: Horizontal merger: This is a merger between two firms in the same line of business. These firms are always competitors. Vertical merger: This is a merger that exists when an entity merges with one of its suppliers forming a buyer seller relationship. For example, a merger between a company that produces furniture with a company that produces wood. Conglomerate merger: This is a merger that exists between unrelated firms from different industries. Both firms carry out different activities and are not competitors. For example, a brewing firm merging with a clothing industry. Process of mergers and acquisitions. Process of mergers and acquisition is very important because the process can greatly affect the benefits that a company would gain through mergers and acquisitions. The process is divided into different phrases. Phase 1 This is the business valuation stage. In this stage, the acquiring party should assess the situation of the their firm and its future capabilities. Will the company be able to maintain its market share, the return on capital or there core competencies? If not, then a merger and acquisition would be necessary. In this stage, the business should be valued and analyze whether a merger will help improve the firm’s valuation or whether the firm should use internal growth instead. The business should access the roles, it expects the merger to perform, and ... ...e firms merged to increase their market share. Hp was stronger on the consumer side compared to Compaq while, Compaq was stronger on the computer (pc) business and the commercial side if the companies merged, each would concentrate on their strengths and this would increase their market share. Why they failed. Hp had begun to miss its long-term goals and its estimates in the growth of both the pc markets and the business were very optimistic. The management failed to achieve what the merger had to offer and this caused the price of the stock to fall. Hp found it hard to overcome the problems that were associated with the strategic integration because hp had only been concentrating on its operational integration. Recommendations Hp should critically analyze their strategic integration and come up with solutions to the integration problems faced. Essay -- A merger is the combining of two separate firms to merge into one firm. Usually when two firms merge, the smaller firm will merge into the larger firm. Only the acquiring company retains its identity. There are An acquisition refers to the purchase of a company’s assets or the controlling shares of a company by the acquiring company. Types of mergers: Horizontal merger: This is a merger between two firms in the same line of business. These firms are always competitors. Vertical merger: This is a merger that exists when an entity merges with one of its suppliers forming a buyer seller relationship. For example, a merger between a company that produces furniture with a company that produces wood. Conglomerate merger: This is a merger that exists between unrelated firms from different industries. Both firms carry out different activities and are not competitors. For example, a brewing firm merging with a clothing industry. Process of mergers and acquisitions. Process of mergers and acquisition is very important because the process can greatly affect the benefits that a company would gain through mergers and acquisitions. The process is divided into different phrases. Phase 1 This is the business valuation stage. In this stage, the acquiring party should assess the situation of the their firm and its future capabilities. Will the company be able to maintain its market share, the return on capital or there core competencies? If not, then a merger and acquisition would be necessary. In this stage, the business should be valued and analyze whether a merger will help improve the firm’s valuation or whether the firm should use internal growth instead. The business should access the roles, it expects the merger to perform, and ... ...e firms merged to increase their market share. Hp was stronger on the consumer side compared to Compaq while, Compaq was stronger on the computer (pc) business and the commercial side if the companies merged, each would concentrate on their strengths and this would increase their market share. Why they failed. Hp had begun to miss its long-term goals and its estimates in the growth of both the pc markets and the business were very optimistic. The management failed to achieve what the merger had to offer and this caused the price of the stock to fall. Hp found it hard to overcome the problems that were associated with the strategic integration because hp had only been concentrating on its operational integration. Recommendations Hp should critically analyze their strategic integration and come up with solutions to the integration problems faced.

JoAnn Marshall - The Roles of Southern Women, Black and White, in Society :: Essays Papers

JoAnn Marshall - The Roles of Southern Women, Black and White, in Society Lillian Smith provides a description of the typical black woman and the typical white woman "of the pre-1960's American South" (Gladney 1) in her autobiographical critique of southern culture, Killers of the Dream. The typical black woman in the South is a cook, housekeeper, nursemaid, or all three wrapped up in one for at least one white family. Therefore, she is the double matriarch of the South, raising her own family and the families of her white employers: "It was not a rare sight in my generation to see a black woman with a dark baby at one breast and a white one at the other, rocking them both in her wide lap" (Smith 130). The southern black woman's duties extend far beyond rearing children, as she also serves as a family counselor, confidant, and nurse for the entire white family (Smith 129) and her own if time permits. She can do all this and more because she is strong, wise, and insightful in all areas of life (Smith 119). In short, the southern black woman is the cornersto ne of the southern, domestic life. The white woman in the South has an equally important role. The southern white woman is responsible for maintaining southern social order, better known as Southern Tradition. She establishes "the 'do' and the 'don't' of behavior" (Smith 132) in her children and believes, "If you could just keep from them all the things that must never be mentioned, all would be well!" (Smith 142). At the same time, the southern white woman sits atop the pedestal of Sacred Womanhood that her husband and his ancestors built for her (Smith 141). She meekly sits there, a symbol of southern society used to benefit men's ideals, feeling empty and powerless against everything going on around her (Smith 141-2). The whispers in her children's ears and her presence on that pedestal fulfill the white woman's role as protectress of Southern Tradition, but does not fulfill the southern white woman. In fact, the roles of the southern black woman and the southern white woman are equally important and equally oppressive: "In a culture where marriage and motherhood were women's primary roles, neither black nor white women were free to be fully wives or mothers, and neither were able to sh ield their children from the physical and psychic destruction of the racist society in which they lived" (Gladney 6).

Describe Functions of Management

Bachelor of Science HIV/AIDS Management and Community Development Student Name Runganga Fanuel Pharquior Assignment: Describe functions of management citing examples Management is the organization and coordination of the activities of a business in order to achieve defined objectives. Management is often included as a factor of production along with machines, materials, and money. According to the management guru Peter Drucker (1909-2005), the basic tasks of management include both marketing and innovation.Practice of modern management originates from the 16th century study of low-efficiency and failures of certain enterprises, conducted by the English statesman Sir Thomas More (1478-1535). Management consists of the interlocking functions of creating corporate policy and organizing, planning, controlling, and directing an organization's resources in order to achieve the objectives of that policy According to Peter Drucker management can be described as the organization and coordinat ion of the activities of an enterprise in accordance with certain policies and in achievement of clearly defined objectives.Management is often included as a factor of production along with machines, materials and money. Peter Drucker (1909–2005)†Management is a multi-purpose organ that manages business and manages managers and manages workers and work. Mary Parker Follet, simply states that â€Å"Management is the art of getting things done through people. † Many scholars who have studied management have come up with different definitions of management and its functions and some like Luther Gullick have come up with a list functions of management that include planning, organizing, directing, staffing, co-coordinating, reporting abbreviated (PODSCORB).However most scholars notably Koontz and O’Donnel are agreeable that the most important functions of management can be trimmed to only five namely planning, organizing staffing, directing and controlling. Pla nning involves mapping out exactly how to achieve a particular goal. It gives direction to the organization and enables managers to determine strategies to achieve organizational goals. Say, for example, that the organization's goal is to improve company sales. The manager first needs to decide which steps are necessary to accomplish that goal. These steps may include increasing advertising, inventory, and sales staff.These necessary steps are developed into a plan. When the plan is in place, the manager can follow it to accomplish the goal of improving company sales. Planning can be short term or long term, and ensures proper utilization of human and non-human resources thus helps in minimizing confusion ,risks, wastages and uncertainties. Planning is important in forecasting and catering for unforeseen adverse events by putting contingency measures in place. For example hospital managers may have an emergency plan in place to handle things like disease outbreaks or accidents.Henri Fayol argues that to organize a business is to provide it with all the necessary resources for it to function fully. Organizing is the process of bringing together physical financial and human resources in order to achieve organizational goals. After a plan is in place, a manager needs to organize a team and materials according to the plan. Assigning work and granting authority are two important elements of organizing. The organization process involves identification of what is supposed to be done, classification of activities, assigning of duties, and delegation of responsibility and authority.An example can be of a farm manager who is faced with a planting season with a group of workers and many fields and crops to plant. He has to quantify the amount of work to be accomplished over a given period thus organizes his staff into small groups each with a foreman responsible for tillage, planting, irrigation etc. He should go on to come up with a time frame when he expects the tasks to be performed and ensure that all the resources required that include seed, fertilizers etc are in place for the task to be accomplished in time. Staffing is concerned with keeping adequate staff levels to keep the organization well manned all the time.This involves having the right person for the right job and the main purpose is selecting the properly qualified person for the job. It might also involve staff development by organizing on job training or training and retraining of staff to meet the dynamic demands of the organization. After a manager discerns his area's needs, he may decide to beef up his staffing by recruiting, selecting, training, and developing employees. A manager in a large organization often works with the company's human resources department to accomplish this goal.An organization might acquire new machinery and realize that they need new members of staff to operate the machine or an organization may soon realize that their enterprise is growing and need mo re staff to man its new branches. Directing deals mainly with setting in motion the action of people in an organization and is involved with supervising, motivating, leading, and communicating the goals of the organization to the workers. Directing involves supervising how work is done and ensuring staff is motivated enough to accomplish the organizational goals by offering incentives to ensure workers have a zeal for work.Managers might discover that in order to accomplish a task in time there is need to work long hour and may find it fit to provide food on site and also introduce incentives for the workers prepared to work overtime. After the other elements are in place, a manager's job is not finished. He needs to continuously check results against goals and take any corrective actions necessary to make sure that his area's plans remain on track. Directing consists of a process or technique by which instruction can be issued and operations can be carried out and goals achieved as originally planned.Controlling implies ensuring that everything is in conformity with set standards to achieve organizational goals. It involves measuring the accomplished against the set standards. According to Koontz and O’Donnell controlling is the measurement and correction of performance activities of subordinates in order to make sure that the enterprise objectives and plans are accomplished. The process is concerned with establishment of standard performance, measurement of actual performance, comparison of actual with the set standards and isolating deviations if any and finally corrective action.The success of any organization big or small hinges on the quality of its managers and more often than not enterprises run by poorly equipped mangers in terms of knowledge depth usually operate poorly and eventually collapse whilst those run by astute mangers flourish and prosper. References 1. Harold Koontz and Cyril O’Donnel, Essentials of Management (1976) 2. Henri Fayol, (1841-1925), Principles of Management 3. Luther Gullick (1937), Science of Administration 4. Mary Parker Follet (1900-20) Classic School of Management 5. Peter Drucker (1909-2005), The Principles of Management 6. Sir Thomas More (1478-1535) Oregon State University

Transsexuals and those who choose gender re-assignment surgery

Transsexuals and those who choose gender re-assignment surgery Free Online Research Papers With the help of modern medicine, many transsexuals throughout the country and globe are able to experience relief from the gender conflicts they experience. Becoming educated about transsexuals and the facts surrounding gender re-assignment surgery are key ingredients for tolerating and accepting this prevailing hamlet. According to the text, â€Å"medical estimates place transgenderism at about 1 in 30,000 for MTF and 1 in 100,000 for FTM. However, many gender activists claim that these figures vastly underestimate the true prevalence and are based on statistics of the number of sex reassignment surgeries performed rather than the overall number of people who are living transgender lives [and] prevalence may be at least 10 times higher† (Hock, p. 385). With numbers this great, and possibly greater, it is highly probable to cross paths with such a person in an educational, social or work setting, and some people may even â€Å"date, have sex with, and even marry a postop erative transsexual and be unaware of the person’s transgender status unless he or she† were to divulge the truth (Hock, p. 386). Ergo, tolerance and acceptance of transsexuals and those who choose gender re-assignment surgery is even more exigent. The first step to achieving a complete understanding of gender re-assignment surgery is briefly educating oneself on the history of transsexuals and gender re-assignment surgery. The concept of transsexuals has been referred to in classic literature by such authors as Herodotus and Shakespeare and â€Å"[w]ell known historical examples of psychosexual inversion span the time from the Roman emperor Caligula to the famous French diplomat Chevalier d’Eon† (Edgerton, Knorr and Callison). In 1830, â€Å"German author Friedreich first called attention to this syndrome in the medical literature†; in 1870, â€Å"Westphal was the first to give a clear and complete description† of transvestism; in 1949, Cauldwell was the first to coin the term transexualism (Edgerton, Knorr and Callison). Regarding the birth of gender re-assignment surgery, there are varying opinions. Some believe that early â€Å"examples relate to practices carried out in ancient cultures. Gender reassignment surgery (GRS) developed from reconstructive procedures for congenital abnormalities. Some surgery was disguised, techniques were not recorded, and operations were carried out in secret† (Goddard, Vickery, Terry). However, it is also argued that even though â€Å"castration has been used throughout recorded history, and penectomies have not been unknown, it is not always clear that people given these operations desired any change of sex† (Edgerton, Knorr and Callison). Therefore, the first documented case of GRS was reported in 1931 by Abraham. (Edgerton, Knorr and Callison) During the 1950s, Sir Harold Gillies and gynecologist Dr. Georges Burou developed the first of two methods for male-to-female gender re-assignment surgery, which â€Å"used invagination of the penile skin sheath to form a vagina†(Goddard, Vickery, Terry). Howard Jones from Johns Hopkins developed the second method of this avant garde concept, which used penile and scrotal skin flaps. Both methods serve as the basis for all male-to-female gender re-assignment surgeries performed today. While development of male-to-female GRS was in progress, Burou was also independently developing female-to-male gender re-assignment surgery in his Clinique du Parc in Casablanca. His method consisted of â€Å"the anteriorly pedicled penile skin flap inversion vaginoplasty† and this â€Å"technique was to become the gold standard of skin-lined vaginoplasty in transsexuals† (Hage, Karim, Laub). According to the text, gender re-assignment surgery has evolved into a multi step process that requires â€Å"psychological counseling, hormone therapy, and a pre-surgical transition period† before surgery can even take place. For both transitions, there are several surgeries that have â€Å"anatomically very realistic† results. A male-to-female gender re-assignment surgery may involve any or all of the following: penectomy (removal of the penis), uroplasty (rerouting of the urethra), orchiectomy (removal of the testicles), vaginoplasty (the use of penile skin to construct labia and a vagina), breast implants, chondrolaryngoplasty (reduces the size of the Adam’s apple) and phonosurgery (raises voice pitch). A female-to-male gender re-assignment surgery may involve any or all of the following: mastectomy (removal of breasts), hysterectomy (removal of uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries), metadioplasty (creation of small erectile phallus from the clitoris), pha lloplasty (formation of a penis from tissue taken from other areas of the body and transplanted using microsurgical techniques in the genital area; requires a penile implant for erection), uroplasty, scrotoplasty (reshaping and stretching of the labia to resemble a scrotum and the insertion of silicone prosthetic testicles). If performed in the United States, such surgeries can cost anywhere from $18,000 to $50,000 while other countries such as Thailand offer GRS costing anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000.(Hock, p. 386) The first gender re-assignment to receive media attention was the male-to-female re-assignment of Christine Jorgensen. Christine, born a man, lived as George Jorgensen until she had her gender re-assignment surgery in February of 1953. Christine grew up knowing that she was biologically a man but psychologically a woman and after her service in the military ended, she began hormone therapy consisting of the female hormone estradiol. Because of the nescience that enveloped the United States medical community concerning gender re-assignment surgery during the 1950s, Christine found it difficult to find a doctor willing to help her resolve her gender conflict and reach her goals. Eventually, a doctor in Denmark was able to perform surgery that consisted of a bilateral orchiectomy, removal of the scrotum and a penectomy. Several years after this initial surgery, Christine had cosmesis surgery to construct a vagina. As a result of the media coverage she received, Christine became â€Å"a spokesperson for transgender, gay, and lesbian causes† (Hock, p. 386). Sexual and physical health after gender re-assignment surgery is a major concern for candidates. One study conducted by the Department of Plastic Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium states that â€Å"[t]actile and erogenous sensitivity in reconstructed genitals is one of the goals in sex reassignment surgery† (Selvaggi, Monstrey, Ceulemans, T’Sjoen, De Cuypere, Hoebeke). The study outlines â€Å"specific surgical tricks used to preserve genital and tactile sensitivity† that focus on the preservation of the clitoris, the inguinal nerve, two dorsal nerves of the clitoris for phalloplasty and preservation of the glans penis, the prepuce and the penile shaft for vaginoplasty. The study states that a â€Å"long-term sensitivity evaluation† was performed on the â€Å"27 reconstructed phalli and 30 clitorises† of the 105 total phalloplasties and 127 vaginoclitoridoplasties performed over a ten year period of time at the Ghent University H ospital. The study concludes that â€Å"all female-to-male and 85% of male-to-female patients reported orgasm† and the tactile sensitivity techniques that are practiced at the hospital are essential for achieving such results. (Selvaggi, Monstrey, Ceulemans, T’Sjoen, De Cuypere, Hoebeke) For obvious reasons, gender re-assignment surgery is a major medical procedure. Any surgery presents the possibility of adverse health effects and urogenital surgical procedures are no different. They can include a variety of issues from urinary tract problems to sensations of phantom genitals to Lupus Erythematosus Tumidus. One study in Japan suggests that through the course of their research, â€Å"several complications occurred such as partial flap necrosis, rectovaginal fistula formation and hypersensitivity of the neoclitoris† (Namba, Sugiyama, Yamashita, Tokuyama, Hasegawa, Kimata). Every person is different and while there are factors that contribute to such problems, it is difficult to predict what adverse effects, if any, someone who elects for these types of procedures will experience. In 2007, a research study based on the hypothesis that Lupus Erythematosus Tumidus can be induced by gender re-assignment surgery was published in the Journal of Rheumatology. The study highlights that the pathology of Lupus Erythematosus Tumidus is both intrinsic and extrinsic. It is stated that â€Å"[t]he intrinsic abnormalities are complicated, with diverse genetic polymorphisms described in different ethnic groups, strongly suggesting that the actual pathology underlying the immunologic disarray might not be the same for each patient† (Zandman-Goddard, Solomon, Barzilai, Shoenfeld). Extrinsic factors are outlined in the same study as the exposure to â€Å"drugs capable of modulating immune responses such as exogenous estrogens.† The study indicates that it is presenting information about â€Å"the first reported case of sex reassignment surgery and the subsequent development of cutaneous lupus† and that the purpose of the report is to â€Å"emphasize t hat environmental triggers including high doses of estrogens as part of sex reassignment surgery may lead to the development of lupus in a nonpredisposed individual.† One study published in Archives of Sexual Behavior , the official publication of the International Academy of Sex Research, observed â€Å"preoperative preparations, complications and physical and functional outcomes of male-to-female sex reassignment surgery† on 232 patients. Each patient had penile-inversion vaginoplasty and sensate clitoroplasty which was performed by the same surgeon using the same technique on each patient. It is reported that almost all the patients stopped hormone therapy and received electrolysis to remove genital hair prior to the gender re-assignment surgery. While none of the patients â€Å"reported rectal-vaginal fistula or deep-vein thrombosis†, at least a third of the patients â€Å"reported urinary stream problems.† (Lawrence) Another problem linked with gender re-assignment surgery is reported episdoes of phantom genitals which is comparable to the phantom limb phenomenon. First described by Weir Mitchell in 1871, phantom limb is the â€Å"vivid sensation of still having a limb although it has been amputated† (Ramachandran, McGeoch). Since these episodes are not restricted to people with amputated limbs, it is reported to also occur â€Å"after amputation of the penis or a breast [and] 60% of men who have had to have their penis amputated for cancer will experience a phantom penis† (Ramachandran, McGeoch). The first documented case of â€Å"‘phantom penis’ was reported by Crone in 1951 (Namba, Sugiyama, Yamashita, Tokuyama, Hasegawa, Kimata). Recent studies have shown that phantom sensations may be a result of â€Å"‘cross’ activation between the de-afferented cortex and surrounding areas† (Ramachandran, McGeoch). Another contributing factor to phanto m limb is that â€Å"our body image is innately ‘hard-wired’ into our brains† and it is interesting to note that â€Å"congenitally limbless patients can still experience phantom sensations† (Ramachandran, McGeoch). In the aforementioned study, researchers hypothesized that â€Å"due to a dissociation during embryological development, the brains of transsexuals are ‘hard-wired’ in manner, which is opposite to that of their biological sex.† Proving or disproving this hypothesis will be essential to â€Å"showing the basis of transsexuality and provide farther evidence that we have a gender specific body image, with a strong innate component that is ‘hard-wired’ into our brains. This would furnish us with a better understanding the mechanism by which nature and nurture interact to link the brain-based internal body image with external sexual morphology† (Ramachandran, McGeoch). With an understanding that this phenomenon plagues a greater pool of people than once assumed, researchers from the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan observed and documented the sensations of phantom erectile penis in 14 male-to-female patients that they performed vaginoplasty surgery on during an almost seven year period. Their conclusions state that just after their gender re-assignment surgery â€Å"some patients feel that their penises still exist, but by several weeks postoperatively, this sensation has disappeared† but that there was one case where the â€Å"sensation of a phantom erectile penis persisted for much longer† (Namba, Sugiyama, Yamashita, Tokuyama, Hasegawa, Kimata). One 52 year old patient who underwent male-to-female re-assignment during this study reported â€Å"the feeling of a phantom erectile penis for over six months and was enhanced when the patient was standing.† After a second surgery, the phantom sensation disappeared. Since transsexuals seeking gender re-assignment surgery are trying to reach a goal that includes lifestyle satisfaction, research has been conducted to find out if gender re-assignment surgery will actually help transsexuals reach this goal. While there are possible adverse physical effects to gender re-assignment surgery, one study says that â€Å"[n]o single complication was significantly associated with regretting SRS. Satisfaction with most physical and functional outcomes of SRS was high; participants were least satisfied with vaginal lubrication, vaginal touch sensation, and vaginal erotic sensation† (Lawrence). Another study also reported on by Lawrence â€Å"examined factors associated with satisfaction or regret following sex reassignment surgery (SRS) in 232 male-to-female transsexuals operated on †over a six year period of time. A vast majority of the patients who participated in this study reported â€Å"that they were happy with their SRS results and t hat SRS had greatly improved the quality of their lives. None reported outright regret and only a few expressed even occasional regret.† While one may feel dissonance as a transsexual, gender re-assignment surgery patients have been proven to be â€Å"better adjusted in life† than those who continue their struggle â€Å"trapped† in the wrong body. (Hock, p. 386) A few issues rarely traversed in the medical field that are pertinent to the understanding and tolerance of transsexuals and gender re-assignment surgery are recommended for further study and observation. For example, there is limited research or published studies concerning transsexuals who have undergone GRS and their adjustment to society, or furthermore, society’s adjustment to them. It would be intriguing to learn if transsexuals feel as though society accepts them more before or after their surgery. Another issue that would be intriguing, is to learn about patients’ postoperative relationships. The text says that a transsexuals new genitals are so anatomically real that it is possible to meet, date, have sex with or even marry such a person without even realizing it. This deserves further study. While a transsexual manages their gender dissonance, gender re-assignment surgery has proven to be a feasible solution. With references in classic literature and well known historical figures, transexualism has been around for hundreds of years. Study and development of gender re-assignment surgeries are relatively new, but the field has many pioneers who are striving to help improve the quality of life for transsexuals across the globe. As with any surgery, gender re-assignment surgery poses several risks, most of them postoperative. Since gender re-assignment surgery is both physically serious and irreversible, and has possible adverse affects such as Lupus, urinary tract issues or even phantom genitalia, the decision to have such procedures is a long process. Beginning with intense psychological preparation, hormone therapy and a period of transition, gender re-assignment surgery can not be completed until all these steps are completed successfully. On a promising note, stu dies conducted on overall satisfaction of patients who receive GRS overwhelmingly show that patients now feel a greater quality of life and are satisfied with their decision of gender re-assignment. References Bullough, 1975. Transexualism in History, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 4(5). January 18, 2009. Edgerton, Knorr, Callison, 1970. The Surgical Treatment of Transsexual Patients, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 45(1). January 18, 2009. Goddard, Vickery, Terry, 2007. Development of Feminizing Genitoplasty for Gender Dysphoria, Journal of Sexual Medicine, 4(4). January 19, 2009. Hage, Karim, Laub, 2007. On the Origin of Pedicled Skin Inversion Vaginoplasty: Life and Work of Dr. Georges Burou of Casablanca, Annals of Plastic Surgery, 59(6). January 18, 2009. Lawrence, 2003. Factors Associated with Satisfaction or Regret Following Male-to-Female Sex Reassignment Surgery, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 32(4). January 19, 2009. Lawrence, 2006. Patient-Reported Complications and Functional Outcomes of Male-to-Female Sex Reassignment Surgery, Archives of Sexual Behavior. January 18, 2009. Namba, Sugiyama, Yamashita, Tokuyama, Hasegawa, Kimata, 2008. Phantom erectile penis after sex reassignment surgery, Acta Medica Okayama, 62(3). January 18, 2009. Ramachandran, McGeoch, 2007. Occurrence of phantom genitalia after gender reassignment surgery, Medical Hypotheses, 69(5). January 18, 2009. Selvaggi, Monstrey, Ceulemans, T’Sjoen, De Cuypere, Hoebeke, 2007. Genital Sensitivity after sex reassignment surgery in transsexual patients, Annals of Plastic Surgery, 58(4). January 18, 2009. Zandman-Goddard, Solomon, Barzilai, Shoenfeld, 2007. Lupus Erythematosus Tumidus Induced by Sex Reassignment Surgery, The Journal of Rheumatology, 34(9). January 19, 2009. Hock, 2007. Human Sexuality, Gender: Expectations, Roles, and Behaviors, 373-374 385-386. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Research Papers on Transsexuals and those who choose gender re-assignment surgeryInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesResearch Process Part OneMind TravelThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyCapital PunishmentMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

How Much Information Will an Individual Store in His or Her Iconic Memory essays

How Much Information Will an Individual Store in His or Her Iconic Memory essays How Much Information Will an Individual Store in His or Her Iconic Memory? How much information will an individual store in his or her iconic memory? In a given time, individuals are able to perceive more information than they can verbally encode. This is the process by which a visual stimulus is transformed to neurons to enable the brain to store information in the immediate memory. The rate of transfer is how fast an individual can encode something in a given time, which is stored in the immediate or short-term memory. It is stated that visual input can be stored in some medium, that later will be recalled. When the duration of the stimulus is limited, information is not properly encoded from a stimulus to a verbal code and it is lost from immediate memory. This is a cognitive process. The term icon was introduced by Neisser (1967) to refer to the brief persistence of information from a visual display after the display is no longer present. Early experimenters, such as Erdman and Dodge (1898), had been concerned with this phenomenon and asked ho w much information could be acquired at a single fixation reading. The typical finding from briefly presenting a set of letters and having the subjects report as many letters as possible (full-report) was that the perceptual span was 4 to 5 letters. In replicating Sperlings experiment we hope to see why iconic memory as well as duration recall is limited. He has shown that the duration of an icon has to do with the ability of an individual to encode the visual information. One limitation to the study of the icon is, its very brief duration. As individuals begin reporting the contents of the icon, it is already disappearing. Sperling invented the partial-report technique to overcome this difficulty. His third experiment is being replicated to understand the problem at hand. He used manipulations to control the rate at which i...

Effects of writing Essays

Effects of writing Essays Effects of writing Essay Effects of writing Essay What kind of effects does writing have on people? Can writing change the world? What sorts of Jobs require a lot of writing? Is writing as important a skill now as it was 100 years ago? How about 1 5 years ago? How has the practice of writing changed? To what degree do you take pride in your own writing? How does (or has) it done work in the world? Think about these sorts of questions as you reflect in this discussion about the role writing plays in our culture/society. Writing can have many different effects n people. When I read a book that I consider really well written, it makes me laugh out loud, cry, and think deeply. On the other hand, writing can have a detrimental effect on people. For instance, propaganda can negatively affect people by causing them to believe what the propaganda is saying, as happened with the writings of Hitler during World War II. Many different Jobs require a lot of writing, especially teaching Jobs, newspaper Jobs, editing positions; Just about any Job requires some writing skills. Mastering writing can vastly increase ones employability. Writing has always been an important skill. Even in the age of technology writing is still vital. Where would the scripts for all of the TV shows and movies we watch come from without someone who thought writing was a worthwhile course of action? Even though writing was more important in the past, when It was one of the few forms of entertainment, and a main form of communication, It Is still an essential tool for expressing Ideas today.

Investigation on the Influence of the Recession towards Online Retail Literature review

Investigation on the Influence of the Recession towards Online Retail Shopping - Literature review Example Retailing mainly aims at providing an innovative way of shopping experience for the consumers with due regards to their preferences to a large extent. The basic strategy of retailing intends to deliver the best quality service for a longer period of time. In the current era, the retailing industry plays a significant role as a major contributor to the GDP growth of any economy. It is further noted as one of the fastest growing and most promising industries in the global region (Purohit & Kavita, 2009). It was further stated by Chan (2007) that retailing is considered to be the ultimate connection between the end-users and the production of various goods. With the assumption that the end-consumers are not quite huge in number or population and are immobile as well as uninformed, the firms operating in the retail industry should focus on various attributes. These attributes to be considered by the retailing forms include the geographic regions of the targeted market, the price visibili ty of the consumers, quality assurance, and product portfolio among others. It is in this context that by considering these attributes, a retail firm is likely to gain better understanding of the market trends and consumer behaviour (Frieden & Roche, 2006). Difference between Traditional and Online Retail With due consideration to the development of the retail industry, its structure can be classified in two segments, such as the traditional retail industry and the contemporary retail industry. As stated by Frieden & Roche (2006), traditional retail is highly developed in small areas of towns and cities of various geographical regions which fundamentally concentrate on the physical distribution of commodities with minimum role to play by technology. Traditional retailing stores reduce the cost of shopping as it brings the products within the reach of the customers, mostly in their local residential area. Certain significant aspects such as assurance of the selected products, its pri ce, and promotional features among others are primarily taken into account by the traditional retailers. Traditional retail system also concentrated on direct selling channels which provided with bargaining opportunities to the customers but incurred considerable costs for the distributors (Chan, 2007). It is worth mentioning that in the contemporary retail marketing, various products are offered including the categories such as food and grocery, wet groceries, and apparel among others that increases the growth of modern retailing. It mainly aims at developing different types of strategies and selling the products as well as services by minimizing the cost of the product. This enables the contemporary retail channels to offer the consumers a vast and complete range of products as per their request and at a cheaper rate than that available through traditional stores. The supermarkets also bear same kind of strategies and are analyzed in an effective manner for an efficient developmen t of traditional retailers. Another advantage presented by the retail stores can be regarded as the accessibility of various national brands as well as internationally renowned brand in the particular market segment (Berni & et. al., n.d.). This increases the customer satisfaction to a large extent

Final exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Final exam - Essay Example The chain can be single layered Advantages of inter-organisational system in supply chain management For this kind of system the advantages are many. Like in the case of electronic data interchange (EDI) system. Each and every department of the system comes to know about the development Challenges of inter-organisational system in supply chain management Managing different motives and interests: If the objectives of the links of the chains are different from each other, then it becomes difficult to co-ordinate the process. If the objective of one organisation is to cost minimisation and play in volume and the other one’s policy is no compromise with quality and serving the niche market. Then it becomes complicated. Difficulty due to geographic differences: If the links of the chain are scattered across the globe the logistics becomes tough. There are cases where one component of raw material is ready and another component is not then the work gets stalled Answer-2 Digital econ omy is economy driven by digital technologies. It is basically Internet economy or ecommerce. In this system, internet or online channels are being used to do business and getting payment. Different kind of transactions takes place. It can be Business to Consumer (B2C), Business to Business (B2B) or Government to Consumer (G2C). Online retail businesses are the examples of B2C model. Organizations like e-Bay or Amazon .com are following the model. Here retail consumers buy goods and services online and make the payment too in online through cards or bank transfer. In the case of B2B the transaction takes place between two business entities. Metal junction is the example of it. When a sovereign makes payment may be salary, pension or other to the consumers directly, that comes under G2C. Due to many reasons the growth of digital economy is taking place. 1990 onwards companies shifted to e commerce Multi-channel: To develop the business, organization wants to tap maximum possible chan nels. Apart from conventional ways of doing business, they are trying a new avenue. Low cost virtual market: Online market is not the actual market rather a virtual market. It is being loved by the younger generation. As it does not require maintaining the establishment or infrastructure of the shop or the market it requires less cost compared to actual physical market. Accuracy and Quick Response: In the online business intermediaries have a role to play. Neither business owner nor end buyers like to go through intermediaries. As direct communication is taking place, accuracy and quick response is ensured. That saves cost from both ends. Online Banking and International and Multiple-Currency Banking: Online banking has revolutionised the system of online transaction. When the system came where international multiple currency transaction took place it became the whole process further easier. Debit card and credit card have become part regular life. Even today no good organisation is there who does not have a digital wing. For some it is an online selling unit or for some it is only a website .However, Digital economy is the future of the world. As the number of internet user is increasing day by day it is expected that the online business will surpass the physical business volume soon. Answer -3 Client department is one of the most vital departments among organizations. Hardly any organization can survive without servicing their clients. Business always runs with the help of repeat customer.

Construction Best Practice Programme Assignment

Construction Best Practice Programme - Assignment Example Human Resource Evaluation: is the evaluation of current employees to assess suitability to current job and skill requirement in terms of interests, skills, experiences and overall abilities. Job analysis & Design: Involves the restructuring of an organization to optimize its human resource, to best meet the possible forecast requirements for human resources for any project. Analysis of Internal Availability: The organization reviews the availability of its current employees before deployment to a project. Job descriptions & Specifications. Employees with the most suitable skills and capabilities are shortlisted for deployment, with a degree of flexibility to mitigate unforeseeable risks. Training and development. Providing project-specific training to shortlisted employees Impact of Human Resources deployment planning Technical performance: An ability to meet technical requirements of the project. Technological innovativeness: The team on site is able to meet challenges to problems technical in and find solutions that are fast, efficient and cost-effective. Project efficiency in execution: Overall improved adherence to time and cost projections for the project. Team performance: is effective towards reducing risk, streamlining decision making, improved information exchange and a higher level of motivation achieved through teamwork. Possible Difficulties in this process Methods to negate problems / difficulties Ill-trained personnel deployed to site. Deployment only after appropriate training and vetting of skillsets Attrition of personnel during project attrition Project continuity assured through teamwork, where contingencies in terms... Evaluation of the effectiveness of human and material resource control can be done setting up and analyzing KPIs for all the different stakeholders in a project; the clients, contractors, workers, consultants and the suppliers. Benchmarks, both internal and external, assist in evaluating performance of all stakeholders in the project. Criticality of the activity. Monitoring is more extensive and frequent for activities that are an important part of the Project Critical path, to the extent that all activities that lead up to it are also monitored extensively to mitigate any potential risks in the timely execution of these activities. Time frame and sub-components of the activity. An activity that has several components that have to come together over, say, a 36 hr period, shall be monitored at the beginning and end of each component sub-activity. Criticality: Installation is a 36 hour process, and factors like availability of the crane, completion of chiller platforms on terrace, completion of housing nuts, presenc

Sex and the Sickbed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sex and the Sickbed - Essay Example Death is one such feeling that is not easily dealt by individuals under differential circumstances. The story ‘Sex and the Sickbed’ also mentions the same ideology of a partner losing out to another’s sexual needs and thus dying prematurely. This is a very unfortunate act which has happened for all the wrong reasons, as far as the story is concerned. The story is therefore a depiction of how a person meets the most significant challenges of his life. This has been stated within the story itself where Jennifer had to undergo pain because Neil had died and thus she had lost her as a partner. What Jennifer missed about Neil the most was that they would not be able to enjoy their sex life in the future which was a source of happiness for both of them. However, this will not suffice in the coming times as death has prevailed for the couple and they have parted ways through natural means. The case with human life is no different. One of the most disadvantageous aspects of human life is that it has to come to an end unexpectedly. This has been proven with the advent of time as people die every now and then, and hence their lives finish with others having dear hopes from them. There is a dire need to find out how these challenges can be addressed with the changing times (Rosenthal, 2009, 61). This is because the challenges change and hence the requirements alter as well. However, death is one significant mark that leaves a lot to be desired of as far as the human disposition is concerned. One must fathom the true meaning of death before commenting on it, and more so within the story of â€Å"Sex and the Sickbed†. The story gives a very true picture of how Jennifer would have to deal with Neil’s untimely death and what the consequences would be in the long range scheme of things. Neil left an indelible mark on the mind of Jennifer who is unable to deal with it and thinks of the sex life that they shared. With this, one easily understand s how complicated it is to make-do with life’s varied complexes and challenges that come about every now and then. Prioritizing them as the most important amongst the several ones is an arduous task, and more so when the discussion is centered on the story â€Å"Sex and the Sickbed†. This is because for Jennifer, Neil’s death is something that comes out as a serious and grave problem which shall remain with her entirety until the time she is alive. Not only is she missing Neil, she would have to miss the sex life that they shared as well. These are distressing times for Jennifer and she must come to terms with the same, the sooner the better for her own self (Author Unknown, 2007). The challenges keep on becoming bigger as the responsibility increases upon one’s own self. However, there are different implications for the people under varied circumstances as has been proven true in the story â€Å"Sex and the Sickbed† itself. Thus what is required n ow is a perceptual change in understanding that things need to be comprehended well before they are seen as being difficult or complex in entirety. This will solve a number of issues and concerns which have been coming on to the horizon, and more so within the lives of the people in the times much like today. In the end, it would be sound to state that the story hits the nail on the head. This is because people feel that the most complex problems could be ascertained if only the gravity of the quagmire is found out. This takes place through an understanding about the features which hurt the most and which shall create uproar for all the wrong reasons. The story is also judgmental as far as comprehending how the problems could be tackled, if and only if there is a collective understanding to bring about resolutions for the sake of sanctity in this world. All

The Global Governance of the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Global Governance of the Internet - Essay Example Above all, the Internet offers global presence. ‘Everywhereness’ is possibly the distinguishing feature of the dynamism of the Internet. Geography is an irrelevant matter for Internet users; hence, regulating the Internet has legal and jurisdictional dilemmas. Moreover, no particular nation or body has power over the Internet. Without a doubt, this dispersed nature has been one of the paramount attributes of Internet dynamism, but it also has raised serious problems. Favourably, Internet dynamism have led to a spectacular outburst of human innovation in terms of new consumer prospects and choices, new commercial channels, and new global information and communication systems. But, unfavourably, the dynamism of the Internet has compounded any effort to regulate it, hold cybercriminals responsible, and resolve conflicts (Mueller, 2010, pp. 175-176). This condition where in a responsible entity or cybercriminal is unknown expresses itself in everyday occurrences: online iden tity theft, e-mail spam, network viruses, etc. Making matters more complicated is the fact that several nations and jurisdictions also seek someone to be held responsible when their legal principles or societal standards are violated (Thierer & Crews, 2003, p. 16). New, innovative technologies can pose problems for policymakers, who often try to control new technologies that they have little knowledge about. The Internet has been particularly challenging for local and global policymakers because its affordability, accessibility, and inclusiveness helped its popularity to flourish at an unparalleled speed. Unfortunately, the Internet is almost impossible to regulate or control because it is not owned by anybody, and hence anyone can use, or abuse, it from anywhere in the world. Even when an unidentified person does something other people believe to be offensive—like downloading and sharing copyrighted video or music files or posting pornography—it is very difficult to i dentify the wrongdoer. Thus policymakers have been trying to develop regulations and policies for the Internet in order to identify and prevent cybercrimes or illegal activities on the Internet, like pornography and gambling. In other words, these policymakers are trying to mitigate the adverse outcomes of Internet dynamism. It is the contention of this essay that global rules for the Internet would not undermine its dynamism; in fact, global rule will safeguard and reinforce it. The Need to Regulate the Internet The dynamism of the Internet, which in turn spawned commercialisation, popularity, and ubiquity of the cyberspace, has resulted in some common social dilemmas and conflicts in the Internet. The illegal downloading of video and music files, the proliferation of corrupted forms of speech, and the disintegration of privacy are some of the examples of these dilemmas. Simultaneously, e-commerce merchants have been violated by hackers (Schwabach, 2006, p. 309). It is immature to believe that the best solution can be social rules, the market, or the law alone. The complicated problems raised by the Internet can only be solved through the combination of the market, social rules, and the law. Even though there is a certain extent of controversy on how to regulate the Internet, nobody disputes the importance of some form of global rule and technical management. Regardless of opposition to regulatory supervision, the Internet cannot endure with the absence of this global rule. There should be regulatory entities that take care of usual and everyday technical issues like the supervision of IP addresses and domain names and the establishment of technical norms (Mueller, 1998, p. 93). Two main policy organisations that offer Internet governance are the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF),

Sex and the Sickbed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sex and the Sickbed - Essay Example Death is one such feeling that is not easily dealt by individuals under differential circumstances. The story ‘Sex and the Sickbed’ also mentions the same ideology of a partner losing out to another’s sexual needs and thus dying prematurely. This is a very unfortunate act which has happened for all the wrong reasons, as far as the story is concerned. The story is therefore a depiction of how a person meets the most significant challenges of his life. This has been stated within the story itself where Jennifer had to undergo pain because Neil had died and thus she had lost her as a partner. What Jennifer missed about Neil the most was that they would not be able to enjoy their sex life in the future which was a source of happiness for both of them. However, this will not suffice in the coming times as death has prevailed for the couple and they have parted ways through natural means. The case with human life is no different. One of the most disadvantageous aspects of human life is that it has to come to an end unexpectedly. This has been proven with the advent of time as people die every now and then, and hence their lives finish with others having dear hopes from them. There is a dire need to find out how these challenges can be addressed with the changing times (Rosenthal, 2009, 61). This is because the challenges change and hence the requirements alter as well. However, death is one significant mark that leaves a lot to be desired of as far as the human disposition is concerned. One must fathom the true meaning of death before commenting on it, and more so within the story of â€Å"Sex and the Sickbed†. The story gives a very true picture of how Jennifer would have to deal with Neil’s untimely death and what the consequences would be in the long range scheme of things. Neil left an indelible mark on the mind of Jennifer who is unable to deal with it and thinks of the sex life that they shared. With this, one easily understand s how complicated it is to make-do with life’s varied complexes and challenges that come about every now and then. Prioritizing them as the most important amongst the several ones is an arduous task, and more so when the discussion is centered on the story â€Å"Sex and the Sickbed†. This is because for Jennifer, Neil’s death is something that comes out as a serious and grave problem which shall remain with her entirety until the time she is alive. Not only is she missing Neil, she would have to miss the sex life that they shared as well. These are distressing times for Jennifer and she must come to terms with the same, the sooner the better for her own self (Author Unknown, 2007). The challenges keep on becoming bigger as the responsibility increases upon one’s own self. However, there are different implications for the people under varied circumstances as has been proven true in the story â€Å"Sex and the Sickbed† itself. Thus what is required n ow is a perceptual change in understanding that things need to be comprehended well before they are seen as being difficult or complex in entirety. This will solve a number of issues and concerns which have been coming on to the horizon, and more so within the lives of the people in the times much like today. In the end, it would be sound to state that the story hits the nail on the head. This is because people feel that the most complex problems could be ascertained if only the gravity of the quagmire is found out. This takes place through an understanding about the features which hurt the most and which shall create uproar for all the wrong reasons. The story is also judgmental as far as comprehending how the problems could be tackled, if and only if there is a collective understanding to bring about resolutions for the sake of sanctity in this world. All

Managing Financial Resoures and Decisions 4. Answer 13 questions.No Assignment

Managing Financial Resoures and Decisions 4. Answer 13 questions.No more than 2500 words allowed - Assignment Example Issuing Equity is another smart option that can be used by the company. This involves issuing shares to investors at a price determined by the company and using them to raise finance for the equipment needed by the scientists Lease is when the other company or financing organization buys the equipment and let our company use it against monthly charges known as rentals. The benefit of this option is that the company will not have to bear the entire cost of equipment upfront and in case the company does not need equipment in the future it won’t have to pay the rental and will not have to invest huge amount into buying the product. Hire-Purchase is like a loan to the company. The difference here is that instead of lending you the money, the bank or other financial institution buys you an asset and charges a mark-up against this assets which is amortized by the monthly payments which includes payment of both principal and the mark-up. ... vidends are only paid in the profitable years, whereas in case of loans, lease and hire purchase interest has to be paid every period regardless of the fact the company makes a profit or loss. Hence obtaining credit loans, lease and hire purchase is burden on the company’s resources as creditors have a right to sell of company’s assets if they are not paid. Keeping in mind the company is young and does not have enough resources or plowed back profits, it is the best option for the company to raise finance by issuing equity. However, the company should make sure that it floats as much shares in the market so as they will not lose the control of the business or not third party investors will be able to collude to form a holding company. 1c) There will be a different set of requirements and documents that different funds providers will ask from the company before expending them a loan. Banks would ask for collateral and a business plan before deciding on whether it would l end the company or not. Bank would also ask for projected cash flows and income statement in order to make sure that the funds that the bank is obtaining are yielding the required return in order to pay the bank. Similarly, a bank would also ask for the balance sheet to make sure that in the event of default, the company has enough assets and the bank could sell them to recover its lending. Equity investors would want a prospectus which will have to be published in the newspaper. Other than equity investors would be interested in knowing the future plans of the company, the growth rate and name of directors and people running the company. Leasing company would need to know how long the company intends to use the assets, what will be the cash flow generation of the assets and what are the resources

History of Public Health Systems Essay Example for Free

History of Public Health Systems Essay Public Health is about helping everyone to stay healthy rather than focusing specifically on the individual, with the aim to promote health, protecting individuals from threats to their health and preventing ill-health. Public health policies have made a significant impact in increasing a persons overall life expectancy and improving health. (Public Health) Public Health Strategies: Public health strategies are devised in order to prevent the spread of diseases, prolong life and promote health. This can be done through the use of monitoring, identifying, developing programmes etc. Monitoring the health status of the community – Is a key aspect of health strategies that are in place within the UK. This health strategy helps to monitor any changes that occur in the health of the population, along with alerting individuals to any potential problems. Health throughout the UK is monitored by quality of life, infant mortality rates and life expectancy (Baker L, 2008, BTEC National Health and Social Care Book 2, page 2) The monitoring of health throughout the country allows for advanced planning of local services within the community that may be at risk of certain health problems. The monitoring of health at a local level allows for information to be recorded before being compared to the health of other communities across the country. Local information on health is an important aspect as it is collected on a geographical basis throughout the UK, for example vaccination rates, hospital admissions etc. This is one way on health can be monitored, as in the cases of other communities they may have higher incidence rates of certain diseases whereas others may have low incidences of diseases. Communities that have a higher rate of disease are monitored further and health promotion campaigns will be developed before being put into effect in order to reduce the risk of disease spreading within the community. The health status of a community can vary throughout the nation and depend on a variety of factors, of which can include: Age Gender Socio-economic conditions Genetics Environmental factors Through the use of monitoring health changes any problems that may arise in the future within communities can be identified in advance in order for it to be prevented. For example the rise of sexually transmitted diseases within local communities would monitored in order to predict any potential problems that may occur in the future and stop them from taking place. Identifying the health needs of the population – The health of the nation is measured by using mortality and morbidity rates of which have indicated how people are now living longer than that of their predecessors. Identifying the health needs of the population is another important aspect of public health strategies within the UK; this takes place when trends and patterns in local communities across the nation are established. By identifying the health needs of individuals located in a particular community means that the need for services can therefore be identified. Patterns can be detected throughout the country through the use of national statistics. National statistics are used in order to determine how health can be improved and how areas of concern can be highlighted, along with the effects of ill health may be reduced and prevented. Patterns of illness and disease can possibly be the result of certain factors, of which include; genetics, environment, lifestyle, education etc. However some parts of the country may be more susceptible to certain illnesses and diseases than others due to the patterns that are outlined by the National Statistics and social trends information. Developing programmes to reduce risk and screen for early disease – Screening is the process of identifying apparently healthy people who may be at increased risk of a disease or condition. They can then be offered information, further tests and appropriate treatment to reduce their risk and/or any complications arising from the disease or  condition. As defined by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). Health programmes are developed based on the information gathered by epidemiologists. An epidemiologist is a person who studies patterns of diseases or health risks in population groups, societies, and cultures. The Department of Health produces a green paper that proposes what the targets of health should be; and is based on these decisions as to how the government implement the findings. From this a white paper is produced, of which goes into detail as to how and what course of action is taken. An example of recent white papers can include ‘Our Healthy Nation’ and ‘Our Healthier Nation ‘ (1999). The aim of the white paper is to inform and protect members of the public by influencing social changes in regards to the health of the nation. (L, 2008, BTEC National Health and Social Care Book 2, page 4). Examples of current public health programmes include: Five a day campaign, MMR immunisation programme and the Local NHS Smoking Service. Controlling communicable disease – Controlling communicable diseases is an important aspect of public health strategies in the UK, of which ‘involves planning to include screening and early detection, isolation and treatment, containment, prevention and cure eradication where possible’. (Baker L, 2008, BTEC National Health and Social Care Book 2, page 7) The early detection of a disease can prove useful, as it can provide insight on the cause and the spread of the disease along with being able to highlight any potential risks that the disease may cause to an individual or group of people; especially in vulnerable people such as young children, and the elderly. Young children and the elderly are more susceptible to disease due to their immune system being much weaker than the average individual; therefore it is important in the early detection of an infection in order to stop this from occurring. Isolating individuals with communicable diseases enables to remain controlled, in order to reduce and prevent the risk of spreading the disease. A resident residing in a care home that was diagnosed with tuberculosis for example, would be moved to a room on their own, in order to ensure that the disease is not then passed to another service user within  the home is one example. Containing a disease can occur at a national and local level; this can occur once the source of the infection has been identified and plan has been developed and put in place in order to reduce the risk of the disease reoccurring. The measures that are taken in which to contain the disease can vary from short, medium, to long term measures. (Baker L, 2008, BTEC National Health and Social Care Book 2, page 7) Short term measures – limited visiting, unnecessary travel, treatment and isolation Medium/long term measures – immunisation programme, appropriate medical treatment, educating individuals about the risks, eradicating incidence of disease where it proves possible to do so Eradicating disease is now becoming possible due to advances in research and technology. Advances in technology means that more is known about the causes of illness and disease along with how the disease is spread. This advance has been made possible through the use of early detection and surveillance, monitoring, screening, treatment and immunisation programmes, health education and promotion. (Baker L, 2008, BTEC National Health and Social Care Book 2, page 8) Promote the health of the population – Health promoters are tasked with the promoting the health of the population on a local and national scale. Health promoters are based in a variety of settings, such as, GP surgeries, drop-in centres, radio, magazines and schools. They are prioritised on local need and the availability of funding for the necessary resources. These priorities can be identified through the number of reported illnesses and diseases through local statistics. Any illnesses or diseases taken from the statistics prove to be either life threatening or cause an individual to spend a substantial amount of time in hospital would then be given top priority in the promoting of health. Individuals who may be overweight can potentially be at risk of coronary heart disease later on in life. The health promoter would thereby ensure that diets and exercise are promoted through the use of proper channel on both a local and national level. Planning and evaluating the national provision of health and social care – The National provision of Health and Social care within the UK is planned and evaluated by the National Health Service and Social Services. This is based on the information provided by health and social care professionals on a local, regional and national scale across the UK. The government have produced guidelines and information to state how they will tackle the problems controlling and preventing infectious disease spread. (Baker L, 2008, BTEC National Health and Social Care Book 2, page 8) The strategies outlined in the guidelines by the government are a series of proposed actions in order to create a system in which to prevent, investigate and control the threat of infectious diseases and to address health protection on a wider scale. M1 Describe the origins of public health policy in the UK from the 19th century to the present day. In this essay I will compare two different health measures in the 19th century and how they have made an impact on society today. I am also going to compare and explain the living conditions of towns and cities in the 19th, 20th and 21st century. Public health has developed considerably over the years and the changes that have occurred overtime reflect on the health concerns of the nation during each time period. These changes are what have produced the Public Health system that is currently in place today. Over the year’s vast amounts of medical knowledge of today’s health professionals have increased in response as to how diseases are spread, along with the advances in medicine that have aided in helping to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases. During the 19th century the living conditions were exceedingly poor and there were various health issues of which include overcrowding in housing and overcrowding in general, thereby resulting in the spread of disease. The Poor Law Act (1834) was established in 1834. The Poor Law was designed in order to reduce the cost of looking after the poor and impose a system which  would be the same all across the country. The industrial revolution led to the development of towns and cities across the UK. The population of the nation had increased rapidly once the Poor Law Act was implemented. The country’s poverty relief system had not been amended since 1601, before finally coming into play as a result of Edwin Chadwick, John Snow. The Public Health Act was first implemented in 1848 in order to ensure that sanitary conditions were provided for in populated areas across the UK. In response to the Public Health Act 1848 The General Board of Health was developed so as to ensure that all public health policies that were administered were carried out as effectively as possible. Edwin Chadwick was the first commissioner of the board. The implementation of the act allowed for authorities working with civil engineers and medics to improve sanitation. (Baker L, 2008, BTEC National Health and Social Care Book 2, page 14) Edwin Chadwick (1800-1890) was accredited for his work on the reformation of the Poor Law. Edwin Chadwick was appointed by the government to carry out investigations and research into current sanitation. Chadwick wrote a report outlining his findings known as ‘The Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population’ published in 1842. In his report Chadwick argued that disease had a direct link to living conditions. After the report was produced new measures were taken in order to help promote the safe disposal of human waste and rubbish. Chadwick believed that poor sanitary conditions caused disease. John Snow (1813-1858) was a British physician commended for his work in relation to the cholera outbreak in 1854. Snow was an anaesthetist and epidemiologist interested in the practices of cleanliness and hygiene put in place to help prevent disease. Snow formed the link between the cholera outbreak to the contaminated water residing in the water pump in Broad Street. In 1854, Snow identified that a water pump in Broad Street located near one of the cess pits was what was contaminating the water; thereby linking the Broad Street pump as the outbreak site of the disease. Higher mortality rates were linked to the Broad Street pump. He had the handle of  the pump removed, and cases of cholera immediately began to diminish. Throughout the 20th century more Acts and Reforms were put in place in order to reduce the risk of spreading infection that led to illness and disease among the UK population. This included; Beveridge Report (1942), NHS (1946), Black Report (1980), Acheson Report (1998), Our Health Nation (1997), Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation (1999). William Beveridge (1879-1963) produced ‘The Beveridge Report’ in 1942, which went on to become the basis of a series of reforms after the Second World War, by looking into way on reducing inequalities in the health care provision. This report has been used as the foundation for most social legislation. The Beveridge Report was a major influence in the introduction of The Welfare State along with The National Health Service founded in 1949. The Beveridge report focused on sanitation and ways to improve and change the educational standards of areas which were highly affected by poverty. The report suggested that the working class gave a share of their wages in order to aid those who did not work, those of which who were either sick, unemployed, retired or widowed were then given these contributions. The government tasked Beveridge with the developing a report that was based on the ways that Britain should be rebuilt once the Second World War ended. The report was published in 1942 and provided recommendations to the government in order to find ways of tackling the five ‘Giant Evils’ known as ‘Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness.’ Edwin Chadwick 1842, William Beveridge 1942 and the White Paper Report: making healthier choices easier attempted to improve overall public health. Whereas Chadwick focused on poverty, Beveridge focused on sanitation and the White Paper was specific to health. Beveridge and the White Paper Report: making healthier choices easier focused on poverty and how it affected a persons overall health. Whereas in the Beveridge report he chose to write about The Welfare State, whilst the White Paper talked about reducing inequalities to health. John Snow and the White Paper Report both used statistics in order to provide evidence in order to give insight into the condition of public health and what need attention before giving suggestions on how to improve it. Works Cited Public Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/topics/public-health. Wright, J., Williams, R., Wilkinson, J. (1998, April 28 ). BMJ Health needs assessment. British Medical Journal, 1310-1313. Anon, (2014). [online] Available at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/lesson08.htm) [Accessed 3 Oct. 2014]. Bbc.co.uk, (2014). BBC History Historic Figures: John Snow (1813 1858). [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/snow_john.shtml [Accessed 3 Oct. 2014]. Bbc.co.uk, (2014). BBC History William Beveridge. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/beveridge_william.shtml [Accessed 3 Oct. 2014]. Spartacus Educational, (2014). Edwin Chadwick. [online] Available at: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PHchadwick.htm [Accessed 3 Oct. 2014]. wiseGEEK, (2014). What is an Epidemiologist? (with pictures). [online] Available at: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-epidemiologist.htm [Accessed 4 Oct. 2014].

Comparative Study Between TBP and Dibutylalkyl Phosphonates

Comparative Study Between TBP and Dibutylalkyl Phosphonates CHAPTER 7 PHOSPHONATES AS ALTERNATIVE TO TBP FOR ACTINIDES AND FISSION PRODUCTS Solvent extraction studies of U (VI), Th (IV), Eu (III) and Tc (VII) in dibutylalkyl phosphonates have been carried out in present study. Uptake of these metal ion and formation of metal-ligand bond is a direct consequence of phosphorus-carbon bond and to understand the influence of these changes in the bond was the main objective for the present study. Thus synthesis and solvent extraction studies of Dibutyl Propyl Phosphonate (DBPrP) and Dibutyl Pentyl Phosphonate (DBPeP) were carried and were compared with those available for Tributyl Phosphate (TBP). Thus this study will represent a comparative study between TBP and dibutylalkyl phosphonates. 7.1 Introduction Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is a complex system with large number of elements and there isotopes which are produced during the nuclear fission of U and Pu. These spent fuel rods containing activation products along with fission products needs to be dealt while reprocessing and waste management of SNF which is carried out at reprocessing plant. TBP a triester of phosphoric acid is a major extractant used for nuclear fuel reprocessing that is Plutonium Uranium Extraction PUREX processes worldwide for the separation of uranium and plutonium from the dissolver solution [1]. Even though it has been a workhorse in nuclear industry since long period there are major drawbacks like its significant solubility in aqueous phase, third phase formation during macro level extraction of tetravalent actinides in nitric acid medium, low selectivity of U and Pu over Zr and Ru and presence of chemical and radiolytic degradation products of TBP viz. monobutyl and dibutyl phosphoric acid are responsible for lowering the decontamination factor (DF) [2-6]. Significant research in the scientific community using higher homologs of TBP has shown that they are more resistant to third phase formation and aqueous solubility. Basicity of the phosphoryl oxygen and the nature of substituents attached to the P atom are key factor responsible for the extraction ability of any organophosphorus extractant. Enhancement of the basicity on the phosphoryl group may be achieved by replacement of C-O-P group directly by C-P group. Neutral organophosphorus extractants show the variation in the basicity of the phosphoryl oxygen as phosphine oxide > phosphinates > phosphonates > phosphates [7]. Studies in the past have reported that phosphonates are better extractants for the extraction of uranium and thorium as compared to that with corresponding phosphates [8, 9]. In the nuclear reprocessing industry dibutylalkyl phosphonate was found to be one of the promising candidates as a replacement for TBP. Lower D values than that of corresponding phosphinates and phosphorus oxide makes stripping easier in case of phosphonates. The main objective of this study was to focus on the potential extraction capabilities of U (VI), Th (IV), Eu (III) and Tc (VII) which are relevant from nuclear fuel cycle view point by the phosphonates DBPrP and DBPeP. 7.2 Synthesis of Dibutylalkyl Phosphonates Phosphonates used in the present study was synthesized using Michaelis Becker reaction [10]. In this reaction equimolar amount of sodium is allowed to react with dialkylhydrogen phosphonate and dialkylsodium phosphonate thus obtained is further allowed to react with alkyl halides and final product with P-C bond is obtained. Figure 7.1 Michaelis-Becker Reaction Preset reaction involves nucleophilic substitution of phosphorus on alkyl halide to yield phosphonate as shown in the figure below. Figure 7.2 Mechanism for Michaelis-Becker Reaction The preparation of these phosphonates were carried out in a refluxation unit by drop wise addition of dibutylhydrogen phosphate over a period of 30 minutes to the reaction mixture i.e. sodium (1.15g, 0.05 mol) + hexane (100 mL). The addition of dibutylhydrogen phosphate was continued until the dissolution of sodium was complete. After this complete reaction mixture was stirred under gentle refluxation for about 4 hours during which 1-bromoalkane was added over a period of half-an-hour. This reaction mixture was then washed with water after cooling it at room temperature after which the product was distilled using reduced pressure to get rid of impurities. 7.3 Mechanism of Extraction in Dibutylalkyl Phosphonates Uptake of metal ions from the aqueous phase using dibutylalkyl phosphonates is by formation of neutral complex formation. Solvation of metal ion takes place by nitrate ion which is the aqueous phase used in the present studies. Then the solvation of these neutral metal nitrate species takes place with the help of dibutylalkyl phosphonate which gets extracted be the organic phase. MX+aq + X NO3 + nDBAPorg M(NO3)X.nDBAPorg Following equation gives the equilibrium constant for the above reaction Keq = [M(NO3)X.nDBAP]org / [MX+aq] [NO3]X[DBAPorg]n Distribution ratio (D) is the ratio of activity of metal ion in organic phase to that in the aqueous phase at equilibrium, which can be rearranged and represented in the following way. D = Keq [NO3] X[DBAPorg]n Distribution ratio depends on the concentration of nitrate ions and concentration of extractant. There is always a rise in the D value as the nitrate ion concentration increases while the fall at higher acidity indicates the extraction of nitric acid. 7.4 Solvent Extraction Studies Extraction of U (VI), Th (IV), Eu (III) and Tc (VII) with were carried out in a plastic tube with preequliberated organic phase that comprised of 1.1 M DBPrP and DBPeP in n-dodecane. 2 mL of preequliberated extractant was agitated with 2 mL of nitric acid in a shaking incubator at 25 0C for 1 hour. After the equilibration the two phases were allowed to separate and were analysed for the metal ion content using suitable technique. 7.4.1 Extraction studies of nitric acid Around 2 mL of various concentrations of nitric acid (0.1-6M) were taken in an equilibration tube and equilibrated with 1.1 M DBPrP/DBPeP, n-dodecane at room temperature for an hour. The nitric acid concentration in both the phases was determined by acid-base titration. Figure below depicts the uptake of nitric acid in DBPrP and DBPeP compared with the available literature values of TBP. As observed from the plot it is clear that D values in case of phosphonates are higher as compared with that of TBP which is the direct consequence of the higher basicity of the phosphonates. Prasanna et al. have reported that the changes in alkyl group structure do not have significant affect on extraction of nitric acid [11]. 7.4.2 Extraction Studies of U (VI) After the equilibration the two phases were separated and analysed for U (VI) content spectrophotometrically using Arsenazo-III as chromogenic agent [12]. Organic phase concentration was estimated by subtracting concentration of U (VI) in equilibrated aqueous phase from the initial feed concentration. Below figure shows the comparative data for the uptake of U (VI) in TBP, DBPeP and DBPrP in the complete nitric acid range (0.1-6 M). There was a constant increase in the uptake of U (VI) metal ion with the increase in nitric acid concentration. Also the observed increase in the uptake of U (VI) as TBP Figure 7.3 Variation of DU(VI) as the function of acid concentration for Dibutylalkyl phosphonates at 25 0C 7.4.3 Extraction Studies of Th (IV) Figure 7.4 depicts the variation of extraction behavior of Th (IV) by 1.1 M of TBP, DBPrP and DBPeP extraction in n-dodecane under identical conditions. As expected there is a constant rise in the D values as the concentration of nitric acid goes on increasing. Also higher analogs of neutral organophosphorus extractant shows the higher uptake which is again a direct conciquence of the increased bascicity on phophoryl oxygen the highest uptake of Th (IV) is Figure 7.4 Variation of DTh(IV) as the function of acid concentration for Dibutylalkyl phosphonates at 25 0C 7.4.4 Extraction Studies of Europium (III) Figure 7.5 Variation of DEu(III) as the function of acid concentration for Dibutylalkyl phosphonates at 25 0C 7.4.5 Extraction Studies of Technetium (VII) Figure 7.3 Variation of DTc(VII) as the function of acid concentration for Dibutylalkyl phosphonates at 25 0C References Schulz, W.W.; Berger, L.L.; Navratil, J.D. Eds.; Science and Technology of TBP; RC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 1990; Vol. 3. Crouse, D.J.; Arnold, W.D.; Hurst, F.J. Proceedings of the International Solvent Extraction Conference (ISEC’83), Denver, Colorado, 1983; pp 90–96. Marcus, Y.; Kertes, A.S. Ion Exchange and Solvent Extraction of Metal Complexes; Wiley- Interscience, New York, 1969; p 953–954. Kolarik, Z. Proc. International Solvent Extraction Conference, Toronto, Canada; Lucas, B. H., Ritcey, G. M., Smith, H. N., Eds.; 1977; Vol. 1. Kertes, A. S. Solvent Extraction Chemistry of Metals; McKay, H. A. C., Healy, T.V., Jenkins, I. L., Naylor. A, Eds.; Macmillan: NY, 1965; p. 377–379. Srinivasan, T. G.; Ahmed, M. K.; Shakila, A.M.; Damodaran, R.; Vasudeva Rao, P. R.;Mathews, C. K. Third phase formation in the extraction of Pu by TBP. Radiochim. Acta. 1986, 40, 151–154. Berger, L. L. Uranium and plutonium extraction by organophosphorus compounds. J. Phys. Chem. 1958, 62, 590–593. Siddall,T.H., III. Trialkylphosphates and dialkylalkylphoshonates in uranium and thorium extraction. Ind. Eng. Chem. 1959, 51(1), 41–44. Madigan, D.C.; Cattrall, R.W. The extraction of thorium from nitrate solution by dibutylbutyl phosphonate. J. Inorg. Nuclear Chem. 1961, 21, 334–338. Kosalapoff, G.M. Isomerisation of alkylphosphites. III. The synthesis of n-alkylphosphonic acids. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1945, 67, 1180–1182. R. Prasanna, A. Suresh, T.G. Srinivasan, P.R. Vasudeva Rao, Extraction of nitric acid by some trialkyl phosphates, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 222 (1-2) (1997) 231-234. Perez-Bustamante, J. A.; Palomares Delgado, F. The extraction and spectrophotometric determination of sexavalent uranium with Arsenazo III in aqueous-organic media. Analyst 1971, 96, 407–422. Kalina, D.G.; Mason, G.W; Horwitz, E.P. The thermodynamics of extraction of U(VI) and Th(IV) from nitric acid by neutral phosphorus based organic compounds, J Inorg. Nucl. Chem. 1981, 43, 159–163.

Listeria monocytogenes Essay -- Essays Papers

Listeria monocytogenes Introduction Listeria monocytogenes, a motile, gram-positive rod, is an opportunistic food-borne pathogen capable of causing listeriosis in humans. Listeriosis includes manifestations of septicemia, meningitis, pneumonia, and encephalitis. L. monocytogenes is also implicated in miscarriages, stillbirth, and premature birth for pregnant women. L. monocytogenes is a tough bacterium resistant to freezing, drying, and heat; most strains have been shown to be pathogenic. It is hypothesized that 1-10% of humans are intestinal carriers of L. monocytogenes. Over 37 mammalian species, including wild and domestic animals, are capable of L. monocytogenes infection and transmission. Extensive environmental reservoirs for L. monocytogenes include soil, water, vegetation, sewage, silage, and the intestinal tract of various animals. Encounter: L. monocytogenes is transmitted by ingestion of contaminated food or water. The bacterium is associated with raw milk, cheeses, (particularly soft varieties) ice cream, raw vegetables, fermented raw-meat sausages, raw and cooked poultry, raw meats, and raw and smoked fish. It is capable of growing at temperatures as low as 3Â °C allowing multiplication in refrigerated foods, making L. monocytogenes infection particularly hard to avoid. The infective dose has not been determined, but is believed to vary with the susceptibility of the individual. It may be less than 1000 bacterium in the immuno-compromised individual. Entry, Multiplication, and Spread: L. monocytogenes initially gains access to the body through the gastrointestinal tract but is capable of infecting the blood through monocytes, macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The bacterium is also capable of infe... ...s system involvement, the elderly and in persons with other serious medical problems. Worldwide: Approximately 2,500 cases of listeriosis are reported every year in the United States. This includes 500 preventable deaths. L. monocytogenes outbreaks are still occurring worldwide. Recently, in 2002 contaminated turkey deli meat caused a US outbreak along the east coast and contaminated cheese caused an outbreak in British Columbia. Outbreaks over the past twenty years have involved contaminated chocolate milk, shrimp, lunchmeats, and cheese. A California outbreak in 1985 was due to contaminated Mexican-style cheese. This outbreak led to numerous stillbirths resulting in the monitoring of cheeses by the FDA. Fortunately, according to a study done by The US Department of Health and Human Services, infections with L. monocytogenes have decreased 35 % from 1996 to 2002.

Hepatitis C : The Silent Epidemic Essay -- Health Medical Medicine Ess

Hepatitis C : The Silent Epidemic Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Did you know that over two hundred million people are infected with the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)? Unfortunately it is true, and twenty five thousand more are infected each year. Out of these victims, three are acquaintances of mine. They are why I chose to research this Silent Epidemic. In this paper you will not only learn about the virus itself, but also ways to recognize and prevent it. The goal of this is to prevent the further spread of this disease, and furthermore to make you aware of your options if infected. Statistics   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hepatitis C affects approximately 1.8% of the population in the U.S. This accounts for nearly 4 million people. And this number is only growing. It has been estimated that twenty five to thirty five thousand new cases are diagnosed each year. What is the Hepatitis C Virus?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As you already know, the cells in the body respond to infection in many ways. One of these ways is inflammation. Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver. However, it does not affect the whole liver at once. The silent epidemic sneaks up slowly by causing damage to individual liver cells. This means, HCV progresses slowly over many years. How do you get Hepatitis C   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many risk factors that may lead to the spread the Hepatitis C Virus. In many cases symptoms are not visible until ten or even twenty years after the infection. Since treatments are based on the degree of infection, it is important to find this virus as soon as possible. Are you at risk? Ask yourself the following questions to find out! 1.) Have you received a blood transfusion prior to 1992? 2.) Have you had any solid organ transplants, such as your heart, liver, or kidney? 3.) Are you on long-term kidney dialysis? 4.) Are you a member of the healthcare field, in which you have had exposure to blood? 5.) Have you ever used recreational drugs? (Needles? Cocaine Straws?) 6.) Have you ever had high risk sex? (Anal? Multiple Partners?) 7.) Do you have a tattoo or body piercing? 8.) Do you live with, or have regular contact with an infected person? If so, do you share nail clippers, razors, or toothbrushes?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you are at a risk for having Hepatitis C. So now what can you do? Diagnosing Hepatitis C   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you feel you may have been exposed t... ... Ribavirin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ribavirin is a pill which is used along with alpha-interferon. It has been proven that this pill helps the alpha-interferon to work better. Patients who choose to take this pill are prescribed several pills a day. These pills must be take everyday along with regular alpha-interferon injections to positively affect the body. Goals of treatment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are two basic goals of HCV treatment. The first goal is to have a sustained virologic response. This means that the virus will remain at an undetectable in the blood for six or more months after treatment. The second goal is an improved histologic response. An example of this is the decrease of liver inflammation, and the reduction of scarring of the liver.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hepatitis C is a silent epidemic. There is no vaccination, and no cure. The only way to prevent the spread of this disease is to be aware of your surroundings, and practice a clean way of living. Although there is treatment for Hepatitis C, it is a painful disease in its later stages. If you feel you have been exposed, please, do not hesitate to have yourself tested. The Hepatitis C Virus is, and will remain, a threat to your life.