Ethical Decision Making Essay

Ethics One definition–Ethics is the code of moral principles and values that governs the behaviors of a person or group with respect to what is right or wrong. Ethical Decision Making The Gut Test–Most of the time you’ll know if something is right or wrong. If it feels fishy, it probably is. Common Ethical Principles Utilitarianism–An ethical choice is one that leads to the†greatest good for the greatest number of people. † Decision takes into consideration of costs and benefits to â€Å"society,† not just for the decision maker or those close to him. Justice–An ethical choice is one that distributes benefits and burdens equitably. Under this principle, both processes and outcomes can be evaluated. Procedural Justice: fairness in the process of deciding/doing/distributing†¦ Distributive/Outcome Justice: equality of outcome/result. Disclosure–A decision is ethical if the public would think it is right. â€Å"How would I feel if my behavior was revealed on†¦ (e. g. , The WSJ, nightly news) or to†¦ (e. g. , my parents, my pastor, my children)? CoCo Framework Control–control comprises those elements in an organization that support people in the achievement of the organization’s objectives. The elements in an organization includes its resources, systems, processes, culture, structure, and tasks. Organization–People working in pursuit of objectives. An organization can be a legal entity, a system or process that produces the outputs to meet a particular objective. The smallest unit of a n organization is the individual person. A person performs a task, guided by an understanding of its purpose (the objective to be achieved) and supported by capability (information, skills, resources, and supplies). The person will need a sense of commitment to perform the task well over time. The person will monitor his or her performance and the external environment to learn about how to perform the task better and about changes to be made. The same is true of any team or work group. In any organization of people, the essence is purpose, capability, commitment, monitoring, and learning. General Categories of Objectives Effectiveness and efficiency of operations–Related to organization’s goals, such as customer service, efficient use of resources, profitability and meeting social obligations. This includes safeguarding of the organization’s resources from inappropriate use or loss and ensuring that liabilities are identified and managed. Reliability of internal and external reporting–Maintenance of proper accounting records, the reliability of information used within the organization, and of information published for third parties. This includes the protection of records against two main types of fraud: the concealment of theft and the distortion of results. Compliance with applicable laws and regulations and internal policies–Includes objectives related to ensuring that the organization’s affairs are conducted in accordance with legal and regulatory obligations and internal policies. Control is effective to the extent that it provides reasonable assurance that the organization will achieve its objectives reliably. Control includes the identification and mitigation of risks. Two more fundamental risks to the viability and success of the organization: Failure to maintain the organization’s capability to identify and exploit opportunities; Failure to maintain the organization’s resilience. Resilience refers to the organization’s capability to respond and adapt to unexpected risks and opportunities, and to make decisions on the basis of telltale indications in the absence of definitive information. Important Concepts in Understanding of Control (a) Control is affected by people throughout the organization. Board of directors, management, and all other staff. b) People are accountable for achieving objectives as well as effectiveness of control that supports the achievement of objectives. (c) Organizations are constantly interacting and adapting. Organizations are constantly adapting in response to changes in the external environment and changes in the internal environment. For control to be effective, the control elements must fit with the organization’s objective, change and adapt. When changes are contemplated to any aspect of the organization, the control consequences should be considered. (d) Control can be expected to provide only reasonable assurance, not absolute assurance. Two reasons absolute control is not possible, even with due diligence exercised: First is limitations of human capabilities. Faulty judgement, human error. Second is cost/benefit considerations. (e) Effective control demands a balance be maintained: i. Between autonomy and integration. The balance between centralization of decentralization, imposing constrains to achieve consistency and granting freedom to act. ii. Between the status quo and adapting to change. The balance between demanding greater consistency to gain efficiency and granting greater flexibility to respond to change. The four pillars of CoCo framework Purpose Establishment and communication of objectives; Identification and assessment of significant risks; Establishment of policies that support the organization in achieving its objectives and managing its risks; the policies must be communicated and practiced, so that people know what is expected of them and their scope of freedom to act; The organization’s plans to achieve its objectives should be communicated and established; Objectives and related plans should include measurable performance targets and indicators. Commitment Shared ethical values should be established, communicated, and practiced throughout the organization; Human resource policies should be consistent with the organization’s ethical values and with the achievement of its objectives; Clear definition of authority, responsibility, and accountability; they should be consistent with an organization’s objectives so that decisions and actions are taken by the appropriate people; An atmosphere of mutual trust should be fostered to support the flow of information between people and their effective performance towards achieving this organization’s objective. Capability People should have the necessary knowledge, skills and tools to support the achievement of the organization’s objectives; Communication process should support the organization’s values and its achievement of objectives; Timely communication of sufficient and relevant information to enable people to perform their assigned responsibilities; The decisions and actions of different pars of the organization should be coordinated; Considering the organization’s objectives and risks, control activities should be designed as an integral part of the organization. Monitoring and Learning External and internal environments should be monitored to obtain information that may signal a need to re-evaluate the organization’s objectives or control; Performance should be evaluated against the targets and indicators identified in the organization’s objectives and plans; The assumptions behind an organization’s objectives should be periodically challenged; Information needs and information systems should be reassessed as objectives change or as reporting deficiencies are dentified; Follow-up procedures should be established to ensure appropriate change or action occurs; Management should periodically assess the effectiveness of control in its organization and communicate the results to those to whom it (management) is responsible. Ouchi Framework Control is interpreted by some authoritative persons as the sum of interpersonal influence relations in an organization. It is equivalent to power. Ouchi about control: The problem of organ ization is the problem of obtaining cooperation among a collection of individuals or units who share only partially congruent objectives. Market Control In a market, prices convey all of the information necessary for efficient decision-making. Markets deal with the control problem through their ability to precisely measure and reward individual contributions. The firm can simply reward each employee in direct proportion to his contribution. The market mechanism permits individuals to pursue non-organizational goal, but at a personal loss of reward. The market mechanism can be very effective only if strict conditions apply. Contributions must be measurable, and a norm of reciprocity assures that, if one party in a transaction attempts to cheat another, the cheater, if discovered, will be punished by all members of the social system, not only by the victim. The severity of the punishment will typically far exceed the crime, thus effectively deterring potential future opportunities. If an agent of an organization cheats to yield higher reward, once discovered, it is the organization that will suffer the punishment. Bureaucratic Control Involves close personal surveillance and direction of subordinates by supervisors. Strict rules and explicit work routines apply. Employees are evaluated based on compliance to rules. Bureaucracies rely on a mixture of close evaluation with a socialized acceptance of common objectives. Supervisors have the right to direct the effort of subordinates on an ad hoc basis. Ad hoc–formed, arranged, or done for a particular purpose only. Rule contains less information than a price. It is an arbitrary standard against which a comparison is yet to be made. Compliance: In exchange for pay, an employee gives up autonomy in certain areas to his organizational superiors, thus permitting them to direct his work activities and to monitor his performance. legitimate right to command† Bureaucratic mechanism is not as efficient as market mechanism in terms of administrative overhead consumption. It also relies heavily on monitoring, which can offend people’s sense of autonomy, which will have a negative effect on their motivation. Cultural/Clan Control Attains cooperation by selecting and socializing individuals so that their individual objectives substantially overlap with the organization’s objectives. Works best in an environment where task performance is inherently ambiguous, and teamwork is common, so that precise evaluation of individual contribution is impossible. The clan mechanism involves internalization of objectives through activities such as ceremonies, stories and rituals, and socialization process. It requires social agreement on values and reliefs. This mechanism reply upon a relatively complete socialization process which effectively eliminates goal incongruence between individuals. The clan lacks explicit price mechanism of the market and the explicit rules in bureaucracy, it relies for its control upon a deep level of common agreement of what constitutes poor behavior, and requires a high level of commitment on the part of each individual to those socially prescribed behaviors. The clan mechanism cannot cope with diversity and high employee turnover. Such disadvantages make it infeasible as a central control mechanism in modern organizations, but it can be efficient if the social requirements can be met. Social and Informational Prerequisites of Control CoSo Framework Internal Control–Internal control is a process, effected by an entity’s board of directors, management and other personnel, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in the following categories: Effectiveness and efficiency of operations. Reliability of financial reporting. Compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Internal control is a process and is effected by people at every level of the organization. It can be expected to provide only reasonable assurance. It is geared to the achievement of objectives in one or more separate but overlapping areas. Objectives falls into three categories: Operations–relating to efficient and effective use of the entity’s resources. (EPS or cash-flow targets, process efficiency†¦) Financial reporting–relating to preparation of reliable published financial statements. Compliance–relating to the entity’s compliance to applicable laws and regulations. Components Control Environment The atmosphere in which people conduct their activities and carry out their control responsibilities. Related to the entity’s people–their integrity, ethical values, commitment to competence, and the environment in which they operate. The environment includes aspects such as board of directors, audit committee, management’s philosophy and operating style, organizational structure, assignment of authority and responsibility, human resources policies and practices. An effective control environment is a environment where competent people understand their responsibilities, the limits of their authority, and are knowledgable, mindful, and committed to doing what is right and doing it the right way. They are committed to following an organization’s policies and procedures and its ethical and behavioral standards. The control environment encompasses technical competence and ethical commitment. † Evaluation Criterions Integrity and ethical values–Existence and implementation of codes of conduct and other policies egarding acceptable business practices, conflict of interest, and expected standards of ethical or moral behavior. Dealings with employees, suppliers, customers, investors, creditors, competitors, and auditors, etc. Pressure to meet unrealistic targets. Commitment to competency–Formal or informal job descriptions, knowledge and skills to adequately perform jobs. Board of directors or audit committee–Independ ence from management; frequency and timeliness of meetings with management, sufficient and timely communication between management regarding significant organizational activities and financial performance/position. Management’s philosophy and operating style–Whether management is risk adverse, risk neutral, or risk seeking. Frequency or interaction between senior management and operating management. Attitudes towards financial reporting. Organizational structure–Appropriateness of the entity’s organizational structure, and its ability to provide the necessary information flow the manage its objectives. Adequacy of definition of key manager’s responsibilities, and their understanding of these responsibilities. Assignment of authority and responsibility–Assignment of responsibility and delegation of authority to deal with organizational goals and objectives, operating functions and regulatory requirements, including responsibility for information systems and authority to implement changes. Human resource policies and practices–Deals with policies and procedures for hiring, training, promoting, and compensating employees, management of employee retention and turnovers. Risk Assessment A precondition to risk assessment is establishment of objectives. Risk assessment is the identification and analysis of relevant risks to achievement of objectives. There are three categories of objectives: Operations objectives–relate to achievement of an entity’s basic mission, the fundament reason for its existence. Financial reporting objectives–address the preparation of reliable financial statements. Compliance Objectives–entities must conduct their activities in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Financial Reporting Objectives Existence or Occurrence–Assets, liabilities, and equity exist at a specific date, and recorded transactions actually occurred. Completeness–All transactions, events, and circumstances in a specific period that should have been recorded have been indeed recorded. Rights and Obligation–Assets (rights) and liabilities (obligations) are recorded. Valuation and Allocation–Assets, liabilities, revenue, and expense components are recorded at appropriate amounts in conformity with relevant accounting principles. Transactions are mathematically correct and appropriately summarized, and recorded in the entity’s books and records. Presentation and Disclosure–Items in the financial statements are properly described and correctly classified. Overlap of Objectives An objective in one category may overlap or support an objective in another. Example: â€Å"Close quarterly within 10 workdays. † Primarily an operation objective, but can also be a financial reporting and compliance objective, as the firm is required to file financial statements timely in accordance with SEC regulations. Evaluation of Objectives: Entity level: The entity-wide objectives provide sufficiently broad statements and guidance on what the entity desires to achieve, yet which are specific enough to relate directly to this entity. These objectives need to be communicated to employees and the board of directors. Business plans and budges need to be consistent with the entity-wide objectives and current conditions. Activity level: Strong linkage of activity-level objectives with entity-wide objectives and strategic plans. Important objectives (the critical success factors) need to be identified. tc. Once goals and objectives are determined, identify risks that threaten goals. Stated and implied risks External and internal factors Entity to activity level Risks at the entity level include those associated with external and internal factors. External factors are very much like the economic factors that affect demand for a product, such as: Technological development Changing customer needs or expectations, which can affect product development, production process, customer service, pricing and warranties. Competition New laws and regulations Natural disasters Economic changes Other extraordinary events Internal factors involve the internal conditions of the entity, such as: Disruption in information systems Quality/competency of personnels hired Change in management responsibilities Nature of the entity’s activities Ineffective board or audit committee Activity level involve the potential risks hidden in the normal course of business. Example: objective is to maintain adequate raw material inventory. The risks to not achieving the activity objective might include goods not meeting specifications, or not being delivered in needed quantities, on time, or at acceptable prices. Analyzing risks–risk mapping. Likelihood (frequency) and magnitude. Managing Change: changed operating environment (regulatory or economic), new key personnels, rapid growth (existing systems may be strained to the point where controls break down), new technology, new lines, products, activities†¦ Evaluation of Risks The firm needs to have adequate mechanism to identify risks arising from both external and internal factors. These risks need to be thoroughly assessed in terms of estimated significance based on the likelihood of occurring and magnitude of impact on goal achievement. Then, needed actions must be determined. Significant risks for each significant activity-level objective also need to be identified.

Yeast Fermentation

The purpose of this experiment was to observe the process in which cells must partake in a respiration process called anaerobic fermentation and as the name suggests, oxygen is not required. This particular procedure, which Is catabolic meaning, it breaks down energy, can be present In to types of fermentation; alcohol In yeast or lactic acid in muscles. This Is a continued reaction from glycoside, where glucose Is broken down Into three carbon sugars.The products of alcohol fermentation are ethanol and carbon dioxide and the products produced by lactic acid fermentation is lactate. As we observed the effects of yeast fermentation, It Is Imperative to know that yeast makes energy through fermentation. Yeast fermentation was combined with several different saccharine such as glucose, sucrose, starch, and fructose. Dolled water was also included In this experiment as another variable. The control was simply a vial of yeast and distilled water at room temperature.Each vial was filled co mpletely with the mixture (the solution was composed of individual saccharine and water) and then the gap was measure in 2 minute increments. The spectrometer was set at a 600 mm absorbency and each vial was measure, once again, in every two minute intervals. The purpose of this experiment was to better understand the logistics behind the fermentation process. In tube one, the succinctness was fumigated. The second tube differed in the fact that there was boiled water, which is not a suitable living indention for yeast, and therefore the enzyme was denatured.There was no carbon dioxide produced when mixed with boiled water but without that variable's presence, there was a greater amount of carbon emission. Tube three had an added inhibitor so therefore the rate of reaction was considered slow which can be observed in figure 1-1 . Adding the inhibitor meant that the enzyme was occupied and not in absorbency. Tube four, the final tube, had the most substrate included and due to this, the enzyme had a chance to bind to an activation site despite the inhibitor.

Fixing Poverty in the Philippines: Mission Impossible Essay

The Philippines has the second highest poverty incidence at 40%, in Southeast Asia, following East Timor which has 55% (Aldaba, 2005). Also according to Aldaba (2005), poverty in the Philippines has always been a rare rural occurrence, in spite of the fact that the poverty in urban areas is also increasing. More than two-thirds of the poor families in the Philippines live in rural areas. The Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) states, based on legitimate poverty lines, that poverty incidence in the Philippines has dropped from 49.3% in 1985 to 36.8% in 1997, a downfall of a total of 12.5 percentage points in 12 years. On the other hand, poverty incidence increased by 3.2 percent from 36.8 percent in 1997 to 40.0 in 2000 (Aldaba, 2005). According to the article written by Ted Torres (2013) in The Philippine star, the percentage of Filipinos living below the poverty line has remained almost unaltered in the past six years. The statement was based on the latest poverty data rele ased by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). For the first half of 2012, the poverty incidence recorded was 27.9 which is slightly less than the 28.8 percent recorded in the first half of 2006, and 28.6 percent in the first half of 2009 and 2011. The NSCB report on the 2012 first semester state of poverty in the Philippines presented that a family with five members can be considered extremely poor if it is earning an amount of P5, 458 a month or just enough to place some food on the table. The same family has to earn at least P7, 821 a month to satisfy other primary needs such as clothing. Discussion and knowledge about the high poverty incidence that is dominating the country is very significant. It should be shown to the Filipinos especially to the people who are considered living a first-class life. Because of too much poverty that governs the country, it can be concluded that poverty in the Philippines cannot be helped anymore. One main reason behind the high poverty incidence in the Philippines is because of the high population growth. De Dios (1993) stated that high population growth affects poor households through a smaller distribution of incomes among them. The Philippines has recorded one of the highest population g rowth rates in Southeast Asia, at 2.6 percent from 1960 to 1994; this rate is higher than Indonesia and Singapore at 2.1 percent and Thailand as 2.3 percent (De Dios, as cited in Aldaba, 2005). De Guzman (1994) notes that crude birth dates has been declining since 1975, but this downfall has been slow, at 35.3 percent in 1973 to 32.8 percent in 1983. De Guzman also noted that contraceptive prevalence is quite low (30%-40%), and an increasing apportionment of females are getting married – factors which may weaken the decline. High population growth can be pulled down by consistent use of right family planning. Different government departments are actually conducting talks, meetings, and seminars about Family Planning. These departments are inviting parents and married couples from different parts of the country to attend the seminars to hear and be open to the use of family planning. But this advocacy seems to be impossible because there are too many undisciplined Filipinos wh o cannot be controlled by the government. Those undisciplined Filipinos are not open to any advice or suggestions from the hierarchy to improve their way of living. Another huge reason for the high population growth in the Philippines is the government system. According to the former Philippines senator, Mr. Francis Pangilinan (n.d.), the government people have heard never ending complaints about how the government has become a stumbling block for progress in the Philippines. Because of corruption and inefficiency, as well as lack of vision and direction, the government has become impediment to reforms and authentic and real change when it ought to be in the forefront of making change happen. It is enough to say that the old methods of governance have not worked and the usual and old style of electing political leaders characterized by patronage and money politics has failed the disappointed the people. The old ways of selecting leaders, the old ways of electing politicians have not resulted in a better nation. The truth is the country is in a mess because of the failure of the government to lead the country (Pangilinan, n.d). But on the other hand, maybe, the â€Å"Tuwid na Daan† of the [NoyNoy] Aquino Administration can pull this country up from its flat and dull position. This advocacy, consisting of many programs that can help improve the Philippines and its people, can be the sight solution to poverty. But, according to Pangilinan (n.d), there is still a great problem that holds the government from its right leadership – the corruption. Corruption, waste and inefficiency prosper within many situations and yet the government, despite a few valorous attempts to break this cycle, has largely failed to change the character of the bureaucracy (Stiftung, 1989). Ubiquitous corruption will not end unless the Philippine government punish more and punish swiftly and that cannot be done unless the country modernize its Judiciary and supply it with the necessary resources to do so. Too many politicians denounce corruption yet apart from exposes, they have not presented definite steps to address it (Pangilinan, n.d). One way to modernize the Judiciary system is to increase conviction rates. According to Pangili nan (n.d), the conviction rate of the Ombudsman in the Sandiganbayan (anti graft court) for corruption cases is held down at an estimate of less than 20 percent. For every 10 cases filed, less than two end up in conviction; the rest of the cases are the dismissed. No wonder and doubt that most of the people have no fear of committing corrupt acts. Imagine the situation when more than 8 out of 10 corruption cases get away. This can be sharply compared to the conviction rates in Hong Kong, which is pegged at 79 percent. Meaning, nearly 8 out of 10 are convicted. When more are punished and punished promptly, respect for the rule of law will return. It is certainty of punishment that inculcate fear and respect for the laws. It is the duty of the Judiciary system to ensure that the conviction rates are upped. It is also ideal to organized an anti corruption task force, at the highest levels, to monitor big cases and to ensure that government resources are equipped to ensure convictions w ithin months from the time of its organization. The proverbial big fish must not be allowed to get away (Pangilinan, n.d). Another way to modernize the Judiciary system is to double its budget. By upping the budget of the Judiciary, to say 2 percent of the 1.17 trillion national budget, we give rise to the prompt dispensation of justice, the creation of more courts, and expanding of the compensation and benefits of judges, prosecutors and court personnel (Pangilinan, n.d). Corruption cannot be ended. It may be lessened, but not totally ceased. It is because there will forever be government people who will be blinded by the power they got from their position and the huge amount of money they handle. It is a very risky and dangerous work to do corruption acts just for the sake of getting money, but that is the nature of the government people in the Philippines. One politician cannot end his or her term without even getting a single centavo from the money of the Philippine citizens. Another reason behind the high poverty incidence in the Philippines is the lack of jobs and employment. Too many Filipino citizens are still unemployed and most of them are having a hard time finding jobs. The private sector of the government is blamed for lack of jobs in the Philippines. According to Senator Ralph Recto (Recto, as cited in Cabacungan, 2013), â€Å"the job of the private sector is to create wealth and jobs. Unfortunately, the private sector in the Philippines does not have a high degree or culture of giving and sharing.† Sen. Recto also added that, maybe, the administration is focusing too much on government, which accounts for only 17 percent of the Gross Domestic Product when it should have its eyes on the 83 percent controlled by the private sector that is creating too many poor people. Recto and Salceda (Recto & Salceda, as cited in Cabacungan, 2013) said that the social inequality or injustice was the reason for the increase of unemployment to 7.5 percent or 3.086 million in April this year from 6.9 percent or 2.803 million in the same month in 2012 despite a record 7.8 percent growth in the economy in the first quarter of 2013. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) continuously creates programs to help the Filipinos find jobs. One way is the online website which encourages the unemployed people to submit resumes online. In the perspective of the employer, it is very easy to find an employee by just visiting the website made by DOLE. The employer can just type in there the position needed in the company and the search results will give the employer the list of the people who are capable of doing the said job. Regardless of the effort of the government to plant more jobs in the Philippines for the Filipinos to be successfully employed, there are still millions of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who risk their lives in other lands just to get a job and leap their family from poorness. There are mountains of reasons why great poverty is still colonizing the Philippines. Some can be helped but most of it cannot be solved anymore. No matter how the government strives to give jobs to the Filipinos, it will remain as a nonsense act if the Filipinos are not going to help themselves out of this poverty. It was stated by Mahatma Gandhi that poverty is the worst from of violence. It is really the worst and it cannot be helped anymore. Reference List Aldaba, F. (2005). The fight against poverty in SouthEast Asia NGO good practices in Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Stiftung, F. (1989). Poverty and growth in the Philippines. Metro Manila, Philippines: FRESAN Printing. Torres, T. (2013, April 24). Poverty level in Phl unchanged since ’06. The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 10, 2013 at http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/04/24/934243/poverty-level-phl-unchanged-06 Cabacungan, Gil. (2013, June 12). Private sector blamed for lack of jobs. Inquirer News. Retrieved August 10, 2013 from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/425271/private-sector-blamed-for-lack-of-jobs Pangilinan, F. (n.d). 4 proposed solutions to help fix the Philippines. Senator Francis â€Å"Kiko† Pangilinan: Senator of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved August 10, 2013 from http://kiko.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=505:4-proposed-solutions-to-he..

SLP2 THE FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Essay

SLP2 THE FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS - Essay Example Therefore, it is pivotal for the company to ensure operations run smoothly amidst the political instability and economic problems afflicting the region. More often than not, peaceful protests and rallies lobbying for political reforms turn violent and destructive, as protestors adopt more extremist ideologies. For example, Venezuela has experienced 6,369 protests in the first six months of 2014, which were triggered by the escalating anti-government sentiments supported by the growing opposition faction (Shackman, 2014). Both public and private infrastructures get damaged during clashes between protestors and the police. Besides political instability, DirectTV faces other challenges while operating in Latin America, which include the imposition of price controls and the planned strategy by Latin American governments to update foreign exchange rules. Price controls adversely affect business operations, as they undercut fair competitiveness, a prime feature of the free market. For example, in Venezuela, price controls facilitate expropriations with a 30 percent cap on profits acquired (Avadhani, 2010). Foreign investors operating in hostile markets defined by unwarranted price controls shy away from committing to more investment opportunities. Conversely, Latin American governments are prone to updating foreign tax rules to further their personal interests. Therefore, foreign investors in the region are always wary of the foreign policies, as they might translate into adverse consequences for their businesses. In the case of Argentina, which ended the previous year with major challenges, as exemplifie d by long lasting blackouts in various major cities, the government struggled to contain social dissatisfaction on public security and prices of basic goods. This was likely to lead to heightened political and social polarization, with a high probability of industrial unrest. In order to safeguard itself against these

Organizational review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Nationalized Health Care System - Essay Example Unfortunately, the government was not interested in the health system and wanted to primarily deal with unemployment. When President Thoreau appointed a committee to look into the issue, the commiteee did not solicit the input of the public but gave conclusion of the National Health Insurance as of low priority as compared to other unemployment insurance and retirement benefits (Hoffman 76). Health care and its estimated costs have now been seen as one of the most fundamental concerns in the current medical strategy of the United States. In essence, a health reform office has been established in the White House, and members of the Congress are considering a proposal on the issue (Hoffman 76). This is because the country had been at the verge of national health reform for numerous times in the past. In 1912, Theodore and other reformers through the Bull Moose Party campaigned on a platform where they wanted an industrial health insurance with regard to all the eight states with a comp ulsory health system that would be addressed by the United States. ... ack of national health insurance did not hamper other major reforms from being enacted, and particularly those that were hugely popular and efficient in the improvement of health access for many Americans. These health insurances include Medicare, Medicaid and the health insurance that was meant for the children: Children Health Insurance Program (Hoffman 79). The United States and Obama Care According to a research done by the Policy Research Institute for the Region (PRIOR), in the United States, today 47 million individuals lack health insurance, where around 1.3 million of them live in New Jersey. In fact, the region has made progress in securing that insurance is available to all children in the states (Starr 20). If anything, the research discussed the latest reform on health care in the United States, including the Obama Care and the prospects of expanding the coverage further in the future. Another research done by the American Public Health Association denotes that national health care is crucial as a government role in providing cover to the entire population and understanding that the coverage can be achieved with the inclusion of private insurers to supplement the insurance market in the United States and other likeminded states. Apparently, the Obama government has come up with a health care dubbed â€Å"The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’’ signed in 2010 (Boerner 4). This health care reform was signed into law in order to improve the health industry in the United States. While some of the aspects in the system have already been enacted, others are continually being implemented to ensure that all citizens in the United States are incorporated. In support of national health care, various returns are present. Through the Obama Care, over 32

See Below Journal entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

See Below Journal entry - Essay Example However, according to published reports on Bustle.com by Tognotti (2014), it is clear that the group’s stated mission goal, as voiced by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on June 2014, it to come up with a new Islamic caliphate worldwide. This gives an indicator that the group, aims at controlling the whole world, by making sure everyone abides to the Islamic Sharia laws, failure to which one risks being sentenced to death. Such ideologies have seen many youth being recruited to join the bloody group, with the hope of being saved from torture. ISIS is motivated by a series of Islamic beliefs, which revolve around the Day of Judgment, which they use as its strategy to make its enemies aware of the motives behind the ideologies (Pazzanese, 2014). There has been constant conflict between the US and most Islamic countries. This was evident when American Journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff were executed by ISIS (Wood, 2015). This can be termed as political threat to the US government, in that they have to withdraw their forces from its territory of face constant attacks. The motive and real objective of ISIL/ISIS is a paradox. While some term it political, the group is motivated by its religious believes, though deeply rooted in extremism, which involves radicalization and use o violence in victimizing those who do not borrow their religious idea. Tognotti Chris. (2014, Sep 2). What Does ISIS Want, Exactly? The Terrorists’ Stated Goal Has Been Made Clear. Retrieved Jun 2, 2015 from:

Business Communication Essentials Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Business Communication Essentials - Assignment Example The presenters of these videos are Pamela Mayer and Alison Gopnik. Let us begin with the presentation of Pamela Mayer where she is giving a presentation on how to spot a liar (TedGlobal, 2011a). Mayer relies on humor and presentation aides to make her presentation interesting and light. Mayer continuously uses the help of pictures shown on a slide mounted above and behind her so that viewers are able to clearly see the pictures and without the pictures, the slide shows a close shot of Mayer. Mayer begins her presentation by interacting with the audience and giving them a chance to laugh. In an online presentation, interaction with the audience would be limited and Mayer would not have been able to point at a specific person in the audience, rather she would have asked the viewer to consider his friend as a liar. Face-to-face presentation allows Mayer to pause while the laughter subsides and the attention of the audience is back on the presentation. Also Mayer uses presentation aides which are shown for a limited period of time and from a far off an gle. In an online environment, the viewers would have been able to view these aides at his pace. The presentation of Alison Gopnik relates to what babies think (TedGlobal, 2011b). The presentation of Gopnik is very similar to that of Mayer and we observe the same pattern. Gopnik gives her presentation standing up the whole team. In an online environment, Gopnik would have had the option of sitting down and giving her presentation in a relaxed manner. Gopnik also uses the help of presentation pictures to make her presentation more effective and communicative. In an online environment, the presenters have the option of adjusting their presentation to the pace of their viewers since online presentation do not allow for any

Can School Vouchers and School Choice Successfully Coexist Research Paper

Can School Vouchers and School Choice Successfully Coexist - Research Paper Example Charter schools are different from school vouchers. Charter schools are subsidized by the government. The government can revoke the charter and halt funding at any time. Voucher programs date back to the early 1900s in Vermont and Maine. The two states wanted to ensure that every child had access to schools, at a time when some children were not located in a school district (CNN). It is only in the 1990s that other localities and states adopted voucher programs and sparked debate (Brown, B. 2002, 287-300). The issues presented by school vouchers have polarized Americans. Many are for vouchers, and many are against vouchers. Few are left in the middle. Proponents of school vouchers make their main case the condition of failing, inner-city schools. Varying in different programs, vouchers are offered to failing students in urban schools. The students have a choice to enrol in another public school or private school. Supporters argue that a majority of voucher recipients are poor minorities. Therefore, these poor, neglected students have a new chance in a school outside the district. In addition to providing better education to these failing students, the push for school integration is renewed (Coulson). Since school integration became the law of the land in 1954, white families have flocked to the suburbs, resulting in separation of the upper classes and lower classes (Epple, D., and Romano, R. 2003). Opponents dispute that this totally undermines public education. Learning by People for the American Way (PFAW) cites that the voucher costs drain money from public schools. This has unenthusiastic effects in its place of keeping the money inside the school budget.  

Lighting Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Lighting Critique - Essay Example The placing of lights at the stage has been a success to the musical play. However, some times the lights have caused some hitches during different performances. According to a number of people, many different lights are involved in the musical and create complexity in the operation. For example, the scene of be our guest involves computerized pop up candles. If the computer fails, the scene cannot take place as it is supposed to and information the candles bring cannot be achieved. The musical, beauty and the beast has been written with many short and different scenes. In theatre, the scenes have been differentiated to show day and night by use of light. At the beginning, light is used to show the stage arrangement hence creating a high-quality view for the audience to study the stage setting. In this scene, light is used to illuminate the stage. Light has also been used to emphasize different moments that differ in their moods. When the beast and belle have a romantic scene, there is a lavender lighting. This lighting has been able to emphasize on the romantic scene despite having a human being and a beast act this part. When the merchant is lost in the forest, he finds himself in front of a palace where he is forced to seek for shelter. In theater, lights are usually used to show the difference between the forest and the palace. Lights used for the palace bring a dazzling look into the building providing the audience with a beautiful view. Light can be used to establish the altering position in time and space during a performance. This is shown in the scenes that have to run concurrently on stage. Light has been used to emphasize the scenes as they run. Dim lights are used on the dormant scenes and brighter ones on the current scene. For the musical, this has been a success. In the musical, lighting has been perfectly used to emphasize different times of the day. Blue has been used to show scenes created in the night, whereas red and orange has been used to

Native American Women's Role Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Native American Women's Role - Research Paper Example The speed and degree of progression that women have brought in the American workforce to arrive at the pinnacle of the corporate society is greatly recognized. The purpose of this statement is to emphasize that the job of women in the workplace has turned out to be more dominant. The fundamental factors to women’s successions in the workforce are higher education, to amplify the accomplishment of upper stage point, and acquisitive entrepreneurship occasion. The statement is intended to be enlightening and the procedure used to build these details is mainly research consisting of arithmetical data from the Women’s agency, the US survey reports, articles from major newspapers and other internet sources. The range of this story comprises the development of women in the United States workforce mostly pertaining to the past two to five years, while shedding light on the progression women have made in comparison among past decades. Women play an extremely significant role in the life of the Native Americans. Now they are not merely mothers who were supposed to remain in the house and rear children and take care of the house chores. In most cases, women were really in charge of assembling resources and then structuring houses for each family. They maintained the houses well and shaped new houses as per the requirement. This is an amazing accomplishment, chiefly for the women of that time. â€Å"The survey of women from the 34 highly selective colleges and universities found that, in the mid-1990s, women with at least one child spent about 2.1 years on average out of the labor force. Another survey, which studied all American women, found that the percentage of women who were married with kids under the age of six and working was about 30% in 1970, 58.9% in 1990, and 59.3% in 2004† (Hollyday, 2006). Men realize that women are the basis of life and offer a sense of strength as well as

African American Essay Example for Free

African American Essay James Baldwin once said, â€Å"I am what time, circumstance, history, have made of me, certainly, but I am also so much more than that. So are we all. † When the subject of race comes up, I feel like that quote is very meaningful. According to class lecture, race is an arbitrary social classification of clearly bounded categories based on skin color which corresponds to no biological reality. To be able to understand race today, a person should have a background on the history of race. According to the American Anthropological Association, by the 1600s, English colonists had established a system of indentured servitude that included both Europeans and Africans. But by the time of Bacon’s Rebellion the status of Africans began to change. Servants who once had an opportunity for freedom following servitude were relegated to a life of permanent slavery in the colonies. Thomas Jefferson was influential in the idea of race with a biological and social hierarchy. He stated that, â€Å"blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind. Not only did people begin to base their opinions on Thomas Jefferson’s statement, but when Carolus Linnaeus developed a biological classification system and the German scientist Johann Blumenbach introduced a race-based classification of humans, the concept of race expanded and whites saw themselves as superior. I feel that even though race is so deeply embedded into our lives, and it also appears to be the natural order of things, it is not a useful way to talk about human variation. Skin color alone does not provide any reliable information about at person’s race, culture, or susceptibility to disease. Ryan A. Brown and George J. Armelagos in the review, Apportionment of Racial Diversity, makes a good point by saying, â€Å"A single trait such as skin color will result in a classification system that is easily determined. Add another trait and classification becomes a more difficult task, and there usually are groups that cannot be classified. † For too long people have been basing human variation on a person’s race. Many people are guilty of simply looking at an individual and grouping them by their skin color. The sorting exercise on the PBS website confirms this. When I completed the exercise, the results said that I only had grouped 3 individuals in the right group. I was using appearance and appearance only to classify the individuals. Appearance doesn’t always tell a person about someone’s ancestry of self-identity. It’s hard to make any accurate predictions based on appearance alone. According to the Me, My Race, and I reading on the PBS website, I realized that whites and nonwhites had very different things to say. A Caucasian individual stated, â€Å"race does not affect his life so he doesn’t dwell on it. † It is quite different for nonwhites. An African American male stated that he feels as if people automatically perceive him as a robber. An Asian said she was expected to be good at math and sciences, just because of the way she looked. According to the Why Genes Don’t Count (for Racial Differences in Health) article, Human variation is non-concordant. â€Å"Traits tend to vary independently of other traits. Race classifications vary, therefore, by the traits used in the classification. † For example, a classification based on the sickle cell trait might include equatorial Africans, Greeks, and Turks. Sickle cell is not a â€Å"black† disease. According to AAA, â€Å"Contrary to popular perception, the gene variant that causes sickle cell disease evolved as a result of its surprising upside – malaria resistance. The gene variant for sickle cell disease is related to malaria, not skin color. † There is no possibility for consistency. Because skin color correlates with only a few other phenotype traits such as hair and eye color, it is true that â€Å"race is only skin deep. † Another reason why I would say race is not a useful way to talk about human variation is the reason that human variation is continuous. Alan H. Goodman, PhD says â€Å"there is no clear place to designate where one race begins and another ends. Skin color, for example, slowly changes from place to place. † Whether than using race to talk about human variation, I think there is a better way to talk about groups of humans. I think the better way to talk about groups of humans is based on culture. In lecture we learned how a person’s ethnic group is the emphasis of cultural construction over genes. Ethnicity is a multifactorial concept including, but not limited to cultural constructs, genetic background, ecological specialization, and self-specialization. According to the article Culture, Not Race, Explains Human Diversity, â€Å"races† are imagined by the public and do not actually exist. If you think about it, ethnicity/culture is such a better way to talk about groups of people rather than grouping according to skin color. Skin color is based simply on appearance, whereas ethnicity/culture brings multiple concepts into play. Mark Nathan Cohen says, â€Å"The anthropological concept of culture can be explained best by an analogy with language. Just as language is more than vocabulary, culture is more than, say art and music. † Culture structures our behavior, thoughts, perceptions, values, goals, morals, and cognitive processes. Mr. Cohen makes a good point by stressing that people should stray from their egocentric ways and look more carefully at what other people are doing and try to understand their behavior in context before judgment. A person’s culture shapes many things once thought determined by biology, including sexuality, aggression, perception, and susceptibility to disease. This exercise of exploring on the websites and reading all the outside readings, did reinforce our classroom discussions. One thing that stood out to me was the fact that we talked about a girl from Lau Lagoon, Solomon Islands who had dark skin but was born with blond hair. This example also came up in our outside reading as an example. This emphasized that skin color does not come with a certain set of hair colors. Another way this exercise reinforced our classroom discussion was that the websites and reading both reinforced the concept that race has no genetic basis. Not one characteristic, trait or gene distinguishes all members of one so-called race from all members of another so-called society. I feel that that was the overall major concept that was learned in both this exercise and classroom lecture. As I was on the PBS website, I came across one of the background reading entitled â€Å"Where Race Lives. † I found this article very interesting because I read that in 1993, â€Å"86% of suburban whites still lived in places with a black population of less than 1%. † This was interesting to me because in 1994 my family moved to what was considered a white suburb. Even though I was only 1 years of age, at the time, my mom told me that we were 1 of the 2 African Americans families living in the neighborhood at the time. We were the only African American family on our street at the time. Today our street has more African American families on it than white families. It is sad to say but as more African American families moved on our street, more white families moved away. All in all, Genes and environments work together to make each person unique. Why just look at a person’s skin color and make judgments, when there is more to a person than their skin color. Characteristics such as skin color, height and susceptibility to disease are determined by complex combinations of genetic traits, environmental factors and cultural experience.

Human Population Growth And Its Effect Environmental Sciences Essay

Human Population Growth And Its Effect Environmental Sciences Essay Population growth can be defined as an increase or decrease in the population size of living species including human beings. Human populations are also subject to natural process of birth and death. There has been a rapid increase in the worlds human population over the last few decades (UNFPA, 2011). Unless urgent steps are taken to control population, serious problems can arise like environment damage and limited availability of food resources. Continuous population growth can be problem and therefore it is important to understand how we can manage population growth for the benefit of all. Human beings have tried to make food resources available for all the population in many ways. Starting from the industrial revolution, advances in modern medicine, and green agriculture revolution have all made us self sufficient so far. However such technology development cannot go forever and therefore unless we manage population a day may come when all resources will be finished. At present there are two school of thought for the theories on population growth. The first is the pessimistic view developed by Reverend Robert Malthus, a British scholar who believed that the resources available will not be sufficient for human beings if human population is not controlled. The other theory is the optimistic view developed by Julian Simon who believed that humans can manage the issue of population because of their knowledge and skills. Therefore this paper will discuss these two theories for population growth and their effect on the resources and environment of the earth. II. Factors affecting population growth The population growth is determined mainly by birth rate, death rate, and migration patterns (immigration and emigration). For instance the population in the developed countries like Europe and America is growing at rate of only 0.1% per year while in developing countries the growth rate is over 1.5% per year. (Wright and Boorse,2011) (UNDP). In developing countries where manual labour is still considered main source of labour, children form part of the labour force and therefore families tend to have more children. Similarly when the pension system is not good, people tend to raise more children to look after during old age. Wherever women are more educated and take lead role in household income activities, there tend to be less number of children raised. In areas where traditions, culture and customs are respected population tend to be higher due to less use of contraceptives. III. Impacts of population growth Although it may be difficult to measure the carrying capacity for humans on earth (Cohen, 1995) scientists have estimated the carrying capacity at around 7.7 billion people (Van Den Bergh and Rietveld, 2004). It is now estimated that the world population will be around 9.1 billion by the year 2050. The very high population growth has raised concerns that the planet may not be able to sustain such population in the long run. Increasing population will mean increased demand for food, water, and other resources such as fossil fuel. The impact of population growth can be seen by everyone who care for the world that we live in. Over the last few decades there has been large scale destruction of the tropical forests mainly to make land available for agriculture and for urbanization. In order to produce enough food to meet the demand of growing population, forests have been cleared to undertake farming. Due to increased industrialization and urbanization, there has been great increase in th e pollution of air, water and the environment of the planet. Growing population will result in the depletion of natural resources such as water, fossil fuels (Hubert, 1982); deforestation and loss of ecosystems; and emergence of new diseases. It will also lead to more starvation, hunger and unhygienic living conditions in poor countries. IV. Factors affecting environment Environment means our surroundings in which all the things, living or non living, which includes atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), lithosphere (solid earth), biosphere (all living organisms), and geosphere (rocks and regoliths). Numerous factors affect our environment which includes anthropogenic activities such as urbanization, industrialization, deforestation, overpopulation, and use of fossil fuels. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes, cyclones, landslide and floods can also negatively affect the environment. V. Relationship between environment and population growth Humans are an integral part of the eco-system of nature and there is close interconnection between human beings and environment. Ever since life existed humans have been depending on their environment for food, shelter, and other necessities. There is an inverse relationship existing between population growth and environment as overpopulation will lead to adverse effect on the environment. As human population increase, there is also increase in the demand for food and other energy sources. It is essential that the population is maintained at a level so that the natural resources are sufficient to meet the requirement for survival of all living beings. VI. Neo-Malthusian or pessimistic views on population growth Malthusian theories or pessimistic theories on population growth was derived from the ideas of Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus, a British scholar who wrote series of essays on the principles of population. There were six editions of his An Essay on the Principle of Population (published from 1798 to 1826) in which he said that if the human population growth is left unchecked the food supply will not be sufficient to meet the needs of humans. He proposed the idea that while human population grew exponentially, the food resources grew only arithmetically. He also believed that population will be controlled naturally by disease, famine and mortality. This was called as the pessimistic model of population growth. Malthus believed in using preventive checks such as abstinence, delayed marriage and restricting marriages in order to control population growth. Some people criticized Malthuss theory based on the fact that there has been an enhanced agricultural production and reduced human fer tility over the past few decades since the publication of his theories. However, many still believe in his theory that if left unchecked, population growth can pose serious problems for resource availability (Cristina, 2010). Neo-Malthusianism These are groups who also believe in the theories of Malthus and encourage population control programs for the present and future benefit of human beings. The Neo-Malthusians view however differ from Malthus in their belief on the use of contraceptive techniques for the birth control measures. The neo-Malthusians or the pessimistic view had more concerns about the effect that population growth would have on environmental degradation. While they supported the theories put forward by Malthus, this group of people strongly supported the idea of actively controlling population growth in order to prevent adverse impact on the environment. This pessimistic group are concerned about the effect overpopulation may have on resource depletion and environmental degradation. There has been a general revival in neo-Malthusian ideologies from the 1950s onwards especially after the publication of series of books by some Malthusian supporters such as Fairfield Osborn (Our Plundered Planet), William V ogt (Road to Survival) and Paul Ehrlich (The Population Bomb). Although many critics of neo-Malthusianism criticize the revival of this theory based on fact that the green revolution has led to sufficient food production, Pessimists such as Paul Ehrlich believe that unchecked population will ultimately lead to serious problems in the future (Ehrlich, 2009). Neo-Malthusian or the pessimistic view is more about the positive checks but Malthusian said that there is balance between both positive and negative checks. Technological or Optimistic views on population growth. The optimistic model of population growth was proposed by Julian Simon who in his book The Ultimate Resource (1981) argued that as resources become scarce the price goes up which in turn creates incentives for people to discover new source or find alternatives for the resource. Simon also claims in his book that the natural resources are infinite based on the justification that innovative methods can be used to make natural resources available. Increasing population growth and reduced resources make people to create innovations and inventions to produce more food and all basic needs. The optimistic view said that science and technology can overcome scarcity problems. Esther Boserup (1910-1999)-Danish economist said necessity is the mother of invention. So, humanity will always find a way to overcome their problems. The optimistic view also said that more people means more alternatives to find new materials and discover ways to do things. Discussion It can be seen from the above paragraphs that population growth can impact on the state of environment of our planet. Of the two theories on population growth, I support the neo-malthusian theory of pessimistic views based on the following justifications. Deforestation for agriculture If the human population growth is left unchecked, a day might come when the earths resources will not be able to sustain the requirements of human beings. As overpopulation will demand increasing food, energy, and other resources, humans will engage in activities that will directly affect our environment and ecosystem. For instance, about 160,000 square kilometers per of tropical rainforests are cleared for agricultural use thus resulting in loss of habitat for the biodiversity (Laurance, 1999). Such loss of forests will contribute to global warming and other negative effects on environment. Urbanization/industrialization In order to meet the growing demand of increasing population, humans have been using technologies such as industrialization for enhanced production of food and other needs. Increased industrialization and urbanization results in air pollution, noise pollution, and water pollution which are all detrimental to our environment. Increased urbanization will also mean clearance of forests for construction of roads, buildings etc. which further adds to pollution. Depletion of non-renewable natural resources and emission of green house gases Uncontrolled growth of population will lead to rapid depletion of non-renewable natural resources such as fossil fuels which are used as source of energy. The burning of fossil fuel i.e. carbon based fuels, mainly wood, coal, oil and natural gas produces significant amount of CO2 which is one of the main green house gases that contributes to global warming (International Energy Outlook, 2000). The green house effect maintains the earth at comfortable temperature range but if there is excessive release of CO2 and other harmful gases from the industries and factories, the green house gases gets easily out of control and will lead to so many problems like continental drift, climate change, natural disasters and variations of suns out put. Loss of biodiversity and habitat Due to growing population, especially in the rural areas of developing countries, people practising shifting cultivation undertake slash-and-burn techniques which results in the extinction of native flora and fauna. It has been reported that nearly 140,000 species are lost every year due to deforestation activities (Pimm, Russell, Gittleman and Brooks, 1995). Therefore, if population growth is not controlled, increasing human activities will further result in destruction of the habitat and loss of biodiversity. In Bhutan, human-wildlife especially human-elephant conflict is increasing and this is mainly due to the loss of habitat for the elephants due to increasing human population and activities (Kuensel, 19 May 2012). IX. Solutions There is a need to find solutions to decrease the problems associated with overpopulation and environmental degradation. The governments around the world should have policies to decrease the population growth rate by increasing use of birth control measures. The governments should also frame good policies to protect forests and environment and prevent loss of natural habitat. Innovative ideas and research should be done to increase food production without disturbing the environment. The governments should increase funding for education and awareness of especially the poor people for them to protect and take care of their environment. X. Conclusions In conclusion overpopulation can lead to problems in the form of depleting natural resources, environmental pollution and degradation, and loss of habitat. Therefore, urgent steps need to be taken to manage human population growth to a level that can be managed well. The theories founded by Reverend Malthus can be still followed because the natural resources available now may not be sufficient in the future if we do not control human population growth. XI. References Cristina Luiggi. (2010). Still Ticking. The Scientist 24 (12): 26. Hubbert, M.K. Techniques of Prediction as Applied to Production of Oil and Gas, US Department of Commerce, NBS Special Publication 631, May 1982. International Energy Outlook 2000, Energy Information Administration, Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. (2000) Joel Cohen, How Many People Can the Earth Support? (New York: Norton, 1995) J. Van Den Bergh and P. Rietveld, Reconsidering the Limits to World Population: Meta-analysis and Meta-predictions, Bioscience 54, no 3 (2004): 195. Kuensel, 19 May 2012, Page 22. Laurance, W. F. 1999. Reflections on the tropical deforestation crisis. Biological Conservation 91: 109-117. Paul R. Ehrlich; Anne H. Ehrlich (2009). The Population Bomb Revisited. Electronic Journal of Sustainable Development 1(3): 6371. Retrieved 2010-02-01. S.L. Pimm, G.J. Russell, J.L. Gittleman and T.M. Brooks, The Future of Biodiversity, Science 269: 347350 (1995). Sahney, S. , Benton, M.J. Falcon-Lang, H.J. (2010). Rainforest collapse triggered Pennsylvanian tetrapod diversification in Euramerica (PDF). Geology 38 (12): 10791082. doi:10.1130/G31182.1. Tilman D., Fargione J., Wolff B., DAntonio C., Dobson A., Howarth R., Schindler D., Schlesinger W. H., Simberloff D. et al. (2001). Forecasting agriculturally driven global environmental change. Science 292: 281284. doi:10.1126/science.1057544. PMID11303102. United nations Population Fund, 2011 (http://www.unfpa.org/swp/ ) Wright and Boorse. (2011). Environmental Science.

Sensorimotor Loss And Hemiplegia Health And Social Care Essay

Sensorimotor Loss And Hemiplegia Health And Social Care Essay Captain Scarlet and Captain Blue were working in the intelligence section of Cloud-base when there was a terrorist attack by the Mysterons. A bomb exploded causing the ceiling to collapse trapping both of them under the rubble. Captain Scarlet escaped with only minor injuries but Captain Blue was struck across the shoulders by masonry and piping, which pinned him down. It took several hours to dig him out and when he has pulled free he was unable to move his arms or legs. When he arrived at the Cloud-base hospital, he complained of his inability to move and of shooting/burning pains in both arms. Neurological examination revealed a left hemiplegia and right hemiparesis with a Babinski sign present bilaterally. Pain sensation was lost from the right shoulder downwards. Bladder, bowel and genital reflexes were also absent. X-rays of the cervico- thoracic region were taken and subsequently he underwent surgery to remove bone fragments and to stabilise the cervical spine. A month later, movement of the right arm and leg had improved. Two months after surgery, movement in the right hand had improved further but there was no voluntary movement on the left. Fasciculation of the left deltoid muscle was found together with spasticity of the left arm and leg, with clonus at the ankle. A Babinski sign remained on the left side. Joint position sense was present on both sides but pain sensation was absent on the medial right aspect of the upper right arm, right side of the thorax, abdomen and whole right lower limb. Despite reassurances from his Colonel that his condition will improve further, Captain Blue feels that he will never physically recover from his injuries. Organisation of spinal cord In its own definition of spinal cord, Oxford medical dictionary states: The portion of the central nervous system enclosed in the vertebral column, consisting of nerve cells and bundles of nerves connecting all parts of the body together(1). Spinal cord is divided into 2 regions: The white matter: It contains the axons of the neurons that make up the descending and ascending tracts responsible for the communication of the spinal cord with the brain. The white matter can be split into the dorsal, the ventral and the lateral funiculous as seen in Figure 1. The White matter contains the following four pathways that are essential for the scenario and that will be further discussed in the next objective. Each tract carries a specific modality (types of sensation) in the brain. The position of each tract in the white matter is seen in Figure 2. Dorsal column medial lemniscus tract (DCML): It is responsible for conscious proprioreception and discriminative touch. It is split into the gracile and the cuneate fasiculi which carry these modalities from the lower and upper limbs respectively. Spinothalamic tract(STT): It is responsible for the pain and temperature sensation. Spinocerebellar tract (SCT): It is responsible for the unconscious proprioception to the cerebellum which controls the co-ordination of movements. The above are ascending pathways i.e. they send information from the spinal cord to the brain. The following is a descending pathway: Corticospinal tract (CST): It is responsible for sending information to the spinal cord for controlling voluntary movements of the lower and upper limbs. Figure 1 Spinal cord transection (2) The Grey matter: It mainly consists of neural cell bodies and glial cells. Ten different layers of grey matter called laminae can be distinguished. it is further divided into 3 or 4 regions (depending on the level of the spinal cord) each containing several laminae as seen in Figure 2: Superficial dorsal horn: It consists of laminae I-II and receives information from nociceptors about pain and temperature from Ac and ÃŽÂ ´ sensory fibers. Deep dorsal horn: It consists of laminae III-VI which receive information for touch and conscious proprioreception from the low threshold mechanoreceptors form IÃŽÂ ² sensory fibers. Lateral horn: This can be found in the spinal levels T1-L2 and is responsible for the autonomic control as it contains cell bodies of autonomic preganglionic fibers. Ventral horn: It consists of laminae VII-IX and contains the cell bodies for ÃŽÂ ±-motor neurons that innervate the muscles, as well as here the muscle afferents terminate. Figure 2 Organisation of spinal cord (3) Organisation of pathways in Spinal cord Each of the four pathways mentioned above will now be described: Dorsal Column Medial Lemnsicus pathway (4): Figure 4 DCML tract (3) The Information from the cuteneous mechanoreceptors travel through IÃŽÂ ² fibers in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and innervate the dorsal column nuclei. The Axons ascend ipsilaterally the spinal cord. They decussate in the medulla and ascend through medial lemniscuses to the ventroposterolateral nucleus of the thalamus. Then they travel through the internal capsule to the primary somatosensory cortex in the postcentral gyrous. Spinothalamic tract (5) Figure 5 STT tract (3) It conveys information such as pain and temperature from nociceptors through C and AÃŽÂ ´ fibers to the laminae I-II of the dorsal horn. The axons decussate in the grey commisure of the spinal cord one or two segments above the point of entry. 2ndary axons ascend in the lateral lemniscus of the spinal cord and innervate the ventroposterolateral nucleus of the thalamus. 3rd order axons travel through the internal capsule to primary somatosensory cortex in the postcentral gyrous. Spinocerebellar tract (6) Figure 6 STT tract (7) It conveys information for unconscious proprioception from the muscle mechanoreceptors and through IÃŽÂ ² fibers in the deep dorsal horn. The axons ascend in the dorsal columns and innervate the Clarkes columns. This pathway does not decussate. The axons enter the cerebellum through the inferior pudencle. Corticospinal tract (8) Figure 7 STT tract (3) It curries information from the primary motor cortex in the precentral gyrous to the ventral horns of the spinal cord and from there through ÃŽÂ ±- motor neurons to the muscles. The axons from the pre-central gyrous pass through the internal capsule and decussate at the spino-medullary junction to form the pyramidal tract. From there they descend in the lateral corticospinal tract to innervate ÃŽÂ ±-motor neurons nuclei in the ventral horn. ÃŽÂ ±-motor neurons travel in the body and innervate the muscles. Explain the symptoms Diagnosis Below are listed and explained the symptoms caused by the spinal injury giving a possible diagnosis at the end. The symptoms of Captain Blue are due to the damage of the spinal cord caused by the vertebrae bone fragments. Symptoms Explanation Initial inability to move and shooting pains in both arms These are due to the spinal shock (9). This causes temporarily loss of function of the whole spinal cord. As a result, there is a loss of ability of voluntary control to all body giving the impression of muscle flaccid paralysis. Also there is loss of sensation and in this case there is a shooting pain in both arms. The spinal shock usually starts to face off in one day and gradually the reflexes, the control of movement and the sensation in the undamaged part are gained back. Babinski sign bilaterally. Clonus in the ankle and spasticity of the left arm and leg The Babinski reflex is a polysynaptic reflex evoked when there is nocturnous stimuli on the sole of the foot. The normal Babinski reflex causes withdrawal of the foot with adduction and flexion of the toes. An abnormal Babinski sign is one that shows abduction and extension of the toes of the foot when the foot is withdrawn. In neonates it is normal to show an abnormal Babinski reflex as their corticospinal tract has not yet matured (10). Clonus is a series of contraction when the muscle is stretched. Spastisity is increased muscle tone. All the above are indicators of an upper motor neuron lesion and indicate a possible damage on the corticospinal tracts of the spinal cord. Fasciculations Fasciculations are spontaneous, involuntary muscle contractions that can be seen below the skin. These are due to spontaneous firing of damaged ÃŽÂ ±-motor neurons. These are caused by the damage on the ventral horn where the ÃŽÂ ±-motor neurons synapse with the descending tracts. Left hemiplegia and right hemiparesis. After two months right hand movements are improved. Hemiplegia is the complete inability of the voluntary movement of the one side of the body whereas hemiparesis is the weakness in movement. As concluded above there is damage in the CST of the spinal cord. This causes ipsilateral loss of movement below the level of lesion. Left hemiplegia indicates that there is a lesion on the left side of the spinal cord as the CST decussates in the medulla. The right hemiparesis is due to the initial spinal shock. Pain sensation lost from the right shoulder downwards The loss of sensation indicates damage of the spinothalamic tract. The loss of sensation is on the right side as the lesion is on the left part of the spinal cord. This is due to the fact that STT decussates in the spinal cord. The level of loss of pain sensation is an indicator of the possible level of lesion. The shoulder region is innervated by the C5 level. Therefore, this is probably the level of injury. Bladder, bowel and genital reflexes were absent Bladder, bowel and genital reflexes are autonomic reflexes controlled by the brain. In the lateral horn of thoracolumbar and sacral levels, autonomic preganglionic fibers originate and innervate the organs. In more detail, parasympathetic activity in men is responsible for arousal whereas sympathetic activity is necessary for ejaculation and orgasm. Autonomic activity in bowel and bladders controls the muscles responsible for defecation and dieresis respectively. A lesion in the spinal cord can damage the pathway and result in incontinence of bladder and impotency for men. Joint position sense was present on both sides but pain sensation was absent on the medial right aspect of the right arm, right thorax, abdomen right lower limb. Information for joint position is ascending to the brain through the DCML tract. This means that this pathway is not damaged. On the other hand as explained above, pain sensation travels in the CTT which is damaged. In Figure 8, there is a body map showing the area affected as far as motor movement is concerned (solid brown area), and the area of impaired sensation. On the right, is the area of damage at the C5 level resulting in the symptoms on the left. Taking everything into concern, all the complications indicate a lesion on the left side on C5 level of the spinal cord due to injury from the bone fragments. The structures damaged are: DCML pathway and STT Part of the ventral horn Figure 8 Captains Blue Symptoms body map and lesion of spinal cord Spinal cord injuries Spinal cord injuries can occur due to trauma, infections, ischemia and other diseases. In this case the trauma was indirectly caused by bone due to vertebrae fracture. There are also direct traumas such as in stab wounds. Damage is firstly caused due to hemorrhaging and compression of the spinal cord. The secondary complications such as hypoxia and ischemia that occur over a longer period can also cause further damage. After the initial physical damage to the spinal cord, apoptosis of the glial cells and demyelination occur. Inflammatory cells infiltrate the spinal cord and contribute to the scaring and the inhibition of the axon growth. The injury may expand to other segments and cause grater complications (syringomyelia). Figure 9 shows a cervical spinal cord following an injury. Figure 9 Spinal cord after injury (11) Figure 10 ASIA categories for spinal cord injuries (12) Spinal cord injuries can be classified with ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association) in Asia A, B, C, D categories. Figure 10, adapted from ASIA official website, shows the characteristics of each category. Treatment Prognosis The treatment for spinal cord injuries is very complex. However, even with the best treatment, regeneration of nerves and complete regaining of functions is unlikely. The treatment mainly concerns the reduction and minimization of the damage and fights the complications caused by the injury (13). The primary line of treatment is to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord and eliminate the cause of the damage. In this case Captain Blue undergoes surgery to remove the bone fragments. The second line of treatment involves the reduction of the inflammatory response responsible for further damage. The prescription of corticosteroids helps with the anti-inflammatory effects, the reduction of the glial scar formation and the CNS cell death. Furthermore, doctors must work against problems caused by the loss of movement such as urinary infection, wasting of muscles or formation of blood clots. As a result, exercises to improve bowel and bladder function and lifestyle tips to reduce the possibility of clot formation are given. Physiotherapy is the route to avoid muscle waste. Occupational therapy is needed for the patient to learn to live with his immobility. A range of non medical specialists such as dieticians, psychologists and social workers are also needed. The prognosis for CNS damage is very poor. Regeneration of the nerves in the CNS is difficult due to: Glial scar formation. Release of inhibitory substances that oppose axon growth and remyelination. However, new techniques such as electrical stimulation of the nerves with electrical devices can be used in the future to gain muscle function. Stem cells are also a promising future. Presently the most helpful and accessible way to overcome the disabilities caused by spinal cord injuries is the wheelchair with electronic devices that can be used for communication, movement and a variety of other daily jobs.

death of a salesman Essay -- essays research papers

In the play, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Linda Loman’s character is viewed differently by many people. Some critics have seen Linda as a â€Å"controlling mother figure† who is actually the one to blame for this failure of both her sons and her husband. In this report I will defend this view citing specific examples from the play. Linda was undoubtedly the only one in control throughout the play. I believe that Linda tried to be a good mother and wife but she did not really know what she was doing. At the very beginning of the book we see that Willy, on his way to Boston, has come home because he was unable to concentrate on the road. And just as he was beginning to figure out why, she took his mind off the subject by suggesting that the problem was with the car’s steering and not with him. â€Å"Oh. Maybe it’s the steering again. I don’t think Angelo knows the Studebaker.†. And again: â€Å"Maybe it’s your glasses. You nev er went for your new glasses.†. By repeatedly doing this throughout the play Linda keeps Willy from facing the truth about himself. Also Linda gives Willy undeserved compliments, agreeing with him on his looks and ambition.; meanwhile, he has no true ambition. This causes Willy to build himself up into a great man. Another example of this is when Willy goes to see Howard Wagner about getting a job at home or at least close to home. While we realize how unlikely it is that Willy will get his wish, Willy does not realize this and Linda, who I believe is smart eno...

Solar Cell Experiment :: Papers

Solar Cell Experiment Introduction: Solar Cells convert light energy to electrical energy, so are transducers. Aim 1: To investigate any relationship present between the distance between a solar cell and a lamp, and the current output of the solar cell, at a fixed voltage. Aim 2: To investigate any relationship present between the power supplied to a bulb, and the current of a solar panel, at a fixed distance apart. When investigating a solar cell, there are several variables we could investigate. Below, I have analysed all the variables that could be investigated, and evaluated which one I will investigate. When considering what variables of the light I could investigate, several things come to mind. Variable 1: Light Light has different colours, and different coloured lights are known to have different frequencies. This in turn would cause the different coloured lights to emit different levels of power. We know that this is the case because when combining the two below formulae, we can see that energy and frenquency are related. Wavelength x Frequency= Wave Speed Planck's Constant x frequency= Energy The second formula states that frequency is directly proportional to energy. When rearranging the first formula to display frequency as the subject of the formula, and then substituting the value for frenquency given (wave speed/wavelength) into the second formula, we get: Planck 's constant x wavespeed/wavelength= energy Using this formula, we can find out what kinds of light give out the most energy. As all light travels at the same speed (300,000 m/s), we know that the wavelength of the light will determine how much energy is given out from the light. The wavelength and frequency are directly related in light, because both multiplied must give a product of 300,000 m/s. We can gather by the formula that lights with a smaller wavelength will give out more energy, because when a smaller number is divided by the wavespeed and multiplied by the constant, a higher value for the

How Charlotte Bronte Uses the Different Houses in Jane Eyre Essay

How Charlotte Bronte Uses the Different Houses in Jane Eyre In the novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte uses different locations in particular different houses to produce a structural base for the story and to provide a basis for Jane’s progression through life and the changes she experiences. The houses are a background to the plot of Jane Eyre that is the evolution of Jane from lonely orphan at Gateshead into an established and well-developed character at Ferndean who is Mr Rochester’s equal. Throughout the story Jane lives in many houses all that are different in certain aspects but in some aspects they are similar. One such aspect is that all the houses have a dominant male in Gateshead it is John Read in Lowood it is Mr Brocklehurst and at Thornfield even though she is equal to Mr Rochester when they are alone when guests are present she must then observe the social hierarchy which means Mr Rochester is dominant over Jane. Another similarity is that in each of different and contrasting houses there is always an over all feeling of Jane being trapped and constrained inside their walls. Jane is always fighting against the dominant males in the houses as seen when she encounters John Reed and calls him a murderer. She always rebels against the dominant male in the household until she meets Rochester who is not only the dominant male but also a kind and loving person. Apart from the dominant male in each house there is also a kind guide such as Bessie in Gateshead and Miss Temple in Lowood. There is one exception and this is in Thornfield where Mr Rochester is both the dominant male and kind presence in the house. In Jane Eyre houses play an important part in shaping and forming the structure of the nov... ...gainst the mystery of Grace Poole and her connection to Mr Rochester. Unlike her stay at Gateshead she is allowed both a social position as a governess and respect member of the house her personal situation with Mr Rochester. Since Jane is a governess and is not of the higher class that Mr Rochester is from. She cannot appear to be involved with him but this only when outsiders arrive. This also represents that Jane is not rebelling against the hypocrisy with Mr Rochester because if she were then she would not observe the social hierarchy. Like all the places Jane has lived in so far Thornfield does supply the amount of freedom that Jane would like. She is still trapped in to certain degree and she longs for something more. She wants just a bit more freedom but she cannot get that at Thornfield at the time she is there. The only place in Thornfield

Whats Really Good Essay

   (1) (a) One passage from Nouwen I found particularly informative to my learning was from the middle of paragraph one of page 103. Nouwen explains, â€Å"Poverty is the inner disposition that allows us to take away our defenses and convert our enemies into friends. We can only perceive the stranger as an enemy as long as we have something to defend.† Here Nouwen is explaining that a reason for hostility is because we are afraid that others will take away what we have. This can be anything to actual tangent property, or our beliefs of what we are, such as the thought that we are the best math student. We are hesitant to help another student out because we are afraid they may threaten our belief that we are the best student. Nouwen is saying that if we become poor, as in overcome our fear of losing something, we can become great hosts of hospitality. If we are willing to give up everything we have, no longer will strangers become threats. It becomes easier to give and create an open space for our guest to be themselves, once we have invited in poverty and faced the fear of loss. Moving from hostility to hospitality is a major theme of Nouwen’s book. (b) A Christine doctrine implicit in this passage is the doctrine of original sin. Unfortunately, we all believe we can create our own reality and exist as a God in our own right. As a result of this belief we fail to recognize the dignity and commonality in all beings. Our original sin causes us to shun others out believing that we do not need them and can manage sufficiently in isolation. In reality this hurts both ourselves and others from not realizing our interdependent nature. (c) After reading this passage I began to realize how often I do this to other people. I recognized that at times out of selfishness and fear of losing everything I have worked so hard for I view other people as opponents, not as people who inherently deserve respect for being created in the image of God. I then started to ponder how I have felt or would feel if I was viewed by a stranger as enemy for no apparent reason. I discovered how horrible it is that we hold our things and beliefs over the worth and well being of or fellow individuals. It seems so foolish that we would through this. And from this recognition I realized how the marginalized can be used to promote change and growth within myself and others. (2) Loneliness, the longing for deep connection, perfect love and inner peace does give rise to illusion. Nouwen, illustrates, â€Å"It is sad to see how sometimes people suffering from loneliness, often deepened by the lack of affection in their intimate family circle, search for a final solution for their pains and look at a new friend, a new lover, or a new community with Messianic expectations† (Page 30, Par 2). Here is becomes apparent that when people are suffering from loneliness

Music Comparison: Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel and Ludwig Van Beethoven

medicament Comparison fag Mendelssohn Hensel and Ludwig a wagon traint-garde van van van van van Beethoven Inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven and the ideas of Romanticism, the new group of composers in harmony were born. One composer, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, grew to capture a go at it composing harmony, like Beethoven. The child prodigies ii delighted in meeting and playing music at a infantile age. Hensel learned music from m some(prenominal) unlike teachers, that Beethoven was taught by to a dandyer extent kn noesis instructors. Although the two composers both lived in Germany, they created very different compositions.While Hensel and Beethoven have many differences between them, there argon also similarities, which atomic number 18 sometimes everywhere looked. Music was always a banging part of both Hensel and Beethovens lives, beginning from when they were children. The composers grew up only four-spot hours away from each opposite, yet in both households, th ey were composing music at a young age. The first psyche to teach Beethoven music was his take father. Hensels first teacher her own mother.At the age of twelve, Hensel started writing her own music, while Beethoven was composing by cardinal years of age. These composers started writing at a very early age, proving that they are musical comedy geniuses. Considering the many teachers the composers had, it would explain how they could create much(prenominal) beautiful music. Beethoven had many notable teachers while Hensel was taught by many lesser-know, but just as intelligent, educators. Once Beethovens fathers teachings had reached its end, he was taught by Gottlob Neefe.Neefe taught mainly the harmonium and compositions to Beethoven and made a annotate saying that If he continues like this, he will be, without a doubt, the new Mozart Although his teachers doed him greatly, Beethoven gave his first performance before any educator had taught him, when he was seven and a h alf, at Cologne, a large urban center in Germany. Her parents first taught her what was normally judge from a child, but later Hensel was taught by tutors the aspects of music. Some notable teachers that Hensel studied chthonic were Marie Bigot, Ludwig Berger, and Carl Friedrich Zelter.Hensel only performed once in normal when she was twelve years old, from memory. Although she was very talented, Hensels father demanded that she never play music for a living, but maintain the authority of a normal woman in their time. Hensel obeyed her father, but Felix Mendelssohn, her younger brother, was willing to help in her career. Mendelssohn was also musically talented and performed for the courts, sometimes playing Hensels plant that she composed. Once when Mendelssohn was performing for Queen Victoria, she was very impressed and mentioned that the work Italien was her favorite.Mendelssohn then admitted that that was his childs work. Hensel often composed lieders, bagatelles, fugues, preludes, sonatas, and chorale and instrumental ensemble music, showing her versatility of music that she could perform and compose. One of her more historied whole kit and boodle Oratorium nach den Bildern der Bibel was a cantata. some other example of Hensels compositions is one of her lieders, pluck Song. Beethoven, though partially deaf(p) in his late twenties or early thirties, composed chamber music, sonatas, symphonies, songs, quartets and more. He was almost completely deaf when Beethoven wrote his third to eighth symphony.Many of Beethovens works are more celebrated than Hensels, but his most famous symphonies are the fifth and seventh symphonies. The many works that Hensel and Beethoven wrote were different than each others, but Beethoven is often known to help inspire the Romantic breaker point composers. These two composers inspire many others to preserve and perform music throughout the world. in that respect are many similarities between the two composers, eve n if Beethoven died only twenty-two years after Hensel was born. The two were great composers and musicians starting in childhood, increasing their knowledge of music early on. Though, they did not learn on their own.Many different teachers, composers, and musicians taught and influenced Hensel and Beethoven. These composers prospered greatly in their careers, expanding their knowledge more every day. Although Hensel and Beethoven have passed on, they will both allow a great footprint on music for generations to come. References Anonymous(n. d. ) Music History resourcefulness Center. Retrieved from http//academic. cengage. com/music/book_content/049557273X_wrightSimms_DEMO/index. hypertext mark-up language Anonymous(n. d. ) Facts about Beethoven. Retrieved from http//www. buzzle. com/articles/facts-about-beethoven. html Anonymous(n. d. ) Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, 1805-1847.Retrieved from http//lcweb2. loc. gov/diglib/ihas/loc. natlib. ihas. 200156440/default. html Anonymous(n. d. ) Biography Beethovens Life. Retrieved from http//www. lvbeethoven. com/Bio/BiographyLudwig. html Estrella, E. (n. d. ) pen of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel. Retrieved from http//musiced. about. com/od/famousmusicians1/p/fmendelssohn. htm? rd=1 Estrella, E. (n. d. ) Profile of Ludwig van Beethoven. Retrieved from http//musiced. about. com/od/classicalmusicians/p/beethoven. htm Estrella, E. (n. d. ) Music of the Romantic Period. Retrieved from http//musiced. about. com/od/historyofmusic/a/romanticmusic. htm? rd=1