Neural Tube Defects

Human birth defects, today, continues to be a highly investigated research. There remain many convoluted combination of genetic and environmental factors that can cause birth defects. While some conditions are easily repaired through surgery, neural tube defects (NTDs) present problems even after surgery. Many steps can be taken for the pregnant mother to prevent any chances of birth defects. There are two major ways of preventing NTD. First, a daily dose of folic acid is known to prevent NTD and other birth defects during pregnancy. Second, surgical in utero, or â€Å"in the uterus†, repair of NTD improves the chances of patient mortality (Finnel et. al, 2013). Despite of medical and technological advances, we know very little about how folic acid acts on NTDs. And as previously mentioned, even after surgical repair, the chances of a successful or normal birth are unknown. This research paper investigates the role of folic acid and its role in neural tube defects. We discuss recent research to find our answers. Overview of embryology and NTDs. Neural tube defects are often developed during early embryonic development. During embryogenesis, the defects arise when the flat sheet of cells that rolls up but does not close shut to form a hollow central nervous system. There are two common conditions: NTDs that are restricted to the cranial region are referred to as anencephaly. It is characterized by failure of the rostral (head) portion of the neural tube to close. This result in an absence of thee brain, skull, and scalp. Defects that occur along the audal, or tail end, of the neural tube are called spinal bifida. More commonly occurring than anencephaly, spinal bifida affects structures through which the minenges and the spinal cord protrude. When both the cranial and the caudal portions fail to close, this extremely rare and lethal NTD is called craniorachischisis (Aldoori et. al, 2008; Finnel et. al, 2013). Epidemiology Annually in the United States, there are approximately 3000 pregnancies affected by spinal bifida or anencephaly. This number can easily be reduced by half by a folic acid supplement. The highest rate occurs in Hispanic populations because they have low folic acid levels in their diet. The current prevalence of NTDs as a collective is approximately 1 in every 2000 births. Although the prevalence rates vary from country to country, it is clear that there are three aspects that control the development of such conditions: genetic, environmental, and nutrition. The most common and difficult to account for are the affects of environment and nutrition on the growing embryo, specifically diabetes, obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption (CDC, 2011). The biology of NTDs The complex nature and the process of neural tube closure have temporarily halted our understanding of folic acid and its interactions during NTDs. As a collection of many autonomous and region-specific cells, many researchers suggest that along with the lengthening of the neural tissues, the epidermis also provides a guiding force to help fold and close the neural tube. This fusion links two neural folds into a sheet covering the outer portion hollow neural tube. Furthermore, the closing process of the neural tube occurs at multiple sites along the rostrocaudal axis, or head to tail axis, instead of progressing from one end to the other in a continuous motion (Finnel et. al, 2013). Another complication occurs when the cells that help close the neural tube differ regionally along the neural tube. This causes irreversible and incurable conditions like spinal bifida and anencephaly. What we know now is collectively from amphibians and chick embryos. These studies provide a deeper understanding of how an embryo morphs, the cells involved, and the mechanism through which the regional cells cause NTDs and other conditions (Finnel et. al, 2013). Folic acid and NTDs According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it is recommended that a daily dose of 400 microgram of folic acid be prescribed to females at least one month planning for pregnancy. The question of how folic acid acts on the NTDs is still very unclear. However, the research conducted helps to clarify that some cellular activity may be involved. Research studies using mice suggest that this may start from the biosynthesis of DNA, RNA, and other structural proteins and lipids. â€Å"Therefore, deficits in folic acid metabolism could affect cell proliferation, cell survival, transcriptional regulation, or a host of other cellular reactions; defects in any of these processes could disrupt neural tube closure† (Finnel et. al, 2013). Mutations in mice were studied using genetics and environment. In these experiments, several mutations of mice were compared using various biomarkers. The genetic approach sought for alterations in the pathway of mutations when there was a deficiency of folic acid. The environmental study researched the responsiveness, of genes and its environment and the external environment (predominantly nutrition), to folic acid in hopes of surfacing mechanisms through which folic acid promotes neural tube closure (Finnel et. al, 2013). To summarize, there is a very poor understanding of how folic acid promotes neural tube closure and very little insight into distinctly clarifying the specific pathways that folic acid prevents the aforementioned NTDs, regardless of the three factors. The continuation of research using mice (because they have a very similar neural development as humans) provides hope to find the various â€Å"developmental processes and molecular pathways can be related in terms of folic acid responsiveness and to gain molecular insights into optimal interventions to prevent NTDs† (Finnel et. al, 2013). Nutrition and supplements As mention before, the recommended daily dose of folic acid is 400 micrograms (or 0. 4 milligrams). This can be easily achieved by eating breakfast cereals (serving sizes may vary), flour (breads and pastas), white rice, and cornmeal. It is also strongly recommended that women who are breastfeeding or are on birth control continue to take their daily dose of folic acid unless directed by their physician (Women’s Health, 2010). Many supplements today contain a blend of vitamins and minerals to help sustain the body and many have a 100 percent of the recommended daily dose, including folic acid. As one passes the child-bearing age, the dosage is maintained along with sufficient amount of vitamin B12 for overall good health (Women’s Health, 2010). NTDs are most common in women who don’t have adequate amounts of folic acid, including the Hispanic population and those without adequate medical aid. The mechanism through which folic acid reacts with the embryo is unclear. A deficit of folic acid, initially, results in spinal bifida and anencephaly and could cause other defects, including stillbirths. An excess of folic acid causes nerve damage to the parent, which could potentially translate to the embryo. Although much research has already been done, the animal studies provide a bright outlook to solving this dilemma.

Do Societies Choose to Fail or Survive Essay

The society is a very important aspect on the life of any human. The very definition of the term society which is entwined on the aspect of relationships of a group of people, who depend on each other in either way make it to be of utmost importance. When viewed in broader terms, the society depicts people in a certain region and most certainly has common bonds such as culture, language or any other factors that brings them together. It is therefore common knowledge to note that although the society has the gist of prospering, other societies have fallen and the question that arises is whether a society chooses to fail or survive. Various arguments have been put across with some of the hardliners taking passionate stands on what they believe in with regard to the prosperity or failure of a society (Diamond, 2005). One of the authors who has been vocal in examining the survival of societies Jareed Diamond, probes why some of the societies in the past were able to survive and why some feel out rightly. The author bases his research mainly on concentrating on the past right to the modern world. In his award winning book titled Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive, the author in the prologue states that the book â€Å"employs the comparative method to understand societal collapses to which environmental problems contribute†. The author in writing this book tends to offer a historical context of societies that have on the â€Å"collapse or survival† of the society. The author thus seems to argue that â€Å"input† variables have significant effect on the â€Å"output† (Diamond, 2005). The author highlights some of the factors that have in the past been culprits in collapse of societies. Some of them are overfishing, overpopulation, deforestation and others. He also goes further to include factors that may in the future aid in the survival or collapse of societies. The author uses the Anasazi collapse to put forward his arguments on why societies fail at sometimes. The Anasazi who are a Native American society are used by the author to clearly illustrate the link between population growth and environmental damage directly to the collapse of the Anasazi. The author as he tries to highlight is that the warfare that took place was not a significant contributor to the failure of this society (Diamond, 2005). Another incisive and highly critical book of how society thrives is the book Questioning Collapse: Human Resilience, Ecological Vulnerability and the Aftermath of Empire. The book which has an impressive number of 15 scholarly scientists, provide an incisive look at this issue with each of the personalities contributing significantly. The authors of this book borrow appraise Diamonds work and use his â€Å"provoking inquiries† to give their valuable insights into this issue (Norman and McAnamy, 2010). Another highly critical and analytical book Marketing Conquest and the Vanishing Indian: an Indigenous Response to Jared Diamond’s Archaeology of the American Southwest, the book tries to respond to Diamond’s work. The essay seems to suggest that Diamond’s are some of the most important aspects with regards to conquest. In Diamonds books, he seems to suggest that â€Å"colonialization and conquest† were what he refers to as ‘accident’ and that modern collapses of various societies can be avoided by studying the root causes of these earlier conflicts. This essay is a direct response to Diamonds assumptions and it mainly questions the authenticity of his assumptions and comes to the conclusion that diamonds are actually an important aspect of conquest. References: Diamond, J (2005). â€Å"Prologue. † Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive. New York: Penguin —. â€Å"The Ancient Ones: The Anasazi and Their Neighbors. † Chapter 4 of Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Penguin, 2005. McAnamy, P. A. and Norman Y (2010). Questioning Collapse: Human Resilience, Ecological Vulnerability and the Aftermath of Empire. New York: Cambridge UP, 1-20 Wilcox, M. â€Å"Marketing Conquest and the Vanishing Indian: An Indigenous Response to Jared Diamond’s Archaeology of the American Southwest. † Eds.

Basic English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Basic English - Essay Example However, one can never achieve satisfaction this way. The only way to be satisfied and truly happy is actually the opposite of the practice. One needs to stop running after rings, and being the insider. Soon as one does this, one discovers oneself as a member of a ring, whose members are one’s bosom friends. It is the only ring that promises happiness to its members because the members are sincere with one another. Rhetoric analysis: In order to develop interest of the reader, Lewis has started the article with a scene with three Military officials, where the youngest and the lowest one in position is the most important. Lewis cited this example in order to support his view that in real life, people’s standards for respecting others are completely different from what they should principally be. The article defines true happiness, its source i.e. true friendship, and the way to gain ultimate happiness and satisfaction. Overall mood of the article is quite informal, and t he language is considerably tough, though it adequately conveys the meaning of the author. Later part of the article somewhat contrasts with the beginning portion, as there is little discussion apropos the starting scene in the following paragraphs, though the dramatic start helps focus the concentration of the reader.

Disadvantage of building an energy producing waste burning disposal Essay

Disadvantage of building an energy producing waste burning disposal plant in washington DC - Essay Example However, according to Curlee et al. (1994), WTE facilities have encountered questions about reliability and safety. These contradicting arguments are the main theme of this essay. This will examine the disadvantages of waste-to-energy facilities and if it is suitable to use in Washington D.C. The trouble is environmental degradation. It is said that the emissions from waste to energy plants can potentially expound the problem on air pollution. Furans, dioxins and other carcinogenic compounds are the main waste products of this type of process (Curlee et al., 1994). Gas emissions and metal particles which blend to the environment would lead to environmental imbalance. Furthermore, WTE plants use water for â€Å"boilers and in cooling.† The water, if discharged, can also harm aquatic life and makes its way to the food chain. This is alarming since both health and environment would be at risk. Cost-efficiency is also a problem wherein the maximized utilization of this process is only for steam and electricity and would be less operational for other needs (Recovered Energy, n.d.). It does not also make use of all types of wastes; thus sorting out would be a hassle. Another thing is the cost of the facilities. It has been reported that â€Å"60 megawatts of electricit y from about 2,250 tons of trash daily would cost about $350 million† (Combs, n.d.); too expensive for waste management process. A study by Lux Research Inc. (n.d.) stated the major challenges of the technology would include lack of versatility and waste-gas clean up. Many WTE technologies were â€Å"designed to handle one or few types of wastes.† Such technology needs exact sorting of all waste materials which is a hard thing to do, since determining the components of waste materials would require time and effort. Washington D.C. is a highly progressive district. The place has a lot of business establishments and consequently has a growing number of populations. Having WTE facilities

Elements influencing Robustness of the research Essay - 3

Elements influencing Robustness of the research - Essay Example The discussion section also relates the study to back to the literature review and places the study in context. For instance, it has been identified in the literature review that the duration of showering that is considered therapeutic for laboring women is approximately 30 minutes. According to the literature and discussion of the article, prolonged showering to more than 30 minutes may put the women at risk for dehydration and hypotension; thus, enough hydration, drinking of cold water, and securing availability of an adult after showering is recommended. Meanwhile, the hypothesis was identified and supported in the discussion section. The hypothesis that women would benefit from showering within 30 minutes of showering was indeed supported as findings of the study found out that the intervention being tested would not likely to cause hyperthermia or fluid shifts. The strengths, limitations, and generalizability of the study were also discussed. Strengths include careful monitoring of the pilot study, values within the normal range, and safety of the intervention. Limitations include small sample size and failure of the participants to follow the instructions in adjusting water temperature and flow. The researchers stated that even of the study has small sample size and is underpowered, the result of the study among non-pregnant women could also be applied to the general population of pregnant women. All references are accurately cited and referenced in APA format. Olson, Wahab, Thompson & Durrant (2011) presented appropriately the findings that drives Hispanics, Native Americans, and Anglos to complete a suicide using their suicide notes (1491). The report of suicide among these races addressed what is already known about the motivation one has regarding completion of suicide. In the study, authors stated that suicide involves diverse motives

MUNICIPAL CODE ELEMENTS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MUNICIPAL CODE ELEMENTS - Essay Example This was appropriate to ensure that the project does not impact on both people either internal or external to the premises, or the environment negatively. To ensure the safety of both environment and the people living around this place, the developers have observed all legal requirements either set by the city council and environmental regulatory authority. This is especially for the directional board meant to help to identify the location of premises, offices and other utilities. Also, the proposed project will utilize the available area economically as a legal requirement. The additional materials like signboard do not contravene the regulations of municipality. They will be strategically placed to prevent them from causing any obstruction to other parties or pose any environmental risk. The planned project will ensure that all the ground area and the atmospheric height occupied by the project is within the limit of the city council. Therefore, the building to be established will n ot exceed the allowed height by the city council. Also, the width of the building, marquees and signboard will be within the required measurement. The signs and posters to be used will be attractive, well aligned and proportional to the size of the structure being built. The buildings will be properly labeled to avoid confusing the users and at the same time avoid obstructing other people. The necessity of the additional directional sign board is control the flow of traffic due to the movement in and out of the automobile display area. Since the regulations allows the utilization of sign not exceeding six inches for the area not exceeding six square meters, this project does not contravene the rules in any way. This is because the ground area they are intending to put under development is covering sixteen square meters. This gives a room for up to a maximum of sixteen inches in thickness of the proposed sign. The evidence support that the city council has granted permission to other developers to use signs with greater width than six inches before. The establishment of marquee is also necessary to give direction to the showroom since the other two marquees belongs to two different utilities. EXISTING CONDITIONS The proposed project does not interference with existing order in any way. This means that it will not lead to demolition of the existing structures. The existing facilities will remain in their current position even after establishment of the proposed one. This is in line with the legal requirements hence ensuring there should be no legal charges against the developer. To ensure that the installation of the new signs marquees does not alter the physical condition the building. Also, the new installations shall be matched with the existing premises by panting them with the same color and using the same material. This will improve avoid tempering with the quality of the building hence they will not become an eyesore to the people. The same construction s kills will be utilized to ensure that nothing contradicts the existing conditions. BACKGROUND ANALYSIS The establishment of the project is in accordance with the prevailing legal requirements about the utilization of the area for development. Signboard shall be within the business and is in proportion to the recommended measurement by the regulatory authority. Therefore, there will be no obstruction to any external or internal party whatsoever. The material used in the

School management Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

School management - Scholarship Essay Example The unit serves as a foundation for years 2 and 3. How a Value Added Framework can explain the UK's economic decline; Value Added: its calculation and its importance; How do markets work' Using markets for cost recovery; New technology, direct exports and Globalisation to increase cost recovery; Using annual report and accounts to analyse a business; Institutional conditions and their impact on business; Using the Value Added Framework: (a) The case of privatisation; (b) Structural factors and how they affect business. Within these themes we separate and de-contextualise the key areas of market, productive and financial performance. Later we reinstate context in order to first, investigate the institutional conditions and secondly, examine how both internal and external forces affect the firm/industry. The lectures are organised into three themes with each lecture introducing and developing a new topic/issue or debate while steadily contextualising our understanding to show inter-relations between topics/issues. Before attending each lecture you are expected to read at least one article related to the topic area in addition to the course textbook readings (see lecture programme). The worThe workshops provide the opportunity to discuss issues related to the lecture and to develop your understanding of the topic while deepening grasp of the subject. The teaching structure will vary but will include discussion of key issues and a small individual/group presentation. During most weeks you will receive a worksheet which you must complete for the following weeks' workshop as it will serve as a basis for discussion. Additionally, you must present a short case study based on a company. Key Bibliography: Individual sets of readings are indicated for each week of the course. Recommended textbook: Haslam, C. and Neale, A. (2000)

Find an article about plate tectonics(within the last 2 years Assignment

Find an article about plate tectonics(within the last 2 years 2012-2014) and summary the article - Assignment Example Behind this discovery is Yin who was a well known UCLA professor specialized in Earth space science and the author who was responsible for the research. During the analysis that was done on the images captured by the NASA satellites using its spacecraft called THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) together with the HIRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) powerful cameras. The professor took a total of about 100 satellite images and analyzed them which revealed plate tectonic activities, with his experience in conducting a lot of geological research in area like Himalayas and Tibet which hold world major plates divide, he took keen study on the images from Mars and discovered that a lot of features looked similar to those on earth especially those that were found Himalayas, Tibet, California as well as geomorphology. For instance, the professor discovered very smooth and at the same time flat canyon wall which can only develop due to the effect of a fault. There was also a steep cliff that looked the same as that found around California’s Death Valley developed due to the fault. Yin also discovered linear volcanic zone which draw a conclusion of plate tectonic activities. â€Å"These are features that are very rear to be seen in our solar system apart from planet earth and Mars† said Yin, a professor whose work is respected by many and become the cover story in August 9, 2012 issue of the common journal lithosphere Mars surface has some of the longest and deepest ever system that contains canyons that has never been seen in our solar system which is called Vallies Marineries. It is estimated to be about 2,500 miles in length approximately nine times more compare to the earth’s Grand Canyon. Many scientists up to now are left wondering how this was formed, whether it was a big crack that happened on Mars’s shell forcing it to open

Athens State Information Systems and Information Technology Research Paper

Athens State Information Systems and Information Technology - Research Paper Example Student Advising Module is an element that is provided by Athens State University through Banner. SAM is the students’ official plan of the study which gives students chances to view courses according to year. It also allows the students to view unofficial transcripts, degree plans, as well as grades from the courses, completed recently. SAM’s applicability is the matter to the accurateness of the academic history of students as well as the programs that are installed in SAM. It allows the students to receive the updated transcripts regarding the raises as well as promotions after completing the degrees or courses. This means that the students get information directly from the instructor posts the grades. The degree planner offers students guarantee for coursework pertinent to degree plan as well as the updated grade for expected graduation. SunGard Banner has utilized by the Athens State University. It has helped the University in analyzing, measure as well as improves academic programs and student victory projects. This is an automated self-service software package that connects the whole institution. Banner provides, as well as grades from the courses, s, account information, and needs of course material and individual information control ability to students of Athens States University. This system assists the students who in few years ago had to travel to the institution in order to get and fill the forms, and move from one campus to another in order to finish the required tasks.  

A.C. Devices Essay Example for Free

A.C. Devices Essay INTRODUCTION Although in our daily life we use A.C. current devices. But rectifier is a ‘Electronic device which converts A.C. power into D.C. power’. The study of the junction diode characteristics reveals that the junction diode offers a low resistance path, when forward biased, and a high resistance path, when reverse biased. This feature of the junction diode enables it to be used as a rectifier. The alternating signals provides opposite kind of biased voltage at the junction after each half-cycle. If the junction is forward biased in the first half-cycle, its gets reverse biased in the second half. It results in the flow of forward current in one direction only and thus the signal gets rectified. In other words, we can say, when an alternating e.m.f. signal is applied across a junction diode, it will conduct only during those alternate half cycles, which biased it in forward direction. TYPE OF RECTIFIER Mainly we have two types of rectifier : 1. Half wave rectifier. 2. Full wave rectifier. JUNCTION DIODE AS HALF WAVE RECTIFIER When a single diode is used as a rectifier, the rectification of only one-half of the A.C. wave form takes place. Such a rectification is called half-wave rectification. The circuit diagram for a half-wave rectifier is shown in Fig. Principle : It is based upon the principle that junction diode offers low resistance path when forward biased, and high resistance when reverse biased. Arrangement :- The A.C. supply is applied across the primary coil(P) of a step down transformer. The secondary coil(S) of the transformer is connected to the junction diode and a load resistance RL. The out put D.C. voltage is obtained across the load resistance(RL) Theory : Suppose that during the first half of the input cycle, the junction diode gets forward biased the conventional current will flow in the direction of the arrow-heads. The upper end of RL will be at positive potential w.r.t. the lower end. During the negative half cycle of the input a.c. voltage, the diode is reverse biased. No current flows in the circuit, and therefore, no voltage is developed across (RL). Since only the positive half cycle of the input appears across the load, the a.c. input is converted into pulsating direct current (d.c.). Disadvantage of Half-Wave-Rectifier : 1. Half wave rectification involves a lot of wastage of energy and hence it is not preferred. 2. A small current flows during reverse bias due to minority charge carriers. As the output across (RL) is negligible. 3. The resulting d.c. voltage is not steady enough for some purpose. The following device is used when a very steady d.c. voltage is required. JUNCTION DIODE AS A FULL WAVE RECTIFIER â€Å"A rectifier which rectifies both waves of the a.c. input is called a full wave rectifier†. Principle :- It is based upon the principle that a junction diode offers low resistance during forward biased and high resistance, when reverse biased. Difference from half-wave-rectifier :- The main difference is that in full wave rectifier we use two diodes. For this when we apply a.c. current to the rectifier then the first half wave get forward biased due to first diode. And when the second half wave comes. Then at that time the second diode comes in action and gets forward biased. Thus output obtained during both the half cycles of the a.c. input Arrangement :- The a.c. supply is applied across the primary coil(P) of a step down transformer. The two diodes of the secondary coil(S) of the transformer are connected to the P-sections of the junction diodes (D1) and (D2). A load resistance (RL) is connected across the n-sections of the two diodes and at centre of the secondary coil. The d.c. output will be obtained across the load resistance (RL). Theory :- Suppose that during first half of the input cycle, upper end of (S) coil is at positive potential. And lower end is at negative potential. The junction diode (D1) gets forward biased, while the diode. (D2) get reverse biased. When the second half of the input cycle comes, the situation will be exactly reverse. Now the junction diode (D2) will conduct. Since the current during both the half cycles flows from right to left through the load resistance (RL) the output during both the half cycles will be of same nature. Thus, in a full wave rectifier, the output is continuous but pulsating in nature. However it can be made smooth by using a filter circuit. REVERSE BIASING ON A JUNCTION DIODE A P-n junction is said to be reverse biased if the positive terminal of the external battery B is connected to n-side and the negative terminal to p-side of the p-n junction. In reverse biasing, the reverse bias voltage supports the potential barrier VB. (Now the majority carriers are pulled away from the junction and the depletion region become thick. There is no conduction across the junction due to majority carriers. However, a few minority carriers (holes in n-section and electrons in p-section) of p-n Junction diode cross the junction after being accelerated by high reverse bias voltage. Since the large increase in reverse voltage shows small increase in reverse current, hence, the resistance of p-n junction is high to the flow of current when reverse biased. MATERIAL REQUIRED 1. Transformer : It is device which is used to increase or decrease the alternating current and alternating voltage. For the rectifier, it may be step down or step up. 2. Junction Diode : It is made up of p-type and n-type semiconductor which conducts when the p terminal of diode to connect to positive terminal of battery and n region is connected to negative terminal of battery i.e. during forward biased and does not conduct during reverse biased.

Employee Wellness Programs Health And Social Care Essay

Employee Wellness Programs Health And Social Care Essay Worksites are where most adults spend more than half of their waking hours .   In light of this, they offer a unique opportunity to affect change in an individuals health status.   Billions of dollars are spent each year addressing health in the workforce only after illness and/or injury has already occurred (2). This translates to profit losses in the form of lost wages and compensation, productivity, and high employee turnover.   Employees also pay a high physical and emotional price for poor health. Rising healthcare costs are also passed along to the consumers who share the burden of higher premiums, deductibles, and copayments (3). Prevention is the key in addressing issues in a proactive manner. For most organizations, this phenomenon is reflected in a high utilization of personal time off and requested sick leaves (2) (4) (5). A related issue is the abuse of the sick leave benefit where employees feel a stress-day off is a benefit and at their discretion. This is often related to stress in the work place or a work place environment that is uncomfortable for the employee (6). Past efforts to control this issue have included requiring physician certification of a valid health problem, implementing company policies that limit utilization of ad hoc time off, and encouraging managers to say no when asked for excessive days off. Some companies have even eliminated the concept of a sick day and increased the employees personal time off by a day or two to compensate (6). Regardless of the labeling for time off or of the managements effort to control increased health related issues, many organizations report that employees taking unplanned days off has increased (4). The recommendat ion is to move away from the confrontational approach of imposing corporate rules to limit the abuse and focus on the core of the problem, health problems and stress management in the workplace (2) (5). A human resources (HR) industry survey found that reported personal illness accounts for 35 percent of all unscheduled absences in the workplace (4). Some HR experts estimate that absenteeism can cost a company around $600 per employee per year, and thats just in use of benefits and healthcare costs. The estimates are higher if the calculation includes other related costs such as overtime pay, costs of temps, missed deadlines, and lower productivity (7). Some of these unaccounted for sick days can be avoided if the companys management is proactive when making organizational changes and in providing means for helping employees deal with health issues (1-5). This increased utilization is driving up the cost of coverage and company officials are considering some desperate options to save money such as a drastic reduction of coverage or the elimination of benefits altogether.   Prior to the implementation of such measures, company executives need to consider a different approach upon which they feel may not only raise awareness of health and safety issues, but provide the tools necessary for employees to increase their quality of life. The Healthy People 2010 initiative is a government effort to promote employers to get involved in the health of their workers with the intended goal being to Increase quality and years of healthy life (3).   One area recommended is to implement an employee wellness program that addresses staying healthy, increasing exercise opportunities, and reducing worksite injuries through increase safety practices (1) (2) (5). Employee wellness programs are predicated on the basis that most illness is directly preventable and that the workplace has the ability to transform lives (1).   Companies that implement programs will see a decrease in healthcare costs by lowering utilization rates of sick days and improving the workplace environment (2) (5).   These programs are meant to improve the overall quality of life for each of their employees (3).   Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study was to determine if an organization takes proactive efforts to implement healthy programs that can positively influence a reduction of sick days used by employees. Researchers have found significant cost savings for the organization by taking the action of becoming involved in the wellness of employees (2) (5). The use of sick days, whether due to illness or a need for a personal day away from stress, result in higher costs due to issues such as overtime pay, costs of temps, missed deadlines, and lower productivity (7). Healthy Workforce 2010 (3), a program within the Healthy People 2010 initiative, recommends employer groups take an active role in implementing programs, such as an employee wellness program, in order to improve the overall health of their employees and subsequently creating a healthier work environment. Hypothesis Hypothesis 1. The introduction and management of a worksite wellness program at a manufacturing organization will improve the overall health and wellness of their employees. Hypothesis 2. There will be a significant decrease in the number of personal days off and sick time, as reported to Human Resources, based on improved employee health and satisfaction at their workplace as a result of implementing a workforce wellness program. Hypothesis 3. There will be an increase in employee knowledge and skills for healthier living as measured by a pre and post-test measuring the amount of information gained from interventions such as onsite workplace classes. If these of hypothesis do not prove true, the researcher expects that the organization will still experience costs equal to or exceeding that of previous years in health related time off, which will be reflected in personal time off (PTO) or sick days (STO) utilization rates. Employees may show an increase in knowledge of healthier lifestyle changes but this may not change their behaviors surrounding time off and implied expectations of utilizing a company benefit. Delimitations This studys focus is on reducing the overall costs to an organization as impacted by the over-use of PTO and STO by employees. The actual cost savings are estimated to include reduction in other areas such as overtime, hiring of temps, and production losses. But to keep this studys outcomes in a reasonable space, the only measurements for success will be the reduction of overall usage of time off or PTO and STO per 100 employees. The base measurement for this analysis will be statistics from previous years. In order to keep the number of employees and impact at a manageable level, the study will only review the effects of a wellness program on one organization, a large manufacturing organization in a suburb outside of Los Angeles, California. The organization has over 600 employees at the target location, consisting administrators, engineers, line supervisors, and skilled factory workers. Managers have reported an average expected utilization of time off related to health and stress issues. Limitations Since the study will focus on a specific population in a specific industry, the results may reflect the impact of a program that is only successful under certain environmental influences. Also, a CCH survey (6) discusses the abuse of PTO or STO days, highlighting that use of these days are influenced by various reasons in addition to sickness or stress. Some areas indicated in surveys (4) include family illnesses or problems, which may not be impacted by a wellness program, and seasonal influences such as summer or holidays, which often results in 4 day weekends. The study is relying upon the information collected by the HR representatives of the organization, which limits the analysis to days reported to HR and avoiding comp time or personal days which are taken as agreements between supervisors and employees. Since the baseline will be the reported days from previous years, this limitation should have little impact on the outcome of the study. Assumptions In defining this study, the following assumptions were made: All time off is reported and tracked by the HR department. Since illnesses and stress leave are human-based factors and not necessarily bound to a specific industry, the results of this study will be applicable to other industries and workers. Implementing a program that focuses on reported time off will not unduly influence an increase or decrease in reported days due to the study itself. Since the study is qualitative, the results will be only be the starting point for other studies that should include other factors that may influence increased use of personal days off. Operational Definitions PTO Personal Time Off, a company benefit for employees of most organizations. STO Sick Time Off, a company benefits only offered at some organizations; some companies have rolled sick time into the personal time benefit. MATCH Multilevel Approach to Community Health. A five-phase program planning model developed in the late 1980s. Normative Need The needs of a population based on expert opinion. Expressed Need The needs of a population based on factual data. Healthy People 2010 U.S government publication that brought together much of what was known about the relationship of personal health behavior and health status. Primary Data Original data collected by the planners. Lifestyle Disease A disease that is associated with how a person lives. Such as their smoking habits, alcohol, drug abuse, physical activity and eating habits. Lifestyle diseases include, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Risk Factors is a variable that is associated with increased risk of disease or infection. Risk factors can include, lack of physical activity, diet, etc. Wellness Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices towards, a more successful existence (8). Absenteeism is defined as a chronic absence and in this context it is in relation to work. Non-communicative diseases diseases that are not infectious. These disease include those that are from genetic or lifestyle factors. Segmentation process of identifying groups of consumers that share similar characteristics and will respond in a like way to a marketing strategy. Chapter Two Literature Review Over 100 years ago, the biggest health care threat we faced had to do with the spread of communicable diseases. Today, communicable diseases take a back seat to a much bigger problem that plagues American citizens which is that of lifestyle origin. A lifestyle disease is defined as one that is affected by factors such as poor dietary habits, alcohol and/or drug usage including tobacco smoking, and lack of physical activity (9). These factors individually as well as in combination make a person much more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, obesity, and certain types of cancers. In order to reduce the risk of these diseases, individuals must address changes to their lifestyles that include participating in workplace healthy wellness programs. This chapter will review the influencing factors in the effort, the scope of the problem of lifestyle diseases, and discuss some of the benefits of targeting specific areas in a wellness program. Addressing Lifestyle Changes Researchers have shown found a direct relationship between providing intervention to improve a persons health and the cost saving realized by that persons employer (1) (2) (5).Taking proactive measure to improve the persons health and to implement preventative measures keeping the person out of a high-risk category for lifestyle diseases extends the persons life and benefits everyone they are involved with, from their employer to their families (1). Some researchers found the reverse to be true also. Ignoring the factors identifying people by their risk for lifestyle diseases will result in an increase of health problems and in costs to the employer through use of sick time and increased workplace injuries (2) (5). Modifying an individuals risk factors for lifestyle diseases can be difficult. People usually express a lack of time outside of the workplace for healthy behaviors such as meal planning and exercise; since, half of our waking hours are spent at work (9). In addition to time constraints, beginning any new healthy lifestyle behavior is no easy task, but it can make a profound effect on both physical as well as mental health. These benefits hold true regardless of the workers age. One large cohort study of 15,708 examined the impact of adoption of new lifestyle behaviors (9). All individuals were of typical working age 45-64. It was found that people who newly adopt a healthy lifestyle in middle-age experience a prompt benefit of lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Further conclusions recommend that we begin to adopt strategies to encourage healthy lifestyles. This is especially true among those with pre-existing medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or obe sity (9). Lifestyle changes not only take commitment on the part of the participant but a great deal of support from others as well. Support from co-workers can be a strong motivator but in order for healthy changes to be fully adopted by the workforce, it must be a priority among the decision makers within the company (2) (5). The cost impact of a disease such as obesity is well documented. Obesity contributes to monetary losses for the employee as well as employer. In response, employers continue to look for ways to offset those costs through the offering of company-sponsored wellness and weight management programs. Health care organizations in particular hospitals, as well as public employers can be important role models in this process. A change in policy could make a dramatic difference for smaller employers which represent the majority of U.S. employers as they are far less likely to offer health promotion programs unless a government incentive was offered (10). Worksites are where most adults spend more than half of their waking hours. In light of this, they offer a unique opportunity to affect change in an individuals health status. Health in the workplace should focus on one main role central to prevention. Prevention tactics can be geared towards prevention of illness and spread of disease as well as prevention of accidents, injury, and disability. Billions of dollars are spent each year addressing health in the workplace only after illness and/or injury has already occurred (11). This translates to profit losses in the form of lost wages and compensation, productivity, and high employee turnover. Prevention is the key in addressing issues in a proactive manner. Wellness programs are an important component of employer benefits packages because they offer workers and their families choices for pursuing healthier lifestyles with less illness, ultimately leading to less costly benefits packages (9). Wellness programs and employee assistance programs are important benefits for workers and their employers; data from the National Compensation Survey (NCS) show that workers in the public and private sectors had greater access to these kinds of benefits in 2008 than they did a decade earlier. In an age of ever-increasing health care costs, services that promote health and wellness have become an important element of U.S. society. Wellness programs often include health education and an awareness component. According to some analysts, these programs address issues that increase worker satisfaction and productivity. Implementing a Wellness Program Using MATCH Researchers have found the employers who implement proactive, work-based wellness programs can realize significant savings in utilization of STO, decreased productivity and costs for production lags (2) (5). In one study, researchers implemented a worksite health promotion program to reduce the utilization of short-term disability days at a large company. The researchers estimated the potential cost savings over a 2-year period would be in excess of $1,300,000 (2). A similar study that implemented a health-promotion program over five years found estimated cost savings from reduced sick days at over $600,000 a year (5). The target populations in both of these studies focused on employees who were high users of sick days. Expanding that approach to the entire population should contribute even more to the cost savings. Affecting change in a population with varying influential levels is strength in the program design called the Match Model. Match is an acronym for Multilevel Approach to Community Health (12). The concept behind the Match Model is based on attempts to reach various levels within a target population through working with individuals of influence at various levels. Once appropriate goals are selected in the Match Model, intervention planning begins with the selection of objectives and approaches. The program development then commences with the creation of the actual delivery pieces such as information materials and class curricula. The preparation for implementation is the next step whereby key individuals who will deliver the intervention are trained, roll out dates established, and the program actually begins. The final step in the Match Model involves the program evaluation process. This critical step provides the program development team with outcomes measures to evaluate the program effectiveness and provide necessary feedback that will drive future programs. Worker Health in the United States Worker health in the United States is a broad issue. Multiple political initiatives have been recently developed in an effort to address the problems that have arisen as a result of national attention to multiple health concerns that currently plague the country which includes rising obesity rates, type II diabetes, tobacco usage, as well as a host of other issues. An example of a set of national health initiatives is the Healthy People 2010 (3) objectives, aimed at making a difference in 10 years. Many of the initiatives contained within are aimed at increasing quality of life through the prevention of disease. The program has a total of 467 objectives organized into 28 focus areas. There are special provisions for physical activity, tobacco usage, and obesity (3). The program also addresses issues for employers such as high utilization of benefits, increased absenteeism, and productivity issues, all resulting in high-cost employees especially those who experience multiple risk fact ors for diseases including high blood pressure, smoking, and sedentary lifestyles (3). Top reasons for taking what might be called non-sick days are family issues (21 percent), personal needs (18 percent), entitlement mentality (14 percent), and stress (12 percent). Lisa Franke, a workplace analyst at CCH, says that absences for stress and entitlement taking days employees believe they have earned are up slightly from last year because leaner staffing levels have intensified workloads (13). Based on these findings, recommendations to employers in the United States are focused around two main factors. The first recommendation from the Healthy People 2010 program is that employers, at least 75% of those in the United States regardless of size, should offer a comprehensive employee health promotion program. The second recommendation is that employer groups should strive for a 75% participation rate among all employees. The objectives of Healthy People 2010 sparked a subsidiary report known as Healthy Workforce 2010 (3). The report outlines eight primary objectives that promote health and quality of life among workers in the United States. Among the objectives presented in the report, the researchers highlighted the impact of unhealthy habits of the U.S. population on the economy and future of the country. In 1998, the report estimates that a quarter of the adult population smoked; this statistic is even higher at 35% for American teenagers. Other vices such as alcohol and drug abuse have cost the U.S. economy over $276 billion dollars as a result of healthcare, auto accidents, lost productivity, and other issues (3). In addition to problems created by substance abuse, the Healthy Workforce 2010 report estimates that over half of the U.S. population is overweight or classified as obese. This problem can be addressed by encouraging employees to participate in regular daily exercise. Similar to substance abuse among workers, this growing problem results in related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and osteoarthritis which costs both employers and the U.S. economy in healthcare costs (3). Other areas resulting in higher healthcare costs and impacting the work area include addressing work-related injuries and providing a safe working environment for employees. Even beyond the deaths caused by work accidents, the U.S. Bureau of Labor estimates that employees experience approximately 5.7 million non-fatal accidents annually, resulting in over 2.7 million lost work days. The Healthy Workforce 2010 recommends employers not only focus on preventing accidents but also increase healthcare coverage, since the U.S. Census Bureau reports that over 42 million American workers are not covered by health insurance, a trend predominant in smaller companies (3). Worker Health in California Studies from the State of California Department of Health (14) reported similar findings at the national level. The larger issues that appear to be problematic in the State of California involve lost wages and productivity caused by diseases that are aggravated by unhealthy lifestyles. These include obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular complications among others. The literature revealed that worksite wellness programs help to reduce overall operating costs from increased healthcare utilization, accidents and poor productivity. Employers also benefit from these programs through enhanced recruitment, retention of healthy employees, and reduced absenteeism (15). The easiest way to address health related issues is to take actions that prevent the problems in the first place. Primary healthcare measures are the key to ensuring a healthy population. Worker Health in Los Angeles County Similar reports in Los Angeles County provided population-wide data on health related quality of life in Los Angeles County and used measures developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track health trends at the national and state levels. The average numbers of unhealthy days and activity limitation days were higher in Los Angeles County (6.4 and 2.4, respectively) than in California (5.9 and 2.1) and the United States (5.5 and 1.9, respectively) in 1999. These differences may reflect disparities in health status across the three populations but as well as demographic differences (e.g., socioeconomic or racial/ ethnic differences) between the populations. In addition the number of unhealthy days and activity limitation days were significantly higher in persons previously diagnosed with depression, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, or asthma than in persons not diagnosed with these conditions (16). Health Consequences for Workers Employees also pay a high physical and emotional price for poor health. Rising healthcare costs are passed along to the consumers who share the burden of higher premiums, deductibles, and copayments. Financial responsibilities can lead to increased stress levels among workers. Employee wellness programs are predicated on the basis that most illness is directly preventable and that the workplace has the ability to transform lives. These programs also decrease healthcare costs through lowering utilization rates. These programs are meant to improve the overall quality of life for each of the participants (3). The Importance of Physical Activity Regular physical activity provides a multitude of benefits to an employee. According to the American Council on Exercise (11) low-back pain is a leading cause of job-related disability and missed work in the United States. This problem results in over $50 billion every year in healthcare costs. Work-related back pain experienced by most people can be prevented with just a little forethought. In high-risk back pain jobs requiring frequent bending, lifting, and twisting, employees and employers can be taught a variety of methods in order to reduce stress on the back and help prevent injuries. This risk of injury increases in those who are overweight, smoke or are inactive (11). Benefits of Smoking Cessation According a report conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (17) over 8.6 million people in the U.S. experience a health-related problem due to smoking. In the subsequent CDC report the next year (17), the agency reported that smoking was responsible for over 90% of lung cancer mortalities and over 80% of the COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) deaths. This is largely because cigarettes and other tobacco products contain over 4,800 chemical, 69 of those which have been identified as carcinogenic. Smoking has also been linked to other serious illnesses and medical problems such as slow wound healing, peptic ulcers, and other diseases contributing to loss of employee productivity (18). Employers have responded by creating smoke-free workplaces nationwide, where employees can be protected from the life-threatening effects of secondhand smoke. In 1999, a study found that approximately 70% of the U.S. workforce was impacted by a smoke-free employer policy (19). But l aws and employer responsibility varies by state, so this statistic can vary above 80% in states like Utah and Maryland or drop below 50% in states like Nevada (19). Healthy Diet Advantages According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) (20), diabetes is one of the fastest growing and one of the most costly health issues facing the U.S. worker. The disease has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, affecting a growing number and percentage of people every year. The cost of diabetes to the American healthcare system is staggering, resulting in missed work days and higher benefit requirements for employers. In the ADA report, one-fifth of the healthcare dollars spent is used to provide care for someone with diabetes, while one-tenth of the healthcare dollars spent is associated with diabetes. For employers, the costs of diabetes increased 32% from 2002 to 2007, with the increase in medical expenditures and lost productivity estimated at $174 billion. Per capita, the annual cost of diabetes is approximately $11,744 a year. Many people do not recognize that they are at risk for diabetes (or diabetes-related complications if they already have diabetes). How ever, type II diabetes can be prevented or delayed for many of those at high risk for diabetes and diabetes-related complications can be also be prevented or delayed with lifestyle practices including maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, and a balanced diet (20). Summary The prevalence of lifestyle diseases among Californians and within the U.S. is growing. Everything from fast foods to sedentary activities plays a role in contributing to this national problem. Addressing the issues requires more than just adding a few cardio sessions every week or walking a little more, the effort requires attacking the problem at the root, changing how people define and move through their lives. Lifestyles changes are exactly that, changes that affects across a persons life and hopefully for the rest of their lives. Many factors contribute to lifestyle diseases include home culture, resting activities, and work environments. Implementing a wellness program at a worksite will provide the support and information needed to make effective changes to the employees health while benefiting both the employee and employer (2).

Inca Empire Essay -- essays research papers fc

We know from history many various civilizations. Civilizations like Sumerian (4000 BC), Egyptian (3000 BC), Minoan (2000 BC), and Babylonian (1700 BC). Later, the Greek civilization, throughout the Macedonian empire, ranged as far east as northern India and as far south and west as Egypt. Then Romans were the rulers of the whole area from Constantinopole, to Palestine and North Africa to Britain. After centuries, the Vikings, people from what is now Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, established colonies in northern France, Sicily, England, and Ireland. During the 13th century AD, Mongols created a vast empire in Central Asia and the Mongol Empire controlled the expanse of territory from the Ural mountains in Russia to the Pacific Ocean. The same period of time another great civilization, called Ottoman Turks, was taking over most of North Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkan Peninsula. In America, Incas were the rulers of the largest native empire. Near the end of the 14th century the Inca empire began to expand from its initial base in the Cuzco region of the southern Andes, mountains of South America. Incas’ expansion ended with the Spanish invasion led by Francisco Pizarro in 1532. The Incas were the greatest indigenous civilization of the Americas. Within 100 years they had build a powerful empire, stretching the entire length of the Andeas, at a distance of more than 5,500 km. It was probably the greatest empire of its time life anywhere in the world, if we imagine that they had built a road system that extended some 30,000 to 40,000 km, unrivaled until the invention of the automobile, they possessed great skills in medicine, and they had a fully controlled social, political, and economical organization, although they lacked basic concepts such as the written language, the wheel, the steel, and the horse. In common with other Andean cultures, the Incas left no written records. Their history and their culture are known chiefly from the oral traditions preserved through the generations by official â€Å"memmorizers† and from the written records composed from them after the Spanish conquest (Inca 375). The official language of the Inca Empire was the Quechua language. Eventhough the Spanish destroyed most Quechua cities and religious centers when they conquered the Inca Empire, many aspects of their way of life survive. There are about 10 million people in Per... ...of the Andes, and many thousands of tourists every year go there to see the impressive stone architecture the Incas erected among spectacular scenery. Because of records made by early Spanish and native chroniclers, we also know more about the Incas than about any earlier culture of the Andes. And, fortunately, through documentary research and archaeology, we continue to learn even more about the Incas and their achievements, such as their great road system, impressive architecture, elaborate ceremonies, and more. BIBLIOGRAPHY: â€Å"Inca Empire†. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, 1999, ed. Pages: 1-12. â€Å"Quechua†. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, 1999, ed. Pages: 1-3. â€Å"Inca†. Encyclopedia Britannica, 1984, Greek, ed. Pages: 375-380. Rosso, Francesco. â€Å"Inca Empire†. Histrory. Papyrus Press ed. Athens: Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corporation. (1969): 119-133. Lost Civilizations. Incas: Lords of Gold and Glory. New Jersey: Time Life Books, 1992. â€Å"The Incas: A Pictorial Tribute To the Art & Culture of The Incas" - by a native of Ecuador. http://www.colourprep.com/jorge/incas/incas.htm. â€Å"Inca†. Broadcast November 24, 1997, 7:00-9:00 PM. Http://www.historychannel.com

Comparing the Rich versus the Poor Essay -- Poverty

Rich vs. Poor: Distributing the World’s Wealth Equally Think about the house that you live in, the neighbors that surround you and the town where you come from. More importantly, think about the car, clothing, and material things that you possess. Living an absolutely affluent life, as most of us do, is something that we take for granted. Now put yourself in the shoes of a child at the age of 5 in Zambia. There is no roof over your head, no shoes on your feet, and no food on the table to eat. You live every day wondering how much longer you will survive in this situation. This example may represent an extreme situation in Zambia, but forces one to think about how many people are living in poverty throughout the world. Poor people often lack adequate food and shelter and education and health, which keeps them from leading the kind of life that everyone values. They are extremely vulnerable to illness, to economic displacement, and are treated negatively by institutions in society. Of the world’s 6 billion people, 2.8 billion live on less than $2 a day, and 1.2 billion live on less than $1 a day. In rich countries, fewer than 5 percent of all children under 5 are malnourished, in poor countries as many as 50 percent are (Attacking poverty 3). This impoverishment continues to exist even though human conditions have improved more in the past century than ever before. Global wealth and technically advanced capabilities may be at their highest levels yet, but the distribution of these gains is tremendously unequal. The increasing rates of poverty throughout many countries in the world and the imbalance of wealth leads me to believe that the rich have a moral obligation to help those who are less fortunate. According t... ... and improving sanitation conditions would better the life of the poor. If people would be willing to make small contributions to the poor, poverty rates could possibly begin to decline altogether. If the extremes of relative wealth and poverty are diminished I believe it would lead to a world where being absolutely poor no longer exits. Works Cited * â€Å"Attacking Poverty: Opportunity, Empowerment, and Security.† World Development Report 2001/2002: 1-12. http://www.worldbank.org/poverty/wdrpoverty * â€Å"Rich vs. Poor Stats.† Online: http://geocities.com/mrastafari/richpoor.html * Singer, Peter. â€Å"Rich and Poor.† Practical Ethics, 2nd ed.: 218-246. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993 * Singer, Peter. â€Å"The Singer Solution to World Poverty.† The New York Times. September 5, 1999: 1-7. http://www.fordham.edu/economics/combs/savechild.pdf

America Needs More Immigrants :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

After political security, there is nothing that the Republic needs so much as bone and sinew, for the development of its vast resources . . . we want flesh and blood, men, women, and children, to assist in fulfilling that intention. —Editorial from the Commercial and Financial Chronicle, published in August 12, 1865—as the re-United States reels back from the divisiveness of the Civil War (Abbott 156) When my ancestors came to the U.S. in the 1800s to help build the transcontinental railroad (enabling intracontinental commerce on an unprecedented scale), it was very true that immigrants contributed to America’s economic prosperity. Does this remain true today? Today is a very different time than the aftermath of the Civil War. Or is it? Now, the U.S. is also reeling back from wars, albeit of very different sorts: the Cold War and the latest series of riots in the cities. The U.S. is turning inwards, wanting to rebuild its infrastructure and inner cities. Pre-eminence in various scientific areas and the education of its citizens, who are, by world standards, lagging educationally, are again prime national goals—much as they were following the Civil War. Skills and labor are needed. Although not as powerfully delineated as in a North-South segregation, the American population is still bitterly divided over many issues—one of which is immigration. Would immigration aggravate our problems, especially unemployment and social tension, or benefit us, as it did previous to and following the Civil War? Throughout the 1800s, conservative politicians were adamant that immigration would compromise political security; and native Californian miners, laborers, and farmers feared that the Chinese would drain America’s resources and take away jobs. The tragic results of such fears were the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti, ending in the execution of two innocent Italian immigrants accused of espionage, and the massacres of Chinese miners in the western states. These early detractors of immigration were proven wrong as America grew from a second-rate nation to the most powerful economy in the world. Today, as reflected in the headlines, calls for immigration restriction have renewed the national debate: Should current levels of immigration continue in the U.S.? â€Å"How many can America absorb?† is a constant refrain, reflected in poll after poll.

System Analysis and Design – Midterm

Town of Eden Bay 1. The town of Eden Bay has many workers that are all determined to succeed, but without having a strategic plan set in place, as well as a clear mission statement the employee’s are becoming frustrated. Some of the workers have mentioned that they work off a budget from year to year without any sight of a long-term plan set in place. This will surely add to their frustration and prevent the town from setting and reaching its desired long-term goals. 2. The Maintenance Department’s SWOT Analysis Possible Strengths: Dedicated Staff Possible Weaknesses: Using Legacy Systems Poor Records/Data HandlingPossible Opportunities: Improving on Current System Future Company GrowthPossible Threats: More Efficient/Organized Competitor 3. Specific Steps to Follow During Preliminary Investigation: a. Analyze Systems Request b. Make Recommendations c. Interview with Management and Staff d. Identify Constraints e. Report to Upper Management with Findings 4. Out of the f our tests of feasibility I would perform an operational feasibility analysis to determine whether the project is worthwhile and profitable to the company. Countrywide Construction 1. The correct duration would be 65 Days. 2. Critical Path:Prep Foundation (10d)> Assemble Building (4d)> Final Inspection (30d)> >Arrange for Sale (3d) 4. PERT/CPM Chart: Chapter 4 Review Questions 3. JAD and RAD are teams both composed of users, managers, and IT staff. They differ from traditional fact-finding methods because the users, managers, and IT staff all work together to gather information and define new system requirements, whereas traditional methods are composed of all IT staff. These teams get a wider range of input due to the diverse nature of the team members. However, this can be costly or not as efficient if too many people are involved. 4.Total Cost of Ownership is the sum of the direct and indirect costs of installing a system. This is important to determine the actual total cost of a system. 5. Closed-ended questions limit the response but yield more specific information. Open-ended questions encourage spontaneous and unstructured responses. Range-of-Response questions are closed-ended questions that ask a person to evaluate something by providing limited answers to specific responses. 7. The Hawthorne Effect is a theory that people are more productive when being observed regardless of whether their working conditions are better or worse.This is significant because people may not work as harder when not being watched. 8. An FDD diagram is a model of business functions and processes. This is used to show how business functions are organized into lower-level processes. To create an FDD you would list the steps and tasks in order. 10. I would give the presentation to users, management, and IT staff. For users I would focus on their daily routines. For management I would focus on TCO. For IT staff I would focus on the technical specs and operations of the system.

Othello Plot Points Essay

Othello’s Ensign, hates him cause he’s black, wants Cassio’s job, believes he would be better Cassio- Innocent Party, gets a job as Othello’s Lieutenant, gets into a fight and his stripped of rank, but goes to Desdemonia to try and win back Othello’s favour Roderigo- Loves Desdemonia, is persuaded by Iago to attempt to kill Cassio, is murdered by Iago to remain silent (d) Emilia- Married to Iago, gives iago the handkerchief that convinces Othello that Desdemonia and Cassio had a relationship (d) Plot Othello marries Desdemonia in secret. However Roderigo goes to her father and blows their cover. Othello is forced to defend himself from accusations of witchcraft. News of a Turkish invasion of Cyprus reaches Venice, and Othello, with Cassio his new Lieutenant, and Iago, his ensign, are deployed to Cyprus to defend against the Turkish fleet. Desdemonia is allowed to accompany Othello, and Emilia, Iago’s wife, accompanies her as her attendant. Th e enemy fleet is destroyed by a storm. Othello calls for a celebration, during which Iago gets Cassio drunk, who causes a fight. Othello strips him of his rank, and blames him for the disturbance caused by Iago. However, Iago tells Cassio to go to Desdemonia, and convince her to try to plead his case. Whilst Cassio does this, Iago goes to Othello and hints that Cassio and Desdemonia are having an affair. For the rest of the film, â€Å"Honest Iago† controls the actions of the characters, turning Othello against his wife and Roderigo against Cassio so that, at the end of the play, Roderigo attempts to murder Cassio, while Othello smothers his wife after accusing her of betraying him and having an affair with Cassio. Roderigo fails, and after he is identified as Cassio’s attacker Iago murders him, claiming to have been overcome with rage, but really silencing to cover his involvement. Othello then murders his wife, however Emilia walks in calls for help. As the truth comes out, Othello realises his wife was innocent. Iago murders his wife after she reveals what he has done. He is then captured and brought before Othello, who stabs him but does not murder him, saying he would prefer Iago live in pain for the rest of his life than die. Othello then kills himself out of guilt at what he has done. Iago is hauled off to be tortured, and Cassio is made Governer of Cyrpus. The end.

Performing Arts Is a Waste of Time, Money and Resource Essay

Nowadays almost all schools include such subjects as art, drama, and music in their educational program. Therefore, by the time when children graduate school they have general understanding and basic knowledge in all of them. In my opinion, it is a positive tendency and these subjects should indeed be a part of every child’s education. I would like to introduce several reasons and examples that I believe will support my viewpoint. First and foremost, teaching of subjects such as art, drama and music is very crucial in forming of a thoroughly developed and educated individual who is well aware not only of science and related fields but also of arts in wide sense of this word. Completely educated person should have skills or at least knowledge in and understanding of art, music and drama as well, because these subjects develop creativity and artistic approach to life and surrounding world. Even though if a child will not pursue any of these fields of arts, he will be able to comprehend and appreciate them, by making his input to preservation and promotion of these subjects in future. For example, I did not attend any specialized music or art school, but my basic knowledge obtained at school assist me in apprehension and evaluation of pieces of art, music or drama. In addition, I can hold discussion in any of these subjects without any difficulties due to my background, received at school. Furthermore, teaching of these subjects helps parents in detection of hidden talents and special aptitudes of their child, because usually parents take their children to specialized art or music schools after discovering interest and abilities toward any of the mentioned subjects. For instance, my neighbors decided to send their seven years daughter to fine art courses because she was doing very well in her art class, especially in painting. Moreover, teaching of these subjects enrich the inside world of any child and assist in expression of ideas, thoughts and feelings that a child is unable to due to the traits of character. Usually people who cannot convey their feelings through words are successfully express them by playing music, drawing, creating sculptures and so on. The best example is the prominent scientist A. Einstein who was at the same time a very good violin player. When asked of the reason of his passion to music he responded that it was the best way to express what he could not deliver in words. In contrary, too much propagation of music, art or drama may shift a child away from the other subjects that constitute an important part of education as well. Only few of children desplay special ptitude to the mentioned subjects and mere interest in, let us say, music may persuade parents and a child to believe falsely that the latter has talent to it and drift him/her away from studying other subjects, causing serious gaps in a child’s education. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize, that teaching of music, art, and drama are critical in revealing hidden abilities of children toward these subjects and in forming completely educated and thoroughly developed individual with rich inside world. That is why I adhere to opinion that music, art and drama should be a part of every child’s education.

Furthering My Education Furthermore

Throughout my educational experience, writing has never been one of my strong points. I have also found difficulty in to discussing my shortcomings with strangers. For the sake of furthering my education, I will attempt to push these difficulties to the side and live up to my potential as a successful college student and a young mother of two. Allow me to take you through my journey. In the summer of 2004, I was accepted into a â€Å"Groups Program† at Indiana University. I was thrilled to be going to college. All of my family was ecstatic as well since I was the first member of the family to attend.The â€Å"Groups Program† was a program of about 300 minority students from all over the state of Indiana who were guaranteed all four years of college to be paid for if we completed six weeks of classes on campus before the fall semester began. Six weeks? This should be a breeze especially since my best friend, Coyalett, was accepted as well. We would also be rooming togeth er. The problem with that was we had too much fun. We did exactly what we did in Anderson (marijuana), and we were kicked out in two weeks. Dang! So much for making the family proud. Back to Anderson it was, and I was really bummed out.Here I was, a few weeks out of High School, and I already messed up my shot at going to college. I didn’t give up though. I applied to IU on my own, and I could not believe they accepted me to come back in the fall. I felt that I was experiencing some sort of miracle, or it could have been the fact that I graduated high school with a 3. 8. Either way I was excited to have a second chance at obtaining a college degree. My best friend was not so lucky. I believe she ended up doing some schooling via the Internet. Oh well, I was on my way to a better future and nothing or no one was going to stop me.Boy, was I wrong. When I went back to Bloomington, I met another freshman named Heather. We really hit it off. She was extremely nice, and we had a fe w things in common. She was from Muncie (which is not too far from me), we liked the same music, we had the same style, and we liked to smoke weed. We were together every day. Heather did not mind doing it all day long. Since the opportunity to smoke was always there, I did it too. My grades began to slip dramatically. School work and marijuana just does not mix. The times that I did show up to class, I probably was stoned.Drugs and school are a really bad combination, and I had a very hard time juggling the two. Still, I was not going to give up. I’m not really a give-up type of girl. The only problem with that is I didn’t want to give up either of the two. So I made it through the first semester without getting busted or giving up. My GPA was about a 1. 2, and I was placed on academic probation. I stuck around because I was not ready to go home yet. I was having too much fun, and I wanted to finish my education. The spring semester began alright. I was smart enough t o begin my first class at one o’clock in the afternoon.Therefore, I was attending classes more. Only now I had a problem with driving home every weekend to see my boyfriend. This took time away from studying and also cost me a lot of gas money and about $1000 in speeding tickets. During that time, I felt my family and boyfriend were worth all of that. I got my GPA up to about a 2. 5, and in May, I was ready to go home for summer vacation. I did not know that I was a couple weeks pregnant! I found that out about a week or two of being at home. I was disgusted with myself. It took me a few months to actually get excited at the thought of having a baby.I ended up breaking up with my boyfriend during the summer. He was extremely jealous and abusive, and I just had enough. I definitely did not want to raise my son around him. I went back to IU that fall almost five months pregnant, and I remember being ashamed. I wore really big clothes, and I was depressed and afraid. I hated bei ng so far away from home being pregnant and alone. Yet, I still did not want to give up. Especially since I had a huge responsibility coming in a few more months. So I attended all my classes, and I studied more than I did the previous year. It helped that I was not doing drugs anymore, too.I would never do that to my child. So besides feeling so alone, I was doing alright as far as my school work went. Until a day in October when I was rushed to the ER in Bloomington. I had actually just gotten back to Bloomington from a trip home to see my family when I decided to go to Starbucks and get ready to work all night on school work. For no reason at all, I blacked out in the line at Starbucks and hit my head on a counter. I do not remember much but the feeling of people swarming over me and voices that sounded a million miles away. The ride to the emergency room was bumpy, and I was terrified.I have never ridden in an ambulance before under any circumstance, and I had no idea what was g oing on. All I could think about was my unborn child. Was he alright? Did I hurt him in any way when I fell? Is he going to live? When I arrived at the hospital, I never felt so alone in my life. I wanted my mommy. And out of nowhere, a little Japanese lady entered my room and held my hand. She would have to do. She stayed with me the whole time, and I had never seen her a day in my life. She was a friend of a friend of my mother’s. I really did not care at that point. I was just so happy to have someone there by my side.The doctors checked on my baby and ran a few test and released me early the next morning. My child was alright. The doctors had discovered that my iron was really low, and that’s what caused the blackout. The thought of the scariest day of my life repeating itself again was enough to send me packing and on my way back to Anderson. So I got plenty of rest until I delivered my baby on January 11th, 2006. This was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I had a 6lb 9oz Golden Child, and I was the proudest person alive. Motherhood was nice. I had a job at Wendy’s, and I had my own apartment.I was so busy being a mom that I sort of forgotten about my education. Well, it was put on the back burner of my mind. A day after my son’s first birthday, I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. Wow, two kids and I’m still working the drive-thru at Wendy’s. I was devastated until August 25th, 2007. That’s when I became a mother to the most beautiful baby girl I’d ever rested my eyes upon. I was so proud to be a mother to these two children. Although I was proud, I was extremely busy now. I ended up getting fired from Wendy’s after being there for more than two years.I tried almost everywhere to get a job, and I did not have any luck. After a couple months of this, I decided to get certified as a nursing assistant. I always wanted to be a nurse to begin with, and I figured I could start th ere and work my way up. I also knew that I would not have a problem finding a job once I was certified. I worked really hard during my training, and I passed the class with a 98%. I was proud of myself and amazed that I got back in the rhythm of being a student. I wanted more. I wanted more for my children. Two days after I passed the state test, I began working at a nursing home. I love what I do.I started there in 2008, and I’m still with them today. I’m actually passionate about what I do. The feeling is amazing. After seeing how I could perform in a school setting, I knew I could do it again. After each day of looking in my children’s eyes, I knew I had to do it again. I want a better future for those two. I want a better future for me. I want them to be as proud of me as I am of them. I now understand that the only way to achieve this is by furthering my education. So this is what it feels like to grow up. It took two children to help me realize this, and I wouldn’t trade them in for ten worlds.

Involvement and Consistency PowerPoint Presentation

Involvement and Consistency - PowerPoint Presentation Example Business organization is ongoing and involves everyone planning in our in the process to some degree. TEAM ORIENTATION Cooperation and collaboration across functional roles are actively encouraged in this organization. Working in this organization is like being part of a team. This organization relies on horizontal control and coordination to get work done, rather than hierarchy. Teams are primary building blocks of this organization. Work is sensibly organized in this company so that each person can see the relationship between his/her work and the goals of the organization. CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT This organization delegates authority so that people can act on their own. The "bench strength" of this organization is constantly improving. This organization continuously invests in the skills of its employees. The capability of people in this organization is viewed as an important source of competitive advantage. Problems seldom arise in this organization because we have the skills nece ssary to do the job.

The Kings Rhetorical Prowess Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Kings Rhetorical Prowess - Essay Example In accordance with the issues discussed in the paper although both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were eager to fight for the rights and freedom of African Americans, it was only the former who believed that this dream could be achieved through nonviolent means or by not troubling, disrupting, or angering the White people. Apparently, both speeches were powerful and persuasive. However, King’s speech was more persuasive because of the manner he presented his arguments; his was more charismatic than the speech of Malcolm X. King was diplomatic, whereas Malcolm X was exceptionally radical. King called for unity between the Black and White people, whereas Malcolm X strongly advocated complete independence from White supremacy, and a land for African Americans. King’s diplomatic tone is more suitable to the political and social environment of the 1960’s, which is a period marred by bitter racial conflicts. The 1960’s is the ultimate spin-off of the clas h between the Emancipation Proclamation and Jim Crow laws. However, despite the oppression and maltreatment experienced by the Black people in America, they chose to continue their struggle for freedom and dignity in a peaceful, compromising way. They detested bloodshed. In the tumultuous period of the 1960’s, civil rights advocates chose to exercise nonviolent means, such as lobbying, civil disobedience, rallies, and so on, to bring about their desired reforms. Opportunely, the federal government responded to these pressures by ratifying several major reforms such as the 1968 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. This event alone attested to the fact that the fight for the freedom and rights of the Black people can be won through diplomacy; no bloodshed, no revolution, is needed. The strength of King’s speech rests in his stylistic techniques and rhetorical devices. In his speech, he effectively used metaphors, personifications, and euphemism. He used metap hors to highlight the African Americans’ historical plight and struggles, and the possibility of uniting two very different races. Some of the stirring metaphors he used were as follows: â€Å"This is not time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism† (King para 8); â€Å"Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice† (King para 10); â€Å"With this faith we [Black and White people] will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood†

END OF SEGREGATION, DISCRIMINATION AND ISOLATION Essay

END OF SEGREGATION, DISCRIMINATION AND ISOLATION - Essay Example They fought till the equal status. These movements were led by people such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King' Ralph David Abernathy, Medger Evers, Malcolm X, Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson and President Abraham Lincoln. They created the path for African-Americans to become respected citizens who have rights as others. In this paper it will be discussed how African-Americans worked to end slavery, segregation, discrimination, and isolation and achieved freedom for themselves. Contents Contents 3 Segregation, Discrimination and Isolation in Post-Reconstruction Period and African American Movement 3 How African-Americans have put an End to the Segregation, Discrimination, Isolation to attain Civil Rights and Equity 5 Revolutionising their Minds and Participating in Establishment of their Nation 6 Service to White Land Owners 7 Collective Responsibility 8 Abolishment of Slavery, Segregation and Racism 8 Formation of Institutions like Schools that Improved E ducation Status of African Americans 9 Civil Right Movement 10 Conclusion 11 Reference 12 Segregation, Discrimination and Isolation in Post-Reconstruction Period and African American Movement This situation is most likely seen in South side of the America, which resulted in 7 million African American, left that area which called as the great migration. The situation in North and West was better than the south but some discrimination can be seen. Following are segregation, discrimination and isolations which happened in that time. Segregation was empowered by law itself, public facilities and government services were divided into two as "white" and "colored". And the facilities assigned to African American were underfunded or not properly maintained. African Americans stood up against segregation by conducting boycotts, sit-ins and freedom rides. Disfranchisement – White Democrats in America made African American voters inaccessible for voter registration by passing laws, and black voters were forced off from the voting rolls. Tens of thousands of African Americans were left behind from voting, and the number of voters dropped dramatically. African Americans fought this issue by establishing voter registration activities and conducting mass scale marches. Exploitation – Number of unemployment among young African American went up due to the expelling from job as well as from education. Increased economic oppression of blacks, denial of economic opportunities, and widespread employment discrimination were widely seen. They established their own schools and started to follow courses and subject which had higher economical and social value in order to face this issue. Violence – Individual, police, organizational, and mass racial violence against African Americans was widely seen. African Americans resisted this in numerous ways and sought better opportunities through lawsuits, new organizations, political redress, and labor organizing. The Nat ional Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded in 1909. It fought to end race discrimination through litigation, education, and lobbying efforts. How African-Americans have put an End to the Segregation, Discrimination, Isolation to attain Civil Rights and Equity Segregation, discrimination, and isolation are some of the heinous acts that led to separation of people hence leading to confusion and disunity among them. In some countries, it even led to genocides because the people

Women in Mathematics, Science & Engineering Essay

Women in Mathematics, Science & Engineering - Essay Example Lewis (2011) documents 10 women who have made contributions to the field of mathematics for as early as 355 AD. These women include Hypatia of Alexandria (370 – 415 AD), a Greek philosopher, astronomer, mathematician, Elena Cornaro Piscopia (1646-1684) an Italian mathematician, theologian and Composer, Maria Agnesi (1718-1799) an Italian claimed to be the first woman university of mathematics. Others include,Sophie Germain (1776-1830) a French mathematician, Mary Fairfax Somerville (1780-1872) a Scottish and British mathematician also known as "Queen of Nineteenth Century Science," Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) a whose the Ada computer language after, Charlotte Angas Scott(1848-1931) an English, American mathematician and educator, Sofia Kovalevskaya (1850-1891) a Russian mathematician, Alicia Stott (1860-1940) an English mathematician and Amalie Emmy Noether (1882-1935) a German, Jewish, American mathematician (Etzkowitz, Kemelgor and Uzzi 45-100). Notably there are a number of wo men who have participated and made considerable contridutions in the field of sciences as early as the medieval age. Trotula di Ruggiero was the chair at the Medical School of Salerno in the 11th century. She has been credited in influential texts in obstetrics and gynecology (Leigh 65-80). Dorotea Bucca was also the chair of philosophy and medicine at the University of Bologna from 1390. Other women physicians from Italy included Abella, Jacobina Felicie, Alessandra Giliani, Rebecca de Guarna, Margarita, Mercuriade, Constance Calenda, and Calrice di Durisio among others. The participation and contribution of these Italian women physician was attributed to the liberal approach of the Italian Universities. Other notable achievements by women in science and physics in the nineteenth century include Florence Nightingale credited in pioneering nursing as a discipline; she was also a pioneer in public health and a statistician. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was the first British woman with medical 1865. In America it was Elizabeth Blackwell. Astronomical photography was also pioneered by Annie Scott Dill Maunder. In the 20th century women notables in science include Marie Curie a Nobel price winner in Physics in 1903 (physics), and chemistry in 1911. In 1939, Lise Meitner credited for pioneering nuclear fission. Margaret Fountaine has made significant contributions in botany and entomology (Leigh 65-80). An analysis of female Nobel Prize laureates’ shows out of the fourty one women who have won the prestigious award between 1901 and 2010, sixteen of them have been in the field physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine (Ruth 100-150). Despite the above success stories there are several challenges that have inhibited women from pursuing Sciences and Mathematics. They include stereotypes, cultural practices, social prejudices, preferences and tastes, family orientation, the church etc. For instance St Thomas Aquinas was of the view that women were incapable of ho lding positions of authority, some cultures discourage women from participation in fields and activities regarded to as manly, some prejudices that a female is a weaker sex thus cannot comprehend technical aspects of science, there are workplace discrimination based on gender etc. (Ruth 100-150). 2.0 Challenges, issues and opportunities The issues of underrepresentation by women in sciences start early. In the US, girls account for athird of the students opting for physics at the high-school level. Those who secure placement in computer

Persuasive Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Persuasive Letter - Essay Example Communication Solutions for the last five years and prior work experience at the procurement department at the Cortland County Government offices not only present me as an ideal representative of our organization in the deal, but also opens a new chapter for our customer experience if my application goes through. Basing my application from an internal perspective of the two organizations party to the contract, my conversance with the systems of operation regarding procurement objectives at Cortland County Government and sales objectives at Lintech Communication Solutions will assist me to negotiate the best deal out of the contract. In light of the past circumstances causing revocation of rather lucrative contracts, it can squarely be blamed on the lack of understanding between Lintech Communication Solutions representative and our clients. As past management reports confirm, such failure can be attributed to a poor customer experience based on misunderstanding of the two systems of operation. Having been a part of the two contractual organizations, my representation of Lintech Communication Solutions at the initiation negotiations can guarantee success to this end. The familiarity that I have with the County Government officials is a valuable bargaining beginning for our organization. Besides my strategic advantage with conversance, my recent engagements on behalf of Lintech Communication Solutions have been in contracts of installation of video conferencing equipment for three different county government offices. All of these projects can be rated one of the best for the entire country and Lintech Communication Solutions, since the Federal Government rolled out the video conferencing plan for all government offices. Having taken part in the pilot projects that have had such success presents me as the ideal candidate for yet another successful negotiation for our organization. These deals were allocated to us amid a competitive backdrop crowded by numerous

Rachel Carson and the Enviromental Movement Research Paper

Rachel Carson and the Enviromental Movement - Research Paper Example She continued her personal research and writings about the environment and ecological issues during her federal service and subsequently published two books Under the Sea Wind (1941) and The Sea around Us (1951). Carson was conferred with two doctorate degrees; national book award and a national science writing prize and excerpts from her later book were reprinted in famous magazines like Science Digest, The Yale Review and The New Yorker. Later she left her federal employment and started to focus on third book The Edge of the Sea (1955). In early 1957, a letter from an old friend from Duxbury, Massachusetts described declining rates of bird population in her private sanctuary after the authorities’ sprayed fuel oil and DDT. Immediately, Carson researched DDT and other chemicals toxic effects and this became the basis of her next book Silent Spring (1962) (Mahoney, 2009). Silent Spring was initially published in serialized magazine form, later it was released in the form of a book (Clapp, 2000). The book became an instant bestseller and was widely covered by media. More than 250,000 copies of her book were sold in the first four months of its release making it a bestseller (Lantier, 2009). Back then, forest and crop lands were extensively sprayed with pesticides such as DDT to eradicate insect pests. However, unexpected consequences were witnessed due to spraying against fire ants in South and mosquitoes along the coastal line from New York to Maine. The result was successful eradication of insect pests and disease vectors but at the cost of immense damage to local fauna, wild life and environment. Scientists documented decline in fish, birds and animal population along with water and soil contamination. Also, alarming variations in the reproductive patterns and egg shells of various birds that primarily fed on fish were noticed. These changes not only indicated hormonal and reproductive changes but also a steep decline in avian population that could end anger the existence of certain species (Lear, 2001). Specifically, three unrelated events were extremely vital in providing evidence to Carson for the detrimental effects of pesticides, chemicals and toxic wastes on human health and environment. First one, involved the USDA campaign to eradicate fire ant from Southern states by spraying with dieldrin and heptachlor. These two pesticides accumulated in water ways and soil causing wildlife damage (Lear, 1993). As a consequence of fire ant control program heavy invertebrate immortality, population decline, slow recovery rate and residual traces of heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide was witnessed in majority of fauna in treated area (Dunlap, 2008). Carson (2002) labeled the fire ant eradication program as â€Å"ill-conceived, badly executed and thoroughly detrimental experiment in destruction of animal life†. Secondly, the aerial spraying of DDT mixed with fuel oil for mosquito control caused decline in bird population in coastal areas (Lear, 1993). Thirdly, DDT was sprayed on elm trees in Michigan State University campus aiming to eliminate bark beetle that was responsible for spreading the Dutch elm disease. However, along with pest elimination large population of robin died as a result of feeding on earthworms; that fed on DDT infested leaves (Lear, 1993). Other primary events that justified Carson’s claims was banning of cranberry product sale for three years (1957-59) as high levels of toxic chemicals known to cause cancer in rats was discovered