Monday, September 30, 2019

Hidden Violence Essay

The word gang-everyone knows what it means or what it stands for. Of course by the time children get to the end of their elementary years they’ve heard of know gangs such as; the Cribs, Bloods, Latin Kings, Vatos Locos, but none of those names cause as much fear and terror as the gang called La Mara Salvatrucha aka MS-13. La Mara known for their psychotic methods of killing and running their turf, no other gang comes close to causing the same fear as La Mara Salvatrucha (ms-13gang.com). Forced to abandon their home land due to the civil war in El Salvador, the adventure to the U.S. was good at the start but soon the odds turned against them. Therefore for their protection they were forced to start was today is known as the most dangerous gang of the world La Mara Salvatrucha (National Geographic). A simple face-off between El Salvador’s government and guerrilla groups began the civil war of 1980 in El Salvador. The civil war killed 75,000 people and left 8,000 missing and another million or so homeless. The war was known for the government’s massacres and its Death Squad’s killing of civilians, nuns and priests (bookrag.com). This led many Salvadorians to search for a better life, many of whom came to America for their fresh beginning. A group of refugees in Pico Union, California had to get used to their new home, not knowing that by escaping the war in El Salvador they had just jumped right into a new one against the LA street gangs. Immigrate parents working endless sifts providing no parental supervision; young Salvadorian children were being raised by the streets of LA. After being beaten, stabbed, and harassed by the rest of the LA street gangs, a group of refugees decided to form a strong hold or as it is called in Salvador, a Mara. They said, â€Å"If these guys want violence we’ll show them violence† keep in mind that these refugees had a good knowledge of what violence was as well as having previous military training (ms-13gang.com). Then came the day when they said enough is enough it is time to take a stand, and the infamous MS-13 was formed. Born in LA in the 1980’s, expanding to parts of Canada, Spain, England, and Germany becoming bigger and dangerous day by day. La Mara can now be found in Washington D.C, Oregon, Alaska, Arkansas, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, and Florida just alone in the United States. In Central America they can be found in El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala and several other Latin countries. MS-13 is considered to be one of the most dangerous and organized in the world (altereddimensions.net).There are two ways to get into the gang. For males one is to get jumped in, which means the new recruit is surround by numerous members and beaten for at least 13 seconds. The other way is by killing either an enemy gang member or just a simple killing. For females there is a third option which is to get having sexual intercourse with several MS members or as they call it gang banged. MS-13 has many similar criminal characteristics as other gang such as: smuggling drugs, people, and weapons. The biggest difference with MS-13 is the willingness to use brutality in all their activities (keysaferschools.com). All of the MS-13 activities were kept low-profile very well. Unlike many gang which us guns, knives, and ropes to hang their victims, La Mara Salvatrucha uses machetes, which have become their weapon of choice (ms-13gang.com). From the start gang members only wore white, gray, and blue colors mostly colors token from El Salvador’s flag. Using a weapon such as the machete is pretty insane right? Well they went all out with this weapon not just slicing n dicing all their enemies but also just by smacking their brains out with the machetes. Let’s get to the gang signs they throw up when representing their hood. Using one hand where they stick out the pinky finger as well as the index finger letting the thumb cross over the other two fingers that are cured into the palm. Another gang sign is using both hands having both index fingers and thumbs out, extending the two fingers between the index and the pinky half way out still cured also on both hands which leaves the pinky h idden on the side last thing is to join the pinky knuckles together also having the ring fingers touch. This powerful symbolism a fearing sight to experiences, both representing devil horns are yet another hint why these guys are considered to be, if not the most, at least one of the top dangerous gangs in the world (mahalo.com). Representing their hood is so important to them that they use their own faces to rep their hood. MS members tattooing them-self all over the body especially on the face, with signs such as, MS-13, 666, and X III in big letters and fonts too. All their tattoos are gothic which simply means something very dark spirited, members will most commonly have 666 tatted on their body (ms-13gang.com). Stacking, some call it a type of dance to gangs it is just another type of language used to tell the other gangs they are MS-13 and that this is their turf. Not only do they claim their territory and rep their hood, but also around non-members, police, and enemy gangs stacking is used as their secret code language. The reason that some people think of stacking being a type of dance is because basically it uses the whole body moving in a redeem following behind hand motions. Starting out in California, soon after their members were being deported back to their home countries right after El Salvador’s civil war ended (altereddimensions.com). Police force in their native country not being suited to face off against MS-13’s level of brutality had no way to control or restrain them, and MS-13 began to grow extremely all over El Salvador. Not wanting to attract too much police attention they decide to move to their neighboring country, Honduras. Honduras a very significant act of the MS-13’s reign of terror along with a period filled with fear and anxiety for Hondurans. The Gang Slaughter of La Mara Salvatrucha on a bus with six children and twenty-two adults left a huge impact in the eyes of many. Suspected gang members armed with assault rifles cruelly sprayed a bus full with h oliday shoppers in the city of San Pedro Sula in Honduras. One of the suspected gang members was arrested in the same area just hours after the horrific action found with two assault rifles, two pistols, and ammunition in his vehicle. Another two where found just 10 miles away from San Pedro Sula two days after (altereddimensions.net). Only these three arrested suspects were linked to MS-13. As for the rest of the sad people who joined in this satanic act are believed that they were going through inanition for La Mara Salvatrucha. Yet again MS-13 attracting much attention from the Honduran authorities, they decided to move again but this time they don’t move together they spread like crazy (ms-13gang.com). Then the world wide spread started from this point on, migrating back to the United States to rejoin their soldiers left behind, and spreading over Central America as well as in parts of Europe and Asia. Up until 2002 no police department had any solid information on La Mara Salvatrucha. That’s until a brave young lady Brenda Paz spoke out against the infamous MS-13 on a search for a new start (mahalo.com). At only 16 years of age Brenda wanted to take a stand and try to stop what today is classified as an organized crime. At the time Brenda had just got paginate by the leader in her area which he knew nothing about. For almost six months she was under protection provided by the government but due to her pregnancy she left the area to get some air and have open space. Just soon after in 2003 she was found dead in Virginia-she was six months pregnant. Her body was found under a bridge in Shenandoah County. Stabbed 13 times all over the body this is just another act of La Mara Salvatrucha to show they are for real (altereddimensions.net). Several MS-13 members have been accused of the killing, Brenda who was helping authorities from at least six states investigate the gang was a great lost for the police force as well. In most case MS-13 members feel great pride when carrying out violent actions because to them it’s the crazier, most violent, and originally that gets them more resp ect with the gang, ranking up in other words. Imagine a little snow ball, what happens to the tiny thing when rolled around a few times? It grows tremendously right, yeah exactly correct. The more and more you roll it the bigger it gets. That’s how La Mara Salvatrucha started out as a simple little snow ball and look at it now, seems to me that it hasn’t stopped rolling yet and never will. Their first enemy 18 street a Mexican gang in Cali, the LAPD, the FBI and many more couldn’t stop them, what makes you think anyone can! People just stay clear of the streets avoid crossing with gangs and If you hear of MS-13 near you just stay inside. MS-13 has no respect to anyone other than their own and will let their full fury out on anyone who crosses in their way. N.p.: n.p., 1999. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. . N.p.: SparTech Software, 1998-2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. . Logan, Samuel. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. . N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. . N.p.:  © National Geographic Channel, 2009. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. .

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Restorative Justice and the Criminal Justice System Essay

Mennonites and other practitioners in Ontario, Canada, and later in Indiana, experimented with victim offender encounters that led to programs in these communities and later became models for programs throughout the world. Restorative justice theory developed initially from these particular efforts[ (Zehr, 2002) ]. The restorative justice movement originally began as an effort to rethink the needs which crimes create, as well as the roles implicit in crimes. Restorative justice advocates were concerned about needs that were not being met in the usual justice process[ (Zehr, 2002) ]. The criminal justice system’s approach to justice has some important strengths. Yet, there is also a growing acknowledgment of this system’s limits and failures. Victims, offenders, and community members often feel that justice does not adequately meet their needs. Justice professionals, who make up the core components, such as: judges, lawyers, prosecutors, probation and parole officers, and prison staff frequently express a sense of frustration as well. Many feel that the process of justice deepens societal wounds and conflicts rather than contributing to healing or peace[ (Zehr, 2002) ]. Interdisciplinary study and research in public safety and restorative justice is very important. Restorative justice at this day in age will not replace the current court system, but it offers an alternative resolution service for people who want to try another approach. For example, some places are offering mediated victim and offender community conferences. These conferences provide facilitators to help victims and offenders seek reconciliation and resolution. Restorative justice seeks alternatives to continue to put more and more people in jail. Restorative justice seeks sentences that make amends to the victim of crime and to the community as a whole [(Zehr, 2002) ]. Restorative Justice 3 My related feel of study is criminal justice. The criminal justice system is not a perfect system by far. The criminal justice system is concerned about holding offenders accountable, but that means making sure offenders get the punishment they deserve. The restorative justice approach focuses on the harm that has been done to people, individually and as a community. Restorative justice recognizes that crime is wrong and should not occur and also recognizes that after it does, there are dangers and opportunities. Restorative justice has brought an awareness of the limits and negative byproducts of punishment. Beyond that, however, it has argued that punishment is not real accountability. Real accountability involves facing up to what one has done. It means encouraging offenders to understand the impact of their behavior, the harms they have done, and urging them to take steps to put things right as much as possible[ (Zehr, 2002) ]. Restorative justice and the criminal justice system are two systems that have different views. Restorative justice focuses on harm that has been done to people, individually and as a community. It recognizes that crime is wrong and should not occur, and also recognizes that after it does, there are dangers and opportunities[ (Kelly, 2001) ]. The criminal justice system has three core components, police, courts, and corrections. Each core component has a different function in the criminal justice system. The police functions are to enforce specific laws, investigate specific crimes, earch people, vicinities, buildings, arrest or detain people. The police function is primarily a function of cities and states (Overview, 2008). The courts functions are broken down into prosecutors, judges and magistrates. The prosecutors file charges or petitions for adjudication, seek indictments, drop cases and reduce charges. Restorative Justice 4 The judges and magistrates set bail or conditions for release, accept pleas, determine delinquency, dismiss charges, impose sentences, and revoke probation (Overview, 2008). The corrections components are correctional officials and paroling authorities. Correction officials assign to type of correctional facility, award privileges, and punish for disciplinary infractions. The paroling authorities determine date and conditions of parole and revoke parole. Corrections are a primary function of the state and government (Overview, 2008). Throughout the United States the criminal justice system is in a state of crisis. The public is fearful and angry. Practitioners are weary and frustrated. Criminal justice policy is driven more by anecdote than systematic information. Costs of current policies are not sustainable over long periods. Victims are often re-victimized in the process.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Participant-Observer Exercise Essay

First of all, I am grateful to all class members and our instructor for the experience that I was able to acquire during this course. This is a good example of experiential learning – here we all had opportunities to transform our theoretical knowledge into real life experience. It really proved effective. I may also note that the last group engagement exercise did not disprove my previous hypotheses: with time and the experience of joint work we all got more confident about the tasks, and with the raise of confidence our productivity increased. I think we all got to know each other better and it increased the level of confidence. My hypothesis for this week is: â€Å"Group work gets real meaning and becomes more productive when group members bring in their personal insights and personal experiences instead of confining themselves to theorizing and relying on common sense. † At first, we knew each other too little to be open and share our personal experience. With time, we got to know each other better and gradually became more relaxed about sharing our thoughts. I think it had a positive impact on our performance. It helped to provide more examples of the concepts we presented. Our task was to discuss experiential learning and how it assists in exercising leadership and understanding group dynamics. We focused on several chosen principles in our presentation, and each of us was able to vitalize theory by referring to specific examples. This level of openness was quite impossible during the first exercise. Personal insights helped us all better understand theory and make a more interesting presentation. In fact, this experience once again proves Principle 9 that we discussed in our presentation: â€Å"The more supportive, accepting, and caring the social environment, the freer a person is to experiment with new behaviors, attitudes, and action theories† (Johnson & Johnson, 2009, p. 51). Since all were open and ready to introduce a personal insight, we felt the environment to be rather supportive and accepting. As a result, we felt more confident and could communicate our thoughts freely. It provided greater value to our group work and helped to fulfill our task more successfully. References Johnson, D. W. , & Johnson, F. P. (2009). Joining together: Group theory and group skills. 10th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Friday, September 27, 2019

HW Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

HW - Assignment Example During his chase, he comes upon a damsel who is later revealed to be a Ghuleh. The Prince fears for his life upon this revelation and as advised by Ghuleh, prays to God for mercy and protection. Consequently, Ghuleh leaves and the Prince later reports the Wezir to the King. Upon hearing the whole story, the King orders that the minister be put to death. But, the minister or the Wezir is very envious and attempts to turn the King against his favourite Sage Duban who is a very wise man. The Wezir claims that if the King continues to trust Duban, he will be fatally poisoned by him. The King becomes convinced of Duban’s alleged treachery. He orders that in place of the Wezir, Duban should be beheaded the next day. Duban tried to plead for his life, but to no avail. So, he seeks revenge by giving a very valuable book to the King as the last gift in which all the leaves are poisoned. The next day, Duban is executed and the King also dies later when he goes through the book given to him. Before dying, he realizes that he has paid the price for betraying one of his most loyal men. The King desired unjust destruction, so God destroyed

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Impact of Media Globalisation on National Identity Essay

Impact of Media Globalisation on National Identity - Essay Example The Chinese economy has been selected because of the increasing number of foreign companies in China. Moreover, since the Chinese government has been very rigid in its foreign media policies, therefore, this essay will be also helpful to understand the major threats which Chinese government has from media globalization and because of which the government has remained rigid and strict. The electronic media and communication network includes the various forms of a telecommunication network, internet, radio, television and film and the rate of expansion of media has been exceptional (Siochru, 2004). Actually, the development of media and communication is brought by the development and innovations in technology. It is also believed that because of the rapid technological developments, there is a potential for further development in media and communications. By describing the merger of Time-Warner with AOL Sinclair argues that merging of cable, internet and satellite services has the potential to increase in future with the developments in technology such as digital television. Media is considered very important because it directly influences the consumer behavior, culture, living style and attitude. Jan (2009) argues that media are fundamental to the provision of cultural or symbolic assets worldwide and it is central to the use of cultural or symbolic power. The increasing globalization of media is usually associated with the national identity and culture. National identity is a shared sentiment which is based on the credence of belonging to a nation which shares a set of common attributes that differentiate it from the other nations (Berdun, 2007, pp.11).  

Law of business association.Understanding company law Case Study

Law of business association.Understanding company law - Case Study Example This means that this partnership agreement will be in line with the partnership act of businesses operating in Australia. Further, they inform the solicitor that they are equal partners Partnership Act 1963 (ACT, section 6(1). John and Jenny are in partnership as the formation of a partnership requires a written or verbal agreement. This two people have a written agreement of partnership prepared by their solicitor. They open a joint account in which they use for the business transaction. This is not a requirement of a partnership. However, for the success of the business it is necessary to have a business account. A partnership is not a legal entity thus a business account will have to be a joint account of the members (Bentley v Craven (1853) 18 Beav 75; 52 ER 29). After a partnership formation, there are legal consequences. The liability of the partner is unlimited. This means that, in the case of Jenny and John they are responsible for the business debts. The recovery of business debts wills extend to the personal properties of the two partners. This will happen in the event that shares in the business are inadequate to cover business liabilities. This partnership between Jenny and John, it is jenny who involves in the day to day running of the business. Therefore, Jenny works as a general partner while John operates as a dormant partner. The two partners meet regularly to discuss the progress of the business. This means that John is aware of how the business if fairing on though he is not an active participant in its operation. John as a partner in this business is liable for the decisions that Jenny makes on a daily basis. If the business, incurs loses or profits the two partners will share them equally. The two partners have been sharing the proceeds of the business from time to time on an equal basis. They share the profits equally though Jenny works full time in the business and does not receive a salary while John works irregularly on weekends. This business is failing in its operation. In addition, the relationships between the two partners deteriorate. They decide to dissolve the business, and ask their solicitor to terminate the partnership. However, the two partners continue to operate the business much the same way as before dissolution. In effect, this implies that the partnership has not been dissolved. This is because, for a partnership to be dissolve the partners withdraw their shares and the business operation ceases (Lipton et al., 2012). Alternatively, the partners sell their shares and t he business continues to operate, but as a new partnership. John had ordered for fixture and fitting for use in the business, in his own name but did not make payment for them. This he did in anticipation of the start of the business. The fixture and fitting have been in use, in this partnership business. John wants Jenny to participate in payment of this debt. Jenny declines, saying she has been working for the partnership without payment and that John should settle the debt (Lipton et al., 2012). Legally John and Jenny are in a partnership though they assume that they have dissolved. Accordingly then, they are both liable to make payment for this debt though its acquisition is in the name of John. This is because the fittings and furniture acquisition was for business purpose. The partnership act stipulates that debts incurred by a partner even without the knowledge of the other partner are the responsibility of all partners. Therefore, Jenny as a partner in business with John can be sued individually for this debt Partnership Act

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Edgewires Automated Phone System Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Edgewires Automated Phone System - Case Study Example They serve a niche market of vacationers who desire adventure in their holidays. Thus, call centre operators became immersed in and learned how to provide adventure seekers satisfying holiday experiences. Not only are such holidays off the beaten path but they typically require special equipment. Edgewire's operators coordinate with suppliers to fulfil all their customers' needs. Satisfaction of thrill-seeking customers is obviously healthy or else Edgewire couldn't have grown into a robust business if its operators delivered inferior adventures. Today's situation is that goals #1 and #2 have evolved into apparent conflict. In the interest of long-term stability, Edgewire's management firmly believe they must install an automated phone answering system. Doing so means replacing call centre operators. Management has calculated the savings by cutting back on labour costs. However, this goal of presumed long-term stability comes at the cost of jobs; yet providing jobs was a goal of the EU regeneration grant. Quite naturally the call centre operators are distressed and disagree. This Social Impact Statement (SIS) examines the issue in-depth. The goal is to find options that perhaps can be smartly used to satisfy all parties that are affected by Edgewire's conversion to an automated phone answering system. ... This SIS comes somewhat late. Edgewire management's decision is almost fait accompli. They are reluctant to discuss the inherent conflict-of-interest or negotiate the core issues. They stalled before acquiescing to the independent evaluation requested by the call centre operators' Trade Union. 1.1 The New System and Its High-Level Benefit - Reduce Costs 2,310,000 Yearly In addition to cost savings, two features of the proposed automated phone answering system are quite attractive. It will be a "decision support system" (DSS) as well as a "knowledge based system" (KBS). DSS tells call centre personnel specific decision information each customer already made about an adventure holiday and left on the automated phone system. KBS is a standardisation of holiday packages for customers who don't need special customising. Management believes these new ways to do business streamline operations and save labour costs, thus better ensuring Edgewire's long-term financial wellbeing and economic stability. Here are supporting data. Staffing Current Staff Current Cost Proposed - New Staffing Level Cost with New System Savings Call Centre operators 200 4 million 50 1.25 million 2.75 million System Update Officers -0- -0- 20 0.5 million -0.5million Line Managers 10 300,000 10 300,000 -0- Drop-in centre 3 60,000 -0- -0- 60,000 Totals 213 4,360,000 80 2,050,000 2,310,000 1.2 Stakeholders Stakeholders have not been apprised or consulted. Until now only Edgewire's management (primary stakeholder) has had input on decision making about the automated phone answering system. Nobody knows with certainty how Edgewire's customer base (another primary) will react. Management lacks 100% unity. Dissention exists. Anxieties are growing

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Power of Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Power of Poetry - Essay Example To prove the potency of poetry, the poem chosen here is called ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ and it was written by Adrienne Rich. This paper seeks to prove how poetry can be used as a powerful medium to convey much more than pretty verses. Poetry can be a vehicle for social critique, literary expertise and so much more. ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ is a relatively short poem of twelve lines that tells the story of the poet’s Aunt, a nervous and diminutive woman who lives in terror of her husband. It has a rhyme scheme of AABB with no variation. This rhyme gives it a very simple, almost childlike quality that belies its serious content. Another great thing about the choice of the structure for this poem is its short length. The brevity of the poem reinforces the tragic brevity of the life of Aunt Jennifer in the poem. Thus, it can already be noted that even the most apparent features of a poem can be of significance and hold more meaning than meet s the eye. To move into the poem itself, the first lines are: ‘Aunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen, / Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.’ The first words echo the title of the poem – again, much like a nursery rhyme does, reinforcing the irony of the childlike style against a grim subject. The lines also introduce the subject of the poem: Aunt Jennifer herself and her ‘tigers’. From the use of the metaphor ‘prance across a screen’, one can hazard a guess that these are either tigers that Aunt Jennifer embroiders or knits. The imagery of ‘bright topaz’ against a ‘world of green’ is very visually evocative and also serves the purpose of setting up a contrast that will tie in with the theme at a later point. The lines following these may come as a bit of a surprise to the reader. After introducing the rather pleasant scene of ‘prancing’ tigers of bright topaz, the poet writes: They do not fear the men beneath the tree; They pace in sleek chivalric certainty (Rich 3-4) This negation of fear does not ‘naturally’ follow a description of something. In usual conversation perhaps, or in prose, one would not jump from describing ‘prancing’ to ‘they do not fear.’ This sort of jump in logic to achieve an end – one that will be cleared by the end of the poem – can only be achieved with such mastery and simplicity in poetry. The lines introduce an element of gender. ‘Men beneath the tree’, given the context of tigers, evokes an image of hunters or hunting – a traditionally male activity. ‘Sleek chivalric certainty’ reinforces this image of hunters in their uniforms and presents a picture of masculinity. The oppression of women in a patriarchal world is the major theme of this poem and it is introduced here. Given this knowledge then, the contrast present in ‘bright topaz’ in ‘a world of green’ can appear to symbolize the visible nature of women in a world of men where they seem to ‘stick out’ and cannot blend in easily. The second paragraph of them poem begins with the identical phrase as the first, ‘Aunt Jennifer’s’ – this is a double reinforcing of the children’s nursery rhyme structure which usually has repetitions of phrases like these: Aunt Jennifer's fingers fluttering through her wool Find even the ivory needle hard to pull. The massive weight of Uncle's wedding

Monday, September 23, 2019

The Differences and Similarities Between Voluntary and Reflex Nerve Assignment

The Differences and Similarities Between Voluntary and Reflex Nerve Actions - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that endocrine organs are those organs which have specialized glands that produce and secrete chemical substances called hormones that regulate the growth, metabolism, development,  and function of the body. The major endocrine glands are pituitary, hypothalamus, thyroid, adrenals, parathyroids, reproductive organs and pineal body. The pineal body is located in the middle portion of the brain and secretes melatonin which regulated the wake-sleep cycle of the body. The hypothalamus releases several hormones that control the stimulation and suppression of hormones secreted by the pituitary gland. The paper tells that one of the important hormone released by hypothalamus is somatostatin which stops the release of secretion of growth hormone by the pituitary gland. Hypothalamus is secreted in the lower central part of the brain. The pituitary gland is located beneath the hypothalamus at the base of the brain. It is attached to the base of the b rain by a stalk. It secretes several hormones which control the functions of other endocrine glands. The gland is divided into 2 parts, the anterior lobe, and the posterior lobe. Most of the anterior pituitary hormones have a diurnal rhythm. The hormones of the anterior lobe are regulated by the hypothalamus. They are growth hormone which stimulates the growth of tissue and bone, thyroid stimulating hormone which stimulates the thyroid to produce and secrete thyroid hormones, adrenocorticotropin hormone which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce steroid hormones, prolactin which stimulates the production of milk in women and follicular stimulating and luteinizing hormones which control the functioning of sexual organs and production of sex hormones. Growth hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland. It is an anabolic hormone. It stimulates the growth of various types of tissues of the body especially the bone and the skeletal muscle. Growth hormone stimulates synthesis of protei ns, causes mobilization of fat and inhibits the uptake and metabolism of glucose. Increased secretion of this hormone causes gigantism and decreased secretion causes dwarfism. The posterior lobe of the pituitary gland produces vasopressin which controls water loss through kidneys and oxytocin which stimulates milk production and contracts uterus during childbirth. The thyroid gland is located... Describe the differences and similarities between voluntary and reflex nerve actions. Our body carries out mainly 2 types of actions and they are voluntary actions, involuntary actions or reflex actions. Both the actions involve stimuli, impulse, neurons and effector organs. Voluntary action is nothing but an anticipated, may or may not be conscious, goal-oriented movement. It is initiated in the cerebral cortex of the brain and the impulse passes into the motor area of the cerebral cortex and then to the spinal cord. From here, an impulse is passed to motor neuron and then to the muscle mak ing it contract. Example of voluntary action is waving the hand at a friend. The brain sends the impulse to the muscles of the hand and makes the hand wave at the friend. Thus, voluntary action is under the control of the will of the individual. Reflex action is involuntary. It is initiated by the stimulation of the receptor and the impulse passes through the dendrite and then the axon of the neuron through the synapse. It then relays on the neuron of the grey matter in the spinal cord and the impulse is passed to the motor neuron which then sends the impulse to the muscle. The muscle then contracts and produces action. Example of reflex action is running away from seeing a snake. The action occurs without the conscious of the individual. The control of actions is mainly at the spinal cord level. It is an instantaneous movement. Voluntary impulse passes over to the opposite side of the body, whereas reflex impulse does not. Voluntary reflex is slow because of a longer pathway. Refle x impulse is quicker because it involves only 2 synapses. The pineal body is located in the middle portion of the brain and secretes melatonin which regulated the wake-sleep cycle of the body. The hypothalamus releases several hormones that control the stimulation and suppression of hormones secreted by the pituitary gland. One of the important hormone released by hypothalamus is somatostatin which stops the release of secretion of growth hormone by the pituitary gland. Hypothalamus is secreted in the lower central part of the brain. The pituitary gland is located beneath the hypothalamus at the base of the brain. It is attached to the base of the brain by a stalk. It secretes several hormones which control the functions of other endocrine glands. The gland is divided into 2 parts, the anterior lobe, and the posterior lobe. Most of the anterior pituitary hormones have a diurnal rhythm. The hormones of the anterior lobe are regulated by the hypothalamus. They are growth hormone which stimulates the growth of tissue and bone, thyroid stimulating hormone which stimulates the thyroid to produce and secrete thyroid hormones, adrenocorticotropin hormone which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce steroid hormones, prolactin which stimulates the production of milk in women and follicular stimulating and luteinizing hormones which control the functioning of sexual organs and production of sex hormones. Growth hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland. It is an anabolic hormone. It stimulates the growth of various types of tissues of the body especially the bone and the skeletal muscle. Growth hormone stimulates synthesis of proteins, causes mobilization of fat and inhibits the uptake and metabolism of glucose. Increased secretion of this hormone causes gigantism and decreased secretion causes dwarfism. The posterior lobe of the pituitary gland produces vasopressin which controls water loss through kidneys and oxytocin which stimulates milk production and contracts uterus during childbirth. The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck and produces thyroid hormones. They are critical for the metabolism in the body. They have a major role to play in the growth and development of various tissues in the body including the nervous tissue. The follicles of the thyroid store thyroglobin from which thyroid hormone is derived. Hypersecretion of thyroid hormone causes Grave's disease and hyposecretion leads to hypothyroidism, an extreme form of which is known as cretinism. The hormones also help maintain normal blood pressure and heart rate in the body. On the surface of the thyroid gland are 2 pairs of parathyroid glands which release parathormone. This hormone regulates the calcium metabolism in the bone and blood. The pancreas is located in the abdomen behind the stomach. It has both endocrine and exocrine parts. The endocrine part secretes glucagon and insulin that control glucose levels in the blood. There are 2 adrenal glands, each of wh ich is located on the top of each kidney. They are triangular shaped and have outer cortex and inner medulla. The outer part reduces corticosteroids which regulate metabolism and control salt and water in the body. The medulla secretes catecholamines which maintain heart and blood pressure and cope with emotional and physical stress. The reproductive glands secrete sex hormones. The male testicles, which are located in the scrotum, secrete androgens like testosterone. These hormones are responsible for the growth and development of sexual characteristics in males. In females, the female hormones are secreted by ovaries which are located on either side of the uterus. They produce estrogens and progesterone which are responsible for female characteristics and are also involved in reproductive functions.  

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Department Stores Essay Example for Free

Department Stores Essay Nundies a unique brand of stockings introduced to the market fall 2006. The item to be sold at women’s boutique and specialty shops as well as 10 Neiman Marcus department stores throughout 40 states. Management problem did not seem to be the distribution of the new item in which they shipped out 11, 383 units of Nundies to stores through December 2007 and sold 2007 units online. A unit of Nundies consisted of a package of 5 liners. Nudies is a single use disposable panty that sticks to the inseam of womans pants, leggings, athletic wear, shorts, and jeans. Management seemed to have a difficult time trying to figure out the right strategy to use in an effort to increase the overall repurchase order rate in order to increase the company objective of sales and profits for the 2008 fiscal year. As a note there are other areas that present a problem for the company as well. A.) repurchasing orders are not meeting the goals set, B.) The company also noticed that reorders were only about 10% of the total units sold, C) The online purchases were viewed as a positive, however it was not used frequent enough to measure reorder, D.) One big issue was the amount of panty liners per package, E) The staff at the retail strores thought that Nundies would sell themselves. This was a clear example of communication breakdown. E) To add to the communication issue the sales personnel were not trained to educate the consumer about the product or to even suggest trying the product. F) The other issue that seem to be of big concern was that the displays were getting lost in the stock rooms. Jones 2 Fact: Nundies generated 60% of sales from their largest customer which was Nieman Marcus however low re-order. The company first focus on its marketing concept: How they were going to deliver the new product from its current product lines. The unique idea of required development capabilities into consumer based solutions primarily medical markets and the use of the item for one single use. The product cost per item was .60, One package of panty liners was set at 5per package at $15. The cost to make the plastic container was roughly 0.45 cents. In 2006 Nundies began to run ads in magazines, they distributed throughout New York city based retail buyers, and promotions with gift bags for women for celebrity events. In 2007 the distribution coverage among customers in boutiques and showrooms set up by manufacturer agents organization with product information. The company decided to provide a commission to the sales people at 12% on the wholesale price with a minimum order of 36 packages. The company spent $800,000 on media and print ads and online sales accounted for 385 units wich is roughly around $4275, and store purchases resulted in a minimum of 252 with net profit equaling 850,000. Alternative Courses of Action Nundies can continue to be developed for the women’s wear and specialty stores. The advantage for the company is cost at 14-400 the disadvantage is there was no buy in to keep the reliance on manufacturers agent organization to recruit stores through store show rooms. A second alternative would be to pursue upscale stores accounts, by doing this the company can market via ads, point of sales display and ad plans could be presented, the ability to produce and deliver product in the right quantity and document it. Centralize 300 stores and decentralize 350 stores. The disadvantage is that all the stores would have different merchandise buying practices Jones 3 as well as line fees, warehouse fees, settlement fees, catalogue fees, cooperative ad allowance ( fees are based on annual sales with estimated cost of 35k to 55k). Option 3 Mid level department stores I believe a positive would be centralized (1,793), same costs per size as the 5 upscale department stores. The disadvantage would be to lower the cost via different brand names and packaging (7 per pkg with paper packaging), different price 8 for $10. The fourth alternative positive would be to using different channels by which could be a positive if the company maintains the ability to produce and deliver product in the right quantity and documented also centralize all sales across the board. The company’s target group resulted in woman from 15-60 with an average  income of 25 or more 6% of 18 year old woman surveyed ( 18-45) 84% of woman are interested. 81% yes to products that provide hygiene and benefits of a panty 36% yes to no panty lines and hygiene, 29% will use the item 2-3 times a week, while 35% 3 to 5 times, 19% would likely use the product 6 times a week 17% occasionally. The variances were really shifty when examining where would one likely shop the Nundies of those polled the stats were 38% would shop at an upscale store 49% Mid level department store, 64% Mass department stores and 28% specialty store and 41% online. This all said I truly believe price does matter and the Nundies would likely see more re-orders if they would seek a lower price point or increase the quantity per package. The other target is that Nundies as I see it would likely work well in the fitness stores.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Teens And Anorexia Nervosa Theory

Teens And Anorexia Nervosa Theory Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that causes a person to obsess about their weight and the food they eat (MFMER. 2008, Para. 1). Anyone can have the disease, but women are particularly susceptible. People who have this condition will view themselves as fat when they look in the mirror although they are in reality dangerously thin and far below the normal weight for their bodys height and age (Lofshult, 2006). They attempt to lose weight by starving themselves and often by obsessive and compulsive exercise. This condition can affect people of all ages, yet teens in America are greatly affected by the disease because they are at a vulnerable development stage and extremely subject to body image issues. (MFMER, 2008). Anorexia Nervosa is at its core an issue with self worth and not really about food at all. When teens are struggling with emotional self esteem issues, they will often try to cope with these feelings through the unhealthy practice of losing weight. It is believed that if they are thinner they will be more accepted by society. Anorexia Nervosa, also known as Anorexia, is a disease that causes them to equate self worth with being thin (MFMER, 2010) It can have serious complications on the body and be life threatening if not treated properly. During the early development years of adolescence, the body requires essential nutrients for growth, making the disease especially harmful on the bodies of teens. If not handled appropriately at an early stage, irreversible damage can be done to the body (Lofshult, 2006). This disease is always difficult to overcome, but with early diagnosis and proper treatment, serious complications can be avoided and even reversed. MFMER, 2008). Two theories that can be used to describe and explain Anorexia in teens Eriksons Psychosocial Theory Erickson believed that people go through stages of development from birth to death. There are eight stages of human development in Eriksons Psychosocial Theory. These developmental stages include tasks that result from both biological forces and age related social or cultural expectations (Ashford, J. B. LeCroy, C. W. 2010). Eriksons Psychosocial Theory can be used to describe and explain Anorexia in teens. Teenagers are very much aware of their bodies. According to Erickson teens are concerned with the image they portray to others. During young adulthood which is the fifth stage in Eriksons Theory, the identity crisis that teens face is Identity vs. Identity Confusion. Banduras Social Learning Theory Banduras Social Learning Theory can help explain how Anorexia Nervosa begins. Bandura believed people could influence their environment through conscious cognitive learning. This theory contends that people learn through observations taking place around them. People observe behavior of others around them, known as models. Even if there is no reinforcement of the modeling behavior a person may imitate the behavior observed (Ashford LeCroy, 2010). This process requires indirect learning cognition of their environment. It is cognitive because role models must be observed and then information must be processed and stored in their memory to imitate the behavior (Cherry, 2013). Models are the key in the progression of personality development because of the observational learning principle. The Social Learning Theory combines the cognitive processes with learning principles. It ascertains that people learn when watching others, even though there may be no direct involvement (Ashford LeCro y, 2010). Contrast and compare the principal concepts as applied to anorexia in teens According to Eriksons theory, if a teenager is unable to make deliberate decisions they may experience role confusion, which may manifest itself in a number of ways. In the case of eating disorders, role confusion often manifests itself in what Erikson called a moratorium in which teenagers withdraws from adult responsibilities. If teens successfully work through earlier conflicts of childhood such as trusting others and believing in themselves, this moratorium may simply pass. When a teen has and eating disorders their earlier conflicts may not have been worked through, the moratorium stage may keep the teen stuck in childhood. Having an illness such as an eating disorder is a way to extend childhood and to ensure that the child may remain dependent on the parents without having to face the challenges of adult responsibilities. A major component in Banduras Social Learning Theory is self-efficacy (Ashford LeCroy, 2010). This refers to a persons belief that they are able to achieve specific behaviors. When a person has confidence in their ability to achieve a goal it is more likely that they will not give up easily and that they will be willing to work harder to succeed (Cherry, 2013). This is helpful in understanding how the mind works when a person is suffering with Anorexia. Research has shown that the media plays a significant role in the way teens view body image. (Harrison, 2001). Also if a teen believes they are fat, they will see themselves as fat when they look in the mirror, even if they are terribly thin (MFMER, 2010). In comparison, Eriksons theory is inherently dependent upon the childhood developmental stages and Banduras theory hypothesizes that changes can be made in the adult stage though confidence building strategies without accessing childhood experiences. Banduras modeling theory can be used to reshape body image ideals with current effective role models. Erikson theory will need intensive counseling to come to terms with childhood trauma for recovery to be effective (Bandura, Thoresen, Praeger, 2007). Compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses to explain anorexia in teens The strength of Erikson Theory is that if teens successfully work through earlier conflicts of childhood such as trusting others and believing in themselves, this moratorium may simply pass. Teenagers have to find a balance between developing a unique, individual identity while still being accepted and fitting in. The weakness to this is that a teen has and eating disorders their earlier conflicts may not have been worked through, the moratorium stage may keep the teen stuck in childhood. For girls, even though its completely normal (and necessary) to gain some additional body fat during puberty, some respond to this change by becoming very fearful of their new weight and feel compelled to get rid of it any way they can. Teenagers are overloaded by images of thin celebrities. When you combine the pressure to be like these role models with a changing body, its not hard to see why some teens develop a distorted body image. Teenage that struggling with an eating disorder, are full of co nfusion, self-doubt and the searching for their identity. The strength of Banduras Theory in explaining Anorexia in teens, is how young girls are greatly affected by peer pressure they experience during the teen years (Harrison, 2001). Most women with Anorexia began to develop the disease in their teens, when peer pressure was at its height. However, it has been diagnosed in children as young as young as five years old and in women as old as 90. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) estimates that almost one percent of all female teenagers between the ages of twelve and eighteen have Anorexia Nervosa. It has also been determined that at least thirty percent of all adolescent girls engage in some form of unhealthy form of dieting. Researchers have concluded that teens who diet on a regular basis have a greater potential for developing this disease later in life than those who do not diet at all. For those that diet a severe level, they were eighteen percent more likely to develop Anorexia (Lofshult, 2006). It is important that we educate y oung girls to the possible dangers of excessive dieting (Harrison, 2001). As social workers it is necessary that we become aware of the severe consequences of early dieting and seek to help young people and their parents to understand that dieting can lead to a much higher risk of developing an eating disorder like Anorexia. Education of the disease is needed to change the culture that is promoted in the media today (Lofshult, 2006). Compare and contrast the theories compatibility with social work values and ethics to describe anorexia in teens and its commitment to economic and social justice Eriksons Psychoanalytical theory forms an important part of social work, as it helps practitioners understand the inner mental universe of affected individuals and helps them come up with effective therapeutic techniques. Today, many modern approaches like crisis intervention and cognitive-behavioral theories have evolved out of early psychodynamic explorations, which help people through individual counseling and rehabilitation methods. According to Erikson the period between school entry and puberty becomes a period of learning a mastering the more basic skills needed in society. Teenagers suffer from Anorexia because of the desire to be thin. However there is absolutely no doubt that the body image obsession is a major causal factor in the high incidence of bulimia in Western society. From a social work perspective the existing conditions should not always be perceived as the fault of the individual, based on his or her bad choices. Addressing social justice and encouraging social change is so important to the field of social work that the preamble to the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics clearly states that social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice. (Delegate Assembly, Approved 1996; Revised 2008, p. 2) Many girls that begin a bulimic lifestyle tend to start on or before puberty a critical stage of development where most of us begin to form lifelong beliefs about ourselves. As social workers must help clients understanding oneself strength, help them define who they are. One of Banduras most famous experiments which exemplified the social theory, through observational learning was the Bobo doll experiment (Ashford LeCroy, 2010) Bandura allowed children to observe an adult behaving violently towards a Bobo doll. Later, the children were sent back into the room with the Bobo doll and the children automatically began to imitate the violent behavior they had seen previously by the adults (Cherry, 2013). Bandura hypothesized from the childrens behavior that humans can learn from just watching others, even though there has been no formal teaching taking place (Ashford LeCroy, 2010). He identified 3 basic models that influence behavior, the live model, verbal instructional model and the symbolic model (Cherry, 2013). The symbolic model best exemplifies how social work values and ethics are related to anorexia in teens and encourages more of a commitment on anorexic teens behalf (Cherry, 2013). It is a clear social and economic injustice that the media is allowed to influence young girls in such a strong way by giving impressions of successful young girls and their size (Harrison, 2001). The symbolic model, involves fictional characters or real people being displayed in books, films, online media or television programs (Cherry, 2013). Society does not specifically tell teens that they need to be thin, but messages are sent via media that say otherwise (Harrison, 2001). Bandura indicated that external, environmental reinforcement was not the only factor that influences behavior. He believed there is also a central reinforcement of our cognitive thoughts, such as pride, satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. Bandura described these cognitive internal thoughts as cognitive development and said that they could reinforce behavior (Cherry, 2013). Young girls are highly motivated by feeling of acceptance by their peer and due to media representations by social media in America, girls are made to feel pride and satisfaction when thin (Harrison, 2001). Assess the theories contribution to social work practice. Eriksons theory of psychosocial development is one of the best-known theories of personality in psychology among teenagers that struggle with Anorexia. I feel that teenagers are unhappy with the way they look because all of the people on TV are good-looking and are living a good life. I also feel that there is too much pressure in being popular because you would not know who to talk to or to sit with at lunch. This can make teens be overly critical of ourselves, which will eventually lead to self-destruction. Banduras Social Learning Theory has many important implications in the field of teen development. Teachers, parents and medical professionals recognize today that modeling is an important aspect teen behavior. It is common today, for social workers and other professionals to use self-efficacy principles which are found in Banduras Social Learning Theory (Cherry, 2013). New studies show how the brain is linked to positive emotions and having a healthy view of oneself. It is now understood that a persons consciousness plays a major role in how the brain works. The focus of attention of a teen, what they continually think about, can alter their behavior and character (Bandura et al., 2007). Teens are bombarded with thin media in areas such as, magazines, movies, TV programs and billboards, which affects their continued mental processes on the subject (Harrison, 2001). Banduras theories are used to encourage new medical and psychological research that continues to help people learn new b ehaviors by refocusing their cognitive processes through positive outlooks and beliefs. (Bandura et al., 2007). Over the past three decades, Banduras Social Cognitive Theory has been the single most influential and highly cited theory in psychology (Bandura et al., 2007, p. 40). Social work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual. Social Workers we use the strengths perspective assesses the inherent strengths of a person or family, and then builds on them. Strength is defined as almost anything that assists a person in dealing with lifes challenges. It uses peoples personal strengths to aid in recovery and empowerment. Its really about reframing personal perception to find good even in the worst situation.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Importance of a College Degree

Importance of a College Degree The Importance of a College Degree There are many things that will affect our lives. College degree is the most important of these factors. College education plays a critical role in our lives as well as a key opens many doors of opportunity to success in the future and allows us to explore everything surrounding. With rapid development in economic, college degree has become the necessary requirement in securing for finding a better job. People with college graduated are hired in at a higher paying position and are considered to be much more stable employers. By attending in college, people will have more access to recourse and base on that, they can make many education decide that will lead them to a brighter future. For some people, going to college wastes too much of their time and money. Although it does spend a lot, I believe that college education is a good investment of time and money. Attending in college education brings us many good things like a career, advancement and knowledge. â€Å"Higher education is perceived as extremely important, and for most people a college education has become the necessary admission ticket to good jobs†. (Alan Hall) Nowadays, humans life is becoming more diverse with rapid growth in all areas like technology, economy and society; thus, the marketplace and workforce are becoming more expanding. Many of todays jobs now require people should have higher education requirements before the company will consider hiring them. It is also a basic degree for everyone to continue their education to explore the carrier and getting higher on their working position. Because the existing long-term ability and the success of any organization are all depended on the experience and skill of all their employees. Consequently, for people with a college degree will likely have more chance to find a good job as well as a better standing in company than a high school graduate. From the government study that showed, there is a substantial gap of i ncome between high school degree and a college degree. The average annual earnings of the ages from 25 to 32 for full time working employees who has a college degree are $17,500 greater than employees who has only a high school diploma or less than. Also, the rate of unemployment of people who has a college degree among 25 to 32 years is almost four times less than whom without the college degree, 3.8 percent in versus 12.2 percent. Based on the information that was given by the government, the fact that the employees need to have a college degree are more and more important nowadays. In addition, the other study from the measure of economic well-being and career attainment, employees who have a college degree are more likely to explore about their job than their peers who only have a high school diploma or less than. In contrast, employees without a college degree are more than about three times compare with those who has a college degree saying their job is just working for a livi ng. Also, people who has a college degree to say that college education is very useful and assist them in preparing for work and career. Moreover, the share living in poverty of bachelor’s degree or more is 5.8 percent, two-year degree is 14.7 percent and a high school graduate is 21.8 percent, which is more than three times from college graduates. This is a big gap of life’s quality between college graduates and high school diploma. As the results, this is a clear answer for those who consider about the value of attending college because of the debt from tuition and time wasting. College degree not only help people to improve their life, income and working position, but it also helps organizations in the job management because it is easier to train knowledgeable employees. Moreover, obtaining a college degree will help people open a bright future with a great number of work opportunity. It helps people to get more training skills and experience to apply for the job. B esides, people can benefit from a college education such as having a good place for working with office buildings, air conditioning and a better condition that will help them work better at their job. When people have a college degree, they will feel more confident and have a strong sense of pride by themselves. Not only the pride from themselves but also the pride from their families because they are maybe the first one in their family to graduate from college. Base on the critical thinking and reasoning skill that they have learned in college, they are more willing to work and help others without the shame of knowledge lacking. Being able to help others mean that they will see themselves as a beneficial of a society and they will live without the regress of the time that they spent in college. Most of people nowadays think that college education helps them only with career opportunities, higher earning, but they do not know that college education also helps them access to healthcare and more likely to adopt healthy habits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National for Health Statistic has studied that people who has a college degree or higher lives about nine years longer than those who do not graduate from college. The much higher number of folks who have a high school diploma or less are smokers, opposed to only 9% of those who graduated from college. The householders that the parent have a bachelor’s degree or higher tend to have lower percentages of obese children. The survey shows that children who are born and rise with the parent who graduated from college are healthier, performer better academically, and more likely to attend to college than children of those parents who have not had any degree. College education will give people better equips to navigate in their life. They will learn more about themselves and people around them. It will boost up their confidence, improve their communication skill, feeling alive; all of these things will lead to happiness, less stress, greater self-fulfillment. Education not only keeps people engaged in life, but it also improves their quality of life. Compare to high school graduates, college graduates have greater participation in leisure and artistic activities and more willing to community service and leadership with volunteer work, and the most important factor that college graduates tend to have less criminal activity and incarceration. Higher education not only help people to have a better quality of life, higher standard living, but it also helps the society with less criminal activities and more volunteer works. In addition, during the learning time for a college education, student has the opportunity to learn and work with a lot of people from diverse backgrounds. They can exchange many good things each other such as culture, traditional and learning skills. By working collaboratively with each other, it also helps students developing team skills. These teaming skills will help student to adapt easily with changing or different environments as well as help student to work within a variety of organizational cultures and different management styles. Our life starts with learning at the first day when we are born with everything surroundings. Through college, we become more maturity to find out who we are and how to get successful. In my conclusion, I believe college degree is important and people should get it because it offers us many great benefits. College education helps people to obtain a quality life and bright future. Attending college education systems also teach great skills that are necessary for having a better job and being successful in life. Works Cited Alan, Hall. [Article] The Education Industry Shows Signs of Collapse.Socionomics Institute RSS. N.p., Feb. 2011. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. Danielle, Kurtzleben. Income Gap Between Young College and High School Grads Widens.US News. U.S.News World Report, 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2014. Tami, Luhby. College Degree = $650,000 More in Earnings Economy.Economy RSS. N.p., 9 Mar. 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. Rampell, Catherine. College Graduates Fare Well in Jobs Market, Even Through Recession.The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 May 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. Rustigan, Mike. If Youve Got a Trade, Youve Got It Made'Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2010. Web. 22 Oct. 2014.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay on Homers Odyssey: Exploring Our Social Roots -- Homer Odyssey

The Odyssey: Exploring Our Social Roots  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   In modern western society we are a people taught from very young that good manners and strong morality are necessity.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The idea that the good will prosper and the bad will get what they deserve is widely accepted and applauded.   However, these ideas about the social rules of "modern civil man" are not so novel.   This same system of social behavior and belief is exhibited throughout the epic poem, The Odyssey.   In this epic we find the roots of our contemporary social actions and convictions importantly displayed.    All through this epic there are many examples to distinguish those civilized, who abided by social customs, and those who did not.   One of the primary forms of manner, during this period, was the customary practice of the civilized to invite a guest to feast without prior inquiry into his errand.   We encounter this social rule early upon the first meeting of Telemachos and his mother's suitors during a feast at the home. An unidentified guest arrives and is ignored by the suitors.   However, the mannered Telemachos promptly invites the guest in to join them in feasting; he is annoyed that their guest was made to wait and also embarrassed by and apologizes for the suitor's crude behavior.  Ã‚   This same practice repeats itself throughout the poem and is yet again contrasted when Odysseus and some of his crew arrive at the island of the Cyclops.   The men allow themselves into an unattended cave whose owner is the Cyclops, Polyphemus.   Upon the uncivilized Cyclops' arri val home he eats some of the men and traps the remainder.   Clearly, the social intuition of manners plays such a strong silent role.   As Horace Mann said "Manners easily and rapidly mature into m... ...ood, and idea that good always triumphs over evil.  Ã‚   We can easily witness the roots of present rules of society budding during this time period.   Such reflection and insight allows us to connect in a way, we maybe normally would not have, with one of our modern culture's leaders in morality and manners.    Works Citied Dimock, George E.   The Unity of the Odyssey.   The University Of Massachusetts Press: Amherst, 1989. Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Interpretation Homer's The Odyssey.   Chelsea House Publishers: New York, 1988. Lawall, Sarah, ed. "The Odyssey."   Trans. Robert Fitzgerald.   The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces.   W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.: New York, London, 1999.   209-514 Cyber Nation Home Page. 2000. Cyber Nation International Inc.< http://www.cyber-nation.com/victory/quotations/subjects/quotes_manners.html>.   

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

An Analysis of Key Enterprise Data Concepts Essay -- essays research p

An Analysis of Key Enterprise Data Concepts Business intelligence has several different meanings depending upon the organization and its goal. I general, it involves the collection of data and using it to predict future trends. This information is used to make decisions regarding the direction of said organization. Many businesses offer solutions that propose to pull together data from a variety of sources into a single repository and then analyze the data to gleam whatever information is needed. Regardless of the overall solution recommended, there are 4 basic concepts that they all employ: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Data warehouse †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Data mart †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Data mining †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3-tier architecture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A datawarehouse is a repository of transactional data that has been specifically structured for querying and reporting on the data contained within in it. The format of the data is not as important as is the fact that the data is to be stored for as long as needed. Datawarehouses exist to: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  make it easier, on a regular basis, to query and report data from multiple transaction processing systems †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  provide a repository of transaction processing system data that contains data from a longer span of time †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  prevent persons who only need to query and report transaction processing system da...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Weight Watchers Swot Analysis

Strengths * Brand Recognition * Patented Points Program * Science Based Approach/Clinically Proven Results * Multiple Support Options * History of successful Weight Loss * Multiple Payment Options * Flexible Meal Plans * Face to Face Support Groups * Located in 30 Countries and on the Web| Weaknesses * Slow Weight Loss * Costly over time * Successful weight loss is not typical| Opportunities * Science Driven approach can be a Medical Model * Affiliation with the Department of Education * Affiliations with Fitness Centers * Meeting the growing weight loss needs around the world| Threats * Strong Competition * Competitors new products and innovation * Surgical Procedures offering quick weight loss| Weight Watchers International is a Weight Loss Business that utilizes the philosophy of a Science-driven approach to help participants, also known as members, lose weight by forming helpful habits, eating smarter, getting more exercise and providing support.They target consumers who want to manage their weight through weight loss or weight maintenance. Their vision is to ensure Member satisfaction and retention by making Members feel cared for, well informed, part of the group and motivated to succeed. Weight Watchers has been around for 50 years and has developed their brand of providing weight loss services and products that make them a leading weight management service globally. The patented points program is based on a formula calculating the protein, carbohydrates, fat and dietary fiber content developed with consultation from a Scientific Advisory board. Each food is assigned a points value that reflects how the body breaks down food and converts it into energy.This Board is made up of world renowned medical experts to ensure that its weight loss plan is based on the most current scientific expertise. (Weight Watchers International) The Good Health Guidelines utilized by Weight Watchers are also recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture Center fo r Nutrition Policy and Promotion. (USDA) Weight Watchers offers a variety of support options to members who attend weekly meetings which are located in 30 countries around the world, weigh and go at store locations, attend meetings in their place of employment (At Work Meetings), or utilize the internet to participate in Weight Watcher’s services. Members are encouraged to share their struggles and successes.Struggles and successes are employed to motivate other members to achieve their weight loss goals by following the program and obtaining the proprietary tools offered for purchase. Members who reach their goal and maintain it for six weeks become Lifetime Members. Lifetime members maintain their membership by continuing to participate on a monthly basis. These members are free advertisements who attest to the success of the program. The meal plans are simple and the Points Plus system is very flexible. Each member receives a Daily Point Target (DPT) based on their height, weight, gender and age. The DPT represents the amount of food that each person should eat in a day.Foods that are low in fat and sugar tend to have lower point values and provide more volume to a meal or snack than less healthy options. Required foods are non-specific so the member is permitted to choose how they will consume required foods such as diary, healthy oil, and whole grains. All foods and drinks are permitted as long as the point value is calculated and accounted for when deducted from the DPT. Many members succeed in their weight loss efforts but not all members are successful. One of the biggest complaints of the program is that it offers slow weight loss. Our culture is one that appreciates immediate gratification. (The Associated Press, 2006) The competition offers much quicker weight loss methods.The success obtained by Lifetime members who worked for weeks, months and years to accomplish their goals is not nearly as appealing to the average consumer who is inundate d with quick fix fad diets. (Speri) Weight Watchers offers a lifestyle change that reduces food intake. It is not designed as a quick fix but instead is one that promotes healthy lifestyle changes that gradually accomplish weight loss. The consumer’s cost for Weight Watchers is very low compared to other weight loss programs or at least it appears so up front. (Sugar) There are no meals, shakes, supplements or bars that are required to be purchased in order to participate in the program. The food that you eat on plan is very much the same food that one could purchase in any grocery store or restaurant.There are multiple periods of free registration throughout each year and the weekly fee is nominal at approximately $13. 00 per week. The problem with this is that there are many hidden costs at Weight Watchers. The proprietary point system is unlike any other weight loss system. Successful members utilize food scales and measuring cups to weigh and measure their food, pedometer s and activity monitors to measure a person’s activity level, cookbooks, calculators and more. These products can all be purchased at lower prices from many convenience stores but they do not convert their information into point values the way that the Weight Watcher products do so many members purchase expensive Weight Watchers products to assist them with their weight loss journey.Additionally, the gradual weight loss concept requires members to attend for longer periods of time before they are able to reach a free Lifetime status. Lifetime members remain free if the member maintains their weight at no more than two pounds above their goal weight. Most people’s weight fluctuates regularly and fees are charged no matter what the reason for the weight gain. Weight Watchers has many opportunities to join with the medical profession to promote its science based plan. The Scientific Advisory Board that is hired to consult with Weight Watchers is made of Medical Profession als and the weight loss method is one that is promoted by most medical doctors even if they do not promote the Weight Watcher’s brand. USDA) The United States alone has determined that Obesity in America is common, serious and costly. (Fox News Latino) Weight Watchers has promoted a medical model for many years. An affiliation with the medical community would surely add value to the weight management scientifically based model that is currently promoted at Weight Watchers. The United States First Lady, Michelle Obama, has brought additional light to the obesity epidemic and the need for American’s to manage their diets. Her â€Å"Let’s Move† initiative has gained the attention of the entire country. Weight Watchers is a healthy living model that combines healthy foods with more activity.Teaming up with fitness centers, exercise centers and schools will accomplish more together than the weight loss community or the physical fitness community can do on its own. A true healthy lifestyle includes eating right and moving more. (Grain Foods Foundation) Our quick fix society is one that shows little patience for counting calories or points utilized by slower burning weight loss programs. The competition has now gone beyond that which offers diets where certain foods are limited or forbidden, and some are replacing them with pre-cooked meals that are very high in sodium. These programs, including NutriSystem, do not promote weight maintenance following the program but they do promote mindless weight loss.Those who follow this program do not need to think about what to eat or how to prepare it as all of the meals and shakes are prepared, frozen and shipped to the dieter’s home. (â€Å"NutriSystem: Lose weight with meals conveniently delivered to your home†) Many diet programs eliminate foods and replace them with supplements. The Atkins diet, for example, restricts the dieter’s ability to consume carbohydrates. This mean s that all sugars including fruits and vegetables are minimized or omitted from one’s diet. It is not in line with a medical model approach for healthy weight loss but it does promote quick weight loss. Unfortunately, this does pose a threat to Weight Watchers as the weight loss experience in such a plan does satisfy the quick fix needs of those who opt for these types of plans. Frazier) In an attempt to make weight loss quicker and easier, the medical profession has taken to providing surgical procedures that reduce the size of the stomach by removing part of the small intestine. This procedure is very risky to one’s health and has a tremendous amount of medical complications associated with it. It is however, one that does not require that a person who has had the surgery to persevere delayed gratification and behavioral changes that are required when one loses weight following a weight loss program such as Weight Watchers. (Staff) For many consumers, quick weight lo ss is far more appealing despite the potential negative consequences. References The Associated Press. (2006, May 28). Poll: Americans like instant gratification. USA Today. Fox News Latino. (2012, September 18).Obesity in America: Can it Get Much Wors? Yes, Advocacy Group Says. http: //latino. foxnews. com/latino/health Frazier, K. (2011, June 14). How much weight can I lose in a Month on Atkins? Retrieved from http://www. livestrong. com Grain Foods Foundation. (2012, May 15). The Key to a Healthy Body: Eating Right & Moving More. Retrieved from http://www. sixservings. org NutriSystem: Lose weight with meals conveniently delivered to your home. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. dietsinreview. com/diets/Nutrisystem Speri, M. (n. d. ). Why Slow Weight Loss Wins. Retrieved from http://www. weightwatchers. com/util/art/index_art. aspx Staff, H. (2011, April 6).Weight Loss Surgery Health Center: Rux-En-Y Gastric Bypass. Retrieved from http://www. webmd. com/diet/weight-loss-surgery Sugar, J. (2011, August 29). How Much One Month of WEight Loss Costs. Retrieved from http://www. fitsugar. com/Weight-Loss-Program-Cost-Comparison USDA. (2013, March 7). Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Retrieved from http://www. cnpp. usda. gov/dietaryguidelines. htm USDA. (2013, March 7). Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Retrieved from http://www. cnpp. usda. gov/dietaryguidelines. htm Weight Watchers International. (n. d. ). History and Philosophy. Retrieved from http://www. weightwatfchers. com/about/his/board. aspx

Monday, September 16, 2019

Career Goal-Setting Worksheet Essay

1. Adjust your professional or career goal you created in Week Two based on the Career Plan Building Activities results from the My Career Plan assignment. How did the results of the Career Interest Profiler and Career Plan Building Activity on Competencies contribute to your professional goal development? After seeing my results from each one of these I came to find that I came right on track with the career that I chose. Because in my Career Plan Building Activity the results was right on track because I love working with people. I can not think about working doing a nother kind of job because this is what I want to do. 2. Describe how you will balance academic expectations and your personal and professional responsibilities. I believe the most important expectation would be to contact my advisor least once a week. Learn about what is required for me doing the time I am in school. Like the requirements for my major, policies, and procedures.And develop an plan such as my academic plan, including my timeline that I work as I near graduation. 3. How can understanding the importance of SMART criteria and your career interests and competencies help you move toward your career and academic goals? After doing my SMART criteria and interest profiler They let me know where I were haeded and now I know that I working toward the degree. Both the SMART criteria and the inerest profiler gave me some pretty good ideals about what kind of job I should have. Both let me knew that I love to work with other people. 4. Now that you have set academic goals and identified your career interests, explain the relationship between academic goals, skills, and professional goals. My academic goal is to one day be able to work with groups of people and may work with kids. And the professional goal I am working toward getting is near the same as the each of these the academic gaols, skills, and my professional. I plan to work toward my career goal by doing what ever it take in achieve my goal.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

How bad leadership affects organization Essay

Jean Lipman-Blumen defined bad leadership as, â€Å"A toxic leader is one who engages in numerous destructive behaviors and who exhibits certain dysfunctional personal characteristics that inflict some degree of serious harm on either individuals or the organization. † (Bad Leadership: Antecedents and Prescriptions) Where there is a bad leadership present in the organization and workplace, this could lead to harmful consequences. For example, accidents, loss of productivity, cost ineffectiveness, low quality of product, communication gab, employees’ absences, industrial sabotage, etc. However, reasons for poor leadership could take place from a number of reasons such as leaders who possess poor leadership skills. And this could affect employees, co-workers and not surprisingly, leaders as well. In addition to this, leaders with insufficient skills may be worried with their own problems and may slow down any business activity within an individuality or group. A research study has revealed the fact that inadequate leadership skill significantly affects on other coworkers and inexperience member of the organizations. Because of poor leadership skills of a leader, an organization may suffer from pessimistic work views, lack of vision towards the company’s future goal, shortage of qualities to motivate workers, lack of social skills, and lack of inspiration. Obviously, leaders are paid to solve problems and not just to hold them. Thus, leaders are paid to provide good leadership which results in the achievement of a company’s goals. Kevin Dwyer, Poor Leadership; Poor Results 2006, said that, â€Å"Leaders must take it upon themselves to make â€Å"it† happen. Shuffling off responsibility for action to committees, subordinates, government departments and forever bemoaning the lack of action is not good enough. Leaders are in the position of being able to both diagnose the ailment and treat the ailment of an organization. If they won’t do it, who will? † (Dwyer, n. d. ) Communication is considered the life blood of every organization. Hence, lack of communication leads to negative outputs. Besides this, a leader who possesses poor communication and social skills can be harmful for a company. Because of poor leadership, communication often fails and this leads to several work mistakes and unwanted business expenses. For successful business operations, it is important that leaders should be equipped with great communication skills which can be applied in the organization in order to achieve a company’s desired objectives. In other words, Robert Hogan, Gordon Curphey, and Joyce Hogan wrote in American Psychologist that â€Å"abusive and incompetent management create billions of dollars of lost productivity each year. † (Stanford Business Magazine May 2006). More than 290 professionals were taken into consideration in a survey conducted in the period from 2004 to 2005. This survey revealed what seemed to be a murky spot among best planners and their own management & leadership skills. It is a fact that planners spend most of their work time in planning and summarizing things for future. In the study, they found that in most of the cases, poor leadership dumps a company’s overall planning. Or sometimes even worse, poor leadership hinders planners for producing new ways of problem solving. In addition, Business Corporations seldom get success where leaders do not know how to solve a particular problem. According to one survey, â€Å"if an organization pays an average leader $80,000 a year, that leader should bring back at least that amount of value to the organization; otherwise, the person could be considered a losing investment. Ideally, leaders return more than what they are paid, thus producing profit. Past studies have shown that there is about a 40 percent deviation in performance for a given role. So, an average leader might be worth $80,000, a great leader worth $112,000 (+ 40%), and a poor leader worth $48,000 (- 40%)†. (Cost of Poor Leadership Calculator) Psychologically speaking, workers and employees who perceive their leaders abusive, experience psychological distress, boredom, increased work conflicts, lower levels of commitment towards the company’s goals and objectives, depression, lower production outputs, low levels of job satisfaction, decreased individual working capabilities, and so forth. And consequently, in the presence of these above mentioned findings among employees, it seems very difficult to achieve organizational goals in a timely manner. According to another study conducted in the UK about retail banks, the average high street bank could increase sales by ? 65 million per year by improving employee satisfaction by just 10 per cent and almost half of the 44,000 people surveyed said that poor leadership was adversely affecting their organization’s performance. Steve Young, Project Director at ISR said that, â€Å"Leadership is an area that is really letting organizations down when it comes to employee commitment, while a quarter of employees blamed either a bad working climate or low work enablers, a half blamed poor leadership. † (Poor leadership pushes down banking profits) In poor leadership, employees’ morale declines and they feel less committed towards the company and its mission. In this dilemma situation, projects are completed slowly and hastily. In addition, when employees’ morale is down, they experience boredom. Some Suggestions for Good Leadership In order to run the organization in an effective and competitive way, management makes an outline about the leadership strategies. Moreover, they should not also watch poor leadership but also eradicate the roots of poor leadership. In this regard, the following are some points that can be used by any management to improve a leader’s qualities. 1) Quietly undermine the leader 2) link with others to confront the leader 3) link with others to overthrow the leader 4) Avoid entrapment by friends and family members 5) bound the term of leadership 6) enhance the selection process 7) Create good exit options for leaders 8) Hold directors in charge make them act 9) make a system of checks and balances 10) Protect whistle blowers. Despite all these facts, a poor leader should evaluate him or her and determine his weakness and pitfalls in each and every respect of the leadership. And following are guidelines for it 1) know your power and how to use it 2) welcome the worth of leaders and cherish the assistance they make 3) recognize the seductiveness and drawback of the power of leaders 4) Study bad leadership to learn from the mistakes of bad leaders. Conclusion As I discussed above and gave several examples about good and bad leadership, it makes very clear that a company’s success and failure depends upon the fact that how leaders can lead a team to achieve an organization’s motives. Historically speaking, leaders have a significant effect on the overall business and group performance of an organization. Besides this, good leaders can apply their superior leadership skills to make things better and to turn organizational goals in the right direction. On the contrary, bad leadership affects a company’s performance negatively in terms of production, employees’ morale, ethics, communication and many other things. So, it is the responsibility of the management and the director to keep a check on the leader’s role in the organization for the sake of that organization’s success. Hence, a good leader makes a significant difference in the successful operation of any organization regardless of the scope of that organization. However, we must not forget that superior leadership is not just confined to the business sector. Effective leaders are also necessary for the peace of the whole world in every sense. References A good leader offers reality check, thank yous – The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area: http://www. bizjournals. com/triad/stories/2004/04/26/smallb3. html Accessed, April 9, 2007. Bad Leadership: Antecedents and Prescriptions http://72. 14. 253. 104/search? q=cache:nBXXeIOGawEJ:www. koreagsis. ac. kr/bbs/pds/Bad%2520Leadership%2520Colloquium_1. ppt+bad+leadership+effects+organisation&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=20&gl=pk Accessed, April 9, 2007 Cost of Poor Leadership Calculator http://www. ddiworld. com/imex/greatleadervalue. asp Dana Hinders, (Published June 21 2005) Michael Useem’s Leading Up: Upward Leadership In Action How To Lead Your Boss So Your Both Win Journal Article Dwyer Kevin , Journal article Poor Leadership; Poor Results. Emcc – Transforming organisations – the importance of leadership and culture in managing change http://eurofound. europa. eu/emcc/content/source/eu04006a. html? p1=reports&p2=null Accessed, April 9, 2007 Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I Sutton, (2000), journal article, The Half-Truth of Leadership. Stanford Business Magazine May 2006 http://www. gsb. stanford. edu/news/bmag/sbsm0605/feature_leadership. html Accessed, April 9, 2007 McLean Cari, October 18, 2005, journal article, strategic leadership: A superior state of mind. Tsun-yan Hsieh and Sara Yik, Journal article, Leadership as the Starting Point of Strategy Poor leadership pushes down banking profits http://www. management-issues. com/2006/8/24/research/poor-leadership-pushes-down-banking-profits. asp Accessed, April 9, 2007 What is Leadership? http://72. 14. 253. 104/search? q=cache:q_XTVWqb68QJ:www. med. umich. edu/csp/Course%2520materials/Fall%25202005/Thorson_What%2520is%2520Leadership. ppt+definition:+leadership&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=pk. Accessed, April 9, 2007.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Community Health in the Event of a Sars Outbreak Essay

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is a respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus, originally reported in Asia in February 2003 and spread to over two dozen countries before being contained (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2005). Once infected, individuals with SARS initially develop a high fever and other flu-like symptoms including headache, body aches and â€Å"overall feeling of discomfort† before, in most cases, progressing to pneumonia (CDC, 2005). The disease was first diagnosed in a middle-aged man who had flown from China to Hong Kong. A few days after the announcement of the disease, rumors and panic began to spread, causing people to buy out food and supplies, as the Chinese government insisted the disease was under control and insisted on calm (â€Å"Timeline,† 2003). As the disease killed the man and the physician diagnosing the disease, it continued to spread through multiple countries, infecting thousands of people and killing hundreds (â€Å"SARS,† 2011). By the end of the month, Hong Kong and Vietnam were reporting cases of severe and â€Å"atypical† pneumonia (â€Å"Timeline,† 2003). In March 2003, the WHO issued a global health alert and an emergency travel advisory, and United States officials encouraged all citizens to suspend non-essential travel to the affected countries and Singapore, Ontario and Hong Kong initiated home quarantine (â€Å"Timeline,† 2003). Schools in Southeast Asia closed and there were significant economic effects as well as air travel stalled and business worldwide was affected. In April, countries threatened to quarantine entire planeloads of people if anyone on board showed symptoms, and others threatened jail time for those who obstruct the attempts to control the disease (â€Å"Timeline,† 2003). On April 3, 2003, SARS became a communicable disease for which a healthy person suspected of being infected in the United States could be quarantined against their will (â€Å"Executive Order,† 2003). By June 2003, the number of new cases had slowed down enough to end the daily WHO updates and travel advisories were slowly being lifted (â€Å"SARS,† 2011). On July 5, the WHO declared SARS had been contained (â€Å"WHO,† 2003). As of 2005, no new cases of person-to-person transmission have been reported (â€Å"Surveillance,† 2005). Indicators and Data The main epidemiological indicators for SARS identified by leading healthcare organizations such as the WHO and EpiNorth are the incubation period, infectious period, and case-fatality ratios (World Health Organization: Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response [WHO/DCDSR], 2003; Kutsar, 2004). According to the WHO, the median incubation period reported was 4-5 days, with a minimum reported incubation period of 1 day in 4 cases and a maximum of 14 days reported in China. After further analysis of 1425 cases it was determined that 95% of patients would begin to experience symptoms within 14. 22 days on infection (WHO/DCDSR, 2003). The infectious period, or the period of communicability, was determined to be within the second week of illness, when patients are more severely ill and experiencing rapid deterioration (Kutsar, 2004). During the SARS outbreak of 2003, 8,093 people were infected and 774 of these people died as a result of their infection, with a case-fatality rate of 9. 6% (CDC, 2005; â€Å"Revised U. S. Surveillance,† 2003). The cases were reported from 29 countries on 4 continents, with 29 cases from the United States (â€Å"Revised U. S. Surveillance,† 2003). Other epidemiologic factors affecting the spread of SARS were found, as well. Twenty-one percent of all cases were healthcare workers involved in procedures that generated aerosols, with 3% of the United States cases and 43% of the Canadian cases being people in this group (Kutsar, 2004). Other risk factors found included â€Å"household contact with a probable case of SARS, increasing age, male sex and the presence of co-morbidities† and, in China the slaughter of wildlife for human consumption (WHO/DCDSR, 2003, p. 14). Routes of Transmission In the laboratory setting, the virus was found in respiratory droplets, feces, saliva, tears and urine (WHO/DCDSR, 2003). SARS is primarily spread through close, personal contact, such as kissing, hugging, eating or drinking, as well as being within 3 feet of a person who coughs or sneezes while infected and shedding the virus. These activities allow the respiratory droplets shed during these activities to come in contact with mucous membranes found in the eyes, nose and mouth (Kutsar, 2004). Other modes of transmission include aerosolizing procedures in hospital settings and contamination of surfaces in â€Å"healthcare facilities, households and other closed environments† (Kutsar, 2004, para. 12). There has been no confirmation of fecal-oral transmission or of transmission via water or food; however, over one-third of the earliest cases in China were among food handlers (Kutsar, 2004). Finally, there is a possibility of animal vector transmission, as discussed in regards to the Hong Kong’s Amoy Gardens (WHO/DCDSR, 2003). Effect of Outbreak on Community The SARS outbreak caused major effects on the communities affected. Based on the 2003 outbreak, one can assume similar issues would develop should the disease recur. The biggest impact to communities affected would be the strain on the healthcare system. Since SARS is a largely respiratory disease, it can cause very serious problems in the patients infected, requiring hospitalization in many cases. In the 2003 outbreak, population most likely to develop SARS was healthcare workers. As such, an increase in hospitalizations within a community with a decreased amount of healthcare workers worsens the strain on the community’s healthcare system. Further effects on the community in the event of a SARS outbreak would be seen in the closing of public buildings, such as schools. If the schools closed, as they did in Southeast Asia during the 2003 outbreak, families with two working parents would have to find alternatives for their children. With employment rates in the United States being low at this time, many people may be hesitant to ask for time off work, fearing that someone else would easily replace them in their position. These concerns could also increase the possibility of mass transmission, as many people may try to continue working while sick, not realizing they were carrying the deadly disease. Additionally, many people may procrastinate seeking medical advice on their symptoms, fearing they would be instructed to stay home from work, hospitalized or even quarantined. As evidenced in laboratory studies of the virus, virus secretion increases as the disease lingers (Kutsar, 2004). Simply, the longer a person is infected, the more easily they transmit the infection to others. As more and more of the community becomes infected, and possibly quarantined, other services in the community will suffer. Grocery store shelves may remain empty longer, as healthy staff struggle to keep up with the demand. Mail delivery may lengthen due to more postal carriers becoming ill and staying home. Businesses in general may be forced to shorten their hours due to an inability to schedule staff, resulting in problems with banking, supplies, and even medication disbursement. Further, the community health system would be greatly stressed, as the number of people needing care would grow, potentially covering a larger area than normally served and straining the resources of the public health system. This strain would impact all of the programs served out of the local offices, impacting even more people. Protocol In the State of Illinois, SARS is listed with the Class I(a) conditions that have been declared to be â€Å"contagious, infectious, or communicable and may be dangerous to the public health,† and, needs to be reported to the local health department within three hours of initial clinical suspicion (Control of Communicable Diseases Code, 2008). This can be done electronically through mail, phone, fax or the web-based system, I-NEDSS (Illinois National Electronic Disease Surveillance System) and will include case name and contact information as well that of the physician. After the local public health office has been notified, they will contact the Illinois Department of Public Health, also within three hours using the same techniques. This report shall include race, gender, and ethnicity as well (Control of Communicable Diseases Code, 2008). These reports are sent via the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS), which is operated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in collaboration with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and allows the CDC to monitor new cases and disease trends as well as evaluate the efficiency of prevention and control activities, program planning and evaluation, and policy development (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011). Modification of Care As a community health nurse, one must be constantly aware of changes in the environment served. If a report of poor air quality is issued while the community health nurse is caring for patients suffering from asthma and other respiratory disorders, immediate action must be taken as the poor air quality can cause exacerbations. First, the nurse will need to prioritize the patient load—which patient is the most susceptible to this change in air quality and should be seen first? Then, the nurse will begin calling or, if time allows, visiting the patients to check in and provide further direction. Some of the interventions the nurse may suggest are to stay indoors closing all windows and doors to prevent the poor air from entering the home and interfering with the patient’s breathing. Additional suggestions would be to limit activity which would increase the oxygen demand in the patient’s body, resulting in faster, less efficient respirations. Patients should be reminded to keep their rescue inhalers with them at all times, as well as to be sure and take all their preventative medications as prescribed. If the nurse is making home visits, s/he will be checking the medication bottles to see if the patient has been compliant. While in the home, she will auscultate the patient’s lungs to assess for worsened wheezing from baseline and recommend a visit to the patient’s physician if necessary. As the air quality reports improve in the next few days, the nurse will continue to monitor those patients most susceptible to ensure they have no residual effects from the previous days.