Legal requirements and potential issues associated with HIV positive Essay

Legal requirements and potential issues associated with HIV positive workers - Essay Example Thus under this law, persons with HIV or AIDS are safeguarded from discrimination on the basis of their condition (U.S department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights, 2014). 2. Relevance and importance: Well supported explanation of how and why this legal issue is important for you and your colleagues as current or future managers? The relevance of these laws is the fact that they assure equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, local and state government services as well as telecommunications. Normally, discrimination takes place when an entity leaves out a person with HIV from taking part in a service or disallows a person a benefit. Instances of discriminatory acts toward persons with HIV/AIDS comprise of refusing access to medical treatment and/or social services or having treatment and/or services deferred for the sole reason of one having HIV/AIDS(Webber,2007). Thus, if the person with HIV fulfils the necessary eligibility needs for the benefit or service, the entity may be needed to make a rational accommodation to facilitate the person to take part. These laws are crucial in that it is unlawful to discriminate against individuals having or are believed to be having HIV/AIDS in regard to; employment, rental, acquisition or sale of apartment, real estate, or house, public accommodation places (theaters, restaurants etc), health care, home repairs, legal services or other various services available to the public generally, application of a credit card or loan, or other credit transactions as well as particular transactions in insurance. On the other hand, employers are obligated to offer and sustain a discrimination-free working place, in addition to ensuring that those with HIV face no intimidation or harassment. It is actually the responsibility of everyone to not only know and understand

The Next Catastrophe Essay Example for Free

The Next Catastrophe Essay A catastrophe is a sudden event that causes very great trouble or destruction or a bad situation.   This can be in the form of a terrorist activity or a disaster either God or man made.   After September 11, Business activities have been on catastrophes due to the economic implications of such disaster. Some countries in the united states and fir4st world countries are located at areas that may be prone to such economics of scale are aimed at achieving the greatest returns possible given a low cost of all factors inputs and this helps in increasing of the markets value of a company in the industry.    Catastrophic have extremely emergency economic implications to business firms because they normally destroy property, which includes machinery, building, plant and equipment and also goods in stock. The effect of three is that such property helps in the production processes, which produce outputs, to be sold in the market.   These saws gain profit, which is then shared between the company stakeholders.   These include shareholders, Debenture holders and long/short term cinders to the company. With the destruction caused by catastrophes the flow of benefits form the company to all parties in question is disturbed.   Some catastrophes are politically motivated like and September 11 is the government duty and responsibility to secure the resident and business non-resident community in the country. These are contributors to the revenue collected by the government in terms of taxation.   If business is affected by catastrophes, there work is enough sales, profit and tax to the government.   In the case of natural catastrophes government involvement is also very necessary.   Aid should be given to fund reconstruction and recovery efforts by the business community.   Companies have a right to be protected and * in case of a catastrophe because of the amounts that they combine to the government through taxation. The next catastrophe relates to the extend of preparedness to ensure that incase of a natural or artificial terrorist attack or disaster measures are in place to ensure that regardless of the exposure to catastrophes, a company will still continues to enjoy its economics to scale because there disasters negatively affect the operations of the company.   Government’s assistance is therefore very necessary in both preventive precautionary measures and after catastrophe remedy in reconstruction and recovery efforts. Lee and Perrow 39,8 1040 – 1056 The next terrorist or disaster attack may be natural thus includes earthquakes or even floods which may be very destructive or through ethnology.   This can be in the form of nature or a computerized terrorist attack.   The focus should be on how prepared everybody is including the government; measures should ensure that such could be defected in advance and corrective action taken.   People don’t have power over natural forces and their investment can be normally affected.   Government scientists should detect such and alert the business community in time in order to take necessary measures, which might include relocation nomatter the lost because a stitch in time saves nine. The government should also ensure that terrorist attacks on grounds are avoided because these are cases of another government nation individuals not happy about the governments stand or past reaction / action on some global issues and the business community ends up suffering thanks the ruling system.   As was the case for September 11. Those around times to work hard their buildings property plants and machinery brought down and hence their operations came to a standstill.   This leaned to loss of revenue, profit, terming per share went down, loans were taken to help in recovery and Goodwill of the company was destroyed.   Relationship between the company and suppliers employees, clients, and company guarantors were all not as before and the public image of such companies was messed up. The questions here is how to avoid such so that the acquired economic of scale can be utilized due to continuity of operations.   Perpetuity of business centuries also determines its extend of economies of scale both internal and external. The next catastrophe may destroy the perpetuity concept of business companies.   Business assumes that they should control to operate for the enforceable future and thus is preparing that may be due to the next disaster.   Even this is tampered with, inefficiencies and massiveness occur and therefore output is achieved at high cost especially if a firm is located at a place than is extremely exposed to calamities. The government should give growth or even funds to the companies to ensure that reserve accounts are not utilized and the balance sheet sir destabilized.   Disasters at the moment are the main source of worry to business around the United States metropolitan because they cannot be of my economic value due to the costs incurred.   After September 11, it was not easy for all entities to relocate and with the continued war on Iraq and the United states impact on the war another error attack may be due to anytime. Bush’s stand on the war of a concern to the republicans who form the business community.   Revenge by the Iraq may be expected and this will mainly be at big cities where such attackers aim to have a   maximum destruction. To the republicans, the president’s stand may be initiating another attack and businesses around these regions will be greatly affected.   Once businesses are affected this growth and development is affected and production may not be at low cost due to the funds utilized to desk with terrorist affects.   The market value to affected companied go down due to low volumes of sales, which determine profits and earnings per share. Investors may not want to invest in such areas because their return on investments may be low and may decide to invest in other parts of the world. This leads to low funds and finance for company, which is needed to make more investments and or start new project. Clarke and short (1993), 21-23 High-risk facilities like all New Jersey where major oil gas, pipeline companies and railways are located business people around that area are always worried about the past catastrophe.   These are areas where terrorists may be invested and may stake in revenge.   Business are said to be interested in one way because both product and service industries need one another for the effective and efficient performance railway lines are need for the transfer of factor inputs and outputs if they are destroyed, other means of transport may not be cheap and therefore this average cost of production may be high.   This leads to diseconomies of scale because high revenues are matched wit high costs and low profits are gained. The timings per share are reduced.   Investors may decide to buy shares of other company’s because there is no economic value due to the low comings per share.   Incase the government does not come in these costs of services may go up to the disadvantage for investors.   Location of sites in such high-risk areas may not be avoided and firms may suffer die to catastrophes that they may not have control over. Pipelines and gas companies are m* needed by manufacturing companies due to the factor inputs.   When destroyed, firms may have to look for other forms of energy, which may be liked in areas due to low supply, which cannot be matched with the existing demand.   Goodwill that has been created is no longer in one and diseconomies of scale false the company.   Unnecessary costs are incurred which violates the set budgetary expenditure, health, economies of scale. In determining the business location, many factors are considered and therefore a site may be admirable due to other factors regardless to the vulnerability of the region to catastrophes.   More disasters may be considered to be interminable so a company may decide to ignore the next catastrophe.   However, caution is that such firms together with the government should know what to do incase of a disaster because this may reverse the economics of scale.   Other factors that a company considered in choosing its site may be enabling growth and development of a company which censures low factor input costs.   Perrow (1984), 16,19. Catastrophes are normally abrupt and will be economically viable given that they may not be directly related benefit.   Average product cost goes up after including all costs that have been incurred in dealing with the catastrophe.   The prices of commodities will remain constant and exercise losses occur.   Return on investment, return on sales, and acid test varies all become unfavorable to the shareholders together with the management.   The employee may also lack motivation and thus may lead to magnificent leading to low quality or area wastages and idle time, which is very costly to the company. Lack of government involvement in a discouragement to investors because at times the finances may be available to the companies affected and the calls for governments intervention.   Business vulnerable to catastrophes should always be considered in the government budget for every year under disaster management funds.   This is what the government owes the taxpayers the next catastrophes should have very minimal impact on those affected and this will be government duty.   Business community in such areas should keep a eye on the government to ensure that they are prepared and what happened after September 11 doesn’t occur. Economic costs and time, which is valuable, should all be considered when carrying up with a catastrophe preparedness scheme?   Time lost during reconstruction and recovery may never be recounted to employees are destabilized; suppliers and company’s clients are disturbed and may lack for other clients and supply point.   This is and advantage at the expense of the affected companies. Perrow (2005) 34,2; 99 -107 Delays caused by these catastrophes may also affect the company to the unforeseeable future.   The government regulatory bodies, which include the homeland security office, should consider all these and take measures as required.   Catastrophes may require research for development purposes.   The cost for research will increase the average cost per unit and reduces profit margins.    This in itself is a diseconomy of scale, which could has been enjoyed by the company if operations were not disrupted.   The objective of all firms is to maximize revenue profit subject to factors inputs.   These research expenses may not be of use to the company immediately and will greatly affect the customers of the company and hence the objectivity of the financial statements which will greatly be affected.   It is therefore necessary for the government to fund research out of these catastrophes so that the average cost of outputs is not increased. Perrow (2007) 6 – 10 Catastrophes may lead to hanger in techniques used in production.   Relocation may also affect the enthusiasm of the employees and may not have the motivation to improve the quality of producers.   Marketing the company will also be necessary after the next catastrophe in order to improve the affected companied image.   After the next catastrophe, suppliers and consumers may also want to help away from the vulnerable region and this has a greater economic implication. After September 11, focus shifted form achieving short-term and long-term goals to the issue of safety form catastrophiles.   It is the government’s duty to ensure that its residents and foreigners in the country are secure.   Government goodwill will be showing concern for this and should be ready to take measures that impress the country allies because its such people who financially deal with the economic antis in the country.   Attention on safety is not very economically bitable even in areas prone to catastrophiles.   This leads to an ignorance of other duties that the company’s management owes the stakeholders of the company inducing increasing market value to the company in the industry. Pidgeon 5,1, 1-14 Vulnerable companies may ignore the idea of professional growth and development of its staff.   Labour is very important for a company to achieve its long tern and short-term objectives.   The human capital is therefore affected by catastrophiles as well the case for September 11.   People result to mobility and theory therefore transfer their ability to other regions that are not vulnerable.    Employee’s ability improved by working for a particular organization is provided to other firms in other regions.   The government should endure the working population that their interest are being considered by the government investment in the next catastrophe preparedness and they should therefore not seek employment else where.   Labour mollify of a diseconomy of scale because more capital will be employed in recruiting and training new staff.   This is a direct cost of production leading to high average cost of production. Ripma 5,1, 15 -23. The environment is also affected by both natural and physical catastrophiles. Jacob , Brain 13,2,34 –43 In conclusion, all business people an citizens of a particular country need a clean environment free form pollution caused by catastrophes.   The economic implication of environment should be considered in the next catastrophe.   The government’s deregularization of homeland security efforts has left many high-risk entrepreneurs to be greatly affected by catastrophiles either natural or artificial.   The government should increase funds for the next catastrophe preparedness in order to avoid the effects of all levels of the economic at domestic level because these are market and industry players. La Porte, Todd and Rochlin , 214, 221 – 227.             Reference: Clarke, L. and Perrow, C. (1996). Prosaic Organizational Failure, Thousand Oaks: The American Behaviorist, 39, 8; 1040-1056 Clarke, L. and Short F., J. (1993). Social Organization and Risk: Some Current Controversies, Pullman, Washington: Annual Review of Sociology,21-23 Heakel R. (2003). Economies of Scale. Options Express http://www.investopedia.com/articles/03/012703.asp   Retrieved on 10/19/2007 Jacobs, Brian. (2005). Urban Vulnerability: Public Management in a Changing World, Malden, MA: Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 13, 2, 39-43 La Porte, R., Todd and Rochlin, G. (1994). A Rejoinder to Perrow, Cambridge, MA: Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 2,4, 221-227 Perrow, C. (1984). Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies, New Jersey: Princeton University Press,16,19 Perrow, C. (2005). Organizational or Executive Failures?, Washington: Contemporary Sociology, 34, 2; 99-107 Perrow, C. (2007). The Next Catastrophe: Reducing Our Vulnerabilities to Natural, Industrial, and Terrorist Disasters, New Jersey: Princeton University Press 6-10 Pidgeon, Nick. (1997). The Limits to Safety, Culture, Politics, Learning and Man-Made Disasters, Malden, MA: Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 5, 1, and 1-14 Ripma, A., Jos (1997). Complexity, Tight-Coupling and Reliability: Connecting Normal Accidents Theory and High Reliability Theory, Malden, MA: Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 5,1, 15-23

90 Minutes of Perfection :: essays research papers

90 Minutes of Perfection Any pain to be suffered comes first. Instinctively you fight to live. The conscious mind does not believe any other reality could possibly exist beside the earth. We have been trained since birth to live. Life tells us who we are and we accept it’s telling. Your body wants to live and will fight to survive. Your body goes limp. Your heart stops. No more air flows in or out. You lose sight, feeling, and movement – although the ability to hear goes last. Identity ceases. The "you" that you once were becomes only a memory. There is no pain at the moment of death. Only peaceful silence. . . calm. . . quiet. But you still exist. It is easy not to breathe. In fact, it is easier and more comfortable not to breathe than to breathe. The biggest surprise for most people in dying is to realize that dying does not end life. Whether darkness or light comes next, or some kind of event, be it positive, negative, or somewhere in-between, expected or unexpected, the biggest su rprise of all is to realize you are still you. You can still think, you can still remember, you can still see, hear, move, reason, wonder, feel, question, and tell jokes. You are still alive, very much alive. â€Å"Actually, you're more alive after death than at any time since you were last born. Only the way of all this is different; different because you no longer wear a dense body to filter and amplify the various sensations you had once regarded as the only valid indicators of what constitutes life.†(Atwater) You had always been taught one has to wear a body to live. â€Å"The only thing dying does is help you release, slough off, and discard the "jacket" you once wore.†(Atwater) When you die you lose your body. That's all there is to it. Nothing else is lost. Don Piper is someone that died. He was in an accident where he was hit head on by an 18-wheeler on a small bridge over the Trinity River. When emergency personnel found no pulse he was covered up and was waiting on the justice of the peace to pronounce him dead. â€Å"Piper remembers nothing of the accident, but everything about heaven.† (Vara) While he was dead, Piper experiences this unimaginable trip to heaven and titled his book 90

Brain & nervous system

Brain is the part of the nervous system that is enclosed in the skull. All vertebrates have well-developed brains; most invertebrates do not have true brains. Instead, they have groups of nerve cells called nerve nets, nerve cords, or ganglia. The human brain is an extension of the spinal cord, and with it makes up the central nervous system. It contains billions of neurons, or nerve cells, each with more than 10, 000 synapses, or connections to other neurons. No two brain cells are alike. The brain cannot regenerate new brain cells but it can bypass dead or damaged cells to form new synapses between existing cells.The brain receives information from all parts of the body and sends out instructions to the body’s various organs and systems. The information and instructions travel through the brain in the form of nerve impulses, electrical signals that elicit chemical changes. The impulses travel along the neurons and move from one neuron to the next across the synapses by means of chemicals called neurotransmitters. It is through nerve impulses that the brain controls such activities as voluntary and involuntary movement (Zoeller, 2003).The brain is connected with the sense organs, muscles of the head, and internal organs of the body by 12 pairs of cranial nerves. Some of the cranial nerves, called motor nerves, carry impulses from the brain to various parts of the body. Others, called sensory nerves, carry impulses from the body back to the brain. Most pairs of cranial nerves contain one motor and one sensory nerve; a few pairs contain sensory nerves only. The brain consists of two types of tissue: (1) nerve cells, or gray matter; and (2) sheathed nerve fibers, or white matter. The sheath is composed of myelin, a fatty protein that protects and insulates the fibers.A large number of blood vessels carry nourishment to the brain. The brain extracts certain substances from the blood and metabolizes them (that is, produces chemical changes in them) to produc e energy. Glucose, its main source of energy, is metabolized by a chemical reaction with oxygen carried in the blood. The human brain is more complex and has more functions than the brain of any other animal. It is the seat of consciousness and the coordinator of the nervous system. Thought, memory, imagination, and other mental processes are functions of the brain.Specific areas in the brain are responsible for language and emotions. The brain is the seat of sensations. All voluntary and some reflex muscular movements are initiated and regulated by the brain (Colzie, 2006). In addition, various parts of the brain control such automatic functions as heartbeat, temperature regulation, digestion, and breathing. The brain of the average human male weighs about 3 pounds (1. 4 kg); the human female, 2. 7 pounds (1. 2 kg). At birth, a baby’s brain weighs only 11 to 13 ounces (310 to 370 g), but it grows rapidly during the first years of life.By the age of seven, a child’s br ain has reached nearly its full weight and volume, after which its growth is slow. The brain of a human male is fully grown by the 20th year, that of a female somewhat earlier. After the age of 20, the brain loses about one gram (0. 04 ounce) of weight per year (Spear, 1995). This study discusses the brain development and how it functions. II. Discussion Brain tissue is very soft and easily injured. It is well protected, however, by the skull and by three membranes of connective tissue, collectively called the meninges, between the skull and brain.The outermost membrane is thick and tough, and fits closely to the inner surface of the skull. This membrane is called the dura mater, which is Latin for â€Å"hard mother. † The innermost membrane is the pia mater, Latin for â€Å"tender mother. † This thin membrane contains a network of blood vessels. These blood vessels supply nourishment to the brain, and carry blood from its interior back to the heart. The pia mater conf orms exactly to the outer surface of the brain itself (Cynader, 1994). Between the dura mater and the pia mater is the arachnoid, or â€Å"spider-like,† membrane.It is a soft, delicate, transparent tissue. The subarachnoid space, between the arachnoid membrane and the dura mater, is filled with cerebrospinal fluid, a clear, colorless liquid composed of protein, glucose, urea, and salts. It moistens the tissues of the brain and protects them from injury. The brain is also protected by the blood-brain barrier, a network of tightly meshed capillaries (tiny blood vessels) that selectively filter out harmful chemicals and waste products while permitting other substances, such as nutrients, to pass directly into the brain (Zoeller, 2003).This barrier prevents harmful compounds in the blood from being absorbed by brain tissue. A. Parts of the Brain The brain itself consists of three main parts: a large forward part called the forebrain; a narrow middle portion called the midbrain; a nd a rear part, called the hindbrain. It contains four cavities (hollow spaces called ventricles). The Forebrain, which is made up mainly a mass of neurons called the cerebrum, occupies most of the skull cavity and accounts for 90 percent of the weight of the entire brain. The surface of the cerebrum is a layer of gray matter called the cerebral cortex.It has many folds, or convolutions, which greatly increase its area. The longitudinal fissure, a deep cleft running from front to back, partially divides the cerebrum into right and left hemispheres. A central band of nerve fibers called the corpus collosum connects the two hemispheres. It contains bundles of nerve fibers called nerve tracts that carry information between the two hemispheres. The corticospinal tract carries impulses from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord. Its fibers cross each other at the region where medulla oblongata (an area in the hindbrain) meets the spinal cord (Sousa, 2006).Thus, the left interprets the s ensations of the right side of the body and vice versa. Each hemisphere performs unique tasks. The left hemisphere is responsible for logical thought, writing, and mathematical skills. The centers of language are also located here. Broca’s area, situated in the frontal lobe (the forward section of the hemisphere), is responsible for the production of language. Wernicke’s area, situated in the temporal lobe, a section above the ears, is responsible for the comprehension of language. The two areas are connected by a bundle of fibers called the arcuata fasciculus.Damage to these fibers will cause speech impairment. The right hemisphere is responsible for intuition, musical and artistic ability, and analysis of visual patterns. Although each hemisphere is responsible for different functions, one can take over for the other in the event of localized brain damage (Puckett, 1999). The cerebral cortex contains two specialized areas: the somatic sensory cortex and the motor cor tex. They are separated by the central fissure, a deep cleft perpendicular to the longitudinal fissure and extending across the roof of the brain.The somatic sensory cortex receives sensory signals from the skin, bones, joints, and muscles. The motor cortex controls the voluntary movement of muscles. Almost every part of the human body has a specific region controlling it in both the somatic sensory cortex and the motor cortex. Body parts that perform intricate movements, such as lips, hands, and legs, are controlled by large parts of the cortex. Body parts that perform gross movements, such as the shoulders and trunk, are controlled by smaller areas. Adjacent regions in the brain control adjacent body parts (Spear, 1995).The cortex of each cerebral hemisphere is divided into four sections, called lobes: 1. The Frontal Lobe, the forward, upper part of the cerebrum, includes the areas concerned with intelligence, judgment, emotional reaction, and the movement of skeletal muscles. 2. The Parietal Lobe, in the upper, back area of the cerebrum, receives and interprets the sensations of pressure, temperature, and position. 3. The Temporal Lobe, above ears, is concerned with hearing, memory, and understanding of speech. 4. The Occipital Lobe, in the back part of the cerebrum, is concerned with vision and the interpretation of objects that are seen.Each hemisphere contains a mass of nuclei called the thalamus (plural: thalami). It consists of gray matter that integrates a wide range of sensations from the visual and motor cortexes. It also plays a role in emotions. Above each thalamus are two basal ganglia, clusters of neurons that help regulate body movements (Cynader, 1994). Beneath the thalami is the hypothalamus, a mass of nerve cells and fibers that controls the reaction of the body of stress and to strong emotion. It also regulates the body’s water balance, temperature, appetite, sleepiness, and heart rate.Below and in front of the hypothalamus is the pi tuitary gland, which is partially controlled by the hypothalamus (Colzie, 2006). The pineal gland, or epiphysis, is a coneshaped organ located beneath the corpus callosum. It is connected by nerves to the eyes and is extremely sensitive to light. In response to darkness, it secretes melatonin, a hormone that is believed to induce sleep (Sousa, 2006). The olfactory bulbs, which govern the sense of smell, are located on the undersurface of the hemispheres. Nerves run from the nose through these bulbs to the cerebrum (Sousa, 2006).The Midbrain contains tracts (bundles) of nerve fibers that connect with other parts of the brain and with the spinal cord. The midbrain also has centers for auditory and visual reflexes, such as the contracting of the pupils (Sousa, 2006). The Hindbrain consists of three parts: (1) the cerebellum, behind and beneath the cerebrum; (2) the pons, beneath the midbrain and opposite the cerebellum; and (3) the medulla oblongata, attached at its base to the spinal cord (Sousa, 2006). The cerebellum, like the cerebrum, has a convoluted surface. The chief function of the cerebellum is to coordinate and regulate movements of the skeletal muscles.(The movements, however, are initiated and controlled by the cerebrum). When the cerebellum is damaged, ordinary movements directed by the cerebrum cannot be carried out. Limb movements become slow and jerky, and speech may become slurred. The pons is a smooth-surfaced bulge between the midbrain and the medulla oblongata. It contains tracts that connect the two sides of the cerebellum, and tracts that connect other parts of the brain with each other and with the spinal cord. Many of the cranial nerves pass through here. The pons controls the motor and sensory nerves to the eyes, jaw, face, and muscles.Together with the cerebellum, it regulates posture and balance (Puckett, 1999). The medulla oblongata is smooth, without convolutions. It contains three important nerve centers: one affects the rate of hear tbeat; one controls breathing; and one produces the constriction of blood vessels to control the volume of blood supply to the tissues. It is also the site where the nerves from the left hemisphere cross over to control the right side of the body and vice versa. Reflex centers of vomiting and swallowing also lie in the medulla. The midbrain, pons, and medulla, oblongata together form a structure called the brain stem.Deep within the brains tem, extending from the medulla to the midbrain is a network of nerve cells and fibers called the reticular formation (Cynader, 1994). The reticular formation regulates the amount and speed of electrical activity in the cerebral cortex. Many sensory nerves feed into it. It is believed to be the seat of consciousness. Ventricles. There are four ventricles within the brain. These cavities are connected to each other and to the hollow core of the spinal cord. The largest cavities are the two lateral ventricles, located in each hemisphere of the cereb rum.Beneath the lateral ventricles is the third ventricle and under it is the fourth. Cerebrospinal fluid is formed and stored in the ventricles (Cynader, 1994). Within the lateral ventricles is the limbic system, a group of structures that controls emotions and behavior, stores memories, and is involved in learning. It contains two masses if gray matter: the amygdale and the hippocampus. B. Chemistry of the Brain Since the early 1970’s, researchers have discovered that the brain contains more than 50 neurotransmitters, chemical substances that facilitate the transmission of nerve impulses between neurons.They interact with specific receptor sites in the brain to elicit chemical changes. Some circulate throughout the body (Spear, 1995). All neurotransmitters have chemical precursors. These are substances, composed of glucose and amino acids, which are produced elsewhere in the body and are carried in the bloodstream. The precursors are able to cross the blood-brain barrier in to the brain, where they are eventually converted into neurotransmitters (Spear, 1995). The quantities of neurotransmitters in the brain are affected by the consumption of certain foods and also by strenuous exercise.Endorphins make up a family of neurotransmitters that act as natural painkillers. They moderate the amount of pain an individual feels. They are composed of chains of amino acids called peptides. Narcotic analgesic drugs, such as heroin or morphine, effectively reduce pain by occupying the same receptor sites and producing the same interactions as endorphins. These drugs are often prescribed for severe pain or when there is a delay or malfunction in the release of the natural painkillers (Zoeller, 2003). Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that functions in storing memories, regulating moods, and controlling body movements.Consumption of such foods as eggs, soybeans, and liver increases its production. All of these contain lecithin, which is converted into choline in th e liver. Choline is a chemical precursor that is converted into acetylcholine in the brain. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter found only in the hypothalamus and midbrain, relieves depression, reduces sensitivity to pain, and induces sleep. Its chemical precursor is tryptophan, which is found in the protein in meat, fowl, and fish. Norepinephrine is another neurotransmitter that helps relieved depression (Zoeller, 2003).Its precursor is tyrosine, which is also found in protein. Strenuous exercise increases the production of endorphins and norepinephrine. It is this increased production that causes â€Å"runner’s high—an increased tolerance to pain and a state of euphoria experienced by many long-distance runners. III. Conclusion In conclusion, as I study this subject I have discovered one thing and that is— brain is like your computer’s body. It receives information from the internal organs such as the heart, intestines and from the sense organs—the ey es, the ears, the tongue, the skin and the nose.It makes me think that the brain is the control center of the body. It receives all messages from different parts of the body, interpret them, and tell the parts what to do. Moreover, as what I have understood from the research I conducted, it gives me an idea that the brain is not completely developed even in full-term newborn infants. A great deal of brain development takes place in the first few months of postnatal life; and, in fact, brain growth continues at least until adolescence, and perhaps in adulthood. Some nerve fibers in the brain develop myelin sheaths.Many of these nerve fibers have not become myelinated by the time of birth. The process of myelination continues for years, especially in the reticular formation and parts of the forebrain. Reference: 1. Colzie, Lakesha (2006). The First Three Years and Beyond: Brain Development and Social Policy. Childhood Education, Vol. 82. 2. Cynader, Max S. (1994). Mechanisms of Brain Development and Their Role in Health and Well-Being . Daedalus, Vol. 123. 3. Meltzoff, Andrew N. (2002). The Imitative Mind: Development, Evolution, and Brain Bases. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, England. 4.Puckett, Margaret (1999). Examining the Emergence of Brain Development Research. Childhood Education, Vol. 76. 5. Sousa, David A. (2006). How the Arts Develop the Young Brain: Neuroscience Research Is Revealing the Impressive Impact of Arts Instruction on Students' Cognitive, Social and Emotional Development. School Administrator, Vol. 63. 6. Spear, Norman E. (1995). Neurobehavioral Plasticity: Learning, Development, and Response to Brain Insults. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Hillsdale, NJ. 7. Zoeller, R. Thomas (2003). Thyroid Toxicology and Brain Development: Should We Think Differently? Envir

The Fukushima Nuclear Plant

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was built in Okuma, Fukushima, to provide Japan with electricity. The plant consists of six nuclear reactors that were built during different times in the 1970s. The reactors were built close together primarily because finding a new location would make a new reactor very expensive, compared to the addition of a new reactor. The plant was constructed near the sea because nuclear plants consumes massive amount of waters just for its cooling needs and also for steam generation which then drives turbines that generate electricity. The various reactors serviced different companies and suppliers including General Electric, Toshiba, and Hitachi. On March 11th, 2011, an earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns and releases of radioactive materials. According to the International Business Times (Australia) â€Å"Fukushima is not the worst nuclear accident ever but it is the most complicated and the most dramatic disaster. † (IBT, 01) On April 2011 The Nuclear Institute rated the disaster a Level 7 â€Å"Major Accident† on the International Nuclear Event Scale. The International Nuclear Event Scale How the reactors were damaged An earthquake of magnitude 9. 0 on a Richter Scale initially damaged the reactors. According to the World Nuclear Association, reactor 4 had been de-fueled while reactors 5 and 6 were in cold shutdown for planned maintenance. Immediately after the earthquake, the remaining reactors 1-3 shut down automatically and emergency generators came online to power electronics and coolant systems. However, a tsunami rapidly followed the earthquake, flooding the low-lying rooms in which the emergency generators were housed. The flooded generators failed, cutting power to critical pumps, which must continuously circulate coolant water through a nuclear reactor for several days after being shut down in order to keep the plant from melting down. As the pumps stopped, the high radioactive decay produced in the first few days after the shutdown caused the reactors to overheat. The overheating led to the meltdown of the reactors. General Risks of Nuclear Plants Even without a natural disaster such as an earthquake followed by a tsunami, a Fukushima-like nuclear accident can occur at any nuclear power plant that relies on water for cooling. Nuclear power reactors today are fueled mostly with uranium, which undergoes a fission chain reaction, releasing heat and creating radioactive fission products, plutonium, and other transuranic elements. After a time, the concentration of chain-reacting isotopes drops to the point where the fuel is considered â€Å"spent† and has to be replaced with fresh fuel. The â€Å"spent† fuel has to be stored in pool basins allowing the heat and radiation level to decrease. After the fuel has cooled, it may be transferred to massive air-cooled dry casks for storage on-site or in a centralized facility. Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear power plants do not emit smoke, sodium dioxide, nitrogen oxide, or CO2 to the atmosphere. However, because of the use of Uranium, all nuclear power plants release radioactive waste, which stays radioactive from thousands of years and is therefore very dangerous. The typical method of storing nuclear waste is to house it in steel-lined concrete basins filled with water. The nuclear power industry’s leading innovators are currently considering alternatives such as moving the nuclear waste to off-site storage facilities, but this raises the problem of transporting the hazardous material. The escape of radioactive material from the nuclear reactor is very dangerous. Leakage can occur in the following situations: through small releases during routine plant operation, accidents in nuclear power plants, accidents in transporting radioactive materials, and escape of radioactive material from confinement systems. After the radioactive material escapes it could end up in our ecosystem via the atmosphere, the ground, or even the water. According to America on Radiation Alert: Japan Faces World's Worst Nuclear Accident since Chernobyl as Experts Warn Fallout May Reach U. S. Japan’s nuclear disaster in 2011 caused several countries to reconsider their use of nuclear energy. Precautions that could have prevented the Disaster The original site for the Fukushima plant was a bluff 35 meters above sea level, but high costs prevented construction at this altitude. The plant had to be built on a rock to assure stability of land, so Kajima, the plant’s constructor, decid ed to lower the level of the bluff by 25 meters to reduce the cost of extra pipes to reach ground rock. However, Kajima did not take into consideration the possibility that a Tsunami could be higher than 10 meters. Lowering the height of the cliff was considered one of the main facts associated with the damage according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The tsunami caused water to flow into the nuclear plant, flooding the lower emergency generators with seawater, and causing the power supply to fail. The plant was built in a geographical location that is vulnerable to earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis. An earthquake, categorized as 9. 0 on a Richter scale, caused a tsunami of magnitude 8. 9 Richter Scale. At the time the plant was built, theories regarding plate tectonics were relatively new. Had geologists and other scientists been more familiar with the causes of earthquakes, especially in that region, the plant might have been built on another, safer site. However, relocating the nuclear plant is the cost effective, time consuming, most locations have similar features because Japan is found on fault lines. The plants current existing location is conductive in helping cool the nuclear plants (water is taken from seas/rivers and circulated†¦ that’s why it was on the shore). The damaged reactors cut power to the critical pumps, which failed to circulate coolant water through the nuclear reactors for several days, allowing it to melt down. The high radioactive heat decay produced in the last few days of the disaster had to be cooled. At that point, only the prompt flooding of the reactors with seawater could have cooled the reactors quickly enough to prevent meltdown, but the decision to allow flooding was delayed because it would ruin the costly reactors permanently. Only after a long delay, the Japanese government ordered the reactors to be flooded with seawater. A meltdown could have been prevented if they had acted sooner. Alternatively, the disaster could have been prevented if the emergency generators were located in the upper levels of the plant. This would have prevented the flooding and kept the emergency generators in operation. If the generators had not been flooded with seawater the nuclear reactor could have maintained cooling operations and a nuclear meltdown could have been avoided. Finally, certain safety precautions could have prevented this type of disaster at Fukushima. One, properly trained personnel are, in my opinion the main issue to be addressed. The American Nuclear Society approved that unlike the United States, â€Å"Japan rarely tests the limits of the system and training of personnel† All which lacked training† (ANS, 02). Two, many structural and managerial precautions could have been implemented to protect against natural disasters; â€Å"there were serious problems with accident management and with risk communication and crisis communication† (ANS, 04). Most nuclear power plants nowadays practice these basics and have regulation checking’s and visiting taking place. Conclusion on Fukushima. One could make the argument that the nuclear reactor accidents could have been attributed to at least some level of human error. However, the consensus seems to be that the disaster was caused for the most part by the natural occurrence of the earthquake and tsunami. On October 12th, 2012, a Japanese Nuclear Plant Operator admitted on CNN for the first time that â€Å"TEPCO has failed to take stronger measures to prevent disasters. † Tokyo Electric Power Co. said in a statement that paying closer attention to better-trained employees, international standards and recommendations could have prevented the disaster. TEPCO’s president said to TEPCO’s press release that â€Å"these implementations could have saved us from the accident if we turn the clock back. ’’ Newly designed reactors For the past few years, nuclear plants have been undergoing an extensive process of redesign. Newly built reactors are designed more safely, so that they do not need electrical power to shut down safely; they are relying less on pumps and valves, and more on natural heat. In addition, advanced digital operation will do away with the requirement of a human controller for 72 hours, and the main core will remain cool because of a containment cooling system. According to the World Nuclear Association, â€Å"Additional safety measures have been installed at nuclear power plants nationwide since the accident under the government’s instructions. † Such measures include enhanced seawalls, additional backup power and cooling water sources, the storage of radioactive waste on dry land, and the development of better crisis management training. Nuclear power plants/stations are statistically safe because disasters rarely happen. However, when nuclear disasters happen they cause massive destruction.

Business Skills in travel and tourism Essay Example

Business Skills in travel and tourism Essay Example Business Skills in travel and tourism Essay Business Skills in travel and tourism Essay Scenario: you have just finished school and are now working as a travel agency. The agencies manager has decided to create a handbook on financial and administrative procedures. As you have just received training and have the skills to design the booklet. Task 1 Produce a word processed booklet which describes the administrative and finical procedures. Set out your booklet in 3 sections The administrative procedures used to process sales Enquire forms It is important that for the organisation to record every enquiry so that it can be followed up, to try to convert the enquiry into a sale. The organisation needs to record some customer details. This can be done either on a standardised form or on a computer. Booking Form Booking forms is when a customer books a product or service, this information also needs to be recorded. You would have to record the customers details and the details of the product that the customers booked. A copy of this information needs to be given to the customer so that he or she knows what has been paid for and to give the customer peace of mind Invoices Invoices must be sent out with every item that has been bought on credit. This is done because the customer has to nave a statement of how much he/she has paid for the product and the balance which is owed to be paid. An invoke should include all the details of the product or services that are being purchased as well as a statement of the account to date and amounts received. Confirmations Confirmations are sent out to verify any information or payments that have been arriving. This confirmation supply two purposes * It informs the customer that payments have been received. * It provides a record of incoming monies for the customers file. Customer Files Every customer must have an individual private file, which should be set out on a computerised record The information on it must be kept up to date at all times. Letters Most organisations will have a standard letters which will deal with discrepancies. The advantage of having standardized letters is that all staff within the organisation will know what the letter says It will also have on time confusion. How to deal with discrepancies and inaccuracies Incorrect details on a booking form * To deal with this problem the customer would have to complete a new booking form as soon as possible. The employer must cancel the mistaken one from the record and add the new one with everything up to date. The employer must inform the organisation of where they have booked of this incident. Incorrect price on an invoice This is a major problem because you can end up paying extra money that you didnt need to pay for. To deal with this you would have to send a letter to the customer explaining what has happened, and also over charging would signify that you must refund monies to the customer. Incorrect address on a customer file * Since there are many different ways of communication used today, it would be doable to telephone or email the client to get their correct address and details. The Financial procedures used to process sales * Payment methods accepted (debit cards, credit cards, travellers cheques and cash). The benefits of each one of the organisation and to customers Travellers cheques This is used to gain foreign money. You can buy the cheques in different currency. Travellers cheques can only be redeemed for money with identification and the signature of the person who originally signed travellers cheques when it was purchased. Cash- cash is easier because youre paying straight up with simple cash with the right amount or not with change given Debit cards ; Credit cards are very much the same; you can make simple and quick purchase on the card with just one swipe and your pin number, there is certain amount of money on the card which will come up o the computer once you insert the card and enter your pin to check if you do have enough for you to purchase your item. When and how Invoices are issued Invoices are set to customers each time they have purchased an item, invoices are given out to customers to ensure that they are aware of what they have bought and how much they bought it for and how much they have left to pay. Invoices are giving on a piece of paper with all the details needed. Payment procedures Deposits- this is the first payment made towards your purchase, some deposits are not likely to be refundable depending of the organisation. Balance- this is the remainder that the customer needs to pay for their purchase Balance date- this is the due date when the money must be received by. This can be staggered. Full amount- this payment has to be made in order for the product or service to be taken in. How transactions are carried out This should be a process which is routine and has a logical approach Step one- you need to establish which technique the customer wants to use to pay and weather the company accepts that technique. Step two- A receptionist should be issued to the customer as a record that payment has been made. Step three- complete appropriate financial documentation, you need to ensure that the customer file is kept up to date and that the account reflects this. How to deal with discrepancies and inaccuracies Declined card ; returned cheques Debit or credit card payments will be declined if the credit limit is over beyond or if there is no fund in the account of the card. If the customers card has been refused you must ask the customer to pay by another method. If a cheque has been refused from a bank, you need to contact the customer to inform them that the cheque has been rejected and that they must use another method of payment. * This must be done in writing, so that you have a written copy of the customers file.

Gandhi (the Movie) Biography essays

Gandhi (the Movie) Biography essays No mans life can be encompassed in one telling. There is no way to give each year its allotted weight, to include each event, each person who helped to shape a lifetime. What can be done is to be faithful in spirit to the record and try to find ones way to the heart of the man... As this quote so began the movie Gandhi, so too will it begin my paper. This movie portrayed Gandhi not just as a hero, but also as a human. His life was indeed hard, and through various moments of the movie, I cringed at the cruelty he and his people endured. Gandhi was but one man, yet he displayed not only the power of the Indian people, but also the power of peace. During Gandhis visit to South Africa, he was astonished at the way Indians were treated. They were not allowed to ride first/second class on the train, and they werent ever allowed to walk on the same pavement that the white British men walked upon. About five minutes after the opening shot of the movie, it shows Gandhi on a first class car encountering his first taste of social injustice in South Africa (and maybe even his life). Outraged at this incident, he began his campaign for change. He proposed that all Indians should burn the passes that they are, by law, supposed to carry with them at all times. This event was the first of many times throughout the movie that he would be thrown in jail. What caught my attention was his first attempt at trying to talk to the crowd. His ineptness at speech was surprising considering the mysticism surrounding Gandhi in todays world. Another added effect that made this movie very well done was the progression of Gandhi with the passage of time. As already stated, his first speech in South Africa during his pass burning demonstration, he was extremely timid and soft-spoken. Although lacking speech skills at that time (it was, I believe, his first time talking in pu ...

Where to Buy Saltpeter or Potassium Nitrate

Where to Buy Saltpeter or Potassium Nitrate You used to be able to buy potassium nitrate as saltpeter in many garden supply stores. While it is difficult to find saltpeter, you can still purchase potassium nitrate, which is used to make smoke bombs and certain other fireworks. Stores That Sell Potassium Nitrate One of the most common sources of pure potassium nitrate is stump remover. In the United States, you can find it at Lowes or Home Depot, among other places. Look for the Spectracide brand in those stores near the insecticides. Be sure to check the label to make certain potassium nitrate is the first (and preferably only) ingredient. If you cant find potassium nitrate  at a store in your area, you can  order it online at Amazon, plus its a chemical you can make it yourself. Make Potassium Nitrate Even if you cant find potassium nitrate, you can make it. All you need is a cold pack that lists potassium nitrate as an ingredient and salt substitute that lists potassium chloride as the only ingredient. It has to be salt substitute and not lite salt, because the latter also contains sodium chloride. If you use lite salt, youll end up with a mixture of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate, which might be useful for your purpose, but isnt the same as pure potassium nitrate and will burn yellow rather than purple. You need; 40 grams ammonium nitrate from the cold pack37 grams potassium chloride from the salt substitute100 milliliters water Dissolve the ammonium nitrate in the water.Filter the solution to remove any undissolved matter. You can use a coffee filter or a paper towel.Add the potassium chloride to the liquid and gently heat the mixture to dissolve the salt. Dont boil it.Filter the solution to remove solids.Chill the liquid on ice or in the freezer. The potassium chloride will freeze out as crystals, leaving ammonium chloride in solution.Pour off the liquid and let the crystals dry. This is your potassium nitrate. You could also save the ammonium chloride, too. If you want the ammonium chloride, let the water evaporate and recover the solid material. The reaction exchanges the ions in the compounds: NH4NO3   KCl → KNO3   NH4Cl The products can be separated because they have different solubilities. As you chill the mixture, potassium nitrate readily solidifies. Ammonium chloride is more soluble, so it remains in solution. Even though the solution is on ice or in the freezer, it wont freeze because the particles cause freezing point depression of the water. This is why these chemicals can be used to de-ice roads! Keep in mind, the potassium nitrate you get from the reaction wont be reagent-grade purity. However, it should be pure enough for most chemistry experiments and fireworks projects.

The role of unstable political structures on the effects of Essay

The role of unstable political structures on the effects of deregulation on competition - Essay Example This literature looks in detail the effects of political instability in the region in attracting foreign investment in the region. The telecommunication industry in UAE has shown incredible progress, this has been propelled by the government's effort intended at the deregulation of telecommunication market and bringing in competition. This has been an initiative of Telecommunication regulatory authority (TRA) which aims at enhancing competition in UAE telecommunication market. The literature looks in depth the flourishing telecom sector in UAE and gives an insight of market trends dominating telecommunication market (Jones; 46; 2006). Political willpower in UAE has also been criticized due to its failure to create conducive environment for economic players to venture in its market. Corruption in Middle East has also been a major hindrance in creating a fair play environment for investors. The literature focuses specifically on UAE liberalization of its telecommunication industry. It looks in detail effects of deregulation in UAE telecommunication market in bringing competition (Ritchie; 123; 1994). United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation made up of seven self-governing states. UAE was declared independent in 1971 from Britain. In November 2004 president Sheikh Zavid Ibn Sultan Al Nuhayyan died ending 33 years of power since independence. His son Sheikh Khalifa ibn Zayid Al Nuhayyan who had been prince of Abu Dhabi succeeded his father in a smooth transition. UAE has enjoyed political stability through combination of a unique political system, which is made up of a mixture of traditional and modern administrative structures. There are no democratically chosen political parties as well as institutions. The UAE government has been under criticism by human rights group for restricting freedom of speech and that of press. The Media does not criticize its government directly also freedom of speech and religion has also been curtailed in the Islamic run country. The government has put in place a law that allows ministry of information to approve the selected editors and to license all publications. The law also controls press content and press is expected to practice self censorship (WTO; 2009). Those who comment negatively against Islam, ruling families and the government risk life imprisonment. All imported materials are reviewed by ministry of information and culture before it is distributed. Membership in the professional body of journalists (Association of journalists) is restricted to those who only work for the government run media companies. UAE telecom is one of the most developed markets with highly technological advanced infrastructure in Middle East. However until 2007 UAE's telecommunication industry had been dominated by one company, Emirates Telecommunication Corporation (Etisalat).Another company by name Emirates Integrated Telecommunication company (EITC) running by brand "du" was installed to manage telecom services in UAE (Frauke; 139; 2004). Conceptual issues: Political instability

The Sampling Frame in Study Sampling Plan Research Paper

The Sampling Frame in Study Sampling Plan - Research Paper Example Take, for example, the experience sampling method (ESM) and daily diary (DD) research wherein the off late experiences of the ditto sample of people take place for many days or weeks (Fisher & To, 2012). Issues in the designing and performing an ESM/DD research can surface, which can be related to data collection selections and timetables, steps taken, technology, training and interest of participants, and discussion related to multi-dimensional data. For example, a decision has to be made over the plan for sampling moments of experience, which may include how, how often, and for how long. Technology choice can be decided at any time but there are a number of generic alternative for sampling experiences, such as interval-contingent reporting, signal-contingent reporting, event-contingent reporting, and combining of these methodologies, which pinpoints the criticality of a sampling frame (Fisher & To, 2012). Poorly specified sampling frame can prove to be a hurdle in the research process. In the case of online surveys for sampling purpose, as on the Facebook, releasing of the survey in single waves can cause the problem of increased traffic, offering no possibility of amending the forthcoming issues if the survey link is sent to about one/third of all the network members, letting the rest of the members receive it after a gap of three days. As soon as the link is sent in the first attempt, a problem with any of the questions can arise even if the question is checked in advance in the given online survey. Even if the error is instantly rectified by the sender, it takes time for the change to reflect in the sample survey; it is because of the presence of many visitors on the website at that time. If the error is critical to the primary analysis, and the sampling model is making use of a variable, then it becomes urgent to exclude such cases from the online survey sampling.

Writer's Choice Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writer's Choice - Article Example The journal conducted some surveys, as well as interviews and the findings, proved that the Southwestern Region of the United States has been tracking modifications in their programs as well as assessment focus. States in the Southwestern Region are now changing from functional contents to academic contents (Sato, 2008). The journal focuses on the year 2007 and how the five states of the Southwestern region of the United States institutes these alternative programs. The journal also finds that, due to the wide range of student physical disabilities and student cognitive behaviors, a one-size alternative assessment will not fit everybody. In examining the challenges of planning and implementing alternate assessments across these five states, the researchers developed six study queries. These queries include: the challenges that are encountered during the execution of the fresh policies and practices. The second query was how the alternate assessments in the five states looked liked before the research. The researchers explored the different training methods that were offered to educators of alternate assessments. They also examined how the collected results are applied at the student, school, and district as well as at the state level. The researchers also examined to what level the state alternate assessments captured similar skills as states examinations specified for the general student populace. Finally, they examined the technical issues that states were encountering in developing plus implementing valid and reliable alternate assessments (Sato, 2008). I personally feel that the research was well planned. This is because alternate assessments for learners with cognitive disabilities are fairly new in many states, but the research takes an approach that is different from other programs. Other researches do not include every student with different

Critical analysis of minimum wage Research Paper

Critical analysis of minimum wage - Research Paper Example Definition of Minimum Wage The minimum wage is the lowest level of pay that an employer can pay to the employees as stipulated by law. It is defined by the International Labor Organization as â€Å"the lowest level of remuneration †¦ which each country has the force of law and which is enforceable under threat of penal and other appropriate sanctions. Minimum wages fixed by collective agreements made binding by public authorities are included in this definition†1. This indicates that the minimum wage is the level of pay or compensation given by employers to their employees as stipulated by the laws of the land. The minimum wage is included in the laws of a given nation and it has the force of law. Hence, if an employer decides to pay his employees below the lowest minimum wage level, the government and law enforcement authorities can take action against the employer and subject him to prosecution. The minimum wage include wages that are fixed by collective agreements. Thi s include various interest groups and stakeholders who come together to fix the minimum wage through various agreements. Once the government gives it the assent, it becomes law and no employer can pay a salary below the minimum wage. The minimum wage is the price floor that sets the minimum hourly rate for employees2. The minimum wage is meant to promote equal opportunities in a country and help to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. There are two main implications of the minimum wage3. First of all, it is a way of fighting poverty because it guarantees the price floor, below which it would be illegal to pay an employee. In other words, it prevents employers from exploiting the extremely poor people in society. This is because such persons are vulnerable and are willing to do almost anything to get paid and to survive. Hence, they are susceptible to manipulation and exploitation by the rich employers. Due to this, the minimum wage is seen as a tool that is used by the gove rnment to prevent the poor and the less skilled from being exploited by the rich capitalists and business owners. On the other hand, it can reduce employment amongst the low-skilled since there is the tendency that businesses would fold up when they are forced to pay a minimum wage. In effect, there is the risk that more low-skilled persons could get out of work due to the minimum wage. Thus, a government would need to blend the two implications and come up with an appropriate minimum wage that would protect the rights of the extremely poor in society and also prevent job losses in the economy. History of the Minimum Wage The minimum wage was established in the laws of the United States through the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 19384. This law is described as the basis and the bedrock of labor protection regulations and social welfare provisions for the less skilled workers. This is because it came into force to protect the American people who were less skilled and stood the gr eatest risk of being exploited by their employers. In effect, the Act was issued to protect the least powerful section of the United States' society. This protected them from exploitation by their respective employers. The FISA was meant to cover full time and part time workers in private sector, federal, state and local government positions throughout America. This means that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 was designed to have a universal application and it

Essay on Finance Articles Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

On Finance Articles - Essay Example To fulfil Doha's mission to alleviate global poverty, the developed world must at the minimum, be prepared to waive tariffs and quotas on exports from countries officially declared least developed. However, they are loath to do so due to domestic compulsions. Studies carried out by the World bank show that if tariffs and quotas were to be totally done away with, it could "boost income in developing countries by $86 bn and pull an extra 30 million people out of poverty". However, the models used by the World bank do not factor in all possible variables and hence the figures are debatable, some other models for example predict a reduction in poverty by 2% for every 1% increase in income, but with globally variable distribution patterns. The Doha talks also suffer from a misplaced sense of priorities. In concentrating only on slashing tariffs in the agriculture sector, it is focussing its efforts on the one area where it is least likely to have any positive impact on the economies' of the least developed countries. It is felt that if subsidies are removed, world food prices will rise, hurting the consumers, the majority of whom are in the least developed countries. ... This is a major achievement in itself. For a change, the developing and least developed countries have a forum in which to voice their legitimated grievances. Partnerships between countries such as between China - Brazil - India have also highlighted the growing clout of these emerging economies and their willingness to stand up to the developed world to counter what they perceive as 'economic imperialism'. References The Economist, December 10th 2005, pp 75-76. ARTICLE 2 - NEW FRIENDSHIPS AND PETROPUZZLES China's unquestionable thirst for oil in the world market is well known, as it seeks to sustain a booming economy, with China's oil demand shooting up by 15% in 2005. A major share of China's oil supplies come from Saudi Arabia and the interdependence between China and Saudi Arabia is evident from the fact that King Abdullah's first official trip outside the Middle East was not to the United Sates but to China. A growing economy should have resulted in a corresponding growing demand for oil. However, China once again confounded al experts by disclosing that its oil demand fell by 0.2% in 2005. Other experts, however, scoff at these figures and maintain that demand actually rose by between 6.4% and 8% in line with economic trends. If China's figures were to be believed, then the OPEC might have to consider cutting production in order to maintain oil prices, even though parallel events in Nigeria and Iran fuelled speculations about a possible rise in oil prices. In Nigeria, attacks by militants resulted in a decrease in production by about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd). Iran's nuclear ambitions and threats to cut production in the face of

Critical analysis of minimum wage Research Paper

Critical analysis of minimum wage - Research Paper Example Definition of Minimum Wage The minimum wage is the lowest level of pay that an employer can pay to the employees as stipulated by law. It is defined by the International Labor Organization as â€Å"the lowest level of remuneration †¦ which each country has the force of law and which is enforceable under threat of penal and other appropriate sanctions. Minimum wages fixed by collective agreements made binding by public authorities are included in this definition†1. This indicates that the minimum wage is the level of pay or compensation given by employers to their employees as stipulated by the laws of the land. The minimum wage is included in the laws of a given nation and it has the force of law. Hence, if an employer decides to pay his employees below the lowest minimum wage level, the government and law enforcement authorities can take action against the employer and subject him to prosecution. The minimum wage include wages that are fixed by collective agreements. Thi s include various interest groups and stakeholders who come together to fix the minimum wage through various agreements. Once the government gives it the assent, it becomes law and no employer can pay a salary below the minimum wage. The minimum wage is the price floor that sets the minimum hourly rate for employees2. The minimum wage is meant to promote equal opportunities in a country and help to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. There are two main implications of the minimum wage3. First of all, it is a way of fighting poverty because it guarantees the price floor, below which it would be illegal to pay an employee. In other words, it prevents employers from exploiting the extremely poor people in society. This is because such persons are vulnerable and are willing to do almost anything to get paid and to survive. Hence, they are susceptible to manipulation and exploitation by the rich employers. Due to this, the minimum wage is seen as a tool that is used by the gove rnment to prevent the poor and the less skilled from being exploited by the rich capitalists and business owners. On the other hand, it can reduce employment amongst the low-skilled since there is the tendency that businesses would fold up when they are forced to pay a minimum wage. In effect, there is the risk that more low-skilled persons could get out of work due to the minimum wage. Thus, a government would need to blend the two implications and come up with an appropriate minimum wage that would protect the rights of the extremely poor in society and also prevent job losses in the economy. History of the Minimum Wage The minimum wage was established in the laws of the United States through the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 19384. This law is described as the basis and the bedrock of labor protection regulations and social welfare provisions for the less skilled workers. This is because it came into force to protect the American people who were less skilled and stood the gr eatest risk of being exploited by their employers. In effect, the Act was issued to protect the least powerful section of the United States' society. This protected them from exploitation by their respective employers. The FISA was meant to cover full time and part time workers in private sector, federal, state and local government positions throughout America. This means that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 was designed to have a universal application and it

NHS Care Records Service Failure Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

NHS Care Records Service Failure - Case Study Example This would have allowed for ease of treatment, while at the same time allowing for easier and convenient collection of health data for research and planning by the health department (NAO, 2006:7). Further, the involvement of several local service providers through contracting four different firms was a noble idea, since it was meant to forestall the complete delay or failure by a single service provider. However, the major weakness associated with this strategy of contracting is that the different local service providers would easily fall out of the central monitoring of the Department of Health and the relevant agency (NHS Connecting for Health Agency (CfH), resulting in the failure of the programme due to weaknesses in coordination of the multiple implementers of the programme (King & Crewe, 2013:24). The Contingency Theory of Management provides that managers make decisions regarding issues facing an organization based on the situation at hand, as opposed to the application of a ’one-fits-all’ approach (Seyranian, 2009:153). Thus, according to this theory, a manager will take a management decision based on the most important aspects facing the organization at the moment. Therefore, this theory provides that different managerial positions will demand a different form of approach while making decisions for the organizations. For example, while a manager who is responsible for managing a higher institution of learning such as a university may prefer to apply a consultative approach, a manager managing a military camp will mostly be suited to adopting an autocratic approach (Seyranian, 2009:155). Thus, the NHS Care records service failure is an example of a management situation where the Contingency Theory of Management became applicable. The National Programme for IT (NPfIT) was dismantled in June 2013, after a period of more than 10 years in operation, having not satisfactorily delivered the targeted objectives of the program (CAP, 2013:5).

Technology in Education Essay Example for Free

Technology in Education Essay The use of technology in education has brought about great changes in the way we teach and learn. In this digital age it is imperative that technology is embedded into all aspect of learning and teaching. Educators face many challenges when it comes to integrating technology into the classroom due to lack of training, and the availability of technological equipment. Research has shown that to cater to our students who are digital natives, and to remain globally competitive we need to ensure that classrooms spring forward into the 21st century. According to Pelham, Crabtree, Nyiri, â€Å"Education researchers, government officials, and the international development community often have different ideas about the best approach to improving educational attainment across the globe† (2009, p. 74). The same can be said for educators and district leaders; there are a variety of opinions on how important the use of technology is within the classroom, and the necessity of it in preparing students to excel in today’s digital society. In the early 1970s a very small number of schools had access to computers, and usually those schools we home of the elite. However, during the late 20th century the obvious necessity to incorporate computers into the classroom became apparent. Companies such as Apple and Hewlett Packard ran promotions, which allowed more districts the ability to purchase technology for their schools (Nyiri et. al. , 2009). Since then, the integration of technology into education and schools has become paramount in the ability for students to become prepared for the 21st Century workplace. Schools are enthusiastic about introducing technology and computers into the classroom but there are several obstacles that they must overcome. The first obstacle is the lack of funding. Many schools embrace the idea of integrating technology into the classroom but do not have the funding to provide the technology to their students or teachers. President Obama’s charge to facilitate every classroom with computers and wire every school for Internet use can be seen as the light at the end of the tunnel. During the summer of 2009, several educational groups urged congress to spend several billion dollars to improve technology in the classroom, and to ensure that teachers knew how to use this technology effectively. According to Miners â€Å"Recognizing the importance of the matter, president Obama and congressional leaders included $650 million in the federal stimulus package for the enhancing education† (2009, p. 35). It is expected that over 25% of this funding is used to train teachers on the use of this technology. In acquiring technology for schools, and training teachers on the effective use of this technology they will in turn prepare our students to be globally competitive in this digital world. There are a variety of technological tools that can be utilized in the classroom; and although technology is available often times it is not used. The main issue that needs to be overcome is the lack of training that teachers receive on this technology which in turn creates a sense of apprehensiveness in integrating technology into the classroom. As stated by Miners, teachers have desired to use this technology in the classroom but have done so poorly due to â€Å"perhaps an unsatisfactory implementation of poorly conceived programs† (2009, p. 36). In 1997 a group of teachers completed a study on how the integration of technology could be used to enhance student learning. This became known as the Teacher Leadership Program. This program has transformed into a professional development for teachers which train them on the use of technology in the classroom through an intensive summer study and continuous online training. Then these teachers can return to their schools and train their colleagues (Miners, 2009). Modeling the integration of technology into their lesson plans is imperative to emphasizing the ease and effectiveness of this technology in the classroom. Not only this, but educators need to utilize technology when collaborating and communicating with their colleagues. Email, instant messaging, and school websites are just a few of the ways that colleagues can use technology with their peers’ all the while modeling appropriate use for the students. When students walk into the classroom they want to be immersed in the lifestyle they are accustomed to at home. Cell phones, personal computers, IPods, and gaming systems are the norm at home, students have grown up with this technology at their fingertips and know how to operate it in most cases more efficiently than most technology professors. They are accustomed to communication via instant messaging, reading digital books, listening to music on mp3 files, posting their diary on blogs, and making friends with facebook. Entering a classroom that is filled with old books, white boards, and no technology present does not provide them with the type of environment in which they need to learn. As Harris and Rea state, with â€Å"the Google/Facebook generation accustomed to being connected to information sources and social networks all the time and in many forms, how can we best use these technologies to transform, supplement, or even supplant current pedagogical practices† (2009, p. 37). The first issue that needs to be addressed is the use of technological equipment in the classrooms. Smart boards, also known as digital white boards are the wave of the future. According to Corcoran, smart boards are â€Å"are a portal to the digital world† (2009), students can interact with the information on the screen using touch screen technology. Almost one third of classrooms in the United States have Smart boards, which in turn allows students in these classrooms to become actively engaged in learning. Students who have access to smart board technology become â€Å"doers† in the classroom rather than sponges ingesting the information disseminated by the teacher. It allows students of all learning styles the opportunity to learn; given the fact that it is of great importance to differentiate in education, being able to cater to all learning styles whether visual, auditory, or kinesthetic through the smart board leads to a very productive learning environment. However, an interactive white board in the classroom is merely a white board if it is not used effectively. PowerPoint presentations which are interactive are much more interesting than an oral lecture from the teacher, or taking notes from a book. Being allowed to manipulate and interact with the information allows the students to absorb and retain what they are learning. Teachers can create lessons which are visually stimulating, link their lessons with online websites, incorporate music, images, and video into the lesson. They can create online games such as Jeopardy or Millionaire to assess student learning, or use programs such as ClassScape to assess students learning. Teachers can create web quests, which are interactive systems of learning. By allowing students to use the internet as a form of learning rather than constant dictation from the teacher we allow them to attain the information themselves therefore retaining it more easily. Jonassen, Howland, Marra, and Crismond (2008) noted that web activities such as WebQuests or scavenger hunts are common tools that allow for independent thinking, challenge students intellectually and assist with problem solving skills. The integration of technology into the classroom are key in motivating the students to learn, to become active in the classroom, and to use the knowledge that they have in dealing with technology in the classroom. Gone are the days of paper and pencil classrooms, with the integration of technology into the classroom comes the love of learning is rekindled in many of these students lives. With the wide array of websites available online nowadays teachers have no excuse for not utilizing technology into the classroom. These websites can be used in the classroom and also at home. An excellent example is Wiki space which is a webpage where teachers can post their lectures and notes or where they can create an open forum for class discussion. As students are invited to this wiki-space they can edit and add to the discussion online. Students can create their own wikispace, which can greatly decrease stress when working on group projects. Teachers can build their own virtual classroom websites which can be used to as a means to communicate with, and make parents aware of the goings on in the classroom. Students can use these websites to access homework, and to contact their teachers. Through incorporating technology into the classroom and to use it as a form of communication with parents, colleagues, and students, teachers are preparing the students for life in the 21st century and ensuring that when they leave the classroom and enter the workforce they are prepared for the technological challenges that they will face them.

An Investigation Into The Causes Of Migraine Headache Nursing Essay

An Investigation Into The Causes Of Migraine Headache Nursing Essay Migraine is a neurological disorder which affects almost 10% of the worlds population (Woeber et al., 2007). In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the number of migraineurs worldwide at 303 million people. A similar study in 2004 found that approximately 20 million migraine attacks occur every day (Forshaw, 2003). Individuals who suffer from migraine headaches carry the burden of pain and suffering that can lead to an impaired quality of life. At a community level, migraine headaches can also be problematic because of absences from work or decreased productivity from migraine sufferers (NINDS Migraine Information Page). As a result of the problems associated with migraine headaches, there is significant interest in discovering the triggers for migraines. A migraine is a specific type of headache characterized by altered bodily perceptions, pulsing pain in the cranial region, and nausea (Forshaw, 2003). Most migraines are unilateral, meaning they affect only one side of the head, and the pain is usually localized to a very specific area (Forshaw, 2003). A typical migraine can last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours. The most frequent symptoms of a migraine include nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to sensory input (Gallagher et al., 2002). Most commonly, individuals affected by migraine headaches have increased sensitivity to light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia) (Gallagher et al., 2002). A smaller percentage of migraine sufferers report an aura which accompanies their migraine. An aura usually consists of unusual visual, olfactory, or other sensory experiences that give the individual some forewarning that a migraine will soon occur (Gallagher et al., 2002). The diagnosis of migraine can be difficult, especially because this specific type of headache mimics several other types. Migraines are also habitually written off by those who experience them infrequently as a result of the cold or flu (Gallagher et al., 2002). Because of these difficulties, migraines are often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed (Lyons, 2007). The International Headache Society (IHS) has laid the foundation for the diagnosis and classification of migraine headaches. According to the IHS, there are seven different classes of migraines (Headache Classification Subcommittee, 2004). These include migraine without aura, or common migraine, migraine with aura, hemiplegic migraine, childhood periodic syndromes which are precursors of migraine, retinal migraine, complications of migraine, and probably migraine. Although there are many classifications of migraine headaches, there are really only two methods of diagnosis, which correlate with the two main types of migraine: migraine without aura and migraine with aura. Migraine without aura can be diagnosed using the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 criteria: 5 or more attacks, 4 hours to 3 days in duration, 2 or more of unilateral location, pulsating quality, moderate to severe pain, aggravation by or avoidance of routine physical activity, and 1 or more accompanying symptoms which could include nausea and/or vomiting, photophobia, or phonophobia (Headache Classification Subcommittee, 2004). In the method of diagnosing migraine with aura, only two attacks are necessary to make the diagnosis. Although migraine headaches are experienced by individuals from many different lifestyles and backgrounds, there are some demographics in which migraine is more commonly seen. Although migraine headaches are equally prevalent in male and female prepubescent patients, 75% of adult patients are women (Lay et al., 2009). Migraines become more common with age, though 98% of patients experience their first migraine before the age of 50 (Forshaw, 2003). Migraines are also thought to be genetically linked, as 70% of migraine patients have some other, first-degree relative (e.g. brother) who has experienced migraine headaches (Forshaw, 2003). Perhaps the most intriguing question pertaining to migraines is that no one knows what causes them. To date, research has not been able to definitively discern which of the suspected triggers of migraine may actually cause the headaches, nor has anyone determined which of the suspected triggers might play the largest role in producing migraines (Woeber et al., 2007). The list of suspected triggers for migraines is extensive, including, but not limited to: weather, missing a meal, stress, alcohol, various types of food and changes in sleeping patterns (Forshaw, 2003). Women have also reported menses as a trigger, and studies of both men and women have also shown that environmental factors and even certain activities, such as using a computer for too long, can bring on a migraine (Woeber et al., 2007). Because it would be impossible to investigate each and every one of these suspected triggers, the comparison of this studied has been narrowed to include sleep-related, hormonal and food triggers. Sleep Disorders (Amelia Van Handel) The role of sleep in migraine has not been fully explained (Kelman, 2005). Studies have determined that disturbed sleep patterns may trigger a migraine attack, and it is also widely accepted that sleep can alleviate and even terminate a migraine (Blau, 1982). Although the exact relationship between changes in sleep patterns and migraine is unclear, many researchers believe there is a correlation (Woeber et al., 2007; Kelman, 2005). Much of the argument for the relationship between migraine and sleep disorders stems from the preponderance of migraine in the morning hours (Fox, 1998). Patients with sleep disorders are far more prone to have morning headaches, and chronic migraine sufferers often experience morning migraines after interruptions in their sleep cycle. This has led researchers to speculate that the circadian clock plays a role in migraine pathophysiology, though no one has yet determined why changes in sleep pattern are a trigger for migraine headache (Cohen, 2005). Several sleep disorders are speculated to be triggers for migraine. Insomnia, which involves difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep, is one of the most researched causes for sleep-related migraine (Pallesen, 2001). Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is also commonly associated with migraine. EDS is defined as difficulty maintaining a desired level of wakefulness, and patients diagnosed with the disorder often experience migraine headaches after dosing off during the day (Young, 2004). EDS is relatively prevalent in the general population, ranging from 10% to 20% and increasing in the very young and very old (Hasler, 2005). EDS is usually caused by poor sleep quality at night, which can sometimes be associated with insomnia (Carskadon, 1993). To a lesser extent, narcolepsy (symptoms similar to EDS) and sleep apnea (pauses in breathing during sleep which cause an individual to wake up sporadically) have been studied to determine whether or not they might be associated with migra ine (Bixler, 2005). For more than 100 years, medical personnel and researchers alike have noticed an association between sleep problems and headaches (Sahota, 1990). One of the main causes of confusion, however, is whether the headaches are the cause or the result of disrupted sleep. While interruptions in sleep patterns can cause migraine headaches to become more prevalent, migraines can have the same affect on the sleeping disorders themselves (Paiva, 1997). The determination of which comes first, the sleep disruption or the migraine, is the subject of much current research (Woeber, 2007; Lee, 2009). Hormones (Kelly Pritzl) Previous research indicates that headaches are three times more common in adult females than adult males. (Evans et al, 2000) The reason for this staggering statistic could be due in part to differences in male and female hormones and levels of hormones. (Evans et al, 2000) The major male and female hormones are estrogens and androgens. Men produce significantly more testosterone, a type of androgen, per day than women (7 mg vs. .5 mg), while women produce more estrogen per day than men. A woman experiences more fluctuations in hormone levels during her life than a male does. During these times of fluctuation, many women will have an increased incidence of migraine, suggesting that fluctuations in hormone levels play a role in the onset of migraine. (Lee, 2009) Some of the hormones that may be involved in the onset of migraine are estrogen, progestin, androgens, testosterone, and serotonin. (Glass, 2009) The mechanisms by which these hormones are involved are not clear, but there is strong evidence for the role of hormones in precipitating migraine attack. (Glass, 2009) There is particular evidence for the role of hormones in causing migraine attacks in women. Before puberty, males and females tend to experience migraines at the same rate, there is a sharp increase in the number of girls over boys who experience migraine at the mean age that girls begin menstruating. (Dzoljic et al, 2002) Pregnancy also seems to have an effect on the occurrence of migraines. During pregnancy, there is an increased level of estrogen in the body. Many women either experience an absense of headache when they otherwise suffered from migraine on a regular basis, or they experienced an increase in frequency of headache when they typically did not have migraines. (Robbins, 2002) Another instance of the role of hormone involvement in migraine attack in women is the increase in incidence of migraine as women near menopause, a time of decreased estrogen production. (Robbins, 2002) While there are many different hormones that may have an effect on incidence of migraine, the main focus of this research will primarily be on the mechanisms by which estrogen may induce migraine, with respect to different times in a womans life estrogen levels fluctuate, such as during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Estrogen is a type of steroid hormone and is considered the primary female sex hormone responsible for regulating the normal sexual and reproductive development in women. (Robbins, 2002) Organ systems such as the musculoskeletal system, the cardiovascular system, and the brain are affected by estrogen. (Robbins, 2002) There are two approaches to the current understanding of the role of estrogen in migraines. One type is estrogen withdrawal headache. This happens after a severe drop in estrogen levels in the body, such as during menstruation, during menopause, or post-partum. The second type is exogenous hormone induced headache. This occurs during or after the u se of oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy. (Kibler et al, 2005) A comparison of studies that examines the correlation between levels of estrogen during certain periods of a womans life and the incidence of migraine will allow better understanding of the function of this hormone as a cause of migraine. Very little is known about the way in which estrogen actually precipitates migraine, but with an enhanced understanding of the current research that has been done, future research will be promoted on a topic that affects such a considerable proportion of migraineurs. Food (Brandon Pellerin) Various foods have been suspected of triggering migraines for decades (Grant, 1979; Peatfield, 1984). In susceptible people, certain foods and particular compounds contained in these foods are believed to induce trigeminovascular (warning system to protect the brain from tissue injury and toxins) neurons to release neurotransmitters such as calcitonin, gene-related peptide and substance P. The release of these neurotransmitters leads to vasodilation (widening of blood vessels), mast cell degranulation (release of molecules from secretory vesicles called granules), increased vascular permeability (capacity of a blood vessel wall to allow the flow of small molecules), and meningeal edema (accumulation of fluid within the meninges) resulting in neurogenic inflammation (release of inflammatory mediators from neurons) (Sun-Edelstein, 2009). Many common foods such as wheat, eggs, beef, and corn are documented migraine triggers (Grant, 1979). However, the most prevalent food precipitants of migraine are alcohol, chocolate, coffee, fatty foods and artificial sweeteners (Peatfield, 1984). Various compounds present in common foods are suspected to play important roles in the triggering of migraines. Certain amines such as tyramine and phenylethylamine are thought to be precipitators of migraines and are present in alcohol and chocolate (Sun-Edelstein, 2009, Marcus, 1997). Caffeine, also present in chocolate, is believed to be the culprit of coffees capacity of being a trigger (Sun-Edelstein, 2009). Artificial sweeteners themselves such as aspartame and more recently sucralose, have been subjects of research as to their ability to precipitate migraines (Sun-Edelstein, 2009; Bigal, 2006). However, not all migraineurs exhibit sensitivity to food and those that do are not equally affected by each trigger. The food that affects one person may not be the same food that triggers migraine in another, while at the same time a third person may be affected by both. The inconsistency of results keeps food as a continued subject of debate and study in migraine precipitation. The purpose of this research was to determine the role, if any, that sleep disorders, hormones, and food play in the triggering of migraine headaches. The goal of this study was to determine if there is any validity to the conjectures that these are triggers for migraine and if so, which trigger plays the largest role in determining whether or not migraine will occur. To answer these questions, data was gathered from primary sources by searching PubMed and Biological Abstracts. From these studies, each researcher conducted his or her own analysis of the data found within a particular subtopic to determine what correlation that specific cause might have with migraine headache. The information collected in this portion of the research was then combined to determine the relative relationship between the triggers and migraine, using correlation data and p-values to determine which was the overriding cause of migraine headaches. METHODS Sleep Disorders (Amelia Van Handel) In order to find articles relating sleep disorders to migraine, the database Biological Abstracts was used. This database was chosen because Biological Abstracts includes articles from all science-based subject areas and includes many reviews and other literature forms, which proved helpful for background or supplemental information. This database was also chosen because it was a good resource for primary research sources relating to the specific subject matter. Having chosen this database, the search was initiated using keywords relating to the topic. Initially, the subtopic for this section of the research was sensory stimuli, so the search began with the keywords migraine headache* and light. The word headache was truncated so as to provide a larger base of results. This returned 31 articles, but after looking through them, it was determined that most of them were reviews. The lack of primary research led to a search other types of stimuli, common food triggers, and even specific symptoms of migraine associated with the senses. When none of these provided the intended results, it was determined that this subtopic should be changed. Leaving the idea of sensory stimuli behind completely, a search was performed using the words migraine and sleep, which yielded 38 articles. The number of articles and the quality of the source material fit the needs of the research, and thus the search was completed. With a manageable number of articles, those which were most pertinent to the subtopic of sleep disorders were chosen for further analysis. The initial 38 were narrowed by removing those articles which were not primary research. Although the reviews and other literature forms would be helpful for background information, they would not be useful in making comparisons and finding correlation. The article selection was further narrowed by looking for those articles which contained the metrics the research would focus on. With these parameters in place, only 12 articles remained, a number which was determined to be appropriate for drawing conclusions about the correlation between certain triggers and migraine. The metrics of focus chosen for this research pertained to the quality of patients sleep and the correlation this had to the number of migraines they experienced. Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index made it possible to measure the quality of patients sleep. The association between migraine and sleep disorders was reported in the chosen articles, which aided in the determination of the relationship between sleep quality and the number of migraines experienced. Hormones (Kelly Pritzl) All of the primary research articles relating to hormones as a cause of migraines were found online through the search engines Biological Abstracts and PubMed. The same process for finding citations was used with both engines. The search strategy consisted of first examining the results when migraines was entered into the search box. This yielded far too many results; the goal was to restrict the number of articles relevant to hormones as precursors of migraines to 40 or less. In order to refine the search, the entities migraines AND hormones were entered into the search box. To further refine the search, migraines AND estrogen was entered in and results were limited to only clinical trials and articles in English only. After gathering 40 relevant research articles, five articles within these were found containing specific criteria in order to properly conduct the meta-analysis within the topic of hormones and across the three topics of sleep-induced migraines, nutrition and migraines, and hormones and migraines. The criteria for selecting the five best articles included: relevant and useful primary data, p-values, similar subjects and number of subjects, similar methods of data collection, and recentness of publication. Food (Brandon Pellerin) To find relevant articles on the subject of food triggered migraines, the electronic databases Biological Abstracts and PubMed were used. Biological Abstracts was used using a title search for the word migraine* with a secondary title search of food* or diet*. This search turned up 30 records. The asterisk is used to search for any result which contains the root word. More specific searches were done by a title search of migraine* with topic searches of chocolate*, alcohol*, caffeine*, aspartame*, or sucralose*. Similar methods were used using the PubMed database with the exception of the use of the asterisk and the differentiating of topic searches and title searches. General searches were done using migraine and diet and migraine and food. More specific searches were done using the same keywords used in biological abstracts, joined by the and limiter. The articles searched for were published in relevant scientific journals and pertained to the topic of food and its potential to precipitate migraines. Articles that were chosen contained two types of data. One set of data included the results of general surveys that were done to ascertain details of migraineurs attacks, such as various triggers. The second type of data obtained were results from studies of specific foods documented as triggers for migraine. When an article seemed to contain useful information and was able to be accessed online, it was saved as a PDF file for future reference. The data collected from the general surveys consisted of questionnaires asking for details of subjects migraines. A vast amount of information was collected in these surveys such as the type of migraine (with or without aura), associated symptoms of migraine (photophobia, nausea, etc.), frequency, duration, and so on. The information important to this study was that concerning precipitants of migraines. Each survey documented the reported triggers of each subject if a trigger existed. This information is used to ascertain the prevalence of foods as triggers within the population that suffer from migraines. The second data set used results from studies that sought to test whether suspected foods did indeed trigger migraines. The studies relied on correlating migraine occurrences with the consumption of particular foods. The studies analyzed diet and migraine diaries kept by the subjects. The diet records often required subjects to record all food consumption and the time at which it was consumed. Likewise, the migraine diaries required subjects to document the occurrence of migraines and details regarding them such as severity, duration, type, associated symptoms, etc. The studies analyzed the results by comparing the onset of migraine with the consumption of a particular food. If there was a significant increase in the amount of migraines after consumption of a particular food, it was reasonable to conclude it played a role in the triggering of the migraine. RESULTS Sleep Disorders (Amelia Van Handel) As preliminary research, the results of five studies were analyzed. These studies were interested in finding the correlation, if one existed, between sleep disorders and migraine. Four of the five articles documented research conducted by asking patients to record the quality of their sleep and the number of migraine headaches they experienced, either in diary format or by answering questions in a comprehensive questionnaire (Woeber et al., 2007; Alstadhaug et al., 2007; Barbanti et al., 2007; Peres et al., 2005). The fifth article focused on removing the stimulus i.e. sleep problems by providing targeted behavioral sleep invention (Calhoun et al., 2007). The researchers then analyzed whether or not there was an improvement in headache frequency to determine if sleeping disorders were correlated with migraine. In order to conduct research on the relationship between sleeping disorders and migraine, only patients who suffered from both conditions could be included in the studies. To determine the level of sleep disruption, two studies measured excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) as a function of a score on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (Barbanti et al., 2007; Peres et al., 2005). A score of 10 or higher on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale indicated EDS. The first study (Barbanti et al., 2007) found that EDS was more common in migraineurs than in controls (14% vs. 5%), and the second study (Peres et al., 2005) found EDS occurred in 85% of chronic migraine sufferers. In the same study, dozing off was a headache trigger in 30% of all patients and 70% of patients with EDS. In both studies, patients who presented with EDS had more frequent migraines (Barbanti et al., 2007; Peres et al., 2005). In the same two studies, the quality of sleep was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Barbanti et al., 2007; Peres et al., 2005). An overall score of greater than 5 separated poor sleepers from good sleepers on this scale. In both studies, about 90 percent of patients diagnosed with EDS were also categorized as poor sleepers using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Barbanti et al., 2007; Peres et al., 2005). This provided further evidence that poor or inadequate sleep and migraine headaches often occurred in the same patients. On the subject of correlation, all of the articles chosen for analysis found a correlation between sleep disorders and migraine, though most were hesitant to state definitively that the sleeping disorders were the direct cause of the migraine. Two studies found that patients with excessive daytime sleepiness and/or insomnia experienced more migraines after a night of restless or inadequate sleep (Alstadhaug et al., 2007; Barbanti et al., 2007). These migraines were more likely to occur during the morning hours (Alstadhaug et al., 2007). Conversely, another study which focused on EDS noticed a correlation between fatigue and migraine, but they did not believe the results to be conclusive enough to state whether migraines lead to EDS or if EDS is the primary condition leading to migraine (Peres et al., 2005). One study was tracking several different sleep disorders, but found their results to be inconclusive in determining which sleep disorder was most correlated with migraine (Woeber et al., 2007). The researchers did, however, come to the conclusion that tiredness increased the risk of headache and migraine (headache ratio increased from 0.689 to 1.184 in cases where patients were tired) (Woeber et al., 2007). The final study, which attempted to remove the sleep disruptions by using behavioral sleep intervention, found a significant decrease in headache frequency and intensity after successful sleep modification (Calhoun et al., 2007). They were also able to revert chronic migraineurs to episodic migraineurs after improving the quality of sleep in their patients. By the final visit, 48.5% of those who had received behavioral sleep modification instructions had reverted to episodic migraine (Calhoun et al., 2007). Hormones (Kelly Pritzl) The purpose of the individual meta-analysis was to determine when hormones were most involved in the precipitation of migraine. Two of the studies used only females as subjects. (Dezoljic, 2002 and Kibler, 2005) The subjects in two other studies consisted of males and females with medically diagnosed cases of migraine. (Kelman, 2007 and Rasmussen, 1993) The subjects in the remaining study were self-reported male and female migraineurs (Russel, 1996) All of the studies were researching adults. The mean age of subjects for all the studies was the mid-thirties. (Dezoljic, 2002; Kelman, 2007; Kibler, 2005; Rasmussen, 1993; Russell, 1996) The methods used in all of the articles were very similar. Four of the studies conducted a clinical examination to confirm a diagnosis of migraine and were followed by a questionnaire or an interview to collect data on lifestyle of the subjects and possible causes of their migraines. One of the studies involved self report of migraine status and if the subject indicated positively, they were issued a questionnaire. (Russell, 1996) In all of the studies, incidence of migraine caused by fluctuations in hormones was overwhelmingly more prevalent in females than by males. This indicates that female sex hormones, such as estrogen, play a significant role in the onset of migraine. Food (Brandon Pellerin) Four articles were used that studied triggers of migraine in various populations (Kelman, 2007; Spierings, 2001; Takeshima, 2004; Chabriat, 1999). The studies used surveys to gather information about a population. The individuals chosen for the surveys were either random people or known migraine sufferers. In the case of the random surveying, individuals that reported having migraines were instructed to complete a detailed migraine questionnaire. Three of these studies (Kelman, 2007; Spierings, 2001; Chabriat, 1999) show evidence of food as a precipitant for migraine. Of these three studies, at least 26% of individuals documented food as being a trigger. The fourth study (Takeshima, 2004) shows little evidence of this as it reports less then 1% of surveyors listing food as a trigger. Of these four studies, two (Kelman, 2007; Spierings, 2001) listed alcohol as a separate category and reported about 40% of individuals claiming alcohol as a trigger for migraine. Alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, and artificial sweeteners are among the most often cited food triggers for migraine (Sun-Edelstein, 2009; Peatfield, 1984). The high frequency of these claims makes these subjects of particular interest. Articles were obtained that studied these particular triggers in order to ascertain whether they did indeed trigger migraine. Two case studies were found that documented the artificial sweetener sucralose as a probable precipitant of migraine (Bigal, 2006; Rajendrakumar, 2006). In the two studies, migraine attacks were documented at least 90% of the time after the individuals consumed a beverage containing the sweetener. In one study this was ascertained through correlating a food diary with the occurrences of migraine (Bigal, 2006). The other study (Rajendrakumar, 2006) relied on administering different sodas that contained and did not contain sucralose. It was found that only the sodas containing the sweetener triggered migraines.