Should Parents Be Required to Immunize Their Children free essay sample

The main goal of vaccinationsis to stimulate the immune system to some contagion without suffering from natural infection (Payette and Davis 2001). In a period of time before the emergence of preventable therapies, such diseases as diphtheria, measles, smallpox and pertussis were the leading causes of children deaths. For example, a little more than a century ago the infant mortality rate in the USA was 200 per 1000 live birth, while in 2006,according to the UN Population Prospects, it was 6. per 1000 live births. However, few parents recognize the possible harm of vaccines. Vaccination is not without risks, since adverse events may be observed after any vaccination. Since 1990, Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) in the USA received from 12 000 to 14 000 reports of hospitalization, injuries and deaths after immunization. Moreover, only 10 % of doctors make reports to VAERS. That means every year there are more than 1 million people in the U. S. injured by immunization (Mu rphy 2002). In recent years, a concern regarding both the safety and necessity of certain immunizations has been raised, since the number of new vaccines had risenover the past two decades. We will write a custom essay sample on Should Parents Be Required to Immunize Their Children? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is supported by Murphy (2002) who claims thata child takes 37 doses of eleven different vaccines during his first five years of life. Indeed, because vaccines are widely used and there are laws in many countries worldwide that make immunization compulsory in order to enter kindergarten and school, it is essential to pay attention to the effectiveness and side effects of the vaccines (Stratton et. al. 2003). In order to understand this, it is necessary to lookfirstly at the history of vaccine development and its process of defending humans from catching diseases, and then at risk-benefits assessment by considering two cases either making immunization compulsory or giving parents a choice. It is argued that laws making parents obliged to immunize children should stay the same since the benefits held by immunization outweigh its risks. The history of the expansion and spread of vaccination starts with Edward Jenner from Gloucestershire, England, who did the first successful immunization in 1796 (Stern, Markel 2005). Before this, it was noticed in Great Britain that the cases of smallpox among milkmaids, who had pockmarks on their hands after cowpox infection, were the lowest. Edward Jenner took the pus from the lesion of the hand of milkmaid Sara Nelmesand entered into the 8 year old boy James Phipps. This resulted in no illness after inoculating this boy with smallpox 6 weeks after the first inoculation. After that many scientists made their own contributions resulting in devising of vaccines against cholera in 1896, the plague in 1897, influenza vaccine in 1936 and yellow fever in 1937. The introduction of triple Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine in 1969 is still representing the cornerstone of immunization pediatrics because now a single vaccine could provide immunity for three different diseases (Payette and Davis 2001). All vaccines operatein similar ways. Through inoculation the organism gets a particular amount of either live or dead microorganisms, depending on the type of vaccine, that are the causes of the pathogenic illness (The Meningitis Trust 2008). But they are weakened forms so they are not able to cause the illness. The individual’s immune system accepts microorganisms as foreign. Those microbes enforce the human organism to create antibodies which consequently destroy and remember the microbe’s code. When the actual infection is attacking the human, the organism will recognize and neutralize it, thus eliminating it entering into cells (The Meningitis Trust 2008). Examining advantages of the immunization programs, the first and main reason forsupporting such an expensive medical strategy as vaccination is the prevention of the hugemortality and morbidity rates due to transmittable diseases. Contagious diseases have always shaped human history (Poland and Jacobson 2001). In 1998 transmittable diseases were ranked second after cardiovascular diseases among the reasons of deaths at 13. 3 million which is 25% of the total number of deaths worldwide (Dittman 2001). They were the number one killers of both children and adults in developing countries representing 50% of deaths. But the emergence of vaccines changed the situation. Such diseases as diphtheria and Haemophilusinfluenzae type B are almost eradicated, while smallpox has been wiped out. Never before in mankind’s history wasone of the terminal illnesses stamped out. Smallpox cases stopped completely in the US and the UK by 1971. As far as Asia is concerned, it happened by 1975. Therefore, in 1980 World Health Organization (WHO)declared total eradication of smallpox (Payette and Davis 2001). Now it is only an illness of historic interest (Poland and Jacobson 2001). Taking into account such a success with smallpox, the Expanded Program on Immunisation(EPI) was established in 1974, and it became one of the most successful public health policies. During its first twenty years of functioning,the EPI saved about 3-4 million children a year and there were 1 million less mentally handicapped and physically challenged children (Dittman2001). Thus, the measures such as making immunization compulsory for the children is very important since by this way people can get rid of many transmittable diseases or save millions of lives. However, the altered virus or bacteria included in the vaccine still has the inherent ability to damage an individual’s brain or immune system, depending on whether vaccine combined or notand the person’s likelihood to be at risk because of his or her initial genetic and biologicalconditions. The fact that mandatory immunization can generate complications and deaths was accepted in the USA in 1986 when the Congress developed a special system that gives compensations to the families of deceased or injured children and adults. Since then, approximately $ 1. 3 billion were allocated into the program (Murphy 2002). The weakened microbesare the reasons for the negative consequences of immunisation, its side effects. Every vaccine has adverse effects. Pless, Bentsi-Enchill and Duclos (2003, 292) define adverse reactions following a vaccines administration as â€Å"any untoward event where the causal relationship supports an association†. It means that adverse effect is an unfavourable event happened after and caused by vaccination. There are mild, moderate and severe reactions to injections. Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA (2010) claims that there might follow some mild reactions afterDiphtheria, Tetanus and acellular Pertussis vaccine (DTaP): fever about 1 child in 4, redness or swelling – 1 in 4, soreness and tenderness- 1 in 4, vomiting -1 in 50 and tiredness-1 in 3. Apart from this there are moderate reactions of DTaP vaccine such as seizureand non-stop crying for 3 hours. Their incidence rates are 1 out of 14,000 and 1 out of 1,000 respectively. Finally, severe side effects are presented by long-term seizures or coma and permanent brain damage (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2010). However, severe reactions are so rare that it is difficult to say whether DTaP vaccine caused the reaction and the rate of these reactions does not given. But in recent years a concern over vaccination safety raised due to association of vaccines with severe illnesses that weren’t related before to the immunisation side effects. For instance, parents are still confused about the link between Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine and autism. A number of scientists have determined that autism is the side effect of MMR vaccine. The University of California(2002, 2)defines autism as â€Å"a neurological or brain disorder that profoundly affects a person’s ability to communicate, form relationships with others and respond appropriately to the environment†. Also it is characterized by repetitive behaviours, abnormal movement and sensory dysfunction. Connection between MMR vaccine and autism should be carefully investigated because of two reasons. Firstly, in California the rate of the autism incidence increased by 273% during the period between 1987 and 1998 (Byrd et. al. 2002). A trend of autism increase refers to the other parts of the world, however in different percentages. Secondly, autism is an exhausting disease. It is very difficult for families of autistic children to tackle and afford this problem, since many people that are ill with autism stay dependent throughout their whole live. Special education for such children costs about $30,000 per year and the annual cost of care in residential schools is $80,000-100,000 (Immunisation Safety Review 2004). The link between the MMR vaccine and autism is possible for three reasons. First, this link is based on the fact that autism might be equal to the mercury poisoning (Bernard et. al. 2001). Mercury is a neurotoxic material and also source of serious health problems (Redwood, Bernard and Brown 2001). MMR vaccine contains a thimerosal preservative. Thimerosal is a substance consisting of 49. 6% ethyl mercury (Bernard et. al. 2002). It has been found not only in the MMR vaccine, but also in the most of Hepatitis B, influenza type B and Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis vaccines. Only in 1999 it was demonstrated that infants were taking an amount of mercury much higher than they should be. According to the Centers for Disease Control the threshold of exposing to the mercury is 1? g per year, however the amount of mercuryin infants is 237. 5 ? g during the first 18 months. Bernard et. al. 2001) state that traits of the mercury poisoning and autism such as shyness, desire to be alone, mood swings, aggression, difficultieswith explicit speech, hand dithering and mild or profound hearing problems are similar. They mention that mercury poisoning at the very beginning is usually incorrectly determined as psychiatric illness. The second support of the autism and MMR link isthat the time when autism was firstly observed coincides with the tim e when thimerosal was added as ingredient to the vaccines. Autism was found in 1943 in children born in 1930. Thimerosal was added into vaccines in 1930 (Bernard et. al. 2002). Furthermore, from Figure 1 the concentration of mercury changes in the hair of infants during two first years, it can be clearly seen that this number peaks at the age of 59 days, 107 days, 180 days and 540 days. It is the time when children get their MMR vaccines at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months (Redwood, Bernard and Brown 2001). Those peaks show that children are exposed to the large doses of mercury during a single visit to the doctor, not small portions daily over a long period of time. Thus, thimerosal has the potential to increase the quantity of mercury in infants that exceeds the guidelines. If it does not contribute directly to the emerging of autism, it is inducing autistic symptoms among already ill children (Bernard et. al. 2001). Figure 1: Infant/child of 95th percentile body weight (no excretion first 6 months) (Redwood, Bernard and Brown 2001). The last aspect defining the autism and MMR vaccine side effects link is the significant number of autism incidences after vaccination. Studies conducted by Makela, Nuorti and Peltola (2002) examined this link by analysing the numbers of autism hospitalizations after MMR vaccinations. They observed in Finland 535, 544 1-7 year old children that were vaccinated for MMR between 1982 and 1986 andrecorded 712 hospitalizations after vaccination. Among them there were 352 cases of autistic disorders. Therefore, autism can be considered as one of the adverse effects of MMR vaccine, since the MMR vaccination influenceschildren in the same way as the mercury poisoning. By identifying the link between the MMR vaccination and autism, people cannot be sure that all other existing vaccines are safe. As it was mentioned before, not only MMR contains thimerosal but also Hepatitis B, influenzae type B and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccines. So while parents are obligatory to immunize their children, they have no opportunity of preventing exposure of their children to the mercury poisoning. If further the case of compulsory immunizations is considered, another significant disadvantage of this policy is that lawsdo not require vulnerable children to be determined. The government sticks to the policy of â€Å"one-size-fits-all† and passes strict and hard rules to make everybody get vaccinated. For example, a study by Wilson et. al. (2009)shows that whole cell pertussis vaccine can cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) for some groups of children. SIDS can be defined as deaths of infants which causes are uncertain (Stratton et. al. 2003). According to Wilson et. al. (2009), association of pertussis vaccine and SIDS can take place only in the group of children with inborn metabolism problems. Disorders of metabolism are genetic defects observed in 1:10,000 to 1:30,000 in population. Those children after vaccination can undergo metabolic crisis. The possibility of deaths in the case of a metabolic crisis is 25% (Wilson et. al. 2009). Thus, SIDS might be caused by whole cell pertussis vaccine. The largest positive side of giving parents a choice is that they can through examining unique organism of a child identify whether shots should be taken or not. In the case of whole cell pertussis vaccine children with the metabolism problems are highly recommended not to be vaccinated. However, regardless ofpeople realizing the threat of vaccines, government also cannot allow parents the freedom of not havingtheir children immunized since the consequences of interrupting or delaying vaccine coverage will be tremendous. There is no evidence that if people stop vaccinating there will be the same low rate of diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis and other infectious illnesses. This rates observed currently are only the fallouts of the mass vaccination campaigns. However, many parents takefor granted the decline in the cases of the transmittable diseases. For example, Jacobson, Targonski and Poland revealed that 37,2% of 391 parentsrefused inoculation since there was no risk of disease to their children (2007). Similarly, 20,9% of parents had an opinion that the diseaseswere not dangerous. Thus, there is a misconception that some infectious diseases do not exist and hence do not present a threat to people. A low coverage of shots may lead to unexpected outbreaks. Such cases have taken place. For instance, in Japan in 1975 protests resulted in the low coverage and a pertussis epidemic broke outresulting inhundreds of deaths (Dittmann 2001). A similar situation of emerging protests observed in the UK when the immunization rate decreased from 75% to 25% in the mid-1970s. A 1996 outbreak of poliomyelitis in Albania brought about 139 cases with 16 deaths (Ditmann 2001). However, two mass immunisations across the whole country terminated epidemic with the international aid. Overall, such campaigns are run in order to create the herd immunity. The herd immunity implies possibility of stating that entire population is protected by immunizing only some determined per cent of it, usually it varies between 85-95% (Stern and Markel 2005). If this number goes down, then the risks of re-emerging infectious diseases will be high. Not making parents obliged to immunise children threatens the herd immunity. Apart from the threat to the herd immunity of people, another disadvantage of giving a choice to the parents is that severe health problems occur also when suffering from infectious diseases. It is well-established that measles can cause neurologic disorders and themeasles vaccine also contributes to it. These disorders are meningitis, encephalitis,subacutesclerosingpanencephalitis (SSPE), pneumonia and convulsions (Makela, Nuorti and Peltola 2002). Figure 2 gives information about expected adverse effects after immunisation versus during measles disease. Possibilities of five different severe side effects of two cases are given in the rate per 100,000 cases. Then, if 10mln children were considered, in the case of non-immunizing them, 9mln children would have the measles. Approximately 90% of non-immunized children will contract the disease (Health Protection Agency 2006). According to the table, examining the encephalitis rate, 36,000 children out of 9mln would have encephalitis. On the other hand, if they were vaccinated, only 10 children would suffer from encephalitis. This is the huge difference. It is the same forother four potential adverse effects. Therefore, the risks after immunisation are much smaller than if the child would be ill by transmittable diseases. Figure 2: Estimated risks of complications following measles vaccine compared to complications of natural measles (Dittmann 2001). ComplicationNatural measles complication rate per 100 000 casesMeasles vaccine complication rate per 100 000 cases Encephalitis/encephalopathy SSPE Pneumonia Convulsions Death50-400 (0. 05-0. 4%) 0. 5-2. 0 3800-7300 (3. 8-7. 3%) 500-1000 (0. 5-1%) 10-10 000 (0. 01-10%)0. 1 0. 05-0. 1 0. 02-190 0. 02-0. 3 To conclude, mild, moderate and severe adverse events develop after immunisation. Also some illnesses have been discovered to be connected to the vaccines. To give an example, autism is the side effect of thimerosal-containing vaccines, and DTaP shot causes SIDS among children with metabolic disorders. But benefits of vaccines as safe guardians of millions of lives still remain enormous, because severe side effects are very rare. Severe side effects when suffering from the infectious diseases are more than the adverse reactions after immunisation. For example, considering 10mln children and comparing risks of encephalitis during immunisation against measles and during measlesitself, first number is 3600 times less than the second one. Therefore, the benefits of immunisation outweigh its risks. Also, there is no opportunity to totally stop mass immunisation, in spite of emerging severe side effects, since it is highly likely that the herd immunity of whole country’s population will be under threat. Infectious diseases have not been eradicated. Their incidences have only declined. It is suggested that every child and parent is able to get consultation and help from their physicians about possible delays in the uptake of shots in order to get vaccine experiencing only mild side effects. Overall, it is essential that immunisation side effects investigation is highly prioritised in order to make them safe. Moreover, people should not stop carrying out a research in the sphere of preventative therapy since there are many deadly illnesses as malaria and HIV that can be wiped out as smallpox.

Military History Timeline From 1401 to 1600

Military History Timeline From 1401 to 1600 The military history of the 1400s and 1500s was full of battles in the Hundred Years War between France and England and was marked by the life and death of Joan of Arc. This chunk of history saw the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the final outcome of the English Wars of the Roses, the Eighty Years War, the Thirty Years War, and the Nine Years War, among many other bloody conflicts. The 1400s and the Hundred Years War On July 20, 1402, Timur won the Battle of Ankara in the Ottoman-Timurid Wars. A year later, on July 21, 1403, in Britain, Henry IV won the Battle of Shrewsbury. The Teutonic Knights were defeated July 15, 1410, during the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War at the Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg). In the ongoing Hundred Years War, Henry V besieged and captured Harfleur from August 18 to September 22, 1415. Later the same year, on October 25, the French forces were beaten by Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt. On January 19, 1419, Rouen, France surrendered to the English king Henry V. The Hussite Wars began July 30, 1419, with the First Defenestration of Prague. Scottish and French forces defeated the English at the Battle of Baugà © on March 21, 1421, in another battle of the Hundred Years War. On July 31, 1423, the English won the Battle of Cravant. The Duke of Bedford won the Battle of Verneuil on August 17, 1424. On September 5, 1427, French forces broke the siege of Montargis. The Hundred Years War continued to rage through the decade. From October 12, 1428, to May 8, 1429, the Siege of Orleans was waged, with Joan of Arc eventually saving the city. On February 12, 1429, Sir John Fastolf won the Battle of the Herrings. Toward the end of the decade, on June 18, 1429, the French won the Battle of Patay. In a decisive and history-making moment of the Hundred Years War, Joan of Arc was executed at Rouen on May 30, 1431. The Hussites won the Battle of Taus on August 14, 1431, during the Hussite Wars. The Hussite Wars conflict effectively ended May 30, 1434, following the Battle of Lipany. The Fall of the Byzantine Empire and the End of War The Hundred Years War continued on April 15, 1450, when the Comte de Clermont defeated the English at the Battle of Formigny. The Second Ottoman Siege of Constantinople was conducted from April 2 to May 29, 1453, resulting in the fall of the Byzantine Empire and effectively ending the Byzantine-Ottoman Wars. The English army, under the Earl of Shrewsbury, was beaten at the Battle of Castillon on July 17, 1453, an event that put an end to the Hundred Years War. The Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses began May 22, 1455, when the First Battle of St. Albans resulted in a victory for the Yorkist cause. The House of York enjoyed another victory in the ongoing conflict on September 23, 1459, when the Earl of Salisbury won the Battle of Blore Heath for the Yorkists. The conflict continued on July 10, 1460, when King Henry VI was captured during the Battle of Northampton. Richard, Duke of York was defeated and killed at the Battle of Wakefield on December 30, 1460. The Yorkists won the Battle of Mortimers Cross on February 2, 1461. Edward IV was proclaimed king on March 4, after the Lancastrian forces won the Second Battle of St. Albans on February 17, 1461. Edward IV triumphed at the Battle of Towton March 29, 1461. In Japan, a dispute between Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana SÃ… zen escalated into the Onin War, which was waged from July 1467 to July 1477. Back in England on July 26, 1469, the Lancastrians won at the Battle of Edgecote Moor in the still-ongoing Wars of the Roses. The Earl of Warwick was killed at the Battle of Barnet on April 14, 1471, in another decisive moment of the Wars of the Roses. Edward IV reclaimed the throne on May 4 of that year, after winning the Battle of Tewkesbury. Portugal was defeated at the Battle of Toro in the War of the Castilian Succession on March 1, 1476. War Begins and Ends for France and England Over in France, the Burgundian Wars erupted when Duke Charles of Burgundy was beaten at the Battle of Granson on March 2, 1476. Swiss forces defeated the Duke of Burgundy at the Battle of Murten (Morat) on June 22, 1476. Duke Charles was defeated and killed at the Battle of Nancy on January 5, 1477, ending the Burgundian Wars. It was the beginning of the end for the Wars of the Roses on August 22, 1485, when Henry Tudor triumphed at the Battle of Bosworth Field and became King Henry VII. The final engagement of the Wars of the Roses was fought at the Battle of Stoke Field on June 16, 1487. The Reconquista ended January 2, 1492, when Spanish forces captured Granada from the Moors, ending the conflict. Sixty-three years of conflict began in October 1494 with the French invasion of Italy, the event that launched the Italian Wars. 1500s Military Conflicts Begin French forces won the Battle of Ravenna April 11, 1512, in a decisive moment of the War of the League of Cambrai. In the next chapter of the conflict, the Scottish forces were crushed at the Battle of Flodden on September 9, 1513. Elsewhere in the world, Ottoman forces won the Battle of Chaldiran over the Safavid Empire on August 23, 1514. The War of the League of Cambrai continued September 13 and 14, 1515, when the French defeated the Swiss at the Battle of Marignano. Imperial and Spanish forces defeated and captured Francis I at the Battle of Pavia on February 24, 1525, as the Italian Wars continued to unfold. War Erupts Outside of Europe Babur won the First Battle of Panipat in the Mughal Conquests on April 21, 1526. In the Ottoman-Hungarian Wars, the Hungarian forces were badly defeated at the Battle of Mohacs on August 29, 1526. In the ongoing Mughal Conquests, the forces of Babur defeated the Rajput Confederation to conquer northern India on March 17, 1527. Imperial troops sacked the city of Rome on May 6, 1527, in a dark moment of the Italian Wars. The Ottoman-Habsburg Wars continued to rage from September 27 to October 14, 1529, when the Ottomans besieged Vienna but were forced to retreat. Swiss Catholics defeated the Protestants of Zurich at the Battle of Kappel on October 11, 1531, during the Second War of Kappel. In 1539, Humayan was defeated by the Sher-Shah at the Battle of Benares. The 1540s Bring War Back to England English naval commander Sir Francis Drake was born in Tavistock, Devon in 1540, during the Anglo-Spanish War. The conflict heated up on November 24, 1542, when the Scottish forces were beaten at the Battle of Solway Moss. Emperor Galawdewos won the Battle of Wayna Daga on February 21, 1543, during the Ethiopian-Adal War. Scottish troops defeated the English at the Battle of Ancrum Moor on February 27, 1545, during the Anglo-Scottish Wars. During the Schmalkaldic War, protestant forces were beaten at the Battle of Mà ¼hlberg on April 24, 1547. The Anglo-Scottish Wars continued when the English won the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh over the Scots on September 10, 1547. Mughal forces defeated rebels at the Second Battle of Panipat on November 5, 1556. The Battle of Kawanakajima, a conflict between Takeda and Uesugi forces, was waged on September 10, 1561, in Japan. Decades of War The forces of Oda Nobunaga conducted the successful siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji from August 1570 to August 1580 in Japan. The Holy League defeated the Ottomans at the decisive Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571, ending the Ottoman-Habsburg Wars. Mughal forces won the Battle of Tukaroi over the Sultanate of Bangala and Bihar on March 5, 1575. Albrecht von Wallenstein was born in Bohemia September 24, 1583, during the Thirty Years War. English naval forces raided the Spanish port of Cadiz from April 12 to July 6, 1587, during the Anglo-Spanish War. In battles raging from July 19 to August 12, 1588, English naval forces defeated the powerful Spanish Armada. English and Dutch forces captured and burned the Spanish city of Cadiz from June 30 to July 15, 1596. Maurice of Nassau won the Battle of Turnhout on January 24, 1597, during the Eighty Years War. English forces were beaten at the Battle of Curlew Pass on August 15, 1599, during the Nine Years War. The Eighty Years War continued through the end of the 1500s when the Dutch won a tactical victory at the Battle of Nieuwpoort on July 2, 1600.

Neurotransmitters Definition and List

Neurotransmitters Definition and List Neurotransmitters are chemicals that cross synapses to transmit impulses from a neuron to another neuron, glandular cell, or muscle cell. In other words, neurotransmitters are used to send signals from one part of the body to another. Over 100 neurotransmitters are known. Many are simply constructed from amino acids. Others are more complex molecules. Neurotransmitters perform many vital functions in the body. For example, they regulate heartbeat, tell the lungs when to breathe, determine the set point for weight, stimulate thirst, affect mood, and control digestion. The synaptic cleft was discovered by Spanish pathologist  Santiago Ramà ³n y Cajal in the early 20th century. In 1921, German pharmacologist Otto Loewi verified that communication between neurons was the result of released chemicals. Loewi discovered the first known neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. How Neurotransmitters Work The axon terminal of a synapse stores neurotransmitters in vesicles. When stimulated by an action potential, synaptic vesicles of a synapse release neurotransmitters, which cross the small distance (synaptic cleft) between an axon terminal and a dendrite via diffusion. When the neurotransmitter binds a receptor at the dendrite, the signal is communicated. The neurotransmitter remains in the synaptic cleft for a short time. Then it is either returned to the presynaptic neuron through the process of reuptake, metabolized by enzymes, or bound to the receptor. When a neurotransmitter binds to a postsynaptic neuron, it can either excite it or inhibit it. Neurons are often connected to other neurons, so at any given time a neuron  may be subject to multiple neurotransmitters. If the stimulus for excitation is greater than the inhibitory effect, the neuron will fire and create an action potential that releases neurotransmitters to another neuron. Thus, a signal is conducted from one cell to the next. Types of Neurotransmitters One method of classifying neurotransmitters is based on their chemical composition. Categories include: Amino acids: ÃŽ ³-aminobutyric acid (GABA), aspartate, glutamate, glycine, D-serineGases: carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), nitric oxide (NO)Monoamines: dopamine, epinephrine, histamine, norepinephrine, serotoninPeptides:  ÃŽ ²-endorphin, amphetamines, somatostatin, enkephalinPurines: adenosine, adenosine triphosphate (ATP)Trace amines: octopamine, phenethylamine, trypramineOther molecules: acetylcholine, anandamideSingle ions: zinc The other major method of categorizing neurotransmitters is according to whether they are excitatory or inhibitory. However, whether a neurotransmitter is excitatory or inhibitory depends on its receptor. For example, acetylcholine is inhibitory to the heart (slows heart rate), yet excitatory to skeletal muscle (causes it to contract). Important Neurotransmitters Glutamate is the most abundant neurotransmitter in humans, used by about half of the neurons in the human brain. It is the primary excitatory transmitter in the central nervous system. One of its functions is to help form memories. Interestingly, glutamate is toxic to neurons. Brain damage or a stroke can lead to an excess of glutamate, killing neurons.GABA is the primary inhibitory transmitter in the vertebrate brain. It helps to control anxiety. GABA deficiency may result in seizures.Glycine is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate spinal cord.Acetylcholine stimulates muscles, functions in the autonomic nervous system and sensory neurons, and is associated with REM sleep. Many poisons act by blocking acetylcholine receptors. Examples include botulin, curare, and hemlock. Alzheimers disease is associated with a significant drop in acetylcholine levels.Norepinephrine (noradrenaline) increases heart rate and blood pressure. It is part of the bodys fight or flight syst em. Norepinephrine is also needed to form memories. Stress depletes stores of this neurotransmitter. Dopamine is an inhibitory transmitter associated with the reward center of the brain. Low dopamine levels are associated with social anxiety and Parkinsons disease, while excess dopamine is related to schizophrenia.Serotonin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in mood, emotion, and perception. Low serotonin levels can lead to depression, suicidal tendencies, anger management issues, difficulty sleeping, migraines, and an increased craving for carbohydrates. The body can synthesize serotonin from the amino acid tryptophan, which is found in foods such as warm milk and turkey.Endorphins are a class of molecules similar to opioids (e.g., morphine, heroin) in terms of structure and function. The word endorphin is short for endogenous morphine. Endorphins are inhibitory transmitters associated with pleasure and pain relief. In other animals, these chemicals slow metabolism and permit hibernation.

On the road Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On the road - Research Paper Example Perhaps the most obvious theme running through â€Å"On the Road,† is one of religion. When Sargeant first arrives in town he is turned away by the good Reverend Mr. Dorset. He feels the chill of racism and seeks sanctuary in a white man's church. This same church he breaks into just as police beat him on the head and he begins to hallucinate. Sargeant's hallucinations are telling. He saw Christ only in a glimpse through a soft, round window. Yet Christ becomes a central figure in his delusions. Not a traditional Christ, but a Christ burdened by the pain of religion. This is a metaphor that draws obviously on Hughes's own experiences with religion as an organization. Experiences that all but traumatized him as a child. In his autobiography, The Big Sea, Hughes relates his â€Å"salvation† at the age of twelve. Attending church with his aunt/guardian, he was placed in a situation of overwhelming social pressure to accept Jesus. He did this, though he did not feel any con verting power. Afterwards, he wrote, That night, for the last time in my life but one-for I was a big boy twelve years old-I cried. I cried, in bed alone, and couldn't stop. I buried my head under the quilts, but my aunt heard me. She woke up and told my uncle I was crying because the Holy Ghost had come ino my life, and because I had seen Jesus. But I was really crying because I couldn't bear to tell her that I had lied. That I had deceived everybody in the church, that I hadn't seen Jesus, and that now I didn't believe there was a Jesus any more, since he didn't come to help me (Hughes, 21). This childhood trauma affects Hughes's story profoundly. He not only depicts Sargeant's interactions with religion in a cold, white, and distant way, but he also humanizes Christ's dismay at being held captive by the church. As if Christ may have been a wise prophet but not on interested in deriving a cult of personality from his name. A negative perception that only softened in Sargeant's min d when he was able to find refuge among the grayness of the hobo jungle. For Sargeant, who had been traumatized by the stony whiteness of the town, by white preachers, white churchgoers, and white cops, his escape to the outskirts, to that world where his color was less important than his employment status, offered mental refuge from the racial trauma of his youth. In the hobo, too, Hughes raises another theme, one of movement. According to Kenneth Allsop, a hobo â€Å"was homeless and unmarried. He freeloaded on the freight trains whose tracks he laid and whose tunnels he blasted. He lived in bunk houses or tents or jungle camps or city flophouses. He was a marginal, alienated man, capriciously used and discarded by a callous but dynamic system, yet he was proud of the mode he devised out of an imperative mobility. He was a unique and indigenous American product† (Allsop, Prefatory Note). The hobo was always on the move. â€Å"In one of his aspects he was the Ancient Marine r of this oceanic land, the albatross of failure hung about his neck† (Allsop, Prefatory Note). Hughes grabs hold of this theme, and references Biblical fables, when he walks Sargeant and Christ from the white town to the gray hobo jungle. Movement is not the only theme, either, that Hughes drew from the Great Depression setting of

Micro Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Micro - Essay Example Knowledge and data helps in the identification and may show factors to survival, activity, and death of the subject pathogen. Eschericheria coli 0104:H4 is the name of the health concern while Eschericheria coli is the pathogen that causes the health concern, a bacterial pathogen. The name of the health concern includes the name of the pathogen and even though only the concern is identified, the inclusion means identification of the pathogen. The statement also identifies the concern as an outbreak to establish its significance, in addition to explaining that the concern is an enemy among the human population. Consequently, the statement contributes to risk analysis through identification of a hazard Hazard characterization is another significant element of risk analysis and its absence from the statement undermines risk analysis aspect. An outline of the nature and degree of effects of an identified hazard is the main feature of hazard characterization. Identification of levels of the pathogen that is harmful to different population segments such as segments by gender and by age groups would be an example of hazard characterization and can be quantitative or qualitative. Even though the statement identifies existence of lessons that have been developed from occurrence of the hazard, the identification is too general, failing to communicate scope of the problem and its severity level. Incidence rate of the health concern and time that it takes to overwhelm the body or even a description of its severity would have established hazard characterization. Being devoid of these aspects therefore means that the statement fails in risk analysis. The statement is also devoid of exposure assessment. One of the key elements of exposure assessment is data on existence of pathogens in raw materials to a subject food. exposure assessment also meets criteria of risk analysis if

Peabody Trust Essay Example for Free

Peabody Trust Essay In 1862 George Peabody, an American from Philadelphia who moved to London in 1837, founded the most famous society providing homes for the skilled artisan classes. With ? 150,000 0f initial capital at his disposal, Peabody had several buildings constructed in the inner city Spitalfields district of London by early 1864, in later years; Peabody built dwellings in Bermondsey, Chelsea, Islington, and Shadwell. His goal was to house the working poor in healthy dwellings as long as they were of good character, conducted themselves responsibly, and paid their rent on time (Journal of the Royal Statistical Society 93). The Peabody Trust is a non-profit organization that builds and manages high quality social housing for people on low incomes. Their fund had its greatest impact on the London housing market during the first fifteen years after its founder’s death in 1869; unfortunately, no major projects were undertaken between 1885 and 1900, the worst years of the housing crisis, as the Peabody Trust had at that time to pay down the huge loans taken out during the first twenty years of its existence (Tarn 10). Peabody Trust’s approach is truly innovative. Taking a long-term view of regeneration, the organization works closely with its customer (the tenants of its homes) and suppliers to alleviate homeless and provide opportunities for quality accommodation and employment. Core to the organization’s work is the design, construction and ongoing maintenance of urban development. An outstanding commitment to empowering staff, suppliers and customers has created a culture of creativity in which growth is almost inevitable. In the last decade, the number of properties owned by Peabody has nearly doubled. A similarly innovative approach to raising funds ensures that finances pose no barrier to this substantial growth. In fact, the Trust is one leading raisers of private finance in the housing association field, raising ? 80 million through Business Expansion Schemes and ? 200 million through debenture stock issue. Peabody Trust has one major advantage over most organizations; most of its employees have bought into the Trust’s ethos and work before they walk in through the door. The management, however, is far from complacent. In addition to the culture of openness that permeates, employees are genuinely empowered. Peabody’s innovative approach to fundraising means that they find it fairly straight forward; finances have not represented a barrier to development as an active developer at all. Key to the success of the scheme was the creative approach of the financial director, who shares Peabody’s commitment to innovation. The financial regime is unusually free, enabling the organization to act innovatively. On the other hand, in 1883 the Peabody Trust was severely criticized for housing only the aristocracy of the working classes, it is clear that wherever the Trustees built they provided rooms at rents lower than those generally prevailing in the immediate neighborhood. It is significant that in an area of Westminster where there were only ninety-six one-roomed tenements available, the Peabody Trust added sixty two, but just as important is the fact that in a congested part of central London they were able to offer three rooms for about the price of two in neighboring streets. No wonder that the Peabody superintendent wrote that in his twenty-eight years of managing various model dwellings, he had never experienced so great a rush for places. If the buildings had been six times as large, he declared, â€Å"I would have no difficulty in letting the rooms†. (Medical officer of Health’s Report 58). The Peabody Trust, of all the mode dwelling companies, appeared to have had the greatest and most continuous demand for its rooms. The rent structure and activities of the Peabody Trust were bitterly attacked by several of the model dwelling companies. In part this stemmed from the definition by the other companies of Peabody’s original intentions, in part from jealousy and rivalry. Many felt the Trustees should concentrate on building in the most run-down areas of London (FRSS 103). The other companies feared that the activities of the Trust would jeopardize the entire working-class housing movement by thwarting the principles of five percent philanthropy. Meanwhile, one of the representatives of the Peabody Trust admitted before the same committee that the Trust’s policy of letting at well under market rates might discourage commercial and semi-philanthropic builders, but he suggested, perhaps not too seriously, that the only solution then was for the Trust to buy up its competitors and reduce their rent levels, a solution which would certainly have made the Trust a public body. There even existed a widespread feeling that at the rate the Trust was accumulating money and property it might one day become the sole builder of working-class housing in central London. Like the other companies, the Peabody Trust was very careful in its selection of tenants. The Trust often turned down applicants whom it considered able to afford other accommodation, and it was very strict in its determination to obey Peabody’s injunctions concerning moral character. One can only hazard a guess that the Peabody Trust and the model dwelling companies which cooperated with the Board under the Cross Act attracted to their model dwelling well paid labourers and artisans from nearby streets, and thus, through the leveling-up process, made it easier for those displaced under clearance schemes to find vacant lodgings in the immediate vicinity. Hardship and dislocations inevitably occurred, but without the willingness of the Peabody Trust to assume the duties of a semi-public body and build on a scale matching the demolition work of the central London government, the first large attempts at slum clearance would either have been totally abortive or would have even more harmful effects. Of all the agencies erecting model dwellings, the Peabody Trust excited the most interest and stimulated most controversy. It did more than any other model dwelling society to draw attention to the peculiar difficulties involved in constructing dwellings in central London. They are actively involved in a number of urban regeneration initiatives, their approach is a holistic one, embracing social, economic and community development issues as well as physical improvements. In 1999 Peabody joined forces with South work Housing and appointed ECD Architect s to prepare a master plan for the redevelopment of the Coopers Road Estate. Shortly afterwards they acquired an adjoining site, fronting the Old Kent Road, known as â€Å"Success House† and invited proposals from ECD for a mixed-use high-rise building. Concurrent with these activities, Peabody have been carrying out a ‘community mapping’ exercise, liaising with a developer to redevelop the site of neighbouring redundant pub and planning improvements to Ken House, an existing Peabody estate that abuts both sites. The redevelopment of these sites will act as an important catalyst for regeneration of the wider area. Planning approval for the Coopers Road site was obtained in November 2001 and a start on site is programmed for January 2003.

Anti Social Disorder Essay -- essays research papers fc

Anti-Social Personality Disorder In a world full of fears, perhaps the worst one a human being should have is that to be afraid of his fellow man. The human that should be most feared is the one that has Anti-Social Personality Disorder or in laymen's terms the psychopath. The psychopath is probably the most deviant mind that exists and treatment is not very successful because there is not a cure or drug to control it. The solution in my mind to control the problem of sociopaths is to let them live in colonies with each other. Through my research I will develop an understanding of this personality disorder and convince you the reader that my solution might be a viable solution. The sociopath is a combination of other mental illnesses that are incurred in childhood as a result of heredity, trauma and the lack of emotional development. The lack of moral or emotional development which gives a sociopath a lack of understanding for other people's feelings which enables them to be deceitful without feeling bad about whatever they do. The under developed emotional system as explained in the video "The World of Personality Disorders volume 5" says the sociopath is "emotionally retarded" . The sociopathic behavior problems that start as a child have links to heredity, a family with a pre-disposition to perform crimes, alcoholic parents that do crimes, irresponsible behavior that persists and parents that do not discipline. The child that will eventually be a sociopath exhibits certain feeling inside that they are inadequate, shamed and because of that they are teased and made fun of. The child characteristics of a future sociopath consist of being incapable of following the rules. The youngster will skip school, bully, steal, torment animals, run away from home and the child is likely to develop Attention Deficit \Hyperactivity Disorder or AD|HD. At an earlier age than their peer group the child will smoke drink, do drugs, and become sexually active. The diagnoses of Anti-Social Personality Disorder is not used for people under the age of 18. The Psychopath is defined in the dictionary as a person suffering from, especially a severe mental disorder with aggressive antisocial behavior which is a nice way of saying a really bad and mean person. There are many characteristics of a sociopath and each sociopath has thei... ... if they were caused to interact with fellow sociopaths it would keep them interested because it is not as easy to manipulate or con. The possibility of violence in my colony is great but the sociopaths would not mind because it is in their personality and it would serve us better if they killed or hurt each other rather than us. In closing the sociopath is so hard to deal with we should make strides to control their behavior in public. --- Bibliography BOOKS Wing, John Kenneth, Reasoning About Madness, Oxford Press, Oxford 1978 Milt, Harry ,Basic Handbook on Mental Ilness,Scribner, New York, 1974 Hales, Dianne, Caring for the Mind, Bantam Books, New York, 1995 ARTICLES Salama M.D., Aziz A., The Antisocial Personality, The Psychiatric Journal of the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, 1988 Malaney M. D. , Kathleen R., Patients with Antisocial Personality Disorder, Post Graduate Medicine, 1992 Unknown, unknown, Psychopathic Patients Pose Dilemma For Physicians and Society, CMAJ, 1995 Hare Ph.D., Robert,Predators, Psycology Today, Feb. 1994 Hill, Heather,Monsters In Our Midst,Homemaker's Magazine, Oct. 1995 VIDEO The World of Abnormal Psychology Personality Disorder

Police Legitimacy Notes Essay

Effectiveness of the police ultimately depends on their legitimacy. – 1st b/c the moral paradox underlying the police use of nonnegotiable coercive force can be resolved only if police actions are qualitatively distinct from other actors’ use of force. – 2nd b/c people tend to obey authority out of respect for its legitimacy more than out of fear of its power. Greater police legitimacy decreases the need for nonnegotiable coercive intervention; it also builds active community support for police efforts. -â€Å"Perceptions of legitimacy carry more weight w/ the public than effectiveness of enforcement. †-Tyler, Tom; 88) – Tyler and Huo (2001): perceived legitimacy of the police and perceived fairness/favorability of outcomes carry equal weight in citizens’ acceptance of officers’ decisions. The amazing transformation of LAPD: 76% of Latinos and 68% of blacks now give LAPD positive grades (LA Times, 2009 poll) Weber- Tragedy of Power â⠂¬â€œ At some point, force is inevitably necessary to preserve peace and social order. GRAHAM v. CONNOR * The police use of force is a perennial reminder of the fundamental imperfection of the tragedy of power. * When all else fails, people call the cops (Egon Bittner) ; this is b/c the police role is ultimately define by their monopoly on the right to use nonnegotiable coercive force. We rely on the police precisely because of this monopoly; yet at the same time, we are repulsed by its underlying harsh reality. †¦Leads Us To Mary-Douglas â€Å"Purity and Danger† * We value dirty work as necessary but are repelled by those who do it so there is a moral ambiguity of force, which means that force is sometime necessary, but the decision to use it and judging the extent of its use are inherently unclear.

Introduction and Motivation Essay

The following chapter provides the foundation for this thesis. It begins with a scope clarification including a definition of the Supply Chain 2020 research initiative, and this thesis’ position within that overall project. Additionally, this chapter discusses the motivation and methodology behind this paper as well as provides an outline for future chapters. The Supply Chain 2020 Project is a multi-year project initiated by the Center for Transportation & Logistics (CTL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The major research goal for the Supply Chain 2020 Project is to identify the components that will constitute excellent supply chains in the year 2020. In identifying the strategies, processes, and metrics that will comprise excellent supply chains, Supply Chain 2020 hopes to assist companies in multiple industries in developing strategies to remain competitive in the future. The academic year 2004-2005 is Phase I of the Supply Chain 2020 Project. The scope of the initiative for Phase I is to identify and research excellent supply chains in the aerospace, apparel, automotive, communications, computer, consumer products, distribution, pharmaceutical, resources, and retail industries. Specifically, the scope of this thesis is the retail industry. We will focus on the strategies, operating models, network designs, and supply chain processes that constitute an excellent supply chain in the retail industry. In looking at the components listed above, the existing best practices will be analyzed with respect to how they support and promote the business strategy of the specific companies being analyzed.

Frances Economy Five Key Macroeconomic Variables

Frances Economy Five Key Macroeconomic Variables Introduction France is one of the largest and most advanced economies in the world. The country achieved its success through diversification of its economy and prudent management of the public sector finances. Unlike other developed countries, agriculture contributes significantly to economic development in France. The output from the agricultural sector comes from livestock and cash crops.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on France’s Economy: Five Key Macroeconomic Variables specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The leading industries in the country include chemicals, automobiles, electronics, machinery, and textiles. The main minerals produced in the country include iron, bauxite, and coal. Nearly 75% of the country’s electricity is generated though nuclear energy. The government has since reduced its participation in the economy by privatizing most of its firms. This paper focuses on the economy of F rance by analyzing five of its key macroeconomic variables. These include unemployment rate, real interest rate, gross domestic product (GDP), inflation rate, and the current account balance. Additionally, policy recommendations will be suggested to help the country to revitalize its economy. The analysis will focus on the period between 1980 and 2012. Background France is among the leading producers of automobiles, aircrafts, cosmetics, and luxury goods. It also has highly advanced insurance, telecoms, power generation, and tourism industries. The country’s labor force has the largest number of graduates, especially, in science disciples per one thousand workers in the Euro-zone. Following the end of the Second World War, the country experienced a rapid economic growth due to its massive investment in agriculture. During this period, nearly 40% of the population was employed in the agricultural sector. The country’s GDP expanded at an average rate of 4.1% between 1945 and 1975. Rapid economic growth was maintained through several four-year development plans. These plans had economic development targets that were set by the government, but were mainly achieved by the private sector. From 1945 to 1986, the government focused on implementing policies of nationalization, as well as, intensive intervention in the economy. From 1981, Mitterrand’s regime focused on nationalizing major firms in key industries such as insurance, banking, and pharmaceuticals. Following the failure of the nationalization strategy, the country embarked on large-scale privatization of its firms in the 1990s.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nonetheless, the government still holds a large proportion of shares in the countries major companies such as France Telecom and Renault. In the 1990s, the country’s economy maintained moderate grow th through investments in modern technologies such as the internet and the expansion of infrastructure. The formation of the European Union and the Euro-zone contributed to the country’s economic growth by providing a ready market for its exports. However, the economic crisis in Europe and the global economic downturn, which began in 2007, have led to severe reduction in the country’s growth rate. In 2009, the country’s â€Å"real GDP contracted by 2.6%, whereas unemployment rate increased from 7.4% to 10%†. Additionally, the country’s budget deficit as a percentage of GDP increased from 3.4% in 2008 to 7.5% in 2009. Public debt also increased from 68% to 89% of the GDP in the same period. Despite the efforts made by the government in the last five years, the country has not been able to achieve a growth rate above 2% or to reduce its unemployment rate below 10% (IMF, 2013). Overview of the Main Macroeconomic Variables France’s real interest rate, unemployment rate, GDP, current account balance, and inflation rate have greatly evolved in the last thirty years. Unemployment rate refers to the â€Å"percentage of the total labor force that is unemployed, but willing to work and actively seeking employment†. Figure 1, illustrates the fluctuation of unemployment in France in the last thirty years. According to figure 1, the country’s unemployment rate rose steadily from 8.07% in 1982 to 10.5% in1988. On average, the unemployment rate during this period was 9.56%. Following the implementation of expansionary fiscal policy that led to a 4.67% GDP growth in 1988, the unemployment rate reduced to 8.98% in 1990 (IMF, 2013). However, this recovery was short lived since the unemployment rate rose to 11.68% in 1994. From 1994 to 1999, the country’s average unemployment rate was 11.21%. The country maintained a less than 10% unemployment rate from 2000 to 2008. However, the 2008/2009 global economic downturn le d to an increase in unemployment rate above 10%.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on France’s Economy: Five Key Macroeconomic Variables specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the successes of the French economy has been its ability to maintain low inflation rate. Figure 2 indicates that the country’s inflation rate has been falling from 1982 to 2012. The inflation rate reduced from 11.98% in 1982 to 0.67% in 1998 (IMF, 2013). However, it rose to 1.92% in 2012. The country’s real interest rate has also been falling steadily in the last twenty years as shown in figure 3. Concisely it reduced from 2.4% in 1993 to 0.12% in 2012 (World Bank, 2013). Figure 4 indicates that France’s current account balance has been very volatile in the last thirty years. The country’s current account was in deficit between 1982 and 1990. However, it recovered steadily after 1992, thereby reaching a surplus of 3.15% of GDP by 1999 (IMF, 2013). From 2000, the current account has been declining steadily, thereby reaching a deficit of -1.75% of GDP in 2012. Since 1982, the country’s highest GDP growth was 4.67% in 1988, whereas the lowest growth was -3.15 in 2009. Table 1 presents the data used to generate figure 1 to 4. Macroeconomic Analysis France experienced a high unemployment rate (above 10%) between 1985 and 1988; 1993 and 1999; and 2011 and 2012. The high unemployment rate during these periods is mainly attributed to the conditions in the country’s labor market. France has one of the highest payroll taxes in the world. The country charges 43% payroll tax, which is higher than the rate in nearly all developed countries. For instance, the United States of America charges 5%, whereas the UK charges 11%. The high payroll tax has contributed significantly to the reduction of the competitiveness of French companies. In order to maintain their competiveness, most Fr ench companies have resorted to outsourcing non-core business activities from low wage countries. In particular, most companies, especially, in the manufacturing sector have relocated their production plants to countries such as China and India, which have cheap labor. This strategy has led to exportation of jobs as companies reduce their workers in order to lower operating costs. For instance, Peugeot, one of the leading automobiles manufacturers in the country, dismissed 8,000 workers in 2012 in order to reduce its labor costs. From 2000, the government focused on implementing several reforms in order to boost employment in the private sector. The reforms included a reduction of payroll taxes for employees earning the minimum wage, as well as, allowing tax breaks for firms that employ young people or trainees.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These reforms partly contributed to the slight reduction of unemployment between 2000 and 2003. Nonetheless, these reforms did not achieve much since unemployment rate began to increase from 2004. Protection of employee rights is another problem that leads to high unemployment rate in France. The labor unions in France have a lot of influence in the labor market. They always participate in the negotiation of salaries and working conditions in most industries. Consequently, French workers benefit from job security and guaranteed salary levels. Providing these benefits has been a great challenge to small businesses due to their limited financial resources. Consequently, they are reluctant to create new jobs for fear of the penalties associated with dismissing workers or paying low wages. Low qualification is the major cause of unemployment among the youth. Due to the high competition in the job market, most employers prefer to hire experienced workers rather than fresh graduates from collages. Fresh graduates (youth) are expensive to employers since they have to be trained before they adapt to the work environment. Finally, the high employment rate in 2012 is attributed to dismal economic growth that began in 2007. Figure 1 shows that unemployment has been increasing as GDP growth reduces from 2007. The low economic growth has led to reduced profits, thereby limiting the ability of firms to create new jobs or to sustain existing ones. According to figure 2, France’s inflation rate was highest in 1982. This is partly attributed to the 1978-1979 oil shock that led to a sharp increase in prices of goods. The increase in oil prices in late 1970s led to an increase in the cost of production, thereby causing a general rise in the prices of goods. As the economy recovered from the oil shock, inflation began to reduce, reaching a low of 2.5% in 1986. Following the expansion of GDP by 4.67% in 1988, the inflation rate rose to 3.5% in 1989 (IMF, 2013). An increase in economic growth is normally accompanied by increased expenditure in the private and the public sector, thereby increasing inflationary pressure. Since 1990, France has maintained an inflation rate below 3%. This low rate of inflation is mainly attributed to slow economic growth and slack in the economy. According to figure 2, inflation tends to be falling when GDP growth is reducing. The logic behind this trend is that slow economic growth lead to low GDP per capita. The resulting reduction in purchasing power leads to a fall in the demand for goods and services. Consequently, firms reduce their prices in order to remain competitive. This reduction in prices leads to low inflation rate. In 2009, the GDP contracted by -3.1%, thereby causing a near deflation situation (0.09% inflation rate). The reduction in real interest rate in the last three decades was caused by intense regulation of the banking sector. Concisely, banking-sector regulations did not permit the increase of nomina l interest rates to compensate for the loss of currency value due to inflation. Consequently, real interest rates reduced as inflation increased. Even though the government liberalized the banking sector in late 1990s, the real interest rates did not rise. This is because France’s central bank lowered its lending rate in order to spur economic growth. Current account balance refers to a country’s net import of goods and services, as well as, net transfer payment and earnings from sources such as rent. In the last three decades, France’s current account has been in deficit except for the period between 1992 and 2004. The deficit that occurred before 1992 was due to the high labor costs that led to outsourcing by most French companies. Concisely, most companies relocated their production plants to overseas economies with cheap labor. Additionally, some companies outsourced their back office operations to foreign countries. This led to increased imports, thereby ca using the current account deficit. The deficit that occurred after 2004 is mainly attributed to France’s participation in the Euro-zone. In particular, the deficit has been caused by the monetary union in the Euro-zone. The use of a common currency means that France’s exchange rate in the Euro-zone is fixed. Consequently, its currency cannot depreciate relative to other Euro-zone countries such as Germany in order to boost exports and reduce imports. Figure 4 indicates that France’s current account has been worsening when its GDP is falling and vice versa. This implies that the reduction in productivity as indicated by a reduction in GDP limits the country’s ability to export. Arising GDP, on the other hand, implies increased productivity that increase the country’s ability to export, thereby improving the current account balance. According to figure 5, France has been able to achieve a rapid growth in its per capita GDP since 1800. Consequently, i t has been able to catch-up with other developed countries such Spain and Sweden (Gap-Minder, 2013). Nonetheless, figure 1to 4 shows that the country has not been able to maintain a rapid growth of its GDP in the last three decades. From 1982 to 2008, France’s average GDP growth was approximately 2%. Other advanced economies such as the USA grew by 3% over the same period. After 2008, France has not been able to achieve any growth above 1.6% (IMF, 2013). The factors that account for the poor performance include the following. To begin with, the economic model that spurred rapid growth after the Second World War lost its effectiveness from the 1970s to 1990s. This is because the country has been experiencing a sharp decline in returns on capital, labor productivity gains, and investments since 1970s. Low productivity among the working class has also contributed to the country’s poor economic growth. The number of hours dedicated to work per full-time employee has reduce d considerable in the last three decades. France’s investment efficiency has reduced substantially in the last four decades. Investment efficiency refers to the â€Å"variation in GDP in relation to net fixed capital formation†. The combined effect of low productivity gains and reduced investment efficiency led to a reduction in firm profits, thereby limiting growth. Consequently, firms focused on cost reduction and maintaining profitability rather than expanding their markets. The reduction in profits limited the firms’ ability to make new investments, thereby slowing job creation. The resulting increase in unemployment rate led to a reduction of wages. Consequently, aggregate demand fell, thereby discouraging economic growth in the 1980s. In the 1990s, the government introduced labor market reforms such as fixed-term contracts. These reforms enabled most firms to return to profitability. However, they did not succeed in enhancing domestic demand in order to pr omote economic growth. Even though investment rebound in late 1990s, France did not define a new economic model to sustain a rapid growth. Due to unfavorable labor market conditions and low profits, most French companies embarked on foreign direct investments in the 1990s. This strategy did not only lead to capital flight from the country, but also worsened its current account deficit and unemployment rate. France is yet to recover from the shocks of the Euro-zone crisis and the 2008/2009 economic downturn, which have reduced its economic growth in the last five years. Policy Recommendations The following suggestions can help France to return to rapid economic growth. To begin with, unemployment can be reduced through labor market reforms. These include wage compression that involves lowering the minimum wage rate and implementing a negative income tax. A lower minimum wage will encourage local firms to create new jobs, whereas a negative income tax will compensate employees for the income lost through the reduction of the minimum wage. The payroll tax should also be reduced in order to encourage local firms to create jobs by investing in France rather than relocating to other countries. The current account deficit can be corrected by increasing net exports outside the Euro-zone. This is because the depreciation of the Euro against other currencies will make France’s exports more competitive. The current account will improve as exports increase and imports reduce. The government can avoid deflation by loosening its monetary policy. The resulting increase in money supply will encourage investment and consumption, thereby preventing deflation. However, loosening monetary policy should be moderate in order to avoid high inflation. Finally, France should improve its economic growth by reforming its tax system. Concisely, it should raise taxes for the high-income earners and lower taxes for the low-income earners. This will ensure that the government has ade quate tax revenue without discouraging expenditure among the low-income earners. Reducing the budget deficit to 3% of the GDP will negate the need for austerity measures in future, thereby encouraging growth through public and private expenditure. Conclusion The aim of this paper was to analyze the French economy. In particular, it focused on the evolution of the economy’s GDP, unemployment rate, inflation rate, current account balance, and real interest rate in the last three decades. Results show that GDP growth has remained dismal in the last thirty years. The factors that account for the slow growth include high labor costs, lack of an effective growth model, and low investment efficiency. The current account has been deteriorating. Similarly, high unemployment has been a persistent problem. Nonetheless, the real interest rate and inflation have been declining. In light of these revelations, the government should take immediate measures to improve the economy. Appendix Fi gure 1: Unemployment rate Verses GDP growth Figure 2: Inflation rate Verses GDP growth Figure 3: Real Interest Rate Verses GDP Growth Figure 4: Current Account Balance Verses GDP Growth Figure 5: Gap-Minder Table 1: Data for figure 1 to 4 yeas GDP Inflation Unemployment CA Bal Interest rate 1982 2.418 11.978 8.069 -2.099 1983 1.227 9.46 8.421 -0.853 1984 1.499 7.674 9.771 -0.145 1985 1.614 5.831 10.23 -0.064 1986 2.252 2.539 10.363 0.31 1987 2.387 3.289 10.5 -0.484 1988 4.671 2.701 10.006 -0.465 1989 4.184 3.498 9.396 -0.46 1990 2.625 3.38 8.975 -0.791 1991 1.034 3.217 9.467 -0.495 1992 1.478 2.366 9.85 0.279 1993 -0.665 2.106 11.117 0.708 7.02 1994 2.248 1.661 11.683 0.596 6.69 1995 2.044 1.778 11.15 0.466 6.80 1996 1.067 2.084 11.583 1.231 5.23 1997 2.189 1.283 11.542 2.657 5.38 1998 3.377 0.667 11.067 2.621 5.46 1999 3.287 0.533 10.458 3.147 6.17 2000 3.686 1.716 9.083 1.452 5.05 2001 1.834 1.606 8.392 1.756 4.86 2002 0 .928 1.885 8.908 1.247 4.29 2003 0.901 2.141 8.892 0.723 4.51 2004 2.54 2.143 9.258 0.541 4.84 2005 1.826 1.751 9.283 -0.485 4.50 2006 2.468 1.669 9.242 -0.576 4.55 2007 2.289 1.49 8.375 -1.003 3.70 2008 -0.083 2.817 7.817 -1.744 4.6 2009 -3.146 0.099 9.5 -1.333 4.70 2010 1.664 1.493 9.729 -1.558 3.12 2011 1.693 2.141 9.633 -1.95 3.32 2012 0.122 1.924 10.138 -1.734 2.54 References Boyes, W., Melvin, M. (2010). Macroeconomics. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Couleaud, A., Delamarre, F. (2010). Frances national economic wealth declined in 2009 for the second year in a row. Paris, France: Banque de France. Gap-Minder. (2013). The wealth of nations. Web. IMF. (2013). Economic data. Retrieved from https://www.imf.org/external/index.htm Kabundi, A., Simone, F. (2011). France in the global economy: A stractural approximation dynamic factor model anlysis. Empirical Economics, 41(2), 311-342. Miotti, L., Sachwald, F. (2004). Growth in France from 1950-2030: The innovati on challange. Paris, France: IFRI. World Bank. (2013). World development indicators. Web.

ACT Practice Tests What They Can and Cant Do

ACT Practice Tests What They Can and Can't Do SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips ACT practice tests are invaluable for any level of ACT preparation, from those just beginning their study to those who have studied for months already. There are limits, however, to what ACT practice tests can do. Read on to find out what things ACT practice tests are good for and what they just can’t accomplish. feature image credit: Limited/used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped and resized from original. What ACT Practice Tests Do Well Going through ACT practice tests can help your studying in myriad ways. For one thing, taking practice ACTs orients you towards the test. If you get too caught up in doing practice problem sets, you can forget what your ultimate goal is: doing well on the ACT when you sit down and take it on test day, not just acing problems in isolation. Making it through the full test length (between three and four hours, depending on whether or not you take ACT Plus Writing) requires stamina as well as knowledge, and part of being prepared is making sure that you’re strong in both those arenas. At the very beginning of your studying, you should sit down and take a realistic ACT practice test all the way through. The realistic part is important because by taking practice tests in the morning and all at once (just like the real ACT), you’ll be able to review mistakes that wouldn’t show up if you were just doing practice sets in the afternoon or evening. Practice tests are valuable not just because of what you gain while you’re taking them, but because of what you can gain upon reflection after taking the test. After you've taken your first practice test, note what surprised you most about the experience (both in a good way and in a bad way). It could turn out that you're a lot more focused when you sit down to take the test all at once; on the other hand, you might discover that when you take the ACT at 8am, you're a lot more prone to making careless mistakes on Reading than you would be otherwise. Reviewing wrong answers, or even questions you weren't sure about but guessed correctly on, is key to improvement. Once you identify your problems, you can then come up with solutions (whether it’s making sure to sleep enough the night before the test or continuing to take more practice tests to get used to the time demands). After you've implemented those solutions, you should take a second practice test and see if the changes you've made in your studying have resulted in changes in your score. One final point is that taking practice tests close (but not too close) to the ACT helps you build up your test muscle memory. Like playing a piano concerto all the way through in advance of a concert, or playing through a full-time scrimmage before a big game, taking full-length ACT practice tests gets your mind in shape. Overall, practice tests are a critical (30%+) part of a good ACT study program. It’s imperative that you have high accuracy questions that are representative of what you'll see on test day, and there's no better source of these high-quality questions than official ACT practice tests. Read more about why high-quality materials are important in our guide to the best ACT prep websites out there. What ACT Practice Tests Don’t Do While practice tests are important for all the reasons outlined above, you can't spend 80%+ of your ACT prep time on practice tests and call it a day, because practice tests aren’t the answer to every problem and won’t cure all your issues. For example, if you're 30 hours into your studying, you shouldn't take three practice tests in a row and expect to see positive results. You'll be gaining a little bit of muscle memory, but score increases as a result of muscle memory are very low. You'd be better off investing that time shoring up your weak spots with targeted practice questions. Focused practice outside of taking full-length practice tests is important for improving specific skills, like using quadratic equations or understanding parallelisms. Doing the same type of question over and over again and drilling down on why you're making mistakes is the most effective path to improving your performance in those areas. Seeking Lavender (Provence 2012)/used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Resized from original. As you improve on the ACT overall, doing this kind of narrow practice is more efficient, because the more you study, the fewer areas and types of questions you’ll struggle with. Thus, it’s a better use of your time to focus in on your weak areas rather than taking an entire practice test and wasting time on doing questions that you already can ace. Practice tests also become useless or wasted without enough preparation before taking each one. If you take one, don’t learn any lessons (either by reflecting on wrong answers or reviewing theory and content you didn't know), and take another practice test, the second one will almost certainly be a waste of time and energy. What’s Next? Want to make sure you're mimicking the real test when you take practice tests? Learn about the eight steps to follow to get the most realistic ACT practice test experience here. Have a limited amount of time to study and want to make sure you divide it up wisely? Read our guide to using ACT practice tests over 20 hours of prep. How can you study your way to a perfect ACT score? PrepScholar co-founder and perfect scorer Allen Cheng walks you through his process in his article on how to get a perfect 36 on the ACT. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Associated with digital technology and structural hierarchies of power Research Paper

Associated with digital technology and structural hierarchies of power and privilege, diversity and homogeneity - Research Paper Example Police officers have therefore also turned to digital technologies to obtain information and evidence against criminals. As a result, contemporary media has led to enhancement of security details especially in the criminal investigations departments all over the world. The study provides a critical scrutiny of the role of contemporary digital media in criminal investigations. Research carried out by various scholars has proven that digital technology is the major source of evidence whenever detectives are carrying out investigations. The paper further discusses how digital media is associated with digital technology and structural hierarchies of power, diversity, digital evidence, its privileges, demerits and misconceptions. In addition, it gives an in-depth discussion of the various issues that affect digital media as a source of criminal evidence. Consequently, the study concludes that contemporary digital media is authoritative in combating various criminal activities through enhancement of criminal investigation services and expertise. Digital evidence refers to any information or data considered to be of value in a criminal investigation. The evidence is stored on, transmitted and received through electronic devices. Retrieval of information takes place when the gadgets remains seized, examined and analyzed. Digital evidence acquired from digital media is easily damaged or altered. It is latent and time sensitive (Nelson, Phillips & Steuart, 2015). The information also quickly crosses jurisdictional borders. The evidence thus requires skilled personnel to decode the information. Digital media serves as the source of the digital evidence. The term digital is used because information is stored electronically in the device and has to be broken down into digits during decoding. The digits are in form of binary units of ones and zero. Special programs and software are able to decode the