Investigation of Enthalpy Change When Mg is added to HCl Essay

Research Question: How is the enthalpy change of the reaction between Mg and HCl affected when different amounts of Mg are added to a constant amount of HCl? Variables: Independent: Mg Dependent: Temperature Control: HCl Controlling Variables I will use three different masses of Mg: 0.02g  ± 0.001g, 0.03g  ± 0.001g, 0.04g  ± 0.001g I will measure the temperature using a colorimeter made from a foam cup, a lid, and a thermometer I will keep HCl at a constant volume of 10mL of 1M HCl Procedure: Step 1: Measure out 10mL of 1M HCl Step 2: Pour HCl into foam cup and place lid on cup Step 3: Measure the initial temperature and record data Step 4: Add in 0.02g of Mg into cup and measure the finial temperature Step 5: Calculate change in temperature by subtracting the initial temperature from the finial temperature Step 6: Repeat steps 1-5 8 more times for a total of 9 trails changing the mass of Mg in step 4 every 3 trails from 0.02g  ± 0.001g to 0.03g  ± 0.001g to 0.04g  ± 0.001g. Conclusion and Evaluation The results depicted a small correlation between the enthalpy change in the reaction between Mg and HCl when different amounts of Mg are added to a constant amount of HCl. The average enthalpy change of the different masses of Mg are not consistently changing. When the amount of Mg shifts from 0.02g  ± 0.001g to 0.03g  ± 0.001g the average enthalpy changes from 453.27 kJ/mol to 406.77 kJ/mol but when it shifts form 0.03g  ± 0.001g to 0.04g  ± 0.001g the average enthalpy changes from 406.77 kJ/mol to 418.4 kJ/mol. Now the answer to the question -How is the enthalpy change of the reaction between Mg and HCl affected when different amounts of Mg are added to a constant amount of HCl? – Is there is an effect to the enthalpy change when different amounts of Mg are added but it is irregular and the change in the enthalpy isn’t steady in its rise or decline. The experiment was done using different foam cups and a calorimeter and the amount of time that the chemicals temperatures were recorded were different. If I was to improve this experiment I would use the same kind of foam cups and lids for each trial and I would also measure the temperature for each chemical under a specific time limit which would be the same for each trial. Investigation of Enthalpy Change When Mg is added to HCl

Drug Test Benefits

Recent increases in the use of illegal drugs and problems related to that use have raised a variety of public health and safety concerns. These concerns have led many to propose drug testing as one of the best ways to combat the proliferation of drug use. Although the focus is testing for drugs, it is worth noting that similar calls for increased testing has risen due to the spread of HIV and the threat it poses to those exposed to it. Clearly, these public health and safety concerns conflict with privacy claims of those being targeted for testing. Nevertheless, many view the public safety threat as serious enough to override completely any individual privacy interests. Indeed, public opinion polls indicate that there is widespread support for a variety of testing programs, even those that are random and mandatory. Although drug abuse should not be tolerated in the workplace, care must be taken to limit the extent to which drug testing intrudes on people=s privacy. The idea is to use the technology carefully, with adequate justification, and with enough safeguards and precautions to ensure that testing is done thoughtfully and responsibly. Both the government and private business argue that they have a significant interest in testing citizens and employees for a variety of reasons. First, they can fight the Adrug [email  protected] by weeding out users and stopping drug use. Second, they can ensure safety by revealing conditions that pose a serious threat to co-workers or the public. Third, they test employees so they can maintain a fully responsive and effective workforce. Fourth, they can identify those who will be unable to work in the future. Fifth, it will help reduce the cost of employee health care plans. Finally, drug testing will help maintain public confidence in the integrity and trustworthiness of their operations. Many insurance agencies argue that testing is necessary because it fundamentally causes the healthier employees to pay higher premiums to cover the costs of the coverage for those who are at greater risk levels. All of these arguments provide strong reasons to consider drug testing. In some industries, such as health care and transportation, even casual drug or alcohol use can result in not only increased costs, but also in lawsuits and loss of life. Even if the employee is not chemically dependent, a spouse or family member using drugs or alcohol can mean missed work, extensive personal phone calls and increased dependent medical benefits. Supreme court justice Antonin Scalia found drug testing to be an invasion of privacy and a practice of A needless indignity. @ He states that if a blood test is used, it involves puncturing the skin. If a urinalysis is utilized, the sample must sometimes be gained under direct observation to guard against drug-free substitutions and falsification of results. He feels that there are more effective methods of identifying drug users. For example, a daily observation of moods, behavior, and productivity, can detect drug use and be dealt with immediately. Many employees feel that implementing a drug testing program will prove to the lack of trust between the employer and employee. They feel that this will cause high turnover rates from year to year. It will also lower employee morale and effectiveness while on the job. These problems could be avoided by just utilizing the observance plan mention earlier. Opponents of drug testing also focuses on the limitations of the testing procedures, arguing that the tests are highly inaccurate. One worry is the sensitivity of the tests. Many types of tests procedure inaccurate, innocent parties will be harmed because most tests produce a large number of false positive results, indicating that there has been drug use when there has actually been none. Such false positive results can rise from the use of medications, passive inhalation of marijuana smoke, or the technology employed for many drug tests. Drug testing opposers cite the human error of lab personnel that further implicates the accuracy of results The first two cases on drug testing to reach the Supreme Court were argued in 1988. From the decisions issued the following year, it is clear that the court held that urine tests are a significant intrusion into a fundamentally private domain. Since then, every court that has addressed the issue has found that urinalysis and blood tests intrude on privacy as a search and seizure forbidden under the fourth amendment. Courts have mainly focused on the privacy invasion involved, first, in the process of urination and the manner in which the specimen is obtained, and second, in the individuals interest and safeguarding the confidentiality of the information contained in the sample. While drug tests might also violate the fifth amendment protection of due process and constitutional privacy interests, courts have taken the privacy claims of the fourth amendment to be the most forceful constitutional threat. Some surveys show employees strongly support drug testing because it promises greater safety and harmony at work. However, scores of civil suits in the early and mid 1980's challenged the procedure as an invasion of privacy. The courts have upheld most testing programs, and fewer suits are now being filed. In a study conducted by the society for Human Resources Management, human resource professionals most consistently favored the use of drug and alcohol testing, soliciting criminal record checks, and monitoring visual display, terminal keystrokes and phone activity. While employers may deem these activities as essential to preserve workplace safety and productivity, many employees would argue that they violate their privacy, both on the job and at home. Employees may not be invaded by having to participate in drug tests with the urinalysis. Technology has advanced so that any impairment in a workers performance while on the job due to drugs or alcohol will be monitored on computers. It is called performance or impairment testing by its creators, and is a game-like device that can test judgement and motor coordination through the ability to manipulate a cursor on a VDT screen. The benefits reveal the cause of an employee impairment. Performance tests would offer more privacy to the worker and promote a less hostile environment People have objected mostly to random drug testing, which is mainly limited to government and private jobs that effect public safety, like those at nuclear power plants, airlines, railroads and trucking companies. More than 90 percent of the testing is of job applicants. But most of these same companies also test after accidents and when suspicions are aroused through erratic behavior. Fewer than 10 percent of the companies test randomly or at the time of annual physicals An employer has an extreme amount of influence on an individual to receive some type of treatment for their addiction. They are in the position to provide incentive for accepting treatment, as well as emotional support afterwards, because the job usually is of extreme importance to the addicted individual. The management should offer and accessible health insurance plan so that when the employee needs to receive the treatment that they can easily do so without having to involve several other people Once the addict has received the needed care, their job structure should be altered by management. They should be placed in a less stressful atmosphere. Their amount of work decreases for a certain amount of time, and they should not be placed on a demanding quota schedule that could trigger an emotional swing back toward the addiction The key to this success is having a good prevention program in place to detect problems at an early stage in their development. @If these problems can be detected early then outpatient treatment can be successful,@ says Maureen Whitmore of Occupational Health Services in Larkspur, California. Once a company has invested their time and money in rehabilitation of the employee, there are steps that must be followed to keep the employee from returning to their addiction. First, a peer support group should be provided where open discussion is encouraged in trying to cope with a new life and the new found pressure of work. Second, management should help their employees reintegrate back into the workplace. They will be confused and easily persuaded by stress that might have led to the problem in the beginning. Third, the company should hold AA meetings on-site and provide a crisis number to call in case of an emergency. Fourth, supervisors should be educated to watch for returning signs that the person is under stress. Fifth, management should involve family members and provide lifestyle education. Finally, stress reduced activities should be offered on-site, such as aerobics and fitness classes, and workshops on how to improve interpersonal skills. I feel that employee drug testing in some manner is essential to the performance and effectiveness of an employee in a company. Management needs the assurance that every employee is doing their job without any type of impairment from an outside source. However, I also feel that urinalysis testing is an invasion of privacy. As an employer, I will not be concerned with what types of drugs the employee is taking, but he is impairing the performance of the company. As I mentioned earlier, technology has advanced in such a manner that there will be no need for urinalysis tests. Performance or impairment testing programs will test the employee=s judgement and motor coordination through the ability to manipulate a cursor on a VDT screen. This will provide the employer with accurate information on the abilities of the employee to perform their job. It also keeps the employees addiction private and not for their employers to know. I feel that the increased health insurance coverage and the increased ease of access for employees will help them seek treatment for their addiction. However, there will need to be severe disciplinary actions for those who continually test positive. Once an employee has received treatment, the follow-up plans must be persuaded by management. This should help the employee to receive the needed attention for their problem, and help the company continue to have an effective employee. Drug testing has many benefits and set backs for both employers and employees. Certain types of drug testing are necessary in to days workplace for there to be an increased effectiveness of a company on their industry. However, employees still have privacy rights that cannot be infringed upon. A good and successful detection program and rehabilitation program are essential to the survival of the employee in the workplace. Eventually, the drug addiction will impair their abilities for life.

International Legal and Ethical Issues in Business

In this paper I will discuss environmental regulations and labor laws in place in Thailand and Singapore. This paper will show that while Singapore seems to have stricter environmental regulations in place in it’s country, the labor laws in Thailand seems to protect its citizens better with better work hour regulations and wage requirements. Singapore’s labor laws can stand to be revisited so as to keep the working citizens safe from greedy business owners. What are Thailand and Singapore’s environmental regulation levels? Thailand’s government has been known to keep loose environmental standards for investors. Many foreign investors have been used to Thailand’s loose environmental regulation, however, the country’s government is now struggling to deal with tough new environmental regulations. An upheaval from residents in some of the more industrial areas of Thailand has set in motion a movement to toughen environmental regulations, which has many companies like Ford thinking of relocating some of its manufacturing plants. Singapore, however, has very strict environmental regulations in place, with an extension of liability even reaching to directors and officers of the companies that operate in Singapore. The government in Singapore has passed strict laws to ensure that corporations operating in the country do not compromise the health of their people. Violators of the environmental regulations in Singapore may even face mandatory jail time if found guilty of participating in activities that are deemed harmful to the environment and the people living in the area. What kind of legislation has been passed in the country regarding working hours and wages? The Department of Labor in Thailand enforces labor laws in the country. Currently, Thailand has some pretty good labor laws in place to protect it’s citizens. The most hours a person can work per day in Thailand is 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week. If the job is deemed hazardous, the workday is considered complete after 7 hours, or 42 hours per week. Employees must be paid overtime pay at a rate of 1. 5 to three times the normal hourly rate when the maximum amount of hours has been surpassed. The minimum daily wage rate varies, depending on location. Some provincial areas can pay a daily rate of 137 baht, or $3. 43 U. S. dollars, whereas the daily rate can be 175 baht or $4. 38 U. S. dollars in Bangkok. Office and management staff working full-time hours can earn about 15,000 baht (US $375) to 150,000 baht (US $3,750) per month, depending on the level of management and experience. Singapore does not have any regulations in place with regard to a minimum wage for it’s workers. The Employment Act in Singapore only stipulates that workers be paid timely, which is translated to mean at least once a month. Workers who make less than 2,000 SGD per month may not be required to work more than eight hours a day or 44 hours per week. Employees working in management positions or higher may be permitted to work longer hours, depending on what terms are outlined in their contract. Do you think the country's environmental regulation is sufficient? Explain. It seems Singapore has sufficient environmental regulations in place, what with punishments which include jail time for those found guilty of infraction of the regulations. However, I feel that Thailand still has a long way to go in establishing effective environmental regulations. The people of Thailand are still fighting to get proper regs in place to keep their environment and their people safe and healthy. It seems that Thailand is reluctantly coming around, however, the threat of losing many of its foreign investors because of new environmental regulations might hinder any real progress. Do you feel that the country's hour and wage legislation is ethical? Explain. Thailand’s hour and wage regulations are adequate; however, Singapore’s hour and wage regulation still leave way too much room for employees to be taken advantage of by their employers. The fact there is no national minimum wage requirement leaves too much room for employers to underpay their employees. There is also no regulation in place to limit the amount of hours per day an employee can work. There is also no regulation for overtime pay. The lack of regulation in place to determine how many hours per day or week a person can work before overtime pay is required leaves the employees at the mercy of their employers. References http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704182004575056421383885014.html http://www.business-in-asia.com/thai_labor_law.htm http://www.ehow.com/list_5989991_labor-laws-singapore.html

The Conformist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Conformist - Essay Example Because of this, he is assigned a duty by his bosses; to kill a professor. This is because he has some power within him and has worked with the Italian police. The period in which he worked with the police was during the reign of the Mussolini. He goes to exile to show his loyalty to the state. The movie clearly depicts the major psychological needs of the fascism of the Italians whereby conformity easily turns to obsession. The desire of the people leads them to engage in very cruel acts. Marcello’s parents do not satisfy his childhood desires and that is why he becomes greedy. He becomes very furious with people who are close to him. At home, he has a very small room where he studies with several items scattered in the house. He even enjoys the privacy to hold an old pistol that his father once had. This perhaps makes him want to join the police force. He also loves objects that are forbidden. He also evidently very possessive which later makes him suffer (Moravia and Calliope 4). Marcello marries a wife who loves him very much. He finds a strange woman, who marries him during his stay in exile. The woman does not care if Marcello is from a place she has never been to. Marcello is a competent police officer and a silent one too. He can be used to perform a duty that must remain secret. He is assigned to kill his professor, something that he is against. This makes him flee into exile. Falling in love with the woman makes Marcello want to share all that was hidden inside him. The woman is so compelling, that Marcello decides to let the cat out of the sack. Later, his life changes abruptly because of a woman. His corrupt nature reveals itself to his wife and all the people that are close to him. The philosophical needs of Marcello are to be fulfilled this time by a woman who was not initially his. He is very close to the professor who is blind. For this reason,

Home Retail Group plc Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Home Retail Group plc - Coursework Example It was incorporated in 1973 and has over 1000 stores spread over the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It has the two leading retail brands in United Kingdom Argos and Home-base. Their source for their product both locally and globally (Home retail group 2014). Argos deals with general merchandise, and it is the most popular. It has 40 retail stores spread over the United Kingdom. Some of the products that one can be able to shop for at Argos are toys, electronics, jewelry and housewares. Home base is the largest DIY store the people who frequent the store are home decorators and constructors. Financial services deal with offering financial advice to customers; it also operates as an insurance company (Home retail group 2014). Argos and Home base have variety of 80,000 goods provided under a portfolio of brands like Habitat, Bush, Alba, Chad Valley and Odina. Over 47,450 competent and efficient employees work in Home Retail Group plc. The establishment is directed by a panel of directors whose chairman is Mr. John Coombe. The Chief executive officer is currently Mr. John Waiden, and he leads a team of abled managers who manage the daily operations of the company. The establishment’s dream is to become the unsurpassed merchandising shop in Europe, and its mission is to answer quickly and satisfy the needs of their clients. The financial position of the company has grown over the years registering a net profit of 5.7 billion in 2013 and a market share of 190.40.The following is a detailed research on its market position using the SWOT analysis, Porters five forces model and the PESTEL analysis of the company (Home retail group 2014). The company continues to focus on operational excellence and further investment in multi-channel leadership that has delivered a solid performance that has enabled the hold of the market share in the business. Although still cautious about the consumer outlook over the short term, the company continues to

The advantages of and precautions needed when using waste water for Essay - 1

The advantages of and precautions needed when using waste water for agricultural uses in developing countries - Essay Example This review seeks to show how waste water holds the key to solving the water deficiencies that exist the world over plus the advantages of using this method. It will also highlight the challenges that come along with the usage of this type of water source and the methods of dealing with these challenges. It is common knowledge that the world is faced with the challenge of an ever increasing population. This means that there has to be an increased level of agricultural activity in order to cater for the increased demand. However the main challenge of this is that there are dwindling sources of water to cater for the agricultural activity. This is especially true when one considers that the majority of the world’s agricultural activity, that is dependent on rainfall, has been disrupted due to many factors such as climate change and increased pollution levels of water bodies the world over (UNEP). This has also been coupled by the increasing non-agricultural demand for water such as for industrial usage has put additional pressure on the scarce water resources that exist. The challenges of an increasing water scarcity for agricultural purposes have led to nations the world over turning to the use of wastewater to support their agricultural activities. Wastewater can be defined s imply as water that has been contaminated by any material that does not occur naturally in water itself (UNEP). Waste water can be used to irrigate in two main forms; one as water that has been reclaimed from wastewater otherwise known as treated water and in the second form it is used as non-treated water, in its raw form. When it is used as non-treated water in most cases the water is most cases applied directly to the plants and is used as a means to prevent the pollution of water bodies such as rivers and lakes. In most cases especially in the industrialised nations the water is used after

Features of educational websites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Features of educational websites - Essay Example Moodle has a sister website called www.moodle.com which is mostly used for commercial purposes and to provide other services that are necessary for the development of the organization. Moodle provides a software package that helps the teachers or educators to make learning look easy. The emphasis is more on creating right environment for the educators to understand the nuances of teaching. Moodle claims the software package helps the educators to master in creative teaching and create effective online learning communities. The home page of Moodle is user friendly. The layout structure is not bad and browsing the website is not that difficult. On the left pane of the website all the services provided by the organization can be seen and can be navigated easily. The Moodle's publish yearly newsletter that helps users who are new to the website and provides much needed information about the activities and achievements of the website. The middle pane presents briefly what the website is providing to the users. Some of the information is highlighted and when anyone clicks on the highlighted image the user will be taken to the next page related to the topic he/she clicked. One of the important features of the website is users can navigate by selecting the preferred language. The website provides community discussions in English and several other languages such as Spanish, French, German, etc. From the standpoint, overall the site gives an average look. It's not attractive and does not have any special features to pull the traffic. Though it claims to be OSI certified, who knows OSI is. Nowadays websites are certified by some organizations that no one knows. Other important aspect is the information is not well organized. It looks as if all the stuff has been put together. They should have given space to put the information at right places. www.atutor.ca ATutor copyrights are reserved by Adaptive Technology Resource Center or in short ATRC. It is an open source web based Learning Content Management System or in short LCMS. It helps tutors by providing the necessary the tools to develop the presentation style. Installing the software package can be done in minutes and the LCMS has been designed with accessibility and adaptability in mind so that when students navigate through the module can understand the topic easily. One of the important features of this software package provided by ATutor is it can be updated easily. To give Atutor a new look custom templates can be developed with ease. With ATutor quick assembling, packaging, distribution and redistribution of Web-based instructional content, retrieving, importing prepackaged content and conducting online courses is made easy. Since the whole teaching method is based on graphical user interface system and web based applications browsing the website is easier. In general when a student misses a class, he has to get the information by borrowing fellow student's notes. But with ATutor even if the student misses the class he can come to the website at any time and can view information required just like in real time environment. Thus saving the much-needed time. Overall the site is good and provides the required features for the educators and tutors. The homepage layout structure is attractive

'Favelas' ('City of God') Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

'Favelas' ('City of God') - Essay Example The main theme of the film is the realization of the level of increased crime that occurred in Brazil between 1968 and 1980. Fernando Meirelles illustrates the level of insecurity and crime when he makes use of comments that there is no safe to be even if a person decides to run or not run, out of this, the individual will either be hunted down or caught stranded by the criminals (Xavier, 1997, pp. 49). In the film, most actors and participants originated from Favelas. In 2004, ‘City of God’ received four awards from its competency and level of production. The film had received the same accolade in Brazil in the previous year although the ratings were lower than in 2004. Setting of the Film The films plot begins when there is an event of slaughtering chicken to be consumed but one of them escapes and is followed by some people. While still on pursuit, the chicken finds itself between the people chasing it and Rocket (Buscape) who thinks that the aim of these people is to kill and eliminate him. The production team then develops a timely change of time and occasion and brings out Rocket as a very young boy thus the development of ‘City of God.’ The setting of the film in this location indicates that Rockets belief is not factual since he was not originally involved with the chase in the first place. Three renowned thieves who are known as Clipper, Shaggy and Goose who is a brother to Rocket usually rob businesspersons. The thieves split a section of what they steal from Robin Hood, which deals with fashion to Favela citizens. The citizens have an obligation of protecting the thieves in return. This is a clear indication of a connection between a society and thieves that is produced by the film, which signifies that there exists conspiracy between the public and lawbreakers. Due to their fame and recognition in Favela, several young men begin accompanying the three thieves in the operations (Skidmore, 1993, pp.118). Li’l Dice is a young man who becomes an accomplice to the trio and pleads with them to take part in robbing the occupants of a motel. In this occasion, the trio is against any killings but Li’l Dice starts killing the victims after the departure of the other group. This signifies that he thinks killing would gain him fame and recognition but on the other hand, it attracts the attention of the police. The motel incidence forces the three thieves to flee and the police shoot Shaggy in his quest to run away in the company of his girlfriend. Clipper becomes a church follower while Li’l Dice kill Goose for taking his money. This setting illustrates the criminal events that happen in Favela in the late 60s and the interaction of the lawbreakers, local citizens and the police (Landers, 2002, pp.87). The abolishment of criminals in the slums indicates an improvement in this part thus the directors of the film gain great compliment from the viewers (Castro, 2004, pp.54). The setting of the f ilm is changed from the 60s to the 70s where Rocket is illustrated to have joined a section of the young men who usually smoke marijuana. This indicates that the there are still elements of other lawbreakers since marijuana is an illegal drug. The introduction of Li’l Dice in this phase of the film is achieved by Fernando to bring to the attention of the viewer of the development of his criminal activities. Li’l Dice is illustrated as a drug peddler who together with his long time friend

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Case Study Example Heartburn is a common symptom for GERD. Other symptoms may occur less frequently though indicative of GERD including: acid regurgitation, excess saliva, chronic sore throat, chest pain, gum inflammation, chronic sore throat and chest pain. Harsh stomach acids can damage the esophageal lining. Reflux risk factors include alcohol use, pregnancy, obesity and smoking. Reflux and heartburn are worsened by pregnancy. Asthmatic people have higher risks of developing GERD. Flare-ups of asthma cause the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to relax, therefore allowing the backflow of stomach contents into the esophagus. Asthma medications worsen reflux symptoms (Joel & Ritcher, 2014). Acid reflux may also make the symptoms of asthma worsen through irritating the lungs and the airways, leading to more serious asthma. However, the following is a patient education plan that focuses on conservation measures in treating GERD. Decreasing the portion size at mealtime may be helpful in controlling symptoms. Taking meals 2-3 hours prior to bedtime may aid in lessening reflux through decreasing stomach acid and emptying it partially. Additionally, being overweight is often associated with worse symptoms of GERD. Overweight patients should find relief in losing some of their weight (Gary, 2008). Moderate exercise is considered to improve GERD symptoms, but vigorous exercises may worsen the symptoms. Moreover, when sleeping, the patient is advised to elevate the head of the bed at least 6-8 inches, or to sleep on a wedge-shaped bed that is specially designed. This reduces heartburn by allowing gravity minimize stomach contents reflux into the esophagus. It is advisable that the patient does not use a pillow to prop him/her up; this only adds pressure on the stomach, worsening the situation. Cigarette smoking and taking and alcohol usually weakens the LES. Symptoms of GERD may be reduced by halting smoking and stopping alcohol taking behavior. Along with diet and lifestyle

Law and Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay

Law and Business Ethics and Social Responsibility - Essay Example states. Thus, the major U.S. law primarily consists of state law. The U.S. law is framed from various sources including statutory law, constitutional law, administrative regulations, common law and treaties. At the state and federal levels, the U.S. law was mostly derived from U.K. Common law, enforced at the instant of the Revolutionary War. Although the American law has deviated significantly from its ancestor in terms of procedure as well as substance, and has integrated a great number of innovations in the civil law. The main aim of the law is to rehabilitate people and organizations violating the law. In the U.S. law stare decisis pertains to the  sharing  of a case than to  obiter dicta i.e., things supposed by the way, as it has been decided by the American Supreme Court that dicta are not binding but might be pursued if it is adequately persuasive. The U.S Supreme Court has made the stare decisis principle most flexible in cases of constitutional nature. It has been stated by the Supreme Court that is the court provides various reasons for a verdict then each reason unambiguously marked as an independent ground, by the court for the verdict should not be simply treated as a dictum (Burnham, 2006). Microsoft is one of the leading software companies. In terms of CSR, Microsoft has framed mission to serve global communities and play its role in addressing public causes. One such step taken by Microsoft in the fiscal year 2011 involves reaching almost 250 million teachers and students around the globe in collaboration with their partners in learning program by the year 2013 to provide technology to their classrooms (Microsoft 2011 Citizenship report,

Animal Memory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Animal Memory - Essay Example This experiment can serve as a starting point for more researchers on neural networks that enable animals to learn from the environment. This effort requires neuroscientists to look into the brain functions of live animals. Scrub Jays are known to store or cache foods for their consumption. An experiment by Clayton et al. showed a resemblance of rationality in the part of the scrub jays regarding their food caching behavior. Scrub Jays were made to cache perishable and non-perishable foods in distinct trays. Upon retrieval of these food types, scrub jays appeared to display rationality by picking first perishable food over non-perishable ones. A behavior like this, according to the researchers, requires memory of past experiences with types of food in order to make a decision of effectively using his stored food. In another experiment, scrub jays were found to retain memories of pilferage of their cached food and thus resorted to caching food in private or retrieving food in private. These two experiments illustrate the complex behavior of scrub jays which are not witnessed in other animals. Dolphins were found to demonstrate memory of complex commands (Mercado et al. 210). In their experiment, a bottlenosed dolphin was able to replicate 36 behaviors it was tested on. It was also able to perform simultaneous and self-selected activities which signified, according to the researchers, the ability of dolphins to flexibly utilize recent behavior for the replication of complex activities.

Thomas Cook Essay Example for Free

Thomas Cook Essay Introduction Thomas Cook is the current leader in the UK transport industry. Thomas Cook is a huge organization employing 11,000 people and serving more than 4 million customers annually. After being acquired by CN Touristic AG in 2000, it was discovered that their travel business was not only unprofitable but facing significant losses. Something had to be done and in face of stiff competition, any strategy devised needed to be implemented as soon as possible. Executives saw that the task however was too complicated and extensive to be handled by Thomas Cook alone. This is where Accenture comes in. Accenture is primarily a research organization. With extensive experience in practically every industry, Accenture has become a brand many firms feel proud to be associated with. As per its website, ‘Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company with net revenues of US$16.65 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2006.’ Accenture has been expanding its offerings and capitalizing on evolving management trends and technologies. Its main services revolve around systems integration and business integration and deployment of enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and electronic services. Thus Accenture over the years has established itself as a leader in todays global marketplace. Thomas Cook was thus in an urgent need of not only a solution but also an expert implementer of the solution which they found in Accenture. Accenture with its extensive experience in the IT and travel industry along with cutting edge research became the perfect choice for Thomas Cook and resulted in a profitable partnership for both. Analysis Thomas Cook, instead of outsourcing its IT and business requirements to Accenture completely formed a partnership. A partnership is more than just a contract. On the business to business transaction continuum, transactions are the simplest form of exchange between two businesses. Contracts define a specific time period of a service or product being provided with specific fees. An outsourcing is more of a contract than a partnership with the provider firm charging for services over a period of time. In a partnership however, interest of both parties are at stake and this is exactly what is happening here. Accenture not only shares in Thomas Cook’s profits but also puts itself at a risk of losing money. Thus a co sourcing agreement differs from a normal outsourcing one in this way that both parties mutually proceed to achieve specific goals rather than one being the service receiver and the other charging for it. The new system at Thomas Cook was enabled and setup completely by Accenture. A turnaround strategy was implemented over a period of time to do so. We will now analyze the new system using two popular methods of analysis namely SWOT and Porters Five Forces model. SWOT Analysis of Thomas Cook Strengths: Thomas Cook is a widely recognized and accepted brand worldwide and a large organization with a widespread network of travel agents resulting in a wide reach. Along with this, it has over the years developed 10 tourism brands. These brands should be treated as assets and nurtured further to gain profits. Its large customer base too contributes to its success and has been the main reason behind its long sustainability. Accenture too itself is a respected brand and a global leader in the field of change management and outsourcing facilities. Since a partnership benefits both arties, Thomas Cook has benefited a lot from not only Accenture’s expertise but also due to their status in the research and IT industry. Weaknesses: The sheer size of the firm can be seen by some as a weakness. The number of staff too is too high and Thomas Cook could look into this matter and find that they probably need downsizing as well. Thomas Cook doesn’t seem to have paid enough attention to brand management. These brands should be treated as assets rather than just the name of a service they provide and by doing so they will realize higher brand equity resulting in customer loyalty and lifetime value. Opportunities: Thomas Cook had a major opportunity when it decided to move over to a completely IT enable business model and they grasped it. Further opportunities may include the option to bring all their systems online rather than just integrating them. Furthermore, other departments can be also be integrated within the current system resulting in a more IT oriented business model. Having an IT infrastructure also gives rise to opportunities such as partnering with other firms in the industry and linking with travel agents as well. Threats: major threats at this stage would be other firms emulating Thomas Cook or coming up with a more sophisticated and agile business model. Nowadays, market responsiveness is a major determining factor in a firm’s failure or success. More adaptive firms can give Thomas Cook a hard time in the market arena. Moreover, any firm realizing the above stated opportunities and seizing them before Thomas Cook can prove as major threat to Thomas Cook as well. Other brands existing in the market can also be seen as threats. These results can be used by Thomas Cook as inputs to the creative generation of possible strategies, by asking and answering the following four questions: How to Use each Strength? How to Stop each Weakness? How to Exploit each Opportunity? How to Defend against each Threat? Thomas Cook according to Porters Five Forces model The Five Forces model developed by Porter can be used to analyze the current industry and its effects on Thomas Cook. Existing Competition: Thomas Cook should look at the existing competition within its industry (and indirect competition as well). By doing so, they should realize where they stand in terms of the industry standard and how they can increase this gap between themselves and the competition. This would result in higher profits and greater lead time. Competition will also not be able to ‘cherry pick’ Thomas Cooks customers and lag behind them. Threat of Substitutes: a major threat to a firm in any given industry is when the competition starts emulating and selling its products. This results in customers transferring to the other offerings (depending on their propensity to transfer). Thomas Cook here has the edge due to the brands it owns. Brands position themselves uniquely in the minds of the customers and thus increase their loyalty whilst decreasing the chances of transferring to another product. Thomas Cook should devise a marketing strategy centered around promoting not only its brands but also its corporate image. IT systems in this regard can be used by implementing a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system to asses consumer needs. This will not only cater their needs but also set the bar higher for competition. Threat of New Entrants: Thomas Cook, by partnering with Accenture and deploying a state of the IT system has already set high standards in the industry. This has resulted in barriers to entry for new firms. Each new firm entering will have to think twice due to the high investment required now to set up an IT infrastructure and then operate within the industry. They should however be mindful of entrants with strong financial backing who would be willing to invest more than Thomas Cook already has. Such entrants can be further deterred by setting up more barriers by enhancing the IT infrastructure even more. Moreover, Thomas Cook can become the leader and by doing so set newer and higher standards which will be hard to achieve not only for new entrants but current competitors as well. Bargaining Power of: Supplier: Since being in the travel industry, Thomas Cooks main suppliers are airlines and the raw materials which go into operating them. Petroleum prices have risen considerably and thus suppliers of petroleum have a high bargaining power. Along with this, suppliers of airplane maintenance products too enjoy a strong bargaining power as their products are highly specialized and industry specific. One factor however has been the decline in air travel which could have resulted in a decrease in supplier bargaining power. Buyer: Consumers are well aware nowadays of the various services offered to them by the various firm in the industry. Consumers nowadays have many choices, customization options, free offerings etc. to lure them and garner their loyalties. This makes it harder to deal with. Furthermore, their fickle demands require a firm to be very agile in order to fulfill them. This has resulted in an increase in the customers buying power. No wonder the whole economy is moving towards a customer oriented approach rather than the old product oriented approach that existed a few decades ago. Thomas cook thus should be mindful of this and strive to keep its customers from transferring to other service providers via newer and better offerings. Thomas Cook’s IT solution is not unique when it comes to the actual technology implemented. The uniqueness lies in the fact that they were able to not only implement a system in such a short time (considering the sheer size of the firm) but also the fact that they realized huge cost reductions and profits within a short period of time. In IT systems of such caliber, the major issues pertain to the actual transition phase and gatting existing employees to accept the changes. Thomas Cook not only successfully implemented in the wake of the 9/11 catastrophe but managed to make a smooth transition from a disparate, loss prone organization to a smooth running, integrated one with higher returns. Co-sourcing and Outsourcing In the Thomas Cook case, not only was a new system implemented but a whole organizational culture was turned around. This could not have been possible without the key input of an expert firm in this regard like Accenture. Thomas Cook realized this in the very beginning and went ahead with the decision to co source the strategy with Accenture. The question here arises as to why co sourcing rather than the conventional outsourcing? Outsourcing, as the name suggest, technically means to allot ones non-core business function(s) to an external organization which is an expert in that field. Example could include the various U.S. firms outsourcing IT services to firms in India who have the skill set and expertise to develop software solutions. The need to outsource can arise due to various factors. The most obvious reason to outsource is usually a step towards cost cutting and ‘shedding off’ unnecessary responsibilities thus enabling a firm to concentrate on its core competencies. Apart from this, outsourcing to other countries (off shoring) is seen as a major cost cutting method due to the cheap labor available than ones own country. Cosorucing in the Thomas Cook case is more of a partnering strategy than an outsourcing one. In this, two or more firms decide to get together and work towards a common goal, with both benefiting form the others expertise. Unlike a partnership however, the scope is usually different. In a full fledged partnership, employees from both firms get together as teams (strategic alliance) and add their expertise to develop products and services to maximize profits or to become industry leaders. In a co sourcing alliance, a number of employees only (Accenture employees) get together with the other firms employees (Thomas Cook) to assist them in non core activities. Unlike outsourcing where both firms are separated and work independently from one another, co sourcing allows sets of employees from both firms to work together to achieve organizational objectives. Both methods have their own pros and cons. Outsourcing is currently the hype and the best strategy to cut down costs. Doing so enables a firm to keep its costs low and concentrate on its core activities. Opponents of these strategies however state that product quality drops due to lack of standardization of labor employed and security issues can also arise due to transfer of sensitive data. In co sourcing, one does not see these disadvantages. The reason being that both firms share from the firms overall success and thus both equally strive to develop improved products and services. The main problem with co sourcing however is the sharing of sensitive data which if revealed to competitors can spell disaster to a firm. Apart from this, partnering firms can have different ideas as to the direction where the business should go towards. Employees can also pose a major problem here especially if they are not willing t accept the changes and see the other firm as outsiders. In the end, it is matter of trust and cohesion and this can only be achieved if both firms clearly lay down the gorudn rules and work towards their respective incentives with one playing the role of the leader and the other the facilitator (as Thomas Cook is being facilitated but not lead by Accenture). Alternative Strategies The current strategy seems to work pretty well for Thomas Cook. They could have however spent a little more time and devised a better strategy. Some suggestions are: Re-engineering is a good way to asses current business processes and improve them by setting up better and more efficient ones. Since a change management strategy was used, Thomas Cook could also have taken a good look at current business processes and implemented new ones. In the current strategy, a new IT system has just been implemented over the current practices. Number of employees and the ratio with the HR personnel should be maintained. Industry standards should be researched and then Thomas Cook can adjust accordingly. Current employees can also be trained and not all should be entrusted to another firm. Transfer of knowledge over the years could have also resulted in current employees gaining enough knowledge to run the system themselves. Although Thomas Cook has co sourced with Accenture, in the long run an outsourcing strategy would have proven more profitable. Since Accenture is now a partner and sharing in profits rather than working at a certain fees, it makes sense to assess and reevaluate whether outsourcing would be more profitable or the current strategy is still better. Thomas Cook implemented this strategy at its headquarters so far. It should also be keen on implementing in other locations and integrate them as one whole. Opportunities and Risks of Virtualization Virtualization reveals many opportunities for a firm. It not only affects the internal environment of a firm but also has lasting effects on the external environment. Increase in profitability, efficiency and improved service to customers are all seen in most of the projects implemented. There are some risks however which have to be assessed: High risk of failure associated with projects of such magnitude. Employee acceptance. Cost effectiveness. Proper usage of the system Integration and proper maintenance of system. Maintenance of backups. Change of requirements and expansion of system. Handling affects on internal and external environment. Thomas Cook will need to conduct a context analysis to assess the real scope of changes the system has and will cause in the future. In doing so, not only will they able to fully asses the risks associated but also the obvious benefits such as realization of profits, efficiency, cost cutting and hidden benefits such as competitive advantage, customer relationships and deterrent to new entrants. Pervious analysis has already revealed the advantages of this system and strengths of Thomas Cook. What now needs to be done is eliminate the threats and overcome weaknesses along with enhancing the strengths and translating them into larger profits. References: Accenture, retrieved 10 January 2007, http://www.accenture.com/home/default.htm?viewType=Flash BEA Systems Inc., 2005. Turning IT Vision Into Business Value, retrieved 10 January 2007, http://www.bea.com/content/news_events/white_papers/BEA_Vision_Reality.pdf Business Integration Journal, Integration Appliances: Deliver Application Integration Projects in Days, retrieved 10 January 2007, http://www.bijonline.com/redir.cfm?type=whitepaperid=7 Business Integration Journal, Web Integration Technical Whitepaper retrieved 10 January 2007, http://www.bijonline.com/redir.cfm?type=whitepaperid=10 Business Integration Journal, Why Application Automation Should Be Part of IT Infrastructure, retrieved 10 January 2007, http://www.bijonline.com/redir.cfm?type=whitepaperid=12 Business Process Co-sourcing: Imperative, Historically Inevitable, Ready to Go. 2004, retrieved 10 January 2007, http://www.peterkeen.com/recent/articles/cosourci.htm Compensation Management Co-sourcing: A new way to achieve Strategic Compensation Success 200, retrieved 10 January 2007, http://www.mercerhr.com/compensationcosourcing Context Analysis, retrieved 10 January 2007, http://changingminds.org/disciplines/change_management/diagnosing_change/context_analysis.htm Co-sourcing vs Outsourcing: No Substantive Difference 2003 retrieved 10 January 2007, http://www.ciol.com/content/search/showarticle1.asp?artid=44524 ICMBA Inc., 2004. SWOT Analysis, retrieved 10 January 2007, http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/swot Compensation Management Co-sourcing: A new way to achieve Strategic Compensation Success 200, retrieved 10 January 2007, http://www.mercerhr.com/compensationcosourcing Context Analysis, retrieved 10 January 2007, http://changingminds.org/disciplines/change_management/diagnosing_change/context_analysis.htm Co-sourcing vs Outsourcing: No Substantive Difference 2003 retrieved 10 January 2007, http://www.ciol.com/content/search/showarticle1.asp?artid=44524 Fabio Casati, Angela Discenza. Modeling and Managing Interactions among Business Processes.Journal of Systems Integration, Volume 10, Number 1, April 2001. Hoon Seong Leem, Bumyong Oh. Evaluating Information Strategic Planning: An Evaluation System and Its Application, 2001, Journal of Systems Integration, Volume 10, Number 3, July 2001. Marketing Teacher, Five Forces Analysis retrieved 10 January 2007, http://marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_fivefoces.htm Marketing Teacher, SWOT Analysis: Lesson. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunites and Threats (SWOT), retrieved 10 January 2007, http://marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_swot.htm Usability Context Analysis, retrieved 10 January 2007, http://www.ucc.ie/hfrg/projects/respect/urmethods/usability.htm

Waves Of Feminism And Theory Sociology Essay

Waves Of Feminism And Theory Sociology Essay Belief in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes, the movement organized around this belief. Feminist theory is an outgrowth of the general movement to empower women worldwide. Feminism can be defined as a recognition and critique of male supremacy combined with effort to change it. Simply saying: Feminist fights for the equality of women and argue that women should share equally in societys opportunities and scare resources. First-wave feminism refers to a period of feminist activity during the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. It focused primarily on gaining the right of womens suffrage. The term, first-wave, was coined retrospectively after the term second-wave feminism began to be used to describe a newer feminist movement that focused as much on fighting social and cultural inequalities as further political inequalities. Second Wave Feminism: The second-wave of the Womens Movement began during the early 1960s and lasted throughout the late 1970s. Whereas first-wave feminism focused mainly on overturning legal (de jure) obstacles to equality (i.e. voting rights, property rights), second-wave feminism addressed a wide range of issues, including unofficial (de facto) inequalities, official legal inequalities, sexuality, family, the workplace, and, perhaps most controversially, reproductive rights. Third Wave Feminism: Third-wave feminism began in the early 1990s, arising as a response to perceived failures of the second wave. and also as a response to the backlash against initiatives and movements created by the second wave. Feminist leaders rooted in the second wave like Gloria Anzaldua, bell hooks, Chela Sandoval, Cherrie Moraga, Audre Lorde, Maxine Hong Kingston, and many other feminists of color, sought to negotiate a space within feminist thought for consideration of race-related subjectivities. Types of Feminism: Liberal Feminism: All people are created equal and should not be denied equality of opportunity because of gender. Liberal Feminists focus their efforts on social change through the construction of legislation and regulation of employment practices. Inequality stems from the denial of equal rights. The primary obstacle to equality is sexism. Marxist Feminism: Division of labor is related to gender role expectations. Females give birth. Males left to support family Bourgeoisie=Men Proletariat=Women Radical Feminism: Male power and privilege is the basis of social relations. Sexism is the ultimate tool used by men to keep women oppressed. Women are the first oppressed group. Womens oppression is the most widespread. Womens oppression is the deepest. Socialist Feminism: Views womens oppression as stemming from their work in the family and the economy. Womens inferior position is the result of class-based capitalism. Socialist believes that history can be made in the private sphere (home) not just the public sphere (work). Feminism and the Media: The mass media have played an important role in the dilution of feminist goals and ideals. They often ignore, trivialize, or belittle the principles of feminism. The media employs several techniques or strategies that contribute to the negative representations of women and feminism, which are also damaging to the central goals of feminism. Women are often represented as sexual spectacles, as being on display for men. Patriarchal society dictates that women be constructed as an object for the gaze of the male spectator. Women are positioned as the passive object of the male gaze, rather than the subject in mainstream media and come to internalize this view (Dow, 1999; 1997; Wahers, 1992). Wahers (1992) describes the male gaze as the idea of men determining the specific vantage point of media depictions of women, as occupying a privileged space in the process-of contacting ways of seeing. Ways of seeing remains an important text for feminist cultural theorists who contend that women are forced to identify themselves within in a visual society constructed for male pleasure (Walters, 1999; 1992). Wolf (1992) suggests that womens attempts at achieving equality are negatively affected by images of women portrayed as sex objects. She discusses the concept of the beauty myth, which refers to how womens societal worth is based on physical appearance and youthful beauty. Walters argues that objectification of women is not an added-on attraction, but rather endemic to the very structure of image-making (Walters, 1999, p. 235). This is exemplified in media advertisements where women are frequently represented in what Wahers (1999) terms a fragmented way. Women are often signified by their specific body parts; their lips, legs, hair, eyes, etc., instead of being represented as a serious whole or subject. In advertisements women are urged to think of their bodies as things or parts that need to be molded and shaped into a male conception of female perfection. The fragmentation of the female body into body parts that women should then improve often results in women having self-hating re lationships with their bodies. Media Feminism in Pakistan: Muslim women form a highly diverse and complex group and assumptions about them are often ill-conceived, miss-informed and grossly miss-represented. This is often reflected in images of them, particularly in the West, as oppressed, powerless and victimized. The voices of Muslim women, striving to keep their religious identity in Western contexts, are seriously under-represented within academic research. In recent years there has been an increasing interest in Islamic culture as a fundamentalist and sensationalist phenomenon. Media coverage and Western scholarship often views Muslim women as an oppressed mute victim and asserts or implies that Islam itself oppresses women. Islamic Feminism and Its Role in Cinema is a study derived to counter react the portrayal of Muslim women by the media. Feminists and Muslim women activists have sought to determine the cause of discrimination against women by examining the effects on Muslim women of patriarchy, kinship and norms within Muslim and non-Muslim societies. 6 Overall trends in the published material focus on colonialism, Orientals and the media as the cause of discrimination against the Muslim womans identity. An extensive study of the research literature has failed to identify how Muslim women filmmakers represent Muslim women and whether they support feminist agenda. Critical Analysis: Movie Name: Dragon Seed (1944) Dragon Seed is co-directed by Harold S. Bucquet and Jack Conway. It received two Academy Award Nominations for Best Supporting Actress, Aline MacMahon, and for Best (Black-and-White) Cinematography, Sidney Wagner. The freewheeling plot has a heroic young Chinese feminist woman, Jade (Katharine Hepburn), who goes dressed as a man to lead her fellow peaceful farmer villagers in an uprising against the Japanese invaders. It opens in the spring of 1937 with patriarch Ling Tan (Walter Huston) and his family planting rice in the valley of Ling, China. The farmers are concerned about the recent Japanese invasion of the north, and take out their anger on Wu Lienas an angry student mob insists that he stop selling Japanese merchandise or else. When he refuses their demands, they destroy his store. Soon after the farmers observe Japanese airplanes bombing the nearby city. The pacifist Ling is shocked by the attack, but along with Lao San and eldest son Lao Ta (Robert Bice) decide to remain on their farm despite the anticipated dangers of a Japanese invasion. While Lao Er and Jade join a resistance group of refugees in the hills. Upon their departure the Japanese Army takes over the valley, and Lao Tas wife Orchid is raped and killed by the invading soldiers, who also kill Wu Liens elderly mother. Ling and his wife remain secure as they go into hiding. This cruelty drives the remaining sons of Ling to join the resistance. In the conclusion, Ling must accept that he must destroy his land so that he can sacrifice his present gains to ensure the future of his grandson. When Jade and hubby rejoin the resistance fighters in the hills to ensure a Free China, they leave their son the, seed of the dragon, in the care of his loving grandparents. The story of this movie showed that how the brave women struggles and fight for their country, she appears as a caring mother, a loving and trustworthy wife and a true patriot. The movie shows that how the heroic young Chinese woman leads her fellow villagers in an uprising against Japanese Invaders. This movie truly reflect the feminism theory.

Platelet Count Of Children With Dengue Fever Biology Essay

Platelet Count Of Children With Dengue Fever Biology Essay INTRODUCTION Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection that in recent decades has become a major international public health concern. Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world, predominantly in urban and semi-urban areas. Dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF), a potentially lethal complication, was first recognized in the 1950s during dengue epidemics in the Philippines and Thailand. Today DHF affects most Asian countries and has become a leading cause of hospitalization and death among children in the region. There are four distinct, but closely related, viruses that cause dengue. Recovery from infection by one provides lifelong immunity against that virus but confers only partial and transient protection against subsequent infection by the other three viruses. There is good evidence that sequential infection increases the risk of developing DHF. The incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades. Some 2.5 billion people two fifths of the worlds population are now at risk from dengue. WHO currently estimates there may be 50 million dengue infections worldwide every year. The disease is now endemic in more than 100 countries in Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-east Asia and the Western Pacific. South-east Asia and the Western Pacific are the most seriously affected. Before 1970 only nine countries had experienced DHF epidemics, a number that had increased more than four-fold by 1995. Not only is the number of cases increasing as the disease is spreading to new areas, but explosive outbreaks are occurring. According to government figures 15,061 cases of the disease in the Philippines were reported in the first six months of the year. The increase in the number of dengue cases may be attributed to the constantly changing climate brought by global warming as well as congestion in urban areas. The biggest increase in the country was seen in Metro Manila, where there was an almost 200 percent increase. According to the Department of Health, Southern Mindanao, there is an expected increase in dengue cases in the region because of the onset of the rainy season. About six-percent increase in dengue cases was recorded during the first quarter of the year compared to the same period last year. Davao City still has the highest dengue incidence, with 371 cases recorded in the first quarter. During the same period last year, there were 352 cases recorded in the city. The durian is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family. Widely known and revered in Southeast Asia as the king of fruits, the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow as large as 30  centimetres (12  in) long and 15  centimetres (6  in) in diameter, and it typically weighs one to three  kilograms (2 to 7  lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale yellow to red, depending on the species. There are 30 recognised Durio species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. Durio zibethinus is the only species available in the international market; other species are sold in their local region. Studies have shown different uses of durian such as: A.Lipid Lowering Effect: Lipid entrapment property of polysaccharide gel (PG) extracted from fruit-hulls of durian (Durio zibethinus Murr. Cv. Mon-Thong). Results suggest that PG from fruit-hulls of durian may be a potential dietary fiber/ medicinal supplement for a blood lipid / cholesterol lowering effect. B.Hyperthermic Effect / Paracetamol Interaction: Believed to have body-warming properties with concerns on consumption with paracetamol. Rat study showed no significant body temperature elevation. Rats receiving a durian-paracetamol combination showed a significant drop in body temperature. No mechanism for toxicity was identified. C.Antibacterial / Wound Healing Effect: (1) Polysaccharide gel extracted from fruit-hulls of durian seems to have a beneficial effect on wound healing in a pig study.(2) Bactericidal effect of polysaccharide gel was clearly demonstrated against S. aureus and E. coli. Study showed accelerated wound he aling. D.Phenolic Content / Antioxidant Effect: Study showed the durian cultivars high bioactivity and total polyphenols were the main contributors to the overall antioxidant capacity and provides a source of nutritional supplement. Today, Dengue Fever and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever affect most Asian countries and has become a leading cause of hospitalization in children (about 500,00 cases each year) and death. Until now, there is no specific treatment on dengue fever. Due to this, a significant number of families of patients use different alternative medicines which do not have evidence for cure in the hope of increasing the platelet count of the patient. One of these is the use of D. zibethinus Murr, but its efficacy is still unkown thus the purpose of the study. DEFINITION OF TERMS Dengue Fever a benign syndrome caused by several arthropod-borne viruses, is characterized by biphasic fever, myalgia or arthralgia, rash, leukopenia, and lymphadenopathy Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever a severe, often fatal, febrile disease caused by dengue viruses. It is characterized by capillary permeability, abnormalities of hemostasis, and, in severe cases, a protein-losing shock syndrome (dengue shock syndrome) Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Grade I presence of fever, non-specific constitutional symptoms, such as anorexia, vomiting, abdominal pain; and positive tourniquet test Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Grade II symptoms and signs of Grade I plus spontaneous bleeding: mucocutaneous, gastrointestinal Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Grade III symptoms and signs of Grade II with more severe bleeding plus evidences of circulatory failure: violaceous, cold, clammy skin, restlessness, weak to compressible pulses, narrowing of pulse pressure to 20mmHg or less, or hypotension Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Grade IV or Dengue Shock Syndrome symptoms and signs of Grade III but shock is usually refractory or irreversible and associated with massive bleeding OBJECTIVES General Objective: This study aims to determine the effect of Durio zibethinus Murr (durian) on the platelet count of pediatric patients with Dengue Fever and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Grades I and II. Specific Objectives: To identify the specific component of durian that is capable of increasing the platelet count of dengue patients. To determine the mechanism of action of the active component of durian. To identify significant relationship between the increase of platelet count and intake of durian. METHODOLOGY Study Design Randomized controlled, double-blinded study Study Setting Private Tertiary Hospital Study Subjects Inclusion Criteria Children ages 6 months old to 18 years old diagnosed with dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever grades I and II. Parents/guardians of the subjects who signed the informed consent. Exclusion Criteria Children ages 6 months old to 18 years old diagnosed with dengue hemorrhagic fever III and dengue shock syndrome. Dengue patients who had undergone blood transfusion. Dengue patients who do not eat durian or unable to tolerate the smell of durian. Respondents who developed untoward gastrointestinal side effects during the course of the study, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and dyspepsia. Parents/guardians who did not sign the informed consent. Description of Interventions Patients included in the study will be started with intravenous fluids using Isotonic solutions (D5 LR, D5 NSS/D5 0.9% NaCl) at 3 5 cc/kgBW/hr. Patients were then randomly selected to receive durian decoction (experimental group) and evaporated milk (control group). Decoction will be given three times a day from day of diagnosis to day2 afebrile. Outcome measures Patients data were collected and recorded. Serial platelet monitoring was done every 6 hours, others were every 8 hours and some on a once a day basis during their hospital stay. Patients are also monitored for possible side effects. Data Collection An informed consent has been signed by parents or guardians of the subjects who were included in the study. Socio demographic data were noted (e.g. age and sex). Clinical data as well as the initial laboratory results were noted. Individuals are randomly selected into two groups, one with the Durian decoction, and the other with evaporated milk. Patients diagnosed with Dengue fever, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Grades I and II will be selected and observed for the duration of hospital stay. The initial and succeeding platelet count were noted during the introduction of the decoction. Once a day platelet monitoring of all subjects is enough to collect data, provided that it is all taken at the same time. The side effects related to the intake of decoction were all be noted. Preparation of Decoction: Scrapings of durian fruit will be obtained thus removing the fruits seed. __gram of scrapings will be obtained, diluted with __ml of water. __ml of sugar is added to taste. All ingredients is placed in a blender and mixed well to obtain a syrup solution. Administration of the decoction: The decoction will be given to patients with platelet count Dosage: 3mg/kg/day

Apacolypse Now :: essays research papers

The movie â€Å"Apocalypse Now†, directed by Francis Coppola, is based on Conrad’s novel The Heart of Darkness. The movie has to do with survival, obsession, and finding ones self. The inclination of this paper is to let the reader get a better understanding of how Captain Willard (the main character) goes through survival, obsession, and courage while trying to hunt down Kurtz.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Captain Willard is on a mission into Cambodia during the Vietnam War to find and kill an insane Colonel Kurtz, as he experiences his journey of horror. In the past, Kurtz was an officer and a sane, successful, brilliant leader. Now he is insane after being corrupted by the horror of war and the cultures he met. People used to look up to him and speak highly of him. Now everyone knows he is just a man who after fighting for his country became a crazed lunatic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Captain Willard is constantly trying to survive throughout this mission. He has to float in a boat through Cambodia during the Vietnam War. He runs into some natives along the way and has some encounters with them. For example, the captain of the boat is killed by a spear, which is thrown, by a native. When he reaches the land that Kurtz has taken over, he strives very hard to survive. The fist images that you see are hanging dead bodies over the water, dead bodies along the shoreline. It is an island filled with mass murderers and cold-blooded natives. The natives there are so very much under Kurtz’s power that they are willing to kill Willard in a heartbeat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Captain Willard develops an obsession for trying to find Kurtz. It is not only a mission anymore, it is more of something that Willard must do for himself. Willard is stalking Kurtz in the movie, this kind of portrays Coppola stalking himself, raising questions which he feels compelled to answer but cannot. Because of his passion to find and kill Kurtz he becomes a marvelous leader. Everyone aboard listens, and goes to him. They are all risking their lives for Willard to get where he has to go.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kurtz is another example of leadership. He is obsessed with the power and leadership he has over the natives. You have never seen such stronger leadership over an entire population, as you see in this movie. Kurtz reigns over these people as if he is God.

Norway :: essays research papers fc

Norway is one of the â€Å"three fingers† of Scandinavia, and is just larger than New Mexico. It covers 125,181 square miles. It is located in Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. The coastline stretches 21,925 km. The population of Norway is 4.3 million and growing. The population is predominantly or Nordic (Scandinavian) decent. There is also a small minority (20,000) of native Sà ¡mis (Laplanders), who live mostly in the North. Many aspects of business and management in Norway are very similar to those of America including language and communication, power structures/politics, work ethics, food and eating habits, dress, and religious beliefs. General facts about Norway are as follows. Age structure: 0-14 years=19% (390,344 female; 444,570 male), 15-64 years=65% (1,375,493 female; 1,424,027 male), 65 years and over=16% (408,675 female; 287,842 male). Birth Rate: 12.86 births/1,000 population. Death Rate: 10.35 deaths/1,000 population. Net Migration Rate: 1.15 migrants/1,000 population. Infant Mortality Rate: 6.1 deaths/1,000 live births. Life Expectancy at Birth: Total Population: 77.61 years, Male: 74.26 years, Female: 81.15 years. The official language of Norway has two forms. Bokmà ¥l, or â€Å"book language† is used in most written works and is spoken by more than 80 percent of the people, especially those living in urban areas. English is taught in the schools beginning at age 11, and is widely spoken as a second language. Communication is very similar to that of the United States. Although technology is probably more advanced, things like Internet, and cellular communication are very widely used with an average of 2 cell phones per person in Norway. The power structure of Norway is probably one of the few areas that are quite different from that of most other free countries. Norway is a constitutional monarchy. The king has limited authority, except as head of the military and as a symbol of continuity and stability. Executive power is vested in the prime minister, who presides over the dominant party in the country’s parliament (Storting). The 165 members of parliament are elected every four years. The Storting has an Upper Chamber (Lagting) and a Lower Chamber (Odelsting). The Labor, Center, and Conservative parties are the largest in parliament, but no party has a majority. Another similar note is that all citizens may vote at age 18. Norway also has 19 provinces (fylker). Norway enjoys a strong economy, and has one of the highest standards of living in the world.

Benifits Of Scientific Knowledge On Health And Behavior :: essays research papers

Today we are relishing the ambrosial taste of the modern scientific technology and applications. Science and technologies are in the part of all human activities, from the houses that we live in, the food we eat, the cars we drive, and to the electronic gadgetry in almost every home that we use to remain informed and entertained. These all evidences show the blessings of scientific knowledge on humans. Before eighteenth century we were plunged in the depths of ignorance and unawareness of scientific knowledge. Without having an adequate scientific knowledge, our ancestors had buried their common senses deep under the mask of ignorant personalities but it was the scientific revolution in nineteenth century that unsheathed it and now we can see that the whole world is globalized due to this scientific revolution. Science has affected human life and culture in many ways and requires numerous books to discuss its impacts on us. So in this essay my goal is only to describe the impacts on health and behavior in comparison with the past and present. Before the revolutionary changes in early nineteenth century, health problems and a large number of fatal diseases gulped the whole community like a malicious dragon. The most common health problem was the numerous fatal diseases and epidemics. There was no cure for the most common diseases so these diseases always acted as a catastrophe. In those days emergence of an epidemic always proved as â€Å"Pandora’s Box† to the whole locality. At that moment average life span was thirty to forty years. Some common disease like Chicken pox, Measles, Typhoid and many different kinds of fevers had killed more than the present American population in last seven centuries through the whole planet. On the other hand if we analyze the ratio of mortality in year 1999 in comparison with the past, we would come to know that these diseases couldn’t affect more than some thousands of human lives. As the most descriptive condition of humans, health is very important factor for us. Wi thout health we can’t survive or by having a bad health we can’t reach the average human life span.After the scientific revolution, the scientific applications have led to the treatment of numerous fatal diseases and health problems and now we are able to increase the average life span to more than seventy years. Now we can treat those fatal epidemics that ruined the every human life in their way of city to city some centuries ago.

Implications for the Future

Communities around the world face pollution problems on one level or another. Pollution exists in a number of forms, including noise, air, land, water, indoor, and outdoor. Humans are affected by pollution both physically and emotionally through the effect on the environment and physical health. The life blood of the community is the water source, whether it comes from a river, well, or water treatment plant. The purpose of this paper is to review one pollution problem faced by a community, how the problem affects the psychological health of the community and purpose a solution to that problem.The chosen topic for this paper is water control which will include the pollution problem of water control, the effects on humans, conservation techniques, and barriers to solving the problem. Psychology and the Preservation of the Environment A diverse relationship exists between psychology and the preservation of the environment. The world of psychology covers an extremely huge realm, which i s full of different areas and much information. Inside this realm is the notion of the environment, which surrounds human beings.The word â€Å"environment† is composed of diverse concepts and possesses an extremely large definition or can be quite specific. Certain examples of environments are institutions, office or event buildings, or family settings, to name just a few (Veitch & Arkkelin, 1995). Resources have grown less available over the years. When compared to many years ago when resources like water were in abundance and human beings did not need to concern themselves with running out of this resource, today water and other resources are revealing signs of extreme reduction.This indicates that if the population does not work to conserve these resources, they could evaporate ultimately. One main relationship or connection between psychology and preservation is behavior. Human beings behave in a certain manner, which is influenced by their capability and willingness. Th ese behaviors can possess an effect on the preservation of the natural environment. Nevertheless, a human being’s behavior can be altered to fit the needs of other individuals (Veitch & Arkkelin, 1995).The main component of this behavior modification is the motivation of the human being because if people do not yearn to adapt their behavior, the essential behavior changes will not take place (Veitch & Arkkelin, 1995). The following is an example of the need for adaptive behavior for the occurrence of water conservation. If a human being possesses a large swimming pool, he or she will most likely be adding water on a normal basis to keep water in the pool and to keep it clean.In addition cleaning and replacing filthy water for clean water is an excellent way to maintain a sanitary swimming pool. However, certain individuals exist who quickly refill their swimming pools with more water once a small amount is splashed out. When a decrease in water availability exists, a human be ing must alter his or her behavior to preserve water. Furthermore, an individual must be willing to desist from refilling his or her water when this happens. This involves certain behavior alterations, which if an individual can achieve can create a huge contribution to his or her environment.However, if an individual does not change his or her behavior, the government body that observes the accessibility of water will need to create a decision regarding how to decrease the water consumption. Numerous issues regarding preserving and conserving the environment possess a focus throughout psychology. As the population evolves and human beings help to protect the environment, people in the intended environment will begin to adapt (Veitch & Arkkelin, 1995). Young children will learn to preserve water and other natural resources.Furthermore, the generation of these young children will adapt easier compared to their parents who knowingly had to change their behavior to preserve the natural resources within their environment. Solution for Water Pollutants Community and Factory Solution In 1972, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act that is now known as the Clean Water Act (CWA) was formed (NPDES. 2011). What this act was to ensure is that there are regulations put in place for the pollutants entering the water from point sources in the United States.Industries are given a limit of how much and how they are disposing of harmful chemicals that will either go directly into the water or into sources that will reach water supplies (NPDES. 2011). Rules, limits, regulations as well as permits are needed for disposal of toxins (NPDES. 2011). Workplaces, factories, and manufacturing plants have been fined, but still continue to release harmful toxins that go against the regulations of the CWA (Dissenting, 2000). The issue with this is that the problem still arises and many of these places are not punished for the crimes they are committing (Dissenting, 2000).As of this time the penalties are a fine of between $5,000 and $50,000 a day as well as but not necessarily, including possible jail time of no more than three years (Dissenting, 2000). Penalties need to be more extensive with laws that also state that after so many offenses that the factories are shut down with a possible permanent license removal. It would also be feasible to have the fines start at the $5,000 to $50,000 a day but have them go up a percentage each day or a larger percentage weekly, however, not to exceed a number of days without loss of licensing and permit loss.Second offense would be the same although time that elapses without license or permit is to be extended. Personal or Household Solution Many brands are labeling their products as â€Å"green† (Yu, 2010, April). It is difficult to know what one is buying when he or she flips to the back of a product and still many of the ingredients are unrecognizable. Many people will pay more money for products in the hopes of buy ing a product that will be better for the environment, themselves, and family. Federal regulation at this time expresses leniency on companies using the word â€Å"green† in their products (Yu, 2010, April).Some companies are using phrases like †nontoxic† such as Simple Green, although the products still contain chemicals that are found to cause red cell damage and even reproductive issues in animals (Yu, 2010, April). Other companies are using the term â€Å"green,† and this actually means in the product is that they are using the least toxic chemicals found in the group which the chemicals are classified under (Yu, 2010, April). There are many simple tricks, or products people may use that they generally have lying around the house.This will ensure that the people know what  products they are using and know that the toxins are not in what they are using. Here are some helpful tips. Bathtubs, Floors, and hard to scrub areas (baking soda with vinegar) Cut ting Boards and Counters (Hot water and vinegar) Furniture (Microfiber cloth dampened) Polished Furniture (A regular cloth and an oil base, such as olive oil or even a citrus oil) Windows (isopropyl alcohol, water, and vinegar) Air Freshener (Water, baking soda, and lemon or even fabric softener) Mold (one part peroxide to two parts water let sit for one hour) Barriers to the SolutionBig corporations, manufacturing companies, and utilities have been given a set of rules and regulations to follow when the use and disposal of chemicals are involved. Often penalties have been enforced for disregarding regulations and the discovery of illegal dumping; however, this has not stopped the problem. Enforcing the regulations and ensuring payments of the fines given has proven to be a difficult task. Political lobbyist hired by the corporations have helped to protect the interests of the companies by effectively limiting the amount of the fines and helped to create legal loop holes to avoid pa ying those fines.The legal battles which may be successfully brought before a court can take years to win and with the financial resources on the side of corporations the cases sometimes never make it into court. In addition the sum of the fine is often easier to pay so the companies can go about their business. Increasing regulations and raising the limits on the fines could be beneficial but difficult to achieve because of the political action of hired lobbyist. Outcome and Justification Water pollution is a serious problem that is affecting the environment in multiple ways. By limiting the amount of pollution, the environment may be preserved.Behavior modification techniques can enforce proper waste control and proper chemical use. To preserve the environment, harsher punishments are suggested for companies that violate the regulations of the Clean Water Act. Fines are currently at a flat rate per violation. A suggested action is to increase the fine until the regulations are fol lowed. In the case that regulations are continually violated, companies should face loss of license. These suggestions may prove difficult to enforce because of legal and political barriers. Household pollution can be limited by changing the use of products.Some products are misleading in advertisements and claims; phrases such as â€Å"green† and â€Å"non-toxic† do not always mean chemical free. These types of products can cause severe damage to the environment, animals, and people. Behavior modification is the basis behind the suggestions to reduce and prevent water pollution in both industrial environments and in the household. Behavior modification relies on the concept of conditioning (Sullivan, 2009). Behaviorism was based on the idea that individuals had no free will and all actions could be explained using stimuli and responses.Operant conditioning modifies behavior through rewards and punishment. To encourage a behavior, a reward is offered upon completion of the behavior (Sullivan, 2009). To reduce a behavior, a punishment is given upon each occurrence of the undesired behavior. Using rewards and punishments, behavior can be modified. In this situation, behavior can be modified to reduce pollution (Sullivan, 2009). In the case of companies violating regulations of the Clean Water Act, a punishment would be given with each violation. If the severity of the punishment is sufficient, the behavior will be less likely to occur again.The idea behind increasing the fines is that increasing the severity of the punishment will decrease the likelihood of repeat behavior. In the situation of chemical use and pollution in the household, rewards may be used to modify behavior. Suggested alternatives to harmful chemicals are less costly and simple to use. Benefits also include a sense of health safety when harsh chemicals are not present. The financial reward of not buying chemicals and less concern for health may increase the likelihood of using ho me remedies rather than chemical filled products.Small changes can create differences in actions and the influence on the environment. Behavior modification regarding water pollution may reduce pollution and preserve the environment. Conclusion Pollution plagues communities around the world affecting health and the environment. Identifying pollution problems, their causes, and solutions is the key to preserving the future for the next generations. Water is a necessity for every living organism on the planet and clean drinking water is a must for humans and animals alike.Once the target pollution issue has been identified, creating a workable solution that can be accomplished by all those in the community is the next important step. Every potential solution may have various barriers to overcome, such as political, legal, and financial considerations. Political barriers, such as corporate lobbyist are likely to be a problem. However, environmental lobbyists are helping to fight soluti ons to pollution and the damage it is doing to the earth and humans. The implications for the future are not very promising without conscientious changes individually and communally. Implications for the Future Communities around the world face pollution problems on one level or another. Pollution exists in a number of forms, including noise, air, land, water, indoor, and outdoor. Humans are affected by pollution both physically and emotionally through the effect on the environment and physical health. The life blood of the community is the water source, whether it comes from a river, well, or water treatment plant. The purpose of this paper is to review one pollution problem faced by a community, how the problem affects the psychological health of the community and purpose a solution to that problem.The chosen topic for this paper is water control which will include the pollution problem of water control, the effects on humans, conservation techniques, and barriers to solving the problem. Psychology and the Preservation of the Environment A diverse relationship exists between psychology and the preservation of the environment. The world of psychology covers an extremely huge realm, which i s full of different areas and much information. Inside this realm is the notion of the environment, which surrounds human beings.The word â€Å"environment† is composed of diverse concepts and possesses an extremely large definition or can be quite specific. Certain examples of environments are institutions, office or event buildings, or family settings, to name just a few (Veitch & Arkkelin, 1995). Resources have grown less available over the years. When compared to many years ago when resources like water were in abundance and human beings did not need to concern themselves with running out of this resource, today water and other resources are revealing signs of extreme reduction.This indicates that if the population does not work to conserve these resources, they could evaporate ultimately. One main relationship or connection between psychology and preservation is behavior. Human beings behave in a certain manner, which is influenced by their capability and willingness. Th ese behaviors can possess an effect on the preservation of the natural environment. Nevertheless, a human being’s behavior can be altered to fit the needs of other individuals (Veitch & Arkkelin, 1995).The main component of this behavior modification is the motivation of the human being because if people do not yearn to adapt their behavior, the essential behavior changes will not take place (Veitch & Arkkelin, 1995). The following is an example of the need for adaptive behavior for the occurrence of water conservation. If a human being possesses a large swimming pool, he or she will most likely be adding water on a normal basis to keep water in the pool and to keep it clean.In addition cleaning and replacing filthy water for clean water is an excellent way to maintain a sanitary swimming pool. However, certain individuals exist who quickly refill their swimming pools with more water once a small amount is splashed out. When a decrease in water availability exists, a human be ing must alter his or her behavior to preserve water. Furthermore, an individual must be willing to desist from refilling his or her water when this happens. This involves certain behavior alterations, which if an individual can achieve can create a huge contribution to his or her environment.However, if an individual does not change his or her behavior, the government body that observes the accessibility of water will need to create a decision regarding how to decrease the water consumption. Numerous issues regarding preserving and conserving the environment possess a focus throughout psychology. As the population evolves and human beings help to protect the environment, people in the intended environment will begin to adapt (Veitch & Arkkelin, 1995). Young children will learn to preserve water and other natural resources.Furthermore, the generation of these young children will adapt easier compared to their parents who knowingly had to change their behavior to preserve the natural resources within their environment. Solution for Water Pollutants Community and Factory Solution In 1972, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act that is now known as the Clean Water Act (CWA) was formed (NPDES. 2011). What this act was to ensure is that there are regulations put in place for the pollutants entering the water from point sources in the United States.Industries are given a limit of how much and how they are disposing of harmful chemicals that will either go directly into the water or into sources that will reach water supplies (NPDES. 2011). Rules, limits, regulations as well as permits are needed for disposal of toxins (NPDES. 2011). Workplaces, factories, and manufacturing plants have been fined, but still continue to release harmful toxins that go against the regulations of the CWA (Dissenting, 2000). The issue with this is that the problem still arises and many of these places are not punished for the crimes they are committing (Dissenting, 2000).As of this time the penalties are a fine of between $5,000 and $50,000 a day as well as but not necessarily, including possible jail time of no more than three years (Dissenting, 2000). Penalties need to be more extensive with laws that also state that after so many offenses that the factories are shut down with a possible permanent license removal. It would also be feasible to have the fines start at the $5,000 to $50,000 a day but have them go up a percentage each day or a larger percentage weekly, however, not to exceed a number of days without loss of licensing and permit loss.Second offense would be the same although time that elapses without license or permit is to be extended. Personal or Household Solution Many brands are labeling their products as â€Å"green† (Yu, 2010, April). It is difficult to know what one is buying when he or she flips to the back of a product and still many of the ingredients are unrecognizable. Many people will pay more money for products in the hopes of buy ing a product that will be better for the environment, themselves, and family. Federal regulation at this time expresses leniency on companies using the word â€Å"green† in their products (Yu, 2010, April).Some companies are using phrases like †nontoxic† such as Simple Green, although the products still contain chemicals that are found to cause red cell damage and even reproductive issues in animals (Yu, 2010, April). Other companies are using the term â€Å"green,† and this actually means in the product is that they are using the least toxic chemicals found in the group which the chemicals are classified under (Yu, 2010, April). There are many simple tricks, or products people may use that they generally have lying around the house.This will ensure that the people know what  products they are using and know that the toxins are not in what they are using. Here are some helpful tips. Bathtubs, Floors, and hard to scrub areas (baking soda with vinegar) Cut ting Boards and Counters (Hot water and vinegar) Furniture (Microfiber cloth dampened) Polished Furniture (A regular cloth and an oil base, such as olive oil or even a citrus oil) Windows (isopropyl alcohol, water, and vinegar) Air Freshener (Water, baking soda, and lemon or even fabric softener) Mold (one part peroxide to two parts water let sit for one hour) Barriers to the SolutionBig corporations, manufacturing companies, and utilities have been given a set of rules and regulations to follow when the use and disposal of chemicals are involved. Often penalties have been enforced for disregarding regulations and the discovery of illegal dumping; however, this has not stopped the problem. Enforcing the regulations and ensuring payments of the fines given has proven to be a difficult task. Political lobbyist hired by the corporations have helped to protect the interests of the companies by effectively limiting the amount of the fines and helped to create legal loop holes to avoid pa ying those fines.The legal battles which may be successfully brought before a court can take years to win and with the financial resources on the side of corporations the cases sometimes never make it into court. In addition the sum of the fine is often easier to pay so the companies can go about their business. Increasing regulations and raising the limits on the fines could be beneficial but difficult to achieve because of the political action of hired lobbyist. Outcome and Justification Water pollution is a serious problem that is affecting the environment in multiple ways. By limiting the amount of pollution, the environment may be preserved.Behavior modification techniques can enforce proper waste control and proper chemical use. To preserve the environment, harsher punishments are suggested for companies that violate the regulations of the Clean Water Act. Fines are currently at a flat rate per violation. A suggested action is to increase the fine until the regulations are fol lowed. In the case that regulations are continually violated, companies should face loss of license. These suggestions may prove difficult to enforce because of legal and political barriers. Household pollution can be limited by changing the use of products.Some products are misleading in advertisements and claims; phrases such as â€Å"green† and â€Å"non-toxic† do not always mean chemical free. These types of products can cause severe damage to the environment, animals, and people. Behavior modification is the basis behind the suggestions to reduce and prevent water pollution in both industrial environments and in the household. Behavior modification relies on the concept of conditioning (Sullivan, 2009). Behaviorism was based on the idea that individuals had no free will and all actions could be explained using stimuli and responses.Operant conditioning modifies behavior through rewards and punishment. To encourage a behavior, a reward is offered upon completion of the behavior (Sullivan, 2009). To reduce a behavior, a punishment is given upon each occurrence of the undesired behavior. Using rewards and punishments, behavior can be modified. In this situation, behavior can be modified to reduce pollution (Sullivan, 2009). In the case of companies violating regulations of the Clean Water Act, a punishment would be given with each violation. If the severity of the punishment is sufficient, the behavior will be less likely to occur again.The idea behind increasing the fines is that increasing the severity of the punishment will decrease the likelihood of repeat behavior. In the situation of chemical use and pollution in the household, rewards may be used to modify behavior. Suggested alternatives to harmful chemicals are less costly and simple to use. Benefits also include a sense of health safety when harsh chemicals are not present. The financial reward of not buying chemicals and less concern for health may increase the likelihood of using ho me remedies rather than chemical filled products.Small changes can create differences in actions and the influence on the environment. Behavior modification regarding water pollution may reduce pollution and preserve the environment. Conclusion Pollution plagues communities around the world affecting health and the environment. Identifying pollution problems, their causes, and solutions is the key to preserving the future for the next generations. Water is a necessity for every living organism on the planet and clean drinking water is a must for humans and animals alike.Once the target pollution issue has been identified, creating a workable solution that can be accomplished by all those in the community is the next important step. Every potential solution may have various barriers to overcome, such as political, legal, and financial considerations. Political barriers, such as corporate lobbyist are likely to be a problem. However, environmental lobbyists are helping to fight soluti ons to pollution and the damage it is doing to the earth and humans. The implications for the future are not very promising without conscientious changes individually and communally.