Influenza, Avian Influenza, and the Impacts of Past and Looming Pandemi

Influenza, Avian Influenza, and the Impacts of Past and Looming Pandemics Avian influenza is a disease that has been wreaking havoc on human populations since the 16th century. With the recent outbreak in 1997 of a new H5N1 avian flu subtype, the world has begun preparing for a pandemic by looking upon its past affects. In the 20th Century, the world witnessed three pandemics in the years of 1918, 1957, and 1968. In 1918 no vaccine, antibiotic, or clear recognition of the disease was known. Killing over 40 million in less than a year, the H1N1 strain ingrained a deep and lasting fear of the virus throughout the world. Though 1957 and 1968 brought on milder pandemics, they still killed an estimated 3 million people and presented a new problem of vaccine manufacturing and production. The new avian flu in Asia now claiming 54 lives has the world rushing to find a vaccine and prevent another, even more deadly pandemic Influenza is a pathogenic virus that has been the cause deadly pandemics throughout recorded history. Influenza is caused by an A or B virus, the more deadly of the two is influenza A which derives from the avian species and initiates pandemics in the human population (Levison, 2004). The genomes in influenza viruses are divided into eight parts of RNA. Influenza A viruses are named by the two sets of proteins that protrude from the surface of the cell. The first protein is haemaglottin, or HA, which determines binding and cell entry. There are fifteen HA subtypes with H1, H2, and H3 most common in human infection (WHO, 2005). The second of the two proteins is neuraminidase (NA) that presides over the release of virus DNA from infected cells into host cells. There are nine subtypes of the NA protein (WHO, 2005). The ... ...ration of international health organization on vaccine development, education of medical professionals on safety and protection, and increase of public awareness on basic prevention. Though H5N1 Impacts of Past and Looming Pandemics 7 has only claimed 54 lives, science must compete with nature to assure the lives of millions more. Impacts of Past and Looming Pandemics 8 Bibliography CDC. (2005, May). General Information On Avian Flu. Center of Disease Control and Prevention. July 7, 2005, http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/facts.htm Levison, M. (2004). Infections of Leisure. Washington D.C.: ASN Press Ruben, F. (2005). Influenza: Getting Our Attention. Clinical Infectious Diseases, (40), p. 1697. World health Organization. (2005, June). Avian Influenza: Assessing the Pandemic Threat. WHO. July 5, 2005, www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/H5N1-9reduit.pdf.

Family Business Essay

Family business are businesses that are created from their founding fathers of that era, if may evolve from small businesses into big enterprises. Family business is playing a very important part in the economy of Malaysia; the reason is that more than half of the Gross Domestic Product of Malaysia is from the family businesses that are conducted in Malaysia. For example The Genting group and The Berjaya group are two of the most famous family businesses that are conducted in Malaysia. The following are the issues and challenges that are faced by family businesses in Malaysia. The first challenge and issue that affects family businesses in Malaysia is succession planning which is choosing the next successor for the business after the current successor retires or passed away. Choosing a successor is one of the biggest challenges and is often faced by family businesses in Malaysia. Choosing a successor is hard because there are many factors that need to be considered before delegating him or her to be the successor of the family business. The first factor is of course the capability of the potential successor, to see whether he or she is up to standard andable to handle the responsibility that is about to be passed onto to see whether they qualify for the position. The second factor is that the potential successor must have certain amount of knowledge about the business and must know every part of operation of the business in details. The potential successor must also have very good management skills and have a good relationship with everyone involved in the business in order to have smoother process when sharing business ideas. The second challenge and issue that affects the family businesses in Malaysia is family disputes which is the harmony between family members and also within the business. The reason why it is one of the challenges and issues is because some of the family members or people involved in the business are always jealous of each other, or they are angry because of the decisions made which they are unfair, which will then results in political issues happening in the business which can greatly affect the outcome of the business, and sometimes it may be serious until it can tear down the whole business. So that is why it is very hard to keep the family and business at harmony all the time. However, if they are able to do so, it will help improve the communications between family members and also people involved in the business so that they can share out their feelings and the conflicts more openly so that the conflict can be solved in a way that will benefit the family and the business. The third challenge and issue that affects the family businesses in Malaysia is professionalism which is capability of keeping the family business up and running for a long term. This is a very hard challenge for all the family businesses out there in Malaysia because it has many factors to look at in order to keep the family business in one piece, because family businesses often faced with conflicts between one another sometimes because of the informal business structure, like there are no roles given formally which then allows everyone can step into each other territory in the business structure which is also known as invading other’s personal workspace. The other reason is because of the non-systematic work which is caused by bad operation control which can greatly impact the operation of the family business. However, if management is in good control and the organizational structure is complete and the objective and goals is the same and shared by everyone, the efficiency of the family business will sure improve a lot. Staff training can also improve the professionalism of the family business. The fourth challenge and issue that affects the family businesses in Malaysia is leadership which is basically the compass for the direction of the family business. It is very hard for family business to have good leadership because it involves leading, involving, and also motivating the people in the family business so that they share the same goal. So, if the leader of the family business is strong, then the chance of the business to succeed will surely be very high. The first thing is that the good leader must have the stamina and the passion to lead. Besides that, the leader must have a wide knowledge of the economy and also the industry itself so that he or she can direct a most beneficial way for the family business to approach and also giving a sense of common purpose. Lastly, the leader must have power to control the people in the family business and tell them what is the plan and what they need to do. The last challenge and issue that affects the family businesses in Malaysi a is fair compensation which also includes fair treatment to the people involved in the family business. The reason why this is a common issue in family business is because that the family members always tend to treat their own family member better and they also make bias decision most of the time. The most common problem is the payment and the salary of the people in family business. People who are the family member often get better pay which then the other people will feel cheated and mistreated at the same time. Then they will feel alienated by the family members of the family business, which will then greatly affect the earning capability of the business. Although there are quite some challenges and issues faced by family business in Malaysia, but if those family businesses can overcome the challenges and issues that are stated above, then their family business will surely be stable and run for a long time. Reference List: 1. http://www.ukm.my/ajag/vol2ch2.pdf 2. http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/862-family-business-challenges.html 3. http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/02/02/asias-family-businesses-face-new-challenges/ 4. http://familybusiness.about.com/od/managementandoperations/a/commonthreats.htm 5. http://www.isb.edu/FamilyBusiness/File/challengesfacedbyindian.pdf

Argument Essay Essay

As students we all have been challenged to do our best. Throughout our lives we have been labeled with our grades; in high school, the ones with low grades were left alone in misery, while the ones with higher grades were praised as the leaders of this horse race. Then, the question that comes into mind is: is it right to categorize students, does grading contribute to educationa? It is assumed and stated in the philosophy of the current educational system that grading encourages learning and without it students would not study. That is far from being true and also expresses another flaw of our education system. The system is based on fear: the basic motive for students to study is fear of low grades. Furthermore, because the grades are the main criteria for passing courses, students do not study: they just develop methods of cheating. Thus, without learning the subject, they keep passing. Since grades received in exams are more important than learning the subject matter, all students have to do to pass their courses is memorize how a specific problem is solved. Without knowing why such a method is used, students cannot apply their ability to solve the problem to daily life. However, they pass exams without learning why, how or what of the matter. Another disadvantage of grading is that grades of a student are not updated. That means the grades of a student for the first year of school will still be valid in the last year, whether his knowledge about the subject has improved or deteriorated. Considering all the factors that affect a student’s exams and marks, even a small incident may have a great impact in the long run. Apart from these problems, which can be virtually solved by optimizing and improving the grading system, the most important defect of the system cannot be repaired without changing the whole system. The grading system causes inequalities, superior-inferior relations, classifications and even conflicts. It may be maintained that societies of the modern world are structured on these basic principles, but the fact that something exists does not justify it. Moreover, the people grown up in such an education system will not be able to see the other side of the walls, or will be afraid even to take a glimpse. To sum up, grading students is not a good practice and should be abolished. It is clear that education, especially education during childhood, has a great effect on one’s life. And if you bring the children up in conditions of conflict and competition, they will look for conflicts in the future too.

The Pulmonary Function Tests Health And Social Care Essay

Development of our state has lead to rapid urbanisation and there is addition usage of cars that is worsening environmental pollution. Occupational exposure to automobile fumes and industrial fumes has been shown to impact operation of different systems of the organic structure. The present survey was taken up to measure the Pulmonary Function Tests ( PFT ) in car jinrikisha drivers of Gulbarga metropolis. Methods: Fifty non -smoker male car drivers in the age group of 20-50 old ages for more than 5 old ages of car driving experience formed the survey group. Age and sex matched persons non exposed to car rickshaw driving [ administrative staff ] formed the control group. Pulmonary map parametric quantities FVC, FEV1, FEV1 % , PEFR, PIFR, FEF25-75, FEF50 and MVV were assessed utilizing computerized Spiro metre during their on the job hours and were statistically analyzed. Consequences: There was a extremely important lessening in FVC and FEV1 in survey group compared to command group. The lessening in FEV1 % , PIFR, FEF25-75 and FEF50 were statistically important but the lessening in PEFR and MVV were statistically non-significant. Decision: Our findings point towards the inauspicious effects of vehicle fumes on lung maps, chiefly on lower air passages with restrictive form of disease. Keywords: Cars, Auto drivers, Pulmonary maps trials.IntroductionNumerous epidemiological surveies have documented decreases in pneumonic map and assorted other wellness jobs associated with long term air pollution exposure1.Health effects of occupational exposure to crude oil bluess and air pollution from vehicular beginnings is comparatively undiscovered among car jinrikisha drivers. To run into the present twenty-four hours demand, there is an addition car usage and because of the prevailing function of gasolene [ gasoline ] as a motor vehicle fuel, the effects of gasolene engine emanations are potentially even greater jobs. In the individuals exposed to these pollutants, pneumonic map trials are used as testing trials to find their effects2.Therefore, the present survey is taken up to measure the alterations in Pulmonary Function Tests ( PFTs ) like Forced Vital Capacity ( FVC ) , Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second ( FEV1 ) , FEV1/FVC ratio, Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ( PEFR ) , Peak Inspiratory Flow Rate ( PIFR ) , Forced Expiratory Flow in 25-75 % of critical capacity ( FEF25-75 ) , Forced Expiratory Flow at 50 % of critical capacity ( FEF50 ) and Maximum Voluntary Ventilation ( MVV ) of car jinrikisha drivers in Gulbarga metropolis.Materials & A ; Methods:The present survey was conducted in Salgar infirmary of Gulbarga metropolis. Ethical clearance was taken from the Institutional Ethical Committee and each topic gave the consent. The survey group consisted of 50 males in the age group of 20-50 twelvemonth, who were driving car jinrikisha for 8 hours per twenty-four hours for more than 5 old ages in Gulbarga metropolis. The control group consisted of 50 males of same age group from administrative station, who were non exposed to car jinrikisha drive. The topics chosen in the survey and the control group had no history of allergic upsets, respiratory upsets like asthma, or any systemic disease, no history of smoke, masticating baccy and consumption of intoxicant. Age, tallness, and weight were recorded. All the Pulmonary maps were tested during twenty-four hours clip utilizing computerized Spiro metre [ MEDSPIROR ] .The topics were familiarized with the instrument. All the trials were carried out at the same clip of the twenty-four hours, between 10-11 AM. All the topics were in sitting place and have oning nose clips3. The topics were asked to take a breath forcefully following deep inspiration into the mouthpiece attached to the pneumatachometer. 3 trails of maximum Inspiratory and expiratory attempts were made and the best reading was taken for statistical analysis. Statistical method used in our survey was pupil ‘s odd T trial utilizing SPSS-16. The P & lt ; 0.05 was considered statistically important and P & lt ; 0.001 was considered extremely statistically important.Consequences:The average value of the ages of the topics was 36.4AÂ ±7.40 and that the average value of the controls was 34.8AÂ ±3.76. The average value of the highs of the topics was 170.40 AÂ ± 3.39 and the average value of the controls was 174.60 AÂ ± 4.15 and the average value of the weights of the topics was 72.60 AÂ ± 7.56 and that of the controls was 74.40 AÂ ± 8.24. The topics and controls did non differ significantly on above parametric quantities. Table-1: Comparison of lung volumes and capacities between survey and control groups Parameter Study group ( n=50 ) Mean AÂ ±SD Control group ( n=50 ) Mean AÂ ±SD p-value FVC ( L ) 2.77AÂ ±0.41 3.33AÂ ±0.50 0.001** FEV1 ( L ) 2.67AÂ ±0.46 3.11AÂ ±0.33 0.001** FEV1 % 88.25AÂ ±13.34 90.31AÂ ±10.12 0.050* MVV ( L/min ) 110.80AÂ ±18.63 130.16AÂ ±26.89 0.059 *P value & lt ; 0.05 is statistically Significant, **P value & lt ; 0.001 is extremely statistically Significant Table-2: Comparison of flow rates among survey and control groups Parameter Study group ( n=50 ) Mean AÂ ±SD Control group ( n=50 ) Mean AÂ ±SD P value PEFR ( L/min ) 5.47AÂ ±1.40 7.05AÂ ±1.59 0.15 PIFR ( L/min ) 2.21AÂ ±0.67 3.61AÂ ±1.10 0.04* FEF25-75 ( L/min ) 3.60AÂ ±1.33 4.85AÂ ±1.11 0.04* FEF50 ( L/min ) 4.16AÂ ±1.22 5.17AÂ ±1.32 0.05* *P value & lt ; 0.05 indicates statistically Significant value.Discussion:Occupational wellness has been deriving importance for the fact that long term exposure to vehicle fumes, gasoline and dust can take to a lasting morbidity. The acute wellness hazards involved are minimum, provided that the precautional methods are used in conformity with appropriate wellness and safety patterns. Highly statistically important lessening in FVC and FEV1 was observed in car drivers when compared to their controls, and their ratio ( FEV1 % ) was important between the two groups. This determination indicates the restrictive form of pneumonic engagement in the survey group. Auto jinrikisha drivers are at hazard of dust inspiration, gasoline vapour inspiration and besides inspiration of car fumes for a longer period of clip that is at least 8 hours per twenty-four hours for more than one twelvemonth and they have more opportunities of chronic engagement of lungs as indicated by the consequences in the present survey. The benzine content of gasoline has typically been in the scope 1-5 % may be an aggravating factor for the lung map abnormalcies observed as the survey groups were nonsmokers. Smoking as an independent variable was found to impact FEV1 significantly and smoke has shown to speed up the diminution in lung map in a clip dependent manner4. As the car drivers are most of th e clip on busy roads and exposed to automobile fumes and other air pollutants. Automobile fumes is a complex mixture of different gases like Sculpture dioxide ( SO2 ) , Carbon dioxide, Carbon monoxide ( CO ) , Nitrogen dioxide ( NO2 ) and particulate affair. Some surveies have demonstrated that exposure to particulate affair combined with exposure to an irritant gas such as NO2 consequences in greater harm to the lung than when exposed to either substances individually5.In combination with particulate pollutants, SO2 and NO2 have a greater opportunity to make the deeper parts of the lungs. The gaseous pollutants may besides change the belongingss and concentration of surfactant and contribute to the early closing of little air passages. Much of the terminal bronchioles may be compromised before other pneumonic map trials such as FEV1 are affected6. Few histopathological surveies have provided grounds that the little air passages are the site of harm in people populating in countries of high air pollution7. Atoms generated from Diesel fumes are highly little and are present in the karyon or accretion manners with diameter of 0.02 am and 0.2 am severally. These little sized atoms, by virtuousness of their greater surface country to mass ratio, can transport a much larger fraction of toxic compounds, such as hydrocarbons and metals on their surface. Importantly they can stay airborne for long periods of clip and acquire deposited in greater Numberss and deeper into the lungs than big sized atoms. Hence chronic exposure to them can take to chronic redness of respiratory piece of land and lung parenchyma. These would lend to the significant lessening in lung maps in the signifier of restrictive form as indicated in the present survey. Rajkumar studied the consequence of air pollution on respiratory system of car jinrikisha drivers i n Delhi. The survey found that ( 19 % ) drivers showed normal Pulmonary Function Test ( PFT ) . ( 80 % ) showed mild and moderate to terrible obstructor, of which ( 48 % ) were non-smokers and ( 52 % ) were tobacco users and the consequence concludes that car jinrikisha drivers have a high respiratory morbidity due to exposure to pollution.8 In a survey, reduced mechanical belongingss of take a breathing were attributed to exposure to benzene in the bluess of petrol9. Bijendra Kumar et Al examined the pneumonic map trial in three Wheeler Diesel cab drivers in Bikaner metropolis. They found restrictive damage in 87 % of survey group, of which 50 % were tobacco users and 37 % were non-smokers, assorted form ( both restrictive and early clogging damage ) was found in merely 13 % of survey group, of which 7 % were tobacco users and 5 % non-smoker. So they concluded that when all the five parametric quantities ( FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, FEF 25-75 % and PEFR ) were taken together they were de clarative of assorted form ( clogging and restrictive ) lung impairments10. Chattopadhyay et al conducted a survey on garage workers, drivers and music directors of Kolkata metropolis to measure the pneumonic map position of these workers and found that FEV1, FEV1 % and flow rates, FEF 02-121, FEF25 % -75 % values showed gradual decrease as age and continuance of exposure increased11.From the present survey it was concluded that respiratory maps of car jinrikisha drivers who are continuously exposed to emanations from vehicles, gasoline vapour and dust were significantly reduced as compared to respiratory maps of age, weight and tallness matched control groups.Recommendation:To forestall the respiratory disfunction among car drivers, medical observation and periodic check-ups for pneumonic map trials should be performed. Control schemes should be adopted to cut down the vapour concentration in the air, like vapour adsorbents and to cut down the benzine concentration in the ambient a ir. Personal protective equipment must be worn by car jinrikisha drivers. Imparting wellness instruction to car jinrikisha drivers will forestall respiratory morbidity. Further long term position surveies on car jinrikisha drivers will assist in acquiring a comprehensive image of long term effects.Recognition:This research paper is made possible by the support from the participants of our survey. We dedicate our recognition of gratitude towards Mr.Shaik.Meera and Dr. Rashmi.C.G as they kindly read our paper and offered valuable elaborate advices on grammar, organisation, and subject of the paper. Finally, we unfeignedly thank Godhead, household and friends, who provided fiscal support and timely advice.

Illiteracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Illiteracy - Essay Example The U.S. does not have this capability which many have argued has led to a great increase in the levels of illiteracy in the country. According to a US government report, The State of Literacy in America, released in 1998 by the National Institute for Literacy (NIL) (cited in Roberts, 1998), there has been a significant growth in illiteracy in America. â€Å"Over 90 million US adults, nearly one out of two, are functionally illiterate or near illiterate, without the minimum skills required in a modern society† (Roberts, 1998). Many experts have blamed this failing on an educational system that focuses almost exclusively upon a sight-based reading program that has proven to be ineffective for the majority of learners (Hoerl, 1997). Not surprisingly, there is a very high rate of illiteracy among children and young adults in the juvenile justice system according to a study revealed in the book Retarding America the Imprisonment of Potential. It has been shown that these kids who learn to read while incarcerated have a strikingly lower recidivism rate than those who do not. Despite these findings, the majority of juvenile and adult prisons, as well as many schools and adult assistance institutions, teach the sight-based reading system (Brunner, 1993). Unquestionably, the debate regarding reading education methods have brought about emotional responses from all those affected for over a century. Why Johnny Can’t Read, written by Rudolph Flesch in 1955, sparked a nationwide discussion. Flesch suggested that practically all reading problems experienced by children in the U.S. were caused from educators and publishers who had banned together in an effort to deny phonics instruction. Following the publication of Learning to Read: The Great Debate (Chall, 1967), an evaluation of all published research to date on the effects of various approaches to beginning

The Federal Reserve Controls the American Economy Term Paper

The Federal Reserve Controls the American Economy - Term Paper Example It is obvious that the economy is all about managing finances, and since the Federal Reserve has oversight authority over the country’s financial administration it controls the entire economy. As a central bank, the Federal Reserve sets the rates for other commercial banks thus influencing the interest rates. Similarly, the Federal Reserve determines the circulation of money thus influencing inflation and flow of money. Through these two dynamic roles of the Federal Reserve, it is evident that the US economy lies directly in the hands of the Federal Reserve. Several developments in the US economy, like the great depression, have seen the augmentation of the evolution and transformation of the roles of the Federal Reserve. The congress developed three crucial goals regarding monetary policy in the Federal Act namely; utmost employment, constant prices, and reasonable long-term interest rates. To be relevant to the growing economic realities the roles of Federal Reserve have gro wn to include other areas like performing the nation's monetary policy, managing and regulating banking entities, maintaining the steadiness of the financial arrangement and offering financial services to reservoir organizations, the U.S. government, and abroad executive institutions. The Beige Book is a manual usually published by the Federal Reserve that contains research on various aspects of the US economy. Structure of the Federal Reserve System and Its Core Functions The federal system structure constitutes of governors selected by the president, Federal Open Market Committee, twelve local Federal Reserve Banks situated in main cities all over the nation, plentiful surreptitiously owned U.S. affiliate banks and assorted advisory committees (Willis 48). The FOMC is the board in charge of establishing monetary policy, which comprises all seven affiliates of the Board of Governors along with the twelve local bank heads. Nonetheless, simply five bank presidents take part in an ele ction at whichever time. The Federal Reserve System intention is to serve the purposes of both the broad public as well as clandestine bankers. The outcome is a structure that is painstakingly unique with central banks. Federal Reserve is further remarkable in that Department of the Treasury, an entity out of the central bank, makes the currency used. The Federal Reserve is independent, and its decision needs not to be approved by the executive or government. Hence, it base its mandate on laws ratified under which it operates with autonomy under congress oversight. However, the executive select the leaders of the Federal Reserve while the congress does the confirmation. The government has some control over the Federal Reserve because it sets the remuneration of the highest leaders of the system. All profits derived by the Federal Reserve System go to the government. Federal Reserve System and the US Economy The Federal Reserve has oversight authority on the American economy, therefo re, exercising overall control on the country’s economy (Meltzer 32-35). The functions of the Federal Reserve regard overall economic management. The Fed controls inflation in a manner that keeps recession at bay. Other significant roles of the Fed in US economy include supervision of the country’s banking system to cushion customers, maintaining steadiness of monetary markets and confine probable crises, and functioning as a

MHE507 - Bio-Terrorism Module 2 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MHE507 - Bio-Terrorism Module 2 SLP - Essay Example All the means of bioterrorism identified had been considered ‘harmful’ before the attacks issued. During and after the attacks had been identified, the public had blurred the distinction between the harmful and the safe. Nowadays, people fear that everything around them can be used against them. This philosophy has led to negative feedbacks that controlled experiments about weapons of mass destruction earned. The mass fears that (1) the researches would eventually lead to more dangerous weapons, (2) the research is done to further taunt them, and that (3) the scientists are working towards a malicious goal. Any attack, be is large or small, should be considered as a potential attack, bearing in mind that even the simplest attack can lead to more hazardous ones. As a preliminary precaution, the statistics and facts involving the nature of the attack should be studied, and correspondence should be kept at all costs. â€Å"A look at the facts surrounding the outbreak to determine if anything seems unusual or indicative of bioterrorism should suffice (Pavlin, 1999).† The probability of an attack leading to an outbreak should not be overlooked, and at the first sign of an attack all systems should already be ready for surveillance. There are endless cases of possible attacks, ranging from endemic disease outbreak, reemergence of an old disease, the creation of new diseases, laboratory misfortunes to international attack. The researchers involved in the identification of which of the above-mentioned is the case at a certain attack should be able to observe the symptoms of the attack as well as the events that led to it to determine possible cause of administration. According to Pavlin (1999): The cause of a disease or even the occurrence of something unusual may be very difficult to determine, especially if the initial cases are few. Surveillance needs to be more than routine. Not only