Should the EU be involved in a battle against the piracy problem in Essay

Should the EU be involved in a battle against the piracy problem in Somalia - Essay Example Even though only a political settlement in Somalia can bring a long-term resolution to this issue, the measures taken by the international community can significantly improve the situation (Middleton 10). The European Union Naval Force Somalia-Operation ATALANTA, launched by the European Council on the 8 of December 2008, aims to deter, prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast, and is a part of the global action conducted by the EU to deal with the Somali crisis (â€Å"Mission† 1). This operation has several benefits both for Somalia and for international entities affected by the issue of piracy. To start with, operation ATALANTA helps to protect vessels of the World Food Programme (WFP), which deliver food aid to displaced people in Somalia. Since the EU naval escorts for WFP ships began in November 2007, not a single pirate attack on a ship carrying WFP food has been reported. Under the operation ATALANTA, WFP has managed to deliver over 267. 000 metric tons of food to ports in Somalia. Given the increasing need for humanitarian assistance in Somalia, the EU operation contributes significantly to support for numerous victims of the Somali crisis (â€Å"Mission† 3). Moreover, operation ATALANTA protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali cost. All shipping companies and operators that transit in this region have to register in advance of the website of the Maritime Security Center-Horn of Africa (MSC-HOA). This website facilitates the coordination of maritime traffic as it enables all vessels that observe EU NAVFOR recommendations to be aware of the arrangements taken. MSC-HOA also identifies particularly vulnerable vessels and provides them with close military protection, either from EU NAVOR, or other forces in the region (â€Å"Mschoa† 1). These arrangements significantly reduce the risks of pirate attacks or

Hinduism and Buddism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hinduism and Buddism - Research Paper Example The prayers are confirmed by marking Tikka, i.e., a red mark of vermilion on the foreheads. The goal of the narrator as a Hindu is to illuminate ignorance and become more spiritual. Discussion Questions 1. What cuisines are traditionally prepared at Diwali? 2. Why is Diwali celebrated at the end of year? 3. How many days does Dilwali continue for? 4. Is celebration of Diwali a means of spiritual revival for the Hindus? 5. How different is the celebration of Diwali between India and elsewhere? Strengths and Weaknesses a. I think that the video presented the topic well as whatever the narrator says, the video displays images with that. For example, when the narrator says that everybody gets into the prayer room, the video shows everybody assembling in it. Likewise, the coins are shown being washed in milk and being applied vermilion upon as the narrator explains what is happening. In addition to that, the accent and dialect of the narrator is such that each and every word is understand able. Secondly, the audience gets the complete concept of the Festival of Diwali as well as the underlying beliefs of the Hindus related to this event in a video of just 2 minutes and 4 seconds. Not only this, the video explains that the concept of gods in Hinduism is like a board of members, so that the audience does not get confused when the video shows the family first worshipping Lord Ganesha and then the Goddess Laxmi. b. It is a good video to show to those who do not know what is Diwali because it explains the concept of Diwali, shows a family praying upon and celebrating Diwali, discusses the significance of different gods and goddesses in Hinduism, and explains the reason Hindus illuminate their homes at this Festival. c. I had to do some further research to understand Diwali as this video did not discuss everything related to Diwali. One weakness of the video is that it only projects the perspective of the narrator. It would have been better if different family members were invited to express what meanings they associate with the event, though considering the time constraints, it seems justified. d. This video is useful for students and people belonging to all categories as all people in the video are dressed modestly, and there is no offence whatsoever. e. This video shows how Hindus get united at the Festival of Diwali and pray and celebrate it together. This spreads the message of tolerance, unity, and mutual harmony and understanding. Video II Video Summary This video covers Buddhism. The video shows paintings of the 500 disciples of Buddha in the North East India from the V century. In Sanskrit, they are called as Arhats. These disciples were intercessors and messengers of Buddhism. The idea was that they were enlightened while living among common people. These 100 paintings were compiled between 1854 and 1863. The paintings were intended to project Buddhist catechism. The essence of Buddhism is that materialistic world is deceptive and everythin g is in transition. The paintings depict the everyday lifestyle of the Buddhist disciples, their comfortable interaction with people as well as animals, and present a holistic picture of their culture. The paintings show everything from murder, wars, suicides, and fire breakouts to daily activities of the Arhats in a peaceful environment. Discussion Questions 1. What was the

Hack man and old hams Job Characteristic model

Hack man and old hams Job Characteristic model (JCM) has been used extensively for a long time as a outline to understanding five key charachteristics to promote satidfaction and motivation within a work place. These five factors are skill variety, taks identity, task significance autonomy and feedback from the job (Hackman and Oldham 1976) these characteristics in turn promote psychological states experience of meaningfulness, experience of outcome responsibility, and knowledge of results of work (Hackman and Oldham 1976). These states subsequently effect the outcomes; work motivation, performance, satisfaction within the work, low absenteeism, and turnover (Hackman and Oldham 1976). Hackman and Oldham proposed that when these five job characteristics and the work outcomes are combined to find motivating potential score (MVS), which can then be used measure the job will affect employees satisfaction, behavior , and desire to grow within their job. This theory was used as a framework for many years, generating a great deal of research. As a whole the JCM does maintain the prediction that when a worker is motivated, satisfied , and their performance is high, they see their job as high within The five key job characteristics, and mediates a more positive physical state. (Fried and Ferris 1986). However the JCM comes under scrutiny, due to the distinctiveness of the five job characteristics that it uses, it doesnt approach the job with the certainty that it can be changed. Within the five core characteristics Hackman and Oldham (1967) failed to recognize important features within a work place such as the social envirmonment and work context (Humphreys et al 2007) One of the limitations to the JCM that needed looking into more detail was the mediation of critical psychological states(CPS). Fried and Ferris (1987) found that although the JCM has stimulated over 250 published studies, only eight of these studies included the CPS. Hackman and Oldham originally stated that the CPS would each separately act as mediators, however Oldham(1996) later corrected this by stating that the true mediation model is different. Johns et al (1992) also backed this statement in their earlier research suggesting that experienced meaning was a particularly encompassing psychological state and it served as a mediator for all five motivational characteristics (Johns et al 1992 in Humphrey et al 2007 )Johns et al (1992) was not suggesting that the other states should be taken out but each contributes in their own way to the mediation development. Since Hackmans and Oldhams (1976) theory, other researchers have expanded on the JCM, as although it was evolutionary in expanding the understanding of occupational psychology it was also very limited. Humphreys (2007) meta analysis is a good example of this, as it has found enchanced characteristics than the initial core five that Hackman and Oldham (1976) came up with. One of the first important factors accounting for motivation which was stated earlier the social environment and work context (Humphrey et al 2007) both incrementally predicted enchanced motivation and positive behavior better than the original five core characteristics. Humohrey expanded on the importance of social environment, observing that social characteristics are extremely important factors to promote a positive environment at work motivational qualities, well beingness, and how meaningful the work is to the employee( Myers 1999). Because these characteristics reduce the likeliness of negative events happening at the work place, they therefore reduce the job stress on the employee. These are extremely imrotant factors in promoting occuopational health as Adler anKwon (2002 in Humphrey et al 2007 ) found that they also increase motivation and prosocial work behavior, promoting resilence, security , and positive moos on the job. When redesigning jobs, consultants might look at social characteristics such as organized team work, which promotes interdependence between associates. Furthermore interdependence offers social support and a network of co workers and supervisors to assist fellow employees and offer support when needed. This network of support also offers role identity and deal with concerns they have More generally working in a team just sustains the opportunity for social interaction, researchers have now started to emphasize the significance of team work and interdependence (Arthur, Edwards, Bell, Villado Bennet 2005). This also helps to clarify which roles the particular person fills. Which in turn allows for feedback to enhance perception of the individuals responsibility within a role . Biddle (1979 in Humphreys et al 2007) emphasized that social characteristics should improve and develop role awareness as employees roles become more evident with more contact with other people. Furthermore soci al characteristics enable interections between employees allowing them to learn from one another and gain valuable experience, that can only be sought from face to face interactions. This facilitates the employees to transfer implicit and explicit knowledge, so they can perform more effectively (Humphreys 2007). If employees find the social environment they work in to pbe a positive atmosphere and somewhere they like to work then there will be reduced absenteeism, and will want to carry on working for their employer or organization. Additionally as part of being in a group or team, jobs often require leadership, and group leadership ivolves teams with assorted skills from different division of an organization sucha s cross funsctional teams. Team work envolves sharing leadership roles, or envoles rotating different leaders, allowing team members to gain more experience and elevate power (Bens 2006)   Following this Humphreys et al (2007) found that work context actually accounts for more varience than social environment, Humphreys et al (2007) specifically looked at three work context characteristics these are physical demands, work conditions, and ergonomics. Physical demands indicate the actual amount of physical exertion or activity is required for the job This also looks at how much stamina, patience and activity one has to do with the job and if it is satisfactory for the individual. work conditions examines the physical environment that the employees work in, such as ; health hazards, temperature and noise (Edwards Scully and Brtek 1999). Ergonomics shows if the work allow for travel, stance and movement. All three of these characteristics take into account how the job is designed in terms of biological concerns(Campion 1988). If these three characteristics dont work in synergyand complement each other then the job will be physically unpleasant, and the employees will not find working there to be a positive experience, and absentee levels will rise. Following Hackman and Oldhams theory,. Humphreys meta analysis has allowed us to pinpoint specific out comes, and see where more research needs to take place in order to throuroughly and successfully redesign jobs to promote better health. However it also highlights gaps in research, still the outcomes are unknown and a gnereic model cannot always be used due to individual characteristics, it can only be used to pinpoint specific relationships. Bond and Bunce (2001)s longitudinal study, was a quasi experiment measured job stressers and strain using the occupational stress indicatior, job control, self rated performance and sickness absence, with participants that were particularly stressed within middle management employees working for a government minister, and a very strict control group. A Parcipitative action research program (PAR) was put in place to reduce the employees amount of stress. On the basis of Bond and Bunce (2001) findings , the comitee involved decided to develop proposals and action plans to increase workers jobcontrol over three problem areas: assignment distribution procedures, within-unit consultation and communication, and informal performance feedback(Bond and Bunce 2001). Subsequently in agreement with PAR the committee offered everyone in the different units a chance to give their opinion, and discuss the changes that they would like to improve the occupational health within the company, before the stratagies were finalized. And each Par unit had to meet specific goals set by the committee. The study found that giving the individual some power by being involved in the job redesign gives the indiviaul more job satisfaction. Furthermore it was the longitudinal and quasi experiment to prove that a work restructuring interventeion can reduce stress in the work place and mental health (Bond and Bunce 2001). However there are some problems with this experiment as it lack generalizability due to its common source bias, as the study has asked the individual and it is self report,a job analysis may have beena a better option when redesigning the work place as the results can be generalized more easily. However Bond and Bunces (2001) study is extremely interesting and shows progression in occupational health psychology. In conclusion Hackman and Oldhams (1967) study was very influential in occupational health psychology, and although now it can be criticised greatly for its limitations it is a framework that has just been improved upon time after time, promotiong mediation in job redesign throughout all occupations to make it more positive for the employee.  · ^ Ingrid Bens (2006). Facilitating to Lead. Jossey-Bass.  

Free Essays On Shakespeares Sonnet 65 :: Sonnet essays

Analysis of Sonnet 65 Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea, But sad mortality o'ersways their power, How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, Whose action is no stronger than a flower? Oh how shall summer's honey breath hold out Against the wrackful siege of battering days, When rocks impregnable are not so stout Nor gates of steel so strong but time decays? Oh fearful meditation! where, alack, Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid? Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back? Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid? Oh none, unless this miracle have might- That in black ink my love may still shine bright. This sonnet shares several similarities in imagery as sonnets 63 and 66, and also to the theme of time and Rome as seen in Spencer's translatory sonnet sequence, _Ruins of Rome by: Bellay_. To best understand this sonnet we must realize to what or whom the pronouns refer to. My explication relies on "their" in line 2 referring to both time and ruin, a theme sustained from sonnet 64. 1-2: 'Only depressing mortality can overturn the tyranny of time and ruin, considering that brass, stone, earth or sea cannot prevent it'. Thus, death is an escape from time and the ruin which it imposes. The second quatrain is reminiscent of the thematic imagery of Rome's susception to time in sonnet 9 of _Ruines of Rome_: "Why were not these Romane palaces / Made of some matter no lesse fime and strong? . . . All things which beneath the Moone haue being / Are temporall, and subject to decay." Echoing the elements in the first line of the sonnet, Shakespeare is iterating the inability to avoid and preve nt time. "Battering days" also shares this imagery as "Time's injurious hand crush'd"; which, to note further, appears as "iniurious time" in Spencer's work. Knowing this, he appeals to dreadful and injurious knowledge in line 9: 'where should we hide time's most precious jewel [our youth] from the vault it is held in'. the reason I believe the jewel to be a symbol of youth stems from sonnet 63, in which time steals "away the treasure of his spring." Spring here, and in many other sonnets of Shakespeare, refers to youth and sexual prime.

Introduction to Epidemiology

Aug 17 2011 Introduction to Epidemiology Epidemiology is considered the basic science of public health, and with good reason. Epidemiology is: †¢ †¢ †¢ A quantitative basic science built on a working knowledge of probability, statistics, and sound research methodology A method of causal reasoning based on developing and testing hypotheses pertaining to occurrence and prevention of morbidity and mortality A tool for public health action to promote and protect the public’s health based on science, causal reasoning, and a dose of practical common sense (2).As a public health discipline, epidemiology is instilled with the spirit that epidemiologic information should be used to promote and protect the public’s health. Hence, epidemiology involves both science and public health practice. The term applied epidemiology is sometimes used to describe the application or practice of epidemiology to address public health issues.Examples of applied epidemiology include the following: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ the monitoring of reports of communicable diseases in the community the study of whether a particular dietary component influences your risk of developing cancer evaluation of the effectiveness and impact of a cholesterol awareness program analysis of historical trends and current data to project future public health resource needs ObjectivesAfter studying this document and answering the questions in the exercises, you should be able to do the following: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Define epidemiology Summarize the historical evolution of epidemiology Describe the elements of a case definition and state the effect of changing the value of any of the elements List the key features and uses of descriptive epidemiology List the key features and uses of analytic epidemiology List the three components of the epidemiologic triad List and describe Hill’s criteria of causation Understand the natural history of disease and the three types of prevention Understand infectivity, pathogenicity, and virulence List and describe primary applications of epidemiology in public health practice List and describe the different modes of transmission of communicable disease in a population 1 Page 2 Applied Epidemiology I A number of exercises are provided. It is suggested you attempt to answer these questions and then compare your answers with those at the end of this document. Introduction The word epidemiology comes from the Greek words epi, meaning â€Å"on or upon,† demos, meaning â€Å"people,† and logos, meaning â€Å"the study of. Many definitions have been proposed, but the following definition captures the underlying principles and the public health spirit of epidemiology: â€Å"Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to the cont rol of health problems. † (17) Key terms in this definition reflect some of the important principles of epidemiology. Study Epidemiology is a scientific discipline with sound methods of scientific inquiry at its foundation. Epidemiology is data-driven and relies on a systematic and unbiased approach to the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data.Basic epidemiologic methods tend to rely on careful observation and use of valid comparison groups to assess whether what was observed, such as the number of cases of disease in a particular area during a particular time period or the frequency of an exposure among persons with disease, differs from what might be expected. However, epidemiology also draws on methods from other scientific fields, including biostatistics and informatics, with biologic, economic, social, and behavioral sciences. In fact, epidemiology is often described as the basic science of public health, and for good reason. First, epidemiology is a quantitati ve discipline that relies on a working knowledge of probability, statistics, and sound research methods.Second, epidemiology is a method of causal reasoning based on developing and testing hypotheses grounded in such scientific fields as biology, behavioral sciences, physics, and ergonomics to explain health-related behaviors, states, and events. However, epidemiology is not just a research activity but an integral component of public health, providing the foundation for directing practical and appropriate public health action based on this science and causal reasoning. Determinants Epidemiology is also used to search for determinants, which are the causes and other factors that influence the occurrence of disease and other health-related events.Epidemiologists assume that illness does not occur randomly in a population, but happens only when the right accumulation of risk factors or determinants exists in an individual. To search for these determinants, epidemiologists use analytic epidemiology or epidemiologic studies to provide the â€Å"Why† and â€Å"How† of such events. They assess whether groups with different rates of disease differ in their demographic characteristics, genetic or immunologic make-up, behaviors, environmental exposures, or other so-called potential risk factors. Ideally, the findings provide sufficient evidence to direct prompt and effective public health control and prevention measures. Health-related states or eventsEpidemiology was originally focused exclusively on epidemics of communicable diseases3 but was subsequently expanded to address endemic communicable diseases and non-communicable infectious diseases. By the middle of the 20th Century, additional epidemiologic methods had been developed and applied to chronic diseases, injuries, birth defects, maternal-child health, occupational health, and environmental health. Then epidemiologists began to look at behaviors related to health and well-being, such as amount o f exercise and seat belt use. Now, with the recent explosion in molecular methods, Introduction to Epidemiology – Epi 592J Page 3 epidemiologists can make important strides in examining genetic markers of disease risk.Indeed, the term health related states or events may be seen as anything that affects the well-being of a population. Nonetheless, many epidemiologists still use the term â€Å"disease† as shorthand for the wide range of healthrelated states and events that are studied. Specified populations Although epidemiologists and direct health-care providers (clinicians) are both concerned with occurrence and control of disease, they differ greatly in how they view â€Å"the patient. † The clinician is concerned about the health of an individual; the epidemiologist is concerned about the collective health of the people in a community or population. In other words, the clinician’s â€Å"patient† is the individual; the epidemiologist’s â⠂¬Å"patient† is the community.Therefore, the clinician and the epidemiologist have different responsibilities when faced with a person with illness. For example, when a patient with diarrheal disease presents, both are interested in establishing the correct diagnosis. However, while the clinician usually focuses on treating and caring for the individual, the epidemiologist focuses on identifying the exposure or source that caused the illness; the number of other persons who may have been similarly exposed; the potential for further spread in the community; and interventions to prevent additional cases or recurrences. Application Epidemiology is not just â€Å"the study of† health in a population; it also involves applying the knowledge gained by the studies to community-based practice.Like the practice of medicine, the practice of epidemiology is both a science and an art. To make the proper diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment for a patient, the clinician comb ines medical (scientific) knowledge with experience, clinical judgment, and understanding of the patient. Similarly, the epidemiologist uses the scientific methods of descriptive and analytic epidemiology as well as experience, epidemiologic judgment, and understanding of local conditions in â€Å"diagnosing† the health of a community and proposing appropriate, practical, and acceptable public health interventions to control and prevent disease in the community. SummaryEpidemiology is the study (scientific, systematic, data-driven) of the distribution (frequency, pattern) and determinants (causes, risk factors) of health-related states and events (not just diseases) in specified populations (patient is community, individuals viewed collectively), and the application of (since epidemiology is a discipline within public health) this study to the control of health problems. Evolution Although epidemiologic thinking has been traced from Hippocrates (circa 400 B. C. ) through Grau nt (1662), Farr, Snow (both mid-1800’s), and others, the discipline did not blossom until the end of the Second World War. The contributions of some of these early and more recent thinkers are described next. Hippocrates (circa 400 B. C. ) attempted to explain disease occurrence from a rational instead of a supernatural viewpoint. In his essay entitled â€Å"On Airs, Waters, and Places,† Hippocrates suggested that environmental and host factors such as behaviors might influence the development of disease.Another early contributor to epidemiology was John Graunt, a London haberdasher who published his landmark analysis of mortality data in 1662. He was the first to quantify patterns of birth, death, and disease occurrence, noting male-female disparities, high infant mortality, urban-rural differences, and seasonal variations. No one built upon Graunt’s work until the mid-1800, when William Farr began to systematically collect and analyze Britain’s mortalit y statistics. Farr, considered the father of modern vital statistics and disease surveillance, developed many of the basic practices used today in vital statistics and disease classification. He extended the epidemiologic analysis of morbidity and mortality data, looking at Page 4 Applied Epidemiology I he effects of marital status, occupation, and altitude. He also developed many epidemiologic concepts and techniques still in use today. Meanwhile, an anesthesiologist named John Snow was conducting a series of investigations in London that later earned him the title â€Å"the father of epidemiology. † Twenty years before the development of the microscope, Snow conducted studies of cholera outbreaks both to discover the cause of the disease and to prevent its recurrence. Because his work classically illustrates the sequence from descriptive epidemiology to hypothesis generation to hypothesis testing (analytic epidemiology) to application, we will consider two of his efforts.It is important to mention that at the time of John Snow’s investigations the most widely accepted cause of diseases, including cholera, was due to miasma, or foul air. Therefore most believed that cholera was transmitted by air, especially foul-smelling air near water. The germ theory, that disease was transmitted by microbes, did not gain acceptance until later in the 1800s. Snow conducted his classic study in 1854 when an epidemic of cholera developed in the Golden Square of London. He began his investigation by determining where in this area persons with cholera lived and worked. He then used this information to map the distribution of cases on what epidemiologists call a spot map. His map is shown in Figure 1. 1.Because Snow believed that water was a source of infection for cholera, he marked the location of water pumps on his spot map, and then looked for a relationship between the distribution of cholera case households and the location of pumps. He noticed that more cas e households clustered around certain pumps, especially the Broad Street pump, and he concluded that the Broad Street pump was the most likely source of infection. Questioning residents who lived near the other pumps, he found that they avoided certain pumps because the water they provided was grossly contaminated, and that other pumps were located too inconveniently for most residents of the Golden Square area.From this information, it appeared to Snow that the Broad Street pump was probably the primary source of water for most persons with cholera in the Golden Square area. He realized, however, that it was too soon to draw that conclusion because the map showed no cholera cases in a two-block area to the east of the Broad Street pump. Perhaps no one lived in that area, or perhaps the residents were somehow protected. Upon investigating, Snow found that a brewery was located there and that it had a deep well on the premises where brewery workers, who also lived in the area, got th eir water. In addition, the brewery allotted workers a daily quota of malt liquor. Access to these uncontaminated rations could explain why none of the brewery’s employees contracted cholera.To provide further evidence that the Broad Street pump was the source of the epidemic, Snow gathered information on where persons with cholera had obtained their water. Consumption of water from the Broad Street pump was the one common factor among the cholera patients. According to legend, Snow removed the handle of the Broad Street pump and aborted the outbreak. Snow’s second major contribution involved another investigation of the same outbreak of cholera that occurred in London in 1854. In a London epidemic in 1849, Snow had noted that districts with the highest mortalities had water supplied by two companies: the Lambeth Company and the Southwark and Vauxhall Company. At that time, both companies obtained water from the Thames River, at intake points downstream of London.In 18 52, the Lambeth Company moved their water works upstream from London, thus obtaining water free of London sewage. When cholera returned to London in 1853, Snow realized the Lambeth Company’s relocation of its intake point would allow him to compare districts that were supplied with water upstream from London with districts that received water downstream from London. Table 1. 1 shows what Snow found when he made that comparison for cholera mortality over a 7-week period during the summer of 1854. Introduction to Epidemiology – Epi 592J Page 5 Figure 1. 1 Distribution of cholera cases in the Golden Square area of London, August-September 1854 Table 1. Mortality from cholera in the districts of London supplied by the Southwark and Vauxhall and the Lambeth Companies, July 9-August 26, 1854 Districts with Water Supplied by Population Deaths from Mortality Risk per (1851 Census) Cholera 1,000 Population 167,654 844 5. 0 Southwark and Vauxhall Co. only Lambeth Co. only Both c ompanies Source: 27 19,133 300,149 18 652 0. 9 2. 2 Page 6 Applied Epidemiology I The data in Table 1. 1 show that the risk of death from cholera was more than 5 times higher in districts served only by the Southwark and Vauxhall Company than in those served only by the Lambeth Company. Interestingly, the mortality risks in districts supplied by both companies fell between the risks for districts served exclusively by either company.These data were consistent with the hypothesis that water obtained from the Thames below London was a source of cholera. Alternatively, the populations supplied by the two companies may have differed on a number of other factors which affected their risk of cholera. To test his water supply hypothesis, Snow focused on the districts served by both companies, because the households within a district were generally comparable except for which company supplied water. In these districts, Snow identified the water supply company for every house in which a deat h from cholera had occurred during the 7-week period. Table 1. 2 shows his findings. Table 1. Mortality from cholera in London related to the water supply of individual houses in districts served by both the Southwark and Vauxhall Company and the Lambeth Company, July 9August 26, 1854 Water Supply of Individual House Population Deaths from Mortality risk per (1851 Census) Cholera 1,000 Population Southwark and Vauxhall Co. 98,862 419 4. 2 Lambeth Co. Source: 27 154,615 80 0. 5 This further study added support to Snow’s hypothesis, and demonstrates the sequence of steps used today to investigate outbreaks of disease. Based on a characterization of the cases and population at risk by time, place, and person, Snow developed a testable hypothesis. He then tested this hypothesis with a more rigorously designed study, ensuring that the groups to be compared were comparable. After this study, efforts to control the epidemic were directed at changing the location of the water intake of the Southwark and Vauxhall Company to reduce sources of contamination.Thus, with no knowledge of the existence of microorganisms, Snow demonstrated through epidemiologic studies that water could serve as a vehicle for transmitting cholera and that epidemiologic information could be used to direct prompt and appropriate public health action. More information on John Snow can be found at: www. ph. ucla. edu/epi/snow. html In the mid- and late-1800’s, many others in Europe and the United States began to apply epidemiologic methods to investigate disease occurrence. At that time, most investigators focused on acute infectious diseases. In the 1900’s, epidemiologists extended their methods to noninfectious diseases.The period since the Second World War has seen an explosion in the development of research methods and the theoretical underpinnings of epidemiology, and in the application of epidemiology to the entire range of health-related outcomes, behaviors, and even kno wledge and attitudes. The studies by Doll and Hill (13) linking smoking to lung cancer and the study of cardiovascular disease among residents of Framingham, Massachusetts (12), are two examples of how pioneering researchers have applied epidemiologic methods to chronic disease since World War II. Finally, during the 1960’s and early 1970’s health workers applied epidemiologic methods to eradicate smallpox worldwide.This was an achievement in applied epidemiology of unprecedented proportions. Today, public health workers throughout the world accept and use epidemiology routinely. Epidemiology is often practiced or used by non-epidemiologists to characterize the health of their communities and to solve day-to-day problems. This landmark in the evolution of the discipline is less dramatic than the eradication of smallpox, but it is no less important in improving the health of people everywhere. Introduction to Epidemiology – Epi 592J Page 7 Uses Epidemiology and t he information generated by epidemiologic methods have many uses. These uses are categorized and described below. Population or community health assessment.To set policy and plan programs, public health officials must assess the health of the population or community they serve and determine whether health services are available, accessible, effective, and efficient. To do this, they must find answers to many questions: What are the actual and potential health problems in the community? Where are they? Who is at risk? Which problems are declining over time? Which ones are increasing or have the potential to increase? How do these patterns relate to the level and distribution of services available? The methods of descriptive and analytic epidemiology provide ways to answer these and other questions.With answers provided through the application of epidemiology, the officials can make informed decisions that will lead to improved health for the population they serve. Individual decision s. People may not realize that they use epidemiologic information in their daily decisions. When they decide to stop smoking, take the stairs instead of the elevator, order a salad instead of a cheeseburger with French fries, or choose one method of contraception instead of another, they may be influenced, consciously or unconsciously, by epidemiologists’ assessment of risk. Since World War II, epidemiologists have provided information related to all those decisions.In the 1950’s, epidemiologists documented the increased risk of lung cancer among smokers; in the 1960’s and 1970’s, epidemiologists noted a variety of benefits and risks associated with different methods of birth control; in the mid-1980’s, epidemiologists identified the increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection associated with certain sexual and drug-related behaviors; and, more positively, epidemiologists continue to document the role of exercise and proper diet in reducing the risk of heart disease. These and hundreds of other epidemiologic findings are directly relevant to the choices that people make every day, choices that affect their health over a lifetime. Completing the clinical picture. When studying a disease outbreak, epidemiologists depend on clinical physicians and laboratory scientists for the proper diagnosis of individual patients.But epidemiologists also contribute to physicians’ understanding of the clinical picture and natural history of disease. For example, in late 1989 three patients in New Mexico were diagnosed as having myalgias (severe muscle pains in chest or abdomen) and unexplained eosinophilia (an increase in the number of one type of white blood cell). Their physicians could not identify the cause of their symptoms, or put a name to the disorder. Epidemiologists began looking for other cases with similar symptoms, and within weeks had found enough additional cases of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) t o describe the illness, its complications, and its risk of mortality.Similarly, epidemiologists have documented the course of HIV infection, from the initial exposure to the development of a wide variety of clinical syndromes that include acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). They have also documented the numerous conditions associated with cigarette smoking—from pulmonary and heart disease to lung and cervical cancer. Search for causes. Much of epidemiologic research is devoted to a search for causes, factors which influence one’s risk of disease. Sometimes this is an academic pursuit, but more often the goal is to identify a cause so that appropriate public health action might be taken. It has been said that epidemiology can never prove a causal relationship between an exposure and a disease. Nevertheless, epidemiology often provides enough information to support effective action.Examples include John Snow’s removal of the pump handle and the withdrawal o f a specific brand of tampon that was linked by epidemiologists to toxic shock syndrome. Another example is the recommendation that children not be given aspirin due to its association with Reye syndrome. Just as often, epidemiology and laboratory science converge to provide the evidence needed to establish causation. For example, a team of epidemiologists were able to identify a variety of risk factors during an outbreak of pneumonia among persons attending the American Page 8 Applied Epidemiology I Legion Convention in Philadelphia in 1976, called â€Å"Legionnaire’s disease. However, the outbreak was not â€Å"solved† until the Legionnaires’ bacillus was identified in the laboratory almost 6 months later. Disease control, elimination, and eradication. The ultimate goal of epidemiology is to improve the health of populations and through the reduction in disease. The definitions of disease control, elimination, and eradication as applied to infectious diseases are given below. (Dowdle WR. The principles of disease elimination and eradication. MMWR 48(SU01);23-7, 1999. ): Control: The reduction of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity or mortality to a locally acceptable level as a result of deliberate efforts; continued intervention measures are required to maintain the reduction. Example: diarrheal diseases.Elimination of disease: Reduction to zero of the incidence of a specified disease in a defined geographical area as a result of deliberate efforts; continued intervention measures are required. Examples: neonatal tetanus. Elimination of infections: Reduction to zero of the incidence of infection caused by a specific agent in a defined geographical area as a result of deliberate efforts; continued measures to prevent reestablishment of transmission are required. Example: measles, poliomyelitis. Eradication: Permanent reduction to zero of the worldwide incidence of infection caused by a specific agent as a result of deliberate effor ts; intervention measures are no longer needed. Example: smallpox.Extinction: The specific infectious agent no longer exists in nature or in the laboratory. Example: none. The above definitions are specific to infectious disease, but some of the concepts can carry over to other conditions, such as nutritional disorders, inborn errors of metabolism, and chronic diseases. Introduction to Epidemiology – Epi 592J Page 9 Exercise 1. 1 In the early 1980’s, epidemiologists recognized that AIDS occurred most frequently in men who had sex with men and in intravenous drug users. Describe how this information might be used for each of the following: a. Population or community health assessment b. Individual decisions c. Search for causes Page 10 Applied Epidemiology I The Epidemiologic ApproachLike a newspaper reporter, an epidemiologist determines What, When, Where, Who, and Why. However, the epidemiologist is more likely to describe these concepts in slightly different terms: c ase definition, time, place, person, and causes. Case Definition (â€Å"What? †) The identification of disease can be based on symptoms, signs, and diagnostic tests. A symptom is a sensation or change in health experienced by an individual. Examples of symptoms reported by an individual are a cough, fatigue, anxiety, and back pain. Signs, or signs of disease, are an objective evidence of disease observed by someone other than the affected individual, such as a physician or nurse.A case definition is a set of standard criteria for deciding whether a person has a particular disease or other health-related condition. By using a standard case definition we attempt to ensure that every case is diagnosed in the same way, regardless of when or where it occurred, or who identified it. We can then compare the number of cases of the disease that occurred in one time or place with the number that occurred at another time or another place. For example, with a standard case definition, we can compare the number of cases of hepatitis A that occurred in New York City in 1991 with the number that occurred there in 1990. Or we can compare the number of cases that occurred in New York in 1991 with the number that occurred in San Francisco in 1991. With a standard ase definition, when we find a difference in disease occurrence, we know it is likely to be due to a real difference or due to the quality of the disease reporting system rather than the result of differences in how cases were diagnosed. A case definition consists of clinical criteria and, sometimes, limitations on time, place, and person. The clinical criteria usually include confirmatory laboratory tests, if available, or combinations of symptoms (subjective complaints), signs (objective physical findings), and other findings. For example, see the case definition for rabies below; notice that it requires laboratory confirmation. Rabies, Human Clinical description Rabies is an acute encephalomyelitis that almos t always progresses to coma or death within 10 days of the first symptom.Laboratory criteria for diagnosis †¢ Detection by direct fluorescent antibody of viral antigens in a clinical specimen (preferably the brain or the nerves surrounding hair follicles in the nape of the neck), or †¢ Isolation (in cell culture or in a laboratory animal) of rabies virus from saliva, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), or central nervous system tissue, or †¢ Identification of a rabies-neutralizing antibody titer greater than or equal to 5 (complete neutralization) in the serum or CSF of an unvaccinated person Case classification Confirmed: a clinically compatible illness that is laboratory confirmed Comment Laboratory confirmation by all of the above methods is strongly recommended. Source: 3 Compare this with the case definition for Kawasaki syndrome provided in Exercise 1. 3 on page 12. Kawasaki syndrome is a childhood illness with fever and rash that has no known cause and no specifically d istinctive laboratory findings.Notice that its case definition is based on the presence of fever, at least four of five specified clinical findings, and the lack of a more reasonable explanation. A case definition may have several sets of criteria, depending on the certainty of the diagnosis. For example, during an outbreak of measles, we might classify a person with a fever and rash as having a Introduction to Epidemiology – Epi 592J Page 11 suspect, probable, or confirmed case of measles, depending on what additional evidence of measles was present. In other situations, we may temporarily classify a case as suspect or probable until laboratory results are available. When we receive the laboratory report, we then reclassify the case as either confirmed or â€Å"not a case,† depending on the lab results.In the midst of a large outbreak of a disease caused by a known agent, we may permanently classify some cases as suspect or probable, because it is unnecessary and wast eful to run laboratory tests on every individual with a consistent clinical picture and a history of exposure (e. g. , chickenpox). Case definitions may also vary according to the purpose for classifying the occurrences of a disease. For example, health officials need to know as soon as possible if anyone has symptoms of plague or foodborne botulism so that they can begin planning what actions to take. For such rare but potentially severe diseases, where it is important to identify every possible case, health officials use a sensitive, or â€Å"loose† case definition.On the other hand, investigators of the causes of a disease outbreak want to be certain that any person included in the investigation really had the disease. The investigator will prefer a specific or â€Å"strict† case definition. For instance, in an outbreak of Salmonella agona, the investigators would be more likely to identify the source of the infection if they included only persons who were confirmed to have been infected with that organism, rather than including anyone with acute diarrhea, because some persons may have had diarrhea from a different cause. In this setting, a disadvantage of a strict case definition is an underestimate of the total number of cases. Exercise 1. 2In the case definition for an apparent outbreak of trichinosis, investigators used the following classifications: Clinical criteria Confirmed case: signs and symptoms plus laboratory confirmation Probable case: acute onset of at least three of the following four features: myalgia, fever, facial edema, or eosinophil count greater than 500/mm3 Possible case: acute onset of two of the above four features plus a physician diagnosis of trichinosis Suspect case: unexplained eosinophilia Not a case: failure to fulfill the criteria for a confirmed, probable, possible, or suspect case Time Onset after October 26, 1991 Place Metropolitan Atlanta Person Any Assign the appropriate classification to each of the person s included in the line listing below. (All were residents of Atlanta with acute onset of symptoms in November. ) Page 12 Applied Epidemiology I ID # 1 2 3 4 5 Last name Abels Baker Corey Dale Ring myalgia yes yes yes yes yes fever yes yes yes no no facial edema no yes no no no eosinophil count 495 pending 1,100 2,050 600 Physician diagnosis trichinosis trichinosis ? trichinosis EMS ? trichinosis Lab confirm yes pending pending pending not done Classification __________ __________ __________ __________ __________Exercise 1. 3 The following is the official case definition for Kawasaki syndrome that is recommended by CDC: Kawasaki Syndrome Clinical case definition A febrile illness of greater than or equal to 5 days’ duration, with at least four of the five following physical findings and no other more reasonable explanation for the observed clinical findings: †¢ Bilateral conjunctival injection †¢ Oral changes (erythema of lips or oropharynx, strawberry tongue, or fis suring of the lips) †¢ Peripheral extremity changes (edema, erythema, or generalized or periungual desquamation) †¢ Rash †¢ Cervical lymphadenopathy (at least one lymph node greater than or equal to 1. cm in diameter) Laboratory criteria for diagnosis None Case classification Confirmed: a case that meets the clinical case definition Comment If fever disappears after intravenous gamma globulin therapy is started, fever may be of less than 5 days’ duration, and the clinical case definition may still be met. Source: 3 Discuss the pros and cons of this case definition for the purposes listed below. (For a brief description of Kawasaki syndrome, see Benenson’s Control of Communicable Diseases in Man). a. Diagnosing and treating individual patients b. Tracking the occurrence of the disease for public health records c. Doing research to identify the cause of the disease Introduction to Epidemiology – Epi 592J Page 13 Numbers and RisksA basic task of a he alth department is counting cases in order to measure and describe morbidity. When physicians diagnose a case of a reportable disease they are suppose to report the case to their local health department. For most reportable conditions, these reports are legally required to contain information on time (when the case occurred), place (where the patient lived), and person (the age, race, and sex of the patient). The health department combines all reports and summarizes the information by time, place, and person. From these summaries, the health department determines the extent and patterns of disease occurrence in the area, and attempts to identify clusters or outbreaks of disease.A simple count of cases, however, does not provide all the information a health department needs. To compare the occurrence of a disease at different locations, during different times, or in different subgroups, a health department converts the case counts into risks, which relates the number of cases to the size of the population. Risks are useful in many ways. With risks, the health department can identify groups in the community with an elevated risk of disease. These so-called high-risk groups can be further assessed and targeted for special intervention; the groups can be studied to identify risk factors that are related to the occurrence of disease.Individuals can use knowledge of these risk factors to guide their decisions about behaviors that influence health. Descriptive Epidemiology In descriptive epidemiology, we organize and summarize data according to time, place, and person. These three characteristics are sometimes called the epidemiologic variables. Compiling and analyzing data by time, place, and person is desirable for several reasons. First, the investigator becomes intimately familiar with the data and with the extent of the public health problem being investigated. Second, this provides a detailed description of the health of a population that is easily communicated . Third, such analysis identifies the populations at greatest risk of acquiring a particular disease.This information provides important clues to the causes of the disease, and these clues can be turned into testable hypotheses. Time (â€Å"When? †) Disease risks usually change over time. Some of these changes occur regularly and can be predicted. For example, the seasonal increase of influenza cases with the onset of cold weather is a pattern that is familiar to everyone. By knowing when flu outbreaks will occur, health departments can time their influenza vaccination campaigns effectively. Other diseases may make unpredictable changes in occurrence. By examining events that precede a disease increase or decrease, we may identify causes and appropriate actions to control or prevent further occurrence of the disease.We usually show time data as a graph (Figure 1. 3). We put the number or risk of cases or deaths on the vertical, y-axis; we put the time periods along the horizo ntal, x-axis. We often indicate on a graph when events occurred that we believe are related to the particular health problem described in the graph. For example, we may indicate the period of exposure or the date control measures were implemented. Such a graph provides a simple visual depiction of the relative size of a problem, its past trend and potential future course, as well as how other events may have affected the problem. Studying such a graph often gives us insights into what may have caused the problem.Depending on what event we are describing, we may be interested in a period of years or decades, or we may limit the period to hours, days, weeks, or months when the number of cases reported is greater than normal (an epidemic period). For some conditions—for many chronic diseases, for example—we are interested in long-term changes in the number of cases or risk of the condition. For other conditions, we may find it more revealing to look at the occurrence of t he condition by season, month, day of the Page 14 Applied Epidemiology I week, or even time of day. For a newly recognized problem, we need to assess the occurrence of the problem over time in a variety of ways until we discover the most appropriate and revealing time period to use. Some of the common types of time-related graphs are further described below. Secular (long-term) trends.Graphing the annual cases or risk of a disease over a period of years shows long-term or secular trends in the occurrence of the disease. We commonly use these trends to suggest or predict the future incidence of a disease. We also use them in some instances to evaluate programs or policy decisions, or to suggest what caused an increase or decrease in the occurrence of a disease, particularly if the graph indicates when related events took place, as depicted in Figure 1. 3 (note the scale of the y-axis). Figure 1. 3 Malaria by year, United States, 1930-1990 Works Progress Administration Malaria Control Drainage Program Relapses from Overseas Cases 1000 Reported Cases per 100,000 Population 100Relapses from Korean Veterans Returning Vietnam Veterans 10 Foreign Immigration 1 0. 1 0. 01 1930 1935 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 Source: 9 Year Seasonality. By graphing the occurrence of a disease by week or month over the course of a year or more we can show its seasonal pattern, if any. Some diseases are known to have characteristic seasonal distributions; for example, as mentioned earlier, the number of reported cases of influenza typically increases in winter. Seasonal patterns may suggest hypotheses about how the infection is transmitted, which behavioral factors increase risk, and other possible contributors to the disease or condition.The seasonal pattern of an unknown disease is shown in Figure 1. 4. What factors might contribute to its seasonal pattern? From only the single year’s data in Figure 1. 4, it is difficult to conclude whether the peak i n June represents a characteristic seasonal pattern that would be repeated yearly, or whether it is simply an epidemic that occurred in the spring and summer of that particular year. You would need more than one year’s data before you could conclude that the pattern shown there represents the seasonal variation in this disease. Introduction to Epidemiology – Epi 592J Page 15 Figure 1. 4 Cases of an unknown disease by month of onset 450 400 350 300 Cases 50 200 150 100 50 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Source: 14 Month of Onset Day of week and time of day. Displaying data by days of the week or time of day may also be informative. Analysis at these shorter time periods is especially important for conditions that are potentially related to occupational or environmental exposures, which may occur at regularly scheduled intervals. In Figure 1. 5, farm tractor fatalities are displayed by days of the week. Does this analysis at shorter time periods suggest any hypothesis? In Figure 1. 5 the number of farm tractor fatalities on Sundays is about half the number on the other days. We can only speculate why this is.One reasonable hypothesis is that farmers spend fewer hours on their tractors on Sundays than on the other days. Figure 1. 5 Fatalities associated with farm tractor injuries by day of death, Georgia, 1971-1981 Source: 15 Page 16 Applied Epidemiology I Examine the pattern of fatalities associated with farm tractor injuries by hour in Figure 1. 6. How might you explain the morning peak at 11:00 AM, the dip at noon, and the afternoon peak at 4:00 PM? Figure 1. 6 Fatalities associated with farm tractor injuries by time of day, Georgia, 1971-1981 Source: 15 Epidemic period. To show the time course of a disease outbreak or epidemic, we use a graph called an epidemic curve.As with the other graphs you have seen in this section, we place the number of cases on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis. For time, we use either the time of onset of symptoms or the date of diagnosis. For very acute diseases with short incubation periods (i. e. , time period between exposure and onset of symptoms is short), we may show time as the hour of onset. For diseases with longer incubation periods, we might show time in 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, 1-week, or other appropriate intervals. Figure 1. 7 shows an epidemic curve that uses a 3-day interval for a foodborne disease outbreak. Notice how the cases are stacked in adjoining columns. By convention, we use this format, called a histogram, for epidemic curves.The shape and other features of an epidemic curve can suggest hypotheses about the time and source of exposure, the mode of transmission, and the causative agent. Figure 1. 7 Date of onset of illness in patients with culture-confirmed Yersinia enterocolitica infections, Atlanta, November 1, 1988-January 10, 1989 8 7 6 Thanksgiving Christmas New Year’s Cases 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 1 4 7 10 13 16 1 9 22 25 28 1 4 7 10 November December January Source: 18 Date of Onset Introduction to Epidemiology – Epi 592J Page 17 Place (â€Å"Where? †) We describe a health event by place to gain insight into the geographical extent of the problem. For place, we may use place of residence, birthplace, employment, school district, hospital unit, etc. , epending on which may be related to the occurrence of the health event. Similarly, we may use large or small geographic units: country, state, county, census tract, street address, map coordinates, or some other geographical designation. Sometimes, we may find it useful to analyze data according to place categories such as urban or rural, domestic or foreign, and institutional or noninstitutional. Not all analyses by place will be equally informative. For example, examine the data shown in Table 1. 3. Where were the malaria cases diagnosed? What â€Å"place† does the table break the data down by? Would it have been more or l ess useful to analyze the data according to the â€Å"state of residence† of the cases?We believe that it provides more useful information to show the data in Table 1. 3 by where the infection was acquired than it would have to show where the case-patients lived. By analyzing the malaria cases by place of acquisition, we can see where most of the malaria cases acquired their disease. Table 1. 3 Malaria cases by distribution of Plasmodium species and area of acquisition, United States, 1989 Species Area of Acquisition Vivax Falciparum Other Total Africa 52 382 64 498 Asia 207 44 29 280 Central America & Caribbean 107 14 9 130 North America 131 3 13 147 (United States) (5) (0) (0) (5) South America 10 1 2 13 Oceania 19 2 5 26 Unknown 6 2 0 8 Total 532 448 122 1,102 Source: 6By analyzing data by place, we can also get an idea of where the agent that causes a disease normally lives and multiplies, what may carry or transmit it, and how it spreads. When we find that the occurrence of a disease is associated with a place, we can infer that factors that increase the risk of the disease are present either in the persons living there (host factors) or in the environment, or both. For example, diseases that are passed from one person to another tend to spread more rapidly in urban areas than in rural ones, mainly because the greater crowding in urban areas provides more opportunities for susceptible people to come into contact with someone who is infected.On the other hand, diseases that are passed from animals to humans often occur in greater numbers in rural and suburban areas because people in those areas are more likely to come into contact with disease-carrying animals, ticks, and the like. For example, perhaps Lyme disease has become more common because people have moved to wooded areas where they come into contact with infected deer ticks. Although we can show data by place in a table—as Table 1. 3 does—it is often better to show it pictorial ly in a map. On a map, we can use different shadings, color, or line patterns to indicate how a disease or health event has different numbers or risks of occurrence in different areas, as in Figure 1. 8. Page 18 Applied Epidemiology I Figure 1. 8 AIDS cases per 100,000 population, United States, July 1991-June 1992 Source: 4For a rare disease or outbreak, we often find it useful to prepare a spot map, like Snow’s map of the Golden Square of London (Figure 1. 1), in which we mark with a dot or an X the relation of each case to a place that is potentially relevant to the health event being investigated—such as where each case lived or worked. We may also label other sites on a spot map, such as where we believe cases may have been exposed, to show the orientation of cases within the area mapped. Figure 1. 9 is a spot map for an outbreak of mumps that occurred among employees of the Chicago futures exchanges. Study the location of each case in relation to other cases and to the trading pits. The four numbered areas delineated with heavy lines are the trading pits.Does the location of cases on the spot map lead you to any hypothesis about the source of infection? Figure 1. 9 Mumps cases in trading pits of exchange A, Chicago, Illinois, August 18-December 25, 1987 #1 #3 #2 #4 Key: Pit areas are numbered and delineated by heavy lines. Individual trading pits within pit areas are outlined by light lines. Affected person (N= 43) Desk areas Source: CDC, unpublished data, 1988 Introduction to Epidemiology – Epi 592J Page 19 You probably observed that the cases occurred primarily among those working in trading pits #3 and #4. This clustering of illness within trading pits provides indirect evidence that the mumps was transmitted person-to person. Person (â€Å"Who? ) In descriptive epidemiology, when we organize or analyze data by â€Å"person† there are several person categories available to us. We may use inherent characteristics of people (for example, age, race, sex), their acquired characteristics (immune or marital status), their activities (occupation, leisure activities, use of medications/tobacco/drugs), or the conditions under which they live (socioeconomic status, access to medical care). These categories usually determine, to a large degree, who is at greatest risk of experiencing certain undesirable health conditions, such as becoming infected with a particular disease organism. We may show person-related characteristics in either tables or graphs.In analyzing data by person, we often must try a number of different categories before we find which are the most useful and enlightening. Age and sex are most critical; we almost always analyze data according to these. Depending on the health event we are studying, we may or may not break the data down by other attributes. Often we analyze data by more than one characteristic simultaneously; for example, we may look at age and sex simultaneously to see if the sex es differ in how they develop a condition that increases with age—such as with heart disease. Age. Age is probably the single most important â€Å"person† attribute, because almost every health-related event or state varies with age.A number of factors that also vary with age are behind this association: susceptibility, opportunity for exposure, latency or incubation period of the disease, and physiologic response (which affects, among other things, disease development). When we analyze data by age, we try to use age groups that are narrow enough to detect any agerelated patterns that may be present in the data. In an initial breakdown by age, we commonly use 5-year age intervals: 0 to 4 years, 5 to 9, 10 to 14, and so on. Larger intervals, such as 0 to 19 years, 20 to 39, etc. , may conceal variations related to age which we need to know to identify the true ages at greatest risk.Sometimes, even 5-year age groups can hide important differences, especially in children less than five years of age. Take time to examine Figure 1. 10, for example, before you read ahead. What does the information in this figure suggest health authorities should do to reduce the number of cases of whooping cough? Where should health authorities focus their efforts? You probably said that health authorities should focus on immunizing infants against whooping cough during the first year of life. Now, examine Figure 1. 11. This figure shows the same data but they are presented in the usual 5-year intervals. Based on Figure 1. 11 where would you have suggested that health authorities focus their efforts?Would this recommendation have been as effective and efficient in reducing cases of whooping cough? You probably said that health authorities should immunize infants and children before the age of 5. That recommendation would be effective, but it would not be efficient. You would be immunizing more children than actually necessary and wasting resources. Sex. In general, mal es have higher risks of illness and death than females do for a wide range of diseases. For some diseases, this sex-related difference is because of genetic, hormonal, anatomic, or other inherent differences between the sexes. These inherent differences affect their susceptibility or physiologic responses.For example, premenopausal women have a lower risk of heart disease than men of the same age. This difference is attributed to higher estrogen levels in women. On the other hand, the sex-related differences in the occurrence of many diseases reflect differences in opportunity or levels of exposure. For example, Figure 1. 12 shows that hand/wrist disorders occur almost twice as often in females than in males. What are some sex-related differences that would cause a higher level of this disorder in females? Page 20 Applied Epidemiology I Figure 1. 10 Pertussis (whooping cough) incidence by age group, United States, 1989 Source: 9 Figure 1. 11 Pertussis (whooping cough) incidence by a ge group, United States, 1989 Source: 9 Figure 1. 2 Prevalence of hand/wrist cumulative trauma disorder by sex, Newspaper Company A, 1990 Source: NIOSH, unpublished data, 1991 Introduction to Epidemiology – Epi 592J Page 21 You may have attributed the higher level of disorders in females to their higher level of exposure to occupational activities that require repetitive hand/wrist motion such as typing or keyboard entry. With occupationally-related illness, we usually find that sex differences reflect the number of workers in those occupations. You may also have attributed the higher level of disorders in females to anatomical differences; perhaps women’s wrists are more susceptible to hand/wrist disorders. Ethnic and racial groups.In examining epidemiologic data, we are interested in any group of people who have lived together long enough to acquire common characteristics, either biologically or socially. Several terms are commonly used to identify such groups: race, nationality, religion, or local reproductive or social groups, such as tribes and other geographically or socially isolated groups. Differences that we observe in racial, ethnic, or other groups may reflect differences in their susceptibility or in their exposure, or they may reflect differences in other factors that bear more directly on the risk of disease, such as socioeconomic status and access to health care. In Figure 1. 13, the risks of suicide for five groups of people are displayed. Figure 1. 3 Suicide death rates for persons 15 to 24 years of age according to race/ethnicity, United States, 1988 Source: 22 Clearly this graph displays a range of suicide death rates for the five groups of people. These data provide direction for prevention programs and for future studies to explain the differences. Socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status is difficult to quantify. It is made up of many variables such as occupation, family income, educational achievement, living conditions, and social standing. The variables that are easiest to measure may not reflect the overall concept. Nevertheless, we commonly use occupation, family income, and educational achievement, while recognizing that these do not measure socioeconomic status precisely.The frequency of many adverse health conditions increases with decreasing socioeconomic status. For example, tuberculosis is more common among persons in lower socioeconomic strata. Infant mortality and time lost from work due to disability are both associated with lower income. These patterns may reflect more harmful exposures, lower resistance, and less access to health care. Or they may in part Page 22 Applied Epidemiology I reflect an interdependent relationship which is impossible to untangle—does low socioeconomic status contribute to disability or does disability contribute to lower socioeconomic status? Some adverse health conditions are more frequent among persons of higher socioeconomic status.These condition s include breast cancer, Kawasaki syndrome, and tennis elbow. Again, differences in exposure account for at least some of the differences in the frequency of these conditions. Exercise 1. 4 The following series of tables (Exercise 1. 4, Tables 1-4) show person information about cases of the unknown disease described in Figure 1. 4 on page 15. Look again at Figure 1. 4, study the information in the four exercise tables and then describe in words how the disease outbreak is distributed by time and person. Exercise 1. 4, Table 1 Incidence of the disease by age and sex in 24 villages surveyed for one year Males Females Age Group Population* # Cases Risk per Population* # Cases Risk per (years) 1,000 1,000

Indigenous Religions

Indigenous religion refers to those religions which are native to indigenous peoples around the world. They are â€Å"descendents of the original inhabitants of lands now controlled by larger political systems in which they may have little influence. † In the second chapter of her book, Living Religions, Mary Pat Fisher takes the position that indigenous spiritual practices should be called lifeways and not religions. Lifeways are â€Å"a particular approach to all of life. Some of the reasons Mary Fisher believes that indigenous spiritual practices should be called lifeways are that they are not a â€Å"separate experience like meditating in the morning or going to church on Sunday. † She also believes that to be considered a religion there should be a written testament and that a religion should be built around that scripture. In addition, Fisher thinks that the way indigenous practices are passed down, through oral stories that contain â€Å"symbols, metaphors, and humor,† is changing the story of these practices causing them to no longer be â€Å"fossilized. However, religion is defined in Fisher’s book as â€Å"a particular response to dimensions of life considered sacred, as shaped by traditions. † In my opinion indigenous spiritual practices should be considered religions because they are traditions and spiritual beliefs, even though they are different than Christianity, Buddhism, and other religions. For example, A Catholic nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to a spiritual life following God just as West African groups have devoted themselves spiritually to the orisa. Additionally, Christians have a routine of going to church on Sundays, many Native Americans have a certain time of the year, usually at the Summer Solstice, to perform the Sun Dance which lasts four to eight days. Also, Just as indigenous spiritual practices have symbols, religions have symbols, such as the Bible. Religion to me is what beliefs you have about life, death, and everything in between. It is your faith and purpose. Why are we here? Who created us? Similarly as we have a set of beliefs to answer these questions, indigenous people do too.

Da Bluez essays

Da Bluez essays From years 1505 to 1870, the world underwent the largest forced migration in history. West Africa was soon to be convulsed by the arrival of Europeans and become the advent of the transatlantic slave trade. Ships from Europe, bound for America, appeared on the horizon, and their captains and sailors-carrying muskets, swords, and shackles-landed on the coast, walked up the beach in their strange clothes, looked around, and demanded slaves. A horrific chapter in history had begun, and neither Africa nor America would be the same again. Approximately ten million Africans were brought across the seas to the Americas to be manipulated into slavery. They were meant to work harsh labor, yet they were no longer meant to have a voice. A few Americans took the time to appreciate the hard work performed by the slaves; however, appreciation is a short step in the long road to equality. It was not until the late 19th century that America began to repair the damages done by this immoral trading of human beings. Once the slaves were freed after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it did not do much to end the oppression and prejudice against the black race. Their freedom did not give them a heart; it did not prove they had soul. This is where their music becomes significant, and this is Blues music. Throughout their music, it took much less time for the black race to prove that they were not unlike the rest of humanity; in fact, they did have a voice, and a haunting one. Once Blues music was not only recognized, but also comprehended, admired and imitated, it opened the gates of immigration, and the nation to this day has matured in its ability to see gray. Included in the mass of faceless slaves, the boats entrapped and migrated a large number of griots. A griot was an African version of the European wandering minstrel. They spent their lives traveling from village to village, playing the role of a musician, storytel...

SAT Score Ranges Understand Your Score vs Class Grades

SAT Score Ranges Understand Your Score vs Class Grades SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What’s the best possible SAT score and worst possible SAT score you could get? How do you understand SAT scores if you’re used to letter grades like A- or B+, or test scores like 93%? In this guide, we convert SAT scores into much more understandable class grades to help you interpret your SAT score. What's the SAT Score SAT Range? The pure SAT score range is 200 minimum, 800 maximum per section. The current SAT has two sections, so its total range is 400 to 1600. It's as simple as that! The score range might not tell you much on its own, since it's rare that someone will get a perfect 1600 or as low as a 400. However, if you’re more used to thinking about class grades like A+, B-, etc. then we can map SAT scores into grades to give you a rough idea of the letter grade your SAT score corresponds to. Likewise, we can do the same if you’re more used to numerical class grades like 95% for a good test or 55% for a failing test. How Can You Understand Your SAT Score If You're Used to Class Grades? We’ll first present the results of our conversion of SAT scores to class grades, and then we’ll interpret the results. For those interested in technical details, we’ll then tell you how we got there. In the final section, we’ll then discuss some other interpretations of what a good SAT score is. Conversion of New SAT Scores to Class Grade Equivalents New SAT Score Numerical Class Grade Letter Class Grade 1560-1600 100.0 A+ 1520-1550 99.9 A+ 1490-1510 99.8 A+ 1465-1480 99.7 A+ 1450-1460 99.6 A+ 1430-1440 99.5 A+ 1420 99.4 A+ 1410 99.3 A+ 1390-1400 99.2 A+ 1387 99.1 A+ 1370-1380 99.0 A+ 1367 98.9 A+ 1350-1360 98.8 A+ 1347 98.7 A+ 1340 98.6 A+ 1333 98.5 A+ 1327 98.4 A+ 1320 98.3 A+ 1310 98.2 A+ 1300 98.1 A+ 1293 97.9 A+ 1287 97.8 A+ 1280 97.7 A+ 1273 97.6 A+ 1267 97.5 A+ 1260 97.4 A+ 1253 97.2 A+ 1247 97.1 A+ 1240 97.0 A 1233 96.8 A 1227 96.7 A 1220 96.5 A 1213 96.4 A 1207 96.2 A 1200 96.0 A 1193 95.9 A 1187 95.7 A 1180 95.5 A 1173 95.3 A 1167 95.1 A 1160 94.9 A 1153 94.7 A 1147 94.5 A 1140 94.3 A 1133 94.1 A 1127 93.9 A 1120 93.7 A 1110 93.3 A 1100 93.0 A- 1093 92.7 A- 1087 92.5 A- 1080 92.2 A- 1073 91.9 A- 1067 91.7 A- 1060 91.4 A- 1053 91.1 A- 1047 90.8 A- 1040 90.5 A- 1033 90.2 A- 1027 89.9 B+ 1020 89.6 B+ 1013 89.3 B+ 1007 89.0 B+ 1000 88.7 B+ 993 88.4 B+ 987 88.1 B+ 980 87.8 B+ 973 87.5 B+ 967 87.2 B+ 960 86.9 B 953 86.6 B 947 86.2 B 940 85.9 B 933 85.6 B 927 85.3 B 920 84.9 B 913 84.6 B 907 84.3 B 900 83.9 B 893 83.6 B 887 83.2 B 880 82.9 B- 873 82.5 B- 867 82.1 B- 860 81.7 B- 853 81.3 B- 847 80.9 B- 840 80.4 B- 833 80.0 C+ 827 79.5 C+ 820 79.0 C+ 813 78.5 C+ 807 78.0 C+ 800 77.5 C+ 793 77.0 C 787 76.5 C 780 76.0 C 773 75.5 C 767 75.0 C 760 74.5 C 753 74.0 C 747 73.5 C 740 73.0 C- 733 72.4 C- 727 71.9 C- 720 71.3 C- 713 70.6 C- 707 69.8 D+ 700 69.0 D+ 693 68.1 D+ 687 67.3 D+ 680 66.4 D 673 65.5 D 667 64.6 D 660 63.6 D 653 62.5 D 647 61.2 D 640 59.3 F 633 57.2 F 627 55.2 F 620 53.1 F 613 51.2 F 607 49.2 F 600 47.3 F 593 45.4 F 587 43.5 F 580 41.7 F 573 39.9 F 567 38.1 F 560 36.3 F 553 34.6 F 547 32.8 F 540 31.1 F 533 29.5 F 527 27.9 F 520 26.4 F 513 24.8 F 507 23.4 F 500 21.9 F 493 20.4 F 487 18.9 F 480 17.5 F 473 16.1 F 467 14.7 F 460 13.4 F 453 12.1 F 447 10.9 F 440 9.7 F 433 8.6 F 427 7.7 F 420 6.6 F 413 5.7 F 407 5.0 F 400 3.2 F How can you read this table? Suppose you received a 1000 on the current SAT. You'd want to find this row: New SAT Score Numerical Class Grade Letter Class Grade 1000 88.7 B+ Under Numerical Class Grade, 88.7 means that this SAT score is like getting a class score of 88.7% (or round to 89%) at the end of the year. Imagine getting a 88.7 in history, English, or math. Under Letter Class Grade, the B+ means this SAT score is similar to getting the class letter grade B+. What Does the Conversion Table From SAT Score to Class Grades Really Show You? To put it simply, the conversion table takes your SAT score and tells you how well you're doing in terms of class grades. You're used to class grades because you've seen them since you began school, but this might be the first time you've looked at SAT scores. In the table above, we've taken something you might be unfamiliar with and put it in terms of something you know and understand. To be more precise, the above table matches SAT scores to class grades based on percentiles. The SAT percentile is calculated from a recent group of SAT scores. The class grades percentile is based on a comprehensive academic survey of common grades given out in college (which closely match US high school grades culturally). In other words, to go from a new SAT score of 1000 to 88.7%, we looked at the SAT percentile of 1000 (it happens to be right about 50%), and then we used a comprehensive academic survey which showed that the 50th percentile class grade across many colleges was an 88.7%, or a B+. Imagine getting a B+ in one of your classes. Would you be happy with that grade? Would you consider yourself to know the material well? You can then apply those feelings to your SAT score and use them to plan your next steps, such as if you'd like to retake the exam. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! Interesting Notes from the Conversion Table First, you should note that the distribution of SATscores and grades are quite different. There is a lot of resolution at the top end of the SAT scale- a 1250 and a 1600 are 350 points apart, yet they all map to A+. Read that again; it's not a mistake: a 1600 and a 1250 are both A+. Classes oftentimes do not do a good job of distinguishing great students from the truly spectacular. In a class of 20, you might have two people get an A+, which seems like a small number, until you realize that in that same class of 20, if it represented all students in the USA, you would only have two people as well who get 1250 or above. The SAT is useful to colleges, especially very selective ones, because itdistinguishes the 90th percent from the 99th percent. Also, class grades and SAT scoresare equally good at resolving the performance of middle-of-the-pack students. When you go from an SATscore of 680 to a 1110- just a range of 430- you're going from a straight D to an A. For students who are near the median of their class or a bit below, SAT scores and class grades both have decent resolution. Finally, you may noticethat both SAT scores and class grades have non-zero starting points, which makes sense when you apply it to what you know about the kinds of grades that are given out. When was the last time you heard of someone getting a 30 out of 100 as their final grade for a class? Less than 4% of class grades are failing grades. Likewise, when was the last time you heard someone get less than a 680 on the SAT? Even though the SATgoes all the way down to 400, fewer than 2% of people get less than a 680. Just like it's a good idea to think of class grades as starting from a D and not a 0, it's better to think of SATs as starting from 680 and not 400. Can SAT Scores Really Be Mapped to Class Grades? They certainly can! However,I should warn you, such mappings are an inexact science. Some issues you should be aware of include: SATs and classes test very different things. The SAT is a mostly-multiple-choice test given over the course of a few hours on a Saturday morning (usually). Classes consist of hundreds of hours of schoolwork. The SAT is a solitary activity. Classes include working with teachers and classmates. The two measure different things. Getting a B+ in class does NOT mean you'll get a 1000 for sure on the SAT, and vice versa. Class grades are not rigorous. Is an A- a good grade? If your teacher gives half the class a straight A, then an A- is a bad grade. Conversely, if your teacher gives out only one Aa year, you might have the top score. An A in art studies means something very different thangetting an A in computer science. Thus, you can't look atthe conversion too rigidly. With thatcaveat out of the way, you're on the right track if you think of the table above as "lining up" different types of races.For example, you can't compare a 100-meter dash with the marathon, but you can say 10 seconds is an "Olympiclevel" 100-meter dash time, and 2h10min is an "Olympiclevel" marathon time. What’s Next? Wondering what SAT score you should be aiming for? Learn how to developyour target scorebased on the colleges you're interested in. Not happy with where your SAT score places you?We're here to help! We have tons of guides specifically designed to raise your SAT score. To get you started, check out these 21 tips to improving your SAT score. Want to prepare for the SAT? Taking practice tests is one of the best ways to see how you're doing and raise your score.Check out our collection of free and official practice SATs for you to use. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Learning Dates and Days in Mandarin Chinese

Learning Dates and Days in Mandarin Chinese The Mandarin Chinese calendar is relatively easy to learn. The days of the weeks are numbered 1 – 6, so once you’ve learned your Mandarin numbers, weekdays are a snap. The same thing with months – all the months are numbered from 1 – 12, so once you’ve learned these numbers, you simply add the word for â€Å"month† and you have the complete Mandarin calendar under your belt. Throughout this article, audio files are marked with ââ€" º. Number Review 1 ââ€" ºyÄ «2 ââ€" ºÃƒ ¨r3 ââ€" ºsÄ n4 ââ€" ºsi5 ââ€" ºwÃ… ­6 ââ€" ºlià ¹7 ââ€" ºqÄ «8 ââ€" ºbÄ 9 ââ€" ºjià º10 ââ€" ºshà ­11 ââ€" ºshà ­-yÄ «12 ââ€" ºshà ­-à ¨r Days dayââ€" ºtiÄ nÃ¥ ¤ ©todayââ€" ºjÄ «n tiÄ nä »Å Ã¥ ¤ ©yesterdayââ€" ºzuà ³ tiÄ næ˜ ¨Ã¥ ¤ ©tomorrowââ€" ºÃ¢â‚¬â€¹mà ­ng tiÄ n明å ¤ © Weeks weekââ€" ºlÇ  bi / ââ€" ºxÄ «ng qÄ «Ã§ ¦ ®Ã¦â€¹Å" / 星æÅ"Ÿthis weekââ€" ºzhà ¨i gà ¨ xÄ «ng qÄ «Ã©â‚¬â„¢Ã¥â‚¬â€¹Ã¦ËœÅ¸Ã¦Å"Ÿlast weekââ€" ºshng gà ¨ xÄ «ng qÄ «Ã¤ ¸Å Ã¥â‚¬â€¹Ã¦ËœÅ¸Ã¦Å"Ÿnext weekââ€" ºxi gà ¨ xÄ «ng qÄ «Ã¤ ¸â€¹Ã¥â‚¬â€¹Ã¦ËœÅ¸Ã¦Å"Ÿ Months monthââ€" ºyuà ¨Ã¦Å"ˆthis monthââ€" ºzhà ¨i gà ¨ yuà ¨Ã©â‚¬â„¢Ã¥â‚¬â€¹Ã¦Å"ˆlast monthââ€" ºshng gà ¨ yuà ¨Ã¤ ¸Å Ã¥â‚¬â€¹Ã¦Å"ˆnext monthââ€" ºxi gà ¨ yuà ¨Ã¤ ¸â€¹Ã¥â‚¬â€¹Ã¦Å"ˆ Years yearââ€" ºninÃ¥ ¹ ´this yearââ€" ºjÄ «n ninä »Å Ã¥ ¹ ´last yearââ€" ºqà ¹ ninåŽ »Ã¥ ¹ ´next yearââ€" ºmà ­ng nin明å ¹ ´ Weekdays Mondayââ€" ºxÄ «ng qÄ « yÄ «Ã¦ËœÅ¸Ã¦Å"Ÿä ¸â‚¬Tuesdayââ€" ºxÄ «ng qÄ « à ¨r星æÅ"Ÿä ºÅ'Wednesdayââ€" ºxÄ «ng qÄ « sÄ n星æÅ"Ÿä ¸â€°Thursdayââ€" ºxÄ «ng qÄ « sà ¬Ã¦ËœÅ¸Ã¦Å"Ÿå››Fridayââ€" ºxÄ «ng qÄ « wǔ星æÅ"Ÿä ºâ€Saturdayââ€" ºxÄ «ng qÄ « lià ¹Ã¦ËœÅ¸Ã¦Å"Ÿå… ­Sundayââ€" ºlÇ  bi rà ¬ / ââ€" ºlÇ  bi tiÄ n / ââ€" ºxÄ «ng qÄ « rà ¬ / ââ€" ºxÄ «ng qÄ « tiÄ nç ¦ ®Ã¦â€¹Å"æâ€" ¥ / ç ¦ ®Ã¦â€¹Å"Ã¥ ¤ © /星æÅ"Ÿæâ€" ¥ /星æÅ"Ÿå ¤ © Months of the Year Januaryââ€" ºyÄ « yuà ¨Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã¦Å"ˆFebruaryââ€" ºÃƒ ¨r yuà ¨Ã¤ ºÅ'æÅ"ˆMarchââ€" ºsÄ n yuà ¨Ã¤ ¸â€°Ã¦Å"ˆAprilââ€" ºsà ¬ yuà ¨Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ¦Å"ˆMayââ€" ºwÇ” yuà ¨Ã¤ ºâ€Ã¦Å"ˆJuneââ€" ºlià ¹ yuà ¨Ã¥â€¦ ­Ã¦Å"ˆJulyââ€" ºqÄ « yuà ¨Ã¤ ¸Æ'æÅ"ˆAugustââ€" ºbÄ  yuà ¨Ã¥â€¦ «Ã¦Å"ˆSeptemberââ€" ºjiÇ” yuà ¨Ã¤ ¹ Ã¦Å"ˆOctoberââ€" ºshà ­ yuà ¨Ã¥  Ã¦Å"ˆNovemberââ€" ºshà ­ yÄ « yuà ¨Ã¥  Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã¦Å"ˆDecemberââ€" ºshà ­ à ¨r yuà ¨Ã¥  Ã¤ ºÅ'æÅ"ˆ What’s the Date? What’s the date today?ââ€" ºJÄ «n tiÄ n shà ¬ jÄ « yuà ¨ jÄ « ho?ä »Å Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã¥ ¹ ¾Ã¦Å"ˆå ¹ ¾Ã¨â„¢Å¸?Which day of the week?ââ€" ºLÇ  bi jÄ «?ç ¦ ®Ã¦â€¹Å"Ã¥ ¹ ¾?Which day of the month?ââ€" ºJÄ « ho?Ã¥ ¹ ¾Ã¨â„¢Å¸?What month is it?ââ€" ºJÄ « yuà ¨?Ã¥ ¹ ¾Ã¦Å"ˆ? Practice Dates What’s the date today?ââ€" ºJÄ «n tiÄ n shà ¬ jÄ « yuà ¨ jÄ « ho?ä »Å Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã¥ ¹ ¾Ã¦Å"ˆå ¹ ¾Ã¨â„¢Å¸?Today is May 10.ââ€" ºJÄ «n tiÄ n shà ¬ wÇ” yuà ¨ shà ­ ho.ä »Å Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã¤ ºâ€Ã¦Å"ˆå  Ã¨â„¢Å¸Today is June 22.ââ€" ºJÄ «n tiÄ n shà ¬ lià ¹ yuà ¨ à ¨r shà ­ à ¨r ho.ä »Å Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã¥â€¦ ­Ã¦Å"ˆä ºÅ'Ã¥  Ã¤ ºÅ'號Today is December 24.ââ€" ºShà ­ à ¨r yuà ¨ à ¨r shà ­ sà ¬ ho.Ã¥  Ã¤ ºÅ'æÅ"ˆä ºÅ'Ã¥  Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ¨â„¢Å¸

De Beers and US Anti Trust Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

De Beers and US Anti Trust Law - Case Study Example With the discovery of large mines in South Africa, the diamond availability in the world market suddenly reached a high. In order to ensure that the prices of the diamond in the market are maintained, the supplies had to be limited. The miners in South Africa which was the lead producer of diamonds, started working together and created a 'cartel' that would discuss and decide the price of diamonds in the world market. This cartel was formed with De Beers in the lead and they coordinated the entire operation of forming this initial syndicate that would canalize and fix the supplies of diamonds in the world market. This also ensured that every body in the trade benefited because it maintained the price of the diamond in the world market without allowing it to fall or rise phenomenally. Once the diamond mines in other locations of the world were discovered, the South African control over the world market with respect to the supplies of the diamond mines came down. More mines in Angola, Russia, Congo and Zaire started to dominate the world market and the South African share in the market came down to 17%. However, De Beers by enforcing clear commercial and economic control on the market could bring these people also under control and ensured that the price of diamonds does not fall and continued to rise or stabilise even when the supplies of diamonds kept rising. This meant that De Beers had to buy out from the market some of the diamonds that was available to bring stability to the pricing. This resulted in a large stock pile for De Beers. The company resorted to both buying as well as selling of diamonds in order to bring down the prices or raise the prices as the need may be. This ensured diamond price was under control and the miners did not suffer. De Beers and the US Government De Beers has been a practising monopoly. They tended to control the price of the diamond market and this meant that they violate the US Antitrust law and its governing principles. De Beers was violating every one of the Anti-trust law principle except for the consumer protection which De Beers says it covers. But then, even that would be under question on analysis. US Diamond Dealers mostly dealt with the buyers of De Beers diamonds. The identity of the diamonds is lost once they reach the coast of US. Though the diamonds are not known to have originated from De Beers, the company as a brand was very well known. The US government and its Department of Justice were also aware of the violations of De Beers and they have taken multitude of steps to bring them under the book but these are yet to materialise. The relationship with the diamond traders in US and that of the government is certainly not one for long and sustained relationship. It has to be direct and legal to be sustainable. In order to do this, either the company should change its method of operation or change the law to accommodate such a change. De Beers, the Illegal trade and the US Market The structure created by the anti-trust law is in line with the thinking of the greatest minds on economics. In addition to that, any violation of the basic principle of capitalist and free economics would only lead to the decay of the structure so carefully erected. De Beers is a violator

History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

History - Assignment Example The Palestinian partisans were funded and backed by the Arab neighbors. On May 1967, Nassar (Egypt's President) had the UN withdraw from Egypt. He then sent tanks and troops into the Sinai. Israel responded by moving troops as well. On June 5, 1967 Israel attacked the Egyptian air forces. With Israeli air planes protecting their troops and tanks, they easily took the Sinai. If the UN would not have stopped the war, Israel would have gone further into Egyptian territory. Israel also captured Jerusalem and Golan Heights during this war. Israel won the Six Day War. The Yom Kippur War led to Syria and Egypt to attack Israel again. This time after battles and negotiations, Israel gave back the Sinai and parts of other territory taken in the Six Day War. However this war lead to the Camp David Accords and led to Egypt recognizing Israel as a state. I.D. the following terms in paragraph format. Make sure you include ALL INFORMATION from the book: Do NOT just copy from the book. You must put these in your own words. (worth 5 points each) 1. Palestinian refugees Palestinian refugees are Arabs caught on Israeli land or in the Occupied Territories after the wars between Israel and their Arab neighbors. These individuals are waiting to be given citizenship by Israel or liberated by the country Israel took the land from.

Language Acquisition vs Language Learning Essay

Language Acquisition vs Language Learning - Essay Example This claim, which was motivated by Chomskian UG theory, was interpreted to have implications for classroom language instruction. Krashen argued that because fluency in the target language is acquired-not through formal instruction, but through innate language learning abilities of humans-what language teachers have to do in classrooms is only to provide the students with comprehensible input. This theory gave birth to a teaching methodology called the communicative approach, which is still widely accepted and practiced in language classrooms all over the world today (Krashen 1977, 1985). The expression "learning of languages" encloses two distinct concepts clearly, however rare understood. One of them is to receive information regarding the language, to transform them into knowledge through intellectual effort and to accumulate this knowledge for the exercise of the memory. The other mentions the development to it of the functional ability to interact with foreigners, understanding and saying its language. Language acquisition refers to the process of natural assimilation, involving intuition and subconscious learning, which is the product of real interactions between people where the learner is an active participant. It is similar to the way children learn their native tongue, a process that produces functional skill in the spoken language without theoretical knowledge. It develops familiarity with the phonetic characteristics of the language as well as its structure and vocabulary, and is responsible for oral understanding, the capability for creative communication and for the identification of cultural values. Teaching and learning are viewed as activities that happen in a personal psychological plane. The acquisition approach praises the communicative act and develops self-confidence in the learner. The concept of language learning is linked to the traditional approach to the study of languages and today is still generally practiced in high schools worldwide. Attention is focused on the language in its written form and the objective is for the student to understand the structure and rules of the language through the application of intellect and logical deductive reasoning. The form is of greater importance than communication. In language acquisition, the primary goal is interaction between people, in which one functions as a facilitator and through which the other (learner) selects his own route building his skill in a direction that interests him personally or professionally. Instead of a syllabus, language acquisition programs offer human interaction. Here, the presence of genuine representatives of the language and culture that one hopes to assimilate is fundamental. Native instructors, therefore, have a clear advantage in a communicative approach, inspired by the concept of language acquisition. According to Krashen, language acquisition is more efficient than language learning for attaining functional skill in a foreign language, and that the efficient teaching of languages isn't that tied to a packaged course of structured lessons nor is the one that relies on technological resources. Efficient teaching is personalized, based on the personal skills of the facilitator in creating situations of real communication focusing on the student's interests and taking place in a bicultural environment. However, neuroanatomy provides an interface between learning and acquisition when learning is viewed as declarative knowledge and acquisition is viewed as

Company Law coursewrok 2009-10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Company Law coursewrok 2009-10 - Essay Example The constitution of the company, i.e. its memorandum and articles of association, govern the way in which these relationships operate and has been referred to as a contract between the members, i.e. the shareholders and the company itself. In this paper, concerns that had previously been raised in relation to section 14 of the Companies Act 1985 are discussed and considered in the context of the new arrangements brought in by section 33 of the Companies Act 2006. In order to discuss these issues, the position under section 14 will first be considered along with relevant case law, before moving on to consider section 33 and the way in which this changes the contractual relationships between the relevant entities. Closed companies present particular difficulties in this regard, due to the fact that control of the company is held either by five or fewer people or where all shareholders are also directors. Although it is recognised that a director is different in terms of entity to a shareholder when the same people undertake both roles, it is simply not practical to deal with the contractual relationship between the company, the members and the directors. Throughout this paper, the focus is on the difficulties, both historically and currently, in relation to the contract between the shareholders and the company where the company is a closed company of the nature described above. As noted by Professor Rajak1, ‘The [s.14 Companies Act 1985] contract between the company and the shareholders gives rise to mutual rights and obligations, but these lie in favour of and against the shareholder in his capacity as a member of the company’. This suggests that, although the concept underlying section 14 is relatively clear, it is not always going to be practically obvious and this has been evident in the way that the court has handled issues of the contractual relationship laid out by the constitution, particularly in relation to closed companies. In accordance with