Thursday, October 31, 2019

Unemployment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Unemployment - Research Paper Example In a country where the economy is continuously growing, the standards of living keep on improving, infrastructural development is experienced and the level of crime is low.In this report, the researcher will attempt to analyze and explain the reasons and effects of unemployment and inflation, advantages and disadvantages of the current fiscal and monetary policy, effectiveness of various economic reforms and effects of the balance of payments on exchange rates with respect to the Nigerian economy. Rural urban migration- This happens when people in the rural areas move to urban areas in search of employment.Henryexplains the rural-urban migration in terms of push - pull factors (34). The push factors include the pressure resulting from a rising man-land ratio in the rural areas and the existence of underemployment from seasonal cycle of the lack of infrastructure activities that make the rural life unattractive. He links rural-urban migration to the unattractiveness of rural life because of lack of basic amenities. When youths move to the urban areas in search of lucrative employment, there is concentration of social amenities that leads to neglecting of rural areas in the allocation of social and economic opportunities. Rapid population growth- The 2006 census in Nigeria put the populationat 140,431,791 people making it the most populous country in Africa. According to the CIA Worldfact book, the population growth rate of Nigeria was 2.54% in 2013. If the current growth rate continues, the population could reach 170million by year 2020. Rapid population growth leads to rapid growth of labor, increase in supply of jobs which the economy is not able to absorb.Bernice supports that excessive supply of laboris associated with the rate of growth of the population in that size and growth rate of labor force depends on the size and

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

How does Descartes use the example of wax to reinforce his argument of Term Paper

How does Descartes use the example of wax to reinforce his argument of the existence of the self - Term Paper Example e I am) which implies that one’s consciousness, set of thoughts or thinking or ability to doubt would give proof of his own existence because of the ‘I’ or ego that conceives it (R. Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy) This is all the more reinforced when Descartes came up with the â€Å"wax argument† in substantiating his proof on the existence of the self. To Descartes, the program of radical doubt must be established on a solitary endeavor or more appropriately, a deliberate isolation which forms the nature of his philosophical work having been freed of social or emotional disturbances enabling him to inquire â€Å"What shall I say of the mind itself, that is, of myself? For as yet I do not admit that I am anything but mind. What, then! I who seem to possess so distinct an apprehension of the ‘piece of wax’, do I not know myself, both with greater truth and certitude, and also much more distinctly and clearly? For if I judge that the wax exists because I see it, it assuredly follows, much more evidently, that I myself am or exist, for the same reason: for it is possible that what I see may not in truth be wax, and that I do not even possess eyes with which to see anything; but it cannot be that when I see, or, which comes to the same thing, when I think I see, I myself who think am nothing (Descartes, Meditation II).â⠂¬  Basically, Descartes proposed the â€Å"wax argument† in two stages being – â€Å"(1) the argument from change; and (2) the argument from intellection then personified the â€Å"wax† in an entity called ‘Bob’ who sits on the mantle as time ‘t’ passes (Graziano, 2011)†. It is claimed that at an instant, Bob is found with initial properties such as those which the senses are susceptible to experience in terms, for instance, of temperature change, phase shift, or shape transformation. â€Å"At time ‘t’, Bob can assume the shape of an orb while being cold and solid at the same time while at some time after ‘t’ he may

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Relationship Between Zinc and Heart Disease

Relationship Between Zinc and Heart Disease Otoniel Santiago Shanil Juma, PhD Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one common cause of morbidity and death in all ethnicities. There are many contributing factors associated to this disease, which include: atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, lack of physical activity and obesity1-3. Despite the many studies performed in these areas, nutrition and nutritional status play a major role in the decrease of CVD. One area that has been look at for almost a decade is the relationship of micronutrients in preventing the onset of cardiovascular disease. Although there are still many controversies in the areas of diet and obesity, the role of micronutrients especially zinc, have been closely studied to identify if its levels have any effect in reducing or potentially inducing cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this report will be to briefly discuss how zinc levels may play a role in promoting cardiovascular disease or preventing it. Zinc Functions Zinc is known as one of the essential trace elements vital for maintaining normal physiology and cellular functions in the body.1 It was during the 1960’s that zinc deficiency was discovered after it was found that dwarfism and delayed sexual maturation were related to zinc. This discovery lead to an increase in clinical studies in order to understand the critical role of zinc in human physiological growth and its relation to other conditions such as, dermatitis, impaired taste, and impaired immunity to name a few.1 Nonetheless, the role of zinc is not completely understood. This trace element has only been known for the past 50 years, but it has been clearly documented that it can improve an array of conditions like acute diarrhea in children, the common cold, and reduction of oxidative stress, the making of genetic material and wound healing. In all, zinc plays a major role in protein synthesis, thus, making it one of the most essential micronutrient needed for optimal healt h in the human body. Zinc and Heart Disease Zinc has been known for its many protective capacities and functions. However, low zinc levels have been associated with age, disease and lack of nutritional intake. It has been found that zinc deficiency increases the inflammatory response caused by increased vascular oxidative stress.2 For instance, in patients with type 2 diabetes suffering from cardiovascular disease, it was found that zinc serum levels were low3. Despite the fact that low serum zinc levels were found to be an independent factor for heart disease in patients with type 2 diabetes, non-diabetic patients who suffered from CVD was related to lower consumption of zinc.3 Zinc deficiency can also be associated to malabsorption caused by gastric conditions such as Chron’s disease and celiac sprue, or conditions like diabetes which increase zinc loss due excessive urinary output4. A study conducted by Frustaci et al, looked at selenium and zinc deficiency to identify if cardiac malfunction could occur with individuals who suffer from intestinal malabsorption. The study found that there was a great association of between the deficiency of selenium and zinc and the degeneration of cardiomyocytes5. Although this study looked into two micronutrients, it is important to point out that zinc played a major role in this study. As mentioned previously, zinc is an essential trace element that works in nearly over 300 enzymes exerting catalytic, structural, and regulatory functions4, 5. In addition to these functions, a deficiency of zinc can cause cell apoptosis and necrosis due to its role in growth and development. On the other hand, selenium has been associated with the Keshan disease that causes progressive dilated cardiomyopathy5. Both elements serve as antioxidants detoxifying cardiomyocytes from free radicals and a deficiency of any of these two elements can cause a decline a cardiac function5. Patients in this study were treated with a selenium/zinc infusion of 13.6 mg/d/wk for about six months. The group was divided into two groups consisting of one group of (A2, n=8) and another (A1, n= 10).5 All patients in group A1 received cardiac catherization, and an endomyocardial biopsy, while the A2 group were only treated with anti-heart failure therapy. Nonetheless, after the six months was completed group A1 showed an improvement in their left ventricle dimension when compared to the A2 group who only received supportive therapy5. The study determined that a selenium and zinc cardiomyopathy can occur in patients with intestinal malabsorption and that an infusion of both elements can improve a nd possibly prevent the malabsorption associated cardiomyopathy5. In another study conducted by Soinio et al, after a seven year period follow up on both non-diabetic patients and type 2 diabetic patients, it was found that there was an increase in mortality from CVD in patients with lower serum levels of zinc (≠¤14.1 µmol/l) then those who did not (14.1>  µmol/l)3. Most patients on this study were between the ages of 45-64 and the population consisted of 1,050 patients from West and East Finland where 526 were men and 470 were women. Each participant was examined for zinc serum levels after a 12hr fast. Zinc serum levels were determined through atomic absorption spectrotometry after 10 years from stored samples. Out of the 1,050 participants 156 died of coronary heart disease and 254 patients suffered a myocardial infarction. The rest of the surviving participants were divided in groups of non-insulin treated and insulin treated subjects. Those with insulin treatment had a 15.3  µmol/l of fasting serum zinc levels when compared to the non-insulin treatment that had 15.8  µmol/l fasting serum zinc levels. However, after breaking the result into quartiles the results were that low serum levels were an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease for coronary heart disease and fatal/non-fatal myocardial infarctions in patients with type 2 diabetes3. Nonetheless, most of the lower serum zinc levels found in diabetics was related to urinary zinc excretion when compared to non-diabetics. It is important to point out that zinc play critical role in the synthesis and function of insulin and the inhibition of pathways that can lead to apoptosis and possibly the upregulation caspase genes3. In this study zinc was added to in vitro insulin preparations to extend the time of insulin action. Despite insulin being added to the treatment of 149 of the participants with type 2 diabetes, serum zinc levels had no considerable changes between the two groups. Thus, there is a possibility that zinc supplementation may be useful to prevent atherosclerotic complications in type 2 diabetes individuals3. Another study showed that coronary artery disease was more prevalent among individuals with diabetes4. In the same study patients with coronary artery disease had higher urinary excretion of zinc when compared to those without coronary artery disease. In addition there was no association with the zinc levels and diseased arteries, but there was an increase in urinary zinc loss and the number of diseases arteries4. In relation to diabetes mellitus similar to the study performed by Soinio et al, patients with diabetes excreted greater amounts of zinc when compared to normoglycemic individuals4. Regardless of the zinc loss linked to diabetes mellitus and polyuria, zinc concentration was not associated with the onset of coronary arterial disease. The loss of zinc, on the other hand, correlated to the severity of the coronary artery disease. Consequently, the loss of zinc causes a shift of zinc from the intracellular fluid to the extracellular fluid to maintain homeostasis. Thus, affectin g zinc dependent enzymes such as the activating nuclear factor Ä ¸B and the reduction of nitric oxide bioavailability and the macrophage-mediated oxidative modification of LDL cholesterol along with the inflammatory cascades associated with it that ultimately promote atherogenesis4. On the other hand, zinc only accounts for about 0.1% of total body pool and zinc plasma concentrations are an insensitive marker for whole body reserves. Thus, the use of the urine zinc/24hour ratio is a better marker to reflect the risk of coronary artery disease. This was compared to other studies that identified that children from parents with coronary artery disease had higher zinc urinary levels. Suggesting that genetically predisposed children with coronary artery disease have in a long term, ongoing zinc losses taking place before the manifestations of clinical symptoms4. Yet, the question still remains whether supplementation of zinc in individuals with low zinc serum levels could prove to be beneficial to prevent or eliminate cardio arterial disease. In relation to children Sadoh looked if there was any relationship in loss of serum zinc levels with congenital heart diseases and pneumonia. Sadoh looked at 41 Nigerian children with confirmed congenital heart disease and 41 without congenital heart disease. Because congenital heart diseases with left or right shunt are associated with pulmonary over-circulation, which leads to congestive heart failure, the loss of serum zinc levels seem to be increased with pneumonia6. In addition, it has been shown that patients with heart failure who are also receiving diuretic therapy are prone to develop zincuria. The medications associated with zincuria are thiadize and angiostenin converting enzyme inhibitors. In poor countries like Nigeria, children are forced to live with chronic heart failure and the bronchopneumonia, which as mentioned previously can cause low zinc levels. Another possibility for these children to have low zinc serum levels can be related to poor food intake and absorption that arises from the malnutrition they are exposed to6. All participants were evaluated for congenital heart disease and any febrile conditions that would had altered results. In any case, patients would have had to resolve the febrile condition prior to the commencement of the study. Patients were seen every month for seven months were 3 ml of blood was collected from each person. Serum zinc levels were evaluated using the Dogan et al method and atomic absorption spectrophotometer6. The results showed that the mean zinc levels in children congenital heart disease was 101.3 ± 21.6  µg/dl when compared to the controlled who had 106.5  ± 18.3  µg/dl. In children less than one years of age, the mean serum zinc was the highest at 102.6  ± 30.7  µg/dl when compared to children ten years and older at the lowest levels 94.8  ± 12.4  µg/dl. Sadoh also compared children with bronchopneumonia whose zinc levels were lower 89.5  ± 15.0  µg/dl indicating an increase loss of zinc due to the disease. When compared to children without bronchopneumonia, the zinc levels were at 103.9  ± 22.2  µg/dl6. This study showed that congenital heart failure along with complications such as bronchopneumonia increases the chances of low zinc serum levels. Zinc plays a major role as an acute phase reactant in bronchopneumonia thus, causing its depletion in children with both of these conditions. Whether the patients with severe pneumonia usually have low zinc serum levels, the combination of both pneumonia and congenital heart disease make patients more susceptible to low zinc levels. The same is applied to patients with chronic congenital heart disease, although their levels seem to be lower due to the use of diuretics as a treatment. In all cyanotic congenital heart disease patients had higher levels of zinc when compared to those with acyanotic congenital heart disease6. In this study no zinc supplementation was used, but it can be safe to say that a supplementation could have resulted in improvement of both conditions as seen in the previous studies. Conclusion Zinc appears to have protective effects in coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy in individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes and children with congenital hearts diseases. Intracellular zinc plays a critical role in the oxidative stress reduction protecting from the inflammatory response caused atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases. Zinc supplementation has been shown to improve cardiac function and prevent further damage. Thus, its investigation, although emerging in the cardiovascular disease research, its mechanism needs to be better understood in order for it to be used as a preventative and treatment of cardiovascular disease. References Little PJ, Bhattacharya R, Moreyra AE, Korichneva IL. Zinc and Cardiovascular Disease.Nutrition26.11/12 (2010): 1050-057. Abdel-Khalek Abdel-Salam N, Wessam Aly W, Ahmed Hamza S, Mosfata Fahmy H, Kamel Mortagy A. Relation between zinc level and one year mortality among elderly patients with heart failure.Egyptian J H Med. 2014;54:11-14. Soinio M, Marniemi J, Laakso M, Pyà ¶rà ¤là ¤ M, Lehto S, Rà ¶nnemaa T. Serum zinc level and coronary heart disease events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 30:523-528, 2007. Giannoglou G, Konstantinou D, Kovatsi L, Chatzizisis Y, Mikhailidis D. Association of Reduced Zinc Status With Angiographically Severe Coronary Atherosclerosis: A Pilot Study.Angiology. July 2010;61(5):449-455. Frustaci A, Sabbioni E, Fortaner S, Farina S, del Torchio R, Tafani M, Morgante E, Ciriolo MR, Russo MA, Chimenti C. Selenium- and zinc-deficient cardiomyopathy in human intestinal malabsorption: preliminary results of selenium/zinc infusion. European Journal Of Heart Failure. February 2012; 14(2):202-210. Sadoh WE, Sadoh AE. Serum zinc values in children with congenital heart disease. African Health Sciences. September 2013; 13(3):601-606.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Radio Waves :: essays research papers

Radio Waves In the modern society, radio is the most widely used medium of broadcasting and electronic communication : it plays a major role in many areas such as public safety, industrial manufacturing, processing, agriculture, transportation, entertainment, national defense, space travel, overseas communication, news reporting and weather forecasting. In radio broadcasts, they use the radio waves which can be both microwaves and longer radio waves. These are transmitted in two ways: amplitude modulation (AM ) and frequency modulation ( FM ). These two kinds of wave have many differences. Radio waves are among the many types of electromagnetic waves that travel within the electromagnetic spectrum. Radio waves can be defined by their frequency (in hertz, after Heinich Hertz , who first produced radio waves electronically), which is number of times they pass through a complete cycle per second; or by their wavelength, which is determined by the distance (by meters) that is traveled from the crest of one wave to the crest of the next. Radio frequencies are measured in units called kilohertz, megahertz, and gigahertz. (1 kilohertz = 1000 hertz : 1 megahertz = 106 hertz, 1 gigahertz = 109 hertz). All radio waves fall within a frequency range of 3 kilohertz, or 3000 cycles per second to 30 gigahertz. Within the range of frequencies, radio waves are further divided into two groups or bands such as very low frequency ( VLF 10-30 kHz ), low frequency (LF 30-300 KHz), medium frequency ( MF 300-3000 KHz), high frequency ( HF 3-30 MHZ) and very high frequency ( VHF 30-300MHZ). Amplitude modulation is the oldest method of transmitting voice and music through the airwaves is by amplitude modulation. This is accomplished by combining a sound wave from a microphone, tape, record, or CD with a "carrier" radio wave. The result : a wave that transmits voice or programming as its amplitude ( intensity ) increases and decreases. Amplitude modulation is used by station broadcasting in the AM band and by most international short wave stations. Frequency modulation is another way to convey information, voice , and music on a radio wave is to slightly change, or modulate, the frequency. The main advantage of FM broadcasting is of it is static free. But the drawback to FM is since the frequency is varied, station takes up more room on the band. Frequency modulation is, of course, used on the FM band. And it is used for "action band" and ham transmission in the VHF/UHF frequency range. In amplitude modulation, what is modified is the amplitude of a carrier wave on one specific frequency.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Pro Con Gay Marriage

Pros of gay marriage: Two People who love eachother should be able to publicly celebrate their commitment Equality is protected in the due process clause in the constitution ( Constitutional Right) Same sex marriage helps adoption 100,000 children in the united states are waiting to be adopted!Refusing people the right to marry causes psychological damages ( this effects society in a negative way) Access to hospitals and care ( Marriage benefits healthcare coverage) Marriage has been changing over the years ( interracial marriage) there is no one definition for Marriage Massachussets was the first state to legalize gay marriage and they have the lowest divorce rate ( highest divorce rates occur in the states that have the more strict â€Å"gay† laws If marriages sole purpose is to procreate than why are infertile couples granted the right to still marry It doesn't hurt society or anyone in particular.The only thing that should matter in marriage is love Denying them is a viola tion of religious freedom (civil and religious marriages are two separate institutions). Born gay argument : â€Å"Although all people in all societies with rare exceptions are socialized to be heterosexual, the predictable, universal appearance of homosexual persons, despite socialization into heterosexual patterns of behavior suggest not only that homosexual orientation is biologically based but that sexual orientation itself is also biologically derived. Experiences argument: â€Å"While there are different theories about how the sexual orientation develops, experts in the human sexuality field do not believe that premature sexual experiences play a significant role in late adolescent or adult sexual orientation. † Mental disorders DEBUNKED!!! â€Å"Psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals agree that homosexuality is not an illness, mental disorder or an emotional problem. Over 35 years of objective, well-designed scientific research has shown t hat homosexuality, in and [of] itself, is not associated with mental disorders or emotional or social problems.When researchers examined data about these people who were not in therapy, the idea that homosexuality was a mental illness was quickly found to be untrue Con’s of gay marriage: The institution of marriage has been defined as the union between a man and a woman ( Supreme court decision (oct 15 1971 baker v nelson) – definition has some connection with the book of genesis It may cause a slippery slope effect where people who are into beastiality and other â€Å"taboo† relationships could seek the right to marry if gay is allowed.People who are against gay marriage should not have to support something with tax dollars they find wrong such as health benefits for gay couples ( extending to gay couples would result in 596 million dollars being spent plus an additional 302 million) Children being raised in a same sex home would not be provided an optimum envi ronment because they need mother and father rearing ( studies link to earlier sexual activity also a report was done the American psychological review?Children raised with gay parents were more likely to become gay themselves) Marriage should not be extended to same-sex couples because homosexual relationships have nothing to do with procreation. Allowing gay marriage would only further shift the purpose of marriage from producing and raising children to adult gratification. Marriage is a religious right According to a July 31, 2003 statement from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by Pope John Paul II, marriage â€Å"was established by the Creator with its own nature, essential properties and purpose.No ideology can erase from the human spirit the certainty that  marriage solely exists between a man and a woman. Most religions consider homosexuality a sin. It would further weaken the traditional family values essential to our society. It confuses childre n about gender roles and expectations of society, and only a man & woman can pro-create The gay lifestyle is not something to be encouraged, as a lot of research shows it leads to a much lower life expectancy, psychological disorders, and other problems BORN GAY: NO!! What is clear, however, is that the scientific attempts to demonstrate that omosexual attraction is biologically determined have failed. The major researchers now prominent in the scientific arena-themselves gay activists-have in fact arrived at such conclusions. There is no support in the scientific research for the conclusion that homosexuality is biologically determined. † Concerns for parenting and childhood : A good relationship with the same-sex parent meets a child's psychological needs for love, worth and affirmation as a boy or a girl. Where there is a lack of affirmation or even rejection, these legitimate needs are not met.If a girl's femininity is unaffirmed, she may come to believe that she is unacce ptable to her mother and therefore to women in general. In an attempt to fill the hole in her heart, she may look to other women for acceptance, perhaps even hoping (at a subconscious level) to gain femininity by association. Puberty later eroticizes these emotional needs, adding a sexual dimension. † http://gaymarriage. procon. org/ http://www. balancedpolitics. org/same_sex_marriages. htm http://borngay. procon. org/view. resource. php? resourceID=000005

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Factors that influence learning Essay

Health Bad health can have a negative impact on a person’s learning. If a person is unwell they are unable to attend school, college or courses. For example, if a person has the flu, they could be unwell for two weeks. In those two weeks they could miss a substantial amount of learning time, leaving them behind with work & unable to move on with their learning at the same pace as their peers. Employment If a person is employed it can have a negative effect on their learning as well as a positive effect. For example; If a 6th form student is studying 4 A-levels and has a part-time job, they will barely have any free time. Resulting in them getting behind with work, not meeting deadlines. This can result in an extreme amount of stress. This is a negative effect on learning. Employment can also have a positive effect on learning, for example, if a person has a job they are going to be learning new skills in the work place. Care responsibilities Read more: Personal factors that affect child development essay If a person has care responsibilities, it can result in a negative effect on a person’s learning. For example; If a student is a young career, and they have to look after a parent, they may be missing a lot of time off school or college to do so, meaning they will be missing out on a lot of work. Also when they are attending school or college they may be worrying about what is happening at home why they aren’t there and if the person they are looking after is ok, this can mean they aren’t concentrating on the work they are supposed to be doing so they could be missing vital pieces of information. Access to a study centre Having or not having access to a study centre can affect a person’s learning. If a person has access to a study centre they will be able to learn more effectively, and complete work, revise and meet deadlines. Meaning they will be have a good learning experience. Although if a person is unable to access a study centre because of circumstances such as low income, they will be unable to learn effectively, complete work, revise or meet deadlines etc†¦ This means that they will fall behind with work and may not be able to achieve the things they would like to. Time Time can be a very huge factor that can influence a person’s learning. For example; if a person doesn’t have much free time they wouldn’t be able to achieve as much as they could if they had enough time to complete work, study and revise. Not having enough time can have a huge negative effect on a person’s learning. Also if a person has a lot of time to study etc†¦ they stand a better chance of achieving greater things, such as a person having a lot of time to revise for their A-level exams stand a better chance of progressing onto university because they are more than likely to achieve better grades than someone who struggles to find time. Specific learning needs If a person has specific learning needs such as dyslexia, and they are unable to access the resources they need such as extra support and coloured overlays, they will find it difficult to learn and may have an un-enjoyable learning experience. This will result in a negative learning experience. Funding for study Funding for study can have huge implications on a person’s learning experience. For example, if a student that is planning to go to university is unable to obtain the funding needed for the course they wish to do, they may be unable to do the course they require for their dream job. Resulting in a negative learning experience. Although if a person is able to get funding for a course at university, they will be able to study the degree they want and will be able to go onto do the job they may have always wanted. However receiving funding could in the long run have a negative effect, because the student maybe worrying about having to pay the grant back. Aspirations Having aspirations can have a positive effect on a person’s learning. This is because they may study harder in hope of achieving their aspirations. For example, a person who wishes to become a doctor later on will concentrate a lot harder than someone who doesn’t know what they want to do later in life,  because the person who aspires to be a doctor will know how hard they have to work to achieve the things needed to pursue such career. Learning styles Learning styles have an impact on a person’s learning experience. For example; If a person is a someone that learns by doing practical tasks and getting hands on, is stuck in a lecture just being dictated they aren’t going to have an enjoyable learning experience and are just going to switch off and not take in any information they are being told because they are bored, resulting in a negative learning experience. Motivation Motivation has an impact on learning experiences. For example; If a student has no motivation to do well, they will more than likely not bother doing any revision or pay attention in class, resulting in bad grades and the inability to move on to higher education or a job because they have been unable to achieve the necessary requirements to do so, resulting in a negative learning experience.