Homeless Veterans Essay

Abstract Homelessness has always existed in the United States, but only in recent years has the issue become a more prevalent and noticeable phenomenon. Homeless veterans began to come to the attention of the public at the same time. News accounts chronicled the plight of veterans who had served their country but were living (and dying) on the streets. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates about 250,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. (2012, pg. 4) My research will examine how homelessness is impacting our veterans and what interventions are available to homeless veterans. Introduction Whether it is wartime or peacetime, the men and women who serve our country live an unusual life style. Whether it is in the barracks or in the fields, military personnel form close alliances and bonds, which are necessary because they must depend on one another for survival. Once these veterans return home from the Gulf, Iraq or Afghanistan war or even if they just decide to discharge honorably, they face a whole new set of problems. These problems can be as small as reintegrating with their family, finding a job or finding a place to live. An ongoing problem that our veterans learn to cope with is how to deal with combat issues such as physical and mental disabilities. Today’s veterans find that he/she has more difficulty because they are not looked at in the way veterans were looked upon in the past. America’s patriotism has changed. Men were drafted into the military with the promises for a better future because they served their country. The country got behind them because they were fighting a World War. But Vietnam was the turning point for our veterans and upon their return home, they became society’s problem. Many young veterans who returned home were between 18 – 31 years old. Some were physically wounded and some were physically disabled. These veterans were sent home to our veterans hospitals for treatment. There were also those who had mental health issues and some help  was given to them but not enough. Veterans were discharged much too quickly. Where were these veterans to go? Many tried to reintegrate into society by securing housing (apartment or room) and others tried to move back home with their families. However, many veterans faced considerable challenges as a result of their physical disabilities and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). This caused many veterans to become homeless. First, society could not deal with veterans up close and personal and second, another reason was because the war haunted many veterans every day (PTSD). Therefore, for some veterans, they would rather live on the streets because they actually felt safer. According to data from Department of Veterans Affairs office of Inspector General, â€Å" veterans who became homeless after military separation were younger, enlisted with lower pay grades and were more likely to be diagnosed with mental disor ders at the time of separation from active duty.† (2012, pg. 4) Our veterans are our most important resource. We (Americans) do not live in a closed world anymore and when trouble comes to our shores, it is our veterans we depend upon to defend us. Our military is voluntary at this time and society and our government should protect and preserve their lives because without the veterans who would we count on? The military that protects us are strong, well trained, intelligent men and women who are willing to lay their lives on the line for their country. And for that reason, they deserve our respect, our support and our care. The social worker plays a major role in helping the veterans to stay connected to family and their community. The social worker’s role is to help the veteran and his family to access all resources that can be beneficial to the veteran’s recovery and a smoother re-entry back into his/her life. My research will attempt to answer the following questions: How common is homelessness among veterans?  What are the risk factors: gender, age, race and ethnicity, disability and how does it impact housing placement? What interventions are provided to address veteran homelessness? Do female veterans feel more isolated? Literature Reviews: Comparison of Outcomes of Homeless Female and Male Veterans in Transitional Housing Homelessness among female veterans is of national concern but few studies have been conducted on regards to how homelessness among female veterans differs from male veterans. The healthcare of female veterans has become an important priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as female veterans represent one of the fastest growing groups of new VA healthcare users. Studies have shown female veterans are less healthy and are in poorer mental health compared to male veterans, which has been attributed to barriers for women in accessing VA health services and allegations that the VA is male-dominated and not attentive enough to the needs of women (MacGregor et al. 2011: Weiss 1995, pg. 705). Homelessness among female veterans is a central issue as the VA strives to end homelessness among all veterans. Although women constitute about 8% of sheltered homeless veteran population, that number is expected to increase and women veterans have been found to be at higher risk of being homeless than their male counterparts (U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development & U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs 2009, pg. 705). The literature on homeless female veterans is small with only two previous studies identified in a comprehensive review. One study concluded that risk of homelessness is two to four times greater for women veterans (Gamache et al. 2003, pg. 706), and the other study found that compared to homeless male veterans, homeless female veterans are younger, less likely to be employed, more likely to have a major mental illness, but less likely to have a substance abuse use disorder (Leda et al. 1992, pg. 706). A small case-control study also found that sexual assault during military service, being unemployed, being disabled and having physical and mental health were risk factors for homelessness among female veterans (Washington et al. 2010, pg. 706). In the current study, the data used came from multi-site outcome study of homeless veterans enrolled in VA-funded transitional housing services (McGuire et al. 2011, pg. 706), through cross-sectional comparisons of homeless male and female veterans at the time of entry into transitional housing and examining outcomes 12 months after discharge. It is further hypothesized that, due to suggestions that there may be increased barriers for female veterans in accessing VA health services, female veterans would have worse outcomes than their male counterparts after transitional housing. Traumatic Stressor Exposure and Post-Traumatic Symptoms in Homeless Veterans  The Department of Housing and Urban Development (Carlson et al. 2012, pg. 970) recently reported that 13% of all homeless persons were veterans and an estimated 63,000 veterans were homeless on one night in January 2012. High rates of mental health problems have been reported in military and veteran populations. These problems may be related to trauma exposure and contributing to homelessness. Approximately 70% of homeless veterans have substance abuse issues and 45% are diagnosed with mental illness. (Carlson et al. 2012, pg. 970) Combat exposure has been found to increase risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which in turn, is thought to increase risk for homelessness. One study examining the rates of PTSD pre- and post deployment in a combat unit found that rates of PTSD increased from 9.4% to 18%, suggesting that exposure to combat raised the prevalence of PTSD in the unit (Hoge et al. 2004). Military veterans may also have an elevated risk of PTSD as a result of noncombat military stressors, such as dangerous or unstable conditions, witnessing injury, death or atrocities. Military trauma exposure puts individuals at risk for both PTSD and homelessness, but it is less clear whether civi lian trauma exposure increases risk for PTSD and homelessness in veterans. In a study of Vietnam veterans, both PTSD and exposure to combat and other war-related atrocities indirectly increased risk for homelessness, whereas interpersonal violence, and other types of nonmilitary trauma appeared to have direct effects on risk for homelessness (Carlson t al. 2013, pg. 970). A better understanding of the types of trauma that homeless veterans are exposed to could help identify veterans at increased risk for PTSD and homelessness and inform treatment (Carlson et al. 2013, pg. 970). Homeless Veterans of the All-Volunteer Force: A Social Selection Perspective The dramatic increase in urban homelessness in the United States has included large numbers of veterans. As with other Americans, poverty, alcohol, drugs, mental illness and social isolation have been documented as the primary risk factors for homelessness among veterans. As would be expected of an age cohort effect, in 1986 – 1987 the overrepresentation was highest among veterans of ages twenty to th irty-four, and in 1996 the odds of being a homeless veteran were highest among veterans aged thirty-five to forty-four (Tessler et al. 2003, pg.509) In this article, the explanatory factors all derive from a social selection perspective that refers to the idea that individuals with personal  characteristics that would later put them at risk for homelessness were recruited to military service in disproportionate numbers during the early years of the all-volunteer force (AVF). Culturally Competent Social Work Practice with Veterans: An Overview of U. S. Military If social workers are to serve veterans effectively and efficiently, a basic understanding of the United States military is essential. Despite a longstanding and intimate relationship between social workers and veterans, the profession has been criticized for the lack of veteran-specific practitioner resources. The literature has been characterized as providing little practical guidance while universities and professional organizations failed to develop and incorporate the curriculum, information and tools needed to prepare social workers to serve this special population (Savitsky et al. 2009, pg. 863). Recently more information seems to be revolving with additional resources becoming available through social work journals, the development of advanced practice standards for military social workers, as well as academic course and degree specializations focusing on military social worker (Zoroya, 2009, pg. 864). The common theme has been the importance of military cultural competency. The acknowledgment of military culture is complex and not well understood by civilians and continues to impact veterans after discharge. This article presents information in anticipation of a Department of Veteran Affairs funded research project with veterans experiencing homelessness. Also, the article presents a structural and historical overview of the United States military, the propensity to enlist in armed forces, military culture and training methods and outcomes. It concludes with a discussion of implications for social work practice. Generally, military culture differs from the larger society in the United States as it is paternalistic and maintains a strict hierarchy. The military is characterized by a collectivist approach; encouraging interdependency; group orientation and group cohesion. Highly criticized qualities of military culture include misogyny and homophobia. The integration of females into armed forces has been hampered by fear of cohesiveness among males would be undermined. Experience indicates servicewomen are no more vulnerable to stress than servicemen and are able to complete physical tasks required of them. Unfortunately, women are subject to gender-based bias, stereotypes and harassment, both mental and physical. Alarming incidences of sexual  harassment and sexual violence has increased in the military. A 2004 survey indicates 52% of women experienced sexual harassment while serving; 10% did not feel it would do any good and 42% feared they would suffer adverse consequences (Zeiger & Gunderson, 2005. Pg. 867). Although changing with the repeal of Don’t’ Ask, Don’t Tell, the military has been strongly criticized for banning homosexuals from serving opening (Herek & Belkin, 2006. Pg. 867). Reason being it would undermine unit bonds and effectiveness and that privacy could not be provided. Ultimately, it is important to note that the attitudes of heterosexual servicemen and women may not have been as biased against homosexuality as previously thought. The belief that gays be allowed to openly serve in the military had increased in recent years, indicating the obsta cle to integration was not the attitudes of servicemen and women, but of military tradition. Social workers encounter veterans in public and private practice and effectively serving them demands military cultural competency. Social worker must have a foundation of general understanding of the larger military, its basic history and the complimentary roles played by the different branches (Petrovich, 2012. pg. 871). Veterans will have divergent service experiences and their opinions regarding service could vary widely. The more the social worker knows, this will help develop rapport with the clients, facilitate a more individualized understanding of their service history and other relevant areas. In the end, it is likely that veterans experience ambivalence regarding military culture and service experience and some military-oriented traits may be viewed as problematic in civilian life. However it’s important for the veteran and the social worker to explore and interpret these issues with respect the veteran’s sense of affiliation with and attachment to the military (Petrovich, 2012. pg. 872). Thus, a review of the literature has revealed helpful information about: How common is homelessness among veterans? What are the risks factors: gender, age, race, and ethnicity and disability and its impact? What interventions are provided to address this homeless problem among veterans? Do female homeless veterans feel more isolated? This research study will examine the impact of these four research questions  from the most recent data from the Veteran Affairs transitional housing programs. Specifically this study hypothesizes that participants in the different VA-funded transitional housing services will: Is the rate of homelessness increased and/or decreased between homeless female and male veterans? Are there increased barriers for female veterans in accessing VA services, in which female veterans would have worse outcomes than male counterparts after transitional housing? Sampling The research approach that will be utilized for my chosen topic is qualitative research. Qualitative research is flexible; it uses open-ended questions in interviews, participant observations and is often the best fit for diverse and at-risk populations such as homeless veterans whereas quantitative methods involve analysis of numbers; structured surveys, observations and examines existing information/reports. Also, in qualitative research, the research methods are not as dependent upon the sample sizes as in quantitative methods. Methodology Three major forms of VA-funded transitional housing service for homeless veterans will be included in this study: the health care for homeless veterans (HCHV) program; the grant and per diem (GPD) program and the domiciliary care for homeless veteran program (DCHV). The first two programs provide assistance to veterans through contracts with or grants to community service providers while the DCHV provides service directly through the VA staff at the local VA facility. Data were collected for a prospective, naturalistic study to compare these three transitional housing services across five different VA administrative regions (North, South, East, Wets and Mid-West). The study focused on 59 female participants and 1181 males. The female participant were Black (53%) or White (41%) and had a mean age of 43.89 years; while the majority of male participants were Black (59%) or White (35%), and had a mean age of 48.13 years. This information utilizes the variable of value (gender) and the constant (homelessness). Age is variable that can be measured by asking the participants to write down their age in the blank space. Procedures The data collection was conducted from May 2002 through September 2005.  Independent evaluators recruited, consented and conducted baseline and follow-up interviews with veterans in the transitional housing programs. Intake interviews were conducted before entering VA housing program, baseline interviews completed after admission and follow-up interviews were conducted 6 and 12 months after program discharge. Participation rate was very high (99.16%), and each participant gave informed consent. They were paid $10 for baseline interview and $25 for each follow-up interview. Measures When doing the initial intake interview, a paper form would be used to gather information from the participants to document their socio-demographic characteristics, combat exposure, housing and work history, psychiatric diagnoses, brief hospitalization history and a assessment of mental and physical health status. At baseline interview, participants were asked to complete a measure of the social climate of their residential care service. At follow-up interviews, a series of measures were administered to participants to assess: Housing: They were asked how many days in the last 30 days they have slept in different types of places such as housed (room or apartment) somebody else’s apartment; days in an institution (hospital, hotel or jail) and days homeless. Income and Employment: They were asked about their current employment pattern and classified as employed or unemployed; number of days they worked for pay and their employment income in 30 days. Also how much money they received from disability and public assistance. Substance Abuse Status: Alcohol and drug use in the past month. General Physical and Mental Health Status: Medical conditions were assessed with 12 questions that asked participants yes/no whether they had any of 12 common serious medical problems (e.g. hypertension, liver disease, cardiovascular problems, and orthopedic problems). Also includes an 8-item psychiatric composite scale which was used to assess general mental health status. Quality of Life: General quality of life and quality of social life were assessed. Residential Social Climate: At baseline, participants were asked to rate their perceptions of the treatment environment of their residential care program. Findings At intake the female participants were significantly younger; report more  psychiatric symptoms, more likely to be diagnosed with mood disorders, has shorter histories of homelessness and less likely to be working than male veterans. Male participants were reported to have higher risk factors of homelessness due to substance abuse (70%) and PTSD (45%) due to combat exposure. Between one to six months in transitional housing services, both genders were showing improvement on employment income and overall psychiatric scores. At six months, female participants showed some decrease in employment and an increase in their psychiatric scores whereas the male participants continued to show improvements. After a one year period, female participants showed improvement in housing, employment and incomes, substance abuse use and general physical and mental health and quality of life compared to male participants. This suggests that homeless female veterans can benefit as much from transitional housing services as male veterans. Transitional housing programs and shelter have been predominantly male environment focused on serving men, in the VA context. But this study found that, after adjusting for multiple comparisons, there were no differences in how homeless male and female veterans perceived the social climate of their transitional housing program or in their overall clinical benefits. These findings suggests that VA efforts to improve services for women may be successful, but need to continue. Limitations One limitation of this study is the small sample size of homeless female veterans. Also we were not able to differentiate between female veteran who are caring for dependent children and those who were not. Validity is a standard that determines whether an instrument measures what it is supposed to measure and whether it measures it accurately. Accuracy is the key issue. Because of small sampling of female veteran participant, the question of dependent children was a valid observation. Reliability is the second key standard in determining if a measure is satisfactory. Reliability refers to the internal consistency of the measure. Dudley states that the connection between validity and reliability is triangulation. Triangulation is a process of using multiple methods to measure one concept. If it is determined that the results of one measure of the same variable are similar to the results from another measure of the same variable, they are triangulating the findings. They are deemed to be both valid and reliable  because they have similar results. (Dudley, 2011). Bibliography Carlson, Eve B., Garvert, Donn W., Macia, Kathryn S., Ruzek, Josef I., Burling, Thomas A. (2013). Traumatic Stressor Exposure and post-Traumatic symptoms in Homeless Veterans. Military Medicine, Vol. 178, 9:970-973. Dudley, J.R. (2011). Research Methods for Social Work. Second edition. Boston: Pearson Education. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Gamache, G., Rosenheck, R., & Tessler, R. (2003). Overrepesentation of women veterans among homeless women. American Journal of Public Health, 93(7), 1132-1136. Herek, G. M., & Belkin, A. (2006). Sexual Orientation and Military Service: Prospects for organizational change and individual change in the United States. In T. W. Britt, A. B. Adler, & C. A. Castro (Eds.), Military Life: the Psychology of serving in Peace and Combat (pp. 119-142). Westport, CT: Praeger Security International. Hoge CW, Castro, CA, Messer SC, McGurk D, Cotting DI, Koffman RL. Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mental Health Problems, and Barriers to Care. New England Journ al of Medicine; 351(1): 13-22. Leda, C., Rosenheck, R., & Gallup, P. (1992). Mental illness among female veterans. Hospital & Community Psychiatry, 43(10), 1026-1028. MacGregor, C., Hamilton, A. B., Oishi, S. B., & Yano, E. M. (2011). Descriptive, development, and philosophies of mental health service delivery for female veterans in the VA: A qualitative study. Women’s Health Issues, 21(4), S138-S144. McGuire, J. F., Rosenheck, R. A., & Kasprow, W. J. (2011). Patient and program predictors of 12-month outcomes for homeless veterans following discharge from time-limited residential treatment. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research,38, 142-154. Petrovich, James. (2012). Culturally Competent social work Practice with Veterans: an Overview of the U. S. Military. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 22:863-874. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group Savitsky, L., Illingworth, M., & DuLaney, M. (2009) Civilian Social Work: Serving the military and veteran populations. Social Work, 54(4), 327-339. Tessler, Richard, Rosenheck, Robert and Gamache, Gail. (2003). Homeless Veterans of the All-Volunteer Force: A social Selection Perspective. Armed forces & Society, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 509-524. Tsai, Jack, Rosenheck, Robert A. and McGuire, James F. (2012). Comparison of Outcomes of Homeless Female and Male Veterans in Transitional Housing. Community Mental Health Journal, 48:705-710. United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, & United States Department of Veterans Affairs. (2009). Veteran Homelessness: A supplemental report to the 2009 annual homeless assessment report to Congress. Washington, DC: US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development: US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans. Washington, D. L., Yano, E. M. Mcguire, J. F., Hines, V., Lee, M., & Gelberg, L. (2010).Risk factors for homelessness among women veterans. Journal of health Care for the Poor and Underserved. 21, 81-91. Zeigler, S. L. & Gunderson, G. G. (2005). Moving beyond G. I. Jane: Women and the U. S. Army. New York, NY: University Press of America. Zoroya, G. (2009, October 5). USA Today, p. 4a. More colleges develop classes on how to treat war vets.

If I Were a Boy Essay

The artist Beyonce has a fantastic music video, directed by Jake Nava. He is best known for his Anti-gun campaign music video; he also attended University of Westminister. It is about a girl who put herself in a guys shoes. This particular song portrays an R&B genre. Beyoncà © is shown as a female police officer arresting a grown, black male who looks to be from an impoverished area. This often times suggests R&B; however, both Beyoncà © and the male featured in the video appear to be clean cut and well presented. They also show the couple’s nice apartment, and the guy is shown giving Beyoncà © an expensive-looking pair of earrings. Based on this information, one can assume that this music is not R&B, it’s pop. The purpose of this video was to highlight the misunderstanding between genders. The theme of role reversal was used. Beyoncà © was shown in the shoes of a man. She treated her man the way your stereotypical male would treat a female. Men don’t take the time to sit down and eat breakfast together, as shown in the video; they tend to worry more about work, alcohol and other women. Beyoncà © illustrates the feeling of men coming and going, always assuming that when they do in fact come home their girl will be right there waiting for them. She proves that point wrong when she says â€Å"you lose the one you wanted because you’ve taken her for granted†. A person can only take so much before they decide to walk away. Aside from what had previously been mentioned it is noted that there is a very strong relationship between the lyrics and the visual. The way Beyoncà © acts towards her man in the video is much the same as she describes it through her words. She shows distance and selfishness. She puts herself first, which is what she feels most guys do. This video portrays their closeness, but also her reluctance  to be treated poorly. At this point, viewers are able to sense her. confusion: she seems tired of the situation, tired of her man constantly coming and going. It almost seems as if its time for her to make a decision, judgment day. The roles are suddenly flipped and everything begins to make sense. However, if you pay close attention you also begin to realize that the record company is trying to do multiple things with this song. You can tell that the record company is not only trying to sell the track but the artist as well. A vast majority of Beyoncà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s songs have leaned more towards the R&B genre, all songs that could be played at a party and cause a live atmosphere whereas this song is deeper and more heartfelt. This song is looking to grab peoples attention in a different way, she wants people to relate. The record company tries to sell her as a diverse artist, and was trying to prove that she is capable of executing multiple forms of music. Overall, this song is about a female who feels as if men have it easier, almost like they can sa y and do things that woman cannot do within a  relationship without facing consequences. Beyoncà © feels a man wouldn’t stick around if they were treated like a female. They wouldn’t have the patience nor would they continue to make an effort. This song/video combo was well executed and served a clear purpose. Some women feel a man’s position is easier to fulfill, but who is to say that some men don’t feel that way about women? It would be very interesting to see a male version of this music video.

Barack Obama Impact on the American Society Essay

Barack Obama Impact on the American Society - Essay Example As such, the â€Å"Nigrescence Model,† a model for the acquisition of Black identity created by William E. Cross Jr., does not quite fit his life, and in some ways his life shows that the Nigrescence model is something of an over-simplification. While he does identifiably go through every stage of the Nigrescence model, Barack Obama demonstrates that this model is also an incredible over-simplification of African American life. Barack Obama’s experience of racial identity though his early life mirrors aspects of Cross’s Nigrescence model relatively closely. He clearly experienced stage one, the â€Å"Pre-experience† stage, wherein a person is not quite aware of the existence or importance of racial identity. He discusses how when he was a child, he â€Å"barely registered† the fact that his â€Å"father looked nothing like the people around [him] – that he was as black as pitch† (Obama, 10). At this very early stage of his childhood he was barely cognizant of skin color, much less race as a social construct and what the difference between his mother’s skin â€Å"white as milk† and his father’s â€Å"black as pitch† skin could mean (10). This clearly represents the first stage of Nigresence as described by Cross’s model. ... ant to take on identifying features of ‘blackness.’ He said that his white friends â€Å"treated us [Obama and a black friend named Ray] any differently from how they treated each other† (82). In this passage Obama clearly shows both that he is aware of his race and that he understands it is supposed to have identifying features. Following that, however, things get more complicated. In the third stage of Nigresence a person is supposed to take on the identifying elements of his or her race, and Obama did show that he did this to some degree. He talks about enacting a â€Å"bad-assed nigger pose† around his white friends, but also thinks that maybe he should â€Å"give it a rest† because his friends seemed to treat him no differently because of his race (82). Barack, as a bi-racial person, was trying to acquire and enact two different sets of racial identities, two â€Å"worlds that each possessed their own language and customs and greetings† b ut that he hoped would â€Å"eventually cohere† (82). So even though Obama did enact elements of the third stage, even though he was consciously aware of the performative aspects of them, he also was in the fourth stage simultaneously. In the fourth stage someone is supposed to break out of their individual group and start noticing characteristics of other groups, and start to take on the ones that suit one’s personality. Obama never had the luxury of purely immersing himself in one group, because he was always â€Å"suspect† to both white and black friends; he would sometimes feel too white for black people and too black for white people. He clearly spent a long time struggling with his own race and identity, but more often with what perceptions of his race and identity meant to others. By the close of Dreams from my Father,

Maternal & paediatric care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Maternal & paediatric care - Essay Example Rheumatic fever is an infection that can be compared to an inflammatory disease. It is said to develop two or three weeks after a group A Streptococcal infection. This type of infection is referred to through a scarlet fever or a strep throat.The basis of this kind of infection is found in cross reactivity that is created through a conflict between antibodies. Such an infection can affect various parts of the body. This includes the heart, joints, skin and brain (Robbins Basic Pathology). An acute version of rheumatic fever is said to appear in children who fall between the ages of five and fifteen. Adults are inflicted at a lesser degree with this fever. 20% of adults are thought to be affected by a first time attack of this disease. The results of this disease are said to leave a life long mark on the patient (American Heart Association). There are not many differences between a rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. While rheumatic fever can be caused by an inflammation, the heart disease caused by this kind of fever is known as rheumatic heart disease. The damage done by this infection to the heart is a direct result of the fever itself. Any patient who has suffered from this kind of fever is more susceptible to suffering from the heart damage which follows. This is the reason why patients who have undergone this kind of fever are given a monthly dose of antibiotics for the rest of their life. Any problems caused to the heart by the fever can lead to an increased risk to the heart and further complications such as infective endocarditic. Rheumatic heart disease leads to a clogging of the heart valves. Thus, rheumatic heart disease is a direct cause of the fever in itself and has the same symptoms and cure. There are many symptoms to a rheumatic fever. They are usually preceded by a strep throat that is responsible for causing the inflammation as mentioned previously which can later develop into a fever, chest pain and skin rashes. There are several ways to cure this type of a fever. It can be done with by reducing the inflammation in itself. This can be done using several ways. Anti inflammatory medicine likes aspirin or corticosteroids to help reduce the infection. If this medicine is not taken then the patient can suffer from acute rheumatic fever. Antibiotics can also be taken to cure the strep throat. Later in life, a recurring fever can be prevented by eradicating the infection with the use of antibiotics. Dehydration Dehydration is not a disease or illness. It is caused by an excessive loss of water in the body (MedicineNet). Another term for it is hypohydration where water is removed from an object. Because the water in the human body is responsible for possessing so many solutes a loss can lead to severe deficiencies. Thus, while the body losses its water it is coupled with the loss of important solutes needed by the body as well. Dehydration can be caused by a variety of reasons. These states or diseases can lead to the body's inability to impair water. The first of this can be blamed on external causes. Physical activity which can lead to sweating without the consumption of adequate water can cause this problem. Another is the exposure to humid weather which can lead an individual to lose water in an atmosphere of dry air. Along with this the individual's health can also affect their levels of hydration. These include vomiting, diarrhea or hyperthermia, any of which can cause a severe loss of water in the body. Infectious diseases can also be held responsible for dehydration: such as cholera, gastroenteritis or yellow fever. Another reason for dehydration is malnutrition which can lead to an individual receiving a reduced amount of water required for the body. The symptoms of dehydration can be easily discovered depending on the degree it has reached in the body. A mild dehydration can lead to

Nursing Care of Myelofibrosis Following Splenectomy Essay

Nursing Care of Myelofibrosis Following Splenectomy - Essay Example Mr. Spring had marked splenomegaly and profound constitutional symptoms including fatigue and night sweats. Due to anemia, there would be hemodilution, leading to an increased burden on the heart, thus resulting in congestive cardiac failure, and this was evident from his breathlessness and peripheral edema (Tefferi, 2005, p. 8520-8530). It is quite possible that his hematologic profile was further aggravated by splenomegaly-mediated exacerbation of the cytopenias through sequestrations and destruction of hematopoietic elements. Splenectomy offered to him as a treatment modality would only reduce the splenomegaly-induced symptoms and functional abnormalities of his blood picture secondary to his marrow pathology. Postoperative Phase: After the surgery, Mr. Spring was brought back to the ward with oxygen via nasal prongs on 2 L of oxygen with him saturating at 95%. His temperature was 36.8 and he was hypotensive. He was kept under observation. A stat dose of Lasix was given to reduce the fluid overload, and his urine output was 150 mL in the first hour following the injection and in the second hour, he passed another 100 mL. The dressing on the wound was clean, and there was no obvious ooze. The patient was provided with a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) morphine pump, and it was instructed to be on an as-needed basis, since post-surgical pain is important to prevent, and nursing has an important role to play even though it is PCA. Intravenous opioids provide immediate relief and are short-acting, thus minimizing the potential for drug interactions or prolonged respiratory depression while anesthetics are still active in the patient’s system (Marley & Swanson, 2001, 399-419). To prev ent deep venous thrombosis, a stocking was in place with the institution of intermittent calf compression.

How do stereotypes affect the perception of male masculinity in the Research Paper

How do stereotypes affect the perception of male masculinity in the workplace - Research Paper Example This kind of profiling ranges from the unequal pay package to the court system. The paper will examine the impact of the male masculinity in the workplace mostly from the effects it has on both genders and accordingly where possible look at the ways that the stereotyping can be rectified in order to bring out the equality in every other workplace. Furthermore as the paper is examining the stereotype from mainly the female angle it should be put into consideration that even the male employees in a workplace also suffer from the kind of discrimination from their other male counterparts in relation to career and association. HOW STEREOTYPES AFFECT PERCEPTION OF MALE MASCULINITY IN A WORKPLACE Stereotyping When it comes to the workplace, gender stereotype can be an awfully traumatizing experience that any person should not undergo. By stereotyping a particular group of people or even having a perception of a particular group of people implies that the persons is being mistreated on the b asis of a predetermined philosophy that in most cases will not be true (Wood, 2012). By stereotyping a particular society it means that we are making a discernment based on objective scrutiny about that particular group of people. Stereotyping can be made on a persons presumption based on their age, race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender. In the workplace the stereotyping exists although measures have been put in place to dissuade the discrimination especially based on the gender of individuals. In the societies, the equitable and fairness work place policies indicate that people are moving away from the notions of gender discrimination into a better and fair society (Paludi, 2012). Furthermore in the past years, laws have been put into place to discourage and prohibit gender discrimination. Male Masculinity Masculinity varies from each and everyone and when various people or societies get into contact with each other their own notion of masculinity has the potential of crea ting conflicts among themselves. By possessing characteristics and qualities typical of any male person it will be qualified to say that that is a perception of having the masculinity. The expression masculinity might be used to portray any human being, animal or even an object that has capability and eminence to be masculine and therefore is not limited to man alone. However Chrisler & McCreary (2010) claim that the usage of the term is mostly to associated with the male qualities in the society. The perception of masculinity was first used in the early 19th century just when the industrial revolution had just began. Swift transformation and advancement of technology has ensured that the standards of living have improved and become well and with this, the description of the term masculinity has also changed. Currently in the present workplace masculinity is definitely an aspect that has to be taken into consideration by directors and also by staff. This is mainly because it plays a critical and unique position in the way people interrelate with one another and outline the system (Hinsdale, Johnson, & Validated Instruction Associates Inc Albion 2010).   In the earliest impression of male masculinity, the concept of maleness and masculinity was that men did not work for the reason that they enjoyed it but somewhat; they did the work for the sole purpose of being called men. After that era men began believing that the worst that possibly

Project management assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project management assessment - Essay Example A project is acknowledged as unsuccessful if it fails to offer what was needed, in line with prospects. In other words, in order to be successful a project has to be completed within estimated budget, with required performance, and on time; as well as it has to offer the advantages valuable in the business scenario. However, the project requirements should be apparent and absolute. Unluckily, it is not that simple. In addition, the second element of definition of project success is that the project has to be completed along the lines of expectations (Pritchard, 2004; Lewis, 2006; Mind Tools Ltd., 2011). In addition, in many cases a project had to cross its initial or expected budget, but the project still was considered as successful. On the other hand, if a project complied with all the instructions which were in the wide-ranging project designs, but it was still considered as failure in view of the fact that it did not comprise the fundamental elements those were required by primar y stakeholders. Though, it does not look reasonable, but project success and failure is not directly about the facts, nor is it simply about what was delivered. But, it is regarding how the project has to be completed (Pritchard, 2004; Lewis, 2006; Mind Tools Ltd., 2011). ... In this scenario, majority of projects fail due to the changes in time, budget and various other restrictions that can take place in a project. Additionally, there are a number of unique attributes connected with the project that direct to unnecessary as well as inherent problems, those increases risk profile of a number of projects which makes others less dangerous. In this scenario, the risk profile of each project is at extremely high level and this is for the reason that the reality that a lot of projects do not convene their performance aims and objectives. In addition, it should be kept in mind that project management literature is paying more and more attention on significance of different methodologies that could help project managers achieve desired competence and success (Kerzner, 2003; Hughes & Cotterell, 2002; Schwalbe, 2005; DevTechnologies, 2010). Furthermore, the literature also outlines that almost all the projects that are carried out by businesses and institutes are executed in parallel with each other. As a result, there is a high level stress on project managers and project team associates inside corporations to tackle with the demands of these parallel executing projects. On the other hand, the human resources inside a corporation are partial as well as the intellectual capital that is united with the project demands and deliverables is even additional limited. Thus, when the number of projects executing in parallel grows then a net shortage of the trained team associates takes place, which takes toward the opposition of projects for the intellectual capital essential for attaining its deliverables as well as performance objectives (Kerzner, 2003; Hughes & Cotterell, 2002;

The Smell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Smell - Essay Example " "Yeah." his friend agreed, "He was really good looking and smart. But his personality doesn't really match his intelligence and appearance." I believe that this is the typical way we assess someone. We might look at their appearance and their behavior. We might listen to them while they're talking and sometimes hear about their reputation from other people. These are the basic interactions we encounter and do everyday. The senses used to assess an individual are not without restrictions. We cannot simply judge the person based on just seeing, hearing, tasting or feeling them. And we cannot simply just touch a person without reason; the same goes with taste. However there is one among the five senses that is oftentimes undervalued as a basis for judging a person's character. Nobody evaluates someone by starting with, "That guy smells." in a normal conversations. They can be read in some forms of literature like romantic novels or poetic impressions. But the writers had these words thought of prior to producing their literary works. In other words, they were planned. These things do not really happen instantly. Now that we look at it, does it mean that the sense of smell as a judge for a person's character is not worthy of merit Is the sense of smell being overlooked Probably some people think of smell as simply saying, "I have a great fragrance." or "I do not stink!" There is, however, another defi nition. When writers or chatters mention "the smell" in their writing or in conversations to describe someone, the role of smell doesn't end in the statement, "I do not stink!" Smell is further defined as the faint aroma coming from the body. I want to say that this is a more sophisticated way of judging a person, when we merge each part into one big package. I have had a very inspirational and sensational impression from one book called Das Parfum by Patrick Suskind. The main character, Grenouille, was extremely gifted in the fleeting realm of scent. Unfortunately he went through a difficult childhood and had only hatred in him. The combination of the two-his gift and his hate-drove him to his erroneous cling to "the perfume." His obsession led him to murder a woman so that he can use every part of her body, including her hair, to make the greatest scent that is the only one in existence in the entire world. The scent he created was not artificial, but rather it contained the natural essence of the woman while she was still alive. What Grenouille did was to preserve her every waking moment as fresh as possible. The people who experienced to get a whiff of the perfume felt as if they reached the goal of desire, as if the snow melts in the radiance of the morning sun and collapses down on the ground. Grenouille was not only an expert in c ompounding but he also had an amazing skill of pulling out what's real from the public. That skill was his unique sense of smell which distinguished the real meaning of other peoples scent. Today, people are still conscious about how they smell. To illustrate, what is normally our task after rising from our beds What is our top priority; the first thing in our minds that we should do We could have a coffee with toast, or if we had more time, we could read the newspaper. Normally after finishing our morning routines, we would then go to work or school. Sometimes though, when we are really in a hurry, we tend to skip or forget to eat our bountiful

The Greatest Principle - Utilitarianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Greatest Principle - Utilitarianism - Essay Example While the legal verdict was that of murder, the precept and concept of utilitarian as moral and ethical judgment for one’s actions had become crucial issues. The chapter describes Sandel’s moral and political philosophy and explores human behavior on the wider context of human relationship based on moral and ethical values. Bentham’s utilitarianism are discussed and juxtaposed against Mill’s philosophy of freedom and liberty. Aggregate utility and maximized happiness are major points of Bentham’s utilitarianism. It is based on the motive of the act and therefore can be used for justifying wrong acts. In other words, the wrong motives can be used for justifying actions which could primarily be for vested interests of few. Indeed, according to act utilitarian, actions should be such that they maximize happiness for greatest number of people. Aggregate utility becomes important aspect of actions as per Bentham’s philosophy. Sandel asserts that Bentham’s utilitarianism has basic two flaws when translated within the broader social context: it fails to safeguard individual’s rights and there cannot be common solution to every person’s preferences or problems. Indeed, it would pose huge difficulties for the market economy. Ford had refused to fix defective gas tank due to high cost per fatality. Ford’s action is prime example that shows the non feasibility of actions based on aggregate utility and translating everyone’s preferences into single solution. Mill’s philosophy introduces accountability of actions and therefore emphasizes that people can act in any way they wish but their actions must not harm the interests of others. This is hugely pertinent because while it takes individuals’ right into consideration, it also reinforces moral obligation on their actions. It also tries to explain second objection which highlights the need to evolve single scale to

Involves and acid and a metal Essay Example for Free

Involves and acid and a metal Essay The Problem: To investigate one of the factors affecting the rate of reaction between a metal and an acid. Background Knowledge: The balanced equation for the reaction that takes place between magnesium and hydrochloric acid is: Mg + 2HCl == MgCl + Cl From this equation, we can already see that it involves and acid and a metal, therefore: Acid + metal == salt + hydrogen The ionisation equation of the hydrochloric acid is: HCl(aq) == H + Cl This experiment will demonstrate the breaking of bonds. Bonds break in order to allow certain atoms to re-arrange before the new bonds are formed. When magnesium reacts with the hydrochloric acid, a particle of this acid must collide with a particle of the magnesium with adequate energy in order to break the bonds between the magnesium and the hydrochloric acid. This is known as the Collision Theory. The collisions between the particles must collide more often and with more sufficient energy in order for the rate of reaction to increase. Although, not every collision produces a successful reaction as they require a certain amount of energy to break bonds. This is called activation energy. The rate of a chemical reaction refers to the speed at which it happens, and different metals react at various rates. The progress of a reaction can be measured by the rate of a formation of a product or by the decrease of reactants. There are four main factors that can be varied to affect the rate of reaction between magnesium and acid: 1. Surface area (of the reactants) 2. Concentration (of the reactant) 3. Temperature 4. The presence of a specific catalyst If the surface area were increased by using a magnesium powder, then the reaction would speed up, as there are more particles that are able to collide with the hydrochloric acid. The products of a reaction are formed as a result of the collisions between the reactant particles. Consequently, if the concentration of a solution is increased, collisions are more likely to occur. The more often the particles collide, the higher the chance that a reaction will take place. Subsequently, the rate of a chemical reaction increases if the concentration of the reactant is also increased. This is also because the rate is proportional to the concentration. E. g. Diagram to illustrate a high concentration and a low concentration: When the temperature at which the reaction is carried out is increased, the energy of the particles also increases. As a result of this, the particles move much faster allowing them to collide more often with other particles. Therefore, as there are more collisions and these collisions are more energetic, the rate of reaction increases. Catalysts are used to speed up a reaction. These biological catalysts are extremely specific, therefore only speed up certain reactions. Every chemical reaction taking place has an exclusive enzyme catalyst (an enzyme is a protein molecule produced in a living cell.) A catalyst will decrease the activation energy and forms an alternative path to help the collisions to be more successful. Safety: As I will be using glass conical flasks and burettes, I will be very careful when handling them in case I harm myself or others by dropping them. The hydrochloric acid is also corrosive, which means that it is able to eat away at materials that it is within contact with. Again, I should handle this carefully and ensure that there are no spillages. Water seems quite harmless, but if I spill any, it is possible that someone may skid or trip on it. For safety precautions, I will wear goggles and an overall and also tie my hair back. Method:   I will begin by attatching a plastic burette clamp to a clamp stand at a practical height to begin my experiment.   I will then fill my water tub approximately 1/2 full with water, and place it next to my clamp stand (so that the burette clamp is able to hole the burette above the tub. )   Next, I will fill my burette with tap water above 50cmi   and attach it to my clamp stand using the burette clamp. Very quickly, I will swiftly turn the burette upside down and speedily submerge it under the water. Afterwards, I will produce the solution of hydrochloric acid and water using separate measuring cylinders. I will remove the bung that is stopping the conical flask, and pour in the measurements of hydrochloric acid and water. I will then drop the magnesium ribbon (which will be cut using scissors), replace the bung and swirl the solution for a second, whilst starting the stop clock. I will take readings every 10 seconds. Diagram: Apparatus:   Burette   Delivery tube Clamp stand   Burette clamp   Magnesium tape   Distilled water   Stop clock   Conical flask Measuring cylinders (at least 2).

Analyse Different Chilli Peppers Biology Essay

Analyse Different Chilli Peppers Biology Essay The purpose of this project was to analyse different chilli peppers and hot sauces for their Capsaicin and Dihydrocapsaicin content but concentration was focused more on the analysis of different chillies than sauces. Samples of chillies were refluxed using Ethanol as an extraction solvent and sauces were untrasonicated using Methanol. The extracts were filtered and analysed via Reverse phase HPLC-UV Vis technique. A number of experiments were performed to optimise the method that has been previously used for analysis of chilli peppers. The first experiment conducted was to optimise the duration of reflux time required to obtain a good yield of Capsaicin. Results showed that 1hr is sufficient for the extraction of Capsaicin. A variety of chilli peppers and sauces were analysed so as to ascertain the hottest pepper. In general all samples had good detection. Different parts of chillies were also examined to establish which part contains the highest concentration of Capsaicin and Endoc arp was found to be the hottest part. The reproducibility of the method was also investigated and the sample showed to have a low RSD value. 1. Introduction Next to Jazz music, theres nothing that lifts the spirit and strengthens the soul more than a good bowl of chillies. Harry James (Late American musician) Loved by millions for their hot and sizzling flavours, the chilli peppers have become very popular over the period of time and are being grown in almost in all parts of the world, with Asia being the biggest producer of chillies followed by Mexico and the U.S. In traditional Indian medical system, chilli is used as way of stimulating the digestion and is also believed to be a natural pain killer. The red chilli peppers are also a source of potassium, magnesium and iron and vitamin C. 1.1 Why Are They So Hot? The heat sensation in chillies is caused by a class of chemicals, called the Capsaicinoids. These compounds are found in members of the capsicum family of plants. Capsaicinoids themselves belong to a group called Vanilloids i.e. containing the Vanillyl group [3dchem.com] Figure 1.1 [ en.wikipedia.org] All Capsaicinoids have same functional groups and differ only in length of hydrocarbon chain. The most common of Capsaicinoids compounds is Capsaicin which is the major constituent of chilli peppers and also responsible for their pungent taste. [3d chem.] 1.2 Structure of Capsaicins: Capsaicin figure 1.2.1 Dihydrocapsaicin figure 1.2.2 Nordihydrocapsaicin figure 1.2.3 Homocapsaicin figure 1.2.4 Homodihydrocapsaicin figure 1.2.5 Out of all the Capsaicins, the capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin are the major constituents of Capsaicinoids (make up 80-90% of capsaicinoids). 1.3 Cis-trans isomerism in Capsaicin [3dchem] Capsaicin can exhibit cis-trans isomerism due to the presence of C=C bond. The double bond prevents the molecule to rotate freely internally, therefore, giving rise to stereo isomers. Cis isomer of the capsaicin is less stable and has higher energy due to steric hindrance. As the methyl groups are in close proximity to each other it causes repulsion between them and hence making it a less stable arrangement due to this added strain. Trans isomer on the contrary has methyl groups further apart and doesnt have any steric hindrance, making it a more stable/low energy arrangement. Therefore, the Capsaicin is always found in the Trans isomer. Figure 1.3.1 [http://www.homesteadcollective.org/mpg/science/majorcrap5.shtml] 1.4 Scoville Scale The scale for measuring the extent of heat in chillies was first invented by an American Chemist Wilbur Lincoln Scoville in 1912. The test he devised is known as the Scoville Organoleptic test in which he had a group of volunteers to taste the chillies on their own and later diluted them with sugar and water until they didnt have any burning sensation left. The resulting dilution factor was called the Scoville heat value of the sample and a number was then assigned to each sample of chilli i.e. Scoville unit, to ascertain the amount of dilution a chilli needs before its hot flavour dies away. [3d.chem] Table 1.4.1 Scoville heat values for Capsaicinoids [g6csy.net] Molecule Strength /Scoville units Capsaicin 16.1 million Dihydrocapsaicin 16.1 million Nordihydrocapsaicin 9.3 million Homocapsaicin 6.9 million Homodihydrocapsaicin 8.1 million The hottest capsaicin found is in the chilli known as Naga Jolokia, grown in India and has Scoville strength of 855,000-105, 0000 units. The Habanero (Mexican chilli) are the runners-up with Scoville rating range of 200,000-300, 0000. g6csy.net As mentioned earlier, in addition to Capsaicins being used as food additives, they have important medicinal benefits and are known as Phytochemicals.[3dchem.com] Due to having pharmaceutical and antioxidant properties, its widely used in anti-flammatory creams and ointments and also used as a counter irritant in surgical dressings and medicines. Moreover, they are also being used in nutritional supplements for pain relief and Arthritis. [cals.ncsu.edu] 1.5. Extraction Methods for Capsaicin Different methods have been devised as a way of extracting capsaicin from chilies and sauces. The simplest technique is to dissolve chilies in a polar solvent and placing the mixture on hot plates for half an hour and then filtering the extract via simple/vacuum filtration and making up with Methanol (100 ml). The other techniques more efficient for extraction are as follows: 1.5.1 Solid Phase Extraction or SPE This technique is particularly useful in extracting capsaicin as it requires pre-treating the sample prior to analysis. This reduces the amount of unwanted components that may interfere with the analysis. The extraction is completed in 4 steps: Conditioning the cartridge: This involves activating the cartridge by passing the sample through it to achieve same conditions with in the cartridge (e.g. to achieve same pH, composition etc as the sample). Retention: The sample is applied to the cartridge and either contaminants are retained and analyte is flushed through the cartridge. Other way used is holding the analyte with in the column and the unwanted components are passed through the column. Rinsing: The cartridge is then rinsed with distilled water to wash off the impurities. Elution: The last step is to elute the sample with appropriate solvent and the extract can then be used for analysis. 1.5.2 Reflux As demonstrated in this project, this method involves refluxing the chilies in methanol for appropriate duration. The reflux time required can be optimized by refluxing samples for different durations to establish the optimum time required by the capsaicin to leach. 1.5.3 Ultrasonication This method can be used for extracting the capsaicin from sauces or capsaicin based creams in short time. The samples are soaked in Ethanol and placed in the ultrasonic bath for half an hour at high temperature. The ultrasonic vibrations release the capsaicin from the samples. 1.5.4 Supercritical fluid extraction or SCFE In this method, the extraction solvent used is a super critical fluid. A super critical fluid (SCF) is a compound above its critical temperature and pressure. Therefore, an SCF is neither a liquid nor a gas. Hence, a super critical fluid has properties similar to liquids i.e. dissolving compounds and also gas like properties e.g. transportation. SCFE also minimizes the matrix components. Due to these capabilities, this method is more efficient and quicker than the other extraction methods. Carbon dioxide and water are the most commonly used SCF. This technique has a variety of applications in food, petrol, and pharmaceutical industries. 1.6. Previous research on Capsaicin Capsaicin has been widely studied and researched by various organisations and institutions but insufficient literature has been published with respect to the analysis of chilli peppers and sauces. In this section, three articles will be discussed as all three papers deal with the analysis of chillies and sauces relevant to this project. The first literature ¹ investigated the concentration of Capsaicin and Dihydrocapsaicin in the Habanero peppers using Super Critical Fluid Extraction method (SCFE). In addition to the analysis of Habanero whole peppers, different parts of chilli were also examined for their Capsaicin content. The Habanero peppers were obtained from two different locations: Cunningham Research station and Bailey Farm (located in North Carolina, US). The peppers were cut into seeds and shells and prior to extraction, the samples from Bailey farms were prepared fresh, oven dried and freeze dried and samples from Cunningham station were prepared in oven and freeze dried states. The whole peppers and seeds/shells samples were extracted using three polar solvents i.e. Methanol, Acetone and Acetonitrile. The Method for SCFE is as follows as stated in the literature: Fresh, oven and freeze dried preparations (0.5g dry weight) were extracted using a biomass: solvent loading of 15% (w/v) based on the initial moisture of the pepper samples/parts. Sample and solvent mixtures were homogenised in 50ml conical glass tubes and placed in a shaking water bath (50 °C). The extracts (2ml each) were then filtered and stored at -20 °C until the analysis. The preliminary work suggested that 1hr is sufficient to get good yield of capsaicin. The extracts were then analysed using Reverse-phased HPLC with UV VIS Detector. The HPLC was equilibrated with capsaicin standards (10, 30,50ppm). The mobile phase composition was isocratic at 60:40 (Acetonitrile: Water with acetic acid (pH 3)). The researchers of this project compared the capsaicin and Dihydrocapsaicin concentrations from both locations. The results showed that the Cunningham stations peppers had higher concentration of capsaicin in comparison with the Bailey farms chillies but the Bailey Farms pepper had higher amount of Dihydrocapsaicin than the Cunninghams. The results suggested that samples that were oven dried and extracted with Acetone gave maximum yields of the Capsaicinoids. This literature also suggested that regardless of the solvent type and preparation state used, seed has the highest amount of capsaicin. The researchers suggested the reason for differences in capsaicin concentration was due to different environments the fruits are cultivated e.g. chemicals used, weather conditions etc. The second literature ² deals with the analysis of three Capsaicinoids i.e. levels of capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin and nordihydrocapsaicin in different chillies, sauces and arthritis creams via reverse phased HPLC. This research employed a solvent extraction technique which involved addition of ethanol (extraction solvent) to the samples of ground chillies, sauces and creams and placing the samples on hot plates for 30mins. After cooling and filtration, the extracts were transferred into flasks (100ml) and made up to the mark with Ethanol. 5ml was withdrawn from this sample and filtered again into a syringe filter cartridge (0.45 µm pore size). This aliquot was then used for the analysis. A 1000ppm standard stock solution was used to make standard capsaicin solutions ranging from 1-50ppm and ran through HPLC. The mobile phase in this research was made up of ACN, water and phosphoric acid (0.1%).The UV detector was set at 280nm and 205nm to determine samples responses at different wavelengths. In addition, Isocratic and Gradient elution were used. The findings from this journal suggested that Capsaicinoids present in very little concentrations (e.g. 0.5ppm) were detected better at 205nm wavelength using gradient elution rather than Isocratic method. However, results also indicated that for analysis of Capsaicinoids present in greater concentrations, Isocratic elution and UV wavelength at 280nm. The concentrations of the Capsaicinoids were expressed in terms of the Scoville units and the value calculated for the Habanero peppers (150,000) in this experiment was different to the literature value range (200,000-300,000). The researchers attributed this fact to variations in the environment e.g. weather etc. The third literature ³ determined the capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin content in chilli peppers. The chillies were grounded for 10mins and Acetonitrile (30ml) was added to the crushed peppers and again grounded for 20mins. The solid residue was filtered and an aliquot (1ml) was made up to the mark with Acetonitrile. (in 10 ml flask). The extraction method used in this work was Solid Phase Extraction (SPE): An SPE cartridge was conditioned with Acetonitrile, methanol and water and the capsaicin extract (10ml) was then applied to the cartridge and the analyte was eluted with methanol (4ml) and then again with 1 ml of methanol (containing 1% acetic acid). The analytes were then run through reverse phase HPLC using UV-VIS detector (at 281nm); mobile phase consisted of 77:33 (Methanol: Water). The HPLC was eluted first with the standards so as to obtain the calibration graphs. The Capsaicinoids concentration of different chillies was expressed in Scoville heat units (similar to literature 2). The results showed that Habanero is the hottest amongst all peppers that were analysed i.e. Scoville heat value of 276,000 which corresponded to the literature value range. The least hot pepper was Jalapeno (41,000 Scoville heat units). 1.6.1 Comparison of three papers: The researches have used different techniques to extract the Capsaicinoids i.e. SCFE and SPE. However, the extraction technique used in this project was Reflux (for chillies) and Ultrasonication (for sauces). The extractions were successful and all samples in general were detected which indicates that more than one method can be employed as a way of extracting the Capsaicinoids from chillies and sauces. Various parameters were manipulated as part of method development in literature 2 e.g. Isocratic/gradient elution and different wavelengths. Similarly in Literature 1 three preparation states and three solvents were used to determine what state/solvent gives maximum yield of Capsaicinoids. Literature 1 also suggested that the hottest part with in the chilli is the seeds, however, the findings of this project have shown that the Endocarp contains the highest amount of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin. This is indicative of the fact that the amount of Capsaicinoids can vary even with in d ifferent parts of chilli. However, all researches discussed as well as this project has used polar solvents to extract the analytes and the analytical technique used was reverse phase HPLC which indicates its usefulness in the capsaicin analysis in particular. Once an analyte of interest has been extracted, it can be analysed by a process called Chromatography. 1.7 Chromatography The word Chromatography originates from Greek; Chroma means colour and graphein implies to write. [Skoog West Analytical Chem 7th Edition page 646] The history of this separative technique dates back to early twentieth century when it was developed by a Russian Botanist Mikhail Tswett in 1903[D kealy Instant notes]. He used this method for separation of various plant pigments and samples were passed through a calcium carbonate column. The separated analytes were identified as they left coloured bands on the column. [Skoog West Ana Chem 7th Page 646]. Since its invention by the Russian Scientist, this method has been modified and developed in many forms to give quantitative (amount of the analyte present) and qualitative analysis (identification of the unknowns) of complex mixtures. [d.Kealey instant notes page 119]. Separation in Chromatography is achieved by passing the sample mixture through the stationary phase by continuous flow of a mobile phase. This process is known as Elution. Hence, the chromatographic separation depends on the differences in the distribution ratios of the sample components between the stationary and mobile phase. Therefore, this capability of an analyte to migrate at different rates in both phases gives separation over a period of time and distance travelled. [D Kealey page 120] Kx= Cs/Cm, where kx is the equilibrium partition coefficient and Cs and Cm are molar concentrations of analyte in mobile and stationary phase. There are two types of Chromatography techniques: Year 2 notes page 25-26 1.7.1 Planar Chromatography In this method, the stationary phase is composed of a flat bed of material which is made up of an adsorbed layer distributed evenly over a sheet of glass, plastic or Aluminum (known as Thin Layer Chromatography or TLC) Paper Chromatography is also another type of Planar Chromatography in which the stationary phase is a sheet of cellulose material. 1.7.2 Column Chromatography In this method, the stationary phase is a glass or metal column on to which the stationary phase is tightly packed onto a column where separation takes place. Examples of Column chromatography are Gas Chromatography, High Performance Liquid Chromatography etc. 1.7.3 Chromatogram The plot of detector response Vs elution time is known as the Chromatogram. [Year 2 notes page 25]. Figure 1.7.3.1 [http://www.clu-in.org/characterization/technologies/images/retention.gif] 1.7.4 Retention time In the above figure is a typical chromatogram and term tr is the time taken by the analyte to elute the column, known as Retention time. [year 2 notes page 28] 1.7.4 Dead time [d Kealey page 121] Indicated as tm in the fig is referred to the dead time this is defined as the retention time required by the non retained species (i.e. mobile phase molecule) to pass through the column. A good Chromatogram should have well defined peaks having correct shape and symmetry (i.e. Gaussian shape), eluted in reasonable retention time (tr not too long or too short) and should be separated from the extraneous peaks. [Year 2 notes page 29] 1.8 Describing a Chromatogram There are four parameters used in chromatography that evaluate the quality of a chromatogram. These are: 1.8.1 The Capacity Factor, K It is the amount of mobile phase required to elute a particular peak. The K is calculated for the first and the last peak. This factor is particularly useful when establishing the best mobile phase composition in the HPLC. K can be calculated as following: K= (tr-tm)/tm where tr is the retention time and tm is the dead time. A Chromatogram having well separated peaks in good retention time will have K values between 2-8. 1.8.2 The Selectivity Factor, ÃŽÂ ± This is the ability of a system to separate two analytes (A and B) and is calculated by: ÃŽÂ ±= trb tm/ tra- tm, where trb and tra are the retention times of analytes A and B. A system where peaks are clearly separated has a value of ÃŽÂ ± > 1 1.8.3 The Resolution factor, Rs This determines the ability of a system to resolve two peaks that elute very close to each other. And can be calculated by: Rs = 2 (trb-tra)/Wa+ Wb where tra and trb are retention times and Wa and Wb are the peak widths of analyte A and B. The value of Rs > 1.5 for a good quality chromatogram. 1.8.4 The Efficiency Factor [ D kealey page 126-127] When separation takes place in a column, the chromatographic separation can be evaluated by the resolution factor, Rs or the efficiency factor. The efficiency is defined as the number of theoretical plates in a column. This factor evaluates the extent of band broadening of the analyte peaks. Increasing the number of plates and reducing their heights gives better efficiency and vice versa. The plate height can be calculated using: H= L/N where L is the length of the column (in mm usually) and N is the number of plates. The efficiency factor N is calculated by: N= 16 (tr/W) ² for a peak with a good baseline N= 5.54 (tr/W1/2) ² for a peak with a poor baseline and W1/2 is the width at half the maximum height of the peak. (year 2 notes 42-43) 1.8.5 Band Broadening As an analyte passes down a column, the peaks become shorter and broader due to various factors that cause band broadening. The Van Deemter Equation explains the reason for the band broadening: H= A+ (B/u) + Cu where H is the plate height and u is the linear velocity of the mobile phase. Other variables in the equation are explained below: A- Eddy Diffusion: As the mobile phase carries the sample components through the stationary phase, some components pass through the column in a straight line whilst other may that are retained longer by the stationary phase may deviate from the straight path and cause the peaks or bands to be broader. If evenly sized particles are used for packing the stationary phase, then the Eddy diffusion can be minimized. B- Longitudinal Diffusion: If the mobile phase is travelling at low velocities, then the analyte will spend more time in the column as analytes diffuse into the mobile phase. This longitudinal diffusion contributes towards peak broadening and can be minimized by an increasing the flow rate of the mobile phase. The increased velocity will reduce the retention time resulting in decreased effects caused by this phenomenon. [Veronica HPlc page 17-19] C-Mass transfer: As discussed earlier in this section, the separation depends on the ability of the analyte to distribute itself between the stationary and mobile phase. As the mobile phase is constantly flowing, the true equilibrium distribution of the analyte is never established. This leads to increased retention times and thus resulting in peak broadening. [d kealey page 124] 5. High Performance Liquid Chromatography or HPLC HPLC is a form of liquid chromatography which provides both qualitative and quantitative information about complex mixture samples in short time. The stationary phase in this technique is made up of very small fine particles and the sample is forced through the column by mobile phase solvents under high pressure, hence also bearing the name High Pressure Liquid Chromatography. [page 1 Veronica HPLC]. 5.1 Mobile phase in HPLC The main requirement for this technique is that the analyte must be soluble in the mobile phase as the mobile phase carries the sample mixture through the column where separation takes place. Therefore, if the analyte interacts with the mobile strongly, it will elute the column faster, leading to shorter retention times. [page 66 Chromatographic separations]. The mobile phase can either be a single solvent or different solvents combinations may be used. After suitable mobile phase has been chosen, the system can be set at isocratic or gradient conditions. In Isocratic conditions, the chosen ratio of solvents remains constant throughout the analysis e.g. in this project Isocratic mobile phase used for analysis. In contrast, the gradient mobile phase can be changed over the period of time. [Year 2 notes ]. 1.9 Stationary phase in HPLC The stationary phase in HPLC consists of a solid made out of micro porous material packed into the metal column. Silicas or modified Silicas with nonpolar organic groups attached are commonly used as column packing material. Out of all stationary phases used in HPLC, Octadecyl silica known as ODS or C18 is most extensively used due to its ability to separate the analyte components with high, intermediate and low polarities. Other stationary phases used in HPLC are Aminopropyl, Nitile, Sulphonic acid, quaternary Amines etc [d. kealey 159-161] Elution in HPLC is carried out by determining the extent of interactions of the analyte with the stationary and mobile phases. The degree of separation of the sample components depend on their migration rates and distribution ratios in both phases. 1.9.1 Normal and Reverse phase HPLC In normal phase HPLC (adsorption chromatography), the stationary phase is more polar than the mobile phase which is weakly polar. The separations are based on the relative polarities of the sample components. For instance, if species A is more polar than the species B, A will have strong affinity for the stationary phase and will be held in the column longer. This will result in species A having long retention time compared to B. Thus, in normal phase HPLC, least polar analyte elutes first. In Reverse phase HPLC (bonded phase chromatography), the stationary phase in non polar and the mobile phase solvents used are polar. This phase is governed by the hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of the analytes. Most polar analyte elutes first and vice versa. As Capsaicinoids are relatively non polar, therefore, if the mobile phase polarity in reverse phase is increased then the analyte will have stronger affinity for the stationary phase and therefore will spend more time in the column, leading to long retention times. The mobile phase solvents used in Reverse phase HPLC are water or aqueous buffer with an organic solvent. The use of protons in mobile phase composition improves the peak shape and travels in column quickly. [http://ionsource.com/tutorial/chromatography/rphplc.htm#Solvents] 1.9.2 HPLC Instrumentation Figure 1.9.2.1 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-CdTU5X4HA] Pump: In HPLC solvent delivery system, the pump is used to deliver the mobile phase solvents to the column under high pressure. Most commonly used pumps are reciprocating pumps. The pumps used should be free of corrosion, must supply an accurate and controlled flow rate and should be pulse free. The HPLC solvents for mobile phase must be degassed to ensure they are pure and free of any contaminants. This is done by passing an inter gas through the solvent reservoir in vacuum degasser. Injector: The sample is injected through syringe into the injector port. The injection system must not interrupt the flow of mobile phase and should deliver sample into the column in small volumes (5-500 µL). Column: Most commonly used HPLC column is 25cm in length, internal diameter of 4-6mm and particle size of 5 µm. 1.9.3 Detectors in HPLC When the sample components elute the column at different rates, they pass through the detector, and the information form the detector is then displayed in the form of a chromatogram. 1.9.4 UV-Vis Detector The detector is set at a specific wavelength which will be absorbed by the analyte. The degree of absorbance of UV radiation by the analyte is proportional to its concentration. (Beer Lambert law) 1.9.5 Diode array Detector or DAD The Diode Array detector is a type of UV Vis Detector [D Kealey page 162]. When the sample reaches the sensor cells, UV radiation is shone on the analyte. The light source mostly used is a Deuterium lamp. After light passes through the cell, its dispersed onto the photosensitive diodes via diffraction grating or quartz prism. Every diode in the array detects different wavelengths. The measure of differences in extent of absorbance at different wavelengths by the sample components results in their identification and also gives information about the concentration of the analytes. [http://www.chromatography-online.org/topics/diode/array.html] Other detectors used in HPLC are Fluorescence, refractive index, electrochemical detectors etc. [d Kealey 163-165] Figure 1.9.5.1 Experimental Method This project was performed in four different experiments. In all experiments, the methods for extracting the capsaicin from chilli peppers and sauces were the same i.e. reflux and Ultrasonication. However, different masses of chilli peppers, their individual parts were used and solvent volumes were taken in these experiments. (see results) 2.1.1 Preparation of chilli samples and extraction Several chillies were cut into small pieces and weighed into a 250 mL round bottom flasks. Ethanol (75 ml) was then added to chillies. A condenser (fitted with rubber tubing to the water tap) was fixed to the round bottom flask and solution was placed on isomantle (set at 80 °C) and refluxed in fume cupboard. After cooling off, extract was filtered into 100ml flask and made up to the mark with ethanol. A 5ml aliquot was withdrawn into 1.8ml sample vial using a 0.45 µm syringe filter. These aliquots were then analysed through HPLC. 2.1.2 Preparation of chilli sauces and extraction The hot sauces were prepared by dilution of sauce (2g) with ethanol (15ml) in beakers and solutions were places in ultrasonic bath (set at 60 °C) for 30 minutes. The extracts were filtered in the same way as chillies i.e. using 0.45 µl syringe and transferred to 20ml volumetric flasks and bringing up to the mark with methanol. The equipment used was white tiles, knife, weighing boat and weighing scale. 2.1.3 Preparation of glassware In analytical experiments, its of prime importance to ensure the glassware used is clean. Therefore, the glassware used in this project was washed first with deionised water and then with the solvents used. 2.1.4 Preparation of standards for Calibration The standard solutions were prepared from 200ppm stock solution directly into sample vials. Eppendorf pipette was used for accuracy and 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 ppm standards were made with HPLC standard Methanol. Concentration/ppm Volume of 200ppm Capsaicin/ ÃŽÂ ¼L Volume of methanol/ÃŽÂ ¼L 0 0 1000 20 100 900 40 200 800 60 300 700 80 400 600 100 500 500 2.2 HPLC The HPLC used in the laboratory was Agilent 1100 Series Column- ODS hypersil UV VIS Detector- G1315B Diode array detector (set at 280nm) Flow rate- 1.3 ml/min Windows XP CPU Mobile phase- Isocratic at 65:35 Acetonitrile (2% acetic acid): water Particle size- 5 µm, Column dimension- 250mm x 4.6mm 2.3 Determining ÃŽÂ »max for UV- Vis detector The ÃŽÂ »max for the detector was determined by placing methanol blank in UV spectrometer (Perkin Elmer with lambda 40) to calibrate it. After calibration, a 100ppm capsaicin standard was placed in the spectrometer and a graph was obtained with the optimum wavelength (see Appendix 1). This was 280.40nm and the HPLC detector was set at this wavelength. 2.4 Determining optimum mobile phase composition (see Appendix 2) The mobile phase was altered to different ratios to establish what ratio gives the best separation and reasonable retention times (less than 7 minutes). The 80:20 ratio (MeCn: water) gave shorter retention time but the peaks were eluted closer to each other. The 70:30 ratio showed good retention time but peaks were still closer to each other. 50:50 ratio gave long retention time and 60:40 ratio gave good separation but retention time was longer. Therefore ratio of 65:35 was used as this gave the best retention time and separati

Costa Rica and the CBD :: Government Essays

Costa Rica and the CBD Introduction Costa Rica has been well ahead of other developing countries with its environmental policies. Its involvement with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was in part due to the fact that the country had already been complying with many of the stipulations the convention put forward. In order to understand Costa Rica's environmental leadership one must first understand the history of the CBD and of Costa Rica's environmental policies, and the implications the CBD has had on Costa Rica . It is also important to discuss the increasing role of non-governmental organizations within Costa Rica for changing and creating environmental policy. Even though Costa Rica had advanced environmental policies before the creation of the CBD, the CBD has been important in jumpstarting more international relations between Costa Rica and other countries as well as with other international organizations. Costa Rica worked with international organizations before the ratification of the CBD, but they were more prevalent after the conference. Background to the CBD In 1992 the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One of the most important outcomes of Earth Summit was the creation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the enactment of the convention one year later. The CBD was the first global agreement for the conservation and the sustainable use of biological diversity. It identifies a set of problems, goals and policies that are common to states worldwide. Its three main goals are: to ensure the conservation of biodiversity; to require the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity; and to share the benefits from the commercial utilization of genetic resources in a fair way ("Text of CBD"). These goals were not new for Costa Rica. It is very important to consider the needs of developing countries when drafting international legislation regarding biological diversity because most of the world's biological diversity is found in developing countries. A reason for the c reation of the CBD was the global demand to protect biodiversity and one its provisions is that states have a sovereign right over biodiversity resources. Both of these factors are important when looking at where environmental policy is today because many developed countries who are not home to a significant amount of biodiversity are still concerned with it and that is why they want to impose regulations on the maintenance of biodiversity in other countries.

Hypnosis :: essays research papers

Hypnosis The British Medical Association and the American Medical Association has called it "a temporary condition of altered attention in the subject that may be induced by another person," (Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia) but there is still much about hypnosis that is not understood. Because it resembles normal sleep, it was studied and was found that the brain waves of hypnotized people are more similar to the patterns of deep relaxation than anything else. Rather than a psychic or mystical idea, hypnosis is now looked upon as a form of highly focused concentration in which outside influences are ignored. The most known feature of the hypnotic trance is that hypnotized person becomes easily influenced by the suggestions others-usually the hypnotist. They retain their abilities to act and are able to walk, talk, speak, and respond to questions; but their perceptions can be altered or distorted by external suggestions. At the command of the hypnotist, subjects may lose all feeling in a place on the body, and any kind of pain will not cause them any pain. The heartbeat can be slowed or quickened, and a rise in temperature and perspiration can be created. They can be commanded to experience visual or auditory hallucinations or live the past as if it were the present. Also, recently a scientist discovered that the way the subject's mind experiences time can be altered so that hours or even weeks can pass in second, from the subjects point of view. Subjects may forget part or all of the hypnotic experience or recall things that they had forgotten. The hypnotist may also make "posthypnotic suggestions" that are instructions to the subject to respond to a something after awakening. For example, the hypnotist might suggest that, after the subject wakes up he will have an urge to remove his left shoe, and the more the subject resists, the greater the urge to remove it will be, and once it is removed the urge leaves. These suggestions are sometimes used by specialists to repress or suggest away symptoms in a patient such as anxiety, itching, or headaches. Hypnosis is produced essentially by creating a deep relaxation and focused concentration in the subject. They then become mostly unresponsive to ordinary forms of stimulation, and although they are sometimes told to sleep, they are also told to listen and be ready to respond to commands made by the hypnotist. The word sleep is used in hypnosis not to induce actual sleep, but in practice it is understood that sleep is simply the hypnotic trance. The prefix hypno- is named after the Greek god Hypno which means "sleep.

YouTube Essay -- Technology, Video, Copyrights

Broadcast Yourself YouTube is an online form of entertainment. While some viewers do not appreciate its format, others enjoy watching and creating videos on YouTube. YouTube videos range from being educational, instructional, comedic to amusing. Creating videos to upload to YouTube is being done by people of all ages from all over the world. According to author Alex K. Rich, â€Å"thirty-eight percent of Americans want to distribute content online.†(Rich 1) YouTube has brought about a new form of high quality amusement and entertainment to a lot of its viewers. YouTube â€Å"is a popular video streaming website that displays uploaded video files created or disseminated by its users† (Belanger 1) writes Craig Belanger in his overview of YouTube. It is free and user friendly which makes it very popular. According to Jennifer Sexton this innovative website was founded by three former PayPal employees who had a â€Å"simple desire to capture short videos and share them with others.† (Sexton 1) While their intentions were not to make money and become a popular website, very quickly YouTube’s popularity increased and it is used by many internet users. According to the viewpoint of Alex K. Rich, â€Å"YouTube has lowered the bar for what is considered entertainment†(Rich 1) It is true that a majority of the videos created and uploaded to YouTube are not professional quality, it is a website that allows submitters of all ages and degrees of creativity to make a video. For example, the Lonelygirl15 videos were â€Å"sho t on a $150 web camera and showed that digital videos could be made by anyone.† (Hirschorn 3) The motto of YouTube is â€Å"Broadcast Yourself.† Michael Hirschorn wrote in his article, â€Å"Thank You, YouTube†, that the â€Å"start of low cost videos and its... ...s become part of the culture of the internet and influences things going on in the world today. As a viewer, people become of what is accepted and what is deemed not worth watching. In â€Å"YouTube: Guide to Critical Analysis†, some of the â€Å"videos that YouTube viewers have watched are 1) Soon after YouTube’s launch, clips from the 2006 Winter Olympics were posted, 2) Pop band OK Go won a 2006 Grammy award for a video that had originally achieved notoriety on YouTube and 3) excerpts from â€Å"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart† were regularly featured on YouTube.† (YouTube: Guide to Critical Analysis 2) So, as long as YouTube exists, while some of the videos will be done by professionals wanting to promote their product, there will always be the submitter who wants to â€Å"broadcast themselves† and upload it, even if it is using their cell phone and the use of their internet.

Mobile Phone and Social Media

There are days when I wish marathoner weren't even Invented-Yet I try to Imagine life without social media, and it makes me sad to realize how many people I would no longer be in contact with. The people I communicate with the most on Faceable are not the people that I'm closest to in life. Instead it's the people who either live in other cities or have moved on to other schools and our lives no longer intersect on a daily or weekly basis. I'm able to stay in touch with these people in a way that I wouldn't be able to without Faceable.We're able to share articles, books, recipes, and ideas. I'm able to see them accomplish life goals, get married, start families. Although these friendships are not the same as the friendships I have with my close friends and family, I still value the connection. Social media and smart phones are now a permanent part of society, and I think that is, for the most part, a positive thing. L, for one, am going to try to set aside my phone and ignore Faceabl e for hours at a time, and I'm going to get out of the bait of touching my phone during family and school times.I want to someday have a family, and when I do, devices will not be allowed at family meetings, so it makes sense to get out of the habit now. I'm going to continue to post interesting articles and photos when I see them. But I'm not going to constantly check to see how many â€Å"likes† and â€Å"comments†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ have. As for using my smartened in public, that's not really an Issue for me. I'm usually daydreaming. â€Å"Look up from your phone. Shut down the display. Stop watching this video. Live life the real way†.This shows me that the rate of successful relationships has gone down because people are to busy using their phones for testing and social media Instead of Interacting with each other. I think that smart phones have been ruling peoples social life. I think that the message I picked will help me later In elite. I would definitely recommend this video to family and friends because it has a deep message in it and it could help in their life. Mobile Phone and Social Media By sucroseCultural Perspective: I-J/ England By now, if you spend any time on Faceable, you've probably seen the â€Å"Look Up† video. Relationship with smart phones and social media. I hate how it has become a reflex smartness weren't even invented. Yet I try to imagine life without social media, and an issue for me. I'm usually daydreaming. â€Å"Look up from your phone. Shut down the people are to busy using their phones for testing and social media instead of interacting with each other. Message I picked will help me later in life.

Tata Consultancy Services Research Report

25  November  2012 Sector:  IT  Consulting  &  Software   CMP:  1288   Rating:  BUY   Target  Price:  1500              Stock  Info Investment  Period:  15months   Introduction: Tata  Consultancy  Services  Limited  is  an  Indian   multinational  information  technology  services,  business   solutions  and  outsourcing  Services  Company  founded  by   JRD  Tata  in  the  year  1968  headquartered  in  Mumbai. TCS  is   a  subsidiary  of  the  Tata  Group. It  is  one  of  India's  most   valuable  companies  and  is  the  largest  India? based  IT   services  company  by  2012  revenues. It  has  183  offices   across  43  countries  and  117  delivery  centres  across  21   countries.It  also  has  58  subsidiary  companies. Products  :   TCS  provides  a  wide  range  of  IT  rela ted  products   such  as;  application  development,  BPO  (business  process   outsourcing),  consulting,  enterprise  software,  payment   processing,  software  management  and  education  services. Following  are  the  service  lines  and  their  percentage  to  the   total  TCS  revenue  in  the  Q2  2012? 13:? Application  development  and  maintenance:   ADM  is  a  part  of  IT  that  works  with  the  business  to  develop   new  software,  keep  it  running  and  make  ongoing   improvements.Asset  leverage  solutions:         Assurance  services:   Assurance  services  provide  independent  and  professional   opinions  that  reduce  the  information  risk  (risk  that  comes   from  incorrect  information). Business  intelligence:   BI  is  the  ability  of  an  organization  to  collec t,  maintain,  and   organize  knowledge. This  produces  large  amounts  of   information  that  can  help  develop  new  opportunities. Market  Cap:  2,52,109crs   Equity:  195. 7crs   Face  Value:  1   52  Week  H/L:  1438? 1045 Key  Financials  (in  crores)      Net  Sales   EBIDTA   Margin  %   Net  Profit   EPS   Dividend   FY  11? 12   38,858. 55   33. 87   13366. 33   55. 97   25   FY  10? 11 29,275. 0   29. 47   8700. 44   38. 62   14 Valuation  Summary FY  11? 12   20. 60   8. 5   55. 31   44. 24   0. 72 FY  10? 11   23. 7   10. 4   44. 38   38. 80   na Price  to   Earning   Price  to   Book   RoCE  %   RoNW  %   Beta Absolute  Retune 3months   1year   5. 3% 3years   131. 7% TCS 30. 1% Sensex   3. 70% 17. 90% 7. 70% Share  Holding  Pattern  (%)   Promoter   FII   DII   Retail   74   15   6. 5   4. 5 Promoter  and  Promoter  group:   Tata  Sons  Ltd  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  73. 75%   Others  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  0. 25%   Foreign  Institutional  Investors:   Number  of  FII  Shareholders  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  853   some  of  them  include;   †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Domestic  Institutional  Investors:   Life  Insurance  Corporation  of  India  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ . 10%   Franklin  Templeton  Investment  Funds   –  1. 67%   Others  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  1. 73%   Retail  :   Individuals  with  value  less  than  1lac  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚   3. 5%   Individuals  with  value  more  than  1lac   –  1% Dividend  Policy  (Mar’12):   Indicators   TCS   Wipro   EPS   D/P  Ratio   (%)   D/R  Ratio   (%)   Div  Yield   (%)   Face   Value   Book   value      55. 97   52   48   1. 94   1   19   36. 60   63. 40   1. 64   2 HCL   28. 13   49. 50   50. 50   1. 87   2   95. 25 Business  process  outsourcing:   BPO  is  a  subset  of  outsourcing  that  involves  the  contracting  of   operations  and  responsibilities  of  specific  business  functions   or  process  to  a  third  party  service  provider.Consulting:   IT  consulting  is  a  field  that  focuses  on  advising  businesses  on   how  best  to  use  information  technology  to  meet  their   business  objectives. Engineering  and  Industrial  services:  Ã‚   E deliver  engineering  excellence  and  operational  efficiency,   ensuring  a  competitive  advantage. Enterprise  solutions:   An  enterprise  solution  is  any  business  tool  that  reliably   empowers  you  to  access,  share  and  apply  resources  with  any   of  your  peers  and  customers,  anyw here,  at  any  time.IT  infrastructure  services:   IT  Infrastructure  Services  (IS)  Or  Infrastructure  Management   Services  (IMS)  deliver  end? to? end,  effective  and  reliable   solutions  that  transform  help  to  business  operations. Services   Contribution  to   Quarter  on   overall  revenue   Quarter  (%)   (%)   AMD   43. 1   3. 8   Engg  Srvcs   4. 6   4. 6   IMC   11. 4   12. 5   EAS   14. 9   2. 5   Consulting   3   12   Products   2. 7   0. 8   Testing   7. 7   5. 9   BPO   12. 6   1. 3   IMC  was  the  key  growth  service  line,  expanding  12. 5%  QoQ,   followed  by  Consulting  which  also  grew  12%  QoQ. BPO,  EAS   and  Products  lagged  during  the  last  quarter. Sector  Wise  Performance  (Q2  2012? 3):   Verticals   Contribution  to   Quarter  on   overall  revenue   Quarter  (%)   (%)   BFSI   Mfg   Telecom Healthcare   Retail   Transportation   Energy  Ã‚   Media   Hi? Tech   Others 126. 50   99 42. 8   8. 2   10. 3   5. 2   13. 4   3. 6   3. 6   2. 2   5. 9   4. 9 4. 6   9. 0   5. 1   3. 1   6. 6   2. 2   5. 1   5. 1   3. 3   7. 2 Capital  Structure  (in  crores)    Mar’12   Mar’11      Shareholder’s  funds   Equity   195. 72   195. 72         Preference   100   100   Reserves   24560. 90   19283. 77   Net  worth   24856. 63   19579. 50   Debt  funds   Secured  Ã‚   93. 47   35. 87   Unsecured  Ã‚   2. 76   5. 25   Total  Debt   96. 23   41. 12   Total   24952. 86   19620. 1   Capital   *Preference  Shares  worth  100crs  issued  to  Tata   Sons  Ltd  (the  holding  company)  which  would  be   redeemable  at  par  at  the  end   of  six  years  from  the   date  of  allotment  ie. March  28,  2008,  but  may  be   redeemable  any  time  after  3years  from  the  date  of   allotment  at  the  option  of  shareholder. These  shares   would  carry  a  fixed  cumulative  dividend  of  1%  pa   and  a  variable  non? cumulative  dividend  of  1%  of  the   difference  between  the  rate  of  dividend  declared   during  the  year  on  the  equity  shares  and  average   rate  of  dividend  declared  on  the  equity  shares  for   three  years  preceding  the  issue  of  redeemable   preference  shares. BFSI  grew  4. %  QoQ,  despite  being  affected  by  the  current   environment  and  contributed  87%  to  the  incremental   revenues. While  telecom  too  grew  at  an  impressive  5. 1%   despite   industry  trouble,  the  manufacturing  and  retail   verticals  grew  the  fastest. Geographies  Growth  (Q2  2012? 2013):   Verticals   Contribution  to   QoQ  (%)   overall  revenue   (%)   North  America   52. 8   3. 2   Latin  America   3. 4   7. 7   UK   17. 1   5. 2   Europe   9. 5   3. 5   India   7. 5   10. 5   APAC   7. 6   7. 4   MEA   2. 1   4. 6 *APAC  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Asia  Pacific,  *MEA  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Middle  East  and  Africa   Growth  was  driven  by  emerging  economies. India  (10. 5%)   grew  the  fastest,  followed  by  Latin  America  and  APAC  (7. %   . 4%)  respectively. UK  (5. 2%)  remained  strong,  with   Europe  and  North  America  growing  at  (3. 5%  . 2%). Board  of  Directors   †¢ Executive  Board  Members Weighted  Average  Cost  of  Capital  Ã‚     Rf  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚   Risk  Free  Rate  of  Return  =  8%,  Rm   –  Market  Return  (nifty)  for  1year  =   10. 80%  (moneycontrol. com),  Beta  =   0. 72  (reuters. com)  Tax  Rate  =   2390. 35/13366. 33  (tax  expenses/PBT)   =  17. 88%      We  (proportion  of  equity)  =  E/  (E+D)  =   24856. 60  /  24952. 85  =  0. 9961      Wd  (proportion  of  debt)  =  D/  (E+D)  =   96. 23  /  24952. 85  =  0. 0039      Kd  (cost  of  debt)  =  Interest  paid  /  total   debt  =  16. 0  /  96. 23  =  0. 1704      Tax  Shield  =  0. 1704  (1? 0. 1788)  =  0. 1399      Ke  (cost  of  equity)  =  Rf  +  B(Rm? Rf)  =   0. 80  +  0. 72  (0. 108? 0. 08)  =  0. 10      WACC  =  (We*Ke)  +  (Wd*Kd)  =   (0. 9961*0. 10)  +  (0. 0039*0. 1399)  =   10. 015% N  Chandrasekaran  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  CEO   S  Mahalingam  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  CFO   †¢ Non? Executive  Board  Members Ratan  Tata  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Chairman   S  Ramadorai  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Vice  Chairman   Cyrus  Mistry  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Deputy  Chairman   Suprakash  Mukhopadhyay  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Company  Secretary   Compliance  Officer   R  Sommer,  I  Hussain,  V  Kelkar,  A  Mehta,  V  Thyagarajan,   Laura  Cha,  C  M  Christensen,  P  A  Vandrevala  O  P  Bhatt  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚   DirectorsCompetitors:  Ã‚   Infosys,  Wipro,  HCL,  Mahindra? Satyam,  Tech  Mahindra,   Patni  Computers  etc. Financial  Summary   Profit  : Balance  Sheet:   2011 Revenue  from   operations   Other  Income   Total  Income   Expenses   a. Employee   benefit   expenses   b. Operation   and  other   expenses 2012 2012         195. 72   100   24560. 91   24856. 63      96. 23   118. 10   197. 59   154. 78   566. 70      2847. 18   1598. 56   4389. 74   8835. 48   34258. 81            4012. 16   51. 46   1399. 82   5463. 44   5150. 15   139. 74   4332. 81   2636. 88   17723. 02      538. 24   4. 14   1567. 47   9107. 72   3280. 07   1648. 2   389. 43   16535. 79   34258. 81 2011         195. 72   100   19283. 77   19579. 49      36. 33   69. 32   129. 91   76. 17   311. 73      2153. 38   1584. 27   2413. 94   6151. 59   26042. 81            3363. 78   58. 40   1072. 86   4495. 04   5457. 91   52. 03   2864. 09   2603. 26   15472. 33      337. 58   5. 37   836. 37   4806. 67   3120. 52   1369. 05   94. 92   10570. 48   26042. 81 38858. 54   29275. 41 2685. 18 494. 73 41543. 72   29770. 14 14100. 41   10221. 85 13372. 41   10290. 03 c. Finance  costs   16. 40   d. Depreciation   688. 17   and   Amortisation 20. 01   537. 82 Total  Expenses   28177. 39   21069. 1   Profit  before   Tax   Tax   expenditure:   a. Current  tax   13366. 33   8700. 43 2865. 38 1335. 73   30. 32   (235. 61) b. Deferred  tax   (38. 93)   c. MAT  credit   entitlement   Total   (436. 10) 2390. 35 1130. 44 Profit  after  tax   10975. 98   7569. 99   Earnings  Per   Share   55. 95   38. 61 Liabilities   Shareholders’  Funds   Equity  capital   Preference  capital   Reserves   TOTAL   Non? current  Liabilities  Ã‚   a. Long  Term  Borrowing   b. Deferred  tax  liabilities  (net)   c. Other  long? term  liabilities   d. Long  term  provisions   TOTAL   Current  Liabilities   a. Trade  payables  Ã‚   b. Other  current  liabilities   c. Short? erm  provisions   TOTAL   SOURCES  OF  FUNDS      Assets   Non? current  Assets   a. Fixed  assets   1. Tangible  assets   2. Intangible  asset s   3. Capital  work? in? progress   TOTAL   b. Non? current  Investments   c. Deferred  tax  assets  (net)   d. Long  term  loans   e. Other  non? current  assets   TOTAL   Current  Assets   a. Current  Investments   b. Inventories   c. Unbilled  Revenue   d. Trade  receivables   e. Cash  and  bank  balances   f. Short? term  loan   g. Other  current  assets   TOTAL   APPLICATION  OF  FUNDS Long? Term  Provisions  consist  of  provision  for  employees  include  gratuity  and  other  employee  benefits. Short?Term  Provisions  includes  provision  for  employee  benefits  and  for  proposed  final  dividend  on   equity  shares  . Current  Liabilities  includes  income  received  in  advance,  fair  value  of  foreign  exchange  forwards  and   currency  options  contracts  secured  against  trade  receivables  . Ratio  Analysis  with  Peer  Competition:? FY? 12      27. 52   29. 30   26. 15   55. 31   44. 24   126. 50 In  (%)      Gross  Profit  Margin  Ã‚   Operating  Profit  Margin   Net  Profit  Margin  Ã‚   Return  on  Capital   Employed   Return  on  Net  Worth   Return  on  Total  Assets TCS   Wipro   FY? 11   FY? 12   FY? 11            Profitability  Ratios   28. 2   17. 29   19. 62   29. 96   19. 63   21. 90   25. 44   14. 39   17. 96   44. 38   21. 41   22. 34   38. 80   99. 53   19. 23      20. 41 HCL  Technologies   FY? 12   FY? 11         24. 21   28. 18   25. 66   33. 64   29. 53      19. 13   23. 42   24. 31   21. 20   20. 45 Current  Ratio   Quick  Ratio   Debt? Equity  Ratio   Asset  Turnover  Ratio   Fixed  Assets  Turnover   Ratio   Debtors  Turnover  Ratio 2. 45   2. 43   0. 01   1. 74à ‚   5. 39   5. 59 Solvency  Ratios   2. 41   1. 92   1. 45   2. 40   2. 48   2. 20   0. 01   0. 22   0. 22   Management  Efficiency  Ratios   4. 91   1. 14   3. 45   4. 91   3. 81   3. 45   7. 19   4. 61   4. 87 1. 38   1. 42   0. 11   1. 26   2. 88   4. 88