Health Hazards of E-Waste Recycling and Hospitals Role in India

Health Hazards of E-Waste Recycling and Hospitals Role in India Free Online Research Papers E-Waste Management is one of the major areas of concerns today. Researchers are trying to find new ways to reduce, recycle and reuse the E-Waste and governments are trying to find methods of implementations of e-waste management schemes. Developed nations are trying to cope up with this startling problem and the result is the dumping of e-waste into the developing countries like India. New health problems are emerging due to the unmanaged E-Waste industry. As the electronic recycling is an unregulated industry in India, the recycling process is dangerous to the health of its employees. A study of the related health studies in China has shown the impact of e-Waste recycling on health of workers. Such studies are important for India as these will help in designing better policies of E-Waste Management. In this paper, we present the problem of e-waste with the focus on the health. A study about the role of hospitals in dealing with this problem is also being presented with a focus of new initiatives that can be taken by hospitals in this regard. INTRODUCTION It is a major area of concern today that the wealthy countries are dumping large quantities of e-waste into the developing world. According to (Rachel Kesselman, 2007), currently, companies export 80 percent of the worlds electronic trash to Asia, and 90 percent of this flows into China, according to a BBC report. The article (Toxic Links, 2008) besides discussing the problem of e-waste recycling in India and the economies involved expresses the urgent need for educating consumers and the general public regarding the potential threat to public health and the environment posed by their products and for raising awareness for the proper waste management protocols. E-WASTE RECYCLING IN INDIA According to (Rachel Kesselman, 2007), The Indian government estimates that the country generates approximately 146,000 tonnes of e-waste annually, and that another 150,000 tonnes of used PCs, printers and other IT devices enter its ports illegally. Greenpeace International released a report (GreenPeace International, 2005) in August 2005 about the hazardous chemicals found in scrap yards in India that include tin, lead, copper, cadmium and antimony in the soil and local rivers around scrap yards where the electronic waste is recycled. It also emphasized the fact that all stages in e-waste processing could release substantial quantities of toxic heavy metals and organic compounds into the workplace environment. HEALTH HAZARDS The e-waste recycling and disposal operations found in developing countries are extremely polluting and likely to be very damaging to human health (Robert Bortner, 2008). According to (Habib Beary, 2005), computers, refrigerators, televisions and mobiles contain more than 1,000 different toxic materials. Chemicals such as beryllium, found in computer motherboards, and cadmium in chip resistors and semiconductors are poisonous and can lead to cancer. Chromium in floppy disks, lead in batteries and computer monitors and mercury in alkaline batteries and fluorescent lamps also pose severe health risks. The author (Mike Mcphate, 2004) writes about the patients suffering from problems such as bleeding from the throat and breathlessness, lung ailments including asthma, bronchitis and chronic lung infections, relating these to e-waste recycling methods used, burning of wires and handling of green circuit boards such as the task of recovering copper from printed circuit boards (PCBs). The author also shows the concern to the use of a brew of nitric acid, a toxic substance during the recycling process that releases copper as well as cancer-causing lead and mercury. According to (Emmanuel K. Dogbevi, 2007), plastics used to house computer equipment and cover wire cables to prevent flammability often contain poly-brominates flame retardants, a class of dangerous chemicals. Studies have shown that ingesting these substances may increase the risk of cancer, liver damage, and immune system dysfunction. The chemicals contained in e-waste are a cocktail of dangerous pollutants that kill both the environment and humans slowly. The recycling units are mostly in the residential areas, where children play with trash. This can lead to further health hazards. The example, as in (Andrew Pollack, 1984), specifies As batteries have become smaller, especially with the introduction of button-shaped versions, infants have started swallowing them. A swallowed battery can burn holes in the intestines and cause inflammations. SOLUTIONS FOR INDIA It is not that there is no solution for this problem. There are various articles such as (Intersindia.com, 2007), where the authors give suggestions to keep a check on this seemingly uncontrolled problem of recycling. However, to give importance to such ideas and to implement these, there is a need to understand the health hazards of this unwatched process of recycling. There is also the need of bringing health awareness to masses regarding this issue. As this recycling industry contributes to the economics of the country, the need is also to study the health impacts and to relate these directly to the recycling process. Such studies will not only help in designing controlled, supervised and monitored processed of recycling e-waste but will also help in cautious reduction of e-waste. RELATED RESEARCHES The research conducted by (Xia Huo et. Al, 2007) found that the lead contamination from e-waste processing appears to have reached the level considered to be a serious threat to children’s health around the e-waste recycling area, and that the elevated Blood Lead Levels in Guiyu children are common as a result of exposure to lead contamination caused by primitive e-waste recycling activities. Another important research, (Annao. W. Leung et. Al, 2007), is the human health risk assessment study conducted concerning dust exposure at an uncontrolled e-waste recycling site and the results can serve as a case study for similar e-waste activities in countries such as Africa, India, and Vietnam where e-waste is becoming a growing problem. COEH, Center for Occupational and Environmental Health is also involved in e-Waste management research projects and claims to be the only such center out of the 240 Medical Colleges in India (T. K. Joshi and Neeraj Gupta, 2008). HOSPITALS’ PROJECTS AND NEW INITIATIVES In recent years, some U.S. hospitals have taken proactive measures to not only minimize or eliminate the impact of hazardous e-waste on their nation’s environment, but also for saving the valuable dollars as well. One such hospital (Premier, 2009) in New England, Hartford, CT-based Saint Francis Care entered into an agreement with WeRecycle!, in 2005. The combined effort was not to allow hazardous e-waste to be sent to solid waste landfills, incinerators, prison recycling operations or developing countries. In India, it is needed that hospitals should get involved in such life saving initiatives for people of India and the ‘Mother Earth’. Hospitals in India can come up with different initiatives to help in this regard, such as To conduct the public health awareness programs on dangers of uncontrolled e-waste recycling. To find the impact on health on people working in E-waste recycling units in India. To find the impact on health on people living near the E-waste recycling units in India, specially the pregnant women and children. To relate to specific health problems and their increase to e-waste recycling issues. In paper (Violet N. Pinto, 2009), the table 1, specifies E-Waste Component, the process needed for dismantling, the related potential occupational and environmental hazards. Such studies should be used by the hospitals to create mass awareness. The hospitals can take the initiatives of keeping a check or recording the patient’s health history if it is suspected to be related to E-Waste mismanagement. The hospitals can also further publish reports, based on such recordings for making the government alert on the increase of health problems of people in a given location, which is suspected to be related to E-waste. DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH MONITORING SYSTEM AS PART OF E-WASTE RECYCLING MANAGEMENT Hospitals in India can provide a real measure of problem severity, may it be the rate of increase of stress and suicides, the criminal offences, the domestic fights, even the impact of mosquito-bites. However, this is only possible if hospitals play a pro-active role in monitoring, recording and analysis of factors related to life and death, even those that are seemingly not directed related to the diagnostics and treatments. Hospitals’ role play had been considered related to E-Waste Management only to the extent of hospital or bio-waste management. However, as the sufferers of the E-Waste recycling processes also come to the hospitals for treatment, the track of recycling processes, impacts, health hazard and possible treatments can be kept easily by hospitals. HEALTH MONITORING SYSTEM (Hospitals’ initiatives and Projects/ Collaborations) Check on the health hazards related to E-Waste Recycling Recording Cause and Impact on Patient’s health. Keeping Track of such patient’s occupational processes and habits. Recording the number of similar cases in the locality. Research Analysis on treatments and improvements. Public Awareness Schemes. Reports Publications. Figure 1: A Health Monitoring Framework CONCLUSIONS This paper has presented the areas of Health Monitoring System, which can be further elaborated and embedded in the daily processes of hospitals. The E-waste Management Systems with health monitoring frameworks can lead to results in only the health improvement of patients but also in public thought and views related to E-waste recycling. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors are grateful to Fausta Research and Development Pvt. Ltd, Faridabad, for making of ‘Fausta Research Community’, to motivate research collaborations between researchers and multi-disciplinary organizations, and initiating the IT and healthcare projects. REFERENCES Andrew Pollack, Battery Pollution Worries Japanese, Published: June 25, 1984, The New York Times, retrieved on 3rd June 2008, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=technologyres=990CE3DB1439F936A15755C0A962948260 Annao. W. Leung et. al, Heavy Metals Concentrations of Surface Dust from e-Waste Recycling and Its Human Health Implications in Southeast China, (2007), Environ. Sci. Technol. , Retrieved on 5th June 2008, ban.org/Library/Scientific/Leung_HM_Dust_Guiyu_2008.pdf Emmanuel K. Dogbevi, E-Waste is killing Ghanaians slowly, August 27, 2007, http://ghananewsonline.blogspot.com/2007/08/e-waste-is-killing-ghanaians-slowly.html, Retrieved on 3rd June 2008. GreenPeace International, Toxic Technology contaminates e-waste recycling yards in China and India, 17 August 2005, Retrieved on 3rd June 2008, greenpeace.org/international/press/releases/toxic-technology-contaminates Habib Beary, Bangalore faces e-waste hazards, BBC News, Bangalore, Last Updated: Monday, 31 January, 2005, Retrieved on 3rd June 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4222521.stm Intersindia.com, E-Waste Management in Indian Scenario, 2007, Retrieved on 5th June 2008, internsindia.com/download.php?download_file=../profiles/E-Waste.www.internsindia.com.pdf. Mercedes Oestermann van Essen, â€Å"The Air You Breathe Is Full Of Toxins, And I Am Not Talking About Exhaust Fumes†, Retrieved on 3rd June 2008, content4reprint.com/health/the-air-you-breathe-is-full-of-toxins-and-i-am-not-talking-about-exhaust-fumes.htm Mike Mcphate, E-waste a health hazard, Delhi NewsLine, Retrieved on 3rd June 2008, http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=81450, Published: Sunday , April 11, 2004 Premier, ‘Saint Francis Care’s e-waste initiatives save environment, costs’, premierinc.com/quality-safety/tools-services/safety/green-link/green-corner/st-francis-ewaste.pdf, retrieved on: 12th Oct 2009. Rachel Kesselman, Intel Brief: E-waste hazards, for ISN Security Watch (27/07/07), Mercyhurst-ISN intelligence, Retrieved on 3rd June 2008, isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=17914 Robert Bortner, Acumen International, Asia, Near East (ANE) Computer Recycling and Disposal (E-Waste), Retrieved on 5th June 2008, dot-com-alliance.org/resourceptrdb/uploads/partnerfile/upload/258/Ewaste%20Research%20Final.doc T. K. Joshi, Neeraj Gupta, Impact of E-Waste on Health along with case studies, Retrieved on 5th June 2008, www.assocham.org/events/recent/event_64/Dr_T_K_Joshi_Dr_Neeraj_Gupta_COEH.ppt Toxic Links, E-WASTE IN INDIA System failure imminent – take action NOW!, Retrieved on 5th June 2008, noharm.org/details.cfm?type=documentid=1175 Violet N. Pinto, â€Å"E-waste Hazard The Impending Challenge†, http://medind.nic.in/iay/t08/i2/iayt08i2p65.pdf, Retrieved on: 14th Oct, 2009. Xia Huo et. al, Elevated Blood Lead Levels of Children in Guiyu, an Electronic Waste Recycling Town in China, Environ Health Perspect. 2007 July; 115(7): 1113–1117. ––––– ***** ––––– Research Papers on Health Hazards of E-Waste Recycling and Hospitals' Role in IndiaDefinition of Export QuotasInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductGenetic EngineeringThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceTwilight of the UAWThe Project Managment Office SystemBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use

ECRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

ECRM - Essay Example The following paragraphs will describe the scope and meaning of the terms consumer demographics and psychographics and then explains how marketing analytics is used to optimize sales campaigns for targeting the customers. Consumer demographics consist of data related to factors like the gender, age groups, marital status, income levels, cultural and social background, regional backgrounds, political or religious affiliations and educational background (Park and Srinivasa, 1994). It is understood that these factors help in shaping the customer’s preferences and likes and also shape his overall attitudes towards products or services as well as the actual consumer behavior. For example, the age group of the customer will determine what lifecycle stage he is in – if the customer is in his 30s then it is likely that he would be starting on his career and would have a household with spouse and kids. This lifestyle stage would involve the customer in purchases related to house maintenance, groceries or health or medical insurance. Similarly, a teenager would prefer to purchase music while a woman with kids would buy baby food. Demographic data therefore provides a great amount of insight into the likely preferences and needs of potential customers. It is therefore essential from the marketing point of view as it provides a basis of forecasting demands by the companies. By collecting accurate demographic data, the organizations can get a clear picture of prospective customers for their own specific products and services (Brewer, 2005). For example, an organization that manufactures ready to make processed foods would select a target demographic profi le for its potential customers as educated married couples with both spouses working and having a substantial income. This profile is chosen because it is expected that people who are married and have kids and are also working, would be hard pressed for time and would therefore prefer processed

Identification and analysis of DNA repair mechanisms that contribute Literature review

Identification and analysis of DNA repair mechanisms that contribute to resistance against nucleoside analogues - Literature review Example Consequently, DNA is damaged frequently, and is repaired through pathways of repair and proofreading functions by DNA polymerase. Multiple mechanisms of repair within the cell act to balance these levels of mutation. However, the large number of mutations that occur means that every so often, the repair process misses these mutations and they become part of the DNA. This process can be the first step in carcinogenesis . There are currently 346 different genes that have been associated with the development of cancer, although this number continues to grow. In some cases these genes are mutated in cancer cells and not in normal cells. In other cases, genes may show substantial levels of deregulation. Both of these processes have the potential to significantly decrease the effectiveness of certain genes, leading to altered pathways within the cancer cell and the body itself . This suggests that mutations are a crucial part of the formation of cancer. Indeed, human cancer appears to have thousands of different mutations by the time that it is first detected. Furthermore, information that cancer can be inherited from one generation to the next suggests that some of these mutations can be passed along in genes . Cancer is characterised by high levels of clonal expansion of somatic cells. These cells are not subject to the normal growth regulation components of the cell cycle. Thus, they are able to proliferate beyond the normal constraints of tissue. Likewise, the controls over apoptosis are also circumvented . Most tumours that develop in the human body are substantially heterogeneous. This suggests that multiple mutations occur within human cancers driving the creation of tumours and the change in function between normal cells and cancerous cells . Thus, cancer can be considered to be a disease, or collection of diseases, that occurs due to genetic abnormalities accumulating within cells . In each generation of cancer cells, significant mutation occurs within diffe rent cells, and those that develop mutations that facilitate cancer growth are selected for, resulting in an increase in the prevalence of these cells. Mutations may be subtle, such as changes in the sequence of nucleotides, or more substantial, involving changes in the chromosomes themselves . One significant factor in cancer treatment resistance is that therapeutic killing cancer cells, while causing cancer to go into remission, can also act to select for resistance to treatment. This can result in a progression of tumour growth, with cells that cannot be targeted by the same treatment . Another form of resistance that can occur is based on the cells location in the division cycle. Cancer therapy tends to be most effective on cells that are rapidly replicating. Furthermore, resistance to treatment can often be stronger in some stages of the cell cycle than others . Cancer cells contain a wide range of mutations, and these mutations may act to drive the formation and progression of tu

Comparison of Education Reports of Behavioural Symptoms

Comparison of Education Reports of Behavioural Symptoms Running Head: Teacher, children, and parents reports of behavioral symptoms Comparison between teacher, children, and parents reports of behavioral symptoms associated with disruptive behaviors. Karelyn M. Gonzà ¡lez-Cruz, M.S., Josà © J. Cabiya., Ph.D., Lymaries Padilla, Ph.D. Jovette Sà ¡nchez, M.S. (The project/study described was supported by Grant Number 1 R24 MD00152-01, from the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health. It’s contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.) Key Words: School age children, aggressive behavior, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, impulsiveness depression. Abstract The goal of the present pilot study was to compare the teacher, children, and parents reports of behavioral symptoms associated with disruptive behaviors using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule of Children-Parent version (DISC-P), the Diagnostic Interview Schedule of Children-Youth (DISC-Y) and the Bauermeister School Behavior Inventory (BSBI). The parents of 52 children consented to participate in the DISC-P and DISC-Y interviews. The results showed that parents and children had a moderate degree of agreement in answering symptoms of major depressive episode, symptoms of traumatic stress disorder, and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. The results also showed that teachers had a high degree of agreement with children in their report of disruptive symptoms while no agreement was found between teachers and parents reports. Teachers’ reports of disruptive behaviors such as irritability, hostility, distraction, and low motivation had a moderate correlation with children re ports of symptoms related to conduct disorders and ODD. These results might suggest that parents identify more efficiently affective disorders than teachers. On the contrary, teachers appear to identify more efficiently disruptive behaviors than parents do. Comparison between teacher, children, and parents reports of behavioral symptoms associated with disruptive behaviors Assessment of child psychiatric disorders traditionally relies on information obtained from multiple informants, usually the parent, the child, and sometimes others such as teachers and additional family members. These informants may provide different information about the presence, severity, and duration of a childs symptomatology or behavior (Achenbach, McConaughy, Howell, 1987). Several studies have compared parent and child reports of the children psychiatric symptoms in structured diagnostic interviews like the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents (DICA; Herjanic Reich, 1982; Reich, Herjanic, Welner, Gandy, 1982; Welner, Reich, Herjanic, Jung, Amado, 1987), the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC; Edelbrock, Costello, Dulcan, Calabro Conover, Kalas, 1986; Loeber, Green, Lahey, Stouthamer-Loeber, 1989; Weissman et al., 1987), and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-age Children (K-SADS; Chambers et al., 1985; Orvaschel , Puig-Antich, Chambers, Tabrizi, Johnson, 1982). These studies have documented low to moderate agreement between parents and children report of psychiatric symptoms. In general, these reports have found that parents report more behavior symptoms about their children than the children report about themselves, whereas children report having more affective and neurotic symptoms than their parents report about them (Edelbrock et al., 1986; Herjanic Reich, 1982). In addition, a meta-analysis of more than 200 studies examined agreement among informants, and reported moderate to poor agreement for most studies, including those in which agreement was assessed along symptom dimensions rather than by categorical diagnoses (Achenbach, McConaughy, Howell, 1987). Somewhat better agreement between parents and children has been observed in clinical samples when semistructured interviews were used by clinicians (Orvaschel, Thompson, Belanger, Prusoff, Kidd, 1982) and for externalizing as compared to internalizing symptoms (Reich, Herjanic, Welner, Gandhy, 1982). Asymmetrical reporting of certain types of symptoms has been found to be the most frequent source of disagreement. Parents tend to report externalizing behaviors or problems more often while children tend to report internalizing depressive or anxiety symptoms with greater frequency Edelbrock et al., 1986; Reich et al., 1982). In addition, a study completed by Bravo, et al. (2001) with a Puerto Rican sample found that parents were generally fair or moderately reliable informants when reporting about their children. Children (11-17 years) were excellent or moderately reliable informants on disruptive and substance-related disorders, but were unreliable when reporting about anxiety and depressive disorders. For lifetime diagnoses, they found that parents were fair reporters of their childrens conduct disorder, as well as substance-related disorders, whereas their children were excellent or moderately reliable reporting about most of these disorders. However, no study was found that have assessed the relationship between the teachers, parents and children report of clinical symptoms related to disruptive disorders. The goal of the present pilot study was to compare the teachers, children, and parents reports of behavioral symptoms associated with disruptive behaviors using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule of Children-Parent version (DISC-P), the Diagnostic Interview Schedule of Children-Youth (DISC-Y) and the Bauermeister School Behavior Inventory (BSBI). Method Participants Fifty two (26 boys and 26 girls) from ages 9 to 12 (mean age was 10) from the San Juan metropolitan area, who were referred by their teacher for disruptive behavior in the classroom, were administered a symptoms checklist based on the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for disruptive disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Informed consent to participate in the study was then requested from the parents of these children. The socioeconomic status of all of these children was low. The mean age was 10.06 (SD = 1.07). Of the 52 referred children, 17 children (9 boys and 8 girls) were evaluated with the DISC-Y. The mean age of this group was 10.12 (SD = 1.16). Instruments Bauermeister School Behavior Inventory (BSBI). This inventory consists of six scales for male children and five for female children completed by the teachers that evaluate anxiety symptoms, social alienation, depression, irritability-hostility, distraction-motivation and activity impulsiveness. Internal consistency fluctuates between .74 and .96; test-re-test reliability (four week period fluctuated between .52 to .89. This instrument was developed, validated and standardized for Puerto Rican population (Bauermeister, 1994). Computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (C-DISC) (Shafer, D. et al. 2000). The DISC is the most widely used and studied mental health interview that has been tested in both clinical and community populations. It is a comprehensive, structured interview that covers 36 mental health disorders for children adolescents, using DSM-IV criteria. The version used in this study was the most recent Spanish translation of the DISC-IV (Bravo et al., 2001), with parallel youth (DISC-Y) and parent (DISC-P) versions. The test-retest reliability of the DISC-IV has been reported in both Spanish and English-speaking clinic samples yielding comparable results (Bravo et al., 2001; Shaffer, Fisher, Lucas, Dulcan, Schwab-Stone, 2000). The disorders assessed by the DISC were: Generalized anxiety, Panic, Post-traumatic stress, Major Depression, Dysthymia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity, Oppositional Defiant, Conduct Disorder, Alcohol Abuse / Dependence, Marijuana Abuse / Dependence, Nicot ine Dependence and other Substance Abuse / Dependence. Socio-demographic interview. The questionnaire used in the Research Scientific Institute at the Carlos Albizu University was administered. The questionnaire provides socio-demographic information about the child and his/her family. Procedures Teachers completed the BSBI after the parents consented to participate in the study. The project’s director selected advanced doctoral students in clinical psychology to be trained as interviewers. These students received two day intensive DISC workshops from trainers certified by the Columbia University original developers of the DISC. They were blind to experimental hypotheses. Interviewers contacted by phone the principal caretaker of each child to arrange for the DISC-P interview in the school. They administered first the DISC-P to the parent and afterwards they administered the DISC-Y to the child. The principal caretaker received an compensation of twenty dollars for their participation. The interviews took place in a classroom with comfortable chairs, illumination, tables, and non distractions. Quality control procedures were established to guarantee the integrity of the data gathering process. The project’s director conducted weekly meetings for the supervision of recorded practice DISC interviews according to the DISC instructions manual. The interviewers received recommendations from other trained DISC interviewers, specifically on how to deal with ambiguities, which did arise, and clearly define â€Å"do’s† and â€Å"don’ts† in various situations. Specific situations that lead to deviations from the interview were discussed in the weekly supervisions. Results The correlations between the quantity of symptoms of the different disorders on DISC-P and DISC-Y were as follows: symptoms of inattention on DISC-P and symptoms of inattention on DISC-Y was r = .57 (pr = .70 (pr = .64 (pr = .67 (pr = .75 (p The correlations between the BSBI distraction-motivation scale and ODD symptoms on DISC-Y was r = .87 (pr = .92 (pr = .64 (p Discussion The goal of the present pilot study was to compare the teacher, children, and parents reports of behavioral symptoms associated with disruptive behaviors using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule of Children-Parent version (DISC-P), the Diagnostic Interview Schedule of Children-Youth (DISC-Y) and the Bauermeister School Behavior Inventory (BSBI). Results indicated that parents reported more behavioral symptoms (such as ODD symptoms and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms) than the children reported. Also, parents reported more affective and anxiety symptoms than their children reported. Even more, the results on DISC-P and DISC-Y showed that parents and children had a moderate degree of agreement in answering symptoms of major depressive episode, symptoms of traumatic stress disorder, and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. The results also showed that teachers had a high degree of agreement with children in their report of disruptive symptoms while no agreement was found between teachers and parents reports. Teachers’ reports of disruptive behaviors such as irritability, hostility, distraction, and low motivation had a moderate correlation with children reports of symptoms related to conduct disorders and ODD. These results might suggest that parents identify more efficiently affective disorders than teachers. On the contrary, teachers appear to identify more efficiently disruptive behaviors than parents do. These results are consistent with previous research that documented low to moderate agreement between parents and children in their report of disruptive symptoms (DICA; Herjanic Reich, 1982; Reich, Herjanic, Welner, Gandy, 1982; Welner, Reich, Herjanic, Jung, Amado, 1987; Orvaschel, Thompson, Belanger, Prusoff, Kidd, 1982). In addition, a study with a Puerto Rican sample found similar results, in that parents were generally fair or moderately reliable informants about their children’s affective symptoms (Bravo et. al, 2001). One limitation of the present study was the small size of the study sample. The main reason for this was the fact that many parents that were contacted refused to participate in the study. One possible recommendation for future research is to develop specific strategies to engage more Puerto Ricans in order for them to participate in the phases of research with little immediate benefits that requires extended interviews or evaluations. These strategies could include increasing significantly the monetary compensation. Another strategy is to train the research assistants on specific ways of engaging the parents in a culturally sensitive manner like appealing to â€Å"familism† which Muir, et al. (2004) have found to be essential in engaging Latinos in general including Puerto Ricans in research. Nevertheless, engagement of Latinos including Puerto Ricans in research appears to be a significant challenge and future research needs to address this area by itself in a systematic and comprehensive manner. References Achenbach, T. M., McConaughy, S. H. Howell, C. T. (1987). Child/adolescent behavioral and emotional problems: implications of cross-informant correlations for situational specificity. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 213-232. Bauermeister, J. (1994). Desarrollo y utilizacià ³n del Inventario de Comportamiento Escuela (IDC-E) en la evaluacià ³n de nià ±os puertorriqueà ±os [Development and use of the Bauermeister School Behavior Inventory (BSBI) in assessing Latino children]. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Author. Biederman, J., Faraone, S. Mick, E. Moore, P. (1996). Child Behavior Checklist findings support comorbidity between ADHD and Major Depression in a referred sample. Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, 35 (6), 734-742. Bravo, M., Woodbury-Farina, M. A., Canino, G., Rubio-Stipec, M. (in press). The Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children DISC): Its translation and adaptation in Puerto Rico. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry. Bravo, M., Ribera, J., Rubio-Stipec, M., Canino, G., Shrout, P., Ramà ­rez, R. (2001). Test-retests reliability of Spanish version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children DISC-IV. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 29(5), 433-444. Chambers, W. J., Puig-antich, J., Hirsch, M., Paez, P., Ambrosini, P. J., Tabrizi, M. A., Davies, M. (1985). The assessment of affective disorders in children and adolescents by semistructured interview. Archives of General Psychiatry, 42, 696-702 Cohen (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. (2nd.ed) Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Edelbrock, C., Costello, A. J., Dulcan, M. K., Calabro Conover, N., Kalas, R. (1986). Parent-child agreement on child psychiatric symptoms assessed via structured interviews. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 27, 181-190. Herjanic, B., Herjanic, M., Brown, F., Wheatt, T. (1975). Are children reliable reporters? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 3, 41-48. Herjanic, B. Reich W. (1982). Development of a structured psychiatric interview for adolescent: Agreement between child and parent on individual symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 10, 307-324. Kashani, J. H., Orvaschel, H., Burke, J. P., Reid, J. C. (1985). Informant variance: The issue of parent-child disagreement. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 24, 437-441. Loeber, R., Green, S. M., Lahey, B. B. Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (1989). Optimal informants on childhood disruptive behavior. Development and Psychopathology, 1, 317-337. Orvaschel H., Puig-antich, J., Chambers, W. J., Tabrizi, M.A., Johnson, R. (1982). Retrospective assessment of prepubertal major depression with the Kiddie-SADS-E. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 21, 392-397. Orvaschel, H., Thompson, W. D., Belanger, A., Prusoff, B. A., Kidd, K. K. (1982). Comparison of the family history method to direct interview: Factors affecting the diagnosis of depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 4, 49-59. Pliszka, S., Carlson, C. Swanson, J. (1999). ADHD with comorbid disorders: Clinical assessment and management. New York: Guilford Press. Reich, W., Earls, F. (1987). Rules for making psychiatric diagnosis in children on the basis of multiple sources of information: Preliminary strategies. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 15, 601-606. Reich, W., Herjanic, B., Welner, Z., Gandhy, P. R. (1982). Development of a structured psychiatric interview for children: Agreement on diagnosis comparing child and parent interviews. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 10, 325-336. Shaffer, D., Fisher, P., Lucas, C. P., Dulcan, M. K., Schwab-Stone, M. E. (2000). NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV (NIMH DISC-IV): Description, differences from previous versions, and reliability of some common diagnoses. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, 28-38. Weissman, M. M., Wickramaratne, P., Warner, V., John, K, Prusoff, B. A., Merikangas, K. R., Gammon G. D. (1987). Assessing psychiatric disorders in children. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 747-753.

Racial Controversy Surrounding the Assassination of Martin Luther King,

The Racial Controversy Surrounding the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The impact of Martin Luther King, Jr. today is no doubt revered. He is commonly called the â€Å"Father of Civil Rights,† and is looked upon as a national icon, in an almost presidential-type light. His achievements have not only begat a national holiday for his birthday, but also helped lead to the creation of Black History Month. However, his accomplishments were not so regaled in his own time. In fact, most Caucasian Americans refused to even recognize any ban or barrier he and his cohorts attempted to change. African-Americans were just simply not respected by most whites in the 1950s and 1960s because they were considered â€Å"inferior.† This resonates with Baldwin’s opinions of whites’ refusals to accept that they may have made a mistake, and instead of taking responsibility for that mistake, they dump it on African-Americans and other races. A good example of this â€Å"dumping† of responsibilities occurred with the assass ination of King. It may be a possibility that the many different conspiracy theories that evolved after King’s assassination were created in a way to avoid Caucasians admitting that a single white person shot and killed the head of the Civil Rights Movement. Along with the many different conspiracy theories, there has been an uncovering of faults in the FBI’s investigation, some of which include not taking African-Americans’ eyewitness testimony seriously. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s first step into the world of civil rights occurred in Montgomery, Alabama, in December of 1951. After she refused to surrender her bus seat to a white passenger, Rosa Parks was arrested for violating the city’s segregation ... ... Luther King, Jr.: Conspiracy Theory #4†. Infoplease. 8 Apr. 2004 . Frank, Gerold. An American Death: The True Story of the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Greatest Manhunt of Our Time. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1972. â€Å"King Report—Part 2†. U.S. Department of Justice. 8 Apr. 2004 . "Martin Luther King, Jr.". Encyclopedia Britannica. 2004. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 8 Apr. 2004. Library Gateway, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. . Ripley, Anthony. â€Å"Funeral Is Ignored by Whites But Some Atlanta Stores Close.† New York Times 9 Apr. 1968: 1-2. ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times. Library Gateway, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. 11 Apr. 2004 .

Marriott Corporation Essay

While management was correct in some aspects of measuring debt capacity for Marriott Corporation, the method used to obtain the ratio of 6.64 did not include the debt from the previous repurchase, grossly overstating the ratio and leading to believe that Marriott Corporation had a large unsused portion of debt capacity. This is shown in Exhibit 5. After thorough analysis and a different approach to finding the debt capacity, it is concluded that the actual debt capacity for Marriott Corporation is 3.94 EBIT-adjusted/net interest. To come up with the actual debt capacity for Marriott Corporation, the EBIT-adjusted/net interest ratio was still used, but the numbers supporting the ratio were altered. From Exhibit 5, we get the total debt of Marriott at the end of 1979. Total debt is defined as the sum of short-term loan, current portion of long-term debt, senior debt and capital leases. The average market price of Marriott in 1979 was $14.9/share, and the interest rate for Baa corporate debt was 12%. It was assumed that Marriott repurchased stock at the price of $15/share using 12% debt financing. Using the net interest before the repurchase, which was $27.8 million, it is concluded that adjusted EBIT was $184.59 million. In 1979, additional debt from the repurchase of stock $159 million, adding this to the debt of the original figures, the new debt is totaled at $583.83 million. Using a 12% interest rate from the new debt and finding the new numbers for the ratio, the new adjusted EBIT-adjusted/net interest ratio is 3.94. This figure hits below Marriott Corporations benchmark of 5. Returning Shareholders’ Capitol A. New Debt Capacity And Repurchasing Shares If the firms stock is in a position to be affected by dilution, repurchasing shares may be a solution. This would allow Marriott Corporation to maintain its ability to make decisions utilizing all the available resources. This was previously one by Marriott in 1979 with the repurchase of 5 million shares. With the new debt capacity ratio at 3.94, a repurchase share alternative is not recommended as Marriott Corporation does not have the excess debt capacity previously thought to carry out this alternative. Performing a secondary scenario analysis, suppose Marriott had just enough debt capacity, which means new adjusted EBIT/Net interest ratio equals 5. Using this number, the repurchase price should be $7.17 so that Marriott Corporation could utilize its debt capacity fully. Using this number, only 10.6 million shares could be purchased resulting in the repurchase of stock alternative not taking place as expected. This would result in investors to believe that Marriott Corporation has hit its growth limit, as the repurchase strategy would not have enough depth to persuade investors through EPS and ROE that Marriott Corporation is still a growing company. It is concluded that repurchasing shares is not the correct alternative, even with a benchmark debt capacity of 5. B. Increasing Dividends While increasing dividends would be a good alternative to satisfy investors, it is not without its repercussions as well. If dividends were to be paid out, a gradual steady increase over many years would be the best alternative, as one lump sum payment does not resolve the debt capacity issue, as well as signify to investors negative signs if Marriot Corporation were to one year pay a high divided and the next decrease that same dividend. Typically, when a firm increases dividends, that level of dividends must be maintained to satisfy shareholders, as well as institutional investors and prospect investors. Another factor to consider when analyzing this alternative, is that although Marriott Corporation has had high growth is recent years, compared to competitors, the stock price, return on equity, as well as earnings per share are low, as seen in Exhibit 11 and Exhibit 12. Although paying dividends in conjunction with a more value creating alternative could be used, solely paying out dividends is not recommended. Promote Growth A. Diversify Through Acquisition Marriott also has the alternative to invest in a new firm. Marriott  Corporation has a competitive advantage that could be passed along if they were to acquire existing companies. This competitive advantage is obtained through their competitive expertise of the industry, as well as proven higher occupancy rate than their competition. The company’s assets are mainly real-estate based which means that they should put a premium on the land that they can get by acquiring a new firm. There is relatively little risk in acquiring another firm as well, because their sales can be seen and analyzed before Marriott Corporation makes an offer. According to Exhibit 10 there is a very high price to be paid for a new hotel. Prices paid for hotels, however, did not rise at all from 1975-1978 and number of offers stayed relatively reasonable. From 1977-1978 acquiring another hotel chain actually became a better deal at several data points. Market price/book value dropped considerably meaning that hotels became a much better value for the amount of assets they had. Market price/cash flow is lower as well, with average return on equity rising as well. One caveat is that buying hotel chains in the market value of $25-$250 million had a much higher tender offer/ market value in 1978 up from 39.64% to 60.05%, while hotel chains over 250 million dropped by almost as much. Although there is a risk involved with buying any company or hotel, hotels which are thoroughly analyzed beforehand could be excellent ways to promote growth in the Marriott Corporation. Hotels that would be purchased would be proven to succeed in their respective locations. B. Accerlerate Expansion of Existing Business Marriot has two options about the operation of hotel chains. First, it can own the hotel and enjoy the profit margin. Second, it can sell the hotel but retain management contracts so it controls the operation of such units. Following is the detailed decomposition of costs associated with two options. According to Exhibit 9, in 1978 the typical cost for a hotel room consists of improvement cost, furniture, fixtures and equipment cost, land cost, pre-opening cost and operating cost. For an owned hotel, Marriot had to pay the total cost for running the property, but if it is managed, Marriot only had operating cost because the buyer was responsible for the maintenance. In an attempt to emphasize more on return on invested capital rather than margins, Marriot sold some of their existing hotels and retained  management contract to free up capital. Managed hotels had operating margin of 8%-10%, while owned had 15%. We assume 10% margin for managed hotels and 15% for owned hotels. To deci de when to sell the property, we analyze the remaining present value of future cash flow of a hotel at different point of time in its life cycle. We further assume that when the hotel is sold, the selling price is set so that present value of future cash flow equals the 10% margin. We assume $50 revenue per room night of a typical 150-room hotel, and one year has 360 days. Sales level for each year in the life cycle connects to the occupancy rate. From the graph in Exhibit 9, we get different occupancy rate for the whole life cycle. It reaches the peak 100% at year 8, and after year 10, it declines almost linearly to 10% in year 30. We can see that if Marriot sells the hotel before opening, the selling price would be $1.63 million at time 0. After the peak, assuming year 9, the selling price would be $ 1.55 million. The max value of PV is at year 4, which has $2.85 million in PV at 15% margin. Marriot Corporation would free up more capital if it sells the hotel before opening, but instead it would lose more operating profit. If Marriot is short of capital, it could sell the hotel up-front so that the freed up capital can be invested in other profitable projects. Selling after the peak is a good choice if Marriot wants to enjoy the increasing operating profit before the peak. Shareholder value can be added if the return on freed-up capital exceeds the profit loss from selling the property. Recommendation After the analysis of the different alternatives, and correctly measuring debt capacity, it is concluded that Marriott Corporation does not return shareholder capital but instead promotes growth of the existing company. This provides benefits in a couple of ways. By promoting growth, Marriott Corporation can signal to investors that the firm is still growing, providing incentives for institutional investors as well as individual investors, resulting in a positive market outlook for Marriott Corporation. Also, with the actual debt capacity measured, it is shown that Marriott Corporation does not have the additional capacity to undertake those alternatives, resulting in even more negatives in the future. By promoting the existing business, Marriott Corporation has more control over their financial prospects, through the possibilities of merging or opening or  building more hotels. This would provide positive NPV for Marriott Corporation, and perhaps in the future when cash flows continue to be positive as well as debt continues to shrink, Marriott Corporation can look into returning shareholders’ capital.

Seven Great Virtues Benjamin Franklin Presentation Essay

Presentation 9/24/12 Essay #6 Jessica Brooks Pd. 2 The essay Citizen Ben: A worldly American’s Seven Great Virtues by Walter Isaacson is an essay begins talking about Benjamin Franklin. When we think of Benjamin Franklin our minds automatically turn to the story about him flying a kite in a lightening storm with a rod on to prove that lightening was electricity. This is one thing that Franklin did but he did many more as well, in fact it says that he was an inventor diplomat, writer and business strategist. He helped bring the country that we live in today about. There are many views on him that show him in a good light and some that show him in a bad light. There are some that saw that he was shallow and didn’t show great†¦show more content†¦Franklin saw that using humor was the best way to make political points. He also saw that â€Å"America would always be strongest when it was confident enough and self-aware enough, to laugh at itself.† In this essay it also talked about Franklins views on humility and how he found humility to be very useful throughout his life. He believes that one can never have too much humility because if you have too much than that can cause you to be proud of the humility you have and will cause you to start all over in your need to be more humble. I believe that this is true. Having humility can help in all aspects of life, if you aren’t going on about your own accomplishments in life and let the person you are talking to tell you all about their accomplishments it will make them feel like you are a great friend and in turn will want to do more for you. Franklin used this tactic when he wanted to launch the first subscription lending library in America. He used his club Junto to do this, during the clubs existence he always thought it best to hear everyone’s point of view so when he came up with this idea he began to put it into everyone’s head to it seemed like their ow n idea and it worked. To many this seems like a sort of manipulation but this is the way people think. If you want something that requires the help of others making them feel like they came up with the idea by themselves will only help your case,Show MoreRelatedA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 Pages343)-. and there is a great deal more to make the reader’s task more difficult. This manner of writing may well be intentional, whether to make the magical sections appear less suspect by interlarding them with theoretical passages, or to make certain doctrines seem less strange by administering them in small doses, or to demonstrate the equal validity of the magical and philosophical material, or for a combination of all three reasons. 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