5 Tips for Keeping Your Energy Up During the Week

5 Tips for Keeping Your Energy Up During the Week Joan Burge, workplace expert writing for Office Dynamics, has some tips for those of us who start Mondays full of energy and enthusiasm, but by the end of the week find ourselves fighting distractions and fatigue. How do you keep that energy going through Friday?   1. Develop a Work ScheduleTake a look at the tasks you lined up for the week. Create a simple spreadsheet with time allocated to each responsibility you have. This will ensure that everything is planned out and you won’t end up having little to no energy once Friday arrives.  2. Reassess on Wednesday AfternoonWhat needs to be pushed higher on your list? What can be shifted lower? What can wait until next week or has turned out to be unrealistic? Make sure you’re finishing your top A priority tasks before moving to the Bs.  3. Shake Up Your RoutineTreat yourself to a special meal or a night out with a friend or partner on Wednesday or Thursday; having something to look forward to can perk you up as the w eek draws to a close. Take the opportunity to explore volunteering, or sports, or music hobbies!Don’t go overboard though- feeling exhausted or hungover on Friday will undermine all that thoughtful productivity planning. Planning special activities on Saturdays may also help you feel excited about wrapping up your work week.  4. Get a Good Night’s SleepMaybe what makes Monday feel so full of possibility is how rested you are after the weekend. Get a full night’s sleep mid-week to help you have enough energy to power through.  5. Do Some Self TalkBurge recommends compiling some motivational phrases or slogans on Mondays. Then, check in with those on Wednesday and Thursday. Words of inspiration while you’re in the thick of it might give you that extra push to  end the week on a high note!Finally, talk with your colleagues about their strategies, talk to your supervisor if you’re just finding yourself overloaded, and remember†¦ you’r e only human!

My Favorite TV Show free essay sample

Imagine yourself in an island in the South Pacific , a jungle in Gabon in Western Africa or in a hot desert in Australia with no access to technology and the need for food and water. Thats how sixteen different Americans deal with in the reality television show called Survivor. In the year 2000, Mark Burnett took the idea of taking sixteen different Americans from many walks of life and putting them in the most remote locations in the world and isolating them from their everyday lives. From a corporate trainer to a truck driver, they all had the strength to go out to an island and struggle through the treacherous weather in the island of Borneo in Indonesia for the sake of the million dollar grand prize. The three main components when it comes to conquering the game is your social abilities, your capability of facing the dangerous outcomes of your environment and being physically good in challenges and mentally controlling of the situations around camp life. We will write a custom essay sample on My Favorite TV Show or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The first thing each castaway does in the start of the game is helping around camp. Each and everyone of them help gather some food and help construct a proper shelter that is appropriate for the location and climate. In the next thirty-nine days, these individuals have to work together with their fellow tribe mates in reward and immunity challenges. A tribe in Survivor is a team that consists of four to ten people that compete against another tribe or compete individually within the tribe. The number of tribes vary from season to season but most with two starting tribes. Interacting with these unique sets of people can either hurt you or help you in this game. By using your social assets and your impressive ability when it comes to living with these people you are able to make yourself less of a target in the course of the game and make yourself friendly in the game of Survivor and in your personal life. By interacting with these individuals in an island to play the game you are ab le to handle certain situations involving with these type of people in the real world. Whether they have a different religion, race or certain beliefs you are able to respect them in your personal life no matter if you agree with it or not. Living in the desert, in an island or in a forest can leave you broken, fatigued or impaired. To be confronted by heavy rain and massive thunderstorms can affect a persons inner stamina and theyre desire to win the game. Every few seasons, many peoples dream of winning the million dollars get crushed due to an unwanted consequence. In Survivor Micronesia. known as one of the best seasons of Survivor filmed back due to its notorious all female alliance, Jonathan Penner, a two time player of the show, experienced a bitter obstacle. While participating in a reward challenge, Penners knee was fractured. Days later, he began to experience pain. Penner ignored his symptoms. Concerning about his health, his tribe mates called in the medical team to see if he could still participate in the game. Unfortunately, Penner found out that his knee was infected and could potentially harm his whole body. Therefore, he was evacuated out of the game. In the same season, two contestants left the game w ithout getting voted out. One castaway quit due to homesickness and another medically evacuated. Besides facing the tough natural elements when playing the game, it all comes down on how each contestant does well on reward challenges and most importantly immunity challenges. Each of these challenges, require physical and mental abilities. For instance, an immunity challenge in the thirteenth season of Survivor, where each member of their tribe had to assemble a boat using seven planks that have holes that corresponds with the boat due to its large proximity. The four tribes used their mental aspect in that challenge while assembling the boats and the tribes used their physical strength in pushing the boat off to the ocean and paddling across the ocean to retrieve more puzzle pieces. Immunity was at stake and it proves that you require the muscle and the brains to help you in these competitions. The structure of the game involves many possible outcomes. Either it may include tribe switches and new locations in the game, Exile Island and Redemption Island to name a few, playing the game does not vary from season to season. As viewers, we might see many different strategies and moves with each castaway. Whether we call their acts heroic or villainous, we still see the three key main components when it comes to the game. No matter if it is social, physical or mental, each one these components is crucial to winning the game.

Fun French Number Practice for the Classroom

Fun French Number Practice for the Classroom Do you find teaching numbers boring, figuring that once youve taught your students to count in French, theres not much else you can do? If so, I have good news for you (and your students). Here are some great ideas for practicing numbers, including several games. Simple French Number Practice Ideas Use flash cards with the digit written on one side and the French spelling of the number on the other. Ask students to count by twos, fives, tens, etc.Count different objects in the classroom: number of desks, chairs, windows, doors, students, etc.Practice numbers with math operations: adding, subtracting, etc.Print out some paper money or use pennies and practice numbers by counting money.Talk about the time and date.Depending on the age of your students and your concerns about privacy, you could ask students about various personal details in French: birthdayagenumber and ages of brothers, sisters, cousin(e)sphone numberaddress You or your students can bring in pictures of food, clothing, dishes, office supplies, etc. and then discuss how much each item might cost - Ça coà »te 152,25 euros, for example. Good for combining number practice with other vocabulary words.One teacher found that students forgot to use the word ans when describing someones age, so now at the beginning of class, she writes the names of one or two celebrities or notable French people on the chalkboard and students guess his/her age. You can find birthdays in Today in Francophone history. Fun French Numbers Practice, Games and Activities British Bulldog / Dog and Bone A game for outdoors or a gymnasium: Divide the class in half, and have each side stand in a long line facing the other half, with a large gap for running between the two teams. Give each member a number: each team should have the same set of numbers but in a different order so that the students with the same number are not facing each other. An article, such as a scarf, skittle, or baton, is placed in the space between the two teams. Then the teacher calls a number and the student from each team with that number races to retrieve the article. Whoever gets it earns a point for his/her team. Number Toss Have the students stand in a circle and throw a nerf ball to another student (not adjacent). Upon catching the ball the student must say the next number. If s/he doesnt know what number youre on, says the wrong number, or pronounces it incorrectly, s/he is out of the game. Phone Numbers Have students write their actual phone numbers on a small piece of paper with no names. You can play too, by writing a phone number that you know well (such as the schools if you dont want to use your own). Collect the slips of paper and pass them back out randomly, making sure that no one has his/her own number. Everyone stands up. Start the game by reading the number on the paper you have. The person whose number it is sits down and reads the number s/he has, and so on until everyone is seated. Works well for listening, but they have to be able to say the numbers accurately enough for their classmates to understand them. I do this once theyve learned 0 to 9. Le Prix est Juste / The Price Is Right Teacher thinks of a number and gives students a range to guess from. Students respond and if incorrect, the teacher responds with plus or moins. When a student finally guesses the correct answer, s/he can be rewarded with a sticker, piece of candy, or a point for the team. Then the teacher thinks of a new number and gives a range and students begin guessing again. TPR with Numbers Write numbers on large cards, then call out instructions to the students: Mettez trente sur la table, Mettez sept sous la chaise (if they know prepositions and classroom vocabulary for example). You can mix it up with other vocabulary to catch them off guard and keep their attention: Donnez vingt Paul, Mettez la prof sur huit, Tournez vingt, Marchez vite avec onze. Or you can put the cards on the chalk tray and practice with avant, aprà ¨s, and cà ´tà © de: Mettez trente avant seize, Mettez zà ©ro aprà ¨s dix, etc. You might want to start with just five or so numbers at first; when they get good at those, add a couple more and so on. Zut Go around the room and count. Each time there is a 7 - a number with 7 in it (like 17, 27) or a multiple of 7 (14, 21) - the student must say zut instead of the number. They are knocked out of the game if they mispronounce the number, say the wrong number, or say the number when they should say zut. So the game should sound like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, zut, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, zut, 15, 16, zut, 18, 19, 20.... You can change the zut number periodically to keep them on their toes.

The Historic Olmec City of San Lorenzo

The Historic Olmec City of San Lorenzo The Olmec culture thrived along Mexico’s Gulf coast from roughly 1200 B.C. to 400 B.C. One of the most important archaeological sites associated with this culture is known as San Lorenzo. Once, there was a great city there. Its original name has been lost to time. Considered by some archaeologists to be the first true Mesoamerican city, San Lorenzo was a very important center of Olmec commerce, religion, and political power during its heyday. Location San Lorenzo is located in Veracruz State, about 38 miles (60km) from the Gulf of Mexico. The Olmecs could not have selected a better site to build their first great city. The site was originally a large island in the middle of the Coatzacoalcos River, although the course of the river has since changed and now only flows past one side of the site. The island featured a central ridge, high enough to escape any flooding. The floodplains along the river were very fertile. The location is close to sources of stone which were used for making sculptures and buildings. Between the river on either side and the high central ridge, the site was easily defended from enemy attack. Occupation of San Lorenzo San Lorenzo was first occupied around 1500 B.C., making it one of the oldest sites in the Americas. It was home to three early settlements, referred to as the Ojochà ­ (1500-1350 B.C.), the Bajà ­o (1350-1250 B.C.), and the Chichrras (1250-1150 B.C.). These three cultures are considered pre-Olmec and are largely identified by pottery types. The Chicharrs period begins to show characteristics later identified as Olmec. The city reached its peak in the period from 1150 to 900 B.C. before falling into decline. This is referred to as the San Lorenzo era. There may have been some 13,000 inhabitants at San Lorenzo during the height of its power (Cyphers). The city then went into decline and passed into the Nacaste period from 900 to 700 B.C. The Nacaste did not have the skills of their forebears and added little in the way of art and culture. The site was abandoned for some years before the Palangana era (600-400 B.C.). These later inhabitants contributed some small mounds and a ball cou rt. The site was then abandoned for over a thousand years before it was re-occupied during the Late Classic era of Mesoamerican civilization, but the city never regained its former glory. The Archaeological Site San Lorenzo is a sprawling site which includes not only the one-time metropolis of San Lorenzo but several smaller towns and agricultural settlements that were controlled by the city. There were important secondary settlements at Loma del Zapote, where the river forked to the south of the city, and El Remolino, where the waters re-converged to the north. The most important section of the site is on the ridge, where the nobility and priest classes lived. The western side of the ridge is known as the â€Å"royal compound,† as it was home to the ruling class. This area has yielded a treasure trove of artifacts, particularly sculptures. The ruins of an important structure, the â€Å"red palace,† are also found there. Other highlights include an aqueduct, interesting monuments scattered around the site, and several artificial pits known as â€Å"lagunas,† the purpose of which is still unclear. Stonework Very little of Olmec culture has survived to the present day. The climate of the steamy lowlands where they lived has destroyed any books, burial sites, and items of cloth or wood. The most important remnants of the Olmec culture are therefore architecture and sculpture. Fortunately for posterity, the Olmec were talented stonemasons. They were capable of transporting large sculptures and blocks of stone for masonry for distances of up to 60 kilometers (37 miles). The stones were probably floated part of the way on sturdy rafts. The aqueduct at San Lorenzo is a masterpiece of practical engineering. Hundreds of similarly-carved basalt troughs and covers weighing many tons were laid out in such a way as to promote the flow of water to its destination, which was a duck-shaped cistern designated Monument 9 by archaeologists. Sculpture The Olmec were great artists and the most remarkable feature of San Lorenzo is doubtless the several dozen sculptures that have been discovered at the site and nearby secondary sites like Loma del Zapote. The Olmec were famous for their detailed sculptures of colossal heads. Ten of these heads have been found at San Lorenzo. The largest of them is nearly ten feet tall. These massive stone heads are believed to depict rulers. At nearby Loma del Zapote, two finely sculpted, nearly identical twins face two jaguars. There are also several massive stone thrones at the site. All in all, dozens of sculptures have been found in and around San Lorenzo. Some of the statues were carved out of earlier works. Archaeologists believe that the statues were used as elements in scenes with religious or political meaning. The pieces would be laboriously moved around to create different scenes. Politics San Lorenzo was a powerful political center. As one of the first Mesoamerican cities - if not the first - it did not have true contemporary rivals and ruled over a large area. In the immediate environs, archaeologists have discovered many small settlements and dwellings, mostly located on hilltops. The smaller settlements were likely ruled by members or appointments of the royal family. Smaller sculptures have been found at these peripheral settlements, suggesting that they were sent there from San Lorenzo as a form of cultural or religious control. These smaller sites were used in the production of food and other resources and were of strategic use militarily. The royal family ruled this mini-empire from the heights of San Lorenzo. Decline and Importance In spite of its promising start, San Lorenzo fell into steep decline and by 900 B. C. was a shadow of its former self. The city would be abandoned a few generations later. Archaeologists do not really know why San Lorenzos glory faded so soon after its classic era. There are a few clues, however. Many of the later sculptures were carved out of earlier ones, and some are only half-completed. This suggests that perhaps rival cities or tribes came to control the countryside, making the acquisition of new stone difficult. Another possible explanation is that if the population somehow declined, there would be insufficient manpower to quarry and transport new material. The era around 900 B.C. is also historically linked to some climatic changes, which could well have adversely affected San Lorenzo. As a relatively primitive, developing culture, the people of San Lorenzo subsisted on a handful of core crops, hunting, and fishing. A sudden change in climate could affect these crops, as well as the nearby wildlife. San Lorenzo, while not a spectacular place for visitors like Chichà ©n Itz or Palenque, is nevertheless an extremely important historical city and archaeological site. The Olmec is the parent culture of all of those which came later in Mesoamerica, including the Maya and Aztecs. As such, any insight gained from the earliest major city is of inestimable cultural and historical value. It is unfortunate that the city has been raided by looters and many priceless artifacts have been lost or rendered valueless by being removed from their place of origin. It is possible to visit the historical site, although many of the sculptures are currently found elsewhere, such as the Mexican National Museum of Anthropology and the Xalapa Anthropology Museum. Sources Coe, Michael D. Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs. Ancient Peoples and Places, Rex Koontz, 7th Edition, Thames Hudson, June 14, 2013. Cyphers, Ann. San Lorenzo, Veracruz. Arqueologà ­a Mexicana, No. 87, 2019. Diehl, Richard. The Olmecs: Americas First Civilization. Ancient Peoples Places, Hardcover, Thames Hudson, December 31, 2004.

Availability Of Information Online Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Availability Of Information Online - Essay Example E-learning is electronic based training which involves the transfer of instructions and educational material through the internet or intranet and/or CD-ROM (Mason, 2006). It may include use of videos, audio, or written materials. Reflective learning Reflective learning can be classified as one of the earliest learning method. This method of learning can be explained as consciously thinking about a situation and analyzing what one has done or is doing. The thinking can involve looking for commonalities, differences, and interrelations beyond their superficial elements. It can be also seen as learning from present or past experience (Moon, 2004). Finally, reflective learning is the process by which one makes meaning from experiences that involve more than simply attending to events but also, the interaction other individuals, the environment and the world. Reflective learning encourages participation, ensures concentration of the students and offers relevant framework for development o f professionals in their respective fields. Reflective learning also enables instructors to learn from their experiences of teaching and facilitate students learning (Brookfield, 2000). By use of the Kolb cycle (a set of four different stages) instructors can acquire useful model by which to develop their practice. The assumption of the Kolb cycle is that it is insufficient to encompass an experience so as to learn and that the cycle can be entered at any stage. The four stages of the Kolb cycle are concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation. Concrete experience involves actual doing of an act so as to have the first hand experience. Reflective observation may involve reviewing and reflecting on the experience acquired (Scho?n, 1987). Abstraction conceptualization involves the thinking process and concluding of the learning experience. Active experimentation is the planning and the trying out of the information and experiences acquired. It is evident that through reflective learning, the lecturer acquires the necessary skills which can enable him or her effectively teaches and counsels the students (Scho?n, 1987). E-learning and Reflective learning The introduction and continued spread of e-learning may lead to the division of academics from the scholars and tends to lead to the anticipation that classes can be triumphant without the face to face contact of the student with the instructor. E-learning may be most appropriate if three factors are thoroughly addressed, which are technology, instructional needs, and education (Lynch, 2002). However, most modern theories of learning (including E-learning) promote the concept of reflective learning as essential for deep and significant learning. The advancement in technology has enabled e-learning to overcome the traditional disadvantages of using technology to gain experience and knowledge. (Stephenson, 2001) In the past, online learning was passive, using the usual teaching centered approach. However, the e-learning approach used this days incorporates the reflective theory of learning enabling learners to observe, reflect, strategize, and even to plan their own learning. The online learning activity, featuring reflections and collaboration, attempts to assist students in self-directed learning and in improving their skills and knowledge through designing tailor made learning programmes that are well suited to each student (Clarke,

The Santa Barbara Courthouse Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Santa Barbara Courthouse - Assignment Example The structure, layout, and height of the building also make it very impressive to look at. The courthouse was built out of stone, metal, wood, terra cotta, stucco, glass, and ceramic tile. It is made up of four buildings including an 85-foot clock tower. The structure is quite tall and also covers an entire city block. The main entrance features very wide stairs and a very large half-circle door opening, creating a very majestic and stylish visual spectacle. The entry arches are made of sandstone. This entry also features a wrought iron Spanish pendant lamp. There is also a sandstone plinth at the bottom of square pilasters that collect rainwater around a 4-inch wide wall that resembles a castle moat. The building also features a rear entry arch as well. The inside of the building is equally as impressive as the outside; perhaps even more impressive. Hand-painted ceilings are found throughout the building which includes a mural room as well. The entire floor of the building is composed of hand-made terra cotta tile. The interior also captures the Mission Colonial Revival style and has a classic castle fortress style appearance. The Santa Barbara Courthouse is described by The Architectural Resources Group as an Andalusian castle-style building that has a â€Å"romantic fortress aesthetic, complemented by Andalusian massing and asymmetry† (‘Santa Barbara Courthouse’). This is also the sense I first got when looking at both the exterior and interior of the building. The landscaping around the building is also visually appealing and compliments the building as well. It features several different types of trees, plants, and flowers. A lawn also covers much of the building grounds. The building is visually appealing in a number of different ways and that is why I feel it is a place I would like to be in or around. As mentioned earlier, the architecture of the building also has historical and cultural significance.

Analysis of Strategic Marketing Planning Literature review

Analysis of Strategic Marketing Planning - Literature review Example Based on Levitt's (1983) contribution, technology is one of the factors which affects firms to globalize their strategy (p.92). The other factor is cultural, that is consumer homogeneity (p. 96). It means that the preferences and tastes of consumers are becoming the same around the globe. The main aspect here is that communication (e.g. internet, cable television) is in the hands of normal people because through technology its costs have been reduced. Consequently, people around the world want all the things they have watched, heard and experienced via new technologies. So it means that the firms hast to decide if it will standardize or customize its product according to the market they penetrate. Based on the proposal of Levitt (1983) and Douglas and Craig (1991), if the firms consider themselves as a global player, they would opt for standardization of products because of consumer homogeneity. According to Douglas and Craig (1991) contribution, the competitive pressure (p.51) in the global market forces firms to defend their market position. Rivals are no more only in the domestic markets but in all markets around the world; consequently, firms have to be around the globe fighting with their competitors. In this situation, firms have to control their internal factors related to Resource-based View.

Environmental Justice In Class, Gender, and Race Essay

Environmental Justice In Class, Gender, and Race - Essay Example Fair treatment signifies that no particular community or group of individuals should bear unbalanced allocation of off-putting or offensive environmental outcomes ensuing from industrial, business and legislative procedures or regulations. 2. The involvement as well as contribution of public directly persuade the decisions taken by the regulatory bodies about the developmental prospects of a particular area and its implications on the environment of that area. Thus, meaningful involvement is of paramount significance as it generates awareness in the mass not only towards their environment but also provide them with the justice to have a better living conditions. Meaningful involvement enables people belonging to that geographical are to understand the implications of the hazards caused by the establishment of the industrial setup or any other kind of arrangement that may have devastating consequences on their health and welfare. Generating awareness is the basic step towards any righteousness and when it comes to environment it becomes supreme. The altered environmental conditions cannot be replenished which not only affects the health of the inhabitants but potentially affects the climatic conditions as well. Therefore, meaningful participation/ involvement in matters related with the environment of the community is highly imperative. Instigators of Environmental Justice Movement have these thoughts in their concise that some communities are being treated as very high while others are not privileged and therefore their lives could be put in danger for the developmental benefit of the privileged communities. The Civil Rights Movement (1960s) paved the way for inciting awareness and provided an understanding to the people about the health hazards of their families and community as a whole. Gradually, with augmenting awareness the concern about the

Gender differences in the African American community Research Paper

Gender differences in the African American community - Research Paper Example However despite all the efforts and achievement by the women, they still face some challenges when it comes to employment. Even though some parts of the world and community are still fighting gender equality, the African American communities have made some great achievements. It is true that the community has made some great achievements. However, the government should be involved in addressing the challenge the Africa-American women face when it comes to employment. Gender inequality is one of the issues affecting the whole world of today (Benerà ­a, 2003). Although the determination of the world in solving the problem of gender equality. For complete eradication of gender equality, much is yet to be done. Gender equality is a lack of the provision of equal opportunity for both the feminine and the masculine. Gender equality is where both the groups are not given equal opportunity in terms of education and work. The mainly affected group on the issue of gender equality is the female sex (Collins, 2004). Female are the group that started to face unequal opportunity just from the time they were young. The boy child is given privileges to various opportunities as the girl child never got the same opportunities. Gender equality was mainly due to communities believed on the responsibility of women in the society. Women were mainly perceived to be responsible for taking care of the family and the children. Their responsibilities were mainly to feed the children, clean the house, and cook the food for the family, and the most important one is to be submissive to their husbands (Cook, n.d.). However, gender equality has drastically changed over the years. The number of women going to school has an increase in a point that it is almost equal to that of the boys attending school and in some region in the world the number has outdone the male. The major problem that the women of today face is majorly at the workplace. Considering the families of the

Why Price Momentum Is Contrary to the Efficient Markets Hypothesis Assignment

Why Price Momentum Is Contrary to the Efficient Markets Hypothesis - Assignment Example The cash flow shocks, if embedded within the pricing, the price momentum can be observed. Or in a generalized manner, embedding any shock in the stock pricing implies the presence of price momentum.Shivakumar (2006) agrees that this phenomenon does seem contrary to the efficient market hypothesis, whereby, the hypothesis state that information is readily and equally available to all investors to ensure that the decision making of each is the differential amongst their strategy because the strategy is derived from information on which a decision is made. This concept is also agreed upon by Subrahmanyam (1998), Fama (1998) and Martin (2003) during their analytics on this model. Along similar lines, if information available to everyone is the same, then there is a consistency of information available in the market. Thus, a competitive environment shall prevail. However, this phenomenon exists in idealistic situations only, and on a general note, factors such as insider-trading, using pr ivileged information and so on do exist in markets globally. Subsequently, there are shockers – shocking news in the market – that prevail and the price of a stock fluctuates according to these shocks that can either be negative or positive; the former slides stock prices down, and the later carries it up, and the force that takes it up or down is known as the ‘price momentum’.Additionally, if the assumption of efficient market hypothesis would prevail, then equal information shall be available to all, and there would be presence of ‘shock absorbers’, because since an information would not just be available for certain individuals but for everyone, therefore, there would be not much of a shock for people to know about the case.

The Leadership Style Of Yvon Chouinard

The Leadership Style Of Yvon Chouinard At the centre stage of Patagonia Company stands its most valuable pillar and founder, Yvon Chouinard. Yvon saves is a man believed to be saving the world, one fleece jacket at a go. Being a climber, surfer, am entrepreneur, an environmentalists and a known philanthropist, he certainly stands out as one of the few business men who attained success based on his own terms of doing business. Based on his tender age experience as a climber, Yvon realized that he was capable of making more environmentally safe, cheap and effective climbing equipment than what was available in the market. Patagonia, the company that he formed makes exceptional gear as a market leader in the same with worldwide sales soaring above 240 million US dollars annually! Chouinard leadership at Patagonia has basically been a fearless one which has enabled the company to uphold innovation in its corporate practice as well as embracing new changes like when it switched to the use of organically grown cotton as well as other forms of recycled materials alone in its production process. His fearless qualities have also ensured that the company can manage to give away a small percentage of its annual gross sales to the other small scale works that are not profit oriented and maintain the profitability of the company. In Let my people go surfing, Yvon shows how by keeping the determined spirit of an explorer, one can blend work, play and social duty and remain successful. Through his easy leadership, Yvon has managed to curve a reputation of unsurpassed quality, long term environmental strategies and a maverick innovation plan in the company. Even the face of the challenging business world, Yvon is still into surfing and generally adventure but surprisingly maintains record success in his business. One of Yvons philosophies is that You have to be true to yourself; you have to know your strengths and limitations and live within your means (Chouinard, 2005). Yvon says that though he tried to look at herself just like a climber, surfer and blacksmith, he had to accept that he was also a businessman and was going to remain one for a long time probably. He however decided that if he was to stay in business, he was going to operate not by the normal rules of business but by his own terms, be serious but make his work enjoyable on a daily basis. He also realized that the terms under which he was going to operate were suppose to allow him and his employees climb one stair of their progress one at a time, allow enough freedom for their employees to dress the way they want, even bare foot if it would make them happy! And create some spare time for him to surf the waves, sky the powder or take care of issues at home. In other words he cultivated a culture in Patagonia where there was dist inction between the family, the work someone did and play. Even though the company profits grew from 20 million dollars to 100 million dollars between the 1980s and 1990, he and his wife Melinda kept all the money in the business (Chouinard, 2005). The growth in the company just excited everybody and they never failed to do what they could to maintain that level of growth. Upward vertical mobility was very real since even new employees in lower paying jobs like in the warehouse or retail stores had the opportunity and indeed rose to better paying positions in the company. Yvon established a fast-growing organization which in turn helped with outsourcing of the skilled labor that they needed. Despite the growth, Patagonia staff members still managed to keep their own cultural practices. People surfed at lunch hour; they played volleyball on the sand behind the building. When it came to the realization of Yvon, that Patagonia was likely to make a billion dollars in profits if the market mix remained as it was for some time, he decided that 10 percent of their pre-tax profit or 1 percent of their profits would go towards environmental rehabilitation and rejuvenation projects annually. His passion for environmental safety and sanity made him to decide that the Patagonia was going to start using recycled papers, an action which saved the company 6 million gallons of water, 3.5 million kilowatt of electricity and also helped keep off 52, 000 pounds of pollutants from the air. This measure which took place in 1990 also helped the company to help save about 14,500 trees from being used as fuel (Chouinard, 2005). Under his leadership, Patagonia worked together with other entities like Wellman and Malden mills to come up with recycled polyester which the company used to come up with its PCR Synchella fleece. Later, the world financial recession came and hit hard at the company to an extent that they had to cut down on their spending to stay afloat. This is the time; Yvon realized that the company had exceeded its resources as well as its limitations. He realized that the company was dependent on a growth that it could not sustain. Re-thinking the company priorities and instituting new practices became a priority. The recession called on the company to break its rules and make use of the very resources it had deemed unsafe for the environment, a scenario that forced Yvon to organize several employee seminars in different places where they could observe the environment, ask themselves capital questions why they were in business, what they needed to do as a company to reduce environmental degradation and global warming, the culture that everybody at Patagonia was brought up in and the values they both shared as individuals. While the company managers were concerned about the interventions t hat would take care of the cash-flow crisis, Yvon brought to their attention slowly and bit by bit, the businesss environmental ethics and even values. With this he taught his entire staff the values he had leant as a surfer and climber that You have to be true to yourself, acknowledging their strengths and weaknesses while trying to live within their means because if the company tries to be what they are no, there was likely to be a mentality of Having it all which could be the final nail on the coffin and the business is dead! Yvon Chouinard was in all aspects a very inspirational leader because he had followers! All his employees followed his lead without complaints. By allocating some time for play and adventure even for him, he showed one aspect of his weakness He cannot work without playing/having fun! This made him approachable. He used his intuition to appropriately gauge the right time to instill in his employees the values he had leant as a climber, when the financial crunch was threatening the companys existence. He tried to capitalize on what made them unique as a company, him as the manager, owner and leader of the rest of the employees. They all had been brought up in a culture of environmental ethics. He influenced them into surfing every lunch time. Finally, his inspirational leadership skills come in because he showed tough empathy to his employees in the sense that he cared passionately about the work they did but had to be realistic with them that without operating within their limits and exploiting their strengths and weaknesses, they were headed for a hard day in office as a business. He cultivated excellence as well as innovation by adopting the environmentally safe modes of production, was a source of optimism and enthusiasm in his free style method of management. Finally he encouraged his employees to have high inspirations by putting in place structures that allowed even junior clerical workers to rise to higher ranks with more pay. He was therefore very inspirational in all means. Yvon was a leader who was driven by ethics hence an ethical leader at the same time. He encouraged his employees to involve themselves in environmental restoration programs and even take responsibility by committing a percentage of the companys profits to the same. Striving for a balance between work, the family and play was also at the center stage of his influence as a leader. He was therefore very ethical and inspirational in his approach to issues. His leadership also has an elem ent of contextual init because he managed to build a team identity at Patagonia. Their production method, the games they played and the central values to which all the employees subscribed to made them an outstanding lining in a fabric of similar companies in the US. When the company faced an adoptive challenge due to the financial crisis which was calling on it to ignore its values and embrace the use of environmentally unfriendly resources, he mobilized his employees in different teams let them pick out the values that put them together and to identify the adaptive changes in that case. Through his guidance, they realized it was necessary to live within their means. He Got on the balcony and studied the pattern of change which was imminent, Identified the adaptive change by looking at the risks which the current pattern of doing business posed if they were to persist with it and he regulated the distress that came with the new change by taking the employees to far off places sometimes even next to mountains or under trees to reduce stress and help them absorb the realities of the new change before making informed decisions. His contextual leadership skills pushed him to seek a bigger picture of the implications of the financial crunch on Patago nia and he maintained a disciplined attention seeking the suggestions and discussions of his team and through this, gave the work back to the people so that they can own it and protected the voice of the people from below by creating a forum where people could exchange and discuss freely without suppression of any kind. There was no blame game and he believed that because they had succeeded together, no fingers were supposed to be pointed at anyone but all needed to build a consensus and realize that operating within their means was the most convincing way out. Sustainable Development in Businesses Organizations the world over are faced with a challenging issue of creating a balance between the need to make a profit and the need to preserve the very same resources from which they get their profits. However it has become paramount and critical for organizations to have policy approach geared towards the use of resources without compromising their future availability. Sustainable development is that policy approach and it broadly touches on three things: a broad view of social, environmental and economic outcomes, a long term perspective concerned with the rights of future generations and an inclusive call to action that requires everyone to take charge of their actions. Some organization CEOs have been reluctant to embrace this. This paper is an argument in favor of sustainable development and the need for organization CEOs to make it a part of their policy needs. Human Resources An organization is structured basically from its human resource. An active and productive human resource in an organization is also the desire of every CEO. Sustainable development requires people in an organization to be competitive in order to drive success and create innovation. This gives an edge to the company even in the market share and general welfare of the company including profitability. When employees think of the future and ways to improve and optimally give back to the environment, they come up with highly innovative ways to tackle challenges within the organizations (Casper, 2009). A company that has innovative human resources is always likely to drive success according to Casper and this can be noted when a effort is put into encouraging people within the organization to embrace environmental challenges of the day. A progressive CEO also considers the health and wellbeing of his employees. There is no better way to do that than to embrace sustainable development as it broadly tackles the needs of a workers health and wellbeing. It is very important to have a clean environment in the workplace for everyone in the organization and can only be effectively tackled when there is a sense of optimal resource usage in a business. Therefore, once a company takes that issue to their most valued human resource, the benefits are great because a certain culture is instilled inside the company. Energy Conservation Energy is a highly scarce commodity. Every company strives to get energy very cheaply so as to reduce overhead and drive profits. This may compromise the importance of an organization to put into consideration the need to conserve the sources of that energy. Even though it is a critical commodity it does not warrant the CEOS to use unorthodox and harmful ways to get it. This positions the organization as greedy and may be harmful to the image it portrays to the general public and to its customers (Malone Pasternack, 2002). This brings the importance of sustainable development to the minds of CEOs and the policy developers in an organization. Energy projects are very capital intensive and have a long gestation period. They therefore have a direct bearing on the environment and ecology at large. A lack of sufficient energy impacts badly on the economy and on the lives of people. Hence it is of paramount importance that the sources of energy are used in a wise and sustainable manner to fairly impact the people and to drive the economy of a country. Pollution of energy sources, especially the non-renewable ones, is a threat even to the national security of a country. The sectors that offer jobs that are energy affiliated are significantly affected and an employment situation may present itself and this is a threat to the security and national wellbeing of a country. It is imperative therefore that those ceos sustainably use the energy resources if they are patriotic nationalists. The economic growth realized will only serve as a plus to the organization as this means more business and hence profits and the overhead costs are greatly reduced. Architecture Organizations expand and have growth targets for the future that should impact the lives of future generations. A future-oriented ceo is the one who has the capacity to embrace sustainable architecture. This is a bit costly when considering the capital required. But when viewed from an angle of the need to conserve the environment and the futures positive impact on the lives of future generations, it is worth putting in maximum effort. The design for architecture should put into consideration energy consumption, employees health and well being, plus maximum utilization of available resources. For example, instead of using electricity for lighting and heating, the organization may employ the use of solar energy for the same utilities. In addition, the material for construction that is recycled, such as reclaimed lumber, and low volatile organic compounds, may play a big role in the reduction of harmful emissions in the environment. An organization can also incorporate waste management that is progressive and places into consideration the issue of environment. The current trends show that governments the world over are going to enact legislation barring people from using certain materials for the construction of buildings and this may be a step ahead of the rest. Obviously this will be profitable then since the price of materials required will have shot up due to inflation and demand as the others try to grapple with the government requirement. It is therefore prudent for a ceo to use environmentally sustainable construction since it is likely to drive profits in the future (Casper, 2009). Health Human health and sustainable development are inexplicably linked and go hand in hand. It is the desire of every organization to have healthy and able employees. This reduces medical bills due to insurance, reduces interruptions during work and positions the company for future growth and development. However the threat to the health of people is very real when viewed from the angle of the manner in which big companies and corporations are either inadvertently or knowingly engaging in activities that are harmful (Malone Pasternack, 2002). Productive CEOs must come up with ways of stemming this and there is no better way than to embrace sustainability of the sectors that massively affect health. There is a notable change in demographics, consumption and behavior in people. Most of them are moving towards towns where companies are situated and this poses a threat to their health if the issue of waste management and harmful gaseous emissions by companies is not properly checked. As a companys broader task to embrace corporate social responsibility, a progressive and future oriented ceo should press for policies geared towards ensuring that the heath of people is a priority. This positions the organization to have a good image when viewed by people and it enhances its customer base through that (Casper, 2009). Legal Aspect The governments of today and the international community at large, in its last gasp to enhance sustainable development, are coming up with laws to govern the use of resources. This has made it necessary for companies to try and make policies fit into the legalities or face strict penalties. In a country where these laws exist, there is more pressure from human rights organizations to make them stricter than they are. Some have gone to the extent of inserting in the constitution the basic right of a clean healthy environment so as to stress the importance (International Law Commission, 2003). Due to this pressure across the board, it is imperative that an organization embraces the need for sustainable development. This will reduce friction with the law and greatly reduce any legal costs that the organization may have. This is also beneficial to a countrys development because it enables compliance with environmental treaties that it has signed and also ratifications of the United Nations (International Law Commission, 2003). Social Aspect In most countries where use of resources is not closely watched, the less privileged in society are most affected. This includes the youth and the women and children. This group forms the foundation for a countrys growth and if not consistently checked can be a disadvantage to the economy of the country (Malone Pasternack, 2002). This group of people is paramount to the security situation in every country. The youth are known to create chaos in a country where unemployment levels are huge. This is a future problem being propagated today and it threatens the future of organizations. In light of this problem, organizations should therefore embrace sustainable development to position themselves for future markets. The available resources should be used carefully to realize this goal. The organization stands to benefit security-wise and the country is likely to realize economic growth hence benefitting the organization further. Also people once faced by such problems resort to mass action and this is dangerous to organizations reputations especially if it deals in sensitive products such as food (Malone Pasternack, 2002). To sum up, sustainable development is an aspect of current time and any ceo who seeks to position his organization for future growth and development should embrace the task of environmental conservation. The many aspects of the business are invariably touched in one way or the other by the issue and any business leader who ignores these risks could well be considered retrogressive or insensitive in his quest to grow business wise. Also through sustainable development, three important issues are affected positively: the environment, finances and social welfare. These three issues are interrelated and form the pillar of growth in any organization. Therefore business leaders should welcome sustainability (IANS, 2008). Ethics and Business In this post Enron era, managers are still struggling to find a fit between ethical codes of behavior in the workplace. They also are identifying practices that are not only ethical but consistent with organizational productivity and sustainability, both in the short run and the long run. Ethics, a word derived from the Greek word, ethos, meaning a way of living, can be termed as an accepted code of behavior in the workplace. Ethics are mainly informed by society values whereas a business operates in terms of their economic, social, cultural and political diversity. Despite the lack of generally accepted workplace ethics worldwide, managers should develop strategic plans in their organizations that would promote basic human rights, while at the same time, improve organizational teamwork and productivity. Strategic planning refers to the systematic identification of an organizations short, medium and long term goals, followed by the development of action blueprints on how to achieve them (Gray, Larson, 2006). The first approach that I would take on ethics in the workplace is to ensure the observance of basic human rights of all stakeholders involved in the business. This is based on the premise that managers of organizations would interact with stakeholders such as employees, suppliers, debtors, creditors, financiers, customers, government and society in general. Impact of ethics on various stakeholders of the business It is universal knowledge in psychology that human beings tend to build relationships and develop confidence in people who treat them fairly. Paying suppliers at the right time after delivery of goods or services creates supplier confidence regarding the organization. To maintain and safeguard this relationship, a supplier will strive to honor his delivery contracts to the corporation. This will ensure a continuous production of goods in the organization. This has the capacity to reduce any loss that can emanate from unsatisfied demand due to internal inefficiencies. A manager, who is ethical in terms of the way he or she sources for finances for the organization, is likely to develop a good credit rating. This ensures that the company can access finances when the need arises on short notice as a result of the managers reputation for having excellent collateral. Communicating to a customer in the right way, offering the right service at the right price and being open to a client about a product is likely to develop the confidence of such a customer towards the company and its brands. It is a well known fact in the field of marketing and psychology that a satisfied customer acts as a voluntary promoter of the company and its products to other people. Such a customer recommends the product to family and friends. This action increases the organizations client base leading to growth of sales and profitability. To achieve this, managers must come up with a clear customer focused strategy on how employees are supposed to talk to customers and how they are supposed to serve them (Sison, 2008). The public forms the market base on which a business thrives and managers should ensure that the organization is not engaged in unethical practices that may negatively affect society. It should carry out activities that promote growth and the development of society. This is a long term investment by the company since a well developed society provides the organization with a wider customer base for its goods while at the same time ensuring sustainability of the organization in the long run. This understanding has in the recent past culminated to a move by a number of organizations to achieve brand positioning on corporate social responsibility. The shareholders of the organization are affected by both ethical and unethical actions of any of the stakeholders of the business. The managers are only custodians employed by the shareholders to take care of their investment. Consequently, when they engage in unethical practices within the organization, such as embezzlement of funds, managers lose the shareholders confidence in them since such unethical behavior can lead to the collapse of an organization. Finally, when many people refer to ethics in the workplace, they have employees behavior in mind. Observance of basic human rights in organizations ensures that employees feel secure in carrying out their duties. This peace of mind influences them to be more productive. Once managers treat their employees fairly, such employees are likely to remain motivated. It would also ensure that employees have negligible, if any, work related stress. Many people can attest to the fact that when working in an organization where a person feels valued and respected, an employee executes his duties in an enhanced manner leading to higher productivity and profitability. To achieve this, managers should come up with ways and means of creating a good work environment where there is no abuse of employees by the employer and where basic human rights are respected and observed. How to promote ethics in the workplace Implementing strategic plans on ethics requires accommodation of diverse behaviors from individuals. Some organizations thrive in utilizing employees diversity to generate unique products and services instead of trying to standardize their behavior. In the post Enron era, organizations are paying more attention to the issue of ethics in the work place when developing their strategic plans. To do this, they start by collecting views among their employees and other stakeholders. This helps in understanding the social and cultural diversity of an organizations stakeholders. For instance, bowing slightly before shaking hands with senior individuals is treated as a sign of respect in some cultures. In other cultures, it is seen as a symbol of slavery and abuse. Consequently, it is only after understanding individuals cultural orientation that managers can develop a fit in workplace ethics which is not only inclusive but also consistent with the organizations strategic mission. Ethics in the workplace can be promoted by strategically developing an organizations culture that supports ethical behavior. This is based on the principle of the need for association by human beings. This helps employees in developing a sense of belonging to the company and to its culture. To fit in the work environment where they spend many of their waking hours, employees are likely to take up the code of behavior portrayed by senior managers. As a result of this, if the top managers are corrupt, disrespectful or posses any other vice, employees are likely to follow suit. A healthy corporate culture such as one that promotes quality in their employees ways of delivering services and interaction with all business stakeholders is likely to increase profitability in the long run. A good and ethical corporate culture ensures that senior members of the company act as role models for junior employees who will most likely strive to maintain ethics in such a workplace. Workplace ethics can be promoted by ensuring that an organization has satisfied employees. The satisfaction may be as a result of proper remuneration. Consequently, managers should not only view an employees salary as a cost, but they should also view it as an investment in ensuring that the organization retains highly skilled employees in the long term. Hard working employees who contribute a lot to the company feel cheated when the salary they receive is too small. This makes them feel justified in their corrupt activities (Swartz, Watkins, 2003). The organization should also have a good work environment. Another factor that managers should consider is proper orientation of employees. This may demand the use of a professional alongside reliable managers in the orientation process of new employees. Such a set up ensures that the right ethics code is clearly communicated. When carrying out their duties, new employees compare their actions with what they were taught on the first day rather than what their colleagues are doing (Wiggins, 2006). This ensures that unethical individuals in the organization do not pass the vice to new employees. What is ethical is interpreted differently by different people. Managers should come up with a set of ethical behaviors in the workplace in collaboration with employees. Efforts should be directed at sensitizing employees on what is termed unethical in such organizations. The organization should develop benchmarks on progress of the employees in terms of ethical behavior in the workplace. This is because, like any other strategy, a strategic plan in promotion of ethical behavior should be monitored and controlled after implementation. Those who follow the ethics code should be consistently recognized and rewarded in order to motivate them to maintain ethical behavior in and outside the organization. In conclusion, it is worth noting that ethical behavior as indicated above affects the productivity of the organization. It affects the interest of all the stakeholders of the business. Despite the lack of specific attributes to good ethics, it is worth noting that good ethics should promote the achievement of an organizations goals and objectives. They should be entrenched in the organization by the management in collaboration with their employees. Continuous control and the monitoring of strategic plan implementation progress are both vital as they help in keeping employees and other stakeholders on course.

Borrelia Burgdorferi and Lyme Disease

Borrelia Burgdorferi and Lyme Disease Megan Eifert   Background The helical shaped pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi is a member of spirochete bacterium that is best known as the causative agent of Lyme disease. Belonging to the phylum Spirochaetes, these bacteria are characterized by a lipid bilayer known as the outer membrane sheath, as well as an inner space between a long cylindrical protoplasm and outer membrane sheath referred to as the periplasm (Metapathogen, 2012). Genus Borrelia comes from the French bacteriologist Amedee Borrel who identified a set of organisms that caused tick-borne and louse-borne relapsing fever in humans and animals (Metapathogen, 2012). Specific to the group Borrelia burgdorferi typically only 1 ÃŽÂ ¼m wide but up to 25 ÃŽÂ ¼m long, a unique characteristic of wavelike bodies and flagella are bound between the inner and other cell membranes, proving to be vital in the success of these bacteria. This feature is especially important to defining the highly invasive classification of these bacteria by allowing the pa thogen to travel effectively through tissue of its infected host (Burke, 2005). Similarly an important feature of B. burgdorferi are their outer surface proteins that have been researched to play a large role in the transmission of the pathogen as well as been the focus of those working on producing an effective vaccine against it (Burke, 2005). Metabolic capabilities are limited in these bacteria and therefore gaining energy is a task relied upon the hosts in which B. burgdorferi infect. With an optimal growth condition at 32 ° C in a low oxygen environment, even the best conditions demonstrate a slow generation time of between 12 to 24 hours (Tilly, 2008). Using glucose and carbohydrates as their main energy source, their genome has been identified to encode transport proteins such as ABC transporters and enzymes that are utilized in the phosphotransferase system and others similar that have the ability to gather compounds from both host or environment (Burke, 2005). Without the capability to produce energy from the TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation or an electron transport train, B. burgdorferi utilizes substrate-level phosphorylation to produce ATP within the cell necessary for these bacteria to remain successful (Rosa, 2005). There are three species of B. burgdorferi that have been identified in causing most cases of human disease. With a natural reservoir found to be a variety of small mammals, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, and B. afzelii are the typical strains identified in almost all cases of clinical disease. Specific to the United States, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto is the only species clinically associated with human disease whereas all three species have been found in Europe, and B. garinii and B. afzelii have both been identified in Asia (Metapathogen, 2012). Clinical Significance Although infection within natural hosts does not regularly cause disease, Borrelia burgdorferi is a tick-borne obligate pathogen that when infection occurs in humans can elicit the human immune-patholgical response and cause Lyme disease (Borrelia, 2007). Dr. Alan Steere and his team first clinically identified Lyme disease in 1977 as an infectious illness that continues to be the leading vector-borne disease in the United States (Borrelia, 2007). Through research of geographic regions with a surge of patients exhibiting seasonal occurrence of similar symptoms, Dr. Steere hypothesized the epidemiology of Lyme disease suggested transmission of the pathogen was occurring through an arthropod vector. Following the lead of Dr. Steere, a Dr. Willy Burgdorfer began to study a group of spirochetes found and collected from midgut tissues of ticks native to areas relative to the Lyme disease outbreaks. The bacteria isolated continuously produced a skin rash similar to erythema migrans when te sted on rabbits within a laboratory setting and samples from Lyme disease patients reacted with the bacteria when used in indirect immunofluorescence assays (WI, 2011). As a consequence of these observations, this set of organisms was first given their now recognizable name, Borrelia burgdorferi. Clinical manifestations of Lyme disease vary upon the species identified as the causative agent however; many common symptoms and features are shared across all cases of disease. According to reports from Mayo Clinic, most often the first symptoms described include an erythema migrans rash often in the shape of a bulls-eye at the site of the bite, accompanied by symptoms that most resemble an influenza-like infection (Lyme, 2015). Once patients exhibit these skin lesions, non-specific symptoms such as headaches, generalized lymphadenopathy, generalized lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly, migratory musculoskeletal pain, hepatitis, sore throat, non-productive cough, conjunctivitis or periorbital edema may arise, causing in most cases the discomfort associated with a diagnosis of Lyme disease (Lyme, 2015). Specific to most cases identified in the United States by the B. burgdorferi, arthritis is one of the main associated symptoms that patients struggle with. When infection persists to stage 2 after a few weeks, Mayo Clinic sources indicate about 15% of patients develop neurological deficits and abnormalities such as meningitis, encephalitis, cranial neuritis (including bilateral facial palsy), motor or sensory radiculoneuritis, mononeuritis multiplex, or myelitis (Lyme, 2015). Once neurological problems begin, patients can develop cardiac complications as well while continuing to experience a high amount of musculoskeletal pains throughout the body. When symptoms of Lyme disease persist beyond the typical treatment time, chronic Lyme disease can set in and patients experience post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome resulting from weakened immunity, systemic bacterial infection and inhibited cellular function and protection (Transmission, 2015). Over two-thirds of patients diagnosed with Lyme disease by infection of B. burgdorferi will develop chronic neurologic or skin involvement and non-specific arthritis. Symptoms characteristic of chron ic fatigue syndrome have been described as lasting for years following infection, proving infection with this bacterium can live in harmony within its human host making it a successful pathogen. According to the CDC, Lyme disease affects approximately 60,000 people worldwide per year however; mortality caused by the pathogen remains low at only 114 deaths reported from the disease in the United States between 1999-2003 (Transmission, 2015). Lyme disease can be accompanied by a wide variety of systemic involvement with varying clinical manifestations dependent on the stage of disease identified making both the course of illness and treatment inconsistent between patients. Borrelia burgdorferi elicits a variety of strategies in order to penetrate the immune systems of its hosts in hopes to successfully remain a viable bacterium. Inducing both the innate and adaptive immune responses, the bacteria have adapted to their reservoir hosts causing ineffectiveness of immunity to clear the bacteria out of the system entirely. Prior to activation, cleaved complement molecules form on the surface of the bacteria to help promote bacteriolysis while negatively regulating the complement system through various regulators to avoid host tissue damage (Tilly, 2008). With the goal of inhibiting the complement system, B. burgdorferi utilize outer surface proteins hosted on their outer membranes to bind complement regulators in order to successfully inhibit the complement system and its killing response. With the complement system inhibited, the bacteria are able to better survive within the blood stream and thus promoting further disease manifestations (Tilly, 2008). Vaccination for Lyme disease is a concept of both the publics past and future but not present. Administered in three doses, the first and only of its kind a vaccine against Lyme disease was licensed in 1998 by SmithKline Beecham (Poland, 2011). The vaccine in theory was to stimulate antibodies that would attack B. burgdorferi within the vectors gut as it fed on its human host, thus preventing the bacteria to enter the body and showed to be 78% effective following all doses completion (Poland, 2011). In 2002 the company producing the vaccine had removed it from the market and ever since a similar vaccine to protect humans against Lyme disease has not been re-introduced to the public. Diagnostic and Treatment Diagnosis of Lyme disease can be difficult due to the various nonspecific signs and symptoms associated with not only infection by Borrelia burgdorferi, but characteristic of many similar diseases. Typically the rash characteristic of Lyme disease in an area known to host ticks that transmit the disease does not warrant further testing for a diagnosis. Most often used to provide a more definitive Lyme disease diagnosis is the use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test. ELISA detects Lyme disease by identifying antibodies to its causative pathogen, although this test may provide false-positives or negatives even when the bacteria is present due to the stage the disease is in (Borrelia, 2007). If an ELISA test proves positive, Western blot tests are used to confirm infection of B. burgdorferi, which identify antibodies against multiple proteins characteristic of the pathogen (Lyme, 2015). Several therapeutics are used to treat patients infected with Lyme disease and as with most disease treatments the sooner treatment is able to begin, the better and sooner recovery is achievable. Oral antibiotics are used as the first line of standard treatment with an early-stage diagnosis of Lyme disease. With a 14 to 21 day regimen, antibiotics prescribed according to Mayo Clinic typically include doxycycline for adults and children older than 8, or amoxicillin or cefuroxime for adults, younger children, and pregnant or breast-feeding women (Lyme, 2015). Oral antibiotics are used most often to treat skin rashes and influenza-like symptoms associated with the first stages of Lyme disease. Intravenous antibiotics may be employed for treatment if the disease has involved the central nervous system and this method of treatment has been shown to be effective in eliminating the infection but not without lingering symptoms according to the CDC. When chronic Lyme disease or post treatment Lyme disease syndrome is suspected, antibiotics are not effective in treating symptoms or the disease, and effective treatments remain unknown once the disease has progressed on. Although much research is unavailable, many living with chronic Lyme disease explain turning to natural remedies as treatment such as dietary suggestions to help increase immune function or adding supplements to help improve cell structure and function to help alleviate symptoms (Borrelia, 2007). References Borrelia burgdorferi. (2007). Retrieved March 25, 2017, from http://www.lymeneteurope.org/info/borrelia-burgdorferi Burke G, Wikel SK, Spielman A, Telford SR, McKay K, Krause PJ, et al. Hypersensitivity to Ticks and Lyme Disease Risk. Emerging Infectious Disease. 2005 Jan. Volume 11(1), p. 36-41. Lyme disease. (2015). Retrieved March 25, 2017, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lyme- disease/basics/definition/CON-20019701 MetaPathogen.com/Borrelia burgdorferi. (2012). Retrieved March 25, 2017, from http://www.metapathogen.com/borrelia/ Poland GA. Vaccines against Lyme Disease: what happened and what lessons can we learn? Clin Infect Dis. (2011) 52 (suppl 3): s253-s258. Retrieved March 25,2017. Rosa, PA., Tilly, K., and Steward, PE. The Burgeoning Molecular Genetics of the Lyme Disease Spirochaete. Nature Reviews Microbiology. 2005. Volume 3(2), p. 129- 143. Tilly, K., Rosa, P. A., Stewart, P. E. (2008, June). Biology of Infection with Borrelia burgdorferi. Retrieved March 25, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440571/ Transmission. (2015, March 04). Retrieved March 25, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/ WI, K. T. (2011, May). Lyme Disease. Retrieved March 25, 2017, from http://textbookofbacteriology.net/Lyme.html

Career Research Paper: Army National Guard -- essays research papers

Career Research Paper: Army National Guard   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Army National Guard is a whole new way to serve. It’s all about commitment to help communities in need. It’s solid dedication to the country in war and in peace. They form an elite team that shares similar core values, convictions, and beliefs. To be in the National Guard can mean serving the country part-time, one weekend a month and two weeks a year as most Guard members serve. This is what makes them different from the other branches of the military. Experiences will be gained that would change one’s outlook on life forever. Skills will be learned that will last a lifetime. The Guard is a team that values serving others and being the best; a part-time job with full time benefits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There’s an opportunity to split up Guard training during the summers between school years. Qualified juniors can attend Basic Training during the summer before senior year and then go on to Advanced Individual Training (AIT) after senior year. The Guard will help build mind and body, and in Basic Training challenges will be conquered to become stronger, faster, and healthier. Overcoming the physical and mental challenges will instill a growing sense of pride. Basic Training is tough going through nine weeks of intense physical and mental conditioning. People discover confidence, self-assurance, and potential for leadership. In graduating Basic Training, becoming a soldier is the revenue in the Army National Guard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Army National Guard has a unique dual mission serving both country and community. For over 365 years the citizen-soldiers have come to the aid of their neighbors during times of need. The Guard involves helping communities during natural disasters and civil emergencies. All around the country the National Guard comes to the rescue saving lives, restoring order, and protecting property, as well as being active in local community organizations that improve the quality of life. Many Guard members live, work, and go to school right where they serve. The Guard helps Little League programs, promotes scouting activities, and opens its doors to kids on Armory Days, among countless other programs, providing strong positive role models for the young kids. Calls have been answered to defend America in every war. From the War of Independen... ...ently, and the military police/intelligence which is a great place to start if interests lie in a career with a civilian police dept. Communications is vital along with medical both preparing for jobs of today and tomorrow. For almost every administrative and personnel job in the Army, there is a corresponding job in the civilian workplace. The Army National Guard is a great place to learn a skill, get paid for it, and get ahead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, the experience is the kind of professionalism and pride that make soldiers respected the world over. It’s the experience that singles one out as someone with unique ability and unique qualities. The country depends on the military to fulfill the important mission to protect democracy and keep peace. Excelling as an individual and achieving impossible thoughts are motivating reasons to become a part of the Guard. It’s a way to help reach educational or career goals that are set in life. Take the next step and have it all: adventure, camaraderie, challenge, an extra paycheck, military benefits as well as the satisfaction that comes from serving the country and community; a part-time job with full time benefits.

How Far Will Microsoft Get? :: essays research papers

How Far Will Microsoft Get?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first question that we must ask is, â€Å"How dangerous is Microsoft?† There are two chief groups as the objects of that question – that of Microsoft’s product consumers and that of Microsoft’s competitors. A distinction must be made between the two when answering such a question due to the extreme differences between both. Whether a decision or action made by Microsoft is beneficial or not to one of the two does not mean that it’s true for the other. Often times the opposite is true. In fact, most consumers barely regard Microsoft as the dangerous monsters some view them to be. What Microsoft leads their consumers to believe is that their product is superior, and more affordable. Many competitors have voiced cries of monopolistic abuse saying that Microsoft unfairly exploits it’s ownership of the personal computer operating system. One of the main complaints they have is with the Microsoft ownership of the actual base operating system of all Windows computers: MS-DOS. Bill Gates, the chairman and co-founder of Microsoft, has done an excellent job of hiding DOS behind his company’s Windows software. Together, DOS and Windows have had an incredible influence on the computer world taking almost 95% of the personal computers on the market. Because of Microsoft’s dominance in these two areas of personal computing the company receives an advantage that is essential in determining the danger Microsoft exhibits toward their competitors. Bill Gates tightened his grasp on the industry through an ingenious deal he made with PC producers. In the contract, Gates is guaranteed payment for every computer shipped, regardless of whether or not his operating system was installed in the computer. Thus, without paying double, the manufacturers could not install another company’s operating system -- therefore Microsoft was awarded a near monopoly. The title to these two programs, especially Wind ows, provides Microsoft with an unrestricted and exclusive median to promote, feature, and offer its programs. Offering its programs as pre-installed applications of Windows software allows Microsoft to seize a large portion of the software market, especially in the word-processing and spreadsheet division where Microsoft presents its Word and Excel programs. These two applications have been incorporated, along with others, into a package known as Microsoft Office. With this program, Microsoft has captured ninety percent of that market. Furthermore, because Microsoft controls the operating system of the PC, its competitors must render their applications and software compatible with the parameters contrived by Microsoft.

Britain’s Relationship With Its African Empire In The Period 1870 †1981

Assess the significance of strategic concerns in influencing Britain’s relationship with its African empire in the period c1870 – c1981 The last three decades of the 19th century saw an unrelenting wave of expansionist policy followed by most, if not all of the major European powers over the African continent, and so has been dubbed as the â€Å"Scramble for Africa†. France, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, Italy and Britain all laid claim to vast swathes of African land and by the turn of the century controlled roughly ninety per cent of the continent. The question this essay seeks to answer is why this â€Å"scramble† was triggered.There are a variety of arguments that have been put forward by historians: the economic arguments are the most important as the vast availability of much needed and highly prized goods (precious metals, diamonds, metals, ivory, palm oil, etc. ) would ensure a rich market. The second most important factor could be argued as one of t he key triggers for the â€Å"Scramble for Africa† was the strategic factors of the Africa Continent, in terms of the protection of trade routes and of valuable assets. Also the â€Å"civilisation and evangelisation† argument plays a role, but largely as an appeaser for the British public.Upon completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, British interest in Egypt increased, as the canal opened up a much more effective trade route to the â€Å"Jewel in the Crown†; India. The Suez Canal drastically decreased the time taken for ships to sail from Britain to India, from a six week journey that entailed navigating the Cape, to a two week journey, resulting in better improvements in communications between the Viceroy and Whitehall and greatly increasing the profits of trading companies as shipments could be made more frequently.The importance of the Suez Canal to Britain was paramount; the Nationalist Rebellion in 1882 saw the occupation of Egypt by British forces, in order to protect the European population (an estimated fifty European civilians were killed in the rebellion), but most importantly, to protect, and maintain control of, the Suez Canal. The strategic motivation behind this was to reinforce British interests in the area, especially trade with Egypt as any unrest in the area could affect British trade with the rest of its Empire.Furthermore, the Canal was a significant link to India, which held absolute importance to the British. Protection of the canal, therefore, ensured protection of India. As well as that, the Ottoman Empire’s sphere of influence was expanding to envelop Egypt, which, if occurred, would have been a severe blow to British supremacy; as a vital trade link for its Empire, Britain would have to have secured the safety of the Suez Canal, which could have resulted in war with the Ottoman Empire, or a treaty and/or a tariff imposed, a move that would have severely damaged Britain’s image of â€Å"glorious isolat ion†.The occupation of several African nations can also be seen to have been motivated by imperial strategy. The Berlin Conference in 1885 set a precedence that would change the face of imperial expansion. Most empire building had previously been an informal process; the creation of trade posts, creating and strengthening of ties with local traders/chiefs etc. the conference, signed by the major European powers (including Britain) stated that a power much formally annex a territory if it were to become part of the empire.This triggered a rush to formally annex the territories informally controlled by said powers- a process that especially endangered Britain’s position in Africa, as it relied much more upon informal expansionist policies to build its empire. Territories such as Bechuanaland, Kenya, Sudan and Egypt were similarly annexed. In this way, Britain prevented the expansion of other European powers and protected its own sphere of influence on the Continent. The m ost important factor for the â€Å"Scramble of Africa†, is however, the economic factors.The Continent provided an untapped source of raw materials that were much needed by the European powers; fuel consumption was at an all-time high, much in part due to the later arrival of the Industrial Revolution in the newly unified Germany and Italy. Not only that, but goods such as gold, and diamonds were found in seeming abundance in parts of Africa- by the early 1900’s, the Rand (a strip of land in Southern Africa that encompassed the Transvaal State) was home to gold mines valued at  £700million and was a key factor that prompted the Second Boer War between 1899-1902.What one must also not lose sight of is that although Britain committed itself to the expansion of its Empire in Africa for strategic concerns, these reasons all link back to increasing Britain’s wealth, be it controlling new markets, controlling highly demanded products (such as Egyptian cotton)or bein g the first European access to much needed raw materials.Even the annexing of the original Dutch Cape Colony in the 1830’s was primarily due to economic factors; strategically important to protect the trade route with India, but only necessary due to the great economic importance of said trade route. It is for this reason that economic factors were the main reason to explain Britain’s expansion in Africa, not strategic concerns. There is also the â€Å"civilised and evangelise† argument to consider, dubbed by Rudyard Kipling as â€Å"The White Man’s Burden† argument.In the late 19th century, as the height of British Imperialism and expansion, a national pride in the Empire was rife. The British considered themselves to be the greatest race in the world, created by God to rule, justly and fairly, and civilise the world. This was done in the form of providing infrastructure, such as improved transport, civil service etc. in the hope that this would m ake the lives of Africans more civilised and productive. Christianity was also used to spread this, as it was it was hoped that it would instil a strong moral code amongst the â€Å"natives†.However, it is unlikely that this was a strong motivation factor for British expansion in Africa for many reasons, and was instead something used to pacify the British public; after all, the â€Å"average Joe† would have been more likely to submit to the idea of imperial expansion to help out Africans, rather than knowing that they were allowing the richer to get richer, as was the case with Cecil Rhodes, who, with funding from the British Crown, created a vast personal fortune, became Prime Minister of the Cape Colony and had a country named after him; Rhodesia.As well as this, there is little evidence to show that Britain tried to improve the infrastructure of any of its African colonies. To conclude, it is clear that strategic factors are not the most significant explanation for British expansion in Africa, as, although, important, were only made necessary by economic factors at the time. The â€Å"civilised and evangelise† argument is much less integral to the expansionist policies, but was perhaps instead a method of control over the native populations.

Biography of Andres Bonifacio

Andres Bonifacio (1863-1897), a Philippine revolutionary hero, founded the Katipunan, a secret society which spearheaded the uprising against the Spanish and laid the groundwork for the first Philippine Republic. Andres Bonifacio was born in Tondo, Manila, on Nov. 30, 1863. He grew up in the slums and knew from practical experience the actual conditions of the class struggle in his society. Orphaned early, he interrupted his primary schooling in order to earn a living as a craftsman and then as clerk-messenger and agent of foreign commercial firms in Manila.Absorbing the teachings of classic rationalism from the works of Jose Rizal, Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, Eugene Sue's The Wandering Jew, books on the French Revolution, and the lives of the presidents of the United States, Bonifacio acquired an understanding of the dynamics of the socio-historical process. This led him to join the Liga Filipina, which Rizal organized in 1892 for the purpose of uniting and intensifying the nation alist movement for reforms.When the Liga was dissolved upon the arrest and banishment of Rizal, Bonifacio formed the Katipunan in 1892 and thus provided the rallying point for the people's agitation for freedom, independence, and equality. The Katipunan patterned its initiation rites after the Masonry, but its ideological principles derived from the French Revolution and can be judged radical in its materialistic-historical orientation. The Katipunan exalted work as the source of all value.It directed attention to the unjust class structure of the colonial system, the increased exploitation of the indigenous population, and consequently the need to affirm the collective strength of the working masses in order to destroy the iniquitous system. When the society was discovered on Aug. 19, 1896, it had about 10,000 members. On August 23 Bonifacio and his followers assembled at Balintawak and agreed to begin the armed struggle.Two days later the first skirmish took place and a reign of t error by the Spaniards soon followed. Conflict split the rebels into the two groups of Magdiwang and Magdalo in Cavite, on Luzon. Bonifacio was invited to mediate, only to be rebuffed by the clannish middle class of Cavite. Judging Bonifacio's plans as divisive and harmful to unity, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the elected president of the provisional revolutionary government, ordered the arrest, trial, and execution for â€Å"treason and sedition† of Bonifacio and his brothers.On May 10, 1897, Bonifacio was executed. Contrary to the popular view, the cause of Bonifacio's tragic death at the hands of other Filipino rebels cannot be solely attributed to his own personal pride. Rather, the correlation of class forces and the adventurist tendency of Bonifacio's group led to his isolation and subsequently to Aguinaldo's compromises with the American military invaders.

Book Will Always Exist

Book will always exist We are living in a century of technical progress. More and more new gadgets appear in our everyday lives. If I had been told ten years ago that I would be able to check e-mails, listen to the music and read electronic books with the use of only mobile phone, I wouldn’t have believed it. Nevertheless nowadays it’s as easy as abc to read a book through computer, mobile phone or a special e-books reader.Major IT corporations raise competition for the invention of the most modern and convenient devise helping people among other options to read e-books. One of the advantages of e-books is that you can download it to your mobile phone, for example. Consequently there’s no need to take a heavy thick book with you anymore. Additionally some internet sources give the possibility to download files for free. You don’t go shopping, just to click on an icon.Hence, you simultaneously save your money and time – the most vital things in life. With the appearance of I-Pads, thin and light, more people change from paper books to this new handy gadget. However in spite of the variety of technical devises for reading, in my opinion, books will always exist. There is a large group of people who prefer simple paper to any modern equipment. Some people like the feel and the smell of paper. From my point of view that’s because paper is a natural material, produced from wood.Megapolis citizens often suffer from the lack of nature in the world of electronics and technology. Likewise when I think of myself recharging my batteries after a hard working day I imagine myself lying on a cosy sofa reading a thrilling book, a real paper book. I’d hazard a guess that I’m not the only one for whom a book may be associated with comfort and relax. That’s why it’s so pleasant to hold a book, turn its pages and feel yourself enjoying the atmosphere.

Also Known As... Essays - Nickname, Pug, Friendship, Lunch Table

Also Known As... Essays - Nickname, Pug, Friendship, Lunch Table Also Known As... Nicknames are a substitute of a name given to a person in fun, affection, and belittlement, usually descriptive. They can also be used to shorten a person's name, like "Dick," for Richard. Nicknames, whether positive or negative, are only describing a person's general characteristics. Although hurtful nicknames can lower a persons' reputation and self-esteem, joyful nicknames give the person a sense of pride. O.K., first of all people sometimes take a nickname way too far. People might be given a nickname for that one single little thing they did, and somehow it gets turned into a nickname that sticks for a long time. For example: One day my friend was at our lunch table, in high school, and someone asked him to borrow a quarter. Now, my friend had a lot of change, because he just grabbed it off the table before we sat down. He answered the kid "No," and until this day we call him "Jew," because he will not spend his money or give it away. I can tell that he does not appreciate the name when he either says or does something when called that, because he turns all red and usually curses. People are sometimes insulted by a nickname, I know I am. My older brother would call me fatso, and it would bother me because I was a little bit overweight when I was younger. Other people are called this too, because they are usually "fat." I know they do not appreciate the name, but what can they do? It lowers a person's self-esteem and causes them to lose weight, retaliate, or cry. Girls are especially the ones who lose weight and cry, and the guys almost always retaliate, but sometimes lose weight. I would always push or shove my brother for calling me that name. People are also insulted by names such as scumbag, nerd, geek, shorty, loser, bitch, and jerk. People who dress bad, smell bad, or overall look bad, are sometimes called scumbags. There might be other reasons for the name that I do not know of. Sometimes the name can be meant in fun. My girlfriend would wear sweatpants to school, and ask me if she looks like a scumbag; I would say yes, but not really hurting her feelings. I have given people insulting nicknames such as: fatty, bitch, slut, loser, fag, nigger, and stupid. Granted, I have said some of these behind a person's back, but other times in front of them to hurt or belittle them. My friends back home have nicknames as well as me, thus these are positive ones. My one friend is called "Big Dog" because he is tall and muscular. Another is called "Dick" because his name is Richard. "Sulli" refers to ones last name of Sullivan. One got his nickname of "Kamala" because of his size and color of skin(referring to an ex-wrestler). "GoGo" refers to a stuttering friend. I have a few to tell: "Pugs", "Pugsy", "Kev", "Fitz" (for a linebacker 's name in college), and "Babe" by my girlfriend. Each of these names, like "Big Dog", "Sulli", "Kamala", and "Pugs" are positive in a way, because none of us gets insulted by them. Many people, besides my friends and me, give out nicknames for positive qualities. These are usually the names a person would like to hear rather than insulting ones. Names can go as far back as to when someone is a child. My father nicknamed my younger brother "cutie" when he was many years younger. He still calls him this to this day. My grand-father nicknamed me "kebetsko," I do not know why, how, or even know how to spell it; but he still calls me it today. My football coach would nickname his players. He called me "Pugs" 'cause of my last name. He gave a kid the name of "Preemie" for premadona. Another one got the name of "Cubby-bear" because he was an overweight running back who looked like a little bear. More positive nicknames are those of people's names. Nick for Nicholas, Pat for Patrick, Ang for Angela, Jill for Jillian, and so on. Nicknames, whether desirable or undesirable, everyone has either had or has now. Parents, coaches, family,

Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath Essays

Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath Essays Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath Essay Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath Essay Essay Topic: The Grapes Of Wrath If a child was starving right in front of you and you had an overabundance of food, would you help the child, or would you brag to them and throw away the left overs? In a world where 1% of the American population owns 35% of the entire world’s wealth it seems that most humans do not feel remorse for others that are in need and their selfishness takes over their sense of humanity towards others, however occasionally someone gives what little they have in order to help another. In Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath he shows man’s true inhumanity to man by giving examples of moral values being completely washed away when money is involved and mans humanity to man with unselfishness and equality. Police officers in the novel The Grapes of Wrath often take advantage of their power and boss around the â€Å"Okies† because they know that the law will take their side. An example of this is when a contractor comes to the Hooverville that the Joads are living at, Floyd demands to know the exact amount of the wages that the workers would be payed so the cop accused him of being a â€Å"red† for speaking like that and threatened to arrest him for a crime that he did not commit just for talking back, then when Floyd ran away the cop attempted to shoot him but missed and shot an innocent woman, this shows that the police officers will stop at nothing to take the â€Å"Okies† down and do not care who they hurt in the process. When the Joad family lived in a government camp the police could not come inside of the camp without a warrant. Not being allowed in government camps outraged the police. In order to attempt to shut down the government camps the officers plott ed to find a way to get in without a warrant and shut the camp down. The cops planned a riot from inside of the camp and paid poor men to go in and try to start up trouble, luckily Tom and the other camp members found out beforehand and stopped the men before anything went on. It is clear

THE GIFT OF LIFE essays

THE GIFT OF LIFE essays The debate regarding the ethical issues about organ donation and transplantation has been present for many years. This is primarily due to the unique exchange that must occur. No other treatment so intimately involves the public. People must donate their organs or tissues to make the treatment possible. The question that remains is why are people not donating their organs? One of the main reasons people do not donate organs is distrust of the medical profession. People are afraid that physicians will declare the patients death prematurely for the sole purpose of retrieving their organs. This may be due to the lack of knowledge regarding the procedure used to protect potential donors. Many individuals do not understand that a physician must declare the patient brain dead before the organs can be retrieved. Declaring a patient brain dead is not an easy process. Knowing about and understanding the difficulty of declaring brain death may help potential donors realize that physicians do not randomly make these decisions. for the purpose of retrieving organs. The following criteria for the decision of brain death must be met: 2. Exclusion of reversible conditions, such as hypothermia (core temperature below 96.8 F), drug intoxication or metabolic imbalances. 3. Clinical examination of the patient reveals the absence of cerebral function (speaking, facial interaction), no spontaneous movements (except those originating from the spinal cord), no response to stimulation, no brain stem reflexes (pupil reaction to light, blink response, gag or cough reflex, swallowing), and apnea (lack of spontaneous respiration). 4. All findings remain unchanged for six hours and the patient is reevaluated. So as you can see, the decision to halt a life is not an easy one. In order to donate organs, an abundance of blood supply must be maintained to the organs. Several procedures must be done to ensure t ...