Product Liability Essay -- essays research papers fc

In this age of endless lawsuits and litigation from everyone suing everyone else, one must ask the question â€Å"where does product liability end and consumer responsibility begin?† This question has been further complicated by occurrences that stretch to the most far-reaching ends of this spectrum, the spectrum ranging from strict product liability of the company to complete consumer responsibility. On the strict product liability of the company side, we have the cigarette industry where the CEOs of the largest cigarette companies denied that their product was liable for the cause of addiction. Almost all consumers know that the ingredient nicotine in cigarettes is addictive, due to extensive scientific testing and reports on this fact. What these CEO’s should have done was admit that they knew nicotine was addictive, and therefore made their product liable so as to give a fair warning to unknowing consumers. On the complete consumer responsibility side, we can exami ne the lawsuit where a man sued McDonald’s for over a million dollars because he spilled a cup of their coffee on his self and suffered burns. He claimed that McDonald’s was liable because there was not a warning on the lid that stated that the coffee was hot. In my opinion, this lawsuit should have never happened. The consumer is attempting to alleviate all of the responsibility from himself for spilling his coffee and pass it on to the producer of the product. Frivolous lawsuits such as this, as well as companies failing to consider the importance of product liability, have resulted in an increasing annual product liability bill. Last year alone $4 billion was spent on product liability lawsuits and settlements (McAdams, p.636). This staggering number suggests that maybe we need to reform our liability system. Ideally, we as a society would like to reach a happy medium between strict product liability of the company and complete consumer responsibility. If this occur red, lawsuits such as this would no longer drain our legal systems because an understanding would exist that the responsibility rests equally in both parties’ hands. However, that is an ideal situation, which rarely ever occurs in the real world. In the real world, tradeoffs must be made in order to reach equilibrium. These tradeoffs between strict product liability and consumer responsibility will be discussed in light of the situati... ...g to act, but just a little common sense should tell you that releasing a movie with the content such as Boyz N the Hood and only focusing on its negative themes will send the wrong message, especially in metro areas where crimes and gangs are prevalent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In an ideal world, consumers and companies would equally share the burdens of product liability and consumer responsibility. However, in the real world, we must make tradeoffs between these two. How we do this will not only affect our legal environment, but our economic and social environments as well. Works Cited Anonymous, Industrial Distribution, New York, April 2000, Volume 89, issue 4, p.36. Brostoff, Steven, National Underwriter, Chicago, September 2000, volume 104, issue 38,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  p.2 Eckert, Stephen, Marketing News, Chicago, April 2000, Volume 34, issue 9, p. 49. Giliberti, Frank, Marketing Management, Chicago, Winter 1999, Volume 8, issue 4, pp. 53-54. Lamnetti, David, The Business Lawyer, Chicago, February 2000, Volume 55, issue 2, p. 799. McAdams, Tony, Law, Business, and Society, Irwin/McGraw-Hill, New York, 2001, Sixth Edition, p. 636.

Child Abuse in the 1950

Child Abuse When you read articles over child abuse and see the damage that has been caused and what has become of child abuse in today’s society the result is sickening. Child abuse has become a more common thing in today’s society. The fact that there are people in this world, who not only abuse but also neglect their children without consequence, because they are not caught, is even worse. Thankfully, there are many ways today to help save a child who suffers from child abuse. Child protection in America has been in action since the colonial period; â€Å"The history of child protection in America is divisible into three eras.The first era extends from colonial times to 1875 and may be referred to as the era before organized child protection. The second era spans 1875 to 1962 and witnessed the creating and growth of organized child protection through nongovernmental child protection societies. The year 1962 marks the beginning of the third or modern era: the era of government-sponsored child protective services. †(Myers, 1). Since the 1950s many laws have been implemented in order to protect children and keep them safe in our country.Children have become increasingly safer over the past fifty years, largely because of the effect of Henry Kempe’s article, â€Å"The Battered Child Syndrome† which lead to more informed doctors, better media coverage, and more effective protection and reporting laws. John Caffey was a pediatric radiologist born in 1895. He later became known as the â€Å"father of pediatric radiology† (Girdany, 1978). In 1946, Caffey released an article called â€Å"Multiple Fractures in the Long Bones of Infants Suffering from Chronic Subdural Hematoma† based on long bone fractures in infants.In his study he examined â€Å"6 patients who exhibited 23 fractures and 4 contusions of long bones. †(Caffey) in which he concluded suffered from chronic subdural hematoma. Although he could not prov e anything, his observations seemed to be unexplained to say the least, â€Å"There was neither clinical nor roentgen evidence to support the idea that pre-existing systemic or localized skeletal disease weakened the bones and made them unusually vulnerable to trauma. †(Caffey). With that observation he came to the conclusion that â€Å"the long bones were injured and fractured during convulsive seizures.There is little evidence to support such a postulate. In not a single case did fresh fractures appear immediately following the convulsive seizure and complete fractures occurred in patients who only had mild convulsions . . . [To] our knowledge, fractures of convulsive origin in the long bones have never been demonstrated in the common severe convulsive diseases of infancy and childhood such as lead poisoning, meningitis, cerebral neoplasm and hypocalcemic tetancy. †(Caffey) but he still had doubts, because there was little evidence to support such theories.He came to the conclusion that â€Å"the fractures appear to be of traumatic origin but the traumatic episodes and the casual mechanism remain obscure. †(Caffey). Caffey’s work and the article he published hinted at possibility of child abuse in such cases that he treated but could never be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. After the publishing of â€Å"Multiple Fractures in the Long Bones of Infants Suffering from Chronic Subdural Hematoma,† it grasped the attention of many doctors who became interested in the signs of child abuse. In 1962 pediatrician Henry Kempe and his colleagues published the article known as â€Å"The Battered Child Syndrome†. Kempe played leading role in bringing child abuse to national attention during the 1960’s and 1970’s. †(Myers, 455). In Kempe’s work he stated â€Å"the battered-child syndrome is a term used by us to characterize a clinical condition in young children who have received serious physical abuse , generally from a parent or foster parent. † (Kempe, Silverman, Steele, Droegemueller, and Silver, 143). To collect data to further his research, Kempe and his fellow colleagues â€Å"undertook a nation-wide survey of hospitals which were asked to indicate the incident of this syndrome in a one-year period. (Kempe, Silverman, Steele, Droegemueller, and Silver, 143). After the survey he found the results that â€Å"Among 71 hospitals replying, 302 such cases were reported to have occurred; 33 of the children died; and 85 suffered permanent brain injury. † (Kempe, Silverman, Steele, Droegemueller, and Silver, 143). To continue his research he also â€Å"surveyed 77 District Attorneys who reported that they had knowledge of 447 cases in a similar one-year period. Of these, 45 died, and 29 suffered permanent brain damage. † (Kempe, Silverman, Steele, Droegemueller, and Silver, 143).Once â€Å"The Battered Child Syndrome† was published the public and media be came more aware of child abuse and many reforms were implemented. â€Å"Amendments to the Social Security Act were made. In the same year, the federal Children’s Bureau convened two meetings to determine how the Bureau could more effectively help states respond to child abuse. † (Myers, 456). It is said that â€Å"Attendees at the meetings, including Henry Kempe . . . [recommended] state legislation requiring doctors to report suspicions of abuse to police or child welfare. † (Myers, 456).By making these changes and requiring doctors to report suspicions of abuse all states had reporting laws by 1967. In 1962 the Social Security Act was amended which made changes to the child welfare provisions. In the following provision, â€Å"Beginning July 1, 1963, State child welfare plans must provide for coordination their services with the services provided for dependent children. † (Cohen, Ball, 3). Vincent De Francis stated that the 1962 amendments â€Å"for th e first time, identified Child Protective Services as part of all public child welfare. †(Myers, 455).Media Coverage brought child abuse to the attention of the general public. To help bring child abuse into the eye of the media and national public, Newsweek article â€Å"When They’re Angry† quoted Kempe; â€Å"One day last November, we had four battered children in our pediatrics ward. Two died in the hospital and one died at home four weeks later. . . [The] battered child syndrome isn’t a reportable disease, but it damn well ought to be. † (Myers, 455). Stating this in Newsweek definitely brought attention to the situation at hand. As the media became more involved and reporting laws were made, more and more cases were reported. By 1974, some 60,000 cases were reported. In 1980, the number exceeded one million. By 1990, reports topped two million, and in 2000, reports hovered around three million. In the early twenty-first century, reports decline d but remained high. † (Myers, 456). Although those statistics are high the cases are being reported and action is being taken in order to protect our children. The increase in public awareness called for stricter laws and protection of children in abusive situations. In today’s society we have Foster care and orphanages to help with the problems that come from abusive situations. In the early days, foster care was viewed as a major advance and as the best solution for many dependent children. † (Myers, 456 ) That being said foster care was a way out for children in abusive situations and acted as a safe haven. â€Å"In the last quarter of the twentieth century, however, some came to view foster care as a problem rather than as a solution . . . [nearly] half a million children are in foster care at any point in time and that too many children get â€Å"stuck† in out-of-home care. † (Myers, 456) With that being said, there are some negative things tha t come along with the comfort of a foster home; â€Å"children of color . . [are] sadly overrepresented among foster children. Yet, despite problems, foster care remains a safe haven for many abused and neglected children. † (Myers, 456) Along with protection of children there were also stricter laws, and the government became more involved in child abuse and protection. â€Å"Due in substantial measure . . . [Congress] assumed a leadership role with passage of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974 (CAPTA). † (Myers, 456). CAPTA acted as a guide line to federal funds throughout the government to â€Å"improve the state response to physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse.CAPTA focused particular attention on improved investigation and reporting. † (Myers, 456). By creating CAPTA it allowed people to become more familiar with investigation and reporting’s of child abuse throughout the nation. â€Å"In addition, CAPTA provided funds for tra ining, for regional multidisciplinary centers focused on child abuse and neglect, and for demonstration projects. † (Myers, 456). With the creation of CAPTA responsibility for administering was placed in a new agency known as the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. The center funded important research on maltreatment. † (Myers, 456). CAPTA has had a major role in shaping todays nationwide system of governmental child protective services. CAPTA marked â€Å"the final passing of privately funded, nongovernmental child protection societies. † (Myers, 457). All of this was able to happen simply because the attention the media brought to the reality of child abuse and that it can happen to anybody. Laws were implemented in order to better protect children and make reporting of child abuse cases easier. By the late 1970s, government-sponsored child protective services spanned the nation, settling into urban and rural areas alike. †(Myers, 454). Along with sponsored child protective services, since 1974 laws and provisions relating to child abuse have been more frequent. Most importantly, Child protective services and Child Welfare gave opportunities to children who were in abusive situations. To focus more on child protection, â€Å"the 1962 amendments required states to pledge that by July 1, 1975, they would make child welfare services available statewide. (Myers, 455) By making that a law this fueled the expansion of child-welfare services as well as protective services. In 1967, Congress declared that all states were required to have reporting laws, which means that any suspicious child abuse that is happening must be reported. Once reporting laws were in effect, â€Å"the prevalence of child abuse and neglect came into focus. †(Myers, 456). By demanding reporting laws it really opened up people’s eyes when it came to child abuse and neglect and how it can affect a child.Beginning in 1974, legislation has been pass ed to help fund child welfare and protection. By doing that the nation can depend on the system and believe that it isn’t going anywhere. Since it is now funded by the government, it can help a child in a situation such as neglect have a positive outlook, and the child can be taken care of in the best way possible. In October of 1984, congress created the Child Abuse Amendments of 1984 with a â€Å"purpose to extend and improve provisions of laws relating to child abuse and neglect and adoption†(Childrens Bureau, 21).This amendment â€Å"required states to have in place procedures with State protective systems to respond to the reporting of medical neglect, including instances of withholding medically indicated treatment from disabled infants with life threatening conditions. †(Children’s Bureau, 21). With this amendment in act, any faulty observations made must be reported when the child’s health and neglect comes into question. This is important because it makes doctors more alert when they examine their patients, especially children. When it comes to a child, abuse is something that cannot be taken lightly.Since the 1950s our government has worked to keep the children of this nation safe. They have implemented many laws and provisions. There are many options children in abusive situations have in order to better their lives. Since the 1950s, our children have become safer because of laws that have been created. Child abuse is not something to be taken lightly, and the government and public alike need to constantly strive to better the lives of children in this country. Work Cited: Child Abuse Caffey, John. (1946): n. page. Web. 6 Nov. 2012. . Cohen, Wilbur J. , and Robert M. Ball. â€Å"Public Welfare Amendments of 1962 and Proposal for Health Insurance for the Aged. †Ã‚  Social Security. N. p. , n. d. Web. 5 Nov 2012. . Girdany, Bertram R.. â€Å"John Caffey, 1895-1978. † . American Journal of Roentgenology, n. d. Web. 5 Nov 2012.

Ethics & Philosophy Essay

Free markets can be said to be the markets which have no government interference or regulation. The only regulations present are the ones which involve protecting property rights and maintaining the legal system. Free markets are markets in which the product prices are solely set through market forces, as opposed to interference by external forces. There is also free competition in free markets, and the law of supply and demand is used to fix prices of goods and services in such markets. There are various philosophers who support free markets while others are opposed to such markets. The paper will analyze the contributions of Adam smith, Karl Marx and Milton Friedman on the issue and will give a brief conclusion on the issues discussed. Karl Marx. Karl Marx was a German philosophers who is considered to be amongst the most controversial philosophers in history. He was against capitalism and free markets, which he viewed to be a means with which property owners or the rich use to maintain control over the peasants or poor. Karl Marx viewed the capitalist system as a system meant to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. He explained that initially, capitalism was meant to be a means with which people exchanged commodities which they did not have. However, after money was created, it evolved and became a means with which people could make profits as opposed to satisfying the demand for products. Over time, capitalism undermined the human development and well being, and products created could now dictate how interactions between human beings would be. Soon, the relations between society became material as everything was treated in terms of its monetary worth, as opposed to creative and artistic qualities possessed. Capitalism led to the alienation of workers since they were separated from owning the means which was used for production, and they became slaves to the people who owned those means. This led to the emergence of two economic groups; the property owners and the workers, and the latter were oppressed by the former. This is the reason which made him predict the collapse of capitalism and its replacement with socialism. Socialism is a system in which the government or authority controls production so that it may be mutually beneficial to all members of the society or state. Karl Marx was opposed to free markets since they tended to favor the rich and oppress the poor. Free markets are a feature of the capitalist system, which made Karl Marx oppose them. Weaknesses of this argument. Karl Marx is opposed to free markets due to the weaknesses which he views in capitalism. Karl Marx views capitalism to be a system where the rich oppress the poor. He therefore opposes all features of capitalist systems which he views to be a means which promote the exploitation of the poor . However, Karl Marx does not consider the model which combines both capitalism and socialism in order to take advantage of the positive attributes of the two models. Since socialism has its weaknesses, combining both models may be more beneficial to the economy. In this respect, moderate government interference in trade by the government is an option which Karl Marx should have pursued. Adam Smith. He is considered to be the father of the modern economics and he contributed a lot toward the modern capitalist system. Adam Smith was of the opinion that production was the key to economic growth and that this could only be achieved through economic liberalization. Adam Smith therefore supported unregulated markets since he saw them as a means of stimulating economic growth. He explained that free markets would enable individuals to develop a business without having government intervention, and that the people who consume the products developed would do so at prices which have been determined by demand and supply forces . Adam Smith added that free markets enabled the most competitive producers and consumers to survive, which was beneficial to the economy. He viewed free markets are independent problem solvers which did not require government interference, since market forces eventually address any surpluses or shortages which are inherent in the market. Adam Smith uses the ‘invisible hand’ theory to explain the way in which different parts of the economy are integrated. Smith explains that each individual is guided by an invisible hand in making their decisions which benefit the economy, without their knowledge. He explains that individuals carry out actions which are meant to benefit themselves, but they end up benefiting the society at large, which is not the initial aim of the individual. Smith gives an illustration of the creation of a wool coat. He says that the coat is developed after a series of processes which are undertaken by different people. The shepherd who owns the sheep, the spinner who develops the coats, and the shipper who transports them to the market all play a role in the creation of the finished product. He explains that this subconscious process by the different parties involved achieves higher levels of efficiencies than would be achieved had the process been planned by the players involved. It means that markets which are regulated by the government have lower efficiency levels compared to markets which are not regulated . This is the major reason why Adam Smith supports the free markets as opposed to regulated markets. Weaknesses of this argument. Adam smith is of the opinion that free markets enabled the most competitive producers and consumers to survive, which is beneficial to the economy. He gives many attributes of free markets, most of which are true. However, he does not discuss the weaknesses of free markets. Free markets suffer from certain weaknesses such as inhibiting the growth of small firms. Free markets may also experience monopolistic and oligopolistic tendencies which adversely affect the economy. The economy may also suffer certain effects attributed to unfair practices in trade. Other effects like inflation, market downturns and others require regulation by a central authority. Adam Smith does not discuss these situations, which makes his argument inconclusive. Milton Friedman. Friedman made major contributions to the economic crisis during the early 20th century. He viewed the 1920s as a period of sustainable and vital growth. Friedman believed that economic growth and freedom had a direct relationship. He used several principles and arguments to further his support from free markets. The political principle was used by Friedman to define the features of free markets. He explained that in free markets, individuals cannot coerce each other and that there is voluntary cooperation between the parties involved . He further explained that parties which are involved in transactions under such circumstances benefit in one way or another, otherwise they would not participate in these transactions. In free market transactions, there are no social responsibilities and values; there are only shared responsibilities and values. However, Friedman was also of the opinion that the government should intervene in the economy if there is threat to it. One of the instances when Friedman supported government interference was during the Great depression which occurred in 1929. The Great Depression changed the view that the United States economy was robust and that it should be totally free from government control, after the US Stock Exchange collapsed due to various factors. Friedman supports the market regulation and explains that if the Federal Government had intervened and applied the right policies, this depression would have been avoided. He explains that the Federal Government should have suspended payment for the withdrawals being requested by people. The policy which was used at the time, which involved printing more money to supplement the increased demand, is blamed for the Great Depression. This reveals a more soft approach to the initial stand that government intervention should not be allowed, and that the markets should be allowed to operate as free markets. However, it does not completely change the stance which had been taken by Friedman regarding free markets. Government interference is allowed only under special circumstances where lack of intervention would lead to severe effects to the economy. This was the case during the Great depression and is also currently the case in the event of the global financial crisis being experienced. Weaknesses of this argument. Friedman is categorical that there should be free markets if economies are to grow. He argues that the absence of social values and responsibilities and the presence of shared values are factors which facilitate economic growth. However, he appears to take a soft stand when discussing the Great Depression where he advocates for government interference, but using the right policies. This is a deviation from his stand that the government should not interfere with the business environment. It also reveals that free trade has weaknesses which he does not effectively address. Personal view. In my opinion, free markets do not lead to serious political, social, or environmental problems as explained by some philosophers. This is because free markets are the most effective and natural means in which prices should be set to ensure effectiveness. On the contrary, a wrong approach of interference by the government may lead to serious political, social, or environmental problems as was seen in the Great Depression. The current financial crisis which began in the United States can also be said to have been accelerated by the government failure to limit the borrowings by investors and excess lending by financial institutions using predatory lending practices. This is a similar problem which led to the great depressions, and the government interference is seen to have led to adverse effects rather than positive effects on the economy. However, in extreme cases of economic problems, the government should intervene. This should only be done to save the economy in cases where the market forces are clearly unable to rectify the situation. For instance, the current financial crisis facing the world requires the government’s intervention. This does not mean that the government supports the regulation of markets since in the absence of economic crises, the market forces would usually be used to set the product prices. My major reasons for supporting free markets is that regulated markets usually discourage investments, especially if the regulations are too strict. Investors prefer investing in countries where there is free trade since they can predict their future earnings or returns on investment, due to the absence of external factors in the business environment. Regulated markets may also adversely affect the economy especially if the policies which are applied are retrogressive. Summary and conclusion. It is evident that the three philosophers made major contributions to the modern world. Their theories are still in use several years after some of them passed away. However, it is important to note that their arguments relating to free trade are inconclusive since some of the facts which they used to support their arguments have changed. It is also important to note that none of them has a wrong view, it is only that they looked at free trade from different perspectives. The contributions which each of them has made to society should be appreciated since they all talked about various issues affecting the society, and not just free trade. It is important that other scholars improve on the theories which were advanced by Adam smith, Karl Marx and Milton Friedman. This will reflect the market environment as it is today, and the arguments developed can be used to improve the policies in the current business environment. Works cited. Amadae Samuel. Rationalizing capitalist democracy: the Cold War origins of rational choice liberalism.Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003, p255-261. Gagnier Regenia. The insatiability of human wants: economics and aesthetics in market society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000, p25-35. Machaj Mateusz. Friedman for government intervention: the case of the great depression. Mises Daily. Retrieved on March 18, 2009 from . Sunderlin, William D. Ideology, social theory, and the environment. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002, p23-33.

Reasons Why Some Dont Get into Graduate School

Reasons Why Some Don't Get into Graduate School Youve spent years preparing to apply to graduate school: taking the right courses, studying for good grades, and seeking appropriate experiences. Youve taken the time to prepare a solid application: GRE scores, admissions essays, recommendation letters, and transcripts. Yet sometimes it doesnt work out. You dont get in. The most qualified of students can do everything right and still sometimes not get admitted to graduate school. Unfortunately, the quality of your graduate school application isnt the only thing that determines whether you get into graduate school. There are other factors that have nothing to do with you that influence your acceptance. Just as in dating, sometimes Its not you, its me. Really. Sometimes a rejection letter is more about the graduate programs capacity and needs than about the quality of your application. Funding A loss of funding at the institutional, school, or department level can reduce the number of applicants they can support and accept.Fewer funds for Teaching and research assistantships can mean accepting fewer studentsMany students are admitted to work with particular faculty and are supported by faculty members grants. A change in grant funding means that some qualified students will not be admitted.You dont have control over any of these factors, but the availability of funding has a huge impact on the likelihood that you will be admitted to a graduate program. Faculty Availability Whether faculty are available and able to take on students influences the number of students who are accepted in any given year.Faculty are sometimes away on sabbaticals or leaves. Any students who would be accepted to work with them are often out of luck.Sometimes faculty are overloaded and do not have space in their lab for another student. Good applicants are turned away. Space and Resources Some graduate programs require that students have access to laboratory space and specialized equipment. These resources can accommodate only so many students.Other programs include internships and other applied experiences. If there are not enough slots, then well-prepared students do not get admitted to the graduate program. If you are rejected from your preferred graduate program, recognize that the reasons may not lie with you. Often there are factors are beyond your control that influence whether you are accepted to graduate school. That said, keep in mind that rejection is often due to applicant error or, more commonly, the poor fit between the applicants stated interests and the program. Pay attention to your admissions essay to ensure that your interests fit those of the faculty and program.

Just Another Day at the Office

Just Another Day at the Office Personal computer (pc) repair technicians and doctors have a lot in common. Patients arrive at the doctor's door bearing all manner of complaints or problems. I am sure doctors have seen and heard about every type of ignorant stunt a person can think of or do. I have been a pc repair technician for approximately 3 years. Like a doctor, I thought I had seen and heard of every crazy stunt imaginable until I received a call from Carver Financial about a computer crash.When I arrived at the job site, Lola and Anthony, the office and terminal managers, greeted me. "Boy! Are we ever glad to see you," they both cried in unison, "We have completely screwed up the computer." "Well, show me the computer that is down while you tell me what happened," I replied. "Linda, Lola's co-worker, told us upgrading our computer system from Windows 95 to 98 would be easy for us to do ourselves.An Office Depot. store in Fremont, California.All we had to do was purchase the Windows 98 upgrade CD," Anthony sa id, "Except, we could not find the CD." Lola chimed in, "We picked out this CD instead. The salesman at Office Depot said, 'It would work just as well to upgrade our system.'" I looked down at the box she was holding in her hands. The words "Windows 2000 Upgrade" stared back at me in big, white letters.I just stood there for a minute shaking my head, and I silently groaned to myself. "Oh God! How could anybody be that stupid," I thought. With an audible sigh, I said aloud, "Let me run a few diagnostic tests. I will be able to tell you how much damage has occurred in a couple of minutes." I started with the basic stuff like making sure the computer would...

the dozens - definition and examples of playing the dozens

the dozens - definition and examples of playing the dozens Definition: A game of put-downs: the rapid, ritualistic exchange of insults, often targeting family members. The rhetorical contest of playing or shooting the dozens (also known as capping, ranking, and sounding) is most commonly practiced by young Africans and Observations, below. African-American Vernacular EnglishBdelygmiaCursingFlytingHyperboleInvectiveName-CallingSignifying Examples and Observations: Your mamas so FAT, after she got off the carousel, the horse limped for a week.Mos rebuttal: Your mamas so skinny, she can hula-hoop through a Froot Loop.Your mamas so FAT, her blood type is Ragu.Mos rebuttal: Your mamas so skinny, she looks like a mic stand.Your mamas so FAT, instead of 501 jeans she wears 1002s.Mos rebuttal: Your mamas so skinny, she turned sideways and disappeared.Your mamas so FAT shes not on a diet shes on a triet. What yall eating? Ill try it.Mos rebuttal: Your mamas so skinny, I gave her a piece of popcorn and she went into a coma.Your mamas so FAT, when she jumped in the air she got stuck.Mos rebuttal: Your mamas so skinny, you could blindfold her with dental floss.(Monique Imes and Sherry A. McGee, Skinny Women Are Evil: Notes of a Big Girl in a Small-Minded World. Atriz, 2004) A Game of InsultsThe dozens is usually played by two young black males, often surrounded by an interested and encouraging audience of peers in which the players insult and provoke eac h other with put-downs of each others mother or other female family members. This process teaches one to take insults in stride while encouraging verbal retorts. . . . The dozens is played more often and more intensely in urban ghettos where frustrations are greater and the strategies of the ghetto are appropriate in a zero-sum game; neither player really wins. The dozens works when the players share a common ethnicity, a degree of connectedness, and acceptance of the activity for what it isa game (Bruhn and Murray, 1985).(John G. Bruhn, The Sociology of Community Connections. Kluwer Acacademic/Plenum, 2005) A Rite of PassageAlan Dundes found that the social and artistic are infused in the Afrodiasporic practice of the dozens, which he notes functions both as an assertion of masculinity and as a rite of passage for the secular mastery of words. The dozens not only establishes a framework for verbal creativity; children also use them to determine a social hierarchy. A good dozens player not only cooly withstands merciless insults to his family; he also twists memorized insults quickly to suit the opponent at hand.(Ali Colleen Neff, Let the World Listen Right: The Mississippi Delta Hip-Hop Story. University Press of Mississippi, 2009) An InoculationWhile retaining the form and spirit of the West African original, African-American dozens has elaborated the witty one-liners into complex verbal war games involving huge armories and modes of attack and defense undreamt of in the homeland. It is a case of Darwinian adaptation for survival of the species in the killing jungles of slavery and ra cism. The mother remains the central figure. By learning to deal with verbal abuse of her, the modern black youngster learns to endure the historical, real-life abuse. It is as if the system is inoculated with virtual (verbally imagined) strains of the virus, thereby gaining immunity and new health in spite of the reality on the ground.(Onwuchekwa Jemie, Yo Mama! New Raps, Toasts, Dozens, Jokes, and Childrens Rhymes From Urban Black America. Temple University Press, 2003) Also Known As: sounding, signifying, ranking, capping, hiking, snapping, playing the dozens

Understanding lab tests Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Understanding lab tests - Essay Example Every Year nearly 1.5 million individuals in the U.S. suffer a heart attack (Acute Myocardial Infarction) and of these approximately 500,000 die. Ischemic Heart Disease is the principal cause of death in the U.S."This can be achieved by adding cardiac biomarkers in the artillery. ECG is the primary diagnostic tool which is nearly 100% specific but sensitivity is only63-82%. Gold standard of investigation for detecting Acute Myocardial Infarction is CK-MB; Cardiac specific Troponin can be added to this for better results. Coronary artery disease to a major degree is due to atheroma and its complications mainly thrombosis. Elevated LDL cholesterol is the single contributor of atherosclerosis LDLc, gets deposited in subendothilial layer of intima of the artery. This deposited LDLc can be removed from the site by HDL. But when triglycerides increases it is associated with decrease in HDL, this decrease in HDL cannot effectively remove LDL, thus helping atherosclerosis.LDLc as such cannot initiate inflammatory response. It needs to be oxidized, which is .brought about by free oxygen radicals. The rise in oxidized LDL in sub -endothelial layer increases the oxidized LDL in the blood and is a highly sensitive index of atherosclerosis. Oxidized LDL causes release of Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule from endothelial cells. This causes adhesion of monocytes to endothelial layer. Oxidized LDL also causes release of Monocyte Chemo Attractant Protein1 (MCP1) which facilitates entry of monocytes into sub endothelia l tissue. Here they converted into macrophages .They absorb cholesterol to form foam cells. The oxidized LDL also gets absorbed on to the surface receptors of the scavenger cells. These foam cells accumulate beneath the sub -endothelial layer of the arteries to form fatty streaks. The foam cells then liberate some factors which cause migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells; these surround the foam cells and induce formation of collagen. The foam cells eventually die off liberating cholesterol in the cavity. Thus atheroma has a central core of cholesterol with a fibrous cap. http://images.medscape.com/pi/editorial/cmecircle/2002/2036/figure-2-large.jpg The free oxygen radicals cause endothelial dysfunction by inactivating released nitric oxide and inhibiting nitric oxide synthesis. The endothelial dysfunction contributes to atherosclerosis since normal endothelium releases nitric oxide which in turn inhibits VCAM. Diabetes, smoking, hyper tension, hyper homocysteinemia and increased LDL cholesterol all contribute to oxidative stress. Thus atherosclerotic artery disease begins with a fatty streak on the blood vessel surface which may enlarge to form fatty plaque. The subsequent narrowing of the arteries may eventually lead to disruption of the plaque and to thrombus formation with further reduction of blood flow, thus paving the way for acute myocardial infarction. Complete obstruction of blood results in myocardial necrosis within 20 minutes with maximum irreversible injury occurring within 6 hours. So the restoration of blood flow to the damaged myocardium within two hours but not later than 6 hours can salvage it. http://labs.ansci.uiuc.edu/meatscience/Library/309%20lipid%20transport.gif http://medtech.hcu.ac.th/pic/lipid.jpg Lipid profile Lipid profile is a group of tests to find out the level of LDL, VLDL, HDL, Triglycerides, Total Cholesterol, and T.Cholesterol / HDL ratio. This is used alone or in combination with other risk factors like age, gender, BP, smoking in Framingham score or along with other biomarkers in predicting the risk of a/c Myocardial Infarction. This is a simple blood test .Patient is advised to come on empty stomach