Ethical Issues in Accountancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ethical Issues in Accountancy - Essay Example The growth of corporate visibility and influence has led to their owning ethical and moral responsibility for their products and actions and consequences thereof on society and individuals. Corporations have been accused of accounting fraud, insider trading, executive over-pay, declining pension funds or in general of corporate 'greed' and 'irresponsibility'. The 1998 OECD guidelines for multinationals lay down responsibility towards human rights, the environment and elimination of child and forced labour. OECD code 2000 is 'the reflection in management practice of various legal, regulatory and social pressures that motivate the company to prevent abuses of market power and to redress other sorts of market failure' (OECD, 2001) Business is faced with a challenge to improve creation of wealth for its shareholders and at the same time to meet requirements of the changed perceptions of social and ethical responsibilities, which in the short-run perspective, might not be compatible. However, with the change in stockholder awareness and scepticism, the company is also being tasked to meet its social and ethical obligations. A specific instance is the negative impact of a company's product on the community and how far is the responsibility to be laid at the doors of management when the cause of the impact might have been due to a product marketed decades back and especially when scientific awareness of the negative impact was not known. ... d examine the different issues involved in the above circumstances, especially in light of the behaviour of James Hardie Industries who were involved in a case based on the negative affect of the use of asbestos in its products, and how these impact the ethical issues in accountancy. Literature Survey Literature survey in this research is targeted at the impact of new requirements of ethics and social responsibility accounting on the basic principles of accountancy and audit functions as well as the literature available on the John Hardie Industries case. These are given as Sections I and II respectively below: Section I Changing expectations and skepticism of the stakeholder, places pressure on companies to accept moral responsibility for the negative impact of their products on the community even though the claims may arise from operations many decades ago. Society is increasingly suspicious about the moves by corporations to avoid their responsibilities, which eventually leads them to bowing to pressure from a society skeptical of their protests of innocence and pretence of compassion for those who have suffered from their activities. The question therefore arises as to how far management is responsible for the negative impact of their products on the consumer and society. "Having a corporate conscience means that a company takes responsibility for its actions just as any conscientious individual would be expected to do. In corporate terms, this means that a company is accountable to the public for its behaviour not only in the complex organisational environment but in the natural physical environment as well. A company is thus responsible for its products and for its effects on the public". (Guerrette, 1986, p 410) It is thus essential that companies disclose

Migration, Immigration, and Emigration, and their Effects on Religion, Research Paper

Migration, Immigration, and Emigration, and their Effects on Religion, Women, and Minorities in the Developing World - Research Paper Example The Paper Egypt serves as one of the most influential and prosperous countries of the entire African continent. Her splendid geographical position, magnificent historical background, rich cultural heritage, sound economic structure and imperative political role in the strategic affairs of the region have earned a distinguished and respectable place for her in the international arena. Being a commercial hub and a significant trade junction, people arrive here from all parts of the continent in order to establish their business and get involved into the activities related to trade and commerce on the one hand, and in search of job and employment on the other. The most important aspect of the country is her geographical location, as Egypt is situated at the junction of three continents including Asia, Europe and Africa. At one side, she appears to be the leader of Africa community, and on the other side, Egypt looks engaged in presenting the case of the Middle East problems. Similarly, she also represents the Islamic world at different occasions, which proves her significance as the representative of several most important regional, religious and political communities of the world. It is therefore, the Egyptian people have developed social and commercial ties with the Asian and European traders, corporate firms and companies. â€Å"Occupying a focal geographic bridge linking Africa and Asia, contemporary Egypt is the inheritor of a civilization dating back more than 6,000 years. Egypt’s strategic location has made it the object of numerous conquests: by the Ptolemies, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Fatimids, Mamluks, Ottomans, and Napoleon Bonaparte. (Platan & Teal, 2001:1) Though, divergent invaders entered Egypt and subjugated her population by capturing the land, wealth and resources of this ancient civilization, yet the country maintained its identity and distinction as the independent state of the world. It is mistakenly viewed that several ethno-racial group s live in Egypt; however, an overwhelming majority of the masses is Egyptian by race. Egypt has not been famous in history for his magnificent emperors and pharaohs of ancient eras only; rather, the architecture of ancient Egypt also makes it a remarkable society of ancient world. The Egyptian pyramids are included in the Seven Wonders existing on the face of the earth. Besides, her strong economy and established infrastructure have also turned the country an attractive place particularly for the people, belonging to southern, central and western parts of the continent, who arrive Egypt in the same manner as the masses from developed Middle East and Far Eastern countries proceed to Europe in search of superior living standard and career jobs as well. Thus, Egypt is one of the most migrated countries of Africa, where perhaps few countries including South Africa, Nigeria and others surpass her in the area of migration into the country. However, the Egyptians have developed popular tre nd of immigration to the southern Europe and the Middle East states particularly Brunei and the UAE. Actually, immigration to Egypt has religious background too, where in ancient time Prophet Joseph was forced to migrate as a child by his brothers, who had thrown him into a well. However, the entire House

Electron Transport Chain in Respiratory Complex I

Electron Transport Chain in Respiratory Complex I Introduction Every organism depends on energy to survive, in order to maintain an organized state, homeostasis, through metabolism and other biochemical reactions. Energy is generated in a number of different ways depending on the organism. Mammals create energy through the breakdown of organic molecules, such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, that yields other compounds that drives cellular processes. One such compound is ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) an essential energy-carrying molecule that is synthesised by respiration through a series of enzyme protein complexes found in the mitochondria. Complex I (NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase) is one of those essential protein complex embedded in mammalian mitochondria. NADH produced by the Krebs tricarboxylic acid cycle and ÃŽÂ ²-oxidation of fatty acids, is oxidised to initiate the mechanistic pathway of Complex I, ultimately reducing ubiquinone and establish proton-motive force across the inner membrane of the mitochondria. It is this proton g radient that will support the generation of ATP from ATP synthase and other core processes. Significant research has been conducted on Complex I, particularly from Bovine heart mitochondria, however to date many aspects of this enzyme is still poorly understood due to its complex structural arrangement and pathways undertaken. To decipher its mechanism, will eventually lead to a greater understanding in the role of Complex I in many diseases and dysfunctions. Mitochondria Mitochondria are small sub-cellular organelles involved in a series of processes primarily with its role in the respiratory system. Occupying almost 10% to 30% of cell volumes of sizes ranging between 0.75 and 3ÃŽÂ ¼m, the unique shape of a mitochondrion allows the process to take place, with its key structural feature being a double membrane.1 These two membranes are separated by the intermembrane space and overall enclose the central matrix. Whereas the outer membrane is inundated by porins to facilitate the movement of solutes of about 12 kDa or less; the inner membrane is impermeable to solutes but presents the ideal environment for the establishment of an electrochemical proton gradient, by the presence of numerous protein complexes. Additional compartments of the organelle include the cristae and the mitochondrial matrix, which comprises a plethora of enzymes involved in ATP metabolism. Additionally, a range of studies have also indicated the ability of mitochondria to form dynamic networks of interconnected tubules that regulates the cell structure to adapt to its specific function when required. As a result, during disruption of such networks, cellular dysfunction can occur, leading to a number of neural related syndromes such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers.2,3 Aside from the primary role of energy metabolism, the mitochondria also power other core cellular functions such as apoptosis, calcium handling and the formation of iron sulphur clusters. The following sections discuss the main enzymes involved in the electron transport chain that lead to the generation of ATP, particularly respiratory complex I, which will be the main focus of this thesis. Respiratory Complexes Complex II Also known as succinate: ubiquinone oxidoreductase, complex II is a 120 kDa enzyme consisting of four nuclear-encoded subunits which are arranged in two domains.4 It is this distinctive arrangement which allows this enzyme to oxidise succinate to fumarate which is coupled to the production of ubiquinol through the reduction of ubiquinone in the mitochondrial inner membrane. While it is involved with cofactors, this enzyme complex does not directly contribute to the proton motive force in order to establish a chemical gradient.4,5 Succinate+ Q à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Fumarate + QH2 Equation 1: Two of the enzymes subunits SdhA and SdhB form a hydrophilic, succinate dehydrogenase subcomplex and forms the succinate/fumarate binding site whereas SdhB contains three iron-sulphur clusters which are embedded to the mitochondrial membrane by the remaining SdhC and SdhD subunits.4 These latter subunits contain a heam group and ubiqionone binding sites. When a flavin dinucleotide, which is ligated to SdhA, it oxidises succinate, the electrons produced in this process are passed down through the iron-sulphur clusters. The electrons subsequently allow the reduction of ubiquinone to ubiquinol.6,7 Complex III Complex III or ubiquinol:cytochrome c oxidoreductase is an 240 kDa enzyme which is made up of 11 subunits. Its structure comprises of two ubiquinone binding sites; Qo, present towards the mitochondrial membrane, catalyses the oxidation of ubiquinol to ubiquinone and Qi, present towards the matrix, catalyses the reduction of ubiquinone to ubiquinol.8,9 Complexes I and II produces ubiquinol from the reduction of ubiquinone, which binds to the Qo site on complex III. During this process, an electron is passed along the iron-sulfur cluster reducing it and moving it towards cytochrome c1 and cytochrome c resulting in a conformational change. The change causes a second electron to be transferred through another pathway formed of cytochromes bL and bH towards to Qi binding site, in where it allows the formation of a semiquinone anion through the reduction of an already bound ubiquinone. Parallel to this, a second quinol is oxidised at Qo allowing the electron to be transferred through the first pathway of Rieske iron-sulphur cluster and cytochrome c1 and the second electron follows the second pathway mentioned above to Qi, reducing the semiquinone anion to ubiquinol.10 The oxidation at Qo releases four protons into the inter-membrane space of the mitochondria and the reduction at Qi results in the uptake of two protons from the matrix wh ich are transferred into the inter-membrane space during ubiquinol oxidation. This complete cycle allows the reduction of two cytochrome c molecules.9 QH2 + 2 cyt c3+ + 2H+in à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Q + 2 cyt c2+ + 4H+out Equation 2: Oxidation and reduction cycles in Complex III results in the movement of four protons into the inter-membrane space maintains the proton motive force used by ATP synthase to synthesise ATP.8 Complex IV Complex IV, also known as cytochrome c oxidase, is an enzyme, which comprises of 13 subunits, of which three are encoded by the mitochondrial genome. The enzyme catalyses the oxidation of cytochrome c which leads to the reduction of oxygen to water allowing the translocation of four protons across the mitochondrial inner membrane.11,12 The oxidation of cytochrome c produces electrons that are transferred to an active site where molecular oxygen is reduced. This reduction producing water releases free energy required for the pumping of four protons from the matrix of the mitochondria into its inner-membrane space. This movement of protons is facilitated through two known proton channels: the K-channel passes two protons for the reduction of oxygen and the D-channel allows the movement of newly translocated protons.13 O2 + 4 cyt c2+ + 8H+in à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 2 H2O + 4 cyt c3+ + 4H+out Equation 3: The translocated protons and the reduction of oxygen to water allows ATP synthase to generate ATP as this contributes to the proton motive force similar to Complex III. Complex V Primarily known as ATP Synthase, this enzyme complex operates by utilising the proton chemical gradient established in the intermembrane space by the preceding complexes, to drive the synthesis of ATP from ADP and inorganic Phosphate. With an average size of 580 kDa, the enzyme is composed of 16 subunits organised in two hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains; the hydrophobic domain forms a proton conductive pore through the inner membrane while the hydrophilic domain, containing three copies of ÃŽÂ ± and ÃŽÂ ² subunits, spreads into the matrix. The two domains are linked by an asymmetric central stalk and a peripheral stalk, which acts as a stator to prevent the F1 domain rotating freely during catalysis. The interfaces between the two subunits forms the binding sites for ADP and inorganic Phosphate. 14,15 ADP + P+ nH+in à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ATP + nH+out Equation 4 Complex I Complex I, is the first and largest enzyme involved the electron transfer chain of the mitochondrion. Alternatively known as NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase, its primary role is to oxidise NADH and ultimately reduce ubiquinone.16 NADH + H+ + Q + 4H+in à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ NAD+ + QH2 + 4H+out Equation 5: Just like the other protein complexes, the potential energy released from the redox reaction within the complex, translocates four protons across the inner membrane for every molecule of oxidized NADH and removes two additional protons from the matrix for the reduction of quinone. The processes contribute to the overall electrochemical gradient which is to be used by ATP synthase to synthesise ATP.17 Structure To date, complex I has been found in a variety of species, including many prokaryotes. The complex I from bovine heart mitochondria is primarily used in studies due to its close sequential identity with the human complex I enzyme. The mammalian complex I is one of the most complex and largest enzymes known, with a combined mass of 980 kDA and composed of at least 45 different polypeptide subunits; with 14 strictly conserved core subunits that are necessary for function and also common across the among all known complex I.16 The significance of the additional subunits in complex I among different species still remain a mystery. It is known some be involved in protection against reactive oxygen species generation and some are required needed for proper assembly and stability of the enzyme.16,18 As observed by single-particle electron microscopy (EM) for both bacterial and mitochondrial enzymes, the determined structure of the enzyme closely resembles to an L shape, with seven hydrophobic core subunits that constitutes the membrane tail domain and seven hydrophilic core subunits that constitutes peripheral (hydrophilic) arm domain protruding into the mitochondrial matrix; which is known as the catalytic domain as it includes all redox centres and binding site while the membrane domain consists mostly of hydrophobic subunits. 16 While the full structure of the eukaryotic complex is not still well characterised, in 2006, Sazanov group successfully reported structure of the hydrophilic domain of complex I from Thermus thermophiles bacteria.20 The Peripheral Arm of complex I The peripheral arm of the complex is composed of seven individual subunits, that together, houses the NADH-oxidizing dehydrogenase module, which provides electron input into a noncovalently-bound flavin mononucleotide (FMN) molecule. The molecule sequentially transfers the electron to a chain of nine iron-sulphur (Fe-S) clusters, eight of which are found in the bovine enzyme. Additionally, the hydrophilic arm also comprises of a Q-module, which conducts electrons to the quinone-binding site for quinol production. 16,20 All of these Within the respiratory chain complexes, there are three different types of Fe-S clusters, two of which, are found in complex I; Two binuclear [2Fe-2S] and six tetranuclear [4Fe-4S] clusters. As the name suggests, the binuclear clusters are composed of two iron atoms that function as bridged by two acid-labile sulphur atoms. Each iron atom is also coordinated by an additional two sulphur atoms found on the surrounding cysteine residues from the protein complex. In the tetranuclear Fe-S clusters, four iron atoms and four sulphur atoms are arranged in a cube with each iron atom also ligated to sulphur cysteine-residue on the surrounding protein, similar to binuclear Fe-S.22 Due to their conformational arrangements and redox capabilities provided by the iron atom, these clusters act as electron transfer agents or also known as ferrodoxins. The detection of these clusters can be achieved by EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) which is successfully achieved in many studies. However, out of the two binuclear and six tetranuclear iron-sulfur clusters found in complex I, only two binuclear and four tetranuclear clusters are EPR active.22 Figure 1.: structures of the iron-sulphur clusters found in complex I. As previously mentioned, seven of the eight clusters, form a 95 Ã…-long extensive chain directly from the flavin site to the quinone binding site on the interface of the membrane domain. Even though the distances between these chains may seem far apart, as much as 14 Ã…, distances are close enough to allow electron transfer to occur.23,24 However, the presence of the eight cluster is still not well understood. Cluster 2Fe[24] found on the opposite side of the Flavin site, is believed not to be involved in electron transfer pathway. While it was just a theory with no evidence, it has been proposed that this additional cluster functions as an electron store that accepts an electron from the flavosemiquinone species preventing the generation of reactive oxygen species during enzyme turnover.24 Membrane Domain of complex I The membrane domain comprises the proton-translocating module which catalyses proton transport. With the exception of subunit ND1 and the quinone binding site, found on the interface of the peripheral arm, the membrane domain functions totally independently from the two arms of complex I. Within the membrane domain, there are four structural subunits that have been identified to be possibly involved with proton translocation; these include subunits ND2, ND4 and ND5. There is also an additional transporter which believed to be either ND1, ND6 or ND4L. Each believed to be transporting one proton per catalytic cycle. Each individual subunits are composed of charged residues and helices that creates half-channels that allow the passage of proton to occur. The membrane structure is also held together by a long ÃŽÂ ±-helix chain that spans across its entire length. Its feature is to maintain and support the integrity of the membrane domain.26 Overall Mechanism of complex I The mammalian complex I includes 45 known proteins, out of which 14 core subunits comprises of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains as explained above.16 The mechanism through the electron transfer chain starts with a Flavin mononucleotide (FMN) molecule which is non-covalently bound to the 51kDa subunit through hydrogen bonds at the top of the hydrophilic domain. FMN molecule oxidises NADH leading to the reduction of iron-sulphur clusters (Fe-S) which transfers electrons from Flavin to the quinone-binding site {51}. This electron transfer distorts the conformation of the protein through changes in its redox state leading to alterations in pKa values of its side chains; these alterations allows four hydrogen ions being pumped out of the mitochondrial matrix.24 It is believed NADH gets oxidised to NAD+ through a hydride transfer avoiding the formation of the unstable NAD. Radical.24 This oxidation process occurs when the nicotinamide ring of the NADH lies above the flavin isoalloxazine system, allowing the electron donor hydride (C4 of the 27 nicotinamide ring) and acceptor (N5 of the flavin) to come within 3.5 Ã… of each other and transfer electrons.28 As explained above, NADH oxidation leads to transfer of electrons through seven iron-sulphur clusters chain between Flavin and quinone reduction binding site in the membrane.20 It is the final Fe-S cluster that donates the electrons to the bound ubiquinone substrate which is believed to be accessed through an entry point in the membrane to the binding site.21 These iron-sulphur clusters are best detected using a technique called electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Previous studies have observed five reduced Fe-S clusters through EPR from Bovine compliex I reduced by NADH, and their spectra are represented N1b, N2, N3, N4 and N5.25 This technique will be further explained throughout this thesis. A much recent study by Roessler et al. (2010) used EPR to understand the tunnelling electron transfer pathway through these clusters. Previous studies have already established EPR signals N1b, N2 and N3 are detected from 2Fe cluster in the 75 kDa subunit (position 2), and from 4Fe clusters in the PSST (position7) and 51 kDa subunits (position 1) respectively along the clusters chain due to interactions with ubisemiquinones and flavosemiquinone. As the other EPR signals have yet failed to be assigned to a particular cluster, Roessler et al. (2010) went on to use double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy to detect N4 and N5. Their results demonstrate that N4 is assigned to the first 4Fe cluster in the TYKY subunit (position 5), and N5 to the all-cysteine ligated 4Fe cluster in the 75 kDa subunit (position 3).25 The study propose an alternating energy potential profile for electron transfer along the chain between the actives sites, in B.taurus, which enhances the rate of a single electron travelling through the empty chain subsequently leading to more efficient energy conversion in complex I.25 Followed by the iron-sulfur cluster is the site of quinone reduction. A study performed by Sazanov and Hinchliffe has identified a supposed binding site for the quinone head group from T. thermophilus complex I hydrophilic domain between the 49 kDa and PSST subunits.20 This alleged site is close to the cluster where the ubiquinone substrate accepts electrons from the chain and it has also been acknowledged the 49 kDa and PSST subunits play an important role in quinone binding and catalysis.29 Nevertheless, it is believed that additional hydrophobic subunits may also be involved in quinone binding and these are still being investigated. Even though the mechanism of NADH oxidation and ubiquinone reduction is relatively well understood, how this oxidoreduction leads to quinone reduction and subsequent protons pumping across the mitochondrial membrane from complex I still remain a mystery. A number of theories for complex I mechanism have been proposed based on the proton-pumping systems of the other mitochondrial respiratory complexes. These theories have been outlined below: A direct coupling mechanism as demonstrated by complex IV through cytochrome c oxidase where the proton transfer is determined by a gating reaction occurring at the same time as the electron transfer reaction that started it.30 An indirect coupling mechanism as seen in complex V (ATP synthase) explained previously. A study performed by Efremov et al., suggests that within complex I, one proton is translocated by a directly coupled mechanism at the Fe-S clusters and the rest are moved when quinone reduction drives conformational changes to the four-helix bundle of Nqo4 and of Nqo6 in complex I, subsequently affecting the C-terminal helix of Nqo12. The C-terminal has been identified by the authors running parallel to the membrane. The effect on this helix consequently leads to the other three helices to tilt which results in proton translocation.31 A Q-cycle-like mechanism as represented by complex III where quinol is used as a carrier to transport protons across the mitochondrial membrane. A study completed by Dutton and co-workers suggested the complete reverse of this mechanism for complex I featuring the presence of two ubiquinone binding sites; one facing the inter-membrane space, Qo, and the other facing the mitochondrial matrix, Qi. The quinone substrate would bind at Qi, and be reduced by one electron from a quinol already bound at Qo and another electron from the Fe-S cluster; subsequently leading to two protons being taken up from the matrix while the formed semiquinone specie is still bound at Qo. Following the uptake of the protons, semiquinone is oxidised to ubiquinone.32 Nevertheless, further studies conducted have found no evidence of ubiquinol oxidation signifying complex I do not work through this mechanism.30,33 While the first isolation of complex I from bovine heart mitochondria by Joe Hatefi et al occurred 40 years ago, information on its overall mechanism of action is still very limited particularly the mechanism of redox-proton coupling occurring in the membrane domain. To further understand this, new studies are being conducted to trap radical intermediates formed at the interface of the peripheral and membrane arm to establish the pathway that initiates proton translocation. Semiquinone radicals Semiquinones are catalytic intermediates formed within complex I during the reduction of quinones at the quinone binding site and can exist in neutral or anionic form. Due to the presence of the unpaired electron, semiquinone intermediates can be studied using EPR spectroscopy. There are numerous pathways in which the formation of semiquinones can occur from quinone. The scheme below, proposed by Roessler and Hirst, illustrates the three main possible routes taken to obtain quinol. Pathways A and B involves with the generation of a neutral semiquinone radical specie based on the transferring of a proton and electron. On the other hand, pathway C which follows through pathway B involve with the generation of an anionic radical specie generated from an electron transfer. All pathways lead to formation of quinol by series of electron transfer and protons. The pathway shown in grey which occurs from the protonation of the neutral semiquinone radical specie will result in a 1-electron-2-centre bond which are energetically unstable.27 Aside from one study, majority of the studies till date, have proved the existence of semiquinones by observing EPR signals using submitochondrial particles (SMPs). As the name suggests, these are inverted membrane vesicles housing the entire electron transport chain containing all enzyme complexes.34 However, since quinone cofactors are used by majority of the other complexes, distinguishing the semiquinone signals with each complex, has been far from successful. More recently, there has been a wave of research focusing on the identification of semiquinone radicals exclusively from complex I, however these have proved even more challenging as the organic intermediates produced very low intensity signals. Within complex I, there are two species of semiquinone that have been identified; SQNf and SQNs.35,36 Based on their EPR properties, SQNf or fast relaxing semiquinones has been reported only during the presence of an established proton gradient across the membrane. On the other hand, SQNs or slow relaxing semiquinones, are not effected by proton gradient. The presence of two semiquinones has also lead to the possibility of complex I to contain two separate quinone binding sites; Due to SQNf having a spin-spin interaction with Fe-S cluster N2, it is theorised that SQNf binding site is located close to the cluster at around 12 Ã… estimated distance, in contrast, SQNs binding site is suggested to be located around 30 Ã… from N2 cluster.22,25,37 Within the complex, the SQNf is believed to be involved in proton pumping and its site aids the system by acting as bound co-factor site that facilitates the transfer of one electron from one site to another allowing the formation of a binding pocket for the SQNs in equilibrium with the ubiquinone pool of the membrane.22,25,32,35,38 The presence of two separate quinone binding sites still remains a mystery and cannot be totally ruled out even though it has been suggested that SQNf and SQNs signals are detected from the same semiquinone species located from different sites or present in catalysis states.39 A recent potential way of observing semiquinone intermediates via EPR is through the use of liposomes. Liposomes containing just Complex I or proteoliposomes, will facilitate the capture of semiqinone within its native environment and hopefully provide an insight in the mechanism of Complex I and the binding of Q10. Liposomes Liposomes are spherical nanovesicles used in a variety of applications. Composed of a phospholipid bilayer, these small vesicles have an aqueous solution core surrounded by a hydrophobic membrane. Hydrophobic chemicals associate with the bilayer while the hydrophilic solutes dissolved in the core cannot readily pass through the bilayer; essentially mimicking the cellular phospholipid bilayer. Due to these features, liposomes can be loaded both with hydrophobic or hydrophilic molecules and are excellent drug carriers or in this case house protein complexes. Liposomes are also not naturally occurring and must be artificially generated using lipid extracts by aggregating them.40 As liposomes are formed from naturally occurring lipids of low intrinsic toxicity, they are biodegradable and non-toxic. The functionality of liposomes is dependent based on three main factors. These include: size, bilayer composition and liposome surface properties.40 Phospholipids are one the essential components in the formations of liposomes and can be divided into synthetic and natural phospholipids. They consist of two fatty acids hydrophobic chains linked to a hydrophilic (polar) head group, and they have either glycerol or sphingomyeline as the back bone. Having both hydrophobic and hydrophilic components, make phospholipids having amphipathic molecules.41 The diversity of the hydrophilic head group molecules and hydrophobic chains length allows the formation of different phospholipids which affects the surface charge and bilayer permeability of the liposomes.40 The length and degree of saturation of the hydrocarbon acyl chains determines the stability of the liposomal membrane, by affecting the temperature at which the membrane changes from a closely packed gel phase to a fluid phase. The surface charge of the liposomes is determined by the charge of the lipid forming it which can be altered by modifying lipids with hydrophilic moieties to membrane bilayers.40 Liposomes can be composed of naturally-derived phospholipids such as cholesterol, one of the commonly used lipids in liposome formation. It enhances the stability of the lipid bilayer and form highly ordered and rigid membrane with fluid like characteristics. Other phospholipids, synthetic and non-synthetic, can also be used for the formation of the liposomes such as pure surfactant components like DOPC (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine).42 Classifications of liposomes Liposomes are classified according to their morphological sizes and lamellarity, depending on their composition and method of formation.40 Multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) consists several concentric phospholipid bilayers or lamellar ranging between 100nm to 20  µm in size depending on the method of preparation. These large bilayers allow the integration of lipophilic molecules and proteins. Small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) single phospholipid bilayer and sized between 20 nm to 100nm. Ideal for encapsulation small compounds and proteins. Large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) single phospholipid bilayer with size ranging from 100 nm to 1  µm. They are known to have larger aqueous core compared with or MLVs, making them suitable to useful to load with numerous compounds. Oligolamellar vesicles (OLVs) vesicles similarly structured to MLVs but consists of anywhere between two and five phospholipid bilayers. Multivesicular liposomes (MVLs) When a large liposome vesicle similar in size to an MLV, enclose a group of liposomes, then the subsequent vesicle is known as multivesicular liposome (MVL). Figure 1.40 The current state of research on liposomes have primarily been focusing on the administration of drugs and other compounds to biological systems since it overcome challenges associated with reaching the target, making them very useful in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.40 Furthermore, it should be noted, some surfactant based phospholipids can mimic the biological systems helping construct important model systems for the research on enzymes and membranes. Many recent publications concerning liposomes have been focused on using this mimetic chemistry, which deals with models, mimicking cellular membrane to facilitate the research into their structures as well as the mechanisms both in vivo and in vitro.40 Aims of Project The current state of research on complex I remain largely focused on the determination of the mechanism since only a fraction has been found. Fully understanding will help solve many diseases and other complication caused by complex I. Whereas the mechanism of the reactions between NADH and iron sulphur clusters have been established, little is known about the mechanism of proton translocation as well as the role and existence of semiquinones that will lead into revealing more information into the function of the enzyme. The work described in the following records, using the best technique available, EPR, will aim to be using current studies of using liposomes to mimic cellular conditions, similar to the mitochondrial membrane, for complex I in order to obtain data regarding reduction of Q10 and proton translocation. Materials Preparation of Complex I from Bovine Mitochondria Preparation of Complex I proteoliposomes Stock solutions of 25 mgmL-1 of POPC in chloroform was transferred to a glass homogeniser with the required amount of ubiquinone-10 contained in chloroform. The chloroform was removed under Argon. An alternative approach is to remove under vacuum using rotary evaporator. The resulting phospholipid film was resuspended in 675 ÃŽÂ ¼L of buffer (10 mM Tris-SO4 (pH 7.5) and 50 mM KCl), and extruded 25 times through a Whatman 0.1 ÃŽÂ ¼m pore membrane. The liposome mixture was solubilised with the addition of 160 ÃŽÂ ¼L of octyl-glucoside from an aqueous 10% stock solution, sonicated for 10 min, and further incubated on ice for 10 min. The following steps were carried out at 4  °C. 0.2 mg of AOX (50 ÃŽÂ ¼L of 7.8 mgmL-1) and 0.2 mg of complex I (10 ÃŽÂ ¼L of 20 mgmL-1) were added to the solubilised lipids and incubated for a further 10 min, followed by the addition of 100 ÃŽÂ ¼L of SM2 Biobeads. The mixture wa

Case Study on Pregancy Pain :: essays research papers fc

Case Study #7 A pregnant (5 mo.) woman is reporting pain and an enlargement in her lower right quadrant comes to seek advice on different ways of imaging the area without endangering her baby. What do you explain and advise?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would also ask questions as to whether or not she is suffering from any other symptoms. Ordering blood and urine work on her is also an excellent idea. In Amanda’s case study she suggested the pelvic ultrasound. I would take it even a bit further. It is called a â€Å"transvaginal ultrasound†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would explain to her the benefits and/or risks of using this remarkable device. The ultrasound has been around since the 1950s and is considered safe and non-invasive. However, a transvaginal ultrasound is. (3) Transvaginal ultrasound is a method of imaging the genital tract in women. The ultrasound machine sends out high-frequency sound waves, which bounce off body structures to create a picture. With the transvaginal technique, the ultrasound transducer (a hand-held probe) is inserted directly into the vagina and is, therefore, closer to pelvic structures than with the conventional transabdominal technique (with the probe on the skin of the abdomen), providing superior image quality. This test can be used during pregnancy. A transvaginal ultrasound takes it a bit further than a regular pelvic ultrasound. In this way, it rules out things like ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cysts, fibroid tumors and other abdominal/pelvic diseases like PID (pelvic inflammatory disease). The transvaginal ultrasound is even better than the pelvic ultrasound. Doing her ultrasound this way will better pick up any potential problems too small enough for the pelvic ultrasound to catch. I would prefer it this way myself. Ovarian cysts occur when there is a lot of fluid swelling inside the ovary. However, they usually will dissolve on their own. If an ovarian cyst does not dissolve after the next 1-2 menstrual cycles, the doctor would usually try to monitor their activity. If it enlarges, the doctor may suggest removal of the cyst(s). (1) Fibroid tumors are usually benign (non-cancerous) tumors found, most often, in the uterus of women in their 30's and 40's, although they occasionally develop on other organs which contain smooth muscle cells. Fibroid tumors are solid tumors, which are made of fibrous tissue, hence the name 'fibroid' tumor. Most often fibroids occur as multiple tumor masses, which are slow-growing and often cause no symptoms. The size of fibroids varies immensely among women and some are so small that a microscope is required to see them.

Ethical Public Speaking Paper Essay

The Speaker was Emma Watson introducing the campaign called He for She. The campaign is about political, economic, and social gender equality and not just for females, but for males as well. To often the word femanism has an underlying meaning to people as â€Å"man hating†. Emma Watson came to speak about just that and other issues that often go by unseen. The issues of the glass ceiling, equal wages for same work between genders, women involvement in poilicies and laws that will effect all womens lives, and socially having equal respect. There is no country in our world that have completely achieved gender equality that should be viewed as human rights. There has been significant improvement in many countries but many women today still do not have the opportunity to have secondary schooling. Men should be just as much involved in gender equality because there are also issues that they have to deal with. The role as a father is being valued less and less in society, and young men do not ask for help for fear they will be less of a man. Men and women should feel free to be sentative and strong. As Emma Watson said, â€Å"Gender should be on one spectrum and not two sets of opposing ideals†. Ms. Watson upheld most of the responsibilities for ethical public speaking. The topic of gender equality promotes positive values and she did not shy away or back down from what hse believed in. Multiple times in the speech she talked about in her research she has found many startling facts and presented them well. When her language was not inclusive, it was to show the conflict and differences between genders. The time in total for the speech was about 13 minutes long and was respectful to her listeners. Some things that were not fufilled was sometimes with the statistics she used whole numbers instead of percentages and did not credit her sources for any of her information. Some of the responsibilities that a listener would have to this speech would be clappinging at certain points. When the listeners clapped it communicated their agreement to Emma Watson, and she in turn, paused and waited for them to finish. While Ms. Watson was speaking, she invited all people to join her in the movement He for She and as a listener, we can choose to either join her movement or not. Emma Watson’s speech was an excellent example of an ethical speech discussing a controversial topic.

European domination Essay

As the antebellum period began, America was approaching its golden anniversary as an independent political state, but it was not yet a nation. There was considerable disagreement among the residents of its many geographical sections concerning the exact limits of the relationship between the Federal government, the older states, and the individual citizen. In this regard, many factions invoked concepts of state sovereignty, centralized banking, nullification, popular sovereignty, secession, all-Americanism, or manifest destiny. However, the majority deemed republicanism, social pluralism, and constitutionalism the primary characteristics of antebellum America. Slavery, abolition, and the possibility of future disunion were considered secondary issues. Cultural and social changes were sweeping the cities of America during the period. Industry and urbanization had moved the North toward a more modern society with an unprecedented set of novel cultural values, while the South had essentially lagged behind in the traditions of the 18th century. The mixing of traditional folkways with a more modern vision of America had caused social influence, political authority, and traditional concepts of family to become uncertain, unstable, and somewhat ambiguous. (Volo & Volo, 2004) The history and sociopolitical influence of the African-American church documents an interminable struggle for liberation against the exploitative forces of European domination. Although Black religion is predominantly Judeo-Christian, its essence is not simply white religion with a cosmetic face lift. Rather the quintessence of African-American spiritual- mindedness is grounded in the social and political experience of Black people, and, although some over the years have acquiesced to the dominant order, many have voiced a passionate demand for â€Å"freedom now. † The history of the African-American church demonstrates that the institution has contributed four indispensable elements to the Black struggle for ideological emancipation, which include a self-sustaining culture, a structured community, a prophetic tradition, and a persuasive leadership. The church of slavery, which began in the mid-eighteenth century, started as an underground organization and developed to become a pulpit for radicals like Richard Allen and the platform for revolutionaries like David Walker. For over one hundred years, African slaves created their own unique and authentic religious culture that was parallel to, but not replicative of the slave-owner’s Christianity from which they borrowed. Meeting on the quiet as the â€Å"invisible church,† they created a self-preserving belief system by Africanizing European religion. Commenting on this experience, Alice Sewell, a former slave of Montgomery, Alabama, states, â€Å"We used to slip off in de woods in de old slave days on Sunday evening way down in de swamps to sing and pray to our own liking† (Yetman, 1970, p. 263). During the late 1700s, when slavery was being dismantled in the North, free Black Methodists courageously separated from the patronizing control of the white denomination and established their own independent assemblies. This marked the genesis of African-American resistance as a nationally structured, mass-based movement. In 1787, Richard Allen, after suffering racist humiliation at Philadelphia’s St. George Methodist Episcopal Church, separated from the white congregation and led other Blacks, who had been similarly disgraced, to form the African Methodist Episcopal Church (A. M. E. ) in 1816. The new group flowered. By 1820 it numbered 4,000 in Philadelphia alone, while another 2,000 claimed membership in Baltimore. The church immediately spread as far west as Pittsburgh and as far south as Charleston as African-Americans organized to resist domination. (3) Through community groups, they contributed political consciousness, economic direction, and moral discipline to the struggle for freedom in their local districts. Moreover, Black Methodists sponsored aid societies that provided loans, business advice, insurance, and a host of social services to their fellow-believers and the community at large. In sum the A. M. E. Churches functioned in concert to organize African-Americans throughout the country to protect themselves from exploitation and to ready themselves for political emancipation. During this same period, David Walker exemplified the prophetic tradition of the Black church with his â€Å"Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World,† published between 1829 and 1830. Walker employed biblical language and Christian morality in creating anti-ruling class ideology: slaveholders were â€Å"avaricious and unmerciful wretches† who were guilty of perpetrating â€Å"the most wretched, abject, and servile slavery† in the world against Africans. To conclude, the church of the slave era contributed substantially to African-American social and political resistance. The â€Å"invisible institution† provided physical and psychological relief from the horrific conditions of servitude: within the confines of â€Å"hush arbors,† bondspeople found unfamiliar dignity and a sense of self-esteem. Similarly, the A. M. E. congregations confronted white paternalism by organizing their people into units of resistance to fight collectively for social equality and political self-direction. And finally, the antebellum church did not only empower Blacks by structuring their communities; it also supplied them with individual political leaders. David Walker made two stellar contributions to the Black struggle for freedom- -he both created and popularized anti-ruling class philosophy. He intrepidly broadcasted the conditional necessity of violence in abolishing slavery demanding to be heard by his â€Å"suffering brethren† and the â€Å"American people and their children† in both the North and the South. As churches grew in size and importance, the Black pastor’s role as community leader became supremely influential and unquestionably essential in the fight against Jim Crow. For instance, in 1906, when the city officials of Nashville, Tennessee, segregated the streetcars, R. H. Boyd, a prominent leader in the National Baptist Convention, organized a Black boycott against the system. He even went so far as to operate his own streetcar line at the height of the conflict. To Boyd and his constituents no setback was ever final, and the grace of God was irrefutability infinite. Then, with the advent of World War I (1914-1918) and the availability of jobs in the North, Blacks migrated to urban centers such as New York, Detroit, Chicago, and St. Louis–and they took their church with them. Hundreds of thousands of African-Americans packed not only their dreams, but also their Bibles, and struck out for the â€Å"promise land. † In exploding metropolitan enclaves they built thriving congregations like the 14,000-member Abyssinian Baptist church of Harlem, which won international acclaim for serving and organizing its people: it found them jobs, it secured them housing, it fought for their rights, and it directed their ballots. This was consistent with the â€Å"Social Gospel† as advocated by Black ministers who preached that societal sin–such as the starvation of children–could only be destroyed through Christian love and benevolent programs. To them the primary responsibility of the church was to establish ministries of social service that would eliminate injustice and abolish poverty in the African-American community, and this became the objective of many large urban assemblies. However, these impersonal metropolitan congregations with their grand strategies of social improvement did not appeal to all migrants, especially newcomers from the rural South. Instead, this group founded small assemblies in abandoned stores that offered them personal acceptance, belonging, identity, friendship–and perhaps most of all–a shelter from white racism. Hence, â€Å"storefront churches† had their genesis as part of the self-preserving culture produced by African-American Christians to ensure the survival of their communities. (Simms, 2000) Citing church membership figures accounting for fewer than twenty percent of the antebellum slave population, a number of revisionist historians have recently challenged the widespread view that Christianity was embraced by millions of slaves hungering for its message of love, hope, and salvation. And although revisionist critics have responded that such statistics provide a far from accurate gauge of just how deeply Christianity permeated the slave population, the question remains as to whether or not the mass conversion of as many as four million slaves within a single generation ever occurred, given that the vast majority had little or no exposure to Christian teaching prior to the Jacksonian period. Despite such controversy, nearly all interpretations of slave religion maintain that after about 1830, Southern planters, motivated by a desire for social control as well as sincere concern for the salvation of bondsmen, successfully introduced Christianity to the spiritually starved slave community. And even though support for this conclusion rests heavily on supposition and interpolation, it has nonetheless been presented in a number of the modern era’s most influential studies of slave religion. Local preachers were encouraged to minister to nearby plantations and, in regions lacking sufficient clergy, slaveholders, themselves, were urged to hold prayer meetings among bondsmen. Also, many churches invited slaves to join their congregations, often partitioning off separate areas such as balconies to enable them to worship alongside whites. Taken as a whole, then, it is difficult to deny that Christianity played an important role in at least some quarters of the slave community after 1830.

Angelas Ashes

Angelas Ashes Intertexual Essay By Anna Swartz Children expect many things from life, but as Margaret Michel once wrote "Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect" . This statement is found to be true in "Angela's Ashes" , by Frank McCourt and "Ten Thousand Sorrows" , by Elizabeth Kim. In both novels the children's basic expectations for their parents like to be loved and cared for were not met. In the comparison of the two novels it was found that there were both similarities, such as both authors choice to write in first person, and differences, for instance their choice on how to structure their stories.A parents love something that is forever sought after by a child. Frank McCourt in "Angela's Ashes" , strives for his fathers love for many years. He does everything that he can in a last effort to become more important than a pint in his father's life.Film poster for Angela's Ashes (film) - Copyright ...

Chris McCandless Essays

Chris McCandless Essays Chris McCandless Paper Chris McCandless Paper Chris Mishandles was an exceptional young man who lived life by the beat of his own drum but all that changed when his young life was cut short. Though his life ended, his story lives on forever. Jon Into the Wild Is Chris living legacy: the book examines life as well as revealing his struggles with his parents, his adventures with the people he meets, and the hardships he faces in Alaska. Chris Mishandles lived life as a modern day nomad; he would hitch hike all around the country to escape from the mundane. Some would consider his controversial lifestyle as an?f?-eve and stupid while others admire his Idealism and passion for life. Fife was ultimately a success. Even though at times he exercised bad Judgment and rejected the help others offered, he accomplished his goal and came to an important conclusion. Uses this final trip to relieve himself of any frustrations he has with society and a religious a experience, some would say. Chris came to the Alaskan wilderness to find life, but ironically turned out to be his ultimate demise. Krause reveals deep love and compassion for others. Growing up, it was clear that Chris was a very compassionate child. One Christmas sister, Caring, got a dog from their parents. Although the dog belonged o Caring, Chris treated him as though he were his dog. The two were thick as thieves. Caring even said that if Chris would have brought the dog on his trip then maybe Chris would still be alive because Chris would never put their dog in a dangerous situation. Chris grew from a compassionate child Into a semi-radical college student In college he took courses about Injustices against people from Third World countries and often spoke out against corruption all over the world whether it be politics to animal rights. He would sometimes go as far as bashing politics in the Emory Wheel, lampooned Jimmy Carter and Joe Bidden, called the assignation of Attorney General Edwin Mess, lambasted Bible-thumper of the Christian right, urged vigilance against the Soviet threat, castigated the Japanese for hunting whales, and defended Jesse Jackson as a viable presidential candidate. ? c,-?L] (123)* one thing that really got under skin was the fact that people were still going hungry and dying from things like malnutrition. His mother remembers him speaking about how incredibly beefed he was about people could possibly be allowed to go hungry, especially in (1 Not only did Chris love people, but people reciprocated the love back. Chris made people feel so comfortable around him that whenever he was traveling and needed a place to stay It was almost guaranteed that someone would offer him a place to stay. He had a very magnetic personality, from what the book describes. People were pulled by his charming personality ever since he was young an eight-year- old, he grew vegetables behind the house in Amendable and then sold them door-to- door around the . The time he came home, the wagon would be empty, and have a bunch of money In his hand. ? (116)* On his Journeys Chris met countless people and all of those people were touched Day snarls In one way or another. Can person en met Decade apart of his surrogate family. Jan Burses and her husband spoke so fondly of Mishandles and were very keen on hearing from him. Another person that Mishandles touched was Ronald Franz, an elderly man who lost his family in an accident. He fell so in love with Mishandles that he even offered to him, if [Chris] would be [his] grandson. ?C,-1?0 (55)* Anyone that came into contact with Chris could see his blatant charm. Though Chris genuinely cared for others he also had another side; a more reserved side. In high school he was quite outgoing, most people only had nice things to say about him. Though there were some people who saw darker side. One of cross country teammates recalls that Chris would get extremely upset when he would do poorly at a meet. He never showed his anger but instead Just kept it inside. There would be times were Chris would Just keep to himself. His sister remembers, was very to himself. He was? always had friends, and everybody liked ? ¬but he could go off and entertain himself for hours. He need tots or friends. He could be alone without being (107)* In college he became more introverted. He began to live a more ascetic lifestyle and stopped contacting his rinds. One of his college friends recalls that he went to visit Chris and to see how he was doing but when he stepped into his apartment he was shocked to see that his apartment was very bare. It only had a mattress and a few milk crates. Chris was going through somewhat of a crisis during this point of his life. The revelation of his affair surfaced and he increasingly grew more and more upset with how society operated. It were situations such as those that drove Chris into the wild. He looked at the Alaskan wilderness as something like a sanctuary to find himself, answers, and maybe even God. For the most part I feel that Chris found what he was looking for. He realized what the genuine meaning of happiness was, only real when shared?C,-1?0 (189)* I feel that if he would have come out of the wilderness he would have came out a better man for himself, his friends, and most importantly his family. I feel that Chris did the right thing but it was Just a shame that it had to end that way. Life can become so chaotic that sometimes it would be nice to run away from it all. I have actually learned that with the stresses of college and the fast pace of life, things can quickly spiral out of control. For most people, our lives now have become so consumed with work, work, and more work that people forget the true essence of life. People go to work and kill themselves little by little for some Jobs that are not even worth it, Christopher Mishandles saw this and decided to do what most people only dream of. Just recently I had a similar break through like Chris and decided to get lost in San Francisco. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had I remembered what it was like to be happy again and to not worry about anything. I gained great insight about myself and life even if my trip the was only for one day.

Braving the Storm

Heavy raindrops pelted the thin panes of glass and claps of thunder rumbled through the walls; my only refuge from the typhoon raging outside. Occasional bursts of lightning illuminated the bedroom, revealing tear stains on the pillow. Wracked with homesickness, muffled sobs escaped my clenched mouth. Going to Sri Lanka was not an idea I was particularly fond of as a ten year old. I wanted to play with my friends at home, go to the pool or the park and have fun. But there I sat, weeping away the horrors and trying to make sense of a completely different world. Slowly crying myself to sleep that stormy summer night, events of the past week drifted in and out of my head. Children my own age picking at piles of garbage with stray dogs, haggard men toiling away at their menial jobs, and gaunt women cooking over fire pits in little shacks. I could not understand why the lived this way. â€Å"They are poor. They cannot afford the nice things we have,† my mother explained. And when I asked whether I should give them a dollar as I did back home, she shook her head. A mere dollar could not make a difference for them; it could not buy them a stove, send them to school, or find them better jobs. The rain battered down harder now, and I buried myself deeper under the blankets. It sounded like thousands of bullets being fired from guns, and the fear of being shot made me tremble. Soldiers patrolled the streets back then and occasionally still do, with their machine guns slung over their shoulders like a backpack on a schoolboy. I had never seen a real gun before, and I couldn’t comprehend why one would be needed. â€Å"Sri Lanka is in the middle of a civil war,† my father explained, â€Å"the terrorists in the North want to hurt the people here in the South.† War? My ten year old mind could not gr asp it. America was at war, but soldiers did not parade the streets with their shiny toys in hand. I only knew of the war on television with tanks, helicopters, and bombs. With these thoughts still fresh in my mind, my tired body succumbed to sleep to the lullaby of guns and destitution. Sunshine streamed in through the crystal clear windows that next morning. The typhoon had passed, but broken tree branches and monstrous puddles of rainwater littered the dirt roads. But the birds sang, the same impoverished children frolicked about, and the adults amused themselves with cups of tea and a game of carrom. These people enjoyed themselves and were happy, despite their lack of material possession and low standing in society. Smiling, I dressed and went down to join them. Lamenting my lost innocence and ignorance of the world would do no good. The world is far from perfect, but I cannot let adversity break my spirit.

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 9

Economics - Essay Example Although, Federal Reserve uses monetary policies tools such as open market operations, the discount rate and reserve requirement, the tools affect the economy either positively or negatively (Giuseppe, 2009). More so, increase or decrease of the reserve requirement affects interest rates in a short period as financial institutions lack funds to issue to investors. Nonetheless, higher discount rates make borrowing less attractive from Federal Reserve for many banks while low discount rate make borrowing more attractive for banks because they have access to more deposits. More so, it is necessary to establish how monetary policy caused the financial crisis in the country Considerably, Federal Reserve plays a crucial role in determining money supply in the economy that eventually affect credit availability and the interest rates in the United States. More significantly, Federal Reserve lowered interest rates in 2001 as it induced investors to borrow money to finance mortgages and purcha se of houses for speculation. However, in 2004 Federal Reserve increased the interest rates making payments of mortgages difficult thus, leading to increase in house prices. More so, businesses and individuals had accumulated a lot of interest from the mortgages, making it difficult to pay leading to high defaulting rate of the borrowed funds. More than that, the boom in house markets impacted on financial market lead to high levels of delinquencies and foreclosures. Considerably, the recession period was marked by high levels of economic downturn as the decline in the gross domestic product increased with high levels of unemployment during the recession period (Giuseppe, 2009). In addition, there is a lower level of money in the economy with a high level of bankruptcies and default in loan repayment crisis as real income declines with the economic downturn becomes worse impeding the Federal Reserve to take action as the economic recession period showed likelihood of economic depres sion era occurrence. In addition, the Federal reserve set reserve requirements limits for banks and financial institutions as it decreased reserve requirements between 2001-2005 by about 20% funds reserves owned by banks were used to give out more loans to businesses and individuals. As a result, there was an increase in money supply available in the economy thus, leading to inflation. However, in 2005 to 2008 Federal Reserve revised its monetary policy reducing the growth of GDP as it enhanced reduction of money supply in the economy. Nonetheless, the development of collateral mortgage obligations structured product served as a security for borrowing of money thus, individuals later had easer availability to loans .as they used insurance as security for the provision of safety for the loan borrowed if defaulted (Blanchard, 2008). Nonetheless, Federal Reserve failed to recognize liquidity problem in 2007, as it increased the interbank rates while failing to provide an immediate solu tion to the increasing money supply. As a result, interest rate rose to unprecedented levels that eventually led the economy into a period of recession. With the worsening of the economy, the Federal Reserve provided solutions meant to solve challenges that the USA economy was facing in the year 2008 as it uses monetary policies to solve the financial crisis. Federal Reserve increased money supply in t

Biotechnology Final Assignment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biotechnology Final Assignment - Case Study Example It has offered people a better way to benefit from other organisms while being environmentally friendly. The modification of genes has enabled there to be different breeds of certain animals. This has led to the creation of a different breed altogether with certain characteristics (Sutton 29). This paper will review the way biotechnology has been crucial in the evolution of the environment through time. How the topic relates to the class Biotechnology has led to the improvement of the preservation of the environment. Throughout history, it was vital that people protect and preserve the environment. The problem with this came with the little knowledge they had to dispose of certain waste products (Sutton 35). These waste products may have come from anywhere take for instance the animals, and people. The waste would often be left unattended, and this led to the degradation of the environment. However, people found out alternative methods of ridding the environment of this waste by conv erting it into something useful. Animal waste found use in farms as a way of offering fertility to the soil. This is since the decomposition that occurred provided the necessary elements for the growth of healthy plants, and crops. Biotechnology has improved the manner in which people relate to the environment. In prehistoric times, it was easy to see how biotechnology was used to carry out day to day activities (Sutton 39). An example would be the fermentation of fruit drinks to make wine. Personal thoughts on the topic It is vital to note the significance biotechnology has brought forth. Many fields in the world are coming up as a result of biotechnology. There have been many things that have become possible due to biotechnology. This is with improvement in technology over time. However, it is clear that biotechnology is not something that is accepted globally. Some believe that it has led to the creation of things that go against God’s design. The manipulation of DNA in di fferent animals has been condemned by many (Sutton 45). The use of herbicides over long periods has received criticism from different quarters. This criticism is becoming more of a hindrance to the use of biotechnology to clean up contaminated environments (Sutton 48). Marine life depends on biotechnology to take care of the growing number of accidents in the sea. Oil spills require techniques that are incorporated by biotechnology to clean up. The ceasing of such techniques would mean that these fields would be rendered useless over a certain period. Biotechnology has found ways to get rid of waste from the environment while having little negative impact on the said environment. The biological processes that biotechnology offers are seen to play a key role in the promotion of a sustainable environment (Sutton 59). Some of the things that it does to benefit the environment are immense. They seem to outweigh the things that it has done that seem to impact the environment negatively. Reason for choosing the topic One of the reasons for choosing this topic is to bring to the attention of many people the benefits brought on by biotechnology. Biotechnology should be embraced for the betterment of the whole global village. This is since the benefits can be seen and felt around the world (Sutton 69). The advancement has contributed to the production of medicine that has eradicated many diseases that would, otherwise, still exist. Not only has biotechnology improved the lives of many, it has prevented the

Newspaper report on the conditions in the factories and mining areas Essay - 1

Newspaper report on the conditions in the factories and mining areas of Industrial England - Essay Example The poor building design of the industrial cities, coupled with the existence of carbon emissions from the fireworks in the industries have combined to deny the residents of the industrial cities an access to clean air, and thus the result is the inhalation of air that is short in oxygen but highly enriched in carbon and other air pollutants from the surrounding industries, whose consequence on the residents has been† mental and physical lassitude and low vitality† (Engels, 1). Thus, the conditions of the factories and mining areas are characterized by people who have acute health problems, which are a function of chronic poverty, coupled with inflammatory infections (Engels, 2). Further, it is through bad ventilation and overcrowding that characterizes these areas, that the level of deaths and illnesses have continuously increased, while the productivity of the workforce in the industries and the factories continue to decline, considering that they can no longer perform at their best, due to health complications (Chadwick, 2). The congestion of the people in the working rooms within the industries and factories is inconceivable, considering that a room that is a maximum of 18 yards long and 8 yards wide can be used by approximately 80 people, and most importantly heavily working, breathing and sweating people (Chadwick, 2). In better terms, the conditions in the factories and mining areas of Industrial England can simply be termed as horrific, when the reality sinks in the mind, in consideration of the fact that men are working knee to knee during the summer, with the room lit with sky lights, but candles introduced when the hours have proceeded and darkness is setting in. when the people start sweating, and the air within the room becomes completely short of oxygen, while the breathing adds more carbon and yet the candles that have been lit increases the heat and the carbon levels in the air, the conditions become intolerable for the workers, and people â€Å"faint away in the shop from the excessive heat and closeness†, despite the smell being intolerable (Chadwick, 2). The conditions in the industries and the factories are neither better during the winter season, since the scathing cold gives the workers more reasons to stay even closer, while blocking all the ventilation and closing the windows, to stay away from cold. The consequence of this is that; the atmosphere becomes even more polluted, while the smell increases two folds, causing even more people to suffer more adverse health effects in the winter than in the summer, since at least during the summer windows and the little ventilations allow in air, even though it is not any fresh (Chadwick, 4). While affecting the health of the workers adversely, the horrific atmosphere and the lack of clean air for breathing takes a toll on the workers, through reducing their energies, and consequently their level of performance (Engels, 1). While the conditions in the wor kplaces could be considered horrific, the places of residence of the working classes are not any better. It could be significantly disturbing to have heaps of decaying wastes just outside the compound of the people living in the villages, because for them, the garbage heap is a source of nuisance, especially when the wind blows the garbage components and the smell in the direction of the house (Engels, 2). However, the condition is even worse for those living in the industrial cities, where the heap of garbage is either close to the door or right across the street, but the worst thing is that there is not even the wind to blow in fresh air, meaning that the stench characterizes the air around the houses (Engels, 2). The devastating working and living conditions of

Concepts of Population Health, Primary Health Care and Health Essay

Concepts of Population Health, Primary Health Care and Health Promotion - Essay Example The rate of unemployment has shot over 20% and theft incidences in the grocery store have markedly increased in the past year. As a community nurse, I also noted multiple signs of anemia, fatigue, and a high level of susceptibility to respiratory infections among members of families of various ages. Smoking is also prevalent in this community, which requires an urgent intervention. There are also concerns about diet adequacy and insufficient funding from the Social Services unable to meet their basic food needs. This requires sensitization and financial support to be accorded to the community. It is also certain that due to the distant urban center where large stores are located, the families cannot make it there to do their shopping and end up purchasing food items in the local stores where food prices are significantly higher. However, such families have accumulated huge debts in those stores and the owners, though sympathetic, cannot extend their customer’s credit lines. Th e community has also grown pessimistic about both the economic and unemployment situation in the community; however, some parents are still expecting things to turn around. These mentioned situations are demanding and as a community health nurse in the region, I have decided to work closely with the community to promote the situation in collaboration with the small group of local businessmen and farmers who have expressed their concern in developing a food bank to ensure needy families help each other. Therefore, this proposal seeks to integrate the concepts of primary health care, population health promotion, and health promotion in addressing the existing situation in the community. According to the World Health Organization, health promotion strategies can be applied to multiple population groups, diseases, risk factors, and other settings. This is because the strategies of health promotion are neither limited to a particular health related problem nor to a set of specific behavi ors. As a community nurse in this case study, I advocate health promotion that will put emphasis on community education, food policy development, community development, and regulations and legislation which are vital in preventing high poverty levels as well as communicable and non-communicable diseases. Action needs to be taken in this community so as to improve the health of the people, especially those who have shown the signs of anemia, fatigue and respiratory infections. The health promotion strategies influence most of the underlying factors and those that determine the health of the community members. This approach is recognized by both health promotion and population health. As a nurse, I would work with the community in constructing a population health promotion model in order to develop strategies that would curb the deteriorating health status of the community. In reference to the population health promotion, the following action areas need to be addressed in order to cur b the existing situation in the community: Building healthy public policy which ensures that all the public and private sectors are committed to health promoting situations Creating a supportive environment that recognizes the nature of the rapidly changing society Strengthening the community action in order to facilitate the ability of the community members to make decisions and set priorities on issues affecting their health Developing personal skills to impart knowledge and skills on community members that can help them meet their daily life challenges and make contributions to the society Reorienting health services in order to create systems focusing on the

Management and Labour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Management and Labour - Essay Example They can either make or break it. Thus, cooperation between the two, working as one unified body towards the goal of the organisation, is crucial, especially so that what brings profit to the organisation is no other than employee’s productivity. Yet, the source of strength of any organisation is also its weakest point because the required unity between management and labour is something elusive to achieve. Worse, it is oftentimes the source of hostility that usually brings the organisation down. As management represents the interest of the capital – gaining super-profit at the expense of exploiting labour – to achieve employee’s trust and full-cooperation for utmost productivity is a century-old challenge to management. This inherent contradiction between management and labour is seen as the usual reason why do employees restrict the level of their output. But as organisational relationships evolve in the course of time, giving more attention on human relations, and as technology displaces labour giving more leverage to management, problems of lessened employee productivity is no longer attributed to labour exploitation but to poor management. Labour is the most productive force of production because no else has the power to produce but the worker’s productivity. Even with the modernisation of technology, the crucial role of labour in capitalist production remains. Thus, ensuring worker’s high performance rate is key function of management, because anything that may cause reduction in the worker’s level of output is detrimental to the interest of the capitalist. But what makes employee restrict their output level –is it the management or the worker’s exploited working condition? To answer this question, it would be best to understand first man’s concept of work. What is work to man? What makes man work? What discourages man to work? Man works not simply to work

Newspaper report on the conditions in the factories and mining areas Essay - 1

Newspaper report on the conditions in the factories and mining areas of Industrial England - Essay Example The poor building design of the industrial cities, coupled with the existence of carbon emissions from the fireworks in the industries have combined to deny the residents of the industrial cities an access to clean air, and thus the result is the inhalation of air that is short in oxygen but highly enriched in carbon and other air pollutants from the surrounding industries, whose consequence on the residents has been† mental and physical lassitude and low vitality† (Engels, 1). Thus, the conditions of the factories and mining areas are characterized by people who have acute health problems, which are a function of chronic poverty, coupled with inflammatory infections (Engels, 2). Further, it is through bad ventilation and overcrowding that characterizes these areas, that the level of deaths and illnesses have continuously increased, while the productivity of the workforce in the industries and the factories continue to decline, considering that they can no longer perform at their best, due to health complications (Chadwick, 2). The congestion of the people in the working rooms within the industries and factories is inconceivable, considering that a room that is a maximum of 18 yards long and 8 yards wide can be used by approximately 80 people, and most importantly heavily working, breathing and sweating people (Chadwick, 2). In better terms, the conditions in the factories and mining areas of Industrial England can simply be termed as horrific, when the reality sinks in the mind, in consideration of the fact that men are working knee to knee during the summer, with the room lit with sky lights, but candles introduced when the hours have proceeded and darkness is setting in. when the people start sweating, and the air within the room becomes completely short of oxygen, while the breathing adds more carbon and yet the candles that have been lit increases the heat and the carbon levels in the air, the conditions become intolerable for the workers, and people â€Å"faint away in the shop from the excessive heat and closeness†, despite the smell being intolerable (Chadwick, 2). The conditions in the industries and the factories are neither better during the winter season, since the scathing cold gives the workers more reasons to stay even closer, while blocking all the ventilation and closing the windows, to stay away from cold. The consequence of this is that; the atmosphere becomes even more polluted, while the smell increases two folds, causing even more people to suffer more adverse health effects in the winter than in the summer, since at least during the summer windows and the little ventilations allow in air, even though it is not any fresh (Chadwick, 4). While affecting the health of the workers adversely, the horrific atmosphere and the lack of clean air for breathing takes a toll on the workers, through reducing their energies, and consequently their level of performance (Engels, 1). While the conditions in the wor kplaces could be considered horrific, the places of residence of the working classes are not any better. It could be significantly disturbing to have heaps of decaying wastes just outside the compound of the people living in the villages, because for them, the garbage heap is a source of nuisance, especially when the wind blows the garbage components and the smell in the direction of the house (Engels, 2). However, the condition is even worse for those living in the industrial cities, where the heap of garbage is either close to the door or right across the street, but the worst thing is that there is not even the wind to blow in fresh air, meaning that the stench characterizes the air around the houses (Engels, 2). The devastating working and living conditions of

Management and Labour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Management and Labour - Essay Example They can either make or break it. Thus, cooperation between the two, working as one unified body towards the goal of the organisation, is crucial, especially so that what brings profit to the organisation is no other than employee’s productivity. Yet, the source of strength of any organisation is also its weakest point because the required unity between management and labour is something elusive to achieve. Worse, it is oftentimes the source of hostility that usually brings the organisation down. As management represents the interest of the capital – gaining super-profit at the expense of exploiting labour – to achieve employee’s trust and full-cooperation for utmost productivity is a century-old challenge to management. This inherent contradiction between management and labour is seen as the usual reason why do employees restrict the level of their output. But as organisational relationships evolve in the course of time, giving more attention on human relations, and as technology displaces labour giving more leverage to management, problems of lessened employee productivity is no longer attributed to labour exploitation but to poor management. Labour is the most productive force of production because no else has the power to produce but the worker’s productivity. Even with the modernisation of technology, the crucial role of labour in capitalist production remains. Thus, ensuring worker’s high performance rate is key function of management, because anything that may cause reduction in the worker’s level of output is detrimental to the interest of the capitalist. But what makes employee restrict their output level –is it the management or the worker’s exploited working condition? To answer this question, it would be best to understand first man’s concept of work. What is work to man? What makes man work? What discourages man to work? Man works not simply to work

U.S Economy Cause and Effect Essay Example for Free

U.S Economy Cause and Effect Essay As America is going through economical disfunctions, Â  it is apparent that many people fear for losing their job because in such a depression it would make it impossible to be well off comfortably due to the demand of money needed for all the basic essentials especially in Orange County. Orange County happens the be one of the more expensive areas in the state and it is crucial to always have a steady income as life here is not cheap but well worth it. Many Americans are in search for work and are struggling to make a living. As the job hunting goes on, many job opportunities are overseen to due to programs such unemployment. The percentage of unemployment has sky rocketed over the past few years leaving it up to us, tax payers with job to pay for such needs. Unemployment is not fair for all, most people would say. There are a percentage of people who truly have no other choice of surviving unless they depend on this crucial unemployment program. Although unemployment is crucial for some, it is not necessary for a portion of the people due to the simple fact that they are not trying hard enough to seek new job opportunities. Instead they a letting opportunities slide right past them every single day they are not looking for work. Many people depend on unemployment alone, because most people would prefer to get paid for doing nothing while they have the chance too. Many people take advantage of this privilege and only it do they follow. A huge downfall due to unemployment for us people with a steady income and a consistent employment is the fact that we have to pay for the unemployed. Hardworking people work to support themselves also end up paying taxes which a percentage of that goes to the unemployed. By increasing our taxes the government collects money all around. This dramatically decreases the standard of living for us citizens. Although unemployment has its pros and is a huge opportunity for people in struggles or going through loss of unemployment. It also puts a major dependability on hard working citizens who are forced to pay high taxes which a certain percentage are collected to pay for the unemployed. Many people abuse unemployment for as long as they can and only pretend to seek work but instead just prefer to do nothing but make something which not only is unfair but also not right. Unemployment not only affects certain individuals but it also puts a decrease on the standard of living here in the United states which affects everybody around us.

The History And Background Of Suicide Nursing Essay

The History And Background Of Suicide Nursing Essay Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people; however the incidence of attempted suicide is much more. It has been observed that after puberty, rate of suicide increases with age until it stabilizes in young adulthood. This increase in suicide may be associated with the onset and increase in depressive and other disorders during adolescents as compared to childhood. Suicide ideation, gestures and attempts are frequently but not always associated with depressive disorders, reports indicate that as many as half of suicidal individuals express suicidal intention to a friend or a relative within 24 hours before enactive suicidal behavior. It is a time proven fact that all the living organisms on this earth fight for survival and existence. What then makes the man to risk his own life? The tragedy of self inflicted death has always attracted the attention of the medical as well as the legal fraternity. People who have committed suicide or have been thinking about committing suicide probably feel overwhelmed by their problems. They might not be able to handle that kind of pressure and feel that death would be the only way to escape it.( Alonso J,2008). Although suicide was condemned in the Dharmashastras, yet, there is also a chapter on allowed suicides. But the earlier scriptures, of Manus and Kautilyas were against suicide. These sentiments were echoed for ages in India. Even though today, attempted suicide is also a crime in India under the Indian Penal Code system. The neighbouring country Sri Lanka has removed attempted suicide as a punishable offence. In India, even the assisting and abetting suicide is also a punishable offence. The striking aspect of Indian data is the large variation in different parts of India in relation to attempted/committed suicide. The states and cities with rapid social change are associated with higher suicide rates in the year 2010, such as the states of Tamilnadu (5470) and Andhra Pradesh (5675),Maharashtra (6289), West Bengal (5302).(NCRBI 2007). Adolescence is a stressful developmental period filled with major changes: body changes, changes in thoughts, and changes in feelings. Strong feelings of stress, confusion, fear, and uncertainty, as well as pressure to succeed, and the ability to think about things in new ways influence a teenagers problem solving and decision making abilities. For some teenagers, normal developmental changes, when compounded by other events or changes in their families such as parental divorce or moving to a new community, changes in friendships, difficulties in school, or other losses can be very upsetting and become overwhelming. Problems may appear too difficult or embarrassing to overcome. For some, suicide may seem like a perfect solution. The adolescent suicide rate has greatly increased in recent years. Suicides in those ages 15 to 24 years once accounted for 5% of all suicides but now it is increased to 14%. This makes suicide the third leading cause of death among adolescents. Suicide rates for males within the age group of 10 14 years have tripled, whereas rates for males aged 15 to 19 years have quadrupled. Rates for females have doubled. Males aged 15 to 19 years are nearly 5 times more likely to kill themselves than females in the same age group. Although female adolescents attempt suicide 2 to 3 times more often than their male counterparts. Recorded suicide attempts peak between the ages of 15 and 19years.(WHO 2008). 1.1 NEED FOR STUDY: The numbers of suicides are increasing in India. India accounts for 10% of worlds suicides. According to the latest national crime record bureau report, there are over 1.2 lakh suicides in 2006 and 1.3 lakh in 2007. It also states that Bangalore has the highest rate of suicides in India. Till June 2007 there have been around 900 cases of suicide reported from Bangalore city alone. In 2005, 1,480 persons have committed suicide, while in the year 2006, the number was over 2,000, and among all states, Karnataka stands second after Kerala, followed by Maharashtra and West Bengal (Gururaj G.2008). According to WHOs estimation, in the year 2004, approximately one million people died from suicide, and 10 20 times more people attempted suicide worldwide. This represents one death every 40 seconds and one attempt every 3 seconds, on average (WHO,2004). The adolescent suicide rate has greatly increased in recent years. Suicides in those ages 15 to 24 years once accounted for 5% of all suicides but now it is increased to 14%. This makes suicide the third leading cause of death among adolescents. Suicide rates for males within the age group of 10 14 years have tripled, whereas rates for males aged 15 to 19 years have quadrupled. Rates for females have doubled. Males aged 15 to 19 years are nearly 5 times more likely to kill themselves than females in the same age group. Although female adolescents attempt suicide 2 to 3 times more often than their male counterparts. Recorded suicide attempts peak between the ages of 15 and 19years (Marlow,2002). 1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: STRUCTURED TEACHING PROGRAMME ON THE PREVENTIVE MEASURES OF SUICIDAL IDEATION AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN PRIYADARSHINI SCHOOL,PITHAPURAM,ANDHRA PRADESH. 1.3 OBJECTIVES: 1.3.1 To assess the knowledge regarding preventive measures of suicidal ideation among adolescents. To evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on Preventive measures of Suicidal ideation among adolescents. 1.3.3 To associate the preventive measures for suicidal ideation among adolescents with the various demographic variables. 1.4 ASSUMPTIONS: The adolescents are prone for suicidal thoughts. 1.5 HYPOTHESIS: There will be a significant difference between the preventive measures for suicidal ideation before and after administration of structured teaching programme. There will be a significant association between the preventive measures for suicidal ideation with various demographic variables 1.6 Operational Definition: 1.6.1 Suicide: is the act of intentionally taking ones own life in a culturally no endorsed manner. 1.6.2. Preventive measures: refer to the risk factors, warning signs, suicidal behavior, misconceptions of suicide, how to communicate and monitoring safety needs in the environment. 1.7 Conceptual Framework: Modified general systems theory of learning: General systems theory is useful in breaking process into sequential operations or tasks to ensure goal realization. Purpose, goal or aim is necessary for any process or system. The aim of the study is to increase the knowledge of preventive measures for suicidal ideation. Input: The first function is the input which is the information, energy or matter that enters the system. For a system to work well the input should concentrate in achieving the purpose of the system. In the present study the information, energy or matter which enters the system is the introduction of structured teaching programme regarding the preventive measures for suicidal ideation. In the present study input is the existing knowledge regarding preventive measures for suicidal ideation. Throughput: According to the theorist, throughput refers to the process used by the system to convert raw material or energy into products that are usable by the system itself or by the environment. In this active phase, teacher converts the information from structured teaching programme regarding preventive measures for suicidal ideation. Output: According to theorist, it refers to the product or service which results from the systems through put. Output in this study refers to the end product of the system. This is evidenced by adolescents gaining knowledge regarding the preventive measures for suicidal ideation. Evaluation: Evaluation is the information about some aspects of data or energy processing that can be used, to evaluate and monitor the system and to guide it to more effective performance. In the present study, evaluation measures the success or failure of output. I t is done by measuring the performance and it is graded as adequate knowledge (>75% scores), moderately adequate knowledge (50%-75% scores) and inadequate knowledge ( Feedback: The final function is feedback which is the process of communicating what is found in evaluation of the system. It is the information given back to the system to determine whether or not the purpose or end result of the system has been achieved. The final part of feed back communicates what is found in the evaluation and it tells whether the structured teaching programme was effective in enhancing the knowledge of adolescents regarding the preventive measures for suicidal ideation. 1.8 Projected Outcome: Structured teaching program helps to improve the knowledge on preventive measures for suicidal ideation among adolescents. Fig: 1.1 MODIFIED SYSTEM MODEL TO ASSESS THE KNOWLEDGE OF ADOLESCENTS REGARDING PREVENTIVE MEASURES OF SUICIDAL IDEATION OUTPUT THROUGH PUT INPUT Assessment of demographic variables of adolescents such as age, sex, family income, religion, parents education. Pre assessment of knowledge of adolescents regarding preventive measures of suicidal ideation Post assessment of knowledge of adolescents regarding preventive measures of suicidal ideation Adequate Inadequate Structured teaching Programme on Preventive measures of suicidal ideation Inadequate Moderately adequate REASSESSMENT CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE Review of Literature is a key step in research process. Nursing research may be considered as a continuing process in which knowledge gained from earlier studies is an integral part of research in general. In review of literature a researcher analyses existing knowledge before delving into a new study and when making judgement about application of new knowledge in nursing practice. The literature review is an extensive, systematic, and critical review of the most important published scholarly literature on a particular topic. 2.1 Literatures related to Suicide risk factors 2.2 Literatures related to Prevention of suicidal ideation 2.1 Literatures related to Suicide risk factors A case control study was conducted to identify and quantify risk factors for completed suicides in Bangalore, India. The study was conducted with the families of 269 completed suicides and 269 living controls within the broader population of the city using psychological autopsy methods. The results showed that, the significant risk factors for completed suicides were the presence of previous suicidal attempt in self [odds ratio (OR) = 42.62], interpersonal conflicts and marital disharmony with spouse [OR = 27.98], alcoholism [OR = 23.38], presence of mental illness [OR = 11.07], sudden economic bankruptcy [OR =7.1], domestic violence [OR = 6.82], and unemployment [OR = 6.15]. Individuals completing suicides did not have a positive outlook towards life, problem solving approaches and coping skills. The study concluded that, the intervention strategies should include prioritized macro and micro level efforts aimed at individual, family and society. (Gururaj G 2007) A study conducted involving 1205 adolescent students of two schools from New Delhi reported, one year suicidal ideation was 11.7%. they also found that physical abuse by parents, feelings neglected by parents, history of running away from school, history of suicide by a friend and death wish were found to be associated with non-fatal suicidal behavior. (Siddhartha and Jena,2006). A study conducted on bullying and risk of suicidal behaviour among adolescents in New York. Total 2341 adolescents aged 13-19 years who were enrolled in grades 9 through 12 in suburban school was selected for study. Researchers used Beck Depression Inventory to assess depression and suicide Ideation Questionnaire. Suicide attempt history included any attempt, regardless extend of injury. With regard bullying behaviour, students were asked how often they had been bullied or had bullied others in and out of school during the past 4 weeks. Being bullied was defined as having the student say or do unpleasant thing or being teased repeatedly in a way the person does not like. Result shows about 20% student reported that they were victims of bullying in school and about 10% reported that they were victims of bullying outside the school. With regard to bullying behavior, about 25% students reported that they bullied other students in school and 15% reported that they were bullied others out side school .The risk of depression, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempt was significantly higher for students who were considered either a victim or a bully compared with students who were not. The more frequent the bullying behaviour the greater risk of depression, suicidal ideation or suicidal attempt. (Wagnar KD,2007). A study conducted on rates and factors associated with suicide in Kaniymbadi block, Tamil Nadu, South India. The setting for the study was a comprehensive community health programme in a development block in rural South India. The main outcome measure was death by suicide diagnosed by detailed verbal autopsy and census and birth and death data to identify population base. Result shows the average suicide rate was 92.1 per 1,00.000. The ratio of male to female suicide was 1:0.66. The age specific suicide rate for women showed two peaks: 15-24 year and over 65 years of age. Hanging (49%) and poisoning with organo-phosphorus compound (40.5%) were commonest method of suicide. Acute or chronic stress was elicited for nearly all subjects. More men suffered from chronic stress while more women had acute precipitating events (x2= 4.58; p A study conducted on risk factors for completed suicide in Banglore, India. A case control study conducted with families of 269 completed suicides and 269 living control within the broader population of city, using psychological autopsy method. Result shows that several factor in the areas of family, marriage, education, occupation, general health, mental health and absence of protective factors contribute significantly for suicides .The significance factor were presence of previous suicidal attempt in self (odds ratio OR = 42.62), interpersonal conflicts and marital disharmony with spouse (O =27.98), alcoholism in self (OR=23.38), presence of mental illness (OR=11.07), sudden economic bankruptcy (OR=7.1), domestic violence (OR=6.82) and unemployment(OR= 6.15). Individual completing suicide did not have a positive outlook towards life, problem solving approaches and coping scale (Gururaj G and Isaac MK, 2007). A study was conducted on psychosocial risk factors associated with suicide attempts among psychiatric inpatient and this study examine how suicide attempts and violent behavior associated with various psychosocial problems. This study included 216 inpatient who had physically assaulted another patient and a comparison group of 81 inpatient who had not assaulted any one. The result was suicide attempts were associated with a history of head trauma harsh parental discipline and parental psychopathology (Menhem.I and Krakowski, 2004). A study conducted on psychosocial stressors may be strongly associated with suicide attempts; the aim of the study was to clarify the importance of psychosocial stressors in suicidal behavior and 250 suicide attempts seen at general hospital emergence room. Acute and chronic life events were assessed with the St. Paul Ramsey life experience scale Holmes and Rahes social adjustment scale respectively, life long adverse experience were also assessed. The logistic regression with dependent variable included psychosocial stressor (Odds ratio (OR)=33.6) And other interpersonal conflicts (OR =10.5) modification of life habits (OR = 14.6) adult physical abuse (OR = 7.1) confounding factors with significant ORS were cluster B traits (OR = 21.2) and finally this study mainly a replication of prior knowledge of psychosocial stressors.( Enrique Baca-Garcia, and Claudia.P.Parra,2007). A cross-sectional study of 342 adolescents aged 10-19 years from 19 schools. Multivariate analysis showed that a history of self-violence, violent thoughts toward others, mental health diagnoses other than depression, and a history of sexual abuse were positively associated with suicide attempt. Sexual abuse, mental health diagnoses other than depression, self-violence, and ease of access to lethal substances/weapons were positively associated with suicide ideation and found a relatively high prevalence of suicide ideation and suicide attempts among adolescents living in Western Jamaica. An accurate understanding of the prevailing risk factors for suicide attempts will promote a more sympathetic approach to victims and facilitate prevention efforts.( Rudatsikira E,2010). A cross-sectional school survey of 4,500 adolescent students based on a structured questionnaire. Data were collected using the supervised self-administered questionnaire (modified version of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance in the Malaysian National Language, Bahasa Malaysia). Seven percent (312 of 4,454) of the adolescent students had seriously considered attempting suicide. Among the adolescents, 4.6% had attempted suicide at least once during the 12 months preceding the survey. Female adolescents were more likely to put their suicidal thoughts into suicidal action than were male adolescents. Malay and Indian people are more likely than the Chinese to respond, Felt sad and hopeless. However, Malay adolescents had the lowest rate of attempted suicide. Based on multiple logistic regression, factors significantly related to urban adolescents suicide behavior are Felt sad or hopeless, Number of days felt unsafe to go to school, Riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol, P hysical fight, and Number of days absent from school. In comparison, factors relating to rural adolescents suicide behavior are Felt sad or hopeless, Physical fight, Physical fight resulting in injury, and Drive a vehicle after drinking alcohol. Adolescent suicide behavior should be viewed as a serious problem. Measures can be taken to prevent suicide by looking at the factors significantly linked to suicidal behavior among adolescents. Steps can then be taken to identify adolescents who have serious suicidal ideation so that intervention can be taken to reduce the suicidal rate.( Chen PC and Lee LK,2005). A comparative study conducted at Slovenia in 2006 to compare coping styles among adolescents with and without deliberate self-harm concluded that suicidal ideation was associated with higher scores on emotional coping and lower scores on rational and detachment coping styles. Deliberate self-harm was associated with significantly higher scores on avoidance coping strategies and identified a need for improving coping strategies among deliberate self harm adolescents(Marusic A, Goodwin RD,2006). A study conducted on the associations between peer and parental relationships and suicidal behaviour in early adolescents. Method used statistics Canadas National Longitudinal Survey of Children Youth as the dataset. This cross sectional sample included 1049 girls and 1041 age 12 to 13 years. Answers obtained through self- report questionnaires that included measures of peer relationships, parental nurturance, and parental rejection, suicidal ideation and attempts. Result shows that among early adolescent boys and girls, depression, poor peer relationships, decrease parental nurturance and increase parental rejection wear all significantly associated with suicidal ideation and attempt.( Sarah A and Laurence YK, 2006). 2.2 Literatures related to Prevention of suicidal ideation An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a school based suicide awareness intervention among adolescents in Louisville, Kentucky. A self report questionnaire was used to collect data. A Solomon four groups design was used to assess the efficacy of suicide intervention classes. The results revealed that, the experimental groups as compared with control groups showed significant gains in relevant knowledge about suicidal peers and significantly more positive attitudes toward help seeking and intervening with troubled peers. (Kalafat J.,2006). A study was conducted to assess the efficacy of a school based prevention programme for reducing suicide potential among high risk youth in Washington, USA. A sample of 105 subjects at suicide risk participated in a three group, repeated measures, intervention study. Participants in (1) an assessment plus 1 semester experimental programme, (2) an assessment plus 2- semester experimental programme, and (3) an assessment only group were compared, using data from pre intervention, 5 month, and 10 month follow up assessments. The results suggested that, all groups showed decreased suicide risk behaviours, depression, hopelessness, stress, and anger; all groups also reported increased self- esteem and network social support. Increased personal control was observed only in the experimental groups, and not in the assessment only control group. The potential efficacy of the experimental school based prevention programme was demonstrated. The study concluded that, the necessary and sufficient strategies for suicide prevention have to be adopted. (Eggert LL, 2004). A study was conducted to assess the impact of a suicide prevention programme for adolescents on suicidal tendencies, hopelessness, ego identity, and coping ability in Israel. 393 adolescents from six schools participated in the study. The subjects were randomly divided into experimental (n = 215) and control (n= 178) groups. The experimental groups took part in seven weekly 2 hour meetings. In this pre-test post-test design, the students completed questionnaires of suicidal tendencies, hopelessness, ego identity, and coping ability before and after the programme. The statistical analysis showed that the experimental groups were superior to the controls, with at least some of the dependent measures pointing out the effectiveness of the programme ( Orbach I, 2003). An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Signs of Suicide (SOS) prevention programme in Farmington, USA. 2,100 students in 5 high schools were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Self administered questionnaire were completed by students in both groups approximately 3 months after programme implementation. The results revealed that, significantly lower rates of suicide attempts and greater knowledge and more adaptive attitudes about depression and suicide were observed among students in the intervention group than control group. The study concluded that, SOS is the first school based suicide prevention programme to demonstrate significant reductions in self reported suicide attempts (Eggert LL and Thompson EA,2007). A study was conducted on the effectiveness of school based psycho-educational programme in suicide prevention in adolescents. Sample collected from 172 high school students in the 16-18 age group include 108 girls and 64 boys. Method used a structured self-report questionnaire. The results show that the programme had no effect on coping styles and level of hopelessness. However positive effect on knowledge could be identified an interaction effect of the programme with gender on attitude was also found. A negative impact of programme could not be found. Findings from study suggest that psycho-educational programs in schools may influence knowledge about suicide and attitudes towards suicidal persons but may not affect the use of coping styles or levels of hopelessness (Gwendolyn P and Kees VH,2006). A study was conducted on the evaluation of the signs of suicide prevention program where data was collected from 4133 students in 9 schools. Method used self administered questionnaires completed by students in both groups approximately 3 month after the program implementation. Result shows significantly lower rates of suicide attempts and greater knowledge and more adaptive attitude about depression and suicide were observed in intervention group.( Robert H and Asetine J,2007). A study was conducted on to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an Informational Booklet on cancer risk factors among college students, nurses and doctors at university of Delhi. The objectives of the study was (1) to prepare an informational booklet on cancer risk factors (2) to assess the knowledge before and after the administration of informational booklet on cancer risk factors and (3) to determine the acceptability and utility of an informational booklet by college students, nurses and doctors. The one group pre-test post-test pre experimental research design adopted Convenient sampling method was used to select sample size 30. The data collection instruments used were (I) a structured knowledge questionnaire to assess the knowledge of students and (2) two structured opinionnaires were used to gather opinion regarding acceptability and utility of the booklet from college students, doctors and nurses. The results shown that information booklet is effective in increasing th e knowledge of the college students as evident from t (29) = 52.44 higher significant. Doctors and nurses were higher and close to the maximum possible acceptability and utility scores. The study concluded that the informational booklet was acceptable and useful for findings cancer risk factors ( Bairwa KS,2002). CHAPTER III MATERIALS AND METHODS Research design provides the glue that holds the research project together. A design is used to structure the research, to show how all of the major parts of the research project. This study was designed to find out effectiveness of structured teaching programme in promoting knowledge on preventive measures of suicidal ideation among adolescents. This study was conducted by adopting following steps of research process as research design, setting, population and sampling, criteria for selection of samples, instruments and tools for data collection and methods of data analysis. Pilot study was conducted and changes were incorporated. 3.1 Research Design:The study was based on one group pre test and post test design. Pre test knowledge on preventive measures of suicidal ideation among adolescents was assessed before providing education programme. Education regarding what is suicide, risk factors,misconceptions and facts, preventive measures of suicide was delivered through lecture cum discussion method by using LCD, blackboard. After a period of 5 to 7 days of education, the knowledge on preventive measures of suicidal ideation among adolescent was reassessed. The paired t test was used to compare the pre test score and post test score and assosciation was used to find among variables. 3.2 Setting of the Study: The study was conducted in Priyadarshini High school Pithapuram, Andhra Pradesh. 3.3 Population: The population of this study consisted of adolescents in the 9th standard. 3.3.1 Sample size: Size was determined by purposive sampling. All adolescents in the 9th standard were taken for the study 50 students. 3.4 Criteria for selection of sample: Inclusion criteria: Adolescents in the class of 9th standard Variables of the study: 3.5.1 Independent variable: The independent variable in this study is structured teaching programme on preventive measures of suicidal ideation. 3.5.2 Dependent variable: The dependent variable in this study is knowledge level gained by adolescent. 3.6 Instruments and tools for data collection: A questionnaire was prepared to assess the knowledge of adolescents towards preventive measures of suicidal ideation . A structured questionnaire was developed based on literature, journal, text book. The questionnaire has two aspects demographic data and questionnaire on preventive measures of suicidal ideation. Section A: The demographic data includes sample number, age, sex, number of siblings, religion, family profile. Section B: This section consists of 25 questions, for each question 4 options were given in that only one is correct, students have to tick any one of the 4 options. For each question one mark was awarded, maximum mark obtained was 25. It was mandatory that all the 25 questions should be responded by the student. Scoring: Adequate : >75% Moderately adequate: 50 -75% Inadequate : 3.7 Reliability and validity of instruments and tools for data collection: The tool was prepared with the help of literature, research and subject guides. The reliability and validity was tested through pilot study. Additions and modifications suggested by experts were included in the tool. 3.8 Data Collection Procedure: Data collection was done in the month of July; data was collected through self administered questionnaire. After assessment education was delivered through lecture cum discussion using LCD, charts, black board. Doubts were clarified at the end of teaching. The reassessment was done after 5 to 7 days from the day the education started. 3.9 Method of Data Analysis and Interpretation: Frequency distribution tables were formulated for all baseline information. Frequencies were tabulated to understand the knowledge on preventive measures of suicidal ideation. The distribution pattern was depicted through appropriate graphical methods. Results were inferred through statistical techniques likes paired t test and association was used among variables. 3.9.1 Paired t test: This formula was adopted to find out the significant difference between pretest and post test score, of adolescents to understand the knowledge on preventive measures of suicidal ideation. = Mean difference between pretest and post test score. d = Difference between pretest score and post test score. SD = Standard deviation of the pretest score and post test score. = number of samples. 3.10 Report of Pilot Study: Pilot study was conducted in Priyadarshini School, Pithapuram,Andhra Pradesh. For the Pilot Study 16 Students were taken from 9th standard. The questionnaire was given to the students for the assessment of knowledge on Prevention Of suicidal ideation, after Pre-test it was found that only 2 students had adequate knowledge, 13 had moderately adequate knowledge,1 had in adequate knowledge. After structured teaching programme, the result of the Post test is as follows, 8 students had adequate knowledge, 8 students had moderately adequate knowledge. None of them had inadequate knowledge. 3.11. Changes Brought After pilot Study: After the pilot study changes were made in the questionnaire. CHAPTER -IV DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Data analysis is the process of analyzing the data in such a way that the research questions can be answered (Hungler and Polit, 2004). This chapter deals with analysis and interpretation of data collected from students of Priyadarshini high school in Pithapuram, A.P. Students knowledge on preventive measures of suicidal ideation w