Ab105 Organizational Behavior Critical Thinking

AB105 Organizational Behavior Critical Thinking The Management of Organizational Justice By Russell Cropanzano, David E. Bowen, and Stephen W. Gilliland Summary of the key issues This paper has addressed the organizational justice from various aspects and provided recommendations to enhance the fairness in the managerial activities. Firstly, it has discussed the importance of justice in workgroup from its long-range benefits, social and ethical considerations. Secondly, the authors analyzed the three components of organizational justice, namely distributive, procedural and interactional justice in details to highlight the differences between the three in business activities. Next, the paper summarized the influences of organizational justice and these include enhanced trust and commitment, improved job performance, more helpful organizational citizenship behavior, as well as greater customer satisfaction and loyalty. Lastly, after identifying the critical significance of organizational justice in building a company’s identity, recommendations on how to enhance the fairness in managerial activities are proposed. The authors had cited examples from several past studies and discussed from five angles which are hiring, performance appraisal, reward systems, conflict management and downsizing. Other Theoretical Perspectives on Organizational Justice This paper has mentioned the equity theory which is one of the earliest theories of justice brought by Aristotle. This theory emphasizes that people should be paid in proportion to their contributions. Nevertheless, equity theory focuses more on the distributive justice. Through careful research, there are other perspectives and positions on this issue. Fairness heuristic theory Fairness heuristic theory is concerned with how people react to outcomes of their authorities, and makes some predictions concerning the relationship between perceived fairness of procedures, perceived fairness of outcomes and acceptance of outcomes. This theory highlighted that employees would make decisions about others’ trustworthiness. It also discussed whether one can avoid exploitation by using available information. Uncertainty management theory Uncertainty management theory assumed that people manage uncertainty by using fairness; for instance, receiving information on the reliability of an authority figure may reduce uncertainty about unjust treatment in the future and alleviate doubt about the outcome of a possible figure. Uncertainty theory has explained why people care about justice and how they form justice judgment. This theory has relevant implications as information on managerial decisions should be provided to gain the trust from the employees to enhance procedural justice. Group engagement theory This model explains why and how procedural justice shapes cooperation in groups, organizations and societies. It has established a link between justice and corporation via its several hypotheses, such as the importance of procedures in shaping one’s social identity within a group, and the impact of this social identity on his attitudes, values and behaviors. Group engagement theory has provided insights in organizational justice as managers should treat people fairly to win their corporation. Evidence Assessment In general, the evidence provided in this paper is reliable and well-established. The key issues of the article such as importance of organizational behavior and recommendations on fairness workplace enhancement are thoroughly – discussed. The authors had researched over a wide pool of studies across a time span of 20 years, ensuring the relevance, accuracy and sufficiency of the data. Nonetheless, there are some minor limitations. First of all, little evidence was demonstrated to support the discussion on prescriptive and subjective justice, with mere definition of the two, which in turn affects the completeness of the analysis on organizational justice management. Secondly, the authors mentioned about the external equity in affecting reward system, but no proof was offered to support the claim on the influence on the disparity of salaries from the external marketplace. Lastly, although this paper has detailed coverage on the improved employee organizational behavior by establishing organizational justice, it only focuses on the procedural justice and this coverage is insufficient in my viewpoint. Other research suggest that all the three types of organizational justice have direct relationships on enhancing citizenship behavior as â€Å"trust appears to be an important mediating variable (Konovsky and Pugh, 1994). Organizational justice enhances employee trust, which in turn stimulates the display of citizenship behavior. † Assumption Analysis Several assumptions are identified in the analysis of this paper. This paper assumes that self – interest motives favor equity and people across different age groups, genders, races and education levels will perceive justice similarly (which might not be necessarily valid). Another underlying assumption in the managerial activities is that decision makers will treat the employees with genuineness while undertaking the recommended measures, because the absence of the sincerity will make the employees feel disrespected and manipulated. The influence of different contexts plays a key role in organizational justice as it will affect one’s justice perceptions. Out of all the variables, gender and culture are the main factors. Studies have shown that male’s major concern in reward allocation was protecting their own interests while females’ interests lie on maintaining the welfare of all group members. Furthermore, in a society with emphasis on collectivism, members emphasized more on particularistic principle of need or social status distribution instead of equity, as compared to societies based on individualism. Conclusions, Implications and Consequences This article has provided a detailed understanding of organizational justice. In conclusion, injustice in an organization will create problems, leading to inefficiency and unproductivity while justice acts will provide excellent business opportunities and maintain respect and trust within organizations. Therefore, it is advisable to put in efforts in improving distributive, procedural and interactional justice simultaneously in managerial activities. Furthermore, managers could also apply different organizational justice measures according to employees’ various justice perceptions which vary with genders and cultures, in order to reap the maximum benefits from exercising organizational justice in a workplace. (Word count: 1019 words)

A Brief History of the Jews of Brazil Essay

The history of Jews in Brazil is a unique case, because we do not know of many other countries in which they have been significantly present in the very first movements of that nationrsquos history, continuously participating in its economic and social development. In fact, since the ldquodiscoveryldquo of Brazil to the present time, the Jews, almost without interval, openly or disguised, have been integrated into the processes of formation of Brazilian nationality. My aim in this paper is to provide a summary of Jewish history in Brazil by highlighting four major historical periods The First Portuguese Period (1500-1630) The Dutch Period (1630 -1654) The Second Portuguese Period (1654-1822) and The Cosmopolitan Period (1822-1966). br / The First Portuguese Period (1500-1630)br / ?When Portugal was at the height of its expansion in the world, in 1500, Brazil was ldquodiscoveredrdquo by the kingdom. It was then simply military glory, coupled with the desire to enlarge the Catholic faith, that compelled the Portuguese to their grand maritime expeditions (Grinberg 15). But just these reasons alone would not have sufficed to promote the extraordinary expansion of Portugal. The great cycle of the Portuguese conquests would not have been achieved without the long period of scientific discoveries and improvements that preceded it, in which the Iberian Jews played such a key role. As a prime example of this involvement, in Henry the Navigatorrsquos quotNautical School of Sagresquot, the first Portuguese academy of navigation(founded in 1412), was employed one of the most famous cartographers of the fifteenth century, the Jewish Yehuda Cresques, whose main task was to teach Portuguese pilots the basics of navigation well as the production and handling of nautical instruments (Serebrenick and Lipiner 7). br / ?The Jewish contribution to the discovery of new routes and new lands to the Portuguese crown was not limited only to the scientific field, however, but also translated into direct participation in these dangerous travels, including the expedition that resulted in the discovery of Brazil. The fleet led by Pedro Alvares Cabral, included at least three Jewish advisers the astronomer Master John, Pedro Nunes the navigator, and Gaspar de Lemos, an interpreter and ship commander, rightly regarded by historians as partly responsible for the discovery of Brazil (Serebrenick and Lipiner 9). br / ?With increasing incentives of the Portuguese government towards the occupation and settlement of the Brazilian territory, more and more Iberic Jews began migrating to Brazil. Because the wealthier Portuguese and Spanish Jews sustained a lot of the territoryrsquos early economic progress, they were able enjoy considerable freedom of worship and custom (Grinberg 21). This panorama of tolerance contrasted sharply with the wave of hatred and discrimination that swept Portugal, where, like neighboring Spain, persecution was widespread. It is thus understandable that many Jews of 1 / 3 Portugal, affected by overwhelming religious persecution, felt compelled to try a new life in Brazil,which to them seemed like a safe haven where they could materialize their aspirations for peace and freedom. br / ? The Jewish community, thanks to strong immigration and natural growth, reached a reasonable proportion in comparison with the general population, enough to counter the risk of assimilation. Around 1570, however, things took a turn for the worse, as there began to appear signs of restrictions on freedom, which only grew with time (Serebrenick and Lipiner 12). The circumstances soon forced the Jews to return, much like those in the motherland, to a life of great caution and alertness. The first official manifestation of intolerance was found in 1573 in the city of Salvador, which installed an auto-de-fe. Paradoxically, but perhaps on purpose, the first victim was not a Jew, but a Frenchman who was accused of heresy, condemned and burned alive. In Bahia, the Inquisition remained (though inactive for many years) until 1593 (Grinberg 29). br /?In 1618, Bahia was the target of a new visitation of the Holy Office, during which time many Marranos were reported and pursued, among them many wealthy men of the sugar mills. This fact that prompted the first large wave of immigration of Jews within Brazil they left the Northeast in search of the more tolerant South, especially the captaincy of Satildeo Vicente (Satildeo Paulo), which was the most liberal region (Serebrenick and Lipiner 15). Because of the growing persecution of Jews in Portugal in the last decades of the sixteenth century, they began to emigrate not only to Brazil but also, inlarge numbers, to several countries of Western Europe, especially to Holland, where flourishing trade and religious tolerance prevailed (Grinberg 32). This allowed for the rapid formation of a large Jewish community, centered in the city of Amsterdam, rightly nicknamed the quotNew Jerusalemquot. The simultaneous emigration of Portuguese Jews to Brazil and the Netherlands, led to the establishment of a commercial and affective link between the Jews of Brazil and those of Holland (Serebrenick and Lipiner 15). br / The Dutch Period (1630-1654)br / ?The hope of the Brazilian Jews that their lot would improve due to some form of Dutch intervention did not fail. Through a series of attempts at the conquest of the Brazilian Northeast in the years 1624 to 1627, the Dutch finally succeeded on February 15, 1630. The city of Pernambuco was attacked by a powerful fleet of 70 ships, effectively beginning the occupation of the Northeast, which would last until 1654. The years of peaceful Dutch rule were few, but enough to enable the Jews to rapidly flourish economically, socially and culturally, building in Northeast Brazil one of the most thriving communities of the time (Grinberg 35). br / ?With the advent of the Dutch and the consequent deployment of a great religious tolerance, the landscape was changing. Uninterrupted waves of Jews flocked to Pernambuco from several countries, especially from Holland, bringing commercial experience and a wonderful spirit of achievement. These Jews from the Netherlands ndash who were largely former refugees from Portugal,Spain and France – had the further advantage of speaking several languages Spanish, French, Ladino, Dutch, besides the most important, Portuguese, which was the language spoken in Brazil (Grinberg 35). A great number of them served as interpreters for the thousands of men in the Dutch army and navy, consisting of mercenaries – Dutch, English, French, German, Polish and others – who did not speak Portuguese. From simple interpreters, they increasingly became businessmen, merchants and landowners, coming to, in effect, virtually control the economic life of Brazilrsquos New Holland. The main street of Recife (in Pernambuco) was known as quotStreet of the Jewsquot and the port was called quotpier of the Jewsquot (Serebrenick and Lipiner 17). br /. The Second Portuguese Period (1654-1822)br / ?With the fall of Recife and subsequent surrender of the Dutch, the Jewish community in northeastern Brazil became largely scattered. A small portion of the people resigned to staying in the country, dispersing through its territory, while the majority opted for emigration. Of these, one group – consisting of the richest and probably most connected in the Netherlands – decided to return to Holland, while most preferred to face the unknown, venturing into more distant stops throughout 2 / 3 the Americas – Guyana, West Indies and New Netherlands in the United States. Numerous Jewish settlements began to appear to the North, one of which would eventually lead to the extraordinary Jewish community of the United States of America (Grinberg 52). In North America, a group of 23 Jewswho left Recife immediately after its fall, camped on September 12, 1654, on the margins of the Hudson, in the village of New Amsterdam (now New York). br / ?As already mentioned, the exodus that took place after the expulsion of the Dutch did not cover the entire Jewish population of Northeast Brazil, since a good number of Marranos resolved to remain on the land they had learned to love. These remaining Jews eventually were able to peacefully spread throughout Brazil, including in areas of the Northeast itself, minimizing the appearance of their Jewish origin (Serebrenick and Lipiner 23). Unfortunately, the flames of persecution were to be once again fanned by the Inquisition. This new wave of terror unfolded for about 70 years, especially violent in the periods 1707 to 1711 and from 1729 to 1739, making the first half of the seventeenth century perhaps the darkest period of Jewish history in Brazil (Serebrenick and Lipiner 26). Only after 1770 would the conditions come to place that would forever eradicate the cancer of the Inquisition. To this day no one knows for sure how many Jews from Brazil fell victim to the Portuguese Inquisition. br / The Cosmopolitan Period (1822-1966)br / ?Once the country was made independent from the Portuguese crown, in 1822, full freedom of conscience was established. In the second half of the century, Jews from various countries of Western Europe – French, English, Austrians and Germans ndash began to come in force to Rio de Janeiro and its neighboring states, especially in Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais(Serebrenick and Lipiner 31). Another large group emigrated from Morocco to the Amazon region. The two settlements – the Amazon region and Rio de Janeiro – did not seem keep any significant relations and had, moreover, some different characteristics (Grinberg 61). The Amazon community was more stable, while in the South, the Jews originating in Western Europe came in order to flourish and then return to their country of origin, although many would end up staying in Brazil (Grinberg 61). br / ?In the last decade of the nineteenth century Jewish immigration grew, multiplying the diversity in countries of origin and also the in regions where immigrants came to settle. Whereas until then the Jewish immigrants came almost exclusively from North Africa and Western Europe, now there were waves of Jewish immigrants from the Eastern Mediterranean – Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine – as well as Russia and neighboring countries. These settled mostly in the Southeast (Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais), but also spread out in smaller groups to many other states, both to the South and Northeast. br / ?Though the scope has been very limited and many details necessarily left out, I have sought to give a brief account of Jewish life in Brazilian history. The history of Jews in Brazil is a long and honorable history, dotted undoubtedly suffering, but also full of success, translated into positive and fundamental contributions to the development of the country and the training of its people ndash and that history that is still being written. /body /html POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG).

Application of Simulation Technique in Queuing Model for ATM Facility Essay

1.0 Issues/ Problem Statement: Most of the ATMs have the problem of long queue of customers to undergo simple transaction at the peak hours and remain idle due to the lack of customer entry at the off peak hours. 2.0 Objectives: 1. To develop a simulation model to reduce the waiting time of customers and the total operation cost related to ATM installation. 2. To determine whether only one machine is required to fulfill the need or two more machines are needed to be installed to give comfort to customers who are really of short period of time. 3. To develop an efficient procedure for ATM queuing problem 3.0 Literature Review: Apart from ATM problem, simulation with queuing model had been used for various applications too: According to Pieter Tjerk de Boer (1983), substantial focus has been dedicated to the estimation of overflow probabilities in queuing networks. A different adaptive method has applied to queuing problems than in the present work with few simple models been considered.The article of S. S. Lavenberg(1989) has discussed that simulation is feasible for statistically studying a complex queuing model. Moderate simulation durations are found to be sufficient to obtain precise confidence interval estimates. As current configuration at each step of savings or insertion procedures is possibly infeasible, thus the alternative configuration is one that yields the largest savings in some criterion functions with these procedures can be found in Clarke and Wright (1964) or in Solomon (1987). Christofides et al (1981) has discussed Lagrangean relaxation procedures for the queuing of customer in front of ATM. Interactive optimization is incorporated into the problem-solving process with adaptations of this approach to queuing are presented by Krolak et al (1970). Brame and SimchiLevi (1995) has illustrated simulation model is worked by initially introducing the location based heuristic for general queuing problem as a location problem which is solved subsequently and the solution is transformed into solution to the queuing problem. 4.0 Methodology: Simulation technique in queuing model is used for solving ATM waiting time problem since this problem cannot be solved with mathematical techniques and physical experimentation. Simulation technique helps identifying the pitfalls of existing 3 ATM services of 3 different banks at VIT (Vellore Institute of Technology). Initially, the simulation is being applied to see the rate of entry and exit, the waiting time of a customer with the ATM machine’s idle time after observation of the similar and continuous trend on weekdays and weekends separately. The next step i.e. utilize queuing model to examine the number of customers in the system to the customers wait before being served, thereby it proposes a new ATM service from any of these banks or other than the existing banks based upon the service required from the customers. A suitable simulation technique is also formulated to reduce idle time of servers and waiting time of customers for any bank having ATM facility. 5.0 Findings: The overall result shows the comparison between the three banks based on several characteristic, by applying mathematical formula, the simulation technique and queuing theory. From the simulation result, Indian Bank weekend has the lowest expected time customer spends in the system, 80; whereas Indian Bank weekdays free and Centurion bank have the highest in expected time customer spends in the system that is 120. Apart from that, the result also shows Indian Bank weekdays free and Centurion Bank has the 0 time for the customer expected to wait, whereas SBI weekend has the highest expected waiting time per customer, 12. From the queuing result, Centurion Bank has the lowest expected time customer spend in the system that is 189, whereas Indian Bank weekdays free, SBI weekdays free and SBI weekend has showed the highest, 250. For the expected waiting time per customer, Centurion Bank has showed the lowest 69, whereas SBI weekend with the highest result, 159. 6.0 Discussions: By taking one day as a standard, a heavy crowd is found in prime hours during the weekdays in Indian Bank and SBI ATMs, the equipment ATM is 100% utilized by the customers. Utilization factor for Indian Bank and SBI in the non-busy hours is 50% and 55% respectively. In weekend period, the utilization factor for Indian Bank and SBI is 62% and 64% respectively. The reason shows that the SBI has obtained the highest utilization factor among the other 2 banks is because of the customers do not face the â€Å"Out of Service Problem† which is frequently occurred in Indian Bank and Centurion Bank, with an average of two times in a week. However, it takes more time to reload the currency in the ATM machine than Indian Bank in SBI. Few customers have the ATM transaction with Centurion Bank because of the dissatisfaction on its customer service and the minimum number of branches throughout the India. In addition, from the tabulate results, SBI ATM has obtained the minimum Ws and Wq than the other two banks which imply that it has attained the customer satisfaction on its services. 7.0 Recommendations: Every aspect that has an effect on making the waiting time longer in the ATM should be taken into the consideration. The aspects like the people that are not well versed with ATM, customers who have stand in the queue and leave, the time the workers take to feed the ATM with currency, out of stock situation and holidays which mostly after exams the utility of ATM should be taken into account of the waiting problem. Another recommendation is the sample size should be extended into larger sample size and more days of observation to obtain more accurate results. In addition, the consideration of waiting cost and service cost can help developing an efficient procedure for ATM queuing problem and to find out the best ATM facility. 8.0 Conclusion: Queuing Model and Simulation Model(SM) are used to define the queuing problems in terms of decision making to reduce the customer’s waiting time. After comparing the customers’ behaviour on different TM service at VIT, a new ATM machine (SBI) should be installed in men’s hostel to facilitate more customers towards the service by reducing the customers cost and service cost for the long run’s benefit. 9.0 Personal Comment/ opinion: In the last ten years, simulation software and methodology has been developed and used in the bank services. The previous sections have shown that using the simulation technique can increase sustainability of a bank with better customer service and enhanced customer satisfaction. However, this simulation technique is not limited only in modeling the customer in a bank, but the same concept can also be applied in defining and analyzing the model of a system or problem in the banking areas. Other areas can be modeled in banking areas such as customer flows to evaluate alternative layout within a branch bank, cash flows between branches and the bank’s central office. Once these models developed, it can easily be used to examine the effect of different parameters on the variables in the model.

U choose a topic Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

U choose a topic - Case Study Example This water industry operated under strict regulations from both governmental and nongovernmental organizations concerned with quality assurance. One such organization includes the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), and the America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These bodies are usually concerned with facilitating adoption of safety and quality related standards to consumer markets. Within any economic environment, bottled water industry plays a significant role in enhancing management and rational utilization of ground water (Gleick 54). In addition, this industry provides numerous opportunities for commercial ventures involving different stakeholders like suppliers and logistical manufactures. In the recent past, statistics indicates steadily increasing sales in bottled water within the global consumer market. In 2009 alone, sales of bottled water were approximately $78 billion within that fiscal year alone. In 2010, sales increased by 4.3% to hit a revenu e target of $81 billion. This specific increase within that short period indicates availability of business opportunities within the industry (Eshleman 71). In this regard, certain success factors facilitate achievement of production, distribution and sales objectives by involved companies. One such factor is conformance to production standards required by the industry. Bottled water industry is under governance by federal and state authorities in matters relating to product quality. In order for any organization to gain considerable recognition within any given marketing environment, they will first develop reliable standards of production allowed by relevant authorities. Within the American market, success only comes after an organization gains quality approval from the Food and Drug Association. Apart from such a local quality assurance authorities, other producers choose to advance towards attainment of standards required by international bodies like IBWA (Vasconcellos 84). In t his context, success is directly related to level of conformance to existing standards of product quality in the market. Another integral success factor in bottled water industry involves marketing strategies employed by a given company. In this case, an example of strategy that directly influence marketing trends include distribution and sales patterns used by a marketing agency to reach target consumers (Eshleman 88). Consumer trends suggest that individuals are more likely to purchase a convenience related product whenever their proximity to that product increases. In actual consumer markets, bottled water occupies same shelves as those of other soft drinks in convenience stores. In addition, bottled water can also be sold along with other soft drinks in restaurants, hotels and snack shops. This means that the ability of an organization to avail their product to these premises increases their chances of sales success. From a more practical illustration, Coca Cola utilized its sof t drink distribution channels to deliver its bottled water brands to the market. Fortunately, Coca Cola had a fully developed and efficient distribution channel for their soft drink market. The company was under no commercial obligation to develop a new distribution channel for their new products (Eshleman 92). In this regard, the company in subject supplied mineral water filled bottles to store shelves selling their popular soft drinks. Changes in the industry Since its inception on a commercial scale level,

The understanding of genre in animatedfilm Essay

The understanding of genre in animatedfilm - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that choosing on a genre to narrow down on and may be discussed more it is going to form the basics and outline of this proposal. The present research has identified that the reason behind this fact is that going by the different genres in the film industry; one is always tempted to follow their heart in arriving at a conclusion. Therefore, as a result, this paper would love to give out the very impression that the choice of selection lies entirely on my field of interest. The researcher states that science fiction film may perhaps fall onto the author’s field of interest and become the lead topic of discussion. Since in the researcher’s earlier statement, it was indicated that science fiction films will be my area of specialization, not all science fiction movies will earn a direct entry into the discussion panel. The author has rightly presented that a close look at the marketing strategies employed to sell out the film and most importantly production of the film will be the key factors to consider in the vetting process whose key mandate will be to sieve the very best from the rest. The aim of passing these films through a stringent vetting process will be to ensure that our end result will be able to meet our expectations and set standards. These and other considerations will be put in place to ensure that we come up with an appealing to all end result.

Global Performance of German and France Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global Performance of German and France - Essay Example It is hard to say whether the impact has been positive or negative because there is lot of gap and difference between the status in the middle and upper and lower middle and low classes of business. Globalization has widened this gap to the extent that they look un-breach able. Whichever way you look at this transformation it is obvious that globalization is an economical aspect. And it is good that it is; the onset of globalization has kick-started a movement of liberalization of independent thought process, which due to the heightened global interconnectivity may prove more successful than it ever was in any of the past socio-economic and cultural revolutions and in this respect these two countries, France and Germany, cannot be overlooked. (Dos, 441-442) Globalization is a big word today and one that has changed the way we look at and understand things around us. What is actually globalization? What do we understand by this word? Globalization is simply the predisposition of the economy through business, knowledge through technology and thought through philosophy to spread globally. Globalization can also mean the process by which this happens. This term is almost synonymous with intertwining of markets and economies without any consideration for physical border or legal restraints and it general it is well applicable for France and Germany. (Fletcher, 188)... The downside is that globalization seems to profit the rich more and the poor less, thus widening the gap further. It is true that globalization actually means the broadening of global linkages, while also impacting upon the social and cultural dimensions of the global society, hence propagating a one-world-citizenship which has one economy, one culture and one social order. Ecumenically globalization's definition would be complete with the above classifications. But there are many inroads in the understanding of the term. This is the process with which the poor countries can think of modernization and global competition, enhanced living standards, and work opportunities; on the other hand this very same process is the one which can destroy economies by sudden influx of foreign capital, can destroy marginalized workers livelihood and destabilize national banks. Hence, globalization literally is like a coin - with two very separate sides and much of it is realized in France and German y. However it should be mentioned that France is much well placed in terms of economy in this context when compared to Germany. At the same note it can be mentioned that the economic equilibrium in the international level is changing very quickly with the affects of financial flows and increasing trade. It is globalization that forces us to re evaluate the position of Europe along with major countries like France and Germany in the world market. This new wave of economy has given enough impetuous that positions held about three years ago are certainly to be changed. As it is these two countries are not doing in a very favourable mode in the international economic sector and domestically these two countries are witnessing rising inequalities with industrial instability as

Researching gender and crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Researching gender and crime - Essay Example This paper, incidentally will be concerned with evaluating and giving a detailed analysis of the research in two stages: stage one will look into summarizing the entire research work while stage two will be on an evaluation of the research based on the methodology. Research in Criminology is often described as an investigation often conducted on any phenomenon that is linked to any or all existing aspects of the criminal justice system (Dantzker and Hunter, 2012).Therefore, any research that pertains to criminology should bear themes that pertain to criminal acts, the social justice, offenders, legal or illegal actions to mention but a few. In the article, the research was carried out on five male ex-offenders who attempted to give a description of their distinct experiences of life after prison; this in itself already qualifies the research with reference to its appropriateness in Criminology. There is also a need to understand that research in Criminology is often divided into two: applied research and basic research; in this particular research, applied research has been incorporated as it focuses on one particular issue, the ex-offenders’ status and how it impacts self and gives implications of the effects top foster change. To know if at all the research is valid; it is necessary to contextualize how it was conducted in light of how criminological research should be carried out. To begin with, the research problem is clearly defined in terms of what the study intends to look into which are the experiences that the ex-prisoners go through after leaving prison specifically in terms of employment, self-change and identity. Objectives in research are detrimental as they give the researcher a sense of direction; in the study the objective is captured under the purpose of study, which is to understand the experience of

Discussion Documents Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Documents - Assignment Example higher learning including: University of Phoenix where she earned her doctorate degree in Organizational Leadership and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in the school of Business Management, Webster University where she earned her Masters of Arts in Management and the University of Alabama, where she did her Bachelor of Science in Education. Nita is Passionate about her job. This is evidently seen as she becomes a woman who is deeply committed to serving her people in the City and County of Denver. She is also considered to be a great asset to the CSA, City and County of Denver due to her exceptional leadership ability, strategic vision and broad management expertise. Nita is also an inspiration and a patriotic member of her city, Denver. This follows the fact that, at her appointment, she felt thrilled and honored to work for her people within her philosophy that leadership is always about ability to inspire others and see absolute relevance and importance of their

Engineering Design Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Engineering Design Practice - Essay Example Fires have been among the foremost threats to human life and property. Injuries, deaths and loss of property resulting from fires each year. Such losses can be avoided by applying fire prevention controls and being prepared for emergencies. Fire detection and alarm systems are key features in any dwelling’s fire prevention and protection strategy. NBS has published standards for the protection of individuals and property from the dangers of fire.  The objective of this study was to evaluate fire preparedness of Mr and Mrs Jones proposed new home. It includes an assessment of the following requirements: Means of Warning and Escape Sufficient means of early warning. An adequate number of routes suitably located to enable escape to a place of safety. Adequate protection of routes from the effects of fire. Internal Fire Spread (Linings) Linings will adequately resist the spread of flame over their surfaces. If ignited, linings will have a rate of reasonable heat release. Internal Fire Spread (Structure) In the event of a fire, the stability of the structure will be maintained for a reasonable period. Appropriate measures to inhibit the spread of fire within the building. External Fire Spread External walls of the building will adequately resist the spread of fire.

Influence of Television on Young Children Assignment - 6

Influence of Television on Young Children - Assignment Example Almost every household in the U.K and many other countries in the world have a television set. The television serves to entertain, inform and educate the audience depending on the program that is being watched. It is quite evident that young children are never left behind when it comes to watching television. Experts note that children should be allowed to watch TV judiciously and moderately if they have to benefit from it and are quick to warn that young children can be negatively influenced by the content they watch on TV.  In as much as television may have positive influences on young children, it is greatly associated with several ills.   For one, studies have shown that when children watch violent programs on TV, they tend to emulate the violent â€Å"heroes† that they see and act violently toward their peers, animals, and even older people.   For example, when they watch Steven Seagal acting in The Glimmer Man, young children believe the actor is a hero and may act like they see him do against their peers.   Furthermore, children may adopt risky behaviors such as smoking and drinking as a consequence of what they see on television according to kidshealth.org. Other negative influences of TV on children include reinforcing racial and gender-role stereotypes.   In conclusion, Television may have good or bad influences on young children depending on how much and what they watch.      

Is it democratic or undemocratic that smaller states can make big Essay

Is it democratic or undemocratic that smaller states can make big changes - Essay Example 1-20). According to some scholars, the advantages given to these small states are a key part of the constitution, and that the stakeholders should not worry of this trend. On the other hand, some perceive this situation as a difficult case that cannot have an immediate solution. They see this as infringement of the voting power of citizens which significantly impacts on the democracy of the senate (Liptak par. 1-20). The substantial population differences between large and small states are a key cause for demographic gap that leads to a wide variance in the political power. The issue of the filibuster in the senate also threatens democracy according to some scientists. This gives the senators in these small states to magnify their power using the filibuster greater than the senators of large states. Since the small states senators form the majority in the senate, they have the tendency of blocking or shaping the legislation passed in the senate. This ends up bringing benefits to the conservatives contrary to the liberals. Some critical bills in the senate like the carbon emission, immigration and campaign spending, suffer rejection due to the number of a small state senators. The federal state role in injecting funds to the small states has done a lot to assist those residents in these states. This has made these states enjoy more political power that other states contrary to the constitution that stipulates equal political voice irrespective of the population (Liptak par. 1-20). Some scholars still insist that it is democratic for these small states to enjoy these privileges so as to prevent them from sidelining by the majority. They emphasize that, without an appropriate strategy, to protect the minority states, all the wealth will end up in the prosperous states. Another argues that urban areas already have key

The Simpsons Essay Example for Free

The Simpsons Essay On one day Matt Groeing was sitting and sketching out side James L Brooks office he invented the Simpsons. They were first shown as 30-second bumpers in the Tracy Ullman show. Bumpers are shown before the adverts. They were very successful so Fox Network took a very huge risk to produce a half hour episode of the Simpsons. The Simpsons was not test marketed to a group of sample viewers because there wasnt enough time. The first episode shown on 17th December 1989 Called The Simpsons roasting on an open fire. The animated show is made up during a 6 to 10 month production time at first a script is made. Then the people who do the voices are recorded on to a tape. Then they make a storyboard with the use of the actors voices in Klasy-Csupo animation house where a group of artists are drawing, this can be up to 2,000 images. The script is then filmed on to a computer with the voices. Then its sent to South Korea where it is made into an animation. It comes back to he studio as a 25-minute clip, this is then cut down to 22 minutes and thats the show! The show is very popular as a result of its two main audiences. The main audience is Adults, they enjoy watching the satire bits this is when The Simpsons are making fun at anything thats in the news, and they also enjoy the clever scripting of the show, which include funny film references. The second audience is children they enjoy watching the violence of the show like Itchy and Scratchy. They enjoy watching it as a cartoon because they like the slapstick for instance when Homer falls down a cliff. However the Simpsons causes a bit of controversial debate as there a lot of people arguing that The Simpsons are not a good example as an ideal family. The nation needs to be closer to The Waltons than The Simpsons President Bush. There is so much arguing going about The Simpsons ignoring simple rules like wearing a seatbelt and drinking so people are thinking if it should get banned or not. The Simpsons are nothing like a normal family. A good example of a normal family in The Simpsons show is The Flanders. They are kind and say grace when eating their food, on the other hand The Simpsons just eat their food like dogs. Another example is Wilma Flintstone who is a normal housewife however Marge is quite different because instead taking care of three kids she has to take care of another Homer! Analysis and interpretation- representation and audience consumption The Simpsons is made up as a cartoon evidently the animation makes it very easy to add slapstick humour, this is when we laugh at things that are not really meant to laughed at, for example a real human being but we would if it was a cartoon. This is also called Rubber-band reality, where you can stretch the reality of a scene by using cartoons. Furthermore The Simpsons can also be called a situation comedy, this is when the comedy comes out of the situation, a good example is when Homer drives the family in to wild and the comedy comes from the situation, which is the forest. The normal situations in an episode are usually; the school and The Simpsons home. The Simpsons is funny in very different for example either the violence is funny or it could be the scripting. However the best ay for me is the slapstick humour and elastic band reality. A good example is when Homer fight Barts new dad and then things get a bit complicating. There are some very strange stereotypes in the Simpsons take Marge she is an extraordinary house wife she does the shopping and takes care of Maggie. Lisa is a clever girl whos a buff in school and gets A* all the time, shes quite close to Bart and her mum. Bart whos the typical underachiever boy is hopeless at school. He gets on well with Lisa sometimes, for example when Nelson is bullying Lisa Bart helps out her out. Homer is a drunk, fat, alcoholic potato couch. He is the main character in the Simpsons and has to be the funniest one, as a result of his childish behaviour. There are also a few extra stereotypes such as Apu the Indian shopkeeper and Chief Wigam the typical fat, lazy, doughnut eating American policeman. When you first look at the Simpsons they may seem like a dysfunctional family however you have to look very deep inside the family to realise that thy do love each other. Firstly Homer and Marges relationship, if you first look at the pair you see them arguing all the time. A good example is when Homer forgets there anniversary and they end up wanting a divorce. However in the end they always sort things out saying I love you. Homer and Bart are always arguing and trying to strangle each other at any time possible. Bart is being a bit disrespectful by calling his Homer There always falling out a good example is when Bart runs away from home and lives in a tree house. Nevertheless they do love each other. For example when Bart find out Homer is Santa Clause he says Homer I didnt know you loved us that much and they do find out a lot about each other when they are threaded to each. Marge and Lisas connection is very close as they are always together. Marge is always helping Lisa a good example is when she is addicted to the corrie hotline and she helps her from calling it. There relationship is very loving. Marge and Maggie are always together, Maggie loves her mum as much as she can and so does she. When she has to choose between the Flaunders or her mum she picks her mum. Marge also loves Bart very much she is always taking care of him. However they are sometimes arguing. The relationship between Homer and Lisa is not very strong Homer sometimes forgets that shes even there, like when he forgets to by here a Christmas present. Homer always forgets about Maggie and doesnt even know her full name. Bart and Lisa are always fighting with each other and doing jokes, therefore it doesnt look as if they like each other. However they do love each other as it is shown in some episodes, as I explained earlier. Bart and Maggie love each other as well. The Simpsons is always being compared to the Flaunders. This is because the comparison gives it a good effect, and it makes it more entertaining to see what Homer would do to give the same treatment as Ned would give to his family. A good example is when the Flaunders get a new caravan and Homer gets a second hand one and they end up stuck in the wild. I think that the main reason why the Simpsons have been going on all these thirteen years is because that it has two target audiences. People are coming home from and watching the Simpsons and saying that my lifes not that bad after all. This is called Philologically Human its when the Simpsons act and feel like humans and Matt Groeing put it a mental health service to the world. The Simpsons are good and bad role models they are bad because Homer hardly cares about his family and hes just a fat alcoholic potato couch. Bart is also bad because hes an underachiever and proud of it. However sometimes they are good role models like Lisa she an A student. They all are happy together as a family at the end of each episode and they always say, I love you. OVERALL the Simpsons love each other and thats what counts.

Catalytic Reduction of Hydrazine to Ammonia

Catalytic Reduction of Hydrazine to Ammonia Ruvanthi Kularatne Catalytic Reduction of Hydrazine to Ammonia: The Site of Reduction in Nitrogenase Abstract The conversion of N2 to NH3 is done mainly via anaerobic bacteria. The enzyme nitrogenase, which can be found in these anaerobic bacteria, is responsible for this conversion. Much research has been conducted in order to identify the structure of the enzyme, the mechanism for the conversion, and the site of reduction. Hydrazine is a substrate and an intermediate of the nitrogenase enzyme. Hence, the reduction of hydrazine to ammonia is used to mimic the late stages of the biological nitrogen fixation. Here the main focus is to identify the metal atom to which the hydrazine molecule binds. In order to identify the binding site of N2 is Fe, a tris(thiolato)phosphine ligand, P(C6H3-3-Me3Si-2-S)33−(PS3†³), is used as the platform to obtain the iron(II) complex, [P(Ph)4][Fe(PS3†³)(CH3CN)]. Also, a substrate-bound and product-bound adducts, [N-(Bu)4][Fe(PS3†³)(N2H4)] and [N(C2H5)4][Fe(PS3†³)(NH3)] respectively, are synthesized. To determine whether the binding site is the V in vanadium nitrogenase, [P(Ph)4][V(PS3†²Ã¢â‚¬ ²)(Cl)] and [P(Ph)4][V(PS3†²)(Cl)] [PS3†² = P(C6H3-5-Me-2-S)33-] are synthesized. Introduction Nitrogen is an essential element in all living organisms. It is a major element in nucleotides and in amino acids which ultimately forms DNA and RNA, and proteins respectively. These are the building blocks which make up the nuclei in living organisms. The major source of nitrogen is atmospheric N2. It is a stable molecule and it has to be converted to a form which can be utilized by organisms. The natural way of nitrogen fixation is by lightening and by anaerobic bacteria, the latter being the most prominent. About 25 % is fixed by the industrial Haber process, which occurs at high temperatures and pressure, whereas the biological processes occur at ambient conditions1. During the process, N2 is converted to NH3, which is a more usable form than N2. Nitrogen fixation by anaerobic bacteria is catalyzed by the enzyme nitrogenase. The enzyme is composed of two protein subunits, a MoFe protein and a Fe protein. Studies reveal that the substrate binding and activation in the enzyme occurs at a Mo/Fe/S center. The structure of this molybdenum nitrogenase has been characterized by X-ray crystallography.2 The Fe protein has two bound MgATP molecules. During the reduction of N2, an electron from this Fe protein is transferred to the MoFe protein, which is associated with the hydrolysis of the two MgATP molecules.3 There are reports of three forms of nitrogenase with Mo, Fe and V.4 The Fe and the V are also known as the â€Å"alternative† forms of nitrogenase1. The first has a V in place of Mo and the other is an â€Å"all-Fe† nitrogenase1. Although the structures have been identified, the exact mechanism of the catalysis of N2 by the enzyme is still not fully understood. As a result, research is being conducted to obtain the mechanistic information of nitrogenase. Large number of coordination compounds has been proposed as possible structural or functional models for nitrogenase. Mononuclear and binuclear transition metal complexes and polynuclear Fe/Mo/S aggregates are among the suggested compounds. Hydrazine is a substrate and an intermediate of the nitrogenase enzyme. Hence, the reduction of hydrazine to ammonia is used to mimic the late stages of the biological nitrogen fixation. For the reduction of hydrazine, a proton source and an electron source is necessary (eq 1).1 N2H4 + 2e + 2H+ à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ® 2NH3(1) Studies through hydrazine have suggested that the site of binding of N2 is at Fe in the MoFe-cofactor.5 However, some research also shows that the reduction site is at Mo in the MoFe-cofactor1,6 or in a VII state in vanadium nitrogenase.7 Based on electron density maps and X-ray crystallography, it has been found that the Fe/Mo/S cofactor has an elongated MoFe7S9 cluster which is composed of MoFe3S3 and Fe4S3 cuboidal subunits bridged by two or three sulfide ligands.1,6 In order to identify the site of reduction of nitrogenase and the mechanism involved in the reduction process, much research has been carried out by the formation of various metal complexes. Here, to see if the binding site is Fe, a tris(thiolato)phosphine ligand, P(C6H3-3-Me3Si-2-S)33−(PS3†³), is used as the platform to obtain the iron(II) complex, [P(Ph)4][Fe(PS3†³)(CH3CN)] (A).5 Also, a substrate-bound and product-bound adducts, [N-(Bu)4][Fe(PS3†³)(N2H4)] (B) and [N(C2H5)4][Fe(PS3†³)(NH3)] (C), are synthesized. To determine whether the binding site is the V in vanadium nitrogenase, [P(Ph)4][V(PS3†²Ã¢â‚¬ ²)(Cl)] (D) and [P(Ph)4][V(PS3†²)(Cl)] (E) [PS3†² = P(C6H3-5-Me-2-S)33-] are synthesized. Methods Synthesis of [P(Ph)4][Fe(PS3†³)(CH3CN)]: FeCl2 was added to a solution of H3[PS3†³] and n-BuLi in acetonitrile in the ratio of 1:1:3 respectively, to give an emerald solution. To this [P(Ph)4]Br in acetonitrile was added followed by ether, and then the solution was placed at −30 °C for 3 days. This yielded an emerald crystalline solid of [P(Ph)4][Fe(PS3†³)(CH3CN)] ·4CH3CN ·(C2H5)2O. Synthesis of [N-(Bu)4][Fe(PS3†³)(N2H4)]: H3[PS3†³], Li and FeCl2 was reacted in ethanol in the ratio of 1:3:1 respectively, which gave a green solution. It was followed by the addition of excess N2H4 ·H2O. Then, [N(Bu)4]Br was added and the reaction mixture was kept at −15 °C for 2 days. This resulted in a green crystalline solid of [N-(Bu)4][Fe(PS3†³)(N2H4)] ·5C2H5OH. Synthesis of [N(C2H5)4][Fe(PS3†³)(NH3)]: H3[PS3†³], Li and FeCl2 was reacted in ethanol in the ratio of 1:3:1 respectively, which gave a green solution. Then it was charged with NH3 gas (1 atm) to generate an emerald solution. Then, [N(C2H5)4]Br was added in ethanol, and the solution was kept at −15  °C for 2 days. A green crystalline solid of [N(C2H5)4][Fe(PS3†³)(NH3)] ·3C2H5OH was obtained. All the structures were characterized by X-ray crystallography. Catalytic reactivity of [P(Ph)4][Fe(PS3†³)(CH3CN)]: To observe the catalytic activity, an external reductant, [CoCp2] and a proton source, [LutH][BAr†²4] was used (CoCp2 = cobaltocene, LutH = 2,6-lutidinium, and Ar’ = 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3) and all the reactions were carried out in a N2 enivironment. First, [P(Ph)4][Fe(PS3†³)(CH3CN)] and CoCp2 was dissolved in CH3CN in 1:1 ratio of the complex to the reductant. Then, N2H4 and [LutH][BAr†²4] were added to the solution in 1:1:2 ratio (complex: hydrazine: proton source). The reaction was carried out at ambient temperature for about 30 mins. Concentrated HCl was used to quench the reaction. Then, the solvent was removed by vacuum and the solid was extracted with distilled water. Finally, the insoluble residue was removed and the filtrate was taken to do ammonia analysis13 and hydrazine analysis.14 Synthesis of [P(Ph)4] [V(PS3†²Ã¢â‚¬ ²)(Cl)] (D) and [P(Ph)4] [V(PS3†²)(Cl)] (E) VCl3(THF)3 in THF, H3[PS3†³] in methanol and Li were reacted together in a 1:1:3 ratio. This gave a deep red solution. Then, PPh4Br in CH2Cl2 was added and it was layered with pentane. Which gave a red crystalline solid of D. E was synthesized using the same procedure but using the H3[PS3†²] ligand. Catalytic reactivity of [P(Ph)4] [V(PS3†²Ã¢â‚¬ ²)(Cl)] (D) and [P(Ph)4] [V(PS3†²)(Cl)] (E) The catalytic reduction of hydrazine by D and E were determined using cobaltocene and 2,6-Lut.HCl, using the same procedure as for A. Results and Discussion It was identified from X-ray crystallographic data that the three complexes, A, B, and C were crystallized with solvent molecules. Complex A had four CH3CN molecules, B had five C2H5OH molecules and the complex C had three C2H5OH molecules. These solvent molecules filled the voids in these structures by the formation of hydrogen bonds. It was also identified that the three complexes has a five coordinate iron(II) center with a trigonal bipyramidal geometry, which was formed by bonding to the PS3†³ ligand and to the nitrogen in each ligand (CH3CN, N2H4 and NH3 in complexes A, B, and C respectively). Complexes D and E also show a trigonal bipyramidal geometry at the vanadium(III) center in the same manner as in A, B, and C. This can be seen in the ORTEP diagrams shown in (Figure 1). The results of the catalytic activity of A, for the reduction of hydrazine to ammonia are given by Table 1, those for D are given in Table 2. According to Table 1, the maximum conversion ~83 % is obtained at 30 mins for the catalyst A. For D, ~83 % conversion was obtained after 24 hrs. But a conversion percentage of 90 was obtained after 48 hrs. A controlled reaction was carried out in the absence of complex A. For that reaction, only less than 5 % of hydrazine was converted to ammonia. According to eq 2, hydrazine can decompose into ammonia and nitrogen. 3N2H4 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ® 4NH3 + N2(2) To interpret the amount of ammonia formed by the decomposition reaction rather than the reduction, the reactions were carried out for both A and D without using the proton and the electron source. The corresponding data for A are given in Table 3. Accordingly, the conversion to ammonia at 30 mins is only 8 % and it was 15.6 % after 1 hr. Therefore it is safe to assume that the majority of ammonia production for A is carried out by the reduction process. There was no production of ammonia for D in the absence of the proton and the electron source. Figure 1: ORTEP diagrams of (a) A ·4CH3CN ·(C2H5)2O, (b) B ·5C2H5OH, (c) C ·3C2H5OH, (d) D and (e) E Table 1: Production of ammonia by A via the catalytic process at different reaction time. Time (min) N2H4 added (eq) NH3 yield (mol) NH3 yield (eq) Conversion (%) 5 6.0 1.32 Ãâ€" 10-4 5.3 44 10 6.0 1.66 Ãâ€" 10-4 6.6 55 20 6.0 1.85 Ãâ€" 10-4 7.4 62 30 6.0 2.50 Ãâ€" 10-4 10.0 83 60 6.0 2.49 Ãâ€" 10-4 10.0 83 Table 2: Production of ammonia by D via the catalytic process at different reaction time. Time (min) N2H4 added (eq) NH3 yield (mol) NH3 yield (eq) Conversion (%) 1.5 5.0 5.19 x 10-5 2.1 21 6 5.0 8.97 x 10-5 3.6 36 12 5.0 1.48 x 10-4 5.9 59 18 5.0 1.85 x 10-4 7.4 74 24 5.0 2.06 x 10-4 8.2 82 48 5.0 2.25 x 10-4 9.0 90 Table 3: Production of ammonia for A by the decomposition of hydrazine. Time (min) N2H4 added (eq) NH3 yield (mol) NH3 yield (eq) Conversion (%) 5 6.0 9.27 Ãâ€" 10-6 0.37 4.6 10 6.0 1.18 Ãâ€" 10-5 0.47 5.9 20 6.0 1.35 Ãâ€" 10-5 0.54 6.8 30 6.0 1.61 Ãâ€" 10-5 0.6 8.1 60 6.0 3.11 Ãâ€" 10-5 1.2 15.6 The isolation of the products B and C, the substrate bound and product bound complexes respectively, suggests that the catalytic reduction takes place at single iron site which is supported by the PS3†³ ligand. The mechanism for this can be thought as the bound CH3CN molecule in complex A is replaced by a molecule of hydrazine to give the substrate bound complex B. At this stage, the N-N bond of the bound hydrazine in the iron (II) center is not activated. Therefore, by the addition of a proton source to protonate the hydrazine molecule would allow for the bond breaking of the N-N bond. Hence the first ammonia molecule will be released and a FeIVNH2 intermediate will be formed. Then, FeIVNH2 will be converted to FeIINH3 by another protonation in the presence of an external electron source. Finally, the second ammonia molecule will be released. This reaction pathway can be shown by Scheme 1. Scheme 1: The reaction pathway for the catalytic reduction process of A The catalytic reduction of hydrazine by E did not yield any ammonia. This implies that the bound chloride in E is not exchanged with CH3CN; instead the complex dissolves in it. However this exchange takes place in D, hence the catalytic activity is visible. The reason for the differences in reactivity for these two complexes, D and E, can be accounted by the two ligands, PS3†³ and PS3à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¢ respectively. In PS3†³ ligand, there are more electron donating substituents than in the PS3à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¢ ligand. Therefore, the most electron donating ligand, PS3†³ ligand, will donate more electrons to V and will facilitate the replacement of the bound chloride with a CH3CN molecule. Hence, the exchange will not take place in E. Therefore the reduction of hydrazine will not take place. Conclusion In summary, it is possible to say that Fe, in MoFe-cofactor, and V, in vanadium nitrogenase, act as the binding site of hydrazine, an intermediate of nitrogen fixation, mimicking the late stages of the nitrogen cycle. Since both the complexes are formed in a tris(thiolato)phosphine ligand platform, the reactivity of the two complexes are comparable. Hence, by comparing the conversion percentages of the two complexes, A and D, with time, it is possible to conclude that the iron complex (A) is far more efficient than the vanadium complex (D). For further studies, this research can be extended by including Mo in both these complexes and by the formation of cubanes. This would introduce a more complex nature to the complexes and would represent the enzyme more effectively. Moreover, it is possible to compare the efficiency of Mo, by forming complex with Mo on a thiolate platform. Research Proposal Title: Proper Identification of the Site of Reduction in Nitrogenase by the Catalytic Reduction of Hydrazine to Ammonia. Introduction: The three forms of nitrogenase with Mo, Fe and V,4 have been identified. Yet, the exact mechanism and the site of reduction is still not fully understood. Studies through hydrazine have suggested that the binding sites are at Fe in the MoFe-cofactor,5 Mo in the MoFe-cofactor1,6 or in a VII state in vanadium nitrogenase.7 There has been many debates over this topics and much research has been conducted to identify the exact metal atom on which the binding take place. No research has been conducted by including Fe-Mo and V-Fe together. If these two complexes are formed, we might be able to properly identify the site of binding of N2 in nitrogenase. The enzyme in question is bulky, which is the nature of an enzyme. Hence, to include this bulkiness in the model compounds, we can use cubanes of complex nature. Furthermore, by optimizing these complexes, we may be able to use them in the industry instead of the Haber process. Goal: Identify the proper binding site of hydrazine by including both metal atoms in the complex and to use a more complex environment to properly mimic the catalytic activity of the enzyme. Aim: Synthesis of MoFe- complex and VFe-complex Synthesis of cubanes of the two mentioned complexes Methodology: FeCl2, MoCl2, H3[PS3†³] and n-BuLi are mixed in 1:1:2:6 ratio in acetonitrile. After 24 hrs, PPh4Br in acetonitrile will be added to the reaction mixture. Then, the solution will be layered by the addition of ether. Later, the solution can be kept at -30 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C for about three days. This will result in a complex with Fe and Mo. To check the catalytic activity, the complex: cobaltocene: N2H4: [LutH][BAr†²4] in the ratio of 1:2:1:2 respectively, can be used. First, the complex and cobaltocene are dissolved in acetonitrile. Then, N2H4 and [LutH][BAr†²4] in acetonitrile are added to the mixture. The reaction is carried out at ambient temperature for 30 mins. Afterwards, conc. HCl is added to quench the reaction and then the solid will be filtered and removed. Finally the filtrate will be taken and ammonia analysis and hydrazine analysis will be carried out using the indophenol method13 and PDMAB14 method respectively. References: Demadis, K. D.; Malinak, S. M.; Coucouvanis, D. Inorg. Chem. 1996, 35, 4038. Einsle, O.; Tezcan, F. A.; Andrade, S. L. A.; Schmid, B.; Yoshida, M.; Howard, J. B.; Rees, D. C. Science 2002, 297, 1696. Danyal, K.; Inglet, B. S.; Vincent, K. A.; Barney, B. M.; Hoffman, B. M.; Armstrong, F. A.; Dean, D. R.; Seefeldt, L. C. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 13197. Malinak, S. M.; Demadis, K. D.; Coucouvani, D. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 3126. Chang, Y-H.; Chan, P-M.; Tsai, Y-F.; Lee, G-H.; Hsu, H-F. Inorg. Chem. 2014, 53, 664. Coucouvanis, D.; Mosier, P. E.; Demadis, K. D.; Patton, S.; Malinak, S. M.; Kim, C. G.; Tyson, M. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 12193. Chu, W-C.; Wu, C-C.; Hsu, H-F. Inorg. Chem. 2006, 45, 3164. Demadis, K. D.; Coucouvanis, D. Inorg. Chem. 1995, 34, 436. Demadis, K. D.; Coucouvanis, D. Inorg. Chem. 1995, 34, 3658. Palermo, R. E.; Singh, R.; Bashkin, J. K.; Holm, R. H. J. Am. Chem.Soc. 1984, 106, 2600. Zhang, Y.-P.; Bashkin, J. K.; Holm, R. H. Inorg. Chem. 1987, 26, 694. Wong, G. B.; Bobrik, M. A.; Holm, R. H. Inorg. Chem. 1978, 17, 578. Chaney, A. L.; Marbach, E. P., Clin. Chem. (Winston-Salem, N. C.) 1962, 8, 130. Haji Shabani, A. M.; Dadfarnia, S.; Dehghan, K., Bull. Korean Chem. Soc. 2004, 25, 213. 1

Positive deviance study of malnutrition

Positive deviance study of malnutrition Introduction Malnutrition is the underlying cause of every one out of two deaths in children under 5 years of age. Bryce J, Boschi-Pinto C, Shibuya K, Black RE, and the WHO Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group. WHO estimates of the causes of death in children. Lancet 2005; 365: 1147-52. It is a largely preventable cause of over a third-3.5 million- of all child deaths. Four-Fifths of undernourished children live across 4 regions-Africa, Asia, Western Pacific and the Middle East-. These are high priority nations for action. The first of the millennium development goals was to half between 1990 and 2015 the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. U.N.Mellinium Project 2005. Halving hunger:It can be done. London and Sterling, VA:Task force on hunger, 2005. Nutrition is a neglected aspect of child health which is not justifiable as we know that it is a major risk factor for disease. Lopez AD, Mathers CD, Ezzati M, Jamison DT, Murray CJL. Global and regional burden of disease and risk factors, 2001:systematic analysis of population health data. Lancet 2006: 367:1747-57. Inappropriate feeding practices and their consequences are major obstacles to sustainable socioeconomic development and poverty reduction. Governments will be unsuccessful in their efforts to accelerate development in any significant long-term sense until optimal child growth and development, especially through appropriate feeding practices, is ensured. WHO Global Strategy on Infant Young Child Feeding Report of the Secretariat 55th World Health Assembly, April 2002(5) The indicator by which progress is measured is the prevalence of underweight in children under five, specifically, the percentage of children aged 0-59 months who fall below minus two standard deviations from the median weight for age of the standard reference population. http://www.unicef.org/progressforchildren/2006n4/index_undernutrition.html World Bank Report on 11th May 2006, there is a dominant focus on food supplementation that detracts from aspects that are more crucial for improving child nutritional outcomes, such as improving mothers feeding and caring behavior For example, only 40 percent of Indian mothers practice exclusive breastfeeding. Also delivery of services is not sufficiently focused on the youngest children (under three), who could potentially benefit most from ICDS interventions Growth-faltering starts during pregnancy, and approximately 30 percent of children in India are born with low birth weight, and by the age of two years most lifetime growth retardation has taken place, and is largely irreversible The flowchart below depicts the interactions between underlying and immediate causes of malnutrition The Positive Deviance concept which forms the basis of this study focuses on two direct behavioural causes of malnutrition at the household level, namely inadequate dietary intake and disease prevention. This study measures childhood malnutrition using the new growth standards that have been recently released by the World Health Organization. The new standards are based on children from Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman and the US and adopt a fundamentally prescriptive approach designed to describe how all children should grow rather than merely describing how children grew in a single reference population at a specified time. Garza C, de Onis M. (for the WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group). Rationale for developing a new international growth reference. Food Nutr Bull 2004; 25 (Suppl. 1): S5-14. Magnitude of Malnutrition Malnutrition is a widely prevalent problem in India and one of astonishing magnitude. According to the National Family Health Survey 3 (NFHS III, 2005-06), about a third of Indias children are born underweight, about 44 percent of children under five are underweight, 48 percent are stunted, 20 percent are wasted and 70 percent are anaemic. NFHS II (1992-93), more than half (53%) of children below four years of age are under nourished. In 1998, 29.1% children between 1-5 years of age suffered from moderate and 12.3% from severe under nutrition. This shows only a gradual decrease in the prevalence of under nutrition in India over twelve years. Nutritional adequacy is one of the key determinants of the health and well being of the children. Under-nourishment not only retardsphysical developmentbut also hampers the learning and cognitive process, leading to sluggish educational, social and economic development, according to Sanjeev Kumar in his study Malnutrition in Children of the Back ward States of India and the ICDS Programme. According to the NFHS III data, Tamil Nadu, although considered one of the better performing states, recorded to have nearly 35% of its rural children as undernourished. This value was certainly lower than the national rural average of 49%, but according to the NNMB survey based on the NCHS standards in 2001, there was a rise in the levels of severe malnutrition in both boys and girls in the under 5 age group in Tamil Nadu Therefore the focus of this study is to investigate how some children living in the same surroundings escape the ill-effects of malnutrition and thrive in spite of poverty and limited resources, and use these practices to eliminate malnutrition among the rest. The Positive Deviance Approach and its benefits Positive Deviance is based on the fact that solutions to some community problems already exist within the community and need to be discovered. It is a strength-based or asset-based approach based on the belief that in every community there are certain individuals (Positive Deviants) whose special, or uncommon, practices and behaviours enable them to find better ways to prevent malnutrition than their neighbours who share the same resources and face the same risks. Through a dynamic process called the Positive Deviance Inquiry (PDI), these practices are discovered to contribute to a better nutritional outcome in under nourished child This intervention is designed to enable families with malnourished children to learn and practice these and other beneficial behaviours. The programme actively involves the mother and child in rehabilitation and learning in a home like situation and work to enable the families to sustain the childs enhanced nutritional status at home. The typical session consists of nutritional rehabilitation and education over a twelve-day period followed by home visits. The development of a community-based nutrition rehabilitation model called PD/Hearth was promoted by USAID and other international organizations such as UNICEF. The Hearth approach In the Hearth approach, caregivers of malnourished children practice new cooking, feeding, hygiene and caring behaviours shown to be successful for rehabilitating malnourished children. The selected practices come from both the findings of the Positive Deviance Inquiry and emphasis behaviours highlighted by public health experts. The Hearth session consists of nutritional rehabilitation and education over a twelve-day period followed by home visits. The Hearth approach promotes behaviour change and empowers caregivers to take responsibility for nutritional rehabilitation of their children using local knowledge and resources. After two weeks of being fed additional high-calorie foods, children become more energetic and their appetites increase. Visible changes in the child, coupled with the learning by doing method, results in improved caregiver confidence and skills in feeding, child care, hygiene and health-seeking practices. Improved practices, regardless of mothers education levels, enhance child growth and development. This approach successfully reduces malnutrition in the target community by enabling community members to discover the wisdom of Positive Deviant mothers and to practice this wisdom in the daily Hearth sessions. Positive Deviance/Hearth is an effective tool in discovering the solutions from within. Need for the Study Maternal and child under nutrition is highly prevalent in low and middle income countries like ours, resulting in increased mortality and overall disease burden. It is well recognised that among the basic and underlying causes of under nutrition include environmental and economic factors with poverty having a central role. Thus for a sustainable solution to this very common problem, there needs to be an ecological and holistic approach rather than the current and commonly used approach of the government giving supplementary feeds to those who are malnourished. The latter approach not only puts a financial strain on the government but also make the community members dependent on this external aid. Therefore this study concentrates on identifying affordable and sustainable solutions within a community which can be used to prevent undernutrition. This approach is also not resource hungry unlike the traditional approaches where the focus is on finding and fixing what is wrong and missing in the community rather than identifying what is already working and build on the strengths of existing healthy practices within the community that is protecting them from undernutrition even though they are faced with same constraints of resources. This approach is known as the Positive Deviance approach. Knowledge shared through this approach not only changes behaviour but also changes how a community perceives malnutrition and their ability to change the situation. The Positive Deviant approach has been shown in other studies and projects to quickly eliminate malnutrition and through the sustainable new behaviour; the younger siblings have also received these benefits. Positive deviance is a successful approach to decrease malnutrition and has enabled hundreds of communities the world over to reduce and prevent malnutrition. This approach is also culturally acceptable which helps bring about change in our society. However, there are only a few studies that use this concept to reduce malnutrition in India, whereas the potential here is very high. And , although Tamil Nadu has shown gains in terms of reduction of the problem of malnutrition, it still has a high percentage of malnourished children and therefore this study was undertaken to estimate prevalence in fourteen villages within the rural field practice area of the department of community medicine of PSG Institute of Medical Science and Research and explore the feasibility, sustainability and effectiveness of combating the problem by using the Positive Deviance concept and approach. Tamil Nadu has a high prevalence of malnutrition. Recently, there has been a paradigm shift in the primary focus from Management of Malnutrition to Prevention of Malnutrition. Towards achieving this, strategies and activities have been proposed under various components for the year 2006-07 with priority for greater attention on the health and nutritional status, by the Government of Tamil Nadu. One of the guiding principles suggested to help achieve Malnutrition free Tamil Nadu, is effective nutrition intervention, and communication to bring about behavioural change. To help achieve this goal, this study was undertaken in fourteen villages under the rural field practice area of the department of community medicine of PSG Institute of Medical Science and Research using the Positive Deviance concept. Objectives To estimate the prevalence of under 3yrs undernutrition in 14 villages of Vedapatti. To identify Positive Deviant practices in the community. To rehabilitate undernourished children identified in the most affected village. To reassess families at their homes after 6 months and ensure sustainability of Positive Deviant practices. Review of literature Classification of under nutrition Under nutrition is defined as the outcome of insufficient food intake and repeated infectious diseases. It includes being underweight for ones age, too short for ones age (stunted), dangerously thin for ones height (wasted) and deficient in vitamins and minerals (micronutrient malnutrition) according to UNICEF. Low weight for age is termed as underweight. Weight for age classifications are widely used in assessing nutritional status of children as it gives a picture of both acute and chronic onset malnutrition. The earlier classifications include Gomez, Indian Association of Paediatrics, and Welcome. These classifications use different reference standards, but the current recommended standards are the WHO references. This study uses the WHO references to classify underweight. In a study done by Bridget Fenn and Mary E. Penny across three countries, fewer children were classified as underweight according to the WHO classification when compared to the NCHS reference standards. Another study done by Marc-Andre Prost et al showed contrasting results. The WHO standards gave a prevalence of underweight 3.6 times higher early in infancy,0 4 months (6.1% against 1.7%) and half the estimated prevalence of the NCHS reference in the second half of infancy, 11 15 months(6.6% against 13.6%) Implication of New WHO Growth Standards on Identification of Risk Factors and Estimated Prevalence of Malnutrition in Rural Malawian Infants Marc-Andre ´ Prost1*, Andreas Jahn1,2, Sian Floyd1, Hazzie Mvula2, Eleneus Mwaiyeghele2, Venance Mwinuka2, Thomas Mhango2, Amelia C. Crampin1,2, Nuala McGrath1,2, Paul E. M. Fine1, Judith R. Glynn1 In a study done by P.R. Deshmukh et al , in Anji, Maharashtra, the prevalence of underweight as assessed by WHO standards was significantly lower when compared with the assessment based on NCHS reference (p0.05). Newly Developed WHO Growth Standards : Implications for Demographic Surveys and Child Health Programs P.R. Deshmukh, A.R. Dongre, S.S. Gupta and B.S. Garg Prevalence of under nutrition The World Bank estimates that India is ranked 2nd with 47% after Bangladesh for the most number of children who suffer with malnutrition (in 1998). The prevalence of underweight children in India is among the highest in the world, and is nearly double that of Sub-Saharan Africa with dire consequences for mobility, mortality, productivity and economic growth. According to the National family health survey -3 the percentage of under 3 children who were underweight in Tamilnadu were 33.2 % (31.3% in the urban areas and 34.8% in rural areas) The National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau observed that in about 40% of the households, the intake of dietary energy by preschool children was inadequate. About 55% of the preschool age children were underweight, 52% were stunted and 15% were wasted. In a study done by Bhanderi D et al, the prevalence of under weight (wt. for age below 2SD) was 43.67%. An epidemiological study of health and nutritional status of under five children in semi-urban community of Gujarat. Bhanderi D, Choudhary SK. A study done to find the prevalence of malnutrition in Uttar Pradesh showed that the maximum over all prevalence of malnutrition was in the age group of 13-24 months. The maximum number of grade IV malnutrition was found in the age group 25-36 months. Harishankar, Shraddha Dwivedi, S.B. Dadral, D.K. Walia, Nutritional status of children under 6 years of age Indian Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine. Vol. 35 No.3 4 2004 Methods of assessing nutritional status Nutritional assessments can be done by both direct and indirect methods. The method used can result in a wide variation in the prevalence of malnutrition. P. Mohanan et al in their study evaluated the efficacy of Body Mass Index, Mid-Arm Circumference and Weight-for-age in detecting Malnutrition in terms of sensitivity, specificity and predictive value and concluded that weight-for-age is the best indicator. P.Mohanan, A.Kamath, B.Motha, M.Philip. Evaluation of Anthropometric Indices of Malnutrition in under-five children. Indian Journal of Public Health 1994 July-September;28 (3); 91-94. A Comparison of Anthropometric Methods for Assessing Nutritional Status of Preschool Children in the Philippines was done to identify the most reliable anthropometricmeasurements that reflect nutritional status and the Dugdales nutritional index, weight/height, was a reliable measurement for malnutrition. This is exceptionally useful when the age of the child is not know. A Comparison of Anthropometric Methods for Assessing Nutritional Status of Preschool Children: The Philippines Study Marilyn D. Johnson, MS,William K. Yamanaka, PhDandCandelaria S. Formacion, MS Factors associated with malnutrition Gender A case-controlled study conducted in a rural area in Tamil Nadu, India, on 97,000 children showed that female gender was a significant risk factor for malnutrition. YALE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 70 (1997), pp. 149-160. Copyright C 1997. All rights reserved. A Case-Control Study of Maternal Knowledge of Malnutrition and Health-Care-Seeking Attitudes in Rural South India Kaori Saito, Joshua R. Korzenika, James F. Jekel and Sara Bhattacharji Also another study in Tamilnadu on a total of 2954 children attending the TamilNadu Integrated Nutrition Project (TINP), showed that there was an association between female sex and malnutrition. In this study the malnourished children were referred to as negative deviants. Use of Positive-Negative Deviant Analyses to Improve Programme Targeting and Services: Example from the TamilNadu Integrated Nutrition Project MEERA SHEKAR, JEAN-PIERRE HABICHT AND MICHAEL C LATHAM Girls showed only a slightly higher level of prevalence of malnutrition in the study done by The Research and Special Studies Division of the Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka A study done in the slums of Chandigarh on 1286 preschool children found no significant gender difference. This study shows similar reports as our study in Vedapatti. H.M. Swami, J.S.Thakur, S.P.S.Bhatia, Vikas Bhatia. Nutriotional status of preschool children in an ICDS block of Chandigarh. Journal og Indial Medical Association; 99(10): 554-556 The sex of the child was found to be significantly high in association to malnutrition. The percentage of female children that were malnurished was higher in school going children. Epidemiology of malnutrition in a rural field practice are of Navi Mumbai By Sumedha Joshi and Santosh S. Walgankar Indian Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine Vol 35, 1 and 2, 2004 Mothers Literacy The Research and Special Studies Division of the Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka, undertook a methodological study to investigate the prevalence of malnutrition in children under five years of age, and the factors contributing to such a situation. The study found that 25% of pre-school children that were undernourished had mothers who had not gone beyond the primary level of school education. The effected proportion dropped to 11% when the mother has had at least secondary education. Mother literacy was found in this study to have a positive effect on bringing down the incidence of malnutrition in socio-economically backward villages around Agra. Positive Deviance determinants in Young Infants in rural Uttar Pradesh by Vani Sethi1, Sushma Kashyap1, Veenu Seth1 and Siddharth Agarwal, Department of Foods and Nutrition, Lady Irwin College, New Delhi, India. Indian Journal of Pediatrics Volume 74, June 2007. Sandip Kumar et al in a study among 600 under 5 children in West Bengal showed that illiteracy of both parents was a significant risk factor for malnutrition. Sandip Kumar Ray, Anima Halder, Biswajit Biswas, Raghunath Mishra, Satish Kumar. Epidemiology of Under Nutrition. Indian Journal of Pediatrics 2001 November: 68:1025-1030. Socio-economic status This study in 2003 on 4187 children showed contrasting results in Nigeria. The southeast and southwest regions had large inequalities between the poor and the rich whereas northeast and northwest regions had a considerably small gap between the rich and the poor on malnutrition. Using extended concentration and achievement indices to study socioeconomic inequality in chronic childhood malnutrition: the case of Nigeria Olalekan A Uthmancorresponding author1,2 A study done in 1000 under 5 children in Rajasthan showed that 82% of the malnourished children belonged to the socio economic classes 4 and 5. Nutritional disorders in rural Rajasthan A.L.Soni1, R.N.Singh1and B.D.Gupta. Indian Journal of Peadiatrics, May, 1980,Vol 47: 199-202. A case-control study of maternal knowledge of malnutrition and health-care-seeking attitudes in rural Tamilnadu, showed that socio-economic status was a stronger risk factor for malnutrition than health-care availability and health-care-seeking attitudes. A case-control study of maternal knowledge of malnutrition and health-care-seeking attitudes in rural South India, Saito K,Korzenik JR,Jekel JF,Bhattacharji S. Birth order The study done by Vani Sethi et al also evaluated other factors that contribute to malnutrition in the society and found that third or earlier born infants escaped malnutrition Positive Deviance determinants in Young Infants in rural Uttar Pradesh by Vani Sethi1, Sushma Kashyap1, Veenu Seth1 and Siddharth Agarwal21Department of Foods and Nutrition, Lady Irwin College, New Delhi, India. Indian Journal of Pediatrics Volume 74, June 2007 Another study in Uttar Pradesh observed that grade III malnutrition was absent in the children whose birth order was one and two. A significant rise in Malnutrition was found in the children of birth order IV and above. Health and Population Perspectives Issues 4(2):106-112, 1981 A community based, cross-sectional study was conducted in the Mollasimla village of Hooghly district of West Bengal, showed a significantly higher proportion of malnutrition was found to be present among female children of higher birth order and those belonging to families with lower per capita income compared to the males. Gender inequality in nutritional status among under five children in a village in Hooghly district, West Bengal. Dey I,Chaudhuri RN. PROTEIN ENERGY MALNUTRITION IN CHILDREN A CASEFOR THE NEED OF A PLANNED FAMILY Deoki Nandan*, J. V. Singh** and B. C Srivastava A study done by Harishankar et al showed that the highest percentage of malnourished children was seen in the first born children (47.2%) and the least in children with birth order 3 and above (17.8%) Harishankar, Shraddha Dwivedi, S.B. Dadral, D.K. Walia,Nutritional status of children under 6 years of age Indian Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine. Vol. 35 No.3 4 2004 Spacing The same study in Uttar Pradesh, by Deoki Nandan et al also studied the relationship to spacing and malnutrition showed that there was a direct association between Protein energy Malnutrition and less spacing between sibilings. Health and Population Perspectives Issues 4(2):106-112, 1981. Protein Energy Malnutrition In Children A Case For The Need Of A Planned Family Deoki Nandan*, J. V. Singh** and B. C Srivastava Studies using Positive Deviance concepts The successful application of the PD approach has been documented in more than 41 countries in nutrition and a variety of other sectors from public health to education to business. Positive deviance is not specific to nutrition practices, but can be used for many other behaviours. Ref:http://www.positivedeviance.org/PD_Evaluation_Report_for_DEPKES_FINAL.pdf Positive Deviance was used in two Colombian hospitals to combat the spread of MRSA Infection. All hospital staff up to the security guard involved themselves by reminding the visitors to practice good hand hygiene. As a result the infection rates have dropped down my more than 75% from 1.1 infections per 1000 patient days to less than 0.2 infections per 1000 patient days. Ref: http://www.positivedeviance.org/projects/healthcare.html?id=49 In West Bengal, India, ICDS has undertaken pilots projects in the use of the PD approach in Nutrition and Child Care Program (NCCP) in 4 districts to improve the nutritional status of children under three years of age. The projects substantially decreased the number of malnourished children by promoting good care practices. The PD informed project enabled families to break the dependence on donated food, by identifying cheap locally available and bringing it daily to the NCC session to prepare and feed their malnourished children. Every month the malnourished child is weighed and in most cases, mothers find their children gaining weight between 100 and 600 gm. Ref:http://www.positivedeviance.org/projects/nutrition.html?id=77 Ref:http://www.unicef.org/india/nutrition_1557.htm In 1990 Save the Children initiated a PD program in Viet Nam to enable poor villages to address the pervasive problem of childhood malnutrition. At that time 60% of children under the age of 5 suffered from malnutrition in Viet Nam. The initial pilot project was in the first 4 villages. In each of the villages, six of the poorest families with well nourished kids were chosen and caretakers were questioned and observed. In every instance where a poor family had a well-nourished child, the mother or father was collecting tiny shrimps or crabs or snails (the size of one joint of one finger) from the rice paddies and adding these to the childs diet along with the greens from sweet potato tops. Although readily available and free for the taking, the conventional wisdom held these foods to be inappropriate, or even dangerous, for young children. Along with these food and atypically strict hand hygiene in 5 of the 6 PD households, other positive deviant behaviors emerged, involving frequenc y and method of feeding and quality of care and health-seeking behaviors. Through the PD inquiries, community members had discovered for themselves what it took for a very poor family to have a well-nourished child. Rehabilitation started as for two weeks every month, mothers or other caretakers would bring their malnourished children to a neighbors house for a few hours every day. Together with the health volunteer, they would prepare and feed an extra nutritious meal to their children. This showed great success by reducing malnutrition by as much as 80%. The project was then applied in large scale reaching more than 2 million people and in 250 communities and sustainabily rehabiliteted 50,000 malnourished children under the age of 5. This is probably the best known and best documented large scale application of PD. Ref: http://www.positivedeviance.org/projects/nutrition.html?id=105 In Nepal a PD project to cover more than 8000 children under 3 years of age from 15 very disadvantaged communities was started with an aim of reducing child malnutrition in a sustainable manner. Positive practices regarding child feeding, caring, health seeking and maternity care are identified from the poor families having well nourished children through the PDI and then are made accessible to the families with malnourished children through a learning by doing process. Ref: http://www.positivedeviance.org/projects/countries.html?id=82 In the year 2000 a Positive Deviance Inquiry to identify specific behaviors and strategies that contribute to healthy pregnancy outcomes amongst poor women was conducted. The inquiry determined that mothers-in-law played a central role in assisting women in obtaining medical care. Low-income women with weight gain greater than 1.5 kg per month in the second trimester of pregnancy reported multiple antenatal care contacts, increased rest during pregnancy, and more consumption of meat and vegetables. These results were incorporated into a program for 200 women that resulted in a decrease in the prevalence of low birth weight. Ref: http://www.positivedeviance.org/projects/public_health.html?id=117 The following is illustrative of the impact of Positive Deviance over the last 15 years: Sustained 65 to 80% reduction in childhood malnutrition in Vietnamese communities, reaching a population of 2.2 million people. Significant reduction in childhood malnutrition in communities in 41 countries around the world. Reduction in neo-natal mortality morbidity in Pashtun communities in Pakistan and minority communities in Vietnam with near universal adoption of protective behaviors and social change. Estimated 50% increase in primary school student retention in 10 participating schools in Missiones, Argentina. Community intervention methods to combat under nutrition Traditional nutrition interventions include growth monitoring, counselling and the provision of supplemental foods and micronutrients But over decades the weighing of children undertaken by several National health ministries has brought little or no change to the nutritional status. In fact, in a study done by Sridhar Seetharaman, in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, it was found that the Mid Day Meal did not make any appreciable and significant impact on improving the nutritional status of the children. Impact Of Mid Day Meal On The Nutritional Status Of School Going Children, Sridhar Seetharaman, NIRD, Hyderabad Zulfiqar A Bhutta et al used a cohort model to study the interventions that affect maternal and child undernutrition and nutrition-related outcomes. The interventions included promotion of breastfeeding; strategies to promote complementary feeding, with or without provision of food supplements; micronutrient interventions; general supportive strategies to improve family and community nutrition. They found that these interventions could reduce stunting at 36 months by 36%; mortality between birth and 36 months by about 25%; and disability-adjusted life-years associated with stunting, severe wasting, intrauterine growth restriction, and micronutrient deficiencies by about 25%. Prof Zulfiqar A Bhutta PhDa, Tahmeed Ahmed PhDb, Prof Robert E Black MDc, Prof Simon Cousens PhDd, Prof Kathryn Dewey PhDe, Elsa Giuglianif, Batool A Haider MDa, Prof Betty Kirkwood PhDd, Saul S Morris PhDd, Prof HPS Sachdevg, Meera Shekar PhDhand for the Maternal and Child Undernutrition Study Group, Lancet Volume 371, 8 February 2008, Pages 417-440 Reasons for age selection Care is an important determinant of nutritional status. It determines the delivery of food and health care resources to the child by optimizing the existing resources to promote good health and nutrition in children. Ramakrishnan U. UNICEF-Cornell colloquium on care and nutrition of the young child-planning. F Nutr Bull 1995; 16: 286-92. The first two years of life are the window of opportunity to prevent early childhood undernutrition that causes largely irreversible damage. This is proved by the following studies across the world. Study shows more benefit from reaching all at-risk children

The Truth To A Ballad :: essays research papers

The Truth to a Ballad   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"At her Redeemer’s throne she’ll stand, And she’ll be cured of woe, And He her bloodied hands will wash, And she’ll be white as snow† (15). This quote concludes the beautifully written ballad located in the first chapter of Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace. By summarizing the events leading up to the murders, the murders themselves, and the ensuing trial, the poem presents the reader with what appears to be a foreshadowing of things to come. However, though the ballad reflects many of the novel’s events, there are several differences which contradict Grace’s narration.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The poetic verse and the story told by Grace contain numerous similarities. As the ballad states at the beginning, Grace says she was sixteen years old when the murders at the house of Thomas Kinnear occurred; James McDermott worked as a stable hand, and Grace was the serving maid. Also alike is the poem’s description of Nancy as a â€Å"no well-born lady†¦.who goes in satin and silk, The finest ever seen† (11). When first meeting Nancy, Grace wonders why â€Å"a housekeeper would be wanting a dress like that,† (200) immediately noticing Nancy is dressed rather well considering her occupation. When the murders take place in the novel, James strikes Nancy on the head with an axe and throws her into the cellar where she eventually died with an unborn baby in her womb. This event was depicted in the poem, as was the scene where James and Grace steal valuables from Mr. Kinnear’s house and fled across the lake to the Lewiston Hotel in t he United States. As the ballad progresses, the two are later arrested at which point Grace states she does not remember seeing the murders take place. Also similar, is James’ declaration of Grace being the one who lead him on, and if not for her the murders would have never happened. When the poem explains how Jamie Walsh marked Grace a murderer at the trial, yet she was given a life sentence while James was hung and dissected at the University, Grace’s tale is reflected perfectly. The ballad concludes with Grace receiving forgiveness and entering a life of paradise. This appears apparent at the end of the novel as Grace is pardoned, and then fulfills her â€Å"apple skin prophecy† of marrying a man with a first name beginning with ‘J.’ Though the above events are comparable to the story Grace tells, the ballad contains several discrepancies as well.

Baby Eulogy Essay -- essays research papers

Dear Baby, A thousand questions flooded my mind that difficult Friday morning. As I ran my fingers through your hair and kissed you good bye, I wondered: Why? Why? Why? How can this happen? How could we be asked to endure such pain again? How could such a beautiful baby be taken from us? and? Why didn?t we have more time? It took a while for me to stop thinking about us or should I say me and start thinking about you, but once I did it is the last question that I pondered longest. "Why didn't we have more time?" I wanted to understand so I went to the dictionary and found that Webster?s had no less than 29 definitions for this tiny word, time. I looked on-line and found self help books that said I could manage it better and scientists who posted things regardi... Baby Eulogy Essay -- essays research papers Dear Baby, A thousand questions flooded my mind that difficult Friday morning. As I ran my fingers through your hair and kissed you good bye, I wondered: Why? Why? Why? How can this happen? How could we be asked to endure such pain again? How could such a beautiful baby be taken from us? and? Why didn?t we have more time? It took a while for me to stop thinking about us or should I say me and start thinking about you, but once I did it is the last question that I pondered longest. "Why didn't we have more time?" I wanted to understand so I went to the dictionary and found that Webster?s had no less than 29 definitions for this tiny word, time. I looked on-line and found self help books that said I could manage it better and scientists who posted things regardi...