Wal-Mart Essay Example for Free

Wal-Mart Essay Wal-mart is the world’s largest retailer. The company employs some 1. 8million people,operates3,900 stores in the united states and 2,700 in the rest of the world, and generated sales of $345 billion in the fiscal year ending january31,2007. some $77billion of these sales wrer generated in 15 nations out side of the united states. Facing a slowdown in growth in the united states, wal-mart began its international expansion in the early 1900s when it entered mexico, teaming up in a joint venture with cifra, mexico’s largest retailer, to open series of super-centers that sell both groceris and general merchandise. Initially the retailer hit some headwinds in mexico. It quickly discovered that shopping habits wewe different. Most people prefered to buy fresh produce at local stores, particularly items like meat, tortillas , and pan dulce, which didn’t keep well overnight. Many consumers also lacked cars, and did not buy in large volumes as in the united states. Wal-mart adjusted its strategy to meet the local conditions, hiring local managers who understood mexican culture, letting those managers control merchandising strategy, building smaller stores that people could walk to, and offering more fresh produce, at the same time, the company beliveed that it could gradually change the shopping culture in mexico, educating consumers by showing them the benefits of its american merchandising culture. After all, wal-mart’s managers reasoned, people once shopped at small stores in the united states, but starting in the 1950s they increasingly gravidistribution systems in mexico, wal-mart was able to lower its own costes, which it passed on to mexico’s largest retailer, and the country is widely considered to be the companys most successful foreign venture.

Health Essays Alzheimer Dementia Disease Essay

Health Essays Alzheimer Dementia Disease Essay Alzheimer Dementia Closing in on Alzheimer’s â€Å"Soon, Alzheimer’s disease will touch everyone in this country in some form or another, so the need to redouble our research efforts greater than ever before. We must have better treatments, earlier detection, and effective strategies to prevent Alzheimer’s. Scientists have made tremendous strides in the last two decades, but the clock is ticking.† -Samuel Gandy, MD, PhD, chair of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Council. There is no cure, but there is hope, for the world’s most leading cause of dementiaALZHEIMERS. â€Å"AD† is a neurodegenerative disorder, the underlying cause still being unknown. The clinical features or the underlying pathology can only be discovered on autopsy and thus the signs and indications of AD are instigated only after years of accretion of the credible causes. Some of the signs include:- Cognitive deterioration. Visual spatial confusion. Loss of recognition of persons and objects. Reduced mobility. Deterioration of muscles. Inability to feed oneself. Language disorientation. The onus of the illness lies in the deposition of fibrillized plaques containing amyloid beta(AB). The AB proposition shows potential for the reason that, as seen in patients with trisomy 21(downs syndrome), who have an additional copy of the gene for AB precursor, almost universally exhibit AD like indications prior to age 40. These signs of AD can be accredited to the cytotoxic potential of the mature aggregated amyloid fibrils. Consequently, a great amount of the research work on lead breakthrough is focused on:- Inhibition of fibrillization. Inhibition of AB precursor to AB. A different supposition understood to elicit the disease cascade, is centered on the effects of aggregated tau proteins. This speculation is sustained by the long standing observation that aggregation of AB plaques does not correlate with neuron loss. Although a great deal is known a propos the disease prognosis, causative or risk factors, the acquaintance we encompass of, in the present day, concerning the fundamental pathological origin or the core cause of the disease is zilch. Nevertheless, ApoE4, the foremost genetic risk factor for AD has been allied with surplus of AB build-up. The risk factors for AD are:- Advancing age. Head injury. Aluminum intake. ApoE4. Poor CVS health. Smoking. AD is most often established based on clinical signs and symptoms, and the history of patient’s infirmity, as a definitive diagnosis is only achievable by performing an autopsy. Common diagnostic tests include:- Memory testing. Intellectual functioning. Neuropsychological screening tests. Blood tests to rule out presence of other diseases. Functional neuro-imaging techniques like SPECT ad PET. Once diagnosed, on an average, survival is 7 – 10 years, the extremes being 4 years to 21 years. Essentials, statistics and incidence of Alzheimer’s:- 24 million people affected with AD worldwide. Slated to become 81 million by 2040. 1 out of 8 people above the age of 65 have AD. Only 19% with AD have the diagnosis recorded in their medical records. 7th leading cause of death in the United States. From 2000-2004, death rate due to AD has increased by 32.8%, while that of breast cancer, prostate cancer, stroke and heart disease has decreased by 2.6, 6.3, 10.4, 8% respectively. Costs of AD and other dementias amount to $148 billion annually. Current drugs in the global market for treatment of Alzheimer’s:- [1]ARICEPT: Key essentials about aricept: Was permitted for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimers by the FDA in 1996, and for the treatment of severe Alzheimers in 2006 Is the #1 prescribed Alzheimer’s drug—worldwide, more than 3.8 million people have been treated with Aricept. Aricept is a drug branded as a cholinesterase inhibitor. It is one of a group of prescriptions that appear to improve the cognitive ability (thinking, perception, judgment and recognition) in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Aricept can reduce behavioral troubles that may be exhibited by people with this type of dementia. Known as a cholinesterase inhibitor, Aricept delays the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain. Acetylcholine helps communication between the nerve cells and is vital for memory. Side effects are typically mild and tend to disappear as treatment progresses. Common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, insomnia, muscle cramps. Less common effects are headaches and dizziness. Rare side effects are anorexia, gastric or duodenal ulcers, gastro-intestinal hemorrhage, bladder overflow obstruction, liver damage, convulsions, heart problems and psychiatric disturbances. [2]EBIXA: Ebixa fine points: Ebixa is one of a group of drugs called NMDA (n-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonists. These receptors, along with the neurotransmitter glutamate, are implicated in transmitting nerve signals in the brain that may be imperative for learning and memory. Ebixa, which acts on NMDA receptors, facilitates to normalize transmission of nerve signals, and perhaps slow the decline of some indications of Alzheimers disease. Ebixa is not a cure for Alzheimers disease as it does not affect the fundamental degenerative progression of the disease. Ebixa may cause some unwelcome reactions. These may include fatigue, dizziness, sleepiness, headache, hypertension (high blood pressure), constipation, vomiting, anxiety, confusion, hallucinations and sleep disturbance. [3]EXELON: Exelon particulars: Exelon is one of a group of drugs known as cholinesterase inhibitors which is intended to treat symptoms in people with mild to moderate Alzheimers disease. Exelon works by reducing the breakdown of acetylcholine and thus escalating the amount of the chemical in the brain, a chemical thought to be vital for learning and memory. The prescription augments the action of acetylcholine by making the receptors it interacts with in the brain more responsive. Exelon is not a cure for Alzheimers disease as it does not affect the fundamental degenerative progression of the disease. Familiar side effects, in addition to nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and weight loss, comprise of diarrhea, heartburn, stomach pains, dizziness, headache, weakness, fatigue and difficulty sleeping. A small number of people also experienced fainting. [3]REMINYL: Key specifics on reminyl: Reminyl ER is one of a group of drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors which is used to treat symptoms in people with mild to moderate Alzheimers disease. As of June, 2006, Reminyl became available only in the extended release (ER) format. It means that if you were taking Reminyl tablets twice a day prior to June 2006, you would now take a Reminyl ER capsule once a day. It augments the action of acetylcholine by making the receptors it interacts with in the brain more responsive. In the area of the brain first affected by Alzheimers disease, that dealing with cognition and memory, too little acetylcholine is available at the junctions between nerve cells to get messages across to the next nerve cell, The condition is helped, consequently, not only by preserving the acetylcholine from being destroyed by cholinesterase, but by making the receptors more responsive to the inferior amounts of acetylcholine. Reminyl ER is not a cure for Alzheimers disease as it does not affect the fundamental degenerative progression of the disease. probable side effects include: abdominal pain, diarrhea, indigestion, decreased appetite, difficulty swallowing, bleeding in the digestive system, weight loss, low blood potassium, low blood pressure, dehydration, seizures, agitation, aggression, hallucinations, weakness, fever, malaise, leg cramps, tingling in the hands or feet, ringing in the ears, headache, dizziness, tiredness, sleeplessness, runny nose, urinary tract infection, fainting or fluttering of the heart. INTERNATIONAL MARKET STATISTICS FOR DRUGS USED IN THE TREATMENT OF ALZHEIMERS:   BRAND GENERIC CLASS SPONSOR SALES in (million $) 2004 MARKET SHARE(approx) 2004 2005 Aricept donepezil CI Pfizer 1,266 1,580 58.10% Reminyl galantamine CI JJ 256 343 12.60% Exelon rivastigimine CI Novartis 320 340 12.50% Namenda memantine NMDAA Forest 5 247 9.10% Ebixa memantine NMDAA Lundbeck 28 86 3.20% Axura memantine NMDAA Merz 6 15 0.60% Cognex tacrine CI FirstHorizon 1 1 0.00% Others 87 107 3.90% TOTAL 1,969 2,719 100.00% Total Sales Figures = $2.7B (2005) with Aricept ®having 58% market share. DRUGS IN PIPELINE:- Name of the drug sponsor phase About the drug Data from previous phases. FLURIZAN Myriad 3 It is a selective amyloid lowering agent (SALA) that reduces levels of the toxic peptide amyloid beta 42 (AÃŽ ²42). Reduces the levels of the toxic amyloid beta 42 peptide through the allosteric modulation of gamma-secretase. FLURIZAN has completed Phase2 human clinical trial in 207 patients with Alzheimers disease. Phase 1 safety trial of FLURIZAN in healthy older volunteers identified no serious drug-related side effects. In nonclinical studies, FLURIZAN reduced the levels of the toxic peptide AÃŽ ²42 by approximately 70%, by modulating the action of gamma-secretase. Flurizan reduces amyloid pathology in the brain and prevents memory defects in transgenic mice. ALZHEMED Neurochem Inc. 3 Alzhemed is an oral small organic molecule that has been designed to interfere with the association between glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and AÃŽ ² amyloid protein. It is thus thought to prevent GAGs from promoting ÃŽ ²-sheet and amyloid formation. Designed to prevent amyloid formation and deposition in the brain, and thus modify the course of AD. Alzhemed is expected to act on two levels: firstly to prevent and stop the formation and deposition of amyloid fibrils in the brain as well as to bind to soluble AÃŽ ², and secondly to to inhibit the inflammatory response associated with amyloid build-up in AD. Inhibit AÃŽ ² fibrillization and binds and reduces soluble AÃŽ ². VP025 Vasogen 1 Mediated via the regulation of microglial cell activation. Treatment with VP025 reversed age-related decreases in CD200 levels in the brain, reduced levels of microglial cell activation, and restored memory and learning function. Considerable amount of preclinical work has demonstrated: the ability of VP025 to reduce inflammation in models of a number of neurodegenerative diseases. the ability of VP025 to reverse detrimental neurological effects of chronic beta-amyloid exposure the ability of VP025 to reverse age-related inflammation in the brain AAB-001 Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Wyeth. 3 Designed to bind and remove the AÃŽ ² peptide that accumulates in the brain. Immunotherapy approaches to the treatment of Alzheimer disease is based on the ability of antibodies raised against AÃŽ ² peptides to bind to and clear AÃŽ ² from the brain, thus removing the peptide and inhibiting the damage to neurons that AÃŽ ² inflicts. Anti-AÃŽ ² antibodies have been shown to prevent the accumulation of AÃŽ ² peptides in the brains of transgenic mouse models of AD (Shenk et al., 1999; Bard et al., 2000; DeMattos et al., 2001). In one clinical trial, patients immunized with AÃŽ ² peptide who actively generated anti-AÃŽ ² antibodies showed a significantly slower rate of decline in cognitive functions (Hock et al., 2003). Long-term follow-up studies of the patients who were involved in the failed phase 2a clinical trial of AN-1792 has shown that NTB (quality of life) scores remained significantly improved in antibody responders. In addition, CSF tau was significantly decreased in antibody responders (Gilman et al., 2005). Closing In on Alzheimer’s:- Lastly, fresh drugs tender genuine hope for repealing the malady. Concluding test outcomes will be out, for a complete novel generation of drugs designed to assault the fundamental basis of Alzheimers disease—medicines that propose, what one specialist calls legitimate, substantial, irrefutable hope for those with mild to moderate forms of the illness. Within three years, its nearly assured, well have disease-modifying drugs that fundamentally amend the nature of Alzheimers. From drugs which facilitate alleviation of merely the symptoms of the disease, we are now moving towards an era which will comprise of drugs that not only slow down the disease, but encompass the potential to wholly reverse it. Scientists are certain that one of the more than four dozen drugs now in human trials will succeed. One of the most hopeful of those, Flurizan, from Myriad Genetics, should complete its tests in the next 18 months. Exceedingly few drugs make it to Phase III clinical trials, the final stride before a drug goes to the FDA for authorization. Today, conversely, nine new Alzheimers treatments are in Phase III trials to test their effectiveness on a large number of patients. And dozens more are in smaller Phase II trials. This subsequent generation of drugs is deliberated to avert, obliterate and clean out deposits of beta-amyloid plaque that exterminate the brains nerve cells, leading to the distressing loss of memory, reason and, eventually, life that typifies Alzheimers. This optimistic information comes as the world awaits an epidemic of Alzheimers, the traumatic variety of dementia that Americans tell pollsters they dread more than heart disease, stroke or diabetes. Today, 5.1 million people in the United States suffer from the disease, but the supreme risk factor is age—the longer a person lives, the greater the likelihood—and in just four years millions of boomers begin to turn 65. One in eight people age 65 and older now has Alzheimers; half of those 85 and older have it. Connoisseurs say still if Alzhemed or another of these premature anti-amyloid drugs fails, that doesnt mean the amyloid theory is incorrect. It merely may mean that the drug didnt eliminate sufficient plaque to appreciably slow or arrest the disease. Finally, with the advent of such promising drugs into the market in the near future, there is potential to mitigate the humanity of the exorbitant fiscal burden due to the disturbing tempo at which Alzheimer’s is making headway. Keeping our fingers crossed might just help. References: http://www.myriad.com/alzheimers/flurizan.php http://www.vasogen.com/sec/vp025 http://www.alzforum.org/ http://www.alz.org/national/documents/PR_FFfactsheet.pdf http://www.alz.org/national/documents/PR_FFquotesheet.pdf http://www.medicinenet.com http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com http://www.theracarb.com/documents/investor_%20presentation.pdf http: //www.wikipedia.com

History of the Roman Baths

History of the Roman Baths Hala Ahmed Albinali Ms. Jessica Lund The Roman Baths The Roman baths are immense and outstanding complex structures designed for bathing, relaxing, and socializing. The Romans believed the baths were essential to the Roman civilization and that they were an example of their superiority and power. The Roman baths were an important part of daily life in ancient Rome’s architectural and social role, since it fulfilled Romans’ concerns about health and cleanliness, as well as allowed all social classes to mix freely, relax, communicate, and bathe while being drivers of the evolution of architecture. The Roman baths were centers of leisure, socialization, business, and gossip. They were originally built as a somewhat private gym in the households of wealthy Romans. The baths also existed in early Egyptian palaces. The Romans took the idea of a hipbath from the Greeks and expanded it into a high degree of sophistication. The baths were usually located near the forum, which is a marketplace or Public Square of an ancient Roman city, the center of legal and business affairs and a place of assembly for the people. At an excavation site in Pompeii, where the first and earliest entry fee box was discovered, that the cost of entry at the Roman baths was simple one â€Å"quadrans† − the smallest coin currency in Rome, thus the Roman baths became a daily regime for people of all classes. On holidays, the entrance fee was free, and during Diocletian’s reign the fee cost two denarii, which was more expensive than usual. The wealthy Romans had balnae in their villas, whic h were smaller, private bathhouses. The Roman baths, which are called thermae, were immensely large bathhouses built for a state and it typically took several blocks. Mixed bathing was unacceptable by most citizens, so there were times for both men and women at the Roman baths. Roman men would work around the afternoon and finish by 2PM or 3PM. At 2PM, the baths were open for mainly men to sport, bathe, and communicate until the baths close. On the other hand, Women had less time, they went in the morning while the men were at work to bathe, gossip, exercise if they were athletes, and meet friends until 2PM. Republican bathhouses had separate bathing facilities for men and women instead of having times for both men and women. As the Roman baths’ popularity grew, men began to use the baths daily, even the Emperor Commodus− who ruled from 180 BC to 192 BC as well as ruling as co-emperor with his father, Marcus Aurelius, from 177 BC− liked bathing so much he says he visited as much as eight times a day. From the beginning of 2nd Century BC, the Roman Baths grew in popularity and size since each Emperor tried to outshine the last Emperor by building more improved bathhouses for the citizens of Rome. By 5th Century AD, the Roman baths became a fundamental part of ancient Roman culture and could be found all over the Roman Empire − there were over nine hundred in Rome alone. Some amazing examples of the Roman baths are the baths of Caracalla, which covered more than thirty-two acres and could hold sixteen hundred bathers at once. It is among the most magnificent bathhouses of the entire Imperial era, but Diocletian’s baths outdid that since they have held up to three thousand people. Some Roman bathhouses were built on natural hot springs, which were known for their healing properties. According to writings and the ritual offerings found in excavations that the water, usually as hot as forty-six degrees Centigrade, that the healing was thought to be the work of the gods. Some ancient Roman bathhouses had temples built either on the site or very close to it, thus they became sacred places. For example, Sulis was the Celtic goddess of the spring, and when the Romans arrived, they worshipped her too. They recognized her with their own goddess of healing, Minerva. On the hot spring, the baths were built, and next to it, a temple to Sulis-Minerva in a walled enclosure. There were no services in the temple, but priests sacrificed animals, and after that, people went in for private prayers. They prayed standing in front of the statue with their hands out, palms up, and when they finished they kissed the statue’s feet. Most ancient Roman baths were places of enter tainment rather than worship. The bathhouses were built to provide a regular ritual that Romans repeated every time they visited the Roman baths. When entering the baths, they would first go to the dressing room, or apodyterium, where there werecabinets to store their clothes and shoes which were guarded by slaves for a fee. The slave(s) would also escort the bathers while carrying the bather’s gear. Sometimes the dressing room had multiple purposes, for example, in the Stabian Baths in Pompeii, thewomens dressing roomwas also a frigidarium, a room with a small cold-water pool. There is no clear evidence that shows what the Romans wore when bathing, but they may also have worn some light covering in the baths. Within the baths, they may have worn special sandals with thick soles to protect their feet from the heated floors. In the baths, there was a large central courtyard, whichwas the exercise ground, or palaestra. A shadyporticothat led into the bathing rooms surrounded it. The palaestra has a natationà ¢Ë†â€™a large outdoor pool such asone in the Stabian Baths. Since the Romans had no soap, they would use oil instead. After changing clothes and oiling their bodies, male bathers would usually begin their routine with exercise, by doing exercises such as wrestling, mild weight lifting, numerous types ofball playing, running, and swimming. After exercise, the bathers would have the dirt and oil scraped from their bodies with a curved metal tool called astrigil. A slave carried their towels,oil flasks,and strigils, while the bathers would start bathing through rooms of various temperatures. They may start in the warm room or tepidarium, which had heated walls and floors, but sometimes no pool, and then proceed to the hot bath, or caldarium, which wasclosest to the furnace. The caldarium had a large or small pool with very hot water and awaist-high fountainor labrum with cool water to splash on their face and neck. After this, the bather could spend some time in thetepidariumagain befo re finishing in thecold roomor frigidarium, a room with acold pool. They would sometimes repeat the same progression of rooms but backwards. Other rooms provided moist steam such as sudataria, dry heat like a sauna or laconicum, as well as massages with perfumed oils. After their baths, they could stroll in the other places the Roman baths offered. The bathers could watch performances of jugglers or acrobats, stroll in the gardens, visit the library, buy a snack from food vendors, or listen to a literary recital. The baths seem to be a quiet, leisurely place, but the baths were noisy, as one philosopher−Seneca−complained when he lived near a bathhouse in Rome: The sturdy man does his exercise with lead weights. When he is straining hard (or pretending to) I can hear him grunt; when he breathes out I hear him panting and his hoarse gasps. Or I might hear the blows of the massagers hands slapping his shoulders. To all this, add the man who dives in with a lot of noise and splashing. And if a ball player comes along and begins to count his score out loud, I am definitely finished. The baths were made to be very attractive and striking places. Although most of the decorations have not survived, many writers commented on the luxury of the bathhouses, describing them with words such as, â€Å"well-lighted, lovely mosaics, airy rooms with high vaulted ceilings, silver faucets and fittings, and paintings and colored marble panels.† There was also a large entrance or meeting area, where people could walk, talk, or sit on seats around two large fountains. Roman engineers invented a system of heating the baths called thehypocaust. Pillars and spaces were left inside the walls so that hot air from the furnace, or praefurnium, could circulate and flow through the space in the walls. Rooms that required the most heat were placed closest to the furnace and the heat could be increased by adding more wood to the furnace. Many heated rooms and pools were positioned to make the most of the heat of the sun. At the Baths of Caracalla, the hot room was an enormous hall th at was one hundred and fifteen feet wide with a pool three feet deep.In order to heat it, approximately fifty large furnaces were needed as well as millions of fireproof terracotta bricks or special bricks called tegulae mammatae. Bathhouses also had largepublic latrines, usually with marble seats over channels whose continuous flow of water that established the first â€Å"flush toilets.† These toilets were a vital part of the plumbing system as well as another common area in which to sit and talk. There was a continuous water flow underneath the seats. A shallowwater channelin front of the seats providedsponges attached to sticksfor people to wipe themselves. The Roman baths were among the most splendid and luxurious of all the outstanding works, and it allowed all, no matter what their social role was, to enjoy the magnificent baths. With their exquisite furnishings, high vaulted ceilings, paintings, brightly colored mosaics, marble panels, and silver faucets and fittings. As well as its organization and planning. The Roman baths were an important part of Rome’s superiority, social role, and advancements in architecture and more. Ancient Roman Baths: Ancient Roman Architecture in Action.Web. 18 February 2015. Camelot International: Britains Heritage and History.† Web. 18 Feb. 2015. James. Roman Baths: Facts and Information.† 25 Mar. 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2016. McManus, Barbara F. Roman Baths.† June 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. Cartwright, Mark. Roman Baths.† 2 May 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. McGuire, Lela. Baths in Ancient Rome.† Web. 18 February 2015 ROMAN BATHS.† Web. 18 Feb. 2015. Carr, Karen. Roman Baths.†. 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2015. Baths. PBS. Web. 18 Feb. 2015. The Romans The Bath House.† 8 Mar. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2015. Roman Baths.† Web. 18 Feb. 2015. The Scribe. Ancient History Blog.† 14 Jan. 2011. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

Marion :: essays research papers

For a long time, I saw her almost every day on the train. Her gravely voice would prompt me to look up and then quickly look down. Sometimes, she would appear as I gazed aimlessly at the doors that adjoin the cars of the train. She would enter, look around, smile faintly and then introduce herself. Her name is Marion. She is homeless. But no, she doesn’t steal and never has in her life. She is down on her luck and needs help. And can we please help her? A dime, a nickel, anything. In fact, she would be happy with food. No, she doesn’t do drugs and would be so grateful for any kind soul who would help. Always that very same speech with that same plastic cheerfulness. She would make her way slowly through the train car, patiently when it was almost empty, and excusing herself to those who were already shrinking away from her, when it was crowded. She would stop sometimes and peer into the face closest to her with a deep imploration in her eyes. When it was my face, I would look down discreetly, sometimes placing wrinkled bills into her dirty, wrinkled palm. She would thank and bless me profusely, I would dismiss her by staring at my hands with an embarrassment I couldn’t explain. I didn’t want her attention. I didn’t want her to look at me or thank me. I wanted her to not exist. I didn’t want to wonder if she was a mother or a part of family or how she ended up in her sad journey walking through the rumbling cars of New York City’s trains. She would move on to another uncomfortable face, another one that ignored her. Some would say a casual, â€Å"No.† Almost as if she had asked if they knew the time. She would simply move on. When she had been ignored by enough faces, she would stand close to the doors adjoining the trains, nod slowly and then walk through. I saw her one day in the bathroom of the Long Island Ferry Station. I stood to the side, waiting for a free stall. She walked in and sneezed several times. She had an almost confused expression, staring at the wall and then the floor and then me for a little while before walking up to the garbage can. I was very surprised, so removed she was from where I was used to seeing her, from the part of my day where her presence had become normal, expected.

The Aztecs :: essays research papers

The Aztecs The Aztec people ruled from the Gulf of Mexico to present day Guatemala. There capital city was Tenochititlan. The greatest controlling force was religion. It was shown in their architecture and sculpture.   They also had writing, numbers and a calendar. They had recorded dates for religious holidays. The children were taught respect, courtesy, truthfulness and self control. Aztec boys learned practical tasks from their fathers at home. Then when they reached 15 they went to a youth house. There elders taught the boys religion, citizenship, history, traditions and art. They also learned war. Girls could also learn to be priestesses in temple schools. The Aztecs were divided into tribes   that were dived into clans. Each clan had its own officials that represented them at tribal meetings. The land was dived up by the tribes. They controlled the land but the peasants farmed it having to give some of it to the chiefs and priests. The Aztecs worshipped a host of gods that represented nature. To win the gods aid they performed rituals and offered penance. Human sacrifice played an important role. Since life was a mans most valued possession it was the best thing to offer up to the gods. As the Aztec empire grew so did the human sacrifice. Sometimes the Aztecs performed cannibalism, believing they absorb the virtues of the slain. The sacrificed people were thought to be given a high place in heaven. The average Aztec was a farmer. He lived outside the city and grew crops for his tribe. Farming was the most important means of survival due to the warm, humid climate. They lived in small huts. The male was the head of the family. He would often arrange marriages for their children. The language they spoke was the Nahuan language that originated from the west coast of the united states. They wore elaborate colorful clothing made from animal skins that were traded from

Junk Food Research Papaer

It too can be tied in with so many children eating junk food and fast food. There are many reasons that American children suffer from obesity, like not eating healthy meals at home or school, no one to prepare healthy meals for them or simply, love to eat fast food and junk food. Despite limited evidence, there is a growing concern that junk food in schools has contributed to the childhood obesity epidemic. The IBM (body mass index) is a collected weight and height measurements of children who are overweight by eating fast food and junk food.They can run down to the local corner tore and grab chips and a coke for a meal which can lead to unhealthy results later. Studies have shown, that junk foods can lead to certain illness and diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, fatigue and even different types of cancers. Can relate to the serious disease, type II diabetes too well. My father and my late husband was diagnosed with the disease. Watched both my father and my husband gorg e on junk foods and unhealthy foods, then go give themselves insulin shots. I never understood the irony of that concept.Overtime, high levels of sugar and carbohydrates in junk food can lead to type II diabetes. Type II diabetes occurs when your pancreas makes little or no insulin, which help keeps your blood sugar level in the right range for your body. Having type II diabetes can potentially lead to other health risks if the blood sugar level gets too high and too often. High blood sugar levels can also have serious effects on your blood vessels by thinning the lining of them. Believe it or not, thinning blood vessels can lead to heart attacks and stoke in people.One of the main reasons that some men have erectile dysfunction is because the thin lining that the blood vessels and could be an early sign of something more to come. Because junk food doesn't contain the protein or complex carbohydrates that your body needs to maintain consistent blood sugar levels, your blood sugar le vels will drop suddenly soon after eating. You'll crave sugar and likely end up eating more junk food. Over time, this stress damages your body's ability to use the insulin secreted by your pancreas.A healthy diet can help maintain your body's insulin sensitivity. You may wonder if you have to give up all fast food once you've been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Common sense says that fast food is not likely to be on the preferred foods list for people with diabetes. A typical fast food breakfast can put you at or over your daily limit for fat, cholesterol, and carbohydrates. There are, better choices you can make to get the nutrition you need and take advantage of fast food's convenience. First of all, fast food doesn't have to mean eating the fatty offerings.Planning ahead is the key. Many fast food chains now feature healthier choices to eat and these are the restaurants you want to go to grab a quick and fast healthy meal. Doesn't seem like high blood pressure and diabetes go h and and hand. High blood pressure is also one of the leading cause and major risks of heart attacks and strokes. Fast food contains unhealthy amounts of sodium and fat, which can negatively affect blood pressure. About 90 percent of Americans eat too much sodium, according to the Centers for Disease Control.It's estimated that Americans eat on average 3,300 milliards of sodium each day, which is more than the recommended intake of 2,300 milliards, according to the CDC. Roughly a quarter of the sodium you eat comes from restaurant foods, estimates the CDC. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. The heart pumps blood into the arteries (blood vessels) which carry the blood throughout the body. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, means the pressure in your arteries is above the normal range. In most cases, no one knows what causes high blood pressure.What you eat can affect your blood pressure. Controlling your sodium intake is particularly c ritical as you get older, since blood pressure increases naturally with age. The risk of high blood pressure more than doubles once you reach age 35 and over. A single high fat, fast food could meal have a negative effect on blood pressure, according to a study published in â€Å"The Journal of Nutrition† in April 2007. In the study, healthy participants et two fast food meals containing 42 grams of fat on separate occasions, or two low-fat, non-fast food meals.The high fat, fast food meals caused blood pressure to rise and the heart to beat faster, compared the group who ate a low-fat meal. This data supports evidence that excess fat, particular saturated fat, contributes to sustained high blood pressure, according to the study. As you can see, national studies show how junk food can really be a negative substance to the body, no matter how good the taste.. Have you ever notice that you tired and fatigue, but you're getting plenty of est. every night, could junk food make yo u lazy or does being lazy make you eat junk food.Let's find out which one is more than other. A new study finds eating too much junk food doesn't only make you fat, it may also make you mentally slower or less motivated. At least that seems to be true in lab rats. New research from UCLA points found that eating sugary, processed, and high-fat foods can actually cause tiredness, a lack of motivation and decreased performance, according to a study published in the April 10 issue of Physiology & Behavior. In a study, thirty-two female rats were placed on one of two diets for six months.The first was a standard rat's diet of unprocessed foods like ground corn and fish meal. The second was made up of highly processed foods that included substantially more sugar, similar to a human junk food diet. After three months, the 16 rats on the junk food diet became much fatter than the others and they got lazier too. As part of the study, the rats were given a task in which they were required to press a lever to receive a food or water reward. The rats on the junk food diet demonstrated impaired performance, taking longer breaks than the lean rats before returning to the task.In a 30-minute session, the overweight rats took areas that were nearly twice as long as the lean ones. After six months, the rats' diets were switched, and the overweight rats were given the more nutritious diet for nine days. This change, however, didn't help reduce their weight or improve their responses. The reverse was also true: Placing the lean rats on the junk food diet for nine days didn't increase their weight noticeably or result in any reduction in their motivation on the lever task.These findings suggest that a pattern of consuming junk food, not just the occasional binge, is responsible for obesity and cognitive impairments. Have you heard of the term: you are what you eat? Well a person that eats fast food and foods that are high in fat and sugar tends to have a higher risk of contractin g bowel cancer. Although those high levels fast foods. Even though cancer us usually caused by genetic damage that happens inside an individual cell. There are so many different types of cancer that one can have like, skin cancer, blood cancers, colon cancer and even infectious cancer diseases such as AIDS.Some cancer can be contributed to high levels of fat in diets and unhealthy meals. Cancer is caused by a number factors, some of which we can control, and mom we cannot. One of the uncontrollable factors is the presence of gene mutations. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (APPC) recently filed suit against seven major restaurants and fast-food chains in the State Of California. McDonald's, Burger King, Chick-fill-A, Chili's, Applause's, Outback Steakhouse and T. G. I. Friday's. The reason for the suit?These companies are knowingly serving food containing carcinogens without a health warning to the consumer. The APPC commissioned an independent laboratory to test gr illed chicken products from California outlets of all seven chains. Pulp (one of a group of carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines) was found in every grilled chicken sample provided for testing. Heterocyclic amines were added to the list of known carcinogens in 2005 and Pulp specifically has been on the California governor's list of chemicals known to cause cancer for more than a decade. Grilled chicken can cause cancer and consumers deserve to know that this supposedly healthy product is actually just as bad for them as high-fat fried chicken,† says APPC President Neal Bernard, MD. â€Å"Even a grilled chicken salad increases the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer and other forms of his lethal disease. McDonald's, Burger King and Wend's were accused in a lawsuit of selling chicken they know contains a chemical that can cause cancer even in small amounts. McDonald's, the world's biggest restaurant company, and the other dining chains were sued in a state court in Hartford, Connecticut.The complaint, filed by Washington based Cancer Project on behalf of two Connecticut residents, seeking a class action lawsuit on the behalf of people who bought or ate the grilled chicken from October 2006. It's time to consider that the only way fast-food restaurants will start sharing our growing concern for healthier eating choices is if we stop going. It's time to seriously consider the risk to ourselves and our children, and weigh those risks against the â€Å"convenience† being offered by fast food. We have other options.Fast food is not the only choice for busy parents. If you have a busy life and can't believe there are other option Fast food is relatively cheap, comparing with traditional food. It may cost as low as a few dollars with no service charges or tips at all. It is highly accessible, which many of those fast food restaurants open 24 hours a day 7 says a week with no prior reservation required, and is ready to serve as soon as when people have just finished their orders. People have the choice of to dine in, take away or even drive through for their meals.These advantages, which fit and match the city life style seamlessly, make fast food so attractive and irreplaceable. However, as the raising awareness of people's health in recent days, fast food has been accused as one of the major harms to a healthy life. Fast food, usually serves with oversized hamburgers and fries, contains excessive fat, both trans-fat and non-trans fat, causing serious illnesses such as obesity and earth diseases, and beverages, like cream soda and coke, contains overdosed sweetener, is one of the major reasons causing diabetic.Moreover, preservatives and flavor enhancers mixed into those frozen ingredients would significantly decrease the nutrition value of the meals. In conclusion, fast food is definitely quick, cheap and highly accessible. It is always ready on the fly, and seems to be a very good and simple option when people hope to squeeze their packed schedules for some time. However, people might mistakenly overlook the quality of food, in particular ingredients and nutrition facts, and jeopardize and risk their health.

Would a common definition of terrorism have helped to combat terrorism in the Arab uprising in relation to Syria?

Abstract There is much difficulty when it comes to establishing what a terrorist actually is because of the lack of definition that exists on an international level. The difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter cannot easily be identified as a result of this, which prevents the War on Terror from being adequately dealt with. Nevertheless, it is questionable whether a definition would prove effective given that different interpretations of terrorism exist amongst the international community. Introduction The definition of terrorism has been subject to much controversy over the years because of the different interpretations that exist. Accordingly, terrorism is viewed differently by governmental agencies and under various legal systems. It is has been argued that because of the conflictions that exist within this area, a common definition of terrorism needs to be adopted by the international community (Sorel, 2003). Terrorism occurs on an international level and unless consensus exists within this area, difficulties will continue to ensue when trying to combat terrorism. It would be highly beneficial if a universal definition was employed as there would be much more consistency and terrorist acts would be more easily identified (Webster, 2011). Terrorism has been defined by Hoffman as â€Å"the deliberate creation and exploitation of fear through violence or the threat of violence in the pursuit of political change† (1998: 32). Terrorism is present whenever there is the threat of violence or violence itself which is intended to have physical and emotional effects upon victims. It has also been suggested that â€Å"terrorists seek to obtain the leverage, influence and power they otherwise lack to effect political change on either a local or an international scale† (Hoffman, 1998: 32). Despite these interpretations, it is still extremely difficult to determine whether a person is committing an act of terrorism. This essay will consider in light of this whether a common definition of terrorism have helped to combat terrorism in the Arab uprising in relation to Syria. Defining Terrorism Consequently, terrorists are capable of being mistaken for freedom fighters who merely seek to achieve political freedom by taking part in a â€Å"resistance movement against an oppressive political or social establishment† (Webster, 2011: 1). Freedom fighters include the likes of the South African Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and the Irish Republican Army (IRA) who were both labelled freedom fighters on the basis that they fought against national governments for freedom (Webster, 2011). There is, nonetheless, a fine line between terrorists and freedom fighters because of the fact that they both act in a similar manner and so it is imperative that a distinction can be made between the two (Raport, 2013). Gioia (2006) further notes that this is difficult to achieve in practice and terrorists are capable of escaping liability on the grounds that they are freedom fighters. Whilst one jurisdiction may consider a person a terrorist another jurisdiction may consider the same person a free dom fighter. It has thus been argued that; â€Å"one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter† (Buchanan, 2004: 1). This makes it extremely difficult to remain consistent within this area of the law and highlights the need for a universal definition of terrorism. As put by Rosand; â€Å"the General Assembly’s inability to reach agreement on a definition of terrorism after nearly thirty-five years of discussions in one form or another has limited the impact of its counterterrorism efforts† (2006: 399). Terrorism and Syria Conflictions will continue to exist unless a universal definition is adopted and terrorism will remain difficult to combat. This has been exemplified by the Arab uprising in relation to Syria since the Syrian Arab Republic has been considered both a victim of terrorism as well as a perpetrator. The Syrian government has thus been accused by the US State Department and George W. Bush of sponsoring acts of terrorism for organisations like Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Struggle Front (Diane, 1995: 19). However, because of the uncertainty surrounding the definition of terrorism it has proven very difficult for the Syrian government to be properly sanctioned. As argued by Rapport; â€Å"the case of Syria illustrates how the concept of state-sponsored terrorism, and evidence for it, lacks clarity and is used politically† (2013: 238). It was demonstrated by officials of the United States that whilst the actions of the Syrian government were much more professional a nd deadly than Libya’s, the evidence that links Syria to direct acts of violence is murky (New York Times, 1986: 1). Despite these uncertainties, the US government continues to publish lists of the number of terrorists incidents that have occurred in Syria (National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, 2013: 4). However, because Syria has continued to support the US and other governments in their opposition to the al-Qaeda, there has been a reluctance to name Syria as a sponsor state (Diaz-Paniagua, 2008). It has been said that this is the result of a necessity to obtain the assistance of Syria when negotiating the release of British, US and French citizens that are being held hostage in the Middle East (Dettmer, 2014: 1). Syria is thereby a vital component for the establishment of peace within this area, which is why it has proven difficult to combat terrorism in Syria. It is clear from these findings that there is sufficient evidence to name Syria as a terrorist sponsor, yet because of Syria’s political connections there has been a refusal to do so. Arguably, a common definition of terrorism would therefore have done nothing to prevent the terrorist actions from being conducted in the Arab uprising in relation to Syria since there is a political reluctance to name Syria as a terrorist sponsor. It has been noted in view of this that it would be â€Å"naive to think that there are laws in war† (Al-Saadi, 2013: 1), which is certainly true here. Although a common definition would be better overall in providing certainty, it is questionable whether it would in fact help to combat terrorism. Furthermore, because of the fact that different states view terrorism differently, a common definition would restrict the ability of states to identify terrorism on a case by case basis. This was identified by Sorel when it was pointed out that; â€Å"the problem facing a global definition is the difficulty in taking account of special circumstances according to the type of action committed, the nature of the victims or the type of method of the terrorist action† (2003: 365). Consideration as to whether a definition is needed was made by the Security Council in September 2001 during the adoption of Resolution 1373 and it was concluded that; â€Å"one shouldn’t try to define terrorism in order to reach a quick agreement; to do so runs the risk of getting into deeper and deeper water† (2001: 1). This signifies that because terrorism acts are so wide-ranging, it would be difficult to incorporate a definition that would be able to comprehend every single act of terrorism. Flexibility is therefore vital within this area, yet because of the confusions that arise when trying to distinguish between a terrorist and a freedom fighter, it is necessary to have some conformity. This was identified by Saul who stated that there is a â€Å"need to condemn violations to Human rights, to protect the state and deliberative politics, to differentiate public and private violence, and to ensure international peace and security† (2008: 1). It is unlikely t hat these objectives can be achieved without a common definition since it is necessary that terrorist actions can be identified and distinguished against the actions of a freedom fighter (Diaz-Paniagua, 2008: 47). It remains arguable whether a definition would in fact be workable given the reluctance to name Syria as a sponsor of terrorism and some have suggested to define terrorism would prevent a sectoral approach towards terrorism to be employed. As put forward by Gioia; â€Å"a definition would only be necessary if the punishment of the relevant offences were made conditional on the existence of a specific terrorist intent† (2006: 4). Many would in fact disagree with this statement on the basis that much of the complexity that exists when trying to combat terrorism is the result of the lack of consensus within this area. Hence, the current approach that is being employed by the international community does not appear satisfactory and attempts to clarify the meaning of terrorism are continuously being made. An example of this can be seen in relation to the definition that was provided by the League of Nations Convention of 1937 under Article 1.1. Under this definition an act of terrorism was described as a â€Å"criminal act directed against a State and intended or calculated to create a state of terror in the minds of particular persons or a group of persons or the general public.† The United Nations General A ssembly also provided under Article 2.1 of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that a terrorist is defined as someone who causes; â€Å"death or serious bodily injury; serious damage to public or private property; or damage to property, places, facilities, or systems likely to result in major economic loss† (2002: 1). Effectively, it is evident that attempts to define terrorism have and will continue to be made, yet whether there will ever be complete consensus in this area is doubtful and it cannot be said that a definition would have helped to combat terrorism that is being committed by Syria. Conclusion Overall, whilst it is clear that a definition of terrorism is needed in order to provide clarity within this area, it cannot be said that a common definition would have helped to combat terrorism in the Arab uprising in relation to Syria. This is due to the political reluctance to name Syria as a sponsor of terrorism regardless of the evidence to the contrary. Furthermore, it has also been suggested that flexibility needs to remain in this area so that terrorism can be determined on a sectoral basis. Hence, not every country will view terrorist actions the same and so a determination will need to be based on a case by case basis in order to prevent confliction. Regardless of this, there is still a pressing need to provide some conformity within this area, which is why the international community have made great attempts to provide a universal definition. References Al-Saadi, Y. (2013) ‘The Rise of the Arab ‘War on Terror’ Discourse’, [Online], Available: http://muftah.org/the-rise-of-the-arab-war-on-terror-discourse/ [26 March 2014]. Buchanan, P. J. ‘Terrorists – and Freedom Fighters?’ AntiWar, [Online], Available: http://antiwar.com/pat/?articleid=2141 [26 March 2014]. Dettmer, J. (2014) ‘Holding Aid Hostage Syria’, Middle East Institute, [Online], Available: http://www.mei.edu/content/holding-aid-hostage-syria [26 March 2014]. Diaz-Paniagua, C.F. (2008) Negotiating Terrorism: The Negotiation Dynamics of Four UN Counter-Terrorism Treaties 1997-2005, City University of New York. Diane Publishing. (1995) Patterns of Global Terrorism, Diane Publishing. Gioia, A. (2006) The UN Conventions on the Prevention and Suppression of International Terrorism in Nesi, G. International Co-operation in Counter-Terrorism: The United Nations and Regional Organisations in the Fight Against Terrorism. Hoffman, B. (1998) Inside Terrorism, Columbia University Press. National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. (2013) ‘Annex of Statistical Information’ Country Reports on Terrorism, [Online], Available: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/210288.pdf [27 March 2014]. Raport, D. C. (2013) Inside Terrorist Organisations, Routledge. Rosand, E. (2006) ‘The UN-Led Multilateral Institutional Response to Jihadist Terrorism: Is a Global Counterterrorism Body Needed’, Journal of Conflict and Security Law, C&S Law 2006 11 (399), Issue 3. Saul, B. (2008) Defining Terrorism to Protect Human Rights, Sydney Law School Legal Studies, Research Paper No 08-125. Security Council. (2001) Le Terrorisme est un totalitarisme, Le Monde. Sorel, J. (2003) ‘Some Questions About the Definition of Terrorism and the Fight Against Its Financing’, European Journal of International Law, EJIL 2003 14 (365), Issue 2. The New York Times. (1986) ‘Evidence of Syrian Link to Terror still Murky’, [Online], Available: http://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/10/world/evidence-of-syrian-link-to-terror-still-murky.html [26 March 2014]. United Nations General Assembly. (2002) ‘Report of the Ad Hoc Committee established by General Assembly Resolution 51/210 of 17 December 1996’, Sixth Session, Annex II, art 2.1. Webster, M. (2011) ‘Freedom Fighter’, An Encyclopaedia Britannica Company, [Online], Available: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freedom%20fighter [26 March 2014].