Report on takotsubo cardiomyopathy

Report on takotsubo cardiomyopathy Abstract This is a report on Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. It includes details of the left ventricle, proposed mechanisms of the disease, reasons as to why certain regions are affected and some arent, the exact problem in detail, symptoms and clinical features including tests and ECG readings, treatment options used and prognosis, incidence and recurrence, some case reports to show the condition in its clinical setting and a conclusion summing up the important points and what direction needs to be taken with regards to the disease. Introduction What do I mean by a broken heart? A broken heart can mean many things, both physiologically and philosophically. Physiologically a broken heart can be a myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, angina, the list is endless. However, philosophically speaking a broken heart is generally perceived as the loss of a loved one or a relationship breakup but in this context can also mean other things which would also cause severe emotional stress such as legal issues, sudden poor financial situation, intense arguing, finding out you have a chronic terminal illness or a loved one does, surgery and car accidents and even the stoppage of use of addictive drugs. We know profound stress can cause certain cardiovascular issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and coronary heart disease. A relatively recent cardiomyopathy has been discovered, and is called broken heart syndrome. This is because it is highly associated with having a profound amount of emotional stress. Heres some anatomy of the left ventricle and myocardium muscle. The left ventricle will be concentrated on as that is the general area this cardiomyopathy occurs. The left ventricular free wall is thickest at the base and thinnest at the apex (usually around 1-2mm). The left ventricular free wall in general is 3 times thicker than the right ventricular free wall. The role of noradrenaline Noradrenaline is a hormone and a neurotransmitter produced in the human body. It is released upon excitement, threat etc and directly increases the heart rate. It is released in the fight or flight response. So what is broken heart syndrome? Broken heart syndrome was first recorded by Dote et al in 1991. They discovered that this form of cardiomyopathy involved the left ventricle and particularly the apex. They found that instead of contracting normally to pump blood around the body, the ventricle ballooned and expanded. This is due to akinesia of the distal anterior wall and apical wall and hypercontraction of the basal wall. Obviously, this would have a severe effect on the blood flow to vital organs so could be quite problematic. It was named Takotsubo cardiomyopathy because the appearance of the left ventricle in an angiogram resembles an octopus pot, which translates as Takotsubo in Japanese. It is also referred to as apical ballooning syndrome, due to the ballooning of the apex. A shows what happens in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in contraction, as can be seen the volume of the ventricle increases. B shows what a normal contraction should look like. What are the physiological mechanisms behind Takotsubo cardiomyopathy? There have been a few proposed theories, but no one is quite sure. Multivessel coronary vasospasm One theory is that many of the coronary arteries spasm and constrict at the same time so blood flow is greatly reduced to the myocardium muscle and other areas of the heart. However in some studies a vasospasm has been induce by acetylcholine and it has not been conclusive. Also the duration of the abnormal wall motion is longer than it should be. Release of catecholamines In almost all cases of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, increased levels of catecholamines (adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine) have been found in the body. There are many things which can induce a release of catecholamines and emotional excitement or stress are some of them. The catecholamines would be released to the heart to make it beat harder and faster. This is the most widely accepted mechanism for Takotsubo but as mentioned earlier, there is no clear answer. Microvascular spasm It has been found that there is impaired microcirculation in this syndrome, but again there are many challenges to this theory. The â€Å"slow-flow† phenomenon is not observed. Impaired microcirculation may be the result of the primary myocardial injury not necessarily the cause of it. So why is the apical wall of the left ventricle and the mid-ventricle the place that is most affected by a surge of these catecholamines? Well, there are a few anatomical and physiological causes for this. There is a markedly higher concentration of adrenergic receptors in the apex of the left ventricle than other parts of the heart and it is these receptors that noradrenaline and adrenaline will bind to. Also due to increased responsiveness of the apical myocardium to stimulation of these receptors. The apical wall is especially vulnerable structurally as when the rest of the heart has a three layered myocardial composition, the apex does not and is therefore a lot thinner. The area of the apex tends to lose its elasticity a lot more easily after many extreme expansions and does not correctly go back to its original state. The apex is a lot more likely to become ischemic as the blood flow is not large in that area so at any time when blood flow is reduced the apex loses out quickly. The Electro Cardio Gram of a person with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy usually shows ST elevation in the acute stage, T wave inversions and a prolonged QT interval in the sub acute stage and the inverted T wave can persist for weeks in the recovery stage. Clinical presentation The clinical presentation and diagnostic tools are very similar to that of acute coronary syndrome and acute myocardial ischemia. A diagnosis of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy should not be made until ACS, coronary artery disease, acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis, pericarditis etc have been ruled out. Along with the ECG there are other symptoms which might lead to a diagnosis. Among these are chest pain and shortness of breath. Temporary loss of consciousness and shock have been reported. A slight elevation of cardiac damage bio markers troponin and creatine kinase can be detected. Surprisingly, it generally occurs in patients without significant blockage of coronary arteries or any acute plaque rupture. Treatments Long term therapy should include: Beta blockers, which work by blocking the transmission of certain nervous impulses to the heart and reduces the heart rate and force of the beat. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors which stop the conversion of angiotensin 1 to angiotensin 2, which reduces arteriole resistance and increases the venous capacity. Diuretics get rid if the water built up in lungs from heart failure. Aspirin is used to reduce the risk of another heart attack and prevent more cardiac muscle death. Calcium channel blockers are generally used to lower blood pressure. The treatment for this disease is generally to try and take the stress away that caused it in the first place and is of a supportive nature. Most people suffering from broken heart syndrome recover within about 2 weeks to 2 months. Incidence Various different studies have shown that Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a generally a female condition as between 70% and 100% of all cases are in women, most of whom are post menopausal. The reason for this is unclear, however some explanations have been proposed. Sex hormones may definitely influence the sympathetic neurohormonal axis and coronary vasoreactivity. Females may also be more susceptible to myocardial stunning that is mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. Endothelial function is altered due to changes in oestrogen levels and this could be another reason for the much more common occurrence in post menopausal women. A Danish study suggested that 234 out of 100,000 people get acute coronary syndrome and an American study reported that 1.7% to 2.2% of patients thought to have acute coronary syndrome actually have Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. So as can be seen it is a very rare illness. Around 99% of patients in hospital with Takotsubo survive the disease and fully recover. Some reports suggest that up to 10% of patients who recover will get it again. This makes it difficult from a treatment point of view as to how long to treat for. Some case reports Case 1 67 year old woman presenting with chest pain that has lasted a day has ST elevations on ECG. Chest pain is substernal and is linked with dyspnoea. Pain radiates to left arm. When resting pain and dyspnoea goes after an hour but comes back throughout the day. ECG is concerning. She is sent to the emergency department from a clinic. Her blood pressure is 140/86 mmHg, pulse is 86 beats per minute, breathing is 14 breaths per minute, O2 saturation is 100%, she is cannulised and on 2 litres per minute nasally. Her temperature is 37.1 °C. She smokes 20 packs of cigarettes a year. She is asked about a history of heart problems in her family and she begins to cry and describes her sisters death from a heart attack just 2 days before. ECG shows small Q waves, T wave inversions, ST elevation and poor R wave progression. All other tests are normal, a left ventriculogram reveals akinesia of parts of the apex. 7 days later she has normal left ventricular function and apex wall motion is normal, though the base appears to be contracting harder than apex. Case 2 86 year old woman is in emergency department presenting with chest pain that has lasted 10 hours. It is substernal and does not radiate. Her blood pressure is 185/88 mmHg, pulse is 71 beats per minute, breathing rate is 20 breaths per minute O2 saturation is 98% and she is breathing normal air. Her temperature is 35.7 °C. Medical history is hypertension, gout a hysterectomy and hypothyroidism. She has a family history of coronary disease. ECG shows ST elevation and T wave inversion. All other tests are normal. The left ventriculogram reveals akinesia of the apex and mid anterior wall. The base has normal function. Mid septum shows hypertrophy and apex shows hypotrophy. Left ventricular function is at just 34% ejection fraction. It is found out that her son was killed accidentally just 2 weeks prior to onset of symptoms. Conclusion Yes, by all means it is possible to die of a â€Å"broken heart†. Both cases showed that a profound amount of severe emotional stress led to the Takotsubo â€Å"broken heart† syndrome Although it is a very rare disease and almost all patients survive and recover fully, if the condition goes unnoticed or untreated it can prove fatal. As can be seen from the cases, the symptoms are very general with tests not showing many abnormalities. It seems to have no predisposition in people with heart problems. Its symptoms and clinical features are very similar to that of acute coronary syndrome. The most defining tests seem to be the ECG which shows similar results each time, and a left ventriculography, which can show up exactly which parts of the ventricle wall have akinesia. The relatively recent discovery of the disease means that although it is fully recognised by medical institutions it is not fully integrated into clinical practise. Although incidence is rare, this does need to change. More research must be done in the field to fully understand the mechanism behind the illness, as all the proposed mechanisms are unproved and conflicting. By finding the correct mechanism the treatment options can also be broadened to suit more specifically the cause and not just management. References Apical ballooning syndrome or takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a systematic review Gianni M, Dentali F, Grandi AM, Sumner G, Hiralal R, Lonn E. European Heart Journal 2006. Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, or Broken-Heart Syndrome Virani SS, Khan AN, Mendoza CE, Ferreira AC, de Marchena E. Texas Heart Institute Journal 2007 v.34 Recognition of the Apical Ballooning Syndrome in the United States G. William Dec, MD Circulation 2005 American Heart Association Stress, emotion and the heart: tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy Iqbal MB, Moon JC, Guttmann OP, Shanahan P, Goadsby PJ, Holdright DR Postgrad Med J 2006;82:e29 www.takotsubo.com www.wrongdiagnosis.com Hursts The Heart A case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy mimicking ACS Metzl et al 2006 Nat Clin Pract Cardiovasc Med Apical and Midventricular Transient Left Ventricular Dysfunction Syndrome (Tako-Tsubo Cardiomyopathy): Frequency, Mechanisms and Prognosis Kurowski et al 2007 CHEST Systematic Review: Transient Left Ventricular Apical Ballooning: A Syndrome That Mimics ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Bybee et al December 2004 Annals Takotsubo cardiomyopathy a case series and review of the literature West j emergency medicine Acute coronary syndrome: incidence and prognosis, Nielsen KM, Danish Medical Bulletin No. 1. February 2006. Vol. 53 Page 95

The World Trade Organization Where It’s Been and Where’s It’s Going? Es

The World Trade Organization Where It’s Been and Where’s It’s Going? Since the start of trade in the United States and around the world there has always been a need for rules and regulations. The GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) was the one for the past century that dealt with issues that would arise they wrote rules on things that were acceptable and not acceptable in the trade arena. Out of the GATT came the World Trade Organization (WTO) that was designed to take care of more issues than GATT. Although the WTO has only been around for almost a decade it has come under criticism from almost all arenas. They have had issues brought to their table that have been hard decisions and now have issues they must deal with that could affect the way free trade is in the future. Countries have battled amongst each other as how to solve a problem such as The Beef Hormone Case, The Shrimp Turtle case and the Caribbean Banana Case. These were case that will be discussed later, but have set a kind of foundation for the WTO as to where they will b e headed in the future. Agriculture has become a hot issue in the international market and the WTO is still trying to find ways to accommodate the developed countries and develop further growth in the developing nations. The World Trade Organization is also stepping into new territory and the future is no exception. The World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization was developed in 1995 out of what was known as the Uruguay Round. Although GATT set rules they mostly dealt with issues just involving simple trade of goods and the distribution of tariffs. The WTO has a more broad job than the GATT; â€Å"†¦it oversees multilateral agreements relating not just to good, but... ... the job that they were made to do under the GATT regulations. The future will tell a lot about the WTO and free trade because so many things are brought to the table that eventually the World Trade Organization is going to need some form of help to make adequate decisions for the world. BIBLIOGRAPHY Diao, Xinshen, Terry Roe and Agapi Somwaru. â€Å"Developing Country Interests in Agricultural Reforms Under the World Trade Organization.† American Journal of Economics v.84, n3 (August 2002): 782-90 Irwin, Douglas. Free Trade Under Fire. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2002. Josling, Tim. â€Å"Key Issues in the World Trade Organization Negotiations on Agriculture.† American Journal of Agricultural Economics v.85, n3 (August 2003): 663-667 Working Group on the WTO/MAI. â€Å"A Citizen’s Guide to the World Trade Organization† (July 1999): 1-28

Young Modulus Experiment

Experiment 1: Young Modulus Title:Bending of beam and coefficient of elasticity. Objective: To study the relationship between load, span, width, height and deflection of a beam, places on two bearers and affected by a concentrated load at the centre. :To ascertain the coefficient of elasticity for aluminium, brass and steel. Results: Measurement of test specimen (a) For beam material – Steel | Length, L (mm)| Thickness, h (mm)| Width, b (mm)| 1st reading| 650| 3. 15| 18. 97| 2nd reading| 650| 3. 11| 19. 03| 3rd reading| 650| 3. 12| 18. 97| Average reading| 650| 3. 13| 18. 99| (b) For beam material – Aluminium Length, L (mm)| Thickness, h (mm)| Width, b (mm)| 1st reading| 650| 3. 25| 19. 15| 2nd reading| 650| 3. 21| 19. 23| 3rd reading| 650| 3. 21| 19. 18| Average reading| 650| 3. 22| 19. 19| (c) For beam material –Brass | Length, L (mm)| Thickness, h (mm)| Width, b (mm)| 1st reading| 650| 3. 31| 19. 05| 2nd reading| 650| 3. 34| 19. 20| 3rd reading| 650| 3. 35| 19 . 09| Average reading| 650| 3. 33| 19. 11| Two simple supports end. (a) Deflection of test specimen [ Beam material-Steel ] Mass(gram)| Load (N)| Deflection #1 (mm)| Deflection #2 (mm)| Deflection #3 (mm)| Average Deflection (mm)| 100| 0. 981| 0. 5| 0. 45| 0. 48| 0. 43| 200| 1. 96| 0. 85| 0. 88| 0. 85| 0. 86| 300| 2. 94| 1. 30| 1. 32| 1. 38| 1. 33| 400| 3. 92| 1. 74| 1. 80| 1. 81| 1. 78| 500| 4. 91| 2. 20| 2. 24| 2. 25| 2. 23| (b) Deflection of test specimen [ Beam material-Aluminium ] Mass(gram)| Load (N)| Deflection #1 (mm)| Deflection #2 (mm)| Deflection #3 (mm)| Average Deflection (mm)| 100| 0. 981| 1. 18| 1. 15| 1. 16| 1. 16| 200| 1. 96| 2. 43| 2. 54| 2. 40| 2. 46| 300| 2. 94| 3. 72| 3. 67| 3. 72| 3. 70| 400| 3. 92| 4. 98| 5. 08| 5. 10| 5. 05| 500| 4. 91| 6. 07| 6. 20| 6. 15| 6. 14| (c) Deflection of test specimen [ Beam material-Brass ]Mass(gram)| Load (N)| Deflection #1 (mm)| Deflection #2 (mm)| Deflection #3 (mm)| Average Deflection (mm)| 100| 0. 981| 1. 02| 0. 97| 0. 90| 0. 96| 200| 1. 96| 1. 80| 1. 78| 1. 74| 1. 77| 300| 2. 94| 2. 67| 2. 78| 2. 66| 2. 70| 400| 3. 92| 3. 49| 3. 57| 3. 52| 3. 53| 500| 4. 91| 4. 37| 4. 41| 4. 37| 4. 41| One fixed end and one simple support end. (a) Deflection of test specimen [ Beam material-Steel ] Mass(gram)| Load (N)| Deflection #1 (mm)| Deflection #2 (mm)| Deflection #3 (mm)| Average Deflection (mm)| 100| 0. 981| 0. 26| 0. 23| 0. 27| 0. 25| 200| 1. 96| 0. 48| 0. 45| 0. 47| 0. 47| 300| 2. 94| 0. 69| 0. 70| 0. 70| 0. 0| 400| 3. 92| 0. 97| 0. 88| 0. 88| 0. 89| 500| 4. 91| 1. 15| 1. 12| 1. 12| 1. 13| (b) Deflection of test specimen [ Beam material-Aluminium ] Mass(gram)| Load (N)| Deflection #1 (mm)| Deflection #2 (mm)| Deflection #3 (mm)|Average Deflection (mm)| 100| 0. 981| 0. 60| 0. 67| 0. 69| 0. 65| 200| 1. 96| 1. 28| 1. 19| 1. 20| 1. 22| 300| 2. 94| 1. 80| 1. 80| 1. 82| 1. 81| 400| 3. 92| 2. 37| 2. 43| 2. 45| 2. 42| 500| 4. 91| 2. 97| 2. 98| 3. 01| 2. 99| (c) Deflection of test specimen [ Beam material-Brass ] Mass (gram)| Load (N)| Deflection #1 (mm)| Deflection #2 (mm)| Deflection #3 (mm)| Average Deflection (mm)| 100| 0. 81| 0. 47| 0. 42| 0. 48| 0. 46| 200| 1. 96| 0. 90| 0. 86| 0. 86| 0. 87| 300| 2. 94| 1. 30| 1. 28| 1. 30| 1. 29| 400| 3. 92| 1. 73| 1. 70| 1. 71| 1. 71| 500| 4. 91| 2. 14| 2. 14| 2. 13| 2. 14| Calculations: * Two simple supports end To calculate the moment of inertia : I = bh312 I = Moment of Inertia ( m4 ) b = Width of beam ( m ) h = Thickness of beam ( m ) To determine the beam Young modulus : E = F? (L348I) E = Young modulus ( Pa ) F = Force/load applied ( N ) ? = Deflection ( m ) L = Beam length ( m ) I = Moment of Inertia ( m4 ) F? = Slope of graph line deflection versus force ( N m-1 )Beam material – Steel I = bh312 = 18. 99 ? 10-33. 13 ? 10-33 12 = 4. 853? 10 -11m4 E = F? (L348I) = 4. 9-0. 980. 00223-0. 00043(600? 10-3)3484. 853? 10-11 = 3. 920. 00180. 2162. 329 ? 10-9 = 201. 94 GPa Beam material – Aluminium I = bh312 = 19. 19 ? 10-33. 22 ? 10-3312 = 5. 339? 10 -11m4 E = F? (L348I) = 4. 9-0. 980. 00614-0. 00116(600? 10-3)3485. 339? 10-11 = 3. 920. 004980. 2162. 563 ? 10-9 = 66. 35 GPa Beam material – Brass I = bh312 = 19. 11 ? 10-33. 33 ? 10-3312 = 5. 880? 10 -11m4 E = F? (L348I) = 1. 962-0. 9810. 00177-0. 00096(600? 10-3)3485. 880? 10-11 = 0. 9810. 000810. 2162. 822 ? 0-9 = 92. 69GPa * One fixed end and one simple support end I = bh312 I = Moment of Inertia ( m4 ) b = Width of beam ( m ) h = Thickness of beam ( m ) E = F? (3. 5L3384I) E = Young modulus ( Pa ) F = Force/load applied ( N ) ? = Deflection ( m ) L = Beam length ( m ) I = Moment of Inertia ( m4 ) F ? = Slope of graph line deflection versus force ( N m-1 ) Beam material – Steel I = bh312 = 18. 99? 10-33. 13? 10-3312 = 4. 853? 10 -11m4 E = F? (3. 5L3384I) = 4. 91-0. 9810. 00113-0. 000253. 5(600? 10-3)33844. 853? 10-11 = 3. 9290. 000880. 7561. 86 ? 10-8 = 181. 47 GPa Beam material – AluminiumI = bh312 = 19. 19? 10-33. 22? 10-3312 = 5. 339? 10 -11m4 E = F? (3. 5L3384I) = 4. 91-0. 9810. 00299-0. 000653. 5(600? 10-3)33845. 339? 10-11 = 3. 9290. 002340. 7562. 05 ? 10-8 = 61. 92 GPa Beam material – Brass I = bh312 = 19. 11? 10-33. 33? 10-3312 = 5. 880? 10 -11m4 E = F? (3. 5L3384I) = 4. 905-0. 9810. 00214-0. 000463. 5(600? 10-3)33845. 880? 10-11 = 3. 9240. 001680. 7562. 26 ? 10-8 = 78. 13GPa Theoretical value for young modulus of Steel = 200GPa Theoretical value for young modulus of Aluminium = 69GPa Theoretical value for young modulus of Brasses = 100-125GPa Discussion :Based on the results, the experimental young modulus for Steel is 201. 94 GPa by using two simple supports end. Besides that, the experimental young modulus for Aluminium is 66. 35 GPa and for Brass is 92. 69 GPa. On the other hand, when the test is carried out by using one fixed end and one simple support end, the experimental young modulus for Steel is 181. 47 GPa, Aluminium is 66. 35 GPa and Brass is 92. 69 GPa. Based on the results from the both method, the coefficient of elasticity for Aluminium is the highest among Steel and Brass as it has the lowest value of young modulus.By comparing with the theoretical young modulus for Steel, Aluminium and Brass, the experimental young modulus for specimen by using two simple supports end is more accurate than using one fixed end and one simple support end. This is because when the beam is tighten only at one side, it will causes the beam to deflect unequally at both side. Thus, the dial gauge readings recorded will be inaccurate. There are some factors that may affect the experimental results to be inaccurate when this experiment is carried out.One of the factors that lead to inaccurate results is because of the atmosphere around the laboratory. The strong air from the air-conditioner will cause the load to be unstable and shaking when the reading is taken. Thus, the readings in the dial gauge will be changing as the load is moving. Besides that, misalignment error will also affect the experi mental results to be inaccurate. The dial gauge is not placed to the center of the test specimen. This is important because the deflection of a beam placed on two bearers will be affected by a concentrated load at the centre.Moreover, parallax error may be occur when adjusting the height of the gauge so that the needle touched the test specimen. This error occurs because different people have different viewing of the measurement at an angle. Furthermore, the dial gauge must be set to 0. 00mm every time the load hanger is mount on the center of the test specimen. This steps need to be done before the readings is taken so that the results will not be interfere by the previous experimental results. The readings by the dial gauge must be taken when it is already fixed and stabilize.Therefore, softly tap on the dial gauge until the reading did not change to ensure that the load had already stabilize before the dial gauge reading is recorded. Conclusion : When the width and the height of the beam increases, the moment of inertia calculated will increase. Besides that, when the load and span increases, the deflection of a beam will also increases. This shows that the load and span is directly perpendicular to the deflection of a beam. Based on the results from both method, the coefficient of elasticity is increasing from steel, brass and aluminium.

Great Depression Essays (3565 words) - Economy Of The United States

Great Depression Essays (3565 words) - Economy Of The United States Great Depression Greg Squires The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history, and one which touched virtually all of the industrialized world. The Depression began in late 1929 and lasted for nearly a decade. Many factors played a role in bringing about the Depression; however, the main cause for the Great Depression was the combination of the greatly unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920's, and the extensive stock market speculation that took place during the latter part that same decade. The mal-distribution of wealth in the 1920's existed on many levels. Money was distributed disparately between the rich and the middle-class, between industry and agriculture within the United States, and between the U.S. and Europe. This imbalance of wealth created an unstable economy. The excessive speculation in the late 1920's kept the stock market artificially high, but eventually lead to large market crashes. These market crashes, combined with the maldistribution of wealth, caused the American economy to capsize. The roaring twenties was an era when our country prospered tremendously. However, the rewards of the Coolidge Prosperity of the 1920's were not shared evenly among all Americans. According to a study done by the Brookings Institute, the top 0.1% of Americans had a combined income equal to the bottom 42% in 1929. That same top 0.1% of Americans in 1929 controlled 34% of all savings, while 80% of Americans had no savings at all. Automotive industry mogul Henry Ford provides a striking example of the unequal distribution of wealth between the rich and the middle-class. Henry Ford reported a personal income of $14 million in the same year that the average personal income was $750. By present day standards, where the average yearly income in the U.S. is around $18,500, Mr. Ford would be earning over $345 million a year! This maldistribution of income between the rich and the middle class grew throughout the 1920's. While the disposable income per capita rose 9% from 1920 to 1929, those wi th income within the top 1% enjoyed a stupendous 75% increase in per capita disposable income1. A major reason for this large and growing gap between the rich and the working-class people was the increased manufacturing output throughout this period. From 1923-1929 the average output per worker increased 32% in manufacturing. During that same period of time average wages for manufacturing jobs increased only 8%. Thus wages increased at a rate one fourth as fast as productivity increased. As production costs fell quickly, wages rose slowly, and prices remained constant, the bulk benefit of the increased productivity went into corporate profits. In fact, from 1923-1929 corporate profits rose 62% and dividends rose 65%2. The federal government also contributed to the growing gap between the rich and middle-class. Calvin Coolidge's Republican administration (and the conservative-controlled government) favored business, and as a result the wealthy who invested in these businesses. An example of legislation to this purpose is the Revenue Act of 1926, signed by President Coolidge on February 26, 1926, which reduced federal income and inheritance taxes dramatically. Andrew Mellon, Coolidge's Secretary of the Treasury, was the main force behind these and other tax cuts throughout the 1920's. Even the Supreme Court played a role in expanding the gap between the socioeconomic classes. In the 1923 case Adkins v. Children's Hospital, the Supreme Court ruled minimum-wage legislation unconstitutional3. The large and growing disparity of wealth between the well-to-do and the middle-income citizens made the U.S. economy unstable. For an economy to function properly, total demand must equal total supply. In an economy with such diversified distribution of income it is not assured that demand will always equal supply. Essentially what happened in the 1920's was that there was an oversupply of goods. It was not that the surplus products of industrialized society were not wanted, but rather that those whose needs were not satisfied could not afford more, whereas the wealthy were satisfied by spending only a small portion of their income. Three quarters of the U.S. population would spend essentially all of their yearly incomes to purchase consumer goods such as food, clothes, radios, and cars. These were the poor and middle class: families with incomes around, or usually less than, $2,500 a year. The

About Sensation, Perception, and Attention

About Sensation, Perception, and Attention Free Online Research Papers Key factors in mental processes and interpreting different experiences deal with sensation, perception, and attention. There is a certain amount of stimuli that each of us can handle before we are unable to perform in a productive manner. We have explored each individual’s limits to auditory stimuli along with the ability to perform in a specific setting. The majority of our team can handle a great deal of stimuli when participating in various activities. There can be noises of every sort, and it will not distract them in what they are in the process of completing or participating in. The ability to multi-task allows us to handle various stimuli at once. It also allows us to handle many tasks we are obligated to uphold throughout our busy lives. On the other side of the spectrum, there are also team members who can only study or complete specific tasks when there is little to no noise. These individuals can only handle a limited amount of stimuli or they will not be able to pe rform at maximum capacity. We will further discuss the different experiences and comfort levels of each team member, and how dividing attention will facilitate or impede our learning abilities. Our team has seemed to have adapted to our environments and have similar ways to dealing with noise going on around us. Take Luz for instance, she grew up in a home where everyone yelled to communicate. When she moved away her household was quieter, and she grew accustomed to living in a more serene environment. She is not able to distinguish different conversations at once and is more comfortable in a quiet environment. Christina’s normal environment has loud noises and she can continue with her activities relatively well with loud noise. Her activities include working while listening to other activities going on around her. At home, she can complete her schoolwork although the children play. Christina can tune out noise and continue to work without allowing herself to be distracted. Nicole was told as a child to keep from being quiet in the house so that her sister would adapt to noises while she was sleeping. She can hold multiple conversations while the television is on, the dog barking, and the children acting as children. Nicole seems to need some noise to sleep whether it is a television, radio, a train moving on the track, or an airplane flying overhead. Catherine also needs noise to complete her tasks. She works in an environment in which there are people taking orders, asking for assistance, and warnings of food coming through. She could be distracted by the quiet of her house. Catherine needs music or the television on to sleep. Towanda needs to concentrate on her tasks. She has to be stress free or only have minimal stress to accomplish her homework. Towanda can listen to multiple conversations and share that information with others. Patricia can multi-task and carry more than one conversation at a time. If she wants to eaves drop on more than one conv ersation, she has to concentrate rather hard. She can handle loud situations but if she is going to comprehend it all she has to concentrate. Dividing attention between people can affect people differently. Some people can multitask several things at a time. Whereas others need the area there in to be quiet, so they do not lose their concentration. As far as team C, the majority of us, have many activities going on at once and the threshold for audio stimuli is very high. However, we also had a team member who preferred their environment to be calm and quiet, this worked well for her and her family. When developing a conversation with someone and not giving him or her one’s undivided attention, you will be missing something he or she tells you even if you are a multi-task kind of a person. In addition, when taking part in a conversation one must make the person one is conversing with feel as they are valued. Undivided attention entails good eye contact, minimal or no distractions, listening to the person speaking and waiting to speak once the person has spoken their part. Undivided attention also goes hand in hand w ith proper interpersonal skills. These skills allow one to properly communicate with others without offending them in any manner. Proper interpersonal skills must also be utilized when giving negative feedback. In order to properly converse and collaborate with others undivided attention and proper interpersonal skills are imperative regardless of one’s tolerance level for stimuli. Not only can dividing attention facilitate or impede the team. It can put so much stress on someone that is not used to experiencing this kind of situation. While we have not had a conference call between the team, I am sure if we do, the team will have a quiet atmosphere for that we want to make sure that we can hear each other and give each other our full attention. While most of the team can handle more than one thing at a time, we need to respect anyone that does not want the distractions. Perception is the process of attaining understanding or awareness of sensory information. Sensory perception problems arise because of several factors such as stress, background noise, medical issues, and the level of interest for the subject matter; all of these items affect cognition and learning of information. The stress level of each team member highly affects the individual’s ability to intake information and retain it. If a team member has, a low tolerance for background noise while trying to take in information this could impede his or her ability to concentrate on the information being discussed. Medical issues such as hearing or sight impairments would definitely have an impact on absorbing information that is discussed. The level of interest for the subject matter would also positively affect or negatively impede the progress of a group assignment. When a person takes away something from a situation in which something entirely different was meant, sensory perception has been misconstrued and alternately interpreted. Many factors could contribute to the misunderstanding of information but attempting to be completely focused could alleviate many misunderstandings. A Learning team has members who may perceive and interpret information differently. However, to work and communicate effectively in a team, the members involved must be able to function together to complete assigned projects. Therefore, learning team members have different needs and recommendation on ground rules. When it deals with accommodating auditory sensation, perceptions and attention when learning during group meetings, especially since the learning team is attending classes online and communicated about class projects via Internet. Prepare ourselves for conference calls when assigned projects are due, and each team member should be well prepared, organized, and minimize or avoid distractions when team meeting is in progress. The team members should take care of all daily needs before the meeting begins to avoid interruptions and to stay attentive, so that he or she can take down accurately notes to understand all the information that was shared during the team meetings. Duri ng the learning team meetings, the work environment or area a person is conducting his or her meeting through conference call should be quiet, without the sounds of music television, family disturbance, or ringing sounds of another phone. Each member should be able to give his or her undivided attention, so he or she can hear all barriers communication given as well as avoid distracting other members involved. Another way team members can communicate is through instant messaging; considering some team members have many background sounds going at once in their homes. The conversation one has through instant message can also serve as notes for an assignment. This way to track a dialogue will allow team members to keep a log of conversations offline or although they are away from a personal computer. Another major ground rule is that team members must also be flexible and understanding toward others lifestyles and obligations. It is imperative that we communicate properly in order for the learning team meeting to be productive. We all have many obligations that must be fulfilled throughout our day therefore; we have to accommodate one another. At one point or another, we will have an issue come up that will not allow our auditory sensation, perception, and attention to be used to the best of their ability. We do not all have the same schedules and availabilities therefore we must always exerc ise flexibility. However, during team meetings all members will be respectful and identify superior communication skills by listening and allowing all members to share thoughts and ideas, and hear what each member has to say without interruptions. The learning team will listen and pay attention to each team member’s needs, differences, strengths, and weaknesses to provide appropriate feedback in a positive tone when needed. Effective communication along with effective listening will allow team members to produce better quality assignments. It is inevitable for a group of people to disagree on certain subjects but professionals will disagree in a tasteful manner. Great communication skills allow team members to give constructive criticism as well as receive the constructive criticism. Therefore, at the end of all team meetings conference calls or forum discussions the team leader would summarize all information discussed, so that all members understand the topics discussed, and the plans, and g oals of the whole learning team. However, each team member involvement and understanding the team projects will result in a successful and positive manner as well as the team effective communication skills will be noticeable. In conclusion, we all have different learning abilities and are able to work better with or without noise. The majority of us are used to different activities surrounding us while participating in schoolwork, work projects, and our simple everyday duties. We know how adapt to different environments to achieve what we need to. We also have respect for one another to the fact that if in a group conversation or conference call that we will give our undivided attention as well as keep a noise free environment. Each of us understand the stress levels that we have and are able to work around if needed. All of us are great communicators and are able to achieve the goals that we need to regardless of the situation that we are in. Research Papers on About Sensation, Perception, and AttentionStandardized TestingBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Project Managment Office SystemThe Spring and AutumnRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThree Concepts of PsychodynamicResearch Process Part OneOpen Architechture a white paperEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenGenetic Engineering

Reflective Learning - Knowledge Management Term Paper

Reflective Learning - Knowledge Management - Term Paper Example The researcher states that the course of knowledge management now generates interest in him and appeared to be very helpful. It is not surprising because in our contemporary changing world knowledge management represents an innovation thus the researcher considers such course to be very valuable. Adaptation of new knowledge management solutions is a very good opportunity for many organizations. The process of learning was encouraging from the very beginning. Some information was easy to understand and other caused problems and required more efforts. However, the instructor explained the material and helped overcome the difficulties. For a great number of organizations employee turnover causes serious expenses. The researcher studied a lot about employee turnover to find out more about this phenomenon in order to find the solution. The researcher analyzed great number of factors, which in their turn may arise both from employees and their bosses. Compensations, organization’s s uccess and performance are crucial determinants of employee turnover rate. It is then concluded that knowledge management is very important first of all for human resource management of the organization as it offers self-service. An employee receives an access to his personal data, to his personal plans and itinerary and human resource managers have more time to plan training schedule and implement other more important tasks instead of looking for the material to answer the questions employees have to them every day.

The Importance of Africa as a Civilization and People Essay

The Importance of Africa as a Civilization and People - Essay Example The essay "The Importance of Africa as a Civilization and People" focuses on the topic of African culture while throwing more light on the influences of other religions and culture on this ancient land. Very few are aware that the forerunner of the Homo sapiens that inhibit planet earth was believed to have lived here. One of the first known clues to this question of where man originated came from fossils found in the Afar depression in Ethiopia in the early 1970's. More importantly, the continent has been inundated with many alien cultures starting from the Muslim influence to the colonization in the latter part of the nineteenth century. But in spite of this swarm of cultures, the continent has been able to maintain its ancient individuality. There may be many reasons for this situation. It could be that the land is inhospitable in many places. The climate may be too harsh for alien cultures with tropical rain forests to deserts that are found here in abundance. The culture or aggr essiveness of some of the tribes found in the land may have prevented the dilution of such cultures. It could also be that the African way of thinking that has been a subject of study by many historians and anthropologists may have had an influence in keeping the ancient ways of life, vibrant in some places and diluted in others. In all probability, it could have been a mix of all the above factors that have been instrumental in helping the people of that continent to maintain their individuality. But what this paper attempts to prove is that the so called African system of thought has to a large extent been responsible for the preservation of culture and civilization even if it is in a diluted form. Hence it is proposed that one of the reasons for the retention of African civilization by way of culture, beliefs, and practices is rooted in the ancient African system of thought that is still alive today. Essay Summary Prehistoric Africa: â€Å"Of all the earth’s continents, Africa provides the longest, deepest record of the human past. Several million years ago in Africa, a group of primates diverged from the rest of the apes and set forth on a distinctive evolutionary pathway involving bipedal or upright walking.† (Matrin and O’Meara 1995). The land is often referred to the cradle of humanity. Evolution of civilization was slow until the practice of herding and agriculture began to take root about 8,000 years ago. Distinct ways of life that can be described as proper civilizations began to evolve rapidly after that. Egyptian influence in Africa: Even though this advanced ancient civilization was situated in the continent of Africa, many scholars believed that African and Egyptian cultures were distinct from each other. It was thought that Egypt only used the rest of Africa as a source of slaves and other raw materials. But this erroneous line of thinking was seen by later historians and anthropologists only as a way to maintain European supremacy in the continent. â€Å"In reaction, African and African American scholars, mostly in the latter twentieth century, adopted an opposite paradigm: that ancient Egypt was not only an African civilization, populated by "black" Africans, but also a civilization that imparted its culture to the rest of Africa as well as Europe.† (O’Connor and Reid 2003). Muslim influence: One of the biggest influences on African civilization was that of Islam. It is estimated that one out of every three Africans believes in this faith. The faith first spread into many parts of this continent during the second half of the 7th century. But the influence and faith is still strong in the continent even today. Colonialism and post-colonialism: European colonists had established a