Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Aquatic Biomes and Tropical Rainforest Essay Example for Free

Aquatic Biomes and Tropical Rainforest Essay An aquatic biome is an ecological community dominated by water. This biome can be broken down into two categories: oFreshwater, which includes rivers, streams, ponds, lakes and freshwater wetland. oMarine or saltwater, which includes oceans, seas, estuaries, coral reefs and saltwater wetland. Each of these aquatic ecosystems can be defined by variables such as temperature, the presence or absence of light, and the availability of nutrients. Aquatic biomes cover almost all the world (around 75% of the surface) and only 3% of them are freshwaters. Freshwater ecosystems This ecosystem is defined as having a low salt concentration of less than 1%. It helps to make up all the different animals’ life in this planet. Ponds and lakes range in size from few yards to thousands miles across, and they are divided into the littoral zone, limnetic zone and the profundal zone. The littoral zone is the part of the lake or pond which is shallow and located near the shoreline. In this zone there is abundant light, nutrients and plants. Those plants provide protection and food for animals, insects and crustaceans. The limnetic zone is offshore, where the water is deep and it receives enough sunlight to support life. There are tiny forms of life called as phytoplankton, which are tiny plant forms, and zooplankton, which are tiny animal forms. Those tiny forms of life lead to bigger animals’ life such as fish, which feed from those planktons. The profundal zone is beneath the limnetic zone, where it doesn’t receive light to sustain plants’ life. The organisms that die from above this zone settle down and are being eaten by decomposers. Because ponds and lakes are isolated from other bodies of water, they don’t have new species of animals or plant, or it is limited. Streams and rivers are defined by the flow of water in one direction. The source of these regions can be the snowmelt from the mountains, runoff of rains, or the outflows of a lake. They flow until they empty into another body of water and they usually lead ultimately to oceans. The flow of water of streams and rivers changes as it moves. At high elevations (mountains), the water’s flow moves swiftly and makes them clear and oxygenated. As it moves slower, it allows a more diversity of plants and animals. Because the water’s flow moves slowly, it carries more sediment and there is less oxygen in the water. Wetlands are standing water’s regions that support aquatic life. Wetlands can receive many names such as swamps, marshes and bogs. Marine or saltwater This ecosystem is defined by its high salt concentration. Oceans are the large aquatic ecosystem that dominates the Earth’s surface. It is divided into four zones: the intertidal zone, the pelagic zone, the benthic zone and the abyssal zone. The intertidal zone is the area that is covered and uncovered with the rising and falling of tides. Because of this, the communities are constantly changing and most of the living organisms live only where the high tides reach. The pelagic zone is the area away from the lands, which is the open ocean. This zone receives little sunlight and it has abundant plankton, which feed animals such as whales. In this zone, there are still some plants anchored to the bottom of the shore. The benthic zone is beneath the pelagic zone and it doesn’t receive sunlight, which makes it darker and colder. The abyssal zone is the deepest area beneath the benthic zone. This area is very cold, it has a great pressure, but it has a low nutrient level. Coral reefs are abundant in tropical water and it consists of a barrier of corals, anemones, and algae. The sunlight penetrates this area, which makes the water clearer and allows a diversity of living organisms. Estuaries are those areas in which freshwater merge with the ocean. This supports animals such as oysters, worms, and crabs; and supports plants such as algae and seaweeds. Tropical Rainforest Biome This is the most diverse terrestrial biome on Earth. It has a warm and moist environment and is dominated by broadleaf evergreen trees. The combination of constant warmth and moisture makes the tropical rainforest a great environment for many plants and animals, which made this biome as the only one that contains the greatest biodiversity in the world. Because of the great quantity of trees in this biome, the soil is infertile and acidic. This is because when an organism decomposes in the soil, the plants absorb it quickly for their quick grow and survival. This biome has several layers of vegetation. The tallest trees reach approximately 50 meters; below them there is a continuous canopy of treetop of approximately 40 meters. And the lower level is composed by small plants, mosses, and fungi. Most of the fauna in this biome is arboreal because the food near the ground is scarce.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Process of Photosynthesis Essay -- essays research papers

Photosynthesis is the process by which organisms that contain the pigment chlorophyll convert light energy into chemical energy which can be stored in the molecular bonds of organic molecules. Photosynthesis powers almost all trophic chains and food webs on the Earth. The net process of photosynthesis is described by the following equation: 6CO2 + 6H2O + Light Energy = C6H12O6 + 6O2 This equation simply means that carbon dioxide from the air and water combine in the presence of sunlight to form sugars, oxygen is released as a by-product of this reaction. Photosynthesis begins when light strikes Photosystem I pigments and excites their electrons. The energy passes rapidly from molecule to molecule until it reaches a special chlorophyll molecule called P700, so named because it absorbs light in the red region of the spectrum at wavelengths of 700 nanometers. Until this point, only energy has moved from molecule to molecule, now electrons themselves transfer between molecules. P700 uses the energy of the excited electrons to boost its own electrons to an energy level that enables an adjoining electron acceptor molecule to capture them. The electrons are then passed down a chain of carrier molecules, called an electron transport chain. The electrons are passed from one carrier molecule to another in a downhill direction, like individuals in a bucket brigade passing water from the top of a hill to the bottom. Each electron carrier is at a lower energy level than the one before it, and the result is that electrons release energy as they move down the chain. At the end of the electron transport chain lies the molecule nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NADP+). Using the energy released by the flow of electrons, two electr... ...he molecular bonds that are broken. Glucose: C6H12O6 Respiration is the opposite of photosynthesis, and is described by the equation: C6H12O6+6O2 ----------> 6CO2+6H2O+36ATP Simply stated, this equation means that oxygen combines with sugars to break molecular bonds, releasing the energy (in the form of ATP) contained in those bonds. In addition to the energy released, the products of the reaction are carbon dioxide and water. In eukaryotic cells, cellular respiration begins with the products of glycolysis being transported into the mitochondria. A series of metabolic pathways (the Krebs cycle and others) in the mitochondria result in the further breaking of chemical bonds and the liberation of ATP. CO2 and H2O are end products of these reactions. The theoretical maximum yield of cellular respiration is 36 ATP per molecule of glucose metabolized.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Relativism in ethics poses serious problems for Christians Essay

With reference to other aspects of human experience, comment on the claim that relativism in ethics poses serious problems for Christians. Justify your answer. [15] Ethical relativism is the theory that states morality is relative to culture and circumstance, meaning the same action may be morally right in one society but be morally wrong in another. For example, most societies believe the act of sacrificing either people or animals is wrong, but there are tribal cultures that perceive it as part of normal life. If one takes this approach there are no such things as moral absolutes, and this can pose problems for Christians. For most Christians ethics are dependent on rules recorded in the Bible. Paul instructs, â€Å"Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.† In the Old Testament especially there are many empathic statements such as, â€Å"Do not kill,† which do not leave much room for ethical relativism. They reject the idea that the ends could justify the means, because sin is sin no matter what the intentions behind it were. Slick wrote on this topic, â€Å"I consider moral absolutes to be real because they come from God and not because they are determined by the whims of mankind.† One of the main criticisms of ethical relativism from within Christian circles is how it leads to a subjective view on morality. If there are no fixed moral truths then that leaves the individual as the supreme moral agent. Under this theory it could be argued the Holocaust was moral – after all, it was the view of that culture that Jews should be exterminated. Anti-Semitism was a societal norm. Groothuis put forward this view: â€Å"Surely any morally sane person must ethically condemn Nazi atrocities as evil †¦ but relativism cannot permit such judgments. The morality of everything is relative — even genocide.† Humans are tainted by sin and therefore are predisposed to make poor choices. On the other hand, relativism does not necessarily mean that anything is acceptable. This is too simplistic a way of looking at it. For example, Peter Singer would describe himself as a believer in ethical relativity, but he wrote, â€Å"what has to be shown to put practical ethics on a sound basis is that ethical reasoning is possible.† He rejected the idea of moral absolutes but also rejected the idea that you could not criticise the choices of others. He stated that human reason is a major factor when it comes to decision making, and that it is not simply a case of choosing what pleases you most. Many Christians have no problem reconciling the Bible with a relativistic approach to ethics. After all, even the Bible contains things that modern day believers do not adhere to such as slavery. When the Bible addresses a topic it should not be compared against the sensibilities of the modern world, but rather against the culture of the ones to whom the Bible was addressed. The Bible was written a long time ago by fallible humans and Christian denominations such as the United Methodist Church in the USA hold a position of ethical relativism. This has led them to performing same-sex weddings and other things that set them apart from their conservative counterparts. They see relativism not as a problem for Christians, but something that can free them from legalism and allow them to be more loving. Strict adherence to Sola Scriptura when it comes to ethics can reject the believer’s own conscience and work of the Holy Spirit, which are also a necessary part of moral decisions. This is similar to those that espouse Christian utilitarianism and believe that God wants them to be happy, even if it requires breaking Biblical law. In the words of Zack Hunt, â€Å"Don’t let dogma and doctrine get in the way of practicing Love, who is God.†

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Clemson University Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

Clemson University is a public research university with an acceptance rate of 47%. Located in Clemson, South Carolina at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the banks of Lake Hartwell, the campus is midway between Charlotte and Atlanta. Clemsons many strengths in academics and student life earned it a spot among the  best public universities and the  top southeastern colleges and universities. The universitys 80 undergraduate majors are divided among seven colleges. The College of Business and the College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Sciences have the highest enrollments. For strength in the liberal arts and sciences, Clemson earned a chapter of the prestigious  Phi Beta Kappa  academic honor society, and on the athletic front, the Clemson Tigers compete in the  ACC, Atlantic Coast Conference. Considering applying to Clemson University? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Clemson University had an acceptance rate of 47%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 47 students were admitted, making Clemsons admissions process competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 28,845 Percent Admitted 47% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 28% SAT Scores and Requirements Clemson requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 50% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 610 690 Math 610 710 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of Clemsons admitted students fall within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Clemson scored between 610 and 690, while 25% scored below 610 and 25% scored above 690. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 610 and 710, while 25% scored below 610 and 25% scored above 710. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1400 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Clemson University. Requirements Clemson does not require the SAT writing section or SAT Subject tests. Note that Clemson University participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. ACT Scores and Requirements Clemson requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 50% of Clemson students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 27 34 Math 26 30 Composite 27 32 This admissions data tells us that most of Clemsons admitted students fall within the top 14% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Clemson received a composite ACT score between 27 and 32, while 25% scored above 32 and 25% scored below 27. Requirements Note that Clemson does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered. Clemson does not require the ACT writing section. GPA In 2018, the average high school GPA for incoming Clemson freshman was 4.44, and over 90% of admitted students had average GPAs above 3.75. These results suggest that most successful applicants to Clemson University have primarily A grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Clemson University Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Clemson University. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and  calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances Clemson University, which accepts just under half of its applicants, has a selective admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the schools average range, you have a strong chance of being accepted. While Clemson does not require a personal statement or essay, the university wants to see that you have completed a college preparatory curriculum in high school. At a minimum, you should have four years of English, three years of math, three years of laboratory science, three years of a single foreign language, three years of social science, one year of art, and one year of physical education. Your application will be stronger if you have successfully completed the most  rigorous coursework  available, including AP, IB, Honors, and dual enrollment classes. Another important factor in the admissions process is the choice of major. As some majors fill up quickly, Clemson recommends that applicants select two different majors when they apply. While Clemson has a late application deadline—May 1st for fall admission—it will be to your advantage to apply early. Once all spaces are filled, admission will be closed. Finally, realize that if you are interested in a music or theater concentration, you will need to audition as part of your application. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. You can see that most successful applicants had B or higher unweighted averages, SAT scores (ERWM)  of about 1050 or higher, and ACT composite scores of 21 or higher. Those numbers are the very bottom of the range, and youll have much better chances if your scores are higher.   While interviews are not required, students can meet with an admissions staff member on campus. This optional interview can have many benefits: Clemson will get to know you individually, youll get to know the school better, and it can demonstrate your interest in the school. All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Clemson University Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Friday, December 27, 2019

Emotional Intelligence, Conflict Management Styles And...

Emotional Intelligence, Conflict Management Styles and Organizational Job Performance of Bank Employees Dhivya.D* and U.Gowri** Till recently, Intelligence Quotient is considered as a measure of excellence. In the current business world IQ and technical abilities alone not help to succeed in the work. Emotional intelligence also plays an important role in the workplace. Emotional intelligence is the capacity to identify, manage and assess emotions of a person. In this fastest and competitive world, individual competencies are considered as a measure of excellence which determines the overall success of an organization. Emotionally Intelligent people are more skilled to cope up with life activities and have more productive thinking. Awareness of emotional change will help to overcome the stressful situation in both personal and professional life. Largely, in the customer service industry, Emotional Intelligence is being observed as one of the important emerging determinants for dealing with customers. Emotional intelligence is not an inborn characteristic, so it can be learnt through practice and training. Ban king is one of the service sectors which require more relationship between employees and customers. The success of the relationship depends on the level of emotional intelligence and conflict management ability of the employees. The promotion of emotional development in turn enhances job performance of the employees. Therefore, this study makes an attempt to knowShow MoreRelatedEmotional Intelligence And The Mind Team1318 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to Smit The Mind Team (n.d), Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize your emotions, understand what they re telling you, and realize how your emotions affect people around you. It also involves your perception of others; when you are knowledgeably aware of people s feelings, you are able to manage relationships more effectively. During my time at my former job at a commercial bank in Nigeria, I had the privilege of working with a boss who had the superior quality of payingRead More, ‘Chuck Mackinnon’s Leadership Effectiveness Who’s Problems’6017 Words   |  25 PagesCase Study Analysis Based on Managerial Theories 3 Motivation 3 Emotional Intelligence (EI) 5 Team 7 Conflict 9 Leadership 10 Recommendations Possible Solutions 13 Conclusion 19 References 20 Appendix A 24 Appendix B 25 Appendix C 27 Executive Summary Kate Hall-Merenda, in her case study, ‘Chuck Mackinnon’s Leadership Effectiveness: Whose Problems’, questioning whether Chuck Mackinnon leadership style was really effective. The author explains Chuck leadership charactersRead MoreManaging Complex Change Within The Organization3878 Words   |  16 Pageschanges at personal level to an organizational level, cannot be distinguished, as the approach or perception towards managing the change would remain the same. Management approach The most effective theory which I feel is more practical and applicable is the following This sums up the most complex of the changes bringing down to the most basic level. 1. Unfreeze 2. Transition 3. Refreeze THEORIES According to an article in Forbes, Change Management Guru is the world’s oldest professionRead MoreThe Impact Of Managerial Styles On Organizational Effectiveness7129 Words   |  29 PagesACTIVITY: 1 Task 1: An evaluation of leadership theories. Task 2: An evaluation of the impact of managerial styles on organizational effectiveness. Task 3: An analysis of how motivational theory can inform employee motivation. Task 4: An analysis of theories relating to work relationships and interaction. Please consider these as a report: Leadership theories: For decades, leadership theories have been the source of numerous studies. In reality as well as in practice, many have tried toRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pages Organizational Behavior This page intentionally left blank Organizational Behavior EDITION 15 Stephen P. Robbins —San Diego State University Timothy A. Judge —University of Notre Dame i3iEi35Bj! Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editorial Director: Sally Yagan Director of Editorial Services:Read MoreOrganizational Behavior Issues9605 Words   |  39 PagesQuestions on Organizational Behavior Prepared by Dr. Stephen Hartman, School of Management, New York Institute of Technology. 1. How have American companies suffered in recent years? In an effort to reduce costs, restructuring and downsizing have affected almost every organization. However, recent research suggests that there are costs for these organizations in terms of their impaired ability to perform long term. Many companies have shown poor leadership when trying to capitalize on technologicalRead MoreThe Impact Of Managerial Styles On Organizational Effectiveness9615 Words   |  39 Pagesmanagerial styles on organizational effectiveness 3. An analysis of how motivational theory can inform employee motivation 4. An analysis of theories relating to work relationships and interaction Report Evaluation of leadership theories There are various theories of leadership and they each carry their own values for decades now. To become a successful leader one must not only understand but learn to follow them as well. Leadership should be distinguished from management. Management involvesRead MoreSkill5329 Words   |  22 Pagesand Organizational Commitment (Case Study: Jahad Keshavarzi and University of Qom, Iran) Hassan Zarei Matin Associate Professor, University of Tehran, Iran Golamreza Jandaghi Associate Professor, University of Tehran, Iran Fateme Haj Karimi Graduate, Public Management, University of Tehran, Iran Ali Hamidizadeh Graduate, Public Management, University of Tehran, Iran Abstract The aim of this paper is to identify the interpersonal communication skills that enhance organizational commitmentRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesis an online assessment and preparation solution for courses in Principles of Management, Human Resources, Strategy, and Organizational Behavior that helps you actively study and prepare material for class. Chapter-by-chapter activities, including built-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S.Read More Emotional intelligence: The rapprochement of reason and emotion5515 Words   |  23 PagesA notion central to emotional intelligence theory is that individuals differ in their ability to perceive, understand and use emotional information, and this ability significantly contributes to intellectual and emotional well-being and growth. Emotional intelligence as a concept has prospered, in part, because of the increasing personal importance of emotion management for individuals in modern society. Indeed, researchers have commonly claimed that emotional intelligence predicts important educational

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Essay on Middle Ages- Catholic Church - 1744 Words

The Middle Ages was a time of rebirth for the Church. The Church had a growing amount of power, and used this power to get messages sent to its followers. One important message created an ever-growing distance between believes and nonbelievers of the Church. Throughout the Middle Ages there have been inconsistencies with the doctrines and actions of the Church. There is one constant within the Church, throughout the Middle Ages the Church has opposed outsiders and has mistreated those outsiders from the Church. St. Augustine, a Christian, observed the chaos around him as the Vandals sacked Rome in 410. The sack of Rome is the marker of the end of the old Roman Empire. The people of Rome felt their old gods were punishing them for†¦show more content†¦This unhappy being had long lived in the land of monsters since the creator cast them out as kindred of Cain. For that killing of Abel The eternal lord took vengeance. (Beowulf, 54) The Biblical reference to the Story of Cain and Abel gives insight to the idea that Grendel was intended to represent sinners, specifically pagans. Further than the antagonist being described as a monster and a descendant of Cain, Grendel is also killed by Beowulf who is praised for his actions. This illustrates Beowulf was doing a good deed by killing a sinner. Though not a direct acceptance of violence toward non believers, this can lend an argument to the feelings of non Christians at the time. In the middle ages, the idea of the chivalrous knight became more present, and this image led to the idea of battle in the name of God. One account of this is from The Song of Roland which accounts the events of a French army before going into battle with pagan forces. â€Å"‘I saw the Saracens, no man on earth ever saw more of them one hundred thousand, with their shields, up in front, helmets laced on, hauberks blazing on them, the shafts straight up, the iron heads like flamesâ₠¬â€youll get a battle, nothing like it before. My lords, my French, may God give you the strength. Hold your ground now! Let them not defeat us!’ And the French say: ‘God hate the man who runs! We may die here, but no man will fail you’† (Song of Roland, 1). ThisShow MoreRelatedThe Catholic Church And The Middle Ages1283 Words   |  6 PagesTHE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE AGES I wanted to do this research paper on the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages because the church has always fascinated me. I have always found the history and the corruption of the Catholic Church to be of great interest and when I read in Robinson Crusoe, when he stated something to the effect that he would rather be captured by cannibals than catholic priests , I decided to do this paper on the Catholic Church. I thought it was a very interesting statementRead MoreThe Changes in the Catholic Church during the High Middle Ages972 Words   |  4 PagesRoman Catholic Church became divided when the King of France decided to replace the current Italian Pope with one that he elected. During the Great Schism, there were two popes claiming authority over the Catholic Church. Following the split, the papal offices began to lose their authority. Ultimately, the cardinals of both popes decided that an ecumenical council of godly men could collectively possess more divine authority that just one pope. In 1409 at the council of Pisa, the church councilRead MoreThe Catholic Church During The Middle Ages And Through The Seventeenth Centuries1562 Words   |  7 PagesBeginning in the Middle Ages and through the seventeenth centuries, witch trials occurred in Europe. Many people were accused of being witches some of these people were accused of being witches for not following Christian beliefs at that time and others followed witch prosecutions for goods and money. Furthermore, the stereotypes of witches at this period also had a role in causing witch prosecutions. In this essay I argue how these three components led to the death of so-called witches. FirstlyRead MoreRoman Catholic Church and Judgement in the Middle Ages Essay1762 Words   |  8 Pagesand from the glory of His power.† (Thessalonians 1:8, 9). The Middle Ages was a time of death, pain and superstition; no one could escape God’s judgment. When the Roman Empire fell, The Church had created a n everlasting clutch of control over the people. If one did not obey The Church, they were excommunicated and labeled heretics, cast out into the world with no spiritual guidance, never to see the light of God again. However, The Church also offered hope and a chance of salvation in a time that wasRead More How the Catholic Church Held Up During the Middle Ages Essay1224 Words   |  5 Pages The Middle Ages was a long period of time. It started in about the 500 A.D. and ended in about 1500 A.D. Not many things can last for this long period of time, but at least one thing did, and that was the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church consists of Popes, Bishops, Clergy, and Monks, and Nuns were also part of the Church. Also during the Middle Ages, it also produced many great philosophers (Funk Wagnall’s, 275). From the Middle Ages to the 13th century, the church played importantRead MoreThe Roman Catholic Church s Influence And Governance Over Europe Throughout The Mi ddle Ages1936 Words   |  8 Pageswill identify and examine the significance of the Roman Catholic Church’s influence and governance over Europe throughout the Middle Ages. For the purposes of this essay, the Middle Ages refers to the period between the Conversion of Constantine in 313CE and the onset of the Renaissance Period during the early 14th century. In addition, this essay will examine and account for change in the institution and theology of the Roman Catholic Church. It will identify the nature and importance of continuityRead More Christianity Essay1617 Words   |  7 Pagesas The Middle Ages, economic reforms took place as well as social, political, and religious changes. One common theme throughout The Middle Ages consisted of the relationship between the Church and the State. The Catholic church during this era held a prominent role in society, and it had an abundant amount of power and authority during this time. The Catholic Church exercised its authority in many different stages, in which a response from the people occurred because of the way the Church showedRead MoreThe Roman Catholic Church in Medieval Times Essay1295 Words   |  6 Pages In the Medieval times, the Roman Catholic Church played a great role in the development of England and had much more power than the Church of today does. In Medieval England, the Roman Catholic Church dominated everyday life and controlled everyone whether it is knights, peasants or kings. The Church was one of the most influential institutions in all of Medieval England and played a large role in education and religion. The Churchs power was so great that they could order and control knightsRead MoreThe Rights of Women in the Middle Ages1154 Words   |  5 Pageshave pointed to the Middle Ages as an example of where men are superior to women, and that women had virtually no rights. However, during the Middle Ages with the development of individualism, women had a considerate amount of rights similar to their male counterparts. The most significant development in gender equality in Western Civilization before 1350 C.E., was the development of individualism in the Middle Ages. Women were generally looked down upon during the Middle Ages. This was because ofRead MoreThe Causes Of The Protestant Reformation1270 Words   |  6 Pageswhole expanded throughout the globe over the 16th century. Roman Catholic Churches have a hierarchical organization with the Pope of Rome at the top to facilitate the matters of the Churches around the globe. Their doctrines and teachings came from their interpretations of the Bible. Roman Catholicism was widely accepted in most cases, but some were still unsure about the said religion. Skeptics were wary of the Roman Catholic Church because of several practices of the priests and bishops that do

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Ebola Pandemic in West Africa Opportunities and Challenges

Question: What are the economic and sociopolitical conditions that are responsible for the occurrence of Ebola pandemic in West Africa that resulted in reformations in the areas of policy priorities due to their opportunities and challenges? Answer: Ebola Outbreak in West Africa: The West African Ebola virus of 2014 2015 was an international health pandemic and was one of the most widespread outbreaks in the history of Ebola virus disease. It caused immense socioeconomic disruption and loss of life in the majority of three countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia (Baize et al. 2014: 1422). This essay will aim at answering the research question by carrying out an in-depth analysis of the sociopolitical and economic causes that led to the outbreak of the pandemic in West African countries and discuss the aspect of the policy of the affected states that were altered due to the identified opportunities and challenges. Several researchers have carried out investigations to determine the various underlying aspects of the outbreak, but a gap has been identified as the lack of research in the aspect of policy priority areas. This essay will fill the gap by discussing the policy priority areas of the affected states as it is essential to understand the altered p olicies for the control and prevention of future outbreaks. The essay will critically review several research articles and government websites to determine the altered policies by using the theoretical framework that is most adequate for the Ebola virus pandemic. According to a report by World Health Organization, a total of 28,616 cases have been reported till date from the three West African states that collectively resulted in 11,310 death cases. The number of survivors is about 10,000 in the countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea and WHO has taken three objectives to completely end the transmission of Ebola virus in these three countries (World Health Organization 2016). Since all these countries were emerging from civil wars, this has decreased the availability of resources of health and dysfunctional systems of healthcare. This was the result of lack of the availability of the healthcare workers who were adequately trained. Since the democracy in these countries was re-embraced, the healthcare workers and providers were over-burdened with increasing needs of the postwar capacities while the redevelopment and economic growth were occurring (Saz et al. 2015:21). Therefore, these sociopolitical aspects can be explored for examining the opportunities and challenges that will aid in strengthening the health systems of these countries. Although the health status of the population and economy of the affected countries have been improved by the government, the life expectancy continues to be low. Hospital bed and physician capacities are inadequate when compared with global perspectives that fail to meet the basic needs of healthcare for the general population. The economic crisis prevails to be the primary reason for maternal and infant deaths and dissemination of the health messages in not uniform due to high levels of illiteracy (Dudas et al. 2016:72). All these economic and sociopolitical conditions collectively contributed towards the occurrence of Ebola pandemic in West African states. Under such circumstances of an outbreak of a severe health pandemic, identification of the challenges and opportunities becomes essential to alter and frame new policies to combat the mortality. Several challenges have been identified from multiple researches that focus on community, organizational or structural and individual or personal level challenges. Few of the challenges that require immediate attention in terms of policies are food insecurity and entrenched poverty, limited provision to adequate health facilities, African system of traditional beliefs and poor infrastructure of public health (Gatherer 2014:1622). Mistrust of the modern services of healthcare and government, porous geographic boundaries and borders and emerging from civil conflicts are the other challenges that the West African countries have faced that led to the development of the Ebola pandemic. On the contrary, several opportunities can be identified that can aid to the devising of the theoretical framewor k for policy development. Viewing the epidemic as an opportunity can help to deal with the global threats of public health and address the existing challenges. Creation of response that is family centered to the outbreaks, the establishment of private-public partnerships for controlling infectious diseases and partnerships for the research and development areas for the discovery of drugs and vaccines are few of the opportunities that can be considered to explore the policy priority areas (Chertow et al. 2014:2055). Both the challenges and opportunities should be critically analyzed based on the theoretical framework for discussing an aspect of the policy of the West African states. The governments of the West African countries have been receiving funds from international sources to frame policies and control the outbreak of Ebola. $1 billion has been provided by the IFC and IDA of World Bank and $5.4 billion has been provided by the US government (Gire et al. 2014:1370). From these collected funds, the government has framed policies based on the priority areas. The one policy is the regional system for disease surveillance as it is available internationally in various countries of Asia Africa and Europe. This will provide with the theoretical framework for boosting pandemic preparedness in the affected states. Since the infectious diseases are not restricted by the international borders, the regional system for disease surveillance can help to mitigate, respond, prevent and detect quickly the outbreaks through a co-operative network of the national systems of surveillance. This system is of much importance in West Africa as it will serve to provide earlier resp onse and warning that can control and prevent the outbreak of the disease (Fowler et al. 2014:735). The theoretical framework of the regional system for disease surveillance is the most adequate as it helps in strengthening of the co-ordination of the multi-sector response in a local area, helps to maintain the essential services after and during the outbreak, supporting treatment protocols and Ebola care and restricting the Ebola spread (Oleribe 2015:55). This policy will help the regional areas to implement the national and international plans and guidelines that are recommended. Apart from the framework, it is also essential that the regional centers should follow the laid down framework of the policy and adhere to their best possible abilities to the guidelines set forward by the national and international health and response organizations. The framework has been aligned with the recent protocols and guidance for controlling the Ebola outbreak in the affected West African states . Since Ebola is an infectious disease of animal origin, it can spread across borders to several countries. The situation becomes increasingly complex and challenging with the increased movement of people, services and goods across the world facilitating the quick spread of the disease. From this aspect, regional disease surveillance system is the best policy to make the country ready for early detection, rapid identification and effective response to the future outbreaks of Ebola. Tapping into the vast repository of global knowledge for building resilient health systems can be of great benefits for globalization that cannot be simply wasted or overlooked. Co-operative arrangements among the three states of West Africa can aid to control the disease outbreaks cross-border at the source for improving health outcomes (Tambo, Ugwu and Ngogang 2014:1). The theoretical framework associated with this policy of regional disease surveillance system helps in complementing local and global disea se surveillance systems by addressing the limited capacity of surveillance in these countries. Regional disease surveillance system can add value to the control system of Ebola by complementing the country and global surveillance systems by addressing the limited or lack of surveillance capacities. Since the West African countries are economically backward, this policy will be effective in further deteriorating the health system of the country due to pandemic threats (Spengler et al. 2016:956). Limited diagnostic capabilities and reporting disincentives due to the panic of the economic consequences can act as set back parameters for this policy. Therefore, the framework has to be so designed that can channel the flow of the collected funds appropriately to the needy regions for setting up diagnostic facilities and educating the people about the benefits of early reporting that can aid in controlling the spread of the disease effectively. Harnessing of the network power by upgrading the systems of national surveillance helps in supporting the standardization of reporting, detection and definitions by prioritization of the trust-based relationships facilitating sharing of sensitive information and informal reporting (Towers, Patterson-Lomba and Castillo-Chavez 2014). This will eventually help in strengthening of the technical capacity of the country and cross-border collaboration to control Ebola outbreaks. Regional disease surveillance system helps the national institutions to adapt to the changing needs and conditions that are associated with the spread of Ebola as it requires multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral and multinational solutions. It also helps in establishing networks for fostering the local action and leaderships and aids in building collaboration among the national institutions of public health with the training and research centers. The countries of West Africa Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea along with the international community are in the process of strengthening the response to Ebola for achieving their target of zero cases of Ebola. For doing this, it is crucial to establish entire West Africa nationwide regional disease surveillance systems for connecting the affected countries along with its neighboring countries as Ebola is an infectious disease that cannot be restricted by international borders (Dixon and Schafer 2014:551). For making the policy sustainable and successful, it is essential that the factors of funding support, engagement and active leadership of the international agencies and national governments should be coupled with the participation continuity of the institutions and individuals for gradually establishing a basis of experience, trusted communication and shared knowledge (Chan 2014:1184). Moreover, the ability to build upon and leverage existing governance initiatives and structures i s required for the success of the policy by connecting national institutions of public health and the research and training centers of the region. Therefore, it can be stated that the crisis of Ebola pandemic offers challenge as well as opportunity to evolve by learning through the theoretical framework implemented in the form of policies. It is estimated that the basic expenses for hospital and primary care might range between $36-55 for each patient annually (Chua et al. 2015:3734). This is well beyond the capacity of the West African citizens and the public spending levels and therefore, regional disease surveillance systems can help to reduce the burden of the disease and therefore, can reduce the public expenses of the county. UNMEER (UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response) was an emergency health mission undertaken by United Nations to support the governments of the West African countries Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to achieve their target of zero Ebola cases (Global Ebo la Response 2016). In the process of achieving the goal, UN provided the governments with strategic guidance for regional disease surveillance systems for meeting the immediate needs that are related to the spread of the disease and fight against it. Human resources, logistical and financial support was provided by UN to support the achieving of the target of zero Ebola case. In accordance with the research question, the economic and sociopolitical conditions have been well discussed that are responsible for the occurrence of Ebola pandemic in West African countries. The sociopolitical aspects during the post-war condition have been explored for examining the challenges and opportunities for strengthening the health systems of the West African countries that led to the development of policies for controlling the outbreak of Ebola. This was in tune with the goal of the research question that laid the pathway for reaching the goal of understanding an aspect of the policy using the theoretical framework. The essay was structured to examine the various parameters separately to gather information regarding the effectiveness of the effectiveness of the adopted policy and summarized the policies of the international communities like WHO and UN towards the affected states. This structure eventually helped to answer the research question of examining the areas of policy priorities with respect to the opportunities and challenges. It can be concluded that the severity of the Ebola outbreak could have been controlled if the applied policy of regional disease surveillance system would have been implemented earlier. This could have made the government aware of the rising pandemic beforehand that could have prevented the pandemic. However, its implementation can prevent future outbreaks but further research is required to connect other policies undertaken by the government to ensure zero Ebola cases and no future outbreaks. References Baize, S., Pannetier, D., Oestereich, L., Rieger, T., Koivogui, L., Magassouba, N.F., Soropogui, B., Sow, M.S., Keta, S., De Clerck, H. and Tiffany, A., 2014. Emergence of Zaire Ebola virus disease in Guinea.New England Journal of Medicine,371(15), pp.1418-1425. Chan, M., 2014. Ebola virus disease in West Africano early end to the outbreak.New England Journal of Medicine,371(13), pp.1183-1185. Chertow, D.S., Kleine, C., Edwards, J.K., Scaini, R., Giuliani, R. and Sprecher, A., 2014. Ebola virus disease in West Africaclinical manifestations and management.New England Journal of Medicine,371(22), pp.2054-2057. Chua, A.C., Cunningham, J., Moussy, F., Perkins, M.D. and Formenty, P., 2015. The case for improved diagnostic tools to control Ebola virus disease in West Africa and how to get there.PLoS Negl Trop Dis,9(6), p.3734. Dixon, M.G. and Schafer, I.J., 2014. Ebola viral disease outbreakWest Africa, 2014.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep,63(25), pp.548-551. Dudas, G., Carvalho, L.M., Bedford, T., Tatem, A.J., Baele, G., Faria, N., Park, D., Ladner, J., Arias, A., Asogun, D. and Bielejec, F., 2016. Virus genomes reveal the factors that spread and sustained the West African Ebola epidemic.bioRxiv, pp.71-79. Fowler, R.A., Fletcher, T., Fischer, W.A., Lamontagne, F., Jacob, S., Brett-Major, D., Lawler, J.V., Jacquerioz, F.A., Houlihan, C., ODempsey, T. and Ferri, M., 2014. Caring for critically ill patients with Ebola virus disease. Perspectives from West Africa.American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine,190(7), pp.733-737. Gatherer, D., 2014. The 2014 Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa.Journal of general virology,95(8), pp.1619-1624. Gire, S.K., Goba, A., Andersen, K.G., Sealfon, R.S., Park, D.J., Kanneh, L., Jalloh, S., Momoh, M., Fullah, M., Dudas, G. and Wohl, S., 2014. Genomic surveillance elucidates Ebola virus origin and transmission during the 2014 outbreak.science,345(6202), pp.1369-1372. Global Ebola Response. (2016).UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). [online] Available at: https://ebolaresponse.un.org/un-mission-ebola-emergency-response-unmeer [Accessed 4 Nov. 2016]. Oleribe, O.O., Salako, B.L., Ka, M.M., Akpalu, A., McConnochie, M., Foster, M. and Taylor-Robinson, S.D., 2015. Ebola virus disease epidemic in West Africa: lessons learned and issues arising from West African countries.Clinical Medicine,15(1), pp.54-57. Saz, A.M., Weiss, S., Nowak, K., Lapeyre, V., Zimmermann, F., Dx, A., Khl, H.S., Kaba, M., Regnaut, S., Merkel, K. and Sachse, A., 2015. Investigating the zoonotic origin of the West African Ebola epidemic.EMBO molecular medicine,7(1), pp.17-23. Spengler, J.R., Ervin, E.D., Towner, J.S., Rollin, P.E. and Nichol, S.T., 2016. Perspectives on West Africa Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak, 20132016.Emerging infectious diseases,22(6), p.956. Tambo, E., Ugwu, E.C. and Ngogang, J.Y., 2014. Need of surveillance response systems to combat Ebola outbreaks and other emerging infectious diseases in African countries.Infectious diseases of poverty,3(1), p.1. Towers, S., Patterson-Lomba, O. and Castillo-Chavez, C., 2014. Temporal variations in the effective reproduction number of the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak.PLOS Currents Outbreaks. World Health Organization. (2016).Ebola virus disease outbreak. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/en/ [Accessed 4 Nov. 2016].