Cause and effect of smoking during pregnancy Essay

Cause and effect of smoking during pregnancy - Essay Example Research studies carried out recently show that the child of a smoking mother is almost doubly at risk in contacting very serious respiratory tract diseases in its early stages of life and usually leads to hospitalization. Another major cause for this is that many societies are well known for their high rate of smoking and even since the 1800’s, people are quite aware of the fatal effects it has on health. But in the 19th century, the correlation between maternal smoking and the rate of LRI (Lower Respiratory Infection) was determined. A clinical research was carried out to determine the effect or impact that parental smoking had on children who were constantly exposed to it, and the Odds Ratio was calculated, based on the LRI, for hospitalization. The risk calculated was age related and the OR’s of prevalence of serious LRI were 1.71 (95% CI, 1.33-2.20) and 1.25 (95% CI, 0.88- 1.78) for children aged 0.2 years and 3 to 6 years respectively. (Li JS, Peat JK, Xuan W, Berry G, 1999) Other studies have shown a link between maternal smoking and a high incidence of respiratory problems including impaired lung infections. Some studies have shown harmful effects of placenta - borne exposure at the time of pregnancy including breast milk, as well as air- borne exposure right after delivery. More recent evidence, of the effect of smoking mothers on their off spring, shows that immunity plays a major role in determining this, proving to be an important mechanism. Another cause for children inflicted with wheezing and other respiratory problems was due to dust mites found in the homes of smoking mothers. According to a study undertaken by Noakes, he suggests that â€Å"Maternal smoking is associated with impaired neo-natal toll- like- receptor mediated immune responses†. (P.S Noakes, Eur. Respir. Journal, 2006) Another major factor that contributed to an adverse effect on pregnant smoking mothers was the lack of social support render during

Making Sense of American Popular Songs Research Paper

Making Sense of American Popular Songs - Research Paper Example The American Popular Ballad of the Golden Era, 1924-1950. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995. In this work, much emphasis has been put on specific individuals that perform and work on popular music. In addition, the work has focused on a specific eras in which popular music were at its best in America. The book reveals what propelled people to start singing and performing popular music. These factors taken into consideration, the work is good enough to address the issues of American identity through popular music. Fuld, James J. The Book of World-Famous Music: Classical, Popular and Folk. Foreward by William Lichtenwanger. New York: Crown Publishers: 1966. This book looks at a wide range of music in America and their artists. The important information given about such music and their artists is imperative in the tracing of American identity through music. Among the cultures explored in this work are classic, popular and folk. As such, I found this book imperative in the writ ing of this paper. Grove Dictionary of American Music. Restricted database available online at through some schools and colleges. This source has a lot of information on the artists of popular music from the composers of songs to the performers. The information included is the bibliographic works for the artists. This makes the book significant in researching on the American identity through analysis of bibliographies of the composer and performers of pop music. Hamm, Charles. Yesterdays: Popular Song in America. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1983. Of significance about Charles’ work is that it concentrates on major works. Through the information found in this book, it is easy to establish the wave movement of Americans to the initiation of popular music. As... The paper tells that popular music in America took on a transformation in the second half of the 19th century to emphasize commercial expansion. This overlapped into the twentieth century and traces can still be seen in today’s popular music. As a result, the expansion of the music industry meant that more songs had to be composed, staged, produced and listened to in the entire country of the United States of America. In the first place, popular music was restricted to ethnic minorities or immigrant people to express their dissatisfaction in the manner in which the government was running social and economic matters in the country. However, commercialization expanded the market for such songs as well as thematic implications attached to the songs. On the other hand, Jewish artists incorporated segments from their tradition into the American music. This is well illustrated when Sophie Tucker performed her pop song â€Å"My Yiddishe Momme† which was staged in 12925. The so ng was performed in both Yiddish and English. Additionally, the Afro-American values resulted into a sequence of characteristic song style. This made most of the African American performers to be enthusiastic and confident with the themes central to pop culture. Nevertheless, there was a change in issues that were held true to popular music by 1950. These changes were in the contradictions over the period in which such songs were performed. In the first place, some songs remained stable from one period to another. The rise of other genres in music performed and composed in America like rock and roll, blues and soul music has an overriding impact on popular music.

Cross culture communication and negotiation Essay

Cross culture communication and negotiation - Essay Example It is important to understand the culture of the host country in order to operate effectively in a foreign country. InterNations, ND, Cross cultural training for business, Viewed December 5, 2012 from: . The above mentioned article states the essence of cross cultural training for business people who are likely to make presentations in foreign countries. There are many issues that should be considered such as the culture of the targeted audience since it impacts on their attitude towards something. InterNations, ND, Intercultural communication, Viewed December 5, 2012 from: . This article emphasises the fact that intercultural communication is not only about learning a foreign language spoken in the host country by expatriates. It also looks at other issues such as cultural exchange where people involved learn new things about the culture in the host country. Internations, ND, International business issues, Viewed December 5, 2012 from: . ... This article mainly focuses on what expatriates must know about the cultures of people in the host country. Each country has a unique culture. For instance, foreigners should familiarise themselves with the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ in a foreign country if they are to enjoy their stay in that country. InterNations, ND, Intercultural competence, Viewed December 5, 2012 from: . The article mainly focuses on the aspect of competence among the expatriates in terms of grasping the cultural contexts of other host nations. This helps them to operate within the standard expectations that do not violate the norms and values of the people in their country. Kwintessential, ND, An introduction to intercultural communication, Viewed December 5, 2012, from: ,. The article highlights the importance of intercultural communication to expatriate workers. The articles examines how people from different religions and cultures come to work together and communicate with each othe r in harmony. Demand of intercultural communication skills are increasing as many companies go global. Kwintessential, ND, Cross cultural advertising, Viewed December 5, 2012 from: . This article states that culture affects everything we do in our lives. Culture also affects all facets of business and it can be seen that cross cultural advertising is influenced by the norms and values of different people. Adverts that violate the norms of other people are likely to receive negative attention by

Gender biases in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gender biases in the United States - Essay Example The female victims suffer from low self- esteem. Other female victims lack the confidence to perform their daily tasks. Other female victims suffer from a feeling of helplessness. Additionally, society had impressed on women that their gender role is lesser in value to the male gender. Being informed that the female job applicant was not hired because the company needed a male sales representative is tainted with gender bias. Society had impressed on the female gender that the male masculinity is higher in value over the female gender’s less masculine physical built (Chin 125). Further, Robert Kail’s research emphasized that only ten percent of the top 500 corporation 2006 officers were women. Further, it was only in 1981 when Sandra Day O’ Connor was appointed Supreme Court Judge. The next female Supreme Court Judge was twelve years later, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Likewise, most of the faculty members of universities and colleges were male professors (Kail 443). Moreover, Robert Kail shows in the above table that gender bias had improved (Kail 441). The population of women had increased from 76 million in 1950 to 152 million in 2006. The same table shows that there were only 21 percent of women enrolled in high schools during 1950. However, the percentage had increased significantly to 86 percent in 2006. Because of the modern era where gender bias had been significantly reduced, 66 percent of women were married in 1950. The married women figure dropped to 47 percent. One possible explanation was that more women preferred to work outside the home instead of taking care of the family as plain housewife. The above table clearly shows that 29 percent of the women were working outside the home during 1950. However, the women working outside the home figure influentially rose to 60 percent in 2006. Historically, women were relegated to the home chores. Prior to the 1970s, women were characterized as mentally and morally lesser in

The Time Value of Money Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Time Value of Money - Essay Example However, this is not the case with the $10000 received 3 years from now. Its value will be $10000 only since no interest will be earned as illustrated in the figure below: In short, we can say that "a dollar today is worth more than a dollar one year from now" because the time value of money decreases over time. Why it decreases is the actual question. Interest rate, as we saw above is one apparent reason why money is related to time. Investing the money today would enable you to earn interest, causing it to grow to a larger amount over time. Let us now examine some of the other reasons and their impact on the time value of money. Present value refers to a value that is equal to a value or values in future that have been discounted at relevant interest rate. For example, if you are expected to receive $10000 three years from now, the value of this 10000 today would be $9497 if the interest rate is 5% (PV= FV/ (1 + i )N) ) but if you were to receive $10000 five years from now, the present value would only be $7836.This $9497 at the beginning of the period is equal to $10000 at the end of the three years , showing that the value of money is related to time and therefore, causing the present value of an amount in the future to be less and less, the more you have to wait for it. When you had to wait for 3 years, the present value of $10000 was $9497 but when you had to wait for 5 years, the value of the same $10000 fell to $7836. This process of finding present values from future values is called discounting. The opposite is applicable for compounding. Compounding causes the future value to be larger and larger t han the value today, the longer you have to wait for it because the value of money is related to time as illustrated by the numerical above. 2. Opportunity Cost: The time value of money also includes the concept of opportunity cost or the cost of foregoing the next best alternative. For example, if you decide to get $10000 in three years rather than now, you are foregoing the enjoyment, interest and other benefits you could have acquired by taking it now. How much you will have to forego depends on the interest rate. The higher the interest rate, the greater the interest that you will have to forego and hence, higher your opportunity cost. 3. Annuities: Annuities are a series of payments at regular intervals for a specified number of periods. If for example, you expect to receive the amount $10000 in 4 equal installments of $2500 each for the next 4 years, the present value of this stream of cash flows would amount to $8865 if the interest rate is 5% (PV = PMT [(1 - (1 / (1 + i)n)) / i]) while the future value would amount to $10775 (FV = PMT [((1 + i)n - 1) / i]). However, if the same $10000 was to be paid in 5 equal installments of $2000 each in the next 5 years, the present value would be $8659 and the future value would be $11051.Clearly, the same rules are applicable here and affect the time value of money in the same way. The longer it takes for you to receive your sum of $10000, the lower will be the present value of the annuity and the higher will be the future value. When you had to wa

Musical Jersey Boys Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Musical Jersey Boys - Assignment Example The performance had its share of light and dark moments, where if on the one side these boys manage to carve out a space for themselves as astute and talented performers, yet, they are unable to get rid of the dark shadow of the mafia linkage and poverty that defined their urban background. The play encapsulates the life and times of the group, packaging and presenting it as a nostalgic remembrance of something moving and enrapturing. The show happened to be crisply fast paced, punctuated by more than ample moments of urban humor and laughter, which indeed imparted a tinge of lightness to an otherwise moving plot having its share of dark and grim moments. They much liberal exploitation of music made the play a much lighter and invigorating experience and the fast pace combined with a comparatively lighter tonality added to its overall appeal. The play allowed for an assemblage of perspectives, as it is narrated from the point of view of varied members of the Four Seasons group. This multiplicity of viewpoints is immaculately used in the play to weave the story of the ascendance of a group of four boys born and brought up amidst urban squalor and crime to the dizzying heights of fame, as they moved the hearts of millions of fans and music lovers. The struggle of these four boys justified by the success they achieved is movingly presented to the accompaniment of soundtracks from Frankie Valli and his band the Four Seasons. The hits like â€Å"Big Boys don’t cry†, ‘Dawn† and â€Å"Walk like a Man† imbued the theatre with a stimulating and palpitating sense of harmony, showcasing the golden hits that made these boys a rage amongst the music lovers of all ages and times. All the actors did do a remarkable job, bringing an emphatic and earnest charm to all the four characters that signified their appeal and immense following. One also does need to praise the musical abilities of most of the

Industrialization After the Civil War Thesis and Outline Assignment

Industrialization After the Civil War Thesis and Outline - Assignment Example In this regard, industrialization was high in the North America region than the South America region (Boyer, 2011). In the North, growth in industrialization accompanied growth of many cities. The growth in the cities encouraged rural-urban migration of many American citizens. Entrepreneurship enabled many American to utilize the opportunities that arose from industrialization. For instance, the massive production of consumer goods was an opportunity for people to devise ways of differentiating products in order to gain returns. According to Dubofsky (2006), Americans indulged in the establishment of retail business to supply the products produced in bulk. The product supply chain enhanced the value of products. Legislative representation changed during the industrial revolution period. The restructuring led to the control of many American corporations by the business class rather than the political class. The move led to liberalism in the product markets because there was a creation of a free market economy. The business class lobbied for many members in the House of Representatives to advocate for bills that could improve the economy of the nation. The industrialization era affected the group because of racial prejudices. The Native Americans discriminated the American Indians. The group settled in the American soil in search of resources such as land. Intermarriages between the Native Americans and the Indians did not guarantee the parties the right to the use of American resources. The industrialization process negatively affected the middle class group. According to Scranton (2010), the middle class people lost lucrative business of consumer goods because the era led to flooding of the markets with consumer products. The monopolistic advantage for the group was lost. As a result, there was a loss of revenue and source of livelihood for the group. Industrialization