What Was French Indochina

French Indochina was the collective name for the French colonial regions of Southeast Asia from colonization in 1887 to  independence and the subsequent Vietnam Wars of the mid-1900s. During the colonial era, French Indochina was made up of Cochin-China, Annam, Cambodia, Tonkin, Kwangchowan, and Laos. Today, the same region is divided into the nations of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. While much war and civil unrest tainted much of their early histories, these nations are faring far better since their French occupation ended over 70 years ago. Early Exploitation and Colonization Although the French and Vietnam relationship may have started as early as the 17th century with missionary voyages, the French took power in the area and established a federation called French Indochina in 1887. They designated the area as a colonie dexploitation, or in the more polite English translation, a colony of economic interests. High taxes on local consumption of goods like salt, opium, and rice alcohol filled the coffers of the French colonial government, with just those three items comprising 44% of the governments budget by 1920. With the local populations wealth almost tapped out, the French began in the 1930s to turn to exploiting the areas natural resources instead. What is now Vietnam became a rich source of zinc, tin, and coal as well as cash crops such as rice, rubber, coffee, and tea. Cambodia supplied pepper, rubber, and rice; Laos, however, had no valuable mines and was used only for low-level timber harvesting. The availability of plentiful, high-quality rubber led to the establishment of famous French tire companies such as Michelin. France even invested in industrialization in Vietnam, building factories to produce cigarettes, alcohol, and textiles for export. Japanese Invasion During the Second World War The Japanese Empire invaded French Indochina in 1941 and the Nazi-allied French Vichy government handed over Indochina to Japan. During their occupation, some Japanese military officials encouraged nationalism and independence movements in the region. However, the military higher-ups and the home government in Tokyo intended to keep Indochina as a valuable source of such necessities as tin, coal, rubber, and rice. As it turns out, instead of liberating these rapidly forming independent nations, the Japanese instead decided to add them to their so-called Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. It soon became obvious to most Indochinese citizens that the Japanese intended to exploit them and their land just as ruthlessly as the French had done. This sparked the creation of a new guerrilla fighting force, the League for the Independence of Vietnam or Viet Nam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi—usually called Viet Minh for short. The Viet Minh fought against the Japanese occupation, uniting peasant rebels with urban nationalists into a communist-tinged independence movement. End of World War II and Indochinese Liberation When the Second World War ended, France expected the other Allied Powers to return its Indochinese colonies to its control, but the people of Indochina had different ideas.   They expected to be granted independence, and this difference of opinion led to the First Indochina War and the  Vietnam War. In 1954, the Vietnamese under Ho Chi Minh defeated the French at the decisive Battle of Dien Bien Phu, and the French gave up their claims to the former French Indochina through the Geneva Accord of 1954.   However, the Americans feared that Ho Chi Minh would add Vietnam to the communist bloc, so they entered the war that the French had abandoned. After two additional decades of fighting, the North Vietnamese prevailed and Vietnam became an independent communist country. The peace also recognized the independent nations of Cambodia and Laos  in Southeast Asia. Sources and Further Reading Cooper, Nikki. France in Indochina: Colonial Encounters. New York: Berg, 2001.Evans, Martin, ed. Empire and Culture: The French Experience, 1830-1940.  Basinstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.  Jennings, Eric T. Imperial Heights: Dalat and the Making and Undoing of French Indochina. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011.

Totalitarian Leaders Stalin, Marx, and Mustapha Mond Essay

In the book Brave New World, the World Controllers control every aspect of life from the color the citizens wear to the job that is assigned to each person. This is an example of a totalitarian government. The word Totalitarian is defined as â€Å"An adjective of or having to do with a government controlled by one political group which suppress all opposition, often with force, and which controls many aspects of people’s lives. A totalitarian government usually regulates what goods are produced by industry, what radio and television programs are broadcast, what books people read, and other severe controls on private life† (Barnhart 2210). There are many practices or philosophies of totalitarian rulers such as no freedom of religion, speech,†¦show more content†¦Stalin like all rulers wanted and needed to gain the trust of the people. Stalin achieved gaining the trust of the people by creating and enhancing the schools, homes, and hospitals (Caulkins 90). B ut there was a down side to the education of the children. This helped the literacy rate rise from nothing to equal to the rate of any western country. The children were taught to read but they did not learn to think independently. Stalin’s rule helped the Soviet Union. Under Stalin the territorial boundaries expanded (Byers 393). Stalin also had to uphold his regime; if you were someone in power like a factory owner, chief of the secret police, or a party official, you were given new cars, clothes and homes to name a few (Caulkins 92). The bureaucracy got the majority of the privileges that no other person could get. But Stalin never let them forget that what he gave he could also take away (Caulkins 92). Though Stalin gave to the people of the Soviet Union, He also ruled using fear. â€Å"Civilian crimes, such as robbery or killing your wife in a fit of rage, were dealt with in an orderly and just fashion. But â€Å"crimes against the State,† no matter how trivi al, carried the threat of death.† (Caulkins 93) Stalin improved the condition of the Soviet Union so well that writers and reporters tried to out praise each other when writing about

When termination of pregnancy is permissible Free Essays

The debate about termination of pregnancies has been raging for a long time and it has been pitting the pro abortionists who believe that abortion is permissible under certain circumstances and the anti abortionists who believe that abortion is not permissible under any circumstance. From a logical perspective, the pro abortionists seem to be sensible because there are certain situations where abortion must be carried out. There are some situations where abortion is moral and ethical meaning that it is permissible. We will write a custom essay sample on When termination of pregnancy is permissible or any similar topic only for you Order Now One of the situations where abortion is permissible is when abortion is permissible is when the life of the mother is in danger. When the life of the mother is in danger, do you save the mother or the child?. This situation can be supported by the ethical theory of utilitarianism. This theory states that any act is ethical and moral if it is done to benefit the larger percentage of the society and an act is unethical if it is done to the detriment of a larger percentage of the society. It this theory is brought into the issue of pregnancy it is easy to understand why termination of pregnancy is permissible in case the life of the mother is at risk. The question that one needs to ask is; who between the child and the mother is more beneficial to the society? The mother could be a woman who has some other children who need to be taken care of. The mother could be a breadwinner in her family. This mother could be a public servant and her demise would affect the services she used to render to the nation. The mother is a relative and a friend to many people and her demise would affect them emotionally. However, this child does not have as much value to the society as the mother meaning that the life of the child is not as important as that of the mother (Sedgh 2007). Therefore , saving the life of the mother, from a utilitarian point of view is more beneficial to the society more than saving the life of the child. Saving the life of the child while letting the mother to die is not ethical because this will present a problem for the child who will have to grow without motherly care and love while the society will place an extra burden to the society which will have to bring up a child in the absence of the mother. Therefore, in case the life of the mother is threatened by a pregnancy, then termination of such a pregnancy is permissible and supported by the ethical theory of utilitarianism. Another instance under which abortion is permissible is when a woman becomes pregnant after an incident of rape. Though pregnancies arising from rape are rare it is important to note that some pregnancies occur after incidences of rape. Why is pregnancy that arises after an incidence of rape permissible? To start with, rape is a tragic act that violates the body of a woman and also affects her mental health a great deal. Psychiatrist s argue that the mental health of the woman can be safeguarded if a pregnancy arising from such tragic acts such as rape is terminated. From a legal point of view, it is argued that rape is an act of violation, a grave injustice meaning that it is unjust to force such a woman to carry a pregnancy arising from rape to viability. The pregnancy will keep reminding the woman of the violence committed against her and this would last for nine months of the pregnancy and whenever she sees the child. This would make the woman live with a lot of mental anguish. From a utilitarian perspective, it is quite ethical and moral to terminate this pregnancy because the mental health of the woman is of a higher value than the life of the fetus. From a humanitarian perspective, the fetus is also considered an aggressor against the integrity and the personal life of the woman and it is defensible and permissible to terminate the pregnancy as a way of defending the personal and human values of the woman because these values are robbed of her by the violent act of rape. Those opposed to abortion argue that termination of a pregnancy arising after an incident of rape is not permissible because that pregnancy can avoided according to these anti abortion activists, conception does not occur immediately after sexual intercourse meaning that pregnancy can be avoided in all instances of rape especially if the victim receives medical treatment immediately after the attack to remove the male semen from the uterus to ensure that fertilization does not take place. However these people fail to realize that rape is a traumatizing act that destabilizes the mental state of a victim meaning that making decisions such as visiting a medical center for immediate treatment may not be easy for the victims. It is good to avoid the pregnancy by seeking instant medical help but in case the pregnancy occurs then it is very permissible to terminate it to safeguard the mental health of the mother. There are other anti abortionists who argue that the unborn children resulting from rape have the right to live because they are as innocent as the mother. They claim that the rapist is the aggressor and not the unborn, but it is important to note that the child will always remind the woman of the violent action during the entire pregnancy and even after the birth of the child. The mother may not be able to give utmost love and care to the child because the child is unwanted and brings traumatic memories to the mother. This means that relieving the mental suffering of the mother is more important than the right to live of the fetus meaning that is ethically permissible to terminate a pregnancy arising from an incident of rape (Finer, 2000). The third instance where termination of a pregnancy is permissible is a situation where a woman gets pregnant as a result of incest. However, this situation depends with the nature of incest because if the woman willingly participates in an incestuous intercourse, then termination of such a pregnancy is not permissible. However, if the woman was forced by the second party to participate in an incestuous intercourse against her will, then a pregnancy arising out of such a situation can be terminated without moral and ethical questions being raised. This is because there are very few differences between a forced incestuous intercourse and rape. Both of them violate the dignity and the mental stability of the woman and a child arising out of such an intercourse is usually an aggressor towards the woman. The child will forever be a reminder to the woman of that degrading incident that violated her dignity and self worth and this will affect the mental health of the woman for a long time. Just like in rape where the pregnancy is terminated to safeguard the mental health of the woman, a pregnancy arising out of a forced incestuous intercourse can be terminated because the mental health of the woman is more important than the value of life of an unborn fetus, who in the first place is an unwanted child who will never get enough motherly love, care and attention from the mother. The fourth circumstance may appear controversial but a deeper look into the argument will expose the logic. According to some pro abortionists, women can be forced to carry a pregnancy to viability just because it is unethical to terminate that pregnancy but the question that arises is; is that woman ready to bring up the child. The woman may have engaged in a sexual activity with a man after mutual consent but gets pregnant accidentally, meaning that she wasn’t ready for the pregnancy. This kind of a pregnancy is called an unwanted pregnancy. In most cases, when women give birth after carrying an unwanted pregnancy to viability, they are never able to give their children the relevant motherly love, care and attention and they usually neglect these children meaning that they are never able to enjoy quality life. Some of these women especially in the third world countries throw the children away after birth or when they are very young and these children usually become street children. The big question that arises is; which is more ethical between giving birth to an unwanted child then let the child to suffer for their entire life or terminating an unwanted pregnancy before the fetus becomes a human being. The later seems to be more ethical because it prevents the lifetime suffering of an innocent child. This means that if a woman feels that she cannot really take care of the child she is carrying despite her being responsible for its conception, then the termination of such a pregnancy is morally and ethically permissible. Moreover, women have an ethical claim to their body meaning that thy have bodily autonomy which should be regarded as integral to the conception of an ethical and free society that embraces democracy. This autonomy is an ethical necessity meaning that no one should force a woman under any circumstance to carry a pregnancy to viability (Bankole,1998). There are some cases where women are forced to terminate pregnancies because of their careers. Is this termination of pregnancy defensible and permissible? When a woman really knows that she cannot be a good mother and abort the child they are carrying, they are making the most ethical decision ever because it would be quite unethical to give birth to a child one cannot care for. This means that in such a situation, abortion is permissible. Some of the instances described above may appear controversial especially to those who approach the debate with a closed mind. While religious doctrines and values are not inferior to the secular approach, it is important to note that religious values cannot be a background for tenets that apply to all citizens. List of references Bankole, A. 1998, Reasons Why Women Have Induced Abortions: Evidence from 27 Countries. International Family Planning Perspectives, 24 (3), 117–127 and 152. Retrieved 2006-01-18. Finer, L. 2005, Reasons U. S. women have abortions: quantative and qualitative perspectives. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37 (3), 110–118. Retrieved 2006-01-18. Sedgh, G, 2007, â€Å"Legal abortion worldwide: incidence and recent trends†. Int Fam Plan Perspect 33 (3): 106–16. World Health Organization. 2004, â€Å"Unsafe abortion: global and regional estimates of unsafe abortion and associated mortality in 2000†. Retrieved 2009-03-22. How to cite When termination of pregnancy is permissible, Papers

Like Water for Chocolate free essay sample

The movie and book Like Water for Chocolate have a lot of comparisons but also dramatized scenes. Even though both movie and book give the same theme they also have different styles to approaching the theme. With different approaches to the moral of the story they differentiate in how they get it across to the viewer. Food in this story shows how Tita deals with her happiness and sadness. She makes people depressed with a wedding cake and makes people hot and love when she makes quail with rose pedals. Food is something that people can express emotion no matter what they make. In the movie Like Water for Chocolate the beginning of the movie it starts out being told by a narrator. Then it goes into it being told as it happens by Tita. I enjoyed the movie just as much as the book but I did like the dramatic scenes of the movie because it gave the viewers an idea of how things were in this time era more then it does in the book. We will write a custom essay sample on Like Water for Chocolate or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Sometimes a good dramatic movie is worth seeing because you get intricate with it. In the book, the scenes that are dramatized in the movie are not dramatized in the book because it is harder to make something seem bigger than it is while reading it. The book however put things in perspective of when it took place, by naming the chapters after the months that everything was happening unlike the movie where everything clashed together as a whole time line of events. The things you see or think about in a book are not the images that the author wants to you see in perspective but the way you read the words is how you see it. Putting both movie and book in perspective and after reading the book and watching movie I can say I enjoyed both. I do like the movie better however because it did give more dramatic scenes and story line then the book. I like how in the movie Tita was portrayed as this much lovelier woman then her sister who married her boyfriend when she was younger. With this controversy you see much more in the movie then the book in my eyes. In retrospect both show the roles of women and men and how they are supposed to act in the society and family household. Women in the family were to cook, clean and take care of the family while the men were out working, bringing home money for the family. It is hard to see this in both however because Tita’s father died and Pedro you don’t see doing this as much as he probably should in both movie and book. In the book, I can argue that when Tita was little she was in the kitchen with Nacha learning how to cook and prep the food for different occasions. She wanted her sister in there and have fun. â€Å"Tita managed to convince them to join her in watching the dazzling display made by dancing water drops dibbled on a red hot griddle†¦Rosaura was cowering in the corner, stunned by the display. Gertudis, on the other hand, found this game enticing†¦threw herself and showed her rhythm. Rosaura tried to join then†¦Rosaura resisted Tita trying to move her hands closer to the griddle†¦. Tita got spanked for that and was forbidden to let her sisters come in to her world of the kitchen† (Esquirel pg. 8). This whole scene in the book was in the first chapter, where as the scene in the movie was a short intricate of what happened in the kitchen. The scene in the movie was just when they were younger and Tita and Gertudis were throwing water onto the griddle, laughing and having fun. Another scene in the movie and book that are very separate and different is when Tita and Nacha were getting the ingredients for the cake they had to make for her sisters wedding. In the book in the month of February it talks about how Tita and Nacha were making marmalade for the filling of the cake. In this chapter it is talked about how to prepare it, cook it and put it in the cake. â€Å"Nacha and Tita had made several jars of preserves apricot, fig, and camote with pineapple- the month before the wedding†¦ Spared the task of making the marmalade the same day as the cake† (pg. 31). The book then goes on to talk about how to cook the marmalade and then also what Tita and Nacha have to do in order to cook it perfectly and not get burned by the fire. They also talk about how the smell of the aroma fills the kitchen and the smell of the apricots is sweet and revising. In the movie, they show nothing about the marmalade being made or cooked. The only scene in the movie about the preparation of the wedding cake is when Tita and Nacha are prepping the batter for the cake. Tita cries into the cake because she is sad about the wedding, it should have been her being married not making the cake for it. These are only two differences that the movie and book have in comparison to the story. There are many other differences that could be talked about that are major to the story but I like this two the best because they represent Tita’s life and what she did for her family. Many other sections of the book are not portrayed in the movie and in reality we cant get the entire aspect of the life of this family in the movie, like we can get while reading the book. After reading the book and after watching the movie we can kind of get an understanding of how family traditions were really important to these families during this time era especially in other countries. In the Tita’s family the family tradition was that the youngest daughter was to never get married because she would have to take care of her mother until the day she died. That is why Pedro had to marry Rosaura and not Tita; even though he didn’t love her he loved Tita. Sometimes we depict the life of those in other countries as wanting us to be like us because we don’t want to see people in poverty or as being stricter then how they should be. After reading the book and watching this movie the similarities and differences that are depicted throughout the story line. This story line is very dramatic and I like dramatic scenes because it shows more about it then it would if it sometimes it wasn’t over dramatic. I enjoyed the end of the movie better because it showed that Pedro and Tita still loved each other until the end of the movie. They proved that no matter what happens in their life they will wind up being together at the end. They die because of their love affair.

Comprehensive Guide on How to Prepare a Speech

â€Å"To speech or not to speech?†: Your Guide on How to Create a Speech There is nothing worse than staring at an empty screen and its painful to think how you can begin this speech. Especially if the deadline hangs over you dangerously.But try to approach the matter strategically. This guide could help many busy people prepare for the performances and bring out three simple steps that allow you to quickly move from making up speech to its utterance.Step 1. Its important to spend a few minutes thinking about what you want to achieve with your speech or presentation. As the one great man once remarked, If you do not know where you are going, you will be somewhere else. So for a few minutes, think about the following:What is this speech? Common types are informational (teaching, instructing), persuasive (your goal is to change peoples beliefs and behavior), emotional (aimed at emotional reaction).Who are your audience? What do they already know about this topic? What do they think is true and what is not? What do they want? What are they hoping for? What a re they afraid of?What should the audience feel? What do you want them to do? Choose 1-3 things that you want to convey to them (based on what they already know or believe in, what they hope for, what they want, what they fear, and what you want them to understand), which will then motivate them to do what you want from them? If possible, follow the three main points.Step 2. Organize the information. Psychology studies show that when you give people too much choice and too much information, attention is dissipated, and they eventually do not â€Å"buy† anything. When you expect from the audience that it will buy what you are saying, it is necessary that the ideas are as simple and uncomplicated as they could be. Here is an easy scheme that can be followed and that will keep the attention of the audience.Smart and attractive introduction. Make your audience be interested in you from the first minutes. Use a quote, story, question, statistical indicator something that will hoo k people as soon as possible.Briefly mention the main things. Let the audience understand what will be discussed.Summary of speech. Tell people what you just told them. (This is serious our memory is short, and our attention disappears quickly.)The audience will remember the best part is that they heard last. Complete unfinished thoughts, state the last inspiring conclusion that will encourage people to think and act differently, and end up with a spectacular and memorable statement. What is even better is that these last words should be sent to the beginning of the speech, then it will be perceived as fully completed.Step 3. Speak enthusiastically. Your task is not just to survive your speech, but to show empathy, humor, your style. Meet the listeners with your eyes, use gestures to generate energy, walk around the room (not too much), and let your voice and your face be alive: you must show that you are really worried about your theme and your audience. Do not stand still do som ething.

Critial Investigation of the etiology of juvenile idiopathic arthritis The WritePass Journal

Critial Investigation of the etiology of juvenile idiopathic arthritis Introduction Critial Investigation of the etiology of juvenile idiopathic arthritis IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is an umbrella term which includes all forms of arthritis that begin before the age of sixteen, of over six week’s duration, and of unknown cause. (Petty el al 2004)   With various contributing environmental and genetic factors, arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Ongoing research, into the etiology of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, has identified the most common risk factor as infection in combination with genetic susceptibility.   An autoimmune reaction occurs as a result of an infection or trauma, this causes synovial hypertrophy and chronic joint inflammation in genetically susceptible individuals.   (Rabinovich 2010). Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a genetically complicated characteristic in which many genes are important as indications at the onset of the disease. Both the IL2RA/CD25 and the VTCN1 genes have recently been identified as juvenile idiopathic arthritis susceptibility loci (Hinks et al 2009) .Pathogenesis has many other contributing factors such as stress and maternal smoking. (Prince et al 2010) The International League of Associations for Rheumatology (2004) classification of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, JIA, includes seven subtypes: Systemic onset JIA, oligoarticular, polyarticular RF-positive and RF-negative, Enthesitis-related arthritis, Juvenile ankylosing spondylitis, and ‘‘other.’’ The most common type of JIA is Oligoarticular.     60% of children, mainly girls under 5, with JIA have this type. During the first 6 months Oligoarticular affects between one and four joints.   The knees, ankles and wrists are the most affected. After 6 months it can spread to more than four joints and is known as ‘Extended oligoarthritis’ affecting 2 in 5 children. Affected children are moody and difficult as a result of their symptoms, which include joint stiffness in the morning and joint pain.   Walking may be delayed in very young children. 1 in 5 children also have inflammation of the eye, Uveitis.   Children who carry antinuclear antibodies in their blood are most at risk of uveitis. (Arthristis Research UK, 2010) Polyarticular arthritis, which again is more common in girls, affects 20% of children with JIA.   (Arthristis Research UK, 2010) Polyarthritis mainly affects the joints of the hands and feet, which become painful, swollen and stiff. This type can often affect more than one joint, usually over 4, at a time. The child can often become unwell and pain may be accompanied by a fever. About 10% of children will have the rheumatoid factor (RF), meaning that their blood contains an antibody similar to that often found in adult rheumatoid arthritis. Most RF-positive children are girls, typically aged 10 or over. RF-positive children can have a more severe form of the disease which, without early intervention, can result in long-term joint damage. It is unlikely that RF-positive children will be free from Polyarthritis with symptoms continuing into adult life. Permanent remission is more often seen in children who are RF-negative.   (David and Lloyd 1999, pg 207) About 10% of cases of arthritis in children are systemic. This type of arthritis affects girls and boys equally but is more often seen in under fives. (Arthritis Research UK, 2010). This severe and potentially fatal form of JIA includes children who have arthritis associated with marked systemic features. Systemic   arthritis can be identified by a fever   which persists daily for at least two weeks either at the onset or prior to the arthritis. One or more of the subsequent systemic features must also occur,   these are a rash, generalised lymphadenopathy, liver or spleen enlargement and   serositis (inflammation of the serous tissue, which lines the major organs including the heart and lungs.)   Every child is different. Some children will fully recover after one bout of systemic arthritis. Others could have symptoms that come and go for several years and a number of children go on to develop polyarthritis but have no further fever attacks.   (Arthritis Research UK, 201 0) Psoriatic arthritis affects less than 10% and is most commonly found in girls aged 8 to 9 years. Psoriasis, a skin condition causing   a widespread flaky skin rash is prevalent.   Ã‚  The rarer form, Enthesitis-related arthritis usually affects boys aged eight and over. The main symptoms are arthritis in several joints at once, often located at the sacroiliac joint. Enthesitis-related arthritis has a genetic risk factor with children carrying, the HLA-B27 gene. This gene is an indicator common with some adult forms of arthritis. However affected children don’t always go on to suffer in adult hood. (Arthritis Research UK 2010) Although Munro et al (2009)   reported that there are no specific tests for the diagnosis of JIA. Diagnosis is made on both clinical findings and investigations. A literature review, by Munro et al (2009), reports that past research recommends documenting the range of motion in all joints, the extent of joint swelling, the presence of bony overgrowth and whether affected joints are affected by muscle atrophy and weakness. Significant trauma, fever, in particular if it is persistent for 10 days or without clear cause or coupled with a rash also need to be evident..   Rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antigen screening tests should be conducted although children with an infection or current pathology may have positive findings, and the tests should not be used as a definite diagnosis of JIA. Inflammation, identified with a raised white cell or platelet count,  Ã‚   may also be identified   by during a full blood screening. T-lymphocytes play an essential role in the pathophysiology of JIA. They release pro-inflammatory cytokines and favour a type-1 helper T-lymphocyte response. An abnormal interaction between type 1 and type 2 T-helper cells has been hypothesized. Research into T-cell receptor expression; confirm recruitment of T-lymphocytes specific for synovial antigens. Evidence of a disorder in the humoral immune system is identified by the increased presence of autoantibodies, increased serum immunoglobulins, existence of circulating immune complexes   or complement activation. Chronic inflammation of the synovium is characterized by B-lymphocyte infiltration and expansion. Macrophages and T-cell invasion are linked with the release of cytokines, which induce synoviocyte proliferation. (Rabinovich 2010) JIA, if badly managed, can have a number of consequences   such as growth failure, leg length discrepancy, contractures, scoliosis, blindness (secondary to untreated chronic anterior uveitis), Macrophage activation syndrome, disability and many more. Psychosocial problems are also evident. JIA sufferers are predominantly affected by pain.   When   treating   children in pain, doctors and parents must first understand the physiology of pain and why children have different reactions. The International Association for the Study of Pain (2007) defines pain as â€Å"An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience which we primarily associate with tissue damage or describe in terms of such damage, or both.† This definition recognises that pain is a perception and not a sensation as many believe.   Pain can be categorised into nociceptive, or neuropathic. Sustained activation of the nociceptive system caused by   tissue injury   results in pain described as nociceptive . While neuroplastic changes are evidently involved, nociceptive pain is alleged to arise as a result of the normal activation of the sensory system by noxious stimuli, a process that utilises transduction, transmission, modulation and perception. Direct injury or dysfunction of the peripheral or central nervous system results in   Neuropathic pain. The injury could be to either neural or non-neural tissues. (American Medical Association, 2010) There has been several pain mechanism theories proposed over the last 50 years.   The specificity theory, described in 1664 by Rene Descartes, proposes that pain impulses travelled along a dedicated pathway from receptors in the periphery to a specialised pain centre in the brain, resulting in a mechanical behavioural response. Descartes described each nerve as having a specific function, with free nerve endings being called pain receptors. (Thomas 1998, pg 6) It suggests that the greater the damage or injury then the more sever the pain. (Brannon and Feist , 2000) This theory can be supported to the extent that there are some specialised nerves in the human body however others can have numerous functions or detect several types of stimuli. On the other hand this theory does not explain the variable nature of pain. Furthermore no pain centre has ever been identified; current research suggest multiple areas of the brain detect and respond to the   pain stimuli. (David and Waterfie ld 1999) In 1962, Weddel (cited by Thomas 1998) states that there is no separate system for perceiving pain, rather that pain is due to intense peripheral stimulation of non-specific receptors. This in turn produces a pattern of nerve impulses, which is interpreted centrally as pain. The pattern theory proposed that strong and mild stimuli produced different patterns of impulses. (Thomas 1998, pg 6) This theory ignores the specialism of some receptors and does not account for conditions in which a gentle touch can trigger episodes of neuralgia (David and Waterfeild 1999) The best explanation to date is the pain gate theory, proposed by Mezack and Wall in 1965. (David and Lloyd 1999, pg28)   The theory suggests that stimulation of nerve endings evokes nervous impulses that are transmitted by three systems located in the spinal cord. The substania gelatinosa in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, the dorsal column fibres and the central transmission cells act to stimulate or inhibit nocioceptive impulses. The transmission of impulses from the afferent fibres to the spinal cord transmission cells is modulated by the spinal gating mechanism in the dorsal horn. The gating mechanism is influenced by the amount of activity in the larger-diameter fibres. Larger diameter fibres are thought to be inhibiter, thus closing the pain gate, the opposite occurs when smaller fibres are stimulated: pain is transmitted and the gate opens.(Melzack and Wall, 1996) In addition descending control from various structures in the brain can also inhibit the relay and close th e gate. On reaching the brain,   the impulses are further modified and integrated with other sensory input. On arrival at   the brain   the impulses are felt as pain. It is important to understand that those afferent fibres do not have a fixed response but are subject to modification even before they reach the pain gate and after they reach the brain. (David and Lloyd 1999, pg 28) The pain gate theory was the first to appreciate that pain can be affected by  Ã‚   psychological factors.   A person may be able to control pain be altering their state of mind. For example if a person is able to distract themselves from the pain then less impulses are sent to the brain therefore not enough stimuli are present to open the gate. (Salvano and Willems 1996, pg 15) In summary experiences of pain are influenced by many physical and psychological factors such as beliefs, prior experience, motivation, emotional aspects, anxiety and depression can increase pain by affecting the central control system in the brain. The specificity theory and the pattern theory suggests that pain occurs only due to damage to body tissue while the gate control theory claims that pain may be experienced without any physical injury and individuals interpret pain differently even though the extent of injury is the same. The gate control   theory also suggests that pain can be controlled by the mind. The author’s understanding is that Juvenile idiopathic arthritis produces nociceptive pain, through recurrent inflammation of the joints. Inflammation releases chemicals such as histamine and bradykanin, which are detected by nociceptors which then activate noxious impulses to the dorsal horn. Once enough impulses are generated to â€Å"open the gate† neural areas responsible for perception and response activate. The perception and level of response is influenced by the state of mind. Pain impacts on the lives of children, with arthritis, by limiting activities, disrupting school attendance, and contributing to psychosocial distress (Kimura and Walco 2006). A study by Schanberg et al (2003)   investigated levels of pain in 41 children with arthritis by the daily completion of pain diaries. They found that 70% of the children had significant amounts of pain, on 60% of the days, with 38% having pain daily. Children often describe the pain associated with JIA as â€Å"aching,† â€Å"sharp,† â€Å"burning,† and â€Å"uncomfortable† (Antony and Schanberg 2003). Research also suggests that children with JIA have a lower pain threshold than their healthy counterparts. (Hogeweg et al 1995) This could be due to the children’s brains, were pain is processed, changing due to long exposure to noxious impulses. The perception of pain in children with JIA could also be influence by the cognitive capabilities and age. Beales et al (1987, cite d in Antony and Schanberg 2003) suggest that cognitive development impacts pain perception due to the association and understanding of the child’s condition. For example all the children , despite their age, described the pain as â€Å"aching† but younger children did not associate it with anything unpleasant , older children, however,are more likely to relate their joint   feeling   to their arthritis-related disability. Therefore with cognitive maturation, children become capable of connecting internal sensations with internal pathology and the potentially serious consequences. Hence, older children with arthritis may become more distressed by the sensation, resulting in increased reported pain intensities as the childs age increases. (Antony and Schanberg 2003). There is a mounting body of research indicating to the importance of psychosocial variables in the pain incidence of children with JIA, consisting of emotional distress, stress, and mood. Also significant is the child’s perception and coping strategy with their pain. Moreover, a number of studies have described the role of parental and familial factors in child pain, specifically parental psychological health, parental pain history, and the nature of the way in which family members interact with one another. Addressing these issues while managing the condition may help to reduce pain, elevate mood, and improve overall quality of life for children with arthritis. (Antony and Schanberg 2003). A child’s pain needs to be assessed at each appointment, whether by a doctor or physiotherapist. Pain can be assessed both subjectively and objectively. It is important to gain a good description of areas affected, the intensity, type and severity of the pain. A more objective measurement is a Visual analogue scale, completed by the child and a VAS global assessment of disease and function completed by the parents. (Pounty 2007) A multidisciplinary approach, to the management of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, is considered best practice. Treatment is aimed at controlling inflammation and minimising its effects on the joints. For the best outcome, awareness of complications of both disease and therapy and the psychosocial effects of the illness on both the child and family is essential. (Davidson 2000) Treating the pain can sometimes be the only intervention during a physiotherapy session. Both pharmalogical and non-pharmalogical methods are used to treat pain in JIA.Guidelines for the management of childhood arthritis,   Ã‚  The British Paediatric Rheumatology Group (2001), are available and new research is continuing to improve treatments. Most JIA children are Initial treatments include intra-articular long-acting corticosteroid injections and NSAIDs. NSAIDs control pain and inflammation and are usually given for 4 to 8 weeks before starting treatment with a second-line agent. Naproxen, tolmentin, diclofenac, and ibuprofen are commonly used and are usually well tolerated with little gastrointestinal discomfort. The choice of NSAID may be based on the taste of the medication and the convenience of the dosing regimen. Naproxen is prescribed most frequently. Indomethacin is a potent anti-inflammatory medication commonly used to treat ERA and SOJIA, however side effects include headaches, difficulty in concentrating, and gastrointestinal upset. These can be counter acted with other medications. (Weiss and Ilowite 2005) A literature review (Hashkes and Laxer 2005, Cited by Munro et al 2009) looked at the affects of NSAIDS on JIA. These were inconclusive as the participants receiving all forms and doses of NSAIDs achieved significant improvements in the outcome measures and no individual NSAID was shown to have a clear advantage over others. The immune system can be suppressed and the progress of arthritis   slowed down, as well reducing the inflammation, by the use of   diseases modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (National Rheumatology Society 2008) Methotrexate is most commonly used for JIA.   Random controlled placebo trials and dose finding trials have shown that DMARDs can be effective in polyarticular and oligoarticular arthritis although not in systemic arthritis. (Prince et al 2010) Both physiotherapy and occupational therapy can reduce the impact of JIA, on the daily lives of children. Physiotherapy has a number of treatments that can be utilised to reduce pain. Physical therapy and exercise programs have been shown to be helpful in reducing pain in children with arthritis and should therefore be encouraged, especially since children with arthritis tend to be less physically active and may have become de-conditioned (Kimuru and Walco 2006). Exercise can have an analgesic effect.   If using the Pain gate theory, movement can help to close the gate by providing a distraction. Exercise is also good for the healing process. Satallite cells, which can only be activated through exercise, are important for muscle growth and repair. They can be stimulared to either replace damaged muscle cells or add muscle cells.   (Poutney 2007, pg 234) A literature review, by Long and Rouster-Stevens (2010), highlighted the importance of exercise in the treatment of JIA. Current studies show that inactivity can lead to deconditioning, disability, decreased bone mass, and reduced quality of life. While progress in pharmacology has improved the lives of patients with JIA, management should also consist of a moderate, regular exercise program or more active lifestyle. The literature suggests physical activity may improve exercise capacity, reduce disability in adulthood, improve quality of life and, in some patients, lessen disease restrictions.   . There is however limited evidence of the effect of strength training in children with JIA. Fisher et al (2001) monitored the effects of resistance exercise, via isokinetic equipment, in 19 children with JIA. Children were given an 8 week, personalised progressive programme.  Ã‚   Participants demonstrated significant improvement in quadriceps and hamstring strength and endurance, contraction speed of the hamstrings, functional status, disability and performance of timed tasks.   Despite the limited evidence, it is recommended that a programme of strength training may be beneficial with JIA. Recommendations for healthy children can be used as a guide.  The American Academy of Paediatrics (2001, cited by Maillard 2010) recommends that to increase strength and fitness, low resistance for 15 repetitions is ideal for children. They suggest twenty to thirty minute sessions, two to three times weekly. There is evidence that there is no benefit to increasing the amount of sessions. (Ma illard 2010) Hydrotherapy is also advocated for JIA. The effects of hydrotherapy are gained with the combined effect of the warmth, the buoyancy and the fun element of the treatment. Hydrotherapy aims to reduce pain and muscle spasms, increase joint range of movement, and increase muscle strength. Epps et al (2005) found that following two months of hydrotherapy combined with land based exercise there was an increased quality of life and reductions in the impact of the disease in 47% of children with active juvenile arthritis. Pain relief from the heat generated from the pool could be replicated using heat pads or a hot bath. Heat relaxes your muscles and stimulates blood circulation. In relation to the pain gate theory thermal receptors may detect a raise in temperature, impulses are generated which help to close the gate in the dorsal horn, reducing the amount of noxious impulse to the perception area therefore providing relief   Conversely cold packs could be used to reduce inflammation and therefore reduce the amount of impulses generated by chemorecepters.   (Arthritis Foundation 2011) Alternative therapies are often used to aid pain relief (Feldman et al 2004). Massage is found to be effective on depression, anxiety, mood, and pain (Walach et al 2003).   Field et al (1997) investigated the use of massage on children with JIA. Parents massaged their child for 15 minutes per day, for 30 days. They found that the self assessed pain scales decreased as well as cortisol levels lowering, reducing their stress and anxiety. It is possible that the touch from massage helps to reduce pain by closing the gate in the dorsal horn. In conclusion, juvenile arthritis is a painful condition that affects a child’s social, educational and physical life. Pain is a major contributor to the lowered quality of life experienced by these children. Relief can be found in many interventions. A multidisciplinary approach is best practice. The evidence suggests that a combined programme of physiotherapy and medication can help to reduce pain and improve function in these children References American Medical Association.(2010) ‘Pathophysiology of Pain and Pain Assessment.’ Chicago [online]. Available at:http://jhuleah.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/dr-moore-reading-1-ama_painmgmt.pdf (Accessed on 10th March 2011) Anthony.K,  Schanberg. L, (2003) ‘Pain in children with arthritis: A review of the current literature’ Arthritis Care Research, 49(2),  pages 272–279[online] available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com(Accessed on 14th March 2011) Arthritis Foundation (2011) ‘using heat and cold’ [online] Available at: arthritis.org/use-heat-cold.php (Accessed on 14th March 2011) Arthritis Research UK (2010) ‘Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA, arthritis in childhood)’ . Available at: arthritisresearchuk.org(Accessed on 14th March 2011) British Paediatric Rheumatology Group (2001) ‘Guidelines for the Management of Childhood Arthritis’. Rheumatology, 40(11), pp1309-1312, [Online]. Available at: http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org (accessed on: 16th March 2011) Brannon, L. Feist, J.(2000), Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behaviour and Health ,4th ed , USA: Brooks/Cole, David.C, Lloyd.J (1999) ‘Rheumatology Physiotherapy’. London: Mosby International limited Davidson.J.(2000) ’Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: a clinical overview European Journal of Radiology, 33( 2), pp 128-134,[Online]. Available at: www. Sciencedirect.com (Accessed on 12th March 2011) Epps.H,  Ginnelly.L,  Utley.M,  Southwood.T,  Gallivan.S,  Sculpher.M,  Woo P.(2005) ‘Is hydrotherapy cost-effective? A randomised controlled trial of combined hydrotherapy programmes compared with physiotherapy land techniques in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.’ Health Technol Assess. 9(39), pp1-59, [Online]. Available at: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (Accessed on 12th March 2011) Feldman.D, Duffy.C, De Civita.M, Malleson.P, Philibert.L, Gibbon.M, Ortiz-Alvarez.O, Dobkin.P (2004) ‘factors associated with the use of complementary and alternative medicine in juvenile idiopathic arthritis’ Arthritis Care Research, 51(4),  pages 527–532,[online]. Available at: (Accessed on 10th March 2011) Fisher NM, Venkatraman JT, ONeil KM, (2001) ‘The effects of resistance exercises on muscle and immune function in juvenile arthritis.’  Arthritis Rheum,  44(9), pp276, [Online]. Available at:www.medscape.com(Accessed on 12th March 2011) Hinks A, Ke X, Barton A, et al.  (2009) ‘Association of the IL2RA/CD25 gene with juvenile idiopathic arthritis’.  Arthritis Rheum, 60(1), pp251-7, [Online]. Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com(Accessed on 10th March 2011)   Hogeweg.J, Kuis.W, Oostendorp.A, Helder.R, (1995) ‘General and segmental reduced pain thresholds in juvenile chronic arthritis’ Pain, 62(1), pp11-17, [Online]. Available at: www.sciencedirect.com (accessed on 10th March 2011) Hull.RG, (2001). ‘Management guidelines for arthritis in children.’  Rheumatology, 40, pg1308, [online]. Available at: http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org (Accessed on 12th March 2011) International Association for the Study of Pain (2007) ‘IASP Pain Terminology’[Online]. Available at: iasp-pain.org(Accessed on 12th March 2011) International League of Associations for Rheumatology, Petty RE,  Southwood TR,   Manners P,   Baum J,   Glass DN,  Goldenberg J,  He X,  Maldonado-Cocco J,  Orozco-Alcala J,  Prieur AM,  Suarez-Almazor ME,  Woo P. (2004) ‘International League of Associations for Rheumatology classification of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: second revision, Edmonton, 2001.’Rheumatology,31(2), pp390-2, [Online]. Available at: jrheum.org (Accessed on 12th March 2011) Kimura.Y, Walco.G, (2006) ‘Pain in children with rheumatic diseases’ Current Rheumatology Reports , 8(6), pg480-488, [online] Available at: www.springerlink.com. (Accessed on 11th march 2011). Long,.A, Rouster-Stevens.R, Kelly. A (2010) ‘The role of exercise therapy in the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis’ Current Opinion in Rheumatology , 22( 2), p 213–217, [Online]. Available at: http://journals.lww.com/co-rheumatology (Accessed on 12th March 2011) Maillard.S(2010) ‘Physiotherapy for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis’ [lecture] Great Ormond Street Hospital, London [online] available at:www.vadlo.com (accessed on: 12th March 2011) Melzack.R, Wall.D (1996) ‘The challenge of pain’ 2nd ed.London: Penguin, Munro.J, Haesler.K, Rada.J, Jasper.A, (2009) ‘Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a literature review of recent evidence’ NHMRC,[online] available at: racgp.org.au (Accessed on 10th March 2011) National Rheumatology Society (2008) ‘Methotrexate in Rheumatoid Arthritis’ [Online] available at:nras.org.uk (Accessed on 10th March 2011) Petty.R, Cheang.M, Malleson.P, Oen.K, Cabrel..N, Rosenberg.A (2004) ‘Predictors of pain in children with established juvenile rheumatoid’. Arthritis Care Research, 51(2), pp222-227, [Online]. Available at: : http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com (Accessed on 14th March 2011) Poutney.T (2007) ’Physiotherapy for Children’. Philadelphia: Elvieser Prince.F, Otten.M, van Suijlekom-Smit.L, (2010) ‘Diagnosis and management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.’ BMJ,341,c6434, [Online]. Availbel at: www.bmj.com (accessed on: 16th march 2011) Rabinovich (2010) ‘Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis’ Available at: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1007276-overview(Accessed on 14th March 2011) Schanberg L, Anthony KK, Gil KM, Maurin EC(2003) ‘Daily pain and symptoms in children with polyarticular arthritis.’ Arthritis Rheum, 48, pp1390–1397, [Online]. Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com( Accessed on 14th March 2011) Thomas.V, (1998) ‘Pain : its nature and management  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ London : Baillià ¨re Tindall Walach H, Guthlin C, Konig M. 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Limitations placed on American civil liberties during the Cold War Research Paper

Limitations placed on American civil liberties during the Cold War - Research Paper Example This conflict ranged from mere subtle espionage across in major cities to combat action in places such as the Vietnam. The Cold War was thus pegged on communist fear that ended up curtailing the America’s freedom of speech, altered the foreign policies, and discouraged the voices of dissent. The Cold War period remains one of the most repressive times in the history of the U.S. where the freedom of speech was significantly subjugated. In an effort to bring to light cases of espionage, root out disloyal citizens, and the threat of communist spreading across the world, the U.S. government rolled out a number of programs that instilled so much fear among the Americans. At the centre of the repressive policies was the anticommunist Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy was in charge of House Un-American Activities Committee whose role was to investigate acts of subversion that threatened the U.S. constitution1. This committee inadvertently began looking into suspicious cases of people within the federal government either directly or indirectly supporting communist’s agenda. Those holding public offices were thus required to take loyalty oaths as one of the measures to test or deter Communist sympathizers. The loyalty program later became part and parcel of Presidential E xecutive Orders2. The end result was of this loyalty program is that many Americans became afraid or discouraged of raising their thoughts or debating outside what was regarded as the norm. The â€Å"red scare† and fear of contradicting the norm made many Americans afraid of exercising their Freedom of speech as embodied in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The right to openly and publicly express ones idea were significantly hampered as one could easily be mistaken or linked to communist sympathizer. The Cold War equally affected the American politics to a greater extent. The U.S. presidents under the full backing of the congress set out to revise

Financial Analysis of Mitsui & CO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Punishment Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Punishment Strategies - Essay Example I believe that every child can learn and can excel, when provided the means to succeed. Through differentiated instruction, this can be achieved. I also believe that while developing their academic skills, teachers should help students develop their social skills. As a classroom, we will work together on developing a sense of respect for ourselves and others and a sense of responsibility. Students who follow our classroom rules will receive a ticket at the end of the day for each rule that they followed throughout the day. This way, each student can earn 3 tickets a day. These tickets can be traded in on Fridays for the following: Consequences 1st offense: verbal warning 2nd offense: silent lunch 3rd offense: owe 5 minutes of recess 4th offense: owe 10 minutes of recess and note home The first time that a student breaks a class rule, the student will be given a verbal warning and the teacher will remind the student of the rule that has been broken. The second time that a student brea ks the same rule, the teacher will remind the student of the rule and the student will be required to eat lunch without talking. The third time that a student breaks the same rule, the teacher will remind the student of the rule and the student will spend owe 5 minutes of recess to the teacher.

Health Care Reform 2010 Health And Social Care Essay

Health Care Reform 2010 Health And Social Care Essay US healthcare system was inefficient despite of spending 15% of GDP during 2006 which was more than three times than in 1960. Ten years back, the health care system of USA was announced to be broken and in future it didnt improve. Managed care did not make visible the fixes promises. The rates of premium are increasing. The irritation of patients as well physicians flourish. The study shows that about 45 million people in Americans are still uninsured. In the coming future, these issues will get worse and new challenges will come on the screen. New technology is making place and it is making the things efficient, but the cost of treatment as well new test is higher then before.  Doctors are making the lives of people lengthy so now more people require the medical treatment then before. As the age of baby is increasing so they are demanding the better treatments. Owing to the increased cost, employers will not accept the status quo. Sp they exclude the benefits for new hiring. Others might leave the business of insurance business completely and will contribute only to cover the costs but will not give coverage by themselves. The number of uninsured people in America will increase because of these changes. Disenfranchised middle  class will rise in results of these changes. Employers will go for and favor this modification. The health care system of American splits the population into two groups first is insiders and second is outsiders. Insiders are those who are insured and they have good insurance so they get everything modern. No matter hoe expensive the medicine and treatment is. Outsiders are those who have poor insurance plan or nothing at all. They receive very little out of their insurance plans. About 47 million Americans are uninsured and the number is growing day by day. Insurance companies currently deny covering people with pre-existing conditions. People who have severe medical conditions like AIDS, cancer and other such diseases were not covered by the insurance companies. These people are at high-risk and thats why not covered by companies. Major employers are cutting their costs in healthcare spending to compete in the global challenging market.  [2]  Employers are denying paying insurance premiums to these workers due to high premiums and the current economic situations. Employers are shifting the economic burden towards the employees like deductibles and co-pays. Almost half of the bankrupt people are due to the high medical costs and this cost is directly or indirectly affects the economy. Hence, government has to pay more. One more problem in the current system that doctors are not paid according to their service quality. Doctors are paid very less as compared to other countries of globe like in United Kingdom, doctors are paid for 95% while in US only 30%. Lot of people even did not go to doctor due to high costs of tests, treatment or follow-up after the treatment. These higher costs associated with healthcare also stopped Americans visiting physician regularly for checkup. Also doctors do not know the history of patients due to not visiting them regularly. Americans also have high ratio of chronic diseases. This is also leads to more spending on healthcare and its availability to poor people. United States is the only country among the developed countries whose all citizens do not have access to its citizens except South Africa  [3]  . Medicare and Medicaid are two of government programs which provide medical as well as health related services to the specific group of people in USA. Both of them are different but are managed by the centers of Medicare and Medicaid which is a division of US Department of Health and Human Services. Medicaid is a program which includes means tested health and medical services for specific individuals and families who have low income and limited resources. It is primarily looked after at federal level, but each stat develops its own standards like eligibility standards; determines the amount, type, period and scope of the services; setting the rate of payment for services; administers its own Medicaid programs. As mentioned above that States is the final decision authority of planning of service which will be provided under their Medicaid program. But there are some necessary requirements which must be matched by the States to receive funding from Federal. Following are the mandatory services: Impatient and Outpatient hospital services Prenatal care Children Vaccines Service of Physician Facility of Nursing services for individuals aged 21 or older Services of Family planning with supplies Rural health clinic services Home health care for persons eligible for skilled-nursing services Laboratory and x-ray services Pediatric and family nurse practitioner services Nurse-midwife services Federally qualified health-center (FQHC) services and ambulatory services Early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment (EPSDT) services for children under age 21 Besides the above, the states can add more 34 optional approved services and can receive the Federal matching funding. Although each state has the authority to set the eligibility criteria for getting the Medicaid services but basically the program has been started to help the people with low income. Other requirements may include age, pregnancy, disability, other assets and citizenship. Medicaid does not pay money to the individuals. Medicaid program works like a program provide treatment to the individuals and gives payment to the health care providers. State makes the payment while states receive reimbursement from Federal Government. Medicare is a Federal health program of insurance. It pays for elderly and certain disabled Americans to hospitals and medical care. The program is divided into 4 parts: Part A, B, C and D. But two main parts for hospitals and medical insurance are Part A B. Part A may be known as Hospitals Insurance, pays for the hospital stays and it includes meals, supplies, semi private rooms and testing. It also pays for home health care. Part B which is known as Supplementary Medical Insurance. It pays for physicians visits, home health care costs, outpatient hospitals, and other services for aged and disabled. It covers durable medical equipments, certain vaccinations, blood transfusion, lab and diagnosis tests, X-rays, chemotherapy, hormonal tests and eyeglasses. Part B requires a certain premium which caries each year. Part C is also known as Medical Advantage Plan because it allows the users to design a custom plan that can be more helpful and align to the needs of their medical needs. Part D includes the prescription drug plan. It is administered by one of many private insurance companies. Eligibility for Medicare requires a US citizen or continuous 5 years legal resident of US must be at least 65 years old or under 65 and disables or any age person with End Stage Renal Disease. Payroll taxes which are collected through Federal Insurance Contributions Act and Self Employment Contributions Act are the major elements of funding for Medicare. US healthcare reforms bill 2010 will cost $940 billion over the period of ten years.  [4]  This bill will cover 32 million American people who are uninsured. Health Insurance can be purchased through state-based exchanges and financial subsidy will be offered to the income below 133 percent and 400 percent of poverty level in US. Tax relaxations will be offered to the small business to purchase employee insurances. People who are availing subsidies will not be eligible for Medicare, Medicaid and also for employer covered insurance. New tax will be imposed in 2012 at rate of 3.8 percent on income of families making over $250,000 per year. Insurance reforms will be introduced and insurance companies wont deny to the people and children with pre-existing conditions. Medicaid will expand to include 133 percent of the poverty level in United States. In 2014, everyone must purchase a insurance or face the annual fine fees. Employers who have more than 50 employees must provide insuranc e to their employees or face a fine on the basis of per worker. Illegal immigrants can not avail insurance even if they pay their own money. Abortion insurance will be paid by private money and it will not be subsidized by federal or tax payer funds. Republican offered an alternative program on the basis of four common-sense reforms which can be afforded by people of US named as Common-sense healthcare reform. It includes that all businesses and families can buy insurance across US. The second point is that individuals, small businesses and trade associations can acquire insurances at lower costs by combine efforts. It also allows states to lower costs by creating innovative reforms. The last reform is to finish the lawsuits which must be obeyed by doctors because of getting sued by Police. This will end the high cost tests and other procedures which are actually not required by the patients.

The Problem with Ticketmaster: Solutions to Music Industry Corruption

The Problem with Ticketmaster: Solutions to Music Industry Corruption   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I consider myself to be a fan of all types of music and I like to stay involved with the music world. Music is such an integral part of society in so many different aspects. Music defines time periods, brings back childhood memories, educates, relaxes as well as inspires. Stop and think for a moment if the music stopped, what would the world be like? A sudden silence overcoming the world. More realistically, stop for a moment and think what it would be like if you could not see your favorite band in concert.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is a scenario that is becoming more apparent. In upcoming news the rock and roll band U2 has launched a world wide tour and they plan to come here to Tempe to play Sun Devil Stadium in the beginning weeks of May 97. The political group Rage Against The Machine will also be opening for U2. I am a fan of both of these bands so I looked into getting tickets for the show. I have found some shocking results as far as tickets go as well as tickets for other bands. For the U2 shows it can cost up to $61.60 for ONE ticket. â€Å"Thanks in part to eye-popping Ticketmaster telephone service fees of $8.35 per ticket, a set of tickets for U2’s May 31 show at New Jersey’s Giant’s Stadium cost a fan $246.40 for four tickets†(Boehlert 25). As a freshman in college on a tight budget it is extremely difficult for myself to pay that much money for one ticket with a $8.35 surcharge. I am sure that many people can empathize with not wanti ng to see some of your favorite music at such a high price. Why must the surcharges be so high?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is just one example of the manipulative business manner in which Ticketmaster operates. Ticketmaster... ...practices are exposed ticket prices will change and a college student would be able to go see that U2 concert. Works Cited Boehlert, Eric. "Pop Journal." Rolling Stone. April. 97: 25 Errico, Marcus Pearl Jam Tours. E! online. Go To (1996, July 24). Gossard, Stone and Ament, Jeff on prepared statement in connection with the oral testimony before the sub-committee Guinto, Joseph. Vs. In Dallas. met@onramp.net (1995, May 17). Marks, Craig. "Pearl Jam." Spin Feb. 1997: 39-45 Moody, Fred. Pearl Jam Versus Ticketmaster. Seattle Weekly. Go To. Philips, Chuck. Pearl Jam to Tour on Own Terms. Los Angeles Times. Go To (1996, July 25). Selvin, Joel. Online Club Tickets On Sale. San Francisco Chronicle. (1996, Sept. 29). 54 Najarian12 TicketWeb. at info@ticketweb.com Uhelszki, Jaan. Dave Marsh on the Pearl Jam/ Ticketmaster Mess. (1995, May 11).

Summary of “An Historical Preface to Engineering Ethics”

Summary of â€Å"An Historical Preface to Engineering Ethics† Michael Davis, in his article â€Å"An Historical Preface to Engineering Ethics† clarifies some misconceptions about engineering and distinguishes the differences between science and engineering by showing progressions through history. He makes a point to disprove engineer turned historian, Eugene Ferguson on his criticism that engineers have no consideration for human welfare by proving that not only do engineers have a deep consideration for human welfare, but that all of Ferguson’s criticisms of engineering are actually compliments given engineers’ military origin.Davis first depicts the progression of the definition of technology from ancient Greece to modern times, showing how the reverence of technology and thus engineering has grown over time. The modern day definition being the study of how to make manual labor easier, and the ancient Greece definition being the study of manual labor, an d since mental labor is more respected than manual labor, engineering has become better respected over time. He disqualifies the misconception that science preceded technology and is therefore older and better than engineering by showing how some inventions predated the science that explains them.He even argues that engineering is better than science because it applies scientific knowledge to make things useful. Davis clarifies that engineering is not the same as technology. Technology being the creation of tools, and engineering being the planning and instruction for others to implement that creation. He shows the history of engineering and how it started in the military, branching out from France to other countries, progressively sophisticating over time. Beginning with engineers in the infantry, creating weapons such as catapults and artillery, France eventually found need of a congregation of the engineers.They founded an organization called the corps du ge’nie, which pro ved very useful in increasing the flow of knowledge and skills and providing records for later use. In just a few short years, they were acclaimed all over France for their advances in military construction. Davis shows that the basis of all modern day engineering originated from the corps and officially started in the 1700’s when they finally came to understand what they could do as engineers and what they wanted to do. After this, he proceeds to show how he Ecole Polytechnique school, which practically perfected engineering curriculum, was formed in France and how it’s curriculum was adopted by the US. The first engineering school in the US, the West Point military academy, was founded on this curriculum. Davis includes these facts about history, not only to differentiate between science and engineering and to clarify misconceptions about engineering, but also to disprove historian Eugene Ferguson’s criticism of engineering. Ferguson criticizes engineering as unethical; he believes that engineers do not care about human welfare.Davis agrees with Ferguson’s points about engineers, but argues that they are not criticisms, but compliments and that engineers do in fact have a deep consideration for human welfare. Ferguson criticizes engineers for being efficient, creating labor-saving devices, putting control into systems, favoring the majority, and treating engineering as a means to an end rather than a means to satisfying human welfare. Davis argues that the first four are actually commendable qualities given engineers’ military origins, and that engineers do hold human welfare paramount and have since very early in their history.Since very early in engineering’s history human welfare has been held paramount. From almost the very beginning, even back in the 1700’s, human welfare was of great importance to engineers. The Ecole Polytechnique in France was noted for their regard for human welfare back in the 1700â €™s and England had the same attitude as France in regard to this as well. In 1828, Thomas Trigold, a member of The British Institution of Civil Engineers was asked to define civil engineering and he defined it as an art of directing Nature for the convenience of man.Davis states that these beliefs still hold true in today’s society, the only thing that differs is the engineers’ code of ethics, to stay consistent with ordinary morals as they differ. Davis argues that even before engineers created a code of ethics involving human welfare that they were not unethical, because they were not expected to hold it paramount, and that they were not unmoral, because not holding the public welfare as paramount is not unmoral in any ordinary sense of morality.Davis ultimately concludes that engineers’ do have high consideration for human welfare. Through historical references, definition contrasts, and counterargument, Davis provides a solid argument that engineering a t its core is based upon the advancement of man, and thus human welfare. Word Count: 767 Citation: Davis, Michael. â€Å"An Historical Preface to Engineering Ethics. † Science and Engineering Ethics 1995: 33-44. Print.

Complete Guide to Fractions and Ratios on SAT Math

Complete Guide to Fractions and Ratios on SAT Math SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You likely had your first taste of working with fractions sometime in elementary school, though it's probably been a while since you've had to deal with how they shift, change, and interact with one another. To refresh, fractions and ratios are both used to represent pieces of a whole. Fractions tell you how many pieces you have compared to a potential whole amount (3 red marbles in a bag of 5, for example), while ratios compare pieces to each other (3 red marbles to 2 blue marbles) or, more rarely, pieces to the whole amount (again, 3 red marbles in 5 total). If this sounds complicated to you right now, don’t worry! We will go through all the principles behind fractions and ratios in this guide. If this seems easy to you right now, definitely check out the practice problems at the end of the guide to make sure you have mastered all the different kinds of fraction and ratio problems you’ll see on the test. The SAT likes to present familiar concepts in unfamiliar ways, so don’t let your mastery of fractions lead you to make assumptions about how you’ll see fractions and ratios on the test. No matter how comfortable you are (or are not) with fractions and ratios right now, this guide is for you. Here, we will go through the complete breakdown of fractions and ratios on the SAT- what they mean, how to manipulate them, and how to answer the most difficult fraction and ratio problems on the SAT. This Guide This guide is seperated into two distinct categories- everything you need to know about fractions and everything you need to know about ratios. For each section, we will go through the ins and outs of what fractions and ratios mean as well as how to manipulate and solve the different kinds of fraction and ratio problems you'll see on the SAT. We will also breakdown how you can tell when an SAT problem requires a ratio or a fraction and how to set up your approach these kinds of problems. At the end, you will be able to test your knowledge on real SAT math questions. The more you prep for the SAT, the more your brain can be Swiss-army-knife-ready for any question the test can throw at you. What are Fractions? $${\a \piece}/{\the \whole}$$ Fractions are pieces of a whole. They are expressed as the amount you have (the numerator) over the whole (the denominator). A pizza is divided into 8 pieces. Kyle ate 3 pieces. What fraction of the pizza did he eat? He ate $3/8$ths of the pizza. 3 is the numerator (top number) because he ate that many pieces of the whole, and 8 is the denominator (bottom number) because there are 8 pieces total (the whole). Math is always more fun when it's delicious. Special Fractions A number over itself equals 1 $3/3=1$ $10/10=1$ $(a+b)/(a+b)=1$ A whole number can be expressed as itself over 1 $5=5/1$ $22/1=22$ $(a+b)/1=a+b$ 0 divided by any number is 0 $0/17=0$ $0/(a+b)=0$ There is one exception to this rule: $0/0=\undefined$. The reason for this lies in the next rule. Any number divided by 0 is undefined Zero cannot act as a denominator. For more information on this check out our guide to advanced integers. But for now all that matters is that you know that 0 cannot act as a denominator. Reducing Fractions If both the numerator and the denominator have a common factor (a number they can both be divided by), then the fraction can be reduced. For the purposes of the SAT, you will need to reduce your fractions to get to your final answer. To reduce a fraction, you must divide both the numerator and the denominator by the same amount. This keeps the fraction consistent and maintains the proper relationship between numerator and denominator. If your fraction is $3/12$, then it can be written as $1/4$. Why? Because both 3 and 12 are divisible by 3. $3/3=1$ and $12/3=4$. So your final fraction is $1/4$ Now let's figure out how to perform the four basic math functions on fractions. Adding or Subtracting Fractions You can add or subtract fractions as long as their denominators are the same. To do so, you keep the denominator consistent and simply add the numerators. $4/15+2/15=6/15$ But you CANNOT add or subtract fractions if your denominators are unequal. $4/15+2/5=?$ So what can you do when your denominators are unequal? You must make them equal by finding a common multiple (number they can both multiply evenly into) of their denominators. In the case of $4/15+2/5$, a common multiple of the denominators 15 5 is 15. When you find a common multiple of the denominators, you must multiply both the numerator and the denominator by the amount it took to achieve that number. Again, this keeps the fraction (the relationship between numerator and denominator) consistent. Think of it as the opposite of reducing a fraction. To get to the common denominator of 15, $4/15$ must be multiplied by $1/1$ Why? Because 15*1=15. $(4/15)(1/1)=4/15$. The fraction remains unchanged. To get to the common denominator of 15, $2/5$ must be multiplied by $3/3$. Why? Because 5*3=15. $(2/5)(3/5)=6/15$. Now we can add them, as they have the same denominator. $4/15+6/15=10/15$ We can further reduce $10/15$ into $2/3$ because both 10 and 15 are divisible by 5. So our final answer is $2/3$. Multiplying Fractions Multiplying fractions is a bit simpler than adding or dividing fractions. There is no need to find a common denominator- you can just multiply the fractions straight across. To multiply a fraction, first multiply the numerators. This product becomes your new numerator. Next, multiply your two denominators. This product becomes your new denominator. $1/4*2/3=(1*2)/(4*3)=2/12$ And again, we reduce our fraction. Both the numerator and the denominator are divisible by 2, so our final answer becomes: $1/6$ Special note: you can speed up the multiplication and reduction process by finding a common factor of your cross multiples before you multiply. $1/4*2/3$ = $1/2*1/3$. Why? Because both 4 and 2 are divisible by 2, we were able to reduce the cross multiples before we even began. This saved us time in reducing the final fraction at the end. So now we can simply say: $1/2*1/3=1/6$. No need to further reduce- our answer is complete. Take note that reducing cross multiples can only be done when multiplying fractions, never while adding or subtracting them! It is also a completely optional step, so do not feel obligated to reduce your cross multiples- you can simply reduce your fraction at the end. Dividing Fractions In order to divide fractions, we must first take the reciprocal (the reversal) of one of the fractions. Afterwards, we simply multiply the two fractions together. Why do we do this? Because division is the opposite of multiplication, so we must reverse one of the fractions to turn it back into a multiplication question. ${2/3}à ·{3/4}$ = $2/3*4/3$ (we took the reciprocal of $3/4$, which means we flipped the fraction upside down to become $4/3$) $2/3*4/3=8/9$ But what happens if you need to divide a fraction by a whole number? If a cake is cut into thirds and each third is cut into fourths, how many pieces of cake are there? *** We start out with $1/3$ of a cake and we need to divide each third 4 more times. Because 4 is a whole number, it can be written as $4/1$. This means that its reciprocal is $1/4$. $1/3à ·4$ = $1/3*1/4=1/12$ Our denominator (the whole) is 12. This means there will be 12 pieces total in the cake. Decimal Points Because fractions are pieces of a whole, you can also express fractions as either a decimal point or a percentage. To convert a fraction into a decimal, simply divide the numerator by the denominator. (The / symbol also acts as a division sign.) $4/5$ = 4/5 = 0.8 Sometimes it is easier to convert a fraction to a decimal in order to work through a problem. This can save you time and effort trying to figure out how to divide or multiply fractions. If $j/k=32$ and $k=3/2$, what is the value of $1/2j$ ? *** As you can see, there are two ways to approach this problem- using fractions and using decimals. We’ll look at both ways. If you were to use fractions, you would set up the problem as a fraction division problem. $k=3/2$ So $j/k=j/{3/2}$ $j/{3/2}$ = $j*2/3$ (remember, we take the reciprocal when we divide) So our full problem looks like this: $2/3*j=32$ Now we must divide 32 by $2/3$ in order to bring it over to the other side and isolate j. This means we need to take the reciprocal yet again. So ${32}/{2/3}$ = $32*3/2=96/2=48$ $j=48$ Now, for the final step, we must take $1/2$ of j. (Note: to "take $1/2$" is the same thing as multiplying by $1/2$.) $48*{1/2}=48/2=24$ Our final answer is 24. Alternatively, we could save ourselves the headache of using fractions and reciprocals and simply use decimals instead. We know that $k=3/2$. Instead of keeping the fraction, let us convert it into a decimal. $3à ·2=1.5$ So $k=1.5$ $j/k=32$ $j/1.5=32$ When you multiply both sides by 1.5, you get: $j=(32)(1.5)=48$ $j=48$ And ${1/2}j={1/2}(48)=24$ So again, our final answer is 24. Percentages After you convert your fraction to a decimal, you can also turn it into a percentage (if needed). So 0.8 from can also be written as 80%, because 0.8*100=80. A pie chart is a useful way of showing relative sizes of fractions and percentages. This shows just how large a fraction $7/10$ (or 70%) truly is. Mixed Fractions Sometimes you may be given a mixed fraction on the SAT. A mixed fraction is a combination of a whole number and a fraction. For example, 7$3/4$ is a mixed fraction. We have a whole number, 7, and a fraction, $3/4$. You can turn a mixed fraction into an ordinary fraction by multiplying the whole number by the denominator and then adding that product to the numerator. The final answer will be ${\the \new \numerator}/{\the \original \denominator}$. 7$3/4$ (7)(4)=28 28+3=31 So your final answer = $31/4$ You must convert mixed fractions into fractions in order to multiply, divide, add, or subtract them with other fractions. In this problem, we began with 5 gallons of water and we ended with 2$1/3$. We must figure out how many gallons we used. 5−2 $5-2{1/3}$ First, let’s get our mixed fraction into a regular fraction. 2$1/3$ = ${[(2*3)+1]}/3={7/3}$ $5/1-7/3$ Now, we need to give each fraction the same denominator. We'll do this by converting $5/1$ into a new fraction with a denominator of 3. $5/1*3/3=15/3$ Finally, we can find the difference between the amounts. $15/3-7/3=8/3$ So we have used up $8/3$rds of the water. Now let’s count how many times the pail was emptied to use up that $8/3$rds of the total water. If you count the dots, the pail was emptied 8 times (the first dot does not count as a time it was emptied- that is merely our starting point). Because the same amount of water was removed each time, we must divide our emptied water by 8. ${8/3}à ·{8/1}$ = $8/3*1/8$ We can now either reduce the cross-multiples (because this is a multiplication problem), which would give us: $8/3*1/8$ = $1/3*1/1$ $1/3*1/1=1/3$ Or we can multiply through and then reduce afterwards: $8/3*1/8=8/24$ $8/12=1/3$ Either way, our final answer is $1/3$; each trip removed $1/3$ of a gallon of water from the tank. Now that we've broken down all there is to know about SAT fractions, let's take a look at their close cousin- the ratio. This shape is called the "golden ratio" and has been studied for thousands of years. It has applications in geometry, nature, and architecture. What are Ratios? Ratios are used as a way to compare one thing to another (or multiple things to one another). If Leslie has 5 white socks and 2 red socks, the white socks and the red socks have a ratio of 5 to 2. Expressing Ratios Ratios can be written in three different ways: A â€Å'to â€Å'B A:B $A/B$ No matter which way you write them, these are all ratios comparing A to B. Different Types of Ratios Just as a fraction represents a part of something out of a whole (written as: ${\a \part}/{\the \whole}$), a ratio can be expressed as either: aâ€Å'part:a â€Å'different â€Å'part OR aâ€Å'part:theâ€Å' whole Because ratios compare values, they can either compare individual pieces to one another or an individual piece to the whole. If Leslie has only 5 white socks and 2 red socks in a drawer, the ratio of white socks to all the socks in the drawer is 5 to 7. (Why 7? Because there are 5 white and 2 red socks, so together they make 5+2=7 socks total.) Some of the many uses of ratios in action (in this case, the ratios are- a part: a different part). Reducing Ratios Just as fractions can be reduced, so too can ratios. Kyle has a stamp collection. 45 of them have pictures of daisies and 30 of them have pictures of roses. What is the ratio of daisy stamps to rose stamps in his collection? *** Right now, the ratio is $45:30$. But they have a common denominator of 15, so this ratio can be reduced. $45/15=3$ $30/15=2$ So the stamps have a ratio of $3:2$ Increasing Ratios Because you can reduce ratios, you can also do the opposite and increase them. In order to do so, you must multiply each piece of the ratio by the same amount (just as you had to divide by the same amount on each side to reduce the ratio). So the ratio of 4:3 can also be $4(2):3(2)=8:6$ $4(3):3(3)=12:9$ And so on. Marbles are to be removed from a jar that contains 12 red marbles and 12 black marbles. What is the least number of marbles that could be removed so that the ratio of red marbles to black marbles left in the jar will be 4 to 3? *** Right now, there are an equal amount of marbles, so the ratio is 12:12 (or 1:1) We know that we have an end ratio of 4:3 that we want to achieve and that each side of the ratio has to be multiplied (or divided) by the same amount to keep the ratio consistent. We want to remove as few marbles as possible, so let us imagine that 4:3 is a reduced ratio. That means we need to see how many total marbles the reduced ratio of 4:3 could possibly be. So both 4 and 3 have to be multiplied by the same amount to maintain their ratio and yet achieve a higher number of total marbles than just their 7 (4+3=7). We can see that 12 is divisible by 4, so the red marbles could conceivably remain unchanged in order to get a new ratio of 4:3. $12/4=3$ Because 4 can go evenly into 12, this will give us the fewest amount of marbles taken away. Because the 4 is multiplied 3 times to get 12, we know that both 4 and 3 must be multiplied by 3 to keep a new ratio of 4:3 consistent. To find the new number of black marbles, we take 3*3=9. The new amount of black marbles has to be 9. And because our red marbles remain the same (12), we must take only 3 marbles away from the total number of marbles (Why? Because 12â€Å' blackâ€Å' marbles−3 â€Å'blackâ€Å' marbles=9â€Å' blackâ€Å' marbles) So our final answer is 3, we must take 3 black marbles away to get a new ratio of 4:3 of red marbles to black marbles. Finding the Whole If you are given a ratio comparing two parts (piece:anotherâ€Å'piece), and you are told to find the whole amount, simply add all the pieces together. It may help you to think of this like an algebra problem wherein each side of the ratio is a certain multiple of x. Because each side of the ratio must always be divided or multiplied by the same amount to keep the ratio consistent, we can think of each side as having the same variable attached to it. For example, a ratio of 4:5 can be: $4(1):5(1)=4:5$ $4(2):5(2)=8:10$ And so on, just as we did above. But this means we could also represent 4:5 as: $4x:5x$ Why? Because each side must change at the same rate. And in this case, our rate is $x$. So if you were asked to find the total amount, you would add the pieces together. $4x+5x=9x$. The total amount is 9x. In this case, we don’t have any more information, but we know that the total must be divisible by 9. So let’s take a look at another problem. Teyvon has a basket of eggs that he is going to sell. There are two different kinds of eggs in the basket- white and brown. The brown eggs are in a ratio of 2:3 to the white eggs. What is NOT a possible number of eggs that Teyvon can have in the basket? A) 5 B 10 C) 12 D) 30 E) 60 *** In order to find out how many eggs he has total, we must add the two pieces together. So 2+3=5 This means that the total number of eggs in the basket has to either be 5 or any multiple of 5. Why? Because 2:3 is the most reduced form of the ratio of eggs in the basket. This means he could have: $2(2):3(2)=4:6$ eggs in the basket (10 eggs total) $2(3):3(3)=6:9$ eggs in the basket (15 eggs total) And so forth. We don’t know exactly how many eggs he has, but we know that it must be a multiple of 5. This means our answer is C, 12. There is no possible way that he can have 12 eggs in the basket. Now that we are armed with knowledge of fractions and ratios, we must follow the right steps to solve our problems. How to Solve Fraction, Ratio, and Rational Number Questions Now that we have discussed how fractions and ratios work indivisually, let's look at how you'll see them on the test. When you are presented with a fraction or ratio problem, take note of these steps to find your solution: #1: Identify whether the problem involves fractions or ratios A fraction will involve the comparison of a $\piece/\whole$. A ratio will almost always involve the comparison of a piece:piece (or, very rarely, a piece:whole). You can tell when the problem is ratio specific as the question text will do one of three things: Use the : symbol, Use the phrase "___ to ___† Explicitly use the word "ratio† in the text. If the questions wants you to give an answer as a ratio comparing two pieces, make sure you don’t confuse it with a fraction comparing a piece to the whole! #2: If a ratio question asks you to change or identify values, first find the sum of your pieces In order to determine your total amount (or the non-reduced amount of your individual pieces), you must add all the parts of your ratio together. This sum will either be your complete whole or will be a factor of your whole, if your ratio has been reduced. A total of 120,000 votes were cast for 2 opposing candidates, Garcia and Pà ©rez. If Garcia won by a ratio of 5 to 3, what was the number of votes cast for Pà ©rez? (A) 15,000 (B) 30,000 (C) 45,000 D) 75,000 (E) 80,000 *** As you can see, our ratio of 5 to 3 has been greatly reduced (neither of those numbers is in the tens of thousands). We know that there are a total of 120,000 votes, so we need to determine the number of votes for each candidate. Let’s first add our ratio pieces together. 5:3 = 5+3=8 Because 8 is much (much) smaller than 120,000, we know that 8 is not our whole. But 8 is the factor of our whole. ${120,000}/8=15,000$ So if we think of 15,000 as one component (a replacement for our variable, $x$), and Garcia and Pà ©rez have a ratio of 5 components to 3 components, then we can find the total number of votes per candidate. G:P=5:3 = $5x:3x$ 5*15,000=75,000 3*15,000=45,000 So Garcia earned 75,000 votes and Pà ©rez earned 45,000 votes. (You can even confirm that this must be the correct number of votes each by making sure they add up to 120,000. 75,000+45,000=120,000. Success!) So our final answer is C, Pà ©rez earned 45,000 votes. #3: When in doubt, try to use decimals Decimals can make it much easier to work out problems (as opposed to using fractions). So do not be afraid to convert your fractions into decimals to make life easier. #4: Remember your special fractions Always remember that a number over 1 is the same thing as the original number, and that a number over itself = 1. If $h$ and $k$ are positive numbers and $h+k=7$ then ${7-k}/h=$ (A) 1 (B) 0 (C) -1 (D) $h$ (E) $k-1$ *** Here we have two equations: $h+k=7$ and ${7-k}/h$ So let us manipulate the first. $h+k=7$ can be re-written as: $h=7−k$ (Why? We simply subtracted $k$ from either side) So now we can replace the $(7−k)$ from the second equation with $h$, as the two terms are equal. This leaves us with: $h/h$ And we know that any number over itself = 1. So our final answer is A, 1. Now, let's put your knowledge to the test! Test Your Knowledge #1: Flour, water, and salt are mixed by weight in the ratio of 5:4:1, respectively, to produce a certain type of dough. In order to make 5 pounds of this dough, what weight of salt, in pounds, is required? (A) $1/4$ (B) $1/2$ (C) $3/4$ (D) 1 (E) 2 #2: #3: Which of the following answer choices presents the fractions $5/4$, $4/3$, $19/17$, $13/12$, and $7/6$ in order from least to greatest? (A) $19/17$, $7/6$, $13/12$, $4/3$, $7/6$, $5/4$ (B) $4/3$, $5/4$, $7/6$, $19/17$, $13/12$ (C) $13/12$, $7/6$, $19/17$, $5/4$, $4/3$ (D) $19/17$, $13/12$, $5/4$, $7/6$, $4/3$ (E) $13/12$, $19/17$, $7/6$, $5/4$, $4/3$ Answers: B, D, E Answer Explanations: #1: This question is a perfect example of when to find the whole of the pieces of the ratio. Flour, water, and salt are in a ratio of 5:4:1, which means that the whole is: $5x+4x+1x=10x$ So $10x$ is our whole. We want 5 pounds of the recipe, so we must convert $10x$ to 5. $10x=5$ $x=1/2$ Our variable is $1/2$ . Now, we are looking for the amount of salt to use when we started out with $1x$. So let us replace our $x$ with the value we found for it. $1x$ $1(1/2)$ $1/2$ This means we need $1/2$ a pound of salt to make 5 pounds of the mixture. Our final answer is B, $1/2#. #2: For this question, we must find a non-zero integer for t in which $x+{1/x}=t$, where $x$ is also an integer. We know, based on our special fractions, that the only possible way to get a whole number in fraction form is to have our demoninator equal 1 or -1. This means that x cannot possibly be anything other than 1 or negative 1. (Why? If x were anything else but 1, we would end up with a mixed fraction. For example, if x=2, then we would have: $2+{1/2}$. If $x=3$, we would have: $3+{1/3}. And so on. The only way to get an integer value for $t$ is when $x=1$.) So let us try replacing our $x$ value with 1. $x+{1/x}=t$ $1+{1/1}=2$ $t=2$ Well, $t$ could possibly equal 2, but this is not one of our answer choices. So now let us replace $x$ with -1 instead. $x+{1/x}=t$ $-1+{1/-1}=-2$ t=−2 Success! We have found a value for $t$ that matches one of our answer choices. Our final answer is D, $t=−2$ #3: For a problem like this (one that has you order fractions by size), it is usually a good idea to break out the decimals. But we will go through how to solve it using both methods of fractions and decimals. Solving with decimals: To solve with decimals, simply divide each numerator by its denominator to get the decimal. Then, order them in ascending order (as we are told). $5/4=1.25$ $4/3=1.333$ $19/17=1.12$ $13/12=1.08$ $7/6=1.16$ We can see here that the order from least to greatest is: 1.08, 1.12, 1.16, 1.25, 1.33 Which, converted back to their fraction form is: $13/12$, $19/17$, $7/6$, $5/4$, $4/3$ So our final answer is E. Alternatively, we can solve using fractions. Solve using fractions: Let us find a common denominator between all the numerators. A quick way to do this is by multiplying the two largest numerators together. (It may not be the least common denominator, but it'll do for our purposes.) $17*12=204$ Now let's make sure that the other denominators can go evenly into 204 as well. $204/6=34$ $204/4=51$ $204/3=68$ Perfect! Now let us convert all of our fractions. $5/4={5(51)}/{4(51)}=255/204$ $4/3={4(68)}/{3(68)}=272/204$ $19/17={19(12)}/{17(12)}=228/204$ $13/12={13(17)}/{12(17)}=221/204$ $7/6={7(34)}/{6(34)}$ Now that they all share a common denominator, we can compare and order their numerators. So, in ascending order, they would be: $221/204$, $228/204$, $238/204$, $255/204$, $272/204$ Which, when converted back to their original form, is: $13/12$, $19/17$, $7/6$, $5/4$, $4/3$ So again, our final answer is E. I think a nap is in order- don't you? Take-Aways Fractions and ratios may look tricky, but they are merely ways to represent the relationships between pieces of a whole and the whole itself. Once you know what they mean and how they can be manipulated, you’ll find that you can tackle most any fraction or ratio problem the SAT can throw at you. But always remember- though ratios and fractions are related, do not get them mixed up on the SAT! The vast majority of the time, the ratios they give you will compare parts to parts and the fractions will compare parts to the whole. It can be easy to make a mistake during the test, so don’t let yourself lose a point due to careless error. What’s Next? You've conquered fractions and you've decimated ratios and now you're eager for more, right? Well look no further! We have guides aplenty for the many math topics covered on the SAT, including probability, integers, and solid geometry. Feel like you're running out of time on the SAT? Check out our article on how to finish your math sections before time's up. Don't know what score to aim for? Make sure you have a good grasp of what kind of score would best suit your goals and current skill level, and how to improve it from there. Angling to get an 800 on SAT Math? Look to our guide on how to get a perfect score, written by a perfect SAT scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? 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