Case Study on Environmental Health Food Safety Division Program

Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM Environmental Management Department of Sacramento County: Environmental Health Division Food Safety and Protection Program Table of Contents Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 History and Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Description of Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Levels of Intervention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Goal and Objective Relevance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Target Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Program Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Program Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Personnel Qualifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Current Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Future Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Changes to the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Appendix A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Appendix B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Appendix C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Appendix D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Abstract Food is a vital ingredient to the survival of life on earth. Food gives people the energy to carry out everyday tasks. With food being so important to life, should it not be of highest quality? Food is prepared, cooked and consumed every minute of every day. How do consumers know that the food is safe? The group members of We 8 A Lot went on a mission to find out exactly how food consumers are protected and by whom. Through research and interviews with the Environmental Management Department of Sacramento County, it was found that there are a group of individuals who work diligently to protect food consumers by inspecting the 6,000 food facilities in Sacramento County. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION FOOD SAFETY AND PROTECTION PROGRAM Introduction For the case study, our group chose to investigate the Food Protection Program that resides within the Environmental Health Division which operates under the umbrella of the Environmental Management Department (EMD) of Sacramento County. The functions of this department not only protect residents and consumers of this county in the matter of retail food safety but, also by the regulation and enforcement of water protection and hazardous materials. On October 1, 2004, an interview was conducted at the Environmental Health Division office located at 8475 Jackson Road, in Sacramento, with June Livingston, Communications and Media Officer and Richard Sanchez, Environmental Program Manager. In the interview, Mr. Sanchez revealed that there are â€Å"close to 6000, food facilities in this [Sacramento] county† (personal communication, October 1, 2004) With this many retail food facilities in Sacramento County and the consumer culture of Americans, the potential for food-borne illness is staggering. Just one instance of improper handling, storage, or cooking of foods in retail food facilities can cause serious outbreaks of infections or in severe cases, death. On average, each day in the United States alone, â€Å"over 200,000 people fall ill with a food-borne illness and of those, fourteen will die† (Sizer & Whitney, 2003, p. 511) Keeping this in mind and the fact that food is one humanity's most basic needs for survival, this agency most definitely warrants study. Since our team was quite large, 8 members, and relative to food, we decided to name it, â€Å"We 8 a lot†. Similarly, due to our team size we decided to split it into halves. One-half of the team devoted their efforts to online and print research while the other half focused on interview and personal communication research. Project tasks were divided between the team members and each member was deemed responsible for his or her content area. Moreover, leadership positions of paper editor, Power Point manager, and team recorder were established on a volunteer basis to avoid any confusion during the project. The members of this team, listed alphabetically are: Simranjot Bains, David Chan, Lynn Gervacio, Safiya Nuur, Joy Pastones, Shantell Payne, Valerie Quitoriano, and Yvonne Rains. History and Development Prior to becoming a department, EMD program elements were housed in the County Health Department. But in 1988, the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department (EMD) became a consolidated, freestanding department consistent with separate City and County advisory body recommendations to merge and augment environmental regulatory activities. Initial program elements included Air Quality, Environmental Health (includes Food Protection Program), and Hazardous Materials Divisions. The Sacramento Air Quality Management District separated from EMD and County Government in 1995. The Environmental Management Department currently has three operating divisions, with Water Protection which was added in 2003. The organizational chart in Appendix A shows the various divisions of the Sacramento County. The Environmental Management Department is one of ten county service agencies. The organizational chart in Appendix B shows how the EMD is further divided. Within the Sacramento EMD, there are three subdivisions that have been listed above. Under the Water Protection, Environmental Health and Hazardous Materials Divisions, there are also a number of subdivisions. Goals and Objectives The Food Protection Program, which is part of the Environmental Health Division (EHD), is responsible for regulation and enforcement of state and local health codes at all retail food facilities in Sacramento County and all incorporated cities. The mission of the agency is to protect the health of the public from unsafe food, water and hazardous materials. The Food Protection Program's goal is to ensure food safety practices at all retail food facilities in Sacramento County and to become a world leader in terms of clean and uncontaminated food (http://www. hs. ca. gov/ps/fdb/HTML/Food/indexfoo. htm). Achieved Goals The Food Protection Program of Sacramento County has achieved many goals. First, the agency has increased the number of inspections from once a year to twice a year for facilities that prepare food. Second, it has developed an enhanced â€Å"Prioritized Inspection Frequency Compliance† on their website to assist businesses in the county (http:/ /www. emd. saccounty. net/Documents/Info/Bulletin0503-prioritized_inspection_frequency. pdf. ). This site answers many questions and has information about the laws and requirements. Third, as of July, 1 2003, the Food Protection Program has mandated all businesses to post their most recent inspection report in a visible place for customers to read. Fourth, the agency has â€Å"initiated an ‘Award of Excellence' in Food Safety to recognize operators of food facilities in Sacramento County and all incorporated cities who exhibit excellent food safety and sanitation standards† (http://www. emd. saccounty. net/EH/EMDFoodSafetyAwards. htm. ). Long Term Goals The Food Protection Program also has many long-term goals. First, the program seeks to increase the surveillance on food markets such as Raley’s, Bel-Air, Albertsons, Safeway, and smaller, family owned markets. The program wants to inspect these businesses twice a year instead of the current one-year inspection. The second long-term goal of the program is to change from hand written inspection reports to computer-based inspections. In order to do this, the program needs to purchase additional equipment such as laptops or some other computer devices that would allow employees to type their inspection. In order to achieve these goals, the program needs to save money and implement additional training for their employees. (personal communication, September 18, 2004). The third, long-term goal of the Food Protection Program is to generate more interest in this field. Ms. Livingston, who is the Communications and Media Officer of the Environmental Management Department, commented that â€Å"the people [public] are not quite sure who does th[is] work†, referring to the functions of EMD. Ms. Livingston also commented that they will do more â€Å"outreach and awareness programs to let people know that food protection is profession (personal communication, September 18, 2004). Description of Services Some of the services the Food Protection Program provides are permitting, inspecting and re-inspecting of retail food facilities. The agency also provides food safety education to train employees of food facilities to improve compliance in terms of food safety regulations and reduction of the incidence of food borne-illness. It also issues permits for new businesses and provides outreach programs for the public. The Food Protection Program investigates complaints and suspected cases of food borne-illnesses when they do occur. Finally, as a last resort, the agency can enforce closure of food facilities with consistent non-compliance (http://www. emd. saccounty. net/pdf/CURFFL. pdf. ). Levels of Intervention The levels of intervention of the Food Protection Program function on primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Primary prevention of the agency is enacted through education, outreach, regulation, and inspection. The agency inspects food facilities to prevent contamination of food and food borne-illnesses from the public. Secondary prevention of the Food Protection Program is accomplished through the re-inspection process. When businesses have major violations, they are given a two week period to correct the problem. Once the problems have been corrected, the re-inspection process ensures compliance. Finally, the tertiary level of prevention of the Food Protection Program closes food facilities that have consistent major violations and or violations that are not corrected in a timely fashion. Major violations are those that pose public health hazards such as contaminated equipment (personal communication, September 18, 2004). Goal and Objective Relevance The goals and objectives of the agency address the human ecology and heath studied. The agency provides educational programs through scientific principals to protect the heath of the public and the environment. The Food Protection Program Agency completes these tasks through teamwork and a cooperative approach (http://www. emd. saccounty. net/pdf/CURFFL. pdf). As Richard Sanchez, emphasized, â€Å"the point [of the program] is not to try and fine people, but the first thing we want to do is to educate people and help them understand what it is that they are supposed to do (2004). † Mr. Sanchez also mentioned that â€Å"when people know what food borne-illness is, they are less likely to violate the laws. One of the big ones is hand washing. Something so simple can prevent so much† (personal communication, September 18, 2004). Target Population The Environmental Health Division goals are to deliver outstanding service to all Sacramento County residents including the incorporated cities of Isleton, Folsom, Elk Grove, Galt, Rancho Cordova and Citrus Heights. They also aim to service the visitors in the area as well. The population of this county is over 1. 2 million residents, which is about 1200 persons per square mile. There are food venues developing everywhere to meet the demand of the consumers. The venues where food is served, either cooked or prepackaged, will be subject to an inspection and will be given a permit once it has passed. The typical venues consist of: restaurants (fast food, ice cream shops, delicatessens, coffee shops, sandwich shops), mobile food units, bars, taverns, commissaries, bed and breakfasts, school cafeterias, day/child care facilities, senior non-profit nutrition programs, convenience stores, dairies, and farmers markets as well as special or temporary events such as the fair, and craft or street fairs. During the inspection, even the smallest attributes of food preparation and serving styles are observed. EHD is now striving to complete two inspections per year to better the service of the community and lessen the risk for any food-borne illnesses in the future. Program Evaluation The Environmental Health Division of the Food Safety Protection Program does not have a formal evaluation process; however, they do participate in voluntary evaluations. The purpose of an evaluation is to determine whether the objectives of the program are being met and to provide feedback to improve the program. If we were to evaluate this program, we would use summative evaluations, which are used to determine how well the program has met their predetermined short term and long-term goals and objectives. Summative evaluations use two types of procedures, impact and outcome. Impact procedures are used mainly for immediate, short-term effects while outcome procedures are used for long-term effects. For the EHD Food Safety Protection Program, we would assess a set number of food-borne illnesses and a set number of food safety violations and then evaluate how well the program worked to make sure they did not exceed those limits. Even though the food protection program does not have a formal evaluation process, ironically, they won a 2004 Challenge Award from the California State Association of Counties. Out of 163 Challenge Award entries from 38 counties, the Sacramento County Food Safety Education for Restaurants Program was one of the 10 recipients of the Award. The award was based on demonstrated leadership, innovation, creativity, resourcefulness and effectiveness, as well as the potential for successful elements of the program to be used as a model for other counties. One of the reasons hypothesized why they might have gotten the award was because of their affiliations. The Food Safety Program is a member of the California Restaurant Association (CRA), where the annual membership fee is based on the gross revenue of the program. CRA has been representing approximately 20,000 foodservice establishments in California since 1906. Some of the benefits of membership in the CRA are discounts and savings on essential products, programs and services. Moreover, members are also kept informed on the latest industry issues through newsletters, publications, and resources. Program Funding The Environmental Health Division's financing sources come from four different areas: reimbursements, charges for services, reserve release, and other revenues. The department receives no tax money from the government; however, the department does receive some government grants, but not of any significant amount under the food program. Most of the Environmental Management Department’s large grants are given to the Hazardous materials division, rather than the Environmental Health division, under which the food program is directed. The U. S. Federal Drug Administration did give the food program a small grant in the amount of $5,000 to get their staff training sessions. These grants are listed under the reimbursement area. The charges for services category consists of re-inspection fees, which are billed when food facilities use more time than what the permit pays for. These fees are allocated at the hourly rate of up to $149. 00. The third area, the reserve release, makes improvements possible and makes additional money available if needed. This financial source comes from saving extra money left over from the previous month’s finances. Once there is a need for money that isn’t being met by the three other financial resources, then money is taken out of the reserve. Also if improvements need to be made, such as a new computer system, then the reserve covers this cost. The Environmental Health Division earns the majority of their revenues from the services they provide, which is listed under the other revenue area. Every food facility requires a permit from the Environmental Health Division and is charged a fee for their inspection. Some facilities are inspected once a year, but recently the requirements changed for higher-risk facilities (food preparation sites) to be inspected twice a year. The total budget for the food program is $2,840,243, while the entire budget for the whole program is close to $13 million. Another service the Environmental Health Division provides and earns revenues from is the Food Safety Education program (FSE). The program encompasses two classes about food safety, in which they charge $20 per person for attending. They also offer to perform the classes at the actual food facility site for $400. Despite the fact that the Environmental Health Division receives no tax money from the government, Richard Sanchez believes it is a good thing. He states that when there is a tax cut in government funding, then agencies start having to cut people. He proudly claims that they have never had to cut people, but rather they are adding positions (personal communication, September 18, 2004). In fact, most of their expenditures are from staffing fees. The other two financial uses the department covers are reserve provisions and services and supplies. As mentioned earlier, the reserve provisions consist of extra money that is saved until further needed for improvements or in case financial sources are running low. The money spent on services and supplies is directed towards rent and office provisions. Some of the services the Food Program uses are classified into special interfund/intrafund charges and reimbursements. This would include lab analysis services from a Sacramento County agency. If the inspectors want to have a closer look at a particular facility’s food quality, then an analysis of that food would be performed. The services used by the Food Program would not be paid in cash, rather it would be seen as a trade out to the other Sacramento agency in return for services from the Food Program such as a permit or inspection of that agency’s food facility. Personnel Qualifications Currently, in the County of Sacramento Environmental Management Department there are 110 employees. Of those 110 individuals, 27 are employed within the Food Protection Program. Employment opportunity of the Environmental Health Division varies from what is referred to as a Level I to a Level IV position of Environmental Health Specialist. The minimum qualifications of the Level I position require one year of experience performing technical support or a completion of twelve semester units from a college or university in physical science, life science, or engineering. The salary offered to the Environmental Health Specialist I is $2509. 00 to $3398. 00 per month. The variation in salary is due to experience. If the employee has just started, the salary begins at $2509. 00, but as the person gains experience within the field, the salary increases up to a certain point; which is $3398. 0 per month. In order to grow within the field at all levels, the employee needs to complete the supplemental questionnaire, which encompasses: the employee’s level of education, experience in technical support and public health contact work, possession of current California driver’s license, knowledge of different cultures, and English fluency. Once the questionnaire is submitted, the panel group sets a date for the employee to take a test. The test is divided into ranks, and usually the first three ranks are chosen for the job. Once, the employee has qualified, then the new title given. The position of Environmental Health Specialist II, ranges in salary from $3659. 00 to $4447. 00 per month. This employee should be able to research, interpret, and apply environmental laws and regulations. This position requires the candidate to have: (1) graduation degree in health science, public health, natural science or physical science, (2) one year of experience in environmental research or regulation, or (3) Registered Environmental Health Specialist certification. The third level of employment known as the Environmental Health Specialist III covers field inspections and research. Some of the duties performed are: organization and analysis of environmental data collected, development and preparation of studies related to regulatory compliance, meeting with business owners to develop solutions to achieve compliance, training and guiding other staff members, and preparation of written analyses and recommendations. This position’s salary starts at $4367. 00 and ends at $5308. 00 per month. In order to qualify for this position, the candidate must have a Master’s degree in health science, public health, physical science, or environmental health and a one-year experience in environmental inspection, enforcement, regulation, analysis, or a previous title of Registered Environmental Health Specialist II certification. Environmental Health Specialist IV is the last level of employment and in this position, the candidate is considered a supervisor and is responsible for a team of scientific, professional, and technical staff. At this level, the candidate is paid from $5392. 00 to $5945. 00 per month. He or she plans, organizes, and reviews the work of the team. The candidate also participates in developing and implanting new policies, procedures, programs, regulations, and guidelines related to inspections, enforcement, compliance, and scientific studies. Besides these positions there are also student intern positions which require the student to perform basic duties such as answering the phone, filing, distributing the mail, and helping in research. The students are allowed to work a maximum of 24 hours per week and the only students who qualify for this position are those who are in their last year of completing their degree. Current Status Currently, the services provided by the food safety program are mandated by the State of California in accordance with local provisions and the California Uniform Retail Food Facilities Law (CURFFL), which finds and declares that the public health interest requires that there be uniform statewide health and sanitation standards for retail food facilities to assure the people of this state that food will be pure, safe, and unadulterated. It is the intention of this Legislature to occupy the whole field of health and sanitation standards for these food facilities . . and regulations adopted pursuant to its provisions shall be exclusive of all local health and sanitation standards relating to these facilities. (http://www. Emd. saccounty. net/pdf/CURFFL2004. pdf, p. 4) Since this program is mandated by the state, the food safety program of the Environmental Health Division is at no risk for disruption or dismantling. Twenty-seven, Registered Environmental Health Specialis ts will continue to inspect retail food facilities twice annually (effective July 1, 2003). Although the state mandates inspection twice yearly, Mr. Sanchez, conceded in the interview that markets such as Raley's are only getting inspected once annually. As of the end of September, 2004, the Environmental Health Division has completed â€Å"6,132† inspections of retail food facilities and â€Å"742† inspections of area dairies (http://www. saccounty. net/pdf/EMD-2004-10_Update. pdf. , p. 4). Aside from routine inspections and re-inspections of retail food facilities, Environmental Health continues to offer food safety education and certification classes as well as community outreach events designed to inform consumers and retailers about food safety and compliance with state and local health codes. This group attended an outreach event held at Carmichael Park, on September 18, 2004, where the Environmental Health Division booth activities included a hamburger cooking demonstration to demonstrate proper cooking temperatures as well as safe food handling techniques. Other activities performed by the Environmental Health Division include responding to consumer complaints, investigation of cases of food-borne illness, there have been â€Å"180† cases in Sacramento County as of the end September of this year, evaluation of plans for new food facilities, as well as the granting of permits for these new food facilities (http://www. accounty. net/pdf/EMD-2004-10_Update. pdf, p. 4). Moreover, the Environmental Health Division continues to collect fees for their services and proudly distinguishes qualifying retail food facilities with their â€Å"Award of Excellence† for food safety. Last year, ninety-three area establishments were the recipients of this award. Future Needs The Food Safety and Protection Program is a growing program. As the number of food facilities in the Sacramento area increase, so do the needs of the program. Some of the future needs of the program include an increase in the number of employees for the program, improved outreach programs, software program to improve inspections and inspection reports, and an implementation of a restaurant grading system. The first need of the program is an increase in the number of employees. With only 27 employees who actually do work under the Food Safety and Protection Program, the job of inspecting 6,000 food facilities plus other required tasks is certainly overwhelming. One might think, â€Å"Why don’t they just go ahead and hire more people? Working for the EHD not only requires a college degree but employees must also obtain certification deeming themselves Registered Environmental Health Specialists. Now one might think â€Å"What is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist? † To answer the above question, the program needs to create an awareness of the position. This leads us to the second need of the program. The Food Safety and Protection program is in need of an improved outreach program. Up until finding out what personnel qualifications were needed, we did not know what a Registered Environmental Health Specialist was. More concentrated efforts in outreach programs that introduce and educate people about the validity of their profession may generate more interest in the academic setting thus creating more potential professionals. Another need of the program involves a software program to improve inspections and inspection reports. This program needs to make the change from hand-written reports to typed reports. Going from hand-written to automation would make it much easier for people to read and understand the reports. The final future need of the Food Safety and Protection Program is to implement a restaurant grading system. The restaurant grading system would provide to customers knowledge of where the restaurant stands in terms of food safety compliance. According to June Livingston, â€Å"The restaurants would be given a grade ranging from A-F. â€Å"A† of course being the highest grade to be received and â€Å"F† the lowest. A grade of â€Å"C†, would mean that the restaurant meets minimum compliance requirements† (personal communication, October 27, 2004). The program is still working on the grading system in terms of how it will work and getting legislation to approve the system. Changes to the Program The Food Safety and Protection Program is an extremely successful program under the Environmental Management Department. For 27 employees to be able to inspect 6,000 food facilities is an incredible feat. However, with their measured success, there is some room for improvement. If we were administrators of the program there are a few things that we would do differently. One of the changes that we would make is to the outreach programs. Despite the fact that one of the goals of the program is to have more outreach programs, there is something that we would like to add. In addition to having more outreach programs, we would have the programs target people as early as high school. The outreach should also be targeted at people in colleges and universities. By doing this, a larger audience of people would become knowledgeable of the profession and quite possibly decide to take the path to becoming a Registered Environmental Health Specialist. Another change would be to hire on more employees. With more employees, more work can be done and the current practice of multi-tasking would cease to exist. More employees will allow for more inspections of food facilities thus reducing risk to the public. Increasing inspections of food facilities from annually/biannually to quarterly is another change that we would make as administrators. Food facilities currently undergo one, maybe two inspections a year. Every day new discoveries are made in terms of proper food handling, food-borne illnesses and much more. With these new discoveries, it would be particularly helpful and beneficial that inspections be made on a quarterly basis. Also, more frequent inspections would encourage food facilities to really meet compliance and go above and beyond what is needed for food safety. The final change that we would make to the program is to improve inspection report legibility and visibility. If one were to take a look at an actual inspection report and read the comments written, it usually is difficult to read. We would make the inspection reports typed so that everyone would be able to read exactly what was found at the inspection. We would also improve the visibility of the report. Truth be told, not every food facility has their inspection report visible to the public. We would change this by requiring that establishments post the reports either by the cash register, the doors, in the waiting area if applicable or even by the bathrooms. We would further enforce this requirement by charging the facility a certain fee if the inspection report is not fully visible to the public. The addition of a fee for not having the report visible would not only create added revenue for the program, but it would also get the food facilities to comply more strongly in order to avoid getting fined. With these reports visible, the public would have the ability to find out whether or not they are eating at a food safe establishment. References County of Sacramento Environmental Department Website. (2004). Award of Excellence in Food Safety. Retrieved November 12, 2004 from http://www. emd. saccounty. net/EH/EMDFoodSafetyAwards. htm County of Sacramento Environmental Department Website. (2004). California Uniform Retail Food Facilities Law (CURFFL). Retrieved November 3, 2004 from http://www. Emd. saccounty. net/pdf/CURFFL2004. pdf. County of Sacramento California Website. (2004). County Organization Chart. Retrieved October 16, 2004 from http://www. saccounty. net/portal/about/docs/county-org-chart. pdf. County of Sacramento California Website. (2004). Food Safety Program, Retrieved November 12, 2004 from http://www. dhs. ca. gov/ps/fdb/HTML/Food/indexfoo. htm. County of Sacramento Environmental Department Website. (2004). Prioritized Inspection Frequency, Retrieved November 12, 2004 from http://www. emd. saccounty. net/Documents/Info/Bulletin0503 prioritized_inspection_frequency. pdf County of Sacramento Environmental Department Website. (2004). Update. Retrieved October, 16, 2004 from http://www. saccounty. net/pdf/EMD-2004-10_Update. pdf. Sizer, F. , & Whitney, E. (2003). Food safety and food technology. In E. Howe, & J. Boyd (Eds. ), Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (pp. 509-556). Belmont,USA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. APPENDIX A: THE ORGANIZATION CHART [pic] Note. From â€Å"County of Sacramento California Website† http://www. saccounty. net/portal/about/docs/county-org-chart. pdf Copyright 2004 by County Executive. Reprinted with permission. APPENDIX B: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION CHART Figure 1. The subdivisions within Environmental Management. APPEDNDIX C: PROPOSAL Proposal This case study seeks to explore the Environmental Health Division within the Environmental Management Department of Sacramento County. Investigation in this agency will reveal how the County of Sacramento protects its residents and consumers from potential health hazards and illnesses originating from retail food facilities. Today, the average consumer rarely worries about the risk of dining out or â€Å"grabbing a bite†; however, factors such as improper storage, cooking and handling of foods or poor sanitation practices have the potential to create serious illness and even death. This agency warrants investigation since food is one of man's most basic and vital needs for survival. ———————– Management Plans Private School Inspections Land Use Evaluation Toxic Site Clean Up Well Monitoring Septic Tanks Recycled Water Industrial Storm water Program Risk Evaluation Accidental Release HazMat Land Use Incident Response Storage Tanks Business Plans Mold Information Lead Illness Investigation Tobacco Retailer Program Medical Waste Recreational Health Food Protection & Safety Education Water Protection Hazardous Materials Environmental Health Environmental Management

Life Changing Moment Essay

Ever since I can remember I spent almost ever y day at my Grandparents house. They live right down the road from my family and me, and that is how they got the title â€Å"Grandma and Grandpa down the road†. They lived in a small house three bedrooms, one bathroom, and a small living room with a fire place that can worm the coldest heart. And in their back yard stood a shed filled with old farm equipment and stray cats with their kittens that I would try to catch every day. They are now both 78 years old and sadly not very healthy. My grandpa was diagnosed with lung cancer in October, and it changed my grandpa’s life, my family’s life, and my life. I remember that October day so perfectly. I got out of class, called my Aunt Gwen for directions to the hospital he was at, and went on my way. I arrived at the hospital just as my grandpa was slowly making his way down the hallway with his oxygen and with my aunt right by his side. I look at her face and I can tell she is trying to hold back tears. My Uncle Jacky was there too which is my grandpas oldest son. After the doctors we went to Ryan’s restaurant and ate lunch, its where he always ate with my grandma when she had to go to the doctors. Now my grandpa is a big guy and watching him barely eat that day was terribly hard. I could barely look at him for I was trying to hold back all my tears with everything I had. From that day on I knew my grandpa’s life wouldn’t be the same. The doctors said they would be able to cure him, the cancer had spread to his fluids. My grandpa has been doing chemo therapy to just slow the cancer down and sadly he has to come to his last treatment. When this terrible news got around to the family we all grieved, especially my dad. My dad was my grandpa’s youngest son, and they are the closest out of all the kids. My dad is just like my grandpa, he’s hard working, tough, and hard of hearing. My dad was always down in the field with my grandpa. My grandpa would rack while my dad bailed hay, and after the boys got done my grandma would have lunch for them after a long day in the fields. Now that my grandpa is sick he won’t be able to do that. In fact the whole family doesn’t know if he will make it to hay season. My dad has to take care of two farms now, and my aunt has to stay at the farm house almost every day to take care of my grandparents since they are both sick. My family has been stressed to the max, we haven’t had any get to gathers in a while when my grandma would have a random family meal once a week. There is a lot of tension now from my grandma being stubborn and my grandpa not being able do very much at all when he used to be able to take care of her himself. My family is in a lot of pain, we never thought this would happen to us and now we can barely talk about the situation without somebody getting frustrated or upset our lives will forever be changed. Now out of all of the grandchildren ji was around my grandparents the most. They supported me in everything that I did. They were always in the front row of all my volleyball games, at my gymnastics meets, and they even watched me cheer for a year after I decided I didn’t like it. I can’t imagine life without my grandparents they are my everything. My grandpa would always tell me about his time in the army. I would get out his old pictures and he would tell me everything, it was like traveling back in time and seeing my grandpa in his prime. I cant imagine not being able to see my grandpa again; when I went and visited him in the hospital with my sister not too long ago I could barely handle it. I had to step out of the room and take deep breaths. My grandpa is supposed to be the rock of the whole family and seeing him as a strand of grass was painful. My life will ever be the same, I think about him every day and pray that he gets better, and so far it hasn’t been working. Now that my grandpa is due for his last treatment of chemo all I can do is pray and hope for the best, hope that he makes it to my cousins wedding, makes it to my dad’s birthday, and makes it to birth of his first Great Grandson. He started this family pretty much and to just have to wait is going to be the most difficult thing that I have ever had to do. I miss him so much and I can’t wait to go home one weekend and hug him. I stop at my grandparents’ house first every time I go home. I swing the back door open and run in and greet them with a big hug. Even though now his life, my family’s life, and my life are forever changed he will still strong on our hearts. Now all we can do is wait, hope, and pray that god doesn’t take the Payne family’s rock away just yet, he has the most loving family and wife. And even though my grandpa doesn’t say much I wish he would say just once that he loves me and that he is proud to call me his grandchild, for I am the youngest and last Payne that will ever walk this earth and dirt road of AC highway or what me and my family call â€Å"Payne Lane†

The U.S. Cities in the Late 1800’s: Major Problems and Their Solving

The cities have played an important role in the development of the United States since the founding of the nation. Many historians agree that the Revolution itself and the rise of the Confederation of 13 independent states were nurtured exactly in the cities of America (Green, 1957, p. 2). Urban life in the late 19th century, perhaps more largely than today, when rural isolation has been broken down by the modern miracles of transportation and communication, formed the substance of American civilization (Light, 1983, p. 96).City enterprise, backed by city money, looking for new products to sell and new markets to sell to, was a powerful force in peopling the country (Jackson & Schultz, 1972a, p. 6). The purpose of this study is to explore the major problems which the American cities faced in the late nineteenth century and how their dwellers resolved them. Toward this end we will discuss the tendency of fast cities’ growing in late 1800s and in what way it conditioned the urba n problems, analyze the economical and social factors contributing to emergence of such problems, and consider the successful examples of their solving.The city is justly regarded as the handmaiden of industrialization. By 1890, a century after the first national census, the number of city dwellers was 139 times larger than the 1790 figure, although the American population as a whole had multiplied only sixteen fold (Jackson & Schultz, 1972a, p. 1). The influence of cities on American life had been mounting steadily throughout the 19th century. With land everywhere available and transport the chief problem to consider, commercial centers had arisen where good harbors provided safe anchorage for ocean-going ships.Due to this tendency, in 1980s the cities scattered along the coast were necessarily the focus of national economic life (Green, 1957, p. 242). In 1890 the nation's population was already 1/3 urban and the population in the Northeast was well over 1/2 urban. With 2 million i nhabitants New York was the 2nd largest city in the world, and Chicago and Philadelphia each contained about a million inhabitants. Places like Minneapolis, Denver, and Seattle, which hardly existed in 1840, had become major regional metropolises (Goodall & Sprengel, 1975, p. 2).The enormous growth of American cities at that time is attributed largely to the quickening pace of the industrial revolution which harnessed technological innovation and scientific inquiry to more productive uses of energy and new uses of materials, but also to the political revolution which enshrined individual rights and democratic process in law, and the demographic revolution which increased the size of the population.Organized means of production led to larger factory complexes and to larger urban centers; in turn, the building of homes and offices and streets and sewers in those centers fueled the industrialization trend (Jackson & Schultz, 1972b, p. 177). Such rash economic development and fast growi ng of urban population stipulated emergence of many serious problems in urban communities not known earlier. Poverty of the city-dwellers, overcrowding of housing, transportation and environmental pollution were among the most critical problems (Light, 1983).Rising crime rates, increasing pauperism, and spiraling juvenile delinquency signaled a moral dislocation in cities undergoing commercial and industrial transformation. Swarms of foreign immigrants challenged their capacity to accommodate and assimilate newcomers, as did the influx of white and black native migrants from the countryside and small towns. Everywhere the orderly patterns of existence appeared interrupted; the cities seemed to be overwhelmed by the rush of social change (Ward, 1972, p. 164).Cities lacking institutionalized systems of orderly government (police departments, fire departments, centralized governmental bureaucracies) had to forge new tools to hammer out an urban discipline (Schultz, 1972, p. 308). A gro wing and ever more diverse population; new industrial demands on the time and energy of citizens; cities bursting at the seams of their former boundaries; and social institutions like the family and the church dissolving in the heat of economic progress – all these disparate elements of urban life had to be adjusted and accommodated to each other.Of the various disorders in urban life, the most evident was poverty. To resolve this problem many city leaders championed education to secure social order in a disorderly age. While American cities always had known the poor, urban leaders of the past had believed in the transience of poverty. But in the late 19th century, these attitudes shifted dramatically. City officials began to suspect, that urban poverty was not a passing phenomenon but a permanent condition.A growing number of urban paupers presaged a day when cities might be divided sharply along class lines; when foreign indigents might threaten the hegemony of native Ameri cans; and when public financial resources might be devoted more to charitable relief, to workhouses, and to prisons than to other needed public services. Many urban leaders saw in public education a form of social insurance against a possible tomorrow when the poor might dominate city life (Schultz, 1972).The problems of poor city-dwellers were intensified by lack of sufficient habitation. During the three generations of sustained and heavy European immigration into the United States, which preceded the immigration restriction legislation of the early 1920s, congested ghettoes of foreign immigrants assumed substantial dimensions within the residential structures of American cities. Most immigrants settled near the sources of unskilled employment, and the majority of newcomers concentrated on the margins of the emerging central business districts. To solve this problem vacated houses were converted into tenements and rooming houses, while vacant lots and rear yards were filled with c heap new structures (Ward, 1972, p. 164).One more solution for this housing problem was found in so called filter process that is creation of vacancies in standard housing for families of lower incomes. Filter process describes the way in which the normal housing market should work. As new housing is built, families who can afford to pay more vacate older units which then become available to families of a somewhat lower income who are on their way up the economic ladder and who in turn move out of still less desirable quarters (Green, 1957, p. 138).Another vital problem was transportation. Associated with urban population rise was a nascent suburban movement; many wealthy families gave up residential locations close to the noisy and crowded marketplaces, opting instead for houses in smaller peripheral towns. These suburbanites maintained their connection with the larger population center by water ferry and steam railroad, or they assumed the expense of providing their own carriages to conduct business and friendships in the city. Thus the residential movement away from the city center and into suburban areas predates the development of mass transit (Green, 1957).Out of the period of dynamic urban growth between 1820 and 1860 came the development of the omnibus, the first mass-transit innovation used in the U. S. At first, the conveyance was merely a long-distance stagecoach used within the city or an enlarged version of a hackney coach. Within a decade, though, it had taken a fairly standard form: a rectangular box on wheels containing two lengthwise seats for from twelve to twenty passengers (Jackson & Schultz, 1972b, p. 180).The conducted study proved that whether a given city grew and prospered or stagnated depended on its locational advantages and on the foresight of its civic and business leaders. The speed growth of the U. S. cities was stipulated by the industrial revolution which encouraged cities’ prosperity, but at the same time conditioned th e problems they faced such as overcrowding, poverty and lack of local transportation facilities. Anyway, technological innovations and wise ruling of municipal authorities allowed solving these problems and achieve sufficient balance in the cities’ development.ReferencesGoodall, L. E. , & Sprengel, D. P. (1975). The American Metropolis. Columbus, OH: Merrill. Green, C. M. (1957).American Cities in the Growth of the Nation. New York: John De Graff. Jackson, K. T. , & Schultz, S. K. (1972a).The City in American History: Introduction. In K. T. Jackson & S. K. Schultz (Eds. ), Cities in American History (pp. 1-8). New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Jackson, K. T. , & Schultz, S. K. (1972b).Immigration, Migration, and Mobility, 1865-1920. In K. T. Jackson & S. K. Schultz (Eds.), Cities in American History (pp. 177-184).New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Light, I. (1983). Cities in World Perspective. New York: Macmillan. Schultz, S. K. (1972).Breaking the Chains of Poverty: Public Education in Bos ton, 1800-1860. In K. T. Jackson & S. K. Schultz (Eds. ), Cities in American History (pp. 306-323).New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Ward, D. (1972). The Emergence of Central Immigrant Ghettoes in American Cities, 1840-1920. In K. T. Jackson & S. K. Schultz (Eds. ), Cities in American History (pp. 164-176). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Composition titled there is nothing that we as individuals can do to Essay

Composition titled there is nothing that we as individuals can do to prevent climate change - Essay Example They suggest that efforts to reduce  Ã‚  emissions are unnecessary and dangerous to economic growth and development.† (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) The emission of Carbon Dioxide from burning of Fossil fuels is primarily cited as the cause of greenhouse effect, which has caused climate changes like global warming. Our lives are heavily dependent on energy obtained from burning of fossil fuels to keep our industries, homes and transport systems running; therefore, it is impossible not to use it. Scientists are not sure what impact will minimizing greenhouse gas emissions have on climate change. Therefore, even if we as individuals try to limit the green house gases, it would have no effect on the overall climate change because after all it is a global phenomenon and it has already been triggered. The rate at which the climate is changing is so fast that we as individuals can do nothing to prevent

Developing a training program for middle-mangers Essay

Developing a training program for middle-mangers - Essay Example Such skills include appropriate personal traits such confidence, humility, honesty, and kindness. The different sessions may also include training programs on achieving team goals, understanding the innovation process and proper decision-making, effective communication and commitment to long-term success. A good leader must be visionary and be in a position to use that vision to lead other employees (DaleCarnegie 1). Today’s business world dictates that the leader should be a team player. A leader needs to be able to engage the team and lead them towards meeting organization goals and objectives. As such, the training program should prepare a leader to win the team for the benefit of the organization. The training program should focus developing the leadership skills of the managers. The training program should transform managers from managing employees to leading employees. The training program for middle managers should be designed in a way that it touches on important aspects of leadership. After the training, the managers should be able to build effective teams, have good listening and communication skills and master the art of problem analysis and decision-making (DaleCarnegie 1). Workshops and seminars can also help enhance the leadership skills of managers. The transition from a typical employee to a manager requires a transformed mindset and a set of skills necessary to lead other people. The seminar should change the manager from a normal employee to a leader. In this context, the workshop should train managers to take charge and establish their authority. Building authority does not translate into dictatorship or authoritative leadership. It means that leaders should boost their credibility and earn respect from fellow leaders and even other employees. The leader should also learn to respect the boundary between leaders and employees. The workshops should also have sessions on leadership as s

International corporate reporting issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International corporate reporting issues - Essay Example International corporate reporting issues The objective of this standard is to frame the foundation for the presentation of financial statements. The standard is to ensure the compatibility with the company’s financial performance in previous years as well as with that of its competitors. US GAAP is the framework that offers Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, which are used by United States organisations or the companies listed on Wall Street. This set of standards is developed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The framework is a combination of authoritative standards introduced by the responsible authorities, as well as the accepted ways to carry out accounting and reporting activities. These standards are constructed solely by input of US organisations rather than any outside influences. The key objectives of accounting standards are identification, measurement, and reporting of financial information of the organisational entities to the interested stakeholders. Financial accounting is a process culminating in the preparation of the financial reports of the organisations. These are done for the use of both the internal and external stakeholders. These financial statements include balance sheets, income statements, and statements of the owner’s equity and cash flow situation including assets and expenses. In the United States, the most significant source of influence on accounting standards is politics. The most substantial factor in the political arena is user groups. These groups include the parties most affected by accounting standards, rules, and regulations. â€Å"Accounting standards are as much a product of political action as they are of careful logic or empirical findings† (Wiley, 2002, p.14). These groups of stakeholders require accounts and re ports regarding company finances which are essential to successful business planning and strategizing. Groups know the best way to influence these standards in order to have a more favourable outcome financially is to participate in the framing of those same structures or to try to influence or persuade the authorities more directly responsible for the formulation and amending of the standards. In the US there are many authoritative bodies responsible for the formulation and development of the generally accepted financial standards; FASB is the significant and major contributor in this development. Undoubtedly, the board faces intense amounts of pressure and efforts to incorporate and influence the changes in the present standards and in the development of new ones. Moreover, the situation gets complicated with the involvement of two

Topics in Literature English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Topics in Literature English - Essay Example Characterization can be a simple or a complex process. Basically, characterization is what characters "say" and "do" (The National Library Literacy Strategy, 2001, p. 2). Each character is seen as being made up of a number of dimensions: sense of identity, age, gender, religious persuasion, temperament, physical appearance, values, expectations, dreams, disappointments, inadequacies and loss, to name a few. The Shreklisch Onion Layer Model of characterization stresses that the psychological profile of the fictional character must incorporate emotions, back-story, beliefs, practices and intentions (Wikipedia, 2006). It is by way of the language and actions of the character within the text that the reader is able to understand what are happening and why, without having to be told directly (i.e. indirect characterization). Although, with fiction that presents a completely new dimension of existence it may be necessary to spell out character specifics to the reader, due to the ambiguity inherent in novel texts (i.e., direct characterization). In most novels, plays, and essays, characterization develops along with the storyline and functions to support the fictional themes. Characters take time to create for an author, as they are getting to know another person, and aspects of who they are and how they interpret their world and respond to it in a way that is contingent on their values, requires the author to reflect on their own ways of thinking and behaving. A story may be completed driven by its characters; they are the key to unlocking the story. In such cases, the plot tends to come first, like a seed crystal of an idea that radiates out patterns of complexity and beauty in storylines as it creates the possibilities for characters to arise from the situations or settings (The National Library Literacy Strategy, 2001).The physical description of a character provides the reader with a general framework about the 'person': age, gender, ethnicity, physical appearance, style of dress, geo-historical location, and the way t he character moves. The reactions and responses of the character give the reader insight into the character's core values and attitudes (English Online, 1998). The dialogue of each character can provide the reader with deeper psychological insight of the character. The language that a character uses, their use of intonation, as well as use of pauses and silences, can instil in the reader the true feelings of what that character is experiencing. The surroundings enrich the background for the reader, making the characters more believable and understandable. This detail needs to incorporate all of the character's senses and perceptions of the setting. It is the author's ability to sew together the dialogue, reactions and descriptions that enables characterization to occur (The National Library Literacy Strategy, 2001). It is important that the author be aware that characters need to develop due to their fictional experiences, in order to come to life and 'be real". However, it is also essential that each character have a consistency of character as well, and it is this balance that leads the author through the characterization process.Ultimately, characterization requires the author develop characters by giving them; identity (e.g., have a name, appearance, values, temperament); creating

Discuss the impact on Psychology of Descartes' introduction of Essay

Discuss the impact on Psychology of Descartes' introduction of mind-body dualism - Essay Example He has been faced with grave critiques since he tried to describe the two substances separate as well as unified (Grant, pp. 486, 2000). Descartes, quite technically, defends his idea by saying that when a person performs certain action or behaves in a specific kind of way in the absence of his conscious mind, his body is a manifestation of a mechanical working. However, when human psychology or consciousness is in full swing and functions properly, that is the time the person’s rational soul unites with his other entity, which is called the mechanical human body (Grant, pp. 487, 2000). Thus, the separation of the two substances is to the extent when mental attention is not up to the mark; nevertheless, with the union of body and mind, the human psychology plays a vital role with its optimum concentration and inclination. To view the whole notion in psychological perspective, what Descartes points out is that the functions of thinking, reasoning, questioning, analyzing, and ra tionalizing are wholly and exclusively performed by the soul. Yet, this soul does not take any physical space. However, for this soul to think and rationalize, the manifestation occurs in the existence of the body that does not think but takes a physical space. Thus, the identity of a person is made so concerning its distinct soul that rationalizes and not with its distinct body which is visible. In this case, when the soul has the power to think and manipulate, it even has the power to exist without a physical substance vis-a-vis the body and this is how Descartes makes the distinction. To understand it more clearly, Descartes claimed that the two substances can live without each other but a living human being can be made with the union of the two, exclusively and exhaustively. Hence, the impact on human psychology is based on the soul and not the body, which is void of all moral values and behavioral distinctions. Moreover, the impact on the psychology that Descartes’ mind and body idea makes can also be understood with an example given by Descartes himself. Descartes uses the example of phantom limb pain and explains that when a person for whatever reasons gets any of his arms or legs amputated, he might still feel pain in the missing portion of his body even after sometime. Therefore, the body is not just a visible autonomous being but is greatly linked and intermingled with the mind or the soul. Moreover, this interaction is such that in the psychology of the person, that amputated part of the body still exists even if it is apparently not there and that is the cause of the pain (Grant, pp. 488, 2000). Hence, body and mind/soul make a unit, the two might be two distinct objects but there being together has a great impact on psychology as earlier discussed. Descartes’ concepts are more vividly explained in the aspect of pain that a human feels. He says that it is not merely the transmission of neurons to the brain to feel a certain kind of pa in in the body, it is more of a though process that occurs in the mind/soul to feel and encounter a pain. Thus, the feeling of pain as encountered by a human’s mind/soul has a thorough impact on the psychology of the person to feel or not to feel the pain and to what extent he does that (Grant, pp. 496-499, 2000). Thus, all kind of pain or sensation is psychological and not bodily, as a person’s mind has to perceive the pain first for the overall human to perceive it. It was for the first time that the animal life was referred as that of machines. Descartes was of the

Social science methods - entertainment location Essay

Social science methods - entertainment location - Essay Example These matches were actually scheduled to take place in India itself, but because of the ongoing election process in India it has been relocated to South Africa. All the teams participating in these matches are from India though all the teams must have a compulsory 4 overseas players apart from the Indian players. So South Africans were fortunate enough to watch all world cricket superstars in action at South Africa along with their players also. The South African people's behaviour towards these matches was indifferent at times. I have seen in one of the matches in which the South African fast bowler, probably one of the fastest in the world today Dale Steyn, who is playing for Royal Challengers, Bangalore, hit for a six by former Australian player Mathew Hayden who is playing for Chennai Super Kings. Most of the South African spectators cheered for Hayden rather than Steyn on that occasion. On another occasion when Steyn uprooted the stumps of Hayden, they stood up and clapped for a long period in appreciation of his performances. We can call it as a sporting gesture from the spectators, but really wondered me is that the same thing did not happened when earlier this year the Australians toured South Africa for some test matches. I think the 20-20 cricket match has changed the people's attitude drastically.

Patronage & Clieintelist Politics in Egypt - Pre-arab spring Assignment

Patronage & Clieintelist Politics in Egypt - Pre-arab spring - Assignment Example s the case in Egypt during the pre-Arab spring period patron-client relationships offers a platform for the mobilization of the low-status group by the well established elites. Thus, introduction of competitive elections would disadvantage the patron since the client would have additional resources from the patron by use of hiss or her to pay the patron. In essence, incentives linked to voter turn out Egypt’s electoral process during the pre-Arab spring played a chief role in the voting trend among the vast majority. Although some voters cast their vote based on ideological concerns, this is just a small percentage of voters unlike the majority who expected material benefits for voting for a particular leader. In additional, the vast majority cast their vote mainly due to pressure from the government either in a direct or an indirect manner. Thus, responsive to vote buying was high since the higher percentage of the population compromised of poor and illiterate parties (Blayde s 10). The success of Clientelistic practice in Egypt during the pre-Arab spring thrived mainly because one of the benefits clients received from the patron monetary material in exchange for votes-vote

Muslim prayer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Muslim prayer - Essay Example She examines religion from several approaches, perhaps as a way having a neutral consideration (Fisher 123). I will concentrate on faith-based perspective of religion, prayer as a therapy and understanding different religious practices with a bias on the Islamist’s Salat practices. Most people believe that faith is the greatest component of any religion. This goes hand in hand with prayer. This is why when people pray, they must inject some elements of faith into the payers so that it can have an impact on their lives. This is perhaps why there are many religious doctrines across the world. Today, even scientists accept the therapeutic healing of prayers. Mary notes that it looks at prayer as a way of achieving the end with their creator, then they will receive healing in ways that that they cannot understand. In this regard, prayer backed with faith has a beneficial effect. Different religions have different ways of connecting with God. They have different beliefs that they incorporate in their prayers as well. In this regard, prayer can, therefore, be considered as a sustenance network. Various religions maintain that God heals only those who pray. So those who pray would be considered â€Å"religious† while those who do not have a religion will be considered â€Å"non-religious†. This is why Mary explains that faith-backed prayers are an important element of any religion. The Jewish, the Christian, the Muslim, the Buddhist, as well as other religious groups believe in the importance of faith. The essential factor about prayer is how it helps people to get into a personal relationship with God; God is the sustainer of life. In this case, God is the most important person in their lives and one who holds the answers to their problems. Health is a core element that these people consider as well. Through prayer, people present themselves as needy and want God to heal them. In this aspect, faith, therefore, becomes a crucial element in any religion (Fisher

IFRS and GAAP Accounting Principles Essay Example for Free

IFRS and GAAP Accounting Principles Essay IFRS is also referred to as International Financial Reporting Standards. They are set of standards of accounting developed by International Accounting Standards Board (IASA). They are becoming the standards in the globe to be used for preparation of financial statements for the public companies. IASB is independent body which sets accounting standards which is based in London (McLaughlin, 2009). This body consists of fifteen members who are from nine countries including United States. IASB started operating in 2001 since it succeeded International Accounting Standards Committee. With desperate laws, cultures, tax regulation and commerce, individual nations, overtime have come so as to develop accounting systems of their own. In United States, Financial Accounting Standard Board (FASB), formed in year 1973, was third group which developed the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) in U. S, since the formal setting of standards which started in 1939. FASB is the first group in US which employed independently funded full-time professionals to be independent in accounting profession. Sanctioned officially in 1973 December, by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which was federal regulator, FASB up to now continues setting accounting standards for U. S (Subramani, 2009). IASC was formed shortly after FASB had been formed in the same year so as to develop accounting standards which will be internationally accepted. During the early 1970s, economy of the globe was at that time marked by expansion of the cross-border activities. This time seemed to be right in considering whether there was a need to set universal accounting standards to address world which was shrinking (McLaughlin, 2009). IASC in their effort of promoting acceptance of one set standards of accounting globally, tried to write certain inclusive standards. Committee members often had difficult in achieving a common consensus on proper accounting treatment to transactions which were similar or the same (AICPA, 2010). They identified preferred treatments, but accounting which was different with also different results was as well allowed. They considered this as necessary so as to promote the acceptance of complete set for the world accounting standards. If specific standard was much different from that which was accepted generally in an individual country, that nation may not accept all the set standards. It was better in allowing some alternatives in order to bring many nations into the mix. International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) replaced IASC after it had issued 41accounting standards to be used internationally in 2001. Since formation of IASB, it has issued around eight IFRS and also they have modified several international accounting standards (IASs). In 2000, European Commission provided the international standards large boost as it announced initiative which required every listed company in the European union to be using IFRS starting the year 2005. Before mandatory introduction for all companies to use IFRS, all countries in European Community regulated separately their standards of reporting (McLaughlin, 2009). The measure of using IFRS did not affect the non-listed companies in Europe. European ministers’ council approved IFRS in 2002. At the start of 2005; approximate of 7000 companies effected the change. Around 6500 of these companies had been prior reporting GAAP in their own country, with almost 3000 of them in UK alone (Ernst Young, 2009). EU however, never endorsed three paragraphs in IAS 39, and these were standards which deal with measurements and recognition of the financial instruments. Volatility potential of the earnings which was related to such paragraphs’ accounting macro hedge as well as option of fair value made the standard setters to go back in the drawing board several times, but there was no appearance of silver bullets. Up to now, EU has not fully endorsed set of the IFRS which was promulgated by IASB (Jermakowicz, Epstein, 2008). Failure of EU to fully endorse these set of international standards is significant issues to several reasons, not the few which is requirement in the IAS1, financial statement presentation that is explicitly stated by a company that their financial statements are complying with the IFRS (McLaughlin, 2009). Companies are further not allowed to state their financial statements as complying with IFRS if it does not fully comply with whole body of the IFRS. The accounting standards so as to gain world wide acceptance, there is a need for them to be universally applied. It is necessary to have comparability. Financial statement set prepared using GAAP of country A is not comparable suddenly to another which is prepared using GAAP of country B since both of them on the top states IFRS (AICPA, 2010). United States key regulator priority is the consistent application of these standards. If to be accordance with the IFRS means the similar and same transactions have to be accounted in same way in every nation, then preparing financial statements according to IFRS will have to add value. Investors will no longer waste their effort and time in reconciling financial information when comparing to companies which are similar but in different countries (Subramani, 2009). Capital will then flow efficiently and at a low cost to companies in many places. Another major boost for acceptance of the IFRS was seen in 2002as the Norwalk Agreement was being signed and was reaffirmed in the Memorandum of Understanding in 2006. IASB in the London together with FASB in the Norwalk agreed to remove the differences in their standard sets and converge it on high-quality standards (Ernst Young, 2009). The emphasis was on high-quality and this meant that if the FASB standards or IASB standard was deemed to be better, then the convergence was would be on the superior one. If neither of them had sufficient standards which would qualify to be used internationally, then the two boards would jointly work together to produce new standards. Work is on progress in developing a conceptual single framework which will guide in setting future standards. Convergence between U. S GAAP and IFRS do not mean accounting standards should become identical. It means that in the cases where the transactions are similar or the same, then the accounting should be just the same, or if not so, the disclosures should be transparent to enable reader understand about the differences (Subramani, 2009). Also the standard setters are putting more effort to reduce the difference which is in the two systems. Three significant differences between IFRS and GAAP. The difference between the two set of standards include the following: in the US GAAP in the income statement, extraordinary items is restricted to some items which are both infrequent and unusual (McLaughlin, 2009). Negative goodwill usually is treated as an extraordinary item. In the IFRS, income statement usually prohibits extraordinary items. In the US GAAP the significant items in the income statement are presented separately at the face of income statement just as component of operation going on, where as in the IFRS significant items in the income statement separate the disclosure of nature and also the amount required, but it can be included in income statement or notes (Ernst Young, 2009). Changes in the equity in U. S PAAF are present in all the changes in every caption of the stockholders’ equity either in separate statement or foot note. Equity changes in IRFS at least, presents components which are related to expense and income recognized as section of separate statement (AICPA, 2010). Other equity changes are disclosed either in notes or presented as a part of one, combined statement in all equity changes. Three similarities between IFRS and GAAP. In both accounting standards, exchange losses and gains on the settled items and also on the monetary items which are unsettled should be taken to loss or profit for that period. When loss or gain on non-monetary items is directly recognized in equity, then that loss or gain is further taken to the equity (Ernst Young, 2009). On the other hand if losses or gains on non-monetary item are taken in loss or profit, then related component of exchange would further be included in loss or profit. Functional currency should be currency of primary economy in environment the business is operating. The other currencies should be treated or termed as foreign currencies. Presentation of currencies should be currencies used in presenting financial statement and is usually matter of one’s choice (AICPA, 2010). Financial statements should be prepared by the functional currency of the entity but may be presented by any other form of currency. Individual transactions should be translated at rate on date of transaction, or at any average rate for period if the rates do not significantly fluctuate. Identify three potential risks of IFRS and GAAP convergence. There are several risks which may affect companies as a result of the convergence. They include that; the convergence may risk tax rate and thus making it not to be effective to some companies, it may also risk the long term financial agreements and contracts, and it may also risk timing of the revenue recognition (Ernst Young, 2009).

Dermatoglyphic Patterns with Rampant Caries

Dermatoglyphic Patterns with Rampant Caries A Twin City Study Correlating the Dermatoglyphic patterns with Rampant Caries and Early Childhood Caries Abstract : Background and Aim : This study was undertaken to investigate and analyze the correlation between dermatoglyphic pattern and caries prevalence in young children in twin cities of Pune and Mumbai. Materials and methods : Two centers were selected in Pune and Mumbai . A total of 300 patients (150 patients in each center) were included in this study. The mean age ranged from 3-5 years. The samples were divided into two groups; Group I: Caries and Group II: caries-free groups.Group I was further divided into children with early childhood caries and children with rampant caries Dental caries were detected clinically using mouth mirror and probe(only to remove debris not probed into the fissures) in daylight or suitable light source. Fingerprints were obtained by the conventional ink method .Statistical analysis using the students t-test was used to determine mean values and gender differences in the findings using SPSS version 11.0 Results : The evaluation and comparison of patterns in children with caries and caries-free children in both right and left hands showed increase in the number of whorls in children with rampant caries as compared to children with early childhood caries. However , this was not statistically significant. Conclusion : The present study showed a definite variation in dermatoglyphics between the ECC ; rampant caries and caries-free group .However the rampant caries group showed more number of whorls as compared to the earl childhood caries group but they were statistically insignificant .Dermatoglyphics has proven to be an extremely useful, non-invasive and cost-effective tool for preliminary investigations into conditions with a suspected genetic base like dental caries. Keywords : Dermatoglyphics , rampant caries , early childhood caries. INTRODUCTION : The word dermatoglyphics comes from two Greek words (derma, skin and glyphe, carve) and refers to the friction ridge formations which appear on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet .(1) Dermatoglyphics is the scientific study of fingerprints. Since each person’s fingerprints are unique, we can understand one’s innate potential, personality, and preferences by analyzing dermatoglyphics. Dermatoglyphic patterns are highly variable from person to person, while genetic aberrations generally produce consistent phenotypes. A twin-city survey was conducted in Mumbai and Pune reviewing a total of 300 children. Twin citiesare a special case of twocitiesor urban centres that are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time, losing most of their mutual buffer zone.Cities twinned by proximity do not necessarily match demographically, economically, or politically . The main focus of dermatoglyphic study is in the papillary ridges, the small markings that make up your fingerprints and exist on all primates skin. The formation of these papillary ridges occurs during a short window of development (2), and is influenced by a combination of genetics and the environment in utero. Being affected by the environment at such a time means thatmonozygotic twinswould have different dermatoglyphic markings .(3,4,5) The ridges do not change over post-natal life, which lends itself into forensic uses. The twin city survey was undertaken to evaluate the fingerprint patterns of children with dental caries ( Study groups-rampant caries versus early childhood caries ) and caries free individual (control group). Materials and Methods : Two centers were selected in Pune and Mumbai . A total of 300 patients (150 patients in each center) were included in this study. The mean age ranged from 3-5 years The samples were divided into two groups; Group I: Caries and Group II: caries-free groups.Group I was further divided into children with early childhood caries and children with rampant caries. Dental caries were detected clinically using mouth mirror and probe(only to remove debris not probed into the fissures)6 in daylight or suitable light source. Finger and palm prints were recorded using the ink method described by Cummins and Midlo.1The hands of the children included in this study were washed with soap and water to remove dirt and oil from the ridged skin and blot dried to improve the quality of the prints . Statistical analysis using the students t-test was used to determine mean values in the findings using SPSS version 11.0 Recording Interpretation of Dermatoglyphic patterns : Fingerprints : The fingerprints of all subjects were recorded using black duplicating ink ,the fingers were uniformly pressed on the ink pad after which the digits were pressed firmly against the white paper by the operator to avoid bias . The fingerprints obtained were checked for their clarity with a magnifying glass (Ãâ€"2) . INTERPRETATION OF HANDPRINTS The handprints were observed in a sequential manner under a magnifying glass with Ãâ€"2 power, from the left hand 4 th digit until the thumb followed by the thumb of right hand until the 4 th digit. This study included qualitative analysis that is the fingertip patterns (Loops, whorls,arches) The frequency of true patterns of loops, whorls, and arches was counted on the fingertips of all the 10 digits of children in all the groups. They were assessed for increase or decrease in mean frequencies. QUALITATIVE DERMATOGLYPHIC ANALYSIS Type of dermatoglyphic pattern Different types of dermal patterns were identified .(7) A loop is recognized as a series of ridges that enter the pattern area on one side of digit, recurves abruptly and leaves the pattern area on the same side. A single triradius is present, which is located laterally on the fingertip, where the loop is closed. If the ridge opens on ulnar side it is called as ulnar loop and if it opens toward the radial side it is called as radial loop. A whorl differs from the loop in the aspect of concentric arrangement of ridges, with two or more triradii in the latter. A whorl may be spiral, symmetrical, double looped, central-pocketed or accidental, depending upon the internal structure of the whorl pattern. In all the dermatoglyphic patterns seen, arches show the simplest ridge pattern, which is formed by the succession of one or more parallel ridges, which cross the finger from one side to the other without recurving. These patterns usually do not show the presence of triradii, except when the tented arch is present that will have a triradii point near its midline. RESULTS : Statistical results were obtained by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Post-Hoc Tukey’s correction for multiple group comparisons . The average no. of loops did not differ significantly between ECC and Rampant caries group (P-value>0.05). The average no. of loops is significantly higher in control group compared to ECC and Rampant caries group (P-value0.05). The average no. of whorls is significantly higher in ECC and Rampant caries group compared to Control group (P-value0.05 for all). Table 1) The intergroup comparison of finger print pattern. Values are Mean  ± Standard Deviation. P-values by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Post-Hoc Tukey’s correction for multiple group comparisons. P-value Figure 1 The intergroup distribution of finger print pattern (Right+Left). DISCUSSION : Widespread interest in epidermal ridges developed only in the last several decades when it became apparent that many patients with chromosomal aberrations had unusual ridge formations 10. Dermatoglyphic patterns make good material for genetic studies, because unlike stature, intelligence, and body weight, they are not significantly influenced by age or by postnatal environmental factors. 8,9,10 Dermatoglyphics have the advantage of remaining stable throughout life and therefore can be compared among individuals of different ages. The basis of considering dermatoglyphic pattern as genetic marker for dental caries is that the epithelium of finger buds as well as enamel which is the most susceptible dental tissue to dental caries have ectodermal origin and both develop at the same time of IU life.12 In this study , the evaluation and comparison of patterns in children with caries and caries-free children in both right and left hands showed increase in the number of whorls in children with rampant caries as compared to children with early childhood caries. However , this was not statistically significant. These results were substantiated by Atasu et al. who found an increased frequency of ulnar loops in caries-free children and an increased frequency of whorls in children with dental caries. The majority of whorl patterns in the control group were spiral while the caries group showed spiral, central pocket and double loop . Arches were least common patterns in both the groups.13,14 A definite correlation in the dermatoglyphic patterns between children with caries and caries-free children can be seen in this study. Thus, recording the dermatoglyphic patterns of children at an early age, during their first dental visit will be handy in predicting whether the child belongs to the high risk group or the low risk group and thereby can aid in planning a definitive preventive and treatment strategies. CONCLUSION : The dermatoglyphic patterns may be utilized effectively to study the genetic basis of dental caries. In a developing country like India , it might prove to be a non invasive , inexpensive and effective tool for screening . These patterns may represent the genetic make up of an individual and therefore it suggests an individual s predisposition to certain diseases . Since dermatoglyphics is still an counterfactual and imprecise science at the present time, it requires further extensive research to ascertain the significance of these variations in the dermatoglyphic features of children with dental caries . REFERENCES : Schaumann B, Alter M. Dermatolglyphics in Medical Disorders. New York, Heidel Berg, Berlin: Springer-Verlage; 1976. p. 14-75 Uchida JA, Solton HC. Evaluation of dermatoglyphics in medical genetics. Pediatr Clin North Am 1963;10:409-22. Pons J. Genetics of the A-B ridge count on the human palm. Ann Hum Genet 1964;27:273-7. 8. Venkatesh E, Bagewadi A, Keluskar V,Shetti A. Palmar dermatoglyphics in oralleukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma patients. Journal of IndianAcademy of Oral Medicine and Radiology 2008;20:94-9. Hirsch W, Schweichel JU. Morphological evidence concerning the problem of skin ridge formation. J Ment defic research 1973;17:58-72. Penrose LS. Fingerprints, palms and chromosomes. 1963;197:933-8. Cummins. Revised methods of interpretation and formulation of palmar dermatoglyphics. Am J Phy Anthr 1929;12:415-502 Cummins. Study of error in interpretation and formulation of palmar dermatoglyphics. Am J Phy Anthr 1928;11:501-21 Okajima M. Development of dermal ridges in the fetus. J Med Genet 1975;12:243-50. Carter CO. Genetics of common disorders. Brit Med Bull 1969;25:2-57 Matsunaga E. Hereditary factors in congenital malformations. Igakunoayumi 1977;103:910-5 11. Verbov J. Clinical signifi cance and genetics of epidermal ridges-A review of dermatoglyphics. J Invest Dermatol 1970;54:261-71. 12. Madan N, Rathnam A, Bajaj N. Palmistry: A tool for dental caries prediction Indian J Dent Res 2011;22:213-8. 13. Atasu M. Dermatoglyphic fi ndings in dental caries: A preliminary report. J Clin Pediatr Dent 1998;22:147-9. 14. Ahmed RH, Mohammed I. Aref, Rania M Hassan and Noura R Mohammed. Dermatoglyphic study on patients with dental caries restored with dental fi llings and its correlation to apoptosis induced by dental fi llings. Nat Sci 2010;8:54-7.

Analysis of G-Protein Coupled Receptor 12

Analysis of G-Protein Coupled Receptor 12 ABSTRACT: G-Protein Coupled Receptor 12 (GPR12) belongs to the orphan GPCR family which is the same of the GPR3 and GPR6. Homology model for the protein GPR12 was generated from the SWISS-MODEL website which showed an all alpha motif with seven transmembrane ÃŽÂ ± -helix interconnected by loops. GPR12 acts through the cyclic Adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway and promotes neurite outgrowth in primary neurons which can be used to slow down the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. The gene of GPR12 is located in the chromosome 13q12.13 for human, 12p11 for rat and 5; 5 G3 for a mouse with the size of 5.6 kbp, 3.4 kbp, and 4.3 kbp. Four current ongoing clinical trials studies on GPR12 was found on clinicaltrials.gov. G-Protein Coupled Receptor 12 (GPR12) belongs to the orphan GPCR family which is the same of the GPR3 and GPR6 (Ignatov et al., 2003a; Ignatov et al., 2003b). GPR 12 family members are constitutively activated and initiate the cAMP signaling cascades (Ignatov et al., 2003a). It is reported that GPR12 promote neurite extension in primary neurons (Ignatov et al., 2003a). The sequence identity of GPR12 is similar to GPCR S1P5 by 34%, GPR3 by 57% and GPR6 by 58% (Ignatov et al., 2003a; Ignatov et al., 2003b). Hence, it is hypothesized that the orphan receptors might share common ligands and also have similar physiological functions (Uhlenbrock et al., 2002; Tanaka et al., 2007). GPR12 has a high binding affinity towards Sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC) (Uhlenbrock et al., 2002). GPR 12 also binds with Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)   with low affinity (Uhlenbrock et al., 2002). GPR12 family members are constantly activated and cAMP downstream signaling cascades initiated (Uhlenbro ck et al., 2002; Ignatov et al., 2003a). This persistent activation promotes neurite extension in primary neurons (Tanaka et al., 2007). GPR12 belongs to the orphan GPCR family which is the same of the GPR3 and GPR6 (Ignatov et al., 2003a; Ignatov et al., 2003b). According to Horn et al., GPR12 belongs to the  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   GPCRs, Class A Rhodopsin-like subfamily with all other Orphan GPCR receptors (Horn et al., 2003). 2.1. Structure: A search was conducted for GPR12 in the RCSB protein data bank to identify the protein structure of G-Protein Coupled Receptor 12. There were no matches found in the search which is shown in figure 1.   Hence, a Homology model for the protein was generated from the SWISS-MODEL website, 27.41% sequence identity was indicated for Cannabinoid receptor 1 (Flavodoxin). Flavodoxin, Cannabinoid receptor one was chosen as the template, and a 3D structural model was generated for GPR12 from the template which is shown in the figures 2a and 2b. The GMQE (Global Model Quality Estimation) and Q-Mean value for the generated protein 0.56 and -4.28. The generated protein showed an all alpha motif with seven transmembrane ÃŽÂ ± -helix interconnected by loops forming four extracellular topological domains and four cytoplasmic topological domains. The alignment of protein sequence between Human GPR12 and GPR12 of other species like mouse and rat showed very less variation which indicates the protein is conserved between these species(UniProtKB; UniProtKB; UniProtKB). The protein alignment is shown in figure 3. 2.2. Pathway: According to Horn et al., GPR12 belongs to the  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   GPCRs, Class A Rhodopsin-like subfamily with all other Orphan GPCR receptors (Horn et al., 2003). GPR12 acts through the cyclic Adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway (Tanaka et al., 2007). Since, GPR12 is an orphan receptor where its natural ligand is unknown (Ignatov et al., 2003a). When the ligand such as S1P or SPC binds to the GPR12, the G-Protein gets activated due to the binding of GTP (Ignatov et al., 2003a). Thus, G-Protein activates Adenylate cyclase which converts the Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into cAMP, and the cAMP activates Protein Kinase A (Ignatov et al., 2003a). The Activated Protein Kinase A activates the cellular reaction such as neurite extension in primary neurons (Ignatov et al., 2003a). [Refer figure 4] 2.3. Gene and Evolutionary aspects of GPR12: The alignment of protein sequence between Human GPR12 and GPR12 of other species like mouse and rat showed very less variation which indicates the protein is conserved between these species (UniProtKB; UniProtKB; UniProtKB). The protein alignment is shown in figure 3. The gene location of GPR12 in the chromosomes locus is nearly the same for human and rat, but it is different in mouse (NCBI-Gene; NCBI-Gene; NCBI-Gene). The gene of GPR12 is located in the chromosome 13q12.13 for human, 12p11 for rat and 5; 5 G3 for mouse (NCBI-Gene; NCBI-Gene; NCBI-Gene). The GPR12 gene contains two exons in humans, three exons in rat and three exons in Mouse separating the intron sequence and the evolutionary association of the gene sequence of GPR12 between the species and between GPCR family is shown in figure 5a and 5b (NCBI-Gene; NCBI-Gene; NCBI-Gene). The GPR12 gene size for a human is 5.6 kbp, for rat it is 3.4 kbp, and for the mouse, it is 4.3 kbp (NCBI-Gene; NCBI-Gene; NCBI-Gene; Stevens et a l., 2013). GPR12 mutant mice showed an effect in their emotionality was affected due to the mutation in GPR12 which was no significant change   (Frank et al., 2012). GPR12 overexpressed in neurons upregulate cAMP levels and promotes neurite outgrowth in primary neurons which can be used to slow down the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons   disease, Huntingtons disease, etc. (Tanaka et al., 2007). GPR12 is also involved in the regulation of cell survival and cell proliferation which may vary during the diseased condition which causes astrocytes to proliferate at a faster rate and results in inflammation (Lu et al., 2012). A search was done for G-Protein coupled receptor 12 on clinicaltrails.gov website which showed four current ongoing clinical trials studies on GPR12. The studies were different from each other such as Platelet reactivity (ClinicalTrials.gov), Stoke (ClinicalTrials.gov), Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinomas (ClinicalTrials.gov) and Migraine (ClinicalTrials.gov). GPR12 belongs to the  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   GPCRs, Class A Rhodopsin-like subfamily with all other Orphan GPCR receptors. The gene coding for GPR12 is conserved between Humans, Rats, and Mouse which indicates the existence of similar roles and function in these three animals. GPR12 is still in the stages of primary research where its structure, signaling pathways, function, and roles are still waiting to be found. GPR12 has recently assumed to be associated with Neural disorders and diseases. Clinical trials have been successfully conducted for GPR12 for many diseases one of which is depression. References: ClinicalTrials.gov Is There a Transient Rebound Effect of Platelet Reactivity Following Cessation of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy With Ticagrelor a Single Center Prospective Observational Trial. Journal, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02808039?term=G-Protein%2BCoupled%2BReceptor%2B12recr=Openrank=1, January 25, 2017. ClinicalTrials.gov Platelet Reactivity in Acute Non-disabling Cerebrovascular Events (PRINCE). Journal, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02506140?term=G-Protein+Coupled+Receptor+12recr=Openrank=2, January 25, 2017. ClinicalTrials.gov Retrospective Analysis of the Expression of the Neurotensin Receptor by Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinomas (NTS). Journal, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02891733?term=G-Protein%2BCoupled%2BReceptor%2B12recr=Openrank=4, January 25, 2017. ClinicalTrials.gov Ticagrelor Therapy for RefrACTORy Migraine Study (TRACTOR). Journal, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02518464?term=G-Protein%2BCoupled%2BReceptor%2B12recr=Openrank=3, January 25, 2017. Frank, E., Wu, Y., Piyaratna, N., Body, W.J., Snikeris, P., South, T., Gerdin, A.K., Bjursell, M., Bohlooly, Y.M., Storlien, L. Huang, X.F. (2012) Metabolic parameters and emotionality are little affected in G-protein coupled receptor 12 (Gpr12) mutant mice. PLoS One, 7, e42395. Horn, F., Bettler, E., Oliveira, L., Campagne, F., Cohen, F.E. Vriend, G. (2003) GPCRDB information system for G protein-coupled receptors. Nucleic acids research, 31, 294-297. Ignatov, A., Lintzel, J., Hermans-Borgmeyer, I., Kreienkamp, H.-J., Joost, P., Thomsen, S., Methner, A. Schaller, H.C. (2003a) Role of the G-protein-coupled receptor GPR12 as high-affinity receptor for sphingosylphosphorylcholine and its expression and function in brain development. Journal of Neuroscience, 23, 907-914. Ignatov, A., Lintzel, J., Kreienkamp, H.-J. Chica Schaller, H. (2003b) Sphingosine-1-phosphate is a high-affinity ligand for the G protein-coupled receptor GPR6 from mouse and induces intracellular Ca2+ release by activating the sphingosine-kinase pathway. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 311, 329-336. Lu, X., Zhang, N., Meng, B., Dong, S. Hu, Y. (2012) Involvement of GPR12 in the regulation of cell proliferation and survival. Mol Cell Biochem, 366, 101-110. NCBI-Gene Gpr12 G-protein coupled receptor 12 [Mus musculus (house mouse)] Gene NCBI. Journal, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/14738, January/25/2017. NCBI-Gene GPR12 G protein-coupled receptor 12 [Homo sapiens (human)] Gene NCBI. Journal, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/2835, January/25/2017. NCBI-Gene Gpr12 G protein-coupled receptor 12 [Rattus norvegicus (Norway rat)] Gene NCBI. Journal, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/80840, January/25/2017. Stevens, R.C., Cherezov, V., Katritch, V., Abagyan, R., Kuhn, P., Rosen, H. Wuthrich, K. (2013) The GPCR Network: a large-scale collaboration to determine human GPCR structure and function. Nat Rev Drug Discov, 12, 25-34. Tanaka, S., Ishii, K., Kasai, K., Yoon, S.O. Saeki, Y. (2007) Neural expression of G protein-coupled receptors GPR3, GPR6, and GPR12 up-regulates cyclic AMP levels and promotes neurite outgrowth. J Biol Chem, 282, 10506-10515. Uhlenbrock, K., Gassenhuber, H. Kostenis, E. (2002) Sphingosine 1-phosphate is a ligand of the human gpr3, gpr6 and gpr12 family of constitutively active G protein-coupled receptors. Cellular signalling, 14, 941-953. UniProtKB GPR12 G-protein coupled receptor 12 Homo sapiens (Human) GPR12 gene protein. Journal, http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P47775, January 25, 2017. UniProtKB Gpr12 G-protein coupled receptor 12 Mus musculus (Mouse) Gpr12 gene protein. Journal, http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P35412, January 25, 2017. UniProtKB Gpr12 G-protein coupled receptor 12 Rattus norvegicus (Rat) Gpr12 gene protein. Journal, http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P30951, January 25, 2017. Figure 1: No structure was found for the protein GPR12 in RCSB Protein data bank. Figure 2a: Side view of the GPR12 structure which was generated by SWISS-MODEL. The protein is showing an all alpha motif with seven transmembrane ÃŽÂ ± -helix interconnected by loops forming four extracellular topological domains and four cytoplasmic topological domains. Figure 2b: Top view of the GPR12 structure which was generated by SWISS-MODEL. The protein is showing an all alpha motif with seven transmembrane ÃŽÂ ± -helix interconnected by loops forming four extracellular topological domains and four cytoplasmic topological domains. Figure 3: GPR12 protein alignment for the species Human, mouse and rat generated from ClustalW. * (asterisk) indicates positions which have a single, fully conserved residue, : (colon) indicates conservation between groups of strongly similar residue properties, . (period) indicates conservation between groups of weakly similar residue properties. Figure 4: GPR12 proteins complete intracellular signaling pathway Figure 5a: Phylogenetic/evolutionary tree of GPCR family members (Stevens et al., 2013) Figure 5b: Phylogenetic/evolutionary tree of GPR12 showing evolutionary difference between human, rat, and mouse   Ã‚   G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPR12) Protein Agonist Antagonist Sphingosine-1-phosphate Suramin Sphingosyl-phosphocholine Table 1: GPR12 agonist and antagonist with structure and name

Developing and Learning - Piagets and Vygotskys Theories Essay

Introduction. In this assignment the writer will compare and contrast the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. To begin, the writer will discuss Piaget's theory of cognitive development, followed by Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development. The writer will then discuss any implications of Piaget's and Vygotsky's models for teaching and learning in the school years. In order to do this she will compare the two theories and look at any relevant evidence and research. After comparing both theories of cognitive development, the writer will do a brief summary of the two theories. Concluding her findings and how the two theories contrast each other. Piaget's Theory. Jean Piaget (1896 - 1980) looked at how children reason and think. He looked at whether children see and make sense of the world in the same way that adults do. Piaget's theory explores how children's thought processes change with development. Piaget's theory identifies four developmental stages which are sensori-motor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operations and formal operations (Smith, Cowie, Blades. 2011 P.392). He believed that children's thought processes develop as they progress through these developmental stages. During the first stage, sensori-motor, which occurs from birth to around two years, a child, just deals with what is presented to them. Everything revolves around any direct experiences. During this developmental stage, children learn the concept of object permanence (Smith, Cowie, Blades. 2011 P.395). This is where an object continues to exist even if it is out of the child?s sight. According to Piaget?s theory, it would seem that infants need to be aware of object permanence before language or symbolic communication is possible. Th... ...ories, as she feels it is important to her role as a teaching assistant and finds it interesting how individual?s learn in different ways. Works Cited Lefrancois, G.R. (2006). Theories of Human Learning. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education. Peter K. Smith, Helen Cowie, Mark Blades. (2011) "Understanding Children's Development" Wiley-Blackwell; 5 edition. Raymond, E. (2000). Cognitive Characteristics. Learners with Mild Disabilities (pp. 169–201). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, A Pearson Education Company. Slavin, R.E. (2005). Educational psychology: theory and practice. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Wood, K.C. (2008). Piaget's Stages. Department of Educational Psychology and Instrutional Technology, University of Georgia Web. 27 May 2015. http://projects.coe.uga.edu/eplt /index.php?title=Piaget%27s_Stages#Educational_Implications