Incident of National Significance Essay Example for Free

Incident of National Significance Essay Whenever an event of disastrous impact threatens any place in the country, various emergency responses from different government units are mobilized. The National Response Plan (NRP) was designed so that the way in which these kind of events are addressed are done effectively and in an organized manner. As an extensive response plan, it also provides ample support mechanisms that would aid in preventing further damage and facilitate recovery. The NRP is applicable to all real and possible â€Å"Incidents of National Significance. † These incidents, according to the Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-5), are those situations which have potentially deep and far-reaching effects that necessitate a â€Å"coordinated and effective response† from these resources. All calamitous situations under the Stafford Act are considered Incidents of National Significance. Aside from this, the NRP could be utilized for any event that requires federal intervention. The aforementioned criteria also distinguish Incidents of National Significance from other events being handled by other agencies or are under a different response program. These criteria are qualitative in nature, and it usually applies when division authorities are overwhelmed with a particular situation. For example when the state, local, or tribal authorities need more resources or could not cope with the existing demand in services, they would request assistance from the   Department of Homeland Security. This is also applicable whenever an incident concerns a number of federal agencies or departments. In addition, the countrys President can request this program anytime when it is deemed necessary. Discuss the term, â€Å"ESF† as described in the National Response Plan. In your discussion, be sure to address the basic composition of each ESF. The Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) is a system of coordinating and facilitating response whenever situations of Federal authority arise. It defines the â€Å"mission, policies, concepts of operation, and responsibilities of primary and support agencies† participating in the execution of the National Response Plan (NRP). Basically, the ESF defines the responsibilities and roles of these Federal agencies and   departments. It can be activated due to Incidents of National Significance and other similar situations under the Stafford Act. However, it is possible that these Incidents of National Significance, can already be addressed by other Federal agencies and may not necessarily require the aid of ESFs. The current ESF design framework includes â€Å" economic stabilization, community recovery, and mitigation. â€Å"   It provides the staffing and necessary resources for emergency situations. The NRP includes 12 core ESFs,   each of which is comprised of primary and support agencies. Thes e agencies have their own scopes and obligations. The ESFs come from different management areas that includes emergency management, police and law enforcement, public works, fire, rescue, and medical and health services. Each ESF is assigned support agencies depending on their capabilities and resources in a particular field or area. Though each ESF provide these services based on their given scope or responsibility, they are also expected to assist other ESFs in accomplishing their goals. How does the ESF relate to an â€Å"Incident of National Significance? † Incidents of National Significance are those situations which have potentially deep and far-reaching effects that necessitate a â€Å"coordinated and effective response† from â€Å"Federal, State, local, tribal, private-sector, and nongovernmental entities. † Each day there are situations that require special and emergency response from the authorities. When a local jurisdiction feel that Federal Intervention is needed because of insufficient resources or if a greater expertise is required to address a certain event, they will call on help from the National Response plan (NRP). This is done in order to â€Å"save lives, minimize damage, and provide the basis for long-term community recovery and mitigation activities. † The NRP uses a functional approach to define the roles that each ESF plays in response to emergency situations, each agency or department being assigned to an ESF based on their capabilities or the services they are able to provide whenever this emergency happens. It takes into account those practices that each department does best. The appropriate assignment of services and responsibilities to any situation, such as those Incidents of National Significance, is crucial so that different agencies can work together effectively, whether they are local or Federal agencies. This ensures that the communications between them are facilitated accordingly and that they can effectively help each other when the time arises.

Memorable summer Essay Example for Free

Memorable summer Essay Magic, name of the cruise line we went on last summer, have one thousand feet long as much as twenty seven length of school buses combine and fifteen decks above of surface sea water, and because of a imagination, my kids called it by â€Å"big boat†. We were very excited, and my kids had been asked about the trip every night since spring. Also, we were join a group had five families were going to. Wow, group vacation on cruise sounded like it could have a lot of fun, or at least I would hope I could. After the Magic took off the Galveston’s port, we have our first group dinner at North Restaurant on deck three, that how it called because there were a South Restaurant on the other side of the lobby. Big group with a lot of small kids we were usually had three adults waiting at the line, while the rest of us watched our children at lobby. Then after thirty minutes of waited, the waitress led our group to the tables on the side off restaurant next to the window, where the kids could looked out to see the big ocean and the ship was moving, were have a big table, but with twenty people, the table could not hold enough seats. Then, we had to separate into two small groups: three families at table next to the window and the other two families sat at the table next to it. My family was at the table close to the middle of restaurant with the other family, Tue, Hac and there two kids, Ronan was three years old as same as my second son Justin, and Summer was twenty two month olds which was four months younger than my daughter Julia and my five years old son, John. Pretty much all-next dinners we were sat at the same table with the same waiter and waitress, and later I were know that were how the restaurant want to set up table as the same everyday, so they can keep track easy. For breakfasts or lunches, we were called each other that were there, the Lido restaurant buffet on deck ten, first to reserved tables for the whole group because it was always crowed. We were helped each other to get food for our kids, because there were lots of people, almost four thousand passengers on board plus employees, tried to have breakfasts or lunches made all the lines was very long. There were the Mongolian stir fry boot, I was had to wait forty- five minutes to get my turn, so I told the chef that I would like two dished of stir fry noodles instead of just only one I had been want from beginning. At the same time, Kevin, one of my friend, got pizzas and cheeseburgers after thirty minutes of waited, or Hac got a pancake after twenty minutes waited So, to void the hunger of our kids, we were usually shared foods with every one, and whomever stayed at table had to take care the kids. It was a nice thing of group vacation. Although, that were first time our kids met on board, but they were seem click together really fast. They were almost same ages. There were had two more boys same as my older boy was five years old. They were all like to swim and play at the water park a lot. There was a salt pool at open deck ten with four feet deep seem like dangers to all of our small kids, then we told them to go to the fresh water park on deck twelve. Most of kids, they are like to play with water, so our kids were the same. Although, water park were just almost size with basketball field, and not really have a big and high water slide like the one at Slash Town up north Houston, but our kids really loved to running around. My husband had taken my oldest son, John, got in line waiting for a big water slide. He was really loved it, but he did not want to go again. Because they were have to wait forty-five minutes, and he was just want to have more fun running around with his friends, his brother and sister. Instead of waiting at the line, there were still had a small water slide for under three feet tall, and they were very happy to just play there. Also on board had camp for all kids ages with no extra charge, and our kids loved to go there. At room from two years old to five years old was most our kids went to. There were three teachers in class with a lot of activities such as sing, read, draw, dance†¦ just like at Kids r Kids day care. They were also had a lot of toys that made our kids loved to be in there too. Although, camp have a lot of things kids like, but of course kids were always want to go with parents. However, to all of our kids if they heard the other go to camp then they all want to go such as when I asked my kids, John, Justin and Julia, that they would like to go camp. The first thing, they were always asked that the other, Ronan, Jefferson, Alan, Elaine†¦were at camp too, then they would go. This was happened all the same way to my all friend, and we were told each other that our kids to hang around than us. Of course, they were five years old and younger, their simply thought fun were just mean be playing together. The camp was open from eight o’clock in the morning to three o’clock in the afternoon, and they open back from five o’clock in the afternoon to ten o’clock in the evening. With that time frame I could have little time for my self. One day after drop off all kids at camp, all of us were walking around deck ten. We found at one side of the ship were not had many people, our group kind of little lousy, and we sat there and started to plan what should we do with no kids at that time. Then all ladies started playing cards, and all men were want to play basketball on deck twelve. We were made joked and laughed to each other. The weather was clear blue sky with little wind, and sometime we could taste a little salty from the wind. We were sat there and look out distance just only blue sky, seawater and wind†¦ we felt so peaceful, relax and stress less. I had been thought the wind blew all pressure of life off, and dropped it into the big blue ocean. While all ladies sat there relax, then all men were having fun with basketball. I did not know how much fun that they had but turn out one of our men got leg hurt, and they had to stop after fifteen minutes. So they were came back, where we were and sat with their wives, and when the ship still going and none of us could know where was the ship head. While kids were at camp, all moms and dads were laid on the chairs enjoy time with lots of joked and laughed on a beautiful day were remarkable vacation for us. Vacation for a family with three small children like mine was has never been much fun before, but this cruise trip was a best summer vacation for every one of family members. Especially travel with group have children as almost same ages were help our kids got company, then we, moms and dads, were really could have free time to relax our self. We were also can looked each other back to help other parent or they could help us. Although our trip we did not do much things special, but every one of our group, kids, moms and dads, were had seized our great time for our self and together that just simple of happiness.

Service Area Analysis for Beaumont Essay Example for Free

Service Area Analysis for Beaumont Essay Beaumont Health System is a three-hospital regional health system with more than 1,725 beds with additional facilities that include nursing homes, home healthcare agency, research institute, primary and specialty care clinics, rehabilitation, cardiology, and cancer centers. offers a wide-range of services and programs to our adult and pediatric patients which includes Ninety-one medical and surgical specialties are represented on the Beaumont medical staff of more than 3,700 Michigan physicians with numerous community based medical centers throughout Detroit, Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties. The service area for Beaumont Hospital is Oakland County which consists of cities, villages, and townships with a population of 1,202,362 people. Approximately 30% of Oakland Countys 483,698 households have children aged 18 years old or younger. Beaumont is the exclusive clinical teaching site for the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. The system draws on a rich history of pioneering medical research to serve the health needs of southeastern Michigan and advance healing techniques nationwide. Education Level and Income Level The level of education of Oakland County as become a more educated county. 17.6 percent of the Oakland population in the year 2010 is a graduate of a professional degree. 24.6 percentage of people in Oakland county have a Bachelors Degree. 7.4 percent have an associates degree, and 21.3 percent have had some college but have no degree. Only 7.8 percent did not graduate high school. Which this number had decreased by 3 percent. While the number of people who have graduated with a professional degree or a bachelors degree have increased from 2000- 2010 by 4 percent. This census is from the population of people 25 and up. The median income for a household in the county was $61,907, and the median income for a family was $75,540 (these figures had risen to $62,308 and $79,589 respectively as of a 2009 estimate[8]). Males had a median income of $55,833 versus $35,890 for females. The per capita income for the county was $32,534. About 3.80% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.50% of those under age 18 and 6.50% of those age 65 or over. In the year 2000 the census for households with seniors was 96,585 in the year 2010 census the number of households with seniors was 116,768. that is a percentage change of 20.9 percent. The number of households with seniors who live alone age 65 and up in 2000 was 39,910, and in 2010 the number of households 65 and older living alone is 47,290 which is a percentage change of 18.5 percent. Those two categories are the largest changing over the 10 year span out of all other age groups. To be more specific of age and the change of population from the year 2000 census through the 2010 census. According to the SEMCOG projections for the year 2040 the majority increase in population is almost strictly people the age 65 and up. Disadvantages for Beaumont: Competition from urgent care centers. Faster wait times than the hospitals along with less costly medical bills Recruitment, continued training, and retention of talented healthcare professionals.it will be important to always make sure their employees are happy and taken care of because it is easier for certain professionals to move on to somewhere else Advantages for Beaumont: They are well known and trusted throughout the community offering a variety of services for all age groups. They keep up on technology, new information, new techniques in the health field to help give better quality of care. Possible merger with Henry Ford for financial stability during the healthcare reform Top Competitors for Beaumont Health System Competitors | Detroit Medical Center | Henry Ford Health System | University of Michigan Health System | Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital St. Joseph Hospital Crittenton Hospital Summary A majority of the people in Oakland County have a median age of 40.2 but according to SEMCOG this median should increase due to the increased population of people 65 and up. The people are primarily educated therefore capable of making good sensible quality decisions. The Target market would be a population of 65 and older.

Psychology Adrian Monk Essay Example for Free

Psychology Adrian Monk Essay Adrian Monk, portrayed by actor Tony Shalhoub, is the main character in the USA Network series MONK. Monk is a former homicide detective for the San Francisco Police Department, suffering from an anxiety disorder known as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as numerous phobias. After Monk’s wife was murdered, his disorder worsened leading to his suspension from the police force. When the series opens, Monk works as a private police homicide consultant and undergoes therapy to overcome his anxiety disorder and phobias. He is assisted by a private nurse who helps him cope with his disability on the job. Part One—Case Study Character Background The episode â€Å"Happy Birthday Mr. Monk† shows that Monk, born October, 17, 1959, is a California man of Welsh ancestry. Monk is 50 years old, and was born in Marin County, CA. He stated, â€Å"His alma mater is the University of California, Berkley. † His parents were very strict and authoritarian. Monk’s father Jack Monk abandoned the family when Monk was eight years old. Jack said that he was going to get Chinese food, but he never came back. Ambrose Monk, Monk’s brother, is agoraphobic and afraid to go out in public. Monk’s mom died in 1994. Because of these childhood family events, Monk is already a very sensitive and fragile person. Mr. Monk dislikes unorganized, rude, dirty, and filthy people. He also dislikes murderers, people who commit evil acts, and criminals on the loose. That is the reason he became a homicide detective. Mr. Monk likes people who help others, such as his physician and Trudy. In addition, he likes organized, clean, and tidy people. Mr. Monk’s strength is that he is a very clever detective. Plus, he has an amazing photographic memory, which helps him catch criminals. His weakness is that he has many phobias, which affect his performance as a detective. Mr. Monk doesn’t have any friends because of the weird and odd behaviors caused by his OCD. His family consists of his assistants/nurses Sharona, and then Natalie. He also works with people in the homicide department, namely Captain Leland Stottlemeyer and Lieutenant Randy Disher. Stressors/Pathology Mr. Monk does not have any relationships with anyone, mainly because of his odd behaviors. He acts strangely in front people because of his OCD. In the episode â€Å"Mr. Monk Makes A New Friend† he annoys a new friend by calling him too much. Monk explains himself, stating, â€Å"I can’t not call him or hear his voice. † It is very annoying to call a friend every hour. That is one example of how Mr. Monk has difficulty with personal relationships. His wife, Trudy Monk, with whom he had a meaningful relationship, died in a car bomb. Before his wife’s death, Mr. Monk’s OCD symptoms had alleviated. After Trudy was murdered, the OCD symptoms intensified, and those around him could clearly see that he had issues, which affected his job performance and led to his isolation. When the series begins, Mr. Monk’s condition is somewhat stable, but his lives in an overly organized apartment. The battle Monk faces daily is how to make it through the day with his OCD. He tries to avoid everything that makes him uncomfortable or is viewed as a threat. Mr. Monk stresses over the fact that every room must be neat and tidy. Plus everything must be a multiple of 10; for example he buys a box of eggs, which contains 12 eggs and deliberately throws two eggs away. Mr. Monk doesn’t have any history of this disorder, but his brother was agoraphobic. Symptoms Other symptoms of OCD manifest themselves typically as ritual behavior such as repetitive hand washing. Mr. Monk needs to wash his hands every time he touches an object or shakes a hand. He becomes obsessed with shapes. For example, his toast has to be a perfect square. Numbers occupy his time. As mentioned above, everything must come in multiples of 10. He has the typical preoccupation with dirt and germs. For example, he can’t stay in an untidy or dirty room; he has to tidy it up. Mr. Monk is terrified of germs, milk, dust, and heights. So what Mr. Monk does all day is try to stay away from all of these fears. These symptoms never emerged in the series; rather, the viewer is led to believe that Mr. Monk had OCD since he was born. However, the viewer is also informed in conversations with the police sergeant and with Monk’s nurse and therapist that what triggered this disorder was the murder of his wife. Immediately after his wife died, his disorder worsened. Outcome of Case Monk’s treatment was to go to Dr. Charles Kroger for psychotherapy that would aid him to cope with his disorder. In the sessions, Mr. Monk talks about what he did during the day and the goals he accomplished. The treatment is not entirely effective, but it helps Mr. Monk relax and get all the stress out. In the long term, Mr. Monk cannot overcome his disorder because he cannot imagine that he can be cured. In addition, he is not a risk taker, meaning he could never do anything that would make him uncomfortable. Because of this, there is little hope that he will be able to completely overcome his disorder. This makes sense because his disorder is inherited, and not attributed to environmental causes. Part Two—Disease Diagnostic Criteria Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a pattern of recurring obsessions and compulsions that are severe enough to be time consuming and interfere with a person’s daily functioning. They must cause marked distress (such as pain or physical harm to the person) or significant impairment. Usually, they take more than one hour of a person’s time. It is important to specify whether or not the patient has poor insight, meaning that the person does not realize that the obsessions or compulsions are unreasonable or excessive. At some point, the person must realize that their obsessions and compulsions are not reasonable (i. e. , normal). â€Å"Obsessions are consistent ideas, thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or stress† (DSM IV-TR, 300. 3). Most common obsessions are about contamination with dirt or germs, repeated doubts, a need to have things in a particular order, horrible impulse, the need to shout obscene words, or sexual impulses. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors which people do to reduce the anxiety or distress of the obsessions. For example, repeated hand washing is a compulsion, which satisfies the obsession of repeated thoughts of contamination from dirt. For a complete list of Diagnostic Criteria from the DSM IV-TR, see Appendix A. Etiology (Causes) Nearly 1 to 2 percent of the population suffers from OCD. Most of those begin to be afflicted in early adulthood, and it is often preceded by a particularly stressful event such as pregnancy, childbirth, or family conflict. It may be closely associated with depression, with the disorder developing soon after a bout of depression or the depression developing as a  result of the disorder. Men and women are equally affected. A fairly high proportion (as much as 50 percent) do not marry (Baldridge 2001). Although Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder usually begins in adolescence or early adulthood, it may begin in childhood. Modal age at onset is earlier in males than in females: between ages 6 and 15 years for males and between ages 20 and 29 years for females. For the most part, onset is gradual, but acute onset has been noted in some cases. The majority of individuals have a chronic waxing and waning course, with exacerbation of symptoms that may be related to stress. About 15% show progressive deterioration in occupational and social functioning. About 5% have an episodic course with minimal or no symptoms between episodes (DSM IV-TR, 300. 3) No cause for OCD has been isolated. Four theories exist which try to explain the basis of OCD psychologically: guilt, anxiety, and superstition. 1) The theory of guilt has its origins in Freudian psychoanalysis. Freud believed that patients with OCD developed repetitive rituals, such as hand washing, to replace obsessive thoughts about sex. The obsessive ritual, then, was seen as a way to replace the guilt of being overwhelmed by forbidden, sexual thoughts. 2) The anxiety hypothesis poses that OCD behaviors develop to reduce anxiety. Many thought or action patterns emerge as a way of escape from stress, such as daydreaming during an exam or cleaning one’s room rather than studying for a test. If the stress is long lasting, then a compulsive behavior may set in. 3) The superstition theory proposes a connection between a chance association and a reinforcer that induces a continuation of that behavior. In other words, a particular obsessive-compulsive ritual may be reinforced when a positive outcome follows the behavior; anxiety results when the ritual is interrupted. 4) A fourth theory is accepted by those who believe that mental disorders are the result of something physically or physiologically amiss in the sufferer, employing data from brain structure studies, genetics, and biochemistry. Brain chemistry has been found to be altered in those suffering from OCD, along with increased metabolic activity. In addition, relatives of OCD sufferers are twice as likely as unrelated individuals to develop the same disorder, indicating that the tendency for the behavior could be inheritable (Baldridge 2001). Treatments OCD is one of the most difficult disorders to treat. Treatments usually fall into four categories: psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, drug therapy, and psychosurgery. The goal of psychotherapy in treating OCD is to find and then remove an assumed repression so that the patient can deal honestly and openly with whatever is actually feared. It is hoped that in dealing with the fear, the compulsions that have developed to replace the fear will lessen. The most effective type of psychotherapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder is behavioral therapy. It can help by desensitizing the patient to the feared object or situation. For example, the therapist will aid the patient in replacing the symptoms of the obsession or compulsion with preventive or replacement actions, such as a non vocal, internal shout of â€Å"stop! † when obsessive thoughts enter the mind or the action of snapping a rubber band on the wrist. Behavioral therapy may also help by gradually lengthening the time between the stimulus and response. For example, a patient may hold dirt and then gradually lengthen the amount of time after which he or she will wash his or her hands. While behavioral treatment can help to control OCD, it does not â€Å"cure† the disorder. Drugs used to treat OCD include antidepressants, tricyclic, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), LDS, and tryptophan. Antidepressants help by reducing depression by correcting the serotonin abnormality in the brain, which may decrease the need for compulsive behavior. MAOIs may help OCD associated with panic attacks, phobias, and severe anxiety. With drug therapy, it should be noted that when the drugs are stopped, the patient often returns to the obsessive-compulsive behavior. Psychosurgery to reduce OCD is a last resort. The patient would undergo a lobotomy in which the frontal cortex would be separated from the lower brain area in an 8-centimeter square area. A combination of behavioral therapy, psychotherapy and drug therapy is recommended. General Research Behavioral treatments are new ways to deal with the disorder. For example, someone with an obsession about germs might be asked to practice handling dirt and then not washing his hands for increasing lengths of time. With repeated exposure to the anxiety-provoking object or situation without performing the compulsion, usually the anxiety lessens, and the compulsion weakens its hold. Obsessions can fall into one of five categories: 1. Obsessive doubts, which are persistent doubts that a task has been completed. 2. Obsessive thinking, which is an almost infinite chain of thought, targeting future events. Obsessive impulses, which are very strong urges to perform certain actions, whether they be trivial or serious, that would likely be harmful to the obsessive person or someone else and that are socially unacceptable. 4. Obsessive fears, which are thoughts that the person has lost control and will act in some way that will cause public embarrassment. 5. Obsessive images, which are continued visual pictures of either a real or an imagined event. (DSM IV-TR, 300. 3) Compulsions on the other hand are repeated, ritualized behaviors. For example, fearing one has forgotten to turn off an appliance, such as a stove, is a common obsession. It is likely to be accompanied by a compulsion to check repeatedly, perhaps hundreds of times each day, perhaps to see if the appliance has been turned off. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors, the goal of which is to prevent or reduce anxiety or distress, not to provide pleasure or gratification. In most cases, the person feels driven to perform the compulsion to reduce the distress that accompanies an obsession or to prevent some dreaded event or situation. For example, those with obsessions about being contaminated may reduce their mental distress by washing their hands until their skin is raw. There is difference between OCD and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). A personality disorder is, on the one hand, a type of mental illness characterized by serious and persistent distortions in the total personality. Every perception, attitude, feeling and behavior is affected. OCD, on the other hand, is an anxiety disorder. Like other anxiety disorders, fear is at its root—fear of a hot appliance burning down the house, for example, or fear of the body being contaminated by germs. The fear produces an anxiety which can only be alleviated by a ritual, or compulsion, which will reduce the fear. Conclusion Evaluation of Case In conclusion, Adrian Monk has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. He satisfies the following OCD patterns of behavior: 1. Washer, because he is afraid of contamination; 2. Checker, because Mr. Monk repeatedly checks if the door is locked, or whether the oven is turned off. Mr. Monk checks everything a dozen time just to make sure. For example, he checks his oven if it is closed everyday at least twelve times; 3. Arranger, because he always arranges his utensils based on size and shape and his books based on color. He cannot function in a messy room or disorganized room. In addition, Mr. Monk has other phobias, such as fear of blood and fear of the woods. He is terrified of germs, milk, heights, and spiders. Mr. Monk has a rule that everything he has must come as a multiple of ten. When he buys milk, he gets 10 bottles even though he lives alone and the milk will expire before he has time to drink it all. Monk’s symptoms may improve with therapy, but his OCD will not completely resolve.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of KFC

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of KFC 1. Introduction KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the worlds largest chains of fast food restaurants, serving more than 12 million customers daily in 109 countries and territories around the world. KFC is part of multi-brand operator Yum, which is the worlds largest restaurant company, owns more than 36,000 locations around the world. During a year around placement, my time at KFC was in a position of casher and then I got a promotion to a restaurant team leader, overseeing the daily shop operations as well as selling product. This placement offers me a great opportunity to observe the corporation and think about the CSR of KFC. A year placement has made me have a great view of KFC and also gives me an opportunity to analysis the corporate social responsibilities of KFC. This paper starts by briefly reviewing the literature on corporate social responsibility and then continues by providing some background on the fast food context. It is followed by the four kinds of social responsibilities constitute total CSR: economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic. Furthermore, this paper will introduce how KFC apply these four categories into practise. In the end of this report, it will state that the benefit of CSR and give the suggestion of how to improve the CSR to improve the whole brand of KFC. 2. The concept of CSR Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a welcomed business strategy, which is a commitment of a company to behave in an ethical and responsible manner, to minimise the negative impacts and maximise the positive impacts (Maignan, et. al, 2005) on both the business interests and stakeholders of company. In recent years, Zadek (2001) has noted that CSR is based on the concept of stakeholder democracy, which is stated that the business organisations are made up of a number of different stakeholders with a multiplicity of interests; all of the stakeholders have an influence over the companys interests. There are many definitions of CSR from different standpoints. In the last 30 years, CSR has been widely discussed. While Keith Davis in 1960 argued that CSR refers to businesses decisions and actions taken for reasons at least partially beyond the firms direct economic or technical interest, the other researches (Eells and Walton, 1961) thought that the CSR refers to the problem that arise when corporate enterprise casts its shadow on the social scene, and the ethical principles that ought to govern the relationship between the corporation and society. It is a trend that organizations pay more attention on every aspect of their performance than before; they are not only considering about the economic interest but also caring the social commentary and environmental protection. Also, in 2008, the economists report state that CSR is made up of three board layers, one on top of other, devoted respectively to CSR as traditional corporate philanthropyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. In the 21st centuryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Openness and transparency become the key slogan for organizations. More and more organizations recognize the important of social responsibility and they are trying to practice these concepts. The authors prefer the use of the term corporate social responsibility and present the following definition. Corporate social responsibility is a committal that made by the company to contribute to the society through the business practices and combining the corporate resources, that may includes improving the quality of life of humans and focusing on the environmental issues (Philip, K and Nancy, L, 2005). The CSR also includes the two kinds, one is instrumental CSR, which is pursued for business profitability, the other is intrinsic CSR, which is ignored the business profitability. These two clues are very important to the stakeholders. 3. Corporate social responsibility of KFC Carroll (1991) indicates that corporation should develop on both side: the economic side and social side. The he definite the CSR into four parts, therefore, the corporation should not only have the economic and legal obligations, but also they have the responsibility on the ethical and philanthropic sides. The main point for this concept is the company has to take all the four parts responsibilities to the society, not only economic responsibility which is the most fundamental responsibility. As mentioned, the four major responsibilities include economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic components (Carroll, 1991). As it can be seen, table 1 summarizes some important statements of these four major responsibilities. And a detailed description of each social responsibility follows. Table 1 Economic, legal, ethics and philanthropic components of CSR Economic components(responsibilities) Legal components (responsibilities) 1. It is important to perform in a manner consistent with maximizing earnings per share. 1. It is important to perform in a manner consistent with expectations of government and law. 2. It is important to be committed to being as profitable as possible. 2. It is important to comply with various federal, state, and local regulations. 3. It is important to maintain a strong competitive position. 3. It is important to be law-abiding corporate citizen. 4. It is important to maintain a high level of operating efficiency. 4. It is important that a successful firm be defined as one that fulfills its legal obligations. 5. It is important that a successful firm be defined as one that is consistently profitable. 5. It is important to provide goods and services that at least meet minimal legal requirements. Ethical components( responsibilities) Philanthropic components ( responsibilities) 1. It is important to perform in a manner consistent with expectations of societal mores and ethical norms. 1. It is important to perform in a manner consistent with the philanthropic and charitable expectations of society. 2. It is important to recognize and respect new or evolving ethical moral norms adopted by society. 2. It is important to assist the fine and performing arts. 3. It is important to prevent ethical norms being compromised in order to achieve corporate goals. 3. It is important that managers and employees participate in voluntary and charitable activities within their local communities. 4. It is important that good corporate citizenship be defined as dong what is expected morally or ethically. 4. It is important to provide assistance to private and public educational institutions. 5. It is important to recognize that corporate integrity and ethical behavior go beyond mere compliance with laws and regulations. 5. It is important to assist voluntarily those projects that enhance a communitys quality of life. (Source: Carroll, A.,2007. The Pyramid of corporate social responsibility) These responsibilities must be performed in order to benefit not only the company operators but also their stakeholders, including the local communities and the general public (Maignan et al.2005; MoIR,2001). As noted by Carroll (1979), the corporate social responsibilities push the companies should run the business in a way that enhances the well-being of their customers as well as the society. 3.1. Economic responsibility 3.1.1 The definition of economic responsibility Historically, the company was created as economic entities designed to provide goods and services that customers needed. The primary incentive for the corporation is to maximum profit for the shareholder. Therefore, the principle role for the corporation was to produce goods and services that customers needed and wanted and to make a proper profit during the business. It is the basic goal for the business organization. Without this economic responsibility, all other social responsibilities are become moot considerations (Carroll, 1991). Therefore, KFCs economic responsibility will be fully present in their annual report and finance report of 2009. 3.1.2 International market of KFC According to the 2009 annual report of Yum!, the parent company of KFC, which is stated that in last five years, their investments in high potential markets which included France, Russian, India, Brazil, South Africa and Vietnam are paying off(Yum! Annual report, 2009). Definitely, they are expanded the international market to satisfy more multinational customers needs while earning more profit as possible as they could. From a financial standpoint, Yum! had run a multi-year program to reduce their company ownership to around 5% at KFC, down from 18% at when they started at the end of 2007. This will have more significant and more predictable stream of franchise revenue. And also the company reducing the general and administrative expenses from company operations, they expect to generate at least as much profit with no capital expenditures by putting these restaurants in the hands of good franchise operators. 3.1.3 The financial performance of KFC Also, in their 2009 financial report, KFCs international sales revenue increased from $7394 in 2007 to $8230 in 2009, three years growth is 3 %( Yum financial data, 2010). Overall, KFC are satisfied with the economic responsibilities by increasing the profit in three years. However, there also have some problems of that. Due to my observation, KFC have increased its sales price, for example, in UK, the selling price of each meal are increased by 30p to 40p. There is no doubt that this price policy will increase the total profit as well. Even though KFC claimed that they will offer customers better service, it cannot depend on the increase the selling price to increase the profit. 3.2 Legal responsibilities 3.2.1 The definition of legal responsibilities Companies run the business according to the profit motive, at the same time, business also have to followed the laws and regulations promulgated by local governments. Corporations are expected to pursue their economic missions within the framework of the law (Carroll, 1991). Legal responsibilities reflect a view of codified ethics, which are enacted by local courts, such as working hours, wage and salary, equal opportunity, food safety etc. KFC have to follow the standards and legal requirements. 3.2.2 Employment practice According to the employment standards that KFC published on the website, employment practice include working hours conditions, non-discrimination, child labour, forced and indentured labour and notification to employees. The details can be seen in Appendix 1. During my placement, I found that our branch are basically applied the employment practice, however, it also need to focus on details. For example, since the KFCs employees are nearly all decided by the manager of each branch and each manager are from different country, they like to hire the employee from their own country. This may cause the indirect discrimination. Moreover, workers in the KFC are paid low wages. In UK, the employees wage rate just meets the lowest requirement of UK. KFC do not pay overtime rates even when employees work very long hours. Pressure to keep profits high and wage costs low results in understaffing, so staff have to work harder and faster. Not surprisingly staff turnover at KFC is high, making it virtually impossible to unionize and fight for a better deal (Royle, 2005). 3.2.3 Hygiene requirement As a fast food restaurant, KFC, need to pay more attention on the hygiene condition. It is not only to meet the legal hygiene requirement, but also to improve the corporate image. However, in 2009, one of the KFC outlet, which is in Leicester Square, London, was charged with 13 food hygiene charges by officials from Westminster Council, which is claiming a mouse was seen running across the floor and flies buzzed around their hands at the premises (caterersearch.com, 2009). Therefore, the manager of KFC should learn the lesson from the cases and KFC need more transparency on the food quality. According to my observation, actually, KFC management do care the hygiene requirement, but they cannot manage it in detail. Some employees ignore the hygiene requirement, this is the problem. 3.2.4 Animal welfare program KFC responded that by saying the chickens used in its products are brought from the suppliers like Perdue Farms, Tyson Foods, and Pilgrims Pride, and that these suppliers are routinely monitored for animal welfare violations. Headquarters of KFC also claimed that they are working at the animal conservation in order to build good brand image. In fact, KFC as the buyer of food products has responsibility to make sure animals have well treatment before they buy them. KFC pay more attention on the animal welfare than before, for instance, they use efficient system to ensure our suppliers are treating the animals humanely which supply to us. It is a necessary deal between KFC and suppliers that they have to agree with the commitment of animal welfare (kfc.com, 2010). However, since 2003, animal rights and welfare organizations, led by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), have been protesting KFCs treatment of the animals used for its product. This organisation claims that the recommendations of the KFC Animal Welfare Advisory Council have been ignored. And several PETA do the investigations and videos of these and other KFC suppliers purporting to show chicken being beaten, ripped apart and thrown against walls contradict KFCs claims. PETA has criticized some of the practices of chicken breeders, such as beak trimming and overcrowding, but the headquarters of KFC says its suppliers meets UK legal requirement. Due to the situation, the KFC animal Welfare Advisory Council is composed of  industrial experts, which offers the organization information and suggestion according to scientific data and study. Meanwhile, this council plays an important role in motivating the animal welfare plan (kfc.com, 2010). Under the councils proposal, KFC develops guidelines and audit plans for suppliers. In the meantime, according to the advice of National Council of Chain Restaurants and the Food Marketing Institute, KFC pays attention to the guiding principles for animals (kfc.com, 2010). 3.3. Ethics responsibilities 3.3.1 The definition of ethics responsibilities The economic and legal responsibilities have the ethical norms about fairness and justice, ethical responsibilities embrace those activities and practices that are expected or prohibited by the societal members even though they are not codified into law. Ethical responsibilities reflect those standards, norms, or expectations that reflect a concern for what customers, employees, shareholders, and the community regard as fair, keeping with the respect or protection of stakeholders moral rights. (Carroll, 2007) In one way, the current ethics and value may becoming the driving force to precede the establishment of law or regulations. For instance, the environmental, human rights and customer movements reflected basic alterations in societal values and therefore may be seen in the later legislations (Carroll, 2007). 3.3.2Food quality and customer service The product attributes of fast food could be broken up into several categories, such as nutritional, sensory and hygienic quality. Although these aspects could not be verified by foods actual consumption, it is very necessary for organizations to pay more attention on food production and processing (Baltas, 2001; Bredahl et al., 1998). In terms of environmental protection, the ethical production of human and animal welfare are key problems (Harper and Makatouni, 2002; Wier and Calverley, 2002; Grankvist et al., 2004). Holbrooks (1999) typology could be used as a tool which can measure generic costumer value. For instance, it could measure functional costumers value and ethics. A major driver of ethical trading practices within the retail marketplace is the growing phenomenon of ethical consumerism (Brinkman and Brinkman, 2002; Hosmer, 2002), equating to a UK market value of  £6.8 billion in 2001 (Co-operative Bank, 2003; cited Morven, G. and Monika.J.A. 2005). Organizations ethical behaviors could influence production distribution and customer satisfaction (Mohr et al., 2001; Morven, G. and Monika.J.A. 2005). Organizations always use branding as an effective tool to increase their reputation, add supplying meaning of consumer goods (De Chernatony, 2001, McCracken, 1993). Positive and negative perspectives have influences on brand value. As a social responsible organization, branding could affect the investment on production quality management and reduce customer disappointment. According to Bacon (2004), organizations have to pay more attention on product value and market behavior, because the customer trust not only the information provided by organizations but also the good performances of them. In the Yum! Annual report of 2009, it stated that KFC is going to improve the operations particularly around product availability and speed of service. KFC have actively raised their game by more aggressively pushing for higher standards by investing in more franchise field support, increasing operational audits and racking and stacking operating performance of both company and franchise stores. During the placement year, I found the KFC is better prepared to offer the consumer more choice, better value and better service, but KFC still have more to do. The goal of KFC is to stay focused on building the business back the right way and expect steady progress. 3.3.3Environment concerns KFC also should take environmental protection as important as food quality and customer service. In their annual report, the company claimed that we try our best to reduce environmental pollution and we will pay more attention on it in the future. It is very important for us to keep our customers protecting the environment. According to the facts which we are doing, people could understand and support environmental friendly. KFC commit that all paper packaging bags are 100% recycled content, all napkins and serviettes (does not include pre-packaged napkins) are 100% recycled content, and 30% of KFC bucket lid is made by recycled content. Also, more than 90% of KFC paperboard packaging would be certified by Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) in May of 2010(kfc.com, 2010). And also, for all KFC restaurants use more efficient lighting system, which reduce the Carbon emission obviously, and use Energy Star appliances, for instance, the highest energy efficient oven be used generally in these restaurants. KFC also use high-performance air conditioners. Additionally, these restaurants all install programmable thermostats which could reduce the Carbon emission. Moreover, KFCs first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) restaurant was opened by KFC-Taco Bell in Northampton and achieved one of LEEDs highest certifications. More and more franchisees are trying their best to use energy efficient lighting and programmable thermostats (kfc.com, 2010). However, it is very difficult for companies like KFC to recycle waste at the moment. Hence, many recycling contractors refuse to take waste which did not remove food completely, Steve Easterbrook point out, chief executive of waste contractor Veolia Environmental Services (Paton, 2007). Therefore, there are many fast food company have to send the waste to landfill. It is an alternative method of disposal for the environment and local community. From a business point of view, not only benefit for company that saving money, but also benefit for company that being a good citizen. Clearly, it is a great help with morale. In KFC, it would take some staff doing the waste recycling activities, like waste sorting, which helped them feel more involved in the decision-making. 3.4 Philanthropic responsibilities 3.4.1 The definition of philanthropic responsibilities Philanthropic responsibilities reflect those corporate actions that are in response to societys expectation that businesses be corporate citizens. This includes actively engaging in acts or programs to promote human welfare and goodwill. For example, the corporation is giving the financial resources and executive time to the arts, education, or the community (Carroll,1991). 3.4.2 The community KFC takes the issues of litter very seriously. KFC is committed to tackling the litter challenge through a number of initiatives such as litter patrols, packaging reductions, and bins. During my placement, our restaurant sent out patrols every say to pick up litter and empty bins, these patrols go out four times a day in the summer months and three times a day in the winter months., and to make sure the area surrounding the restaurant are as clean as possible. Moreover, KFC are aimed to reduce litter by reducing packaging volumes. According to the KFC website (2010), they cut packaging by 1,400 tonnes, the equivalent of approximately 127 double -ducker buses. This included switching the Fillet and Zinger burgers from cardboard clamshells to paper wrappers. In 2010, KFC are aimed to reduce the packaging in the boxed meals. 3.4.3 World Hunger Relief To celebrate World Hunger Relief week 2010, KFC and its parent company YUM! will co-operate again. As a hunger is a big issue problem of all over the world, make an effort to raise awareness of this, the Yum!s partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme have set up aim will mobilise staff, franchisees and customers to help with it. Many employees from more than 720 KFC restaurants in the UK will be arranging a number of fundraising activities in store, from sponsored silences to KFC car washes. In UK, every branch of KFC have the donate box which out in front of the cashiers, customers can donate their extra change to that box. KFC UK raised more than  £365,000 which helped fund a school food project in Africa last year. Yum!s global efforts spurred unparalleled global awareness, including four million volunteer hours and $20 million in overall donations. This year, KFC hope with customers help they will beat the target (kfc.com, 2010). In summary, the total corporate social responsibility of business entails the simultaneous fulfilment of the firms economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities. Negative: Employee hire standards and overtime rates; animal welfare programme Table 2 the positive and negative point of each responsibilities of KFC As it can be seen in table 2, even though KFC has done lots of things on CSR, there are still have more to do. Overall, according to my observation, should do more things on these four responsibilities. On economic part, even though KFC has increased its profit, at same time, they also increase the selling price on each meal; it seems that giving this economic responsibility to the customer and not in themselves. On legal responsibility side, KFC are claimed they are strictly following the supplier code, however, they still have to improve their standard which not just basically satisfy the supplier code. KFC should improve the employee hire standards and overtime rates, moreover, invest more resources on the animal welfare programme. Eventually, they should care about the food quality, not only to product more healthy food; it also has to do more contribution in the future. 4. Benefits that corporate social responsibility can bring As Kotler and Lee (2005) have already clearly indicated that corporations which participation in corporate social initiatives could get many potential benefits. It can be see in the Appendix 2, the benefits of CSR can give a good impression to potential customers, investors, financial analysts, business colleagues; also, companies will have a great image in annual report, in the media, even in the courtroom. It is also state that the CSR is good for the employees, current customers, stockholders, and board members. Kotler and Lee (2005) also conclude that companies have experienced a range of bottom-line benefits, they have summarized six points, and each point will be explained as follows. Increased sales and market value Drumwright (1994) already mentioned that CSR will have a great effect on the customer purchase behaviour. A survey which made by Klein (1990), have stated that 75% of customers have said their purchasing decisions are influenced by a companys reputation with respect to the environment, and eight in ten have said they would pay more for products that are environmentally friendly.Therefore, it is obviously that more social responsibility that corporations taken, more sales of the product. Strengthened brand positioning Pringle and Marjorie (2001) make a statement that a company or brands contribution which links to a relevant charity or cause can make to the spirit of the brand. In their book Brand Spirit, they concluded that customers are going beyond the practical issues of functional product performance or rational product benefits and future than the emotional and psychological aspects of brand personality and image. As mentioned above in each responsibility of KFC, the spirit that participation in corporate social initiatives has given to the KFC, the brand itself. Enhanced corporate image and clout The company will gain a good image and clout from the CSR, for example, the positive press from reports, and also with a strong reputation in the community can be a real asset in times of crisis. Companies that demonstrate they are engaging in practices that satisfy and go beyond regulatory compliance requirements are being given less scrutiny and more free rein by both national and local government entities (Kotler and Lee, 2005). Increased ability to attract, motivate, and retain employees The studies that made by Cone and Roper (2000) indicate that a company that contribute to the society can have a positive influence on their current employees, as well as citizens and executives. According to their survey in 2001, there are 38% of employees who in the CSR programme are proud of their companys value which is much better than the employees who are not involved in the CSR program. Decreased operating costs Most of the companies want to decrease operating costs and increased the revenue from several corporate social initiatives. The obvious thing for the companies to do is to adopt environmental initiatives to reduce waste, reuse materials, recycle, and conserve water and electricity (Kotler and Lee, 2005). And as mentioned above, all KFC restaurants use more efficient lighting system which not only reducing the Carbon emission, but also reducing the operating costs. Increased appeal to investors and financial analysts. There also have some argue that involvement in corporate social initiatives can increase the stock value. The company who involved in corporate social initiatives could have the ability to attract new investors and reduce exposure to risk in the event of corporate or management crises (Kotler and Lee, 2005). 5. The Recommendation for KFC Kotler and Lee (2005) has mentioned six major initiatives of the corporate social responsibilities, which will be cause promotions, cause-related marketing, corporate social marketing, corporate philanthropy community volunteering and socially responsible business practices. For KFC, they have done many of them. As it can be seen in table 3, it is a list of each initiative of KFC. Table 3 KFCs Corporate Social Initiatives Description Example Cause Promotions Supporting social causes through promotional sponsorships Yum! Sponsored the USA National Pavilion at 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Cause-Related Marketing Making a contribution or donating a percentage of revenues to a specific cause based on product sales or usage Animal Welfare Program Corporate Social Marketing Supporting behaviour change campaigns Food Quality Corporate Philanthropy Making direct contributions to a charity or cause World Hunger Relief Community Volunteering Providing volunteer services in the community KFC is committed to tackling the little challenge Socially Responsible Business Practices Adopting and conducting discretionary business practices and investments that support social causes Recycled Materials and efficient lighting system. (Source: Kotler, P Lee N. (2005). Corporate social responsibility: doing the most good for your company and your course.1st ed. John Wiley Sons, Inc: Hoboken, New Jersey. ) Even though it is seems that KFC have done most of the activities of CSR, it is also has some shortage. The most oblivious one is in the cause promotions part. Cause promotion is a corporation provides funds, in-kind contributions, or other corporate resources to increase awareness and concern about a social cause or to support fundraising, participation, or volunteer recruitment for a cause (Kotler LEE,2005). However, most activities in society are sponsored by KFCs parent company YUM!, not KFC itself. The biggest shortage of that is if the customers do not know KFC is belong to the YUM!, then the awareness of KFC do not exist. KFC should do more promotions and sponsored the event itself, not just relay on the YUM!. And this problem is happened on the corporate philanthropy part. 6. Conclusion Even though different authors have indicated different kinds of definition and elements about corporate social responsibility, eventually, the main part of CSR does not change. The public will also keep eyes on the environmental, social issues and ethical issues, especially for a company with an outstanding reputation. During the course of this paper the reader will come across several findings of the corporate social responsibility pose to the Kentucky Fried Chicken. KFC has held a successful presence in UK retail industry for many years, with high levels of brand image. Kentucky Fried Chicken takes responsibility that protecting environment and involving social measures instead of waiting the government imposes particular laws. KFC should realize the important of corporate social responsibility and choose the appropriate way to carry out those measures. My placement at KFC has been a valuable experience, being able to observe how to run a restaurant in regard to its social responsibility. Clearly, it is useful for my future career and reward for my whole life. Not only broad my horizon but also enrich my life. 7. Appendix 7.1 Appendix 1 Employment Practices: Working Hours Conditions: according to the relevant laws, code and regulations, suppliers should make sure their employees safety and healthy working conditions in everyday and every week; meanwhile, they could not ask employees for overtime work. Non-Discrimination: suppliers should follow the local laws which illuminate the organizations should not take color, religion, sex, age, physical and national origin as the reasons why they employ workers. Child Labor: suppliers should not hire the employees under the legal age. For instance, YUM! dose not hire the employees who under 14 years of age. Forced and Indentured Labor: According to the existing law status, any Suppliers should not use workers in servitude for working or producing goods for Yum. Also, the labor should be physically and legally free from any physical, psychological, confinement, or sexual harassment under the Suppliers control. Notification to Employees:

Msg And Its Neurological Effects Biology Essay

Msg And Its Neurological Effects Biology Essay Due to evolving since in fields such as food science pharmacology, pediatrics, medical psychology, and toxicology, various food additives have come under a sharp review. In the medical field, a controversy has been ranging as to whether MSG should be used at all since diverse research case studies have not only shown its negative effects on health in general but also its neurological effects. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) has been used as a flavorant in the food industry for close to one hundred years in foods consumed by the masses daily. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies MSG as a food ingredient that is considered generally safe for use by the public, a number of researches such as by Schwartz have shown that it is harmful to the users health and should therefore be banned. Glutamate is naturally found in foods such as milk, poultry, meat and vegetables. Further, the body naturally produces glutamate which is essential for the nervous system. However, syntheti c manufacture has been proven to be harmful. This study purposefully outlines such effects on the nervous sytem and serves to support other recent findings against the use of MSG. Introduction MSG is a food additive that is found in most of the commercial foods. It improves the flavor of the food hence attracting customers. In itself, there is no value addition in terms of nutrition. It actually does nothing to food, but to the eater it is detrimental to their health. MSG is referred to as an excitotoxin or neurotoxin. This is the case since it widely involves the neuroscientists field in that it has degenerative and deadly effects on the brain and the nervous system. MSG actually over stimulates the brain neurons to exhaustion leading to their death. MSG goes to the brain through the membranes in the mouth and the throat. It also enters the blood stream through the digestion of food in the digestive system. MSG will trick the brain to thinking that it is getting value from the foods that are being taken in. MSG is not natural in nature. It is manmade from glutamic acid which is an amino acid which is found in complete proteins. Amino acids do occur naturally from many pla nts and animal tissues. The artificially created types of Amino acids are processed through the breakdown and the change of the natural form of glutamate. Some of the natural substances used for this purpose are molasses, grain starches and corn. The manipulation process produces various form of glumate. The d-glumate is never found naturally. The free glumates could enter the body 8 to 10 times faster than the bound or the natural glumates. Natural glumate is found in foods like tomatoes, milk and the mushrooms. The commercial methods or techniques used to manufacture glumate were not in use until the 1960s. The MSG in use today is not at all natural Literature review The current research shows that MSG is the cause of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers Huntingtons, Parkinsons and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neuroscientists, such as Adriene, have explained that MSG attacks the blood-brain barrier of the brain cells which is responsible for protection and regulation of the delicate chemical exchange within the brain cells. The chemical exchange process is normally well balanced and its functionality is unquestionable. Under normal conditions also the brain and the body immune system handles all kinds of pollutants, diseases and stress. A very small amount of toxic substance can actually cause the brain call to over react leading to excessive exhaustion and death (Samuels). MSG is one of the major excitotoxins and is widely known to cause damage to the brain part that governs or controls other systems in the human body. The damage will probably appear as a disorder in the nervous system and the endocrine system. This can be manifested in the cases of unusual sleeping patterns, persistent hunger and food cravings. This usually leads to obesity. MSG is also known to cause migraine headaches, behavioral disorders, asthma attacks, depression, heart irregularities, arthritis, sinus problems and digestive problems (Anglesey). MSG is a neurotoxin that takes a very short time to create a widely diverse and dramatic effect on the human body. An individual may take a mild dosage of a prescription drug and have mild effects which may even be favorable. However, another person may take the same prescription drug and instead, get depressed, have stomach disorders, a swollen tongue and aching joints. The different parts of the brain do govern various body functions. The part which is attacked will directly depend on the brain part that has been attacked by the excitotoxin. If for example a person has had a head injury, a genetic pinch in a given part of the brain, has had a fever that is attacking parts of the brain, or even has had a stroke, then it is certain that the part of the brain that has been affected will be due to the toxins. Some of the foods that are sold are sold as weight loss promotions to the people. When food substances such as fat and sugar are removed from the foods, MSG together with aspartame is usually added. These excitotoxins are known to cause obesity and irregular heartbeats in many people. FDA usually allows the labeling of MSGS as natural flavors, hydrolyzed proteins and autolyzed yeast when used as just a component ingredient in an additive and not purely MSG. Americans today are consuming 160 million pounds of MSG per annum. A toxicologist and an author by the name Dr, George Schwartz claims that two table spoons of MSG on a piece of bread could kill a medium sized dog within a minute. The FDA in the year 1995 claimed that no one can react to less than 3 grams of MSG per meal. However, despite their confirmation, they have warned that MSG should be avoided by children, pregnant or lactating women, the elderly and those who suffer Asthma. A highly sensitive individual can react even to less than a gram of MSG (Blaylock). Effects and Related disorders Research has shown that in the late 1950s, an estimated amount of 12 grams per person per year of MSG was used by the Americans. Looking at the same issue today, the estimate has shot to between 400 and 500 grams per person per year. This is an amount that needs evaluation by FDA. (Anglesey) The wide usage of MSG came in the mid 1970s. It gained much popularity with producers of food through the 1980s. Two powerful excitotoxic food additives that took the food industry by storm were the MSG and aspartame. MSG has been widely associated with a wide range of diseases, symptoms and complaints. As earlier stated, it affects the neurological system of the body. The same ailments are today being reported to be on their rise. Often the ailments are quite unexpected and hard to explain either. Neorological effects of MSG and statistics of interest published by national organizations have been listed here-in. Fibromyalgia: this is a growing epidemic. Its patients eliminated MSG and aspartame during the study conducted by Florida University which reported complete relief of symptoms in 2001. However, the most cognitive study was carried by Smith, Shmidt and Guns who sought to prove the link between Fibromyalgia and MSG with several other additives as a common rheumatologic disorder. In this case, 4 patients were diagnosed for 2-17 years with fibromyalgia syndrome. However, they had undergone various modalities of treatment while failing to consider MSG as the causative agent. After eliminating aspartame and MSG from their diets, complete or near complete resolution of symptoms diagnosed were recorded within months. In this case analysis, the subjects were women who had multiple comorbidities and recurring symptoms after the ingestion of MSG. It is therefore indicative that t he excitotoxins, present in substances such as Aspartate and MSG, become excitatory neurotransmitters once ingested, and if consumed in excess can lead to neurotoxicity. These 4 patients may therefore represent this fibromyalgia syndrome and act as a link to conclusively establish a link to MSG. Therefore, persistent studies, if carried out on a larger sample, might serve to link the fibromyalgia syndrome to MSG and aspartame more concretely (Murray). Further, a study posted in MSGTruth.org is instrumental in linking MSG to pituitary adenomas. MSG overstimulates the hypothalamus which consequently leads damage on the neurons. The hypothalamus is responsible for directing the pituitary glands actions, which is also referred to as the master gland since it in turn directs all other glands in the body and their actions such as metabolism, development of sex and reproductive organs and other key development functions. Statistics have shown that 25% of Kenyans develop a pituitary adenoma in the course of their lives. However, studies linking pituitary adenomas to MSG are inconclusive. Some studies had previously depicted this as a genetic disorder but have however been proven wrong. About half of the pituitary adenomas secrete prolactin. Prolactinomas vcan become extremely large over time to crowd the optic nerve thereby affecting vision. It is however detected early in women since it interferes with menses and stops ovulation. This prevents conception or pregnancy in general. Further, since prolactin is responsible for lactation, secretion can cause lactation in the victim even if they were never pregnant or even if they are male. Hence, men with these adenomas develop breasts which have the capacity to secrete milk. Unlike in women who are forewarned by the effects on vision or associated headaches, this condition is deadly in men since the tumor can only be detected when it is large and dangerous. Further, research records by most governments are only kept for cancerous tumors while benign tumor, such as in this case, are neglected hence making it the more difficult not only to research on especially as to its link to aspartine and MSG but also to treat. Trea tment is very expensive. There are only two treatments with Dostinex, a carbegoline, is normally preferred which costs approximately $ 30 a tablet. Therefore, there is a need to sponsor more research as to the link to MSG and brain tumors (Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and Aspartame). Other effects that have been attributed to MSG and its neurological disorders are headaches and migraines, asthma, obesity among others. In headaches and migraines: an approximate amount of $ 2.2 billion per year are being spent on drugs which treat headaches. This chronic condition has received a 74% increase from the years 1980 to 1990. Secondly, Asthma has been linked to MSG and related to the brain effects. According to statistics there was a decline of asthma until the mid-eighties. Since then however, there has been a recorded 100% increase in the rate of death among the children and the seniors. This incidence has increased 600% in the last 10 years. FDA has identified that the uncontrollable asthma can be caused by MSG, unfortunately no further measures are taken to deal with the situation. Defects of birth and disorders of production: MSG has been identified as a mutagen i.e. mutates fetuses. It is said to cause damage to the intellectual development, reproduction, growth pa tterns and the gonadal functions. However, such research has not been concrete. Other effects are neurological or emotional disorders. Laboratory studies have shown devastating effects on brain development. This includes autism, attention deficit, dyslexia, hyperactivity, violent episodes or rage, panic attacks, depression, paranoia, seizures and cerebral palsy. Rats were used for this study. However, human beings are 5 times more sensitive to MSG than rats. Obesity too has been linked to MSG and the nervous system. This is the most consistent effect of excitotoxins exposure and can be termed as a growing problem that does not respect age or sexual boundaries. In fact scientists uses glumate to feed animals used in the laboratories with an aim of inducing obesity. MSG will trigger insulin or adrenalin or fat storage or even a food craving response. This actually depletes the serotonin levels which in turn trigger headaches, depression and fatigue and also leads to food cravings. Finally, it is vital to note the following maladies and diseases are also attributed to MSG. Heart maladies: for the Americans, more than 70 million of them do suffer one or more forms of cardiovascular disease. 43% of all deaths in America are related to this same problem. Cardiovascular operations in the US went up with 287% from the year 1980 to 1990. Alzheimers disease: in the 1980s, this disease was nowhere among the highly identifiable health threats. It is however ranked third in todays statistics after cancer and heart disease. There are 4 million people afflicted by the disease at a cost of $47,000 per person per year in healthcare costs. Parkinsons, ALS, MS and the Huntingtons diseases like Alzheimers are all progressively growing neurogenic diseases that show brain and nerve cell damage. There are also other symptoms of MSG sensitivity that include swollen throat and tongue, joint pain, skin disorders, sleeping disorders, burning, tightness of the face or its redness, vert igo and gastrointestinal complaints. This subject of disorders in behavior for children is becoming a common discussion among professionals. The Studies that are already done have widely associated the violent behavior, attention deficits and emotional instability to chemical imbalances occurring in the brain. The reason that young brains are developing the blood-brain barrier, it is now becoming an extreme possibility that there will be early damage caused by excitotoxins. In April 1994, a time magazine article confirmed the rising problem of behavioral disorders. The magazine stated that the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was not in existence 15 years ago. It is however said that it is now affecting 3.3 million American children. This magazine article quotes a prominent research which 10 years ago stated that symptoms of ADHD and ADD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) vanished with maturity. Today however, ADD is now the fastest growing diagnostic category for the adults. The combination of excitotoxins i.e. MSG and aspartame came into wide usage in the 1980s. The drug sale rate for these disorders has shot up by almost 400% in a period of 4 years only. MSG is now a known mutagen. Its damage occurs in the womb as chemicals pass from the womb of the mother into the blood system of the fetus. The old people do show high vulnerability rates to the progressive neuro-generative diseases. An example of such diseases is Alzheimers.

John Huston the Dead Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The film, The Dead, directed by John Houston, is based on a short story that takes place in Dublin, Ireland around 1904. In Ireland at this time there is much conflict between the Catholics and the Protestants, whether Ireland should be part of Great Britain or not. This narrative is intended to show life in Ireland at this time as real as possible. The music during the story is a constant reminder of the mood of the film; the music is generally sad, but when needed it is in a happier tone. Everything about the film adds to the despair that all of the characters eventually feel at some time in the film.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie ends up being a very morbid film. All of the emotions from the characters make the film have a melancholy undertone....