Inventory Control System Essay

This study is established towards gathering and developing strategies that could solve the inappropriate inventory system of 7-eleven Sto. Rosario, Angeles City Outlet. The researchers established Trend analysis (regress over time) and Basic Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) to solve problem of inappropriate inventory management. The findings of this study revealed the problem on the current inventory management system that is evident in the product overstocking and under stocking problem of 7-eleven. Forecasting demand may improve the ordering quantity every time they place an order and EOQ may result in the significant savings for the company. The Story of Convenience Shopping 7-eleven pioneered the convenience store concept way back in `1927 at the Southland Ice Company in Dallas, Texas. In addition to selling blocks of ice to refrigerated food, an enterprising ice dock employee began offering milk, bread and eggs on Sundays and evenings when grocery stores were closed. This new business idea produced ideas that satisfied customers and increased sales, and convenience retailing was born. The company’s first convenience outlets were known as Tote’m stores since customers â€Å"Toted† away their purchases and some even sported genuine Alaskan totem poles in front. In 1946, Tote’m became 7-Eleven to reflect the stores’ new, extended hours 7 a.m until 11 p.m., seven days a week. The companu’s corporate name was changed from the Southland Corporation to 7-Eleven, inc, in 1999. Each Store focuses on meeting the needs of busy shoppers by providing a broad selection of fresh, high quality products and services at everyday fair prices, along with speedy transactions and a clean,safe and friendly shopping environment. In year 2004, 7-Eleven located at Sto. Rosario Street Angeles City was established under the management of Edgar Nucum who was the first manager under corporate group of the Philippine Seven Corporation. However, on May 2, 2005, the said business was turnover To Mevin Teopaco because of the conversion of the establishments from corporate to franchisee  Mr. Teopaco who took the business through formal application and training on how to run the business. He is responsible for ordering, buying and maintaining inventory, hiring and training employees, as well on payroll, cash variation, supplies, certain repairs, maintenance and other controllable in store expenses. The company’s mission is t offer time-conscious customers a full range of products and services that meet their ever-changing daily needs through quality, speed, selection and value in a safe, friendly and pleasant environment. And their vision is to â€Å"become a recognized leader in providing time-conscious consumers with a full-range of products and services that meet their ever-changing daily needs. We will be the customer-preffered convenience store by exceeding customer expectations through quality, speed, selection, and value in a safe and pleasant environment, treating our employees with dignity and respect, recognizing our franchisees and suppliers as business partners, being a good corporate citizen. Achieving our vision and continued growth will provide our shareholders with a beter than competitive return on their investments†. Inventories are ordered on a daily basis and delivered through central distribution located in Pasig City. Inventories are individually monitored thorugh monitoring sheet report, sales and ordering are incorporated at SAS System that link to POS (Point of Sales). Although Mr. Teopaco had special training in managing the said business, still sometimes he experienced and encountered different problems related to operation such as inventory losses. Such problem is caused by different factors. This problem arises when the management encounters discrepancy in the delivery of the products. However, there are products, which the store provides but not salable. Such products sty longer in the store and become spoiled. Which are referred to as bad merchandise or BM. In effect, the company experience losses on inventories because such scenario usually happens in the store. Since the store is open 24 hours a day and the security system of the store is not that fully implemented, there are customers who shop lift from the store especially â€Å"out-of-sight† and small products. Sometimes the management could not trace those products until they make an inventory count. Another thing is that some employees do unnecessary things in the store like eating some of the products or keeping them. In such case, inventory losses happen. The occurrence of these different factors led to the existence of a current  problem, which need to be monitored and evaluated by the management in order to achieve the desired objectives of the said company. The Current Situation on the Inventory Management of 7Eleven The main problem 7Eleven is currently facing is the inventory losses as shown on Figure 1. This problem exists because of different factors that the management should eliminate or if not, at least minimize. Such factors are the theft and shoplifiting that result to lesser sales or profit, and obsolescence of the products that result to high inventory sales. Unavailability of the prodcuts results to stock-outs and lower sales because customers tend to patronize competitor’s products. The second factor that led to the afordeimentioned problem is inefficient employees. Inefficient employees can occur just like not performing their duties well and sometimes by concealing merchandise in a purse, pocket, or bag and removing it from the store. It can also occur by stealing cash, allowing others to steal merchandise, eating the goods and sometimes some employees do not punch other products sold. Employee theft can sometimes be charges as embezzlement due to be trusted fiduciary status of the employee. Being inefficient employee can also result dissatisfied customer. All of these methods lead to loss of inventory(shrinkage) and/or profit for the merchant. Preventing employee theft and being irresponsible is a constant challenge for the store. The store knows that it must put systems in place to prevent or deter internal theft. To be effective, loss prevention systems must be designed to reduce the opportunity,desire, and motivation for employee theft. Basic loss prevention steps involve good procedures for hiring, training and supervision of employees and managers. Procedures that are clearly defined, articulated, and fully implemented will reduce opportunity, desire, and motivation for employees to steal. For others, the only barrier to dishonesty is the fear of being caught. The employee thief risks being fired, arrested, jailed, and paying restitution. The other cause of the said problem is the inefficient inventory control system.With this, inventories are not properly controlled which results to a high percentage of spoilage or expiration of some products. When an inefficient valuation is assigned to the inventory, it may end up having higher inventory expense. Moreover, it will be costly on the part of the store. To determine the cost to be associated with the inventory, a physical inventory must be taken in order to determing the number of units present. Then, the costs are attached to each item in the inventory. When dealing with the inventories, cost should be interpreted to mean the sum of all direct or indirect charges incurred in bringing an item of inventory to its existing condition and/or location. The store have a price tag or a universal product code, it is acommon practice to take the physical inventory at the store from these price tags and codes it can determine their inventory. Maintenance of inventory losses may result in lost sales and disgruntled customers. The last factor is the lack of security control system because of limited employees that wil oversee the inventories specially those that are not visible. In effect, shoplifting and theft arises. Technology alone will not eliminate retail theft. Store who wants to reduce losses should also Strive to provide good customer service and promote high job satisfactions levels among its retail sales associates. Stores that utilize security technologies generally have lower overall inventory shrinkage than those retailers who do not. Technology also allows employees to focus more time on assisting customers and less on patrolling the aisles. Inventory is considered the current asset to the store because it will normally be sold within the store’s operating cycle.   All of the said causes result in inventory losses and lead to different effects, such as, lesser profits/sales, dissatisfied customers, and stock-outs. These are not beneficial to the company so the management need to find ways on how to overcome the causes that lead to the above effects.

All Quiet on the Western Front Essay

Paul Baumer’s experiences of the war transforms him into someone of whom some may describes as lacking in expression, immoral, and maybe even a systematic automaton. These traits are often emphasized throughout his duty in World War II and are even furthermore supported through harsh traumatic incidents. But like all young adults, his innocent mind was concealed from the true face of war, and before such time, he was like any other teenage boy. It is evident that he was particularly interested in school and would sometime recollects back to his regular life, such as things â€Å"that [is]at home in the draws of [his] writing table lies the beginning of a play called ‘Saul’ and a bundle of poems† (19). However, once he joined the army, he lose all sight of such pleasure and as the global conflict drags on deeper, his range of expression begins to narrowed into what was only necessary, and his daily routine soon becomes systematic. He changes so much that he ceased to see the light of all things, and his thoughts and actions soon turns into that of immoral kinds. However, even though the darkness of war soon engulfs most of his conscience, there still lies a small light of hope, the light of his genuine human soul. Many cannot realize the terror war brings, and often, the soldiers are the one who are the most affected. The journey endured in combat can draws one’s hopes out and input fear and reinstall the human instincts as one thinks purely of survival. But unlike most, Paul began such journey at a very young age, and was not yet ready to experience the world. He has yet to even see the real world, but quickly jumps into the middle of the world’s largest conflict. The training camp was the first step to the extraction of his personality. After weeks of preparations for the front, Paul and his friend soon realized that â€Å"what matters is not the mind but the boot brush, not intelligence but the system, not freedom but the drill† (22). The boys soon divert back to their ancestor’s state of mind, an era where survival of the whole is the first priority while anything else comes afterwards. Beneath the wall of apathy Paul has built up, there still exists a spark of humanity. Paul can still feel things like grief and over the death of friends like Kat, where Paul is stunned to learn that Kat is dead, â€Å"Do I walk? Have I feet still?† Paul’s emotions, although restricted, are still there. Paul tries to preserve himself and his soul throughout the war in the hopes of making the world a better place. Although he knows that he probably won’t succeed in his goals because he and the rest of his generation are so beat down by the loss and horror of war, â€Å"†¦we will grow older, a few will adapt themselves, some others will merely submit, and most will be bewildered; the years will pass by and we shall fall into ruin† the fact that he still hopes and cares, â€Å"But perhaps all this that I think is mere melancholy and dismay, which will fly away†¦ enough to want to fix the problems that started this war and maybe even prevent others from going through this ever again† shows that even at the worst of times, shows that Paul manages to preserve his humanity (294). In another occasion such as when one of his comrade, Kemmerich, dies, he channeled his thoughts toward the justification of Muller claiming his soon deceased friend’s boots. Although Paul did express some sympathy towards his dying friend, it seems almost artificial as he quickly turned his attention towards a more important matter, at least in his mind, the matter of Kemmerich’s belongings. He begins to speculates about who should claim what and should they really be claiming it. Of course, the rule of survival conjures up in his mind, and he remembered that â€Å"†¦the boots [were] quite inappropriate to Kemmerich’s circumstances, whereas Muller [could] make good use of them† (21). He even went further to justify the claim by stating that, â€Å"we have lost all sense of other considerations, because they are artificial. Only the facts area real and important for us. And good boots are scarce† (21). This presents a concept derived from the war, in which personal thoughts and individualism is limited and physical survival is accentuates. In a indirect way, his last thought depicts the barbarism of war, that way Man steps back in development and his conscience becomes simple; he only view upon on his needs and nothing else. For war is a two sided coin, with one side, the objective is seen as the motive, while on the other side, a sacrifice must be made to achieve the objective. But ignorantly, we ignore the mean and only focus upon the end. We hope that our actions, the vision of our â€Å"better world† will be achieved, and that the world will become more peaceful. But our efforts are in vain, and our hope is nothing more than a child’s dream. War is a cycle, of which will never end. It’s there to resolve problems momentary. It’s there to break us down, and remind us that we are nothing more than savages who seek power and land. What others may see as normal and moral may be view differently by those who is not in their position. Frequently throughout Paul’s journey as a soldier, his actions were often viewed upon as immoral; in that he gave little thoughts to his action, almost to the extent that he could not think of the situation any other way. In a specific incident, one of his younger comrade was badly wounded and would eventually die, so he and Kate agreed upon that â€Å"[they] ought to put him out of his miseryâ €  (72). Many of a third perspective may deem that as inhuman, to shoot some just to shorten their pain. Perhaps in his view, he was helping the poor lad by ending what would be a week or so of hell before he dies. But such thoughts may lead one to wonder if he may even think himself as a being greater than other, one who is has the authority to decide for the life of another. Humans are defined by our extension of complex thinking and our ability to empathize another. But in this case, Paul has yet to know how the pain of being severely injured, and only thought upon his assumptions. If he was in any other position, his first normal reaction may have been to carry that boy to the nearest help. As the war drags him into more the intensified front, he soon comes across â€Å"[young recruits] flock together like sheep instead of scattering, and even wounded are shot down like hares by airmen† (130). He sees some died right in front of him and some who runs out due to claustrophobia. However, in none of these occasions did he mourn for the dead, or even consider emotions such as sadness and sympathy. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he may have encountered numerous of such sight. When Paul sees the young recruits being kill due to lack of experience, he

Not sure Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Not sure - Research Proposal Example This was a triggering event for me, and I decided to research more. My research gave me a lot of literature about the mechanics of the SLR camera, and its preferred advantages over other forms of camera. I also gained a lot of resource material on the different brands of SLR and digital SLR (DSLR). However, when I was viewing the disadvantages of SLR I found out that one of the disadvantages of the SLR is that the mirror system can cause noise. I researched more on it, but could not get enough information. One of the reasons why noise came into the images was because of the thermal effect. Therefore it struck me if using a sensor cooling system in consumer grade DSLRs can reduce noise. I tried to find more literature if such cooling sensors are being used in consumer grade models. There was some information available on the usage of CCD sensors in DSLR for use in astrophotography; however, there was no literature or trial models in the market which used cooling systems for SLR in consumer grade models. Therefore I decided to base my research on the scope of developing a consumer grade SLR that integrated cooling systems to reduce noise. My research paper reviews the DSLR mechanics, and its merits and demerits over other forms of cameras. In the later part, the paper explores the science behind noise, and how it is overcome. It then goes on to justify that why cooling sensors can decrease noise. The paper outlines an experiment that could be performed in order to assess if cooling sensors can decrease noise. The paper also provides safety precautions that need to be taken and the scope, if the experiment is successful, of such DSLR models in the market for cameras today. As mentioned above, one of the disadvantages of consumer-grade DSLR is that the signal to noise ratio is high. Therefore the experiment is designed to investigate how one a certain type of sensor can reduce this ratio. The first step

History of ESPN and Sportcenter and how it has been able to leverage Essay

History of ESPN and Sportcenter and how it has been able to leverage the media - Essay Example Through instituting a fluid business model that has incorporated a diverse range of sport and market goals. Since the company’s origin, it has expanded from coverage of traditional sports such as baseball, football, and basketball, to exist at the forefront of the country’s interest in sporting, with such diverse coverage including the X-Games, Lacrosse, and high school and regional events. In addition to the expanding sports coverage, ESPN has expanded the medium of its expression through the incorporation of the sports reporting vehicle SportsCenter, as well as a ESPN the Magazine, and the ESPN.com website which has become a leader in online sports reporting. This research essay considers the means that ESPN has been able to leverage the cable media market through an examination of its historical trajectory and expanding business model. It considers both its internal and external means of change and expansion as well as how its business model has fundamentally changed since its 1970s inception. It also examines the means by which it can continue to expand and leverage the market into the 21st century. Bill Rasmussen, at the time an unemployed sportscaster, was the individual responsible for first envisioning the ESPN Network. In 1978 Rasmussen was fired by the World Hockey Association where had had worked as a sportscaster and director of operations. His initial business interest was to develop a means of broadcasting University of Connecticut basketball through cable companies throughout the state of Connecticut. During this period satellite technology had recently emerged as a viable means of connecting signals to cable broadcasters throughout the region. The RCA Company had a number of underutilized satellites with which Rasmussen was able to broker a deal and lease time. Indeed, RCA had 6 transponder sites non-operational, making

Multiple Synthesis Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Multiple Synthesis - Lab Report Example The Biltz’s process of synthesizing phenytoin involves several steps, with each step forming a product that will be used in the next step. The process starts with the synthesis of benzil from benzoin, which then undergoes condensation catalysis by a base with urea. The multistep synthesis of various natural products, most of which are used as medicine, is necessary because of the lack of naturally occurring starting materials, and also because of the reason that multistep synthesis allows for the modification of various functional groups in the medicine, thus improving efficiency. 1.3 grams of thiamine hydrochloride were dissolved in 4.0 mL of distilled water in a 50 mL Erlenmeyer flask. 1.5 mL of 95% ethanol was added to the flask and the mixture cooled in an ice water bath. 2.5 mL of 3.0M sodium hydroxide was added dropwise to the solution while swirling. The temperature of the reaction system was maintained at below 20⠁ °C. While swirling the flask, 7.5 mL of benzaldehyde was added to the flask and the mixture heated in a water bath at 50⠁ °C for ten minutes. The flask was labeled and covered with a Parafilm ® and then placed in a fume hood for one week. The inside of the flask was gently scratched with a glass stir rod to induce crystallization. Since no crystals formed, the stir rod was dipped into the liquid and removed, and then allowed to dry in air. The flask was placed in a water bath with a temperature of 60⠁ °C to evaporate off some ethanol and then cooled in an ice bath. The color of the solution was noted down. 4.00 grams of the benzoin provided were added to a 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask. The mixture was heated in a water bath in a fume hood until the mixture stopped producing brown-colored gas. The flask was then removed from the water bath and then 75.0 mL of distilled water added to the mixture. The mixture

Texting While Driving Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Texting While Driving - Research Paper Example The irony in the story notwithstanding the lesson is clear that texting while driving is a dangerous practice and the more one does it the more likely they are to end up in a crash. Taking cognizance of the fact that driving by itself is dangerous, allowing texting, which has been proven to increase ones chances of losing control of a vehicle, is illogical, irresponsible and different from allowing drunk driving. Each day 15 people are killed while over 1200 are injured in car crashes that involve a distracted driver, whereby these distractions involve taking one’s eyes of the road, hands of the wheel or focusing on something else besides driving. What do all this distractions have in common is that any driver driving and texting will have to engage in at least one or all of these distractions at some point during the writing; the more they text, the more likely they are to veer off the road or hit another car, pedestrian or object. In this paper, it will be proven through res earch and statistical data as well as logical reasoning that texting while driving is a dangerous practice that needs to be curbed with all urgency. Due to the increased availability of mobile phones and other hand held devices;  texting and driving has been on the increase in the last few years; studies have attested to the increasing number of accidents related to texting. Statistics reveal that in the year 2009 more than 54,000 people died, as a result of distractions while driving with 240 000 being injured as a result of the same (â€Å"Injury Prevention & Control†¦"). This resulted to AAA launching a campaign to ensure that texting and driving were outlawed in all the American states without exemption in an effort to mitigate the often-dire consequences of texting while driving (AAA). They registered a considerable level of success since after the ban was implemented in California, the percentage of drivers texting went down by approximately 70 percent (AAA). In June 2 012 a Massachusetts teen was sentenced to serve one year in jail for involvement in deadly car while writing a text, under the new state laws that criminalize injuring someone while texting and driving (Conan). In ten American States, talking on hand held devices are not allowed while 32 ban cellphone usage by novice drivers, while 39 have banned texting and driving. It is worth noting that more states have banned texting while driving than taking and receiving calls by both seasoned and novice drivers; this is because with time people are realizing how fatal the simple action of sending a text can be. Ironically, the texts are often inconsequential messages that were not necessarily urgent such as a discussion about what one had for lunch or sharing jokes; thus it begs the question whether such trivial interactions are worth risking life and limb. Texting while driving has been proven seriously impair the drivers reaction speed on road, considering that drivers often have to make s plit second decisions which at time involve life and death, this poses a consummate risk to themselves and other or road user in their way. Consider a study carried out at the Texas Transportation Institute; 42 drivers were asked to drive while texting on an 11 mile test track and they were required to stop when they saw a flashing light, the experiment was also done when they were not texting. The researchers recorded the reaction times in the different cases, and according to this study, drivers

Sociology Research Proposal - Second part to Literature Review Essay

Sociology Research Proposal - Second part to Literature Review - Essay Example The American September 11, 2001 World Trade Centre tragedy was one of severe calamity which claimed many lives. The 9/11 event was followed by another act of terrorism on July 7 in London: A bombing in 2005 which claimed 56 lives. These two activities dominated much of media attention worldwide creating a linkage of a particular religious group in these two activities. The method by which media reporting of these terrorist activities is presented often portrays Islamic-based or Muslim groups in an unfavourable light, creating questions as to the credibility of reporting the events as being somewhat biased. Media reporting often fails to report terrorist activities with objectivity, leaving Australian citizens with a one-sided viewpoint regarding the Islamic faith as a whole, likely creating a level of unsubstantiated discrimination against this entire religious group. This proposed study is designed to examine the reporting methods and media portrayal of Islamic terrorist organizations which might be competently attributed to Australian social discrimination against Muslim individuals. It is proposed that this link can be established between media and Islamic discrimination through analysis of media content within the period followed by the September 11 and July 7 terrorist tragedies. The recent increase in global terrorist activities and the method by which terrorists have conducted many of their hostile activities have attracted attentions of individuals from media and society as a whole. Repetitive press linkage of one particular religious group has given rise to the interest behind this research. The aforementioned American and British tragedies have boosted the over-generalization of the Muslim community as a whole by the media worldwide. Even more specific, Australian media has taken an active interest in the portrayal of those in the Islamic faith as being generically linked to terrorist

Are actors and professional athletes paid too much Essay - 1

Are actors and professional athletes paid too much - Essay Example Perhaps the life of glamor experienced by such individuals does not do much to dispel this argument. Among athletes idolized in terms of payments include Arnold Schwarzenegger; a former bodybuilder later turned actor and a governor of California. Arnold, who is better known for his roles in Conan the Barbarian and the Terminator and the Expendables, is rumored to be among those that are highly paid in the industry. What is interesting is that he has lived in both sides of the acting and athlete jobs. Others include Dwayne â€Å"the rock† Johnson, who rose to fame as a professional wrestler with WWE. According to the Hollywood Reporter Magazine, actors such as Robert Downey Jr. and Sandra Bullock top the list when it comes to payments. Downey Jr’s $ 75 million emanates from his 7 percent slice in Iron Man # and a whopping $12 million from HTC endorsement deal. However, before we roast actors and actresses due to their salaries, we should know that there seems to be some discrimination among the big stars and those not considered as big stars. â€Å"When you a big star, you get well paid, with the middle being cut out,† one top agent commented on the Hollywood Reporter magazine. So much so that, Leornardo DiCaprio earned $25 million for the hit movie The Wolf of Wall Street with co-star Jonah Hill only managing $600000. What’s more is that DiCaprio even got nominated for an Oscar because of his â€Å"troubles.† According to Hollywood Life, The Big Bang Theory Fans are â€Å"outraged† over the multi-million deal lead actors Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, and Johnny Galecki have signed with CBC. What’s funny is that one would normally presume that fans would be thrilled by the news that their favorite sitcom actors would be bagging more. â€Å"Prior to the reported new deal, each actor was earning $350000. The trio has now tripled their paychecks having signed on for three

Plan is a Magic Instrument for All Essay Example for Free

Plan is a Magic Instrument for All Essay Plan is a small, four-lettered, apparently innocuous-looking word packed with power that can make or break the world, both literally and figuratively. In fact the connotation of the word plan spreads across the universe, as even the universe is an outcome of a divine plan! There is a plethora of definitions of plan (Definitions, 2010), but this author finds plan as an instrument applicable under any circumstance that needs a systematic arrangement of thoughts, things, actions and outcomes. It is a Magic Instrument for All The above definition carries a fair hint about the potential of this word, besides hinting about its multidimensional utility value as an instrument, applicable in all possible spheres. To Jack Welch, a plan may sound the outcome of a business venture, while to Le Corbusier, a plan may sound as the precursor of joy associated with an architectural form, to a football coach, plan might sound as the passage towards victory over the opponent. This shows that plan acts as a procedure towards achieving both physical and metaphysical objectives. In the process it can be seen that plan is associated with futuristic implications and present state of skill with which one plans. From this perspective plan brings forth the issues like ability and application, where the ability serves a pointer to both cognitive and emotional intelligence, because there is no denying the fact that the degrees of emotional and cognitive ability have correlations with the quality of a plan. It is that internal organization of individuals that gets reflected in their actions. Another subject is virtually embedded with plan, i. e. , innovation. Plan does not follow the beaten path more often than not, and thus it requires a unique organization of a thought that would be capable of coming into a full cycle like beginning, middle and end. From this perspective one can say, plan is an instrument to unearth dreams – it helps humans to give form to the intrinsic desires. Conclusion While plan is an all-pervasive instrument to cut short the road towards goal in general, for a thinker it is a magic instrument that enables humans to organize their intrinsic thoughts to cut short the road towards self-actualization. References Definitions of Plan on the Web. (2010). Retrieved May 1, 2010, from http://www. google. co. in/search? hl=enclient=firefox-arls=org. mozilla:en- US:officialdefl=enq=define:planei=MO_bS95RxbasB8PPsP0Hsa=Xoi= glossary_definitionct=titleved=0CAkQkAE

Psychopathy Essay Example for Free

Psychopathy Essay There have been many studies linking conduct disorder to antisocial personality disorder and sometimes to psychopathy as well. Conduct disorder appears in children and adolescents and involves behavior that violates rights of others and/or societal norms or rules. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), the individual’s behavior must include actions such as aggression to people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, serious violations of rules, as well as a clinically significant impairment in the adolescent’s social, academic, or occupational functioning. The DSM-IV states that in order for a child or adolescent to be found to be presenting Conduct Disorder he or she must present with three or more of the above listed behaviors in the past twelve months, including at least one in the past six months (McCaullum, pp. 6-12, 2001). Those who present with antisocial personality disorder may or may not present with psychopathy. There are two main assessment devices used to evaluate the level of psychopathy that a person exhibits. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was developed by Robert Hare in 1980 and revised in 1991 (Blair et al, 2005). The Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) is another device used to assess psychopathy in adults (Frick Hare, 2001a). Both of these assessments consist of twenty behavioral items, scored from zero to two, that are used to measure whether or not a person possesses certain traits that, when combined, are common to those of people diagnosed with psychopathy. There have been many research studies conducted over the years concerning the validity and effectiveness of the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised. One such study was aimed at assessing whether or not the level of psychopathy of an individual, as measured by the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised, was correlated to that individual’s probability of violent recidivism (Tengstrom, Grann, Langstrom, Kullgren, 2000). The study had a sample size of 202 male violent offenders presenting with schizophrenia that ranged in ages from 16 to 67. The base rate for each individual’s Psychopathy Checklist- Revised score was 26 and the base rate for reconvictions during follow-up was 21% (Tengstrom, Grann, Langstrom, Kullgren, 2000). Overall, his study showed a positive relationship between score on the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised and the level of violent recidivism. The implications of this research study show that the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised can be used as a tool to gauge the likelihood of reconvictions concerning violent crimes, at least when discussing male violent offenders that present with schizophrenia. Another study, conducted by Walters and colleagues (2003), strived to determine whether the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised or the Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form (LCSF) compared to each other when assessing levels of disciplinary adjustment and recidivism. Although the results of the study showed that the two tests were similar in results, the Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form only took about ten minutes to complete while the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised takes between two and three hours (Walters et al, 2003). Therefore, it was concluded in the study that if there was a high risk of offender recidivism or disciplinary maladjustment, the Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form would possibly be a better choice due to the cost-effectiveness of the inventory. Due to the abundance of characteristics tested for in the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised, there have been many studies to assess which of those have a greater effect than others when discussing propensity to commit violent offenses. According to Blair and associates (2002), one of the specific symptoms presented in individuals with psychopathy is a reduced level of empathic response. There has been a positive relationship found between high levels of antisocial behavior and low levels of empathetic response. This supports the reason that both the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and the Antisocial Process Screening Device for children include the lower levels of empathetic response to victims in their criteria of psychopathy (Blair et al, 2005). One of the most common methods in which this theory has been tested is by measuring the level of skin conductance in individuals while presenting them with images of people in distress. Both children with psychopathic tendencies and adults with psychopathy present reduced autonomic responsiveness (Blair et al, 1997). This study shows that while those not presenting with psychopathy show high levels of autonomic responsiveness through sweating due to empathy felt by viewing the disturbing images, those that present with psychopathy or psychopathic tendencies do not. According to a study conducted by Blair and Coles (2000), individuals presenting with psychopathic tendencies or psychopathy tend to have a reduced ability to name both fearful facial expressions and fearful vocal affect (Stevens et al, 2001). An interesting fact coinciding with this finding is that while both children with psychopathic tendencies as well as adults with psychopathy present with this lowered empathetic response to fear and sadness, they do not show impairment in responding to expressions of happiness, anger, or surprise (Blair et al, 2005). Another factor associated with psychopathic tendencies or psychopathy is a partially inhibited ability to make the distinction between moral and conventional transgressions. A moral transgression is explained by Turiel (1983) as one that is defined by its consequences pertaining to the rights and well-being of individuals, such as hurting a person. A conventional transgression is assessed by its consequences for the social order (Turiel, 1983). A person that is not presenting with psychopathy will not present with an inability to distinguish between moral and conventional transgressions. They tend to reference the victim in a moral or conventional transgression situation more frequently when explaining their reason as to why they believed the transgression to be wrong. In the case of those presenting with psychopathic tendencies, psychopathy, as well as some other antisocial disorders, individuals make less references to the victims included in the situation and also seem to have a more difficult time distinguishing between moral and conventional transgressions discussed in the situation (Blair et al 1995a). The second of the two previously mentioned deficiencies in the ability to distinguish between moral and conventional transgressions is even more prevalent when the rules banning the specific transgressions are removed from the scenario. Thus, if there is no law or rule prohibiting the act or transgression, children with psychopathic tendencies, adults with psychopathy, as well as other antisocial populations will show a decreased ability to distinguish between the two types of transgressions (Nucci Herman, 1982). Another area that is studied in order to search for differences in populations that present with psychopathy is that of gender and ethnicity. In a study by McCoy and Edens (2006), researchers looked to test the theory that stated that individuals of African descent are more likely to present with psychopathy. The study included 945 Black and White youths who were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist- Youth Version. There was a lack of results showing any significant difference between Caucasians and those of African descent. However, there was an unexplained heterogeneity among the individual races. The researchers from this study advised that more research should be conducted in this area of study in order to attempt to discover the reason for this similarity within the individual races. Another study, this one conducted by Kosson, Smith, and Newman (1990), used a combination of three separate research projects in order to come to a conclusion. The first study was aimed at examining the internal structure of the Psychopathy Checklist and and its scores in relation to several constructs relevant to psychopathy. This first study found that there were differences between Whites and Blacks in the distribution of psychopathy scores. It also noted a difference between the two groups in the relation of psychopathy to measures of impulsivity. The second study was focused on assessing patterns of passive avoidance manifestations as compared to the results in a study conducted by Newman and Kosson (1986). It found that the levels of passive avoidance manifestations were similar, but not identical, in the two groups. The third and final study consisted of assessing the levels of criminal charges received by both psychopaths and non-psychopaths. This portion of the study was particularly interesting in that it found that psychopaths do, in fact, receive more criminal charges than do non-psychopaths (Kosson, Smith, Newman, 1990).

Lead Poisoning In Children Health And Social Care Essay

Lead Poisoning In Children Health And Social Care Essay In 1988, the Agency for Toxic substances and Disease Registry released a report on lead poisoning giving health partners and stakeholders an overview of the adverse health effects of lead poisoning in children 6 months to 5 years of age. They found that about 2.4 million children nationwide (excluding other racial categories) living in metropolitan areas were at risk of lead exposure health effects using a blood-lead level of a maximum 15ug/dl acceptable standard. Higher blood-lead threshold levels were found in black children living in inner-cities as well as children from low income families. Another report in 1990 released by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) saw varying differences in lead exposure in children ranging from racial, economic (Perkins, 1992) and residential location. Based on this study, lead exposures were found to be higher in states of the Midwest (Wisconsin) and Northeast where most of the housing were very old. This doesnt mean states with larger amounts of relatively new housing dont suffer from lead exposure as found in Las Vegas where despite increase in new buildings, over 12,000 children making up 28% of the entire population has blood-lead levels exceeding 10ug/dl. Among the states of the Mid West of the USA, Wisconsin stands out as one that has over the years being at high risk of lead exposure. In a study carried out in 2006 by the Wisconsin Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (WCLPPP), lead exposure prevalence within the state stood at 2.6% in children tested under the age of 2 years. This was twice the national prevalence which stands at 1.4%. Lead exposure in children has been a major public health concern for over a century now. According to the CDC Surveillance Data of 1997-2006, the number of children being poisoned by lead in Wisconsin was greater than in other states, leading to serious health hazards with high financial burden to families especially low income families. In 2010, over 735 new cases of children w ith blood lead levels à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥10ug/dl were identified. In that same year the prevalence of lead poisoning in children tested in Milwaukee with blood lead levels à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥10 µg/dL stood at 3.4% which is 2.4 times the national average of 1.4%. Source: Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Division of Public Health, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health; April 201 In the state of Wisconsin the prà ©cised number of children at risk of lead poisoning still remains unknown but in compliance with the Chapter 151 of Wisconsin statutes which requires that every physician reports any conformed or suspected cases of blood-lead poisoning, over 3265 children with blood lead concentrations of over 20ug/dl were reported to the Wisconsin Department of health between the periods of July 1992 to June 1993 (Schirmer, 1993). Based on the national estimate of 17% of blood lead poisoning, the Wisconsin Division of Health estimated that over 36000 children within the state were at high risk of lead poisoning (Schirmer, 1993). According to the Title XIX program also known as the HealthCheck program which makes blood-lead screening mandatory for all children between the ages of 2-6years (Hoffman, 1993), in 1992, , over 12,435 children were screened for blood lead poisoning based on the HealthCheck under the Wisconsin Medicaid program and of this number 2644 of the m had blood-lead levels à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 10ug/dl (Department of Health and Social Services, 1992). In 2006, 5% of enrolled children in Wisconsin public schools had at least a blood lead concentration above the normal value. In two separate studies carried out in 2000 and 2007, their resulting data showed that childhood lead poisoning accounted for about 88% of violent crime rates in the USA over several decades as could be seen in the rate of school disciplinary problems resulting to an increase in school dropouts, juvenile delinquency and even adult criminality. In the fall of 2006, it was estimated that one in every 20 children between the ages of one and two years who entered the Wisconsin school system had lead poisoning and below a third of these children who are at high risk of lead exposure have been screened for lead in their blood (WI DHS; 2008). Most of the children identified in Wisconsin to be at risk of lead poison accounting for over 90% lived in very old homes that were built before the 1950s. Lead poisoning is not just a serious problem here in the Milwaukee County but its a major problem in all the 72 counties statewide affecting children primarily. In a study carried out in 2006, it was estimated that over 75% of children known to be poisoned with lead lived in 266 out of all 1330 high risk census tracts in Wisconsin with over 200,000 homes built before 1950. Blood lead levels equal to or greater than 10micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dl) is regarded as a call for concern as set by the center for Disease Control (CDC) in 1991 (CDC, 1991) and in 2007, the CDC reaffirmed this level (CDC, 2007). These findings made law makers to look deeper into the issue of lead poisoning as a major cause of unusual societal behaviors (Nevin 2000; 2007). Based on this blood lead level, Wisconsin children with these levels are considered to be lead poisoned and this blood lead concentration has been used for surveillance purposes to help identify, treat and manage new cases (Wis. Stats 245.11 CDC Blood Lead Surveillance Data, 1997 2006). Sources of childhood lead poisoning Most of the routes of lead poisoning in children include inhalation, ingestion of soil (Harrison et al., 1981) or household dust and drinking water (Harrison et al., 1991) that has been contaminated with lead from old paintings flakes which occurs during when old houses are being renovated or through lead paint coated surfaces found in the kitchen, bathroom walls and windows of homes that were built before 1950. Most of these lead particles are extremely small and cannot be seen with the naked eye. Since its ban in 1978 in the USA, it has still been used to coat walls, frames of windows, doors, floors and ceilings of old homes and toddlers and other children are at risk of ingesting these surface fall offs reason why the CDC recommended lead testing and required by the federal Medicaid policy in children under 6 years (CDC, 2000). Lead poisoning within the state is a complex combination of the poverty, and low socio economic status of most families coupled with the old housing puttin g children at risk. However, other sources of lead exposure have been found in some consumer products which may pose a health risk to children and adults alike. They include toys, lunch boxes, and jewelries for kids, ceramics, candies as well as products made in China and Mexico. The state recommends that people stop buying these products, dispose of them or return them for a refund if bought. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention through the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled a list of these items with unsafe levels of lead some of which include toys, candies such as SINDOOR a coloring food product was recalled by the Food and Drug administration (FDA) 2007 after a series of test were conducted by the Illinois Department of Public Health found this product to have over 87% of lead. Lead poisoning and its Adverse Health effects Lead, is a naturally occurring element on earth whose chemical properties allow for its use in building construction. Its use dates back to about 3500BC (Needleman, 1990) when Romans started using it to make lead pipes and storage containers. It has been extensively used in many products such as paint, gasoline, and ceramic. Even though adults can suffer from lead poisoning it is much more severe in children. Despite the fact that its preventable its health impact is severe ranging from behavioral defects, delay in speech, hearing problems, poor performance at school, increased juvenile delinquency and in severe cases death. There is really no safe level of lead in our bodies as even very smaller amounts below the Wisconsin blood lead concentration could cause serious long term health effects such as a brain damage (Mendelson et al, 1998). Other strange behaviors exhibited by lead poisoned children include aggression and the tendency to become over active (Nevin 2000). Other studies have shown that lead exposure in children may cause kidney disease when they reach adulthood, diabetes and even memory loss as seen in Alzheimers disease and severe cases stroke and heart attack (Needleman 1990). It affects especially their brains and the central nervous system since both systems are still forming and low exposure could result in reduced IQ learning disabilities, stunted growth (Brubaker et al., 2009). Studies have shown that blood lead concentrations as low as 70ug/dl and as high as 100ug/dl can lead to encephalopathy in children which is linked to anorexia, decreased in activity, poor coordination, vomiting and aggressiveness and rapidly progresses to death (CDC 1991) Structure of Wisconsins Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs The Wisconsin Department of Health services (DHS) is in charge of all health programs and services that are geared towards promoting the protecting and promoting the health and safety of the people of Wisconsin. They carry out functions like assessment, policy development and advocacy. Of these programs is the WIC program which is a federally funded program under the child and youth services of the DHS. This program provides special supplemental nutrition to women, Infants and Children (WIC) in other to promote and maintain the health and wellbeing of pregnant women, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants and children. Children eligible for this program must be infants of up to a year or a child up to age 5 and whose parents are Wisconsin residents, be income eligible and have a health or nutrition needs. In the state of Wisconsin, children are required to be tested twice for lead in blood with the first testing taking place between 6-16 months of age and the second testing betw een 17-28 months. However within the DHS is the Wisconsin Division of Public health (DPH) which addresses three major lead hazard control programs namely the Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program, Asbestos and Lead Certification Unit and Wisconsin Healthy Homes and Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. The ABLES program focus on monitoring laboratory based lead levels in blood of adults most due to occupational exposure while the Asbestos and Lead Unit program provides accreditation and certification programs for the Wisconsin DHS under the Chapter 254 Wisconsin statue provision as well as standard guidelines required for abatement activities within the state. There is also the Wisconsin Healthy Homes and Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (WHHCLPPP) which makes possible resources such as technical, financial and consultations to help stakeholders completely eliminate and treat childhood lead poisoning Funding for Lead poisoning control programs Increased pressure from the Wisconsin public lead to the creation of a federal law called the Title X Residential Lead-based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 with focus on the federal government taking a major role in lead poisoning prevention. This law requires that all housing programs have lead safety addressed in them. It also calls for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set up guidelines for lead safety to be executed by a well trained workforce and lastly it calls for all owners of private property to provide basic information with any possibilities of lead exposure hazards to home buyers or new tenants. It was not until 1991 when the CDC started funding lead poisoning preventions programs within the state of Wisconsin such as blood lead testing, managing serious cases as well as raising programs aimed at educating the public on the issue. This led to increase testing of Wisconsin children for lead poisoning with many new cases being identified an indication that ma ny local health department within the state lacked sufficient resources to facilitate follow-ups of lead poisoned cases or identify potential lead hazards in homes. These concerns and pressure from parents and other NGOs such as the March of Dimes and the Council of Developmental Disabilities pushed the Wisconsin State Legislature to implement state laws by providing more resources to help facilitate the work of the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) and other local health departments to effectively response to lead poisoning prevention programs and develop a good reporting system for blood lead test results in children. This saw an increase in funding for local health departments from zero dollars to $1.2 million each year which subsequently decreased to $879,100 because of certain cuts in the state budget. Wisconsin was amongst the 12 grantees in 1994 to receive a housing grant of $6 million to help fund projects aimed at fixing lead hazards such as eliminating dust c ontaining lead in old homes and screening children living in these homes. The project was a huge success as lead dust levels greatly reduced in homes and since then many cities within the state namely Milwaukee, Kenosha and Sheboygan have submitted grant proposals and received competitive grant funds aimed at control lead hazards programs in high risk homes. In February of 2011, the city of Milwaukee received a $4.5 million grants from the U.S department of Housing and Urban Development to help fund a program aimed at controlling lead hazards in two areas namely the citys North and South sides known to have a very high rate of childhood poisoning within the city covering over 900 city homes. The prevalence of lead poisoning in these areas peaked 7.1% causing a serious alarm to public health officials. In a press release on January 2011, the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded over $127 million to some 48 projects nationally which focused on improving quality of lead paint based low income homes that served as a health hazard to its occupants. This grant would help clean up lead paint based hazards in over 11000 homes, increase public awareness on the issue as well as train more personnel in lead safety practices. The following is a breakdown of the grants Grant Program Funding Awarded Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program $66,600,000 Healthy Homes Initiative funding $2,300,000 Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant Program $48,000,000 Healthy Homes Production Grant Program $10,000,000 TOTAL $126,900,000 Wisconsin City of Milwaukee Health Dept LHRD $4,500,000 City of Sheboygan LBPHC $1,528,296 Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services HHP $1,000,000 HHP Healthy Homes Production, LBPHC Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program (includes Healthy Homes Initiative supplemental funding, as applicable), LHRD Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant Program (Source: HUD, 2011 HUD No. 11-004) Ongoing Lead-based paint control programs In June 2004 the Phase 1 of the Wisconsin Childhood elimination strategic Plan was completed and this plan was developed by a diverse group of experts from the health field, the housing departments, government agencies and other community groups with the aim of eliminating childhood lead poisoning by 2010. This strategic work plan focus on achieving four main goals through the creation of these subcommittees namely; Education through which the general public will be aware of the problem within their community and how to protect children from lead exposure. Also parents and childcare providers would be educated about lead hazards through home visit. Policy makers and state legislators were to be educated on how much impact lead poisoning has in the community while addressing issues of neglect of the problem and what needs to be done to overcome some of this negligence which could be potentially costly. Property owners and construction contractors would be educated and provided with opportunities to maintain old homes while ensuring a safe work environment Lead hazard correction in homes with emphasis on identifying and analyzing some of the risk factors associated with lead poisoning while focusing resources on homes that were built before the 1950s as they pose a high risk of lead exposure. This goal focused on enforcing home owners so they can repair possible lead hazards in their buildings and to ensure a strong community engagement on the problem, incentives were to be provided to home owners who comply with all these regulations. Screening for lead poising in high risk groups through the provision of enough funds to help identify and evaluate children with risk of lead exposure as well as evaluate existing practices being performed by physicians and the barriers they may pose to families and healthcare providers in terms of providing blood lead screening to children. This goal also emphasized on the need for better data sharing and quality reporting like the STELLAR or the Wisconsin Immunization Registry among partners within the community so that children who are at risk of lead exposure are identified and tested Funding through the allocation of and resources and making available increased funding for lead hazard control in Wisconsin was a major priority. This funding would help local communities with high risk housing by investing in homes so that the financial burden of having to treat or manage children with lead poisoning will be less on the state. Phase 2 of the Wisconsin Elimination Plan is ongoing but in 2009 the sub committees in charge of Funding and Resources and Correcting Hazards in housing combined their efforts and all 3 existing committees now meet independently of the Implementation and Oversight Committee (IOC) and provide a progress report at each IOC meeting which usually meets 3 times a years (January, May and September). These meetings are aimed at evaluating progress made so far and identifying some of the challenges faced in the execution of some of the existing programs as well as make recommendations to the IOC for effective and efficient implementation. The IOC is made up of partners from the Wisconsin Division of public health, local councils, State departments of Hygiene and administration, community health centers as well as insurance companies. Within the city of Milwaukee, over 40 employees are involved in lead based prevention programs which provide resources and services to identified children at ri sk if lead poisoning and those with lead poisoning as well as programs geared towards prevention of lead poisoning before it even happens Huge Financial burden of lead poisoning in its impact on the state of Wisconsin The negative burden of lead poisoning to the community is the huge medical expenses in treatment and management of the health problem, increased health care premiums and increase in Medicaid expenses. Since childhood Lead Poisoning (CLP) often results to attention disorders and developmental delays (Canfield et al, 2003) in lead poisoned children, there is need for increased special education expenses for programs to help accommodate children with disabilities as well as programs to cope with juvenile delinquent lead poisoned children who are at high risk of dropping out from school and early teen pregnancies (Needleman, et al, 1990). It has been shown that most children who are poisoned by lead are thrice more likely to fail standardize test as well as being arrested for a criminal case as they transition into a young adult. Also, lead poisoned children at fourth grade where three times more likely to fail their reading tests compared to those with very minute amounts of lead exposu re (Miranda et al. 2007). The state spends an estimated $5 billion in school aids to children including a $375 million to assist children with special needs and a $1 billion for children who need corrects with most of these cost is attributed to lead poisoning. The number if children living in Wisconsin between the ages 0-6 is approximately 540,000 and if the state embarks on lead hazard control programs that aim at eliminating lead exposure in homes build pre 1950, it would save the state about $7 billion in direct cost with an increase in earnings of over $21 billion based on an analysis that was conducted in New Jersey that analyzed cost savings such as direct medical cost, special education, crime and juvenile delinquency, low rates of high school graduation and cost to state government (Muennin et al., 2009). The recommendation from the Wisconsin Childhood Elimination Plan and the Implementation and Oversight Committee (IOC) suggested an annual investment of $20 million would g o a long way to provide resources to help control lead pain hazards in over 2,000 pre-1950 homes annually. The state would safe over $28 billion in savings if all children between the ages of 0-6 years were protected from lead hazards which will further help lead to an increase in the graduation rate of the state as well as crime reduction (Muennin et al., 2009) In the spring of 2010, a Joint Resolution 65 was passed and approved by the Wisconsin State Legislature which called on the Implementation and Oversight Committee of the Wisconsin Childhood Lead Poisoning Elimination plan, a program within the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to provide report on the financial burden result from childhood lead poisoning been experienced through the states education and criminal justice systems resulting from juvenile delinquent risk behaviors that most children with lead poisoning are at high risk at encountering at some stage in their lives which will help policy makers and state officials make financial resources and other logistics available to address lead paint hazards as well as create a widespread community awareness campaign program which makes loans available to home owners of house build pre 1950 thus reducing lead hazard risk. This report was delivered to the State legislature on December 30th of that year. This joint resolution gai ned several approval from state agencies such as Departments of Public Instruction, Children and Families, Corrections Division of Juvenile Correction, the Wisconsin Court System and State Prosecutors Office with the creation of a committee that helps gather relevant data which will help stakeholders within the state to better evaluate the cost due to lead poisoning and ways to completely eliminate lead hazards in homes. In a 2006 study, over 80,000 young children are estimated to be living in lead paint hazards in Wisconsin and if the state focuses more on protecting families from exposure, we would be saving over $40,000-50,000 for each under the age of six giving us a estimated savings of over $3.6 billion (Jacobs and Nevin, 2006). Lead Testing and Reporting To increase blood lead testing coverage within the state of Wisconsin, four main Medicaid managed Care organizations teamed up with state and local WIC agencies in 2010 and together donated a quick three minute LeadCare II testing instrument approved by the CDC with the overall aim to improve on the blood lead testing levels in children at risk. These organizations also gave WIC staff access to the electronic reporting system that exists within the state as well as resources to follow up children who showed high levels of lead in blood. Within the city of Milwaukee, the WIC program is the only program that has got direct access to the STELLAR (State Blood-Lead Reporting System) and the WIR (Wisconsin Immunization Registry) and this enables them to enter data correctly which is required for state and federal reporting compliance. This system also helps WIC staff to easily identify children who have not been tested for blood lead and follow-up with them to get tested as well as follow up with cases that show elevated levels of lead in their blood. With the donation of 10 LeadCare II analyzers as well as 20 test kids in 2010 in all 10 WIC clinics within the state of Wisconsin, the program has witnessed over 41% increase in the number of WIC children tested for lead in blood in the city of Milwaukee. Children enrolled in the WIC program receive two rapid tests namely an Iron and blood lead test using a finger stick. Over 139 children in 2009 tested positive for high levels of lead in their blood samples giving a 300% increase in lead poisoning cases when compared to the previous 2 years due to the fact that most of the children living in high risk urban areas who were now being tested had previously been missed. Since 2006, Medicaid health care providers have received an annual Blood Lead Testing developed through collaboration with the Wisconsin Medicaid Program and the Wisconsin Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. The individualized reports summarize the blood lead testing data for children under age 6 within each providers practice. In addition providers received a list of untested children in their practice to facilitate follow-up to ensure these children get tested. It is normally required that children be tested for lead poisoning at ages 1 and 2 and since most of them are not tested at those early ages because of lack of follow-up, it is mandatory that they get at least a test between the ages of 3 to 5 years. For example in 2007, over 2,049 children with blood lead levels of greater than or equal to 10mcg/dL were identified within the state and almost two thirds of children eligible for the Medicaid program entering the Wisconsin school system that fall have not properly tes ted even though 88% of children eligible for Medicaid which covers blood lead poisoning were enrolled that year. (Data is from Individual Medicaid Providers for period of July 1, 2006 through June 30 2007 (SFY07) Collaborative Partnerships There are some NGOs within the state that are focused on raising awareness through community leadership on lead poisoning and one of them is the Milwaukees Hmong American Friendship Association (HAFA) through its Parents Against Lead (PAL) alliance. Its made up of neighbors, parents and other passionate individuals who have come together to collectively eliminate childhood lead poisoning. Being a great partner with city of Milwaukee Health Department, they have promoted lead abatement activities in families living in pre 1950 homes as well as amongst home owners on how to eliminate possible lead hazard within the city. Another community based group working within the community is the Sherman Park Community Association (SPCA), a group of over 167 residents who come together during a cold Winter day and have breakfast with Santa Claus as a way to bring communities together and educate them on the work they do including a window repair/replacement program with emphasis on lead based pai n hazard. Advocacy and Public Policies The presence of GIS Maps within each Wisconsin legislative district identifying areas with Lead poisoning is now available and from this data no place within the state is free from lead poisoning with more cases in communities with old housing. As part of the Healthier People 2020 Public Health plan, the state of Wisconsin through the U.S Department of Health Services, EPA, HUD, Energy and the CDC came together during the 2011 National Healthy Homes Conference which brings partners, leaders and experts from the public and private sector to discuss on how to improving on housing conditions and making them safe from lead paint based hazard and environmentally sustainable. However, certain rules and number of statutes that regulate activities geared towards lead hazard control have been approved within the State and these rules protect residential areas, tenant/landlord agreements, drinking water facilities, lead hazard reduction and the manner in which blood lead results are reported. They include the Wisconsin statute Chapter 254 which lays emphasis on detection, treatment and response to lead hazards. In Wisconsin, a number of statutes and rules have been enacted to regulate activities having to do with hazards due to lead-based paint and include residential facilities, worker protection, landlord and tenant agreements, housing sales, lead hazard reduction, drinking water, reporting of blood lead test results and public health response to lead poisoning. There is the Wisconsin Statute Chapter 704 which outlines conditions in which tenants could move without having to face any liabilities from health hazards such as lead. We have the Statue Chapter 709 which requires that owners of residential real estate make certain disclosures about their property. Amongst the administrative rules is the DHS 163 which requires people such as contractors to get certification for identification, removal and reduction of Lead-based paint which was amended in 2009 and the DHS 181 which allows for quality reporting of blood lead test results. Assessment Performance of Childhood Poisoning in Wisconsin The State department of Health and Services is charged with the collection, evaluation and sharing information concerning the incidence of lead poisoning in risk populations and communities while the local health departments within the state would maintain a local surveillance system that gives the population an idea of the prevalence and trends of testing and making this information available to the state Department of Public health and other stakeholders. A tracking system to effectively monitor children at risk and those with very high blood levels would be maintained and made available to the department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) through the WCLPPP. The local health departments trough the support of state agencies of Public health would develop protocols and procedures to better monitor the screening of children at risk of lead poisoning and well as provide clinical and educational resources for better programming and reporting Lead Prevention and Control Lead poisoning is preventable if the necessary precautions are well respected one of which is the lead abatement of homes. The primary way to protect Wisconsin children from lead exposure is by stabilizing all cracked, deteriorating, peeled or flaking paint in old homes, replacing very old windows, fixing roofs with and other leaks, while making sure that the window sills and floors remain smooth hence eliminating major sources of lead exposure. Other precautionary measures include re-painting on interior surfaces with no friction such as ceiling, walls but surfaces that are susceptible to friction or bad weather should not be repainted. All the above precautions are carried out through a process called Lead abatement which refers to any action by and individual (a certified lead abatement contractor), the state or a company to effective minimize lead exposure by permanently eliminating or removing lead-based paint or dust lead hazards or any possible lead containing object or surfac e in response to orders from the state or the local council. The Milwaukee Health Department is charged with giving orders so that homes identified within the community to be at risk of lead exposure are lead abated and this requires either voluntary consent from the owner of the property or through a Court order in case the home owner doesnt comply with orders from the Health department to allow his property to be abated. Conclusion Despite the huge progress in reducing childhood lead poisoning rate within the city of Milwaukee, the number of children been identified with lead poisoning is still on the rise within the state and it has surpass the national average. In 2009, the state prevalence of lead poisoning was 1.5 and in Milwaukee alone, of all the children tested for lead poisoning 4.4% of them had blood lead levels greater than 10ug/dl. More work is needed in this fight despite the progress mad

SWOT Analysis Essay -- Business Analysis

Organizational performance is a result of business interaction with its internal and external environment (Houben, Lenie & Vanhoof, 1999). There are a variety of internal and external forces that either stimulate or compromise the organization's performance in achieving objectives or goals (Houben, et al., 1999). An analysis can identify and evaluate areas within or outside of the organizations to provide information for leadership. The analysis can be done by internal personnel or external experts. Experts are often used to identify, monitor, forecast and assess environment trends (Swayne, Duncan & Ginther, 2008). Often the SWOT analysis is used to review internal and external areas in the four components; strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. The SWOT analysis indicates that the strengths and weakness are internal. Strengths are the organizational competitive advantages and distinguishing competencies (Houben, et.al, 1999). Weaknesses hinder the progress of the organization in a certain direction (Houben, et.al, 1999). Weakness can be considered areas of opportunities. Data collections from employees and customer surveys along with financial information can indicate the strengths and weakness. Opportunities and threats are viewed more as external forces. Opportunities are investment or change which the organizations may consider. Threats could be competitors or other known factors which the organization should identify. This paper will review a SWOT analysis that was conducted by an external exporter on the healthcare organization, Kaiser Permanente. The external expert is Datamonitor and is familiar with nonprofit organizations. Datamonitor (2011) indicates â€Å"that Kaiser Permanente (KP) is one of the ... ...amonitor (2011). Kaiser Permanente.,Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. SWOT Analysis; Dec2011, p1-9, 9p DATAMONITOR (2010). Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. SWOT Analysis; Nov2010, p1-8, 8p Hardwick, P.l (2005). Want a better business? Invest in SWOTing . Mississippi Business Journal, 1/31/2005, Vol. 27 Issue 5, pA5-A5, 3/5p Houben, G. Lenie, K. Vanhoof, K. (1999). A knowledge-based SWOT-analysis system as an instrument for strategic planning in small and medium sized enterprises. Retrieved from. http://www.cuaed.unam.mx/puel_cursos/cursos/d_gcfe_m_dos/modulo/modulo_2/m2-10.pdf Weisman, S (2008). S.W.O.T. analysis is no longer the best approach to planning for success. Hudson Valley Business Journal, 10/27/2008, Vol. 19 Issue 43, p11-11, 1/3p Swayne, L. E., Duncan, W. J., & Ginter, P. M. (2008). Strategic

HMOs Failing State Standards :: social issues

HMOs Failing State Standards New Yorkers may be covered by one of the nation's most comprehensive health consumer protection laws--but insurers routinely flout it, according to a report released yesterday by New York City Public Advocate Mark Green. Posing as prospective clients, Green's investigators called 12 of the region's health maintenance organizations, including some of the largest on Long Island and in Queens, to get information about their complaint records, lists of covered prescription drugs and medical procedures, and policies on confidentiality and experimental treatments. Although New York's new managed care bill of rights requires health plans to provide the information to both members and potential members, all of the HMOs flunked the test most of the time, with representatives either unwilling or unable to answer the questions. "Five out of six times the HMOs refused to tell one of our callers whether a drug was covered by the HMO," Green said. "Not to know whether the HMO you might join will cover a drug you use monthly is like a computer store refusing to tell you the memory of the computer--or an auto dealership refusing to give you the miles-per-gallon of the Pontiac." "Our callers got extremely frustrated, and their health wasn't even at risk," Greensaid. The survey was conducted in July and August, just months after the New York law went into effect in April. Kevin McGrath--a spokesman for Wellcare, the small plan that had the worst score--said that although he hasn't seen the full report, he is "suspicious" of the survey's methodology because the results were so extreme. "From the results, it looks to me that the survey may be flawed," he said. "The results are hard to believe." [CURE Comment: Not to MCL subscribers, Kevin.] Even Cigna HealthCare of New York, which scored highest on a point system devised by Green, complied with the law only one-third of the time, according to the report. Other top performers were NYLCare Health Plans of New York, which complied 15 percent of the time, and United Healthcare and Oxford, which both complied 14 percent of the time. Prudential HealthCare, MagnaCare/MagnaHealth and WellCare ranked at the bottom of the list, complying less than 5 percent of the time, Green's office said. Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York, Aetna/US Healthcare and Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield ranked in the middle, complying 20 percent, 16 percent and 13 percent of the time, respectively.

Film Genres Essay

Film genres hold a great influence on the type of music chosen to appear. Music must fit the theme and tone of films in order to convey emotions accurately. Between 1935 and 1939, films began to be widely segmented by genres. Many of the films didn’t fit just one genre, these films where categorized in two or more genres and their music reflected this hybrid quality. The film The Informers is categorized as being in a dramatic genre. The music of the film is greatly influenced by this genre. The main theme in the film is a very suggestive, creating drama about the characters future fate. The music builds up expectations and questions about what will happen in the rest of the film. The music in these types of dramatic films are usually toned lower to create mystique and the music is then sped up and heightened in the most climactic scenes of the film to create a great sense of drama as the genre entitles. One of the films during this time to have a hybrid genre was The Bride of Frankenstein, which shares a horror and comedic genre. The horror influenced music in the film can be heard over exaggerating the qualities of the characters. The music used to represent these horror aspects is simple, yet effective. The monster’s theme in this film only consisted of five notes which included harsh clashes. The use of two adjacent pitches creates a jarring effect in the music which develops into suspense. The comedic influence in the music of this film can be heard in the form of dance music played to create a light hearted mood to the characters. These comedic songs are very light without the harsh beats of the horror inspired ones. â€Å"The Adventures of Robin Hood† is a film included in the action genre. This film uses a full orchestration, emphasizing brass and percussion sounds to create the sense of action. Loud dynamics, passage of quick notes, and irregular and hard accents are tools in action films to create a hectic situation, suggesting a chaotic environment. These tools are used thoroughly in the fight scenes involving the main character, Robin Hood. The music emphasized the movements during these battle scenes and warns of the dangers the character are facing. The first feature film to fit in the animation genre was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This genre of film consists of an abundance of continuously playing music through the film. The songs are very simple and brief which delighted the public who wanted to simply enjoy a film. These short and simple characteristics of these songs also made them quite catchy and easily  remembered by those who watched these types of film. The movements of the characters in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are also accentuated in a â€Å"Mickey Mousing† technique that provides a light hearted touch to the characters in the animation. A films genre will definitely dictate the music that can be used in the film. The right music for a film will allow the emotions of the film to easily move past to the audience. The right music for the film genre helps emphasize the genre and create a more enjoyable experience for those viewing the film.

Crime Theories

Crime Theories Jaime Morris Professor Al CIS170-Wk. 4Ass. 2 11/04/12 Digital crimes are believed to be caused by different types of theories. The Strain theory could be the cause of digital crimes because the strain of everyday life. The Strain theory is a sociological theory. The strain of an individual’s everyday life is causing people to â€Å"give in† to the pressures in society. Some of these individuals feel that they can’t survive without crime. Strains such as peer pressure, the gain of financial security, and just not being able to reach certain expectations or goals could be factors in the decision in committing a crime.This type of strains can affect individuals or groups in society. Some people turn to crime digital or non- digital if they can’t maintain their living standards by not being able to get money legally (working a job). This is where the digital crime usually fits in when there is a monetary gain. There is so much that can affect an individual’s reasoning on why to choose to commit digital crimes. The social environmental factors, official crime control methods, values & beliefs, psychological, biological, and social factors interact in different degrees on individuals and groups and therefore give birth to the commitment of crime. 2008). In the Strain theory of crime three situations causes strain on individuals or some groups in society such as: 1. Groups/Individuals preventing them from achieving their goals 2. When an individual or group value is taken away from them 3. Some groups present an individual or group with negative stimuli The motivation or goals can be money, status,/respect, or adolescence autonomy from adults. According to this theory if an individual is prevented from achieving their goals then this will cause strain on them nd to restore respect, money or freedom they may use violent behavior, theft, drug dealing and other illegal methods to obtain money. Lower-class individuals are said to commit crimes because they are unable to earn enough money which leaves them financially unstable or insecure. Middle-class and high-class individuals are believed to commit digital crimes because they want to maintain certain lifestyle or because of greed. Greed is a big reason that I believe digital crimes are committed in today’s society. Digital crimes are becoming more common these days because of constant digital or internet access.Negative events such as child abuse, criminal victimization, physical punishment by parents, negative relations with parents, negative relationships with teachers, negative school experiences, negative experiences with peers, neighborhood problems or other life altering events can increase the likelihood of an individual to commit crimes or digital crimes. I believe the Strain theory could be relevant for the cause of digital crimes because crimes is the result of lack of opportunity, in particular economic opportunity. The U. S. nsti lls in citizens a desire for financial success but does not always provide equal opportunity to achieve that success. Therefore, this puts a strain on those who do not have the opportunity. The goal of the U. S. citizens are material wealth. This is what makes white-collar crime exist. Individuals who enjoy a degree of monetary success may engage in instrumental crimes such as money laundering, espionage, or fraud simply because they perceive goal blockage in their attempt to secure ever-increasing wealth. (2008). This is why the Strain theory applies to digital crimes being committed.Some digital crimes are cyber bullying and stalking. Some non-digital crimes could be murder, burglary, or robbery. Finally, while there are many factors that cause an individual or group to commit digital crimes. The main theory is the economic success of wealth that is said to be the focus of digital crimes. While there are other factors such as anger, depression, frustration, or fear, I believe the most common to be wealth. I feel that digital crimes need to be addressed immediately and focused on so that the U. S. can deter or stop this criminal activity.A person’s life can be changed with the stroke of a computer key and this is devastating for the victims. Unfortunately, digital crimes are on the rise but they can be decreased with certain security measures taken. Criminals have so many opportunities to commit crimes and this has got to be stopped. References: Taylor, R. , Fritsch, E. , Liederbach, J. , & Holt, T. (2011). Digital crime and digital terrorism. (2nd ed. ). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. (2008, July 1). Retrieved from http://socyberty. com/sociology/theories-of By prit in Sociology. (n. d. ). Retrieved from www. dmacc. edu/instructors/slude/hofen/E-

Preparation Outline for Informative Speech Essay

Introduction As long as I can remember my family has always had food on the table and a family gathering on the fourth November in our home. We have all heard elementary stories of wood cabins and the Pilgrims and Indians celebrating thanksgiving. Though, I never knew the reason they were celebrating. Today as Thanksgiving is closely approaching, I am going to talk to you about the history of Thanksgiving, its traditions, and how our era and personal preferences influence the traditions in our celebrations. First let’s start by learning the origination of the Thanksgiving holiday. I. According to Caleb Johnson’s The Mayflower, â€Å"The pilgrim’s gave thanks in 1621 (the actual date unknown) for the first time.† A. In this article he has a published Plimouth letter. This letter gives us insight as to why they celebrated a day of thanks and with what foods. B. This being that the pilgrims had a scarce crop the years before that had led to sickness and death. The foods they celebrated with was a variety of foods from their crop, many fish, and wildlife animals. So because in the year of 1621 their crops group plentiful, the people of Plimouth decided give thanks to god for their year of blossoming crops. So they celebrated with food and thanks for 3 days. C. This is also the only known account of the Plimouth’s celebration for years to come. The next account was some twenty years later in a published article by William Bradford. So how did a National Holiday come into effect? Why the fourth Thursday? II. The years leading up to a National Holiday A. The Continental Congress proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving in 1777. Yet, Presidents Washington, Adams and Monroe proclaimed national Thanksgivings, but the custom fell out of use by 1815, after which the celebration of the holiday was limited to individual state observances. B. By the 1850s, almost every state and territory celebrated Thanksgiving. C. The plimoth.org site states, â€Å"In 1827, Sarah Josepha Hale began a campaign to reinstate the holiday after the model of the first Presidents. She publicly petitioned several Presidents to make it an annual event. Though her efforts did not succeeded until 1863, when she convinced President Lincoln that a national Thanksgiving might serve to unite a war-torn country.† D. According to History.com it was not until 1941 that the fourth Thursday of November be the permanent date for thanksgiving. Where does a turkey come into play? What are the traditions of this Holiday? III. Thanksgiving traditions and how they came into effect. A. The simplest tradition of Thanksgiving is to come together and give thanks. B. Thanksgiving is also known as Turkey Day. Why? Well according to slate.com, Turkeys just so happened to not have anything to do with the first Thanksgiving. They were fresh, affordable, and big enough to feed a crowd. Among the big birds, turkey was ideal for a fall feast. C. By 1863, when Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday, turkeys had taken center stage at Thanksgiving. IV. In this era we have added a few Thanksgiving traditions. A. Alder says, â€Å"Pro football has become as big a tradition at Thanksgiving as the turkey and if your Thanksgiving celebrations are like mine, most of the football fans head right for the television as soon as they hit the door.† B. According to USA today, â€Å"A little more than 60 years after the holiday’s formal recognition, another tradition was born: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Started in 1924, the department store’s first parade included actual animals from the Central Park Zoo.† C. Thanksgiving traditions don’t end on Thanksgiving Day. In the 1950s, the  day after Thanksgiving was called Black Friday by factory managers because so many workers called in sick and the Philadelphia Police Department took to calling the day Black Friday to describe the traffic jams, crowds and shoplifters during the start of the holiday shopping season. Black Friday signals the start of the holiday shopping season, but it may be a tradition that’s continuing to evolve as stores vie to be the earliest to open Thanksgiving Day. In conclusion, the history of Thanksgiving dates back to 1621. It takes many years before it becomes a permanent national holiday for the American society. Throughout the years Americans have in cooperated new traditions as well as maintained the old. As O. Henry says, â€Å"There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.†

Fahrenheit 451 Son’s Book Report 9th Grade

Guy Montag, a fireman in the future who burns books, is the main character, and the story is told from his point of view. Mildred is Montag’s wife, who is depressed and watches television all day. Captain Beatty is Montag’s boss and becomes his enemy. Clarisse McClellan, Montag’s 17 year old neighbor, comes from an unconventional family and has a powerful effect on Montag. Professor Faber who is Montag’s friend that helps him by making a plan to reprint books. The Hound who is a mechanical dog that hunts down Montag after he disobeys the law. The events take place in an unnamed time in the future in an American city. There are several settings: the firehouse, Montag’s home, the city streets, and the forest outside the city. In this world, books are banned, and everyone’s lives are isolated from each other. Guy Montag is a fireman and his purpose is to burn books. One day Montag meets a young girl named Clarisse McClellan who helps him realize that his life is empty. When Clarisse dies, and his wife attempts suicide, Montag decides to read books. But in Montag’s world a person caught reading books has his house burned down. Then Montag goes back to work, and he is forced to burn down a house holding books with the owner inside. After that he seeks help from an English professor named Faber, and they make a plan to destroy the firemen and to preserve books by publishing them. Mildred tells the firemen about the books that Montag has been hiding, and he is forced to burn down his own house. When Beatty tries to arrest Montag, he runs away and is pursued by the police. After Montag escapes, he runs into group of people outside the city called â€Å"the Book People. † They hold memories of books they have read and are waiting for a chance to start a new world. I think this is a great book. Ray Bradbury was very descriptive and the story has a great plot, because it was suspenseful. I would recommend it to people because it made me think about the value of books.

Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Essay Cancer is not just one disease but rather a group of diseases. All forms of cancer cause cells in the body to change and grow out of control. Most types of cancer cells form a lump or mass called a tumor. Cells from the tumor can break away and travel to other parts of the body. There they can continue to grow. This spreading process is called metastasis. When cancer spreads, it is still named after the part of the body where it started. For example, if Breast Cancer Essay spreads to the lungs, it is still breast cancer, not lung cancer. Another word for cancerous is malignant. So a cancerous tumor is called malignant. But not all tumors are cancer. A tumor that is not cancer is called benign. Benign tumors do not grow and spread the way cancer does. They are usually not a threat to life. A few cancers, such as blood cancers (leukemia), do not form a tumor. Most kinds of cancer are named after the part of the body where the cancer first starts. Breast cancer begins in the breast tissue. This article refers only to breast cancer in women. Men can also get breast cancer, although this is rare. Women.com, pp. 6 Inside the breasts are glands that produce and release milk after a woman has a baby. The glands that make the milk are called lobules and the tubes that connect them to the nipple are called ducts. The breast itself is made up of lobules; ducts; and fatty, connective, and lymphatic tissue. There are several types of breast tumors. Most are benign; that is, they are not cancer. These lumps are often caused by fibrocystic changes. Cysts are fluid-filled sacs, and fibrosis refers to connective tissue or scar tissue formation. Fibrocystic changes can cause breast swelling and pain. The breasts may feel lumpy and sometimes there is a clear or slightly cloudy nipple discharge. Benign breast tumors are abnormal growths, but they do not spread outside of the breast and they are not life-threatening. Lawrence, pp. 54 Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, other than skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer. Many great doctors predicts that there will be about 184,200 new cases of invasive breast cancer in the year 2000 among women in this country and about 41,200 deaths from the disease. Breast cancer also occurs among men, although much less often. Death rates from breast cancer declined significantly during 1992 to 1996, with the largest decrease in younger women both white and black. This decline is probably the result of better detection and improved treatment. We do not yet know exactly what causes breast cancer, but we do know that certain risk factors are linked to the disease. A risk factor is something that increases a persons chance of getting a disease. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, such as smoking, can be controlled. Others, like a persons age or family history, cant be changed. Lee, pp. 124 While all women are at risk for breast cancer, the factors listed below can increase the chances of having the disease. Some studies suggest that long-term use (10 years or more) of estrogen replacement therapy, sometimes called hormone replacement therapy, for relief of menopause symptoms may slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. This risk applies only to current and recent users. A womans breast cancer risk returns to that of the general population within 5 years of stopping ERT. Replacement therapy also lowers the risk of heart attacks and bone fractures; therefore, women should talk to their doctors about the pros and cons of using ERT. At this time, there is no certain way to prevent breast cancer. For now, the best strategy is to reduce risk factors whenever possible and follow the guidelines for finding breast cancer early. A personal or family history of breast cancer may make genetic testing an option for some women. About 50%-60% of women with certain genetic changes (mutations) will develop breast cancer by the age of 70. a woman has these mutated genes, but it cannot predict whether a woman will get breast cancer. Genetic testing is expensive and is not covered by some health plans. People with positive results might not be able to get insurance, or coverage might only be available at a much higher cost. You need .

The Effects of Immigration on Wages and Employment Essay

The Effects of Immigration on Wages and Employment - Essay Example The essay "The Effects of Immigration on Wages and Employment" analyzes the effect of immigration on the wages and employment rates of a particular area in terms of the effects for each city outmigration and reduced in-migration. Suffice to say, the mobility of workers both domestically and internationally has become commonplace thus altering the composition of the workforce in various places. Legal migrants form a substantial portion of the workforce in the United States. It is important to evaluate the impact of both the international migrations to the US and the domestic migrations on the native workers. According to Card (2005), immigration does not have a notable impact on the wages of both the natives and the immigrant workers. Card indicates that large differences in the proportions of immigrants do not cause differences in the relative wages. In order to investigate the effect of immigration on wages and employment, Card compared cities with large versus small numbers of immigrants. He also factored in the effects for each city outmigration and reduced in-migration. Card found out that immigration had a negligible effect on skilled and unskilled wages. Peri (2010) took a task analytic approach to investigate the study in focus. According to Peri, workers are in different occupations. For instance, natives have a better command of English language and therefore more suited for communication-oriented tasks compared to immigrants who specialize in jobs that are manual oriented. Peri also indicates that native born workers take on managerial tasks while educated immigrants are likely to work in specialized roles as engineers, doctors or scientists. Ultimately, a large a number of immigrant workers could lead to increased productivity of the natives and thus increase their wages and employment rate rather than decreasing them. Card, Borjas and Peri used fundamentally different methods to study the effects of immigration on wages and employment. Borjas’ findings were based on an intrinsic grouping of people based on social factors and comparing their wages and employment rate vis a vis proportion of immigration in their cities. It is imperative to not that Card used the same groupings and made findings to the effect that immigration had negligible effects on wages and employment. The difference in findings between Borjas and Card can be attributed to the fact the Borjas failed to consider the effect of capital investments changes to the production function. Peri a task oriented approach to evaluate the differences in terms of jobs that natives and immigrants undertook. It is notable that the findings of Card, Peri and Borjas are based on the methods that they used to conduct their studies. It is not possible to arrive at a generalized conclusion on the effects of immigrants on the wages and employment rates. However, both Peri and Card tentatively agree that the immigrants do not necessarily cause a negative impact on employment rates and wages. 2. Worker mobility is an important factor in market economies since it allows for free movement of workers to obtain employment of their choice. The