Saturday, January 25, 2020

Hereditary Component Analysis for MS

Hereditary Component Analysis for MS The family and twin studies provide evidence of the presence of an important hereditary component in the etiology of MS, with percentages of heritability ranging from 24% to 31.6% (Bellia et al., 2009; Lin et al. ., 2005; Oneill et al., 2015). Among the etiopathogenic models to explain the origin of MS, partial lipodystrophy, which results from mutations in the LAMINA A / C (LMNA) genes or the peroxisomal proliferator activated receptor (PPARg) gene, is a paradigm of genetic processes Involved (Hegele and Pollex, 2005). The PPARg gene, which is involved in the processes of differentiation and functioning of adipocytes, is believed to be related to the etiopathogenesis of obesity (Ristow et al., 1998; Moustafa and Froguel, 2013). Specifically, the ÃŽ ±-form of PPAR is believed to play an essential role in the origin of MS, since it regulates the oxidation and transport of fatty acids and the generation of lipoproteins (Guan and Breyer 2001, Tan, Zhuang and Wahli, 2017). PPARÃŽ ³ is a key regulator in the process of adipogenesis and its increased function results in increased body mass, whereas decreased activity induces weight loss and the development of IR ( Deeb et al., 1998, Majid et al., 2016). The adiponectin regulatory gene (APN gene), a hormone involved in the regulation of energy homeostasis, and glucose and lipid metabolism, could induce IR by reducing the synthesis of this hormone (Maeda et al. , 2002; Yamauchi et al., 2003). Plasma adiponectin levels are inversely related to body mass and may have an important protective role against MS because of its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiatherogenic effects (Esfahani et al., 2015). In addition, certain genetic polymorphisms have been identified for this gene that are related to the synthesis of insulin, IR and DM (Filippi et al., 2004). The CD36 receptor gene for thrombospondin, whose function is to bind and capture fatty acids to be used by other tissues, is also a candidate in the etiopathogenesis of MS (Love-Gregory et al., 2008; Zhou et al., 2016 ), Since we know that fatty acids induce IR, obesity and inflammation (Roden, 2007). It is described that CD36 deficiency causes an imbalance in glucose levels in response to insulin, as well as higher levels of fatty acids, TR, fasting glucose and blood pressure (MA) (Ma et al., 2004: Pioltine et al. Al., 2017). The enzyme 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ÃŽ ²-HSD1), whose function is to interconvert 11-inert ketosteroids, cortisone and 11-dehydrocorticosterone (11-DHC), to its 11-hydroxy active forms, cortisol and corticosterone. 11ÃŽ ²-HSD1 is considered to have an important etiological factor in obesity. Although circulating concentrations of glucocorticoids are not elevated in prevalent forms of human obesity, locally enhanced glucocorticoid response in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue has been implicated in MS (Walker, 2007; Cai et al., 2016) . Clinically, RI and HT are associated with increased messenger RNA alpha glucocorticoid receptors (GRÃŽ ±) and the number of receptors in skeletal muscle, and a positive association between messenger RNA levels for both GR Such as 11ÃŽ ²-HSD1 in skeletal muscle for the condition of insulin resistance (Seckl, Morton and Chapman 2004; Freude et al., 2016). Î’-adrenergic receptors regulate the lipolysis and metabolism of free fatty acids. The ÃŽ ²3-adrenergic receptor (ÃŽ ²3AR) is a candidate gene for abdominal obesity and is related to visceral fat (Krief et al., 1993; Chen et al., 2015). Increased ÃŽ ²3AR function leads to increased catecholamine-induced lipolysis in the visceral fat of subjects with abdominal obesity, as well as to a lower metabolic rate and a lower activity of the resting sympathetic nervous system, all of them characteristics of MS (Shihara et al. Groop and Orho-Melander, 2001, Luglio, Sulistyoningrum and Susilowati, 2015) The Calpain-10 gene (CAPN10), which encodes the corresponding protein, has been associated with an increased risk of DM and RI becoming a strong candidate in the pathogenesis of MS (Orho-Melander et al., 2002; Loya Mà ©ndez Et al., 2014). It is also related to hypertension (Chen et al., 2007), overweight and obesity (Orozco et al., 2014), high cholesterol (Wu et al., 2005) and elevated triglyceride levels (Carlsson, Fredriksson et al. Groop, 2004), all components of the syndrome being analyzed. Another scientific work found in a haplotype of the polymorphism of this gene a risk factor for MS in patients with DM (Kang et al., 2006). It also establishes association with two indicators of the presence of IR, such as high glucose levels after a tolerance test and with HOMA values of RI (Saez et al., 2008). Other genes possibly implicated are those that encode the C-reactive protein, the best inflammatory biomarker, a characteristic of MS and also a predictor of CVR (Devaraj, Singh and Jialal, 2009), as well as the encoder of substrate 1 Of the insulin receptor (IRS1), whose mutations are associated with DM and IR (Kubota et al., 2000). In any case, the genetic ethiopatology leaves unresolved the controversy regarding the predisposing causative factor of MS, since in the scientific community there are defenders of the IR as the main factor involved, while others are inclined to obesity and metabolic dysfunction Of lipids as the most important agent (Alberti et al., 2009; Dragsbà ¦k et al., 2016; Gluvic et al., 2017).

Friday, January 17, 2020

Marijuana Exploratory

Jamal Mujaddidi English 205 Professor Jay 8 April 2010 Exploratory Essay Legalization: Good or Bad? As part of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, Marijuana for all purposes was outlawed nationwide. Prior to this Act, over 30 states had prohibition laws towards Marijuana because farmers who employed mainly Hispanic workers complained that this drug would cause people to become â€Å"slow† or â€Å"lazy† and would also cause the users to become addicted. Besides the popularity among this crowd, marijuana was used as an intoxicant during the 1850’s through the 1930’s and was listed in the United States Pharmacopeia. The active ingredient in marijuana is THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, but this is only one of the 400 other chemicals that are in the plant (TheWELL). It was prescribed for conditions such as labor pain, nausea, arthritis, and rheumatism (DeLisle). It was only after individuals began committing crimes while under the influence of Marijuana that the U. S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics gave marijuana the image of a powerful, addicting, substance that would lead users into a more serious addiction. In the 1960s, it was mainly used by college students and â€Å"hippies,† and subsequently became a symbol of rebellion against authority. Marijuana use became a commonplace issue in congress which led to The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 which classified marijuana along with LSD and heroin as S1 drugs, otherwise known as substances which have the highest relative abuse potential and no form of medical use (DEA). Widespread eradication of marijuana and marijuana products began. The current opponents of marijuana legalization claim that marijuana does have addictive qualities and is an epidemic on America’s youth. This crowd presents that marijuana is a â€Å"silent-killer† due to a fungus and mold which can easily grow on the part which is smoked by users (PRNewswire). This fungus can cause lung cancer and they have deemed marijuana as bio-hazardous. The opposition also goes to say that marijuana can have adverse effects on the brain and can cause brain-cells to die. Some research suggests that use of marijuana during pregnancy can result in premature birth and low birth weights and can even cause temporary loss of fertility. Along with adverse effects on the reproductive system, the opposition claims that marijuana use during adolescence can be harmful to physical and sexual development. This side pushes for further prohibition of marijuana and stricter punishments due to their beliefs that the negatives outweigh the benefits. In the middle of this debate, stand the moderate marijuana use supporters. This side views marijuana use as a potential alternative to painkillers which are detrimental to vital organs. This crowd is mainly made up of physicians and health-care professionals, as wells as patients of chronic illnesses and pain. Doctors and nurses say that cannabis is a less toxic and less expensive medicine for diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, migraines, cancers, and many other disorders which cause chronic symptoms and pain. This side also states that marijuana’s versatile nature allows patients to gain the pain relieving effects through ingestion, canceling out the negative effects of smoking. Besides all these benefits, this crowd pushes for a safe, reliable and quality-controlled source of marijuana which can only be achieved through legalization. It is believed that after this source is created, many adverse effects of â€Å"bad† marijuana will disperse. Another camp of this debate is the supporters of full legalization of marijuana use and growth for medicinal and recreational use. These supporters claim that marijuana should be allowed to be used in the way alcohol and cigarettes are used recreationally. They state these comparisons have worse long-term effects than THC and yet they are taxed and regulated. Another point they make is that marijuana would inject millions of dollars into the economy once government grown marijuana is taxed. Besides the smoking and ingesting of the drug, the plant can be used for its naturally produced fiber known as hemp. This can be cultivated from the stem of the plant and used commercially and industrially for paper, textiles, biodegradable products and medical purposes. Overall, they believe the claimed dangers of marijuana are exaggerated and not enough medical trials have been done to verify these claims. As a college level youth and the Legalization of marijuana use in California is on the ballot, I am interested in learning about this issue before I cast my vote. I have seen the benefits of medicinal marijuana in my family and can attest to the pain relieving effects. As for the recreational use, I believe that alcohol is a much more dangerous substance that can be detrimental to mental and physical health and cause irrational decisions while under the influence. Prohibition has shown to not be a viable solution in the past and I don’t think it can ever solve anything. Regulation on the other hand can prove to be effective because substances will not be bought and traded illegally. I think the legalization of marijuana will improve lives, decrease crimes, and slightly improve the economy. Works Cited DeLisle, Judi. _Medical Marijuana Research Guide. Valencia West Campus Library_. Web. 20 Mar. 2007. 7 Apr. 2010. â€Å"DEA, Controlled Substances Act. † Welcome to the United States Department of Justice. Web. 08 Apr. 2010. â€Å"The Marijuana Initiative Is a Silent Killed and It Should be Defeated – Los Angeles, March 25/PRNewswire/. †_PR Newswire: Press Release Distribution, Targeting, Monitoring and Marketing. _Web. 08 Apr. 2010. â€Å"Fact Sheet – Marijuana. † The WELL – The Birthplace of the Online Community Movement. Web. 08 Apr. 2010.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Essay on Alzheimers Disease - 813 Words

Topic: Alzheimer’s Disease Specific Purpose: To help my audience understand what Alzheimer’s Disease is. Thesis Statement: The need to educate people on Alzheimer’s Disease for family members or friends in-case a loved one is diagnosed. Introduction: A. What would one do if their family member or friend knew of someone who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease? What would they do to help or take care of this family member? Well, I work in a nursing home with the elderly with this disease every day. It can be a challenge for the family member who may not understand, but with a little education on Alzheimer’s Disease, it can help the family member see the world through the patient’s eyes. B. This person could be a†¦show more content†¦Alzheimer’s disease progresses in stages over 8 to 10 years. These stages are Mild, Moderate, and Severe Alzheimer’s Disease. a. Mild Alzheimer’s Disease includes memory loss, trouble naming items, getting lost easily, and may have personality changes. b. Moderate stages include poor memory recognition, trouble handling tasks, have a hard time dressing, may argue, be depressed, worried, and even wonder off. c. In the last stage, people with severe Alzheimers have problems eating, talking, and not recognizing family members. They must rely on caregivers to handle their most basic needs, such as holding their heads up to eat. (As you can see, it is important to understand what Alzheimer’s Disease is, So now, let me give you some safety tips on caring for the Alzheimer’s patient) C. Finally, Alzheimer’s Disease can also be dangerous as far as safety. To keep your loved one safe in the home, there are several things that can be done. a. First, try to see the home through the patients eyes. Keep in mind that the Alzheimer patient perceives object and colors differently than we do. b. Make sure the home is free from clutter and other dangerous materials. â€Å"Kiddie gates† should not be used, because they can’t hold an adults weight. c. Another safety pre-caution to take would be to always have a fire extinguisher and detector in the home. Fires can easily be started if pre-cautions are not taken. d. Food andShow MoreRelatedAlzheimers Disease945 Words   |  4 PagesAlzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive neurological disease; it often attacks the brain tissues causing memory loss of one’s identity and regular behaviors. Statistics indicates that the rate of predicted people to get Alzheimer’s will increase briskly as time goes on. There are currently no cures for such disastrous disease, but there are currently approved treatments available that can help people within the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Once the disease is too far alongRead MoreAlzheimers Disease3170 Words   |  13 PagesThe Role of Caregiving to Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease Megan Zann April 27, 2012 Health Psychology Dr. Ackerman Introduction It is normal to periodically forget your keys or a homework assignment, because you generally remember these things later. However, individuals who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease may forget things more often, but they do not remember them again. The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease has dramatically increased because people are living longer. This is a result ofRead MoreEssay on Alzheimers Disease1503 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that gets worse over time. It leads to nerve cell death, and tissue loss throughout the brain. Over time, the brain shrinks dramatically, affecting nearly all its functions. 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This research explainsRead MoreAlzheimer’s Disease Essay2544 Words   |  11 PagesAlzheimer’s disease defined: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, terminal, degenerative brain disease. It is the fourth leading cause of death in adults and currently affects over four million people in the United States. This number is expected to increase over the next several years as the baby boomers age, until it reaches fourteen million by the year 2025. Alzheimer disease generally occurs in people over seventy five years of age; however it does strike people in their forties, fiftiesRead MoreEssay on Alzheimers Disease2405 Words   |  10 PagesAlzheimers Disease is a condition that affects 50% of the population over the age of eighty five, which equals four million Americans each year. It is becoming an important and high-profile issue in todays society for everyone. 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Neurofibrillary tangles represent collapsed tau proteins which, in a normal brain along with microtubulesRead MoreEssay on Alzheimers Disease 512 Words   |  3 Pagesmajor medical advancements like the world has never seen before, some diseases still continue to plague the human race and confuse even some of the brightest scientists today. Unfortunately, Alzheimer Disease (AD) is one of them and it affects between 2.4 and 4.5 million people in America. Alzheimer’s is usually diagnosed in people over the age of 65, but in rarer cases people as young as 16 have it. Since it is a degenerative disease, patients develop it with few symptoms at an earlier stage, but thenRead More Alzheimer’s Disease Essay1176 Words   |  5 PagesAlzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease of the future. With the growing aged population, this disease, which affects primarily the elderly, will become of increasing relevance to the medical profession. Also, the high frequency of Alzheimer’s, and the high cost in labor, money, and material of caring for its victims shall put considerable burden on the society as a whole. Here, however, these issues are not going to be debated. Instead the pathology of Alzheimer’s will be reviewedRead More Alzheimers Disease Essay1235 Words   |  5 PagesAlzheimer’s Disease is an irreversible, genetically linked illness. This disease was chosen for the topic of this essay under the consideration that in many families the illness can be incredibly tragic, passing down for generations without mercy. It is not rare to encounter families in which each member is afflicted with a form, mild or severe, of Alzheimer’s. The disease is a progressive brain disease which comes in t wo separate types: Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease and Late-Onset Alzheimer’s

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

The Empirical Evidence On The Disposition Effect Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 2953 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Cause and effect essay Did you like this example? Disposition effect, which is studied by many literatures, is one of popular bias of investors. It was firstly suggested by Shefrin and Statman (1985). They gave an explanation of the disposition effect that Investors have tendency to sell winners too early and ride losers too long. Moreover, the result from the experiment of Odean (1998) supported the disposition effect theory. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Empirical Evidence On The Disposition Effect Finance Essay" essay for you Create order Odean (1998) compared between Proportion of Gains Realized (PGR) and Proportion of Losses Realized (PLR). PGR can be calculated by dividing realized gains by the sum of realized gains and paper gains and PLR can be calculated by dividing realized losses by the sum of realized losses and paper losses. Realized gain and loss is the gain or loss amount calculated by the difference of sell price and purchasing price when investors sell stocks. Paper gain and loss is an gain and loss amount calculated by the difference between current price and purchasing price for stocks which had not been sold yet. The data was obtained from entire year trade provided by a worldwide discount brokerage house in the period from 1987 to 1990 and from 1991 to 1993 to calculate PGR and PLR. The result showed that PGR values were greater than PLR values in both periods. It means that investors had tendency to realize their gains more than their losses and this was consistent with the disposition effect. Shefrin and Statman (1985) also pointed out about the theories that were possible causes of the disposition effect which are 1) the prospect theory 2) the theory of seeking pride and avoiding regret 3) the theory of mental accounting and 4) the theory of mean reversion. After that, there were many studies discussed whether those theories can be causes of the disposition effect. Next of this report will discuss about those theories and will talk about some interesting factors which affect the disposition effect. Body Start with prospect theory which is the most popular theory which is used to explain the disposition effect, prospect theory was suggested by Kahneman and Tversky (1979). They explained that the prospect theory can be distinguished into two phases which are editing and evaluating. In editing phase, investors compare their choices with the reference point which normally related to their current asset position. The choices which are less than the reference point will be regard as losses and the choices which are greater than the reference point will be regarded as gains. Then, move to evaluating phase, s- shaped valuation function show utility value in vertical line and amount of gain and loss in horizontal line and is concave in gain area and convex in loss area. It will be used for decision making. Investors always choose a choice which gives them the highest utility. Another important point in the prospect theory is losses hurt more than gain. Therefore, investors will be risk see ker in loss area because they want to avoid the losses but they will be risk averse in gain area because they want to ensure that they will exactly get gains. Next, the relationship between the disposition effect and the prospect theory will be explained. Shefrin and Statman (1985) pointed out that prospect theory can be used to explain the disposition effect because when the stocks gain, the investor who act as risk averse will sell those stocks because they want to get gains surely. On the other hands, when the stocks loss, the investors who act as risk seeker, will keep those stocks because they decide to take risk that the price of the stocks could either rise until investors can get the profit or continuously fall that investors get more losses. This characteristic of the prospect theory is consistent with the disposition effect. Weber and Camerer (1998) conducted experiment using purchasing price as a reference point from both last-in, first-out method (LIFO), which is t he method that investors will sell the stock which is bought last, and first-in, first-out method (FIFO), which is the method that investors will sell the stock which is bough first, to compare to selling price, the result showed that the percentage to sell the winning stock is higher than losing stock in both methods. They used the idea that prospect theory can explain the disposition effect to explain the result of their experiment In the prospect theory, disposition effects occur because subjects use their purchase price and are reluctant to recognize losses; they gamble in the domain of losses and avoid risk in the domain of gain. However, there are some comments which show that the prospect theory cannot totally explain the disposition effect. Start with Barberis and Xiong (2009), they pointed out about the case of investor who has prospect theory using annual gain/loss method that investors will be more inclined to sell stocks with prior losses than stocks with prior gains. Investors using annual gain/loss means that investor counted their profit by calculating the price of stock between purchasing price and the price at the reference day such as a half year or a one year later from buying those stocks. Therefore, during the period, it is possible for investors to buy more stocks if they think that stocks will continue to rise in the future or sell them out if they think stocks will continue to fall in the future to accomplish their goal. In their experiment, they divided investment period into three periods which are T0, T1 and T2. T0 is the date investors bought stocks. They showed that even though the stock price fall in time T1 but if they rise in time T2, the overall profit compare between time T2 and time T0 could be small profit. In the same manner, if stocks rise in time T1 and then fall in time T2, investors would get small profit calculated from time T2 and T0. They claimed that since investors were risk averse, they would buy stocks at time 0 if the expected return of stocks were high enough. Therefore, if investors gained in time t1, Baberis and Xiong showed the result from their formula that investor had to buy more stocks for increasing in share allocation to take large gamble that those stocks would rise to get more profit in time T2 than they do so after the stock fall in time t 1 to gamble those stock price would rise and they would get small profit in time T2. Therefore, it contradicts with the characteristic of disposition effect in which investors have a more propensity to sell stocks when stocks rise more than in case that stocks fall. Furthermore, they also conducted an experiment that investigated the share allocation of investors after the stock price rose and fell comparing between using annual gain and loss and realized gain and loss. Realized gain and loss can be calculated each time when stocks price move. The result showed that using realized gain and loss follow the disposition effect more than annu al gain and loss. They gave explanation that using annual gain and loss, investors are forced to accumulate the profit in a single amount in the specific reference time but investors can split to realize their profit in each time the stock price move in realized gain and loss. In case losses, investors do not want to separate their losses in many components while they want to do in case of gain. Therefore, they sell stocks when stocks rise and keep stocks when they fall which was consistent with the disposition effect. Kaustia (2010) raised some different aspect between the disposition effect and the prospect theory. He pointed out that the propensity to sell in the disposition effect is increase or constant when the gain of stocks increase and is constant or insensitive in case of the increase of losses of stock while the prospect theory value function explained that if the gain of the stock price increase, it will minimize the propensity to sell stocks and if the losses of stoc ks increase, it will decrease to propensity to sell. Seeking pride and Avoiding regret is one theory that explains the disposition effect. Shefrin and Statman (1985) argued that investors held their losing stocks because they felt regret to realize the losses and they felt pride if they could close the stock account with a gain. Baraber and Odean (1999) illustrated that since the investor avoided regret, this bias would render investors to sell those stocks when the price of stocks rose because they were afraid that the price of the stocks would fall in the future. On the contrary, if the prices of the stocks they held fell, they would hold it because they expected that the price would rise in the future Third, the disposition effect can be explained by the mental accounting theory. Kahneman and Lovallo (1993) pointed out that investors did not concern in overall profit. All outcomes of an individual investor would be separate into several parts. Thaler (1999) said that invest ors would get more hurt from realized losses than from paper losses. It was painful to close their accounts with losses. Such an incident rendered investor to hesitate to sell stocks of which the price fell. Therefore, mental theory explains the bias of investors in the same way of the disposition effect does. Another causes of disposition effect comes from mean reversion in which Lakonishok and Smidt (1986) as cited in Odean (1998) explained that the investors would sell the winning stocks because they believed that those stocks had reflected the information already and would keep losing stocks because they believed that the information had not incorporated into price of those stocks yet but it would be in the future. There was an experiment to support mean reversion idea from Weber and Camerer (1998). They investigated the reaction of investors after holding the stock two periods. They found that investors had more percentage to sell the stocks if the price of stock at trading date rose in the second period even though it fell in the first period than those stocks of which their price at trading date fell in the second period even though it rose in the first period. However, what investors expect from mean reversion might not be true in reality. To prove this, Odean (1998) conducted the experiment that followed the excess return next 84 days, 252 days (1 year) and 504 days (2 years) after the last trading day of both the winning stocks sold and paper loss stocks. The result clearly showed that the excess return of winning stocks was still positive in all three periods and the excess return of paper loss stocks were still negative in all three periods. Therefore, the result showed us that investors cannot be sure that they would get profit from acting follow mean reversion. However, Kausita (2010) did not agree the idea that the theory of mean reversion can use to explain the disposition effect. She pointed out that investors who followed mean revers ion would sell stocks which had recently risen even though they were paper losses and they would keep stocks which had recently fallen even though they were paper gain. The way investors follow was opposite with the disposition effect. Apart from those theories concern above, there are some factors that affect the disposition effect. The first factor is tax concern which always lessens the power of disposition effect in December. There are many literatures explaining about this topic with various reasons. Shefrin and Statman (1985) pointed out the behavior of investors to realize the loss will happen in December more often than other months as a self control strategy. They explained that investors will normally ride the losing stock but they will have self motivation to realize losses heavily in December which is the deadline of a year to accomplish their tax plan. Odean (1998) also studied about tax effect. He conducted experiment by comparing PGR and PLR by using data in December from 1987 to 1990 and from 1991 to 1993. The result showed that PGR was smaller than PLR in both periods which was the opposite the result when calculating from entire year that PGR was greater than PLR. Odean (1998) wanted to ensure that the difference result came from only tax concern factor, hence, he eliminated rebalancing factor by not including the stocks that sold partially and the stocks repurchased after sold in the experiment, the result still showed that PLR in December was higher than PGR. Therefore, his result stressed the point that investors increased realizing the loss or, in other words, the disposition effect less affect in December because of tax concern not rebalancing issue. Demographic is the second factor that affects disposition effect. Dhar and Zhu (2006) showed that the disposition effect can be affected by the level of income and occupation of investors. They conducted experiment by comparing the disposition effect value among different income level of investors and between investors who work in professional occupation and those who work in non professional occupation. The result showed that high income investors would have lower disposition effect than those with middle income level and middle income investors would have lower disposition effect than those with low income. Furthermore, investors who work in professional occupations would have smaller disposition effect than those who work in non professional occupation. They explained the result that the high income investors had potential to hire financial advisory firm to help them to minimize bias in their investments and investors who work in professional firms presumably had high financial knowledge which led them to minimize their investment bias. They also conducted the same experiment but used information only in December. Disposition effect value in each group in December was smaller than the value calculated entire year which was consistent with Odean (1998) an d the result also showed in the same manner with the above experiment. From the result, it showed that high income investors and those who work in professional occupations would be possibly more concern about tax than those who have middle or low income and work in non professional occupation. Besides, there is evidence show that the house money effect surprisingly coexist the disposition effect even though both of them affect investors in the opposite way. Thaler and Johnson(1990) as cited in Duxbury et al (2011) explained that the house money effect was a bias that investors had a propensity to take more risk after prior gain of their stocks because they included their prior outcomes into current making decision. In other words, investors could be more tolerate to take risk if they got prior gain but they would be more risk averse if they got prior losses. There are many studies showing that the house money effect existed in many stock markets such as in Australia, Taiwan and S weden. Duxbury et al (2011) also supported the issue that the disposition effect and the house money effect coexisted. They compared between PGR and PLR by using data from Chinese stock market from February 2001 to December 2004. The result showed that PGR was greater than PLR if all stocks from raw data were observed. Such an incident means that investors had propensity to sell when stocks gained and kept stocks when they lose. Thus, it was consistent with the disposition effect. They also observed PGR and PLR in case of stocks with prior realized gains and stocks with prior realized losses from the same raw data. The result showed that PGR and PLR in stocks with prior realized gains will be smaller than those in stocks with realized losses. It means that investors hold more stocks after stocks had prior gains than after stocks had prior losses. When investors held stocks, they took risk that the price of stocks would fall in the future. It can be said that investors were more tole rate to take risk after their stocks gain. This was consistent with the characteristic of the house money effect. Therefore, we can find both the disposition effect and the hose money effect in the same raw data but in different point of view. They also conducted experiment to find the correlation between the two effects. They found that there was 53.5% from the sample population had both effect simultaneously and the experiment also showed that the correlation between magnitudes of two effects in group of investors who had two effects simultaneously was highly significant and negative. Duxbury et al (2011) explained that the power of the disposition effect would be weaker because of the presence of the house money effect. In other words, when investors were affected by the house money effect which leaded them to take more risk because of prior realized gain in stocks, they would be less affected by the disposition effect. When investors experienced prior realized losses in stocks, they would be less affected by the house money effect and would be more affected by disposition effect which leads them to be more risk averse. Conclusion In conclusion, the disposition effect which was suggested by Shefrin and Statman (1985) is one of a popular bias of investors. It explains that investors will have tendency to sell stocks if they gain but tend to keep stocks if they loss. Many theories are brought to explain the disposition effect. They are the prospect theory, the theory of seeking pride and avoiding regret, the theory of mental accounting and the theory of mean reversion. Many literatures compare the characteristic of those theories and the disposition effect. Some of them support that those theories can explain the disposition effect. Others show criteria which leads some of those theories to have different characteristic from the disposition effect. Moreover, there are some factors which can affect the disposition effect. Those are tax concern and demographic. Besides, there is evidence from Duxbury et al (2011) showed that the house money effect and the disposition effect surprisingly coexist even though both of them affect investors in the opposite way.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

John Lewis Uses The Jeremiad Rhetorical Tool - 1655 Words

America is built and founded on the sweat and tears of the working class. A lot of advancements in the workplace today have been won by unions and the efforts of labor organizations. John Lewis founded one of the biggest institutions that remains at the forefront of the labor movement, the CIO (Committee for Industrial Organizations, now the Congress of Industrial Organizations.) John Lewis delivers his speech to organize workers. He reminds the American working class of the need to unite. Lewis uses the Jeremiad rhetorical tool. John Lewis criticizes the government and businesses disregard for labor and how they have exploited and abused workers, by violently stopping them from unionizing. Lewis describes a â€Å"utopian society,† for this society to become a reality he calls on the working class to unite under the CIO. The influence John Lewis had on the labor movement is unparalleled. Lewis grew up in a working class home. He is the son of a miner and eventually became a miner himself. As a miner he was a union member of the United Mine Workers union and eventually became a prominent figure in the labor movement. Lewis is responsible for more industrial unionism than any other person in American labor (Martin). Lewis fought for the rights of unskilled workers such as miners, and steel workers. Lewis founded the CIO to better represent unskilled workers. Under Lewis the CIO became the biggest organization of unionized unskilled workers. â€Å"Lewis may have personally brought moreShow MoreRelatedAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pagessermons, diaries personal narratives captivity narratives jeremiads written in plain style Effect: ï‚ · ï‚ · instructive reinforces authority of the Bible and church Historical Context: ï‚ · ï‚ · a person s fate is determined by God all people are corrupt and must be saved by Christ Rationalism / Age of Enlightenment period of American Literature - 1750-1800 Content: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · national mission and American character democratic utopia use of reason history is an act of individual and national

Monday, December 16, 2019

Turnover Rate in Corrections Free Essays

The Nation Wide Dilemma in Corrections CJ 2500: CORRECTIONS Professor November 04, 2012 Running Head: Turnover Rate in Corrections Abstract Throughout the years, there has been one major dilemma that continues to hassle the administration whose sole purpose is to provide institutional sanctions, treatment programs, and services for managing criminal offenders. This dilemma is the high turnover rate of the Corrections Officers, whom agencies nation wide are losing at an extremely high rate. Recent statistics indicate that nearly half of all Corrections Academy graduates will have left their agency within a two-year period (â€Å"State questions high, â€Å"2004). We will write a custom essay sample on Turnover Rate in Corrections or any similar topic only for you Order Now This high turnover rate is causing a staff shortage, which is forcing agencies to put new officers on the job immediately while being untrained. Though the amount of Corrections Officers departing from their agencies continues to rise, the amount of inmates entering prisons remains the same. This of course can become a serious safety issue for the departments employing these new hires that are inadequately trained. Throughout this paper I will explore the numerous possibilities of what’s causing Corrections Officers to depart from their agencies at such a high rate. Whether it’s the demanding hours associated with shift work, the high stress and burnout, or the inadequate pay and benefits, all possibilities will be discussed in an attempt to understand why the retention rate of Corrections Officers is lower compared to various other careers across the nation. The Department of Corrections (DOC), privately owned jails, parish jails, and local city jails not only face the hardship of maintaining inmate property, specific calorie counts from meals provided, medicine dispensing, doctor visits, and numerous other tasks required that Corrections Officers tend to on a typical day of work, but these facilities also face the hardship of retaining these Officers for extended lengths of employment. As stated in the Abstract of this paper, â€Å"Recent statistics indicate that nearly half of all Corrections Academy graduates will have left their agency within a two-year period† (â€Å"State questions high, â€Å"2004). This has become a major problem for agencies that have a continuous increase in the number of inmates entering these facilities each year, while becoming almost impossible to keep enough manpower to operate shifts in a safe and secure manner. It is stated that in 1999, the turnover rate of Officers and Corporals within an agency was 29. 6 percent, while the average tenure of Officers was 3 years (â€Å"Department of corrections,†). The turnover rates in 2000 ranged from a low of 3. percent in New York, to a high of 41 percent in Louisiana (Lommel, 2004). Typically, once an Officer has been hired and accepted the job, they are to be trained in some type of Corrections Academy. The department hiring the Officer may host this Academy, or the Officer may have to travel to receive their training. Either way, prior to an Officer actually beginning their job monitoring the walkways of a prison or jail, the Officer should first be well trained to ensure theirs, the inmates, and other Officers safety. However, due to the high number of vacancies within Corrections, Officers are being hired without any experience, while hoping to receive this training academy shortly after becoming employed. Some agencies have established a policy that once the Officer has completed their training at an Academy, they are to sign a contract stating that they will remain with the department for a set amount of years. This is due to the high costs that an agency incurs by having these Officers sent to an accredited Academy to receive their training. The dollar amount that an agency may spend on an Officers training may range anywhere between a few hundred dollars, to a few thousand dollars. To elaborate on the amount of vacancies within Corrections, this could very well be a contributing factor to the increased amount of Officers who resign due to stress and burnout. Officers are being ordered in on their off days or holidays, forced to work mandatory overtime, a higher inmate to Correctional Officer ratio, as well as experienced Officers having to work with an extensive amount of â€Å"rookie† or inexperienced Correctional Officers. This combining of experienced officers with new hires, who have not received any type of prior training, raises the stress level during dangerous interactions with inmates, as well lowering the morale of the Officers who remain and attempt to complete their careers with a specific agency. This may be due to long term employees realizing that many of the new hires are using their time as a Correctional Officer to gain experience, or as a stepping-stone to eventually become a road or patrol Officer, which may involve more experienced Officers not spending the time necessary to assist, or provide â€Å"On the job training† to the new hires. Additional causes of stress may include the threat of inmate violence, actual inmate violence, inmate demands and manipulations, problems with co-workers, as well as having a poor public image. For example, â€Å"Between 1990 and 1995, the number of attacks on correctional officers in State and Federal prisons jumped by nearly one third, from 10,731 to 14,165 (Lommel, 2004). An additional stress added to a Correctional Officers life is being able to balance and separate work from their personal relationships. Workdays at a correctional facility often involve long hours of uneventful and routine procedures. This â€Å"routine† may quickly be disrupted by a brief period of crisis. Some Officers have issues with being able to return to a calm state once a crisis occurs, often times bringing their problems home to their families. This may lead Officers to substance abuse, or alcoholism. Law Enforcement careers can be an extremely difficult, stressful, yet rewarding career, even when referring to Corrections Officers. However, due to the long work hours associated with shift work, combined with the stressful and strenuous workdays officers are exposed to, it seems as if all Law Enforcement, to include Corrections officers do not receive the pay and benefits that they are entitled to. A large number of Corrections Officers are leaving this career field due to struggling with raising families while trying to balance and survive on the annual salary of a Corrections Officer. It seems as if economically speaking, the value of everyday necessities ontinues to rise in value, except for the officers’ paychecks. This dilemma, combined with the additional stress an Officer encounters on the job, could possibly explain why many Officers leave their jobs due to stress and burnout. The benefits that an Officer, or Corrections Officer receives is usually the highlight of their employment contract. Officers usually do receive good insurance and retirement plans. Not just for them, but for their families as well. However, the type of insurance that an Officer receives depends on the plan that the agency has purchased. Some agencies will have top of the line benefits, while others may have insurance carriers with extremely high deductibles and rates, due to tight budget restraints and cutbacks within the department. In addition to the stress, burnout, long hours, and low pay, many officers are never set on retiring within corrections. As previously stated, numerous officers, such as myself, use corrections as a stepping-stone, or training prior to being hired for a patrol position. Numerous agencies such as Sheriff’s Offices of various Parishes within the state, require that an individual hired first serve one to two years within the parish jail prior to being sent to a Police Academy and ultimately landing a position on patrol. Many agencies have come to realize this, which is why they may not spend the time, effort, and funds to train the individual to become a more efficient Corrections Officer. By reflecting on the issues presented in this paper, it is determined that turnover rate in Corrections Officers will likely continue to be a rising problem for agencies. Administrators seeking seminars on retention strategies, which may depend on additional funding, can combat some of these issues. Agencies can improve their policies, improve management, increase criteria of the screening process, as well as address the wage and benefit issue. However, no matter what an agency decides in attempting to retain there officers, there will always be the Officers that slip through the cracks and ultimately cost the department more funding in training the individual, only to have them leave the agency before reaching their desired and previously stated commitment. WORKS CITED Department of corrections background and statistics. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://legisweb. state. wy. us/progeval/reports/2000/turnovr/Chapter4. htm High turnover of corrections staff, excessive priosoner head counts attract media attention. (2006, Sep 06). Retrieved from http://www. bcgeu. ca/node/1314 Lommel, J. (2004, August). Turning around turnover. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. liberty. edu:2048/docview/215699356 State questions high turnover among prison officers. (2004, 04 05). Retrieved from http://www. corrections. com/articles/1862 How to cite Turnover Rate in Corrections, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard free essay sample

Era, Thomas Gray expresses the beauty of life and conveys the themes of death and self-search in his pastoral elegy, Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. The poem was written at the end of the Augustan Age and at the beginning of the Romantic Period, where both periods are evident in the poem. Gray combined in a unique way a classic form typical of the Augustan Era with contents and attitudes portrayed from the Romantic Period (Gray, Thomas). On one hand, it has the rdered, balanced phrasing and rotational sentimental of Neoclassical poetry. On the other hand, it tends toward the emotionalism and individualism of the Romantic poets; most importantly, it idealizes and elevates the common man. (Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard 73). His poem focuses on common people and really describes their lives and ponders on the things they could have accomplished if they were given the chance to do greater things. He also uses georgic verses, poetry that describes agriculture, which was popular in the eighteenth century. Gray also ssociates man and nature, which suggests a romantic attitude (Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard 78). He is able to combine both the Augustan Era and Romantic Period into his poem, making it unique and different from others. This poem was written in heroic quatrains, which consists of four lines per stanza. Heroic quatrains have a rhyme scheme of abab pattern and are written in iambic pentameter. Its regular, steady rhythm helps create a tranquil and quite mood, which is appropriate to the pondering nature of this poem (Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard). Gray sets his lyrics in the comforts of nature and selects mild images a knell, fading, drowsiness, and moping rather than the extremes of gothic horror. (Snodgrass, Mary Ellen). The poem begins with an observation of a country day coming to an end and farmers returning home. The first line of the poem sets a solemn tone that makes the mood of the poem gloomy, which can lead to the description of the graveyard and the pondering of the speaker. The speaker considers the pleasures that the dead will no longer enjoy and invoke the idea that everyone dies eventually. Earthly matters once aluable will no longer matter when a person is dead. He tries to persuade the reader not to look down on the poor because of their simple accomplishment have accomplished a lot. The speaker is wondering if someone will remember him when he is dead. He imagines an old farmer remembering him after his death and describes what the old man would say about him. (The speaker wonders if someone will remember his when he is dead and imagines what an old farmer would say about him and finish it somehow)The last three stanzas of the poem are the speakers epitaph. In his epitaph, he asks anyone that passes his grave to be emembered for being generous and sincere rather than wealthy and famous. The speaker wishes to be recognized not with the great and famous, but with the common people he has praised in his poem (Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard). Grays poem is reflective towards the questions of life and death and shows sympathy for the underclass society. He uses syntax, diction, and organization to express the tone of beauty and equality in humanity. With syntax, which is the grammatical arrangement of words in a sentence, Gray creates multiple meanings in a line and truly expresses the beauty and equality of life and death. One type of syntax that he uses is repetition, in which he places emphasis on the simple Joys and beauty of life that the common people enjoy by reusing common ideas throughout the poem. For example, Gray uses repetition to describe a beautiful morning, The breezy call of incense-breathing Morn, The swallow twittering from the straw-built shed, The cocks shrill clarion, or the echoing horn, No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed. (Gray, Thomas 17-20). He illustrates the beauty of life and to get the point across that life is precious because humans are mortal. Gray also uses rhetorical devices such as alliteration, personification, paradox, and allusion to get his message to his readers. He makes the poem more interesting and draws the reader into the poem. An example of personification would be in lin e 44, Or Flattery sooth the dull cold ear of Death? Here Gray uses the words flattery and death to personify death having a will or mind of its own. By personifying death, Gray is trying to explain that death can come and take a persons life away at any moment. In the poem, Gray also uses paradox to suggest that the troubles and worries of life re more enjoyable when he compares them to death. The pleasing anxious being in line 86 means that Just living can be anxious, and filled with tons of worries, but being alive is pleasing compared to death (Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard 78). In addition, he alludes three famous and powerful people in order to compare them to those who are buried in the churchyard. Some village-Hampden, that with dauntless beast/The little Tyrant of his fields withstood/ Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest/ Some Cromwell guiltless of his countrys blood, (Gray, Thomas 57-60). John Hampden is a parliamentary leader who defended the people against the abuse of Charles l, John Milton is a great poet who wrote Paradise Lost, and Oliver Cromwell is the Lord Protector of England from 1653 to 1658. T he allusion to the three illustrious men suggests that those who were buried in the churchyard could have opportunity to become someone great (Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard 78). Alliteration was also used to emphasis imagery, such as solemn silence in line 6 and sturdy stroke in line 28. Gray also uses a series of analogies to examine the talents of the poor. For example in like 53-56, Full many a gem of purest ray serene/ The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear/ Full many a flower is born to blush unseen/ And waste its sweetness on the desert air. He compares the talents of the poor to hidden gems in the ocean and to flowers blooming in the desert. The analogies he uses here express beauty, while still getting his point across to the reader. Gray is suggesting that the uneducated talents of the poor are a waste because they remain unused and undeveloped, but their talents are still present (Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard 78). Gray is reflective over death, which is the only thing that makes all men equal and reminds the reader about human mortality. In the poem, he ponders over the dead and thinks about how they will no longer be able to enjoy the pleasures of working in the fields each day and seeing their loved ones (EXPLORING Poetry). By comparing these common people to those of high status, he sympathizes with the fact that they did not have the chance to become great, but he still praises the simple lives that they lived. The common people live a steady simple, but meaningful life even if they id not get to accomplish great things (Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard 78). Gray also reminds the reader that these common people are long dead, but suggests that they deserve homage and tribute even if they are not famous and powerful (Poetry for Students). There are two main themes expressed in this poem, one of them being death. Out of sympathy with the universal terror of death, he elevates humankind with a serene melancholy at common place losses and disappointments from lives cut short. (Snodgrass, Mary Ellen). Gray uses the poem to compare death with sleep to make death seem less horrifying. Death is presented in a better way in this poem; instead of it seeming like the worst thing that could happen the speaker talks about the dead peoples family loving them and how they were cheerful at work when they were alive. He establishes a theme of mortality and reminds the reader that everyone dies eventually and nothing can be done to prevent death from occurring. The graveyard acts as a memento mort, which in Latin means Remember that you must die (EXPLORING Poetry). In death, there is no difference between great and common people. Gray conveys the message that in the end no matter if you are rich, oor, famous, or well known that all men will become equal through death. Another theme that is expressed in this poem is self-search. Gray conveys that attributes normally considered important and desirable in life are now pointless and useless when compared to the lives of the dead. According to the speaker Ambition should not think of the common people in the grave any less because their accomplishments are not as grand as others. He also states that Pride and Memory they are dead (Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard 81). Gray uses personification on these attributes to emphasis his point.