Tuesday, March 3, 2020

U.S. Birth Rate Hits All-Time Low in 2016

U.S. Birth Rate Hits All-Time Low in 2016 In a trend that has some demographers worried, the birth rate in the United States dropped to its lowest level ever in 2016. Dropping by another full 1% from 2015, there were only 62 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44. Overall, there were a total of 3,945,875 babies born in the United States during 2016. â€Å"This is the second year that the number of births has declined following an increase in 2014. Prior to that year, the number of births declined steadily from 2007 through 2013,† noted the CDC. According to an analysis issued by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), birth rates in all age groups under age 30 fell to all-time record lows. Among women ages 20 to 24, the decline was 4%. Among women ages 25 to 29, the rate fell 2 percent.   Drop in Teenage Pregnancy Drives Trend In an analysis issued by the National Center for Health Statistics, researchers report that birth rates declined to record lows in all groups under age 30. Among women ages 20 to 24, the decline was 4 percent. For women 25 to 29, the rate fell 2 percent. Driving the trend, the fertility and birth  rate among teenagers and 20-somethings fell by 9% from 2015 to 2016, continuing a long-term decline of 67% since 1991. While they are often used interchangeably, the term â€Å"fertility rate† refers to the number of births per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 44 occurring in a particular year, while â€Å"birth  rate† refers to the fertility rates within particular age groups or specific demographic groups. Does This Mean the Total Population is Falling? The fact that the all-time low fertility and birth  rate puts the United States population below the â€Å"replacement level† - the balance point between births and deaths at which the population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next - does not mean that the total U.S. population is falling. The annual U.S. immigration rate of 13.5% in 2017 still more than compensates for the lower fertility rates. Indeed, while the birth  rate continued to fall consistently throughout the period from 1990 to 2017, the nation’s total population increased by over 74 million people, from 248,709,873 in 1990 to an estimated 323,148,586 in 2017. Potential Dangers of a Falling Birthrate  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite a growing total population, some demographers and social scientists worry that if the birth  rate continues to slide, the U.S. could face a â€Å"baby crisis† resulting in cultural and economic pathos. Far more than an indicator of societal trends, a nation’s birth  rate is one of the most significant gauges of its overall demographic health. If the fertility rate falls too far below the replacement level, there is a danger that the nation will lose the ability to replace its aging workforce, leaving it unable to generate the amount of tax revenue needed to keep the economy stable, maintain or grow the infrastructure, and become unable to provide essential government services. On the other side, if birth  rates get too high, overpopulation can strain the nation’s available resources such as housing, social services, and safe food and water.   Over the decades, countries like France and Japan, experiencing the negative effects of a low birth  rate have applied pro-family policies in attempts to encourage couples to have babies. However, in nations such as India, where fertility rates have fallen slightly over the last few decades, residual overpopulation still results in wide-spread starvation and abject poverty. US Birthrates Up Among Older Women The US birth  rate is not falling among all age groups. According to the CDC’s findings, the fertility rate for women ages 30 to 34 rose by 1% over the 2015 rate, and the rate for women ages 35 to 39 went up by 2%, the highest rate in that age group since 1962. The birth  rate among older women ages 40 to 44 also increased, up 4% over 2015. In addition, the fertility rate for women ages 45 to 49 increased to 0.9 births per thousand from 0.8 in 2015. Other Details of US Birthrates in 2016 Unmarried Women: Among unmarried women, the birth rate fell to 42.1 births per 1,000 women, down from 43.5 per 1,000 in 2015. Falling for the eighth consecutive year, the birthrate for unmarried women has now dropped by over 3% since reaching its peak in 2007 and 2008. By race, 28.4% of white babies, 52.5% of Hispanics, and 69.7% of black babies were born to unmarried parents in 2016. Preterm Birthrate: Describing babies born before 37 weeks of gestation, the preterm birth rate increased for the second consecutive year to 9.84% per 1,000 women from 9.63% per 1,000 women in 2015.  This slight increase in preterm births came after a decline of 8% from 2007 to 2014. The highest rate of preterm birth was among non-Hispanic blacks, at 13.75% per 1,000 women, while the lowest was among Asians, at 8.63% per 1,000 women. Use of Tobacco by Mother: For the first time, the CDC reported data on mothers’ use of tobacco during pregnancy. Of the women who gave birth in 2016, 7.2% reported smoking tobacco at some point while pregnant. Tobacco use was the most common earlier in pregnancy - 7.0% of women smoked in their first trimester, 6.0% in their second, and 5.7% in their third. Of the 9.4% of women who reported smoking in the 3 months prior to becoming pregnant, 25.0% quit smoking before pregnancy.

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems Essay

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems - Essay Example The nerve fibers of the  parasympathetic nervous system  are the  cranial nerves, primarily the  vagus nerve, and the lumbar spinal nerves. When stimulated, these nerves increase digestive secretions and reduce the heartbeat. The sympathetic nervous system activates what is often termed the fight or flight response. Like other parts of the nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system operates through a series of interconnected neurons. Sympathetic neurons are frequently considered part of the peripheral nervous system (PNS), although there are many that lie within the central nervous system (CNS). Sympathetic neurons of the spinal cord (which is part of the CNS) communicate with peripheral sympathetic neurons via a series of sympathetic ganglia. Within the ganglia, spinal cord sympathetic neurons join peripheral sympathetic neurons through chemical synapses. Spinal cord sympathetic neurons are therefore called presynaptic (or preganglionic) neurons, while peripheral sympathetic neurons are called postsynaptic (or postganglionic) neurons. At synapses within the sympathetic ganglia, preganglionic sympathetic neurons release acetylcholine, a chemical messenger that binds and activates nicotinic acetylchol ine receptors on postganglionic neurons. In response to this stimulus, postganglionic neurons principally release noradrenalin (norepinephrine). Prolonged activation can elicit the release of adrenaline from the adrenal medulla. Once released, noradrenalin and adrenaline bind adrenergic receptors on peripheral tissues. Binding to adrenergic receptors causes the effects seen during the fight-or-flight response. These include pupil dilation, increased sweating, increased heart rate, and increased blood pressure. Sympathetic nerves originate inside the vertebral column, toward the middle of the spinal cord in the

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Why Obama Won Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Why Obama Won - Assignment Example By taking into concern the current situation of this contemporary world, it can be stated that the political parties need to become market-oriented, by recognizing public demands and most importantly, by designing an effective party product. In this similar context, the party product may comprise certain important factors including policies, constitutions, symbols, organizations and ideologies. It has been apparently observed that an effective political marketing imposes significant impacts upon several important aspects which include political decisions, market orientation strategies, online association marketing and media coverage initiatives (Marshment & Rudd, n.d.). Besides, the notion of political marketing is also viewed as a sort of commercial marketing that emphasizes upon forming, preserving as well as improving long-term interrelation with the voters for the purpose of attaining significant success and expected objectives (Shaughnessy, 2001). In addition, an effective polit ical marketing is all about shaping and delivering accurate message to the key audiences in order to obtain considerable success, especially in the political field (Ren Scott Creative Marketing, n.d.). In this discussion, a detailed analysis will be taken into concern regarding how an effective political marketing supported US President Barack Obama succeed in defeating Mitt Romney to earn a second term. Analysis Brand Difference of Obama and Romney Considering the recent changes in the US political environment, it can be stated that it is the democratic brand which mainly differed Obama from Romney who possessed republican brand. A major difference that can be viewed in this regard is that Obama largely supported the ideas as well as the policies based on Democratic Party while conversely, Romney deciphered strong concern towards Republican Party’s theories and concepts. Furthermore, US President Obama, from the very beginning, was observed as much keen towards introducing a s well as developing significant democratic policies concerning international relations, supporting legalization particularly for illegal immigrants and augmenting employment opportunities among others. These quality facets of democratic policies can be viewed as a significant factor which contributed to the success of Obama helping the common people to interpret the policies as mainly formulated for the interests of the nation (Carothers, 2012). This significant aspect, i.e. the democratic brand of Obama might have significantly assisted him to attain success and win for a second term as US President by a large extent. The democratic branding of Obama evolved over the course of the campaign when he included republican idea into his proposal relating to health insurance reform. According to the proposal, a few of the initiatives based on republican ideas have been taken into concern under the guidance of Obama. In this regard, the initiatives included facilitating varying health ins urance premiums on the basis of participation in programs relating to employer wellness, establishing standardized mechanisms to enhance healthcare quality and superior access towards different community based health centers (The White House, n.d.). Conversely, the republican branding of Romney evolved over the course of the campaign when he acclaimed prior to the election that it is possible to mitigate the loss of revenue resulting from tax cuts by eradicating different deductions as well as exemptions, especially for the upper-income individuals of the US. However, a few of the republicans were significantly criticized regarding the viewpoint of Romney regarding the

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Role of Organic Geochemistry in Petroleum

Role of Organic Geochemistry in Petroleum A review on role of organic geochemistry in petroleum;  characterization and applications of different basins Harish Chandra Joshi Abstract Petroleum is a mixture dominantly of hydrocarbons with varying proportions of non-hydrocarbon constituents and traces of organometallic compounds. Generally Petroleum has an average composition of 85% carbon, 13% hydrogen, and 2% of sulphur, nitrogen and oxygen. The aim of study is to find out the physicochemical and genetic property of petroleum. In this study biomarkers, age specific biomarker and reservoir geochemistry can be used for the characterization, correlation and/ or reconstruction of the depositional environment as micro and macro fossils used by the geochemist. Keywords: Biomarker, Genetic Characterisation, Kerogen, Geochemical Fossils. Introduction The name geochemistry was first used by the Swiss chemist, Christian Friedrich Schonbein in 1838. Petroleum geochemistry is the application of chemical principles to the study of the origin, migration, accumulation, and alteration of Petroleum (oil and gas) and the use of this knowledge in exploring and recovering Petroleum. Organic chemistry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the distribution and composition of carbon compounds. Geochemistry is the study of the chemical composition of the earth, minerals, ores, rocks and also is the study of the origin of petroleum. The major tasks of geochemistry can be summarized as follows: The study of the relative and absolute abundances of the elements and of the atomic species (isotopes) in the earth. The study of the distribution and migration of individual elements in the various parts of the earth (the hydrosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere etc.), and in mineral and rocks, with the object of discovering their distribution and migration. Exploration companies have used petroleum geochemistry in hydrocarbon exploration. The most and major objective of exploration geochemistry, is to reduce the risk of drilling dry holes. Petroleum geochemistry is based on the organic origin of the oil and gas whereby organic matter obtained from dead plants and animals. Organic matter is converted to hydrocarbons in the subsurface through various major three stages of transformations diagenesis, catagenesis and metagenesis. German scientist Treibs (1936) reveal a relationship between chlorophyll-a in living photosynthetic organisms and porphyrins in Crudes of petroleum. This link provides a strong evidence of organic origin of Petroleum. From the starting of the Precambrian till the Devonian, the unique primary producer of the organic matter were marine phytoplanktons. Since the Devonian an increasing amount of primary production has been contributed by higher terrestrial plants. At present cenario marine phytoplankton and higher terrestrial are estimated to produce about equal amounts of organic carbon. On increases the burial depth, porosity and permeability decrease, and temperature increases. Thus lead to the change a gradual halting of microbial activity and thus eventually called ‘organic diagenesis to a halt. As the temperature rises, thermal reactions become increasingly. This second transformation phase, called catagenesis, during the catagenesis kerogen begins to decompose into smaller, more mobile molecules. In the early stage of catagenesis, kerogens are still relatively large; these are precursors for petroleum and are called â€Å"bitumen†. In the late stages and final transfo rmation stage, called ‘metagenesis’. During metagenesis the principal products consist of smaller gas molecules. Further, kerogens formed from different organic matter, or under different diagenetic conditions, are chemically clear which has a significant effect on hydrocarbon generation. Characterization of crude oil by Analytical Methods Firstly sampling of crude oils is required for their characterization. Oil should be collected as a single- phase sample under pressure conditions as they are in reservoir. Therefore for the geochemical studies, crude oil samples are collected at the well head under atmospheric pressure. Under these conditions light hydrocarbons of crude oils are lost completely or partly. Light hydrocarbon fraction gives the ideas only about the abundance and constituents of the light end of the oil. It is normally observed that the most abundant characteristics hydrocarbons are commonly in the light fraction. For required minimizing the effects of sampling error the crude oil is distilled at 2100C. The heavier fraction is considered the foremost part of the crude oil. It is used to describe the chemical composition of a crude oil and also to compare it with other crude oils. Analytical Techniques in Petroleum Exploration Petroleum system (Demaison, 1994; Hunt, 1996) comprise all those geological elements and processes that are necessary for an oil and gas deposit to occur in nature. These main elements are a petroleum source rock, migration paths, reservoir rocks, seals, traps and the geological approach that design each of them. Such systems involve a genetic relationship between the source rock and the petroleum accumulations, but proof of that relation force a geochemical correlation. organic geochemistry techniques available include surface geochemical prospecting, source rock geochemistry, crude oil geochemistry, natural gas geochemistry, biomarker geochemistry, isotope geochemistry etc. Biomarkers in Petroleum Biological marker or shortened to Biomarkers (Seifert and Moldowan, 1981) are complex molecules derived from once living organisms they are found in sediments and oil and show little change in structure from their parent molecules (Peters Moldowan, 1993 and Hunt, 1996). These compounds are also called as geochemical fossils (Eglinton and Cavin, 1967) because of their origin from living organisms. Such compounds may be derived from terrestrial (mostly plants, marine pelagic (mostly plankton) and marine benthonic (algae, bacteria and other microbes). Biomarkers are generally, microfossils less than 30 nm in diameter and are highly variable in their stereochemistry i.e. the spatial arrangement of atoms and groups in their molecules. The common use of the biomarkers in petroleum exploration may be enumerated as follows: Biomarkers are present in both and oil a source rocks so they provide vital information for the oil-oil and oil-source correlation. Organic matter type (source of organic facies) Depositional environment Extent of thermal maturation Degree of biodegradation Information about the age of the source rock ÃŽ ± and ÃŽ ² Geometry of Biomarkers Steranes obtain from the diagenesis of natural products sterols. Diagenesis converts sterol via chemical dehydration and microbial reduction to a steranes cholestane. Cholestane molecule is drawn in three dimensions as follows. The hydrogen at the 3 position points up above the plane of the molecule and that at the 5 position points down below the plane (Peters and Moldowan 1993) Commonly Used Biomarkers in Petroleum Exploration Normal Alkanes: Normal alkanes are a homologues series of saturated hydrocarbons of general formula CnH2n+2. All linear n-alkanes from C1 to C40 and a few beyond C40 derived from different sources have been identified in crude oils. Iso- and Anteiso-alkanes: Isoalkanes are 2-methyl alkanes and quite a number of these have been observed in crude oils as have been the anteiso-alkanes, the 3-methlyalkanes. Iso and anteiso alkanes are associated with n-alkanes in plant waxes where they comprise a approximate number of carbon atoms (about 25-31) with an odd predominance Figure 1. Showing common biomarkers like paraffins, Iso and ante-isoalkane Acyclic Isoprenoid: These are special type of Iso-alkanes in which one methyl group is attached to every fourth carbon atom in straight. Isoprene (methyl butadiene) is the basic structural unit composed of carbon atoms that is found in all biomarkers. The most common isoprenoids are pristane (C19) and Phytane (C20). Figure 2. Common Isoprenoid biomarkers in petroleum Terpenoids: Terpenoids can be classified based on structural types into diterpenoids and triterpenoids Diterpenoids are categorized into bicyclic and tricyclic diterpenoids. Triterpenoids are grouped into tetra and pentacyclic. The most knowing are pentacyclic and among these are hopanes. Hopanes are pentacyclic triterpenoids comprised of four 6-membered and one 5-membered ring. There is a side chain which can contain upto 8 carbon atoms. Thus the series comprise of C27-C35 hopanes. They are believed to have originated from polyhydroxybacteriohopane. Figure 3. Structures of Common Triterpanes Figure 4. Structures of Common Tricyclic and Tetracyclic Terpanes Steranes: Steroids can be classified as aliphatic and aromatic steroids (mono, di- and tri-aromatic depending on the number of aromatic rings). Steranes are a series of aliphatic steroids. The sterols in all eukaryotic organisms are precursors to the steranes in sediments and petroleum. Like the hopanes, steranes are abundant in sediments, rocks and petroleum, because their precursors (Sterols) are so common in living organisms. Cholesterol has eight asymmetric centers and might be expected to show as many as 28 or 256 stereoisomers. Figure 5. Chemical Structure of various steroids Porphyrins: Porphyrins are characterized by a tetrapyrrolic nucleus proved to be inherited from chlorophyll, the green photosynthetic pigment of plants and animals ,hemin, the red pigment of animal blood. These tetrapyrrolic organometallic compounds reported of the vanadium and nickel in petroleum. The major types of fossil porphyrin are deoxophylloerytrapyrrole (DPEP) and etioporphyrin (ETIO) porphyrin structure. Age specific biomarkers If biomarkers characterise a molecular record of life, they can be used for age determination. Certain age specific biomarkers like Oleanane present in oils derived from late Cretaceous or Younger. C11-C19 Paraffins, Odd carbon number prevalence in oil from many Ordovician sources. 24-n-propylcholestane, High in oils from Ordovician sources.Thus the biomarkers transport to the sources has proved to be of great help in geochemical characterization of the oils/condensates. Reservoir Geochemistry The main aim of reservoir geochemistry is to understand the distribution and origin of the petroleum, water and minerals in the reservoir and account for their possible spatial and compositional variation (Cubitt and England 1995). A better understanding of the fluids in the reservoir conduct to a better understanding in an area and prioritization of exploration thrusts. The principle factors responsible for difference in petroleum composition are the effect of organic facies variations, progressive source rock maturation, migration fractionation, gravity segregation, oil/water contact and non-uniform biodegradation of oil across the field. However these effects have been normalized by using ratios of peaks corresponding to compounds of similar molecular weight in the C10+ region of the chromatogram. The study of reservoir continuity is also the focus of the geochemical characterization to trace the nature and depositional conditions of the source organics, identification of the oil families and thermal maturity of the oils/condensates. When a set of chromatographic peaks has been selected, a variety of techniques are available for grouping of this data. One way is to use a polar plot of selected ratios by a star diagram (polygon plot) by plotting each peak ratio on a different axis of polar plot. Each data point is plotted from the centre of the concentric circles outward. The points are then connected to create a star shaped pattern characteristic of each oil. Applications of geochemical characterisation Biomarker and non-biomarker geochemical parameters are best used together to supply the most authentic geological interpretations to help solve exploration, enlargement, production and environmental problems. Prior to biomarker work, oil and rock samples are properly screened using non biomarker analyses. The strength of biomarker parameters is that they provide more detailed information needed to answer questions about the source rock depositional environment, thermal maturity and the biodegradation of oils than non-biomarker analyses alone. Different depositional environments are characterized by different assemblages of organisms and biomarkers. Commonly accept classes of organisms include bacteria, algae, and higher plants. Biomarker parameters are also an effective means to determine the relative maturity of petroleum through the entire oil-generative window. Conclusion On the basis of above observation major conclusions which have been derived from the whole study are as follows: The presence of complete range of normal alkanes upto nC36 and in some cases upto nC40. The presence of biomarker in oil indicates that oil may be terrestrial or marine. The terrestrial nature of the source is also strongly indicated by the steranes. Reservoir geochemistry of oils has been used to demonstrate the lateral/vertical continuity/compartmentalization. References: Bhandari, A., Prasad, I.V.S.V., Kapoor, P.N., Varshney, Meenu, Madhavan, A.K.S., Pahari, S. and Singh, R.R., 2008. Depositional environment, distribution of source rocks and geochemistry of oil and gases, Krishna-Godavari Basin, Journal of Applied Geochem., Vol. 10 (1) pp 17-31 Bhandari, A., Prasad, I.V.S.V., and Dwivedi, Prabhakar, 2007. Stratigraphic distribution of hydrocarbons in the Sedimentary Basins of India. Symposium in Applied Geochemistry in the evaluation and management of onshore and offshore Geo sources. Journal of Applied Geochemistry, Vol. 9 (1) pp 48-73. Bhatnagar, A.K., Goswami, B.G., Rawat, G.S., Singh, Harvir and Singh, R.R., 2009. Geochemical characterization and reservoir fingerprinting to assess reservoir continuity in oils of Heera and South Heera fields, western offshore basin, India, Petrotech 2009 New Delhi. Cubitt, J.M., England, W.A., 1995. The Geochemistry of Reservoirs. The Geological Society London, pp 321. Demaison, G.J and Huizinga, B.J., 1994. Genetic classification of petroleum systems using three factors: charge, migration and entrapment. In: The Petroleum system – From source to trap (L.B. Morgan and W.G. Dow, eds), American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Tulsa, pp. 73-89. Didyk, B.M., Simoneit, B.R.T.,Brassel, S.C and Eglinton, C., 1978. Organic Geochemical indicators of pale environmental conditions of sedimentation. Nature 272, pp 216-222. Eglinton, G and Calvin, M., 1967. Chemical fossils. Scl. Am. 216, pp 32-43 Hunt, J.M., 1979. Petroleum Geochemistry and Geology. W.H. Freeman, San Francisco, pp 617. Hunt, J.M., 1996. Petroleum Geochemistry and Geology. W.H. Freeman and Company, New York. Pandey, I.P., Joshi, H.C., Tyagi, Ashish Tiwari, Sadhana and Garg, Nitika, 2012. Study of the Parameters and Bio-Markers of Crude oils. Advances in Pure and Applied Chemistry, World Science Publisher, New York, United States, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp 49-53. Mackenzie, A.S., 1984. Application of biological markers in Petroleum Geochemistry, In Advances in Petroleum Geochemistry, Vol. 1, (J. Brooks and D.H. Welte, eds) Academic Press, London, pp 115-214. Mackenzie, A.S., Patience, R.L., Maxwell, J.R., Vandenbroucke, M and Durand B., 1980.Molecular parameters of maturation in the Toarcian shales, Paris Basin, France-1. Change in the configuration of acyclic isoprenoid alkanes, steranes, and terpanes. Geochimicaetcosmochimica Acta, 44, 1709- 1721. Peters, K.E., 1997. Modern Geochemical Tools for efficient exploration and Development, O.G.C.I. Training report, Oct. 20924, Mussoorie, India. Peters, K.E. and Fowler, M.G., 2002. Application of Petroleum Geochemistry to Exploration and reservoir management. Org. Geochem. Vol 33, pp 5-36. Peters, K.E. and Moldowan, J.M., 1993. The biomarker guide interpreting Molecular fossils in petroleum and ancient sediments, Prantice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ., U.S.A. Seifert, W.K. and Moldowan, J.M., 1978. Application of steranes, terpanes and Monoaromatics to the maturation, migration and source of oil. Geochem. Cosmochim., Acta 42, pp 77-95 Seifert, W.K. and Moldown, J.M., 1979. The effect of biodegradation on steranes and Terpanes in crude oil. Geochem. Cosmochim., Acta 43, pp 111-126. Seifert, W.K. and Moldown, J.M., 1980. The effect of thermal stress on source rock quality as Measured by hopane stereochemistry.Physics and chemistry of the earth, 12, pp 229-237. Smith,H.M., 1940. Correlation index to aid in interpretin crude oil analysis. U.S. Bureau of Mines, tech. Paper:610. Tissot, B.P. and welte, D.H., 1978. Pertoleum formation and Occurrence, Springer- Verlag, New York, pp. 699. Tissot, B.P and welte, D.H., 1978. Pertoleum formation and Occurrence, Springer- Verlag, Berlin. 22.Treibs, A., 1963. Chlorophyll and hemin derivatives in organic mineral substances. Angewandte Chemie, 49, pp 682-686. 1

Friday, January 17, 2020

Cardiovascular Disease Information Essay

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in over half of the people in this country. It affects all aspects of the heart function, from the arteries that supply the blood to the valves to the heart muscle itself. Heart and blood vessel disease- cardiovascular disease – includes numerous problems, many of which are related to a process called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition that develops when a substance called plaque build up I the walls of the arteries. This buildup narrows the arteries, making it harder for blood to flow through. If a blood lot forms, it can stop the blood flow. This can cause a heart attack or stroke. Some of the symptoms associated with cardiovascular disease are chest pains, sudden numbness of arms or face, strokes or congestive heart failure. Cardiovascular disease can be managed by following a lean strict diet, keeping your cholesterol down, not smoking, maintaining your blood pressure and exercising regularly. It is said that if you exercise for about 30 minutes a day every day, that will keep you healthy and your heart pumping. Congestive Heart Failure refers to a poorly pumping heart that causes a fluid back up in the heart, lungs and other organs. The symptoms are shortness of breath, swelling in the body and debilitating fatigue. It is said that congestive heart failure is the most common cardiac condition among the elderly. Heart failure can start from an unnoticeable condition, which can progress to a debilitating disease. The way to check to see if you have a heart problem is by having an Echocardiogram which monitors your heart and makes sure everything is functioning properly. This disease can also be controlled by maintaining a healthy diet, not smoking, controlling your weight, and following a good exercise regimen. Maintaining your weight is also an important factor.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

California Gardens, California And The East Bay Area

If you live in Oakland, California, you know that the weather is mild and temperate. Some might say we have the perfect weather. Of course, these great weather conditions give us the ability to have easy to care for gardens with a variety of low-maintenance plants. This is your guide to growing a garden in Oakland, California. What to Plant It s always best to try and use as many indigenous plants, or plants native to your area, when planning a garden. Using native plants makes gardening much easier because you are not fighting the natural conditions of the area vs. what the plant wants and needs to survive. There are thousands of options when picking native plants for this area. Visit California Gardens website and view their plant list for a full list. Here I have just listed a few plants that have worked well in my own garden. Note, all of these are varieties that are native to Oakland, California and the East Bay Area. Fruits Avocado Lemons Wildflower/Flowers Cal ifornia Poppy Vines Jasmine Morning Glory Shrubs Rosemary Oleander Gardenia Trees Pitosporum Japanese Maple (okay.. this might not be a native, but I planted one in my garden and was delighted at how it has thrived in all weather conditions. These trees are unique, beautiful, and add that splash of color that might be missing from your tree selections.) When to Plant In deciding when to plant, it is important to know which climate zone you live in, the best growingShow MoreRelatedAuthor s Date Of Birth : 19021075 Words   |  5 PagesNoted literary work: The Grapes of Wrath Work published: 1939 The Grapes of Wrath is one of John Steinbeck’s most popular novels; it earned him the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 (Lauter). The book is about an Oklahoma farming family who has to travel to California in search of work, food, and money during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. 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Wednesday, January 1, 2020

President Trumans Fair Deal of 1949

The Fair Deal was an extensive list of proposals for social reform legislation suggested by U.S. President Harry S. Truman in his State of the Union address to Congress on January 20, 1949. The term has since come to be used to describe the overall domestic policy agenda of Truman’s presidency, from 1945 to 1953. Key Takeaways: The "Fair Deal" The â€Å"Fair Deal† was an aggressive agenda for social reform legislation proposed by President Harry Truman in January 1949.Truman had initially referred to this progressive domestic policy reform program as his â€Å"21-Points† plan after taking office in 1945.While Congress rejected many of Truman’s Fair Deal proposals, those that were enacted would pave the way for important social reform legislation in the future. In his State of the Union Address, President Truman told Congress that that, â€Å"Every segment of our population, and every individual, has a right to expect from his government a fair deal.† The â€Å"Fair Deal† set of social reforms Truman spoke of continued and built on the New Deal progressivism of President Franklin Roosevelt and would represent the last major attempt by the Executive Branch to create new federal social programs until President Lyndon Johnson proposed his Great Society program in 1964. Opposed by the â€Å"conservative coalition† that controlled Congress from 1939 to 1963, only a handful of Truman’s Fair Deal initiatives actually became law. A few of the major proposals that were debated, but voted down, included federal aid to education, the  creation of a Fair Employment Practices Commission, repeal of the Taft–Hartley Act limiting the power of labor unions, and the provision of universal health insurance. The conservative coalition was a group of Republicans and Democrats in Congress who generally opposed increasing the size and power of the federal bureaucracy. They also denounced labor unions and argued against most new social welfare programs. Despite the opposition of the conservatives, liberal lawmakers managed to win approval of some of the less controversial measures of the Fair Deal. History of the Fair Deal President Truman first gave notice that he would pursue a liberal domestic program as early as September 1945. In his first postwar address to Congress as president, Truman laid out his ambitious â€Å"21-Points† legislative program for economic development and expansion of social welfare. Truman’s 21-Points, several of which still resonate today, included: Increases to the coverage and amount of the unemployment compensation systemIncrease the coverage and amount of the minimum wageControl the cost of living in a peacetime economyEliminate federal agencies and regulations created during World War IIEnact laws ensure full employmentEnact a law making the Fair Employment Practice Committee permanentEnsure sound and fair industrial relationsRequire the U.S. Employment Service to provide jobs for former military personnelIncrease federal assistance to farmersEase restrictions on voluntary enlistment in the armed servicesEnact broad, comprehensive and non-discriminatory fair housing lawsEstablish a single federal agency dedicated to researchRevise the income tax systemEncourage the disposal through sale of surplus government propertyIncrease federal assistance for small businessesImprove federal assistance to war veteransEmphasize conservation and protection of natural in federal public works programsEncourage foreign post-war reconstructio n and settlements of Roosevelt’s Lend-Lease ActIncrease wages of all federal government employeesPromote the sale of surplus wartime U.S. naval vesselsEnact laws to grow and retain stockpiles of materials essential to the future defense of the nation Expecting lawmakers to take the lead in drafting the bills necessary to implement his 21-Points, Truman did not send them to Congress. Focused at the time on dealing with rampant inflation, the transition to a peacetime economy, and the growing threat of Communism, Congress had little time for Truman’s social welfare reform initiatives. Despite the delays and opposition from the conservative Republican majority in Congress, Truman persisted, continuing to send them an ever-increasing number of proposals for progressive legislation. By 1948, the program that had begun as the 21-Points had come to be known as the â€Å"Fair Deal.†Ã‚   After his historically unexpected victory over Republican Thomas E. Dewey in the 1948 election, President Truman repeated his social reform proposals to Congress referring to them as the â€Å"Fair Deal.† Highlights of Truman’s Fair Deal Some of the major social reform initiatives of President Truman’s Fair Deal included: A national health insurance planFederal aid to educationAbolition of poll taxes and other practices intended to prevent racial minorities from votingA major tax cut for low-income workersExpanded Social Security coverageA farm assistance programExpansion of public housing programsA substantial increase in the minimum wageRepeal of the labor union-weakening Taft-Hartley ActA new TVA-style program to create public works projectsCreation of a federal Department of Welfare To pay for his Fair Deal programs while reducing the national debt, Truman also proposed a $4 billion tax increase. The Legacy of the Fair Deal Congress rejected most of Truman’s Fair Deal initiatives for two main reasons: Opposition from members of the majority-holding conservative coalition in Congress who viewed the plan as advancing President Roosevelt’s New Deal’s effort to achieve what they considered to be a â€Å"democratic socialist society.†In 1950, barely a year after Truman proposed the Fair Deal, the Korean War shifted the government’s priorities from domestic to military spending. Despite these roadblocks, Congress did approve a few or Truman’s Fair Deal initiatives. For example, the National Housing Act of 1949 funded a program removing crumbling slums in poverty-stricken areas and replacing them with 810,000 new federally rent-assisted public housing units. And in 1950, Congress nearly doubled the minimum wage, raising it from 40 cents per hour to 75 cents per hour, an all-time record 87.5% increase. While it enjoyed little legislative success, Truman’s Fair Deal was significant for many reasons, perhaps most notably its establishment of a demand for universal health insurance as a permanent part of the Democratic Party’s platform. President Lyndon Johnson credited the Fair Deal as being essential to the passage of his Great Society health care measures such as Medicare.