Monday, January 27, 2020
Turner Syndrome Hormone
Turner Syndrome Hormone TURNER SYNDROME Turner syndrome was discovered by Dr. Henry Turner, an endocrinologist in 1938, when he noticed a set of common physical features in some of his female patients. Turner was born on August 28, 1892 in Harrisburg, Illinois and died on August 4, 1970 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. An endocrinologist diagnoses diseases that affect your glands. Endocrinologists are trained to diagnose and treat hormone problems by helping to balance of hormones in your system. It wasnt until 1960 that a chromosomal abnormality was discovered. Turner syndrome is a rare genetic chromosomal disorder that affects approximately one out of 2,500 3,000 females in every birth. Females inherit one â€Å"X chromosome from their mother and one â€Å"X†chromosome from their father. If one â€Å"X†chromosome is missing from the cell, that is Turner syndrome. â€Å"Turner syndrome is present at conception or following the first cell division, and it remains throughout life.†Some scientists say it â€Å"may be a result from an error during the division (meiosis) of a parents sex cell. Turner syndrome can be diagnosed by a simple blood test called karyotype either during pregnancy or after birth. â€Å"A karyotype test that shows that you have Turner syndrome reveals 45 chromosomes (only one X chromosome), instead of the normal 44 autosomes and 2 X chromosomes (XX) that are found in females.†Here are a few if the physical features of Turner syndrome: Short stature; one of the missing genes in the â€Å"X†chromosome is the SHOX gene. This gene is responsible for the long bone growth development; â€Å"more than 95% of adult women with Turner syndrome exhibit short stature†. Without it, your bones dont grow the way they should; average adult height with Turner syndrome is 4 feet 7 inches. â€Å"Scoliosis affects the spine and occurs in 10% of young girls with Turner syndrome and may contribute to their short stature.†Scoliosis can be diagnosed by a Pediatrician. This also includes short fingers and short toes; wrist and elbow joints turn out away from the body. Hands and feet can look puffy or swollen at birth. The nails on the fingers are soft and turn upward at the ends when a girl with Turner syndrome gets older. Webbed neck; in some cases you will see extra skin on the side of the neck. It looks like â€Å"wings†. This is where the neck and the collar bone connect and can be corrected with surgery. Abnormal kidney, a normal kidney is shaped like a bean and someone who has Turner syndrome, their kidney is shaped like a horseshoe. Also, you should have two kidneys and someone with Turner syndrome, usually only has one kidney. Having only one kidney and the fact that it doesnt function the way it is suppose to, can also cause diabetes, which can be deadly if you dont treat it with medication, good eating habits and lots of exercise. Lack of sexual development at puberty; females with Turner syndrome have little to no sexual development; their ovaries, breasts, the uterus never fully develops and there is no menstruation cycle, which means that they cant reproduce. The most deadly of the physical features is the heart defects, because it is the most common cause of death in adults with Turner syndrome. The major heart vessels are much smaller than normal heart vessels. â€Å"The major blood vessels from the heart have two vessels rather than three vessels that regulate the blood flow.†This can be corrected with surgery. Other disorders include high blood pressure, obesity, cataracts, thyroid problems, and arthritis. Girls with Turner syndrome usually have normal intelligence, but some may have learning difficulties in math. Many also have a problem with requiring map reading or visual organization, but are able to write well and learn well. People with Turner syndrome go to regular schools and take regular classes. Hearing problems are also more common in girls with Turner syndrome. Red and green color blindness also occurs in girls with Turner syndrome. There is treatment for Turner syndrome. Some females have been treated with hormone replacement therapy that increases their height and helps the development of the breasts. Some females also take the male hormone so their hair and muscle growth can be almost normal. Not everyone who takes the growth hormone, androgen have much change in their growth. The female hormone is called estrogen, which also help their sexual development. Estrogen therapy is usually started at age 12 or 13 to help stimulate the growth of sexual development. Having Turner syndrome can also lower a young girls self-esteem. There are a lot of ways to help someone feel better about there self. For example to try on different clothing styles until she finds what makes her feel happy or fits her personality. This can help build a positive body image and self-esteem. Or maybe participate in activities where height doesnt matter, like skating, diving, horseback riding, babysitting, or volunteer work. They should stay active in sports and hobbies they enjoy. Turner syndrome can not be inherited from parent to child because most women with Turner syndrome are usually sterile. They dont have fully developed reproductive organs. There is no cure for Turner syndrome. People with Turner syndrome are all different. Some may have many physical differences and symptoms. Others may only have a few medical problems that are treatable. There is no known proof that this disorder affects more frequently in whites, blacks, Hispanics or any other ethnic group. Most people with Turner syndrome can live healthy and normal lives if they get good medical care. There is a foundation called The MAGIC Foundation for Childrens Growth. This is a group of parents with children who have a variety of growth disorders including Turner Syndrome. The foundation is here to help you understand and deal with the special issues all of the children face, whether it is a learning challenge due to Turner Syndrome or a physical challenge because they are short children. References: Clinical Features of Turner Syndrome http://turner.nichd.nih.gov Turner Syndrome Chart http://www.kidsgrowth.com Learn.Genetics Genetic Science Learning Center http://learngenetics.utah.edu Teens Health http://kidshealth.org/teen;diseases_conditions/genetic/turner.html â€Å"Family Medical Guide†, 4th Edition; American Medical Association, published by John Wiley Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Inventory and Reebok
When dealing with a market segment that has high variable demand, it is important to analyze not only your current inventory levels, but also generate future demand forecasts. This is because an inventory shortage can cause the company to lose future profits and lost goodwill. In the case of Reebok, the former NFL licensed jersey producer, many key decisions must be made to reduce inventory costs in periods of low demand while maximizing profits in periods of high demand for player specific jerseys.Using the newsvendor model to determine the optimal order quantity and leftover inventory, we will present a possible approach to inventory planning with uncertain demand. Uncertain Demand: Within the replica jersey industry, seasonality plays a vital part in keeping sufficient inventory to cover customer demand. Seasonality is regular periodic fluctuations, usually within a 12 month period whereas trend is an overall, persistent, long-term movement. For instance, â€Å"the NFL season dri ves much of the demand†with sales highest in August/September in anticipation of the upcoming NFL season. Later in the season, consumer demand is driven by holiday presents and the anticipation of the playoffs†. After the season is over, sales decline rapidly until the start of the next season. From a supply chain perspective, however, it is maximizing revenues from â€Å"lumpy†hot-market items as much as limiting obsolesce costs. Postponement: Reebok must order must it’s ordering decision at the start of a period, though it is concerned with inventory at the end of the period. Postponment allows Reebok to extend the life cycle of its jerseys as well as capture lumpy â€Å"dressed†product demand. Blank jerseys are shipped directly to the Reebok distribution center with no player name or number†. However, teams often change the style or color of their uniforms between seasons. Further, the consumer may want the latest and most up-to-date â₠¬Å"dressed jersey†for each individual player that they are a fan. Given â€Å"player demand changes so much from year to year†along with the fact that â€Å"player movements†occur during the off season (February to April), holding â€Å"dressed jerseys†at end-of-season is most risky.Indeed, â€Å"Reebok’s general practice is to sell leftover dressed jerseys at $7 but hold blank jerseys for next season†. End-of-season inventory: Reebok uses â€Å"blank†jerseys during the off-season to meet immediate demand for [popular] player movements, using its Indianapolis capacity to print (dress) up to 10,000 units per day. Given a lead time for all jerseys from contract manufacturers of 30 days, these â€Å"blanks†must already be on hand as end-of-season inventory to catch any player movement value during February, March and April.The 30 day lead time along with the 60 sea-shipping means ordering CM â€Å"dressed†jerseys can be delayed as late as May to meet the August rush, assuming CM’s have the blanks on hand. (CM’s carry 4 weeks inventory of blanks. Figure 5-11). In reality, the sequence by which inventory is added or subtracted does not matter. Jump-start ordering: In January/February, retailers are offered discounts so that 20% of their annual order arrives 8-12 weeks later, in May. This is a key strategy that Reebok needs to continually employ because it shifts inventory holding costs to retailers.It also allows Reebok to place orders with CM’s given a known demand. Then, throughout the rest of the year, retailers place up-to-level orders on a weekly basis. However, â€Å"we cannot be sure of inventory levels at any other point within a period (because of random demand)†MSD pg. 290. Reebok’s Management Focus: It takes 4-8 weeks on average for the Reebok contract manufacturers to deliver the jerseys to the warehouses from the beginning to end. While this is happ ening, the demand is changing before the jerseys even reach the warehouse.Thus it is critical that Reebok provide flexible contracts with the distribution centers to get their orders fulfilled on time. Reebok must work with their contract manufacturers to always make sure they have the appropriate resources and materials to deliver the quantities needed, as well as continuously maintain some level of inventory ready for customization and super-fast delivery; even air transport is available. Reebok should also continue to give the option of early order discount jerseys so that the retail distribution centers can have their own inventory prior to the season.By working with the both ends of the supply chain, Reebok can deliver up to date forecasting that will help all parties to virtualize inventory and respond quickly to demand, despite the uncertainty. Optimal Order Quantity with postponement To determine the Expected Profit-Maximizing Order Quantity for NFL replica jerseys given two options for finished goods, we must use two steps that give us two critical fractals; first, the probability of not stocking out and second, the The following information is given. Retailer wholesale price = $24 Discount price of unsold dressed Jersey = 7. Contract manufacturers’ price includes delivery to Reebok’s Distribution Center in India polis Cost of Blanked jersey, = $9. 50* Cost of dressed jersey from contract manufacturers = $10. 90* Blank jerseys can also be finish in Indianapolis for an additional cost of $2. 40 Cost of dressed jersey from Indianapolis= $9. 50 + $2. 40 = $11. 90 Holding costs are incurred for any jersey held-over to the following season, reducing the value of the unsold blanked jersey; this requires the assumption that the jersey would have been re-purchased at the initial purchase cost.Holding cost for unsold blank Jersey = $1. 045 Value of unsold blanked jersey = $8. 46 Step 1: Probability that demand for blank jerseys is less than Q: No stockout Co: Cost of overage = cost of blanked jersey – value of unsold blanked jersey          = 9. 5 – 8. 46 = 1. 04 Cu: Cost of underage = retailer wholesale price – cost of dressed jersey from Indianapolis                               = 24 – 11. 9 = 12. 1 Step 2: Determining cost of finish jerseys from CM and finished jerseys from Indianapolis.Cost of overage = Cost of dressed jersey from CM – Discount price of unsold dressed Jersey                = 10. 9 – 7. 0 = 3. 9 Cost of underage (blank is available) = Cost of dressed jersey from Indianapolis – Cost of dressed jersey from contract manufacturers              = 11. 9-10. 9 = 1. 0 Cost of underage (blank is unavailable) = retailer wholesale price – Cost of dressed j ersey from CM       = 24 – 10. 9 = 13. 1 As we know from step 1, the blank jersey has a 92% probability of not stocking out. Here is the cost of underage based on critical fractile of 0. 2 and using the costs from step 2. Cost of underage = 92% * cost of underage (blank is available) + (1 – 92%) * cost of underage (blank is unavailable)            0. 92*1+0. 08*13. 1 = 1. 97 Demand Forecast for NFL Team, New England Patriots The following table was provided showing the forecast for the New England Patriots: The Expected Profit-maximizing Order Quantity use NORMINV(critical fractile,m ,s) in Excel The following example is calculating the quantity of dressed jersey of Tom Brady: Quantity of dressed jersey = NORMINV(0. 3,30763,13843) = 24673 Mean(blank jersey) = Mean(dressed jersey) – Quantity(Dressed jersey) = 30763-24673 = 6090 Quantity of blank jersey(New England Patriots) = NORMINV(0. 92,Mean(blank jersey) , Stdev of demand) = NORMINV(0. 92,37009,19211) = 64001 Revenue = retailer wholesale price * Total Demand = 24 * 87680 = 2104320 Cost = dressed jersey cost + blank jersey cost + decorate cost – inventory value        = 10. 9 * 50671 + 9. 5 * 64001 + 2. 4 * 37009 – 8. 46 * (64001-37009) = 1020193 Profit = 2104320 – 1020193 = 1083527Leftover inventory expected to be Blank Jersey Leftover Quantity : 64001-37009 = 26992 Recommendations Referring to the newsvendor model, it is my recommendation that Reebok should use the newsvendor model to plan their purchasing. The purchasing cycle starts 14 months prior to the regular NFL season. Due to unpredictable demand, it is difficult to generate a reliable forecast. The purchasing plan should be to purchase the jerseys that have the highest probability to be the hot-market item. The second purchasing plan goes into much more detail than the first plan.The planning manager can use the newsvendor model t o forecast the optimal quantity for the dressed jersey and the blank jersey. The most important thing in the NFL season is updating player’s and team’ s performance and status of a draft. The newsvendor model provides a statistical and quantitative analysis solution. Reducing cycle time will improve responsiveness and reduce inventory requirements. Also reducing order fulfillment time is better for responding to the customer needs which improves the overall customer service level. Conclusion Inventory planning of NFL replica jersey is based on many factors.The complexity of market needs Reebok to respond quickly to the changes in the customer demand. It is impossible for Reebok to generate accurate forecast, but they can reduce supply and order lead time and properly assess the salvage value of the leftover blank jerseys. Reebok should not only improve their customer service to meet NFL licensing agreement, but also to maximize the profit. this analysis was to maximize the profit. The solution here is Reebok should hold relatively more blank jersey than dressed jersey, and postpone the decoration step until the demand is known.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Homer Simpson and Contemporary American Values of Fatherhood Essay
The Simpsons is one of the many television shows in the United States of America which features a full length cartoon narrating the everyday lives of a family. The show makes us confront the absurdities of how some Americans live through the jovial portrayals and behaviors of the characters in the animated show. While each of the members of the Simpson’s family represent a several prevalent attitudes of Americansâ€â€some bordering on the obscene and some bordering on the goodâ€â€the viewer’s perceptions not only about the American society in which he or she lives in but also about his or her self is challenged. The show seems to attempt to push its viewers to reexamine their lives, reflecting on each character in the Simpson’s family and the rest of the characters in the show. In general, the Simpson household is a dysfunctional family, never aging through the course of the show in years and often ends the show portraying the family members still loving one another despite the odds. For the most part, the Simpson’s family both reinforce and subvert contemporary American values in a number of ways. Each episode highlights the struggles of the family members of the Simpson household and the neighborhood, sometimes reaffirming several social stereotypes and sometimes challenging our comfort zones and our accepted beliefs. In any case, it is important to note that even the seemingly absurd gestures and encounters of every character in the animated show point to contemporary American values that may be either subverted or reinforced, depending on the interpretation of the viewer in most cases. Homer Simpson, the father of the household, embodies the typical American dad. He is a father who enjoys drinking his beerâ€â€specifically called â€Å"Duff†â€â€who is physically overweight and who is protective of his family. He works at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant despite his careless characteristic, thereby suggesting that he has this potential to bring chaos to the rest of the community with his slightest mistakes while at work. Apparently, Homer’s characteristics reflect the typical American father who has the responsibility to raise his kids and secure the welfare of his family. His character subverts the contemporary American perception that divorce oftentimes results from a family that is dysfunctional. Despite his failures to provide for several needs of the Simpson household, he has never resorted to divorcing his wife, Marge. At the end of the day, Homer finds himself at home together with his wife in bed looking forward to the coming day ahead. Moreover, Homer has been shown to have a strong regard for the welfare of his family in difficult times, such as in â€Å"Lisa the Beauty Queen†(1992) where he sold his prized car in order to enter her daughter, Lisa, into a beauty pageant to make her feel better and in â€Å"A Millhouse Divided†(1996) where he arranged for a second wedding for his wife, Marge, to compensate for their unsatisfactory first wedding ceremony. On the other hand, some of Homer’s characteristics also reinforce some contemporary American values. One of these values is the thinking that typical American fathers spend their time drinking beer and submitting themselves to their weaknesses quite easily. Some of Homer’s weaknesses are his strong craving for doughnuts, his aggressive behavior in difficult times or in times when he is not able to complete his tasks and his low intelligence. In general, these things reinforce the stereotype of the American dad, reflecting the cultural struggle of the American father in the American landscape, losing his intellectual edge along the way. Looking at the ways in which Homer Simpson handles himself before his family, it can be said that his character implies the binary opposition between depth and superficial, centering and dispersal, and distance and participation. For one, the character portrayal of Homer suggests the depth of his personality, one that can be easily interpreted as the typical American father at first glance but one that can also be interpreted as an unusual American dad on closer inspection. Despite raising a dysfunctional family on a daily basis, Homer has not given up on his task as a father although there are times when he seems to be on the verge on giving up on things. While he is considered to be a borderline alcoholic, he does not end up entirely succumbing to his habit. On the contrary, he is able to maintain his fatherly figure and image and goes on to raise his family even when it meant attending to several jobs on many occasions. There is both the depth and the superficial qualities in Homer Simpson that represent American fathers in contemporary society. While at that, Homer’s character is also able to create distance and participation among the viewers. It is not surprising at all if the viewers of the show are able to relate to the experiences of the Simpson household because the experiences of Homer’s family might just as well be the same daily experiences that other households experience. By focusing on the typical experiences of American families, the animated show is able to draw the attention of the viewing public and, in a way, to allow them to â€Å"participate†in the show at least in terms of being able to relate to and find a part of themselves in the show. However, the animated show is also able to distance the viewer from the characters. In the sense that the nature of the showâ€â€meaning, its â€Å"animated†structureâ€â€makes the characters open to seemingly absurd situations, it is not always the case that the viewers are able to expect an exact representation of their daily experiences. That is, the cartoon characters can perform unrealistic behaviors that the real-life viewers can hardly imitate. The binary opposition between distance and participation in the show is also reflected in terms of how the show portrays the stereotypes prevalent in American society and, in the process, causes its viewers to identify themselves first with the show’s characters and eventually causing them to redefine themselves. The fact that The Simpsons explores the negative stereotypes in contemporary American society suggests that its viewers may or may not be able to fully relate to these stereotypes. Those who are able to relate to these stereotypes are more or less likely expected to distance themselves from these stereotypes or, more specifically, from Elizabeth Traube calls as â€Å"the fictional self that it (stereotype) constructs†(Traube, p. 129). Chandra Mukerji and Michael Schudson further suggest that popular culture has not only been the offspring of society’s â€Å"beliefs, practices and objects generated from political and commercial centers†but has also become â€Å"an entity on its own†(Mukerji and Schudson, p. 53). Thus, it is not surprising to say that there will be so-called â€Å"popular culture†so long as there are conduits for expressing the generally observed patterns of behavior among people. The Simpsons is just one of the many social elements that showcase such patterns. The assumption here is that some television shows such The Simpsons do not only serve the purpose of highlighting parts of the generally observed behaviors of peopleâ€â€behaviors that are parts of stereotypesâ€â€but also reinforce and subvert such observations at the same time. The very presence of these kinds of television shows help people realize what they have become. They aid the human civilization to notice the things that have become so familiar they no longer strike the vein of our senses and sensibilities. In â€Å"The Visible Evidence of Cultural Producers†, Maureen Mahon suggests that forms of popular culture serve as â€Å"arenas in which social actors struggle over social meanings and as visible evidence of social processes and social relations†(Mahon, p. 467). Apparently, Homer Simpson’s character in the animated series struggles over social meanings within the context of the show. The context of the show, however, is anchored on the realities happening in the society. That, in turn, suggests that, indeed, the character of Homer is a visible evidence of several social processes and social relations in real life, from his struggles to raise his family and his role as a father. Jerry Herron also suggests that Homer Simpson is not only a â€Å"reminder†of how much of contemporary America has declined but is also a symbol for challenging our attitude towards the social stereotypes. In particular, Homer Simpson is â€Å"an appeal to the sensibility of the public towards popular culture to redefine themselves from the negative to the positive†(Herron, p. 12). But what exactly are these positive and negative aspects and how are we able to identify them without confusing one over the other? The answers do not seem to be as clear and as simple as they seem. Based on Jerry Herron’s article â€Å"Homer Simpson’s Eyes and the Culture of Late Nostalgia†, it appears that Homer Simpson is both a criticism to society’s stereotypes and, at the same time, as an embodiment of those stereotypes. Homer plays the role of an intellectually challenged but loving father. He takes the role of the typical American dad who loves to drink his favorite beer and yet his is a character that challenges the contemporary attitude towards dysfunctional marriages and families. He directs the viewer’s attention to his character while making them reflect on their own lives and society at the same time. He shows some of life’s worse obscenities and yet allows the viewers to realize the stark contrasts between a life worth living and a life that is worthless. In essence, Homer Simpson subverts and reinforces contemporary American values. In â€Å"Stereotypes and Registers of Honorific Language†, Asif Agha argues that stereotypes â€Å"are consciously grasped†and are, hence, â€Å"reportable, discussable, open to dispute†and that â€Å"they serve as models for some individuals and counter-models for others†(Agha, p. 152). Following Agha’s interpretation of stereotypes, the social perception towards the stereotype American father is still open to dispute and can in turn serve as the â€Å"counter-model†for what the American should be. Using Homer Simpson as an example, our notion of the â€Å"right†American dad can be derived from some of the qualities of Homer Simpson. The conscious exposure of the viewing public towards The Simpsons can be an eye-opener for reassessing our standing perception of the stereotype American father. While the image portrayed by Homer is â€Å"an entity on its own†, it is nevertheless still created from the social realities that persist in contemporary America. It is only through a radical change in the contemporary American value system can the American society be lifted from its status quo. But that is not to say that the task of removing the binary opposition between depth and superficial, centering and dispersal and distance and participation begins at the stage where the American public is able to realize the stereotypes and recognize the â€Å"counter-models†. Rather, it begins right at the criticism of such stereotypes prevalent in popular culture. The creation of the character of Homer Simpson is perhaps the first stage in bringing the things that â€Å"dumb down†America into the public awareness. Of course, it is not enough to have shows such as The Simpsons, among others, to emphasize the cultural problems of America and to compel people to address these problems. However, it is only necessary to first bring elements of popular culture into the surface, elements that both reinforce and subvert contemporary American values in order to proceed with the tasks of criticizing what has become of this nation and its people and of resolving what needs to be resolved.
Friday, January 3, 2020
Does Hard Water Boil at a Higher Temperature
Does hard water boil at a higher temperature than pure water or regular tap water? The answer is yes. The difference in temperature usually is a degree or two. Hard water contains dissolved minerals, which cause boiling point elevation. Adding salt to water produces a similar effect. The more dissolved minerals in the water, the greater the effect. However, its not as significant as the effect of elevation on boiling point.
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