What can we learn about American history and the American experience Essay

What can we learn about American history and the American experience through an in-depth study of the jazz tradition - Essay Example The touch and feel of jazz is purely from an African origin because the mellow feeling was as a result of suffering African slaves underwent in settlement schemes (Whyton 17-21). Thus, an in-depth study of jazz tradition is imperative in giving insight into American history and experience. Thus, they came up with the concept of jazz music as a technique of communicating their sorrows and tribulations they underwent as slaves (Rinzler 3). Jazz music has a blues quality that is a characteristic of soft and mellow voices that further express the feelings of Africans during the slavery period. The slaves would not air their grievances to their masters and so the only way to expel their bitterness was through music and in this case jazz music. In addition, this genre of music is often accompanied by instruments whenever it is performed. The African tradition induced a certain culture into jazz such that an instrument being played would be done in an individual’s expression without following any particular order or rules (Rinzler 7). The Harmony in jazz music is a culture borrowed from Europeans. Additionally, the music has a chorus that is played on a piano, which accompanies tunes. Despite the African tradition having their musical instruments, those used in the performance of jazz music trace their origin in Europe and they include trumpets, saxophones, and pianos among many others. Thus, it is evident this genre of music developed as a result of the integration of two different cultures that had varied backgrounds (Larson 79). Despite the long history often attached to jazz music, it is believed the genre first originated from New Orleans in America, which is a coastal city located in Western America that was a major transient port during the ancient times where ships carrying slaves from Africa and the rest of the world docked. For this reason, the city provided an environment for people from various ethnical

Week-7 Technology in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week-7 Technology in the Workplace - Essay Example It also has the capability of providing annotations of the evidence produced, for use by the jury, the trial judge/ magistrate, and the various counsels present. This is the main technology in use at the court rooms (Rowland, Uta and Andrew, 32). Within the offices, employees of the organization use Microsoft software’s to process the needed information. The soft wares in use are the Microsoft word, and this is in use mostly by clerks. Ms. Power Point is used by the managerial staff when they make presentations during seminars, and conferences. By looking at these technological applications in my organization, I can conclude that it is ahead of other institutions of justice in the use of technology. Though most of these organizations use Microsoft software’s, they are yet to develop the mobile evidence presentation system that has the capability of easing the manner in which evidence is produced at the court room. The court house has managed to train its employees on how to handle the technological inventions it uses. During orientations, new employees obtain guidelines on the functionalities of the various technological gadgets in use. Due to this orientation, I gained the knowledge and capability of using these gadgets, and therefore technology does not affect my performance. However, there are numerous ways that technology can hinder progress at the work place. They are (Rowland, Uta and Andrew, 21); 1. In ability to weigh between the opportunities, and the risks that the technology in use brings about. For instance, use of technological know-how such as power point presentations, requires adequate preparations, identification of main files, and thereafter loaded into the presentation software. This activity takes a lot of time, and this can be a factor in hindering the application of a technological know-how, in a court house. 2. There is also the problem of information overload. For instance, in using

English Paper on Holes Essay Example for Free

English Paper on Holes Essay The film codes and conventions are greatly used in the movie Holes, directed by Andrew Davis, to construct characters and develop the atmosphere. The film is about a young boy, Stanley Yelnats, who is falsely accused of stealing a pair of shoes. As a punishment, he is sent to camp Greenlake, where he meats and discovers an ancient secret that leads him to great treasure. Throughout the movie technical, symbolic, audio and written codes are used to demonstrate the characters’ personalities as well as create a profound atmosphere in every scene. These filmic conventions help the audience to obtain a clearer understanding of the main characters and the movie itself. The innocent and friendly nature of Stanley is effectively demonstrated through the film codes and conventions. He is a protagonist in the movie and undergoes the most change to his personality and behavior throughout the film. In the very first scene, Stanley’s voice over is used saying â€Å"All my life, I seem to appear at the wrong time in the wrong place†. This audio code has a great effect on the viewer’s opinion of Stanley, indicating that he is clumsy or unlucky. A little further into the movie, techniques such as costume and setting are well used. Stanley’s over-sized old clothes and the messy, un-tidy house of the Yelnats’ family gives an impression of a less fortunate family. These filmic codes are vital in the construction of Stanley’s personality. The film codes and conventions successfully show Zero’s as a closed, shy and disrespected little boy. He too is one of the main characters in the movie and over time becomes great friends with Stanley. When Stanley is introduced to the other boys in camp, Mr. Fernandsci explains, â€Å"You know why everyone calls him Zero? Because he has nothing going on in his stupid, little head!†. The effect of this dialogue is immense. Zero is introduced as a dumb and helpless boy, yet we understand that he is plainly judged and bullied. When the councilor proclaims this, Zero turns his back on the boys and his facial expression shows anger and disappointment. These symbolic codes have a huge effect on the viewer’s opinion of zero, suggesting that he is an annoyed and perhaps unapproachable little boy. He just wants everyone to leave him alone. The audience understands zero’s calm yet unsociable personality through the excellent use of various film code techniques. The filmic conventions are used to create a dream-like atmosphere in the scene where kissing Kate Barlow commits suicide. After stealing and burying the treasure of Stanley’s great grandfather, she has been stranded in the desert for several days. When viewers first see her lying on the sand, the focus of the camera is blurred. This technical code has a great effect on the viewers understanding of the scene, showing that it is a flash back or memory. Further into the episode, a blurred image of Sam appears and Kate murmurs, â€Å"Its so hot Sam but I feel so cold†. These techniques give an impression that Kate’s vision is blurring and she is hallucinating because of exhaustion. This dialogue and several other shots work together to create the imaginary, almost unrealistic atmosphere. A happy and relieving atmosphere is created with the use of film codes in the scene where Stanley and Zero climb god’s thumb and reach water. After a close escape from Camp Greenlake, the two boys have been wondering along the desert for days. They have finally reached a rocky mountain in the shape of a thumb, onto which Stanley’s great grandfather had once climbed, and found water. Joyful and lively music plays when the boys finally come to the top of the mountain. The use of this technique demonstrates how Zero and Stanley have finally reached their goals and the atmosphere is clearly shown. Throughout this scene, cool colors such as blue, purple, grey and violet are used. This symbolizes the peacefulness of the situation and the viewer gives a sigh of relief, as the main characters are unharmed. These filmic codes are very important in the construction of a serene atmosphere in the particular scene. The atmosphere and the characters’ personalities in the movie are created by the excellent use of film codes and conventions. Voice overs, body language and costumes are used to construct the character of Stanley and Zero. Colors, music, different camera shots and dialogue are used during different scenes to portray the correct atmosphere. These various codes give us a better understanding of the film and the important messages.

Gender Constructions in The Hours

Gender Constructions in The Hours TITLE: Gender Constructions in The Hours (Daldry. S, 2002) AIM/OBJECTIVE: To illustrate gender as being a social construction rather than a biologically determined entity and to evaluate how heteronormativity influences the several layers of identity. METHODOLOGY Drawing upon the evolution of gender construction in The Hours, I intend to use feminist theory and the social construction on gender to obtain a preview of a society devoid of the restrictions in terms of heteronormativity. LITERATURE REVIEW: Judith Butler’s (1988) ‘Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory’ asserts that â€Å"gender identity is a performative accomplishment compelled by social sanction and taboo†. Butler (1988) argues that gender is constituted through a series of â€Å"acts† that have been actualized by individuals in repetition over time. She further argues that gender is something that is not a concrete â€Å"social fiction† but is constantly being reproduced, shifted and moved. In short, she theorizes that gender is not a set of concrete identities, but it is always reproduced over and over by the body. â€Å"One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.† This emblematic quote of Simone de Beauvoir in ‘The Second Sex’ (1949) demonstrates that â€Å"no biological, psychological, or economic fate determines the figure that the human female presents in society†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Gender must be understood as a process of taking on or realizing possibilities, a process of interpreting the body and giving it a cultural form. In other words, to be a woman is to become a woman through an active practice of appropriating, interpreting and reinterpreting received cultural possibilities. In so doing, women are relegated to the category ‘the other’ through cultural construction, which Butler identifies as being the key to women’s oppression. Gender identity, advocates Simone de Beauvoir, â€Å"rests on unstable bedrock of human invention.† Drawing on Laura Mulvey’s work ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’, Anneke Smelik’s ‘Feminist Film Theory’ (1999) indicates a prolific diversity which echoes the multitude of voices, manifold points of view, and cinematic styles and genres that indicate womens triumphant endeavor for self-representation on the silver screen. However, a restriction such as the reproduction of a male/female dichotomy is questioned and the need for a deconstruction is expressed. The renewed interest in the sex/gender distinction that Gayle Rubin had introduced in 1975 is given much importance. The term gender usually seemed to point to a more lucid distinction between anatomy (sex) and social construction (gender), and equally between sexual practice and gender identity. This distinction contributes to the critical appreciation of movies where gender constructions are depicted as being unusual. BACKGROUND: Society has been, most of the time, portrayed as being a patriarchal one. One representation that can be recurrently seen in texts is that man is the norm, and woman is ‘the other’, or as stated by Culler (2007), â€Å"Men have aligned the opposition male/female with rational/emotional, serious/frivolous, or reflective/spontaneous†. In such a scenario, the woman feels restricted to particular roles dictated by men and at some point, she feels stifled by the various impositions levied upon her. This research topic gives a discerning stance of the struggle of women of the 20th century who have been constantly seeking for more meaningful lives. In order to question the whole issue of gender construction as well as the hierarchy of the opposing attributes, this tale of women will be considered. These heroines of everyday lives will be analysed in terms of the construction of a patriarchal society as they make heart breaking and defining choices that eventually influence their whole life. INTRODUCTION: The Hours is a 2002 drama film – a screenplay by David Hare based on the 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title by Michael Cunningham. Starring Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore, the movie relates the life of women of three different generations, who are interconnected by Virginia Woolf’s novel, Mrs. Dalloway. The character of Virginia Woolf, magnificently portrayed by Nicole Kidman, lives against her will in Richmond, England, 1922. Laura Brown is a pregnant housewife living in 1951 in Los Angeles. Played by Julianne Moore, she feels suffocated in her so-called â€Å"perfect life†. Lastly, Clarissa Vaughan, expertly acted by Meryl Streep, is a contemporary version of Mrs. Dalloway and leads a somewhat happy life with her homosexual partner, Sally, in New York City, 2001. DISCUSSION: In The Hours, Virginia Woolf is seen to be delving into her imagination to create Mrs. Dalloway – a woman who, like herself, embodies liberal thoughts, but nonetheless, enjoys a more expansive freedom in her lifestyle. Through her creation, she craftily plays on the notion of what gender identity should represent. This idea is once again explored through Mrs. Brown, who engages herself in reading the novel Mrs. Dalloway in her moments of solitude and depression. Virginia Woolf thus gives birth to Mrs. Dalloway, who in turn, becomes a source of inspiration to Laura Brown. Woolf turns many cultural gender stereotypes and generalizations on their heads, and seems to do so more in an effort to expose how gender is a socially constructed concept rather than promoting an exclusively feminist agenda. The character of Clarissa is yet another portrayal of construction related to gender identity. The contrast between Mrs. Dalloway in the novel and Clarissa Vaughan in the movie shows how the process of deconstruction occurred over time. The fact that Mrs. Dalloway could only be allowed to reminisce about her love for Sally shows that there are some limitations for her to live her femininity and sexuality as compared to Clarissa who is in a committed relationship with her homosexual lover. The construction of identity as portrayed in Clarissa goes beyond sexual orientation and constricted roles for women. It focuses on how the concept of the self develops in a society defined by social norms. CONCLUSION: With each upcoming generation, the characters demonstrate that they are given license to broaden their horizons. This evolving pattern shows a deconstruction of heteronormativity and at the same time does not restrict women to being portrayed as the other. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Ahmed, S. (2010). ‘Killing Joy: Feminism and the History of Happiness’. The University of Chicago Press. Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 571-594 Beauvior, S. D. (1949). ‘The Second Sex’, trans. and ed. H. M. Parshley. New York: Knoph. Butler, J. (1986). Sex and Gender in Simone de Beauvoirs Second Sex .Witness to a century. 72 (3), 40-42. Butler, J. (1988). ‘Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory’. The John Hopkins University Press: Theatre Journal, Vol. 40, No. 4 (Dec., 1988), pp. 519-531 Butler, J. (1988). ‘Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory’. The John Hopkins University Press: Theatre Journal, Vol. 40, No. 4 (Dec., 1988), pp. 519-531 Butler, J. (1990) ‘Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity’. London and New York: Routledge. Butler, J. (1993). ‘Bodies that Matter: On the Discursive Limits of â€Å"Sex†. London and New York: Routledge. Cott, F. N. (1987). ‘The Grounding of Modern Feminism.’ Yale University Press Culler, J. D. (2007). ‘On Deconstructionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬: Theory and Criticism After Structuralismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Cornell University Press.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬ Daldry. S (Director).The Hours[Motion picture]. Miramax Films, 2002. Fausto-Sterling, A. (2000). ‘Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality’. New York: Basic Books. Flax, J. (1990). ‘Postmodernism and gender relations in feminist theory’. In Nicholson, L. J., editor, Feminism/Postmdernism. London and New York: Routeldge, 39-62. Foucault, M. (1961). ‘Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason.’ Howard, R., translator. New York: Pantheon Books. Hjersing, C (2009).‘Representations of Clarissa and Septimus in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway A deconstructive approach combined with aspects of feminist and psychoanalytical criticism’ Molyneux, M. (1986).‘No God, No Boss, No Husband: Anarchist Feminism in Nineteenth-Century Argentina.’ Sage Publications. Latin American Perspectives, Vol. 13, No. 1, Latin Americas Nineteenth-Century History, pp. 119-145 Motashery, I. (2012). ‘A Feminist Reading of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway’. International Journal of Applied Linguistics English Literature. Vol. 1 No. 3. Offen, K. (1988). ‘Defining Feminism: A Comparative Historical Approach’The University of Chicago Press. Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 119-157 Probyn, E. (1993). ‘Sexing the Self: Gendered Positions in Cultural Studies’. London and New York: Routledge. Shihada, M, I. ‘A Feminist Perspective of Virginia Woolf’s Selected Novels: Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse.’ Shor, M. et. al (1999).‘Contemporary Feminism: Art Practice, Theory, and ActivismAn Intergenerational Perspective’. College Art Association. Art Journal, Vol. 58, No. 4, pp. 8-29 Smelik, A. (1999). ‘Feminist film theory.’ Warner, M. (1991). ‘Introduction: Fear of a Queer Planet’. Duke University Press. Social Text, No. 29 (1991), pp. 3-17

Emersons self reliance :: essays research papers

R.W. Emerson’s Self-Reliance The essay has three major divisions: the importance of self-reliance (paragraphs 1-17), self-reliance and the individual (paragraphs 18-32), and self-reliance and society (paragraphs 33-50). As a whole, it promotes self-reliance as an ideal, even a virtue, and contrasts it with various modes of dependence or conformity. â€Å"Self-Reliance† Paragraphs 1-17. The Importance of Self-Reliance. Emerson begins his major work on individualism by asserting the importance of thinking for oneself rather than meekly accepting other people’s ideas. As in almost all of his work, he promotes individual experience over the knowledge gained from books: â€Å"To believe that what is true in your private heart is true for all men—that is genius.† The person who scorns personal intuition and, instead, chooses to rely on others’ opinions lacks the creative power necessary for robust, bold individualism. This absence of conviction results not in different ideas, as this person expects, but in the acceptance of the same ideas—now secondhand thoughts—that this person initially intuited. The lesson Emerson would have us learn? â€Å"Trust thyself,† a motto that ties together this first section of the essay. To rely on others’ judgments is cowardly, without inspiration or hope. A person with self-esteem, on the other hand, exhibits originality and is childlike—unspoiled by selfish needs—yet mature. It is to this adventure of self-trust that Emerson invites us: We are to be guides and adventurers, destined to participate in an act of creation modeled on the classical myth of bringing order out of chaos. Although we might question his characterizing the self-esteemed individual as childlike, Emerson maintains that children provide models of self-reliant behavior because they are too young to be cynical, hesitant, or hypocritical. He draws an analogy between boys and the idealized individual: Both are masters of self-reliance because they apply their own standards to all they see, and because their loyalties cannot be coerced. This rebellious individualism contrasts with the attitude of cautious adults, who, because they are overly concerned with reputation, approval, and the opinion of others, are always hesitant or unsure; consequently, adults have great difficulty acting spontaneously or genuinely. Emerson now focuses his attention on the importance of an individual’s resisting pressure to conform to external norms, including those of society, which conspires to defeat self-reliance in its members. The process of so-called â€Å"maturing† becomes a process of conforming that Emerson challenges. In the paragraph that begins with the characteristic aphorism â€Å"Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist,† he asserts a radical, even extreme, position on the matter.

Volcanoes and Climate Change Essay -- Geology Global Warming

Missing Graphics Volcanoes and Climate Change Introduction: Since the beginning of time, volcanoes have been wreaking havoc on the world, as we know it. Yet in the more recent times, there has been a great amount of debate regarding the effect of volcanic eruptions on world climate change. In this report, the effects of these volcanoes will be explored, particularly in regards to cooling and the depletion of the ozone. Table of Contents: Introduction General Information on Volcanoes Effect of Volcanoes on Cooling Effect of Volcanoes on Ozone Depletion Specific Volcanic Eruptions and their Effects Debate over Connection between Volcanoes and Global Climate Change Works Cited General Information on Volcanoes: Volcanoes arise when magma, liquid rock within the earth, reaches the surface. Volcanoes then erupt because of their bouyancy and gas pressure. On account of this buoyancy, the hot liquid magma rises toward the surface through the more dense rock. Gas pressure from within the magma also exerts a force on the surrounding rock. This cracks the rock, located above the magma, and then moves into the crack. This process is repeated over and over again until the magma reaches the surface. There are a few different types of volcanoes, and each erupts a bit differently. Shield volcanoes usually produce a fountain of molten lava that reaches high into the air, anywhere from 10 to 500 meters. In some eruptions, though, there is little fountaining; in these the lava just flows slowly away from the vent. There are also more explosive volcanic eruptions in which the gas pressure builds until it is extremely high and the viscuous lava can no longer stand i... ...because these volcanoes are located in different areas of the world or because El Nino occured during the year of the eruption of El Chichon. All of these evidences are still being compiled and scrutinized in order to verify the true relation between volcanic eruptions and climate change. Works Cited: Angell, James. "Stratospheric Warming Following Volcanic Eruptions." http://capita.wustl.edu "The Effects of Volcanic Eruptions on Earth's Climate." http://www.geo.mtu.edu Garrett, Chris. "Global Cooling." http://tiger.chm.bris.ac.uk Mattox, Steve. "How are volcanoes born and what makes them erupt?" http://volcano.und.nodak.edu "NASA Facts." http://www.nasa.gov Rowland, Scott. "What happens when a volcano erupts?" http://volcano.und.nodak.edu "The Science of Climate Change: The Aerosol Effect." http://www.panda.org/resources/publications

Wgu Hat Task 3

Environmental and Global Health EEEeeCommunity Health Nursing EE Community Health Nursing Environmental and Global Health- ­? HAT Task #3 Lynn Senfelds Western Governor’s University Environmental and Global Health Task A- ­? 1 The Communicable Disease Outbreak of Avian Influenza 2 Communicable diseases account for approximately 1/4th of worldwide mortality, contributing to more than 15 million deaths each year (Kierny, Exclor, and Girard, 2004). There have been three pandemics of Avian Influenza in the last century- ­? 1918, 1957, and 1968. There have been worldwide outbreaks of Avian Influenza among poultry over the years. It is ot easily passed from birds to humans. The first outbreak of Avian Influenza A (H5N1) in humans was in Hong Kong in 1997. In March through May of 1997, a die off of poultry was reported, due to a highly virulent disease. Research revealed it was from Avian Influenza (H5N1). In May, a three- ­? year- ­? old boy died of â€Å"complicationsâ⠂¬  from H5N1. In early December, three more deaths occurred as a result of Avian Influenza infection, ages 60, 54 and 13. Five more cases involving varying ages were confirmed by mid December. A two and three year old were cousins to a five year old who became ill. There were 18 confirmed cases and deaths related to the H5N1 strain of influenza by the end of the year. The age range was one to sixty. The infection was acquired by humans directly from chickens. According to Butcher and Miles (2004), on December 28, 1997, the Hong Kong Department of Agriculture Fisheries ordered a slaughter of all chickens for a total of 1. 3 million chickens. Exports from Mainland China were halted temporarily. A2- ­? The Epidemiological Indicators Associated with Avian Influenza Since the China outbreak of avian influenza H5N1, the virus has become endemic in Asia, and has caused outbreaks in Europe and Africa. Despite detailed study, ittle is known about the epidemiology of the virus. The freque ncies of human infection Environmental and Global Health have not been determined, and we urgently need seroprevalence studies. The expanding geographic outbreaks in Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan indicate that more human populations are at risk (Avian Influenza, 2005). The fatality rate in China in 1997 was higher in people over age 13. The case fatality rate was 44%. There was a 57% mortality rate in the patients over age 13 and all of those had 3 severe clinical disease. Patients younger than age five had mild symptoms with one death from complications from ReyesSyndrome. Of the seven patients over age 18, six died (88% mortality). Seven of the 18 cases had direct or indirect contact with poultry (Butcher & Miles, 2004). There are vaccinations for H1N1 and H3N2. Human trails for H5N1 are in progress. Qualitative indicators include awareness of available immunizations, early treatment with antivirals and prevention. Prevention includes chemical agents and physical environments su ch as soaps, alcohol and chlorination. Influenza A virus is readily inactivated by a variety of agents. Secondary prevention is available for those who have been exposed. The World Health Organization has a reserve mount of oseltamivir for a possible pandemic, which is an effective antiviral to extinguish or delay the spread of the virus. There are safe, inactive immunogenic vaccinations that have been developed (Avian Influenza, 2005). Awareness and availability will impact the incidence of an outbreak. The China outbreak was not well understood; therefore, preventative measures were not yet in place. Many were exposed and infected but were not developing clinical disease, and only seven of the 18 cases had direct or indirect contact with poultry. Universal precautions and practicing good hygiene is the best way to prevent the spread of nfluenza. Hand Environmental and Global Health washing for 15- ­? 20 seconds, covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and avoiding touching the mouth, eyes and nose will be effective in 4 controlling the spread of the virus. Accessibility to health care, health care facilities, and education will affect future outbreaks. Access to services, the percent of people who receive coverage and quality of service as defined by those that follow standard guidelines will be the best definers of qualitative indicators. Services must be equally distributed and compliance should be monitored. A3- ­? Analyze the EpidemiologicalData The Hong Kong outbreak of avian influenza resulted in 18 human cases and eight deaths. This represents a 44% case fatality rate. According to the World Health Organization (April, 2011), there has been a widespread reemergence in 2003 and 2004 and the virus has spread from Asia to Europe and Africa. This has resulted in millions of poultry infections and several hundred human cases with a high case fatality rate. This is consistent with the Hong Kong outbreak. Ongoing H5N1 viral infections in po ultry continue to pose a threat to public health. They have the potential to change into a form that is more easily transmissible mong humans. Outbreaks of avian influenza raise global health concerns. This is related to the virus’s potential to cause serious illness in people and it’s pandemic capacity. The risk factors associated with the Hong Kong outbreak were those who had direct or indirect contact with infected live or dead poultry. A contaminated environment was also a consideration. Possible human- ­? to- ­? human transmission was indicated because a two and three year old were cousins to a five year old who became sick. 100% of the patient’s over age 13 had severe clinical disease with a Environmental and Global Health 57% mortality rate (Butcher &Miles, 2004). Many more people were exposed and 5 infected but did not develop clinical disease. The data indicates that those at risk for contracting the virus and sustaining disease were people with com orbidity and those with an already compromised immune system. A4- ­? Route of Transmission Avian influenza is a viral infectious disease of birds. Most of these do not infect humans. Influenza viruses are believed to cycle from birds to swine then swine to humans. The H5N1 strain of the virus has infected humans. Direct avian to human transmission is the major means of infection. The exact mode and sites of viral acquisition into he respiratory tract are not fully understood. Handling of infected live or dead poultry during the week before the onset of symptoms appears to be the greatest risk factor. Most patients acquire the virus from raising poultry inside of outside of their homes. Consuming raw or undercooked diseased poultry, handling or preparing diseased poultry and playing with sick poultry have all been indicated as potential risk factors (Avian influenza, 2005). Some possible transmission routes include contact with virus- ­? contaminated fomites or with fertilizer th at contains poultry feces. The respiratory tract is then self- ­? inoculated or nhalation of airborne excreta may occur. Human- ­? to- ­? human transmission remains unclear, however, respiratory secretions and all other bodily fluids should be considered potentially infectious. Environmental and Global Health A5- ­? Graphic Representation of Outbreak 6 H5N1 infects foreign exchange student while visiting a China family farm 100% infection of poultry , 18 human infections Students mother has traveled to Africa for a humanitarian visit after contact with daughter 100 cases in Africa Student flys home and has a two hour lay- ­? over in Chicago, then arrives home in Madison. 10 cases in Chicago, 5 cases in MadisonWithin 9- ­? 10 days of contact with student, there is a 61% fatality rate of those between ages 10- ­? 19. Student goes back to university classes. Within 7 days student develops a fever & difficulty breathing Environmental and Global Health A6- ­? How the Outb reak Could Affect my Community The H5N1 virus does not currently spread from human to human efficiently. The fact that all influenza viruses have the ability to change leads health care 7 professionals to be prepared for a potential pandemic. There is little to no immunity against the virus because humans are not usually infected. If there were an outbreak in my community, steltamivir for people one year and older and zanamivir for people five years and older are two antiviral medications that may be effective treatment options. According to the CDC (2012), prophylaxis with these medications should be started within 2 days of known contact/exposure to a suspect case for a period of seven days. The community would need to assess high- ­? risk groups. High- ­? risk exposure groups are household members or close family members. Health care personnel who have contact within six feet of an infected patient are at moderate risk. The use of approved personal protective equipment will d ecrease risk of nfection. There are many people in the population at risk for complications that would need to be screened; diabetics, asthmatics, people with heart conditions, adults ages 65 and older, pregnant women and children under age two to name a few. Current knowledge in global health initiatives in order to protect our communities from communicable diseases is necessary. 60% of 600 human cases from 15 countries have died from H5N1 infection (CDC, 2012). This high mortality rate indicates a need for health care professionals to stay alert to early signs of potential infection such as fever and difficulty breathing. Screening questions uch as recent travel is a key factor in early detection. Protecting the vulnerable Environmental and Global Health populations, education and early diagnosis and treatment are also key factors to prevent the spread of avian influenza in any community. B- ­? Community Health Nurse/SARS The community health nurse has a responsibility to be awa re of communicable disease trends regarding incidence, prevalence and mortality in their areas due to 8 the potential for spread of disease worldwide. Health care providers are required to report cases of SARS to the state or local health department. Some communities have infection control