Category: Case study

Terrorism has hurt the Kenyan image. Moreover, Terrorism has caused a sense of panic through various sectors of the economy. Kenyans lost their lives during the American embassy attacks, Westgate Mall attacks, and even the most recent Dusit D2 hotel attacks. Furthermore, businesses lost their belonging and the country lost billions of shillings from fears caused by the attacks. Investors refused to invest in such uncertainty and thousands of Kenyans lost their jobs. The Nairobi stock exchange was losing heaps. The international forums were looking at Kenyans. Though, the country did recoup strategies to bring back the economy- like capping the interest rates- It did suffer an economic slump. Therefore, terrorism affected the tourism industry and caused market uncertainty, foreigners refusing to invest, made Kenya with funds to fight terrorism, and lastly the physical damage to infrastructure.

Tourism Industry

Tourism is one sector that plays a crucial part in the Kenyan economy which took a direct hit from terrorist attacks. These attacks could date back from the Paradise Hotel attack to the most recent Dusit D2 attack. According to Amankona (2016), claims that Kenya’s tourism sector contributes about 25% to the country’s GDP. Kenya depends heavily on tourism because thousands of Kenyan jobs in the industry are on the line and it’s also one source of Kenya’s income. Countries such as Germany, Italy, The United Kingdom, etc. go ahead to issue travel advisories to visit Kenya and charter flights withdrawing from the Market. Kenya’s Tourism board saw a slump in visitors; For example, 2015 yielded 1,183,847 visitors compared to 1,465,627 visitors in 2014. These advisories have proven to damage the tourism sector. Moreover, the country also loses out on a source of income- like landing and departure taxes, and park entrance fees- the tourist pay. Kuto. & Groves (2004) claimed that “The country was losing an estimated amount of over 1 billion Kenya shillings ($128 million) per week.”

Closure to these hotels also renders the workers of the sector jobless. According to Sanga (2014), He reported that 7,000 workers were rendered jobless due to these advisories. He goes ahead to account that about twenty hotels were shut on the northern coast while five were shut on the southern coast. This shows just a simple aspect of how terrorism could cause a slump in a crucial sector of a country’s economy.

Physical Damage

Terrorists not only cause harm to the public but also cause physical damage to the country’s infrastructure. These infrastructures could be private or public-owned. For example, the Dusit D2 Hotel and West Gate Mall are privately owned structures. The terrorists caused a lot of damage to the buildings during the attacks and caused businesses to close down or even shift operations elsewhere. We could also relate to the damage to the building of the American Embassy in Nairobi. The attacks on the buildings stop businesses from productivity. These businesses pay taxes which the country could lose on taxes that could have been earned. The general public could lose jobs as well putting the unemployment rate on the rise.

“The Broken Window Fallacy”

This is the fallacy created by French economist Fredric Bastiat. This entails that one event could change destroy or stimulate the outcome of something else. This comes in reality that Kenya has to spend a lot of money to guard its nation’s borders and be at constant war with the Al-Shabab. Those funds take a lot out of the Kenyan treasury because they could fund other sectors of the public like public infrastructure, education or housing. Sunday F. (2018) suggested that “Kenya’s defense budget has crossed the $1 billion (Sh100 billion) mark as the country ramps up spending on military and intelligence resources.”

This comes to show how much Kenya is just spending to keep itself from danger way. However, that money is also crucial to the economy as it could pay for its standard gauge railway (SGR) project debt with China. Wafula P. (2014) states that “Financially, the war has also cost the country significantly. Figures in the public domain show that Kenya has spent over Sh26 billion and this will rise after the cost of equipment is fully factored in.” Therefore, it is safe to say that terrorism is eating away funds that the country could do other things with.

Market uncertainty

Even if a person does not be a part of the terrorist attack or even close by, they will still be affected by it because once a threat has occurred, tourism goes down. Fluctuation in interest rates differs according to demand, after an attack, loans are needed to rebuild which causes banks to increase the rates because of high demand. Such issues also cause market uncertainty globally because an investor would not like to risk their money in an unstable economy.

Foreign direct investment

A study by Kinyanjui (2014) using FDI and comparing Net Foreign Direct Investment in US$ and terrorism calculated by several terrorist attacks in Kenya during 2010-2012 found that terrorism activities negatively affected FDI in Kenya through a negative effect on confidence. Indeed, the results showed that the mere presence of terrorist risk corresponded to a decrease in the net FDI of 14% of GDP. A recent report shows that about 70% of investors perceive security to have deteriorated in the past 2 years. This indicates the worsening security situation in 2013 and 2014, although the security situation has improved since 2016.

A study by Wesley and Lumumba (2013) showed that the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) significantly decreased its stock returns on the occurrence of terrorist activity. The authors found short-term negative returns as evident in the NSE share index, abnormal returns, and cumulative abnormal returns after a terrorist act.

Conclusion

A terrorist attack will affect the economy internally and externally. Tourism is reduced causing most of the businesses to deteriorate which causes price fluctuations as well and the damages caused by the attacks have to be repaired meaning the country’s money has to be used for the damage expenses rather than paying the back loans taken from other countries. The economy is disrupted as the locals and foreigners are not willing to risk investing in the businesses as not sure of stability.  

The case of serving shark fin soup at Hong Kong Disneyland was chosen as a case study to summarize the arguments for and against.

In fact, there are numerous arguments for and against serving shark fin soup at Hong Kong Disneyland. Firstly, there is a political side of view. If we summarize Tommy Cheung (legislator for Hong Kong’s catering industry) words, Disney would directly insult the Great Chinese culture and traditions. It is also known that the shark fin soup consumption is involved in economic development of China. Not serving such dish in the Disney Park in Hong Kong would insult politicians and they would not cooperate with them (Chan, 2011).

Also, there are environmental/ecological issues with serving shark fin soup. As soon as Disney announced that they will serve shark fin soup, animal rights groups pointed out the cruelty of preparing and finning sharks to get what fisherman wants. The fins are hacked of the caught shark and right after that the shark is thrown back to the sea. Then shark is without fin and cannot swim, it is left to suffocate or be eaten by other sea animals (Chan, 2011).

The shark fin soup is a traditional Chinese food, which is served in Chinese weddings banquets. The shark fins are served as a soup or stew, mainly as a capstone course. It is considered as a most valuable food item in the world, so we can see a good reason why Disney wants to serve it at Hong Kong Disneyland. From a cultural point of view, serving such a traditional soup, would benefit in getting along with Chinese traditions and culture (Chan, 2011).

Similar to the cultural argument there is also a social belief in Chinese culture. Shark fin soup represents social standing and Chinese people believe that if you want to be Chinese you have to have shark fin soup at the table. It also represents wealth and prestige but more than that it represents social commitment and respecting Chinese culture (Chan, 2011).

Since they announced shark fin soups will not be served at the Disney Park, there might also be a technological issue, in how to replace that dish. Firstly, they decided to serve shark fin soup, but of the menu. So, anyone could order that dish, but when ordering that dish, he/she will be given a paper about decline of sharks in the ocean. Also, Disney promised they would buy shark fins only from reliable and responsible fishermen. Disney would serve shark fin soup, but not made with fins from shark species that are endangered. But since the last decision by Disney was not serving shark fin soup, they had to replace the dish somehow. In July 2005, Disney announced replacing dish – lobster soup and seafood bouillon. It has a similar social commitment and adherence too cultural and traditions in China than shark fin soup, but respects all environmental and animal rights groups (Chan, 2011).

Finally, there is an economic point of view that also concerns the consumption of shark fins, as Hong Kong is the largest consumer and key distributor of shark fins. Analysis shows that Hong Kong accounts for up to 80% of the world’s shark fin trade. It mainly cooperates with mainland China, so serving shark fin soup will benefit Hong Kong Disneyland. But such a dish would cause a leak in the attendance of children at the Disney Park in Hong Kong. Hong Kong schoolchildren vowed to boycott the Disney Park.

Serving shark fin soup at Hong Kong Disneyland is a rather controversial undertaking, as a case study showed, with strong arguments both for and against. In any case, the final decision rests with Disney.

Over time there has been a major quantity of migrations in Texas that have affected this state with its effect on the current political landscape. The four major migrations that have happened in Texas would be the northern migration, the great depression, the southern-western migration, and lastly the California migration. Four big migrations have affected Texas each in its own way, but I believe the one that caused the most damage while affecting Texas was the southern-western migration. The southern-western migration can be considered the one that affected Texas the most because it was like two big migrations in one. One way it affected Texas was because of people coming in to receive shelter from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and staying permanently rather than going back home, the other would be people leaving Texas because of the great recession in 2008.

First off hurricane Katrina was a very tragic event that caused many people to move to Texas just for shelter but ended up moving to Texas permanently rather than going back home which was the main cause of the migrations in 2005. All those who decided to stay in Texas only added to the population, which brought the Texas economy down on the supply of jobs. In addition to increasing the population, schools were also being affected since they would have to squeeze in all the new incoming students who were seeking rescue since they could not be left uneducated. Some schools did not have as enough space as it seemed and still took in students while reaching their capacity limit. As a result of the overflow of people coming in for jobs, homes, and education, many people who were already living in Texas had to push themselves ten times more to make sure they were able to keep their jobs without having to lose them to the people who decided to stay. Most Katrina victims were given some sort of help according to Lex Frieden, in his article, ‘The Impact of Hurricane Katrina and Rita’. All victims were helped but those whose job site was destroyed by the hurricane chose to leave to find a new one. In most cases, they would give jobs to the people who already lived in Texas, they had the advantage, however, if a new employee worked better well let’s just say they had to take one for the team. Over a series of years after many people lost their jobs to those who were coming in, therefore causing struggle to get a new one and, along with the economy going down it resulted in the great recession of 2008.

Many think the Great Recession was just a random downfall of the economy, but In theory, it can it be also be said that it was truly started when foreigners who were affected by Hurricane Katrina started to stay for good in Texas rather than going home when it was all clear. Not only can it be said it started because of the newcomers but because of all the money that had to be used for the reconstruction of places like New Orleans, which Texas invested towards lowered the Texas economy even further. Along with the reconstruction money, all those who moved to Texas had to use many of the shelters and resources to get by before they could continue on their terms. The recession, of course, did not only affect many of those who got replaced by the new incomers, but the new incomers also started to lose their jobs. Thus, making them pack their bags once again to leave for another state in search of a new living area along with a new job. The recession was just a repetition of the great depression but of course, no one would want to admit to that since it was a lot ‘minor’ than the great depression. In theory, both the great depression and the Great Recession were caused by the government’s ability to keep the Federal Reserve intact, by keeping their interest rates low enough to keep stability according to the article on the FEE. Along with the fact it stated that they both started with the Federal Reserve, it also stated that it was also caused by massive federal spending. In 1929 and 2008, some sort of executive decision was made to ‘better’ the economy.

As a result, I can conclude that the southern-western migration is the greatest migration that has impacted Texas because of how much money the Texas economy lost all at once from the executive decisions made by our president. It was overrun by people wanting higher wages and better opportunities that not many jobs could offer as much as the public asked for. Even the president tried to avoid this issue by adding a new law that gave a ‘$787 billion stimulus package that sent tax dollars to various cities and voting groups across the nation’ to help jobs with ‘expensive’ job bills. Along with that, it made Texas increase in population because of the Hurricane Katrina victims by a high population of ‘about 130,000 new residents in Huston’, according to The New York Times article written on June 7, 2006, by Rick Lyman. In some cases, many may believe that not very many but as a whole it is since at that time in 2005 Texas had a population of 22,859,968 thousands of people already but Huston its self-had 5,273,595 people while adding 130,000 more which is over 5,403,595 people all in one small part of Texas imagine all the other places. The southern-western migration can be considered the most impactful of all migrations because of its two big events in one. The first event had people coming into Texas adding to its jobs causing people to think it was too much causing them to act like ‘it was survival of the fittest’. The second major event in the southern-western migration was the great recession that happened three years after Hurricane Katrina causing many people to leave the state looking for jobs and a state with a better economy. Making the southern-western migration the most powerful migration that has occurred.

The selected demographic in this research paper is college students. Now more than ever, people have the resources to go to college and attain a higher level of education. Some of these resources are more financial aid which can lower the cost of college tuition for students. According to Federal Student Aid “providing more than $120 billion in federal grants, loans, and work-study funds each year to more than 13 million students pay for college or career school.”Another resource is more colleges and universities are being open. As of 2015, there are 5,300 colleges and universities in the United States (Selingo, 2015). With these resources, there are more people attending college, as stated by (the US Census Bureau, 2018) “According to the latest data, the number of students nationwide enrolled in school was 76.4 million in 2017.” With college students being the selected demographic it also creates a population. In this case, the populations that are being looked at are people that are around the ages of seventeen and 23.

College students are the target demographic because all college students share one thing in common. That common factor is stress, no matter what a person’s g.p.a is or school they’re at or what they want to be; stress is an aspect that they have to deal with. It is good to have an understanding of what stress is. As stated by Williman (Shiel, 2018) “Stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. Stresses can be external (from the environment, psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure).” The stress that college students have to deal with can be overwhelming and too much for them to handle. The reason is, that there are more stressors that college students have. Some of these stressors come from social life, internal problems, and academics. Most of the time these stresses intertwined with one another. There are different types of stress, and these types of stress can have different effects on the human body. One type of stress is eustress, which is stress that has a positive effect on the body if dealt with. Then there’s distress, this stress is negative and if not dealt with can become chronic stress. If stress becomes chronic it can have heavy negative ramifications on the body and it can even cause death. As stated by the South Louisiana Medical Association (semantic, 2017) “According to the Center for Disease Control/National Institute on Occupational Safety & Health, the workplace is the number one cause of life stress. The CDC reports that 110 million people die every year as a direct result of stress. ” As seen in this static stress if not dealt with can end a person’s life. In the case of this paper, the effects that stress has on college students’ academic performance is the focus.

Stress and academic performance are intertwined because when college students have an excessive amount of stress their academic performance is impacted. When the body is introduced to stress the body gets thrown out of homeostasis. Once the body is out of homeostasis its main focus is to return to homeostasis. If the body is unable to return to homeostasis then it starts to affect the body. A person’s ability to return to homeostasis is in part due to their ability to deal (cope) with the perceived stress. The problem is that most college students either don’t have the resources or the personal tools to deal with stress. They never deal with their stress and the body is unable to return the homeostasis. This is where stress starts to affect academic performance. According to a study conducted by Aafrreen (2018), “ Excessive stress among students was found to reduce the effectiveness of their study which contributes to bad habits and results in negative long-term consequences, including absenteeism, poor academic performance, and school dropout.” In order to stop stress from affecting college students’ academic performance they must be given the proper tools to cope, with and perceive different types of stress and stressors. There are different theories in health promotion that can provide these tools to college students.

The social cognitive theory also known as SCT is the theory being used. The social cognitive theory was developed by Alber Banaranike in 1986 (introduction to health promotion). This theory is intertwined with physiologics in the aspect that the concept of reciprocal determinism. What this concept is according to Anastasia (Snelling, 2014) “. SCT embraces the idea that humans do not live in isolation and learn and behave not only according to their own thought processes but also in response to the environments that surround them in terms of the environment of a group (workplace, for example) or the larger society as a whole” (p. 27). In this concept, a person’s actions and thoughts are not only their own but are a product of their environment. In other words, a person is affected but also affects their environment. Another aspect of this theory is that the person knows the health risks of their behavior. This theory also uses the concept of internal locus of control. Internal locus of control is when the person has a strong belief that their health and health choices are in their control. The social cognitive theory in order to give a person a strong internal locus of control and an understanding of the risk factors and consequences that a certain behavior has. What is good about the internal locus of control is that it allows a person to make great changes and overcome damaging health behaviors.

Hospitality is a business activity which provides various services to guests in hotels, bars, restaurants as a source of recreation purpose and meeting each and every needs and demands whenever asked (Merriam-webster.com, 2019). Hospitality industry basically puts emphasis on the satisfaction of the customers and providing the best experiences available. This industry is unique in its nature and provides facilities for its customers arriving for vacation or occasional purposes. The different areas of hospitality industry include different levels of accommodation for all income level of customers, quality food and beverage items, tourism facilities for the customers and transport facilities (Study.com, 2019).

The case study gives relevant information about the staff turnover which resulted in lack of consistency among the employees of the organization and also caused failure to maintain proper values. A negative work culture has been detected among the staff with increased sick leave and attendance that is comparatively poor. The reason is logical because sometimes the employees have to work more than the agreed period and this creates dissatisfaction as well as sickness due to hard work. Female employees who are working for long period also have duties towards family have to maintain number of part time jobs. So being late due to having to continue too many jobs causes attendance issues. London is expensive in terms of living and other expenses which compels low-income people to do multiple jobs. Team spirit is undermined due to various reasons. Management and leadership are ineffective in maintaining the work balance. The monitoring and control procedures conducted by the previous heads of department and staff with supervisory staff were unproductive. Poor guest satisfaction occurred when the front-of-house staff were unable to conduct their responsibilities effectively.

Problem Analysis

1. Market positioning. Peter Farnsworth should adapt his management style to ensure the proper development of the organization. He must recognize the environment of Imperial Hotel and certain factors that affect its performance. Different key perspectives will have to be analyzed such as Macro Environment, Micro Environment, Internal Environment and the External Environment. Michael Porters’ Five Forces method can be analyzed in terms of the company which will give a clear view of how the situation prevails.
2. Threat of new entrants. The threat of new entrants occurs due to international competitors. High capital costs are always a barrier for the new entrants. The Imperial Hotel has the elements necessary to be in a dominant position in the area.
3. Threats of substitute products. Technological changes don’t cause any threat for this type of business. Although there are certain situations like economic crisis where accommodation habits of the guests change. Hotel activities and business becomes temporary and people tend to stay with relatives.
4. Bargaining power of suppliers. A great demand exists in the booking capabilities of hotel industry and global technological changes have made it easier and more comfortable (Cosmesentinel.eu, 2019). Bargaining power arises when competitors start producing specialized products to capture market share. In terms of hotel industry, competitors provide specialized service and facilities to be in the leading position in the market.
5. Bargaining power of buyers. It can be considered as a threat in certain situations because a combined group of guests arrive as organizers, tour operators the profit margin is split and the hotels have to provide necessary discounts which can cause an impact in the financial income.
6. Competition. Competition arises from various factors such as increase in number of rooms, product differentiation in hotels according to ratings, brand image, environmental factors. Strong competition arises due to oversupply.

From the information provided in the case study and by analyzing the problems created due to certain reasons, a clear concept can be understood and various logical factors can be gathered for the situations caused. The core reasons are:

• High staff turnover (80% of the staff leaving within a year). Due to lack of proper training, the employees can’t operate efficiently. Employees are leaving more often because of incapability to perform functions. Managers need to stabilize the situation by retaining the staff in to key supervisory positions, offer remuneration packages, bonuses to increase the loyalty of the employees. Balancing pay scales and proper training initiative can be a solution to this problem.
• Negative work culture. Stock being regularly pilfered and the evidence of staff not meeting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) resulting in unusually high operating costs occurred due to the negative work culture among the staff. Manager can implement a strategy by providing motivational speech and initiating reward system for the employees with best performance. This will enhance a better working environment.
• Ineffective leadership and management by department heads: The major issue of hospitality is the salary scheme of employees which is below standard level in many hotels. The employees can be considered as the internal guests of the organization. Managers must have the attitude to satisfy both internal and external guests of the organization (My Customer, 2019).
• Unethical workplace environment. Team spirit is not present in the workplace due to undesirable work environment. The manager must have proper leadership skills to create and design a moral and ethical climatic condition within work premises (Lori Porter, 2019)

The Managerial Approach

Peter Farnsworth should consider Taylor’s 5 principles which will be an advantage for both the organization as well as the employees: 1) using scientific methods to develop new techniques to make the work easier and efficient; 2) better working conditions; 3) training and mutual cooperation; 4) providing financial incentives; 5) Assigning best suited employees according to skills and expertise.

The interpersonal role defined by Mintzberg (1973) which includes figurehead, leader, liaison would be the perfect if utilized in this situation (business.com, 2019). Manager should take the responsibility of dividing the work between teams and take steps for the development of the employees. John Adair’s Action centered leadership provides ways of achieving task in groups and managing individuals (Models and Adair, 2019). According to Situational Approach leaders match their style with competence and commitment of the employees so as to get best result. This enables to maintain communication with every level of employees. Implementation of participative style will ensure the subordinates acceptance of decisions by proper motivational techniques to improve productivity and achieve goals (Referenceforbusiness.com, 2019). Directive leadership is required when the team members are less skilled (ThoughtfulLeader.com, 2019). Proper directions will help the employees to complete tasks in proper way. By choosing proper management style, managers can increase trust level with the employees (The Balance Careers, 2019). In some cases, autocratic decision may be required. Democratic decisions should be taken to implement self-motivation and evolve sense of duties among the employees. Providing incentives and promotion will motivate them to achieve goals.

Changes in the organizational hierarchy can sometimes cause discomfort and resistance. Peter Farnsworth can apply the strategy of Lewin’s Change Management Model to better evaluation of situation and ways to tackle problem within due time. The model can be classified in 3 stages. They are: unfreezing, change and refreezing.

• Unfreezing. Making the employees believe a situation of disconfirmation may arise and how to overcome. Initiating survival instincts among the employees. Putting up with psychological anxiety in definite situations and overcome learning anxiety.
• Change. Looking for new ways to achieve task formulation is understood in this stage. Employees will embrace this stage by active participation. Coping up with the changing environment is the main issue in this stage.
• Refreezing. Adaptation of organizational structure is maintained in this stage. Organizational support is provided effectively. Supporting the leadership decisions and complying with the regulations defined by the organization. Identifying the barriers to success and finding out means to overcome them.

Peter Farnsworth must consider better and efficient human resource personnel to achieve the target profit. HR have a tough duty towards the organization. Controlling employee activities and performance are vested on them. He will have to target a new ethical management leadership and ensure better organizational behavior. Idealist behavior needs to be used so that morality is maintained. Relativistic qualities may be service saboteurs in nature but they tend to be more service oriented. Moral and ethical leadership can bring about a positive impact on the organization’s goals.

Planning and Financial Sustainability

According to the case it’s clear that Imperial Hotel is running at 65% rate in the company’s benchmark grading system. Peter Farnsworth should be in the top chain of Hierarchy and get direct access and control over all the departments. He will have to exercise his authority power and decide for the development of the organization. The case also provided a situation where efficiency of room service is below expectation level but the guests are pretty much dissatisfied by the staff’s attitude in general. A 12-month plan should be made with strict procedures, it will help him evaluate measures of performance in chronological manner.

The housekeeping department is comprised with front office, kitchen, food and beverage services, security and maintenances, finance. In this case, a separate executive housekeeper must be appointed who will manage different situations and control overall tasks in this section. The housekeeper shift needs to be divided into 8-hour and will cover 14 rooms with an average of 30 minutes each. The housekeeping department will also have to coordinate with the kitchen regarding the provision of linen and uniforms. Proper responsible and able hands are to be appointed to keep maintenance and assure proper room services. The expectation level of guests can be maintained if these steps are taken.

Conclusion

Imperial Hotel is one of the top leading hotels in London. It provides various hospitality service for its customers and takes utmost care in getting customer satisfaction. According to the case certain situations had arisen which compromised the hotels capabilities to meet needs effectively. Misconducted among the employees had been highlighted due to behavioral factors. Deviant behavior put through situations where goals can’t be achieved (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2019). Heads of department and supervisors should take specialized human resource programs and training to learn how to inspire the employees rather than just command and behave in autocratic way. The supervisors’ behavior should be accurate so that the employees maintain proper values and adhere to the ethical issues of the organization. Standard operating procedures should be maintained within the organization. Creating a team spirit and bonus schemes will definitely be fruitful for the company. In house training courses will enhance employee abilities. A new recruitment policy can be initiated so that the best skilled employees can be achieved. Psychological screening in recruitment process helps to figure out potential employees who can work in stressful situations (Smallbusiness.chron.com, 2019).

Bibliography

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MSN Messenger used to be the most used Instant Messaging (IM) service that only lasted for fifteen years. This case report shows the MSN brief history from its birth and boom, and further explanation regarding the discontinuation of MSN Messenger. Also, this case report aims to show the analysis of the retirement of MSN Messenger. The analysis was conducted by the push-pull-mooring (PPM) framework regarding the human migration decision. The objective of this case report is to show reasons of MSN Messenger retirement and brief explanation of Microsoft’s alternative plan after the closure.

Birth and Boom

MSN Messenger was developed by Microsoft on July 22, 1999 (Nay, 2013). Microsoft is a multinational technology company from America which was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975. The product itself, MSN Messenger was an instant messaging that provides users to connect and communicate in real life with a Microsoft account. When it was first released, MSN Messenger was Microsoft’s response along with AIM (AOL Instant Messaging). MSN Messenger allowed users to sign in with AOL account until AOL took action to block Microsoft from having access to their services (Nay, 2013). Since then, Microsoft planned to integrate itself in natural way by requiring users for having a Windows Live ID to allowed connections to its service. For instance, Hotmail users were allowed to log in with their account which was used in Hotmail too. This allowed users to use the messaging program rapidly.

From 1999 to 2005, there were seven major versions of MSN Messenger. The first version, only included plain text messaging and a simple contact list. Providing file transfers, personalized avatars, and customizable theme color are some of the features as MSN Messenger kept improving. Until 2005, MSN Messenger was rebranded to Windows Live Messenger. The most significant change from the previous version (MSN Messenger) was the ability to offline messaging. Other than that, Windows Live Messenger also provided some new additions, for example new PC-to-phone calling, default display picture, an SMS phone book, ‘recently used lists’ for emoticon, display pictures, and background menus. Windows Live Messenger was very popular which gave a lot of registered accounts in result.

The variety of emoticons, ability to transfer files which made PC users felt hassle free, and also the Fun & Games features. For many people, MSN Messenger was the first way to build up communications, which attracted over 300 million users each month at 2009. Techspot.com applied that users of MSN Messenger kept growing since the first time it released until its peak year, 2009. Although the name was already changed, people still use the word MSN Messenger in colloquial.

Downfall

Seeing MSN Messenger growth was really a beautiful thing, knowing it kept growing and also improving their features. However, there were some bad moments that MSN Messenger could not survive nor compete with its competitors. Besides other instant messaging platform, like Yahoo! Messenger and AOL IM, there are two main rivals that MSN Messenger have to deal with. The rivals are the things people do and live with them every day, such as smartphone and social networks. Smartphone was come up in the late 2000s, which provides popular alternative apps to MSN Messenger. This led the ceasing of traditional instant messaging. A few months after smartphone became the favorite, WhatsApp took action to became the king of messaging apps, owning a lot of migration users from instant messaging (Izquierdo, 2018).

On the other side, social networks also represent MSN Messenger another good way of competing. (Izquierdo, 2018). For example, the most popular social networks who took part as social media, Facebook, has its own way to communicate with other users, such as internal chat. This kind of platform for communicating spread rapidly among instant messaging users, which led them to left instant messaging behind.

Unfortunately, bad news came from Microsoft, which announced the retirement of MSN Messenger in favor of Skype in the first quarter of 2013. MSN Messenger was unable to compete and survive with the ongoing condition, like the upcoming of smartphones and social networks. Providing Skype as the substitute of MSN Messenger was made to stay connected with Microsoft’s platform. Users could still sign in to Skype with Microsoft account (MSN ID) and communicate with their Messenger contacts as usual. Not only that, Microsoft also provided an incentive in form of offering $2 credits for users who migrate to Skype afterwards. The discontinuation process of the Messenger was finally announced on April 8, 2013. It also informed the closure on April 30, 2013 while in China would end on October 31, 2014.

Analysis

As a matter of fact, after Microsoft shut down MSN Messenger, only 100 million users have migrated to Skype. Microsoft’s migration led to involuntary switching, where users could unintentionally move or migrate to other service provider. This condition evidence that some of MSN Messenger’s users took the chance migrated to other new providers. According to Izquierdo (2018) about MSN Messenger’s hard and fast fall, he said that MSN Messenger was late to put action due to the emerging of smartphone and other social networks, while WhatsApp took its action to dominate the social networks services on smartphone. According to some researches, this situation led to the decision of human migration. Migration means movement from one part of something to another. The human migration decision is based on push-pull mooring framework according to some researches (Bansal, Taylor, & James, 2005).

Push factors refers to the factors that encourage or motivate people to leave. For MSN Messenger retirement, the push factors indicate the negative factors, since it pushes people away from the origin. Meanwhile, pull factors led to the positive factors that attract people to move in (Bansal, Taylor, & James, 2005). First, push factors is formed by several aspect, such as satisfaction, quality, value, trust, commitment, and price perceptions (Bansal, Taylor, & James, 2005). In this case, users found they are having a dissatisfaction with their incumbent services. User’s dissatisfaction could be in several forms, such as the service’s technical quality and information quality. For instance, in 2002, there was a confirmation from Microsoft that MSN Messenger was having a bug that could disclose user’s contacts names and e-mail addresses (Evers, 2002). This evidence to user’s disappointment due to the technical quality.

Second, pull factors refers to attractive factors that encourage people to move in (Bansal, Taylor, & James, 2005). In this case, pull factors represent positive factors that attract people to migrate to other providers, especially when the destination has better compatibility and high in technology. For instance, Facebook acquires users to use the social network and the messaging feature as well. Conversely, MSN Messenger only provided instant messaging. Due to the comparison between those two, users decided to migrate to a better services provider instead.

Lastly, the mooring effects indicate the complexity of the migration decision, contrast with the push-pull factors that aim to be the simplicity of the migration decision. Mooring effects refers to the brand switching’s variables, such as switching costs, social influences, attitudes toward switching, past behaviors, and variety-seeking tendencies (Bansal, Taylor, & James, 2005). Switching costs associated with several aspects, for example, financial, time, and effort. Financial costs seemed to be the primary costs that occur when someone migrate to another brand. Meanwhile, in this case, users had experience such switching costs, mainly on their effort when notifying others due to their migration to other IM service. Nevertheless, switching costs can affect someone’s intention to move (Fang & Tang, 2016). For instance, Microsoft’s innovation of providing Skype as an alternative of MSN Messenger disclosure might affect one’s decision to not migrate to other IM services.

Even though MSN Messenger had improved quiet well since the first version, MSN Messenger was proved could not compete with the new entrants. In October 2011, Microsoft bought Skype from Silver Lake Partners for $8.5 billion and process the integration afterwards. This action seemed to be Microsoft’s anticipation plan of knowing the MSN Messenger downfall. Meanwhile, in 2014, Microsoft finally shut MSN Messenger down. With the expectation that users would follow the Microsoft’s plan, whilst turned out only one-third of total users did so. In 2009, when approximately 300 million were using MSN Messenger, WhatsApp was established. WhatsApp seemed to be another alternative option for users after migrating to Skype, due to its capability to video calling, ability to transfer files, sharing user’s location, and ability to utilize it on smartphone or even PC. Not only that, in 2013, Google Hangout made an appearance to the communication platform developed by Google which made users to sign in with their Google accounts. Another feature that seemed to knock Skype off its feet was its video chat, which can have up to 10 participants, while Skype requires users to have Skype Premium with a paid subscription (Deyermenjian, 2013). Attached evidence the defeat of MSN Messenger on the communication platform.

According to Y.-H Fang, K. Tang’s research, ‘Involuntary Migration in Cyberspaces: The Case of MSN Messenger Discontinuation’ (2017), they conducted a study of 381 instant messaging service users on migration decisions. Not only that, they also indicated that network effects, similarity and innovation, switching costs, and those three factors could influence one’s decision to migrate. They analyzed the data with two-step approach, with the first step is the analysis of the measurement model and the second one is the structural relationship among the latent constructs. There were eleven hypotheses were tested based on the research model applied. In their study, they extend the PPM framework and the migration theory. After the analysis was done, some of the results were: intention to migrate had a strong and significant effect on migration behavior and switching cost was negatively associated with migration intention. Unfortunately, there were some unexpected results such as perceived complementarity and similarity did not significantly affect the user’s migration decision. Also, perceived compatibility plays a role in the context of involuntary switching to IM services. This result indicated users care more about the compatible services and applications rather than other criteria in IM services. Besides, regarding the mooring effects, users did not take the effort of creating new contacts list and notifying others about the migration to other IM service necessarily. To conclude, the effort is less likely to be a burden to users. Lastly, users tend to regret in dissatisfaction with its information quality rather than dissatisfaction with its technical quality. A migration plan with uncertain information and less convenient technical support may trigger user’s regret which eventually led them away from staying connected in the specific IM service.

Conclusion

To wrap it all up, MSN Messenger was unable to compete with its competitors, including smartphones, social networks, even other IM services such as Yahoo! Messenger and AIM. This happened due to MSN Messenger’s lack of innovation to keep improving and could not able to compete with the upcoming technologies, especially when smartphone emerged which WhatsApp took a big role in it. Even though Microsoft migration plan for users were to utilize Skype, this only affects one-third of the total number MSN Messenger’s users back in 2009. Microsoft’s alternative plan to drive users stay in their communication platform also defeated by other platforms, such as WhatsApp and Google Hangouts.

References

1. Bansal, H. S., Taylor, S. F., & James, Y. S. (2005). Migrating to New Service Providers: Toward a Unifying Framework of Consumers’ Switching Behaviors. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 96.
2. DeCarlo, M. (2010, February 10). Windows Live Messenger Reaches 300 Million People. Retrieved from Windows Live Messenger reaches 300 million people: https://www.techspot.com/news/37887-windows-live-messenger-reaches-300-million-people.html
3. Deyermenjian, K. (2013, July). Google Hangouts Vs. Skype: A Comparative Look. Retrieved from A comparative look: https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/feature/Google-Hangouts-vs-Skype-A-comparative-look
4. Engel, K. (2018, April 22). Retrieved from Your Favorite Messenger Disappeared? Find Out What Happened to AIM, ICQ and More.: https://www.whoishostingthis.com/blog/2014/10/22/instant-messengers/
5. Evers, J. (2002, February 11). MSN Messenger Vulnerable Through Internet Explorer Bug. Retrieved from https://www.computerworld.com/article/2586452/msn-messenger-vulnerable-through-internet-explorer-bug.html
6. Fang, Y.-H., & Tang, K. (2016). Involuntary Migration in Cyberspaces. The case of MSN messenger discontinuation.
7. Izquierdo, R. (2018, December 20). Msn Messenger: Nostalgic Messaging. Retrieved from WHAT HAPPENED WITH MSN MESSENGER? LET’S FIND OUT: https://blog.pandorafms.org/what-happened-with-msn-messenger/
8. Nay, J. R. (2013, January 10). Windows Live Messenger Through the Years: A Retrospective. Retrieved from A Retrospective: https://www.trutower.com/2013/01/10/microsoft-windows-live-messenger-retrospective/
9. Statista. (2019). Top 10 Instant Messengers Based on Number of Users Worldwide from 2006 to 2010 (in millions). Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/264840/top-10-instant-messengers-ranked-by-number-of-users/

The Issue

Population growth regards the increase in the number of people in an area. Population growth has various effects, influencing the employment, housing, and landscape of the area.

Background Information

The site investigated; Macquarie, is a major business and commercial district in the northern suburbs of Sydney, around 12 kilometres away from the Sydney CBD. Macquarie has a population of 8,144 people, as recorded in the 2016 Census, and a land area of 6.8 km2. This suburb is located within the City of Ryde, along with other suburbs such as Denistone, Ryde, Eastwood, Gladesville & Marsfield.

The Topic

Macquarie is a busy hub, where crowds flock every single day. This suburb’s ever-growing population has many effects on the community and landscape, as with more and more people wanting to reside in this suburb, both are continuously developing to keep up with the population.

Observations

Prior to my research, I observed that Macquarie has a smaller population per hectare than in comparison to other suburbs. As in comparison to the nearby suburb of Marsfield which has a population of 13, 297 and a land area of 3.86 km², you can clearly see that Macquarie’s population density is significantly less. The reason for this is that Macquarie is not a residential area. Rather the campus of Macquarie University, Macquarie Shopping Centres, and other various businesses take up most of the land. (seen in Figure 2). I also noted that numerous apartments were being built, redeveloping other buildings to create residences that would hold a larger amount of people. Macquarie is also observed to be the heart of the surrounding suburbs, due to its various facilities and services and the fact that there are no other areas providing similar features nearby (Figure 2).

Hypothesis

My observations guided me to hypothesize that the growth of a population varies directly with the opportunities, benefits, and economic stability of that area and that they can cause the development of that particular suburb.

Aim

My aim in this investigation is to explore the causes of population growth within Macquarie and the various effects that they have to prove whether my hypothesis is correct or not.

Focus Questions

To carry out my investigation, I established three focus Questions. These being:

1. What are the causes of population growth in Macquarie?
2. What effects is this growth having on Macquarie? (e.g. landscape)
3. What strategies could and are used that promote a better future for Macquarie? (e.g. council plans)

Methodology

The methods I used to research this issue were the use of several websites such as “The Australian Bureau of Statistics” and the “City of Ryde”, as well as implementing a survey, interview questions for people residing in the area to answer, and photographs to support my research.

Statement of findings

Causes

Macquarie is a bustling community full of life and activity, with thousands of people traveling there on an everyday basis. Coming here for the various facilities and services available, such as transport, education, and entertainment. Making this suburb a covetable suburb to reside in, thus influencing the population growth.

To the general public, Macquarie is most well-known for its shopping center, as with over 380 stores, Macquarie Shopping Centre caters to almost every need. With a wide range of retail stores, endless opportunities for entertainment with amenities such as bowling, Event cinema, and the ice-rink available, as well as offering major supermarket chains such as Coles and Woolworths. It is no wonder, that this destination draws masses of people in from other suburbs and that Macquarie holds one of the most recognized Shopping Centres within Sydney. This key destination is one of the major factors influencing the population growth of Macquarie, as living in closer proximity to this facility is desirable. (seen in Figure 4), a pie chart denoting the reasons why people would choose to reside in Macquarie. In this graph, it is clearly seen that a large majority, exactly half of the respondents elected the Shopping Centre as the main reason. Showing that Macquarie Centre plays an influential part in the population growth.

Other causes of population growth within Macquarie, (seen in Figure 4) were the various businesses and the University. Macquarie has the second-largest business precinct in Sydney after the CBD. With over 2077 businesses recorded in the 2017 census, including offices from prominent companies such as Optus, and Microsoft. With such a large amount of businesses, there would be an immense number of workers as well. Workers for these companies would prefer or choose to live closer to the business they work in, as it would be more convenient due to the shorter commute. Thus influencing the population growth of Macquarie.

Furthermore, Macquarie University has over 44,000 students with there being a noted increase of 6.4% of students from 2015-2016. From this statistic, we can expect the number of students enrolling each year to increase over time. Many of these students live on campus or near the university, as there are various accommodations in Macquarie specifically for students, such as Morling Residential College, Dunmore Lang College, and Herring Road Apartments. Thus showing how the University has an influence on population growth as more and more students enroll and live here. This was shown in the 2016 Census where in the data results for age (Figure 5), there was an increased amount of people aged 20-34 living in Macquarie, an approximate age range for a University student. Proving that the University is one of the causes of population growth.

Effects

Macquarie’s incessantly growing population has had many effects on the evolving community and landscape which are both developing to keep up. Seeing that in recent years Macquarie has had various redevelopments and upgrades to facilities (Figure 14, response 4), with many plans for the future as well.

One of the most notable redevelopments, is Macquarie Park Village (MPV), as seen in Figures 6, 7 & 8. MPV is part of the Government’s Communities Plus Program preparing for movements towards Macquarie and population growth. Previously the Stamford Grand Hotel, MPV encompasses around 700 residential apartments and 1000 m2 of mixed-use commercial space, this village’s seven apartment blocks were built as an effect of population growth in order for this suburb to be able to hold the new residents.

Another effect of population growth is the redevelopment of Ivanhoe Estate. This is the largest affordable housing renewal development in Australia. Planning to demolish 259 housing units (Figures 9, 10 & 11), and construct 3000 units on the 8.2 hectares of land (Figure 12). Part of the Communities Plus Program as well, this 2.2 billion dollar estate will also include a private vertical high school for around 1000 students, 2 childcare centers, a 120-bed aged care facility, a supermarket, retail stores, and a range of sporting facilities such as a gymnasium and pool. This redevelopment also includes upgrades to infrastructure, with plans for new road intersections and a new bridge across Shrimptons Creek to the nearby Business precinct of Macquarie. This redevelopment started construction in late 2017 and aims to be completed in 10-12 years.

Additionally, from my fieldwork, Figures 14 & 15 show that residents of Macquarie have observed there to be an increase in traffic and congestion as an effect of population growth.

Have you noticed any changes in Macquarie due to population growth, and what were they? I noticed that there’s more traffic and it’s more crowded I haven’t noticed many changes More shops in the Shopping Centre and upgrades to infrastructure Yes, more residential buildings are being built Yes, there is an increase in population, resulting in congestion

Due to population growth, various strategies were put in place to promote a better future for Macquarie, and to prepare the suburb for the influx of residents. These strategies include the expansion of Macquarie Centre and the Smart Cities Plan.

Macquarie is part of the Federal Government’s, Smart Cities Plan. This plan aims to improve the management of pedestrian movements in order to combat the expected population growth, tackling the rising issue of traffic and congestion. This plan intends for the Ryde Council to implement 75 pedestrian-counting sensors throughout Macquarie (Figure 16). These sensors would monitor pedestrian activity, the gathered data is used in real-time to reduce traffic and congestion.

Another strategy to combat the population growth is the renovation of Macquarie Shopping Centre. Macquarie Shopping Centre has undergone approval for development plans to increase the parking space by another three levels, build a 4 story block for more retail stores within the center, the creation of a station plaza, construct 1000 new units in 4 apartment blocks, including 2175 parking spaces as well as a public library. These upgrades to the center and its surroundings would decrease congestion, due to the increase of parking spaces at the center, causing the cars to move more smoothly and faster as there would be enough parking spaces. Thus helping to cope with the population growth.

Conclusion

Based on the data collected through my fieldwork investigation and research, it is possible to conclude that population growth was caused by the various facilities such as the Shopping Centre, businesses, and University as they made this suburb desirable to reside in. Population growth has also caused various redevelopments such as Ivanhoe Estate and MPV, as well as improvements upon Macquarie Shopping Centre. This data satisfies my aim and thus proves my hypothesis correct.

Evaluation

From completing this assessment task, I learned a lot about the changes to Macquarie that would take place in the coming years, moreover developing my understanding of population growth’s causes and effects on a suburb. Also, I learned how important it was to go out and do your own investigation, whether by emailing your local council or asking questions to your neighbors. However, I found that I had some difficulty collecting primary data during this task as I did not receive many responses, perhaps causing the data to be less reliable due to the small number of participants. This could have been improved by starting my primary investigation earlier, in order to collect more data.

Action Taken

In order to encourage the appropriate authorities on the negative effect of population growth on the community, a petition, direct appeal or letter could be produced against the council requesting for there to be a restriction on any more apartments built in the area, unless modifications to infrastructure such as roads or transport were improved to the same standard as well, thus ensuring that congestion and traffic due to population growth does not increase.

The Origins of Methamphetamine

Japan 1893, just six years after the discovery of amphetamines, a Japanese scientist Nagai Nagayoshi was working on the identification of the active component ephedrine from the ephedra plant. He discovered and produced for the first time desoxyephedrine or Methamphetamine (METH), primarily used against obesity, asthma, and major depressive disorder until World War II when Germany, the USA, and Japan forced the use of METH to keep their troops awake without taking into consideration its highly addictive properties. Today, METH is a schedule II drug that can only be prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)1,4 but according to the UN World Drug Report 2019, METH is being abused by more than 35 million people, becoming a worldwide epidemic, with 1.3 million users in Australia alone2.

Properties of Methamphetamine

METH is a cationic molecule and chiral compound based around a phenylethylamine core3, which has been shown to be more potent than amphetamine due to the added methyl group to its amphetamine structure, which makes it highly lipophilic with the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier into the central nervous system (CNS) inhibiting and reversing neurotransmitter transporters of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin4. Its half-life is between 9-12 hours, with the shortest half-life if taken orally compared to intravenous administration which lasts longer, with a peak concentration of 2.5-3.5 hours5. Its effects depend on the dose of administration but its stages are commonly described with an initial rush of the heart rate and increase in blood pressure followed by hyperactive mental and physical behaviors which with time lead to tolerance and the cravings are no longer satisfied, consequently, entering a delusional state with hallucinations and insomnia6.

Effect of METH in the Brain and possible treatments

METH increases activation of the dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin systems. METH mostly affects the reward system of the brain or limbic system, which includes the striatum that encompasses the nucleus accumbens. The use of METH causes the release of dopamine into the synaptic cleft in the striatum by disrupting the proton gradient through the dopamine vesicles due to its high pKa, making the acidic compartment more basic7,8,9. Additionally, METH blocks the dopamine transporters of the presynaptic neuron hence inhibiting the transport of dopamine back into the vesicles, thus increasing the synaptic dopamine concentration even more. This ultimately leads to neuron degeneration9. It has also been shown that METH causes mitochondrial dysfunction through the activation of Tol-like receptor 4 (TOL4) and NF-KB signaling pathway leading to death of neurons10. On the other hand, Hajheidari and colleagues showed that METH-sensitized rats had a decreased number of neurons in the Dentate Gyrus (DG) and Hippocampus which in turn is associated with the reduction of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)11. A recent study investigated the use of a medicinal herb, Crocin, which proved to have neuroprotective properties on the Hippocampus through the CREB-BDNF signaling pathway by increasing BDNF12. In addition, another study demonstrated that by inhibiting METH-induced autophagy which is mediated by activation of Kappa opioid receptor (KOR), apoptosis of endothelial cells was accelerated. Therefore, KOR can be pharmaceutically developed to reduce the effect of METH on the blood-brain barrier13.

Relationship between METH and the body

Recent literature report that METH activates and accelerates the transcription of genes that would normally control the cell cycle, leading to early cellular aging. The mechanism involves the stimulation of sphingolipid messenger ceramide which is activated by reactive oxygen species through methamphetamine metabolism via P450, leading to oxidative stress14. In addition to this, METH has been shown to cause increased heart rate and blood pressure leading to cardiovascular toxicity such as myocardial ischemia, infarction, and cardiomyopathy. Literature shows that tachycardia caused by METH abuse is most likely mediated via β1 adrenoreceptors via direct action of METH on the heart15. A retrospective cohort study showed that patients using METH developed idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension16. Other studies have found that METH is more widely distributed in lungs and kidneys with a peak concentration of 55 seconds and increases the risk of pulmonary tissues becoming more vulnerable to infections. This can lead to developing tuberculosis and HIV17. Furthermore, it is believed that diabetes can occur as a result of METH abuse due to its harmful effects on glucose uptake in the cells and glucose transporter proteins18.

The role of microbiota

Recent investigations have uncovered the major role that the gut microbiota plays in the connection to the brain. Ning and colleagues reported that the genera, Ruminococcaceae, a family of bacteria in the class of Clostridia which is associated with anxiety and a decrease in cognitive function, were increased in METH-induced Sprague-Dawley rats19. In vivo, the fecal microbiota is higher in methamphetamine-treated rats, however, the genus Phascolarctobacterium which is positively correlated to the positive mood of the humans, is reduced, which in turn increases the susceptibility to depression20-21. More study is needed to assess the functional role of microbial changes. It has also been shown that METH disrupts the integrity of the gut allowing bacteria to escape into circulation, which can also cause an increase in the mucosal inflammatory cytokine IL-6 & TNF-α22.

References

1. M. Douglas Anglin, Cynthia Burke, Brian Perrochet, Ewa Stamper & Samia Dawud-Noursi, History of the Methamphetamine Problem, Sep 2011.
2. United Nations World Drug Report 2019
3. Christopher G. Kevil, Nicholas E. Goeders, Matthew D. Woolard, Md. Shenuarin Bhuiyan, Paari Dominic, Gopi K. Kolluru, Connie L. Arnold, James G. Traylor, A. Wayne Orr, Methamphetamine Use and Cardiovascular Disease, 2019;39:1739–1746
4. David J. Wagner, Jennifer E. Sager, Haichuan Duan, Nina Isoherranen and Joanne Wang, Interaction and Transport of Methamphetamine and its Primary Metabolites by Organic Cation and Multidrug and Toxin Extrusion Transporters, July 2017, 45 (7) 770-778
5. Anna Moszczynska and Sean Patrick Callan, Molecular, Behavioral, and Physiological Consequences of Methamphetamine Neurotoxicity: Implications for Treatment, 2017, 362 (3) 474-488
6. Lisa Proebstl, Felicia Kamp, Gabi Koller, Michael Soyka, Cognitive Deficits in Methamphetamine Users: How Strong is The Evidence? 2018 Nov;51(6):243-250
7. Fiona Limanaqi, Stefano Gambardella, Francesca Biagioni, Carla L. Busceti, and Francesco Fornai, “Epigenetic Effects Induced by Methamphetamine and Methamphetamine-Dependent Oxidative Stress,” Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, vol. 2018, Article ID 4982453, 28 pages, 2018
8. Abhishek H. Ashok, Yuya Mizuno, Nora D. Volkow, Association of Stimulant Use With Dopaminergic Alterations in Users of Cocaine, Amphetamine, or Methamphetamine, 2017;74(5):511-519.
9. Michela Ferrucci, Fiona Limanaqi, Larisa Ryskalin, Francesca Biagioni, Carla L. Busceti and Francesco Fornai, The Effects of Amphetamine and Methamphetamine on the Release of Norepinephrine, Dopamine and Acetylcholine From the Brainstem Reticular Formation, 13:48. doi: 10.3389/fnana.2019.00048.
10. Majdi, Taheri, Salehi, Motaghinejad, Safari. Cannabinoids Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol may be effective against methamphetamine-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation by modulation of Toll-like type-4(Toll-like 4) receptors and NF-κB signaling. 2019 Aug 19;133:109371. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109371.
11. SamiraHajheidaria Hamid Reza Samenib Ahmad Reza Bandegic HosseinMiladi-gorged, Effects of prolonged abstinence from METH on the hippocampal BDNF levels, neuronal numbers and apoptosis in methamphetamine-sensitized rats, Volume 645, 3 April 2017
12. Mozaffari, Ramezany Yasuj, Motaghinejad, Motevalian, Kheiri Crocin Acting as a Neuroprotective Agent against Methamphetamine-induced Neurodegeneration via CREB-BDNF Signaling Pathway. 18(2):745-758, 2019.
13. J Ma, J Wan, J Meng, S Banerjee, S Ramakrishnan & S Roy, Methamphetamine induces autophagy as a pro-survival response against apoptotic endothelial cell death through the Kappa opioid receptor, e (2014) 5, e1099; doi:10.1038/cddis.2014.64
14. Giuseppe Astarita, Agnesa Avanesian, Benedetto Grimaldi, Natalia Realini, Zuzana Justinova, Leight V. Panlilio, Abdul Basit, Steven R. Goldberg, and Daniele Piomelli, Methamphetamine Accelerates Cellular Senescence through Stimulation of De Novo Ceramide Biosynthesis, 2015; 10(2): e0116961.
15. Sarah F. Hassan Travis A. Wearne Jennifer L. Cornish Ann K. Goodchild, Effects of acute and chronic systemic methamphetamine on respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic function, and cardiorespiratory reflexes, Volume 594, Issue 3, 20 November 2015
16. Roham T. Zamanian, Haley Hedlin, Paul Greenwald, David M. Wilson, Joshua I. Segal, Michelle Jorden, Kristina Kudelko, Juliana Liu, Andrew His, Allyson Rupp, Andrew J. Sweatt, Rubin Tuder, Gerald J. Berry, Marlene Rabinovitch, Ramona L. Doyle, Vinicio de Jesus Perez, and Steven M. Kawut. Features and Outcomes of Methamphetamine-associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, Vol. 197, No. 6 | Mar 15, 2018
17. Nora D. Volkow, Joanna S. Fowler, Gene-Jack Wang, Elena Shumay, Frank Telang, Peter K. Thanos, and David Alexoff. Distribution and Pharmacokinetics of Methamphetamine in the Human Body: Clinical Implications. 2010; 5(12): e15269.
18. P. M. Abdul Muneer, Saleena Alikunju, Adam M. Szlachetka, James Haorah, Methamphetamine Inhibits the Glucose Uptake by Human Neurons and Astrocytes: Stabilization by Acetyl-L-Carnitine, 6(4): e19258, 2011
19. Tingting Ning, Xiaokang Gong, Lingling Xie and Baomiao Ma, Gut Microbiota Analysis in Rats with Methamphetamine-Induced Conditioned Place Preference, 8 (AUG), art. no. 1620, 2017
20. Cussotto, S., Clarke, G., Dinan, T.G. et al. Psychotropics and the Microbiome: a Chamber of Secrets… (2019) 236: 1411.
21. Feifan Wu,1 Xianfeng Guo,1,2 Jiachun Zhang,1,3 Min Zhang,1 Zihao Ou,1 and Yongzheng Peng1, Phascolarctobacterium faecium abundant colonization in human gastrointestinal tract, 2017 Oct; 14(4): 3122–3126.
22. Jennifer A. Fulcher, Steven Shoptaw, Solomon B. Makgoeng, Julie Elliott, F. Javier Ibarrondo, Amy Ragsdale, Ron Brookmeyer, Peter A. Anton, and Pamina M. Gorbach, Recent Methamphetamine Use is Associated with Increased Rectal Mucosal Inflammatory Cytokines Regardless of HIV-1 Serostatus, 2018 May 1; 78(1): 119–123.

Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields are currently engaging in a word war against each other because of a type of depression, called postpartum depression. Cruise’s and Brooke’s debacle started when Tom Cruise openly disapproved of Brooke Shield’s personal choice of opting to take prescribed medicines to cure her postpartum depression when he guested on the Today Show. According to Cruise, who is a popular devotee of Scientology (who believes that we can be cured through natural means and that taking medicine is doing our body harm), Brooke Shields should have instead, opted to cure her postpartum depression by doing healthy exercises. Adding that a lot of people have been misinformed about depression and how to cure this common illness.

But what is postpartum depression? We’ve heard about it often enough, yet are we sure that we know enough about it for us to understand this illness for us to help ourselves as well as others? Being pregnant should be a source of joy for everyone, especially the mother-to-be, who for nine months, will have a living growing from inside of her. Unfortunately, there is another side to this joyous occasion, being pregnant means that you and your body will have to get used to some adjustments for you to have a safe pregnancy. Smoking, alcohol, strenuous activities as well as stress should be avoided at all costs. A healthy baby means having a healthy mother as well. But given that you have been able to successfully avoid all these bad habits for your baby, childbirth is a whole different thing, as much as we may try to avoid it, there are still some unfortunate cases wherein the mother as well as the baby’s life might be in danger.

But there’s more, postpartum depression happens after childbirth. Although it’s quite common and a lot of women have learned how to deal with it as well as successfully treat it (like Brooke Shields), it is still quite avoidable. Postpartum depression is a lot like depression, but only new moms are the possible victims of this illness. There are a lot of possible reasons why postpartum depression occurs:

Childbirth as we all know is not as easy as pie, actual physical stress from giving birth is one of the main reasons why postpartum depression occurs. Next postpartum depression triggers massive changes in hormonal levels. A lot of moms-to-be who were hesitant about bearing a child are also more susceptible to postpartum depression, those who are not ready to be a mother yet are more easily depressed as opposed to happy and excited moms-to-be.

When postpartum depression happens, it is best to go to the doctor immediately. Aside from obviously having ill effects on the new mother, postpartum depression can prove to be harmful to the child as well. New mothers who are suffering from postpartum depression may be harboring ill feelings toward their children. There are some cases of murder wherein postpartum depression has been cited as the reason. Mothers who suffer from postpartum depression may blame their children for their weight gain, thus feeling like they’ve become less attractive and unloved. It is best to consult a reputable cognitive behavior therapist to take care of your postpartum woes, your therapist may prescribe medications to help cure postpartum depression as well as therapy sessions to help relieve whatever pent emotions that you may have.

Physical setting This paper will be more likely to focus on teenage pregnancy happening in the Philippines, this may or may not focus on Ilocos Sur Province.

Objects and material culture The main objects in this paper are women who experienced teenage pregnancy and how it affected their way of living when they lived in a Christian country.

Use of language Gathering information about women’s problems regarding teenage pregnancy by having strong communication is the main source of the data of this paper.

Behavior cycle Most of these teenage moms happened to have childhood traumas as well they lacked sexual education.

The order in which events unfold It is very relevant and timely that the teenage pregnancy rate in the Philippines is increasing. Because of this, the auto decided to write a field report regarding with what are the factors affecting the rise of the issue.

Physical characteristics of subjects These are women aged 15-19 who at this early age already experienced pregnancy.

Expressive body movements The analysis of the data coming from the office of DOH and WHO is considered to be the main focal point of the data analysis, conclusion, and recommendations of this report.

Field Report

Introduction

Teenage pregnancy in the Philippines, as defined by the proportion of women who have begun childbearing in their teen years, has been steadily rising during a 35-year period, according to data from the National Demographic and Health Survey and the most recent result of the 2011 Family Health Survey. These teen mothers are mostly poor, live in rural areas, and have a low level of education. However, this study finds an increasing proportion of teenagers who are not poor, have a better education, live in metropolitan areas, and have started having children in their teens. The younger age at menarche, premarital sexual activity at a young age, the rise in cohabiting unions in this age group, and the likely lessening in the stigma of out-of-wedlock pregnancy are all variables that could contribute to this trend.

Description of activities

The reproductive rates of women of various ages follow a consistent trend. The fertility rate begins to fall shortly after menarche, peaks between the ages of 20 and 29, and then declines until it totally ends during menopause. The best ages for a successful pregnancy are when you’re in your prime reproductive years. There is a larger risk of unfavorable pregnancy outcomes at either end of the reproductive range, that is, at the youngest (under 20) and the oldest (40 and above) ages. According to studies, women between the ages of 35 and 45 are more likely than younger women between the ages of 20 and 29 to have gestational diabetes, placenta pre-via, breech presentation, and surgical vaginal delivery. Other substantial non-health dangers associated with teenage pregnancy are unique to this period of life. There are two types of teen pregnancy, and both can happen in the same country, developed or developing. Premarital intercourse and unintentional pregnancy can also contribute to high teenage pregnancy rates. Early childbearing is becoming increasingly a result of early intercourse, according to research. In metropolitan regions, this is more common than in rural areas.

Interpretation and analysis

According to the WHO, around 16 million adolescent girls aged 15-19 give birth each year, accounting for roughly 11% of all births worldwide. Almost all of these births take place in impoverished countries. For the years 2000-2005, the global adolescent fertility rate was projected to be 55.3 per thousand, implying that roughly 5.5 percent of adolescents gave birth each year. According to the National Statistics Office’s latest Vital Statistics Report, 1,784,316 births were registered in the Philippines in 2008, with 10.4 percent (186,527 births) occurring to mothers under the age of 20. In 2008, total registered births climbed by 2% from 1,749,878 the previous year, while births to teenage mothers increased by 7.6% from 173,282 the previous year. Given the same amount of underreporting for teenage births as for total births, a comparison of the percent rise in total births and births to teenage mothers implies that fertility increases more rapidly in the youngest reproductive years. The findings show a gradient of difference by socioeconomic position that is similar to that seen with educational attainment, which is to be expected given how closely these two variables are associated, i.e., those with the least education will tend to be among the poorest. Women in the poorest are most likely to have children young. When comparing the data from 2003 and 2008, it shows that the prevalence of early childbearing did not alter significantly for women, despite the fact that it was already at a high level.

Conclusions and recommendations

Overall, the findings in this paper corroborate that more teenagers are becoming pregnant now than in previous cohorts. Teenage pregnancy exposes both mother and child to many health and other risks, and more research is needed to determine how to mitigate or reverse the trend. The following factors should be considered before any intervention:

1. To further understand the particular health hazards in the Philippines, hospital-based prospective and retrospective studies are needed to investigate the negative effects of early pregnancy and childbirth on the mother and her baby when compared to other age groups.
2. While early childbirth has increased among the non-poor, the better-educated, and city dwellers, teen pregnancy remains unacceptably common among the poor, those with less education, and rural dwellers. Interventions aimed at reversing the trend should be specific to the conditions that lead to early pregnancy in these populations.
3. Teenage pregnancy is highest among those with the least education, notably those with elementary or below educational attainment, hence the timing of school-based treatments such as sexuality education should take this into account. Thus, before teenagers leave school, age-appropriate sexuality education should begin in the pre-adolescent years. Because there is such a significant unmet need for contraception among currently cohabiting or married youth, they require special services and family planning programs