Stem Cell Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Stem Cell Research - Essay Example It is nobody's case that stem cell research is a bad thing. Each one of us hopes for a day when no disease will be categorized as incurable', and the potential in this line of work to realize that dream is plain for all to see. The controversy that stem cell research has provoked - sharply dividing public opinion and placing the government and President Bush in a quandary -- has to do with an ethical concern over the use of embryos. Why must embryos be utilized Why not depend on adult stem cells instead and get on with the research without causing any harm to the subject Scientists have good reason for this. Stem cell research has at its core a kind of cell called pluripotent' -- essentially an innocent' cell which has not begun to develop into any specific tissue - such as blood or brain or heart cells. But this state of innocence lasts only three to five days, and if scientists can seize on this small window of opportunity, they can isolate and coax it to develop into any of the 220 types of human cell lines. Which in turn can be used to repair or replace specific tissue and treat any disease that involves tissue degeneration - such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, afflictions in the central nervous system, Type 1 diabetes, liver malfunctions etc. Adult stem cells do have some relevance in this research, but they are not so pliant and therefore they cannot be programmed to differentiate into more than a few of the necessary 220 cell lines. Scientifically, an airtight argument in support of the use of embryos - which, alas, does nothing to address the moral and ethical concerns. What right do we have to play God, snuff out a life and willfully deny it of its potential to grow into a healthy human being Life, according to Christian belief, begins at conception, and no matter whether that life is sparked off in a womb or in a Petri dish, its destruction amounts to murder. So, are we willing to commit murder in the name of science And if we are, then where does it end By pushing the limits of morality, we are only helping to create a society where life is so cheap that one person can use another without compunction or accountability. As the late Pope John Paul II pointed out to President Bush (2001), "In defending the right to life . America can show the world the path to a truly humane future in which man remains the master, not the product, of his technology." Scientists counter this charge by pulling cold facts out of the trash can. Stem cells, they reiterate, can be extracted from the surplus frozen embryos left over at fertility clinics. Typically, these embryos - numbering in hundreds of thousands -- are discarded as medical waste after an infertile couple's desire for a child has been fulfilled. So where's the sense in arguing on behalf of an embryo which is destined to perish anyway It must come as a relief to stem cell researchers that more and more people are shaking off their knee-jerk response to the emotionally-loaded issue and finally buying into this view: the results of a Harris Poll (2004) showed that 73 per cent of the people interviewed approved of the research, compared to 61 per cent in 2001. Celebrities too - a major voice in these media-driven times - have mostly come out in support of stem cell research, and the involvement of actors such as the late Christopher Reeve, Michael J. Fox,

Family meals Essay Example for Free

Family meals Essay The article present the issue of meals from a good perspective: it identifies that some families eat together and others do not. It states from researches that studies carried out on families that eat together on the same table are more likely to produce positive health results than others who do not: such positive health factors are enumerated in each paragraph. It states that such family meals make it easier to control diet, amount and quality. It promotes communication about nutrition; it helps to regulate the type of food consumed. Besides it is a good forum for socialization among the family members, and even visitors.   It provides the ‘opportunity to eat better’ and also the ‘chance to connect’. The latter helps to understand each other better, find about current issues in the lives of members, and even teaches the children cooking and eating etiquettes.   It concludes with a profound statement:   Family meals arent just about food, theyre about family. I am particularly interested in the type of meal that can earn the tag ‘family meal’. And really, it is worth remembering that meals can also be a time to get together with family members. For parents that do not have time for their children, this may not possible but for others who have such opportunity, I strongly believe it is a very good idea: it creates a forum for me to learn how to cook, how to serve and how to eat especially when it involves others. If I have anything bothering my mind, I can share it there. If I also notice something about my siblings, friends, visitors, other extended family members, I can bring it and the challenge/burden can be shared. It is also a good forum to celebrate any achievement. I like the idea of family meals because it helps to strengthen families and build loving homes. There is no doubt that if we can adopt this kind of idea all over the country, things would change, families are likely to become more stable and children will live in conducive happy homes. I think that the topic was presented in a good and lively way. It has information from researches and experts in the food. After going through the article, you’d have read through an unusual topic that makes a lot of sense. It starts with a description of meal times, connects to the advantages of family means and ends with the obstacle to achieving the concept. I am also concerned about this noble idea can be implemented in this kind of age, when everyone appears to be in a hurry chasing the wild wind. Is it really practicable in this jet age? Are there other means of achieving same socialization outside meals times? REFERENCE Family meals. http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/11/07/cl.family.meals/index.html

The Limits of Cyberspace :: Technology Internet Technological Essays

The Limits of Cyberspace Lev Manovich’s wider history of vision and Simon Cook’s amendments to it reveal much about the recent developments in visual communication. This essay will use these two papers to show that today’s digital culture stems from late-Victorian methods of organization and Modernist visual forms. Also, it will discuss the current rate of progress, and the ultimate limit of technology in our world. Technology changes rapidly. Just a few years ago, the world was unable to stop discussing the rate of technological advancement. People laughed at Bill Gates’ famous quote, â€Å"with 1 MB RAM, we have a memory capacity, which will never be fully utilized,† and marvelled that â€Å"processor speed doubles every 18 months.† Some thinkers, coming to grips with this amazing rate of development, have stopped looking solely at the slope of technological progress and have begun looking also at the history of human interaction with technology, as well as making predictions about its future. A new work at the forefront of the discussion of the history of the digital revolution is UCSD professor Lev Manovich’s â€Å"The Language of New Media.† The ideas contained in this book are essentially elaborations of the ideas in his doctoral dissertation, â€Å"The Engineering of Vision from Constructivism to Computers,† and a few articles published on his website. In â€Å"The Engineering of Vision from Constructivism to Computers,† Manovich discusses at length the recent developments in modern vision as well as analyzing its present state. Over the last hundred and thirty years, says Manovich, there has been a dramatic decrease in the physical difficulty of labor and a correspondingly large increase in the need for the use of the eye and mind to perform productively. Manovich divides this time period into three separate stages. Firstly, from 1870 to 1920, he states that Venn, Freud, and others created new systems for visual reasoning. â€Å"For the first time, we can find in their work the explicit justifications for the very notion of reasoning through vision.† According to Manovich, these â€Å"diferent models of how vision can be used in reasoning represent the first stage in the reversal of attitude towards the inadequacy of vision.† The second stage begins in 1870 and continues until 1920. It encompasses the transition from physical labor to â€Å"visual labor†, when the muscular effort of physical labor is slowly replaced by the labor of the eye looking for changing details in a managerial workplace.

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 33

Chapter 33 Ship of Fools Tommy led them down a narrow hallway and into a large room paneled in dark walnut and furnished with heavy, dark wood furniture. Paintings and bookshelves filled with leather volumes lined the walls; strands of gold wire running across the front of the shelves to hold the books in place in rough seas were the only evidence that they were on a boat. There were no windows; the only light came from small spotlights recessed into the ceiling that shone on the paintings. Tommy paused in the middle of the room, fighting the urge to stop and look at the books. Lash moved to his side. â€Å"See that?† Lash asked. He nodded toward a large painting – bright colors and bold shapes, squiggles and lines – that hung between two doors at the far end of the room. Tommy said, â€Å"Looks like it should be hung on a fridge with ladybug magnets.† â€Å"It's a Miro,† Lash said. â€Å"It must be worth millions.† â€Å"How do you know it's an original?† â€Å"Tommy, look at this yacht; if you can afford a boat like this, you don't hang fakes.† Lash pointed to another, smaller painting of a woman reclining on a pile of satin cushions. â€Å"That's a Goya. Probably priceless.† â€Å"So what's your point?† Tommy asked. â€Å"Would you leave something like that unguarded? And I don't think that you can run a boat this size without a crew.† â€Å"Swell,† Tommy said. â€Å"Jeff, let me have that shotgun.† Jeff, still shivering from his dunk, handed over the gun. â€Å"Shell in the chamber,† Jeff said. Tommy took the gun, checked the safety, and started forward. â€Å"Keep your eyes open, guys.† They went through the door to the right of the Miro into another hallway, this one paneled in teak. Paintings hung along the walls between louvered teak doors. Tommy paused at the first door and signaled for Barry to back him up with a speargun as he opened it. Inside, row upon row of suits and jackets hung on motorized tracks. Above the tracks, shelves were filled with hats and expensive shoes. Tommy pushed aside some of the suits and peered between them, looking for a set of legs and feet. â€Å"No one here,† he said. â€Å"Did anyone bring a flashlight?† â€Å"Didn't think about it,† Barry said. Tommy backed out of the closet and moved to the next door. â€Å"It's a bathroom.† â€Å"A head,† Barry corrected, looking around Tommy's shoulder into the room. â€Å"There's no toilet.† â€Å"Vampires don't go,† Tommy said. â€Å"I'd say this guy had this boat built for him.† They moved down the hall checking each room. There were rooms full of paintings and sculpture, crated, labeled, and stacked in rows; another with oriental carpets rolled and stacked; a room that looked like an office, with computers, a copy machine, fax machines, and filing cabinets; and another head. They followed the hallway around a gentle curve to the left, where it traced the line of the bow of the boat. At the apex there was a teak spiral staircase that led to a deck above and one below. Light spilled down from above. The hallway curved around the bow and back to the stern. â€Å"The hallway must go back to that other door in that big room.† Tommy said. â€Å"Lash, you, Clint, Troy, and Jeff check the rooms on that side. Your Majesty, Barry, Drew, come with me. Meet us back here.† â€Å"I thought we were going to stay together,† Jeff said. â€Å"I don't think you're going to find anything down there. If you do, yell like hell.† The Emperor patted Lazarus's head. â€Å"Stay here, good fellow. We shan't be long.† Tommy pointed upward with the shotgun and mounted the stairs. He emerged onto the bridge and squinted against the light coming through the windows. He stepped aside and looked around the bridge while the others came up the stairs behind him. â€Å"It looks more like the bridge of a starship,† Tommy said to the Emperor as he came up. Low consoles filled with switches and screens ran along the front of the bridge under wide, streamlined windows. There were five different radar screens blipping away. At least a dozen other screens were scrolling figures and text; red, green, and amber lights glowed along the rows of toggle switches over three computer keyboards. The only thing that looked remotely nautical to Tommy was the chrome wheel at the front of the bridge. â€Å"Anybody know what any of this stuff is?† Tommy asked. Barry said, â€Å"I'd say that this is the crew that we were wondering about. This whole thing is automated.† Barry stepped up to one of the consoles and all the screens and lights winked out. â€Å"I didn't touch anything,† Barry said. The foghorn on Alcatraz sounded and they looked out the window toward the abandoned prison. The fog was making its way across the bay toward shore. â€Å"How's our time?† Tommy asked. Drew checked his watch. â€Å"About two hours.† â€Å"Okay, let's check that lower deck.† As they came down the steps, Lash said, â€Å"Nothing. More art, more electronics. There's no galley, and I can't figure out where the crew sleeps.† â€Å"There is no crew,† Tommy said as he started down the steps to the lower deck. â€Å"It's all run by machines.† The floor of the lower deck was made of diamond-plate steel; there were no carpets and no wood: pipes and wires ran around the steel bulkheads. A steel pressure hatch opened into a narrow passageway. Light from the bridge two decks above spilled a few feet into the passageway, then it was dark. â€Å"Drew,† Tommy said, â€Å"you got a lighter?† â€Å"Always,† Drew said, handing him a disposable butane lighter. Tommy crouched and went through the hatch, took a few steps, and clicked the lighter. â€Å"This must lead to the engines,† Lash said. â€Å"But it should be bigger.† He knocked on the steel wall, making a dull thud. â€Å"I think this is all fuel around us. This thing must have an incredible range.† Tommy looked at the lighter, then back at Lash, whose black face was just highlights in the flame. â€Å"Fuel?† â€Å"It's sealed.† â€Å"Oh,† Tommy said. He moved a few more feet and barked his elbow on the metal ring of a pressure hatch. â€Å"Ouch!† â€Å"Open it,† Drew said. Tommy handed him the shotgun and lighter and grabbed the heavy metal ring. He strained against it but it didn't budge. â€Å"Help.† Lash snaked past Drew and joined Tommy on the ring. They put their weight on it and pushed. The wheel screeched in protest, then broke loose. Tommy pulled the hatch open and was hit with the smell of urine and decay. â€Å"Christ.† He turned away coughing. â€Å"Lash, give me the lighter.† Lash handed him the lighter. Tommy reached through the hatch and lit it. There were bars just inside the hatch, beyond that a rotting mattress, some empty food cans, and a bucket. Red-brown splotches smeared the gray walls, one in the shape of a handprint. â€Å"Is it the fiend?† the Emperor asked. Tommy moved back from the hatch and handed back the lighter. â€Å"No, it's a cage.† Lash looked in. â€Å"A prison cell? I don't get it.† Tommy slid down the bulkhead and sat on the steel floor, trying to catch his breath. â€Å"You said this thing had an incredible range. Could stay out to sea for months, probably?† â€Å"Yeah,† Lash said. â€Å"He has to store his food somewhere.† Inside the vampire's vault, just above his face, a computer screen was scrolling information. A schematic of the Sanguine II lit up one side of the screen with nine red dots representing the vampire hunters and Lazarus. Green dotted lines traced the patterns of their movements since they had boarded the ship. Another area of the screen recorded the time they had boarded and another showed exterior views of the yacht: the raft tied up at the rear, the dock, fog sweeping over the Saint Francis clubhouse. Radar readouts showed the surrounding watercraft, the shoreline, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate in the distance. Optical disk drives recorded all the information so the vampire could replay it upon awakening. Motion detectors had, upon sensing Barry's presence near the console on the bridge, activated switches that rerouted all of the ship's control to the vault. The Sanguine II was wide awake and awaiting its master. â€Å"How's our time, Lash?† Tommy asked. â€Å"About an hour.† They were gathered at the stern of the yacht, watching the fog roll into shore. They had searched the entire ship, then gone back through it again, opening every closet, cupboard, and access panel. â€Å"He's got to be here.† â€Å"Perhaps,† said the Emperor, â€Å"we should go ashore and set Bummer on another trail.† At the mention of his name Bummer yapped and worked his head out of the Emperor's pocket. Tommy scratched his ears. â€Å"Let him out.† The Emperor unbuttoned his pocket and Bummer leaped out, bit Tommy on the ankle, and shot through the hatch. â€Å"Ouch!† â€Å"Follow him,† the Emperor said. â€Å"He's on the trail.† He ran through the hatch, followed by the Animals and Tommy, limping slightly. Five minutes later they were standing on the diamond-plate floor of the engine room. Bummer was scratching at the floor and whining. â€Å"This is stupid,† Barry said. â€Å"We've been through this area three times.† Tommy looked at the section of floor where Bummer was scratching. There was a rectangular seam, ten feet long by three feet wide, sealed with a rubber gasket. â€Å"We didn't look under the floor.† â€Å"It's water under the floor, isn't it?† Jeff said. Tommy got down on his knees and examined the seam. â€Å"Troy, give me one of those swords.† Troy Lee handed him a fighting sword. Tommy worked the tip under the rubber gasket and the blade sank into the seam. â€Å"Get that other sword into this crack and help me pry it up.† Troy worked his sword into the seam and they counted to three. The edge of the panel popped up. The other Animals caught the edge and lifted. The floor panel came up, revealing a coffin-length stainless-steel vault two feet below the floor. Bummer leaped into the opening in the floor and began running around the vault, leaping and barking. â€Å"Well done, little one,† the Emperor said. Tommy looked at the Animals, who were holding the floor panel up on its edge. â€Å"Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet the owner of this vessel.† Drew let go of the floor panel and jumped into the opening with the vault. There was just enough room in the opening for him to move sideways around the vault. â€Å"It's on hydraulic lifts. And there's a shitload of cables running in and out of it.† â€Å"Open it,† Troy Lee said, holding his sword at ready. Drew pulled at the lid of the vault, then let go and knocked on the side. â€Å"This thing is thick. Really thick.† He reached up and took Troy's sword, worked the blade under the lid, and pried. The sword snapped. â€Å"Christ, Drew! That sword cost a week's pay.† â€Å"Sorry,† Drew said. â€Å"We're not going to pry this baby open. Not even with a crowbar.† Tommy said, â€Å"Lash, how's our time?† â€Å"Forty minutes, give or take five.† To Drew, Tommy said, â€Å"What do you think? How do we get it open? A torch?† Drew shook his head. â€Å"Too thick. It'd take hours to get through this. I say we blow it.† â€Å"With what?† Drew grinned. â€Å"Common items you can find in your own kitchen. Someone's going to need to go back to the store and get me some stuff.† Cavuto watched Troy Lee's Toyota turning around, put down his binoculars, and quickly backed the cruiser into a driveway behind the shower buildings. He hit the redial on his cell phone and the gate guard answered on the first ring. â€Å"Saint Francis Yacht Club, gate.† â€Å"This is Inspector Cavuto again. I need to know the registered owner of the Sanguine Two.† â€Å"I'm not supposed to give out that information.† â€Å"Look, I'm going to shoot some guys in a minute. You want to help, or what?† â€Å"It's registered to a Dutch shipping company. Ben Sapir Limited.† â€Å"Have you seen anyone coming to or from that boat? Crew? Visitors?† There was a pause while the guard checked his records. â€Å"No, nothing since it came into harbor. Except that it fueled up last night. Paid cash. No signature. Man, that baby's got some fuel capacity.† â€Å"How long has it been here?† Another pause. â€Å"A little over three months. Came in on September fifteenth.† Cavuto checked his notebook. The first body was found on the seventeenth of September. â€Å"Thanks,† he said to the guard. â€Å"Those guys you had me let in are causing trouble. They took a boat.† â€Å"They're coming back through the gate. Let them do what they want. I'll take responsibility.† Cavuto disconnected and dialed the number of Rivera's cell phone. Rivera answered on the first ring. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Where are you?† Cavuto could hear Rivera lighting a cigarette. â€Å"Watching the kid's apartment. I got a car. You?† â€Å"The kid and the night crew are on a big motor yacht at the Saint Francis yacht club-hundred-footer. Boat's called the Sanguine Two; registered to a Dutch shipping company. They've been out there a couple of hours. Two of them just left.† â€Å"He didn't seem like the yachting type.† â€Å"No shit. But I'm staying with the kid. The Sanguine Two pulled into port two days before the first murder. Maybe we should get a warrant.† â€Å"Probable cause?† â€Å"I don't know – suspicion of piracy.† â€Å"You want to call in some other units?† â€Å"Not unless something happens. I don't want the attention. Any movement from your girl?† â€Å"No. But it's getting dark. I'll let you know.† â€Å"Just go knock on the damn door and find out what's going on.† â€Å"Can't. I'm not ready to interview a murder victim. I haven't had any experience in it.† â€Å"I hate it when you talk like that. Call me.† Cavuto rung off and began rubbing a headache out of his temples. Jeff and Troy Lee were running through the Safeway aisles, Troy shouting out items off Drew's list while Jeff pushed the cart. â€Å"A case of Vaseline,† Troy said. â€Å"I'll get it out of the stockroom. You grab the sugar, and the Wonder Grow.† â€Å"Got it,† Jeff said. They rendezvoused at the express lane. The cashier, a middle-aged woman with bottle-blond hair, glared at them over her rose-tinted glasses. â€Å"C'mon, Kathleen,† Troy said. â€Å"That eight-items-or-less bullshit doesn't apply to employees.† Like everyone who worked days at the Safeway, Kathleen was a little afraid of the Animals. She sighed and began running the items over the scanner while Troy Lee shoved them into bags: ten five-pound bags of sugar, ten boxes of Wonder Grow fertilizer, five quarts of Wild Turkey bourbon, a case of charcoal lighter, a giant box of laundry detergent, a box of utility candles, a bag of charcoal, ten boxes of mothballs†¦ When she got to the case of Vaseline, Kathleen paused and looked up at Jeff. He gave her his best all-American-boy smile. â€Å"We're having a little party,† he said. She huffed and totaled the order. Jeff threw a handful of bills on the counter and followed Troy out of the store, pushing the cart at a dead run. Twenty minutes later the Animals were scrambling through the Sanguine II with the bags of supplies for Drew, who was crouched in the opening with the stainless-steel vault. Tommy handed down the boxes of fertilizer. â€Å"Potassium nitrate,† Drew said. â€Å"No recreational value, but the nitrates make a nice bang.† He tore the lid off a box and dumped the powder into a growing pile. â€Å"Give me some of that Wild Turkey.† Tommy handed down some bottles. Drew twisted the cap off one and took a drink. He shivered, blinked back a tear, and emptied the rest of the bottle into the dry ingredients. â€Å"Hand me that broken sword. I need something to stir with.† Tommy reached for the sword and looked up at Lash. â€Å"How we doing?† Lash didn't even look at his watch. â€Å"It's officially dark,† he said.

Part-Time Job While Studying Essay

The modern world now provides students with the best condition for studying. Therefore, some people suppose that they need not to have a part-time job any more but try to focus on their study. On the other hand, the rest of them argue that a part-time job still plays an important role in forming the necessary experience for students. To the best of my knowledge, despite the current comfort in education, it is still essential that students should take part in a particular part-time job for many reasons. To begin with, many peoples present the reasons for the unnecessity of having a part-time job among students. The first point is that a part-time job can make students spend less time on their study, thereby harming their study result. Another reason is that the part-time job environment is often not professional and safe, which can put students at the risk of being defrauded. The final reason is that taking part in a part-time job will cause more pressure to students, consequently affecting badly their health. However, in my opinion, such reasons above are still one-sided and not so persuasive. Coming back to the first point above, we can agree that the completive world now makes students become more sensible that they used to be. In fact, most of the students know that their study in school must be the main means of providing them with a good future, not their part-time jobs. In the second reason presented above, the unsafe environment of part-time jobs, on one hand, maybe make students defrauded, on the other hand, give the students valuable experience about real life. Therefore, they will certain the more successful people in the future than the ones who do not participate in a part-time job. Finally, suffering from the part-time jobs for a certain time can help students find the best way of reconciling between their study and working. Surely they will know how to draw an effective schedule for their lives. Finally, in favor of the people arguing the necessity of having a part-time job, I can give some reasons for my point of view. To begin with, a part-time job will give students more experience about life which they cannot earn at school such as the skills of communication, how to be a confident person. This can help them become more mature and easier to be successful in future. The second reason is that students can widen their relationship by participating in a part-time job. In fact, the more friends they have, the more probably they will deal successfully with the obstacles in life. Last but not least, taking part in a part-time job can help students earn more to support their study. Consequently, they will be less dependent on their parents and believe more in their own ability. To sum up, it is quite essential that students should have a part-time job while studying. This will give them many valuable lessons which they cannot find in any academic school. In fact, we just study in school in the first twenty years of life, but we study in real life during the rest of our lifetime.

The Real Black Death Professor Ramos Blog

The Real Black Death The Real Black Death It is common for children to be afraid of a certain monster such as the boogieman, but how often does a monster manage to shatter the will of fully grown adults? Well, that’s exactly what the Xenomorph does; it is so terrifying and monstrous that no aura of bravery could even slightly diminish the ominous vibe that emits from the Xenomorph. The Xenomorph is an extraterrestrial life form that first appears in Ridley Scott’s 1979 film, Alien. The Xenomorph has been featured in the Alien Quadrilogy, film spinoffs such as Alien vs. Predator, comics, and video games. The Xenomorph species serves as the main antagonist in the Alien Quadrilogy, in which it murders senselessly with no regard for anything except self-preservation. The Xenomorph is a terrifying creation that by any means can be classified as purely a monster. A contributing factor to the monstrous existence of the Xenomorph is that it is an embodiment of the fear of extraterrestrial life. Due to our limited experience in space, we are yet to come into contact with life beyond Earth. Such a condition creates an anxiety of what life beyond earth might be like. In Jeffrey Cohen’s, Monster Culture (Seven Theses), the foundations of what make up a monster are explored and evaluated using seven distinct theses. One of seven theses in Cohens seven theses is titled â€Å"Thesis V. The Monster Polices the Borders of the Possible† and the thesis states that monsters are created at the boundaries of what is known to possible in the time of the monster’s creation.   The Xenomorph can most definitely fall into â€Å"Thesis V. The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference†, for the Xenomorph’s creation was in 1979; a period where mankind had extremely limited knowledge of the space, and especially an ignorance regar ding the possibility of life beyond Earth. The Xenomorph is a representation of the anxiety that the human race has towards what life could be beyond Earth. Humans and Xenomorphs differ greatly in many ways, in fact, the differences are so great that Xenomorphs must be labeled as monstrous. Cohen’s â€Å"Thesis IV. The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference†, elaborates that monsters are created where differences are found among cultures or beliefs. For instance, a monster could be an extremely rich person in a neighborhood filled with impoverished people. The Xenomorph appears has no conscience that extends beyond its need for propagation and self-preservation. The behavior of such a creature most definitely is so primal and savage that its behavior alone is enough for it to be labeled as monstrous, for the Xenomorph violates thousands of years of evolution of human morals and culture. The Xenomorph has a terrifying physical appearance, however, its appearance varies as a result of the way Xenomorphs are created. An egg is birthed from the queen Xenomorph, shortly after a facehugger emerges from the egg to seek a host t o implant a Xenomorph egg in, the facehugger latches onto the face of whatever species it seeks to impregnate and shoves an egg down the hosts throat, lastly a baby Xenomorph bursts from the body of whatever species that served as its incubator. The Xenomorphs egg pairs with the DNA of the host which results in slightly similar aspects between the Xenomorph and its host. For instance, a dog is impregnated by a facehugger and as a result, the xenomorph slightly resembles a dog, for it walks on four legs. If a human is impregnated by a facehugger the result will be a two-legged monstrosity. The appearance of a Xenomorph that births from the chest of a human results with a tall two legend creature that is all black, has a tail with a blade fixed to the end, a long eyeless head with two jaws including a tongue that is used to penetrate the flesh of prey, and long arms with sharp claws. Oh yeah, and the Xenomorphs blood is made of acid that can melt metal! Such a bizarre form creates the image of something that is truly monstrous, for it is unlike anything that lives on Earth. The presence of the Xenomorph is more than enough to classify it as a terrifying monster. The Xenomorph gets very little screen time in all the films in the Alien Quadrilogy, but the brief appearances leave lasting impressions of horror and anxiety. The Xenomorphs first appearance as a newborn shakes the audience to their core and leaves the first impression that the Xenomorph is a monster of nightmarish proportions. In front of all other spacecraft crewmembers a baby Xenomorph bursts from the chest of a crew member, then quickly vanished from the crew’s sight to hide within the spaceship until it is fully grown. The Xenomorph infant looks serpent-like in appearance with sharp teeth. In Eric Wargo’s article, â€Å"How Many Seconds to a First Impression?†, the time that it takes as well as the results of a first impression are explained in detail. The lasting terror that follows the first appearance of the Xenomorph can  be explained in the way that humans make first impressions, for it is stated that â€Å"A series of experiments by Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov reveal that all it takes is a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger from their face and that longer exposures don’t significantly alter those impressions† (Wargo). The impression that the baby Xenomorph leaves is powerful enough to establish a sense of terror amongst the spaceship crew members, for an unknown creature just burst from the chest of a fellow crew member killing him in the process. The first impression left is one of terror, not just because someone died, but also because the crew members are left with the fear of something totally unknown to them. The Xenomorph gets very little screen time and it is often not seen by its prey until they have met their demise at the hands of the Xenomorph. The time that the Xenomorph is not in front of its prey, its disappearance creates a powerful fear of the unknown. In cin ephiliabeyond.org’s  examination of the Xenomorph titled â€Å"Ridley Scott’s Masterpiece ‘Alien’: Nothing Is as Terrifying as the Fear of the Unknown†, it is stated â€Å"†¦nothing is so powerful a generator of fear as human imagination, and nothing is so terrifying to people as the unknown† (Ridley Scott’s Masterpiece ‘Alien’†¦). The Xenomorph establishes an aura of fear by spending as much time as possible unseen by its prey leaving the human imagination to decipher how monstrous and terrible the Xenomorph is. The Xenomorphs brief appearances are strong enough to leave humans with a lasting sense of terror that is rooted in the fear of the unknown. The Xenomorph is a monster  that has effectively terrified humans by means of exploiting the fear of the unknown that humans possess and shattering what we humans view as normal. The behavior of the xenomorph is murderous and extremely primal  which is a steep difference between how humans wish to conduct themselves. The Xenomorph is able to create lasting fear from its very brief physical encounters with humans. Our limited knowledge of extraterrestrial life serves as the catalyst for the Xenomorphs manifestation of terror and monstrous existence. The first thing that comes to mind when briefly thinking about the Xenomorph is the word â€Å"monster†. Annotated Bibliography Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. â€Å"Monster Culture  (Seven Theses).†. Gothic Horror: A Guide for Students and readers (2007):198-217. -A document handed out in class that elaborates how the monsters that we make are made and why. The document goes into depth on monster theory by explaining seven theses that are relevant to the existence and creation of monsters. The document also defines what makes a monster a monster. The document is used in my evaluation as a measure of how monstrous the Xenomorph is. The source is reliable because it is used as source material for a college level English class. Wargo, Eric. â€Å"How Many Seconds to a First Impression?†Ã‚  Association for Psychological                 Ã‚  Science, July 2006, psychologicalscience.org/observer/how-many-seconds-to-a-     first-impression.    An elaboration on a study of first  impressions. The study goes into how first impressions are made, and just how briefly first impressions are made. This information is used to support that the Xenomorphs leave a heavy impression despite their brief appearances. The information is credible, for its material is backed by reliable experimentation and data analysis. â€Å"Ridley Scotts  Masterpiece Alien: Nothing Is as Terrifying as the Fear of the Unknown† Cinephilia Beyond, 27 Apr. 2018, cinephiliabeyond.org/ridley-scotts-masterpiece-                     alien-  nothing-terrifying-fear-unknown/. An Examination of the Xenomorph. The Xenomorphs creation and how it ties into the 1979 film Alien are explained in the article. The article is a full dedication to support the claim that the Xenomorph is a product of experts in costume design and wiring. This article was used to quote the nature and fear that the Xenomorphs produce. The article comes from a reliable and credible website that examines films. Links to Images Used -https://giphy.com/gifs/aliens-alien-resurrection-sDfpvYH0WMK5O?utm_source=iframeutm_medium=embedutm_campaign=Embedsutm_term=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cineworld.co.uk%2Fblog%2Falien-covenant-xenomorph- -https://giphy.com/gifs/alien-bjT6BX84Wwox2- -https://nofilmschool.com/2016/09/beauty-h-r-gigers-grotesque-xenomorph-monsters-alien- -https://www.deviantart.com/uncannyknack/art/Xenomorph-full-body-505524169- -https://giphy.com/gifs/birth-QjpW9xb0CWpby-

Answers to Questions About Commas

Answers to Questions About Commas Answers to Questions About Commas Answers to Questions About Commas By Mark Nichol In this post, I’ve reproduced some questions posed in e-mail or comments to Daily Writing Tips about commas, followed by my responses. 1. Which comma-style-in-a-series do you prefer, Oxford/Chicago Manual or AP? Why? I prefer employing the serial comma because doing so rarely introduces ambiguity, which is more likely when the serial comma is omitted. (See this section in the Wikipedia entry on the serial comma, which explains why because serial commas are sometimes necessary for clarity and should therefore, for the sake of consistency, always be employed.) 2. I keep finding commas placed after but, as in this sample from a Bloomsbury novel: â€Å"She is not yet that committed but, determined not to be ridiculous, she makes herself bite into the Bakewell slice.† I was raised to put a comma before the but. Is this another matter of American versus British usage, or is there a grammatical nicety here that I am missing? The comma after but is necessary because it signals that what follows it and precedes the next comma is an interjection, and the insertion of another comma is also recommended: The correct punctuation is â€Å"She is not yet that committed, but, determined not to be ridiculous, she makes herself bite into the Bakewell slice.† 3. I have read books where authors neglect using the comma in phrases like â€Å"me too.† I don’t know whether my being irked when I see this is completely wrong, but I would like more information about it. In the usages you describe, the tag too should indeed be preceded by a comma, but the punctuation mark is often omitted in informal or conversational contexts or simply out of ignorance. 4. I refer to my stylebooks all the time in an effort to get [appositive epithets] right. Do you know of an easy mnemonic device that can help me remember this rule? I don’t have any mnemonic for this matter, but think of an epithet as an adjective: â€Å"Daily Writing Tips contributor Mark Nichol† describes which particular type of Mark Nichol is being identified. Just as you wouldn’t punctuate â€Å"blue car† with a comma between the adjective and the noun and another following the noun, you don’t insert commas before and after your name. Or consider the subject in â€Å"Planet Earth is our home.† Planet is an epithet, and Earth is not bracketed by commas. 5. In â€Å"Strange and surely intentional was the omission of her name in the credits,† should â€Å"and surely intentional† be set off with commas? And would you please expand on such when the second is not clearly subordinate e.g., an aside. This type of phrasing is highly flexible in terms of punctuation, and what the writer does depends not on construction but on connotation. If a pairing of adjectives or other parts of speech is straightforward and sensible lithe and graceful, hale and hearty, cheap and shoddy the second element need not be set off, but when it is extraordinary, emphatic treatment is effective. Grammatically speaking, no punctuation is necessary in the sentence you provided, but the force of delivery of the additional information is heightened by setting it off from the main clause: â€Å"Strange, and surely intentional, was the omission of her name in the credits† ensures that the reader momentarily ponders the import of the deliberate omission. â€Å"Strange (and surely intentional) was the omission of her name in the credits† does the same while suggesting a conspiratorial whisper between the writer and the reader on the topic. â€Å"Strange and surely intentional was the omission of her name in the credits† intensifies the impact by pushing the surmise onto center stage. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing Prompts 101Difference between "Pressing" and "Ironing"Grammar Review #1: Particles and Phrasal Verbs

Authors can now accept quotes from Freelancers

Authors can now accept quotes from Freelancers Reedsy now allows authors to receive quotes from professional editors and illustrators Reedsy is already making waves in the publishing industry. Last month, we gave authors the best marketplace to find publishing professionals. Today marks a new milestone with Reedsy: we’re allowing authors to request quotes from freelance editors and illustrators. Browse the marketplace Reedsy allows you to browse our curated network of publishing professionals. Access to these people is no longer the sole privilege of publishing houses. Now indie authors can find them in a single click. We’re very proud of the people we have on board. We’ve lost track of how many bestsellers we’ve seen in their portfolios.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Case Study - Essay Example Despite serious social movement of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community in recent decades, the minority of people are still fighting for equality. And in this fight corporations are extremely important in terms of the LGBT community acknowledgement because they can provide their employees with decent support and do it more profoundly than country and local authorities (LGTB Manual, 2010). There are few companies that are able to risk their reputation, unless their reputation is so immaculate, and make such a contradictory issue as accepting non-traditional sexual orientation of the employees in company`s policy. Such companies receive unnecessary attention and their public relations sphere is suffering. In such a situation Disney, the company specializing on the children`s entertainment content and supporting homosexuality acknowledgment at working places looks absolutely extraordinary (Tully, 2013). However, Disney was and remains such company, and despite its worldwide success it is being accused of promoting immoral values to future generation. Reasonably it raises a lot of questions regarding the place of homosexuality propaganda in a corporate world and especially in children`s content. However, Disney manages to communicate to the world that their policy is grounded on higher values such as equality, acceptance, and diversity, and sticking to these goals can se rve as the most important factor. Moreover, Disney`s internal policy of visibility is coherent with its external representation which proves that the company has well-elaborated policy and know what image to create in consumers` perception. Disney was established in 1923 by two brothers, Walter and Roy Disneys, as a small cartoon studio in California. Today this multinational corporation is one of the biggest Hollywood studios and is the owner of 11 theme parks around the planet, two aqua parks, and several broadcasting companies. The company`s main product was

Apples Work-life Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Apples Work-life Policy - Assignment Example Fr communication to be effective, it must be accessible and readily available, which is not the case, at Apple.com (Lockett, 2012). However, the firm does an impressive job I am articulating the company’s work-life policy. Apple business values are entrenched I treating its employees and others with honesty and respect. The values that inform the work-life policy are clearly articulated on the company’s website (Lockett, 2012). Apple places a huge emphasis on work-life balance. In apple when an individual works hard, they get to enjoy some free personal time. Employees get to enjoy both vocational and family leave policy during Thanksgiving and Christmas (Lockett, 2012). The other work-life policies that the firm adopts include healthcare and contribution to retirement plans or pension. This is in-line with Apple Inc. A motto, which that ‘we love working at Apple, we work hard, nevertheless, when it is all said and done, go enjoy your life. Apple’s motto summarizes its work-life policy as â€Å"employee focused; customer focused and innovative.† Apple has a stimulating and challenging workplace, Amazing workplace, culture, and it is customer-focused (Lockett, 2012). This is a company that I would like to work for (Lockett, 2012). Apple is envied as being a start-up in a big organization. Employees at the firm are offered a chance to contribute to the satisfaction of customers across the globe with the novelty of its products (Lockett, 2012). Even with its huge salaries and benefits, the satisfaction that employees feel when they contribute in changing the nature and lifestyle of many people across the globe is mind-blowing. At Apple, employees work with very smart people, this enhances employees to work somewhere else (Lockett, 2012). The company has always endeavored to maintain its bureaucracy to as low as possible.

Dependant Pesonality Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dependant Pesonality Disorders - Essay Example (DPD2006) DPD involves a pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of that leads to submissiveness, clinging, and fears of separation. Its primary diagnostic criteria include extreme difficulty making decisions without others' input, need for others to assume responsibility for most aspects of daily life, extreme difficulty disagreeing with others, inability to initiate projects due to lack of self-confidence, and going to excessive lengths to obtain the approval of others. An individual with DPD always seeks a relationship, in which he or she clings to this relationship in very dependent manner and goes to the utmost extent to keep both the ends meet. This disorder includes abnormally high levels of the neuroticism facets of anxiousness, self-consciousness, and vulnerability following dependent individuals desperately seeks another relationship as soon as one ends (i.e. dependent persons are high in extraversion). Excessively dependent behavior may be seen in persons who have developed debilitating mental and physical conditions, such as agoraphobia, schizophrenia, severe injuries, or dementia. However, a diagnosis of DPD requires the presence of the dependent traits since late childhood or adolescence. One can diagnose the presence of a personality disorder at any age during a person's lifetime, but if (for example) a DPD diagnosis is given to a person at the age of 75, this presumes that the dependent behavior was evident since the age of approximately 18 (i.e., predates the onset of a co morbid mental or physical disorder). Differences in personality due to differing cultural norms should not be confused with the presence of a personality disorder. Cultural groups differ greatly in the degree of importance attached to deferent behavior, politeness, and passivity. The diagnosis of DPD requires that the dependent behavior result in clinically significant functional impairment or distress. Etiology and Pathology Insecure interpersonal attachment is central to the etiology and pathology of DPD. Insecure attachment and helplessness may be generated through a parent-child relationship, perhaps by a clinging parent or a continued infantilization during a time in which individuation and separation normally occurs. However, the combination of an anxious and/or inhibited temperament with inconsistent or overprotective parenting may also generate or exacerbate dependent personality traits (Maddux, 2005, p. 219). Unable to generate feelings of security and confidence for themselves, dependent persons may rely on a parental figure or significant other for constant reassurance of their worth. Eventually, persons with DPD may come to believe that their self-worth is defined by their importance to another person. Five-Factor Model Reformulation DPD is characterized by maladaptively high levels of agreeableness and the neuroticism facets of anxiousness, self-consciousness, and vulnerability. Persons with DPD

How Linguistic Features of African American Vernacular English (also Research Paper

How Linguistic Features of African American Vernacular English (also known as African American English) Have Been Used to Teach Standard American English - Research Paper Example The use of contrastive strategies can sensitize Black youth to differences between Standard English and their vernacular thus assisting them in learning the standard dialect. The topic under consideration is â€Å"How linguistic features of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) or African American English (AAE) have been used to teach Standard English.† The dialect is also called Black English or Ebonics. African American children have performed relatively poorly in English classes, and one of the reasons behind this performance could be an admonition of their native dialects. Educators need a new strategy that works with black vernacular rather than against it. The use of AAVE as a facilitative language for Standard Education can boost communication and cooperation between learners and teachers. In 1996, a California school board sparked a lot of controversy when it announced that it would include home languages in classrooms, and that teachers would be trained appropriately to work with such students (Pullum, 1999). This was nothing new in American schools, but unlike other uncontroversial languages like Spanish, the most predominant language spoken by children in the school was AAVE. Media experts, African American educators, White middle class teachers, Black families and several other stakeholders lashed out against this policy proponents. A number of them, especially black parents, felt that using AAVE in the classroom would condemn black communities to narrow ethnic enclaves. They worried that their children would be unable to fit into the wider society. Others in the media made ignorant comments about AAVE by calling it nothing more than street slang. These individuals objected to the use of AAVE in classes because it was perceived as a watered-down version of Standard English, laden with mistakes, mispronunciations and abusive slurs (Perez, 1999). Contrary to what these critics assume, AAVE is a dialect in its own right. Slang is limited to small

Issues in sports 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Issues in sports 1 - Essay Example The women players or athletics are under many constraints related to economical, financial, social and political issues. Most of the conservative countries are not permitting women to participate in any sports event. The social and political rules and regulations are against the women. Some countries are not providing enough financial assistance to the women team or women athletics but they are very much interested in putting more money for the men’s team or athletics. According to Kirsch, â€Å"In todays world female athletes are learning the hard way that even if they train harder than their male counterparts and out-perform them they will still not receive the same recognition or money that the guys make†. (Kirsch) Recently, some countries are giving importance to their women players and athletics. United Nations, China and some other developed and developing countries are trying to remove this discrimination through proper implementation of new policies, which help women players to come out from those constraints. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) introduced innovative ideas to solve this discrimination problem. This was a great achievement for women athletics and players. It was implemented to create gender equality in sports. In 2002, the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for Development took initiatives to give more importance on this discrimination issue in sports. They suggested some steps by which they can create gender equality. The steps are as followed, Drug abuse by athletes and sports persons is an international issue in sports. For instance East German succeeded in sports during the 1970s and 80s fighting back the United States and even Soviet Union with the help of intake of several performance enhancing medicines. This was meant to prove their power in sports against the west. Swimmers like Kornelia Ender, Barbara Krause and Carol Mitschke were the victims of the doping schemes. During 1989

How Linguistic Features of African American Vernacular English (also Research Paper

How Linguistic Features of African American Vernacular English (also known as African American English) Have Been Used to Teach Standard American English - Research Paper Example The use of contrastive strategies can sensitize Black youth to differences between Standard English and their vernacular thus assisting them in learning the standard dialect. The topic under consideration is â€Å"How linguistic features of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) or African American English (AAE) have been used to teach Standard English.† The dialect is also called Black English or Ebonics. African American children have performed relatively poorly in English classes, and one of the reasons behind this performance could be an admonition of their native dialects. Educators need a new strategy that works with black vernacular rather than against it. The use of AAVE as a facilitative language for Standard Education can boost communication and cooperation between learners and teachers. In 1996, a California school board sparked a lot of controversy when it announced that it would include home languages in classrooms, and that teachers would be trained appropriately to work with such students (Pullum, 1999). This was nothing new in American schools, but unlike other uncontroversial languages like Spanish, the most predominant language spoken by children in the school was AAVE. Media experts, African American educators, White middle class teachers, Black families and several other stakeholders lashed out against this policy proponents. A number of them, especially black parents, felt that using AAVE in the classroom would condemn black communities to narrow ethnic enclaves. They worried that their children would be unable to fit into the wider society. Others in the media made ignorant comments about AAVE by calling it nothing more than street slang. These individuals objected to the use of AAVE in classes because it was perceived as a watered-down version of Standard English, laden with mistakes, mispronunciations and abusive slurs (Perez, 1999). Contrary to what these critics assume, AAVE is a dialect in its own right. Slang is limited to small

Journal Entry 14 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal Entry 14 - Coursework Example The second stage involves discussion between the instructor and the student whereby the importance of effort and motivation in writing is encouraged. Thereafter, the instructor comes up with a model on how to employ self-regulation strategies to reflect the needs of the student and match their personal writing style. The student is encouraged to memorize the strategy steps and the teacher in turn supports the writing strategy of the student to ensure that they achieve their goals. Independent performance is the last stage whereby students can now use the strategy they developed effectively and independently. In this last stage of independent performance, there are several procedures for endorsing preservation and simplification throughout the model. Some of the procedures include prompts to use the strategies, recognizing opportunities in employing self-regulation strategies, studying how the procedure can be adapted in certain situations, allocating assignments to the students in using the recognized situations and assessing the triumph of such undertakings (Graham & Harris,

Final Exam Blue Print Essay Example for Free

Final Exam Blue Print Essay Gowns: prevent soiling clothing during contact with patient Masks: should be worn when you anticipate splash or spray of blood or body fluid and satisfy droplet/airborne precautions. Protective eyewear: should be worn for procedures that generate splashes or splatters Gloves: prevent the transmission of pathogens by direct/indirect contact. This equipment protects you from waste materials such as wounds, blood, stool, and urine. Indwelling urinary catheters causes of risk for infections An indwelling urinary catheter obstructs the normal flushing action of urine flow. The presence of a catheter in the urethra breaches the natural defenses of the body. Reflux of microorganisms up the catheter lumen from the drainage bag or backflow of urine in the tubing increases the risk of infection. Surgical asepsis uses verse medical asepsis Surgical asepsis is used during procedures that require intentional perforation of patient’s skin, when skin’s integrity is broken, or during procedures that involve insertion of catheters. * Sterile objects remains sterile only when touched by another sterile object * Place only sterile objects on sterile field * Sterile object/field out of the range of vision or held below waist is contaminated * Sterile object/field becomes contaminated by prolonged exposure to air. * When sterile surface comes in contact with a wet, contaminated surface, the sterile object/field becomes contaminated by capillary action * Sterile object becomes contaminated if gravity causes contaminated fluid to flow over the objects surface * The edges of sterile field/container are considered to be contaminated. Medical asepsis, or clean technique, includes procedures for reducing the number of organisms present and preventing the transfer of organisms. Hand hygiene, barrier techniques, and routine environmental cleaning are examples of medical asepsis. Nursing intervention when assessing bradycardia radial pulse Can cause pulse deficit. To assess a pulse deficit 2 nurses are needed to assess radial and apical pulse simultaneously and compare rates. The difference between apical and radial pulse is the pulse deficit. Assess the ability of the heart to meet the demands of body tissue for nutrients by palpation a peripheral pulse or using a stethoscope to listen to heart sounds (apical rate) Pulse sites Temporal, carotid, apical, brachial, radial, ulnar, femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial, Dorsalis pedis Critical Thinking- chapter 15 Examples of application of critical thinking (you may have to scan the chapter, no specific section to apply to the question) Know what would be considered critical thinking * Critical thinking involves recognizing that an issue exists, analyzing information about the issue, evaluating information, and making conclusions. * Critical thinking is a continuous process characterized by open-mindedness, continual inquiry, and perseverance. * Diagnostic reasoning: determining a patient’s health status after you have assigned meaning to the behaviors and symptoms presented. * Inference: process of drawing conclusions from related pieces of evidence. * Clinical decision making: careful reasoning so the best options are chosen for the best outcomes. * Nursing process: five-step clinical decision-making approach. Five components of critical thinking. * Knowledge base * Experience * Critical thinking competencies * Attitudes * Standards Professional standard for critical thinking * Intellectual: the intellectual standard is a guideline or principle for rational thought. * Professional: the professional standard refers to evidence-based ethical criteria for nursing judgments used for evaluation and criteria for professional responsibility. Patient Safety- chapter 27 Patient safety during seizures * Seizure precautions encompass all nursing interventions to protect the patient from traumatic injury, position for adequate ventilation and drainage of oral secretions, and provide privacy and support following the seizure. * Seizure precautions are nursing interventions to protect patient from traumatic injury, positioning for adequate ventilation and drainage/oral secretions, and providing privacy and support after event. Fall risk prevention and interventions The plan for a patient who has high risk for falls. 1. Select nursing interventions to promote safety according to patient’s developmental and health care needs. 2. Consult with OT and PT for assistive devices 3. Select interventions that will improve the safety of patients home environment Interventions * Nursing interventions for promoting safety are individualized for patients’ developmental stage, lifestyle, and environment. * Note the safety locks and anti-tip bars on the wheelchair. * Nurses contribute to a safer environment by helping patients meet basic needs related to oxygen, nutrition, and temperature. * Adequate lighting and security measures in and around the home, including the use of nightlights, exterior lighting, and locks on windows and doors, enable patients to reduce the risk of injury from crime. * Modifications in the environment will easily reduce the risk of falls. To reduce the risk of injury in the home, remove all obstacles from halls and other heavily traveled areas. * Prevention of accidental fires and poisons requires awareness of precautions such as not smoking in bed and keeping hazardous substances out of reach of children. * Safety bars provide excellent prevention against falls. Safety risk-Risk at developmental stages * Children younger than 5 years of age are at greatest risk for home accidents that result in severe injury and death. * The school-aged child is at risk for injury at home, at school, and while traveling to and from school. * Adolescents are at risk for injury from automobile accidents, suicide, and substance abuse. * Threats to an adult’s safety are frequently associated with lifestyle habits (smoking, drinking, hazardous work, etc.). * Risks for injury for older patients are directly related to the physiological changes of the aging process. Risk * 16-19 : car accident * 75 and up: falls and car accident * Older adults have decreased vision acuity and hearing loss making them at risk for MVA and hearing sirens or horns. Decrease reflexes occur with aging. * Lead can be in paint, soil, water and can be inhaled or swallowed. * 64 years and older; decreased vision, orthostatic hypotension, gait and balance problems, urinary incontinence, use of walking aids, effects of various medications (sedatives, anticonvulsants, hypnotics, analgesics. * Falls occur due to inadequate lighting, barriers along walk paths and stairways, and lack of safety devices in home. * Patients most at risk of injury are those with bleeding tendencies (disease or medications), and osteoporosis (results in fractures). Every developmental age involves specific safety risks: * Children younger than 5 years of age are at greatest risk for home accidents that result in severe injury and death. * The school-aged child is at risk for injury at home, at school, and while traveling to and from school. * Adolescents are at risk for injury from automobile accidents, suicide, and substance abuse. * Threats to an adult’s safety are frequently associated with lifestyle habits (smoking, drinking, hazardous work, etc.). * Risks for injury for older patients are directly related to the physiological changes of the aging process. Priority planning patient care (this is using your critical thinking skills and wouldn’t be found in a section of the book) * In many situations, patients present with multiple nursing diagnoses. Use a concept map to visualize how nursing diagnoses interrelate. * Establish goals with the patient’s self-care abilities and resources in mind, and focus on maintaining or improving the condition of the skin and oral cavity. * Patient’s skin is clean, dry, and intact without signs of inflammation. * Patient’s skin remains elastic and well hydrated. * Patient’s skin is free from areas of pressure. * Timing is also important in planning hygiene care. * In hospital or extended care settings, work closely with nursing assistive personnel, who often provide hygiene care. * Collaborate with other health team members as indicated (e.g., work with physical therapy and occupational therapy to enhance the patient’s independence with self-care activities). * When a patient needs assistance as a result of a self-care limitation, the family often becomes a valuable resource to the nurse an d helps with hygiene measures.

Effects Of Global Warming In Lebanon

Effects Of Global Warming In Lebanon Throughout the ages, the earth has lived happily and peacefully from any damages concerning the Ozone layer. Not so long ago, the earth experienced a dangerous/huge change not only in weather, but also in health risks concerning human beings and animal alike. Pollution, coil burning, cars causing too much smoke and many other things caused a change in our CO2 level that made a hole in our ozone layer. The ozone layer somehow controls a bit of our weather and makes planet Earth safer. This whole caused climate change which led to many changed in our life as we know it. This whole problem and change in life is called Global Warming. The cause of global warming is somewhat like a series of events; You can also call it a chain. The first stage of the causes of global warming is the reduction of the earths ozone layer. Then, there are all the carbon dioxide that is being produced on earth. Not so long ago, 8 billion tons of CO2 entered the air as stated by the main reference for global warming. Following our long road of causes, there is the Methane Gas. Methane gas can be produced by man, or from the earth itself; both contributing factors to global warming. And of course, The greenhouse effect. Global Warming has primary effects and secondary effects. Both of which are very harmful to the earth. One of the primary effects is the rise in sea level. Over the years, if global warming continues at its rate, sea level will increase by 1 inch every several years. This might not sound like a very dangerous number, but it will cause destruction and people will be forced to relocate. Most of our potable water will be converted to salt water due to rise in sea level; not to mention beach erosions, extreme weather, rain will be dangerous and cause floods, destabilization of local climate, acidic ocean and of course more fires. Secondary effects include change in crop production (decrease), many animals being extinct and a radical change in human condition. Humankind should act now. Humanity only acts when they are on the edge; something should be done right now because when we reach the edge, it will be too late for us. Many things can be done on society level and government level. Humanity should act now. Causes of Global Warming Global Warming is an existence of something on this planet that is a primary factor to the change in behavior of weather and many environmental aspects. The first and major cause of global warming began some time ago, with the discussion of a decrease in the Earths ozone layer. The decreasing of the ozone layer leads to ultra violet rays entering our planet and not going back out. The ultra violet rays do not directly cause global warming. The entrapment of ultra violet rays cause cooling of the stratosphere and troposphere. So by doing that, there is no balance in cooling and heating. Another Primary cause is Carbon Dioxide production. Carbon Dioxide or CO2 can be produced by man or by nature itself. CO2 is being produced at high and dangerous rates. Some of the CO2 produced is made by volcanic eruptions and of course humans breathing. The earth is somehow made to handle this amount only. The other CO2 productions, like the burning of fuels and coal, are very dangerous and are not being absorbed by the earth. Power plants are responsible for more than 35% of all CO2 emissions. More than 30% are produced by cars and trucks. And more than 3% are caused by aircrafts; the number might not seem high but aircraft emit CO2 directly to the troposphere. Buildings can cause almost 11% of CO2 that is being emitted. The point of all this is that almost 95% of these gases being emitted are manmade; 80% of these gases are now stuck in our atmosphere as greenhouse gases. Let us continue our journey of causes of global warming by introducing the Methane Gas. Like CO2, methane gas is produces in our planet by man and by natural happenings. The ocean, hydrates and agriculture are the primary causes of natural happenings that cause methane gas. Biomass burning, waste treatment and landfills are some of the man made things that cause the emission of Methane Gas. Methane gas is an obvious harmful gas. But what about H2O? Yes, water is a contributing factor to global warming. Excess in warm weather causes a lot of vapor. Excess in vapor in the air is harmful and can turn into a dangerous gas. After a while, it is transformed into a greenhouse gas and locked inside the atmosphere and increasing global warming. Primary effects of global warming Rising in sea levels is the primary effect of global warming. In the Polar Regions, there is a lot of ice. As global warming occurs, ice starts to melt down; as ice melts down, the sea levels must rise. Many people think that the polar melt down is the overall sea rising in the whole planet. Thats wrong. Salty water, if heated, it expands; as the planet heats up, the ocean waters will expand and the melted ice will join the ocean; all this water must go somewhere. So the waters first get to the countries that are close to sea level. People living near sea level areas will get affected primarily. Salt water intrusion is another effect of global warming. Potable water is a necessary aspect for human kind to proceed. Our planet has rivers that contain water for drinking, but with global warming, salty water will increase and expand destroying a huge percentage of potable water in our planet. Crops, like human being, also need water to live and to divide; they will reach a time where crops will decrease drastically. Fruits and vegetables need certain environmental conditions; one of which is water. With low amount of potable water, they wont be able to produce their goods. Increased rainfall is due to the increase in the weather in our climate caused by global warming. Due to increase in temperature, there is an increase in water vapor. Vapor, if heated, goes up to the sky; then it is cooled and goes down on earth in form of rain (water). Increase in water causes more erosions leading to damaged in cities and villages and destroying peoples home The Greenhouse Effect If u have ever been in a glasshouse for plants for sat in a car for about 5 minutes in a hot day then you have experienced the Greenhouse effect. The concept of the greenhouse effect is easy. Its anywhere in a box/round shaped object that is closed. Heat gets in and it cant get out. So it basically keeps hitting back and forth around it self until it is kept inside; so if the temperature outside is 25C, inside the object (car, house, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) would be around 42C. When we talk about the greenhouse effect regarding our planet, we refer to our planet as the car of the example in the previous paragraph. Our entire planet becomes heated; and this heat is locked inside and atmosphere and cant seem to get out. So the weather increases dramatically. When the greenhouse effect occurs in our planet when the heat is gets in and bounces on the ground and then bounces off to the atmosphere and absorbs all the gasses that out in the environment causing an increase in global warming. And of course there are the secondary effects of global warming, which are as important as the primary effects and may lead to a change in humankinds life. One of the effects is a huge decrease in crop yield. A certain environmental condition must be applied to crops so that they can grow and produce more crops. But as global warming occurs, there cant be certain weather or a stabilized seasonal year so that the farmer can know or regulate their crops. Species (animal) will start to migrate from their normal habitat and even get extinct. Certain animals need certain weather for them to live. For ex. Camels live in the dessert, elephants in Africaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Global warming will change the weather forcing them to migrate. Some animal will not be able to migrate so they die where they are. Humans and animals alike have to adjust to weather. Humans will try t migrate to settle in a better ground. Disease spreads easier in a hot environment. The cool weather kills germs. The body tends to work harder to cool off. Heart problems will start to occur. To sum up, Global warming is here and is happening and is increasing by the minute. Humankind always acts on the edge of things. Well, if we reach the edge of global warming, its going to be too late to save our beloved planet. Everyone should do their part and stop the causes of global warming. Governments should also act because Global Warming is not a joke. The effect are harsh and unmerciful.

The Jerry Springer Show Essay -- essays research papers

Television has come a long way from the first black and white silent show to its current craze, which happens to be the television talk shows. In the nineteen eighties, the daytime airwaves were monopolised by soap operas and game shows but the trend gradually evolved to talk shows towards the nineties. Being before my time, research appears to imply that the talk show intrusion of our airwaves all seemed to start with the originals such as Geraldo Riveria, Donahue and Sally Jesse Rafael. Surprisingly though, some of the morality and the topics remain somewhat similar throughout the years, such as the improvement of society and the quality of life often show on shows like the Oprah Winfrey Show and the Montel Williams Show. As we approach the darker realms of talk shows, we come to talk shows such as the Jerry Springer show. At first impression, one may get the inherent idea that the show is basically is exploiting the misery and troubles of real life people who do not live the blessed lives that we imagine up in our ideal minds. There is no doubt to me at all that the main aim of such shows is to exploit the lives of these misfits and the more dirt the producers get, the higher their ratings. But unfortunately, it is ironic that when the decrease in society's morals is highlighted in every episode Springer airs the producers are getting richer. Looking deeper at the show, we can safely say that the show is based mainly on relationships between people. Morality is first pu...

Medicaid Fraud

Medicaid Fraud HCS/545 July 9, 2012 Medicaid fraud comes in many forms. A provider who bills Medicaid for services that he or she does not provide is committing fraud. Overstating the level of care provided to patients and altering patient records to conceal the deception is fraud. Recipients also commit fraud by failing to report or misrepresenting income, household members, residence, or private health insurance. Facilities have also been known to commit Medicaid fraud through false billing.The Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse statute provides that an individual who knowingly and willfully offers, pays, solicits, or receives any remuneration in exchange for referring an individual for the furnishing of any item or service (or for the purchasing, leasing, ordering, or recommending of any good, facility, item, or service) paid for in whole or in part by Medicare or a state health care program (i. e. , Medicaid) shall be guilty of a felony; this is known as the â€Å"anti-kickba ck† statute (Mackelvie, 2004).Medicaid fraud affects taxpayers, recipients, and health care organizations. Measures to reduce Medicaid fraud are necessary. Individuals, facilities, and providers commit Medicaid fraud in several ways. One of the most common ways providers commit fraud is billing for services never provided. For instance, a physician may bill Medicaid for x-rays or lab work that the patient never received. Another way is double billing. Double billing occurs when both Medicaid and a private health insurance are billed for the same services.Medicaid is secondary health insurance to private health insurance and should be billed only for the charges that the primary health insurance does not pay. A third way providers commit Medicaid fraud is billing for phantom visits; charging Medicaid for seeing a patient who has not been seen. Providers have committed Medicaid fraud by billing for unnecessary tests and billing for more expensive procedures when a limited or les s comprehensive procedure was performed. Facilities such as pharmacies commit fraud by substituting brand name drugs for generic drugs and billing Medicaid for the brand name drug.Still other facilities receive kickbacks and file false cost reports. Kickbacks involve receiving payments or services for referral of patients to other facilities or providers where the patient will receive unnecessary services to generate additional income. False cost reports are seen in nursing home cases of fraud and involve owners filing charges for their own personal expenses. Individuals enrolled in Medicaid programs commit fraud by hiding resources, assets, and income.They also commit fraud by denying spouses live in their households or failing to report marriage to continue receiving Medicaid benefits. Individuals with private health insurance who fail to report this insurance and continue using Medicaid benefits are committing fraud. It is an abuse of the Medicaid program when individuals who cou ld obtain coverage on their own instead enroll in Medicaid to cover their medical expenses. Also the federal government stipulates that an individual cannot receive Medicaid in more than one state at the same time.Often, individuals move to another state and fail to report or close their Medicaid benefits with the state in which they were residing. Some individuals want to maintain coverage in more than one state because benefits differ from state to state and some individuals will travel between neighboring states using their Medicaid benefits. This constitutes Medicaid fraud. A program to fight Medicaid fraud has cost the United States at least $102 million in auditing fees since 2008 while identifying less than $20 million in overpayments, investigators found (Wayne, 2012).According to the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units (2012), Medicaid provider fraud costs American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually and hinders the very integrity of the Medi caid program. Medicaid fraud affects recipients, providers, health care facilities, and taxpayers. Fraud increases the costs of providing benefits to Medicaid recipients. To compensate for such fraud, states must either raise taxes or decrease services in other areas. Those who most need Medicaid services may not be able to obtain benefits because resources are not available.For patients, Medicaid fraud could mean tampering with their medical records, which could put their health at risk. People can get hurt when doctors or other providers give less or more care than needed just to make more money. Also the public is more skeptical about social service programs as more incidents of Medicaid fraud occur every day. Providers and facilities who commit Medicaid fraud can face penalties from state and federal governments. Federal or state authorities may investigate allegations of fraud depending on where the fraud was reported, the laws broken, and the amount of money involved.The stric tness of penalties levied by state governments varies from state to state. Federal laws such as The False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute, and Social Security Act are laws that address fraud and abuse. Title XI of the Social Security Act contains Medicaid program-related anti-fraud provisions, which impose civil penalties, criminal penalties, and exclusions from federal health care programs on persons who engage in certain types of misconduct (Staman, 2010).Under federal regulations, providers convicted of fraud are excluded for a minimum of five years from receiving funds from any federally funded health care program, either as a health care provider or employee (National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units, 2012). The False Claims Act imposes penalties on anyone who knowingly submits false claims for payment through a governmental program. Penalty for conviction under this Act is a fine not exceeding $10,000 or an imprisonment of up to five years, or a combination of the two (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, 2011).The Anti-Kickback Statute makes it a criminal offense to knowingly and willfully offer, pay, solicit, or receive any remuneration to induce or reward referrals of items or services reimbursable by a Federal health care program (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, 2011). Violations of this law are punishable by up to five years in prison, criminal fines up to $25,000, administrative civil money penalties up to $50,000, and exclusion from participation in federal health care programs (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, 2011). There are other federal laws to address fraud and abuse of government programs such as Medicaid.These penalties are a reactive measure to control abuse of Medicaid, but proactive measurements are needed to discourage providers, individuals, and facilities from committing fraud. On October 27, 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed the legislation that provided each state with the opportunity and resources to establish a Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) to investigate and prosecute provider fraud (National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units, 2012). The MFCU investigates Medicaid provider fraud and misuse of Medicaid recipients’ funds.The jurisdiction of the Medicaid Fraud Control Units is limited to investigating and prosecuting Medicaid provider fraud, MFCU’s do not investigate recipient fraud. States must also take initiatives to curtail fraud. Many states are looking to use new technology as a means to prevent fraud. One such technology is biometrics. Biometric technology compares a user’s feature such as a fingerprint. This technology has the potential to prevent recipient fraud by eliminating card sharing as well as preventing provider fraud by reducing phantom billing and other forms of fraud.New York, for example, has integrated targeted data mining and risk analysis into its fraud-fighting tool box. In Texas, a few simple process changes and new pattern analys is and recognition efforts moved the state closer to ‘real–time analysis’ and significantly increased the amount of fraud identified (National Conference of State Legislators, 2012). States must develop continually ways to prevent Medicaid fraud and protect the resources provided for recipients. Controlling Medicaid fraud will be a continual task.The burden falls not on just the federal government, but also state governments, facilities, providers, recipients, and citizens. States should fully commit to working with federal policymakers and agencies to improve the integrity of the Medicaid program. Clarity is needed to define federal and state government roles in maintaining integrity of the Medicaid program. Collaboration and communication between Medicaid and Medicare is needed to reduce fraud. States should evaluate the utility of existing tools used to fight Medicaid fraud. Incentives for providers, recipients, and citizens to report suspected fraud must be m ade available.Abuse of Medicaid affects everyone and costs will continue to rise if measures are not taken to use better the resources available in the Medicaid program. References National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units. (2012). What is Medicaid Fraud?. Retrieved from http://www. namfcu. net/about-us/what-is-medicaid-fraud Mackelvie, C. F. (2004). â€Å"The impact of fraud and abuse regulations – Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse statutes. Retrieved from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3257/is_n10_v46/ai_13413481/pg_6/? tag=content;col1 Wayne, A. (2012). Medicaid Fraud Audits Cost Five Times Amount U. S. Found. Retrieved from

Musical Subculture

Punk rock is primarily a British musical genre that reached its creative and popular peak during 1977 and 1978. The precursors of punk rock were those American and British groups of the late 1960s and early 1970s who played rock music with an aggressive feel, with loud distorted guitars and nihilistic lyrics. While most punk rock groups drew influence from some earlier bands, they were specific about rejecting the majority of music produced in the early 1970s. In particular, punk rock musicians did not like what they termed the hippie music of progressive rock. Central to any discussion of punk is the band The Sex Pistols (Sabin 78). Not the first punk rock group but certainly the most influential was The Sex Pistols. The group was formed in late 1975. Shortly after this the band started touring on the pub rock and college gig circuits. Early songs such as ‘Submission’ and ‘Anarchy In The UK’ lyrically mocked what the band perceived to be the traditional and boring nature of British society. They were against a backdrop of rambunctious guitars and drums. It was not long before The Sex Pistols attracted a fanatical following of punks equally disillusioned with British society and culture (Sabin 123). The media furore that made early Sex Pistol’s gigs was nothing in comparison to the outrage that emerged after their actions in December 1976. Following the cancellation of an appearance by the group Queen, The Sex Pistols were invited to appear on the early evening London television show Today. After drinking heavily before the show, the band verbally insulted interviewer Bill Grundy, and caused a tabloid storm with their explicit language. This set the stage for the release of their ‘God Save The Queen’ single, a week before the Queen’s Jubilee weekend in June 1977. Again tabloid newspapers and the public in general were shocked by the band’s direct attacks upon an institution central to British society, the monarchy. In particular the record cover, created by the band’s ‘Art Director’ Jamie Reid, created a sensation with its image of the Queen with a safety pin through her nose (Sabin 123-125). ‘God Save The Queen’ was The Sex Pistol’s high point. Later in 1977 the band released their one and only official album, Never Mind The Bollocks. Like all the band’s releases it came in a trademark Jamie Reid cover that mimicked the style of a ransom note, and contained direct attacks on central facets of British culture. The Sex Pistols found that they were unable to obtain gigs in Britain because promoters and venues showed an unwillingness to allow them to perform. Band tensions reached a head following the band’s tour of the USA, and they split in early 1978. The band’s lead singer Johnny Rotten reverted to his real name John Lydon, formed Public Image Limited, and left the punk rock genre. The band struggled on in his absence, but the drug-related death of bass player Sid Vicious led to their inevitable demise (Strinati 89). However, some commentators claim that the ‘spirit of punk’ is not to be found in those groups who sound like their 1970s counterparts, but in the house, techno and jungle acts who make music for reasons other than commercial gain. For many of the first generation of punk rock groups, making music was about ‘making do’ with the available technology, and they were therefore opposed to the kind of learned musicianship of previous rock genres. It is understandable that house, jungle and techno acts, with their cheap sampling equipment and their own production technology, consider themselves to be the direct descendants of the first punk rock bands. The Sex Pistols were attracting media attention, a whole wave of other punk rock bands were forming, notably The Damned and The Clash in London and The Buzzcocks in Manchester. Although none received the same mixture of notoriety and fame as The Sex Pistols, many considered them to be musically more interesting. In the wake of the successes of The Sex Pistols, many young people began to form their own bands in 1977 and 1978. In particular these bands developed a ‘DIY’ attitude to making music. The Sex Pistols developed different styles of punk, but maintained a central ethos of opposition to mainstream British society. Either implicitly or explicitly, this political ethos was central to punk rock (Sabin 103). The degree to which The Sex Pistols has influenced subsequent rock styles is hotly debated. Throughout the 1980s, new bands formed and drew inspiration from the events of 1976 and 1977. In particular, indie bands’ faith in the seven-inch single and suspicion of the LP has been interpreted as directly related to punk’s ‘DIY’ approach. Musically, The Sex Pistols has been particularly influential upon American bands, with Nirvana, Hole and Mudhoney all having had chart successes in Britain. These ‘post-punk’ bands developed a similar sound to the stripped-down aggression of the first generation of The Sex Pistols. Some British rock groups, such as The Wildhearts, Therapy and the Manic Street Preachers also have their musical roots in punk rock (Curtis 60). In fact, the absence of a symbol of class solidarity made The Sex Pistols more important than it had ever been before. Moreover, punks realized that they no longer had to be passive spectators, for rock ‘n' roll had always meant self assertion of one kind or another. In this sense, the key punk song is the Sex Pistols' â€Å"No Feelings,† especially the line, which Johnny Rotten screams over their version of the wall of sound, â€Å"I'm in love with myself.† What we have here is an assertion, not of a political program, but of the discovery of what Daniel Yankelovich called personal entitlement. The Sex Pistols made a terrific impact because through them their audience discovered that they didn't have to go through their lives saying â€Å"sir.† It was as though they had discovered the working-class equivalent of black pride, and had realized that they didn't play the equivalent of Uncle Tom to their betters—or to their peers, either. After seeing them for the first time, Coon noted: What impressed me most†¦was their total disinterest in pleasing anybody except themselves. Instead, they engaged the audience, trying to provoke a reaction which forced people to express what they felt about the music. Quite apart from being very funny, their arrogance was a sure indication that they knew what they were doing and why (Coon 70). For many people, spiked hair and dog collars had become a joke, the domain of soda pop ads and television dramas. But did punk disappear with the utter sell-out of its foremost corporate spokesband, the Sex Pistols? Did punk rock vanish when pink mohawks could be found only on pubescent heads at the shopping mall? If the spectacular collapse of punk rock was also the collapse of spectacular subcultures? What crawled from the wreckage? In what ways can young people express their unease with the modern structure of feeling? A new kind of punk has been answering these questions. Today, to a certain extent, punk rock means post-punk – a nameless, covert subculture reformed after punk rock. To recap: early punk rock was, in part, simulated ‘anarchy;’ the performance of an unruly mob. So long as it could convince or alarm straight people, it achieved the enactment. For its play to work, punk rock needed a perplexed and frightened ‘mainstream’ off which to bounce. But when the mainstream proved that it needed punk rock, punk's equation was reversed: its negativity became positively commercial. As mainstream style diversified, and as deviant styles were normalized, punk rock had less to act against. Punk rock had gambled all its chips on public outcry, and when it could no longer captivate an audience, it was wiped clean. Post-punk, or contemporary punk, has foregone these performances of anarchy and is now almost synonymous with the practice of anarchism. Long after the ‘death’ of classical punk rock, post-punk and/or punk subcultures coalesce around praxis. The Sex Pistols called attention to themselves with their clothing as well as with their music. The torn clothing, which they wore, like the tattered shirts, the chains wrapped around their bodies, the safety pins in their cheeks, said something of great importance. The Sex Pistols created a fresh moral panic fuelled by British tabloids, Members of Parliament, and plenty of everyday folk. Initially, at least, they threatened ‘everything England stands for’: patriotism, class hierarchy, ‘common decency’ and ‘good taste’ (Curtis 98). When the Sex Pistols topped the charts in Britain, and climbed high in America, Canada, and elsewhere, punk savoured a moment in the sun: every public castigation only convinced more people that punk was real. Fortunately, The Sex Pistols meant more than excitement in a few clubs and big sales in safety pins. The Sex Pistols also produced one of the great bands of the seventies—The Clash. If rock ‘n' roll is a universe, The Clash and the Sex Pistols are different planets. Works Cited Coon, Caroline. The New Wave Punk Explosion, New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1978. Curtis, Jim. Rock Eras: Interpretations of Music and Society, 1954-1984. Bowling Green State University Popular Press: Bowling Green, OH, 1987. Sabin, Roger. Punk Rock, So What? The Cultural Legacy of Punk. Routledge: London, 1999. Strinati, Dominic. Come on Down? Popular Media Culture in Post-War Britain. Stephen Wagg. Routledge: New York, 1992.               

Brain and Social Learning Theory Essay

1. What aspect of behaviorism made it attractive to critics of the psychoanalytic perspective? How did Piaget’s theory respond to a major limitation of behaviorism? Psychoanalytic theory emphasized on the individual’s unique life. However the theory was criticized because many of its ideas were too vague to be measured or tested for. They mainly focused on case studies. Behaviorism studied directly observable behaviors through stimuli and responses, thus allowing researchers to be measure and test behaviors. Piaget’s theory acknowledged the biological aspect of learning in a child’s development, which was a major limitation in behaviorism. He also argued that children take an active part in their learning. 2. Although social learning theory focuses on social development and Piaget’s theory on cognitive development, each has enhanced our understanding of other domains. Mention an additional domain addressed by each theory. Social learning theory is also known as imitation or observable learning, it is a powerful source of development. Bandura made huge contributions to the social learning theory. His experiment explained the reasoning behind why children modeled others. Children imitated others based on their history of reinforcement or punishment for a behavior. He then revised his theory because cognition also played a huge role in this theory. He theory soon to be known as the social-cognitive theory. Social-cognition theory ​is the view that people learn by watching others. In  psychology, it explains personality in terms of how a person thinks about and responds to one’s social environment​. Children gradually become more selective with imitation because through watching others self-praise or self blame and through feedback, a child develops personal standards and self-efficacy. (belief that their own abilities will help them succeed). In Piaget’s cognitive-developmen t, a social aspect can be recognized in his stages. He believed that children’s learning depended on reinforces, for example rewards from adults. Piaget  believed that as the brain develops, a child’s experience expands. He characterized these stages into four broader stages based on distinct ways of thinking (sensorimotor/preoperational/concrete operational/formal operational). Not only did he explore how children understood the physical world, but he also looked into their reasoning of the social world. Through developing the stages, it also sparked the research for how children saw themselves, other people and human relationship. 3. A 4-year-old becomes frightened of the dark and refuses to go to sleep at night. How would a psychoanalyst and a behaviorist differ in their views of how this problem developed? A psychoanalyst believes that fears are from experienced events or the fear is a symbol of something that happened in the past. So if a child was afraid of the dark maybe the child was left at a young age and is afraid of being alone. Freud theorized that all phobias are a direct result of unresolved conflicts between the id and the superego. The id is the part of our brains that acts solely based on emotions, while the superego is our conscience, the part of our brain that acts based on value judgementsÍ ¾ acting contrarily to the judgements of the superego will create a sense of guilt, and  that sense of guilt can lead to unwanted behavior, like phobic behavior. More specifically, Freud theorized that phobias result from the superego repressing the desires of the id, and one of the most common repressions is the desire. A behaviorist believes that a child acts a certain way due to a response that has been rewarded. In other words if the child acts scared of the dark, he or she is expecting to be able to have a light on or be comforted by the adult. That is what happened the previous time. According to a behaviorist the way a child reacts to something can be ultimately affected by conditioning. To explain why the child has now become afraid of the dark, many would look to the parents for an answer. If the child relates an event or occurrence that happened in the dark it may then cause a long lasting fear in that child’s mind. An example could be something as simple as a book that the child’s father read about monster’s under the bed which could then  lead the child to believe that there really are monster’s under their own bed. A behaviorist would suggest for the parent to reassure the child that being in the dark is in fact not scary and reinforce the idea until the child lets go of this fear. Behaviorists will want to diffuse the behavior and then educate the child on how to control that behavior. 4. Explain how each of the following recent theoretical perspective regards children as active contributors to their own development: information-processing, evolutionary developmental psychology, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, ecological systems theory, and dynamic systems perspective. ââ€"  Information processing – The theory states that at the time information is presented to the senses at input until it emerges as a behavioral response at output. The information we obtain is continuously being coded for, transformed and organized. Therefore children actively engage in thinking processes where they decided what action they should pursue for the task they are accomplishing. ââ€"  Evolutionary development – Focuses on seeking understanding the adaptive values of species-wide cognitive, emotional and social competencies as they change with age. Evolutionary psychologist believes that human’s large brain and extended childhood resulted from the need to master complexities of human group life. Therefore, newborns play an active role as they continue to grow and explore the world around them. The brain continues to be stimulated through experiences that contribute to many other factors such as emotion and social interaction. ââ€"  Vygotsky’s Sociocultural theory – Children actively acquire their ways of thinking and behavior that make up community’s culture through social interaction. In particular through conversation with knowledgeable members of society. Adults and peers help children master culturally meaningful events. Children are active and constructive beings, but in regards to Vygotsky’s theory, cognitive development relies more so on social interaction. ââ€"  Ecological Systems Theory – Focuses on a bidirectional  relationship between the child and aspects in his environment from four levels: the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and macrosystem. The child is an active contributor to their environment through the bi-directionality of their relationship with their environment. For example, an  easy-going and happy child will receive more positive stimulation from their parents, and other aspects of the environment. ââ€"  dynamic systems perspective- It is a system that combines the child’s mind, body and physical and social worlds form an integrated system that guides mastery of new skills. Stage like transformations occur as children reorganized their behavior so components of the system work as a functioning whole. 5. Why might a researcher choose structured observation over naturalistic observation? How about the reverse? What might lead the researcher to opt for clinical interviewing over systematic observation? Researchers may choose structured observation over naturalistic observation due to their ability to control the experiment. In naturalistic observations, researchers are limited to observe particular behavior in everyday life, due to the limitations of this technique. By setting up a laboratory situation, structured observations allow the researchers are able to evoke the behavior of interest and also allowing participants an equal opportunity for them to display the reaction. One would choose clinical interviewing over systematic observation for several reasons. Clinical interviewing allows participants to think as close as possible to their everyday lives and large amounts of information can be collected in a short period of time. Whereas in systematic observation the accuracy of the study can be reduced by observer influence and observer bias. 6. Explain why, although a research method must be reliable to be valid, reliability ​ does not  guarantee ​  validity.  Reliability is referred to consistency or repeatability of a measures of behavior. In order to be reliable, observations and evaluations cannot be unique to a single observer. Reliability does not guarantee validity, because reliability cannot be measured. For it to be a valid study, the experiment must be able to be measured. Often times, it is difficult to measure clinical and ethnographic studies because it does not yield quantitative scores. In order to guarantee validity researchers must examine the content of the observations and self-reports to make sure all behaviors of interest are included. In regards to research designs, there are two broader types of validity used. Internal validity refers to the participant influencing the result, but not any other unwanted variable. Whereas external validity refers to the extent that research can b e generalized or extended to others. 7. Why are natural experiments less precise than laboratory and field experiments? Often times when researchers cannot randomly assign participants or manipulate conditions in the real world, they use the natural experiment to avoid these limitations. Natural experiment use treatments that already exist, which are compared. The participants are carefully picked for groups in order to get the most similar characteristic. Creating an opportunity for the desired situation can prove problematic in a naturalistic experiment.. There also isn’t a way to have a control in a natural experiment, so the results cannot be compared as easily. Natural experiments are less precise because it is harder to isolate one variable than in a laboratory or field experiment. In field experiments, participants are randomly assigned to treatment condition in a natural setting. However in laboratory experiments, researchers assigned participants equally to two or more treatment conditions. There are two variables being tested for, independent and dependent variables. They are categorized through events and behaviors of interest. 8. Explain how cohort effects can distort the findings of both longitudinal and cross-sectional studies. How does the sequential design reveal cohort effects? The cohort effects both longitudinal and cross-sectional studies because it dismisses their findings because it does not represent the entire population. In longitudinal studies, there are chances of a bias sampling therefore the participants in this particular experiment may only represent  the population who are interested in this experiment. Often times, selective attrition takes place where participants either drop out or withdrawal from the experiment. Longitudinal may study different ages over time, but it does not take into consideration of the participants in different cultures. Whereas in the cross-sectional studies, it doesn’t account for an individual’s development, since people are studied in groups this causes a cohort effect. Through sequential design, cohort effects can be dismissed by comparing multiple experiments which present the same ages at different years. If both longitudinal and cross-sectional studies are similar, comparisons of both experiments can too be compared and further adding confidence to the data. 9. Cite evidence indicating that both heredity and environment contribute to the development of children with PKU and Down syndrome.  PKU is caused by the inheritance of two recessive alleles which causes inhibit individuals from digesting the amino acid, phenylalanine. If left untreated, the child can become mentally retarded by the of age 1. However, in the US, all babies are given a blood test for PKU and if the disease is found, the child is placed on a diet low in phenylalanine. Even the smallest amount of phenylalanine can be damaging. Children with PKU often show deficits in cognitive skills like memory, planning, decision making, and problem solving. If the diet low in phenylalanine is kept persistent than those affected by PKU can show average intelligence and normal development. st​  Down Syndrome is caused by inheriting an extra 21​  chromosome. Brian studies of those affected  by down syndrome shows reduced brain size, along with mental retardation, memory, and speech problems, and slow motor development. Most individuals affected by down syndrome who live over the age of 40 usually contract alzheimer’s, which is linked to the 21st chromosome. Environmental factors that could affect down syndrome are the mother’s age and health. Children with Down syndrome smile less readily, show poor eye contact, and explore less than those without. For this reason, it is very important for caregivers to encourage their child to be more engaged in their  surroundings. This encouragement can help them to develop better. These children also benefit from intervention programs, which helps them develop better socially and emotionally, however not as much intellectually. 10. Referring to ecological systems theory, explain why parents of children with genetic disorders often experience increased stress. What factors, within and beyond the family, can help these parents support their children’s development? In the ecological system, the relationship between the child and and the parents (part of the mesosystem) is seen as bidirectional. The parent’s of child with genetic disorders would feel increased pressure and stress from their child, because the may demand more from their  environment. The parents can benefit from support from third parties outside of their system. However, its also important that parents receive support within their system, their spouse. Children with genetic disorders tend to have behavioral issues that could affect their parent’s marriage. If the parents have an unstable relationship, it can cause problems for the child. If the parents have a stable relationship, than more positive attitudes will be proj ected towards the child. Positive attitudes will positively impact the child’s development. It is also helpful for a family to have a positive neighborhood connections and environment, especially in low income families, for support. 11. Why is the period of the embryo regarded as the most dramatic prenatal period? Why is the period of the fetus called the â€Å"growth and finishing† phase? The period of the embryo is regarded as the most dramatic prenatal period because this is the most rapid prenatal changes. During this stage, the groundwork is laid out for all body structures and internal organs. Since all parts are developing, this would be consider the most vulnerable stage for the embryo and it would be most susceptible to teratogens and serious defects. The period of the fetus is referred to as growth and finishing phase because this is the stage in where the organism is rapidly growing in size. Not only will the organism grow rapidly in size during the fetus period, but towards the end of pregnancy will mark the finishing product after the fetus is fully grown. the muscle and nervous system become more refined. Sex of the fetus can also be detected. 12. How  is brain development related to fetal capacities and behavior? What implications do individual differences in fetal behavior have for the baby’s temperament after birth? The human brain is not fully developed at birthÍ ¾ much human brain development continues after birth. Nevertheless, a baby is not a blank slateÍ ¾ they come equipped with a surprising range of abilities and capacities. Babies have the beginnings of sophisticated sensory capabilitiesÍ ¾ sensitive to range of frequencies of women’s voicesÍ ¾ sensitive sense of smell. Brain development is related to fetal capacities and behavior because babies come into the world with a built-in learning capacities that permits them to only profit from experience immediately. Infants are only capable of two basic forms of learning, classical and operant learning. They also learn through natural preferences for novel stimulation and eventually through observing others. Infants have an impressive statistical learning where they can rapidly analyze speech stream for patterns. The acquire a stock of speech structures for which they will later learn meanings, long before they can start to talk. Immediately after birth, babies demonstrate differences in temperament (inclination to engage in a certain style of behavior) †¢ Approach (react positively to new stimuli) vs. withdrawal (react negatively to new stimuli, i.e.: cry, fuss, etc.) †¢ Easy (don’t cry as often, not as demanding) vs. difficult (fussy, demanding) †¢ Some aspects of temperament tend to remain stable over the course of development, as a result of early nurturing experiences 13. What is epigenesis, and how does it differ from gene–environment interaction and gene–environment correlation? Provide an example of each.  Gene-environment interaction means that because of a person’s genetic-makeup, individuals differ in responses to qualities environment. For example, in an experiment to test intelligence, Ben would score a higher score as the stimulus was enriched, whereas Linda’s would rise and then fall sharply due to the enriched stimulus and Ron would only respond to the environment as it becomes more stimulating. Gene-environment correlation is a concept that states our that our genes  influence our environments. There are three categories to explain this idea. Passive correlation refers to a child having no control over their genes and the environment. Instead, parents play a huge role in passive correlation for they may encourage their to be athletic because they both grew up playing sports, thus assuming their child would too have the same preference. Evocative correlation refers to the responses a child elicit from others are influenced through heredity. Thus this stimulation strengthens the child’s original style. For example an active baby will gain more attention and social stimulation than a child who is passive and quiet. Active correlation refers to children being actively engaged in their experience and environment. This is process that is described as niche-picking. Both of these theories focus on a one direction exchange. Epigenesis sees development as a bidirectional exchange, the environment influencing the genes and the genes influencing the environment. For example, an aggression gene found on the X chromosome in males showed no correlation of them being more aggressive than the ones without the gene, UNLESS, the child with the gene was exposed to child abuse. The combination of both the gene and the environmental factors contribute to the expression of aggression. The more aggressive a child acts, the more maternal anger or criticism they would receive, this shows how the environment can act on a gene and vice versa. External and internal stimulation both affect the expression of a gene. 14. How do the diverse capacities of newborn babies contribute to their first social relationships? Newborns are considered to have plastic brains because they are able to mold into their environment or recover from traumatic experiences due to the plasticity of their brain. Neurons are yet assigned a location in the brain to perform specific functions, therefore their first social interaction is crucial in the first few moments that newborns are brought into the world. Their first social relationship is extremely important to create a bond with whom the child first meets, for example, their mother. 15. Cite evidence that motor development is a joint product of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.  Environmental – Parental encouragement plays a huge role in a child’s  motivation to complete the task they set forth to accomplish. With constant praise and reinforcement, a child will continue to strive to complete more tasks. As new skills are being acquired, there is a joint process occurring  when mastery these motor skills. The central nervous system, body movement capacities, the goal the child has in mind and the environment supports the skill being developed. Biologically – In the early weeks of life brain and body growth are especially important as infants achieve control over the head, shoulders, and upper torso. Psychological – Through curiosity, a baby will be motivated to explore their surroundings, therefore desiring to master new task. A baby’s goal to get a toy or crossing the room will motivate them to accomplish the task. Through multiple attempts and practice, the infant will eventually master that particular motor skill and continue to integrate and redefined their already mastered skill. 16. Explain why either too much stimulation or too little stimulation over an extended time negatively disrupts early development.  Early stimulation and late stimulation can both be harmful to newborns. Early stimulation on newborns can enhance one specific skill, but also hinder many other skills in future development. Stimulation too late in development can also hinder skills because they lag behind other developmenting babies due the lack of stimulation. This refers to the developmental aspect of the brain where pruning occurs. Information that is not stimulated enough that is crucial for further development will be negatively affected. 17. What implications do findings on children from Eastern European orphanages have for the controversy over the lasting impact of early experiences on development? Studies done on children adopted from Romanian orphanages show significant findings in their physical and cognitive development. The majority of the orphans adopted before 6 months that were adopted all catch up in physical and cognitive development. Whereas, babies who were adopted after the 6 months period were unable to catch up physically and cognitively, which subsequently impaired their intellectual  abilities. Thus the findings found indicate that early, prolonged institualization leads to a generalized reduction in activity in the cerebral cortex, especially in the prefrontal cortex which governs complex cognition and impulse control. 18. How does stimulation affect brain development? Cite evidence at the level of neurons and at the level of the cerebral cortex. Stimulation is vital when the brain is growing most rapidly. Stimulation allows the neurons to create synapses within the brain to stored newly learned information. However, information which are continually stimulated will more likely to remain in long term memory rather those that are not, also known as pruning Formation of synapses are most rapid during the first 2 years, especially in auditory, visual and language areas. The cerebral cortex is the largest brain structure and the last structure to stop growing, therefore it is the more sensitive to environmental influences. It also contains the greatest number of neurons and synapses. The prefrontal is responsible for movement and thought, this particular area in the brain undergoes rapid myelination and formation and pruning  of synapses during preschool and school years also followed by another accelerated growth in adolescence, when it reaches an adult level of synaptic connections.