Role of Youth in Eradicating Corruption

Laser and its medical applications Presented by S. vignesh J. sabastian The Advent of the â€Å"Laser Scalpel† Early experimenters with medical lasers pointed out that there are surgical operations that are difficult to perform with the conventional scalpel and that a laser beam might be used instead. Initial trials showed that a finely focused beam from a carbon dioxide gas laser could cut through human tissue easily and neatly. The surgeon could direct the beam from any angle by using a mirror mounted on a movable metal arm. Several advantages of laser surgery quickly became apparent.First, the light beam is consistent, which means that it gives off the same amount of energy from In this photo taken during open-heart surgery, a doctor uses a laser probe to punch small holes in the patient's heart muscle to increase the organ's blood flow. one second to the next. So as long as the beam is moving along, the cut it makes (the incision) does not vary in depth; whereas when using a scalpel a doctor can accidentally make part of the incision too deep. A second advantage of the surgical laser is that the hot beam cauterizes, or seals off, the open blood vessels as it moves along. This works well mainly for small vessels, such as those in the skin. The doctor still has to seal off the larger blood vessels using conventional methods. ) Still another advantage is that the cells in human tissue do not conduct heat very well, so the skin or any other tissue near the laser incision does not get very hot and is not affected by the beam. This advantage of laser surgery is very helpful when a doctor must operate on a tiny area that is surrounded by healthy tissue or organs. It should be pointed out that the â€Å"laser scalpel† is not necessarily the best tool to use in every operation.Some doctors feel that while the laser is useful in some situations, it will never totally replace the scalpel. Others are more optimistic and see a day when more advanced lasers will make the scalpel a thing of the past. The second of these views may prove to be the most accurate, for surgical use of lasers is rapidly advancing. At first, lasers were considered most effective in operating on areas that are easy to reach—areas on the body's exterior, including the skin, mouth, nose, ears, and eyes. But in recent years doctors have demonstrated remarkable progress in developing laser techniques for use in internal exploration and surgery.Of course, in order to be able to direct the laser beam the doctor must be able to see inside the body. In some cases this is a simple matter of making an incision and opening up the area to be operated on. But there are situations in which this step can be avoided. Cleaning Arteries with Light For instance, lasers are increasingly used to clean plaque from people's arteries. Plaque is a tough fatty substance that can build up on the inside walls of the arteries. Eventually the vessels can get so clogged that blood do es not flow normally, and the result can be a heart attack or stroke, both of which are serious and sometimes fatal.The traditional method for removing the plaque involves opening the chest and making several incisions, a long and sometimes risky operation. It is also expensive and requires weeks for recovery. An effective alternative is to use a laser beam to burn away the plaque. The key to making this work is the doctor's ability to see inside the artery and direct the beam, another area in which fiber optics and lasers are combined into a modern wonder tool. An optic fiber that has been connected to a tiny television camera can be inserted into an artery.These elements now become a miniature sensor that allows the doctor and nurses to see inside the artery while a second fiber is inserted to carry the bursts of light that will burn away the plaque. The technique works in the following way. The fiber-optic array is inserted into a blood vessel in an arm or leg and moved slowly in to the area of the heart and blocked arteries. When the array is in place the laser is fired and the plaque destroyed, and then the exhaust vapors are sucked back through a tiny hollow tube that is inserted along with the optical fibers.When the artery has been cleaned out the doctor removes the fibers and tube, and the operation is finished. This medical process is known as laser angioplasty. It has several obvious advantages. First, no incision is needed (except for the small one in the vessel to insert the fibers). There is also little or no bleeding, and the patient can enjoy total recovery in a day or two. Laser angioplasty does have some potential risks that must be considered. First, when the laser beam fires at the plaque it must be aimed very carefully ecause a slight miss could cut through the wall of the artery and cause serious bleeding. The patient's chest would then have to be opened up after all. Another problem involves small pieces of burnt debris from the Surgeons use a tiny laser to cut away tissue in a gallbladder operation. The laser and a tiny camera are inserted into the navel, so no abdominal incision is necessary. . Lasers Heal and Reshape the Eyes Some of the most remarkable breakthroughs for medical lasers have been in the area of ophthalmology, the study of the structure and diseases of the eye.One reason that laser beams are so useful in treating the eye is that the cornea, the coating that covers the eyeball and admits light into the interior of the eye, is transparent. Since it is designed to admit ordinary light, the cornea lets in laser light just as well and remains unaffected by the beam. First, the laser is very useful in removing extraneous blood vessels that can form on the retina—the thin, light-sensitive membrane at the back of the eyeball. It is on the retina that the images of the things the eye sees are formed. Damage to the retina can sometimes cause blindness.The laser most often used in the treatment of this condition is powered by a medium of argon gas. The doctor aims the beam through the cornea and burns away the tangle of blood vessels covering the retina. The procedure takes only a few minutes and can be done in the doctor's office. The laser can also repair a detached retina—one that has broken loose from the rear part of the eyeball. Before the advent of lasers detached retinas had to be repaired by hand, and because the retina is so delicate this was a very difficult operation to perform. Using the argon laser, the doctor can actually â€Å"weld† the torn retina back in place.It is perhaps a strange coincidence that Gordon Gould, one of the original inventors of the laser, later had one of his own retinas repaired this way. Another condition that affects the eye is glaucoma, which is characterized by the buildup of fluid in the eye. Normally the eye's natural fluids drain away a little at a time, and the eye stays healthy. In eyes impaired with glaucoma the fluid does not drain properly, and the buildup affects vision; blindness can sometimes result. In some cases drugs can be used to treat glaucoma. If the drugs fail, however, many doctors now turn to the laser to avoid onventional surgery. The laser punches a hole in a preplanned spot and the fluid drains out through the hole. Again, the treatment can be performed in a doctor's office instead of a hospital. Using Lasers for Eye Surgery The laser works like a sewing machine to repair a detached retina, the membrane that lines the interior of the eye. The laser beam is adjusted so that it can pass harmlessly through the lens and focus on tiny spots around the damaged area of the retina. When it is focused, the beam has the intensity to â€Å"weld† or seal the detached area of the retina back against the wall of the eyeball.The patient's eyeglass prescription is literally carved inside the cornea with the beam of an excimer laser [a laser device that produces pulses of ultraviolet, or UV, light]. A small flap of the cornea is first removed with a precision knife . . . and an A patient undergoes eye surgery performed by a laser beam. In addition to treating detached retinas, lasers can remove cataracts. inner portion of the cornea is exposed to the excimer laser. After the prescription is carved, the corneal flap that was opened is then put back into place over the ablated [surgically altered] cornea. 6 LASIK does not come without risks.The changes it makes in the cornea are permanent, and the danger of unexpected damage is ever present. However, the procedure has become increasingly popular each year; about a million Americans had it done in the year 2000, and about four thousand surgeons in the United States were trained to perform it. Some Cosmetic Uses of Lasers Medical lasers are also widely used for various types of cosmetic surgery, including the removal of certain kinds of birthmarks. Port-wine stains, reddish purple skin blotches that appear on about thre e out of every one thousand children, are an example.Such stains can mark any part of the body but are most commonly found on the face and neck. The medical laser is able to remove a port-wine stain for the same reason that a military laser is able to flash a message to a submerged submarine. Both lasers take advantage of the monochromatic quality of laser light, that is, its ability to shine in one specific color. The stain is made up of thousands of tiny malformed blood vessels that have a definite reddish purple color. This color very strongly absorbs a certain shade of green light. In fact, that is why the stain looks red.It absorbs the green and other colors in white light but reflects the red back to people's eyes. To treat the stain, the doctor runs a wide low-power beam of green light across the discolored area. The mass of blood vessels in the stain absorbs the energetic laser light and becomes so hot that it is actually burned away. The surrounding skin is a different colo r than the stain, so that skin absorbs only small amounts of the beam and remains unburned. (Of course, the burned A doctor uses an argon laser to remove a port-wine stain, a kind of birthmark.Unwanted tissue is burned away while normal skin remains undamaged. areas must heal, and during this process some minor scarring sometimes occurs. ) Laser-Assisted Dentistry Dentistry is another branch of medicine that has benefited tremendously from laser technology. Indeed, lasers have made some people stop dreading a visit to the dentist. No one enjoys having a cavity drilled, of course. It usually requires an anesthetic (a painkiller like novocaine) that causes uncomfortable numbness in the mouth; also, the sound of the drill can be irritating or even sickening to some people.Many dentists now employ an Nd-YAG laser (which uses a crystal for its lasing medium) instead of a drill for most cavities. The laser treatment takes advantage of the simple fact that the material that forms in a cavi ty is much softer than the enamel (the hard part of a tooth). The laser is set at a power that is just strong enough to eliminate the decayed tissue but not strong enough to harm the enamel. When treating a very deep cavity bleeding sometimes occurs, and the laser beam often seals off blood vessels and stops the bleeding. The most often asked question about treating cavities with lasers is: Does it hurt?The answer is no. Each burst of laser light from a dental laser lasts only thirty-trillionths of a second, much faster than the amount of time a nerve takes to trigger pain. In other words, the beam would have to last 100 million times longer in order to cause any discomfort. So this sort of treatment requires no anesthetic. Advantages of Lasers for Dental Surgery In this excerpt from an article in The Dental Clinics of North America Robert A. Strauss of the Medical College of Virginia mentions some of the advantages of using lasers for oral surgery. Decreased post-operative swelling is characteristic of laser use [for oral surgery].Decreased swelling allows for increased safety when performing surgery within the airway [the mouth] . . . and increases the range of surgery that oral surgeons can perform safely without fear of airway compromise. This effect allows the surgeon to perform many procedures in an office or outpatient facility that previously would have required hospitalization. . . . Tissue healing and scarring are also improved with the use of the laser. . . . Laser wounds generally heal with minimal scar formation and . . . often can be left unsutured [without stitches], another distinct advantage. Thus the role of laser in medical field is most predominant.

Green buildings, global warming and clean energy Essay

Man’s failure to act today could result in an unsustainable planet characterized by warmer temperatures that may snowball out of control, it would lead to extinction of certain animal species, an increase in sea levels thus causing more natural disasters such as hurricanes or numerous diseases, less water availability in third world countries thus leading to conflicts amongst them and the spread of tropical diseases such as malaria. (Mc Carthy, 2001) Consequently, it is incumbent upon man to establish ways in which he can reduce global warming. This can be achieved by using the right kind of energy i. e. clean energy since this is responsible for emission of greenhouse gases which cause global warming. The paper shall dwell on how man can achieve the latter through green buildings. II. Claim of fact A) The major problem being tackled is that of global warming. Studies have shown that the amount of green house gases found in the atmosphere tend to stay there for a very long time. This means that global w is a harsh reality that may not disappear without human intervention. (Schneider, 2002) 1) Increased diseases and disasters Firstly, the phenomenon of global warming is going to cause warmer climates in the Northern parts of the world such as the United States. Consequently, vectors such as mosquitoes will increase tremendously. This implies that diseases such as malaria may start appearing in such countries. The future generation of Americans has a right to be protected from such a predicament because current occupants did not have to deal with such a problem. One only has to look at how some third world countries are having a difficult time handling this matter in order to understand the seriousness of the issue. Meteorological forecasts have shown that if the earth gets warmer, oceans and other water bodies will keep on rising. This means that the occurrence of hurricanes will be much more than it had been previously imagined. In 2004 and 2005, the country was plagued with very deadly hurricanes that caused tremendous damage to concerned parties. Since there is a possibility of preventing such occurrences, then individuals must carry out their responsibility of ensuring that it is enacted. (Godrej, 2001) One of the worst outcomes of this problem of global warming is extended periods of droughts and prolonged heat waves. A number of countries in the world still depend on natural rain alone to grow their crops and as sources of water. These third world countries currently face the problem of water shortage and the situation could get worse if droughts keep occurring. Such situations could cause a strain among affected communities thus leading to conflicts or war. These developing nations have provided Americans with numerous investment opportunities and any problem that arises in those regions could tremendously affect individuals within the US. (Nordhaus, 1998) 2) Economic consequences If there will be more disasters occurring in the world, then one cannot undermine the economic consequences that the US itself will be grappling with. The hurricanes in New Orleans caused losses amounting to billions of dollars. The country cannot afford more disasters such as these because its economy will begin staggering in ways that had not been anticipated. The loss of lives and property among future generations could ruin their economy and it is therefore negligent for current citizens to merely sit by without doing something about it. In close relation to the latter mentioned scenario is the emergence of tropical diseases. Developing nations spend so much money treating such diseases. Additionally, the lives lost as a result cause huge dents in their economy. The same thing could happen to the United States and other western nations if nothing is done today. (Van Arsdol, 2004) 3) Melting ice caps Lastly, the problem of global warming can and has caused melting of ice caps that could lead to other consequences as shown below; a) Rising sea levels b) Global outbalance c) Endanger plant and animal life d) Snowballing temperatures If global warming continues unabated, then chances are that ice caps will keep melting and the excess water will head to the oceans and seas. Currently, glaciers and permanent snow account for five point seven million cubic miles worth of water. If even some portions of this ice were to melt into water, then seas and oceans could rise by dozens of feet. Since this may occur gradually, then chances are that those low attitude regions will be ruined by this. (Clout, 2008) If ice caps continue melting, then chances are that the ecosystem as we know it today would be thoroughly messed up. This is largely because ice caps emanate from fresh water. If they are redirected into the sea, then the sea would loose its saltiness thus leading to a distortion of gulf currents. What this means is that ocean currents will change temperature conditions within Western Europe and North America. This means that organisms that had become accustomed to those temperatures will no longer survive in such adverse conditions. Melting ice caps will affect animal and plant life owing to the fact that these creatures will have new climatic conditions. Since not all life can change at such a fast pace or in accordance to present circumstances, then chances are that only the most adaptable will remain. This means that so many species may become extinct. Future generations will never get a chance to see such life or benefit from them. Ice cap melting can cause snowballing temperatures because ice caps are important sunlight reflectors in the world today. If they are reduced, then chances are that only the oceans will be able to reflect off sunlight. However, compared to ice caps, oceans are much darker in color yet dark colors tend to do more absorption that reflection. This implies that the earth will keep getting warmer, more ice caps will keep melting and the cycle continues. (Maslin, 2004) B) Demographics of the study The latter study will focus on the United States as the primary geographical region. However, some generalizations applicable to the rest of the world will also be done. In terms of corrective actions, the study will target some of the things that The United States citizenry can enact in order to curb this problem. Consequently, the research will focus on some of the changes that persons from all ages can enact in order to deal with such the problem of global warming. Since the highest numbers of buildings are found in cities, then this research will target Metropolitan areas within the country. III. Claim of value If man does not take action now, then chances are that global arming will exert a heavier impact on him. The situation can spiral out of control and this harms people who may not have caused it in the first place. For instance, persons in the third world produce minor fractions of carbon emission to the atmosphere but will be the first to feel the effects of droughts and other natural disasters. Global warming needs to be taken as a personal responsibility by all members of humanity. It is a known fact that the one of the greatest pollutants within this age is man. He has the ability to make conscious decisions that do not just benefit him alone but his surroundings as well. (Holton et al, 2003) A. Description of my angle 1) It is man’s personal responsibility It would be selfish to live for only today without thinking about how future generations would survive. If this earth’s forefathers had taken up the same attitude, then current generations would not have been alive today. Part of man’s responsibility is to ensure that he makes the earth sustainable for himself and his descendants too. (Lange et al, 2008) The latter view is one held by environmentalists and other individuals interested in preserving the environment. Part of what constitutes morality in man is his concern for his surroundings. If every single individual lived for himself or herself, then the world would be a chaotic place. Additionally, it has been argued that failure to take action today could lead to a great amount of risk. While some parties hold that global warming is not a real concept, the effects that could arise if the phenomenon was not real are still quite positive. The country and indeed the world would have much more to loose if it turns out that global arming is real and nothing was done about it rather than if it turns out that it was not real and something was done about it. 2) It would be costly to the economy In a report released by the UNEP during the year 2001, it had been asserted that not doing anything about global warming could cost the country up to two hundred billion dollars worth of revenue. The consultants who attended the latter conference asserted that this could rise to five hundred or one thousand billion dollars in subsequent years. If man may not be moved by the environmental issues that are affecting him, then perhaps these staggering economic figures could be shakier. 3) Whether it is a natural or man made processes is irrelevant The truth of the matter is that man has the ability to alter a natural process since this natural process is negative. Regardless of the fact that global warming may be a natural or artificial process, a rise in temperature will destabilize the environment. This means that biodiversity will decrease and so will food production. The current rising populations will not be sustained by their food production efforts and this could be very disastrous as it could cause millions of death. The latter scenario can even be compared to a practical occurrence. If one was to find out today that he or she was going to die, then it would not make sense to find out whether that death is due to natural or man made causes. All that really matters is that the person gets some help to prevent the death from occurring. Opponents of global warming may claim that this is nothing but a natural process. However, whether or not it is a natural process does not change the negative effects that it could cause to man. It is therefore essential to understand that such a global system can be altered for the betterment of society. B. Description of counter claims to this value 1) Right wing politicians and industrialists stand point Other groups claim that global warming effects are not as adverse as some people may claim. In fact such attitudes have infiltrated into political decisions within the Country. During the past presidential regime, the United States has been one of the least enthusiastic western countries in terms of its environmental sustainability policies. Some politicians believe that the country ought to dwell on â€Å"more pressing† issues such as the need for energy security. Consequently, such individuals have assented projects that increase carbon emissions in the atmosphere with little regard for the effect that this may have on the earth’s climatic conditions. In the US, industry lobbyists tend to oppose the views held by environmentalists and their actions are usually supported by right wing politicians. Traditionally, left wing politicians tend to be concerned about the overall good of society while right wing leaders tend to concentrate on building a capitalist economy. These perspectives have often led to a locking of horns when it comes to environmental issues such as global warming. (O’Hare, 2005) 2) Lack of â€Å"hard facts† Some skeptics claims that global warming as a phenomenon still leaves so many questions unanswered. They assert that there is a lack of compelling evidence to show that these effects will actually occur. In fact, some maintain that most effects are mere forecasts. In close relation to the latter angle is the fact that some scientists believe that global warming is a way in which the earth can balance off certain excesses. For instance, while temperatures may be going up in other parts of the world as a result of the phenomenon, others in the North East American region will be going down thus showing that the system will balance itself out. Adherents to this theory claim maintain that when an anomaly occurs such as a hurricane, then this will be labeled as a piece of evidence by environmentalists. These opponents further add that global warming enthusiasts tend to disregard contrary occurrences even when this is representative of common weather patterns. For instance, a study conducted along US coast lines some time in 2006 found that greater death rates have been recorded there because of increased population and wealth in these coastal towns and not as a result of greater intensities of the hurricane or as a result of global warming for that matter. Also, some scientists believe that the earth’s rising temperatures could be as result of coming out of the ice age. (Hardy, 2003)In other words, they claim that it is very normal for earth temperatures to increase since this is just a phase. 3) Business men’s stance on the matter A certain crop of individuals are not as enthusiastic as environmentalists when it comes to global warming. These individuals are businessmen whose work entails emission of carbon particles. The latter are required to invest heavily in â€Å"green† strategies that may cost their businesses a lot of revenue. Most of these business men tend to look for ways in which they can circumvent such obligations and one way in which they do this is by claiming that global warming effects are not that prevalent or they do not exists. They therefore posses ulterior motives in holding such a point of view. (Allaby, 2004) IV. Claim of policy A) Methodological plan to solve the problem The problem of global warming can be solved by embracing clean energy through the use of green buildings. Focus is on the United States because the latter country is at the centre of the world economy and its initiatives can serve as an example to other countries of the world that also need to embrace this fact. The latter country needs to pass legislations for designated residential and commercial houses to be green buildings. Statistics on the need for green buildings indicate the following;

(choose one from the films or novel (1)Monica Ali's Brick Lane Essay

(choose one from the films or novel (1)Monica Ali's Brick Lane (2)Andrea Levy's Small Island Movies (3) Dirty Pretty Things - Essay Example As cultures influenced one another, social thought has changed and evolved, creating a connectivity between location and philosophical social construct. Geography and Culture Simply put, geographical location does not provide the context that is needed to understand a culture. Cultural identity is formed by the family and community that influences the philosophical thought of an individual, which is then expanded through the influences that press upon those ideals in order to shift and morph them into new concepts of world understanding. It must be understood that these influences begin to filter through a culture, changing it and evolving the socialization that occurs through each generation. In other words, migration becomes a part of the identity of everyone within a culture. The transnational links that occur as migration becomes relevant to the existence of socio-economic stability, or at least to the increases to unstable socio-economic circumstances, must be recognized for the ir relevance to the moving to locations that represent new opportunities. Colonialism provided for both the destruction of social systems and the introduction of Western ideals in such a way as to transform the socio-economic structures of the regions in which the British Empire stretched its rule. Through the destruction of relatively isolated cultures with the imposition of Western ideals that took land and valuable resources away from the indigenous populations, the expansion into global concepts of social integration was sometimes the only way in which to find new ways in which to live and thrive within the human existence. The reach of the British Empire through colonization created a mobile workforce that still exists through the effects of that colonization effort that imposed the will of the British people on those whose power was not such to stop their expansions. As an example, the Bangladeshis are still under the influence of the migration that was imposed upon them as th eir people were shifted for the value of their labour to other locations, this sense of dislocating from their home origin now a natural part of their socio-economic structure. An average of 200,000 people leave Bangladesh annually, searching for Western methods of survival that have changed the stability of their originating methods of sustaining their life. Approximately one million people who have migrated from Bangladesh and currently live in other countries through legal immigration currently send 3.8 billion back into the country, their transactions coming from a shifting number of geographical locations much of it represents the proceeds from migrant and nomadic workers who follow the work (Wemyss 2009). One of the time periods in which migration from colonized cultures spiked was post-World War II. The British Nationality Act of 1948 honored the nations that had provided soldiers for the British war efforts in giving them status as ’commonwealth citizens’, whic h was not a new status, but one that was officially recognized with the act. While there were appreciated differences between British subjects and ’

Discussion board 4 - International law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion board 4 - International law - Essay Example In 2006, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which emphasizes the importance of existing international counter-terrorism instruments and encourages all member states to immediately implement their provisions. The strategy comes in the form of a resolution and an annexed Plan of Action, and marks the first time all UN member states agreed to a common strategic approach to fight terrorism. Not only does the strategy send a clear message that all forms of terrorism are unacceptable, it is a resolution by the UN to take practical steps to prevent and combat terrorism, both as individual states and collectively as an international community. These steps range from strengthening states’ capacity to counter terrorism threats to better coordinating the UN’s counter-terrorism activities (UN Action-b, n.d.) There may not be a standard in the definition of what exactly constitutes terrorism, but the UN has clearly done its part in try ing to combat the practice.

Econometrics Asignmnet using E-VIEWS SOFTWARE Essay

Econometrics Asignmnet using E-VIEWS SOFTWARE - Essay Example The company can estimate the sales to be using a regression model. The sales depend on the variables mentioned such as the USA nominal GDP, USA unemployment rate and the PMI index. The report provides a correlation matrix and regression model with the data on the sales being regressed and the output analysed. The correlation matrix shows that the variable for sales is significantly correlated with the USA GDP nominal with a positive Pearson coefficient of .957 (which shows a very strong positive correlation). The other two variables are also correlated with the dependent variable (with PMI index being negatively correlated with the dependent variable while USA unemployment rate having a positive correlation) they are however not significant at 5% significance level. The results from the regression model show that the explanatory variables have a lot of impact on the dependent variable (Sales). The study established that approximately 95.91% of variation in the dependent variable (sal es) is explained by the three explanatory variables (USA nominal GDP, USA unemployment rate and the PMI index) in the model. According to Creswell (2003), regression analysis is a statistical tool that is usually utilized by many researchers to investigate the relationship that exists if any between two or more variables. The aim of the investigation is to find a causal effect relationship. Using the data, the researcher can assess the statistical significance of the relationships that have been estimated. The level of confidence that is to be established is that the estimated relationship is close to the actual relationship. Regression analysis has been in use for many years and it has increasingly been applied in various disciplines (Jankowicz, 2005). This study uses regression analysis to establish the relationship that exists between the actual sales made by 3M Company and the independent variables. Using a regression model, the company will find a viable way of determining its

Strategic leadership in a changing world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic leadership in a changing world - Essay Example In this regard, while the classical approach to strategic management remains a highly relevant issue, it is through aligning the goals and vision of the business with the changes in the competition, market, and global society that the company is able to truly thrive in its industry. In this light, I wish to divide my discussion into four basic parts. The first part will be devoted for a short review on the unchanging relevance of formulating business strategy. To further deepen the discussion, I intend to infuse Michael Porter’s lectures on competitive advantage and its role in ensuring a strong positioning in the industry. The second part will widen the definitions of business strategy by introducing the concepts of internal and external stakeholders; of current, competitive, and emerging markets; and of cultural and socio-political environments. The last part will then focus on the individual understanding of the two authors on the need for an innovative and creative workfor ce. This part, specifically, will bolster on: (1) the role of inspiring and highly-motivating leaders; and (2) the concept of effective communication as the fuel for big changes in the company. ... Through this definition, we are able to highlight the two crucial concepts in strategic management. The first banks on the process of analyzing the company’s values, mission, and vision; of leaders creating strategic decisions on its overarching business goals based on an in-depth understanding of its internal structure and a holistic view of the industry where it participates in; and of specific business units taking actions as summarized in the company’s business strategy (Gregory et. al, 2005). On the other hand, the second concept deals with the need to outperform the competition. Michael Porter echoes this position as he discusses strategic management as primarily aimed at radically differentiating one’s company from its competitors in a manner that is sustainable and ‘copy-proof’ (Porter, n.d.). To Jorgensen (2008), however, Michael Porter’s main perspective on strategic management as creating differentiated positioning must not be divor ced from the ideas of understanding the dynamics of the industry and the development of a lasting competitive advantage. In this regard, it can be claimed that Porter’s work entitled Competitive Strategy (1980) has provided significant teachings on the rationale behind knowing one’s industry well. In this work, not only did Porter integrate the concepts of micro- and macro-economics in the management of businesses, he was also able to introduce the forces that shape the nature of one’s industry. Popularly named The Five Forces, Porter was able to not only highlight the status of competition, as well as the strengths of buyers and suppliers in assessing the viability of securing a strong position in the industry, he was also able to reinforce the emerging significance of barriers to entry and threats of

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 24

Management - Essay Example ayo Clinic’s organizational culture and health care value chain are strengths that can be considered as long-term competitive advantages because they are rare, hard to imitate for competitors, and can be sustained. Its organizational culture is rare because of its strategic human resource management hiring and development policies and practices that ensure that the organization hires the right people who fit the values and strategic directions of the company (Niesen). Furthermore, Mayo Clinic has a well-coordinated, science-and-technology-centered, patient-oriented, user-relevant health care value chain that it has refined for more than 100 years that cannot be easily imitated by competitors. In addition, Mayo Clinic has a positioning strategy that merges cost and differentiation leadership. It is focused on reducing costs, but it also differentiates itself by being quality leader through research and development. Moreover, the basic meaning of the article is that it shows how difficult it is to become the best in a health care industry where costs are increasingly going up, but Mayo Clinic is succeeding because it has long-term competitive advantages, due to its dedicated, competent employees who have made a system that is not only cost-efficient, but also quality-centered. Mayo Clinic asserts that its success is a product of its systems and human resources. This is how its R&D works: â€Å"Our basic science and physician researchers are completely integrated into the Clinic and they work very closely with the physicians to understand the key questions that are out there, so that their work has real meaning† (Niesen). Its research is based on actual clinical problems. Moreover, Mayo Clinic underlines the value of its human resources to its success. For example, to drive efficiency, it hires and maintains competent engineers to focus on it: One of our secrets is weve had a very strong tradition of engineering at Mayo Clinic. We have 100s of engineers

See attched below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

See attched below - Essay Example ment would therefore be one which has been used by a particular party for a long time and where such long term use will allow him a proprietary right of usage over the easement, even if it is situated on land that belongs to the dominant land which is owned by someone else. On the basis of this, a legal easement is one that is legally enforceable in a court of law while in the case of an equitable easement, it must be registered under the Land Charges Act if it is to be enforceable. (b) In the case of Norman’s property, there are two easements that are under consideration (i) the lane at the rear that accesses the property and (ii) the road from Acacia road that leads over his property. Therefore, if another party acquires the title to the land at the rear of the property, the issue of legal versus equitable easement will arise in determining access and use of both these easements. In the first case, i.e, the lane at the back, Norman will still have the right to use it by virtue of it being an equitable easement, while in the case of the road in the front, the new owner will not have the right to use it without permission by virtue of its being a legal easement. The rationale for this conclusion is given below as follows: (i) Norman is currently the freehold owner of the land at the rear and has been enjoying the right to use the lane at the back for several years by virtue of his legal interest, since it was not in fact an easement at all but a part of his property. However, when the question of its sale arises, then this lane at the back of the property will be described as â€Å"appurtenant to† the dominant land,2 which belongs to Norman. When the land is transferred under Section 187(1) of the Law of property Act of 1925, then this easement will pass with it.3. But the easement must accommodate the dominant land because what is passed is only to ensure normal enjoyment of the land rather than to provide any undue advantage.4 An easement is a right of way

Microbiology- SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Microbiology- SLP - Essay Example Both Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus bulgaricus are bacteria; however, Escherichia coli are gram-negative bacteria and Lactobacillus bulgaricus are gram-positive bacteria. Escherichia coli are gram-negative bacteria, which inhabit the intestines of healthy animals and humans (Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2000). Majority of the Escherichia coli serotypes are not pathogenic; however, those that lead to diseases are grouped and classified based on their pathogenic mechanisms. Presently, there are six Escherichia coli pathotypes known to cause diarrhea in human beings, and they include enteroinvasive E. coli, enteropathogenic E. coli, enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) (shiga toxin-producing E. coli [STEC]), enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC), diffusing adhering E. coli, and enteroaggregative E. coli (Naicker, Olaniran, and Pillay, 2011). However, pathotypes of E. coli such as ETEC and STEC are potent pathogens linked with mortality and waterborne disease outbreaks in humans (Naicker, Olaniran, and Pillay, 2011). On the other hand, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus is a gram-positive bacterium, and it is closely associated to L. acidophilus, L. acetotolerans, L. amylophilus, L. gasseri, L. helveticus, and L. amylovorus. The ratio of GC content in L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus is higher (49-51 percent) than the other species (34 – 46 percent) in this phylogenetic tree (The Regents of the University of California, 2012). The structure of both Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus bulgaricus are the same. Both bacteria are rod shaped, and they are non-spore forming. However, there are differences that distinguish Escherichia coli from Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Escherichia coli are non-spore forming rod bacteria. Most of the strains possess peritrichous flagella, fimbriate and motile. A capsule in the form of mucoid is usually

Divorce and Children Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Divorce and Children Issue - Essay Example There is a significant consensus among academic publications that divorce as an event has a net negative effect on children’s experience of wellbeing, but different authors differ significantly as to the reasons why such differences might exist and the long term psychological impact on children of divorce. Public opinion, however, is nearly unanimous in believing that divorce is damaging for children, though some argue that the long term impact might be better. In interviews, people generally state ideas that they have consumed from media (both news and popular) about divorce – essentially saying that the odds are that divorce will be harmful, but significant steps can be taken to reduce or mitigate that harm. Overall, the sources are in remarkable agreement about the effect of divorce on children of divorce. ... gely tried to make sense out of former research: â€Å"we know that adults and children from divorced families, as a group, score lower than their counterparts in married-couple families on a variety of indicators of wellbeing.† This essentially mirrors statements made in each of the other articles; in fact, the other two articles treat the idea that damage is done during the process of divorce as a known fact, for instance McGuiness simply quipping that â€Å"obviously, divorce reverberates in a child’s life for many years,† (2006, 20), and stating that the fundamental â€Å"truth† is that â€Å"marriage offers substantial benefits to children† (McGuiness, 2006, pg. 17). Hetherington’s research also largely concurred, indicating that almost any measure of wellbeing was worse amongst children of divorce than children who were not from divorced households. These researchers differed significantly, however, in their interpretation of why childr en of divorce performed worse than ones who marry. Though each researcher made reference to the tempting notion that there was some sort of selection bias in play (IE that children of divorce were less happy because the family situation of parents who decide to get divorced is likely to have problems that filter down to affecting the child), none of the researches were convinced that this process amounted to the primary reason for the apparent negative impact of divorce. Amato (2000, pg. 1287) even, in his survey of recent research, found that when largely controlling for variables such as family situation and so forth, divorce itself seemed to be problematic, that is that two children in exactly the same circumstance would have differing levels of success based on whether or not their parents were married. Given that selection

Places in the Heart Essay Example for Free

Places in the Heart Essay The film entitled Places in the Heart released in 1984 is a wonderful film that deals with various conflicts in the society. Set during the Great Depression, the term family is defined in a unique manner in the film. The characters were able to depict more about the problems being faced in the stereotypical society full of prejudices and complexities. It was shown in a dramatic way that made viewers enticed until the end. Edna Spalding (Sally Field) was left by her late Husband Sheriff Royce Spalding (Ray Baker) who was murdered accidentally by a drunken man. She was left with two children Frank and Possum on their small farm with an almost penniless pocket. She tries to battle against poverty by acquiring the help of a blind man Mr Will (John Malkovich) whose sight was victimized by Worl War I. In addition to this she was also assisted by a Blackman named Mose (Danny Glover) who manages to help her plant cotton and keep her family intact. Life is never easy for the main characters in the film. They tried to battle against poverty which is really rampant during the great depression. The rich becomes richer and the poor, poorer. In the case of Mrs. Spalding, she is left with all the debts of her husband and the obligation of raising their two kids. During the said era, women are not accepted to work for their family since gender role is given prior importance. But then, Mrs. Spalding is determined to earn for her family and she was able to do this with the help of some people. The farm is a precious possession for her since it symbolizes her family and how they tried to unite and save each and every crop planted on it. On the other hand, Mose is a jobless African American man who kept on asking for alms in the racist society. He is always ridiculed by the people around him because of his skin color and race. He always longed for company and family love because he never experienced gaining respect from people in such prejudice society. He is too industrious and dreamt of planting on a farm of his own. He met Mrs. Spalding who accepted him as he is regardless of the fact that her husband was killed by a Blackman. It is the first time that Mose was accepted as he is and experienced love from a family. In the case of Mr. Will, he was left by his brother Mr. Danby who owns the Spaldings farm mortgage. Upon Mr. Spaldings death, he offered Edna some charitable help granted that he will look over his brother. Edna accepted the blind man in order to give good impression to Mr. Danby and at the same time gain comfort because of her husbands death. The Spaldings was able to battle against their mourning because of the support given by Mr. Will and Mose. Their solidarity made them stronger in facing each and every trial that they met as they plant cotton in the farm. Mrs. Spalding wanted to always keep her family bonded and their farm in good condition. Despite the fact that the Spaldings battle against the odds, Ednas sister Margaret Lomax is also facing her own family problem. She is burdened by the fact that her husband is committing adultery with Viola Kelsey. Their house is set in a depressed area and they have one daughter who is still small. Their only source of income is a small parlor which cannot even sustain their living. An extramarital affair in the film is emphasized as it shows what will happen to a familys economic condition once there is no fidelity in the household. In the case of the Lomaxs, they are trapped in a deep economical downfall because Mr. Lomax is too busy having affair with Viola Kelsey. Infidelity in marriage is always dishonored in the society and it can be compared to a criminal act. The film wanted to imply that faithfulness in marriage should always be maintained. The main plot about the essence of family and its importance in the lives of the Spaldings is magnificently emphasized in the film. On the other hand the subplot dealing with adultery made additional twist in the film. It made viewers tucked in their seats and wait for more surprising events throughout the film. The end of the film is very catchy since it is very idealistic and full of fantasy. The end of the film shows something that is impossible to happen because characters in the film is seen singing in harmony. Husbands and wives who were separated by fate, unfaithfulness and mistrust is seen together. There are also enemies, friends, colleagues and family. To sum it up the main point of the film ended in a way that everyone manages to find their own places in their hearts, the heart of a true family.

Children Born Into Families With Mental Illness Social Work Essay

Children Born Into Families With Mental Illness Social Work Essay With an apparent increase in the number of children born to parents experiencing mental illness many issues have been raised concerning parenting capacity and the welfare and development of these children. This has many implications for social work practice in both Childrens Teams and Community Mental Health Teams and also for future policy development and service provision. Within this dissertation it is my intention to explore that the mentally ill are indeed capable of parenting their children safely and effectively and attempt to disprove the suggestion that mentally ill parents are unsafe and incapable. Adults with mental health problems are one of the most excluded groups in society, however many are also parents and may need support to care for their children safely (Garley et al 1997). This means that service provision must encompass the needs of both parents and their children and assessments must take into account the needs of both these vulnerable groups. The human cost for parents with mental ill health is in attempting to parent their children in the face of stigma and adversities. Social Workers do not only need to support these parents but they also need to challenge the stigmas and adversities perpetuated by society. Society has perceptions of people with mental illness and this is largely negative, with the greatest misunderstandings being the perceptions of the more severe mental health conditions. Severe mental health conditions such as schizophrenia although not as prevalent as the depressive disorders are thought to affect one in two hundred adults each year (Mental Health and Social Exclusion Report 2004) and these conditions have a wider impact on the lives of the family, friends and community. It is widely recognised that one in four people of working age experience mental ill health at some point in their life, (Office for National Statistics 2008) but these problems can present in a variety of ways, depending upon the individual and their circumstances. What perhaps is most important to consider is how the person presents in relation to what is normal for them. Any great changes in mood or behaviour can be important indicators of deterioration in mental health, but it is clear that it would be dangerous to view this in isolation. It is therefore important to recognise that we all may experience various degrees of mental difficulty at some point in our lifetime. People with good mental health can; develop emotionally, creatively, intellectually and spiritually. They are able to initiate, develop and sustain mutually satisfying personal relationships; they can face problems, resolve and learn from them. They can be confident and assertive, are aware of others and have an ability to empathise; they can use and enjoy fun as well as laugh at themselves and the world. Good mental health is not something we have, but something that we do to take care of ourselves and value who we are as people (www.pmhcwn.org). However people experiencing mental illness do not always possess these attributes therefore need support to achieve wellness. To make the distinction between people who have children and then develop a mental illness or those who have a diagnosed condition before they have children the focus will be on the experiences of those people with mental illness who become parents and so have already been living with their condition or diagnosis. The aim of my dissertation will be to explore these issues by critically examining current research, practice, service provision and policy. This will be in the form of a literature based review where I want to question whether people with mental health issues can indeed parent their children safely. Firstly the Methodology used to assimilate the research will be examined with an explanation of the methods selected. Chapter One will define mental health, then focus on the historical context, policy and legislation and on the theories and approaches to ways of working considering the challenges that the social workforce face in supporting service users with mental health needs. Chapter Two will explore the experience of those parents with mental health problems; consider the capacity of people with mental health problems and the experiences of children of the mentally ill. This will be considered, from both a childs and a parents perspective. Chapter Three will focus on the main theme s to emerge from my research which are stigma, risk, resilience and attachment. The Results and Findings will be explored which will discuss the findings and present an overview of common themes which have emerged. The Conclusion will then draw together all the information gathered. Methodology When approaching this dissertation the decision was made to conduct a literature review of the research currently available. This was because mental health is an area of interest and combined with a placement in a childrens team, where it became obvious that many parents experience mental health issues it was an opportunity to combine the two areas. Previously the author has worked in a statutory provision which was a service supporting children and young people experiencing mental health issues and also had a placement in a community mental health team. All of these experiences have made the author inquisitive to the difficulties that parents encounter when attempting to take care of their children and the views of services of their abilities to do so. The search strategy used to locate appropriate material was to consider the various terms used when thinking about parental mental illness. Therefore a decision was made to search for the following terms; parental mental illness, children living with the mental illness of parents and capacity of parents with mental illness. When further considering what needed to be learnt, the terms; risk of children with mentally ill parents and resilience of children with mentally ill parents were then explored as were attachment of mentally ill parents and stigma and mental health. The concentration was on English speaking countries and so research was drawn together from Great Britain, Ireland, The United States of America and Australia. This was felt to be the most pertinent approach, as to broaden the search to further countries could create too much information and a difficulty in assimilating the research. Various databases were searched which included; Science Direct, Jstor and SwetsWise. T he British Journal of Psychology, The British Journal of Social Work and Social Care Institute for Excellence proved to be invaluable as did the various mental health websites such as MIND. Government reports and Department of Health documentation added a further breadth to the research which was drawn together. This search produced a significant number of journal articles in the area which were appropriate for the purpose, and coupled with mental health websites and books on parenting capacity a rich variety of material was gathered. The information further obtained from legislation and policy documentation was also invaluable. If there had been the time to explore this area in further detail it would have been suitable to have conducted a focus group amongst service users within the mental ill health community. From the research available it is clear that this research method was considered to be the most rewarding as service users felt the least threatened by the process (Garley et al 1997). It also garnered the most honesty from the participants and clarity of their experiences. They had felt safe in the knowledge that their recounting of their experiences would not be judged and their parenting abilities would be afforded due respect. Another option could possibly have been to send out questionnaires to ascertain the level of support service users felt they were receiving from community mental health teams and childrens services. However this method may not have produced such a wealth of results as it would not have been a face to face intervention. When viewing research, non face to face approaches have sometimes not been as well responded to by prospective participants. Chapter One This chapter will focus on how mental illness is defined; look at the historical context of mental illness service provision, the legislation and policy documentation and approaches and theories to ways of working. Defining Mental Illness Mental illness can affect one in four adults of working age at some point in their life, according to the World Health Foundation (2001). This demonstrates how prevalent mental illness is within our communities and how anyone can be affected by it at some point in their lifetime. However mental illness is defined by society in a variety of ways; there is the legal definition, clinical definitions and popular public misconceptions. This sections aim is to identify the three definitions of mental illness when considering the legal, clinical and public meanings. Mental disorder is defined in a legal context as arrested or incomplete development of mind, psychopathic disorder or any other disorder or disability of the mind (www.yourrights.org.uk). There are various definitions of mental health and amongst these the Mental Health Act 1983 offers three different definitions for mental disorder: severe mental impairment, which is defined as a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning and is associated with abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned (Mental Health Act 1983, Part 1). Mental impairment, which is defined as a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind (not amounting to a severe mental impairment) which includes severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning and is associated with abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned ( MHA 1983, P art 1). Then psychopathic disorder which is defined as a persistent disorder or disability of mind (whether or not including significant impairment of intelligence) which results in abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned ( MHA 1983, Part 1). However the 2007 Mental Health Act amendments changes the way the 1983 act defines mental disorder, so that a single definition applies throughout and abolishes references to categories of disorder( MHA 2007) The clinical definition comes from ICD-10, which is the International Classification of Diseases which was approved by the forty-third World Health Assembly in May 1990 and came into use in World Health Organisation member countries as from 1994. It is the international model for diagnostic categorisation of all general epidemiological conditions and health management. Within the ICD-10 there is classification of mental illness and mental disorders and this is used by clinicians to diagnose and therefore treat those people with mental illness. The foremost definition used is that any of various psychiatric conditions, usually characterised by impairment of an individuals normal cognitive, emotional, or behavioural functioning, and caused by physiological or psychosocial factors (ICD-10 Chapter V). When considering the public perceptions of mental illness, what is clear are the many negative perceptions of mental illnesses and disorders. The stigma that goes along with being labelled as having a mental illness can have far reaching consequences and needs to be challenged as a social injustice for this group (Cleaver et al 1999). Stigma is largely a social construct, in that society reacts negatively as a result of being fed sensationalist stories by the media. The Mental Health Knowledge Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry within the Maudsley Clinic London aims to promote change in public perception by addressing attitudes towards mental health conditions. The aim is that this will be achieved through ongoing public engagement activities and providing information for friends, families and carers of those with mental illness. Also initiatives such as World Mental Health Day endeavour to change public perceptions by bringing the conditions into the public arena. People experiencing mental disorders are often excluded from some societal norms due to a lack of knowledge or fear on behalf of the community as the Mental Health and Social Exclusion Report of 2004 puts this Mental health problems can be both a cause and a consequence of social exclusion (Mental Health and Social Exclusion Report 2004 p11). What is known is that mental health problems can affect anyone at any point in their life. However the debates around the differing definitions of mental health are important to discuss in relation to exploring the issues for people with mental health problems who are also parents. Stereotypical views of people with mental illness are that they are violent, unstable, and irrational and therefore their abilities to parent are questionable. These perceptions have been perpetuated by an ignorant society and need to be challenged. The Office for National Statistics has collected data to illustrate the prevalence of common mental health problems in the general population (see fig 1). Figure 1: Office for National Statistics (2000) Psychiatric Morbidity Survey. According to the Office for National Statistics the average age of early onset psychosis is twenty-two, but up to half of mental health problems start in childhood. For men, the age at which common mental health problems peak is forty-five to forty-nine years and for women fifty-fifty-four years. When looking at the statistics in terms of gender prevalence, women experience higher rates of problems than men and their experiences tend to last longer with greater occurrences of relapse. However what is known is that young men aged twenty-five to thirty-four are the highest risk group for suicide (Office for National Statistics 2000). Mental health illness is referred to in a variety of ways in the literature and research; therefore for the purposes of this paper, mental illness, mental ill health and mental health problems will be used interchangeably with the main emphasis being placed on the conditions of schizophrenia and psychosis rather than the depressive conditions.    Schizophrenia is a diagnosis given to some people who are experiencing severely disrupted beliefs and experiences.  Ã‚  During an episode, a persons experience and interpretation of the outside world is disrupted. They may experience hallucinations, lose touch with reality or see or hear things that are not there and act in unusual ways. An episode of schizophrenia can last for several weeks and can be very frightening (www.rethink.org). An episode of psychosis can be experienced in much the same way. However to appreciate contemporary understanding of mental illness, the historical context needs to be explained and how parents have been viewed by society. Historical Context Historically those individuals who experience mental illness may be treated for their condition by their local General Practitioner in the local community, however those individuals who require more intensive interventions may fall under the support of The Mental Health Act 1983. Following years of the institutionalisation of individuals with mental health disorders came the Mental Health Act 1983, which made provision for these people to be supported in the community. This important legislation made provision for the safety and well being of those people experiencing mental distress. For the first time, mental illness was recognised as a condition that could be managed in the community and newly formed community mental health teams would be the people to assist. The Mental Health Act 1983 made provision for individuals needing treatment to be detained under section, which meant that they could be legally detained to ensure that appropriate treatment was administered either in the fo rm of therapeutic intervention and or medication. This act was further amended in 2007, where one of the main amendments was to make provision for Community Treatment Order (CTO). This declared that a patient could be re-called for treatment in hospital if they had been discharged into the community and were not complying with the restrictions of their order. Policies imposed by local authorities must work within the guidelines of both The Mental Health Acts 1983 and 2007 and The Children Act 1989 in conjunction with the Care Programme Approach 2008. These government laws state how the care and treatment of people with mental health and the care and protection of children should be managed. A comprehensive care plan should address all the issues around the person and allow for their ability to parent by assessing their parenting capacity. Every Child Matters (2002) was one such provision developed to support children, the main duties being to cooperate and improve well-being, and to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in England (www.everychildmatters.gov.uk ). Every Child Matters was developed following Lord Lamings report of 2002 which was implemented following Victoria Climbià ©s death in 2000. He highlighted within his report that a lack of integrative working across the different services and agencies had contributed to Victorias death. Every Child Matters legislates for improving information sharing between agencies to ensure the safety of children known to local authorities and this would be done by reducing the technical difficulties with the different interfaces used by the diverse services (ECM 2002). A huge challenge to overcome with much work still needed in this area as health, education and social services remain largely fragmented (ECM 2002). To attempt to overcome this, a common assessme nt framework was devised across services to ensure the information followed each child and reducing the necessity for duplication of information. These tools were then used to ensure that if a parent came to the attention of mental health services then the worker would be able to instantly determine if their children were also known to childrens services. Legislation and Policy Documentation The National Service Framework for Mental Health, from the Department of Health (1999) document states that local authorities have a duty to provide effective services for people with mental illnesses. Its aim is for individuals, who may or may not be parents, with a severe mental illness to be able to access and receive the range of mental health services that they need and consequently crises will be anticipated and averted. Therefore even if a parent is considered to pose a threat to their child they should be maintained with parenting support in advance. The recommendation being that there will be the integration of health and social care services with a strong emphasis on Interprofessional collaboration and this joined up working will promote the active participation of service users. The Mental Health and Social Exclusion Report of 2004 activated by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister detailed in action sixteen better support for parents and their children (Mental Health and Exclusion Report 2004 p105). This challenge was taken up by the Action Sixteen Group who would review its implementation. This body comprised of ;the Social Care Institute for Excellence, Barnardos, the Department of Health, National Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services Support Service, Family Action and the Mental Health Commission. This membership of the Action Sixteen Group brought together professionals who were dedicated to improving outcomes for parents affected by mental illness and their children. The key messages to emerge from their discussions were that the mental health services should think family (www.scie.org.uk). This would be achieved by improved awareness, sharing of information across services and the development of resources for positive practice. Action Sixteen worked together to review the existing provisions for parents with mental health needs, including the needs of mentally unwell parents who were also belonging to an ethnic minority group and or were also disabled parents. It determined that parents need to be enabled to lead fulfilling lives in the way that they chose. That sigma and discrimination must be challenged and the rights of parents must be promoted, social exclusion must be confronted through implementing evidence-based practice and getting the basics in order must be a priority (Fowler et al 2009). This means enabling mentally ill parents to have access to decent housing, advice on finance and benefits, training and employment. (Fowler et al 2009). All of this needs to be approached from an informed viewpoint and the most appropriate theories and ways of working considered. Ways of Working The challenges for the social work profession to assist mental health service users are immense, diverse and complex. When approaching work with any vulnerable service user group it is important for social workers to maintain their social work values and recommend a holistic approach to their interventions with families (GSCC codes of Practice 2002). This would mean balancing practical and emotional support, offering appropriate counselling and working in a therapeutic way to best support parents with mental health needs (Darlington et al 2005). As previously discussed parents with mental health issues may experience social exclusion or isolation and it is a challenge for social workers to support these individuals to maintain a more integrative life. They also need to be aware of the power relationship between those who provide and those who access mental health services and the disempowering consequences of being labelled a mental health service user (Williams and Keating 2000). Re search studies have shown that it is a considerable challenge for people with mental illnesses to sustain and maintain social contacts and relationships (Huxley and Thornicroft 2003). Further research into this area as to how parents with mental illnesses can be encouraged to lead a more integrative life is needed. The requirements for the social work workforce within the mental health sector are clear guidelines for working in an integrated team, with strong leadership and comprehensible policies to enable improved multi agency working. This is further challenged by maintaining and preserving the separate skill bases of each profession within a community mental health team. Community psychiatric nurses (CPN) have trained to specifically achieve a qualification, as indeed have their social work colleagues and the blurring of roles may create disquiet amongst individuals. With the new Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) role being made available to professionals from other disciplines this may create further challenges within multi-disciplinary working. Only those professionals trained to become a health professional have the ability to administer medication and a large part of their role in working with the mentally ill is to ensure medication compliance. However medication is best supported if it works in conjunction with therapies (www.rethink.org) and the most recognised therapy to assist with mentally unwell individuals is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Cognitive Behavioural Therapy was developed by Aaron Beck (1921- ) in the 1960s as a psychological approach to assist people in changing how they thought and felt (Beck 1975). This approach is widely recognised today as the foremost talking therapy when working with the mentally ill. Any professional will need to approach working with a mentally ill service user from an informed position. The experiences of the vast majority of people with mental health problems are that they are labelled. Labelling theory was first applied to the term mentally ill in 1966 when Thomas Scheffs book- Being Mentally Ill was published. Scheffs claim was that mental illness perceptions needed to be challenged as mental illness was a social construction. He purports that no one is deviant and no action is deviant unless society deemed it to be so and that symptoms of mental illness are regarded as violations of societal norms (Scheff 1966), so to challenge societys view of their perception of mental illness is one way to assist those with mental illness and the stigma they experience as a result of labelling. When considering a parent with mental illness and the approaches to working with these individuals a holistic approach would appear to be the most pertinent to consider appropriate. This means taking into account the persons physical and spiritual health as well as their mental health needs (Hunt 2009). The Care Programme Approach is now recognised as the best way to do this. The Care Programme Approach 2008 or CPA as it is referred to within services is a way of developing a plan of work individualised to each persons needs. The Care Programme Approach has four main elements as defined in Building Bridges: A guide to arrangements for inter-agency working for the care and protection of severely mentally ill people (DoH 1995 p1). It works by assessing a persons needs and then developing a plan in response to those needs; the plan is then implemented and reviewed regularly to ensure that it is continuing to meet the individuals needs (www.dh.gov.uk). The latest development in policy implementation is New Horizons; a government program of action which has been launched to improve the mental well-being of people in England and drive up the quality of mental health care. New Horizons is a comprehensive initiative that will be delivered by local government, the voluntary sector and professionals with an aim of creating a society that values mental health. This will be achieved by ensuring the foundations of good mental health begin in childhood and continue through the lifespan, emphasising the importance of prevention as well as treatment and recovery (New Horizons 2009). All professionals will be encouraged to identify children whose parents may be experiencing difficulties and signpost them to appropriate services. The next chapter will consider how policy and legislation works in supporting parents with mental ill health by considering their experiences, how their capacity is measured and how their children view both their parents illness and treatment. Chapter Two This chapter will focus on the experiences of parents with mental health problems, their ability to parent, their parenting capacity and the experiences of children of the mentally ill. The numbers of parents who experience mental health issues is not clear but it is estimated that in excess of thirty per cent of the population may be affected. Experience of Parents with Mental Health Problems When considering the research available, what is clear is that the focus has been mainly on the female experience as women were found to be the main caregivers, Nicholson et al (1998). In a study, using focus groups with mothers, to explore the problems they faced as a result of their mental illnesses Nicholson et al concluded that the experiences these mothers recounted detailed their concerns, their struggles and their successes (Nicholson et al 1998 p 638). They discussed the anxiety of stigma and the worry of having their children removed by social services as well as the everyday struggles of looking after children (Nicholson et al 1998). In a study, to explore the experiences of new mothers Mowbray et al (1995) found that motherhood was a role of great significance for many women with mental health problems. The mothers in their study articulated just how important the experience of being a mother was to them, the joy that it brought for them and the growth in personal development it produced (Mowbray et al 1995). What is known is that parenting is viewed by society as being highly valued and although this is a common thread to all societies and cultures, most perceptions are that parents with mental illness are viewed negatively, (Mowbray et al 1995). Furthermore as parents with mental health problems are de-valued by society and their parenting capacities and abilities are questioned they fear that their children will be removed from their care therefore they avoid contact with social services even if they are aware they need support. This all adds to the stress that parents experience in coping with their mental i llness and the demands of parenting. Nicholson et al (1998) found that parents felt unable to ask for the support they may need due to the fear that social services would remove their children from their care. This was a great fear for the mothers in this study but further studies have also corroborated this, for example Cleaver et al (1998) reviewed data from research and discovered that forty- two per cent of children who were initially referred to child protection services following an assessment of their parent(s) mental health became subject to care proceedings. This indicates an equal fear on behalf of the professionals involved with parents with mental ill health, the need to protect balanced against the needs of the parent to maintain normal family life. Parents have therefore identified that they will be viewed as flawed by society and perhaps incapable of fulfilling one of societys most treasured roles and have their parenting abilities and capacity questioned (Ackerson 20 03). Parenting Capacity Parents with mental illness may have difficulty in caring for their children because they feel a need to focus on their own needs or are unable to recognise their childrens needs and this can impact on their parenting capacity. Other influences can also impact such as relationship breakdown, poverty, unemployment and social exclusion. There is a real difficulty in attempting to establish just how many parents have a diagnosis of schizophrenia or psychosis although it is estimated that as many as nine million adults may have a mental health need (www.family-action.org.uk ) Many of these illnesses go undetected with some parents refusing to acknowledge that they have a problem for fear of the consequences for their children (Beardslee et al 1983). For many parents the greatest fear being the removal of their children by social services. This is largely due to much of the current service provision being aimed at protecting children considered to be at risk from harm rather than supporting mentally ill parents to overcome the disabilities that hinder their parenting role. This could be better supported by intervention before a risk to the child becomes apparent (Kearney et al 2003). This is in direct conflict with the Children Act 1989, which recommends that wherever possible parents should be supported to care for th eir own children at home. This all creates a culture of fear for parents, as they cannot be honest about what they are experiencing as this may result in the removal of their children. However what is known is that there is a significant number of parents whose children are known to social services have a mental health problem (Crossing Bridges 1998). Having a mental illness can impact on the parents ability to care for their children in a variety of ways such as; being unable to provide food, clothing, shelter and warmth or indeed be able to keep their children safe from harm (White et al 1995). However if a parent makes what is perceived to be an unwise or eccentric decision this does not necessarily mean that they are lacking in capacity (Mental Capacity Act 2005). All parents are expected to provide; a safe physical and a secure emotional environment for their children, they are expected to demonstrate appropriate behaviour and provide opportunitie

Effect of Absent Fathers on Child Development

Effect of Absent Fathers on Child Development The Effects on Children of Absent Fathers and Divorced Fathers The family image has had a tremendous change from the way it was in the past and the way it is today. There are several sources that talk about the different situations within the relationships of the mother and father and the effects that the relationships have on their children. In Children of Gay Fathers, authors Robert Barret, and Bryan Robinson talk about the effects on children’s behavior whenever there is a homosexual man parenting while raising his children or child. They also talk about how hard it is for homosexual men to come out with their child or children and the reaction of others surrounding their children. The Ballad of a Single Mother Lynn Olcott tells her story about the struggle as a single mother without the father of her children in the picture (446). In Absent Fathers: Why Don’t We Ever Talk About the Unmarried Men? written by Rebecca Blank, she talks about the unmarried fathers and why they are absent and the impacts that they have on their child ren or households. The main issue that these authors argue about is the father figures in children’s lives can affect the children in a positive or negative way depending on what is going on. The one thing that all the essays share in common is the financial difficulty that happens when the two parents split up, the mother or father. In Absent Fathers: Why Don’t We Ever Talk About the Unmarried Men?, Blank talks about the financial trouble that single women go through either because the father is: in jail, abandoned the mother, or the mother has gotten a divorce and child support is not being giving to support the children. Blank states that when fathers leave that there is a financial burden put on the mother to take care of her children (440). â€Å"The rise in single parenting has not simply led to an increase in the number of children who physically live with and are primarily raised by their mothers. It has also meant massive financial desertion of these children by their fathers. This is a major reason as to why the women who raise children on their own are so likely to be poor.† said Blank (442). Blanks states that many women with low skill working op portunities statistically have children with men that are in the same situation as them and therefore both parents cannot provide for the child like they should financially (443). Similarly, Olcott talks about the financial problems she went through without a father for her children present in her story, â€Å"The Ballad of a Single Mother†. Olcott also mentions how when she was working that money was also an issue and how she was being underpaid like other mothers that were single and had to care for their children by themselves with no financial support (446). She had to work a lot in order to take care of her child so she had very little time to take care of her child most of the days. She even picked up another bill which was a daycare bill in order to make sure her child was kept in order to work the full time job to provide for her child. Olcott and Blank have stated that there will be a problem in the near future with the absent fathers and single parenting and they don’t see it being figured out. Olcott wishes that she could spend more time with her children and have less financial problems and she says that she does not believe that her daughters or their daughters will not be able to stay home and nurture their own children without having a child as well. Olcott believes that there isn’t going to be a day where single mothers could just easily give up their jobs to take care of their kids like in the past (447). Blank thinks that it may be impossible to tell men to get a job to support their families in today’s society. â€Å"Though their behavior may not be excusable, ordering them to get a job and/or pay more in child support may not be as easily accomplished as in years past† says Blank (444). There are several differences in these essays as well. Blanks talks about the lack of information single mothers fail to report about the fathers. Most women know who the fathers are but just fail to acknowledge who they are when the baby is born on the birth certificate. She asserts that the actions of absent fathers are inexcusable (Blank 444). In contrast Olcott spoke of her financial hardships not out of self-pity or sorrow, but as if she is proud to have overcome the struggles of not having the support of her children’s father (447).The parents of children who have divorced or never been married can have a negative impact with the parents and children. In Children of Gay Fathers, Barret believes that when parents go through divorces and the father’s sexuality changes that the child might become stressed because of knowing their father’s sexuality. He also says that the people that surround the child, friends, might distant themselves from the child or act di fferent around the child because of the friends finding out that the father is gay may also put stress on the child causing them to distant themselves away from the father. Barret also states that divorce itself puts stress on children (410). In Absent Fathers: Why Don’t We Ever Talk About the Unmarried Men? Blank agrees that the absence of a father in the household puts stress on the single mother and child, and many times the child has no relationship with their father. â€Å"For every single mother there is a father who is not living with his children† says Blank (440). In The Ballad of a Single Mother Olcott tells about the trials and tribulations that her and her children had to go through without their father being in their lives. She also admitted that she had missed out on some events in her children’s life because she worked full time. While working a full time job she was not able to share in these special times with her children, damaging their emotio nal relationships. One of her stories is about her son giving up soccer because her funds began to get tight and she couldn’t afford for her son to continue to play soccer. She continues to tell how a group of men who managed the league helping him to continue playing in the league by paying the fees. She kind of relates these men to being that father figure that her son never had and shows that if the father was present that she wouldn’t have to worry about an issue like this one. The way American families are today is totally different from within the past. It seems that having an absent father is the new norm. In many families, you see many single mothers raise their children on their own and struggle to make ends meet most of the time. Most of the time women have to have government assistance in order to provide for their children. There are several sources that talk about the different situations within the relationships of the mother and father and the effects that the relationships have on their children. In the three essays I chose, the authors share a common ground. They really speak on the positive and negative effects that absent fathers can have on not only the child but also the family as a whole. The mother struggles and the child stresses because of divorce or because of the sexuality of the father and fear of what society might think about the child and parent. Some people say that a father being absent is inexcusable and feel sorry for the wome n to have to go through what they do or did and you have some women who are actually glad that they went through the struggle and overcame it at the same time like Lynn Olcott mentions in her story about being a single mother. You also have some authors that agree with each other saying that they don’t think that single parenting women will be able to give up their jobs all the way and nurture a child at the same time without struggling to do so. What are your thoughts on single mothers and absent fathers or single fathers parenting? Works Cited Barret, Robert, and Bryan E. Robinson. â€Å"Children of Gay Fathers.† Writing in the Disciplines: A Reader and Rhetoric for Academic Writers. 7th ed. Eds. Mary Lynch Kennedy and William J. Kennedy. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2012. 409-414. Print. Blank, Rebecca M. â€Å"Absent Fathers:Why Don’t We Ever Talk About the Unmarried Men?† Writing in the Disciplines: A Reader and Rhetoric for Academic Writers. 7th ed. Eds. Mary Lynch Kennedy and William J. Kennedy. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2012. 439-444. Print. Olcott, Lynn. â€Å"The Ballad of a Single Mother.† Writing in the Disciplines: A Reader and Rhetoric for Academic Writers. 7th ed. Eds. Mary Lynch Kennedy and William J. Kennedy. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2012. 446-447. Print.

Study Abroad :: College Admissions Essays

Learning about new cultures is my favorite thing to do. I interact well with others and enjoy networking with new people. I have found that my ability to meet new people is a trait that makes every visit I have taken to different countries an enjoyable visit. I wish to participate in this program because it has always been a goal of mine to study abroad. By participating in this program I hope to learn about another culture, make international contacts, and gain valuable international business skills. Within this program I assume that I will experience different points of views from the American professors who will be teaching. Along with these different points of views, the Italian culture and interacting with other American students will be experiences I could not otherwise have. Â  International business is becoming increasingly more important, and although I have received great education while in college, I am eager to participate in this program because the first-hand experiences I will have cannot be equaled here in America. As a sixth grader I participated in Children's International Summer Villages in Finland. While in Finland I stayed with a host family for a week and lived in a school with forty different delegates representing ten separate countries. It truly was the best time of my life.

The Motionless Arrow: Aristotles Thoughts On Zenos Arror Argument :: essays research papers

The Motionless Arrow: Aristotle's Thoughts on Zeno's Arror Argument Aristotle's thoughts on Zeno's Arrow Argument as represented in Chapter 9 of Aristotle's Physics: A Guided Study can be understood in such a way that it might not be "next door to madness". In this chapter, Aristotle interprets Zeno's argument of the Flying Arrow as "missing the mark". There are four premises for this argument, and in Aristotle's opinion, premise three can be rejected. He does not believe that time is composed of indivisible nows, which he proves with laws of science. However, by evaluating the falsity of premise three, you will find that premises one and two are also false. Almost all opinions can be argued, however, and by evaluating the philosophy of both men, many points can be reached about the validity and soundness of the argument. Though, by finding the premises false, the argument is not sound, and therefore, Zeno's argument leaves much to be said. Deciphering from what we know of the argument by what Aristotle tells us in Chapter 9, the premises are sketched out: 1. Everything is at rest when at a place equal to it; 2. The Flying arrow is at rest when at a place equal to it; 3. Time is composed of indivisible nows (instants). 4. Everything that changes place is doing so in the now. 5. Conclusion: The flying arrow doesn't move. According to Zeno, time is composed of many indivisible nows, or instants. Aristotle disagrees, stating in line 210 that no magnitude, including time, is composed of indivisible nows. Exactly how long is an instant? Is time finite? As you start dividing time, the smaller you get, the less movement occurs. But even when you do divide it smaller and smaller, is there not at least some small amount of movement occurring? When will time get so small that movement does not occur? This is Aristotle's reasoning: that time will never get to a "smallest" point, as length will never have a "smallest" division. Therefore, he is rejecting the third premise, stating that time is not composed of indivisible segments. Zeno, however, feels that time can be divided into a "smallest" part. After all, in physics, you can determine an object's instantaneous velocity or acceleration at a specific point in its journey, at a specific time. Wouldn't this make time indivisible? Velocity and acceleration are given to mean motion, which means the object is moving at this specific point in time. Therefore, according to Aristotle, this paradox would not be so if it were not taken that time were composed of nows. By rejecting this premise, and reevaluating the argument, you will read

Environmental Problems in Bangkok :: Papers

Environmental Problems in Bangkok Air pollution Traffic is one of the most important causes of air pollution in Bangkok. Bangkok traffic was said to create high level of dust particles, and Carbon Monoxide. BMTA buses, trucks and smaller transport vans were frequently stopped for on-the-road checking. The rapid growth of Bangkok has severely stained its facilities and led to a number of serious problems. The city now has over a million registered motor vehicles and because of the limited road surface, traffic congestion is heavy in central areas. Many spots have been declared that air quality were seriously sub-standard. There has been continuing monitoring of air quality at several places with recorded high level traffic jam. Water Pollution According to several studies, there are three main sources of pollutants in the Chao Phraya River and its tributaries, and the city canals. These are factories, households and restaurants. Although large factories are required to install water treatment facilities in order to obtain their annual operating permits from the Department of Industrial Works (DIW), this does not apply to many medium and small plants. The existing household water treatment capacity serves about only two percent of Bangkok's population. The wastewater of most households is discharged into canals and then drained into the river. The six most polluted canals share over 54 percent of total domestic pollution loads discharged into the Chao Phraya River. Domestic sources account for about 75 percent of the pollution in Chao Phraya River, while factories account for remaining 25 percent. Noise Pollution It was noted that noise levels measured by the National Environmental Board were well above the internationally accepted level of However, Solutions ========= Ø The Bangkok government could reduce the amount of air pollution by reducing the number of cars on the roads Ø Installing new sewage systems Ø Directing the industrial waste away from the rivers Ø Enforcing water waste regulations on all business no matter what size

Benefits of Higher Education

The number of college graduates has recently been on the increase. Due to the increase of college graduates, there is a lot of competition in hunting for a Job. Many companies have been cutting back on hiring due to the slow down in the economy. When I think about what it takes to get a well-paying Job these days, one must be very knowledgeable about many different topics. This means companies are looking for people who can hit the ground running when they hire them.In addition to one's knowledge they possess, a college diploma is very important while Job hunting. According to the essay, â€Å"Are they really ready to work†, mfoung people need a ange of skills, both basic academic skills as well as the ability to apply these skills and knowledge in the workplace. At the high school level, well over one-half of new entrants are deficiently prepared in the most important skills – Oral and Written Communications, Professionalism/Work Ethic, and Critical Thinking/Problem So lving â€Å"(Casner-Lotto, and Barrington, 2006, p. 51). Generally, there is a limit to what students can learn until they graduate from high school. The time spent in high school is not enough time to gain sufficient knowledge or skill to get a well paying Job. Additionally, high school is place where one learns a little about a lot of different things, receiving a general education. On the other hand, even if students have a college diploma, they still lack some skills, such as writing in English, written communications, and leadership, but they are better prepared than high school graduates.Especially, at the college level, students can concentrate on areas that they think they would want to work in the future, so they can get specialized knowledge and technology. Why do we need adequate skills? The essay â€Å"Work and Workers in the Twenty- First Century' stated that â€Å"Automation will continue to displace low-skilled or unskilled workers in America's manufacturing firms and offices† (Judy, and Amico, 1997, p. 234). In the twenty-first century, there is increased use of computers, robots, and automation in the workplace.This mechanization certainly has brought production costs down, but has lead to fewer unskilled Jobs available in America. The lost of these unskilled Jobs makes it more competitive for the unskilled labors, with not all unskilled labors able to find adequate paying Jobs. Therefore, the companies now require us to have brains. In addition, the physical labors are moving to second and third world countries, in order to build the groundwork for these developing economies.Studying at a college or university in the US these days, could cost tens of thousands of dollars annually including the student's room and board cost. So after a 4 years of thousand dollars. These students must start paying their loans back shortly after they graduate. With employers not hiring and very limited Jobs available, these graduates have a difficult ti me findings Jobs paying the salaries required to pay their loans. Now, if tudents live with their parents, they do not have to pay for room, and board, but only tuition and material fees.Although the students college education is cost them less due to the fact that they did not have to pay for room and board, the cost of the education is still a big burden on most families. However, according to the essay â€Å"The Private Benefits of Higher Education†, there is a big difference between salaries for high school graduates and college graduates. â€Å"Among wage and salary workers between the age 25 and 34, median annual earnings were 58% higher for men who completed at least a achelor's degree than for men who completed only high school ($42,341 vs. 26,842), but 92% higher for women who earned at least a bachelor's degree than for women who earned only a high school diploma ($32,145 vs. $16,770; Perna, 2013, p. 451). † As stated above, men who received at least bachelor 's degree are able to earn more than one and half times more than the median high school graduate. Now as for woman, the numbers are even more pronounced than for the men with a women who earns a Bachelor earns about doubled than that of the median women with only a high school diploma.Research shows that parents with low income and no academic qualifications normally do not have a lot of information about how to get financial aid for their children. Job hunting is a highly competitive in the twenty first century. Moreover, mechanization and globalization narrow the workplace in the US. Therefore, although students have to pay a lot of money to go to a college or university, they still pursue college education. This is due to that higher education will be useful in order to find well-paying Job. In the next five years, college graduates will continue to increase more and more.