Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry Thoreau Debate Essay

Fight For What is Right A cold, snowy winter night in Birmingham, Alabama: one of those nights where you would rather stay inside and sit by a fire while sipping on a cup of hot chocolate. Not everyone is doing that though, for many people walk in the cold all bundled up. Some of the more unfortunate ones stay stranded outside in the freezing weather with not nearly enough layers to keep them warm. In Birmingham, a lot of these people consist of African Americans who cannot afford somewhere to keep warm or are Just simply denied a place to stay based on their skin color. In this day and age, segregation exists between whites and blacks. A huge issue nationwide, but when it comes to Birmingham everything is taken to a new level. To ensure the separation of whites and blacks, you can see plenty of racial signs and other such tactics used by the city. Although between King and Thoreau, none of these resemble an issue; they both could stay warm under their nice winter Jackets, both had a place to go back home to and more importantly, one was a white man and the other a black man. Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. both made themselves very well known and idolized by many. They knew each other through a mutual friend but came into contact when they ran into one another here in Birmingham. The segregation in Birmingham continues to get out of control with constant bombings and killings of African American citizens, causing certain groups to want to take action towards reform in Birmingham. The group known as the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights called upon King to help lead them in non-violent reform, while Thoreau made his trip here to witness the reforms. Thoreau’s time of non-violent reform came about years before King even began to participate. King actually learned Just about everything from Thoreau’s writing, but Thoreau has no sense of that at this very moment. What King learned from Thoreau, he put to use more than Thoreau ever did. Right now the two men share the same non-violent beliefs and want to spread the word in their own separate ways. As the two men walk down the street they engage in friendly small talk. But then they come across a black couple denied entry into a restaurant. Both men look at ach other in disgust. They have seen it happen hundreds of times, but each time they see it, they have the same disgustful reaction. After what they Just witnessed, the two men started to state their opinions to each other on why they see this type of policy as a disgrace. Henry Thoreau spoke first with a scornful tone in his voice on how he cannot respect his government for allowing instances like these to occur. He continues speaking, â€Å"l cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as my government which is the slave’s government also (180). In response, King expresses to Thoreau, that you cannot put the entire blame on the government even though they could change the laws involving segregation. But would that change how the white majority feels, especially in southern states. Those people grew up witn certain opinions ot Atrican Americans. King goes on with another strong statement, saying â€Å"Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly (214). † With this statement, King tries to tell Thoreau that if they cannot change how people think, then segregation will not change either. After uttering such words, King goes quiet, neither one of them saying anything to each other. Both continue walking with their eyes facing forward, trying to fgure out what they are going to say next. After a few minutes of walking in the freezing cold with a light flurry of snow, the silence is broken. King ends this when he asks Thoreau how he plans on making a difference for racism and segregation. Thoreau does not respond right away, giving King the opportunity to answer his own question: â€Å"Henry, we need to make a difference here in Birmingham. If we do something here then it ay affect the whole nation. And we need to do it in a non-violent manner. † He continues, â€Å"In any non-violent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action (215). King believes that these steps will lead them to a successful reform against segregation. Thoreau agrees with King that they should reform in a non-violent way, but questions who will Join him. He immediately states, They continue enjoying each other’s company, but ever since their heated discussions the two have not said one word or even batted an eye towards the other. They arrive at the footsteps of Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s apartment where he says one final comment to end the night, â€Å"Henry, we have a ‘moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws’ (218). We are nere tor a reason; and that reason involves making a ditterence. So tomorrow let’s get everyone in town together and move forward with this reform. † Thoreau ooks at King with a blank face and continues his way. With his incomparable leadership ability, King leads a reform the next day in Birmingham. The reform in Birmingham took place in 1963, and was led by Martin Luther King Jr.. This action brought attention to the integration efforts in the city, and during these nonviolent riots the citys police brought out dogs which attacked the civilians. They would also spray the people with high powered water hoses. But the reform actions demonstrated led to the government changing the city of Birmingham’s discrimination laws.

Nature vs. Nurture in Language Development

What is Language? Language is a tool we have been using to understand and develop our thinking. We have been: Learning about the thinking of others by reading Expressing our own thinking through writing Exchanging ideas with others by speaking and listening Thought and language can contribute to clear, effective thinking and communication. Language is a system of symbols for thinking and communicating. At 5 years of age human is expected to have; Articulated speech, Vocabulary of more than 6000 words and Observe grammar rules.An Average speaker is expected to have; 150 words per minute, 20,000 and 40,000 alternatives and error rates below 0. 1%. There are two theories concerning Nature or Rationalism in Language and these are the Nativism and Child Talk model of Chapman et al. (1992). In the child talk theory the child’s needs will enable him to formulate speech based on his past experiences. Nature or rationalist theory is based on the following study by prominent people in h uman history: 1. PLATO knowledge and understanding: * innate * biological * genetically * common nature . Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650) Ideas existed within human beings prior to experience. * God * ability of the environment and the mind to influence and initiate behavior * reflex action (unintended behaviors) 3. Kant (1724-1804) â€Å"A priori† knowledge as illustrated below. 4. CHOMSKY The Nativist Perspective: Human beings are born with an innate capacity for language. Universal Grammar * An innate property of the human mind * Growth of language is analogous to the development of a bodily organ * Abstract that it could not be learned at allPrinciples of UG: 1. Language is innate 2. Our brains contain a dedicated special-purpose learning device that has evolved for language alone. * domain specificity, autonomy or modularity Nurture states that knowledge originates in the environment and comes in through the senses. This theory is called Empiricism defines as the imp ortance of sensory experience as the basis of all knowledge. Empiricism is otherwise known as the doctrine that says sense experience is the only source of knowledge, a belief that experience alone is the source of all knowledge.Empiricism is essentially a theory of knowledge which asserts that all knowledge is derived from sense experience. It rejects the notion that the mind is furnished with a range of concepts or ideas prior to experience. Three principal British philosophers who are associated with empiricism are John Locke (1632-1704), George Berkeley (1685-1753), and David Hume (1711-76). in philosophy, a doctrine that affirms that all knowledge is based on experience, and denies the possibility of spontaneous ideas or a priori thought. Empiricism (greek from empirical, latin experientia – the experience) is generally regarded as being at the heart of the modern scientific method, that our theories should be based on our observations of the world rather than on intuit ion or faith; that is, empirical research and a posteriori inductive reasoning rather than purely deductive logic. Other basis of empiricism are: 1. ARISTOTLE * Truth and knowledge to be found outside of ourselves by using our senses. 2. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778) * Emile: the hero learns about life through his experiences in life 3.John Dewey (1859 – 1952) * Structured experience matters and disciplinary modes of inquiry could allow the development of the mind. 4. Edward Thorndike (1874 – 1949) STIMULUS – RESPONSE * people learned through a trial-and-error approach * mental connections are formed through positive responses to particular stimuli * learning was based on an association between sense impressions and an impulse to action * structure the environment to ensure certain stimuli that would ‘produce’ learning 5. Psychologist B. F.Skinner (behaviorism or associationism) 3 needs for language formation: * time * opportunity * com puting power Skinner further explains that learning is the production of desired behaviors without any influence of mental processes. Programmed learning is positive reinforcement for â€Å"correct† responses Let us now bridge the gap between nature and nurture. Learning is a developmental cognitive process, human create/construct knowledge. There are three theories involved in this process; constructivism, progressivism and language acquisition theory.We will discuss first constructivism , the following diagrams will show us. Diagram 1: Psychologist Jean Piaget proposed two kind of interaction: * Simple interactions: putting together * Emergentism: adding more to what was put together The first box shows simple interaction while the second box shows emergentism. Diagram 2 shows us how the brain is constructed with interaction to the environment. Diagram 2: Vygotsky (1896 – 1934) states that all learning occurs in a cultural context and involves social interactions.The zone of proximal development (ZPD)learn subjects best just beyond their range of existing experience with assistance from the teacher or another peer to bridge the distance from what they know or can do independently and what they can know or do with assistance (Schunk, 1996) â€Å"scaffolding† that help students learn in systematic ways. This is illustrated further illustrated in diagram 3. To Piaget there are three element involved in interaction the structured environment, the senses and the brain. Vygotsky added one more element nother human being that makes now the elements of interaction four namely structured environment, the senses, another human being and the brain. Diagram 3: Second theory in bridging the gap is Progressivism which emphases on both experience and thinking or reflection as a basis for learning explore, discover, construct, and create. Emergentist (Tomasello & Call, 1997) said that there is something innate in the human brain that makes language poss ible, something that we do with a large and complex brain that evolved to serve the many complex goals of human society and culture.A new machine built out of old parts, reconstructed from those parts by every human child. ( contrast to domain specificity ). Diagram 4 will show us people cannot create something from nothing. People can create but from something already there. The picture on the left is the nurtured face while the picture on the right is the natural face. Diagram 4: LAD THEORY ( Language Acquisition Device ) Chomsky regards linguistics as a subfield of psychology, more especially the cognitive psychology.The Language Acquisition Device: Chomsky argues that language is so complex that it is almost incredible that it can be acquired by a child in so short a time. He further says that a child is born with some innate mental capacity which helps the child to process all the language which he hears. This is called the quot;Language Acquisition Devicequot; (LAD). Chomsky a nd his followers claim that language is governed by rules, and is not a haphazard thing, as Skinner and his followers would claim. We must remember that when Chomsky talks about rules, he means the unconscious rules in a child's mind.A child constructs his own mental grammar which is a part of his cognitive framework. These rules enable him to produce grammatical sentences in his own language. Chomsky does not mean that child can describe these rules explicitly. For instance, a four or five year old child can produce a sentence like, I have taken meal, he can do that because he has a ‘mental grammar' which enables him to form correct present perfect structures and also to use such structures in the right or appropriate situation. Language learning Input Mental grammar Is an (own rules) Innate ability LADGrammatical Output sentencesChomsky suggests that the learner of any language has an inbuilt learning capacity for language that enables each learner to construct a kind of per sonal theory or set of rules about the language based on very limited exposure to language. John Watson / Behaviorism A branch of psychology that bases its observations and conclusions on definable and measurable behavior and on experimental methods, rather than on concept of ;quot;mind. â€Å" Behaviorism is a psychological theory first put forth by John Watson (1925), and then expounded upon by BF Skinner.Attempting to answer the question of human behavior, proponents of this theory essentially hold that all human behavior is learned from one's surrounding context and environment. Diagram 5 shows the imitation process * Children start out as clean slates and language learning is process of getting linguistic habits printed on these slates * Language Acquisition is a process of experience * Language is a ‘conditioned behavior’: the stimulus response process * Stimulus – Response, Feedback – Reinforcement Diagram 5:SUMMARY Rationalism ( Bloomfield & Noam Chomsky ) states the nativist or innateness where children must be born with an innate capacity for language development. Children are born with an innate propensity for language acquisition, and that this ability makes the task of learning a first language easier than it would otherwise be. The human brain is ready naturally for language in the sense when children are exposed to speech, certain general principles for discovering or structuring language automatically begin to operate.Constructivism ( Jean Piaget ) proponent of cognitive theory which introduced that language Acquisition must be viewed within the context of a child’s intellectual development. Linguistic structures will emerge only if there is an already established cognitive foundation. The earliest period of language learning (up to 18 months), relating to the development of what Piaget called ‘sensory motor’ intelligence, in which children construct a mental picture of a world of objects that hav e independent existence.During the later part of this period, children develop a sense of object permanence and will begin to search for the objects that they have seen hidden. This is further emphasized by Vygotsky in his socio-cultural approach to knowledge. Another theory by C. A. Ferguson (1977) known as the Input Theory claiming that parents do not talk to their children in the same way as they talk to other adults and seem to be capable of adapting their language to give the child maximum opportunity to interact and learn. REFERENCES:Pinel, JJ (2011) Biopsychology; Eighth Edition, Allyn& Bacon. Nature versus nurture – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nature_versus_nurturePowell, K. (n. d. ). Nature vs Nurture – How heredity and environment shape who we are. Retrieved from http://genealogy. about. com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/nature_nurture. htmPowell, K. (). Nature vs Nurture – how heredity and environment shape who we are. Retrieved from http://genealogy. about. com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/nature_nurture_2. htm

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What three costs do pennies impose on society? A. The cost of metal used In pennies has gone up beyond the face value of the coin itself. So manufacturing pennies is not worth. It takes approximately 1. 8 cent to create one penny coin. Eventually this cost will be suffered by the society. B. Pennies are not worth the time to count or store In the current economic market. C. Pennies result In dead weight transaction In the economy. 2. Are U. S. Coins fiat money or commodity money? Other than pennies and nickels, U. S. Runners today is fiat, the face value being bestially more than the value of the metal or paper. 3. Why such a slow recovery? Name the explanations for the slow US recovery John Taylor reject. Explain his reasoning. Slow Recovery- Gap does not close between Potential GAP and Real GAP. This is due to variety of macro and micro reasons. Macro reasons – long time low interest rates, debates about the size of multiplier Micro reasons – demand for housing, stimu lus package aimed at health care, excessive risk taking Secondly the growth rate of Real GAP was very low.Due to low growth rate, Employment recovery as weak, causing big fraction of working age population not working. 4. Which argument does John Taylor find most convincing? John finds bad economic policy being the major reason for slow economic growth- like stimulus packages, cash for clunkers, subsidies for first time home buyers. All these created short time solution but not sustainable recovery. 5. What are some of the measures of uncertainty that John Taylor considers as contributing to the slow recovery? John thinks that it is hard to make long term decision when economy is in uncertain state.The expiration of 2001-2003 tax cut, temporary cut in social security tax, expiration of unemployment benefits, delay in fix of Medicare, affordable care act taxes imposed, spending cuts – all this caused general uncertainty. 6. What are the key explanations for the slow recovery t hat Dry Lamer gives that differ from John Tailor's explanation? A. The Job market Is not strong, there are extreme Job losses. In the normal Job market scenarios the Jobs are lost, layoffs are done and people are hired back. In the current situation the Jobs are lost and workers are displaced arcing them to relocate and in many cases acquire new skills.One example is half a mil manufacturing jobs permanently displaced workers. These jobs did never come back. B. Due globalization and government policies , there are advanced technological changes in the manufacturing as well as many other industries increasing the productivity. But the low skilled labor is not competent to this technologically advanced job market. For this education system must undergo changes to create the workforce which is skilled for such jobs. 7. What three costs do pennies impose on society? Re not worth the time to count or store in the current economic market. . Pennies substantially more than the value of the metal or paper. 9. Why such a slow his reasoning. Slow Recovery – Gap does not close between Potential GAP and Real was weak, causing big fraction of working age population not working. 10. Which these created short time solution but not sustainable recovery. 11. What are some of the measures of uncertainty that John Taylor considers as contributing to the slow taxes imposed, spending cuts – all this caused general uncertainty. 12. What are the Tailor's explanation? . The Job market is not strong, there are extreme Job losses.In mil manufacturing Jobs permanently displaced workers. These Jobs did never come back. D. Due globalization and government policies , there are advanced technologically advanced Job market. For this education system must undergo changes to create the workforce which is skilled for such Jobs. 13. What three costs do pennies impose on society? A. The cost of metal used in pennies has gone up beyond the face value of the coin result in dead weight transaction in the economy. 14. Are U. S. Coins fiat money or bestially more than the value of the metal or paper. 5. Why such a slow was weak, causing big fraction of working age population not working. 16. Which these created short time solution but not sustainable recovery. 17. What are some taxes imposed, spending cuts – all this caused general uncertainty. 18. What are the Tailor's explanation? E. The Job market is not strong, there are extreme Job losses. In back. F. Due globalization and government policies , there are advanced 19. What three costs do pennies impose on society? Result in dead weight transaction in the economy. 0. Are U. S. Ions fiat money or substantially more than the value of the metal or paper. 21. Why such a slow was weak, causing big fraction of working age population not working. 22. Which these created short time solution but not sustainable recovery. 23. What are some taxes imposed, spending cuts – all this caused general uncertainty. 2 4. What are the Tailor's explanation? G. The Job market is not strong, there are extreme Job losses. In back. H. Due globalization and government policies , there are advanced 25. What three costs do pennies impose on society? Cult in dead weight transaction in the economy. 26. Are U. S. Coins fiat money or substantially more than the value of the metal or paper. 27. Why such a slow was weak, causing big fraction of working age population not working. 28. Which these created short time solution but not sustainable recovery. 29. What are some taxes imposed, spending cuts – all this caused general uncertainty. 30. What are the Tailor's explanation? I. The Job market is not strong, there are extreme Job losses. In back.

Questions Concerned International Business Law Research Paper

Questions Concerned International Business Law - Research Paper Example It is to be remembered that Coca is not to be misconstrued with cocoa, which emanates from cacao seeds and is being mainly used in making cocoa butter, cocoa and chocolates. (Index Mundi 2010). Even if you travel to the UK or some other destination through UAE or Dubai, it is advisable not to carry Coca with you. For example, if one is found to be carrying a packet of Khas Khas which is a generally used as a spice in some Indian sweets and curries, then it will be considered as a serious offense in UAE. Khas is also notoriously called as poppy seed, which can be germinated to grow narcotics (afeem etc.). (Index Mundi 2010). Thus, one should aware recent developments in the laws in UAE about Coca, and the exporter should clearly distinguish it from cocoa ( ingredients for Chocolates) and in other Gulf countries also which have been declared that carrying Coca is punishable with even worse with the death penalty or minimum 20 years of imprisonment. If a case has been booked by mistreating Cocoa as Coca, then the exporter has to incur huge legal fees as lawyers are demanding heavy fees for appearing in the court which may be amounting to AED 100,000 to plead for any innocence in Coca offenses. Everyone who is having business dealing with UAE should consider the significance of this issue and should never ever carry even minutest quantities of the following items when traveling or exporting the same to UAE or other Gulf countries. 2. For Ultra Educator Software Limited you have to assess what is the best form of corporate entity that I ideal for them in the United Arab Emirates? is it best if they have a branch or should they have a wholly owned subsidiary.

Economics of the U.A.E Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economics of the U.A.E - Essay Example A regional trade bloc with important economic objectives including the eventual establishment of a common currency, the Gulf Cooperation Council is a regional actor in the Middle East with increasing political leverage and diplomatic sway. Initially created to further the economic integration of Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf Cooperation Council fosters a sense of Arab community within the Gulf context and represents Arab multilateralism in the region. This analysis aims to be in-depth and comprehensive and will conclude with a concise analysis of the means through which the Gulf Cooperation Council will help the economic development of the UAE in the next 15 years and discuss important regional issues including the dream of a unified currency for the Arab states of the Persian Gulf region. A regional trade bloc which includes some of the fastest growing economies in the world, the Gulf Cooperation Council was devised and implemented in 1981 under the auspices of a unified economic agreement which established a unique social and economic bond between the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf region. The current six members of the GCC, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were the original parties to the document creating the GCC and although expansion of this regional body may occur in the future, the membership of the GCC has remained unchanged for more than twenty seven years. During these years, the region has witnessed incredible growth, rising gross national product throughout the region and an undeniable boom in natural resources including oil and natural gas. The Gulf Cooperation Council was established as a multilateral organization almost thirty years ago with the intent of fostering economic and social integration among the Arab countries of the Gulf region.

If it is not cold war Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

If it is not cold war - Assignment Example The US, hence, should assume an aloof position that casts her as a non-partisan party to the crisis. Harman, however, argues that the involvement of the US in the crisis is inevitable. This occurs given the attention Putin is garnering in the world. Putin’s actions could contribute towards an ideological shift that would transform world politics. Harman highlights the fact that the crisis is ideologically linked to the Ukrainian revolution. By playing partisan world politics, the US could create a crisis in the formerly stable country. Fiona Hill gives a historical account of world politics in analyzing the scenario. She highlights Russia as the core of communism that dominated the Stalin government. On the other end, the US is a capitalistic outfit that has long argued for liberal markets. When Putin gains control of Ukraine, he may attain the leeway to impose a new socio-economic order that is aligned to authoritarianism and central management of governments. Russia, in this case, is making a deliberate move of inviting the world’s attention to her

The value and meaning of the arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The value and meaning of the arts - Essay Example Modern artists reflect upon different incidents, political incidents, and other happenings. For example, in the 1980s, neo expressionism was created by German Expressionist artists like Emil Nolde, Max Beckmann, George Grosz, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, etc. In this style, recognizable objects were painted or sculpted in an abstract manner. Bold colors and depictions of violence were also common. These artists reflected the turmoil of that period. The government needs to support art and culture in order to help it move on to the next step of advancement. If the government had not backed up artists of the neo expressionism era, it would not have been accepted into the world of art. For example, After World War II, Nolde was honored and received the German Order of Merit, West Germany's highest civilian decoration. Emil Nolde, The Prophet, woodcut, 1912 Art has always evolved with time and different variations and new styles have come up. The works of iconic artists of the different periods have always been affected by the happenings, social and economic situations of the respective times. Presently, the most popular style of art is post modernism. Post-modernism is a general sense of the state of the western society, culture and modern art. In the special sense it is a political-scientific-artistic direction that is opposed to the institutions, methods, concepts and basic assumptions of modernity and aims to resolve and overcome it. Post modernism has social consequences. In the modern age, the Meta narratives or social institutions that legitimize political practices, ethics and ways of thinking, are lost in the postmodern era. This consensus dissolves into a multitude of mutually incompatible truth and justice concepts. At the same time takes a tolerant awareness of differences, diversity and plurality, and thus, has the ability to endure the inconsistency of language games. Marcel Duchamp, Fountain, 1917. Photograph by Alfred Steiglitz Not only artists but there a re many non-profit organizations like orchestras, museums, dance troupes, theaters, opera companies who are badly need for money. Huge amount of money needed for each and every dance troupe or opera company to promote their talent. Non-profit organizations are mainly dependent on the money they receive from public and government. They provide the services that we need in order to live nicely in our lives. People cannot live only with their jobs and their busy daily work schedule. They need some recreational activities to some extent for entertainment and these non-profit organizations help us to entertain but they do not get the amount of money they deserve. There are many cases where people do not need to pay a single penny to enjoy an opera show or to enter a museum. Most of the museums across UK or any other country are free for public but they spend a huge cost to maintain the buildings and the things kept inside the museum. There are many examples of shut down of museums as a r esult of insufficient funds. So, federal government should try to arrange some kinds of grant money for these non-profit organizations. One thing government must keep in mind that an individual is an important part of society because a number of individual make a society and the

How desalination of seawater for use as drinking water relates to the Essay

How desalination of seawater for use as drinking water relates to the principles of osmosis - Essay Example The process utilizes the principle of reverse osmosis and has its own share of advantages and disadvantages. Description and Evaluation Osmosis is defined as â€Å"the passage or diffusion of water or other solvents through a semipermeable membrane that blocks the passage of dissolved solutes† (Kershner, 2012). Technically, water moves from an area of less solute concentration to that of greater solute concentration, because water seeks equilibrium and thus seeks to make the concentration of the area with greater solute more or less equal. It does so through osmosis and water only stops moving once balance is attained or until equal osmotic pressure is reached. This is the state where there is no more movement by solvent. The desalination of water is not osmosis but rather the opposite of it: reverse osmosis (Kershner, 2012). In the case of reverse osmosis, there is movement of solvent molecules through a semipermeable membrane from an area of greater solute concentration to t hat of less solute concentration, or simply the movement of the solvent away from where solute concentration is relatively higher. ... Applying pressure to saltwater to pass through the semipermeable membrane will make the solvent or water component to pass through but not the relatively bigger particles of salt. Thus, one has salt on one side of the semipermeable membrane and freshwater on the other (Kershner, 2012). See Figure 1 for the schematic diagram of the reverse osmosis desalination plant. Figure 1. Schematic representation of a Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant Source: http://freshlysqueezedwater.org.uk/waterarticle_reverseosmosis.php The reverse osmosis system includes several features. One of these is the type of semipermeable membrane used, upon which the percentage of tap water impurities removed depends. Cellulose Tri-Acetate, or CTA, membranes possess a removal rate of around 88 to 94% of tap water impurities. Thin Film Composite, or TFC, membranes remove around 94 to 98% of all solids, and Hi-S membranes are responsible for the elimination of 97.5 to 99% of all impurities especially fine silicates (FAQs: Reverse Osmosis Water, 2013). Moreover, the three main components of the system include the high pressure pump, the energy recovery device and the reverse osmosis membranes. The high pressure pump is responsible for providing the pressure needed for seawater in order for it to move from an area of high solute or salt concentration to an area of lower solute concentration. Depending on the salinity and temperature of the seawater, the amount of pressure provided by the high pressure pump ranges from 55 to 85 bars. The pressure then creates not only the movement of the flow of concentrate, but also energy. The energy recovery devices are then responsible for the reuse of the energy coming from the flow of the

Consepts in political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Consepts in political science - Essay Example This also implies that democracy could also create tyrants out of the majority, since it would be expected that they would be able to give representations as to what the public needs, without having to answer for any from the minorities. Thus, while the democracy in America during Tocqueville’s time may have been borne out of the need for changes, there was still more work to be needed. Due to this view, he was able to generate the idea that democracy is a dynamic concept, which has no stopping at any point, and is constantly remodeled and reformulated to suit the needs of the people (Hoffman and Graham 140). In line with democracy, other principles such as self-accountability in maintaining peace and order in a society were also developed. One of the most influential essays to be written, Mill’s work On Liberty discusses the main premise that freedom must start from the happiness, or intended pleasure of the people (Hoffman and Graham 40). Identifying with this kind of freedom would make sure that the peace and order within a group of people would be maintained, since the citizens experiencing liberty are expected to be satisfied and content. Also, by implementing such humane principles of freedom, the lives of human beings grow into a distinct and separate existence from animals (Hoffman and Graham 41). In Mill’s belief, in order to be fully recognized as a rational human being, the ability to think, express ideas, and to live as one chooses to without doing any intended harm would be the ultimate expression of freedom (Hoffman and Graham 41). While Mill’s definition of freedom and liberty may seem at most utopian, this kind of freedom would only be effective if it is rightfully exercised, without the... In this essay, three ideas of well-known writers of political ideas, John Stuart Mill, Alexis de Tocqueville, and John Rawls will be discussed, as well as the federalist ideas of a group of writers under the pen name Publius would be summarized. The impact of their ideas or the possible influence in affecting the participation of citizens in politics would also be integrated in the course of the analysis. Democracy as seen from a foreigner’s viewpoint can be read in Alexis de Tocqueville’s book titled Democracy in America. Coming from a country where political power was previously owned by the aristocrats, Tocqueville wanted to see how a country such as the United State would be implementing democracy despite having not many leaders with deep political roots. In line with democracy, other principles such as self-accountability in maintaining peace and order in a society were also developed. In Mill’s belief, in order to be fully recognized as a rational human bei ng, the ability to think, express ideas, and to live as one chooses to without doing any intended harm would be the ultimate expression of freedom. In his book, A Theory of Justice, Rawls presented methods on how to distribute resources to all of the citizens as equally as possible. In conclusion, the essay reminds that in defining democracy as a political method, politicians are elected based on the number of votes. The main role of the people is to select the candidate whom they see as the most appropriate in the position (Hoffman and Graham 107).

Instruction Groups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Instruction Groups - Essay Example Thus, the teacher may have a number of high achievers in one group and low achievers in another. Students enter the system with varied levels of reading abilities and mathematical skills. Hence, it is common for teachers to practice within-class groupings for the teaching of Reading and Mathematics. Flexible grouping encompasses the arrangement of students based on their learning levels. Hence, students may not remain in the same group for an entire semester. The teacher closely monitors students’ progress to ascertain when students may have improved in a particular subject area. This student is then placed in a group that contains members of similar aptitude. However, a student may be excellent in one subject area yet weak in another. Regardless of the type of grouping used, the teacher should establish only two or three groups within the class for easier supervision and timely intervention. Each group should work on material that is suited to their unique needs and abilities. Some situations in which whole group instruction may occur include storytelling, the introduction of new concepts, ideas and skills, writing composition, poetry appreciation, dramatization of a story and the generation of a language experience chart. Specifically, there is a lure about story-telling that equalizes all students irrespective of their reading level or their ability in any other content area. For example in the telling of the story of Little Red Riding Hood, the teacher could read aloud this story, varying the intonation of the voice in order to portray different characters. All the students are allowed to participate in this session. However, at the end of the reading of the story, students can be divided into groups based on their ability or skill. Thus, the teacher of a third grade class for example, may ask each ability group to write a different ending to the story. At the end of the writing period, the

Andragogical Theory and Adult Literacy Programs Essay

Andragogical Theory and Adult Literacy Programs - Essay Example This approach contrasted with the age-old perspective based on the outcome of education, with pedagogy being the only theoretical framework for the education of both adults and children. For andragogy to begin its transition into future use, a testable instrument is required to be developed to measure â€Å"whether andragogical assumptions are being incorporated in instructional settings† (Taylor & Kroth, 2009, p.10). Knowles’ predictions for the future of adult education included that it would restructure all of education, which would become a life-long endeavor. Therefore, junior and high school students need not bother memorizing facts; the curriculum of education for the young would need to shift from an emphasis on subject mastery, to learning-skills. Moreover the curriculum would be centred on problem areas or questions, â€Å"rather than on fragmented subject areas† (Knowles, 1962, p.275). It is concluded that Knowles’ predicted a new world with a n ew purpose for education. Knowles highlighted learning what is not yet known, and the creation of a new culture through empowerment. References Knowles, M.S. (Winter 1978). Androgogy: Adult learning theory in perspective. Community College Review, 5(3): pp.9-20. Knowles, M.S. (1970, 1980).

Duck hunting in ND Essay Example for Free

Duck hunting in ND Essay BOOM! Then, dead silence. The water ripples as the smell of gun powder fills the air. The victim is seen helpless by the hunter. Now if this is what sounds like a thrill to you, duck hunting is the way to go. If someone were to ask me what my favorite hobby is, I would have to say duck hunting in North Dakota. Some may not consider it a hobby because I only duck hunt four days a year, but I still do. I also duck hunt behind our house on Trident Lake another three to ten days a year. Duck hunting is very different from other types of hunting. Usually hunters have to be still and quiet when deer and turkey hunting. When duck hunting, a necessity is to keep the eyes down. It doesn’t matter if talking or moving is involved, as long as the duck can’t see the hunter’s eyes. The process of preparing to go duck hunting is quite tedious. A hunter must pack thoroughly, not just the average cooking utensils but also: duck calls, blinds, seats, clothes, food, a trailer, decoys, guns, and much more. I usually prepare for North Dakota a week early, because I feel so excited, which gives me more time to become prepared. Usually I go with my dad and my sister, but the year I am going on the â€Å"man† trip with my dad and uncle. It will be more fun in my eyes, because I am with more experienced hunters, and that makes the trip easier. People might be wondering why I need all these decoys and duck calls. They are quick to learn once I tell them. When hunting for ducks around Polk County, Wisconsin, there are two main type of ducks, Mallards and Wood ducks. Occasionally there will be a Buffle Head or two, but not very often. In Verona, North Dakota, there are many ducks my dad and I shoot. These ducks are that my dad and I shoot are: Pintails, Shovelers, Mallards, Northern Mallards, Widgeon, Red Heads, Blue Bills, Buffle Head, Gadwall, Ring Necks, Coots, Canvasbacks, Diver Ducks, Green Wing Teal, Blue Wing Teal, and Hooded Mergansers. If people think sixteen is much, just remember that there is a female to every male. It’s very interesting to hunt ducks in North Dakota. It’s not like anyone can just travel out of state and hunt ducks. To hunt in North Dakota, it requires and out-of-state license and knowledge of the daily bag limit for each type of duck. Some ducks are what hunters call, â€Å"banded† which means the Federal Fish and Game Wildlife Service puts a metal ring around the duck’s foot. After that duck is shot, the Federal Fish and Game Wildlife Service can tell the hunter where the duck was banded. Then a free picture frame with the certificate of authentication will be sent to the hunter’s home. It’s an amazing experience for someone like me who has been hunting for three years to shoot a banded duck. My dad has been hunting for 15 years and has only shot one. Now with a general understanding of what it’s like to be a duck hunter, I will go into some more in-depth daily routines. When traveling to go hunting, my dad and I usually wake up at about 5:30 in the morning. Once we are dressed for the, 0-45 degree Fahrenheit temperature, we can pack up and leave. Generally scouting for a hunting spot is done by good hunters a day in advance. This process can take anywhere from one to six hours. To find the perfect pothole, also known as freshwater marshes found in the Upper Midwest and especially North Dakota, just look for where the ducks are landing and set up in that spot the next morning. Once we travel to the pothole, we find a place in the cattails reeds or on land to put our guns, ammunition bag, buckets to sit on and miscellaneous items. Decoys are then set out strategically according to the wind and what type of ducks we are hunting for. Now all the preparation is put into action, as the hunting begins. Imagine sitting in the middle of the pothole at 6:45 in the morning, with ducks flying unknowingly to the water surrounded by two armed hunters. Imagine seeing the sunrise above the wind breakers, made of trees, a beautiful orange and red glow. Imagine hearing coyotes howling all around the water, as the hunter patiently waits for the shooting hour to arrive. Then the clock hits 7:15, just as the sky is visible enough to see. Ducks are flying all around, with their wings cupped and ready to land into the wind at your direction. The first shot burst out, as an echo is heard in the distance, leaving a glowing red out of the end of the 12 gauge’s barrel. Smoke fills the air, and it’s time to wake up and have some fun! When ducks are flying in the sky, they fly in a â€Å"V† shape and land into the wind. The cattail reeds around are five to eight feet tall and are broken down to be used as a gun rest and as a shooting lane. Ducks are flying in as the hunter stars the female Mallard comeback call, to bring the drakes and hen Mallards in. The ducks lands in the pothole with wings cupped and the perfect time to pull a gun up as a hunter is right before the ducks bring their feet out to land. Once this is achieved by the hunter the ducks are defenseless, not knowing whether to fly up or just land in the water. It’s almost as if the ducks are levitating in air. As a hunter, this is the prime time to shoot at the ducks. Once the duck is hit, preferably in the head or torso, it hits the water causing a rippling effect. Diver Ducks try to dive under once hit, and drown the-selves in the weeds. Most other ducks do the circle of death, where a duck flaps it’s wings around in a circle on the water, just before dying. Understand this, there is something that is different about killing ducks than other animals. When a duck is flying 30 mph in the air, they are pretty hard to hit. But when a deer is standing still, it feels too easy to shoot. As a hunter, I take some self-pride in killing a duck, almost as if I achieved something by hitting it. Therefore, anyone else reading this that duck hunts should to. A lesson learning incident took place while duck hunting one time. I was looking to the left for ducks in the air and before I knew, there was a duck heading straight for my face. As I turned right I saw the duck five feet from my face, the feeling can’t even be put into words! Many may not believe me, but when that duck flew by my head, it literally sounded like a jet taking off. I’m not sure if it has to do with the wing structure on the duck, or air current resulting in the extremely loud sound. This just goes to show, that every hunter has to stay alert. Duck hunting is full of surprises, for the good and bad. When taking a shot at just one duck or a flock, it is critical to make sure that the ducks is in range. Most hunters typically say no more than 30 yards away. Range for shooting a duck all has to do with how a hunter has his BB pattern laid out. The spread on a shotgun is set wide for smaller distances and more BB spread, and tight for farther shot and less BB spread. Another reason why a hunter should take caution when shoot is because, ammunition is very expensive. A box of Black Cloud 12 Gauge 3in 1 1/4oz shells, which are great to hunt with, cost $20. 49 for a box of 25 shells. Another way to say it is, shooting a dollar out of the barrel every shot. For me and I imagine other hunter, when it’s all in fun for the love of the sport, cost doesn’t really seem to matter. The land hunted on in North Dakota is usually owned by farmers. We have to ask permission to hunt on private land. Usually the farmers are reasonable and for letting us hunt we give them a jar of maple syrup. I would suggest to anyone hunting on private land, to ask permission and give something to the owner in return. Since most fields are bean and corn fields, the farmers don’t have much maple syrup because of very few maple trees. They are very thankful, and love when we give them the maple syrup. Ducks aren’t necessarily a favorite of ours to eat, so as another act of thanks, we cut up the duck’s breast and give it to the farmer. Usually the Gadwalls and the Northern Mallards will have the biggest breast meat. While the Teal have much smaller breast meat. If someone wanted to write a 20 page paper on the basics of duck hunting, I think it would be very achievable. As the reader can tell, there is much more beneath the surface than just shooting a duck and calling it good. Knowledge about the sports and its regulations need to be known to succeed. I would highly recommend duck hunting to anyone, it is by far my favorite animal to hunt. If there is a region close to you that is swampy and vegetated, chances are it will be a good place for a duck to eat and become a target. In conclusion, I hope anyone who reads this can take in the consideration I have for the love of duck hunting and make it their love too. I want everyone to take what they learned and tell it to other people, so they too can have an amazing hobby of duck hunting. Just remember, if having a good time and shooting ducks sound like fun, this is the sport for you!

Business Continuity Planning Pros and Cons

Business Continuity Planning Pros and Cons Advantages and Disadvantages of Business Continuity Planning In a Financial Organization under the Incident Command System Abstract This research paper is primarily focused on highlighting the specific pros and cons of a business continuity plan that is used in a financial organization under the incident management system. The advantages associated with the use of incident command systems in a BCP in any financial organization are paramount including being able to install preventive and corrective measures that can either reduce partial or complete impact in cases of disruptions. However still there exist some cons associated with its usage i.e. fast amounts of time required for its implementation, asset acquisition and in most cases the size of the organization might hinder the implementation of an incident command system. Introduction A business continuity plan is very critical in the facilitation of the smooth running of the organization or guidelines that can help recover from disruptions hence ensuring the provision of services even in cases of disturbances. The process focuses on assessment and identification of all the potential threats that might disrupt service delivery and their potential impacts with the aim of creating measures to ensure the resilience of the system. Technology should enable recovery of applications from disruptions and other critical data through the disaster recovery plan. An incident command system is the technical developments for a given company that entails its main functionality being to mitigate the impacts of the unforeseen incidents that can result in loss of critical data. Business continuity planning are corrective measures established in an organization or an institution to govern the daily and future activities within it (Ramakrishnan et al., 2015). These measures are for ensuring that there is smooth running of the necessary activities. Failure to establish the plan could lead to the company collapsing, low profit in the day to day sales or even shut down of the business which is a big loss to the business. Business continuity planning should be done to any organization that takes its customers or clients seriously. Continuous planning takes the owner of the business miles ahead of the other competitors within the same field (Heng, 2015). Advantages I. During planning the potential of the business booming up is established plus the possible weaknesses and challenges the company might face are outlined and effective solution are established in advance. II. The main advantage that any financial institution stands to gain from the use of an incident command system is the ability to identify potential threats and plan in advance hence avoiding suspension of critical financial operations. The threats might range from natural epidemics, cyber-attacks or just computer failures as a result of hardware or software issues. III. The financial organization has increased abilities to maintain effective coordination and to maintain the response directions. Besides, the organization can gain insights on the importance of coordination of resources and the ability to identify the incident priorities. IV. The financial institution has a good platform for testing and reviewing the most likely threat hence allowing for coordination of BCP with external stakeholders. V. The long-term use of incident command systems is an advantage in itself as it leads to gaining of experience hence I the long run will lead to higher efficiency in restoration and fast recoveries. However, the full implementation becomes a disadvantage as it is time-consuming. VI. The financial section of the organization if it implements the recovery systems well can work as a competitive advantage as it safeguards against financial losses of the organization VII. Although this is later on stipulated as a disadvantage, it can still be an advantage. Incident command system can be used to accomplish tasks that people couldnt do in disaster prone areas hence preventing payment disorder whereas reducing the risks associated with miscommunication between the responder. VIII. Embracing the current evolution computing technology brings efficient fast and timely delivery of the service given by the organization. This can help in record keeping and monitor the business activities. IX. Business continuity planning helps one in marking the best insurance cover that matches the criteria of business. The cover is of great help in case of disasters like fire or thefts or any other disaster that could strike the organization. X. Business continuity planning helps one building best platforms for marketing and branding of the business and products.one is in a position to establish the effective and most suitable mode of reaching out that is fault tolerant and can assure customers of uninterrupted service delivery. XI. The target audience is created. He/she is in a position to outline the reach people or group one is aiming at. This helps one avoid going out of the set individuals. Disadvantages Failure to do business continuity planning one is at a significant risk of either: I. The implementation process is often considered as tedious hence requiring professionals to handle it. Besides the organization has to employ qualified personnel to handle that. No business intends to invest heavily in preparing for unknown threats as they rather wait for it to happen then defend (Systems, 2012). II. The process of using incident command systems as a business continuity planning tool is both costly and time-consuming. This may lead to over investment of funds that could have otherwise been dedicated to other business operations. III. Business collapsing or failure that is as a result of poor management skills, techniques, and evaluation techniques. Hence, one is not in a position to establish the coming danger and ends up regretting the already outcome. IV. The death of individuals could occur after the fire, building collapsing where the insurance covers have been ignored, have not been implemented by professionals or due to lack of adequate testing of the possible scenarios. Conclusions The implementation of a business continuity plan through incident command systems has been faced with numerous advantages and disadvantages. Some of the benefits include; response, recognition of threats, competitive benefits, coordination mechanisms, experience and an excellent testing platform with the option testing and reviewing. The main disadvantages include the need for specialized skills in handling the recovery systems. In addition to this, small businesses cannot implement the system as this may result in losses through maintenance cost. However, analysis of the pros and cons suggests that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. All this indicates the importance for all financial institutions to implement the incident command system as part of the business continuity plan (Drennan, 2014). References Drennan, L., McConnell, A., Stark, A. (2014). Risk and crisis management in the public sector. 2nd ed. Routledge Taylor Francis Group London and New York. Heng, Goh Moh. (2015) Business Continuity Management Planning Methodology. International Journal Of Disaster Recovery And Business Continuity, vol 6, 2015, pp. 9-16. Science And Engineering Research Support Society, doi:10.14257/ijdrbc.2015.6.02. Ramakrishnan, R. K., Viswanathan, S. (2015). The Importance of Business Strategy in Business Continuity Planning. The Definitive Handbook of Business Continuity Management, 31-35. doi:10.1002/9781119205883.ch3 Systems, S. (2012) The CEOs Guide to Succession Planning: Managing Risk Ensuring Business Continuity. SSRN Electronic Journal. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1633523

Current cognitive models of PTSD

Current cognitive models of PTSD The treatment literature of the past twenty years reflects an enormous interest in discovering the most effective psychological therapy for clients with a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD. The overall aim of this paper is to critically evaluate current cognitive models of PTSD and literature on the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapies to treat this disorder based on these models. Definitions of PTSD In the Fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) trauma is defined as: (a) The person experienced, witnessed or was confronted with an event that involved actual or perceived threat to life or physical integrity; and (b) the persons emotional response to this event included horror, helplessness or intense fear. Foa and Meadows (1997, p. 450). In DSM-IV psychological symptoms of PTSD are categorised into three cluster symptoms: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing and increased arousal, which arise after the person is exposed to a traumatic stressor. The recurrent re-experiencing symptoms e.g. flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, have been considered the hallmark of PTSD (e.g. Foa Rothbaurn, 1992). The second cluster includes avoidance of trauma-related stimuli and numbing of general responsiveness e.g. deliberately avoiding trauma-related stimuli and symptoms of emotional numbing (Foa, Hearst-Ikeda, Perry, 1995; Litz, 1993). The latter are considered distinguishing features of PTSD (Foa Meadows, 1997). The third symptom cluster includes increased arousal e.g. hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, difficulty sleeping and irritability (APA, 1994). Current Government Guidelines on the treatment of PTSD Determining effective and efficient treatments for PTSD has become a priority in light of the conditions prevalence and the many techniques and interventions available. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence, NICE, reviewed the most robust outcome research and produced guidelines, to inform and guide clinical practice for the psychological treatment of PTSID in adults (NICE, 2005). The guidelines were based on an independent, systematic, rigorous and multistage process of identifying, reviewing and appraising evidence for the effective treatment of PTSD. These guidelines conclude that individuals with PTSD should receive either trauma focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, TFCBT or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, EMDR. However, a distinction is made between single incident trauma and more complex presentations, and the guidelines suggest increasing the total number of sessions accordingly. Although the guidelines appear helpful for the treatment of single incid ent PTSD, they are arguably not as informative for treatment approaches for a large group of individuals with complex PTSD. This presents difficulties for the clinician and client in deciding the most effective therapeutic options. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most extensively researched therapy for individuals with PTSD (Foa Meadows, 1997) and many studies support its efficacy in reducing symptom severity (e.g. Foa et al., 1995; Foa Jaycox, 1996; Foa, Rothbaurn, Riggs, Murdock, 1991; Resick Schnicke, 1992; Richards, Lovell, Marks, 1994; Thompson, Charlton, Kerry, Lee, Turner, 1995). However, CBT for PTSD encompasses diverse techniques. These include exposure procedures, cognitive restructuring procedures, and combinations of both these techniques. Exposure Therapy Exposure therapy is based on the premise that imaginal exposure (IE) to the trauma or feared situation, leads to symptom reduction. The theory argues prolonged activation of traumatic memories leads to emotional processing of the affective information, habituation of anxiety and integration of corrective information (Foa et al., 1995). Numerous studies have demonstrated that treatment based on exposure therapy is efficacious in reducing PTSD (e.g. Foa et al., 1999; Frueh, Turner, Beidel, Mirabella, Jones, 1996; Keane, Fairbank, Cadell, Zimmering, 1989). Foa, Rothbaum, Riggs, and Murdoch (1991) investigated exposure therapy, stress inoculation (a type of Anxity Management Treatment, AMT), supportive counselling, and a non-treatment group in the treatment of PTSD as a result of rape. Clinical ratings of symptoms and standardized psychometric tests were examined before and after treatment as well as at a 3-month follow-up. The stress inoculation intervention showed greater results than the counselling and non-treatment conditions at post-test. However, at the follow-up, the individuals participating in exposure therapy showed more improvements of PTSD symptoms than individuals in the other groups. Research has investigated the efficiency of exposure therapy compared to different methods of treatment. For instance, Tarrier et al. (1999) investigated exposure therapy and cognitive therapy in the treatment of individuals with PTSD arising from several different traumatic incidents. The two groups demonstrated noteworthy decrease in PTSD symptoms that was still present at the 6-month follow up. Although results were positive for both groups, there was no non-treatment control against which these two active treatments could be evaluated. Similarly, Foa et al. (1999) compared exposure therapy to AMT and then combined the two treatments. These three groups were compared to a non-treatment control group. All three of these treatments effectively reduced symptoms of rape-related PTSD and resulted in functional improvement. There were no differences among the three treatment groups on outcome measures, but all three groups improved more than the non-treatment comparison group did. In a study that once again compared exposure therapy to cognitive therapy, Marks, Lovell, Noshirvani, Livanou, and Thrasher (1998) examined these two treatments alone and in combination in outpatients with PTSD secondary to a wide range of traumatic events. A relaxation therapy condition was employed as the primary comparison group. All three active treatment conditions showed significant improvement, and greater improvement than that observed in the relaxation group. The three active treatments did not differ from one another on the key outcome variables. Several investigations have advanced the field of PTSD treatment, even though the methodology utilized in the outcome study limited the conclusions that could be drawn. Frank and Stewart (1983) reported the effects of systematic desensitization on women who had been raped and who developed significant psychological symptomatology. Compared to an untreated comparison group, those women treated with graduated exposure improved most on a range of anxiety and depression symptom measures. Richards, Lovell, and Marks (1994) compared imaginal and in vivo exposure in a randomized study of survivors of diverse traumatic events. At the 12-month follow-up, patients reported consistent reductions in PTSD symptoms and improved social adjustment. These data further substantiate the effectiveness of exposure therapy for some individuals, and also suggest that improvements in symptoms are also reflected in critical domains of life functioning. In summary, the existing data support the use of exposure therapy in the treatment of PTSD. In a previous review of this literature, Solomon, Gerrity, and Muff, (1992), (Sited in Shapiro, 1995) derived the same conclusion from data available at that time. Similar conclusions were drawn by Otto, Penava, Pollack, and Smoller (1996) in a more recent review of the literature. In what may ultimately prove to be an important lesson for the treatment of individuals exposed to traumatic events, Foa, Hearst-Ikeda, and Perry (1995) examined the efficacy of a brief intervention to prevent the development of chronic PTSD. For women who had been recently raped, the authors developed a program based upon that which worked so well in earlier trials with chronic PTSD. Exposure therapy figured prominently in the package of treatments assembled. This package also included elements of education, breathing retraining, and cognitive restructuring. When individuals receiving the package were compared to a matched control group, this study found that at 2 months after intervention only 10% of the treated group met criteria for PTSD, while 70% of the untreated comparison group did. As information continues to grow on exposure therapy, there is a distinct need for studies to examine combinations of treatments, to employ measures that assess social and occupational functioning, and to address the impact of treatments on comorbid psychological conditions. Clearly, the available efficacy studies demonstrate the value of extending the use of exposure therapies to patients with PTSD. However future studies assessing the generalization of exposure therapy from laboratory trials to clinical settings would be particularly useful. When exposure therapy has been compared to other forms of cognitive therapy, such as cognitive restructuring (see below), it has proved to be more successful in reducing PTSD. Tarrier et al., (1999) compared Cognitive Therapy (CT) with imaginal exposure therapy (IE) for 72 people with chronic PTSD, and concluded that there was no significant difference between the two groups initially or at 12 month follow up. Participants recruited were obtained from a sample of referrals to primary and secondary mental health services and voluntary services, indicating that they were representative of a genuine clinical sample. However, 50% of the sample remained above clinical significance for PTSD symptoms after treatment was completed, although this dropped to 25% at six-month follow-up. This lack of improvement may have been influenced by participants failure to attend sessions regularly. Furthermore, those who did not show improvement rated the therapy as less credible and were rated as less m otivated by the therapist. Therefore, it is argued that motivation for therapy and regular attendance plays an important role in outcome of therapy regardless of treatment model. A further limitation of this study was that no control group was used and non-specific treatment factors and spontaneous remission could also account for the improvements in reported symptoms. Cognitive Restructuring Cognitive restructuring is based on the theory that identifying and modifying catastrophic and unrealistic interpretations of the traumatic experience leads to symptom reduction. Recent models have emphasised the importance of correcting cognitive distortions in the adaptive recovery of people following trauma (Ehlers Clarke, 2000). Ehlers, Clark, Hackmann, McManus, and Fennell (2005) utilized cognitive therapy based on the cognitive model of PTSD (see Ehlers Clarke, 2000). From this model, the aim of therapy is to modify excessively negative appraisals, correct the autobiographical memory disturbance and to remove the problematic behavioural and cognitive strategies. In a randomised controlled trial, twenty-eight participants who were referred to a community mental health team were diagnosed with PTSD. Fourteen participants were randomly allocated to immediate cognitive therapy or a 13-week waiting list condition. Those receiving cognitive therapy had 12 weekly treatment sessions, based on the Ehlers and Clarke (2000) model of trauma focused CBT. Participants completed self-report measures of PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety and also completed the Sheehan Disability Scale (APA, 2000). Measures were completed pre and post treatment and at 6 month follow up. Results found that CT for PTSD was superior to a 3-m onth waiting list condition on measures of PTSD symptoms, disability and associated symptoms of anxiety and depression. This study had no dropouts, which is a significant improvement on other studies, which Yielded high dropout rates. (e.g. Tarrier et al., 1999). Participants displayed a positive change in cognitive appraisals. The Ehlers and Clarke (2000) model suggest that two other pathways of change, change in autobiographical memory of the trauma, and dropping of maintaining behaviours and cognitive strategies as integral in reducing symptoms of PTSD. Although the treatment addressed these other two factors, these have not been systematically measured, so it is difficult to conclude whether clients experienced a change in these two areas. Further analysis indicated that demographic, trauma and diagnostic variables did not predict treatment outcome, suggesting that the treatment is applicable to a wide range of trauma survivors. However, the degree in variation of trauma and small sample numbers suggests that this finding would not be present in a larger sample. Co-morbid depression and previous trauma history, which was present in over half the sample, did not negatively affect outcome. Combinations of therapy Resick and Schnicke (1992) have proffered a multidimensional behavioural treatment package for women who have rape-related PTSD. This package, entitled cognitive processing therapy (CPT), combines elements of exposure therapy, Anxiety Management Training (AMT), and cognitive restructuring. The cognitive therapy component of CPT involves addressing key cognitive distortions found among women who have been assaulted. In particular, these authors have designed interventions for addressing difficulties in safety, trust, power, self-esteem, and intimacy in the lives of survivors. In a preliminary evaluation of CPT, the authors compared outcomes at pre-treatment, post-treatment, 3 months follow-up, and 6 months follow-up for a treatment group and a non-treatment comparison group (no random assignment was used). On clinician ratings and psychometric inventories of PTSD, the individuals receiving CPT improved markedly. At the post-treatment assessment, impressively, none of the treated patie nts met criteria for PTSD. In a recently completed study, Resick, Nishith, and Astin (2000) reported on a comparison of CPT and exposure therapy in the treatment of rape-related PTSD. In general, the two treatments were equally effective and more effective than a non-treatment control condition. CPT did also seem to reduce comorbid symptoms of depression, as well as those of PTSD. Combination treatments that include an array of cognitive-behavioural strategies have the advantage of addressing multiple problems that people with PTSD may exhibit, as well as incorporating techniques that have considerable empirical support in the clinical literature. Keane, Fisher, Krinsley, and Niles (1994) described a treatment package including exposure therapy, AMT, and cognitive restructuring as central features of their approach to treating PTSD. This package employs a phase oriented approach to treating severe and chronic PTSD that includes the following six phases: (1) behavioural stabilization; (2) trauma education; (3) AMT; (4) trauma focus work; (5) relapse prevention skills; and (6) aftercare procedures. Although this approach has clinical appeal, it wasnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t until psychologists Fecteau and Nicki (1999) examined such a package in a randomized clinical trial for PTSD secondary to motor vehicle accidents that the impact of a combination package such as that proposed by Keane et al. (1994) was assessed. Their intervention consisted of trauma education, relaxation training, exposure therapy, cognitive restructuring, and guided behavioural practice. Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention or to a non-treatment comparison group and received some 8à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10 sessions of individualized treatment. The results of the intervention were successful as measured by clinical ratings, self-report questionnaires, and a laboratory-based psycho-physiological assessment procedure. Described by the authors as clinically and statistically significant, these treatment effects were maintained at the 6-month follow-up assessment. Bryant, Moulds, Guthrie, Dang, and Nixon (2003) studied the effects of IE alone or IE with CR in the treatment of PTSD. They hypothesised that CR combined with IE would result in greater PTSD symptom reduction than exposure alone, which in turn would have greater benefits than a supportive counselling condition. Fifty-eight civilian trauma survivors, diagnosed with PTSD as measured by Clinician Administered. PTSD Scale, version 2, CAPS-2, (Blake et al., 1995) were randomly allocated to one of the three conditions. Each participant received eight weekly 90-minute sessions of either IE, CR and IE or supportive counselling. Participants completed assessments at pre and post treatment and 6 month follow up. These measured PTSD symptoms and psychopathology. Forty-five participants completed treatment and analysis indicated that dropouts had higher scores for depression, avoidance and higher catastrophic cognitions than those who completed. Results indicated that participants receiving bot h IE and IE/CR had greater reductions in PTSD symptoms and anxiety than supportive counselling (SC). The major finding of this study was that therapy involving IE and CR leads to greater reductions in CAPS-2 intensity scores than therapy involving IE alone. Furthermore, those receiving IE/CR, but not IE alone, reported fewer avoidance, depression and catastrophic cognitions than those receiving SC. The results from this study indicated that the combination of IE and CR are effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD. It can be argued that the reasons why IE/CR may have been more effective than augmented treatments in the past (e.g. Foa et al., 1999) was that the study carefully controlled for the amount of time actively spent on each treatment component. Furthermore, participants were instructed on CR before commencing IE so they understood the rationale behind the techniques prior to addressing the strong emotional components of IE. This may have increased their understanding and belief that it was a credible treatment approach. The finding that CR enhanced the treatment gains of IE may have been mediated by several possible mechanisms. IE and CR may involve common elements, including processing of emotional memories, integration of corrective information and development of self-mastery (Marks, 2000). Combining both interventions may provide the individual with greater opportunity to benefit. CR may have lead to greater symptom reduction as it specifically addressed identification and modification of maladaptive cognitions that may contribute to maintenance of PTSD and associated problems (Ehlers Clarke, 2000). Paunovic and Ost (2001), compared treatment outcome data for CBT and exposure therapy for sixteen refugees with PTSD. The authors excluded those who became too distressed in the initial interview, expressed a lack of confidence in the therapist or were misusing alcohol or drugs. Results indicated there was no significant difference between participants completing CBT or exposure therapy, being simila r to Tarrier et als (1999) findings. Criticisms of Paunovic and Ost (2001)s study are that participants did not use a self-report trauma measure, so although results are positive, there is no clear analysis of whether participants felt their trauma symptoms decreased as a result of the treatment. Further, it is not possible to generalise these findings to traumatised refugees in general, as this work is unique. Working with the use of an interpreter raises several ethical and sensitive issues, as the participant must be able to develop a therapeutic alliance with the therapist and trust the interpreter (Tribe, 2007). It could be argued that participants may have been experiencing a greater degree of trauma, not least because they had not yet learned the native language. Discussion The most effective CBT programs appear to be those that rely on repeated exposure to the trauma memory (Foa et al., 1999; Foa et al., 1991; Foa Rothbaum, 1992) on cognitive restructuring of the meaning of the trauma, (Ehlers Clarke, 2000) or a combination of these methods, (Resick Schnicke, 1992). Importantly, studies have concluded that trauma focused CBT is more effective than supportive counselling (Blanchard et al., 2003; Bryant et al., 2003). Whilst the studies reviewed have helpfully added to our understanding of PTSD there are numerous limitations of the applications of the findings. One in particular is an over-reliance on non-clinical samples of participants such that many claims of clinically effective therapy have been made from research with participants who were not within mental health systems, and despite having PTSD symptoms had not actively sought treatment. In addition, dropout rates in studies are high, particularly for those studies that did not use a clinical sample. This might have skewed the evidence particularly with approaches that used exposure-based therapy. Furthermore, most of the studies reviewed screened out those individuals experiencing the greatest amount of distress, avoidance and co-morbidity. Therefore results are biased towards those clients who were able to tolerate treatment and whose symptoms were not as chronic. Indeed, inclusion and exclusion criteria appear to have a great impact on outcome of treatment. For example, studies with a strict inclusion criteria (e.g. no co-morbidity, substance misuse, self harm) appear to have significant improvements, whilst other studies i.e. Kubany et al., (2003), allowed participants to continue with other therapy while embarking on their therapy. This makes it methodologically difficult to ascertain exactly what has been effective in reducing PTSD symptoms. As inclusion and exclusion criteria are idiosyncratic across studies, it makes it difficult to draw general conclusions regarding treatment effectiveness with a clinical population across studies. Studies often chose to focus therapy on identified groups, e.g. police officers. However, clients who experience PTSD do not form a homogeneous group and further, the symptoms experienced may be diverse even within a sample of individuals who have experienced the same trauma. Treatment studies often do not control for other factors that may be important contributing factors in outcome such as the role of education, quality of the therapeutic relationship, therapeutic alliance and other nonspecific factors. The literature was generally from American, British or European sources although clearly trauma is intercultural. This raises issues about how different cultures interpret PTSD, an essentially Western concept, and also whether the treatments advocated would be effective cross-culturally. Previous research has strongly indicated that PTSD is not an appropriate term to use in non-western situations (Summerfield, 1997), hence therapeutic approaches need to account for this. It is not clear in the majority of the research when the participant experienced the trauma, and at what point therapy started. Frequently these characteristics are omitted from studies, therefore making it difficult to compare effectiveness of studies. It is important to consider the types of clients who have been represented in the research and to look at whether it is representative of those who seek treatment. Finally, very little has been reported on the impact of other difficulties an individual is experiencing as PTSD can have a wide ranging impact on an individuals quality of life and functioning and most often clients have more complex presentations. Only very few studies reviewed controlled for this variable (see Ehlers et al., 2005). This is an inherent difficulty when completing research with a trauma population as within research it is important to obtain a sample that have a similar degree of difficulties in order to assess treatment efficacy. Several papers have evaluated different types of therapy according to particular groups. However, it appears that one size does not fit all in relation to PTSID. In particular the issues of culture and gender are of importance (see Liebling Ojiambo-Ochieng, 2000; Sheppard, 2000). Individual formulations of presenting problems and contexts, which informs therapy that is adapted to suit individual clients needs, may in fact be more helpful. It remains important to consider individual differences and client choice when offering trauma therapy. Trauma therapy outcome studies are limited by the fact that sufferers usually have other mental health problems alongside PTSD such as depression or social anxiety. Evaluation of effective treatment of trauma survivors therefore might need to go beyond medical diagnostic categories as most of the research excludes clients with co-morbid problems. A multifaceted intervention, based on clients own views, which addressed these other difficulties, may help reduce relapse and improve long-term efficacy of any PTSD treatment. As outlined in the methodological limitations section, much of the research reviewed has not used a genuine clinical sample, there are high dropout rates, widely variable inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the heterogeneity of PTSD has perhaps not yet been accounted for. It is therefore difficult to ascertain what is specifically helpful or effective within the treatment components. This seems to be the next area for consideration in research. Further research into the optimal length of treatment and timing of therapy, the effect of co-morbidity and the differing effects of individual and group therapy approaches for traumatised clients are required. Further controlled research is needed to ascertain if the types of therapies reviewed can provide long term lasting effects in reducing PTSD symptomatology. Currently the empirical data is generally limited to the assessment of short term, focused interventions, and it would be helpful to have controlled studies on longer-term treatment for more complex trauma cases. Further research would benefit from considering the clients views and experiences of therapy, this perspective was lacking in the literature reviewed. Service user and carer perspectives are beyond the scope of this review, however they have been highlighted as an important consideration within the NICE guidelines and therefore require further consideration in future research. Conclusion There appear to be at least three treatments with excellent empirical support for treating PTSD; exposure therapy, cognitive therapy or a combination of these methods. These three approaches have excellent empirical support in well-controlled clinical trials, manifest strong treatment effect sizes, and appear to work well across diverse populations of trauma survivors. However future studies to examine the effectiveness of these approaches in clinic settings are warranted. There is much to be learned about the treatment of PTSD. It is certain there will be no simple answers for treating people who have experienced the most horrific events life offers. Undoubtedly, combinations of treatments as proposed by Keane et al. (1994) and Resick and Schnicke (1992) may prove to be the most powerful interventions. PTSD research in this area is only in the earliest stages of its development. Finally, an assumption about the uniformity of traumatic events has been made in the literature in general. Although it is reasonable to speculate that fundamental similarities exist among patients who have experienced diverse traumatic events and then develop PTSD, whether these patients will respond to clinical interventions in the same way is an empirical question that has yet to be addressed. Studies posing a question such as this would be a welcome addition to the clinical literature: Will people with PTSD resulting from combat, torture, genocide, and natural disasters all improve as well as those treated successfully following rape, motor vehicle accidents, and assaults? This is a crucial issue that requires additional scientific study in order to provide clinicians with the requisite evidence supporting the use of available techniques. Research on the prevalence of exposure to traumatic events and the prevalence of PTSD has mainly been carried out in the United States. Yet there are fundamental errors in assuming that these prevalence rates apply even to other Western, developed countries. Studies that examine the prevalence of PTSD and other disorders internationally are clearly warranted. Implicit in this recommendation is the need to examine the extent to which current assessment instrumentation is culturally sensitive to the ways in which traumatic reactions are expressed internationally. Much work on this topic will be required before definitive conclusions regarding prevalence rates of PTSD internationally can be drawn. Studies of the effectiveness of the psychological treatments across cultures and ethnic groups are also needed. What may be effective for Western populations may be inadequate or possibly even unacceptable treatment for people who reside in other areas of the world and who have different world views, beliefs, and perspectives. This issue will need to be more closely examined before we can draw definitive conclusions. It is suggested that despite the type of treatment provided to individuals with trauma there is ultimately a need for a flexible, integrative approach to treatment in order to deal with the complex and varying needs of individual trauma survivors. A range of outcomes has been found with the types of approaches outlined in this review, it is unclear who will respond best to which treatment approach. However, what is important in determining the success of any psychological treatment of PTSD is that it is dependent upon establishing and maintaining a therapeutic alliance that is strong enough for the client to experience as safe and trusting for positive emotional change to occur.

Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and the Beginning of the Environmental Mo

Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and the Beginning of the Environmental Movement in the United States When Rachel Carson's Silent Spring was published in 1962, it generated a storm of controversy over the use of chemical pesticides. Miss Carson's intent in writing Silent Spring was to warn the public of the dangers associated with pesticide use. Throughout her book are numerous case studies documenting the harmful effects that chemical pesticides have had on the environment. Along with these facts, she explains how in many instances the pesticides have done more harm than good in eradicating the pests they were designed to destroy. In addition to her reports on pesticide use, Miss Carson points out that many of the long-term effects that these chemicals may have on the environment, as well as on humans, are still unknown. Her book as one critic wrote, "dealt pesticides a sharp blow" (Senior Scholastic 1962). The controversy sparked by Silent Spring led to the enactment of environmental legislation and the establishment of government agencies to better regulate the use of these chemic als. Miss Carson first became aware of the effects of chemical pesticides on the natural environment while working for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. Of particular concern to her was the government’s use of chemical pesticides such as DDT. She was familiar with early studies of DDT and knew of its dangers and lasting effects on the environment. According to Miss Carson, "the more I learned about the use of pesticides, the more appalled I became. I realized that here was the material for a book. What I discovered was that everything which meant most to me as a naturalist was being threatened, and that nothing I could do would be more important." Thu... ... Harvey, Mary. "Using a Plague to Fight a Plague." Saturday Review 29 Sept. 1962: 8. Lear, Linda. Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature. New York: Holt & Co., 1997. McDonnell, Lawrence and Sarah F. Bates. Natural Resources Policy and Law: Trends and Directions. Washington, D.C.: Island, 1993. Natural Resources Defense Council. "The Story of Silent Spring." http://www.nrdc.org/health/pesticides/hcarson.asp. 1997. Naum, Nicole. "Environmental Vanguard: Rachel Carson." http://www.geo.lsa.umich.edu/~crlb/COURSES/140/FINAL00/features.html. "Pesticides: the Price for Progress." Time 28 Sept. 1962: 45-48. "The Furor Over Pesticides." Senior Scholastic 12 Dec. 1962: 10+. Vig, Norman and Michael Kraft. Environmental Policy in the 1990s. Washington D.C.: CQ, 1997. Vogt, William. "On Man the Destroyer." Natural History Sept. 1962: 3-5.

A Case for Open Borders Essay -- Human Right Argumentative Persuasive

A Case for Open Borders In his address to a joint session of Congress on January 8, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson declared freedom of the seas in times of peace and war. Looking back, it seems ridiculous to think that anyone could challenge the right of individuals to navigate the oceans freely. However, fast-forward to the twenty-first century and we can see an analogous debate over the issue of immigration rights, with territorial borders being the main topic of discussion. The system of immigration in the United States is complex and oftentimes restrictive, and while revisions to the system usually include increasing quotas or other solutions to let in certain groups of people who deserve special consideration (such as those whose skills are needed in a particular field), they are still very limited solutions. The obvious question that arises from letting in some people but not others is that of fairness. Is the accident of birth or luck of being in the right place at the right time enough to justi fy restrictive citizenship to a select few? I would argue not. I intend to argue that a commitment to human rights entails the position that borders ought to be open in order to guarantee other human rights, especially the right to migrate. In order to understand why a commitment to human rights includes a commitment to open borders, we must understand why the right to migrate is a human right. This can be proven with a simple logical syllogism. We must first assume that all individuals have equal natural rights in the state of natural law, or the very primitive sense of man before government was formed. Locke defines the state of natural law as â€Å"a state of equality†¦ all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one h... ...of his statement, however, Walzer is claiming that fulfilling this urgent need (or right) should only be done if it is convenient to the other party. This is a contradiction to human rights, as they should be inherent and not â€Å"granted† but demanded â€Å"without embarrassment or shame† . Indeed, restricting borders is the act of convenience and if it is done for reasons other than emergencies (such as possible spread of infectious diseases) is a violation of a human being’s right to migrate. Giving rights to citizens for the sole reason of being citizens and denying citizenship to some effectively denies rights to that group. Human rights belong to individuals, not citizens. Humanity has faced so many obstacles to human rights that it will surely transcend lines on maps, because we are committed to human rights and this entails a commitment to a position of open borders.

My Personal Thoughts on God, Ethics and Knowledge

The three components that make up my Christian worldview are God, ethics, and knowledge because they have molded my thinking, life experiences, accompanied with a wealth of knowledge through education and life decisions. Experience God and doing the will God is one of those components. Because of my faith in God I have learned how to trust and depend on him unconditionally for everything. In addition; being grateful for the trials and tribulations where miracles had the opportunity to be birthed into manifestation. For example, when my mother was hospitalized and my pager went off twenty times God was warning me that trouble was ahead. I had cried for two weeks earlier before the incident and I thought I was mourning for my friends mother, who was hospitalized and in reality I was mourning my own mother’s death. One of the greatest decisions that I ever made was when I turned my life over to God and allowed his perfect will to come into my world. By doing that it gave me the chance to gain a Christian education and teachings throughout the bible. Because without those teachings and understanding it would be impossible to understand things that happen in life otherwise, but he equips you at all times. The word of God has given us the road map to ethics, and the consequences for doing the right and wrong things in life. Ethics plays a vital role in this because it is the principle of dealing with what is right or wrong, and the morals that one possess. When you obey God he blesses you; however if you disobey him he will allow a curse to come upon you. The obedience opens up doors that otherwise would have been closed. People tend to give you favor in life, and they don’t even recognize why they are doing what they are doing at the time. I call this walking in the Fog or walking in the favor of God. When God tells you to give a person something and you don’t even know why you are doing it. Like when I purchased a car to run around and do errands, but after I had done the repairs on the car God told me to give the car away. This was a car that I had paid for with cash, and God instructed me to just give it away and don’t look back. I did it because I am crazy for Jesus, and I don’t need any explanations, he is always there, just pay attention. The word of God is knowledge that can change your life as you get to know the word and doing the will of God. This knowledge is very important for your educational growth, and spiritual well being. God wants you to have a personal relationship with him, and wants us to open our hearts and converse with him. He knows your story and how it will end up, your job is to just trust and depend on your heavenly father. He will reveal himself, his purpose for your life, and instructions once you invite him into your thoughts. God says to have faith the size of a mustard seed, and faith without works is dead. I have learned to take him at his word and life will become a dream turned into reality. Without any knowledge it is impossible to please God, and there is not anything to base your beliefs and values on in life. Which is where you knowledge comes from, and there are different types of knowledge. For example, knowledge that you acquire in a career, or the knowledge of God from spending time with him in the word. My beliefs are based on the word of God, and the way he wants me to live. Because of me paying attention to the word of God I have made better decisions in my personal, academic and business life. The Word of God is the best teaching that anyone can receive when the mind opens up to receive the directions. By allowing God, his knowledge, and teaching me how to live an ethical lifestyle my life has become very fulfilling and broader. God’s Holy Spirit is our personal teacher to educate us on how to treat people, and live a life peacefully. You know do unto others as you would have them due unto you. He also wants us to love Him and confess our sins when we have committed one. The only way to know this for one self is to open your heart and mind and invite the Holy Spirit into your temple so that one can have a life changing experience for the good. My three components that make up this Christian worldview are God, ethics and knowledge because they have molded my thinking, life experiences accompanied with a wealth of knowledge through education and life decisions.

Effects of Methamphetamine on the Human Body What Cases Have Been Seen to Prove this and How It Leads To Addiction Essay

Effects of Methamphetamine on the Human Body What Cases Have Been Seen to Prove this and How It Leads To Addiction Introduction Part A                   What effects does the over dependency to methamphetamine cause to the human body.                   Are there any cases that have been reported to prove this and if yes which ones are they? Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that is a bitter tasting white crystalline powder devoid of smell. In street language it is popularly known                   as ice, chalk, crystal or meth with high solubility in water and alcohol making it an easy target for packaging into various forms. Methamphetamine affects the central nervous system and once it is in the body system, it creates a short but intense rush and users start experiencing a sense of increased activity, decreased appetite, and strong feelings of well being, high energy levels and sense of more power with the feeling lasting from a period of 20 minutes to 12 hours. When the effects start to where off, the user is left with a feeling of drained helplessness and depression this effects leads to the user having a high craving for the drug to maintain the state of euphoria. This craving for a sense of well being, hyper activity sense of power is what leads to addiction. Addiction to meth amphetamine has to a large extent been classified as a moral issue by the public while to medical practitioners it has also gained weight as a medical issue.                   Methamphetamine causes development of side effects which are increased activity, euphoria and decreased appetite with methamphetamine being more potent because it passes through the blood brain barrier and enters the brain cells. The effects are more long lasting making it more dangerous on the central nervous system. It has been reported to have effects lasting as long as eight hours. This inquiry will focus mostly on the scientific research that has been carried out on methamphetamine addiction, its side effects and how it causes them and any remedies. Part B                   By the end of this learning process, the following objectives should be met. Reasons that lead to use of methamphetamine should be clearly understood. The various side effects should be well outlined and possible causes explained. Mechanisms involved and leading to methamphetamine addiction should be comprehended.                   Medically methamphetamine was developed for the treatment of nasal blockages and clearance of bronchioles in the lungs. Lately it has been used in low dosages for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and also in weight loss programmes but in a controlled manner and prescriptions is usually not refilled.                   Effects of methamphetamine vary and they mostly depend on the dosage type. For small doses, the drug causes strong and quick addiction, lack of sleep, increased blood pressure, pulses and respiration with decreased reaction times. This effects leads to a desire for more and in large doses, it causes convulsions, overheating of the body, and in more severe cases stroke and even heart attacks. The side effects are grouped into the following major categories (Methamphetamine in Jefferson County, 2008 p 3). Physical effects                   The most noticeable are muscle weakness, tremors and seizures dental decay, weight loss, anorexia, coughing, dry mouth , facial aging, brain damage kidney, heart and liver damage, skin sores and infection and also increased risk of stroke. Cognitive effects:                   This effects lead to decreased ability to recognize and recall words and pictures, make inferences manipulate information, learn from experience and users have the tendency to ignore irrelevant information Psychological effects:                   These effects are classified into two depending on the duration for short term effects; users experience increased sense of euphoria, high confidence and increased alertness. The users become more talkative, they are not bored easily and have an increased sex drive.                   Increased confidence Increased alertness Increased good mood Increased. Long term effects include increased aggression, lack of sleep; they become over anxious and are confused most of the time. Meth users become moody and they develop psychotic behaviours characterized by false delusions, they become paranoid and become suicidal.                   When ingested by pregnant women, the methamphetamine dissolves in the blood stream and is able to pass through to the fetus. The effects on the unborn children are diverse and so serious since they affect the normal development of the child. The most common effects are premature child birth and low birth rates for long time users, low birth weight since the mother does not eat enough food due to poor appetite and in most severe cases brain damage. Nutritionally, the baby is disadvantaged since the mother does not care a lot apart from craving for the next fix. Mechanisms leading to methamphetamine addiction                   Addiction to methamphetamine is caused by the drug’s pharmacology mainly how it is ingested, absorbed in the body, broken in the body and excreted (Otero et al., 2006 p. 4). The pharmacology of the drug is quite a complex process which involves the peripheral and central nervous actions. The drug belongs to the group of drugs known as amphetamines with a structure closely related to that of epinephrine norepinephrine and dopamine (Kish, 2008 p. 2).                   Due to its structure which is close to that endogenous neurotransmitters the drug is classified as a sympathomimetic drug and as such it interacts with sympathetic receptors of the central nervous system. Specifically, methamphetamine interacts with pre-synaptic receptors and induces effects by competitive antagonisms.                   There are different modes of methamphetamine usage and they determine how long the effects take to kick in and also increase the chances and easiness of addiction. When ingested the effects may take up to twenty minutes to be effected while I snorting the effects set in much quicker as fast as five minutes. The two routes of usage are not so much addictive. Highest rates of addiction have been reported when the route of intake was intravenous injection and lung inhalation through smoking. These last two routes potentiate risk of addiction since the drug is absorbed more rapidly in the brain. Effect on the central nervous system                   The amphetamines potent central nervous system appear as a result of the release of biogenic amines from the nerve terminals. This enhanced release of norepinephrine results in the anorexia effect of amphetamine and together with release of dopamine it creates a feeling of euphoria. When higher levels of dopamine are released to the mesolimbic system, it results in increased levels of serotonin which is responsible for mental disturbances and the psychotic behaviours.                   When the high dose of reaches the brain, it leads to a decrease in the levels of dopamine and serotonin and this is achieved through the activity reduction of the enzymes used in their synthesis mainly tyrosine dehydroxylase and tryptophan hydroxylase respectively. The following table shows a list of websites that were visited for the purpose of this research Title of report Website Retrival date Medication and behavioral treatments (2004) www.psattc.org11-11-2014 Children at clandestine methamphetamine labs: Helping meth’s youngest Victims(2006) www.ojp.usdoj.gov10-11-2014 NIDA Community Drug Alert Bulletin: Methamphetamine (n.d.). www.drugabuse.gov10-11-2014 Methamphetamine – Drug Facts 2005 www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov11-11-2014 Parenting Children Who Have Been Exposed to Methamphetamine (n.d) www.orparc.org10-11-2014 The sites used for this study are from various government departments, and organizations that carry out various health and substances abuse researches. From the websites, they end with either gov. or org. meaning they are reputable websites. Hence, the information obtained from these websites is also reliable and thus they were considered for this paper. In addition, the sources have evidenced based reports where quantitative or qualitative research were used to write the reports thus making the data included in this paper very reliable and viable. Part C Data from various website sources on methamphetamine and journals published online was used to come up with this report. Table showing the various side effects for methamphetamine users Physical effects Cognitive side effects Short term psychological effects Long term psychological effects Weight loss Failure to recall pictures Increased good mood Mood disorders Kidney and heart damage Failure to learn from experience Increased alertness Lack of sleep and increased anxiousness Increased risk of stroke Decreased ability to make inferences Increased talkativeness Confusion and aggression Skin sores and infections Decreased ability to manipulate information Increased confidence Increases psychotic behaviour Tooth decay Increased sex drive Hallucinations and increased suicidal tendencies Increased transmission of HIV due to sharing injecting needles Table showing usage of methamphetamine in terms of age (a 2003 survey on methamphetamine users among college going children and non-college attending children obtained from NSDH, 2005). Ages/ grades Used at least once Used in the past year Used in the last 30 days College students 5.8% 2.6% 0.6% Young adults(19-28) 8.9% 2.7% 0.7% Table showing use of methamphetamine in USA (NSDH, 2005 n.p) Used at least once Used in the past year Used in the last 30 days 12+ YEARS 4.9% 0.6% 0.2% Table showing use of methamphetamine in school going children (NSDH, 2005 n.p) Grade Used at least once) Used in the past year Used in the last 30 days 8th 2.5% 1.5% 0.6% 10th 5.3% 3.0% 1.3% 12th 6.2% 3.4% 1.4% Part D                   Comprehensive data obtained from various government and non-governmental websites, show that methamphetamine abuse cuts across all ages and social classes with the high-risk groups being people with low self-esteem, social pressure such as weight loss to gain an athletic or modeling body, depression, and those traumatised. While continued abuse leads to addiction, amount and ingestion routes are also determinants with smoking and injection contributing greatly to addiction. Though used medically for nasal and bronchial blockages, its abuse is the main concern due to the resulting side effects and the damages it causes. Journal                   Methamphetamine side effects are as a result of it passing through the brain blood barrier into the brain cells, where its main action is to decrease extracellular monoamine neurotransmitters, especially dopamine, via interfering with their reuptake and promoting their release at the nerve endings (Fleckenstein, et al., 2007 p. 687). Dependency on methamphetamine is a serious issue with major medical, psychiatric and social economic impacts in the society (Lapworth, et al., 2009 p. 383). Withdrawal from methamphetamine also results in impaired social functioning, fatigue and aggressiveness and more craving for the drug. This menace affects most people and users should not be alienated but helped to overcome the vice by taking them to rehabilitation centres.                   While it has been used medically to solve medical conditions such as nasal and bronchial blockages, it misuse is the main problem. Methamphetamine abuse cuts across all ages and social classes with the main contributing factors being low self-esteem, peer pressure, social pressure, depressions and even people suffering from traumas. The resulting side effects vary from person to person but prolonged abuse results to both physical defects such as tooth decay, weak limbs due to poor appetite, damages of organs especially the heart, kidney and liver and also psychological effects. The psychological effects are usually aggressive behaviors which endangers their lives and of those around them and psychotic behaviors which leads them in committing suicide. 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