Business design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business design - Essay Example Success has many parents, and good design is only one of them. Good business is creating different designs to increase chances of success in the world. Poorly designed, dishonorable, destructive systems are the best human can do. This design serves as a platform for the future designing as they provide base for better designs. Human industry can be transformed through ecologically intelligent designs. Poorly designed sketches can be the roots of the industrial revolution. A poor designer may after creating a dishonorable design quit the work and admits failure. A failure of their imagination is the ultimate failure. Their work should be remarked â€Å"less bad† than â€Å"no good†. This is a very depressing vision of our role in the world. Instead of discouraging ourselves, we should enhance the sense of satisfaction and general well-being. This is how we might be able to play a more transformative role. Our energies and creativity needs to be appropriately scheduled and well directed. Less bad is good than to consider yourself as a failure or a loser. After continuous failure, we often avoid success by distorting our perception of the world outside. We humans need to feel good about ourselves. In order to progress and improve business, we need to make industry less destructive. World Business Council for Sustainable development (WBCSD) emphasized on eco-efficiency. It is based on the concept of creating more goods and services while using fewer resources and creating less waste and pollution. We can achieve eco-efficiency by providing goods and services that satisfy human needs and bring quality of life. It will progressively reduce environmental impacts of goods. Eco-efficiency includes a reduction in the material and energy intensity, reduced dispersion of waste and toxic materials, improved recyclability, maximum use of renewable resources, greater durability of products and increased service

Pest Analysis Essay Example for Free

Pest Analysis Essay The growing importance of environmental or ecological factors in the first decade of the 21st century have given rise to green business and encouraged widespread use of an updated version of the PEST framework. STEER analysis systematically considers Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Ecological, and Regulatory factors. Contents * 1 History * 2 Overview * 3 References * 4 External links History According to the site RapidBI The term PEST was originally called the ETPS and was quoted in Aguilar, Francis (1967). Scanning the Business Environment. New York: Macmillan.. , who discusses ‘ETPS’ a mnemonic for the four sectors of what he calls his taxonomy of the business environment: Economic, Technical, Political, and Social. Sometime after this initial publication, Arnold Brown for the Institute of Life Insurance reorganized it as ‘STEP’ as a way to organise the results of his environmental scanning. Over time by academics and others in business it was modified yet again to become a so-called STEPE analysis (the Social, Technical, Economic, Political, and Ecological taxonomies). In the 1980s, several other authors including Fahey, Narayanan, Morrison, Renfro, Boucher, Mecca and Porter included variations of the taxonomy classifications in a variety of orders: Due to the negative connotations of PEST, a STEP analysis (re-ordering of the acronym letters) also exists, but is used to a lesser extent. Some academics claim that STEP or PEST still contain headings which are appropriate for all situations and do not require additional elements, other claim that the additional breakdown of some factors to help individuals and teams undertaking an environmental scan. Political factors include areas such as tax policy, employment laws, environmental regulations, trade restrictions and tariffs and political stability. * Economic factors are economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and inflation rate. Social factors often look at the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safety. * Technological factors include ecological and environmental aspects and can determine barriers to entry, minimum efficient production level and influence outsourcing decisions. Technological factors look at elements such as RD activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of technological change. The pest  factors combined with external microenvironmental factors can be classified as opportunities and threats in a SWOT analysis. PEST/PESTLE alongside SWOT and SLEPT can be used as a basis for the analysis of business and environmental factors. [2] References Aguilar, Francis (2006). Scanning the Business Environment. New York: Macmillan..

Strategies for Reducing Sexual Abuse in Learning Disabled

Strategies for Reducing Sexual Abuse in Learning Disabled Review of databases on social care, psychiatry, and psychology revealed various strategies for preventing sexual abuse in people with intellectual disabilities. These procedures generally seem to fall into one of three broad categories: therapeutic measures, designed to minimise the effects of abuse; education and training for staff, victims and/or family members (e.g. parents); and multi-agency information sharing. Kroese and Thomas (2006) tested the value of Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) for treating sexual abuse trauma in learning disabled people experiencing recurring nightmares. The intervention produced a statistically significant reduction in distress. Furthermore, these positive effects seemed to endure even when participants were awake. Several studies have evaluated the merits of support groups for victims of abuse (e.g. Singer, 1996; Barber et al, 2000). For example Singer (1996) organised group work for adults living in a residential home. The aim was to teach these individuals how to respond assertively in situations of abuse. Assertiveness is an essential skill for victims who often fail to challenge authority, due to low self-esteem, fear, dependency and lack of awareness of their rights (MENCAP, 2001). Participants learned to respond more assertively when role-playing situations that involved sexual abuse. However, role-play scenarios often lack the stressful conditions of real -life that may prevent an individual from speaking out. Nevertheless, support groups may provide a valuable therapeutic resource for victims of abuse (Barber et al, 2000). The National Association for the Protection from Sexual Abuse of Adults and Children with Learning Disabilities (NAPSAC[1]) identifies the sharing of information between protection agencies as a valuable prevention strategy (Ellis Hendry, 1998). Based on data from a survey of individuals and organisations involved in social care, Ellis and Hendry (1998, p.362) emphasised the need for a foundation level of awareness between specialists in learning disability and those involved with child protection. Lesseliers and Madden (2005) report the establishment of a knowledge centre’ to encourage systematic exchange of sexual abuse information, which is accessible to both victims and specialists (also see Stein, 1995). The problem with information sharing schemes is that they primarily benefit service providers (e.g. expanding their knowledge of available therapies), rather than the victims themselves. Finally, several studies have tested the efficacy of education and training programm es, targeted at staff, victims, and/or family members (e.g. Martorella Portugues, 1998; Tichon, 1998; Bruder Kroese, 2005). Bruder and Kroese (2005) reviewed clinical studies that evaluated the value of teaching protection skills to learning disabled adults and children. Findings revealed that adults could be successfully taught such skills, although the generality and longevity of these abilities was questionable. Martorella and Portugues (1998) conducted workshops with parents, based on the premise that prevention is best achieved by making family members aware of sexual issues concerning their children. Parents were provided with printed materials and videos on puberty, childhood sexual fantasies, and other related topics. Following these sessions many parents re-evaluated their children, and demonstrated a renewed urge to support and protect their children. Overall, training and education schemes seem to have immediate albeit short-lived psychological benefits, for both the vi ctim and their families. Discuss the Similarities in Vulnerable Adult Sexual Abuse and Child Sexual Abuse There are similarities in terms of the reasons why disabled people are susceptible to abuse (MENCAP, 2001), psychopathological and social effects of abuse (Sequeira Hollins, 2003), consent issues, and protection requirements (DOH, 2002a, 2002b). The MENCAP (2001) report identifies seven reasons for increased vulnerability in adults, most of which may equally apply to children; they include low self-esteem, long-term dependency on carers, lack of awareness, fear to challenge authority, powerlessness to consent to sexual relationships, inability to recognise abuse when it occurs, and fear of reporting incidents of abuse. These concerns are compatible with factors the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC, 2002) implicates in child vulnerability. They include: childrens lack of awareness and education; a learned reluctance to complain; dependency on carers, which can make it difficult for a child to avoid abuse; and general disempowerment. Whereas factors su ch as fear of authority and low self-esteem may be ambiguous, and hence difficult to detect, long-term dependency on a care giver is a much more tangible characteristic that increases susceptibility to abuse, in both adults and children. The risk may be higher in children because their level of dependence is usually more extreme. However, severely impaired adults may also be highly dependent on another person for their day-to-day care (MENCAP, 2001). In their review of the literature on the clinical effects of sexual abuse in intellectually disabled people, Sequeira and Hollins (2003) found that both children and adults exhibited behavioural problems, sexually inappropriate behaviours, and various forms of psychopathology. However, some evidence suggests that children may be more overwhelmed by the experience of sexual abuse, often with long-term and harmful consequences for mental health (Green, 1995). Moreover the damaging effects of sexual abuse may be compounded in both adults and children when the abuser is known to the victim (e.g. family member). However, Sequeira and Hollins (2003) warn against drawing conclusive inferences regarding the clinical impact of abuse on disabled populations. Firstly many studies rely on informants (e.g. family members) for their data, many of whom may be ignorant of the internal psychiatric and cognitive trauma that a disabled person might be experiencing. Thus, any apparent similarities betwe en children and adults in how they respond to sexual abuse may not reflect less obvious discrepancies in psychopathology. Sequeira and Hollins (2003) emphasise the need for more reliable diagnostic criteria. The MENCAP (2001) report stresses the issue of consent. Both children and adults often lack the ability to give consent albeit for different reasons. Children may simply not have any understanding of sexual activity, its consequences, and how to distinguish sexual behaviour from other forms of physical contact (e.g. hugging) and personal care (e.g. bathing). Although most adults will have a better grasp of sexuality, some may be unable to give consent if their learning disability is extremely severe. Regardless, adult and child sexual abuse denotes a lack of consent. Furthermore, both forms of abuse may require similar safeguards. There is a mutual need to create more awareness amongst the general public about the vulnerability of people with learning disabilities (NSPCC, 2002). Community building, staff training, and other protective measures will benefit both children and adults (Ellis Hendry, 1998; Barter, 2001; Davies, 2004). Can the Keeping Safe Child Protection Strategy Work with Adults with Learning Disabilities? The Department of Health has made various recommendations for keeping children safe (DOH, 2002a). These include: having a sound statutory framework; encouraging professionals from different specialities/agencies to work together; assessing children’s needs and the range of support services provided by organisations and community groups; considering the impact of strategies designed for vulnerable adults on children; involving both children and family members in making decisions about what services the child needs; monitoring how well councils are delivering the system; and recruiting, training, and supervising adequate care staff. These proposals are a direct response to the Victoria Climbie Inquiry report. Overall they emphasise risk assessment, recognition of abuse, and information sharing, consistent with other published literature (e.g. Ellis Hendry, 1998; Lesseliers Madden, 2005). By contrast, the Department of Health prescribes a different set of guidelines for adults, referred to as the Protection of Vulnerable Adults Scheme, or POVA (DOH, 2004). Central to the scheme is the POVA list: Through referrals to, and checks against the list, care workers who have harmed a vulnerable adult, or placed a vulnerable adult at risk of harm, (whether or not in the course of their employment) will be banned from working in a care position with vulnerable adults. As a result, the POVA scheme will significantly enhance the level of protection for vulnerable adults (DOH, 2004, p.5). The POVA system is supposed to complement other schemes, such as MENCAPS behind closed doors plan (MENCAPS, 2001). The child protection scheme can be adapted to work with adults. Many child safety measures focus on staff performance (e.g. working together, recruitment, training). For example, it is a requirement that staff are trained sufficiently to recognise whether a child’s injury or illness might be the result of abuse or neglect (DOH, 2004, p.7). By implication, it should be possible to modify training protocol so that staff can also identify sexual abuse in vulnerable adults. For example, Lunsky and Benson (2000) identify some issues to be considered when interviewing developmentally disabled adults about sexual abuse, notably the appropriateness of using detailed drawings and dolls used in assessing children (Martorella Portugues, 1998). Proposals designed to help identify the need for protection and facilitate information sharing, such as community â€Å"neighbourhood watch† arrangements, can be extended to adults. What modifications would be required? MENCAPS (2001) highl ights the need for a suitable mechanism for establishing consent between adults. Vulnerable adults have the same sexual rights and privileges as the general population, and these rights have to be accommodated within any protection strategy. Staff training on child protection can include guidelines for identifying adults who are able to give consent to sexual relations (e.g. suggesting appropriate tests to use), and protecting those who cant. Additionally, MENCAPS (2001) emphasises the need to tighten standards for people who work with adults (p.16). The POVA scheme is set up precisely to address this issue, albeit retrospectively, after abuse has occurred (DOH, 2003). Improvements in staff recruitment, training, and monitoring can be implemented that benefit both children and adults. Bibliography Barber, M., Jenkins, R. Jones, C. (2000) A survivor’s group for women who have a  learning disability. British Journal of Developmental Studies, 46, pp.31-41. Barter, K. (2001) Building community: a conceptual framework for child protection.  Child Abuse Review. 10, pp.262-278. Bruder, C. Kroese, B.S. (2005) The efficacy of interventions designed to prevent and  protect people with intellectual disabilities from sexual abuse: a review of the  literature. Journal of Adult Protection, 7, pp.13-27. Davies, L. (2004) The difference between child abuse and child protection could be you:  creating a community network of protective adults. Child Abuse Review. 13,  pp.426-432. DOH (2002a) Safeguarding Children: A Joint Chief Inspectors’ Report on Arrangements  to Safeguard Children. London. DOH. DOH (2002b) No secrets: The Protection of Vulnerable Adults from Abuse: Local Codes  of Practice. London. DOH. DOH (2004) Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) scheme in England and Wales for  care homes and domiciliary care agencies: A Practical Guide. London. DOH. Ellis, R. Hendry, E.B. (1998) Do we all know the score? Child Abuse Review. 7,  pp.360-363. Green, A.H. (1995) Comparing child victims and adult survivors: Clues to the  pathogenesis of child sexual abuse. Journal of the American Academy of  Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry. 23, pp.655-670. Kroese, B.S. Thomas, G. (2006) Treating chronic nightmares of sexual assault  survivors with an intellectual disability two descriptive case studies. Journal of  Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 19, pp.75-80. Lesseliers, J. Madden, P. (2005) European Knowledge Centre for the Prevention of  and Response to Sexual Abuse of People with a Learning Disability. Learning  Disability Review, 10, pp.18-21. Lunsky, Y. Benson, B.A. (2000) Are anatomically detailed dolls and drawings  appropriate tools for use with adults with developmental disabilities? A  preliminary investigation. Journal-on-Developmental-Disabilities. 7, pp.66-76. Martorella, A.M. Portugues, A.M. (1998) Prevention of sexual abuse in children with  learning disabilities. Child Abuse Review, 7, pp.355-359. MENCAP (2001) Behined Closed Doors: Preventing Sexual Abuse Against Adults with  a Learning Disability. London. MENCAP NSPCC (2002) Disabled children and abuse [online]. London, NSPCC. Available from:  http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/OnlineResources/InformationBriefings/Disabledasp_ifega26019.html> [Accessed 10 March 2006]. Sequeira, H. Hollins, S. (2003) Clinical effects of sexual abuse on people with learning  disability: Critical literature review. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 82, pp.13-19. Singer, N. (1996) Evaluation of a self-protection group for clients living in a residential  group home. British-Journal-of-Developmental-Disabilities. 42, pp.54-62. Tichon, J. (1998) Abuse of adults with an intellectual disability by family caregivers: the  need for a family-centred intervention. Australian Social Work, 51, pp.55-59. 1 Footnotes [1] Now known as the Ann Craft Trust.

Islam Essay -- essays research papers

the Islamic Congress's president, Mohamed Elmasry. Mr. Elmasry said there are bad Muslims just as there are bad Christians and Jews. "We treat them as such and so should you. But Islam is a religion of peace. Muslims have a religious duty to be tolerant of other faiths and other ideologies.'' Mr. Elmasry said journalists need to differentiate between the peaceful teachings of Islam and the claims of some Muslim extremists that their actions are justified by their interpretations of Islam. He likened the situation of Canadian Muslims today to that of Canadian Jews 50 years ago. "Jewish children were being (wrongly) called Christ-killers just as Muslim children are called terrorists today.'' In their letter to the editor in the April 27 issue of the College Hill Independent, Jumana Musa and Shadi Nahvi made some excellent points. They rightly asserted that the Western press tends to portray Arabs and Muslims according to stereotypes and these myths persist partly due to West ern popular ignorance about Arabs and Muslims. Since the Muslims students at Brown condemned the bombing of a Tel Aviv bus last year, I am learning to separate the handful of Muslim and Arab extremists who commit terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish civilians from the millions of Muslim believers who do not participate in this violence and sometimes express opposition to it. Since I began interacting with Muslims students through the kosher/hallal meal plan this year, I am changing my perceptions of Muslims and seeing them as people instead of abstractions. I think that many, many people in the United States and in western countries, in Europe, are afraid of a monster called Islam. And as the honorable Congressman Dana Rohrabacher said, it is an insult to consider the whole of Muslims, to take them into one side, and make them extremists. Really it is not correct. It is a little bit insulting. What is the definition of extremism? We can see in all of history: even when the f irst settlers came to the United States they were from different countries; Spain, England, France, European Countries. They were fighting on this land and fighting with the Indians. Do we call this extremism? A fight for a better living, which you understand you are doing not for a religious motive, is not extremism. Extremism in Islam, or in religion, is when you use religion to label intolerance, to... ... in the whole world. The US today as a result of the arrogant atmosphere has set a double standard, calling whoever goes against its injustice a terrorist. It wants to occupy our countries, steal our resources, impose on us agents to rule us based not on what God has revealed and wants us to agree on all these. If we refuse to do so, it will say you are terrorists. The US does not consider it a terrorist act to throw atomic bombs at nations thousands of miles away, when it would not be possible for those bombs to hit military troops only. The US does not consider it terrorism when hundreds of thousands of our sons and brothers in Iraq died for lack of food or medicine. It is known that every action has its reaction. If the American presence continues, and that is an action, then it is natural for reactions to continue against this presence. In other words, explosions and killings of the American soldiers would continue. A man with human feelings in his heart does not distinguish between a child killed in Palestine or in Lebanon, in Iraq or in Bosnia. So how can we believe your claims that you came to save our children in Somalia while you kill our children in all of those places?

Andrew Jackson: Tyrant

â€Å"When the 1828 election rolled around, a lot of people were terrified when they heard Andrew â€Å"Old Hickory† Jackson was running. If you're wondering how a guy we're calling a bad ass got such a lame nickname, it's because he used to carry a hickory cane around and beat people senseless with it, and if you're wondering why he did that, it's because he was a f#$%*in g lunatic. † (Daniel O’Brien February 15, 2008) This quote from cracked.com illustrates the depth of the ruthlessness within Andrew Jackson, and it is this callousness that made him a tyrant of a President.His decisions were calculated. Andrew Jackson was known to be the type of person who would put his friends into government as a reward instead of the people who would actually be good for the job. This was called the Spoil System. The main purpose for the Spoil System was to ensure that when the party control changed, so did the administrators.Andrew Jackson was also known for taking advantag e of his power in the executive branch, while ignoring the Judicial and Legislative branches. He abused his power to veto to try to make himself more powerful than congress, and he ended up using the veto about sixteen times. Andrew Jackson was who started the act that moved thousands of Indian families to Oklahoma. This displacement was what became known as the â€Å"Trail of Tears. † The Natives were forced to walk across the country during the winter with nothing but clothes, where nearly 2000 Native Americans died.Jackson must have thought it was okay for him to evict them because of his thought to designate their own land to live on, even though the Native had so many advances in becoming civilized so they could be accepted by him and other citizens. Andrew Jackson was one of the biggest slave owners in the south and he was a big believer in Manifest Destiny, which he supported the right of whites to conquer North America. Jackson was also known for breaking campaign pol icies.He had stated that he supported state government, but ended up expanding federal government and that caused a lot of controversy. A good president would not jeopardize the lives of innocent people or try to steal power to make himself the center of the government. A good president wouldn’t put himself before his own people. For these reasons I believe that even though Jackson may have done some things to help our country, overall he was a horrible president.

Charles Dickens presentation Essay

Do you feel that Charles Dickens presentation of Joe Gargery makes him seem on balance a foolish person or someone worthy of our respect? In Great Expectations, Joe Gargery comes into the novel many times. Sometimes he is portrayed as a very foolish person but other times he actually is quite clever and worthy of our respect. At the beginning of the novel, he seems foolish in the sense that he is a very simple man and does nothing to hide it. When Pip is reading him a letter, Joe remarks †Why, here’s a J,’ said Joe, ‘ and a O equal to anythink! Here’s a J and a O, Pip, and a J-O, Joe. † Pip carries on by saying ‘ I had never heard Joe read aloud to any great extent than this monosyllable, and I had observed at church last Sunday when I accidentally held our Prayer-Book upside down, that it seemed to suit his convenience quite as well as if it had been all right. ‘ There are many more examples of his foolishness but there is one important point that must be included to understand why Joe puts up with Mrs Joe’s nagging the whole time. He tells Pip about how his father beat his mother and him constantly: ‘ and he hammered at me with such a wigour only to be equalled by the wigour with which he didn’t hammer at his anwil. – You’re a listening and understanding, Pip? ‘ He then reveals that Mrs Joe doesn’t like scholarly people in her house ‘And she ain’t over partial to having scholars on the premises’ Joe continued, ‘ and in partickler would not be over partial to my being a scholar, for fear as I might rise. Like a sort of rebel, don’t you see? ‘ In this there is a clear sign that Joe doesn’t want any disharmony in his house and he doesn’t want to treat his wife like his dad treated his mum. So for this reason he puts up with Mrs Joe ‘knocking his head for a little while against the wall behind him’ when he steps out of line. For this reason, it seems we must respect him as someone who learns not from his mistakes, but other people’s. There are times in the novel, where Joe seems to be acting really stupidly but is in fact being proud. The first time this crops up is when Joe and Pip go to Satis House to talk to Miss Havisham. Joe, to Pip’s embarrassment, refuses to talk to Pip as though Miss Havisham is not there ‘Pip,’ returned Joe, cutting me short as if he was hurt, ‘which I meantersay that were not a question requiring a answer betwixt yourself and me, and which you know the answer to be full well No. You know it to be No, Pip, and wherefore should I say it? ‘ Miss Havisham has just asked Joe a question and it is strange that he addresses Pip instead. Pip after becoming a gentleman, is very snobbish and looks down on Joe. For this reason Joe tries to act very upper class and tries not to embarrass Pip in front of his friends. ‘Since you are so kind as make chice of coffee, I will not run contrairy to your own opinions. ‘ He calls Pip ‘Sir’ many times and at one point Pip says ‘Joe,’ I interrupted, pettishly, ‘how can you call me Sir? ‘ However even after this scene which Joe looks foolish, he actually regains his dignity; ‘Joe looked at me for a single instant with something faintly like reproach. Utterly preposterous as his cravat was, and as his collars were, I was conscious of a sort of dignity in the look. ‘ Here we have two contrasting statements. Pip tells us that Joe looks extremely foolish in his cravat and collar but under the foolishness is someone who is extremely dignified. Not many people are like that especially when their ‘son’, has just rebuked them for addressing them wrongly. The next time Joe’s dignity really shines through is when he leaves Pip on page 222. He knows he looks stupid in the clothes because and says so ‘I’m wrong in these clothes. I’m wrong out of the forge, the kitchen, or off th’ meshes†¦ I’m awfully dull, but I hope I’ve beat out something nigh the rights of this at last’ The terrible thing is, is that Joe knows Pip looks down on him and is ashamed of him. He says ‘ You won’t find half so much fault in me if you think of me in my forge dress, with my hammer in my hand, or even my pipe. You won’t find half as much fault in me if, supposing as you should ever wish to see me, you come and put your head in at the forge winder†¦ ‘ He knows Pip looks down on him and is embarrassed about him, he feels sorry for Pip and blames it on himself. This is a very honourable thing to do and definitely makes us show respect for him. We see other characters from different pieces of literature placed in similar situations and act very differently and with less patience. For example Eddie Carbone in A View for the Bridge. When Pip becomes ill, due to a number of things: severe burning, a run-in with Orlick and Provis becoming captured, Joe comes to visit him and looks after him. Joe doesn’t want to fall into embarrassing Pip again. Due to Pip’s earlier disrespect towards Joe, Joe is less easy with Pip. ‘ But, imperceptibly, though I held them fast, Joe’s hold upon them began to slacken; and whereas, I wondered at this at first, I soon began to understand that the cause of it was in me, and that the fault of it was all mine. ‘ Joe has regained his dignity so instead of getting emotionally close to Pip, he draws himself away from him as soon as he senses he is getting stronger. Joe, earlier on is obviously trying to impress Pip by learning to write and Pip starts crying because he sees the pride with which Joe has written the letter to him. Pip is very lucky to have an uncle like Joe because Joe is an excellent person. On the surface he seems to be foolish but underneath he is a pure and righteous man. He always forgives Pip for whatever injustice Pip does to him. In the balance, the reasons we should respect Joe Gargery far outweigh the reasons why we should treat him like a foolish character and one that is not worthy of our respect.

Video Games Ethics Essays

Video Games Ethics Essays Video Games Ethics Essay Video Games Ethics Essay The list of ethical concerns by Leigh Alexander touch on some areas which include a restriction on developers not to produce games associated with sexuality or politics thus violating the rights of developers, women becoming the subject of harassment by the quick growing video game industry. Next is the lack of legal framework to protect the copyright for small developers, publishers angry for video contents thus showing materials of promotion just as news. There is also exploitation of laborers through prolonged working hours as presenters of video productions, ethical violations along the supply chain of video game productions, others boldly accepting payments for video game adverts that are known as sponsored reviews. There is also the issue of unethical practice of hiring workers which do not value developers of video games at all. There is also the idea that developers of video games buying are using weapons from manufacturers which they use in three-dimensional design productio ns. This creates trouble regarding relationship between arms manufacturers and video game producers. Finally, the buyers of video games have no right to own what they buy to the extent of not able to play then later on (Garry, 2016). The ethical concerns as portrayed by Leigh can, therefore, be described as a problem and negative effects of information technology in the society due to technology misuse. The main problem that seems apparent in this case is the misuse of technology to infringe both the rights of other video game producers and consumers regarding violent video games. The large scale video game producers take advantage of legal loopholes to illegally exploit the small-scale video game producers. The employed workers in the area of production are also are also abused regarding their rights to work for the acceptable time limits. The entire discussion is all about answering the questions of moral philosophy and the sector of information communication technology on political, social and ethical norms of the society which all seem to be a compromise (Garry, 2016). My kids should know that am their parent and I provide all necessary things they want in their life including food and clothing. Other kids outside their have no one to do this since their parents are either dead or miserable. They should understand that such kids have to provide for themselves, and the only way to do this is working in such harsh environment. The kids should know that their fellow kids have no one to depend on to and that is the reason their colleagues are being forced to work. References Garry Young. (2016). Ethics and Information Technology, Volume 17, Number 4, Page 311

Conch Facts

Conch Facts A queen conch (Lobatus  gigas) is an invertebrate mollusk that produces what many people think of as the iconic seashell. This shell is often sold as a souvenir, and its said you can hear the sound of ocean waves if you put a conch (pronounced konk,) shell to your ear (although what youre actually hearing is your own pulse). Fast Facts: Conch Scientific Name: Lobatus gigasCommon Names: Queen conch, pink conchBasic Animal Group: InvertebrateSize: 6–12 inchesWeight: Up to 5 poundsLifespan: 30 yearsDiet:  HerbivoreHabitat: Off coastlines adjacent to the Caribbean SeaConservation Status: Not Evaluated Description Conchs are mollusks, marine snails that build elaborate shells as a home and a form of protection from predators. The shell of the queen conch or pink conch shell ranges in size from about six inches to 12 inches in length. It has between nine and 11 whorls on the protruding spire. In adults, the expanding lip points outward, rather than curving inward, and the last whorl has a strong spiral sculpture on its surface. Very rarely the conch may produce a pearl. The adult queen conch has a very heavy shell, with a brown horny organic exterior cover (called periostracum) and a bright pink interior.  The shell is strong, thick, and very attractive, and is used to make shell tools, as ballast, to form jewelry. It is often sold unmodified as a collectible and the animal is also fished and sold for its meat. Damocean/Getty Images Species There are over 60 species of sea snails, all of which have medium- to large-sized (14 inches) shells. In many species, the shell is elaborate and colorful. All conchs are in the Kingdom: Animalia, the Phylum: Mollusca, and the Class: Gastropoda. True conchs like the queen are gastropods in the family Strombidae. The general term conch is also applied to other taxonomic families, such as the Melongenidae, which include the melon and crown conchs. The queen conchs scientific name was Strombus gigas until 2008 when it was changed to Lobatus  gigas to reflect current taxonomy. Habitat and Distribution The conch species live in tropical waters throughout the world, including the Caribbean, West Indies, and the Mediterranean. They live in relatively shallow waters, including reef and seagrass habitats. Queen conchs live in several different habitat types in the Caribbean, along the Gulf coasts of Florida and Mexico, and in South America. At different depths and aquatic vegetation, their shells have different morphologies, different spine patterns, and various overall lengths and spire shape. The samba conch is the same species as the queen, but compared to a typical queen conch, the samba lives in a shallow environment, is much shorter and very thickly shelled with a darker periostracum layer. Diet and Behavior Conchs are herbivores that eat sea grass and algae as well as dead material. In turn, they are eaten by loggerhead sea turtles, horse conchs, and humans. A queen conch can grow to be over a foot long and can live for as long as 30 years- other species have been known to live to 40 or more. Queen conch diets, like most of the conchs in the family, are herbivorous. Larvae and juveniles feed mainly on algae and plankton, but as growing subadults, they develop a long snout that allows them to select and consume bigger pieces of algae, and as juveniles they feed on seagrass. Adult conchs wander for miles instead of staying in one place. Rather than swimming, they use their feet to lift and and then throw their bodies forward. Conchs also are good climbers. The average home range of a queen conch varies from a third of an acre to nearly 15 acres. They move within their range at the greatest speed in the summer during their reproductive season, when males search for mates and females look for egg-laying habitats. They are social creatures and reproduce best in aggregations. Reproduction and Offspring Queen conchs reproduce sexually and can spawn year-round, depending on latitude and water temperature- in some locations, females migrate from offshore feeding areas in the winter to summer spawning grounds. Females can store fertilized eggs for weeks and multiple males can fertilize any single egg mass during that time. The eggs are laid in shallow coastal waters with sandy substrates. Up to 10 million eggs can be laid by a single individual each spawning season, depending on the availability of food.  Ã‚   Eggs hatch after four days and the planktonic larvae (known as veligers) drift with the current for between 14 to 60 days. After reaching lengths of about a half-inch, they sink to the sea bottom and hide. There they morph into juvenile forms and grow to about a 4-inch length. Finally, they move into nearby seagrass beds, where they aggregate in masses and stay until sexually mature. That happens at about 3.5 years of age when they reach their maximum adult length and their outer lips are at least 0.3–0.4 inches thick. After the queen conch reaches maturity, the shell stops growing in length but continues to grow in breadth and its outer lip begins to expand. The animal itself also stops growing, except for its sexual organs which continue to grow in size. The lifespan of a queen conch is approximately 30 years. Conservation Status The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has not as yet evaluated conchs for their status. But conchs are edible, and in many cases, have been overharvested for meat and also for souvenir shells. In the 1990s, queen conchs were listed in Appendix II under the  Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) agreement, regulating international trade. Queen conchs are also harvested for their meat in other areas of the Caribbean where they are not yet endangered. Much of this meat is sold to the United States. Live conchs are also sold for use in aquariums. Sources Boman, Erik Maitz, et al. Variability in Size at Maturity and Reproductive Season of Queen Conch Lobatus Gigas (Gastropoda: Strombidae) in the Wider Caribbean Region. Fisheries Research 201 (2018): 18–25. Print.Final Status Report: Queen Conch Biological Assessment. Peer Review Plans, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), 2014.Kough, A. S., et al. Efficacy of an Established Marine Protected Area at Sustaining a Queen Conch Lobatus Gigas Population During Three Decades of Monitoring. Marine Ecology Progress Series 573 (2017): 177–89. Print.Stoner, Allan W., et al. Maturation and Age in Queen Conch (Strombus Gigas): Urgent Need for Changes in Harvest Criteria. Fisheries Research 131-133 (2012): 76–84. Print.Tiley, Katie, Mark A. Freeman, and Michelle M. Dennis. Pathology and Reproductive Health of Queen Conch (Lobatus Gigas) in St. Kitts. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 155 (2018): 32–37. Print.

National Identity and Multiculturalism of Canada Research Proposal

National Identity and Multiculturalism of Canada - Research Proposal Example It is impossible to avoid the mixture of cultural views as people foreign to Canada bring along with them their own traditions and beliefs. Also, some Canadians may have the tendency to develop some romantic relationships with non-Canadians that result in the mixing of cultures and races at the same time. Religion is also part of the culture that can get mixed up in the process (Beaman and Bayer). The diverse population greatly contributes to the shaping of Canada as a country. They do not develop their system alone as ethnic groups and migrants also contribute to the development of Canada (Banting and Soroka). The history of Canada will also be explored as it may give answers on how Canada formed its identity the people behind the culture (Bumsted). The sociological and political aspects of integration of immigrants will also be studied in the paper as there could be dilemmas that the integration may bring into the nation (Banting). The questions revolving around the topic would be basic such as who is involved? What is the concept of multiculturalism? What are the concerns in the national identity? How does it take place? What are the impacts on society? Can it be traced back in history? What are the effects on individuals? Multiculturalism exists as the ways of life of various groups of people coexist and in some ways mix with one another (Banting). The people involved in the study are the Canadians, ethnic groups and the migrants as they have a different culture but they coexist and influence each other especially in creating a national identity. It takes place in the country of Canada and as foreigners move to Canada for work, they add up to the population and can bring significant change to the established culture and norms.

STATEGIC BUSINESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

STATEGIC BUSINESS - Essay Example nges and the ways and means by which these could be remedied or fixed, so that uninterrupted and hassle-free use of internet could be ensured to the end-users and clients. The Transport Layer Protocol (TLS) could be defined as a protocol used in a communication network like the Internet. The Transport Layer Protocol provides data security for sent data/information. Data security is made possible by encrypting the data from the client and decrypting it at the receiver. It also ensures that the data is sent to the right person. One of the main advantages of TLS is that it can be extended by laying new algorithms with respect to the client-server algorithms. Different versions of TLS have been developed for computer applications including internet browsing, mailing and IP telephony. The new technology of TLS rushed into the IT scene following the introduction of Secure sockets layer (SSL) by Netscape .However, the introduction of TSL posed a great disadvantage as TSL and SSL failed to function together in proper co-ordination. This became a major hassle for those who were working with new and old networking protocols. But, it is surprising that today, mo st of the browsers operate using TSL. As TLS protocol offers powerful security to the data that is being sent, it acts as a kind of assurance to the person to whom you are communicating with. However, this is possible only when both ends are certified with the TLS certificate. In a typical scenario, this is not possible for all the users. X.509 is the most commonly used certificate for TLS communication. Some of the main protocols that TLS supports are HTTP, IMAP, POP3, and SMTP. TLS is an innovative technology used for modern communication purposes. A key advantage of TLS is that it offers extreme data reliability and security. The data is sent and received by the client server using certain procedures that underlie the protocol. This process starts with the client inquiring about the TLS certificate of the

Film Lone Star Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Film Lone Star - Movie Review Example Lone Star depicts a group of people with its disputes and social undercurrents.On the face of it, it is a murder mystry story delving into interpersonal and interracial conflicts in Frontera', Rio County, Texas. It has many sub plots and levels-- alienated father, annoyed son, misread son of the fuming father, love between two teenagers that gets revived and there's the your -father- was-justice-embodied and your mother was a saint" plot of the adored past sheriff Buddy Dees (Matthew McConaughey) and the evil sheriff Charlie Wade. The present sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper) is the son of the former sheriff who somewhat, lives in the shadow of his late father is summoned to inquire about a 40-year-old skeleton found in the desert. As Sam dip deeper into the town's mysterious secrets, he learns more about his father, who replaced the corrupt Charlie Wade. As Sam solves the long-past events bounding the skeleton, he also yearns to revive a romance with his first love, a beautiful Hispa nic girl, Pilar Cruz (Elizabeth Pea) whom Buddy categorically barred him to see during his adolescent years. Sam did not gel with his father in those years. Story goes that Buddy Deeds, when was just sheriff a Charlie Wade's deputy, killed the shady and cruel sheriff. When Wade's corpse is found in the desert, Sam finds himself probing his father when he gradually finds the story from the point of view of the town's older residents including a local bar owner, Pilar's mother and the former mayor and comes to know of his father in another light that directly affects his own life. However, the film is essentially about how local residents handle the difficult, often brutal history they have succeeded to and the borders they must traverse to live in peace Mise-en-scene Sayles still reigns supreme on his films right from production and casting control to finally the last cut. "The fact is," he explained, "I've got to the point where I don't need to make movies. . . . Why give up a year of your life for a film you are going to apologise for and you really don't feel is yours" Sayles's films are, clearly, his own. With his unquestionable honesty e and his rank as doyen of American independents, he can afford to shrug at studio support with or without which his best work may yet be to come (kemp, Sight and Sound). In Lone Star, John Sayles, like in his in City of Hope depicts a community with its in-fights and nuances though his signature shot: a long uninteruppted take wandering from group to group, jumping back to link all of them. But halfway , Sayles picks up his three main characters out of this busy backdrop and drops them into unique trouble to play out a tense psychological drama. Lone Star, a decisive film in Sayles' directorial quests (the s creenplay was nominated for an Oscar) is a narrative of borders of all kinds facing the anathema of race mixing and even incest. Texas is a melting pot where Anglo, Indigenous-American, African-American and Hispanic townsfolk ponder about the differing patrimony of these parched and sandy plains. Sayles' camera in its typical easy changeovers between past and present from frame to frame tosses an obdurate attention on a region that has flourished on a misleadingly particular fable. In an interview with the Cineaste Sayles

Describe a circumstance that led you become interested in a career in Essay

Describe a circumstance that led you become interested in a career in diagnostic imaging ( radiologic technology ) - Essay Example I am 30 years old and after I stopped going to school for many years, the experience prodded me to go back to become a radiologic technologist. I have recognized the intricate and valuable nature of work associated with this profession, especially in terms of performing the required diagnostic imaging examinations that would diagnose the accurate source of illness or abnormality. As an enthusiastic student, I have made simple research on this career path and my studies revealed that â€Å"employment is projected to grow faster than average; those with knowledge of more than one diagnostic imaging procedure will have the best employment opportunities† (Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), par. 1). With increased learning in more procedures, one would gain extensive expertise in this career and enable the realization of attractive financial benefits, coupled with more opportunities for advancement. The same report provided by the BLS indicated that â€Å"some technologists progres s by specializing in the occupation to become instructors or directors in radiologic technology educational programs; others take jobs as sales representatives or instructors with equipment manufacturers† (BLS, par. 26).

Globalization and African Education Research Paper

Globalization and African Education - Research Paper Example The evaluation of the degree of globalization forms the discussion content to this essay. The basic aspects of argument include the changing population development and settlement expansion. Globalization effects attract the world attention as a widely debated issue. This forms significance in the world affairs through spiking passionate critics and cohorts. This paper aims to survey the varying facets and complex matters within globalization. This context also presents the debates on the global economy with translated implications for the contemporary society. Â  Globalization entails about five core primary economic aspects. The economic dimensions include employment, investments, abet, population migration and thoughts. The evaluation of the facts presents a direct connection to the alleviation of global poverty. Globalization also relates to cultural influence and political impacts. The cultural view depicts the developing apprehension between amalgamation and separation. This forms the basis of international relations with relevance to population growth and impact. Economic globalization affects the environment within the population establishment scale. This emerges from rising concentration of the atmospheric pollutants. Higher levels of these pollutants damage ozone layers. The resultant effects result in inconsistent climatic changes and global warming. The developing trade issue point to the changing trends in global status. Recent years depict a change in the gaps between rich countries and poor nations. This assessment builds gr ound from the human progression index. The increasing range in longevity and expansion translate to a gap between capital incomes.

The Centre for Visual Arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Centre for Visual Arts - Essay Example The name of the exhibition is ‘In Lak’ech San Diego to Denver: You Are My Other Self’ and was characterized by artists involved in looking into immigration, cultural variations and equality. This statement has made me learn that artists in San Diego have taken up the role of promoting unity despite difference, shared reverence of manifestation, experiences, and variations. Lopez’ artwork in the Center for Visual Arts exhibition in Metropolitan State University was paintings from the Guadalupe series. The drawings covered white paper surface with oil pastels with dark and light crayons marks achieving changes in value. Lopez is renowned missionary artists and a pioneers and figurehead feminists of the Chicana art movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Using the Guadalupana images, Lopez manages to reveal different perspectives of politics, religious, and cultural aspects. The choice of the virgin in her artwork portrays the contemporary Chicana womanhood. The imag es demonstrate that Chicana women are expected to live their true self’s by remaining active, passionate, and indigenous mestizas and not Santa’s with white skin, acquitted, shy, genderless, and young. Consequently, Lopez intentions in the images of Guadalupe series define the true Chicana grandmothers and mothers. Lopez artwork evidently demonstrates the aspect of ‘In lak’Ech’ or ‘You Are the Other Me’ in that they bring out a sense of community and autonomy. Self-dependency does not mean individualism or prioritizing self, but something that is not just intimately our own but that belongs to others as well. For Lopez, a Chicana, the images represent a journey, relationship, experience and prayers through La Virgen de Guadalupe and relates to her appreciating being Chicana from her grandmother and mother.

Describe a circumstance that led you become interested in a career in Essay

Describe a circumstance that led you become interested in a career in diagnostic imaging ( radiologic technology ) - Essay Example I am 30 years old and after I stopped going to school for many years, the experience prodded me to go back to become a radiologic technologist. I have recognized the intricate and valuable nature of work associated with this profession, especially in terms of performing the required diagnostic imaging examinations that would diagnose the accurate source of illness or abnormality. As an enthusiastic student, I have made simple research on this career path and my studies revealed that â€Å"employment is projected to grow faster than average; those with knowledge of more than one diagnostic imaging procedure will have the best employment opportunities† (Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), par. 1). With increased learning in more procedures, one would gain extensive expertise in this career and enable the realization of attractive financial benefits, coupled with more opportunities for advancement. The same report provided by the BLS indicated that â€Å"some technologists progres s by specializing in the occupation to become instructors or directors in radiologic technology educational programs; others take jobs as sales representatives or instructors with equipment manufacturers† (BLS, par. 26).

The Centre for Visual Arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Centre for Visual Arts - Essay Example The name of the exhibition is ‘In Lak’ech San Diego to Denver: You Are My Other Self’ and was characterized by artists involved in looking into immigration, cultural variations and equality. This statement has made me learn that artists in San Diego have taken up the role of promoting unity despite difference, shared reverence of manifestation, experiences, and variations. Lopez’ artwork in the Center for Visual Arts exhibition in Metropolitan State University was paintings from the Guadalupe series. The drawings covered white paper surface with oil pastels with dark and light crayons marks achieving changes in value. Lopez is renowned missionary artists and a pioneers and figurehead feminists of the Chicana art movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Using the Guadalupana images, Lopez manages to reveal different perspectives of politics, religious, and cultural aspects. The choice of the virgin in her artwork portrays the contemporary Chicana womanhood. The imag es demonstrate that Chicana women are expected to live their true self’s by remaining active, passionate, and indigenous mestizas and not Santa’s with white skin, acquitted, shy, genderless, and young. Consequently, Lopez intentions in the images of Guadalupe series define the true Chicana grandmothers and mothers. Lopez artwork evidently demonstrates the aspect of ‘In lak’Ech’ or ‘You Are the Other Me’ in that they bring out a sense of community and autonomy. Self-dependency does not mean individualism or prioritizing self, but something that is not just intimately our own but that belongs to others as well. For Lopez, a Chicana, the images represent a journey, relationship, experience and prayers through La Virgen de Guadalupe and relates to her appreciating being Chicana from her grandmother and mother.

Safeguarding the security of Americans Essay Example for Free

Safeguarding the security of Americans Essay The FDA is responsible for safeguarding the security of Americans by ensuring that all types of Pharmaceutical and biological products, cosmetics, medical equipment and the nations food supplies are inspected and meet the standards expected. However, this has been compromised because the organization faces severe under funding. Hence, the nation is experiencing increased cases of health problems like poisoning, illnesses and even deaths resulting from consuming infected food. To prevent more fatal outcomes in future, boosting FDA funding is mandatory for improved performance. There are various estimates with regard to cases relating to deaths resulting from consuming infected food. â€Å"Ames, Iowa-based Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, an organization composed of 36 scientific societies, suggests that anywhere from 6.5 million to 33 million illnesses and up to 9000 deaths each year may be caused by food borne hazards (Schmidt p.2). Further, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that yearly, 76 Million cases of illnesses associated with food contamination and over 300,000 people are hospitalized. In addition, 5000 people and more die from illnesses associated with the same. These figures are particularly threatening and worrying especially due to the fact that the causes are known and these incidences can be avoided altogether. It is even more annoying because America has adequate capacity in terms of financial resources and technical know how to adequately address this problem. On January seventh, two thousand and eight, The Massachusetts Department of Public Health found out that a bacterium called Listeria monocytogenes was traced back to a milk-processing plant. Well, the bacterium is in most cases found in such environments though it is particularly concentrated around domesticated and wild animals. One hundred samples were taken and the results showed that sixteen of those contained the bacterium. The factory claims that it complied with the FDA regulations but an outbreak still occurred. Of course this was not intentional; changes in processing food could cause an outbreak. Changes in food processing in many instances provide suitable conditions for specific bacterium to thrive. Donald Schaffner, an extension specialist with the Department of Food Sciences at Rutgers University in New Jersey says, some emerging strains have resulted from changes in voluminous food production. â€Å"Sometimes, a change in food production optimizes proliferation of a rare strain and makes that strain more common,† he says. â€Å"Other times, these unique strains have always been there, but we get to know them because new tools and techniques tell us they are there† (Schmidt p.3). Other causes of food contamination include poor sanitation. In these cases, food is not well handled by the manufacturers who pay little or no attention to sanitation of the equipment they use during processing. Naturally, most foods have small quantities of bacteria which have no effect to humans. However, these if poorly handled are a risk to human health. Also, if food is not well prepared, it contributes to food borne diseases. Animal products should especially be given attention during preparation. Lastly, inappropriate food storage mechanisms in various ways do contribute to multiplying of the bacteria, causing food poisoning. Recently, America has experienced a number of food borne diseases being contacted by its population. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, such diseases include salmonellosis, listeriosis, and hemolytic uremic syndrom. Presently, the FDA is undergoing great criticism as a result of its inability to keep the public free of contaminated food. Officials from FDA have on certain occasions acknowledged that they can not tell if the product is contaminated before they get complaints from the public and the police. Besides, the FDA in some cases actually knows about food contamination in certain manufacturing plants and farms but fail to act accordingly until death and illness cases are reported. For instance, in the cases of contamination and sanitation problems at a Peanut butter manufacturing company in Georgia and on Spinach farms in California, the FDA acted only after three deaths and hundreds of sicknesses were reported.   This apparently implies incompetence on their part. The FDA staff is estimated to be around seven thousand people. However, this number of workers is expected to inspect close to sixty two thousand factories as well as other imported products from other countries. This is certainly a huge workload. Based on the above statistics, it would take the FDA thirteen years to inspect each factory once, without having to inspect the seemingly increasing products from other countries. This poor performance is because of under funding. The organization only receives a third of the budget allocated to food safety despite the fact that it controls almost 80% of the nations food. It hence finds it tricky to perform tasks expected of it because of these limited funds. Its state of technology also wants making it difficult to compare and analyze any reports about dangerous products and substances. Most of the reports handed in by the FDA field inspectors are usually hand written and hence can not pass through the system in an efficient way. The congress is working round the clock to ensure that the FDA is financially empowered to curb the challenges it faces. It asserts that in order to work effectively in the coming five years, the FDA would need an increase in its funding by fifteen percent. Clearly, there is not enough manpower to effectively oversee the sanitation of food that Americans consume each day. Another concern is about the imported food. Leaders from the Democratic council claim that ninety eight point seven percent of the food from other countries is often not inspected. This is worrying because several countries America imports food from have a history of contamination and disease. Urgent attention need to be given to this concern especially because of the current trend that has seen increasingly many countries manufacture contaminated food, even those whose technology and standards were considered to be satisfactory. An example would be China in the case of contaminated milk. Since the number of food products entering the country is so much that the FDA can not handle each and every product, loopholes are created, giving room to infected products to reach the market and consequently be consumed without knowledge. Americans are susceptible to consuming contaminated food as the cases of contamination increase. While this threat is glaring, â€Å"The FDA, on the other hand, limits its oversight to random port-of-entry inspection of imported foods. But in the same way that the FDA has been unable to keep up domestic production, it is overwhelmed by imported foods as well, and can only inspect a round of two percent of overseas shipments† (Schmidt p.2) Poor performance of the PDA and its failure to protect the health of the Americans is contributing to more and more tainted food products coming in the country. America is the biggest importer of fish, vegetables, fruits and nuts from especially China. If the current trend holds, this nation is at risk of consuming contaminated food from China. Because of the inability of the FDA to perform effectively, this country has turned in to a dumping site for infected foods and drugs. Well, other countries seem to be aware of this and may be that’s the reason why currently, more cases are reported more often. Apparently, veterinary drugs also find their way in to the country illegally. Consequently, the health of our domestic animals including pets is at stake.   Very many incidences have seen pets die because of consuming contaminated feeds from China. This means that indirectly, human health is at risk as we consume products from the animals we keep as well as the animals themselves. In order to address the raised concerns and restore the trust Americans once had in FDA, the government should financially empower the agency. With adequate financial empowerment, it will be able to execute its duties accordingly and boost the health of many Americans who are adversely affected by its incompetence. WORKS CITED Schmidt, Charles W. Safe Food: An All-Consuming Issue. Brogan Partners 107.3 Mar 1993 144-A149. 26 Feb 2009 http://www.jstor.org/stable/3434501?seq=2.

Has Labour Abandoned Its Socialist Principles Politics Essay

Has Labour Abandoned Its Socialist Principles Politics Essay Many consider New Labour to be operating under a deceptive title due to the fact that the party has abandoned so many of the principles traditionally associated with Labour policies. The foundation of the long-established socialist principles, which formed the basis of old Labour policies, was clause IV of the 1918 Labour constitution. Common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange was the single socialist slogan which underpinned the ethos of old Labour; equality. Historically the party was broadly in favour of socialism as set out in Clause Four of the original party constitution and advocated socialist policies such as public ownership of key industries, government intervention in the economy, redistribution of wealth, increased rights for workers, the welfare state, publicly-funded healthcare and education. Beginning in the late-1980s under the leadership of Neil Kinnock, and subsequently that of John Smith and Tony Blair however the party moved away from socialist positions, adopting free market policies, leading many observers to describe the Labour Party as Social Democratic or Third Way rather than democratic socialist. Blairism has been viewed as a continuation of traditional social democracy, concealed by better marketing and a modernized image. After 1918 the Party traditionally presented its policies as socialist, emphasizing the importance of a large state-controlled sector of the economy, relatively high levels of taxation, and comprehensive state-organized welfare provision. In office, the 1945-50 government of Clement Attlee is widely credited with successful radical reform which epitomized much of this progressive agenda. The Attlee Government created a mixed economy through the nationalization of a number of strategic industries and public utilities, as well as Keynesian ideas of economic management. A welfare state was established involving a commitment to full employment, universal social security, free universal state-funded health care and extensive state-funded social housing. Attlee also laid down a foreign and defence policy based on NATO, bilateral cooperation with the United States, and the development of nuclear weapons. Such approaches set the framework for government for the next twenty to thirty years. The general picture, however, was that Labour governments were haunted by caution and failure. The inter-war minority governments lacked political power and were heavily influenced by the desire to show that they were fit to govern. Critics of the 1945 Attlee Government highlight that actually it should have gone a lot further in nationalization and in introducing greater industrial democracy. Post-war governments commonly were unable to develop state intervention as they were beset by economic crises. Both the 1945-50 and 1966-70 Labour governments were forced to devalue the pound. The Labour governments 1974-9 presided over the shock-waves from the oil crisis following the Arab-Israeli war and domestic industrial relations problems. Inflation rose to over 25 per cent and unemployment to over 1 million. Labour was forced to seek a loan from the International Monetary Fund in 1976, and left government 1979 tarnished by the image of the winter of discontent, 1978-9, when Britain was h it by a wave of strikes. Labours common experience was to enter office with big plans and high expectations, only to retreat a few years later overwhelmed by events. Labours new leader, Michael Foot, belonged to the hard left wing of the party. He was not seen as a moderniser. Labour remained committed to a mixed economy and nuclear disarmament. Four top Labour Party figures, left to right: Bill Rodgers, Shirley Williams, Roy Jenkins and David Owen quit the Labour Party in 1981 to form the new centre party; the Social Democratic Party or SDP. Twenty eight other Labour MPs also joined. The 1983 election was a disaster for Labour. Mrs Thatcher, buoyed up by her victory in the Falklands War of 1982, won a landslide victory with a 143 seat majority (compare this with a 178 majority for Blair in 1997). After the election, Neil Kinnock took over the leadership with a mission to modernise the party and make Labour electable again.He ditched the policy of nuclear disarmament and made it clear that Mrs Thatchers anti-strike laws would not be reversed. The Blair New Labour project was shaped by the partys experience of eighteen frustrating years in opposition, during which time profound changes in the UK were brought about by the Thatcher and Major governments. Labour found itself having to adjust to, even accommodate Thatcherism, following four successive general election defeats. The party was also angered by what it saw as the deleterious effects of Conservative rule, in terms of widening inequality and deepening social division. The process of Labour party modernisation that began with Neil Kinnock in 1983 was driven by electoral imperatives that became stronger with each subsequent defeat. As revised Clause 4 indicated, Labour had come to accept that the economy should be regulated by the market and not by the state. Blairism therefore built on Thatcherism and did not try to reverse it. This particularly applied in relation to the core elements of economic Thatcherism- privatization, union power, taxation and degulation. Beyond this, the first Blair government granted semi-independence to the Bank of England in the setting of interest rates. A major distinction between Old Labour and New Labour was the latters enthusiasm for reforming the constitution. During Blairs first government, 1997-2001, a bold series of constitutional reforms were introduced. These reflected a liberal desire to strengthen checks and balances by fragmenting government power and to bolster individual rights. However, many have argued that Labours conversion to constitutional liberalism was only partial. For example, plans to consider alternatives to the Westminster voting system were quickly dropped and enthusiasm for constitutional reform declined after 2001. Blairs approach to welfare was different from both the Thatcherite emphasis on standing on your own two feet and the social-democratic belief in cradle to grave support. This was reflected in unprecedented increases in health and education after 1999, the wider use of targeted benefits (as opposed to universal benefits), an emphasis on the idea of welfare-to-work and attempts to reform the public services. Blairs belief in welfare was based on what has been called social entrepreneurialism, the idea that the public services should be more market-orientated and consumer responsive. Public-private partnerships, such as private finance initiatives (PFIs), were also more widely used to, for example, build schools and hospitals. A key Blairite belief has been the idea that rights should always be balanced against responsibilities. In this sense, Blairism was influenced communitarianism. The desire to strengthen social duty and moral responsibilities was reflected in the so-called respect agenda, under which new public order laws were introduced (introducing ASBOs), the prison population rose steeply and a series of new anti-terrorism laws were passed. This also led to allegations that New Labour had endangered a range of vital civil liberties. Labours historical core vote (industrial working class union members) has also been shrinking since 1970s. The unions helped create the Labour Party. Blair has cast aside tradition in the quest for votes. Traditional blue collar union membership has declined since 1970s, whilst professional white collar unions have grown. Labour now needed to attract more funding from rich donors. This has often led to accusations of corruption. Public perception of unions in 1980s was negative. Union activity seen as militant by many. In 1997 it was revealed that Bernie Ecclestone had loaned Labour  £1m. It was believed that he had done so to ensure that a future Labour government would not ban tobacco sponsorship of Formula 1 racing. In 2002, Indian steel tycoon, Lakshmi Mittal gave Labour  £125,000, it was thought, in return for Tony Blairs help in buying a Romanian steel company. From 2005-07 a criminal investigation probes whether  £14m of loans to Labour were given by wealthy businessmen in return for peerages (seats in the House of Lords) Even now there is huge disagreement over where Labour stands ideologically, despite the insistence of both Blair and Brown that the emphasis has always been upon the restoration of traditional Labour values of fairness, justice and social inclusion. There had been an earlier attempt to update Labours ideology while in opposition in the 1950s, which had focused very heavily upon the need to bring about greater equality of outcome through the tax and benefit system. In conclusion, there is little agreement over the extent to, and even the ways in which Labour has changed. New Labour could be seen as bringing socialism up to date the values havent changed (social justice, equality of opportunity, community, partnership, rights); instead, its policies acknowledge that society has changed. New Labour is thus in the tradition of democratic socialism, but with a much reduced stress on unions, public ownership, state provision, and even redistribution. Alternatively New Labour could be seen as a radical transformation, from democratic socialism to social democracy.

The Life of Frederick Douglass Essay -- African American social reforme

Escaping slavery in 1838, Frederick Douglass informed citizens of the cruel abuse that many slaves and he experienced from their masters. Frederick Douglass was a self-educated African American while also being under the chains of slavery. As Douglass rises to admiration upon abolitionists, he writes many stories describing the difficulties and encounters he witnessed and experienced as a slave. In the book, The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Douglass describes the clothing, food and horrific conditions he overcame as a slave. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery by his estranged mother, Harriet Bailey and his unknown white father, assumed to be Captain Anthony. Like the majority of slaves, Douglass is unknown of his actual birthdate, rumored to be born around Valentine’s Day in the year 1817 or 1818. Generally, a slave owner will keep his slaves uninformed by keeping simple information from them, such as birth dates and their biological father. Those who were mixed, black and white, were beaten and whipped, and were worse off than those of darker skin, due to the overseers’ wife’s growing suspicion of her husband interrelating with a slave. As part of the transition to becoming a slave, Douglass was taken from his mother to break the natural mother and child bond. As a child, Douglass lived with his grandmother and rarely saw his mother. On rare occasions, his mother would travel twelve miles to his farm after she finished all her work to see him as he slept. Douglass’ mot her passed away, as usual, he is not allowed to attend her funeral. All slaves were treated as if they were not human and not allowed to have privileges white people experienced. Overworked and exhausted, slaves were living... ...tates in his book, â€Å"Without Struggle There Is No Success† (Douglass). In other words, most people cannot expect to achieve a goal without failing. Frederick Douglass describes the different conditions he experienced and witnessed in the book, The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. As an educated and free black man, Frederick Douglass made it his goal to get his story out to the nation, so that the citizens will know the true colors of slavery. In Douglass’ writings, he illustrates to the reader the horror and authenticity of captivity. Although the place of his captivity was not as major as other slaves in slave states, he describes to the audience blood wrenching details of his encounters. Frederick Douglass becomes a well-known face to the abolitionists’ community and goes on to accomplish several goals, including supporting women’s rights.

The Importance of Sound in William Shakespeares Macbeth Essays

The Importance of Sound in Macbeth      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Macbeth, the shortest and perhaps darkest play by Shakespeare, is a tale of over-riding ambition, human nature, and supernatural meddling. Macbeth is the main character in the play, and although he begins the story a loyal subject and brave hero, the power bestowed on him poisens and corrupts him until he eventually turns evil and seeks more, to his downfall. As the central figure of the play, Macbeth sets in motion a sequence of events that brings about the destruction and eventual rebirth of Scotland, giving the play an essentially dark tone. There are, however, varying degrees of evil, subtly different in texture and context. One way Shakespeare indicates the styles of evil throughout the play Macbeth is through the use of sounds. Sounds in the play fall under four categories: nature, man-made, the sounds of battle, and human cries.    The first category of sounds used are that of nature, which symbolize evil deeds and death. Animal sounds most prevalent throughout the play are those of birds, specifically those of owls and ravens. Traditionally, owls symbolize death and to hear the call of one is considered ill omened. In Act II, Lady Macbeth - a creature of evil herself- comments, "Hark! Peace! / It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman, / which gives the stern'st goodnight" (II, ii, 3-5). The goodnight referred to, somewhat ironically, is that of eternal sleep, as she knows King Duncan has just been murdered, perhaps at the very moment the owl called. This omen could have been interpreted as either good or ill by her, since her designs were evil and the owl could have represented the Darkness' acceptance of her, or as a foreshadowing of her own sinking into darkne... ...ird) like all together." And so it is, and always shall fair be foul and foul be fair.    Works Cited: De Quincy, Thomas. "From On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth." Elements of Literature, Sixth Course. Eds. Robert Probst, et. Al. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 1997: 330-331 Evans, G. Blackemore. "Macbeth." In The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blackemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mufflin Company. 1974: 1307- 1311 "Imagery in Macbeth." Anonymous. September 15, 2014. Http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=3880 "Imagery of Disease and Corruption." Anonymous 2. September 15, 2014. Http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id "Importance of the Last Two Scenes in Macbeth." Anonymous 5. September 15, 2014. Http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=7195 "Macbeth." Anonymous. September 15, 2014. Http://www.sevarg.net/school/booknotes/Macbeth.txt

Improving Patient Safety by Utilizing Information Technology Essay

As the push towards patient safety increases with regulatory agencies such as the Florida Agency for Healthcare administration (ACHA) and The Joint Commission (TJC), formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), highlighting the need for higher qualities of standard, hospitals such as Memorial Hospital Pembroke in Hollywood Florida are interested in finding ways of achieving optimal patient care standards and propel themselves up the list of top performers on key quality measures. Of equal importance is the need to optimize the cost effectiveness of this quality of care by reducing length of hospital stay and reducing instances of readmissions for the same or related complaints. Individual department such as pharmacy, radiology and laboratory each have computerized systems specifically aimed at task completion within the department taking no thought of the dissemination of that information across the spectrum of not only medical departments but also to administrative and clerical departments. With the advent of care possesses such as computer physician order entry(CPOE) and electronic medication administration record systems(EMARs) aimed at both quality and cost effectiveness the necessity exist to provide all needed information including medical records, radiological imagery such as CT scans, MRIs, and laboratory results at the immediate disposal of the practitioner. Administrative departments such as billing, medical records, medical supplies, and social services requiring real time updates on care administered, supplies expended in administering this care and follow up required in order to complete the continuum of care. There is therefore the need to integrate all these various clinical and administrative processes into a single efficient hospital based system of delivery of care. Electronic Health Record systems (EHRs) are not only designed to provide such services but also information to patients and stores and manages data collected on patients. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 provided $34 billion via Medicare and Medicaid for the implementation and use of EHRs. Two such systems EpicCare and HCS eMR respectively define themselves as follows. â€Å"The EpicCare Inpatient Clinical System spans all hospital departments and specialties, giving providers the tools they need to deliver safe, high-quality care. EpicCare’s role-based navigators simplify relevant information access for physicians, nurses, therapists, dietitians and any other provider in the hospital setting† â€Å"HCS eMR meaningful use software is a Workflow Driven / Focused solution focused on high User Adoption. HCS eMR works for your hospital because it: Builds on existing processes such as Medication Reconciliation †¢ Integrates with existing technology to streamline processes †¢ Leverages sophisticated rules and timely alerts to drive success †¢ Can be implemented quickly and is fully adopted †¢ Is economical â€Å" Organizational and individual barriers to proposed change Several potential barriers exist to the implementation of an integrated electronic health records system (EHRs), these include structural, financial/business, technical/professional, and cultural. Structural Memorial Hospital Pembroke is not a standalone hospital rather it is one of five hospitals in the Memorial Hospital System (MHS) formerly known as the South Broward Hospital district of Florida, as such much consideration has to be given to the eventual implementation across the system not only to Pembroke itself. Diversity in buyers and payers of supplies and services across the system would impact heavily on integration. There are also different providers of information technology in various departments that would have to be modified to enable integration via a central system of informatics. Financial and business The infrastructural implementation of EHR systems requires initial high dollar investment which in the current economic environment may require budgetary restraints on other services and supplies. Although the intent is clear and the potential promising, there is limited evidence of the economic benefits of EHR systems in healthcare mainly because it is in its infancy, the hospital board of governors may require extensive due diligence studies prior agreeing to any such change. Cultural The cost-benefits across the continuum of providers e. g. octors, nurses and recipients e. g. patients of healthcare have yet to be realized and as such much caution and resistance is to be anticipated. Clinicians inclusive of nurses envision health informatics particularly EHRs as being time consuming and takes away from, autonomy, actual time spent with patients, also old habits are hard to break, and question what personal benefits are to be gain from this intrusive system. Not to be ignored is the additional scrutiny as all processes will be documented at time of process and provides a permanent record, errors cannot be deleted. Departments who previously had autonomy on how information is transferred and disseminated from the individual department to other practitioners may show reluctance to â€Å"opening up† to the scrutiny of others. Patients also will be required to accommodate intrusion, as with the availability of previously restricted information at the bedside from computers on wheels (COWs) more time may be spent at the bedside by practitioners instead of doing time consuming reviews and making notes prior to patients’ rounds. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) which provides federally regulated protection of patients health information held by healthcare professionals, is another possible barrier that impact the implementation of the proposed change, and care has to be taken to limit the unnecessary access of patient’s data. Factors influencing proposed change Important factors that may affect whether implementation of an EHR at Memorial Pembroke is employed include, how receptive management and staff are to the change, the existence of available EHR systems providers versus in-house creation of a system, Cost of purchasing, implementing and maintaining a system and if funding is available, real benefits to be attained, are they measurable, and structural, cultural and financial readiness of the organization for the change. Receptiveness of management and staff If the existing system works for staff or is perceived to work then many questions arise among the participants why does there need to be this intrusive change. Can the proposed benefits to be realized justify the overhaul and inconvenience to come and am I going to be remunerated for my efforts? Available EHR systems There are many systems already on the market including EPICare inpatient-core; HCS eMR and ChartAcess which are ready for implementation have a system of support and maintenance. Although these are expensive systems, to build an in-house system replicating these would be time consuming and require extensive developmental processes that would certainly result in delay in implementing such a system. Cost May be divided into acquisition and maintenance, acquisition cost include cost of software, training, installation, paper to electronic conversion and implementation productivity loss, which may not be measurable. Maintenance cost includes upgrades, replacement of hardware and internal and external support cost. Acquisition cost will be significant and may impact on the ability of the organization to meet other budgetary demands. Maintenance cost are spread out over time and may not be as impacting, also the possibility exist that cost savings from the use of the EHRs employed may offset maintenance cost. Factors influencing organizational readiness There are certain basic requirements of readiness which Memorial Pembroke must meet in order to be ready for health IT without which failure is almost assured. These are Organizational culture, Management and leadership, Operational and Technical readiness. Organizational culture – defined as an assessment of how the organization perceives EHR, general staff and physicians’ perceptions and patient involvement. Does Memorial Pembroke view EHR as a liability or as an asset, is the staff open to what is better for the patient or are they more concerned about turf protection, are nurses prepared to record even the most minor detail if it means a better overall picture of the state of the patient. Management and leadership – does the organization have the management that appreciates the importance of the change to the overall goals of the organization and is there a readiness to apply necessary resources to include human resources, financial resources and information and to manage these resources not only for current but also future EHR needs. Is there an executive team, a strategic plan, quality improvement and care management, and sound financial management? Operational readiness – takes into consideration, protocols, operational procedures, staffing needs for the implementation, training plans and programs, preparedness of project managers and IT staff for the implementation. Technical readiness– considers the organizations technical environment and information technology capabilities to deal with and absorb the change. Is there adequate server capacity, a rational process of procurement also potential for growth and development of the department? In short can they handle it? Theoretical model related to proposed change The model best related to this organizational change which seeks to enhance the institution as a whole in the furtherance of improved quality of care for patients as also to optimize the organizations ability to be effective in the administrative process and other peripheral processes involved in this change is organizational development. Organizational change targets the entire organization and creates a climate of open discussion with valued feedback which helps to reinforce or modify to the change. It depends on the utilization of process consultants to facilitate interventions and to manage the change. Internal and external resources to support change Within the organization several resources may be found which may facilitate or enhance the change to be implemented, these include competent senior management who portray a sense of confidence and facilitate dialogue with staff thus enabling them to be active participants, a strong human resource department that arranges and implement training programs aimed at preparing staff for the change. A vibrant IT department with competent personnel knowledgeable in IT systems that can facilitate incorporation of new technology to its network. Staff that are trainable and who understand the dynamism of the organization and of change and are willing to adapt in order to meet organizational goals. Externally advantage has to be taken of a proven provider of EHRs that has the experience and support infrastructure that will facilitate attainment of the organizational goals. Independent consultants who are experienced in the change to be implemented, and who are able to monitor and manage the change at each stage of implementation. Research data that provide information aimed at making informed decisions, provided by research specialist and not ad hoc pieces of information.

Money Brings Happiness?

Name: Nguy? n Th? Thu Hi? n Class: Lu? t anh 2 Homework: Many pepple think that money brings happiness. Do you agree with them. Why or why not? Essay: â€Å"Does money bring happiness? † This is the question that everyone has the different answers. I agree with many people about money brings happiness. Money helps we have material comforts and spiritual joy. In fact, if we have no money, we can’t buy goods, clothes, and other necessaries which we need. If we have a lot of money, we can improve our spiritual activities easily.We can go to the movies every weekend, and we can buy any expensive gifts for the people who we love. Money helps the poor have a will-fed life. For the rich, money helps them have pure happiness because they can help the poor and the victims of the disasters. It is said that: â€Å" Money is the root of all evil. † No, it is not true. Money is normally the fruit of labour. The question is how one spends that money. There is nothing good or e vil about money. The same money which can help bring relief to the suffering millions, can be used to build up armaments.The power decides how to spend the money. ————————————————- In summary, the money brings happiness only when we use it properly. The right use of money may bring us a comfortable life and a cheerful heart. Ng? c Tho? i Nguy? n Being poor can certainly bring unhappiness, but having money does not guarantee happiness. Some people assume that because extreme poverty brings extreme unhappiness that the opposite must be true. It is not. There are a lot of very unhappy very rich people.Acquiring money can too easily become the center of life's focus and that can become an obsession. Like most obsessions, it's not a good thing. The Bible says that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. That seems to be a universal truth. When you love money more than anything else in life you will find that you can never get enough of it. When life only revolves around getting money you start to obsess over what it can bring you and then you lose any chance of happiness. ————————————————- The happiest people I know are not the richest.They are the people who have learned to be happy with what they have and make the most of life. I have seen people made deeply miserable by poverty, but at the same time I have seen relatively poor people who are happy because they have a positive and thankful attitude about life. Nguyen Khac Hoang: We are living in the 21th century, when many new inventions have discovered. As far as I know, one of them, which has big influence over the world is internet. So do you wonder: â€Å" Why do they like to use the Internet? † The internet always brings a better life.In fact, without internet people are alive and still exist but nobody can deny the benefits of the it. Firstly, it’s a source of information. People can get the latest information about weather forecast, daily events all around the world†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. at any time as well. Before the Internet was invented, people can’t get the information as fast as now, they must watch TV programs, buy newspapers or magazines. Thanks to Internet, we can widen our knowledge in an inexpensive and convenient way. Secondly, Internet is a source of entertainment. If y feel tired of bored, y can listen to music or watch any films y like.Moreover, many people like to play games on the Internet because they are very interesting, wonderful and this doesn’t cost as much. You can also communicate with friends or ralatives by means of e-mail or chatting. Thirdly, Internet is a good mean of education. Teachers can teach on the Internet. Students can find various kinds of tests to do. In addition, they now can use the Internet as a time – saving decide by online schools or online lessons. In conclusion, almost every aspect of our life is concerned with the Internet. It’s a wonderful invention of our modern life. It makes our world a small village.

About Chloroform As An Anaesthetic Agent

About Chloroform As An Anaesthetic Agent Surgical procedures are painful, no doubt. Even with the advancement of medicine in the field of anaesthetic, certain complications are to be expected among patients who were receiving anaesthesia (regardless of types) such as bradycardia, post-puncture headache, hypotension and feeling pain despite an adequate dose of analgesia. How do we know exactly whether the patient who is being operated is in pain? Most of the indications were clinical (there is no machine which can tell you with an absolute certainty that the patient is in paint) and often judged based on the patients vital signs which can be quite suggestive of pain, for example, increase in blood pressure and heartbeat could indicate that the amount of analgesia being given to the patient was inadequate. Eventually, an anaesthetist in-charge will increase the analgesics/any other drugs dosage to achieve stabilisation which will provide a less painful experience for the patient. Being sedated during surgery is the main principle of anaesthesia (although some procedures dont require sedation; local anaesthetic for example) coupled with other agents which could alleviate pain and reduce movement to provide surgeons with optimal surgical conditions thus reducing post-operative complications. There are a lot of fine arteries, veins and nearby organs that can potentially be damaged during operation if patients were moving thus usage of muscle relaxants (either depolarising or non-depolarising) are justified to facilitate certain procedures. Even though nowadays, there are a lot of chemicals which can be used as anaesthetic agents, back in the day, the number of options to alleviate pain is quite limited. In 2250 BCE, most of the toothache cases experienced by Babylonians were treated by giving Henbane, a type of plant which is quite poisonous, often being used to treat some medical conditions such as asthma, cough, nervous system-related diseases and sure, a toot hache. If you were thinking, sedation before operative procedures are only practised after we discovered modern medicine, you were wrong. In 650 BCE, most of the priestesses utilise ethylene fumes to induce sedation among patients before any kind of procedure. In 400 BCE, Assyrians discovered that they can induce unconsciousness temporarily by compressing the carotid artery to carry out a few simple surgical procedures such as cataract surgery and circumcision without too much fuss. In the year 160, Hua Tuo performed surgery after patients have been induced with a method resembles the general anaesthesia by utilising a mixture of wine and herbs called Mafeisan. People generally understand the importance of putting patients in an unconscious state before starting an operation but as there were a lot of complications (including death) which have been documented in a lot of journals associated with certain types of anaesthetic agents, people grew restless. There are a lot of modern anaesthetic agents which are not being used anymore due to their fatal complications but people in the past dont have much choices on that matter, really. In this article, we will discuss regarding one of the anaesthetic agents which have been held in high regards in the past after it was used to ease up Queen Victoria, during her childbirth. Lets talk about @chloroform. Exploring A 170 Years Of Controversy Even though chloroform was discovered by three independent researchers in 1831, people are not aware of its anaesthetic properties until it was eventually demonstrated in 1847 by a Scottish obstetrician named Professor James Simpson. He tried to search for an ideal anaesthetic chemical that can be used to anaesthetise patients during operation while imposing minimal side effects (pain, for most of the parts). His determination stemmed from his bad experience of witnessing a breast-removal operation that was carried out in 1827 when he was a medical student. Back then, reliable anaesthetic agents were yet to be discovered thus surgical procedures were usually carried out with speed and precision to reduce patients suffering. Feeling pain was considered inevitable so patients depend heavily on surgeons skills while they were held down by devices to prevent movements. Throughout the surgery, Simpson felt traumatised as he had to witness suffering from the patient as surgical cuts were made. Her movements were restricted by both leather straps and a few other attendants, so it was pretty much messed up gores that had to be dealt with as soon as they were able. Its not a sight that you would have admired or cherished and he nearly quitted medical school because of that; fortunately, he didnt. Instead of quitting, he pledged himself to find a suitable anaesthetic agent that could alleviate suffering among patients especially in a surgical setting. Most of the answers he acquired from his professors when he was a medical student were discouraging and only when he was a full-pledged medical officer that he could experiment with a number of chemicals and procedures to test their efficacies on his patients; he ever tried mesmerism! People often used the word mesmerism and hypnosis interchangeably, but both of them induced trance (an altered state of consciousness) through different methods. Mesmerism focused on using non-verbal cues like gaze, strokes etc. while hypnotism used verbal cues. Of course, mesmerism is not a good choice when it comes to medicine, even its founder, Franz Anton Mesmer was chased out from Venice for practising it, but Simpson was willing to try anything for the sake of improving the current state of surgical protocols; still, none of it works. In 1846 he heard about a chemical called ether which can be used as an inhaled agent to alleviate pain during dental procedures. He tried to use it in his medical practice but he soon realised that there are a lot of side effects caused by that particular volatile agent, not to mention back then, a huge portion of the medical community opposed to the usage of volatile agents as anaesthesia. Despite the frustration, he learned a considerable amount of experience and knowledge regarding volatile compounds. Exposure to all kind of volatile compounds brought him to chloroform in 1847, a year after his failed attempt at using ether as an anaesthetic agent. Mind you, volatile compound is a hot topic since the discovery of chloroform in 1831, but their potential benefits were regarded less than what they deserved. On November 1847, he revealed chloroform as a potential anaesthetic agent that can be used to induce patient pre-operatively. His discovery is so significant to the point that he was credited for discovering it and responsible for saving Queen Victoria during her childbirth from suffering; neither of which is true. According to the history press, although Simpsons works after the discovery of chloroform can be thought as significant or probably greater than chloroform, it received less attention by the medical community and public alike; everyone wanted to celebrate or hate him for the discovery of chloroform; so unfortunate. He recognised the fact that chloroform is a powerful agent that can be used to sedate people during surgery and at the same time, took lives if the dosage applied to an individual were excessive. There were a lot of debates, quarrels and confusion regarding the usage of such agent which requires a careful consideration of patients condition which can ultimately cause death if it was to be miscalculated. It is, however, worth noting that, the usage of chloroform has revolutionised battlefield medicine due to its quick onset of action, ease of use and high rate of success which has been documented on numerous occasions during wars. In the war in the Crimea, the British used chloroform almost universally in their operations; the French also exhibited it very extensively, and Baudens, one of their leading military surgical authorities, declares that they did not meet with one fatal accident from it, although it was given to them during the Eastern campaign, thirty thousand times at least. In America, however, chloroform was only recognised as one of the most effective anaesthetic agents after a civil war in 1861 thus being used by physicians for routine surgeries. It was kinda appropriate to start using such inhaled agent after it was documented in the records regarding the use of chloroform as a preferred agent to treat 80,000 people (through surgical methods) without too much fuss; they either used chloroform alone or mixed it up with ether to enhance its therapeutic effects. Even though the success rate seems high, there were a lot of deaths that have been documented as a part of the consequences caused by chloroform, starting with a child in 1848, a year after Simpson started using it as a preferred anaesthetic agent. Miscalculation or overextending the exposure of such chemical to patients can cause cardiac arrest and thus death within 2 minutes. When Simpson first discovered the anaesthetic property of chloroform, he tried it on himself, putting him in a deep sl eep. Fortunately, he woke up the day after or the world will be deprived of such anaesthetic agent a few decades after his announcement. Chloroform In Criminal-Related Activities I think people are quite familiar with the idea of chloroform being used by criminals to induce their victims into an unconscious state so that they can be abducted or killed with ease. Even though this idea is quite popular, most of the papers out there seem to agree with the fact that applying chloroform to a handkerchief and such is considered a poor tool to be used in abductions and any related crimes that are required unconsciousness of non-consenting individuals. There are a few cases that can be given as evidence but most of the popular press seems to hate if this fact proved wrong; they still believe that in any criminal activity which used chloroform, the chemical itself is the reason for people to be unconscious. Well, the method of inducing victims seem to resemble the act of inducing patients before an operation but there are a lot of factors that can be considered before saying chloroform is the root of all evils. In 1850, an elderly clergyman stayed in Temperance Hotel located in Kendal, Cumbria, England. He was on a mission of collecting donation for the needy and successfully collected eleven gold sovereigns which are considered a lot. Unfortunately for him, a young man who travelled alongside him planned to steal those sovereigns so he soaked a towel with some chloroform and hid inside a closet while the clergyman was busy doing something else. When the clergyman about to go to sleep, he tried to lock the door by using a chair since the lock is broken and a few seconds after, the young man attacked him while covering his face with the towel, attempted to knock him down. It will be easier for him to hit the clergymans head rather than using chloroform, the clergyman scream and fight violently and the other guests from other rooms came to see what happen. The young man was arrested and he was sentenced to 18 months of jail time. There are many cases which resemble this one but none of it was accepted as the truth by the public presses in 1865. People wanted to hear that chloroform can actually be used to commit crimes. In 1854, an ophthalmic surgeon named William Wilde began treating Mary Travers for a few years until later in 1862, she claimed, allegedly, that she was raped under the influence of chloroform by the surgeon himself. The thing that was interesting regarding this case is, although she claimed that she was raped in 1862, the report which was written by her to the presses was submitted in 1864 when William Wilde was awarded a knighthood for his contribution in Irish census. She was treated by him for those 2 years and this accusation seems suspicious. Moving on, William Wildes wife submitted a letter to Mary Travers whos at the time working as a professor of medical philosophy in Dublin. When Mary Travers found out about this, she sued Lady Wilde for defamation. Mary Travers won that case but the penalty imposed on William Wilde was so low that it wouldnt affect his reputation at all. People started to become suspicious as to why this was the case. This case was then discussed by two jo urnalists which favoured Sir William Wilde and they were sued for defamation by Mary Travers too; only this time, she lost. There are a few possibilities that could have influenced Mary Travers as of why she behaved that way. The rape accusation might be alleged but when we are talking about the truth, Mary Travers might have spoken it, I mean the truth; only it never happened in the first place. A lot of this kind of accusations have been received throughout the years and some research which are conducted much later proved that chloroform can induce sexual hallucination. This effect, however, is not specific to chloroform but also the other inhaled anaesthetic agents. Apart from making you happy, it can strengthen sexual emotions which lead to hallucinations that can be considered erotic. In 1888, a paper written by Buxton DW described a case whereby a patient achieved sexual orgasm during induction with an inhaled anaesthetic agent. Quite interesting, isnt it? Oh yeah, chloroform also is quite addictive. There is some documentation (quite old) which described patients who are addicted to inhaled anaesth etic agents to improve sexual performances. Conclusion Even though chloroform was proven to be a great anaesthetic agent in the past, it was replaced by much better gases that would be able to maintain unconsciousness with fewer side effects. If someone said they were being raped under the influence of chloroform, that case needs to be investigated first. Even though chloroform is a poor tool to be used by a criminal, people can be knocked out by it; they just need to be still for a few minutes as the concentration of the chloroform used might have been mild than what have been calibrated for surgical uses.