Jane Addams Essays - Child Labor In The United States, Jane Addams

Jane Addams JANE ADDAMS Jane Addams was born in Cedarville, Illinois on September 6, 1860. She grew up in Cedarville, but later moved to Chicago where she died on May 21, 1935 of cancer. Being a woman, she made up about fifty percent of the population. Addams was very well known. Addams was quoted by President Theadore Roosevelt as ?America's most useful citizen.? She was a social reformer, internationalist, and feminist, but she was most well known for founding the Hull House. For the most part, she did live the ?American Dream,? if you interpret the ?American Dream? as wealth and success. She never had financial problems at all. Her father was a wealthy businessman and Illinois senator for eight consecutive years. He was a friend of Abraham Lincoln and he was a widely respected leader in his community. He also helped to bring a railroad into the country. She was also a very prominent member of society, and was very widely respected. In some ways, though, she did not live the ?American Dream.? She did not strive to be wealthy and successful, she spent more of her time giving back to society than trying to become wealthy, prosperous and successful, which was what many people wanted. She worked for gaining the rights for everyone in society including the right for women to vote and anti child labor laws. This was not true for most people of that time. Many people were very poor and tried to become prosperous, but could not. There were many immigrants, especially around Chicago where Addams was. They came here in hope of prosperity, but instead had to work long hard hours for very low wages. Addams was greatly influenced by her father's strong morals. She was the eighth of nine children. Her parents were Sarah and John Huy Addams. Addams' mother died when she was only two while in childbirth. Addams attended public schools in her neighborhood until she went to Rockford College (then Rockford Women's Seminary). It was here that her foundations for feminism were laid and she learned to uphold the ?women's cause.? In 1881, she graduated the Valedictorian of her class of seventeen. She studied medicine in Europe over the next six years, but realized that there were limited career options for women. At this, she decided to help society. While touring Europe, she and Ellen Gates Star, a college friend visited a pioneering settlement house called Tonybee Hall. This was in a very poor area of London. This led Star and Addams to the idea of opening a similar facility in the poorest area of Chicago. When the two friends returned to Chicago, they acquired a large mansion and started Hull House, which was a settlement house. This was mostly aimed at helping immigrants that moved to Chicago. About eighty percent of the population of Chicago was immigrants. It was an immediate success. It provided services for the community. Some of these were: the city's first kindergarten and day care facilities for children of working mothers; employment bureau; libraries; music and art classes; and many other things. Out of all of her efforts, the Illinois legislature passed strong child labor laws and protection for women. Because of the Hull House, Addam's reputation was increased. She used this to society's benefit. She focused on many crucial social issues of the time. Activities at the Hull House soon became national activities on behave of the underprivileged. The Hull House became a meeting place for people like herself who wanted to reform society. She and other reformers who met at the Hull House became leaders of national campaigns for protective labor legislation for women, for elimination of child labor, for factory inspection laws, and for women's suffrage. Addams gave lectures and wrote articles and books publicizing her ideas of social morality. Addams became the first woman president of the National Conference of Charities and Corrections in 1906. She led many investigations on midwifery, narcotics consumption, milk supplies, and sanitary conditions. Because of her work, she received the first ever honorary degree ever awarded to a woman by Yale University. Addams was also a major peace advocate. In 1914, when world tensions erupted into war, Addams focused her energy into peace.

The Truman Show Essay Example

The Truman Show Essay Example The Truman Show Essay The Truman Show Essay Whether it was intentional can be debated, but the makers of the movie â€Å"The Truman Show† made an effective argument against structural-functionalism as a theory of social development. On the show within a movie, Truman was the lead character in a television show that revolved around his life. He was placed into the show and the surrounding stage/town at birth, and all the decision regarding other actors’ reactions to him were scripted based on his actions. Truman, of course, believed that this was real life. In the movie, product placement within the town was based on the shows advertisers and every need that Truman had was met in some way by the show’s producers. The problems that are the core plot of the movie develop when it becomes clear that the need the producers cannot meet is his need for self and for happiness. This shows us the core failings of the structural-functionalism theory of social development. In the structural-functionalism theory of social development, a person’s physical and social development are reliant on the social institutions in their lives. The theory asserts that society meets the biological and social needs of the individual through institution. Thus, Truman’s need for warmth, love, and protection could be met through his family. His need for faith and a spirit of community could be met through his church and even his need for self-fulfillment could be met through his work. The major failing of the theory is that it does not address the needs of the spirit or the soul or possibly the intellect. Each of these hard to define portions of what makes a human being a person and vice versa were ignored in â€Å"The Truman Show†. Though Truman occasionally had conflicts when warranted by the ratings war, he never was forced to resolve conflicts in a manner that leads to personal development. The solution was either given to him or taken out of his hands, leading to a deep-seated unhappiness that Truman can neither explain nor define. Truman has been taught that his life is meant to be ordinary, that he is successful, in a fashion, as an insurance clerk and married to a beautiful woman. He has had the best friend since he was seven years old. It appears that producers have met all of Truman’s needs. But much like the theory of structural-functionalism does not take into account personal desires, Truman’s world begins to crumble and he begins to suspect something is up when he meets Lauren on the street and falls in love with her. The character Lauren is quickly written out when her family moved to Fiji and Truman develops a desire to go to Fiji to find her. The show and the theory met his needs for companionship and for a sexual relationship with his â€Å"wife† Meryl, but never accounted for the something else that is the spark of love. The theory in essence dismisses human emotion as an impact on social development and relies on the most physical state of social needs, not the emotion that accompanies them. The â€Å"producer† of the television show within the movie did the same thing. He made certain that Truman’s physical needs were met, but never considered the need for other forms of stimuli. Another prime example of this is the manner in which they deter Truman’s efforts to explore. Though it seems like a basic human need to understand and possibly control their environment, the producers induced such fear in Truman that he could not even explore the island that was his set. When he attempted to do so, producers used a viscious dog to scare him back into the controlled environment. They also had his â€Å"father† drowned in an early season to ensure that Truman would develop an unreasonable fear of water and thus be confined to the imaginary â€Å"Seahaven†. In fact, producers were so interested in controlling Truman’s environment that they had an environmentally controlled dome, regulating temperatures and the weather. In his mythical home of â€Å"Seahaven†, Truman never had to worry about anything, even the weather. This utter lack of conflict in his life lead to a very status quo existence, another of the key criticisms of structural-functionalism. The person is never challenged, never able to or even desiring to, improve themselves or their situation. Perhaps the most telling failure of the Truman television show and of structural functionalism is the failure to understand the desires of the heart. Truman wants to explore his world and eventually, even fear cannot hold him back any longer. In addition, after meeting Lauren, his desire to see her again upsets his world view and helps him to overcome his fears. Ultimately, the structural-functionalism employed by the show failed to me his transcendent needs. If we were discussing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we would be talking about the need for self-fulfillment. Up until that state, it is beleiveable that the world around us could provide for our basic needs and development. However, ultimately that need for self-fulfillment is internal and cannot be controlled or aided by outside forces. By meeting all of Truman’s basic needs, food, shelter, sex, etc. they allowed him to develop to the point where he could consider self-fulfillment and nothing in structural-functionalism or in the Truman show allowed for that. In essence, the lack of conflict in his early life, which was dominated by structural-functionalism lead to the need for conflict; the need to be challenged, to compete and to win and to fail. In the end, â€Å"The Truman show† demonstrates very vividly that a single sociological theory cannot be used to describe a development process completely, but may be used to explain some stages of that development.

Methodology Components Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Methodology Components - Essay Example As a research procedure, the school is organized by use of learning methods that have resulted in improved performance in the school (Fullan, 2000). Action research approach should be adopted during the study. The researcher can use both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to achieve the objectives. Experimental method is appropriate where the researcher can easily interact with the respondents. Two possible methods to be used in data collection are observation and interview (Tompkins, 1998). The researcher should carry out cross data validity to ensure that the information to be gathered is correct. Information can also be collected by data triangulation. Random grouping of the students and treating them equally in the English lesson should be done. The students should come from the same school faculty, experienced same socio-economic environment, same educational backgrounds and educational opportunities, accessed same teaching materials and should have equally attended same curriculum classes. The differences are the groups formed and the teaching model used. Teachers who are supposed to use cooperative learning techniques are taken through training so that they can impart right information to students who will go through the experiment. Teachers who will not use the cooperative learning methods are not supposed to attend this training. Data collection and procedures should be done in three phases and should not last more than two months. At the initial stages, the researcher conducts the pre-test to ascertain students’ attitudes and their educational experiences. Students’ attitude and their achievements in the subject in the past can be collected in form of questionnaires. After pre-test, treatment step for more five weeks follows. The teachers who went through the training on cooperative learning should

Tata Steel in India Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Tata Steel in India - Research Paper Example Tata Steel is recognized as India’s first Iron and Steel company, having been founded in the year 1907 during the British colonial era. (Indicus Analytics, 2009) Tata Steel operates as part of the Tata Group, allowing it to pursue integrated supply and distribution facilities to automotive manufacturing, heavy industry, and consumer goods production within the conglomerate’s structure. (Economy Watch, 2010) Tata Steel competes with a large number of different Iron and Steel companies within India’s domestic economy and internationally, including the Steel Authority of India (SAIL), Arcelor-Mittal, POSCO, Hindustan Steel, JSW Steel, and other companies. The Indian Government has pursued a policy of progressively opening India’s local economy to foreign competition, and there is currently no levy or tax restriction on the import and export of iron and steel products. (India Ministry of Steel, 2009) The consequence of this is considered to be increased compet ition in the sector, and lower prices, particularly as set by Chinese steel producers for export. China produced over 10 times the steel capacity of India, at 567 million metric tons in 2009 compared to 56.1 million metric tons produced by India in the same period. (India Ministry of Steel, 2010) Nevertheless, Tata Steel has produced a corporate strategy to meet these competitive challenges, and this includes sustainability policies directed at the greater welfare of workers, the environment, and community. Tata Steel and Economic Conditions in India Tata Steel states publicly that â€Å"the primary purpose of a business is to improve the quality of life of people.† (Tata Steel, 2011) This tenet constitutes the cornerstone of the company’s sustainability policy and represents the wider mandate held by corporate management on behalf of stakeholders. In India, there is a need for social and economic development that uplifts people out of poverty. One of the main processe s that enable individuals to improve their living condition in the modern, globalized economy is the possession of a professional, well-paying job. Another factor is the level of education that an individual receives in the formative years of development. Education is recognized as vital to the long-term sustainability of business and industry, as well as being one of the main constituents of what is required of a good employee. As India’s economic development needs change on a national level from addressing the dire threats of the poverty situation of the post-colonial era through socialist policies to supporting the booming economy expanding at a rate of 8% to 10% annually in the 21st century through progressive market policies, it should be expected that the sustainability policies at Tata Steel are also updated and analyzed by management teams to reflect the changing requirements of the communities themselves that are being served.

Financial crisis regulatory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial crisis regulatory - Essay Example Robert Shiller examined the controversy of the global economic crisis and its management and raised prudent arguments about the practice. The economist argues that democratization of finance provides an ideal strategy of managing the contemporary and future economic crisis. Some analysts support Shiller’s perspective while others have criticized his ideology. Interestingly, few economists argue that the financial regulations adopted by the OECD countries are sufficient in containing financial crisis (Gray & Akseli, 2011 p. 2). Considering the magnitude of the idea of global financial crisis management, there is a need of developing knowledge of ideal approaches of managing the problem. This article provides an analysis of the debate started by Shiller concerning democratizing finance while comparing the argument with the types of regulatory measures practiced by the OECD countries. The Shiller’s perspective on financial crisis Shiller explores the importance of moral re putation of finance institutions in management of economic crisis. After the 2008 global economic recession, anger expressed itself in objections around the world. People constantly criticized how powerful profit oriented social-economic procedures have influenced financial institutions. The Occupy movement staged serious actions challenging the relationship between the government and businesses. A clear insight was that individuals responsible for the crisis would revitalize their moral reputations by adopting acceptable financial procedures (Kroszner, Shiller & Friedman, 2011 p. 4). Shiller has popularized an idea that economists need to reclaim the finance for the common good instead of condemning it. He argues that finance is a powerful tool that the society can utilize in solving its problem and in developing its general welfare. The global economy needs more finance but not less and the finance should facilitate the attainment of the society’s goals (Tropeano, 2011 p. 5 ). Consequently, the analyst emphasizes the need of rethinking about finance and its responsibility in the society. Particularly, Shiller claims that financial management should not merely include the manipulation of money or control of risks but should mainly involve the stewardship of community’s assets. The economist highlights how individuals serving in the financial careers can manage, safeguard and increase the public assets. Moreover, the analyst explains how finance has contributed to the good of the society through inventions, savings accounts, mortgage and pensions. Consequently, Shillers insists that economists and policy makers should devise new strategies for rechanneling financial creativity to benefit global economies (Princeton University, 2012 p. 1). Previous regulations schemes have targeted restricting the financial sector by slowing down the development of lending or trading. However, Shiller’s alternative believes that this ideology is unproductive especially in the current dynamic industry that presents high degrees of dynamism. The Shiller’s model values the importance of creativity, personal morality, education and effect of finance on the people’s lives (Princeton University, 2012 p. 1). Shiller supports the present financial regulation system arguing that although the system is imperfect, it plays a significant role in stabilizing the global economy.

How Social Work Has Influenced The 21st Century Social Work Essay

How Social Work Has Influenced The 21st Century Social Work Essay The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well being (International Federation of Social Workers). Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environment. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work. In doing their day-to-day work, a social worker is expected to be knowledgeable and skilful in a variety of roles. The role that is selected and used should ideally be the role that is most effective with a particular client, in the particular circumstances. Social worker may be involved in a few or all of these roles depending on the nature of their job, and the approach to practice that they use. The purpose of this essay is to identify the establishment, growth and development of social work in Britain, from its origins in the nineteenth century to its position in the twenty-first century. The Elizabethan Poor Law or Old Poor Law was an Act of Parliament passed in 1601, which created a national poor law system for England and Wales. At the time of passing it was referred to as the 1601 Act for the Relief of the Poor. It formalised earlier practices of poor relief distribution in England and Wales and is generally considered a refinement. Johnson (2007) explains that The Old Poor Law was not one law but a collection of laws passed between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The systems administrative unit was the parish. It was not a centralised government policy but a law, which made individual parishes responsible for Poor Law legislation. The impotent poor (people who cant work) were to be cared for in almshouse or a poorhouse. The law offered relief to people who were unable to work: mainly those who were lame, impotent, old, blind The able-bodied poor were to be set to work in a House of Industry. Materials were to be provided for the poor to be set to work. The idle poor and vagrants were to be sent to a House of Correction or even prison. Pauper children would become apprentices. The act was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig government of Lord Melbourne that reformed the countrys poverty relief system. It was an Amendment Act that completely replaced earlier legislation based on the Poor Law of 1601. The Bill established a Poor Law Commission. This included the forming together of small parishes into Poor Law Unions and the building of workhouses in each union for the giving of poor relief. The Amendment Act did not ban all forms of outdoor relief, which was support without going into workhouses until the 1840s where the only method of relief for the poor was to enter a Workhouse. According to Barwell (1994) the workhouses were to be made little more than prisons and families were normally separated upon entering a Workhouse. The Act called for parishes to be put into Poor Law Unions so that relief could be provided more easily. Each union was to establish a workhouse, which met the principle of less eligibility. In 19th-century England there was a range of occupations and voluntary positions, which had been established as part of the new Poor Law (1834), The Charity Organisation Society (COS), as well as by religious and voluntary societies. Relieving officers had responsibilities in relation to outdoor relief, which was assistance, in the form of money, food, clothing or goods, given to the poor without the requirement to enter an institution such as workhouses. This was an alternative to indoor relief, which required people to enter the workhouse (Rose, 1971). The COS supported the principles of the new Poor Law (1834), whos aim was to co ordinate the work of charitable giving for the deserving poor. The 1906 1914 Liberal Reforms were acts passed by the Whig government of Lord Melbourne that reformed the countrys poverty relief system. It was an Amendment Act that completely replaced earlier legislation based on the Poor Law of 1601. The Bill established a Poor Law Commission. This included the forming together of small parishes into Poor Law Unions and the building of workhouses in each union for the giving of poor relief. The Amendment Act did not ban all forms of outdoor relief, which was support without going into workhouses until the 1840s where the only method of relief for the poor was to enter a Workhouse. The Workhouses were to be made little more than prisons and families were normally separated upon entering a Workhouse. The Act called for parishes to be put into Poor Law Unions so that relief could be provided more easily. Each union was to establish a workhouse, which met the principle of less eligibility. The 1942 Beveridge Report was a government commissioned report into the ways that Britain should be rebuilt after World War Two; Beveridge was an obvious choice to take charge, Woodward (2009). He published his report in 1942 and recommended that the government should find ways of fighting the five Giant Evils of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness. The Beveridge Report of 1942 proposed a system of National Insurance, based on three assumptions: family allowances, a National Health Service, and full employment. The 1944 Butler Education Act changed the education system for secondary schools in England and Wales. This Act was named after the Conservative politician R.A. Butler who introduced the Tripartite System of secondary education and made secondary education free for all pupils. The tripartite system consisted of three different types of secondary school, secondary technical schools and secondary modern schools. The original structure of the NHS (1946) in England and Wales had three aspects, known as the tripartite system. Fourteen Regional Hospital Boards were created in England and Wales to administer the majority of hospital services. In primary care GPs were independent contractors (that is they were not salaried employees) and would be paid for each person on their list. Finally in community services, maternity and child welfare clinics, health visitors, midwives, health education, vaccination immunisation and ambulance services together with environmental health services were the responsibility of local authorities. During the Second World War the issue of black settlers in Britain became an issue, as a result of the war, black workers and soldiers arrived from the colonies to fight in the British army to help with the war effort. At that time there were concern about the social consequences of the arrival of new black migrants, however immigrants from the colonies that the government encouraged were recruited by the British state specifically to resolve labour shortages. Richmond (1954). After the war, immigration in Britain was on the rise after families of the workers from the colonies came and settled. During the 1970s 80s research studies on race and council housing were conducted in a number cities like Nottingham, Liverpool and Birmingham, Simpson (1981) concluded that black applicants for council housing waited longer then white people. The study identified that the average black family were larger in size and required larger housing then white people, the council rarely offered 4 bed roomed housing because it was considered to be encouraging large families and the poverty that usually comes with large working class families. This is institutionalised racism, McPherson (1999). The Race Relations Act 1968 was a British Act of Parliament making it illegal to refuse housing, employment, or public services to a person on the grounds of colour, race, ethnic or national origins. It also created the Community Relations Commission to promote harmonious community relations. The Housing Act 1980 was an Act of Parliament passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom that gave five million council house tenants in England and Wales the Right to buy their house from their local authority. The first of four factors leading to The 1990 NHS and Community Care Act is the government at the time, from 1979 to 1997 the Conservative party wanted to shift British politics to the right from post war liberalism under Margaret Thatcher. According to Taylor (1972) The Conservatives believed in self help so they were in favour of the informal carer where people would care for their own friends and family at home. Margaret Thatcher preached Laissez faire An economic theory from the 18th century that is strongly opposed to any government intervention in business affairs, it literally means leave things alone Margaret Thatcher wanted to end the idea of the government taking care of you, for people to look after themselves and stop Britain being a granny state. Demography is the study of population looking at things like births, deaths, marriages and immigration. Britain is in a demographic time bomb, its people are getting older as a result of the improvement of sanitation over the last century, which is the highest ever. This means people are living longer; there is a huge increase in life expectancy. As the population grows, the proportion of people aged under 16 has dropped below those over state pension age. Life expectancy at birth in the UK has risen (www.statistics.gov.uk). Pre 1990 Margaret Thatcher had to address questions such as how many more elderly can we home? Who is going to look after them? Who is going to pay for it? The issue of the old Victorian geriatric wards were far too expensive to run and maintain. The demographic issue was another factor that led to the 1990 NHS and Community Care Act. Before 1990 The NHS and Social Services were considered too wasteful and expensive. Thatcher wanted a mixed economy of welfare where independent, private sectors and Social services look after and treat people; she wanted them to compete for business. This is called Tendering for service This would save the taxpayer money. Sociological evidence appears to indicate that demographic care would cost, politicians in the 80s thought community care was a cheaper answer. Before 1990 the issue that the old Victorian wards were too expensive to run and maintain proved too cost effective however according to Townsend (1961) the government couldnt just dump people in these warehouses (p56) Townsend described this as the warehousing model of care where people were stored in these forms of warehouses, after seeing ex workhouses changed to residential homes, he was appalled at the bad conditions and dated buildings. A study of a mental hospital in America described it as a total institution which is a place of residence or work where a large number of people in the same situation is cut off from society. There are many principles to the 1990 Community Care Act; the result of the act was the change from service led delivery which was if the government did not have any money to help then people would not receive it, the care providers determined what the client needed and would provide care if it was available to needs led delivery where a statutory obligation by the NHS and Social services was to assess and consult service users. The care user would be at the centre of care delivery. Care plans were introduced to monitor progression or worsening conditions. Home based care using domiciliary support services is where people receive in their own home was introduced, informal carers needs was to be recognised and included in assessments of need. Multi-agency working has been shown to be an effective way of supporting children and young people with additional needs, and securing real improvements in their life outcomes. Wigfall Moss (2001) define it as a range of different services which have some overlapping or shared interests and objectives, brought together to work collaboratively towards some common purposes. Multi-agency working is easier where the aims of the various agencies coincide and where their targets are mutually consistent. It co-ordinates the work of those involved e.g. when conducting multi-agency assessments of children and young people and it should lead to better outcomes for children and young people as holistic needs are addressed. In 2003, the government published a green paper called Every Child Matters alongside the formal response to the report into the death of Victoria Climbià ©. The piece of legislation was designed to strengthen preventive services by focusing on four key themes: Increasing the focus on supporting families and carers. Ensuring necessary intervention takes place before children reach crisis point and protecting children from falling through the net. Addressing the underlying problems identified in the report into the death of Victoria Climbià © weak accountability and poor integration. Ensuring that the people working with children are valued, rewarded and trained. There was a wide consultation with people working in childrens services, and with parents, children and young people and following this, the government published Every Child Matters: the Next Steps, and passed the Children Act 2004, providing the legislative spine for developing more effective and accessible services focused around the needs of children, young people and families. Every Child Matters: Change for Children was published in November 2004 and it placed legal responsibilities on workers to work together to protect young people and children. Vulnerable adults are also protected under similar legislation. According to Seed (1973), three strands in the development of social work exist. The first of these is the focus on individual casework, which originated in the work of the Charity Organisation Society (COS) Woodroofe, (1962). The second is the role of social work in social administration, involving various forms of relief from poverty, which originated from the Poor Law however it was also promoted in some of the work of the COS. The third is the focus on social action, which has been identified with the growth of the Settlement Movement in Britain and the United States. This essay has addressed many issues and client groups within the social sector, how dealing with them started and how the role of social work has progressed in time. Taylor, A.J. (1972) Laissez faire and State Intervention in nineteenth century Britain Barwell, J. (1994) Victorian life. Cambridge International Federation of Social Workers: http://www.ifsw.org/ Johnson, P (2007) 20th century Britain, economic, cultural and social change. MacPherson report (1999) on Stephen Lawrence, a black teenager who was stabbed. Social Trends 2009, National Statistics, http://www.statistics.gov.uk/socialtrends39/ Richmond, A. (1954) Colour prejudice in Britain: A study of West Indian workers in Liverpool. Rose, M.E. (1971) The English Poor Law 1780-1930. Newton Abbot. Seed, P. (1973) The Expansion of Social Work in Britain. London. Simpson A. (1981) Stacking the Decks: A study of race, inequality and council housing in Nottingham. Townsend, P. (1961) Seen in The Last Refuge by Pierson, C and Francis, G. London, Routledge Wigfall, V Moss, P. (2001), More than the sum of its parts? A study of a multi-agency child care network. London, National Childrens Bureau. Woodroofe, K. (1962) From charity to Social Work in England and the United States. London. Woodward, K. (2009) Social Sciences. London.

Eye tracking techniques improve aircraft simulators :: essays research papers

A simulated flight environment for pilot training may soon be made more realistic through the use of eye-tracking technology developed by researchers at the University of Toronto's Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IMBE). Many safety and cost benefits are obtained by training aircraft pilots under simulated conditions, but to be effective the simulation must be convicingly realistic. At present, th e training facilities use large domes and gimballed projectors, or an array of video screens, to display computer-generated images. But these installations are very expensive and image resolution is low. Further, it would take an enormous amount of addi to improve image quality significantly throughout the whole viewed scene. However, based on the visual properties of the eye, realism can be obtained by providing a high-resolution 'area of interest' insert within a large, low-resolution field of view. If the image-generating computer 'knows' where the pilot's fixation is, it mage there. The technology to make this possible was developed by a research team headed by Professor Richard Frecker and Professor Moshe Eizenman. The work was carried out in collaboration with CAE Electronics Ltd. of Montreal with financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Their eye-tracker can record and analyze accurately up to 500 eye positions per second. The system works by means of capturing and processing the reflections of a low-level beam o f invisible infra-red light shone onto the eye. Multi-element arrays capture the image of the eye and digitize the information, which is then processed in real time by a fast, dedicated signal processing unit. The difference in position between the ligh tre of the pupil reveals the instantaneous direction of gaze. Developments by the IBME team have significantly increased the speed of signal processing in addition to enhancing accuracy of eye position estimates. Eizenman believes that "these improvements make our eye-tracker very effective in monitoring the large G-force environment where the pilot tends to make larger eye movements because of contraints which exist on movements of his head". In a new generation of aircraft simulators, under development by CAE Electronics Ltd. of Montreal, a head tracker which tells the direction of the pilot's head is mounted on top of the helmet. The eye tracker is mounted on the front of the helmet, and is ll exactly where the pilot's eye is fixating. Frecker said that "successful integration of our eye tracker into the novel helmet-mounted CAE flight simulator would result in a new generation of simulators that would likely replace the current large domes and cumbersome video display units.

Liver cancer or ‘hepatocellular carcinoma’

Liver cancer or ‘hepatocellular carcinoma’ (or malignant hepatoma) is a malignant tumor that develops from the cells of the liver.   The tumor may develop from liver as the primary site, or from spread from other sites in the body (secondary cancer).   Primary cancer of the liver less frequently occurs compared to secondary cancer.   So far, in the year 2007, about 19, 000 new cases of liver cancer (both primary and secondary cancers) have developed in the year, and about 16, 800 patients have died from the disorder (NCI, 2007).   The type of treatment utilized and the outcome of the disorder depend on several factors including staging and spread of the cancer and the general health of the patient (and also other patient factors).If the disorder is detected and treated in the early stages, the outcome is usually better.   Some of the treatment methods recommended for liver cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, liver transplantation, etc.   As th e current treatment available is rather ineffective in treating liver cancers, it is necessary that newer modalities be developed to treat the condition that would be both safe and effective.   Some of the newer therapies that are being researched for liver cancers include chemotherapy, chemoembolization, immunotherapy and radiofrequency ablation (NCI, 2002).Chemoembolization is a procedure characterized by mechanically or surgically obstructing the blood supply to the liver and then administering chemotherapeutic agents into the cancerous site so as to destroy them.   As the level of chemotherapeutic agents is high at the site, they are more capable of destroying the tumor.   Besides, the risk of side-effects are less, as the chances of the drug spreading in the blood is minimal.   Chemoembolization is usually performed to treat liver cancers that cannot be treated by surgery.   However, those patients in whom the liver cancer was advanced, spread to other sites of the bo dy, or developed associated renal failure, were excluded from the study.   Out of 908 patients who were initially identified, 112 matched the criteria and were a part of the study.   The drug frequently utilized is doxorubicin.The initial results that were obtained through the study were promising.   At present, no option is currently available to treat liver cancer.   Liver transplantation may have a few limitations.   Previously arterial embolization was utilized to treat liver cancer, but the survival rates in such cases could not be determined.   In this trial, the 112 patients were divided into 3 groups, and one received arterial emobolization only, the other received chemoembolization (arterial embolization and chemotherapy) and the third received conservative treatment.   The results obtained through chemoembolization were amazing.   21 out of the 40 patients treated by this method died (survival rate was 47.5 %).On the other hand, 25 out of the 35 patients tr eated through conservative methods died (survival rate 29 %) and 25 out of 37 (survival rate 32.5 %) died from receiving treatment through arterial embolization.   However, the complete or long-term results could not be obtained through this trial, as the initial results demonstrated that chemoembolization results were very beneficial.   The one-year survival rate for chemoembolization was about 82 % and the two year survival rate was about 63 %.   The one-year survival rate for arterial embolization was 75 % and two-year survival rate was 50 %.   The one year survival rate for conservative treatment was 63 % and the two year survival rate was 27 % (NCI, 2002).Radiofrequency ablation is frequently utilized to treat liver cancers that cannot be treated by surgery or other methods.   In this technique, a specialized probe that emits certain waves, and generates heat in the tissues is utilized.   The probe generates heat, and the cancerous cells are destroyed.   This proc edure is usually conducted under anesthesia (NCI, 2002).Pancreas cancer or ‘islet-cell cancer’ is a malignant tumor that develops from the cells of the pancreas.   It is a rare form of cancer, and in the US, in 2007, about 37, 000 new cases of pancreas cancer has developed and about 33, 370 individuals died from the disorder (NCI, 2002).   Pancreatic cancer may be difficult to be diagnosed early and treated problem, as the pancreas is a tiny internal organ and usually the condition does not produce any signs or symptoms.   Presently, surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are utilized to treat pancreatic cancer.   Immunotherapy is still undergoing research for its effectiveness and safety in treating pancreatic cancer.A clinical trial was performed to determine the effectiveness of treating pancreas cancer with gemcitabine and chemoradiation.   The effectiveness of 5-fluroracil (an chemotherapeutic agent) and radiotherapy was compared to gemcitabine, along wit h 5-fluroracil and radiotherapy.   One out of every five pancreatic tumors can be treated by surgery.   Besides, the outcome following surgery for pancreatic cancers is very poor. The tumor can recur, thus reducing the survival rates.   Presently, in the US, chemoradiation is frequently utilized along with surgery in treating pancreatic cancers.   5-Flurouracil is frequently utilized in the chemoradiation.   As the chances of recurrences are still high with this modality, researchers have suggesting a clinical trial in which an additional chemotherapeutic agent is utilized along with the standard therapy.Gemcitabine was the drug selected to be utilized along with 5-flurouracil and radiotherapy, following surgery.   The main aim of the study was to demonstrate an improved outcome or a better survival rate following use of this combination in treating pancreas cancer.   About 442 individuals were selected for this trial and were divided into 2 groups.   The individuals of both groups had undergo surgery to remove the tumor and had to also undergo chemoradiation later.   In the first group, gemcitabine was administered before and after the chemoradiation, whereas in the second group, 5-Flurouracil was administered before and after the surgery.   Tumors that developed from the head and the tail of the pancreas were included in the study.   Gemcitabine used to treat pancreatic head tumors along with chemoradiation was had a survival period of about20.6 months.On the other hand, about 16.9 months was the survival period of those who received 5-Flurouracil.   The there year survival rate in those who received gemcitabine was about 32 %, and the three year survival rate in those who received 5-Flurouracil was about 21 %.   However, the risk of side-effects was higher in individuals who received gemcitabine.   These cells tended to destroy the blood cells.   Supportive drugs seemed to be more beneficial in treating gemcitabine-induced depr ession in the blood cell counts.   The study demonstrated that gemcitabine was more effective in treating tumors arising from the head of the pancreas after surgery, than 5-Flurouracil (NCI, 2006).Another study was conducted to determine the beneficial effects of gemcitabine along surgery, and surgery alone.   The study population (consisting of 368 individuals) was divided into two groups, the first group was administered gemcitabine following surgery, and the second group was treated with surgery alone.   The study demonstrated that recurrence rates of the tumor treated with gemcitabine and surgery was much better than those treated by surgery itself.   Recurrence occurred after 13.4 months in those treated with gemcitabine and after 6.9 months in those treated with surgery alone (NCI, 2007).References:National Cancer Institute (2002), Liver Cancer – Introduction. Retrieved on April 14, 2006, from NCI Web site: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/w yntk-liver-cancerNational Cancer Institute (2005), Islet cell cancer, Retrieved on April 14, 2006, from NCI Web site: https://www.cancer.gov/National Cancer Institute (2005), Pancreatic Cancer, Retrieved on April 14, 2006, from NCI Web site: https://www.cancer.gov/types/pancreaticNational Cancer Institute (2007), Liver Cancer Home Page. Retrieved on April 14, 2006, from NCI Web site: https://www.cancer.gov/types/liver

If Marijuana Were Legalized Essays - Drug Policy, Law, Free Essays

If Marijuana Were Legalized Essays - Drug Policy, Law, Free Essays If Marijuana Were Legalized Drugs are a major influential force in our country today. The problem has gotten so out of hand that many options are being considered to control it or even solve it. Ending the drug war seems to be a bit impossible. The war on drugs seems to be accomplishing a lot but this is not true. Different options need to be considered. Legalization is an option that hasn't gotten a chance but should be given one. Although many people feel that legalizing marijuana would increase the amount of use, marijuana should be legalized because it will reduce the great amounts of money spent on enforcement and it will increase our country?s revenue. There are also many benefits that can be uncovered to help people if legalization of marijuana is given a chance. Legalizing marijuana would increase our economy's revenue. During Prohibition alcohol use was still sold and used, but people were doing it illegally. The 21st amendment repealed prohibition and alcohol taxes were increased. The same thing should happen with drugs. Marijuana should be taxed heavily to increase our revenue. Marijuana and other drugs would be made by the same people who make aspirin so the quality would be assured, containing no poisons or adulterants. Sterile hypodermic needles will be readily available at corner drug stores. These could be taxed heavily because the users will be assured of "clean drugs." Making drugs legal will reduce the great amounts of money spent on enforcement every year. Drug dealers and users are one step ahead on the enforcement process. If one drug lord is caught, another one will show up somewhere else. We cannot win. ?In 1987, 10 billion dollars were spent alone just on enforcing drug laws. Drugs accounted for about 40 percent of all felony indictments in the New York City courts in 1989. This figure is quadruple what it was in 1985. . Forty percent of the people in federal prison are drug law violators? (Long 114). One can only imagine what this figure would be like today. Too much money is wasted on a cause that seems to be no end to. ?In 1989, a Republican county executive of Mercer County N.J. estimated that it would cost him as much as 1 billion dollars to build the jail space needed to house all the hard-core drug users in Trenton alone? (Long 128). All of this money could be used on better things. By lifting the ban on marijuana use and treating it like other drugs such as tobacco and alcohol, the nation would gain immediate and long-term benefits. This change in the law would greatly improve the quality of life for many people. Victims of glaucoma and those needing antinausea treatment, for example, would find marijuana easily available. Also, the cloud of suspicion would disappear, and doctors could get on with investigating marijuana?s medical uses without fear of controversy. In the essay, ?Drugs?, Vidal states, ? Nevertheless many drugs are bad for certain people to take and they should be told why in a sensible way? (321-322). It might become possible to discuss the dangers of marijuana use without getting caught up in a policy debate.. Meanwhile, the black market would disappear overnight. Some arrangement would be made to license the production of marijuana cigarettes. Thousands of dealers would be put out of business, and a secret part of the economy would come into the open. It is difficult to say whether this change would reduce crime because criminals would probably continue to sell other drugs. But it would have an impact on the amount of money flowing through criminal channels, and this might weaken organized crime. The legalization of marijuana would benefit the federal budget in two ways, the federal revenues would increase, because marijuana cigarettes would be taxed at the point of sale. In return, the companies that make the cigarettes would also pay income taxes.. Second, there would be a reduction on the amount spent on law enforcement efforts to apprehend and prosecute users and sellers of marijuana. The drug enforcement authorities might reduce their budget requests, or, more likely, focus more intensely on hard drugs and violent crimes. The courts would

Free Essays on Battle at Bunker Hill

IV. Battle of Boston A. On June 17, 1775 two battles occurred. One battle on Bunker Hill, the other at Breed Hill. The two battles resulted in a combined 1,054 British Deaths, and fewer than 450 colonist deaths. On June 17, 1775 the Battle of Bunker Hill took place. It is one of the most important colonial victories in the U.S. War for Independence. Fought during the Siege of Boston, it lent considerable encouragement to the revolutionary cause. This battle made both sides realize that this was not going to be a matter decided on by one quick and decisive battle. The battle of Bunker Hill was not just an event that happened overnight. The battle was the result of struggle and hostility between Great Britain and the colonies for many years. Many of the oppressive feelings came as a result of British laws and restrictions placed on them. It would not be true to say that the battle was the beginning of the fight for independence. It is necessary to see that this was not a rash decision that occurred because of one dispute, but rather the seeds sown to precipitate this battle were planted a long time ago and had just burst forth. Perhaps two of the most notable injustices, as perceived by the colonists, were the Stamp Act and the Intolerable Acts. The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament to raise money for repaying its war debt from the French and Indian War. The Act levied a tax on printed matter of all kinds including newspapers, advertisements, playing cards, and legal documents. The British government was expecting protest as result of the tax but the level of outcry they received. The colonists were so angry because they had no voice in Parliament which passed the law, thus came the famous cry, "No taxation without representation!" The colonists would protest these laws with the Boston Tea Party. The British responded to this open act of rebellion by imposing the Intolerable Acts, four laws designed to pu... Free Essays on Battle at Bunker Hill Free Essays on Battle at Bunker Hill IV. Battle of Boston A. On June 17, 1775 two battles occurred. One battle on Bunker Hill, the other at Breed Hill. The two battles resulted in a combined 1,054 British Deaths, and fewer than 450 colonist deaths. On June 17, 1775 the Battle of Bunker Hill took place. It is one of the most important colonial victories in the U.S. War for Independence. Fought during the Siege of Boston, it lent considerable encouragement to the revolutionary cause. This battle made both sides realize that this was not going to be a matter decided on by one quick and decisive battle. The battle of Bunker Hill was not just an event that happened overnight. The battle was the result of struggle and hostility between Great Britain and the colonies for many years. Many of the oppressive feelings came as a result of British laws and restrictions placed on them. It would not be true to say that the battle was the beginning of the fight for independence. It is necessary to see that this was not a rash decision that occurred because of one dispute, but rather the seeds sown to precipitate this battle were planted a long time ago and had just burst forth. Perhaps two of the most notable injustices, as perceived by the colonists, were the Stamp Act and the Intolerable Acts. The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament to raise money for repaying its war debt from the French and Indian War. The Act levied a tax on printed matter of all kinds including newspapers, advertisements, playing cards, and legal documents. The British government was expecting protest as result of the tax but the level of outcry they received. The colonists were so angry because they had no voice in Parliament which passed the law, thus came the famous cry, "No taxation without representation!" The colonists would protest these laws with the Boston Tea Party. The British responded to this open act of rebellion by imposing the Intolerable Acts, four laws designed to pu...

Tourism Policy and Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tourism Policy and Planning - Essay Example Tourism policy refers to the formulated guidelines that control all tourism development, operations, and management, to ensure that the government and the society attain the immediate and the long-term benefits derived from tourism (Edgell & Swanson, 2013:47). Thus, tourism policy can simply be defined as the progressive course of action that encompasses the principles, directions, guidelines, and procedures that represent the intent, objectives, and goals of the government and the society hosting the tourism visitors (Battaglia, Daddi & Rizzi, 2012:197). On the other hand, the concept of tourism planning refers to the whole process of identifying the appropriate steps that are geared towards the attainment of predetermined tourism goals and objectives (Gossling, 2012:902). The tourism planning process entails the acquisition of the knowledge regarding the tourism benefits and risks, followed by identifying the viable alternatives that allow for the enjoyment of the tourism associated benefits while limiting the associated risks. This is achieved through identifying alternatives, anticipating possible future conditions, developing the vision and finally formulating the possible course of action (Hall, 2008:21). Tourism is a sector of many economies that have been tied to many other products and services than the rest of the economic sectors globally. The complexity of tourism as a sector arises from the fact that an action geared towards allowing or limiting the growth and expansion of tourism activities has a range of spiral effects on the other sectors of the economy (Veal, 2010:215). Tourism is an activity that has allowed for leisure and vacation enjoyment in diverse environments for the tourists while benefiting the host societies both economically and culturally (Dredge & Jenkins, 2011:33). Thus, in order to sustain the mutual benefit that the tourism stakeholders attain from tourism, guidelines, and frameworks that define how the tourism activities are run are essential, making the need for tourism policy and planning is inevitable.

Medical Simulation Training and Action Science Essay

Medical Simulation Training and Action Science - Essay Example It lays emphasis on establishing new routines and learning new frameworks. With action science, new opportunities are identified; any potential fault or threat is identified and corrected (Action design, 2011). In this context, the change in medical practice from the traditional approach, where the interns acquired procedural training at the bedside of real patients to use of simulation experiences or models to teach interns, is an example of an unavoidable scenario and demands for intervention which action science offers. Action science offers axiological interventions at critical points of the medical teaching setup that will demonstrate the significance of embracing use of models in teaching residents at a time when emerging issues of patient safety are becoming real. At this point, it is critical to highlight the objectives of this research. The fundamental goal of this research is to determine whether simulation or the use of models is an effective didactic intervention for pedi atric residents. Other points of focus include: whether there exists a standardized procedural curriculum that is recognized by the other residency programs, need for more educational interventions, will simulation training increase a resident’s confidence and translate into competency when doing procedures on real patients and ability of residents to sustain for a long time the proficiency of gained procedural skills. These critical issues shall be addressed by the dissertation but we cannot avoid highlighting them at this point in order to keep them in perspective as we demonstrate the applicability of action science to the core objectives of the research. As previously stated, action science aims to increase the confidence and skills of an individual or group of people and promote long-term group and individual effectiveness (Argyris, 1992). With the unavoidable change occurring within hospitals, it has become increasingly hard for residents to be taught with real patients , the use of models has been suggested and adopted for use as a viable alternative to the traditional approach. Action science will provide a platform for the development of skills and confidence of the individual residents to the extent that they will be able to handle real patients better. They will be able to use their procedural skills and with more confidence and their overall effectiveness will be enhanced. Action science is a plan of action and consists of a series of steps and actions that can be effected in a way that the participants (residents) can eventually end up developing the right confidence in performing procedures on real patients from the experience gained from working on or with models. The idea here is to use action science ideas and concepts to enhance the procedural skills and confidence of residents. Working in an environment that is ever changing, each participant has to develop an ability and readiness to change accordingly (Action design, 2011). The idea is to use the action science principles in a manner that will enable participants (residents) to adapt to the needs of the ever changing work environment. The need to use models rather than real patients is indeed a great change. The model and the real patient are different in so many ways. Having to use models to learn critical procedural skills is important and with the use of action science it then becomes much easier for the residents to learn while using models since action science