Analysis of abortion as an ethical issue

Analysis of abortion as an ethical issue Introduction Human beings find themselves in a number of ethical dilemmas, during which it is difficult to make the right decision. Sometimes people find themselves making wrong decisions as a result of poor judgment, or even as a result of negligence.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Analysis of abortion as an ethical issue specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These kinds of dilemmas occur often in healthcare, in which medical practitioner may get a request from a patient which is ethically wrong. This paper analyses an abortion request by a patient as an ethical issue, and also outlines the pros and cons of abortion. Analysis of the issue facing Dr. Shelton The stated request by a patient for the doctor help to her in procuring an abortion just because she is expecting a girl is a great ethical dilemma. First of all, it is morally wrong for the pregnant lady to kill her fetus just because it is female. It is also m orally wrong for any doctor to help her procure an abortion on the basis of the child’s gender. Secondly, the doctor is bound by professional ethics not to use her medical knowledge to kill anyone (Ruddick 1). Some people may argue that the fetus cannot be regarded as a person, but it is true that she is indeed a person. Let us now have a look at the implications of whatever decision the doctor makes. Pros of abortions In the case under scrutiny in this paper, there are a limited number of benefits that could accrue after procuring an abortion. This is because the health of the abortion is normally recommended is ethically recommended if the health of the child and/or mother is compromised (Ladock 1). In this case, however, the mother wants to procure an abortion due to the fact that the fetus is female. Among the few benefits that may accrue to procuring an abortion in this case is the fact that the mother will not have to go through the financial stress of raising the femal e child after it is born. This is especially critical because the mother has clearly stated that she cannot afford to raise a girl. Another argument for abortion is the fact that the health of a fetus, especially during early months, is solely dependent on that of the mother, and thus regarding the two as separate entities can be erroneous (Lowen 1).Advertising Looking for term paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The cons of abortion If the doctor had decided to help the patient procure an abortion, the patient will possibly face a number of problems. First, abortion is associated with an increased risk of infection, which may lead to a condition known as sepsis, in which the patient’s bloodstream gets too many bacteria to an extent that it cannot function normally (Gordon 1). The patient will also become susceptible to miscarriages in the future due to the abortion. In some cases, the p atient may also die while procuring the abortion. Additionally, after an abortion, the person who has procured it may end up in depression, which may result in other psychological disorders. From this discussion, it is clear that the doctor was right to decline assisting the lady to procure an abortion. Conclusion From the discussion above, it is apparent that making the right decision in an ethical dilemma can be a daunting task. However, facts and implications of decisions can be considered by any shrewd person to arrive at the best decision. For this case, and considering the fact that the mother wants to abort due to the sex of the fetus, Dr. Shelton made the right decision. Gordon, Glenn. â€Å"Abortion: the pros, the cons, and the inbetweens†. 2011. Web. Ladock, Jason. â€Å"Pros and Cons of Abortion†. 2011. Web. Lowen, Linda. â€Å"10 Arguments For Abortion and 10 Arguments Against Abortion†. 2011. Web. Ruddick, William. â€Å"Medical Ethics†. 199 8 – 2011. Web.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Analysis of abortion as an ethical issue specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Muscat Securities Market

Muscat Securities Market IntroductionAs emerging markets fund managers have scanned the world looking for new investment opportunities in recent years, the Gulf States have largely been unnoticed. Oman, however, has begun to open its door to overseas buyers. The Muscat Securities Market (MSM) was officially established in June 1988, with trading beginning in May of the following year. Since then, it has rapidly expanded with turnover increasing from $24.7 in 1989 to around $200 million per annum. It is anticipated that, as the size of the market grows and as foreign buyers commence to arrive, the liquidity of shares in the market should augment further.From a starting point of 75 listed companies in the exchangeÂÆ'‚‚s first year of operations, the number of quoted companies has now amplified to 95. These have a combined total value of over $1.7bn. The 10 largest companies, which are profiled below, account for two-fifths of the market, which has now managed to attract over 60,000 shareholders, a not inconsiderable number in a country of two million people.The Omani bourse consists of 3 main sections: The Regular Market - for the main corporations in Oman, who satisfy the strict listing criteria, the Parallel Market - for recently established companies and those which have ceased to satisfy the criteria for a full listing on the regular market, such as those which have incurred a loss in the last trading year, the Third Market - off-floor trading for business entities which are not joint stock companies or have a subscribed capital of less than RO 500,000.There are 9 brokerage firms operating in the MSM 2 of which act solely as underwriters, with the remaining seven trading on the floor on behalf of investors as well as on their own account.Since its inception, the main share index has...

Weight Watchers and their Benefits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Weight Watchers and their Benefits - Essay Example Weight watchers have a comprehensive move in a right direction with the best possible options listed below: These e tools enable you to keep a check on your food choices, help you see regular updates on your weight loss progress with a graphical representation, give you a BMI calculator to let you know how much you need to lose, facilitates you to have fitness sessions, salsa dance, yoga, aerobics etc through videos. Weight watchers offer a choice in the food plan. With the flexible food plan you can choose amongst the various options available with the food points. You just need to maintain the total day points and keep having various combinations. The core plan though does not give this option; it has a list of various low calorie food choices to keep you healthy and filled throughout. Through the rich experience of weight watchers, they have a clear understanding that men have women have different needs for weight loss. Moreover, the frequency of loss and the tendency also vary. Weight watchers have designed specific tools for men keeping in mind the specifics attached to their needs. It is of course understand to have dietary measures while weight loss, but one cannot keep starving when he is hungry or just feels like eating. Weight watchers keep your food needs in mind and give you various recipes which would let you keep your taste buds satisfied and the calorie intake intact. There are different options for different kinds of meals and the choice is enormous to let you have nice lunch, dinner and snacks. Weight Watchers have meetings for its members where there is a leader who has lost weight in such sessions. Here, there are discussions about the best ways of losing weight, acting in a healthy way in a particular situation. These 40-45 minutes meetings also let you learn through the experience of others. Moreover, this is more a platform of learning with regular guidance. You can

Fashion and Utopia-Ann-Sofie Back Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Fashion and Utopia-Ann-Sofie Back - Essay Example The essay "Fashion and Utopia-Ann-Sofie Back" analyzes the concept of the fashion by Ann-Sofie Back. The concept of fashion in Paris is no longer popular and this has essentially given rise to a genre of anti-fashion, which refers to the beginning of something new. The relationship between the â€Å"fashion-creator and imitator† is undergoing change and instead of the common people on the street following the designs of haute couture, the pattern is almost the reverse, fashion flows from the street to the â€Å"salons of haute couture† where the adoption and imitation take place. The public follows the fashion trend, which flows, from the characteristics defined by their sub-cultures. The avant-garde essence of fashion comes form the notion of â€Å"fashion beyond fashion† which creates fashion out of non-fashionable components. From 1980s onwards the period of fashion creators are coming to an end and the designers favor something, which lie outside the traditio nal fashion trends. This also implies that fashion no more creates or enhance the divide between economic classes or age groups and genders. In fact, â€Å"nothing could be more out of date than to clothe oneself as â€Å"woman†, as â€Å"man† or as â€Å"lady† . This avant-garde fashion is innovative and anti-idealistic in nature, which looks forward to give new shape to beauty and perfection. The modern avant-garde derives the basics from the old one especially in terms of going against the classical definition of fashion, popularized as haute couture.

Investigative Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Investigative Report - Essay Example Supermarket employees followed closely at 43%, retail employees at 35%, hospital employees at 33%, and manufacturing employees at 28% (Pedneault 16). As the world continues to experience social changes, it is likely that companies will experience more employee theft incidences as jobs increasingly become temporary and employees continue to change jobs or maintain multiple careers. As a manufacturing company, New York Rubber Company has experienced several cases of employee theft. In the first half of 2013 alone, at least 15 cases of employee theft have been recorded by the security department. The losses that the organization has incurred as a result of employee theft within the period totals at least $140,000. Going by the statistics, it is beyond doubt that employee theft is an issue that should be taken seriously. Employee thefts impact negatively on consumers and the operations of New York Rubber Company at large. In this respect, we need to understand what employee theft entails so as to be able to formulate better control and prevention measures. Employee theft is not only of interest to us as an activity that must be prevented or regulated, but because it also shows the state of health of the relationship between employees and employers. This report investigates employee theft in the workplace and its consequences. Finally, the report will investigate the causes and use evidence to suggest possible solutions to employee theft in an organization. Employee theft remains one of the major concerns for many companies today. Research indicates that employee theft is commonplace in many companies. Employee theft is an unethical act that employees should not engage in when working for any company or organization. According to the ethical code of conduct, employees are required to refrain from stealing from a company as noted by Barefoot (5).

Patient Diagnosis: Lack of Energy Presentation

Patient Diagnosis: Lack of Energy Presentation Summary This dissertation is based on two patients who presented to medical services with a presenting complaint of a lack of energy?. My first patient, Mrs W, 61 years, has Diabetes Mellitus, type 2 and my second patient, Mr H, 59 years, has severe anaemia from unknown lower Gastrointestinal blood loss. I shall begin by focusing on the clinical aspects and basic medical sciences of their diseases and then go on to discuss psychosocial aspects, management, investigations and the role of professionals involved in their health care. I will then look at research and evidence based trials to explore the scope of their conditions and look at any current research that is being carried out. Throughout my dissertation I aim to reflect and convey what I have learnt and how I felt about my experiences. From writing this report I have developed as an individual and have gained personal advancements that I didnt expect to achieve. I have been able to widen my understanding of diseases and patients experience of their disease. Furthermore, I have gained an appreciation for research and evidence based medicine and developed a respect for other health care professionals. I have learnt the vital importance of taking on a holistic approach when dealing with a patient, rather than just looking at the basic science behind a disease. All in all, writing this dissertation has enabled me to truly understand how a disease can affect a patient and I now appreciate that it is not always about curing a patient, but about treating, advising and working towards a better quality of life for the patient and their family. 1. Introduction In my dissertation I aim to explain, explore and reflect on my experience of the People and Disease course. In particular I will focus on my experience of meeting with two individual patients with the same presenting complaint a lack of energy?. Both patients seem to be concerned with the prognosis of their disease but from very different points of view. My first patient wants to overcome her diabetes and not let it worsen; whereas, my second patient does not wish to know the cause of his anaemia, but is worried about the associated symptoms of his condition and how they will progress. Before contacting my first patient, Mrs. W, I felt apprehensive and quite anxious about the idea of having my own patient. I was worried about what she would think of me, how we would be able to build a rapport and what sort of questions I would ask her. In all honesty, I had naturally stereotyped her as a typical old lady?, but on meeting her, my initial thoughts were soon corrected. From this I have learnt that when given details about a patient you shouldnt necessarily stereotype and categorise them into a certain group in society. When asking her the initial questions that I had prepared I felt that it made the conversation very informal, so to adapt to the situation I just literally let her speak and tell me whatever she wanted to. This was very helpful to me as she had a lot of things she wanted to tell me and talk about. However, I do realise from communication skills seminars that not all patients will be as open as this in the future and therefore I do need to have the ability to speak to patients that are perhaps a bit more reluctant and unwilling to share their problems and thoughts. For example, you can use a lot of open questions to allow the patient to answer what they feel is comfortable for them and just gradually develop the conversation from what they say, rather than chit chatting?, which is what I found with my first patient. After asking Mrs.W about her recently diagnosed diabetes she seemed very unsure how to explain to me what she thought was wrong with her, she seemed to resent the fact she has a disease and questioned what she had done to deserve becoming ill. She said that even though the Doctor had explained everything to her, she was unsure of what to expect in the future and seemed quite worried about the aspect of not being able to care for herself. From telling me all of this, I felt quite overwhelmed and unsure of how to reassure her. Even though I wanted to help, I found myself in a situation where I physically couldnt, which was very frustrating. On my second and third visits I asked a bit more about her family situation, her social activities and her thoughts, ideas and feelings (psychological factors). From taking on this broader approach, I began to realise the true picture of Mrs Ws life and how it contributed to the worries of her illness. She told me about her husband leaving her and h er daughter and son becoming quite distant, she explained that she often felt lonely and at times it made her feel quite depressed. This seemed to be more of a concern to her than her actual illness, but it demonstrated why she is concerned about her diabetes worsening because she has very little family support and would have to cope by herself. From the meetings with Mrs W, I have learnt the vital importance of taking on a holistic approach when speaking to a patient. I have learnt that its not just a biological illness that contributes to the wellbeing of a patient; you have to take into consideration the home/family environment and the social and psychological factors. Not only have I had the opportunity to see an illness in the context of real life but I have greatly improved my confidence and patient communication skills by being able to gather information, take family history and cope in a one-to-one based home environment. However, my experience from meeting my first patient contrasted completely with my second patient experience. Initially I had some difficulties finding my second patient, as the consultant I had contacted only ran morning clinics; so I took the initiative to go into the hospital and find a suitable patient myself. Even though I felt quite nervous, I went onto the haematology ward and simply explained to one of the nurses about my course and what had happened so far with trying to find a patient. She was extremely helpful and understanding, which put me at ease and she more or less found me a patient right there and then (which I hadnt expected). However, even though I hadnt really prepared anything I already felt that I had developed some good skills and awareness of communicating appropriately with patients, both from my first patient and communication skills seminars, to be able to build up a good report with my second patient. Mr. H (my second patient) was very different to my first patient in the sense that he wasnt as open when talking about his illness. He is suffering from severe anaemia and has to have blood transfusions every week (so like my first patient, had the presenting symptom of no energy). However, he didnt seem to recall any dates of his illness and didnt want to explain what had caused the anaemia. However, after reading his medical records and meeting with his consultant, I came to realise that Mr. H had had a bad experience with a doctor and had adamantly refused further investigation, so his severe/worsening anaemia remains an unknown cause. Also, in comparison to my first patient, he had a much more considerable loss of energy, so even though he gave consent for me to talk to him, I felt at times he needed a break so I ensured that I did not stay too long and trouble him during my visits. Nevertheless, I found that meeting a patient in a hospital environment is completely different to meeting them in a home environment. In a hospital environment you need to be very aware of everything around you, how you are acting towards other staff and patients and there is a real need to realise certain cues from the patient (as they are in a more severe situation than a patient in a home environment). Overall, the People and Disease course has been a really enjoyable learning curve. Ive been able to put my communication skills to practice and see how to adapt to different situations, which has boosted my confidence enormously. Even though there is much more to learn, I really look forward to doing so and I hope that I will develop the skills needed to become a good doctor in todays society. 2. Clinical Features In this section I aim to discuss clinical features of my patients diseases and differential diagnoses. My first patient was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and my second patient suffers from severe anaemia; both of these conditions have similar clinical features and the same presenting complaint of a lack of energy and fatigue. Both of my patients recorded symptoms of lethargy, dizziness, fainting and shortness of breath; exploring these similar symptoms demonstrates the importance and accuracy needed for a diagnosis, as these symptoms could be indicative of a variety of other diseases. It is also vital to have a correct diagnosis, as a misdiagnosis would lead to unnecessary grievance, treatments or investigations which would cause a patient a lot of stress. Fatigue is the common presenting complaint in both of my patients and is clinically difficult to define; it is related to tiredness, exhaustion and a general lack of energy. Fatigue is a very common health complaint and around 20% of people in the United Kingdom claim to have fatigue intense enough to interfere with them having a normal life. Physical causes are estimated at 20-60%, and emotional causes are the other 40-80% (1).The fact that fatigue alone can disrupt ones life so severely indicates the important role of a doctor to be able to make a correct diagnosis for the cause of it. However, my individual patients described their fatigue in very different ways. Mrs W described her lack of energy in relation to feeling lethargic and very tired all the time, whereas Mr Hs fatigue was very much to do with a sudden onset of shortness of breath and chest pain. The symptoms that patients with anaemia normally present with are highlighted in the image below: (2) Mr. H has anaemia with haemoglobin levels often as low as 3.2gm/dL; with the normal range being 13 18 gm/dL for a male and 12 16 gm/dL for a female (2); indicating that his anaemia is very severe and therefore explains why he would experience fainting, chest pain and angina as shown in the image above. And in comparison to Mrs. W, highlights the difference in their experience of their clinical presentation of a lack of energy. Type 2 diabetes was previously referred to as adult onset diabetes and is related to insulin resistance and a relative, rather than an absolute, deficiency of insulin secretion (3). Due to the fact that this type of diabetes is concerned with gradual insulin resistance/deficiency means that individuals do not always (or initially) require insulin to achieve satisfactory diabetic control. The common symptoms associated with Type 2 Diabetes are (4): Polyuria: the need to urinate more often due to the body trying to excrete the extra glucose that is in the blood and in turn creating an osmotic gradient resulting in more urine production. Polydipsia: feeling thirsty more often than usual, due to the loss of fluids (increased urine production). Weight loss: this is due to the fact that glucose is not being taken up by cells due to insulin deficiency/resistance, so the body starts to burn up fat instead, which results in weight loss due to fat storage depletion. The majority of diabetic patients experience lack of energy because the cells in the body are not getting the glucose that they need, resulting in lethargy and tiredness. As type 2 diabetes progresses, patients may also experience blurred vision, yeast infections and prolonged time for wound healing. Mrs W was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in February 2007; initially only experiencing a lack of energy. Over the months that I met with her she also started to experience polyuria and polydipsia. She was concerned as to how much her diabetes would progress and worsen because it had not been made very clear by her Doctor. This demonstrates the important need for a Doctor to be aware of patients concerns and level of understanding of their disease process. However, when speaking to Mr H about his clinical presentation and symptoms he had a very nonchalant attitude towards the cause of his disease. I later discovered that his anaemia was in fact due to unknown lower Gastro-intestinal (GI) blood loss and on questioning Mr H about this; he explained that he refused investigation to find the cause of the blood loss due to dissatisfaction with the way he was treated. He explained that during a scheduled procedure for a colonoscopy, the doctor carrying out the investigation was extremely rough and caused him a lot of distress and discomfort. And even though Mr H asked for the procedure to be stopped, the doctor proceeded against the patients wishes; this aggravated Mr H and led to violent behaviour towards the doctor and the dispute was later taken to court. I was very shocked to hear of his experience and also felt deeply concerned that he refused future investigations as his symptoms and anemia are very severe and have lead to angina and disabling conditions; with him being unable to walk and get out of bed unassisted due to such severe lack of energy. This emphasizes the crucial need for a good doctor-patient relationship, as shown in this case, without it, a doctor may be unable to make a proper diagnosis and prescribe ideal treatment.   Differential Diagnosis:- Diabetes:- The process of looking at a differential diagnosis involves weighing the probability of one disease against the possibility of other diseases accounting for a patients illness. For example, Mrs W presented with a lack of energy for her diabetes mellitus, but this complaint could have been diagnosed as any other kind of condition such as, hypothyroidism or Cushings disease as they can also present with fatigue. Differential diagnosis to Diabetes Type II:- Why is the condition considered to be a differential diagnosis How to make the correct diagnosis:- Hypothyroidism Also results in a lack of energy and fatigue. Often diagnosed via a blood test, examining the levels of T3,T4 and TSH in the blood. Cushings Disease Polyuria (and associated polydipsia); insulin resistance (especially common in ectopic ACTH production) (5)which can lead to hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar levels), which can in fact lead to diabetes mellitus. Dexamethasone suppression test or/and a 24hour urinary measurement of cortisol(6). Hyperglycaemia High circulating blood glucose levels this is a symptom of diabetes, but could also be due to physiological stress, critical illness or certain drugs. Blood test which indicates a glucose level of 10+ mmol/L (180mg/dl) also a test for diabetes, therefore, need drug/medical history. Anaemia:- The differential diagnosis of anaemia would be any condition relating to the presenting complaint of a lack of energy?, or any other condition relating to the symptoms of anaemia, as discussed in the clinical features section. In particular relation to Mr Hs lower gastrointestinal bleeding the differential diagnoses are as follows: Differential diagnosis for lower GI bleeding:- Why is the condition considered to be a differential diagnosis? How to make the correct diagnosis:- Haemorrhoids Swelling/inflammation of veins in the rectum commonly due to straining in constipation. These can often rupture and bleed. Physical examination of external haemorrhoids, digital rectal examination for internal haemorrhoids. Colorectal Cancer Cancerous growths in the colon (thought to be adenomatous polyps) can rupture, thus causing a bleed. Digital rectal examination, Fecal occult blood test (testing for blood in the stool), endoscopy (7). Ulcerative Colitis A form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, includes ulcers and open sores which lead to constant diarrhoea mixed with blood. Endoscopy; involving both colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy. From exploring the differential diagnosis of my patients conditions it has made me more aware of the vital importance of making the correct diagnosis; as there are a number of conditions that certain symptoms could be caused by. Furthermore, considering Mr Hs anaemia it does highlight the fact that his condition could be a number of quite serious conditions, which shocks me even more as he has chosen not to find out the cause of his worsening anaemia due to his troubled experience with a doctor. 3. Pathophysiology It is quite complex to discuss the aetiology of both my patients conditions as the exact cause of type 2 diabetes is not fully understood, although clear risk factors have been identified. Furthermore, Mr H refused investigation into his GI bleeding, which results in the cause of his anaemia remaining ambiguous. Diabetes Mellitus Type 2:- Diabetes Mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders characterised by chronic hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose concentration), due to insulin deficiency, insulin resistance, or both. There are two main types of diabetes; type 1 and type 2. They can clearly be distinguished by their epidemiology and probable causation, but not always so easily separated clinically. Type 1 diabetes is due to autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas therefore, causing an increase in fasting blood glucose. However, diabetes type 2 is a disorder that is characterised by high blood glucose due to insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency (8). Since diabetes is a disease that affects your bodys ability to utilize glucose, it is important to understand what glucose is and how your body would normally control it. Glucose is a monosaccharide (simple) sugar that comes from the food we eat, cells take in glucose from the blood and break it down for energy; brain cells and red blood cells rely solely on glucose for fuel. The Pancreas:- The pancreas (where Insulin is synthesised) has both endocrine and exocrine functions. The exocrine function involves the secretion of digestive enzymes that are secreted from acinar cells and released into the small intestine via a system of ducts. Additionally, the endocrine part of the pancreas consists of millions of clusters of cells called Islets of Langerhans that produce hormones. Within the islets there are four main cell types; cells secrete glucagon, cells secrete insulin, cells secrete somatostatin, and PP cells secrete pancreatic polypeptide (9). Glucagon and Insulin are hormones secreted from the pancreas that work concomitantly to control the level of glucose in our blood. Glucagon is released when blood glucose levels fall, therefore resulting in stored glycogen being converted to glucose and thus increasing blood glucose levels, preventing a hypoglycaemic state. Insulin is a hormone that causes cells to take up glucose from the blood and store it as glycogen, thus a deficiency or resistance of this hormone will result in a high concentration of glucose in the blood. Insulin Release:- Beta cells release insulin via the following process; The glucose uptake takes place through a specific transporter protein called GLUT-2. The pancreatic ?-cell membrane contains several K+ channels, and two of them are directly involved, the K+-ATP channel and the maxi-K+ channel. The hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar level) accelerates the glucose uptake and metabolism and thus increases the ATP/ADP ratio. Increased ATP closes the K+-ATP channels, so the cell depolarises. During deploarisation from the normal resting membrane potential of -70 mV, a threshold is reached at 50 mV, resulting in the opening of Ca2+   channels. The Ca2+ influx triggers exocytosis of insulin and C-peptide containing granules following vesicular fusion with the cell membrane. ne. This process is demonstrated in the diagram below (10): However, in an insulin resistant individual normal levels of insulin that are released (via the process described above), do not have the same effect on muscle, adipose and liver cells, therefore resulting in glucose levels staying higher than normal. Increased levels of glucose in the bloodstream over a sustained length of time result in damage to blood vessels. Poorly controlled glucose levels can lead to complications such as nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy and cardiovascular diseases. Even though these complications may take a while to develop, it is important to realise that type 2 diabetes is often diagnosed at a relatively late stage. From looking at the pathophysiology of diabetes, Mrs Ws main symptom of lack of energy/tiredness can be explained. Due to her slow progression of insulin resistance means that more glucose remains in the blood and is not utilised by certain cells, such as muscle cells. Therefore, due to the fact that her cells are not able to use the glucose, she experiences weakness and tiredness. This lack of energy will progressively become worse and she may develop other complications if her diabetes is not controlled appropriately. Anaemia:- Anaemia occurs when there is a decrease in the level of haemoglobin in the blood and occurs when the production rate of red blood cells does not match the loss rate. It is a common condition in which all forms can be defined on the basis of physiological mechanisms. There are three broad categories: decreased/defective red blood cell production; increased destruction of red blood cells; and a mixture where both mechanisms operate simultaneously (11). Haemoglobin:- Haemoglobin is a substance contained within red blood cells and is responsible for their colour. It is composed of haem (an iron-containing porphyrin) linked to a protein, globin (12). Adult haemglobin consists of two and two globin chains. The iron containing porphyrin in the haem group is bound to each globin chain and a ferrous atom that can reversibly bind one oxygen molecule (as shown below (13). The biconcave shape of red blood cells enables a large surface area for the uptake and release of both oxygen and carbon dioxide. Haemoglobin becomes saturated with oxygen in the pulmonary capillaries where the partial pressure of oxygen is high and haemoglobin has a low affinity for oxygen (therefore, binds easily). Oxygen is then released in the tissues where the partial pressure of oxygen is low and haemoglobin has a low affinity for oxygen (therefore, oxygen offloads easily). The haemoglobin molecule itself exists in two conformations, relaxed (R) and tense (T). The tense state is characterized by the globin units being tightly held together by electrostatic bonds; when oxygen binds to the haemoglobin these bonds are weakened and broken, resulting in the relaxed conformation. The binding of one oxygen molecule leads to an increased affinity for the remaining binding sites, this is known as co-operativity, and is the reason for the sigmoid shape of the oxygen dissociation curve (below (14)). The binding of oxygen to haemoglobin can also be influenced by secondary effectors (as seen in the above image) i.e. hydrogen ions, carbon dioxide, and 2-3 diphosphoglycerate. The binding of 2, 3 DPG stabilizes the tense state and therefore, reduces haemoglobins affinity for oxygen (15). In conditions with lowered haemoglobin/oxygen levels, such as anaemia or hypoxia the concentration of 2, 3 DPG increases to raise oxygen availability for tissues. Haemoglobin Synthesis:- Haemoglobin is synthesised in a series of complex steps, it takes place in the mitochondria of the developing red blood cells. The major rate limiting step is the conversion of glycine and succinic acid to ?-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA), this occurs via ALA synthetase. Two molecules of ?-ALA condense to form a pyrrole ring, called porphobilinogen. The pyrrole rings are then grouped together   in fours, to form protoporphyrins. Iron is then inserted into the rings to form haem and then finally, haem is attached to the globin chains to form haemoglobin. Production and removal of red blood cells:- Red blood cells are formed and develop in the red bone marrow of large bones; the process by which they are produced is called erythropoiesis. The organ responsible for turning on the faucet of red blood cell production is the kidney. The kidneys can detect low levels of oxygen in the blood. When this happens, the kidneys respond by releasing a hormone called erythropoietin, which then travels to the red bone marrow to stimulate the marrow to begin red blood cell production. Within the bone marrow there are many stem cells from which red blood cells can be formed. As these cells mature, they extrude their nucleus and fill with haemoglobin, forming reticulocytes which can circulate around the body. After 3/4 months, approx 120 days, red blood cells begin to weaken and their cell membranes become very fragile. The red pulp of the spleen allows mechanical filtration and removal of red blood cells, and any leftover components i.e. iron from the haemoglobin are recycled to form new red bl ood cells (16). There are several different types of anaemia such as B12 deficiency, iron deficiency, diseases of the bone marrow and in relation to Mr H, chronic loss of blood. His severe loss of blood has subsequently led to his anaemia as there is a mismatch in production of red blood cells and loss of blood. Due to his deficiency in circulating reticulocytes, oxygen, via haemoglobin is insufficiently supplied to his body, resulting in severe lack of energy. Complications of his condition have led to shortness of breath and angina.   Angina Pectoris:- Angina pectoris literally means a choking sensation in the chest?. It is an episodic pain that is usually felt in the centre of the chest, often radiating to the neck and left arm. Angina occurs because myocardial oxygen requirement is greater than what it is supplied with. This results in a buildup of metabolites, causing pain (17). Classic angina occurs after exertion, excitation or emotion and is caused by insufficient oxygen supply to meet its demand; however, the pain normally subsides with rest. Due to Mr Hs chronic blood loss, there is insufficient blood supply to the heart and subsequent stress is placed on the organ which has led to his angina. 4. Psychosocial aspects of Illness and Disease The impact of chronic illness and disability is far reaching, extending beyond the patient to all those whom the individual has contact. Illness and disability affects all aspects of life, including social and family relationships, economic status, activities of daily living, and recreational activities. Even though several factors influence the extent of impact, every illness or disability requires some adjustment to everyday life. The extent of the impact can depend on (18): The nature of the condition Individuals pre illness/disability personality The meaning of the illness to the individual Individuals current life circumstances The degree of family/social support With reference to my patients, they each had different outlooks on their illnesses as mentioned previously. However, they do have certain similarities when considering the psychological aspect of their diseases. Both patients were shocked to find out their conditions as neither of them had expected to be diagnosed with a lifelong illness. This is known as biographical disruption, which is a key sociological concept as it identifies severe illness or disease as a major disruptive and unexpected experience. The illness/disease leads to a biographical shift from a perceived normal trajectory to an abnormal one, with the development of a new consciousness of the body, fragility of self and grief for a former life. For instance, Mrs W had future intentions to look after and care for her grandchildren and Mr H wanted to carry on working as a HGV driver; but due to their conditions they cannot achieve these former life plans and now have to adapt to a new ones. Additionally, they both explained to me how they experienced the feeling of facing stigma. Stigma refers to the identification and recognition of a negatively defined condition, attribute, trait or behaviour in a person or group of persons (19) . There are different types of stigma, such as enacted or felt. Mr H explained how he felt shunned from his friends and some relatives which refers to enacted stigma; the real experience of prejudice, discrimination and disadvantage as the consequence of his illness. Whereas, Mrs W spoke about her fear of being discriminated against and what people would think/say, which falls under a felt stigma; a fear of enacted stigma, also encompasses a feeling of shame associated with being diabetic?. I feel that this notion of facing stigma is perhaps underestimated in health care because it is not necessarily something a Doctor would automatically think about and therefore, perhaps wouldnt advise the patient on how to deal with such feelings. However, from talking to my patients about how they feel about having an illness they both stressed how psychologically disruptive it is, and how the feeling of being categorised as an ill individual has often led to depressive moods and anxiety. Therefore, from this experience I have learnt the importance of considering the patients thoughts and feelings rather than just focusing on how to treat their disease. Biological-psychosocial Model (Engel, 1977):- This is a model that incorporates psychological, sociological and biological factors in contribution to well being and health of an individual (20). It suggests that all three of these factors together and individually play an important role in relation to health and emphasises the importance of taking on a holistic approach when caring for a patient. The obvious factor of health is the biological factors of disease, the process of the disease and the individuals genetic make-up. Sociological factors include individuals family and friend support network as well as financial status and social class. Psychological factors include peoples disposition, their emotional status, whether they are stressed, depressed or anxious all contribute to ill health. From learning about this model it is important to note what factors affect a patient and how to deal with them accordingly when it comes to management and treatment of their disease. Both of my patients spoke of their psychological and social aspects and how they thought these factors had affected their illness. Mrs W, for example often felt quite depressed and lonely as she recently divorced her husband, and due to her illness often felt too tired to see her grandchildren. She also explained how she felt useless?, as she would get tired grocery shopping and house cleaning and she would get frustrated with herself, which often made her feel worse. This highlights how illness can be affected by more than just a biological aspect, and as a Doctor it is important to recognize other factors that affect a patients life. In comparison to Mrs W, who quite openly spoke about her psychological and social problems, Mr H was much more reluctant to tell me how he felt about his illness and how it was affecting him. However, over time I felt that he became much more comfortable talking to me and we were able to build a good rapport. He later went on to explain how he felt he had to keep a bravado about himself, being an ex army sergeant and that he was embarrassed that he often felt severely depressed and stressed about his worsening condition, but felt that by standing his ground and refusing investigation he Mechanisms Of Granule Formation: Pharmaceutical Industry Mechanisms Of Granule Formation: Pharmaceutical Industry For the production of solid oral dosage forms most fine pharmaceutical compounds require granulation to improve their flowability and processing properties prior to tabletting.    http://www.pharmamanufacturing.com/articles/2008/096.html http://www.scribd.com/doc/6601180/Tablet-Granulation Tablets are the most common drug dosage form today, and thus granulation, which allows primary powder particles to adhere and form granules, is one of the most important unit operations in drug manufacturing. Understanding granulation grows more complex each year. This article reviews the most current methods and mechanisms of pharmaceutical granulation, including factors that can lead to improved control. Particle-bonding Mechanisms a) Adhesion and cohesion forces in immobile films. If sufficient liquid is present in a powder to form a thin, immobile layer, there will be an increase in contact area between particles. The bond strength between particles will increase, as the Van der Waals forces of attraction are proportional to the particle diameter and inversely proportional to the square of the distance of separation [1]. b) Interfacial forces in mobile liquid films. During wet granulation, liquid is added to the powder mix and distributed as films around and between the particles. There are three states of water distribution between particles. At low moisture levels, the pendular state, particles are held together by surface tension forces of the liquid/air interface and the hydrostatic suction pressure in the liquid bridge. ADVERTISEMENT On Pharma Blog Get the latest analysis and commentary on manufacturing and the drug industry at our editors blog. On Pharma looks at the drug industry with a special focus on manufacturing, which is coming into its own as a strategically important area. When all the air has been displaced from between the particles, the capillary state is reached, and the particles are held by capillary suction at the liquid/air interface. The funicular state represents an intermediate stage between the pendular and capillary states. Moist granule tensile strength increases about three times between the pendular and the capillary state. These wet bridges are, however, a prerequisite for the formation of solid bridges formed by adhesives present in the liquid, or by materials that dissolve in the granulating liquid. Solid bridges can be formed in two ways: Hardening binders. When an adhesive is included in the granulating solvent it forms liquid bridges, and the adhesive will harden or crystallize on drying to form solid bridges to bind the particles. Crystallization of dissolved substances. The solvent used to mass the powder during wet granulation may partially dissolve one of the powdered ingredients. When the granules are dried, crystallization of this material will take place and the dissolved substance then acts as a hardening binder. c) Attractive forces between solid particles. In the absence of liquids and solid bridges formed by binding agents, there are two types of attractive force that can operate between particles in pharmaceutical systems, electrostatic forces and Van der Waals forces. Van der Waals forces are about four orders of magnitude greater than electrostatic and add to the strength of granules produced by dry granulation. Mechanisms of Granule Formation a) Nucleation. Granulation starts with particle-particle contact and adhesion due to liquid bridges. A number of particles will join to form the pendular state. Further agitation densifies the pendular bodies to form the capillary state, and these bodies act as nuclei for further granule growth [2]. b) Transition. Nuclei can grow in two possible ways: either single particles can be added to the nuclei by pendular bridges, or two or more nuclei may combine. The combined nuclei will be reshaped by the agitation of the bed. This stage is characterized by the presence of a large number of small granules with a fairly wide size distribution. c) Ball Growth. If agitation is continued, granule coalescence will continue and produce an unusable, over-massed system, although this is dependent upon the amount of liquid added and the properties of the material being granulated [1]. There are four possible mechanisms of ball growth, which are illustrated in Figure 1 [3]: Coalescence. Two or more granules join to form a larger granule. Breakage. Granules break into fragments which adhere to other granules, forming a layer of material over the surviving granule. Layering. When a second batch of powder mix is added to a bed of granules, the powder will adhere to the granules, forming a layer over the surface and increasing the granule size. Abrasion Transfer. Agitation of the granule bed leads to the attrition of material from granules. This abraded material adheres to other granules. Granulation Methods  [4] Dry Granulation. This requires two pieces of equipment, a machine for compressing the dry powders into compacts or flakes, and a mill for breaking up these intermediate products into granules. The dry method may be used for drugs that do not compress well after wet granulation, or those which are sensitive to moisture. Wet Granulation. In this method, the wet mass is forced through a sieve to produce wet granules which are then dried. A subsequent screening stage breaks agglomerates of granules. Organic solvents are used when water-sensitive drugs are processed, as an alternative to dry granulation, or when a rapid drying time is required. Because direct compressing is not the best technology for many active substances, wet granulation is still a preferred method. Even if the active substance is sensitive to hydrolysis, modern equipment (e.g., a fluidized bed) eliminates all problems in wet granulation [2]. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/leptokurtic.asp Dawar Qhoraish (k0920236) Nazmul Islam (k) Introduction Granulation can be used to For the production of solid oral dosage forms most fine pharmaceutical compounds require granulation to improve their flowability and processing properties prior to tabletting.    Method and Materials The experiment was carried out as explained in PY2020A practical booklet, without any amendments. Paracetamol (25g), lactose (265g) and sodium starch glycollate (2.945g) and PVP solution 15% (30ml) was used. 1 Erweka AR402 oscillating granulator with the finer sieve was used to granulate the drug without too much force with variables of turns (rpm) and time (minutes). The machine had an emergency switch off button and safeguard on top which turns off machine when you put your hand in. Sieve shaker used was Retsch A5 200 basic was used to separate the particles into different sizes by vibration with variables of amplitude and speed. The top sieve was fixed by parallel bars with screws and bottom of sieves contained rubber bands to control any overflow and stability. Discussion Modal: Low so most particles are fine. (low) Relate to flow rate. Better flow rate. Small IQR-data close to each other. Positive skewness means more particles with finer particles, so flow rate is better. What Does Leptokurtic Mean? A description of  the kurtosis in a  distribution in which the  statistical value is positive. Leptokurtic distributions have higher peaks around the mean compared to normal distributions, which leads to thick tails on both sides. These peaks result from the data being highly concentrated around the mean, due to lower variations within observations. Limitations: 7.9% MC was lost after 45 minutes in 75oC oven compared to 9.51% in 130oC heater balance. Tray was exposed to air for different amount of periods each time, errors as tray was allowed to cool down. Not dried properly Granulators normally used for large quantities. If lubricant used, particle size would be higher. Improvements: More repeats, heat for longer and at high temperature.

PET Scans Essay -- essays research papers fc

Positron Emission Tomography Positron Emission Tomography is a scanning technique that allows us to measure in detail the functioning of distinct areas of the human brain while the patient is comfortable, conscious and alert. PET represents a type of functional imaging, unlike X-rays or CT scans, which show only structural details within the brain. The differences between these types of imaging don’t end there. In both X-rays and CT scans, a form of radiation is emitted and travels through the body, and a detector receives the unabsorbed rays and transmits them to a computer. The physics behind PET scanning is quite different. Basically, a person is injected with a radioactive substance. This substance begins the process of radioactive decay inside of the person and interacts with the tissue to produce gamma radiation. These gamma rays are detected by scintillation crystals and transmitted to a computer, where images are produced. But how does this all take place? The description of PET scans in detail requires the understanding of the radioactive substance injected into the subject. First, a small amount of a biochemical substance is tagged with a positron-emitting radioisotope. A positron is an â€Å"anti-electron.† Positrons are given off during the decay of the nuclei of the radioisotope. When the positron emitted collides with an electron in the tissue of the subject, both the positron and the electron are annihilated. When this happens, the collision produces two gamma rays having the same energy (511 KeV), but going in opposite directions. These gamma rays, produced by the annihilation of a positron and an electron, leave the patient’s body and are detected by the PET scanner. The detection of positron-annihilation events forms the heart of any PET scanner. In most systems, the Gamma detector is a BGO (bismuth germinate oxide) crystal, a high-density scintillator. When it is combined with high performance photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), the detection of 511 KeV gamma rays is possible. These BGO crystals are arranged into 64 distinct segments so that the scintillation light from each of the segments can be distributed onto the photocathodes of four photomultiplier tubes to be amplified. These â€Å"block detectors† are placed into modules of four arranged as eight columns of 32 rows of crystals each. A ring of these detectors surrounds the patient during... ...kinson’s disease, or schizophrenia. Recently, new advances have been made in PET technology. A pair of American scientists working in Switzerland came up with a combination PET/CT scanner, which effectively pairs the two techniques. This new combination will be very useful in cancer diagnosis. With the PET/CT, both anatomical and functional imaging can be done and reproduced on the same image. This will be helpful in pinpointing the location of tumors, and also for the early identification of tumors too small to be of concern in CT scanning. Works Cited Jaroff, Leon. â€Å"A Winning Combination.† Time 156:23 4 Dec 2000. Mullen, Robyn J. â€Å"Positron Emission Tomography.† 5 Dec 1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/bae/courses/bae590F/1995/mullen/. Yahoo.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  25 Mar 2001. â€Å"PET Scans.† 15 Jan 2001. http://www.lifeimage.com/techdata.htm. Yahoo.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   25 Mar 2001. â€Å"UIHC Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Center.† 14 Aug 2000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.pet.radiology.uiowa.edu/. Yahoo. 25 Mar 2001.

American literature realism Essay

In American literature realism, is an approach that attempts to describe life without idealization or romantic subjectivity. Realism has been mainly concerned with the commonplaces of everyday life among the middle and lower classes, where character is a product of social factors and environment is the important element in the dramatic complications. The realism sought to explain why ordinary people behave they way they do. What, for example, fuels the ambitions of a young man who has come from the country to the city to make his fortune? Why does an apparently happily married woman decide to have a love affair? What leads a woman to accept or reject a particular man? In trying to answer these questions, realistic novelists often relied on the emerging sciences of human and animal behavior–biology, psychology, and sociology–as well as on their own insights and observations. Realism from 1865 to the present has changed. As authors have moved into a global world, their writing has become less regional and therefore less realistic. Writers today do research instead of writing about what they already know about. As the world has become more global, authors have become more full. To a certain extent, realism is about presenting a limited view because is very much about regionalism. An author can only write realistically about what he/she knows. Authors like Mark Twain and F. Scott Fitzgerald gives a â€Å"tell it like it is† writing in the stories. In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the setting has a large influence on Huck’s character. The period of time that Huck lived in was a distinct era. The country was changing rapidly. During this period steam engines enabled rivers to be used as mass transportation, an idea that had never been explored until now. There were many traits of this era that can be seen by looking at the components of Huck’s character, his language, actions and thoughts. Some of these traits are subtle and can be easily missed but others are very obvious and powerful. This period of change was the setting of Huck’s childhood. One trait that is indicative of the era is the social class of Huck and Huck’s  language. It is greatly affected by his social class and setting. The broken English is a sign of Huck’s low social class. In addition it also shows that he is from a southern river town. This can be seen from his expressions and accent. The rules of the time that Huck’s character is governed upon, Huck was never educated. During the early 1800s there was no law that required children to go to school, therefore his low intellect has a strong impact on Huck’s character. It gives him a â€Å"plain and simple† outlook on life, this trait can been seen throughout the book in Huck’s character. One specific area it affects is Huck’s plans for his future. Huck only thought about what he was going to do for present. Huck had an incapable father. He was thought of as the town drunk, and would often come home intoxicated and abuse Huck. At one point his father locked Huck up in a small room without food or water for days. The setting is important here because if Huck’s father were to treat his son in an abusive manner today, he would lose custody of his child. A good example of Huck’s unloving relationship was Huck’s reaction to his father’s death. When notified of his death he was relieved and felt safe. This detail can be used to illustrate the abuse that Huck went through in the beginning of the book, while living with his father. Since Huck’s father had irresponsible actions, Huck ran away at a young age in the hope that someday he would find freedom from his father and society. Huck’s separation from his father is also the reason for his freethinking, responsibility and innocence. These times of hardship formed him into a mature person and helped contribute to his independent personality. Without the influence of the setting Huck would have never been able to achieve the freedom that he had by being independent. When Huck ran away he joined up with Jim, who was also running away, but from something different. Jim was fleeing from slavery, a common practice of the time. Huck’s relationship with Jim contributed to Huck’s non-prejudice thinking. Another factor that gave Huck an understanding of how the slaves must have felt was the prejudice that he experienced himself, being part of the lower class. Huck  was infuriated when people looked down upon him for something that was no fault of his; he was born into the class because of his father’s social status. For these reasons Huck always treated Jim as an equal, making Huck ahead of his time. Jim knew that Huck respected him, as a result Jim risked his own life to save Huck. In the story you find humor with Huck’s character. In real life you have humor being part of life. For example, Huck’s account of his reasons for participating in what he knows to be the ridiculous schemes of Tom Sawyer’s gang. He recognizes that their â€Å"swords† are â€Å"only lath and broom-sticks† and he does not believe, in any case, that they â€Å"could lick such crowd of Spaniards and A-rabs†. At one point one finds that Huck seems to accept Tom’s values. Before boarding the Walter Scott he says â€Å"Do you reckon,† he asks Jim, rhetorically, â€Å"Tom Sawyer would ever go by this thing?† It is here at the Phelps farm, where he even takes Tom’s name. Huck’s independence and lack of education resulted in a mind that was never influenced by adult’s beliefs. This allowed Huck to have thoughts based on what he believed in, not traditions that are simply carried on by messengers of the past’s beliefs. Although traditions are often good they prevent new ideas from entering people’s minds. This made Huck original; this individuality could be seen with his relationship with Jim. During this period of American history slaves were looked down upon, but Huck, being an independent thinker, looked up to Jim for who he was, not for the color of his skin. This change in dialogue clearly illustrates how the relationship grew stronger during their adventures. By the end of the novel Huck risked his own life to free Jim in the final escape attempt. His dependence made him loyal to the Mississippi River. The personification of the river that Huck uses clearly shows his feelings and thankfulness to the river. It also helped show how important the river was too not only Huck but to all of the river towns and people. The Great Gatsby’s best qualities is Fitzgerald’s incredible use of realism. This realism is evident in the development of plot, setting, and characters throughout the novel. The novel is well known for its deeply entangled plots  and sub-plots. At first Fitzgerald used realism to develop these plots by choosing plots that would be believable to readers. For example, the main plot of â€Å"The American Dream† (Jay Gatsby’s dream of becoming rich and successful in order to impress Daisy) is easily believable and is still a quite common dream today. Smaller plots, such as Tom Buchanan’s affair with Myrtle, are also very realistic and are a common occurrence in every day life. From here Fitzgerald deepened the story by using realism to entangle these plots. Fitzgerald then grew upon these plots by making them all have realistic outcomes (such as Gatsby’s demise), rather than your typical story book endings. Fitzgerald uses realism to clearly depict the setting of the Great Gatsby. This use of realism could be mostly due to the fact that Fitzgerald lived during the time of the novel, and by using great detail, he was able to reproduce his interpretation of the 1920’s. The novel takes place during the summer in New York as Nick Carraway has just moved to pursue a career in the bond business. This is a very realistic setting because just after World War 1 the eastern United States were flourishing with people and business. Large, fancy homes and big parties (such as Gatsby’s) were also quite popular. Fitzgerald realistically demonstrates the inexistence of the middle class at that time. For example the contrast between Tom Buchanan and Mr. Wilson shows vast difference between the upper and lower classes. The exact geographical location of the novel does not exist, but Fitzgerald does a great job in using realism to convince the reader of the setting. No matter how significant realism is to the setting of the novel, perhaps the most important use of realism comes through Fitzgerald’s development of characters throughout the novel. The novel characters are the basis of the novel from which the plots revolve around. Fitzgerald uses realism to ensure that all the characters in the novel are believable in both their history and interactions with each other. A prime example of this would be Daisy. Her history of having a successful family, and being the center of attention deeply influences her character into being self-centered and dependent on wealth, making her character  believable to readers. From here Fitzgerald was able to manipulate the characters. This convinces the reader of genuinely of each individual and therefore makes the whole story seem more realistic. Throughout the novel, the plot was deepened through the entangling of many realistic sub-plots, the setting was clearly illustrated using plenty of detail, and the characters were developed to be as believable and genuine as possible. In the end it is the realistic recognition of life’s imperfections that give The Great Gatsby its continuing appeal. The things that happen are real and could really happen. The characters are products of their environments. In today’s society we have somewhat the same issues. It depends on ones culture and beliefs. If you are pretty much conservative one finds that acting a certain way, wanting freedom, lying or dishonesty won’t be acceptable. The two novels that I chose both show realism â€Å"tell it like it is† but in different ways. What happens to Huck Finn is a result of how and where he lives. Events happen to him because of the real life setting and place. The central figure in Huck Finn isn’t even really Huck†¦it’s the river. Gatsby is shaped by external factors such as love, money and other people’s ideals. Nothing that happens is glorified or exaggerated. In my opinion I think that Twain and Fitzgerald both conveyed in reality. Both authors wrote there stories based upon the social restrictions of time. Today we see the same kind of American dream and look down upon the lower class. I think that we moved closer to the truth by seeing what society be really about. This is somewhat the real world and it’s either your accepted by following the rules or not accepted by disobeying the rules.

Free Essays on Home Burial

In the poem, â€Å"Home Burial† by Robert Frost, the use of dialogue creates a movie-like reading, engaging the reader in a new approach to experiencing poetry. Through the dialogue the reader is able to intensely feel the emotion between the two speakers. Rather than circuiting around the issue being addressed within this piece, the speakers state the obvious. The dialogue is an ingenious catalyst used by Frost to create a new style of poetry, which is a characteristic of Modernism. From start to finish, this piece is gripping, allowing the reader to become part of the poem. Frost throws the truth of the poem in the reader’s face rather than alluding to the meaning of the poem. The tone of this piece is melancholy. From the beginning the reader recognizes an intense disconnection between the husband and wife speakers. In the first stanza it states, â€Å"I will find out now-you must tell me, dear,† (line 12). Here the husband is probing at his wife’s emotions trying to get inside her head to help her with an obvious sadness the wife cannot overcome. In the first part of the statement the reader hears urgency in the husbands voice followed by a softer tone towards his wife. The hyphen used here helps the reader to separate the stern and endearing spots in the one sentence. It is here that the tension that images a roller coaster begins to form. It is apparent that the wife has developed resentment towards her husband. She thinks, â€Å"Blind creature,† (16). The reader has begun to enter the psyche of the wife. It is understood through this statement that the wife is withdrawn from her husband. She feels alone and depressed, forcing her husband away because he does not see her pain. Thus, further the tension boils as the husband tries to see his wife and what it is that makes her suffer. In the second stanza, the husband for the first time sees the cause of his wife’s anguish, which gives some relief to the tension of the poem.... Free Essays on Home Burial Free Essays on Home Burial In the poem, â€Å"Home Burial† by Robert Frost, the use of dialogue creates a movie-like reading, engaging the reader in a new approach to experiencing poetry. Through the dialogue the reader is able to intensely feel the emotion between the two speakers. Rather than circuiting around the issue being addressed within this piece, the speakers state the obvious. The dialogue is an ingenious catalyst used by Frost to create a new style of poetry, which is a characteristic of Modernism. From start to finish, this piece is gripping, allowing the reader to become part of the poem. Frost throws the truth of the poem in the reader’s face rather than alluding to the meaning of the poem. The tone of this piece is melancholy. From the beginning the reader recognizes an intense disconnection between the husband and wife speakers. In the first stanza it states, â€Å"I will find out now-you must tell me, dear,† (line 12). Here the husband is probing at his wife’s emotions trying to get inside her head to help her with an obvious sadness the wife cannot overcome. In the first part of the statement the reader hears urgency in the husbands voice followed by a softer tone towards his wife. The hyphen used here helps the reader to separate the stern and endearing spots in the one sentence. It is here that the tension that images a roller coaster begins to form. It is apparent that the wife has developed resentment towards her husband. She thinks, â€Å"Blind creature,† (16). The reader has begun to enter the psyche of the wife. It is understood through this statement that the wife is withdrawn from her husband. She feels alone and depressed, forcing her husband away because he does not see her pain. Thus, further the tension boils as the husband tries to see his wife and what it is that makes her suffer. In the second stanza, the husband for the first time sees the cause of his wife’s anguish, which gives some relief to the tension of the poem.... Free Essays on Home Burial Home Burial Robert Frost’s life, like many of his poems, was filled with ironies. Known as an England poet, Robert Frost was born in San Francisco and named after Robert E. Lee. When his poetry was not recognized in the United States, he moved to England and there published his first books of poetry, A Boy’s Will (1913) and North of Boston (1914). When he returned to the United States his fame as a poet was already established. A marriage is the hardest type of relationship to carry on. A marriage requires a lot from both parties involved not only one person. A marriage requires such qualities such as: love, trust, honesty, friendship, and communication. If any these qualities are lacking in a marriage it can lead to problems. In this day and age people can go to a marriage counselor, and work on what is lacking in a relationship. In the old days if something was missing from a relationship it could result in a bad marriage or even lead to divorce. The lack of communication is one of the main reasons that marriages end up failing. In Robert Frost’s poem, Home Burial, he writes about a couple experiencing problems in their marriage. These problems recently occurred when his wife Amy’s baby died. The man and Amy are arguing because Amy does not talk to him any more. When Amy has something on her mind she walks off and talks to someone else about it. All he wants is for them to be able to communicate like they used to. He really cares about Amy because in the poem he says that he will no speak on things that she is sensitive about, all he wants is for Amy to be able to talk to him. This poem ends with Amy walking out the door and her husband yelling that he will follow behind her and bring her back with force. This marriage would not have failed if only Amy was able to talk to her husband about how she felt. As you can see if Amy could have express her feelings about the death of her child, then they could have went throu...

Adult Learning Methodology

Adult Learning Methodology Andragogy Andragogy is an adult teaching methodology which developed from pedagology (the teaching methodology for children) (Rachal, 2002, p. 210). Before the introduction of the concept (andragogy), pedagogy was the only known teaching methodology. Andragogy was basically developed by a group of researchers to focus more on unique adult needs as opposed to the conventional child needs.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Adult Learning Methodology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In andragogy, there is a strong emphasis on process design as opposed to pedagology which focuses more on the content plan (Rachal, 2002, p. 210). With focus on process design, andragogy is basically aimed at designing and managing processes that are aimed at facilitating the acquisition of content by adult learners; but in the same manner, it also serves as a content resource for peers, supervisors and specialists. Andragogy was spec ifically started by a German educationist in 1833, but it is Malcolm Knowles, an American educational researcher, who essentially turned the learning methodology into a popular adult theory (Rachal, 2002, p. 210). However, in later years, Malcolm changed his stand on the adult theory and gave conflicting statements one whether the teaching paradigm was essentially meant for adults or could be applicable to children as well. This conflict of opinion essentially defines the controversy surrounding the use of andragogy as a unique adult teaching methodology. Considering andragogy basically defines the transition from a teacher-centered to a student-centered learning style, critics note that the shift could equally be beneficial to children, as much as it is for adults. This fact characterizes the conflict surrounding andragogy. Nonetheless, it is important to note that such concerns have been dispelled by the fact that proponents of the adult educational methodology were essentially ad ult teachers and they devised the theory to specifically apply to their unique student group (adults) (Rachal, 2002, p. 210). This makes the teaching methodology uniquely applicable to adult learners. The controversy surrounding andragogy is however not the essence of this study (but contributes to its understanding) because this study focuses more on the basis of the teaching paradigm in imparting knowledge to adult learners. In other words, this study will evaluate the teaching criteria behind its use.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The criteria to be evaluated essentially define the platform through which andragogy is implemented and the guidelines to which it is practiced. Comprehensively, this study will analyze the proffered criteria for its applicability and possible areas that may cause its failures (based on existing literature surrounding its use). Volunt ary Participation Andragogy has been traditionally known to be based on the ability of teachers to identify the right internal motivating factor among adult learners. However, Lindeman (1926) notes that instructors should not identify the internal motivation among adult learners if it is in form of professional advancement; however, this view has been disputed by other researchers such as Knowles (1980) who accepts professional career motivation as a form of personal motivational factor (only if it is not coercive). In other words, it is identified that voluntary participation among learners should not be based on material reward but rather on immaterial reward. From a comprehensive point of view, restricting voluntary participation in the context that only legitimate benefit of andragogy would be learning for its own sake (or for self actualization) is deemed a rather extreme limitation and it also goes contrary to what Knowles said when defining andragogy. Specifically Knowles (19 80) asserted that: Although it acknowledges that adults will respond to some external motivators-a better job, a salary increase, and the like-the andragogical model predicates that the more potent motivators are internal-self-esteem, recognition, better quality of life, greater self-confidence, self-actualization, and the like (p. 281). In a study done by Rachal (2002) to evaluate the motives of adult students to enroll in an adult educational program, it was established that their motives were not exactly internal. Interestingly, it was also affirmed that some of the subjects in the study were paid to join the educational program.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Adult Learning Methodology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This means that adult learners are sometimes not driven by internal and personal factors but also by external and material factors. Current research studies have proposed more research to be done on non-credit continuing educational programs where there is a good environment to learn, and the students are not coerced in any manner, or motivated by unfamiliar factors to take part in educational programs (Rachal, 2002, p. 212). It is also predicted that in this type of situation, adult learners are bound to view the learning activity as essentially valuable to themselves as opposed to perceiving the experience (or enrolment to the educational program) as a mere means to an end (Rachal, 2002, p. 212). Adult Status In implementing the andragogy approach, it is recommended that an adult learning environment be provided to facilitate the learning process (Rachal, 2002, p. 212). More importantly, it is recommended that college environments, where many young college goers frequent should be avoided if andragogy is to be effectively undertaken. This is in line with Knowles’s view that andragogy is essential for adults and the students should not be subjected to an env ironment that seeks to compare them with another student group (young learners). To affirm his sentiments, Knowles (1980) explains that: â€Å"If a college setting is used, and traditional students are part of the study, it is very desirable to have four groups, including an adult andragogy and an adult pedagogy group. It is not desirable to have two groups where a combined group of adults and traditional students receives an andragogical treatment and a second combined group of adults and traditional students receives a pedagogical treatment, even when the adults are separated in the analysis† (p. 284). However, there is enough evidence to suggest that higher learning environments are quite beneficial to andragogical teaching, but it is more recommended that future studies should be done in scenarios where the environment is exclusively adult-centered (Rachal, 2002, p. 210).Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Considering there is a high emphasis on adult environments (when referring to andragogy), there has consequently been an increased need to define adult environments and who an adult is in the first place. Rachal (2002) claims that an adult is a person who perceives himself or herself as an adult and has assumed the social and cultural responsibilities that are characteristic of adults. In the same manner, she also provides another criteria (where the above definitions lack) and defines an adult as a person who has attained a given age ceiling, say, 25 years (whichever is considered adult, considering the social definitions of an adult in a given community setting). Knowles’s (1980) definition of an adult is also congruent with the above definition because he defines adult education as activities intentionally engaged in for the purpose of bringing about learning among those whose age, social roles, or self-perception define them as adults (p. 215). This definition of an adult is important because andragogy is known to work best in environments that are exclusively adult-centred. Collaboratively Determined Objectives Environments that are critical to the adult learner and which the adult learner plays a vital role in the learning experience should be utilized when implementing andragogy (Rachal, 2002, p. 215). Contracts are one of the tools through which instructors and researchers have been advised to use to achieve the required learning purpose; however, there is no guarantee that such a strategy will work in all situations. Specifically drawn contracts which have a predetermined set of objectives for the adult learners are said to be bound to fail if an adult learner does not know the predetermined objectives in the first place (or if the objectives were not the learner’s main objectives of engaging in the learning experience in the first place). For instance, a course focusing on how to improve one’s saving plan would be congruent with a learner’s personal objectives, as well as the course’s objectives, and this could probably be the reason why a learner would enroll in the given course in the first place. Nonetheless, in situations where this scenario is not the case, it would mean that the instructor would have to collaborate with the learners and negotiate on their learning objectives (as regards what would exhibit a high level of competence for the instructor in the course of using the andragogy learning methodology). Langston (1990) seems to have met the criterion defining this standard when undertaking related research studies on his focus groups where the goal of the instructor or the competence expected of the instructor was second to the learner’s objectives. From this analysis, we can deduce the fact that andragogy works best in environments that are specifically determined by the learner’s objectives and not the instructors’ because it is affirmed that the learner shou ld have more say in the planning of the learning process. The ideal situation should however be when the learner’s and instructor’s objectives are similar (such as that defined in the savings plan example). Performance-Based Achievement Considering andragogy and many other learning theories are specifically based on competence and proficiency (in a given area of study); the will to measure the achievement level of the learners is inevitable. However, it should be understood that under andragogy, the assessment criterion should not resemble those of conventional learning styles because they should seem to be as low-threat as possible (Rachal, 2002, p. 216). In this regard, Knowles (1980) previously went ahead to establish a contract with a portfolio of evidence that specifically exposed the level of learner’s achievement (with regards to well determined learning objectives) but the criterion for carrying out such assessments needs to be mutually negotiated with t he learners and the instructors. The assessment criteria is normally based on the learner’s ability to particularly perform all the learnt content in a rather direct manner, which can be demonstrated by his or her ability to take and print a photograph, as opposed to a learner’s ability to take a paper-pencil test that evaluates how to take and print a photograph (the latter is indirect while the former is a direct assessment method). Studies undertaken by Clark (1991), with reference to assessment criteria (when using the andragogy approach), made use of a performance-based activity as a benchmark for performance where it was easily determined whether a person passed a given assessment test or not. Clark (1991) recommends that the appropriate performance criterion is to be designed in situations where the learner’s learning objective demonstrates a desired learning outcome. For instance, if an adult learner wants to acquire basic computer skills that would enab le him or her send and receive e mails without any assistance; the assessment criteria will be based on whether he or she is able to send and open emails without assistance. This kind of assessment is also what determines the â€Å"book test† approach from the practical knowledge expected of adult learners when the andragogy methodology is applied. With regards to standardized tests to assess adult learners, Knowles (1980, p. 12) cautions that tests often smack of childhood schooling to adult learners, and so should be used with caution and preferably with the participants full participation in the decision, administration and analysis†. Since standardized tests are not essentially recommended by Knowles (1980), he proposes the use of tailor-made tests, but he also expresses caution about this assessment criterion, noting that if instructors use it to compare two adult learners, it would not be in the spirit of andragogy. Unfortunately, most instructors have used this a ssessment criterion in this manner. On the contrary, Knowles, recommends that tailor-made assessment criteria should be used for purposes of the students’ own edification (with regards to the relative gains made in the entire learning process), and if it is possible, adult learners should be allowed to come up with their own assessment criteria in group or individual contexts. Measuring Satisfaction Many adult education activities have been faulted by many researchers as lacking the primary goal of attaining skills and expertise, but rather having the feeling to attain personal satisfaction. In this regard, there is enough evidence to suggest that many adult learners are increasingly participating in various learning activities, merely for the pleasure they derive from it. Since this trend is real, Rachal (2002) affirms that there is a strong need for instructors, using the andragogy approach, to measure the learner’s level of satisfaction in this light. Though this as sessment criterion is not basically recommended (if achievement is not the essential goal), satisfaction in the learning experience should be measured in virtually all spheres of the administration of andragogy because this is basically the primary reason most adult learners are likely to be influenced by when enrolling for learning. Andragogy instructors should therefore measure the variables related to the educational activity, but it is also recommended that they couple the same with the learner’s interests (Rachal, 2002). Conclusion This study identifies the need for adult education to be andragological because the methodology specifically appeals to the needs of adult learners. The above criteria, focused on the effective implementation of andragogy also specifically appeals to situational aspects which are unique to adult learning because the application of andragogy is in itself situational. More importantly, this study points out that andragogy appeals to the learnerà ¢â‚¬â„¢s ability, learner’s motivation, and the facilitative elements of the instructor in the entire learning process. These elements are the successive factors in adult learning and from the above analysis, they are also the basis through which andragogy is based on. The above criteria also seem to succinctly follow the precepts and ideals of Knowles, even though his recommendations and perception about andragoy and adult learning were criticized as idealistic. Nonetheless, it is an undeniable fact that adult learning, just like children learning, should be tailored towards the needs of the learner groups and this is what andragogy seeks to appeal to. Conversely, the issue of the appropriateness of andragogy in adult learning can be contrasted with its effectiveness. Pratt (1988) is also sympathetic to this view and affirms that the appropriateness of andragogy in adult education should be the primary focus of study for future researchers because efforts to understand the a ppropriateness of a given learning methodology would be fruitless if its effectiveness is not established. However, apart from acknowledging the importance of this analysis in this study; this issue would be a separate topic altogether. Comprehensively, we can see that andragogy is essentially based on unique adult needs and the above mentioned criteria act as the blueprint for its implementation. References Clark,J. A. (1991). Self-directed learning skills and clinical performance: A comparison of traditionally taught and learning contract-taught nursing students (Doctoral dissertation, University of Southern Mississippi, 1990). Dissertation Abstracts International, 51(07), 2236A. Knowles, M. S. (1980). The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Cambridge. Langston, L. C. (1990). Self-directed learning, achievement, and satisfaction (Doctoral dissertation, Texas AM University, 1989). Dissertation Abstracts International, 50(12), 3824A. Lindeman, E. C. (1926). The Meaning of Adult Education. Norman, OK: Oklahoma Research Center for Continuing Professional and Higher Education. Pratt, D. D. (1988). Andragogy as a relational construct. Adult Education Quarterly, 38,  160-172. Rachal, J. (2002). Andragogys Detectives: A Critique of the Present and a Proposal for the Future. Adult Education Quarterly, 52(3), 210-227.

Public Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Policy - Research Paper Example NAPWA’S importance discussed in this paper is in regards to the criminalization of those with HIV/AIDS who gives the virus to another individual whether or not that was the individual’s intent. NAPWA argues this point and yet shares the view that those who intentionally infect another individual with the virus should be criminally prosecuted but not those who unintentionally pass the virus on (Lesieur) Matt Lesieur, NAPWA’s vice president of public policy presents NAPWA’s 2011 Public Policy Agenda in regards to HIV Criminalization (Lesieur) Across the country laws are being presented that are designed to criminally prosecute the transmission of HIV infection (Lesieur) NAPWA’s Public Policy department has stood up to address these laws and legislations that are trying to be incorporated. NAPWA argues that carrying out with these laws and legislations designed to criminally prosecute the transmission of HIV infection would cause serious hindrances in the HIV/AIDS community. ... This is where NAPWA argues the point of the unintentional criminalization of the transmission of the virus. NAPWA feels that â€Å"From a public health perspective, applying criminal law to cases not involving intent can actually impede HIV prevention† (Lesieur) Individuals aware of this law who may feel the law is unjust will be less opting to learn their status. Doing this could possibly cause an even greater spread of the virus. The benefits of an individual finding out his/her status is the proper care of that individual as well as keeping that individual’s partner safe. The proper care comes through appropriate medication and thorough education. Every individual with breath in his/her body still has a life to live no matter what they’re living with. Teaching individuals how to live with the HIV/AIDS virus is just as important as teaching or preparing your teenager about to graduate from High school to go out and live in college or just out on their own in ge neral. The generalization of the laws designed to prosecute the transmission of the HIV/AIDS virus is a hindrance to this awareness, education and prevention. NAPWA’s Matt Lesieur also argues that â€Å"The criminalization of HIV transmission also tends to increase the discrimination against people living with HIV, and other stigmatized groups such as migrants, injecting drug users, sex workers and men who have sex with men† NAPWA didn’t just have a difference of opinion in regards to these laws and legislations that are trying to be put into place but more a â€Å"reasonable† solution. NAPWA’s suggestion instead is as follows: -Criminal law should not be used as tool to prevent the transmission of HIV. Rather Governments should expand public health programs grounded in

MBA Operation Management Problemsolving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MBA Operation Management Problemsolving - Essay Example b) The lower capital intensity of the mentioned type of firms is explained by the stability of working processes when serving a focus customer. Crews do not need retraining because they do the same thing, for the same customer, all of the time. The machinery factor is also to be regarded: for example, the folding and gluing machine at Focus Packaging handles only one size box, so it never has to be reset. The press stops only to install a new roll of the thin cardboard on which it prints [12]. a) The necessity of the firms with a product focus to plan production and inventory levels further into the future is explained by the vitality of the production plan and inventories for successful supply chain management. It is necessary to plan thoroughly the production basing on the demand forecasts and according to this to make up the corresponding inventories. For the firms with focused production it is especially essential, because their performance depends on demands of particular customers, or one major customer [12]. b) All the above mentioned relates also to the necessity to have more formalized supplier relationships. ... b) All the above mentioned relates also to the necessity to have more formalized supplier relationships. In order for the firm to secure the manufactured product's future sale it is essential to develop clear terms of supplier/customer relationship and validate it formally. c) The low level of inventory accumulation at the work-in-process stage is explained by the simplified scheme of supply chain affording to avoid the overloading of the warehouses by unsold goods (the firm knows more or less precisely what number of goods it should produce). Describe four multi-plant location strategies The four principal location approaches are as follows: Land Use - optimal agricultural land uses based on transport costs to market; optimal distances of residential and commercial land uses from CBD; Industrial Location / Production Orientation - transport-cost minimizing location, profit maximization, optimal combination of inputs & optimal level of production at optimal location (allowing for scale economies and substitutability at any one level of production); Central Places / Market Areas - optimal market areas choosing; Spatial Competition - optimal response in the face of locational competition [11]. Why Colgate Palmolive, and not Campbell Soup be concerned about NAFTA The North American Free Trade Agreement, known usually as NAFTA, is a free trade agreement among Canada, the United States, and Mexico [7]. Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL) is a multinational corporation in the business of the provision of products such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products such as toothpaste and toothbrushes. Under its "Hill's" brand, it is also a manufacturer of veterinary products [3]. Campbell Soup Company