Exploring the Issues behind Patient-Assisted Suicide Essay

Death is as much a part of human existence, of human growth and development, like birth. All humans need to undergo all these processes as they journey through life. However, death sets a limit on our time in this world, and life culminates in death. However, when we intervene with some of these natural processes, problems arise because it intrudes in life’s natural processes. This is why, suicide is not just perceived as a medical problem because it also involves legal, ethical, social, personal, and financial considerations. It is not just morally reprehensible for a physician, or any medical practitioner, to assist the patient to conduct this procedure because it negates their responsibility to preserve life, suicide also devalues the life of the patient as its fate is put entirely in the hands of a human being to intrude with the natural process of things. For this reason, the debate over euthanasia (or patient-assisted suicide) involves many professionals, as well as the patients and their families. The arguments now have to do with the dignity of the patients, the quality of their lives, their mental state, and sometimes their usefulness to society. For example, the patient who is in a vegetative state is considered dead by some but not by others, and this case presents substantial ethical and logistical problems. The Oxford Dictionary of English (2005) defines euthanasia as â€Å"the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma†. However, euthanasia means much more than a â€Å"painless death†, or the means of procuring it, or the action of inducing it. The definition specifies only the manner of death, and if this were all that was implied a murderer, careful to drug his victim, could claim that his act was an act of euthanasia. We find this ridiculous because we take it for granted that in euthanasia it is death itself, not just the manner of death. How can someone administer a medical â€Å"procedure† to the one who dies in the end? If a person requests the termination of his or her life, the action is called voluntary euthanasia (and often also assisted suicide). If the person is not mentally competent to make an informed request, the action is called non-voluntary euthanasia. Both forms should be distinguished from involuntary euthanasia, which involves a person capable of making an informed request, but who has not done so. Involuntary euthanasia is universally condemned and plays no role in current moral controversies. A final set of distinctions appeals to the active–passive distinction: passive euthanasia involves letting someone die from a disease or injury, whereas active euthanasia involves taking active steps to end a person’s life. All of these distinctions suffer from borderline cases and various forms of ambiguity. The focus of recent public and philosophical controversy has been over voluntary active euthanasia (VAE), especially physician-assisted suicide. Supporters of VAE argue that there are cases in which relief from suffering supersedes all other consequences and that respect for autonomy obligates society to respect the decisions of those who elect euthanasia. If competent patients have a legal and moral right to refuse treatment that brings about their deaths, there is a similar right to enlist the assistance of physicians or others to help patients cause their deaths by an active means. Usually, supporters of VAE primarily look to circumstances in which (1) a condition has become overwhelmingly burdensome for a patient, (2) pain management for the patient is inadequate, and (3) only a physician seems capable of bringing relief (Dworkin, Frey & Bok, 1998). One well-known incident that VAE came into the headlines was when it was provided by the bizarre activities of Dr.  Jack Kevorkian in early 1990s (or â€Å"Dr Death† as the media have dubbed him) in the USA. Dr. Kevorkian, a retired pathologist, assisted over forty people to commit suicide in recent years in circumstances which were somewhat removed from regular medical practice. These people travelled to Kevorkian from all over the USA to seek his assistance in suicide. He assisted them, sometimes by attaching them, in the back of his rusting Volkswagen van, to his ‘suicide machine’, which injected them with lethal drugs when they activated it. Despite being prosecuted for assisted suicide on several occasions, Kevorkian escaped conviction and continued his personal campaign for relaxation of the law in his peculiar way. It was only when he moved from assistance in suicide to euthanasia that he was finally convicted. He filmed himself administering a lethal injection, and the film helped secure his conviction for murder (Keown 2002, p. 31). Of course, his actions provoked discussion of the thin line separating passive euthanasia, which is legal in this country, and active euthanasia. Opponents of Kevorkian’s actions state that he is practicing assisted suicide, which is illegal. Proponents of Kevorkian’s actions argue that the patient’s right to control his or her medical treatment is sufficient justification for assisted suicide. Euthanasia is Not Ethical According to Somerville (2006), there are two major reasons why people should not allow euthanasia to be legalized. One is based on principle: it is wrong for one human to intentionally kill another (except in justified self-defense, or in the defense of others). The other reason is utilitarian: the harms and risks of legalizing euthanasia, to individuals in general and to society, far outweigh any benefits. While Mak, Elwyn & Finlay (2006) reasoned that â€Å"most studies of euthanasia have been quantitative, focusing primarily on attitudes of healthcare professionals, relatives, and the public†. Pain is usually identified as a major reason for requesting euthanasia; other influences included functional impairment, dependency, burden, social isolation, depression, hopelessness, and issues of control and autonomy. This is why, Mak, Elwyn & Finlay (2006) thought that legalizing euthanasia is a â€Å"premature† move when research evidence from the perspectives of those who desire euthanasia is not yet proven to be necessary. They said â€Å"more qualitative patient based studies are needed to broaden our understanding of patients†. What needs to be done, they deemed, should be the â€Å"inclusion of medical humanities, experiential learning, and reflective practice into medical education should help ensure doctors have better communication skills and attitudes†. By examining ways to improve care at all levels, healthcare professionals can eliminate the side effects of poor end of life care, then euthanasia would not be needed anymore. In 1988, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a statement on its take about patient-assisted suicide when a gynecology resident agreed to conduct assisted suicide to a young woman, dying of cancer, whom he has never seen before. Horrified by her severe distress, and proceeding alone without consultation with anyone, the doctor gives her a lethal injection of morphine. The publishing of this gynecology resident’s letter caused media hype and was featured in the previous issue in JAMA, where it was titled as â€Å"It’s Over Debbie† (1988). This is how the JAMA took its position regarding the matter: 1. ) On his own admission, the resident appears to have committed a felony: premeditated murder. Direct intentional homicide is a felony in all American jurisdictions, for which the plea of merciful motive is no excuse. That the homicide was clearly intentional is confirmed by the resident’s act of unrepentant publication. Law aside, the physician behaved altogether in a scandalously unprofessional and unethical manner. He did not know the patient: he had never seen her before, he did not study her chart, he did not converse with her or her family. He never spoke to her physician. He took as an unambiguous command her only words to him, â€Å"Let’s get this over with†: he did not bother finding out what precisely she meant or whether she meant it wholeheartedly. He did not consider alternative ways of bringing her relief or comfort; instead of comfort, he gave her death. This is no humane and thoughtful physician succumbing with fear and trembling to the pressures and well-considered wishes of a patient well known to him, for whom there was truly no other recourse. This is, by his own account, an impulsive yet cold technician, arrogantly masquerading as a knight of compassion and humanity. (Indeed, so cavalier is the report and so cold-blooded the behavior, it strains our credulity to think that the story is true. ) Law and professional manner both aside, the resident violated one of the first and most hallowed canons of the medical ethic: doctors must not kill. Generations of physicians and commentators on medical ethics have underscored and held fast to the distinction between ceasing useless treatments (or allowing to die) and active, willful taking of life; at least since the Oath of Hippocrates, Western medicine has regarded the killing of patients, even on request, as a profound violation of the deepest meaning of the medical vocation. The Judicial Council of the American Medical Association in 1986, in an opinion regarding treatment of dying patients, affirmed the principle that a physician â€Å"should not intentionally cause death. † Neither legal tolerance nor the best bedside manner can ever make medical killing medically ethical (Baird & Rosenbaum 1989, p. 26). Indeed, the laws of most nations and the codes of medical and research ethics from the Hippocratic Oath to today’s major professional codes strictly prohibit VAE (and all forms of merciful hastened death), even if a patient has a good reason for wanting to die. Although courts have often defended the rights of patients in cases of passive euthanasia, courts have rarely allowed any form of what they judged to be VAE. Those who defend laws and medical traditions opposed to VAE often appeal to either (1) professional-role obligations that prohibit killing or (2) the social consequences that would result from changing these traditions. The first argument is straightforward: killing patients is inconsistent with the roles of nursing, care-giving, and healing. The second argument is more complex and has been at the center of many discussions. This argument is referred to as the wedge argument or the slippery slope argument, and proceeds roughly as follows: although particular acts of active termination of life are sometimes morally justified, the social consequences of sanctioning such practices of killing would run serious risks of abuse and misuse and, on balance, would cause more harm than benefit. The argument is not that these negative consequences will occur immediately, but that they will grow incrementally over time, with an ever-increasing risk of unjustified termination (Dworkin, Frey & Bok, 1998). Refusal of Treatment When a patient refuses treatment, the physician is faced with a great dilemma. Doctors maintain that if the patient does not want treatment, physicians do not have a duty to start it. Once treatment is started, however, physicians have a duty to continue it if discontinuing it would lead to the patient’s death. They are not required to force a patient to go on a respirator if the patient refuses, but once the patient has gone on the respirator, doctors have a duty to keep him on it, even contrary to the patient’s wishes, if taking him off would result in his death. Suffice it here to point out one important limit: a doctor is not ethically bound to assist a refusal of treatment which is suicidal, that is, made not because the treatment is futile or excessively burdensome but in order to hasten death (Keown, 2002, p. 253). Actual suicide has been a felony in England in the past but today, suicide has been decriminalized in most part of the world. Attempting to take one’s own life, however, remains criminal in some jurisdictions. In these as well as in those states where it is not a crime, the state has intervened in some cases to order life-sustaining treatment in the face of objection by a competent adult. The most widely cited case in which this was done is John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital v. Heston (1971), where a twenty-two-year-old unmarried woman refused a blood transfusion because she was a Jehovah’s Witness. She was forced to have one anyway on the theory that there is no difference between passively submitting to death and actively seeking it. The state regards both as attempts at self-destruction and may prevent them. Since this case, however, the trend of cases has been away from this reasoning and toward subordinating the state’s interest in the prevention of suicide to the rights of patients to forgo or have withdrawn life-sustaining treatment (Berger 1995, p. 20). However, when the patient is terminal and death is imminent, no treatment is medically indicated, and the competent patient’s rightful refusal of treatment does not conflict with the health provider’s form of beneficence. There may be an emotional problem in admitting defeat, but there should be no ethical problem. It should be noted that, although the patient may not be competent at the end, refusal of treatment may be accomplished through a living will or a surrogate, especially through a surrogate who has durable power of attorney for health matters. In the case when the patient is terminal but death is not imminent, for example when the disease or injury progresses slowly, and granted the consent of the patient or surrogate, it appears ethical to omit treatment on the ground that nothing can be accomplished in thwarting the progress of the disease. But it is not ethical to omit care, since human dignity is to be respected. To solve this dilemma, the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (1996) takes a clear stand on the issue: E-2. 20 Even if the patient is not terminally ill or permanently unconscious, it is not unethical to discontinue all means of life-sustaining medical treatment in accordance with a proper substituted judgment or best interests analysis. The treatments include artificially supplied respiration, nutrition, or hydration. In its recent opposition to physician-assisted suicide, the AMA has strongly endorsed a program to educate physicians to the appropriateness of switching from therapeutic treatment to palliative care. The group has gone from a tentative, negative position (â€Å"not unethical†) to a much stronger positive stand (AMA, 1996). On the other hand, we should also consider the reasoning behind the ethical correctness of not beginning or of stopping treatment in the case of the consenting patient who is terminally ill. First, the health care provider has no obligation to prolong dying merely for the sake of prolonging it. That is, it makes no sense to prolong life when the true result is the prolongation of the dying process. Furthermore, when treatment is only prolonging the agony of the patient, its continuation is unethical as an insult to human dignity (Cahill, 1977). In such cases, the health care provider would be ethically justified in discontinuing treatment, except when the patient insists on treatment. Even in this case, however, there can be exceptions. When there is a severe shortage of medical resources, the physician might be justified in stopping nonindicated treatment even over the protests of the patient. We say â€Å"might be justified,† since justification would depend, among other things, on a new social consensus about the duties of health care professionals and on a reasonable certainty that a shortage exists. There are also problems in discontinuing treatment when the patient’s surrogate(s) objects. It should be noted that cessation of life-sustaining treatment does not always bring about a swift and painless death, even though it may speed up the process of dying. For example, if kidney dialysis is discontinued, the person remains conscious and suffers vomiting, internal hemorrhage, and convulsions. The removal of a respirator does not lead to death immediately, and the patient suffers the pain and panic of suffocation. The obligation to care for the patient demands that every ethical effort be made to alleviate these sufferings with drugs and other methods that will not prolong life. Much recent research suggests that physicians are particularly deficient in their willingness and ability to provide adequate pain palliation for dying patients (SUPPORT, 1995). This could be one of the main concerns that drive the interest in physician-assisted suicide. Beyond this, when such pain relief is not possible for the patient, or when the harm is not the pain, but the insult to dignity, there arises the difficult problem of actively cooperating in the suicide of the patient. Religious Issues Several religions have a negative take on any form of suicide. Those who oppose active euthanasia on religious grounds, the basic concern seems to be the view that our lives are not ours but gifts from God. In this view, humans hold their lives as a trust. If this is true, then we are bound to hold not only the lives of others inviolate but also our own, since to take our life is to destroy what belongs to God. For Christians, in Exodus 34:7 and Daniel 13:53, scriptures taken from the Old Testament, the doctrine of the sanctity of life principle is upheld, except in rare instances of self defense. Judeo-Christian precepts generally condemn active euthanasia in any form, but allow some forms of passive euthanasia. The difference is that of omission and commission: While the Judeo-Christian philosophy might tolerate the allowance of death, acts that permit death, it draws the line in regard to acts that cause death. For Buddhists, they perceive it as an involvement of the intentional taking of life. This is why euthanasia is contrary to basic Buddhist ethical teachings because it violates the first of the Five Precepts. It is also contrary to the more general moral principle of ahimsa. This conclusion applies to both the active and passive forms of the practice, even when accompanied by a compassionate motivation with the end of avoiding suffering. The term ‘euthanasia’ has no direct equivalent in canonical Buddhist languages. Euthanasia as an ethical issue is not explicitly discussed in canonical or commentarial sources, and no clear cases of euthanasia are reported. However, there are canonical cases of suicide and attempted suicide which have a bearing on the issue. One concerns the monastic precept against taking life, the third of the four parajika-dharmas, which was introduced by the Buddha when a group of monks became disenchanted with life and began to kill themselves, some dying by their own hand and others with the aid of an intermediary. The Buddha intervened to prevent this, thus apparently introducing a prohibition on voluntary euthanasia. In other situations where monks in great pain contemplated suicide they are encouraged to turn their thoughts away from this and to use their experience as a means to developing insight into the nature of suffering and impermanence (anitya) (Dictionary of Buddhism, 2003). Nonreligious arguments against active euthanasia usually follow a slippery slope or wedge line of reasoning. In some ways the arguments recall the parable of the camel who pleaded with his owner to be allowed to put his nose into the tent to keep it warm against the cold desert night. Once the nose was allowed, other adjustments were requested, and the owner found himself sleeping with his camel. Is there something so persuasive about putting others to death that, if allowed, would become gross and commonplace? The Nazi â€Å"final solution,† which brought about the death of millions of Jews, gypsies, and other eastern Europeans, could be traced to compulsory euthanasia legislation that, at the time of its enactment, included only mental cases, monstrosities, and incurables who were a burden of the state. Using the Nazi experience as a guide, critics of active euthanasia do see some seductiveness to killing that humans do not seem able to handle. Perhaps Sigmund Freud (1925) was right as he wrote: What no human soul desires there is no need to prohibit; it is automatically excluded. The very emphasis of the commandment â€Å"Thou shalt not kill† makes it certain that we spring from an endless ancestry of murderers, with whom the lust for killing was in the blood, as possibly it is to this day with ourselves. The religious take on euthanasia often focus on the sanctity/inviolability of life. In Western thought, the development of the principle has owed much to the Judaeo-Christian tradition. That tradition’s doctrine of the sanctity of life holds that human life is created in the image of God and is, therefore, possessed of an intrinsic dignity which entitles it to protection from unjust attack. With or without this theological underpinning, the doctrine that human life possesses an intrinsic dignity grounds the principle that one must never intentionally kill an innocent human being. The ‘right to life’ is essentially a right not to be intentionally killed (Keown, 2002, p. 40).

How I Utilised My Summer Vacations

Vacations are the best time to relax and enjoy and I eagerly wait for my summer vacations every year. Every year my school closes in the middle of the month of May and reopens by the end of June. Annual exams get over and the results are declared. This time I got promoted to class nine from class eight. After the hard labor for the examinations, I wanted some rest and also some refreshment. Hence I put aside my books for a few weeks. Next day morning I went out to play with my friends. It was a very hot and sunny day so we decided to play indoor games. In the evening I asked my father and mother to take me to any of the hill stations because I wanted to beat the heat. My father told me that we cannot go to a hill station because all the hotels and resorts are booked beforehand only. It was too hot, the sun was scorching and the wind was deliberating. Fortunately my uncle had invited my family to Haridwar where he had reached two weeks earlier. Me and my parents reached Haridwar. My uncle, my aunty and my cousins were all very excited to see all of us. They welcomed us with a warm heart. At Haridwar I went to the bank of River Ganga in the morning and it was very pleasant to see hundreds of men and women bathing in the stream of Ganga and then offering prayers in the different temples of its â€Å"Ghats†. I requested my uncle to take us to the hilly spots in the vicinity. He was kind enough to take all of us there. The hill sights of Laxmi jhoola, Swargashram and many other spots fascinated me. I saw a large number of trees bearing beautiful fruits and flowers. The peeping of Sun’s rays in the morning and evening was really very charming. The waterfall at some distances shone like flowing silver in the moonlight. The cool breeze was always felt. No heat or dust of the plain was felt here. I was very much pleased. We remained there for two whole weeks. From there my father and my uncle planned to go on a pilgrimage. We left for Mathura and Vrindavan. There we had darshan of Dwarkadhish, Rangji, Behariji, and of many other temples. We then went to Girirajji. We also went to Karoli and Mahaveerji, a place of Jain pilgrimage. The scenery and views of all these places was beautiful and breathtaking. Of all the vacations in my life, this was my best summer vacation ever, mainly because my cousins were also there. We had collected memories for a lifetime. I told my parents that we will plan similar holidays for every summer vacation, in the coming years. He firmly nodded to what I said. The vacation was over and I was back to school but my mind was still remembering the sweet memories of the summer vacation. I will await the next summer holidays and would love to go on this type of vacation again and again.

How effective are Business Intelligence (BI) tools for supporting Essay

How effective are Business Intelligence (BI) tools for supporting decision-making - Essay Example Includes database and application technologies, as well as analysis practices. Sometimes used synonymously with "decision support," though business intelligence is technically much broader, potentially encompassing knowledge management, enterprise resource planning, and data mining, among other practices. ...† (csumb, 2011) Trying to interpret the actual meanings of the term ‘intelligence’ and how it is evolved would give us a better understanding into the terminology of business intelligence itself. Generally, intelligence refers to the ability to understand, learn and evolve. Intelligence develops with every learning experience and input of every kind of information. Basic intelligence, when deployed in business environment is referred to as business intelligence. THE DISCUSSION: The capacity of human beings to incorporate prior instinctive and experience based knowledge to execute processes in order to achieve a particular objective is termed as intelligence. It ’s a virtual entity that encompasses all logical horizons. Business is also one of the natural and logical processes. Logic can be defined as a set of rules that governs executions. To discriminate a process as being logical or illogical one needs to be intelligent. This new perspective about intelligence gives a much understandable definition of Business Intelligence. BI would now be defined as, the capacity that enables businessmen to differentiate logical and illogical executions in a business.. This definition presents Business Intelligence as an umbrella that covers almost all the tasks performed under the tag of ‘businesses’. This paper emphasizes on the same notion with the discussion of multiple top notch business terms namely... The capacity of human beings to incorporate prior instinctive and experience based knowledge to execute processes in order to achieve a particular objective is termed as intelligence. It’s a virtual entity that encompasses all logical horizons. Business is also one of the natural and logical processes. Logic can be defined as a set of rules that governs executions. To discriminate a process as being logical or illogical one needs to be intelligent. This new perspective about intelligence gives a much understandable definition of Business Intelligence. BI would now be defined as, the capacity that enables businessmen to differentiate logical and illogical executions in a business.. This definition presents Business Intelligence as an umbrella that covers almost all the tasks performed under the tag of ‘businesses’. This paper emphasizes on the same notion with the discussion of multiple top notch business terms namely sales forecasting, market research and knowledg e management. The association of business intelligence with sales forecasting, knowledge management and Market Research brings new meanings to this seemingly simple business term. It is attempted to take a general look at the basic definitions of each of the above mentioned terms before looking at their comparative involvements and meanings.

Research on Female President Election in US Paper

On Female President Election in US - Research Paper Example Gender stereotypes give preference to a given gender to hold a political position. Some studies show that gender stereotype is a factor that influences presidential elections in developed counties (Watson 503). Some people feel that women are not able to make tough decisions. The research presented in this paper evaluates public opinion as influenced by gender bias in electing a woman. The paper evaluates how gender stereotype influences election in United States by using data obtained from opinion polls. Women featured in presidential ticket campaigns, yet they were not able to clinch the tickets in their parties. The research wants to investigate whether gender stereotypes influenced voting for the female candidate. The findings of the research would suggest how political like would influence presidential politics in capitalist nations and how gender gap influences US presidential politics. The State of the Literature Gender attitude dictate political action in a society. Women demonstrate views, which tend to support candidates with liberal views (Watson 505). Male counterpart demonstrates conservative views to political issues. The difference constituted by these varying thoughts influence media representation of women in American politics. Modern politics stress on policies than propaganda or vain saying exhibited in the past. Theorists have mentioned various factors to propagate gender gaps in the society, which include modernization, attitude differences, and secularization. Apparently, cultural aspects defined various roles in the society. The advent of modernization opened a new chapter to women especially the role of a woman in the community. In pre industrial age, women task was to bear children and take care of their homes. Women effort in economic growth and societal development in the modern society is evident through active participation of women. Women lead in various political and n on-political offices, discharging duties, which contribute to economic growth. Studies show that women take part in active politics in various developed countries than they do in developing countries (Leighley 8). Liberalization of political system in these countries is a factor that has contributed to the liberal representations by women. Scholars argue that many factors contribute to liberal views that women poses. Factors such as pervasiveness, high poverty level among women, sexual discrimination, and other related factors influence liberal views of women. Societal changes suggest the existence of gender gaps in the society. Society has reverted social structure in which women served as servants to men (Watson 256). Participation in workforce among women is among changes in social structures that women boost of today. Gender gap is evident because many changes in social structure advocated for equal participation. Research on nations, which have not embraced changes in their soc ial structure, reveals that women position in the traditional society has not changed. Various studies attribute different factors as constraints to that

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Home Health Care - Research Paper Example History: Home health care has emerged in two different forms i.e., post-acute care and social-supportive care (Kadushin & Egan, 6). Home health care was legally institutionalized in the United States post formulation of funded services such as Medicare and Medicaid legislation in 1965 with the former supporting post-acute skilled care to homebound individuals and the latter catering to preventive, skilled and unskilled care to chronically ill individuals. Prior to this, home care was not an entity of the government, but managed either by relatives or by private nurses. According to Keenan and Fanale (1989) the first home care program was started by Boston University in 1885 (qtd. in Kadushin & Egan, 6). Subsequently, home care health service has undergone many changes with respect to its scope, complexity, types of services, and other developments. Current developments: Much of the development in home health care is attributed to increasing number of chronically ill patients post industrialization and improvement in public health systems. Moreover, home care was also viewed as a cost-effective method of treatment for both patients as well as hospitals. Implementation of Medicare and Medicaid programs have boosted home care services. Kadushin and Egan reported that in the past 20 years, medicare enrollees has been around 4 million and cost of home care has been around $20.5 billion (p.18). The National Association for Home Care and Hospice’s 2007 figures indicated that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expenditure touched $2.2 trillion (p.2). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2006, about 867,100 caregivers were formally appointed by home care agencies. Role of home care services: Most of the patients requiring home care services are those requiring postoperative care or rehabilitative care; in 2006, about 21.4 percent of home care patients had

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Head Start Agency - Research Paper Example The agency operates in accordance with the description of services stipulated in the Head Start Performance Standards and also the Head Starts Act of 2007 (Diane, 2007). The agency is funded the government through the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Head Start Agency started in May 1965. The idea of its formation was initiated by President Lyndon Johnson while working as a teacher in in the hardscrabble of West Texas where he witnessed immense poverty and developed an ideology that education was the only powerful tool for eradicating poverty (Sawhill &  Haskins, 2003). His idea turned into reality during the â€Å"heady, idealistic days of the Great Society’s war on poverty† (Palmaffy, 2011). The war on poverty was spearheaded by the Community Action Programs (CAPs) with an intention of rallying the poor for their own sake. Following the wrangles in CAP the local officials became uneasy to apply for the CAPs grants (Sawhill &  Haskins, 2003). However, due to a budget surplus and administrative pressure that required the officials either to use or lose the grants there was an emerging need of getting another way of helping the poor community (Butler et al., 2004). Sargent Shriver, the director of the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), went looking for viable political anti-poverty project that led to the establishment of Head Start program (Diane, 2007). The program received great support and funding in 1970s and 80s following the establishment that children had higher gain in IQ during their early years, and that diminished with age (Sawhill &  Haskins, 2003). That led to increased support for the program to ensure its success. The formation of Head Start agency was based on policy for eradicating poverty following the passage of Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. The formation of Head Start agency was based on believe that providing quality education to the children from a poor

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Crital Art - Essay Example Therefore, in essence, Leonardo DiCaprio who is the star of the movie reflects the nature of men in the story Roman emperor Caligula. This similarity in the storyline especially the sex lives of these historical setting makes the movie an ethical into the contemporary society. Notably, Terence Winter adopted the Wolf of Wall Street storyline from Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker who succeeded in the stockbroking venture between the 1980s and 1990s. Belfort fortune into the business was a fortune that led him to earn status quo. Therefore, the film was pegged within this understanding, but the film seems to be highly exaggerated especially in the excessive pleasures that also seem to be bottomless. The film runs for three hours but it may interesting to watch for over hours; however, some scenes make the movie disturbing that elongate the time on such scene. The film is made up of characters from different background including low life and high life personalities. The mixture of this nature only tries to bring the film into the mediate societal context. For instance, Queens who raised Belfort were from middle class setting. These queens failed to elevate Belfort to his targets to his Wall Street dreams. This failure may be translated that more traditional ways of life cannot fit into the contemporary demands and successes (The Wolf of Wall Street, 2013). Alternatively, the successes achieved by most of the characters especially the main character is an indication that hard work and right strategies are the key successes in in life. Additionally, just like in the film where Leonardo DiCaprio reinvented himself by leaving a larger firm to start from smaller start, Matthew McConaughey got laid off in 1987 from the market crash. In this nature, he reinvented himself by moving to the Long Island where he made a penny stock boiler room and renaming his old

The White Dress Poem Essay Example for Free

The White Dress Poem Essay The White Dress is an expressionism poem discussing a powerful, universal connection with the dress hanging in the woman’s closet. She analyzes how she thinks the dress sitting in the closet would feels, should it be alive, ready to be at her service upon demand, cosmetically. When she wears decorative highly fashionable dress, the dress becomes a part of her, and the woman becomes part of the dress. The two are inseparable, like she is describing two special people feel towards each other. The white dress described in this poem is a formal dress, taken out for special occasions. Of all the dresses in her closet, and even other white dresses in her closet, this is the dress she writes an analytical emotional poem about. Perhaps she is discussing a one time special occasion when she was wearing the dress, perhaps when she got engaged, met a special friend, or maybe she is expressing her desire to wear the formal reserved dress more often.   The deep fascination she has with the dress is very intriguing, because the strongest emotional empowerment she feels to the dress is invisible, but overwhelming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In her line in the first paragraph â€Å"We itch to feel it, it itches to feel us, it feels like an itch† (Emanuel, par. 1 lines 3, 4). This line is saying there is an underlying emotional reason why she was attracted to purchase that particular dress in the store, amongst all other dresses. Everyone, or at least all women, experience this â€Å"sudden click† when they see a dress or other item when shopping. There are items everyone buys, for example everyone needs clothes. Most clothes are purchased because the look good, or we need them for something coming up. Then there are items that click with us. When this happens, we always just happen to have the money, sometimes it may be barely enough, and more often than not, it is on clearance or better than average price. When she talks about mutual â€Å"itch† she is describing that sudden click when we see an item calling out to us in the store.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Next paragraphs she speaks about its decorations, the actual character or identity of the dress. â€Å"Encrusted with beading, its an eczema 5 of sequins, rough, gullied, riven, puckered with stitchery† (Emanuel, Par. 2 lines 5, 6, 7). †Bouquet of a woman’s body, or its armor and it fits like a glove.† She is saying she becomes the decorations, comparing her body to a bouquet of flowers, the dress acting as a vase. There is a phrase or saying in professional ballroom and salsa dancing, the man is the frame and the woman is the picture. The dress frames or outlines her body, like a vase, but she is the actual attraction inside the dress. But she is enslaved to the dress to make her look good. â€Å"When we’re in it we’re machinery.† (Emanuel, Par 4, line 13).   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Right now it’s lonely locked up in the closet; while we’re busy fussing at our vanity† (Emanuel, Par. 5, 6 Lines 15, 16, 17).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tonality of this poem is consistent from beginning to end. A woman talks about a formal dress in her closet reserved for special occasions. She obviously had a very special event with the dress, probably meeting a special person or friend who made am important impact on her life. Not many of us think about any of the clothes sitting in our closet, not even the formals that stand out until we are planning an occasion we will wear the dress, or within the first few moments we bring it home. There is a hint of guilt in some of her lines, talking about the dress sitting in the closet, waiting for it to be called upon again.   This poem sums up her powerful invisible connection to the dress, talking about it like it much more than just another item. She identifies herself with the dress, almost like she is becoming another person or going into another realm of the universe when she puts on this dress.

Green buildings, global warming and clean energy Essay Example for Free

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

Examining The Types Of Transaction Processing System Information Technology Essay

Examining The Types Of Transaction Processing System Information Technology Essay A transaction is any event, the real test, the data created or modified before storing in an information system through Transaction processing features Business success depends on reliable transaction processing to ensure that orders reach customers on time, and that partners and suppliers paid and can afford. The range of transaction processing is, therefore, led to a lively part of effective corporate governance, organizations like the Association of Labour Process Improvement and Transaction Processing Performance Council Systems transaction processing companies provide the means to ensure a smooth fast transaction processing for debit and development processes across the enterprise. Usually, a TPS will have the following characteristics: A supercomputing Rapid processing of transactions is critical to the success of any business now more than ever, given the developments in technology and customer demand for immediate action. TPS systems have been developed to trade almost immediately to ensure that customer data available to the processes they need. Reliability Similarly, customers do not tolerate mistakes. TPS systems must be designed not only to trade I was never able to pass through the net, but the systems remain permanently even in operation. TPS systems, therefore, are developed to integrate complete security monitoring systems and disaster recovery. These measures maintain the failure rate is within tolerance. Standardization Transactions should be processed in the same way each time to maximize efficiency. To ensure this, TPS interfaces are developed to obtain identical data for each transaction, regardless of the client. Controlled access Since the TPS can be systems such as a powerful business tool, access should be limited to only those employees who require their use. Limited access to the system ensures that employees, their qualifications and ability to control, can not affect the failure of the transaction. Qualifying transaction processing To qualify for TPS, transactions must pass through the acid test. ACID tests associated with the following four conditions: Individuality Atomicity means that a transaction is either completed or not at all. For example, if the money will be transferred from one account to another, it will not become a bone fide transactions, even though both withdrawal and deposit. If an account is charged and others are not appropriated can not be regarded as a measure. TPS systems to ensure that transactions take place in its entirety. Consistency TPS systems in a number of operating rules (or constraints). If you find a cap that all transactions must have a positive value in a database for each transaction will be rejected with a negative value. Isolation Transactions must be entered in a vacuum instead. For example, if you do a fund between the two accounts of debit and credit is made by others seem to take place simultaneously. Funds may be credited to the account before being loaded onto another. Resistance Once the transaction can not be undone. To ensure that this happens even if a loss of TPS, a document file created by the completion of all transactions. These four conditions TPS systems to engage in a systematic, standardized and reliable. Types of transactions The settlement process should be standardized in order to maximize efficiency, each requires a custom transaction process in accordance with business strategies and processes. For this reason, there are two types of operations: Batch processing batch processing is a resource-saving move, the processing of data at preset. batch processing is useful for companies who need to process large volumes of data using limited resources. Examples include processing transactions for credit card transactions monthly batch processed in real time. Credit card transactions are made only once a month to produce an explanation for the customer, batch processing saves computational resources to process separately for each transaction. Real-time processing In many cases, the most important factor is speed. For example, if a bank customer receives a sum of money in the account, it is important to keep processing transactions and updating account balance as soon as possible so that a part of both Bank and client funds. Database Management Issues The purpose of this book are correct and up to date understanding and appreciation for the practical aspects of critical yet poorly understood key aspects of the database. It identifies and explains some basic concepts, principles and techniques constantly causing trouble for users and suppliers. Evaluate the treatment of these topics in SQL (standard and commercial applications) and provides specific guidance and practical advice on how to handle (and how not to). Includes carefully, especially thin and misunderstood issues complex data types, missing information, data depends on the question hierarchies and so on -. Clear and concise format for busy professional database Three decades ago relational technology put the database field on a sound scientific basis for the first time. But database industry producers, users, experts and media has failed, in essence, principles, focusing instead on a cookbook approach to product without conceptual understanding. The consequences have been costly: DBMS products, databases, applications and development tools are not always perform up to expectation or potential, and may encourage the wrong questions and incorrect answers. Practical issues in database management is an attempt to create these persistent and costly problem. Written for database designers, developers, managers and users, it addresses the basic, often recurring problems and problems that practitioners even the most experienced here seem to systematically misunderstand, namely: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Unstructured data and complex data types à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ business rules and implementation of integrity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Buttons à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Copy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Normalization and denormalization à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Entity subtypes and supertypes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ data hierarchies and recursive queries à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Redundancy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Share query à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ lack of information Fabian Pascal examine these critical issues in detail, comparing the cost of serious mistreatment of the practical benefits of implementing the right solutions. With a focus on principles and practices used examples Practice problems in the real world database to provide an assessment of current technology SQL-based DBMS products and, if possible, provide concrete recommendations and solutions. From the insight provided by practical problems in database management, youll be in better position to evaluate these products, use their skills and weaknesses to avoid. Database Architecture database professionals today are faced with more choices when you consider the use of architecture to meet the different needs of employers and / or address of the customer. The text below provides an overview of three main types of database architectures and sub-categories, as well as provide an insight into the strengths of each. Application logic The database architecture is based on how the application logic is distributed throughout the system can be distinguished. Application logic consists of three elements: presentation logic, processing logic and logical storage. Presentation logic component is responsible for formatting and presenting data on the screen of the data processing logic manages user data processing logic, business rules, logic and data management logic. Finally, the logical storage unit that is responsible for the storage and retrieval of current devices, such as a hard disk or RAM. In determining the level (s) of these components, we develop a good idea what kind of architecture and subtype can be achieved. A tier architecture Imagine a person on a desktop computer to load Microsoft Access, a list of personal addresses and phone numbers he or she has stored in MS Windows My Documents folder is used. This is an example of database-tier architecture. Program (Microsoft Access) to operate the local users computer, and points to a file stored on the hard disk of the machine, so that access to a unique natural resource and process information. Another example of a one-tier architecture is a file-server architecture. In this scenario, a database of the group from a shared location on a computer are stored. Members of a group working with a software package such as Microsoft Access, to upload data and process them locally on your computer. In this case, the data may be shared between users, but all processing is performed on the local computer. In fact, only one file server external hard drive from which files are recovered. Another way of architecture level showed that the mainframe computer. In this system obsolete, large machines can direct terminal ill with the tools to open, view and manage data. Although this system as a client-server, since all the computing power (both data and applications) is made from a single computer, we have a one-tier architecture. The architecture can be beneficial when dealing with data from a particular user (or small number of users), and a relatively small amount of data. We are going to implement something cheap and clean. Two Tier Client/Server Architectures A two-tier architecture is one that is familiar to many of todays computer users.   A common implementation of this type of system is that of a Microsoft Windows based client program that accesses a server database such as Oracle or SQL Server.   Users interact through a GUI (Graphical User Interface) to communicate with the database server across a network via SQL (Structured Query Language). In two-tier architectures it is important to note that two configurations exist.   A thin-client (fat-server) configuration exists when most of the processing occurs on the server tier.   Conversely, a fat-client (thin-server) configuration exists when most of the processing occurs on the client machine. Another example of a two-tier architecture can be seen in web-based database applications.   In this case, users interact with the database through applications that are hosted on a web-server and displayed through a web-browser such as Internet Explorer. The web server processes the web application, which can be written in a language such as PHP or ASP.   The web app connects to a database server to pass along SQL statements which in turn are used to access, view, and modify data.   The DB server then passes back the requested data which is then formatted by the web server for the user. Although this appears to be a three-tier system because of the number of machines required to complete the process, it is not.   The web-server does not normally house any of the business rules and therefore should be considered part of the client tier in partnership with the web-browser. Two-tier architectures can prove to be beneficial when we have a relatively small number of users on the system (100-150) and we desire an increased level of scalability. http://www.windowsecurity.com/img/upl/image0011173862784565.gif Two-Tier Client-Server Architecture http://www.windowsecurity.com/img/upl/image0021173862784580.gif Web-Based, Two-Tier Client-Server Architecture N-Tier Client/Server Architectures Most n-tier database architectures exist in a three-tier configuration. In this architecture the client/server model expands to include a middle tier (business tier), which is an application server that houses the business logic.   This middle tier relieves the client application(s) and database server of some of their processing duties by translating client calls into database queries and translating data from the database into client data in return.   Consequently, the client and server never talk directly to one-another. A variation of the n-tier architecture is the web-based n-tier application.   These systems combine the scalability benefits of n-tier client/server systems with the rich user interface of web-based systems. Because the middle tier in a three-tier architecture contains the business logic, there is greatly increased scalability and isolation of the business logic, as well as added flexibility in the choice of database vendors. http://www.windowsecurity.com/img/upl/image0031173862902205.gif Three-Tier Client-Server Architecture http://www.windowsecurity.com/img/upl/image0041173862902221.gif Web-Based, Three-Tier Client Server Architecture

Women in the STEM Fields Essay -- Career Women Essays

In early American history, society believed that women did not have a place in education and high-level learning. They were told not to bother their brains with such advanced thinking. Middle and upper class women learned to read and write, but their education ended there. A woman’s place was said to be in the home, cooking, sewing, and taking care of the children. In the case of upper class women, their â€Å"to-do† list was cut even shorter with the servants present to do the work. However, women desired a higher education. Elizabeth Blackwell is a prime example of women’s fight for a medical degree, one of the first STEM environments available to women. In order to kick-start her education she wrote to all of the doctors that she knew, requesting advice and help. However, most of the doctors replied that they thought it impossible, that a woman would not be able to endure the rigors of a medical education, and that they feared the competition that women doctors would bring. Elizabeth persisted, finally making her way to Philadelphia, a city famous for its study in medicine, to stay with Dr. Elder, one of the few supporters of her education. Once here she continued writing letters and actually found many friends who agreed to support her cause, but unfortunately universities were not included in this list of friends. Elizabeth then pursued an education at the University of Geneva in New York where the Medical Faculty and students agreed to accept her. Wh ile at first the university cared about the press coverage that Elizabeth’s spot would bring, she eventually established her rightful place as a student there. Although she encountered some resentment among the wives of doctors and other people living in the small town, Elizabeth ... ...cLeer, Anne. â€Å"Practical Perfection? The Nanny Negotiates Gender, Class, and Family Contradictions in 1960s Popular Culture.† NWSA Journal 14.2 (2002): 80-83. JSTOR. Web. 09 Feb. 2014. Pollack, Eileen. â€Å"Why Are There Still So Few Women in Science?† The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Oct. 2013. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. Rosch, Amelia. â€Å"WISP Increases Female Participation in the Sciences.† The Dartmouth. The Dartmouth, 07 Nov. 2013. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. Rupp, Leila J. â€Å"Eleanor Flexner’s â€Å"Century of Struggle†: Women’s History and the Women’s Movement.† NWSA Journal 4.2 (1992): 157-69. JSTOR. Web. 09 Feb. 2014. â€Å"Scientists Not Immune from Gender Bias, Yale Study Shows.† Yale News. Yale University, 24 Sept. 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. Smith, Michelle R. â€Å"Giving Female Scientists Their Due.† Philly.com. The Philadelphia Inquirer, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.

Constitutional Framers Essay -- American History, Washington D.C.

The Constitutional Framers envisioned a national government that, like Plato’s cave, would be â€Å"at a distance and out of sight† of the everyday affairs and thoughts of ordinary Americans. They had envisioned Washington D.C. to be a cultural mecca on par with the capitals of European nations, both economically and socially. The reality of the Washington Community was a disaster compared to the lofty ambitions of the founding fathers; a desolate purgatory to be endured. The socially and economically barren capital combined Spartan living conditions with isolation. High turnover was prevalent in both the house and senate; a disappointment to the Federalists who had hoped for institutional memory within congress. Instead of creating the new form of â€Å"national† and â€Å"long term† thinking by men of prominence, congressmen turned to fellow members of boarding houses for a sense of legitimacy and guidance. Boarding houses were organized along regi onal lines and served to enforce differences between geographical communities; the isolation the founders had hoped would lead to a unique national identity inadvertently strengthened regional ties. The Framers had to isolate the Washington community; removing congressmen from the outside influence of state politics would protect against corruption. â€Å"From this time until the objective was realized, it was never seriously disputed that the government ought to have a home and to wield sole authority over the environs; and when Congress at last reached its permanent abode in Washington, that body showed how dearly it prized its freedom from local interference by refusing the District’s citizenry the right of formal participation in not only national but also state government† (Young, p.96).... ...ir extra official life their constitutional separation in official life† (Young, p. 120). In the early Washington community, the framers achieved isolation but this did not produce the anticipated result of national mind set and body of thought. Rather than elevating the nation’s leaders to a place of prominence, the Washington Community provided no sense of legitimacy. Barbaric conditions and isolation reinforced regional ties; congressmen generally endured a single term before returning to the prestigious and considerably more comfortable job of state politics. Rather than motived by legacy, congressional terms seemed a hardship everyone was eventually forced endure at some point in their political career. The Constitutional Framers succeeded in some aspects but their vision was circumvented by the wasteland which served as the new nation’s capital.

What are top ten environmental problem Essay

Listing the top 10 of a group is always appealing. Ten most-wanted fugitives by the FBI. Top ten songs, books, and best-dressed celebrities. And David Letterman, with his list of items such as Top Ten Reasons You Are Not Looking Forward to the NBA Playoffs. So why not list the top ten environmental problems facing America and the world? I asked two dozen ecology graduate students what their list would be. If anyone knows what the real threats are, these people will: their opinions are science-based, not emotional. Using the Letterman approach of reading the list from 10 to 1, I present the top ten environmental problems in order of increasing importance. The total number of major problems identified by the people I asked ended up to be more than 10. Not surprisingly, some of the perceived problems are similar and interconnect, so I consolidated the students’ lists to end up with the magic number 10. 10. Invasive plants and animals. The problems resulting from fire ants, Burmese pythons in the Everglades, and many more regional environmental problems have a human origin related to the introduction of exotic species. 9. Global climate change. Although â€Å"global warming† receives a lot of press, University of Georgia graduate student Brian Todd pointed out that â€Å"the global climate for the past 4 billion years has been one marked by change and relative instability. The problem we face today is the crippled ability of many ecosystems to appropriately respond to climate change as they have for the past 65 million years because we have already compromised the environment in other ways.† 8. Pollution of marine habitats. See more:  Masters of Satire: John Dryden and Jonathan Swift Essay The oceans are huge, but overharvesting and the degradation of marine environments are proceeding at a steady rate around the world, including a commercially extinct codfish industry and disappearing coral reefs along our own coasts. 7. Air pollution. Uncontrolled releases by industry and the excessive use of fossil fuels have led to acid rain, dissolution of the ozone layer, smog, and the general elimination of â€Å"clean air.† 6. Unsustainable agriculture. The human world is dependent on food production, yet agricultural siltation, pesticide runoffs, and loss of natural habitats are constant threats to a healthy environment. 5. Threat of disease. Bird flu, West Nile virus, and mad cow disease are examples of how we could be affected overnight by unseen enemies, all a consequence of human overcrowding, overconsumption, and invasive species. 4. Water quality and quantity. Sewage from cities, unregulated releases from industrial and agricultural sites, and dumping of wastes in the oceans collectively exacerbate the worldwide problem of water pollution. Overuse of groundwater in many coastal regions leading to saltwater intrusion is a looming specter. Water wars are now a reality in the western states and even in the wetter Southeast, as evidenced in the court cases involving Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. 3. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation. The loss of natural habitats because of human development and deforestation is viewed by most as the major cause of the decline in biodiversity nationally and globally. Many species are on an inexorable path toward extinction because their native habitats are gone or despoiled. 2. Human overpopulation. Most of the students ranked unchecked human population growth, which leads to overconsumption and associated world poverty, as their top culprit of environmental problems. Virtually every problem from 3 through 10 can be traced back to our simply having too many people for the resources available. Until political and religious leaders have the courage to realistically address the issue of birth control on a global scale, most of our environmental problems will worsen before they get better. 1. Apathy. Dean Croshaw, a graduate student from the University of New Orleans, offered what I rank as the number one environmental problem. A clear indicator of our foremost problem is that world leaders seldom acknowledge, let alone propose solutions to, environmental problems. For those leaders around the world chosen by a democratic election process, that apathy is condoned and mimicked by the people who elect them. A major difference between David Letterman’s lists and mine is that none of mine are funny. 1. Water It’s hardly surprising that on the world’s driest inhabited continent, experts are concerned about how Australia looks after its water. â€Å"We need to get smarter about how we manage water — that means everything from replacing our ageing infrastructure to ensuring we capture rain water when it does fall,† urges Kim McKay, author of True Green Life. â€Å"Most rivers in southern Australia are suffering from decades of over-extraction for irrigation,† says Dr Linda Selvey, Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO. â€Å"This is being exacerbated by drought, and the pressure will continue as climate change takes hold.† Selvey and former Australian of the Year, Tim Flannery, are some of the many voices calling for urgent action in the Murray-Darling Basin, while the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) continues to remind the public of the far-reaching effects of unhealthy river systems in general. â€Å"Blue-green algal outbreaks kill fish and make water unsafe for drinking or swimming, while salty water isn’t useful for anything,† ACF spokesperson Josh Meadows said. 2. Climate change It may be a global issue, but when scientists across the world are asked what the effects of climate change will look like, they quickly point to Australia. â€Å"Of all the wealthy countries, we’re probably the most vulnerable,† says Professor Will Steffen, executive director of ANU’s Climate Change Institute. â€Å"We’re locked in to another 0.5 °C temperature rise due to past emissions, but what we do between now and 2050 is crucial for the magnitude and rate of climate change later this century and beyond,† he says. While government assessments predict over 250,000 Australian homes may be at risk from rising sea levels, Greenpeace’s Selvey notes climate change will affect us well beyond our front doors. â€Å"Climate change also concerns security, the economy and justice. As a doctor, I’ve also seen the way it affects people’s health,† she says. The response, urges Professor Kurt Lambeck, president of the Australian Academy of Science, must be urgent and adaptable: â€Å"Reducing greenhouse gas emissions must be high priority, even if the full consequences of this are not yet understood,† he says. 3. Energy â€Å"We should be replacing fossil fuels with renewable power,† says Selvey. â€Å"It’s critical that the Rudd government act to help us with the transition. It can be done; all that is required is political will,† she says. Fiona Wain, CEO of Environment Business Australia, sees an opportunity in the coming energy crisis. â€Å"We have capacity to be world leaders in solar, wind, marine and geothermal energies. We have these resources on tap, but we’ve become lazy thinkers. Why don’t we do minerals processing and manufacturing in Australia using these energy-efficient resources?† Like Flannery, who believes a lack of triple-bottom-line accounting in government and industry is costing the environment, Wain says those in manufacturing need to shift their thinking, and fast. â€Å"It’s time to be thinking very big picture, so we need boards of directors that can think further than their three-year term of office,† she says. 4. Coal Tim Flannery is not the only expert surveyed who expressed serious concern over Australia’s 20-odd conventional coal-fired power plants. â€Å"We’re the biggest coal exporter in the world,† says McKay. â€Å"We may think our global carbon contribution is small (almost two per cent of global emissions), but it’s much, much greater than that due to our bulk coal exports to countries like Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands and China.† â€Å"It’s unbelievable we haven’t developed alternative, renewable energy sources on a large scale. We’re dragging the chain presumably due to short-term, next election-cycle thinking,† she says. While brown coal is responsible for much of our carbon dioxide (CO2), Wain believes we should be further investigating sequestration of the climate-changing gas. â€Å"Regardless of what else we do we’re still going to need to draw down CO2 from the atmosphere to get it to 350 parts per million.† Wain points to a commercial trial aiming to turn CO2 captured from coal-fired plants into algal oil (to produce plastics or biodiesel); and another trialling brown coal deposits as the base for soil fertilisers as two potential solutions. â€Å"There are consortiums of developers just getting on with it,† she says. 5. Biodiversity With 1500 land-based species threatened, what Flannery terms â€Å"the extinction crisis† is agreed upon as a serious environmental challenge. â€Å"We have already seen a fairly disturbing loss of our biodiversity, but the problem tends to get overshadowed by climate change, land degradation and water issues,† says the ANU’s Will Steffen. â€Å"There’s a whole suite of services we enjoy thanks to a biodiverse-rich ecosystem, from provisioning services like food or water, through to nutrient flow and pollination,† reminds Steffan. He believes our highly urbanised society only compounds the problem. â€Å"We are quite disconnected from the services our ecosystem provides. Aside from products like food or timber, we don’t see a value or price for these services in an economically focussed system. But Australia has an extinction debt building up, and the trend is not improving,† he says. 6. Oceans Despite knowing the problems faced by one of our best-loved tourist attractions, we’re still not doing enough to protect the Great Barrier Reef. â€Å"Rising sea levels and the impact of fertiliser run-off are damaging the reef. It needs more attention, because once it’s gone, it’s gone for good,† reminds McKay. As the ACF calls for a national network of large marine sanctuaries, and an Australian Oceans Act to regulate sustainable harvesting and production of seafood, Greenpeace’s Selvey highlights the current situation. â€Å"Seventy-six per cent of the world’s fisheries are in dire straits, and overfishing by commercial and illegal fleets is threatening to fish some of our favourite seafoods to extinction. If we continue on this trajectory all fish stocks will collapse within 50 years. Scientists say eventually we will be left with only jellyfish and plankton,† she says. 7. Population With Australia’s population projected to reach 35 million by 2049, commentators continue to express concern about the pressure this growth will place on resources. â€Å"It means more consumption, and greater challenges for providing infrastructure to manage our country in a sustainable way,† says McKay. While the ACF is calling for long-term strategies to meet and increase humanitarian obligations while reducing overall migration to more sustainable levels, the debate over ideal population continues. Experts may not see eye to eye on a figure, but most agree decisions need to be made. â€Å"We need to determine what our carrying capacity is† says Lambeck, â€Å"and how can we achieve a sustainable population.† 8. Sustainable cities With Australians using more water and energy per person than almost any other country in the world, rethinking how we live in and develop our cities is vital, says the ACF’s Josh Meadows. â€Å"We should invest in energy-efficient houses and buildings, and then export our ideas and the smart technologies behind them.† Lambeck says smarter infrastructure would go along way to addressing the issue: â€Å"We need sustainable infrastructures for transport, power generation and distribution that minimise the impact on energy, water and biodiversity.† According to Wain, there is huge scope for greater efficiency in our built environment. â€Å"I’m an eternal optimist, but we need to think at scale — not house to house, but street to street and suburb to suburb. We need solutions that are scalable, so they become more investable and bankable.† 9. Transport The perennial debate about lack of investment in public transport continues to frustrate many experts. â€Å"People complain about the per capita cost of investment in public transport, but it’s far cheaper than the cost of putting cars on the road. We’re not very logical in the way we think about these things,† says Wain. While the ACF points out that removing the â€Å"nonsensical fringe benefit tax concession† for company car use would shift many away from relying on their cars, Wain is excited by the planned roll-out of a national electric car network, beginning in Canberra within the next two years. â€Å"Programs like this could conceivably take all tailpipes off the road in our cities,† she says. 10. Ourselves While the majority of surveyed experts highlighted the need for government action, and fast, it seems the buck doesn’t stop there. â€Å"We elect our leaders and we have the right to hold them to account,† reminds Selvey. â€Å"We can pick up the phone to call our MP, write a letter, or visit them in their constituency office. Companies are doing it to protect their interests, we need to do it to protect ours.† Lambeck says educating ourselves is key. â€Å"We need a population that understands the issues, and can make constructive contributions to the debate to force politicians to develop longer than three-year ‘solutions’,† he says. What stands in the way, McKay believes, is apathy. â€Å"It manifests in the politician who would prefer to do the minimum rather than risk not being re-elected; or in business leaders who adopt a ‘business as usual’ approach to ensure their annual bonus. â€Å"It’s also in you and I ignoring the issues and hoping they’ll go away. I’ve seen people come together and change things, and I really believe we can learn to live in a more harmonious and sustainable way.†

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Technology on Family Life

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Technology on Family Life â€Å"Is technology tearing apart family life? Text messaging, social networking, and online video are changing the way parents and children see the world—and each other. † There are many technologies in today’s world that are widely used not just as a want, but as a necessity of life. This term paper will focus on relationship between family life and computer technologies, which have become the most widely used technology in the world due to its variety of functions including SNS, mailing, online face-to-face video chatting, and assignment completing tools. Computer technologies have both positive and negative effects on family life. As more and more families are beginning to own their own computers (computer internet users in North America reached to about â€Å"78. 3 %†) , the effects of technologies on family life is becoming more easily identifiable. This term paper will come across both the benefit and negative effects of using technologies on family life. There are the negative effects which include the isolation of family members, and parents bringing their work home. On the other hand, linking relatives together is one positive effect that technologies have on family life, and being instantly updated on other family members’ status is also a huge benefit. Overall, the benefits of using technologies outweigh the negative effects. One negative effect of computers on family life is less face-to-face contact between family members. In most families, each family member has their own computers or smart phones that are kept in their own rooms. Nowadays, the functions of computers and smart phones are not just limited to internet surfing, and assignment tools. They are also widely used for social networking services (SNS), such as; Facebook, Skype, and Twitter just to name a few. As a result of the increasing time consumption of using the functions on computers, family members are now more isolated from each other and cannot talk to each other face to face as often as before when technologies were not as important in day to day living. Even when there is only one computer per family, there is an interruption with family life. If one person is using the computer, then other family members do not want to just wait while the computer is being used, so they will go to a different room and each person will end up using the computers at their own leisure. The use of computer games is another thing that has reduced human contact between family members. Before computers were used in the home, if someone wanted to play a game, they usually had to find at least one other family member to play a board game or card game with them. That forced families to spend more time talking to each other. Now if someone wants to play a game that requires more than one person, they can just go on the computer and either play online against another person, or they can play against the computer. Playing games on the computer makes it easier to be isolated from physical contact with other family members. Now that you don’t have to ask person in your family to play a game, most families don’t spend as much time talking to each other and learning about each other. Another negative cause that computers have on family life is that many people now bring their work home with them instead of leaving it at work the way they used to. People’s work is now invading the privacy of their home. People find that it is easier and more convenient to work at home, so they bring their work home allowing it to invade their home. When people bring home their work, it separates families by causing parents to spend more time at home working, and less time with their family causing parents to not know as much about what is going on in their children’s lives. Bringing work home separates families, making them not as close knit as they would be if they spent more time together talking. Computer technologies have not just had negative effects on families; they have also had some positive ones. The use of Social Networking Service (SNS) through computer is one of the positive effects that technologies have had on families. With the use of computer functions such as; e-mail, Messengers, Twitter, and Skype, families can take care of things that they would otherwise have to leave the home to take care of. Using SNS also allow families to communicate with other family members who might not live close by. For example, I Skype (free online webcam chatting) my father in Korea at least twice a week. Without the use of SNS I wouldn’t be able to communicate with him nearly as much because phone bills would be too expensive for me to afford. So, because of SNS I am able to remain close to my father even though he is in Korea, and I am in Canada. A second positive effect that technologies have had on families is the use of instant texting service. This allows families to talk to each other and have a fairly normal conversation with each other even though they might not be in the vicinity. I personally use instant text messaging services to talk to my parents, my sister, and my relatives regularly because it keeps them updated on what is happening with me on a daily basis. While I am at school, I am still able to stay in touch with everyone back home without having to call each one of them separately. For many people who are away at school, instant texting services allow them to stay in touch with friends and family even though they are not at home. A third positive effect that technologies have had on families is computer web pages (Facebook). Web pages allow families to post pictures of themselves and other family members so that everyone in the family can go to the web page and view the pictures. My sister has a web page that explains things about her, and it has pictures of her and friends. One of my other uncles who lives in Korea also has his own web page. On his web page, he has pictures of his baby daughter. By going to my uncle’s web page, I have been able to see pictures of my baby cousin as she has grown and changed. Many other families have web pages similar to my families that they use to watch their families change even though they are not in the same country. In conclusion, the negative effects of using technologies posed can essentially be overcome by use of SNS technology through computer or phone. When there is lack of human contact between the family members, then Skype can be used to perform online face-to-face chatting. The use of technologies also proved to be more efficient when each family member want to be updated on each others’ status. Without the use of technology, instant messaging system would not be possible, so the relatives or family members would not be able to interact with each other as easily. APA 6th edition reference 1. Miniwatts Marketing Group (MARCH 31, 2011). WORLD INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICS. Retrieved from http://www. internetworldstats. com/stats. htm 2. Chris Barylick (June 21, 2001). Technology and Social Isolation. Retrieved from http://www. irchelp. org/irchelp/misc/tech. html 3. Gary Small, M. D. (June 19, 2009). Is Technology Fracturing Your Family. Retrieved from http://www. psychologytoday. com/blog/brain-bootcamp/200906/is-technology-fracturing-your-family.

Qatar Petroleum Essay

Qatar Petroleum aims at maintaining high level of safety by trying to reach a zero level of people and environmental harm. The company uses Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) to maintain its daily operations. The methods helps them to save their documents in an organized format, retrieve them for future use share and use them. They also have a team which holds regular surveys of the whole petroleum plant especially of the pipelines. A record of all their daily activities is kept using the EDMS system as mentioned above. A report on the organizations activities can be obtained from their website as well as a book written by P. Tuson Records of Qatar: primary documents, 1820-1960; ed. P. Tuson. Archive edns, 1991. (8v) . Since any oil company poses numerous threats , benchmarks have been set to avoid them or reduce their occurance. Limitations have been set on their expansion, to share mproved ideas and information , maintain an unbreachable security checks and register them regularly. Workers undergo regular physical check-ups and their protective suits are also regularly scrutinized for emission penetration. There are also regular checks held by the government to ensure all the safety activities are being followed regularly. Qatar Petroleum is however not free from threats. Any oil company , Qatar being the biggest is susceptible to terrorist attack as the destruction caused will be massive , eading to a high death rate and heavy financial losses. Avoiding intrusion will be difficult as these companies are located by the sea and remote areas. The attack can be on refineries, distribution system, maritime transport , developmental and exploration sites. Oil companies pose their own threat too as any fault in the whole plant, being of the minutest nature, can lead to the same type of damage as would be caused by any terrorist attack.