Philosophy and Theory of Yin and Yang Essay

In Taoist philosophy, dark and light (☠¯) yin and yang, arrives in the dà  odà ©jÄ «ng at Chapter 42. It becomes sensible from an initial quiescence or emptiness (wuji, sometimes symbolized by an empty circle), and continues moving until quiescence is reached again. For instance, dropping a stone in a calm pool of water will simultaneously raise waves and lower troughs between them, and this alternation of high and low points in the water will radiate outward until the movement dissipates and the pool is calm once more. Yin and yang thus are always opposite and equal qualities. Further, whenever one quality reaches its peak, it will naturally begin to transform into the opposite quality: for example, grain that reaches its full height in summer (fully yang) will produce seeds and die back in winter (fully yin) in an endless cycle. It is impossible to talk about yin or yang without some reference of the opposite; since yin and yang are bound together as parts of a mutual whole. A way to illustrate this idea is to postulate the notion of a race with only men or only women; this race would disappear in a single generation. Yet, men and women together create new generations that allow the race they mutually create (and mutually come from) to survive. The interaction of the two gives birth to things. Yin and yang transform each other: like an undertow in the ocean, every advance is complemented by a retreat, and every rise transforms into a fall. Thus, a seed will sprout from the earth and grow upwards towards the sky – an intrinsically yang movement. Then, when it reaches its full potential height, it will fall. â€Å"Laozi†. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy by Stanford University. â€Å"The Tao Teh King, or the Tao and its Characteristics by Laozi – Project Gutenberg†. Gutenberg.org. 2007-12-01.

Community Policing Corruption Essay

In today’s society, the amount of crime that occurs can be quite difficult to deal with and responsibility ends up falling on police to curtail it. Unfortunately, the infectious nature of crime often drags these assigned â€Å"stoppers† into the same mud that they are trying to prevent others from falling into. When officers abuse their legally sanctioned position of authority, it is known as police corruption. It is a persistent problem that is more significant in a criminal sense than the average person committing a crime because it is happening by a representative/protector of the law. Since police are not judiciaries, they do not determine who is guilty and thus undermine the law system when they do these crimes. Also, it is important to note that police corruption is not the same as an ordinary instance of crime. To elaborate, â€Å"Police corruption is an illegal use of organizational power for personal gain. The personal nature of the gain distinguishes corruption from brutality, perjury, illegal search, or any other law violations committed in the pursuit of such legitimate organizational goals as fighting crime. The organizational nature of the power used illegally excludes many crimes committed by policemen, such as burglary committed by a city police officer in his suburban town of residence in which he has no contact with the local police. That particular burglary would be merely a crime. A burglary committed by a police officer in his own police jurisdiction, under the protection of his colleagues or aided by his organizational knowledge of his colleagues’ practices, would be both a crime and an act of police corruption.† (Sherman, 31). As one can see, police corruption is a serious problem as it is almost always involves an associated act of crime. There is no room for this behaviour in fair environments and it cannot occur if society wishes to advance. Ultimately, police corruption cannot coexist with the concept of community policing because it is unethical and morally wrong, it is contrary to Robert Peel’s nine principles of policing and undermines effectiveness, and it offers no sense of accountability to the government and to the public. There is no logical way to justify corrupt actions by the police. Any time it occurs, it involves the â€Å"abuse of a legally sanctioned position of authority—in other words, the status of the police officer makes the crime possible. It is this abuse of a ‘sanctioned and sacred’ social position that makes police corruption so dangerous. It is the ultimate social inversion—the cops become criminals. (Police Corruption)† Instead of helping to fight crime, they end up contributing to the problem through means that are only available to them because of their sworn duties as protectors of the community. When corruption is revealed to the public, the police lose the confidence and trust that allows them to function and be legitimate. Corrupt acts are completely immoral as they are motivated by personal gain which demonstrates selfishness and a disregard of the well-being of society. The detrimental aspects of police misconduct cannot be overstated as they immediately threaten the possibility of effective police-community relationships. â€Å"In terms of public trust for law enforcement, recent polls show that only 56 percent of people rated the police as having a high or very high ethical standard as compared with 84 percent for nurses. Over the past few decades, great strides have occurred in the law enforcement profession. To begin with, many police agencies have avoided hiring candidates who have low ethical standards and have identified those onboard employees early in their careers who might compromise the department’s integrity. In addition, research has discovered new methods of testing candidates for their psychological propensity to act ethically. However, unethical conduct by the nation’s police officers continues to occur in departments large and small. (Martin). Clearly, society has made some strides toward ensuring ethical and rational behaviour in the police force but it is impossible to root it out all the way to the individual level. For community policing to be effective, a high percentage of officers must be able to see the difference between right and wrong and take appropriate action. Recent studies offer some understanding of the phenomenon in the hope of rooting out this behavior that serves to undermine the overall legitimacy of law enforcement. Theories on the role of society in law enforcement, the negative influence of an officer’s department, and a person’s own natural tendency to engage in unethical behavior have been offered as potential explanations. While some may argue that the â€Å"rotten apple† theory is the best explanation for this problem, the vast amount of evidence to the contrary is overwhelming. Deviance rarely persists in an isolated environment but it thrives when it is adopted by an entity such as a department. To explain, â€Å"If we scan these activities then it must be plain that we are no longer dealing with individuals seeking solely personal gain but with group behaviour rooted in established arrangements. Police officers have to be initiated into these practises, rationalisations have to be produced to accept them, supervisors have to collude or turn a blind eye, justifications have to be sought to continue them, and organizations have either in some way to condone or encourage these activities — or else fail to tackle them. This is social behaviour, conducted in groups within organizations, that is powerful enough to override the officer’s oath of office, personal conscience, departmental regulations and criminal laws (European Committee, 68).† For all of these events to occur, it is evident that a multitude of people inside the organization must collaborate and therefore it is rarely an isolated case of corruption. Corruption is highly contagious and this is illustrated well through theories such as the â€Å"slippery slope† and â€Å"grass vs meat eaters† This also explains why corruption is usually concentrated in certain precincts or areas instead of being dispersed. Sir Robert Peel was credited with the concept that the police depend on citizen cooperation in providing services in a democratic society. â€Å"Peel envisioned a strong connection between the police and the community (Police Corruption)†. Unfortunately, the existence of police corruption is contrary to all nine of his principles. The police’s basic mission is to prevent crime and disorder, which they only contribute to if they are corrupt. They rely on the public approval of their actions, which cannot happen in a just society (â€Å"community tolerance, or even support, for police corruption can facilitate a department’s becoming corrupt [Sherman, 32]). Corrupt police officers do not cooperate with the public; they avoid contact as they do not want to reveal their illicit nature. Since corrupt officers are aware of their actions, they might have improper judgement and use physical force. They fail to demonstrate absolutely impartial service by attempting to manipulate public opinion, do not become â€Å"one† with the public, they usurp the power of the judiciary, and sacrifice efficiency for personal gain by not devoting all of their effort to reducing crime and disorder. These corrupt officers also undermine effectiveness as they do not use their time as well as they should be, show only self-concern and indifference to the morality of the situation, and abuse resources. â€Å"The legal authority of police departments and the nature of law violations in their jurisdiction provide organizational resources that can be exploited for personal gain. The nature of these resources varies greatly among and within police departments according to the nature of police tasks performed and the social characteristics of the police task environment. A police department that is a corrupt organization can exploit the resources for internal profit. In all cases, exploitation of these resources for personal gain is an inversion of the formal goals of the organization. (Sherman, 38). Depending on exactly what type of resources the organization deals with, they may or may not be suitable for exploitation. Federal drug enforcement entities constantly deal with opportunities to make a lot of illicit profit whereas Secret Services almost never has chances to make illicit gains at all. In many situations, police may lose some or all of their accountability to the public or government if they do not act with the appropriate intentions. Accountability is a vital element of not just community policing but policing in general. If the police are to achieve their goal which should be lawfulness and legitimacy, they require effective accountability procedures. â€Å"Lawfulness and legitimacy, in turn, are essential if the police are to achieve their goals of reducing crime and disorder, enhancing the quality of neighborhood life, and serving community needs. A lack of legitimacy inhibits the development of working partnerships that are an essential ingredient in community policing and problem oriented policing. Contrary to the popular view that effective crime control and respect for constitutional principles are competing values in policing, experts today increasingly recognize that lawful conduct and accountability are essential for crime-fighting. (Walker, 1). While it is apparent that lawfulness and legitimacy must be upheld in order to serve the community, a fundamental principal of a democratic society that the police should be held accountable for their actions. This includes choosing what actions they take and how they perform. This is especially true in post-conflict environments where police forces are viewed as brutal, corrupt, and unfair. In order to maintain a healthy relationship, a â€Å"liberal society must be maintained, complaints about the police must be addressed, and police themselves must be protected by disgruntled acts by the community† (Accountability and Police). At the same time, police must keep a healthy distance to avoid excessive personal interaction which leads to preferential treatment, discretion, and favouritism. Furthermore, it is important to note that, â€Å"The accountability of police to the public is undermined when charges are often dropped while officers under investigation are usually suspended with pay. In other words, there is no real certainty of punishment and this de-legitimizes any notion of public accountability and respect for the law (Police Corruption). In the eyes of the public, it is already bad enough that the officer are taking advantage of their position of authority but to have them face virtually no consequences is beyond demoralizing. In order for community policing to exist, the public must be confident in the fact that the police are not taking advantage of their position and are accountable in and out of service. In conclusion, because police corruption is unethical and morally wrong, violates all of Robert Peel’s principles, and shows a complete disregard of the notion of accountability, it is impossible to coincide with effective community policing. Police corruption is the illegal use of organizational power for personal gain and unfortunately a still a common occurrence in modern society. It is crucial for the police, as protectors of society, to not allow themselves to stoop so low. The community has to be able to know that no matter what police might have to deal with, they will remain pure and free of corruption in order to begin forming positive relationships. Methods of containing corruption include abolishing existing precedures that encourage corruption, letting go of any member that demonstrates corrupt tendencies, requiring a certain level of accountability, and many other steps. Organizations such as the Special Investigations Unit have made strides in reducing corruption however it is not nearly enough. If corruption is controlled to a point where it no longer has a detrimental impact to society, community policing can have enough room to develop. â€Å"Preventing corruption completely is a tall order. However, steps can be taken to reduce it significantly. There are a few fundamental ideas that can be implemented that can, by their very nature, curb corruption. The three areas that need attention are the officer training, personal characters, and the incentives program. The first step is to hire police officers of good character. Stricter screening methods need to be implemented to decrease the chance that a potential hire will become corrupt. Once an officer is hired, the department should do all it can to promote ethics on the job. The department must understand that the citizens trust the police to be ethical, and a breach of that trust is unjust. Further, it is not practical to act unethically. People eye the police and their behavior constantly. Corruption in the force makes it easier for a citizen to rationalize acting unlawfully, which just creates more work for the police. If a police officer, who is allegedly the pillar of the law, can defy it, why cannot the citizens who pay for the police services? (White) A corrupt police officer cannot very well express effectively why citizens should obey the law, for he has no consistency and thus no credibility. Works Cited Sherman, Lawrence W. Scandal and Reform: Controlling Police Corruption. N.p.: University of California, 1978. Print. Police Powers and Accountability in a Democratic Society. N.p.: 2000. Google Books. Web. . Walker, Samuel. â€Å"Police Accountability: Current Issues and Research Needs.† National Institute of Justice Police Planning (2006): 1-35. National Criminal Justice Reference Service. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. . White, Stuart A. â€Å"Controlling Police Corruption.† Stanford University. N.p., 4 June 1994. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. . Martin, Rich M.S. â€Å"Police Corruption: An Analytical Look Into Police Ethics.† FBI. N.p., May 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. .

Nietzsche’s Ubermensch Essay

Nietzsche’s Ubermensch stands for homo superior, overman or super man. Nietzsche philosophy of Ubermensch is based on ‘Will to Power’. All doctrines are dependent on ‘power to will’. Many of his philosophies are misinterpreted before but there still a lot of disagreement exists in his philosophy of power to overcome everything by willpower. He describes man to be Ubermensch when he gains such power and then he can do anything. This power can be destructive or constructive or by self-improvement. Though there is some truth in the fact that whatever we do or whatever we want to do we can attain it by willpower, but our willpower is limited. It is not a self-created giant that will overcome all obstacles in life. God has granted us will to choose between right and wrong and will to perform and overcome difficult situations. But our willpower is limited as we experience in day-to-day life. Because in whatever environment we live we’re surrounded by a number of situations and it is not always possible to tackle all the situations simultaneously. A number of examples can be cited for this. A person goes out of his house to perform a particular task. He’s determined that he has five jobs to complete during the day. But he’s not aware of an unknown incident that might occur in his way and block him to do his jobs. Similarly a sports man who is very well prepared for the competition and full determined that he’ll win the competition may loose because of any sports injury or simply bad luck! His philosophical ideas about truth that our minds have faith in the beliefs because they’re very convincing not because they are truth is again controversial. Nietzsche’s philosophical claim cannot be agreed upon. The fact that we do believe in things that are true. And only those beliefs are convincing that have universal truth in it. For example, we do believe in some kind of ancient saying that â€Å"Green tea has power to cure†. It is due to the fact that green tea has been used for several years and it has proved to be good in maintaining health. Now scientific research has also proved that it possess certain good polyphenoids that are required by the body in maintaining health and combating disease. Truth forms the basis of several facts that we believe. Hence, Nietzsche’s notion cannot be said as valid. He has extraordinarily overstressed the on the use of ‘power’. His statement is baseless when he says in philosophy we only have power and no higher truth. On the contrary, in science we have facts based on truth. Though our willpower does affect our inner strength and determination, but our power is limited as there is a divine unlimited power of one God ruling and final decisions rests on His willingness and permission. Men do strive hard to attain a goal but it is in the hands of God to grant us that or not. Man’s power is always limited and controlled. Nietzsche stresses on personal character and inner strong determination for power. However, it is not reasonable to solely judge the occurrence of events on the basis of strong determination. Under many circumstances in daily life we come across things that are not wanted by our own self. And our determination breaks when the outcomes of our thinking and our willpower are just the opposite. References Thus Spake Bart by Mark T. Conrad, Thus Spoke Zarathushra the Three Metamorphoses

Business Law and Ethics Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business Law and Ethics Assignment - Essay Example 249-253, 2005). However, the modern market environment has altered the true essence and fundamental nature of competition and has given a shape of cruel war and fight amongst rivalries where everybody existing in the global market wants to gain the competitive edge over others. In addition, their prime motive had turned out to generate profit with acceleration at any cost and has become the leading cause of organisational effectiveness. This shifting in the global economies and recession on a worldwide basis has become one of the dominant reasons of the changing perceptions and mindsets of the business (Maheshwari, pp. 30-31, 2005). As profit maximisation has become their primary source of organisational effectiveness due to utter competition in the recent times, therefore, enterprises are moreover focusing and emphasising on business process reengineering and through innovative ideas and strategies developing their products and services into an exclusive and inimitable one (Kotler & Armstrong, pp. 293- 300, 2008). Furthermore, business owners also view the profit as a valuable and powerful source of judgment, assessment, and analysis of the organisation’s effectiveness. While living in a society or a community, people comes under coercion to follow some norms and rules, which becomes their part of their inheritance, in the same manner, ethical principles or business ethics are also congenital in the world of commerce. In addition, these norms and values come under the definition with right and wrong and the people in the business community have to peruse a couple of elementary and vital ethics of impartiality,...4-11, 2007). The performance, actions and the conduct of the people in the business community comes under dominance and supremacy by the morality and the values of the business ethics. One of the facets of the professional ethics, business ethics, or corporate ethics highlights the significance of moral values, conducts, conventionalities, issue s, and difficulties that may emerge and derive in a trading situation or climate (Jones & Parker & Bos, pp. 12-18, 2005)...

Affects On Business in New York City Term Paper

Affects On Business in New York City - Term Paper Example But on the other hand there are many difficulties and factors still exist which inhibit the residents to live independently and without issues. America has always been the place where issues of racism, inequality, differences of social, cultural or political exist. US residents were tired of social and economic inequality, greed corruption in the business sector and undue influence of corporation on 6their government. The main influence on the authoritative part was from the financial sector.The financial distribution in America was like 99% of society was facing inequality and unhealthy income distribution and 1% of the society was rich. It was holding on to the wealth which was the right of other 99% residents as well (Mr. Smith (2001). Now, to overcome this problem and to get rid of severe living issues the people got united under one slogan â€Å"we are 99%† and protested against the growing factors which were perilous to their living circumstances. The participants conduc ted assemblies which were called â€Å"General Assemblies† in which major and basic decisions were taken. Actions to be taken were planned and discussed. In these assemblies, the president and main participants of the movement decided to take over the petitions straight and to get hold of the financial situations directly by planning the major road map for this goal. The protestors were failed in the beginning and were forced to move out of the Zuccotti Park where it took place. After they left the place, they never succeeded.

Improving a Maintenance Management System and the Productivity for Essay

Improving a Maintenance Management System and the Productivity for Safaniya Onshore Plants - Essay Example An integrated system of maintenance is achieved when the maintenance policy and objectives are established as a foundational component. It is very important to define the quality of maintenance management systems by having the full details for all covered stages of the industry. Retaining high quality of maintenance reflects the reliability of equipment and will generate a positive impact on the level and the efficiency of production. Maintenance activities of any industry need to be planned and organized under a systemic framework; this will ultimately result in the development of the appropriate strategy for the maintenance system, harnessing the maintenance effort to the appropriate places. The process of maintenance should be managed for many reasons. These include: keeping continuous updates, increasing life assets, reducing long term costs, meeting a competitive challenge, and helping address and control deterioration before it occurs. As is well known, the petroleum sector is one of the most important revenue sources for Arabian Gulf Countries. There are many companies working under this sector in the Arabian Gulf and we will focus on one of them in our project. Saudi Aramco is a global petroleum company that is in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1988. Saudi Aramco is the world leader in the production and exportation of oil. It is also considered the largest natural gas liquids exporter and a major producer of this natural gas. Safaniya Onshore Plants are considered one of the largest Aramco Company plants on the Arabian Gulf Sea. Safaniya producing division consists of five plants SGOSP-1, A/H Desalters, Utility, ZWCH (A/M) and Gas Compression Plant. Safaniya A/H facilities are designed to produce 1200 MBCD at 30% water cut with salt content less than 10 PTB. Safaniya A/M facilities are designed to produce 1200 MBCD at 10% water cut with salt content less than 10 PTB. Safaniya gas compression plant consists of two major sections -- offshore and

Nursing Advocacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nursing Advocacy - Essay Example As such, when nurses spend more time with their patients, as part of the advocacy role, they would risk jeopardizing the undertaking of other responsibilities needed in their respective units. The patient advocacy role has always been regarded to be imbibed in the nursing profession (Wood, 2010). The benefits associated with being patient advocate include promotion of the core values of preserving human dignity, respecting patient equality, and recognizing the need for patients to free them from pain and suffering (Jacksonville University, 2014). In addition, assuming a patient advocate role would assist in gaining the trust of patients so that more accurate assessment of the patients’ conditions from their own perspectives are relayed in the most accurate manner. The honest and accurate disclosure of the patients’ feelings and conditions from their points of views would assist in providing the appropriate interventions to facilitate treatment, as required. Negarandeh, R., Oskouie, F., Ahmadi, F., Nikravesh, M., & Hallberg, I. (2006, March 1). Patient advocacy: barriers and facilitators. Retrieved from BMC Nursing:

Importance of Global Education in Promoting Better Relations Within Essay - 10

Importance of Global Education in Promoting Better Relations Within Society - Essay Example There has been some correspondence in terms of the things global education entails and its expected role in society. For example, comparing the works of Hicks, Pikes, and Selby in relation to global education may give some insight on the aspects involved in global education. Global education can be considered to be more focused on bringing change to society by improving levels of coexistence among people. However, its focus is not limited to a small geographical area but rather focuses on facilitating this change on global scales. In order to promote unity and peaceful coexistence, it important to create awareness on the importance of social justice, human rights and acceptance of cultural diversity. This focus of global education can be attributed to the need for the creation of a better future society. With peaceful coexistence, it is possible to unite the people from diversified cultures and regions in a cooperative way. This is to say that global education changes the general view of people in looking at different global issues and creates an open mind enabling its partakers to think from a more global platform. According to Pike global education impacts change on students enabling them to take charge of their future (2000, p.221; Selby). This is to say that global education fulfills the aspect of changing people’s point of view and encourages them to take up responsibilities. However, the change is not only at a personal level but also from a less individualistic point. This then creates the ability of global education to improve society. By charging partakers of global education to take responsibility for social and personal issues, people can be able to challenge different issues in the world especially those causing crisis. These issues may include policies and values in the society with inclusions of

Motor Skills (MOVIE) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motor Skills (MOVIE) - Essay Example All players were at an early stage of learning that the coach believed required a type of challenge that surpasses other challenges the players dealt with outside training such as racial discrimination. A challenge from Coach Boone during training assuredly taught his team to apply the attitude of â€Å"fight[ing] together† in all challenging situations (Yakin, 2000). Motivation in Remember the Titans came from the coach, immediate surroundings, and during the advanced phases of learning. A fundamental principle of kinesiology is encouraging advanced staged learners to pursue their interests at all costs, which is applicable in sports. Motivation in Remember the Titans influences the performance of the student athletes positively. More specifically, Coach Boone compelled the high school learners to unite for a common cause despite racial differences (Yakin, 2000). Industriousness and patience are values that make up the motivation principle necessary for accomplishing ultimate motor control. Repetitive practice is Coach Boone’s main instrument for assuring motor control within the team ahead of all games. Coach Boone makes sure his team’s quarterback acquire the necessary game-like motor control as he puts him through many practices that enable him to perform and maintain the ability to implement these motor skills. A quarterback is not prosperous without these three primary aspects. Coach Boone instills these aspects in all players and not the quarterback only by emphasizing the interaction of all team players to discover their backgrounds before practice (Yakin, 2000). The film centers on the training of a group of talented football players through the enhancement of their physical abilities, maneuvering skills, opponent analysis, and existing knowledge about the sport and its history. To do this, Coach Boone believes he ought to

Fast Imaging Techniques (MRI) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fast Imaging Techniques (MRI) - Essay Example Consequently, the shortened duration of flat top reduces both ESP and the geometric distortion of the image (Jezzard and Balaban, 1995, p.71). Another consequence of increasing the receiver bandwidth is faster imaging. Although increasing the receiver bandwidth allows faster imaging, it may also significantly reduce the SNR, and this often leads to more noise outside the spectrum (Parrish, 2000, p.927). For example, as the bandwidth range is gradually increased, the system may begin to sample more inherent noise together with the generated echo signal, thereby resulting in the fall of SNR. There are a number of ways that can generally be used to help recover the signals lost as a result of a wider bandwidth during the optimization of image. Some of the choices include acquisition of more signal averages and improving the receiver coil technology. The first option is, however, counter-productive because it may increase the amount of time needed to perform the overall scan while the se cond option if often preferred because it helps maintain the original objective of choosing EPI. Lastly, with regard to the required T2 weighted image, increasing the receiver bandwidth may reduce the effects of chemical shift artefacts on the image. According to Ra and Rim (1993, p.145), this is because higher receiver bandwidth results in a wide range of resonant frequencies on which the distortion is spread in order to cover a smaller pixel range and minimize the geometric distortion. 2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using segmentation in EPI. Segmentation is a new concept that has significantly made it possible to use EPI on most of the conventional imaging systems where constraints related to signal to noise would have otherwise prevented EPI. Segmenting EPI is increasingly becoming more important to a number of its properties that ensure improved image quality as compared to the conventional single shot EPI. For example, one of the potential benefits of segmentat ion is that it allows EPI to be able to effectively run on the conventional systems where single short EPI can not be used. This is because segmentation ensures less stress is placed on the gradients as opposed to single short EPI and is therefore critically important in situations where by the available SNR and hardware makes it difficult to acquire all the necessary k-space data before the elimination of the MR signal by the traverse relaxation (McRobbie et al., 2003, p.75). Another important advantage of segmented EPI is that it helps reduce the magnetic susceptibility of various artefacts. This is because phase errors often have less time to build up when segmented EPI as compared to single shot EPI. The shortening of echo train length also allows segmented EPI to be less prone to the effects of artefact variations. Segmentation can also be used to help reduce imaging distortion and enable higher image resolution as compared to single shot EPI. The other key benefit of segmentat ion of EPI is the fact that it can be used to increase resolution. This is particularly attributed to the fact that segmented EPI have relatively short echo train length, thereby leading to increased spatial resolution. On the other hand, normal single shot EPI usually have lower spatial

INTRO LETTER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

INTRO LETTER - Essay Example I believe that if I give you a breakdown of my typical day, you would better understand how my familial responsibilities have ultimately worked in my favour as a writer. I get up every day at 6 a.m., prepare the children for school and do housework until about 10 a.m. From then until 3 p.m. my time is my own and this time is writing time. Without fail, I go into my small makeshift writing room at 10 a.m. and do not emerge from it until 3 p.m. If I am working on a new concept, I generally spend about 5 days surfing the internet and reading up on it. Following the collection of the necessary data, I enter the development of the concept phase. This entails the exploration of the concept from several perspectives and a critical analysis of all these angels for determination of which one, or combination, I will pursue. After this particular decision is made, I enter the skeleton phase. This entails the drawing up of a skeleton of the project. I construct a comprehensive outline of the project and add details to every point and so know exactly where I am heading and how I am going to get there. The penultimate stage is the fleshing out stage. The writing begins at this point. Following my skeleton, I begin the writing of the project itself. When at this stage I often loose track of the time and often feel that if I donâ₠¬â„¢t adjust my alarm at 3 p.m. I would extend far beyond that. The final phase, the one which I find quite boring, is the revision stage. This entails a tremendous amount of reading through my working, revising, writing and rewriting. It is, however, a necessary stage and the one which distinguishes quality output from less than perfect ones. After the children come home from school, I am generally with them, supervising their homework and preparing supper, until 6 p.m., at which time my husband

Mental Disorders-Causes, Nature, and Treatment Essay Example for Free

Mental Disorders-Causes, Nature, and Treatment Essay James is 35 years old and is a successful salesman. He has never married and has no children. His career focus often makes him appear to be a â€Å"workaholic.† Lately, he has begun to feel extremely dissatisfied, lonely, and bored. He thinks often of quitting, selling everything he owns, and taking off. Is James crazy? Is he depressed? Kay is a young and very attractive high-school teacher who is involved romantically with one of her students. She knows this is illegal, immoral, and unethical, but she continues this dangerous behavior. Is Kay mentally ill? Peter washes his hands at least 25 times a day. Whenever he feels anxious, he runs to the bathroom or kitchen and washes his hands to lower his anxiety level. Is Peters behavior abnormal? Abnormal behavior, often perceived as a sign of mental illness, is not uncommon in our society. This lesson introduces you to mental disorders, the causes of mental illness, and the treatment of mental illness. This lesson presents the following topics: †¢ What Is Abnormality? †¢ Models of Abnormality †¢ Anxiety Disorders †¢ Somatoform Disorders †¢ Dissociative Disorders †¢ Mood Disorders What Is Abnormality? What is abnormal, and just how bad can it get? If you study the portrayal of abnormality in American movies, you would probably think that a person who was identified as being psychologically abnormal could be pretty difficult to be around. In fact, for hundreds of years, people with psychological abnormalities were thought to be possessed by demons. Remember the movie, The Exorcist? Exorcism [The formal casting out of a demon through a religious ritual] became popular in the Middle Ages as a way to cast out demons. Another method used in prehistoric times to â€Å"cure† the insane was trepanning [The process of cutting holes into the skull of a living person]. In this procedure, holes were cut in the skull to provide a way for the demons to be released. During the Renaissance period, belief in demons carried through to a belief in witchcraft. Mentally ill people were called witches and were often put to death. These executions were often carried out by burning at the stake. Thankfully, psychopathology—the study of abnormal behavior—has come a long way over the centuries, and attitudes toward and treatment of mental illness have also changed. Definitions of Abnormal Behavior It is difficult to define abnormal behavior. One way is to use the statistical definitions that frequently occurring behavior is normal and behavior that is rare is abnormal. But these definitions dont work for every situation. Another way to define abnormality is behavior that goes against the norms or standards of society. But going against social norms is not always regarded as an abnormality, especially in the case of championing social or political causes. In addition, behavior that may be unacceptable in one culture may be completely acceptable in another. The social or environmental setting of a persons behavior is a potent factor in the determination of â€Å"abnormality.† Joan hates to go to large parties where she doesnt know anyone. Unfortunately, her husbands business often holds large gatherings, and spouses are expected to attend. Joan delays getting ready until the last minute and then spends the evening feeling uncomfortable because she doesnt look as â€Å"well-put together† as some of the other women. She hesitates to mingle because of her subjective discomfort [Emotional distress or emotional pain] that keeps her from meeting new people and having a good time. Ed is a 34-year-old college student. He has been in college since he was 18, taking one course after another and pursuing one degree after another. He is what some people call a â€Å"professional student.† Ed works the typical part-time student jobs and earns enough to pay for his classes and his student apartment. He once laughingly said that he couldnt stand the thought of a â€Å"real job,† but there is nothing funny about his situation. Ed is extremely anxious about the prospect of meeting the demands of daily life in the real world, and his maladaptive behaviour [Anything that does not allow a person to function within or adapt to the stresses and everyday demands of life] keeps him from achieving his potential. Both Joan and Eds behavior can be classified as â€Å"abnormal.† So, how do psychologists define abnormal behavior? It is the pattern of behavior that causes people significant distress, causes them to harm themselves or others, or harms their ability to function in daily life. Following is a list of criteria for determining abnormal behavior (at least two criteria must be met): †¢ Is the behavior unusual?†¢ Does the behavior go against social norms? †¢ Does the behavior cause the person significant subjective discomfort? †¢ Is the behavior maladaptive? †¢ Does the behavior cause the person to be a danger to themselves or others? Models of Abnormality The theories you have studied about personality can be used to help explain normal and abnormal behavior. Explaining disordered behavior depends on the model used to explain personality. The biological model [Model of explaining behavior as caused by biological changes in the chemical, structural, or genetic systems of the body] proposes that psychological disorders have a biological or medical cause. You might also hear this model called the medical, organic, or disease model. Such models point to brain trauma, infectious disease, or genetic reasons as the cause of psychological disorders. Several psychological models attempt to explain disordered behavior as forms of various emotional, behavioral, or thought-related malfunctioning. The psychoanalytic model explains disordered behavior as the result of repressing, or hiding, ones thoughts, memories, or concerns. Behaviorists believe that disordered behavior is learned behavior, just as normal behavior is learned. Cognitive psychologists [Psychologists who study the way people think, remember, and mentally organize information] believe abnormal behavior to be a result of illogical thinking patterns. Mental Disorders: Causes, Nature, and Treatments We have looked at some characteristics of abnormal behavior. Now lets see how psychologists decide what type of disorder a person has. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) was first published in 1952 to help psychology professionals diagnose disorders. It has been revised several times over the years. The DSM describes about 250 different psychological disorders based on symptoms, the path the disorder takes, and the criteria checklist. The manual divides the disorders into five categories, or axes. †¢ Type of Information: Clinical Disorders and Other Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention. †¢ Description in Brief: Psychological disorders that impair functioning and are stressful and factors that are not disorders but that may affect functioning, such as academic or social problems. †¢ Type of Information: Personality Disorders Mental Retardation †¢ Description in Brief: Rigid, enduring, maladaptive personality patterns. †¢ Type of Information: General Medical Conditions †¢ Description in Brief: Chronic and acute illnesses and medical conditions that may have an impact on mental health. [pic][pic] †¢ Type of Information: Psychosocial and Environment Problems †¢ Description in Brief: Problems in the physical surroundings of the person that may have an impact on diagnosis, treatment, and outcome. †¢ Type of Information: Global Assessment of Functioning †¢ Description in Brief: Overall judgment of current functioning, including mental, social, and occupational.   Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Disorders usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence. For example, learning disabilities, ADHD, bedwetting, and speech disorder †¢ Delirium, dementia, amnesia, and other cognitive disorders. For example, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and amnesia caused by physical causes †¢ Psychological disorders caused by a general medical condition. For example, personality change because of a brain tumor †¢ Substance-related disorders. For example, alcoholism and drug addiction †¢ Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. For example, schizophrenia, delusional disorders, hallucinations, and paranoid psychosis †¢ Mood disorders. For example, depression, mania, and bipolar disorders †¢ Anxiety disorders. For example, panic disorder, phobias, and stress disorders †¢ Somatoform disorders. For example, hypochondria and conversion disorder †¢ Factitious disorders. For example, pathological lying and Munchausen syndrome †¢ Dissociative disorders. For example, multiple personality and amnesia not caused by physical causes †¢ Sexual and gender identity disorders. For example, sexual desire disorders and paraphilias †¢ Eating disorders. For example, anorexia and bulimia †¢ Sleep disorders. For example, insomnia, sleep terror disorder, sleepwalking, and narcolepsy †¢ Impulse-control disorders not elsewhere classified. For example, kleptomania, pathological gambling, and pyromania †¢ Adjustment disorders. For example, mixed anxiety and conduct disturbances You may think you dont know anyone with a psychological disorder, but they are more common than you think. According to the National Institute on Mental Health, about 22 percent of adults over 18 suffer from a mental disorder, that is, about 44 million people in the United States. Many people who study psychology begin to believe they suffer from some type of disorder. Why? Because many psychological disorders are really ordinary variations on human behavior taken to the extreme. Now, lets take a look at some of the various categories and types of disorders. Anxiety Disorders In 2004, Raoul was vacationing with his parents in Sri Lanka when the resort they were staying in was hit by a devastating tsunami. Thousands of people died, and Raouls family barely escaped. To this day, Raoul feels extremely anxious whenever he is near the ocean or hears the sounds of waves breaking on the beach. His heart begins to pound, his hands tremble, and he wants to run away. Raouls anxiety is one of the anxiety disorders [Disorders in which the main symptom is excessive or unrealistic anxiety and fearfulness] that can be traced to a specific event. Anne feels anxious nearly all the time. She wakes up in the morning with a vague sense of dread that intensifies as the day goes on. This free-floating anxiety [Anxiety that is unrelated to any realistic, known source] is keeping her from doing her best at work and is also getting in the way of her close relationships with others. A phobia [An irrational, persistent fear of an object, situation, or social activity] is also a type of anxiety disorder. Phobias are classified as either of the following: †¢ Social phobias [Fear of interacting with others or being in social situations that might lead to a negative evaluation] †¢ Specific phobias [Fear of objects or specific situations or events] Melanie is afraid to go into large arenas. Because of her agoraphobia [Fear of being in a place or situation from which escape is difficult or impossible] she did not attend her sons high school basketball championship game. Agoraphobia keeps her from living life to the fullest. Some other common phobias and their scientific names are given below: †¢ Fear of washing and bathing: Ablutophobia †¢ Fear of spiders: Arachnophobia †¢ Fear of lightning: Ceraunophobia †¢ Fear of dirt and germs: Mysophobia †¢ Fear of snakes: Ophidiophobia †¢ Fear of darkness: Nyctophobia †¢ Fear of fire: Pyrophobia †¢ Fear of foreigners and strangers: Xenophobia †¢ Fear of animals: Zoophobia

The Green Revolution A Glorious Success History Essay

The Green Revolution A Glorious Success History Essay The term Green Revolution was first coined by the USAID United States Agency for International Development in 1968. It all started in Mexico with US aid and backed by the support of giants like Ford and Rockfeller Corporation way back in the 1940s. It was the initiative of a man named Norman Borlough who developed a strain of rice and wheat which yielded an output (under optimal conditions) so far only dreamt off. These strains of cereals were termed as HYV (High Yielding Variety). Norman Borlough is considered to be the father of the Green Revolution. He played a very instrumental role along with M.S. Swaminathan who was our minister for Agriculture in bringing Green Revolution to India. The G R was considered as the solution to feed the worlds growing population, it very well may have been. [J R McNeill] In India alone the astounding agricultural growth in Punjab is exemplified by the increase in Punjabi wheat production from 1.9 to 5.6 million tons during the years 1965 through 1972.  [1]  The production of rice also increased greatly. India soon adopted IR8 a semi-dwarf rice variety developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) that could produce more grains of rice per plant when grown with certain fertilizers and irrigation. In 1968, Indian agronomist S.K. De Datta published his findings that IR8 rice yielded about 5 tons per hectare with no fertilizer, and almost 10 tons per hectare under optimal conditions. This was 10 times the yield of traditional rice. IR8 was a success throughout Asia, and dubbed the Miracle Rice. IR8 was also developed into Semi-dwarf IR36.  [2]  India was on the brink of a famine in 1961, but with the introductio n of G R we became an exporter of food grains within a very short period of time. G R was a gift of the developed nations to the third world countries. It was a package deal promoted by the World Bank to help them get out of their debt traps. The G R was accepted with open arms with little or no thought about its viability or sustainability. It was looked on as a one stop shop to their economic and demographic problems. The green revolution- the US-sponsored technological package for agricultural development-was accepted in India some-what over-enthusiastically and also un- critically. It was hoped that with improved farm production, not only a lasting solution would be found for the perpetual problems of rural poverty and hunger but also it would generate a new resource base-a launching pad for rural industrialisation that would create new employment opportunities and would improve the quality of life at the grassroots in an appreciable measure. [Dhanagare 1987] Rather than Why was the Green Revolution such a great success? I would like to argue from the point of view of Was the Green Revolution such a great success? I would like to consider the viewpoints of some scholars which may be quite contrary to what the advocators and promoters of Green Revolution would like to believe. The G R as already mentioned earlier was a package deal it came along with certain factors like irrigation, chemical fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides and mechanization and large size holdings without which the success of G R would not be dramatic. These are factors that India did not and could not afford at all levels. Apart from this G R was not all positive it looked like it came in with more negative as time passed on. Through different case studies I would like to present my argument. Endosulfan Poisoning in Kasargoad, Kerala, India This is the story of a small village in the state of Kerala a village named Swarga literally meaning heaven. A village untouched by industrialization and people depended on plantation farming. A typical Indian village until suddenly people found things going wrong, Calves dying honeybees disappearing, wildlife being affected and then slowly the people being affected by a strange illness. The cause, unknown. The Kerala state government decided to spray its cashew plantations with ariel pesticide. It was a sight to see a helicopter hovering over the village and it attracted a lot of attention. Little did the people know what the aftermath of this would be. Even when a sudden and strange kind of illness hit little did they associate it with the helicopter, they believed that it was some kind of a curse. Until one farmer noticed a strange coincidence in the death of his three calves and raised up an issue. This interested a journalist who began to probe into this situation. A local doctor who began to see a strange pattern of new diseases in his patients added value to the work of the journalist. It was not an easy path to travel and prove their stand as they had to fight capitalist giants whos stakes were high in the manufacture of the deadly chemical. The help of an international organization was sought. A fact finding team of PAN(Pesticide Action Network) AP headed by Dr Romeo F Quijango was formed. The objective of the mission was: To find out the veracity of the reports that there have incidents of illness since the cashew nut plantations started their operations The extent to which these aerial sprayings have affected the people and the environment After detailed inspection of the surroundings, physical examination of the affected people and a wide range of interviews with both the local people and authorities the reports of poisoning were confirmed. The findings stated The cause for the illness was intrinsic toxicology properties of endosulfan There seems to exist no other probable causes other than endosulfan for the occurrence of illness There is a clear time and geographical association between the occurrence of illness and the aerial spraying There is a corroborated effect on both the environment and the animals which are related to endosulfan poisoning. Medical reports of the victims as recorded by the local physicians confirmed the poisoning Biological and environmental samples analyzed at laboratories confirmed the presence of endosulfan. The findings confirmed the poisoning and a permanent ban on the spray of endosulfan was placed. The extent of damage cannot be undone. Most of the cases of poisoning described in the report are of young children born with cerebral palsy due to the poisoning. Though this report was confined to Kasargod there are wide spread use and effects felt in the neighboring states as well. Here I would like to include an article from the newspaper that report cases of endosulfan poisoning from Karnataka Gowda was born in 1977. To his chagrin through RTI he found that 92 villages were sprayed with endosulfan in the four taluks of the district. He visited 82 villages and found that horrifying cases of disabilities, especially cerebral palsy affecting adults and children. I have decided not to get married -firstly to carry this fights forward and secondly to see that my children dont live like me. I may get married if I can afford to do a gene test which proves everything is alright with me, he adds. Gowda says: In some places the situation is too horrible to describe. A mother who is an anganwadi teacher has two children one of them is affected with this type of poisoning. She gives him food at 9 am locks the door and goes for work. When she returns, the boy will be rolling in his own fecal matter. This is an everyday story. The government officials, if they visit each and every home, they will understand the gravity of the problem. But they dont, hence dont understand our situation  [3]  This has been the effect of the indiscriminate use of pesticides and insecticides on the unaware and innocent lives. Rachel Carson dedicated her entire book The Silent Spring to bring awareness to the effects of insecticides and pesticides on man and his environment. Though she did succeed to large extent on banning their indiscriminate use still continues in the third world countries. This according to Clevo Wilson Clem Tisdell are due to varied economic reasons and also due to lack of knowledge. Farmers continue to use pesticides if their net discounted rate of return is greater in the present. This happens much more in less developed countries than in more developed countries. To make themselves economically viable farmers are forced to use pesticides because it causes an increase in the production in the short run, though the cost will increase in the long run which they are unaware of, and also once a new technique is used the cost of reverting back maybe very high. Further it may be due to a lack of knowledge on the part of farmers. It may also be that use of pesticides and fertilizers are considered to be an integral part of commercialized agriculture. To add to this would be the pressure the farmers may face from advertisements and sales schemes of companies manufacturing insecticides and fertilisers. It has also been found that though farmers may be aware of Integrated Pest Management systems they may not be easily accessible, as seen in the case of farmers in Sri Lanka.  [4]   Our next case study is based in Punjab that highlights the negative effect that G R has had on the employment of the youth. Punjab agriculture has been known for the green revolution of the late 1960s and the 1970s. Not only has it achieved an irrigation coverage of 95 per cent of the net sown area, cropping intensity of 185, and 98 per cent HYV coverage which are all the highest among the Indian states, but even the yields of major crops wheat and paddy are of a very high order, i e, 3,941 kgs and 3,393 kgs per hectare respectively [CACP 1997] The agricultural sector in Punjab is very capital intensive with the highest number of tubewells and tractors in the country and the highest consumer of electricity, 21% of wheat, 9% of rice and 21% of cotton produced in India came from Punjab. In the 1980s the scene began to change, the same level of production could not be maintained. The net costs began to increase mainly due to over mechanization and small holdings were no longer profitable to cultivate. This became apparent in the rise in tenancy of small farms and another evidence of this was an increase in the market for second hand tractors. The proportion of marginal holdings in total decreased from 37 per cent to 26 per cent during 1970-71 to 1990-91 and those above 10 hectares increased significantly [GoP 1997] The unemployment rates increased The proportion of agricultural labour in total rural male workers went up by 2.2 per cent during the 1980s and that of cultivators went down by 2.7 per cent. The unemployment rate among rural males (2.9 per cent) in the late 1980s was marginally above that at the national level (2.8 per cent) and that among rural females more than double (7.4 per cent) that of the national level (3.5 per cent) [Chand 1999a]. To add to this were the problems of monoculture and lack of diversification, increased attack of pests due to increased resistance to insecticides decreasing water levels. Thus based on the Jhol committee agriculture was diversified to include horticultural crops leading to the opening of food processing industries.This did not seem to make much of a difference as the three industries could work only with a small number of farmers and this did not make much of a difference to the rest. The high mechanisation of agricultural operations had added to the problem of rural un- employment. Now, combine harvesters could do the entire harvesting of paddy and a large proportion of wheat crop, which had cut down the number of days a farm worker could be gainfully employed in the farm sector. The labour requirements were also increasingly met from migrant labour. On the other hand, educated rural youth did not find farming profitable enough as an occupation. Unemployment of youth in Punjab was not due to lack of work opportunities in the farm sector per se, but due to the strong preference of these youth for non-farm jobs. But the industrial sector of the state which was dominated by small-scale industry did not offer many skilled jobs and depended on migrant labour for manual work as these workers were available for lower wages, did not create trouble as they had less political clout and bargaining power. On the other hand, urban people were preferred for skilled jobs as they are more tuned to industrial or corporate work culture [Chand 1999b]. The problem of rural unemployment was compounded by the fact that rural youth did not possess any specia l skills and did not have an aptitude to work in conventional industries owned by local capital. The only industries they were more familiar with were agro-processing ones which had recently roped in some rural youth but the jobs were few as the operations were highly mechanised and few manual jobs remained.  [5]   The very purpose of G R was to improve agriculture and reduce the income disparities but that very purpose was defeated. Through our next paper Green revolution and increase in social inequalities in India D.N. Dhanagre  [6]  we are going to see how social inequalities have increased. The effects of G R were assessed within five years of its initiation into India through a symposium organised by the Centre for the Study of Social Change in 1973. Where both, the positive side and the negative side were highlighted. On the positive side the increase in crop production was stressed on. This increase was 87.2 per cent in Punjab, and 64.90 per cent in Haryana where the gains in production performance were impressive'[Vyas, 1974: 67-70], and hence there was no alternative to G R to develop the backward regions of our country. The green revolution was distributed differentially to different categories of farmers putting the small and marginal farmers at a relative disadvantage. The reasons for differential distribution were obvious. The high cost/high yield cereal technology of the green revolution called for substantial capital investments generally beyond the means of a majority of small and marginal farmers.'[CSSC 1984]. To add to this the Indian Government was criticized by the Halselemere Group of favouring the rich and large land owning farmers in distribution of cheap credit and subsidies rather than the poorer ones. Size and nature of land holdings- Initially it was believed that the size of the holding did not matter in G R practices, but when it came to the reality of implementation it was found not to be true. The agricultural development bureaucracy working at the grass root level that scale neutrality was not true, the larger holdings were at an advantage. According to Danagare even the introduction of HYV seeds there was a pro rich bias seen. The requirement of each farmer to buy two shares of seed worth Rs 100/- each per acre was again to the advantage of the larger land holding farmers. Since the G R package was created with the perennially irrigated land in mind the government favoured them rather than farming in semi-arid and dry areas again leading to disparity in the distribution of income regionally. Further it has been found that while poor farmers own only 21% of land in wet regions almost 50% of the land was owned by poor farmers in the dry regions,[Atherya et,al 1983]. The polarisation process that accentuates the rural class differences has been further intensified by the green revolution. In a survey done by Bhalla and Chada in Punjab its been found that farmers with land holdings less than 2.5acres earned Rs1231/- while those with land holdings 25acres or more earned Rs24,283/- annually. In other words a rich farmer without putting in any physical effort was earning much more than a poor farmer, where he and his entire family would have had to work. Use of mechanization- as very apparent mechanization of farming was to the advantage of the rich and large land holding farmers. It not only increased disparity among the farmers but also hit hard on the labourers. Billings and Singh have discovered that in Punjab the demand for agricultural labour went up from 51 mandays to 60.1 mandays with the introduction of the persian wheel as a means of irrigation and of fertilisers and pesticides. However, when pump-sets, wheat-threshers, corn-shellers and tractors are introduced the average demand for labour drops down to 25.6 mandays (1969: A 221-24) It was found through surveys both in Punjab and in Chengilpet TN that the poorer farmers did not hesitate to invest and compete with the rich farmers though it was an uphill task for them but they did not benefit. In fact, all available statistics indicate greater and greater immiseration and pauperisation as the green revolution technology package has spread in diffierent parts of India. [Dhanagare 1978] I would like to conclude by mentioning Vandana Shivas view as expressed in her book The violence of the Green Revolution Third world agriculture, ecology and politics in the western view our system of agriculture was primitive and they wanted to thrust upon us their modern scientific view, as a socio political solution to our problems which only created more problems. In the traditional agricultural systems Shiva believes that people used their knowledge and experience to create a balance between the resources and their uses. Cropping systems include a symbiotic relationship between soil, water, farm animals and plants. They were preserving and building on natures process and natures patterns. This system was based on sustainability and made the farmers self- reliant as advocated by Gandhiji. As Rachel Carson puts it In nature nothing exists alone'[ Silent Spring] and if we dont recognize this and awake to the fact that we are a part of the nature we are destroying we may be too late.

Basic Laboratory Techniques Safety And Hematocrit

Basic Laboratory Techniques Safety And Hematocrit The hematocrit is normally ordered as a part of the complete blood count. It is important in evaluating anemia and polycythemia, monitoring the recovery from dehydration, the effectiveness of treatment for anemia, the ongoing bleeding to check its severity, etc. In this practical, hematocrit is used to determine if the patient has anemia by means of red cell indices MCV, MCH and MCHC. For red blood cell count, it is used to evaluate any type of decrease or increase in the number of red blood cells as measured per liter of blood. It is a parameter interprets in conjunction with hematocrit. Both decreased hematocrit and decreased RBC count indicate anemia. (D) Results Hematocrit (HCT) Record the red blood cell indices in the table below. Reading SI Unit RBC 8.55 ÃÆ'- 1012 RBC/L Hemoglobin 11.0 g/dL Your HCT value 26 % The red blood cell indices are used to classify anemias. Find out their formulae and calculate the MCV, MCH MCHC. Compare them to the reference values of a normal adult female. Red cell indices Formula Calculation (units) Reference range Mean cell volume (MCV) Hematocrit (%) ÃÆ'- 10 RBC _26 ÃÆ'- 10 8.55 MCV= 30.4 fL 86 98 fL Mean cell hemoglobin (MCH) Hemoglobin(grams) ÃÆ'- 10 RBC __11__ ÃÆ'- 10 8.55 MCH= 12.87 pg 27 32 pg Mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) Hemoglobin(grams) ÃÆ'- 100 Hematocrit (%) __11__ ÃÆ'- 100 26 MCHC= 42.3 % 32 37 % (*delete as appropriate and suggest whether blood smear A or B provided in the lab would belong to this sample) As your calculated MCV suggest, the RBCs are macrocytic / normocytic / microcytic *. As your calculated MCH suggest, the hemoglobin in the RBCs are within / below / above* the average weight. As your calculated MCHC suggest, the RBCs are normochromic / hypochromic / hyperchromic*. Blood smear A / B* belongs to this patient. Cell count and hemacytometer RBC Counts Averaging no. of RBCs in 2 one square millimeter Square No. of RBC counted 1 178 2 164 Total RBCs counted 342 Averaged RBC counted 171 Calculate the RBC count in the sample: = Average no. RBCs counted in 1 big square ÃÆ'- Dilution factor Area counted (mm2) ÃÆ'- Depth (mm) RBC count = 171 ÃÆ'- 1000 ikikikiiiiiiu 0.2 (mm2) ÃÆ'- 0.1 (mm) RBC count = 8.55 ÃÆ'- 1012 (units= /L ) (E) Quality Assessment Obtain results from the class and do the statistics.(Refer to Basic Clinical Lab Techniques pp. 79 81) ÃŽÂ £X_ n (117+160+174+142+166+161+181+183+166+143+164+159+148+162+225+135+165+120+ 168+128+271+104+171+168+171+182+170+176+181+116+172) à · 31 RBC counts is 162.87 . n Test Value (mg/dL) X Deviation Squared ( x)2 1 117 2104.15 2 160 8.24 3 174 123.86 4 142 435.60 5 166 9.79 6 161 3.50 7 181 328.66 8 183 405.18 9 166 9.79 10 143 394.86 11 164 1.27 12 159 14.98 13 148 221.15 14 162 0.76 15 225 3860.01 16 135 776.79 17 165 4.53 18 120 1837.92 19 168 26.31 20 128 1215.98 21 271 11691.89 22 104 3465.79 23 171 66.08 24 168 26.31 25 171 66.08 26 182 365.92 27 170 50.82 28 176 172.37 29 181 328.66 30 116 2196.89 31 172 83.34 ÃŽÂ £( x)2__ n 1 30297.48__ 30 = 1009.916 à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡Variance à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡1009.916 31.78 2s = 63.56 +2s = 226.43 -2s = 99.31 3s = 95.34 +3s = 258.21 -3s = 67.53 10. Construction of a Levey-Jenning s Chart using the mean and standard deviation(s) from above. Indicate the mean value, +/- 1s, +/-2s, +/-3s on the appropriate lines. Using the RBC data from the class, plot the values from all students. Levey-Jennings Chart of RBC counts in class SD of RBC counts (G) Practical Review Questions Label the hemacytometer diagram below with its parts. (p208) Indicate the areas usually used for WBC count with W RBC count with R and Platelet count.p 1. What does the hematocrit measure? The hematocrit is a test determining the patients red cell volume found in whole blood and, thus, the bloods oxygen carrying capacity. It is expressed as a percentage by volume. 2. Give the hematocrit reference values for males, females, and newborns. Males: 42 52 % Females: 36 48 % Newborns: 51 61 % 3. Name a condition that could cause a decreased hematocrit value. Anemias 4. Explain the hematocrit procedure 1. Obtain patients blood and prepare the specimen. Gently mix the capillary blood by inverting the tube until all sediments disappear. Blood sample is drawn into a heparinixed microhematocrit tube by capillary action. Load the microhematocrit tube by holding it end downward to allow gravity to facilitate loading of the tube. The tube should be filled to about 3/4 full. Seal one end of the tube with a small amount of clay material at a 90 ° angle. 2. Centrifuge the samples. Please the sealed microhematocrit tube into the rotor of the microhematocrit centrifuge, with the sealed end against the rubber gasket. Duplicate samples should be placed opposite each other in order to balance the centrifuge. Securely fasten the flat lid on top of the capillary tubes. Spin the tubes for 2 to 4 minutes at 10000 rpm. After the centrifuge has stopped, open the top and remove the cover plate. 3. Reading and reporting the Hematocrit value. Inspect the tube to see if there is any leakage after centrifugation. Place the tube on the hematocrit reader. Place tube in the groove with the top of the seal-ease (bottom of the packed cells) lined up with the bottom line of the reader.   Move the slider bar to the border between the packed red cells and the plasma.   Read the percentage reading beside the slide bar. 5. Blood enters the capillary tube by what action? Blood enters by capillary action. 6. Why must the capillary tube be sealed securely? In the process of spinning, RBCs and a small amount of plasma will be forced from the tube, a false result may be resulted because of incomplete sealing of tube. Therefore, sealing the tube securely can create a pressure inside the tube which prevents the content from forcing out during centrifugation. 7. What is the usual length of time for centrifugation of the hematocrit tubes? The hematocrit tubes are usually centrifugated for 2 to 4 minutes at 10000rpm. 8. What safety precautions should be observed when performing a hematocrit? Standard precaution should be observed. 9. What technical factors can affect the quality of hematocrit results? Blood sample should be well-mixed before microhematocrit tubes are filled. Avoid bubbles when filling blood sample into the microhematocrit tube. Microhematocrit tubes should be filled at least three-fourths full. The microhematocrit tubes should be completely sealed before centrifugation. Read the hematocrit value at the top of the red cell layer, not at the top of buffy coat. 10.Case Study 1 A hemoglobin and hematocrit test performed in a pediatric clinic on a 2-year-old boy gave results of 110 g/L hemoglobin and 0.33 L/L hematocrit. Do these results agree? What is the boys general health status based on the hematology results? From the data provided by the case, the mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) of the child: __11__ ÃÆ'- 100 33 = 33% The MCHC is within the normal range, showing the child is free from anemia. However, according to World Health Organization, a hemoglobin concentration of less than 110 g/L and a hematocrit value of less than 33% were used as a cut-off for anemia for children aged 0.5 to 5[1]. Therefore, for the above case, although the child does not have anemia at this moment, his marginal hemoglobin and hematocrit values agree and both show that he has a high risk of suffering anemia. Age or gender group Hemoglobin (g/dL) Hematocrit (%) Children (0.5-4) Children (5-12) Children (12-15) Adult Men Non-pregnant Women Pregnant Women

Affirmative Action :: social issues

Affirmative Action Robert K. Miller, author of The Informed Argument, describes affirmative action as, â€Å"an active effort to help members of historically oppressed groups gain admission to American universities and entrance into a diverse range of jobs previously reserved for white males† (145). Miller also states that this was the thinking of the 1970s civil rights movements (144). Things have changed throughout these past 30 years. Society’s way of thinking has changed so much that logical protest has risen against affirmative action by both protesters and supporters of the action alike. Constance Horner, a quest scholar in the Brookings Governmental Scholars program and publisher of â€Å"Reclaiming the Vision,† which can be found in The Informed Argument, is an opponent of supporting affirmative action. Michael Tomasky, author of the excerpt, â€Å"Reaffirming the Vision,† which can be found in The Informed Argument, from his book, Left for Dead: The Life, Death, and Possible Resurrection of Progressive Politics in America, is a supporter of affirmative action. Proving that affirmative action needs to be abolished or improved is something to debate, which Horner and Tomasky do in their written opinions. Constantine Horner explains that affirmative action is causing the opposite result today from its intentions 30 years ago. The loss of jobs for white Americans has opened the floodgates of protest. The mere suggestion of a reformation of the civil rights result has caused a rising distrust in the black American community towards the politics involved. What black Americans don’t see, Horner believes, is the misplacement of under qualified participants in overwhelming situations. The need to fill race quotas has put under qualified applicants in positions at places of employment; therefore, making it harder, if not impossible, for the employee to receive promotions. The placement of a person in a university based solely on the color of their skin has caused â€Å"a college dropout rate for blacks of almost two-thirds† (Horner 150). The resolution Horner gives is to be patient and to evolve and change, just as Americans have been doing, as long as we are moving forward wit h progress. Michael Tomasky gives the hint that maybe he is willing to see affirmative action changed, if even so slightly, but the feeling he gives in his excerpt, â€Å"Reaffirming the Vision,† was one not of a man to let his belief be easily swayed. Tomasky lets the reader know what side he is on by saying, â€Å"from a pro-affirmative action point of view† (153).

Poetry of E. E. Cummings Essay -- Poetry Poem

Life's Not A Paragraph Throughout his poetry, E. E. Cummings seduces readers deep into a thicket of scrambled words, missing punctuation, and unconventional structure. Within Cummings's poetic bramble, ambiguity leads the reader through what seems at first a confusing and winding maze. However, this confusion actually transforms into a path that leads the reader to the center of the thicket where Cummings's message lies: one should never allow one's experience to be limited by reason and rationality. In order to communicate his belief that emotional experience should triumph over reason, Cummings employs odd juxtapositions, outlandish metaphors, and inversions of traditional grammatical structures that reveal the "illogic" of reason. By breaking down the formal boundaries of his poetic structures, Cummings urges his readers to question boundaries of any kind. Indeed, in the same manner Cummings's literary style appears to be uncontrolled; many of his poems, such as "since feeling is first" and "as freedom is a breakfastfood," in turn suggest that emotion provides the compositional fabric for our experience of life, and therefore, emotion itself should never be defined or controlled. In "since feeling is first," Cummings urges his reader to reject any attempts to control emotion by using English grammar as one example of the restrictive conventions present in society. By stating that "since feeling is first / who pays any attention / to the syntax of things," Cummings suggests that emotion should not be forced to fit into some preconceived framework or mold (1-3). He carries this message throughout the poem by juxtaposing images of the abstract and the concrete--images of emotion and images of English grammar. The abstract na... ...g thicket because he believes the path of the straight and narrow limits the possibilities of experience. Through the unconventionality of his poetic structures, Cummings urges his readers to question order and tradition. He wants his readers to realize that reason and rationality are always secondary to emotion, that emotional experience is a free-flowing force that should not be constrained. Cummings's poetry suggests that in order to get at the true essence of something, one must look past the commonsensical definition, and not be limited by "the syntax of things." Works Cited Cummings, E. E. "as freedom is a breakfastfood." E. E. Cummings: Complete Poems 1904-1962. Ed. George J. Firmage. New York: Liveright, 1991. 511. Cummings, E. E. "Since feeling is first." E. E. Cummings: Complete Poems 1914-1962. Ed. George J. Firmage, New York: Liveright, 1991. 291.

Explanatory Concepts in Political Science Essay

Since 1979 there have been dramatic changes in both the structure and organisation of the Labour Party. In part, this was in response to their failure to win a general election between 1979 and 1997. However, the change goes much further than that and can be perceived as a reflection of the continued struggle between ideologies of different factions within the party. This essay will first try to establish what ‘Old’ Labour was and what it stood for. Then, scrutinising ‘New’ Labour, this essay will discus if, how and why the Labour Party changed and identify the key differences between ‘old’ and ‘new’ Labour. The Labour Party was initially established as a party to represent the newly enfranchised working class in Parliament. Growing out of the Labour Representation Committee (LRC), the party owed its existence to various trade union and socialist organisations. Consequently, right from its inauguration, the party’s primary purpose was to elect MP’s that would represent the interests of the unions. Although ostensibly not a committed socialist party, by 1918, the party had included Clause 4 in its election manifesto, the principle of public ownership which committed the party to nationalising land, coal mining, the electricity industry and the railways as well as declaring their intention to make rates of taxation steeply progressive to fund a major extension of education and social services.[1] Labour soon overtook the Liberals in popularity and rose to be the principle opposition for the Conservatives, forming three governments between 1926 and 1945. Post-war Labour fundamentally recognised the relationship between state and society in Britain and introduced a number of reforms in education, social security and welfare in an attempt to lay the foundations for a new, more caring society. The post-war Atlee government sent Labour on a trajectory towards socialism with commitments to economic planning in an attempt to reduce unemployment, a mixed public and private sector economy and a comprehensive welfare system which was endorsed by successive Labour and Conservative governments until 1979 when Thatcherism ideology took over. During this time Labour was widely perceived as being orientated towards a socialist perspective as the government took responsibility for unemployment, healthcare and housing. After Labour’s defeat by the Conservatives in the elections of 1979, the party went through a period of considerable internal turmoil that ultimately resulted in extensive reform of the structure and organisation of the Labour Party. Since 1979, there have been three distinct phases of change as ‘Old’ Labour became ‘New’. These can be defined as The Bennite challenge, Modernisation and New Labour. The first phase of this, the Bennite challenge led by Tony Benn attempted to redress the balance of power within the party. Aided by the leaders of some major trade unions at a special party conference in 1981, the party’s left wing activists succeeded in forcing through a number of internal organizational reforms that enhanced the power of grass-roots activists and trade unions in the selection of parliamentary candidates and party leaders. This change meant that ‘the party would now be committed to bringing about a fundamental and irreversible shift of power and wealth towards working people and their families’[2]. In response, a number of leading parliamentarians and supporters seceded from Labour and founded the Social Democratic Party in 1981. Labour presented a radical manifesto that proposed extensive nationalization of industry, economic planning, unilateral nuclear disarmament, and the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Economic Community. The result was Labour’s worst national electoral defeat in more than 50 years. It was after this defeat that modernisation took place under the new leader of the Labour Party, Neil Kinnock, a politician who, despite his leftist credentials set about re-establishing Labour as a credible national electoral force. Kinnock’s â€Å"modernisation† process towards the beginnings of a ‘New Labour’ contributed to Labour’s electoral revival after the trauma of 1983. As well as explicitly rejecting nationalisation as a tool or goal of economic policy, Kinnock ‘set out to crush the revolutionary left by launching a series of expulsions of supporters of the Militant Tendency’[3] but it was not sufficient to deprive the Conservatives of their governing majorities in the general elections of 1987 and 1992. By the time that Blair took the Labour Party leadership in 1994, the leadership had reasserted its authority having introduced significant organisational reforms which broadened and centralised the decision making process within the party as well as removing all trace of links with Marxist socialist ideology. Traditionally, there had been a strong socialist link with the Labour Party through Clause 4. Despite opposition from many of the Old Labour leaders, the rank and file of the party was insistent on maintaining its Socialist roots right up to the 1990’s. In stark contrast to the rest of Europe, which by 1980 had largely rejected a fully-fledged socialist ideology, Labour maintained Clause 4 that sought to maintain its ideology of socialism and nationalisation. Clause 4 of the Labour Party’s constitution was an integral part of the party’s philosophy and ideology as it marked the party as ardently socialist. Clause 4 is as follows; â€Å"To Secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible up the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service.†[4] The clause is clearly anti-capitalist and commits to replacing capitalism with a system of social ownership, justice and planning where more control is given to ‘the workers’. Dearlove and Saunders propose that in practise, Old Labour was happy to accept a capitalist economic order although they sought limited social ownership through nationalisation, limited redistribution or wealth and income through taxation and welfare and limited planni ng through national agencies. In practise then, Dearlove and Saunders suggest that Labour should have been considered as a ‘social democratic’ party rather than actively pursuing its formal socialist objectives. Following the election of Tony Blair in 1994 as leader of the Labour party, the party saw a series of programmatic and organisational changes; the party systematically reviewed its policies so as to re-embrace the mixed economy in the tradition of the revisionists of the 1950s. Labour had consistently struggled to fully implement socialism, and reject the capitalist system because of what many critics believed to be a lack of a proper plan of how to implement their socialist ideology and replace the capitalist system. Blair took the modernisation of the party to a new level, adopting the American idea of rebranding the party as ‘new’. The slogan, ‘New Labour, New Britain’ was unveiled and stuck as the new party name. Blair believed that the Left had to ‘modernise or die.’ [5] With the rejection of Clause 4, Blair and the modernisers showed little respect for Old Labour’s sacred cows; â€Å"state ownership, economic planning, Keynesian de mand management, full employment, tax-and-spend welfarism and close links with the trade unions†[6] and brought Labour back to win the next General election. New Labour is itself a contested term. There is much debate as to what exactly it means. Michael Freeden suggests that the ‘ideological map’ of New Labour is â€Å"†¦located somewhere between the three great Western ideological traditions – liberalism, conservatism and socialism – though it is not equidistant from them all.†[7] Some suggest ‘New’ Labour is nothing but a marketing ploy and product of Alistair Campbell’s PR campaign for Labour in an attempt to win votes. During the 1997 election campaign, the Conservatives tried to convince voters that New Labour was simply ‘Old’ Labour in disguise using the ‘New Labour, New Danger’ slogan. Some political scientists, notably Driver and Martell assert that the political positioning of ‘New’ Labour is nothing more than Liberal Conservatism. They would argue that ‘New Labour’ is simply an extension of Thatcherism inasmuch as it is no different from Thatcherite attempts to blend traditional conservative and classical liberal principles. Pointing to Conservative prescriptions regarding education, the family and welfare, they assert that ‘New Labour’ is simply a progression of Thatcherism. Blair sees ‘New Labour’ as a new means to an old end, believing that the party has the same values yet is using new ways to achieve these aims. Apart from the rejection of Clause 4, how then is ‘New’ Labour different from ‘Old’ Labour? Dearlove and Saunders regard ‘New Labour’ to be Liberal Socialism. New Labour has rejected its classed based socialism in exchange for what many believe to be ethical socialism which has been largely influenced by Blair’s own Christian beliefs and the Labour ‘tradition of self help and mutual aid. Dennis and Halsey have defined ethical socialism as ‘a moral community in which freedom is gained for every member through the sharing of what they have, in equal mutual respect for the freedom of all’. Where Thatcher ‘sought to temper the free market individualism of neo-liberalism with an emphasis on traditional conservative values’ Blair has tried to temper the individualism of neo-liberalism with traditional ethical socialist values of equality, fraternity, self improvement and moral rectitude, in an attempt to amalgama te neo-liberal economics and socialist ethics. Whereas ‘Old Labour’ had been based on the big ideas of socialism and collectivism for the advancement of the working class, ‘New’ Labour attempts to reconstruct the state with more democracy and individual responsibility based on ‘co-operative self-help’ and the idea of communitarianism whereby individuals have a responsibility to help themselves and those immediately around them in their community. There is a new emphasis on social cohesion and ‘New’ Labour’s attempts to repair the social fabric of society. ‘New’ Labour is attempting to maintain the dynamic, innovative and efficient aspects and advantages of a liberalised economy whilst trying to avoid the inimical and often inevitable social fragmentation. One aspect of this is the shift from the ‘Old’ Labour stance on providing a large welfare state as a means of creating a more egalitarian society to ‘New’ Labour’s smaller we lfare state which is based on the principle of ‘hand up, not hand-out’ and the idea that the community and the individual should exist for each other’s benefit. The Ethical Socialist ideals are further perpetuated with ‘New’ Labour’s belief in stakeholder capitalism – the idea that every citizen must be included in the society they live in by being made to feel they have a long term stake in it using the idea of the welfare state and universal provision of services such as healthcare and education. Unlike ‘Old’ Labour’s focus on the interests and needs of the working classes, the trade unions and the poor, ‘New’ Labour concerns itself with the interests of consumers, especially middle Britain and a new deal for citizens. Anthony Giddens argues that this is largely in response to the impact of ‘post-materialism’. This idea asserts, â€Å"after a certain level of prosperity has been reached, voters become concerned less with economic issues than with the quality of their lives.†[8] In order to get the middle England vote, New Labour needed to accommodate for these voters. Giddens also suggests New Labour’s shift is a reflection of class dealignment and the decline of the blue collar, working class which meant Labour could no longer rely on a consistent ‘class bloc’ to vote for them. ‘New’ Labour has largely rejected a Keynesian style economy using demand management style that had been characteristic of ‘Old’ Labour. ‘New’ Labour has also rejected its former ideology of nationalised industry and public ownership replacing this with a much more free market approach and even privatisation of some former publicly owned services such as the London Underground. To argue that there are no discernable differences between ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Labour would be both naà ¯ve and crass. Like most political parties, since its inception, Labour has evolved, changing both its organisation and ideology to reflect changes in society and voters needs. The gap between the Left and Right has significantly narrowed with ‘New’ Labour policy and there are undeniable elements of Thatcherism in ‘New’ Labour although it is certainly not merely an extension of this. Perhaps the most significant change to ‘New’ Labour, the amendment of Clause 4, can be attributed to class dealignment and the decline of the working class that has shifted Labour far away from its socialist and nationalising policies that used to provide the core of its ideology. ‘New’ Labour no longer seeks to nationalise and plan but rather prefers equality of opportunity rather than outcome. ‘New’ Labour is no l onger the preserve of the socialist working class; it has been transformed into a party for middle England as much as the workers. [1] John Dearlove and Peter Saunders – Introduction to British Politics 3rd Edition, Polity 2000 p.394 [2] ibid p.397 [3] John Dearlove and Peter Saunders – Introduction to British Politics 3rd Edition, Polity 2000 p.402 [4] The former ‘Clause 4’ of the Labour Party constitution [5] Tony Blair, speech to the Part of European Socialists’ Congress, Malmo, 6 June 1997 [6] Stephen Driver and Luke Martell – New Labour, Politics after Thatcherism 1998 Polity, p.12 [7] Michael Freeden – The Ideology of New Labour – Political Quarterly 70 (1999) p.48 [8] Anthony Giddens – The Third Way: The Renewal of Democracy Polity p.19

History 1500-1800 Essay

atomic number 63 underwent some(prenominal) massive transports after the geographic expedition of the Americas, the Columbian Exchange, the conversion, the reformation, the Counter-Reformation, the scientific transformation, and several(prenominal) sacred wars. onward these events, the europiumans recognised under monarchies where trust and governing body were one in the same and homo sight was non existent. These events ushered in early ripee Europe and changed the continent forever. In the 1450s, fast changes overtook Europe.Some of these changes were technological, involving advances in firearms and sailing, economic, involving the development of trade net flora, and ghostlike, leading to the geographic expedition of the Americas. Before the exploration of the Americas, the farthest Europeans traveled was northwest toward Ire landed estate. Europeans had of every time been fol get-goers of the sea, single the b honest-to-god exploration into the Americas was their greatest achievement. Before these changes, ninety percent of Europeans were farmers living in small villages. on that point were food shortages due to war and low grain yields which produced a society that was wedded to disease. on that point was a blend of discouragement and ambition that lead the Europeans to the Americas. The Americas meant salvation and guarantor from a war-torn and disease-ridden land. Early modern Europe was a earthly concern of inequalities. iodine quarter of all children died within the premiere year of life, peasants and craft workers made several hundred times less than aristocrats and nobles, and kings were imperfect and warrior lords ran small t gives. The upper classes pictured protection and land for the lower classes and homicide, rape, and robbery were commonplace.Most feared change because early modern Europe lacked enunciate and pledge order and security were so fragile that society clung to these things to keep their lives stabl e. The abrupt deaths due to the scorch Death, which began in 1347, restored the repose between resources and people. People realized that the much people died, the better wages were, prices were lower, and at that place was more land. When Christopher Columbus explored the Americas active one hundred fifty years after the outbreak of the Black Death, the Europeans that settled the Americas experienced the same problems. There was a shortage of food and land.In the Americas, Europes desperate and shining population believed that the New World would provide jobs, land, and wealth. Advances in technology made settling overseas attractive to those looking for precedent and wealth. More efficient ways of establishing character reference and transferring money came along with world trade. (Davidson, Gienapp, Heyrman, Lytle, Stoff, 2006) The Columbian Exchange was twain cultural and biological. The Columbian Exchange was the exchange of European products, much(prenominal) as l ivestock, food, and diseases, to the Americas and the exchange of the same products from the Americas to Europe.The Catholic church, horses, gunpowder, African slaves, and diseases were introduced to the Americas. The Americas introduced foods such(prenominal) as corn, peppers, pumpkins, turkeys, and baccy to Europe. Products from Asia, such as grapes, coffee, sugar cane, rice, and olives were introduced to both Europe and the Americas courtesy of African slaves and European traders. (Harrison, 2006) The Columbian Exchange was extremely eventful to the changes in Europe. In the 1450s, Europeans wanted to deal the world around them, including art. It was a advanced age in Europe that was dubbed the Renaissance.The Renaissance began in Italy and spread throughout Europe. This heading including not only studying old art, further influencing impertinent artists. Master artists, such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo, centre on realism rather than apparitional topics. (The D awn of a New date, 2005) Because artists focused less on spectral topics, the Renaissance was not only about(predicate) art, but as well as about religion. During the secondment decade of the sixteenth century, radical spectral changes were taking place in Europe. The roman letters Catholic church defined religion in Europe in the shopping centre Ages.The Catholic church was a hierarchy. phantasmal institutions in the Middle Ages were decentralized and local. The popes of the Catholic church grew more powerful, and by 1500, the Catholic church had land throughout Europe and collected taxes from church members. Parish priests neglected their duties era popes and bishops flaunted their wealth. Out of this came the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation began with Martin Luther. The Catholic church taught that one had to live a life of good works in order to achieve salvation, but the Bible said that salvation came by faith alone.Martin Luther, due to this notion, became critical of the church. He posted his infamous 95 theses struggle the Catholic hierarchy in 1517. (Davidson et al. , 2006) afterwards Martin Luthers attacks, the Catholic church proposed its own reforms. This was cognize as the Counter-Reformation. Some reforms support society to return to ethical living, but others were only reactions to reformers criticisms.However, during this time, an important group known as the Jesuits was formed. This group was officially accept by the Catholic church in the 1540s. The Counter-Reformation, 1996) The scientific Revolution was the most important of all the changes in Europe during this time. The Scientific Revolution changed European thought in every aspect of human being life. For example, the get that the world functions like a railroad car was introduced at this time. Human knowledge was also separated into different sciences. (The Scientific Revolution, 1996) In short, the Scientific Revolution fine-tuned human thinking and got people to see the world differently. Many phantasmal wars were also a part of the changes in European life.When referring to religious wars, ten different wars involving religion make it to mind. These wars lasted from 1562 to 1598. Religion was the basis for the wars, however, it involved several other aspects of life. In peoples minds, religion was intertwined with society. Religious tolerance was non existent, therefore, new ideas led to destruction. (The Wars of Religion, 2004) All of these events happened for a reason. The Europeans were a desperate people they longed for security and happiness. The entrance into the Americas was a welcome chance for a better life.The Renaissance and Scientific Revolution made individuals think about the world around them preferably of only accepting what they were given or taught. The Reformation, Counter-Reformation, and religious wars expressed different ideas on religion, creating religious tolerance that the world has come to depo se on today. Without all of these events, Europe would motionless be in the Middle Ages. The exploration of the Americas, the Columbian Exchange, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation, the Scientific Revolution, and the religious wars all helped to usher in modern Europe.Before these changes, Europe was a war-trodden and disease-ridden country plagued by poverty and intolerance. These important events helped to enlighten Europeans and gave them want for a better life. All of these factors showed Europeans a different way of looking at the world and their role in their society. by and by these events, Europeans looked forward to wealth, security, and order. They had a greater savvy of what the world held and how it worked. People began thinking instead of just living.