Cultural Context Essay

Even though construction is usually considered as originally the activity of men and machines in digging, moving, shaping, erecting, and so forth, the relative use of building materials by the construction industry far exceeds its share in the gross domestic product. Specifically is construction of great significance for that special class of materials – sometimes called as the â€Å"physical-structure† materials, which made major things of human civilization. Out of these â€Å"physical-structure† materials the more or less long-lasting and reliably shaped are wood and concrete. They are basic building materials for thin-shell roof construction, walls, tanks, large-diameter pipes, runways, highway bridges and many other structures. Main Body Concrete is related to the most significant building technologies in twentieth and the early twenty first century. However, other important building materials, such as wood, also figure in the construction picture. The poured method of concrete building has been so improved that buildings of this material are now erected as rapidly as a wood structure. Engineering departments all over the world are now prepared to assist engineers, architects and builders to apply concrete and wood to their construction work. Increasingly in the beginning of the twentieth century, when builders were asked how they should build the foundation possessing good physical strength, their answer was – concrete. Either by placing the steel frame upon concrete foundations or by placing it upon a more spacious concrete raft foundation, architectural constructors in most cases complement steel with concrete as a problem-solving building material. By reinforcing concrete with steel rods, or by using steel machinery to form concrete blocks as prefabricated building blocks, builders further diversified their architectural techniques. The most approved composition of concrete for general construction consists of a mixture of broken limestone, granite or clean screened mixture of rock fragments, clean coarse sand and cement, in such proportions that the voids between the stone are completely filled by the sand and the voids in the sand completely filled with cement, with a slight excess of cement to guarantee a perfect connection with the stone. To create top-quality concrete, manufacturers need equally high-grade cement. By 1900 approximately three-quarters of that material was Portland cement, named after the tiny island of Portland in the U. K. where a desirable limestone used in its manufacture was descovered. In 1824 Joseph Aspdin, from Leeds, was the first to provide the world with Portland cement, but after 1872 the material was produced in the United States and its popularity spread rapidly (Collins, 1998). At the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition, American Portland cement was displayed to the public as a useful and practical building material, but production only began in earnest in 1880 and domestic cement only began to overtake European imports in 1897, by which time American machinery for crushing aggregate and making concrete had also begun to substitute European machines, even in Europe itself (American Exporter, 1906, 58 (3), pp. 79-87). Wood structures can be constructed more quickly and inexpensively than other kinds. Wood still is used for finish flooring in the living areas of about four out of five homes, although plastic tiles and other materials are gaining ground. Flooring generally involves both the visible flooring and a subflooring. Most frame houses utilize boards for subflooring, but plywood is gaining ground. In buildings which use concrete beams, concrete flooring slabs are generally poured right along with the beams. Steel structures may be floored with poured concrete or with precast concrete or gypsum slabs. Roofs of houses, which have a timber framework and cladding, are likely to have as the foundation wooden board, plywood, or composition planking. However, the current general tendency in home building toward flat, or low-pitched, roofs has led to a partial shift from tile, wood, and asbestos tiles to concrete materials and poured concrete. Because of its important role in residential buildings, wood does only slightly less well than concrete. Although its relative cost has increased with time, it is still the most popular building material all over the world. The open-grained wood of any of numerous coniferous trees, such as pine and cedar, as distinguished from that of a dicotyledonous tree, enters the English home as framing, siding, shingles, finishing panels, sash, millwork, and boarding, used to cover the wall studding or roof joists of a timber frame; the wood of any of numerous broad-leaved dicotyledonous trees, such as oak, beech, ash, etc. – principally as flooring, material used for making panels, and trim. In non-residential buildings, wood is put to practice as the most widely used building material for concrete formwork, railroad ties, telephone poles, railings, fences, and many other purposes (BLAIRSLTD). The chief advantages of wood in construction industry include its ease of production and of process by which wood is packaged and transported, its low thermal conductivity, and its strength-to-weight ratio (which is greater than that of cast iron and is identical to that of the stronger concretes) (Rowell 9). Yet, because of its peculiar weaknesses as an organic material, such as vulnerability to fungi and various insects, its relative lack of versatility in terms of design, and its long-term rise in price in comparison with concrete, the relative role of wood as a building material may to some degree decrease in the future, and further replacement may be projected. If considered as a structural material in large building construction, wood has already been largely replaced by concrete framing, brick or concrete walls, and concrete floors. This trend will probably continue in the future. On the other part, wood framing probably will retain its dominating position in the residential building, although giving way a bit to steel, concrete, perhaps aluminium, and sandwich panel method of building. The advantages of metal roof frameworks are gradually reducing the amount of wood required for roof structures. Moreover, for exterior trimming wood is being increasingly substituted by brick exterior and by panels of such building materials as asbestos, metal, and organic materials with a polymeric structure. Dry wall building and the utilisation of gypsum plasterboard and of metal lath are also considerably lessening the need for wood. The most important role for wood is probably in finished flooring, but there are modern trends toward replacement of composition and various types of synthetic materials even in living areas. Wood, like steel, is yielding to aluminum as the leading building material for window frames, door frames, doorways, trim, and other such purposes. In concrete building the formwork is tending change from wood to steel and plywood and also to plastics. Growing popularity of plywood and of laminated structural members may slow down the trend away from wood. Laminated wood arches, structural frameworks of wood, and roof systems have proved appropriate for spanning distances up to 120 feet, and, because of their attractive and pleasant appearance, are today in frequent use in the building of churches and temples, buildings for public gatherings or meetings, shopping areas, and the similar places. Plywood, which to some degree possesses more physical strength than lumber, may replace lumber in almost any of its uses; it is already extensively used in subflooring, boarding, interior panelling, concrete forms, and so forth. Thus, it may be expected to grow in total use at almost twice the rate predicted for lumber. Use of concrete in building is constantly increasing today. It is a changeable mixture of portland cement, fine aggregates (almost always sand), and coarse aggregates (crushed stone, gravel, cinder, slag, or whatever else is available within a particular area). The proportions of these ingredients are influenced by the particular use to which the concrete is to be intended, but they are at most times 1:2:4. As can be seen, cement is the minor component in this mixture. The fact that concrete is the most extensively used building material can be explained by its advantages related to wood among which are versatility, its high breaking strength relative to bricks and other kinds of masonry materials, the low price which makes it comparatively inexpensive material relative to structural steel, and in essence the presence of concrete components almost in all areas (Classic Encyclopaedia). The main uses of concrete in England are in dams, water tanks, pipes and sewers, heavy walls, piers, caissons, columns, and road and sidewalk pavements. In addition, concrete is utilised in the form of units cast in a particular form before being used in building, such as concrete blocks and cast stone, whose principal advantage over wood, brick, and structural tile is that they are costing relatively little. Because of the low flexural strength of concrete, it is combined with steel in most of its construction applications (Classic Encyclopaedia). This combination is made possible by the match of coefficients of thermal expansion of these materials. The amount of reinforcing steel – rods, wire, wire-mesh, and so forth – needed for a concrete structure is only one-third to one-half the amount needed for a similar completely steel structure. In England, the possibilities of this technique of construction are just beginning to extend its use beyond massive complex constructions. The chief disadvantages of reinforced concrete (also known as ferroconcrete or armoured concrete) in comparison with structural steel are the time and costs of construction, even if one takes account of the applying paints to the surface of steel members and their trimming. It is costly to build and remove forms, shores, and temporary metal or wooden frameworks. Most of the developments, which been made not long ago, in methods of concrete building are somehow related to reducing expense on forms, First, as an alternative to the traditional lumber and plywood, steel – and more recently, plastic with fibrous matter to confer additional strength – forms have been experimented. Plastics are especially showing great promise, in view of the fact that they are smooth and easily utilised, able to keep water, may be given extraordinary shapes, and may be use again and again from fifteen to twenty times. Second, â€Å"slip-form† pavers have been successfully employed in laying road pavements (Green 1-2). Third, precasting of concrete members has been used as a mass production technique and to provide solid and robust in construction, more unchanging in form concrete, but presents some transportation problems. Fourthly, so-called tilt-up construction and lift-slab construction has permitted walls, floors, and columns to be poured on a horizontal surface and then either tilted or lifted into place. Finally, able to be used more than once, adjustable length steel trusses have removed the need for the multiple strengthening which differently has to be placed under the conventional built-up forms. The faster such form-saving processes are improved and used by engineers and constructors, the faster steel concrete is likely to be used as a structural material. One more limitation of usual concrete is its low heat insulation value. That is why concrete walls are occasionally of a non-load bearing, sandwich type, being composed of a layer of insulating material cast between two concrete slabs. In this application, concrete is to a serious degree threatened by other types of curtain walls, including various types of sandwiches. Alternative way to give concrete protecting properties is to make it with relatively light weight aggregates – such as vermiculite, expanded clay, and so forth. In this form, it not any more has sufficient quality of being physically strong to be used for load bearing purposes, although it has been very well utilised in long-span roof building. Prestressed concrete has gotten great significance as a building material. The basic characteristic of prestressed concrete is that, by compressing concrete and keeping it under compression, the tensile stresses caused by loads are neutralized (CEMENT). The compression is accomplished by casting the concrete around stretched rods or cables, the tension on which is released as the concrete sets. A prestressed beam needs only one-fourth the weight of the steel and one-half the weight of concrete which is needed to support the same load by a usual reinforced concrete member. Although it was patented by a San Francisco engineer in 1886, prestressed concrete did not emerge as an accepted and effective building material until a half-century later. Since then it had been intensively used in Europe for structural purposes. Up to the present moment, prestressed concrete’s applications have been limited mostly to pipes, tanks, runways, and from time to time highway bridges. As engineers and constructors gain experience and manage to reduce the manufacturing expenses, prestressing may become competitive with steel and with reinforced concrete building. After weighing up all the factors, the trend is more toward a substitution of concrete for other building materials than of other building materials for concrete. The use of portland cement which is made by heating a slurry of clay and crushed chalk should more than double in the next decades, may presumably triple, and at its lowest is expected to become greater by at least one-third.

The Pit and the Pendulum: Movie vs. Book

The Pit and the Pendulum is a book written by Edgar Allen Poe in 1842. Years later, in 1961, a movie was made. Directed by Roger Corman, the film is a lot different than the movie, though it does have a few similarities. One of the few similarities is the pendulum sequence. When Francis is strapped down to the â€Å"bed,† the pendulum comes inches closer and closer, slowly, as in the book. Right as it’s about to kill him, he’s saved. Another similarity, though minor, is the involvement of a pit.A major difference is the involvement of a plot. In the book, there’s almost no plot at all, except that the character is a military man in France. In the movie, the plot is long, explained well, and a little more interesting than the book. The pit and pendulum themselves have very little involvement in the movie, while in the book, they’re almost always involved and the pit is introduced almost right away. Also, in the movie, there are way more characters. I think Roger Corman did a pretty mediocre job making a movie out of the book.I understand that the movie wasn’t really meant to be based off of the book entirely, but they could have involved the pit and the pendulum a little more throughout the movie. Although the plot was good and had plenty of shock, I did like the plot of the book a little more. If I wrote the script, I would have added a lot more to the plot of the book and kept it. It seems like Corman just made the movie with the title, and only had the pit and the pendulum stay. In short, Corman could have done better.

Language and torture Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Language and torture - Dissertation Example The entire situation gave rise to a new phrase, â€Å"War on Terror† which became a popular part of any lexicon. More than a phrase, as highlighted by Reese (2001), new frames were devised for ‘organizing principles that are socially shared and persistent over time, that work symbolically to meaningfully structure the social world’. As would any policy or the strategy advocate, administrations would look attracting legal frames to explain the concerns and would put their efforts to gain the discursive efforts, as antagonists, in turn, would seek to challenge those explanations and search for more favourable ones (Pan and Kosicki, 2001). One of the biggest errors in the American history of foreign policy is the creation of the political atmosphere that shaped the social thoughts to take the nation into the so-called War on Terror. The purpose of this dissertation revolves around the main point that how the War on Terror emerged as a social principle that was transm itted through the US press. It emerged as a challenge for American Journalists to resist the national concerns and pro-Bush commitment towards the nation which was narrated to them after the dreadful events of 9/11 followed by the Iraq war. In this dissertation, I have tried to explain that how the War on Terror was highlighted in the media, policy documents and presidential speeches which ultimately changed the mind-set of the general public. The paper explores that how the news media has remained active in propagating the entire situation and the various reports being published on the War on Terror after the incidence of 9/11. For example, USA Today is one of the examples that appeared as a prototypical national newspaper. In my opinion, the phrase; War on Terror was used very intelligently by certain group of people with specific agendas. It is very difficult, if not impossible to mention the specificities of those motivation, plans and goals; but if we analyse the matter with re trograde analysis one can easily understand the reasons behind the intentions of those unseen individuals. Although intentions are impossible to judge and express in words, I will try my best to give my abstract view on this particular matter. I believe that the war on terror was not only well engineered but also was well executed, when it comes to the achievement of those unseen hands, whereas the general public in many nations including United states of America has suffered tremendous damage to economy and reputation globally. The hands involved in the war was multinational with full of greed and hunger for power not to benefit any nation but to achieve personal power to shape the global economy, transfer of power and wealth. That war was good enough to stimulate the movement of industrial wheel of war related machineries, technologies and services at the cost of innocent human lives on both ends of the conflict and tax money of hard working people; which eventually ended up into rewarding the unseen group members and their friends a big chunk of wealth. Introduction In crude terms, it is commonly accepted that throughout the 20th century, U.S agents have engaged in what is termed by many as torture in numerous locations and at numerous times. The United Nations Convention Against torture â€Å"leaves no space for exceptional circumstances, whatsoever, such a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency which may be invoked

Video Conferencing For Thronton's Training Department Research Proposal

Video Conferencing For Thronton's Training Department - Research Proposal Example Overall, it is estimated over 11 million business meeting occurring on a daily basis (Verizon, 1999). However, similar study in 2003 indicated that the majority of face-to-face meeting participants believe that meetings are a waste of time (Verizon, 2003). This situation reveals two organizational problems. First, the amount of time that people spend in meetings makes it difficult for them to participate in most of them. Second, it can be difficult to remember what was said or accomplished in each one. These problems arise primarily from how participants attend meetings and how archives of meetings are created for later remembering and information retrieval. As participants are frequently traveling to attend face-to-face meetings, the cost-benefit ratio of attending meetings is also soaring. This in turn gives rise to a feeling of â€Å"wasted time.† Similar situation when too much time, efforts and finances are spent ineffectively occurs with corporate training of personnel at Thronton’s company. Practically, for Thronton’s company yearly cost of corporate personnel training exceeds a million dollars due to traveling and accommodation expenses for hundreds managers. Global trainers are brought to Thronton’s training center in Kentucky two times per year to ensure that qualifications of company’s employees are current and adequately correspond to Thronton’s business needs. The training and development at Thronton’s is conducted in the several areas that are critical for any type of business, particularly: In addressing the need to provide wider access to professional development and offer a more flexible form of training, Thronton’s company should develop a three-year training and development strategy addressed entirely through videoconferencing technology, particularly desktop video conference (DVC) as a main method on delivering

A theroretical written paper ( discuss Howard Gardner's intelligence Essay

A theroretical written paper ( discuss Howard Gardner's intelligence theory. How could the teacher implement the theory to ensure that all pupils needs are addressed - Essay Example The hands-on experience is gained as a teacher heightened my interest in the acquisition of language, the development of learning modes and revolution of teaching methodology. Thus stated, this paper purposes to discuss the Gardner’s multiple intelligent theory and explore its applications in the classroom environment as well as out of class in a general bid to assist students acquire effective learning strategies and implement them effectively for the achievement of lifelong learning. Vocational students have been observed to have a lower motivation for learning the language. This has resulted into them being less prepared and competent in learning the English language. Even though the author observed that some of her students had inherent and different talents in other various fields for example story- telling, singing or painting, these students were considered to be dumb because of their failure in academics. From the author’s view derived from the teaching experience, she identified a linkage between the basic concepts stipulated in the multiple intelligence theory and the needs of her students’. In addition, these strategies were instrumental in the boosting of the confidence and self-esteem as well as the interest in language learning amongst these students. In his theory, Gardner stipulated that there exists a minimum of seven basic intelligences. These intelligences are named below as Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence, Musical Intelligence, Visual/Spatial Intelligence, Intrapersonal Intelligence, Logical/Mathematical Intelligence, Interpersonal Intelligence, and lastly Bodily/Kinaesthetic Intelligence. Gardner came up with an eighth intelligence in the year 1996 and labelled it the naturalist intelligence. In developing this eighth intelligence, in his own words, he stated that â€Å"it is not if you are smart, but how you are smart† (Gardner, 1983). A criterion has been developed by Gardner in

Should America have stronger Gun Control laws Term Paper

Should America have stronger Gun Control laws - Term Paper Example The debate seldom applies to hunter’s rights. However, outlawing handguns outright would affect hunters as well as people that simply wish to protect themselves. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states, â€Å"A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed† (â€Å"The Constitution†, 2006). This, as were all of the first ten amendments to the Constitution, was added by the Founding Fathers so as to provide a more clear definition of the specific rights guaranteed to Americans. Gun control advocates consider the Second Amendment to be â€Å"obsolete; or is intended solely to guard against suppression of state militias by the central government and therefore restricted in scope by that intent; or does not guarantee a right that is absolute, but one that can be limited by reasonable requirements† (Krouse, 2002). However, they only question the need for people to own firearms that are not primarily designed for sporting purposes such as hunting. Obviously, the right to own arms was of supreme importance to the Founders given that it was listed second only after the freedom of religion and speech was documented in the First Amendment. The Founders knew that by ensuring the right to own arms, citizens would have the ability to protect themselves from that which might endanger their life, liberty or pursuit of happiness. This could include bodily protection from persons and animals or from an oppressive government that threatened the freedoms outlined in the Constitution. â€Å"The Second Amendment reflects the founders’ belief that an armed citizenry, called the ‘general militia’ was a necessary precaution against tyranny by our own government and its army. The idea that government has a constitutional right to disarm the general citizenry is totally foreign to the intent of the Constitution’s framersâ₠¬  (Reynolds & Caruth III, 1992). Attempting to disarm criminals is a great plan in some fairy-tale land but is a fruitless venture in the real world. â€Å"The ratio of people who commit handgun crimes each year to handguns is 1:400; that of handgun homicides to handguns is 1:3,600. Because the ratio of handguns to handgun criminals is so high, the criminals supply would continue with barely an interruption† (Department of Commerce, 1986: 171). The prohibition of guns in an effort to diminish criminal activity is as reasonable solution in much the same way the prohibition of alcohol would diminish the occurrences of driving while intoxicated (Kopel, 1988). Gun-control advocates argue that handguns serve no purpose except to shoot people. Any hunter will tell you that this is untrue. This underscores the lack of knowledge these advocates possess concerning the activity they denounce. Handguns are bought mainly for reasons of self-defense but nearly 20 percent buy handguns to use for sport-shooting, target practice and about 15 percent buy handguns as collector’s items. Hunters regularly use handguns as a protection against snakes and to hunt game animals (Aagard, 1987: 32). Anti-Thesis The prohibition of guns in an effort to diminish criminal activity is as reasonable solution in much the same way the prohibition of alcohol would diminish the occurrences of driving while intoxicated. The concept that the easy access to firearms has an important impact on the homicide rates in this country is supported by the preponderance of the evidence.

Discussion 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Discussion 2 - Essay Example Such claims are useful in the development of evaluation and management services. A second section of the website is the evaluation and management services guide. It contains updated information as per the date of December 2010. This part provides educational information appertaining the processes of evaluation and management. The section is resourceful in the sense that it provides specific information regarding such processes as medical record documentation, coding considerations, guidelines for management services as contained in the details of 1997, and specific details on billing. The information is also important in the manner in which it provides specific updates as occurred in the year 1995 and 2010. The use of this information on the website can enrich the service offered in time of patient encounter through systematic and procedural methodologies. The site also features tutorial materials for the clients with information on signing into some of the products offered. Deciding on the correct form of E&M code is a task that is dependent on matching the features and the needs. The websites provides a range of services that are tailored to specific tasks. It helps in decision making through the clarification and simplification of information in an orderly and systematic

Reggio Emilia research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reggio Emilia research - Essay Example Malaguzzi developed a learning program or self-guided curriculum that had basis on respect, obligation, and community principles that influenced self-discovery and contributing to the enrichment of the environment basing on the interests of the children. The basis of this curricular was to provide education coupled with care where the parents of Reggio Emilia influenced its development through their sale of military equipments that had remained after the World War II. 1. The Reggio Emilia curriculum Since its inception, the Reggio Emilia Approach to offering education has experienced immense improvements in an attempt to improve the learning standards of children. The Reggio curriculum is the Approach that emerged in which the adopters of this philosophy became the Reggio educators. As per the curriculum, the educators are responsible for developing the educational goals that are in line with the intensive expansion of knowledge. In the Reggio application, most of the curriculum impl emented through projects results from the input of children or teachers meaning that it is a flexible education Approach. Ideally, children tend to be curious beings especially when at a tender age meaning that the learning project may change depending on the subjects that have caught their eyes (Grotewell & Burton, 2008). In this learning process, the project developed by either the children or the teachers signifies that children conduct this curriculum while their teachers guide them (Arnstrong, 2006). The Reggio curriculum projects may take months before completion depending on their length meaning a shorter Reggio Emilia project may take shorter to complete. 2. What does Reggio Emilia mean? When a child starts going to school, this means that from that point forward there would be lesser parent involvement, which might be a scary thought for many parents. The lessons rely heavily on structures developed by teachers meaning that there is less play and more study work for the chi ldren. As per the Reggio Emilia Approach, the application is different because parents, teachers, and children become equal stakeholders in the learning process. Presently, the Reggio Emilia application is a module that preschools and kindergartens in the world have adopted with plans to include the program in the elementary classes in the piping. In essence, Reggio Emilia is not a philosophy that bases on a set of established beliefs, but rather it is a philosophical approach whose fundamental values focus on the learning outcomes for children. In this approach, there are several core principles embedded in the execution of this philosophy in learning that include significance of the learning environment, the child being an active participant to the learning process, making the learning visible, and having the three stakeholders of the learning process to collaborate. The most critical part of the process is influencing the children to learn more within the program through the supp ort of the parents and the teachers alike as curiosity heightens the quest for knowledge for young children. Key beliefs that the Reggio Emilia model promotes regarding the learning and development of young children According to Morrison (2010), the Reggio Emilia program is applicable to children from the age of three months to those age six years in which many schools in the USA have incorporated it into their early childhood learning systems. Ideally, the execution of

Violence on Television Essay Example for Free

Violence on Television Essay Used mostly in promotional purposes, television shows that contain violence to any degree have become so rampant. Though there are some provisions that somehow restrict or limit the air time when they are shown and also the extent to which violent acts are shown. I think, still, there must be one good move to be taken into consideration. I think this movement should abide by this statement: The amount of violence on television must be reduced and the airing time of the TV shows that contain violence must only be during the time when children are in bed, or they can even be banned when the violence is too offensive. As I said, violence acts are mostly for promotions. Since viewers were stimulated as their adrenalin rushed when suspense happen during shooting of guns or murder cases, this is also the time when promotions pops out, thus enabling viewers to see the promotion (www. ridgenet. org/ 20href=). If this is the case, why can they search for another opportunity when they can advertise their business? Other genre of shows like comedy that contains no act of violence also excites viewers, thus these kinds can serve as an opportunity. Promotions are not that big as the next problem I will present regarding the showing of TV shows with violent acts. Adults have greater experience, obviously, that’s why they can understand that violent acts on TV are just for the sake of entertainment. For them, it is just another thing in TV that can somehow entertain and in some case educate them; but children are not like them. According to psychologists, children in toddler stage are instinctively wants to imitate adult human behavior and that they are not geared up with the knowledge of choosing which should be imitated or not. Thus exposing them to these acts may cause them to imitate violent acts which are obviously not proper. In a survey made in America by a group of psychologists, children of ages 2 to 5 are watching television for an average of almost 30 hours. Also, based on studies, children up to four years of age cannot recognize which is factual from fantasy without adult intervention. This may cause them to believe that what they see is true (Centerwall). Aside from imitation, there are many other psychological effects for children of seeing violence on television. Children who watch violence are most likely to be aggressive and behave the same way as what he saw. That is, he will become more and more violent if he sees more and more violence. Also, their views about the world may change. They may think that the world we’re living is dangerous and that to survive, they are meant to be aggressive. They may also become insensitive to other for they saw that it is so natural for some person to be hit or killed or be hurt by others. They are also the type that would react slowly during emergency. What’s so alarming is that these behaviors can be carried through teenage years and even in adulthood. According to Dr. Leonard Eron of the University of Illinois, children exposed to violence become aggressive when they are teenagers and be more likely to be arrested when they become adult (Centerwall). These made me come up with the conclusion of limiting the airing time to the time when children are in bed, which is about before 5am to after 10 pm. What is missing about my argument is the role of parents about this matter. Truly, it is their responsibility to guide their children while watching; but we cannot always count on them for they have also their own responsibilities. They are busy with home chores or they go to work that they had no enough time to ensure that their children are watching what should be watched. Let us not deny the fact that most children can freely open the television and watch even if their parents are not there and sometimes parents use television as baby sitters. Let us also take not that even funny cartoons contain violence so let us also be aware of them. According to one survey made by a TV station on parents, almost 70% parents believe that there is too much amount of violent acts that are shown in TV. Forty percent of the total respondents believe that these acts are not good for their children (Blue Oceans Psychology). That’s why, the amount of the violence in TV shows must be reduced. To take a big step about this problem, it is better to define the responsibilities of the bodies that are concern with the matter. Let’s look at the TV manufacturers. The law now makes a move of pushing manufacturers to enable a blocking system in every unit. This will prevent children from free access of shows unless their parents will allow them; but this will need some increase of awareness since parents are not that expert in which to watch or not. This will lead us to the TV ratings board which judge TV shows whether they are suitable to an age bracket or not. I also just like them to have the authority of banning programs where violence shown is too offensive. And lastly, the parents, themselves, are one of the key role players in this matter. Their guidance still is the best factor in shaping the character of their children. Today, there are still debates on between TV operators and those that push against violence on TV. Though research results are presented, we cannot easily say that TV is doing wrong since its business for them. Right now, all of us must be aware and be observant so that every detail of this problem must be taken into account.

Military and Civilians the Difference Is the Same Essay Example for Free

Military and Civilians the Difference Is the Same Essay The United States military is known for their â€Å"free† benefits to the armed forces. People say the military is like the civilian sector in terms of salary and benefits. This essay will look at two sections between military specifically using the Marine Corps for analysis and civilian sector using information for a logistician to see how similar these two groups are. The first comparison to be examined is the pay for the military. The military wages are based on a pay scale issued by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) grouped by time in grade and time in service (or their rank and how long that service member has been in). A Marine’s pay can fluctuate depending on numerous factors to include how many dependents they have, the cost of living where the Marine is stationed, and if the Marine is deployed to a combat zone. An example of this fluctuation is Marine Sergeant A of four years will make a base pay of $2,487 dollars while a Marine Sergeant B of ten years will make a base pay of $2,995. This increase in base pay is due to the Marine A being in for only four years while, Marine B is in for 10 years. This is how the pay scale is used by time in service. A pay raise in the military can come in two ways. The first way, according military.com, a pay raise is awarded as an annual pay raise issued by the House Armed Services Committee, which for the 2012 Fiscal Year was 1.6 percent. The second way a Marine can achieve a pay raise is through promotion to another grade (or rank). Using the above example in the case of the 10 year Sergeant with a base pay of 2,995 gets promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant his pay will increase from that 2,995 to $3,243. The comparison of the civilian pay is not as extensive as the military in the determination of pay. The civilian business sector determines pay or sal ary during the interview process. This means the pay an employee starts with begins early in the employment process. Government contractors give a salary range that they are willing to work for and if hired are paid within that range. The employee has the option to receive pay raises as well. The two ways a pay raise can be acquired by civilians are employee performance evaluations, and promotions. The first of the two options is achieved on an annual basis. The performance evaluation looks at how well you’ve done for the year in regards to your work performance, job knowledge, communication skills, initiative, teamwork, and many other factors. These factors are given a grade and depending on that overall score a percentage is calculated  and delegates how much a raise is deemed appropriate for the employee. The better the job performance all around, the better the raise will be. If your performance is subpar, then the raise percentage will also reflect the same. The next option for a pay raise is promotion. This is done as a reward for excellent service and the management seeing that and placing you in a higher position than you were to begin with. The terms of promotion would be discussed at the time of the position being offered. The military and civilian both show similarities in pay raises but show stark differences when it comes to each goups basic pay. The medical and educational benefits of the two groups are similar in they provide the same set of options. Medical, to include dental and vision, will begin our comparison. The military, according to military.com, provides active duty personnel with TRICARE Prime. This includes medical coverage, dental coverage and vision coverage. TRICARE Prime is accepted at military hospitals and clinics for all facets of medical, dental and vision care. In the civilian sector medical, vision, and dental are sponsored by different companies. As an example, Qinetiq North America uses Anthem as the companies medical and vision coverage while Delta Dental is used separately for its dental coverage. Education is another benefit that military and civilians partake of while employed. The military has many different types of tuition assistance that can be used by military personnel during enlistment and after discharge from active service. These education benefits include the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post 9/11 GI Bill. The military has tuition assistance that can be used while in the armed services and is provided free of charge to the service member. When the service member is discharged from the armed services, that person then has the option to use either the Montgomery GI Bill (MGB) or the Post 9/11 GI Bill. These two education benefits have duration of 36 months of use. The education benefits of a civilian in the work force can be limited. Many major companies provide some tuition assistance to their employees. Unlike the military once the employee leaves the company the education benefits end at the time of termination. The military and civilian sectors have many striking similarities. While the military is very black and white the civilian sector has room for  discussion in many of the benefits that have been examined. The militaries benefits are predetermined in terms of pay, medical and educational benefits. However, civilians have the same benefits but with more options to choose in terms of how much the employee gets compensated for working with the company and what medical care they want. Examining both groups shows that even though both groups operate differently they are in many ways the same. References 2012 Military Pay Charts. (n.d.). Military.com Benefits Resources. Retrieved from http://www.military.com/military/benefits/0,15465,2012-1pt6-Pct-Military-Pay,00.html Defense Finance and Accounting Services. (2012, January 10). Retrieved October 13, 2012, from http://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers.html TRICARE Prime Overview. (n.d.). Military.com Benefits. Retrieved October 13, 2012, from http://www.military.com/benefits/tricare/prime/tricare-prime-overview.html

The Effectiveness Of Hand Washing Nursing Essay

The Effectiveness Of Hand Washing Nursing Essay This essay attempts to investigate whether hand washing is an effective technique in the prevention of the spread of infection. I will do this by analyzing the existing evidence in relation to the hierarchy of evidence. I will then use the Critical Skills Appraisal Programme (CASP) (2006) to discuss three studies, while looking at the related literature. Finally in the conclusion I will discuss how the evidence I have analyzed will affect my future practice. According to the centers of disease control (2002) hand washing is the simplest most effective measure for preventing the spread of bacteria, pathogens and viruses. Hamer (1999) reports evidence based practice aims to aid professionals in effective decision making to reduce ineffective, inappropriate possible hazardous practices. The strength of the hierarchy of evidence is that it acknowledges the valid contribution of evidence generated by a range of different types of research. However, hierarchies only provide a guide to the strength of the available evidence and other issues such as the quality of research also have an important influence (Evans, 2003). Cool et al 1992 suggest that the highest form of evidence available should be combined with the highest recommendation range as this suggests superior validity, applying these forms of evidence to practice should be considered. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) guide lines would support this idea that the use of evidence-based practice is appropriate and necessary within the clinical setting. According to Duffy (2008) reflection is a development process, which should benefit the heal th care professional and their practice as a result. The Gibbs (1988) reflection model will be used throughout this essay to help reflect on the chosen aspect of nursing. Gibbs model of reflection (1988) begins by giving a description of the event. While on placement I was caring for an elderly man. In a three hour period this patient had four episodes of a sudden need to have his bowels opened. Each time the stool appeared to be loose. After the third episode I told my mentor who told me to talk a sample the next time he had his bowels opened. We also made other members of the team aware of this. Following these episodes the patient began to vomit frequently. My mentor along with the senior nurse decided that the patient should be place in a side room to prevent the spread of a possible infection the patient may have. Once the patient had been transferred to his room all staff were to wear aprons and gloves when in the room and to wash their hands when leaving the room. My mentor explained to me that these steps were taken to prevent the spread of infection. I have decided to look at the evidence that suggests that hand hygiene helps to prevent the s pread of infection as from talking to other members of staff they knew they should wash their hands for infection control reasons but knew little more. The CASP (2006) tool will be used to appraise the chosen research. Search engines such as Internurse, Journal of advance nursing and Cochrane Collaboration were used. Three main bodies of research will be focused on throughout this essay. Ejemot RI et al (2009) carried out a systematic review to evaluate the effects of interventions to promote hand washing on diarrhea episodes in children and adults. Two authors independently assessed trial eligibility and risk of bias. In order for evidence based medicine to be practiced clinical expertise and clinical evidence from systematic reviews need to be combined (Sackett et al, 1997). Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were pooled using the generic inverse variance method and random-effects model with 95% confidence intervals (CI). This systematic review was carried out in 2009 with 14 Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) meeting the inclusion criteria. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are perceived as the gold-standard evaluation method for evidence based medicine and the rest to be a lower level evidence (Fielding et al, 2008). The evidence within this journal is considered to have a high impact factor. The impact factor of a journal reflects the frequency with which the journal s articles are cited in the scientific literature (Saha et al, 2003). The impact factor is used to determine the quality of a piece of evidence (Garfield, 2005). Eight trials were institution-based in high-income countries (7711 participants), five were community-based in low or middle-income countries (8055 participants), and one was in a high-risk group (people with acquired immune deficiency syndrome), these sample sizes are adequate, however the trials were carried out in various countries such as China, Australia, Europe, and North America where resources and materials for hand washing are relatively available and accessible with the exception of China. This may hinder the results. Results showed a 39% reduction in diarrhoea episodes in children in institutions in high-income countries and a 32% reduction in episodes in children living in communities in low- or middle-income countries. The author acknowledges the need for longer follow up periods. Randle et al (2010) performed an observational study which measured healthcare workers (HCWs), patients and visitors hand hygiene compliance over a 24Â  hour period. The study took place in two hospital wards in 2010. This study monitored a total of 823 hand hygiene opportunities. 659 (80%) of these participants were HCWs, 75 (9%) for patients and 89 (11%) for visitors. Of the 659 hand hygiene opportunities available to HCWs, compliance by doctors was 47%, nurses 75%, ancillary nurses and other staff 59%, and allied health professionals 78%. For HCWs, compliance did not vary between the two wards but did by shift with compliance being lower in the morning shift. The author has recognized variables that may have affected the results such as profession, ward type, time of day, type of opportunity and patient or visitors. The author also sates the likelihood of HCWs being directly observed was very high. Such a bias might distort compliance percentages. The fact the study took place in one hospital may limit the findings as the specific infrastructure and organisation of work may influence behaviour. Direct observation is the gold standard to monitor compliance to optimal hand hygiene practice and we conducted observations using a previously validated hand hygiene observation tool. There are many advantages and disadvantages to using the direct observational technique. Evaluation brief (2008) state some of the disadvantages may be, observer bias, people usually perform better when they know they are being observed, although indirect observation may decrease this problem, Can be expensive and time-consuming compared to other data collection methods and does not increase your understanding of why people behave as they do. Advantages to the observational technique have been identified by DeWALT and DeWALT (2002) allows you to directly see what people do rather than relying on what people say they did which does not rely on peoples willingness or ability to provide i nformation. Burnett et al (2008) conducted a quantitative study which aimed to study exploring perceptions of nurses and patients towards patient hand hygiene and addressing current practice in relation to patients who were unable to independently perform their own hand hygiene. From the results of this study it is clears that patient hand hygiene is an important factor in controlling and preventing HCAI, but patients still remain unable to carry out this task independently as they are not given the opportunity to do so. Opportunities for hand decontamination were identified. The results showed, 57% opportunities before meal times, 21% opportunities following use of the commode at the bedside, 2% opportunities after using the urinal, 5% opportunities after visiting the toilet, 4% opportunities following vomiting and expectoration of sputum. Ethical considerations were made such as asking for consent. The senior charge nurse gave verbal consent for the study to take place on the various wards. St aff nurses who agree to take part in the studies completed questionnaires that remained anonymous. Patients who took part in this research were asked to provide written consent and finally all participants were given appropriate information explaining the intent of the study. The Human Rights Act protects the right to respect for private and family life and thus supports the need for consent to participate in research (Masson, 2004). All research involving NHS patients or staff or conducted on NHS premises have to be approved by a NHS Ethics Committee (Center of research ethical campaign, 2009).The study approved by The hospitals Committee on Medical Research Ethics. Banfield and Kerr (2005) suggest that patient hand hygiene as HCAI continue to rise despite hand hygiene research and the implementation of a multitude of intervention strategies, the author acknowledges that there were limitations to the study. Such limitations are that patients do not receive to opportunity to partici pate in correct hand hygiene procedure. The author also recommended that patient hand hygiene practices should become an important focus within infection control intervention strategies and consideration should be given to hand hygiene facilities when patients are unable to independently access hand washing sinks. In conclusion I have recognised that there is a large sum of evidence that can be applied to practice in relation to this topic. Appling evidence-based practice within the health care setting faces many barriers such as staff not having the time or means to access or critique data. The most valuable lesson I have learnt throughout this essay is that just because there is research on a topic does not mean that this piece of work is either valuable of credible. Due to this I have realised research should be analysed to determine whether the information is useful and can be applied in practice. From the papers I have analysed I have realised that hand washing is in fact the most effective way to prevent the spread of infection but factors such as environment time and profession can affect people from washing their hands effectively. From undertaking this assignment I feel that I will continue to access evidence which underpins our practice throughout my career.

The Exploration of Literature :: College Admissions Essays

The Exploration of Literature An English degree is about self development and education through the exploration of literature. A student who chooses English will never be expected to learn information by rote, or recycle the views of academics. Developing a unique creativity in relation to the course is the apotheosis of literary study. A degree in English encourages the challenge of critical views, and a communication of new opinions. Students are given freedom to construct a degree programme based on personal interests and strengths. The structure of any individual degree course is likely to centre around the benefits of personal academic choice. A host university will provide support and resources to enable effective tuition, but the significance of the award rests with the enthusiasm and motivation of a student. Tutors and lecturers can supply expert guidance in the themes and ideas which might appeal to individual academic acumen, but ultimately the degree is a personal achievement. An English degree is the production of the student, not the teacher. Lecture programmes are constructed to offer useful background knowledge, and will often allow fascinating scope for expert opinion. Students are given the opportunity to work with the most current literary views, delivered by the country’s foremost academics. However, individual research of selective material is just as valid — if not more so. Students will become adept at mapping a path through critical theories and ideas. No one English student is like another, and even students from the same university will refine their approaches to be radically individual. An English degree will encourage the discussion of academic interests with other students — refining areas of investigation by discussion and debate. Teaching oneself is a fascinating and liberating practice. Similarly, the construction is a two way process. As students piece together, and assemble ideas and literature of personal interest, so the aspects to which they are drawn will construct them as critics.

Book Review- Of mice and men :: essays research papers fc

â€Å"Of Mice and Men† Who would you prefer ending up dead: The first main hero or the second main hero? If your choice is the second main hero then John Steinbeck’s short novel, Of mice and men, is the perfect book for you. And if you like reading books with the first main hero ending up dead, then the best book for you will be†¦Of Mice and men, as well. Because, in a sense, the first main hero dies too. If you kill someone, who play a very important part in your life, with your own hands, won’t you be almost dead too? Set in the harsh depression years of 1930s of America, Of Mice and Men is a typical American style book. America at that time did not respect relations and this is what the book represents. It is set a few miles south of Soledad near the Salinas River. Every chapter starts of with a very detailed description of the settings. â€Å"The deep green pool of the Salinas River was still in the late afternoon. Already the sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the Gabilan Mountains†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (ch. 6). Steinbeck believes what he imagines or he imagines what he believes. That’s why the original name of the short novel was ‘Something that happened’. The attractive simplicity of his writing in this novel is that he achieves the difficult task of telling an unusual story in a convincing manner, without having to explain in any detail why it happened. It was nobody’s fault in particular the event turns out as they did. It was all down to specific combination of circumstances which go to make up the plot. It was as if America did not accept friendship at that time, that’s probably why friends broke up soon. It’s not me who’s saying all this, its Steinbeck’s novel. I never knew friendship could cause these many problems. It was only friendship that made the first main character kills the second main character.