Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Human Genome Project Essays - Genomics, Genetics, Free Essays

The Human Genome Project Essays - Genomics, Genetics, Free Essays The Human Genome Project title = The Human Genome Project The Human Genome Project, What Is It? What would you do if you were given the power to change your genetic code from brown hair to blond?. Man has had this ability through natural selection for some time without knowing it, but in the near future scientist will be able to speed the process of natural selection by changing a persons genes. Scientists have identified what constitutes human DNA located in the nucleus of a cell. The Human Genome Project was established to identify the genes that make us who we are and is now an international organization. The massive task of identifying the numerous gene combinations has created a problem. In the nucleus are 22 genomes, plus two sex chromosomes which have already been identified. In the 22 genome there are approximately 3 billion base pairs of DNA which contain 50,000 to 100,000 genes, a basic unit of heredity. The identification of these base pairs is the goal of the Human Genome Project, which started in 1990 and whose job it is to identify the letters or chromosomes in DNA. These letter s represent nulcleotides called adenine, guanine, thyamine, and cytosine (or A, C, T, G). ('92 BSCS pg. 1) The Human Genome Project idea originated in the mid 1980's and was discussed in the scientific community and media through the latter part of that decade. In the United States the combined effort of the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Health were involved in the project planning. (The National Center For Genetic Reasearch) The Human Genome Project has several goals including identifying the genes of a human assessing the genes and comparing human DNA to that of bacteria, yeasts, the fruit fly, mice, and the Arabidopis thaliana, a small genome plant that grows rapidly. A major purpose is to determine how evolution proceeds from lower organisms to humans, and discover why the smaller genomes of animals have less junk or unneeded DNA. Geneticists use two types of maps to characterize the genes they discovera genetic linkage map and a physical map. A genetic map registers the distance between the fragments of DNA we know according to the frequency with which they are inherited. The physical map measures the actual physical distance between two markers. Scientists want to map and develop technology for rapid genotyping, plus develop markers that are easy to use as well as generate new mapping techniques. (Instrumentation) Scientists can map genes but it is still expensive. One of the ongoing goals of the Human Genome Project is to get the cost of mapping a gene down to 50 cents per base pair. ('92 HSCS pg.3) The enormous information that is and has been generated by the project is used to link sites together around the world through the internet and now some information can be acessed by the general public. Another of the project goals is to create a sequencing capacity at a collective rate of 50 Mb per year. This is supposed to result in the completion of 80 Mb by the end of FY 1998. Many people question whether the Human Genome Project is worth the money spent on it and will it be used negatively toward those who have traits that are considered undesirable by insurance companies and other corporations? The HUMAN GENOME ORGANIZATION has a council of scientists and doctors worldwide who meet to discuss the effects of identifying an individual's genes. In the 1996 Genetics Confidentiality and Nondiscrimmination Act an attempt to addresss this issue as noted in Section 2, " The DNA molecule contain's an individual's genetic information that is uniquely private and inseparate from one's identity. Genetic information is being rapidly sequenced and understood. Genetic information carries special significance. It provides information about one's family, and more importantly, provides information about one's self and and one's self perception." Genetic information has been misused, harming individuals through stigmitization and discrimination. The potential for misuse is tremendous as genetics transcends medicine and has the potential to penetrate many aspects of life including health and life insurance, finance, and education. Experts advocate that genetic information should not be collected, stored, analyzed, nor disclosed without the individual's authorization. Current legal protections for genetic information is, however, inadequate. Uniform rules for collection, storage, and use of DNA samples are needed to protect individual privacy and prevent discrimination while permitting legitimate medical reasearch. The report further states that the reading of a minors DNA should be only with parental or legal guardian consent and only

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The eNotes Blog Reading Round-Up April

Reading Round-Up April We asked everyone in the office to talk about their favorite books from last month. Take a look at our favorite reads from April, and let us know in the comments which books youll be adding to your to-read list. From poetry to physics, theres something for everyone here! Human Hours by Catherine Barnett Page count: 80 Genre: Poetry Publish date: 2018 I picked up Catherine Barnetts Human Hours after hearing her read her work here in Seattle. I was first taken by her reading voice- quiet and carefully holding the poems words- and I find that the experience of reading her poems on the page is similar. Her work is arresting in its simplicity and directness, its refusal to hide that it seeks something. Even when it doesnt explicitly ask, or when it isnt set off by a question mark, her poetry is a question of sorts, an invitation to hushed conversation. The first line of Barnetts poem â€Å"Epistemology† reads, â€Å"Mostly I’d like to feel a little less, know a little more.† And her poems, for me, stitch the gap between feeling and knowing. They can make emotion seem orderly, for a moment; they can make thought felt. - Emma, Editorial Intern The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene Page count: 569 Genre: Nonfiction; Science Publish date: 2003 This March, I read the Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene. Theoretical physics is a difficult topic for most people, but Greene is one of the few authors whos able to make it accessible to the average reader. In this book, he launches into an exploration of spacetime that challenges our fundamental conceptions of reality. His use of metaphor and analogy allows for a reader with little to no background in science to follow complex topics such as Einsteins theory of general relativity, quantum mechanics, and string theory. While the book is overall accessible, it ramps up in difficulty as it goes along, and the last section is particularly challenging and requires multiple reads to understand. Still, the topic is fascinating, and Greene is a fantastic writer. This book will challenge you and open your mind to new, unbelievable ideas. - Anna, Editorial Intern Good Omens by Neil Gaiman Terry Pratchett Page count: 412 Genre: Fiction; Fantasy Publish date: 1990 After trying- and failing- to read through a nonfiction book in March, I looked to my fellow book-loving colleagues to point me in the right direction and found myself speeding through Good Omens. The novel puts a spin on the classic â€Å"end of the world† scenario and asks, â€Å"What if no one knew what they were doing?† Heaven and hell behave akin to disgruntled colleagues or roommates, demons from hell don’t actually know how the world works, and an angel loves sushi too much to want Armageddon to occur. Gaiman’s and Pratchett’s writing styles perfectly complement one another, and I found myself laughing out loud while reading this book. I very much enjoyed Good Omens- it was the perfect novel to get me back in the swing of reading. - Kate, Marketing Coordinator The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders Page count: 368 Genre: Science Fiction Publish date: 2019 Set on a tidally locked planet where humanity has settled in the distant future, Charlie Jane Anders’s second novel explores themes of colonialism, trauma, climate change, and social justice, and carries icy echoes of Ursula K. Le Guin’s classic The Left Hand of Darkness. Anders has a gift not only for wildly imaginative world-building but for revealing her characters’ (often troubled) interior states with vivid realism; there were moments when I had to put the book down and take a deep breath. There’s bleakness and brutality in the future Anders has imagined, but there’s beauty too, as well as dark humor. Most strikingly, The City in the Middle of the Night offers the possibility of a paradigm shift in the idea that â€Å"to join with others to shape a future is the holiest act. This is hard work, and it never stops being hard, but this collective dreaming/designing is the only way we get to keep surviving.† - Jules, Editor Witchmark by C. L. Polk Page count: 318 Genre: Fantasy; Romance Publish date: 2018 This April, I read C. L. Polk’s debut novel Witchmark. Set in a charming world that combines magic and modernity with the aesthetics of Edwardian England, it follows Dr. Miles Singer, a psychiatrist in an underfunded veteran’s hospital, as he tries to escape his past and conceal his magical abilities. However, when a dying patient- and fellow mage- reveals Miles’s true identity to a handsome and mysterious stranger named Tristan, he is forced to decide between maintaining his anonymity and learning to control his abilities. From there, Miles and Tristan become embroiled in an increasingly high-stakes conspiracy that reveals shocking truths about the corruption plaguing their society. Equal parts romance, murder-mystery, paranormal drama, and political thriller, Witchmark left me both satisfied and wanting more. I will definitely be picking up the sequel, Stormsong, when it is released in 2020.    - Marissa, Edorial Intern Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett Page count: 265 Genre: Fiction; Fantasy Publish date: 1988 â€Å"Theres nothing wrong with cackling. In moderation.† - Esme Weatherwax I was given Wyrd Sisters for my birthday and now all I want to do is read Pratchetts Witches series over and over again. Wyrd Sisters features Esme â€Å"Granny† Weatherwax- now one of my favorite characters- and the two other members of the infamous Lancre coven, Gytha â€Å"Nanny† Ogg and Magrat Garlick. Its a fun take of a motley of Shakespeare plays, notably Macbeth and Hamlet: we get the three witches from the former and a play within a play for the latter. This book had me cackling out loud so frequently that I was side-eyed and shushed more than once. Ill never forget Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Oggs utter confusion watching a play for the first time (the concepts of acting and fourth walls and such are completely unknown to them), and young Magrat nervously informing Granny that, in theatre, â€Å"all the women are played by men†- because Granny Weatherwax has â€Å"Views.† Im so excited that I have four more â€Å"Witches† books to read, though Im struggling with whether to greedily gobble or relishingly savor the rest of the series. - Sam, Head of Marketing The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston Page count: 204 Genre: Autobiography Publish date: 1975 This month, I read The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston. The book is a series of stories based on Kingston’s experience as a Chinese-American woman and focuses in detail on her mother’s experience both in China and in the United States. While partially autobiographical, Kingston incorporates elements of fiction into the narrative, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. It took me a little while to get into this book, but I ended up enjoying Kingston’s stories. I was especially interested in reading about the narrator’s mother, whose outlook on life is complicated and unconventional. The stories detail the difficulty of bridging traditional and contemporary values, illustrated by the narrator’s perception of her mother. The beautiful prose made it all the more readable. - Mary, Editorial Intern The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton Page count: 351 Genre: Fiction; Classic Publish date: 1905 This April, I read Edith Whartons The House of Mirth, which tells the story of Lily Bart, a self-possessed socialite looking for a comfortable life without compromising her values- which, lets be honest, sounds perfectly reasonable. However, we see Lilys desires contend time and again with the restrictions imposed on her class and, in particular, her gender in Gilded Age New York. Wharton’s novel is a heartbreaking tragedy and poignant indictment of a society whose debilitating limitations destroy a spirited woman. - Wes, Managing Editor

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Analysis of Innovation at Panasonic Research Paper

Analysis of Innovation at Panasonic - Research Paper Example It promotes a very environmentally friendly image which is a positive and helpful point in promotional activities (Forbes, 2011; Panasonic Website, 2011). When discussing the company’s rich profile of successful products even in today’s competitive world with equally good competitors like Sony, Samsung, Toshiba and Canon, Panasonic has been a very technologically sound and growing firm with consistent improvement and innovation in its products. Panasonic owes much of its success to it Research and Development Centre which has helped it in creating technology oriented products that were a success. Some of these products include SD Memory cards and DVDs. Their Usability Centers established all over the world ensure that the products features and functionality is perfectly in line with the expectations of the company and the consumer. With the help of these, the products that are sold to the final user are competitive and successful in terms of their usage. Panasonic has b een successful at gauging consumer insight and boosting sales due to its impressive technological advancements, producing products that amaze consumers and competitors in the technological industry (Panasonic Annual Report, 2011; Panasonic Website, 2011). ... Panasonic wants to reduce wastage and increase efficiency in its processes. It wants to reduce its costs and believes that recycling products will bring an environmental protection to the world as a whole. Panasonic is showing its initiatives that it has taken for its â€Å"Green Business Innovation† for conservation of energy and efficiently utilizing resources available. Panasonic wants to convert most of this world into a 3D phenomenon which includes personal and professional lives of people. The company has set up a Panasonic Booth for showcasing its plans for becoming the best Green Business Innovator by 2018. The booth constitutes of an Eco Corner which emphasizes on the creation of solutions based on energy conservation usage and storage. The ultimate goal of the eco corner is to promote a lifestyle which is ‘greener’. The Panasonic booth also has a 3D HD presentation wall that airs the full line of products of Panasonic which are 3D solutions, and appear t o be a great experience for those who visit. There is also a Digital Imagery corner and Television Internet service providers followed by a Home theatre corner, AV Solutions and Energy Solutions Zone, all promoting Green Business Innovation. The company’s Annual Report 2011 has shown a steady increase in its Sales all over the world owing to the cutting edge technology usage and its effective promotion. The company was involved in aggressive selling throughout the year and made its way because of its latest digital AVC Networks that constitute of the latest technology products such as camcorders, digital cameras, DVDs, Blue ray technology and other recording/storage items.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

United States Bankruptcy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

United States Bankruptcy - Essay Example Bankruptcy is defined as a person that has been legally declared insolvent due to having a level of debt that places a person in a status in which their regular income is insufficient to pay the person’s monthly obligations (Yahoo, 2008). A bankruptcy was a solution chosen by many reached a point in which lenders were extremely mad since many people with the ability to pay were filing bankruptcy in order to eliminate debt. These con artists were willing to give up the right to have credit for seven years in exchange for a clean slate gain through the elimination of all their debt. In 2005 the US government decided to make some changes to the bankruptcy laws in order to protect the credibility of the financial / banking system in the nation and to ensure people assume responsibility for their financial mishaps. Society at large pays the price of delinquent debtors since those bank losses are factors in the interest rates people receive in their loans such as their mortgage paym ents. This report studies the new bankruptcy law of 2005 referred too as the bankruptcy abuse prevention act. The bankruptcy laws are structure under different chapters which include chapter 13, 11 and 7. Chapter 11 is a bankruptcy alternative for business owners and corporation which provides protection for the business entities so that the lenders do not drive a company out of business if it becomes insolvent. It calls for a reorganization of the corporate debt and lower temporary debt payment so a company can have cash flow to create a new business plan to continue a business going. Chapter 13 is similar to chapter 11 as far as providing temporary relief from lenders, but it applies to individuals. Chapter 13 allows a person to salvage their overall credit by entering into arrangement with creditors to pay off the debt in longer time periods, reducing interest, and holding off all payments for predetermined periods of time

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Socrates Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Socrates Philosophy Essay And now, Athenians, I am not going to argue for my sake, as you may think, but for yours, that you may not sin against the god, or lightly reject his favor by condemning me. For if you kill me you will not easily find another like me, who, if I may use such a ludicrous figure of speech, am a sort of gadfly, given to the state by the god; and the state is like a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life. (Socrates, The Apology) Socrates also refers to himself as a gadfly because he bites, and buzzes at the self-satisfied, which, indebted them to consider matters of virtue. He is also like a gadfly because he is likely to get swatted away because of his bite or words of wisdom. His job was to sting the sleeping horse of the Athenian conscious into wakefulness. Socrates said he was doing a service to the Athenian people by bringing them into reality. What Socrates meant by bringing them into reality was that he was enriching the people with questions and problems that made them think. He wanted them to think for themselves and not just agree with other people like the rich and powerful. He wanted the people to not be scared to think for themselves and he wanted them to learn. When Socrates refers to himself as a gadfly during his trial, he means that he is like an examiner of things. He said that he was given to the state by the god.(Socrates, The Apology) He means by this that he was put here to ask questions to examine life and its surroundings. Socrates is like a gadfly because he pesters his objects or people to hopelessness. He asked so many questions and his questions were so profound and intense, that many people became annoyed at him because they probably could not answer them because they were either too scared to answer them (because they knew that Socrates would probably ask another question on top of the first question if they were able to answer it), or they were just to confused to answer the question Socrates had asked. When Socrates referred himself to a gadfly, it opened up a window to new generations of philosophers who, acted like gadflies themselves. Everywhere we look, we see humanitys philosophical side waking up. People nowa days are asking more questions. I think one of the biggest philosophical questions is where did we come from? Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? From Socrates, we have learned a way to ponder these questions and to come up with our own answers. The role of philosophy is important because people need to ask questions to understand life and reality and what is going on around them. I think that asking questions and trying to find the answers to them makes our souls grow and be healthy. We need a healthy soul to be alive. Socrates wanted people to not be ignorant because he said that was unhealthy for the soul. The only way to not be ignorant is to ask questions. And that is exactly what Socrates did. I think that the whole ordeal of Socrates says that the conduct of philosophy changes. Philosophers conduct themselves in a manner to which they are essential and irreplaceable because of their minds, they have a great presence about them, and they dont criticize others for their beliefs, except for Socrates. On the other hand, people who listen to philosophers or go against them, sometimes are rude, they are ignorant, and they dont understand the point a philosopher is trying to make. The conduct of philosophy depends on the person and how they view things. The conduct of philosophy is like the conduct of gadflies because many people get annoyed by the philosophers because of their questions. By how in depth the questions are and by how many questions the philosophers ask. Some people think that philosophers are bothersome. In conclusion, I think all of these things and other things help to define what philosophy is today. If we didnt have people like Socrates and Plato and other great philosophers, where would we be to day in the realm of philosophy? Would people actually want or learn to question certain subjects? I think that if they hadnt ever been born, then we wouldnt think for our selves, or think great thoughts. We would be living in a pretty boring world.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Essay --

Tribal Rights and Sovereignty of the Yakama Nation and Klamath Tribes Quinn Buchwald AP United States Government, 1st Period Ms. Peck December 17, 2013 The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation is a sovereign Native American tribal entity in Washington State. The tribe's reservation is located in southern Washington State and is east of the Cascade Mountains. The reservation is 2,185.94 square miles and has a population of over 30,000. The tribe itself has almost 11,000 enrolled members. The Yakama Tribe consists of multiple groups of Native Americans, including the Klikitat, Palus, Walla Walla, Wanapam, Wishram, and Yakama. These people have lived here for thousands of years and have developed their own very unique way of life and culture. They belong to a larger cultural group known as the Sahaptin people, who live throughout the Columbia River Basin and Plateau in central, eastern, and southern Washington State and in northern Oregon. The Yakama life style was dependant on their surroundings and environment. They heavily relied on wildlife, game, and fish for their sustenance, and where solely hunter-gatherer societ ies before European and American contact. Due to their close connection and reliance on the environment, the Yakama highly respected nature and were always aware of their impact upon it. They believe that everything has a purpose and an important place in the natural order. With the expansion the United States into the Pacific Northwest and the rapid encroachment of white settlers into their territory, the Yakama signed the "Treaty with the Yakima" with the United States government in 1855. The Yakama people were able to negotiate for many tribal rights due to their strategic and powerful po... ...es: Sovereignty, Ethics, and Data-Sharing Issues." Environmental Health Perspectives 120 (2011): 6-10. Print. The Klamath Tribes. The Klamath Tribes, 2012. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. OFFICIAL SITE OF THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE YAKAMA NATION. Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, 2010. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. "A Short History of the Klamath Tribe." A Short History of the Klamath Tribe. The Klamath Tribes, 1985. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. United States. Department of the Interior. National Parks Service. Memorandum on Government-to-Government Relations with Native American Tribal Governments. By William J. Clinton. National Parks Service, 4 May 1994. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. United States. Dept. of State. "Treaty with the Yakima, 1855." Yakama Nation Archives. Print. "YN CHC :: Yakama History." Yakamamuseum.com. Yakama Nation Museum and Cultural Center, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Consolidation of Learning

I have come to understand that in order for a student to develop professional nursing skills, he or she needs to have the ability to apply knowledge from theory into practice. This I believe is a fundamental key to the success of becoming a competent nurse. My practice and the invaluable experiences I have gained from my placement, as a nursing student, have enabled me to reflect on the dimensions of nursing practice. I can testify that clinical practice is really an essential component of learning process for any nursing student. My Clinical practice has allowed me to have direct experience with the real world of nursing, to practice the clinical skills required for the job and to learn about the responsibility of the nurse. Reflecting back at my previous semesters, I can begin to say that my acute clinical experience has served as a wonderful and memorable learning opportunity for me to practise some of the skills that I have learned. I had a lot of mixed feelings going into this clinical because I did not know if I was going to make a difference. And little did I know how much this experience would impact me. As I reflect on this experience, I realised that I finished my clinical not only with more experience than when I started, but with a different aspect of nursing all together. In this paper, I will discuss an in-depth factual experience on my role in caring for a hypertensive patient. I will critically analyze my actions, feelings and strategies that I used to deal with the situation. I will also present how I was able to connect the knowledge that I had gained from my nursing classes and clinical laboratory. Over the course of my clinical placement, I was assigned to different patients with different illness. Caring for these patients has deepened my understanding of the need to develop my intellectual capacity for good clinical judgement and safe decision making. While caring for these patients, I encountered situations that were both positive and negative. Regardless of the outcome of these situations, I believe I have learned one or two things from them. There was a particular event that really stood out for me among the patients that I cared for. The reason why this event stood out is because of the impact it had on my learning. This event helped me to start pulling information from all the resources available to me right on the spot. THE SIGNIFICANT NURSING EVENT I was on an evening rotation on this fateful day. I had done my patient research and ready to carry out my care plan for my patient. Unfortunately, I was not able to implement this care plan because my patient assignment was changed due to staffing issue. An undergraduate nurse was the primary nurse of the same patient that I was assigned to. Due to the policy that I have to be monitored by a registered nurse, my patient assignment was changed. I was then assigned to an eighty two year old woman diagnosed with acute renal failure with history of hypertension. I had very little time to quickly research my patient diagnosis; my primary nurse just gave me brief information on her status. I had to quickly go in to do my initial assessment and take her vital signs. As I approached her room, I was prepared for all reactions, but my patient responded with soaking kindness. I introduced myself, asked her how her day was going and informed her of the care that I will be providing for her. Then I began to perform a head to toe assessment and I explained the rationale of each test and action. My patient would always smile and respond with â€Å"I know that you are a student just do what you gotta do†. Then I began to check her vital signs and realised that her blood pressure was way over the normal range120/80. I was startled, so I decided to check the blood pressure on the opposite arm, just to reaffirm the data obtained previously. This time around I knew I had obtained the same data, which were 180/ 98. I auscultated her lungs fields bilaterally and there was an adventitious sound. I palpated her peripheral pulses for their strength and equality and auscultated her apical pulse rate to check for the rhythm and the quality of heart sound and I could hear an abnormal sound of blood rushing. In this paragraph, I will discuss on my feelings and thinking that took place in the event. Based on my knowledge about the implications of high blood pressure and knowing that she is hypertensive and over eighty years old, that would increase her risk of having stroke or heart attack. I was fearful of handling this patient being my first time of experiencing this situation. Reflecting in action, I began to have a therapeutic conversation with my patient. Understanding my own values and beliefs I composed myself and tried not to sound scared, while I was asking questions regarding how she was feeling. I used all my senses of perception to assess her and asked if she was having chest pain or feeling light headed. My patient complained of being fatigue, a little bit dizzy, and that she was finding it hard to breathe, and then I knew something was certainly wrong. This can be supported by (Quote) At the same time I did not want her to panic or aggravate the situation. I knelt down and checked if there was any urine in her Foley catheter bag, but there was nothing. I asked her when was the last time that her bag was drained and she replied that she was not sure if it was early in the morning or at midnight. Then I noticed that she had edema in her lower extremities, I inspected her legs and palpated the areas of edema, noting the tenderness and pitting. I went on to ask her if she had been going for a walk around the unit and if she knew her blood pressure baseline, and she responded that it’s been very high lately, but for me I was not really satisfied with the data. Certainly my patient was having fluid retention, and other symptoms which might be as a result of her kidney failure or hypertension. Given the assessment and further investigation this was a possible indication of stroke or heart attack. While reflecting in action, I told myself that I needed to act fast as soon as possible because I could not tell what the outcome will look like. According to the Canadian Nursing Association (CNA, 2008) state that nurses should provide safe, compassionate, competent and ethical care. Instantly I knew I had to quickly determine my goal of care for my patient because I was certain that something was wrong. I came up with three goals, firstly I have to make sure that her blood pressure get lowered and controlled. Secondly, make sure that she was having adequate urine output and lastly, encourage her to go for a walk in order to increase her blood flow. In order to achieve these goals I had to find a way to get hold of my primary nurse or instructor, to inform them on what was happening to the patient. Carper, (1978), notes that it is of paramount importance to understand the clinical situation, act timely and appropriately for the good of the patient. This was an opportunity to take what I had learned from my courses and in lab and apply to real situations. I was not really prepared but I was very excited to use my skills and knowledge that I had gained so far from the nursing courses and laboratory. At the same time, I always had it at the back of my mind to always make sure I stay within my scope of practice and also critically think about the care I want to provide to the patient. I excused myself and told my patient that I needed to see my primary nurse. I quickly logged in to the SCM to check her flow sheet and realised that her previous data was 139/85. I checked to see if there was any order or medications if her blood pressure gets beyond certain parameter. I found that an order was made and that if her blood pressure get above 180/100, hydrazaline should be given every four hours and patient should be monitored continuously. I researched the drug class, it usage, side effect and contraindication of hydrazaline, so that I know what I am giving my patient and what I need to watch out for after administration. My findings deepened the knowledge about implications of high blood pressure and what I thought and knew. In response to my findings, I knew for sure that she was having the signs and symptoms of stroke or heart attack. I was really eager to pass on this new information to my primary nurse and instructor. I really felt that I had paid full attention to my patient while performing my head to toe assessment. Tanner (2006) stated â€Å"that clinical judgement is more influenced by what the nurse brings to the situation than the objective data about the situation at hand† (p. 204). I hurried quickly and informed my primary nurse on what was happening, and she came with me to get the medications. As we approached the room the nurse took the patient vitals again, I believe that she needed to confirm the data herself. My nurse got the same data and asked me to administer the medication to the patient. My primary nurse then asked me what my goal of care was for the patient and I responded with what I had planned earlier. I began to evaluate if my intervention was achieved by monitoring my patient’s blood pressure and ensuring that her other vital signs were all in the normal range. About fifteen minutes later, I asked my patient if she was still having the signs and symptoms that she mentioned to me earlier, and she replied that she was feeling much better. Brunners & suddant stressed that educating the patient on self care is a therapeutic regimen that is the responsibility of the patient in collaboration with the nurse. I began to educate my patient on the importance of lifestyle changes and medications to control the blood pressure. I emphasized on the concept of controlling her blood pressure, rather than curing it. I encourage her to develop a plan for weight loss, limit food high in salt and fats and increase intake of fruits and vegetables. It was all a new experience getting to see the symptoms and effects in first hand. Everything makes so much more sense when you get to connect the dots yourself. Although I did not have enough time to research on my patient diagnosis, this experience really impacted my learning because I realised that in the real nursing world, nurses do not have any knowledge about the patient that they will care for. This has really made me reflect on my actions and my future practise. It also made me to really value the learning from the class, clinical labs and evidenced based research. Above all, knowing my patient was very integral to my practice and this event raised some questions for me.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

How Many Different Types of Memory System Are There?

Although the belief that memory is composed of several distinct systems is not novel, it is only around the mid 20th century that experimental studies carried out on amnesic patients have started to confirm it (Squire, 2004). This essay will discuss the different types of memory systems that have been found, their distinctions and evidence supporting their existence derived from studies on amnesiacs. Atkinson and Shiffrin’s (1968) multi-store model suggests that memory is a flow of information processed through three stores (Myers, 2010).The first system called sensory memory (SM) processes mainly visual and auditory information from our environment (Myers, 2010). It is made up of several components associated with each sense and filters information experienced by the senses – iconic SM which receives visual information has a very short retention time of merely a half of a second while echoic SM which receives auditory stimuli has a slightly longer retention time of thr ee to four seconds (Sperling, 1960; Myers, 2010). If attention is brought to sensory information, it is transferred to the next system called short term memory (STM) (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1968).This system processes visual and auditory information received from SM for approximately one minute and also temporarily uses retrieved information from the long-term memory for problem-solving (Myers, 2010). Miller’s (1956) study has shown that STM is not only limited in retention duration but also in capacity having on average a storage capacity of seven bits of information whether verbal or numerical (Myers, 2010). The last system is long term memory (LTM), often referred to as the ‘permanent storage’ (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1968).As its name suggests, it has unlimited capacity to store a vast amount of information such as motor skills, language, autobiographical and factual information (Baddeley, Eysenck, & Anderson, 2009). The three basic memory stores are distinct from each other in terms of encoded information, capacity and duration of information retention (McLeod, 2007). One of the strongest evidence to support this distinction lies in Murdock’s (1962) experiment – when presented with a list of words, the tendency was that the participants would more likely recall the first words (primacy effect) and the last words (recency effect) than the words in the iddle of the list (Myers, 2010). This is known as the serial position effect whereby the first words are recalled since they have been transferred to LTM and the last words were still accessible in STM (Myers, 2010). However, the middle words were present for too long to be in the STM but not long enough to be encoded in LTM, giving evidence that STM and LTM are two different and separate stores (McLeod, 2008). Research on patients suffering from amnesia also support the multi-store model (Groome, 2006).One classic case is reported by Corkin (1968) about a patient HM who suffered from anterograde amnesia – He was unable to form new memories and lost part of his existing memories (Groome, 2006). However, despite his inability to create new memories, he was still able to have a conversation thus indicating that his STM processes were intact with normal capacity and duration (Wickelgren, 1968 as cited in Groome, 2006). He lost the capacity of only one store hence supporting the idea that STM and LTM are separated (Groome, 2006).Another case is a patient known as KF who suffered damaged to his STM – he was still able to temporarily recall visual information but could not process auditory information which made conversation difficult (Myers, 2010). On the other hand, his LTM processes were retained, again providing evidence that STM and LTM are separated systems (Myers, 2010). Although KF’s case study explicitly provides strong evidence for distinction of STM and LTM, it also questions the idea of having only one STM (Groome, 2006).The damage in KF’s STM seemed to have only affected the echoic and verbal aspects leaving the visual aspects intact (Groome, 2006). This suggests that STM is more complex and has separate stores for visual and auditory processing (Groome, 2006). Based on this finding, Baddeley and Hitch (1974) argued that STM illustrated by the multi-store model is too simplistic (McLeod, 2008). They developed another model of STM known as the Working Memory (WM) which comprised of a two subsystems controlled by the central executive (Groome, 2006).The central executive takes on cognitive processes such as problem-solving while controlling allocation of data to the two subsystems namely Phonological loop (PL) which deals with auditory and speech-based information and visuo-spatial sketchpad (VSS) which, as its name suggests, holds information about visual and spatial information (McLeod, 2008; Groome, 2006). By analyzing in more depth KF’s case study, it is reported that KF had suffered impairme nt of his PL but still had his VSS abilities, hence providing support that STM is not unitary but in fact divided into subsystems (Warrington & Shallice, 1972 as cited in Groome, 2006).Similarly, HM who had an impaired LTM was unable to form new memories but surprisingly could still learn new motor skills although he was not aware that he actually learnt the skills (Groome, 2006). This finding questions the unified nature of LTM and suggests that there are two memory systems (Squire, 2004). McDougall (1924) investigated the term implicit memory which involves unconscious learning and explicit memory which involves learning with consciousness (Graf & Schacter, 1985; Schacter, 1987; Brooks, 2012).Cohen and Squire (1980) suggested that amnesiacs such as HM had an impaired explicit or declarative memory which hindered their abilities to recall previous or make new memories of facts and events (Groome, 2006). They referred implicit memory as procedural memory involved in knowledge of ski lls which would explain why HM could still learn new motor skills (Groome, 2006). According to Tulving, Schacter and Stark (1982), declarative or explicit memory can be further separated into two conscious systems: episodic and semantic memory (Squire, 2004).Episodic memory contains autobiographical contents, is a record of a person’s personal history such as birth dates and deals with past experiences (Tulving 1972; 1993; 2002). In contrast, semantic memory is a storage system of facts, meanings of words and general knowledge of the world such as the capital of cities (Tulving, 1972). Research on memory is arduous and the problems questioned are not easily solved (Tulving, 1985). At the beginning, the answer to the title question would be ‘three’ but when looking into further research based on studies of amnesiacs, the number increased to about approximately ‘seven’.However, being aware of the difficult nature of memory and the limitations of its st udy, the more reasonable and sensible answer would be ‘at least three and probably many more’ (Tulving, 1985). References Atkinson, R. C. , & Shiffrin, R. M. (1968). Human memory: A proposed system and its control processes. In K. W. Spence & J. T. Spense (Eds. ), The psychology of learning and motivation (pp. 13-195). New York, NY: Academic Press. Baddeley, A. D. , Eysenck, M. W. , & Anderson, M. C. (2009). Memory. New York: Psychology Press. Baddeley, A.D. , & Hitch, G. J. (1974). Working memory. In G. A. Bower (Ed. ), Recent advances in learning and motivation (pp. 47-90). New York, NY: Academic Press. Brooks, S. L. (2012). Long-term memory of American Sign Language in a chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes). Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. San Diego State University. Cohen, N. J. , & Squire, L. R. (1980). Preserved learning and retention of pattern-analyzing skill in amnesia: Dissociation of â€Å"knowing how† and â€Å"knowing that? ‘ Science, 210. Milner, B. , Corkin, S. , & Teuber, H. L. 1968). Further analysis of the hippocampal amnesic syndrome: 14 year follow-up study of H. M.. Neuropsychologia, 6. Graf, P. and Schacter, D. L. (1985). Implicit and explicit memory for new associations in normal and amnesic subjects. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 11. Groome, D. (2006). An introduction to cognitive psychology: processes and disorders. 2nd ed. New York: Psychology Press. McDougall, W. (1923). Outline of Psychology. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. McLeod, S. A. (2007). Short Term Memory. online] Retrieved from: http://www. simplypsychology. org/short-term-memory. html [Accessed: 7 Mar 2013]. McLeod, S. A. (2008). Primacy-Recency. [online] Retrieved from: http://www. simplypsychology. org/primacy-recency. html [Accessed: 7 Mar 2013]. Miller, G. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63. Murd ock, B. B. (1962). The serial position effect of free recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 64. Myers, D. (2010). Psychology. 9th ed.New York: Worth Publishers. Schacter, D. L. (1987). Implicit Memory: History and Current Status. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 13 (3). Sperling, G. (1960). The information available in brief visual presentations. Psychological Monographs, 74. Squire, L. R. (2004). Memory systems of the brain: A brief history and current perspective. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 82. Tulving, E. , Schacter, D. L. , & Stark, H. A. (1982). Priming effects in word-fragment completion are independent of recognition memory.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 8. Tulving, E. (1972). Episodic and semantic memory. In E. Tulving & W. Donaldson (Eds. ), Organization of memory (pp. 381-403). New York: Academic Press. Tulving, E. (1985). Memory and consciousness. Canadian Psychology, 26. Tulving, E. (1985). How many memory systems are there? American Psychologist. 40(4). Tulving, E. (1993). What is episodic memory? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2. Tulving, E. (2002). Episodic memory: From mind to brain. Annual Review of Psychology, 53.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Education in Texas Essays

Education in Texas Essays Education in Texas Essay Education in Texas Essay Dear Editor: The real losers in the Texas funding crisis are twofold â€Å" our children and our future. Pretty simple, huh While Texas in recent years has been lauded as a role model in withstanding the recession, and, indeed, while many out-of-work or under-employed people would argue with this, Texas has been blessed with job losses not quite as severe as some states. But Texas also has what some suggest is the fastest growing population in the U.S., in part because liberal land-use and zoning policies have kept housing cheap. And this growing population also is bringing us the highest birth rate in the nation, ranking third in teen pregnancies and No. 1 in repeat teen pregnancies. (Apparently, Gov. Perry, your abstinence works policy just doesnâ„ ¢t, and the teen moms and their children are among those most needing public services.) This also means we need to create jobs to keep up with the growing population. And this need for jobs is further exacerbated when we realize that in the coming years fewer high school graduates will be able to afford college, since grant programs are slated for the chopping block, tossing thousands more young people into an already stressed job market. Now Gov. Rick Perryâ„ ¢s sort of smoke-and-mirrors budget dialogue has collapsed under the weight of an economic recession that has finally hit the floors of the Legislature, the halls of the school boards and the chambers of university regents and trustees. And since the conservatives in control arenâ„ ¢t likely to pass budget increases, dramatic cuts are the only way to fill the $15 to $25 billion budget deficit. And remember this comes at a time when Texas already is stingy among those most needy in the state and at a time when public education here is funded near the bottom in spending per pupil, when Texas literacy ranks 47th in the nation, 49th in verbal SAT scores and 46th in math. It comes at a time when Texas leads the nation in the percentage of residents without health insurance. Earlier this month, The Houston Chronicle published an opinion piece by former First Lady Barbara Bush in which she asked, In light of these statistics, can we afford to cut the number of teachers, increase class sizes, eliminate scholarships for underprivileged students and close several community colleges Really, no one should be surprised about what has happened. After the Legislature in 2006 passed tax reform, saving homeowners money while shifting the burden to cigarette and business franchise taxes, neither of which produced new dollars but simply shifted them from property taxes. That move also froze school tax rates, mandated $2,000 pay increases for teachers, something they sorely deserved but which perhaps we couldnâ„ ¢t afford. As Gov. Perry continues to reject the federal $830 million in aid to public education because he refuses to commit to use it for the purpose intended, thousands of educators are facing lay-offs and class sizes are increasing in schools throughout the state. Some schools, even brand new ones, are being shuttered, and some community colleges are slated for closure. What will the future hold when we have an under-educated, unemployed workforce in the fastest growing state in the country and with only a very limited safety net of public services for those most in need Kate McCarty 621 W. San Antonio St. San Marcos [emailprotected] 512-497-0077 Editor: I know this may be too long. Feel free to edit! Thanks for considering

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Free Money for Collegeâ€Paying for School With Grants

Free Money for College- Paying for School With Grants A grant is a sum of money that is gifted to someone for a specific purpose. For example, a grant might be awarded to a student so that the student can pay for tuition, books and other education-related costs. Grants are also known as awards or gift aid. Why You Need Grants Grants the best way to pay for college or business school. Unlike students loans, which can create a significant financial burden during and after school, grants do not need to be paid back. Getting Grants for School Students can receive grants from a variety of sources, including private organizations, educational institutions, professional associations, and federal and state governments.  Grants may be awarded based on a student’s financial need, ethnicity, religious affiliation, record of achievement, association or special interests. Education Grants From the Federal Government There are many different types of grants awarded by the federal government. Lets explore a few of the best grants for school. Federal Pell Grant- Federal Pell Grants are the most common grants awarded by the federal government. These grants are primarily designed for students who have not yet earned a bachelors degree. In other words, they are for undergraduate students. However, these grants might also be available to students in a  postbaccalaureate teacher certification program.  Federal Pell Grants are need-based; they are meant to help low-income students pay for school. Grant amounts vary by individual and are dependent on the cost of education and the students expected family contribution (EFC).Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant- The federal government gives schools money through the FSEOG Program each year. These funds are then distributed by the school to financially-needy students. That means that FSEOG grants are campus-based aid. Not every school participates in this federal program, and the funds are usually available on a first-come, first-served based. Students who get FSEOG grants typically have a very low EFC and are usually Federal Pell Grant recipients. The amount of the award varies but usually falls somewhere between $100 and $4,000. Education Grants From the State Government Grants for school are also awarded at the state level. Each state has a different way of acquiring and distributing financial aid. Many states fund their programs with taxes and lottery earnings. State-based grants are usually designed to be spent at in-state schools, but again, rules vary by state. Some examples of state grant programs include the Pennsylvania State Grant Program, which is a need-based program that awards aid on a sliding scale based on annual income, and Cal Grants, a California-based program that awards aid to students who attend school at least half-time and falls under  income and asset ceilings. Education Grants From Other Sources Federal and state governments arent the only groups who award grants for school. Nearly all colleges and universities have some type of grant program for students who can demonstrate financial need. You should speak with your schools financial aid office to learn more about grant availability and application procedures.  You may also be able to receive merit-based grants from professional associations, corporations, and other groups who have formal and informal programs for students seeking education funds.   How to Apply for Grants The application procedure for grants varies depending on the organization. To apply for federal grants, you need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year you plan to attend school. Some states also award grants based on information supplied in the FAFSA form. However, application rules for each state vary. Contact your states Department of Education to learn more about application procedures.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Interactive Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interactive Marketing - Essay Example He emphasized that the then unthinkable systems will emerge in the future as just in time interactive marketing systems with features that shall fulfill all the dimensions of interactivity defined by him. Coviello and Milley et al. (2001. pp22-23) argue that the interactive marketing is the "new" type of marketing and all the rest methods are "traditional" types of marketing. The forms of interactive marketing presented by the researchers are business to consumer, inter-personnel commercial, fully interactive collaboration, network, and business to business. Brodie and Winklhofer (2007. pp3-4) presented the new marketing strategy called e-Marketing penetration that is carried out through four methodologies - Database Marketing (using database tools to target customers in a segment or micro-segment), Transactional Marketing (traditional marketing but through electronic means), Interactive Marketing (electronic interactions between employees and customers) and Network Marketing (develo ping relationships with customers & firms within an on-line network).

Friday, November 1, 2019

Science and Scientific Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Science and Scientific Change - Essay Example I regard Kuhn’s contribution to the field as one of the most important, not because I think he’s correct, but because it radically changed the way people think about the nature and purpose of science. Before Kuhn, philosophers generally regarded science as a rational and logical enterprise, with strict standards that guaranteed objectivity. What Kuhn shows, in his The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1970), is that science, as well as scientific change, is not as rational as we think. Scientists themselves are guided not by a set of objective principles, but by their personal interests and values as much as anything else. Many philosophers and scientists have criticized Kuhn for portraying scientific change as an irrational process, one of them being Imre Lakatos. In this paper, I shall focus on the debate between Kuhn and Popper, as emphasized by Lakatos in his Falsification and The Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes. I shall divide this paper into four main parts: the first part will discuss Popper’s views on science and scientific change. Part two will be devoted to Thomas Kuhn’s analysis of the irrationality of science and paradigm shifts. The third part will synthesize the Popperian and Kuhnian debate. Here I will introduce Lakatos’ critique against Kuhn. Finally, I shall end my paper with my conclusion regarding the said issue at hand. Karl Popper What is the main difference between scientific theories and non-scientific theories? This is often referred to as the demarcation problem, which asks, what criterion can we use to distinguish scientific claims from non-scientific claims? What demarcates science from non-science? This is Karl Popper’s most renowned contribution. Yet what solution did Popper offer to his said problem? Popper’s solution to the demarcation problem is really quite simple. He says that what distinguishes scientific claims from non-scientific ones is its falsifiability. Thus, a hypothesis is scientific if and only if there is some way in which it can be falsified by means of some experiment. If we cannot construct an experiment, which can potentially falsify a hypothesis, then the hypothesis, even if meaningful, is really not scientific. In line with these two theories that are foundational to Popper’s philosophy, it is clear that Popper views science as a rational enterpri se, where theory-change is characterized by scientific progress. According to Popper, science changes through a two-step cycle. Stage one is conjecture, and the second stage is attempted refutation. Under the stage of conjecture, a theory is proposed as an attempt to solve the problem at hand. The theory is then put to test by attempted refutations. Attempted refutation occurs when â€Å"the hypothesis is subjected to critical testing, in an attempts to show that it is false† (Godfrey-Smith 61). Moreover, Popper notes that after the hypothesis is refuted, the process repeats again starting from a new conjecture, and so on and so forth. If the theory is corroborated, then it is temporarily accepted as un-refuted, but not justified. What is important to take note of here is that as the process