Disipline in Schools Essay

The definitions of ‘violence’, ‘bullying’ and ‘indiscipline clearly incorporate a wide range of behaviors which can alter depending on both the context within which the behaviors are enacted, and, indeed, with whom they are directed towards. Discipline in schools is now passing through an extended eclipse. The problem of indiscipline permeates all facets of our life. It has, in fact brought us down to the knees Each day there are thousands of kids who go to school and get picked on in some way or another. Those same kids will probably come home and tell nobody about the pain that they are going through inside. There are numerous causes and solutions for this problem that we are facing in our schools. One main cause is that those doing the discipline problems suffer from bad parenting. I believe that parents need to be responsible for their children. They’re the ones who raised the child and filled them with their beliefs of what’s right and wrong. When a principle calls home about a child misbehaving and the parents do nothing , that just lets the child know that it’s alright for him or her to do it again. The parents will cause the child to form the mindset that he or she can do it again because they know that they won’t get reprimanded for their actions. Even if their child doesn’t get punished at home, that will lead the child to start acting out of control at school. Therefore, parents must take responsibility for their children’s behavior. The child needs to be teached that there will be consequences not only at school but homes as well for any discipline problems to be solved.

Twin Study

1. Methods and results In this study, Thomas Bouchard and David Lykken, along with their associates at the University of Minnesota, were attempting to prove if nature is the determining factor in a person’s personality or if it really is the nurturing environment. They wanted to see if twins who were separated at birth and raised in different environments would still have similar personalities, which support the theory that a person’s genes has more impact on a person’s character than the environment.In order to study their hypothesis, Bouchard and Lykken located identical twins that were separated by birth due to adoption and spent a week conducting various tests; four personality trait scales, three aptitude and occupational interest inventories as well as two intelligence tests. Through these examples and other tests, Bouchard and Lykken complied copious amounts of data on the twins. The results of the study favored the nature theory in that an overwhelming pe rcentage of the twins had similar results and personalities despite having never grown up together. . Analysis It does appear that this study’s results proved whether nature or nurture is important in the development of a person’s personality. At least this seems to have been proven in the instance of identical twins. However, there was no mention of research done involving twins raised in the same household to compare to this study’s results. I do believe that the experiment was done properly in coordination with the scientific method but that various psychologists should have replicated the experiment numerous times over time. . Criticisms As with all published findings, there were those who argued against the claims made by Bouchard and Lykken. Some members of the psychological community believed that what was published was incomplete and therefore cannot be regarded as true unless all the results are made available. In addition, some critics claim that Bouch ard and Lykken are guilty of the â€Å"equal environment assumption† which is that identical and fraternal twins are treated equally and raised in identical environments.This assumption is untrue as parents treat fraternal twins, two separately fertilized eggs versus one that split, as complete different individuals like any other siblings born at separate times. Other psychologists agreed with Bouchard and Lykken and even completed their own studies about genetic influence on people’s personalities as well as choices, and many of these studies had similar results, thus further supporting Bouchard and Lykken. 4. ConclusionThe overall meaning of this study is that the debate of nature versus nurture continues in the field of psychology and it is more a matter of interpretation of data and personal belief rather than something set in stone. Psychologists continue to follow the study’s example by investigating the impact of genetics on a person’s choices and actions such as whom they fall in love with and other complexities of human behavior. This study changed psychology in that there was a new element, genes, for psychologists to analyze for explanations about the human psyche.

Automobile and Traditional Porsche Customer Essay

1/ Analyze the buyer decision process of a traditional Porsche customer. The buyer decision process of a traditional Porsche customer is different from the others like it have his own way because they don’t go through all the five stages like it`s normally done. They skip most of the process and jump right into the purchase decision. Porsche customers do not need recognition, information search and evaluation of alternatives. They make their purchase based on their wants, the brand and how the car is made. The cars unique and often dangerous characteristics and the brands appeal to a very narrow segment of financially successful people are some of the reasons Porsche’s customers are drawn into them. Porsche customers purchase their cars for pure enjoyment and they are not moved by the information but by feelings. 2/ Contrast the traditional Porsche customer decision process to the decision process for a Cayenne or a Panamera customer. Cayenne and Panamera customer’s decision process differs from the decision process of traditional Porsche customer because Cayenne and Panamera customers are more versed in their decision making as they go through almost all of the stages of the decision process. They recognize their need of having a larger vehicle that can seat more than two people. They are also interested and search for more information of the Cayenne and Panamera before their purchase decision. These customers are different as these particular customers have moved into different stages of life and need a larger vehicle to accommodate their needs but still have the drive as a Porsche since they still were fast just like their coupe counterparts. On the other hand, traditional Porsche customers skip most of the decision process and jumps right into the purchase decision. 4/ They develop a personal relationship with their cars, one that has more to do with the way the car sounds, vibrates, and feels, rather than the how many cup holders it has or how much cargo it can hold in the trunk. They admire their Porsche because it is a competent performance machine without being flashy or phony. People buy Porsches because they enjoy driving. If all they needed was something to get them from point A to point B, they could find something much less expensive. And while many Porsche owners are car enthusiasts, some of them are not. by making whatever they can to satisfy the costumers and provide it needs as possible as it can be. 5/ understanding Porsche buyers is still a difficult task. But a former CEO of Porsche summed it up this way: â€Å"If you really want to understand our customers, you have to understand the phrase, ‘If I were going to be a car, I’d be a Porsche. ’†

Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation - Essay Example The ideas identified here are further polished and developed in the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development and then the finalized solutions to cure the sufferings of the humanity are turned into Novartis product line. The objectives of the growth and welfare go hand in hand throughout these stages. The company’s goals and objectives are in line with its mission and all initial goals and objective contribute towards the final mission of the company. A more than 50.6 billion dollar sale in 2010 provide Novartis the solid financial grounds to support its research activities, fulfillment of commitments towards people, patients, communities, and environment. This not only contributes to the making of a corporate citizenship face of the company but shareholders also yield an increase of 5% in dividends. Novartis portfolio is widening rapidly and recent mergers and business purchases are a symbol of company’s confident march towards success. The fruit of this growth r eaching end to end and employees’ commitment towards the growth of the business marks this fact. (Report, 2010).Aforementioned short description of the company helps us to conclude our discussions with a sufficient insight into the scale of Novartis business and operations. This helps us to select the company for the SLP project and preparation of a detailed case. Moreover, the available sources of information can lead to the in-depth study of the company which is the most exciting part of any SLP project.

Emerging Network Technologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emerging Network Technologies - Essay Example The answer was to use VPN over dial-up links, a cost-effective solution. The company did a pilot implementation with a VPN product from Cisco. Implementation: BPCL evaluated various options before selecting Cisco's VPN solution. They had to basically decide between two options, a software-based and an appliance-based VPN solution. Software based VPNs are offered by Computer Associates and CheckPoint and appliance-based solutions are offered by Nortel and Cisco. BPCL implemented Cisco's VPN 3030 Concentrator. It's a VPN platform for medium and large enterprises with bandwidth requirements from T1/E1 through fractional T3. The concentrator supports up to 1500 simultaneous sessions. It offers hardware acceleration and is field-upgradeable to the 3060. Benefits: BPCL has achieved faster deployment, lower cost of operations, and a scalable solution that supports up to 1500 concurrent VPN users and can be integrated with future security initiatives like digital signatures and secure ID cards. BPCL would have had to spend a substantial higher amount on VSAT links or leased lines at remote locations if it had not deployed a VPN solution. University of Minnesotta, is one of the premier universities of America offering a wide range of courses. The University of Minnesota is one of the most comprehensive public universities in the United States and ranks among the most prestigious. Product: University of Minnesota, which serves 60

Why does the govrnent lock public parks when the citizens pay for them Research Paper

Why does the govrnent lock public parks when the citizens pay for them - Research Paper Example Travellers navigate with public parks as landmarks and travel routes. In the U.K., there are at least 27,000 thousand public parks that cover 143,000 hectares of land. These parks offer spaces for leisure, recreation, sports, entertainment and business. Some parks are open and very accessible while other parks are walled with gated entrances. Around 1.5 billion people visit these parks each year. With many people using parks, upkeep is necessary. The government spends ?630 million of taxpayer’s money for the upkeep of these parks. Every visit costs 42 pence. In the last 10 years, spending on public parks has decreased. (Urban Parks Forum, 2001) With decreased spending, the trend is good parks are becoming better and bad parks continue to deteriorate (Urban Parks Forum, 2001). The state of the park has a direct relationship with visits. Deteriorating parks mean lower number and frequency of visits. Decrepit public parks become spaces for antisocial activities and crime. These p arks are evaded by residents, with the effect of further facilitating the use of these parks for unwanted activities. In an effort to control the deterioration of public parks, given budget cuts, a measure being done is using gates and locking parks. The park can be accessed only during certain hours, such as from 6 am to 7 pm. All people inside will be asked to leave when the parks close. This practice has spurred the issue of limiting people’s access to public parks when they are paying for the upkeep. Importance of Public Parks Public parks are important. Public parks benefit people. These benefits justify the development of public parks and government spending on upkeep. Public parks support environmental sustainability. Green spaces facilitate the development of urban ecosystems (Zhou & Rana, 2012). Public parks support biodiversity, including plants, animals and insect that plays a role in sustaining the natural environment. At the same time, public parks are green spac es that allow people to interact with the natural environment and become part of the ecosystem. (Barbosa et al., 2007) Trees and vegetation in parks regulate temperature by providing a cooling effect. Trees provide shade in hot weather and absorb heat. This prevents the urban heat island effect from happening. Without trees and plants, heat would be absorbed by concrete, which is capable of retaining heat for long hours. When heat accumulates in concrete, temperatures in the area rises. Park greenery also lowers air pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide to create oxygen and providing barriers to noise. (Millward & Sabir, 2011) When it rains, trees and plants in public parks absorb water to prevent runoffs that cause floods (Dolesh, 2011). Public parks improve the aesthetic quality of neighbourhoods and city centres (Millward & Sabir, 2011). The greenery balances the monotonous visual effect of concrete and asphalt in cities (Salazar & Menendez, 2007). Landscaping in public parks is intended to provide a pleasant view to visitors and passersby. Public parks also promote health and safety. Interaction with nature can improve physical and psychological well-being. Public parks encourage physical activity (Salazar & Menendez, 2007). Parks provide various opportunities for physical activity as a way for people to get their required doses of physical exercise to prevent health conditions, such as heart problems and obesity (Bedimon-Rung, Mowen, & Cohen, 2005). Public parks provide social, economic and political benefits. Public parks provide a good place for social interaction (Barbosa et al., 2007). Social interaction happens when people engage in leisure, recreational or sports activities in public parks. Public parks also create employment, which ranges from the upkeep of the park to

Collage of Echoes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Collage of Echoes - Essay Example A literal interpretation of the poem could simply detail a human experience, whereas an analytical level of interpretation could provide a better justification of the poet’s ideas. In Collage of Echoes, the gender and identity of the persona are not specified, thus for ease of interpretation, one may assume to use the author’s gender. The persona in the poem is doing a self-talk or reflection. In the opening lines, she tells herself, â€Å"I have no promises to keep/Nor miles to go before I sleep† (1-2). These lines reveal that the persona has no obligations to accomplish, and no places to visit. Pleased with this thought, she expresses her intention to sleep or relax. Based on this, readers may think of the persona as a busy person, possibly an adult engaged in business, who, at the end of the day tells herself that she can sleep after she has accomplished her responsibilities. However, the repetition of the phrase, â€Å"no promises to keep† (7) could ma ke the reader realize that a literal interpretation of the poem is not enough to deduce the author’s ideas, hence, a deeper level of analysis is needed. An analytical interpretation of the poem requires deducing of meaning based on the author’s use of literary devices.

Ethical Issue currently facing the Army Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Ethical Issue currently facing the Army - Essay Example With the attack being at the center stage of making references, this paper unearth on how the American response to the attack related with the ethics as stipulated in the military. The paper then discusses factors that necessitated the emergence of the issue, its impacts in the military and the perceived enemies and civilians. Thus, recommendations after a scrutiny of the above concerns are made in attempt to enable the military amicable strike a suitable balance regarding the ethical conduct and response. Following the chronology given above, this paper tends to account for every stage as considered below. With reference to the abstract, appreciation that in military, the junior officers take orders without questioning is construable. In this case, we will be considering the act of killing in military. Given the level of orders execution in the military, chances are that they can partake in mass killing without justification on the perceived enemies and observes nothing sinister. This is because they are not given the chance to evaluate what is ethical and, which is not. Considering the religious teachings from Christianity, Hindu, and the Buddhist, there is unequivocal respect to the sanctity of life and that none should deprive the other such right. Killing in this context is prohibited and not tolerated-it is immoral and unethical. This consideration has sparked animated debate within the military since the ethical aspect of killing has gained tremendous momentum and it is now being given keen inclusion in the military training. Currently, the military training has been restructured to include stringent observation and adherence to the cardinal principle of respecting life whether it is coming from the direction of the enemy or the civilian. Since the period of World War I and II, Period of the cold war where America and Russia

Multiculturalism in Canada a Myth or reality Research Paper

Multiculturalism in Canada a Myth or reality - Research Paper Example Multiculturalism allows people to follow their cultural norms and values freely because it integrates a sense of tolerance in the people living in the society. Canada is one of those countries which exhibits multiculturalism as people belonging to different parts of the world live there for different purposes. Canadian government encourages minorities to participate fully in different social acts by enhancing their level of social, economic, and cultural integration (CIC). Canadian government not only promotes its own culture and religion but also gives respect and consideration to the religions and cultures of ethnic minorities. In this paper, we will discuss whether multiculturalism really exists in Canada or it is just a myth. Multiculturalism in Canada: A Myth or Reality Dewing and Leman state, â€Å"Canada can be described as a multicultural society whose racial and ethnic diversity is expressed in different ways†. I personally believe that multiculturalism in Canada is a reality because in Canada, there is very little income inequality and people from different cultural backgrounds are living in Canada for so many years. Although 70 percent of the Canadian population is Roman Catholic, but all other people living in Canada are free to follow their respective religions. The government of Canada promotes social equality and that is the reason why Canadian people have no difficulty or pressure in obeying their religions openly. Canadian people believe that a culture is never based on a single race or religion; rather it is a combination of various factors that continuously change with the ongoing changes in the world. Canadian government has adopted various multiculturalism policies, which also prove the existence of multiculturalism in Canada. â€Å"Canadian multiculturalism policy is about valuing diversity† (Rao). Multiculturalism policies of the Canadian government have really made a strong and positive impact on the minds of the foreigners . A large number of foreigners give preference to immigrate and live in Canada because they consider Canada as the true multicultural society where every individual has power to live according to the culture of his or her own country. In 1970s, Canadian government approved multiculturalism as an official policy in order to strengthen the concept of diverse culture and to protect the rights of minorities living in Canada. â€Å"The Government of Canada is committed to reaching out to Canadians and newcomers and is developing lasting relationships with ethnic and religious communities in Canada† (CIC). Canadian government is very friendly and supportive for the immigrants and provides protection to their religious and cultural places. This is the reason why a large number of people want to immigrate to Canada. In Canada, every person is free to follow the culture, which he or she likes. There is no compulsion on any person to follow the cultural norms and values of the Catholic society, rather every religion and culture is given due respect in Canada which make it a real multicultural society. Cultural identity, productive diversity, and social justice and freedom are some of the widely recognized concepts of Canadian society, which endorse the element of multiculturalism in the society of Canada. Some other policies include acceptance of multi citizenship, celebration of festivals of

The Buffalo Soldier Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Buffalo Soldier - Essay Example It was within this particular cauldron of hostile activity that the 9th and the 10th regiment would prove their mettle. Although there is no clear agreement with regards to where the term â€Å"Buffalo Soldiers† came from, it has been surmised that this was a term bequeathed to these regiments by the flows they so often fought. One particular account states the fact that after an attack by Cheyenne braves, attacked a contingent of hunters that were being protected by two members of the 10th regiment (Renard 707). The attack lasted for well over an hour with over 70 Cheyenne warriors seeking to kill both the hunters and their military escort. However, regardless of how hard they tried, the members from the 10th regiment fought valiantly and refuse to give up even in the face of overwhelming seemingly hopeless odds. Ultimately, one of the soldiers which is been described within the previous story, suffered from a bullet learned to his shoulder and up to 11 lance wins over his en tire body; nonetheless, he fought on with nothing short of a pistol and his saber. It is without question that due to this level of heroism, the renowned to which both enemy and friend alike the stowed upon the African-American soldier within the United States Army was born (Schubert 1219). Moreover, from such a interaction, it is oftentimes said that the Cheyenne warriors, upon returning to their tribe, noted that they had faced a soldier unlike any they had ever faced before; one that fought like a buffalo. However the term was coined, the name stuck in Buffalo soldiers were from then on used as a synonym for African-American soldier serving United States Army specifically black regiments. Perhaps even more importantly from historical and civil rights...From the brief analysis that has thus far been presented, the reader can see and understand why the actions that were undertaken by the 9th and 10th cavalry units earned such a monumental degree of renowned. Ultimately, yonder mere ly fighting for their country and exhibiting extraordinary gallantry and bravery in the face of oftentimes seemingly insurmountable odds, the Buffalo soldiers were able to prove to their military counterparts, as well as many individuals within society, that the African-American citizen was every bit as talented, gallant, intelligent, and determined as his white counterpart. Unfortunately, it would take another nearly 100 years in order to see African-American and white society integrate; however, the Buffalo soldiers and their sacrifices were in importance that healing post-war scar and moving the United States military in a more progressive and realistic direction.

Superfund Sites in Picher Oklahoma Essay Example for Free

Superfund Sites in Picher Oklahoma Essay Superfund Sites in Picher Oklahoma Introduction            The Tar Creek superfund site which is also known as Picher lead and zinc mining district is found in the far northeastern part of Oklahoma near its border with Kansas. The site was part of the Tri-state mining district that included areas of Missouri and Kansas and was one of the largest lead and zinc mining areas in the world. The Tar Creek site is considered to be one of the largest superfund site in America covering a geographic area of about 50 square miles and costs a total remediation fee of about 540 million dollars to 61 billion dollars. Tar Creek is a small stream that is characterized by still pools and is the major drainage system for the in the Picher field area, and it flows to the south passing between the towns of Picher and Cardin. Despite efforts that were put to prevent further contamination, there was minimal improvement in the surface water quality. The measures taken to divert the water were seen to be only partially effective (State Oklahoma report). As part of action to remedy the situation, eighty-three wells abandoned wells were refilled, dikes were constructed to divert surface water around collapsed mine shafts and the mines. The first operable unit cost ten million dollars.            The superfund program by the Environmental protection Agency has been highly criticized and praised over the years since the beginning of its implementation. There are some superfund sites that were cleaned successfully and reclaimed, however, others like the Tar Creek superfund site, which has been listed in the National Priorities List for several years. The Tar Creek has witnessed minimal notable improvement since the cleanup efforts began. The purpose of this research document is to investigate the difference between sites that have been cleaned and reclaimed successfully and those that have not seen any meaningful change. The paper will also determine the factors that influence speed and ease of the cleanup, suggest changes that can be made to the current process of superfund cleanup that will be beneficial to all sites. Overview and Analysis of Risks Involved            Tar creek is a region that is found at the northwest of Oklahoma near the town of Picher and is part of land segments in the southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri. It totals about 1,200 acres and 40 square miles in size. The area was part of the Tri-state Mining District between 1900 to late 1960s. Excessive mining carried out in the area produced pollutants of lead, zinc and cadmium that resulted in highly acidic water flowing into ponds and streams on the surface while some seeped into ground water. Other specific affected towns apart from Picher include Miami, Hockerville, Cardin, and Quapaw.            The problems found in Tar creek site, and Picher have historical beginnings in long time mining of zinc and lead in the area. Mining in the area began in 1900 and went on through to the late 1970s. The process of mining lead and zinc creates large quantities of unused mining materials which pile up above the ground and are always known as â€Å"chat† piles. These chat piles can be quite huge and may resemble hills. Over time, mining companies disposed of the chat by creating large piles above the ground and tailing ponds or dumping it into flotation. Some chat piles could rise as high as 200 feet, and all of it had increased level of lead and other heavy metals.            It is approximated that about 1.7 million tons of led was generated from the mining of about 181 million tons of lead deposits, giving rise to a significant amount of lead contaminated waste. It was posited that at during the time of clean up, there were thousands of acres (Fifty square miles or two thousand nine hundred) and more than 265 million tons of chats that are lead contaminated (Hu, Shine and Wright, 2007).            The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Geological Survey estimate that Tar Creek has 75 million tons of chat piles. The Environmental Protection Agency listed Tar Creek on the National Priorities List in 1983.This made it subject to Comprehensive Environmental Compensation, Response, and Liability Act. Environmental Protection Agency found that tailings were found all over residential properties in the Tar Creek, with the foundation of business units and homes built on chat. Apart from that, another by-product arising from the mining operation is highly acidic mine water. The zinc and lead mines were that abandoned began to fill with surface runoff. During the late 1970s, the drainage of the acid mines containing heavy metals started to discharge into Tar Creek from boreholes, natural springs and open mine shafts.            Several public health problems are presented by the superfund site that include mine shaft hazards, acid mine drainage, poor air quality due to dust laden with lead. Others include soil contamination linked to chat piles and mine waste and exposure of young children and vulnerable population to contaminated materials. More health risks are attributed to human consumption of wild food and fish from the Tar Creek superfund site and including the Spring River and Neosho river watershed.            All these environmental and human health problems are still being examined by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Human Health Services and other local state agencies. In 2003, several federal agencies (the Environmental Protection Agency, U. S. Army Corps, and the Department of Interior) signed a memorandum of understanding facilitating cooperation of the agencies to achieve a holistic approach to the risk posed from the Tar Creek superfund site. Federal, private and state efforts are implemented and coordinated by the Department of Environmental Quality in Oklahoma to ensure that a comprehensive solution to the health and environmental problems is achieved in the area. Several tribal authorities are conducting additional solutions to restore their environment and protect the health of community members. Possible Solutions to the Problem            Superfund is currently not set up to handle complex and large areas like Tar Creek. Superfund is focused on site remediation as a permanent solution to the problem. However, in situations such as Tar Creek it is not easy to achieve a permanent solution within a short time. Therefore, the residents of this area and the surrounding areas are exposed to contaminants for a substantial period, which increases risk human health effect on the environment.            Solving this problem requires separate cleanup process are included where the complexity, size or government restrictions in the area will lead to prolonged cleanup time or significant delays. For superfund sites like Tar Creek, two cleanup approaches should be used. The first approach should aim at getting a permanent solution, as is the current goal of the superfund process. The second approach should be a temporary solution which will minimize exposure of people, environment and wildlife to the contamination while a permanent solution is lookedfor. An example of this is covering contaminated soil using a capping system (United States Environmental Protection Agency).            There are various measures that can be implemented at the Tar Creek superfund site that can provide immediate and significant benefits. The first action should be extensive community education program. The Environmental Protection Agency should take measures to inform the community about the dangers and hazards that are linked to the pollution and inform them of measures they can take to protect their health. People need to be informed of the importance of regular hand washing. Measures should be put in place to inform residents of the risks that can result from playing on the piles of chat and the area creeks. Warning signs and fences to prevent people from entering the polluted areas should be erected. The education program can help to decrease the blood lead level of people living in the area (United States Environmental Protection Agency). Public education programs are beneficial; however, it is not a requirement for superfund sites. It is up to those charged w ith overseeing the site to initiate such programs. Individuals living in the areas that are polluted deserve the right to know the nature of pollution they are exposed to and the measures they can implement to protect themselves. Immediately a problem is identified, education and public awareness programs should begin. Public education programs should begin as soon as the site is listed in the National priority list.            Another measure that can be beneficial at the Tar Creek is the removal of chat from residential properties. Chat coverings such as roads, driveways and playground surfaces should be removed and replaced. Apart from this, some of the chat in the chat piles can be used as an aggregate for asphalt, reducing the volume of chat over a number of years. Asphalt made with the chat can be used to plug mine shafts and pave roads while containing the heavy lead and zinc metals and decreasing their mobility. Removal of chat can result in a reduced blood lead level in the people living in the area. The removal process is projected to have more positive outcomes as progress continues. For example, piles of chat shrink exposure of community members to dust as a result of wind will reduce. In addition to that, contamination of ground water by rainwater runoff will reduce as the chat piles shrinks.            The surface water quality should be improved through construction of passive treatment projects while harnessing the filtration capability of the surrounding ecosystem. To reduce exposure to lead dust, the amount of chat used in asphalt mixes needs to be increased, chat roads should be paved and chat piles and millponds near residential areas should be re-navigated. In addition to this, the state can alleviate mine hazards by locating and mapping vent holes and mine shafts and filling them with chat. The other method is to reclaim the land by removing the chat, re-vegetating and re-contouring the land.            In addition to this, state governments can easily manage awareness and education programs, without interrupting the federal cleanup work. If the area is very complex, local governments, and the state can focus on smaller or projects that are less complex like the chat removal. At the same time, federal resources should be used on the most complex areas of the cleanup exercise. Federal agencies have a tendency to control the state and local governments rather than working together with them. Measures should be added to the current superfund program to enable greater state and local government participation. More funds and high awareness could quicken the cleanup process.            The superfund process should change the way threats to the environment and health are viewed. In general, measures should be taken the moment an imminent threat to human health and the environment has been identified. (US EPA). In Tar Creek exposure over a day or several days will not have any notable impact on a person’s health. However, over a period of years, exposure to contaminants in the area may affect the reproductive, cardiovascular, and central nervous system for people who are exposed. It can also cause hyperactivity and retardation in young children (Church). The people residing in Tar Creek area had been exposed to contaminants for several years, their health was seriously at risk due to the chronic threat affecting the people for over fifty tears (Brock et al., 1995).            To reduce the threat to human health due to exposure contaminated materials, a new classification system should be introduced to the superfund process. Conditions that that would create a significant threat to human health as a result of repeated exposure can be classified as a chronic threat. A timeline can be established, based on the nature of the contaminant, the duration of time over which the environment and the public had were exposed, and the extent of contamination. This timeline will determine the acceptable period to improve the situation. If significant improvement is not realized within the period, the situation should be classified as an immediate threat. Conclusion            Even though the superfund process has been successful in many cases, it can be improved upon. Measures that include mandatory education programs, testing for cross-contamination at the beginning of the site investigation, implementation of temporary remedies for particularly complex or large cleanup sites can be used to encourage greater state intervention. Addressing chronic threats has not improved substantially over time and is a measure that should be taken to improve the current cleanup processes. However, these means are not the only means for improving effectiveness and efficiency of the Superfund process.            Superfund should be treated as work in progress. The process should be reviewed for problems and flaws on a continuous basis. In addition, unsuccessful and successful sites should be reviewed for particular activities that led to their success or failure. Information that is acquired from these reviews should be used to come up with new procedures and policies that can be added to the existing superfund process. The Superfund process can never be perfect, but continuous monitoring and revision of the process will help make the system very efficient. References Brock, F. V., K. C. Crawford, R. L. Elliott, G. W. Cuperus, S. J. Stadler, H. L. Johnson, and M. D. Eilts, (1995): The Oklahoma Mesonet: A Technical Overview. J. Atmos. and Oceanic Techno. 12, 5-19. Church, Thomas W., and Robert T. Nakamura (1993).Cleaning Up the Mess: Implementation Strategies in Superfund.Washington D.C. The Brookings Institution. Oklahoma State Department of Health. Retrieved December 2014 from:http://www.health.state.ok.us/PROGRAM/envhlth/sites/ottawa.html. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Ohio River Park: Current Site Information.Retrieved on December 2014 from: http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/npl/PAD980508816.htm. United States Environmental Protection Agency. The Superfund Program, Ten Years of Progress.EPA/540/8-91/003. December 2014. Source document

Misuses of Statistics Essay Example for Free

Misuses of Statistics Essay While Statistics can also be misused in many ways such as using not representative samples, small sample size, ambiguous averages and dispersions, detached facts, implied connections, wrong and misleading graphs, wrong use of statistical techniques, serious violation of assumption behind the statistical techniques and faculty surveys, we should also realize that Statistical literacy is not a skill that is widely accepted as necessary in education. Therefore a lot of misuse of statistics is not intentional, just uninformed. But that does not mitigate its danger when misused because Statistical techniques are many times misused, to sell products that don’t work; to prove something that is not really true, to get the attention of public by evoking fear and shock. Statistics has numerous uses. It is difficult to find a field in which statistics is not used. Statistics plays integral part in many disciplines, and do not take reported relationships at their face value, especially if you cannot see a direct, causal link between them. There may be a common-sense reason why they are linked through a third, unreported variable or other intended or unintended connections. Going through exercises 1 through 10 on page 810, I decided to do exercise number 4. The question reads â€Å"In many ads for weigh loss products, under the product claim and in small print, the following statement is made: â€Å"These results are not typical.† What does this say about the product being advertised?† It is intriguing but rather serious when media plays with our emotion just to get our attention in whatever ways they can. Both print and electronic media have created a means of satisfying our emotional instabilities by coming up with advertisements that will capture our attentions. Weigh loss products and program are few of the many that have been bombarding the airwaves. Many at times I pondered when watching television or listening to radio commercial, whether these are really delivering what they are saying that can. I have deliberately changed my channels when I am watching television and a commercial come on the television. In this assignment, I am going to synthesized question number 4. I am going to keenly look the small prints that say â€Å"These results are not typical† What does this say about the product being advertised? I think there are two sides to this, one is the legal obligations that they will be face with if they fail what they promised, the other is nothing is typical. What works for you might not work for me. We are all different and unique in our own ways. We all have different method of losing weight. What might work for one person is not necessarily going to work for you, what you arent guaranteed is to lose what that that person lost in the ads. They are only giving us the best results they have gotten from their products and it does not mean that it might work for you or me. There is no 100% guarantee in this process. The next question that I am going to comment will be number 16. â€Å"Do you think that it is not important to give extra tutoring to students who are not failing?† To answer this question in a survey, you must understand what they are asking for. This is very confusion question. Double negative can be confusing, which might lead to an incorrect response. I think because each student is different, each should be given opportunity to explore whatever opportunity that is available to them to excel in their school work at their own pace, regardless of who they are in your class. As we have seen from above, ads might be exactly how they are presented to us. I think every ad should be research before venturing into it. This ads and the survey are known as detached statistic ads, which mean there was no comparison made. As we can see from the two different set, there were no comparisons in either one of them. Indeed, while Statistics can also be misused in many ways such as using not representative samples, small sample size, ambiguous averages and dispersions, detached facts, implied connections, wrong and misleading graphs, wrong use of statistical techniques, serious violation of assumption behind the statistical techniques and faculty surveys. Therefore a lot of misuse of statistics is not intentional, just uninformed. But that does not mitigate its danger when misused. Hence we should be very careful in our decision making process as what to believe it References Bluman, A. G. (2011). Mathematics in our world (1st ed. Ashford University Custom). United States: McGraw-Hill.

Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs) in Neural Induction

Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs) in Neural Induction Abstract Neural induction represents the first stage in the formation of the vertebrate nervous system from embryonic ectoderm. Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs), initially identified for their mitogenic and angiogenic roles in bovine brain extracts, are now known to have many developmental roles in particular that of neural induction, comprising of a family of 22 FGFs. Spemann and Mangold (1924) pioneered the study of neural induction through the identification of the organizer. Early work in amphibians suggested that neural fate was instructed by signals from Spemanns organiser or dorsal mesoderm. Over a decade ago, the default model proposed that neural induction was the direct consequence from inhibition of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) found in Xenopus laevis, not taking into consideration neural induction in avian embryos. Consequently many experimental studies, in the chick, subsequent to this finding conflicted the idea that BMP inhibition was the only necessary step required suggesting that FGFs were required at an earlier stage prior to BMP inhibition. Much controversy has surrounded the role of FGFs in neural induction but now it is widely accepted to have a role in both amphibians and amniotes. Fibroblast Growth Factors in neural induction Structure and Function: FGFs broken down Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs) regulate a vast array of developmental processes, including, limb development, neural induction and neural development (Bà ¶ttcher and Niehrs, 2005). FGFs play an important role in development of an organism by regulating cellular differentiation, proliferation and migration and are involved in tissue-injury repair (Itoh and Ornitz, 2004). The early FGFs, FGF1 and FGF2 (also known as acidic and basic FGF, respectively) were first discovered from bovine brain and pituitary extracts and identified for their mitogenic and angiogenic activities (Gospodarowicz et al., 1974). Additionally, a number of family members were found revealing a total of 22 FGFs in humans ranging from 17 to 34 kDa in molecular mass in vertebrates. The nomenclature extends to FGF23 but in humans FGF19 is the equivalent to mouse Fgf15 (Ornitz and Itoh, 2001). Also the FGFs have been organised into seven subfamilies based on sequence comparisons. FGFs show conservation through species, especially across the vertebrate species in gene structure and amino-acid sequence. FGF sequences are yet to be found in unicellular organisms such as yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and bacteria (Escherichia Coli) (Itoh and Ornitz, 2004). Interestingly, an Fgf-like gene has been encoded in the nuclear polyhedrosis virus genome (Ayres et al., 1994). In protostomes, there are far fewer FGFs in contrast to vertebrates, as two (let-756 and egl-17) have been found in Caenorhabditis elegans and three (branchless, pyramus and thisbe) in Drosophila (Mason, 2007). Most FGFs have amino-terminal signal peptides (Fig. 1 (a)) and are secreted from cells. FGFs 9, 16 and 20 lack this signal peptide but nevertheless are still secreted (Ornitz and Itoh, 2001). FGF1 and FGF2 lack these signal sequences and are secreted by non-canonical pathways, however they can be found on the cell surface and within the extracellular matrix. Golfarb (2005) suggests that FGFs 11-14 do not interact with FGF receptors (FGFRs) and are not secreted but instead localise to the cell nucleus. Fig. 1 (above) illustrates the structural features of the FGF polypeptide (a). A signal sequence (shaded grey) can be seen here within the amino terminus and is present in most FGFs. All FGFs contain a core region (Fig. 1 (a)) containing around 120 amino acids of which 6 are identical amino acids residues and 28 are highly conserved (Goldfarb, 1996). The black boxes (numbered 1 to 12) represent the location of ÃŽ ² strands within the core. The three dimensional structure of FGF2 (b) can also be seen where the heparin binding region (yellow) includes residues between ÃŽ ²1 and ÃŽ ²2 strands and in ÃŽ ²10 and ÃŽ ²11 strands. FGFs have a high affinity for heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) and require heparan sulphate to activate one of four transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinases (FGFR1-4) in all vertebrates. FGFR5 has been identified recently, however most action is mediated via FGFR1-4 (Powers et al., 2000). FGFRs are membrane associated class IV receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). The FGFR tyrosine kinase receptors (Fig. 2 B) include 3 immunoglobulin (Ig) domains and a heparin binding sequence which requires heparan sulphate to be activated (McKeehan et al., 1998). HSPG are low affinity receptors that are unable to transmit a biological signal but act as co-factors for activation and regulation of an interaction between FGFs and FGFRs. Fig. 2 (above) illustrates a two dimensional generic FGF (A) and a FGFR (B) protein. The structure of a FGF (A) coincides with that of Fig. 1, containing a signal sequence in the amino-terminus and the conserved core region containing HSPG and receptor-binding sites. The main features of FGFRs (B) include 3-Immunoglobulin domains, an acidic box (AB) which lies between IgI and IgII, heparin-binding domain, Cell Adhesion Molecule (CAM)-homology domain, transmembrane domain and a split tyrosine kinase enzyme domain for catalytic activity and binding of adaptor proteins. The Ig domains in the extracellular region of a FGFR are required for FGF binding and regulate binding affinity and ligand specificity. Multiple alternative splicing that generates a range of FGFR1-4 receptor isoforms with transformed ligand binding properties provides diversity (Olsen et al., 2006). For example, FGF2 interacts with all four receptors FGFR1-4 whereas FGF7 only interacts with the FGFR2 IIIb isoform (a splice variant of FGF2; expressed in epithelial cells). Ligand-receptor binding specificity is affected by alternative splicing particularly in the C-terminal region of the third immunoglobulin loop in FGFR1-3 which produces IIIb or IIIc isoforms (Mason, 2007). Table 1 (below) illustrates the specificity of the FGF ligands for particular FGFR isoforms. This table is useful yet evidence from in vitro may appear misleading as in vivo involves influence from co-factors such as HSPG (Mohammadi et al., 2005). Table 1 (above) shows there are seven FGFR isoforms (FGFR1b; FGFR1c; FGFR2b; FGFR2c; FGFR3b; FGFR3c and FGFR4) that FGF1 through to FGF23 variously bind. Alternative mRNA splicing of FGFR1-3, particularly in the carboxy-terminal half of the third extracellular immunoglobulin loop (Ig-domain III), derives the b and c isoforms. HSPGs are necessary co-factors in activation of FGFRs by FGFs and evidence has found the ternary complex to comprise of FGF-FGFR-HSPG in a 2:2:1 ratio (Mohammadi et al., 2005). The co-binding of HSPG prevents proteolysis and thermal denaturation (Itoh and Ornitz, 2004). HSPG binding of FGF induces dimerization of FGFR, followed by transphosphorylation of receptor subunits, initiating an intracellular signalling cascade. FGF signalling: Its a cellular game Following formation of the FGF-HSPG-FGFR complex several downstream signalling pathways are activated (Fig. 3 below). This includes three pathways, the Ras/Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/ Akt pathway and phospholipase C- (PLC )/ Ca2+/ protein kinase C (PKC) pathway. These pathways are mediated via docking proteins (such as FGF receptor substrate (FRS) and Grb2 in the Ras/MAPK pathway) that recruit downstream enzymes. The Ras/MAPK pathway (Fig. 3) is initiated via Grb2 (a docking protein) where its SH2 domain binds to the tyrosine phosphorylated FRS2 in response to activation of the FGFR receptor (Kouhara et al., 1997). Grb2 binds to SOS (son of sevenless; a guanine nucleotide exchange factor) via a SH3 domain on the Grb2 molecule. This Grb2-SOS complex activates SOS which promotes the dissociation of GDP from Ras so it is able to bind GTP for its activation. Activated Ras activates RAF (MAPKKK) which is normally held in a closed conf ormation by the 14-3-3 protein. Once activated, RAF phosphorylates and activates mitogen-activated and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK (MAPKK)) which in turn phosphorylates ERK1/2 (MAPK). MAPK then translocates into the nucleus to phosphorylate specific transcription factors of the Ets family which in turn activate expression of FGF target genes. In addition, it is also evident from Fig. 3 that active ERK itself can antagonise FRS activity. Activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway (Fig. 3) is by binding of Gab1 (Grb2-associated-binding protein 1) to FRS2 indirectly via Grb2. In the presence of Gab1, activation of PI3K stimulates the Akt pathway which suggests FGFs have anti-apoptotic effects in the developing nervous system (Mason, 2007). In addition, PI3K can bind to a phosphorylated tyrosine residue of FGFR directly. The third way in which the PI3K/Akt pathway is activated is by activated Ras inducing membrane localisation of the PI3K catalytic subunit. PLC- /Ca2+/PKC pathway is also activated when a tyrosine residue is autophosphorylated in the carboxy terminal of the FGFR. PLC- hydrolyses phosphatidylinositol to produce inositol trisphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG) which stimulates calcium release and activates PKC, respectively. PKC has also been found to activate the Ras/MAPK pathway independent of Ras but dependent on c-Raf (Ueda et al., 1996). Fig. 3 also indicated that the final activated components, of the three signalling pathways mentioned, translocate into the nucleus to activate specific transcription factors of the Ets family (particularly Ets1, Pea3, and Erm) which activate expression of FGF target genes and in turn these feedback (Fig, 4) to regulate intracellular signalling (Dailey et al., 2005). Most of the proteins produced function as feedback inhibitors (as seen in Fig. 4), including Sprouty (Spry), Sef and MAP Kinase phosphatase 3 (MKP3) which modulate particularly the Ras/Erk pathway at different levels (Mason, 2007). In contrast, stimulation of the fibronectin leucine-rich transmembrane type III (XFLRT3) protein causes FGF signalling to be positively regulated (Bà ¶ttcher et al., 2003). Sprouty (Spry) was one of the first identified feedback regulators of the FGF pathway. Thisse and Thisse (2005) found Spry to antagonise FGF Signalling by gain and/or loss of function experiments in mouse. Spry acts at the level of Raf and/or Grb2 (Fig. 4). Gain and/or loss of function experiments in zebrafish demonstrated that Sef antagonises FGF signalling (Fig. 4) acting at level of MEK and ERK (Tsang et al., 2002). Mouse studies have suggested that FGFR signalling is required for Dusp6 transcription which codes for MKP3 (Ekerot et al., 2008). From this study it was also found that MKP3 acts as a negative regulator of ERK activity (as seen in Fig. 4). Sef and XFLRT3 are located at the membrane (Fig. 4) and carry out antagonising actions with FGFR directly. FGF signalling can be regulated at different levels, from the membrane all the way down to the level of phosphorylation of MAPK and it is important also to know that FGFs have been detected in the nucleus (Mason, 2007). Most of the downstream target genes as described earlier are feedback inhibitors (Spry, Sef and MKP3) but FGF signals are also known to interact with many other important pathways such as transforming growth factor-ÃŽ ² (TGF-ÃŽ ²), Hedgehog (HH), Notch and Wnt (Gerhart, 1999). Therefore, in conjunction with these, FGFs are responsible for development of most organs of the vertebrate body. In the nervous system, FGFs have been implicated to play a role in early developmental processes, such as neural induction, patterning and proliferation (Umemori, 2009). Neural induction: The Default Model Spemann and Mangold (1924) pioneered the study of neural induction, which is defined as the process by which naive ectodermal cells aquire a neural fate. Their work involved demonstrating that tissue from the dorsal lip of the frog Xenopus laevis blastopore could induce a second ectopic nervous system (Fig. 5 above left) when implanted onto the ventral side of a host gastrula embryo. The second ectopic nervous system was host derived indicating that the graft was important in determining cell fate. This region, located on the dorsal side of an amphibian embryo, was named the Spemann organizer as it could direct the neighbouring ectodermal cells to form nervous system instead of epidermis. Although the organizer (group of dorsal mesodermal cells) was found to be present in many species (Hamburger, 1988) it was the Xenopus laevis which gave an insight into the molecular events involved in neural induction in vertebrates (Hemmati-Brivanlou et al., 1994). This was particularly because amphibians were found to be ideal experimental models for the study of neural induction as neurulation initiated within twelve hours after fertilisation (Weinstein and Hemmati-Brivanlou, 1997). It was implied that signals from the organizer provide instructions to the ectoderm to form neural tissue therefore for many decades the view was that the default state of the ectoderm was to produce epidermis. The first challenges to this model came from studies making use of dissociated cell cultures (Sato and Sargent, 1989). It was found that when animal caps were cultured intact that epidermis formed but neural tissue arose from animal caps that had been dissociated for prolonged periods (as seen in Fig. 6 below). This led to the idea that intact tissue may block the formation of neural tissue by presence of neural inhibitors which are diluted out when the tissue is dissociated. Recent research has found that the default nature of the ectoderm is to produce neural tissue that requires inhibition of a neural inhibitor from the ectoderm. Before considering the process of neural induction I would like to take a step back and describe the three germ layers of the embryo. Following fertilisation, the zygote undergoes stages of cleavage to eventually form a gastrula with three germ layers (in triploblastic animals) usually only visible in vertebrate animals. The Germ layers will eventually give rise to all of the animals organs through a process known as organogenesis. The three layers include, the ectoderm (outermost), endoderm (innermost) and mesoderm (which is between the ectoderm and endoderm) layers. The Endoderm gives rise to the lung, thyroid and pancreas. The mesoderm forms the skeleton, skeletal muscle, the urogenital system, heart and blood. The outermost layer, the ectoderm which is of concern here, gives rise to the epidermis and nervous system. It is at gastrulation that the vertebrate ectoderm is competent to differentiate into neural tissue or epidermis. Unless told otherwise, the default nature of the ect oderm is to produce neural tissue and this was outlined as the default model. The Default model of vertebrate neural induction, discovered over a decade ago in Xenopus, proposed that in the presence of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), a signalling molecule of the TGF-ÃŽ ² superfamily, causes the ectoderm to give rise to an epidermal cell fate (Stern, 2006; Muà ±oz-Sanjuan and Brivanlou, 2002). In support of this model, consistent with the idea that BMP activity inhibits neural fates, animal caps which had been injected with RNA encoding effectors of BMP4 (Smad 1/5 or Msx1) neuralization did not occur. Conversely, it was found that inhibition of BMP activity in the ectoderm is essential for a neural fate which forms the basis of the default model of neural induction. Inhibition of BMP is achieved through direct binding of BMP antagonists emitted from the organizer (Wilson and Hemmati-Brivanlou, 1997). These BMP antagonists include chordin (Sasai et al., 1995), noggin (Lamb et al., 1993) and follistatin (Hemmati-Brivanlou et al., 1994) which bind to BMPs extra cellularly to prevent its interaction with its own receptor (Hemmati-Brivanlou and Melton, 1997). These molecules have direct neural activity which means they induce formation of neural tissue in the ectoderm without forming mesoderm. It was initially believed that these molecules acted as ligands to bring about neural tissue formation. Experiments found that there was conservation through species, identifying that chordin was homologous to the short gastrulation (sog) gene found in Drosophila which has been shown to antagonize the BMP homologue decapentaplegic (dpp) (Wharton et al., 1993), suggesting that these molecules might act as inhibitors rather than inducers and that these inhibitory mechanisms have been conserved from arthropods through to vertebrates. It was experiments (Fig. 6) showing that dissociated ectodermal explants would become neural tissue in absence of inducing signals from the organizer (Sato and Sargent, 1989). Evidence found that neural induction resulted from inhibition of the TGF-ÃŽ ² pathway as expression of dominant-negative activin receptor gave rise to neural fates in amphibian ectoderms (Hemmati-Brivanlou and Melton, 1994). It was found that chordin, noggin, follistatin and molecules such as Cerberus and Xnr3 (Xenopus nodal related 3) bound to BMP in the extracellular space inhibiting its action (Hemmati-Brivanlou and Melton, 1997) leading to the much debated default model of neural induction. Neural Induction: FGFs get it started Support for the default model still remains, mainly in Xenopus, but other work (especially in chick and mouse) suggests a more complex mechanism (Streit et al., 1998). It has been established that the BMP pathway is involved in determining ectodermal cell fate (Wilson and Hemmati-Brivanlou, 1997) but it still remains to be proved conclusive if BMP inhibition is required for neural induction alone or if other pathways act separately or with BMP inhibition. In the chick embryo it has been found that naive epiblast cells do not respond to BMP antagonists until previous exposure to organizer signals for five hours (Streit et al., 1998). Striet et al. (2000) grafted an organizer to observe the genes induced in the epiblast within this time period. A gene ERNI (early response to neural induction) was identified as a coiled coil domain with a tyrosine phosphorylation site and found to be expressed throughout the region that later contributes to the nervous system at pre-primitive streak stages (Hatada and Stern, 1994). Striet et al. (2000) findings made ERNI the earliest known marker after a response to organizer signals, prior to even Sox3 (induced by the node in 3 hours (Streit and Stern, 1999)). FGFs are becoming more evident that they have a major role in neural induction as it has been shown to begin before gastrulation, before BMP antagonists even appear (Wilson et al., 2000). In the chick, it has been found that FGFs have the role of blocking BMP signalling and promoting neural differentiation (Wilson et al., 2000). In ascidians, FGF signalling is the main mechanism of neural induction with BMP antagonism playing a role in later development (Lemaire et al., 2002). In frogs and fish, in contrast, FGFs do not have a certain role in neural induction and is believed their primary role is BMP inhibition (Pera et al., 2003). Exposure of the chick epiblast to an implanted organiser for around 5 hours induces Sox3 (an early neural plate marker) (Stern, 2005). After removal of the implanted organiser, chordin can be used to stabilise it (Striet et al., 1998) which implies that before the ectoderm can respond to BMP antagonists it must be exposed to 5 hours of signals from the organizer. During these 5 hours, several genes become activated such as, ERNI (early response to neural induction) which becomes active after 1 hour (Streit et al., 2000) and Churchill (Chch) after about 4 hours (Sheng et al., 2003). These are both induced by FGF and not BMP inhibition, indicating the importance of FGFs in early neural induction. Churchill which is expressed in the neural plate inhibits brachyury, a transcription factor, which as a result suppresses mesoderm formation by preventing cell ingression. In the chick, FGF8 is expressed in the hypoblast, prior to gastrulation before Hensens node appears (the chick equivalent to the organizer) indicating that neural induction is in fact able to begin before gastrulation. This is important because ERNI and Sox3 mark neural induction and require FGF signalling (Stern, 2005). Streit et al. (2000) found that FGF8 coated beads induce ERNI as efficiently as the node within 1-2 h without inducing brachury and also the expression of Sox3. These results indicate FGFs to be possible early signals in neural induction. It is FGF8 which has been identified as the best candidate because it is expressed in the anterior part of the str

Life, Death, and Frankenstein Essay -- Frankenstein Essays

Life, Death, and Frankenstein Since I spent last weekend in Vancouver attending the funeral of a beloved aunt who died on Good Friday, you could say that I've been pondering a lot about death and dying lately. It didn't help either that I chose to bring my copy of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with me to read on the plane rides there and back, seeing as this story deals with the creation of a new form of life and the deaths that result from it. Being in this rather morbid frame of mind, I decided for this commentary just to take a closer examination of life and death as contained within the kind of gothic narrative of this early science-fiction horror story. It's almost like a Yin-Yang pairing between the two: Victor controls the ability to create Life (an ability that is usually looked on as being feminine) through his scientific and medical knowledge, and the Creature controls the ability to create Death (an ability usually looked on as being masculine) through his incredible strength and physical abilities. But although the Yin-Yang of Taoist thought brings harmony to the universe, this pairing of light and dark brings nothing but destruction to those it touches. So, in Frankenstein, I suppose you could divide the death into two different categories, both centered around Victor: Life from Death, and Death from Life. "To examine the causes of life," Victor tells us through Captain Walton, "we must first have recourse to death." And so he does. After Victor discovers the secret to creating life (what it is we are never told, but if you're inclined to believe the various cinematic treatments of the story, it seems to involve lightening storms and complicated machines), he decides to put this to use and see if he can play... ...ankenberry Cereal available for sale, with cartoonish pictures of Boris Karloff smiling on the front. While they may hold opposing powers of Life and Death respectively, in the end, it is as though neither of these two characters is left with any life between them. Everyone Victor has loved is dead because of the attacks inflicted by his creation. The Creature is not accepted by society because of the appearance given to him by his creator. Neither of them having anything left to live for; they engage in a chase up to the high Arctic where the Creature and the body of his creator disappear into the night. With each of them trying to out-manoeuvre the other, each destroys what his opposite desires the most. In this Life from Death, nothing can lead a true existence. Works Cited: Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein (1818 ed.). New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1996.

Kants Moral Principles Essay -- Kant Immanuel Philosophy Morals Essay

Kant's Moral Principles   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Foundation of the Metaphysics of Morals, the author, Immanuel Kant, tries to form a base by rejecting all ethical theories that are connected to consequences, and then focusing on our ethical motivations and actions. Kant wants to derive good characters out of contingently right actions. He believes that everything is contingent (everything can have good or bad worth, depending on how it is used). So he is trying to find the supreme principal of morality in all his reasoning. Kant also believes that an action is right or wrong based solely on the reason by which it was performed. However, a Utilitarian, like John Mill, would reject Kant’s reasoning of originating good characters out of actions alone, and instead argue that if an action has bad consequences, then the action was morally wrong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kant believes that an action has moral worth only if it is done out of respect for our moral code. He names this moral action a ‘duty.’ Kant also believes that in determining the moral worth of an action, we need to look at the maxim by which it was performed. So, we need to look at one’s reason for doing an action to determine if it is a duty. If the reason for performing the action is justified, then the action is a duty. However, Kant says there are two different types of reasons for performing an action. Kant calls these reasons ‘imperatives.’ The first reason for performing an action, the hypothetical imperative, is based on consequences and on our personal preferences. They are also contingent, meaning that they can be good or bad depending on how they are used. People choose to perform a given action because of the hypothetical imperative. The second reason for performing an action according to Kant is called the categorical imperative. These are not based on our preferences, don’t deal with consequences of an action, and are derived a priori. They are completely separate from hypothetical imperatives. We all have knowledge of categorical imperatives before experiencing them first. They are kind of a second nature for us, which needs to be recognized according to Kant. These are the most important reason for performing an action. These imperatives also have the characteristics that Kant needs in order to make his point that all of our moral principals are categ orical, have absolute authority, and are independent o... ...t hope to predict the outcome of any given situation. It is impossible; there is no such thing as seeing the future. So by making a false promise to your friend, you have still done the morally wrong action, even though it will most likely save them some suffering. It did indeed take away their choices, so they can’t act in a way they want to act (going to class). I happen to agree with Kant’s idea here. I think that no matter what the consequences are, performing the right action is always the right thing to do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overall I think that Kant has better arguments because they are directed at the individual, not at society in whole. I also agree that the moral worth of actions is determined by the motivating principal of the action, not by the consequences, like John Mill. So I am a deontologist, for the most part. However, I also agree with some of the things that Mill has to say. So is there a way that we can combine the ideas of Mill and Kant together in order to form a perfect society in which everybody is happy? I don’t know the answer to this question, but we should all strive to do so, and we should start by respecting each other’s autonomy and treating others as ends.

Superconductivity and Superconductors :: Physics Physical Essays

Superconductivity and Superconductors ABSTRACT Superconductivity allows current to pass through a material with no resistive losses at near absolute zero temperatures. It also exhibits the Meissner effect which causes the superconducting material to repel magnetic fields. The application of this technology has been extremely limited due to the prohibitive costs of using Helium to cool the material to the critical temperatures. Recently, however, new ceramic materials were discovered which exhibit superconductive properties at higher temperatures which can be reached using cheaper liquid Nitrogen cooling. Applications have immediately expanded and are expected to become amazing in the near future as scientists search for a room temperature superconductor. ORIGINS Superconductivity is the passing of electricity through conductors with no loss of power (Graham 17).

Rousseau and Wollstonecraft

â€Å"The neglected education of my fellow-creatures is the grand source of the misery I deplore. â€Å"-Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Rousseau and Wollstonecraft believed that children should be allowed to grow freely and learn to use their education practically. Children would then grow up to be free thinking adults that would keep soceity from becoming materialistic and oppressing. Nonetheless, they vehemently disagreed on who should receive such an education. Rousseau thought that only males, because they are stronger should receive such and education. Wollstonecraft believed everyone, no matter what sex, should be able to be educated to reform and better society as a whole. Though both their works were considered extreme, they are both apparent in the public education system of today. Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) and Rousseau (1712-1778) both agreed that society oppressed human kind, but Wollstonecraft felt that men were oppressing women. They both believed that education should mean letting children grow freely and placing little restrictions. They should protect them from immediate dangers and provide food and shelter. They should not, however, force books and controlled learning upon the children. He thought that children should also develop common sense and each child would choose whatever interests him to study in greater detail. He thought that this method of education would produce a well balanced, free thinking child. Therefore this would lead to a natural society rather than a materialistic one. Rousseau†s theory of natural education was not intended for all children. He felt that girls should be limited motherhood, and how to be a wife. To Rousseau, women exist in order to serve man, because they are weaker. Wollstonecraft stated that women should be taught medicine in order to take care of parents, infants, and husbands properly. She endorsed equal education for all children no matter what the sex. They should not only be taught the same things, but should be taught together, to learn social interaction they would encounter as adults. Girls and boys would attend day school together and then boys would be sent to their apprenticeships and girls would learn how to sew and other skills. Wollstonecraft tried to prove that by denying a woman†s education you are denying her the ability to raise children adequately. Therefore it would benefit both sexes if women were properly educated. Rousseau was applauded for advocating human rights and natural education but when it concerned women he broke no new ground. He actually promoted women†s role as a wife and mother present to serve her husband. He stated that because women were weaker physically that their minds were as well. Wollstonecraft upheld his philosophy of natural education to encourage individual freedom to benefit society. However, she detested his treatment of women. She advised that women and men should both be educated, and educated together. Both of Emile and The Vindication of the Right†s of Women were considered radical, they were both revolutionaries. Emile impacted practical applications, and the exploration of natural curiosity in education. Wollstonecraft†s radical idea of educating boys and girls equally, and together are applied on public education today.

European and Asian continents Essay

The author Jared Diamond in the book Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies writes that the alternative title for his book would probably be a short history about everyone for the last 13,000 years. This topic will explain the author’s main argument as well as cite a passage where he states his points clearly. We will also give two proximate and two ultimate factors to support his claims, ending with an evaluation of his main argument. It should be noted that the main argument the author brings forward in this book has been mentioned quite well in the preface the rest of the book merely acts as a supplement to his main idea. The main argument in this book is summed up clearly in the following question: â€Å"Why did wealth and power become distributed as they now are, rather than in some other way? For instance, why weren’t Native Americans, Africans, and Aboriginal Australians the ones who decimated, subjugated, or exterminated Europeans and Asians? † (Diamond p. 13-32,1999) He explains this by saying that the advancements in culture in the European and Asian continents are not due to their moral, intellectual or genetic superiority. Rather the gaps in development are mostly due to the geographical advantages each race had. He says that the earliest civilizations were hunter-gatherers before they eventually developed a system of agriculture. This of course leads to the production of food surpluses such supports larger populations and in effect a larger population necessitates a division of labor. This leads to large societies with ruling classes and supporting classes which in turn becomes a ruling organization. He explains two Ultimate factors which lead civilizations down this path, a large east/west axis and easily domestic able food and animals. â€Å"There were also great differences in the completeness with which suites of crops and livestock spread, again implying stronger or weaker barriers to their spreading† (Diamond p. 176-192, 1999). He says that the early advantages of finding suitable plants to grow and domesticated animals helped certain cultures advance further than others. Genetically geographical areas decide whether certain crops will be wild or domesticated. It also decides the animals that will inhabit the area. â€Å"Most of the wild species from which our crops were derived vary genetically from area to area, because alternative mutations had become established among; wild ancestral populations of different areas†. (Diamond pg 176-192, 1999) For example the Middle East had the best collection of plants and animals suitable for domestication. And as they began to trade they found the importance of using horses and donkeys as transport. In contrast in Africa they had to contend with growing wild plants such as sorghum and yams. Animals such as zebras could not be domesticated and those animals which flourished in one area could not survive in the other. â€Å"South Africa’s Mediterranean climate would have been ideal for them, but the 2,000 miles of tropical conditions between Ethiopia and South Africa posed an insuperable barrier†. (Diamond pg 176-192, 1999) He also says that the east-west axis is certain countries were essential to the advancements of their societies through trade. While the north-south axis of certain countries such as Africa promoted slow diffusion. The title of this book sums up the two proximate factors that lead to the dominance of the Eurasian races and the displacement and subjugation of the Africans, Native Americans and Aborigines. In terms of germs the Eurasians increasing levels of trade and use of livestock increased the number of pathogens they were exposed to forcing immunity among their populace. When they met the indigenous tribes of South America these diseases dwindled their populations to a point where the Europeans could subjugate them. â€Å"As a result, over the course of history, human populations repeatedly exposed to a particular pathogen have come to consist of a higher proportion of individuals with those genes for resistance–just because unfortunate individuals without the genes were less likely to survive to pass their genes on to babies† (Diamond p. 195-214, 1999). The technological progress of these people also depended on food production. The increasing organizational systems and trade with other areas provided them with the tools to develop a writing system of their own. This writing system was essential to the continued technological development of societies. â€Å"Here we have to remind ourselves that the vast majority of societies with writing acquired it by borrowing it from neighbors or by being inspired by them to develop it, rather than by independently inventing it themselves† (Diamond p. 215-238, 1999). After reading this book I found myself agreeing with many of the author’s contentions about our history. It is difficult to conceive that the history of human civilization was decided even before it births. However the argument the author provides not only for the agricultural advancements but also in terms of geopolitical advancements seem as true as they are simple to understand. If I had to point out one fault it would be that the author speaks of competing civilizations in terms of continents rather than individual societies. It is unreasonable to me that all the societies on a continent would follow a singular goal of increasing their footprint upon the earth. Additionally he does not adequately expand his theory to include the society of ancient Egypt, which despite its geographical commonality through several decades managed to go through several periods of dominance and subjugation. However, the book itself is an essential read when taken as a viable theory of the history of human civilization. References Diamond, J. M. (1999). Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York: W. W. Norton & Co.

Acute Care: Care Implementation and Evaluation.

Acute Care: Care Implementation and Evaluation. This assignment will be based around the care that is implemented and evaluated, within a National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust (FT). The focus of the assignment will be to discuss two health problems that a selected patient has and has been admitted to the FT with. The selected patient had been admitted into FT with breathing difficulties and also suffering from dehydration. The assignment will focus upon the goals that are set for the patient whilst in FT and the reasons why the goals are set. The patho-physiology of the two problems will also be discussed and also the care that had been implemented to achieve the goals. Throughout the assignment, the patient will be known as Terry with the permission from the patients parents, according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2008) confidentiality guidelines. The assignment will also aim to discuss the role of the Health Care Professional (HCP) in planning appropriate care for the patient, in particular, using the assessment technique of goal setting by using Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Set (S. M. A. R. T) target planning technique (Roper et al, 1996). The reasons for planning care can involve the HCP assisting in preventing potential health problems, for example, breathing difficulties for the patient becoming worse and to also assist in solving problems where possible. Care planning can also assist in alleviating possible health problems that cannot be solved by HCP’ s and so will need the assistance of Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) , for example, consultant, physiotherapists to further improve an develop the care plan. Terry is a 42 year old single man, who lives with his parents, and has suffered from a number of illnesses throughout his life, for example, optical glyoma, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), epilepsy, and also learning difficulties. Terry has difficulty with breathing, and this appears to have been caused by respiratory rhythmicity centre in the medulla and the pons (areas of the brain which can control breathing) and these appeared to not be working in the correct way (MacKenzie, 1996; Waugh et al 2006). Terry’s reduced neurological status was due to trauma that had been suffered in the motor pathways, and the peripheral nerves, in the brain (Iggulden, 2006). Terry was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), within the NHS FT, suffering from numerous problems that were mainly neurological. Terry's admission to ICU was due to the increased breathing difficulties that he was experiencing. Due to the breathing difficulties, the nursing team, and Terry's consultant, agreed that it would be best for Terry to have a percutaneous tracheostomy inserted. Due to Terry suffering from a probable cerebellar lesion, severe learning difficulties and poor communication skills; it did appear that Terry could not understand what the nursing team were informing him of, the medication that he needed and the care that was being delivered (NMC, 2008). Due to the fact that Terry appeared not to be able to understand or communicate with the nursing team, and that his parents and family members were with him, the nursing team, and myself, ensured that the parents, and family members, were informed of what was happening regarding the care that had given to Terry. The fact that Terry could not understand the instructions given to him, due to learning difficulties, consent to insert a percutaneous tracheostomy had to be given from Terry’s parents, to the Consultant (NMC, 2008). The tracheostomy that had been inserted into Terry helped the nursing team in the ICU and on the ward, to oxygenate Terry to the optimum level of 98%. The tracheostomy, also ensured that Terry was able to maintain a breathing rate of between 35 and 50 breathes per minute (Bailey, 2008). Although Terry was able to maintain a respiration rate, the normal respiration rate for an adult is normally between 14 and 18 breathes per minute (Bailey, 2008). The nursing care that had been implemented included ensuring that oxygen was flowing through the tracheostomy and this ensured that Terry had enough oxygen in his body for his heart and lungs to function, and that the heart pumped the oxygenated blood around the body (Machin et al 1996; Roper et al, 1996; Bailey et al 2008). Due to Terry’s respiration centre not working properly, and suffering from breathing problems, this meant that gaseous exchange was impaired, and led to a risk of respiratory acidosis. Gaseous exchange is where the oxygen goes into the alveoli capillaries, and the carbon dioxide is moved out of these capillaries (Bailey, 2008). The respiration centre is made up of a group of nerve cells, which are in the reticular endothelial system of the medulla oblongata. These cells send impulses to the motor neurones, via the spinal cord, and are then sent to the intercostal muscles (Bailey, 2008). The trauma that Terry had suffered with, was a possible cerebella lesion when he was a child. When Terry was admitted, his oxygen level was 82% (Bailey, 2008). The goal for this problem was to keep Terry's respiration and oxygenation at a level that was suitable. A suitable level of respiration for an adult is between 14 and 18 breaths per minute, and an oxygen level of around 97 to 98% (Bailey, 2008). The patho-physiology of breathing difficulties includes a lack of oxygen to the tissues of the body, including the brain, and even death (MacKenzie, 1996; Waugh et al 2006). Due to Terry haiving an oxygen saturation level of 82%, we set the goal that we would aim for and set this goal with his parents. The goal that the nurses had set with Terry's parents, due to the fact that Terry had learning difficulties and could not set the goal with the nurses. The goal was set as the nurses aimed to have his oxygen saturation level between 95% and 98% within two hours. The goal had to fit in with the Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Set (S. M. A. R. T) target planning technique (Roper et al, 1996; Faulkner, 2000). Terry's sitting and lying position had to be carefully planned around him, this ensured that we as a nursing team where able to ensure that his lungs would expand to their optimum and to maintain a satisfactory oxygen saturation levels within his body (Roper et al 1996; Machin et al 1996; Hackman, 2008). The normal oxygen saturation level is between 95% and 98% (Woodrow, 1999). The fact that Terry had an oxygen saturation level of just 82%, the Consultant had to prescribe oxygen for Terry. The oxygen that had been prescribed for Terry, had been increased from 24% to 40% (NMC, 2002). The consultant advised us to ensure that the oxygen was to be humidified. Due to Terry having the tracheostomy, we were able to deliver the oxygen with the use of a tracheostomy mask and what is called a T-piece circuit (Machin et al 1996; Dolan, 2008; Soady, 2008). The consultant also advised the nursing team to ensure that neurological observation's were undertaken, especially the oxygen saturation levels, every 15 minutes until Terry's oxygen saturation levels had risen to 96% (Machin et al 1996; Dolan, 2008; Soady, 2008) The neurological observations with regards to the goal, meant that the nurses were able to deliver oxygen, which would enable the oxygen saturation level to be maintained (Machin et al 1996; Dolan, 2008; Soady, 2008). Once the nursing team had ensured that the oxygen had been delivered to Terry at 40% and was humidified, they then ensured that 15 minute observations were maintained. The Consultant had to ensure that the 40% oxygen that he had verbally prescribed, was documented and written clearly in Terry's medical notes and on his prescription sheet (NMC, 2002; NMC, 2004). The fact that Terry had been prescribed the higher rate of oxygen, this needed to be clearly documented within Terry’s nursing notes (NMC, 2004). The documentation was needed, so that the other nurses were aware of the change. Although the observations had been maintained every 15 minutes, with regards to Terry's oxygen saturation levels, this ensured that the nursing team maintained Terry's neurological observation's (Machin et al 1996; Dolan, 2008; Soady, 2008). The goal that had been set by the nursing team and Terry's parent's, for his oxygenation levels did fit into the Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Set (S. M. A. R. T) target planning technique. The goal was specific, measurable and realistic for Terry and the nursing team caring for him, as well as being achievable in the time frame that had been set by Terry's Consultant (Faulkner, 2000). Due to the fact that the nursing team had achieved this goal for Terry, proved that the nursing care and interventions made by the nursing team, were effective. The nursing care and interventions were effective enough, for this goal to have been met (Roper et al 1996). The goal that had been set for Terry with regards to his oxygen saturation level, had to be documented. The goal had to be documented within the nursing notes, which the nursing team had to document clearly. The nursing team were able to hand over the information about Terry, to the nursing staff that would have been caring for him on the next shift. (NMC, 2004) The second of Terry's problem's is that he was at risk of dehydration, this was due to the fact that Terry could not swallow as he had a reduced neurological status. The fact that Terry could not swallow was due to the motor area of cerebral cortex of his brain, did not work in the way that it should (Waugh et al 2006). The motor area of the cerebral cortex of Terry's brain, was damaged due to the increase in epileptic seizures. Dehydration can cause the cells to deplete, due to not having enough fluids for them to replenish. The cells replenish in the sense that the fluids help the cells to regenerate, regulate the body temperature, to dilute the waste products within the body, and to maintain the level of fluids within the tissue fluid and blood (Waugh et al 2006). The patho-physiology of dehydration includes thirst, the mouth being dry, the tongue would look leathery, and fluid from within the tissues and skin would be withdrawn (Roper et al 1996; Brown, 1997; Day, 1997). Due to Terry not being able to drink fluids, he was not able to regulate his own body temperature, nor was his body able to dilute the poisonous substances in his body (Waugh et al 2006). Due to fluid being withdrawn from the body, this would mean that the body would not be able to maintain its own volume in blood (Roper et al 1996). The patho-physiology of not having enough fluids also includes the kidneys would excrete less than they normally would; a person would be lethargic; the skin would lose its elasticity and would appear to be more wrinkled (Roper et al 1996; Brown, 1997; Day, 1997). If Terry had been suffering from dehydration, his would have looked sunken and his urine output would be reduced as well as being more concentrated. If Terry had been suffering from a severe case of dehydration, his blood volume would be reduced. If the blood volume was to cause a circulation deficiency, this would cause his kidneys to fail to excrete the waste products that they normally excrete (Roper et al 1996; Brown, 1997; Day, 1997). Due to Terry not drinking the recommended two litres of fluids per day, we had to set a goal. The goal that had to be set, had to be set with Terry's parents (Roper et al 1996). The goal for the second problem, was to prevent dehydration during Terry's stay in hospital, through ensuring that Intravenous Saline was delivered through venous access (Dougherty et al 2008). The Intravenous Saline had to be delivered through venous access, due to the fact that this was the most effective way in which to infuse fluids. The fluids had to be infused over a period of 24 hours, due to the volume of the fluids. The Consultant prescribed two litres of Intravenous Saline, and the nursing team ensured that it was delivered (NMC, 2002; NMC, 2004; Dougherty et al 2008). Due to the fact that the fluids needed to be infused, the nursing team ensured that the fluids were delivered through the venous access, by using an infusion pump. The pump that was used by the nursing team, was the volumetric pump. The volumetric pumps allow health care professionals to administer large amounts of infusions, and this is why were used this type of pump to deliver the fluids that Terry needed over a 24 hour period (Sarpal, 2008). Due to the fact that the nursing team were delivering Intravenous Saline to Terry, it was important that this was documented by the nursing team within his nursing notes. The fact that this was documented in Terry's notes, ensured that the information was handed over to the nursing team on the next shift (NMC, 2004). It was important hat a fluid balance chart was also documented, as this would help the nursing team to ensure that the amount of input from fluids, was similar to Terry's urine output. The fact that the nursing team were able to monitor Terry's fluid input and output, ensured that his body was not retaining any of those fluids within a 24 hour period (Hunt et al 2008). The goal for dehydrat ion by providing two litres of Intravenous Saline over a 24 hour period, did fit into the Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Set (S. M. A. R. T) target planning technique. This was due to the fact that the goal was specific, measurable and time set. The goal was achievable and realistic, but only while Terry's venous access was as good as it was. When Terry's venous access for the Intravenous Saline to be delivered was poor, this meant that the nursing team had to find another route to deliver these fluids. The nursing team had to re-set the goal for delivering the Intravenous Saline. (Faulkner, 2000) Due to the fact that the nursing team could not deliver the Intravenous Saline through the venous route, had to be documented. The nursing team had to document the fact that Terry had poor venous access, and that they had asked his Consultant to review Terry (NMC, 2004). When Terry's Consultant had been to review him, the Consultant advised the nursing team to deliver the Saline through Terry's PEG tube. Terry's Consultant had to document the fact, that he had advised the nursing team to deliver the Saline through Terry's PEG tube. The Consultant also had to document that his advice was due to Terry's poor venous access in Terry's medical notes, and he had to document this on the prescription chart (NMC, 2004). Due to Terry having a Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG), the nursing team and Terry's parents re-set the goal to deliver the fluids that Terry needed (Faulkner, 2000). The new goal that had been set, was to deliver one litre of Intravenous Saline through Terry's PEG tube. The litre of Saline was delivered to Terry through his PEG tube, over an 8 hour period rather than a 24 hour period. Even though the nursing team had to deliver the fluids through the PEG tube, they had to ensure that the goal did fit into the Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Set (S. M. A. R. T. ) target planning technique. This goal was specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time set for Terry and the nursing team (Faulkner, 2000). Before the nursing team could deliver the Saline through Terry's Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy, the Saline had to be prescribed by his Consultant. The Consultant had to document the Saline on Terry's prescription chart, and also had to document the route that the nursing team were to deliver the Saline (NMC, 2004). The Saline that had been prescribed by Terry's Consultant, also had to document in Terry's medical notes, that he had prescribed this and also document the route that he had advised to the nursing team (NMC, 2002; NMC, 2004). When the nursing staff had commenced the delivery of the Saline through the Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) tube, they themselves had to document this. The nursing team had to document the Saline running through the PEG tube, to enable the nursing notes for Terry to be up-to-date. The nursing team to document the amount of Saline that was to run through Terry's PEG tube, and what time the Saline infusion began. The nursing team also had to document how much of the Saline was to be infused in any one hour, when the Saline was due to finish, as well as document the lot number and expiry date that were on the bag of Saline. NMC, 2002; NMC, 2004) The documentation of the infusion of the Saline running through Terry's Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) tube, ensured that the nursing team could hand over the information to the nursing team that were due to care for Terry on the next shift (NMC, 2004). The goal that had been re-set by the nursing team, and Terry's parents, fitted in with the Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Set (S. M. A. R. T. ) target planning technique (Faulkner, 2000). The fact that the goal had to be re-set, ensured that the nursing team had been able to deliver the Saline through the Percutaneous Endoscopic Grastrostomy (PEG) tube. The goal to deliver the Saline through the PEG tube, had been specific, measurable, realistic and time set for Terry and the nursing team. This goal had been achieved, due to the fact that the care that the nursing team had been able to deliver the Saline in the time that they had set with Terry's parents (Faulkner, 2000). Due to the goal being achieved in the time frame that had been set by the nursing team, and Terry's parents, meant that the nursing team had been able to deliver the care that had been needed to achieve this goal (Faulkner, 2000). I am now at the point in this assignment when I can reflect. For my reflection, I will be using the Gibb's Reflective Cycle to reflect upon this assignment, which is documented within his book that was published in 1988 and entitled Learning by Doing: A Guide To Teaching and Learning Methods (Gibb's, 1998). Due to the fact that Terry ad a number of health problems, I had a hard task of choosing which two that I would use. I did have to think long and hard about which two health problems that I would use, but I was given permission from his parents to enable me to write this assignment (NMC, 2008). The two health problems that I had chosen, were breathing difficulties and dehydration. Due to the breathing difficulties that Terry suffered with, meant that his oxygen saturation levels were low. Due to Terry's breathing difficulties, this is why the nursing team, and his Consultant, had to gain consent from Terry's parents, to insert a percutaneous tracheostomy. The fact that the tracheostomy was inserted soon after Terry's admission, enabled the nursing staff within the ITU and the ward of the NHS FT, to ensure that Terry's oxygen saturation levels were maintained. Therefore, this is the reason why a goal was set. Due to a goal being set for Terry's oxygen saturation levels to be maintained, provides evidence to show that the nursing interventions were effective. The effectiveness of these nursing interventions, proves that goals that are set for an individual patient can also be met. The second goal that had been set for Terry by the nursing team, and his parents, had fitted in with the Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Set (S. M. A. R. T. ) target planning technique. Due to the fact that this goal was only partially met, did not necessarily mean that the care that had been delivered to Terry, had been ineffective. The care that had been delivered to Terry had been effective, but the goal could no longer be achieved through the venous route, due to the fact that Terry's venous access was poor. Due to Terry's poor venous access, this is why the nursing team had to re-set the goal with his parents. The goal that had to be re-set, fitted in with the Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Set (S. M. A. R. T. ) target planning technique. The goal had been re-set, and had also been achieved in the time frame that had been set with Terry's parents. The goal that had been re-set, had been achieved in the time frame that had been set. The goal had been achieved due to the fact that, the nursing team were able to deliver the Intravenous Saline through the Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) that Terry had in place. The fact that the nursing team could not achieve this goal when it had first been set, was not an issue that could have been anticipated. Even though nursing teams can not anticipate why the goals are not met, they can re-set the goal and in time, meet the new goal. Therefore, the nursing care and interventions that are delivered, do make nursing care effective. Documentation of all care from the nursing team was important, due to the fact that the nursing team on one shift, were able to inform the nursing team of the next shift. Documentation also ensures that if the nursing team were unsure of any test results, that they were able to look over the nursing notes to ensure they knew where we were up to with the patient. 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