Internet Privacy vs Commerce - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2563 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/07/01 Category Law Essay Level High school Tags: Internet Privacy Essay Did you like this example? The internet was created to function as a network for a flow of information. After all the years since its creation, it has developed and evolved greatly into such a powerful tool that a majority of us today, are using it on a daily basis. One of the greatest advantages about the use of the internet is electronic commerce, the activity of buying and selling online. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Internet Privacy vs Commerce" essay for you Create order We can search through thousands of stores on the web and purchase what we want without having to be present at a certain place. Though it is great and extremely convenient for us, there is one thing that we are not aware of and that is our privacy. We put in a lot of our information on the internet more than we know of it and the unsettling thing about it, is the collection of that information and how its being used. E-commerce thrives off data from individuals and the way its done is business owners would exploit users data, our data, and privacy to expand their own businesses. Tension and issues arise between e-commerce and privacy. Our data is constantly being collected, shared to, and used by companies without our knowledge since its all happening on the backside of the internet where they have all these algorithms to perform their actions. The use of cookies is the main key of data collection in the e-commerce world. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your machine to help the site provide a better user experience.1 When visiting a website, cookies are used to store user information such as shopping carts, and login information. These are known are first-party cookies. We often see the function of these cookies when we sign in to a site, and it keeps us signed in until we manually log ourselves out. Our login information is saved in these cookies, so we dont have to keep re-entering every single time we revisit a site. Privacy issues can arise from this if searching is done on a shared computer. One might receive advertisements to sites from which another user has been on, but that user mightve wanted it to be kept private. Some online retailers have the ability to use cookies to store more important information such as credit cards or any other type of payment information. We dont usually share tha t type of information to anyone that easily but since we are entering it to certain sites that are able to store it, we are entrusting some of our privacy. Third-party cookies are the worrisome cookies that can track web surfing habits. They track our behavior on the web whether its what websites we go on, how much time we spend on those websites, see our interests are, etc. They spy on our every action on the internet and track us from site to site, gathering data from us. Using this information, advertisers are able to generate ads relating to your interests or sites you often go on. For example, we can see this if we lets say visit a site about kitchenware. If we go to another site, there is a high possibility where there will be ads related to kitchenware. Marketers buy advertising rights on thousands of popular websites in order to collect the information through cookies. With the knowledge of our preferences, the sites we frequently visit, and or the purchases me make, they can widen their customer base to maximize their business to its full potential. They can advertise themselves in other websites we visit that arent even related to themselves hoping to lure us back in the site or to make us purchase similar items. When people click on these ads, it feeds them even more information about it thus having their advertisements would pop up more frequently. The placement of ads and promotions on social media has become more common than ever due to more people going on social media every day. Cookies and algorithms are constantly being used to track your information such as mentioned before, see where you are from, what your interests are and what type of content you often look at. In doing so, they can generate certain groups containing certain posts based on that data such as current popular trends. Popular trends are based on the amount of comments, shares and likes from people and if enough people do either of those things, you will most likely see them. Businesses can take advantage of this and use to generate ads related to whatever is trending and most like by customers to promote themselves. The more users that are targeted, the higher the chance of purchases will be made. The main use of the information being collected by companies is to profile us and then selling it. These companies are known as data brokers. By tracking our activity on the internet, they start to build a profile of who we are, where we are from and what our interests are. The information obtained by data brokers arent just limited to what we do online. They able to obtain it in a large number of sources such as government and public records, social media, self-reported information from consumers, other companies that provide information about their customers in exchange for new customers, and/or from other data brokers.2 Data brokers then use this information and sell it to other advertisers, other companies or even the government. This is no doubt an invasion of our privacy. They are making profit of our personal information and giving our it away to third parties without our consent or full knowledge. One of the largest data brokers in the world is Acxiom. They are one of the hundreds of companies that peer into our personal life and collecting data generated from whatever we do line and even in the real world.3 In 2011, the company recorded $1.1 billion in sales offerings analytical services on 144 million households and thats just a fraction of the evolving big-data industry.3 In 2017, they claimed to hold data on all but a small percentage of US households and their data is said to be sued to make 12% of the nations direct marketing sales. 4 Many critics about data brokers is that fact that the average consumer has no idea that their intimate personal details are up for sale on these sites. 3 Personal data are being used and sold without our knowledge. Acxiom was also criticized in particular from reports of people having difficulty to prevent Acxiom from using their data or to remove their own data from the systems. The company later responded by offering a global opt-out and giving consumers some visibility about what information on them is held. According to an FTC privacy survey, although 57% of the busiest sites allow third-party cookie placement, only 22% disclose that fact in their privacy policies. 5 Since not all information is given visibility to consumers, part of it is still hidden from us. Different types of personal information can raise different types of privacy concerns. A common issue is the use of consumer preferences information leading to price discrimination. Price discrimination is the action in which companies would sell the same product at different prices to different buyers in order to maximize their sales and profits. They are able to do this from gathering our consumer identification such as our background and our online purchasing behavior. This is quite incompatible with our privacy protection because consumers want privacy, implying freedom from being tracked 6 yet merchants would snoop around personal information to gain the ability to charge different prices to improve their profits. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recommended legislation to regulate online profiling but current American privacy law barely contain any general prohibitions against the collection of consumer data. Since the government doesnt regulate these data brokers, it is unclear how secure they are from hackers. 7 Security risks can arise due to this since data such as consumers credit-card number or personal address can lead to financial fraud or spam from hackers or any unauthorized users using that information. Many users fear the loss of their financial and personal data. There are many technologies including cryptography and encryption that can settle but it depends on how secure and perfect they are performed in certain companies. Not a lot of consumers are aware that their web activities is constantly being collected. Some may have no problem since some of their information that theyre receiving matches their presumed interests, but many do not realize that they might not be getting the full range of options available because of the salary data, and more crucially, records of previously visited internet sites are already in the hands of some companies. 8 Consumers dont have control where their data is going because many arent even aware of the collection of their own data and even if they were to address it, they would not know who to go to exercise their rights under the relevant Data Protection Laws. According to the survey from Blue Fountain Media, it is revealed that 90% of its respondents are very concerned about their internet privacy and 48% wished that more was being done about it. 9 A poll in a Business Week discovered that over 40% of online shoppers were very concerned over the use of personal information and 57% of them wanted some sort of laws regulating how personal information is handled. 10 There is low confidence when it comes to giving the trust of personal data online. Even though many people are concerned about how their privacy and personal information are being handled online, they dont feel empowered to do anything about it. They have very little control over how their information being shared, revealed, used, or sold by businesses. On May 25, 2018, European Unions new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) takes into effect. It contains a wider scope and stronger enforcement compared to the past Data Protection Directive. With this regulation, it imposes strict new rules on controlling and processing personally identifiable information as well as extends the protection of personal data and protection rights by giving control back to EU residents. 11 The rules for protection of personal data affects both inside and outside of the EU. Essential items that are included in this regulation contain the increase of fines, breach notifications, opt-in consent and responsibility for data transfer outside the EU. This becomes a huge impact to businesses and change the way in how customer data will be collected, stored and used. Consumers will have more rights about their personal information being collected. People have all been confronted with the terms of service agreements and privacy policies when they visit sites. A lot of times its required to click on agree before having access to a site or application. These regulations aim to ensure that consumers can make informed decisions, but current privacy policies are missing the mark and in fact, they are surprisingly ineffective at informing customers according to researchers. 12 Privacy policies are usually tens of pages long and because of that, no one really reads them. A study in 2008 was estimated that it would take 244 hours a year for the typical American internet user to read all websites they visit. Privacy policies are also difficult to understand, often requiring college-level reading skills. They mostly cover multiple services that are offered by a company which results in vague statements that make it difficult to find concrete information on how personal information is handled and being shared to. 12 It is suggested its be tter to have mini notices such as alert boxes to notify users what theyre doing with their data when visiting a site or using an app. Some sites and apps like Google are already doing so. When searching something on Google, usually an alert box pops up asking users if they allow it to access their location while using the app. These short and simple friendly notices not only let users know their location can be recorded, it also lets them decide whether they want their location shared or not. Most online consumer privacy groups now contain this new default standard for cookies named Opt-Out, which means consumers are notified via an alert, or a window when they load onto the site. Users will have to give consent by clicking accept before they are able to navigate the site and any cookies are planted into their browsers. This helps give the users the sense of knowing that the site is gathering their information for the uses and policies for processing and disposing of that data. Its essential for users to gain the right to know if the information is being gathered contains any personal identifying data, the right to get a copy of the data collected at an affordable price and in a form that the consumer can readily understand, the right to request corrections of the data and the right to have the data on browsing behavior within the website destroyed. 13 Having an opt-out cookie can be effective regarding the safeguard of users information. Simple notices are clean, easy an d understandable compared to long texts that are difficult to read. Consumers cant completely prevent companies from creating profiles of them using cookies but there are still some ways users can still protect their privacy. There are several free programs available for download that you can utilize to identify companies that are trying to store cookies on your browsers, delete cookies on your system, or prevent minimize the work of cookies. Ghostery is an example of a free add-on that you can install onto your browser. It can detect cookies from companies trying to spy on you, gives you background information about them and lets you block those cookies whenever you want. You can also go to your settings in your browsers to choose whether you allow third-party cookies and/or block sites from setting any data. There are several ways people can do to enhance their own security to protect some of their data. Login credentials are crucial to be able to access certain sites where people store their information. Its highly recommended that people reset their passwords once in a while and as well as to not use the same password for every site. Because some websites often save or cache browsing history, it keeps you logged in unless you manually log out. When using a public computer, its important to log out or else another use might be able to access your account and take whatever information is stored in that account. The chosen ecommerce platform should be secured as well as the connection being used for online check out. Be cautious about the activities performed on sites to make sure theyre not suspicious. With the internet and technology being more advanced than ever, its best to be safe. In order for consumers to have better protection of their data privacy, governments and stakeholders should work together. Businesses should protect consumer privacy by ensuring that their practices relating to the collection and use of consumer data are lawful, transparent and fair. Its also important for consumers to be aware about their data collection being used and given a choice whether they allow that or not. Privacy rights are important and personal data should be carefully secured. If companies want to be trusted in business, they should earn that trust by providing those rights to their consumers.

Interview Senator Flake s Office - 1255 Words

When signing up for an internship in Senator Flake’s office, I did not know what to expect. I did not know the type of work I would be doing. I hardly knew who Senator Flake was. It sounded like an interesting opportunity that I learned about at the job fair, and I thought it would be fun. It was far more than fun though—I learned so much from my internship, researching for the office, attending meetings, writing letters, and staying up-to-date on current events. More than anything else, though, I learned from the constituents themselves. I started the internship quite liberal-minded, like many students at the University. My roommate joked with me that I would leave my internship at the Senator’s office a hard-core Republican, but I was†¦show more content†¦After speaking to people, I often had a time to reflect on what I heard. The product was a much greater understanding of the complexity of the American political system. I grew up thinking that that one side was right, and the other was full of irrational arguments. However, people sharing bits of their lives with me taught me that is not true. The support and opposition for every policy makes sense, and deciding which is right is far more of a value judgment than a facts-based judgment than I could have imagined. I feel less sure about what I believe politically after the internship, but again, I do not think that is a bad thing. For the first time, I know how to enter into a thought process without a bias, and able to listen to both sides. This sk ill is critical for any studies or career in the social sciences. Talking to constituents, I also learned how to read the news. It requires a lot more critical thinking than I had imagined. One day in Senator Flake’s office, I received a phone call about the Senator wasting time at Neil Gorsuch’s hearing by asking irrelevant questions. I could not believe the comment—I had gained respect for the Senator, but I did not think it was right for him to use up valuable time in a hearing that democrats and republicans around the country deserved to hear. After the phone call was finished, I looked up information about the scenario, and I saw it lined up on Google, half a dozen sitesShow MoreRelatedBarack Obama s Election For Immigration Reform2613 Words   |  11 Pageselectorate—the highest ever recorded (Lopez Taylor, 2012). With less than a year for Obama left in office, immigration legislation is struggling. Despite bi-partisan efforts, the future for comprehensive immigration policy is bleak. The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S.744) made great strides towards comprehensive reform in 2013. The arduou s passage of S.744 was a victory for immigration reform but its subsequent failure in the House of RepresentativesRead MoreBusiness Journalism in India26104 Words   |  105 Pagesmarkets, with governments scrambling to prop up banks, broaden guarantees for deposits and agree on a coordinated response. Origins The roots of the credit crisis stretch back to another notable boom-and-bust: the tech bubble of the late 1990’s. When the stock market began a steep decline in 2000 and the nation slipped into recession the next year, the Federal Reserve sharply lowered interest rates to limit the economic damage. Lower interest rates make mortgage payments cheaper, and demandRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 Pageswilling to bear the responsibility of bringing good-quality broadcasting to all †¢ Commendable brocasting in light of possible political adherence is British Brodcasting Corporation (BBC) †¢ Shows like â€Å"Hard Talk† present round-table debates and interviews with eminent leaders from around the world Who determines what is censored? †¢ As the Romans eloquently put it: quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who will guard the guardians? If censorship has been established as a crucial concept which does not

The Lucky Luciano’s History Free Essays

Lucky Luciano Lucky Luciano made the modern mafia. In 1931 he cut New York into five slices and served the rackets up in a form that still exists today. He had his fingers in every slice of the metaphoric mince meat pie that was America in the first half of the twentieth century, and then spent his remaining years ruling the underworld from afar. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lucky Luciano’s History or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the history of organized crime, there has never been a more powerful boss, and unless there is a drastic change in American law enforcement, no one person will ever be able to consolidate so much criminal power again. In 20 years, with the help of the 18th amendment, Charles Luciano went from being an average pimp to a God amongst thugs. With the help of a number of other famous gangsters, Lucky built a single, business-like crime syndicate with a board of directors and a directed sense of purpose. It would come to rule the entire United States, and eventually, a good portion of the world. From Humble Beginnings Born in italy in 1896 as Salvatore Lucania, Lucky Luciano eventually changed his name to spare his family the embarrassment of reading about him in the newspapers. As a kid, he was a thug; he dealt drugs, sold women, and stole anything he could. He was constantly picked up by New York police, who typically smacked him around and dropped him back on the streets due to his age. Junkies everywhere, take note: Charlie â€Å"Lucky† Luciano created the modern heroin trade. Thanks Chuck! In 1915, at the tender age of 19, Luciano was first arrested for dealing heroin on the streets of New York. Upon release, he broke his sales ring into a tiered affair, with thugs standing on street corners dealing out the dope while he stayed upstairs with the women. He was probably one of the first gangsters to use it in his pimping operations to help keep the girls loyal. In 1920, Luciano joined Joe Masseria’s gang and helped run booze, manage prostitutes, and traffic horse for the Sicilian mafia. Masseria trusted Luciano, who was a great and reliable earner. He eventually became Masseria’s right hand man, making him one of the most powerful gangsters in New York. Somewhere in the 20’s, Lucky met Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky. This three-way introduction is one of the classic underworld myths, and many versions of the story exist. One alleges that Lansky was a heroin addict at the time. Others describe awkward scenes featuring screaming hookers, naked Jews, and Lucky the belt wielding pimp. And still others describe Lansky whacking Luciano upside the head with a plumbers wrench to defend a crying Bugsy. No matter how it went down, the event served as a symbolic destruction of the old racial walls that existed in the New York underground. Previously, Italian and Jewish gangs tended not to associate on the street, but Lucky would be one of the first to cross the cultural lines and forge an alliance between the groups. Siegel, Lansky and Luciano would become the driving force behind the eventual formation of the National Crime Syndicate: Lucky was the heart of the syndicate, Lansky its brains, and Bugsy its fist. Sicilian Neck Tie In 1929, Masseria’s gang became embroiled in a violent turf war with Salvatore Maranzano’s mafia. Maranzano was a megalomaniacal don fixated on becoming the one and only ruler of New York. In October that same year, Luciano was on a dock at on the Hudson River inspecting a load of fresh chiba that had just arrived. Four of Maranzano’s men rolled up in a car, grabbed Luciano and taped his mouth shut. They beat the shit out of him for an hour as they slowly drove towards Staten Island. Once there, they slit his throat and cheek, then dumped him in a ditch and left him for dead. Luciano lived through this attack, earning him the nickname â€Å"Lucky. † Luciano saw the attack as a sign that the gang war had to end, and soon. He, along with Siegel and Lansky, went to see Maranzano. They struck a deal with Marazano to divide up Masseria’s empire: Marazano got the liquor turf, Luciano got the girls and the drugs. Luciano set up a dinner meeting with Masseria at the Nuova Villa Tammaro, a spaghetti house on Coney Island. After a few hours of feasting, he excused himself to use the pisser. In walked Bugsy Seigel, Joe Adonis, Vito Genovese, Albert Anastasia, and Meyer Lansky. Out walked Luciano as the new leader of Masseria’s gang. Only half a year passed before Siegel and Luciano bumped off Marazano. This placed Luciano in charge of New York. Through agreements with Dutch Schultz and other Manhattan turf barons, Luciano was able to consolidate all underworld power and streamline the mafia. The Syndicate Rises Despite having dropped out of school in the 4th grade, Luciano had a business savvy unrivaled in the crime world. He set up a board of directors that included all the major players, including millionaire thug Joe Adonis and beancounter extraordinaire Meyer Lansky, who remained on the board until the late 70’s. There was even a trial structure to hear complaints and justly determine if someone should be whacked. The underground began to flourish, and the organization became known as the National Crime Syndicate. Gambling, prostitution, drugs, liquor, and guns could all be had from the Syndicate, and everyone in the underworld had to pay tribute to the organization by giving it a percentage in all takes. Even assassinations became big business thanks to Lucky. With the help of Bugsy Siegel and Albert Anastasia, Luciano formed Murder Inc. , a professional grade killing company staffed mostly with Jewish hitmen. Mobsters in need of a hit simply called Murder Inc and bought themselves some prescreened contract killers. It was much like 1-800-dentist, but with guns and piano wire instead of drills and laughing gas. This establishment was responsible for hundreds of hits throughout the late 30’s, including the killings of Dutch Schultz, Abe Wagner, and even it’s founder, Bugsy Siegel. Still Pimpin’ Luciano was on top of the world by 1936. He had a different woman every night, a habit he had picked up early on. By 1936, his empire of whores caught up with him. The state of New York had amassed enough evidence and testimony to put Luciano in jail for pimping by years end. Thomas Dewey, special prosecutor in the case, paraded a near endless stream of witnesses before the jury. Over 28 of them were hookers, and Luciano was incensed by this fact. He claimed that the government had coerced the testimony of these whores by offering them free trips to Europe and a steady supply of drugs. One of these hookers was permitted by the judge to take a shot of bourbon while on the stand to help keep the morphine shakes off long enough to finger Luciano. Initially, most people believed Luciano was grasping at straws, but some documents from Deweys offices confirm that a large number of tickets to Europe were purchased by the office in the same year as the trial. Luciano was sentenced to 30 years in jail for his alleged masterminding of the New York flesh trade. Prison didn’t dwindle Luciano’s influence. He remained firmly in charge, even under lock down. So great was his influence that when the US government was searching for German saboteurs in the ports of New York during World War II, they came to Luciano to ask for help. Luciano agreed, and used his power to bring the Nazi conspirators to the surface. Luciano also helped the government find contacts on Sicily and in Italy before the Allied invasions. In 1946, Thomas Dewey, now governor of New york, gave Luciano a pardon and deported him to Italy. There, Luciano lived out the rest of his days entertaining the like of Frank Sinatra Sr. and other celebrities. He remained active in Syndicate business, however, even in exile. In 1946, he flew to Cuba to meet with fellow mafiosos about turning the island into a floating Las Vegas. In December of 1946, Luciano arrived in Cuba to discuss the realization of plans for the island. All the biggest names in the mafia were there: Vito Genovese, Meyer Lanksy, Joe Adonis, and Santos Trafficante Jr. , relative of the infamous senator James Traficant. Aging gangsters arrived one after another, all there to pay respects to Luciano and affirm that he was still in control. Of those in attendance, Vito Genovese was the only real troublemaker. Genovese initially asked Luciano to step down from power, a request which infuriated the aging mobster. Eventually, after a few days of meetings, Genovese again asked Luciano to step down, and to retreat to Italy. Luciano was sure that Genovese had tipped off Washington to his presence in Cuba. Luciano leaped on Genovese and beat the living shit out of him, breaking three of the man’s ribs. Aside from wupping up on Gevovese, there were other issues to be discussed at the Havana conference. One issue was narcotics sales, something Luciano thought was becoming too hot for the mob to remain in. He pleaded with his underlings to get out of the business, but no one seemed to care. Meyer Lansky informed Luciano that Genovese was orchestrating much of the trade now, and his followers, as well as his enemies, were making too much money off of drug trafficking to back down now. Another issue was Bugsy Siegel. Bugsy had purposely been left out of the conference because his Flamingo hotel, by then $6 million in the hole, was a sticking point for many in the group. By the end of the conference, Siegel was marked for death. His old friend, Meyer Lansky was unable to help him because he was not allowed to vote in any conference matters. Only Italians could vote, and Lansky was a Jew. In 1962, Luciano was planning to help produce a movie about his life. A Hollywood producer flew to meet the aging gangster in Naples, Italy on January 26th. As Luciano was walking across the runway to shake the producer’s hand, he dropped dead suddenly of a heart attack. How to cite The Lucky Luciano’s History, Papers

Customer Service Dead of Alive Essay Example For Students

Customer Service Dead of Alive Essay Is customer service dead or alive? My career experience has been primarily in residential property management, where I have had extensive training in customer service. As a result, I have higher professional expectations for those whose job it is to deal with me as a consumer. In the past two weeks certain events lead me to believe that customer service is a dying concept for some companies. In the beginning of February I started a new position as an office manager for a growing manufacturers representative group. My first task was to upgrade our phone service and purchase new phones to accommodate our current as well as future needs. I made the first call to our local telephone service provider. After talking with a customer service representative for small businesses about our current number of lines, voice mail service, and potential employee growth, we decided it was necessary to add two more phone lines and upgrade our voice mail service. To my surprise, the installation schedule would require a two week wait, except for the voice mail, which would be installed the following Monday. With both appointment dates set, we ended our conversation. Monday morning I arrived at the office and quickly realized that we had no dial tone. Using a cell phone, I called the telephone company and requested that they restore our phone service. By late morning we had phone service but no voice mail. So I called customer service again and talked to another representative who was completely unable to answer any questions or tell me when our voice mail would be available. It took more than two weeks for the telephone company to get our voice mail system totally functional. The installation of our new lines seemed to go very smoothly. In fact, at this point I thought that our phone troubles were over. Then came several complaints from our dealers and manufacturers and I discovered that while installing our new phones lines they had turned off call forwarding. Thus, followed more calls to the telephone company, and a five day wait, our business phone service became functional. Customer service at the local telephone company is dead. Their representatives give us the illusion that it is alive, but my experience is otherwise. They have a monopoly that puts Bill Gates Microsoft to shame. Having no choice in your service provider has brought about the death of service. Thankfully, I can end this essay on a happy note. During a wonderful conversation with a customer service representative of a manufacturer of fax machines, my concept of service was resuscitated. Everyone needs a Bibliography: .

Clinical Chemistry In Medicine Essays - Hepatology,

Clinical Chemistry In Medicine Of the diagnostic methods available to veterinarians, the clinical chemistry test has developed into a valuable aid for localizing pathologic conditions. This test is actually a collection of specially selected individual tests. With just a small amount of whole blood or serum, many body systems can be analyzed. Some of the more common screenings give information about the function of the kidneys, liver, and pancreas and about muscle and bone disease. There are many blood chemistry tests available to doctors. This paper covers the some of the more common tests. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is an end-product of protein metabolism. Like most of the other molecules in the body, amino acids are constantly renewed. In the course of this turnover, they may undergo deamination, the removal of the amino group. Deamination, which takes place principally in the liver, results in the formation of ammonia. In the liver, the ammonia is quickly converted to urea, which is relatively nontoxic, and is then released into the bloodstream. In the blood, it is readily removed through the kidneys and excreted in the urine. Any disease or condition that reduces glomerular filtration or increases protein catabolism results in elevated BUN levels. Creatinine is another indicator of kidney function. Creatinine is a waste product derived from creatine. It is freely filtered by the glomerulus and blood levels are useful for estimating glomerular filtration rate. Muscle tissue contains phosphocreatinine which is converted to creatinine by a nonenzymatic process. This spontaneous degradation occurs at a rather consistent rate (Merck, 1991). Causes of increases of both BUN and creatinine can be divided into three major categories: prerenal, renal, and postrenal. Prerenal causes include heart disease, hypoadrenocorticism and shock. Postrenal causes include urethral obstruction or lacerations of the ureter, bladder, or urethra. True renal disease from glomerular, tubular, or interstitial dysfunction raises BUN and creatinine levels when over 70% of the nephrons become nonfunctional (Sodikoff, 1995). Glucose is a primary energy source for living organisms. The glucose level in blood is normally controlled to within narrow limits. Inadequate or excessive amounts of glucose or the inability to metabolize glucose can affect nearly every system in the body. Low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia) may be caused by pancreatic tumors (over-production of insulin), starvation, hypoadrenocorticism, hypopituitarism, and severe exertion. Elevated blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) can occur in diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism, hyperpituitarism, anoxia (because of the instability of liver glycogen in oxygen deficiency), certain physiologic conditions (exposure to cold, digestion) and pancreatic necrosis (because the pancreas produces insulin which controls blood glucose levels). Diabetes mellitus is caused by a deficiency in the secretion or action of insulin. During periods of low blood glucose, glucagon stimulates the breakdown of liver glycogen and inhibits glucose breakdown by glycolysis in the liver and stimulates glucose synthesis by gluconeogenesis. This increases blood glucose. When glucose enters the bloodstream from the intestine after a carbohydrate-rich meal, the resulting increase in blood glucose causes increased insulin secretion and decreased glucagon secretion. Insulin stimulates glucose uptake by muscle tissue where glucose is converted to glucose-6-phosphate. Insulin also activates glycogen synthase so that much of the glucose-6-phosphate is converted to glycogen. It also stimulates the storage of excess fuels as fat (Lehninger, 1993). With insufficient insulin, glucose is not used by the tissues and accumulates in the blood. The accumulated glucose then spills into the urine. Additional amounts of water are retained in urine because of the accumulation of glucose and polyuria (excessive urination) results. In order to prevent dehydration, more water than normal is consumed (polydipsia). In the absence of insulin, fatty acids released form adipose tissue are converted to ketone bodies (acetoacetic acid, B-hydroxybutyric acid, and acetone). Although ketone bodies can be used a energy sources, insulin deficiency impairs the ability of tissues to use ketone bodies, which accumulate in the blood. Because they are acids, ketones may exhaust the ability of the body to maintain normal pH. Ketones are excreted by the kidneys, drawing water with them into the urine. Ketones are also negatively charged and draw positively charged ions (sodium, potassium, calcium) with them into urine. Some other results of diabetes mellitus are cataracts (because of abnormal glucose metabolism in the lens which results in the accumulation of water), abnormal neutrophil function (resulting in greater susceptibility to infection), and an enlarged liver (due to fat accumulation) (Fraser, 1991). Bilirubin is a bile pigment derived from the breakdown of heme by the reticuloendothelial system. The reticuloendothelial system filters out and destroys spent red blood cells yielding a free iron molecule and ultimately, bilirubin. Bilirubin binds to serum albumin, which restricts it from urinary excretion,

Biography of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England

Biography of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England Elizabeth Woodville (1437–June 7 or 8, 1492, and known variously as Lady Grey, Elizabeth Grey, and Elizabeth Wydevill) was the commoner wife of Edward IV, who had a key  role in the War of the Roses and in the succession battle between the Plantagenets and Tudors. She is best known today as a character in Shakespeares  Richard III  (as Queen Elizabeth) and the title character in the 2013 television series  The White Queen. Fast Facts: Elizabeth Woodville Known For: A commoner who was destined to become wife of Edward IV, mother of Edward V, sister-in-law of Richard III, mother-in-law of Henry VII and grandmother of Henry VIIIBorn: About 1837 in Grafton, rural NorthamptonshireParents: Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford and Sir Richard WoodvilleDied: June 7 or 8, 1492.Spouse(s): Sir John Grey (ca. 1450–1461); Edward IV (1464–1483)Children: Two with John Grey (Thomas Grey (Marquess of Dorset) and Richard Grey) and 10 with Edward IV (Elizabeth of York who married Henry VII; Mary; Cecily; Edward V; Margaret; Richard; Anne who married Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey); George; Catherine who married William Courtney, Earl of Devon; and Bridget. The two princes in the tower were Richard and Edward V Early Life Elizabeth Woodville was probably born at Grafton in rural Northamptonshire, England, about 1437, the eldest of the 12 children of Richard Woodville and Jacquetta de Luxembourg. Elizabeths mother Jacquetta was the daughter of a Count  and a descendant of Simon de Montfort and his wife Eleanor, the daughter of Englands King John. Jacquetta was the wealthy and childless widow of the Duke of Bedford, brother of Henry V, when she married Sir Richard Woodville. Her sister-in-law Catherine of Valois also married a man of lower station after she was widowed. Two generations later,  Catherines grandson Henry Tudor married Jacquettas granddaughter, Elizabeth of York. Jacquettas second husband and Elizabeths father was the less highborn county knight Sir Richard Woodville. At the age of 7, Elizabeth was sent to another landed household (a custom of the period was to trade children so that they would have social contacts in the future), probably Sir Edward Grey and his wife Elizabeth, Lady Ferrers. There, she had formal lessons in reading, writing (in English, French, and Latin), and a grounding in law and mathematics. The Woodville family was wealthy when Elizabeth was born, but as the Hundred Years War wound down and the Wars of the Roses conflict began, the familys finances became straitened, and as a result, Elizabeth married John Grey (7th Baron Ferrers of Groby) in 1452 when she was about 14 years of age. The recently knighted Grey was killed at the Second Battle of St. Albans in 1461, fighting for the Lancastrian side in the Wars of the Roses. Elizabeth petitioned Lord Hastings, Edwards uncle, in a controversy over land with her mother-in-law. She arranged a marriage between one of her sons and one of Hastings daughters. Ancestry Eleanor of Aquitaine, mother of King John of England, was the 8th great grandmother of Elizabeth Woodville through her mother Jacquetta.  Her husband Edward IV and son-in-law Henry VII were, of course, also descendants of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Elizabeth Woodville   Jacquetta of Luxembourg   Margherita del Balzo Sueva Orsini Nicola Orsini Roberto Orsini Anastasia de Montfort Guy de Montfort Eleanor Plantagenet John of England Eleanor of Aquitaine Meeting and Marriage with Edward IV How Elizabeth met Edward is not known for certain, though an early legend has her petitioning him by waiting with her sons beneath an oak tree. Another story circulated that she was a sorceress who bewitched him, but she may have simply known him from court. Legend has her giving Edward, a known womanizer, an ultimatum that they had to be married or she would not submit to his advances. On May 1, 1464, Elizabeth and Edward married secretly. Edwards mother, Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, and Cecilys nephew, the Earl of Warwick who had been an ally of Edward IV in winning the crown, had been arranging a suitable marriage for Edward with the French king. When Warwick found out about Edwards marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, Warwick turned against Edward and helped restore Henry VI briefly to power. Warwick was killed in battle as were Henry and his son, and Edward returned to power. Elizabeth Woodville was crowned Queen in Westminster Abbey on May 26, 1465; both of her parents were present for the ceremony. Elizabeth and Edward had three sons and six daughters- Elizabeth of York who married Henry VII; Mary; Cecily; Edward V, briefly King of England (not crowned); Margaret; Richard, Duke of York; Anne who married Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey; George, Duke of Bedford; Catherine who married William Courtney, Earl of Devon; and Bridget. Elizabeth also had two sons by her first husband- Thomas Grey, the Marquis of Dorset and Richard Grey. One was an ancestor of the ill-fated Lady Jane Grey. Family Ambitions Her extensive and, by all accounts, ambitious family was favored heavily after Edward took the throne. Her eldest son from her first marriage, Thomas Grey, was created Marquis Dorset in 1475. Elizabeth promoted the fortunes and advancement of her relatives, even at the cost of her popularity with the nobles. In one of the most scandalous incidents, Elizabeth may have been behind the marriage of her brother, 19 years old, to the widowed  Katherine Neville,  the wealthy Duchess of Norfolk, 80 years old. But the grasping reputation was enhanced- or created- first  by Warwick in 1469 and later by Richard III, who had their  own reasons for wanting Elizabeths and her familys reputations to be diminished. Among her other activities, Elizabeth continued her predecessors support of Queens College. Widowhood When Edward IV died suddenly on April 9, 1483, Elizabeths fortunes abruptly changed. Her husbands brother Richard of Gloucester was appointed Lord Protector since Edwards eldest son Edward V  was a minor. Richard moved quickly to seize power, claiming- apparently with the support of his mother Cecily Neville- that the children of Elizabeth and Edward were illegitimate because Edward had been previously formally betrothed to someone else. Elizabeths brother-in-law Richard took the throne as Richard III, imprisoning Edward V (never crowned) and then his younger brother, Richard. Elizabeth took sanctuary. Richard III then demanded that Elizabeth also turn over custody of her daughters, and she complied. Richard attempted to marry first his son, then himself, to Edward and Elizabeths oldest daughter, known as Elizabeth of York, hoping to make his claim to the throne more solid. Elizabeths sons by John Grey joined in the battle to overthrow Richard. One son, Richard Grey,  was beheaded by King Richards  forces; Thomas joined Henry Tudors forces. Mother of a Queen After Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at Bosworth Field and was crowned Henry VII, he married Elizabeth of York- a marriage arranged with the support of Elizabeth Woodville and also of Henrys mother, Margaret Beaufort. The marriage took place in January 1486, uniting the factions at the end of the Wars of the Roses  and making the claim to the throne more certain for the heirs of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Princes in the Tower The fate of the two sons of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV, the Princes in the Tower, is not certain. That Richard imprisoned them in the Tower is known. That Elizabeth worked to arrange the marriage of her daughter to Henry Tudor may mean that she knew, or at least suspected, that the princes were already dead. Richard III is generally believed to have been responsible for removing the possible claimants to the throne, but some theorize that Henry VII was responsible. Some have even suggested Elizabeth Woodville was complicit. Henry VII re-proclaimed the legitimacy of the marriage of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. Elizabeth was the godmother of the first child of Henry VII and her daughter Elizabeth, Arthur. Death and Legacy In 1487, Elizabeth Woodville was suspected of plotting against Henry VII, her son-in-law, and her dowry was seized and she was sent to Bermondsey Abbey. She died there on June 8 or 9, 1492. She was buried in St. Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle near her husband. In 1503, James Tyrell was executed for the deaths of the two princes, sons of Edward IV, and the claim was that Richard III was responsible. Some later historians have pointed their fingers at Henry VI instead. The truth is that there is not any sure evidence of when, where, or by what hands the princes died. In Fiction Elizabeth Woodvilles life has lent itself to many fictional depictions, though not often as the main character.  She is, however, the main character in the British series, The White Queen. Elizabeth Woodville is Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeares Richard III. She and Richard are depicted as bitter enemies, and  Margaret  curses Elizabeth with having her husband and children killed, as Margarets husband and son were killed by Elizabeths husbands supporters. Richard is able to charm Elizabeth into turning over her son and agreeing to his marriage to her daughter. Sources Baldwin, David. Elizabeth Woodville: Mother of the Princes in the Tower. Gloucestershire: The History Press (2002).  Print.Okerlund, Arlene N. Elizabeth of York: Queenship and Power. New York: Palgrave Macmillan (2009). Print.

The Impact of Private Education On Expatriate Teachers In Saudi Arabia Research Proposal

The Impact of Private Education On Expatriate Teachers In Saudi Arabia - Research Proposal Example The main objectives of this study are: to gauge the emotional, social and financial impact on the expatriate teachers of their jobs in private educational institutes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; to explore the difficulties that they may have faced due to the changed educational system; to assess if there has been any change in the teaching methods of the expatriate teachers, and if they intended to adapt the changes when they return to teaching in their native countries. The current study proposes to use a descriptive research method that helps in elaborating upon the existing state of affairs. This study is hoped to be designed so that the data collected is authentic and accurate. In order to ensure this, both the secondary data, via a literature review, and primary data, through a questionnaire are to be used. A rigid research design is to be adopted to reduce bias and improve reliability. For this a sample is to be selected on the basis of convenience sampling, and data collected via interview method using an open ended questionnaire. The data collection is qualitative in nature as the responses are proposed to be recorded by the researcher verbatim and later analyzed, again using a qualitative approach. The sample for the current research will be taken from among the expatriate teachers community living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The teachers who are proposed to be included in the study would be from elementary schools, high schools and coll eges and would have spent between 1 to 5 years in Saudi Arabia.

The use of videos in FL teaching and learning Assignment

The use of videos in FL teaching and learning - Assignment Example The paper provides the possible constraints of using the method to facilitate teaching and learning and the paper also provides the assessment of the use f the method in teaching. The paper concludes with recommendations and summarization of the main points discussed in the paper. Video refers to anything that relates to or the use transmitted images or the whole process or receiving images through a television or a computer. A video can involve images which are normally displayed on television sets or n computers. Videos can be exploited in various ways in order to make sure that there is creation of motivation, memorable instance and involvement of all the learners. On the other side, watching a video can sometimes be passive and therefore, other teaching methods should be used together with the use of video in the teaching and learning of a foreign language (Brian 2008 p. 77-79). Before any teacher uses the video in class, it is important for him or her to check it or go through i t to make sure that it only contains the relevant materials to be taught in class. Such a teacher should also compare his or her lesson plans from other institutions which use videos in the teaching and learning of a foreign language to make sure that it is effective and how such a lesson plan can be improved. The teacher should also make sure that the chosen video demonstrates the specific topic that it was meant for. With so doing, the teaching and learning of a foreign language through the use of a video can be effective and the same time successful (Hadley 1993 p. 16-21). Benefits of using Videos The use of video materials in the classroom environment can give a big favor to the learners through providing them with motivation to learn the foreign language. The learners are motivated to learn the foreign language since they are presented the real language and this provides the learners with a positive look and perception at the culture. Video clips give a representation of the au thentic environment of the foreign culture and also provides the learners with practical examples of how the foreign language operates and functions. The use of video clips presents the learners with authentic language interaction and also it shows both the verbal and nonverbal components of the language. In the non verbal components of the language, the videos materials provide the eye movements and facial expressions, body language, and space language of the native speakers of the language (Joseph 1999 p. 206- 209). One of the benefits of using videos in the teaching and learning of foreign language is that it creates experience in learners. With creating the experience, the video clips provide sensory experience which makes the ideas and the concepts in the video to be like real life experiences thus guiding the learners in the adventure. The other benefit of using video is that it turns a classroom to an interactive place throughout the learning process. This makes all the learn ers to enjoy the learning session and at the same time retain most f the information and knowledge they get from the videos. The other benefit is that the use of video in the teaching and learning complements traditional approaches which are used in the learning process. Effective use of the videos connects the knowledge already with the learners with the learning objectives contained in

Puritan Settlement in New England in the 17th Century Research Paper

Puritan Settlement in New England in the 17th Century - Research Paper Example Robinson 2005). This essay will examine Puritan settlement in New England in the 17th century asking the following questions: Who were the Puritans? Where and why did they settle in the New World? What type of settlements did they create? What was their effect on the newly emerging country? The Puritans were English followers of the French religious reformer, John Calvin (Bremer 1995; Bunker 2010). In the 16th and 17th centuries, England (indeed, all of Europe), had been involved in fierce battles over religion, most particularly the supremacy and legitimacy of the Catholic Church. Wars within and between countries over this burning conflict – whose fire was continuously rekindled by the sparks from myriad particular events – were commonplace until the 18th century. Arguably, the peak of the confrontation in Britain occurred with the English Civil War from 1642-51, which saw the regicide of King Charles I by the Parliament (which was essentially under the influence of t he Puritans), the establishment of a republican Commonwealth in effect under Puritan rule, and the re-establishment of the Monarchy under James II in 1660. The term â€Å"Puritan† was initially meant as an insulting term, but was later embraced by the English Calvinist Protestants (Bunker 2010; Heyrman 1991). Puritan referred not to moral priggishness (cf. Robinson 2005), but to being sticklers with regard to religious doctrine. They were called Puritans those who disagreed with the Religious Settlement proclaimed by Queen Elizabeth I in 1559, as being not reformed enough from the â€Å"Popish† practices of Catholicism with its rituals, hierarchy, and spiritual intermediaries (Bremer 1995). The Puritans believed that God had commanded the reform of both church and society. They condemned drunkenness, gambling, theatergoing, and Sabbath-breaking. They denounced popular practices rooted in pagan custom, like the celebration of Christmas, and deplored the â€Å"corruptio ns† of Roman Catholicism that still pervaded the Church of England – churches and ceremonies they thought too elaborate, and clergymen who were poorly educated (Heyrman 1991). The Puritans were not driven by mere doctrinal purity, but by a sincere belief that the millennium, or end of the world, was near, and that they must prepare for Christ’s return by building his Church and society here on Earth (Zakai 1994). Puritanism became a strong force in England (indeed, throughout Europe), with many powerful members of English society, including Members of Parliament, aristocrats, and middle class merchants as adherents (Bunker 2010). Equally, if not more, powerful members of English society, including the Monarchy, were against the movement (Bremer 1995). Importantly, most Puritans did not see themselves as separate from the Church of England, but rather as a reforming force within the English Church. As such, Puritanism was not a denomination, and in fact many Presb yterians, Quakers, and Congregationalists were part of the Puritan movement (Bremer 2010). After the death of Queen Elizabeth, the Puritans unsuccessfully tried to persuade the new King James to implement more than 30 changes in the Church to take it down a more Puritan path. This â€Å"Millenary Petition† was rejected, except for the request to translate the Bible into English (Bunker 2010). Without hope of reforming the English Church from within, and with the expected coming of Christ

What Is Catholic Marriage Religion Essay

What Is Catholic Marriage Religion Essay In this chapter I will first attempt a definition of marriage and more specifically Catholic marriage; I will then review existing literature on the topic and present different views about cohabitation, reasons why people get married, expectations about marriage among Maltese individuals, the changes in marital traditions and also the Cana Movement. From the beginning of the second century to the middle of the 20th Century the catholic tradition institution, viewed and modelled marriage as a procreative institution-a stable, social and religious institution in which a man and a woman became husband and wife to procreate children. Their procreative activity, which defined marriage, included not only to the creation of a child but also to the development of motherhood and fatherhood and the fabrication of a functioning adult. Since the parents life expectancy was not long beyond the early adulthood of their children, marriage was therefore easily defined as lifelong. In truth this procreative institution is the result of a contract in which, according to the 1917 Code of Canon Law, each party gives and accepts a perpetual and exclusive right over the body for acts which are of themselves suitable for the generation of children (Canon 1081, 2) (Lawler. M ,2001) The Second Vatican Councils Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World describes marriage as a communion of love (No. 47), an intimate partnership of life and love (No.48). Love between the spouses was declared by the council to be the very essence of marriage. The council underscored its preference for an interpersonal union model by making another important change in the received tradition. Marriage is founded in a conjugal covenant of irrevocable personal consent (No. 48). The legal word contract gives way to the biblical word covenant, a word saturated with overtones of mutual steadiest and personal love, qualities that are now applied to marriage. (Lawler. M ,2001) Adrian Thatcher in his book Marriage after Modernity: Christian Marriage in post modern times describes marriage as a universal institution which theologically speaking is given with creation itself, But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh (Mark 10: 6 8).He explains that marriage is an eminently human love, a love that brings together the human and the divine. Therefore married couples are capable of being simultaneously recipients and mediators of that relational love of God which led to the creation of the world and restored through Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains marriage as a sacrament of Matrimony in which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, it is by its nature regimented for the good of the spouses and the education and procreation of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the solemnity of a sacrament. It is very interesting to note how romantic marriage has only been common in the west for quite a short period of time. In fact according to sociologist Anthony Giddens (1997), modern ideas of romantic marriage had not been common or accepted even as late as the 1500s. On the other hand religious institutions saw marriage as pragmatic solution to unhealthy sexual emotions and not something to be done for affection, romance or satisfaction. Attitudes towards marriage Without any doubt peoples own family life experiences is major influence on their multidimensional development, and hence different people have different views, expectations and reasons for marriage. Ones home is the starting point, for one to learn about marriage, this is because parents continuously teach their children what partnership involves and what its like by following in the footsteps of their parents marital relationship .In fact Toben and Joanne Heim (2000) think that where you come from and your family history lies beneath just about every issue youll face in your entire marriage not just in the first year (p.17). The quality of the ones parents marital relationship and also the quality of attachment to ones parents and siblings is influenced by the adjustment in marital relationships .Azzopardi (2007). The effect of parental conflict and divorce on childrens attitudes toward marriage has been examined by a number of researchers. Some studies have shown that children of divorced parents: do worse than those in intact families in several aspects of their development (Dowling Gorell Barnes, 1999; 2000) are fearful and anxious about their own future marriage (Schwartberg, 1981; Sorosky, 1977) and have a negative view of marriage (Kelly, 1981; Long, 1987). Also Children from broken homes, predominantly daughters, are less interested in marriage (Booth, Brinkerhoff, White,1984) and have low expectations and evaluations of marriage (Long, 1987). On the other hand some research has indicated that it is not parental separation and divorce per se that influence expectations of marriage but it is family integration (Coleman Ganong, 1984). In the study by Kalter (1987), Grych and Fincham (1990), and Markland and Nelson (1993), which involved college students, found that conflict and inter-parental hostility is a key feature influencing young adults expectations of marriage. It was therefore concluded that children who are exposed to such conflicts seem to form pessimistic impressions of marriage. In contradiction Muench and Landrums (1994) research suggest that family dynamics play an important role in expectations of marriage formation. Therefore, even though some peoples expectations of happiness and success in marriage may have been tainted by prior experience (divorced parents), they still strongly desire having a positive marital and family relationship (Jones Nelson, 1996, p.173). Similarly, Coleman and Ganong (1984), and Jones and Nelson (1996) did not find significantly different attitudes towards marriage between low and high conflict background individuals. These different results suggest for the requirement for further research on the subject. The media have also been attributed with the power to influence peoples expectations of marriage. However, there is yet to be evidence for this claim. (Segrin Nabi, 2002, p.247). Vexen Crabtree explains that marriage consists of many parts. The first is the legal contract, which according to him is the bare bones of what a marriage is . Nevertheless at the end of the day it is our cultural expectations that give marriage more meaning than merely a contractual agreement. He further explains that our upbringing including our culture and stereotyped ideas portrayed in the mass media together with society create unconscious ideal roles that we are under pressure into filling. In fact Rev. Rebecca Densen (2001) states: Marriage partners are also bombarded with role expectations and stereotypes of what it means to be a husband and wife. In general these roles are detrimental to the relationship. People simply cannot fit into pre-set moulds (). Healthy relationships on the other hand are entered into and maintained by individuals free and loving ongoing choice. Also it is very important to note how according to the Constitution of Malta in the second article is says that (1) The religion of Malta is the Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion. Therefore one can argue how the laws of ones country reflect and reinforce a citizens perception of an orderly environment and every citizen is bound to abide by them Religious and Traditional Influences Without a doubt religion plays a major role in how a marital relationship is conducted. Although the importance to religion is declining and the Maltese no longer base their life on a singular moral view, religion still plays a major role in the establishment of ideals (Tabone,1994). The 1999 European Values Survey (Abela, 2000) reveals that in spite of the reported secularization (Tabone, 1987) 80% of the Maltese give religion third priority, following the family (first) and work (second). Women generally value religion over work, whereas men give second importance to work, women give priority to religion (Abela, 2000. p.45). Tabone (1994) argues that in spite of traditionalism and institutionalism the church still has a great impact on the individual In fact, almost all Maltese individuals are baptized, and attend catechism, they receive their first Holy Communion, receive confirmation, and generally marry in the Church. Tabone continues that regardless of their faith (p.295). About 75% of all marriages are sacramentalised in church (Archdiocese of Malta, 2003; L-Orizzont, 2004). Consequently Maltas culture, tradition, and social life relation to religious activity may point out how the Maltese may find it hard to separate from the religious familiarity in ones life. Nevertheless, it is quite evident that values could be changing especially amongst the Maltese youth .in one recent survey conducted by the University Chaplaincy in 2009 on the subject of religious practices among University students, 91% claimed to be Catholics. With regards to confession, 36.7% never receive this sacrament. 68% report to attend mass on a regular basis, while 32.4% rarely or never do. With regards to religious beliefs the highest percentages were for belief in God (93.5%), Jesus the Son of God (81.2%), Mary, the mother of God (78.4%), The Holy spirit (75%) The Trinity (74.8%), God the creator of all that exists (74%).A lower amount of participants responded yes, in relation to their belief in Afterlife (68.5 + %), The incarnation of Jesus (67.1%), The Virginity of Mary, the mother of God (65.4 +%), Heaven and Hell (65.4%), The Devil (63.9%). When asked about morality, 62.9% state that Abortion is always morally wrong, 43.8% said that divorce is morally wrong, 14.7% see contraception as morally wrong. 24.0% state that pre-marital sexual intercourse as prohibited and 73.5% approve of premarital cohabitation. Moreover 9.5% wrote that abortion can be carried out in the case of a disabled child, while 56.7% said that divorce should be legalised in Malta and 44.3% have practised sexual intercourse in the past year. Another verification of declining religiosity is the 2006 Sunday Mass Attendance Census (Inguanez, 2006) which revealed an 11% fall in church attendance among the Maltese since 1995. So the question of why one still chooses to marry in the church remains. As cited in a qualitative study carried out by Azzopardi (2007) all the couples saw marrying in the church as an automatic and unquestionable construction. Many influences were seen throughout the interviews including Cultural and extended family influences. They did not reflect on the true understanding of a Catholic marriage and its distinctive requirements. In fact when asked some of the couples stated Im doing it to make him happy or my parents would have thrown me out, Therefore in this study the construction of marrying in the church emerged as one of the tensions between secularism and traditionalism. Most of the participating couples, viewed marrying in the church as a public statement of their commitment as opposed to a sacramental union. Also narratives about the visual and lavish aspects of Maltese weddings sustain the idea. In fact in 2002 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬17.5 million was spent amongst 2240 weddings, bringing the average wedding expenses to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 7900 (L-Orizzont , 2003). On the other hand during the interview many couples admitted that if it was up to them, they would have done nothing of the kind. Cohabitation Marriage is an institution which can join together peoples lives in a wide range of behaviours including those economic and emotional. In many Western cultures, marriage usually leads to the formation of a new household uniting the married couple, with the married couple living together under the same roof, often sharing the same bed, however in some other cultures this is not the tradition, and opt for cohabitation ( Paul, 2006). A cohabiting couple is a co-resident man and woman, living together within a sexual union, without that union having been formalised by a legal marriage , (Gordon, 1995). Cohabitants could be engaged couples, common-law husband and wife, or singles living together in a romantic relationship. As said before at present many individuals are opting for cohabitation as opposed to marriage. One can distinguish between 2 types of cohabitation: pre-nuptial and non- nuptial cohabitation. Pre nuptial refers to people who plan to marry and live together first. The latter refers those who live together but do not intend to marry (Thatcher. A, 2001) There are also those who cohabit out of convenience. A growing amount of literature is focused on how and why partners come to cohabit. According to one study, when asked why they began sharing a household, many people reported that they entered it without much thought (Manning Smock, 2005). Another study found that when asked the same question, mos t reported that they wanted to spend more time together and that it was more convenient than living apart (Rhoades, Stanley, Markman, in press).Some individuals report using cohabitation as a way to test the relationship before marriage, although this type of cohabitation represented only a small minority in one study (Rhoades et al., in press).Many cohabiting individuals report that they plan to marry their current partner (Brown Booth, 1996). The Church of England report, titled Something to celebrate states further reasons for cohabitation, these include reaction to the clear failure of traditional patterns of partner selection, courting, marriage and setting up home, the ability to avoid or delay conception through reliable contraception, the wish to avoid promiscuity, the wish to avoid the possible consequences of being married, such as the cost of a legal divorce or of a grand wedding. Other reasons include peer pressure; saving on rent; or waiting to conclude higher education. (Thatcher A, 2001). Hence I question why people go into all the trouble of getting married in the church when they could easily cohabit without any problems. In reality it is more problematic to marry in the church as opposed to cohabiting or marrying civilly. According the Maltese Marriage Act Chapter 255 ,Catholic marriage means a marriage celebrated in accordance with the norms and formalities of Canon Law or with a dispensation therefrom granted by the competent organ in accordance with Canon Law; In fact the Catholic Church together with the law teaches that for one to marry in the church one of the partners must be a baptized Christian .Both partners do not have to be Catholic in order to be sacramentally married in the Catholic Church, but both must be baptized Christians (and at least one must be a Catholic). Non-Christians cannot receive the sacraments. For a Catholic to marry a non-Catholic Christian, permission is required from his or her bishop. A Catholic can marry an unbaptized person, but such marriages are natural marriages only and not sacramental marriages. The Church, therefore, discourages them and requires a Catholic who wishes to marry an unbaptized person to receive a special dispensation from his or her bishop. Still, if the dispensation is granted, a non-sacramental marriage is valid and can take place inside of a Catholic church Legal prohibitions on marriage between close blood relatives are prohibited by the church. Before 1983, marriages between second cousins were prohibited. Today, second-cousin marriages are allowed, and, under some circumstances, a dispensation can be obtained to allow a first-cousin marriage. However the Church still discourages such marriages. If one of the partners, Catholic or non-Catholic Christian, has been married before, he or she is free to marry only if his or her spouse has died or he or she has obtained a declaration of nullity from the Church. The sheer fact of a divorce is not sufficient to prove the nullity of a marriage. During marriage preparation, you must inform the priest if you have been married before, even in a civil ceremony. They must also be of opposite sex .Marriage, by definition, is a lifelong union between one man and one woman. The Catholic Church does not recognize, even as a civil marriage, a contracted relationship between two men or two women. Finally it is a myth that some Catholics only see the inside of a church when they are carried (at Baptism), married, and buried. But since marriage is a sacrament, and for the sacrament to be properly received the Catholic partners in a marriage must be in good standing with the Church. This not only means normal Church attendance but also avoidance of scandal, for example cohabitation. Furthermore research about married couples has shown that they enjoy a better standard of living than single individuals (Waite Gallagher, 2000; Hirschi, Altobelli Rank, 2003). They also e have better physical and psychological well-being (Schoenborn, 2004; Williams, 2003). Additionally children are most likely to succeed when brought up in a happily married couple. (Amato Booth, 1997; Mc Lahahan Sandefur, 1994; Ford, Goodman Meltzer 2004) The Change in Marriage Values and Traditions In Thatchers (1999) book titled Marriage after Modernity Christian Marriage in postmodern times David Lyon refers to the term modernity to the social order that emerged following Enlightenment. This includes the many changes that occurred from the mid sixteenth century onward in all fields. As a result of all the changes based on science, economy, democracy or law, modernity is continuously questioning all the conventional ways of doing things. As a result he explains that it unsettles the self; if identity is given in traditional society, in modernity it is constructed. Without any doubt marriage is entangled in the changes signified by the transition from modernity to post modernity as it is a historical and social institution. Peter Hodgson states that although modernity has given us many gains such as rationality, freedom, dialogue, human rights, subjectivity etc Its has also resulted in a series of crises including cognitive, historical, political, socioeconomic, religious, economic, sex and gender. In fact : The sexual revolution has exposed the repression deeply ingrained in Western culture and Christianity, but it has also led to a great deal of freedom of sexual practice beginning in adolescence, much of it destructive, and it has rendered problematic all of the established sexual institutions, including the nuclear family and marriagethere is also a gender crisis the beginning of the ending of patriarchy as a way of organizing male- female relations and distributing social power. To add on undoubtedly marriage is one of the established sexual institutions which have been affected by the crises of modernity. The sexual crisis unmasks the linkage of religious beliefs with sexual repression and calls into question the authority of scripture on issues vital to human sexuality, while the gender crisis is disrupting long established ways of imagining divine power and presence, namely in androcentric and patriarchal terms (Hodgson, Winds of the Spirit p. 62). Consequently Hodgson believes that the above mentioned crises resulting from modernity have led to the absence of God in postmodern consciousness. According to Franà §oise Zonabend, a French anthropologist, the instability of the marriage institution is due to the increasing number polygamous marriages between women, The  divorces and remarriages, the free unions and the common law marriages which are on the increase in Western societies, also point to the vulnerability of the institution and show above all that the functions that have been ascribed to marriage-the transfer of goods, the sexual division of labour, the solidarity between the relations, rearing of children-cannot be the consequence of any natural imperative. Therefore we can only call for a rethinking of the universality and durability of marriage. In an article by Don S Browning titled Christian Ethics and the Family debate: An Overview it is stated that there are many different reasons for these crisiss that are happening in todays Western Society. He explains how many Conservatives, neo-conservatives, and some neo-liberals highlight the importance of cultural values; they claim that values have changes and largely for the worse. As an example Neo-liberals for instance David Popenoe and Robert Bellah, and also historians like Edward Shorter and Lawrence Stone, place emphasis on the rise of Enlightenment individualism. Conservatives such as James Dobson claim modern society is more immoral and does not respect marital, family, and parental commitments as before. Moreover demographers such as Ron Lesthaege and Larry Bumpass talk about individualism to explain the escalating family fragmentation. Additionally deteriorating economic conditions and decreased welfare support for the family crises are blamed by many Marxist, liberal, progressive, and many liberal-feminists. Max Weber, Alan Wolfe and Jà ¼rgen Habermas stress the spread of technical reason as the causative factor. They explain how technical reason can mean two different things: one being market logistics enter the private lives of families and as a consequence replace family loyalties with an ethical-egoist and cost-benefit mentality. The other reason can be stated in bureaucracies which take over family functions and as a result make them dependent client populations. The Economy also plays a role in this change. In fact economists Diane Reglis and Victor Fuchs describe how during the 1980s and 90s economy has been declining and this shift has influenced families negatively. Accordingly many social changes are caused because of these economic changes like Legal changes: the legal recognition of domestic partnerships, divorce and the trend toward the deinstitutionalization of the family which all account to the shift in family values. One can also mention Psychological factors. In fact Frances Goldscheider and Linda Waite, state that the family crisis results from the fact that mens commitment to housework and child care has not been in line with womens opening into the salary economy. Evolutionary psychologists go on to reveal how evolutionary forces have created uneven reproductive strategies between males and females. They point out that males of most mammalian species procreate as widely as possible with a range of females however do not become concerned in the care of their offspring. The Cana Movement The Church organizes marriage preparation course with the hope of increasing Catholic values among Maltese families. Courting couples preparing for marriage attend the compulsory marriage preparation course as indicated by the Church. The course aims to help couples in their preparation for the sacrament of marriage to arrive at a better evaluation of their relationship and their commitment to each other, and to a Christian marriage. It consists of eight group sessions addressing eight different topics from a Christian perspective. The courses are organized through one of its voluntary Organizations, the Cana Movement, which was set up to promote Catholic family life among the Maltese. For my study I chose people participating in this course as they without doubt intend to marry in the Catholic Church. Marriage education is widely practiced within the Catholic communities. In Malta the marriage preparation course is a compulsory step for those choosing to marry in the Church. One of the courses aims is the teaching of a realistic framework of marriage with the hope of reducing unrealistic expectations in various areas of married life. However, the multi-vocal bombardment of ideals from tradition, culture, and media might impede the courses from having the desired effect. On a much larger scale, Stanley et al. (2006) carried out a representative survey across four American states and found participation in premarital courses to be associated with lower levels of conflict, higher satisfaction and commitment in marriage, and reduced the chance of divorce. It is suggested that participation in premarital education such as the Cana movement generally benefits couple relationships over time.

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Concept of Charity in the General Prologue :: General Prologue Essays

The Concept of Charity in the General Prologue    In the "General Prologue," Chaucer presents an array of characters from the 1400's in order to paint portraits of human dishonesty and stupidity as well as virtue.   Out of these twenty-nine character portraits three of them are especially interesting because they deal with charity.   Charity during the 1400's, was a virtue of both religious and human traits.   One character, the Parson, exemplifies Chaucer's idea of charity, and two characters, Prioress, and Friar, to satirize the idea of charity and show that they are using charity for either devious reasons or out of convention or habit.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the definition from the Webster's dictionary, charity means giving to the needy and helping the poor.   In Chaucer's time, however, charity meant much more.   It included a love of G-d and doing the will of G-d as well as the kind of person one is.   Thus Charity had two parts, one human, the other divine.   Two parts that mixed in different portions depending on a person. Charity was a human virtue that the Church encouraged.   People believed that if one does something good, he will be rewarded by G-d.   Many people did meaningful, charitable things out the goodness of their hearts, but others had done it for other reasons.   Those reasons included making money from people's suffering and giving to charity because someone told them to do so, rather than from the goodness of their hearts or to ease the suffering of others.   Chaucer plays off both of these parts of charity in his portraits to show how they can be combined differently in different people and to distinguish "true" charity from "false" charity.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Parson exemplifies Chaucer's idea of true charity.   Even though Parson does not have any money, he considers himself rich spiritually.   Going around the village, he teaches the poor and those who can't go to church about what G-d is and how to be a religious person.   He gives more than he receives.   In fact, he avoids preaching to the rich and well-to-do because he prefers going to the humble and poor, who truly need his help and G-d.   He doesn't run to London to earn easy bread

Helping Children with Learning Disabilities Essay

Children with learning disabilities are smart or smarter than their peers, but may have difficulty with things like reading, writing, reasoning, and organizing information by themselves. A learning disability is a lifelong issue that cannot be cured or fixed with a snap of the fingers. Children who have the right support and intervention can succeed in school. Then later they will be able to go and be successful later in life. Children with learning disabilities need the support of parents, school and their community to be successful. Parents need to be able to encourage children with their strengths, know what their weaknesses are, and be able to understand the educational system to be able to work with professionals. Learning Disabilities cannot be categorized into one diagnosis. Learning disabilities are caused by biological factors that are caused by differences in the structure and functioning of the nervous system. Many people, both in the local and professional community, use the terms handicap and disability interchangeably, but they are not. A learning disability means that preschoolers are unable to complete tasks in a certain way. Children with learning disabilities have a hard time functioning in areas such as sensory, physical, cognitive, and other areas. Handicap means that preschoolers are unable to function and cope in their environment. These children have impairments such as cerebral palsy or down syndrome. In 1991, the federal government amended the disabilities label to â€Å"Individuals with Disabilities Act† (PL 102-119). This act allowed states to be able to not identify with one of the thirteen federal disability labels, but to classify preschoolers with special needs. (Kilgo, pg 27) With the new changes professionals were able to use new terms like developmentally delayed and at risk when identifying children. Developmentally delayed is determined on the basis of various developmental assessments and/or an informed clinical opinion. Children starting at the age of three years old can now be identified for services. Delays can be expressed in a difference between a child’s chronological age and his/her performance levels. Delays occur when a child does not reach his/her developmental milestones at the expected age level or time. If a child is slightly behind it is not considered a delay until he/she are lagging in two or more areas of motor, language, social or thinking skills. Developmental delays are usually diagnosed by a doctor or medical professional based on strict guidelines and take more than one visit to diagnose. Parents or childcare providers are usually the first to notice children not progressing at the same rate as other children. Testing will help to gauge a child’s developmental level. At risk describes children with exposure to certain adverse conditions and circumstances known to have a high probability of resulting in learning and development difficulties? (Kilgo, pg 28) These children have not been identified as having a disability, but as children who may be developing conditions that will limit their success in school or lead to disabilities. There are three factors that can result in a child’s environment. The first is established risk/genetic. This could be where a child is born with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, or spinal bifida. Biological risk means that a child has a history of pre- or post- natal conditions that heighten the chance of development. These could be conditions such as premature births, infants with low birth weights, maternal diabetes, and bacterial infections like meningitis or HIV. Environmental risks are considered biologically typical, meaning they are environmental conditions that are limiting or threating to the child’s development. All three at risk factors can result in cognitive, social, affective, and physical problems. (Kim, pg. 4) Some signs of learning disabilities in young children are: †¢ A toddler may reach developmental milestones quite slowly. †¢ The child may have trouble understanding the concept of time. Is the child confused by the use of words like â€Å"tomorrow†, â€Å"today†, and â€Å"yesterday†? †¢ Young children have a lot of energy, but some have an excessive amount of kinetic energy, known as hyperactivity. †¢ A child that has difficulty distinguishing right from left may have difficulty identifying words. †¢ A child with a learning disability often masters several areas, while failing in two or more areas. A child that is perceived as disobedient may actually have difficulty understanding and following instructions. Once a child has been identified as having a possible learning disability, assessments need to be completed. An assessment is the process of gathering information for the purpose of making a decision about children with known or suspected disabilities in the area of screening, diagnosis, eligibility, program planning, and/or process monitoring and evaluation. (Kilo, pg. 90) During the assessment, evaluations should be accomplished with the e goal of identifying developmentally ppropriate goals, identifying unique styles and strengths, looking at parent goals and outcomes for their children, reinforcing family’s competence and worth, and creating a sense of shared commitment between families, schools, and professionals. Families possess a wealth of information and should play a very active role in the decision making, planning, and evaluations of their children. Schools are required to foster a child’s education, offering and supporting the needs of each child through a series of individualized instructions and interventions. School districts must provide documentation stating that the student has received the required instruction by qualified personnel. These interventions help teachers and staff to educate and foster the needs of children with learning disabilities. Assessments are an ongoing process. The initial assessment should be used to screen, diagnose, and check for eligibility for services. Ongoing assessments are to focus on a child’s skill level, needs, background, experiences, and interests, as well as the family’s preferences and priorities. Over the years practice has shown that there is a link between assessments and curriculum to provide for the needs of the child. It is important to keep records of a child’s progress. A very useful way is through portfolio assessments. These portfolios can be considered a looking glass into a child’s growth. Portfolios also help teachers and team members to keep observations and comments about a child’s activities and behaviors. The information collected can help meet many of the required criteria for planning and monitoring. An important responsibility of an educator is to have an environment that will both nurture and foster learning. When designing an environment childcare providers should use best practice guidelines from places like National Association of Education of Young Child (NAEYC) and National Association of Family Childcare (NAFCC). Environments should look at available space, age of children, visual appeal, safety and health, and organization. (Perri Klass, pg. 46) Always remember that environments exert powerful influences on children and help to play a vital role in children’s lives. Activity areas should include gross- motor, quiet/calm, discover, dramatic, therapeutic, and arts and crafts areas. Rooms should not have furniture that is used to separate centers or activities but should use things like lower lightening, parachutes hanging from the ceiling and area rugs to help children understand the use of different centers. The main goal of childcare providers and educators is to provide the best possible services for children with learning disabilities by providing services â€Å"as early and comprehensively as possible in the least restrictive setting†. Services and interventions should be supported in the most natural environments that will include the child’s primary care giver. Individual Education Plans (IEP) plays a large role in the education process of children with learning disabilities. These IEP’s require professionals, parents, and caregivers to work together as a team. They hold teams to accountability standards for the care of children with disabilities. A child’s IEP helps to furnish an instructional direction, sort of like a blueprint of care, to measure the effectiveness and progress of children. If an IEP is carefully written and appropriate goals are set, it will provide special education services to a child that will be reflected throughout his/her life. In the field of early childhood education, the definition of special needs has drastically changed for children with learning disabilities over the years. We live in a very diverse society of languages, foods, music, values and religious beliefs that brings us the strengths of our nation. Every day the makeup of our society changes and so does the needs of our children, especially those of children with learning disabilities. Our community is seeing a growing need for services for children with learning disabilities. Young children with learning disabilities need to receive services at the earliest age possible. Parents need to remember that learning disabilities do not go away overnight and for some children it takes years of recognizing, expressing, thinking, and problem solving to succeed at being the young adult that they are meant to be.

Supporting Big Bang essays

Supporting Big Bang essays Science has hypothesized that the universe was created by a big bang. By researching stars and fossil records scientists have claimed that the earth is much older than it is said to be in the creation theory. The creation theory says that the universe is only several thousand years old, but carbon dating has shown that fossils on earth are millions of years old thus disproving part of the creation theory with evidence. There is another reason scientists think that the creation theory is wrong. If the universe was a small ball of matter then outside of this small ball of matter was void. The creation theory says that the universe was created by a supreme being, but there is nowhere that this being could have come from. Other dimensions can only exist inside the universe. If there had been no universe then there is no where that this supreme being could have come from. ...

Explore the effects of a needs orientated approach to care using a nursing model alongside a nursing process in order to create a framework The WritePass Journal

Explore the effects of a needs orientated approach to care using a nursing model alongside a nursing process in order to create a framework Introduction Explore the effects of a needs orientated approach to care using a nursing model alongside a nursing process in order to create a framework IntroductionAssessmentPlanningImplementationEvaluationConclusionReference listRelated Introduction The aims of this assignment are to provide a needs orientated approach to care using a nursing model alongside a nursing process in order to create a framework. The nursing model for the purpose of the assignment will be Roper, Logan and Tierney (RLT). A nursing model is used to determine what is important and relevant to providing individualized care (Barrett, Wilson, Woollands 2009). RLT   state that a nursing model helps to identify the â€Å"core of nursing activities across any field of nursing practice† (Holland, Jenkins, Soloman and Whittam, 2004). This will be discussed in detail providing evidence of strengths and weaknesses of the model. The nursing process that will be discussed will be APIE which is assess, plan, implement and evaluate. A nursing process is a systematic approach which focuses on each patient as an individual ensuring that the patients holistic needs are taken into consideration. These include physical, social, psychological, cultural and environm ental factors. . The nursing process is a problem solving framework for planning and delivering nursing care to patients and their families (Atkinson and Murray 1995). When used collaboratively the nursing model and the nursing process should provide a plan of care that considers the patient holistically rather than just focusing on their medical diagnosis (Moseby’s 2009). It will also discuss an example of a care plan done for a fictional patient Mabel Dunn and evaluate and discuss how the nursing plan and the nursing process have created a plan of care and how effective this was or was not. Care planning is a highly skilled process used in all healthcare settings which aims to ensure that the best possible care is given to each patient.   The Nursing and Midwifery council state that care planning is only to be undertaken by qualified staff or by students under supervision. The Department of health (2009) says that ‘Personalised care planning is about addressing an individual’s full range of needs, taking into account their health, personal, social, economic, educational, mental health, ethinic and cultural background and circumstances’ with the aim of returning the patient to their previous state before they became ill and were hospitalized considering all of these needs to provide patient centered care. It recognizes that there are other issues in addition to medical needs that can impact on a person’s total health and well being. It provides a written record accessible to all health professionals where all nursing interventions can be documented. Care planning is extremely important as it enables all staff involved in the care to have access to relevant information about the patients current medical problems and how this affecting them in relation to the 12 activities of living as well as any previous medical history. Barrett et al (2009) state that taking care of an individual’s needs is a professional, legal and ethical requirement. There are many different nursing models all of which have strengths and weaknesses and it’s up to the nurse to choose the right one for individual patient, the model which is used will vary between different specialties depending on which is more relevant to the patient and their illness and needs. Although a vast majority of hospitals now use pre-printed care plans it is important to remember that not all the questions on them will be relevant to all patients. An example of this would be that activity of breathing may not have any impact on a healthy young adult be would be a major factor for an elderly man with COPD. There are four stages to the nursing process which are Assess, plan, implement and evaluate (APIE) but Barrett et al state that there should be six stages to include systematic nursing diagnosis and recheck (ASPIRE)   as although they are included in the nursing process they are not separate stages and could be overlooked.(Barrett et al 2009). It is important that a nursing process is used and it is set out in a logical order, the way in that the nurse would think this helps minimize omissions or mistakes. Roper, Logan and Tierney model of nursing suggests that there are five interrelated concepts which need to be taken into consideration when planning and implementing care which are activities of living, lifespan, dependence/independence continuum, factors influencing activities of living and individuality in living (Roper, Logan and Tierney 2008). Assessment Assessment is a fundamental nursing skill required to gather all the information required about the patient in order to meet all or their needs (Hinchliff, Norman and Schober 2008). ‘Assessment is extremely important because it provides the scientific basis for a complete nursing care plan’ (Moseby’s 2009). The initial assessment untaken by nurses is to gather information regarding the patients needs but this is only the beginning of assessing as the holistic needs of the patient including physical, physiological, spiritual, social, economic and environmental needs to be taken into consideration in order to deliver appropriate individualized care (Roper, Logan and Tierney 2008). When using the 12 activities of living (ALs) for assessment it gives a list a basic information required but must not just be used as a list as the patient will respond better to questions asked in an informal manner and when just part of the general conversation. RLT (2008) state that alt hough every AL is important some are more important than other and this can vary between patients. It is important for nurses to obtain appropriate information through both verbal and non-verbal conversation patients are more likely to give correct information but without jumping to conclusions or putting words into their mouths. ‘Assessment is the cornerstone on which a patients care is planned, implemented and evaluated (RLT 2008). ‘Poor or incomplete assessment subsequently leads to poor care planning and implementation of the care plan’ (Sutcliffe 1990). Information can be gained from the patient, the patients family and friends as well as any health records (Peate I, 2010) During this process of gathering information it is important to find out what the patient can do as well as what they cant. , McCormack, Manley and Garbett (2004) state that gathering the information requires a certain kind of relationship between the nurse and the patient and nurses need to be able to communicate effectively in order to be able to build this relationship.   A full assessment needs to consider how the patient was before they became ill or hospitalized in relation to their medical diagnosis as well as how the patient was dealing with it, how they are now, what is the change or difference if any, do they know what is causing the change, what if anything they are doing about it, do they have any resources now or have they have in the past to deal with the problem (barrett et al). RLT (2008) state that there are 5 factors that influence the 12 activities of living which are biological, psychological, sociocultural, environmental and politicoeconomic, these may not all have an effect on each patient but all need to be taken into consideration.The more information gained in the assessment process the easier the other steps will follow. RLT (2008) suggest that assessing is a continuous process and that further information will be obtained through observations and within the course of nursing the patient. At the end of the initial assessment the nurse should to identify the problems that the patient has. There are limitations to using a nursing process which are   the 12 als are often used as a list as part of a core care plan and are not always individualized Walsh (1998) argues that the 12 activities of living may just be used as a list which could result in vital information being missed which could be detrimental to the patient. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2008) states a nurse is personally and professionally accountable for actions and omissions in practice and any decisions made must always be justifiable. There are many benefits to using a nursing process it is patient centered and enables individualized care for each patient. It also gives patients input into their own care and gives them a greater sense of control it is outcome focused using subjective and objective information which helps and encourages evaluation of the care given. It also minimizes any errors and omissions. When I carried out the assessing stage on mabel I did this using the 12 activities of living as suggested by Roper et al (2008) but this was used too much like a checklist. I didn’t gather enough information in order to be able to do the best plan of care possible for her although I don’t feel this could have been detrimental to the care she received it needed more information than I had. I also found it difficult deciding which information should go where so I ended up repeating information in more than one of the 12 als, Which although this wouldn’t have made a difference to the planning of the care plan there was too much irrelevant information which could mean that it wasn’t read thoroughly just skimmed over as it would take too much time. As I am inexperienced in doing this I realized when writing the care plan that there were many questions that I didn’t ask so there where many parts that could not be filled in. I also didn’t gather eno ugh objective data for certain parts so I didn’t have   any evidence that the care had worked or how effective it had been. If using ASPIRE rather than APIE the next stage would be systematic nursing diagnosis where a nursing diagnosis is established which differs from the medical diagnosis but the two do overlap (Barrett et al 2009). The nursing diagnosis takes into account the medical diagnosis as well as the holistic needs of the patient considering their biopsychosocial and spiritual needs (Hinchliff et al 2008) and the effect these may have on the patient and how they deal with their illness. The next part of the systematic diagnosis is to establish baselines of where the patient is now in relation to the 12 als and their illness and set goals accordingly in collaboration with the patient in a way in which they understand (Barrett et al 2009). Planning The next stage of the nursing process is planning this is where all the information gained in the assessment part to plan the care of the patient. The planning stage of the process is where achievable goals need to be made through discussion with care givers and the patient or the patients representative. Kemp and Richardson (1994) Suggest that ‘One of the advantages of goal setting is that it can act as a stimulus for the patient’ and encourages them to work towards this. The plan of care is to solve the actual problems the patient has and to prevent potential problems from becoming actual ones, it also aims to help the patient cope with their illness in a positive way and to make them as comfortable and pain free as possible (RLT 2008). Marriner (1983) states that ‘The patient should be included in the planning of his nursing care’ goals set need to be agreed with nursing staff, the patient and the patients relatives or representative although some of them will be more focused towards the patient and some of them will require the expertise of the nurse. Individualised care aims to have the best possible outcome for the patient by educating the patient and involving them in their care. There are disadvantages to providing individualized care one of these being the time it takes to write the care plan which is why core care plans are often used but Roper et al (2000) say that these can be used effectively when used appropriately such as in post-operative care. Although when using core care plans it is important not to standardize care as patient react differently to illnesses and treatments. Faulkner (2000) Suggests that one of the benefits of using a core care plan is that potential problems can be foreseen. The more information gathered in assessment the easier the plan of care will be. The main objective of a nursing plan is to ‘provide the information on which systematic, individualized nursing can be based and individualized nursing can be based and implemented by any nurse’ (RLT 2008). Through a detailed individualized plan of care any nurse caring for a particular patient should be able to see exactly what is required of them as all the information will be recorded in the care plan.   The NMC (2008) says that nursing interventions need to be specific for that particular patient, based on best evidence, measurable and achievable. There are many different criteria for setting goals just one of these is PRODUCT which stands for, Patient centered, recordable, observable and measurable, directive, understandable and clear, credible and time related. This is just meant as a way of helping nurses to set goals by giving them guidelines to follow (Barrett et al 2009). When planning care a great emphasis needs to be based on the dependence/independence continuum which will have been established in the assessment phase. The care to be given will encourage the patient to get back to as reasonably possible or as close to where they were on the continuum as they were before they were admitted to hospital. Planning also needs to take into account the resources available to implement the care as they need to ensure that the care they are planning is achievable and will not be compromised by lack of resources or a shortage of nursing staff (Roper et al 2008). When I did a plan of care for mabel it quickly became evident how inexperienced I was. I didn’t gather enough information in the assessing period to be able to do an effective plan of care. I also didn’t know how achievable the goals where as I wasn’t aware of how long they would take to improve or if they where achievable or not, I also found it difficult determine which problems were interrelated and as a result tried to link anxiety in with another problem when in fact it was a problem on its own. I was able to write the needs statements effectively that were not long but on a couple of these the influencing factors were missed out which would be necessary when providing holistic care. Planning care for a patient requires a great deal of knowledge in the chosen specialty which is why it must be carried out by a qualified member of staff or a student under supervision. Implementation Implementation is the next part of the nursing process and where all the goals which were set in the planning stage are put into motion and the goals can start to be achieved through nursing and medical interventions. ‘Implementation is the actual giving of nursing care’(Marriner 1983).This is done with nursing staff, the multidisciplinary team members involved in the patients care such as doctor, dieticians and physiotherapists and the patient themselves in order for the patient to be able to return to how they were previously before they were admitted to hospital. The plan of care will be specific to the particular patient and will focus on the biopsychosocial aspects of the patient (Marriner 1983) and how these will affect the patients ability to carry out the activities of living. Implementation also provides emphasis on individualized care which is why it is important to establish in the previous phases where they are on the dependence/independence continuum and what they are able to do now and what they were able to do before. If this hasn’t been established then it will be impossible to evaluate how effective the care has been. Individualised care is associated with how the patient did things before such as how the person carries out the ALs and how often they carry these out. An example of this would be when carrying out the AL of personal cleansing and dressing to individualise the care it would be necessary to have determined in the assessing stage how the patient usually did this and how often it wouldn’t be individualized if in the care plan it was stated that they got a shower every morning if at home they only did this once a week. The NMC (2008) state that nurses are required to ‘Make the care of people your first concern, treating them as individuals and respecting their dignity’. Core care plans may be used in certain situations this can provide a greater level of care as potential problems can be foreseen if related to a certain problem on the other hand it is also important not to standardize care as patients react differently to different illnesses and treatment. (Faulkner A, 2000). In order to deal with certain problems or situations people often develop coping strategies which can be either adaptive or maladaptive. Adaptive coping strategies are usually helpful to the patient whereas maladaptive ones could be detrimental to their health such as smoking or drinking, the patient may feel this helps them to deal with a present situation but it is actually causing them harm.   Patients need to be discouraged from using maladaptive coping strategies this could be done by introducing them to adaptive coping strategies and encouraging them to change their maladaptive ones into adaptive ones. During the implementation of Mabel I found that although I was able to implement the care effectively I hadn’t recognized all of the nursing interventions needed to provide holistic care and I wasn’t fully aware of timescales of the planned care. I feel I also needed to research further into Mabel’s problems in order to gain the appropriate knowledge to provide the best care available as this would ensure that are the interventions are evidence based and best practice (NMC 2008). Barrett et el (2008) state that this is where recheck should take place which would enable the health care provider to establish how effective the plan of care is before the treatment ends this would enable them to re-evaluate the plan of care while the treatment is still ongoing and adjust the goals accordingly. Evaluation Evaluation is where the care that has been given can be assessed to evaluate the care given and whether it has worked or not. Chalmers (1986) describe that it is an ongoing and continuous process and also occurs at timed points in a formal setting. Roper et al (2000) say that evaluating care also provides a basis for ongoing assessment, planning and evaluation. There are two different parts to evaluation summative evaluation and formative evaluation. Formative evaluation is done with the patient taking into account whether they feel the care given has worked when done with consideration of the dependence/independence continuum information regarding the patients previous place on the dependence/independence continuum can be obtained from the patient, their friends and relatives as well as other health care professionals in the multidisciplinary team involved in the care of the patient. Summative evaluation is when the holistic view of the patient is taken into consideration how they feel about the treatment, whether they felt that the goals were achievable. It so where all the measureable data stated in the baselines and data received after this time is analyzed to show how effective or not the treatment has been. When evaluating care consideration needs to be given to the influencing factors such as biological factors as the bodies physical ability varies according to age the physical ability of an older person is generally less efficient, therefore the plan of care needs to take this into consideration so that when the evaluation takes place it its hoped to have been effective. A nurse needs to evaluate her patient’s status regularly for some patients this will be just once a day but for others it will be much more frequent depending on their illness and healthcare status. RLT (2008) says that evaluation must be individual to the specific patient and not just a standard goal that is related to a specific problem. If goals haven’t been achieved then it is up to the nursing staff to determine why. Maybe the goals set weren’t measureable or achievable. Parsley and Corrigan (1999) say that if goals haven’t been measureable or achievable then new goals need to be set. It could also be that the nursing interventions were not successful in which case new interventions should be set. There are also legal and ethical issues that may have an impact when evaluating care The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2002) state you must obtain consent before you give any treatment or care. If consent wasn’t gained then the care to be implemented wouldn’t have been effective and goals will not have been achieved. Through my evaluation of Mabel it was evident that I did not require all the information to do a comprehensive plan of care. Although I did set baselines which meant I could compare data I wasn’t experienced enough to set goals to the correct timeframe I also didn’t obtain enough measureable information in certain problems to be fully able to assess how effective or ineffective the care had been. Had I had more experience I feel that the evaluation wouldn’t be a problem.   Evaluation requires checking and rechecking in order to see the effectiveness of the care delivered. It requires knowledge and expertise to be able to effectively evaluate and amend the goals and interventions set as necessary. The whole care planning process took me a long time and I still was not very good at certain aspects of it. When setting goals a lot of detailed information is required in order for the plan of care to be effective so I can now understand why it is necessary for a trai ned member of staff to carry out the task. Conclusion This assignment has shown that when used together the nursing process and the nursing model provide a good basis to providing care. It sets out a systematic approach to providing care. 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