The Art of Sacrifice Essay Example for Free

The Art of Sacrifice Essay Sacrifice, the concept of giving up something valuable as a means of gaining more desirable things or preventing evil, is a fascinating art that has long intrigued humankind. In particular, two American texts have captured the essence of it , The Great Gatsby by F.S. Fitzgerald and the 1999 movie American Beauty directed by Sam Mendes. Both texts closely explore the responsibility of an individuals relationship with his or her society for the sacrifices the individual makes; from the disillusionment of the American Dream to how the characters are affected or destroyed by it. In the world of Jay Gatsby and Lester Burnham, ideals and values are defined by their society. More specifically, theirs is a consumer-driven society, resulting in false values which place importance on materialism and hedonism, disregarding morality and spirituality. In The Great Gatsby, these values are embodied through the juxtaposition and repetition of West and East. The Mid-West of America and West Egg, where Nick and Gatsby originate and inhabit, represent moral integrity, spirituality and innocence in contrast to the East Coast of America and East Egg, where the Buchanans live, which are full of self-indulgence, material wealth and moral decadence. The function of the characters is to enhance these values depending on where they come from, Mid-Western Nick for an example is a self-described moral person (I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known) but Tom Buchanan from the East is portrayed as a ruthless, racist womanizer who is careless in using and letting other people clean up the mess [he] had made. Similarly, the opening scene in American Beauty is of a high-angle pan across a picturesque suburb and then a cut to an equally picturesque large house with a neat lawn and beautiful rose beds. This quickly highlights the concept of a social ideal to strive for, as Lester Burnhams house is portrayed as the epitome of American homes with its perfect white walls and bright red door, and it is promptly linked to consumerism through the means of his wife Carolyn, who is a competitive real estate agent she sells this American Dream, leading to the social notion that if you have money, then you can have anything. All the se techniques are used to emphasize the major role of society in defining social values and aspirations. Therefore the individual, in an attempt to gain happiness and fulfillment, will strive for the values that society imposes. They adopt the social ideals and then make sacrifices in order to achieve them. Since the first glimpse of Carolyn cultivating a perfect red rose in American Beauty, it has become the symbol for her. Like the outwardly perfect rose, she is seen as the modern-age successful businesswoman who has it all the perfect family, the perfect house, the perfect job, all reflecting her philosophy of in order to be successful, one must maintain an image of success at all times. However, like these perfect roses, she has no scent thus no soul, and instead she uses the roses as a substitute for genuine emotion and affection. The starkest example is found in the first Burnham dinner scene where the closest thing to warmth comes from the scarlet color of the centerpiece roses as everything else in the frame, Carolyns family included, are cold and sombre due to the predominance of shadows, blue hues and lack of friendly conversation. In this way, she sacrifices real feelings for surface appearances. This makes her similar to Daisy in The Great Gatsby who, in choosing Tom over Gatsby twice, makes the sacrifice of love for social status and material possession. She endures Toms blatant infidelities to achieve the comfort and respectability that the consumer-driven and superficial society demands and like Carolyn, places emphasis on outwards appearance with her wish that her daughter would be a fool thats the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool. Even Gatsbys sense of ideal is no more or no less than which his society can offer him. Everything about Jay Gatsby is based on what James Gatz believes that society would find attractive as he does not enjoy his own wild parties, which shows that he does this for the sake of a socially accepted image rather than personal taste, that he is the advertisement of a man not the actual man himself. Indeed Gatsby adopts societys false values and he uses other mens desires as his standard of value a reason why he found Daisy so appealing in the first place, many men had already loved Daisy it increased her value in his eyes. However it must be noted that not all characters are like the aforementioned in their sacrifices, as no matter what the society dictates the ability to choose still lies in the power of the individual. While society may have itsb  guidelines of social acceptability, it is up to the individual whether or not to follow the guidelines. Nick, the voice of The Great Gatsby, is initially attracted to the wealth and glamor of the East but upon realizing that it creates a frantic, aimless lifestyle without substance nor spirituality, rejects it in the end. This milestone is marked by Nicks return to the Mid-West, which is symbolic of his rejection of the superficiality, materialism and amoral disposition of the East and his embracement of the traditional, wholesome values of the Mid-West. In American Beauty, Lesters encounter and resultant obsession with Angela makes him realize the emptiness of his life and he remembers the things he wants again, I feel like Ive been in a coma for about twenty years, and Im just waking up. He then sacrifices and rejects social expectations for his own happiness as he sees the illusion of the American Dream and how his family has lost their way in attempting to follow it. One of the ways Lester tries to capture the remembered joy of his youth is through the purchase of a sports car, a 1970 Pontiac Firebird. The car that I always wanted and now I have it. I rule! The Firebird is a symbol of his rebellion against suburban expectations and also one of power at the beginning of the film, Carolyn drives Lester everywhere, conveying his lack of drive, but with the Firebird, he drives himself to places he is in control of his own life once more. This echoes the power that all individuals have in making their own choices in life. Yet the choices that an individual makes reflect the relationship between him or her and their society. How the individual perceives the nature of their society is displayed in their choice of sacrifice, and it is also synonymous with the amount of control left in themselves that is not handed over to society. Carolyn, who is the embodiment of American materialism, has literally sold her soul for it, that is given up all her power and individuality to social expectations. She sacrifices morality and principle for success, and is preoccupied with maintaining this image of success with her expensive house and immaculate rose garden. Indeed, in the midst of an intimate moment with Lester, she stops it because of her fear of spilling beer on a four thousand dollar sofa upholstered in Italian silk which shows the extent to which she esteems materialism and societys values over her own  desires. In contrast, her daughter Jane is able to see what is truly important and rejects the society she lives in, as evident in her choice of unattractive clothes which are predominantly black the color of teenage rebellion. Hence she sacrifices the values of her family for her own values and she maintains her uniqueness and inner beauty. This is seen first dinner scene where Janes face in lit up by the candles whilst her parents faces are in the shadows. The light implies a halo around Jane and makes her a spiritually more worthy character than her parents, a beauty that the boy-next-door Ricky does not miss. In the The Great Gatsby, Gatsby unwittingly entraps himself to an endless pattern of imitation for he has allowed society to take over him, stripping him bare of individuality apart from his dream. Therefore, because he finds social acceptance so vital in winning the approval of Daisy, he sacrifices anything undesirable which is everything about poor Jimmy Gatz. He turns himself into the wealthy Jay Gatsby, a Platonic conception of himself and in fabricating his personal history and constructing an ideal image out of magazines, Gatsby loses his real self. While his dream may be pure and redeemable, he bases it on social superficial values and materialism which means that when the dream is destroyed and he fails to attain Daisy, he is already spiritually dead for all his superficiality becomes insignificant and pointless. In the final moments of his life, Nick envisions Gatsby realizing the hollowness of his life, his lack of true self, having lost along the path to his dream, a new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air. The word choice of ghosts is significant for that is what Gatsby really has become, for he is simply an actor with no true body or identity of his own, having lived his life according to societys values not his own. Therefore the relationship between an individual and society is an important determent in the extent of sacrifices they make. In the end, it is the relationship between the individual and his or her society which is ultimately responsible for the sacrifices he or she makes. Separately, the society and individual make up only two influences, and are not the actual causes of the sacrifice the society defines values and dreams, of which the individual has the choice to try and strive for. Rather it is the complex dynamics between the two that triggers the sacrifice.  Individuals who adhere to and revere social standards will make the greatest sacrifices to achieve socially orientated goals. If the goals are unworthy or false, the individual may however lose themselves spiritually along the way. But individuals who rebel against society and oppose social values will consider those goals as undeserving and their sacrifices for it will be little to none. Indeed, these individuals will sacrifice social expectations for personal happiness and values instead. Through the characters in The Great Gatsby and American Beauty, Sam Mendes and F.S. Fitzgerald seem to imply that this latter way is better and yields more fruitful results. Bibliography: Commager, Henry Steele. The American Mind: An Interpretation of American Thought and Character Since the 1880s. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1950. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribners, 1925; New York: Cambridge UP, 1991. Novel.

Injury Underlying Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Palsy (OBPP)

Injury Underlying Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Palsy (OBPP) Mechanism of Injury Underlying Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Palsy Introduction Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Palsy (OBPP) is defined as a flaccid paresis of an upper extremity due to traumatic stretching of the brachial plexus occurring at birth, where the passive range of motion is greater than the active (Evans-Jones et al. 2003: F185–F189). Obstetrical brachial plexus palsy results from injury to the cervical roots C5-C8 and thoracic root T1 (Pollack et al. 2000: 236–246). The occurrence of Obstetrical brachial plexus injuries are reported in the medical literature at a rate of 0.38 to 2.6 per thousand live births (S. M. Shenaq et al. 2005). To understand the mechanism of injury causing OBPP it is necessary to have a fundamental anatomical knowledge about brachial plexus. Five spinal nerve roots C5, C6, C7, C8 and T1 combine to form brachial plexus. These five nerve roots combine into 3 trunks above the clavicle, the upper trunk at the C5-C6 level, the middle at C7 and the lower trunk at C8-T1. The cords end in 5 main peripheral nerves: the musculocutaneous, radial, axillary, median and ulnar nerves. The entire shoulder and the arm is supplied by the brachial plexus that helps in upper extremity function (Laurent et al. 1993: 197–203). There is a lot of controvery regarding the underlying mechanism of obstetrics brachial plexus injury that is a cause of recent litigious debate (Andersen et al. 2006: 93). OBPP is caused by excessive traction to the brachial plexus during delivery, as in majority of the cases upper shoulder gets blocked by the mother’s pubic symphysis (shoulder dystocia). With the traction to the child’s head, the angle between the neck and the shoulder is forcefully widened, overstretching the ipsilateral brachial plexus. The extent of injury can vary from neurapraxia or axonotmesis to neurotmesis and avulsion of rootlets from the spinal cord (Pondaag et al. 2004: 138–144). Some studies determine that in certain cases, brachial plexus injuries occur secondary to shoulder dystocia that is associated with high intrauterine forces, not traction injuries (S. M. Shenaq et al. 2005). Though the main theories have been that of compression (either direct or indirect caused by instrument s, fingers or between the bony structures) or traction (Sever 1916: 541) some authors proposed that infection or ischaemia is the cause, whilst others proposed postural in vitro causes, this view was strengthened by the apparent coincidence of other congenital malformations (S. P. Kay 1998: 43–50). The biomechanics of the size of the maternal pelvic and the foetal shoulder size and their position during the delivery determine the extent of injury to the brachial plexus (Zafeiriou Psychogiou 2008: 235–242). Also intrauterine factors, such as abnormal intrauterine pressures arising from uterine anomalies causes obstetrical brachial plexus palsy at the time of pregnancy (Gherman et al. 1999: 1303–1307). Some authors have (ACKER et al. 1988: 389–392) also discussed the possible reasons as to why relatively few OBPP happens during vaginal deliveries without shoulder dystocia; their analysis shifted the focus of OBPP’s cause, away from those forces appl ied by the clinicians towards the endogenous maternal propulsive forces. Both maternal expulsive forces and uterine contractions together form the natural forces. obstetrical brachial plexus palsy may happen in case of caesarean section (Jennett et al. 1992: 1673–1677) or operative vaginal delivery (Alexander et al. 2006: 885–890) also due to forceful traction and manipulation by the obstetrician. The risk factors for brachial plexus palsies may be divided into four categories: neonatal (: Birth weight > 4000 gm,Macrosomia, Breech foetal position, Apgar score: (a) 1 min, (b) 5 min), maternal (Age, Body mass index, Gestational diabetes, Multiparity, Maternal pelvic anatomy), labor-related factors (Duration of second stage of labor, Labor management: (a) induction of labor; (b) oxytocin augment; (c) epidural analgesia, Shoulder dystocia , Mode of delivery: (a) vaginal; (b) vacuum or forceps) and Associated Injuries (Clavicular fracture) (Zafeiriou Psychogiou 2008: 235–242). Brachial plexus injury can be classified according to severity : avulsion, rupture, neuroma, and neurapraxia (S. M. Shenaq et al. 1998: 527–536). anatomical location: upper, intermediate, lower, and total plexus palsy (Sandmire DeMott 2000: 941–942). Upper plexus palsy involves C5, C6, and sometimes C7. Also called Erb’s palsy, it is the most common type of brachial plexus injury (Gilbert Abbott 1995). It presents with an adducted arm, which is internally rotated at the shoulder. The wrist is flexed, and the fingers are extended, resulting in the characteristic ‘waiter’s tip’ posture. Intermediate plexus palsy, involving C7 and sometimes C8 and T1, has been proposed by a few researchers (Zafeiriou Psychogiou 2008: 235–242). Lower plexus palsy involves C8 and T1. Also called Klumpke paralysis, it is very rare and accounts for Total plexus palsy involves C5-C8 and sometimes T1 (J. K. Terzis et al. 1986: 773) and is the second most common type of injury (Laurent et al. 1993: 197–203). It is the most devastating plexus injury: the infant is left with a clawed hand and a flaccid and insensate arm. There is a strong positive correlation between assisted deliveries and total brachial plexus palsy, which indicates that a more severe injury has occurred to the plexus (Michelow et al. 1994: 675–680). Narakas classified obstetrical brachial plexus lesions into four, based on the examination 2- 3 weeks after birth: Group I: C5-6; paralysis of shoulder and biceps. Group II: C5-7; paralysis of shoulder, biceps and forearm extensors. Group Ill: C5-T1, complete paralysis of limb. Group IV: C5-T1; as above with Homers syndrome (S. P. Kay 1998: 43–50). The majority of the patient (70%-95%) recovered completely within 3 to 4 months. Rest 5% patients were requiring conservative or surgical treatment according to extent and severity of injury. Physiotherapy and splinting are conservative treatment and nerve reconstruction, grafting, neurolysis, tendon transplantation procedures are in the surgical treatment. Many classifications and scoring systems for assessing function and predicting outcomes for children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy have been proposed. The most common and clinically useful measures used are mention below. British Medical Research Council Scale A number of methods have been used to describe or quantify motor function in children with OBPP.The British Medical Research Council (M R C ) system of manual muscle testing is the most recognized scale for the evaluation of strength for patients with peripheral nerve injuries. This test employs the use of limb segment positioning without and against gravity and the use of manual resistance to grade muscle strength on a 6-point scale (O = no contraction, 5 = normal power). The MRC scale as a measure of strength for infants with OBPP has been reported by a number of authors. This scale falls within the body functions and structures domain of ICF (Ho et al. 2012). Gilbert and Tassin Scale Gilbert and Tassin have suggested a modified MRC scale for the evaluation of children with OBPP to account for the difficulties encountered in examining infants with manual resistance. The MO-M3 scale has been used as an outcome measure in some studies. This scale is limited in the ability to distinguish improvements in motor recovery however, as it has only one grade to classify partial movement. This scale falls within the body functions and structures domain of ICF (Ho et al. 2012). Mallet Scale Mallet has described a method of evaluating children with OBPP based on the ability to perform functional positioning of the affected limb. With this classification, patients are asked to actively perform five different shoulder movements: abduction, external rotation, placing the hand behind the neck, placing the hand as high as possible on the spine, and placing the hand to the mouth. Each shoulder movement is subsequently graded on a scale of I (no movement) to V (normal motion that is symmetric with that on the contralateral, unaffected side). Although utilized as an outcome measure by a number of authors. This system can only be used with a cooperative, older child. This scale is not suitable for use with infants. It has an excellent intra-observer reliability of kappa= 0.76 and an inter-observer reliability of kappa = 0.78 in this patients. This scale falls within the body functions and structures domain of ICF (Ho et al. 2012). The Active Movement Scale The Active Movement Scale is an eight-grade ordinal scale that was co-developed by the candidate and the head of the Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Hospital for Sick Children (HSC) for the specific purpose of evaluating infants (newborn to one year of age) with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy. This tool is used to quantify upper extremity strength by observing spontaneous, active movement both without and against gravity. Each movement is scored on a scale of 0 to 7. The fifteen movements include shoulder flexion, shoulder abduction, shoulder adduction, shoulder internal rotation, shoulder external rotation, elbow flexion, elbow extension, forearm pronation, forearm supination, wrist flexion, wrist extension, digital flexion, digital extension, thumb flexion, and thumb extension. The use of this scale for clinical and scientific evaluation has been reported in a number of publications. It has an excellent intra-observer reliability of kappa= 0.85 and an inter-observer reliability of kappa = 0.66 in this patients. It has established good psychometric properties in this population. This scale falls within the body functions and structures domain of ICF (Ho et al. 2012). Gilbert and Raimondi scale Elbow flexion was graded by the system of Gilbert and Raimondi which ranges from 0 (paralysis) to 5 (complete active flexion and extension). Function of the hand was graded from 0 (paralysis) to 5 in which there is complete active flexion and extension of the wrist and fingers, strong intrinsic muscle function and active pronation and supination in excess of 90Â °, as described by Raimondi (Birch et al. 2005: 1089–1095). This scale falls within the body functions and structures domain of ICF (Ho et al. 2012). Toronto Test Score: Michelow et al. proposed the Toronto Test Score to quantify upper-extremity function and to predict recovery in infants with brachial plexus birth palsy9. With this scoring system, patients are prompted to actively flex the elbow and extend the elbow, wrist, fingers, and thumb. Each of these five movements is then graded on a scale of 0 (no motion) to 2 (normal full motion), and the sum of the values determines the aggregate, or total, Toronto Test Score (maximum, 10 points). The Toronto Test Score was designed to predict outcome in patients with brachial plexus birth palsy. It has an excellent intra-observer reliability of kappa= 0.73 and an inter-observer reliability of kappa = 0.51 in this patients. This scale falls within the body functions and structures domain of ICF (Ho et al. 2012). Literature Review: Julia K. Terzis and Kokkalis (2008) conducted a retrospective study to see the effect of primary and secondary shoulder reconstruction in obstetric brachial plexus palsy. 96children with OBPP were recruited in the study. 30 cases underwent primary reconstruction alone, 37 underwent both primary and secondary procedures, and 31 late cases underwent only palliative surgery. From this population, 23 cases were diagnosed with classic Erb’s palsy, 22 cases with Erb’s palsy and C7 involvement and 53 cases with global palsy (C5-T1). British Medical Research Council grading system and modified Mallet scale were used as outcome measures. The mean follow-up period was 6.7 years. Significant improvement was seen in the entire population according to modified Mallet scale and mean score improved from 8.8 points (range, 6-19 points) preoperatively to 20.9 points (range, 13-24 points) postoperatively (p They used large population. The inclusion criteria was not proper. They used long follow up period. There can be selection bias present. Nehme et al. (2002) conducted a retrospective study to see the prediction of outcome in upper root injuries in OBPP. 30 children with unilateral upper obstetrical brachial plexus injuries were recruited in this study. The age of this group was between 1 week and 2 months. The mean follow-up was 14 years. Each child was examined every month in the first year and every 3 months in the second year. Mallet scale was used to assess the functional recovery and classification of Tassin was used to assess the muscle power. Result showed that three patients had achieved a ‘‘good recovery’’, at 3 months and 12 patients had made a ‘‘good recovery’’ at 9 months with conventional physical therapy. The best predictor of outcome was elbow flexion at 9 months with 13% error, and not 3 months with 36% error rate for brachial plexus reconstruction. A ‘‘good result’’ at final assessment was predicted by the recovery of M2 elb ow flexion at 3 months (Student t-test: P Bisinella and Birch (2003) conducted a prospective study with 74 children with OBPP to see the incident of recovery. The mean age of children was 3.2 months and follow up period was two years. Mallet scale and Gilbert scale used for shoulder function, Gilbert and Raimondi scale used for elbow function and Raimondi’s system used for measuring hand function. Patients underwent to conventional or surgical intervention according to severity. Result showed that very good recovery in 39 cases, useful arm with residual deficit in 29 cases, some function in 4 cases and very poor result in 2 cases. Mallet scale is not appropriate for this age of children. They used large population. Methodology was not good. Grossman et al. (2004) conducted a prospective study to assess the shoulder function following late neurolysis and bypass grafting for upper brachial plexus birth injury. 11 children in age from 9 to21 months were recruited in the study. Modified Gilbert system used for measuring shoulder function. All patients were followed for 2 or more years. In spite of some limitation, modified Gilbert system is accepted as a reliable outcome measure following surgery. Significant improvement was seen in all patients. Sample size was too small. Methodology was not explained properly. Inclusion criteria was not mention properly. Birch et al. (2005) conducted a prospective study to see the improvement after repair of obstetric brachial plexus palsy. 100 children were recruited in the study. Operation was advised when poor clinical recovery was matched by unfavourable neurophysiological predictions. The mean duration of follow-up was 85 months. Gilbert’s system and mallet system was used to assess shoulder and Gilbert and Raimondi system used to assess elbow. Result showed that good improvement was obtained in 33% of repairs of C5, in 55% of C6, in 24% of C7 and in 57% of operations on C8 and T1. Discussion: The debate whether and when to operate on OBPP is still active because it is difficult to predict the natural history for recovery of nerve lesions, because this depends on the severity of the injury (stretch, rupture, avulsion) and on the levels of injury (partial or total plexus lesion). The challenge now lay in deciding which children would recover spontaneously, and which would need direct nerve surgery to aid their progress. Some author proposed three indications for surgery; complete palsy with flail arm and Horners syndrome; complete C5 C6 palsy without muscle contraction by 3 months and with a negative EMG (often, they say, corresponding to a complete root avulsion); and C5 C6 palsy with no recovery in biceps at 3 months (biceps alone is chosen because examination of deltoid to the exclusion of pectoralis major is difficult at this age). Zancolli and Zancollf suggested that for each level of involvement of the plexus there was a different key muscle to consider as an indicato r for direct nerve surgery. For the upper plexus the key muscle was biceps and deltoid, whilst for the middle plexus it was triceps and for the lower plexus, the finger flexors and thumb extensors. In general the decision about surgery in their recommendations is delayed until between 6 or 8 months when absence of clinical or electrophysiological signs of recovery in key muscles, or the cessation of recovery at a value of M2 or less on the British Muscle Movement Scale indicated the likelihood of poor spontaneous recovery and an indication for direct nerve surgery. According to literature review, Julia K. Terzis and Kokkalis (2008) proposed that early plexus reconstruction (

Portrayal of Women in the Movie (Film), Metropolis :: Movie Film Essays

Portrayal of Women in the Movie (Film), Metropolis Women were represented in different ways throughout the movie Metropolis, but the underlying theme was women were seen as purely sexual. Maria was seen as the nurturer in the film, but also as a sexual object. She was the one who preached for peace and harmony down in the catacombs to the workers. Maria was also the nurturing maternal figure that was seen walking into the garden with all of the poor children. The vamp, on the other hand, was portrayed blatantly as a sexual object. This whole movie was seen through the eyes of the male perspective, which usually portrays women as sexual objects, and robs them of any identity. Lang shows Frederson as having fear of femininity which involves women's emotion and nurturing. The robot was seen as a creation of technology and femininity and sexuality through the male imagination. This creation of the robot was to reflect the fear that men have of women and of technology. Women, machines, and nature raise fear in men because they threaten the male dominance and control. The female robot rose fear about threatening male control because of the idea that technology could become so large and advanced that it would go out of control of man and destroy humanity. Maria also posed as a threat to Frederson because of her emotions and nurturing. As seen in the movie, the scene where Rotwang leads Frederson down to the catacombs to watch Maria preach about peace is a direct depiction of the male fear of femininity. This fear comes from Frederson not having any control over this situation because he did not know about the catacombs, which scares him. Men need to control these women because of these insecurities about their own dominance. Throughout the entire movie there is an underlying theme of men always controlling women. The world of technology has always been seen as being all men while the women were standing on the outside looking in. For example, Rotwang creates this vamp to satisfy his own sexual desires, and to be able to control and dominate her every move. Woman has been constructed by man to serve her master, be completely dependent, and meet his needs. Lang invents his females as technological objects that come to life at the hands, and visions of their male masters. This is clearly seen when the robot, disguised as Maria, is put on the stake to burn.

Virus Eradicates Through Mosquitoes Essay -- Essays Papers

Virus Eradicates Through Mosquitoes Have you ever heard of a killer mosquito? In Alicia Campbell and H. Michael Dreher’s article, â€Å"A New Transcontinental Disease: The West Nile Virus,† they describe the virus’s origination, transmission, symptoms, treatment, how to avoid it, and the danger. The article was published in June of 2002 in Medsburg Nursing Journal, because the virus is growing rapidly throughout America. The virus first hit United States in New York in 1999, infecting sixty-two people. The authors inform us that it is still a mystery how the virus came to America. One thing is for sure, mosquitoes carry the virus, and they are responsible for the infections in humans. West Nile’s origination first surfaced along the West Nile district of Uganda in Africa in 1937. It’s first reported epidemics took place in Israel during 1951 through 1954, and again in 1957. The largest reported epidemics occurred in South Africa in 1974. There were tens of thousands of infections. A more recent outbreak was in 1996, in Romania where there were over f...

Effects of mass media worksheet Essay

What were the major developments in the evolution of mass media during the 20th century? In the early 1900’s newspapers was the main form of mass media. Over the years there were many developments in the evolution of mass media in the 20th century. The major developments were the radio, television, and the internet. Radio came along in the early decades of the 20th century. They were considered to less expensive than telephones and by the 1920’s it was likely that most homes had a radio. Radio did something that newspapers could not do. It allowed many people all over to listen to same thing at the same time. Many people tuned in for updates on the war going on at this time. After radio the next form of mass media was the television. In 1946, about 17,000 televisions existed in the United States; within 7 years, two-thirds of American households owned at least one set. (â€Å"Media and Culture†, Ch. 1, p.32) Television brought along the ability for Americans to not only hear a certain message but for them to see it also. ABC, NBC, and CBS were the 3 major networks that controlled most of the things that Americans watched on television. After television the next major development in mass media was the internet. The first computers were big and bulky and were mainly used by businesses. Eventually computers that people could have in their home were produced. People could access the internet through the phone lines in their home. The internet became a new way for people to communicate with others all around the world. It also opened up many other possibilities for people like doing research, or shopping. How did each development influence American cul ture? The development of radio influenced American culture in many ways. It opened up a whole new way marketing for those who were trying to sell products. It gave them the ability to reach massive audiences they could not reach before. Radio became the main source of entertainment for most Americans early in the 20th century. They would get their news updates,  listen to sporting events, and listen to advertisements. Many believe everything that was said on the radio and lived their lives according to what they heard. From what food to eat, what clothes to wear, radio gave them a sense of how they should be living. With the development of television it gave Americans the ability to put a face to the voice we hear on the radio. I would say that television is a big part of most people’s lives today. Many people today form their beliefs and opinions about certain things from what they see about it on the TV. Politics is a very good example of this. The development of the internet has major influences on American culture today. Most of the world uses the internet daily in some form whether it is on our computer, tablet, smartphone or some other internet ready device. The internet has opened many doors that were not open in years past. One example is it gives people that are not able to attend college in person a chance to earn a college degree. The internet has now become one of the main ways that people communicate. It offers us the ability to stay in touch with friends and family through social media and it gives us ways to meet new people.

Admission Essay for Counseling Psychology Program

My country, Serbia, underwent a period of terror and wars, especially during the NATO Bombing in 1999. This marking event in our history taught me more than what my formal education could. Before this disaster struck, I was a full-time student and the University of Pristina majoring in English Language and Literature. During the high of political upheavals, the situation in Kosovo was already tense.Minorities had constant provocations, and hatred had a firm imprint on the people. My life was heavily influenced, as well as my education. I had experienced first hand what it means to be â€Å"persona non grate† in the your childhood community.I wished everyone could understand what this meant for all of us, regardless of who we were and where we came from. Being prosecuted and not having the right to enjoy our college days was a sour memory, but something I live by as a source of my strength. I experienced biases and prejudice, yet I stand firm.I was treated badly, but my dreams never blurred from my sight. I was emotionally affected, but I was more inspired to pursue these dreams, and become a counselor. Freedom in this country was taken for granted, and our college life overlooked.The war made it necessary for me to leave Pristina and Kosovo. Shocked and scared, I came back to a home where fires, bombings and NATO planes assailed my daily itinerary. The screeching sirens did not help our situation. It seemed that we merely waited for the bomb to drop on our heads and defy us from mere existence.During all the madness, I tried to suppress my stress by being optimistic for my family and friends.   As a child, I have been my family's â€Å"corrupter of words†, as I've always seen myself as one of Shakespeare’s fools. My mom always pointed out my ability to rearrange words and it's meanings to create a personal â€Å"philosophical† statement.I would often add humor when the our lives would seem bland, other times when we feel the panic crawling through our bones, and fear completely etching our faces. The bombings taught us this.As you watch the planes every day, you'd get to realize that there are things you can do as not to be so stressed. Since we could not prevent the many disasters in our lives, we can re-frame the fear and pain to something more positive. The idea was to live your life as normally as possible, by teaching yourself to be blind of some of the negative events in our lives.It wasn't all that bad during those terrifying days. There were positive outcomes as well, like in social gatherings where the unique humor and spirit in my culture gave me a good faith and optimism to survive next days. If I couldn’t eliminate stress by changing or ignoring the situation, the least I could do was offer social support.My profound interest in teaching English to people of different languages didn’t falter due to the war. It allowed me to complete my education on time, and start my career as an Eng lish teacher. In the classroom, it is particularly important for me to understand the point of view of the student, and use humor and real-life situations to get my points across.I developed my interest in researching about language through my undergraduate studies. My greater interest is on how sociocultural factors have an impact on the awareness, design, implementation, and assessment of a second language in a multicultural community, in comparison to those in culturally homogeneous communities.ESL classes in Serbia were more British oriented, both in linguistics and culture. As a young teacher, I have always been open to new teaching methods. I also tried to add novelties into the curriculum. My decision to spend a year in the United States was supported by my desire to learn more about the American culture.I believe this will broaden my perspectives on cultural diversity and different systems of education. Furthermore, this will heighten my personal and professional development . I can say that life can be very unpredictable because my one year visit become a life of adventure and possibilities by studying psychology.You would know if you are experiencing life if the wind pushes you in all directions. My senses were surrounded with uncertainty as I involved myself in a different culture. I knew how it felt to be a little fish in a big pond. Being an international student from Eastern Europe did not prepare me for the many interesting things a new country can offer me.The initial knowledge gained from textbooks, and the places I've traveled to see, were put to waste as I stepped onto unknown territory. I felt helpless, and wanted desperately to go home. I could have been with my family, a cup of cappuccino and the newspaper within my grasps. However, even though I experienced culture shock, I believe hands-on education is still the best teacher.Soon after arriving in a new country, I was caught between my old values from my native culture, and the new value s of the host culture. I was pressured to adapt in order to survive. Adjusting to a new culture, new system, and new life, was not an easy task. But my ability to adapt allowed me to face any obstacle. My goals were always set whenever I face any challenge. I never let my self-esteem falter.I love to feel challenged because it makes me work twice as hard. I proved this by obtaining my second undergraduate degree (BA in Liberal Arts/Psychology) and graduating with the highest honors.   I always tried to reach for the stars.   But the opposite side of the coin is nostalgia. Something that is present when I am working, studying, eating, and even when sleeping.Being an international student among fellow foreigners in the US made me realize how much social support and understanding was necessary to challenge and achieve academically in other countries. By considering the problems students have in the US, and by developing different approaches and solutions, I believe I can be a great counselor in a multicultural world. Just by the thought of it made me eager to learn more, and increase the repertoire of counseling styles and skills alongside others.During my senior year of college, I conducted an extensive literature review on â€Å"psychosocial adjustment issues of international students and the need for social support†. I refined my research skills in data analysis using SPSS, as well as my ability to present my findings in the manner of an accepted professional research paper.I enjoyed conducting the literature review the most, approaching it as a scavenger hunt and considering the quantity and quality of information found as my reward. This project, along with my other undergraduate studies, prepared me for the rigors of graduate study and the parameters of successful research. Professional experiences, research, and undergraduate courses at Menlo College have further stimulated my interest in psychology and reinforced my conviction that I am well su ited to the field.Although these varied research experiences have provided me with fundamental skills, I still feel the need for more training. In retrospect, college was one of the most stimulating periods in my life, and I found tremendous determination to achieve my goal of helping others through the study of psychology.Looking from the prospective of a student gave me more retrospection on my teaching profession, which I love so much.   However, life is an intriguing railroad with many stations.   Some of those stations I got off at were good experiences and some bad. But over all, it has been a journey that continues on.Helping others reach their goals, having a positive attitude, and dedicating both personal and professional growth were the traits I held when I entered Menlo College.   They remain as an integral part of my work ethic today.My international student experience, and many research projects, have helped me achieve a theoretical foundation for the important wo rk of helping students succeed in college. We must have an understanding and compassion for diverse student populations. I learned this from the years of teaching experience. Furthermore, I am able to demonstrate my strengths and abilities to relate effectively with individuals from all levels and cultural backgrounds.These experiences have not only taught me valuable lessons about student life, but have also reinforced my interest in pursuing my career in counseling psychology. Graduate school will enable me to develop vital research and counseling skills, and the solid academic background that I need to be a successful counselor and researcher.A master's program in counseling psychology will not only cultivate and refine my involvement in research, but also equip me to deal with the challenges of an MS program. The combination of MFT and my counseling degree will enable me to fulfill my career aspirations and passion for helping students in need. Furthermore, I can prepare myself in facing the complexity of psychotherapy and unpredictability when dealing with emotional issues of individuals and their families.I have all the traits needed to be a good counselor. Undoubtedly, my devotion to my education will be the greatest asset of all. Being able to successfully help   individuals in the future will be my greatest reward for the effort and investment I will put myself into

Carlinville Area Hospital Quality Improvement Plan Research Paper

Carlinville Area Hospital Quality Improvement Plan - Research Paper Example The researcher states that Carlinville Area Hospital will ensure that its Quality improvement plan is congruent with its key objectives that include but not limited to safety, patient-centered, effectiveness, equitable, efficiency, and timely healthcare service. Carlinville Area Hospital QI plan will cover a wide range of activities that include but not limited to Risk management activities Professional staff credentialing; automated drug-ordering systems; medical record review; prescription legibility; drug labeling and packaging; and patient education on prescribed medications. Carlinville Area Hospital will use six-sigma methodology for its QI implementation plan. The six-sigma methodology will allow the hospital to gather necessary information relating to the present organization’s medication management, which will give clue to management about the processes and activities that require improvement. After implementing the improvement plan the hospital will be forced to unde rtake the  annual evaluation of processes and activities to ensure that they are in line with the planned objectives. The Carlinville Area Hospital is, â€Å"a licensed 25-bed acute care clinic that accommodates a wide range of inpatient, outpatient, as well as emergency services†. Carlinville Area Hospital operates based on the slogan of â€Å"excellent care close to home†. Carlinville Area Hospital mission â€Å"is to always remain committed to the development of a state-of-the-art rural hospital facility.†... tient, outpatient, as well as emergency services† (Carlinville Area Hospital, 2011) Carlinville Area Hospital operates based on the slogan of â€Å"excellent care close to home†. Carlinville Area Hospital mission â€Å"is to always remain committed to the development of a state-of-the-art rural hospital facility.† Enhancing quality has always been one of the key objectives of the hospital and as such the management is looking forward to a favorable relationship between the staff to provide excellent healthcare close to home. Carlinville Area Hospital various services to patients on inpatient and outpatient basis through the hospital’s cardiopulmonary, imaging, laboratory, and rehabilitative services. Additionally the hospital provides daily primary health care to immediate emergency interventions in the local area. Goals/Objectives Promoting a state of art hospital with quality and safety as its major priority requires a lot of commitment. To ensure that th e hospital is on track to fulfill its mission the management of Carlinville Area Hospital has decided to focus on the following objectives: Safe- Carlinville Area Hospital will work tirelessly to ensure that mitigate injuries that patients may suffer from services that are meant to help them (Carlinville Area Hospital, 2011). Patient centered- Carlinville Area Hospital will provide services that recognizes patient’s dignity, worth, respectful and responsive to the needs, expectations, preference and values and above all ensure that medical decisions are based on patients values. Efficient- Carlinville Area Hospital will avoid services that are wasteful in terms of ideas, equipment, energy, and supplies. Timely- Carlinville Area Hospital health care services will emphasis on minimizing potential harmful delays and