Among School Children :: miscellaneous

Among School Children It’s amazing how you can grow up and forget childhood-excitement, or the feeling of it. I was watching a whole lot of small children a while ago and was sad to realise that I’ve lost some of the wonder of being a child. I was near to a sweet stall and it was amazing to just see the looks on the children’s faces as their gaze fell upon the colourful treasure. Their eyes glowed and all of a sudden their hands transformed into magnets, attracted to the sweets. Some would just walk to the stall, grab a sweet and shove it in their mouth before anyone could stop them. I saw twins, a boy and a girl about two years old. They both had huge blue eyes and couldn’t resist reaching out to the sweets. Their mother tried desperately to stop them and the little girl looked at her with those irresistible eyes and smiled as if to say, â€Å"How can you resist me?† All the while the mother was probably worrying about them getting rotten teeth. We have forgotten the innocence of childhood and sometimes cannot see just the positive aspects of things. Another little girl, about five years old, brought a friend to choose some sweets. While choosing what they wanted, the little girl pointed to some and said, â€Å"Those are bubblegum. But you can’t have them.† Her friend asked her why and she answered, â€Å"Because I’m not allowed to.† We sometimes forget how to appreciate and enjoy a moment to the fullest. When children see their friends it’s as if just seeing them gives them an enormous amount of energy. They run up to them shouting in excitement and immediately they run off together to play. Children are able to show their true emotions in a way grownups can’t/won’t. They don’t worry about other peoples reactions, they act on impulse. Sometimes I think that we burden children with our worries and fears and in a way we steal their treasured childhood. Instead of forcing them to rely on their imagination, we just switch on the television and let actors entertain them. Children become desensitised because we expect them to handle things that are beyond their understanding. We trap their abundant energy by feeding them junk to keep them quiet and buying playstations to keep them occupied instead of letting them run around and play, and then fall asleep, exhausted, to their own dreams not simulated ones.

Malaria in Cuban Children and how it differs from children in US

Malaria is a disease cause by a parasite that is transmitted from one person to another by the bite of an Anopheles mosquito. These are female mosquitoes that are most persistent in the tropics and sub-tropic parts of the world Such as Africa Asia and USA Symptoms of malaria may include headache, chills, muscle ache, fever, and malaise. Malaria’s early development stages resemble those of flue which only develop between 6-8 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. It is estimated that 40% of the world population is at risk of malaria and that it claims an estimated one million lives annually (World Health Organization 1989). Malaria can e prevented through the use of anti-malaria drugs, use of treated mosquitoes nets, oiling others (http://www.cigna.com/healthinfo/hw119119.html). Malarial cases are rare in the US as compared to Cuba. This is because Cuba is a tropic country whose majority population lives below the poverty line. Hence cannot afford basic medication or preventive measures such as the use of mosquito’s nets. On the other had malaria infection in the US is detected mostly among travelers and hence rare. Malaria affects all segments of the population but most severely children, women, and people living with emergency cases such as HIV/ AIDS. Malaria in children causes complications such as paralysis, recurrent fewer, Anemia, blindness, epilepsy and cerebral malaria. If not well treated malaria can affect the subsequent health and development of child; For instance it is estimated that 7% of Cuban children who survive cerebral malaria are left with permanent neurological problems such as spastics, blindness, speech problem and low concentration which affects their performance in school. This has been adverse due to inadequate treatment brought about by poverty; forces people to prescribe their own medication, lack of drugs and expertise in hospitals. (http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/elitedeals/disease.htm). Malaria effects on pregnant women are higher in Cuba than the US. For instance only 35 cases were reported in the US in 2000 while more than 10, 000 cases were reported in Cuba. Malarial medications are limited for pregnant women and also children. These infections can lead to death of a woman and her fetus – unborn fetus may get the disease from the mother; thus for this reason pregnant women should not travel to areas where they can get the disease. Some of the adverse effects of malaria during pregnancy include increased chances of still birth, intrauterine growth, retardation and low birth weight of less than 2500 grammes.( http://www.traveldoctor.info/diseases/1.html ) A malarial infection varies depending on someone’s body immunity. For this reason the elderly and those with emergency diseases such as HIV/AIDS are severely affected as their levels of immunity are low, hence increases their chances of infection. Malaria prevalence in Cuban children is high than in the US. This is because of the weak health infrastructure of the country, civil unrests and the widespread resistance to malarial drugs among other causes. However, Malaria infection reduced by 9.0% in 2000 in the US due to change in disease transmission and increased / effective use of anti-malarial chemoprophylaxis. Poverty in Cuba has increase child infection as majority cannot afford basic prevention measures such as mosquito nets, clearing of bushes, and oiling of stagnant water. In addition houses in the rural areas are built of mud unlike the US, which allows mosquitoes to freely enter and leave the houses. In conclusion malaria effects are more severe in Cuban children than in America children as America children have access to free medication and can afford basic preventive measures. On the other hands Poverty of most households and inadequacy of drugs inhibits complete treatment of malaria in Cuban children which affect these development. REFERENCES http://www.traveldoctor.info/diseases/1.html http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/elitedeals/disease.htm Maria, G.(2007) Malaria. Retrieved February 25, 2008 from http://www.cigna.com/healthinfo/hw119119.html         

How the Media Gives the Pit Bull a Bad Name

Dog breeders are often confronted with the truth that the media have no idea about dog breeds. Neither do they have an idea of what makes a â€Å"dangerous dog†. Due to their misreporting of facts regarding various breeds, they have instilled an unwarranted fear in society when it comes to certain dogs, most specially, the pit bull. No dog is untrainable nor are they born vicious. Although most dogs are sociable, loving and fun, dogs like the Pit Bull are genetically predisposed to animal aggression.There are actually several breeds of the Pit Bull that include the Terrier line like the American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the Bull Terrier and the American Bulldog. Once the poster dog representing America in the World Wars, the breed has gone from a beloved breeds used on television shows from Our Gang to Little House on the Prarie, to headlines of your local newscasts.The media has represented the breed as a vicious attack dog eve n as Pit Bulls continue to work in the armed services, search and rescue efforts, therapy, and dog competitions. If a Pit Bull were truly a vicious animal, it is really doubtful that it would be the breed of choice for any of these human interaction services.   The Pit Bull is normally of a tenacious, courageous nature and displays a love for their humans. It takes a huge commitment on the master's part to train such a breed. But the training is eventually worth it. The dog just cannot mingle with other dogs due to the aggression the dog poses toward its fellow dogs.The media needs to be educated to some facts about the Pit Bull. Such as, even though the Put Bull ranks number one in breeds in the USA, it does not rank number 1 in biting. The Golden Retriever has been proven to be the more aggressive dog. A Pit Bull posing a danger to children is also a myth that the media propagates. No dog should ever be left unsupervised in the company of children.Pit Bulls have also become the staple of urban mythology because people tend to fear the way they look even though the dog is of a small size. It has not helped that media reports have fuelled the hype that has seen the breed become one of the most persecuted breeds today. Dog attacks are most often the result of bad breeding and training.If a dog farm raises the Pit Bull, one can assume that the dog has led a rough life full of mistreatment and neglect. That is not the case for all the dogs of this breed. Sadly, people would rather believe the worst of the dog rather than give it a chance to prove that is loving, kind, and playful. Pit Bull bites are over hyped and not representative of the real Pit Bull situation. According to the website Save the Pits! :The 2004 statistics from the American Temperament Test Association show that 83.4% of American Pit Bull Terriers passed the temperament test. This is higher than the Beagle (78.2%) and the Border Collie (79.6%). The temperament test consists of putting the dog through a series of confrontational situations – if the dog reacts aggressively or fearfully, it fails.Those who report the news have to understand that there is a difference between Animal Aggression and Human Aggression. The truth of the matter is that dogs themselves can differentiate the two aggression types. Put Bulls are unlawfully bred and trained by unscrupulous breeders to participate in dog fights so animal aggression exists in the breed. Pit Bulls love human interaction and are not even capable of differentiating between a pet loving human and a potential attacker. In the event it does bite a human, it can be rehabilitated by an animal behaviorist.The media continues to tarnish the Pit Bulls reputation with unwarranted reports. The public must be educated about Pit Bull misconceptions because the media has never been known to be receptive of anybody telling them they are wrong.The Pit Bull is easily confused with about 10 other breeds. There have been actual bite r eports done that report a Pit Bull as the attacker but later investigations prove it was not a Pit Bull. The media does not bother to report that.Sensationalist reporting by the media has turned the Pit Bull into an under dog. Dog bites are blown out of proportion with headlines that strike fear in the reader's hearts.   The reason for this is clearly explained by the Save the Pits! Article:Thanks to the media and general sensationalism, the Pit Bull is a newsworthy dog. In this country, bad news makes the national papers and sells more than good news, which just tends to make the local papers. The media has transformed the Pit Bull from what it used to be – America's favorite dog – into the devil dog that it is today. No one wants to see a story with the title ‘Man bitten by Labrador' or ‘Man bitten by Jack Russell'. Stories involving Pit Bulls are much more newsworthy, and unfortunately their popularity does not seem to be waning.Until dog breeders, tra iners, and owners can find an effective way to stop the maligning of the Pit Bull by the media, the poor dog will be unjustly accused of and punished crimes it is not capable of committing.Work CitedPit Bull Training Secrets. 2006. PitBullTrainingSecrets.US. February 23, 2007Animals and Pets. Save the Pits!.February 23, 2007 http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/Pit_lovePet Orphans of Southern California. Dangerous Breeds. February 23, 2007 http://www.petorphans.org/infamous.sh

Healing Hospital

Healing hospital paradigm is centered on the removal of stress and other health risks for the patients and their families in the hospital environment. Healing hospital paradigm is important because treating a patient’s illness is not the only intrinsic component when they are admitted to the hospital. A good example for this is stress. Stress can be brought about due to many things when a patient is in the hospital, for example painful treatments, financial problems due to being admitted, loss of social life etc.Reducing these sort of stressors may ensure that the patient’s wellbeing is being maintained and the comprehensive care Minimization of these stressors ensures that the patient’s well-being is maintained while the comprehensive care part of the treatment makes certain that the patient’s recovery process is done without breaking confidentiality. The healing hospital paradigm can also be looked as healing the whole patient rather than just curing the ailment (Young & Koopsen, 2006).According to Dr. Milstein, paradigm doesn’t only focus on healing the physical body but â€Å"it aims to enhance the overall well being by addressing the patient’s and their families’ cognitive, emotional and spiritual concerns† (Milstein, 2005). This paper will describe healing hospital paradigm, its impact on the process of care giving and its components expanding on it relationship with spirituality. Components of Healing HospitalBased on the paradigm of healing hospital, Caring for a patient is not limited to only medical interventions and medication but it also includes how the healthcare provider engages the patients and their families to the process of treatment. This theory is based on the notion that both spiritual and emotional wellbeing applies to physical wellbeing. The healing hospital comprise of three major components. The first component is the culture of radical loving care. This may include the kind of ca re the patient receives and the type of conditions he/she is exposed to in the hospital.This component focuses on making the patient comfortable and preparing the patient psychologically for the treatment they would receive. Caregivers most have compassion to meet the spiritual and emotional needs of a patient and not only their physical needs. They most be able to demonstrate loving care and show the patients that they are willing to go the extra mile for them. Being compassionate and showing love can help reduce the stress for the patients and their families, healthcare provides bring hope. The next component is the healing physical environment.The physical environment in which a patient is being treated is also very crucial in the treatment process (Samueli, 2010). Hospitals should be free of stressful disturbances for the patient and their families. This kind of disturbances may include dull settings, noise and disorganization. A good healing physical environment must be well or ganized and constructed. Evidence has shown that rest is an important part of a patient’s healing process, but many hospitals are noisy with pagers beeping here and there and lots of people talking along the hallways.A good healing physical environment should address these kinds of challenges. Other things such as lighting and temperature must be well regulated to keep the patient as comfortable as possible. The final component of healing hospital is the integration of technology with work design. Technology is intertwined into the healthcare field to help the healthcare team help their patients recover in a good environment. Technology allows the staff members to work efficiently and to work in a manner that maximizes the comfort of the patients.In a good healing environment, patients get more sleep which helps with their healing. Staff members are giving technological equipments such as cordless phones, vibrating pagers and dynamaps for blood pressure, and they are educated to use them efficiently to promote healing in a noise-free environment. These technological advancements help to create stress-free environment for the patients and helps reduce medical errors. The healing hospitals also use technology to provide satisfaction, security, decreased cost and privacy for the patients and their families.These are crucial in the psychological needs of the patient. Challenges of Creating a Healing Environment There are various challenges involved in implementing a good healing hospital environment. First and foremost, the advancement of technology (e. g. more tubes and more wires) has complicated healthcare and is dominating in that healthcare providers are forgetting the original essentials of healing such as the compassion and the loving care. If the balance between technology and compassion can bee implemented, the results of patient satisfaction will increase.Another challenge with technology advancement also focuses on the profits rather the compassi onate care of the patient. The next challenge is that there are a lot of similarities between prisons and hospitals. Patients’ clothing’s are replaced by gowns, their names with barcodes and identification numbers, there is no longer any intimacy and they share their living space with strangers. Even restriction in visiting hours can make an individual feel like a prisoner. This is all due to that fact that healthcare providers are suppose to their tasks with robotic precision.According to Chapman, the hospital system is a â€Å"bureaucracy† and it is â€Å"an organization that acts as machines and are difficult to work with† (Chapman, 2010). Another challenge is that some healthcare providers or even family members and patients could be cynics. Cynicism is damaging to the care of patients. Healthcare providers should not be skeptic to the fact that love is a vital part of a patient’s recovery. Finally, leadership is an important aspect of healing hospital paradigm. The leaders in a healthcare setting have the responsibility to make sure love and compassion is at the top of the list in their plan to care for a patient.Biblical Passage that Supports the Concept of Healing Hospital In psalm 107 verses 17-22, the message version, David wrote â€Å"then you called out to God in you desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time†. Here he describes how God heals the sick when they call on him. The sick in this passage have faith and are not cynics or skeptics which is and important part of healing. David explained the reality, living a bad life could get you sick and having faith that you would get better can heal you. It’s all about the positivity. David went on saying â€Å"So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves†.This goes on to show that God’s love brings healing. This passage supports the paradigm of healing hospital because it has to do with hea ling the overall person and God does that too. The healing hospital is gaining more popularity now because there are a lot of benefits to it. This care system helps to enhance the overall wellbeing of the patient and their relatives and not only their physical body. This paradigm focuses on compassionate care that helps patient with stress and coping mechanisms through spirituality. This will help the community at large and bring it solace and hope. ReferencesChapman, E. (2010). Radical loving care: building the healing hospital in America. Nashville, TN: Vaughn Printing. Milstein, J. (2005). A paradigm of integrative care: healing with curing throughout life, â€Å"being with† and â€Å"doing to†. Journal of Perinatology, 25, 563-568. doi: 10. 1038/sj. jp. 7211358 Samueli Institute (2010). Optimal Healing Environments. February 12, 2013. Retrieved from http://www. siib. org/news/280-SIIB/version/default/part/AttachmentData/data/OHE_final. pdf Young, C. , & Koopsen, C. (2006). Spirituality, health, and healing (1 ed. ). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Comparative Environmental Law on Oil Spills Essay

Comparative Environmental Law on Oil Spills - Essay Example Climatic changes and economic losses are a characteristic of many nations in the current global arena. Funny enough, these problems are directly congruent to environmental pollution reducible through proper laws, rules, regulations, and measures. The following discussion entails comparative environmental law on oil spills. This paper provides the history of oil pollution and control under international law, which have been in existence from the classical period to contemporary world. In addition, the paper also focuses on the BP Gulf and Exxon Valdez Oil spills. While discussing these two, these paper attempts to provide a synopsis, environmental impact, developed laws both federal and state, as well as lawsuit that resulted from the same. On a different perspective, the paper also identifies similarities and differences between the two main oil spills whilst trying to create an understanding of the various laws that came into play soon after the spills. The conclusion of this paper includes ending judgments, concluding laws and regulations, as well as the author’s personal opinion in regards to environmental laws helping in controlling oil pollution. Introduction on oil spills †¢ History of oil pollution liability and control under international law The US and many other European countries have fought oil pollution through enacting of regulations against the same since the 1800s. The worst oil spill ever experienced in the world history, Torrey Canyon spill in 1969 significantly enlightened the international community in enacting international liability regime against all oil pollution especially from oil spillages. It is surprising that despite the fact that US was a party in signing the CLC of the 1969, it was never involved in practicing the enacted policies. According to US, its decline to join the same was because CLC had inadequate damage liability hence enacting her own liability scheme, OPA in 1990. Ironically, many scholars had reservations against OPA of 1990 citing evidence of its inadequate damage liability caps that made US to decline being party to CLC (Read 129). Pre 1960’s oil pollution control Amongst the global nations, UK was the first ever to enact water pollution rules and legislations in 1814. The US followed suit 52 years later when they developed the Refuse Act of 1866. Refuse Act of 1866 aimed at prohibiting or controlling the act of discharging water pollutants into the New York Harbor. 33 years later, 1899 the US decided to expand the Refuse Act to include all navigable waters taking into considerations that its initial aim was to protect New York Harbor. Demand for oil increased considerably due to advancing technology, which called for greater energy needs especially in the beginning of the 20th century. Consequently, the world had to extract more oil to meet the increased energy needs. This led to increased oil pollution forcing the US in 1924 to develop Oil Pollution Act of 1924. The Oil Pollution Act of 1924 was to make it illegal for any individual to dump oil into all coastal waters within the United States of America. Moreover, 24 years later, US developed another legislation known as the Federal Water Pollution

The rule in Salomon v Salomon & Co [1897] AC 22 has been described as Essay - 2

The rule in Salomon v Salomon & Co [1897] AC 22 has been described as one of the corner stones of English Company Law - Essay Example This article will examine the rationale of the decision and its impacts towards the development of company law. The status of limited liability went to specific companies before 1825 through the provisions of express available in the Royal Charter regarding Incorporation. Section 2 of the Bubble Act of 1825 governed the first efforts in officially, introducing the concept of limited liability to the English laws. The section provided that the shareholders of a particular corporation would personally be liable in their own persons as well as their property to that extent as well as subject to the regulations and limitations as his magnificence. Although there was no opposition from the Crown to the idea of legal personality, public pressure turned in opposing any extension of legal personality that later became troubled with the stance of creditors. This provoked public suspicions because of the expectation that the Bubble Act would lead to an increase in the number of licensed companies with limited liability. This therefore was the reason for the withholding of the doctrine of limited liabil ity from Company Act in 1844 (Ferran 1999). However, public opinion moved in the reverse direction in favour of the principle of limited liability. In the 1850s, the doctrine acquired recognition in the law. In the year 1852, the Court of Exchequer chamber in the case of Hallet versus Dowdall accredited the legality of the clause of limited liability of 1952. This in turn prompted the parliament to pass the Limited Liability Act in 1855 as well as more contemporary act of Joint Stock Companies of 1856. Consequently, this led to the enactment of the Companies Act in 1862, which formed the foundation for the delivery of the rule in Salomon. The intention of the House of Lords in the Salomon rule was to send a clear message to the members of the public

The Effect of Faculty Mentoring on the Retention of first generation Dissertation

The Effect of Faculty Mentoring on the Retention of first generation college students - Dissertation Example Thereafter, in the second semester, the teachers resort to usual mentoring practices, and the variation in the above factors are recorded both quantitatively and qualitatively. Population sample As is evident, MNC is a Hispanic majority (95%) institution with only 2% Blacks and 1% Whites. In addition, the age of the students range from 18 to 24 years. For the purpose of this study, 30 first generation students and 30 non-first generation first year students will be selected who will be divided into four 15 member groups; that is, a group with Hispanic and Black first generation students, a group with White first generation students, one group of White non-first generation students, and the last groups with Hispanic and Black non-first generation students. In addition, 5 teachers will be selected to self-report their ideas and observations on mentoring and student retention over the period of this study. The teachers will be given explicit guidelines on what activities and approaches should the students be deprived of in the first semester and be provided in the second semester. Collecting GPA In the first semester of the study, the students’ GPA will be collected in all four groups after depriving them of any mentoring. In the second semester, the teachers will start mentoring activities like student support, seminars, advices, and counseling, and then, the students’ GPA is recorded at the end of the semester. Questionnaire This study also intends to use a questionnaire among the students that will show the students’ own reflection on their experience in both the semesters. The questions asked will be as follows: (a) Do you feel a variation in your confidence level after you joined MNC? (b) Do you think the improvement took place in the first or second semester? (c) Is the improvement in confidence and performance because of mentoring? (d) Do you think the teacher mentoring is effective? (e) Do you wish to re-enroll for the next semester? I n addition, there will be a separate questionnaire for teachers to fill at the beginning and end of each semester. The questions will be as follows: (a) What activities did you perform in the last semester for mentoring? (b) Do you feel there is a rise in the confidence level and academic performance of students? (c) Is there an observable rise or fall in student re-enrollment due to mentoring or non-mentoring? Interview with students At the beginning and end of each semester, there will be a face-to-face interview with the selected students from all four groups. The interview at the beginning of the first semester will contain the following questions: (a) What are your doubts and fears about joining MNC? (b) Do you feel confident enough to continue to the next semester? The interview at the end of the first semester will concentrate on the following questions: (a) What doubts and fears do you have about studying at MNC? (b) How did you feel about the fist semester study at MNC? (c) Do you feel confident enough to continue to the second semester of study? The next interview at the end of the second semester will contain the following questions: (a) What doubts and fears do you have about studying at MNC? (b) Do you feel confident enough to continue to the next semester? (c) Do you think the mentoring program raised you confidence and resulted in you retention? Observation of student participation in