Essay on Prozac Harmful Or Helpful Essay Example

Essay on Prozac Harmful Or Helpful Paper Many people suffer from depression at some point in their lives. Among women in western countries, major depression is by far the most common illness (Shorter 43). Treatment for depression varies among health care providers, but the prescription of antidepressants seems to be the most common remedy. Prozac and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are being used to treat depression, panic disorder, bulimia, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and many other illnesses. Prozac has become the most common and best-selling antidepressant in the United States. It has been prescribed for over twenty-one million people (Packard 18). Nonetheless, many of these people are unnecessarily taking Prozac and it is doing them more harm than good. There are many possible causes for depression, ranging from stress, physical and emotional changes, crises, and chemical imbalance in the brain. There are also several ways to treat depression such as therapy, a change in diet, and a regular exercise program. The current trend is for doctors to immediately prescribe Prozac before exploring the other treatment options. However, Prozac â€Å"was associated with more hospitalizations, deaths, or other serious adverse reactions reported to the FDA than any other drug in America† (qtd. We will write a custom essay sample on Essay on Prozac Harmful Or Helpful specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Essay on Prozac Harmful Or Helpful specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Essay on Prozac Harmful Or Helpful specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer in Freundlich 2). Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company created Prozac in 1974, but it wasn’t approved by the FDA until 1987. The first of the SSRIs, Prozac inhibits or blocks the recapture of the neurotransmitter serotonin by nerve cells (â€Å"Prozac† 2). This allows the serotonin to remain in the brain for a longer period of time creating a lasting euphoric state. Serotonin plays a complex part in the functioning of the body and brain. Researchers and doctors are just starting to understand its role. â€Å"So far, the tools used to manipulate serotonin in the human brain are more like pharmacological machetes than they are like scalpelscrudely effective but capable of doing plenty of collateral damage† (Lemonick 3). Prozac is supposed to help improve a person’s mood by increasing the level of serotonin present in the brain. However, problems can occur if receptors in the brain stem and spinal cord are over-stimulated. Sufferers endure fever, chills, muscle spasms, agitation and confusion, dubbed â€Å"serotonin syndrome† (â€Å"Warning† 1). Frank Van Meerendonk was prescribed Prozac in 1990. He was taking this medication not because of depression but for dizziness, fatigue, tinnitus and hearing loss, after severe flu. After five days on Prozac, he was a wreck. â€Å"I felt as if a magnet were pulling the back of my head. There were electrical surges rising in my body I was terrified† (qtd. in â€Å"Warning† 1). He was suffering from serotonin syndrome. â€Å"Serotonin syndrome is a very dangerous and a potentially fatal side effect of serotonergic enhancing drugs which can have multiple psychiatric and non-psychiatric symptoms† (â€Å"What is Serotonin Syndrome? † 1). This toxic condition requires increased clinical awareness in order to prevent, identify, and treat the condition immediately. The rate of incidence of this syndrome is on the rise. The suspected cause of that increase is the introduction of the SSRIs. Serotonin syndrome is generally caused by a combination of two or more drugs, one of which is often a selective serotonergic medication. The drugs which are known to most frequently contribute to this condition are the combining of monoamine oxidase inhibitor with Prozac. The best treatment for serotonin syndrome is to cease taking the offending medication or medications and wait for the symptoms to resolve. If the offending medication is discontinued, the condition will frequently resolve on its own within twenty-four hours (â€Å"What is Serotonin Syndrome? † 1-2). Many victims of the over-prescription of Prozac are children. In 1997, at least 580,000 children (Huffington, â€Å"Peppermint† 28) were being prescribed Prozac, even though safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients had not, and still has not, been established (Huffington, â€Å"U. S. Attention† 1). As with most antidepressant prescriptions, doctors are prescribing Prozac for children without any psychiatric evaluation. Yet, in a Prozac ad, symptoms of depression included feeling â€Å"unusually sad or irritable† to finding it â€Å"hard to concentrate,† both of which are things that all normal children experience at some time (Huffington, â€Å"Peppermint† 28). Prozac and other SSRIs are some of the biggest money makers ever for the pharmaceutical companies. The use of Prozac among children from ages 6-12 went from 41,000 in 1995 to 203,000 in 1996 (â€Å"ICFDA† 3). The number of new Prozac prescriptions written for children increased almost four hundred percent in just one year. Prozac is a very potent mind-altering drug that has not been approved for use in children and yet â€Å"children are popping it like candy† (3). One 30mg dose has clearly been shown to double the level of cortisol. An elevated amount of cortisol impairs the development and regeneration of the liver, kidneys and muscles. It also slows linear growth (3). It is perfectly legal for doctors to prescribe Prozac to children, but â€Å"off-label† prescribing can be complicated. When a drug is tested and a dosage is set for an adult body, the same medication given to a person half the size can have unexpected effects. Antidepressants can lead to agitation and nervousness in anyone, in children, they may trigger full-blown manic episodes (Kluger 94). In a study completed at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center six percent of the children treated became manic (Crowley 74). Mania is not the only major risk for children taking Prozac. Emotional development might also suffer. â€Å"It’s one thing to fool around with the serotonin levels in a brain that’s already hardened and set, but quite another thing to manipulate a young, still elastic brain† (Kluger 94). Kids are receiving antidepressants not in addition to care and counseling, but as a cheap substitute. A 1995 study discovered that counseling and medication, when combine, are the most effective ways to treat depression and also less costly in the long run, since they may help prevent recurrences (Scheller 18). After all, â€Å"A pill alone is not usually a cure† (Crowley 74). Drug companies sponsor research and offer grants, trips, and other financial enticements which contaminate the findings of the research. In an article in the British Medical Journal, three physicians editorialize that Prozac is not addictive. The doctors had just returned from an all-expense paid trip, courtesy of Prozac manufacturer Eli Lily, to a symposium in Phoenix (Huffington, â€Å"U. S. Attention† 1). Peter Breggin, author of Talking Back to Prozac, researched clinical trials of the drug before it was marketed and concluded that they were inadequate because: -they were too short (four to six weeks) -they did not include children, the elderly, or the suicidal -many patients dropped out following adverse reactions -patients were given sedatives to reduce Prozac’s stimulating effect -fewer than one in three trials showed Prozac to be effective (â€Å"Warning† 3). The bulk of studies done for the FDA approval of psychiatric drugs such as Prozac show them to be of no value. The companies are allowed to choose two often marginally or questionably successful studies as ‘proof’ that the drugs work. If Prozac is not a miracle medicine then why are so many people still taking it? Prozac is no more effective than any other antidepressant. It â€Å" is not a wonder drug. People on Prozac do not have unusual or sensational results† (â€Å"Prozac’s Can† 1). But it, along with other SSRIs, is more often prescribed than other antidepressants because they have less severe side effects. Still, all SSRIs have side effects such as sexual dysfunction, nausea and other gastrointestinal discomfort, diarrhea, headache, dry mouth, nervousness or agitation, sweating, dizziness, tremors, and sleepiness or insomnia. These side effects can cause serious problems for some patients. Alternative treatments such as change in diet or exercise would not lead to these side effects. Numerous doctors acknowledge that Prozac is not as effective as they had believed at first. A Flemish psychiatrist, Dr. Guido Peeters proposed that: â€Å"It is well known in medical circles that you are more likely to prescribe a drug when it is new. There’s a placebo effect that produces hope in the scientific community and among patients. Prozac seemed to work well in the beginning and it can be useful, although it’s probably over-prescribed. It’s easy for doctors to hand out pills and many patients prefer to go for the ‘quick-fix’ pill rather than discuss their problems (qtd. in â€Å"Warning† 4). Prozac is a result of our lackadaisical culture’s tendency to medicate major social problems rather than act on them. â€Å"The over-prescribing of drugs has made possible the supression of signals a society needs to detect and address growing problems† (Huffington, â€Å"U. S. Attention† 1). Psychiatric drugs should be prescribed by psychiatric doctors. The percentage of people wrongly taking antidepressants would drop along with the number of serious adverse reactions. Prescription drugs are the third leading cause of death in America. Every year approximately 200,000 people die from prescription drug reactions and anther 80,000 die from medical malpractice. You have a seven times greater chance of dying walking into your doctor’s office than you do getting behind the wheel of your car (â€Å"ICFDA† 1). When seeking medical help for depression, great caution is advised. Look at all the options. Read the current research. Make sure you know all the side effects of the drug you are about to take, your life may depend on it. Most depressed people would benefit from other non-medicated alternate treatments which they would be more likely to receive if the family doctor no longer had access to the easy way out, Prozac. Works Cited Crowley, Mary. â€Å"Do Kids Need Prozac? † Newsweek 20 Oct. 1997: 73-74. Freundlich, Naomi. â€Å"When the Cure May Make You Sicker. † Online. BusinessWeek. Internet. 15 Apr. 1999. Available: http://www. businessweek. com/1998/11/b3569025. htm Huffington, Arianna. â€Å"Peppermint Prozac. † U. S. News World Report 25 Aug. 1997: 28. . â€Å"U. S. Attention Deficit on Legal Drug Risks. † Online. The Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology. Internet. 19 Apr. 1999. Available: http://www. breggin. com/RitalinAH2. html â€Å"ICFDA. † Online. International Coalition for Drug Awareness. Internet. 3 May 1999. Available: http://www. drugawareness. org/ Kluger, Jeffrey. â€Å"Next Up: Prozac. † Time 30 Nov. 1998: 94. Lemonick, Michael D. â€Å"The Mood Molecule. † Online. Time. Internet. 15 Apr. 1999. Available: http://cgi. pathfinder. com/time/magazine/1997/dom/970929 Packard, Helen C. Prozac: The Controversial Cure. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. , 1998. â€Å"Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil. † Online. Internet. 28 Apr. 1999. Available: http://www. depression. com/anti/anti_09_ssri. htm â€Å"Prozac’s Can and Can’t-do Powers. † Online. Internet. 3 May 1999. Available: http://www. obs-us. com/obs/english/books/pg/pg280. htm Scheller, Melanie. â€Å"The Brave New World of Antidepressants. † Current Health Jan. 1997: 16-18. Shorter, Edward. â€Å"How Prozac Slew Freud. † American Heritage Sept. 1998: 42-44+ â€Å"Warning: This Wonder Drug Could Seriously Damage Your Health. † Online. The Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology. Internet. 18 Apr. 1999. Available: http://www. breggin. com/bulletinprozac5. html â€Å"What is Serotonin Syndrome? † Online. International Coalition for Drug Awareness. Internet. 3 May 1999. Available: http://www. drugawareness. org/ serosyndrome. html

The Creation of Britain’s Welfare State

The Creation of Britain’s Welfare State Before World War 2, Britains welfare - such as payments to support the sick - was overwhelmingly provided by private, volunteer institutions. But a change in outlook during the war allowed Britain to construct a Welfare State after the war: a country where the government provided a comprehensive welfare system to support everyone in their time of need. It remains largely in place today. Welfare Before the Twentieth Century In the twentieth century, Britain put into effect the modern Welfare State. However, the history of social welfare in Britain did not begin in this era, as people had spent centuries reforming how to deal with the sick, the poor, the unemployed and other people struggling with poverty. Churches and parishes had emerged from the medieval period with the leading role in caring for the disadvantaged, and Elizabethan poor laws clarified and reinforced the role of the parish. As the industrial revolution transformed Britain - as populations grew, gathered in expanding urban areas, and took up new jobs in ever increasing numbers - so the system to support people also evolved, sometimes with government laws once again clarifying efforts, setting contribution levels and providing care, but frequently thanks to charities and independently run bodies. Despite reformers trying to explain the reality of the situation, easy and mistaken judgments of the disadvantaged continued to be widespread, with poverty often being attributed to idleness or poor behavior rather than socio-economic factors, and there was no over-riding belief that the state should run its own system of universal welfare. People who wanted to help, or needed help, thus had to turn to the volunteer sector. These created a vast voluntary network, with mutual societies and friendly societies providing insurance and support. This has been called a mixed welfare economy, as it was a mixture of state and private initiatives. Some parts of this system included the workhouses, places where people would find work and shelter, but at a level so basic they would be encouraged to seek outside work to better themselves. On the other end of the modern compassion scale, you had bodies set up by professions such as miners, into which they paid insurance and which protected them from accident or illness. 20th Century Welfare Before Beveridge The origins of the modern Welfare State in Britain are often dated to 1906, when Herbert Asquith and the Liberal party gained a landslide victory and entered government. They would go on to introduce welfare reforms, but they did not campaign on a platform of doing so; in fact, they avoided the issue. But soon their politicians were making changes to Britain because there was pressure building to act. Britain was a rich, world leading nation, but if you looked you could easily find people who were not just poor, but actually living below the poverty line. The pressure to act and unify Britain into one mass of secure people and counter the feared division of Britain into two opposed halves (some people felt this had already happened), was summed up by Will Crooks, a Labour MP who said in 1908 Here in a country rich beyond description there are people poor beyond description. The early twentieth century reforms included a means-tested pension, non-contributory, pension for people over seventy (the Old Age Pensions Act), as well as the National Insurance Act of 1911 which provided health insurance. Under this system, the friendly societies and other bodies continued to run the healthcare institutions, but the government organized the payments in and out. Insurance was the key idea behind this, as there was reluctance among the Liberals over raising income taxes to pay for the system. (Its worth noting that German Chancellor Bismarck took a similar insurance over direct tax route in Germany.) The Liberals faced opposition, but Lloyd George managed to persuade the nation. Other reforms followed in the inter-war period, such as the Widows, Orphans, and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act of 1925. But these were making changes to the old system, tacking on new parts, and as unemployment and then depression strained the welfare apparatus, people began to look for other, far larger scale, measures, which would ditch the idea of the deserving and undeserving poor completely. The Beveridge Report In 1941, with World War 2 raging and no victory in sight, Churchill still felt able to order a commission to investigate how to rebuild the nation after the war. This included a committee which would span multiple government departments and would investigate the nations welfare systems and recommend improvements. Economist, Liberal politician and employment expert William Beveridge was made the chairman of this commission. Beveridge was an ambitious man, and he came back on December 1st, 1942 with The Beveridge Report (or Social Insurance and Allied Services as it was officially known). His involvement had been so great his fellows had decided to sign it with just his signature. In terms of Britains social fabric, this is arguably the most important document of the twentieth century. Published just after the first major Allied victories, and tapping into this hope, Beveridge made a raft of recommendations for transforming British society and ending want. He wanted cradle to the grave security (while he did not invent this term, it was perfect), and although the ideas were rarely new, more a synthesis, they were published and accepted so widely by an interested British public as to make them an intrinsic part of what the British were fighting for: win the war, reform the nation. Beveridges Welfare State was the first officially proposed, fully integrated system of welfare (although the name was by then a decade old). This reform was to be targeted. Beveridge identified five giants on the road to reconstruction that would have to be beaten: poverty, disease, ignorance, squalor, and idleness. He argued these could be solved with a state-run insurance system, and in contrast to the schemes of previous centuries, a minimum level of life would be established that was not extreme or punishing the sick for not being able to work. The solution was a welfare state with social security, a national health service, free education for all children, council-built and run housing, and full employment. The key idea was that everyone who worked would pay a sum to the government for as long as they worked, and in return would have access to government aid for the unemployed, ill, retired or widowed, and extra payments to aid those pushed to the limit by children. The use of universal insurance removed the means test from the welfare system, a disliked - some may prefer hated - pre-war way of determining who should receive relief. In fact, Beveridge didnt expect government expenditure to rise, because of the insurance payments coming in, and he expected people to still save money and do the best for themselves, very much in the thinking of the British liberal tradition. The individual remained, but the State provided the returns on your insurance. Beveridge envisaged this in a capitalist system: this was not communism. The Modern Welfare State In the dying days of World War 2, Britain voted for a new government, and the campaigning of the Labour government brought them into power (Beveridge wasnt elected.) All the main parties were in favor of the reforms, as Labour had campaigned for them and promoted them as a just reward for the war effort, they commenced, and a series of acts and laws were passed. These included the National Insurance Act in 1945, creating compulsory contributions from employees and relief for unemployment, death, sickness, and retirement; the Family Allowances Act providing payments for large families; the Industrial Injuries Act of 1946 providing a boost for people harmed at work; Aneurin Bevans 1948 National Health Act, which created a universal, free for all social healthcare system; the 1948 National Assistance Act to help all in need. The 1944 Education act covered the teaching of children, more acts provided Council Housing, and reconstruction began to eat into unemployment. The vast network of volunteer welfare services merged into the new government system. As the acts of 1948 are seen as key, this year is often called the start of Britains modern Welfare State. Evolution The Welfare State was not forced; in fact, it was widely welcomed by a nation which had largely demanded it after the war. Once the Welfare State was created it continued to evolve over time, partly due to the changing economic circumstances in Britain, but partly due to the political ideology of the parties which moved in and out of power. The general consensus of the forties, fifties, and sixties began to change in the late seventies, when Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives began a series of reforms regarding the size of the government. They wanted fewer taxes, less spending, and so a change in welfare, but equally were faced with a welfare system that was starting to become unsustainable and top heavy. There were thus cuts and changes and private initiatives began to grow in importance, starting a debate over the role of the state in welfare which continued through to the election of the Tories under David Cameron in 2010, when a Big Society with a return to a mixed welfare e conomy was touted.

Taking Care of the Elderly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words - 1

Taking Care of the Elderly - Essay Example Moreover, this sets the foundation for recognition and appreciation of the role of the elderly in society. This can come from the fact that was it not for the elderly, we would be nowhere in society being as they gave birth to us. Â  The case study is majorly about the elderly in society. Writing a reflective account on the same creates a basis for understanding the major issues that these people go through. It is important to understand that one of the contemporary issues regarding the elderly is the creation of elderly nursing homes. These homes are important from the fact that many people currently live very fast lives and are always up and working. This often has the people beyond 60 years lacking someone to take care of them at that age (Aveyard, 2007, 62). Â  This has had people investing in nursing homes to take care of the elderly. This assists their kids in that they have a less burden when it comes to taking care of these people. One organization, in particular, is The Good Care Group in East London. This has assisted people of the province to multitask and get alternative means of income generation. It is important to review the running of this organization in an attempt to gain the entire scope of the manner through which it is run (Carnwell, 2009, 114). Â  The organization was established back in the year 2006. A section of business people came together and decided to start the organization seeing as people of that community were undergoing a lot of suffering, spending the days at home and not having anything reasonable to do. Without anything to do, the elderly used to remain unattended to at home. However, after the mentioned strategies outlined by the business people, the elderly of London finally got an establishment that they would rest and receive the quality and quantity care that they deserve in their fragile age (Cowan, 2009, 108).

Maintaining the Music Business while Introducing iPhone and Apple TV Essay

Maintaining the Music Business while Introducing iPhone and Apple TV - Essay Example Maintaining the Music Business while Introducing iPhone and Apple TV Apple also faces challenge in maintaining its core competencies relationship building, marketing, innovation, and brand management - as it moves on controlling the broader range of products and oversees wider markets. Wider customer base and new rivals brings on much variety of strengths and strategies. The entertainment and technology in itself are constantly updating. It is even uncertain that the Apple could bring on innovative design campaign for its brand reputation or launch new products or give out technological breakthroughs that will attract wider enjoyers. Moreover, the company’s products rather than depending upon the internally developed software and hardware depends on the ability to safe the media contents. Apple’s growth and success balancing stakeholder demands has even been facing problems. At times managing the clashing expectations of suppliers, partners, customers, investors, legal/governmental entities, and others put greater amount of stress on Apple's management team. Moreover the company is dependent upon its vision, Job’s charisma, relationship-building skill and mass communication put the Apple in to at risk in case of improper succession planning and the likewise non-proficiencies. An appropriate set of goals written and strived for would help ensure that Apple Computer remain updated with its current position in the market or otherwise. Apple success strategy also ensures steps are taken for copyrights infringement. http://www.apple.com/legal/trademark/claimsofcopyright.html A healthy way to obtain customer satisfaction and ensure constant growth for the company would be to make use of following dimensions: Dimensions for Success Financial Performance Measures: Cash Ratio - ( Cash Input over Cash Output comparison) Sales Ratio - (sales per 100 customers) N.P Ratio - (Net Profit on sales) Gearing Ratio - (Long Term Debt to Shareholders Equity) Stock Turnover Ratio - (Inventory to Cost of Goods Sold) Creditor turnover - ( Creditors to Cost of Goods Sold) Debtor turnover - (Debtors to Accounts Receivable) P.E Ratio - (Market Price to Earnings Per Share) MPS - (Market Price per Share) Non-Financial Performance Measures/ (strength and weakness analysis through inte rnal factors) Product life Cycle (stages through which a product moves) Labor Turnover (refers to movement of employees in and out) Analysis of stock-outs (out of stock events) Complaints re manuals

Approcah to Care - Breast Cancer Research Paper

Approcah to Care - Breast Cancer - Research Paper Example Etiology of Breast Cancer Breast cancer is the most common kind of cancer that is prevalent among women in U.S. It is estimated that about 192,000 new cases of breast cancer are found in U.S. alone each year. Substantial clinical evidence suggests that hormones play a critical role in the etiology of various cancers and breast cancer is one of them. Estrogen is the chief stimulant in proliferation of breast cells. The presence of progesterone accelerates proliferation rate further. This is evident from the fact that during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, the breast mitotic activity is noticed at its peak (Henderson et al 2002). Clinical Manifestation of Breast Cancer They can be described as per the following. 1. Lump formation or thickening on breasts 2. Peeling, flaking or scaling of the breast skin or nipple 3. Bloody discharge from the nipple 4. Redness of the skin over breast 5. Change in shape and size of a breast (Mayo Clinic 2012). Diagnosis and Staging When cancer i s detected in the breast, a doctor proceeds to find the stage of the disease. It usually starts with a physical examination by a nurse or doctor. Ultrasound and mammography are crucial in diagnosis of breast cancer. The findings of these tests are further confirmed through a tissue biopsy. Mammography is done by taking X-ray of the breast. Ultrasonography is done to ascertain whether a lump is filled with fluid or it is a solid lump. Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) takes several images of the breast to find lesions usually not detectable through ultrasound or mammography. According to the American Cancer Society, breast MRI is advisable to the women who are in high-risk category. The advantage is that it is non-invasive and the person is not exposed to any radioactivity. Breast MRI is a new technology and can be used as an aid to other conventional diagnostic tests (Breast Cancer Diagnosis, 2012). Different stages in the breast cancer can be described as per the following (S tages of Breast Cancer, 2012). Stage I Stage I is bifurcated into two sub-stages as per the following. Stage IA This is a primary stage when the tumor has not spread outside the breast and it is equal to or smaller than 2 centimeters in size. Stage IB In this stage, tumor is not found in the breast but the cancer cells of the size between 0.2 and 2 millimeters are detected in the lymph nodes; or when tumor is equal to or smaller than 2 centimeters along with small clusters of cancer cells (with the size between 0.2 and 2 millimeters) detected in the lymph nodes. Stage II is bifurcated into two as per the following. Stage IIA No tumor is detected in the breast but cance

Strategies for Literature Review Searches

Strategies for Literature Review Searches Detail an appropriate search strategy using relevant databases to identify an article on evidenced based practice in the healthcare setting Literature search has been a vital aspect of students academic life, especially with the advance of technology. Burns and Grove (2005) define literature searching as an organised search system which identifies information relevant to the topic of interest. Moreover, searching has an essential role in supporting clinicians who want to keep up with the development of evidenced-based practice in the health professions . The term evidenced-based practice has come to be used to refer to the combination of evidences which improve the quality of information in relation to clinical and patient interests (De Brun Pearce-Smith, 2009). In order to find the best medical resources, a good search technique is required for finding information more efficiently, otherwise the researcher could waste lots of time and find nothing. The aim of this essay is to describe an appropriate search strategy by defining databases and the reasons for choosing the a particular one for this assignment . The essay w ill then go on to describe the search steps used to identify an article on Children Diabetes. Primarily, the fundamental part of searching is formulating a well-searchable question in order to be capable of sourcing an answer in the chosen database. For De Brun and Pearce-Smith (2009) database refers to systemic reviews containing an electronic collection of information that is organised and accessible. There are various search engines in which research could be undertaken and each one of them identifies information and data in its own way. Although there are a range of databases available, the one that has been chosen for this particular essay is Pubmed. The reason for choosing this database is due to the fact that the Internet is a place where all sorts of information can be obtained, whether from experts or not. In other words, there is no guarantee of validity or the reliability of the data. Therefore, information about healthcare topics should be taken from trustworthy sources. Nordenstrom (2007) stated that Pubmed is one of the primary medical information sources which is connected to the major medical database MEDLINE and accessed via the National Library of Medicine. Moreover, it allows people to access data easily and free of charge. In addition, it contains assessed evidenced-based practice articles. However, Pubmed requires following up an appropriate search techniques. A search strategy is a technique which includes lists of databases and applicable terms which could be the key part of the research (De Brun Pearce-Smith, 2009). As mentioned previously, formulating the question is the essential part of a search strategy, the question used during this essay is What are the reasons of developing diabetes in children?. Breaking down the question into identified keywords builds smaller, more manageable questions which lead to an effective search strategy. De Brun and Pearce-Smith (2009) suggested that PICO is the common method in managing the question. Problem, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome is what PICO stands for, respectively. This means that the problem is the diabetes, the intervention is the standard treatment, for example, regulate the insulin by medicine, the comparison is the alternative treatment, for instance, balanced diet and finally, the outcome is the expected results from the treatment which can be a decrease in insulin level in t he blood. Due to the fact that databases are controlled by computers, the search will result in words which have been typed in by the resaercher. Nordenstrom (2007) suggested that at first, searching as wide as possible to make sure the articles of interest are included, was the best approach. For example, entering the keyword diabetes in the query box returns a large number of articles. The next step can be searching by using a thesaurus which De Brun and Pearce-Smith (2009) defined as words with an accompanying selection of synonyms or phrases which can be useful in finding the relevant articles. An example of this technique is using high insulin level or Metabolic syndrome instead of diabetes. In using this technique it is noticeable that the search results have been reduced significantly. Terminology is an essential element in the medical field and changing a letter in a term could change the meaning of the diagnosis. The thread step search technique involves using truncation and wildcards, where appropriate, these are shortcuts and they can save time when using keywords. Truncation is the use of symbols, such as asterisks (*) in order to reduce search steps; in contrast however, this technique may increase the number of articles. Wildcards involve the use of the question mark (?) , to differentiate between different English spellings and it is also useful in dealing with plurals. Though it is interesting to note that Pubmed does not use wildcards (De Brun Pearce-Smith, 2009). One such case of truncation is when using the word child. Here the stem of the word is used and any suffux is removed , adding asterisks instead so the search term becomes child*. The system will look for information that refers to child, children, childhood, etc. The fourth step in strengthening the search is combining words, this is popularly known as Boolean logic. Terms that are used in a search can be more relevant to the formulated question by joining words with: and, or, not, with, brackets and inverted commas. Using AND in a search will display articles that contain both words; for instance, Diabetes and Children. The system will search for articles that contain both words. However, when using OR instead of AND, the results will include articles with either word or both of them; whereas, using NOT will restrict the search. For example, searching about children NOT young people (De Brun Pearce-Smith, 2009). The final step of the search strategy is limitation, this is done by filtering the search results. The limitation process is a search using particular structural units such as age, publication years, abstracts only or full text, etc. Using a search limit in researching diabetic children was done by choosing, articles with abstracts only and published within five years. The Pubmed system reduced the number of articles by retrieving with reference to the selected limits. In using this technique, the number of results fell from 11501 articles to a manageable number of 30. Metabolic syndrome in childhood and adolescence by Barkai and Paragh (2006) has been chosen as a good article because diabetes is increasing globally among young people. This increase is caused mostly by poor health, excess food which leads to an increase in the level of obesity, and finally, the lack of exercise. Therefore, insulin resistance deficiency will occur (Silink Kida ,2003). In conclusion, a good search strategy is the key to obtaining high quality information in evidence-based practice. A clear question, choosing appropriate databases, lists of keywords and synonyms, using truncations and wildcards, combining Boolean operators and applying limits to the results are the principles for successfully finding articles on evidenced-based practice.

Ethnicity and Group Rights :: Sociology Race Gender Essays

Ethnicity and Group Rights ABSTRACT: Recent developments in biology have made it possible to acquire more and more precise information concerning our genetic makeup. There are four groups of people who may want to know about our genes. First, we ourselves can have an interest in being aware of own health status. Second, there are people who are genetically linked with us, and who can have an interest in the knowledge. Third, individuals with whom we have contracts and economic arrangements may have an interest in knowing about our genetic makeup. Fourth, society as a whole can have an interest in the composition of our genes. As regards the question of motivation, the term 'should' can be interpreted in three ways. Prudentially speaking, to say that individuals should act in a certain manner is to say that the actions in question promote the long-term self-interest of these individuals. From the viewpoint of morality, we should do what is right and avoid doing what is wrong. When it comes to legal thinking, it is held in most liberal societies that grave other-regarding harm should be the primary justification for the use of coercion and constraint. In the paper, all these aspects are examined in more detail. In multicultural Western societies more and more frequently members of ethnic minority groups behave and act in ways which the majority find 'different', 'strange' or 'alien', sometimes even 'irrational', 'threatening' or 'immoral'. Differences in action and behaviour range, for instance, from clothing and fashion accessories to the observance of religious holidays and the mutilation of the human body. The question that I propose to address in this paper is: How should the majority respond to these differences? Should the reaction be tolerant and permissive? Or should it be cautious and restrictive? Should the majority hold that individuals are entitled to act as they wish unless their actions inflict harm on other people? Or should they think that ethnic groups as collectives have rights which ought not to be violated by constraints on the behaviour of their members? The questions concerning the group rights of minorities have recently been discussed in considerable detail in the frameworks of communitarianism and deontological liberalism. However, the difficulty with these approaches is that they presuppose complicated and sometimes metaphysically and ideologically loaded accounts of liberty, personal identity and interpersonal relationships. I have therefore opted for a simpler and more accessible starting point.

Drawing Funds from the European Union Essay

Drawing Funds from the European Union Introduction            European Union funds are an instrument for implementing its economic and social cohesion policies whose objective is to eliminate the disparities in development levels amongst the EU member states and the relative primitiveness of the most disadvantaged states. The EU funds provide funding for a wide range of projects covering areas such as urban and regional development, employment and social inclusion. The funds also cover agricultural and rural development, maritime developments, innovation and research ventures, and humanitarian aid. It means that municipalities, businesses, ministries, non-profit organizations, learning institutions, the transport industry, and research institutions are eligible to apply for the funds. Management of Funds            Funding, the sole purpose of the EU funds, is supervised in accordance with a set strict rules to ensure that there is total control over how to spend the funds; in a transparent and accountable manner. Twenty-Eight EU commissioners have the definitive responsibility of ensuring that beneficiaries use the funds accordingly. Nonetheless, performing checks and annual audits is a responsibility that lies with the national governments. It is because the funds are mostly managed within the beneficiary states. Management of seventy-six percent of the whole EU budget happens in collaboration with state and regional authorities via a system of shared management. Allotment of Funds The EU provides funds from five categories: The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). European Social Fund (ESF). Cohesion Fund (CF). European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).            These major funds are referred to as Structural Funds. There are other funds that the EU manages directly. These other funds are usually in the form of grants and contracts. There is a common fallacy that ‘money from Brussels’ is available for free and for any purpose. Reality check proves it otherwise because grants from the EU are usually made available for supporting specific objectives. A big chunk of the funds is not given to beneficiaries directly, but through state and regional authorities who are responsible for transparent management of the funds (Council, 2007).            The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): The aim of the ERDF is strengthening economic and social cohesion in the EU through adjusting imbalances amongst its regions. The ERDF usually centers its attention on some key priority areas known as ‘thematic concentration’: Low-carbon economy Research and innovation Assisting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and The digital agenda            The resource allocation to the priorities usually depends on the category of the region in question. More developed regions focus at least eighty percent of these funds on at least two of these priorities. Transition regions’ focus is for sixty percent of the funds and fifty percent for less developed regions. Additionally, some of the ERDF resources are directed specifically towards low-carbon economy projects; twenty percent for more developed regions, fifteen percent for transition regions and twelve percent for less developed regions. The ERDF also gives special attention to specific territorial attributes. Disadvantaged areas from a geographical point of view, for example, mountainous or sparsely populated areas, gain from this special treatment.            The European Social Fund (ESF): The most important focus of the ESF is improving the job market and education opportunities across member states of the European Union. Improving the social statuses of vulnerable people is also an important aim for the fund. The earmarking of more than â‚ ¬80 billion for investment in human capital in EU member states for the period 2014-2020 attests to it. Other objectives of the fund include: retraining unemployed people, starting special programmes for the disabled and other disadvantaged groups of citizens. In addition: supporting self-employed people who are just starting their businesses, developing employment service institutions and improving the quality of education in learning institutions.            Cohesion Fund (CF): The CF is mostly aimed at member states whose Gross National Income (GNI) per inhabitant is less than 90% of that of EU’s average. Its main aim is to minimize social and economic disparities and promoting sustainable development. The CF is also subject to the same regulations as the ERDF and ESF via the Common Provisions Regulation. For the programming period, 2014-2020, the CF concerns states such as the Czech Republic, Croatia, Latvia, Malta, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. The CF allocates approximately â‚ ¬63.4 billion to various economic and social welfare projects. The Cohesion Fund is used to fund trans-European transport networks especially those identified as priorities by the EU. The funds can additionally be used to fund environment-friendly projects. These projects include those that benefit the environment in terms of renewable energy, supporting an inter-modality, and energy efficiency. If audits reveal that a member stat e has excessive public deficit and they are not taking steps to resolve the situation, the Cohesion Fund can be suspended by a Council Decision.            The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD): The EAFRD covers; bio-energy, organic farming, forest resources, food safety, animal welfare, plant health and rural development programmes (RDPs). The EU requires its member states to build their RDPs upon not less than six set EU priorities. They include: Advancing knowledge transfer and innovation in the agricultural sector, forestry and rural areas. Improving the viability of all types of agriculture, and endorsing innovative farming technologies and sustainable forest management. Encouraging food chain organization, management of risk in agriculture and animal welfare. Protecting and developing ecosystems allied to agriculture and forestry. Shifting towards a low-carbon and climate-conscious economy in the food and agriculture sectors.            Each RDP identifies focus areas to set quantified targets for funds needed. Measures to achieve these targets and their individual fund allocations are paramount. RDPs’ also gets funding from private sectors that share the same ideologies. The implementation of funds is monitored and evaluated in detail.            European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF): The EMFF, formerly European Fisheries Fund (EFF), is used to fund the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The EMFF gives funding for the fishing industry and communities in the coastal regions. The CFP endeavors to make sure that fishing and aquaculture are sustainable; environmentally, economically and socially. Healthy fish and seafood is also paramount. Though important to maximize catches for business purposes, limits must be put in place. The CFP stipulates that limits should be set such that fish stocks are sustainable in the long-term. The CFP allows EU member states access to its waters and fishing grounds.            To enhance transparency in funding, the European Transparency Initiative was set up. A central web portal was created to collect and show data from all beneficiaries of EU funding; funds received and how the funds are being used. There is also an inventory of EU funding that shows the evaluations done and released by the Evaluation Services of all Twenty-Five EU member states. Applying for Funding in Selected Areas            Enterprise: small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can obtain funding via grants, loans and guarantees. It is mostly through financial intermediaries in their member states. Grants usually account for fifty percent of project costs. Loan guarantees are given to microcredit organizations for loans of up to â‚ ¬25,000.            Non-profit organizations: they include non-governmental and civil society organizations. These organizations are eligible for funding as long as they are active in EU policy regions and a strictly non-profit basis (Council, 2007).            Young people: they are eligible for two types of funding; education and training, and youth funding. The former includes study opportunities through Erasmus+, scholarships for high school graduates, and occupational training in other countries. The latter includes co-funding youth projects that encourage civic involvement, charity work and a wider multicultural outlook.            Researchers: individuals and institutions involved in innovation and research projects are qualified to request for the funds. The European Union will provide roughly â‚ ¬80 billion in its quest to fund research. The funding typically takes the form of grants to finance partly a wide range of research and innovation projects.            Agriculture and fisheries: acquiring funds for such projects involves giving a general introduction, presenting financial reports, and giving information on the planned use of the funds. Direct funding is the most important and common type of funding in the EU member states.            Cultural and audiovisual sector: the main programme in this segment is culture: it has three main goals. They include promoting cross-border mobility of people working in the cultural sector, encouraging circulation of cultural, artistic output, and fostering intercultural dialogue (Evans & Foord, 1999).            Energy: funding is available for a number of sectors including solar and wind energies, bioenergy, renewable energy, clean coal projects and energy efficiency. Funds are also available for Trans-European Energy Networks (TEN-E), whose aim is to enhance transportation networks for electricity and gas across the European member states.            The structural funds and grants from the European Union Funds have impacted the lives of the citizens of its member states immensely. The standards of living of many citizens have risen noticeably due to the array of new employment opportunities created by the funds’ projects. Some of the projects’ success stories are noteworthy and have had a great impact to states and individuals. We will take a look at some examples of projects carried out using the funds so as to take note of their effects to their beneficiaries. ESF in the Czech Republic            The Czech Republic is among the less wealthy nations in the European Union member states. According to regulations, Czech could have drawn approximately â‚ ¬26.7 billion from the ESF in the programming period 2007-2013 in order to raise the standards of living of its people. However, the amount received from the ESF for that period is â‚ ¬3.8 billion. Together with national funding, the tally adds up to over â‚ ¬4.4 billion.            ESF funds help in three activities. The first is advancing education at all levels and enhancing its relevance to the job market. Secondly, the funds are used to enable many people to get employment, especially the disadvantaged. Lastly, they have helped build competitiveness of the Prague region.            The Czech Republic is using the funds to do away with obstacles that; for one reason or another, prevent people from getting a job. These people include; mothers with young children, older people, and the disabled and disadvantaged groups, like those with little or no professional skills. Many ESF projects across the nation are making access to training facilities easier and reducing some practical obstacles to work. Consequently, this is bringing a positive impact by lifting its citizens out of poverty (Fagan, 2005).            ESF funding is also helping improve the quality of education by scrutinizing standards, employing more competent teachers, and teaching job seekers only the needed skills by employers. Events such as science documentary film festivals and meetings with top Czech scientists are being used as platforms to encourage students to consider careers in science and technology. Just like other member states, the Czech Republic is struggling with the unemployment crisis. The ESF fund, however, has gone a long way in helping Czech citizens find jobs attributed to the various employment and educational projects initiated by the funds. Saving Lives: EU Funded Cancer Research Project            Physicians mostly wait for several months to assess whether cancer treatments that they are administering to their patients are actually working. By discovering a new technique that quickly reveals a tumor by checking consumption of glucose, an EU-funded project has reduced the delay. This discovery enables doctors to get more ‘precious’ time to switch to more effective forms of treatment if crucial; potentially saving many lives.            All cancer treatments do not work in every patient’s case. A tumor might reduce rapidly after a treatment, yet its assessment is complex. Several therapies may eliminate the cancer without reducing the size of the tumor. A delay in confirmation by a doctor may mean that by the next treatment, the patient may be a lot weaker, and the cancer advanced further (Eckhouse & Sullivan, 2006). Physicians want to assess immediately if the cancer is affected by a treatment, not just by measuring its size but through metabolic indicators. The EU-funded project, Imaging Lymphoma, has developed such an assessment. The innovation will be important in future cancer treatments as it makes it easier for doctors to treat their patients. Turning Food Waste into Animal Feed            The European Union is the source of 18% of food exports worldwide and with it comes a huge chunk of agricultural waste. This waste costs farmers and taxpayers’ money (Kraemer, Wilkinson, Klasing & Homeyer, 2002). An EU-funded research project NOSHAN wants to convert food waste into animal feed. The objective of the research is to open up new opportunities for farmers and reducing Europe’s dependence on animal feed imports. Additionally, new green jobs in agricultural waste collection and feed manufacturing will be created.            The NOSHAN project aims particularly at turning fruits, vegetables and dairy wastes into animal feed, and at low energy costs. The project is expected to conclude its research in 2016, and by that time, the research team will be able to have the best waste extraction and upgrading techniques. The NOSHAN project presents Europe’s agricultural sector with a prospect of attaining greater agricultural sustainability. The project has been awarded just under â‚ ¬3 million in the programming period 2007-2013. It brings together a University, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), research institutes and other industries. The NOSHAN project could also reduce the ever-increasing competition between food and feed sectors, both of which require water and land (Wolz, Hubbard, Mà ¶llers, Gorton & Buchenrieder, 2012). Revolutionizing the Transport Sector            EU-funded researchers have come up with groundbreaking proposals to prevent railway suicides and decrease disruption of services. If adopted, the proposals could save lives, money and time for railway companies and their passengers. Waiting for a train, and suddenly the service is called off or delayed indefinitely is something that train passengers have become accustomed to in the long run. Perhaps an accident; somebody fell onto the track, or they purposefully stepped in front of the track.            The EU-funded project, RESTRAIL, collected and analyzed the measures put in place by different EU member states to curb suicides and accidental deaths. The outcome of the research was that proposals that can save a lot of lives. Decision makers such as station managers or railway companies should have a set of the most efficient mitigation measures for every event. The tests they have conducted have created a toolbox for consultation on the best practices on each country. RESTRAIL guidelines could help reduce direct and indirect costs linked to railway suicides and accidents. ESF Fund in Slovakia            Slovakia is one of the fastest growing economies in the EU, but it faces several challenges such as high long-term unemployment levels. Nonetheless, Slovakia plans to increase the country’s employment rate to 72% by 2020. Slovakia has received â‚ ¬1.5 billion ESF funding for the period ended 2007-2013. In combination with national co-funding, they have raised a total of â‚ ¬1.76 billion. A variety of projects’ is being supported via the funding. Public employment facilities and services are being improved so as to reach as many slovaks as possible. Since 2007-2011, approximately 24,000 employment opportunities have been created and around 26,000 people have found employment via ESF supported measures.            Projects are also being implemented in the form of flood-dependence-programmes that offer up to 4,500 new jobs in 200 villages. ESF funding is helping reform the education system in Slovakia by ensuring that education is tailored to align with the evolving needs of the society. An example is a project that investigates the interests of young people and matches them to career guidance. ESF funded projects are facilitating the establishment of life-long-learning culture that natures skills of the Slovak citizens throughout their lives. For instance, a Slovak packaging company has used ESF funding to facilitate professional training of new skills, such as in quality and environmental standards, making them more adaptable and well equipped for their future careers.            The Roma people in Slovakia tend to live in segregated settlements and are more exposed to long-term unemployment compared to the average population, and also live in conditions of poverty. Thanks to ESF funding, social workers and assistants have been employed to work closely with them to help improve their circumstances (Guy & Kovats 2006). Setbacks and Doubts on the efficient use of EU Funds            One of the problems with EU funds is that in some cases, the money is allocated to projects that are neither necessary nor productive (Ã…  umpà ­kovà ¡, Pavel & Klazar, 2004). For instance, if a village wants to repair sidewalks in its region and would like to use EU funding for it, it is imperative that they formulate a supporting story. Let’s say, expansion of regional tourism. It means that, in addition to repairing the sidewalk, the money will also be spent to put up some signs with a map of village’s streets, which in the first place is not necessary. Some smart villages can even use the funds to renovate an old library and rename it to the Tourist Information Center, and stow some pamphlets there, in case some tourists do show up.            Another predicament is deformation of industrial and consumer environment. When a firm receives funding to build, say, a grocery store, its neighbors who have the similar business plans receive nothing.            A further problem is that national ministries of some states like say, Slovakia, are reluctant to delegate control of EU funds to lower governance levels. The central governments do not trust the ability of their municipalities and regional authorities to implement the funds timely and effectively. There have been cases where regional authorities have mixed implementation of policies, to say the least. Nevertheless, Slovakia has not been able to create any efficient mechanisms for decision-making and management of public funds (Guy & Kovats, 2006). Conclusion            Funds drawn from the European Union have increased employment opportunities, bolstered the education sectors of beneficiaries and led to the growth of economies. Additionally, funding the transport sector, research and innovation projects have led to groundbreaking discoveries in the agricultural, health and transport sectors among others. The number of lives saved and projected to save by some of these discoveries is amazing. Nonetheless, the funding has not been without a few controversies. Some parties have tried to take advantage of corrupt officials to leverage some money for themselves leading to misuse and undertaking of dubious projects. An honest culture should be created to ensure appropriate use of funds. The European Union funding goal is to ensure that beneficiaries spend money in a transparent, accountable manner. It is thus the duty of all beneficiaries to make it a reality. References Council, T. R. D. (2007). European Union Funding.Eckhouse, S., & Sullivan, R. (2006). A survey of public funding of cancer research in the European Union. PLoS Medicine, 3(7), e267. Evans, G., & Foord, J. (1999). European funding of culture: promoting common culture or regional growth?. Cultural Trends, 9(36), 53-87. Fagan, A. (2005). Taking stock of civil-society development in post-communist Europe: Evidence from the Czech Republic. Democratization, 12(4), 528-547. Guy, W., & Kovats, M. (2006). EU-funded Roma programmes: Lessons from Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. London: Minority Rights Group International. Kraemer, R. A., Wilkinson, D. G., Klasing, A., & von Homeyer, I. (2002). EU Environmental Governance: A Benchmark of Policy Instruments. With a focus on Agriculture, Energy and Transport. Study commissioned by the Belgian Federal Department of the Environment. No. ECOLOGIC, Berlin.Ã…  umpà ­kovà ¡, M., Pavel, J., & Klazar, S. (2004, May). EU funds: absorption capacity and effectiveness of their use, with focus on regional level in the Czech Republic. In Conference proceedings of the 12 th NISPAcee Conference. Wolz, A., Hubbard, C., Mà ¶llers, J., Gorton, M., & Buchenrieder, G. (2012). Patterns behind rural success stories in the European Union: Major lessons of former enlargements (No. 68). Studies on the agricultural and food sector in Central and Eastern Europe. Source document

The Tiber River of Rome

The Tiber River of Rome The Tiber is one of longest rivers in  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Italy. It is about 250 miles long and varies between 7 and 20 feet deep. It is the second longest river in Italy, after the Po. The Tiber flows from the Apennines at Mount Fumaiolo through Rome and into the Tyrrhenian Sea at Ostia. Most of the city of Rome is to the east of the Tiber River. The area to the west, including the island in the Tiber, Insula Tiberina, was in Augustus XIVth region of  Rome. Origin of the Name Tiber The Tiber was originally called Albulula because it was so white, but it was renamed Tiberis after Tiberinus, who was a king of Alba Longa who drowned in the river. Theodor Mommsen says the Tiber was the natural highway for traffic in Latium and provided an early defense against neighbors on the other side of the river, which in the area of Rome runs approximately southwards. History of the Tiber In antiquity, ten bridges were built over the Tiber. Eight spanned the Tiber, while two permitted passage to the island. Mansions lined the riverside, and gardens leading to the river provided Rome with fresh fruits and vegetables. The Tiber was also a major highway for Mediterranean trade of oil, wine, and wheat. The Tiber was an important military focus for hundreds of years. During the third century B.C.E., Ostia (a town on the Tiber) became a naval base for the Punic Wars. The Second Veientine War (437-434 or 428-425 B.C.E.) was fought over control of a crossing of the Tiber. The disputed crossing was at Fidenae, five miles upstream from Rome. Attempts to tame the Tibers floods were unsuccessful. While today it flows between high walls, during Roman times it regularly overflowed its shores. The Tiber as a Sewer The Tiber was connected with the Cloaca Maxima, the sewer system of Rome, attributed to king Tarquinius Priscus. The Cloaca Maxima was built during the sixth-century B.C.E. as a canal, or channel, through the city. Based on an existing stream, it was expanded and lined with stone. By the third century B.C.E. the open channel had been lined with stone and covered with a vaulted stone roof. At the same time, Augustus Caesar had major repairs made to the system. The original purpose of the Cloaca Maxima was not to carry off waste, but rather to manage stormwater to avoid floods. Rainwater from the Forum district flowed downhill to the Tiber through the Cloaca. It wasnt until the time of the Roman Empire that public baths and latrines were connected to the system. Today, the Cloaca is still visible and still manages a small amount of Romes water. Much of the original stonework has been replaced by concrete.

Titanic Essay- the techniques used by James Cameron Essays

Titanic Essay- the techniques used by James Cameron Essays Titanic Essay- the techniques used by James Cameron Paper Titanic Essay- the techniques used by James Cameron Paper Essay Topic: Film For this film to be a success, James Cameron, the director had to modernise it. He had to include all the aspects of a hit film, along with the attraction towards a wide audience. This he achieved by incorporating the well-known story of the unsinkable ship with the new and hottest stars. In theory the older generation was intrigued to see how Cameron interpreted the story, and the younger generation wanted to see the latest actors. The directors objective was to produce a film, based on the true story that would appeal to all age groups, particularly the younger generation. So Cameron used Leonardo DiCaprio to play the role of Jack, a young American living life as it comes making his own luck. He chose Leo to play this part because he was the latest heartthrob of teenaged girls across the nations and would there fore attract a vast majority of the targeted audience, for the male population, Kate Winslet the girl next door was cast as the young, fresh and rich Rose. The combination of the two up and coming stars was a sure hit teamed with the theme of love. Strength and skills they had acquired during previous roles made the actors work well together to produce a convincing and moving relationship. However the story needed to keep the realism of the true event which took place in 1912 yet have enough action, excitement and romance to keep the target audience interested for the record three and a half hour film. The director achieved this by using many different techniques of lighting, sound effects and camera angles. By using many dramatic camera angles it is possible to involve the viewer in the scene as opposed to watching the film from a cinematic perspective. You are instantly drawn in to the scenery with the technique of panning. This is a wide shot of the scene, which slowly moves on a fixed point to allow the viewer to see the full atmosphere and action occurring around that point. Using different camera angles helps to create the affect of where the actor/ actress is. For example, to establish the background behind a character, a long shot is appropriate. This was used in such a scene as the opening view of the ship, because Cameron wanted to convey the true size of the masterpiece. However to get the most dramatic effect of action, a wide angle shot would work better because this will focus on the characters, and the mood of their surroundings. This was used when Jack is seen playing cards in the bar on the dockhands, with titanic visible through the window. Denotation and Conotation were also used to show the symbolism of the images, and what they suggest. The way in which Cameron managed to persuade the audience that they were within the scene, added emotion and realism to the production, concentrating on a particular subject at each time as not to lose the attention of the viewers. The use of romantic, slow calming music allowed the viewer to unknowingly become emotionally involved in the scenes. This, combined with the techniques used on the camera angles and the stunning computer graphics, made the whole film come together. Cameron kept an element of truth in the story by using Rose who was a real survivor from the sinking ship, but put the fire in to it by introducing a fictional character her lover, Jack. The shots and camera angles used presented a good example of denotation, conotation, wide angle and long shots. A long shot was used when Rose is in immense confusion about her life and decides to try and end it by jumping off the back of the ship one evening. The camera shot used to open this scene was a wide shot of Rose running away from the banquet at which she had been in an argument with her fianci. To show the full size of the ship Cameron used a panning wide angle shot. This is most effective because as the shot zooms in to where rose is situated on the half a mile long boat, you begin to grasp the vast size of the vessel in comparison with the tiny figure. As we follow Rose running from the middle of the ship, up and down stairs until she reaches the bow, and comes to an abrupt halt against railings, here a close up view of her is used to show how upset and out of breath she is which relates her to the audience because we understand her pain, emotionally and physically. As Rose decides what to do, we see through her perspective as she looks at the railings on the bow of the ship. Slow sad Irish music plays softly in the background, adding real empathy to her character. When Rose is hanging off the back of the ship, a close shot is again used from the perspective of Rose looking up at jacks face. This is used to show the strength and effort that Jack is putting into pulling Rose over the edge on to the safety of the decks. A similar camera angle is used from Jacks perspective, this time to show the fear and anguish in Roses face and the ferocious, churning and freezing water below her kicking legs. The traditional method of using foreground, middle ground and background to fool the viewer into believing an object is larger than it actually is, was used throughout the film along with the horizontal, wide screens and vertical shots to create atmosphere. Perhaps the most atmospheric device Cameron used was the music and sound effects, without which the film would not seem as intense, action packed or emotional. He used a wide variety of Irish and country music typical of the era in which the film is set to portray the large number of Irish passengers travelling in third class to America, to seek a better life there. Cameron wanted to show how strong this community was by convincing the audience that no matter how poor the conditions were on the third class decks, it was still possible to have fun. He did this by showing a scene in which Rose (a first class passenger) goes below decks to a third class passenger party as guest of Jack. She soon finds that there is no need for money to enjoy them self as the roar of the Irish jig and the lively atmosphere sweeps her into the mass of dancing bodies. The theme of the music is continued throughout the film but the tempo, style or rhythm is changed. Celine Dion had the hit single My heart will go on is famous for the scene in which Jack and Rose are standing on the front of the ship; Jack behind Rose holding out her arms to make her feel like she is flying. This signifying the bonding between the two lovers and their trust. The costumes also contributed towards the meaning of the film as they reflected class division in the era in which the disaster of Titanic took place. There was a pronounced division between first class and third class passengers. Therefore the difference between the main characters was very obvious Jack was third class and Rose was first class. The costumes were accurately researched for the wealthy people of that period. For example, the first class wore colourful bright and clean clothes, which were changed each day. They had such luxuries, as smart dresses, suits and maids to dress them, whereas the third class did not even own the soap to wash with and dressed in dirty drab torn clothes. The comparison between the two is very prominent when Rose joins the third class party below decks as she is in clean, clothing and the other passengers are in dark, melancholy colours. This would suggest Rose is better off than they are and perhaps brought up better, but this is proven not to be so when she joins the lads in a beer and proves she is not just an upper classed snob. James Cameron showed the differences between the classes continuously throughout the film from the opening scene of Jack and a friend gambling for their ticket on the ship compared to Rose arriving by motor car, well dressed with servants to carry every thing for her. Once on board the ship is divided in to different sections for the classes, third not allowed to enter 1st class areas. This is shown when a porter is walking a dog belonging to a first class passenger, and he takes it to the third class decks to let it go to the toilet. An Irish friend of Jacks makes the comment that it is typical that they get treated like that. Perhaps the worst comparison made between the classes is when the ship has hit the ice burg and is rapidly sinking. The lower decks are flooding and the third class passengers are locked down there to stop them from getting in the life boats before the first class passengers have got in. This is a sad prospect that humans could do that to one another. This is now open to debate by historians as to weather it really happened that way. Again Cameron used the key elements of a film angles, lighting and sound to make the sinking of the ship as realistic and horrific as possible. The viewer does not gain an idea of how huge the ship is until a long shot is used as the ship is going down. As all the life boats row away and people jump in to the water u can really see the true size of Titanic-the unsinkable ship of dreams. Cameron managed to link the lighting to the beats and thrills of the music building a climax and sense of fear and evasion. The cool lighting used in the scenes after the tragedy created a sad blue and cold atmosphere, which follows on to Rose, as an old lady, revisiting the memories. This created a stark contrast to her dream that night of revisiting the ship of dreams as a warm friendly glow is created with soft angelic lighting. The theme tune is slowed down and Rose appears, surrounded by her friends family and loved ones. A panning shot curves round the room in which she and Jack first met to reveal the smiling applauding faces. Soft lighting combined with the music symbolises happiness and purity suggesting that Rose, as an old lady fell asleep and died in her dreams that night, a happy contented woman, having returned the heart of the ocean.

The Story of an Hour and its literary elements Essay - 1

The Story of an Hour and its literary elements - Essay Example d to their husbands’ will and social expectations, and this is valuable, because it helps us understand how death can be the best and only way to untie the knot of marriage. Mrs. Mallard’s body and soul are tied to her husband. The plot reveals how her marriage is a prison. She marries someone she does not love: â€Å"And yet she had loved him—sometimes. Often she had not.† Despite this, she lets Brent have complete control of her soul and body, because women are considered as properties of their husbands. Mrs. Mallard’s name is not acknowledged until the end of the story. She will always be a Mallard, the wife of Brently. Brently Mallard, however, has his full name given at the onset, and this indicates his own individuality, individuality that Mrs. Mallard and other women were not allowed to have. Furthermore, the setting is within Mallard’s home. It suggests how she is imprisoned by her home life. In addition, spring symbolizes a new life that Louise yearns for. Her new life is so real, she can taste it: â€Å"The delicious breath of rain was in the air.† Even the sky reinforces the atmosphere of a new life: â€Å"There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west facing her window.† Her husband’s death opens a whole new life for her: â€Å"Free! Body and soul free!† Mrs. Mallard is also weighed down by social demands. In the 19th century, women were seen as weak. They are treated with gentleness, and the same handling is given to Mrs. Mallard, though she also has a heart problem: â€Å"Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husbands death.† She also owns a â€Å"comfortable chair,† which indicates how women are creatures of comforts, since they are assumed to be materialistic and weak. Furthermore, she shows weakness in how she accepted her husband’s death: â€Å"She wept at once,

Contemporary Art and Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contemporary Art and Theory - Essay Example The essay "Contemporary Art and Theory" talks about Theory and Contemporary Art. It should be noted that contemporary art cannot be treated in isolation of the 1960-1970 period apparently due to the fact that this period alone excited much interest than any other art historical period. It was an era characterized by uncompromising critical artistic practices with leading figures like August Rodin, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso featuring very prominently. The period between 1960 to 1970 serves a significant purpose within the context of the discussion here fundamentally for a couple of reasons; it was within this period that the advent of the terms â€Å"postmodernism† and â€Å"modernism† made their debut imprint on the industry. Thus on this premise it can be said that this period served as the birth place of what we have today. In other words, the whole story began right there leading to what we have today. In addition, this period also provides a comprehensive time scale to facilitate the process of classifying the various artistic movements with particular relevance to their significance to our contemporary art. The usage of the term â€Å"concept† is said to have begun in the early 1960s, however the impact of it was heavily felt in the latter period of that decade with the advent of the works of people like Joseph Kossuth that opened the door for it to receive a concretized recognition as a movement. It is not widely now agreed that conceptual art is the precursor of conceptualism in contemporary art.