How Effective Are Various Methods in Reducing Recidivism Essay

Prison, non-custodial sentences and rehabilitation seem all failed in reducing recidivism; however, there is little and limited evidence to support non-custodial sentences, as well as some people think if rehabilitation could be implemented effectively, it would work. Although the advantage of prison is keeping our society from dangerous people, when it comes to reducing recidivism rate, the effect of prison is disappointing. The public usually think that imprisonment is safer for communities; however, it appears powerless to deter inmates from committing crime again. In the article, â€Å"Study shows building prisons did not prevent repeat crimes†, Fox Butterfield (2002) cites a large-scale study of recidivism from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, which investigated up to 272,111 former prisoners in 15 states during the first three years after being released. It found that 67% of inmates broke the law again in three years right after their release in 1994. It is surprised that it does not make any difference to recidivism rate which was studied in 1960’s, and it is even 5% higher than the study done in 1983. In addition, it indicated that the more rearrest records a criminal has, the higher recidivism rate he has. The inmates who have more than 15 prior arrests have 82. 1% of recidivism rate. Nevertheless, according to Emily Kingham’s article (2006), she believes that prison forces offenders to regret and reflect on their behaviour; as for the reason that criminals cannot reject the temptation of committing new crime is because of inadequate provided support. In spite of this, some experts have admitted that prison does not work in terms of reducing recidivism rate (Considering the alternatives 1978; Finckenauer 1988). Some limited evidence has shown that non-custodial sentences may decrease recidivism; regardless of some experts being sceptical about their desired achievements. On the one hand, alternative sentences can help government save money and alleviate over-cramped number of criminals in prison (Considering the alternatives 1978). On the other hand, Kingham(2006) points out that alternative sentences do nothing but return prisoners to their original circumstances, which result in unawareness of their crimes and the onsequences. One study indicated that through one of alternative sentences, intensive probation, recidivism rate is less than 20%; however, the evidence maybe weak as the study has not been completely put into practice (Considering the alternatives 1978). Furthermore, in the Minnesota, alternative sentences have been successfully adopted to keep criminal rate not increasing, but it may not be convinced because of the source not being confirmed (Considering the alternatives 1978) . While some people argue rehabilitation is also failed in reducing recidivism rate, some authors counter that if government could support rehabilitation, recidivism rate would decrease. According to the article, â€Å"Prison†, James O. Finckenauer (1988) cites some studies, which shows that even though the government has already provided with good rehabilitation programmes, they cannot achieve reformatory of inmates. On the other hand, this position is contested by Joan Petersilis (cited in Butterfield 2002), a professor of criminology at the University of California at Irvine and an expert on parole, who says that state governments spent such little money on rehabilitation programs that inmates do not receive sufficient help with drug addition, work skill and preparation for a new life, which may lead increasing recidivism rate. Butterfield (2002) further cites the statement by Mr. Travis, who also argues that criminals return to crime.

Compare and contrast between public and private education Essay

Since 1983 public education has been an issue in America. The system has been constantly changing every year with reforms. This constant change has been driven by the American people’s perception that education has declined and something should be done about it. First there was an increased emphasis on basic skills, making school years longer and more graduation requirements. Second, many began focusing on increasing teachers professionalism. Third, they began restructuring many things such as how the schools were organized and how the school day was structured etc. Now today the most of the American people believe that not enough money is given to public schooling. They associate academic improvement with the money the school is funded. But I believe otherwise. Spending more on education will not improve academic success but diverse teaching methods will. Public education funding is at an all time high in America. There is no problem with the funding for schools. There is more of a problem on how the money is distributed. To truly understand the problems of education in America,†¦The United States prides itself on its public education system making it a core value of many families. The level of education a person has will influence their career achievements. Americans expect their public system of education to provide a solid curriculum. Most of the people in the United States place their trust in the public school system in which they support through taxes. This trust although is contradicted by the public system of education’s current shape. Much of the schools in the United States are either deteriorating, or failing all together. The drawbacks of public education create an unhealthy environment for student learning. Many people think public school can dip their hands into the public treasury for funding if they are ever in need of money; however many schools do not qualify to get these funds. â€Å"The disparate funding for public schools and between states and within metropolitan areas has turned some public schools into meccas for affluent students and others into decaying infrastructures with overcrowded classrooms and soaring drop-out rates† (†¦

Digital PCS: The Future of Wireless Phone Service

In the past few years the use of mobile phones has increased tremendously. At one time only available to the rich and elite business executives, the luxury of mobile phones can now be used by a wide group of people in different financial situations. Mobile phones are a necessary convenience. They provide instant communication access wherever mobile phone service is offered. There are two options for mobile phone service: analog, and digital PCS. Analog is the more expensive option and has long been the standard for mobile phone service. Digital PCS is the newest form of phone service. It works by converting human speech into software codes and converting them to audio signals before the codes reach the listener. Because it is software based it provides a perfect platform for a variety of advanced wireless features. Digital PCS is the future of mobile phone service and the soon to be de facto standard for wireless phone service. People can choose digital PCS service for many reasons, though affordability might be the initial attraction. Because of competition by many companies price is always being driven down. Also, the many different customizable price plans offer an affordable package for any type of budget. Companies, which offer digital PCS service are always looking to lure new customers, and therefore are in constant review of their plans always trying to make sure they are treating their customers properly. This eventually leads to the best product for the customer. If there is any drawback to digital PCS it is that the service is still fairly new. Digital PCS systems need to be laid from the ground up. They are physically hard-wired from community to community. While designing a system like this takes much longer, the outcome is worth it. Hard-wired systems provide for a stronger signal, and better connection. Because the implementation of the system takes long, it is difficult to spread digital PCS service quickly. But the service is expanding rapidly and soon, it will cover most of the country. Another drawback is that people cannot use Digital PCS phones in the more common analog environments. Much of the country is already equipped with analog services so it is better to purchase a dual band Digital PCS service phone that has analog service on it also. While these dual band phones are expensive, they provide connections in both analog and digital environments. Since digital PCS is based on wireless software it allows a robust variety of applications to be used with the service. This allows your phone to expand its capabilities. These applications enable you to be reached at all times. Phones using digital PCS service include caller ID, voice mail, paging, enhanced battery management, and encryption systems. These applications make the phone a powerful communication system. Caller ID is a feature that alerts you to what number is calling. When your phone rings the display units flashes the incoming number of the caller. On some phones you can program the name with the number, so the next time that number calls the name flashes along with the incoming number. This feature is useful since the owner can preview who is calling the phone before he even takes the call. People can evaluate the importance of the call and see if their time is important enough for the person who is calling them. Another feature that makes digital PCS superior is interactive voice mail. Interactive voice mail is a voice mail system that alerts you when voice messages are received. Traditional voice mail systems require the owner to keep calling in order to check if new messages are on the system. On a digital PCS system, when the person receives a voice mail, a signal is sent to the phone and the phone alerts the owner of the new mail. This method prevents the waste of unnecessary airtime or personal time checking the voice mail. Digital PCS phones are always in signal contact with the service provider. When the phone is turned on, a signal is always sending information to and from the phone. The signal indicates to the phone how to regulate power. This leads to a longer battery life since the phone can â€Å"sleep† when peak energy is not needed. Battery information is always reported on the display unit, thus allowing the owner to know well ahead when the battery is about to go weak. This allows the owner of the phone to know whether or not to charge the phone or carry a new battery. Digital PCS sends signals in ISO-3 digital format. This means that calls made from a digital PCS phone are encrypted and cannot be scanned or eavesdropped on. Digital voice transmission enables you to feel confident when discussing personal information over your digital PCS phone. Since many people use mobile phones, to conduct business this element is crucial to their goal of protecting sensitive information Alphanumeric paging is one of the best features of digital PCS service. This paging allows someone to send a page with regular text. Also it enables you to receive specially formatted Internet information, such as news and stock quotes. Also having alphanumeric paging allows someone to email the phone, and depending on the phone, a response can also be sent. This feature provides access to electronic mail when one is not near a computer. E-mail has become very important for many people, so having access to email is very essential. This feature also eliminates having to carry a separate pager for your alphanumeric paging needs. Digital phones are the future. They provide services that analog mobile phones could never provide. From an engineering standpoint alone, phones using digital PCS are more advanced and capable of amazing applications. But it is the convenience that digital PCS phones provide which make them a better option for people who are on the move. From a system level, they are designed from the ground up, providing the best connection and signal performance. Digital PCS is software based thus providing better applications such as caller ID, voice mail, enhanced battery management, paging, and encryption systems. They save time by providing on demand information including alerting the owner immediately when a voice mail is received, and when the battery of the phone will expire. They are affordable in cost because many companies are in competition to provide the best service. This provides the customer with ample choices to evaluate. Digital PCS phone service is reliable, robust and affordable. It allows a person to be able to be reached at all times. It is the future and the soon to be standard for wireless communications. Digital PCS, the future of mobile phones is here.

Nursing Implications for Creating and Maintaing a Restraint-Free Unit Research Paper

Nursing Implications for Creating and Maintaing a Restraint-Free Unit Uviversity of Central Florida - Research Paper Example Alternatives to physical and chemical restraints are explored in this research review, as well as the nursing implications for creating and maintaining a unit that is restraint-free. A restraint free environment in the ICU is a situation where there is nothing that restricts the movement of the patient in the ICU. In restraint ICU, the patient is not allowed to make any movements by either controlling them physically with physical devices that limit their movements. Most hospitals today work towards having restraint free environments that would not restrict the movement of patients. To achieve this, nurses have a very important role in the creation and maintenance of the restraint free environments. The philosophy of nurses suggests that nursing includes taking care of someone by showing them love and concern. â€Å"This love and concern must also include the use of professional care for the patient† (Benbenbishty, 2010). When taking care of someone, the nurse has to ensure th at both his and her emotional, physical, and spiritual needs are met. It is also important for a nurse to ensure that while taking care of the patient, they must treat them with respect and dignity and to ensure that their needs and wishes are met. Nurses also have to realize that everyone ages, that aging is a very natural process, and that the old are human beings. This means that every nurse has the responsibility of taking care of the old with respect and not as people who are undergoing both mental and physical deterioration. Nurses also have to ensure that while taking care of a patient, their ultimate aim should be to rehabilitate, and maintain every patient in such a way that they enjoy their daily living in relation to their level of quality of life. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the nurses to ensure that a restraint free environment is created in the ICU. This is because as one patient is restrained, any or all of the above aims may be violated, hence leading to the violation of the nurse’s act. Therefore, nurses have a major role to play in the creation and maintaining of a restraint free ICU. They have to do this so as to fulfill their professional requirements and at the same time to act like human beings and to treat other people not as animals but as fellow humans. Since restraint causes a lot of pain and restrictions to the patient, it should be the main aim of every nurse to do away with it. In the event that the nurses create an environment that is free of any reins taint, then a lot will be achieved. First, the nurses would have fulfilled their career objective of providing an environment that is comfortable and that the wish of the patient can be put into consideration. To achieve this, however, there has to be a lot of increased responsibility on the nurses’ side. First, they have to increase the amount of time that they have to use in taking care of the patient. This also means that since no restriction is availabl e, then nurses have to ensure that they are always there for their patients so that they do not get hurt, especially those who may have some mental problems. Nurses also have to ensure that they closely monitor every patient to know who needs more care. It is also very important that for a free restrain to be effective, nurses have to reduce their level of carelessness and to know the kind of materials that should be kept away from the patient. Even though there is

God the Communicator Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

God the Communicator - Essay Example He also presents in the article that through Jesus’ deeds in His earthly living, healing, feeding, comforting and restoring life, He communicates to His people in action as well (Fjeldstad, 2010). God as the Holy Spirit is also a Communicator, as He guides us in our daily lives, and reveals God’s message to us. In the article God is manifested as a Communicator in His totality. The apostle Paul as cited in the article is a wonderful example of a Christian communicating to God and for God. There is a need for every Christian to understand that he is a communicator, tasked to share the gospel to other people (Fjeldstad, 2010). As God is a Communicator in action, so must Christians convey God’s message, not merely through speaking the good news to others, but to be testimonies of Him, keeping in mind what Kraft states that â€Å"the messenger himself/herself is the major component of the total message,† thus â€Å"we are a major part of the message that we seek to communicate† (as cited in Fjeldstad, 2010). Indeed, communication, which is the ability to express oneself, is God’s gift to humanity (Fjeldstad, 2010). Individuals, particularly Christians should see the vitality of communication in their living. By giving importance to this gift, Christians are able to convey the truth, share the gospel, and save souls unto the Lord. Also through the use of this gift, God Himself can unveil His timely revelation to His people. By communication Christians understand the purpose of their existence, not merely as beings to enjoy the gift of life God has bestowed, but to fulfill the duty to be stewards over His creation, to be His testimony, and to be instruments for the acceptance of souls to receive Him as the

What is the difference between imperialism and colonialims Essay

What is the difference between imperialism and colonialims - Essay Example These raw materials were then to be crafted into finished products that the colonies must then buy from the home nation. The focus of the home nation under colonialism is settlement and establishment of colonies in areas that provided economic advantages. All they expect from the colonies is a steady flow of raw goods and fixed export markets for those same finished goods. Imperialism is different in that the goal in establishing an empire is political as well as economic. The goal of imperialism is to make other nations or territories conform to an ideology that is supported at the imperial center. In colonialism, the interaction and focus of power is in the colonies. Imperialism involves the conquest of lands on the periphery of the empire, subjugating them to the ideology that emanates from the center of the empire. While colonialism and imperialism both have economic advantages for the home nation or center of power, imperialism gains this advantage through forced conformity to an ideology while colonialism creates this advantage through economic, not political

English Jurisdiction Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English Jurisdiction - Case Study Example May, furthermore, complained that she had suffered from emotional anguish after the incident. Consequently, May Donoghue filed an action suit against the manufacturer of the ginger beer, David Stevenson, in April of 1929 seeking 500 as payment for the damages inflicted as a result of drinking the ginger beer (1 page 563 Court Records).1 The consequences of the suit - Donoghue v Stevenson - and the events which ensued later still stand as one of the most prominent cases in United Kingdom's legal history and changed the course of consumer law perpetually, as the decision of the House of Lords, UK's supreme appeals court, established a very significant foundation of the delict law not just in Scotland but also all over the world. The House of Lords affirmed that scope of their judgment principles covered English Law as well (page 564 Court Records).2 Donoghue lodged her case in Court of Session in 1929 with the help of Walter Leechman who at that time was already familiar with the previous rulings of the courts with regards manufacturers' liability to consumers in Scotland (Mullen v. A.G. Barr & Co. 1929 S.C. 461). This previous rulings were the main basis of the Scotland's delict law which affirmed that manufacturers have no obligations to or contractual relationship with an individual if she did not pay for the consumer item. Thus May Donoghue could not claim damages or file suit against the manufacturer under the Scottish delict law. The courts ruled twice removing, Stevenson, the manufacturer of the ginger beer, of any legal responsibility citing the courts previous ruling in Mullen v A.G. Barr. Donohue and her lawyer sought appeals from the House of Lords which overturned the decisions of the previous courts and overruled Mullen v. Barr Co., Ld., and M'Gowan v. Barr Co., Ld., 1929 S. C. 461. The House of Lords argued that the manufacturer is liable to the consumer when he places an item for sale for consumption purposes without aptly examining the product. Care should be practiced in ensuring that the article or item sold to the consumer 'is not injurious to health.' Hence the manufacturer is liable to the appellant as he put upon his product, the ginger beer - designed in such a way that consumers would not be able to determine what was inside the bottle. The House of Lords in this ruling has asserted that responsibility rested upon the manufacturer of the ginger beer as, whether the design of the bottle which made it difficult for the consumers to inspect its content, was done intentionally or unintentionally, the rights of the consumers must be protected. The issue, acco rding to the court, was not the contention that the manufacturers committed fraud but the manufacturer's apparent negligence (page 565 Court Records). Lord Bruckmaster argued that the principles the courts gleaned from the appeal is that, the manufacturer, or anyone who confers another service of work as for instance, the repairer, 'owes a duty to any person by whom the article is lawfully used to see that the it has been carefully constructed.' (page 578 Court Records) However, Buckmaster also notes that (page 578 Court Records), that this duty, outside the contractual obligation of the manufacturer, is very broad and covers every item, because this obligation can be extended to every person

The Developing Person Through the Life Span Essay

The Developing Person Through the Life Span - Essay Example Joey was all the time thinking about the kindness, love and care of the husband and selfishness of the druggist. To him, morality was more than everything and he expected people to be good to each other. He was more concerned about the persons’ character and emotions toward each other which made me decide to put him in stage 3. Part 2 The adolescent was in stage 2 of identity foreclosure. What made me decide this was his reply: â€Å"My mother has always wanted me to become a doctor so I guess I am going to pursue this career. She says doctors make a lot of money and she so much wants me to get into medicine.† When a child prefers others’ choices for himself, he is in identity stage 2 (Berger). Joey did not seem to have explored all the career options nor was he very much acquainted with other career fields because he had always in his mind that he had to grow up to be a doctor as per his mother’s wishes. Joey was excited and satisfied about his career cho ice. Part 3 Joey’s parents exhibit an authoritative style of parenting. Joey replied, â€Å"Dad would say†¦look, staying out at late hours is not good†¦because Sammy (younger brother) would also do the same then. And mommy would say she was going to miss me.†

Domestic Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Domestic Terrorism - Essay Example For instance, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) reported that as of 2010, there were more than 1000 hate groups in America (Bjelopera, 2013). Furthermore, political polarization in the US has been intense in recent years, and there has been a widespread distrust in the government. These are some of the factors further contributing to the growth of domestic terrorists in the US. Although domestic terrorism is a threat, international terrorism is more dangerous to the general American public. This is because most of the domestic terrorists use non-violent approaches that do not directly cause harm to the American public. For instance, animal rights extremists use what they call ‘direct action’ which mainly involves protests and other resistance activities. In addition, non-violent criminal activities involving fraud and cyber-terrorism are also used by domestic terrorists, and these do not necessarily cause direct harm to the public (Bjelopera, 2013). However, for international terrorists, their main aim is usually to kill and cause maximum damage. For example, the 911 attack left more than 3000 dead and property worth billions of dollars destroyed. No domestic terrorist activity can ever get close to

Identify the historical significance related to the theme of freedom Essay

Identify the historical significance related to the theme of freedom - Essay Example â€Å"The Cornerstones of History, a book written by Thomas A. Scott, is quote â€Å" a collection of fifty-nine primary documents presents multiple viewpoints on more than four centuries of growth, conflict, and change in Georgia. The selections range from a captive's account of a 1597 Indian revolt against Spanish missionaries on the Georgia coast to an impassioned debate in 1992 between county commissioners and environmental activists over a proposed hazardous waste facility in Taylor County. Drawn from such sources as government records, newspapers, oral histories, personal diaries, and letters, the documents give a voice to the concerns and experiences of men and women representing the diverse races, ethnic groups, and classes that, over time, have contributed to the state's history.† In Eric Foner’s, â€Å"The Story of American Freedom†, Foner’s idea of freedom can be quote, â€Å"summed up in this very quote, his saying that it is ‘the oldes t of cliches and the most modern of aspirations.’† â€Å"However, what does it truly mean to be free? For the people of the United States, the concept of "freedom† and its counterpart, "liberty† has had widely differing meanings during the centuries. The Story of American Freedom, therefore, "is not a mythic saga with a predetermined beginning and conclusion, but an open-ended history of accomplishment and failure, a record of a people forever contending about the crucial ideas of their political culture." During the colonial era, Foner projects freedom to be comprised of the event, when the â€Å"Puritans believed that liberty was rooted in voluntary submission to God and civil authorities, and consisted only in the right to do well.† John Locke, as well, would argue that liberty did not consist of a lack of restraint, but of â€Å"a standing rule to live by, common to every one of that society, and made by the legislative power.† Foner revea ls the ideological conflicts that lay at the heart of the American Revolution and the Civil War, the shift in thought about what freedom is and to whom it should be granted. Adeptly charting the major trends of Twentieth Century American politics, including the invocation of freedom as a call to arms in both world wars, Foner concludes by contrasting the two prevalent movements of the 1990s: the liberal articulation of freedom, grounded in Johnson's Great Society and the rhetoric of the New Left, as the provision of civil rights and economic opportunity for all citizens, and the conservative vision, perhaps most fully realized during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, of a free-market economy and decentralized political power. â€Å"The Story of American Freedom† is a sweeping synthesis, delivered in clearheaded language that makes the ongoing nature of the American dream accessible to all readers (Ron Hogan). According to the Atlanta Journal of Constitution, â€Å"The book's aim is to increase understanding of southern history as a whole by focusing on a single state. New chapters added since the 1983 first edition discusses urbanization and diversification.† â€Å"’The Journal of American History’† says quote â€Å"that the book, ‘The Creation of Modern Georgia, informed by the latest scholarship, particularly the last decade's studies of the South in the thirty years following the Civil War, his work is an ambitious attempt to understand Southern history through a study of one state.’† â€Å"Bartley's is a stimulating interpretive synthesis, but one that does not lose itself

The Salomon Vs A Salomon Company Limited Case Essay

The Salomon Vs A Salomon Company Limited Case - Essay Example The irony is that just after the incorporation of business into the private limited company, an array of strikes started in the shoe making industry thus compelled the government to diversify its orders to other contractors in order to ensure uninterrupted supply of boots and shoes to the government. To meet the financial losses and to rehabilitate the company back to business borrowed pounds 5,000 from Mr. Edmund Broderip (Salomon v A Salomon & Co Ltd). Alternatively, the company assigned debentures of the same amount. The loan was acquired on a nominal interest against mortgage of property of the business entity (French, 2009). The losses of the company come to such an impasse that it was not in a position even to pay off the interest amount. Keeping in view the situation, the said creditor sued the company to foreclose the assets of the company. The company went into liquidation (French, 2009). The creditor got back his money from the liquidator. Mr. Salomon received back his secu rity which was held by the liquidator (Salomon v A Salomon & Co Ltd). Later on, the liquidator and Mr. Salomon as defendant counter claimed since debentures become ineffective as a result of the fraudulent transaction. Therefore, liquidator pleaded for all the money back that was invested in the business of Private Limited Company since its formation, revalidation of business contract with the government, call back the payable amount plus void of debentures (Salomon v A Salomon & Co Ltd).... Edmund Broderip (Salomon v A Salomon & Co Ltd). Alternatively, the company assigned debentures of the same amount. The loan was acquired on a nominal interest against mortgage of property of the business entity (French, 2009). The losses of the company come to such an impasse that it was not in a position even to pay off the interest amount. Keeping in view the situation, the said creditor sued the company to foreclose the assets of the company. The company went into liquidation (French, 2009). The creditor got back his money from liquidator. Mr. Salomon received back his security which was held by the liquidator (Salomon v A Salomon & Co Ltd). Later on the liquidator and Mr. Salomon as defendant counter claimed since debentures become ineffective as a result of fraudulent transaction. Therefore, liquidator pleaded for all the money back that was invested in the business of Private Limited Company since its formation, revalidation of business contract with the government, call back t he payable amount plus void of debentures (Salomon v A Salomon & Co Ltd). Initially the High Court accepted the claim of Mr. Edmund Broderip. According to Justice Williams â€Å"it was undisputed that 20,000 shares were fully paid up and the company had a right to indemnity against Mr. Salomon. He said the signatories of the memorandum were mere dummies; the company was just Mr. Salomon in another form, an alias, his agent. Therefore, it was entitled to indemnity from the principal.† The claim was materialized accordingly (Salomon v A Salomon & Co Ltd). While confirming the decisions of Justice Williams on the grounds that Mr. Salomon had misused the authority, responsibility, perks that bestowed upon the genuine shareholders and

Nuclear materials trafficking Essay Example for Free

Nuclear materials trafficking Essay Terrorism acts have of late been on the rise in the world a trend which is attributed to the high rates of nuclear material trafficking along the borders of different countries. Nuclear weapons are the major tools used by terrorist which have made the issue of nuclear material trafficking become a major concern of the United States government especially after the September 11 attack of the world trade centre. Nuclear threat was also a major concern to the United States during the time of cold war. The subsequent Soviet Union collapse increased threats of terrorism attacks to the United States making the country intensify its measures of ensuring that terrorists did not have access to nuclear materials which could be used for creation of nuclear weapons. Ever since the era of cold war, United States as well as other countries has put measures to make sure nuclear materials trafficking is reduced thus ensuring the security of the nations as well as the citizens (Williams Vlassis, 2001). Nuclear materials trafficking Nuclear materials trafficking refer to the illegal sale of materials used for making nuclear weapons. The trafficking of these materials is usually carried out though the borders of a country through highly concealed means that at times pass all the tests which may be in place in a country’s border. In some instances, cross border nuclear materials trafficking may be aided by citizens of a country and/ or people working in the migration departments. Due to sophistication in technology being used by terrorists, it has become very difficult to detect some of the nuclear materials being trafficked to a country. This has necessitated implementation of tough and advanced measures to detect nuclear materials. In the United States, the forensic department is the one which deals with analysis of and research on nuclear materials thus making their detection easier. While analyzing nuclear materials in the laboratories of the forensic department, both the chemical and physical characteristic of the materials are analyzed so as to gain all the possible clues of nuclear composition in different compounds. Also, environmental links are also analyzed for the purposes of tracing the place of origin which may help in determining how such products were illegitimated (Cameron, 1999). Nuclear materials are widely categorized into three basic groups which include the SNM an acronym for special nuclear material, reactor fuel and lastly those from commercial radioactive origins or sources. The special nuclear materials contains the basic materials which are used for making nuclear weapons which include the highly enriched uranium commonly referred to as HEU and plutonium. The reactor fuels on the other hand include LEU-low enriched uranium, grade plutonium of mixed oxide and also grade plutonium of reactor and fuel. The mixed oxide commonly abbreviated as MOX is a combination of uranium oxides which are depleted and plutonium. It is usually used as a substitute for low enriched uranium. Commercial radioactive origins or sources of nuclear materials are meant for medical diagnostics, food irradiators, thermoelectric generators and equipments for radiography (LAnnunziata, El Baradei Burkart, 2003). Special nuclear materials are usually targeted and used by terrorists since when they are in plenty, no uranium enrichment or plutonium acquisition is required. This makes these materials the most highly trafficked around the world. Reactor fuels unlike the special nuclear materials cannot be used to directly build or create nuclear devices. However, they are more commonly available especially because they are found in almost all parts of the world. Reactor fuels in conjunction with some of the radioactive materials can be used in the manufacture of dirty bombs as well as devices for radiological dispersals. Terrorists are the major traffickers of these nuclear materials and also some countries which support terrorism activities. Nuclear materials trafficking have been on the rise for the past ten years posing a great threat to the security of the United States and the world in general. Iran for example was believed to manufacture nuclear weapons which made America go to war with this country. Nuclear weapons are dangerous as they can result to mass destruction (Cameron, 1999). Cases of nuclear materials trafficking and the response of the international criminal bodies According to the international criminal law, illicit nuclear materials trafficking as well as trafficking of other radioactive materials are categorized as one crime unlike in many countries where such crimes are separated. The international criminal laws have different treaties which a local prosecutor can use against a person implicated in nuclear materials trafficking. However, most of the treaties used against a suspected nuclear materials trafficker can only be enforced if this trafficking is linked to intended acts of nuclear terrorism. These laws contrast sharply with the United Nations laws which states that a person can be sanctioned if he or she is a threat to the security and international peace. Usually, the trafficked nuclear materials are sold in nuclear black markets (Hossain Shahidullah, 2008). One of the major cases which has been brought to light is the one which occurred in Georgia in the year 2007 involving a Russian citizen by the name of Oleg Khintsagov who was sentenced for a jail term of 8years after being in possession of 100 grams of highly enriched uranium in the republic of Georgia at a local black market. Oleg was detained for a period of one year before being sentenced. According to the report which was issued out from Georgia, Oleg confessed that he had faith that the uranium could received by a extremist Islamic group. He also claimed that he had large quantities of the highly enriched uranium which he said was kept somewhere in his apartment located at Vladikavkaz city, north Ossentia. An approximated 25 kilograms of this product which Oleg was in possession is required to manufacture of nuclear weapon. This estimate is according to the international atomic agency. By the fact that Khintsagov was a Russian and trading at Georgia as well as south Ossetia, this amounted to an international case thus raising international concern. However, by the time Oleg was being sentenced, the authorities in Georgia as well as those who were supporting the republic of Georgia had not established the origin of the materials. The international criminal justice bodies have set in to try and locate the origin of the materials in the quest of establishing how such sensitive nuclear materials could have been obtained by Oleg in such great quantities of more than 3 kilograms (Williams Vlassis, 2001). Another case which attracted international attention was the illegal sale of nuclear technology of Pakistan to Libya and Iran. Pakistan was the source of nuclear materials, weapons as well as technology which were designed in Iran, Libya and North Korea. This revelation has sparked different and troubling reactions in the international community especially the United States. This exchange of nuclear weapon manufacturing technology has contributed greatly to the increase in nuclear weapon manufacture in the world thus posing a greater threat of manufacture of mass destruction weapons. This ahs raised great concern in the international community as the security of the world is threatened and acts of terrorism have accelerated. In response to this discovery, the international community started carrying out investigation to establish the country’s role in this transfer of technology from Pakistan to the other countries. Despite the fact that these activities were carried long time ago and only came to light on the year 2003, Pakistan may face Charybdis situation and a classic Scylla which could be prompted by any foreknowledge by the past and the present governments concerning the above proliferation activities (Williams, 1989). An analysis of how international criminal bodies are tackling the above two cases of nuclear materials smuggling or trafficking The case in the republic of Georgia as well as the case of Pakistan mentioned above have attracted and increased international concerns on the ease by which an individual can acquire nuclear materials illegally. This has also raised the question of the measures and ability of the governments to ensure that nuclear materials as well as radioactive sources are well guarded and secured. The main task of the international criminal system since the revelation of the proliferation activities by Pakistan is to establish whether Pakistan was aware of such activities or not. Investigations were immediately launched to determine whether the countries which obtained this technology and nuclear materials were making or manufacturing mass destruction weapon (Angelo, 2004). After the 2003 revelations about nuclear weapon proliferation in Pakistan, the international criminal justice system apart from embarking on investigation, it formulated new policies to ensure that such actions were not repeated in the future by other countries. This policy was also meant to create avenues to deal with perpetrators who could have been found to have committed such crime. In the year 2004, resolution 1540 was adopted by the Security Council which sought to prevent any â€Å"non state actor† from acquiring or trafficking in any kind of NBC related weapons and equipment, delivery systems or materials. This term non state actor was used not only to refer to terrorists as it was under the earlier security code but also businesses or state officials who were unauthorized. In the nuclear proliferation in Pakistan, A. Q. Khan a nuclear metallurgist is believed to have coordinated this proliferation in which the government at of that time claimed it had no idea nor had it authorized Khan to carry out such activities. The government argued that nuclear proliferation by Khan was supported by different business networks around the world (Babcock, Chen Zhuang, 2004). The resolution 1540 which was included in the security code mandated all states in the world to ensure appropriate measures were put in place. Such measures included national criminal laws, border controls, export controls, efforts for law enforcement, physical security and also techniques of accounting for materials. This was meant to ensure that no non state actor acquired or even succeeded in trafficking NBC weapons and all other related weapons. Before this resolution was passed, there was no prior requirement which mandated the countries to criminalize acquisition as well as trafficking of biological and nuclear weapons (Williams, 1989). The United States also took stern measures against Pakistan after the nuclear proliferation saga was unfolded. When Pakistan started its nuclear weapon manufacture, it was deemed not to be harmful by the United States. United States under the leadership of Reagan had cooperated with Pakistan on military matters. However, after the nuclear weapon manufacture was realized to be potentially harmful, the country conditioned its support for the Pakistan government. This was meant to force Pakistan abandon the nuclear manufacture project. In year 2001, Pakistan was forced to make Khan retire and military was also tightened over the KRL where Khan had been working from. Khan’s network however has not been closed as investigations are still being carried out. Most of the countries where Khan had networks have so far taken interest in the case with most of these networks being closed (Williams, 1989). In the case of republic of Georgia, though the case is not as big as that of Pakistan, it has still attracted attention of international criminal justice. Non proliferation experts launched their investigations to ascertain the origin of the uranium which Oleg was in possession. However, this has not been identified so far especially because Oleg changed his initial confession which he had said he had obtained the materials form Russia. Russian officials were also involved in the investigation owing to cooperate with Georgia in fighting nuclear materials trafficking. According to Russian authorities, the uranium could have been obtained from the country but ten years earlier before it was confiscated in Georgia a finding the United States conferred with the findings of Russia. Although this case was publicized by the Georgian government, it did not attract much attention from the international criminal agencies and only as it did not amount to heavy charges of proliferation. Also, the publicity of this case was met with skepticism from different opinion group with the move to publicize the case by the republic of Georgia being seen as a political provocation on Russia. Also, the possibilities that later emerged that the uranium could have been stolen from a physics lab which had reported loss of about 2 kilograms of uranium in the 1990s made the case not to attract much international attention (Kelly, Maghan Serio, 2005). While conducting the investigation for the above two cases, the international criminal society was faced with several difficulties. In the case of Oleg in the republic of Georgia, it was difficult to obtain accurate information regarding the origin of the uranium. Also, Georgia lacked sufficient resources to help in the analysis of the uranium and had to rely on the findings of Russia and United States. Lack of resources and cooperation form the perpetrators were the main hindrance of this case. Also, politicization of the nuclear materials trafficking was also another reason which hindered compete investigation of the case by the international criminal justice. Georgia was seen like its only motive was to destroy the Russian reputation especially because of the timing of publication of the case. In the case of Pakistan, lack of willing witnesses was a major hindrance for the international criminal justice team. Also, the laws which were in place during that time were limited and could not thus cover the proliferation issue fully (Williams Vlassis, 2001). Conclusion Globalization which has been on the rise in the past few decades have led to improvement in technology for weapon manufacture. With rise in globalization, terrorism threats have also become more complicated and sophisticated necessitating creation of avenues to ensure and enhance global security. Nuclear materials are widely used for the manufacture of nuclear materials which are usually used by terrorists. Guarding these nuclear materials has thus become a vital task for all countries which have them and laws have been formulated by the international law society to ensure that nuclear proliferation does not occur. Nuclear trafficking has however been a major concern for most countries means of trafficking them continue becoming more complicated and high tech. however, it is the duty of a government to ensure that all its nuclear reserves are well guarded and that no unauthorized persons are allowed to possess them. Nuclear materials trafficking from a country whether knowingly or unknowingly may lead to devastating effects to the diplomatic relationships with such a country as well as heavy measures being undertaken by the international criminal law against such a country. To reduce incidences of nuclear weapon trafficking, it is important for all the governments to cooperate as well as establishment of stringent laws regarding this issue. Recommendation While dealing with issues of nuclear materials trafficking, it is vital to have the necessary equipment to enable a government track the origin and contents of such materials. One of the major recommendations is that all government should establish a research institute and a laboratory equipped with necessary machines to enable in easier analysis as well as identification of nuclear materials. Countries should also ensure that the immigration department is closely manned to eliminate chances of collaboration and collusion of terrorists and immigration officers. All individuals entering or leaving a country should be thoroughly checked and screened to reduce chances of nuclear materials trafficking (Babcock, Chen Zhuang, 2004). The government should also take the initiative of training its forensic team, militants, border controllers as well as individuals involved in nuclear materials analyses so as to help cases of nuclear weapon smuggling in a country. All departments involved in the fight of nuclear proliferation and trafficking should also be given adequate funding especially with the current rise in terrorism threats. In cases of nuclear materials trafficking, non proliferation expert teams from various countries should be sent to the countries affected to ensure that results obtained are not biased or prejudiced. A joint and independent team of experts should be formed to help in proliferation cases as well as other related nuclear materials trafficking cases (Wallenius, Peerani Koch, 2000). Cooperation by all countries around the world is vital in helping in the fight of nuclear materials trafficking. One of the ways that the countries can do to ensure cooperation is by instituting stringent measures and laws to cub this vice. The internationals criminal laws should impose heavy penalties on countries from which the materials originate. By imposing heavy penalties, countries may become keener in guarding their nuclear materials from being smuggled out of the country. Stringent measures should also be taken on individuals found to the trafficking nuclear materials. As it stands today, countries are more severely punished while perpetrators are only given to serve a short jail term which cannot act as a deterrent agent. Heavier punishment should be imposed on individuals who are caught trafficking nuclear materials (Williams, 1989). An international court to deal with nuclear materials trafficking and proliferations should also be established to ensure that all individuals and countries prosecuted with such crimes get uniform penalties (Phillips, 2007). Reference: Angelo, J. A. (2004): Nuclear technology. ISBN 1573563366, Published by Greenwood Publishing Group Babcock, H. P. , Chen, C. Zhuang, X. (2004): Using single-particle tracking to study nuclear trafficking of viral genes. Biophysical Journal Cameron, G. (1999): Nuclear terrorism: a threat assessment for the 21st century. ISBN 0312219830, Published by Palgrave Macmillan Hossain, M. Shahidullah, S. M. (2008): Global-Local Nexus and the Emerging Field of Criminology and Criminal Justice in South Asia: Bangladesh Case. Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology Volume 5 Kelly, R. J. , Maghan, J. Serio, J. (2005): Illicit trafficking: a reference handbook. ISBN 1576079155, Published by ABC-CLIO LAnnunziata, m. F. , El Baradei, M. M. Burkart, W. (2003): Handbook of Radioactivity Analysis: Second Edition. ISBN 0124366031, Published by Academic Press Phillips, M. (2007): Uncertain Justice for Nuclear Terror: Deterrence of Anonymous Attacks through Attribution. Journal article of Orbis Volume 51 Wallenius, M. , Peerani, P. Koch, L. (2000): Origin determination of plutonium material in nuclear forensics. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Williams, P. (1989): Russian organized crime: the new threat? ISBN 0714647632, Published by Routledge Williams, P. Vlassis, D. (2001): Combating transnational crime: concepts, activities, and responses. ISBN 0714651567, Published by Routledge

Basic Concept Of Coordination Compounds Biology Essay

Basic Concept Of Coordination Compounds Biology Essay We live in the world of uncertainty and assumptions, no one can predict the next activity, it may be good or bad but thing is how to tackle bad things? Chemistry is the most power full tool to understand the world at almost every scale may be huge or femtometer scale. Chemistry is closely associated with humans day to day life , it application in medicine is major one. Medicine is the life living entity which play vital role in ones life , but how medicines are made? What are their chemical properties and how they affect our body? Let us study the application of chemistry(co-ordination compounds) in medicinesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Basic concept of co-ordination compoundsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The coordination chemistry was discovered by Nobel Prize winner Alfred Werner (1866-1919). He received the Nobel Prize in 1913 for his coordination theory of transition metal-amine complexes. In the starting of the 20th century, inorganic chemistry was not a prominent field until Werner studied the metal-amine complexes such as [Co (NH3)6Cl3]. He further studied the coordination compound of cobalt and ammonia and discovered its different properties. He studied different colors and no. of Cl atoms attached to the compounds and on that basis he proposed a table- Solid Color Ionized Cl- Complex formula CoCl36NH3 Yellow 3 [Co(NH3)6]Cl3 CoCl35NH3 Purple 2 [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2 CoCl34NH3 Green 1 trans-[Co(NH3)4Cl2]Cl CoCl34NH3 Violet 1 cis-[Co(NH3)4Cl2]Cl The structures of the complexes were proposed based on a coordination sphere of 6. The 6 ligands can be amonia molecules or chloride ions. Two different structures were proposed for the last two compounds, the trans compound has two chloride ions on opposit vertices of an octahedral, whereas the the two chloride ions are adjacent to each other in the cis compound. The cis and trans compounds are known as geometric isomers. Other cobalt complexes studied by Werner are also interesting. It has been predicted that the complex Co(NH2CH2CH2NH2)2ClNH3]2+ should exist in two forms, which are mirror images of each other. Werner isolated solids of the two forms, and structural studies confirmed his interpretations. The ligand NH2CH2CH2NH2 is ethylenediamine (en) often represented by en. Basically coordination compound consists of two parts Central metal ion Ligands both metal ion and ligands lie inside or outside the coordination sphere, coordination sphere is represented by square brackets for example [Co(NH3)6]Cl3 here Co is the metal ion and NH3,Cl3 are the ligands , one lie inside and the second one is outside. Contain coordinate covalent bonds 4) Unusual composition: Central metal ion or atom + ligands + counter ion (if needed) 5) Called complex ion if charged For an instantÆ’Â   Basic concept of medicines and how they are discovered Drug discovery is very time -consuming and expensive process. Estimates of the average time required to bring a drug to a market ranges from 12-15 years at an average cost of $600-800 million. For approximation every 10,000 compounds are evaluated in animal studied , 10 will make it to humans clinical trials in order to get 1 compound on the market ! for every drug introduction we need approval for that and once the new drug application (NDA) is submitted to the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) , it can be several months to several years before it is approved for commercial use. Then study is done and the result are considered and if the results are found are same with the drug that is already in the market then the whole project is rejected ! so the discovery of new medicine is very costly , that is why medicines costs high when bought. In general medicines are never discovered , what is more likely discovered is called lead compound. The lead compound is prototype compound that has a number of attractive characteristics , such as the desired biological but may have many undesired characteristics for example high toxicity ,other biological activities, absorption difficulty ,insolubility or metabolism problems , so considering all these things further modified compound is formed which is called clinical drug ,which is ready for many clinical researches. The drug discovered without lead are called penicillins ! How does a medicine works on human body? The quest for knowledge to established how the drug act in a living system has been a thought provoking topic to scientist belonging to various disciplines such as medicinal chemistry, biochemistry and pharmacology. Factors affecting the drugs to reach the active sites Absorption-biological membrane play a vital role towards the absorption of a drug molecule. Soon after drug is taken orally ,it makes the way through the gastrointestinal tract, cross the various membranes and finally reaches the active site. It has been observed that drug moves from a region of high drug concentration to low drug concentration. However the rate of diffusion solely depends upon the magnitude of the concentration gradient (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  C). across the biological membrane. Rate = -k{C(abs) C(bl)}, c(bl) is concentration present in blood and C(abs) is the concentration of drug at active site. Distribution As soon as drug finds its way into the blood stream, it tries to approach the site of biological action. Hence , the distribution of a drug is markedly influenced by such vital factor as tissue distribution and membrane penetration ,which largely depends on the physio-chemical characteristics of the drug. Metabolism (biotransformation)-when a drug molecule gets converted into the body to an altogether different form, the phenomenon is called biotransformation. Mostly the metabolism occurs in the liver. The metabolism products are more polar than the parent drug. Inside liver ,in metabolism two important reactions take Change in the functional groupeg. The side chain or ring hydroxylation reduction of nitrogroup. Conjugationthe drug substance undergoes conjugation whereby the metabolized product combines with various solubilizing groups. Excretion this is also very important process and may be done with the help of a number of process ,namely renal excretion, biliary excretion , excretion through lungs and above all by drug metabolism(biotransformation). COMMON TYPES OF MEDICINES USED IN DAILY LIFE Some of the medicines which we use in daily life are:Æ’Â   CISPLATINtreatment of cancer Paracetamol -reduces body temp. Aspirin reduces pain Local anesthetic 1 )Cisplatin :- Cisplatin is a chemotherapy drug which is used to treat cancers including: sarcoma, small cell lung cancer, germ cell tumors, lymphoma, and ovarian cancer. While it is often considered an alkylating agent, it contains no alkyls groups and does not instigate alkylating reactions, so it is properly designated as an alkylating-like drug. Cisplatin is platinum-based and was the first medicine developed in that drug class. Other drugs in this class include carboplatin, a drug with fewer and less severe side effects introduced in the 1980s, and oxaliplatin, a drug which is part of the FOLFOX treatment for colorectal cancer. The other names for cisplatin are DDP, cisplatinum, and cis-diamminedichloridoplatinum(II) (CDDP). Cisplatin was actually first created in the mid 19th Century and is also known as Peyrones chloride. (The disoverer was Michel Peyrone.) It wasnt until the 1960s that scientists started getting interested in its biological effects, and cisplatin went ito clinical trials for cancer therapy in 1971. By the late 1970s it was already widely used and is still used today despite the many newer chemotherapy drugs developed over the past decades. Structure of cisplatin:- Structure of cisplatin is tetrahydral (sp3) in shape. Here one atom of platinum is bound to 2 chlorine atoms and 2 ammonia atoms. Working mechanism of cisplatin:- The way that cisplatin operates is by forming a platinum complex inside of a cell which binds to DNA and cross-links DNA. When DNA is cross-linked in this manner, it causes the cells to undergo apoptosis, or systematic cell death. One of the methods it uses causes apoptosis through cross-linking is by damaging the DNA so that the repair mechanisms for DNA are activated, and once the repair mechanisms are activated and the cells are found to not be salvageable, the death of those cells is triggered instead. Cisplatin undergoes aquation to form [Pt(NH3)2Cl(OH2)]+ and [Pt(NH3)2(OH2)2]2+ once inside the cell. The platinum atom of cisplatin binds covalently to the N7 position of purines to form 1,2- or 1,3-intrastrand crosslinks, and interstrand crosslinks. Cisplatin-DNA adducts cause various cellular responses, such as replication arrest, transcription inhibition, cell-cycle arrest, DNA repair and apoptosis. 2 ParacetamolÆ’Â   Paracetamol is commonly used for relief in headache , and other minor pain and aches. It also serve as major ingredient in cold and flu remedies in collaboration with opioid analgesics, it can also be used in management of several major disease such as cancer. Structure of paracetamolÆ’Â   In some publications, it is described as 4-hydroxyacetanilide or N-acetyl-p-aminophenol and in the US Pharmacopoeia it is known as acetaminophen. Paracetamol is a white, odourless crystalline powder with a bitter taste, soluble in 70 parts of water (1 in 20 boiling water), 7 parts of alcohol (95%), 13 parts of acetone, 40 parts of glycerol, 9 parts of propylene glycol, 50 parts of chloroform, or 10 parts of methyl alcohol. It is also soluble in solutions of alkali hydroxides. It is insoluble in benzene and ether. A saturated aqueous solution has a pH of about 6 and is stable (half-life over 20 years) but stability decreases in acid or alkaline conditions, the paracetamol being slowly broken down into acetic acid and p-aminophenol. Mixtures of paracetamol and aspirin are stable in dry conditions, but tablets containing these two ingredients, particularly in the presence of moisture, magnesium stearate, or codeine, produce some diacetyl-p- aminophenol when stored at room temperature, and this latter compound is hydrolyzed in the presence of moisture to paracetamol and p-aminophenol. Mechanism of workingÆ’Â   Over 100 years after it was first discovered, we are now learning what the mechanism of action is that makes paracetamol such an effective and useful medicine. It now appears paracetamol has a highly targeted action in the brain, blocking an enzyme involved in the transmission of pain. As with many medicines, the effectiveness of paracetamol was discovered without knowing how it works. Its mode of action was known to be different to other pain relievers, but although it produces pain relief throughout the body the exact mechanism was not clear. The production of prostaglandins is part of the bodys inflammatory response to injury, and inhibition of prostaglandin production around the body by blocking the cyclooxygenase enzymes known as COX-1 and COX-2 has long been known to be the mechanism of action of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. However, their action in blocking COX-1 is known to be responsible for also causing the unwanted gastrointestinal side effects associated with these drugs. Paracetamol has no significant action on COX-1 and COX-2, which left its mode of action a mystery but did explain its lack of anti-inflammatory action and also, more importantly, its freedom from gastrointestinal side effects typical of NSAIDs. Early work (1) had suggested that the fever reducing action of paracetamol was due to activity in the brain while its lack of any clinically useful anti-inflammatory action was consistent with a lack of prostaglandin inhibition peripherally in the body. Now, recent research (2) has shown the presence of a new, previously unknown cyclooxygenase enzyme COX-3, found in the brain and spinal cord, which is selectively inhibited by paracetamol, and is distinct from the two already known cyclooxygenase enzymes COX-1 and COX-2. It is now believed that this selective inhibition of the enzyme COX-3 in the brain and spinal cord explains the effectiveness of paracetamol in relieving pain and reducing fever without having unwanted gastrointestinal side effects. 3 Aspirin In 1897 Flex Hoffman a German chemist employed by bayer and company was researching on the arthritic pain of his father ,then he began his study on the acetalsalicyclic acid and discovered a stable compound which was further refined to Aspirin ! Acetylsalicylic acid, marketed everywhere as Aspirin (USAN), is a salicylate drug mostly used as an antipyretic to reduce fever, as an anti-inflammatory medication to reduce swelling, and as an analgesic to alleviate minor pains and aches. To wit, aspirin is often used to relieve mild to moderate pain and to reduce fever from typical maladies such as headaches, toothaches, muscle aches, and the common cold. This medication may also be used to reduce arthritic swelling and pain as well. This salicytate drug is classified as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug or NSAID, and it works by blocking a certain natural substance in your body to reduce inflammation and throbbing aches. Structure of AspirinÆ’Â   Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid, has a chemical formula of C9H8O4. Working mechanism of aspirin:- Many kinds of prostaglandin exist in the body to serve a plethora of physiological functions, some of which are irritable, others beneficial.   Prostaglandins are among the chemicals secreted by the bodys immune system when it fights off bacteria and other invaders in injuries.   Located around wounds , these chemicals cause pain and inflammation.   Following bacterial infection, prostaglandins are also produced the hypothalamus, the brains center for controlling body temperature, resulting in a rise in temperature.   In their capacities to cause pain, inflammation, and fever, prostaglandins are nuisances.   Inhibiting their production, consequently reducing pain, inflammation, and fever, is the main therapeutic value of aspirin. On the other hand, prostaglandins secreted by the stomach regulate acid production and maintain the mucus lining that protects the stomach from digesting itself.   Prostaglandins in the bloods platelets cause the platelets to stick together to initiate blood clotting in wounds.   In these capacities, prostaglandins are crucial to a healthy body.   Inhibiting their production leads to aspirins undesirable side effects, including upset stomach and excessive bleeding.   How does aspirin curb prostaglandin production?   The many kinds of prostaglandin are synthesized by a host of complicated biochemical pathways.   However, all pathways share a common stage facilitated by an enzyme called COX, whose action aspirin suppresses.  Ã‚   Enzymes are protein catalysts that speed up chemical reactions without being themselves used up in the reactions.   An enzyme is a huge molecule with an active area that works somehow like a mold that accepts certain raw pieces and casts them into a final form.   Imagine a mold that stamps a rod and a bowl into a spoon.   Spoon production would be disrupted if someone throws a monkey range into the mold.   Such a monkey range an enzyme inhibitor would make a desirable drug if it stops an enzyme from producing disease-inducing chemicals.   Aspirin is an enzyme inhibitor.   It suppresses the action of the enzyme COX, stops the production of prostaglandin, thus disrupting the pathways to pain, inflammation, elevated temperature, and stomach protection.   Vanes success attracted many researchers to the area.   Their investigations spread from aspirin to similar drugs that suppress pain and inflammation.   By 1974, it was fairly well established that all NSAIDs act with similar mechanisms.   They are all COX inhibitors. Aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and many other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) work as COX inhibitors.   They suppress the catalytic functions of the enzymes COX1 and COX2.   COX2, which appears up injuries and other inflammatory stimuli, is deemed bad.   It catalyzes the synthesis of prostaglandins that, located near sites of injuries, cause pain and inflammation.   Inhibition of COX2 is responsible for the therapeutic effects of reducing pain, inflammation, and fever.   COX1, which is present in many parts of the body, is deemed good.   It catalyzes the synthesis of prostaglandins that perform many physiological functions, e.g., maintaining the mucus lining of the stomach or causing platelets in the blood to stick and form clots over wounds.   Inhibition of COX1 is responsible for the drugs side effect of stomach irritation.   In reducing the risk of blood clots, it is also responsible for aspirins efficacy in heart attack prevention.   A new class of NSAID, COX2 inhibitor, is designed to target bad COX2 selectively and leave good COX1 alone, thus reducing pain and inflammation without upsetting the stomach. 4-local anestheticÆ’Â   Cocaine is a naturally occurring compound indigenous to the AndesMountains, West Indies, and Java. It was the first anesthetic to be discovered and is the only naturally occurring local anesthetic; all others are synthetically derived. Cocaine  was introduced into Europe in the 1800s following its isolation from coca beans. Sigmund Freud, the noted Austrian psychoanalyst, used cocaine on his patients and became addicted through self-experimentation. In the latter half of the 1800s, interest in the drug became widespread, and many of cocaines pharmacologic actions and adverse effects were elucidated during this time. In the 1880s, Koller introduced cocaine to the field of ophthalmology, and Hall introduced it to dentistry. Halsted was the first to report the use of cocaine for nerve blocks in the United States in 1885 and also became addicted to the drug through self-experimentation. Procaine, the first synthetic derivative of cocaine, was developed in 1904. Lofgren later developed lidocaine, the most widely used cocaine derivative, during World War II in 1943. Chemical structureÆ’Â   All local anesthetics have an intermediate chain linking an amine on one end to an aromatic ring on the other. The amine end is hydrophilic, and the aromatic end is lipophilic. Variation of the amine or aromatic ends changes the chemical activity of the drug. Two basic classes of local anesthetics exist, the amino amides and the amino esters. Amino amides have an amide link between the intermediate chain and the aromatic end, whereas amino esters have an ester link between the intermediate chain and the aromatic end. Amino esters and amino amides differ in several respects. Amino esters are metabolized in the plasma via pseudocholinesterases, whereas amino amides are metabolized in the liver. Amino esters are unstable in solution, but amino amides are very stable in solution. Amino esters are much more likely than amino amides to cause  allergic hypersensitivity reactions. Commonly used amino amides include lidocaine, mepivacaine, prilocaine, bupivacaine, etidocaine, and ropivacaine and levobupivacaine. Commonly used amino esters include cocaine, procaine, tetracaine,  chloroprocaine,  and benzocaine. An easy way to remember which drug belongs in which category is that all of the amino amides contain the letter i twice, as does the term amino amides. The newest additions to clinically available local anesthetics, namely ropivacaine and levobupivacaine, represent exploitation of the S enantiomer of these chemicals to create anesthetics which are less toxic, more potent, and longer acting. WORKINGÆ’Â   Local anesthetics produce anesthesia by inhibiting excitation of nerve endings or by blocking conduction in peripheral nerves. This is achieved by anesthetics reversibly binding to and inactivating sodium channels. Sodium influx through these channels is necessary for the depolarization of nerve cell membranes and subsequent propagation of impulses along the course of the nerve. When a nerve loses depolarization and capacity to propagate an impulse, the individual loses sensation in the area supplied by the nerve.   The order of affinity of local anesthetics for different sodium channel states is open is better than inactivated, which is better than resting.  Thus, the  open state of the sodium channel is the primary target of local anesthetic molecules.  The blocking of propagated action potentials is therefore a function of the frequency of depolarization. The mechanism for differential block, the block of pain perception without motor block, is  still unclear.   *

Dealing with Substance Abuse in Mentally Ill Patients

Dealing with Substance Abuse in Mentally Ill Patients Alizah Al-aman In a course of time the brain has developed in a way to ensure our survival. This survival system incorporates brain’s unique reward system liable for satisfying person’s essential desires (Horvath, n.d.). Unfortunately, substance use is operated within these reward systems that engages an individual in addictive activities. According to Edward (2000) substance use is the hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. It is the dependency that deteriorates individuals physical and mental health. Consistent with the continuum of chemically mediated responses, substance use is a maladaptive coping manifested by frequent use and dependence of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs (APA 2000, p. 198; Stuart, 2009). WHO reported that globally 3.86 billion people are involved in substance abuse in which US has the utmost prevalence whereas in Pakistan it is prevalent among 6.4 million people (Stuart, 2009). If substance use co-occurs with any mental illness it’s regarded as dual diagnosis. Literature proposes that roughly 50% of the people with psychiatric problems also suffer from substance abuse disorders (chrome et al., 2009). In UK three quarters of drug and 85% of alcohol service users have mood and anxiety disorders (NIDA, 2007). It’s a dilemma that which problem occurred first. However precipitating factors like loneliness, family disturbances, psychological illness, illiteracy trigger substance use in psychiatric clients (Donald Gail, 2009). In my view to resolve the misery of such pain and mental illness people engage in substance abuse which grants them pleasure as highlighted in the below mentioned scenario. On my clinical rotation at C0 ward in AKUH, I encountered a middle aged patient with the dual diagnosis of depression and drug abuse. He was a chain smoker since 30 years and recently had angioplasty. According to the patient he developed gastric ulcers 5 years back for which a local physician prescribed him Inj. Nubain. He wasn’t conversant that the drug should be used till certain time as associated with the risk of addiction. Patient continued taking that medication and developed addiction. The medication not only lessened his pain but made him calm and relieved during his depressive episodes. After angioplasty he was constrained for not using that drug which results intense craving. Patient became unmanageable and restless. Then he was admitted in C0 ward but intense craving made his situation worst resulting in tremors, sweating, insomnia, hypertension and mydriasis. When I visited that patient, he verbalized â€Å"I need drug, am very restless, this craving will end my life† so to reroute his mind and lessen his suffering, I along with OT members planned to engage that patient in different activities. We taught him some coping strategies and there was a mild change observed in his performance and condition after psychotherapy and cooping. Glancing the social context in light of scenario, substance abuse is judged as bad deed because it violets societal norms and values by precipitating ferocious acts, poverty, family disturbances etc. In the above case unmanageable behavior lead the admission of the client in ward. In contrast some communities illustrate acceptability too. Furthermore Canadian mental health association (2006) and Steve Susan (2003) proposed the comparable fact that patients with dual diagnosis can provoke violence and peace less situation in a community by sevenfold as well as for those who are caring or living with them. Moreover substance use is 65% prevalent in mid adulthood and my patient’s age was in same age group which predisposed him towards this (Stuart, 2009). Furthermore religion exhibits a fundamental role in an individual’s life. In Islam alcohol is forbidden that’s why researches highlighted less incidence of alcohol abuse in Muslim society whereas higher incidence in western world (Haider Chaudhry, 2008, p.82). Beside this in Pakistan opioids and marijuana is predominantly abused (UNODC, 2013). Opioid use primarily grants relieve in mental illness but its withdrawal encompasses acute depression, chronic craving, tremors, sleep problems, high BP and dilated pupils as evident in my client’s case (Stuart, 2009). Moreover marijuana also serves as a source for decreasing negative symptoms in schizophrenic clients however in response it exacerbates their suffering (Archives of General Psychiatry, 2011). Survey conducted in Pakistan summarized that 53.6% of the adults smoke shisha (Sameer et al, 2012; Khan, 2010). This percentage illustrates the acceptability of tobacco and shisha in eastern world that results psychosis in individual’s already predisposed for developing it (Archives of General Psychiatry, 2011). Bhang use is also predominately practiced in Indian festivities that generate euphoric and hallucinating effects as encompasses psychotomimetic substances (Thacore, 1977). In Western world and Roman Catholics drug abuse is more socially acceptable in females but referred unmasculine in males whereas the consumption of alcohol is considered masculine (Donald Gail, 2009). In US the extreme alcohol use is the 3rd leading cause of death and it also precipitates mental illness by triggering depression, euphoria, mood disorders. Its unavailability would end up leading general depressant withdrawal syndrome. Furthermore 43% of people in US are tobacco abuser however smoking opium is marked deviant (Donald Gail, 2009). Tobacco smoke is twice more common in depressive clients while thrice in schizophrenic patients. Besides granting pleasure it amplifies the chances of relapse in psychiatric patients (Ash, 2013). So while assessing the client with dual diagnosis HCW’s should take these sociocultural aspects in consideration. When my client tried to drop the addiction, he felt intense craving. Craving is evidently depicted in the light of neuroadaptive model as prolonged use of drugs induces specific alterations in the brain cell or neurotransmitters which regulate neural drives and grant pleasure. During abstinence neuroadaption consequences in imbalance in brain function which results craving and this craving is accountable for relapse in individuals (Eliason et al., 2007). Interventions for such clients could be executed within individual, institutional and community level. In my patient therapeutic interaction assisted me to perform MSE effectively. Dealing with craving was challenging nevertheless I taught him some coping techniques, mind diversional exercises. In addition the intervention that can be carried out is drug testing and if the patient has severe withdrawal history so referral can be made to detoxification program (Stuart, 2009). Furthermore the nurse should develop awareness about the state and feelings of substance abuser in order to eradicate biasness in caring. Assessment of withdrawal symptoms should be carried out every shift. On institutional level integrated treatment for dual diagnosis verified as evidence based practice (Stuart, 2009). My client was treated simultaneously for both depression and substance abuse. Moreover medicines should be administered to alleviate craving as Methadone was been administered to my patient for plummeting his craving. Moreover individual counseling and CBT prove as a constructive approach for client’s rehabilitation and relapse prevention. Since 2000 AAS is also working for the rehabilitation of substance abusers using the same treatment methodologies such as psychotherapy and drug toxification Besides AAS there should be more rehabilitation centers in those areas where substance abuse is more prevalent in order to restore mental health. Community level interventions would embraces the conduction of school base awareness programs and workshops for eradicating the risk of substance abuse from initial ages and making individuals realize that substance use is not the accurate coping for alleviating mental illness. Developing religious and social norms would converse an obvious message for drug avoidance in mentally ill clients to whom religion serves as a protective factor. Moreover campaign against substance use on national level would present as example for people in recognizing the harmful effects of it (Reno et al., 2000). Implementation of strict Governmental policies and legislation on consumption and sale of alcohol and illicit drugs can help in reducing the occurrence of dual diagnosis. Detoxification and methadone maintenance programs can be arranged in communities with the assistance of governmental authorities (Stuart, 2009; Reno et al., 2000). In conclusion, substance abuse can co-occur with mentally illness which impact an individual’s life dreadfully. To get rid of this is difficult but not impractical. Diverse prevention strategies and early detection would assist its control and management. Moreover strong motivation from family, health care providers and especially self can immensely facilitate the individual to cope up and live a healthier life (Harrison, 2006).

Henry Ford :: essays papers

Henry Ford A. Historical Narrative 1.Henry Ford, by far the universe^s most renowned industry man, held a strong grip on American business. The Model t, which was his crown creation and the mass production method he used to produce it, changed the face of the current times and became a temper of the times because it was catchy. He had a blue collar appeal to the majority of Americans, who were just that blue collar, because he succeeded on his own merits. Even with the great wealth he accumulated, he still maintained the support of the common folk. 2. In Helbroner & Singer, Mr. Ford is discussed a great deal in chapter 10 Workers and Work. It is fitting that he be discussed in that chapter, due to the hard workers mentality he maintained and his actions concerning his position on the prices of his cars to fit the wages of his workers. H&S describes one of his greatest contributions as being the creation of the assembly line. This creation as H&S says, ^ deliberately speeded up the pace of work as machinery determined the pace of labor^. It also says, ^ the character of work was changed.^ B. Historical Interpretation 1. The author gives a somewhat normal account of Mr. Ford^s life, by normal I mean similar to other information probably heard in description of his life. What is amusing is chapter 7, which is, entitled Genius Ignoramus. This chapter gives information on some of Mr. Ford^s not-so bright ideas such as; the naval submarine he sought to build, and the three motors each day, and his political aspirations that most people do not know about. All these ventures failed for one reason or another, but did not take away from his overall genius in industry. 2. In chapter 30; Henry Ford: Legend and Legacy the author places Ford on that industrialist pedestal that he belongs on. He concludes that his legacy will go on in the continued production of cars in the mass method, as well as the old car and special interest auto clubs and publications. The author also concludes that if he had died before 1914, after he set sweeping changes in motion he would be even more of an immortal. C. Historical Method 1. The author utilizes several sources such as:

SIP Security Essay -- Information Technology

Abstract The session initiation protocol (SIP) is emerging as standard protocol for session control in Next generation voice over internet protocol (VoIP) As it is based on IP it is vulnerable to all IP related threats . Among all the attacks, flood-based denial of service DoS attack is one of the main threats to SIP. Several solutions regarding prevention of DoS are discussed. Efficient Security scheme is proposed for batter performance. I. INTRODUCTION Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) [1] is signaling protocol given by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for IP telephony. Moreover, the 3rd generation partnership program (3GPP) has chosen SIP as a signaling protocol in IP multimedia subsystem (IMS). With more and more multimedia applications and the digital audio/video transport over IP-based networks, SIP is becoming the de-facto signaling protocol. In fact, SIP is a session control protocol that can establish, modify, and terminate multimedia sessions such as Internet telephone calls (VoIP). SIP users are indicated by Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI), consisting of a pair of user name and domain name, e.g. sip:ali@abc.co.uk , which is similar to the email format. SIP signaling between multiple users consists of requests and responses .A call is set up in SIP by the three-way handshake composed of INVITE, 200 OK and ACK messages. The INVITE request asks the cal lee to join or establish a call. If the cal lee’s response indicates that he/she accepts the call by sending the 200 OK response message, the caller confirms that it has received the response by sending the ACK message. When the caller or cal lee wishes to terminate a call, they send a BYE request. ... ... June 2001. [8] T. Peng, C. Leckie, and K. Ramamohanarao, â€Å"Protection from distributed denial of service attacks using history-based IP 108 filtering,† Communications, 2003. ICC'03. IEEE International Conference on, vol. 1, 2003 [9] S. D. D'Souza, and D. Vinokurov, â€Å"Queuing methods for mitigation of packet spoofing†, US Patent App, 2004 [10] M.A. Akbar, M.Farooq, â€Å"Application of Evolutionary Algorithms in Detection of SIP based Flooding Attacks†GECCO’09, July 8–12,2009, Montrà ©al Quà ©bec, Canada.ACM. [11] M.A. Akbar, Z.Tariq and M.Farooq, â€Å"A Comparative Study of Anomaly Detection Algorithms for Detection of SIP Flooding in IMS†, Next Generation Intelligent Networks Research Center (nexGIN RC), 2009.

Real education outside the class Essay

â€Å"Learning cannot be simply equated to a mark, grad, degree or job. It is a life-long process.† Getting a good education and qualification is just a key to enter society, and it does not ensure success in one’s life. To be successful, one must experience the real world outside the boundaries of a school environment, as one’s schooling day are just a small chapter in one’s life. I believe that one can learn more in the real world and society, than in the comforts of a school. However, it is essential that everyone in the world attends at least a few years of formal education in schools. Being literate is important to both the individual and society —– as it ensures that the individual is well prepared to face challenges in their future, particularly in their careers. Education for its citizens also makes industrialisation and growth possible for a country. In schools, teachers help to impact knowledge and skills to students, ensuring that they have foundation in languages, and basic skills in mathematics and science. Teachers also emphasize life values, like honesty and respect, which are valued to be important for one to be successful in the future. Moreover, people will only learn the realities of life when they join the workforce in society. This is because schools are sheltered environments, as students are repeatedly given a second chance when they commit an offence like theft in school. Furthermore, students are given opportunities in schools to experiment in various examinations and projects. However, this is not the case in a real working environment; most employers do not give their employees a second chance when they commit a minor error in their work. In schools, people are taught life values, whilst in a working environment, people have to practice these values in their daily lives in order to survive in the world today. The world outside the school environment is much bigger and more diverse than the school environment. Reading history books and travel guides on various countries worldwide is insufficient to learn more about different cultures and religions. One will certainly learn more about the history and cultures of different people around the world if he is given an opportunity to travel and experience li fe in another country and culture. Furthermore, he could even learn to appreciate and respect others’ lifestyles, and hopefully, also learn to respect and feel proud of his own culture and history. He can also be motivated to gain more knowledge and be more proactive when he sees a more developed city than his own, and learn to  help the less fortunate and not to take things for granted when he visits a country suffering from poverty. People can gain more valuable lessons from challenges in the unpredictable world. In a classroom scenario, tasks and events are usually based on routine and hence are more predictable. Students are hence spared from changes, particularly from world events and problems faced by many working adults. Students can readily read about such problems from various mass media like newspapers and the Internet. However, most students do not understand the extent of such problems faced by their parents or around the world, even though they are well aware of it. This is because they have not experience these problems in their lives. One example is the worrying trend in the world that many youths today are spending money excessively. These youths will only learn to appreciate the efforts of their parents more when they start their careers and realise the hardships of work and society. Learning is a life-long process, and things learnt in schools are just a small part of what we learn in our entire lives. For one to be successful and be able to survive in the harsh world today, one has to be proactive to learn new skills and gain new knowledge through experiences in every single day we lead. Knowledge and skills learnt in schools usually get outdated within a few years, due to the nature of today’s world —– which is fast-paced, competitive and ever-changing. By continuing to learn throughout one’s life, he will be more matured, independent and more confident in handling future changes and challenges. Schools are the places where people begin their learning journeys and these journeys will only end at the last day of our lives. Schools are just a microcosm of the real world, as the real world is bigger and more diverse. Matthew Swift Watching a sporting event on television can be enjoyable, but actually seeing it live, surrounded by cheering fans, provides a much more encompassing experience. While the television provides the viewer a visual play-by-play of what each team or athlete is doing, actually sitting in the stands gives the fan the real experience that images can’t replicate. On many levels, the same can be said for learning. A student can read about the Italian Renaissance or watch a video about the ocean, but it does not have the same impact as seeing the sculptures and paintings in Italy or enjoying the marvels at an aquarium. This can hold especially true when it comes to  learning and experiencing science. Most schools don’t have the equipment or means available to show students what can be accomplished using science. And, in recent years, interest has waned in the topic as more students decide to pursue careers in other fields. Therefore, field trips might help spark an interest in science and possibly inspire students to pursue a deeper knowledge of the subject. â€Å"I think that before students start laboratory-based learning in science, they are greatly excited by it. However, this excitement all too often pales. Students complain that the classroom science lessons lack ‘relevance’,† says Michael Reiss, a science education professor at the Institute of Education at the University of London. â€Å"I feel this criticism should be taken seriously. Out-of-school activities can be very motivating for students.† In 2004, Reiss and Martin Braund, an honorary fellow at the University of York and an adjunct professor in Cape Town, South Africa, published a book about the importance of out-of-school learning called Learning Outside the Classroom. Research from the book was later published in the International Journal of Science in 2006, which highlights several arguments on why science classes should go on meaningful field trips. â€Å"One of the things we’re trying to do is to promote field work as a way of getting [students] interested,† says Braund, who notes that students are generally more interested in animal li fe than plant life. He suggests taking students to a botanical garden where they can be exposed to unique plant life and engage with the various scientists who work in this field. â€Å"It’s not just a question of knowing what it is they are interested in†¦ as science teachers, we also want them to know all the other things. It’s promoting an interest in these things and using the outdoor environment. That is important to us.† The research Braund and Reiss conducted concludes that it is highly important to take students on field trips and promote informal learning, out-of-classroom work, and learning at home, in order for students to fully grasp what is happening in modern science. The pair looked at research from around the world to draw these conclusions. They recommend taking students to botanical gardens, science museums, zoos, and places where they can get hands-on experience and see how science interacts with many other fields that students might have an interest in. â€Å"Field trips are remembered by students for a very long time,† said Reiss. â€Å"They can provide instances of learning and be motivating in  ways th at school-based learning rarely can.† â€Å"Science education really seems to be rooted in the 19th century version of science, which is more concerned with lab work and work in the classroom,† Braund says. â€Å"We wanted to promote field work as an example†¦ that there are more opportunities for mathematics, science, and technology to come together.† In the United Kingdom, field trips and out-of-the-classroom work has been embraced and the Manifesto for Learning Outside Classroom partnership is widely supported. The partnership and its website offer ideas, resources, and research to educators to help make these trips safe and educational for students. If the trips are organized properly, then the partnership says students can â€Å"improve academic achievement, develop skills and independence in a widening range of environments, and nurture creativity,† among other benefits. This partnership is just one of many organizations, educators, and government officials that push for field trips and other similar activities. â€Å"I am glad to say that in the U.K. the last four years have seen a real effort by the national government to see more learning outside the classroom,† said Reiss. â€Å"It is too early to be sure how sustainable this is but such an attitude is to be welcomed.† â€Å"There’s been a rea l push to try and increase the amount of field work,† Braund says of recent progress. â€Å"Not just in science subjects, but outdoor learning related to history, geography, mathematics, English, all subjects in the curriculum.† While there is substantial support for outside learning experiences, Braund and Reiss are still waiting to see the results. They feel that despite the push, some schools are not taking advantage of field work. Braund said the manifesto was created to encourage schools to go out more, but the economy, safety issues, and classroom constraints have hampered this. â€Å"When you take a class out on a biology field trip, that class is probably not just missing the biology time, it’s missing geography, math, or something else,† offered Braund as an example. â€Å"Those other teachers then begin to say, ‘Hey, wait a minute. It’s all very well you’re taking your pupils out to these situations, but they’re actually missing essential learning time in my subjects and that’s going to affect my exam results, on which I am judged’.† â€Å"For one thing, there is increasing pressure on schools to maximize student attainment in examinati ons. Yet such examinations often do not reward learning in out-of-school settings,† added Reiss. â€Å"A second reason is that there is a perception—and often it is a  perception rather than a reality—that today’s stricter health and safety considerations mean that it’s all too bureaucratic taking students out of the classroom.† Many educators instead take their students on â€Å"virtual† field trips, which may include using interactive technology, watching videos, or using computer programs as a means to take students out of the classroom. These have their benefits, but Reiss and Braund agree that they cannot take the place of the real thing. â€Å"Virtual field trips can be a great preparation for and follow up to a field trip, for example for learning about the organisms that might be seen, were seen (or were not!), but they can’t replace a real field trip,† says Reiss. â€Å"I always think [virtual field trips] are the second best,† says Braund. He adds that sometimes the only way schools have access is through a virtual trip, which can prove very educational for students. â€Å"It’s better to do the real thing, but we realize some schools can’t’. †¦ I just think there are lots of things that happen on field work, almost incidentally, that you can never replicate on a virtual trip, website, DVD, whatever it might be.† Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) is the use of places other than the classroom for teaching and learning. It is about getting children and young people out and about, providing them with challenging, exciting and different experiences to help them learn. Learning outside the classroom can happen at almost any time and almost anywhere The ‘places’ where learning happens can have a significant effect on how a young person engages with a subject or an idea. Learning outside the classroom can happen at almost any time and almost anywhere – outdoors or indoors: in the school grounds, on the high street, in the local park, in museums and art galleries, on mountain tops and rivers, in Britain’s remote places, or elsewhere in the world. As an essential way of learning it should not be restricted to the summer or as an ‘add-on’ after examinations. Learning outside the classroom should be built into planning forall learners, every week and all year round. It is a powerful tool that is proven to raise attainment, bolster social, emotional and personal development and contributes to the health and well being of children and young people. What comes to mind when you think of education? School buildings? Lib raries? Textbooks? Curricula? Teachers? Most of us probably  associate education with at least one of these things, and surely many more could be added. But does education take place outside of such formal settings? Can curricula be found beyond that of the normal course of study? And can teachers be found who are teaching outside of the classroom? If we simply consider the amount of time students spend outside of class the answer to these questions would surely be a resounding â€Å"Yes!† And if we add the strong probability that many of the hours spent outside the class are consumed by various media, for example, we can see another strong reason to answer in the affirmative. Students are virtually suffocated with ideas when they leave the confines of the school building. For many their education has just begun when the last bell rings each day. In fact, many students use whatever mental energy they have to learn only those things that interest them outside of school. Educational Sources: Parents What are some of the sources from which students learn? Let’s begin with parents. After years of ministry among youth I am convinced that students want to learn from their parents. In fact, some are desperate for their parents’ wisdom. Thankfully, I have seen the wonderful effects of respect between parents and children. The children are taught the most important truths of life in the home and those truths are accepted because there is a large measure of respect for the parents. Such an atmosphere is patiently developed through the parents’ concentrated, time-consuming dedication to their children. And I hasten to add that I have observed this in single parent as well as blended families. The result is that children who are raised in such a home will usually compare what they are taught outside the home with what they are taught in the home. And the lessons they learn from parents outweigh other lessons. Unfortunately, though, this situation is much too rare. Man y students, including those raised in Christian homes, are left alone to discover what they can without the guidance of parents. When we realize that â€Å"true, meaningful communication between parent and child †¦ occupies only about two minutes each day†(1) there should be reason for concern. That amounts to slightly more that 12 hours per year. If that is compared to the amount of time spent in school, for example, what the parents teach in that brief time can be overwhelmed with contrary ideas. Students spend much more time learning at school per week than they do with  parents per year! This situation should be seriously considered by Christians when evaluating the current educational climate. If Christian parents are not willing to educate their children there may not be much room for complaining about what is learned outside the home. Children have always needed parental guidance and they always will. One of the most important directives for the ancient Jews applies to parental responsibility for the education of their children. Deuteronomy 6:4-7, the revered Shema, states that â€Å"(5) You shall love the LORD your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (6) And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; (7) and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.† This strategic passage was reemphasized by the Lord Jesus (Mark 12:28-30). What a student learns outside of class should begin at home. Educational Sources: What is Heard, Read, and Seen Where and by whom is a student educated outside the school and home? Actually the question should use both past and present tenses. Since we are concentrating on education outside the classroom, it’s important to realize that students are constantly being educated, whether they are aware of it or not. Education does not just apply to some type of formal education; it is very much a part of daily life. The Christian student who is attempting to think God’s thoughts after Him is profoundly aware of this. He lives in a world of ideas, and ideas have consequences. Those ideas are so much a part of life that it’s as if they’re a portion of the air we breathe. Students should be conscious of this, but the same is true for all of us. All of us are students. So where do we find the teachers? There are at least three other sources: what is heard, what is read, and what is seen. First, what is heard? One morning as I went to the front yard to get the newspaper I hea rd a loud, repetitive noise that sounded as if it were a woodpecker hammering on metal. When I located the source I realized to my amazement that indeed it was a woodpecker pecking on a metal light covering near our house. My curiosity was aroused so I pursued an answer to my crazy woodpecker question. It turns out that the bird could have heard his prey inside the covering, but couldn’t distinguish for the moment the difference between  wood and metal. The point of this illustration is that the wondrous nature of nature had provided a teachable moment. God’s creation abounds with such opportunities to observe the variety He has given us. And such moments are part of our daily lives. But most students hear from more obvious sources: peers, radio, television, movies, music, etc. These sources provide a profusion of ideas. They are teachers. And just as in the formal classroom, the student should be listening carefully to see if the lessons should be considered, discarded, or believed. The second source focuses on what is read. Some studies indicate that people are not reading any longer. This is curious in light of the growth of enormous bookstores filled with many obscure and weighty titles. Be that as it may, the printed word still has an impact. Most students give some attention to reading. Words still have meaning, in spite of the efforts of those who would use words to say that words are meaningless. This is especially true for the Christian student. If he doesn’t revere the Bible to the point of reading and understanding it as the foundation of his education, he is like a ship without a rudder. The ship is afloat but it’s at the mercy of the sea and its currents. The last of our sources concerns what we see. Since a large percentage of students spend an enormous amount of time viewing television, movies, magazines, and other media, this is a major educational element. Images abound in their lives. This challenges the Christian student to be especially alert to the multitude of ideas that come through her eyes and into her mind. Educators beyond the classroom are continually vying for the minds of students. Let’s do what we can to lead our studen ts through this maze of ideas. The Curriculum One of the major elements of a formal education is the curriculum. This curriculum is usually set for students in the primary grades, it contains some flexibility in middle school, more flexibility in high school, and significant flexibility in college. Regardless of the educational level a student attains, his formal education includes variety. The same is true outside the classroom. The education he receives there includes a varied curriculum. And that curriculum can be found in varied places, from conversations with those with whom he works, to his magazine subscriptions, to the movies he rents. Let’s consider several ideas that generally are  found in the educational curriculum outside the classroom. Man is the Measure of All Things First, man is the measure of all things. That is, man is the focus of what is taught. This course is called naturalism. God either doesn’t exist, or He may as well not exist because He has nothing to say to us that has meaning. Thus man is left alone to create meaning, value, morality, religion, government, education, and all other aspects of life. This is probably the most influential way of thinking in this country. Think, for example, of the television programs you may have seen lately. Now consider whether or not those programs included the presence and guidance of a deity, whether the God of the Bible or not. With rare exceptions, the education one receives through such sources doesn’t include any concept of God. Instead, man deals with all problems in his own way, through his own ingenuity. Of course the student usually isn’t able to see the long term results of such decisions. As wonderful as the resolution may appear at the end of a program, the ultimate consequences may be disastrous. Pleasure is the Highest Good The second portion of the curriculum is based upon the idea that pleasure is the highest good. This course is called hedonism. Perhaps one of the more obvious places to find this is in your local grocery store. The â€Å"textbooks† that are found in the magazine rack near the checkout island contain this message in abundance. The articles, advertisements, and pictures emphasize the supremacy of pleasure above virtues such as self-control and sacrifice. Take a moment sometime just to scan the articles and emphases that are highlighted on the front covers of these magazines. For example, the contents of a recent teen-oriented publication for girls include: â€Å"Look Hot Tonight,† â€Å"Stud Shopping Tips,† â€Å"Love Stories: Secrets of Girls Who Snagged Their Crush,† â€Å"Hunky Holidays: Meet the 50 Most Beautiful Guys in the World,† and â€Å"The Ultimate Party Guide.† All these titles revolve around the idea that pleasure is the highest go od. True Spirituality Has Many Sources Third, true spirituality has many sources. This course is called syncretism. Current spiritual emphases have led many students to believe that it doesn’t matter what path you take as long as you are on a path. A trip to a large  book store will demonstrate this. For example, you can find many books that contain many ideas about angels, but most of them have nothing to do with biblical doctrine. Or you can find a section dedicated to an assortment of metaphysical teachings, none of which align with biblical teaching. When confronted with such variety the student can be tempted to believe that true spirituality can be found in many places. The Christian student must realize this isn’t possible if his allegiance is to Christ as Lord of all. What Works is Good The fourth idea is that what works is good. This course is called pragmatism. This is a particularly attractive part of the curriculum for Americans. And this certainly includes the American Christian student. But it’s a deceptively attractive course. It may lead to results, but at what cost? I think of a revealing scene in the disturbing Academy Award- winning movie A Clockwork Orange. A young British hoodlum in a futuristic England is programmed to abhor the violence that he continually practiced with his gang. This abhorrence is brought about by forcing him to watch scenes of horrible violence while his eyes are forced open. When he is brought before an audience to demonstrate the change, his programmer tempts him with several opportunities to do violence while the audience watches. He resists the temptations. After the demonstration a clergyman protests by saying that the â€Å"boy has no moral choice.† He was manipulated. The programmer scoffs at this claim and states that the result of the experiment is good because â€Å"the point is that it works.† â€Å"It has relieved the ghastly congestion in our prisons.† These first four parts of the curriculum are naively optimistic. They describe either present or future existence positively because of supreme confidence in man and his abilities. Other portions of the curriculum are not so optimistic. In fact, they can be frighteningly pessimistic at times. There is No Meaning A fifth aspect of the curriculum denies meaning. This course is called existentialism, and sometimes nihilism. The â€Å"big† questions of life are asked, but no answers are found. Then the response is either total denial of hope, which should logically lead to suicide, or living by simply acting in the face of absurdity. These perspectives can be found, for example, in some  contemporary music and movies. The songs of Nine Inch Nails, the moniker for a musician named Trent Reznor, sometimes contain ideas that are indicative of this. The movies of Woody Allen often contain characters and scenes that depict a search for meaning with no conclusions other than individual acts. There is No Truth The last portion of the curriculum is closely connected to what we have just discussed. This course can be called postmodernism. We are living in a culture that increasingly denies an encompassing paradigm for truth. This can be demonstrated by considering what Francis Schaeffer meant by the phrase â€Å"true truth.† That is, there is no â€Å"big picture† to be seen and understood. We only have individuals and communities who have their own â€Å"little truths.† And nothing connects those truths to something bigger than themselves and more lasting than what might work at the moment. This can be heard, seen, and read incessantly. There are too few teachers in the culture’s curriculum who are sharing ideas that are connected to or guided by â€Å"true truth.† The ultimate outcome of such thinking can be devastating. Chaos can reign. Then a sense of desperation can prompt us to accept the â€Å"truth† of whoever may claim to be able to lead us out of the confusion. Germany experienced this under the reign of Hitler. We should not be so smug as to think it could not happen to us. Responding to the Curriculum Man is the measure of all things! Pleasure is the highest good! True spirituality has many sources! What works is good! There is no meaning! There is no truth! These are the ideas that permeate the education a student receives outside the classroom. How can a Christian deal with such a curriculum? Some suggestions are in order. First, the student should be encouraged to understand that God is the measure of all things, not man. God is an eternal being who is the guide for our lives, both temporal and eternal. Thus we don’t first ask what man thinks, we ask what God thinks. So this means that the student must decide on his primary textbook. Is it the Bible, or some other text? Second, the student should be led to realize that God’s will is the highest good, not pleasure. This is very important for the contemporary Christian to understand in light of the sensuous nature of our culture. A student easily can get the idea that God is a â€Å"kill joy† because  it ma y seem that everyone is having a good time, but he can’t because of God’s restrictions. If he can understand that God’s ideas lead to true freedom and joy, the student can more readily deal with this part of the curriculum. Third, the student should be challenged to realize that true spirituality is found only through a relationship with the risen Jesus. Jesus lives in us through the indwelling of His Spirit. And this indwelling is only true for the reborn Christian. Yes, there are many spiritual concepts alive in this culture. Many people are searching for something that will give meaning beyond man’s ideas. There is a spiritual hunger. But if we try to relieve that hunger through ideas that come from man’s perceptions of spirituality, we are back where we started: man is the measure of all things. Fourth, the student should be taught that what works is not always good. Satan can make evil work for a time, but he is the father of lies, and lies lead to spiritual and moral decay. Fifth, the student should be led to believe that life has meaning. The Christian can see the world around him with the eye of hope because God is in control. As chaotic as things may appear, there is a purpose, there is a plan. People have meaning, past events have meaning, present events have meaning, and future events will have meaning. Christ has died to give us salvation, and He has risen from the dead to give us hope for the present and the future. A student whose mind is infused with meaning will be able to handle the despair around him, and he can share his secure hope in the midst of such despair. Sixth, the student should be guided to think in terms of the big picture. Imagine a puzzle with thousands of pieces. Now think of attempting to assemble the puzzle without having seen the picture on the box top. That would surely be a frustrating experience. You would have individual pieces but no guide to fit the pieces together. Many attempt to live this way. But the Christian student has the box top. He can begin to put the puzzle of life together with God’s picture in mind. So, does education take place beyond the classroom? C ertainly! May God guide us to help students learn the proper lessons. Notes 1. J. Kerby Anderson, Signs of Warning, Signs of Hope (Chicago: Moody, 1994), p. 136.  © 1996 Probe Ministries International