Friday, September 6, 2019
Tobacco Use Among Teenagers Essay Example for Free
Tobacco Use Among Teenagers Essay In the United States, tobacco use or cigarette smoking has been identified as the leading cause of preventable death. Almost half a million deaths annually have been associated to cigarette smoking. The prevalence of tobacco use by adolescents has intensified in the 1990s, with the highest rates during 1996 to 1997 and then decreased thereafter (CDC, 1998). If the pattern of tobacco use early on during adolescence ensues, this will result in around 5 million minors who will mature into adults that will experience smoking-related illness in the future.  Medical expenses related to tobacco use have been estimated to cost approximately $50 to $73 billion annually. Such estimates have alarmed the healthcare agencies that they have created comprehensive smoking prevention programs to lessen smoking among adolescents.            The topic of tobacco use among teenagers is related to the goals of Healthy People 2010, which is a comprehensive collection of disease prevention and health education programs that was established by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010 was created by researchers and scientists to address the current issues in public health. The two main objectives of Healthy People 2010 is to improve the quality of life of the residents of the United States, which will result in the prolongation of life expectancy, and to prevent any differences that are observed and reported with regards to different subgroups within the U.S. population.            Massive anti-smoking campaign efforts were earlier initiated in order to deflect young and curious teenagers from using tobacco. These efforts included outright health warnings regarding the serious effects of smoking that are attached to every pack of cigarettes. There was also the aggressive campaign to enhance distaste towards smokers, convincing the rest of the society that smoking is not a good habit for members of the society, especially if the stench and stains of cigarette smoking will be physically attached to the smoker after a couple of months. In addition, legislation has required that a young-looking buyer should present his identification card in order to prove that he is at least 18 years old before he is allowed to buy cigarettes from a vendor. Any vendor who is caught selling cigarettes to a minor has been warned that he could be penalized for providing addictive items to a minor. Unfortunately, all these efforts in dissuading the youth from tobacco use was unsuccessful, as shown in the increase in smoking cases among teenagers as well as admittance to tobacco use amidst all these smoking prevention efforts.            Recent research surveys have determined that a generic smoking prevention program is not as effective as it was thought to be because each state and each school showed a different type of setting that strongly influences a typical adolescent to succumb to the pressure and lure of cigarette smoking. Variations in the factors that influence an adolescent to smoke are present at the levels of the country, state, school, and individual (Lotrean et al., 2006). In addition, the society and environment wherein the adolescent is situated also varies within the United States.            In terms of school-setting influence on tobacco use, research surveys show that smoking is strongly correlated with poor connection with peers at school. This includes the loss of feeling of being a member of a group in school or the simple sensation of belonging to the school society. Tobacco use among adolescents is also strongly connected to a lack of discipline in the school, which is actually a responsibility of the teacher. The lack of discipline is thus a result of an inadequacy in the involvement of the teachers with the adolescent students. It has also been observed that different schools follow a full ban on cigarette smoking within the school grounds, while other schools implement a partial ban. Unfortunately, there are also schools that do not have smoking bans. Schools often have school policies that specifically indicate that when a student of the school is caught smoking cigarettes within the school premises, a corresponding school action will be given to the student. Research indicates that schools that have established strict school policies show a significantly lower rate of tobacco use than schools that do not included any policy on tobacco use within the school’s premises. Another factor that influences teenage students to smoke originates from the school environment is the exposure of students to teachers who smoke within school premises.            There are also specific gender-related factors that persuade teenagers to use tobacco. In an independent study, it was observed that female teenagers are more vulnerable to social pressure at school than male teenagers (Barnett et al., 2007). The same trend in tobacco use is observed when a female adolescent is living in a single-parent home environment, much different from the observations reported from a male teenager who is residing in a single-parent home environment.            Social interactions existing around the teenager also induces them to use tobacco. In a cross-sectional investigation among middle school students, it was reported that there is a positive correlation between tobacco use and alcohol consumption among teenagers (Fisher et al., 2007). Interestingly, it was observed that the presence of family activities, especially family dinners, serve as a protection for teenagers from initiating use of alcohol and tobacco. The only limitation to such observation was that the preventive effect of family dinners is only effective during the pre-contemplative stage of smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol.  Once the adolescent has started smoking or drinking, the efforts of setting up family dinners as prevention or protection schemes has been determined to be ineffective. The role of the family, in terms of social interaction and frequency of present to the adolescent, thus strongly influences any decisions that he may make. The opposite scheme is observed among adolescents who rarely or seldom have family dinners together. It was estimated that these individuals were 50% more likely to use tobacco and drink alcohol. Thus, social interactions within the family members offer an excellent venue for communication between the adolescent and his parents which in turn provide an impact on the behavior of the teenager. The single-parent environment of an adolescent also shows a greater risk of using tobacco. This influence is further complicated when the teenager involved is female. The occurrence of other members of the family smoking at home also influences a teenager to consider and actually follow suit in smoking (Phillips et al., 2007). Aside from that, even if the teenager does not decide to smoke, his exposure to secondhand smoke subjects him to the same or even worse condition in terms of the harmful effects of tobacco on human health.            Another factor that influences use of tobacco among teenagers is the improper application of knowledge or information to actual life choices. In a research survey involving adolescents and their corresponding parents, it was determined that approximately 85% of the youth respondents and their parents admitted that they knew that tobacco use was harmful to their health (Lubman et al., 2007). The figures of this report were quite encouraging, because both the young and adult respondents showed that they were aware of the associated health implications of smoking cigarettes. However, it was also discouraging to read that the report described a striking opposite result with the rates of tobacco use in the same surveyed population, indicating that this population was not capable of translating the information regarding tobacco use and health into actual behavioral output.            The media also has an influence on the use of tobacco among adolescents. Research has described that adolescents who view movies that include a teenager character smoking induces the adolescent viewer to follow suit in a dose-response relation (Sargent et al., 2007). The effect of media on teenage tobacco use is categorically different from the effect of the immediate environment where an adolescent is located.            Given the abovementioned factors that influence tobacco use among teenagers, it is thus ideal to design and implement a smoking prevention program that is based on the actual conditions of a community where susceptible teenagers are situated. An exemplary effort is spearheaded by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) which has proposed that each state create smoking prevention programs to lessen the frequency of smoking among adolescents. Research surveys have been conducted to identify factors that influence youth in considering the use of tobacco as part of their young lives.  The Youth Tobacco Surveillance and Evaluation System was established by the CDC to conduct surveys of middle and high school students at the state, national and international levels. The system is comprised of two parts, the National Youth Tobacco Survey and the state-level Youth Tobacco Surveys. Both surveys were designed to offer smoking prevention programs nationwide.  Each program is distinct for each state and country, depending on what has been observed in the surveys that were conducted prior to the implementation of the smoking prevention program (Rudatsikira et al., 2007). The programs provide information regarding the different types of tobacco that are currently being circulated among the youth, including cigarettes, pipe and cigars. The attitudes of children and youth are also examined in order to determine the influence of different factors around their immediate environment as well as in their homes.            I have learned that smoking among teenagers is not a simple action that is influenced by peer pressure. I realized through my research that smoking among teenagers is influenced by social interactions with the family and friends, as well as in the school. It is also interesting to know that the media imparts a strong effect on teenagers and smoking. I also agree with the reports that describe that different conditions exist in different communities, hence a simple smoking prevention program that involves aggressive campaign against smoking and tobacco are destined to be ineffective in decreasing or controlling the rise in the number of cases of teenagers using tobacco. I will take the information I have learned from this report with me and hopefully I may apply the facts that I have learned in the actual setting.  References Barnett TA, Gauvin L, Lambert M, O’Loughlin J, Paradis G and McGrath JJ (2007): The influence of school smoking policies on student tobacco use. Arch. Pediatr. Adolesc. Med. 161(9):842-848. CDC (1998):  Tobacco use among high school students: United States, 1997. MMWR 47: 229-33. Fisher LB, Miles IW, Austin SB, Camargo Jr. CA and Colditz GA (2007): Predictors of initiation of alcohol use among US adolescents. Arch. Pediatr. Adolesc. Med. 161(10):959-966. Lotrean LM, Ionut C and de Vries H (2006): Tobacco use among Romanian youth. Salud Publica Mex. 48 suppl 1:S107-S112. Lubman DI, Hides L and Jorm AF (2007): Beliefs of young people and their parents about the harmfulness of alcohol, cannabis and tobacco for mental disorders. MJA 187:266–269. Phillips R, Amos A, Ritchie D, Cunningham-Burley S and Martin C (2007): Smoking in the home after the smoke-free legislation in Scotland: qualitative study. BMJ 335:553-557. Rudatsikira E, Abdo A and Muula AS (2007): Prevalence and determinants of adolescent tobacco smoking in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. BMC Public Health 7:176-182. Sargent JD, Stoolmiller M, Worth KA, Cin SD, Wills TA, Gibbons FX, Gerrard M and Tanski S (2007): Exposure to smoking depictions in movies its association with established adolescent smoking. Arch. Pediatr. Adolesc. Med. 161(9):849-856.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Inflammatory Mediators Of Asthma Health Essay
Inflammatory Mediators Of Asthma Health Essay Once IgE binds to mast cells (or activated eosinophils), an amplification system operates since the cells not only release the spasmogens and other mediators specified but also can stimulate ÃŽ ² cells to produce more IgE. Furthermore, the production of IL-5, IL-4 IL-13 and IL-9 amplifies the Th2-mediated events. It is believed that asthma symptoms are manifested because of Th2 mediated immune response. Pulmonary allergic inflammation in mice lead to decrease in pulmonary IL-5 concentration, specific IgE, IgG1, and eosinophil and T cell recruitment in wild type mice in the absence of T cells. T cells are important in IL-4 dependent IgG1, IgE and Th2 cell mediated lung inflammation, further more there is evidence that CD4+T cells have a role in asthma process. For example, in murine model external protein induced T cells increases IL-5 production and produces airway eosinophilia. (Larche et al. 2003) Asthma is a complex chronic inflammatory airway disorder that involves the activation of the inflammatory and structural cells. These released inflammatory mediators cause typical pathophysiological changes of asthma (Peter et al., 2003). There are several lines of evidence that may implicate a mediator in asthma. Firstly, it may mimic features of clinical asthma. Secondly, the mediator may be produced in asthmatic patients. Thus, mediators or their metabolites may be detected in plasma (e.g. histamine), urine (e.g. LTE4), or more likely, the airways in biopsies, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, induced sputum or exhaled air. 1.8.3.1. Histamine Histamine was the first mediator implicated in the pathophysiological changes of asthma (Barnes et al., 1998). Histamine is one of the important mediator of allergy, inflammation and bronchoconstriction. Histamine is synthesized and released by mast cells in the airway wall and by circulating and infiltrating basophils. Antigen-induced histamine secretion is initiated by the bridging of the adjacent IgE receptors on the mast cell surface. Histamine receptors are among the thousands of members of the 7-transmembrane-spanning family of receptors that couple ligand binding to intracellular reactions through interactions with another large family of guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding heterotrimeric proteins. H1-receptors mediate a host of intracellular events most readily characterized by changes in free cytosolic calcium levels. Histamine show different response in mammalian tissue depends upon presence of receptor on that tissue Kulkarni, (1976). 1.8.3.2. Adenosine Adenosine can act as an autocoid cause bronchoconstriction in asthmatics and increase immunologically induced mediator release from mast cells of human lung (Cushley et al., 1984; Peachell et al., 1988). Mast cells also release adenosine in response to IgE cross-linking and other stimuli for mast cell activation. 1.8.3.3. Lipid-Derived Mediators Leukotrienes Leukotrienes are potent lipid mediators produced by arachidonic acid metabolism in cell or nuclear membrane. Several types of airway inflammatory cells, like eosinophils, macrophages, mast cells, neutrophils, and epithelial cells, can synthesize LTs in response to a variety of stimuli. Leukotrienes are important inflammatory mediators involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. All the Cys-LTs are potent constrictors of bronchial smooth muscle. On a molar basis, LTD4 is 1000 times more active than histamine and constrict bronchioles (Dahlen et al., 1980). Cys-LTs, acting on Cys-LT1 receptors produce bronchospasm, airway hyper-responsiveness, proliferation of airway smooth muscle, excess production of mucus and mucosal edema and eosinophilia in the airways, and other features in asthma (Sundeep et al., 2001; Peter, 1998). Platelet Activating Factor (PAF) PAF is ether-linked phospholipid. The synthesis of PAF occurs in inflammatory cells, including platelet, neutrophils, basophils, macrophages and eosinophils. PAF induces airway smooth muscle contraction by releasing other mediators. PAF-induced bronchoconstriction is not inhibited by H1 receptor antagonist Ketotifen. However, PAF-induced bronchoconstriction can be inhibited by LT antagonists, because of involvement of LTD4 in this response. PAF stimulate chemotaxis and adhesion of eosinophils and neutrophils in-vitro (Peter et al., 2003). Prostanoids Prostanoids include prostaglandins (PGs) and thromboxane (Tx), which are generated from arachidonic acid, usually by the action of COX. In general PGF2 and PGD2 contract and PGE relax tracheal muscle. Asthmatic individuals are particularly sensitive to PGF2ÃŽ ±, which may cause intense bronchospasm. Although both PGE1 and PGE2 can produce bronchodilatation when given to such patients by aerosol, bronchoconstriction sometime is observed. Tx analogue U 46619 is a potent constrictor in asthmatic patients, and this effect is mediated in part via acetylcholine release. Prostanoids stimulate airway mucus secretion in various animal species. It inhibits the release of mediators from mast cells, monocytes, neutrophils and eosinophil inflammatory cells (Peter et al., 2003). 1.8.3.4. Cytokines Cytokines are small protein mediators that play an integral role in the coordination and persistence of inflammation in asthma. Many inflammatory cells macrophages, mast cells, eosinophils and lymphocytes) are capable of synthesizing and releasing these proteins. Th2 lymphocytes produce a panel of cytokines, including IL-5, IL-4, IL-13 and IL-9 (Barnes et al., 1998). 1.8.3.4.1. Interleukin-4 IL-4 is critical for the synthesis of IgE by B-cells and for eosinophils recruitment. IL-4 is also involved in Th2 cell differentiation. IL-4 is a key factor in the development of allergic inflammation, and they may also play a major role in exacerbating asthmatic symptoms (Adcock and Caramori, 2003). Figure 11. Role of CD4+Th2cells and Various cytokines in asthma pathogenesis. 1.8.3.4.2. Interleukin-5 It play important role in allergic asthma. IL-5 promote the maturation of eosinophils from bone marrow processor, prolongs their survival by inhibition of apoptosis, activates mature eosinophil recruitment to tissue via synergistic effect with chemoattractants such as eotaxin and promote eosinophil adhesion of vascular endothelium.IL-5 can also promote basophils to release exaggerated amounts of histamine and leukotrienes, mediators that contribute to allergic bronchospasm and congestion in asthma (Fred et al., 2000). 1.8.3.4.3. Interleukin-9 Its major actions include maturation of eosinophils, airway inflammation, airway hyper-responsiveness and mucus over production (Adcock and Caramori, 2003). 1.8.3.4.4. Interleukin-13 IL-13 is critical for the synthesis of IgE by B-cells. Activates eosinophils, monocyte. IL-13 is a key factor in the development of allergic inflammation and they may also play a major role in exacerbating asthmatic symptoms (Barnes et al., 1998). 1.8.3.5. Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) GM-CSF is one of the colony-stimulating factor that acts to regulate the growth, proliferation and maturation of hematopoietic cells.GM-CSF can enhance the release of superoxide anions, also induce eosinophil apoptosis and activation, induces release of LTs, endothelial cell migration (Barnes et al., 1998). 1.8.3.6. Reactive Oxygen Species in Asthma Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated by various enzymatic reactions and chemical processes or they can directly be inhaled. ROS are essential in many physiological reactions and are important for the killing of invading microorganisms. However, when airway cells and tissues are exposed to oxidative stress elicited by environmental pollutants, infections, inflammatory reactions or decreased levels of anti- oxidants, enhanced levels of ROS can have a variety of deleterious effects within the airways thereby inducing several pathophysiological conditions. It has been shown that ROS can damage DNA, lipids, proteins and carbohydrates leading to impaired cellular functions and enhanced inflammatory reactions. ROS are known to play a prominent role in the pathogenesis of various airway disorders such as adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), cystic fibrosis, idiopathic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and asthma (Gillissen and Nowak, 1998; Repine et al., 1997).
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Syrian Refugees in Canada and Cosmopolitanism
Syrian Refugees in Canada and Cosmopolitanism Cosmopolitanism, Global Citizenship, and Syrian Refugees in Canada Introduction Canada, as a nation, pledged globally to take in 25,000 Syrian refugees before February 2016 with this initiative being ongoing (Government of Canada, 2017). This policy has left the nation divided on Canada’s roles and responsibilities within the global community. While there has been extensive media attention drawn to the United States of America’s recent problematic policies pertaining to immigration and security, the global community has been led to believe that Canada is a progressive and accepting nation. However, a study conducted in 2016 by the Angus Reid Institute and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation found that Canadians aren’t as accepting and globally conscious as the Federal Government’s rhetoric has led global citizens to believe. This study found that 79% of Canadians felt that priority should be given to Canada’s own economic and workforce needs over the prioritization of people in crisis abroad (Proctor, 2016). Furthermore, 68% of Canadians believed that minorities should do more to fit in with mainstream Canadian/American society (Proctor, 2016). As both of these polls reveal strong nationalistic ways of thinking, the cosmopolitanism and global citizenship of Canadian citizens may be debated. As cosmopolitanism is the ideology of all human-beings being a part of a global community, having a shared set of morals, rights, and mutual responsibilities; such poll results encourage the exploration of the varying challenges and limitations of globalization. With the global community and global events continuing to become more interlinked due to market deregulation, climactic events, security instability, and transportation technologies; an increased emphasis needs to be placed on the duality of cosmopolitanism with individuals being encouraged to situate themselves within a global setting. It is through elaborating on this ideology that the contrast between centripetal geopolitical forces towards and the opposin g centrifugal forces that have deeply divided geography and history may be challenged. Cosmopolitanism, Globalization, and Global Citizenship The ideology of cosmopolitanism has continually evolved throughout time, being debated as to the nature of its affiliation with globalization, nationalism, privilege, and global citizenship. As it was first theorized in Ancient Greece, cosmopolitanism was viewed as a manner in which an individual’s loyalty lay not solely with the state or the relationships of kin and community, but with a universal shared identity – furthermore, becoming a ‘citizen of the universe’. This ideology of one belonging to a global community, as opposed to a nation-state has been discussed and debated across various works, with each theorist contributing to the narrative of what cosmopolitanism is and how it is subsequently linked to nationalism. With cosmopolitanism and nationalism occurring concurrently, the manner of scale in which each exist has been examined and evaluated. With global interactions becoming increasingly interconnected due to neoliberal policy and shared markets, the relation between individual, state, and identity has been increasingly discussed over the past two decades. It is due to such recent institutional structures and change that scholar Pheng Cheah argues that cosmopolitanism is dependent and sustained by the state or institution. As Cheah views current institutions to have a global reach in their regulatory function, she further theorizes that power is embedded within regulation and that political consciousness or solidarity is dependent state functions, of which can be further influenced by the individual. Her writing further builds upon the theories of Immanuel Kant who initially viewed cosmopolitanism as having four central modalities. These pillars of cosmopolitanism included: (1) a world federation as the legal and political institutional basis for cosmopolitanism as a form of right; (2) the historical basis of cosmopolitanism in world trade; (3) the idea of a global public sphere; and (4) the importance of cosmopolitan culture in instilling a sense of belonging to humanity. However, while several of Kant’s theoretical foundations are still applicable today, the majority of his work does not yield answer for current global circumstances. Due to his work originating in the 18th century, his ideologies were unable to reflect upon the current globalized state of cosmopolitanism. As Kant believed that state had a fundamental role in the moral-cultural education of its citizens, his work did not take into account the individual agency and the violence imposed on various groups- further limiting the notion of global citizenship. Such ideologies of cosmopolitanism being dependent on the state are further contested in the works of fellow cosmopolitan theorist Keely Badger. As her work in response to Kant highlights the ethnic, religious and racial conflicts that continue to degrade life quality, human rights and freedom – she highlights that cosmopolitanism is based on an individual’s education and their feelings of obligation to mankind, free of external government or temporal power. Contrary to the formalized structures presented by Cheah, Badger views cosmopolitanism as being dependent on conversations across boundaries of identity – including national, religious or other; further allowing for an evolving cosmopolitan worldview. Furthermore, Badger emphasizes human plurality of being of the highest value, as well as, through discrediting state violence. Her work continues to further call cosmopolitanism to be centered upon a need for the toleration of the beliefs of others and what one may fail to understand. This notion of individual agency is also agreed upon and addressed in Cheah’s work, as she addresses cosmopolitanism in respect to the relation between cosmopolitanism and nationalism. Due to Cheah highlighting a distinction between the normativity of morality and that of cosmopolitan right, she argues that cosmopolitanism is not identical to moral freedom but is merely an institutional vehicle for its actualization. While this indicates that cosmopolitanism is not necessarily opposed to nationalism, her writing shows that solidarity associated with cosmopolitanism is not affiliated with national character. Therefore, her view of cosmopolitanism is not opposed to nationalism but to absolute statism. While both articles present the limitations to nationalism and the potential violence that has resulted from nation-state tendencies, Cheah and Badger call for the role of non-government organizations (NGOs) to fill a leadership role in our agglomerated world. Both authors theorize that such organizations have a role to administer international cooperation, economic development, international law, and human rights. However, the authors discuss potential limitations of such organizations, of which can be exemplified in Badger’s critique of the United Nations and how the organization walks a fine line between exercising its governance power and working within the confines of conflicting sovereignties. While the work of Cheah does not mention grass-roots initiatives, Badger’s article goes on to call for the need of grass-roots NGOs to combat the rampant neoliberal capitalism that has propagated globally since the 1990s. However, she further theorizes that this manner of overcoming neoliberalism can only be sustained through continual consciousness transcending and overcoming the constraining rhetoric presented by nationalism/statism driven by corporations, as well as nation states. Therefore, it is suggested that cosmopolitanism is distanced from the state and nationalistic identification, as cosmopolitanism from below via normative and politically oriented forms of social action are determined to be more powerful in cultivating a shared cosmopolitan consciousness. Nevertheless, this argument is challenged within limitations of Cheah’s writing as she questions who is privileged as being cosmopolitan and how are transnational underclasses or marginalized groups limited from participating in such ideologies and what constitutes as legitimate solidarity. As the works go onto later agree that social and political movements are needed to challenge nationalistic thinking through the use of non-violent institutional groundings and uprising in attempt to disrupt political loyalties, allegiances, and group identities. Such anarchic ideologies of social disruption are later discussed in the work of Badger, as she highlights the potential usage of social media and the Internet for physical mobilization of cosmopolitan resistance, as well as, facilitating uprisings from below. Such examples in the writing included anti-sweatshop campaigns, democratic revolutions, and shifting conscience of the global community. As both Cheah and Badger discuss the anarchistic nature of cosmopolitanism, this ideology is further built upon in the work of Graham Maddox. As he initially highlights cosmopolitanism’s love for mankind and the rejection of state imposed thinking- his writing contrasts the work of the other author’s, stating that ‘the [average] cosmopolitan’ is a pacifist at heart. His work goes on to challenge the previous writing of Cheah and Badger, highlighting that while the global population has become more interconnected due to globalization- this may have resulted in the rise of nationalistic ideologies and xenophobia. His writing goes on to exemplify this concept by highlighting the prominence of global terrorism and the impact this has had on minority populations in Australia. As global consciousness has the potential to make people nervous and resentful, there may be a shift from cosmopolitan thinking often resulting in increased xenophobia with vulnerable groups becoming scape goats for the public to inflict violence upon. Similar to the work of Cheah, he addresses the role of capitalism and neoliberalism in relation the power struggle with corporate or nationalistic power often prevailing, resulting in the will of the people receding – addressing the masculine nature of Western dominant thought and hegemony. While Maddox’s work address cosmopolitanism in Australia, a nation that has followed a similar colonial narrative as Canada – his work has tied in closely to fellow theorist, Jean-Francois Caron. While the work of Caron agrees with the other theorists that cosmopolitanism can be seen as a superior to national patriotism in regards to the inclusion, she highlights that this idealistic moral posture of cosmopolitanism has no chance of replacing national identities. As she highlights that while national identities are not static and remain intangible throughout time, it is through national narratives and collective mentalities that circumstances are challenged and limits are reinterpreted. Similar to the work of Maddox her work highlights Canada’s cosmopolitan worldview in relation to the nation’s colonial history, adding that it was a distrust of American culture and a sense of ‘moral superiority’ that led to Canada’s national rhetoric being reinforced. While she highlights the nation’s identity as being inherently anti-American, she also gives praise to Canada’s sense of multiculturalism – stating it as a success story, contrary to other countries where such diversity often results in violence. This is later exemplified as she goes on further proclaim that immigrants coming to Canada are welcomed to society and that inter-racial marriage serves as a benchmark for Canada’s openness. However, her thoughts in relation to Canada’s rooted cosmopolitan nature can be challenged due to this work being problematic, failing to account for the complexities of multiculturalism, the experiences of minority individuals, and the continued need for Canada to be more globally consciousness and welcoming of foreigners. The shortcomings and complexities presented within the work of the four cosmopolitan theorists can be further exemplified and expanded upon through an evaluation of Canadians society’s worldviews and realities in relation to the intake of Syrian refugees. As Canada is proclaimed to be one of the most multicultural and globally conscious nations in the world, it is necessary for Canadians to reflect inward to question how we situate ourselves globally, as well as to critically examine the ‘#refugeeswelcome’ initiative. Syrian Refugees in Canada The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that 960,000 refugees are currently in need of resettlement in a third country (Martin, 2016). These are refugees who, according to the UNHCR, can neither return to their country of origin nor integrate into their country of first asylum (Martin, 2016). Together, the international community has committed to resettle around 80,000 refugees each year with Canada resettling approximately 10% of this total (Government of Canada, 2017). The Canadian government’s current goal is to resettle between 8% and 12% of all refugees (Government of Canada, 2017). Several factors contributed to the Canadian public’s initial response to the Syrian refugee crisis, including public outcry for support following the death of Ayan Kurdi, a Syrian child who drown while travelling by boat from Turkey to Greece a child of a family that had been refused resettlement to Canada; and, the 2015 national election serving as a platfo rm for all prime ministerial candidates to debate the ideology of accepting refugees openly. Similar to the ideologies relating to media and the Internet presented in the article of Badger, this serves as an example of how cosmopolitan media has resulted in public conscientiousness and outcry. However, this also exemplifies the limitations of global citizenship presented by Maddox and Cheah as to how migration has become a political issue with bureaucrats, policy makers, and citizens (in a limited manner) determining who can and can’t be a citizen of a country or the world. At this time, Canadian citizens also wanted the federal government to match the rhetoric of Canadian identity as compassionate, openly engaged in the international community and open to newcomers. The newly elected government’s commitment to resettle Syrians was primarily driven by the momentum of the election, and later by the need to demonstrate the new government’s capacity to swiftly implement promises. It is through this shift in political being that Cheah’s theory of the state being made up of the citizens may be illustrated due to the majority of Canadian voters presenting more liberal or globally conscious values. The Canadian government further committed to resettling more than 25,000 Syrian refugees specifically between November, 2015 and February, 2016 with commitments extending into 2017 (Government of Canada, 2017). To date, a total of 40,081 Syrian refugees have resettled across 350 Canadian communities since the initiative was first introduced in 2015 (Government of Canada, 2017). Of these Syrian refugees 21,876 are Government Assisted, meaning that the government will provide the refugee (and their family, if applicable) with accommodation, clothing, food, assistance finding employment, and other resettlement assistance for one year or until they are able to support themselves (Government of Canada, 2017). A further 3,931Syrian refugees were resettled as Blended Visa-Referred Refugees, being selected by the UNHCR with further support being provided by the federal government and private sponsors (Government of Canada, 2017). The remaining 14,274 Syrian refugees are privately sponsored (Government of Canada, 2017). While the number of privately sponsored refugees has increased over recent years the Canadian government has decreased the number of Syrian refugees that are privately sponsored, further limiting the number of refugees allowed to resettle in the country. It is through this permissive nature of allocating the number of citizens Canada allows within its borders, that the notion of cosmopolitanism is challenged by nationalism. As the world is theorized to be interacting on a global scale, the use of borders, immigration, and political discourse pertaining to the acceptance or bigotry towards Syrian refugees remains problematic. This connects with both Badger and Cheah’s theories as this highlights the role government plays in regulating global citizenship and movement. Through disallowing privately sponsored refugees into the country, this top-down approach challenges the bottom-up outcry and mobilization to increase the number of refugees coming into the country. While the government presents the ‘#refugeeswelcome’ rhetoric, through limiting the number of total refugees permitted into the country this representation of ‘welcoming’ may be challenged in a cosmopolitan context. With matching and arrival times between the initial phase of the program from November 2015 to February 2016 being quick, an unrealistic expectation for private individuals or groups waiting to be matched with a new coming refugee family has resulted (Marwah, 2016). Now that the target of 25,000 Syrian Refugees has been met, the process has significantly slowed down, leaving various parties on a waiting list to provide sponsorship (Marwah, 2016). Other groups that were matched in this process have still been waiting for refugees to arrive, with some groups being stuck with empty rented apartments, have wasted resources, and are struggling with the sponsorship morale (Marwah, 2016). Additionally, further challenges exist keeping sponsors engaged and motivated as they may not be matched until the end of the year (Marwah, 2016). This can be associated with the article of Karen Badger as her theology highlights the need for individual consciousness and a conscious civil society. Through citizens being disallowed from sponsoring a refugee, this may potentially discourage sponsorship and result in a reduction of ‘cosmopolitan thinking’ – further encouraging ‘the pacifist’ theorized by Graham Maddox. While there is a need for the Canadian Government to articulate the complexities and the timing of a resettlement initiative of this scale, this process of refugee intake needs to be re-evaluated. With complex decision-making and political structures being overseen increased communication among partnering agencies, as well as, further patience and commitment to support refugees is needed. There is also a need for Canadian society to reflect upon the nature of which the country accepts refugees. While there is a stark difference between the services and preconception of Syrian and non-Syrian refugees, there is a need for increased attention as to the dualistic nature of the acceptance of refugees. Primarily this difference can be seen as Syrian refugees who arrived after the Liberal government came to power do not in contrast to refugees of other nationalities and previous Syrian refugees have to repay the government’s travel loan which enabled their journey to Canada (McMurdo, 2016). While the theory of Caron highlights a multicultural nation, full of welcoming and accepting individuals (as opposed to the USA), this does not accredit the challenges refugees may face upon re-settling. This may be related to this two-tiered system of refugee intake, as the nation ‘being cosmopolitan’ was quick to respond to the Syrian ‘crisis’ yet was not ‘globally conscious’ as to the needs and backgrounds of past refugees. Furthermore, while non-Syrian refugees have arrived with debt and hundreds of cases to slowly make their way through the resettlement process, some Syrian refugees have been expedited and arrived in Canada with special treatment, loan free (Marwah, 2016). By putting forward a helpful and empathetic view towards the Syrian population, the government has effectively created two classes of refugees, disregarding fairness and equality towards all marginalized refugee groups. Others, including the private sector and social services have followed suit in offering various benefits to newly arriving Syrians to Canada. Yet, this welcome has the effect of making invisible any other refugees (Marwah, 2016). With the recent terror attacks throughout the world, and the resulting rhetoric of islamophobia, the initiative to resettle Syrians to Canada has become an increasingly debated topic among Canadians. Similar to the work of Maddox, this notion of uncertainty, fear, and xenophobia have been present in Canada in regards to the intake of refugees. Due to security in the resettlement processing has becoming a point of public contention, the Liberal government has shared and updated regular information/data to ease the fears of Canadian citizens. However, this has not limited the number of hate crimes and racist violence imposed on minority groups (refugee or not). As the nation fears uncertainty, and has been negatively influenced by media portraying terroristic events abroad, the way Canada situates itself within the global setting could become more conscious and aware of the limitation of such thinking. Also, disappointingly, settlement services in Canada have not yet received the same support from the government as was offered in physically resettling the refugees to Canada (McMurdo, 2016). With a huge and rapid influx of refugees, settlement services have been stretched beyond capacity, without sufficient resources to adequately address the refugees’ needs, or the time to invest in additional fundraising (McMurdo, 2016). As a result of the scale of arrivals, enrolling the refugees in language classes and/or schools and allocating housing, along with other basic services has proven challenging (McMurdo, 2016). Certain refugees have been staying in temporary accommodation for weeks longer than usual (McMurdo, 2016). The private sector and civil society have played an active role in responding to the needs of the thousands of Syrian arrivals and to fill this gap (McMurdo, 2016). Further training is needed for professionals to support this specific group of people and their varied needs, particularly government-assisted refugees, who have greater needs and vulnerabilities (McMurdo, 2016). Therefore, like the works of the theorists discussed in the earlier half of the paper, there is a need for civil consciousness and the support of non-government organizations and community groups to implement the services government falls short of providing. Through this anarchistic nature of cosmopolitanism and overall shared responsibility of our fellow countrymen (and women) or ‘global neighbours’, the limitations of nationalism and neoliberal globalization can be continually contested and reframed. By allowing individuals to take ownership of their behaviours on a domestic and international scale, the cosmopolitan revolution may continue to occur, further limiting the nationalistic fear and xenophobia shift the globe may current be seeing. Conclusion As the global population continues to be more interlinked, the theology of cosmopolitanism will continue to change and be reframed through future years. While it may seem that the ‘global citizen’ is being challenged ‘the most’ in recent years due to shifts towards nationalistic thinking and hate crimes increasing, the potential for globally conscious, aware citizens needs to be promoted. While this may be best done at a grass-roots, individualistic level – the potential for positive change may result. With the rhetoric surrounding Canadians and Syrian refugees might not being as ‘accepting’ as the government wants the nation to perceive it to be, increased education and interaction between Canadians and our newest refugee citizens (Syrian or not) yields the potential to break down the barriers of nationalism, further preventing ‘us’ from seeing the benefit of diversity and acceptance. Bibliography Badger, K. (2015). Cosmopolitanism and Globalization: A Project of Collectivity. Caron, J.-F. (2012). Rooted Cosmopolitanism in Canada and Quebec. National Identities, 14(4), 351–366. http://doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2011.616954 Cheah, P. (2006). Cosmopolitanism. Theory, culture & society, 23(2-3), 486-496. Government of Canada. (2017). #WelcomeRefugees: Key Figures. Retrieved from http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/welcome/milestones.asp Maddox, G. (2015). Cosmopolitanism. Social Alternatives, 34(1), 3. Martin, S. F. (2016). Rethinking Protection of Those Displaced by Humanitarian Crises. TheAmerican Economic Review, 106(5), 446-450. Marwah, S. (2016, Summer). Syrian refugees in Canada: lessons learned and insights gained. Ploughshares Monitor, 37(2), 9+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/ps/i.do?p=CPI&sw=w&u=uvictoria&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA459227943&asid=4c7546bee52ffbb9988d6f7497ecf8c7 McMurdo, A. B. (2016). Causes and consequences of Canadas resettlement of Syrian refugees. Forced Migration Review, 1(52), 82-84. Proctor, J. (2016). CBC-Angus Reid Institute poll: Canadians want minorities to do more to fit in. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/poll-canadians-multiculturalism-immigrants-1.3784194
Niagara Falls :: essays research papers
There are many great wonders of the worlds, among them is the Niagara Falls located in Ontario. Niagara Falls is the jewel of geological history in the Niagara District. Did you ever wonder; how old is Niagara Falls? How did the Falls begin? What is the Niagara Escarpment? Niagara Falls is a major attraction site for tourists. This 12,000-year-old natural wonder attracts some 12 million tourists a year. Also, you can go behind the falls for a tour. Honeymooning couples have made their way to Niagara Falls for nearly 200 years. The Niagara Falls to offers some unique charms such as the water, that's the draw. Crashing, plunging, thundering without cease. (It did freeze once.) Although there are taller Falls, there are none wider. Here you also get three for the price of one: The raging rapids of Rainbow and Bridal Veil Falls (American) tumble over massive rock formations in a nearly perfect straight line; amazing Horseshoe Falls (Canadian) form a natural curve. Niagara Falls was formed as the glacier retreated. The upper Lakes began draining into the lower lakes at five to six locations across the Niagara Escarpment (like water pouring from a tap). Twelve thousand years ago, the Niagara River ultimately became the main water outlet over the Niagara Escarpment. The waters of a much larger Lake Erie began to flow over the escarpment into a larger Lake Iroquois (Lake Ontario). The water fell over the escarpment and Niagara Falls was born. The first humans arrived in Niagara Falls Region almost 12,000 years ago, just in time to witness the birth of the Falls. The land was different then, consisting of tundra and spruce forest. During this time Niagara Falls was inhabited by the Clovis people. A man by the name of Dr. Roy Spencer first discovered the birthsite of Niagara Falls in early December 1678 The first person to go over the Niagara Falls and survive was a 63 year old woman named Anne Taylor.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
monetary and fiscal policy :: essays research papers
Monetary and Fiscal Policy      Monetary policy is the plan to expand or contract the money supply in order to influence the cost and availability of credit. Fiscal policy is another tool for the government basically spending and taxing, or borrowing money. Throughout this essay I will be writing about these two policies. I will be basically comparing and contrasting them.      Monetary policy is more along the lines to help the nation?s money supply and help credit so the economy can gain certain things. Fiscal policy helps control the taking, borrowing and spending. Monetary policy comes with different plans to help, such as the easy money supply which helps expand the money supply, it increases aggregate demand, and promotes economic growth. Tight Money Policy is the higher interest rates and the money supply.      Fiscal policy is like missing money. What do I mean by missing money? Well, when you got your first paycheck at work didn?t you wonder why is your paycheck so little or less then what you expected? Well that?s what I mean by ?missing money.? This ?missing money? goes to federal, states, and local governments as taxes. Another example would be when your purchasing an item and the price tag says $30 and when the item is registered the total is $32.48. That?s the taxes making the price rise a little higher.      In my opinion, what I basically think is that monetary policy goes for the banking system to achieve money. For example, say that they offer C.D.?s and say I put $3000 in a C.D at my bank and 6 months later its not $3600. So they borrowed my money to use it for there needs and than they give it back to me with some interest.
Monday, September 2, 2019
Alcohol And Brine Shrimps
Abstract Alcohol catches the interest of many scientists because of its different effects on human, especially during pregnancy. These effects can also be seen in lower forms of organisms, such as that of the crustacean brine shrimp. By studying these, the scientists can get a better understanding on the mechanisms underlying the alcohol’s effects. When other conditions are held constant, a very high amount of alcohol should inhibit the growth or hatching of these brine shrimp eggs.By growing brine shrimp eggs exposed to different concentrations of alcohol and observing the larvae afterwards, the effects of alcohol on these organisms can be revealed in a quantified manner. To do so, volumes of 0. 0 mL. 0. 1 mL, 0. 25 mL and 0. 5 mL of a 100% alcohol were placed in different Petri dishes containing 10 mL of brine solution each. Brine shrimp eggs were then placed and left for a week before the eggs and larvae were obtained and counted. Results show that there are more eggs hatch ed on the system with no alcohol in it.Though the plate with higher alcohol content showed a relatively large number of hatched eggs, it has a higher amount of dead larvae compared to the dishes having lower alcohol content. This shows that alcohol works in two ways, preventing the hatching of brine shrimp eggs and causing deaths to the larvae. I. Introduction Brine shrimps (Artemia) are small crustaceans, and not closely related to the common shrimp. They are usually termed as â€Å"sea-monkeys†and sold in pet stores as fish food.They are very resistant in adverse conditions, and their eggs are able to stay dormant until the right environment induces their birth. Many of these are seen in large bodies of water, for they serve as food for the larger fish and other organisms present in the ecosystem. One interesting fact of these crustaceans is the ability of their eggs to undergo cryptobiosis, a characteristic where they exhibit a â€Å"hidden life†by maintaining a m etabolically inactive state. This happens during adverse conditions that inhibit the growth of the organism.In this case, brine shrimp eggs stay dormant as long as there are large fluctuations in the environment caused by factors such as temperature, oxygen content, and acidity. Because of this, brine shrimps are excellent to be test subjects for this experiment regarding the effects of alcohol on early development. Brine shrimp eggs can also hatch at a short span of time, and grow into larvae capable of swimming by themselves in just a matter of days. Furthermore, there are no known ethical issues regarding the use of these organisms. In fact, a number of studies using this genus have been performed throughout history.One of these is the research of Antonio Marquez’s group, where they tested the effects of bacteria on Artemia franciscana. They cultivated the organism in 10 different strains of bacteria together with some major feeds. The treatment resulted to the Artemis sur vivors having a longer length. The bacteria added played an important role in providing direct feed for the Artemia. They provided essential proteins, vitamins, amino acids, and inorganic nutrients (Marques, 2005). These results can be taken into consideration when designing this experiment.Since the experiment aims to determine the effects of alcohol only, the medium on which the brine shrimp are to be grown must be free of other substances, especially bacteria that might contribute additional nutrients for the organism to grow. The experiment by Marquez also shows the versatility of these brine shrimps in data gathering experiments done on the lab. They are easy to cultivate and grow. Another research, which can complement the purpose of this experiment, is the one tackling about the toxicity of the chemical diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) when exposed to Aremtia salina The group of S.Sanchez-Fortun and M. V. Barahona found out that on high concentrations of DFP, a longer develo pment time is evident on Artemia larvae. A more concentrated solution even showed death on some of the larvae. Several treatments were tested, including addition of the compounds atropine, physostigmine pyridostignime. But only the compound 2-pyridine aldoxime methoiodide (2-PAM) proved to be effective in preventing intoxication due to DFP (Sanchez-Fortum, 2007). These results show the lethal effects of some chemicals to the larvae of some organisms.Aside from DFP, alcohol is another substance that is believed to have bad effects on organisms during their pre-birth stage. In higher animals, such as humans, alcohol is usually blamed for miscarriages, prematurity, and many other defects on birth. This alarming substance caught the attention of many, and efforts have been made to make the public aware of the dangers posed by alcohol. Such effects of alcohol are made notice by Brimacombre and his team. Sometime before the year 2007 ended, they conducted a study to asses the knowledge of health professionals regarding fetal alcohol spectrum disorders or FASD.They conducted several presentations, lectures and demos to health professionals across New Jersey over a four-month period. The groups were then asked to answer a series of 20 questions to determine the depth of their understanding regarding FASD. The results showed that though they are well versed with the basics of FASD, these health group professionals reveal weaknesses in some important areas. One of these is the lack of knowledge on some core diagnosis and treatment of FASD. It was then concluded that more efforts must be done to further increase the awareness of the public to the facts of alcoholism (Brimacombe, 2008).If alcohol has a severe effect on humans, then it is safe to assume that it would also have a devastating impact on lower creatures such as the brine shrimps. This experiment is designed to illustrate the possible threats of varying concentration of alcohol to Artemia. The alcohol’s effects will be determined by adding varying amounts of it to the culture of unhatched brine shrimp eggs. The eggs and possible young hatchlings from the different treatments will then be manually counted and compared with each other.Taking into consideration prior knowledge and previous studies made, high alcohol content would not be optimum for the brine shrimps to live. The treatment containing the most alcohol would then probably have less or no brine shrimp larvae present compared to those cultures with little or no alcohol in it. II. Methodology Prior to the experiment, the solutions and equipments to be used were prepared. Four Petri dishes, brine solution, 100% alcohol, some toothpicks and a brine shrimp egg solution were placed close by for easy access.The Petri dishes were then marked with numbers â€Å"1†, â€Å"2†, â€Å"3†and â€Å"4†. A volume of 10 mL of brine solution was then added to each Petri dish. In the Petri dish labeled â€Å"1â € , 0. 1 mL of alcohol was added and mixed. In the same manner, 0. 25 mL of alcohol was added to Petri dish â€Å"2†and 0. 5 mL of it to Petri dish â€Å"3†. No alcohol was added to Petri dish â€Å"4†, as this is be used as the control system. A clean toothpick was then taken, wetting it by dipping it in a brine solution first, and then in the container with brine shrimp eggs.The eggs were then transferred to Petri dish â€Å"1†by slowly stirring the toothpick in the brine solution contained in the Petri dish until all eggs are dislodged from the toothpick. A new toothpick is then used to transfer eggs in the same manner to Petri dishes â€Å"2†, â€Å"3†and â€Å"4†, using a fresh toothpick for each Petri dish. The eggs were allowed to sit for a week and then they were observed. The eggs and larvae were counted using a toothpick and viewed with a microscope. The data were then recorded and compared.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Perfect Man
There lies a man with no motor or sensory function, who can no longer breathe, eat, drink, or move on his own. He lies there as his life is slowly draining away and you know as a medical professional that the only thing keeping him alive are the â€Å"machines†such as: the ventilator, feeding tubes, intravenous fluids, defibrillation equipment etc. You stand there deciphering the end results if he were to be taken off the machine and a conflict comes to mind. Your thoughts begin to race around in your head about whether it is wrong or right to let him lie there constantly being pumped to stay alive or whether you should take away the support and let him go to rest. There is no one simple answer to the conflict of whether it is right or wrong because the decision does not lie in your hands. As a state law, if the patient is not coherent to decide whether they want to withdrawal or stay on life support it goes to their designated person, and if one was not appointed it automatically goes to next of kin (Murrow). As a medical professional your requirements are to adhere to the patients wishes and if they are not available then the wishes of the family are to be met, even if the family chooses against artificial nutrition and hydration. The family may ask to be educated on exactly what the artificial nutrition and hydration does for the individual. One author writes, in a clinical judgment paper that, â€Å"†¦Most patients and families do not have the medical knowledge and clinical experience to make medical decisions by themselves and therefore need the physician’s guidance. In which case, explanation on why ANH should be given and the benefits of it may be expressed but with minimal, if not none, of your personal persuasion. There is controversy over this entire debate of whether providing artificial nutrition is beneficial or not that it has actually prompted the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine to recommend that research be done and assessed in clinics so that clinical judgment and skill can be used to determine when it is appropriate (Slomka). In one study, a man named, Bozetti and his colleagues decided to examine patient’s quality of life who had advanced cancer and who was on home parenteral nutrition (Fuhrman). In their study they noted that these patients were severely malnourished, could barely swallow, if at all, and were no longer receiving the curative therapy (Fuhrman). Their findings were reported back that the quality of life overall was much better for the patients who received HPN for a minimum of 3 months into their final stages of life (Fuhrman). This study is one of many more that show that using nutrition and hydration in the end stages of life can be beneficial in fulfilling the patient’s needs to sustain life. There has been studies shown were artificial nutrition and hydration is beneficial in a case such as: â€Å"†¦A person who has a temporary bout of severe nausea and vomiting or has diarrhea causing serious dehydration can often benefit from a short course of intravenous fluids to rest the bowel†(Arenella). Since this topic is so controversial the opposing side states that there are more, if not just as many, reasons why a person should not be held on life support. Many reasons include: â€Å"†¦Tubes can damage and erode the lining of the nasal passage, esophagus, stomach, or intestine†other complaints of infections, irritations, edema and many more medical problems are stated as bad outcomes of artificial nutrition and hydration (WebMD). Although these issues can arise it is still important to note that if the wish of the patient is to stay alive, ANH is what is actually allowing them to sustain their life.
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