Free Essays on Why Induction Is Invalid

Why Induction is Invalid Induction is the process of deriving general principles from particular facts or instances. The â€Å"problem of induction† lies in the using of a finite number of instances and generalizing those instances to an infinite possibility of instances. Philosophers of science are constantly debating on whether the â€Å"problem of induction† can be solved or if it is unsolvable. The following essay looks at one author who claims that the â€Å"problem of induction† can be solved. This essay will examine the article Philosophical Foundations of Physics: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science by Rudolf Carnap. The first section will reconstruct Carnap’s argument of why he believes the â€Å"problem of induction† can be solved and the second section will deal with a critical analysis of his argument. The following is the reconstruction of Carnap’s argument from the essay titled in the introduction: If logical/inductive probability can be used to show 100% confirmation with no negative instances, then the â€Å"problem of induction† can be solved. Logical/inductive probability can be used to show 100% confirmation with no negative instances. Therefore, the â€Å"problem of induction† can be solved. In the first premise, Carnap explores the foundation of his argument. The foundation of his argument lies in using induction to derive a valid deductive argument. His reasoning behind this is due to the fact that the conclusion of an inductive argument is never certain. Even if the premises are assumed to be true and the inference is a valid inductive argument, the conclusion may be false (Carnap, p. 17-18). On the other hand, the conclusion to a valid deductive argument is always certain. In deductive logic, inference leads from a set of premises to a conclusion just as certain as the premises. If you have reason to believe the premises, you have equally valid reason to believe the conclusion that... Free Essays on Why Induction Is Invalid Free Essays on Why Induction Is Invalid Why Induction is Invalid Induction is the process of deriving general principles from particular facts or instances. The â€Å"problem of induction† lies in the using of a finite number of instances and generalizing those instances to an infinite possibility of instances. Philosophers of science are constantly debating on whether the â€Å"problem of induction† can be solved or if it is unsolvable. The following essay looks at one author who claims that the â€Å"problem of induction† can be solved. This essay will examine the article Philosophical Foundations of Physics: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science by Rudolf Carnap. The first section will reconstruct Carnap’s argument of why he believes the â€Å"problem of induction† can be solved and the second section will deal with a critical analysis of his argument. The following is the reconstruction of Carnap’s argument from the essay titled in the introduction: If logical/inductive probability can be used to show 100% confirmation with no negative instances, then the â€Å"problem of induction† can be solved. Logical/inductive probability can be used to show 100% confirmation with no negative instances. Therefore, the â€Å"problem of induction† can be solved. In the first premise, Carnap explores the foundation of his argument. The foundation of his argument lies in using induction to derive a valid deductive argument. His reasoning behind this is due to the fact that the conclusion of an inductive argument is never certain. Even if the premises are assumed to be true and the inference is a valid inductive argument, the conclusion may be false (Carnap, p. 17-18). On the other hand, the conclusion to a valid deductive argument is always certain. In deductive logic, inference leads from a set of premises to a conclusion just as certain as the premises. If you have reason to believe the premises, you have equally valid reason to believe the conclusion that...

15 Surprising Facts About Susan B. Anthony

15 Surprising Facts About Susan B. Anthony The 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote was named for Susan B. Anthony, as was a world record-holding ship. What else dont you know about this famous leader of the Suffrage movement? 1. She Was Not  at the 1848 Woman’s Rights Convention At the time of that first womens rights convention in Seneca Falls, as Elizabeth Cady Stanton later wrote in  her reminiscences  History of Woman Suffrage,  Anthony was teaching school in Canajoharie, in the Mohawk Valley. Stanton reports that Anthony, when she read of the proceedings, was â€Å"startled and amused† and â€Å"laughed heartily at the novelty and presumption of the demand.† Anthony’s sister Mary (with whom Susan lived for many years in adulthood) and their parents attended a woman’s rights meeting held at the First Unitarian Church in Rochester, where the Anthony family had begun attending services, after the Seneca Falls meeting. There, they signed a copy of the  Declaration of Sentiments  passed at Seneca Falls.  Susan was not present to attend. 2. She Was for Abolition First Susan B. Anthony was circulating anti-slavery petitions when she was 16 and 17 years old.  She worked for a while as the New York state agent for the American Anti-Slavery Society. Like many other women abolitionists, she began to see that in the â€Å"aristocracy of sex†¦woman finds a political master in her father, husband, brother, son† (History of Woman Suffrage). She  first met Elizabeth Cady Stanton  after Stanton had attended an anti-slavery meeting at Seneca Falls. 3. She Co-Founded the New York Women’s State Temperance Society Elizabeth Cady Stanton and  Lucretia Mott’s experience of being unable to speak at an international anti-slavery meeting led to their forming the  1848 Woman’s Rights Convention at Seneca Falls. When Anthony was not permitted to speak at a temperance meeting, she and Stanton formed a women’s temperance group in their state. 4. She Celebrated Her 80th Birthday at the White House By the time she was 80 years old, even though woman suffrage was far from won, Anthony was enough of a public institution that President William McKinley invited her to celebrate her birthday at the White House. 5. She Voted in the Presidential Election of 1872 Susan B. Anthony and a group of 14 other women in Rochester, New York, registered to vote at a local barber shop in 1872, part of the New Departure strategy of the woman suffrage movement. On November 5, 1872, she cast a ballot in the presidential election. On November 28, the 15 women and the registrars were arrested. Anthony contended that women already had the constitutional right to vote. The court disagreed in  United States v. Susan B. Anthony. She was fined $100 for voting and refused to pay. 6. She Was the First Real Woman Depicted on U.S. Currency While other female figures like Lady Liberty had been on the currency before, the 1979 dollar featuring Susan B. Anthony was the first time a real, historical woman appeared on any U.S. currency.  These dollars were only minted from 1979 through 1981 when production was halted because the dollars were easily confused with quarters. The coin was minted again in 1999 to meet demand from the vending machine industry. 7. She Had Little Patience for Traditional Christianity Originally a Quaker, with a maternal grandfather who had been a Universalist, Susan B. Anthony became more active with the Unitarians later. She, like many of her time, flirted with Spiritualism, a belief that spirits were part of the natural world and thus could be communicated with.  She kept her religious ideas mostly private, though she defended the publication of  The Woman’s Bible  and criticized religious institutions and teachings that portrayed women as inferior or subordinate. Claims that she was an atheist are usually based on her critique of religious institutions and religion as practiced.  She defended the right of Ernestine Rose to be president of the National Women’s Rights Convention in 1854, though many called Rose, a Jew married to a Christian, an atheist, probably accurately. Anthony said about that controversy that â€Å"every religion - or none - should have an equal right on the platform.† She also wrote, â€Å"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.† At another time, she wrote, â€Å"I shall earnestly and persistently continue to urge all women to the practical recognition of the old Revolutionary maxim. Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.† Whether she was an atheist, or just believed in a different idea of God than some of her evangelical opponents, is not certain. 8. Frederick Douglass Was a Lifelong Friend Though they split over the issue of the priority of black male suffrage in the 1860s - a split which also split the feminist movement until 1890 - Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass were lifelong friends. They knew each other from early days in Rochester, where in the 1840s and 1850s, he was part of the anti-slavery circle that Susan and her family were part of. On the day Douglass died, he had sat next to Anthony on the platform of a women’s rights meeting in Washington, D.C. During the split over the 15th Amendment’s granting of suffrage rights to black males, Douglass tried to influence Anthony to support the ratification. Anthony, appalled that the Amendment would introduce the word â€Å"male† into the Constitution for the first time, disagreed. 9. Her Earliest Known Anthony Ancestor Was German Susan B. Anthony’s Anthony ancestors came to America via England in 1634. The Anthonys had been a prominent and well-educated family. The English Anthonys were descended from a William Anthony in Germany who was an engraver. He served as Chief Engraver of the Royal Mint during the reigns of Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. 10. Her Maternal Grandfather Fought in the American Revolution Daniel Read enlisted in the Continental Army after the battle of Lexington, served under Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen among other commanders, and after the war was elected as a Whig to the Massachusetts legislature. He became a Universalist, though his wife kept praying he would return to traditional Christianity. 11. Her Position on Abortion Is Misrepresented While Anthony, like other leading women of her time, deplored abortion both as â€Å"child-murder† and as a threat to the life of women under then-current medical practice, she blamed men as responsible for women’s decisions to end their pregnancies. An often-used quote about child-murder was part of an editorial asserting that laws attempting to punish women for having abortions would be unlikely to suppress abortions, and asserting that many women seeking abortions were doing so out of desperation, not casually. She also asserted that â€Å"forced maternity† within legal marriage - because husbands were not seeing their wives as having a right to their own bodies and selves - was another outrage. 12. She May Have Had Lesbian Relationships Anthony lived at a time when the concept of â€Å"lesbian† hadn’t really surfaced. It’s hard to differentiate whether â€Å"romantic friendships† and â€Å"Boston marriages† of the time would have been considered lesbian relationships today. Anthony lived for many of her adult years with her sister Mary. Women (and men) wrote in more romantic terms of friendships than we do today, so when Susan B. Anthony, in a letter, wrote that she â€Å"shall go to Chicago and visit my new lover - dear Mrs. Gross† it’s hard to know what she really meant. Clearly, there were very strong emotional bonds between Anthony and some other women. As Lillian Falderman documents in the controversial  To Believe in Women, Anthony also wrote of her distress when fellow feminists got married to men or had children, and wrote in very flirtatious ways - including invitations to share her bed. Her niece Lucy Anthony was a life partner of suffrage leader and Methodist minister Anna Howard Shaw, so such relationships were not foreign to her experience. Faderman suggests that Susan B. Anthony may have had relationships with Anna Dickinson, Rachel Avery, and Emily Gross at different times in her life. There are photos of Emily Gross and Anthony together, and even a statue of the two created in 1896.  Unlike others in her circle, however, her relationships with women never had the permanence of a â€Å"Boston marriage.† We really can’t know for sure if the relationships were what we’d today call lesbian relationships, but we do know that the idea that Anthony was a lonely single woman is not at all the full story. She had rich friendships with her female friends. She had some real friendships with men, as well, though those letters are not so flirtatious. 13. A Ship Named for Susan B. Anthony Holds a World’s Record In 1942, a ship was named for Susan B. Anthony. Constructed in 1930 and called the  Santa Clara  until the Navy chartered it on August 7, 1942, the ship became one of very few named for a woman. It was commissioned in September and became a transport ship carrying troops and equipment for the Allied invasion of North Africa in October and November. It made three voyages from the U.S. coast to North Africa. After landing troops and equipment in Sicily in July 1943 as part of the Allied invasion of Sicily, it took heavy enemy aircraft fire and bombings and shot down two of the enemy bombers. Returning to the United States, it spent months taking troops and equipment to Europe in preparation for the invasion of Normandy. On June 7, 1944, it struck a mine off of Normandy. After failed attempts to save it, the troops and crew were evacuated and the  Susan B. Anthony  sank. As of the year 2015, this was the largest rescue on record of people from a ship without any loss of life. 14. The B Stands for Brownell Anthonys parents gave Susan the middle name Brownell.  Simeon Brownell (born 1821) was another Quaker abolitionist who supported Anthonys womens rights work, and his family may have been related to or friends with Anthonys parents. 15. The Law Giving Women the Vote Was Called the Susan B. Anthony Amendment Anthony died in 1906, so the continuing struggle to win the vote honored her memory with this name for the proposed 19th Constitutional Amendment. Sources Anderson, Bonnie S. The Rabbis Atheist Daughter: Ernestine Rose, International Feminist Pioneer. 1st Edition, Oxford University Press, January 2, 2017. Falderman, Lillian. To Believe in Women: What Lesbians Have Done For America - A History. Kindle Edition, Mariner Books, Movember 1, 2017. Rhodes, Jesse. Happy Birthday, Susan B. Anthony. Smithsonian, February 15, 2011. Schiff, Stacy. Desperately Seeking Susan. The New York Times, October 13, 2006. Stanton, Elizabeth Cady. History of Woman Suffrage. Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Kindle Edition, GIANLUCA, November 29, 2017.

15 Surprising Facts About Susan B. Anthony

15 Surprising Facts About Susan B. Anthony The 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote was named for Susan B. Anthony, as was a world record-holding ship. What else dont you know about this famous leader of the Suffrage movement? 1. She Was Not  at the 1848 Woman’s Rights Convention At the time of that first womens rights convention in Seneca Falls, as Elizabeth Cady Stanton later wrote in  her reminiscences  History of Woman Suffrage,  Anthony was teaching school in Canajoharie, in the Mohawk Valley. Stanton reports that Anthony, when she read of the proceedings, was â€Å"startled and amused† and â€Å"laughed heartily at the novelty and presumption of the demand.† Anthony’s sister Mary (with whom Susan lived for many years in adulthood) and their parents attended a woman’s rights meeting held at the First Unitarian Church in Rochester, where the Anthony family had begun attending services, after the Seneca Falls meeting. There, they signed a copy of the  Declaration of Sentiments  passed at Seneca Falls.  Susan was not present to attend. 2. She Was for Abolition First Susan B. Anthony was circulating anti-slavery petitions when she was 16 and 17 years old.  She worked for a while as the New York state agent for the American Anti-Slavery Society. Like many other women abolitionists, she began to see that in the â€Å"aristocracy of sex†¦woman finds a political master in her father, husband, brother, son† (History of Woman Suffrage). She  first met Elizabeth Cady Stanton  after Stanton had attended an anti-slavery meeting at Seneca Falls. 3. She Co-Founded the New York Women’s State Temperance Society Elizabeth Cady Stanton and  Lucretia Mott’s experience of being unable to speak at an international anti-slavery meeting led to their forming the  1848 Woman’s Rights Convention at Seneca Falls. When Anthony was not permitted to speak at a temperance meeting, she and Stanton formed a women’s temperance group in their state. 4. She Celebrated Her 80th Birthday at the White House By the time she was 80 years old, even though woman suffrage was far from won, Anthony was enough of a public institution that President William McKinley invited her to celebrate her birthday at the White House. 5. She Voted in the Presidential Election of 1872 Susan B. Anthony and a group of 14 other women in Rochester, New York, registered to vote at a local barber shop in 1872, part of the New Departure strategy of the woman suffrage movement. On November 5, 1872, she cast a ballot in the presidential election. On November 28, the 15 women and the registrars were arrested. Anthony contended that women already had the constitutional right to vote. The court disagreed in  United States v. Susan B. Anthony. She was fined $100 for voting and refused to pay. 6. She Was the First Real Woman Depicted on U.S. Currency While other female figures like Lady Liberty had been on the currency before, the 1979 dollar featuring Susan B. Anthony was the first time a real, historical woman appeared on any U.S. currency.  These dollars were only minted from 1979 through 1981 when production was halted because the dollars were easily confused with quarters. The coin was minted again in 1999 to meet demand from the vending machine industry. 7. She Had Little Patience for Traditional Christianity Originally a Quaker, with a maternal grandfather who had been a Universalist, Susan B. Anthony became more active with the Unitarians later. She, like many of her time, flirted with Spiritualism, a belief that spirits were part of the natural world and thus could be communicated with.  She kept her religious ideas mostly private, though she defended the publication of  The Woman’s Bible  and criticized religious institutions and teachings that portrayed women as inferior or subordinate. Claims that she was an atheist are usually based on her critique of religious institutions and religion as practiced.  She defended the right of Ernestine Rose to be president of the National Women’s Rights Convention in 1854, though many called Rose, a Jew married to a Christian, an atheist, probably accurately. Anthony said about that controversy that â€Å"every religion - or none - should have an equal right on the platform.† She also wrote, â€Å"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.† At another time, she wrote, â€Å"I shall earnestly and persistently continue to urge all women to the practical recognition of the old Revolutionary maxim. Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.† Whether she was an atheist, or just believed in a different idea of God than some of her evangelical opponents, is not certain. 8. Frederick Douglass Was a Lifelong Friend Though they split over the issue of the priority of black male suffrage in the 1860s - a split which also split the feminist movement until 1890 - Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass were lifelong friends. They knew each other from early days in Rochester, where in the 1840s and 1850s, he was part of the anti-slavery circle that Susan and her family were part of. On the day Douglass died, he had sat next to Anthony on the platform of a women’s rights meeting in Washington, D.C. During the split over the 15th Amendment’s granting of suffrage rights to black males, Douglass tried to influence Anthony to support the ratification. Anthony, appalled that the Amendment would introduce the word â€Å"male† into the Constitution for the first time, disagreed. 9. Her Earliest Known Anthony Ancestor Was German Susan B. Anthony’s Anthony ancestors came to America via England in 1634. The Anthonys had been a prominent and well-educated family. The English Anthonys were descended from a William Anthony in Germany who was an engraver. He served as Chief Engraver of the Royal Mint during the reigns of Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. 10. Her Maternal Grandfather Fought in the American Revolution Daniel Read enlisted in the Continental Army after the battle of Lexington, served under Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen among other commanders, and after the war was elected as a Whig to the Massachusetts legislature. He became a Universalist, though his wife kept praying he would return to traditional Christianity. 11. Her Position on Abortion Is Misrepresented While Anthony, like other leading women of her time, deplored abortion both as â€Å"child-murder† and as a threat to the life of women under then-current medical practice, she blamed men as responsible for women’s decisions to end their pregnancies. An often-used quote about child-murder was part of an editorial asserting that laws attempting to punish women for having abortions would be unlikely to suppress abortions, and asserting that many women seeking abortions were doing so out of desperation, not casually. She also asserted that â€Å"forced maternity† within legal marriage - because husbands were not seeing their wives as having a right to their own bodies and selves - was another outrage. 12. She May Have Had Lesbian Relationships Anthony lived at a time when the concept of â€Å"lesbian† hadn’t really surfaced. It’s hard to differentiate whether â€Å"romantic friendships† and â€Å"Boston marriages† of the time would have been considered lesbian relationships today. Anthony lived for many of her adult years with her sister Mary. Women (and men) wrote in more romantic terms of friendships than we do today, so when Susan B. Anthony, in a letter, wrote that she â€Å"shall go to Chicago and visit my new lover - dear Mrs. Gross† it’s hard to know what she really meant. Clearly, there were very strong emotional bonds between Anthony and some other women. As Lillian Falderman documents in the controversial  To Believe in Women, Anthony also wrote of her distress when fellow feminists got married to men or had children, and wrote in very flirtatious ways - including invitations to share her bed. Her niece Lucy Anthony was a life partner of suffrage leader and Methodist minister Anna Howard Shaw, so such relationships were not foreign to her experience. Faderman suggests that Susan B. Anthony may have had relationships with Anna Dickinson, Rachel Avery, and Emily Gross at different times in her life. There are photos of Emily Gross and Anthony together, and even a statue of the two created in 1896.  Unlike others in her circle, however, her relationships with women never had the permanence of a â€Å"Boston marriage.† We really can’t know for sure if the relationships were what we’d today call lesbian relationships, but we do know that the idea that Anthony was a lonely single woman is not at all the full story. She had rich friendships with her female friends. She had some real friendships with men, as well, though those letters are not so flirtatious. 13. A Ship Named for Susan B. Anthony Holds a World’s Record In 1942, a ship was named for Susan B. Anthony. Constructed in 1930 and called the  Santa Clara  until the Navy chartered it on August 7, 1942, the ship became one of very few named for a woman. It was commissioned in September and became a transport ship carrying troops and equipment for the Allied invasion of North Africa in October and November. It made three voyages from the U.S. coast to North Africa. After landing troops and equipment in Sicily in July 1943 as part of the Allied invasion of Sicily, it took heavy enemy aircraft fire and bombings and shot down two of the enemy bombers. Returning to the United States, it spent months taking troops and equipment to Europe in preparation for the invasion of Normandy. On June 7, 1944, it struck a mine off of Normandy. After failed attempts to save it, the troops and crew were evacuated and the  Susan B. Anthony  sank. As of the year 2015, this was the largest rescue on record of people from a ship without any loss of life. 14. The B Stands for Brownell Anthonys parents gave Susan the middle name Brownell.  Simeon Brownell (born 1821) was another Quaker abolitionist who supported Anthonys womens rights work, and his family may have been related to or friends with Anthonys parents. 15. The Law Giving Women the Vote Was Called the Susan B. Anthony Amendment Anthony died in 1906, so the continuing struggle to win the vote honored her memory with this name for the proposed 19th Constitutional Amendment. Sources Anderson, Bonnie S. The Rabbis Atheist Daughter: Ernestine Rose, International Feminist Pioneer. 1st Edition, Oxford University Press, January 2, 2017. Falderman, Lillian. To Believe in Women: What Lesbians Have Done For America - A History. Kindle Edition, Mariner Books, Movember 1, 2017. Rhodes, Jesse. Happy Birthday, Susan B. Anthony. Smithsonian, February 15, 2011. Schiff, Stacy. Desperately Seeking Susan. The New York Times, October 13, 2006. Stanton, Elizabeth Cady. History of Woman Suffrage. Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Kindle Edition, GIANLUCA, November 29, 2017.

Leishmaniasis Disease Emergence and Re-emergence Analysis Essay

Leishmaniasis Disease Emergence and Re-emergence Analysis - Essay Example In the previous decade, endemic areas have extended, occurrence increased and the substantial unrecorded cases of the disease identified. Leshmaniasis is one of the most significant human vector-borne disorders. Leishmania parasite causes nodules and skin ulcers to individuals. Numerous Leishmania parasites can have an effect on mucous membranes of an individual and may cause nose disfiguration (Ashfold & Bettini, 1987). In addition, other leishmania species may harm the internal body organs of an individual. According to a report by Ready (2010), dogs are the most significant domestic animals in epidemiology of Leishmaniasis. This is because dogs are reservoir hosts for L. Infantum, a significant organism in human visceral Leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is caused by species of leishmania, a protozoan that belongs to the family of Trypanosomatidae. Leishmania genera are divided into two subdivisions that are Leishmania and viannia. These two different types of parasites live and multip ly in the digestive tract of causative agent. The difference between the two sub divisions lies in where they multiply in the digestive system of the causative agent. Human leishmanisis is caused by leishmania which is transmitted between individuals who are reservoir hosts. ... In this regard, the activity of the sand flies intensifies at dawn, dusk and at night when perturbed in their hiding places. Sand flies are always attracted by light at night and enter buildings at night, bite people and cause the spread of Leishmaniasis. Leshmania parasite may also be transmitted by canine fleas and ticks (Ashfold & Bettini, 1987). Ticks are most importantly used to transmit the parasite between dogs. Presently, sand fly transmission seems to have reduced due to the effects of global warming. Global warming has brought changes in the climate which has caused hot regions to be hotter and cold regions to be colder. This change in climate has adversely affected the activities of sand flies whose activities are high when it is cool, humid and fewer rains. Present transmission seems to be done by mammals that can traverse the harsh climatic conditions. Leishmaniasis disease was initially termed as a disease of the rural areas. Presently, large outbreaks have been reporte d in large cities across the world because of encouraging epidemiological conditions linked to the reduction of natural ecological space of the vectors due to droughts, deforestation due to population growth and famine which are effects of climate change (World Health Oragnization, 2009). Mammals can remain infected with Leishmania for long and can still infect with the parasite even after clinical cure. Infected mammals can in turn transmit the parasite to sand flies. Presently, the parasites have been transmitted to people through blood transfusions in dogs and people (Ready, 2010). Leishmaniasis may also be caused by l. infantum which can be transmitted through saliva, semen, urine and conjunctiva secretions and blood. In the contemporary world, the

Does YOGA and meditation reduce Hypertension and is there a Essay

Does YOGA and meditation reduce Hypertension and is there a possibility of reducing the dosage on meds in Patients - Essay Example In the present study, it is hypothesized that yoga and meditation can be used to reduce blood pressure and can help reduce the dosage of antihypertensive medication in patients with hypertension. This work intends to look into a few research articles to demonstrate and support this hypothesis. An article by Miles, Chou, Lin, Hunter, Dhindsa, Nualnim, and Tanaka (2013) studied the effect of hatha yoga practice on blood pressure and other cardiovascular responses. There were a total of 36 participants in the study, who were apparently healthy, nonobese, sedentary, and recreationally active. The 36 participants in the study were recruited from Austin, Texas. Out of them, 19 subjects had no experience in yoga and 18 were experienced in yoga. In the study, the arterial blood pressure of the subjects was measured throughout the yoga session and in 23 different yoga postures. It included systolic, mean, and diastolic blood pressure. Blood pressure was measured using beat-by-beat, finger plethysmography. What is found in the study was a significant increase in blood pressure, especially in standing postures as a direct result of the increase in cardiac output and heart rate. In the case of standing yoga postures, the mean blood pressure increased by 30 mm Hg. In addition, it was found that there was no significant difference between both novice and experienced yoga practitioners in the effect of yoga session on blood pressure. Thus, the study advised medical practitioners to be cautious while prescribing yoga postures to patients with uncontrolled hypertension (Miles et al., 2013, p. 44). However, it is found that in floor postures like Cobra, blood pressure and cardiac output do not increase significantly (Miles et al., 2013, p. 42), and there is a fall in stroke volume but it is uncertain as to what causes this decline in stroke volume. Thus, the study is significant in

Psychology Journal Article Review Essay Example for Free

Psychology Journal Article Review Essay Has the influence of others ever affected your decision making skills, or made you question yourself about the decision you made? In the aim to test whether or not pressure from a group of people affects a persons’ ability to conform. Psychologist Solomon E Asch decided to conduct an experiment to justify his theory. Asch gathered college students in groups of eight to ten where they were told that he was only studying visual perception. They were then given a simple line judgment task where the answer was made very obvious. The task was to decide which one of the lines on the right was identical to the line on the left. This was done over and over again for about eighteen times. However the trick in the experiment was that out of all the students in the group only one student was the one being tested. The rest of the students were instructed to provide incorrect answers to twelve out of the eighteen times they were asked about the lines. Purposely, Asch made sure that the person being experimented sat next-to-the-last person in each group to provide his answer so that he would hear most of the other incorrect answers before giving his own. They then would see if the individual would keep their choice or just conform to everybody else’s decision just because the majority of the group agreed to it. After the experiment Asch found out that thirty-seven out of fifty students that were being experimented on conformed to the majority’s decision at least once. However, fourteen of the fifty students conformed more than six times during the assessment. Asch being very bothered by these results stated The tendency to conformity in our society is so strong that reasonably intelligent and well-meaning young people are willing to call white black. This is a matter of concern. It raises questions about our ways of education and about the values that guide our conduct. ( McLeod, S. A. (2007) Simply Psychology [On-line] UK: Available: http://www. simplypsychology. pwp. blueyonder. co. uk/ Accessed: January 17, 2010). After the experiment when the subjects were being asked why they conformed to the answer some of them said that because they did really think that the other answers were correct. Another reason was that they just went along with everybody else’s same opinion because they did were basically afraid of being different of being thought of as dumb or unusual by the rest of his peers. Due to this Asch came to conclude that people conform for two main reasons one because the individual wants to be liked by the group or maybe because you believe that since you are doing the something different than the rest that they are better informed than you. Asch found out that the aspect that influences conformity is the size of the opposite people having the different opinion than you. He concluded that it is hard to sustain what you see versus something that nobody else sees. Pressure given by the expressed thoughts and opinions of other people can lead to change and alterations successfully making you see almost nothing. Alteration meaning changing your perception about the way the lines were being viewed in order to match with everybody else. In this assessment the independent variable were all the different students that were being tested with the same people in the room, these same students being there provided the same answers to the question sixteen out of eighteen times. The dependant variable was the test being taken and how many wrong answers were being provided for the subject of the experiment to see. In my opinion these results would have been different if we had paid more attention to the kind of people that were being analyzed. For example a person having a high self esteem versus someone having no self esteem at all which then would rapidly make them change their decision. This experiment could have been conducted better if they would have taken these factors in mind or if they would have just tested a similar group of people. Here you might have had people that will most likely listen to other people and then you have the people that are not afraid to be different . I think this experiment showed the correct by just a few people not conforming to everybody else’s choices because there are a very few people like that out in the world today . I think that these results will not really apply to other participants in other places at other experimental times because as stated before maybe not all the subject being tested might have the same mentality to change their answers that quick to be accepted by everyone else. This experiment however has a well contribution to the field of psychology explaining conformity and the different ways that pressure from people has an impact on you. In my cased I believe that everyone should read this experiment and that future edition of ext book should reference this experiment because it would be a great discussion topic and would bring up a good subject to talk about within our peers. This experiment has an impact in what our society is going thru today I believe we have a lot of individuals that are scared to be different I think this takes part greatly on the media and what he have seen growing up. Many people believe that always conforming to what everybody else is used to is always the right thing but what justifies this? Who has the right to say what is right is right and just because the majority of people believe this way it shouldn’t be the same you think. We shouldn’t have to format our minds to somebody else’s. That is the whole idea everyone is different in their own individual way which is what makes each and every one of us if not this world would be such a boring place. As reading about this experiment it’s silly but what came to mind was the show how wasn’t to be a millionaire. In that show which I believe you a bit reference on there is choices you have when you don’t know the answer to a question one of the choices is to ask the audience then the audience votes and obviously the contestant picks the answer they got the most votes. Then it is up to the individual to choose the answer that he thinks it is right nine out ten times the answer that the audience picks is correct which in this case this experiment would not justify the situation. Then we can ask is the individual doubting himself is he afraid to be different? Or in this matter is it not important whether or not they want to be different because there in money involved on the line. Different situations can alter your decision and decision making skills depending on the situation you are in and whether or not you choose to be different in that particular situation. Whether or not you choose to be different should be your decision and not a group of people. Knowing who you are plays big role in this case and if it is hard for you to find the right path then I think that it is better that you find it on your own first before asking someone else for advice and that is how you will find your true self which will then tell you apart from everybody else.

Death, Decay and Disease in Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Death, Decay and Disease in Hamlet Within ‘Hamlet’, Shakespeare makes a number of references to Denmark's degraded state due to the deceit that lies within. These references are made by Hamlet, Horatio as well as the apparition, thus enforcing the strong theme of death, decay and disease. As aforementioned Hamlets makes a number of references to Denmark. Preceding the death of his father and the marriage of his mother, his mental state begins to fall into demise . Although he appears to not have much courage at first, his focus remains on avenging his father whose murder is described as being "most foul." As noted in one of Hamlet's first soliloquies, his downward spiral has already began and already he is contemplating suicide; "O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew (I, II, 130)" and "seems to me all the uses of this world... Things rank and gross in nature posses it merely (I, II, 136)." To be degrading to be thinking of imagery including flesh melting shows that Hamlet is not in the state that he ought to be in. Furthermore Shakespeare encourages us to empathize with these emotions by using such rich descriptions. It could be perhaps argued that Hamlet's state of mind which has become debased, but this is until Horatio claims, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark (I, IV, 90)." The notion of festering carrion being a metaphor for King Hamlets death epitomizes this notion. The ghost furthers this idea by stating at the moment of his death, his skin became "Most lazar-like with vile and loathsome crust all my smooth body (I, V, 72)." This attempts the elucidate on the feeling of death almost like becoming like a leper before death finally takes its toll. Decay also becomes a strong theme weighing heavily on Hamlet's mind. Whilst talking to Polonius he says, "For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion (II, II, 182)." Although Polonius' appears not to notice this, we can see the constant references to death being made by Shakespeare’s tools, i.e. the characters. Moreover associated with Shakespeare's use of decay and disease imagery is his use of horror, "Roasted in wrath and fire thus o'ersized with coagulate gore (II, II, 431)," is a perfect example of this.

Avian Influenza in the Media

The article that I chose to discuss is entitled â€Å"Avian Flu: Is the Government Ready for an Epidemic?† and was published on the ABC News website on September 15, 2005. The journalists name was not published. The article opens with the lines â€Å"It could kill a billion people worldwide, make ghost towns out of parts of major cities, and there is not enough medicine to fight it. It is called the avian flu.† Throughout the rest of the article, the journalist goes on about the horrors that could occur if avian flu were to mutate so that it was able to be transferred from human to human, and not just from bird to human as is now the case. The journalist quotes Dr. Irwin Redlener, the director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness as saying â€Å"The tipping point, the place where it becomes something of an immediate concern, is where that virus changes, we call it mutates, to something that is able to go from human to human,† and then states that scientists around the world are now working around the clock as they wait for that tipping point. However, at no time does he inform the reader that all viruses mutate naturally over and over again, and that the chance of the H5N1 strain, mutating into a strain that could pass from human to human is in no way an eventuality, or even a likely outcome. He just takes quotes from various scientists around the world who are expressing a worry about what could happen in the event that H5N1 were to mutate, and uses them to imply that this is a very likely possibility. The journalist also likens an Avian Flu pandemic to Hurricane Katrina, an event that was at the foremost of people’s minds when the article was published and uses purposefully disturbing imagery that has been shown on TV about Hurricane Katrina, such as people dying in the airports and the utter helplessness of the Superbowl, to cause people to panic and worry that bird flu is likely to devastate the country at any second in order to bring to light the Government’s unpreparedness for an outbreak. He then goes on to discuss what he calls an â€Å"inadequate stockpile of medicine† and blames the Government for not having stockpiled enough Tamiflu, which he equates to a miracle drug which will stop H5N1 in its tracks. However, while he is happy to imply, in the beginning of the article, that the H5N1 virus is likely to mutate at any time, he conveniently ignores this when he talks about Tamiflu, and nowhere does he state that while this drug can help people who have contracted bird flu, it is only useful to the current strain of the virus and if it mutates, which he assures us it will, there is no guarantee that it will be of any use to those infected. I feel that these are unforgivable exaggerations of the disease and its dangers and that the journalist was simply interested in sensationalism and causing a public outcry and panic. Expert opinions on the dangers of the H5N1 virus are currently very varied and divided and a lot is still unknown about the disease, but at no time does this article bring that to light. Laura Chang, of the New York Times said it best when she said that journalists shouldn’t â€Å"write articles that might feed a sense of panic, such as telling people to stock up on Tamiflu, or dramatizing how a pandemic would spread through a particular city. Sometimes silence is the best journalism.† Website: http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/Investigation/Story?id=1130392&page=1 MRSA in the media This article on MRSA, or the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, was published in the British newspaper, the Sunday Metro, under the headline â€Å"Strain of superbug ‘may be new HIV.'† The article opens with â€Å"A deadly new drug-resistant strain of the superbug MRSA could spread rapidly through the gay community, experts have warned.† It then goes on to equate MRSA to the HI virus when it says: The infection is already moving through parts of San Francisco in the same way as HIV and Aids did in the early 1980s. The bug, which can lead to a deadly flesh-eating form of pneumonia, is 13 times more prevalent among the city's gay men than other people. However, at no time does the article explain what MRSA is or that it is not in fact, anything like HIV or AIDS. MRSA is in fact caused by a bacterium, already a vast difference from the virus that causes aids, that is responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in humans. The organism can also be further classified into either Community-Associated MRSA or Hospital-Associated MRSA depending on the circumstances in which the patient acquired the disease. The article goes on to focus on one strain of the disease, a strain known as the USA300 strain and the journalist notes that â€Å"the USA300 bug, is not caught in hospitals but spreads through a community, often by casual contact† which is true, as it is a community-associated strain of MRSA that is spread by skin to skin contact. However, the journalist then goes on to suggest that this strain, which is as a particularly antibiotic resistant epidemic that is responsible for rapidly progressive, fatal diseases, is only likely to affect the gay community. However this is not the case and as MRSA is not a sexually transmitted disease there is no way it could only affect only the gay community. The USA300 strain is passed on by skin-to-skin contact and therefore cannot be liked to HIV which is transmitted only through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected individual. While practicing homosexuals are at risk of being affected by the USA300 strain, the disease has also been reported by people in athletic teams, correctional facilities, military recruits and newborn nurseries. I believe this article is simply an example of sensationalism in the media. It does not focus on any of the facts, and makes purposefully sweeping and false statements about MRSA and its similarity to HIV, which couldn’t be further from the truth. The two are nothing like each other, one caused by a bacteria and one by a virus. One transmitted sexually and the other just by touching someone that has been infected. It was written simply to get people to by the newspaper, and should be ignored. Website: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=83921;in_page_id=34;expand=true

Early Childhood Education Essay

Abstract There has been a great deal of research conducted in the subject matter of early childhood education. During the preschool years, the human brain is growing rapidly and extremely sensitive to new information. Researchers have conducted studies in an effort to show a correlation between enrollment in early education and cognitive and social development. This paper will provide a brief overview of the results from the following: the Head Start program studies, the High/Scope Perry Preschool study, and the Child Parent Center in Chicago. This paper will also discuss the impact of childcare facilities on child development. The vast amount of research provided by these studies effectively shows an increase in cognitive development in the preschoolers that were enrolled and found that negative social behaviors were reduced as a result of early education intervention. The research indicates that all children exhibited signs of cognitive and social growth, but that underprivileged children w ere impacted the most. Child- care facilities were not as productive furthering childhood development. This paper will conclude by addressing the need of well-developed preschool programs and the need for well-educated teachers in the preschool environment. Keywords: early childhood education, preschool, cognitive and social development Early Childhood Education: Impact on Cognitive and Social Development Preschool is a term that defines early childhood education for children ranging from ages two through four years old. Preschool programs normally consist of federally funded programs, state and local preschools, and child care facilities. Preschool enrollment has increased dramatically over the last few decades. Approximately 75% of four year olds and 50% of three year olds are enrolled in a preschool center, which is a statistically significant contrast from 10% in the 1960’s (Barnett, 2008). Not only has there been an increase of children enrolled in public preschools, but also in private preschools (Barnett, 2008). This increase may be attributed to the need for childcare as the work force shifted from a single income to dual income household or the desire to equip children with the necessary skills to help them in their educational career (Barnett & Yarosz, 2007). Winter and Kelley (2008) reported that many early childhood teachers found that nearly one-third of their students were deficient in certain areas that were sure to hinder their educational success (p. 260). There have been many studies conducted to try and define the impact of preschool on a child’s development. Researchers have studied Head Start programs across the country, the High/Scope Perry Preschool, the Child Parent Center in Chicago among others, and child care facilities. Early Childhood Education research has shown that preschool has an impact on a child’s cognitive and social development, with the greatest impact on minority and disadvantaged children. Developing Brain Most parents and educators know that a child’s brain, from birth to approximately five years of age, is exceptionally vulnerable to the learning of new skills and concepts. Winter and Kelley (2008) state that the â€Å"neural connections or ‘synapses’ develop at a phenomenal rate during this time† which aids in developing a â€Å"foundation for later skill acquisition† (p. 263). Due to the brains extreme susceptibility during the preschool years, not only do preschoolers develop cognitive skills they need, but also socio-emotional skills. Mai, Tardif, Doan, Liu, Gehring, and Luo (2011) conducted a study of positive and negative feedback in preschoolers, which showed that preschoolers are â€Å"more responsive to positive feedback than to negative feedback† (p. 5). They concluded that the importance of the amount of positive feedback was significant enough that it may stimulate preschoolers desire to learn (Mai, et al, 2011). Researchers have found that during this early period of childhood development, children are able to boost gross motor skills and acquire language (Winter & Kelley, 2008, p. 262). Due to the unique nature of the brain during preschool years, experiences or lack of can impede child development (Winter & Kelley, 2008, p. 263). In a study conducted by Burger (2012), a toddler’s working memory can positively impact a child’s behavior and has a positive influence over a child’s math and reading ability (p. 210). A young child’s brain, if stimulated inappropriately, can have an adverse impact on cognitive and social development. A child’s cognitive development is connected to their social development. Willis and Schiller (2011) propose that â€Å"positive early experiences promote optimum brain development, which impacts all areas of development (para. 1). Impact of Government Preschool Programs In 1965, the Head Start program was created in an effort to provide â€Å"an array of social, health, and educational services for young children and their families† (Winter & Kelley, 2008, p. 261). This program is federally funded and targets underprivileged children. Underprivileged children are more susceptible to fall behind or to not complete their education due to lack of early education intervention. There is documentation that shows that minorities and poor children struggle with â€Å"language, literacy, social, and other skills needed† (Child Trends & Center for Child Health Research, 2004; Early et al, 2007), than children who are not underprivileged (Winter & Kelley, 2008, p. 260). Burger (2009) reports that a majority of children from low socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to: experience grade repetition, to require additional educational assistance throughout their school career, or ultimately become high school dropouts (p. 142). Ludwig and Phillips (2007) reported the findings of an evaluation completed by Garces, Thomas, and Currie (2002) that compared siblings, either attending or not attending the Head Start Program (p.4). They wrote that the sibling that attended Head Start were 22% more likely to graduate and 19% more likely to seek higher education (p. 4). The National Impact Study (NIS) is one of the most in depth study on the Head Start program, and involves a random compilation of children enrolled in Head Start throughout the country between the ages of three and four years old (Pianta, Barnett, Burchinal, & Thornburg, 2009, p. 59). This study showed that there was minor cognitive and social growth over a nine month period. Barnett (2008) reported an increase of 0.20 standard deviations on cognitive development and a decrease of 0.05 standard deviations in negative social behavior, such as hyperactivity for three year olds (p. 6). However, upon completing a follow up on the study, the cognitive benefits gained by the children were no longer observed at the end of their kindergarten school year (Pianta, Barnett, Burchinal, & Thornburg, 2009, p. 59). Parents reported positive changes in their child’s dental and physical health and the research indicates an increase of 0.12 standard deviations (Barnett, 2008, p. 6). There was a case of four year olds that experienced greater cognitive development. This was illustrated by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, which had an increase of 0.20-0.27 standard deviations (Barnett, 2008, p.7). The Tulsa Head Start program was designed with a vision to help children develop skills for school readiness. This preschool program is funded by the state and is a part of the Tulsa Public School system; therefore, teachers must possess a Bachelor of Art degree and have a certification in early childhood education (Gormley, Phillips, & Gayer, 2008). The Tulsa Head Start program study compared the Tulsa Public School (TSP) pre-kindergarten against the Tulsa Head Start program. The study showed that the TSP pre-kindergarteners showed vast improvement in letter-word identification, spelling, and applied problems, whereas the Tulsa Head Start preschoolers’ results were deemed notable (Gormley, Phillips, & Gayer, 2008). While Head Start programs are supposed to adhere to a â€Å"national standard† (Pianta, et al, 2009), many do not have the same requirements (p. 55). Pianta and his colleagues (2009) explain that most teachers working for Head Start programs make less than $26,000 per year, with the exception of Tulsa Head Start whose teachers earn a regular teacher salary (p. 55). This may explain why the results of the Tulsa Head Start studies are not typical compared to other Head Start studies (Barnett, 2008, p. 7). Teacher qualifications of the Head Start employees may have an impact on the low levels of development observed of children in the program. Before 2011 Head Start teachers (excluding the Tulsa Head Start teachers) were not required to obtain an associate degree and directors did not have to possess a bachelor degree (Pianta, et al, 2009). However, Pianta and his colleagues (2009) report that by the year 2013, at least half of all Head Start teachers will be required to obtain a bachelor’s degree (p. 55). Because the Head Start studies were conducted in varying locations and on a variety of children, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact impact of cognitive and social development for each child. The rate of attendance also varies on location. Some Head Start programs have fewer than five days of scheduled class per week, while others attend the program five days a week during an entire school year (Pianta, et al, 2009, p. 54). Major successes of the Head Start programs appear to be achieving higher educational levels and improved health for children. The Head Start program reduced the mortality rate of children between the ages of five and nine years old (Barnett, 2008, p. 8) and provided a cognitive advantage in school achievement (Reynolds & Ou, 2011, p. 556). There were no extraordinary impacts on children’s social development throughout the Head Start studies. The program, however, has received conflicting reviews. Williams (2010) explains that because there is no orderly way to measure the effects of this program, there have been reports of positive â€Å"short-term gains in cognitive functioning† (p. 4) and the program has received criticism for only producing short term benefits (Williams, 2010, p. 4). Impact of Public Preschool Another option for children is a public preschool program. There are public preschools that function similar to the Head Start program, in which they target children from low income families. The teaching credentials of preschool teachers differ from other educators in the public school system and vary throughout different states. The requirements for public preschool teachers range from possessing a Child Development Associate (CDA) to a bachelor’s degree (Pianta, et al, 2009, p. 55). Public preschool programs tend to be successful in the area of cognitive and social development due to the increase of attention from the teacher (Barnett, 2008, p. 8). The topic of teacher quality in preschools is of a major concern and can have a direct impact on childhood development. Winter and Kelley (2008) explain that the development of a child’s social behavior correlates with the quality of the teacher (p. 263). The most significant research on public preschools stems from the High/Scope Perry Preschool study. In this study that lasted for two years, approximately 130 children, minority and underprivileged, were either enrolled in a half-day preschool or assigned to a control group (Barnett, 2008, p. 9). These participants were chosen by the following criteria: â€Å"low levels of parent education, socioeconomic status, and low intellectual performance† (Williams, 2010, p.4). The results were astounding. Barnett (2008) reported that language and basic cognitive skills increased by approximately 0.90 standard deviations (p. 9). The cognitive advantage was short-lived as children from the control group were caught up during kindergarten (Barnett, 2008, p. 9); however, Reynolds and Ou (2011) determined that there was an advantage on educational attainment (p.556). The Perry study also showed evidence of social development in later years. The students demonstrated appropriate classroom etiquette, had lower levels of delinquency, and a higher rate of commencement (Barnett, 2008, p. 9). Burger (2009) explained that the Perry study is unique in nature due to the environment of the classroom (para. 5.2). He added that preschools similar to the Perry preschool have â€Å"low child-to-staff ratios† (Burger, 2009, para. 5.2), so teachers are able to be readily available to their students. Another influential study on preschool impact is the Child Parent Center (CPC) study on a preschool in Chicago. This program was directed more for children from the ages of three to nine years old (Williams, 2010, p. 5). This preschool is tailored to low-income families that includes â€Å"a half-day preschool, kindergarten, and a follow-on elementary school component† (Barnett, 2008, p. 11). The results of all CPC studies were positive for impact on children’s cognitive development (Barnett, 2008, p. 12). The CPC study showed that participating preschoolers had higher test scores up until eighth grade, a reduction of delinquency, and observed an increase in the percentage of high school graduates (Pianta, Barnett, Burchinal, & Thornburg, 2009,p. 62). Reynolds and Ou (2011) also evaluated the CPC study and found that former students tend to have less risk of experiencing depression and generally have higher occupational stature (p. 558). The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) reports that the Abbott Preschool Program has had a tremendous effect on child development as measured in 2005 and 2006 with the Abbot Preschool Program Longitudinal Study (APPLES) (Study of Abbott, 2007). The Abbott Preschool was opened in 1999 and was put in place to serve the â€Å"highest-poverty school districts† (Study of Abbott, 2007) in the state of New Jersey (Study of Abbott, 2007). This preschool program showed positive cognitive growth in their students through their kindergarten year. The students enrolled showed significant achievements in English, reading, and mathematics (Study of Abbott, 2007). This program not only measured student progress, but also took into account the quality of the classroom. The study found a significant increase in â€Å"child learning, language and reasoning, activities and interactions, and program structure† (Study of Abbott, 2007). Other studies of public preschools provided results depicting social development and school preparedness (Barnett, 2008, p. 10). Pickens (2009) explains that public preschool programs â€Å"show a positive impact on children’s behavior outcomes, especially for children living in poverty† (Barnett, 1995; Peterson & Zill, 1986). In the preschool setting, children are exposed to other children from different backgrounds, different personalities and different ethnicities. During this time in childhood development, children begin to learn social behavior. Pickens (2009) explains that these social behaviors are influenced by their teachers and classmates (p.263). Participation in the preschool setting allows children to learn how to interact with classmates and encounter situations that can mold their cognitive development (Willis & Schiller, 2011). Attending a preschool class helps to enable a child to learn to regulate their emotions, communicate effectively with others, cooperate with others, and to follow directions (Pickens, 2009, p. 263). Children model what they see. Pickens (2009) urges educators and parents to assist children in developing healthy behaviors in an effort to avoid a negative path of behavioral and academic issues (p.264). Impact of Child Care Facilities Child care facilities can consist of home-based child care or child development centers (with some centers offering half-day preschool programs). These facilities are normally center-based and care for infants from six weeks old to three year olds (Pickens, 2009, p. 262). Child care facilities were â€Å"found to have the smallest initial effects on children’s learning and development† (Barnett, 2008), while home-based daycare had no effect on building cognitive skills (p. 5). This is not to say that all home-based daycares are not able to provide some cognitive benefit to children. If a home-based child care program is well-developed and provides a â€Å"high-quality† (Winter & Kelley, 2008), then children are more likely to benefit cognitively (p. 263). This high-quality can also make a difference in child care centers. The National Institute of Child Health (NICHD) and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) showed that †Å"higher quality care†(Belsky, Burchinal, McCartney, Vandell, Clarke-Stewart, & Tresch Owen, 2007) had a positive impact on children’s vocabulary skills (p.681). The NICHD SECCYD conducted future evaluations and found that some effects wore off at four and a half years old, while when evaluated in third grade the children had â€Å"higher scores on standardized tests of math, memory, and vocabulary skills† (Belsky, et al, 2007). The cognitive long-term benefits of attending child care may result in an increase in household income caused by working mothers; however, working mothers tend to spend less time with their children (Barnett, 2008). Just like preschool, child care can benefit underprivileged children. Belsky et al (2007) stated that â€Å"child care can serve as an effective intervention for low-income children† (Hart & Risley, 1995) that live in a household lacking in literary skills (p.697). Barnett (2008) mentioned that some studies show an actual regression of social development as children were more prone to be aggressive (p.6). Winter and Kelley (2008) also report that the amount of time a child spends in child care has an impact of negative behaviors when they reach elementary school (p.263). Others believe that a child’s negative behavior is may correlate with the amount of time spent in day care. Pianta and his colleagues (2009) found that children who spent the least amount of hours in day care had less troublesome behavior (p. 58). Just as the quality of the Head Start and preschool teacher had an impact on the child, so does the caregiver at a child care center. The lack of academic qualifications of child care workers or lack of academically challenging curriculum can attribute to the small cognitive development observed in children who attend child care versus a more academically centered program. Meyers (2007) reports that the approximately two and a half million child care teachers are some of the lowest paid, only earning approximately $18,000 annually (para. 1). This is significantly lower than other early education teachers. The cognitive and social impacts on children are strongly related to child-to-teacher ratio, total number of children in a room, and the teacher’s qualifications (Clothier & Poppe, 2007). However, it has been noted that the amount of attention the caregiver offers to the child can have an impact on their social and cognitive development (Pianta, Barnett, Burchinal, & Thornbur g, 2009, p. 58). Conclusion There are noticeable short-term and long-term impacts on a child’s development, cognitively and socially, with the aid of early childhood education programs. Because the brain is vulnerable at this age it is in these years that children experience â€Å"dramatic improvements† (Mai, et al, 2011) in their cognitive and social abilities. The government funded program, Head Start, has indicated that while children do show immediate, moderate growth in cognitive development, social benefits were not as prominent. This program has proven to be beneficial to children from low- income families, as it has resulted in improved literacy, language skills and an increased rate of commencement. Preschool studies have also shown an increase in reading and mathematics ability and in some cases extending into elementary school years. The social benefits of a preschool education have had an even longer impact on a child’s future behavioral issues. There is a vast amount of research that shows that â€Å"the early years of a child’s development can influence future success† (Winter & Kelley, 2008), so federal and state â€Å"policy makers should not depart from preschool education models that have proven highly effective† (Barnett, 2008). It is important that in order for preschool programs, government-funded and public, to continue to be effective in child development, the need for well-designed programs is a must (Barnett, 2008). These well-designed programs must demand a high caliber of teachers that have formal post-secondary education in the area of early childhood development. Preschools should be prepared meet the needs of the variety of students from different backgrounds and be able to give children in need more of a priority (Barnett, 2008). More research on the impact of early childhood education is needed, due to the varying types of programs that are currently in place. References Barnett, W. S. (2008). Preschool education and its lasting effects: Research and policy implications. Boulder and Tempe: Education and the Public Interest Center & Education Policy Research Unit. Retrieved September 12, 2012 from http://epicpolicy.org/publication/preschooleducation Barnett, W. S., & Yarosz, D. J. (2007). Who goes to preschool and why does it matter? Preschool Policy Brief, 15, p. 2. Retrieved October 8, 2012 from http://nieer.org/resources/policybriefs/15.pdf Belsky, J., Vandell, D.L., Burchinal, M., Clarke-Stewart, K.A., McCartney, K., Owen, M.T., & the NICHD Early Child Care Research Network. (2007). Are there long-term effects of early child care? Child Development, 78, p. 681–701. Burger, K. (2010). How does early childhood care and education affect cognitive development? An international review of the effects of early interventions for children from different social backgrounds. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 25, 140-165. doi: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2009.11.001 Gormley, W. T., Phillips, D., & Gayer, T. (2008). The early years: Preschool programs can boost school readiness. Science. 320(5884), p. 1723-1724. doi:10.1126/science. 1156019 Ludwig, J., & Phillips, D. (2007). The benefits and cost of head start. Society for Research on Child Development, Social Policy Report. 21(3), p. 3-19 Mai, X., Tardif, T., Doan, S. N., Lui, C., Gehring, W. J., & Luo, Y. (2011). Brain activity elicited by positive and negative feedback in preschool-aged children. PLoS ONE. 6(4), e18774. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018774 Meyers, M. K. (2007). Child-care pay, child-care quality: Decent early childhood education requires well-trained and compensated educators. The American Prospect 18(12), A18. Pianta, R. C., Barnett, S. W., Burchinal, M., Thornburg, K. R. (2009). The effects of preschool education: What we know, how public policy is or is not aligned with the evidence base, and what we need to know. Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 10(2), p. 49-88. doi: 10.1177/1529100610381908 Pickens, J. (2009). Socio-emotional programme promotes positive behaviour in preschoolers. Child Care in Practice. 15(4), p. 261-278. doi: 10.1080/13575270903149323 Reynolds, A. J., & Ou, S. (2011). Paths of effects from preschool to adult well-being: A confirmatory analysis of the child-parent center program. Child Development. 82(2). p. 555-582. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01562.x Study of abbott preschool program finds positive effects. (2007, August/September). Preschool Matters. Retrieved September 28, 2010 from http://nieer.org/publications/preschool-matters-newsletters/volume-5-number-4 Williams, J. (2010). Assessment of quality preschool programming (Doctoral Dissertation). Retrieved September 28, 2012 from ProQuest. (UMI:3413253) Willis, C. A., & Schiller, P. (2011). Preschoolers’ social skills steer life success. YC Young Children, 66(1), 42-49. Retrieved September 24, 2012 from http://search.proquest.com/docview/874155104?accountid=12085 Winter, S. M., & Kelley, M. F. (2008). Forty years of school readiness research. Childhood Education, 84(5), 260-260. Retrieved September 12, 2012 from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/210412708/fulltextPDF?accountid=12085

The eNotes Blog The Beginnings of a SeaChange

The Beginnings of a SeaChange In an area of Nigeria that is as densely populated as Paris but contains only one primary school, innovative architecture aims to make education available to all. In the water community of Makoko just off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria, an exciting new project attempts to turn the tide of limited education and unstable infrastructure. Though the Makokos population is soaring, a lack of well-constructed buildings means that the community   houses only one primary school to serve its approx. 86,000 residents. Why the lack or solid infrastructure? Its because the islands of Lagos amongst which the fishing village resides are vastly covered in water. Residents of Makoko have for years built their homes atop stilts embedded deep in the seabed. Now a team of architects led by native Nigerian Kunle Adayemi will update that idea in order to build schools that will not only withstand the rigors of West Africas current climate, but hopefully also for many years to come. As pictured above, the increase in rainfall and rising sea levels Lagos has experienced over time, due to global climate change, renders the local Makoko housing unsuitable. Adayemis solution is to create a completely free-floating building- one unchanged by any rise or fall in water levels. He and his team have also worked to make sure the new schoolhouses will be eco-friendly and space efficient to boot: Adayemi is hopeful that the design will help more than just the people of Makoko:  The building can be adapted for other uses, such as homes or hospitals. Ultimately, its a vision that can be used to sustainably develop [African] coastal communities. But of course, such an inspirational story is inevitably accompanied by typical political woes; the government of Lagos is reluctant to encourage the expansion of a water-based community. Just in July of last year, Nigerian government officials destroyed dozens of residences after giving residents 72 hours notice of eviction, an act that resulted in the death of one Makoko resident. The reality Adayemi faces- one greater than the threat posed by natural disasters- is that this mere slum (for lack of a better description) occupies prime waterfront, a commodity the politicians of Lagos wont readily relinquish. Thus the project, while furthering the possibilities of architecture, science, and education, faces its biggest opposition in near-sighted bureaucracy: a reminder that advancing education in Africa is never as simple a task it seems on its glass-like surface. For more on this amazing project, head to the Guardian. Its article contains an interesting video that provides a bit of visual insight into life on the waters of Makoko.

Child Car Seats and Seat Belt Regulations in Canada

Child Car Seats and Seat Belt Regulations in Canada Babies and children are uniquely  vulnerable to injury during automobile accidents, and surveys show that many are not properly restrained in car seats or other devices. The Canadian government mandates many protections for children, including the use of only those car seats featuring the Canadian National Safety Mark. The government also recommends other safety precautions and offers educational car seat clinics nationwide. Canada's Child Restraint Requirements The Canadian government offers specific guidance on choosing and using child restraints, including car seats, booster seats, and seat belts. Transport Canada gives instructions for using car seats, as well as provides car seat clinics that parents can attend to learn more about how to choose and use child safety restraints.   Can I Buy a Car Seat from the United States or Another Foreign Country? It is illegal to import and use a car seat or booster seat that does not comply with Canadian safety standards. Because Canada has stricter safety requirements than the United States and many other countries, parents who use non-Canadian car seats often are violating the law and can be fined. How toKnow If Your Car Seat Is Legal in Canada Like many countries, Canada has its own unique laws governing car seats and other safety restraints for children.  Child car seats must meet Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.  To ensure that your car seat meets those standards, look for the Canadian  National Safety Mark, which features a maple leaf and the word Transport. The government prohibits the purchase of car seats from other countries, which have different safety standards. Other SafetyIssues to Be Aware Of In addition to the general installation and use guidance provided by Transport Canada, the agency also  cautions against letting infants sleep in car seats or otherwise leaving them alone in their seats. The agency also warns against using car seats past their expiration dates and recommends registering new safety devices so consumers can receive notice of recalls.

How is Sex education important Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

How is Sex education important - Research Paper Example Education related to sex is for mounting youthful proficiencies so that they formulate knowledgeable preferences about their activities, and sense assurance and familiarity about performing on these options. It is extensively established that individuals possess right to be educated about their body and also should be imparted sex education as it is a method that aids them to safeguard and protect self in opposition to mistreatment, utilization, unplanned pregnancies, or from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), HIV and AIDS. Apart from family atmosphere and preaching, school atmosphere also plays an essential role in educating students about sexuality. Some schools educate their students about the subject as they are well equipped and feel it is necessary for the child development, while other schools never like to handle the subject (Kirby, 1999; Ketterman, 2007). According to Wight and Abraham (2000), it is necessary to extend sex education on the basis of theoretical knowledge, but it is difficult to translate research based conclusions drawn regarding imparting sex education into acceptable, replicable and potentially effective classroom lessons require high precision and care to create an awareness in the classroom culture. Sex education is required to develop a healthy approach as well as to afford the budding young minds with a vision and an attitude so that the mistakes that were done in the past could not be repeated. The mistake encompassed the birth of AIDS and STDs; had sex education would have gained magnitude in the past and concern about educating individuals would have been started a few decades earlier, prevailing dreaded diseases could have been prevented (Ketterman, 2007; Bryan, 1996). To culminate this, sex education is gaining prevalence. According to Eyre and Eyre (1999), essentially, children must be educated in an explicit manner about the sex and sexuality and it is always better to start early as soon as the child is three years of a ge, by the time child is eight, awareness generated about many issues is imperative in life. This enables the child to grasp the situations, happenings going around and act accordingly to protect self and peers. Sexuality begins at birth. As soon as the child is born everyone likes to know- "a boy or a girl?" Children are classified by their gender and thus they learn to discriminate between the two sexes quite earlier in their lives (Chrisman, 2002). It is observed that toddlers frequently touch themselves when they are unclothed, as in bath tub or otherwise, as they do not possess modesty. The reaction of parents is important here, as it informs them about the acceptance of their deeds. Reprimand of any kind conveys a worst message rather acknowledgment about their action is necessary. Parents must explain the secrecy and confidentiality of doings (Kids Health). The basic motive of imparting sex education is to diminish the jeopardy and probability of unconstructive incidence due to sexual behaviour or out of curiosity, culminating to accidental pregnancies or victimizing oneself with HIV or STDs. Appropriate knowledge will not only minimize such incidence but also provide positive experience about their sexuality, safeguarding children and young population in an effective manner. Sex education is important as families have their own standards for nudity and privacy. It is directly imparted to