Expatriate Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Expatriate Management - Essay Example Strong human resources management practices come in handy especially in the international context whereby managers are engaged in foreign assignments. They need to be trained to ensure that they are effective in accomplishing the duties assigned to them. Nevertheless, training of expatriate managers is faced with various challenges. This paper presents a critique of challenges such as identifying the time to train, type and level of training, parties to be involved in training as well as the expatriates’ capabilities to relate with the foreign culture. There are also challenges related to the learning capabilities, interest and willingness of the expatriates to undertake the training. Determining the appropriate time to train presents a major challenge as trainers try to evaluate the training needs of expatriates. They can either be trained before leaving their home organization or immediately after travelling to the foreign country (Bird and Osland, 2005). Both strategies are significant in equipping the manager with the desired knowledge to cope with the new environment, but choosing one of them rather than undertaking the two may be effective in saving time and resources. Planners are faced with a dilemma of determining which strategy would be more appropriate. For example, training before the managers leave the organization instills them with a sense of purpose for their mission. They are capable of imagining the organization’s situation after they successfully complete their mission. Yan et al. (2002) observe that training expatriates before they leave their home country motivates them to work towards accomplishment of the organizational goals to impr ove the situation at hand. When they are trained in the foreign country, they are fascinated by the new environment; either due to its magnificence or otherwise lower standards. The new environment may influence learning and therefore the training might not accomplish the organizational objectives (Chew,

Homework Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Homework - Research Paper Example The usability of a system also determines its effectiveness, satisfaction, and efficiency. The effectiveness of a system refers to the accuracy with which specific objectives can be achieved. The efficiency of a system refers to various resources and their accuracy for the system. The satisfaction of a system includes characteristics of users, tasks, and the overall organization. The context of use is also an important characteristic of the system. The context of the system determines the characteristics of the users, tasks, and physical environment (Sauro & Kindlund, 2005). The second important quality characteristic of ISO 9126 System is reliability. The reliability of a system determines the perceptions of users regarding the reliability. The reliability of a system is ensured through various measures (Sauro & Kindlund, 2005). Some of these measures include frequency of system failure, presence of bugs, faults, and other errors. When developing a system, it is important to ensure that it possesses fault tolerance. The specific level of performance is also developed for system’s reliability. The recoverability is the sub characteristic of reliability. This characteristic allows users to take corrective actions whenever an error occurs. The reliable system is one, which can quickly recover from a failure and resume working (Sauro & Kindlund, 2005). Reliability is viewed as an important quality attribute, which appears in all quality models. The users want a system that they can rely. The reliability can be defined as the capability of a system to maintain a specific performance level. The sub characteristics of reliability include maturity, fault tolerance, recoverability, and reliability conformance. Maturity of an ISO 9126 system can be comprehended as its capability to avoid failures. The fault tolerance of a system is the capability of a system to deliver specified performance (Phang, Kankanhalli &

The Increased Use of Genetically Modified Food Essay Example for Free

The Increased Use of Genetically Modified Food Essay Genetically-modified foods (GM foods) have made a big splash in the news lately. European environmental organizations and public interest groups have been actively protesting against GM foods for months, and recent controversial studies about the effects of genetically-modified corn pollen on monarch butterfly caterpillars1, 2 have brought the issue of genetic engineering to the forefront of the public consciousness in the U. S. In response to the upswelling of public concern, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held three open meetings in Chicago, Washington, D. C., and Oakland, California to solicit public opinions and begin the process of establishing a new regulatory procedure for government approval of GM foods3. I attended the FDA meeting held in November 1999 in Washington, D. C. , and here I will attempt to summarize the issues involved and explain the U. S. governments present role in regulating GM food. What are genetically-modified foods? The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. The enhancement of desired traits has traditionally been undertaken through breeding, but conventional plant breeding methods can be very time consuming and are often not very accurate. Genetic engineering, on the other hand, can create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and with great accuracy. For example, plant geneticists can isolate a gene responsible for drought tolerance and insert that gene into a different plant. The new genetically-modified plant will gain drought tolerance as well. Not only can genes be transferred from one plant to another, but genes from non-plant organisms also can be used. The best known example of this is the use of B. t. genes in corn and other crops. B. t. , or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a naturally occurring bacterium that produces crystal proteins that are lethal to insect larvae. B. t. crystal protein genes have been transferred into corn, enabling the corn to produce its own pesticides against insects such as the European corn borer. For two informative overviews of some of the techniques involved in creating GM foods, visit Biotech Basics (sponsored by Monsanto) http://www. biotechknowledge. monsanto. com/biotech/bbasics. nsf/index or Techniques of Plant Biotechnology from the National Center for Biotechnology Education http://www. ncbe. reading. ac. uk/NCBE/GMFOOD/techniques. What are some of the advantages of GM foods? The world population has topped 6 billion people and is predicted to double in the next 50 years. Ensuring an adequate food supply for this booming population is going to be a major challenge in the years to come. GM foods promise to meet this need in a number of ways: Pest resistanceCrop losses from insect pests can be staggering, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers and starvation in developing countries. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and run-off of agricultural wastes from excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers can poison the water supply and cause harm to the environment. Growing GM foods such as B. t.corn can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market4, 5. Herbicide toleranceFor some crops, it is not cost-effective to remove weeds by physical means such as tilling, so farmers will often spray large quantities of different herbicides (weed-killer) to destroy weeds, a time-consuming and expensive process, that requires care so that the herbicide doesnt harm the crop plant or the environment. Crop plants genetically-engineered to be resistant to one very powerful herbicide could help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed. For example, Monsanto has created a strain of soybeans genetically modified to be not affected by their herbicide product Roundup  ®6. A farmer grows these soybeans which then only require one application of weed-killer instead of multiple applications, reducing production cost and limiting the dangers of agricultural waste run-off7. Disease resistance There are many viruses, fungi and bacteria that cause plant diseases. Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically-engineered resistance to these diseases8, 9. Cold toleranceUnexpected frost can destroy sensitive seedlings. An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings10. (Note: I have not been able to find any journal articles or patents that involve fish antifreeze proteins in strawberries, although I have seen such reports in newspapers. I can only conclude that nothing on this application has yet been published or patented.) Drought tolerance/salinity toleranceAs the world population grows and more land is utilized for housing instead of food production, farmers will need to grow crops in locations previously unsuited for plant cultivation. Creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly inhospitable places11, 12. NutritionMalnutrition is common in third world countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. However, rice does not contain adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition. If rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated. For example, blindness due to vitamin A deficiency is a common problem in third world countries. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute for Plant Sciences have created a strain of golden rice containing an unusually high content of beta-carotene (vitamin A)13. Since this rice was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation14, a non-profit organization, the Institute hopes to offer the golden rice seed free to any third world country that requests it. Plans were underway to develop a golden rice that also has increased iron content. However, the grant that funded the creation of these two rice strains was not renewed, perhaps because of the vigorous anti-GM food protesting in Europe, and so this nutritionally-enhanced rice may not come to market at all15. PharmaceuticalsMedicines and vaccines often are costly to produce and sometimes require special storage conditions not readily available in third world countries. Researchers are working to develop edible vaccines in tomatoes and potatoes16, 17. These vaccines will be much easier to ship, store and administer than traditional injectable vaccines. PhytoremediationNot all GM plants are grown as crops. Soil and groundwater pollution continues to be a problem in all parts of the world. Plants such as poplar trees have been genetically engineered to clean up heavy metal pollution from contaminated soil18. How prevalent are GM crops? What plants are involved? According to the FDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), there are over 40 plant varieties that have completed all of the federal requirements for commercialization (http://vm. cfsan. fda. gov/%7Elrd/biocon). Some examples of these plants include tomatoes and cantalopes that have modified ripening characteristics, soybeans and sugarbeets that are resistant to herbicides, and corn and cotton plants with increased resistance to insect pests. Not all these products are available in supermarkets yet; however, the prevalence of GM foods in U. S. grocery stores is more widespread than is commonly thought. While there are very, very few genetically-modified whole fruits and vegetables available on produce stands, highly processed foods, such as vegetable oils or breakfast cereals, most likely contain some tiny percentage of genetically-modified ingredients because the raw ingredients have been pooled into one processing stream from many different sources. Also, the ubiquity of soybean derivatives as food additives in the modern American diet virtually ensures that all U. S. consumers have been exposed to GM food products. The U. S. statistics that follow are derived from data presented on the USDA web site at http://www. ers. usda. gov/briefing/biotechnology/. The global statistics are derived from a brief published by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) at http://www. isaaa. org/publications/briefs/Brief_21. htm and from the Biotechnology Industry Organization at http://www. bio.org/foodag/1999Acreage. Thirteen countries grew genetically-engineered crops commercially in 2000, and of these, the U. S. produced the majority. In 2000, 68% of all GM crops were grown by U. S. farmers. In comparison, Argentina, Canada and China produced only 23%, 7% and 1%, respectively. Other countries that grew commercial GM crops in 2000 are Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Spain, and Uruguay. Soybeans and corn are the top two most widely grown crops (82% of all GM crops harvested in 2000), with cotton, rapeseed (or canola) and potatoes trailing behind. 74% of these GM crops were modified for herbicide tolerance, 19% were modified for insect pest resistance, and 7% were modified for both herbicide tolerance and pest tolerance. Globally, acreage of GM crops has increased 25-fold in just 5 years, from approximately 4. 3 million acres in 1996 to 109 million acres in 2000 almost twice the area of the United Kingdom. Approximately 99 million acres were devoted to GM crops in the U. S. and Argentina alone. In the U. S. , approximately 54% of all soybeans cultivated in 2000 were genetically-modified, up from 42% in 1998 and only 7% in 1996. In 2000, genetically-modified cotton varieties accounted for 61% of the total cotton crop, up from 42% in 1998, and 15% in 1996. GM corn and also experienced a similar but less dramatic increase. Corn production increased to 25% of all corn grown in 2000, about the same as 1998 (26%), but up from 1. 5% in 1996. As anticipated, pesticide and herbicide use on these GM varieties was slashed and, for the most part, yields were increased (for details, see the UDSA publication at http://www. ers. usda. gov/publications/aer786/). What are some of the criticisms against GM foods? Environmental activists, religious organizations, public interest groups, professional associations and other scientists and government officials have all raised concerns about GM foods, and criticized agribusiness for pursuing profit without concern for potential hazards, and the government for failing to exercise adequate regulatory oversight. It seems that everyone has a strong opinion about GM foods. Even the Vatican19 and the Prince of Wales20 have expressed their opinions. Most concerns about GM foods fall into three categories: environmental hazards, human health risks, and economic concerns. Environmental hazards Unintended harm to other organismsLast year a laboratory study was published in Nature21 showing that pollen from B. t. corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from B. t. corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish. Although the Nature study was not conducted under natural field conditions, the results seemed to support this viewpoint. Unfortunately, B. t. toxins kill many species of insect larvae indiscriminately; it is not possible to design a B.t. toxin that would only kill crop-damaging pests and remain harmless to all other insects. This study is being reexamined by the USDA, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other non-government research groups, and preliminary data from new studies suggests that the original study may have been flawed22, 23. This topic is the subject of acrimonious debate, and both sides of the argument are defending their data vigorously. Currently, there is no agreement about the results of these studies, and the potential risk of harm to non-target organisms will need to be evaluated further. Reduced effectiveness of pesticidesJust as some populations of mosquitoes developed resistance to the now-banned pesticide DDT, many people are concerned that insects will become resistant to B. t. or other crops that have been genetically-modified to produce their own pesticides. Gene transfer to non-target speciesAnother concern is that crop plants engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds will cross-breed, resulting in the transfer of the herbicide resistance genes from the crops into the weeds. These superweeds would then be herbicide tolerant as well. Other introduced genes may cross over into non-modified crops planted next to GM crops. The possibility of interbreeding is shown by the defense of farmers against lawsuits filed by Monsanto. The company has filed patent infringement lawsuits against farmers who may have harvested GM crops. Monsanto claims that the farmers obtained Monsanto-licensed GM seeds from an unknown source and did not pay royalties to Monsanto. The farmers claim that their unmodified crops were cross-pollinated from someone elses GM crops planted a field or two away. More investigation is needed to resolve this issue. There are several possible solutions to the three problems mentioned above. Genes are exchanged between plants via pollen. Two ways to ensure that non-target species will not receive introduced genes from GM plants are to create GM plants that are male sterile (do not produce pollen) or to modify the GM plant so that the pollen does not contain the introduced gene24, 25, 26. Cross-pollination would not occur, and if harmless insects such as monarch caterpillars were to eat pollen from GM plants, the caterpillars would survive. Another possible solution is to create buffer zones around fields of GM crops27, 28, 29. For example, non-GM corn would be planted to surround a field of B. t. GM corn, and the non-GM corn would not be harvested. Beneficial or harmless insects would have a refuge in the non-GM corn, and insect pests could be allowed to destroy the non-GM corn and would not develop resistance to B. t. pesticides. Gene transfer to weeds and other crops would not occur because the wind-blown pollen would not travel beyond the buffer zone. Estimates of the necessary width of buffer zones range from 6 meters to 30 meters or more30. This planting method may not be feasible if too much acreage is required for the buffer zones. Human health risks Allergenicity Many children in the US and Europe have developed life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods. There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. A proposal to incorporate a gene from Brazil nuts into soybeans was abandoned because of the fear of causing unexpected allergic reactions31. Extensive testing of GM foods may be required to avoid the possibility of harm to consumers with food allergies. Labeling of GM foods and food products will acquire new importance, which I shall discuss later. Unknown effects on human healthThere is a growing concern that introducing foreign genes into food plants may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health. A recent article published in Lancet examined the effects of GM potatoes on the digestive tract in rats32, 33. This study claimed that there were appreciable differences in the intestines of rats fed GM potatoes and rats fed unmodified potatoes. Yet critics say that this paper, like the monarch butterfly data, is flawed and does not hold up to scientific scrutiny34. Moreover, the gene introduced into the potatoes was a snowdrop flower lectin, a substance known to be toxic to mammals. The scientists who created this variety of potato chose to use the lectin gene simply to test the methodology, and these potatoes were never intended for human or animal consumption. On the whole, with the exception of possible allergenicity, scientists believe that GM foods do not present a risk to human health. Economic concerns Bringing a GM food to market is a lengthy and costly process, and of course agri-biotech companies wish to ensure a profitable return on their investment. Many new plant genetic engineering technologies and GM plants have been patented, and patent infringement is a big concern of agribusiness. Yet consumer advocates are worried that patenting these new plant varieties will raise the price of seeds so high that small farmers and third world countries will not be able to afford seeds for GM crops, thus widening the gap between the wealthy and the poor. It is hoped that in a humanitarian gesture, more companies and non-profits will follow the lead of the Rockefeller Foundation and offer their products at reduced cost to impoverished nations. Patent enforcement may also be difficult, as the contention of the farmers that they involuntarily grew Monsanto-engineered strains when their crops were cross-pollinated shows. One way to combat possible patent infringement is to introduce a suicide gene into GM plants. These plants would be viable for only one growing season and would produce sterile seeds that do not germinate. Farmers would need to buy a fresh supply of seeds each year. However, this would be financially disastrous for farmers in third world countries who cannot afford to buy seed each year and traditionally set aside a portion of their harvest to plant in the next growing season. In an open letter to the public, Monsanto has pledged to abandon all research using this suicide gene technology35. How are GM foods regulated and what is the governments role in this process? Governments around the world are hard at work to establish a regulatory process to monitor the effects of and approve new varieties of GM plants. Yet depending on the political, social and economic climate within a region or country, different governments are responding in different ways. In Japan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced that health testing of GM foods will be mandatory as of April 200136, 37. Currently, testing of GM foods is voluntary. Japanese supermarkets are offering both GM foods and unmodified foods, and customers are beginning to show a strong preference for unmodified fruits and vegetables. Indias government has not yet announced a policy on GM foods because no GM crops are grown in India and no products are commercially available in supermarkets yet38. India is, however, very supportive of transgenic plant research. It is highly likely that India will decide that the benefits of GM foods outweigh the risks because Indian agriculture will need to adopt drastic new measures to counteract the countrys endemic poverty and feed its exploding population. Some states in Brazil have banned GM crops entirely, and the Brazilian Institute for the Defense of Consumers, in collaboration with Greenpeace, has filed suit to prevent the importation of GM crops39,. Brazilian farmers, however, have resorted to smuggling GM soybean seeds into the country because they fear economic harm if they are unable to compete in the global marketplace with other grain-exporting countries.

Model Of Nursing And Orems Self Care Model Nursing Essay

Model Of Nursing And Orems Self Care Model Nursing Essay Salvage (2006) reports the RLT model is based on what is considered as twelve activities of living. The model determines that physical/biological, psychological, sociocultural, environmental and politicoeconomical factors all influence the way in which an individual performs these activities of living (Salvage, 2006). Healy and Timmins (2003) further add that activities of living are one of five main components that are all interconnected. Progression along the lifespan, the dependence/independence continuum, factors influencing the activities of living and the individuality in living completing the final four components. They state the model is one that focuses on the patient as an individual engaged in living throughout a lifespan and moving from dependence to independence according to age, circumstances and environment (Healy Timmins, 2003, p. 792). Healy and Timmins (2003) identify the model is used to identify a patients abilities in each of the twelve activities of living and use this data as a guide to develop an individualised care plan. Meleis (2012) defines Orems framework as one that identifies patients needs and the resulting nursing intervention necessary to enhance self-care. Johnson and Webber (2010) explain Orems Model has three interrelated concepts theory of self-care, theory of self-care deficit and theory of nursing systems. According to Orem, people require assistance when their ability to meet their own self-care needs becomes compromised (Horan, 2004). Orem identifies three categories of self-care common to all people, believing when an individual is unable to meet these needs a self-care deficit occurs (Berman et al, 2012; Fitzpatrick Whall, 2005). Orems model assesses a patients self-care ability to determine the deficit in meeting their own care. Once the deficit is established, one of five methods can be implemented to meet the patients self-care needs. Depending on the patients abilities to perform their own self-care, one of three nursing systems is utilized to meet the needs of the patient (Be rman et al, 2012). Nurses have a responsibility to consider legal and ethical issues that need to be employed when performing health assessments. Legal issues, according to Berman et al (2012) include consent, confidentiality, duty of care and negligence whilst ethical issues include non-maleficence, beneficence, respect for autonomy and justice. Otherwise known as the four principles of bioethics (Atkins, Britton de Lacey, 2011, p. 88). The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council [ANMC] have developed codes and guidelines that are a minimum standard of practice that a nurse is expected to maintain. When performing health assessments nurses must perform within their scope of practice which is based on education, knowledge, competency, extent of experience and lawful authority (ANMC, 2008). Atkins, Britton and de Lacey (2011) identify the position of power a nurse holds over a patient because of their inability to meet certain self-care needs and their reliance on the assistance of a nurse. They describe the relationship that exists between nurse and patient as a fiduciary relationship (Atkins, Britton de Lacey, 2011, p. 82). Central to this relationship is cooperation with the patient, with him/her an active member of the decision making process (Atkins, Britton de Lacey, 2011). It is recognised that the nurse has technical knowledge and expert advice however lacks sufficient knowledge and authority over a patients life. Therefore the nurse lacks the expertise to make significant decisions without the patients consent. A patient must consent to any health assessment being performed, however, the nurse first must provide sufficient and relevant information about the assessment being undertaken. Any framework implemented in the nursing environment will always come with strengths and limitations. Whilst not practising the Self-Care Model as Orem packaged it, Johnson and Webber (2010) state nurses have embraced the logic of self-care as therapeutic. This has resulted in them focusing their care focused towards helping patients meet their self-care needs rather than performing these for them. This promotes patient independence and maximizes nursing resource. Nurses have integrated principles of the model into diverse practice settings including different cultures and the world. Horan (2004) presented the use of Orems model in the field of intellectual disability and initially believed the model was too complex for successful application in this arena. His view changed when he saw the benefit the model provided to cater for individuals, with total care for one patient or just education and support for another. Meleis (2012) highlights the versality of the model with its use in preoperative and postoperative care, psychiatric, palliative and HIV patient care, ranging from geriatric patients to adolescents and children. Fitzpatrick and Whall (2005) identify the model is relevant, noting its implementation in many health care institutions. Ths suggesting the model is flexible and adaptable to form an individual care plan that will meet an array of patient needs. Orems model provides a framework for intervention and in her own words states self-care deficit theory of nursing will fit into any nursing situation because it is a general theory, that is, an explanat ion of what is common to all nursing situations, not just an explanation of an individual situation (Meleis, 2012, p. 208). Irrespective of these strengths, Johnson and Webber (2010) believe Orems model is detailed and burdened with complicated language. Meleis (2012) supports their idea, suggesting the model is ambiguous, lacks clarity and can result in misinterpretation. Fitzpatrick and Whall (2005) state the theory can be viewed as culturally biased due to the fact it relies on principles such as autonomy, self-determinism and self-reliance. Principles that are not adopted in all cultures. Orems model addresses how nursing actions function to enhance health therefore being a valuable tool in the lives of those whose ability to self-care is thwarted. However, Fitzpatrick and Whall (2005) argue it may not make the same impact in health prevention care and promoting health. They claim its focus on self-care deficits resulting from health problems excludes a health promotion focus. Meleis (2012) supports this claim concluding that as nursing shifts to more community focus, the model will need to be supplemented with focus on health prevention and promotion care. Johnson and Webber (2010) identify that nursing would benefit from principles from a range of frameworks to enhance holistic assessment rather than limiting its practice to the boundaries of one single framework. This essay has discussed RLT Model of Nursing and Orems Self-Care Model as health care frameworks that can be used when collecting heath assessment data. It outlined legal and ethical issues underpinning the nurse-patient relationship and how these must direct any interaction with the patient when conducting health assessment. Finally, it brought attention to the strengths and weaknesses when using Orems Self-Care Model, evidence showing whilst there are limitations to the model, there are attributes that make it valuable. Whilst the clarity of the model seemed questionable due to language used, the ability the model has to cater for patients with varying capacities proved it flexible and adaptable, encouraging and promoting patient independence.

Skin Cancer :: essays research papers

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. There are two different types of skin cancers: Melanomas and non-melanomas. To understand both of these terms a little better you need to be aware that your skin is divided up into 3 layers: the epidermis, dermis, and subcutis. The top layer, the epidermis, is very thin and serves to protect the deeper layers of the skin. The epidermis is also composed of basal cells, which in turn divide to form squamous cells and melanocytes. Melanoma skin cancer develops from the melanocytes and non-melanomas skin cancer develops from the basal and squamous cells. There are 2 types of non-melanomas cancer that result from these cells. The first is basal cell carcinoma; basal cell carcinoma begins in the lowest layer of the epidermis, the basal cell layer. This type of skin cancer tends to be slow growing and is usually is found in areas that are highly exposed to sunlight, such as the head or neck. The second type is called squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma accounts for 20% of all skin cancers, and penetrates the skin more than basal cell would, therefore, is considered to be more harmful. Surprisingly, even with these astonishing numbers people still continue to put themselves at risk everyday. The solution to all this is very simple, we all need to wear sunscreen when planning to expose ourselves to the sun. There are also other everyday preventive measures that we can take to decrease our chances of harmful exposure to the sun. It is always helpful to wear a shirt and a hat with a broad brim. Wear sunglasses that absorb 99%-100% of UV rays to help your block your eyes and the skin around your eyes from these harmful rays. The two most important things for most people who like to tan are to seek shade frequently and to never use tanning beds. You can put your body at even more of a higher risk of contracting skin cancer when staying in the constant heat. One of the most effective ways is to wear sunscreen when out in the sun. Sunscreens are designed to protect against sunburn (UVB rays) and generally provide little protection against UVA rays. There are two types of sunscreens, chemical and physical. Chemical sunscreens contain chemicals such as benzophenone or oxybenzone as the active ingredient.

Journalism, Real Creativity and Reactionary Creativity :: English Literature Essays

Journalism, Real Creativity and Reactionary Creativity On January 1, 2002 I had finally finished authoring my latest fiction book, which is titled The Great Teen Fruit War, A 1960’ Novel. The work was quite a Promethean task to complete, having 162,000 words on 468 pages presented in 46 Chapters. When I read my final draft, I think I felt a little like Victor Frankenstein must have when he first fully viewed the monster that he had created. The Great Teen Fruit War is set in 1960’ Hammonton and involves conflict between the Blues, the sons of blueberry farmers and the Reds, the sons of peach farmers (please remember, a novel is fiction). The Blues are the antagonists and wear button-down blue denim jackets, and the Reds are the protagonists and wear zip-up red James Dean’ jackets like those worn by the famous actor in the 1955 classic film, Rebel without a Cause. The Great Teen Fruit War is the sequel to Black Leather and Blue Denim, A ‘50s Novel. In the Great Teen Fruit War, Bellevue Avenue is the dividing line between blueberry country to the east and peach territory to the west. To spice up the story, the Reds have one â€Å"antagonist† named Ronald â€Å"Goose† Restuccio, the son of a Mafia kingpin. Complicating matters even further is a third gang, The Ramrodders, a group of greasers that interact with the Reds and the Blues. Now here’s the essential difference between fiction and non-fiction. The Fruit War’s setting is real, but the story and the characters are not. Most of the â€Å"characters† are composite, a combination of two or more people I have known. I have taken elements from these past acquaintances and synthesized each of them into a new person just like Victor Frankenstein had done with his monster. In all due respect to Gabe Donio, Gina Rullo and to Ben Meritt, front-page journalism or news reporting is relatively easy. It is basically accurate descriptive narrative’ writing that involves the questions Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? and then providing a few direct quotes and a first paragraph hook that captures the reader’s attention. Now Gabe Donio and Gina Rullo take the Hammonton Gazette to a higher level of thinking when they write the Editorial Page, because now we have opinion based on fact, which involves interpretation, analysis, problem solving and controversy. These are â€Å"higher level’ thinking skills† where some local citizens might become inflamed because they didn’t savor the way certain facts have been interpreted, analyzed or problem solved.

The Inequalities Surrounding Indigenous Health

The Inequalities Surrounding Australian Indigenous Health Inequality in health is one of the most controversial topics within Australian Health Care. Inequality in relation to health is defined as being â€Å"differences in health status or in the distribution of health determinants between different population groups† (World Health Organization, 2012). Within Australia inequality affects a wide range of population groups; however Indigenous Australians are most widely affected therefore this paper will focus on how inequality has impacted their health.Research shows that Australia’s Indigenous people suffer from a multitude of social and economic inequalities such as inadequate access to nutritious food and health care, being socially and economically ostracized, cultural barriers, discrimination, inadequate shelter and sanitation, and insufficient education (Commonwealth Grants Commission 2001, p. 58-60; Australian Human Rights Commission 2007), which all contribute t o poor health physically, emotionally and spiritually. To gain a better understanding of the ill treatment of this population it is important to review Australian history and the affects on the individual and the community.Throughout history Indigenous Australians have suffered great inequality at the hands of white settlers. In 1788 the British colonialists arrived claiming the continent as their own without respect or consideration for its inhabitants. The inequality suffered by the Indigenous due to this lack of respect was brutal and executed with contempt, such as large scale massacres, assimilation of Indigenous children (known as the stolen generation), the banishment of entire communities, and a loss of land impacting on the hunter gatherer lifestyle etc. Australian Indigenous Health Info Net, 2011). Prior to the arrival of the British, â€Å"Indigenous Australians generally enjoyed better health †¦ than most people living in Europe† (Australian Indigenous Health Info Net, 2011), this could be directly due to the nomadic lifestyle and relatively small clans. According to the Australian Indigenous Health Info Net after the arrival of the British, Indigenous tribes were exposed to a number of diseases such as pertussis, small pox, tuberculosis, venereal diseases, measles, scarlet fever and Influenza.Having had no previous exposure to such afflictions Indigenous Australians endured a significant loss of life and their social structure was severely disrupted (2011). Throughout history inaccessibility of conventional health services and insufficient distribution of health frameworks in some Indigenous communities, has inevitably created a disadvantage to be as healthy as non-Indigenous Australians (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2007).Although society has advanced and is now bound by more equitable laws, large numbers of Indigenous Australians as individuals and as communities continue to suffer lower socioeconomic circumstances and health inequalities. This history of inequality, discrimination and overall mistreatment has not only had a prolific impact on the health and socioeconomic status of Indigenous individuals but it has contributed to an increase in detrimental social conditions and a lack of faith in their Non-Indigenous counterparts, the Government and the Australian Health Care System.Isaacs, Pyett, Oakley-Brown, Gruis, and Waples-Crowe (2010) found that â€Å"A general lack of trust in mainstream services by the Indigenous community and previous experiences of racism and discrimination can draw individuals away from these services† (p. 78). VicHealth determines that the disadvantages of financial hardship has a considerable residual influence on health inequalities (2005, p. 1). Low income and financial hardship has commonly been linked with poor housing and hygiene. Disadvantaged Indigenous individuals are more than often sharing their dwellings and overcrowding is not unlikely.Overcrowding genera lly means that there is an unavoidable spread of disease (Commonwealth Grants Commission, 2001, p. 58-60), placing significant strain on an individual’s financial position, due to higher expenditure outcomes, affecting their ability to seek health treatment. Such strain can increase the individuals stress levels. The Australian Human Rights Commission points out that stress â€Å"can impact on the body’s immune system, circulatory system, and metabolic functions through a variety of hormonal pathways and is associated with a range of health problems, particularly diseases of the circulatory system (2007).Indigenous individuals are strongly identify with their community and work together to heal rather than exclusively. Therefore socio-economic disadvantages, intolerance and health inequalities that affect Indigenous individuals also have an impact on their communities. The introduction to the western/European way of living, loss of ancestral land, intolerance and the economic disadvantages that Indigenous Australians suffer fuels socially related conditions within their communities such as substance abuse, violence, increased degrees of infectious diseases and chronic diseases etc. ulminating in higher mortality rates than non-Indigenous Australians (Duckett & Willcox, 2011, p. 34-35). Stephens, Porter, Nettleton and Willis (2006) state that â€Å"infectious disease burden persists for Indigenous communities with high rates of diseases such as tuberculosis, and inequality also exists in the prevalence of chronic disease, including diabetes and heart disease† (p. 2022). Statistics show mortality for most age groups of the Indigenous population is twice that of non-indigenous people.The highest rate of mortality of Indigenous people is six times that of non-Indigenous Australians, this mortality is encountered by both males and females aged between 35-44 years of age (Duckett & Willcox, 2011, p. 33). Consistency of low socioeconomic positio n in Indigenous communities is a causality of ill health which exacerbates Indigenous people’s disparity, contributing a continuum of disparity and ill health among generations (VicHealth, 2005, p. 3). These impacts of health inequality for Indigenous Australians on the Australian health system are varied.Hospitals and health services experience a higher influx of Indigenous patients compared to their counterparts (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2007). The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare maintains that the ratio of Indigenous patients in health care settings compared to non-Indigenous is about three to one. Indigenous people present with a plethora of health problems including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, substance and violence related injuries, mental illness etc. (2011). All of these health issues have a deep correlation with inequality.The high rates of patient intakes and health issues surrounding Indigenous people suggests they are not accessing heal th services and health education that encourages and aids in prevention. As mentioned earlier Isaacs et al (2010) stated that this is a direct impact of fear and trust related to racial discrimination (p. 78). Insufficient education may play a role in the inability to understand what services are available to them. An abundance of health services are available to urban Indigenous communities; however access to services for more remote communities poses much financial difficulty and stress.Financial stress has also impacted the health care system as funding continually needs expansion to support the outcomes of poor health inequalities for this population. In 2006-2007 â€Å"Indigenous health care expenditure accounted for 3. 3% of national expenditure† (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare states that this is only slightly higher than what is allocated to services accessed by Non-Indigenous Australians, even though Indigenous people suffer a higher burden of disease (2011).It is evidential that more services are required to create preventative outcomes and to relieve financial burden across the board. Considering Indigenous people generally work as a community rather than as individuals (being that they are clan affiliated) perhaps it would be more beneficial for the community as a whole to address what improvements need to be made to better suit their cultural beliefs. Freemantle, Officer, McAullay and Anderson (2007) acknowledge that Indigenous communities who oversee attainable and adaptable services have consistent, convincing health improvements (p. ). Community leaders should work cohesively with local and state governments to create more holistic approaches toward gaining effective health outcomes. This may mean making the choice to take a leap of faith in the health care system and the government that has primarily been responsible for the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples. In additio n the government at a national level is cohesively strategizing to improve life for Indigenous people. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has agreed upon a strategy developed to ‘Close the Gap’. Closing the Gap is a commitment by all Australian governments to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians, and in particular provide a better future for Indigenous children† (Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, 2009). State health departments such as VicHealth are also aiming to create improved health equality by enhancing awareness across all sectors, engaging in promotion to decrease health inequalities, establishing schemes that address health inequalities etc. (2005, p. ). Compared to the global community, Australian life expectancy and morbidity rates for Indigenous people have been found to be greater than that of other developed communities such as New Zealand, Canada and the USA (Freemantle et al. 2007, p. 2). Th e Freemantle et al. research (2007) revealed that Australian Indigenous people had an inferior life expectancy with males living approximately 56 years and females 63 years. In comparison, Canada’s Indigenous males lived approximately 68. 9 years and females 76. 6 years.In addition, the discrepancy in life expectancy between Australia’s Indigenous population and their non-Indigenous counterparts is marginally greater than that of other developed nations, with non-Indigenous Australians life expectancy at 76. 6 years for males and 82 years for females. In relation to morbidity, compared to the USA Australian Indigenous people experience an increased rate of illness such as diabetes at 85. 4, while the American Indigenous people only experience a rate of diabetes at 36. 2 (p. 26-28).It is evidential that Australian Indigenous populations suffer higher rates of health inequalities compared to other developed countries; this may be proof that Australia is not doing enough to bridge the gap. However it must be acknowledged that underdeveloped nations experience much lower rates of life expectancy and greater rates of illness, than developed nations. In conclusion it is suffice to say that since white settlement, Indigenous Australians as individuals and communities have suffered great health inequalities, due to racial discrimination and low socio-economic disadvantages.Although the Australian government and the health care systems are working towards amending these health inequalities, working cohesively with Indigenous communities will increase positive outcomes. Evidence shows that more effective action needs to be committed to and enforced. References Australian Government. (2001). Commonwealth grants commission: Indigenous funding inquiry. Retrieved March 26th, 2012, from www. cgc. gov. au/publications2/other_inquiries2/indigenous_funding_inquiry2/reports_and_other_documents/indigenous_funding_inquiry_-_final_report Australian Human Rights Commis sion. (2007, April 29-30).Social determinants and the health of Indigenous peoples in Australia: A human rights based approach. Retrieved March 26th, 2012, from www. hreoc. gov. au/about/media/speeches/social_justice/2007/social_determinants_n_the_health_of_indig_peoples. html Australian Indigenous Health Info Net. (2011). The context of Indigenous health. Retrieved March 23rd, 2012, from http://www. healthinfonet. ecu. edu. au/health-facts/overviews/the-context-of-indigenous-health Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2011). The health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.