The Importance of the Religious Right in Us Politics Essay Example for Free

The Importance of the Religious Right in Us Politics Essay This does not apply only to republicans, however. JFKs inaugural speech in 1961 consisted of many religious elements, as did Barack Obama’s speech in 2009, in which he spoke of ‘the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny†. Many presidents have ridden to power on the back of religion. Presidents that appeal to the ‘three Fs’, faith flag and fail, or e ‘three Gs’ God, gays and guns, are favourites among the American people. President Bush directly appealed to theses interests and 79% of evangelicals voted to re-elect Bush. Candidates such as Hilary Clinton, who ran for the Democratic candidacy, didn’t achieve success as it could be argued she did not play heavily enough on the concept of religion. John McCain did not appeal directly to the three Gs or Fs so it could be argued that this was the reason he failed to beat Obama in 2008. One of the most important influences of the religious right is it’s infiltration in the republican party through the up and coming far-right movement know as The Tea Party. The TPM started life as a fiscally conservative group that believed federal government was too big and was spending too much. As the movement gathered support, it started to take on social issues, many of which were influenced by the religious right, as they took heavily conservative positions. Many Tea Party candidates influenced the 2010 mid-term elections as they have voted in and took away the democratic majority in the congress. The tea party has removed the right wing of the Democrat party as they have pulled the Republican Party further right as they defeated many ‘Moderate’ Republican candidates. The religious right have also had a big influence in the media, through the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) which supports and publicises candidates that support their views. Therefore, I would argue that the ‘religious right’ is highly influential in politics as they have recently made the republicans further right and the democrats further left. This has split American politics and made the parties different in their ideologies. For instance, they have also created conditions where the religion of a candidate is important in terms of the elections. The religious right has therefore broken the founding fathers wish to keep politics and religion separate.

Marketing Analysis of Whale Watch Tourism

Marketing Analysis of Whale Watch Tourism Whale Watch- New Zealand’s Ultimate Marine Experience and the Nature-Tourism Market Question One Market Segmentation in the nature-tourism market can be defined as the process through which potential customers with similar needs and characteristics are grouped together so that a tourism organization can apply marketing strategies for the selected market segment efficiently (Oohlala, 2013). Segmentation also involves learning more about customers and making the heterogeneous market into a homogenous market (Bowker, 2014). Segmenting the New Zealand nature-tourism market is viable because it assists in understanding the needs and wants of customers, allocating marketing expenses efficiently, further developing products/services and developing marketing strategies more precisely (Grewal Levy, 2012). The two segments I will divide the domestic nature-tourism market are the: â€Å"Being There† and â€Å"Embracing Life† segments. Comprising of over a quarter of New Zealand’s adult population, ‘Being There’ is definitely an identifiable segment which is large and old. A majority of this segment are aged 55 years or older. They havea female majority and a high percentage of people living alone. The segment can be found throughout all over in New Zealand meaning that it is substantial. Members of this segment have a strong interest in gardening and reading. They also have a positive interest in visiting natural/scenic locations, and are most likely to be a member of church or rotary group. Members of ‘Being There’ are motivated to travel by a yearning to spend time with people they love and appreciate natural/scenic locations. This segment is most interested in sightseeing, natural attractions and walking/hiking and meaning it is a responsive segment for the nature-tourism market. As this segment is relatively wealthy, money is less of a barrier to travel meaning that it is a profitable segment. There are many viable marketing channels that can be used to reach this segment which makes it reachable. These include: Major daily newspapers, special media (e.g. gardening channels/magazines/groups), affinity groups (churches, Rotary, other voluntary groups) are all channels that can be used to reach this market. Another segment for the New Zealand nature-tourism market makes up nearly a quarter of the adult population making it a substantial segment, ‘Living Life’ shares a philosophy to live life to the fullest and embrace nature. This segment is identifiable with a majority of members being aged between 25 and 60 years old. This segment has a dominant family structure of couples with children. Members of ‘Living Life’ can be found throughout all over New Zealand which enables the segment to be substantial. Members of this segment are most likely to have hobbies such as mountaineering, tramping, sight-seeing, boating and gardening at home. This segment is very responsive because vacations are important to them and they holiday frequently within New Zealand. When holidaying in New Zealand, they take part in their favourite activities with their children and partners, away from the pressures of daily life. The ideal holiday for ‘Living Life’ is spending well-earned money on an above all family-friendly, and involves outdoor experiences, scenery and landscapes meaning it is a profitable segment which will spend money on nature-tourism. Key barriers to travel are the amount of annual leave available, work and family commitments. This segment is reachable through channels such as newspaper, media/online (e.g. golf, outdoor, boating, fishing), newspapers and fairs. Question Two In order to evaluate how Whale Watching’s product is perceived by potential customers, it is vital to deconstruct the product into four different levels. This is called the Total Product Concept and we will use this model to deconstruct the product Whale Watch is offering, and evaluate how the company is positioned within the nature-tourism market. Firstly, the Core Product is the fundamental benefit that responds to a potential customer’s need or wants (Elliott, Rundle-Thiele Waller, 2010). For Whale Watch the core benefit for a customer would be being able to observe whales in their natural habitat. This could be for recreational or scientific and educational purposes depending on the motive of the customer. Secondly, the Expected Product is the relative factors that delivers the benefit which forms the core product and fulfil the customer’s most basic expectations (Elliott, Rundle-Thiele Waller, 2010), Whale Watch offers an exciting up-close encounter with the Giant Sperm Whale in their natural environment. In a typical Whale Watch tour, the customer can expect to encounter a wide variety of sea-life and birds. Vessels are crewed by an expert team who are experienced in interacting with the whales. Whale Watch ensures that passenger comfort and safety are always high priority. These are all expected features of the product/service Whale Watch is offering to customers. The Augmented Product offers a combination of benefits that is not a part of the basic level of needs for the customer. It is at the augmented product level where marketers are able to significantly differentiate their products/services from the competition (Elliott, Rundle-Thiele Waller, 2010). Whale Watch is New Zealand’s only vessel-based whale watching experience and the 95% success rate of trips at Whale Watch means that they guarantee an 80% refund and is an example of an augmented service that gives a competitive edge over other companies. Furthermore, it is based in Kaikoura, the Whale Watching capital of New Zealand which provides a unique experience over other locations. Whale Watch is committed to the care and protection of the environment and seeks to minimise waste, promote recycling, use eco-friendly product and minimise their impact on marine life (Whale Watch, 2013). These factors are important for customers who really care about then environment and are conce rned with conservation and the preservation of nature. All these special features and facilities are factors that would help customers to choose Whale Watch over other competitors. The Potential Product of the Product Concept Model comprises all possibilities that could become part of the expected or augmented product. This includes features that are being developed planned as well as features that have not yet been conceived (Elliott, Rundle-Thiele Waller, 2010). In the future, Whale Watch could offer new tours such as swimming with dolphins swimming with whales which would offer a unique, up-and-close, more personal experience. Whale Watch will need to do research on how to bring this programme to life and keep safety measures in mind. Whale Watch seems to be using a differentiation positioning strategies using conservation, nature preservation and a unique approach to attract customers. Whale Watch’s positioning statement is used to succinctly convey their philosophies and approach: â€Å"Whale Watch Kaikoura is New Zealand’s ultimate all year round nature experience offering visitors an exciting up-close encounter with The Giant Sperm Whale† (Whale Watch, 2013). â€Å"We are visitors to the world of the whales and respect it as such at all times. As a Maori owned company, Whale Watch cherishes the twin values of hospitality to visitors and reverence for the natural world† (Whale Watch, 2013). Question Three A service is an act or performance offered by one party to another. They are economic activities that create value and provide benefits for customers at specific times and places as a result of bringing desired change .One of the unique characteristics of a service is that it is inconsistent meaning the service provider cannot provide exactly the same service every time (Brown, 2008). Applying this to Whale Watch’s situation, because of the nature of their service, Whale Watch cannot guarantee the same Whale Watching experience to customers for every tour. Depending on seasonal variations or even the weather on a particular day, every trip will offer a different kind of experience. Customers are not guaranteed to be able to see a consistent number of whales and sea-life on every trip because Whale Watch has little control over this factor. In some seasons of the year, certain animals will not appear at all and on certain days no whales may be sighted at all. Because Whale Watch offers a conservative and completely nature-based experience it cannot â€Å"force† a service and experience for the customer. In order to manage these challenges Whale Watch seems to have particular strategies to target and solve these challenges. Firstly, Whale Watch offers an 80% refund if a tour does not see a whale. Furthermore, Whale Watch staff constantly monitor the weather and respond professionally to any changes. This could a result in a tour being cancelled or safety restrictions placed on children or passengers with medical problems. This is because Whale Watch wants to promote passenger comfort and safety as their number one priority. Furthermore, Whale Watch would want to decrease the chances of a trip a day with bad weather conditions resulting in zero or minimal whale sightings. The on-board plasma screens display a virtual animated tour while the tour is actually taking place so customers will have a larger than life experience even though there may be inconsistency in actual whale and other sea-life sightings. Also, the professional guides and skippers are there in order to maintain consistency in a service with inconsistent characteristics. Whale Watch will make sure that the staff provide a high level of professional service with passenger safety and comfort as their number one priority. This is evident in their constant monitoring of weather and responding professionally.to any changes. Looking at Whale Watch’s philosophy and positioning statement, the company emphasizes that it is Maori owned which has a reverence for the natural environment and is dedicated to conservation, preservation and respect for wildlife. This is a factor that Whale Watch seems to be using to manage challenges of inconsistency of its services. Many customer’s especially nature-lovers and conservationists will respect the company’s philosophies and understand the unavoidable, inconsistent nature of services that Whale Watch is offering. Word Count: 1590 References Grewal, D., Levy, M. (2013). Marketing (1st ed.). New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin. Oohlala, R. (2013). Tourism market segmentation. Slideshare.net. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/reymarieoohlala/tourism-market-segmentation/ Whalewatch.co.nz. (2014). New Zealand Attractions | Kaikoura Whale Watching | Canterbury NZ. Retrieved from http://www.whalewatch.co.nz/ Brown, A. (2008). Alex Brown: teaching digital marketing and ending horse slaughter. Udel.edu. Retrieved from http://www.udel.edu/alex/index.html/ Bowker, M. (2014). Segmentation, targeting and positioning [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://cecil.auckland.ac.nz/

Development of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI

Development of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI Ioannis Tolios â€Å"Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI† Introduction One of the most significant non-invasive imaging modalities applied both in research and clinical diagnostics cis Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Its widespread use is partially based on its characteristic to visualize tissues with high resolutions in 3D and its ability to provide anatomical, functional and metabolic tissue information in vivo (Strijkers, Mulder, van Tilborg, Nicolay, 2007). In an MR image, the basic contrast mostly derives from regional differences in the intrinsic T1, T2 relaxation times, except for local water content differences. T1 and T2 relaxation times can be selected independently to have a commanding influence on image contrast. Nevertheless, a sensitive and accurate diagnosis cannot always be feasible, due to the fact that the intrinsic water, T1 and T2 contrast values are modified and become very often limited by tissue pathology. Consequently, the need for enhanced image contrast led to the growing use of intravenously injected MRI contrast agents, wh ose use although violates partially the non-invasive character of MRI brought about significant benefits. Combining MRI and contrast agents (CA) increases the possibilities to image inflamed tissues in pathologies, such as arthritis, atherosclerotic plaques, and tumor angiogenesis (Strijkers, Mulder, van Tilborg, Nicolay, 2007). Definition of DCE-MRI A technique which combines MRI and contrast agents is Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI). According to Gordon et al. (Gordon, et al., 2014), â€Å"DCE-MRI analyzes the temporal enhancement pattern of a tissue following the introduction of a paramagnetic contrast agent into the vascular system. This is accomplished by the acquisition of baseline images without contrast enhancement, succeeded by a set of images acquired over time (usually over a few minutes) during and after the arrival of the contrast agent in the tissue of interest†. A time intensity curve (TIC) for the tissue is generated by the acquired signal, as it can be seen in Figure 1. In a TIC, the response of the tissue is represented in enhancement values to the arrival of the contrast agent. Specific physiological properties that are in association with the microvascular blood flow, including tissue volume fractions, vessel permeability, and vessel surface area product, can be extracted by analyzing a TIC (Gordon, et al., 2014). Figure 1: An example of a time intensity curve obtained from a tumor metastasis (Bonekamp Macura, 2008). All variations of DCE-MRI studies are relied on a rather plain fundamental principle: the MR signal intensity of a tissue is modified, when a paramagnetic particle (contrast agent) penetrates and spreads over through the tissue, based on its local concentration (Gordon, et al., 2014). MR images of a chosen region of interest (ROI) are obtained in time intervals of few seconds before, during, and after the intravenous injection of a contrast agent. Each obtained image represents one time point, and each and every pixel in a set of images produces its own intensity curve. After the injection of the CA, the signal intensity varies at every time point (is related to the concentration of the CA in the tissue) based on tissue parameters, including vascularization, vessels’ permeability and surface area product, and in this way parametric maps of particular microvascular biomarkers can be extracted. Furthermore, by using suitable mathematical models absolute values of the aforementioned parameters can be estimated. These parameters usually reflect a compartmental pharmacokinetics model demonstrated by CAs, which are allocated between the intravascular and extravascular spaces as it can be seen in Figure 2 (Gordon, et al., 2014). Figure 2: Toft’s compartmental model for calculating DCE-MRI quantitative pharmakokinetic parameters (Verma, et al., 2012). DCE-MRI techniques Currently, two DCE-MRI techniques are defined based on its registration and the origin of the extracted signal. As MRI is highly sensitive to small concentrations of paramagnetic materials passing through a tissue, there are two different physical-chemical properties (Gordon, et al., 2014). Relaxation effect T1, T2 tissue relaxation times are reduced when a diffusible contrast agent is used. Positively enhanced T1-weighted images are generated, when this effect is used and the studies evaluating this effect are characterized asDynamic Contrast Enhanced(DCE)-MRI,T1-W DCE. Susceptibility effect When a paramagnetic contrast agent is located in the intravascular space of a tissue and its magnetic susceptibility is much higher than that of the surrounding tissue water, local magnetic inhomogeneities between the intra and extravascular space emerge, which generate negative enhanced T2 or T2* weighted images during the passage of the CA through the capillaries. Studies depending on this phenomenon are characterized asDynamic Susceptibility Contrast(DSC)-MRI or T2*-W DCE. Image Acquisition Gordon et al. (Gordon, et al., 2014) state that the method of quantification to be applied depends on the number of the measurements, which are required in order to obtain the data; thus, the measurements include: I. Creating a map of pre-contrast native T1 values, which is necessary in order to calculate the CA concentrations. II. Acquiring heavily T1-weighted images, prior and following the Contrast Agent introduction. In this case, high temporal resolution is needed in order to have the ability to further characterize the kinetics of the contrast agent’s entry and exit of the tissue. Typically, 3D image sets are acquired sequentially for 5–10 minutes every few seconds. The ideal for the acquisitions would be to be obtained approximately every 5 seconds, in order to allow the detection of early enhancement. With longer acquisitions (for instance, > 15 seconds), it becomes harder to detect early enhancement. III. Acquisition of the arterial input function (AIF), in order to estimate the CA concentration in the blood plasma of a feeding artery as a function of time. Acquiring the AIF is necessary for almost all quantitative analysis methods and is up to now technically the most difficult part in the data acquisition process. Contrast agents The most regularly used group of contrast agents in DCE-MRI is the low molecular paramagnetic gadolinium (Gd) chelates (Gribbestad, Gjesdal, Nilsen, Lundgren, Hjelstuen, Jackson, 2005). Principally, in Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI, any low molecular weight CAs can be used. (Tofts). The use of contrast agents with high molecular weights leads to lower permeability and lower Ktrans values, since these agents remain in the intravascular space. Using macromolecular CAs the measurement of regional blood volume acquiring scans of low temporal resolution is feasible (Gribbestad, Gjesdal, Nilsen, Lundgren, Hjelstuen, Jackson, 2005). Molecular agent with high molecular weight might be more appropriate for tumor angiogenesis and thus offer better response evaluation to therapy (Turkbey, Thomasson, Pang, Bernardo, Choyke, 2010). Analysis Methods Gordon et al. (Gordon, et al., 2014) state that â€Å"the arrival of CA and thus the enhancement pattern of the tissue depend on a wide variety of factors including vascularity, capillary permeability, perfused capillary surface area, volume and composition of extracellular fluid, renal clearance and perfusion. The analysis of DCE data can provide valuable information concerning the vascular status and perfusion†. Data analysis can be performed using either: qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative approach (Verma, et al., 2012). Qualitative This kind of analysis can range from visual inspection of the images for fast and extreme enhancement of lesions, to the plotting of kinetic curves of signal intensity against time (Gupta, Kauffman, Polascik, Taneja, Rosenkrantz, 2013). The qualitative analysis of DCE-MRI depends on the assumption of rapid and intense enhancement and wash-out as indicator of the existence of a tumor. The tumor vessels are generally leakier and more readily enhanced after the injection of the CA than the ordinary vessels. An early rapid high enhancement after injection is expected followed by a relatively rapid decline compared with a slower and continuously increasing signal for normal tissues during the first few minutes after contrast injection. However, the possibility for an overlap between the natural and the malignant tissues, limit the capabilities of this DCE-MRI approach. Finally, the qualitative approach is regarded as a subjective approach and therefore difficult to standardi ze among institutions, constituting multicenter trials less reliable (Verma, et al., 2012). Semi-quantitative – The semi-quantitative approach also depends on the same assumption as the qualitative approach. On the other hand, in the semi-quantitative analysis various curve parameters are integrated (Verma, et al., 2012). It must be mentioned that depending on the application area, different perfusion parameters are relevant. Nevertheless, some parameters are of general interest for almost all applications. These parameters are acquired to characterize the shape of the TIC, including the time of first arrival of the CA, peak enhancement ( PE the maximum value normalized if the baseline is subtracted), time to peak (TTP the timepoint where peak enhancement takes place), integral (the area between the baseline and the curve, indicating with PE if blood supply is reduced in a ROI), mean transit time (MTT – the timepoint where the integral is bisected), slope (the curve’s steepness during wash-in phase, downslope (the descending curve’s steepness i n wash-out phase ) and wash-in and wash-out curve shapes (Figure 1, Figure 3A). (Preim et al., 2009). Three common dynamic curve types exist in the literature after the initial CA uptake: type 1, persistent increase; type 2, plateau; and type 3, wash-out after initial slope, as it can be seen in Figure 3B and Figure 1. Even though the semi-quantitative approach is used widely in the evaluation of DCE-MRI, significant restrictions arise dealing with the factors contributing to the MR signal intensity (e.g. generalization across acquisition protocols, sequences), which have an effect on the curve metrics (Verma, et al., 2012). Figure 3: A) A typical TIC curve (Preim et al., 2009). B) Differentiation of three patterns of washout phase: type 1 (blue), progressive; type 2 (green), plateau ; type 3 (red), wash-out (Verma, et al., 2012). Factors like the injection rate and the temporal resolution can easily alter the shape of a wash-in/washout curve, creating difficulties in comparison and quantitation. High inter-patient variability is also a factor that can make the definition of threshold values more complex for every parameter that could standardize semi-quantitative approach. However, this approach is relatively simple which makes it even more appealing (Verma, et al., 2012). Quantitative The quantitative approach depends on modeling the concentration change of the CA by integrating pharmacokinetic modeling techniques (Gordon, et al., 2014). Several pharmacokinetic models were proposed, such as by Tofts (Tofts), Brix et al. (Brix et al., 1991). Most of them depend on estimating the exchange rate between extracellular space and blood plasma using some transfer rate constants, like Ktrans(forward volume transfer constant) andkep(reverse reflux rate constant between extracellular space and plasma). â€Å"The transfer constant,Ktrans, is equal to the permeability surface area product per unit volume of tissue.Moreover, Ktransdetermines the flux from the intravascular space to the extracellular space; it may principally represent the vascular permeability in a permeability-limited situation (high flow in relation to permeability), or it may represent the blood flow into the tissue in a flow-limited situation (high permeability in relation to flow). Theveis t he extracellular extravascular volume fraction, andkep=Ktrans/ veexpresses the rate constant, describing the efflux of contrast media from the extracellular space back to plasma. Thevpis the fraction of plasma per unit volume of tissue†, according to Verma et al. (Verma, et al., 2012). In quantitative DCE-MRI analysis, a four compartment model is used for â€Å"tissue†: plasma, extracellular space, intracellular space, and renal excretory pathway (Figure 2). This pharmacokinetic model is applied to the CA concentration changes in the artery (AIF) supplying the tissue of interest, and the CA concentration of the tissue. It must also be noted that due to the fact that pharmacokinetic models require concentration values, signal intensity must be converted to T1 values, because MRI signal intensity is not linear with the CA concentration (Verma, et al., 2012). Clinical Applications of DCE-MRI DCE-MRI has been used for the detection and characterization of tumors in the clinical setting. It also makes the monitoring of tumor treatment and the response to conventional chemotherapy and angiogenic therapies feasible by acting as biomarker (Figure 4). Early tumor detection and treatment affects significantly the survival of patients. DCE-MRI is applied increasingly in a wider range of patients with different kind of cancer, including breast, head and prostate cancer. The method’s quantification ability of characteristics of the lesion microvasculature has stimulated the scientists to use the technique for â€Å"in-vivo staging† of tumors. According to early studies in the field, an evident relationship was demonstrated between large and rapid increases in malignant behavior and signal enhancement in tumors located in prostate, breast, and head. Additionally, important overlapping of contrast enhancement patterns has been noticed between malignant and benign tumor s. Growing accuracy and specificity in the recognition of microvascular characterization parameters is expected to further ameliorate lesion characterization (Gribbestad, Gjesdal, Nilsen, Lundgren, Hjelstuen, Jackson, 2005). More specifically regarding prostate cancer detection and localization, DCE-MRI contributes to prostate MRI, succeeding higher specificity and sensitivity than T2-weighted MR imaging, and sextant u ltrasound guided biopsy, methods being used widely for the pre-treatment work up and screening of prostate cancer respectively (Choi, Kim, Kim, 2007; Bonekamp Macura, 2008). It has been proven that the multi-parametric approach has improved significantly the accuracy of prostate MRI and has a great future. In a cancerous tissue, the number of vessels and their permeability are increased in comparison with normal tissues. Moreover, the interstitial space is greater. These factors cause significant increase of contrast enhancement parameters, such as MTT, blood flow, interstitial volume. The aforementioned observations are applicable in prostate cancer, too. As it can be seen in Figure 3B, the red curve could represent a prostate cancer with faster and steeper enhancement and faster wash-out than in normal tissues. Figure 4 a-c (Turkbey, Thomasson, Pang, Bernardo, Choyke, 2010): a) A patient with prostate cancer. The arrow indicates a low signal intensity focus on axial T2W MR image B) Increased enhancement shown by the lesion on axial T1W DCE-MR image C) fusion of color-coded Ktrans Conclusion The determination of functional microvascular parameters by using DCE-MRI might be instrumental in evaluating many vascular diseases. The potential of the technique to assess the severity of illnesses, to non-invasively and in parallel measure multiple relevant parameters, to study the pathophysiology of diseases, seems to be extremely promising. Even though, the method is known for over 20 years it is still considered immature. This has mainly to do with the significant variations in data analysis and acquisition protocols from study to study. Furthermore, the analysis of the pharmacokinetic parameters is a complex task and computationally expensive, due to the existence of plethora of analysis algorithms (Gordon, et al., 2014). DCE-MRI is restricted in organs with physiologic motion, including lungs and liver, and may not be applicable in some specific group of patients, especially those with renal failure and claustrophobia (Turkbey, Thomasson, Pang, Bernardo, Choyke, 2010). However, although the extraction of quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters is more difficult, compartmental model based methods are more robust than the semi-quantitative approaches, and offer deeper understanding of physiology. Finally, they are not potentially based on the scanning technique, the type of scanner, and individual patient variations ( Gordon, et al., 2014).

Fraternization :: essays papers

Fraternization To many people's opinion of gestures of affection are morally correct and should be displayed anywhere one wants. Today's society has made any form of publicly displaying affection out to be the unpardonable sin. But why? Why should we have to hide the fact that we like someone from our piers? If you choose to, that is one thing, but being force to hide the fact that you like someone is, I think, an injustice to our right to the pursuit of happiness. I don't think that on the final of creation, when God made Eve for Adam, God said, "Now Adam don't touch." I just can't picture a God of love, which is love, saying that. I think that God may have even encouraged it a little, if He needed to. Publicly displaying affection is good for the person receiving the affection because they then know that there is someone in this world of six billion people that cares for them personally. Today's teachers have been told not to even touch a student because the school might get sued for sexual harassment. And, because of that we, the students enrolled in the school, can't show our affection to each other. I mean just think about it, if a student is going to harass someone they are going to do it, but if they are just showing affection their is no reason for alarm. I mean if you think about it, we wouldn't touch each other if we didn't want to. So, all public displays of affection at school would be consentual, therefore it's not sexual harassment. Not only is it good for the person receiving the PDA, but the person giving it is showing the emotions and stresses of the day in the way of affection. It takes your mind off of the troubles of the day by giving u a moment when your heart no longer beats irregularly, but because of that simple, calm, morally correct act of showing affection for someone else you are now filled with an inner peace. Not a peace where you can't do anything, but a peace were nothing in the world can bother you. Except when a person of supposed "higher authority" comes and says that in a way, a small way, holding hands in the so-called place of learning is incorrect. Today's society has altered the thinking of people. Because of the numerous sex offenders in the world, we can't show are affection without someone thinking how much money the person receiving the affection is going to sue for. Hand holding has been made out to be sex.

Alcohol Consumption in College for Diabetics :: Diabetes Alcohol

Alcohol Consumption in College So, you’re in college now and you want to enjoy the â€Å"full college experience.† For many people, a very large part of this experience involves alcohol. Diabetics need to be careful when consuming alcohol because diabetes and alcohol can potentially be a very dangerous and even deadly combination. If you do decide to drink, please do so responsibly because drinking until you are â€Å"stupid† not only harms you, but it puts a lot of stress on friendships; who will bring you out of that seizure or fainting spell that was brought on by the hypoglycemia that resulted from drinking too much without eating first? Whoever it is will not appreciate having to do so.* What happens when a person with diabetes ingests alcohol? One study showed that when an alcoholic beverage was ingested with an evening meal, there may be a delayed hypoglycemic episode the morning after, or up to 16 hours after ingestions. However, there was no acute event of hypoglycemia immediately after ingesting alcohol WITH a meal. (Richardson et al. 2005) On the other hand, alcohol on an empty stomach increases the risks of hypoglycemia in several ways. First, ingestion of even small amounts may impair the ability of the individual to detect the onset of hypoglycemia at a stage when they are still able to take appropriate action, i.e., eat carbohydrates. Second, hypoglycemia per se may be mistaken for intoxication by third parties with legal as well as health consequences. Third, alcohol has been shown in some studies to directly impair the hormonal counterregulatory responses to low blood glucose levels (4). Fourth, recent data indicate that small amounts of alcohol can augment the cognitive deficits associated with hypoglycemia in individuals with type 1 diabetes (5). (Richardson et al. 2005) Anyway, if you drink responsibly, everyone will surely have a good time. For a slightly more comprehensive write-up, visit: http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/alcohol.jsp *On a side note, just taking care of yourself is important for that reason, too. I have talked to people who have had to take care of their friends/boyfriends/girlfriends who wouldn’t take care of themselves, and these people were basically glad to get out of the relationships they had with these people with diabetes because it was too much stress.

Operations Function Essay

This therefore implies that Operation Management decisions are not made in isolation. Rather, each decision is intertwined with other organizational functions following the strategic direction developed at the top level of the organization. In a nutshell, many of the decisions made by operations managers are dependent on information from the other functions. At the same time, other functions cannot be carried out properly without information from operations as detailed below: 1. Finance: The finance function ties all departments together with monetary measurements that tell whether the company is making money. They also regulate the acquisition of funds to keep the business operations going, and investing money received wisely. Finance managers need to work closely with the operations function to be able to determine the need for capital investments, make-or-buy decisions, plant expansions, or relocation of business operations. On the other hand, operations managers cannot make large financial expenditures without understanding financial constraints and methods of evaluating financial investments. It is essential for these two functions to work together and understand each other’s constraints. . Sales and marketing: The sales and marketing function focuses on maintaining and attracting customers to the company’s products and services. To be able to satisfy customer needs, the marketing function needs to understand what operations can produce, what due dates it can and cannot meet, and what types of customization operations can deliver. The marketing function can develop an ex citing marketing campaign, but if operations cannot produce the desired product, sales will not be made. In turn, operations managers need information about customer wants and expectations. It is the responsibility of the operations function to design products with characteristics that customers find desirable, and they cannot do this without regular coordination with the marketing department. 3. Information and Communications Technology (ICT): ICT is the function that enables information to flow throughout the organization and enables the operations function to operate effectively. The ICT function must understand the needs of operations and endeavour to meet those needs as regards timely provision of required information.

Arterial Blood Gas Essay

Again, look at the chart. Alkalosis is present (increased pH) with the HCO3 increased, reflecting a primary metabolic problem. Treatment of this patient might include the administration of I. V. fluids and measures to reduce the excess base. ? Copyright 2004 Orlando Regional Healthcare, Education & Development Page 11 Arterial Blood Gas Interpretation Compensation Thus far we have looked at simple arterial blood gas values without any evidence of compensation occurring. Now see what happens when an acid-base imbalance exists over a period of time. When a patient develops an acid-base imbalance, the body attempts to compensate. Remember that the lungs and the kidneys are the primary buffer response systems in the body. The body tries to overcome either a respiratory or metabolic dysfunction in an attempt to return the pH into the normal range. A patient can be uncompensated, partially compensated, or fully compensated. When an acidbase disorder is either uncompensated or partially compensated, the pH remains outside the normal range. In fully compensated states, the pH has returned to within the normal range, although the other values may still be abnormal. Be aware that neither system has the ability to overcompensate. In our first two examples, the patients were uncompensated. In both cases, the pH was outside of the normal range, the primary source of the acid-base imbalance was readily identified, but the compensatory buffering system values remained in the normal range. Now let’s look at arterial blood gas results when there is evidence of partial compensation. In order to look for evidence of partial compensation, review the following three steps: 1. Assess the pH. This step remains the same and allows us to determine if an acidotic or alkalotic state exists. 2. Assess the PaCO2. In an uncompensated state, we have already seen that the pH and PaCO2 move in opposite directions when indicating that the primary problem is respiratory. But what if the pH and PaCO2 are moving in the same direction? That is not what we would expect to see happen. We would then conclude that the primary problem was metabolic. In this case, the decreasing PaCO2 indicates that the lungs, acting as a buffer response, are attempting to correct the pH back into its normal range by decreasing the PaCO2 (â€Å"blowing off the excess CO2†). If evidence of compensation is present, but the pH has not yet been corrected to within its normal range, this would be described as a metabolic disorder with a partial respiratory compensation. 3. Assess the HCO3. In our original uncompensated examples, the pH and HCO3 move in the same direction, indicating that the primary problem was metabolic. But what if our results show the pH and HCO3 moving in opposite directions? That is not what we would expect to see. We would conclude that the primary acid-base disorder is respiratory, and that the kidneys, again acting as a buffer response system, are compensating by retaining HCO3, ultimately attempting to return the pH back towards the normal range. The following tables (on the next page) demonstrate the relationships between the pH, PaCO2 and HCO3 in partially and fully compensated states. ? Copyright 2004 Orlando Regional Healthcare, Education & Development