Description of the educational system in Egypt

The intent of this chapter is to give the reader a general position of the context in which the survey is conducted. The chapter will travel, from planetary to specific, by giving a general description of the educational system in Egypt runing from its doctrine, structuring and finance to curriculum planning, design and development. Emphasis will be given to English linguistic communication instruction ; its purposes, and manner of development. A farther point about higher instruction: current state of affairs and national reform is highlighted. Finally, EFL teacher developing programme, the function of CDELT in accomplishing national ends are brought into focal point for its importance to the whole intent of the probe.2.1 Country profileThe Arab Republic of Egypt lies in the north eastern portion of Africa and Sinai Peninsula in the western portion of Asia. It is about one million square kilometers in size. The population of Egypt was estimated in 2008 as 75,175,062 harmonizing to t he Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics in Egypt. ( Said & A ; Mourad, 2008 ) .2.2 The nature and doctrine of instruction in EgyptEgypt ‘s instruction system is the largest in the Mena part and among the largest systems in the universe. As of 1999-2000, the system reported an registration of about 16 million, of which 7 million are in primary instruction, 4 million in preparative instruction, 3 million in secondary instruction, and over 1.8 million in third instruction. The system besides employs the largest figure of civil retainers in Egypt about 3.8 million employees ( The World Bank, 2007 ) . Some negative features of the Egyptian educational system include what Hargreaves ( 1997 ) termed â€Å" a additive consolidative merger † ; instructors with low degrees both in the cognition of the capable affair and in teaching method ; a mismatch between course of studies and curricula drawn at the cardinal national degree and the existent instruction larning state of affairs ; ritualisation, and mechanistic acquisition and learning methods. Other negative characteristics include: examination-driven direction, politicisation, bureaucratism that hinders the accomplishment of indispensable marks behind schooling, limited resources, centralization, and mal-distribution of educational services amongst the province parts ( Jarrar & A ; Massialas, 1992 ) . Many of the defects of the educational system, and so its failure to convey about effectual long-run reform, have been due to its being extremely centralised, in malice of efforts at decentralization. The system is really hierarchal, with the Ministry of Higher Education ( MOE ) at the top of the pyramid. The system is based on senior status instead than virtue. Due to its extremely centralised and bureaucratic nature, the educational system defines and predetermines what is to be taught, how it is to be taught, the functions of instructors and scholars, every bit good as the intended results of the educational procedure. Given this character, the Egyptian educational system is about imperviable to influences and enterprises from instructors, parents and scholars ( Gahin, 2001 ) . Egyptian instruction has been portrayed. harmonizing to ( Hargreaves, 1997 ) as â€Å" undemocratic † , â€Å" teacher-centred ‘ , â€Å" autocratic † ‘ and â€Å" extremely competitory † . Students ‘ greatest concern is to hive away and keep information so that when it is needed, they pour it out in the test which is held to prove their grounds of larning. Their exam tonss are the exclusive standards for pupils ‘ success.2.3 Higher Education System in EgyptEgypt has a really extended higher instruction system. About 30 % of all Egyptians in the relevant age group go to university. However, merely half of them alumnus. The Ministry of Higher Education supervises the third degree of instruction. There are a figure of universities providing to pupils in diverse Fieldss. In the current instruction system, there are 17 public universities, 51 public non-university establishments, 16 private universities and 89 private higher establishments. T he higher instruction cohort is expected to increase by close to 6 per centum ( 60,000 ) pupils per annum through 2009. ( Higher Education in Egypt: Reappraisals of National Policies for Education, 2010 ) In 1990, a statute law was passed to supply greater liberty to the universities. But still the instruction substructure, equipment and human resources are non in topographic point to provide to the lifting higher instruction pupils. But at that place has non been a similar addition in passing on bettering the higher instruction system in footings of debut of new plans and engineerings. Both at national degree ( inspection systems, scrutinies ) and at local degree ( school degree pupil appraisals ) steps of the success of instruction schemes and the public presentation of the system are weak. ( Ginsburb & A ; Megahed, 2009 ) Although higher instruction was founded much earlier in Egypt before it appeared in Europe ( Metcalfe, 2008 ) , The Government of Egypt recognizes that there are still existent challenges to be faced in the sector, foremost amongst which are the demand to significantly better sector administration and efficiency, increase institutional liberty, significantly better the quality and relevancy of higher instruction plans, and maintain coverage at bing degrees. Recent Government actions to construct political consensus on issues critical to reform hold created a clime that is mature for alteration. The Ministry of Higher Education ( MOHE ) acts as a title-holder for reform. The Minister, appointed in 1997, rapidly established a commission for the reform of higher instruction known as the Higher Education Enhancement Programme ( HEEP ) Committee which drew in a broad scope of stakeholders including industrialists and Parliamentarians. A National Conference on higher instruction reform was held in February 2000, and a Declaration for action emanating from the Conference was endorsed by the President and the Prime Minister. The Declaration identified 25 specific reform enterprises. Due to the dynamic nature of the reform scheme, which entails reconsidering precedences for each period, a Strategic Planning Unit ( SPU ) was established for the MOHE to guarantee the sustainability of planning and undertaking monitoring during the three stages and for future 1s. A Students ‘ Activity Project ( SAP ) was besides initiated as portion of plan accreditation similar to scientific research and station alumnus surveies.2.3.1 Egyptian universities:Universities in Egypt are by and large either state-funded or in private funded. Education in Egypt is free by jurisprudence, nevertheless there are really little fees paid for registration. Public establishments, with few exclusions are by and large overcrowded with a pupil organic structure of several 1000s. Private universities are either Egyptian or foreign, and normally have a much smaller pupil organic structure and with a much higher tuition rates.2.3.1.1 Public UniversitiesPublic universities are under authorities d isposal. Public Higher instruction is free in Egypt, and Egyptian pupils merely pay enrollment fees. International pupils pay full tuition with fees that reach up to ? 1,500 a twelvemonth. In 2004, the Egyptian authorities announced its program to make new public universities from dividing multi-branch universities ( Cairo University, Menoufia HYPERLINK â€Å" hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanta_University † University ) . This should let the enlargement of these much neglected smaller rural subdivisions and supply infinite for the increasing figure of pupils. There is besides al Azhar University, considered the best university for the survey of faith and scientific discipline.2.3.1.2 Private UniversitiesBefore 1993, merely two private foreign establishments were established decennaries ago. The American University in Cairo, founded in 1919 and the Arab Academy for Science and Technology ( AAST ) . Under a new jurisprudence in 1993, Egyptian private universities were established get downing from 1996. These new universities are accredited from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Universities every 3 old ages, in add-on to accreditation from fo reign educational organic structures in Europe. ( Herrera, 2007 )2.3.2 AdmissionAdmission to public universities and establishments operates through a centralised office, Admission Office of Egyptian Universities. This office receives applications after the consequences from the General Secondary Education Certificate are announced in any of its offices or online. The application day of the months are announced every twelvemonth but normally take topographic point every August. The application is both discipline-based and university-based. Students are asked to make full the admittances application that naming their picks of their coveted subject and university in a descending order of precedence. Students with higher tonss have a better opportunity of procuring a topographic point for themselves in their school of pick. While lower-scoring pupil may â€Å" acquire stuck † in a school or train different from that they desired, which might take them to seek admittance in private universities where competition for topographic points is less ferocious. Admission to private universities is different and is similar to universe broad registration processs.2.3.3 Course of studyIn universities, general or private, course of study are left to lectors and professors to make up one's mind the doctrine, guidelines, and even stuffs that they think pupils should larn. By and large talking, the course of study is centralised plenty to incarnate political and classless rules presented in free instruction and guaranting that all students have entree to the same programme of survey. It aims to raise criterions, guarantee that all pupils attain the aims at each degree, and to make the conditions for increased school and instructor answerability.2.4 English linguistic communication instruction in EgyptEnglish has long been given a particular position in Egypt, whether â€Å" a necessary immorality during the British business † or â€Å" a practical vehicle for educational, economic andaˆÂ ¦ societal mobility ( Schaub, 2000, p. 235 ) † . the chief aims set for ELT are to develop the ability to utilize English for communicating ; to further favorable attitudes towards larning in general and towards appropriate foreign civilizations in peculiar ; to develop an consciousness of the nature of linguistic communication and linguistic communi cation acquisition and hence, achieve cross-cultural consciousness ; to assist pupils ‘ womb-to-tomb acquisition every bit good as develop self-independence and to advance collaborative as a measure towards conveying up citizens who appreciate teamwork ( Schaub, 2000 ) . These are what is stated as the theoretical purposes of instruction. However, As far as the EFL schoolroom is concerned, it is non different from any other school topic, since it is a portion of the whole system. The state of affairs might conceivably be worse, due to the particular nature of the English linguistic communication learning in Egypt. The dominant form in the bulk of schoolrooms is that of an active instructors and inactive scholars. The instructor is the exclusive authorization to make up one's mind â€Å" what † and â€Å" haw † in the instruction and acquisition procedure, based on the cognition spelled out by the stakeholders. In footings of quality, the instruction and acquisition of EFL is characterised by instructors ‘ low proficiency in the mark linguistic communication. Teachers ‘ chief involvement and purpose is to acquire their pupils to go through their tests. Students ‘ Markss in such tests are the grounds of instructors ‘ success along with their governments in accomplishing the purposes of the MOE. That is why it is non surprising to happen a parallel system of instruction called â€Å" private tuition † taking at enabling pupils to go through the test and acquire high Markss. This private and Markss oriented tuition has long been fought by the authorities, which tries difficult to take serious and terrible steps against it. However, these attempts have been in vain up to now. Besides, a big per centum of primary and preparative school instructors are non-specialists ( 41 % ) ( Ibrahim, 2008 ) . In add-on, rating techniques do non get by with the development in acq uisition and learning methodological analysis techniques, and are rather far from the existent appraisal of pupils ‘ public presentation.2.5 Teacher preparation Reform Programme:Egypt has no deficit of instructors, so if anything Egypt has a excess of instructors, with some of 800,000 instructors presently believed to be in the state. ( Abdel-WAHAB, January 2008 ) ( Crookes, 2003 ) concludes that autochthonal Egyptian instructors, though non needfully utilizing activities or schoolroom interaction forms thought most desirable by Second Language Acquistion theoreticians, likely acquire better than foreign teachers ; but that the big category contexts that were new to the Egyptian instruction system ( through non unusual around the universe ) were a challenge met by the visitants. However the techniques used by visitants to pull off theses challenges, Holliday suggests, would be improbable to hold positive long-run effects because they did non construct on autochthonal forms and penchants. ( Holliday, 1996 ) concludes that † merely a new, rationalized-yet traditional- attack, could be to the full effectual in theaˆÂ ¦.culture of Egyptian university big classesaˆÂ ¦.. Exceptions apart, merely local lectors would be able to the full to accomplish this, because it would necessitate a rationalized edifice and re-allocation [ of thoughts and resources ] on an bing traditional footing ( p.100 ) Well aware of the challenges, the authorities is now looking for new ways of making things and has emarked on a big graduated table reform programme of public instruction to give single instituttions greater liberty and engagement to the private sector to assist increase capacity and better criterions. ( The Report: Egypt 2009, 2009 ) The major accomplishments of the Higher Education Enhancement Programme ( HEEP ) have been integrated into the national Education strategic program for the period 2008-2012, which aims to deconcentrate the national the national school construction, present school-based reform and better human resources through professional development programmes. The increased accent on instructor preparation within the model of the National Education Strategic Plan is considered one of the most of import facets of the reform programme.2.6 EFL prospective instructors preparation programme at Menoufia University:Since the focal point in this survey is centred on prospective EFL instructors ‘ perceptual experiences of microteaching, it will be utile to supply an overview of Menoufia university, Faculty of instruction and their readying programme in the school of instruction.2.6.1 Menoufia University: Historical backgroundAn Egyptian Public University founded in 19 76, is located chiefly in Shibin EL Kom, a metropolis in Delta and the capital of the Monufia Governorate. There is besides a subdivision in 1 † Sadat City, founded in 2006. It contains modules: of Education, Agriculture, Arts, Computers and Information, Commerce, Law, and Medicine. Both undergraduate and post-graduate instruction is offered.2.6.2 Menoufia university mission, general intents and strategic aimsMenoufia university ‘s mission is lending to construct the academic and moral construction of people, and developing both the local and national societies by supplying the specialised cognition and accomplishments peculiarly those that are related to the rural and new industrial communities through high quality educational, research, and social services that can assist the university to accomplish a competitory advantage at the national, regional, and international degrees. The general intents of the University represent the cardinal indexs of success of the achieve ment of the University ‘s mission. Seven general intents are identified for Menoufiya University. Each of the old general intents has a figure of strategic aims that reflect them. ( see appendix 1 )2.6.3 Faculty of Education, Menoufia UniversityThe module of Education was foremost established in 1971, affiliated to Ain Shams University. In 1975, it became attached to Tanta University. The module so became attached to Minoufiya University at its initiation in 1976. It contains sections of Educational Psychology. Curricula and Teaching Methods, and Education Fundamentals. Its Bachelors grades are offered in combination with one of the sections in the module of Humanistic disciplines or the Faculty of Science.2.6.4 school of Education English section readying classs:Theoretically, EFL instructors is prepared in the module of instruction through two complementary sets of classs. The first set of classs is chiefly linguistic communication proficiency classs ( capable affair cogniti on like English literature, interlingual rendition, grammar, phonetics, and linguistics ) , and the 2nd set is pedagogical classs ( the instruction proficiency ) , including classs like foundations of instruction ; comparative instruction ; educational psychological science ; along with the learning practicum that aims to fix pupil instructors for the prospective occupation. The practicum is jointly carried out and supervised by the MOE inspectors and instructors along with the staff of modules of instruction.Bettering Pre service teacher developing programmes:The national board for professional instruction criterions ( NBPTS ) identified five features of high-quality instructor: Teachers are committed to pupils and their acquisition. Teachers know the topic they teach and how to learn those topics to pupils. Teachers are responsible for pull offing and supervising pupil acquisition. Teachers think consistently about their pattern and learn from experience. Teachers are members of larning communities. Demand for teacher readying plans at establishments of higher instruction and through a go oning procedure of development and research, the centre for the development of English Language Teaching ( CDELT ) supported by the Integrated English Language Program ( IELP- II ) have integrated information about instructional rules to develop Egyptian criterions for instructors graduating from pre-service English instructor instruction plans ( STEP ) . Through the professional instruction plan, campaigners are expected to run into the criterions at progressively complex degrees. Campaigners are assessed at each degree to show public presentation. The subjects of building cognition, developing pattern, and furthering relationships provide the foundation for each of the criterions. These criterions, which are grouped into five chief spheres schoolroom direction, linguistic communication, direction, appraisal, and professionalism, organize the anchor of our instructor instruction plans. The STEPS undertaking is a countrywide enterprise under the protections of the Center for the Development of English Language Teaching ( CDELT ) in coaction with the Program Planning and Monitoring Unit ( PPMU ) . It is sponsored by the Integrated English Language Project II ( IELP-II ) . Its purpose is to put criterions for instructors of English at pre-service degree. The STEPS undertaking force consists of representatives from 12 Faculties of Education from nine universities and from the Ministry of Education of the Arab Republic of Egypt. The Task Force has drafted a set of criterions in five spheres depicting what freshly qualified instructors from our Faculties of Education should cognize and be able to make.The Role of CDELT to better Clinical supervising during Practicum:Harmonizing to ( Bowers & A ; Gaies, 1997 ) , Five rules underline the clinical supervivsion of CDELT classs. These are: There should be a balance between. theory and pattern, between the †educational † and the † preparation † maps. The feasibleness of proposals for alteration in instructor public presentation should be judged against the existent restraints of the learning context. The personal sensitiveness indispensable to effectual counciling and preparation is best developed within the security of a system or † paradigm † of counselor-teacher interaction. Observation should be systematic and focused, with rating based on grounds available to the instructor. Reding should steer the instructor toward specific, mensurable, and moderate alterations in behaviour. Examination of theses rules offers an indicant of the scheme of the CDELT attack to supervisor readying. The CDELT offers a full-time class of 24 hebdomads. It includes 20 hebdomad class work in four blocks of 5 hebdomads each, and one 4-week block of practical experience, in the center of five blocks. During the first two blocks, along with classs related to linguistic communication betterment, there are talks and seminars in debut to linguistics, theories of English linguistic communication instruction, and learning methods. Theses satisfy the demand to set up perceptual experiences of what linguistic communication is, what instruction is, and alternate attacks to the instruction of English. Over the diploma class as a whole, we aim to integrate into supervisor readying the five indispensable purposes of instructor instruction identified by, which among them guarantee theoretical grasp and practical application: principle, experience, observation, test and integrating.2.7 DecisionThe purpose of this chapter has been to supply the layout of the Egyptian educational system so as to give the reader an overview about the context in which this survey is connected, clarifying why this survey is of import for Egyptian instruction in general and linguistic communication instruction in Egypt in peculiar. Furthermore, the chapter reveals the alterations and fortunes that have been underway for about two decennaries now. These alterations are represented by proposing and planing new attacks, rules and weaponries for the general instruction, and in peculiar, for EFL acquisition and instruction. The undermentioned chapter is chiefly devoted to reexamining the literature related to EFl instructor readying programme and the function of microteaching in bettering their instruction public presentation.Abdel-WAHAB, A. ( January 2008 ) . Modeling Students ‘ Purpose to Adopt E-learning: A Case From Egypt. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE, 9, 157-167.Arbors, R. , & A ; Gaies, S. ( Eds. ) . ( 1997 ) . Clinical supervising of linguistic communication instruction: the supervising as trainer and pedagogue Cambridge university imperativeness.Crookes, G. ( Ed. ) . ( 2003 ) . A practicum in TESOL: Professional Development through Teaching Practice: Cambridge University Press.Ginsburb, M. , & A ; Megahed, N. ( Eds. ) . ( 2009 ) . Comparative Positions on Teachers, Teaching and Professionalism Springer.Hargreaves, E. ( 1997 ) . The sheepskin disease in Egypt: Learning, instruction and the monster of the secondary departure certification. . Appraisal in Education, 4, 1 61-167.Herrera, L. ( Ed. ) . ( 2007 ) . Higher Education in the Arab World: Springer.Higher Education in Egypt: Reappraisals of National Policies for Education. ( 2010 ) . ) .Holliday, A. ( Ed. ) . ( 1996 ) . Large-and small-class civilizations in Egyptian university schoolrooms: a cultural justification for course of study alteration. : Cambrigde University imperativeness.Ibrahim, H. ( 2008 ) . The strategic reading procedures of Egyptian EFL scholars. Exeter University.Metcalfe, A. ( Ed. ) . ( 2008 ) . Speculating Research Policy: A Model for Higher Education: Springer.The Report: Egypt 2009. ( 2009 ) . ) : Oxford concern group.Said, M. , & A ; Mourad, M. ( Eds. ) . ( 2008 ) . Egypt. Baston: Baston College Center for International Higher Education.Schaub, M. ( 2000 ) . English in the Arab Republic of Egypt. World Englishes, 19 ( 2 ) , 225-238.Appendix 1 Menoufia University mission, purposes and Strategic AimsPurposeStrategic aims1A alumnus who is compatible with the modern-day cha llenges Bettering the quality of the educational procedure harmonizing to the both the local and international criterions. Associating theA educationA withA theA issuesA of bothA societyA andA localA environment. Effective leading of pupils. Bettering the wellness and societal attention of the pupils. Increasing the competitory capablenesss of the alumnuss in the labour market.2An first-class staff member. Accurate choice of the instruction and back uping staff members. Sustainability of the integrated development of the instruction and back uping staff members. Effective motive of the instruction and back uping staff members. Continuous public presentation assessment of the instruction and back uping staff members. Advanced systems for advancing the instruction and supportingA staff members.3Advanced academic research to be oriented by the intents of the national comprehensive development programs. Constructing an advanced academic base for the scientific research. Associating the scientific research with the issues of the comprehensive development programs at the national degree.4Promoting values and ideal rules. Developing and intensifying the belongingness to Egypt. Constructing the positive personality. Guaranting the values and committedness. Guaranting and esteeming the university ‘s values and traditions.5Civilized society and developing environment. Directing and utilizing the scientific research to function the development demands of the environment. Freedom of sentiment and protection of rational belongings. Bettering the quality of life. Developing consciousness of the cultural heritage. Developing the sense of beauty and encouraging creativeness. Developing the environmental consciousness. Promoting the behaviours that are compatible with the society development.6Distinguished position of the University in the development procedure of the instruction system. Distinguishing the university from others al both the local and international degrees. Bettering the society ‘s trust and convection of the university ‘s roleA and accomplishments. Triping the university ‘s parts in the local and internationalA academic motion. More effectual function of the university in the current development systems of the higher instruction and scientific research.7Effective administrative system. Bettering the organisation of the university ‘s councils and commissions. Bettering the university ‘s organisational and occupation constructions. Computerizing both the administrative and fiscal systems. Bettering the forming facets of the university ‘s fiscal and private concern units. Bettering the choice procedure of the non-academic leaders and the administrative staff. Continuous development of abilities and accomplishments of administrative staff. Effective motive of the administrative staff. Effective public presentation assessment and controlling of the administrative system.

Christopher Columbus: Journey and Colonization

The letter reveals a sense of urgency and uncertainty in Columbus derived from the intimation between world powers over the Island of Espanola and the unknown direction the New World would take. Columbus' purpose in writing the formal letter is to explain to the â€Å"Most High and Mighty Sovereigns† what he considers pivotal in the settlement, extraction of gold, farming of land, and trade system of the Island of Espanola. Columbus' main concern, Spanish dominance in the New World, is clearly evident in the final paragraph, in which Columbus prays for â€Å"the increase of much greater states. The nature of Spanish presence In the Islands Is consequent to an RA of Immense competition between states over various colonies In Asia, Africa, and what would be known as America. For states Involved In colonization, such as England, Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands, colonies meant prosperity and power through vast riches, mostly gold: an increase in foreign commerce: and new ter ritory to utilize for farming and growth of Christianity.In these purposes there is a clear similarity between the values from the Renaissance and present-day values, in which governmental authority places large importance in the expansion and affluence of its rewriter. In the introduction to his points about colonization, Columbus displays a sense of respect and obedience towards Ferdinand and Isabella and requests support through reinforcement of colonists. Columbus misrepresents the new world as a group of islands, unaware of the much larger continents in which he had not yet arrived.In the Initial voyage, Columbus lands In the Caribbean thinking he has arrived In Asia, which Is why he names the Indians so. Despite his Incongruous concepts, Columbus' voyage proved vital to further colonization of the Americas. The mall body of the letter Is a set of thirteen points In which Columbus details the mall issues of colonizing the Island of Espanola and other islands, namely God, gold, and glory.The expansion of Christianity was highly important to Ferdinand and Isabella, who considered Christianity crucial to the national unity of the newly united Spanish kingdom in the Reconstruct period. Columbus states that the new world will be forcefully Christian and that the â€Å"conversion of Indians† shall be performed by â€Å"parish priests or friars†. Most of Columbus points refer to the extraction, processing, ownership, and trade of gold, the natural resource which most colonizers obsessed over.Columbus presents concerns such as â€Å"no one shall have liberty to collect gold In it except those who have taken out colonists' papers,† â€Å"that all gold shall be smelted Immediately,† and â€Å"there shall be a treasurer, with a clerk to assist him, who shall receive all gold belonging to your Highnesses. † The motive and obsession over gold Is consequential of its use as back-up value in currencies, fancy garments, competitive Expl orers were motivated to find gold by the â€Å"matter of the fifth,† which means that the explorers would be entitled to a certain amount of the riches derived from the land they discovered.To further expand on the importance of a successful trading system, Columbus explains another three points that refer to the stringent process of securing the gold. As most of the glory from colonization came from gold, the method of collection gold and shipping it to the motherland is very strict in order to prevent fraud. Parts of the process which Columbus proposes include â€Å"that it [gold] should all e placed in one chest with two locks, with their keys, and that the master of the vessel keep one key and some other person selected by the governor and treasurer keep the other. There is evidently a clear concern over the safety of the gold, which displays the main purpose of increasing affluence of the motherland. The colonization of the new world influenced an arms race between powe rful European states over the acquisition of gold and territory. Several states were exerting force over native people and exploiting the natural resources in a similar way the Spanish id in the Island of Espanola. Competition between powerful states is a centuries- long trend.Whether searching for gold or plotting the destruction of communism versus the destruction of capitalism in the mid-20th century, dominant states have a tendency to seek the greatest riches from their settlements and disregard the well- being of native peoples. In his letter, Columbus is successfully reactive to the desires of Ferdinand and Isabella and he satisfies their concerns that result from competition in order to pursue further exploration.

Legalizing Concealed Weapons Essay

Many times people confuse whether or not allowing gun laws actually reduces the crime rate. As gun rights is a natural born right of citizens, some believe that should be banned, and many others believe that the law should be extended to lawful citizens. Based on my own experiences there have been several instances where I wish a legalized weapon was in arms reach. There was an instance about 7 years ago where my little brother and I were the only two in the house and an intruder broke in while we were there. No one was hurt or injured but it was traumatic for two children as it happened right after my mom had went to work. I would have felt more secure and confident if I was to know that a legalized weapon was around for our protection. Through research, why concealed carry laws should be implied into every state’s legislation will be debated and each point of view will be expressed. As this topic applies to everyone, every citizen should have the opportunity to exercise thei r rights. Many people are victims to crimes that they could have gotten away from. How many rape cases could have been avoided? How many school shootings could have been prevented before the shooting began? All of the latter mentioned cases are incidents that could significantly reduce our crime rate if concealed carry laws were in effect in every state. Also included in this essay will be a viewpoint of the opposing side and how that side is not all the way accurate. Using my research and focusing on how carrying concealed weapons aids our Americans I will be able to shrink my topic to a point where I can talk about a variety of things that are not too broad to where I do not have enough information to make a solid argument. Within these two subjects, statistics and reasoning as well as extensive research and detailing will be presented in hopes of persuading the reader that legalizing concealed weapons truly helps in protecting our citizens. My topic is pro-legalizing concealed carry  weapons. I live in a neighborhood and near a city where crime is steadily increasing from robberies to murders. I personal ly feel that if citizens were allowed to carry concealed weapons the crime rate would be at an all-time low. A lot of people, in my opinion, commit crimes because they know that they will either not get caught or will only receive jail time which in some cases they are prepared to bail themselves out. To one that may seem like a legit punishment and although it may be, there are so many ways that it could all be avoided. The number one way would be legalizing concealed weapons so that we as citizens can be prepared for any confrontation with crime. Based on my prior feelings and preconceptions on this topic I will be looking to persuade anyone that reads my overall paper that carrying concealed weapons overall helps the communities in more ways than one. There have been a number of incidents where a brave soul who took advantage of the given right to carry a concealed weapon took matters into their own hands and saved lives whether it had been one or one hundred. Many of these stories go unnoticed and I will be bringing just a handful of those to the light. In order to make that successful the main sources that I will be putting emphasis on will be the sources that prove in certain scenarios have prevented criminal activity. While watching a few different videos concerning carrying concealed weapons I will be taking notes on the specific details that support my topic such as how these cases where citizens used concealed weapons to save lives. Social media is a great avenue to pull out things that people do not get to see or hear about every day. The people that oppose concealed carry might not realize how important being able to protect yourself and your surroundings are. This will give the readers a chance to put in perspective how they would be if they were confronted in that exact situation and be enlightened that them too have that opportunity to ensure safety with themselves, their families, and everyone else around them. Although social media can be abused in so many ways it is a great way to see incidents first hand as if you wer e there even though you were not. The videos I will be using are pulled from live evidence of a brave soul enforcing their right to carry concealed weapons to save others. Another video will be a news broadcast explaining how this same thing helps the community. Because I am not searching for crime and do not encounter it on a daily basis, I chose to use social media as a resource to observe as it  would be a lot more difficult to observe a live incident where concealed weapons helped people. After all the observations I will be able to prove and show that legalizing concealed weapons is an important factor that should be considered in every state. Crimes and tragedies can happen anywhere. In one particular newscast I found there was a man who opened fire at Clackamas mall in Oregon. This situation was quite different than a lot of stories that are told because for a specific reason the 22 year man who carried the concealed weapon failed to fire. Nick Meli said he refused to open fir because in his tunnel vision be tween him and the shooter, a civilian ran by to escape. In his mind if he had shot and missed the initial target, he would become affiliated with what the gunman was doing which was taking innocent lives. However, this directly applies to my support of concealed carry weapons after Meli made this one statement. â€Å"I’m not beating myself up cause I didn’t shoot him,† said Meli. â€Å"I know after he saw me, I think the last shot he fired was the one he used on himself.† A lot of people’s main opposition of concealed carry is open fire in public places. In this situation all the permit holder had to do was make sure the gunman connected sight with him and his gun and everything was over. Although the gunman took two lives not including his own, Meli saved many lives. This video not only aided my viewpoint of concealed carry but gave a good reason why it should be implemented. In many unheard cases, the gun is not even fired to protect the individual. . Meli made it evident not only tom himself and everyone that witnessed it in the mall but to all the citizens that concealed carry is extremely important for the safety of everyone. No shots have to be fired, no one has to pull a trigger, simply having it around and visible in the sight of crime saves lives. Overall this story strengthened my standpoint on concealed carry weapons. In an effort to find a position to convey the importance of the concealed carry law, I observed a website with several stories regarding crimes and the connection to carrying concealed weapons. A student was leaving a night class and assumed that it would be safer to park in a parking garage as opposed to the student parking on the other side of campus. As every security office was closed she did what she thought was necessary by surveying inside and around her vehicle before entering. In this process she noticed a man bent over in a corner. That same man grabbed her, held her at gunpoint and raped her. It is interesting that  at this specific university concealed carry is completely banned. Although, she had a concealed carry permit she was forced to leave her weapon at home. This is very important because this could and would have saved her from such trauma. After drafting a letter to the president of her university she was granted permission to carry her concealed weapon on campus with certain precautions but at what extent? It should not have to take someone being brutally raped, kidnapped or anything else for students to be allowed to protect themselves and others at all times. I found this article and video extremely helpful because a lot of times these things arte swept under the rug and not tended to. This may have happened to hundreds and thousands of people without it being brought to light. If a rapist can hold someone up at gun point why can’t that same person protect themselves with a gun? I will be using this in my research paper as a question to the readers of how fair they think this is. Concealed carry is very important and it is imperative that people know many lives can be saved by the passing of one simple law. In order to get a clearer understanding of how everyday civilians feel about the legalization of concealed weapons I chose to interview a fellow peer around the same age range as I am. With this interview I planned to discover what other people’s opinions on concealed weapons were. I hoped to receive opposite points of views to be able to link the research I’ve found to the opinions of my interviewees. Along with their view points on the subject I wanted to find out why they felt that way about the subject and if there was a certain incident or reason that led them to that belief. Certain questions I asked them included, â€Å"do you or any other person you live with own a gun, why or why not?† These questions, if chosen to be answered, will signify how some people feel rather safe with concealed weapons around them in case of an emergency or incident. I gave them the option beforehand to reject their right to answer the question in hopes that no one would be made uncomfortable with the interviewing process. I hoped that through my research, interviews, and surveys I would be able to bring together many facts as to persuade the readers that legalizing concealed weapons is the right thing to do at this time, not only for us as individuals but for the children, our families, and the surrounding communities’ safety. Below is an overview of the interview concluded with a fellow peer and me. Interviewer (I) Person Being Interviewed (P) I: First, I would like to thank you for taking the time to sit with me and speak with me. P: No problem, I’m glad to help any way I can however, I would like to keep my identity anonymous for this interview. I: That is completely understandable and I will be sure to keep your wishes. P: Thanks I: So let’s start with a little about yourself do you live with your parents or alone? Keep in mind at any time if you feel uncomfortable you can pass on any question. P: At this time I live alone just me and my dog *laughs* I: Great, so with that being said have you ever felt scared or nervous about your surroundings or simply living on your own in general? I know from personal experience I found that I get scared fast. P: In the beginning when I first moved in, of course, but after living alone for so long I kind of adapted to it I: I understand it just kind of becomes a part of you. Have you ever thought about or considered the concealed carry laws and how they affected you and everyone else? P: I really haven’t. I mean my parents never felt the need to bring it in our house to my knowledge so I never took it into major consideration, but I would not mind. Being a young female living alone I do sometimes feel rather vulnerable and maybe in someone’s eyes, a target. I: Would you support the cause if a bill was to be passed legalizing concealed weapons? With the passing of this law no matter where you went you would be able to protect yourself and maybe at some time protect others. P: I agree with it to an extent when it’s all done the right way. If classes don’t come with the gun permit then I may not be interested. It seems like they ask people to go out of their way to feel protected when this should be something we feel on a daily. Beyond a background check I don’t think the requirements for getting a gun should be so extensive. I: I’m glad you are so open about the subject. You’re insight and opinions help a great deal. Question, do you think that the more states that apply the concealed carry laws will reduce crime nationwide? P: To an extent I do but people are going to do what they want regardless. I look at it like this if there is a death  penalty intact and life in prison possible and people still do what they want, simply making guns legal to carry around won’t do that much. I: I, myself, have never thought of it in that light and I thank you for bringing that to the discussion. I believe I have all I need. Do you have any questions for me? P: No I don’t but thanks for including me. This interview attributed to my research a great deal for numerous reasons. Simply researching the subject one never truly gets the ideas and opinions of civilians who have not been victims to violent crimes. I plan to use this as a transition or connection between pro- and anti- legalizing concealed carry. Since I was not expecting to get as much out the interview that I did, I have a lot more to go off of for my paper. An everyday civilian’s point of view is very important to my research because often the only insight into this subject comes from people disagreeing or rejecting concealed weapons or someone who did not take the advantage of concealed weapons until after a traumatic incident occurred. For this interview, initially I was hoping to get an opinion from a person that was contradictory to my own beliefs and research but after completing the interview I realized that having someone agree with my point of view was that much more helpful. The person I interviewed preferred to remain anonymous wish I respect. Based on how the interview went and the amount of information I received my surveys will be rather similar. As in the interview I will give the person completing the survey the option of not answering the question so no one feels uncomfortable or refuses to do the survey. My questions will be general to find out how the ideas and opinions reflect the age range, ethnicity, and gender. Since the surveys will be done by SWIC students I expect to get a diverse opinion. Because I set a time limit on the interview I consequently asked less questions and the remainder of the questions I will incorporate on the survey just to get all the information that I desired. Referring to the interview there are many people male and female who may feel targeted by their surrounding communities. Based on the Constitution it is our natural born right to bear arms. In the interview she mentioned that the  fact that she was a young female living alone that she felt it may be necessary to obtain a handgun for safety and protection purposes. This leads me to believe that the majority of the population who agree and support the legalization of concealed weapons do so for the opportunity of self-defense from any criminal activity brought upon them. Although it goes unnoticed it seems as if some of the main people opposing concealed carry is politicians whom in an article I read, Double Standard, believe that in a sense only politicians should have the right to carry handguns. However, where does that leave the rest of the world? According to Patrick Krey, the author of Double Standard, in some states a law has been proposed to grant politicians and legislatures the right to own and carry concealed weapons wherever they please. As this is common with all the citizens, there was one issue. Politicians disliked the proposition because the restrictions for gun carry were too harsh. This made some feel that politicians possibly believed that their lives were more important than anyone else’s. Reporters took the story because it shined light on the reality that maybe the gun carry restrictions were too harsh and should be lightened for everyone as opposed to strictly politicians. Politicians were said to have been abiding by the quote in the book, â€Å"Animal Farm† by George Orwell, â€Å"All animals are equal but some are more equal than others.† A number of individuals feel that it is a double standard on the legislature’s part because it is okay for the gun carry restrictions to be strict and harsh for the citizens just not for the politicians. Because taxpayers cannot exclude themselves from any law they please less cases were reported of the number of concealed carry permits done in 2007. As a result of this, in 2007 out of 37 million people only approximately 40,000 citizens were licensed to carry a gun. Essentially, this article suggests that it is unfair and politicians should be able to abide by the same laws that they expect their citizens to without any changes. After reading this article my opinions of the topic began to flourish. Based on the standpoint of the politicians my point is strengthened and even more that valid. Any life is not more important than another. I feel that if concealed carry laws that are in place are lightened that they should be lightened for everyone eligible because politicians are not the only people  who encounter dangerous situations. There are many cases that go unmentioned where a concealed weapon would have been more than useful in the case of self-defense. In all, I feel like you are being elected by your people and if you feel the need to protect yourself then the individuals who placed you in your position should have that same right. You can conclude from the context clues that this was written by someone outraged at the proposed idea. Although it may be biased it is a good point regarding the topic. However, based off the fact that the majority of the article seemed like opinion I would not use this a rticle as a credible source but as an extra opinion supporting my point of view. Because there was very few supporting facts regarding the opinion it made the article seem amateur, in which I feel the article could have been a little more detail oriented. Based on the many articles that I have read, I noticed that there were a number of people that oppose the legalization of concealed carry. However, the individuals who are for it have valid reasons and explanations as to why they do. In one specific article I read, The Accessibility of Guns Protects Lives, a man applied for a concealed weapon but the process was so tedious and drawn out that it took him forever to get a response. Nonetheless, when the country felt vulnerable and scared of the 9-1-1 attack the process began to move along quicker than ever before. In this article the author applies for a concealed carry permit a little before the 9-1-1 incident occurred. While waiting for the process to be complete 9-1-1 happened and including his over 5,000 concealed carry permits were handed out without fees. While carrying his firearm wherever he goes, he not only aims to protect himself and his family but also his fellow citizens who may not be capable of protecting themselves. There are many individuals against the concealed carry permits however, the platform used in those arguments are faulty and unrealistic. In reality, the permit holders have better safety records than the police force. The people who are opposed to concealed carry are simply misguided and misinformed. Overall, being able to access a gun protects lives. This is my favorite article that I have read so far. My opinion on concealed carry laws mostly coincides with the thoughts and ideas with this individual  about how people are simply misinformed. Clearly the individual is pro-legalizing concealed weapons and has a strong foundation on why he believes making gun permits more accessible will furthermore help protect the community as opposed to raising crimes and the number of accidental deaths. The confidence and details that he uses to support his claim are very persuasive and partially credible. I say partially credible because it seems as if the majority of the article is based on mere opinion and reasoning. He vaguely inputs statistics to support his point of view. However, with that being said the points that are being made are valid and do make a lot of sense. This article will be the main article I use defending my point of view. I will incorporate statistics from other articles with the thoughts and reasoning of this article to make a strong foundation and a clear viewpoint and argument. Statistical proof and evidence is, I feel, the most important part of defending why one choose pro- or anti- legalizing concealed weapons along with creating a solid case and foundation of one’s beliefs. In the article, The Untold Triumph of Concealed-Carry Permits, the author David Kopel did a splendid job of using numerical data to support his standpoint in which the article is deemed more credible. Beginning in the 1980’s the states that granted the concealed carry rights typically only allowed police officers, retired police officers and individuals with political affiliations to carry handguns. Throughout the years there have been many discussions as to how concealed carry permits are to be issued and the precautions taken beforehand. Gradually the main focused of this law has been geared and proposed by women. That being said approximately one fourth of the applicants for a gun permit are women. To support the idea of how effective concealed carry laws are there were studies and cases done and put together comparing the homicide rates to the states with concealed carry laws as to those same states when those laws were not intact. It was found that there was not a significant amount of change in rates except in the State of Florida. With this state being assumed to have a 36% chance of homicides an immediate and steady decline began after these laws were put in place. Also in similarity with Florida, California whom has many counties with concealed carry laws a study was also done. It was shown in this study that counties that issue permits liberally had lower violent-crime rates than counties with restrictive policies; restrictive counties had lower rates than counties with prohibitive policies. All in all, people would simply like to have the choice placed in their hands on whether or not they would like to carry a handgun or not. Although included was not the entirety of the things mentioned, the main points were. Individuals who oppose the concealed carry laws may not be aware of the statistics backing the subject. In predominantly every case study each time it seemed to be a decline in crime for states that obtained the concealed carry laws in action. Although each state did not have a dramatic decline in crime at some point each state had some decline. Based on the research I have done and looked into there is no record of a state increasing in crime after placing concealed carry laws intact. This article is a valid and credible source that I will use to back up my opinion with numbers as opposed to just my words. This gave me the idea of asking the participants of my survey how they feel legalizing concealed weapons declines or increases crime. There was a lot of detailed information, statistics, and reasoning as to why the writer felt the need to write this article and making clear that their viewpoint w as pro-legalizing concealed weapons. Everyone has different opinions on this topic. In the beginning I was skeptical of performing surveys and interviews because in some cases people tend to change their viewpoints or mindsets to fit what they think you want to hear. Surprisingly, as I looked through the surveys and compared it to the interview I did I found that overall the majority was rather honest and deep rooted in their thoughts and opinions. As well as the interview, with this survey, I planned to discover what other people’s opinions on concealed weapons are. I would hope to receive opposite points of views to be able to link the research I’ve found to the opinions of my interviewees. Along with their view points on the subject I will also be looking to find out why they felt that way about the subject and if there was a certain incident or  reason that led them to that belief. These questions if chosen to be answered will signify how some people feel rather safe with concealed weapons around them in case of an emergency or incident. I will give them the option beforehand to reject their right to answer the question in hopes that no one will be made uncomfortable with the interviewing process. Hopefully through my research, interviews, and surveys I will be able to bring together many facts as to persuade the readers of my final essay that legalizing concealed weapons is the right thing to do at this time now only for us as individuals but for the children, our families, and the surrounding communities’ safety. In the beginning I asked simple demographic questions to put in perspective the audience that these opinions were coming from. Because gun control is such an important factor in the world, I chose to survey individuals close to or equal to my age. I was able to collect a good amount of diverse data and different opinions on the topic. In order to get a broad spectrum of people I had my instructor distribute the surveys through a couple of her classes. Consequently, I was not able to receive the diversity that I desired but with everyone participating correctly I was able to get some type of variation. First, let’s look at the diversity between males and females within this survey process. From the pie chart above, one would be able to see that there was almost an equal split between males and females. However, females slightly overpowered the males in numbers. There were a total of 13 males which totaled to 41% while the females had 19 which resulted in a 59%. Overall gender wise I received what I was looking fair because I was able to collect almost an equal amount of participants from each gender group. This allows me to get a fair understanding of how the thought process on legalizing concealed weapons differs between the two groups. Another difference I was hoping to recognize is the ethnicity between the two groups and how diverse they were. For the survey I gave the choices of Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, Asian, or Other. These categories would cover a majority of the ethnicities present on campus. I assumed my  data would be very diverse, but I was mistaken when I found out that in between the two gender groups there were some ethnicities nonexistent which skewed my data a little. Although I was a bit discouraged I stepped back and took a look at how I did the surveys. Seeing that I only did a portion of my instructor’s classes as opposed to all of them I limited myself to a specific group and age range. In addition to that it could also be because I only did surveys within school grounds. If I was to go outside of school and do extracurricular research I believe my results as far as gender and ethnicity would be more diverse because I would have the option to choose which person I surveyed . As you can see in the above graphs there was a show that there were predominantly more Caucasian male and females in both gender groups while males took 69% and females took 68%. To my surprise there were absolutely no Hispanics and very little African Americans which only appeared in the female portion. Based on this information and how the answers between the genders matched with their ethnicities were presented there was a sort of resemblance between the two. Lastly, one other point I was interested in making notice of was the people who were for and against legalizing concealed weapons. Being pro-legalizing concealed weapons myself and doing the research as to why people felt a specific way about it was one thing that caught my interest. I wanted to see how many people agreed with the way I felt and the reasons why and vice versa. Putting this in my survey got me a number of great responses. I categorized the responses in which a group of the participants were for legalizing concealed weapons because they felt that it was important for one to be able to protect them as it is their natural born right. Others who opposed mentioned that legalizing concealed weapons would only put more guns in the streets and give people more ammunition to commit crimes, in a sense â€Å"adding fuel to the fire.† Below you will see a graph as to how the responses differed from gender and responses. As on can see the results are rather closely related. It is not surprising, however, that the females were the ones to most support the cause. Typically  it is the women who are most targeted in the world and who feel most vulnerable to the events of everyday life. One thing that did surprise me was that there were more females against it which was 8 out of 19. With the males totaling to 4 out of 13 against concealed carry, it is easy to assume each genders viewpoint. Throughout the open ended portion of the question, the majority of females who were for CCW were so because they felt they had the right to protect themselves in the midst of criminal activity. On the opposite register, when it came to being against CCW all the males who said they were against it were so because they felt that more guns would equal more crime no matter how much rules were placed intact. However, take notice that none of the people who were against concealed weapons gave concrete evidence and support as to why they believe what they believed. So the question is why would you be against it if you have no supporting evidence that it brings danger to our communities? In conclusion, after long and tedious research processes one will be able to notice why concealed carry weapons would help our communities. The main reason for legalizing concealed carry is for the protection of each individual and the civilians around them. As one of the main deterrents of crime one will be able to tell that through statistical evidence and many sources that the legalization of concealed weapons has declined the crime rates in the states that have enacted those laws. There is clear evidence from survivor stories to interviews and surveys that show the majority of people believe that concealed carry laws will protect the people and consequently save lives. My viewpoint of the legalization for concealed weapons has greatly increased and I am more for it than before. After weighing out the opinions as to why people do not support it there is no source that is credible enough to give solid numerical or demographical evidence. Think about it. If it meant protecting your family, your friends, and yourself in the face of crime would you like yourself or anyone around you to have the assistance of handguns provided by the concealed carry laws? Legalizing Concealed Weapons Survey Please circle answer (All answers are optional) 1. Gender Male Female 2. Age fewer than 18 18-22 22-30 30+ 3. Ethnicity Caucasian African American Hispanic Asian Other 4. Have you ever heard about the law legalizing concealed weapons? Yes No 5. Do you know anyone victim to a crime that could have possibly been prevented with concealed weapons? Yes No 6. If a forum was being held would you be for or against legalizing concealed weapons, why? 7. What do you think will happen to the crime rates as a result of legalizing concealed weapons (increase, decrease, stay the same and why)? 8. Do you feel that there is enough awareness and information about this subject? Yes No 9. How much do you think this law will affect you 1-10 (1 being none 10 being extremely)? 10. Would you yourself be interested in participating in this law/movement? Yes No Works Cited Huntwork, David M. â€Å"The Accessibility of Guns Protects Lives.† Guns and Crime. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from â€Å"Concealed Carry and the Right of Self-Defense.† ConstitutionClub.org. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 1 Apr. 2014. Kopel, David. â€Å"The untold triumph of concealed-carry permits.† Policy Review 78 (1996): 9 . Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 28 Jan. 2014. Krey, Patrick. â€Å"Double standard.† The New American 18 Apr. 2011: 40. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.

The Ethno Science Approach and its View of the Role of Marriage in a Essay

The Ethno Science Approach and its View of the Role of Marriage in a Society - Essay Example They consider the organization of the society regarding several issues, for instance, their structural classification of plants and their uses in relation to the specific societies (Ferraro & Andreatta, 2009). Ethno science is dependent on nature as it requires the indigenous people in order to understand their relationships with their environment. Actually, ethno science stems from the raw knowledge that certain people have on nature in view of their natural environment (Kaplan, 2007). Every ethno scientist would be interested in understanding the people’s knowledge on ethno-botany, ethno-zoology, and ethno-medicine. This information is conceptualized by an ethno scientist to come up with the final finding on societal knowledge concerning nature around them (Kottak, 2008). With the view that different societies have different knowledge with reference to nature and environment, it is extremely important for an ethno scientist to explore the effect of marriage to specific natur al knowledge in the society. Marriage in most societies involves transfer of a wife from her indigenous home to a new environment. Interestingly enough, when it happens, different cultures collide or merge and provide the opportunity for the adoption of new understanding of the environment (Moore, 1998). This will be in terms of the societal exploration and exploitation of nature in everyday life; for example, the classification of plants for nutritional, medicinal, and aesthetic purposes. To an ethno scientist, marriage in the society provides a situation in which a blend of natural knowledge will arise through incorporation of the different experiences and knowledge of the two or more people who have been raised in different environment endowed with different plant, animals and other natural features influencing people’s beliefs and knowledge (Percival, 1966). An ethno scientist will conclude that the marriage in the society can help reorganize these peculiar societal knowl edge and create a new set of beliefs and practices. The different systems of knowledge coming together necessitate erosion and assertion of new concepts. Since there are many concepts studied by ethno science, the marriage in the society will actually influence some of them (Sanga & Ortalli, 2003). In ethno botany, which involves the societal beliefs on the use of plants and their different roles in the improvement of human life, marriage will ensure that either one of the parties involved gets to learn more about the use of a plant or gets to learn about a totally new plant’s use (Dasgupta & Sarkar, 2005). For instance, various communities use plants in doing several things; this knowledge cannot be known by others, unless there is a very intimate association of two people who come from different societies, possibly by means of marriage. Different communities have used plants for several reasons; they have been used as a cure for snake’s venom, in soaring milk, as wel l as dyes and cosmetics (Percival, 1966). An ethno scientist will also view marriage in the society as an accelerating factor for environmental exploitation. There is a very close relation between environmental usage and ethno science. Human beings are in constant use of the environment and disturb natural balance in satisfying their needs. In the course of doing this, there can be environmental concerns regarding exploitation; it can lead to the extinction of some plants and animals species (Percival, 1966).

Dissertation- Introduction and theoretical background Essay

Dissertation- Introduction and theoretical background - Essay Example a 228-home tower block, an exemplary innovation which satisfies the Energy Efficient Building requirements; also exhibiting values of sustainability like ensuring the well being of its inhabitants, signifying usability and appropriation of space (BNPParibas, 2012). High-rise tower blocks were made possible as living systems with the advent of the elevator (Princeton, 2012). A Tower Block or a High-Rise is a tall multi-story building or structure used for residential or official purposes, occasionally also referred to as an MDU, Multi Dwelling Unit (Princeton, 2012). They offer not only accommodation but also consist of offices, shops and other community based needs. Tower blocks are becoming a distinguished accommodation solution in the highly populated cities around the world, as they provide technical and economical advantages in urban settings with high density population (Price & Myers, 2012). High-rise towers provide dwelling for more people than solitary homes, while occupying less space and can specially be resourceful in communities with single unit families/couples. High rise tower blocks have been a part of urban high population solution for a long time. Its traces are found through history; in major cities like ancient Rome along with other large cities of the empire; to the Roman Egypt which consisted of up to seven stories buildings; to the Arabian Egypt which had buildings to house hundreds of people in number (Princeton, 2012). The concept of the tower block has been evolving with the ages as people evolve as a society. Where there are those who advocate the residential high rise tower blocks as a solution to the dense cities of the modern times; others tend to view it as an unsuitable solution for the modern city with no pedestrian presence, density, and movement, thus bearing no resemblance with the concept of a traditional city (Pagliardini, Porta & Salingaros, 2008). Traditional cities are known for their hustle and bustle, and the

European Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

European Union - Essay Example The member states benefit from both internal and external aspects of single market. Examples of these aspects include free trade of goods and services among member countries, common competition law that controls non-competitive activities of companies, elimination of internal border control and harmonization of external controls. Additional aspects include citizen’s freedom to live and work in any member state, free capital movement between member states, universal external customs tariff and a universal position in negotiations involving international trade among others. Following the European Union members’ deregulation of the aviation industry, which they accomplished in 1997, they abolished all traditional national protectionism, which resulted into a great improvement in the management of air traffic. With an aim of establishing a safer and efficient flow of air traffic within Europe, they set up a new system of managing air traffic. One very significant component of this system is the single European sky legislation that the EU launched in 1999 and its institutions adopted it in 2004. This legislation involved restructuring of the European airspace, which was formally individual national airspaces that individual member states regulated, into a single area regulated by the alliance (EUROPA, 2007). The single European sky led to the simplification of procedures for controllers of air traffic and pilots as well as fewer handovers where controllers of air traffic manage wider sky expanse while Europe-wide common procedures and rules provide pilots with a flawless service. Minimizing of different areas of control enhances faster services and a structure that is far better in dealing with any eventual trouble. The single European sky has also boosted air travel in EU member countries significantly. It has directly provided airlines with quicker and safer

Define term Strategic organization and Credibility in public speech Essay

Define term Strategic organization and Credibility in public speech - Essay Example Michelle Griffin in her video, â€Å"Strategic Organization Road Map† defined strategic organization as the development of organization’s objectives structured in a logical and systematic manner to achieve desired organization’s results. The best example of strategic organization can be of sharing the mission statement of the organization with stakeholders. The information structured in the report offers good amount of information on the organization’s mission and its long term objectives. The specific audience here is stakeholders and specific result is to attain future goal and objectives through shared ideas and strategies. Thus, it is very much clear that strategic organization is often perceived as the study of an organization’s strategies based on the management decisions. However, in public speech it is also perceived as putting ideas and information together in a manner that is easy to understand and deliver. It caters to the need of specific people in a systematic manner. It is a process that is developed through the understanding of internal and external environment to reap desired value and benefits. In literal sense, credibility is defined as the quality of being believable and trustworthy among others in the personal and professional world. Credibility needs trust and belief that differs from person to person and thus making the whole process of being trustworthy; a complicated one. However, this complexity is eliminated by being honest and clear with one’s ideas and perception along with having a compassionate nature embedded with convincing power and skills. It needs to be understood that people find it difficult to accept the credibility of an individual without assessing his talent and potential. The assessment of one’s skills and potentials offers belief and trust that redefines credibility in a contrasting manner. Tracy Goodwin in her video, â€Å"Persuasive Speaking Tips: Credibility in Persuasive

How Samsung Electronics has established its current presence Assignment

How Samsung Electronics has established its current presence - Assignment Example Previous concentration fields include mobile privacy, Internet of Things, clouding communication, and human interface. Businesspersons and inventors will achieve access to Samsung’s distinct ecology and capital. Intense connections inside Samsung’s institutional network both in Asia and across the globe will be required to face the next round of rivalry in the electronics segment. Asia has a fundamental destination for Samsung’s direct investment for several reasons. The company objectives and goals include recovering cost competitiveness by using the low-priced capital accessible in Southeast Asia. Samsung as well is interested in pursuing various chief consumers for its components as some of the world’s most active market. But the weakness of Samsung’s performance in the consumer products segment means that it has established itself with surplus capacity in its offshore affiliations. In reality, this means that the overseas associates are underuti lized, despite the skill to enhance cost competitiveness, since Samsung’s worker assessment structure is slanting towards performance at the plant status (Mortinik, 2012). According to Bloom (2002), Koreans electronics corporations have been assertively engaged in culture and knowledge accumulation over the past two decades. Their consumer products, including color television sets (CTVs), videocassette records (VCRs), and microwave ovens, were capable to remain competitive in the low-end sector of the global markets till the late 1980s. As a result, this created the cash flow required to endorse of more improved technologies. In the current years, nevertheless, Korean products are achieving growing rivalry, especially from Japanese manufacturers that have recuperated their competitiveness by investing in low-priced overseas manufacturing. Growing offshore manufacturing has been a chief part of Korea’s tactic reaction. Korean products channels in Asia now go beyond the ASEAN region to China and India. The overall percentage of offshore production to total production has grown tremendously in current years, from nineteen percent to twenty-seven percent for CTVs from sixteen to seventeen percent for VCRs during the phase 1922-1994. Nevertheless, those of the Japanese electronic competitors grew even rapidly, from 67 percent to 86 percent for CTVs and from 36 to 71 percent for VCRs during the same phase. This as a result kept the rivalry deep in the cost-fueled struggled for low-end markets. In the year 1993, three chief Korean manufacturers, Goldstar, Samsung and Daewoo, declared their objective to expand their offshore production quotient from a standard of 20 percent in 1993 to 60 percent by 2000. This paper will focus on how Samsung has managed to maintain its international presence. The firms involved are all components of Samsung Group, an exceedingly diversified multinational. The key electronic manufacturer is Samsung Electronics Co. SEC and its liaison corporations are Samsung Electron-Devices Co. (SED), Samsung Corning Co.(SC) and Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. (SEM). Lee Bung-Chull first incepted Samsung in 1938, and its primary line was trade. The business operation has persisted to be essential, first with imports, and latter export, beginning in the mid 70s. By

Describe how to extract evidence in relation to HTTp,FTP and SMTP Research Paper

Describe how to extract evidence in relation to HTTp,FTP and SMTP application layer protocol - Research Paper Example In this paper, I present the techniques used to extract data sent from one host to another over a TCP-based network like the internet using FTP protocol, an e-mail sent over an IP network using SMTP protocol and the one sent over web-based applications using HTTP protocol. Contents Contents 3 1.0Introduction 1 2.0Extracting evidence in relation to HTTP 1 Extraction of Posting Behavior from HTTP Header 1 3.0Extracting evidence in relation to SMTP 2 Header analysis 3 Bait tactics 3 Server investigation 3 Network device investigation 3 Software embedded identifiers 3 Sender Mailer Finger prints 3 4.0Extracting evidence in relation to FTP 3 5.0Conclusion 4 6.0 References 1 1.0 Introduction The network has become the beast way of transferring information to support both personal and business requirements. However, as different services have been enabled across the network environment, the potential for cyber-crime has grown with these. Unfortunately, not only are criminals exploiting this medium to an unprecedented degree but we are now looking at the potential of cyber-warfare or cyber-terrorism who are communicating through these protocols hence need for methods of extracting data from these protocols as a source of evidence. [24] File transfer protocol (FTP) is a network protocol that is used to transfer files from a host server to a client over a TCP-based network such as the internet. It is based on client-server architecture and it uses separate data and control connections between the client and server. [5] Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) refers to a protocol that transmission of an e-mail across and IP- based network. However clients in the network use SMTP only for sending messages to a mail sever while for receiving they use POP (Post office protocol) or IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol). This enables them to access their mail box accounts on a mail sever. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is an application protocol used by distributed and coll aborative hypermedia information systems. [19] The HTTP protocol is the basis of World Wide Web (WWW). All Web-based applications rely on this protocol for security and transactions ranging from home banking, e-commerce and e-procurement and to those that deal with sensitive data such as career and identity information. This protocol can also be used to prevent unauthorized viewing of personal, financial, and confidential information over the Web. [20] 2.0 Extracting evidence in relation to HTTP In relation to the amount of content in the web, users need help in finding information of interest, and service providers are required to provide such information. This can be done by estimating the user’s profile i.e. analyzing the behavior of the user when she is online by using access logs in a server. In order to recognize the actual user behavior across many servers, the behavior is analyzed using the flow of data on proxy servers. Some users post their messages on the Web while others just browse web pages and hence an approach has to be made in order to extract both the users’ behaviors. [6] When a user is just browsing web pages, the browser usually sends HHTP GET requests in which the request parameters are described in the URL (e.g., http://search.goo.ne.jp/web.jsp?MT=ntt means that the value of parameter MT is ntt). When the user posts a message, requests and responses are sent by HTTP POST, instead of HTTP GET.

Marketing Concepts of Nike Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 67

Marketing Concepts of Nike Company - Essay Example Nike Company has been able to increase its market share substantially through product differentiation. It produces a wide a range of sports products and equipment ranging from running shoes, jerseys, shorts, shoes famously known as the Nike Air Max, etc used in a great variety of sporting activities. This includes baseball, tennis, track and field, ice hockey, basketball, soccer, and cricket. The company continuously strives to introduce new products to its shelves to be at a better competitive edge compared to its competitors. Latest additions to their product lines include specially designed shoes for skateboarding, cricket, and basketball. They also design products putting environmental concerns in mind. This has made the company to be one of the environmentally friendly company’s in the world. During the research on the Nike Company, I visited some of the major outlets such as the Niketown store, Nike factory store and the Nike running store to find out the various products offered. This was mainly because of the huge product lines found in the stores. Furthermore, they are the perceived Nike major outlets in the U.S. At the Niketown store, athletes from all the various sports apparel, accessories, footwear, and equipment that are inevitable for them to reach their full potential. The store has incorporated strong archival and multimedia displays of Nike’s most memorable moments and great partnerships. The running and factory store enhances supports and celebrates the culture of running on and off the field. Here, aspiring athletes will definitely find support, footwear, equipment, and sportswear that are necessary for achieving their aspirations.

A report to president Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A report to president - Essay Example The paper is structured into three core sections; firstly, background information of Business development incentives. Secondly, the imperativeness of this program to the general economy. Thirdly, the document will also reflect on the associated challenges of this program. Business development incentives (Background) This program seeks to provide incentives to business to provide cash or near cash incentives to bail out business through harsh economic times. The program will be a non affiliate to a plethora of non-monetary incentives; for instance, public infrastructure projects. This will endeavor to provide a large list of incentives practices to reduce general costs. The affiliate goal of this program is to ensure that areas within our jurisdiction do not suffer unemployment, due to a blatant fiscal policy. Indeed, the job growth will be expected to generate tax breaks and eventually enable business to plough enough resources back to the required capital threshold. Strategist withi n my jurisdiction realized the necessity to introduce this program based on the long history of interrelation of sectors within this economy (Mulligan, 2012). Large economic experience was based from the aftermath of the 2008-2009 economic recessions, in which, the general economy realized a tendency high cost of business was a primary cause factor of unemployment. Businesses realized in order to make it in a challenging time, reducing manpower was an advisable sacrificial method to realize positive returns, during that surviving period. However, this strategy was not appropriate on how it operated. The resultant situation was that our local economy had weak purchasing power and this was subsequent of a gradually failing economy. Technically, unemployment weakened the household, which in turn weakened the firms and finally the government tax threshold was largely affected. Following the successful introduction of this program, it is imperative to consider that the main objective of this program is to bail out local business during harsh economic times (Wiesner. 2009). Why this particular program There are resounding factors that prompted strategist to approach the economy with these considerations. Firstly, it is imperative to consider that the households who are often engaged directly to the economy needed a security on their jobs. This program will attract incentives to attract new business and generate new jobs. Indeed, the lower income segments in our economy were direct beneficiaries with incentives provided by this program. Secondly, it was fundamental to consider the fiscal need associated with this program. During the recession, our local economy suffered reduced revenues and persistent budget deficit which was a direct result of stagnation. This trend was realized when our local authorities attempted to cut tax gap, leaving the administration vulnerable to harsh economic times. The relation here is political psychology associated with an overtaxed pub lic (Anderson & Wassmer, 2000). Thirdly, there was a close consideration of improving administrative capacity one which never had local bureaucrats dictating to the public about their macroeconomic opinions. This would call for the enrollment of better infrastructure improvements, through use of consultancy of viable strategies. These strategies will primarily address regulatory exemptions and tax increment

Coverage and value of bioEdit to bioinformatics Essay Example for Free

Coverage and value of bioEdit to bioinformatics Essay The study of Molecular Biology necessitates the in depth analysis and evaluation of molecules and their various compositions found in living things, particularly proteins or amino acids which were then identified to be the edifices of life. As time passed, molecular biologists realized the importance of going beyond the study of protein or amino acid structures, and focus on DNA and other nucleic acids which map out how life is formed, transformed, or reproduced. The study of the two most important molecular structures in living things – amino acids and nucleic acids – forms the foundation of Molecular Biology, as well as Genetics, as fields of science. (Horobin, 2003) In studying these acids, molecular biologists and geneticists need to determine their composition, structures, and sequences in order to identify how they are formed and identify their respective roles in building life. (Horobin, 2003) For the purpose of deeply understanding the importance of sequencing and realignment in Molecular Biology, as well as Genetics, we will focus on the subject of DNA. Molecular Biologists and Geneticists utilize the process of DNA sequencing by following established methodologies and standards. Because of enormous funding obtained from both public and private sectors that are extremely interested in advancing the field of genome sequencing, particularly for purposes of genetic modification and cloning, the DNA sequencing methodology has been continuously evolving in order to adapt new findings and trends that raise its reliability, validity, and efficiency. (Griffin Griffin, 1994) Sequencing and realignment of data and samples help Molecular Biologists and Geneticists create various patterns of DNA links or formation, assemble or disassemble structures for a deeper or more thorough analysis, create a map or graphic organizer which will instantly illustrate how enzymes or other substances are formed from base samples such as DNA, analyses of DNA samples and sequences in order to predict outcomes in protein formation, analyses of protein or amino acids in order to determine their specific features or characteristics, look for other structures or sequences within the database with similar characteristics and formations with the sample, and consequently aligning similar structures or sequences together in order to predict reactions, growth and development, and so on. (Griffin Griffin, 1994) Results from the sequencing, alignment, or realignment processes that are primary accomplished by resorting to bioinformatics tools such as BioEdit, constitute the information for proper DNA sequences in order to identify anomalies or flaws in other models or structures. This is most important in the field of medicine and health because it helps professionals determine serious diseases or illnesses that might be passed on through heredity, varying genes in order to alter anomalies or flaws within its structures, and such. Sequences and alignments also help further genetic cloning because it provides relevant information on how life may be reproduced in the process. Other practical uses of DNA sequencing and alignment include the improvement product formation, by determining how the formation of genes may be developed gearing towards constructiveness, particularly in the food industry. (Walker Rapley, 2000). BioEdit, as a tool for sequencing and aligning various molecules or substances such as DNA, nucleic acids, amino acids, etc. , is therefore extremely important in the realization of the goals of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Through its comprehensive services and features aside from sequencing and aligning, the application is able to help molecular biologists and geneticists thoroughly analyze sequences for various purposes aforementioned, consequently advancing not only their respective fields but other scientific industries as well including health care and medicine, psychology and behavior, farming and agriculture, food processing and production, genetics, etc.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Health And Social Care Essay

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Health And Social Care Essay Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a serious respiratory condition of diffuse alveolar injury seen frequently in intensive care patients. It was first identified in 1967 by Ashbaugh, Bigelow, Petty and Levine as the acute onset of broad respiratory symptoms. This improved the clinical and pathological understanding of the condition. Small changes to therapeutic practice have developed, however despite these developments the morbidity and mortality in patients of all ages with ARDS remains significantly high (Fan, Needham, Stewart, 2005). This topic has been chosen by the author as they have a personal interest in this type of patient after having recently cared for a critically ill ARDS patient in their ICU (Intensive Care Unit). The author has previously been involved in caring for ARDS patients at their place of work and over that period has observed changing practices and treatment. A further knowledge and understanding of this complex patient is their motivation for this topic. A case study relating to a case of ARDS is attached as Appendix 1 and will be referred to throughout this assignment. The pathophysiology of this disease leading up to the presenting signs and symptoms of ARDS will be presented. Current literature and treatment trends will be discussed in conjunction with the medical and nursing practice observed within the ICU workplace. Treatment trends and recommended best practices will be identified and critically analysed. Recommendations will then be presented to encourage best practice within the ICU workplace. First described in 1967 by Ashbaugh and colleagues as Adult Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, ARDS patients continue to have a high rate of mortality and morbidity (Fan, Needham, Stewart, 2005). A definition was implemented in 1988 (MORE DETAILS>>>) and then a new simplified definition was recommended in 1994 by the American-European Consensus Conference (AECC) (Harman 2009). It acknowledged that the severity of lung injury varies, and it was a definition that was easy to apply in the clinical setting (Ware Matthay, 2000). The new definition involved changing the name from adult to acute respiratory distress syndrome as it was observed that the syndrome occurs in adults and children. The AECC definition states that the patient must have an acute condition, characterised by bilateral pulmonary infiltrates and severe hypoxaemia in the absence of evidence of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema. Hypoxaemia is calculated as a ratio of PaO2/FiO2. In ARDS the ratio is less than 200. Cardiogen ic pulmonary oedema is excluded either clinically or by pulmonary wedge pressure of less than 18mm Hg in patients with a Swan-Ganz catheter. Despite this official and accepted definition there is still argument over the ability to accurately define ARDS when it is a syndrome and not an illness and because of this the presentation and pathway of the disease varies between patients (Zambon Vincent, 2008). There has also been criticism over the simplicity of the AECC definition as it does not identify the underlying cause, nor does it require other systems affected to be assessed (Ware Matthay, 2000). The major benefit of the universally accepted definition has been the ability for hospitals and investigators to begin the advancement of clinical trials into treatment of this syndrome (Ware Matthay, 2000). In patients diagnosed with ARDS 80% can have the cause related to either direct or indirect injuries. Direct injuries include pneumonia, aspiration, lung contusion, fat embolism, near-drowning, inhalation injury, and reperfusion injury. While indirect injuries include non-pulmonary sepsis, multiple trauma, massive transfusion, pancreatitis and cardiopulmonary bypass (Berten Soni 2009). This insult to the respiratory system is reflected in a variety of pathophysiological presentations leading to the patients presenting signs and symptoms. There are 3 identified stages of ARDS. The acute or exudative phase is seen in days 1-7. The sub-acute or proliferative stage is seen from around day 7, and the chronic or fibrotic phase is generally seen around 2-3 weeks after the initial onset (Marshall, Bellingan, Laurent, 1998, Griffiths 2007). The exudative phase leads to the disruption of the normal alveoli-capillary barrier which therefore disrupts ventilation and oxygenation. Inflammation occurs in the lungs and the body releases cytokines and inflammatory mediators from the epithelial and endothelial cells. Other cells (neutrophils and T-lymphocytes) move into the lungs and causing alveolar damage. The inflammation causes endothelial dysfunction, and increases the permeability of this barrier which allows fluid to escape from the capillaries and limits the draining of fluid out from the lungs. Small vessel thrombosis occurs as a result of pulmonary capillary and endothelial swelling Cell debris plugs the alveolus lumen leading to pulmonary oedema increasing the thickness in the alveolar-capillary space. Surfactant supply depletes and production becomes inactivated. The exudative phase is seen in the ICU patient as increased shortness of breath, higher respiratory rate, productive cough, wet sounding chest, decreased oxygenation. These symptoms were all seen with the patient in Appendix A. The Proliferative Phase is and involves the initial stimulus causing the stimulation of the cascade effect. All ARDS patients will experience this stage. It leads to an increase in the permeability of the alveolar-capillary barrier leads to a rush of fluid into the alveoli. This injury allows pulmonary oedema to occur in patients with no known cardiogenic failure. This protein rich fluid engulfs the alveoli drawing in activated neutrophils and macrophages. This initiates the inflammatory cascade which releases interleukins, tumour necrosis factor and inflammatory mediators. Neutrophils release oxidants, leukotrienes and various proteases. The effect of this process is cell damage, with cell debris blocking alveolus lumen and the inactivation of surfactant. As a result platelets combine, a procoagulant cascade may arise. Surfactant inactivation, alveolar filling, cellular debris all lead to an increase in respiration rate. Surfactant loss causes alveolar collapse due to increased surface tension and causes a decreased closing lung volume. This leads to less than normal functional residual capacity causing increased respiratory rate and reduced lung compliance. The alteration in the harmony between alveoli and vascular ************************************************** The proliferative stage is generally seen after day 7. It involves the proliferation of fibroblasts, hyperplasia of pneumocytes and ongoing inflammation. The Fibrotic phase is seen 3 weeks after presentation and the patient is seen to have lung fibrosis, honeycombing and bronchiectesis. This leads to long-term chronic lung conditions. Clinical management of ARDS is focused on promptly and appropriately treating the underlying cause, supporting lung function and preventing complications related to the medical treatment and the disease process. No treatment is definitive, but early anticipation of complications can reduce the length of stay. Treatment is supportive As previously noted mortality rates have barely reduced over the years. There has been much research into new ventilation strategies along with pharmacological and non-pharmacological techniques. So far few have improved survival. The most important and practice changing study was in 2000 when The Acute Respiratory Syndrome Network did a large (861 patients) multi-centred randomised trial comparing traditional tidal volumes with lower tidal volumes. At the time patients were being ventilated with tidal volumes (VT) of 10-15ml per kilogram of body weight with plateau pressures of 50, to achieve normocarbia and pH. The study was abandoned early as there was seen to be a 22% decrease in mortality of those patients with the lower range of TV. The high peak pressure and the high tidal volumes were found to be causing shearing injuries to the lungs and also causing a higher mortality. This study revolutionalised ventilation strategies of ARDS patients and demonstrated that lung protection techniques could improve survival (Levy, 2004). It is now common practice worldwide to ventilate patients on tidal volumes of around 6ml/kg and as low as 4ml/kg and to allow permissive hypercarbia. I There continues to be research in to the benefit of PEEP in ARDS. There have been several studies conducted looking at the benefits but few have had conclusive results. Ashbaugh et al. (1967) identified patients that were mechanically ventilated with ARDS and had no PEEP became immediately severely hypoxaemic. Research has continued since then as to identify the optimal amount of PEEP. PEEP is important as it assists the severe ARDS patient by minimising alveolar collapse and improving gas exchange and lung compliance. Traditionally PEEP is set at 5-12cmH2O (Briel et al., 2010) but it is yet to be established what is the optimal level of PEEP ( Gattiononi, Caironi, 2008, Dellinger, Levy, Carlet et al, 2008). recent studies have been trying to identify if higher PEEP is better than lower, or traditional PEEPS. The problem has been what is low and what is high PEEP? A recent analysis by Briel et al. (2010) and supporting commentary by Rubenfeld (2010) has identified that the it has also been found that PEEP can be dangerous in but it is not established how much is enough PEEP. The author has identified medical and treatment seen within their place of work and will discuss this further. Oxygenation is optimised as seen in appendix A by Treatment includes optimising gas exchange by maintaining oxygenation, adequate tissue perfusion. Strict fluid balance. Ensuring nutritional requirements are met Before 1990 ARDS was reported to have a mortality rate of 40-70% in the US (there were few studies outside the USA initially) (Harman, 2009). Since then several studies have been done around the world. New research has found the rate of mortality has deceased marginally in some studies, but still not significantly. A couple of studies in the US and the UK in the 1990s have found mortality rates much lower in the 30-40% range (Davidson, Caldwell Curtis, 1999, Davey-Quinn, Gedney Whitely 1999). A 2002 Australian study identified mortality at 34% (Bersten, Edibam, Hunt, Moran, and the ANNZCCSCTG). A 2008 systematic analysis of ARDS statistics identified mortality still in the range of 15-61% in studies published after 2000 (Zambon Vincent, 2008). It must be acknowledged that some of this data was from studies with very small groups of patients in the trials. Despite this it still identifies a high rate of mortality and very little improvement in survival over the years. Improvements have been developed in the care due to ventilation strategies, improved intensive care better understanding and treatment of sepsis, recent changes in the application mechanical ventilation, better overall supportive care of critically ill patients Medical and nursing management within the authors One of the biggest developments in the treatment of ARDS was a study done in 2000 which challenged the traditional ventilation of high Treatment is supportive with the aim of maintaining adequate oxygenation to the tissues via APPENDIX 1 Mrs X is a 51 year old female who is normally fit and well. She has no past medical history. She does not take any regular medicines. She has no known allergies. She lives with her husband and 3 adult children and works full time. She returned from Melbourne 10 days prior to her presenting symptoms appearing. Mrs X has been unwell for 7 days with lethargy, myalgia, and a slight cough. She presents to her GP with a 72 hour of worsening headache, myalgia, and now a productive cough. Her GP prescribes antibiotics (Amoxycillin) and advises her to commence them the following day. The following day Mrs X is taken to the local tertiary hospital (A) by her husband with further worsening symptoms and now respiratory distress. Her respiratory rate is 30; her SpO2 is 93% on room air. She is tachycardic (110), afebrile, normotensive and her chest x-ray shows right middle and right lower lobe pneumonia, early basal consolidation, and a small left pleural effusion. Mrs X is admitted to the medical ward on CPAP Presents at tertiary hospital (A) with worsening symptoms. Respiratory Rate 30. CXR shows RML + RLL pneumonia, early basal consolidation, and small L) pleural effusion. Admitted to medical ward with CPAP, tiring over the evening with increasing PEEP and FiO2 requirements. Transferred to ICU on CPAP. Intubated at 2130hrs due to worsening condition and tiring. Continues to deteriorate over the next 12 hours, now with a vasopressor requirement. Referred to tertiary hospital (B) for transfer. Swabs and cultures taken for multiple bacteria and to identify the source of pneumonia. Broad spectrum antibiotic cover commenced. (Screening included H1N1, mycoplasma serology, and urinary legonella-all eventually coming back as negative). Managed in tertiary hospital (A) overnight with high PEEP (20) and Fio2 (90%) requirements. Spo2 and PaO2 remain low (85%/55). Recruitment manoeuvres attempted by consultant and found to bed unsuccessful. Bloods show early coagulopathy, thrombocytopenia. Worsening CXR: RUL, RML, RLL, LML, LLL consolidation. Discussion with family regarding possibility of ECMO in tertiary hospital (C) if continued deterioration. Tertiary hospital (B) arrives the following afternoon. Pt being managed prone. Unproned and transferred to Tertiary Hospital (B). Arterial blood gas on arrival= Managed in hospital (B) with high respiratory support. Peaking with Fio2 1.0 PEEP of 24. Aiming for Pao2 >60, SpO2 >88%. Condition further deteriorates on day 3 in hospital (B). Ventilation and oxygenation proving difficult. Any movement causing severe desaturation. Increasing PEEP (18) and decreasing FiO2 (0.6-0.7) found to be beneficial in this patient. ABG over the day Time FiO2 pH pCO2 pO2 0908 0.6 7.35 53.5 59.7 1452 0.7 7.36 52.4 60.5 2001 0.6 7.35 53.6 62.6 2300 0.7 7.38 49.7 55.0 Initial arterial blood gas shows Sedated on morphine and midazolam and propofol. Strict fluid balance. Commenced on regular IV steroids. IV frusemide. IV erythromycin and imipenem. FASTHUG principle applied. Enteral feeding recommenced Remained febrile despite antibiotic and line changes. Chest drain insertion on day 3 in hospital (B) Tracheostomy on day 9 as not respiratory or cardiovascularly stable enough earlier. Remained on a FiO2 of an average of 0.60 and PEEP of 16-20 for the first 12 days. De-sedated and a slow respiratory wean commenced on day 10. Patient continues to be critically ill and have slow respiratory wean on day 18 when she is transferred back to her domicile hospital (Hospital A) to continue recovery and weaning