Personal Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Identity - Essay Example In addition, his memories and believes remain unchanged. According to Schmid (2), the resultant person is a convection referring to bundle of mental states and events hence resembling the original person from whom the brain was removed. This can be tested by evaluating the persons memory after the procedure. Thus, person A is the same as person B if and only if A can remember having an experience of B. The procedure done on Gretchen Weirob revealed that a person’s identity does not change if his brain is replaced with a duplicate one. The person’s looks, character, personality, beliefs, habits, desires, and skills remain the same. Therefore, from the success of the procedure done on other people, the results will not be different with me; I will remain the same person as long as my brain is replaced with a duplicate of my own brain. Considering Brain view theory, if I was to undergo brain rejuvenation, I will wake up the same person I was before the procedure. My resultant person will resemble the original person since our brains will be identical. I will be numerically identical to the person I was as long as I do not get another person’s brain. This includes having all the spheres in the new brain identical to the original ones. However, this theory is insufficient and needs to be used in combination with the psychological bundle view theory. This theory compares relationship in the conscious states of a person at different times. For example in my case, my conscious states after the procedure will be appropriately related to what I have now. I will be remembering the same things, relating events to the right experiences thus making the resultant person the same as the original one as defined by the memory proposal theory. If the process is undertaken as required, survival is guaranteed. The brain, which will be place in my skull to replace my current one, will be a complete duplicate. This will enable it

The Health Needs Assessment

The Health Needs Assessment This assignment is a quasi-report on a health need assessment (HNA) which is being prepared, as part of this module summative assessment, in order to gather information on the basis of designing and implementing a programme, on a limited scale, of health and health care acceptable, accessible and identified in Southwark based on evidence of cost-effectiveness and is beneficial to the needs of this practice area. The aim of the report is to demonstrate a critical understanding of HNA and HNA policy at the community level. The use of local and national data in identifying health met and unmet needs by demonstrating an understanding the handling and interpreting local and national data. Using policies context of increasing exclusive breastfeed and using the right evidenced based intervention by emphasising on the advantages of increasing exclusive breastfeeding to infants up to six months old. The intervention of increasing exclusive breastfeeding is through the introduction of fathers as an initiative will be discussed in depth. In order to succinctly focus the critical analysis of the assignment the Hooper Longworth (1998) five steps theory of HNA will be used. Step 1) Getting started Step 2) Identifying the Health Priorities for the Population Step 3) Assessing the Health Priority Step 4) Planning for Health Step 5) Evaluation As stated above this is a limited assignment therefore not all the steps will be used. Health Needs Assessment (HNA) Definition Health Development Agency (HDA) (2004) define HNA as a way of identifying the health needs and inequalities being experienced by a specific population groups in Southwark and identifying their priorities for professional and service development to improve the health of that target population or individuals to reduce health inequalities. The HNA assist the HVs in identifying the wider determinant of health of the population and appropriate intervention put in place to meet that needs. Needs or who will be benefiting from the intended intervention must be identified and it must be cost-effective. Bradshaw (1994) identified four different needs which is termed the Taxonomy of Needs it is Felt needs what the individuals want, expressed needs what is demanded, normative which consists of both the met and unmet needs, and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ In this report the normative needs will underpin the HNA as both the met and unmet needs are going to be identify. Marmot (2003) suggests it is important for people to be in control of their lives and exercise autonomy instead of them being told what they have to do; this is a way of tackling health inequalities (DH 2003). It is Government national priority as resources were allocated to it. HV should make time to find their priorities and preferences and working with their community to achieve their goals. This is a way to achieve health equality and built social capital. Social capital is the way that HV could work with mothers and fathers in improving community relationships and trust which has a direct and positive effect on increasing breastfeeding continuation up to six months. Research indicates that peer education by lay people is sometimes more important than getting information by experts who are coming from a level of power. HMSO (2012) Healthy Lives Healthy People White Paper is an overarching document responding to Marmot Review Fair Society Healthy Live (Marmot 2010) is providing a framework in tackling the wider social determinant of health and health inequalities. It aims to build peoples self-esteem, confidence and resilience right from conception and into older age with stronger support for early years. It is underpin by the White Paper Liberating the NHS (DH 2010) providing the framework in commissioning services that has an impact on the health of the most needy in the community thereby helping in reducing health inequalities. Demography of Southwark Health inequality is defined as providing equal health to all across the different boundaries (reference). Southwark in a central London borough and is ranked 12th as the most deprived London Borough and 41st most deprived in England according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation in 2010 (reference). Pocket of extreme deprivation are concentrated in the centre of the borough. Data from the Charity Shelter UK (2012) reveal that Southwark are among the most vulnerable London Boroughs with 1 in 46 households are at risk of losing their homes. According to the 2010 census (NAO 2012) it has a diverse multicultural, multilingual and multi-ethnic population and 51% of the Southwark population is from the British minority ethnic (BME) group. This is a challenge In Southwark 4.1% compared to 3.1% in London of the households are homelessness and one is four households are overcrowded living in overcrowding homes (Shelter 2005) putting extra pressure and stress on families relations. However, the coalition government has recognised the overburden on the housing stock and in the process of funding new home building across England (). This will not relieve the housing situation in the sort term. children living in poverty 16986 (32.3%) (21.9% England and 29.7% London average) First time entrant to young justice 402 (0.7% or 4.8%) (Eng. 57291; London 8349) 16-18 NEET 330 (4.37%) (4.50% London 6.13% England) homelessness 510 (4.11%) (London 3.14%; England 2.03%) 4136 (90.56%) babies initiated breastfeeding after birth compared with 74.08% in England and 87.06% in London. 3446 (75.69%) breastfeed until six to eight weeks compare with England 47.02%; London 67.32%. Smoking status at time of delivery 202 (4.38) compare with England 13.19%; London 6.02% Under 18 years old conception 679 (61.5%) compare with 38.1% and 40.9% Infant mortality 79 (5.3%) England 4.6% and London 4.5% compared to England, 49 percent of the population is white British descent. The largest minority ethnic groups are Black African and Black Caribbean. Southwark has a young population. Overall the health profile of Southwark population is poor. Deprivation, crime, teenage pregnancy, and children living in poverty rates are higher than England average (Reference). Rationale The rationale is to identify the role of fathers in motivating and promoting their partners to breastfeed their babies as part of public health initiative thereby reducing health inequalities for both mother and infant. Furthermore, it will explore the health benefit of breastfeeding and the potential health risks factors to babies and mothers if exclusive breastfeeding is discontinued after six to eight weeks postpartum. Evidence has shown that exclusive breastfeeding infants until they are six months old greatly reduce childhood obesity and prevent them from acquiring other health problems when they are adults. Reducing smoking and increasing life expectancy are among Southwark health priorities together with the reduction of children obesity (Reference). In order to reduce childhood obesity research has shown that mothers should be highly encouraged to exclusively breastfeed their babies up to six months () and fathers are well-placed to encourage mothers whilst breastfeeding (). This underlines the reason Breastfeeding is among one of the Southwark health priorities as it an important factor in the reduction of child obesity. Such as reducing smoking and increasing life expectancy most importantly is the reduction of child obesity. Research has shown that breastfeeding up to six months is an important intervention to reduce children obesity. The rationale Data In 2010 there were 5131 live births, the highest birth rate in London, out of which 226 were young mothers under the age of 18 years old (National Office of Statistics (NAO) (2011) and Department of Health (2012) Links bf rates and health inequality The breastfeeding initiation rate was 73.9percent in 2012/13 Quarter 2, which is just less than the annual percentage for 2011/12 (74.1percent) and slightly higher than 2010/11 (73.7percent). The prevalence of breastfeeding at six to eight weeks 92% of mothers in Southwark initiate breastfeeding postpartum until 6-8 weeks. 1 in 4 mothers breastfed their babies 6 months, the remainder either revert to mixed feeding or exclusively formulae-feeding. decrease by 66% thereby coming down to a ration of 1 in 4 babies are breastfed by 6 months and over (Bolling et al 2007; NICE 2008). Initiation and duration rates of any breastfeeding rates are lowest among families from lower socio-economic groups, adding inequalities in health and continuing to the perpetration of the cycle of deprivation. BF rates are low in the UK for several generations, and professionals, childbearing women, families and the public at large have all been exposed to formula feeding as the norm. This is one of the reasons that mothers are encouraged by the midwives and HVs to continuously breastfeed their babies until six months and up to two years. It seems that most mothers discontinue breastfeeding their babies after six to eight weeks reverting to formula feeding which is classified as health inequalities. The intervention by fathers is important motivators in supporting mothers to increase breastfeeding rates up to six months thereby prevent health inequalities. The 2012 data in England, London and Southwark on initiation and continuation of mothers breastfeeding from two hours to six to eight weeks postpartum identified a slight increase from 76% in (year) to over 90% in 2013. The discontinuation of breastfeeding after six to eight weeks is as a result of either mothers are returning to work, feeling pain at breastfeeding or lack of family support. Fathers involvement by midwives and Health Visitors (HVs) from antenatal is an important intervention in supporting their partners to breastfed their babies until six months postpartum. The drive placed on mothers by midwives and Health Visitors (HVs) to continuously breastfeed are underpinned by International, National and local policies The determination placed on mothers by the Government and Health Visitors (HVs) to exclusively and continuously breastfeed their babies until six months postpartum is an important and effective measure that can protect their health and that of their babies with specific contributions and motivations from babies biological fathers. Healthy Child Programme (HCP) (2009) recommends that fathers are involved However, the HCP has conflicting information from the UK government which flexibly recommends formula or mixed feeding could be introduced after four months (17 weeks) however with the caveat it should be delayed until six months. This is giving conflicting information to both the mothers and Health Visitors (HVs) who tends to follow the UNICEF BFI UK guidelines. Risk Factors Ip and colleagues (2010) conducted a systematic review of the evidence on the effects of breastfeeding on short- and long-tem infant and maternal health and suggested that breastfeeding reduces the risk of diarrhoea and chest infection; atopic dermatitis and asthma; obesity and type I and type II diabetes (Sherburns-Hawkins et al. 2008); childhood leukemia; sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and necrotising enterocolitis. According to Breastfeeding also confers benefits on the mother by regulating fertility (WHO 2010) Employment, housing and income are primary determinants of health and health inequalities4. They affect individuals, families and society both directly or indirectly through wider social and economic factors, e.g. child poverty, educational attainment of children, social isolation, etc. London is arguably disproportionately affected by employment, housing and income as determinants of health due to demographics, higher living costs and the nature of its housing and employment markets Reference Lists Custworth L. Bradshaw J. (2007) A comparison of policies to enhance child well-being. Special Policy Research Unit, University of York. Hooper, J. and Longworth, P. (1998) Health Needs Assessment in Primary Health Care. Huddersfield: Calderdale and Kirklees Health Authority. Downloaded on the 23rd November 2012 www.geocities.com/HotSprings/4202/ hnawrk.html Shelter UK (2005) Full house? How overcrowded housing affects families. Downloaded on the 24th December 2012 http://england.shelter.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/66400/Full_house_reportL.pdf Stevens A. Gilliam S. (1998) Needs assessment from theory to practice. British Medical Journal 316, 440-444. Tate A., Lloyd T., Sankey S., Carlyon T., Marshall G., Jefferys P., Williamson K and Chung S. (2012) The housing report 2012: The coalition midterm review. Shelter, London. DH (2007) Implementation plans for reducing health inequalities in infant mortality: a good practice. The Stationery Office, London. DH (2003) Infant feeding recommendation. The Stationery Office, London. www.chimat.org.uk. www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/ifs2005 www.london.nhs.uk/publications/tools-and-resources/pct-perfromance-quick-guides

The Love Song of J, Alfred Prufrock Essay -- Literary Analysis, T.S. E

The poem â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† written by T.S. Eliot is a depiction of sadness and a disillusioned narrator. While reading this poem, one senses that the narrator is disturbed and has maybe given up hope, and that he feels he is just an actor in a tedious drama At the very beginning of the poem, Eliot uses a quote from Dante’s â€Å"Inferno†, preparing the poem’s reader to expect a vision of hell. This device seems to ask the reader to accept that what they are about to be told by the poem’s narrator was not supposed to be revealed to the living world, as Dante was exposed to horrors in the Inferno that were not supposed to be revealed to the world of the living. This comparison is frightening and intriguing, and casts a shadow on the poem and its narrator before it has even begun. J. Alfred Prufrock is anxious, self-concsious, and depressed. The first half of the poem creates a sense of place. The narrator invites us to go â€Å"through certain half-deserted streets† on an evening he has just compared to an unconscious patient (4). To think of an evening as a corpselike event is disturbing, but effective in that the daytime is the time of the living, and the night time is the time of the dead. He is anxious and apprehensive, and evokes a sense of debauchery and shadows. Lines 15-22 compare the night’s fog to the actions of a typical cat, making the reader sense the mystery of a dark, foggy night in a familiar, tangible way. One might suppose that â€Å"In the room the women come and go/ Talking of Michelangelo† refers to a room in a brothel, where the seedy women for hire talk about elevated art between Johns (13). The narrator creates a tension in the image of dark deserted streets and shady activities in the dark. Then t... ...but the world of the living is too busy with the meaningless details of life to care what he has to say about it. This despair is evident in the repeated lines â€Å"That is not it at all/ That is not what I meant at all† (109). â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† is hardly a love song at all. That irony is clear in that the narrator’s voice is anxious, self-conscious, and depressed. It seems he has wasted his life or that life was wasted on him, and he regrets not being born as a creature that lives on the bottom of the sea. The very last lines of the poem, â€Å"we have lingered in the chambers of the sea By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown Till human voices wake us, and we drown.† (29-131) ask the reader to acknowledge that humanity has the capacity to imagine and create, and that it is sometimes the boredom of humanity that destroys that potential.

Reflectionpaper Instruction

Reflection Paper Instructions For this assignment, you should compose a 3-page double-spaced paper that addresses how the principles that you have learned throughout this course have changed your understanding of what it means to be a Christian. You will submit your first paper in Module/Week 4 and your second paper is Module/Week 8. You should follow the format of Praxis: Beyond Theory when completing your papers. The format is: 1. An explanation of the topic/doctrine 2. Scriptural basis for the doctrine 3.Practical application of the doctrine to the life of the student NOTE: Students should write on topics which are not specifically addressed in the Praxis: Beyond Theory text. As you respond to the prompt, reflect on the concepts that you have learned throughout the course, and apply them to your specific topic. Be sure to integrate the information that you learned through the textbook readings, the assigned article readings, the lecture videos, and any other related content that y ou may have encountered during the course. Your paper should also: 1.Describe the course concepts that are related to your topic, demonstrating your reflection and analysis. Do not simply summarize what was presented in class. 2. Demonstrate real ownership of the ideas that you present by providing unique insight as evidence of your careful consideration of the topic. 3. Provide a logical link between the description of the concepts from the course, and the conclusions or implications that you draw in your reflection. In other words, your conclusion should be logically derived from the application of the course concepts to the description of your topic. . Demonstrate learning initiative by exploring conclusions and implications beyond the boundaries of our classroom discussion. 5. Focus on depth of understanding, rather than breadth of coverage. Format your paper in a MS Word document with 12 point, Times New Roman font and one-inch margins. Review the Reflection Paper Grading Rubri c to see the specific grading criteria by which you will be evaluated before submitting your paper. Structure your paper in the following format (inserting the headings within the paper): I.Introduction (one paragraph introducing the two topics/doctrines that you will address) II. Part One (first topic: approximately one page in length) a. Theological Definition b. Biblical Foundation c. Practical application III. Part Two (second topic: approximately one page in length) a. Theological Definition b. Biblical Foundation c. Practical Application IV. Conclusion (one paragraph summarizing your areas of progression in Christian thought) V. Grading Rubric (this must be copied and pasted into the end of your paper)

Do you consider Mr and Mrs Bennet to be good parents? Essay

I do not consider Mr or Mrs Bennet to be good parents. Jane Austen does not present them in a favourable light and I think anyone who reads this novel would get the impression that they are not good parents. A responsibility of fathers in society in Austen’s day was to provide financially for his children so they have secure futures. However, Mr Bennet does not do this. He pays little thought to the girls’ futures and seems to be a man who does not really consider anything seriously. We know this because Austen tells us, after Lydia had run away and Mr Bennet believes himself in the debt of Mr Gardiner, that Mr Bennet had often wished that he had saved an annual sum for the â€Å"better provision of his children, and of his wife† and that now he â€Å"wished it more than ever.† This shows us he is unthoughtful and makes foolish decisions, which later on he regrets. Mr Bennet does not take anything seriously or talks to Mrs Bennet with respect or seriousness. This means the girls do not grow up in a very happy or secure home. The parents’ marriage has not gone well and Mr Bennet only married Mrs Bennet on account of her â€Å"youth and good humour†. We learn of his lack of respect for her as he tells her, after hearing her complain about her nerves, that he respects her nerves and says, ‘They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least’. He enjoys teasing his wife and pretends that he hasn’t visited Bingley – just to see the shock on his wife’s face when he tells them. He is actually very cruel to Mrs Bennet, as she does not understand his sarcastic wit. This lack of understanding is reflected in Lydia, who has grown up to believe that jokes, even cruel ones, are the way to behave, thanks to her father’s behaviour and influence. In her letter telling of her elopement as she wrote to Mrs Forster, she sys that she will laugh and ‘what a good joke it will be’. A mother in Austen’s day should be responsible for helping her daughters find husbands. This seems to be Mrs Bennet’s strong point but she seems to let this objective take over. Rather than considering their present state, she is always thinking about the future and is prepared to embarrass her girls in order to give them a chance to marry well. For example, on page 27, Mrs Bennet makes Jane ride on a horse in the hope that it might rain so she would become ill and ‘stay all night’ in Bingley’s house. Austen writes that Mrs Bennet was ‘delighted’ when a downpour started. This shows inconsideration, little motherly love and that Mrs Bennet is obsessed with Bingley marrying Jane. Jane could have been taken seriously ill. This does not show that Mrs Bennet is a good parent. Another responsibility of the mother was to bring up her children in a well-bred manner. I will explain in the following paragraphs how clearly Mrs Bennet does not do this. Mrs Bennet is an attention seeker. This is shown in her continual frustrated complaints about her ‘poor nerves’. After Lydia has run away she tells anybody who will listen that she is ‘frightened out of my wit†¦such spasms in my side, and pains in my head, and beatings at heart that I can get no rest†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ She also predicts her future in such a sorrowful way as to gain attention – she says to the Gardiners that Mr Bennet will die in a fight with Wichkam and the Collinses will turn her out of her home. She feels sorry for herself and states ‘but I was over-ruled, as I always am’. This is resulting from the lack of respect Mr Bennet shows her. We can see this reflected in Mary at the Netherfield ball, where she gets up to sing and play the piano. She is seeking attention and is proud of her accomplishments, although Austen tells us her voice is ‘weak’. At the Netherfield ball, Mrs Bennet embarrasses Lizzy by talking loudly near Darcy about Jane and Bingley and the Lucases. When entreated by Lizzy to quieten down, she replies, ‘I am sure we owe him (Darcy) no such particular civility as to be obliged to say nothing that he may not like to hear’. In Austen’s day this behaviour would have been absolutely unacceptable and looked on with contempt as Mrs Bennet shows ill breeding. This encourages the girls to be gossips, tactless and rude. Mrs Bennet does nothing throughout the novel to teach and instruct her five girls of how to behave in society, that is, apart from how to find husbands. Mrs Bennet has violent mood swings. When she first heard of Lydia’s elopement she was in ‘hysterics’ and complained of ‘tremblings†¦spasms in my side and pains in my head’ and said Mr Bennet would be killed and they would be turned out of their home. When she heard that Lydia and Wickham were to be married, she immediately forgot her pains and sorrows and told everyone ‘I knew how it would be’. Mrs Bennet also does not show gratitude – a bad influence on her daughters. When apparently Mr Gardiner pays Wickham to marry Lydia, she says that ‘who else should do it but her own uncle’. This quality is reflected in Lydia, who is never grateful for anything. We can also look at the way the parent treat their daughters directly, as well as subtly influencing them. Both parents show favouritism. Mr Bennet to Lizzy because of her sense and wit, Mrs Bennet to Lydia for being like herself, and also to Jane for her beauty. Mr Bennet also insults his children, instead of gently putting them on the right path. He tells them they are ‘silly’, especially Lydia and Kitty – ‘you must be two of the silliest girls in the country’. Mr Bennet does not seem to try all at being a good father. He ignores all his children but Lizzy. Mrs Bennet does not seem to have time for her daughters except Lydia and Jane. We can also look at the Mr Bennet’s reaction to Lydia running off with Wickham. He blames himself for he let Lydia go to Brighton although Lizzy warned him against it. Even in his guilt, Mr Bennet is sarcastic by telling Lizzy to allow him to feel guilty for once and then says, ‘I am not afraid of being overpowered by the impression. It will pass away soon enough’. Then he tells Kitty that she cannot go out of the house until she has proved herself to be sensible – and Kitty bursts unto tears at this. Previously, I have looked at what the Bennet parents are like to see how good parents they are, but if we look at the Bennet sisters, we can see how they have been brought up, and the parents’ qualities will reflect in the daughters. Lydia is a flirt, has no self-awareness and is very immature. We see this in the way she pleads to go to Brighton so she can mix with the officers there. When she is invited, Austen tells us in her imagination, Lydia sees herself â€Å"seated beneath a tent, tenderly flirting with at least six officers all at once†. Mrs Bennet encourages Lydia by telling her of her own childhood flirtations – â€Å"I cried for two days when Colonel Millar’s regiment went away. I thought I should have broke my heart!† In Austen’s day flirting would have been looked upon as unacceptable behaviour. And Lydia is fifteen, which is much to young to go to Brighton with the officers and this is proven by her immature elopement. Kitty has a very weak character resulting from a lack of teaching and discipline from the Bennet parents. We see this in the way she constantly follows and copies Lydia. She backs her up when arguing about going to Brighton, and only when she is completely separated from Lydia does she improve. Austen tells us – â€Å"removed from the influence of Lydia’s example, she became, by proper attention and management, less irritable, less ignorant, and less insipid†. Only two out of the five girls are really a credit to Mr and Mrs Bennet – Jane and Lizzy. Jane is very caring and always sees the best in people. Even when she knows Wickham’s true character she refers to him as â€Å"Poor Wickham!† Towards the middle of the novel, Lizzy is beginning to see her family in the same light as outsiders would and becomes aware of their many failings. She also develops more self-awareness, which her parents did not teach her. Lizzy does show one of her father’s traits – her humour. Lizzy makes a joke out of the hurt Darcy caused by ‘slighting her’. Austen writes, ‘she had a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous’. This is shown in her father at the Netherfield ball, where Mr Collins embarrasses the family and Austen writes, ‘no one looked more amused than Mr Bennet himself’. To conclude, from Austen’s use of language and the impression she gives, I believe Mr and Mrs Bennet are not good parents.

Crystal Starfish Ornament or Decoration

Crystal Starfish Ornament or Decoration Grow crystals on a small starfish to make a sparkling crystal starfish ornament or decoration. Crystal Starfish Materials You can grow any crystal solution on the starfish, including borax, salt, alum, Epsom salt and sugar. Borax is nice because the crystals grow overnight and add a dainty sparkly appearance to the starfish. Also, these crystals survive storage and packing between holidays quite well. small dried starfishstringjar big enough to hold the starfishstringhot waterborax (e.g., 20 Mule Team Borax How To Grow Crystals on the Starfish Tie a string or piece of nylon fishing line to the starfish. Make certain the starfish can hang in the jar without touching the side or bottom. You can wrap the string around a pencil or butter knife to control its length. Remove the starfish from the container.Mix a solution of very hot or boiling water and borax. Keep stirring in borax until it stops dissolving. This will be when a small amount of solid material remains in the bottom of the container.Pour this solution into the jar.Suspend the starfish in the liquid. Make certain it is submerged, but not touching the jar. Allow the crystals to grow for several hours or overnight.Remove the crystallized starfish from the liquid and hang it to allow it to dry. Thats it! You can use it as a holiday ornament or other decoration.You can store the starfish by wrapping it gently in tissue paper to protect it from dust and humidity. Tips and Tricks Borax allows the natural color of the starfish to show. However, if you want to add color, you can. Simply add a small amount of food coloring when you mix the borax and water. The food coloring does not color the crystals, but it will dye the starfish.Try growing crystals on small shells. Youll have the best success with porous shells because they provide places for the crystals to attach and grow. More Crystal Holiday Decorations Borax Crystal SnowflakeCrystallized Holiday StockingCrystal Paper SnowflakesMore Holiday Ornament Projects

How to Collect and Prepare a Hickory Nut for Planting

How to Collect and Prepare a Hickory Nut for Planting Of the dozen or so American hickories, shellbark and shagbark hickory trees have shown some promise as edible nut producers. These are the only two Carya species (with the exception of pecan, scientific name  Carya  illinoensis) typically planted for nut production. All the following hickory nut suggestions apply as well to the collection and preparation of pecans. Timing Hickory flowers in the spring and completes nut maturity in early fall. Beginning as early as the first of September and continuing through November, various species of hickory nuts ripen and are ready for collection. Ripening dates can vary slightly from year to year and from state to state by as many as three to four weeks, so it is not possible to use precise dates to determine maturity. The best time to collect hickory nuts, either off the tree or from the ground, is when they begin falling: It is just that simple. Prime picking is late September through the first week in November, depending on the individual hickory tree species and its location within the United States. The hickory nut is perfect when the husks begin to split. Collecting The height of the hickory nut crop in a forest canopy and the thick forest litter below can make it somewhat difficult for the casual collector to gather large numbers of nuts (although not impossible). Another challenge is harvesting nuts before wildlife does. It is also important to remember that nut availability is never an annual given. Good hickory crops (called mast) of all species are produced at intervals of one to three years, so finding nuts can be a challenge in any given fall season. With that in mind, find forest trees that are open-grown with little forest underbrush. Yard trees or trees near paved areas make for easier collection in urban and suburban areas. Always identify the tree and place tags or mark the bags, so you will know what species you have collected. Storing Storage tests with pecan and shagbark hickory have demonstrated that hickories are like most other nut and acorn species: They should be dried to a low moisture content and refrigerated if not planted immediately. To be specific, Carya nuts should be dried to below ten percent moisture and stored at around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If stored in sealed containers, the nuts should be able to retain good viability for two years. They will lose half to two-thirds of their ability to germinate after four years. Although hickory needs very little cold over a full season, studies show that viability can be improved by soaking the nuts in water at 70 degrees Fahrenheit for 64 hours. Some nut species need stratification  or a cold period of time to fully improve the germination process. Put damp peat mix or sawdust together with the dried hickory nuts in a polyethylene plastic bag that has a wall thickness of four to ten millimeters. These bags are ideal for storing nuts since they are permeable to carbon dioxide and oxygen but impermeable to moisture. Close the bag loosely and store in the refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit until planting time. Check nuts throughout the winter and keep just barely damp. Planting You can plant unrefrigerated nuts in the fall and let the winter season do what nature does- refrigerate. You can also spring-plant with stratified or cold-treated seed or take a chance on unstratified seed. For ground planting: Great results have been reported with fall seed sowing for hickory, but good mulching is necessary. Mulch should remain until germination is complete. Shading is generally not necessary, but hickory may profit from some  initial shade. Protection from rodents may be required for fall-sowings. For container planting: After determining the proper time to plant, you should place nuts in moderately  loose potting soil in one-gallon pots or deeper containers. The taproot will grow quickly to the bottom of containers and root width is not as important. Containers should have holes in the bottom to allow for drainage. Place hickory nuts on their sides at a depth of one-half the width to about the width of the nut. Keep the soil moist but not wet. Keep the pots from freezing.

Identifying a Bug vs Insect

Identifying a Bug vs Insect The word bug is often used as a generic term to refer to any type of small crawling critter, and it is not only kids and unknowing adults who use the term this way. Many scientific experts, even trained entomologists, will use the term bug to refer to a wide range of small creatures, especially when they are speaking conversationally to the general public.   The Technical Definition of a Bug Technically, or taxonomically, a bug is a creature that belongs to the insect order Hemiptera, known commonly as the true bugs. Aphids, cicadas, assassin bugs, ants, and a variety of other insects can claim rightful membership in the order Hemiptera. True bugs are defined by the types of mouthparts they possess, which are modified for piercing and sucking. Many members of this order feed on plant fluids, and so their mouths have the structures necessary to penetrate plant tissues. Some Hemipterans, such as aphids, can badly damage or kill plants by feeding in this way. The wings on Hemipterans, the true bugs, fold over one another when at rest; some members lack hind wings altogether. Finally, true bugs always have compound eyes. All Bugs Are Insects, but Not All Insects Are Bugs By the official definition, a large group of insects arent considered bugs, although in common usage they are often lumped together under the same label. Beetles, for example, are not true bugs. Beetles are structurally different from the true bugs of the Hemiptera order, in that their mouthparts are designed for chewing, not piercing. And beetles, which belong to the Coleoptera order, have sheath wings that form hard, shell-like protection for the insect, not the membrane-like wings of the true bugs.   Other common insects that do not qualify as bugs include moths, butterflies, and bees. Again, this has to do with structural differences in the body parts of these insects.   Finally, there are a number of small crawling creatures that are not insects at all, and so cannot be official bugs. MIllipedes, earthworms, and spiders, for example, do not possess the six legs and body segment structures found in insects, and are instead members of different animal orders- spiders are arachnids, while millipedes are myriapods. They may be creepy, crawly critters, but they are not bugs.   Common Usage Calling all insects and all small crawling creatures bugs is a colloquial use of the term, and when scientists and otherwise knowledgeable people use the word in such a way, they are usually doing it to be down-to-earth and folksy. Many highly respected sources use the word bug when they are writing or teaching certain audiences:   Gilbert Waldbauer is a respected entomologist from the University of Illinois. He authored an excellent volume called The Handy Bug Answer Book  which covers everything from scorpions to silverfish.The University of Kentuckys entomology department hosts a website called the  Kentucky Bug Connection. They include information on keeping pet bugs, including tarantulas, mantids, and cockroaches, none of which are actually bugs.The  University of Floridas entomology department  has sponsored a Best of the Bugs award honoring for outstanding insect-related websites. Among their honorees are sites on ants, beetles, flies, and butterflies- no actual true bugs.Iowa States entomology department hosts one of the best arthropod sites around- Bugguide. The site is a database of information and photographs collected by amateur naturalists, covering virtually every North American arthropod. Only a small portion of the species listed belong to the order Hemiptera. A bug is an insect, but not all insects are bugs; some non-insects that are called bugs are neither bugs nor are they insects.  Is everything clear now?

Network Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Network Security - Essay Example Many cyber attacks are tackled through the Kaspersky antivirus. The security is dealt from many aspects by Kaspersky antivirus. Some of these aspects are as work regarding stealing of information, process of blocking for infrastructure, the stealing of money, destroying the repute of particular targeted organization. Many other techniques of intrusion are detected and explored for giving the enhanced security protection to the underlying system. (Kaspersky Lab ZAO, 2011). Kaspersky network security is the cloud based antivirus. It gathers data from the millions of its users’ systems around the world. Potential threats and malwares are detected and monitored. They are analyzed to defend the user’s systems from the dangerous actions. Kaspersky internet security 2013, with safe money, secures keyboard and others unique features; deploy new innovative technologies that defend PCs from sophisticated threats and viruses. (Kaspersky Internet Security, 2013) Norton antivirus was developed by Symantec Corporation in 1990. Norton internet security is an effective antivirus to deal with cyber attacks and provides best internet security. Dennis technology Labs in the year of 2013 performed a comparison that included the well known tools of internet security. Norton internet security tool is included among many other good security tools. The latest versions of all tools are included for the purpose of comparison. Norton provides protection to computer from the security threats and risks. The blocking process of malicious sites is performed on the basis of the repute of particular website and this is the good approach to handle such situation. Norton is considered among best tools that provide internet security due to the enhanced features it contain (Dennis Technology Labs, 2013). Norton safeguards the computers from viruses that spread from hard disk, floppy disk as well as travel across the network and

How does ideology shape the way we think Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How does ideology shape the way we think - Essay Example Adorno was a formidable and shrewd dialectician. A considerable amount of his hypothetical work centered on and emphasized the manifest tensions that exist intrinsically within dealings between opposites (Horkheimer and Adorno 2007). In Adornos comprehensive idea of a premise of the social, these dialectical associations function on different levels, and also with each other. Adorno’s Views on Capitalism. Adorno stated that capitalism provided people with the goods from a culture industry, which he viewed as being the opposite of proper art, to keep them passively contented and politically lethargic. Adorno observed that capitalism had not become more unstable or come close to collapsing, as Marx had forecasted. Rather, it had apparently grown to be more well-established. Where Marx had concentrated on economics Adorno stressed on the function of culture in preserving the status quo. Adorno stated that culture industries are constantly providing an artificial collection of sentimental and unsophisticated products that then substitute the more intricate and significant art forms which have the capacity to compel people to actually challenge the existing social life (Horkheimer and Adorno 2007). The desire for false, artificial, or unimportant needs is nurtured in people by most culture industries. These are wants and requirements that can be realized by the capitalist structure, and which substitute peoples real desires such as authentic creative happiness, freedom, and the uninhibited expression of human creativity and potential. Commodity fetishism, Adorno stressed, is encouraged by media and advertising enterprises. They are the existing proof that cultural experiences as well as social relations have been objectified for the sake of realizing profits. Consumers today measure the value of a product or service by their cost. Music products as well as popular media are also typified by pseudo-individualisation and

Building conservation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Building conservation - Essay Example Have a look at the scheme 1. It represents so called heritage cycle and shows the connection between the admiration by the historic sights and their preservation and maintenance for future generations. Further we will dwell more on the particular part of building conservation – on restoration. It should be born in mind that even those object of architecture, which hasn’t acquired the public acknowledgement jet, should also be maintained with the greatest care and with the least interference. Restoration can be taken as the process of returning a heritage object to a known earlier state, without the introduction of new material. This process can be more clearly defined when combined with reconstruction. Reconstruction generally means altering a heritage object by the introduction of new, or old, materials into the fabric, to produce a work which respects the original. The two processes are often interlinked and should be approached with the utmost care. Inappropriate methods of restoration as well as insufficient information can do much harm to the ancient masterpiece. For example, very often the restoration work is undertaken on an old building, with the best of intentions and enthusiasm, which, through lack of information, or by the employment of inappropriate or incorrect methods, causes a great deal of unintentional damage, both aesthetic and technical. As we can see, the history of the conservation movement in Great Britain dates back to the second half of the 19th century. Nowadays the state has elaborated its unique conservation policy and supports reconstruction and restoration of places of historical interest. The process of conservation is worked out according to its main principles: retention and restoration of historical significance, conservation process based on research, minimum physical intervention, and maintenance of visual setting. The sequence and rules of restoration process

Effects of Fast Foods on Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Effects of Fast Foods on Obesity - Essay Example ave detrimental effects on the health status of the affected people such as a reduced life expectancy and a possible worsening of other medical problems (Pereira et.al 2005). Scientifically, a person is considered to be obese when their body mass index (BMI) which is the calculation of the body mass for every unit of squared height is above 30kg/m2. Specifically, studies and research conducted have shown that obesity increases the chances of diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes, and osteoarthritis and can sometimes lead to other types of cancer. As pertains to the serious and recurrent question as to what causes obesity, there has not been a specific answer. Obesity in individuals is as a result of a combination of factors which directly lead to or facilitate the intensity of the condition. The major factors attributed to the cause of diabetes include diet, genetics, social factors, lifestyle and medical illnesses. However the recent spurts in the rates of individuals developing the condition have been specifically attributed to the combination of high food intake and little to no physical activity of any kind. The cases that result out of the other factors such as medical illnesses and genetics are considered to be minimal. The focus of this paper hence would be on the effect that dietary measures and habits have on obesity, particularly the fast food industry. While genetic and other influences have played a major role in trying to explain and understand obesity, they have not been able to explain the current sporadic increase in the number of obese individuals within the particular countries or on a global scale (Chopra, Galbraith & Darnton-Hill, 2002). Although it has generally been accepted that excessive food consumption has led to obesity on an individual level, the reason for changes on these two factors on a societal and global scale has been subject to much debate. Various theories have been postulated that suggest that the dramatic increase in

The changing of cool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The changing of cool - Essay Example To be intelligent and creative is cool and does have to be a huge thing, it could just be intelligent and creative to your own life, career or anything. It’s now the time that one becomes the cool maker in other words 'The Merchants of cool', such as Mark Zuckerberg who is the creator of Facebook, Steve Jobs who is the creator of Apple or Marc Jacobs etc. It is now the time to change the cool and the mentality of people especially teenagers so that we can have new people like Steve Jobs and Zuckerberg rising; now this is going to be cool in real essence. Due to this ‘being cool’ phenomenon most teenagers are actually losing their individuality to compete with the ever growing modernism and coolness. As Fromm said, if men and women discovered to take up their own conscious selves, completely and freely then they would discover that they are no more alone: they would have themselves for organization. Once one has organization one can experience harmless or benign to ward others. For Fromm, it was the only answer to the problem of the alienated people in regards to today's modernism. The only factor which can preserve mankind right now from its own soul destroying solitude is a person's capability to occupy what is known as the "authentic" self. If you obtain authenticity, you would be compensated with the inner serenity which is necessary to become a free agent. We are now residing in a place where â€Å"economic, public and governmental circumstances do not provide a foundation for the understanding of personality.† So now if we need our authenticity and individuality back we need to work on it ourselves. Intellectuals have said that they just had one thing which is consumerism. The desire of life goods—escapist conformism—would etherize the unrealized starvation for a authentic self. (Boston Review 2013) As discussed earlier, we should look into what the 'makers of cool' do and how they do that which makes the youth of to day so crazy that for them 'being cool' is the top most thing. So frontline did a survey on 'The merchants of cool' , the makers and suppliers of well-known modern lifestyle are the people who have actually made the young people the most well-known customer market in the United States. But the question arises that are these people simply showing teenager wishes or have they started to produce those wishes themselves in a bid to protect this profitable market? And have these people cross the line in their effort to achieve the wishes and money of the youth? Douglass Rushkoff, the frontline reporter, investigates the tactics, methods, and public consequences of these promotion moguls in "The Merchants of cool" survey made by Barak Goodman and Rachel Dretzin, the programs talks with all the top marketers, press professionals and cultural/media experts, and examines the union connection between the press and contemporary young people, because in a way each looks to the other for its ide ntification. Teenagers are the most sought after customers in the market. In a year, The United Sate's young people invested about 100 billion dollars, while influencing their parents’ to invest another 50 billion dollars. But it is not that easy as it

Political Development and Economical Strength in the Country Research Paper

Political Development and Economical Strength in the Country - Research Paper Example A developed and politically stable country like the United States developed a system of government in a way that would guarantee that no individual or personal component could dominate the system ever. This saves the country from so many problems, these problems usually occurs when an individual tries to strengthen his powers and tries to push the democracy at a side this is the main reason for political instability of the country, which leads to the political and economic stagnation. In the United States, a strict and great system of check and balance was implemented and the authorities make sure that everything in the system is transparent and this transparency is the key to a good democratic system. A country like Nepal, it is very hard to have a politically stable country. Though there is democracy in the country still it is not at that level where it should be. The king is likely to implement a tightly centralized autocracy system but people want to have a democratic system. The most powerful entity in the country is the army and the king is enjoying the full support of the army. This is the cause of the disappointment among the members of the civil society, including the political parties and political organizations their activities are suspended and their morale is down. With the support of the army, the king is enjoying his power and is in no mood to give people their basic right that is a democracy, which means the power to choose the people of their own choice and to suspend them if they don’t like their performance.

The changing of cool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The changing of cool - Essay Example To be intelligent and creative is cool and does have to be a huge thing, it could just be intelligent and creative to your own life, career or anything. It’s now the time that one becomes the cool maker in other words 'The Merchants of cool', such as Mark Zuckerberg who is the creator of Facebook, Steve Jobs who is the creator of Apple or Marc Jacobs etc. It is now the time to change the cool and the mentality of people especially teenagers so that we can have new people like Steve Jobs and Zuckerberg rising; now this is going to be cool in real essence. Due to this ‘being cool’ phenomenon most teenagers are actually losing their individuality to compete with the ever growing modernism and coolness. As Fromm said, if men and women discovered to take up their own conscious selves, completely and freely then they would discover that they are no more alone: they would have themselves for organization. Once one has organization one can experience harmless or benign to ward others. For Fromm, it was the only answer to the problem of the alienated people in regards to today's modernism. The only factor which can preserve mankind right now from its own soul destroying solitude is a person's capability to occupy what is known as the "authentic" self. If you obtain authenticity, you would be compensated with the inner serenity which is necessary to become a free agent. We are now residing in a place where â€Å"economic, public and governmental circumstances do not provide a foundation for the understanding of personality.† So now if we need our authenticity and individuality back we need to work on it ourselves. Intellectuals have said that they just had one thing which is consumerism. The desire of life goods—escapist conformism—would etherize the unrealized starvation for a authentic self. (Boston Review 2013) As discussed earlier, we should look into what the 'makers of cool' do and how they do that which makes the youth of to day so crazy that for them 'being cool' is the top most thing. So frontline did a survey on 'The merchants of cool' , the makers and suppliers of well-known modern lifestyle are the people who have actually made the young people the most well-known customer market in the United States. But the question arises that are these people simply showing teenager wishes or have they started to produce those wishes themselves in a bid to protect this profitable market? And have these people cross the line in their effort to achieve the wishes and money of the youth? Douglass Rushkoff, the frontline reporter, investigates the tactics, methods, and public consequences of these promotion moguls in "The Merchants of cool" survey made by Barak Goodman and Rachel Dretzin, the programs talks with all the top marketers, press professionals and cultural/media experts, and examines the union connection between the press and contemporary young people, because in a way each looks to the other for its ide ntification. Teenagers are the most sought after customers in the market. In a year, The United Sate's young people invested about 100 billion dollars, while influencing their parents’ to invest another 50 billion dollars. But it is not that easy as it

Financial Ratios Analysis of IBM 2005-2006 Case Study

Financial Ratios Analysis of IBM 2005-2006 - Case Study Example There was also an inverse increase in current liability of $4,939 ($40,091 - $35,152 million) which adversely affected the company’s liquidity ratio. This decline also reflected in acid test ratio or the ability to settle obligation immediately as it also declined by 13.492. 2. Leverage ratios analysis a. Debt to-total-assets ratio (Total liabilities/total assets) 2005 2006 % of change Total debt $22,682 $22,641 Total assets 105,748 103,234 Ratio .687 .724 5.386 b. Debt-to-equity ratio 2005 2006 % of change Total debt $22,682 $22,641 Total equity 28,506 33,098 Ratio 2.195 2.621 19.40 c. Long-term debt-to-equity ratio 2005 2006 % of change Long-term debt 15,425 $13,780 Total equity 28,506 33,098 Ratio .466 .483 3.648 d. ... Changes in liability decreased minimally but still, the increase in total assets helped drive debt to asset ratio up by 5.386 %. Since debt was almost constant in 2006, debt to equity ratio significantly went up when IBM registered a profit in the previous year, where portions of the net gain were retained as equity. 3. Activity ratio analysis a. Inventory turnover 2005 2006 % of change Net Sales 91,134 91,424 Inventory 2841 2840 Ratio 32.07 32.53 .01 b. Fixed assets turnover 2005 2006 % of change Net Sales 91,340 91,424 Net fixed assets 60,087 58,574 Ratio 1.517 1.561 2.900 c. Total assets turnover 2005 2006 % of change Net Sales $91,340 $91,424 Total Assets 105,748 103,234 Ratio .862 .886 2.784 d. Average collection period Payment terms for inventory and accounts receivable financing generally range from 30 to 90 days (IBM, 2006 pg. 79). With regard to activity ratios, IBM did a good job of maintaining its level of inventory to 2841-2840 million despite the increase in sales in 200 6 ($91,424 million). It only meant that IBM has a very good internal control and monitoring of its inventory. In sum, the activity ratio of IBM increased by 2.784 % which can be mainly attributed to its ability to maintain its inventory despite the increase in sales. With regard to collection period, IBM adopts â€Å"Payment terms for inventory and accounts receivable financing generally range from 30 to 90 days† (IBM, 2006 pg. 79). 4. Profitability ratio analysis a. Gross profit margin 2005 2006 % of change Gross profit margin 36,532 38,295 Net Sales 91,134 91,424 Ratio .401 .419 4.488 b. Operating profit margin Operating profit margin 0.134 0.146 0.012 8.95522388% c. Net profit margin ratio 2005 2006 % of change Net profit after tax 79,940 94,920 Net Sales 91,340

Problem Statement Scope And Limitation Engineering Essay

Problem Statement Scope And Limitation Engineering Essay In this research ZnO thin film will be doped with aluminium using sol-gel spin-coating method. Then the Al-doped ZnO thin film (as seed catalyst) on a glass substrate will be then layered bottom of an aligned ZnO nanorod structure which was prepared using sonicated sol-gel immersion technique. The nanorod thin film parameters will be characterizing through its I-V curve characteristics and also the optical and absorbance of aligned ZnO nanorod thin film. INTRODUCTION 1.2.1 Background study UV sensor or stands for ultraviolet sensor are important devices that can be used in commercial and military applications. The applications are including gas sensing, space research, high temperature flame detection, air quality monitoring and many more. UV detectors currently used silicon-based detectors and photomultiplier tubes. These materials require costly filters and attenuators. However by replacing those technologies with wide band-gap semiconductors such as zinc oxide (ZnO) have been suggested [1]. UV light emitting or receiving devices, solar cells, gas sensor and transparent electrodes are some of the zinc oxide applications. Various deposition methods such as chemical vapor deposition, sputtering and molecular beam epitaxy were used to fabricate ZnO thin films. However, these deposition methods are high production cost because required high temperature processing and vacuum technology [2]. In this paper, the purpose of this research is to fabricate ultraviolet sensor using zinc oxide thin film and characterize the sensor performances by its electrical properties. Furthermore, this research is to characterize aluminum doping concentration and the nanostructure of zinc oxide thin film. In this research, sol-gel spin coating method was used to prepare Al doped zinc oxide thin film and an aligned ZnO nanorod structured thin films on a glass substrate by the sonicated sol-gel immersion method. 1.2.2 Literature Review ZnO is an n-type semiconductor with a direct band gap of 3.42eV and because of the oxygen vacancies and intrinsic defects such as interstitial zinc atoms, the electrical conductivity of the films is large [3]. It is very good material for electronic device application due to its wide band gap and large exciton binding energy of 60meV [4]. The properties of ZnO thin film can be improve by a doping process and annealing process [3]. There are that focus on the doping process. To improved electrical or optical properties of ZnO, ZnO were frequently doped with group 3, 4 and 5 elements such as Gallium (Ga), Sn and Aluminium (Al) [5]. Al doping is most suitable because its cheap, abundant and non-toxic material and will produce Al doped ZnO thin film with higher optical transmittance and low resistivity in infrared region [4]. From the journal [6], radio-frequency (RF) reactive magnetron sputtering method was used to deposit Al-doped ZnO on the smooth nucleation side of FSD films by. The electrical properties were discussed. The first electron concentration increased and next decreased with the increase of Al doping concentration. The maximum carrier concentration achieve when the film is doped with 2at% Al. Hall mobility is inversely proportional to the Al doping concentration. The high temperature annealing process is use to enhance the Hall mobility of the films [6]. From the journal [7], ZnO thin films with various weight percentages of aluminium and the electrical properties were discussed using sol-gel dip-coating method. The conductivity shows higher response of the doped ZnO thin films under UV compared with dark condition. Both condition proof that the conductivity of ZnO is directly proportional to doping concentration. The optical band gap energy is also directly proportional with doping concentration. The transmittance of ZnO thin films is about 75% when wavelength from 390nm to 850nm. From the journal [8], at different dopant concentration the electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO thin films were discussed using sol-gel method. The resistance first decrease with increase aluminium ion concentration. Then the resistance of doped thin films increased with increasing dopant concentration and it decreases at higher Al concentration. The transmittance of ZnO thin films is about 80% when wavelength from 370nm to 850nm. The advantage of gallium is an excellent dopant for increasing the conductivity and this source is less reactive and more resistive oxidation. Based on the journal [5], Ga-doped ZnO nanowires were growth using thermal deposition method. The ZnO nanowires have grown uniformly with high yield and average length of each nanowire is about 1.3um. From the XRD pattern, it can be deduced that the Ga element doped into the nanowires creates a clear broadening. The Ga-doped ZnO nanowires have a greater field-enhancement factor than the undoped ZnO nanowires [5]. Aqueous solution process with post-growth rapid photothermal processing (RPP) was used to prepare Sn-doped ZnO nanorods to develop aligned Sn-doped ZnO nanostructure. Aqueous solution method was chosen in preparation of metal oxide nanoparticles structure due to its cost and environment friendly. Rapid photothermal processing (RPP) as an alternatives of thermal annealing was combine with aqueous solution due to short cycle time, reduced exposure and flexibility [9]. Based on journals [6], [7] and [8], the optimum doping concentration of aluminium is 2at%, 5at% and 1.5at% respectively. Optimal aluminium doping concentration will gives highly semiconducting properties of Al-doped ZnO thin film for application UV sensor [4]. A research had done on various Al doping concentration and the optimum doping concentration is at 1at% Al. This research will used 1at% Al concentration based on journal [4]. Aligned ZnO nanorods that were prepared using sonication method are a simple way and very low cost method compared to other techniques. It also will growth high quality ZnO nanorod with a small diameter size [10]. 1.2.3 Problem Statement, Scope and Limitation Most people are aware of the effects of UV through the painful condition of sunburn, but the UV spectrum has many other effects whether its benefits or damaging to human health. Too much exposure to UV radiation can affect human health. UV application for optical sensor used 230 nm to 400nm wavelength which is ultraviolet B (UVB) which is harmful to human skin. Since it is harmful to human skin, metal oxide semiconductor films have been considered due to its excellent chemical and physical properties. One of them is zinc oxide material. Zinc oxide is not only good in optoelectronic but also in electrical properties. Zinc oxide is then will be doped with aluminium to enhanced the zinc oxide thin film properties by using sol-gel spin-coating method. It is important to choose the right method for preparing aligned ZnO nanorod. The scope of this research is to investigate the electrical properties (I-V characteristic) and the optical properties of the ZnO nanorod thin film at different i mmersion time. The limitations of this research are on the solution preparation and deposition condition which are different for different groups and on the fix parameter. 1.2.4 Significant of the research The nanomaterials based sensors are raising the advantage of size reduction and enhanced functionality [12]. This research will used a simple method to prepare an aligned ZnO nanorod thin film which is sol-gel immersion method which is this method has not been reported by any research group. Moreover it is very low-cost method. 1.2.5 Objectives To prepare Al-doped ZnO thin film as seed catalyst layer. To prepare aligned ZnO nanorod thin film at different immersion time. To fabricate aligned ZnO nanorod thin film based UV photoconductive sensor. To characterize fabricated UV sensor. 1.2.6 Research Questions To achieve the objective of this research, some research questions would need to focus on which are: What is the I-V curve characteristic of aligned ZnO nanorod thin films before and after exposing to the UV illumination? What is the optical and absorbance characteristic of aligned ZnO nanorod thin films? How to fabricate ZnO thin film? What is the factor affecting the nanostructure ZnO thin film before and after exposing to the UV illumination? CHAPTER 2 2.1 Research Methodology 2.1.1 Al doped ZnO thin films Sol-gel spin-coating method was used to prepare Al doped ZnO thin films. The solution include zinc acetate dihydrate (Zn(CH3COO)2 2H2O) as precursor, aluminium nitrate nonahydrate (Al(NO3)3 9H2O) as a dopant source,monoethanolamine (MEA, C2H7N14) as a stabilizer and 2-methoxyethanol as a solvent were prepared. The concentration of aluminium nitrate was 1.0at% Al doping and the molar ratio of MEA to zinc acetate was fixed at 1.0. At 3 hours before aged at room temperature for 24hours to yield clear and homogeneous solutions the solution was stirred at 80Â °C. The solutions were then used for deposition process by spin-coating technique. Substrates used were microscope on the glass substrates. At room temperature, the spin-coating was performed using 10 drops of solution per deposition with a speed of 3000rpm for 60s. The films were preheated in atmosphere ambient at 150Â °C for 10 minutes to evaporate the solvent each time after deposition process. The films were annealed at 500Â ° C for 1 hour in air ambient using a furnace (Protherm) after repeating the coating procedure 10 times. The crystal structure and orientation of ZnO thin films were investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The cross-section of the film thickness is observed by using scanning electron microscope (SEM). By using UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometer, the optical properties of ZnO thin films were measured in the wavelength range from 200 nm to 1500nm. The electrical properties were measured by dc probing system [4]. Start Prepare the solution of zinc oxide Precursor : zinc acetate dehydrate Stabilizer : monoethanolamine Dopant source : aluminium nitrate nonahydrate Solvent : 2-methoxyethanol Heat and stir the solution Temperature : 80Â °C Time : 3hr Solution stirring and aging Temperature : room temperature Time : 24hr Thin film deposition using spin-coating tech. Speed : 3000rpm Time : 60s Temperature : room temperature Solution : 10 drops of solution per deposition Thin film drying Temperature : 150Â °C Time : 10min Repeat 10 times Thin film annealing Temperature : 500Â °C Time : 1hr End 2.1.2 Aligned ZnO nanorod structure An aligned ZnO nanorod structure was prepared using the sonicated sol-gel immersion method on a glass substrate coated with a ZnO thin film that had been doped with 1at% Al. The sol-gel coating method was used to prepare the Al-doped ZnO thin film as a seeded catalyst that was prepared on the glass substrate. A solution was prepared of 0.1M zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn (NO3)2 .6H2O) and 0.1M hexamethylenetetramine (HMT, H2NCH2CH2OH) in deionized water (DI). At 50Â °C for 30 minutes using an ultrasonic water bath, this solution was sonicated. The solution was then aged and stirred for 3 hours at room temperature. The sonicated and aged solution was poured into a Schott bottle, at the bottom which had been placed the horizontal Al-doped ZnO thin film coated glass substrate. The capped bottle was then immersed in a 95Â °C water bath for 4 hours. After the immersion process, the sample was cleaned with DI water and allowed to dry in ambient air. By using field emission scanning electro n microscope (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), the resulting ZnO nanorod structure was characterized for surface morphology and crystallinity. The optical transmittance and absorbance properties of the sample were characterized by UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometer [10]. Start Prepare the solution in deionized water 0.1M zinc nitrate hexahydrate 0.1M hexamethylenetetramine Sonicated solution using an ultrasonic water bath Temperature : 50Â °C Time : 30min Solution stirring and aging Temperature : room temperature Time : 3hr Placed the horizontal Al-doped ZnO thin film coated glass substrate at the bottom Schott bottle. Poured sonicated and aged solution Immersion process Temperature : 95Â °C water bath Time : 4hr Clean with DI water and dry in ambient air Nanorod structure characterization Electrical properties Optical properties End CHAPTER 3 3.1 Conclusion The electrical properties of ZnO thin film improved when ZnO thin film was doped with aluminium. Optimum aluminium doping concentration will gives highly semiconducting properties of Al-doped ZnO thin film for application UV sensor. It is important to find low cost method. The ZnO nanorods have an average diameter of 100nm. An average optical transmittance of 78% was observed. The electrical properties and optical properties of an aligned ZnO nanorod thin film were affected when varying the immersion time. High degree of crystalline, large surface area availability, a visible wavelength transparency and high UV absorption properties, this method show its suitable for UV sensor application.

A Rose for Emily Setting Analysis Essay -- essays papers

A Rose for Emily Setting Analysis In "A Rose for Emily", a woman (for whom the story is named) confines herself in her somewhat large house in a small town during the early half of the twentieth century. For the most part, in order to understand the entirety of the story, it is vital to understand the setting and how each character develops it, and,or, interacts with it. As far as the town is concerned, it is very isolated and the people seem to value this quality, as well as the lack of progression in social change, most. There is also a great deal of gossip that regularly circulates about the town's people with great interest. All this was best implied in the comment, "At first we were glad that Miss Emily would have an interest, because the ladies all said 'Of course a Grierson would not think seriously of a Northerner, a day laborer.' But there were still others, older people, who said that even grief could not cause a real lady to forget noblesse oblige -- without calling it noblesse oblige"(719). This is a comment on Emily's relationship with construction work...

America Needs Private Prisons Essay -- Prison Reform, Prison Privatiza

Reminisce back into the elementary school days, where hundreds of kids start to line up for food at the cafeteria. Now picture that cafeteria stuffed with multitudes of bunk beds side by side in which the whole school has to sleep in. Any parent would disapprove of a living situation that is similar to that, but all over the nation, prisoners are facing those exact problems. With the rise of the prison population in America, prisons all over the nation fear what could lead to huge detrimental consequences, one of which is overcrowding. What started out as buildings to only house couple thousands of dangerous criminals, drug offenders, and etc., are now turning into towns and cities of inmates with more prisoners than it can provide for. Many factors contribute to the overpopulation of prisons, but are the government funded prisons the best way of resolving this issue? The expansion of more private prisons has been a topic of many debates in America, especially in California, due to t he many issues popping up in state run prisons. Third party prisons would not only help the huge overcrowding dilemma, but many other issues in the prison as well. The installment of more private prisons would satisfy both the taxpayers and prisoners and transitioning to the privatization of prisons would overall benefit the nation as a whole. As new criminal offenses are added to the penal code and the war on drugs increases, the rate at which inmates are being incarcerated has shot up. While these stricter rules can benefit the public from illegal activities, it is one of the main causes of overcrowding that is an eminent problem in many prisons. Overcrowded prisons usually have rooms that carry more inmates than it is supposed to. If overcrow... ...Private State Prison Releases in Florida." Florida Department of Corrections. (2003): n. page. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. . Gilroy, Leonard, Adam Summers, et al. "Public-Private Partnerships for Corrections in California: Bridging the Gap Between Crisis and Reform." Reason. (2010): n. page. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. . Johnson, Kirk. "What To Do About The Prison Problem: The Pros and Cons of Privatized Prisons in Alabama." Alabama Policy Institute. (2007): n. page. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. . Miller, David. "The Drain of Public Prison Systems and the Role of Privatization: A Case Study of State Correctional Systems." Corplan Corrections. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2011.

Perception on the Nursing Profession and Career Choice of High School Students Essay

According to Wieck (2006), the nursing workforce seems to be at an exciting crossroad of change, both in recruiting and in curriculum. The environment of healthcare has changed and so has nursing, resulting in students asking, â€Å"What is nursing?† This question creates a challenge for nurse educators. In order to attract and retain bright, capable students in nursing, there must be changes in the nursing curriculum to provide and assure accurate and definitive perceptions of nursing. Factors which currently contribute to students’ perceptions of nursing must be identified in order to establish and provide students with the career making skills necessary in choosing a nursing career, find job satisfaction following graduation, and remain in nursing as a career. Peterson (2006) stated that historically, nurses have been predominantly females who were easily recognized by a white hat and uniform making the professional and the profession more visible. Today, white uniforms and hats have been replaced by vivid colored scrub suits worn by both male and female nurses. Students’ perceptions of nursing are based on visual images that are often limited to bedside care and drug administration instead of that of a highly skilled and well-educated nursing professional with an important role to play in healthcare. Foskett and Hensley-Brown (2008) suggests that students’ career perceptions are highly individual, and are the product of contracted images of jobs they see for themselves, derived images from media, and delegated images from parents and friends. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2000) lists nursing as one of the top 40 growth jobs for the next ten years. But looking in today’s scenario, the number of students applying to baccalaureate nursing programs across the nation is decreasing. In the Philippines, according to CHED Executive Director Julito Vitriolo (2010), nursing is considered one of the country’s oversubscribed courses – programs that have continually rising enrolment rates in the face of dwindling job vacancies, leading to an oversupply of graduates. With the study, the researchers would like to know view of high school graduating students regarding nursing profession and their career choice in college, whether to take up nursing or not. As reflected in today’s reality, many notice that there is a continuous decline in students taking up nursing course and being taken by some to be their future job but not as a profession as it should be. The researchers hope that this study will help schools on how they will intervene with the nursing curriculum being offered. Statement of the Problem This study aimed to determine the perception of high school students on the nursing profession and their career choice. Specifically, this study answered the following questions: 1. What is the profile of the 4th Year high school students in terms of: 1.1 Sex 1.2 Family’s Monthly Income 2. What is the career choice of high school students? 2.1 Courses in the College of Commerce 2.2 Courses in the College of Aviation 2.3 College of Criminology 2.4 College of Theology 2.5 College of Law 2.6 Courses in the College of Science 2.7 Courses in the College of Engineering 2.8 Courses in the College of Medicine and Health Care 2.9 Courses in the College of Arts 2.10 Courses in the College of Computer Studies 2.11 Courses in the College of Education 2.12 Courses in the College of Architecture and Fine Arts 3. What are the reasons of 4th year high school students in their preferred courses? 4. What are the perceptions of 4th year high school students on the nursing profession? Theoretical Framework People have a way of seeing the world and interpreting what is experienced. When encountering new knowledge or an experience that cannot be integrated comfortably with current ways of seeing the world, one has a choice of rejecting the new information or revising previous views. Mezirow calls this â€Å"transformative learning†, which can be done by reading or hearing something new, taking a course, or by having a discussion with friends or colleagues. Transformative learning involves changing one’s perspective. Mezirow also uses the term â€Å"meaning perspective† to describe how one sees the world. One expects to see things a certain way because of past experiences. This frame of reference or perspective stems from the way an individual grew up, one’s culture, and knowledge that has been acquired. Mezirow describes meaning perspectives as values of culture that have been accepted without question (i.e. because one grew up with it). For example, nursing is commonly perceived as a female profession. The opportunity to influence students’ perspectives about nursing can influence whether accurate perceptions are used in making a career decision about nursing. Transformative learning about nursing can satisfy certain needs that many students may have in order to make a more informed career decision regarding nursing. Students’ meaning perspectives about nursing that are outdated or inaccurate and not redirected by providing transformative learning, can affect students’ interests in nursing. Frank Parsons’ Trait-and Factor theory maintained that an individual would be best satisfied with a career that was matched with the characteristics of the individual. Parsons wrote the first book on career decision-making early in the twentieth century entitled Choosing a Vocation. His conceptual framework for helping an individual select a career one liked and that matched one’s abilities provides a systematic plan for career guidance. Shadowing, volunteer experiences, and academia about nursing can provide a conceptual framework for prenursing students that will allow them to determine if nursing is a satisfying career choice and matches their strongest personal skills. Ginsburg, Ginsburg, Axelrod, and Herma developed the first approach of career development from individual developmental stages. These researchers viewed career choice as a life-long developmental process and cited three stages categorized by characteristics within age groups. First, fantasy period of childhood before age 11, purely a play orientation early in the stage, becoming more work-oriented near the end of the stage. Second, tentative period of early adolescence, ages 11-17, a period of gradual recognition of work requirements, interests, abilities, work reward, values, and time perspectives. Third, realistic period involves adolescents, age 17 to young adult. Within this age, individuals integrate capacities and interests, further develop values, specify occupational choice, and crystallize occupational patterns. The Realistic Period is the age group and period of the typical prenursing student. Ginsberg theorized that as career decisions were made during this period, other careers were no longer potential choices. Although this was later proven to be false, Ginsberg continued to stress earlier choices in the career decision-making process. Conceptual Framework Figure 1. Perception on Nursing Profession and Career Choice of Fouth Year High School Students The figure on the next page shows the profile of fourth year high school students namely sex, and family income. Each respondent would be asked to specify their gender and how much their family earns every month. The study would gather the courses preferred by fourth year high school students through a variety of courses list given by the researchers. The study would tackle the reasons behind the choice of course made by the students. The study would also tackle the number of students who have chosen nursing as a course for college, and the reasons for such preference for nursing. Lastly, the study will show how fourth year high school students view nursing as a profession regardless of their course preferences. Assumptions of the Study This part of the study aims to shows the perceived possible cause-and- effect relationship to simplify a complex analysis. Female Fouth Year high school students choose nursing as their course in college than male 4th year high students. Fouth Year high school students from high earner families choose nursing as a course than 4th year high school students from low earner families. Fouth Year high school students who have relatives or family members who are in the medical field tend to enroll in the nursing curriculum than 4th year high school students who have no relatives or family members in the medical field. Fouth Year high school students who have friends enrolling in the nursing curriculum follow the same course than students without friends enrolling in the nursing curriculum. Significance of the Study This part of the study aims to show where it is relevant and useful. It provides insight to the following institutions and individuals which will serves as benefactors of this study. Parents. The study will provide better understanding of the students’ perception on choosing a career, thus, parents can help their children in the hardest decision in choosing a career that would suit them. It will make them be aware with the perceptions of students about nursing as a profession and a life career. Nursing Schools. Determining students’ perceptions about nursing would provide Nursing Schools with a basis for curriculum development. Identifying these perceptions can lead to academic standards and healthcare experiences that could prove crucial to meeting students’ individual career development needs both now and in the future. Graduate Nurses/Registered Nurses. This research is also important because it could provide information related to current perceptions about the nursing profession that experienced nurses could address as they mentor students. Students who wish to enrolled in nursing need to have nurse role models that present positive and accurate characteristics about nursing, as well as the negative aspects of the profession. Knowledge of both types of factors can provide students the necessary skills to formulate quality perceptions for career decision making. Nurses in the Academe. The result of this research can serve as a tool for nurse educators in developing a challenging curriculum preparing nursing students to integrate seriously the career into their life. The result can also serve to be a basis for an improve way of education and promotion of nursing profession to the young generation. Future Researchers. For researchers who want to pursue the study, it will be a great contribution in taking up steps to find further answers and knowledge on the perceptions of students and the relevance of nursing as a profession. Furthermore, the study can be a guide to know an increase or a decline on the number of nursing enrollees for the future Scope and Limitation This research study was conducted on Fouth Year high school students. This research is limited only to the first section of graduating high school students that enrolled for the school year 2013-2014 at Notre Dame of Marbel University – Integrated Basic Education Department, Notre Dame of Sienna School of Marbel, and Koronadal National Comprehensive High School located in the City of Koronadal, South Cotabato. Definition of Terms This part of the study provides meaning of terms being used by the researchers to support the understanding of the readers. Perception on the Nursing Profession. This term refers to a mental image of a person to the nursing profession. Perception is a subjective mater affected by different factors that vary from person to person. A person perceives nursing profession based on his observations in his day-to-day living in the society. Nursing Profession. It is a kind of career that gives an opportunity in rendering care and service to others. People who are in this profession are persons who has knowledge and skills in promoting health and wellness among individuals, families and communities he or she cared for. Career. The occupation in which a person does for a period of time. This is an occupation which a person has the opportunity to progress and it is regarded as a long-term or lifelong activity Career choice. A decision made by an individual to choose a field to specialize in for progression of jobs. A decision to attain career goals set by an individual. College. This term describes an institution of higher learning that offers tertiary level of education and awards bachelor’s and sometimes master’s degrees. College offers courses of different fields for undergraduates to specialize in. Chapter II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This section presented a review of related literature based from different sources such as from previous studies that supported the reliability of the study. Historical Perspective of Nursing Since Florence Nightingale’s pioneering work, only five generations of nurses have set their footprints in history. In that short time, nursing has grown enormously in knowledge, skill, prestige, and value. Nursing needs to be recognized as a member of the scientific discipline that can make valuable contributions to healthcare (Mundinger, 2000). America witnessed nursing first in the 20th century in home visiting and community-based care. Then, during World War II nurses cared for patients on the European front and ran hospitals in the United States while physicians were at war. Nurses were entrepreneurs for soup kitchens for the poor, directed individual and family counseling on dietetics and school health stations, and provided most community-based care with physicians seeing only the critically ill. Nurses shed their uniforms for coveralls in the war and worked with their medical colleagues in the indistinguishable teamwork of saving lives, only to return after the war to resume their prewar status (Mundinger, 2000). Associate degree (AD) hospital based nursing programs, which had been the education and clinical training centers for nurses and supplied its nursing workforce, began to decline. Baccalaureate nursing programs, which offered a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) in addition to preparation for RN licensure became the focus for nursing education. The BSN degree began its ascendancy with emphasis on public health and leadership training, which resulted in advancing the BSN nurse as the hospital head nurse (Mundinger, 2000). Today NPs work in institutions and in private practice as clinical specialists where they see patients over an extended time period and across many settings and accountability in advanced nursing practice is growing. These advancements have fostered nurses with authoritative and complementary roles in team care with physicians (Mundinger, 2000). The valuable background of professional development of nursing is influenced by need, biomedical knowledge, and the economic and financial structure of the nation and its health care system. Among nursing’s greatest contributions are primarily counseling, teaching, disease prevention, and health promotion, which are much less riveting to the public than elegant technology and life-and-death medical situations that are often associated with the physician (Mundinger, 2000). Thus, nursing has struggled for recognition and independence as well as opportunity while often overshadowed by its partner, medicine. Mundinger further said that nursing has proven that it can advance its future by educational preparation, securing public recognition and access through research, and by developing a structure in the nation’s healthcare system that uses nursing services in a protected and focused way. Instead of preparing students for a specific job, literature suggests that nurse educators are equipped with knowledge, skills, and experiences that will allow them flexibility and an opportunity to advance throughout their careers (Moore, 2000). Key words to look for in nursing will be Advanced Nursing Practice (APN), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Nurse Practitioner (NP), and Nursing Role (Lynch, 2000). Image of Nursing Career images of nursing can be shaped by a number of influences. Data by researchers in a South Hampton, United Kingdom study involving secondary and college age students, confirmed the importance of career images and perceptions in shaping the career choices of individual students (Foskett and Hemsley-Brown, 2000). The word â€Å"perception† is defined as the â€Å"ability to perceive and the result of perceiving, to realize or become aware of something through the senses, an impression accompanied by an understanding of what it is† (Webster, 2000). Foskett and Hemsley-Brown (2000) state that gender images influence perceptions of nursing. Historically, nursing has been an occupation of women, as seen in all female nursing management, staffing, teaching, discipline, and organization. In fact, males under 10 years of age included in this study did not take the question about males in nursing seriously. The 17-year old males, however, were more conscious of being politically correct but still referred to the stereotypically feminine personality characteristics needed to be a nurse (i.e., patient, nice, caring). Additional data indicate that young men are unlikely to make a decision to enter nursing before age 21. College age males felt that male masculinity would be doubted if men chose a nursing career. Interestingly, the focus of a career as a physician centered around intellectual potential, whereas nursing focused around personality traits (Marshland, 2000). This could indicate a significance of role models and mentors as key factors influencing a student’s image of nursing. Students’ focus on the roles and tasks of nursing showed that younger students in the Foskett and Hemsley-Brown (2000) study saw nursing as very task oriented (i.e., related to visible tasks of patient care at the bedside). A greater percentage of older students appeared to perceive nursing as carrying out orders without responsibility, status, or authority. Foskett and Hemsley-Brown (2000) suggest that images of career progression and security are very important factors to students in formulating career perceptions. For example, most students in the research chose jobs they believed to offer greater career opportunities than nursing. These students chose jobs which were difficult to enter or highly selective, such as sports and acting. Understanding why students choose or reject a nursing career is relevant in designing a recruiting program for students. Nurse educators face the challenge of providing students with a variety of informative factors about nursing, which are important to students in career decision-making. Students are currently formulating career decisions from a variety of sources that do not include nurses; therefore, students may have vague, distorted, or inaccurate images of nursing that result in disillusioned career choices. A review of literature suggests that increasing numbers of students are making career decisions related to nursing based on a limited range of informational factors and deficient career making skills. The following data define how students presently view the nursing profession, at what age they begin to make decisions related to nursing, and some identified factors influencing students’ images of nursing. According to Kerstern, Barkwell, and Meyers’ (2001) students chose nursing related to five categories of reasons. In order of frequency students’ reasons stemmed from a desire to nurture, meet emotional needs, employment opportunities, financial opportunities, and interest in science/disease. Stevens and Walker (2003) reported the most frequent reason for collegebound students to choose nursing was the desire to help people, followed by wanting to do important work and the desire to work with all kinds of people. Kelly, Shoemaker, and Steele (2006) examined the motivational factors for males choosing a career in the predominantly female dominated field. The results revealed that the choice of a career in nursing was influenced by the following: job security/availability; desire to help people, professional autonomy, and previous contact with the healthcare system (i.e. volunteering, working, family member, etc.), and family support. The foregoing studies revealed that most male and female students’ primary interest in nursing was not linked to cognitive understanding of nursing, but on emotional desires, such as helping people and the desire to nurture. In the three studies cited in examining students’ interests in nursing, at least two of the studies showed significant interest in each of the remaining areas. Students’ knowledge base of educational programs for nursing, nursing licensure, professional opportunities, or professional responsibilities were not indicated. (Foskett and Hemsley-Brown, 2000) Beck (2000) suggests that nurse educators need to use creative strategies and programs in career education to attract more applicants, and that first-hand knowledge of why students choose nursing as a career is basic and necessary. Three new pieces of important information on students’ reasons for choosing a nursing career that emerged through Beck’s study in the year 2000 were the powerful effect of observing nurses in action, feeling as though something was missing from their original career choice, and not gaining acceptance into medical school. Although Beck’s study cannot be broadly generalized, it does have implications for nurse educators. It confirmed a repetitive pattern among students entering nursing as a career, namely a strong desire to help people and to experience an idealized â€Å"one to one† relationship with patients. A student’s perception that the nursing profession reaps benefits for both patient and nurse are not always matched with the realities of today’s healthcare delivery. Consistently, a student’s strongest perception about nursing is that of a nurse’s one to one relationship with patients, which in today’s managed healthcare system is not a reality. One implication in general for nursing educators was that of not setting up students for disillusionment. Changes in nursing practice need to be made clear to students. Curriculum must be implemented to help students and new graduates adjust to realities of today’s healthcare. Importantly, students must still be able to realize satisfaction and pleasure in the career they have perceived as one of caring for others. Otherwise, students are more likely to drop out of nursing programs or leave the profession after entering the workforce. (Author) Why are students overlooking careers in nursing? The Journal of Vocational Education and Training (Foskett and Hemsley-Brown, 2000) sought to develop an understanding of how students perceive nursing as a career at various stages in their education, and how these perceptions affect students’ interests in nursing. The study indicates that decisions about jobs are being made at an early age and that by late elementary school students have often rejected jobs on the basis of perceptions. Thus, it is important to provide career information and experience for well-defined perceptions about nursing that can be developed for greater career decision-making skills. On many campuses, curriculum-based community â€Å"service learning,† as it is most frequently referred to rather than traditional co-curricular volunteerism, represents a real growth area to enhance career-making skills (Fisher, 2006). Bringle and Hatcher (2006) define service learning as a credit-bearing educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs. Students reflect on the service to gain further understanding of the course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. Overall, the data revealed that young people have a very limited and out-dated understanding of career progression of nursing and were unaware of changes in nurse education and training. Nurse educators have a responsibility not to set up students for disillusionment but instead to identify prenursing students’ perceptions about nursing, help them to formulate accurate perceptions of nursing, and to adequately prepare them to succeed in nursing education and the nursing workforce. Impending Nursing Shortage Nursing programs everywhere are using inventive tactics of tuition reimbursement, financial aid, high school â€Å"shadowing† programs, and opening doors to immigrant and minority students in order to attract the volume of students needed to provide the nursing workforce to care for the future population. Declining enrollment in baccalaureate nursing programs, an aging nursing workforce, the majority of nurse educators nearing retirement, and the current environment of healthcare are key factors underlying the current nursing shortage. (Benjamin, 2000) Although recruitment incentives are being offered, little is being done to influence a prenursing student’s image of nursing, career making skills, or factors that negatively affect students’ images of nursing. Sound images of nursing and more informed dimensional career opportunities in nursing could provide students significant skills for more informed career decisions. Developing improved career-making skills allows prenursing opportunities to explore career/job satisfaction in nursing. Locke (2009) states, â€Å"Job satisfaction is the pleasurable emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job as achieving or facilitating the achievement of one’s job values.† Job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are functions perceived by what we want and what we obtain. Periodic assessments are needed periodically to determine the changes of students’ desire and need in a career. Locke says students who make more informed career decisions tend to find greater satisfaction in a chosen career. Therefore, students who choose a nursing career based on a more informed career decision should find greater career satisfaction as a nurse. Although the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2000) predicts a significant 21 percent job growth rate among RNs by 2006, the largest among all professions, fewer students are choosing careers in nursing. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing Media Relations (2000) states that with the steady decline of enrollment in baccalaureate nursing programs, the need to attract nursing students appears imperative. The Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Nursing (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000a), estimates that by 2010 the country will need 1.4 million RNs with a BSN, but will have only 635,000. Of the 532,000 nursing positions requiring a master’s degree or Ph.D., only 250,000 nurses will actually be available to fill the demand. Literature reflects the aging of the current nursing workforce, indicating the average age of RNs to be 44.3 years, with those under age 30 representing only 10 percent (Peterson, 2001). Alarmingly, one-third of these young nurses indicated that they plan to leave the nursing profession within the next year (Hagan, 2001). Most nurse educators are nearing retirement with an average age of 55.5 years. This will affect the future of nursing education and the supply of students to fill nursing vacancies according to the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses Preliminary Findings (U.S. Department of Health Services, 2000a; Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2000). Conversely, changes in financing and organization of healthcare delivery resulted in a decreased demand for nursing services through the 1990s. In addition, forced deteriorations in quality healthcare resulting from constant cutbacks have made it difficult for frustrated nurses to encourage students to become nurses (Peterson, 2001). The projected intersection of supply and demand to the current shortage of nursing is estimated to be 2010, when the supply of RNs will no longer exceed the need. The future supply and demand of RNs will show a widening gap unless measures are taken to attract students into nursing, reduce attrition rates, and retain nursing graduates (Peterson, 2001) Virtually everyone has been in contact with and experienced the importance of having a nurse care for them during one’s lifetime. Dicey Smith, MSN RN, an expert in the field says, â€Å"Nursing is the only profession I know that allows one to impact the lives of others from birth to the grave (Smith, 2001).† It is often referred to as the â€Å"heart and soul† of health care (Harris, 2000). Studies prompted by Congressional involvement showed a strong and consistent relationship between nurse staffing and important patient outcomes in acute care hospitals inpatient units (Needleman, 2001). The results of these studies indicated that patients cared for by a higher RN share of total staffing had a reduction in secondary infections and length of stay in hospital. Also, careful monitoring of in-home technology by nurses showed improved clinical outcomes (Compher, 2001). A number of related factors provide useful guidelines to indicate the increasing need for RNs. Study results indicate that older Americans compose a greater segment of the U.S. population than ever before. The U. S. Census Bureau (1995) and the U.S. Government Census (2000) report that since 1990, the percentage of Americans aged 65 and older has tripled, and the elderly population itself is getting older. Americans 85 and older, representing 4.0 million individuals, is 33 times larger. According to the Programs and Initiatives for Aging (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000b), one out of every six Americans, a total of over 89 million, will live to be 100 years old in the next 30 years (Peterson, 2001). An adequate nursing force will be needed to care for this aging population of â€Å"baby boomers,† who are living longer and healthier lives and are expected to live well into their 80s and 90s. Nurses oversee patient care in the community; provide primary care in a variety of non-acute settings, and highly technical care with acutely ill patients requiring hospitalization. Nurses are among a few health professionals responsible to their patients and profession to validate the safety and efficacy of healthcare practice. Over 50 million people a year are hospitalized, and because of the central role nurses plays in hospitals and nursing homes across the nation, the nursing shortage is everyone’s problem (Nursing World, 2000; Nevidjon and Erickson, 2001). Importance of Informed Career Decision-Making Studs Turkel stated, â€Å"A career is about daily meaning as well as daily bread. For recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short for a sort of life rather than Monday through Friday sort of dying. We have a right to ask about work that includes its meaning, recognition and astonishment, and life† (Byars, 2006). Many prenursing students are uncertain about what career opportunities nursing will offer them, and some have misconceptions about what a nurse actually does. Some students have just never considered nursing. Could informed career decision-making influence recruitment of students into nursing, lower attrition rates, and help retain nursing graduates in the workforce? Career development is a lifelong process, which incorporates education, occupational training, and work, as well as one’s social and leisure life (Zunker, 2000). Today, the changes in the work-world and new definitions of what a career is are challenging us to make sense of our careers and reassess their meaning in our lives. Traditional job definitions are vaporizing, and it is never too early to begin preparing for a life-long career (Alaniz, 20001). Career guidance and counseling are components of a total career education program. Students need to understand themselves in order to explore and plan a career. The School-To-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 states the strong need for career education and development programs for all students in order to provide students with information sharing, outreach, communication, career education, labor market information, job placement, work experience programs, counseling and assessment, and public relations (Cunanan, et. al, 2000). Developing accurate perceptions about the career in which a student is interested is one key to informed career decision-making. Recruiting students into nursing can begin with younger students as they formulate career goals and look to mentors as role models in careers they identify with. â€Å"Eyes to the Future† is an online multi-age magazine targeting middle school girls interested in math and science. It reaches them at an age when they are thinking about which career path they might take for the future. It also links middle school girls with high school girls interested in math and sciences who can be mentors and help the former make wise career choices (Little, 2000). The curriculum for an Introduction to orientation to nursing course could include placing prenursing students as mentors for younger students whose images of nursing are gradually increasing. A greater number of students may choose careers in nursing if provided with better decision-making skills and positive perceptions at a younger age, before negative images of nursing are shaped. There are many challenges for nursing to develop programs to interest students in nursing. Primary Care Resource Initiative for Missouri (PRIMO) is an example of a career development program designed to remedy the shortage of nurses by placing students in grades 7-12 in summer â€Å"shadowing† health-related professional programs. PRIMO serves as a successful career decision-making tool for students interested in health careers, and encourages students in high school through post-graduation education to remain and practice in Missouri (Northeast Missouri Area Health Education Center, 2000). Some nursing programs encourage or require a volunteer or â€Å"shadowing† experience for admission. This experience helps students to see firsthand what a career in nursing has to offer (Benjamin, 2000). A introduction to Nursing course that is designed to acquaint students with professional nursing could provide students further opportunities to explore the academia of nursing, as well as clinical images, before a career choice is made. If bright, capable students are uncertain or have not made a decision about a career, the orientation class may provide them with insight into an excellent and promising career of nursing. Foskett and Hemsley-Brown’s study (2000) indicates that the main reason individuals desire to become a nurse is helping people. Indifference is the main reason for not wanting to enter nursing; therefore, many students had not rejected a nursing career but instead had not given it any consideration. Identifying students’ perceptions about nursing academia can indicate to nurse educators, advisors, and recruiters whether or not students’ perceptions are based on accurate information from professional sources. Also, by linking students’ images of clinical nursing in the setting with facts, nurse professionals can help students to develop accurate perceptions, which can determine career goals now and in the future. To provide an adequate nursing workforce and to replace waning numbers of nurse educators, it is important to understand factors contributing to students’ current career decision-making skills (Beck, 2000). This researcher’s findings could provide data to professional nurses related to current student expectations about the nurse workforce. Recently, career opportunities for women have escalated and the mostly female dominated profession of nursing is facing stiff competition in career choice alternatives. Schools of nursing, nurse advisors/recruiters, and nurse mentors could utilize information related to current student perceptions of nursing in understanding what students are looking for in making career choices. Prenursing students could make more informed career decisions about a career in nursing if their perceptions were clearly understood by professionals and those who educate nursing’s future practitioners. (Marshland, 2000) Little research has been done to determine prenursing students’ academic and clinical perceptions regarding nursing. It is the researcher’s intent to determine what these students’ perceptions are, and to identify any factors that may have influenced their development. Data collected can then be used by nurse educators to develop a curriculum that will address student’s needs, which may affect recruitment and/or retention of prenursing students. Identifying images that may affect the perceptions of nursing can also provide data for improving or developing a new curriculum in career education for prenursing students. Questions that can be targeted in an Introduction to Nursing course may include: What are the reasons students are not choosing a nursing career, what are students’ perceptions of a professional nurse, or what can one do with a degree in nursing, and can students be recruited into the nursing profession through career education/development? These questions need to be answered in order to address the current shortage of baccalaureate nursing students in our universities and in the nursing workforce. (Hinshaw, 2001) Teenagers see nursing as working irregular shifts, taking orders from doctors, and bedside care probably forever (Sherrod, 2001). Many students still see nursing and think of bedpans and needles. Although this certainly can be part of nursing care, the role of the registered nurse today is a team coordinator of healthcare providers assuring quality care for all patients (Corcoran, 2001). Alaniz (2000) says that nursing students will need to possess the qualities: motivator, savvy, and team player. They will need to speak several languages and understand the cultures from which those languages come; master the Internet and know how to navigate its sea of information to find the precise data needed; feel at ease with all of the latest medical technology; be knowledgeable of all medical insurance policies and legal and ethical codes (state and federal) related to healthcare; and understand the human 32 psyche. Nurses must also be excellent communicators and maintain clear communication with all colleagues, doctors, and patients defusing all interpersonal conflicts in a flash. The nurse of the future must anticipate healthcare trends years away and train for them now. A nurse will marry and raise a family, coach children’s sports teams, care for aging parents, and finish graduate degrees while completing research. If that is not enough, they will be on the cutting edge in telemedicine and consulting on several committees and boards. The nursing profession and America must be sensitive to the needs of providing career development to students and adults, formulating well-defined perceptions about professional nursing in the 21st century. In the study conducted by Rasmussen (2001), he mentioned that high school students of today want some adventure in their lives and some travel in their careers as cited by Diane Mancino, Ed.D. RN, executive director of the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA). The NSNA has recently produced a youth recruitment video, â€Å"Nursing: The Ultimate Adventure,† targeting youth at the high school level in promoting modern images of nursing. The video creates a sense of excitement about the field and discusses the emotional effect a nurse can have on patients. It shows interviews with students who want to go into nursing, and new images of career opportunities in nursing such as, research, the pharmaceutical industry, technology, and law, and the ability to make autonomous decisions on a moment-to moment basis in healthcare delivery. Byars (2000) says that exploring careers is essential for youth to understand the world of work, but it must also include career education that will inform youth of challenges of adult life. Reaching one’s career goals does not guarantee happiness, success, and personal fulfillment. Synthesis of the Review of Related Literature As times goes on, Nursing as a profession must need to recognized as one of the important professions aligned with scientific discipline that always make valuable contributions to the society. In early times, nurses were already known as individuals who gave care to the sick and they were the assistants of physicians in treating those ill and sick persons. Today, in these modern times, nurses work in institutions and in private practice as clinical specialists where they see patients over an extended time period and across many settings and accountability in advanced nursing practice is developing. Theses advancements offered nurses to have authority and complementary roles as members in the health team with physicians. Indeed, nursing is a profession that our society needs. This is because each of us should have knowledge about diseases so that we will be able to manage if certain diseases will attack our health and then because our healthcare system is suffering from economic and financial constraints. Expert says that one factor that influences perception on nursing profession is the gender criterion. Many people see nursing as a profession only for female. They are only few males who take up nursing than females. Another is, people see nursing as very task oriented profession. There should be that appropriate career image of nursing so that people will be guided to what is nursing really about. Also, understanding why students choose or reject nursing as their career is relevant in designing an recruiting program for students especially for those nursing schools. There must be an instillitation to the students’ minds about basic and appropriate information regarding the nursing profession so that they will be guided appropriately in perceiving nursing as a profession and in choosing nursing as their career. A study showed that students chose nursing because they have the desire to nurture, to meet their emotional needs, because of employment opportunities, financial opportunities, and because they have an interest to science and diseases. Some says they chose nursing as their career because they have the willingness to help people and the desire to work with all kinds of people. Chapter III METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the methodology, the setting, the respondents involved, the instruments used which will be validated to establish reliability of the questionnaires, and summary of the data obtained to be interpreted. Research Design Generally, the study is a descriptive study; descriptive research designs that provided researchers with information about the perception of Fourth Year high school students on the nursing profession. This will further describe their views. Their career choice and the reasons for the course preferences and preference for nursing. Research Instruments A questionnaire-type instrument was chosen, the researchers aim to have accurate results on the career choice of Fourth Year high School students, their perception on nursing profession, and their reasons for their course preference. The instrument was subjected to evaluation and validation by panel of experts. It was subjected to a pre-test to evaluate its appropriateness to the study. To test validity, the method Content Validity. The questionnaire was criticized and evaluated by a group of experts to validate reliability and accuracy of questionnaire. Target Population and Sampling Procedures The target population of the study was the Fourth Year high school students. This fourth year high school students were taken from Notre Dame of Marbel University – IBED, Notre Dame Sienna School of Marbel, and Koronadal National Comprehensive High School located in Koronadal City, South Cotabato. It is limited to the Fourth Year high school students enrolled for School Year (S.Y) 2013 – 2014) and belonged to the first section of the three (3) schools mentioned above located in Koronadal City, South Cotabato. The first section was chosen because of the following characteristics: Nursing grade standards. Thus, convenience sampling was adopted as the sampling method of the study. Setting of the Study The study was conducted in three different High Schools of Koronadal City, South Cotabato. The researchers entered the firsts sections of each school and conducted the study. Chapter IV FINDINGS This chapter includes the presentation analysis and the interpretation of the data gathered about the perception of fourth year high school students presents the interpretation of the data gathered about The Perception on the Nursing Profession and Career Choice of High School Students. Table 1.1 shows the sex distribution of the respondents of the study. Out of one hundred twenty eight (128) total respondents of the study, eighty eight (88) were females and forty (40) were males. Table 1.2 shows the sex distribution of the respondents that chose nursing as their career. Out of seven (7) who chose nursing, all are females. Table 1.3 shows the family’s monthy income of the respondents of the study. Among the given projected monthly family income, above fifty thousand one pesos (50,001php) is the highest monthly family income and below ten thousand (10,000) being the lowest. Out of one hundred twenty eight (128) total respondents of the study, fourteen (14) respondents have a family income of below ten thousand pesos (10,000php) per month, thirty-four (34) respondents have ten thousand one to twenty thousand pesos (10,001 – P20,000php) per month, twenty-four (24) have twenty thousand one pesos to thirty thousand (20,001 – 30,000php), ten (10) have thirty thousand one pesos to forty thousand pesos (30,001 – 40,000) monthly family income, fourteen (14) have forty thousand one pesos to fifty thousand pesos (40,001 – 50,000php) monthly family income, thirty-two (32) have a family income of above fifty thousand one pesos (50,001php). Table 1.4 shows the family monthly income of the respondents that chose nursing as their career. Out of seven (7) students that chose nursing, the distribution are as follows: Below ten thousand pesos (10,000php) (0); ten thousand one pesos to twenty thousand pesos (10,001 – 20,000) (2); twenty thousand one to thirty thousand pesos (20,001 – 30,000php) (2); thirty thousand one pesos to forty thousand (30,001 – 40,000php) (0); forty thousand one pesos to fifty thousand pesos (40,001 – 50,000php) (1); above fifty thousand one pesos (50,001php) (2). Communication, Public Relations and Communications, Journalism, Political Science, Legal Management, Philosophy, Specialization in Software Technology, Specialization in Network Engineering, Information and Communication Technology Management, Specialization in Instructional Systems Technology, Management Information Systems, Home Economics, Nutrition and Dietetics, Library Science, Child Development and Education, Music, Special Education, Advertising, Arts Management, Creative Writing, Industrial Design, Fashion Design and Merchandising, Music/Music Production got none. Table 3.1. Shows the reasons behind students’ preference for nursing as their career. Among the seven (7) students who chose nursing, four (4) said that they preferred nursing because of their desire to nurture, interest in science and disease, and their previous contact with healthcare system (relatives, peers, etc.). Three (3) out of seven also said that they chose nursing to meet their emotional needs, and because of their desire to work with all kinds of people. And one (1) said that she chose nursing because of employments/financial opportunities. Table 3.2. Shows the reason of Fourth Year high school students for their preference for other courses. Out of one hundred twenty-one students who chose other courses, eighty-eight said that they chose their desired course because of their own personal interest; twenty-nine (29) said that it was because their course of choice is aligned with their proficiency; twenty-six (26) said that it’s for certainty of employment; twenty-four (24) said that it is their parents/benefactors’ choice; brother’s choice, high salary, and family background got one (1) each. Table 4. Shows the perception of Fourth Year high School students to the nursing profession provided by the said respondents. Among the one hundred twenty-eight respondents, the perception of Fourth year high school students are as follow: nursing means providing care (27); nursing is a hard/difficult profession (24); nursing provides less job opportunities (17); nurses are overpopulated (11); nursing as a preparatory course for medicine (10); nursing means helping others (6); nurses save lives (4); nursing is not aligned to their interest (3); nursing deals with the health of people (2); nursing is an important aspect of the society (2); a nurse is someone who would specialize in different medical aspect (2); nursing is an important and a risky job (1), nursing is a way abroad (1); courageous job(1); tiresome job (1); very common job (1); boring job (1); nursing profession is enjoyable (1); nursing is a profession to be proud of (1); nursing tackles sciences and diseases’ information (1); no idea (1). Chapter V SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary The researchers found out that the most students perceive nursing as â€Å"providing care†, and that majority of fourth year high school students prefer to take other courses than nursing because of their personal interest, certainty of employment, alignment with their proficiency, and the choice of their parents/benefactors. The main objective of this study is to find out the perception of fourth year high school students studying in Koronadal on the nursing profession and their career choice. Specifically, the study answered questions about what fourth year high school students prefer to take as a course on college and the different reasons for the preference for such courses, and the reasons for the preference to take nursing. The study used the Descriptive Survey Method and the main tool used was the research-made or self-made type of examination (questionnaire), including the record sheet as instrumentally utilized for the 128 students as selected respondents in the fourth year. Majority of students, 26 students or 20.30% prefer Accounting over other courses followed by Medical Technology (14 students/10.9375%). The reasons for choosing these courses are their personal interest, certainty of employment, alignment with their proficiency, and the choice of their parents/benefactors. Seven (7) or 5.46875% students prefer nursing over other course, the top three (3) reasons for this are their desire to nurture, interest in science and diseases, and their previous contact with healthcare system. The researchers found out that majority of students (27 students) perceive nursing profession as â€Å"providing care†; followed by â€Å"nursing is hard/difficult profession† (24 students); and â€Å"nurses are over populated† (11 students). Conclusion Based on the results, the researchers concluded the following: Therefore, the respondents that choose nursing as their career were all females. Therefore, the respondents that choose nursing as their career mostly have fifty thousands (50,000 Php) and above family income. Therefore, the top reasons why students choose to take up nursing were their desire to nurture, they have an interest in sciences and disease, and they had previous contact with health care system. Therefore, the top reason of students for choosing other courses instead of nursing were their personal interest lies to their chosen course. And therefore, the respondents perceive nursing profession mostly as a profession that provides care. Recommendation Based from the result of the study, the researchers recommended the following: For nursing schools, that they will offer more high quality curriculum to attract more nursing enrollees and to have more proper dissemination of information about what the nursing profession truly is. For the Commission in Higher Education of the Philippines, that they will continuously monitor nursing schools in the country in delivering high quality nursing curriculum to produce skillful, knowledgeable and with good attitude professional nurses. For the parents, that they should always become a good support system for their sons and daughters in choosing their career in life. For students, in choosing a career, they must first assess their capacities, skills, personalities and abilities if it is really suited on the career they will choose. And for the future researchers, that they will conduct more studies with wider scope regarding the perception on nursing profession and career choice of high school students to obtain a more accurate and up-to-date results and interpretation. Recom: further studies why no male choose nursing Recom: career choice; in-demand courses (reasons)