Spiritual Coping Strategies (SCS) Scale Research

Spiritual Coping Strategies (SCS) Scale Research Background of the Study The study of religion and spirituality has been gaining much attention to researchers nowadays. Research studies on these two areas and their relationship to health are expanding rapidly. (Koenig Bà ¼ssing, 2010) The relationship of religion and health has been existing in all groups of population even in the past. (Koenig, King, Carson, 2012 as cited by Koenig, 2012) Koenig (2012) comprehensive systematic review of existing research about the relationship of religion and spirituality to health revealed positive influence of religion and spirituality to patients health and longevity, specifically to psychological, social and health behavior. Religion offers resources for coping with stress and increases the positive emotions rather than the likelihood of the negative effects of stress. On the part of the healthcare providers, religious beliefs found to be influential in making medical decisions. Furthermore, it may generate beliefs that conflict with medical care, induce spiritual struggles that create stress and impair health outcomes and it may interfere with disease detection and treatment compliance (Koenig, 2004). While Christian dominated countries in the west have been serious in this area, there is a much lesser studies that has been done in the Muslim – dominated Middle East countries that examines the relationship of these variables to health. (Koenig Alshohaib, 2014) This holds true in Saudi Arabia where Islam was born and is considered as one of the most religious place in the world. Little is known about religiosity and spirituality and their relationship to health as perceived by Saudi Muslims. (Al Zaben, et al., 2014) For the last three decades, there has been a marked rise in the prevalence of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) in Saudi Arabia. (Al-Sayyari Shaheen, 2011) Alsuwaida et. al (2010) reported in their study that the prevalence of ESRD in the young Saudi population is around 5.7%. Furthermore, a systematic review conducted by Hassanien, et. al (2012) reported yearly mortality rate in three different regions in Saudi Arabia. The data showed that between 2001 and 2003, there were no significant changes in the mortality rates of these regions. However, at present, the annual cases of ESRD in the country continue to grow. It was anticipated that the Saudi population will rise up to 3.5 folds over the next 20 years. Probably this will also cause a rise in new cases. In 2008, 2976 new patients were added to the hemodialysis program pool. This represents 29.2 % of the total 10,203 patient. (Al-Sayyari Shaheen, 2011) Patients undergoing dialysis experience serious challenges to their physical and mental health. These challenges are brought by stresses, fears, family problems, and physical discomforts. (Al Zaben, et al., 2014) In addition, the complexity of their treatment regimen as well as the unknown complications which are associated with such disease contributes to the suffering of these patients. (Lingerfelt Thornton, 2011; Barnett, Yoong, Pinikahana, Si-Yen, 2007). These patients also perceive uncertainty of life on dialysis because of the struggles and hard times that they experience in life as related to their mode of treatment. (Polascheck, 2003) Likewise, psychiatric disorders such as major depression, dementia and delirium are relatively high in these patients. Furthermore, coping problems are very common to these patients which if not addressed can lead to more serious problems such as higher mortality. (Kimmel et al. 1998; Drayer et al. 2006; Chilcot et al. 2011; Mapes et al. 2003; Al Zaben, 2014) The involvement of religion and other spiritual activities are widely used by patients to cope with physical and mental challenges that they face throughout the course of their disease. (Saad de Medeiros, 2012; Wachholtz Sambamoorthi, 2011; Amjad Bokharey, 2014) Patients from Saudi Arabia have shown similar use of these variables as ways of coping. Interventions with religious background are widely used which indicates the strong influence of religion to their lives most especially when they are in life-threatening situations such as in chronic illnesses. (Jazieh et al. 2012) Religious and spiritual coping are widely studied in relation with hemodialysis patients both in Christian and non – Christian patients. (Valcanti, Chaves, Mesquita, Nogueira Carvalho, 2012; Saffari, Pakpour, Naderi, Koenig, Baldacchino Piper, 2013; Spinale et al. 2008; Asayesh, Zamanian, Mirgheisari, 2013; Patel, Shah, Peterson Kimmel, 2002; Berman et al. 2004) Studies have reported that spiritual coping affects the over-all health of patients with ESRD. It also assists in the patients’ adaptation as well as in their health – related quality of life. (Patel, Shah, Peterson Kimmel, 2002; Valcanti, Chaves, Mesquita, Nogueira Carvalho, 2012; Ramirez et al. 2012) Thus, religiosity is potentially influential to the overall health of dialysis patients, including their commitment and compliance to dialysis treatment. (Pruchno, Lemay, Field Levinsky, 2006) In Saudi Arabia, researchers are beginning to focus on this area in Hemodialysis patients. Al-Jahdali et al. (2009) surveyed 100 HD patients at King Fahd National Guard Hospital in Riyadh and King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah about predictors of advanced care planning preferences. They reported that majority (70%) of the patients scored high in a single question religiosity scale. However, they found out that religiosity is not identified as a predictor of advanced care planning preferences. A more recent study was conducted by Al Zaben et al. (2014) to examine the relationships between religious involvement and the mental and physical health of HD patients in Jeddah region. They have found out that involvement in religious activities is associated with better overall psychological functioning, better social support, improved physical and mental functioning, better health behavior and better commitment to dialysis treatment. Because of the increasing interest of researchers in Saudi Arabia in this area, it is essential to have an instrument that can accurately measure the spiritual coping of patients. Majority of the available instruments in this area were structured for Christian patients. (Baldacchino Buhagiar, 2003; Koenig Bà ¼ssing, 2010; Hawthorne, Youngblut Brooten, 2011; Charzynska, 2012) To my knowledge, there is no available valid instrument that measures the spiritual coping strategies of Saudi Muslim HD patients. It is for this reason that this study was conducted. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the Spiritual Coping Strategies Scale (SCS) among Saudi HD patients. Methodology Design This is a cross-sectional study that evaluated the validity and reliability of the Saudi Muslim version of the Spiritual Coping Strategies Scale (SCS) among hemodialysis patients. Participants The participants of the study included _______ patients enrolled and undergoing hemodialysis in the HD unit of a general hospital located in Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia. Convenience sampling technique was employed for sample identification. The study participants’ number was adequate for a factorial analysis. Inclusion criteria were: (1) being a Saudi, (2) self-identified Muslim, (3) being HD patient with CRF or ESRD, (4) enrolled in the HD unit of the general hospital, (5) 20 years old and above, (6) male and female, and (7) conscious, coherent and oriented. Measures Demographic Characteristics Patient’s information in the patient’s chart was examined to collect the data for their demographic characteristics. These included: (1) age, (2) gender, (3) religion, (4) civil status, (5) employment, and (6) duration of undergoing HD. Spiritual Coping Strategies Scale The Spiritual Coping Strategy Scale (SCS), developed by Baldacchino and Buhagiar (2003), is a self – administered questionnaire that determines the spiritual coping of the respondents. It has a Judeo-Christian orientation and was based on the nursing, psychological, sociological, philosophical and theological literature. The SCS scale was developed in English and then translated into the Maltese language. It is a scale that measures both religious and spiritual (nonreligious) coping strategy which constituted its two subscales. It measured the respondents’ attitude towards religion and belief in God. The SCS is a 20-item, 4 – point response scale from â€Å"never used† or 0 to â€Å"often used† or 3. The responses indicated how often they use the various coping strategies presented. The Religious Coping subscale was comprised of 9 items which were meant to assess the respondents’ attitude towards their religious practices and their relationsh ip to God. On the other hand, the Spiritual Coping subscale has 11 items which relates to coping strategies that involve relationship to self, others and nature. The scores of all items is ranging from 0 to 60. A higher subscale and total scale score indicated more frequent use of the religious or spiritual coping strategies. The internal consistency reliability of the religious and spiritual coping factors was 0.82 and 0.74, respectively. A test – retest reliability of r=0.47 and r=0.81 for the subscales and total scale, respectively, was also reported. (Baldacchino Buhagiar, 2003) The SCS was earlier translated to Italian (Burrai, Scalorbi, Sebastiani, Cenerelli Cocchi, 2009), Spanish (Hawthorne, Youngblut Brooten, 2011) and Farsi (Saffari, Koenig, Ghanizadeh, Pakpour Baldacchino, 2014) languages. Validity and reliability of these versions were established accordingly. Muslim Religiosity Scale This is a 13 – items scale that measures the religiosity of Muslim population. It has two subscales. The first subscale is a 10 – item religious practices scale while the second subscale is a 3 – items intrinsic religious beliefs scale. Validity and reliability of the scale was earlier established with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.68, 0.64 and 0.93 for the full scale, religious practices scale and intrinsic beliefs scale, respectively. (Koenig, Al Zaben, Khalifa Al Shohaib, 2014; Al Zaben et al. 2014) The Arabic version of the scale was utilized in this study. Quality of Life Index Dialysis Version III The Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index Dialysis (QLI) Version-III measures the HRQoL of the HD patients. This scale has four subscales which includes health and functioning subscale, social and economic subscale, psychological/spiritual subscale, and family subscale. The QLI has two parts. The first part measures the satisfaction of the respondents and the second part measures the importance of the various aspects of life. The ratings in the second part are used to weight the satisfaction responses. Items that are rated with higher importance have a greater effect on scores than those of lesser importance. Overall quality of life as well as scores in the four domains is calculated. A score of 19 and lower means poorer quality of life. Validity and reliability of the QLI Dialysis Version was reported somewhere else with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.93. Likewise, the four subscales exhibited acceptable validity and reliability. Content validity was good as it was based from ext ensive literature reviews on HRQoL and with patients’ report. (Ferrans, 1996; Ferrans Powers, 1985; Ferrans Powers, 1992) The Arabic version of the Quality of Life Index Dialysis (QLI) Version-III was used in this study. Translation and Cross Cultural Adaptation of the SCS The translation and cross – cultural adaptation of the SCS followed the cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures guidelines for translation. (Beaton, Bombardier, Guillemin Ferraz, 2000) The guideline suggests five stages: (1) translation, (2) synthesis, (3) back translation, (4) expert committee review, and (5) pretesting. In this study, the cultural and religious context of Saudi Arabic language was considered in the translation process. The first step of the adaptation is the forward translation. Two independent forward translations were made from English to Arabic by two bilingual Saudi nationals. One of them is a nurse educator who specializes in mental health nursing. The other Saudi is a lecturer with specialization in English language. After the translations have been done, the two translators together with an observer met to synthesize the result of the translation. A consensus from the two translators signified the completion of the Saudi Arabic version of the SCS. The Arabic version was then presented to two non-medically inclined translators who translated it back to English. These two translators were unaware of the concept as well as the purpose of the scale. The Arabic version was then presented to a panel which comprised of a: (1) Muslim religious leader; (2) Islam scholar, (3) nurse clinician, (4) nurse researcher, and (5) translator. The committee decided for the cultural and religious equivalence of each items in the scale. After reaching a consensus, the pre-final Arabic version of the SCS was formed. The pre-final Arabic version was then subjected for pilot testing for validity and reliability. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (Add modifications done here) Data Collection Data gathering was performed from May to June 2015. The SCS Arabic version, the Muslim Religiosity Scale Arabic version and the Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index Dialysis (QLI) Version-III Arabic version was distributed to the respondents by the researchers with the assistance of the nurses on duty. The nurses where properly informed about the purpose and procedure of the study. The respondents were given 20 to 25 minutes to respond to the scales. Three weeks after the initial data collection, the same questionnaires were redistributed to a subsample of 25 respondents. (Hawthorne, Youngblut Brooten, 2011) Ethical Consideration Ethical approval was granted by the Ethical Review Board of Shaqra University. Permission to conduct the study was sought from the administration of the general hospital. Modification and translation of the original version of the SCS to Arabic language was permitted by the original authors. The respondents were asked prior to participation to sign the informed consent signifying their understanding of their voluntary participation to the study. No incentives were offered to the respondents for their participation. Statistical Analysis All statistical analyses were done using the SPSS version 21.0. Internal consistency reliability of the Arabic version was assessed with coefficient alpha and item–total correlation (ITC). An alpha higher than 0.70 was considered acceptable internal consistency reliability while an ITC between 0.30 and 0.50 is considered moderate and ITC higher than 0.50 means good. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to assess the factor structure of the SCS Arabic version. Kaiser – Meyer – Olkin (KMO) index was computed to check for sampling adequacy. KMO value equal to or higher than 0.6 indicate sampling adequacy. Further, to determine whether the correlations among variables were appropriate for the factor model, the Barlett’s test of sphericity was used. A Barlett’s test of sphericity with p The stability reliability for the test–retest subsample of the translated scale was assessed with Pearson product moment correlations. Convergent validity was established by examining the association between spiritual coping and religiosity. Divergent validity was established by the relationship between spiritual coping and health-related quality of life. Both were tested using Pearson product moment correlations. Differences between demographic profiles on the spiritual coping strategies using the SCS Arabic version were also examined using t-test and One-way ANOVA. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

1831, Year of Eclipse by Louis Masur Essay

The number of anthropologists, philosophers, and literary writers who portrayed their vision of America’s future includes many people. Louis Masur and George Orwell are two such literary writers who fit this group. They attempted to project the future of our American nation based on the current actions. Masur saw a trend, a path that was unavoidably steering in a particular direction. The analytical energies put into studying Louis Masur’s works are vast. I will review 1831, Year of Eclipse by Louis Masur and add some clarity to the reasoning behind the development and proof of his attempts at foreshadowing where the American nation was headed. Masur stated that 1831 marked the year in which America was transformed from a post- revolutionary republic into a democratic nation. The incidents and state-of-mind of our wobbly nation, in 1831, created the scaffold for reactive behavior that would lead to the catastrophic—yet necessary—outbreak of the U.S. Civil War thirty years later. Masur created a sense of foreboding. And how could he not? The state of civil unrest in our nation, at the time, was teeming with hostility as the North was, very clearly, in a face-off against the South. The issue of slavery, obviously, was the catalyst highlighting the fragility of a nation that was just over 50 years old. Part of the trials behind Masur’s thesis and the on-going development of his publication, were also linked to the prevailing image of the soon-to-come solar eclipse. The year of 1831 was more of a window of opportunity and a spot to view his on-going research of America’s turmoil instead of a time for Masur to join forces and advertise his premonitions. The eclipse of the sun prevailed on February 12, 1831 and received all the media hype that was available in that era. Some literary presenters and political strongmen at the time chose to use the shadow of the sun as a metaphor or omen-like prophecy of the times to come. Yet, at the time, Masur took this opportunistic moment in history and made a parallel link. He likened the storming eclipse of our planet’s closest star as a metaphor to the gathering protests over slavery, abolition, taxation, rights of state, and even religious arguments. Masur, in fact, wasn’t the only one who saw the inevitability of Civil War due to the anguish over slavery. Alexis de Tocquieville was another person who perceived the war on the way. Masur was a firm believer in the possible realization of the question at hand: can the United States survive as a nation? Masur offered the reader witty, intellectual methods in his writings regarding the troubles facing government officials and leaders of state. To say, hypocrisy was prevalent in this era of political, social, and developing democracy is an understatement. Most of Masur’s argument surrounded the issue of slavery and equality; for this was, without a doubt, the main thrust of civil unrest. Here are a few examples of issues Masur discussed in his publication: Virginia’s white representation of people displayed bitterness over the white women murdered during the slave revolution. They did, however, according to historical records, praise the Lord that rape wasn’t an issue during the killings. Secondly, once the revolt was squashed, some Southerners wanted to control any future revolt by instilling fear and terror in any revolutionary slaves. As an aside, isn’t it ironic—and sad—that today’s terrorism has caused worldwide fear, the same fear people of the South wanted to instill upon the slaves? We can view this ridiculous attempt at controlling slaves that were already under animal-like control as a precursor to tiny cells of Taliban terror, right within the walls separating the North and the South of the early 19th century. Masur went on to state how the fury of hypocrisy in our nation of civil unrest led the Southern doctrine to lie. Imagine that. The Southerners made claims that the slaves were actually content, and even loyal, to their slave owners.   There was more rage in the separation of people as Northern newspaper editors and the North-People, in general, were annoyed by William Lloyd Garrison’s radical abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator. Yet, just as is the case in the impact of 21st century media, this fierce resistance only improved newspaper circulation. The people wanted to hear about the ‘dirt.’ The fragility of our nation was further unhinged by certain southern states taking pride in the doctrine of nullification. This, in turn, led to the federal government losing power to interfere with slave trade. However, one of the pinnacles toward the start of the war occurred when Garrison began to advertise the U.S. constitution as an â€Å"agreement in hell.† In closing, the breadth of Masur’s writings were simply a method for this well-organized, well-researched, and prolific writer to create and advertise what was actually going in the south, and how political unrest and a separation of state was clouding the vision of the governing body. This was not the means toward developing a free nation, as prescribed in the U.S. constitution by our founding Fore Fathers. He used wit and did not hide or gloss over the details. He was not developing a thesis simply for the sake of telling a story. His pride and dire concern over the fate of the ground he walked on needed a voice of reason. His book 1831, Year of Eclipse was the driving force, and the voice of reason, behind his means of preparing the people for the onslaught that was to come. SOURCES Masur, Louis, 1831, Year of Eclipse. New York : Hill and Wang, 2001.

Little Drummer Kid Essay

Back when I was a child I never asked for much. I never had much of an interest in toys and spent most of my time alone. Even at the age of 8 I was a deep thinker, always questioning why things happen the way they do. I was constantly observing the world around me as if I was on the outside. I learned to appreciate silence at such a young age and didn’t speak much. I only spoke when I was spoken to, and even then I’d give a short response. I felt like I had so much to say but never found the right way to say it. I never found my voice until my eighth birthday when I had received a present that would forever change my life and give me a voice. My parents knew that I had a deep interest in music, heavy metal in particular, and would often catch me outside pretending to play drums with small twigs as drumsticks and various sized rocks for drums. My stepfather was a singer and he played in bands all the time so I was used to seeing musical instruments and recording equipmen t throughout the house. I used to tell my mom that I wanted to be a talented drummer someday so I could be in a band with my stepfather. For about three months my mom kept hinting that if I was good, went to school, and made sure I was always cleaning up after myself that I would get a special present on my birthday. So along comes my birthday and we pull up to my grandmother’s house, which is where all my birthday parties were, and I can see all the Halloween decorations that she had made herself. My birthday is on October 28th so we always had Halloween parties for my birthday. My whole family would dress up in whatever they want, my grandmother would decorate the living room and kitchen with various creepy Halloween Jack o lanterns, fake spiders hanging from the ceiling which was made to look like a giant spider web, and the infamous electronic bat that she would hang on the ceiling fan so it looked like it was flying around in circles. The bat would often fly off the fan and hit someone in the head or get in someone’s food. It was something that everybody would be afraid to admit they actually enjoy. Even though it’s dangerous, everyone would burst  out laughing and start talking about how they knew it would happen eventually. I don’t remember too much about the actual party and I really can’t recall what presents I had gotten from other family members. All that was on my mind was what my mom had said 3 months prior. I made sure I was doing well in school, made my bed every morning and washed my dishes after I would eat. I was trying my best to be a good boy so I could get that â€Å"special present† that my mom had told me about. The party was slowing down and everyone was leaving so I got to say goodbye to everyone but I was pretty upset and let down. I got many gifts but none were what I actually wanted: a drum set. My parents and I were getting ready to leave and my excitement from the day had quickly faded. I just sulked around for the last few minutes while my mom packed up all my stuff and said goodbye to my grandmother. My mom looked at me while we were walking to the car and said, â€Å"Joey, don’t look so sad. There’s one more gift waiting for you at home. It w as too big to bring to your grandmas.† She had a big smile on her face and in that moment I knew exactly what she was talking about. Upon arriving at home I ran out of the car, up the stairs, and waited impatiently for my parents to hurry up and unlock the front door. They yelled to me, â€Å"Don’t you want your gifts out of the trunk before we go inside?† I truly didn’t care about those other gifts, so I just stood where I was and waited, bouncing up and down with a huge grin on my face. My mom came and unlocked the door quickly because she knew what I was waiting for. As soon as we went inside I ran off like a little maniac, running through the entire house, looking for a drum set. My mother seemed to be in shock. Normally I was a quiet and composed kid, but here I was running around, screaming, and she didn’t know what to do. As I ran by her for about the fifth time, she grabbed my arm and told me to relax and she would show me my present. She said it was in the basement but she wanted me to walk slowly with her so I didn’t fall down the stairs. We went down and at the bottom was this big thing covered with a giant sheet. I knew I had gotten what I’ve been wanting: A drum set. When I had first looked at it I was in complete amazement. This wasn’t a child sized drum set, which I’ve seen in music magazines. I was already big for my age so my parents didn’t want to buy something for me that I would grow out of quickly. So they decided to buy me a $2500 7-piece Pearl drum set. It was huge! My entire body at the time could have fit inside the floor  toms and the bass drums. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. It was painted all white and the drumheads were clear so I could see the inside of each drum. I remember staring in amazement just looking at the wood on the inside wondering how they get it to bend so perfectly into the shape of a circle. The first few moments looking at the drums are the fondest memories I have of my childhood. The way the light gleamed off of the shiny gold cymbals was mesmerizing and the smell of the wood was so strong that it had imagined the entire drum set being cut from trees and put together all in my basement just for me. A feeling of stillness and calm washed over me like a tide. For the first time in my life, even at that young age, I had felt fully at peace. It’s almost indescribable how intense this experience was. Before I had even picked up the drumsticks, I knew I had found my calling. It was late in the night and I understood that I wouldn’t be able to play right then and there, but I knew that I was going to start playing bright and early the next morning. That night I had sat up in my room and listened to almost every cd I had, trying to pay attention to the drum parts that I wanted to try and play. Before I knew it, the sun was up and I was ready to play drums for the first time. I decided to wait until my mom woke up before I would startle her out of bed with the loud crashing of cymbals. As soon as she woke up and came out of her room, she saw me sitting quietly at the kitchen table. She knew what I was waiting for and simple said, â€Å"Go ahead.† I had ran down the stairs so quickly that I think my feet only touched 2 steps. I finally picked up the drumsticks and sat down behind the entire drum set and looked out to the objects in the room like random boxes, chairs, and stuff that was down there for storage and pretended that they were all people and I was a rock star playing in front of a huge crowd. I didn’t waste any time and stated swinging the sticks. I had finally found my voice: through music. I seemed to have a natural talent and playing what I felt was easy for me from then on. I played my emotions and spoke my mind through that drum set. It made me feel so much more significant in the world. Playing drums is the most empowering thing I’ve ever found in my life. To this day I still play drums. I’ve been in about a dozen local bands and have played around 100 shows in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Though I currently do not play in bands, I still love playing for myself. It’s the most therapeutic thing for me. It channels all of my sadness,  anger, joy, and empathy into a form of art. It’s a healthy outlet for me especially with so many stressors in my life. I need drums in my life to help me deal with certain struggles. Even at my darkest times, my drums and all of my music have been right there with me and help me persevere through any obstacle that comes my way. I’m a drummer and that’s all I ever wanted. Even if I am never famous, I’m still content with everything I continue to create for myself.

Persuasive Essay On Bullying - 1010 Words

Bullying has been a crime for many years, yet what exactly are we doing to stop it? The most dangerous type of bullying is physical bullying. Google defines physical bullying as â€Å"using one’s body and physical bodily acts to exert power over peers.† Examples of physical bullying is punching, kicking, slapping and shoving. Bullies are quickly to judge other kids because of their disabilities, â€Å"Oh he can’t read, he’s so dumb!† not knowing exactly what they’re going through. People who bully other kids might be experiencing domestic violence or suffering from mental issues. People that suffer from bipolar depression are determined to be not only the victims, but can also be the cause. Although, the government made no federal laws about†¦show more content†¦Many experts believe bullying behavior is on the rise because children increasingly grow up without the kinds of experience that lead to the development of social skills. Co mmunication is key, professionals believe that kids should talk to their parents and not be afraid to open up and thats a main issue with some families. Thesis Statement: Bullying statistics indicate bullying is just getting worse. Many studies have shown increasing domestic violence at home leading to an increase in bullying online and school. Bullying is not only physical but it can also disrupt a person’s emotions that can lead to depression. Depression is a sad feeling where you lose all hope and courage for yourself. Depression can be caused by bullying, in fact bullies as well as the victims are most likely to be depressed. Depression can lead to low-self of esteem, high rate of being absent in school, anxiety, and even physical illness. Experts found that â€Å"among students who said they were frequently bullied in school nearly 30% reported depression then leads to suicide.† As we see on the graph, suicide rates have increased in the past 17 years. 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And as article 5 states that â€Å"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.† Studies show that LGBTQ students receive 24% more bullying per day than a non LGBTQ. Because some LGBTQ

Annotated Bibliography Ray Bradbury - 1077 Words

Fahrenheit 451: Ray Bradbury An Annotated Bibliography Johnston, Amy E. Boyle. â€Å"Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451 Misinterpreted.† L.A. Weekly, 4 Apr. 2016, Http://Www.laweekly.com/News/Ray-Bradbury-Fahrenheit-451-Misinterpreted-2149125. This article is about the author having an interview with Ray Bradbury about how people are mistreated because they was been kept uninformed and ignorant about censorship when its really about technology destroying the use of reading. This is because in the book itself, reading is discouraged (illegal) and television is persuading. The author of this article suggests that Ray Bradbury would observe to see how has technology shows a problems.People will adapt when†¦show more content†¦Bould is suggesting that technology is affecting how people function, and that people are no longer individuals because they are having to fit into society norms. Sleeper, Jim. â€Å"Political Correctness and Its Real Enemies† The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 Sept. 2016, Www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/Opinion/Sunday/Political-Correctness-and-Its-Real-Enemies.html . In this article the research I collected explains the use of political correctness at a University. The purpose of political correctness is to avoid or take extreme measures to desist any action or expression that may exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against. It is clear that majority of the people in this article are not satisfied by the way issues were handled at the University. The author presented relevant information to answer the question; â€Å"Is political correctness an enemy of free speech?†. Some government officials that were brought into this situation, agreed with political correctness and what it means. While doing this research I learned that political correctness in not only this, but also is a tool used to control peoples speech so that no one feels offended. I believe political correctness is barricade for anyone who wants a power of choice. Moreover, this article is useful for an analysis on l imitations for societies inShow MoreRelated Impact of Pulp Magazines on American Culture Essay583 Words   |  3 Pagestrue, it was not always the case. Pulp magazines have had contributions from many different, famous authors. These authors include: H.P. Lovecraft (author of the Cthulhu Mythos), Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke (author of 2001: A Space Odyssey), Ray Bradbury (author of the Martian Chronicles), Edgar Rice Burroughs (author of the Tarzan, Mars, and Pellicidar series), Lester Dent (author of the Doc Savage series), Walter Gibson (author of the Shadow series), Erle Stanley Gardner (author of the PerryRead MoreBanana Used as Fertilizer11002 Words   |  45 Pagesreview on banana diseases in 1935 has resulted in a really useful chapter, whereas any attempt to cover a wider range in forty pages must have led to a treatment too superficial to be worth while. For the pests, on which no monograph exists, an annotated list is given of 182 species and five are selected for ful ler treatment. In the last chapter the author returns to his special field and gives a concise but adequate summary of the aims, methods and results of banana breeding from its inception in

Background of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay - 2077 Words

Background of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was published in 1886 and is one of the best known of Stevensons novels. It concerns the way in which an individual is made up of contrary emotions and desires: some good and some evil. Through the curiosity of Utterson, a lawyer, we learn of the ugly and violent Mr Hyde and his odd connection to the respectable Dr Jekyll who pays out a cheque for Hydes despicable behaviour. A brutal murder follows. The dead man is one of Uttersons clients, Sir Danvers Carew. The murder weapon was, unbelievably a cane†¦show more content†¦Originally, the tale was a straightforward horror story, with no allegorical undertones. After reading the original version to his wife, however, she suggested that more could be done with the story and after initially resisting, Stevenson burned the initial manuscript. The rewriting of the new Jekyll and Hyde took a scant three days. Immediately upon its publication in January of 1887, it was recognized as a grand work. An anonymous review in The Times praised the book highly, observing that Nothing Mr. Stevenson has written as yet has so strongly impressed us with the versatility of his very original genius, concluding with the plea that the story should be read as finished study in the art of fantastic literature. Critics claim that Dr. Jekyll was the first time Stevenson sustained a full-length narrative that was not only exciting, but also a well-composed story with a powerful parable. The Strange Case of Mr. Jekyll and Hyde is a book based on Robert Louis Stevensons own experiences, especially with middle-age men in Edinburghand London (this, therefore, is one of the explanations of a lack of female writers). He focused on a milieu he knew well: the clubby, middle-class world of powerful men. 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Cold Wave in the Perspective of Bangladesh free essay sample

Recently there has been a new addition to the list of regular natural disasters of Bangladesh, named Cold Wave. This extreme natural event is termed as disaster when it adversely affects the whole environment, including human beings, their shelters, or the resources essential for their livelihoods. Bangladesh is currently experiencing severe cold waves in the winter for last few years. Northern and southwest parts of the country experienced a rapid fall in temperature on 1 January 2010. Temperatures remained low since, with cold winds and serve fog. Poor people in the northern region of the country were the worst affected. The impact of the cold wave had resulted in a significant rise in respiratory illnesses, and in some cases death. The impact of Cold Wave is as notorious as other regular natural calamities of Bangladesh as far as the death toll is in concern. The recent Cold Wave that appeared on the January 2010 in Bangladesh took sixteen lives, out of which nine are children, and made most of the population of the northern Bangladesh to suffer with pneumonia, cold diarrhea, cough, fever, asthma and other cold-related diseases. Poor people in the northern region of the country were the worst affected. The impact of the cold wave had resulted in a significant rise in respiratory illnesses, and in some cases death. The impact of Cold Wave is as notorious as other regular natural calamities of Bangladesh as far as the death toll is in concern. The recent Cold Wave that appeared on the January 2010 in Bangladesh took sixteen lives, out of which nine are children, and made most of the population of the northern Bangladesh to suffer with pneumonia, cold diarrhea, cough, fever, asthma and other cold-related diseases. The rest of this article is organized as follows: We first discuss the characteristics of a cold wave. Then we write about the effects of cold waves. Next, we describe the cold waves in the perspective of Bangladesh, especially the reasons and the effects. Finally, we conclude the article by writing the summary and the recommendations. 2. What is Cold Wave? A cold wave is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U. S. National Weather Service, a cold wave is a rapid fall in temperature within a 24 hour period requiring ubstantially increased protection to agriculture, industry, commerce, and social activities. The precise criterion for a cold wave is determined by the rate at which the temperature falls, and the minimum to which it falls. This minimum temperature is dependent on the geographical region and time of year. Occurrences of extreme low temperature along with dry cold winds from north into the sub continent are known a s cold waves. Cold waves are accompanied by high winds that cause excessive wind chills; leading to weather that seems even colder than it is. The damage arising from cold waves is mainly caused by the accompanying effects. Heavy snowfall can give rise to traffic chaos. Fatal accidents can occur if people fail to adapt their driving to road conditions. Ice rain can cause ice fractures in trees and telephone wires. The homeless, people who must spend time outdoors (e. g. for work) and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the effects of cold waves. The cold wave has resulted in a significant rise in respiratory illnesses and, in some cases, death. Hundreds of people, especially children and the elderly, are suffering from cold-related diseases including bronchial asthma, pneumonia, coughs and diarrhoea. The Bangladesh Red Crescent is putting together a first warm clothes package to assist more than 30,000 people. The cold wave has had a terrible impact on northern communities. People are suffering from various cold-related illnesses. Cold waves can be forecast by modern weather forecasting. The weather forecasts can disseminate useful warnings to let the people try to keep themselves safe, as well as to prevent traffic accidents. . 1. Formation of cold waves A cold wave develops when cold air masses over large areas are brought in. In middle Europe this occurs mainly during winter months when cold air masses are transported from the polar region or from the East. In those northern areas cold air develops to a large reservoir due to low or even missing solar radiation during short autumn and winter days. Particular weather cond itions can transport these air masses as far as Central Europe. The fall of temperature is of the order of 10 °C within a few hours. Cold air masses are only slowly moving, therefore, a cold wave will normally last for several days. Fig 1: Cold Wave Formation Cold waves can also develop on other continents. During a cold wave on Rhode Island (USA) temperatures as low as -45 °C were measured in January 1994. The cold air masses transport only little moisture. Precipitation occurs as snow or sleet due to temperatures below freezing point. Cold waves can also be accompanied by strong wind. Such a phenomenon is called winter storm. 3. Effects of Cold Wave A cold wave can cause death and injury to livestock and wildlife. Exposure to cold mandates greater caloric intake for all animals, including humans, and if a cold wave is accompanied by heavy and persistent snow, grazing animals may be unable to reach needed food and die of hypothermia or starvation. They often necessitate the purchase of foodstuffs at considerable cost to farmers to feed livestock. Extreme winter cold often causes poorly insulated water pipelines and mains to freeze. Even some poorly protected indoor plumbing ruptures as water expands within them, causing much damage to property and costly insurance claims. Demand for electrical power and fuels rises dramatically during such times, even though the generation of electrical power may fail due to the freezing of water necessary for the generation of hydroelectricity. Some metals may become brittle at low temperatures. Motor vehicles may fail as antifreeze fails and motor oil gels, resulting even in the failure of the transportation system. To be sure, such is more likely in places like Siberia and much of Canada that customarily get very cold weather. Fires become even more of a hazard during extreme cold. Water mains may break and water supplies may become unreliable, making firefighting more difficult. The air during a cold wave is typically denser and any cold air that a fire draws in is likely to cause a more intense fire because the colder, denser air contains more oxygen. Winter cold waves that arent considered cold in some areas, but cause temperatures significantly below average for an area, are also destructive. Areas with subtropical climates may recognize unusual cold, perhaps barely freezing, temperatures, as a cold wave. In such places, plant and animal life is less tolerant of such cold as may appear rarely. The same winter temperatures that one associates with the norm for Kentucky, northern Utah, or Bavaria would be catastrophic to winter crops in southern Florida, southern Arizona, or southern Spain that might be grown for wintertime consumption farther north, or to such all-year tropical or subtropical crops as citrus fruits. Likewise, abnormal cold waves that penetrate into tropical countries in which people do not customarily insulate houses or have reliable heating may cause hypothermia and even frostbite. Cold waves that bring unexpected freezes and frosts during the growing season in mid-latitude zones can kill plants during the early and most vulnerable stages of growth, resulting in crop failure as plants are killed before they can be harvested economically. Such cold waves have caused famines. At times as deadly to plants as drought, cold waves can leave a land in danger of later brush and forest fires that consume dead biomass. One extreme was the so-called Year without a summer of 1816, one of several years during the 1810s in which numerous crops failed during freakish summer cold snaps after volcanic eruptions that reduced incoming sunlight. Cold waves in Europe The 2012 European cold wave was a deadly cold wave that started on 27 January 2012 and brought snow and freezing temperatures to much of the European continent. There were 824+ deaths reported. [1] Particularly low temperatures hit several Eastern European countries, reaching as low as ? 35  °C (? 31  Ã‚ °F). The heaviest snow was recorded in the Balkan region, and in Northern Europe, as low as ? 9. 2  °C (? 38. 6  Ã‚ °F). Cold waves in Switzerland Periods with extraordinarily low temperatures can arise in Switzerland through the advection of polar air from northern latitudes or from continental air masses over eastern Europe. Cold wave occurred in Switzerland and large parts of Europe in winter 2009/2010. One of the best known cold waves resulted in the freezing of all Swiss lakes, including Lake Constance, in winter 1963. Cold waves and the number of frost days in Switzerland will tend to decrease in future as a result of climate change. Cold waves in Morocco An exceptional cold wave hits Morocco these recent days, causing a situation of distress of thousands of people throughout the kingdom. Food and blankets are basic needs to be distributed in this emergency situation. The Moroccan Red Crescent, in coordination with the National emergency committee, will support 1,500 families (7,500 beneficiaries) in the Region of Oriental and Taza Al Hoceima Taounat. Four localities of Figuig, Taza, Al Hoceima and Taounat will be targeted by the distribution operation of food parcels, blankets and mattresses. This operation is expected to be implemented over 2 months, and will therefore be completed by 10 April, 2012; a Final Report will be made available three months after the end of the operation (by 10 July, 2012). Cold waves in Tunisia An unusual and exceptional cold wave and heavy snowfall (the worst for the last 20 years) have been recorded in Tunisia since 31 January in the North West and inland regions, isolating villages and cutting roads. The most affected regions are: Jandouba, Kef, Kassrine,Siliana and Bizerta. The weather forecasts have predicted that the cold weather and snow blast will continue for the next few days as well, potentially causing further damages to cities and villages, and shortages in electricity and blockage of transportation by road. | | 4. Cold Wave in Bangladesh Bangladesh, a tropical country, usually enjoys a moderate winter. However, recently on1 January 2010, 7 January 2011 the temperature dropped sharply as a result of a severe cold wave with dense fog. January has always been the coldest month when the average temperature for most of the areas of the country is about 10 °C. However, according to the meteorological department, the temperature was recorded as 2 to 5 degrees Celsius less than the average temperature during that time of the year. The recorded temperature of 4-6 degrees Celsius, and in some places 4. 5 degree Celsius, according to the Meteorological Department, was the lowest temperature ever recorded in the country for the last 45 years. During a Cold Wave, gusty extreme cold wind coupled with heavy fog covers the whole area of Bangladesh. Historically the average winter temperature in Bangladesh is within 15 to 20 degree Celsius. However, in recent Cold Waves this average temperature has dropped to as low as 4 degree Celsius, a new record for the country. The most affected area during this calamity is the northern part of the Bangladesh which is closer to the Himalayas. Northern Bangladesh is the most poverty stricken area of the country where people have year round income poverty and seasonal food poverty during the time of agricultural lean seasons. The recent catastrophe of Cold Spell has magnified their sufferings to a severe extent, shortage of warm clothing and shelter has caused them even their lives. Cause and Effect of Cold Wave in Bangladesh The main reason for such calamity is the constant and consistent blow of chilly wind from the northwest blowing at a speed of 10-15 km per hour, which made the weather further cooler during the typical winter season. As there is no rain, pollen count in the air is relatively high in this season making the air full of dust and causing respiratory problem and allergic infections along with asthma, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, respiratory problem, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Hospitals, especially those in the northern part of the country, are experiencing massive admission of patients suffering from cold related illnesses for the last few days. Reports received from different sources mentioned seriously sufferings of thousands and millions people living in the sandy char areas in Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Bogra and Sirajganj districts on the Brahmaputra basin. The intense cold wave affected the seedlings of high yielding variety of paddy commonly known as IRRI. The farmers of Lalmonirhat and Dinajpur district said that the Blight disease of potato had affected their potato field due to absence of sunlight. There were some cases of poultry and livestock damages in villages of Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Dinajpur districts. The cold wave impacted mostly on the poor people who did not have enough warm clothing to protect themselves from the cold (a high proportion of the country’s population is living under the poverty line). Women, children and the elderly were major victims of cold related diseases like respiratory infection, pneumonia, cold diarrhoea, etc. Their plight increased particularly during the night due to non-availability of warm clothes. Apart from health problems, some cases of deaths due to exposure to excessive cold were reported. According to Network for Information, Response and Preparedness Activities on Disaster (NIRAPAD), at least 50 people died due to exposure to the severe cold. The national-level response was only limited to blanket distribution from the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Food and Disaster Management. The District Relief and Rehabilitation Office (DRRO) had received only 3,000 to 6,000 blankets from these two sources mentioned. However, those were inadequate compared to the huge need, therefore BDRCS and IFRC had launched a DREF operation to provide relief care packages to the affected population. The sufferings of poor people of northern Bangladesh reached to an untold terrible stage especially for those who live in the remote island areas of river Tista, which is locally known as Char. Some places in the northern part had not seen the sun for the last 3 to 4 days due to the extreme fog and clouds. Most places of the char areas in the river basins remained covered with fog, reducing the visibility till noon almost every day. In such situations, poor cannot join their regular work because of the unfavorable weather condition as well as due to sickness. As a result, they lose a significant share of their regular income, which further reduces their ability to take proper action against the shock. The daily transportation of food items from all parts of the country has been dangerously interrupted. Basic road and water transportation has been delayed for an indefinite time, causing major physical communication to an almost complete halt. Needless to say, such physical communication chaos has triggered the price of common household commodities to a seasonal extreme, causing the sufferings of the poor even more severe. People who took desperate attempt to hit the road ignoring such bad driving conditions have already paid the price with road accidents if not heavy traffic congestions in the highways. Reports published on paper after affecting form Cold waves On the daily news papers published the news related about cold waves when it hits on Bangladesh in recent time. Some experiences and the reports about the sufferings of cold waves that the people face are enclosed below: . one-chilling cold and thick fog hit the people hard, especially in the north, yesterday claiming at least three more lives raising the toll to nine in the last two days. 2. Hundreds, mostly children and the elderly, are suffering from different cold-related diseases due to this spell. 3. The weather also disrupted communications via roads, rivers and air yesterday. Almost all coaches travelling at night took two to three hours more than usual to reach their destinations due to heavy fog, said Khandaker Enayetullah, general secretary of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Samity. . Most launches on long routes like Dhaka-Barisal, Dhaka-Patuakhali, and Dhaka-Barguna were stranded in mid river for two to three hours due to the fog, said Rafiqul Islam, deputy director of Sadarghat Launch Terminal. 5. Two flights from Shahjalal International Airport were delayed for around an hour early yesterday due to thick fog covering the runway, while many passengers got stranded at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong for several hours as flights to Dhaka were diverted there, said an airport official. . The ferry service on Mawa-Kawrakandi route was suspended for six hours, leaving some 150 vehicles stranded in the middle of the Padma, while the ferry service between Paturia and Daulatdia was suspended for around 11 hours. 7. The weather has made it really tough for the homeless. In Dhaka they were seen searching for warm clothes and a warm place to kip for the night. Many city dwellers stayed indoors for most part of the weekend. 8. Price of warm clothes in different city markets and roadside shops has shot up. 9. The Met office said a mild to moderate cold wave was sweeping over the country and that would continue today with the likelihood of easing off tomorrow. The lowest temperature was recorded in Jessore, 6. 0 degree Celsius, and the highest was in Coxs Bazar, 26. 7 degree Celsius. Dhakas lowest temperature was 12. 0 degree Celsius while the highest 19. 3 degree Celsius, said an official of the Met office. 10. Many district administrations have arranged warm clothes and accommodation for the poor, while many districts sought financial help from the higher authorities. 11. The Lalmonirhat correspondent reports: The cold weather claimed two elderly men in the district, one died yesterday and the other on Friday. The deceased were Rahim Uddin, 75, and Saber Ali, 82. A total of 107 people with cold-related diseases have been admitted to different government hospitals in the district. The Rangpur correspondent reports: Two elderly people died of cold-related diseases at Pirgachha upazila in the district, one yesterday and the other on the day before. The deceased were Tofa Bewa, 82, and Abdul Aziz, 57. At least 126 children and old people are under treatment in different hospitals with cold-related diseases. Four others died across the country on Friday. The Jessore correspondent reports: An elderly person died in the cold yesterday. The identity could not be known. Kurigram correspondent reports: A total of 135 children and the elderly are in hospitals in the district with cold-related diseases. Chittagong correspondent reports: Three international flights from Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore, scheduled to land in Dhaka, were diverted to Chittagong around 1:00am yesterday. Manikganj correspondent reports: Due to suspension of ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia route, around 900 vehicles got stranded on both sides of the Padma. Barisal correspondent reports: Ferry services on some routes inside the district were suspended for hours and around 50 vessels had to anchor in mid river in thick fog. 5. Conclusion and Recommendation: So far, the cold wave claimed 39 lives with most victims being children and the elderly. Hospitals in the affected districts have reported higher numbers of admissions with cold weather related illnesses. The weather has also caused crop and other natural resource loss, which will have a longer-term negative impact on the economic situation for the already poor communities in the worst affected areas. Unable to buy warm clothes, poor people are struggling to ward off cold bite at night. There are widespread reports of people wrapping themselves with gunny and plastic bags, torn kantha, mosquito nets etc. In addition, the death toll for farm animals, which represents a large portion of income in the affected region, is on the increase. Administrative Measures As the cold wave continues to severely affect the poor and homeless people, political parties, social welfare organizations and affluent individuals have initiated distribution of warm clothes in Dhaka city and other parts of the country to mitigate their sufferings. However, there is a broad feeling that the current level of assistance is inadequate given the need. Following recent discussions between the Director General (DG), Directorate of Relief and Rehabilitation (DRR) and the UNDP Assistant Country Director (Disaster Management), it appears that the Government has already placed an order with a local vender for procurement of 98,770 pieces of blanket worth BDT 29,433,460 (USD 426,881) at the rate of BDT 298 (USD 4. 32) per piece. The Government is not expecting delivery of their order (98,770 pieces) until late January 2010 due to procure process delays. Overall Situation The DG, DRR indicated that there is an unmet requirement for an additional 170,000 pieces of blankets in different districts (detailed below), for which he has sought UNDPs assistance and support. UNDP Assistant Country Director informed the DG, DRR that UNDP could consider supplementing GoB initiatives subject to a formal request from Government. Accordingly, a formal request has been received from the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM) seeking supply of 100,000 pieces of blankets for distribution to the cold wave affected districts. Taking into account the price at which the government is procuring the blankets, the cost involvement for procurement of 100,000 pieces of blanket comes to BDT 29,800,000 (USD 438,235). UNDP Response UNDP Senior Management is considering providing support to the Government through the immediate procurement of approximately 25,000 blankets (USD 100,000) across the 10 most affected districts Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Panchaghar, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Noagoan, Jessore and Pabna.