Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

A rESEACH PAPER| AGAINST COSMETIC SUGERY| ENC 1102Instructor: Luse| | By Maria Garzon| 3/25/2013| Background and Thesis Opponents have historically overlooked the primary reasons for it’s against to plastic surgery. It promotes a continuing descent into all things vain. Rather than accepting their perceived flaws, growing, and developing character, they take a chance going under the knife. Plastic surgery rarely produces the desired results and creates unhealthier obsession with things that would be relatively trivial in a mentally healthy person with proper priorities and emotional disorders.Even if, by some miracle, someone is completely happy with their surgery, it only serves to perpetuate the cycle; for themselves and for others. The obsession doesn't go away in these people. Their thinking inevitably moves on to having more things done. The plastic surgery craze is insidious because it targets those who are obsessed with their outer appearance, not what's important. Furt hermore, the demand for cosmetic plastic surgery increases despite the increasing cost, in contrast to other traditional goods for which demand typically declines as price increases.Cosmetic plastic surgery has moved beyond the stage of being an exclusive privilege of the rich and famous. Nevertheless, cosmetic plastic surgery is one of the medical specialties exposed to a substantially high risk of malpractice claims. Most malpractice claims in cosmetic plastic surgery are not consequences of technical faults but because of inadequate patient selection criteria and lack of adequate communication between patient and surgeon.Proven efficient training, careful utilization of computer imaging techniques in association with the adoption of simple precautions and guidelines and adequate communication along with a completed patient's consent form are important essentials in case of medical litigation. .Mental and emotional stability are increasingly taking a backseat to physical appearanc e. People just don't realize what they're doing to themselves because they have never really valued anything other than physical appearance in the first place.The fact that these things aren't obvious to more people truly shows where our culture is heading. Just think about this question: Is the freedom to do whatever we want with our lives a valuable passport even to overpass the limits of morals and ethics. People generally aren't against plastic surgery. They're against people who look perfectly fine getting their face cut up because they want to look like their favorite celebrity. Opposition A new survey shows that more than half (51%) of all Americans regardless of income approve of cosmetic plastic surgery, this is a 3% increase from 2009.According to the February 2011 report, 52% of respondents with an income of under $25K approve of cosmetic surgery (48% of respondents with an income between $25K-$50K approve, 45% of respondents with an income between $50K-$75K approve, and 56% of respondents with an income above $75K approve) and 29% of the respondents who earn under $25K would consider cosmetic surgery for themselves. â€Å"As the numbers suggest people in every income bracket, single or married, male or female, view plastic surgery as a reasonable option today,† said Felmont F.Eaves III, MD, President of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). â€Å"Taking care of yourself and paying attention to physical appearance is increasingly important to everyone. As both traditional surgical procedures have been improved and refined, and new nonsurgical options have become available, aesthetic plastic surgeons have more to offer to our patients. † Other key findings of the study include:53% of women and 49% of men say they approve of cosmetic surgery. 67% of Americans would not be embarrassed if their friends and family knew they had cosmetic surgery. 7% of married Americans and 33% of unmarried Americans would consider cosm etic surgery for themselves, now or in the future. 67% of white Americans and 72% of non-white Americans say they would not be embarrassed about having cosmetic surgery. Most Americans (71%) said their attitude toward cosmetic surgery had not changed in the last five years, though 20% said it was ‘more favorable. ‘Out of all age groups, men and women between the ages of 18 and 24 are the most likely to consider plastic surgery for themselves now or in the future (37%). 7% of Americans 65 or older say they would not be embarrassed about having cosmetic surgery. The study was commissioned by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and conducted by the independent research firm innovate. According to 2010 ASAPS Cosmetic Surgery Statistics, almost 9. 5 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the United States last year. Women had nearly 8. 6 million cosmetic procedures (92 percent of total) and men had more than 750,000 proce dures (8 percent of total).Overall, the number of surgical procedures increased by almost 9 percent and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures decreased 9 percent from 2010 to access the complete 2010 ASAPS Statistics. A 2004 study published in the official medical journal of the ASPS, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that deaths occurring at office-based surgery facilities are rare–less than 1/4 percent. More than 400,000 operative procedures in accredited office-based outpatient surgery centers were studied from 2000-2002. Serious complications were infrequent, occurring 1 in 298 cases or 0. 4 percent with death occurring 1 in 51,459 cases or 0. 0019 percent, which is comparable to the overall risk of such procedures performed in hospital surgery facilities, this publication makes me think about my life or my beauty Well, someone has to defend cosmetic plastic surgery, says Rachel Weisz, Hollywood beauty. There are several reasons why she is in approve of cosmetic plastic surgery, that extend beyond her own vested interest of making a living. She also asks,† Where do you draw the line between acceptable vanity and unacceptable vanity? You shower, bathe and get regular haircuts.You color your hair to be lighter, darker, more dramatic, or to hide the grays. You spend large amounts of money on skin care products and eye creams. You wear cosmetics, buy and wear flattering clothing , pay a fortune for your kids to have straight teeth . Why are these things acceptable but cosmetic surgery, which actually works, is not? Do you know that the entire skin care industry is lying to you? Over-the-counter skin care products don’t work. At best, they don’t work that well. Regardless of how expensive they are, your face will still sag and wrinkle.Women spend an average of $24,000 over their lifetimes fighting wrinkles, and yet, the wrinkles keep coming. † She basically want to covey that she is in approve of cosmetic surgery because is che aper than using creams or products, she believe in vanity, plus being perfect is the main character in her life. Refutation I have fact about how cans harmful cosmetic surgeries are. October, 2000. A new study suggests that a few patients who seek facial plastic surgery have a personality disorder. Surgery may benefit some of these patients, but others remain discontented and may seek legal recourse from their surgeon.A person's self-image plays a key role in the development of personality. Young men and women with a subjective negative impression of their self-image develop defense mechanisms to cope with low esteem. Later in life, they may request cosmetic surgery to â€Å"normalize† a perceived abnormal appearance. These patients may, in fact, not need cosmetic surgery to address patterns of behavior found in certain personality types. Following surgery, conflict may arise between patient and surgeon. The researchers contend that facial plastic surgeons may encounter this problem.Their study attempts to describe the personality disorders of patients seeking facial plastic surgery to allow the specialist to make an informed decision to treat, or not to treat. The research was carried out by a team led by Henri Gaboriau MD, from the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, and H. Devon Graham III MD, from the Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation, New Orleans, LA. The findings were presented on April 28,1999 at a meeting of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.The Bible does not specifically address a Christian having plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery. There is nothing in the Bible to indicate that plastic surgery is, in and of itself, wrong. However, there are several things that one needs to consider before deciding whether or not to undergo these procedures. Altering one's body is unnatural, and there are always risks of potential side effects, both physical and psycholo gical. No one should allow himself to be put â€Å"under the knife† without first thoroughly researching all alternatives, risks, and side effects involved with the surgery.A person also needs to fully identify his or her motivation for desiring the surgery. For many with physical deformities; whether genetic or acquired, it is natural to want to fit into society and feel â€Å"normal. † There are also cases of slight abnormalities that would cause someone to feel very uncomfortable with himself, such as a very large or misshapen nose. But many, if not most, plastic surgeries are attempts to meet emotional voids in physical ways, to attract attention, or to seek approval from others. The most important thing to do before making the decision to undergo plastic surgery would be to consult God about the issue.The Bible tells us that God cares about every worry and concern that we have, so we should take our problems to Him (1 Peter 5:7). Through the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, we have the ability to make decisions that will please and honor Him. â€Å"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised† (Proverbs 31:30). Even the most skilled surgeon cannot hold back the hands of time, and all cosmetic surgeries will eventually have the same result—aging. Those lifted body parts will sag again, and those cosmetically altered facial features will eventually wrinkle.It is far better to work on beautifying the person underneath, â€Å"that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight† (1 Peter 3:4). Conclusion I am against plastic surgery because it is generally unnecessary surgery which comes with very serious risks. Our society places great importance in appearance, which leads to unrealistic standards that young girls and women. Plastic surgery only strengthens these insane standards and weakens the self-esteem of girls and women who do not feel as though they measure up.Learn to love the body you have. And more people want surgery, but we are not becoming uglier as a race, we are just adjusting our notion of what is beautiful and what is not. All of us are the product of billions of years of evolution and sexual selection; we are the direct descendants of 100s of millions of others who have been found sexually attractive by someone else, we can't be that ugly. As wonderful as this piece of modern medical technology may sound, cosmetic surgery is not all that advantageous and in most of all cases, it is not needed.There is no point in transforming a healthy body. That is why the idea of the perfect body image has to be forgotten, and it has to be recognized that everyone is a special human being. Sources Laurie J. Fundukian, Richard H. Camer â€Å"Blepharoplasty. â€Å". The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed.. 4th ed. Detroit: Gale, 2011. 6 vols. Print Kimberly,HenryA. , andPennyHeckaman. â€Å"The-Plastic-Surgery-Sourcebook† Lincolnwood: NTC/ Contemporary Publishing, 1999. Print Liz Jones †If face creams really beat ageing, I wouldn't have had a facelift† 25 July 2011http://www. dailymail. co. ukNewswire Association LLC â€Å"Plastic Surgery Complications and Deaths are Rare, Despite Highly Publicized Death of Donda West† US Newswire. Nov. 14, 2007 pNA. ; http://www. plasticsurgery. org; National Review â€Å"Survey Shows That More Than Half of Americans Approve of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery† New York, NY ,April 4, 2011 ; www. surgery. org; http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/articles/A63931-2004Oct26. html http://www. prweb. com/releases/2013/3/prweb10557201. htm http://www. deseretnews. com/article/865575486/Teens-turn-to-plastic-surgery-experts-tackle-the-when-and-why. html? pg=all

Predetermined Identity Essay

A reputation is the views or opinions that are generally held about someone or something. They are a widespread belief that someone or something has a particular habit or characteristic (dictionary. com). A reputation is impossible to remove. There are many reputations and judgments demonstrated in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. People are prejudiced towards the fiend created by Victor Frankenstein. The monsters outward appearance assures the monster is not accepted into society. He is a completely functional creature with the ability to perform primal tasks. He has human capabilities, although his unusual appearance is shocking and sets him apart. Do everyone’s judgments of the monsters looks have an effect on his personality and behaviour? The author demonstrates that people’s outward appearance will determine their personality. This is established in the novel since at the beginning of the book; Fiend created by Frankenstein is a good person with feelings and empathy. As the story develops, he keeps experiencing judgment from many people including Victor, his creator, because of the way he looks. Everyone sends the fiend away and rejects him without even giving Dr. Frankenstein’s creation a chance. He ends up changing throughout the novel into the monster everyone expects him to be, by killing the various people in Victor’s life for revenge. At the beginning of the book, the fiend is in fact a reasonable person. When the fiend is created, he does nothing wrong to Victor. He does not harm in Victor any way because Victor had done nothing wrong to him. All he does is looks at him when he wakes up and his appearance was enough to make Victor leave him. The fiend was judged literally from the moment he was created. Furthermore, he observes a family that live in the middle of the forest in a cottage for months and does not lead to violent actions of any sort. He would observe them in hopes to maybe one day integrate himself with humans. At night, he would go collect fire wood and do work for the cottagers, in hopes that they would eventually accept him. When he decides to finally meet the people who live in the cottage, he is turned away. He was aware that he was capable of harming these strangers, although decides not to due to the fact that he knows it’s not right even if they were not the most accepting. Evidently, this creation that people labeled as a monster does have a heart and is capable of caring. â€Å"I could have torn him limb from limb, as the lion rends the antelope. But my heart within me as bitter sickness, and I refrained. I saw him on the point of repeating his blow, when, overcome with pain and anguish, I quitted the cottage, and in the general tumult escaped unperceived to my hovel† (136). It can be observed that fiend did care about those people even though they sent him away. He didn’t want to cause any trouble. All he wanted was to be accepted. He was a creation who started his life with decent intentions, but those would soon change. The fiend was constantly judged and abandoned when people saw him due to his appearance. He is a terrifying creature. He has yellow skin with lustrous black flowing hair, and pearly white teeth. His eyes are dun-white; he has a shrivelled complexion and straight black lips. He is also much bigger than any human. When he was given life, Victor runs away from him and neglects him. This quote shows that Victor had no intention on staying with the fiend because right when he was living, he ran away from it. [†¦] I escaped and rushed downstairs. [†¦] fearing each sound as if it were to announce the approach of the demoniacal corpse to which I had so miserably given life. â€Å" (49). This shows the complete horror that Victor had when he saw his creation, even if it did absolutely nothing wrong. Likewise, the cottage people are instantly terrified of him. They were scared because they ha ve never seen anything like him. When the fiend first goes into the cottage to meet them, a blind man answers the door. The fiend was able to talk to him without being judged and the older man enjoys his company, because he doesn’t know what he looks like. This is how it is obvious that based on his personality alone; the fiend is a good person and is able to function with humans. But when the rest of the family walked in and saw him, they went into panic and assumed the worst of him. He was never given a chance. â€Å"Who can describe their horror and consternation on beholding me? Agatha fainted, and Safie, unable to attend to her friend, rushed out of the cottage. † (136). This displays how fast they were to judge when they saw the creature. Because of his appearance, he would never be able to live a normal life. Being judged by so many people everywhere he went, it had an effect on the fiend. He started to become angry and resent his creator, Victor. He asks Victor to create a female so he can go live with her somewhere where no one would find them. When he agreed, he decided to destroy the female creation soon after. The fiend couldn’t deal with it anymore. All those negative experiences in his life, the creature had changed. He decided to start killing everyone close to Victor for revenge. He killed Victor’s brother, William, as well as his best friend Cleval and his love Elizabeth. He wanted Victor’s attention and he got it after just his first killing of Victor’s brother. It made the fiend’s creator very angry. But after Victor neglected the fiend for so long, the fiend started to make immoral decisions. â€Å"A flash of lightning illuminated the object and discovered its shape plainly to me; it’s gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed me that it was the wretch, the filthy demon to whom I had given life. What did he there? Could he be (I shuddered at the conception) the murderer of my brother? † (69). Not only did the fiend kill Victor’s brother, but he stayed to watch his creator in pain, because he thinks that’s what Victor deserves. All his killings were in attempt to wound Victor and make him feel alone in the world, almost like what the fiend is feeling. Murdering someone’s family is immoral. He killed people around him just as society killed his spirit and identity. This shows that he clearly changed throughout the novel. It is evident that the author was trying to prove how people’s outward appearance will determine their personality. He reveals it by the change in the fiend’s personality after being constantly judged and neglected. At the beginning he was a nice person with morals, but at the end, he is an immoral monster. The author is right that people’s outward appearance will determine their personality because even now, people who are different are not as accepted in society. People are constantly being labeled and reputations are always being formed, whether they are true or not. People’s outward appearance has a huge effect on how people see you. This is why Dr. Frankenstein’s creation never stood a chance. Work cited SHELLEY, mary, Frankenstein, tom Doherty associates, LLC, united states of America, 1998, 236 pages

From These Beginings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

From These Beginings - Essay Example This development led to the emergence of a middle class in the industry (Nash, 231). One of the causes of economic downturn was that there was no diversification. Most of the industries that were expanded were the automobile and construction industries. Other businesses like the coal industry were declining. There was also poor distribution of income and a poor purchasing power of consumers. It was believed that by 1929, 10% of the nation’s top population got 10% of the disposable income of the nation. However, the 10% could not buy great quantities of goods that were being produced at the county’s factories and farms. Most factory employees and farmers could not afford houses and cars that would have sustained the growth of the economy. Also, there were over production of goods as compared to the capacity of the public buy them. This pulled the economy down (Nash, 234). A. As a governor’s wife and First Lady, Roosevelt was known as a â€Å"new woman.† With regard to her personal life, politics, gender and race, how did she demonstrate ambivalence about being a â€Å"new woman†? Eleanor Roosevelt toured the country as part of her regiment. She travelled over 40,000 miles in her first three months in White House. She thus was able to act as the eye of the president, as she examined conditions throughout the nation. She challenged traditional ideas on the typical role of a first lady in a manner that had a substantive impact on her administration. Eleanor Roosevelt met and spoke with individuals who were underserved and improved social services like American Service Committee. She could then return to the White House to express her opinions and observations to her husband the president. She led efforts in which life homesteads were set and the government funded social welfare programs (Nash, 243). There is no first lady that has ever served in two troublesome periods or events like Eleanor Roosevelt who was the First

(any topic) but I choose to talk about a violence scene that happened Essay

(any topic) but I choose to talk about a violence scene that happened while I was at a place somewhere - Essay Example At the Jomo Kenyatta Airport, we were received by my father’s friend, Mr. Robert Rickaby, who works in the central part of Kenya. Mr. Rickaby is the director of USAID programs in the central part of Kenya, i.e. in Meru. From the Jomo Kenyatta Airport, we went directly to Meru, where Mr. Rickaby works. In Meru, Mr. Rickaby works at a village called Chiakariga, so we stayed at the Chiakariga village for a week before we started visiting the major tourist centres in Kenya. It was while I was at the Chiakariga village that I witnessed a bizarre incident of violence. In the central part of Kenya, as I came to learn later, the predominant religions are Christianity and the traditional African Religions (Religions of Kenya, web). Christianity and the traditional African religions, however, coexist peacefully in Kenya, although in some instances the worldview of the two religions crash. My witness of the bizarre act of violence took place on Monday, 22nd September 2013. On this day, Mr. Rickaby had taken us to Chiakariga Market to visit the people there and to have an experience of the culture of the people. In the trip to Chiakariga market, we had two tour guides, Mr. Mutegi and Mr. Mwenda, both friends of Mr. Rickaby. Shortly after arriving at the Chiakariga market, we saw a crowd of people curiously gathering somewhere. The gathering was rapidly enlarging. Out of curiosity, I asked our tour guides to take us there so that we could have a glimpse of what was happening. Our tour guides agreed to take us there but cautioned us to be wary because violence could easily erupt from the gathering. When we finally got there, I saw two men and two women; all in white robes. When we inquired from our tour guides whom the people in white robes were, our tour guides told us that the people in the white robes were pastors. The pastors were so charismatic and they were charging the crowd with good music;

Comparison of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and William Essay

Comparison of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and William James theoretical positions - Essay Example The paper tells that Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and William James are historical psychologists whose work formed the foundation of psychology. Their theorems and practice in the field has had a great effect to this day. Most of the practicing psychologists in the present times borrow a lot from their work. However, this does not mean that their success in the field did not face challenges. The greatest of all the challenges for each one of them came from fellow psychologist. In efforts to outdo each other in their approach on psychological issues, similarities as well as differences developed that one cannot ignore. The four being the pioneers of psychology were passionate on getting better perceptive in the field. Their approaches aimed at getting facts that could better explain the psychological sphere of the human beings. This search for a better explanation led to common agreements on concepts like mental processes. They all believed that there was a conscious and a subconscious part of the human mind. These two spheres formed the basis for mental processes and Freud and Jung had similar views on dreams as a function of the unconscious mind. Jung in his theorem on individuation argued that human beings needed to incorporate both the conscious and unconscious mind to get the meanings to the dreams. Jung, Alder, and Freud agreed on the power of motive in human behavior. Childhood experience took the centre stage in the reason behind the motive. Cultural orientation, inferiority, and sexuality are all concepts that one gets from childhood. Since community and religious values influence a bigger part in them, the assimilation process into the child’s life is crucial because it affects relationships and psychological functioning of the individual (Meissner, 1987). Though the four could have differed in their theoretical positions of religion and the influence it has on human behavior, they all agreed that it plays a role in human psychology ( Dumont, 2010). Their theorems emphasized on religious interpretation of situations, and understanding of the world at large (Stone, 2011). Right from childhood, a child’s religion affects the way the child perceives different situations all the way to adulthood (Meissner, 1987). Contrast on Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and William James theoretical positions Just as the four psychologists are distinct, their theoretical positions equally had distinctions. They all had distinct approaches on the applicability of the concepts they all agreed were true. An example is in believing on mental processes that lead to human behavior. Human behavior as per Freud’s view required insight into thoughts and feelings for action to take place (Stone, 2011). Though Jung and Freud agreed on the unconscious part of dreams, their approaches on interpretation differed. Jung believed that religious nature formed the basis for interpretation hence dividing the unconscious into ind ividual and collective (Stone, 2011). For him, personal experience and concerns as well as collective religious believe influenced the interpretation (Dumont, 2010). However, this was different with Freud since to him mental processes and behavior took the centre of the dreams. James on the other hand came up with a completely different approach. To him, mental processes were a matter of evolutionary process meaning it is a function of constant changes (Stone, 2011). In his theoretical position on mental processes was more natural selection rather than emotions. Jung, Alder, and Freud agreed on the power of motive. While Freud believed that sexuality influenced motive, Jung and Adler had a different position. Jung considered culture,

LL Bean Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

LL Bean - Case Study Example Also, future research can focus on specific target values based on greater information regarding the actual values prevalent in the measurement procedures of L.L. Bean. Keywords: L.L. Bean; customer requirements; target values; measurement L.L Bean demonstrates a case of a highly customer-centric organization that promises to deliver superior customer service by offering constant customer support and specialty shoes for activities such as hunting. At the crux of L.L Bean’s customer service is its 100% money back guarantee since the company believes in â€Å"treating its customers like human beings†. Given the high level of customer service, it is important to analyze the salient customer requirements along with measurement techniques for the same. Finally, target values are being assessed to ensure that the requirements are fulfilled. L. L. Bean’s dedication to superior customer service is reflected in its promise of 100% money back guarantee on all its products at any time. This is combined with the excellent after sales service provided for product returns. Therefore, one of the major customer requirements that L.L Bean is catering to is high quality of the product including the durability and reliability of the product. Furthermore, the company caters to the need of wearing shoes particular for certain situations which has been satisfied by the provision of ‘specialty shoes’, particularly, the Maine hunting shoe that is lightweight and remains dry. Most importantly, however, L.L Bean caters to the customer’s need for ordering without having to visit the store. This is particularly true for customers who may be pressed for time and find it convenient to order via mail through the mail order catalogue. L.L Bean, therefore, offers full catalogues as well as seasonal catalogues for customers interested in knowing the specifications, looks and prices of specialty products as well as their regular line. This is supplemented by the company’s website which offers customers the facility of shopping online without having to visit the retail outlet. The added convenience of having multiple modes of payment further encourages customers to shop online easily. The company also caters to customers’ need to obtain prompt response by providing customer service throughout the year and throughout the day. This also serves the purpose of assisting those customers who may have further queries or desire additional information after reading the mail catalogue. Therefore, assurance is provided to customers. Finally, L.L Bean caters to customers’ requirements of fast delivery and efficient logistics by partnering with third-party logistics which is Federal Express. This is because the company keeps speed as an important order winner as part of its operations management strategy as it knows that slow delivery can lead to customer dissatisfaction. In order to ensure that the final product reaches cust omers on time, the company’s suppliers must also make timely shipments to the company. Therefore, speed is a crucial customer requirement that the company must cater to. The customer requirement for high quality and durable products can be measured using total quality management and six sigma philosophy. At the simplest level, product quality would be measured using the number of ‘quality’ complaints by customers. As a general rule, the target value must not exceed 3 complaints per month. It must be

Multidisciplinary Team Relationships in Healthcare Essay

Multidisciplinary Team Relationships in Healthcare - Essay Example There have been legislations on equality and diversity in professional practice that have been incorporated in the training needs and personal development plans created by most providers (WAGNER, E.H., 2000). Consequently, there is a huge volume of literature on this area where different view points on multidisciplinary healthcare team have been critically examined in order to reach viable model of implementation in quality healthcare and to find out some heuristic device to solve the problems of interrelationships in a team. (Good emphasise) (ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. 1994.) ''This author intends to have a critical review of literature on multidisciplinary team relationships in healthcare mainly focusing on nursing and other members of the team with examples from occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and other care disciplines'' Reasoning is sufficient. To be able to do this, a thorough literature search was undertaken from Blackwell Press, Medline, Ingenta, British Medical Journal, High Wire Press, and Sage Journals online with the keywords 'multidisciplinary team' and 'health care'. A total of 6432 journal articles were identified. To narrow down our search, a further search on these articles with keywords, 'relationship', 'interdisciplinary relations' and 'interrelationship' yielded only 232 articles. To further focus in our interest area and to reduce the articles to the specific area of the review, a search with key words 'occupational therapy', 'physiotherapy', 'community mental health' at different search incidences led to 15, 4, and 20 articles r espectively. The keyword 'nursing' further narrowed it down to 12 results in total. This reviewer selected 6 literatures to study the question of professional interrelationships in a multidisciplinary care team from the perspective of nurses included in the team as applied to healthcare and its impact on delivery of healthcare in the areas of occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and mental health. The multidisciplinary care in the area of occupational therapy demands a change in the approach towards the definition of the responsibilities of each participant in the team with an emphasis on chronic illnesses and sufferings from it. There are always ambiguous areas of roles or responsibilities in terms of ownership of healthcare, and there would be evident and consequent power struggles to lay claim on ownerships in a team. This leads to heightened tension within the group and resultant shift of focus from patient-centred care to hassles related to assumption of authority in a team. To obviate this, terms like collaboration and participation have proliferated with growing concern and stress on active involvement of patient and caregivers that invokes predominance of informed choices of the patients at least in selected areas (COPNELL, B.,JOHNSTON, L., HARRISON, D. ET AL. 2004). (Reference would be of benefit). When applies to actual interventions, this policy would not hold good because individuals with conditions needing

Should Abortion Be Legalized Pros and Cons Essay

Should Abortion Be Legalized Pros and Cons - Essay Example Pro-choice supporters argue for a woman’s right to make her own choices, but are willing at times to consider some restrictions if the abortion comes very late in the term of pregnancy. The right to terminate a pregnancy is thought by them to be a choice that a woman makes to be in charge of her own body. Therefore, it is almost held as a sacred obligation that society does not interfere with that choice. In cases of late-term abortions, they are sometimes willing to balance the life of the child. Pro-life advocates want to strip that right. For them, the life of the child is held as sacred, and it must be balanced against the choice of the mother. Even they are generally willing, however, to make exceptions in the case of danger to the mother’s life or pregnancy resulting from rape or incest. Such balancing is often done with heavy hearts on both sides of the issue. To complicate matters even further, some hold extreme positions that do not allow for any compromises at all. Some advocate for choice and some for life, with no exceptions. This is why abortion has remained, on both sides over the years, a hotly-debated and controversial issue. This paper will summarize the arguments that have been involved in this debate. One of the main problems with abortion’s legality in the view of those who argue for a pro-choice position is the procedure’s terrible history. In the past, women had to go to doctors or unlicensed individuals (e.g., midwives or, worse, shady â€Å"chemists†) for illegal abortions. These procedures were often performed in secret, unclean surroundings. Most of the operators who performed abortions when they were illegal were poorly qualified (or, as stated, unlicensed), and the care delivered was unsanctioned, unregulated, and dangerous. It sometimes resulted in infertility. Some women met with tragic circumstances, including death by infection and bleeding that could have been prevented if abortions had been done

EDMA_601_Assignment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EDMA_601_Assignment - Assignment Example Managers are ultimately accountable for the performance of their subordinates, and this can be measured through sales, production costs, etc. In addition to this, managers are also responsible for making sure that goals and objectives are communicated between upper management and the working staff. Managers are required to make sure that employees are staying on track and are moving toward the goals of the firm. Planning involves first determining an end goal or point by which success can be measured. Second, planning requires coming up with a process that will help the organization to get where it ultimately wants to. Finally, there needs to be the flexibility to readjust goals part way through the process if the situation changes. The three types of planning are operational, strategic, and contingency. Operational planning has to do with specific goals that are used to achieve job responsibilities. Strategic planning is more about the goals of the entire organization and then matching those up with each department. Finally, contingency planning is putting in emergency measures in case there is a change in the plan. Staffing has to do with assigning employees to roles and training them appropriately. The three major parts of staffing are planning, execution, and maintenance. Planning involves preparing for future changes, execution is how to enact those changes, and maintenance has to do with making sure nothing goes wrong with the changes proposed. The management function of controlling has to do with making a comparison between organizational performance and desired outcomes and then making adjustments to meet those outcomes. Management is all about making sure that the process is continuous and there is a clear chain of command. There are three main types of control: feedforward, concurrent, and feedback. The difference between each of them is that the first attempts to prevent problems from occurring in

Experimental Design and Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Experimental Design and Analysis - Coursework Example In the light of these results how could you improve the experiment? The experiment was done such that it was intended to find out the degree of adhesity of different types of plasters. There were 4 plasters tested, namely, A, B, C and D. each of these have a different degree of being adhesive and this is what the experiment was set out to establish. In that respect, the experiment was founded upon the concept that depending on the degree of adhesiveness of a plaster, it gets to pull out different numbers of hair from the skin of an individual. This is the attribute that was used to design the experiment and it led to a remarkable result that is indeed plausible. Different people were used in the experiment in an effort to ascertain the results. The human skin is made up of some hair particles that can come out readily in the event that the skin is subjected to the throngs of a plaster that has adequate level of adhesive strength. As such, the different plasters were glued on the skin of an individual one after the other. Starting with the plaster A, on to B, then C and finally D, the plasters were stuck on the skin of an individual. In each case, the plasters were pulled out in a half and an observation made on the effect that the plaster had on the skin. Each of the plasters was observed to have a different effect on the skin of an individual. It was made sure that the portion of the skin where the plaster was suck had hair and in that regard the effect on the hair was observed. Some of the plasters had the effect of pulling out fewer hair particles than others. The number of hair hat was pulled out by each of the plasters was then counted. This was recorded against the plaster type for each individual. Different instances of the experiment were conducted such that for each instance, different numbers of individuals took part in the experiment. In most of the instances, there was just one individual taking part in the experiment and in that respect different

The Role of Grammar in Language Teaching & Learning Essay Example for Free

The Role of Grammar in Language Teaching Learning Essay Introduction In this ever changing world, the barriers to communication and understanding must be lowered. The acquisition of linguistic skills requires that one must be able to master it and use it to communicate effectively to people who are using that same language, like English for instance. For learners of this particular language to communicate effectively, teachers in the language arts have a very important role to play in teaching every aspect of English, particularly its grammar and use. This is because, to understand and be understood, grammar is an important part of language and communication. The English Language The English language, a language belonging to the Germanic languages branch of the Indo-European language family, is widely spoken in six continents. It is the primary language of the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and various Caribbean and Pacific island nations; it is also the official language of about 45 nations including India, the Philippines, and many sub-Saharan African countries. Other than this, it is the second most widely spoken native language in the world, the mother tongue of more than 350 million people, and the most widely taught foreign language (Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, 2006). The United Nations uses English not only as one of its official languages but also as one of its two working languages. The language is also the dominant international language in communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment, diplomacy and the Internet (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2003). Usage English relies mainly on word order: usually subject-verb-object, to indicate relationships between words. But many, including native speakers of the language, are still finding it hard to use the language correctly. In the past, there have been those willing to provide guidance to the public on correct usage of the language. Americas most famous lexicographer, Noah Webster, for instance, published a dictionary and speller which taught not only spelling but also pronunciation, common sense, morals, and good citizenship. Other lexicographers have also attempted to produce material that would serve as guide for the public regarding correct use of the English language (Encyclopedia of American History, 2006). Like other languages, English has changed greatly. English easily borrows words from other languages and has coined many new words to reflect advances in technology. Changes of every sort have taken place concomitantly in the sounds (phonetics), in their distribution (phonemics), and in the grammar (morphology and syntax) (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2003). English is the most widely learned and used language even in non-native English speaking nations. It is widely learned and used for communication purposes especially in the academe and in businesses. Because of this wide use of the language, it has often been referred to as the global language or the lingua franca of the modern era.   It is currently the language most often sought and taught as a second language around the world (Wikipedia, 2007). Grammar Today, use of formal Standard English is required in the workplace and in the academe. It is the language of most educational, legal, governmental, and professional documents. It is used in newspapers, magazines, and books. It is the English we hear from radio and television announcers and persons making formal speeches. It is the language spoken in international commerce. Hence, many schools are focused on teaching students proper English speaking and writing skills. English grammar is a body of rules specifying how meanings are created in English. Basically, English is a subject verb object (SVO) language, meaning, it prefers a sequence of subject–verb–object in its simplest, unmarked declarative statements. But word order is a complicated matter in English (Wikipedia, 2007). Standard English can vary in different situations, but certain conventions or rules within it are fairly constant, and well-educated people deem them worthy of being observed. That is why the name â€Å"standard† is applied to this variety of English. If a person wants to succeed in the academic and business worlds, as well as in many other pursuits, he or she must master the conventions of Standard English. Formal and Informal English Standard English is used in so many different situations. Its use may range from casual telephone conversations to formal speeches, that it would be impossible to name a particular kind of English appropriate for each situation. Two domains of Standard English may be distinguished, however, and that is formal English and informal English. Formal English, like formal dress and formal manners, is a language for special occasions. It is sometimes referred to as literary English. It is also the language used in serious writing. It is used in formal essays, essay answers to examination questions, formal reports, research papers, literary criticism, scholarly writings, and addresses on serious or solemn occasions. Formal English is likely to include words that are rarely used in ordinary conversations. The sentences are likely to be more elaborately constructed and longer than those of ordinary writing. Contractions are rarely used. Formal English pays close attention to refinements in usage and avoids slang. Informal English, on the other hand, is the language most individuals use most of the time. It is the language of most magazines, newspapers, books, and talks intended for general audiences. The conventions of informal English are less rigid than those of formal English. Sentences may be long or short, and they are likely to sound more like conversation than the stately rhythms of formal English. Contractions often appear in informal English, and sometimes a slang expression is used. Excellent Language Skills While individuals can generally speak about three kinds of English: formal standard, informal standard, and non-standard, the lines between them are not always easy to draw. One kind of usage shades into another. An expression that one may think of as being informal may turn up in a formal address. A slang word or colloquial that originates in non-standard English may become an acceptable part of the informal vocabulary. Many words and constructions which one may think of as belonging to standard speech may come into use among speakers of non-standard English. This essentially means that the great majority of words and one’s ways of putting them together are common to all three kinds of English. If the language conforms to the conventions of Standard English, one’s main concern will be to vary his or her specific word choices to meet a particular need. The need will be determined by the nature of the audience, whether one is speaking or writing. There will be times when one cannot be sure whether a particular word or expression is suitable for the occasion. One can get help with his or her decision by turning to a textbook on grammar and usage, by turning to a dictionary, or by consulting a special book on English usage. Most of all, one can pay closer attention to the preferences of people who speak the language with obvious care. With careful observation, one may also notice that the rules of grammar are useful but not an invariably reliable guide to usage. Grammar describes the system of a language. Usage, however, is concerned with appropriate forms of expression. The two – grammar and usage – are not always the same, for language is a living and growing thing, and life and growth are not always logical. The people who use a language are constantly changing it. Since the rules of grammar describe the way the language works, when the system changes, the rules also change. Importance of English Grammar Effective speaking and writing goes beyond mere acceptance of the most appropriate grammatical rules. It embraces such qualities as clarity, forcefulness of expression, honesty, originality, freshness, and often, brevity. Yet the conventions of Standard English should never be underestimated as the essential foundation of good speaking and writing. If one deviates from the conventions of Standard English, people will think more about how one is expressing himself or herself about what he or she is saying. Any language that calls attention to itself or strikes listeners as unsuitable to the situation gets in the way of communication. For instance, if an applicant speaks casually with a prospective employer, as he or she does with close friends, that applicant may ruin his or her chances of getting the job. Moreover, if a person jokingly uses non-standard language around strangers, then these people who hear the speaker may get the impression that he or she does not know Standard English. It is thus important to know the different forms of English to make wise choices from them. Language Teaching English is basically the medium of instruction in most schools all over the world. In teaching the English language, most teachers begin with the parts of speech, their identification and their function. For some students, the study of English may point to certain aspects that are already familiar, like grammar for example, but for others, especially for those who will learn the language formally for the first time, grammar will not be very familiar. Grammar is important. It gives learners the ability to talk about language by providing a terminology and a system of classification. Also by making a learner aware of the basic patterns of English sentences, grammar can help the learner develop a varied and interesting style in their speaking and writing. This is one of the main goals of the study of English. Teacher and Learner Roles One can hardly imagine a language learning situation in the absence of interaction between and among students, fellow students, the teacher and the textbook. Every time a student interacts with any of these sources, he or she makes various hypotheses about what is being learned, and accepts or rejects them, trying out new ones. In an attempt to learn a foreign language, the student-learner is dependent on other people with whom he or she can interact with, as he or she develops a wide range of strategies which will be tested only in a communicative context. According to Thanasoulas (1999), these strategies can be distinguished in three categories: production strategies, comprehension strategies and interactive strategies. These strategies will not be explored in this paper. However, what is being pointed at here is the importance of human interaction in the classroom or learning setting as a condition for successful language learning and intellectual, emotional and social development (Thanasoulas, 1999). The Teacher’s Role It has been suggested that language teaching is a complex issue, encompassing linguistic, psycholinguistic, socio-cultural, pragmatic, as well as instructional and curricular dimensions. There are numbers of factors contributing to the dynamics of the educational process, such as internationalism and the pragmatic status of the foreign language (e.g., English), teaching and learning styles, and program characteristics. For example, the general expectation by students, parents and teachers that learners should achieve a high level of proficiency in English when they leave school influences both language policies and how foreign language learning will evolve. Furthermore, the teaching-learning process reflects different cultural traits and traditions. In some cultures, students tend to feel more at ease in the classroom, expressing their viewpoints and agreement or disagreement; in others, a passive attitude towards the teacher and the target language is more common. For instance, Greek society and its educational system favour rote memorisation, while western countries, in general, do not value it. Instead, they practice and take tons of drills to perfect their study of grammar and the English language. Moreover, such issues as the degree of preparation of teachers and the validity of testing and evaluation procedures can have a tremendous impact on language learning (Thanasoulas, 1999). As is patently obvious, the task or act, one may say, of teaching encapsulates a lot more than merely providing instruction and guidelines for students. It presupposes a psychological and philosophical knowledge on the teachers part, so as to combine techniques in class, as well as sufficient command of the basic structure of human existence, with a view to assessing any situation accurately and appropriately (Thanasoulas, 1999). Clearly linked to the roles defined for the learner are the roles the teacher is expected to play in the instructional process. Teacher roles, too, must ultimately be related both to assumptions about content and, at the level of approach, to particular views of language and language learning. Some instructional systems are totally dependent on the teacher as the source of knowledge and direction; others see the teachers role as catalyst, consultant, diagnostician, guide, and model for learning; still others try to teacher-proof the instructional system by limiting teacher initiative and building instructional content and direction into texts or lesson plans. Teacher and learner roles define the type of interaction characteristic of classrooms in which a particular method is being used. Teacher roles in methods are related to the following issues: the types of functions teachers are expected to fulfil (e.g., practice director, counsellor, model), the degree of control the teacher influences over learning, the degree to which the teacher is responsible for determining linguistic content, and the interactional patterns assumed between teachers and learners (Richards, 1994: 23). Undoubtedly, the teacher is called upon to perform several functions in foreign language learning. These are the following: teacher as director and manager; teacher as counsellor and a language resource; and teacher as a model and independent language user (Thanasoulas, 1999). The Teacher as a Director and Manager. One of the main concerns of the teacher as a director and manager is to create a warm, stimulating atmosphere in which the students will feel secure and confident. It is very important for learners to feel very much at home with both their teachers and fellow-learners, if they are to be expected to venture out into the deep waters of foreign language learning, to experiment with new and strange sounds, and to role-play in a language which they have barely begun to learn (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 95). Apart from assisting in creating the right atmosphere, the teacher should also make decisions on the materials to be used, as well as the activities and games which will best accord with the learners needs and abilities. Inasmuch as learners do not necessarily share the same cognitive and linguistic abilities, or interests and motivation, it is incumbent on the teacher to choose a wide variety of materials and teaching techniques and strategies in order to respond to the students interests and capacities. To this end, the teacher is supposed to organize the class, deciding whether a specific role-play or game will be simulated in pairs or in groups. Bearing all this in mind, the teacher may help develop a learner-centred approach to foreign language learning, as he / she takes into account the learners preferences, tailoring the materials and strategies to their needs (Thanasoulas, 1999). The Teacher as Counsellor and a Language Resource. The second function that the foreign language teacher is expected to fulfil is that of counsellor and a language resource. In other words, the responsibility is on the teacher to provide the learners with the necessary input in order to foster understanding of the relation between grammar, language, and communication. In short, the teacher must modify and simplify the language used according to the needs arising in each communicative situation, and to the grammatical competence and language proficiency of the students. In addition to simplifying teacher talk, it is also the teacher’s prerogative to resort to miming and facial expressions (Thanasoulas, 1999). Learning and teaching is multi-sensory and everything in the classroom and method must imply that learning is relaxing, fun and possible to be attained (Papaconstantinou, 1991: 35). Moreover, the teacher as a language resource should help learners to acquaint themselves with, and acquire a taste for, the target language and culture. It is the teacher’s duty to make explicit that language is not to be held in a vacuum but should always be learnt in connection to its users and the uses to which it is put. In light of this, grammar, though it is very important, should not be the sole reference point in foreign language learning; the teacher has to draw his students attention to the socio-cultural and pragmatic aspects of the foreign language, in order to help them assess the accuracy and appropriacy of the language they produce, both at the sentence level and the discourse level. As J. C. Richards (1994: 157) notes, a focus on grammar in itself is not a valid approach to the development of language proficiency. The teacher as a counsellor and a language resource should see it as her goal to provide enough remedial work, in order to eradicate students errors, and encourage learners to develop their own learning strategies and techniques, so as to discover the answers to their own questions (Thanasoulas, 1999). The Teacher as a Model and Independent Language User. In order to become a successful communicator and model for learners, the teacher should promote a wide range of behaviours and psychological and social relationships such as solidarity and politeness. Often learners have difficulties in adopting these behaviours because of the psychological and social distance that there exists between learners and materials. As a result, learners have a tendency to adopt the teachers language behaviours to indicate attitude and role relationships, rather than those presented in materials. This is understandable, of course, since the teacher is a live model, a real human being to whom they can more easily relate (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 101). In short, the teacher should help learners to negotiate meaning in the target language through his or her own active participation in it, and act as a mediator between the linguistic and extra-linguistic context of foreign language learning, as these are reflected in the textbooks and audio-visual aids, etc., or literature, respectively (Thanasoulas, 1999). Teachers play an essential role in the foreign language classroom. Not only are they directors and managers of the classroom environment but they also function as counsellors and language resources facilitating the teaching-learning process. In addition, teachers can become models and independent language users in order to overcome the inherent shortcomings of the foreign language classroom environment (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993:104). The Learners What roles do learners play in the design of educational programs and systems, and how much leeway are they left with in contributing to the learning process? In the last two decades or so, there has been a shift from Cognitive and Transformational-Generative Grammar Approaches to a Communicative view of learning. Learners, who were formerly viewed as stimulus-response mechanisms whose learning was the product of practice reminding one of the well-known dictum, Repetitio est mater studiorum are nowadays regarded as individuals who should have a say in the educational process. The role of the learner as negotiator between the self, the learning process, and the object of learning emerges from and interacts with the role of joint negotiator within the group and within the classroom procedures and activities which the group undertakes. The implication for the learner is that he should contribute as much as he gains, and thereby learn in an interdependent way (Breen and Candlin, 1980: 110, cited in Richards, 1994: 22-23). Three Factors Responsible for Student Learning Age, cognitive and learning factors. Age variation in foreign language learning and learning differences between children and adults are significant factors that must be taken into account in choosing the right approaches, design and procedures. Experiments have shown that there are a lot of biological factors at work in language learning. In young learners, both hemispheres of the brain are responsible for the language function, while at puberty it is only the left hemisphere that takes over, which makes language acquisition and learning more difficult. This process is called lateralisation and it may be responsible for learning differences between children and adults. Cognitive and learning styles, already acquired through mother tongue, may influence foreign language learning. According to Papaefthymiou-Lytra, â€Å"Of all personality characteristics attributed to individuals, certain cognitive and learning variables have been researched to determine the degree of their influence on successful foreign or second language learning. These are: field-dependence and field-independence, formal operations, the monitor and foreign language aptitude† (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 84-85). Field-independent individuals are more analytical by inclination and tend to learn through reasoning faculties, whereas field-dependent individuals view learning in toto, acquiring knowledge subconsciously. Piagets formal operations theory relates to adults more mature cognitive capacities as opposed to the unconscious automatic kind of learning (Genessee, 1977, 148, cited in Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 85) that characterizes young learners less mature cognitive system. According to this theory, adults are thought to deal with the abstract nature of language more easily than young learners; it is very often the case, though, that young people may prove better learners in the long run. Another factor that influences language learning is the monitor use employed by learners. Three types of monitor users have been identified: over users, under users and optimal users. Over users are associated with analytical conscious learning†¦On the other hand, under users are associated with subconscious learning and extrovert personalities†¦Finally, the third category is that of optimal users who seem to be the most efficient (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 85-86). Social and affective factors. Successful foreign language learning calls for an examination of the social and affective factors at work. First of all, the teacher should take into consideration the social proficiency which learners have attained. By social proficiency we mean the degree to which the learner employs, or taps into, the foreign language in order to communicate and negotiate meaning or achieve certain social goals. Some learners, for example, may complain when their classmate uses their pens or pencils because they have not learnt to use language in a socially accepted way. For instance, they cannot cope with making requests, asking permission, giving condolences, etc. It is worth noting that different cultures favour different attitudes on the part of the learner and, as a result, it is very probable that most of these situations do not necessarily reflect lack of social proficiency. Apart from social factors, affective factors also play an important role as they may facilitate or preclude learning. It is a commonplace that an atmosphere that fosters and promotes confidence and emotional stability will produce better students. Harmony in the classroom helps relieve tension and keeps the door to language processing open. A teachers task is like that of an orchestra conductor, who tends to fly into higher spheres, and has a tendency to fly and pull himself and the others above everydays problems towards a more creative reality (Papaconstantinou, 1991: 65). In this reality the learner may easily identify with the teacher and venture out into new aspects of the target language, dealing with it in her own, individual way. Unless she feels at ease with her teacher and her fellow-students, she will not learn. If she feels rejected and is afraid of being told off or scoffed at whenever she makes a mistake, she will withdraw from the educational process and lag behind, both cognitively and emotionally. Consequently, the content of materials for classroom use as well as classroom practices should be compatible with the affective variables influencing learners (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 90). Learner’s needs and interests. Indubitably, a successful course should consider learner needs. For this reason, the concept of needs analysis has assumed an important role in language learning. Needs analysis has to do with the aims of a course, as these are determined by the uses to which the target language will be put on completion of the programme. For example, is our aim to achieve a high level of language proficiency or are we called upon to respond to the needs of, say, adult learners who need to master specific skills, such as academic writing or note-taking? All these parameters will have to inform the methods and techniques we use in class, as well as the materials design we are supposed to implement in order to achieve the best results. With regard to learners interests, it is worth noting that we, as teachers, should be cognizant of the differences between children and adolescents. For instance, the former are interested in body movement and play, whereas the latter want to learn about human relationships in general and achieve a deeper understanding of their abilities, with the aim of developing a sound personality and character. It has become evident that foreign language learning is far from a simple, straightforward process where teachers are the purveyors of knowledge and students the passive subjects who receive that knowledge. For successful foreign language learning, students must have both the ability and desire to learn. Otherwise, the objectives we set are doomed to failure. Foreign language teachers, therefore, must be flexible enough and sensitive enough to respond well to the individual learning preferences, interests and needs of their learners in terms of materials, techniques, classroom methodology and teacher talk. After all, language learning is not a monolithic process since not all personality and environmental factors can be kept under control in a foreign language situation (Papaefthymiou-Lytra, 1993: 94). Grammar in Communicative Language Teaching Linguists define grammar as a set of components: phonetics or the production and perception of sounds; phonology or how sounds are combined; morphology, which refers to the study of forms, or how elements are combined to create words; syntax referring to how words are strung together into sentences; and semantics or meaning. Because all languages are characterized by these components, by definition, language does not exist without grammar (Musumeci, 1997). Musumeci (1997) asserts however, that grammar has not always been defined in these terms. Originally, the term grammar, grammatica, referred to the art of writing, as compared to rhetoric, rettorica, the art of speaking. As used today by many teachers and learners, grammar is loosely understood to be a set of rules that govern language, primarily its morphology and syntax. But morphology and syntax are only two components of grammar. Communicative language teaching has brought a renewed emphasis on the role that semantics plays in the definition of language. Communicative language teaching is fundamentally concerned with making meaning in the language, whether by interpreting someone elses message, expressing ones own, or negotiating when meaning is unclear. Viewing grammar with all of its components helps learners as language teachers understand the complexity of what it means to know the grammar of a language. Clearly, the goal of language learning in the communicative classroom is for learners to acquire the grammar of the second language in its broadest sense, to enable them to understand and make meaning; that is, to become proficient users of the second language. Research and experience have shown that explicit teaching of grammatical rules, even if linguists were able to formulate them all, does not produce such competence (Musumeci, 1997). Adnan (n.d.), however, disagrees with this contention of Musumeci and asserts that there are many aspects of SLA such as the strategy of learning, the role of communicative language teaching, the role of formal grammar teaching etc. Adnan (n.d.) attempts to study the role of formal grammar teaching for two reasons: First, this has generated a great debate in second language teaching and a lot of research has been done on it. Second, there is an indication that grammar teaching has been neglected in English teaching in favour of developing communicative competence in language which results in students having poor knowledge of grammar. Now, some people have called for the return of grammar teaching into the English class to solve the problem. It was noted that similar problems occurred in the immersion program in Canada. Although Krashen (1982) praises the program for producing learners with very high levels of second language proficiency, many researchers have for some time recognised that immersion learners fail to recognise some grammatical distinctions (Ellis, 1994). According to Adnan (n.d.), the Indonesian language teaching circle are beginning to use the communicative approach and he is concerned that if this circle gets affected by the strong view that only communicative activities are important in developing second language proficiency, and therefore, grammar teaching is of little importance, this may lead to the same problems. He stresses in his study that he is not advocating a grammar dominated classroom or a return to grammar translation method. Nor is he trying to advocate that communicative activities are not important either. It is stressed that they are also very important. What is being done is discuss the research findings on the role of grammar teaching so as to have a good understanding of what it can offer and what problems it has (Adnan, n.d.). It was determined that there were some problems that occurred in grammar teaching. And these were: it can have deleterious effects, e.g. avoidance of certain grammar points which once traumatised the learner (Pienemann, 1987), it can de‑motivate if the teaching is not interesting, it can lead to wrong generalisation (Lightbown, 1983; Felix, 1981), and it can be ineffective if the learners are not ready. (Pienemann, 1987). Nevertheless, the advantages are the following: formal grammar teaching can improve accuracy Ellis (1989); Pica (1985); Lightbown and Spada (1990), it can accelerate acquisition when learners are ready (Pienemann, 1987) it can help eliminate inappropriate use of expressions (Adnan, 1994), and it can result in new knowledge (Pienemann, 1984). In light of this, it is clear that to improve learner acquisition of a second language, there is a need to consider teaching grammar at an appropriate time. Spada (1987) suggests that formal instruction may work best when it is combined with opportunities to engage in natural communication. Ellis (1990) explains how formal instruction works. According to him, the main mechanism by which instruction works is by developing explicit knowledge of a grammatical feature which subsequently helps learners to acquire implicit knowledge (which in his mind is responsible for actual performance). Pienemann argues that grammar should be taught only when learners are ready for it. In an extensive review of research in the second language acquisition, Ellis (1994) suggests that the ideal approach to teaching is the combination of both formal teaching and engaging students in communicative activities. This is also supported by research findings in good learners studies which generally concluded that successful learners pay attention both to forms and functions i.e. engage in communicative use of the language. Pienemanns argument, namely teaching grammar when learners are ready, that is, when they begin to use it and ask about it, is appealing. This is also in line with Krashens hypothesis of comprehensible input. However, most have not had a standard sequence of the acquisition order of a different language like say Adnan’s language which is Indonesian, by foreign learners though it is noted by Adnan that this is being done as they do in English and German. Before the learners are ready, grammatical explanation is kept to a minimum or presented indirectly through games or other types of exercises. Learners at tertiary levels (or perhaps adults in general) appear to need grammatical explanation from an early stage. But it is believed that time should not be sacrificed to develop communicative mainly oral skills in favour of detailed grammar teaching. Their needs should be met by providing grammar books which explain grammar in language that they can understand. References Adnan, Z. (n.d.). The Role of Formal Grammar Teaching on Second Language Acquisition: A Review of Research and on Views. Retrieved on March 5, 2007 from http://intranet.usc.edu.au/wacana/2/grammar.sla.html Crystal, David (1997). English as a Global Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Dendrinos, B. (1992) The EFL Textbook and Ideology. Athens: N. C. Grivas Publications Ellis, Rod (1994). The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press English language. (2006). Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved on March 7, 2007 from http://concise.britannica.com/ English language. (2003). The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press. Retrieved on March 7, 2007 from www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ English Language. (2006). Encyclopedia of American History. Encyclopedia of American History through a partnership of Answers Corporation. Retrieved on March 7, 2007 from http://www.answers.com/topic/english-language English Language. (2007). Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved on March 6, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language English Grammar. (2007). Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved on March 6, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_grammar Felix, S. (1981). The effect of formal instruction on second language acquisition. Language Learning. 31: 87‑112 Krashen, S. (1982) Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press Lightbown, P. (1983) Exploring relationship between developmental and instructional sequences in in L2 acquisition in H. Seliger and M. Long (eds.) (1983) Classroom Oriented Research in Second Language Acquisition. Rowley, Mass: Newbury House. Lightbown, P. and Spada, N. (1990). Instruction and the Development of Questions in L2 Classroom SSLA. Vol. 15, pp. 205‑224 Lixin Xiao. (2006). Bridging the Gap Between Teaching Styles and Learning Styles: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Volume 10 Number 3. Retrieved on March 6, 2007 from http://tesl-ej.org/ej39/a2.pdf McArthur, T. (ed.) (1992). The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford University Press. Mora, J. K. (1999). Major components of the study of syntax and grammar: Teaching grammar in context. San Diego State University. Retrieved on March 5, 2007 from http://coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/Grammar.htm Musumeci, D. (1997). The role of grammar in communicative language teaching: A historical perspective. The McGraw-Hill Companies. 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Digital Tools Used In Gojira And Godzilla Film Studies Essay

Digital Tools Used In Gojira And Godzilla Film Studies Essay Humans have been around for thousands of years. Today, many movies have been created based on stories and legends of influential people and life-changing events that were recorded in history. Inspiration for the 1954 film Gojira came about as a result of World War Two during the twentieth century. The devastation brought on Japan by the two nuclear bombs had inevitably raised a wide spread awareness about nuclear weapons and its radioactive destruction (Ragone 2007). Both, Gojiras and Godzillas creation were linked to the nuclear bomb. With reference to the 1998 film Godzilla, it can be seen that the creation of the terrible lizard was linked to French nuclear weapons testing in the French Polynesia. Similarly in the Japanese context, Gojira was shown to be linked not only to the atomic bombs, but the hydrogen ones as well. With the devastation of the two atomic bombs still fresh in the Japanese minds, further H-bomb tests were carried out near Japan and eventually, the radiation fallout directly impacted on the Japanese fishing industry, causing a sharp decline. With all these tragic events occurring within a short span of time, Gojira was concocted out as an incarnation of the war itself (Ragone 2007 pg. 35) as the producers wanted a real-world scenario that reflected the Japanese concerns that time. In order to effectively protray the nature of destruction caused in the films Gojira and Godzilla, visual effects became increasingly important as it was necessary to provide an acceptable level of realism for audiences who will be watching the film. Therefore, this led to the development and creation of different visual effect techniques. Then with the advancements in technology, some older techniques were modified and re-developed accordingly. In this investigation, it will bring to light the common, yet contrasting comparisons of filmmaking between the analogue and digital eras. 2| Scene Selection | I will be comparing two parallel special effects sequences in both Gojira and Godzilla. A breakdown of this complex scene will be accompanied with a description of its technical aspects in laymans terms. The scenes involve the two animals going on a rampage through a major city at night causing massive damages. It also includes military forces trying to eliminate the creature. These two scenes were specifically chosen as I will like to highlight the core visual effects elements that can be found throughout the films. 3| The Character| It was called Gojira, but was later known as Godzilla for the American audiences. (Godzilla, King of the Monsters 1998) In the 1954 Gojira, visual effects director Eiji Tsuburaya pioneered a technique called Suit-mation. The main reason for the introduction of Suit-mation was because of the need to complete the job within a short timespan (Ragone 2007). If stop-motion technique was used, it would have taken them seven years to complete the film. The suit was constructed mainly from hand-stirred latex and then refined subsequently. Even after refinements, the suit could only be worn for several minutes due to the unbearable heat and almost non-existent ventilation within. Due to its flexibility limitations and tremendous weight, the first suit was scrapped as the actor inside could not even move. In certain scenes where only the legs of Gojira were filmed, the suit was cut into two and attached to suspenders, allowing the actor to be more comfortable while filming (Godzilla, Designing Godzilla featurette 2005). Figure |Man in halved Gojira suit Development on analogue visual effect techniques can be seen clearly in the 1998 Godzilla, when Tsuburayas technique of Suitmation was used. Trained professional puppeteers were hired for shots that needed more physical realism with the miniatures that they were interacting with. Eventually, the Godzilla suit would be replaced with a CG Godzilla. Animatronics, a technique similar to the Suitmation technique, was introduced. In this case, instead of Human actors in the creatures costumes, machines were used to replace them. This method allowed many close-up interaction shots which enabled a high level of realism (Aberly 1998). The suit was not entirely presented as a guy-in-a-suit. Primitive visual effects were added to give Gojira a scarier feel. In the shot where Gojira was tearing up Tokyo and boasting its bright flashing hind fins, hundreds of cells were hand drawn frame by frame (Ryfle 1998). In several shots where Gojira was using its atomic breath, the creature was actually a hand puppet (Godzilla 2005). With much use for puppetry and animatronics, computer generated graphics still triumphed as the best tool for visual effects in the digital era. In addition, with the developments of computer animation software and techniques, realism took to a new height. Puppeteers whom took the role of Gojira would soon be replaced with computer animators sitting behind the desk. While the actor in the Gojira suit was acting for the scene, he would be filmed using a high speed camera at around 240 frames-per-second. The film would then be projected at 24 frames-per-second giving the feel of weight and size (Faller 2010). Using modern day tools to make Godzilla (1998) move, instead of shooting a guy-in-a-suit at a high frame rate, Centropolis FX had Godzilla key-frame animated in the computer. Due to the difficulty of animating such a huge creature, the team of animators grew from twelve to sixty (Martin 1998). Subsequently, After many failed attempts of animating a proper walk cycle, the team managed to get the same feel of the high speed camera shots by animating Godzillas movement at a slower speed (Martin 1998). From using chicken wires and glued latex for the construction of the 1954 Gojira (Designing Godzilla featurette 2005), polygons and NURBS took over in the digital era. The Gojira suit was made by wrapping thin wires and bamboo with chicken wire. Cushions and fabric were also added for the actors comfort. Hand stirred latex was later applied onto the suit as skin (Designing Godzilla featurette 2005). Even though CGI was of an advanced technology, there were still setbacks. Modelers had to split up their work of digitizing the entire creature by manually using a stylus to draw out every single mesh into the computer. Furthermore, the software was not perfect and had its limitations. A Special Projects team was sent from Soft Image to trouble-shoot problems encountered by the CGI crew (Aberly 1998). Ideally, Gojira was thought to have suffered burns and scars from the H-bomb test. The textures and the suit of Gojira were hand crafted by two people. Tireless hours were spent modeling the skin bumps by using latex and then gluing it onto the skin (Godzilla, Designing Godzilla featurette 2005). However in the modern day Godzilla, there was the technology of displacement mapping whereby the 3D geometry of Godzilla would be displaced using a texture map that contained details of the skin. With the model rendered out in different passes (Martin 1998), the process was more effective and also gave compositors more freedom in manipulating the image to create a realistic Godzilla. 4| The Set | As the two Godzillas enter the city and begin their trail of destruction, the set they were on had to look real. Although both movies used miniatures for filming, this special effects technique was inevitably developed and refined extensively due to technological advancements. 4.1| Miniatures | Miniatures for Gojira (1954) were made for use as a city scape. Tsuburaya had the miniatures built mostly in the 1/25 scale, with the exception of the Diet building which was a 1/33 scale (Ragone 2007). With reference to the scale of the Gojira suit with the miniature set scale, it created an illusion of Gojiras large size. Buildings were made in a forced perspective method where buildings closer to the camera were built bigger and those at the horizon smaller. The sets were actually built on wooden platforms to allow cameramen to do low angle shots, making the buildings look even bigger (Ryfle 1998). Thin plaster and wood were used for the buildings framework. Elaborate planning of the citys construction included custom made streets that would create footprints when being stepped on. Plaster was poured over sawdust to create that effect (Ryfle 1998). Digital techniques such as CG effects animation helped the 1998 Godzilla in creating street cracks. With the help of Thomas Hollier, a senior technical director, street impact technology was created. This allowed a pipeline for a more effective way for animating pavements that would crack under Godzillas weight (Martin 1998). Miniatures were also widely used in the making of Godzilla (1998). Huge 1/24 size models were built to accommodate Godzillas path of destruction. Huge 1/10 models were also built for close-up shots. The buildings were much more detailed with some featuring plumbing and even desks. There were several miniature buildings that were reused from The Hudsucker Proxy and The Fifth Element. With this, a great amount of production time was saved as redesigning of the rest of the set was no longer required. Although both Godzilla movies incorporated miniatures, Godzilla (1998) added extensive digital compositing over its miniatures to give it more realism (Martin 1998). Techniques adopted for destroying the miniature buildings were much more sophisticated in the newer film. In the 1954 version, kerosene soaked rags were used to set the miniatures ablaze (Ragone 2007). For those that were to be destroyed by Gojiras fiery breath, explosives were set behind the buildings. Several buildings even had gasoline sprayed on them to make them burn more easily. For buildings that were supposed to be destroyed by physical contact, small cracks were made in those miniatures so that it would crumble in a more believable fashion when Gojira crushed it. It was a daunting task for the actor inside as he had to get it right on the first take as there was not enough budget and time for a rebuild (Ryfle 1998). In 1998, there were more types of pyrotechniques available and one such example would be the military type. Different methods were developed to be used on the different types of destruction. As Godzilla races through the city with its tail in free motion causing damages to buildings, cable pulls were attached to sandbags in the buildings interiors. When they were pulled, a trail of damage would occur as if Godzillas tail had swept through them. Mechanical rigs were also used to blast through a building with the CG Godzilla to be composited in later. The Chrysler Building in the scene which was destroyed by a misfire from the attack helicopters were very complex mechanical rigs. Right after the top floors exploded, it was orchestrated to shift and descend towards the camera (Aberly 1998). On the whole, miniature destruction could be choreographed with more control. Miniature vehicles were also used on the set for both films. The military elements used in the Gojira scene were tanks. Extensive pyrotechnical effects were used for the firing of the tank weapons. When the tank shells hit Gojira, blasts were created by wire rigged charges (Ryfle 1998). Comparing this to a similar scene in the 1998 movie, instead of tanks, CG Apache attack helicopters were used. Tracer fire, blasts including debris and smoke from the damage were all entirely computer generated. In addition of the rain and lighting effects which included the volumetric searchlights, RenderMan shaders were developed solely for the wet look of the helicopter. However, at the shot when Godzilla decides to lash out at the attacking military helicopters, a miniature was used. With creative ingenuity, a 1/8 scale model was made loaded with pyrotechnics and detonated (Martin 1998). 4.2| Atmosphere | To create the perfect terrorising atmosphere, Gojira (1954) was shot using a low-key lighting effect (Biodrowski 2007). This is because Low key lighting would create a darker toned picture with contrasting bright contours which is more suitable for dramatic shots. The grainy cinematography would also feed an extra punch to the eerie effect throughout the film (Ryfle et al. 2007). With the advancements in technology, analogue methods would be often replaced by colour grading and compositing. In Godzilla (1998), instead of using a low-key effect to give the dramatic shots, the environment was given a CG rain touch up. This was a complicated scene where many effects animations were applied. Not only was computer generated imagery used, acquisition footage was also being recorded for the environments. From rain to shattering windows, these footages would later be composited at different scales to tie up the scene together with the CG Godzilla (Martin 1998). Lighting was a key element in creating the perfect environment. Real lights from orange and bluish street lamps had to be reflected onto the CG Godzilla. Due to location shots where real lights were aimed at buildings when Godzilla was supposed to be in the foreground, artists had to rotoscope out the real lights and animate the CG ones. More complications had arisen when Godzilla rampaged and took out the real street lamps. Firstly, lights from the real lamps had to be rotoscoped out. A CG lamp would then be created and animated to flip or be destroyed (Martin 1998). Although this entire sequence would seem small compared to the main character, it made the scene look believable. Another small detail to add on is the stationary cars from the live action footage that underwent rotoscoping when Godzilla stomped past them. Compositing artists had to create rotoscope mattes for the vehicles and animate their bounce by hand. The add-on of the camera shake at post-production level also helped with the realism (Martin 1998). 5| The Conclusion| In my chosen scenes which depict the destructions from the streets of Tokyo to Manhattan, both Gojira and Godzilla held similar iconic symbolisms and metaphors. In the 1950s when Gojira was made, there were many underlying reasons for its creation. The focal point was the atomic bombs. Since Japan had directly experienced the impact of the bombs, it would have held a deep significance for them. To a certain extent, it was believed that without the two atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Gojira would not have surfaced. Gojiras rampage through Tokyo would serve as a reminder of the recent devastating nuclear attack on Japan to the survivors of the atomic bombs as well as to the rest of the Japanese. Gojira also created awareness on new nuclear weapon testing and how our interference with Mother Nature might one day prove apocalyptic and leave a trail of death and devastation. Today, in the modern world context where technological advances are ever improving and as well as relative peace, Godzilla (1998) still carries the same essence as it did 44 years ago. With the threat of existing nuclear weapons and even deforestation which leads to Global Warming, metaphorically, Godzilla still serves as a reminder and warning of an impending disaster if we do not change our ways. Iconically, Godzilla would be referred to as a present doomsday movie. From comparing the different special effects techniques that were used in 1954 to those used in 1998, one could see how the technology leap into the digital era made a big difference in improving film quality and the workflow efficiency of special effects artists. Even though gone were the days where analogue techniques such as filming in front of glass mattes were regarded as the modern methods of special effects, several analogue techniques are still considered relevant with the present world. The integration of both analogue and digital effects proved to be a success in creating a hyper-real Godzilla. With the age of computers and constant development on digital techniques and tools, no one knows what the future might hold for us as special effects artists. However, like all foundations of buildings, the journey of learning the history and methodology of analogue techniques should be deemed as equally important for future developments. 6| Bilbliography| BOOKS Aberly, R., 1998. The making of godzilla. London: Titan books. Kalat, D., 1997. A critical history and filmography of tohos godzilla series. 2nd ed. USA: Mcfarland and company, inc. Ragone, A., 2007. Eiji tsuburaya: masters of monsters. San Francisco: Chronicle books. Ryfle, S., 1998. Japans favourite mon-star: the unauthorised biography of the big g. Canada: ECW press. JOURNALS Martin, K., 1998. The sound and the fury. Cinefex, 74(3), 84-107. WEBSITES Faller, G., 2010. Tsuburaya, eiji. Available from: http://www.filmreference.com/Writers-and-Production-Artists-Ta-Vi/Tsuburaya-Eiji.html [Accessed 9 October 2010] Biodrowski, S., 2007. Gojira(1954)/Godzilla, king of the monsters(1954)-Film and DVD review. Available from: http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2007/11/godzilla-1954-film-dvd-review/ [Accessed 25th October 2010] Ryfle, S. and Goldstein, B., 2007. Godzilla 50th Anniversary Pressbook. Available from: http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2007/12/06/godzilla-50th-anniversary-pressbook/ [Accessed 1st October 2010] DVD Godziszewski, E., Ryfle, S. and Aiken, S., 2005. Godzilla. DVD. UK: British Film Institute. Godziszewski, E., 2005. Godzilla-Designing Godzilla featurette. DVD. UK: British Film Institute. VIDEO Godzilla, King of the Monsters, 1998. Video. UK: BBC Video.

Marine Pollution Causes Effects And Control Environmental Sciences Essay

Marine Pollution Causes Effects And Control Environmental Sciences Essay The phrase heavy metals is used here as a general name for metals with densities in excess of 5 g/cm3. About 15 species are of practical concern. Heavy metals may be applied to soils deliberately to correct nutrient deficiencies or to kill pests. Very small amounts are needed to correct deficiencies, and these do not cause pollution. Repeated applications of inorganic pesticides containing heavy metals (for example, in sprays applied to fruit trees) may add amounts to soils large enough to be harmful. In contrast to organic pesticides, heavy metals do not disappear through decomposition but remain in soil indefinitely. Additional sources of soil contamination by heavy metals are industrial and traffic exhausts, flooding of land by contaminated waters, sewage sludge applied to land, and disposal of other refuse. Heavy metals participate in several kinds of reactions in soils, and these affect their concentrations and solubility. The metal ions tend to be bonded to soil constituents through cation exchange; this may amount to substantial quantities even though concentrations in the soil solution are usually low. Some soil constituents seem to have specific affinities for heavy metal ions, resulting in their preferential adsorption over more abundant cations. The concentrations of heavy metals in the soil solution are also affected by equilibria with hydroxyl, carbonate, and phosphate ions. Precipitation of heavy metals by these anions can limit concentrations even though fairly large amounts are added to soil. On the other hand, some heavy metal ions are strongly chelated by organic substances of low molecular weight, thereby altering their adsorption behavior and permitting rather high concentrations in the soil solution. The actual concentration in a soil is thus a function of reactions of heavy metals with a variety of soil constituents. Cadmium is considered as one of the most hazardous of the heavy metals because of its presumed effect on the development of vascular disease. Amounts of cadmium in soils are normally below 1 ppm, but values as high as 1700 ppm have been reported for surface samples collected near zinc-ore smelters. Cadmium is usually associated with zinc in nature, and the geochemical relationship between the two leads to their common occurrence with Zn/Cd ratios near 900. Cadmium is easily taken up by most plants. Some are quite sensitive to excess cadmium, and others are not. (ii) Chromium (Cr) This metal is a major component of the wastes of the plating industry. Cr is toxic for plant growth only at high concentrations. Chromium mobility within plants is extremely low. Soil pollution by chromium is seldom a problem because it is taken up by plants as chromate, a form that hardly occurs at prevailing pH values and redox potentials. (iii) Cobalt (Co) This can be highly toxic to plants. Most plant species cannot tolerate concentrations of cobalt exceeding 0.1 ppm. Usually cobalt contents of soil do not exceed 10 ppm. Preferential cobalt adsorption on soil constituents and fixation in clay mineral lattices might add to the problem. (iv) Copper (Cu) Copper is toxic to most plants at concentrations exceeding 0.1 ppm. Its concentration in drinking water for human consumption is considered safe when not exceeding 1.0 ppm. Concentrations above 20 ppm in feed and forage are toxic to sheep. Normal copper contents of soils are around 20 ppm. Mobility and displacement of copper in soils are low because of its strong bonding with organic matter and clay minerals. (v) Lead (Pb) This may accumulate in soils along roads from traffic exhausts and in the vicinities of lead-zinc smelters. Roadside concentrations as high as 2400 ppm have been reported. While (excessive) intake of lead by humans and animals is considered a serious health hazard, the primary pathway of such intakes is probably via surface contamination of crops and grasses (eaten by grazing animals) rather than via plant uptake. The mobility of lead in soil and plants tends to be low though in some cases considerable uptake by plants has been observed. Normal lead levels in plants range from 0.5-3 ppm. With respect to plant growth, lead toxicity levels appear to differ considerably for different plant species. (vi) Mercury (Hg) Extensive mercury poisoning was first reported at Minamata, Japan, in 1953. As a result of the strong interactions between mercury compounds and soil constituents, displacement of mercury in forms other than vapor is usually very low. Methylation of mercury, possibly occurring in nature under restricted conditions, constitutes one of the most serious hazards related to this element, because in this form mercury will accumulate easily in food chains. Because of this hazard, the use of alkylmercury fungicides for seed dressings has been banned in many countries. (vii) Molybdenum (Mo) This element is best known for its deficiency in certain soils. Under normal conditions molybdenum predominates in anionic form (molybdate), subject to adsorption by iron oxides and hydroxides much like phosphate. While normal molybdenum content in plants is around 0.1 ppm, toxicity symptoms have been observed at levels above 200-300 ppm (dry matter). (viii) Nickel (Ni) This element tends to be highly toxic to plants. As it is easily taken up by plants when present in soils, care must be exercised in disposal of waste containing nickel. Total nickel contents in soils range from 5-500 ppm, with 100 ppm as a rough mean value. The concentration in the soil solution is usually around 0.005-0.05 ppm, and contents in healthy plants do not exceed 1 ppm (dry matter). (ix) Zinc (Zn) The use of this element in galvanized iron is widespread. Zinc commonly occurs in soils at levels of 10-300 ppm, with 30-50 ppm as a rough average range. Sewage sludges may have very high zinc contents, and the possible accumulation of zinc in soil after disposal of such wastes deserves attention. In plants, zinc will become toxic at levels exceeding about 400 ppm (dry matter), where it probably interferes with the uptake of other essential elements. In soil, zinc appears to be rather mobile. Wastes and soil pollution The large amount of waste produced every day in towns and cities and other human settlements end up in soil. The most common kinds of wastes can be classified into four types: agricultural, industrial, municipal, and nuclear (Table 5.13). Table 5.13. Wastes and Soil Pollution Sources Effects Agriculture (i) accumulation of animal manures (ii) excessive input of chemical fertilizers (iii) illicit dumping of tainted crops on land Mining and Quarrying (i) using of explosives to blow up mines (ii) using of machineries which emit toxic byproducts and leaks to the ground Sewage sludge Improper sanitation system causes sludge to leak at surrounding soil Household (i) improper waste disposal system causes waste accumulation (ii) improper sanitation system Dredged spoils Method of dredging at fertile land causes soil infertility, leaving the soil more prone to external pollution Demolition and construction Nonbiodegradable rubbles or debris which undergo chemical reactions and increase soil toxicity Industrial Poisonous/toxic gases which are not filtered or neutralized Control of Soil pollution The following general methods of controlling soil pollution are in use. Effluents should be properly treated before discharging them on to soil. Solid wastes should be properly collected and disposed of by appropriate method. From the wastes, recovery of useful products should be done. Microbial degradation of biodegradable substances reduces soil pollution. 5.5 Marine Pollution: Causes, Effects and Control The sea, which covers around 70 per cent of the earths surface, is home to millions of fish, crustaceans, mammals, microorganisms, and plants. It is a vital source of food for both animals and people. Thousands of birds rely on the sea for their daily food supplies. Fishermen throughout the world catch over 90 million tons of fish every year, and in many developing countries, fish is the principal source of protein.   People also depend on the sea for many of their medicines. Marine animals and plants contain many chemicals that can be used to cure human ailments: an estimated 500 sea species yield chemicals that could help treat cancer.   But the oceans now are in a very bad shape. People have treated the sea as a dumping ground for thousands of years, offloading rubbish, sewage, and more recently industrial waste. Marine pollution frequently originates on land, entering the sea via rivers and pipelines. This means that coastal waters are dirtier than the open seas, with estuaries and harbours being especially badly affected. Additional pollution is actually created at sea by activities such as dredging, drilling for oil and minerals, and shipping.   Marine Pollution   For close to thirty years, most academics studying the phenomena of marine pollution have adhered to a definition developed by a UN body, the Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution (GESAMP), who define it as Introduction by man, directly or indirectly, of substances or energy into the marine environment (including estuaries) resulting in such deleterious effects as harm to living resources, hazard to human health, hindrance to marine activities including fishing, impairment of quality for use of sea-water, and reduction of amenities.   The definition has two important aspects:   First, it is action oriented. Marine pollution results from human activity. Thus, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions in the ocean floor and subsequent damage or change to the ocean ecosystems is not considered as pollution.   Second, the definition is amenable to measurement. Marine pollution is harmful, and its danger can be identified in a variety of ways. For example, it is easy to see the deleterious effects that oil spills have on the sea birds and mammals that happen to run into them. Scientists likewise can readily identify various toxic substances found in the marine environment, measure their quantities, and provide estimates of their potential danger for the health of both marine life and humans.   The important sources of marine pollution are shown in Fig. 5.4. Toxics Toxic waste is the most harmful form of pollution to marine creatures.   Once a form of toxic waste affects an organism, it can be quickly passed along the food chain and might eventually end up in seafood, causing various problems. Toxic wastes arrive from the leakage of landfills, dumps, mines and farms.   Sewage and industrial wastes introduce chemical pollutants like DDT. Farm chemicals (insecticides and herbicides) along with heavy metals (e.g. mercury and zinc) can have disastrous effect on marine life.   Mercury the most dangerous toxic  element Top priority is usually given to control the pollutant that poses a threat to human health, the most serious being mercury.   Major sources of mercury include rivers, marine outfalls and direct dumping of chemical waste. Natural inputs like the weathering of mercury-bearing rocks, volcanic gases also contribute to mercury in the ocean.   Dissolved mercury in the sea is adsorbed onto particulate matter and also forms stable complexes with organic compounds occurring in the sea. Inorganic mercury can be easily accumulated by living organisms. Fig. 5.4. Sources of marine pollution. A classic example of mercury poisoning happened in Minamata, a small Japanese coastal town dependent on fishing for a livelihood. In 1952, a nearby factory producing vinyl chloride and acetaldehyde using mercuric sulphate as a catalyst dumped its wastes in Minamata bay. Typically 300-1000 g of mercury is lost for each ton of acetaldehyde produced, 5% of which is in the form of methyl mercury. Mercuric chloride when used as a catalyst produces 1 g of methyl mercury per ton of product. Accumulated contamination was as high as 200 ppm mercury at the factory outfall.   The effects began with the death of a large number of fish in the early 1950s. This affected birds, cats, pigs, and humans.  Birds lost coordination to fly.   Cats were seen running in circles and foaming at the mouth.   Local residents called these occurrences the disease of the dancing cats.   Later, the disease was termed Minamata Disease when humans began to have symptoms of methyl mercury poisoning.   Other Toxic Materials   Toxic materials are substances derived from industrial, agricultural, household cleaning, gardening and automotive products. They do not always kill wildlife, but they can threaten inland and coastal waters. Examples of toxic materials include:   Dioxins come from bleaching paper, incineration of solid wastes containing PVC and other materials, and the process of making herbicides. Dioxins and related compounds degrade slowly and are toxic to marine life. They cause genetic chromosomal aberrations in marine life and are suspected of causing cancer in humans.   PCBs are used in the making electrical equipments and hydraulic fluids. Developmental problems in children and reproductive problems in some other animals have been linked to PCBs. Slowly degrading PCBs accumulate as they pass along the ocean food web. PAHs come from oil spills, road runoff, and burning wood and coal.   Marine life and people suffer ill effects from PAHs. PAHs cause genetic and chromosomal problems in fish and most marine organisms.   Sewage and fertilizers   The discharge of sewage can cause public health problems either from contact with polluted waters or from consumption of contaminated fish or shellfish.   The discharge of untreated sewage effluents also produces long-term adverse impacts on the ecology of critical coastal ecosystems in localized areas due to the contribution of nutrients and other pollutants. Pollution due to inadequate sewage disposal causes nutrient enrichment around population centers, and high nutrient levels and even eutrophication near treatment facilities and sewage outfalls.   Around the world, untreated sewage flows into coastal waters, carrying organic waste and nutrients that can lead to oxygen depletion, as well as disease-causing bacteria and parasites that require closing beaches and shellfish beds.  The inadequate number of sewage treatment plants in operation, combined with poor operating conditions of available treatment plants, and the disposal practices of discharging mostly untreated wastewater are likely to have an adverse effect on the ocean.   Oil   The sites most vulnerable for accidents are areas where tankers and barges move through restricted channels and in the vicinity of ports.   In spite of regulations established, tankers and barges do not always use port facilities for the disposal of bilge and tank washing and wastes, and a significant amount of oil, which exceeds that from accidental oil spills, is discharged into the coastal areas. The impact of oil pollution on the ecology of coastal and marine ecosystems is particularly destructive following massive oil spills caused by maritime accidents.   However, gas exchange between the water and the atmosphere is decreased by oil remaining on the surface of the water, with the possible result of oxygen depletion in enclosed bays where surface wave action is minimal. Coral death results from smothering when submerged oil directly adheres to coral surfaces and oil slicks affect sea birds and other marine animals. In addition, tar accumulation on beaches reduces tourism potential of coastal areas.   Mining and Dredging   Mining affects the marine ecosystem and the habitat. Mining can erode beaches, degrade water quality, and spoil coastal habitats. Mining coral to process for lime can remove the habitat of local marine species and weakens coastal storm defense. Mined or dredged areas take a very long time to recover. Because of this, strict regulations govern the dredging of the ocean floor   Synthetic Organic Chemicals   Many different synthetic organic chemicals enter the ocean and become incorporated into organisms. Ingestion of small amounts can cause illness or death.   Halogenated hydrocarbons are a class of synthetic hydrocarbon compounds that contain chlorine, bromine, or iodine are used in pesticides, flame retardants, industrial solvents, and cleaning fluids.   The level of synthetic organic chemicals in seawater is usually very low, but some organisms can concentrate these toxic substances in their flesh at higher levels in the food chain. That is an example of biological amplification.   Marine debris   More garbage such as plastic bags, rope, helium balloons, and stray fishing gear, build up in the oceans every year. Synthetic materials stay in the environment for years, killing or injuring ocean species, like whales and turtles, which mistake litter for food or get entangled in it. Ghost fishing by lost nets not only kills innocent ocean creatures but also reduces fishers catches.   Plastic is not biodegradable and therefore affects the oceans for long periods of time. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and die from internal blockages. Seals and sea lions starve after being muzzled by six-pack rings or entangled by nets.   Effects of Marine Pollution on Living Marine Resources Tens of thousands of chemicals are used to meet societys technological and economic needs. Marine pollution is not only attributed to oil and chemical spills, but much of the debris and toxic substances affecting marine animals, in actual fact, originate on land. Pesticides, plastic bags, balloons, cigarette butts, motor oil, fishing line, find their way into local waterways either though direct dumping, through storm drains (whatever is left on streets, parking lots, can be washed into storm drains which lead directly to local waters), or through sanitary sewers, affecting living marine resources.   The time taken by a few common types of litter to biodegrade is given in Table 5.14. Two basic ways by which chemical contaminants can affect living marine resources are:   By directly affecting the exposed organisms own health and survival, and   By contaminating those resources that other species, including humans, may consume.   Researchers have been studying this dual impact of contaminants using a variety of marine organisms ranging from bottom-dwelling invertebrates and fish to species such as salmon and marine mammals. These biological effects include:   Diseases such as liver lesions in bottom fish, Decreased reproductive success in bottom fish, Impaired immune competence in anadromous fish, and   Growth impairment in invertebrates.   Marine pollution can have serious economic impact on coastal activities and on those who exploit the resources of the sea. In most cases such damage is caused primarily by the physical properties of these pollutants creating nuisance and hazardous conditions. Table 5.14. Degradation time of materials Materials Time to degrade Materials Time to degrade Tin cans 50 years Wool 1 year Painted wood 13 years Plastic rings 400+ years Newspaper 6 weeks Plastic bottles 450 years Paper towels 2 4 weeks Aluminium cans 200 years Disposable diapers 450 years Monofilament line 600 years Polystyrene foam Indefinite Cardboard 2 months Impact on coastal activities   Contamination of coastal amenity areas is a common feature of many spills leading to public disquiet and interference with recreational activities such as bathing, boating, angling and diving. Hotel and restaurant owners and others who gain their livelihood from the tourist trade can also be affected.   Oil and chemical spills can adversely affect industries that rely on a clean supply of seawater for their normal operations. If substantial quantities of floating or sub-surface pollutants are drawn through intakes, contamination of the condenser tubes may result, requiring a reduction in output or total shutdown. Simply, the effects of marine pollution are caused by either the physical nature of the pollutants themselves (physical contamination and smothering) or by their chemical components (toxic effects and accumulation leading to tainting). Marine life may also be affected by clean-up operations or indirectly through physical damage to the habitats in which plants and animals live. The main threat posed to living resources by the persistent residues of spilled oils and water-in-oil emulsions (mousse) is one of physical smothering. The animals and plants most at risk are those that could come into contact with a contaminated sea surface:   Marine mammals and reptiles. Birds that feed by diving or form flocks on the sea. Marine life on shorelines and Animals and plants in Mari culture facilities.   Subsequently the inability of individual marine organisms to reproduce, grow, feed or perform other functions can be caused by prolonged exposure to pollutants, if not eventual death. Sedentary animals in shallow waters such as oysters, mussels and clams that routinely filter large volumes of seawater to extract food are especially likely to accumulate oil components and harmful chemicals, poisoning consumers.   In addition to that, birds, whales and other marine creatures often mistake cigarette butts (which find their way into the waters) for food. The butts contain small plastic pieces that can interfere with the digestion of food, casing marine life to starve. Monofilament fishing line can be lethal to seals, sea lions, fish and other animals. Many marine species, including seals, herring, gulls, sharks, and shellfish have died or suffered injuries from plastic bags, nets and monofilament fishing lines.   Impacts on specific marine habitats The impact that marine pollution can have on selected marine habitats are given below. Within each habitat a wide range of environmental conditions prevail and often there is no clear division between one habitat and another.   In coastal areas some marine mammals and reptiles, such as turtles, may be particularly vulnerable to adverse effects from contamination because of their need to surface to breathe and to leave the water to breed.   The impact of oil on shorelines may be particularly great where large areas of rocks, sand and mud are uncovered at low tide.   The amenity value of beaches and rocky shores may require the use of rapid, effective clean-up techniques, which may not be compatible with the plants and animals.   In tropical regions, mangrove trees have complex breathing roots above the surface of the organically rich and oxygen-depleted mud in which they live. Oil may block the openings of the air breathing roots of mangroves or interfere with the trees salt balance, causing leaves to drop and the tress to die. Fresh oil entering nearby animal burrows can damage the root systems and the effect may persist for some time inhibiting decolonization by mangrove seedlings.   Living corals grow on the calcified remains of dead coral colonies that form overhangs, crevices and other irregularities inhabited by a rich variety of fish and other animals. If the living coral is destroyed the reef itself may be subject to wave erosion.   Birds which congregate in large numbers on the sea or shorelines to breed, feed or molt are particularly vulnerable to oil pollution. Although oil ingested by birds during preening may be lethal, the most common cause of death is from drowning, starvation and loss of body heat when their body surfaces are coated with oil.   Impact on fisheries and Mariculture   The pollutants in the waters, especially in the case of oil spills can also damage boats and gears used for catching or cultivating marine species. Floating equipment and fixed traps extending above the sea surface are more likely to become contaminated by floating oil whereas submerged nets, pots, lines and bottom trawls are usually well protected, provided they are not lifted through an oily sea surface.   An oil or chemical spill can also cause loss of market confidence since the public may be unwilling to purchase marine products from the region irrespective of whether the seafood is actually tainted. Bans on the fishing and harvesting of marine products may be imposed following a spill, both to maintain market confidence and to protect fishing gear and catches from contamination.   5.6 Noise Pollution Noise usually means unwanted sound of appreciable intensity which goes on for a length of time (seconds to hours) that irritates people. The noise may emanate from factories, offices and market place, roads (traffic-related), running and shuttling of trains, landing and take-offs of aircrafts at airports, use of loudspeakers in meetings, rallies, celebrations, etc. When the quality and the intensity of the noise is practically constant (varying less than  ±5 dBA) over an appreciable time (seconds or longer), it is often called steady-state noise. The first reaction to any form of unwanted sound is annoyance, followed by irritation, restlessness and extreme reaction. Since noise travels through air, all forms of noise are considered as polluting air and noise is considered as an air pollutant. Sound is defined as a pressure variation that the human ear can detect. Just like dominoes, a wave motion is set off when an element sets the nearest particle of air into motion. This motion gradually spreads to adjacent air particles further away from the source. Depending on the medium, sound propagates at different speeds. In air, sound propagates at a speed of approximately 340 m/s. In liquids and solids, the propagation velocity is greater, 1500 m/s in water and 5000 m/s in steel. Compared to the static air pressure (105 Pa), the audible sound pressure variations are very small ranging from about 20  µPa (20 ÃÆ'- 10-6 Pa) to 100 Pa. The sound pressure level of 20  µPa corresponds to the average persons threshold of hearing. A sound pressure of approximately 100 Pa is so loud that it causes pain and is therefore called the threshold of pain. The ratio between these two extremes is more than a million to one. Sound pressure level alone is not a reliable indicator of loudness. The frequency or pitch of a sound also has a substantial effect on how humans will respond. While the intensity (energy per unit area) of the sound is a purely physical quantity, the loudness or human response depends on the characteristics of the human ear. A direct application of linear scales (in Pa) to the measurement of sound pressure leads to large and unwieldy numbers. Therefore, the acoustic parameters are conveniently expressed as a logarithmic ratio of the measured value to a reference value. This logarithmic ratio is called a decibel or dB. Using dB, the large numbers are converted into a manageable scale from 0 dB at the threshold of hearing (20  µPa) to 130 dB at the threshold of pain (~100 Pa). Some examples of common noise and their decibel levels are given in Table 5.16. The decibel scale is open-ended. 0 dB or dBA should not be construed as the absence of sound. Instead, it is the generally accepted threshold of best human hearing. Sound pressure levels in negative decibel ranges are inaudible to humans. On the other extreme, the decibel scale can go much higher. For example, gun shots, explosions, and rocket engines can reach 140 dBA or higher at close range. Noise levels approaching 140 dBA are nearing the threshold of pain. Higher levels can inflict physical damage on such things as structural members of air and spacecraft and related parts. Table 5.16. Equivalent sound levels in decibels normally occurring inside various places Place Leq (decibels) Small Store (1-5 persons) 60 Large Store (more than 5 persons) 65 Small Office (1-2 desks) 58 Medium Office (3-10 desks) 63 Large Office (more than 10 desks) 67 Miscellaneous Business 63 Residence Typical movement of people no TV or radio Speech at 10 feet, normal voice TV listening at 10 feet, no other activity Stereo music 40-45 55 55-60 50-70 How is noise measured? Basically, there are two different instruments to measure noise exposures: the sound level meter and the dosimeter. A sound level meter is a device that measures the intensity of sound at a given moment. Since sound level meters provide a measure of sound intensity at only one point in time, it is generally necessary to take a number of measurements at different times during the day to estimate noise exposure over a workday. This measurement method is generally referred to as area noise monitoring. A dosimeter is like a sound level meter except that it stores sound level measurements and integrates these measurements over time, providing an average noise exposure reading for a given period of time such as an 8-hour workday. The dosimeter measures noise levels in those locations in which a person works or spends long intervals of time. Such procedures are generally referred to as personal noise monitoring. Human hearing is limited not only to the range of audible frequencies, but also in the way it perceives the sound pressure level in that range. In general, the healthy human ear is most sensitive to sounds between 1,000 Hz 5000 Hz, and perceives both higher and lower frequency sounds of the same magnitude with less intensity. In order to approximate the frequency response of the human ear, a series of sound pressure level adjustments is usually applied to the sound measured by a sound level meter. The adjustments, or weighting network, are frequency dependent. The A-scale approximates the frequency response of the average young ear when listening to most ordinary everyday sounds. When people make relative judgments of the loudness or annoyance of a sound, their judgments correlate well with the A-scale sound levels of those sounds. There are other weighting networks that have been devised to address high noise levels or other special problems (B-scale, C-scale, D-scale etc.) but these scales are rarely, if ever, used in conjunction with highway traffic noise. Noise levels are generated in the A-scale as dBA. In environmental noise studies, A-weighted sound pressure levels are commonly referred to as noise levels. Sources of noise Various sources of noise (Table 5.17) are industry, road traffic, rail traffic, air traffic, construction and public works, indoor sources (air conditioners, air coolers, radio, television and other home appliances), etc. In Indian conditions, indiscriminate use of public address system and diesel generator (DG) sets, has given a new dimension to the noise pollution problem. Noise in Industrial Areas. Mechanized industry creates serious noise problems, su