Sleep Stages and Disorders

Introduction Going by a general overview, sleep can be seen as a long period of loss of consciousness but during which one can awakened from. Sleep is a normal state of bodily behavior change where one enters a period of unconsciousness, the sensory and movement activities are deferred and all voluntary muscular movements suspended.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Sleep Stages and Disorders specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More During sleep, a person is less aware of the external environment and the source of stimuli at this stage is primarily internal. A more elaborate look into understanding sleep take a look at the two aspects of sleep which is the behavior observed during sleeping periods as well as the scientific explanation of the physiological processes involved during sleep. Behavioral perspective looks at sleep as a period characterized by immobility or slight movement, a decrease in eye movements, a decrease in awareness of external stimuli, certain body postures, unconsciousness that is in real sense reversible, and reduced cognition. The physiology of sleep is well understood by looking at the electrical rhythms of human mind recorded during sleep. An understanding of these two aspects of defining sleep helps us to explain the step by step process of sleep (Russo, 2005). The process of sleep follows 5stages each marked by a difference in brain wave patterns. The stage 1 consists of periods during which one switches between sleep and wakefulness. The amount of sleep here is light making it easier to stay in touch with external stimuli. This is the stage which the muscles enter a relaxation state. Being the first stage, it marks the first few minutes after one falls asleep and since it is light, one can be aroused and awakened from time to time by any slight disturbance. It forms 5-10% of the whole sleep period. The second stage marks the first feel of the actual sleep during which one looses total consciousness. Movement of the eyelids cease at this stage and the brain waves slowdown. The heart rate also decreases and is accompanied by a fall in body temperatures. This stage accounts for 40-50% of the total sleep period. Stage 3 is marked by a major slowdown in brain wave movements. This marks the entry into a period of deep sleep during which one cannot easily be awakened. A person awakened at this stage has immediate feels of disorientation and takes sometime to completely adjust to wakefulness. Stage 4 is hard to differentiate from stage 3 and in some cases the two have been combined. It is the stage where brain waves reach very slow movement patterns. At this stage, much of the blood that goes to the brain is now diverted to the muscles and energy lost during various activities begins to be replenished. This stage marks very intense deep period of sleep. This is the stage during which certain sleep disorders like sleepwalking, bedwetting and nightma res are experienced (Billiard Kent, 2003)..Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The last stage of sleep is known as REM standing for rapid eye movement. This occurs 70-90 minutes from the time one falls asleep and in the total sleep time it makes up 20-25% and occurs for about 4-5 times during the whole sleep period. Most dreams occur at this stage of sleep. REM periods start as short durations but as sleep cycles progress the duration of REM increases. During this stage, the eyeballs increase in movement, the heart rate and breathing rate increases but occur in irregular at irregular intervals, and blood pressure increases. REM also marks a period during which the muscles are temporarily paralyzed making limbs movement impossible. This is considered an important phenomenon since if this was not to happen people would be acting according to their dreams at this stage. The brain waves at this stage are actually very fast and high indicating that the brain is very active. The levels of brain activity are almost as high as those experienced when one is awake. It has been found out that if one is awoken during the REM stage, it is possible to remember their dreams very vividly (Hunt, 2009). The term getting enough sleep does not only refer to being in bed for a long time, it incorporates spending enough amount of time in each of the sleep stages. Each stage of sleep brings with it benefits to the body and therefore sleep as a whole is beneficial. Sleep has been termed as an important period during which restoration of various body resources occur. This is recorded in various areas such as restoration of energy levels. This occurs mainly in stage 4 when various body processes increase and blood is directed to the muscles thus restoring energy lost during work. Sleep is also important in restoration in from of healing wounds. This is shown by the decreases in w hite blood cells reported in cases of sleep deprivation. Related to this is the fact that the immune system is also boosted by getting enough sleep. During the REM stage when the body processes and brain activity are almost as those recorded when one is awake, results in increased metabolism during which the growth hormones are secreted thereby marking the importance of sleep in the growth process. Sleep has been shown to contribute to learning and memory processing. Adequate sleep assists the brain in processing new information taken in and preserving it in the long term memory which improves the cognitive functions. Various studies have shown that sleeping after taking in new information resulted in higher chances of memorizing the facts afterwards.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Sleep Stages and Disorders specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lack of enough sleep also leads to an impaired memory. Getting enough sleep ensures that one gets enough rest to replenish the nervous system. This ensures that a person has the physical ability to face the day ahead. Getting enough sleep acts as a safety measure that reduces the chances of mishaps. A sleep deprived person may find themselves dozing off during the daytime and during the working hours. This increase the chances of making errors which might result in mistakes that maybe of great consequences such as traffic accidents, tripping and falling, and accidents at work place. The relaxation effect and restoration that is brought about by getting enough sleep means that the person wakes up when in a good mood. Sleep deprivation on the other hand has been associated with irritability, loss of concentration, lack of patience and general low moods. Sleep has been linked to cardiovascular health with studies showing that sleep reduces the chances of elevation of the cardiovascular illnesses. The explanation for this is that sleep disorders r esult in health conditions such as hypertension, stress, and the heart beating unevenly. These factors highly increase the chances of attack by cardiovascular illnesses. After clear understanding of the importance of sleep in the functioning of a person’s body, it should be understood that the amount of sleep needed for normal functioning is different compared to the amount of sleep that a body requires for optimum functioning capacity. This however differs from person to person with some people recording additional benefits from sleeping for longer while others get maximum benefits for getting just enough sleep. There is however no definite formula for determining the exact duration needed for each person to know when they get optimum benefits, but one can always try and evaluate how different sleep duration serves to fulfill their sleep needs. Experts such as National Institute of Health have however come up with a conclusion of the average amount of time that persons in di fferent age groups need per night. During the infant stage of growth, the amount of hours that should be spent on sleep is greater. This sleep duration at this stage occurs in a number of sessions which when added up give the total amount of sleep time in infancy stage. The total sleep time in infancy add up to 14-16 hours per day. The total sleep time the hits a decrease phase as the young baby grows in age. Sleep in infancy stage is different in that a bigger amount of sleep time is spent in REM other than deep sleep. This is the reason the newborns are often switching between wakefulness and sleep. This is important for the rapid growth that takes place in newborns and is facilitated by the REM stage of sleep.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As one enters the adult stage of growth, the average sleep time required per night decreases to 7-8 hours, with different sources quoting varying figures but close to this. The amount of sleep needed however varies with some people requiring less hours and other more than 8 hours of sleep. The determinant here is whether the individual had in the recent past been deprived of sleep which requires compensation. Spending less than the required time in sleep is detrimental as it leads to ‘sleep debt’. This has been shown to have adverse effect on human mind and body functioning and can only be resolved by sleeping for longer hours. As one reaches old age, sleep tends to be light and the duration spent in sleep is usually shorter. The shortened duration is as a result of a decrease in the amount time spent on stages III and IV of the sleep time which in average goes down by approximately 10-15%. Although there has been reported an increase in time spent in stage II amongst t he old, the increase is low and not enough to compensate for the time that is lost in stage III and IV. Old people experience difficulties in falling asleep coupled with periods of arousals during sleep which marks the shortening of the total sleep time. This can only be compensated by increasing the amount of time spent in bed or otherwise cases of loss of sleep are reported. These cases are compounded by the various medical conditions that are associated with aging like breathing difficulties during sleep, weakened muscles, and weakened heart function (Smith Segal, 2010). Getting enough sleep is very essential for optimum functioning of both the human mind and the body. A person who doesn’t spend the required amount of sleep time per night is termed as being sleep deprived. While the indicators of sleep deprivation may not be so intense as to be figured outright, the compounded effect that it has on a person’s lifestyle is one that can affect the total body output u ntil the problem is resolved by compensating fro the lost sleep. Sleep deprivation can be caused by several factors which include; sleeping late which means reduced total sleep time, waking up earlier than accustomed for, interruption during sleep which means that certain stages of sleep are interrupted, or failing to sleep completely (Milner Cote, 2008). Sleep deprivation is shown by signs that in most cases are considered to be normal. One should be able to wake up naturally after spending enough time sleeping, however most people need alarm clocks to act as reminders which is a clear sign of sleep deprivation. If you struggle to get out of bed when it’s time to wake up, you are possibly sleep deprived. Simple laziness that is synonymous with afternoon sessions, or feeling sleepy in odd places and times like in meetings or classroom marks the evidence of sleep deprivation. After heavy meals and especially in the afternoons, most people consider taking a nap as a normal rou tine while in the contrary it shows signs of a sleep deprived individual. Another sign of a sleep deprived person is dozing off while in a vehicle, or watching TV as well as falling into deep sleep immediately after getting to bed. Sleep deprivation results in general reduction in functional capability of a person. This emanates from the various effects that are resultant from sleep deprivation. A sleep deprived individual lacks motivation and shows general sluggishness as well as low concentration levels. Lack of enough sleep causes one to be moody and easily angered which in sense leads to an increase in stress levels and inability to make sound decisions and solve problems. Health wise, sleep deficiency weakens the body immune system resulting in frequent attacks by diseases such as colds. One’s safety is put at risk as the impairment in motor skills can result in fatal accidents. Sleep deficiency has been associated with cases of weight gain, diabetes and cardiovascular i llnesses. Normal sleeping is sometimes interrupted resulting in what we term as sleeping disorders. The various disorders associated with sleep occur in various manners; disruptions during sleep, difficulty sleeping in general, and sleeping for longer durations. The most evident and probably the most commonly known disorder of sleep is insomnia. The disorder is characterized by general lack of sleep during the night. It occurs when one is unable to initially fall asleep and maintain continuous sleep durations. It is also reported in other cases as awakening in early morning hours and failure to fall asleep after sleep is interrupted. The diagnostic criteria for insomnia require that the incidents of lack of sleep occur for 3-4 times in a week and continue for a period exceeding one month. Insomnia can be either acute or chronic. The acute type is not persistent for long and is said to result from stressful conditions and disappears soon after the situation normalizes. Chronic insomn ia however is the most common and is often coupled by other conditions such as mental disorders, medication, as well as drug abuse (Lee, 2006). Another sleep disorder that is common today is sleep apnoea. It occurs in two different ways and can therefore be classified as either Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) or central sleep apnoea (CSA). Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome is characterized by partial blockage of the airway which results in difficult when breathing during sleep. Some of the common cases of OSAS are when sleep is accompanied by heavy snoring, a feeling of chocking, instances of complete absence of breathing, and physical movements such as jerking and trembling indicating that the airway has been obstructed. It consequently affects the sleep patterns and those who suffer the condition often fail to enter the deep sleep stages of sleep. According to Chowdhuri Badr (2008), Central Sleep Apnoea on the other hand occurs when there is failure in breathing during s leep brought about by the inability to control the ventilatory motor output which normally is responsible fro opening up the airway during breathing. CSA brings about symptoms similar to those of insomniacs coupled with feeling sleepy during the day and awakening during sleep hours. Narcolepsy-cataplexy is a sleep disorder that is marked by frequent sleep attacks especially during the daytime hours. This is often frequent and persists for quite sometime and therefore should not be mistaken from the daytime sleepiness that is as a result of insomnia, interrupted sleep during the previous day, boredom, or due to physical fatigue. The frequent attacks of sleep occur are rapid and one is unable to control falling asleep. It happens for a short duration ranging from seconds to several minutes. A good number of people have been said to suffer from narcolepsy and are aware of the symptoms but most of those who suffer it never seek medical interventions and hence continue to live with the p roblem. The sudden attacks of sleep can in other cases be coupled with a feeling of weak muscles that are unable to support the body, a condition known as cataplexy. When the two sates combine to result in a condition that is referred to as Narcolepsy-cataplexy, the result is an incidence of a total body muscular collapse coupled with some deep sleep lasting for a few minutes and could be confused with epilepsy. The common cause of the condition is said to be a malfunction in the central nervous system which can be kept in control by persistent use of medication (Chou Chuang, 2008). A number of sleep related abnormal behaviors have been related to a sleep disorder known as parasomnia. Parasomnia is a condition associated movements and actions that are unusual during sleep and periods during which one is aroused from sleep either leading to disruption of sleep or not. Several disorders of sleep are categorized under parasomnia. The most common of these is sleepwalking. It is a disor der that is common amongst the children of up to 12 years. Its start is marked by activation of the motor activity when the brain enters a slow wave phase. This is followed by several minutes of abnormal movement around the room or house. There have not been any reported cases of criminal activities that have taken place as a result of sleepwalking. Causes that are said to bring about this condition are lack of enough sleep, exhaustion, prevailing ailment, and certain sedative drugs. Another parasomnia disorder is night terrors. This condition is marked by the person making sharp intense screams in their sleep that are usually combined with a feeling of fear and confusion. Nightmares are said to occur during the phases of slow brain wave movements too. In most cases, patients who are diagnosed with night terrors also experience sleepwalking disorder. Factors said to contribute to night terrors are sleep deprivation, loss of energy, illness, drugs that give a hypnotic feeling, and re lated incidents (Synder, 1987). Another parasomnia related disorder is Rapid Eye Movement sleep disorder (RBD). A person expiring RBD often does action that mimic the dreams they are having usually in the 5th stage of sleep which is the Rapid Eye Movement phase. The abnormal dream actions often end up in injuries to the person or the bed partner. This disorder is mostly experienced amongst the aged population. For this reason a link was discovered that associated the process of neurodegenerative diseases amongst the aged with the occurrence of RBD. Bruxism is a sleep disorder that categorized under the parasomnia disorders of sleep. It is marked by abnormal tooth grinding during sleep. It is common during the adolescent years but cases have been reported of old people with the condition. Bruxism has been associated to prevalence of certain disorders amongst the children e.g. cerebral palsy. Factors that elevate the tooth grinding for person’s suffering from bruxism are appreh ension, tension, stress, and dental related diseases (Chokroverty, 2009). In conclusion, sleep has been a much researched on subject with helpful information being substantiated. This include the process of falling asleep and the importance of each stage, the importance of sleep in mind and body function, and the various disorders that are associated with sleep. People can now be able to make good timing of their sleep hours and get the average amount of sleep time needed for healthy functioning. Sleep has therefore proven an important subject that requires understanding by every person who wants to avoid the common assumptions and seeks to get good sleep for it has been found out that sleep influences every aspect of mind and body function. References Billiard, M. Kent, A. (2003). Sleep: Physiology, Investigations, and Medicine. New York: Springer. Chowdhuri, S. Badr, M. S. (2008). Central Sleep Apnoea. Indian Journal of Medical Research ,131(6). 150-164. Chokroverty, S. (2009). Overview of Sleep Sleep Disorders. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 131(5), 126-140. Chou, Y. Chuang, L. (2008). Hyperlipidaemia in Patients with Sleep-related Breathing Disorders: Prevalence and Risk Factors. Indian Journal of Medical Research 131(7), 121-125. Hunt, B. (2009). Stages of Sleep. Dream Views, 23(12), 11-17. Lee-Chiong, T. (2006). Sleep: A Comprehensive Handbook. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. Milner, C. Cote, K. (2008). Benefits of Napping. European Sleep Research Society Journal, 18(9), 272-281. Russo, M. (2005). Sleep: Understanding the Basics. e-Medicine Health Journal, 120, Retrieved from https://www.emedicinehealth.com/script/main/hp.asp Smith, M. Segal, R. (2010). How Much Sleep do you Ned? Guide to Healthy Sleep, 12(5), 36. Synder, G. (1987). Sleep Disorders. Professional Sleep Societies Journal, 13(4), 3-6. This research paper on Sleep Stages and Disorders was written and submitted by user Wesley S. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Powell Speaks the Truth essays

Powell Speaks the Truth essays On Wednesday, February 05, 2003 U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell presented evidence against Iraq conserving Recorded conversations, satellite images, also drawings and diagrams said to illustrate Iraq mobile biological labs. One intercept, Powell talked about was between a colonel and brigadier general of Iraq's elite Republican Guard. This recording discuss hiding a vehicle before UN inspectors arrived to search a site. Powell said it indicated the Iraq officials knew inspectors were coming and what they would be looking for. In the U.S. translation, one official is heard to say, "We have this modified vehicle. What do we say if one of them sees it?" The other official says, "I'll come to see you in the morning. I'm worried. You all have something left." The other official then says, "We evacuated everything. We don't have anything left." Powell called the recordings "part and parcel of a policy of evasion and deception that goes back 12 years." Powell also showed satellite photos that indicated the presence of "active chemical munitions bunkers" that had been disguised. Those were followed with photos he said illustrated the facilities had been "sanitized" before UN inspectors arrived. Al-Saadi said inspectors had the same satellite imagery and performed tests to detect evidence of weapons and found nothing. Iraq President Saddam Hussein is hiding mobile biological weapons laboratories from inspectors in violation of Security Council. Which hopes to convince a world audience next week of the existence of the secret facilities as proof of Iraqs obstinacy. In conclusion the United States of America is in pursuit of war. Colin Powell is irritated with Sadism Husseins and his regime do all they possible can to ensure that the inspectors succeed in finding absolutely nothing. There is not much time before this hits home. ...

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Factors Affecting Population Growth

Factors Affecting Population Growth Population growth can be defined as an increase or decrease in the population size of living species including human beings. Human populations are also subject to natural process of birth and death. There has been a rapid increase in the world s human population over the last few decades (UNFPA, 2011). Unless urgent steps are taken to control population, serious problems can arise like environment damage and limited availability of food resources. Continuous population growth can be problem and therefore it is important to understand how we can manage population growth for the benefit of all. Human beings have tried to make food resources available for all the population in many ways. Starting from the industrial revolution, advances in modern medicine, and green agriculture revolution have all made us self sufficient so far. However such technology development cannot go forever and therefore unless we manage population a day may come when all resources will be finished. At present there are two school of thought for the theories on population growth. The first is the pessimistic view developed by Reverend Robert Malthus, a British scholar who believed that the resources available will not be sufficient for human beings if human population is not controlled. The other theory is the optimistic view developed by Julian Simon who believed that humans can manage the issue of population because of their knowledge and skills. Therefore this paper will discuss these two theories for population growth and their effect on the resources and environment of the earth. II. Factors affecting population growth The population growth is determined mainly by birth rate, death rate, and migration patterns (immigration and emigration). For instance the population in the developed countries like Europe and America is growing at rate of only 0.1% per year while in developing countries the growth rate is over 1.5% per year. (Wright and Boorse,2011) (UNDP). In developing countries where manual labour is still considered main source of labour, children form part of the labour force and therefore families tend to have more children. Similarly when the pension system is not good, people tend to raise more children to look after during old age. Wherever women are more educated and take lead role in household income activities, there tend to be less number of children raised. In areas where traditions, culture and customs are respected population tend to be higher due to less use of contraceptives. III. Impacts of population growth Although it may be difficult to measure the carrying capacity for humans on earth (Cohen, 1995) scientists have estimated the carrying capacity at around 7.7 billion people (Van Den Bergh and Rietveld, 2004). It is now estimated that the world population will be around 9.1 billion by the year 2050. The very high population growth has raised concerns that the planet may not be able to sustain such population in the long run. Increasing population will mean increased demand for food, water, and other resources such as fossil fuel. The impact of population growth can be seen by everyone who care for the world that we live in. Over the last few decades there has been large scale destruction of the tropical forests mainly to make land available for agriculture and for urbanization. In order to produce enough food to meet the demand of growing population, forests have been cleared to undertake farming. Due to increased industrialization and urbanization, there has been great increase in th e pollution of air, water and the environment of the planet. Growing population will result in the depletion of natural resources such as water, fossil fuels (Hubert, 1982); deforestation and loss of ecosystems; and emergence of new diseases. It will also lead to more starvation, hunger and unhygienic living conditions in poor countries. IV. Factors affecting environment Environment means our surroundings in which all the things, living or non living, which includes atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), lithosphere (solid earth), biosphere (all living organisms), and geosphere (rocks and regoliths). Numerous factors affect our environment which includes anthropogenic activities such as urbanization, industrialization, deforestation, overpopulation, and use of fossil fuels. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes, cyclones, landslide and floods can also negatively affect the environment. V. Relationship between environment and population growth Humans are an integral part of the eco-system of nature and there is close interconnection between human beings and environment. Ever since life existed humans have been depending on their environment for food, shelter, and other necessities. There is an inverse relationship existing between population growth and environment as overpopulation will lead to adverse effect on the environment. As human population increase, there is also increase in the demand for food and other energy sources. It is essential that the population is maintained at a level so that the natural resources are sufficient to meet the requirement for survival of all living beings. VI. Neo-Malthusian or pessimistic views on population growth Malthusian theories or pessimistic theories on population growth was derived from the ideas of Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus, a British scholar who wrote series of essays on the principles of population. There were six editions of his An Essay on the Principle of Population (published from 1798 to 1826) in which he said that if the human population growth is left unchecked the food supply will not be sufficient to meet the needs of humans. He proposed the idea that while human population grew exponentially, the food resources grew only arithmetically. He also believed that population will be controlled naturally by disease, famine and mortality. This was called as the pessimistic model of population growth. Malthus believed in using preventive checks such as abstinence, delayed marriage and restricting marriages in order to control population growth. Some people criticized Malthus s theory based on the fact that there has been an enhanced agricultural production and reduced human fe rtility over the past few decades since the publication of his theories. However, many still believe in his theory that if left unchecked, population growth can pose serious problems for resource availability (Cristina, 2010). Neo-Malthusianism These are groups who also believe in the theories of Malthus and encourage population control programs for the present and future benefit of human beings. The Neo-Malthusians view however differ from Malthus in their belief on the use of contraceptive techniques for the birth control measures. The neo-Malthusians or the pessimistic view had more concerns about the effect that population growth would have on environmental degradation. While they supported the theories put forward by Malthus, this group of people strongly supported the idea of actively controlling population growth in order to prevent adverse impact on the environment. This pessimistic group are concerned about the effect overpopulation may have on resource depletion and environmental degradation. There has been a general revival in neo-Malthusian ideologies from the 1950s onwards especially after the publication of series of books by some Malthusian supporters such as Fairfield Osborn (Our Plundered Planet), William V ogt (Road to Survival) and Paul Ehrlich (The Population Bomb). Although many critics of neo-Malthusianism criticize the revival of this theory based on fact that the green revolution has led to sufficient food production, Pessimists such as Paul Ehrlich believe that unchecked population will ultimately lead to serious problems in the future (Ehrlich, 2009). Neo-Malthusian or the pessimistic view is more about the positive checks but Malthusian said that there is balance between both positive and negative checks. Technological or Optimistic views on population growth. The optimistic model of population growth was proposed by Julian Simon who in his book The Ultimate Resource (1981) argued that as resources become scarce the price goes up which in turn creates incentives for people to discover new source or find alternatives for the resource. Simon also claims in his book that the natural resources are infinite based on the justification that innovative methods can be used to make natural resources available. Increasing population growth and reduced resources make people to create innovations and inventions to produce more food and all basic needs. The optimistic view said that science and technology can overcome scarcity problems. Esther Boserup (1910-1999)-Danish economist said necessity is the mother of invention . So, humanity will always find a way to overcome their problems. The optimistic view also said that more people means more alternatives to find new materials and discover ways to do things. Discussion It can be seen from the above paragraphs that population growth can impact on the state of environment of our planet. Of the two theories on population growth, I support the neo-malthusian theory of pessimistic views based on the following justifications. Deforestation for agriculture If the human population growth is left unchecked, a day might come when the earth s resources will not be able to sustain the requirements of human beings. As overpopulation will demand increasing food, energy, and other resources, humans will engage in activities that will directly affect our environment and ecosystem. For instance, about 160,000 square kilometers per of tropical rainforests are cleared for agricultural use thus resulting in loss of habitat for the biodiversity (Laurance, 1999). Such loss of forests will contribute to global warming and other negative effects on environment. Urbanization/industrialization In order to meet the growing demand of increasing population, humans have been using technologies such as industrialization for enhanced production of food and other needs. Increased industrialization and urbanization results in air pollution, noise pollution, and water pollution which are all detrimental to our environment. Increased urbanization will also mean clearance of forests for construction of roads, buildings etc. which further adds to pollution. Depletion of non-renewable natural resources and emission of green house gases Uncontrolled growth of population will lead to rapid depletion of non-renewable natural resources such as fossil fuels which are used as source of energy. The burning of fossil fuel i.e. carbon based fuels, mainly wood, coal, oil and natural gas produces significant amount of CO2 which is one of the main green house gases that contributes to global warming (International Energy Outlook, 2000). The green house effect maintains the earth at comfortable temperature range but if there is excessive release of CO2 and other harmful gases from the industries and factories, the green house gases gets easily out of control and will lead to so many problems like continental drift, climate change, natural disasters and variations of sun s out put. Loss of biodiversity and habitat Due to growing population, especially in the rural areas of developing countries, people practising shifting cultivation undertake slash-and-burn techniques which results in the extinction of native flora and fauna. It has been reported that nearly 140,000 species are lost every year due to deforestation activities (Pimm, Russell, Gittleman and Brooks, 1995). Therefore, if population growth is not controlled, increasing human activities will further result in destruction of the habitat and loss of biodiversity. In Bhutan, human-wildlife especially human-elephant conflict is increasing and this is mainly due to the loss of habitat for the elephants due to increasing human population and activities (Kuensel, 19 May 2012). IX. Solutions There is a need to find solutions to decrease the problems associated with overpopulation and environmental degradation. The governments around the world should have policies to decrease the population growth rate by increasing use of birth control measures. The governments should also frame good policies to protect forests and environment and prevent loss of natural habitat. Innovative ideas and research should be done to increase food production without disturbing the environment. The governments should increase funding for education and awareness of especially the poor people for them to protect and take care of their environment. X. Conclusions In conclusion overpopulation can lead to problems in the form of depleting natural resources, environmental pollution and degradation, and loss of habitat. Therefore, urgent steps need to be taken to manage human population growth to a level that can be managed well. The theories founded by Reverend Malthus can be still followed because the natural resources available now may not be sufficient in the future if we do not control human population growth. XI. References Cristina Luiggi. (2010). Still Ticking. The Scientist 24 (12): 26. Hubbert, M.K. Techniques of Prediction as Applied to Production of Oil and Gas, US Department of Commerce, NBS Special Publication 631, May 1982. International Energy Outlook 2000, Energy Information Administration, Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. (2000) Joel Cohen, How Many People Can the Earth Support? (New York: Norton, 1995) J. Van Den Bergh and P. Rietveld, Reconsidering the Limits to World Population: Meta-analysis and Meta-predictions, Bioscience 54, no 3 (2004): 195. Kuensel, 19 May 2012, Page 22. Laurance, W. F. 1999. Reflections on the tropical deforestation crisis. Biological Conservation 91: 109-117. Paul R. Ehrlich; Anne H. Ehrlich (2009). The Population Bomb Revisited. Electronic Journal of Sustainable Development 1(3): 63 71. Retrieved 2010-02-01. S.L. Pimm, G.J. Russell, J.L. Gittleman and T.M. Brooks, The Future of Biodiversity, Science 269: 347 350 (1995). Sahney, S. , Benton, M.J. Falcon-Lang, H.J. (2010). Rainforest collapse triggered Pennsylvanian tetrapod diversification in Euramerica (PDF). Geology 38 (12): 1079 1082. doi:10.1130/G31182.1. Tilman D., Fargione J., Wolff B., DAntonio C., Dobson A., Howarth R., Schindler D., Schlesinger W. H., Simberloff D. et al. (2001). Forecasting agriculturally driven global environmental change. Science 292: 281 284. doi:10.1126/science.1057544. PMID 11303102. United nations Population Fund, 2011 (http://www.unfpa.org/swp/ ) Wright and Boorse. (2011). Environmental Science.

Critique of The Day After Tomorrow Essay -- Movie Film Review Global W

Critique of The Day After Tomorrow   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie, The Day After Tomorrow, addresses the issue of global warming. The movie?s portrayal of the events caused by global warming was extreme and not very believable. Some of the information is backed up by science but most is completely off the wall and nonrealistic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie cited the cause of the global climate change to be the rise in temperature due to greenhouse gasses. The warmer temperatures caused the polar ice caps to melt, and the increased amount of freshwater in the ocean disrupted the North Atlantic Current. The North Atlantic Current is what is responsible for the warm temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere. With the current disrupted the Northern Hemisphere went into an ice age. In real life, the polar ice caps are melting, but at a rate not even close to that of the one represented in the movie. Even if the ice was melting at a quicker rate, the chance that it would throw off the North Atlantic Current is slim to none. Also, there is no way that the ice would melt so quickly that a change that drastic would be made.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another major issue I had with the movie was its temperature inconsistencies. In the movie, scientists warned people about going outside. They say that if one was to go outside that they would freeze to death. The movie also showed a wooly mammoth which froze to death immediately at the time of the first ice age. These examples were placed in the movie to highlight the ext...

Principles of Sociology Essay

In H. Spencer s Principles of Sociology, he likened society to an organism where its functions and characteristics such as growth, expansion, division and the like, he believed, also occurs in the society and social life, thus coining the term social organism. A novel, likewise takes the form of an organism according to Henry James. He argues in the Art of Fiction (a commentary to Walter Besant’s lecture in the royal institution) that a novel is a personal impression of life. The main issue of the article is representation and how writers should treat it. James clarified that representation takes two forms; one is the direct representation, which according to him is limiting, and another is representation based on a writer’s impression of the experience which he considers what the art of novel is all about. The reality â€Å"colored by the writer’s vision† is the reality of the novel. An organism he believes best describe the complexity of a novel because an organism has in itself the individuality and unity of functions. The totality of the organism is dependent upon both the independence and the unity of its parts. Similarly, Freese in â€Å"Henry James and the application of his theory in ‘What Maisie knew’† believes that James viewpoint is that â€Å"†¦ it is not possible to examine fiction only by its individual parts because these have to be seen as interacting elements. †(p. 2) James believes that the uniqueness of every novel is determined by the â€Å"liberty of interpretation† afforded by the author. The principles of form being dictated by convention only hamper the creation of the being that is the novel. The impression of reality, the personal process of making sense of an experience, is the ultimate measure of achieving the reality. Thus, a novel is not just a product but a creative process as in painting and the other arts where each step contributes to the wholeness of the craft. The writer has the power to determine the shape and complexity of the novel and ultimately the reality that the novel contains. All these elements, as in an organism is determined by a creator and his idea of representation.

Bush at War essays

Bush at War essays Through a series of one-on-one interviews, Woodward fleshes out these advisers, the key architects of Bush's foreign policy. Vice President Dick Cheney is seen mostly as a man of principle, utterly convinced that the United States will soon be targeted for another terrorist attack. According to Woodward's account, this conviction spurred Cheney to read all intelligence reports avidly, making him an ideal ad informed counsel to the president immediately after the attack. However, this fear interferes with Cheney's objectivity, leading the vice president to form an alliance with Donald Rumsfeld against Colin Powell. Powell is portrayed as a man with little administrative support, the one often thrown into diplomatic battles. CIA director George Tenet is the obliging lackey. Only Condoleeza Rice, who rarely engaged in backroom politicking with the boys, is spared from Woodward's more scathing Through these behind-the-scenes accounts, Woodward depicts an administration that is the antithesis of its predecessor's cautious approach to terrorism. Even prior to September 11, Woodward contends that the Bush administration shows a stronger willingness to engage in military maneuvers. The author crystallizes this approach in the Bush doctrine, which states that the United States will hold "no distinction between those who planned these acts and those who harbor them." This book confirms the belief of war critics who contend that the administration's response to the September 11 attacks were premature and overblown. The pragmatic Colin Powell argued strongly for the need for public support. However, Powell's emphasis on "practicalities and priorities" was cast aside in favor of other official who were determined to war, first against Afghanistan. In a provocative statement, Woodward further states that many officials wanted to attack Iraq as well, as a form ...

Life Cycle of The Queen Bumblebee

Life Cycle of The Queen Bumblebee There are more than 255 species of bumblebees worldwide. All share similar physical features: they are round and fuzzy insects with short wings which flap back and forth rather than up and down. Unlike honey bees, bumblebees are not aggressive, are unlikely to sting, and produce relatively little honey. Bumblebees are, however, major pollinators. Beating their wings as fast as 130 times per second, their large bodies vibrate very quickly. This movement releases pollen, helping crops to grow.  Ã‚   The health and well-being of a bumblebee colony depend very largely on the queen bee. The queen, alone, is responsible for bumblebee reproduction; the other bees in the colony spend the majority of their time caring for the queen and her offspring. Unlike honey bees, which overwinter as a colony by clustering together, bumblebees (Genus Bombus) live from spring to fall. Only the fertilized bumblebee queen will survive the winter by finding shelter from the freezing temperatures. She spends the long, cold winter hidden away alone.   The Queen Bumblebee Emerges In spring, the queen emerges and searches for a suitable nest site, typically in an abandoned rodent nest or small cavity. In this space, she builds a ball of moss, hair, or grass, with a single entrance. Once the queen has constructed a suitable home, she prepares for her offspring. Preparing for Bumblebee Offspring The spring queen builds a wax honey pot and provisions it with nectar and pollen. Next, she collects pollen and forms it into a mound on the floor of her nest. She then lays eggs in the pollen and coats it with wax secreted from her body. Like a mother bird, the Bombus queen uses the warmth of her body to incubate her eggs. She sits on the pollen mound and raises her body temperature to between 98 ° and 102 ° Fahrenheit. For nourishment, she consumes honey from her wax pot, which is positioned within her reach. In four days, the eggs hatch. The Queen Bee Becomes a Mother The bumblebee queen continues her maternal care, foraging for pollen and feeding her offspring until they pupate. Only when this first brood emerges as bumblebee adults can she quit the daily tasks of foraging and housekeeping. For the remainder of the year, the queen concentrates her efforts on laying eggs. Workers help incubate her eggs, and the colony swells in number. At the end of summer, she begins laying some unfertilized eggs, which become males. The bumblebee queen allows some of her female offspring to become new, fertile queens. The Bumblebee Circle of Life With new queens ready to continue the genetic line, the bumblebee queen dies, her work complete. As winter approaches, the new queens and males mate. The males die soon after mating. The new generations of bumblebee queens seek shelter for the winter and wait until the following spring to begin new colonies. Many species of bumblebees are now endangered. There are many possible reasons for this, ranging from pollution and habitat loss to climate change.

Infection Control Practice in Acute Care Centers Research Paper

Infection Control Practice in Acute Care Centers - Research Paper Example The study will, therefore, try to answer several questions including what factors have led to such high infection rates and what is the relationship between skills and experience of caregivers and these escalating rates of infection. The essay will also analyze questions such as how can caregiver be supported in order to reduce the level of infection, and what strategies need to be implemented to make hospital environments safer? This study will be based on Kurt Lewin’s theoretical model of change. This is a classical three-step change framework for initiating change in healthcare environments. The three steps are unfreezing, change and freezing (Ziegler, 2005). Unfreezing, which is the first step, entails determining the main reasons for change and the necessity of change given the current circumstances. Change involves initiating the change process and transitioning to the next desired state. The final stage, freezing or refreezing is about finding stability after the change process (Ziegler, 2005). Using this theory, this study will first determine the reasons as to why change is necessary in order to reduce HAIs, initiate various change processes and establish stability. Hospital-acquired infections undermine the main objectives of treating patients and restoring their health through favorable environments such as healthcare setting like hospitals. Patients go to hospitals in the hope of recovering from their various ailments. However, due to different factors in the hospital environment, patients often end up acquiring other infections while still undergoing treatment (Gould, & Meer, 2011). This greatly affects the rate of recovery for these patients and threatens their lives. There have been several measures taken over the years to reduce the rate of these infections, but challenges still exist in both developed and developing countries. Among the

Elements of Religious Traditions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Elements of Religious Traditions - Research Paper Example The paper would discuss its relationship with various elements of social interaction. Identifying critical issues God is a supreme being in different religions vis-a-vis Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhaism etc. The varying traditions and their interpretations therefore become critical issues to define human behavior and actions, especially with regard to various socio economic and political paradigms which have catalytic effect on all people cutting across nationality, race, culture and color. The racial prejudices, gender inequality, capitalistic structure of society and even national boundaries are seen as going against the basic posit of religions’ core beliefs. This also raises the need to examine religion in various perspectives to gauge its responses amongst the people who practice it in different format and expressions. Relationship with divine God’s supremacy is recognized within all religious scriptures and exemplifies its relationship with the Di vine in terms of behavior that is morally and ethically correct. The Bible teaches to be God fearing and stresses the need to repent by the sinners. It believes that God has endowed man with free will so he can follow his course of actions that would lead him towards the God. The sinful acts would lead him to purgatory and therefore repentance becomes intrinsic part of Christianity. Hinduism also reveres God as Creator and inculcates God fearing tendencies for fear of going to hell rather than heaven. Thus, in all religions, good actions are encouraged because they bring men closer to God. Relationship with sacred time Religious traditions and scriptures are abound with the notion of eternity and the scientific theory of evolution of man which has faced tremendous pressure from the Church and other religions. The theory of creation and orthodox Jews beliefs that ‘our history had been preceded by untold cosmic cycles of millions and billions of years’ (N.d, 2010, reading 1). The Hinduism’s concept of rebirth delineates the concept of time to surreal realities which are but the imagery of our physical self. In religious traditions, sins and purgatory would invite wrath of God, resulting in ultimate destruction of the world. The sacred time, therefore is important aspect where events occur in cyclic order irrespective of the fact whether it is desired or not. Thus, prayers become important part of religious traditions. Relationship with sacred space or natural world World is created by God and Human beings are called to work as God's stewards. The created order is entrusted to humanity, not as individuals, but as a community. The private property right is therefore embedded in an inclusive concept of common property of all people and is never allowed to become an absolute right that excludes others completely (Graafland, 2008, reading 3) Religious conceptualization of space and natural world delimits the manmade boundaries of nations. Everythin g belongs to God and respect and healthy regard for all elements of the earth become intrinsic to religious philosophy. Merleau-Ponty (reading2, 1965) says that there are two world, one external that needs space or territory and the internal one or ‘agora’ that resides within oneself. Agora continuously provokes people to move and thereby ‘