Cochlear Implants and the Internet :: Health Disability

On-line communities are something I have never participated in. I have always felt (due to personal observations of friends using chat rooms and listening to other’s renditions of their experiences) these communities can, and most often do, consume inordinate amounts of time and spare time is a rare commodity for me. Beyond the time consumption, from my observations of chat rooms, there are rarely any well-thought-out responses to the topic of discussion. In fact, often there are inane and childish retorts that just stir up the emotions of those involved and tend to sidetrack the majority as they rally against the perpetrator. On the other hand, I assume there are places where professionals can have relevant and introspective discussions, but I had never viewed, participated in or even read archived logs of such discourse. I imagine these â€Å"professional† discussions could be highly beneficial interactions for problem solving, as well as being supportive while offering constructive criticism. Since my specialty is education of the deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH), I have been exposed to the highly emotionally charged debates on the issue of cochlear implants (CI). I was interested in finding out how easy (or difficult) it would be for hearing parents with deaf children to receive balanced and unbiased information on cochlear implants. Could they acquire the knowledge they would need in order to make informed decisions on behalf of their children on the World Wide Web? For those unfamiliar with CIs, the simplest explanation is to think of it as a high powered hearing aid which is surgically implanted in the recipient’s head (actually the inner ear) and feeds electrical impulses directly to the brain. It does not take away or alter a person’s deafness. When the processor is on, the implant stimulates hearing. When it is turned off, the hearing is gone. Maybe a short description of the process would be appropriate to insert here before continuing. First a recess is drilled in the temporal bone of the skull (behind the ear) and a magnetic disk is placed in this well. Connected to this disk is a wire—actually a bundle of wires depending on the CI’s number of channels or frequencies.

An Inconvenient Truth

An Inconvenient Truth (Narrative Report) Through lectures, writings, and a documentary film, he sought to raise awareness of global warming. The film An Inconvenient Truth (2006) gave him a platform for illuminating the dangers of climate change before a wide audience. It received an Academy Award for best documentary. The Nobel committee cited Al Gore as â€Å"the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted† to halt global warming.Given this historic blizzard, should this most recent evidence of a global warming trend be taken seriously? Is there conclusive evidence of global warming? Does global climate change have serious consequences when many of us live or travel in climate-controlled structures that are cooled in summer and heated in winter? The general consensus of the scientific community is that the earth's surface is warming.Research centers in Great Britain and the United States maintain two l ong-term data sets on global surface temperatures; the most recent data from these centers indicated that 2005 was the warmest year on record. As Al Gore discussed on the film, he mentioned that warming  temperatures  are already causing significant changes to mountain glaciers around the world, ice sheets in Greenland and the Antarctic, and polar sea ice in the Arctic. From Europe to Africa to Asia to North America, mountain glaciers have receded over the 20th century, and melting is becoming more rapid.The large-scale melting of ice may accelerate the pace of global warming in what is known as a feedback process. Because ice reflects sunlight back out to space, it has a cooling effect. Water and land, which are darker than ice, absorb and retain more heat. And he also discussed that the global average temperatures strongly suggest that global warming has actually begun to take place. This is not, however, a simple trend to document. Temporary confounding factors can mask an ov erall trend in average temperatures.He also mentioned about the ice berg in the Antartic and Artic zones. He said that the reason why it melted so fast in our century is that the stronger heat from the the sun. Mr. Al Gore is only concerned to our mother Earth today. ‘Coz he said that maybe after 50 more years, most of the lands on our planet will be submerged on water. And he also said that the risk of happening this is almost 65% in reality! Indeed, a global convention would not otherwise have been possible.It is important to remember that an alteration of the global climate system is unlikely to be one of just gradual change, but that dramatic changes and shifts are possible. Also, for any factor, such as increased high-altitude cloudiness, that could lessen the effects of global warming, there is likely to be a factor that could heighten the effects. In the end, it is common sense to do something to avert global warming. This is not a backyard experiment that humankind can walk away from. We are experimenting with the entire planet, and this is where we live. An Inconvenient Truth The movie we watched last Friday was â€Å"An Inconvenient Truth. † For me, it is entitled â€Å"An Inconvenient Truth† because the main topic there, which is climate change and climate crisis, is a very inconvenient reality that we’re facing today. The man discussing the issue was former United States Vice President Mr. Al Gore, who was a politician and a very concerned man about the environment. An Inconvenient Truth focuses on Al Gore and his travels in support of his efforts to educate the public about the severity of the climate crisis. The main issue presented in the clip wasclimate change and climate crisis. Mr. Al Gore explained this topic through a Power Point presentation. He travelled all over the world to show people this presentation. He had a vision: to convince people that global warming is a reality that we’re currently facing today and we should start taking care of Mother Earth. According to him, global warming is now melting glaciers, ice, and it is destroying the beauty of Earth. He said that the main cause of this is the Greenhouse Effect, which is caused by a lot of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) that are trapped within the Earth. The Earth was said to â€Å"breathe out† CO2. CO2 was trapped in the Earth because of the unusual thickening of the Earth’s ozone layer, and now it â€Å"breathes out† little CO2 than before. The greenhouse effect is bad to the living organisms on Earth because it contributes to a lot of damage to the planet. The human activity that caused the greatest release of greenhouse gases is the smoke released from factories. It releases harmful substances that damage our ozone layer. But, there are also other causes, such as what Mr.  Al Gore said: â€Å"Each one of us is a cause of global warming, but each one of us can make choices to change that with the things we buy, the electricity we use, the cars we drive; we can make choices to bring our individual carbon emissions to zero. The solutions are in our hands, we just have to have the determination to make it happen. We have everything that we need to reduce carbon emissions, everything but political will. But in America, the will to act is a renewable resource. Throughout the movie, Gore discusses the scientific opinion on climate change, as well as the present and future effects of global warming and stresses that climate change â€Å"is really not a political issue, so much as a moral one,† describing the consequences he believes global climate change will produce if the amount of human-generated greenhouse gases is not significantly reduced in the very near future. Gore also presents Antarctic ice coring data showing CO2 levels higher now than in the past 650,000 years. Yes, I believe Al Gore. I believe that global warming is happening right now. In the realities happening now, who wouldn’t believe that it’s happening right now? A particular event that cited why Mr. Al Gore gives proof that global warming is happening was the melting of glaciers in Antarctica and temperature rise. What inspired his interest in the issue was his college education with early climate expert Roger Revelle at Harvard University; his sister's death from lung cancer and his young son's near-fatal car accident. Gore recalls a story from his grade school years, where a fellow student asked his geography teacher about continental drift. During the film's end credits, a diaporama pops up on screen suggesting to viewers things at home they can do to combat climate change, including â€Å"recycle†, â€Å"speak up in your community†, â€Å"try to buy a hybrid vehicle†, â€Å"vote for leaders who are concerned about caring for the environment† and â€Å"encourage everyone you know to watch this movie. † Well, I’ll definitely encourage everyone to watch this movie because it really inspired me and it showed me what’s really happening in reality. I learned a lot of things in the movie, and there’s no doubt that everyone will learn a lot and be inspired by it too. An Inconvenient Truth An Inconvenient Truth (Narrative Report) Through lectures, writings, and a documentary film, he sought to raise awareness of global warming. The film An Inconvenient Truth (2006) gave him a platform for illuminating the dangers of climate change before a wide audience. It received an Academy Award for best documentary. The Nobel committee cited Al Gore as â€Å"the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted† to halt global warming.Given this historic blizzard, should this most recent evidence of a global warming trend be taken seriously? Is there conclusive evidence of global warming? Does global climate change have serious consequences when many of us live or travel in climate-controlled structures that are cooled in summer and heated in winter? The general consensus of the scientific community is that the earth's surface is warming.Research centers in Great Britain and the United States maintain two l ong-term data sets on global surface temperatures; the most recent data from these centers indicated that 2005 was the warmest year on record. As Al Gore discussed on the film, he mentioned that warming  temperatures  are already causing significant changes to mountain glaciers around the world, ice sheets in Greenland and the Antarctic, and polar sea ice in the Arctic. From Europe to Africa to Asia to North America, mountain glaciers have receded over the 20th century, and melting is becoming more rapid.The large-scale melting of ice may accelerate the pace of global warming in what is known as a feedback process. Because ice reflects sunlight back out to space, it has a cooling effect. Water and land, which are darker than ice, absorb and retain more heat. And he also discussed that the global average temperatures strongly suggest that global warming has actually begun to take place. This is not, however, a simple trend to document. Temporary confounding factors can mask an ov erall trend in average temperatures.He also mentioned about the ice berg in the Antartic and Artic zones. He said that the reason why it melted so fast in our century is that the stronger heat from the the sun. Mr. Al Gore is only concerned to our mother Earth today. ‘Coz he said that maybe after 50 more years, most of the lands on our planet will be submerged on water. And he also said that the risk of happening this is almost 65% in reality! Indeed, a global convention would not otherwise have been possible.It is important to remember that an alteration of the global climate system is unlikely to be one of just gradual change, but that dramatic changes and shifts are possible. Also, for any factor, such as increased high-altitude cloudiness, that could lessen the effects of global warming, there is likely to be a factor that could heighten the effects. In the end, it is common sense to do something to avert global warming. This is not a backyard experiment that humankind can walk away from. We are experimenting with the entire planet, and this is where we live.

How to Become a Health Information Technician

How to Become a Health Information Technician It used to be that when you’d walk into a doctor’s office, behind the desk there’d be shelves and shelves of bulky patient files, organized alphabetically with neat color-coded tabs. The busier the office, the bigger and more packed those rows of shelves would be. As we move toward a more digital life in general, medical records are following suit- healthcare providers and hospitals are moving patient data off the shelves and into secure databases. These changes call for health information technicians who manage the transition to electronic medical records and maintain the crucial information on a daily basis. Day-to-Day of the JobHealth information technicians organize, analyze, and maintain patient health information on an ongoing basis. This includes patient background information, information about in-office procedures and tests, and treatment plans. The health information technician is responsible for updating and coding this information in different systems , often using different medical vocabularies and classification systems to make sure that the information is everywhere it needs to be accessible to doctors, nurses, other medical professionals as appropriate, and billing systems. Above all, this info needs to be accurate and secure. (If your personal motto is, â€Å"close enough,† then this career path may not be for you.)This administrative position is typically a 9-to-5 kind of job, with potential overtime in some cases (especially in hospitals or urgent care centers). Health information technicians usually work in hospitals or medical practices, healthcare agencies, and a variety of medical office settings.Job RequirementsThis job typically requires a high school degree at minimum, with an associate’s degree preferred in many cases. Many health information professionals opt for certifications such as the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), which bo th require passing a national exam. Certification requirements can depend on location, so be sure to read up on your own state’s rules.Skills You’ll NeedBeing a health information technician pulls a number of different skills together, such as strong organizational skills, technical savvy, and the ability to handle confidential data. Attention to detail is essential, as incorrect information can have major consequences for patient healthcare. A background in information technology can be helpful, as is basic knowledge of finance or medical billing. Also, medical environments are often hectic and fast-paced, so candidates should be prepared to work in a variety of conditions.Pay to ExpectPer the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median salary of health information technicians is $35,900.The OutlookHealthcare careers are undoubtedly hot right now. The BLS expects that the demand for health information technicians will grow by 15% by 2022, which is much faster th an average. As more and more medical offices make the switch to digital records, this particular area will be one of the biggest growth areas in the medical administration world.

My Mistress Eyes Essays - Literature, Rhyme, Sonnet, Poetry

My Mistress' Eyes Essays - Literature, Rhyme, Sonnet, Poetry My Mistress' Eyes JR BRUNER Lit 100 January 16, 1999 My Mistress' Eyes In this sonnet, Shakespeare seems to be very critical of this woman's physical faults. I tried to approach the poem from a comical view to be able to read it and be comfortable with it. She seems to be of African or Middle Eastern descent by his statement of the color of her eyes and wiry hair. The first line uses the most revealing part of a person's body, the eyes. He claims that her eyes do not compare to the sun, they are dark and cold. She is of dark skin by his reference to her being dun, dark or having brown pigmentation. The second stanza I had a problem with, a person can take it many different ways. One impression I got was she might have had a problem with her diet and just had bad breath. The other was she might have been a shameful hussy. Shakespeare claims that the other perfumes, maybe meaning other women he found to be a lot nicer. While his mistress cusses like a sailor. Shakespeare uses as a model a goddess, whom a person would accept as having perfect physical attributes. His mistress seems to be a very large woman who seems to have problems walking.

Juvenile Gangs

Juvenile Gangs Juvenile GangsJuvenile gangs are emerging more each day in our country. From ethnic groups like the bloods and crips to Caucasian organizations like the KKK, more and more juveniles are choosing to involve themselves in such violent gangs. In cities with new gang problems, 90% are juveniles. (Hamlin 1998) In order to slow down juvenile gangs in our country we must educate ourselves on the dynamics these groups live by.The typical age span for people to join gangs today is twelve to twenty five years of age, but some members are joining as young as the age of eight years old. (Hamlin 1998) This brings one to ask the obvious question of why. Why are these children choosing to live such a life of violence and crime? There are many factors that apply to this question. Lonely juveniles who suffer from depression are likely to join gangs. Children who are often picked on are looking for acceptance and through a gang they get exactly that.Crip handsign.Youth who come from poor, broken famil ies are also susceptible to join gangs. Most of these juveniles are simply looking for acceptance because they are not getting enough of it where it should be coming from.Teenage gangs are on the rise in the U.S. It is estimated that there are more than 24,500 different juvenile gangs in our country and over 772,500 juveniles are members. (Youth Gangs and Violence) Racism is a large factor for juveniles joining a gang. When people, especially young people are denied certain things because of their race, they are apt to join an anti-establishment group and rebel against their racial enemies. (Lees 2000) When young people find they are targeted or have a social disadvantage because of their ethnicity they tend to find others who feel the...

Economics of State and Local Governments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Economics of State and Local Governments - Essay Example Migration of individuals is not frequent since people are strongly attached to their jobs, family, friends and homes, and hence they tend to remain in their recent states. This paper will discuss whether taxes and economic incentives affect business and personal mobility decisions and how effective state economic incentives are. Taxes and economic incentives affect businesses in different ways. In certain ways, taxes and economic incentives affect the businesses positively but in other ways affect businesses negatively. However, the particular effects to businesses depend on the type and form of the taxes and the economic incentives and how deep they touch on the businesses. This is because the taxes and economic incentives are of different nature and affect businesses differently in terms of the size of business and the sector that they operate in. From the executive summary of the research on Tax Flight by Robert Tannenwald, tax increase has a very small effect on the migration of households and therefore any state that would increase taxes can be guaranteed of a considerable gain in revenue. In the report, people mostly migrate when they find cheaper housing facilities and not when taxes are lowered. The difference in housing between two states is usually higher than the difference in taxes and therefore it may seem as if one moves from a state to the other to find a place with lower taxes but in real sense they move due to cheaper housing (Tannenwald, 1). According to recent research, an increase in income tax barely causes any movement from one state to another both for individuals and businesses. Economic incentives are not the core factors that influence the decision of location of businesses. The decisions mostly depend on market aspects and the quality-of-life aspects. Also, the availability of raw materials for a business does influence the location of the business.

Functionalistic Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Functionalistic Theory - Essay Example The basic principles of functionalist theory as applied in psychology reside in the concept that although every part of the organism functions independently, they are still linked together. Each has its own function to perform but all parts have the ultimate goal of determining ways to adapt to the environment to maintain equilibrium. Such function is the primary concern of functionalistic theory rather than the structures. In addition, human functioning and behaviors are understood through the conduction of research and other methods of study employing non human animals because of their relation to humans making them a suitable substitute for investigation of real life events. But since not all humans are the same, functionalists stressed that there are individual variations which laid further studies regarding individual differences. The works of the three theorists of functionalism, Thorndike, Dewey and James have contributed much to functionalism’s popularity and applicati on. Their work did not only advocate the recognition of functionalism as a school of thought but had influenced the American education. Along this line, their significant addition is compared and contrasted. The idea of James had changed how physics was thought from Newtonian operation to pragmatism.