Friday, January 17, 2020

Nurse Shortage Approaches Essay

When nurses are forced to work with high nurse to patient ratios, patients can develop a variety of infections, get injured, and can lead to death. Often at times patients are discharged home too soon without adequate education about how to manage their illness or injury (Raquel & Sean, 2011). Because of patients being discharged to soon, this causes them to return back to the hospital often sicker than they were before. Increase in rate of admissions, transfers, and discharges on hospital unit’s raises nurses’ workload. When nurses have fewer patients, they are able to provide high quality care (Raquel & Sean, 2011). A quantitative research was done based on knowledge of unit’s attribute and shift by shift nurse staffing levels. The researchers inspected 43 units of medical and surgical patient’s mortality in an infamous magnet hospital here in United States. The units and shifts staffing data from 2003 to 2006 were obtained and consolidated with patient data resulting in 3.2 million unit shifts for 197961 patients. The outcome of two staffing variables were scrutinize using a shift unit level: understaffing actual registered nurses staffing eight hours or more below target staffing levels generated by a patient classification system and high turnover which means unit admissions, transfers and discharges exceeds mean day shift by one standard deviation. Patient survival rate was analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression models with adjustment for clients, unit and shifts risk covariates was practiced. The risk adjust mortality was evaluated to staffing and turnover within the first 5 to 30 days after admission and during previous shifts. The result was dangerous ratios (Raquel & Sean, 2011). The result shows that each shift and unit that where understaffed by 4 to 7% and also has high turnover the risk of patient’s death increases by 2 to 5%. The authors also pointed out that low acuity patient on units that are understaffed, the risk of death is 4 to 12% and with high turnover the risk of death is 7 to 15% (Raquel & Sean, 2011). The strength of the study is that the researcher was able to analyzed  patients in the units, staffing, shifts levels and turnover. The authors pointed out that the limitation in the study is that the patient sample was not identical; some confounding of staffing decision with patient clinical conditions and differentials in staffing could have influence the study. The authors elaborated that the findings in this study is consistent with previous association between registered nurse coverage and lower hospital mortality rate, (Raquel & Sean, 2011). Contrast and Compare Nursing Leaders Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) and 40 other healthcare groups of organizations and leaders are helping to find solutions on the war of nurse shortage. The affiliation designed a website, made advertising movements and secured media footage (Sigma Theta Tau International). These measures were being done as a way to entice young people to enter the nursing profession. The advertisement measures also helped to spread the word to the public of the drastic need for nurses. STTI has risen over $1 million dollars to help towards the campaign of nurse shortage. The campaign continues to receive new coverage nationwide to raise awareness of the nurse shortage (Sigma Theta Tau International). Johnson & Johnson and The Honor Society of Nursing worked together and contribute $20 million a year towards campaign to scale down on nurse shortage. The goal of Johnson & Johnson and The Honor Society campaign is to attract people to work in hospitals and extended care facilities (Sigma Theta Tau International). August 1, 2002 the former president Bush, signed Nurse Reinvestment Act. The Nurse Reinvestment Act is intended to alleviate the nursing shortage by offering incentives with tuition reimbursements. The Nurse Reinvestment Act details five main functions: Scholarship for future nursing students with loan reimbursement programs. Public business announcement to entice people to enroll in nursing programs (ANA 2015). Career advancements programs for workers that would like to further their profession. Awarding grants to administrators for magnet programs. More focus on gerontology programs by offering grants for long-term care training. Fast track staffing reimbursement programs for those who decide to teach nursing curriculum (ANA 2015). Contrast and Compare Nursing Managers Mangers can help decrease nurse shortage by increasing the staff morale on the units. New nurses often feel intimidated; some are giving tough assignments that they may need help with. As a manger overlooking is essential to make sure the work load is evenly distributed (ANA 2014). Management by Walking around (MBWA) is a manger that is always on the move making their rounds. When making rounds focus on what the staff is doing, offer help if needed, interact with the family members and the staff. This type of manger is in long-term care facilities. By making rounds you can ensure that all staff is being treated fairly, you are able to see what works and does not work (ANA 2014). My Personal and Professional Leadership Style As a nursing leader I prefer Transformational Leadership style. With transformational leadership the focus is on motivating and constructing relationships among the staff, so that the same mission and vision can be obtained. Transformational are good communicators, they use their charm to get people to see the perspective on situations. Praise and encouragement is often used by transformational leaders, I am also a great problem solver both at work and at home. As a nurse manager my approach would be to continue community with the staff and encourage the staff through humanizing nursing theory. A good manager will treat their employees with a holistic approach. It is not every day that the workers are working up to 100%; they could be having a personal problem. Continue to be assertive when needed, confront and deal with conflicts as they arise. When you treat your employees with respect, dignity, and allow autonomy they will be willing to work hard at their jobs. Summary Hospitals used both per diem nurses and traveling nurses who sign short-term contracts to fill individual shifts and accommodate short-term staffing needs arising from staff vacations or medical leaves. Some hospitals used internal staffing agencies or float pools. The downsides to these strategies include high cost and decreased quality of care. Hospitals looking for more long term strategies are investing more in nurse education, lower nurse to patient ratios or limiting volume of patients so not to overload available staff. Hospitals are also partnering with nursing schools  in an effort to grow population of new nurses and possibly secure contracts with students who attend clinical at their facilities. Nursing shortage can lead to increase patient harm and decrease in access to quality care. The nursing shortage is not a quick fix, but acknowledgment of the problem is a beginning to a solution. It is imperative that health care facilities staff their units properly so that the patients will receive quality care that they deserve. Understaffed and high turnover shifts increase the risk of death. References American Nurses Association (ANA 2014). Nursing leadership, management and leadership style. Retrieved on April 22, 2015 from. http://www.aanac.org/docs/white-papers/2013-nursing-leadership—management-leadership-styles.pdf?sfvrsn=4 American Nurses Association (ANA 2015). Nurse reinvestment act background. Retrieved on April 22, 2015 from. http://www.nursingworld.org/NurseReinvestmentAct.aspx Raquel, M., & Sean, C. (2011). Staffing with nurse understaffing and high patient churn linked to heightened inpatient mortality risk in a single site study. Evidence based nursing, Vol. 14, p122-123. Retrieved on April 22, 2015 from. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ebn.2011.100052 Sigma Theta Tau International (1199-2015). Honor Society of Nursing. Facts on the nursing shortage in North America. Retrieved on April 22, 2015, from. http://www.nursingsociety.org/Pages/default.aspx

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Ways to Prevent School Shootings - 1946 Words

School shootings are terrifying to think about, but there are ways to help prevent the massacres from ever happening again. The first known school shooting was at the Texas Tower at the University of Texas in 1966 where Charles Whitman shot and killed 16 people while injuring 31 others. Who would have known since that date that we would have more then 200 deaths on school campuses? The most storied shooting in the 90’s was probably the Columbine massacre where on April 20, 1999 Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed 32 students and faculty before turning the guns on themselves. The horror scene from the day will always be remembered in many lives and will continue over the years. There were many other horrible shootings over the years as†¦show more content†¦Noticing some early warning signs and not being scared to report them can help someone from making the biggest mistake of their life and saving people from harms way should start with the love shown from the parents . Having the parents be in the kids life knowing his or her surroundings at all time can be the key for prevention. Showing our kids love and attention will not make them want to do harm to others and having your child talk to you if something is bothering them. When you aren’t in the child’s life and not knowing what’s going on with them could easily make them feel lost inside and can turn to depression like our parents don’t care about them, a key fact is no matter how busy our lives with our job and anything else that we might do in our spare time parents should always find time to spend with our child each day, even if its only for a half hour, each time that we show love can be a key for our child not to do the unthinkable. The key facts from kids that do the shooting is a lot of times from being bullied at school or make fun of that will keep there anger all bottled up inside until one day the anger explodes and the worst scenario happens and that i s a school shooting. Parents should also talk to their child to let them know not to be scared to report things that might seem out of the ordinary. Kids should always report to authority or a teacherShow MoreRelatedSchool Shootings : Causes And Consequences Of School Shootings895 Words   |  4 Pages School Shootings â€Å"An average of 9,289 people shot dead by a gun, or 774 a month, 178 a week, 25 a day, or a little more than one per hour,† statistics from (Sandy Hook Effect Articles.) School shootings are one of the most tragic events, from Columbine in 1999 to Sandy Hook in 2012, to many more recent ones today. Colleges to high schools and even to elementary schools, there is always a threat and a possibility of having a shooting. While shootings are not predictable, schools should stillRead MoreSchool Shootings : School And Community Violence Trends And Reviewing Evidence On Best Practices Essay1564 Words   |  7 Pages Abstract School shootings have generated great public concern and fostered a widespread impression that schools are unsafe for many students; this article counters those misapprehensions by examining empirical evidence of school and community violence trends and reviewing evidence on best practices for preventing school shootings. Many of the school safety and security measures deployed in response to school shootings have little research support, and strategies such as zero-tolerance disciplineRead MoreDeterring Crime And Help Prevent School Shootings844 Words   |  4 PagesDeterring Crime to Help Prevent School Shootings Deterring crime is one of the most ways criminologists are looking to help determine what causes crime and how to decrease it. There are several different theories and traits that criminologists have discovered over the past two centuries that would make one commit a crime and the seriousness of crimes. School shootings in today’s society is becoming more frequent and it has people wondering why someone would want to go to a school and commit this horribleRead MoreSchool Shootings And Its Impact On Student s Safety And Education1406 Words   |  6 Pagespossession of a firearm while on school properties and if this will decrease the number and magnitude of school shootings. Many scholars believe equipping teachers with firearms will be costly and end up unnecessarily endangering more students, but many scholars claim that a teacher should be the last line of defense against a school shooter. The question this paper hopes to answer is how can equipping teachers who teach gra des K-12 help to prevent school shootings in the United States. This paperRead More We Must Work to Prevent Mass School Shootings Essay1394 Words   |  6 Pages There have been many horror stories in the news about mass shootings at schools. The public, and even the president of the United States, is asking if anything can be done to prevent these tragedies. There are many theories on why students kill their peers at schools; these range from increased violence in video games and movies to bullying troubles at school. Almost always, the perpetrator suffers from some form of mental illness (Khadaroo). Because of this, motives for these crimes areRead MoreSchool Shootings And The Shootings969 Words   |  4 PagesThere has been an increase in the occurrences of school shootings within the past three years. School shootings have been apart of our history in America for many years, however since the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in 2012 to present, there has been 14 2 school shootings (Staff, Washington Times). Many injuries, deaths, and lives have been changed as result of school shootings. These horrible events have raised the topic gun control to the front line of controversy. After 2012, requirementsRead MorePreventing School Shootings839 Words   |  3 Pagesthemselves are part of a society that has shaped them into being a certain way (Herda-Rapp 2003). When it comes to school shootings, a large majority of the time, there is a particular profile that these individuals tend to fall into (USSS 2002). This however can be revamped and redefined if certain concepts of social construction were to be implemented in order to either mitigate or to all together prevent a potential school violence incident. Violence is a social construct that has been glorifiedRead MoreColumbine Shooting : A High School1575 Words   |  7 Pages18 April 2017 The Columbine Shooting On April 20, 1999, tragedy struck a Colorado high school. It started out as an ordinary spring day in Jefferson County, but it soon turned horrific. â€Å"The tragedy began at approximately 11:10 a.m. on that sunny Tuesday,† (Gimpel 27), right around lunchtime. No one could have anticipated the events that would soon follow, devastating the otherwise average suburban town. The lives of the students of Columbine High School and their families would neverRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Mass Shootings772 Words   |  4 PagesOctober, there have been 350 mass shootings in the United States in 2017 alone. With data from the Mass shooter tracker, it shows that from 2013-2017 2,592 people were killed and another 7,305 people were left wounded. The federal Bureau of investigators defines a mass shooting as â€Å"the murdering of four or more people with no ‘cooling off’ period between murders.† Mass shootings are at the center of most debates when it co mes to cum control laws. A mass shooting can take place anywhere from an airportRead MoreMass Violence And The Effects Of Mass Shootings981 Words   |  4 Pagesthe news today, from mass shootings to murder almost every day. The violence happening should have schools and work places concerned and working better security to their environment. Mass shootings that have occurred over the years such as the Sandy Hook Elementary School, Aurora Movie Theater and the University of California had shooter that had been diagnosed with one or more mental issue. In the article by Jonathan Metzel, he explained each of the three shootings that are listed above in detail

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

The Crime Of Criminal Justice - 1547 Words

When it Comes to Criminals Violence and crime have been splattered on the pages of history for centuries. Sadly, however, they will be part of the future as well. Is being a police officer or investigator as cool as they make it seem on television? Criminal Minds is just one of the many investigative television shows that keep its audience pondering over the reality of crimes. Criminal Minds portrays the psychologist as having a more active role than they really do, explained Marc T. Zucker, academic chair of the undergraduate School of Criminal Justice at Kaplan University, in one article. We all love the thrill of the chase and arrest, however, psychologists don t typically accompany officers in the apprehension of suspects. Still as†¦show more content†¦This type of list would include content such as age, gender, personality, habits, location, and so forth (Scottsdale). As vague as this information may seem, it will not only help to locate the criminal, but it can also help solve crimes as well. Br ian Campbell, a probation officer from the United States Probation Office, says that this job will require a criminal justice degree, an additional psychology degree, and a bachelor s degree. Campbell also mentioned that some specific jobs will require an individual to have a master s degree or be working to receive said degree. Furthermore, apart from degrees, this specific career field will require very good communication and people skills as well. Campbell mentions that the most difficult part of his job is explaining to the family why the offender is either going to jail or receiving disciplinary actions. This can be especially hard when there are children involved because the last thing the officer wants to do is spoil the relationship between the child and guardian. Leading to the topic of crime, there is an unlimited amount of resources full of statistics and crime rates. Preliminary figures indicate that law enforcement agencies throughout the nation showed an overall increase of 1.7 percent in the number of violent crimes brought to their attention for the first six months of 2015 when compared with figures reported for the same time in 2014 (FBI). In 2014, there were 3,961

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Public Housing Policy in Singapore - 507 Words

1 INTRODUCTION The Singapore public housing policy since its establishment has proved to provide shelter for the population and has contributed significantly to the economic, social and political development of Singapore. This policy has been the benchmark for the best public housing by other countries notably China and Hong Kong (Yang, 2010; Wong, 2011). The public housing policy implementation has been spearheaded by Housing and Development Board (HDB) to tackle post war economic problems such as rapid population growth, high unemployment rate and a critical shortage of sanitary housing (HDB, 2014). The policy was also aimed to mitigate social problems such as riots and strikes among the different ethnic groups (HDB, 2014). The success story of public housing policy implementation lies in the higher economic growth and social stability of Singapore. Economic growth saw 82% of the population live in 879,000 HDB flats located across 23 towns and estates with home ownership rate at 95% high (Department of Statistics, 2014). In terms of social stability, the policy implementation has freed Singapore from race riot since 1969 (Department of Statistics, 2014). However, rising issues and concerns of ageing population, income disparity and higher housing price have destabilized Singapore’s public housing policy (Population White Paper, 2013). In light of these challenges, new measures and directions have to be introduced by the Government to keep public housing policy relevantShow MoreRelatedThe Public Housing Authority Of Singapore1461 Words   |  6 PagesHDB, the public housing authority of Singapore, was established in 1960. The authority had grown rapidly in size and responsibilities-from initially meeting the basic shelter needs of 6% of the population to, in 2007, providing quality homes for 81% of a 3.7 million population. Due to land scarcity, its high-rise, high density living provided an effective solution to meeting housing needs for Singapore. HDB had a comprehensive building program, under which 984,000 apartments had been completed asRead MoreThe rapid rise of economies in Asia over the past few decades has been phenom enal. According to1200 Words   |  5 PagesThe rapid rise of economies in Asia over the past few decades has been phenomenal. According to (Steven, Jeffrey and Jong-Wha, 1997), Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, China, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia grew at an average of over 5.5% per year in per capita terms between 1965 and 1990. The mentioned 08 Asian countries are also known as the eight high-performing Asian economies (HPAEs). With exception to some post-war European countries, such growth rates at this magnitudeRead MoreSingapore : A Diverse And Young Country1591 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Singapore is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Housing development in Singapore has paid efforts on providing an environment conducive to community living (population.sg), integrating the population (migrationpolicy.org), preserving the traditional Asian family structure, and encouraging upward social mobility (migrationpolicy.org). As the population grows, rising expectations from residents are creating new challenges for housing planning and provision (tcdc2Read MorePrivate Investments in Human Capital Growth in Asian Countries683 Words   |  3 PagesThis essay will be explaining that why macroeconomics stability is one of the key success factor that contributes to the tremendous economic growth in the last forty years of development in asian countries like singapore, hong kong and south korea. The objective of a government economic policy is to achieve stability. A volatile business cycle is not ideal to the economy as the rapid growth of an economy with high demand and inflation will lead to a recession as the long term inflationary growth willRead MoreSingle Parents in Singapore1164 Words   |  5 PagesSINGLE PARENTS IN SINGAPORE In 2006, the MCYS Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan highlighted four main trends among families in Singapore. The first issue he pointed out was the rising divorce rate that has doubled over the past 20 years and concluded that this is the most utmost concern of the ministry. Yet in Singapore poor single parent families have to compete with other vulnerable groups for means-tested social assistance, as there are no social security policies that are aimed towards poor singleRead MoreEssay1043 Words   |  5 PagesTo tackle the housing affordability, first of all, it is crucial to lift the supply of housing as it will release the pressure on the housing price. Nevertheless, the supply of housing is inelastic as it requires an adequate fund, time, approval from the Government. Besides, the housing system is heavily dependent on the private sector. Thus, the Government should provide initiatives for housing providers to shift the supply of houses in the market. Australia would follow the policies from other countriesRead MoreThe Political Structure Of Singapore1652 Words   |  7 PagesDESCRIBE THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE A. Type The Sovereign Republic of Singapore, an island country located in the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia has a parliamentary government with a legal system based on the English common law. The President Tony Tan Keng Yam is the chief of state and the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is the head of the government. Singapore adopted its constitution in 1965, which exercises the concept of original jurisdiction. This means cases can be presentedRead MoreThe Government ´s Role in the Success of Singapore Essay1445 Words   |  6 Pagessuccess has been built on the government’s ability to ensure macroeconomic stability as well as build long-term growth. To ensure macroeconomic stability, fiscal policy, which is the usage of government expenditures and taxes, and monetary policy, which is the changing of interest rates and quantity of money in the economy, and supply-side policies, that look into the strengthening the production capabilities of companies, have to be implemented by the government. To build long-term economic growth,Read MoreKey Characteristics Of The Housing Development Board Of Singapore1192 Words   |  5 PagesThe public housing authority, Housing Development Board (HBD) was a very important aspect to Singapore’s basic shelter needs. In 2007, basic shelter needs were used for 3.7 million of Singapore’s population. Singapore is considered a city-state in South East Asia where the government is heavily involved. As a non-profit organization, the local government is responsible for overseeing and administering certain decisions and responsibilities of Singapore’s public housing. The Housing Development BoardRead MoreEconomics - How a Shrinking Gdp Affects the Economy of Singapore1542 Words   |  7 Pagesarticle by Channel News Asia dated 13 July 2012, it was reported that Singapore s GDP contracted by 1.1% on a Quarter-on-Quarter seasonally-adjusted annualized basis, compared to the 9.4% expansion in the preceding quarter. The weakened growth momentum in Q2 was mainly due to a sequential contraction in the manufacturing sector. The sector declined by 6.0% reversing the 20.9% expansion in the preceding quarter. Annex A Singapore is an open economy with high trade to GDP ratio of 2.3 times (GDP 2011

Monday, December 16, 2019

Kings Speech Free Essays

Jordan Blume Blume 1 22/09/11 The Kings Speech Review Refurbished History The King’s Speech is a moving film which provides viewers with an auto- biographic view on King George VI’s reign to power. Set in the 1930’s, The King’s Speech accurately conveys a believable setting and experience through the acting and camera work. Every emotion portrayed by the characters can be witnessed and felt first hand. We will write a custom essay sample on Kings Speech or any similar topic only for you Order Now One can literally feel for the characters and perhaps even relate at some points. Berty’s stubborn and quick tempered personality make it difficult for him to succeed, until he meets Lionel, an elderly man who sees something in Berty, the potential for greatness. Lionel stands by Berty; helping and pushing him outside his comfort zone, trying to eliminate or at least control his speech impediment. The title of King George VI is Berty’s and with Lionel’s help, the two work to overcome the odds and live up to the standards that are king. The Kings Speech is deserving of all the awards it received because it is a great movie. The historical content is accurately portrayed through flawless acting, sensual music, and lessons that anyone can learn from and appreciate. The visual and emotional experience overwhelms viewers making this an enjoyable and award deserving movie. Blume 2 After watching The Kings Speech, one could say that it had an unexpected appeal to it; not something that you would normally like, but did for some reason. Its easily seen the time and energy that was put into the movie, as the scenes all flowed nicely, the music matched what was happening, and the emotions were felt beyond the screen. Even the camera work is well done and edited in a way which strengthens the overall finished product. â€Å"This is art, not just cinema. He doesn’t frame everyone in the middle or even just to one side or another, he uses the colors, the atmosphere, the sets, every detail on the walls and everything around them to bring the entire frame, and subsequently the entire film, to life with a stunning elegance. [Alex Billington] Tom Hooper, the director, was nominated for Best Director, and won rightfully so. He adequately transformed history into a present day master piece, while still accurately displaying past events truthfully and with great detail. Drama films tend to drag on, not keeping the attention of most for very long, this is not the case with The Kings Speech. The character Lionel, although not the main character, kept the movie going at a good pace with his witty humour, always sarcastic tone, and comforting personality. Berty’s character, on the other hand, rectified the same feelings only in a different manner. Berty is a negative character, while Lionel is more positive, and viewers can without doubt feel the struggle the future king has to go through. Anxiety, pressure, doubt, and giving up are all aspects which can be felt outside the screen. A good film is able to make the audience think and feel alongside the characters on the screen. The Kings Speech definitely does this through great acting, directing, and the obvious time and energy spent creating this masterpiece. Blume 3 The title that is King, is passed down from generation to generation, granted that its kept in the family. This is what happened in The Kings Speech, which is based off true events. Colin Firth plays the king, and all throughout the duration of the film we see him partaking in what seems to be a life or death struggle, with his stammer. He was born into a royal family, which didn’t help the situation at all, and thus is expected to fulfill his duty with speeches and public matters. â€Å"The highest of distinctions, is service to others. [King George VI] One will notice that after it is official Berty is to become king, the characters struggle seems to take an immense downward spiral, until meeting his speech therapist and future friend; Lionel. The kings stammer seems to have rooted from past events, which haunt him to the present day. This could perhaps hold true, as Berty becomes disoriented and defensive when being pushed outside his comfort zone. Nevertheless, Li onel does just this, allowing Berty to do things he never thought possible. Berty and Lionel share a unique bond; that which is different yet more recognizable, from the other characters in The Kings Speech. They meet early on, when characters are still being introduced, thanks to Berty’s wife; Elizabeth, who sought out help for her troubled husband. An unlicensed speech therapist, being Lionel, decides to take on the King’s problem after meeting with him. The two clash heads initially until things start to take a turn for the better. Berty has an impulse which tells him he cant do things, whilst Lionel is that voice that is pushing him and telling him that he can in fact overcome his mental block. â€Å"-who’s unconventional techniques helped the second in line Blume 4 o the British throne gain his ’voice‘. † [Gloria Goodale] Berty seems to think that he is unable to beat his flaw, damaging his ego more every time he fails. Prior to Lionel, his therapists seemed to only target the direct problem without going deeper to find out why the problem exists in the first place. In order to dig deeper, Lionel pushes Berty outside of his comfort zone which he carefully built up over the years, allowing Lionel deeper entry into the problems core. It takes a strong mind to deal with mental and psychological issues, and an even stronger mind to overcome those burdens. Berty, or rightfully; King George VI, beat the odds and overcame his underdog status by allowing his problem to be explored and treated by the right person. The Kings Speech is not only a movie, its an enjoyable experience for the eyes, ears, and mind. Through stunning and artistic camera work, to superfluous directing, this film is more then worthy of the awards it received; including best picture, best director, best actor and best original screenplay. Emotions can be felt outside the screen and within the viewers as they witness the cinematic masterpiece that is The Kings Speech. The director, screenplay writer, editors, and actors all deserve the awards they received for their marvellous and exorbitant performances. After taking into account all that has been noted, one must make the decision themselves; but over all, it cannot be argued that the Kings Speech is a movie that will go down in history. Works Cited Blume 5 Billington, Alex. Toronto Review: Tom Hooper’s Exceptional ‘The King’s Speech’. September 20. 2010. 20/09/2011 Brit Royals. Royal Family History. (King George VI) 20/09/2011 Goodale, Gloria. The Real Story Behind ‘The Kings Speech’. The Christian Science Monitor. February 16. 2011 19/09/2011 How to cite Kings Speech, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Many depth cues are monocular. So why do we have two eyes free essay sample

Human beings perceive a three-dimensional world however the image projected to the retina is two dimensional in form (Howard 1995). A number of visual cues allow human beings to perceive depth in the world around them letting the brain to distinguish between objects that are close, and those that are far away. Binocular cues, such as stereopsis and convergence, afford depth information when both eyes are viewing a scene. Monocular cues on the other hand afford depth information when a scene is viewed with one eye. Since human beings have two eyes instead of one there must be an advantage to having two eyes. This essay will describe some binocular cues and their functions and secondly describe monocular cues and their functions. It will be argued that there is a definite advantage having binocular depth cues (Ciuffeda, 2002). Depth perception is important because it means that human beings can distinguish the distance between objects (Zijiang Teng ,2000). For example, people need to be able to perceive depth when they cross a road without being hit by an approaching car. Convergence is a binocular depth cue that allows people to perceive absolute depth (McFadden, 1994). For example, when a bowler in a game of cricket has to determine the distance between them and the batsman in a game of cricket, they would use convergence. Primary cues such as convergence relate to a physiological process of the visual system. When the eye is fixated at an object and that object is getting closer to the nose, both eyes would converge inwards. To evaluate whether convergence is an advantage for having two eyes because of this action an individual would be able to judge an object is coming closer to them. For instance a bee coming towards a person face, the person would be able to judge the actual distance of how close the bee is to them. However, a limitation of this cue is that it only estimates close distance and not far distance accurately. Retinal disparity is a binocular depth cue that occurs because the image viewed by the left and right eye is at slightly different angles due to their positioning 6. 6 cm apart from each other. The two images are fused together creating stereopsis. This allows the human being to perceive relative depth because the person only has a rough estimate of the difference from themselves and the object. When objects are at a crossed disparity they appear closer than the object being focused on whilst objects at uncrossed disparities appear further away than the object being focused on. When an object appears at crossed disparity the image seen by the right eye is moved to the left and left image that is viewed in the left eye is moved to the right. Objects at uncrossed disparity have the opposite effect, this is when both eyes are fixated on the nearby object and the object in the background has separate images In this case, the object that is viewed by the right eye is moved to the right and the object that is viewed by the left eye is moved to the left. In all, this gives a relative estimate of the distance of the object and the individual (Snowden, Thompson, Troscianko, 2012, page 201). This helps a person to estimate if an object is further away from them and then demonstrates the disparity of each eye is sending a different message and then overlap these images to be seen as one three dimensional image. This is another important advantage of having two eyes as both crossed and uncrossed disparity helps an individual to understand the relative distance between them and an object. The last depth cue that will be discussed is parallax. The appearances of different objects at different distances are perceived differently because both eyes project slightly differences of the object (Rogers Graham, 1979). For instance, when driving a car the nearby telephone poles go past faster than the trees in the distance. Not all depth cues require the use of both eyes. Monocular depth perception also provides cues to absolute and relative depth. An example of a monocular absolute depth cue is accommodation. When the object moves closer to the eye this leads to a feeling of strain in the eye, this indicates the depth of an object is coming closer. This is also a primary cue as it relates to the physiology of the visual system Mather, (2009) page 268. This is important on how the physiological system in a person body is a benefit for an individual to adapt in to the environment. This involves the lens of the eye changing shape in order to have a more accurate image of the retina. There are four monocular cues that relate to relative depth. Firstly, linear perspective occurs when small objects seem to project a far image on to the retina compared to those object that are nearer (Zelanski, Fisher, 1988). For instance, would be railway tracks; it seems the two parallel tracks are merging with each other at the distance. Secondly clarity, that the nearer the object is the more clearly it looks to an individual compared to something further away as it would look more blurry and unclear. Such as looking at a landscape, the mountains seem to be blurred while the near objects seem to look clear. This is important depth as it gives a relative indication of the distant to the person what is near and distant to them. Furthermore, this could also be without the need of the cue, if a person was to see a blurry picture, the person’s judgement of the picture would be it was taken from a distance far away. However, with this perception there is no actual depth information is provided, if the image is taken close or further away (tilt shift perception. ) However, a limitation of this depth cue is that it could cause driving in fog to be more dangerous because the driver might think it is far away from braking but we not really judging from the frog. Another depth cue is occlusion. This is when the object is blocking another object that objects is perceived to be nearer. This is important depth cue because an individual knows when some part of the object is not showing due to the overlap of the other object it is not displayed. For example when a person sees another friend move behind a table and would able only to see the front half of the body, the person would still assume the friend still had two legs due to prior experience. However, a limitation of this depth cue it does not provide how far the distance is from the person to the object. The final monocular depth cue that will discussed is relative size is another depth cue, if an object seems further away from the eye the image seems to be smaller, in this situation person would perceive the object as smaller than the object coming close as it would perceive it as bigger. One limitation of this cue is only useful when the person knows the actual size of the object. Finally, there is also monocular motion parallax, the perception of depth would be perceived differently if one eye was closed and whilst moving (Rogers Graham, 1979). For instance if a person is fixated on a finger with both eye and then shuts one eye and moved the depth of the finger would change. The benefit of having two eyes as opposed to one is not entirely clear. Firstly, with two eyes due to retinal disparity a person is able to detect better acuity of the depth of the object. This is because there is more depth information coming in compared to single eye. This can be demonstrated by holding a pencil length on its side of each hand, with one eye closed they would try and touch both pencils together; the person is more likely to miss. This suggests with both eyes open, this would give a better depth perception. Supporting this was a study from Melmoth and Grant (2006) they analysed the natural reaching and grasping of objects of monocular conditions (one eye sighted) and binocular condition (two eyes present. ) In this task participants had to reach and grasp list items of normal house hold objects under normal lighting conditions. The results demonstrated that participants with more binocular cues were more accurate and made fewer errors than monocular cues for reaching and holding the objects. They concluded due to binocular disparity, they have the depth information from both eyes; participants were more accurate with these motor movements compared to monocular. With two eyes a person has the advantage of a wider field of vision (Ogle, 1964); this would help the individual to adapt to the environment especially on practical tasks such as driving. A person with two eyes is better to identify an object in the dark by 40% better compared to one eye closed (Rodgers, 1983). This could be interpreted as an evolutionary advantage and necessary for survival. Furthermore, having two eyes compensates for having a blind spot. This disparity increases information for the brain to interpret the surroundings, therefore leading to better depth perception. For instance, a person perceiving with one eye had a situation that they could not be able to see clearly, for example due to dryness on one eye other eye can take over and see things more clearly. Lastly, a person with two eyes would have the advantage if one eye was damaged then would have a spare eye to able to use (Ciuffreda, 2002). Therefore, binocular cues are more of an advantage than monocular cues and this would be demonstrated in the task if a person was shooting a basketball. It is likely to be more accurate in the long run with two eyes open compared to one. Stereopsis allows a person to view three-dimensional films cinemas due to retinal disparity people get from both of their eyes. This is produced by getting two views in the same scene and by projecting this by special system in the audience glasses). This sends information to the right and left eye and the brain perceive (not sure diffuses is the right word here) them together giving the viewer a strong illusion of depth in and out of the screen (DeAngelis, 2000). This is important because having two eyes provides a person to see the world in 3D. However, people who have stereoblindness, caused by a strabismus can adapt to the environment perfectly due to the monocular depth cues. This perhaps suggests the use of binocular depth cues is not necessary and therefore two eyes are not better than one. Many artists use monocular cues to provide depth in their paintings. Furthermore, artists prefer looking at paintings with the use of only one eye due to better perceived depth as binocular vision could lead to cue conflict this would flatten the scene (Pirenne, 1970). This is because binocular vision sees all objects in similar depths whereas monocular vision shows a wide range of depths. To summarise, the essay began by describing binocular cues and how important these are for depth perception. Convergence is important for an individual to judge the absolute depth of an object in order to realise when it is closer to them. Retinal disparity is important to judge relative depth of objects when they are further or nearer to the person. On the other hand, there are many monocular cues to provide absolute (accommodation) and relative depth such as linear perspective. It was agreed in the end having binocular vision does have a greater advantage compared to monocular vision. This is because binocular vision provides wider vision field, this is an advantage when adapting to an environment, for instance driving a car. Furthermore, binocular vision would have greater advantage when identifying objects in the dark. Lastly the advantage for a person to have two eyes would be if one was eye was damaged they would have a spare eye to use. However, in some circumstances monocular vision could be seen as more beneficial over binocular vision. For instance, artists prefer to look at a painting with one eye compared to two eyes due to the cue conflict with binocular disparity. Overall both depth cues play an important role in allowing the person to perceive depth. Whilst binocular vision has a greater advantage one cannot ignore the importance of monocular cues as they are equally as important for a person to perceive depth perception.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Macbeth Summary

'Macbeth' Summary William Shakespeare’s Macbeth takes place in Scotland in the 11th century AD, and it tells the story of Macbeth, thane of Glamis, and of his ambition to become king. This Shakespearian tragedy is loosely based on historical sources, namely Holinshed’s Chronicles, and there is historical documentation on several characters, including Macbeth, Duncan, and Malcolm. It’s unclear whether the character of Banquo really existed. While the Chronicles depict him as an accomplice to Macbeth’s murderous actions, Shakespeare portrays him as an innocent character. Overall, Macbeth is not known for its historical accuracy, but for the portrayal of the effects of blind ambition in people. Act I Scottish generals Macbeth and Banquo have just defeated the allied forces of Norway and Ireland, which were led by the traitorous Macdonwald. As Macbeth and Banquo wander onto a heath, they are greeted by the Three Witches, who offer them prophecies. Banquo challenges them first, so they address Macbeth: they hail him as Thane of Glamis,† his current title and then Thane of Cawdor, adding that he will also be king. Banquo then asks of his own fortunes, the witches respond enigmatically, saying that he will be less than Macbeth, yet happier, less successful, yet more. Most importantly, they tell him that he will father a line of kings, though he himself will not be one. The witches vanish soon after, and the two men wonder at these pronouncements. Then, however, another thane, Ross, arrives and informs Macbeth that he has been bestowed the title of Thane of Cawdor.  This means that the first prophecy is fulfilled, and Macbeth’s initial skepticism turns into ambition. King Duncan welcomes and praises Macbeth and Banquo, and declares that he will spend the night at Macbeths castle at  Inverness; he also names his son Malcolm as his heir. Macbeth sends a message ahead to his wife, Lady Macbeth, telling her about the witches prophecies. Lady Macbeth unwaveringly wishes for her husband to murder the king so he can usurp the throne, to the point that she answers his objections by casting doubts on his manhood. Eventually, she manages to convince him to kill the king that same night. The two get Duncans two chamberlains drunk so that the next morning they can easily blame the chamberlains for the murder.  Ã‚     Act II   Still plagued by doubts and by hallucinations, including a bloody dagger, Macbeth stabs King Duncan in his sleep. He is so upset that Lady Macbeth has to take charge, and frames Duncans sleeping servants for the murder by placing bloody daggers on them. The following morning, Lennox, a Scottish nobleman, and Macduff, the loyal Thane of Fife, arrive at Inverness, and Macduff is the one who discovers Duncans body. Macbeth murders the guards so they cannot profess their innocence, but claims he did so in a fit of anger over their misdeeds. Duncans sons Malcolm and Donalbain flee to England and Ireland, respectively, fearing they might be targets too, but their flight frames them as suspects. As a consequence, Macbeth assumes the throne as the new King of Scotland as a kinsman of the dead king. On this occasion, Banquo recalls the witches prophecy about how his own descendants would inherit the throne. This makes him suspicious of Macbeth.   Act III Meanwhile Macbeth, who remembers the prophecy concerning Banquo, remains uneasy, so he invites him to a royal banquet, where he discovers that Banquo and his young son, Fleance, will be riding out that night. Suspecting Banquo of being suspicious of him, Macbeth arranges to have him and Fleance murdered by hiring assassins, who succeed in killing Banquo, but not Fleance. This enrages Macbeth, as he fears that his power won’t be safe as long as a heir of Banquo lives.  At a banquet, Macbeth is visited by Banquos ghost who sits in Macbeths place. Macbeth’s reaction startles the guests, as the ghost is only visible to him: they see their king panicking at an empty chair. Lady Macbeth has to tell them that her husband is merely afflicted with a familiar and harmless malady. The ghost departs and returns once more, causing the same riotous anger and fear in Macbeth. This time, Lady Macbeth tells the lords to leave, and they do so.   Act IV   Macbeth pays visits to the witches again in order to learn the truth of their prophecies to him. In response to that, they conjure horrible apparitions: an armored head, which tells him to beware of Macduff;  a bloody child telling him that no one born of a woman will be able to harm him; next, a crowned child holding a tree stating that Macbeth will be safe until Great Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill. Since all men are born from women and forests cannot move, Macbeth is initially relieved. Macbeth also asks whether Banquos sons will ever reign in Scotland. The witches conjure a procession of eight crowned kings, all similar in appearance to Banquo, the last one carrying a mirror reflecting even more kings: they are all Banquos descendants having acquired kingship in numerous countries. After the witches leave, Macbeth learns that Macduff has fled to England, and so Macbeth orders Macduffs castle be seized, and also sends murderers to slaughter Macduff and his family. Although Macduff is no longer there, Lady Macduff and his family are murdered  Ã‚   Act V   Lady Macbeth becomes overcome with guilt for the crimes she and her husband committed. She has taken to sleepwalking, and after entering the stage holding a candle, she laments the murders of Duncan, Banquo, and Lady Macduff, while also trying to wash off imaginary bloodstains from her hands. In England, Macduff learns of the slaughtering of his own family, and, stricken with grief, vows revenge. Together with Prince Malcolm, Duncans son, who raised an army in England, he rides to Scotland to challenge Macbeths forces against Dunsinane Castle. While encamped in Birnam Wood, the soldiers are ordered to cut down and carry tree limbs to camouflage their numbers. Part of the witches’ prophecy comes true.  Before Macbeths opponents arrive, he learns that Lady Macbeth has killed herself, causing him to sink into despair. He eventually faces Macduff, initially without fear, since he cannot be killed by any man born of woman. Macduff declares that he was from his mothers womb / Untimely rippd (V 8.15–16). The second prophecy is thus fulfilled, and Macbeth is eventually killed and beheaded by Macduff. The order is restored and Malcolm is crowned King of Scotland. As for the Witches’ prophecy concerning Banquo’s descendants, it is true in that James I of England, previously James VI of Scotland, descended from Banquo.