LEGAL STUDIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

LEGAL STUDIES - Essay Example ..†1 Therefore, it was his duty to preserve the information received by him by fax as secret. Being a civil servant, he must have had some experience in making difference between secret information and public one. Geoffrey might be found guilty under subsection 1, Section3 of the Act (1) as being â€Å"A person who is or has been a Crown servant or government contractor is guilty of an offence if without lawful authority he makes a damaging disclosure of—(a)any information, document or other article relating to international relations.† Geoffrey told his wife Jean about the information in the fax without lawful authority, as required by the law. According to Section 7 of the Act For the purposes of this Act, authorized disclosure is defined as â€Å"a disclosure by a Crown servant is made with lawful authority if, and only if, it is made in accordance with his official duty.† Geoffrey did not have the necessary authorization to disclose that kind of informa tion and therefore, he should have kept it to himself. On the other hand, Geoffrey might have not known that this information was secret, as the case description speaks about a secret agreement between Government ministers and the United Nations that no exact figures would be given as to the number involved. Therefore, he might raise the defence provided by the Official Secrets Act 1989, in Section 3, subsection (4), which stipulates that: â€Å"It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this section to prove that at the time of the alleged offence he did not know, and had no reasonable cause to believe, that the information, document or article in question was such as is mentioned in subsection (1) above or that its disclosure would be damaging within the meaning of that subsection.† If Geoffrey can prove that he was not aware that the information was confidential and its disclosure would be damaging, he might avoid being held liable for disclosing it. On the other hand, by telling his wife, whom he, of course, knew that is a journalist, it must have occurred to his mind that his wife, as any journalist, might use that information in her own interest and make it public. I believe that Geoffrey, as a Crown servant, should have acted with caution as regards the information and find out if it is secret or not before passing it to other parties. His wife, on the other hand, might be held liable for publishing this information under Section 5 of the Act, within the provisions of which she might fall. Section 5 (2) stipulates that: â€Å"Subject to subsections (3) and (4) below, the person into whose possession the information, document or article has come is guilty of an offence if he discloses it without lawful authority knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe, that it is protected against disclosure by the foregoing provisions of this Act and that it has come into his possession as mentioned in subsection (1) above.† So, unle ss the disclosure was not damaging, Jean can be held liable under the Act. This is the case of the information passed to Jean by her husband, as he entrusted her that information, in accordance with Subsection 1, Section 5 of the Act. Geoffrey should have warned his wife about the importance of the information and the necessity to keep it secret. This is applicable, unless Geoffrey intentionally told his wife about t

Provider- Patient Relationship (CASE) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Provider- Patient Relationship (CASE) - Essay Example How do health care professionals find the balance to make decisions that honor, both, patient confidentiality and other ethical obligations like reporting a potential crime. It is, often, not an easy decision to make. Imagine yourself as an E.R. physician and a patient arrives who has, according to his companions, ingested a large quantity of illegal drugs. He does not wish to be treated, however, his companions feel that he is mentally impaired by his drug use and should be treated regardless. It is absolutely true that while under the influence of intoxicants one may not be capable of the best possible judgment, however, that may not be true in every case. If one is capable of understanding the consequences of his or her decision regarding receiving treatment and the potential outcomes of refusing it then it would be unethical to disregard their personal choice not to receive medical care. In the case provided the patient was deemed capable of understanding the situation and was allowed to leave without receiving treatment. Ethically, however, if the patient had not been successful in being evaluated as capable of making his own decisions then treatment would and should be administered despite their objections, or at least until they achieve a more competent mental state; for example the effect of the drugs wears off. In the second scenario we are presented with a woman that has admitted to be unable to retrieve a condom filled with an illegal narcotic substance from her vagina. In this case the ethical decision required by the healthcare professional is not so easy. There is the health of the patient, but the patient’s potential medical condition was caused in the process of committing a crime. In this case the decision that seems to create amiable solution results from treating the patient, without contacting law enforcement, and then if drugs were

Leukopenia And Leukemia Risk Factors Biology Essay

Leukopenia And Leukemia Risk Factors Biology Essay A clinical condition, known as leukopenia occasionally occurs in which the bone marrow produces very few white blood cells, leaving the body unprotected against many bacteria and other agents that might invade the tissues. Normally, the human body lives in symbiosis with many bacteria, because all the mucous membranes of the body are constantly exposed to large numbers of bacteria. The mouth almost always contains various spirochetal, pneumococcal, and streptococcal bacteria, and these same bacteria are present to a lesser extent in the entire respiratory tract. The distal gastrointestinal tract is especially loaded with colon bacilli. Furthermore, one can always find bacteria on the surfaces of the eyes, urethra, and vagina. Any decrease in the number of white blood cells immediately allows invasion of adjacent tissues by bacteria that are already present. Within 2 days after the bone marrow stops producing white blood cells, ulcers may appear in the mouth and colon, or the person might develop some form of severe respiratory infection. Bacteria from the ulcers rapidly invade surrounding tissues and the blood. Without treatment, death often ensues in less than a week after acute total leukopenia begins. Irradiation of the body by x-rays or gamma rays, or exposure to drugs and chemicals that contain benzene or anthracene nuclei, is likely to cause aplasia of the bone marrow. Indeed, some common drugs, such as chloramphenicol (an antibiotic), thiouracil (used to treat thyrotoxicosis), and even various barbiturate hypnotics, on very rare occasions cause leukopenia, thus setting off the entire infectious sequence of this malady. After moderate irradiation injury to the bone marrow, some stem cells, myeloblasts, and hemocytoblasts may remain undestroyed in the marrow and are capable of regenerating the bone marrow, provided sufficient time is available. A patient properly treated with transfusions, plus antibiotics and other drugs to ward off infection, usually develops enough new bone marrow within weeks to months for blood cell concentrations to return to normal. Leukemia Leukemia is a cancer of one class of white blood cells in the bone marrow, which results in the proliferation of that cell type to the exclusion of other types. Leukemia appears to be a clonal disorder, meaning one abnormal cancerous cell proliferates without control, producing an abnormal group of daughter cells. These cells prevent other blood cells in the bone marrow from developing normally, causing them to accumulate in the marrow. Because of these factors, leukemia is called an accumulation and a clonal disorder. Eventually, leukemic cells take over the bone marrow. This reduces blood levels of all nonleukemic cells, causing the many generalized symptoms of leukemia. Types of Leukemia Leukemia is described as acute or chronic, depending on the suddenness of appearance and how well differentiated the cancerous cells are. The cells of acute leukemia are poorly differentiated, whereas those of chronic leukemia are usually well differentiated. Leukemia is also described based on the proliferating cell type. For instance, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common childhood leukemia, describes a cancer of a primitive lymphocyte cell line. Granulocytic leukemias are leukemias of the eosinophils, neutrophils, or basophils. Leukemia in adults is usually chronic lymphocytic or acute myeloblastic. Long-term survival rates for leukemia depend on the involved cell type, but range to more than 75% for childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia, which is a remarkable statistic for what was once a nearly always fatal disease. Risk Factors for Developing Leukemia Risk factors for leukemia include a genetic predisposition coupled with a known or unknown initiator (mutating) event. Siblings of children with leukemia are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop the disease than other children. Certain abnormal chromosomes are seen in a high percentage of patients with leukemia. Likewise, individuals with certain chromosomal abnormalities, including Down syndrome, have an increased risk of developing leukemia. Exposures to radiation, some drugs that depress the bone marrow, and various chemotherapeutic agents have been suggested to increase the risk of leukemia. Environmental agents such as pesticides and certain viral infections also have been implicated. Previous illness with a variety of diseases associated with hematopoiesis (blood cell production) has been shown to increase the risk of leukemia. These diseases include Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, polycythemia vera, sideroblastic anemia, and myelodysplastic syndromes. Chronic leukemia may sometimes transform into acute leukemia. Clinical Manifestations Acute leukemia has marked clinical manifestations. Chronic leukemia progresses slowly and may have few symptoms until advanced. Pallor and fatigue from anemia. Frequent infections caused by a decrease in white blood cells. Bleeding and bruising caused by thrombocytopenia and coagulation disorders. Bone pain caused by accumulation of cells in the marrow, which leads to increased pressure and cell death. Unlike growing pains, bone pain related to leukemia is usually progressive. Weight loss caused by poor appetite and increased caloric consumption by neoplastic cells. Lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and hepatomegaly caused by leukemic cell infiltration of these lymphoid organs may develop. Central nervous system symptoms may occur. Diagnostic Tools Laboratory findings include alterations in specific blood cell counts, with overall elevation or deficiency in white blood cell count variable, depending on the type of cell affected. Bone marrow tests demonstrate clonal proliferation and blood cell accumulation. Cerebral spinal fluid is examined to rule out central nervous system involvement. Complications Children who survive leukemia have an increased risk of developing a new malignancy later on in life when compared to children who have never had leukemia, most likely related to the aggressiveness of chemotherapeutic (or radiological) regimens. Treatment regimens, including bone marrow transplant, are associated with temporary bone marrow depression, and increase the risk of developing a severe infection that could lead to death. Even with successful treatment and remission, leukemic cells may still persist, suggesting residual disease. Implications for prognosis and cure are unclear. Treatment Multiple drug chemotherapy. Antibiotics to prevent infection. Transfusions of red blood cells and platelets to reverse anemia and prevent bleeding. Bone marrow transplant may successfully treat the disease. Blood products and broad spectrum antibiotics are provided during bone marrow transplant procedures to fight and prevent infection. Immunotherapy, including interferons and other cytokines, is used to improve outcome. Therapy may be more conservative for chronic leukemia. The treatments described earlier may contribute to the symptoms by causing further bone marrow depression, nausea, and vomiting. Nausea and vomiting may be controlled or reduced by pharmacologic and behavioral intervention. Anthocyanins (chemicals with known antioxidant and liver protecting properties) isolated from the plant Hibiscus sabdariffa are being studied as chemopreventive agents in that they cause cancer cell apoptosis (death) in human promyelocytic leukemia cells. Anemia Anemia is a condition in which there is a reduced number of red blood cells or decreased concentration of hemoglobin in those cells or both. Anemia is often a manifestation of some disease process or abnormality within the body. Although there are many causes of anemia, the actual mechanism by which the anemia results is generally due to (1) excess loss or destruction of red blood cells and (2) reduced or defective production of red blood cells. Anemias may be classified according to cause or effect on red cell morphology Size changes Normocytic anemia RBC size is unchanged Example: Blood loss anemia Macrocytic anemia RBC size is increased Example: B12/folic acid deficiency anemia Microcytic anemia RBC size is reduced Example: Iron deficiency anemia Color changes (due to altered hemoglobin content) Normochromic Normal hemoglobin concentration Hypochromic Reduced hemoglobin concentration Example: Iron deficiency anemia may be classified as a microcytic, hypochromic anemia as both red blood cell size and hemoglobin content are reduced General manifestations of anemia A major feature of anemia is a reduced capacity for the transport of oxygen to tissues. This reduced oxygen delivery can result in the following: Ischemia Fatigability Breathlessness upon exertion Exercise intolerance Pallor Increased susceptibility to infection Types of anemia Hemolytic anemia Anemia that results from excess destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis). Factors that may cause hemolysis include the following: Autoimmune destruction of red blood cells Certain drugs (example: quinine) or toxins Cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia Rheumatoid arthritis Certain viral infections (parvovirus) Parasitic infections (malaria) Blood loss anemia Anemia that results from acute blood loss. With acute loss of large amounts of blood, shock is the major concern. With chronic loss of smaller amounts of blood, iron deficiency is a chief concern. Causes of acute and chronic blood loss may include the following: Trauma and hemorrhage Malignancy Peptic ulcers Iron-deficiency anemia Iron-deficiency anemia is a major cause of anemia worldwide. It can occur as a result of iron-deficient diets. Vegetarians are at particular risk for iron deficiency as are menstruating or pregnant women due to increased requirement for iron. Iron-deficiency anemia may also result from poor absorption of iron from the intestine or persistent blood loss (e.g., ulcers, neoplasia). Because iron is the functional component of hemoglobin, lack of available iron will result in a decreased hemoglobin synthesis and subsequent impairment of red blood cell oxygen-carrying capacity. Cobalamin-deficiency or folate-deficiency anemia Cobalamin (vitamin B 12) and folic acid are essential nutrients required for DNA synthesis and red cell maturation, respectively. Deficiency of these nutrients will lead to the formation of red blood cells that are of abnormal shape with shortened life spans due to weakened cell membranes. One important cause of vitamin B 12 deficiency is pernicious anemia that results from a lack of intrinsic factor production by the gastric mucosa. Intrinsic factor is required for normal absorption of vitamin B 12 from the intestine. Any intestinal abnormalities (e.g., neoplasia, inflammation) that interfere with the production of intrinsic factor can lead to vitamin B 12 deficiency. Folic acid deficiency most commonly results from poor diet, malnutrition or intestinal malabsorption. Inherited anemia Anemia may also result from genetic defects in red blood cell structure or function. Two common genetic disorders of erythrocytes are sickle cell anemia and thalassemia. Both of these disorders result from abnormal or absent genes for the production of hemoglobin. Sickle cell disease Sickle cell disease is a group of autosomal recessive disorders characterized by abnormal hemoglobin production. In the United States the highest prevalence of sickle cell disease is in blacks with a reported incidence of approximately 1 in 500 births. Sickle cell disease has several patterns of inheritance that determine the severity of the disease in afflicted individuals. In the homozygous form of the disease, most of the hemoglobin formed is defective and the clinical presentation is most severe. With the heterozygous form of the disease, less than half of the red cell hemoglobin is affected and the presentation is significantly milder. Individuals may also inherit the sickle cell trait and be carriers of the defective hemoglobin gene without significant clinical manifestations. Manifestations of sickle cell disease: The abnormal hemoglobin formed in sickle cell disease results from a substitution mutation of a single amino acid. This mutation causes the deoxygenated hemoglobin to clump and become abnormally rigid. The rigidity of the defective hemoglobin deforms the pliable red blood cell membrane and causes erythrocytes to take on sickled or half-moon appearance. The degree of sickling that occurs is determined by the amount of abnormal hemoglobin within the red blood cell and only occurs when the abnormal hemoglobin is deoxygenated. As a result of their elongated shape and rigidity, affected blood cells do not pass easily through narrow blood vessels. Hemolysis of sickled red blood cells is also common. The spleen is a major site of red cell hemolysis since the blood vessels found within this organ are narrow and convoluted. As a result of the sluggish blood flow, many tissues and organs of the body are eventually affected by this disorder. Specific manifestations may include the following: Impaired oxygen-carrying capacity resulting in fatigue, pallor Occlusion of blood vessels leading to ischemia, hypoxia, pain Organ damage Splenomegaly due to increased destruction of red blood cells in this organ Jaundice as a result of increased amounts of hemoglobin released into circulation Increased risk of infection and possible septicemia due to stagnation of blood Thalassemia Thalassemia is a genetic disorder characterized by absent or defective production of hemoglobin ÃŽÂ ± or ÃŽÂ ² chains. As with sickle cell anemia, afflicted individuals may be heterozygous for the trait and have a milder presentation of the disease or homozygous and have a more severe form of the disorder. The ÃŽÂ ² form of thalassemia (defective formation of ÃŽÂ ² hemoglobin chains) is most common in individuals from Mediterranean populations, whereas the ÃŽÂ ± form of thalassemia (defective formation of ÃŽÂ ± hemoglobin chains) occurs mostly in Asians. Both the ÃŽÂ ± and ÃŽÂ ² forms of thalassemia are common in blacks. Manifestations of thalassemia In heterozygous individuals enough normal hemoglobin is usually synthesized to prevent significant anemia. In these individuals symptoms of anemia may appear only with exercise or physiologic stress. Homozygous individuals are often dependent on frequent transfusions to treat the resulting severe anemia. Children affected with the homozygous form may suffer severe growth retardation. The widespread hypoxia that can result from impaired oxygen-carrying capacity leads to erythropoietin-induced increases in hematopoiesis that can eventually affect the structure of the long bones. Severe anemia may also lead to congestive heart failure and marked hepatosplenomegaly. Excessive hemolysis of red blood cells may occur in severe forms of the disease due to overproduction of the normal hemoglobin subunit. Iron deposits from increased absorption and frequent transfusions may injure the liver and heart as well. Treatment of sickle cell anemia and thalassemia Individuals with inherited anemia should avoid physiologic stresses that might exacerbate hypoxia. Infections should be avoided and promptly treated if they occur to prevent a possible hypoxic crisis. Proper immunizations and vaccinations should be administered to lessen the chance of infection. Frequent transfusions of normal erythrocytes are commonly used in individuals with severe forms of inherited anemia during periods of crisis. These individuals are at risk for iron accumulation as well as contracting blood-borne pathogens such as hepatitis and HIV from improperly screened blood. Bone marrow transplant may be utilized effectively to cure patients with genetic anemias; however, the procedure carries considerable risk of its own. Aplastic anemia Aplastic anemia results from a lack of red blood cell production by the bone marrow. If erythrocyte stem cell precursors are lacking or destroyed, the process of erythropoiesis will be severely impaired. Aplastic anemia may result from a congenital defect in stem cell production or can be caused by exposure to agents that damage the bone marrow such as Chemicals (organic solvents, heavy metals), radiation, toxins, HIV infection, chemotherapeutic drugs and certain antibiotics (Chloramphenicol). Drug-induced aplastic anemia is usually a dose-dependent phenomenon. The clinical manifestations of aplastic anemia will depend on the extent to which hematopoiesis is impaired. General symptoms of anemia such as pallor, fatigue and lethargy can occur initially. Bleeding in the skin and from the nose, mouth and body orifices may also occur from a lack of platelet production by the abnormal bone marrow. Increased susceptibility to infection is also seen as a result of diminished white blood cell production. The underlying cause of the aplastic anemia needs to be identified and further exposure prevented. Treatment should also include avoidance of physiologic stresses and infection. Transfusions are effective for temporarily improving oxygen-carrying capacity. In severe cases, bone marrow transplant may offer a cure. Polycythemia Polycythemia is a disorder in which the number of red blood cells in circulation is greatly increased. There are two categories of polycythemia: relative and primary. Relative polycythemia results from an increase in the concentration of red blood cells due to a loss of plasma volume. In contrast, primary polycythemia (polycythemia vera) is caused by excessive proliferation of bone marrow stem cells. Polycythemia vera is a rare neoplastic disorder that occurs in men between the ages of 40 and 60. A secondary form of polycythemia may occur from excess erythropoietin production as a physiologic response to hypoxia. Secondary polycythemia may be seen in individuals living at high altitudes, in chronic smokers or in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Manifestations Increased blood volume and viscosity Increased risk of thrombus Occlusion of small blood vessels Hepatosplenomegaly from pooling of blood Impaired blood flow to tissues (ischemia) Treatment Increasing fluid volume in relative polycythemia Periodic removal of blood to reduce viscosity and volume in primary polycythemia Chemotherapy or radiation to suppress activity of bone marrow stem cells in polycythemia vera Thrombocytopenia (Purpura) Thrombocytopenia represents a decrease in the number of circulating platelets (usually less than 100,000/mm3). It can result from decreased platelet production by the bone marrow, increased pooling of platelets in the spleen, or decreased platelet survival caused by immune or nonimmune mechanisms. Dilutional thrombocytopenia can result from massive transfusions because blood stored for more that 24 hours has virtually no platelets. Decreased platelet production can result from suppression or failure of bone marrow function, such as occurs in aplastic anemia, or from replacement of bone marrow by malignant cells, such as occurs in leukemia. Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) suppresses the production of megakaryocytes. Radiation therapy and drugs such as those used in the treatment of cancer may suppress bone marrow function and reduce platelet production. There may be normal production of platelets but excessive pooling of platelets in the spleen. The spleen normally sequesters approximately 30% to 40% of the platelets. However, as much as 80% of the platelets can be sequestered when the spleen is enlarged (splenomegaly). Splenomegaly occurs in cirrhosis with portal hypertension and in lymphomas. Decreased platelet survival is an important cause of thrombocytopenia. In many cases, premature destruction of platelets is caused by antiplatelet antibodies or immune complexes. The antibodies can be directed against self-antigens (autoimmunity) or against nonself platelet antigens (from blood transfusions). Autoimmune thrombocytopenias include idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and HIV-associated thrombocytopenias. Decreased platelet survival may also occur as the result of mechanical injury associated with prosthetic heart valves. Drug-Induced Thrombocytopenia Some drugs, such as quinine, quinidine, and certain sulfa-containing antibiotics, may induce thrombocytopenia. These drugs act as a hapten and induce antigen-antibody response and formation of immune complexes that cause platelet destruction by complement-mediated lysis. In persons with drug-associated thrombocytopenia, there is a rapid fall in platelet count within 2 to 3 days of resuming use of a drug or 7 or more days (i.e., the time needed to mount an immune response) after starting use of a drug for the first time. The platelet count rises rapidly after the drug use is discontinued. The anticoagulant drug heparin has been increasingly implicated in thrombocytopenia and, paradoxically, in thrombosis. The complications typically occur 5 days after the start of therapy and result from production of heparin-dependent antiplatelet antibodies that cause aggregation of platelets and their removal from the circulation. The antibodies often bind to vessel walls, causing injury and thrombosis. The newer, low-molecular-weight heparin has been shown to be effective in reducing the incidence of heparin-induced complications compared with the older, high-molecular-weight form of the drug. Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, an autoimmune disorder, results in platelet antibody formation and excess destruction of platelets. The IgG antibody binds to two identified membrane glycoproteins while in the circulation. The platelets, which are made more susceptible to phagocytosis because of the antibody, are destroyed in the spleen. Acute idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is more common in children and usually follows a viral infection. It is characterized by sudden onset of petechiae and purpura and is a self-limited disorder with no treatment. In contrast, the chronic form is usually seen in adults and seldom follows an infection. It is a disease of young people, with a peak incidence between the ages of 20 and 50 years, and is seen twice as often in women as in men. It may be associated with other immune disorders such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or systemic lupus erythematosus. The condition occasionally presents precipitously with signs of bleeding, often into the skin (i.e., purpura and petechiae) or oral mucosa. There is commonly a history of bruising, bleeding from gums, epistaxis (i.e., nosebleeds), and abnormal menstrual bleeding. Because the spleen is the site of platelet destruction, splenic enlargement may occur. Diagnosis usually is based on severe thrombocytopenia (platelet counts Treatment includes the initial use of corticosteroid drugs, often followed by splenectomy and the use of immunosuppressive agents. Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TPP) is a combination of thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, signs of vascular occlusion, fever, and neurologic abnormalities. The onset is abrupt, and the outcome may be fatal. Widespread vascular occlusions consist of thrombi in arterioles and capillaries of many organs, including the heart, brain, and kidneys. Erythrocytes become fragmented as they circulate through the partly occluded vessels and cause the hemolytic anemia. The clinical manifestations include purpura and petechiae and neurologic symptoms ranging from headache to seizures and altered consciousness. Although TTP may have diverse causes, the initiating event seems to be widespread endothelial damage and activation of intravascular thrombosis. Toxins produced by certain strains of Escherichia coli (e.g., E. coli O157:H7) are a trigger for endothelial damage and an associated condition called the hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Treatment for TTP includes plasmapheresis, a procedure that involves removal of plasma from withdrawn blood and replacement with fresh-frozen plasma. The treatment is continued until remission occurs. With plasmapheresis treatment, there is a complete recovery in 80% to 90% of cases. Fibrinogen Deficiency Factor I (or fibrinogen) deficiency is a very rare inherited disorder with complications that vary with the severity of the disorder. It is not well known, even among health professionals. Discovery Factor I deficiency was described for the first time in 1920 by Fritz Rabe and Eugene Salomon. These two German physicians are credited with discovering the disorder. They studied the case of a 9-year-old boy who presented unexplained bleeding problems from birth. Blood tests finally demonstrated the absence of fibrinogen in the childs blood. His parents were first cousins, but they showed no bleeding problems. The two researchers established that it was an inherited disorder often found in subjects whose parents were blood relatives. Since then, knowledge about the condition has advanced considerably. What is Fibrinogen? Fibrinogen, also called Factor I, is a blood plasma protein produced by the liver that plays an important role in blood coagulation. Blood coagulation is a process in which several components of the blood form a clot. When blood escapes from a rupture in a blood vessel, coagulation is triggered. Several proteins, called coagulation factors, go into action to produce thrombin. The thrombin then converts fibrinogen to fibrin. Fibrin produced from fibrinogen is the main protein in a blood clot. It surrounds the cells in the blood and plasma and helps form the clot. The resulting clot, which is stabilized by Factor XIII, remains intact from 10 to 14 days, the time required for healing to take place. When there is a problem with fibrinogen, i.e., either it is missing or it does not function properly, the clot has difficulty forming. This can result in hemorrhaging or thrombosis. The normal volume of fibrinogen in the blood is from 2 to 4 g/l (grams/litre). The amount of fibrinogen in blood can be measured from a blood sample. The following diagram was devised by a Toronto laboratory technician. It shows the stages in clot formation in a way that makes it easier to understand the theoretical notions explained above. Types of Fibrinogen Deficiency There are three types of deficiency: Afibrinogenemia: (absence of fibrinogen) In this type of factor I deficiency, there is a complete absence of fibrinogen. The fibrinogen level is Hypofibrinogenemia (lower than normal level) Dysfibrinogenemia (improper functioning) Transmission of Fibrinogen Deficiency Fibrinogen deficiency is a very rare inherited bleeding disorder. It is transmitted from parent to child at conception. The disorder is caused by an abnormal gene. It affects both men and women, as well as people of all races and ethnic origins. Every cell of the body contains chromosomes. A chromosome is a long chain of a substance called DNA. DNA is organized in 30,000 units: these are called genes. The genes determine physical characteristics, such as eye colour. In the case of fibrinogen deficiency, one of the genes involved is defective. The defective gene in fibrinogen deficiency is located on a chromosome that is not responsible for the childs sex (autosomal). As a result, both girls and boys can be affected equally. Afibrinogenemia (absence of fibrinogen) This is a recessive disorder, which means that both parents must be carriers. In order for a person to inherit fibrinogen deficiency, he must receive two defective genes, one from the mother and the other from the father. A carrier is a person who has only one of the two defective genes, but is not affected by the disorder: the second gene enables just enough fibrinogen to be made for good coagulation. The fibrinogen level will be lower than normal, but there will be no symptoms of the disorder. Hypofibrinogenemia and dysfibrinogenemia These are inherited disorders that can be either dominant or recessive. Dominant means that a single parent can transmit the disorder if he or she is a carrier. Recessive means that both parents must be carriers of the disorder in order to transmit it. Symptoms Afibrinogenemia (absence of fibrinogen) In congenital afibrinogenemia (fibrinogen level Other types of bleeding have been described: bruises bleeding from the gums epistaxis (nosebleeds) gastrointestinal hemorrhage genito-urinary hemorrhage intra-cranial hemorrhage rupture of the spleen and hemorrhage in the spleen About 20% of those suffering from afibrinogenemia present hemarthroses (bleeding in the joints). Because of this particular feature, the disorder may be confused with hemophilia A or B. Hypofibrinogenemia (lower than normal level) Bleeding in hypofibrinogenemia is much like what is seen in afibrinogenemia. It can be more or less serious, depending on fibrinogen levels, which can vary from 0.2 to 0.8 g/L of plasma. The higher the fibrinogen level, the less bleeding. The lower the fibrinogen level, the more bleeding. Dysfibrinogenemia (improper functioning) In dysfibrinogenemia, the quantity of fibrinogen is normal, which means between 2 and 4 g/L. Bleeding can vary depending on how the fibrinogen is functioning. Bleeding may: be absent (no symptoms) show a tendency toward hemorrhage (as described in afibrinogenemia) show a tendency toward thrombosis How to Recognize Bleeding It is strongly recommended that people who suffer from afibrinogenemia or severe hypofibrinogenemia learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of bleeding that could threaten their lives or the integrity of a limb, so they can react adequately and in a reasonable time. The information below describes the main types of bleeding that may occur in someone with a coagulation disorder. Bleeding that affects the head, neck, thorax (chest) or abdomen can be life-threatening and may require immediate medical attention. Bear in mind that this kind of bleeding can occur either following an injury or spontaneously (without injury). Head The brain, which is protected by the skull, controls all bodily functions that are essential to life. Bleeding in the brain is very serious. Signs and symptoms: Heada

Bacons Rebellion Essay -- American History Nathaniel Bacon Papers

Bacon's Rebellion Sometimes there comes an event in American History in which no one knows exactly why it happened. What the motives of the event were are left to the interpretation of the historian doing the research. Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 was on such event. Wilcomb E. Washburn’s view is precise when he states, â€Å" Bacon’s Rebellion. . .was an event on which observers could agree on the facts, but divide on the interpretation.† Historians have been picking into peoples’ accounts and versions of the legend for over 3 centuries, but never coming to a common conclusion. One fact is for sure and that is that the rebellion, known as Bacon’s, was what was going to pave the way towards Revolution of British Authority. In this paper I will look at one aspect that I feel was the motivation behind one individual's defiance to authority and the need to take matters regarding Indian relations into his own hands. Bacon was the kind of person to take what he thought was right into his own hands, even if it meant that he was breaking the law. In his eyes he was doing right and if he did not have the official support, he was going to do it anyway. On the other side was the feeble and zealous Governor of Virginia, Sir William Berkeley. The Rebellion was also called, â€Å" the first protest against royal authority in America.† Sir William Berkeley was the second cousin of Bacon. Not wanting for the relations with the Indians to deteriorate, Berkeley did not thirst for an all out war in order to control the growing Indian crisis. He believed that the Indians should be punished for killing the settlers and wreaking havoc on their lives, however, not in the magnitude that Bacon had ... ...ution-an HTML Project. Accessed on 7 October 2000. Available at http://odur.let.rug.n1/~usa/D/1651-1700/bacon_rebel/berke.htm Mooy, Age. â€Å"Bacon’s Declaration in the Name of the People (30 July 1676)†, The American Revolution-an HTML Project. Accessed on 7 October 2000. Available at http://odur.let.rug.n1/~us/D/1651-1700/bacon_rebel/bacon.htm Washburn, Wilcomb E. The Governor and The Rebel: A History of Bacon’s Rebellion in Virginia. North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press, 1957. Webb, Stephen Saunders. 1676: The End of American Independence. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Inc., 1984. Wertenbaker, Thomas Jefferson. Torchbearer of the Revolution: The Story of Bacon’s Rebellion and its Leader. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1940. William & Mary College Historical Magazine. Vol. 9, Issue I. (July, 1900) Bacon's Rebellion Essay -- American History Nathaniel Bacon Papers Bacon's Rebellion Sometimes there comes an event in American History in which no one knows exactly why it happened. What the motives of the event were are left to the interpretation of the historian doing the research. Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 was on such event. Wilcomb E. Washburn’s view is precise when he states, â€Å" Bacon’s Rebellion. . .was an event on which observers could agree on the facts, but divide on the interpretation.† Historians have been picking into peoples’ accounts and versions of the legend for over 3 centuries, but never coming to a common conclusion. One fact is for sure and that is that the rebellion, known as Bacon’s, was what was going to pave the way towards Revolution of British Authority. In this paper I will look at one aspect that I feel was the motivation behind one individual's defiance to authority and the need to take matters regarding Indian relations into his own hands. Bacon was the kind of person to take what he thought was right into his own hands, even if it meant that he was breaking the law. In his eyes he was doing right and if he did not have the official support, he was going to do it anyway. On the other side was the feeble and zealous Governor of Virginia, Sir William Berkeley. The Rebellion was also called, â€Å" the first protest against royal authority in America.† Sir William Berkeley was the second cousin of Bacon. Not wanting for the relations with the Indians to deteriorate, Berkeley did not thirst for an all out war in order to control the growing Indian crisis. He believed that the Indians should be punished for killing the settlers and wreaking havoc on their lives, however, not in the magnitude that Bacon had ... ...ution-an HTML Project. Accessed on 7 October 2000. Available at http://odur.let.rug.n1/~usa/D/1651-1700/bacon_rebel/berke.htm Mooy, Age. â€Å"Bacon’s Declaration in the Name of the People (30 July 1676)†, The American Revolution-an HTML Project. Accessed on 7 October 2000. Available at http://odur.let.rug.n1/~us/D/1651-1700/bacon_rebel/bacon.htm Washburn, Wilcomb E. The Governor and The Rebel: A History of Bacon’s Rebellion in Virginia. North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press, 1957. Webb, Stephen Saunders. 1676: The End of American Independence. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Inc., 1984. Wertenbaker, Thomas Jefferson. Torchbearer of the Revolution: The Story of Bacon’s Rebellion and its Leader. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1940. William & Mary College Historical Magazine. Vol. 9, Issue I. (July, 1900)

What the Bible Says About Gambling

What Does the Bible Say About Gambling? Surprisingly, the Bible contains no specific command to avoid gambling. However, the Bible does contain timeless principles for living a life pleasing to God and is filled with wisdom to deal with every situation, including gambling. Answer: Throughout the Old and New Testaments, we read about people casting lots when a decision had to be made. In most instances, this was simply a way of determining something impartially: Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions. Joshua 18:10, NIV) Casting lots was common among many ancient cultures. Roman soldiers cast lots for Jesus' garments at his crucifixion: â€Å"Let's not tear it,† they said to one another. â€Å"Let's decide by lot who will get it. † This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, â€Å"They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. † So this is what the soldiers did. (John 19:24, NIV) Does the Bible Mention Gambling? Although the words â€Å"gambling† and â€Å"gamble† do not appear in the Bible, we cannot assume that an activity is not a sin simply because it is not mentioned.Looking at pornography on the Internet and using illegal drugs are not mentioned either, but both violate God's laws. While casinos and lotteries promise thrills and excitement, obviously people gamble to try to win money. Scripture gives very specific instructions about what our attitude should be toward money: Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 5:10, NIV) â€Å"No servant can serve two masters. [Jesus said. ] Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.You cannot serve both God and money. † (Luke 16:13, NIV) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10, NIV) Gambling is a way to bypass work, but the Bible counsels us to persevere and work hard: Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. (Proverbs 10:4, NIV) One of the key principles in the Bible is that people should be wise stewards of everything God gives them, including their time, talent and treasure.Gamblers may believe they earn their money with their own labor and may spend it as they please, yet God gives people the talent and health to carry out their jobs, and their very life is a gift from him as well. Wise stewardship of extra money calls believers to invest it in the Lord’s work or to save it for an emergency, rather than lose it in games in which the odds are stacked against the player. Gamblers covet more money, but they may also covet the things money can buy, such as cars, boats, houses, expensive j ewelry and clothing. The Bible forbids a covetous attitude in the Tenth Commandment: â€Å"You shall not covet your neighbor's house.You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. † (Exodus 20:17, NIV) Gambling also has the potential to turn into an addiction, like drugs or alcohol. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, 2 million U. S. adults are pathological gamblers and another 4 to 6 million are problem gamblers. This addiction can destroy the stability of the family, lead to job loss, and cause a person to lose control of their life: †¦for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 2 Peter 2:19) Some argue that gambling is nothing more than entertainment, no more immoral than going to a movie or concert. People who attend movies or concerts expect only entertainment in return, however, not money. They are not tempted to keep spending until they â€Å"break even. † Finally, gambling provides a sense of false hope. Participants place their hope in winning, often against astronomical odds, instead of placing their hope in God. Throughout the Bible, we are constantly reminded that our hope is in God alone, not money, power, or position: Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5, NIV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13, NIV) Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (1 Timothy 6:17, NIV) Some Christians believe that church raffles, bingos and the like to raise funds for Christian education and ministries are harmless fun, a form of donation involving a game.Their logic is that, as with alcohol, an adult should act respon sibly. In those circumstances, it seems unlikely someone would lose a large amount of money. God's Word is No Gamble Every leisure activity is not a sin, but all sin is not clearly listed in the Bible. Added to that, God doesn't just want us not to sin, but he gives us an even higher goal. The Bible encourages us to consider our activities in this way: â€Å"Everything is permissible for me†Ã¢â‚¬â€but not everything is beneficial. â€Å"Everything is permissible for me†Ã¢â‚¬â€but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12, NIV) This verse appears again in 1 Corinthians 10:23, with the addition of this idea: â€Å"Everything is permissible†Ã¢â‚¬â€but not everything is constructive. † When an activity is not distinctly described as sin in the Bible, we can ask ourselves these questions: â€Å"Is this activity beneficial for me or will it become my master? Will participation in this activity be constructive or destructive to my Christian life and witness? † The Bible does not explicitly say, â€Å"Thou shalt not play blackjack. † Yet by gaining a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures we have a trustworthy guide for determining what pleases and displeases God.

Silent Spring Essay

The Death of Beauty Albert Einstein once said, â€Å"Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty. † Similar to Einstein, the author Rachel Carson believed that human kind should embrace nature's and help preserve its beauty and life . In the passage from the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, the author informs and persuades her audience against the dangers and misuse of pesticides.Rachel Carson is a renowned writer, ecologist, and scientist who dedicated her life to the conservation of the environment. Throughout her career as an editor in chief, marine biologist, and environmental activist, Carson continued to educate the public about the wonder and beauty of the living world. She emphasized humanity's power to alter the environment, but in â€Å"Silent Spring† she begins to challenge the traditional practices that disrupt the balance of nature.Carson not only blames f armers for unnecessary violence towards the environment, reveals the dangers on pesticides to her audience, and blames higher authorities, for the damage to wildlife through the use of pesticides in order to persuade her audience to take action against the mistreatment and abuse of the environment. Through war like diction, Carson exaggerates the farmer's violence towards blackbirds, misguidance in the use of dangerous pesticides, and lack of emotion for bloodshed.Aiming to weaken the pesticide users reputation, Carson introduces her main argument by referring to the â€Å"habit of killing† as,† the resort to â€Å"eradicating† any creature that may annoy or inconvenience†(paragraph1). The word â€Å"eradication† is the word used by farmers to justify the use of pesticides. The farmers find it necessary to use dangerous chemicals for the sole purpose to wipe out a species entirely, a species who merely were an â€Å"inconvenience†. The word â €Å"eradicate† is a euphemism used by the farmers to cover up the severity of pesticide use.The word was meant to be less offensive, but ironically what the word implied was used to Carson's advantage. Carson instills fear among her audience at the farmer's lack of emotion towards bloodshed, leaving the reader to question who is to blame. Sparking the reader's interest, Carson introduces an authority, who she describes as having a direct affiliation with the farmers who were, â€Å"persuaded of the merits of killing by poison† (paragraph 2). The farmers are misinformed and act without reason, only following what was told to them.The violence against blackbirds provides benefits or â€Å"merits† of death that outweigh moral reasoning and the consequences of using â€Å"poison†. The war between an unknown authority and animals is a one sided one, which involves exterminating the helpless and the innocent with a substance that has deadly effects. Acting on o rders, without emotion, farmers made the fatal decision and, â€Å"they sent in the planes on their mission of death† (paragraph 2). Carson uses the term â€Å"mission of death† to symbolize the authorities sending in soldiers in a war who are ordered to kill anything in sight.Comparing a war to the farmer's actions brings memories of blood, fear, and endless suffering to the reader. Carson relates to the reader's experiences of war and uses the negative associations to connect it the farmers. Armed with planes, the farmer's â€Å"mission of death† resulted in the â€Å"deaths of over 65,000 victims of blackbirds and starlings†. Carson writes that â€Å"casualties most likely gratified the farmers†, that the deaths were the spoils of war. Just like a war, the birds were not the only ones caught in the crossfire.Countless rabbits, raccoons, and opossums who had never visited a cornfield were disposed of and forgotten. As the war and mission of exter mination intensifies, parathion's poison begins to spread, affecting everything it touches. Carson appeals to the audience's sense of guilt and urgency by using death imagery to show pesticide's potential to reach far beyond the destruction of nature's beauty and affect every animal, man, woman, and child. The destruction of pesticides is overwhelming, what was once a flock of colorful birds is eradicated, leaving behind the, â€Å"pitiful heaps of many hued feathers† (paragraph 5).The viewer is subject to the imagery of pesticides, destroying a beautiful creature until not even a body remains. There is a play with emotions, a beautiful bird should not be the victim of greed and ignorance. A bird a symbol of the freedom and serenity in nature; for it to be targeted means that nature itself is under attack. Those who are innocent are able to see the beauty in nature and children often are drawn to forests and streams, but what prevents pesticides reaching, â€Å"boys who roam through the woods or fields† (paragraph 4).Not only are animals affected by pesticides, but also blameless children who have always enjoyed nature as a place to explore and discover. Parents are immediately alarmed by the prospect of children being harmed and see pesticides as a threat to health, safety, and innocence. Nature is a part of childhood and it is imperative that parents protect what is precious to children. If it can reach children, it can reach anyone in the proximity of the, â€Å"widening wave of death that spreads out, like ripples when a pebble is dropped into a still pond† (paragraph 5).The imagery of a pebble being dropped into a pond is like a large bomb, dropped and resulting in the disturbance of the peaceful and still pond. The ripples of the pebble symbolize pesticides reaching much farther than the targeted area, spreading through water sources and fields. The metaphor of the pebble and pond suggests that no matter how the problem may seem, it can spread and endanger anything or anyone. In order to stop the spread, the public must take action.After analyzing the dangers and abuse of pesticides, Carson uses rhetorical questions to gain support from the audience against the questionable figures whose actions caused devastation towards nature. Carson involves the reader into her argument by directly addressing the audience and asking, â€Å"Who has made the decision that sets in motion these chains of poisonings? † (paragraph 4). Carson uses rhetorical questions to translate fear and guilt towards the harm of nature into feelings of urgency to know the authority's identity.Carson directly addresses the audience to imply that she knows the answer to who is activating these â€Å"chains† of deaths. Using parallel structure, Carson continues to ask questions, â€Å"Who guarded the poisoned area to keep out any who might wander in? † (paragraph 3). Both the audience and author know the answer. No one. Neithe r farmer nor authority cared about the public's, audience's, or children's safety. He was entrusted power by the people and has abused it, he has made the decision to benefit himself, â€Å"He has made it during a moment of inattention by millions† (paragraph 5).Whose fault is it really for causing it in the first place? Cason uses the phrase â€Å"inattention by millions† to point her finger at the very people she is trying to persuade. The ignorance towards nature has allowed power to be put into the hands of the untrustworthy. Carson uses the word â€Å"inattention† to suggest that the audience let the abuse of power happen, but now have a choice to take the power back and prevent the mistreatment of the environment. By revealing the harm to the environment and the harmful effects of pesticides, Carson convinces readers to take action against farmers and a higher authority.Through the power of language, Carson appeals to the audiences emotions, logic, and eth ics in order to persuade them to support her argument. Carson also informs the public about the importance and beauty of the environment and warns against its mistreatment. Through Carson's literary work, she ensures that the beauty of nature will remain. In modern times where life is disconnected from nature, it can be easy to forget all that the environment provided and still provides; but if everyone works together, this beauty can be protected and conserved for future generations.

Tips for Scanning Restoring Digital Photos

Tips for Scanning Restoring Digital Photos Do you have old faded or torn photos that youd like to give a facelift? Have you been meaning to take that box of old photos from Grandma and scan them? Learning to create and edit digital photos is fairly easy and very worthwhile. Digitally restored photos can be used to create digital scrapbooks, post to websites, share through email, and print for gift-giving or display. You dont have to be a technology whiz or a graphic designer to become proficient at photo restoration, but you will need a computer, a scanner, and a good (not necessarily expensive) graphics program. Scanning Tips for Digital Photos Check your photos for dirt, lint, or smudges. Gently remove surface dust and dirt with a soft brush or lint-free photo  wipe. Canned air, available at most office supply stores, helps to blast away dust and lint from photographic slides but is not recommended for heirloom print photos.Check the scanner glass for lint, hair, fingerprints, or smudges. Use a lint-free pad or wipe to thoroughly clean the glass (basically anything that is sold as safe for cleaning camera lenses will also work for your scanner). Household glass cleaner can be used to clean your scanner glass, as long as youre careful to spray it directly on the cloth before wiping, not directly on the glass surface. When using your scanner or handling photographs, it is best to wear clean white cotton gloves (available from photo stores and hardware stores) to avoid leaving fingerprints on your scanner or photos.Specify the type of scan. If youre scanning photos, you have a basic choice of color photo vs. black and white . When scanning family photos, it is usually best to scan in color, even if the source photo is black and white. Youll have more manipulation options, and you can change a color photo to black and white (grayscale), but not the other way around. Determine the best scan resolution to assure the quality of your digital photos. The optimal resolution depends on how the image will be printed, saved, or displayed. A good rule of thumb is to scan your photos at a minimum of 300 dpi (dots per inch) to assure decent quality for enhancement and restoration techniques. Its even better to do 600 dpi or greater if you plan to eventually store these photos on CD or DVD, and have space on your computer hard drive to handle such large images.Carefully position your photo on the scanner face down on the glass, just like on a photocopy machine. Then hit prescan or preview. The scanner will take a quick pass of the image and display a rough version on your screen. Check to see that its straight, that no part of the photo has been cut off, and that the photo appears free of dust and lint.Crop the previewed image to include only the original photo. For archival purposes, do not crop only a portion of the photo at this point (you can do that lat er if you want a cropped photo for a specific purpose). However, you should make sure that all you are scanning is the actual photograph. (Some scanners and software will do this step for you automatically.) Avoid corrections while scanning. After scanning, youll be able to edit the image in a graphics software program which offers much more control. The order of steps should be: scan a basic image, save it, play with it.Check your file size before scanning. Youll want to make sure the chosen resolution you wont create a photo that is so large it will crash your computer. Some computers have enough free memory to handle 34MB photo files, and some dont. If the file size is going to be larger than you thought, then adjust the scan resolution accordingly before making the file scan.Scan the original image. This shouldnt take too long, but it could take a few minutes if youre scanning at a very high resolution. Take a quick bathroom break, or get your next photo ready for scanning. Saving Editing Your Digital Photos Now that youve got your photo scanned in, its time to save it to your hard drive. Be sure to choose an archival method and select a good photo-editing program. Storage Tips for Digital Photos Choose your file type. The best file type for scanning and saving archival photos is TIF (Tagged Image Format), the undisputed leader when the best quality is required. The popular JPG (JPEG) file format is nice because its compression algorithm creates smaller file sizes, making it the most popular photo format for web pages and file sharing. However, the compression that creates the small files also causes some quality loss. This loss of image quality is small, but becomes important when dealing with digital images that you plan to modify and re-save (something that you are likely to do when restoring damaged or faded photographs) because the loss of image quality compounds itself at each saving of the file. Bottom line- unless space on your computers hard  drive is at a real premium, stick with TIF when scanning and saving digital photos.Save an archive copy of the original photo in TIF format. You can then place it in a special folder on your hard  drive or copy to CD or DVD. Resist the urge to edit this original photo, no matter how bad it looks. The purpose of this copy is to preserve, as closely as possible, the original photograph in a digital format- a format that, hopefully, will outlast the original print photo. Make a copy of your scanned photo to work on. Use the copy instead of manipulating your original scan. Save it with a different filename (i.e., you can use the original file name with -edited on the end) to help prevent accidentally overwriting the original as you work on editing the photo. Choosing a Graphics Software Program The key to good digital photos is selecting a good graphics software program. If you dont have photo editing software yet, there are a lot of good options available- ranging from free photo editors to beginner photo editors, to advanced photo editing software. For photo restoration, a mid-range graphics software program offers the best balance of function and price. Step-by-Step Photo Repair and Restoration Now that youve done all the tedious work of scanning and saving your photos as digital images, its time to get started with the fun part- photo retouching! Pictures with stains, creases, and tears may have character, but they arent as pretty for framing or photo projects. These photo editing tips will help make your old pictures album-ready. Editing Tips for Digital Photos Open your photo editing software and select the photo. Be sure that it is a copy and not your original digital image. (This way you can always start over if you make a mistake.)Crop your photo using the crop tool. This is good to do in cases where there is a mat or extra wasted space in the photo. Depending upon your purpose, you may also wish to use the crop tool to cut out the background or focus in on a particular person. Since you have saved a copy of the original photo, you dont have to worry about losing important historical details by getting a bit creative with cropping.Fix photo flaws including rips, tears, creases, spots, and smudges, with a variety of handy fix-it tools.Creases, Tears, Spots, Smudges: Most image-editing programs have a cloning or copying tool to help fix photo flaws by filling them in with patches from similar areas in the picture. If the area is large, you may wish to zoom in on the area a bit before applying the cloning tool. The best alternative in low -budget photo editing software is usually the smudge tool.Dust, Speckles, Scratches: Set Radius and Threshold settings at their lowest settings and then slowly increase the Radius until you find the lowest setting that will rid your image of the dust or scratches. However, since that makes your whole image look blurry, you should then bring the Threshold setting way up and then slowly lower it until you find the highest setting that still removes dust and scratches from your photo. Check the results carefully- sometimes this process ends up removing eyelashes and other important content that mimic scratches. Many graphics programs also have a global dust/speckles filter, which looks for spots that differ from their neighboring pixels in color or brightness. It then blurs the surrounding pixels to cover the offending ones. If you only have a few large specks, then zoom in on them and edit the offending pixels by hand with a paint, smudge, or cloning tool.Bye, Bye Red Eye: You can re move that annoying effect in your photos with automatic red-eye removal, or with the pencil and paintbrush found in most photo-editing software. Sometimes an automatic Red-eye Removal tool will change the original eye color. If in doubt, check with someone who has knowledge of the persons eye color. Correct the color and contrast. You may find that many of your old photos have faded, darkened, or become discolored with age. With the help of your digital photo-editing software, you can easily repair and restore these photographs to their former glory.Brightness: Lighten up a dark photo with the brightness adjustment. If its too light, you can darken it a bit.Contrast: Best used in conjunction with Brightness, this feature adjusts the overall contrast- bringing out features in pictures that are mostly middle tones (grays with no true blacks and whites).Saturation: Use the Saturation tool to help turn back the clock on faded photos- giving photos more richness and depth.Sepia-tones: If you want to give your color or black-and-white photo an antique look, then use your photo-editing software to create a duotone (two-color picture). If your original photo is color, youll first have to convert it to greyscale. Then select duotone and choose your two colors (brown shades are the most c ommon for this effect). Sharpen: Use this to add focus to a blurry photo as the final step before saving. Enhancing Your Digital Photos If you have plans to use your newly-edited digital photos in a scrapbook, slideshow, or another digital project, then you may wish to jazz them up with colorization, captions, airbrushing, or vignettes. Enhancement Tips for Digital Photos ColorizationHave you ever wondered how your 19th-century great, great-grandfather may have looked in color? Or perhaps you want to see how that old black-and-white photo would look with a few touches of color- a pink bow here and a blue dress there. If your photo-editor is fairly full-featured, its easy to find out! Begin with a black-and-white photo.Using a Selection tool Lasso), select an area of the image that you wish to add color to. The Magic Wand can also be used for this step, but it requires a bit of technical knowledge and practice to use with black-and-white photos.Once the area is selected, go to the tint or color-balance controls and alter the color level values.Experiment until you get the desired effect.Repeat these steps for each area of the picture you wish to colorize.Colorizing photos can get a lot fancier than what weve detailed above, with techniques such as channel-splitting and transparent layers, plus tips for using the Magic Wand for selecting photo areas. Adding Captions If youve spent any time going through an ancestors collection of largely unlabeled photos, youll understand why we say that you owe it to your descendants (and other relatives) to properly label all of your digital photos. Many photo-editors offer a caption option which allows you to actually embed a caption within the header of JPEG or TIFF format files (known as the ITPC standard), allowing it to be transferred directly with the picture, and be read by the majority of graphics software programs. Other photo information that can be embedded with this method includes keywords, copyright info, and URL data. Most of this info, with the exception of the caption in some photo software, is not displayed with the photo but is stored with it and can be accessed under the photos properties by almost any user. If your photo editing software supports this feature, it can usually be found under Add Caption or File - Info. Check your help file for details. Creating Vignettes Many old photos have soft-edged borders, called vignettes. If your photos dont, its an easy effect to add. The classic vignette shape is an oval, but you can get creative and use other shapes such as rectangles, hearts, and stars. Or you can create a free-hand vignette, following the irregular outline of the subject- as in a portrait.Select an image with plenty of background around the subject. You need this to allow room for effective fading. Use the Selection tool in the shape of your choice (rectangular, oval, etc.), adding the feather option to feather the edges of your selection by 20 to 40 pixels (experiment to find the amount of fading which looks best for your photo). Then drag out the selection until you encompass the area you want to start the blend. The line at the edge of your selection will eventually be at the midway point of your faded edges (in other words, pixels on both sides of the line youve created will be feathered). Use can also use the Lasso selection tool if you wish to create an irregular border. Under the Selection menu choose Invert. This will move the selected area to the background (the part you wish to remove). Then select delete to cut this remaining background from the picture. Some photo-editing programs offer an easy one-click option for adding vignette borders, as well as other fancy frames and borders. Using these strategies, you can save family photographic heirlooms and create a historical record that can be shared digitally and in print.

Legalization of drugs misc10 essays

Legalization of drugs misc10 essays The legalization of drugs in America could have many benefits along with many a few potential problems. Marijuana is at the top of every list ready for debate on whether or not it should be legalized. Pending the legalization of marijuana, crime associated with drugs would decrease, bringing the State and Federal penitentiaries population down to an acceptable level. A vast number of medical uses could also more easily be found. The process leading to the tests becomes long and tedious when dealing with an illegal substance. This may discourage many doctors from testing. The entire country could benefit from this drug. Government sales would skyrocket, bringing in millions of dollars that before was spent on useless police taskforces. The economy would rise; money would be saved, potentially making this country a little safer to live in. Medical uses for marijuana are known but have not been tested on a wide range of diseases. Marijuana has helped people with chronic pain live a more normal life. One example of this is the use of marijuana to help people with Cataracts Syndrome a disease that effects the eye. Marijuana has been proven to relief pain in the eyes and other areas of the human body when smoked like a cigarette. Though it is known to help people it is rarely used due to the hassle of prescribing the drug. Patients must fill out papers stating that the marijuana is theres and will not be distributed to others causing a process that is time consuming and tedious. If the drug were legal the process would be simple and doctors might recommend its use more frequently. Prison population in the United States is at an all time high and continues to climb. Many inmates are imprisoned for reasons no other than having a small amount of marijuana on them at the time of arrest. Some of these men were marijuana dealers or users who are no ...

Mithridates and the Mithridatic Wars

Mithridates and the Mithridatic Wars While still a child, Mithridates, later King Mithridates VI of Pontus, official friend of Rome, developed a reputation that included matricide and a paranoid fear of being poisoned. Roman Treaties - Information on What Is Meant by a Friend of Rome During the Roman Republic, competing military leaders Sulla and Marius wanted the honor of disposing of the greatest challenge to Roman supremacy since the Punic War general Hannibal Barca. From the end of the second to the middle of the first century B.C, this was the long-lived Mithridates VI of Pontus (132-63 B.C.), a thorn in Romes side for 40 years. The rivalry between the two Roman generals led to the  loss of blood at home, but only one of them, Sulla, confronted Mithridates abroad. Despite the great battlefield competence of Sulla and Marius  and their personal confidence in their ability to check the Eastern despot, it was neither Sulla nor Marius who put an end to the Mithridatic problem. Instead, it was Pompey the Great, who earned his honorific in the process. Location of Pontus - Home of Mithridates The mountainous district of Pontus lay on the eastern side of the Black Sea, beyond the province of Asia and Bithynia, north of Galatia and Cappadocia, west of Armenia, and south of Colchis. [See Map of Asia Minor.] It was founded by King Mithridates I Ktistes (301-266 B.C.). In the Third Punic War (149 - 146 B.C.), King Mithridates V Euergetes (r. 150-120) who claimed descent from the Persian King Darius, helped Rome. Rome gave him Phrygia Major in gratitude. He was the most powerful king in Asia Minor. By the time Rome had annexed Pergamum to create the province of Asia (129 B.C.), the kings of Pontus had moved from their capital in Amasia to rule from the Black Sea port city of Sinope. Mithridates - Youth and Poison In 120 B.C., while still a child, Mithridates (Mithradates) Eupator (132-83 B.C.) became king of the area of Asia Minor known as Pontus. His mother may have assassinated her husband, Mithridates V, in order to take power, since she served as regent and ruled in her young sons stead. Afraid his mother would try to kill him, Mithridates went into hiding. During this time, Mithridates started ingesting small doses of various poisons in order to develop an immunity. When Mithridates returned (c. 115-111), he took command, imprisoned his mother (and, possibly, ordered her execution), and started to extend his dominion.After Mithridates acquired Greek towns in Colchis and whats now the Crimea, he developed a strong fleet to hold his territories. But that wasnt all. Since the Greek towns hed overtaken proved so lucrative, providing resources in the form of revenue, officers, and mercenary soldiers, Mithridates wanted to increase his Greek holdings. Next page Mithridates expands his empire Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Print SourcesH. H. Scullards revised version of F.B. Marshs Roman World 146-30 B.C.Cambridge Ancient History Vol. IX, 1994. Also on this site Gaius Julius CaesarGaius MariusSullaTimeline of the Late Roman Republic Previous Articles -I tell the tale that I heard told.Mithridates, he died old.From A.E. Housman Terence, this is stupid stuff

Nuclear Weapons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nuclear Weapons - Essay Example Though the stockpiling of such weapons has been justified by many countries, notably the U.S., as being a deterrent for war, the many negative consequences associated with the use of nuclear weaponry even in a limited capacity has been loudly trumpeted by politicians, scientists, scholars and the majority of the world’s citizens alike. The term ‘limited nuclear war’ is ambiguous at best and considered an oxymoron by some who are confused by the concept of combining ‘nuclear bomb’ and ‘limited use’ together within the same phrase. The guiding principles of force used in a ‘limited war’ can be described as â€Å"the ‘minimum necessary’ and ‘the maximum feasible’† (Brown, 1988: 177). One person’s definition could include a ‘limited’ nuclear strike of a populous city, a clear violation of the moral and ethical standards of most people yet the minority opinion may be the one making that decision. The result could be catastrophic for the victims as well as the region and the collective psyche of the nation who caused the destruction. Germans for example, still have to cope with the national shame of the Holocaust. Military engagements are fraught with imprecise and unpredictable events, seldom precisely regulated. In troducing nuclear weapons escalates the engagement but does nothing to make the situation less volatile thereby only acting to exacerbate an already tense and dangerous conflict. It is unlikely that anyone could provide a reasonable argument demonstrating that using nuclear weapons on any scale could be sustained in a limited form. Nuclear weapons are immensely destructive whether large or small and even restrained use would inflict great harm to people and property. â€Å"Radiation released from each step in the nuclear weapons production cycle causes cancer, congenital defects, mental retardation, immune destruction, cancer,

Online Pizza Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Online Pizza Security - Research Paper Example We are facing many computer criminal attacks from diverse countries and continents. It is the need of the hour that we should realize these various shapes of computer criminal actions and should make an effort to avoid them as far as possible. In this way, we can lessen the possible damage concerning online computer crimes and their activities. Presently we are surrounded by a lot of new computer-based security problems. These problems are rising more and more due to viruses, phishing, worms, spyware hackers, etc. As we assess this problem from the deep then we see that no Internet user is secure from this type of computer security attacks. Now we are facing biggest danger form the online money frauds. Lots of people are uncertain from the online transactions. In our online Pizza system, we need to make sure that there is no security hole in the system working and online cash transaction. In this way the public will feel free regarding the online transaction and our business will gai n more customers loyalty. In presence of above-mentioned security limitation and difficulties, we can face problems regarding the web-based business. In a business such as online Pizza people need to enter their details (house address, name, gender, phone number, email, etc), so in this regard, they can feel some security dangers regarding the leakage of their personal data and information. So we need to consider potential security issues and establish a better security plan regarding the handling and management of these security issues and problems. This chapter is mainly planned to initially identify the main security issues we can face regarding the online pizza website and then I will suggest the main parameters we can follow to handle these security-related aspects.   Ã‚  Ã‚  

Tourism in the Republic of Cyprus Research Paper

Tourism in the Republic of Cyprus - Research Paper Example This leads to one thing; sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism is defined to as the move towards making less impact on the environment and culture in a given country while at the same time benefiting economically from it. The main objective is to develop tourism to the point where can continually have a great experience from the sector (Trejos & Chiang, 2009). Different countries have varied policies towards sustainability in tourism. The height of the problems coming from tourism guides policy making in every country. In this paper, we take the case study of Cyprus and the policies that they have adopted towards sustainability in tourism. Cyprus continues to experience growth in the number of tourists visiting the region every year (Gunn & Var, 2002). Its impeccable sites and beauty has made it experience an exponential growth to the number of tourists visiting the region every year. For example in the year 1975, they had close to 47000 thousands of tourists visiting the region. This number is nothing comparable to the 2.25 million tourists visiting the region in the year 2000 (Gunn & Var, 2002). The number has continued to grow in the recent decade, raising environmental concerns. While one can not dispute the economic benefits of such a growth, mass tourism has taken a toll on the environment in Cyprus. For example, in the year 1988, the income from the tourism sector estimated at 880 dollars. Today, the sector accounts for 20% of the overall income in the country (Gunn & Var, 2002). Features such as resorts for various groups, water parks with dolphins gracing them and archeological sites attract millions of people all over the world. The enormous numbers of people have had an impact on both on the culture of the people and the environment as a whole. For one, the noise from the tourists has been unbearable

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 72

English - Essay Example To be specific, the villagers never try to realize that their belief in ‘the lottery’ is false. Instead, the blindly accept the tradition and happen to be the victims of the same. The speaker in the work by Shirley Jackson states that, â€Å"Soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children, speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes† (6). Besides, the lottery is used as a tool to sustain orthodoxy, but it brutally punishes individuals. Jackson Bill knows that lottery is not a fortune to his family. Still, he never tries to act against this inhuman custom. As the community members are supposed to follow the orthodoxy, one cannot expect the protagonist (say, Jackson Bill) to act against the same. S.T. Joshi opines that, â€Å"Certainly there is nothing supernatural about â€Å"The Lottery† (1948), whose impact rests on the very possibility of its occurrence† (13). From a different angle of view, the author makes use of the helpless cha racters to expose the inhuman aspects of orthodoxy. On the other side, the villagers still believe that sacrifice can result in fortune (say, good harvest). The author makes use of Tessie as the tool to proclaim the need to discard orthodoxy. Tessie is portrayed as the victim of orthodoxy, but she does not try to subdue to the same. Instead, she tries to express her views on forced human sacrifice. Still, this does not change the villagers’ attitude because their belief is blind. They never try to go beyond orthodoxy because their community never allows it. James Hugh Toner makes clear that, â€Å"By custom, others in the family join in to kill the lottery â€Å"winner†Ã¢â‚¬  (9). Bill knows that he cannot save his wife. Still, he does not try to save his wife. On the other side, Tessie tries to educate the villagers on their inhuman orthodoxy, but for no use. So, the author expects that Tessie’s fate will create awareness among the mass on the need to discard inhuman rituals

The Five Agreements And how it has Impact in my life Essay

The Five Agreements And how it has Impact in my life - Essay Example Perceptually, this has changed my life in many ways considering the implications and literal translations of the words impeccable in your words. With this in mind, it has made me accountable for every word I utter in that there is no one to take responsibility for nay word said out of context or one that is uttered irresponsibly. As a result, this has taught me to be a person who only follows what I believe in and state that which I understand beyond reasonable doubt, and not that which I think. This has influenced to being a truthful person as there is no way I can state that which I do not know, the same way I can utter words without factual backing. However, this is not to mean that I have not been subject to issuing my own opinion on certain things and issues. Personally, truth does not refer to sticking to the facts, but also telling exactly what I feel and believe, which is a part of my belief system, as inculcated by the being impeccable in my word. Through adopting this stanc e, my opinion does not dig into other people’s privacy and rights, as well as beyond their comfort zones. Being personal is one of the reasons why the world is facing astronomical figures in terms of depressed persons that need professional help. This is what brings us to the second agreement, which is that of not taking everything or anything personally, which has affected my life profoundly. It may not be to the extent that I would like it to be so that I do not end up condemning other people for having done things that offend me. However, as a person I believe my life could not be better without this part of the agreements as it has assisted me in ridding my life of most forms of perceiving people as being fundamentally malicious. Therefore, this implies that before my encounter with the book highlighting these truths, it made everything seem to revolve around my life. As a result, everything was done towards or against me, which is one of the severe forms of

Legal Critique#1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Critique#1 - Assignment Example aking into account federal funds, which the University received for educational necessities, the deaf student was supposed to use the services of sign-language interpreter provided by the University. However, the University refused to satisfy the student’s requirement and, therefore, displayed discriminatory attitude to a person with physical deviation (P#3, C#1, L#11-13). The plaintiff demanded the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas to provide declaratory relief and oblige the respondent to ensure the services of interpreter. The Federal Court granted preliminary injunction, which forced the University to satisfy the plaintiff’s complaint. This decision was made based on the assumption that Walter Camenisch would prevail on merits. Simultaneously, preliminary injunction took place along with the requirement for the plaintiff to post a security bond of $3,000.00 (1981 P#3, C#1, L#31-35). However, the case was forwarded to the Court of Appeals claiming for its mootness caused with the graduation of a student. The Court of Appeals confirmed the preliminary injunction. The University received certiorari (1981, P#3, C#2, L#8-12). But the Supreme Court raised the issue regarding not the question about who should pay for the interpreter, which the Court of Appeals correctly decided to be viewed in a trial on the merits, but whether the District Court exceeded the authority and violated its discretion by granting preliminary relief (1981 P#1, C#2, L#6-7). Considering the chance that the absence of injunction would harm Walter Camenisch, the District Court granted preliminary injunction based on a judgment on the merits. Preliminary evaluation of the merits showed prevalence of the student. In addition, the court ordered the complainant to ensure security bond for protecting the defendant. The University implemented the court’s decision and the student graduated meanwhile the Court of Appeals rejected the mootness of the case stating that

The Five Agreements And how it has Impact in my life Essay

The Five Agreements And how it has Impact in my life - Essay Example Perceptually, this has changed my life in many ways considering the implications and literal translations of the words impeccable in your words. With this in mind, it has made me accountable for every word I utter in that there is no one to take responsibility for nay word said out of context or one that is uttered irresponsibly. As a result, this has taught me to be a person who only follows what I believe in and state that which I understand beyond reasonable doubt, and not that which I think. This has influenced to being a truthful person as there is no way I can state that which I do not know, the same way I can utter words without factual backing. However, this is not to mean that I have not been subject to issuing my own opinion on certain things and issues. Personally, truth does not refer to sticking to the facts, but also telling exactly what I feel and believe, which is a part of my belief system, as inculcated by the being impeccable in my word. Through adopting this stanc e, my opinion does not dig into other people’s privacy and rights, as well as beyond their comfort zones. Being personal is one of the reasons why the world is facing astronomical figures in terms of depressed persons that need professional help. This is what brings us to the second agreement, which is that of not taking everything or anything personally, which has affected my life profoundly. It may not be to the extent that I would like it to be so that I do not end up condemning other people for having done things that offend me. However, as a person I believe my life could not be better without this part of the agreements as it has assisted me in ridding my life of most forms of perceiving people as being fundamentally malicious. Therefore, this implies that before my encounter with the book highlighting these truths, it made everything seem to revolve around my life. As a result, everything was done towards or against me, which is one of the severe forms of

Understanding the concept of Separation of Church and the State from a Historical Perspective Essay Example for Free

Understanding the concept of Separation of Church and the State from a Historical Perspective Essay Controversy, disputes, and misconceptions surround the public’s understanding of the concept of the separation of the church and the state.   Most people think that this concept is a modern invention of man which started in the 18th Century.   They say that Thomas Jefferson is â€Å"the primary architect of the American tradition of separation of church and state.† (Thomas Jefferson and the Separation of Church and the State† 1) It must however be stressed that the concept of separation of church and the state had its origin in the Bible.    The New Testament says â€Å"render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods.   During the Medieval era, it was believed that God metaphorically handed down two swords as a symbol of authority: the spiritual sword and the temporal sword. The spiritual sword was bestowed upon the Pope while the temporal sword was entrusted to the civil magistrates such as the emperors, kings and dukes.   It was believed that the civil law was subordinated to the ecclesiastical rule and the purpose of the separation is to protect the church’s eminence against the intrusions of the state.   Thus, Pope Boniface VIII in 1302 states that: â€Å"We are taught by the words of the Gospel that in this Church and in its power there are two swords, a spiritual, to wit, and a temporal. [B]oth are in the power of the Church, namely the spiritual and [temporal] swords; the one, indeed, to be wielded for the Church, the other by the Church; the former by the priest, the latter by the hand of kings and knights, but at the will and sufferance of the priest. For it is necessary that one sword should be under another and that the temporal authority should be subjected to the spiritual† (John Whitte Jr. 3)      During the 17th Century, however, the public had become witnesses to the religious conflict and incessant bickering between different religions, or more particularly, Protestants and Catholics.   Because of this ‘War of Religion’ a crisis of authority had developed.   The public did not know what to believe and whom to believe anymore. As a result, Locke advocated the principle of Separation of the Church and the State which will later on be considered as ‘the source for the founding principles of the United States’ (Chuck Braman 1).   Locke came to the conclusion that the prevailing conflict was due to the religious dogmatism which was imposed and adopted by the State.   He argued that the proper response on this problem was not the imposition of a single religion to be dictated by the State and the suppression of other religions also by the State. Locke proposed that the State should confine itself to civil concerns and leave the matters of religion to the church.   He advocated religious neutrality on the part of the state and vice versa.   He argued that the state’s function should be confined to the protection of life, liberty and property.   This function is especially important when man tries to go against the State of Nature, which is a state of equality between individuals and tries to impose themselves against the other. Locke also proposed that the church must make itself separate and distinct from the state.   In his â€Å"Letter Concerning Toleration†, Locke thought that the church is simply a voluntary society of men joining themselves together of their own accord in order to the public worshipping of God in such manner as they judge acceptable to Him, and effectual for the salvation of their souls.† (John Whitte Jr 4) At present, the concept of separation of church and the state is based on the principle of respect between the two powerful institutions.   The separation is not one of hostility but an understanding that their union will only lead to the destruction of the state and the degrading of the church.   Separation of the Church and the State is now guaranteed under the Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause. The Free Exercise clause renders unconstitutional any act of the government that prohibits a particular religion.   The Establishment Clause, on the other hand, protects against any act of the state that promotes a particular religion.   The religious freedom has for its purpose â€Å"the protection of liberty of conscience of the public, freedom of religious expression, and religious equality.† (John Whitte Jr., 12) Conclusion Our present understanding of the Separation of Church and the State has completely evolved. If in the past, the church advocated the principle of separation because of the competing interest between the two powerful institutions.   Nowadays, the principle of separation is essentially based on respect and it has been extended to include protection of the faithful. Thus, the concept of separation of church and state has been expanded to include the prohibition against the state allocating government funds for the establishment or support a particular religion, the prohibition against requiring the teaching of a particular religion in schools or imposing religious tests in the exercise of civil and political rights and the prohibition against religious officials utilizing on government sponsorships or funding for their religious exercises   Cited Works Braman, Chuck.   The Political Philosophy of John Locke and Its Influence on the Founding   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fathers and the Political Documents They Created. 1996. 13 June 2008.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.chuckbraman.com/Writing/WritingFilesPhilosophy/locke.htm. â€Å"Thomas Jefferson and the Separation of Church and State.† 13 June 2008.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://candst.tripod.com/tnppage/qjeffson.htm Whitte, John Jr.   Facts and fictions about the history of separation of church and state.   Journal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   of Church and State. 1 January 2006.   12 June 2008.

Cooperative Vehicle Safety System for VANETs

Cooperative Vehicle Safety System for VANETs COOPERATIVE VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEM FOR VEHICULAR AD-HOC NETWORKS T. Sujitha, Final year M.E(CSE), ABSTRACT Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) are a one form of wireless networks used for vehicles communication among themselves on roads. The conventional routing protocols are suitable for mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). But it’s poorly in VANETs. As communication links break often happen in VANETs compare than in MANETs, the reliable routing is more difficult in the VANET. Research work has been done to the routing reliability of VANETs on highways. In this paper, we use the cooperative vehicle safety system for VANETs. The cooperative vehicle safety system helps to capture the future positions of the vehicles and determines the reliable routes preemptively. This paper is the first to propose a cooperative vehicle safety system for VANETs gives quality-of-service (QoS) support in the routing process. A new mechanism is developed to find the most reliable route in the VANET from the source vehicle to the destination vehicle. Through the simulation results, that the proposed scheme s ignificantly give good result compare than other literature survey. Keywords- vehicular ad hoc network (VANET),DSRC, IEEE 802.11,sensor,OBU,RSU. 1.INTRODUCTION Every day, a most of people die, and many people are injured in traffic accidents around the world. The desire to improve road safety information among vehicles to prevent accidents and improve road safety was the main motivation behind the development of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). VANETs are a promising technology to enable communications among vehicles on roads. They are a special form of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) that provide vehicle-to-vehicle communications. It is assumed that each vehicle is equipped with a wireless communication facility to provide ad hoc network connectivity. VANETs tend to operate without an infrastructure, each vehicle in the network can send, receive, and relay messages to other vehicles in the network. Figure 1.1 Structure of Vanet Ad-hoc Networks This way, vehicles can exchange real-time information, and drivers can be informed about road traffic conditions and other travel-related information. The most challenging issue is potentially the high mobility and the frequent changes of the network topology. In VANETs, the network topology could vary when the vehicles change their velocities and/or lanes. These changes depend on the drivers and road situations and are normally not scheduled in advance. Embedded wireless devices are the main components of evolving cooperative active safety systems for vehicles. These systems, which rely on communication between vehicles, deliver warning messages to drivers and may even directly take control of the vehicle to perform evasive maneuvers. The cyber aspects of such applications, including communication and detection of vehicle information are tightly coupled with physical dynamics of vehicles and drivers behavior. Recent research on such cooperative vehicle safety (CVSS) systems has shown that significant performance improvement is possible by coupling the design of the components of the systems that are related to vehicle dynamics with the cyber components that are responsible for tracking other cars and detecting threats. The types of possible actions and warnings in vehicle safety systems range from low-latency collision avoidance or warning systems to moderate-latency system that provide heads up information about possible dangers in the non immediate path of the vehicle. The main differences of these systems are the sources and means of information dissemination and acquisition. In active safety systems, vehicles are required to be continuously aware of their neighborhood of few hundred meters and monitor possible emergency information. This task can be achieved by frequent real time communication between vehicles over dedicated short range communication (DSRC) channel. In addition to inter-vehicle communication; roadside devices may also assist vehicles in learning about their environment by delivering traffic signal or pedestrian related information at intersections. The main requirement of these active safety systems is the possibility of delivering real-time acquired information to and between vehicles at latencies of lower than few hundred milliseconds. Prototypes of such systems are being developed by many automotive manufacturers. 2. EXISTING SYSTEM In DSRC based safety systems, the cyber components are selected so that they meet the requirements of active safety. Nevertheless, the existing designs fall short of supporting a full-fledged CVSS in which a large number of vehicles communicate and cooperate with each other. The main reason behind the issues with the current designs is the level of separation in the design of different components. Later in this paper we describe methods to achieve better performance by further cooperation of the physical and cyber sub-components. In the next subsection we describe existing active safety CVSS systems and their designs. Figure 1.2 Communication in VANET systems. The traditional design of the CVS system, based on the structure depicted, is a straightforward design following the recommendations of an early report by vehicle safety communication consortium (VSCC). According to this report, it is suggested that vehicles should transmit tracking messages every 100ms, to a distance of at least 150m (avg. 250m). Therefore, the message generation module in becomes a periodic process that outputs a sample of the current state of the vehicle in a message every 100msec. The DSRC radio power is set to reach the suggested distance. Given the issues of the above design in crowded networks, several enhancements have recently been proposed to improve the performance of CVS systems beyond the early solutions set forth by VSCC. One such method is the work in [22] that proposes to fairly allocate transmission power across all cars in a max-min fashion; this method helps reduce the load at every point of a formulated 1-D highway and thus reserves bandwidth for emergency messages with higher priorities. This method assumes a predefined maximum load as the target. In another work, a message dispatcher is proposed to reduce required data rate by removing duplicate elements, here, the idea is that many applications require the same data elements from other vehicles. The message dispatcher at the sender side will group data elements from application layer (i.e., the source) and decides how frequently each data element should be broadcast. The above methods focus on the computing module, as defined in this section, and try to improve its performance through observing the behavior of the application, or by incorporating limited physical process information in the design of the computing module. While the above improvements do enhance the performance of CVS systems, these designs do not consider the mutual effects of computation, communication and physical processes on each other. In this, try to identify such mutual effects and propose a design that uses the knowledge of the tight coupling of cyber and physical processes to the benefit of a CVSS system. DESTINATION SEQUENCED DISTANCE VECTOR (DSDV) DSDV is a proactive protocol that maintains route to all the destinations before requirement of the route. Each node maintains a routing table which contains next hop, cost metric towards each destination and a sequence number that is created by the destination itself. This table is exchanged by each node to update route information. A node transmits routing table periodically or when significant new information is available about some route. Whenever a node wants to send packet, it uses the routing table stored locally. For each destination, a node knows which of its neighbor leads to the shortest path to the destination. DSDV is an efficient protocol for route discovery. Whenever a route to a new destination is required, it already exists at the source. Hence, latency for route discovery is very low. DSDV also guarantees loop-free paths. 3. PROPOSED SYSTEM Cooperative message authentication protocol, which augments the basic short group signature protocol by mitigating the computation overhead in the regular broadcast phase. According to, the verification time for short group signature is 11ms with a 3 GHz Pentium IV system. In a typical public safety application, each vehicle broadcasts safety messages every 300 ms, which implies that each vehicle can at most process messages from other vehicles in a stable system. However, according to the measurement, there may exist as many as 87 vehicles broadcasting messages within the 300m communication range of a receiving vehicle, far exceeding its processing capability. Therefore, we propose a cooperative message authentication protocol to fill the gap between the workload and the processing capability. 3.1 PROTOCOL IMPLEMENTATION RSUs broadcast I-public keys, G-public keys of themselves and their neighbor RSUs with certificates and identities of revoked RSUs in their neighborhoods regularly. Authorities employ benign RSUs around compromised RSUs to implement revocation by regular broadcasting those compromised RSUs’ identities. When a vehicle detects the hello message, it starts registration by sending its I-public key and the certificate to the RSU if the RSU is not revoked. Normally, a public key should not be encrypted. However, in our system model, each vehicle’s I-public key is unique, so it is also an identifier of the vehicle. We encrypt it to protect vehicle’s privacy. The RSU sends the hash value of the G-private key which plans to be assigned to the vehicle and the signature of the hash value, vehicle’s I-public key and RSU’s I-public key to the vehicle. RSU’s I-public key is also unique. The vehicle can identify the RSU’s legitimacy after it verifies this message because the RSU uses its I-private key in the message. The vehicle encrypts its Npri and the timestamp by using authorities’ public key. Then, it sends the encryption data with the timestamp and the signature of corresponding information, message 4, to the RSU. The encryption of its Npri and the timestamp is a commitment. It can be useed to detect illegitimate users later. Meanwhile, the signature signed by the vehicle binds vehicle’s information and the assigned G-private key. Then, the RSU cannot re-map them because the RSU does not have vehicle’s I-private key. The RSU sends the G-private key to the vehicle. The vehicle finishes registration procedure after it gets a valid G-private key. Then, the RSU stores the information, as in the local database. The signature in the fifth item is the signature that the RSU receives in message. If authorities need the information of a vehicle when there is a dispute, the RSU has to send the vehicle’s corresponding information to authorities. 3.2 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated through network simulator version 2. A cooperative message authentication protocol(CMAP) is presented to alleviate vehicles computation burden. In the protocol, because vehicles share their verification results with each other in a cooperative way, the number of safety messages that each vehicle needs to verify will be reduced greatly. A new research issue of the protocol is how to select verifiers in the city road scenario. Thus, we propose three verifiers selection algorithms, n-nearest method, most-even distributed method and the compound method for the CMAP. Performance metrics are utilized in the simulations for performance comparison. Packet arrival rate The ratio of the number of received data packets to the number of total data packets sent by the source. Energy consumption The energy consumption for the entire network includes transmission energy consumption for both the data and control packets. Average end-to-end delay The average time elapsed for delivering a data packet within a successful transmission. Control overhead The average number of transmitted control bytes per second, including both the data packet header and the control packets. Collision rate The average Collision rate for the entire data transmission from source to destination is much controlled and reduced when compared to the existing protocol. 4. ELLIPTIC CURVE DIGITAL SIGNATURE ALGORITHM ECDSA is Elliptic Curve Cryptosystem (ECC)-based implementation of the commonly used digital signature algorithm. ECC provides the same security level as the other discrete logarithm approaches, while the size of the required ECC credentials is much smaller than that of the discrete logarithm systems. The WAVE security service adopt ECDSA-based message authentication for vehicular communications. Two standard elliptic curves namely P-224 and P-256 have been suggested for general purpose message authentications, and certificate authentications in VANETs. A VANET entity is required to transmit periodic safety messages containing its current coordinates, speed, acceleration etc. to the neighboring devices. The typical interval for safety message broadcasts ranges from 100 ms to 300 ms. An authentication scheme has to be incorporated in order to provide reliability and trust for the delivered safety information. Received messages are verified by the receiving entity to ensure the message integrity, and authenticity of sender’s identity. Unfortunately signature verification incurs a cryptographic processing delay at the verifier’s end. Although the verification delay for ECDSA is in the order of milliseconds, with hundreds of vehicles in a dense traffic scenario, an OBU would receive an enormous amount of periodic messages per unit time causing a bottleneck to the authentication process at the receiver end. If OBUs are configured to broadcast their periodic messages every 100 ms, under a heavy traffic scenario, many of the safety messages would either be discarded due to the constrained buffer size of the verification process, or accepted without any verification. Therefore in busy traffic hours, a receiver of vehicular messages would either risk a fatal road-traffic consequence, or it would reject a significant portion of received messages without authenticating when its maximum verification capacity is reached. The current WAVE standards do not include an efficient anonymous authentication scheme for vehicular messages, or even an intelligent authentication strategy which can efficiently verify from a massive number of vehicular safety/application messages. 5. CONCLUSION The proposed protocol designed an identity-based anonymous user-authentication scheme and a cross-layer verification approach for WAVE-enabled VANET’s safety messages. 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