Critically discuss the function of structure within the therapeutic relationship Essay Example for Free

Critically discuss the function of structure within the therapeutic relationship Essay Extensive literature shows no significant differences in therapeutic outcomes between therapeutic approaches, but yet, these approaches differ to varying degrees in regards to values, techniques and emphasis on structure. This then poses an equivalence paradox with clearly non-equivalent techniques. The explanation for this commonality in therapeutic outcome between therapeutic approaches is the client-therapist relationship also known as the therapeutic alliance. The therapeutic alliance is a more encompassing term for the underlying interpersonal interactions and the collaborative nature of the partnership between a therapist and a client. Meta analytic research studies show that the therapeutic relationship counts for . 21 in effect size, while in combinations with technical focus, the effect size is . 76. While not equally as effective as technique alone with an effect size of . 55, it is significant in its contributions to therapeutic outcome and has been worth the focus on how it develops over time and the subsequent development of a generic structure to establish and maintain across all theoretical approaches. This essay will aim to explore this partnership and the necessary steps or requirements on the part of the therapist in order to establish it and the ways client preferences and goals are incorporated into treatment, in other words, structure required for the establishment and maintenance of the relationship as there is research evidence to support the establishment of this alliance early for stronger therapeutic outcome. Generally, work with clients usually have a preparatory phase: a first phone call perhaps, and introduction on both parts to the tasks and goals ahead. A beginning phase that involves the face-to-face meet up, initial greeting an outline of the therapist’s agenda, contracting, negotiating and setting and summary of goals. A middle phase: the therapist is concerned with facilitating learning and change congruent with therapeutic goals and assumptions about change. The ending phase also involves process goals in order to seek resolution of client issues, consolidate learning and change and evaluate therapeutic outcome. There’s evidence to show that therapeutic alliance needs to be formed within the first three sessions for a good therapeutic outcome. Regardless of the therapeutic approach, there is evidence that certain generic skills are important and required for the establishment of a structure within therapeutic alliance. These generic skills include basic communication skills, but also more complex skills which the therapist needs. They can be learnt and practiced as techniques but the therapeutic use of them with the client depends not only on the communication skill but on the attitude and intention of the therapist, an inside energy of sorts, that comes from commitment to understand the person from their frame of reference and the therapists internal supervision, awareness and self-review. The following macro and micro skills ensure the therapist emphases the importance of inner work alongside their practice. 1) Making Psychological contact This is an intangible personal process that changes from moment to moment, a psychological exchange of energy between human beings. It is dependent on the skills, experience, attitudes and emotions that each brings to the situation and it presents itself on a spectrum. It ranges from clients who make no contact at all to those who invade the therapist’s personal space and on the other side, the therapist’s ability to make contact could be influenced by how they perceive new clients and other factors such as culture, class, race, gender, age and sexual orientation. The therapist’s experience of initial interpersonal contact can be developed by self-reflection. Impartial witnessing: The observation of inner processes without judgement. Awareness of how others experience the therapist’s psychological contact e. g. Is it warm or cool, intrusive or distant etc? And finally, skills of greeting appropriately and starting the interaction with particular adjustments made after attention is paid to and sensitivity of culture, age, gender etc. 2) Effecting Intake and Assessment In an interview or a formal assessment, specific skills are needed. They include: Asking for information: It is imperative that the client is made to understand the purpose of the questions and what will happen with the records. Purpose stating: What the therapist wants to happen and must happen. This helps to set the scene of openness to clients so that they know the therapist’s intentions or purpose and also to experience the therapist as congruent. Preference stating: What the therapist would like to happen  with an element of choice for the client. Knowing when to say â€Å"no† to a client and knowing how to communicate this congruently, respectfully and empathically. 3) Introducing tape recording This is something therapist’s approach with trepidation and technical skill and appropriate equipment is required to execute. The therapist requires confidence and conviction to obtain permission from the client and it needs to be part of the initial contract. 4) Contracting and clarifying therapy Negotiating a contract with a client requires particularly the multiple skills of active listening, paraphrasing, reflecting feelings, summarizing, asking questions, purpose and preference stating, a balance between assertion and flexibility. 5) Beginning to build a relationship The ability to communicate empathic understanding of the client, to show unconditional respect, and to be perceived as congruent, requires inner and outer, receptive and responding skills. The client needs to hear that the therapist understands him from his point of view, accepting and not judging him, and is openly present for him and genuine in the role. This openness conveyed by the therapist may vary with the orientation: Skills required to communicate this are: 1) Attention giving: The non-verbal show of accessibility, receptivity and presence which are all influenced by an inner attitude dependent on the awareness and sensitivity of the therapist. 2) Observing: Knowing what non-verbal and verbal cues to look out for. For example; posture, facial expression, tone and volume of voice, responsiveness etc. These clues are sought to begin to understand the client’s internal frame of reference. Also, the therapist needs to scan their own body for clues and observe how the client makes them feel. 3) Listening and Hearing. The former is merely the inner sensory activity that involves picking up sounds while the latter is the same inner sensory activity aligned with attention giving. When clients feel really listened to, they are encouraged to talk and reveal themselves. Accurate listening can help clients to increase self-awareness and reduce defensiveness and direct focus towards their own behaviour. It provides psychological space and support for client’s self-exploration. The use of a combination of the above skills to focus the therapist and client at appropriate points in the interaction. It can be used as a check for understanding, pulling together thoughts, bridge to help client move on, return to something significant and to structure the interaction if the therapist or the client is getting lost. 5) Responding or facilitating skills: Also known as active listening skills. These demonstrate and communicate empathy and acceptance and facilitate exploration. They are sometimes referred to as first level empathy, distinguishing them from deeper empathy. The latter is used when there is deeper understanding of the client’s inner world. Using advanced empathy too soon, exposes a risk of inaccuracy and poses too much of a challenge for the client. First level empathy consists of paraphrasing and reflecting feelings. Paraphrasing is picking up the meaning of the client’s words and having and extensive vocabulary to put it back to him reflecting accurately the feeling and meaning in a tentative way to check understanding. It is not parroting and using jargon or over technical terms. Done well, it enables clients to hear and understand themselves afresh. Reflecting feelings is identifying what the client is feeling often mainly from non-verbals like tone of voice, bodily expression and therapist’s own bodily resonance. Therapist’s need to be sensitive to different cultural subtleties as inaccurate reflections may neutralize the intensity of the client’s feelings. All these skills are the beginning blocks for building a relationship and for helping clients explore what they want from a therapist and therapy. In the main they are supportive skills. Skills which continue to build the relationship and develop the interaction will be considered next. These skills are challenging, both for the client and therapist. Development and maintenance of the therapeutic relationship: Moving the client forward As mentioned above, the skills discussed so far can be considered as supportive – helping clients feel safe enough to begin to explore themselves and their situation. To move on in the relationship and the interaction requires skills which will challenge the client to explore further – to gain new perspective and new frameworks and see the world in a different way. How the client will receive the challenge will depend on the relationship which has been built and how it is maintained and developed; all the supportive skills will still be needed, appropriately interspersed with the challenging ones. Inner skills: Challenging a client requires the inner skill of the therapist in examining their own feelings about challenging others. The therapist needs to know how comfortable they are with challenging a client. This skill is should be applied tentatively and timing is crucial. A therapist needs to be able to gauge implicitly and explicitly when and how to challenge a client and which of these interactions are based on theories of counselling and psychotherapy. This skill really requires an inner awareness and careful attention to personal development is required. This is where tape recording and supervision are important in the review and identifications of values, beliefs, thoughts, feelings and sensations guiding the choices made. Outer skills: Responsible challenging requires well-practised communication skills. Focusing. The therapist needs to help clients focus, if they are to move forward. Summarizing. As mentioned above, summarizing provides bridges, draws themes together and is used for keeping track. It is a useful skill that requires accurate listening, ability to filter relevant thoughts and feelings and ability to communicate them clearly. Both summarising and focusing provide challenge to clients Concrete examples. Sometimes it can be useful to ask clients for more specific thoughts, experiences and feelings. Communicating deeper empathy. The ability to pick up the real meaning behind the words, thoughts and feelings of the client which are buried, out of reach or implied and which may come to the therapist as a hunch. The skill is to put it into appropriate words when the timing is right. Challenging. Gently confronting clients to change their perspective, see a bigger picture, recognize strengths they are not using, note discrepancies between verbal and non-verbal behaviour or identify behaviour that is destructive to them and others. Self-disclosure. Here there are two types; the therapist disclosing past experience or the disclosure of thoughts and feelings about the client’s thoughts or experiences. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. Timing and discrimination of content disclosed is important. It could help as a model for the clients and help build the relationship or it may be perceived by the client as maladjustment and hence reduce confidence or the increased intimacy may be threatening to them. It is unhelpful at the beginning stages of therapy as the therapist should be concentrating on staying with the client’s experience. Disclosure needs a sufficiently secure relationship and should be used selectively at the later stages of therapy. Immediacy. Discussing directly and openly what is happening between therapist and client. It involves awareness of what’s going on inside the therapist and what is imagined as going on within the client and what is happening between the two. It is quite complex and challenging to do well, but when executed properly provides client with insight as to how their behaviours affect others. It involves competence in support skills as well as self-involving statements. It requires assertion and is very helpful to build or repair a therapeutic relationship, identify issues with class, age, gender, race, sexuality etc and in psychoanalysis and psychodynamic practice, identify transference and countertransference. All the skills so far require a lot of practice with feedback for development and lead to the final section. Monitoring self within the therapeutic process, evaluation and development of own work. This requires all the previous skills as well as the additional self-management skills which are: developing a caring acceptance of self, impartially witnessing of internal processes, identifying and using resources to meets learning, emotional, physical needs, ongoing identification and checking of belief and theories, planning ongoing training and personal development, reflecting, review of recordings and supervision, reviewing with clients and asking for feedback from clients Summary Both supporting and challenging skills, regardless of theoretical approach are necessary for the establishment of structure within a therapeutic relationship. This structure and framework is important in ensuring that therapists are mindful of what is required to provide a supportive base to establish trust and rapport and then in the later stages more challenging skill are utilized to provide the necessary challenge that is required to guide clients into awareness and positive change. Another possibly useful generic skill would be a termination skill to help the therapist during the end phases of therapy help the client consolidate learning and evaluate outcome and prepare for possible relapse prevention and management and finally, client autonomy. Theoretical considerations There is no denying that the generic skills discussed above have built around and extended from the conditions identified by Carl Rogers in person centred therapy, to reiterate, they would be the maintenance of an attitude of acceptance or unconditional positive regard, empathic understanding, as well as personal congruence or integration. Being a non-directive therapeutic approach that typically places emphasis on the above, supportive skills would be utilized mainly. Challenge skills, less so, but on occasion, as onus is placed on the client directing the therapy. Cognitive behaviour therapy utilizes an active-directive collaborative style. In its very nature, it is quite structured. In reductionist terms, it occurs in the following four stages: the assessment, cognitive, behavioural and learning stages. The therapeutic alliance needs to occur in the assessment stage, usually in the first session because quite rapidly after, from the cognitive stage, negative automatic thoughts are identified and challenged. This means, supportive skills and challenge skills are introduced quite rapidly and interwoven up till the learning stage and termination. In Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic approaches, a distinction is made between the real relationship, transference and counter transference and a working alliance. The real relationship would be akin to the therapeutic relationship as defined earlier and would only be encountered after transference and counter transference because they are considered to be more of a contamination to the real relationship and would need to be worked through and resolved. Meaning the therapist would take a more reticent stance, utilizing mostly support skills initially and challenge skills only during the working alliance, (the alignment of the client’s reasonable self or ego and the therapist’s analysing self or ego for the purpose of therapy) towards the later stages of therapy where interpretation of unconscious conflicts, defence mechanisms and resistances take place. Other considerations Having a framework is important in the development and establishment of rapport and therapeutic alliance but there are salient points to factor in. The therapist needs to have a level of awareness of the similarities and differences between them and their prospective clients to avoid the traps of varying degrees of gender inequality, ageism, disability and social class discrimination, homophobia and other sexual orientation based discrimination, religion, spiritual, agnostic and atheist discrimination, and also, racial, cultural and ethnical discrimination. Regardless of how well a therapist conceptualizes how to establish therapeutic alliance, lack of knowledge and experience on these socio economic and socio cultural factors could prove counterproductive.

Ephedra (Ma Huang) :: Botany

Ephedra (Ma Huang) Ephedras species are an evergreen shrub, native to North China and Inner Mongolia. It's yellow/green branching shrub growing to an average of 20 inches (50cm) with long narrow, sprawling stems and tiny leaves, can be found in desert or arid regions throughout the world. Its color can be green, gray, or red, depending on the species. The plant has small greenish yellow flowers and tiny nodes (joints) on the stalks (2). Ephedra is propagated from seed or by root division in autumn and demands well drained soil. It usually grows on dry, rocky or sandy slopes, and loves full sun. It matures very slowly and is very challenging to grow (1). General Information Ephedra (common name) comes from the family Ephedraceae. It has several scientific names that depend upon the plants founding location; Ephedra major (American), Ephedra trifurca (American), Ephedra nevadensis (American) are found in North America; and Ephedra sinica (Chinese- Ma Huang) is found in Asia. Other varieties of Ephedra can be found in Europe, India, and Pakistan. Ephedra was initially found in a Neolithic grave in the Middle East. This evidence may indicate that Ephedra was used as a medicine more than 60,000 year ago. In China, Ephedra was the first herbal remedy to yield an active constituent, in this case ephedrine. The first isolation of ephedrine was in 1887, by a Japanese chemist, N. Nagai (2,5). Folk and Historic Traditions The Zen Monks used Ephedra to encourage calm concentration during meditation. According to a legend, a tea containing Ephedra was given to the bodyguards of Genguis Khan, to keep them from falling asleep on sentry duty. Mormon Tea, one of Ephedra's folk names, stems from the use of the tea by Mormons; it was used as a replacement stimulant for the coffee and black tea the Mormons couldn't drink. In the 1800's Ephedra tea was served in Brothels, claiming to cure gonorrhea and syphilis. Ephedra tea today is not used as a cure; it will not cure these STD's (2). Medicinal Values The Medicinal use of Ephedra in China dates from approximately 2800B.C. In 1923 the practitioners of Western Medicine began their interest in Ephedra. Soon after, ephedrine became widely used as a nasal decongestant, a central nervous system stimulant, and a treatment for asthma in America. The isolated alkaloid originally obtained from Ephedra species, have been used in a substantial amount of prescription drugs and over-the-counter decongestants and allergy medications (2,4).

Philosophy- Locke Hume and Kafka

1. Explain how Locke and Hume view personal identity, or the â€Å"Self†. How do you see Kafka’s â€Å"Metamorphosis† as exemplifying these philosophical themes? You may choose Locke or Hume or both, or argue why you see neither of their theories as showing up in Kafka’s work. Locke’s theory of personal identity does not rely on substance to explain personal identity. Locke’s theory is person one at time two is the same person as person two at time one if and only if person one and person two are both persons and person one can remember at time two (his doing) what person two did or felt or what have you at time one.Hume’s theory of the self-held that the self is nothing but a bundle of experiences or perceptions linked by the relations of causation and resemblance; or, more accurately, that the empirically warranted idea of the self is just the idea of such a bundle. In â€Å"Metamorphosis† Kafka takes on Locke’s view of the self. Kafka illustrates that Gregor Samsa is the same person as he was when he was human even though he has changed into a bug.Kafka does this by showing that Gregor still has the same thoughts, memories, and tries to continue the same routine even though he has become a bug. Gregor stills tries to wake up and catch the train for work, he still knows how his sister, parents, and boss will act, and he still has the same feelings and emotions towards his life and the people who are in it. All of these explain go along with Locke’s view of the self verses Hume’s theory.

The Role of the Yellow River in Chinese History

Many of the worlds great civilizations have grown up around mighty rivers—Egypt on the Nile, the Mound-builder civilization on the Mississippi, the Indus Valley Civilization on the Indus River. China has had the good fortune to have two great rivers: the Yangtze and the Yellow River (or Huang He). The Yellow River is also known as the cradle of Chinese civilization or the Mother River. Usually a source of rich fertile soil and irrigation water, the Yellow River has transformed itself more than 1,500 times in recorded history into a raging torrent that has swept away entire villages. As a result, the river has several less-positive nicknames as well, such as Chinas Sorrow and the Scourge of the Han People. Over the centuries, the Chinese people have used it not only for agriculture but also as a transportation route and even as a weapon. The Yellow River springs up in the Bayan Har Mountain Range of west-central Chinas Qinghai Province and makes its way through nine provinces before it pours its silt out into the Yellow Sea off the coast of Shandong Province. It is the worlds sixth-longest river, with a length of about 3,395 miles. The river runs across central Chinas loess plains, picking up an immense load of silt, which colors the water and gives the river its name. The Yellow River in Ancient China The recorded history of Chinese civilization begins on the banks of the Yellow River with the Xia Dynasty, which lasted from 2100 to 1600 BCE. According to Sima Qians Records of the Grand Historian and the Classic of Rites, a number of different tribes originally united into the Xia Kingdom in order to combat devastating floods on the river. When a series of breakwaters failed to stop the flooding, the Xia instead dug a series of canals to channel excess water out into the countryside and then down to the sea. Unified behind strong leaders and able to produce bountiful harvests since Yellow River floods no longer destroyed their crops so often, the Xia Kingdom ruled central China for several centuries. The Shang Dynasty succeeded the Xia around 1600 BCE and also centered itself on the Yellow River valley. Fed by the riches of the fertile river-bottom land, the Shang developed an elaborate culture featuring powerful emperors, divination using oracle bones,  and artwork including beautiful jade carvings. During Chinas Spring and Autumn Period (771 to 478 BCE), the great philosopher Confucius was born in the village of Tsou on the Yellow River in Shandong. He was almost as powerful an influence on Chinese culture as the river itself. In 221 BCE, Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi conquered the other warring states and established the unified Qin Dynasty. The Qin kings relied on the Cheng-Kuo Canal, finished in 246 BCE, to provide irrigation water and increased crop yields, leading to a growing population and the manpower to defeat rival kingdoms. However, the Yellow Rivers silt-laden water quickly clogged the canal. After Qin Shi Huangdis death in 210 BCE, the Cheng-Kuo silted up entirely and became useless. The Yellow River in the Medieval Period In 923 CE, China was embroiled in the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Among those kingdoms were the Later Liang and the Later Tang dynasties. As Tang armies approached the Liang capital, a general named Tuan Ning decided to breach the Yellow River dikes and flood 1,000 square miles of the Liang Kingdom in a desperate effort to stave off the Tang. Tuans gambit did not succeed; despite the raging floodwaters, the Tang conquered the Liang. Over the following centuries, the Yellow River silted up and changed its course several times, breaking its banks and drowning surrounding farms and villages. Major re-routings took place in 1034 when the river split into three parts. The river jumped south again in 1344 during the waning days of the Yuan Dynasty. In 1642, another attempt to use the river against an enemy backfired badly. Kaifeng city had been under siege by Li Zichengs peasant rebel army for six months. The citys governor decided to break the dikes in hopes of washing away the besieging army. Instead, the river engulfed the city, killing almost 300,000 of Kaifengs 378,000 citizens and leaving the survivors vulnerable to famine and disease. The city was abandoned for years following this devastating mistake. The Ming Dynasty fell to Manchu invaders, who founded the Qing Dynasty just two years later. The Yellow River in Modern China A northward course-change in the river in the early 1850s helped fuel the Taiping Rebellion, one of Chinas deadliest peasant revolts. As populations grew ever larger along the treacherous rivers banks, so too did the death tolls from flooding. In 1887, a major Yellow River flood killed an estimated 900,000 to 2 million people, making it the third-worst natural disaster in history. This disaster helped convince the Chinese people that the Qing Dynasty had lost the Mandate of Heaven. After the Qing fell in 1911, China plunged into chaos with the Chinese Civil War and the Second Sino-Japanese War, after which the Yellow River struck again, this time even harder. The 1931 Yellow River flood killed between 3.7 million and 4 million people, making it the deadliest flood in all of human history. In the aftermath, with war raging and the crops destroyed, survivors reportedly sold their children into prostitution and even resorted to cannibalism to survive. Memories of this catastrophe would later inspire Mao Zedongs government to invest in massive flood-control projects, including the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River. Another flood in 1943 washed away the crops in Henan Province, leaving 3 million people to starve to death. When the Chinese Communist Party took power in 1949, it began building new dikes and levees to hold back the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. Since that time, floods along the Yellow River have still posed a threat, but they no longer kill millions of villagers or bring down governments. The Yellow River is the surging heart of Chinese civilization. Its waters and the rich soil it carries bring the agricultural abundance needed to support Chinas enormous population. However, this Mother River has always had a dark side to it as well. When the rains are heavy or silt blocks up the river channel, she has the power to jump her banks and spread death and destruction across central China.

The Ethics of Using Stem-cell Research - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1848 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/06/26 Category Biology Essay Level High school Tags: Stem Cell Essay Did you like this example? The ethics of using stem-cell research has become a great issue in the past few years. The advocates for both sides of the issue have many reasons to conduct the research or not to. This issue arose after the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Ethics of Using Stem-cell Research" essay for you Create order After this, the question Can we use stem-cell research to clone human beings? shifted to Do we want to clone human beings? Many people are scared of the idea that we can just copy ourselves; its not natural. The debate and discussions have been very emotional. Stem-cell research has become a hot topic as technology advances, but because of the risk factors, the way society will react to the research, and the fact that scientists are toying with the laws of nature, it should be banned worldwide. History of issue The stem-cell controversy deals with research ethics that include the development, use and destruction of human embryos. This controversy is more often focused on embryonic stem cells. Its not just human embryos that are involved in stem cell research. For example, different stem-cell research like adult, induced pluripotent, and amniotic do not involve the use, creation, or destruction of human embryos. Other sources of less controversial stem cell research includes the use of umbilical cord, breast milk and bone marrow cells. Stem-cell research was first conducted on Dolly the sheep. The first mammal in history was cloned by Ian Wilmut and his colleagues from the Roslin Institute in Scotland (1996). The successful clone was a sheep, named Dolly. But what really happened during the experiment? The experiment began with 277 fused eggs, 29 of which were fertilized. The fertilized embryos were then reallocated to 13 sheep, but only one of them became pregnant with Dolly on 5 July 1996. There were several dead fetuses from the remaining twelve sheep(Trefil and Hazen 66). Later it was concluded that the methods and the technology used were not very efficient. Dolly eventually died of an abnormal disease in sheep of her age in early 2003. Should we continue with stem-cell research to clone just so more sex cells will be sacrificed? Thomas E. Lovejoy quoted, Genetic engineers do not make new genes, they simply rearrange existing ones (Lee, Turnpenny. Is Cloning Mad, Bad and Dangerous?). Genetic diversity can be l ost due to these gene rearrangements. A species may become extinct due to inbreeding within the population. Stem cell research should therefore not be carried out for cloning. Overview of sources The ability to create human embryonic stem cell lines from the inner cell mass of blastocysts has led to considerable debate on how to regulate these scientific developments. Many scholars and commentators have expressed their opinions on the subject of stem-cell research. The biggest concern is that this research involves playing God. Also, gene diversity may be lost because of gene alterations of an organisms genotypic composition. Aside from all the negative impacts of stem-cell research, the main beneficial use of it would be used for infertility which is caused by genetic defects. Summary of source 1 Peter Dabrock, a professor at University of Marburg, argues against stem-cell research in an article called Playing God? Synthetic biology as a theological and ethical challenge. This article was published on October 10, 2009. Dabrock provides a convincing reason in support of his position. Dabrock, and other critics, view the innovation of stem-cell research as morally suspect because it is viewed as playing god. To conduct this particular research, embryos must be destroyed when stem cells are harvested, and the outcome is equal to the taking of life, which many believe that only God has the power to do. Dabrock states: The heart of many religions, including biblical tradition, is touched when science questions the privilege of the deity or God to decide on the transitions between life and the inanimate. Hence, it seems for many religious people plausible to identify synthetic biology with a new and formerly unknown overstepping of this boundary. (Dabrock) Dabrock explains the situation very well. This argument reflects the view that divine creation is perfect and that it is inappropriate to alter it in any way. Evaluation of source 1 Besides cloning organs and tissues, the subject of taking a human life is what generates the most controversy of all. People believe that it is not ethical to kill an innocent life for the sake of scientific research. These beliefs are based on the assumption that God created human beings in his own image and that God gives them their souls. Therefore, it is not our place to create nor destroy a human being; it is Gods. We would be playing God, in their opinion, and that should not happen. This is the main argument that sets the boundary for the majority of people who are against cloning. Summary of source 2 According to Ehud Isacoff, gene diversity may be lost because of gene alterations of an organisms genotypic composition. Genetic diversity prevents a single pathogen from wiping out the whole population. Gene mutations occur naturally. Thomas Hunt Morgan discovered and described the first gene mutation observed in a fruit fly in 1910 (Isacoff, Ehud Y. Isolation and characterization of the Xanthine dehydrogenase gene of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata.). When gene diversity is lost, people suffer from diseases (genetic diseases in most cases) due to their genetic composition. Nettie Stevens and Edmund Wilson (1905) described the XX genes in females and the XY genes of males (Reich. Cloning crisis goes from bad to worse: amid claim and counterclaim, the apparent triumphs of Koreas stem-cell stars are rapidly unraveling.). When cloned by using stem-cell technology, an organism has identical genes and is high risk to acquire recessive diseases from both parents. There a re 15,500 genetic diseases according to a 1994 Genetic diseases stats sheet release (Ponciano. Hierarchical Models in Ecology: Confidence Intervals, Hypothesis Testing, and Model Selection Using Data Cloning.Ecology 90.2 (2009): 356â€Å"362). Due to the same genotypes in cloned people, breeding is very likely to occur. Evaluation of source 2 Ehud Isacoff presents a valid argument against stem-cell research. A species may be extinct due to inbreeding within the population, i.e. only if cloning occurs in the population. Inbreeding, also defined by the University of Utah, involves the mating of genetically related individuals (Fritz 47). Since clones have identical genes, inbreeding will occur. But how is extinction possible? While some propose that inbreeding is beneficial to a population, statistics and studies have shown that they there are more than 7.3 million infertility cases in the United States of America (Lee. Is Cloning Mad, Bad and Dangerous? EMBO reports 8.1 (2007): 2. ProQuest). If stem-cell research is practiced, there would be more genetically related individuals to mate, but who would reproduce if the infertility rates are maximized? Humans with animals? I didnt think so. Summary of source 3 Besides all the negative impacts that stem-cell research would have on society, there are many beneficial uses of it as well. One of these is a treatment for infertility. Infertility is caused by genetic defects, reproductive organ injuries, congenital defects, toxic substances and radiation exposure. Many assisted-reproduction technologies have been developed. This includes surrogate mothers for women without a functional uterus, intracytoplasmic sperm injection for males who cant produce viable sperm, and IVF for women with blocked or missing fallopian tubes. However, these treatments have proven to be highly inefficient and they can not help people whose reproductive organs have not developed or have been removed. Twelve million Americans are infertile at childbearing age (Reich. Cloning crisis goes from bad to worse: amid claim and counterclaim, the apparent triumphs of Koreas stem-cell stars are rapidly unraveling. New Scientist 188.2531-2532 (2005): 4.Expanded Academic ASAP). They will use painful and costly treatments for years to have little chance of success. Another extremely useful application of the stem-cell technology would be the cloning of organs or tissues for the body. With that, we could not only cure suffering and death, we could extend our lives for decades. It would not be uncommon for people to live to one hundred and fifty years old, or older. If a kidney fails in old age, take the few good cells left and clone a brand new kidney. Clone a new heart when someone suffers a massive heart attack. After more development of stem-cell research, there is even the possibility to repair brain and spinal column damage. If you really think about it, these life-prolonging procedures would probably be reserved for the rich and famous, and not on everyone, as discussed before. Numerous of remarkable benefits can come from stem-cell technology, but not all of it is guaranteed. My mother always told me, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Evaluation of source 3 Reich raises some good points on how stem-cell research could be used to benefit the health of suffering individuals. The excitement of stem cell research primarily results from the medical advantages in regenerative medicine and therapeutic cloning. Stem cells provide huge potential for finding treatments and cures to a vast array of medical issues like infertility, cancer, Alzheimers, Parkinsons disease and much more. The writers position and reasoning As a biology student, I attempted to approach both sides with an unbiased opinion. I personally think that the world of genetics is fascinating, but after learning of what is now possible through technology, I changed my mind about pursuing a career in the field. I see stem-cell research as a wonderful advancement in technology and knowledge. I do not think it should be used to reproduce humans though. I do not believe that we should try to develop other ways beside the natural way to bring life into this world. Cloning tissues and organs falls under a different category then cloning human beings. I believe that cloning tissues and organs would be beneficial for science and medicine. The research involves fetal tissue, however, which is an entirely different ethical debate. So, with my present understanding I would allow stem-cell research for cloning tissues and organs only. Conclusion Today, the topic of stem-cell research generates more argument then it has ever created before. The controversy over using stem-cell research for cloning is based, in part, on the fact that there are extreme opposing viewpoints on the subject. Also a major factor in the debate over stem-cell research is a fear of new technology. Considering the fact that scientists are uncertain about their own methods and technology, the lost loss of genetic diversity and the possibility of extinction of a population, should stem-cell research even be practiced? Positively, in 2001 Bill Clinton banned cloning. However, research was allowed to be continued so that scientists, perhaps, will be able to promise and prove that their methods and technology are safe to be practiced (Fritz 68). For now, they should not practice stem-cell research because they will put the entire population of planet earth, both humans and animals, in jeopardy. A new evolutionary period would have to restart. We would enter an entirely new evolutionary period that could be more catastrophic than progressive. Is that something youre willing to risk? Think of cloning as plagiarism copying and pasting, its wrong, hence the title!

Regulation Of The United States Federal Government

Regulation The way a society functions is strictly based on the type of culture in which they reside in. A individuals, habits, actions and personality are all shaped, by the infrastructure, rules, and regulations that they have to abide by while residing in society. It is not to say that these policies are a negative notion, but they do certainly shape your lifestyle, and your choices in many ways. By taking a look at regulation it is important to note that, our government has a huge role in the lives of its citizens it resides over. The United States Federal government has its exercise of sovereignty, in other-words, it has legal and accepted authority to regulate people’s living within a certain geographic area that it has jurisdiction†¦show more content†¦Regulation is a major activity at all levels of government. As society becomes more complex, regulations must grow and evolved to meet the demands of a developing society. Concentrating more on the role of regula tion, it can be noted that it is a system that helps protect individuals from one another. So from buyers to sellers; from employee to employer; tenants to landlords, and so on. Regulations is also implemented to alleviate human suffering and promote overall welfare. For instance, aid in the form of Social Security and to Veterans, natural disaster relief, regulation of pollution and toxins, as well as temporary assistance for the unemployed. Last, and most importantly regulation is implemented to minimize and eliminate corruption and abuse of power by government agencies or officials. (Book Source) Taking into account the terms and ideologies stated above, it is easily understood why, we as individuals have decided for so many years, to abide by this social contract with our government. We gain the most benefit from this quid pro quo relationship. Administrative Law and Regulatory Agencies Since we abide by this social contract, it is important to understand how this system works for its citizens that it has jurisdiction over. By looking from the outside in, how our government operates is illustrated by its

Binder Ready Version Concepts And Practices -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Binder Ready Version Concepts And Practices? Answer: Introduction In the present study, it is about the internal and external users of government and business and their differences. Further, the study is about the two grounds on which the reporting model is prepared. It is more difficult to differentiate between internal as well as external users in government as compared to business, as constituents like taxpayers might have considerable roles in forming strategies and policies that are frequently taken into accounting in the monarchy of managers. Furthermore, legislators are said to be internal to some degree as they set policies, but external as far as the managerial brand should account to the legislative branch (Granof, Khumawala, Smith, 2016). The major users of government are inclusive of governing boards, creditors, and investors, members of organizations, citizens, donors, regulatory agencies and constituents. Governments require accounting standards and reporting tools that distinguish from those of businesses. They have other important objectives than profit maximization. Thus, their progress cannot be considered by the traditional bottom-lines and users of business. In addition to, they are governed by their own budgets instead of th e competitive markets. Both the GASB and FASB have instituted objectives of financial reporting that put force on the significance of offering information that allows users to consider inter-period compliance with the mandates of budgets. The Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 34 (GASB 34) command important modification in the detailing financial practices of local and state governments externally. Investigation of information from bookkeeping and authorities of state and local governments shows that they trusted GASB 34 would do moderately little to enhance the convenience of their legislatures reports. In accordance with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (U.S), provisions of GASB 34 were prepared by considering general purpose and special purpose governments. The general purpose includes states, urban areas, district, villages and towns. Nonetheless, there are numerous further legislative elements, inclusive of PHAs which are not wide-ranging purpose but same are categorized into distinct purpose governments that give a constrained arrangement of administrations or projects (Bloch, 2016). The general and special purpose government are the two grounds on which the reporting model under GASB No. 34 is being prepared. These two are completely different to the extent of their purpose and services. In terms of general purpose; governments incorporate administrations which could incorporate law management to street and road maintenance, whereas special purpose government are more concentrated and are more engaged in , for instance, the Department of Housing and Urban Development bargains solely with lodging needs, air housing openings and change and improvement of the groups (Kim Ebdon, 2017). Conclusion The present study shows that the internal and external users of government and commercial businesses are completely different. Further, the study concludes that there are two perspectives on which the reporting model under GASB No. 34 can be prepared References Bloch, R. (2016). Assessing the Impact of GASB Statement No. 34: The Perceptions of Municipal Bond Analysts.Municipal Finance Journal,37(2). Granof, M. H., Khumawala, S. B., Smith, D. L. (2016).Government and Not-for-profit Accounting, Binder Ready Version: Concepts and Practices. John Wiley Sons. Kim, J., Ebdon, C. (2017). HAVE THE GASB NO. 34 INFRASTRUCTURE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AFFECTED STATE HIGHWAY SPENDING?.Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting Financial Management,29(3).