Professional Development of Nursing Professionals Essay Example for Free

Professional Development of Nursing Professionals Essay In this day and age when medicine becomes more technological and industry driven, nursing needs to find its new role in the rapidly transforming healthcare system. In 2010 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published proposals about remodeling of nursing in the U.S. â€Å"The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.† This report points out to the need for changes in education, expanding practice, and demonstrating leadership in nursing. This modification will have a strong effect on the nursing in future and will contribute to changes of scope and standards of practice. Impact of the IOM Report on Nursing Education In regards to nursing education IOM report proclaim, nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression. (IOM Report, 2010). Today healthcare system is advancing rapidly and requires from all caregivers to improve their knowledge and specialization. The training and education that was given in the past to the nurses does not satisfy the demands of modern days and need to changed dramatically to allow them to keep up with rapidly changing scope of todays medicine. Nowadays, ever-growing complexity of patients demands from nurses to achieve a higher level of education in order to deliver a higher-quality patient care. To achieve this goal nursing schools have to develop new educational model, that provide competencies in decision making, quality improvement, systematic thinking, and team leadership. Another recommendation that IOM repot promotes to raise the proportion of BSN graduates among of the nurses to 80% by the end of 2020 (IOM, 2010). An increase in the percentage of nurses with a bachelor degree would help to manage a challenging and increasingly diverse healthcare environment. Impact of the IOM Report on Practice, Particularly in Primary care Nowadays, the health care system starts to focus on the new ways to provide patient-centered care by delivering more primary care and working on education of communities by promoting disease prevention and healthy lifestyles. Nurses now qualified to provide these services, since they have enough scientific knowledge and training. Regrettably, however this welcomed change is hindered by various restrictions coming from outdated policies and rules. These restrictions prevent nurses to deliver services to the patient and community in the full capacity. The IOM report advice to redesign the roles of nurses to satisfy the need for improved and safe service to the public. The report also advised to revise the outdated standards of practice and eliminate the obstacles to maximize the contribution to the community that nurses can make. Impact of the IOM Report on Nursing Role as a Leader Public is not used to seeing the nurse as a leader, mostly because of historical and rather stereotyped role of a nurse as a physician extender. However, in a constantly changing climate of a healthcare reform and increasing power of entities such as insurance companies, nurses cannot stay passive any longer if they want to continue to be relevant. â€Å"Because nurses have regular and close proximity to patients and scientific understanding of care processes across the continuum of care, they have a unique ability to act as partners with other health professionals and to lead in the improvement and redesign of the health care system and its many practice environments, including hospitals, schools, homes.† states in IOM recommendation. A unique nurses role as a patient advocate combined with a stronger leadership role that they ought to embrace is indispensible in order to form new health care policies that put patient in the center of the discussion. Changing Your Practice to Meet the Goals of the IOM Report Another key point of IOM report is to promote a high level education in the nursing. I am working toward achieving my goal and receiving Bachelor degree in nursing. I’m an operating nurse with more than fifteen years of an experience. Over many years of my practice I have achieved a high level of skill in many different areas of my profession. Now looking back I have a renewed appreciation to all the nursing educators that trained me so well and equipped me with tools to strife for continued self-improvement. I feel that now is my turn to pass on the torch and make sure that the future generation of nurses with rip from my experience and knowledge. Current concerning trend in the nursing is an acute deficiency in experienced locally educated nurses. As stated by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing,† U.S. nursing schools turned away 78,089 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2013 due to an insufficient number of faculty,† (AACN, 2014). I fully intend to use my BSN education to embark on the difficult role as a nurse educator initially on my workplace and possibly later in a nursing academic institution In summary, an academic nursing education is an important evolution in my profession since it equips me with knowledge, skills and tools to continue to provide better patient care in safer environment, take part in shaping future health care policies and pass on my knowledge in an efficient way. References American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2014). Nursing Faculty Shortage. Washington, DC Retrieved from: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/nursing-faculty-shortage Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM). (2010). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. Retrieved from: http://iom.edu/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-Change-Advancing-Health.aspx

Modern Man - The Unknown Citizen (auden) :: essays research papers

The English-born American writer Wystan Hugh Auden was one of the most important poets of the 20th century. Educated at Oxford, he attracted attention as a prominent member of a group of young leftist writers who generally expressed a socialist viewpoint. The poem I have chosen for this essay is "The Unknown Citizen". I felt the time period reflected W.H. Auden's views, making the unknown citizen an example of the government's view of the perfect modern man in an overrated unrealistic society.In the time period that he wrote this poem in the late 1930's America was going through tremendous changes. This is the period in history in which The Great Depression was in effect. Most people living in the United States values, morals, and ethics were rapidly diminishing. The Great Depression fundamentally changed the relationship between the government and the people, who came to expect and accept a larger federal role in their lives and the economy. Throughout this time period Social Security was created.Back then this poem must have had a different meaning than today, it shows the value government has on issuing Social Security numbers. They make people believe it's for your own benefit when in reality they have the best use of it to track and retrieve information about your personal life. We see government as people we elected to represent our views they see us as a number. "Was he free? Was he happy? The question was absurd: Had anything been wrong we should certainly have heard (Auden 212)".I also felt he was expressing the fact that government makes it seem that everyone else is doing the "right thing" so you must follow him or her, and if you do so living a quality life will reward you. Their standards are so high that you will never reach the optimum point, so you work hard your whole life trying to improve. "His poems and essays present the idea of the good society as, at best, a possibility, never actually achieved, but which one must always work (Mendalson 112)". "Auden's poems speak instead in a voice almost unknown to English poetry science the eighteenth century: the voice of a citizen who knows the obligations of his citizenship (Mendalson 113).

The Effects of Thc, Spice, and Opiates on the Human Body

Ben Vu The effects of THC, Spice, and Opiates on the human body In the modern generation, many kids have experimented with all sorts of drugs. They are looking for a euphoric feeling that nothing else gives them. Some of these drugs have been used for medical reasons and recreational use since the beginning of man. Humans naturally are curious and try many different things to give them the high they are looking for. The most common of these drugs are marijuana, spice, and opiates. Cannabis, also known as marijuana, has over hundreds of different chemicals that affect the human body.Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is the main chemical that gives the user the euphoric high they are looking for. Along with the euphoric feeling, the user also receives relaxation. Marijuana can be used in many different ways such as smoking it in a joint or cooking it in to food or sweets. The most common way of getting high is by smoking it. This can either be achieved by rolling a simple joint or bl unt to smoking it out of a bong or a vaporizer. Marijuana has been so common for many generations that the brain has adapted to have cannabinoid receptors.When ingested, the THC flows from the lung into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream it goes to the brain attaching to the cannabinoid receptors. The most common receptor, CB1, is mainly found in the part of the brain that associates with movement and memory. This explains why marijuana affects the users balance and coordination. While THC is in the brain, it makes the user have short-term memory lost; this is why it is used to treat nausea, pain, and lost in appetite. Other effects on the user’s body include laughter, altered perception of time, increased appetite and heart rate, paranoia and panic attacks.When marijuana is ingested or inhaled the effects appear as soon as the chemicals enter the brain and may last from one hour up to two hours. If it is ingested in food the short-term effects such as short-term memory lost and coordination begin more slowly usually taking up to half an hour to an hour to kick it. The benefits of ingesting it would be that the effects of marijuana would last longer, up to four hours. When smoking marijuana more of the chemicals are being deposited in the bloodstream.It only takes a few minutes after smoking that the user’s heart rate begins to beat more rapidly resulting in the blood vessel to expand resulting in bloodshot eyes. As the THC enters the brain, it causes the brain to release a chemical called dopamine, which in turns gives the user the high feeling. When high the user may experience pleasant sensations, colors and sounds may seem more intense, time appears to pass by a lot more slowly. The user’s mouth begins to feel dry this is known as cottonmouth causing the user to become suddenly very hungry or thirsty.After the euphoric high goes away the user begins to feel drowsy. There are two different strains of marijuana, indica and sativa. Indica strains have more cannabinoids than THC. This affects the user in more of a physical high resulting in an influx of appetite, laughter and a couch lock feeling. This is when the user gets the stoned effect where they do not want to move around. Indica is the most common strain of marijuana that is smoked by the average person. As a result of the higher CBDs indica strains are helpful to those who need sleeping aid and people wit insomnia.Whereas sativa which has a lot more of the chemical THC which gives the user more of a head high than a body high. This strain is prescribed to patients who have anxiety and depression. It gives the user more of a jubilant feeling without the feeling of being couch locked. The smoke of marijuana contains of a toxic mixture of gases and other particulates that are harmful to the lungs. The lungs of someone who smokes marijuana on a daily basis resembles those of a tobacco smoker. Marijuana has the potential to promote lung cancer because of th e carcinogens in the smoke.Nowadays most companies, businesses, and schools drug test for THC. This has caused people to move on to another drug even more dangerous and marijuana, spice. Spice is synthetic marijuana, made to give the user the same high as marijuana. Most people are not aware of what is actually in the spice and just smoke it because they cannot smoke marijuana. The most dangerous thing about spice is the fact that it is not regulated; anybody can make spice in his or her own privacy. Spraying chemicals such as JWH-018 on herbs and plants makes spice.When the government decides to make the chemical illegal producers tweak the chemical just a bit to create a whole knew molecule. Spice affects each user different; one smoker may a certain way and the other another way. Spice is a rarely new drug and scientist are still not certainly sure about how it affects the human body. A few minutes after smoking spice the user have side effects such as nausea/vomiting, severe par anoia, involuntary movements, hallucinations, and prolonged headaches lasting up to days after use.Some cases have shown that teenagers under the influence of spice are unable to speak or move; they are conscious but respond to normal situations in a weird way. User who smoke spice on a daily basis have a high risk of becoming addicted an addiction, which is similar to those of meth, cocaine, and opiates. The effects of spice usually wear off in about thirty minutes to an hour and this causing the user to want to keep smoking more and more. Scientists do not know the long-term effects of smoking spice; this makes it more dangerous because teens are smoking something that has the potential to harm their bodies.Opiates have been used as a pain reliever for over hundreds of generations. Opiates are the common name for any narcotic that was derived from opium. Painkillers such as morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone are all obtained from opium. Opiates the most additive an abus ive substances in the world today. Opiates obtain their powerful effects by attaching themselves in opiate receptors in the brain and body. The effects of opiates include extreme relaxation, euphoria, fatigue, confusion, decreased feeling of pain, and decreased sexual drive.While on opiates they cause the pupil of the eyes to dilate. Other effects include nausea and vomiting if too much of the opiate is taken. Opiates attach themselves to the neurotransmitters in the brain, which control body movement, moods, digestion, body temperature and breathing. They cause to the neurotransmitter to work at a very high rate. The short-term effects can show soon after a dose and lasting up to a few hours. Regular use of opiates leads to a higher tolerance, meaning the user needs more of the opiate to achieve the same effect as before.After a time of increasing tolerance the body becomes addicted to the drug, developing dependent on the opiate to function properly. Death from an opiate overdose usually occur when a user who has been off of opiates for some time again starts to take the same amount of the opiate as they are used to and because the user’s tolerance has gone done the result is an overdose. After repeated use of opiates, long-term effects soon appear. Most addicts who have been using for a long time seem to just ignore their health because they are only concerned about obtaining the opiate.Longtime users may develop collapsed veins, infection in their heart and valves, and liver disease. Due to the fact that opiates decrease reparation rate, pneumonia may occur in longtime users due to respiratory depression and the poor health of the user. When trying to stop the use of opiates, the withdrawal is very dangerous and painful. Withdrawl symptoms can occur as soon as a few hours after the last does. Symptoms include intense craving for the opiate, restlessness, body pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, and cold flashes.

Aircraft Carriers Essay

Aircraft Carriers became an essential part of Military History. They act as a mobile Sea base for Aircrafts to maintain a powerful Military wherever possible. Presence, influence, and options. These are three words that can describe and define a United States Naval Aircraft Carrier. They are floating cities with crews of thousands. They are the key player of any military strategy, they provide what has become the key to every battle fought since World War I. They present a presence in a region that is an automatic display of strength that no potential enemy can ignore. A 15-carrier force is required today to provide a full-time presence in three key regions where the Department of Defense considers a naval presence to be important: the Mediterranean, the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf. The primary mission of an Aircraft Carrier is to deploy and to recover aircrafts. Aircraft Carriers were the essential role in making the United Navy the strongest in the world. The Aircraft Carrier has had issues of controversy from early on and this is due to budgeting. So the Aircraft Carrier is a huge importance in the military alone, besides from the United States Navy. Updates, additions and improvements are always being made. I would like to explore these questions and others from the history of the Aircraft Carriers to what the future hold for this billion-dollar ship. The history of the aircraft carrier began on Jul. 11, 1919 the Naval Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1920 provided for the conversion of the collier Jupiter into a ship specifically designed to launch and recover airplanes at sea — an aircraft carrier — later to be named Langley. The engineering plans for this conversion were modified in November and included catapults to be fitted on both the forward and after ends of the â€Å"flying-off† deck. Mar. 20, 1922 – USS Langley (CV 1), converted from the collier USS Jupiter (AC 3), was placed in commission at Norfolk, Va., as the Navy’s first aircraft carrier. The ship’s executive officer, Cmdr. Kenneth Whiting, was in command. Apr. 1, 1922 – The specifications of arresting gear of the type later installed in early aircraft carriers were sent to various design engineers. â€Å"The arresting gear will consist of two or more transverse wires stretched across the fore and aft wires †¦ [and which] lead around sheaves placed outboard to hydraulic brakes. The plane, after engaging the transverse wire, is guided down the deck by the fore and aft wires and is brought to rest by the action of the transverse wire working with the hydraulic brake.†Jul. 1, 1922 – Congress authorized the conversion of the unfinished battle cruisers Lexington and Saratoga as aircraft carriers and as permitted under the terms of the Washington Treaty. Nov. 16, 1927 – USS Saratoga (CV 3) commissioned at Camden, N.J., Capt. Harry E. Yarnell, commanding. Dec. 14, 1927 – USS Lexington (CV 2) commissioned at Quincy, Mass., Capt. Albert W. Marshall, commanding. Jan. 11, 1928 – The first take off and landing aboard on the USS Saratoga (CV 3) was made by the ship’s Air Officer Cmdr. Marc A. Mitscher in a UO-1.Jan. 23-27, 1929 – The carriers Lexington and Saratoga took part in fleet exercises, attached to opposing forces. Saratoga was detached from the main force, and with an escorting cruiser, was sent on a wide southward sweep before turning north to approach within striking distance of her target, the Panama Canal. On the morning of the 26th, while it was still dark, she launched a strike group of 69 aircraft which arrived over the target undetected shortly after dawn and completed the theoretical destruction of the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks without opposition. This demonstration made a profound impression on naval tacticians. Apr. 9, 1929 – Operations aboard Langley and Saratoga confirmed that the fore-and-aft wires of the arresting gear were not needed. The Secretary of the Navy authorized their removal in September. All carrier aircraft, based on these tests, were equipped with brakes and wheel type tailskids. During the 1930 – USS Lexington (CV 2) completed a 30-day period in which she furnished electricity to the city of Tacoma, Wash., in an emergency arising from a failure of the city’s power supply. The electricity from the carrier totaled more than 4.25 million kilowatt-hours. Sept. 26, 1931 – The keel for USS Ranger (CV 4), the first ship of the U.S. Navy to be designed and constructed as an aircraft carrier, was laid at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry-dock Company in Newport News, VA. The ship was launched on 25 Feb. 1933, and commissioned 4 Jun. 1934 at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Capt. Arthur L. Bristol, commanding. Nov. 1, 1934 – The Naval Aircraft Factory was authorized to manufacture and test a flush-deck hydraulic catapult, Type H Mark I. This catapult was designed to launch land planes from aircraft carriers and was the Navy’s initial development of a hydraulic catapult, a type which was to be the primary means of launching land planes from carriers. Apr. 21, 1937 – Following a four-month conversion period, the Navy’s first carrier USS Langley was converted to a seaplane tender and reclassified as AV-3. Sept. 30, 1937 – USS Yorktown (CV 5) was placed in commission at the Norfolk Naval Operating Base Norfolk, Va., with Capt. Ernest D. McWhorter in command. The ship’s keel was laid on 21 May 1934 and it was launched on 4 April 1936. May 12, 1938 – USS Enterprise (CV 6) was placed in commission at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry-dock Company, Newport News, Va., Capt. N. H. White commanding. The ship was launched 3 Oct. 1936. Jun. 11-13, 1939 – USS Saratoga (CV 3) and the tanker USS Kanawha (AO 1) conducted underway-refueling tests off the coast of southern California, demonstrating the feasibility of refueling carriers at sea. Apr. 25, 1940 – USS Wasp (CV 7) was placed in commission at the Army Quartermaster Base, Boston, Mass., Capt. John W. Reeves, Jr., commanding. The ship’s keel was laid 1 Apr. 1936, at Quincy, Mass., by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co., and the ship was launched 4 Apr. 1939. Jun. 2, 1941 – USS Long Island (AVG 1), the Navy’s first escort carrier, commissioned at Newport News, Va., Cmdr. Donald B. Duncan in command. The ship was originally built as Mormacmail, a cargo ship, by Sun Shipbuilding and Dry-dock Company, Chester, Pa., and converted in 67 days to a flush-deck carrier. She was reclassified as CVE-1 on 15 Jul. 1943. Oct. 20, 1941 – USS Hornet (CV 8) was placed in commission in Norfolk, Va., Capt. Marc A. Mitscher in command. The ship was launched 14 Dec. 1940 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry-dock Company. Dec. 7, 1941 – Carrier aircraft of the Japanese Imperial Navy launched a devastating attack on Pearl Harbor and on the military and air installations in the area. The three aircraft carriers of the Pacific Fleet were not present. USS Saratoga (CV 3), just out of overhaul, was moored at San Diego. USS Lexington (CV 2) was at sea about 425 miles southeast of Midway toward which she was headed to deliver a Marine Scout Bombing Squadron. USS Enterprise (CV 6) was also at sea, about 200 miles west of Pearl Harbor, returning from Wake Island where she had delivered a Marine Fighter Squadron. These were some of the early experiences of Aircraft Carriers and we could determine how to divide carriers up from their makeup and function. U.S. aircraft carriers were named traditionally for older American warships and battles except for the first carrier the Langley, which was named after aviation pioneer Samuel P. Langley. Your first class of Aircraft Carriers began with the Essex class. These were 24 ships of World War II and these carriers were the backbone of the US carrier strength from 1943 through the Korean War. They operated alongside the larger Midway and Forrestal class ships through the Cold War and the Vietnam War. The Lexington was the last active ship, serving as a trained carrier until decommissioned in November 1991. After World War II, carriers were being modified to being designated as the Hancock class carriers. The Antietam was the first carrier in the US modified to an angled-deck configuration. Out of 32 ships 24 were completed during 1940 -1942. They were all originally designed to be CV and then later changed to CVA in 1952. Your list of carriers in the Essex’s class were from (CV 9) – (CV 40); Essex (CV 9), Yorktown (CV 10), Intrepid (CV 11), Hornet (CV 12), Franklin (CV13), Ticonderoga (CV 14), Randolph (CV 15), Lexington (CV 16), Bunker Hill (CV 17), and the Wasp (CV 18). (CV 40) Hancock (CV 19), Bennington (CV 20), Boxer (CV 21). List of light carriers that was from (CVL 22) – (CVL 30 Independence – class light carriers (CVL 22) – (CVL 30) and then continue back to your Essex class from (CV 31) – (CV 40); Bon Homme Richard (CV 31), Leyte (CV 32), Kearsarge (CV 33), Oriskany (CV 34), Reprisal (CV 35), Antietam (CV 36), Princeton (CV 37), Shangri-La (CV 38), Lake Champlain (CV 39) and Tarawa (CV 40). The next class of carriers was the Midway class large carriers (CVB 41) – (CVB44), and (CVB 56-57). The Midway (CV 41) was the last World War II era warship in commission in the Navy. She was decommissioned in 1992. The Midways were the largest warships designed by the US Navy during World War II. They were larger than the Essex class. They had a larger aircraft capacity and heavier gun battery and they were the first US carriers with an armored flight deck. Each ship was built had two haudralic catapults and aircraft capacity of 137. They were the first US warships constructed with a beam too great to permit passage through the Panama Canal. The Midway hangar deck is 692 feet long, 85 feet wide and 17  ½ feet high. Her flight deck is canted 13 degrees to port and is 682 feet long. The Midway carried Carrier Air Wing which operated three F/A Hornet squadrons, two A-6E Intruder Squadrons and an SH-3H Sea King squadron and plus combat support aircraft. Six Ships of this class were authorized in 1942- 1945: CVB 41-44, 56 and 57. The CVB 44 was cancelled on 1 Nov. 1943; the CVB 56 and CV 57 were cancelled on 28 March 1945. None had been laid down. The Roosevelt (CVB 42) was commissioned in 1945 and remained active her entire career. The Coral Sea (CVB 43) was commissioned in 1947 and pretty much active until decommissioned in 1990. Your next class was the Ticonderoga class the Valley Forge (CV-45). The Iwo Jima (CV 46) was cancelled in 1945. Then back to the Essex class Philippine Sea (CV 47) and (CV 50-55) were also Essex class were cancelled in 1945. Saipan class light carriers (CVL 48-49); Saipan (CVL 48) and the Wright (CVL 49). Then picking up after your Midway large class carriers was the United States heavy carriers. There were fours ships of this class and they were intended to primarily operate nuclear strike aircraft and the lead ship, the United States (CVA 58), was authorized in 1948 but canceled in 1949. Even though she was never completed she served as a design to the Forrestal and large US aircraft carriers. The United States design provided for a flush-deck configuration that could launch two heavy attack aircraft and two fighters from a pair of forward catapults and a pair of waist catapults simultaneously. Your next class was the Forrestal and modified Forrestal classes (CV 59-64), and (CV 66-67). Forrestal (CV 59), Saratoga (CV 60), Ranger (CV 61), Independence (CV 62), Kitty Hawk (CV 63), and the Constellation (CV 64). Modified Forrestal class America (CV 66) and the John F. Kennedy (CV 67). The Forrestal class was the world’s first aircraft carrier design to be constructed from the keel up after World War II. The ships were intended to operate heavy and high-performance turbojet attack aircraft. Four ships originally were to be completed from 1955 -1959. The classification taken from the Independence was that this class of ship was built as an attack aircraft carrier, and then changed to a multi-mission aircraft when modified to operate S-3A Viking ASW aircraft and SH-3 Sea King ASW helicopters. The Forrestal was modified during construction to incorporate the British developed angled flight deck. The hangar deck is 740 feet, 101 wide and 25 feet high. These were the last aircraft carriers built with a minor gun armament. The USS Enterprise (CV 65) was the world’s second nuclear-propelled surface warship, and at the time of construction she was the world’s largest and most expensive. The estimated cost was 444 million dollars. The Enterprise is classified as an attack aircraft carrier and was later changed to a multi-mission carrier. She was built to modify the Kitty Hawk but in her original configuration she had an island structure because of the arrangement of radar antennas. Her hangar deck is 860 feet long, 107 feet wide and 25 feet high. The Enterprise was involved in the Pacific Fleet in 1965 which she conducted air strikes over North Vietnam in November. That made her the first nuclear ship to enter combat. The next class of aircraft carriers is the Nimitz class from (CV 68-77). Nimitz (CV 68), Eisenhower (CV 69), Vinson (CV 70), Roosevelt (CV 71), Lincoln (CV 72), Washington (CV 73), Stennis (CV 74), Truman (CV 75), Reagan (CV 76) and George H. Bush (CV 77). These are the largest warships ever built. A program to construct the first three CVNs of this class was approved by Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara during the Vietnam War as replacements for the three Midway class carriers to provide a force of 12 large carriers. The Nimitz and the Eisenhower were to ordered as attack carriers and then changed to multi-mission aircraft carriers in 1975. These ships are similar to the Kitty Hawk class in regards to the flight deck. The hangar deck is 684 feet long, 108 feet wide and 26  ½ feet high. This class has been in production longer than any other carrier design in history. These were also the first aircraft carrier combatant ships to have women assigned to them. The Eisenhower was the first to deploy with women in 1994 with 367 women aboard for a six-month deployment. All of these ships are still active in the fleet. A future aircraft carrier as of right now is The Gerald R. Ford class is the future aircraft carrier replacement class for USS Enterprise and CVN 68, or Nimitz class aircraft carriers. Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and the John F. Kennedy (CVN 70) was ordered from Newport News Shipbuilding on Sept. 10, 2008, and is scheduled to be delivered in 2015. The Gerald R. Ford class will be the premier forward asset for crisis response and early decisive striking power in a major combat operation. Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carriers and carrier strike groups will provide the core capabilities of forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security and humanitarian assistance. The structure of the future aircraft carriers as of right now is to consist of the Nimitz class flight deck. But the deck has been re-arranged to increase sortie rates and improve weapons movement. In order for this to happen the island has been designed differently and there is to be three instead of four aircraft lifts. Other features include electromagnetic aircraft launching system, new integrated warfare system and an advanced nuclear power plant. The electrical generating capacity is to be at least 2  ½ times that of the Nimitz class to support new fighting technologies such as energy weapons and also to support high communications. With discussing the future carriers many have suggested going away from the highly expensive and vulnerable super carriers toward smaller, light carriers. The new super carrier is going to expensive to maintain with the high sortie technology and electromagnetic aircraft launch system. This is an idea for future aircraft carriers because of budgeting and vulnerability. Aircraft carriers will remain the cornerstone of the United States Navy regardless of their change. Aircraft carriers and their embarked air wings are the most important weapons systems in the Navy. These large ships never operate alone but as core of a carrier battle group that consists of cruisers, destroyers, frigates and submarines, which safeguard the carrier. At its most basic level, an aircraft carrier is simply a ship outfitted with a flight deck and a runway area for launching and landing airplanes. This concept dates back almost as far as airplanes themselves. The new carriers allowed military forces to transport short-range aircrafts all over the world. Today super aircraft carriers are a crucial part of almost all major U.S. military operations. While the ship itself isn’t especially useful as a weapon, the air power it transports can make the difference between victory and defeat. One of the major obstacles of using air power in war is getting the planes to their destination. To maintain an air base in a foreign region, the United States has to make special arrangements with a host country, and then has to abide by that country’s rules, which may change over time. No matter if aircraft carriers change for technology or for budgeting they will remain. They carry a huge punch and presence wherever they go. Their range, power and weaponry create a powerful image to the enemy that cannot be ignored. Without the creation of the aircraft carrier in the United States Navy we would not be the most powerful Naval force in the World today. We have seen over time from the very beginning aircraft carrier, the evolving technology, design and configuration change. But the main purpose for the aircraft carrier is being able to deploy aircrafts at anytime and to maintain the aircrafts. Each aircraft carrier is a self-sustained floating airport that’s sovereign U.S. territory. When deployed, they operate with their own ZIP code, post office, hospital, dental clinic, barbershops, athletic facilities and chapels. More than 18,000 meals are prepared daily and each of the crew has e-mail access. That is why they are seen, as a floating city and it is essential to maintain their protection. The carrier’s mobility allows them to be deployed wherever needed to support ongoing or sudden conflicts. The ships are routinely sent to international waters, and the air wing teams that travel with each carrier are available to perform a variety of missions ranging from surveillance to strikes. So again aircraft carriers will remain an essential value to the United States military. Throughout military history they have played a major role especially since World War I and causing major conflictions on the enemy. So we will continue to enhance our technology to aircraft carriers and the air wings to remain the strongest in the world. We will do so to maintain air superiority and superiority of the United States. Regardless of controversy or budgeting the United States will continue to make aircraft carriers or make modifications to existing aircraft carriers in the fleet. The United States Navy has shown it power and force through aircraft carriers. The ability to execute at anytime or anywhere with it powerful mobilization of aircrafts. But behind the aircraft carrier is the crew who operates it and maintain. Thank you United States Navy! Works Cited Morris, James. Readings in American Military History. Pearson, ISBN-13: 978-0-13-182516-1 Millett, Allan, and Peter Maslowski. For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States. 2nd Edition: Free Press, ISBN-13: 978-0- 02-921597-5. Chambers, John W., and G. Kurt Piehler. Major Problems in American Military History. Houghton Mifflin, ISBN-13: 978-0-669-33538-5. Rampolla, Mary Lynn. A Pocket Guide to Writing in History. 6th Edition. Bedford/ St. Martin’s, ISBN-13: 978-0-312-53503-2. Polmar, Norman. The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet. 6th Edition. United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN: 1-55750-686-8 Clancy, Tom. Carrier A guided tour of an Aircraft Carrier. Berkley publishing group, ISBN: 0-425-16682-1 Sanders, Stephen. Jane’s Fighting Ships 2011-2012. 114th edition. United States Naval Institute, Annapolis Maryland. ISBN: 978-0710629593

Bald Eagles And Golden Eagles Essays - Eagles, Bald Eagle

Bald Eagles And Golden Eagles Essays - Eagles, Bald Eagle Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles Eagle is the common name for a number of diurnal birds of prey, some of which are the largest members of their family which also includes kites, hawks, buzzards, and certain vultures. The name eagle is somewhat loosely applied, as several of the groups are not particularly closely related to one another, and some birds called hawks are larger than some called eagles. The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) and the Golden Eagle (Aquila Chrysaetos) are two eagles that have several of the same characteristics and have several different ones as well. The Bald Eagle is the only eagle species living strictly in North America, and has a presence in every state in the US except Hawaii. Young (immature) Bald Eagles are light gray when hatched, and turn dark brown before leaving the nest at about 12 weeks of age. During their third and fourth years, Bald Eagles have a mottled brown and white color under their wings and on their head, tail and breast. The distinctive white head and tail feathers do not appear until they are 4 to 5 years old. Bald Eagles range from about 29-42 inches long, and can weigh between 7-16 pounds, and have a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet. This makes them one of the largest birds in North America. Bald Eagles residing in the northern US are larger than those that reside in the south. They have a life span of up to 30-40 years in the wild and longer in captivity. Bald Eagles are monogamous and remain faithful to their mate until death. Females lay one to three eggs annually, and the incubation period is approxim! ately 35 days. Only about 50% of Eagles hatched survive the first year. Strong endangered species and environmental protection laws, as well as active private, state and federal conservation efforts have brought back the USA's Bald Eagle population from the edge of extinction. There are now about 4500 nesting pairs and 20,000 total birds in the lower 48 states, and there are over 35,000 Bald Eagles in Alaska. America's Bald Eagles are back in strong numbers today, but they are still a "threatened" species in the lower 48 states. Breeding season last from November to April. Bald eagles mate for life and use the same nest each year. They build a huge nest (aerie) of sticks and twigs in a tree, or on rocky cliffs and average in size of 2 feet deep and 5 feet across. The nest takes weeks to construct and is increased yearly. Eventually some nests reach sizes of more than 10 feet wide and can weigh several tons. Bald Eagles feed primarily on fish, but also eat small animals (ducks,! coots, muskrats, turtles, rabbits, snakes, etc.) and occasional carrion (dead animals). Eagles swoop down to seize fish in their talons and carry it off, but can only lift about half of their weight. Bald Eagles can even swim to shore with a heavy fish using their strong wings as paddles. However, it is also possible that they can drown if the fish weighs too much. The Golden Eagle is a large brown and golden colored eagle that can be found in a variety of habitats in the western North America region including mountainous areas, canyons, shrub-land and grasslands. The Golden Eagle can also be found in Europe, Asia and northern Africa. The breeding range in North America includes north central Mexico, the western United States as far east as the Dakotas, Kansas and Texas, also Alaska, and across northern Canada. This bird of prey can weigh up to 15 pounds and can have a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet and a length of 30-40 inches. Females are often more noticeably larger than males as is true with most birds of prey. Young (immature) Eagles have a patch of white on the tail, and the adult tail is gray and brown. The Golden Eagle also builds large their nest out of sticks and twigs in a tree or on a cliff. The female lays 1-4 eggs (usually 2) and often does most of the incubation. The males provide most of the food while the females feed and tend! the

5 Causes of the Death of a Tree

5 Causes of the Death of a Tree Trees have an extraordinary ability to withstand many damaging agents that are ever-present in their environment. Trees have evolved over millions of years to ward off many stressors that bite and burn and starve and rot their roots, trunk, limbs, and leaves. It is amazing how a tree compartmentalizes itself to seal off dead wood and disease, defoliates to reduce the effect of drought and bleeds to extract harmful insects. We know that all trees do eventually die. There are many hundreds of seedlings and saplings that succumb for every mature tree left in the forest. All ages of trees eventually die to the same agents and only the most adaptive (and often lucky) individuals make it to old age. There are 5 factors to which a tree eventually succumbs: death from its environment, death from harmful insects and diseases, death from a catastrophic event, death from age-related collapse (starvation) and of course, death from harvest. In most cases, death is the result of several, if not all of these conditions taking place simultaneously. Lets take a look at each of these. Adverse Environment Ground and site conditions on which a tree lives ultimately determines the environmental stressors placed on that tree. If a drought-sensitive tree lives on a dry site during drought conditions, it may indeed die from lack of water. But that same tree can also be more susceptible to every other life-threatening factor placed upon it. For example, a disease that appears to be killing the tree may in effect be only a secondary issue to the initial environmental problem. Examples of adverse environments to trees are poorly draining soils, salty soils, droughty soils, air and ground pollution, extreme sun heating or cold spots and many, many others. It is particularly important to understand a tree species genetic tolerance to environmental conditions when planting. Many trees adapt very well to poor sites, but you need to understand which species fits where. Harmful Insects and Disease Virulent diseases like Dutch elm disease and the chestnut blight have caused sudden death to entire forests in North America. However, the most common diseases are more subtle in their work, killing many more trees in total than virulent types and cost forest and yard tree owners billions of dollars in forest product and specimen tree value. These common diseases include three bad ones: Armillaria root rot, oak wilt, and anthracnose. These pathogens invade the tree through leaves, roots and bark wounds and damage a trees vascular system if not prevented or treated. In natural forests, prevention is the only economic option available and is a significant part of a foresters silvicultural management plan. Harmful insects are opportunistic and often invade trees under stress from environmental problems or disease. They not only can directly cause tree death but will spread harmful disease fungi from a host tree to surrounding trees. Insects can attack a trees cambial layer by boring for food and nesting cavities, or they can defoliate a tree to the point of death. Bad insects include pine beetles, the gypsy moth, and emerald ash borers. Catastrophic Events A catastrophic event is always possible in a vast forest as well as in an urban setting. All property, including trees, are subject to being damaged or destroyed. In many cases, trees are not killed but are damaged to the point where their vigor is lost, and insects and disease take advantage of a trees loss of resistance. Significant tree losses can occur during a forest fire or when exposed to tornado-strength winds. Trees take a terrible hit when heavy ice is deposited on species sensitive to limb weight which results in breakage. Floods that do not recede quickly can cause root oxygen levels to diminish to the point where tree damage can occur. Extraordinary drought makes quick work of moisture-loving tree species and can harm all trees when extended over a long period. Old Age For trees who beat the odds and live through maturity to old age, there is a slow dying process that may take centuries to complete (in long-lived species). The modular tree compartmentalizes around damage and infected areas and continues to grow. Still, growth starts slowing after a tree matures, the ability of the plant to support itself diminishes and incurs the loss of adequate foliage for hydration and food. New immature branches, called epicormic sprouts, try to assist in maintaining an old trees vigor but are weak and are insufficient to sustain life for very long. A mature tree slowly collapses under its weight and crumbles to become the nutrients and topsoil for future trees. Timber Harvests Well remind you that trees do die to the ax. Trees via their wood have supported humankind and civilization for millennia and continue to be a necessary part of the human condition. The practice of forestry through professional foresters work continually with much success to provide a sustained flow of available wood volume and at the same time, ensure a surplus of trees. Some consider deforestation a growing global crisis.

Plato's Allegory of the Cave Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Plato's Allegory of the Cave - Essay Example He expresses a point unknown and less considered by many, that a philosopher could be zero in knowledge. Through the puzzle, the victim of such circumstances only discovers of such truths after a long time. Exposure, which happens to be less in the profession, uncovers such truths hence making it a puzzle that majority of the philosophers are ignorant and hide behind the veil of ignorance. The claim that Socrates makes to be the wisest of all and later declares his ignorance as every other philosopher therefore makes the riddle. Socrates happens to come out as one of the wisest philosophers. By denouncing the level at which philosophers are placed in the society, he tried to connect with what is considered as the real world. He comes out as one who is certain of the shortcomings in his world that other philosophers have not discovered. By saying ‘I know that I do not know’, he comes out as a wise philosopher who knows he does not know everything. He brings out an aspect of acceptance that one can never be self-sufficient. Regardless of how much one is perceived by others to be sufficient, a gap in everybody can only be discovered through exposure. This is the opposite of what the world thinks of philosophers. It is also the opposite of what philosophers think of themselves. To many of them, their small professional world gives them confidence as all knowing. Majority do not acknowledge their struggles as part of a problem emanating from ignorance. To them, the struggles are just part of the process. Allegory of the Cave is a dialogue between Plato’s teacher, Socrates and Plato’s brother. Socrates, who is the main narrator, brings out a dark, congested world inhabited by people in a particular class of wisdom. In that small world symbolized by a cave, there is commonality of knowledge since all are pinned to the same wall. They face the same issues and none of them feels free to explore the outside world even when freedom is declared. The Allegory is given in a setting of a prison where prisoners are put in an underground cave. The cave receives limited light that makes it hard for each one of them to see anything that happens behind them. All they know are their own shadows and those of people passing behind them. Their manner of communication and the things they talk to each other relates to what they share in common. Their discussions are tied around what is common to them and any attempt to release them will not be easy for them. Select one incident from Plato’s Allegory of the Cave that best serves to illustrate the meaning of this statement. According to the allegory, the prisoner disabused of his error and liberation to walk around represents Socrates. Due to the conditions he has been in before, the prisoner is likely to suffer so many things. Part of the problems will be facing the light that has been rare in the former state. Any exposure to the light will be so disturbing but a positive step tow ards discovering the reality outside the prison. The exposure will be the start of getting wisdom as he tries to define different things around him. For example in the Allegory, giving seasons and the years will be a demonstration of newly found wisdom that never existed in the former state. The incident brings out a realization of the real world where fantasies do not apply. Facing realities makes one realize how much they do not know even after being higher in knowledge as per fellow people. To Socrates, getting