Information and Communication Technologies Essay -- Technology, Digita

NOTHING STAYS THE SAME Change is a constant feature of contemporary society, and much of it seems to be instigated by the rapid and continuing development and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). This is certainly true as far as the information professions are concerned, as ICTs modify how information is collected, processed, communicated, stored, retrieved and even interpreted, effectively creating different understandings of three of constituent elements of information work : the containers of information (documents); the means by which they can be communicated; and the tools which are used to manage them. One of the more significant recent technological developments is that of digital libraries (DLs), which have provided LIS educators with the opportunity to reconceptualise and retheorise their academic zone as well as assisting in rejuvenating and enhancing professional practice. What are DLs – and how are they different from traditional libraries or, indeed, ‘digital repositories’, ‘digital curation’ and ‘digital archives’? It is agreed that the term ‘digital library’ remains unclear and contested and still has a variety of potential meanings which range from ‘database’ to ‘a digitised collection of material’ similar to that which one might find in a traditional library. The definition most frequently quoted and used is that developed by the Digital Library Federation (DLF): Digital libraries are organizations that provide the resources, including the specialized staff, to select, structure, offer intellectual access to, interpret, distribute, preserve the integrity of, and ensure the persistence over time of collections of digital works so that they are readily and economically avai... ...ple are able to find information and use it. The social implications of a world in which information is distributed almost without institutions are not understood. What does this mean for universities, for education, for publishers? (Lesk, 1997, p. 5). There is little doubt that the general public now have access to a great deal more information (from the internet, in particular) than has ever before been possible – so much so, that many think that information was invented by the internet. Whether people always find what they want, whether the information they find is of the best quality, whether they understand the information they retrieve and what they do with the information once they have located it, are all questions that remain largely unanswered, along with Lesk’s important question which he asked over a decade ago, but which will be considered here.

The Dangers of Cell Phone Use While Driving

In today’s society, most people communicate using of cell phones. Just 15 to 20 years ago, cell phones were a rarity for the average person. The average income person could not afford a cell phone. Today, cell phones are affordable and the majority of people own them. The days of waiting until you are home to use a telephone or searching for a pay phone if you are out are long gone. In fact, pay phones are being removed, which increases the need for a cell phone. The government will provide a cell phone with limited monthly service for those that are low income and meet certain criteria. The cell phone has also created people to feel the need to be accessible to constant communication. The major problem lies with cell phone use while driving, which presents a constant danger on the road. In many instances, it is a deadly danger. Based on my experience and experiences of those I know, I believe that law should ban all cell phone use. Laws have passed recently restricting the use to a hands free device while driving. I feel this is a good move in the right direction however; a hands free device can be equally as distraction. Some claim the distraction is no different from changing a radio station or taking a sip of your beverage. I do not believe this claim to be true. I cannot count the number of times I have witnessed a driver using their cell phone, not giving their full attention to the traffic. I have witnessed drivers pull out directly in front of on coming vehicles barely avoiding an accident. My adult children are prime examples of this practice. I have been a passenger with them while they take a call or look at a text message. During the conversation or glancing at the text message; they have crossed the centerline, weaved over onto the shoulder of the road, and swerved within their lane. I fear for their safety, others safety, and my own. Many feel the use of a hands free device is safer. In many ways, it is safer but still is a major distraction. A friend of my son was in a deadly accident while using his hands free device. He was riding his motorcycle and having a conversation on his â€Å"Bluetooth†. He was speaking to a friend and told them he was going to pass a trash truck. He was traveling on a single lane roadway. While passing at a high rate of speed he lost control. The friend heard what was happening. The young man was thrown over the front of the motorcycle landing on his head. His neck was broken. He was paralyzed from the head down and was only able to mouth words as his larynx was paralyzed. He was mouthing the words, â€Å"let me go†. After a year, his parents made the agonizing decision to remove him from the ventilator. He died shortly after at the young age of 22. I cannot help but wonder had he not been talking on the phone would he have made a better decision about passing the trash truck. Most people feel these horrors cannot happen to them. Driving any vehicle requires full attention. I believe that using a cell phone can be as impairing as driving while under the influence of alcohol. Many laws have passed in Maryland and nationwide concerning the issue. I feel the laws are necessary and should go a stop further with a full ban. A full ban would save many lives across the state and the nation.

Practice And Implementation Of The Hydro Deoxygenation...

Practice and Implementation Existing and future practices The current main goal of this particular catalyst is to aid a process that will produce fully sustainable biofuels that will be used in conventional engines. Usually, different processes will require different catalysts to aid the reactions that take place in the particular process. This means that this particular nanometal catalyst might only be useful in the hydro-deoxygenation process. The only way to determine that this particular catalyst can aid another process is by laboratory testing and simulation software. However, nanometal catalysts are really promising and will definitely play a significant role in the future of industrial processes. A potential future use of this particular nanometal catalyst could lie in recycling plastics. Plastics are polymers that mostly contain carbon as well as other compounds linked to it.[3] This nanometal catalyst aids the breaking of the carbon-oxygen bond which could possibly be useful for recycling purposes. [8] In general, nanometal particles already have numerous applications. One of the most important ones is in medicine. They can be used to deliver drugs to specific regions of the human body (mostly used for tumors), they can act as antioxidants or even treat people with chronic bacterial diseases.[9] An additional use of nanometal particles, is in electronics as they are being used to produce low-cost electrodes for fuel cells and are used as a coating to the anodes of

U.S. Teen Pregnancy and Abortion Rates

Preventing teen pregnancy—and abortion—is one of those perennial hot-button issues in the news. Not all that long ago, as many as 3/4 of a million teenage girls were getting pregnant every year. However, according to Pew Research Center analysis of new data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics branch of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the teen birth rate in the United States is at a record low, dropping below 18 births per 1,000 girls and women ages 15 to 19 for the first time since the government began regularly collecting data on this group. The CDCs figures show a 7% decline between 2017 and 2018  alone. Teen Pregnancy, Births, and Abortion by the Numbers The Guttmacher Institute, a recognized leader on matters relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights has been collecting, collating, analyzing, and disseminating high-quality research on these subjects since 1968. Their 2017 report, Pregnancies, Births, and Abortions among Adolescents and Young Women in the United States, 2013: National and State Trends by Age, Race, and Ethnicity includes data on teen pregnancy and abortion in the United States broken down into a variety of topics. According to the report, In 2013, 456,000 women younger than 20 became pregnant in the United States. Of those pregnancies, 448,000 were among teens between the ages of 15 and 19; 7,400 were among those aged 14 and younger. Additional findings from the report follow below. It should be noted that teen pregnancy rates differ from teen birth rates in that pregnancy rates include live births, abortions, miscarriages, and stillbirths. Teen Pregnancy Birth Rate Numbers The pregnancy rate among 15- to 19-year-olds was 43 per 1,000 women, meaning that fewer than 5% of 15- to 19-year-olds became pregnant in 2013.While 18- to 19-year-olds made up 41% of all women aged 15 to 19 in 2013, they accounted for 72% of all pregnancies in this age group. The pregnancy rate among 18- to 19-year-olds was 76 per 1,000 women, while the rate among 15- to 17-year-olds was 21; the rate was 4 per 1,000 among those aged 14 or younger.In 2013, the U.S. pregnancy rate among 15- to 19-year-olds fell to its lowest point in at least 80 years. It dropped to just above one-third of a recent peak rate in 1990 (118 per 1,000 women). Between 2008 and 2013, the rate dropped 36% (from 68 to 43).Trends in the pregnancy rate among those aged 14 or younger, 15 to 17, and 18 to 19 generally mirror the pattern of decline among 15- to 19-year-olds. Rates for all four age-groups are at their lowest levels since reaching a peak during the early 1990s.The pregnancy rate among sexually exper ienced 15- to 19-year-olds (i.e., anyone who has engaged in intercourse) in 2013 was 101 per 1,000 women. This is more than twice the pregnancy rate among all 15- to 19-year-olds, a substantial proportion of whom have never had sex. The rate among the sexually experienced was less than half of the 1990 rate of 225.The birthrate among 15- to 19-year-olds in 2013 was 26 per 1,000 women—less than half of the 1991 rate (62). Falling Teenage Abortion Rates Abortion rates for teens peaked in 1988 at 43.5 per thousand. In 2008 the teen abortion rate was 17.8 abortions per 1,000 women. Compared with the 2008 rate, that represents a decline of 59%. Although teen birth and abortion rates have been on a steady decline for more than two decades, in 2006 there was a short-lived increase in both the teenage birth and abortion rate, but both rates resumed their decline according to 2008 figures. The proportion of teen pregnancies that end in abortion (known as the abortion ratio) declined by a third from 1986 to 2008, from 46% to 31%. By 2013, the abortion rate among 15- to 19-year-olds was 11 per 1,000 women, the lowest rates since abortion was legalized and only 24% of the peak rate in 1988. In 2013, the abortion ratio among 15- to 19-year-olds was 29% (as compared to 46% in 1985). This ratio differed by age-group: 52% among women aged 14 and younger; 31% among 15- to 17-year-olds; and 28% among 18- to 19-year-olds. Rate of Sexually Active Teens in the U.S. According to Guttmacher Institute data, sexually experienced teens report engaging in a variety of activities, not all of which may result in pregnancy. Between 2015 and 2017, 40% of adolescents aged 15 to 19 reported having engaged in heterosexual intercourse that could result in pregnancy, with 75% of females and 48% of males saying that their first experience of sexual intercourse was with a steady partner. While the total number of teens in that age group whove had sexual intercourse has remained steady in recent years, between 2013 and 2017 there was a downward trend in the proportion of high school students who engaged in sexual intercourse from 47% to 40%. Meanwhile, the proportion of teens who engage in sexual intercourse increases rapidly as they age through adolescence. In 2013, about one in five 15-year-olds and two-thirds of 18-year-olds reported having had sex at least once. Sources Livingston, Gretchen; Thomas, Deja. Why is the teen birth rate falling? FactTank: News in the Numbers. Pew Research Center. August 2, 2019.Martin, Joyce A., M.P.H.; Hamilton, Brady E., Ph.D.; Osterman, Michelle J.K., M.H.S. Births in the United States, 2018. NCHS Data Brief †¢ No. 346. July 2019Kost, Katherine; Maddow-Zimet, Isaac; Arpaia A.  Pregnancies, Births and Abortions among Adolescents and Young Women in the United States, 2013: National and State Trends by Age, Race, and Ethnicity. New York: Guttmacher Institute, 2017.Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in the United States. September 2019 Fact Sheet. Guttmacher Institute.

Adaptive vs Rational Expectations - 1453 Words

Differentiate between Rational and Adaptive Expectations and clearly explain their role in focusing on future macro-economic variables 1. Rational Expectations The theory of rational expectations was first proposed by John F. Muth of Indiana University in the early 1960s. He used the term to describe the many economic situations in which the outcome depends partly on what people expect to happen. Rational expectations theory is an assumption in a model that the agent under study uses a forecasting mechanism that is as good as is possible given the stochastic (random) processes and information available to the agent. Rational expectations is thus a theory used to model the determination of expectations of future events by economic agents†¦show more content†¦This current expected inflation reflects a weighted average of all past inflation, where the weights get smaller and smaller as we move further in the past. III. Role of Rational and Adaptive Expectations in focusing on future macro economic variables. Economist today use the adaptive expectations model but then complement it with ideas based on the rational expectations to understand a variety of situations in which specialisation about the future is a crucial factor in determining current action. This theory is a building block for the â€Å"random walk† or â€Å"efficient markets† and design of economic stabilization policies among others. †¢ The Efficient Markets Theory of Stock Prices A sequence of observations on a variable (such as daily stock prices) is said to follow a random walk if the current value gives the best possible prediction of future values. When properly adjusted for discounting and dividends, stock price changes follow a random walk. In their efforts to forecast such prices, investors comb all sources of information including patterns that they can spot in past price movements. 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Leonard Brooks and Michael Grubb Debate - myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Write about theLeonard Brooks and Michael Grubb Debate. Answer: Central Issue in The Communication This debate focuses to expose the analysis on how everyone should agree to accept on maximization of the economic output as a goal and also minimization of environmental damage. This would also include maximization of the output subject to there being improvements at a given rate in defined environment parameters. The debate also focuses on the importance of microeconomics, macroeconomics towards showing energy price-elasticity, greenhouse warming, energy efficiency and economic productivity. Particularly energy efficiency solutions to the green house problem. Grubb offers no hard evidence or analysis to justify his dismissal of macroeconomics evidence or macroeconomic analysis as invalid in the context is also a central point to this debate. The Main Similarities in The Arguments Between Grubb and Brooks Economist Both economist argue that all the economic incentives are towards maximizing marginal productivity of labor and capital as factors of production which are equivalent to the total economic output. Both economist agrees that if consumers are to make right decisions when faced with the energy constraints then it is very important for them to be informed in advances because inadequate knowledge to them acts as a source of energy inefficiency. The Difference in The Argument Between Both Economists Brooks urges that their exist a good correlation between personal disposable income and residential energy expenditure in a way the domestic consumers show ingenuity in finding new forms of energy expenditure when the existing cost fall or income rise while Grubbs urges that correlation is disapproved by the fact that less privileges people spend a larger proportion of income on energy than rich people do. Brooks urge that there is always a time series regression of total residential expenditure on energy upon total UK disposable income, which models effectively the average UK citizen s pattern behavior over time while Grub is countering with a cross section, which would show behavior changes across socioeconomic cohorts at a single point in time. Grubb argues that energy supply/price is not the constraint on economic activity while Brook is against the idea. My Understanding of This Intellectual Debate I think it is obvious that energy efficiency will improve faster under high prices irrespective of the consumers desirability because it really makes economic sense for energy prices to reflect external environments. Some of the fallacies discussed do not meet the consumer satisfaction at all levels of consumption of energy and conserve conducive environment at the same time. Such include fallacy of aggression. References Brooks, L., 1990. The greenhouse effect: the fallacies in the energy efficiency solution, Energy Policy Vol.18, Issue 2 (March), pp.199-201. Brooks, L., 1992. Energy efficiency and economic fallacies a reply, Energy Policy Vol.20, Issue 5 (May), pp.390-392. Grubb, M., 1990. Energy efficiency and economic fallacies, Energy Policy Vol.18, Issue 8 (October), pp.783-785. Grubb, M., 1992. Reply to Brooks, Energy Policy Vol.20, Issue 5 (May), pp.392-393.?Brooks, L., 1993. Energy efficiency fallacies: the debate concluded, Energy Policy Vol.21, Issue 4

Silent Killer Essay Example

Silent Killer Essay According to the Bible, â€Å"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.†(Matthew 6:21). Indeed, the role of the heart in the body is as valuable as a treasure. As one important muscle in our body, it has a very vital function in our human body. This muscle pumps blood in our body, so that blood could distribute oxygen to other parts of our body. Oxygen is needed in order for our organs to function properly. However, when the blood pressing on the inside of our arteries (blood vessels) is higher than normal, a person will have high blood pressure. In this case, high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, may damage our arteries. This will make a person more likely to have a stroke, heart attack, kidney problems, or heart disease. High blood pressure can cause serious health problems even if you do not feel sick. This is why hypertension is often called the silent killer because you may not have symptoms. To know the physiological origins of high blood pressure, we should discuss the normal functions of the heart first. Normally, the pumping of the heart creates a rhythmic pulsing of blood along and against the walls of the blood vessels, which are flexible enough to dilate or contract and thus keep the pressure constant. Most physicians consider the blood pressure of a healthy adult to be   near 120/80—i.e., equivalent to the pressure exerted by a column of mercury 120 mm high during contraction of the heart (systole) and 80 mm high during relaxation (diastole). However, for a variety of reasons, the blood vessels could lose their flexibility, or the muscles surrounding them may force them to contract. As a result, the heart must pump more forcefully to move the same amount of blood through the narrowed vessels into the capillaries, thereby increasing the blood pressure. Over time, this higher pressure, or hypertension, can damage the arterioles (the small terminal twigs of an artery that end in capillaries) in such organs as the liver, kidney, or brain and can also weaken the overworked heart. The increased risk of death from congestive heart failure, kidney failure, or stroke is the chief danger of hypertension (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2006). We will write a custom essay sample on Silent Killer specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Silent Killer specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Silent Killer specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer High blood pressure occurs when the systolic number is higher than 140 or when the diastolic number is higher than 90. Only one of these numbers needs to be high to have high blood pressure. For example: 118/98, the systolic number (118) is normal, but the diastolic number (98) is high. For the blood pressure of 180/70, the systolic number (180) is high, but the diastolic number (70) is not. A good systolic number is less than 120. For some people, a number between 90 and 100 is normal. A good diastolic number is usually lower than 80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). There are three types of high blood pressure: 1.) Prehypertension A blood pressure that is very close to the numbers for hypertension is called prehypertension. A systolic pressure between 120 and 139 or a diastolic pressure between 80 and 89 is considered prehypertensive. Having prehypertension makes a person more likely to develop an even higher blood pressure in the future. If one is prehypertensive, the doctor may suggest lifestyle changes. If one has kidney disease or diabetes, the person may need medicine to treat   prehypertension. 2.) Primary hypertension: Also known as essential or idiopathic hypertension. This is the most common type of hypertension and occurs in about 90% of people. The cause of primary hypertension is not known. 3.) Secondary hypertension: Is usually caused by a medical condition or a medicine. Some examples include: Kidney disease, Sleep apnea (when breathing stops for short periods during sleep), and Stress (AltCareDex Medicine Modality, August 2006). With all these information about hypertension, we realize that the function of the heart is more than a remarkable pump affects our entire body. If the flow of blood to or through the heart or to the rest of the body is reduced, or if a disturbance occurs in the small bundle of highly specialized cells in the heart that generate electrical impulses to control heartbeats, the result may at first be too subtle to notice. However, without diagnosis and treatment, these changes could develop into a life-threatening problem. To top it all, hypertension could lead a person to have a heart attack. What happens in a heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI), is that the blood supply to the heart muscle, or myocardium, is severely reduced or stopped, as when a blood clot becomes lodged in a coronary artery. Deprived of its blood supply, the area of heart muscle served by the blocked artery weakens and dies. The affected area is called an infarct, hence the term â€Å"myocardial infarction.† A heart attack is also called coronary thrombosis (referring to a clot) or coronary occlusion, meaning an obstruction. A heart attack can also be the result of an unexplained temporary spasm of a coronary artery (Physicians Desk Reference, 23 June 2003). This brings us to what are the main causes of heart disease – the risk factors are often related to lifestyle—smoking, physical inactivity, a high-fat diet, raised blood pressure—account for at least three in every four new cases of cardiovascular disease (Edwards, 2001). With the threats of heart disease, the best way to protect your heart is by making positive changes in your lifestyle, such as not smoking, exercising, controlling your weight, and limiting fat in your diet (Lenfant, 23 August 2000). Risk factors may be controllable or uncontrollable: 1.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Genetics African Americans are at higher risk for high blood pressure than are whites and if you have people with high blood pressure in your family, your risk of developing it is higher. But the high blood pressure that plagues African Americans is no longer thought to be only the product of genetics. Lifestyle differences, environment and poorer access to quality health care are also factors. 2.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aging   Our risk for high blood pressure tends to rise as we age. It generally begins in people between the ages of 35 and 50, and occurs in over 50 percent of people over the age of 65. 3.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Weight Carrying too much weight around is not only physically and emotionally difficultit can be life threatening. Being overweight is a major risk factor in developing high blood pressure. 4.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Smoking A significant rise in blood pressure goes with the smoking of each cigarette. 5.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inactive lifestyle Not participating in any form of regular exercise can increase your risk for high blood pressure. 6.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nutrition A diet high in fat increases your risk for high blood pressure. 7.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Salt Eating salt drives up blood pressure, and African Americans tend to be more sensitive to sodium than whites. 8.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stress Emotional stress, including the stress brought on by acts of racial prejudice, encourages high blood pressure. 9.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Alcohol Excessive alcohol intake is an important risk factor for high blood pressure (Black Enterprise, May 2001). As we now know how important the heart is to our body, we should take steps in taking care of it by improving our lifestyles and prevent the risk factors associated with high blood pressure. As it is a muscle, we need to keep our hearts healthy by having a regular exercise and proper diets. We should not wear our hearts under our sleeves and we should start lifestyle changes in fighting heart disease. Prevention is always a better alternative than any drugs or surgical procedures known to man.