Justifying Vietnam Essay Example for Free

Justifying Vietnam Essay In chapters 3 and 4 of Robert McMahon’s Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War, there are a number of reasons given for the increased American involvement in Vietnam from the late 1940s to the mid 1950s. McMahon includes several documents in these chapters that point to three main reasons used to justify our role in Vietnam. One underlying reason for the early American presence in Vietnam is given in chapter 3, where in McMahon’s first essay Cold War Strategy and U.   S. Intervention he states that, â€Å"†¦the initial U. S. commitment to provide military assistance to the French in the context of broader American Cold War priorities† (McMahon 58). I think this means that we were justified in starting a limited war with the Vietnamese to prevent a war with a superpower such as China or Russia. The Truman administration was â€Å"convinced that Moscow and Beijing had become even more dangerously opportunistic foes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (McMahon 67). Vietnam was uniquely placed not far from these Communist countries and with our presence there we could strategically have a military presence closer to that of China and Russia than the United States is. In the Statement of U. S. Policy Toward Indochina, the State Department reviewed that, â€Å"This hatred of the Vietnamese people toward the French is keeping alive anti-western feeling among oriental peoples, to the advantage of the USSR and the detriment of the US† (McMahon 51). Our geographical position in Vietnam and subsequent relationships forged during the Vietnam War with Southeast Asian countries was a major contribution to our victory in the Cold War. The second reason justifying US presence stems from Vietnam’s weak position to fight off potential invading countries. The State Department concluded, â€Å"The countries and areas of Southeast Asia are not at present in a position to form a regional organization for self-defense nor are they capable of defending themselves against military aggressive, without the aid of the great powers† (McMahon 54). The United States had proven its military supremacy in World War II on a global scale. We had won the war and become a superpower overnight. The US was the first country to develop operational nuclear weapons and the only country to have demonstrated their use in war. We soon became the center of helping rebuild the destroyed countries by being a source of funding. All these contributed to the world power position of the United States, and now we were in a position to help countries in need. With that being said, â€Å"The State of Vietnam had a small army of 150,000 led by an inexperienced officer corps that†¦had never been allowed to have any command or staff authority. Industry had been virtually nonexistent†¦and the agricultural base of rice and rubber†¦had been wrecked by explosive landlords who had impoverished much of the peasantry† (McMahon 99). Since Vietnam was not in a state to fight without help, the United States offered our support. The third and most talked about reason discussed in the chapters is our attempt to prevent Communism spreading anywhere else. To start, document 4 conclusions state, â€Å"The whole of Southeast Asia is in danger of falling under Communist domination† (McMahon 54). It had become clear in 1954 that the French were failing to re-colonize Vietnam and without control, it would fall to Communism. The State Department concluded, â€Å"It is important to the United States security interests that all practical measures be taken to prevent further communist expansion of Southeast Asia. Indochina is a key area of Southeast Asia and is under immediate threat† (McMahon 56). In chapter 4, we learn of the domino theory as President Eisenhower explained it in 1954 and this became the most public reason shown in the media for our presence in Vietnam. It describes the fragility of Communism growing throughout the world, especially in Southeast Asia. The analogy explains dominoes set up next to each other and if one falls, the rest will quickly fall as well. This was the position of the United States that if Vietnam fell to Communism, the rest of Southeast Asia and other countries would soon follow including Burma, Thailand, the Peninsula, and Indonesia. In conclusion, the support to enhance our presence in Vietnam was one that was greatly supported in the beginning. The American people at home were afraid of Communism spreading throughout the world which would cause a bigger threat to a domestic attack. In light of the Cold War, Communism was something we were afraid of, and we did what we thought would be an intuitive move to thwart bigger ones from the USSR or China. Since we were in a position to help Vietnam, this was justification for American involvement.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Article Review Essay Example for Free

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Article Review Essay The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was a daring attempt to legislate morality with the intentions of restoring integrity with the public in financial markets. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is a direct result from corporate scandals like WorldCom, Enron, Adelphia, and Tyco, which succeeded in the collapse of these major corporation and ruined people’s lives. The mistreatment of employees and investors by flagrantly unethical business practices cost some their life savings and retirement portfolios while others went to jail because they were part of the scandals. The provision regarding ethics in business contained within the Sarbanes-Oxley Act help to ensure and deter unethical business practices. There are two particular provisions that have a big effect on organizations on their ethical decision making. The first is the requirement corporations must create a code of ethics for senior financial officers that include enforcement mechanisms and the regular rotation of outside auditors. There are other requirements such as Section 303 â€Å"improper influence on conduct of audits,† Section 306 â€Å"insider trades during pension fund blackout periods,† and Section 307 which state â€Å"rules of responsibility for attorneys,† (Orin, 2008) but the first two mentions have the power collectively to regulate corporations internally and externally. The Code of Ethics is a schematic for each corporation for governance within the organization to regulate and set acceptable standards for directors, officers, accountants, and employees. The mandatory rotation of auditors ensures the organization has a truly independent audit that allows auditors to question and criticize business practices of the corporation experiencing the audit. The SOX should have went one step farther by mandating audit –firm rotation rather than just rotation of the lead person doing the audit, which would ensure complete independence of the audits. The rotation will ensure if one auditor misses unethical practices or is part of it will be discovered and discontinue with the rotation. The out-of-pocket expense for compliance has many critics who say this is an unfair burden on corporations; however have made significant strides against unethical business practices. The criminal penalties for which the act provides includes fines, imprisonment, loss of exchange listing, and loss of DO insurance depending on which section of the SOX the corporation is out of compliance with. The CFO or CEO who unknowingly submits a wrong certificate could be fined up to one million and up to 10 years of prison, if knowingly then he or she could be subject up to five million and up to 20 years imprisonment. â€Å"The ultimate incentive, which may prove to be the sine qua non, is that a failure to do so could expose them to the disastrous possibility of being deemed to have embraced these historical problems and to become accountable for them as their own† (Orin, 2008). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was drafted by Representative Michael Oxley and Senator Paul Sarbanes, which was intended to protect investors by ensuring/improving the reliability and accuracy of corporation’s disclosures of corporate financial performances. The SOX ensures that executives are held accountable for all financial issue even if unknown, forcing them to become more involved and monitor the accuracy of what is being reported to be true and accurate. References Orin, R. M. (2008). Ethical Guidance and Constraint Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Journal Of Accounting, Auditing Finance, 23(1), 141-171. SOX-Online, (2012). Sarbanes-Oxley essential information. Retrieved from http://www. sox-online. com/basics. html

Elderly Sexual Activity And Health Health And Social Care Essay

Elderly Sexual Activity And Health Health And Social Care Essay As Lindau et al. (2003) point out, sexuality involves the forming of a partnership and pertains to the behaviors, attitudes, function and activity of sexually active individuals. Sexual activity has been associated with health (Addis, Van Den Eeden and Wassel-Fyr, 2006; Laumann, Nicolosi and Glasser, 2005), and ailment and disease might significantly impair sexual health (Schover, 2000). Elderly people are recipients of a wide array of devices and medications which aim at treating problems of a sexual nature. While the demand for services and medication pertaining to sexual health is increasing, nevertheless not much is known about the sexual behavior of adults over 65 years of age. In the developed countries, the chronological age of 65 years old is largely accepted as a cut-off point for classification of a person as older or elderly. While common definitions of the third age such as this are indeed practically utilized, there exists no general consensus as to the point in time when one actually becomes old. Usually, the time in life when one becomes eligible for a pension is adopted as indicative of old age. The United Nations do not use a standardized criterion, but nevertheless agrees to 60+ years as referring to the elderly (WHO, 2010). A definition of ageing is provided by Gorman (2000): ageing is a highly predetermined biological process which eludes human control. At the same time, ageing is defined in a constructivist world, where different societies assign different meanings to old age. Chronological age is seen as most important in developed countries. The age between 60 and 65 is taken to signify the onset of old age. By contrast, in many developing countries, age by years bears little relationship to the definition of old age. In such countries, the meaning of old age may depend instead on the roles that are been assigned to older people, or even on the loss of previously-held roles, which may come as a result of natural physical decline. In sum, while the developed world defines old age in a manner highly chronological, the same is often not true for developing countries, where people start to be perceived as elderly when their active role involvement is no longer possible (Gorman, 2000). According to a definition by the World Health Organization (2001), sexuality is a natural part of human development through every phase of life and includes physical, psychological, and social components (p. 13). Another definition of sexuality provided by Rheaume and Mitty (2008) states that sexuality is a core dimension of life that incorporates notions, beliefs, facts, fantasies, rituals, attitudes, values, and rights with regard to gender identity and role, sexual acts and orientation, and aspects of pleasure, intimacy, and reproduction and involves biological, psychological, social, economic, religious, spiritual and cultural components (p. 342). Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO, 2001, p. 8). In turn, sexual health implies a positive approach to human sexuality and is therefore an essential component of reproductive health. It includes the integration of somatic, emotional, intellectual, and social aspects of an individual in ways which positively enrich and enhance personality, communication, love and human relationships (p. 13). Sexual health, not unlike physical health, is viewed as a state of well-being where there is an expectation of pleasurable experiences without the intrusion of negative feelings such as shame, fear, pressure or violence. In keeping with this definition, Calamidas (1997) suggests that home or assisted-living nurses can play a crucial role in the quality of elderly peoples life through helping them attain and preserve a positive outlook toward the expression of their individual sexuality. Historically, a large proportion of todays elderly people grew up and lived during a time when social norms were both conservative and gender-biased. Broadly speaking, sexual intercourse was considered as a pleasurable experience primarily for the men while women were thereby expected to sexually satisfy their husbands and to make babies (Hajjar and Kamel, 2003). People that today are over 70 years old may have actually missed the sexual revolution of the 1960s in the context and social conditions under which it took place, since they were already married and engrossed in their work and family life. This interesting analysis by Hajjar and Kamel (2003) proceeds to argue that the challenges to intimacy and sexuality faced by that age group may be partly due to the adoption of a rather conservative set of values and beliefs about sexuality, a limited availability and access to knowledge on sexuality, and a lack of feeling comfortable with their sexuality. Rheaume and Mitty (2008) suggest that nowadays the traditional stereotypes regarding ageing, intimacy and sexuality are being reexamined; that is, the point of view is promoted that a desire for intimacy and for sexual contact does not have to cease at any point during the lifetime. Knowledge on the sexual activity of the elderly people however is far from complete, especially within a cross-cultural context as well as with reference to educational and financial status. In this light, the generalizability of research findings in this area is rather hindered. Oftentimes, this means that health professionals may be left somewhat in the dark concerning the wants and needs of older adults as to their sexuality (Rheaume and Mitty, 2008, p. 342). Sexuality of the Elderly The National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) has taken up the task of gathering data on the sexual activity, behaviors and problems of elderly people (Lindau et al., 2007). The findings of the national American sample of NSHAP show that while sexual activity tends to decrease with age, most older adults continue to enjoy intimate marital or other relationships, as well as consider their sexuality an important aspect of life. The majority of individuals aged 57 to 85 years old, and approximately one in three of individuals aged between 75 85 years old were active sexually. Even in their 80s or 90s, the elderly may practice sex and/or masturbation (Lindau et al., 2007). There is evidence to suggest that some men and women retain their sexual desire and partnership during the whole of their life (Addis et al., 2006; AARP, 1999; Nicolosi, Laumann and Glasser, 2004; Bacon et al., 2003). Some of these studies however have relied on relatively small sample sizes, and have utilized non-random sampling methods. Taking into consideration the above criticisms, Lindau et al.s (2007) study examined the occurrence of sexual activity in sexually active participants and did not find significantly decrease with old age. At the same time, the levels of reported sexual activity in respondents between 60 and 74 years old were comparable to the levels reported by adults from 18 to 59 years old, in a wide US survey (Laumann et al., 1994). Adults aged 65 years and over can retain an active and satisfying sexual life throughout their years (WHO, 2002). Frequent sexual activity is commonly reported after middle age (Janus and Janus, 2003). In the survey of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP, 1999) including 1384 elderly individuals, although sexual activity was reported as being pleasurable, no overarching agreement was reached as to the importance of sex toward maintaining a good relationship. The research by AARP (1999) also found that old adults who have partners tend to feel that a fulfilling sexual relationship is important, as opposed to old adults with no partners. Men older than 75 were more likely to have a spouse or partner and appeared to hold more favorable attitudes or more interest towards sex than did women of the same age. Men, whether they had a partner or not, reported a higher frequency of thoughts, feelings and fantasies related to sex than generally did women. Steinke et al.s (2008) research with healthy elderly people reported that the lesser health restrictions of the elderly helped them to retain their sexual activity throughout the course of their lives. Women in their third age usually demonstrate a larger diminution of sexual activity with time than do same-aged men (Lindau et al., 2007). According to the results of a multinational survey of persons 40 to 80 years of age (Laumann, Paik and Glasser, 2006), women tend to think of sex as a less important facet of life than do men, and they also tend to report more absence of pleasure from it. The determination of the dynamics that are involved in sexual satisfaction are of particular importance here (Carpenter, Nathanson and Kim, 2009). Henderson-King and Veroff (1994) and Sprecher (2002) have found that sexual satisfaction enhances the individuals well-being, while it promotes the stability of a marriage and of other personal relationships. A better knowledge of the factors that promote and lessen sexual satisfaction may help in the development of better-suited clinical and policy interventions against sexual problems (Bancroft, 2002). As populations age, a sound understanding of sexual activity in elderly people is becoming more and more relevant; people now enjoy longer and healthier lives, attitudes toward sexuality are being transformed and the importance of a fulfilling sexual life toward the attainment of personal happiness is being recognized (Seidman, 1991; Calasanti Slevin, 2001). Quality of life A number of authors have suggested that doctors and policy-makers are becoming more and more aware of the importance of human sexuality for health and for good quality of life across the life span (Lindau et al., 2007; Satcher, 2001; WHO, 2002). In his description of the cross-cultural study of the World Health Organization, Quality of Life/Older Adults (including such topics as autonomy, activity, functionality, intimacy, relationships, socialization, death, and dying, Robinson (2007) states that sexuality, health status and personal relationships were all significantly related to quality of life. Many studies have found that sexual activity bears a significant relationship to longevity and positive health outcomes (Palmore, 1982; Davey Smith, Frankel and Yarnell, 1997; Onder et al., 2003). Sexual problems Since the beginning of the 21st century new and considerable attention has been paid to the sexuality of the elderly as a result of the creation of drugs that treat erectile dysfunction. Male erectile dysfunction, if treated effectively, can prolong the active sex life of the elderly of both genders throughout life (Lindau, 2010). As Cambois, Robine and Hayward (2001) point out, in many countries sexual problems comprise a major issue for elderly people; in the United States, approximately one in two 57 to 85 year olds who are sexually active report that they have at least one sexual predicament, and one in three mention at least two such afflictions. Accordingly, the majority of the elderly people in Lindau et al.s (2007) study did report pestering problems of a sexual nature, and approximately one in four sexually active elderly participants of both genders refrained from sexual intercourse as a result of a sexual problem subject to therapeutic intervention. During the transition to old age, changes in physiology can impair the sexual responsiveness of elderly women and men, while they may affect, either negatively or positively, their sexual function (Bachmann and Leiblum, 2004; Rosen et al., 2005). Different aspects of sexuality had been found to have a negative correlation with poor health and age (Laumann et al., 2005; Schover, 2000; Laumann, Paik and Rosen, 1999; Camacho and Reyes-Ortiz, 2005). Isselbacher et al. (1994) and Rosen et al. (2005) state that problems of a sexual nature may act as precursors or as epiphenomena to significant infections or diseases such as diabetes or cancer. Sexual problems that go unnoticed and/or untreated may lead to or co-occur with depression and social withdrawal (Nicolosi et al., 2004; Morley and Tariq, 2003, Araujo et al., 1998). Medication prescribed to the elderly may have an adverse effect on sexual life (Finger, Lund and Slagle, 1997); even medication which treats sexual problems may have adv erse health effects (Lindau et al., 2006; Gott, Hinchliff and Galena, 2004). Steinke et al. (2008) also found that elderly participants who were not active sexually showed a worsening of sexual self-concept, self-efficacy, and satisfaction. In Konstam, Moser and De Jongs (2005) research, a heightened self-efficacy was demonstrated to improve on both sexual function and emotional functioning, not excluding depression. Health and sexuality Lindau et al.s (2007) study found sexual activity to be positively related to the physical health of the elderly, particularly in elderly men. In general, healthy individuals of all ages were more likely to engage in marital or other intimate relationships and to be more sexually active. Furthermore, physical health was found to be related to different facets of sexual function, as well as sexual problems, regardless of age; similar findings have been reported by other researchers (Laumann et al., 1999; Bacon et al., 2003). It is advisable then that, when specific conditions apply, elderly people who have health problems or who are to receive treatment which may influence their sexual functioning may need to be evaluated based on their health status instead of their age (Laumann et al., 2005). In a representative national analysis, Lindau (2010) assessed the relationship between sexuality, as measured per sexual activity and quality of sex life, and global self-reported physical health in mature and elderly adults. Lindau (2010) found that especially for older women, self-rated health was closely related to having a partner. Overall, participants who were of very good or excellent physical health were about 1.7 times more likely to show an interest in sex than did participants of less than good health. As Lindau (2010) puts it, when compared to women, men tend to spend significantly more of their life being sexually active but, at the same time, miss out on significantly more years of sexual activity as a consequence of less than good health. This strong relationship between mens health and expected duration of a sexually active life may be partly attributable to chronic diseases but also to treatment received for erectile dysfunction (Westlake et al., 1999; Solomon, Man and Jackson, 2003; Burke et al., 2007). The United Nations (2007) have proposed that in the developed and developing nations, a projection of peoples sexual activity as they become older can be useful in predicting health needs and resources, sexual function-related services, the recovery from sexual dysfunction due to illness, as well as the treatment for commonly occurring health conditions in the third age. At the same time, the wish to prolong the duration of their sexual life can modify older peoples important health behaviors; mature adults may for example quit smoking or take their medication more seriously if they expect that their action will promote a lengthy and fulfilling sexual life (United Nations, 2007). ΒΠ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ²ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¯ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± Addis IB, Van Den Eeden SK, Wassel-Fyr CL, et al. Sexual activity and function in middle-aged and older women. Obstet Gynecol 2006;107:755-64. American Association of Retired Persons. Modern maturity. Sexuality study. Washington DC: AARP; 1999. Araujo AB, Durante R, Feldman HA, Goldstein I, McKinlay JB. The relationship between depressive symptoms and male erectile dysfunction: cross-sectional results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. Psychosom Med 1998;60:458-65. Araujo AB, Mohr BA, McKinlay JB. Changes in sexual function in middle-aged and older men: longitudinal data from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004;52:1502-9. Bachmann GA, Leiblum SR. The impact of hormones on menopausal sexuality: a literature review. Menopause 2004; 11:120-30. Bacon CG, Mittleman MA, Kawachi I, Giovannucci E, Glassser DB, Rimm EB. Sexual function in men older than 50 years of age: results from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Ann Intern Med 2003;139:161-8. Bancroft, J. (2002). The medicalization of female sexual dysfunction: The need for caution. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 31, 451-455. Burke JP, Jacobson DJ, McGree ME, Nehra A, Roberts RO, Girman CJ, et al. Diabetes and sexual dysfunction: results from the Olmsted County study of urinary symptoms and health status among men. J Urol 2007;177:1438-42. Calamidas EG. Promoting health sexuality among older adults: educational challenges for health professionals. J Sex Educ Ther 1997;22:45-9. Calasanti, T. M., Slevin, K. F. (2001). Gender, social inequalities, and aging. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press. Camacho ME, Reyes-Ortiz CA. Sexual dysfunction in the elderly: age or disease? Int J Impot Res 2005;17:Suppl 1:S52-S56. Cambois E, Robine JM, Hayward MD. Social inequalities in disability-free life expectancy in the French male population, 1980-1991. Demography 2001;38:513-24. Davey Smith G, Frankel S, Yarnell J. Sex and death: are they related? Findings from the Caerphilly Cohort Study. BMJ 1997;315:1641-4. Finger WW, Lund M, Slagle MA. Medications that may contribute to sexual disorders: a guide to assessment and treatment in family practice. J Fam Pract 1997; 44:33-43. Gorman M. Development and the rights of older people. In: Randel J, et al., eds. The ageing and development report: poverty, independence and the worlds older people. London, Earthscan Publications Ltd.,1999:3-21. Gott M, Hinchliff S, Galena E. General practitioner attitudes to discussing sexual health issues with older people. Soc Sci Med 2004;58:2093-103. Hajjar RR, Kamel HK. Sexuality in the nursing home, part 1: attitudes and barriers to sexual expression. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2003;4:152-6. Henderson-King, D. H., Veroff, J. (1994). Sexual satisfaction and marital well-being in the first years of marriage. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 11, 509-534. Isselbacher KJ, Martin JB, Braunwald E, Fauci AS, Wilson JD, Kasper DL, eds. Harrisons principles of internal medicine. 13th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994:262. Janus SC, Janus CL. The Janus report on sexual behavior. 1993. Cited in M. Wallace. Sexuality and aging in longterm care. Ann Long-Term Care 2003;11:53-9. Konstam V, Moser D, De Jong M. Depression and anxiety in heart failure. J Card Fail 2005;11:455-63. Laumann EO, Gagnon JH, Michael RT, Michaels S. The social organization of sexuality: sexual practices in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994:88. Laumann EO, Nicolosi A, Glasser DB, et al. Sexual problems among women and men aged 40-80 y: prevalence and correlates identified in the Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Int J Impot Res 2005;17:39-57. Laumann EO, Paik A, Glasser DB, et al. A cross-national study of subjective sexual well-being among older women and men: findings from the Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Arch Sex Behav 2006;35:145-61. Laumann EO, Paik A, Rosen RC. Sexual dysfunction in the United States: prevalence and predictors. JAMA 1999;281: 537-44. Carpenter LM, Nathanson ÃŽ-CA, Kim YJ. Physical Women, Emotional Men: Gender and Sexual Satisfaction in Midlife. Arch Sex Behav (2009) 38:87-107. Lindau, S.T. (2010). Sex, health, and years of sexually active life gained due to good health: evidence from two US population-based cross sectional surveys of ageing. BMJ, 340, 810 Lindau ST, Laumann EO, Levinson W, Waite LJ. Synthesis of scientific disciplines in pursuit of health: the Interactive Biopsychosocial Model. Perspect Biol Med 2003;46:Suppl 3:S74-S86. Lindau ST, Leitsch SA, Lundberg KL, Jerome J. Older womens attitudes, behavior, and communication about sex and HIV: a community-based study. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2006;15:747-53. Lindau ST, Schumm L, Laumann E, Levinson W, OMuircheartaigh C, Waite L. A study of sexuality and health among older adults in the United States. N Engl J Med 2007;357:762-74. Morley JE, Tariq SH. Sexual dysfunction in older persons. In: Hazzard WR, Blass JP, Halter JB, Ouslander JG, Tinetti ME, eds. Principles of geriatric medicine and gerontology. 5th ed. New York: McGraw- Hill, 2003:1311-23. Nicolosi A, Laumann EO, Glasser DB, et al. Sexual behavior and sexual dysfunctions after age 40: the Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Urology 2004;64:991-7. Nicolosi A, Moreira ED Jr, Villa M, Glasser DB. A population study of the association between sexual function, sexual satisfaction and depressive symptoms in men. J Affect Disord 2004;82:235-43. Onder G, Penninx B, Guralnik JM, Jones H, Fried LP, Pahor M, et al. Sexual satisfaction and risk of disability in older women. J Clin Psychiatry 2003;64:1177-82. Palmore EB. Predictors of the longevity difference: a 25-year follow-up. Gerontologist 1982;22:513-8. Rheaume, C., and Mitty, E. (2008). Sexuality and intimacy in older adults. Geriatric Nursing, 29, 342-349. Robinson JG, Mohlzan AE. Sexuality and quality of life. J Gerontol Nurs 2007;33:19-27. Rosen RC, Wing R, Schneider S, Gendrano N. Epidemiology of erectile dysfunction: the role of medical comorbidities and lifestyle factors. Urol Clin North Am 2005;32:403-17. Satcher D. The surgeon generals call to action to promote sexual health and responsible sexual behaviour. US Department of Health and Human Services, 2001. Schover LR. Sexual problems in chronic illness. In: Leiblum SR, Rosen RC, eds. Principles and practice of sex therapy. New York: Guilford, 2000:398-422. Seidman, S. (1991). Romantic longings: Love in America, 1830-1980. New York: Routledge. Solomon H, Man JW, Jackson G. Erectile dysfunction and the cardiovascular patient: endothelial dysfunction is the common denominator. Heart 2003;89:251-3. Sprecher, S. (2002). Sexual satisfaction in premarital relationships: Associations with satisfaction, love, commitment, and stability. Journal of Sex Research, 39, 190-197. Steinke, E.E., Wright, D.W., Chung, M.L., and Moser, D.K. (2008). Sexual self-concept, anxiety, and self-efficacy predict sexual activity in heart failure and healthy elders. Heart Lung, 37, 323-333. United Nations. World population ageing 2007. UN, 2007. Westlake C, Dracup K, Walden JA, Fonarow G. Sexuality of patients with advanced heart failure and their spouses or partners. J Heart Lung Transplant 1999;18:1133-8. World Health Organization (2001). Definitions and indicators in family planning, maternal child health and reproductive health used in the WHO regional office for Europe. Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health European Regional Office. Revised March 1999 January 2001. Accessed on 25 April 2010 at: http://www.euro.who.int/document/e68459.pdf World Health Organization. Defining sexual health: report of a technical consultation on sexual health, 28-31 January 2002. Geneva, 2002. www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/gender_rights/defining_sexual_health/en/index.html. World Health Organization (2010). Definition of an older or elderly person: proposed working definition of an older person in Africa for the MDS Project. Accessed on 25 April 2010 at: http://www.who.int/healthinfo/survey/ageingdefnolder/en/index.html.

Incredible Galileo Essay -- Catholic Church, Scientific Method

Stillman Drake, the author of Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo, describes Galileo's opposition as â€Å"... professors who regarded the new method as injuries to philosophy and by priests who believed the new criterion of truth to be inimical to religion.† Drake is accurate in his statement that the opposition put forward by Galileo's accusers was regarded as an injury to philosophy, but Galileo's opposition focused primarily on the need to check unbridled spirits about the judgment and interpretation of holy scripture; in addition Galileo's opposition and defense also had undeniable scientific and epistemological aspects. Moreover I argue that Galileo in return created an argument that focused upon his belief that scientific discovery should not be held in the jurisdiction of the catholic church, that the core of Galileo's argument revolves around his belief that the components of a new â€Å"scientific method† and the new criterion of truth should not be he ld under church scrutiny. During a time of protestant reformation, the Catholic Church convened the Council of Trent (1545-1563) in order to maintain orthodoxy among the people. The Catholics primarily focused on traditional and appropriate individuals of the church to interpret holy scripture whereas the protestant reformation preached individual pluralistic interpretation, thus threatening the catholic church and causing the church to become highly sensitive. (12) In the year 1954, the council decreed that â€Å"...no one relying on his own judgment shall, in matters of faith and morals pertaining to edification of Christian doctrine, distorting the Holy Scriptures in accordance with his own conceptions, presume to interpret them contrary to that sense which holy mother Chur... ...s reply to Ingoli (1624), eight years after the Inquisitions verdict, remained devote on his belief that scientific discovery should not be at the jurisdiction of the Catholic church since he boldly stated to Ingoli that â€Å"...I must tell you that in natural phenomena human authority is worthless.† (178) Throughout his entire defense Galileo argued that natural phenomena and scientific discovery should not be under the church’s jurisdiction. Galileo's magnificent discovery gave way to the everlasting feud of religion versus nature, the new criterion of truth, the new scientific method, scientific independence, and ultimately the foundation of humans natural inalienable rights. By defending his beliefs Galileo was able to convey his message by means of science, religion, and philosophy and ultimately paved the road for future scientists and moral philosophers.

Infectious Mononucleosis :: essays research papers

CauseInfectious mononucleosis is caused by the Ebstein-Barr virus, which is a member of the herpes family. This family also includes the viruses that cause cold sores, chicken pox, genital herpes, and birth defects. The Ebstein-Barr virus has a lengthy incubation period and symptoms usually take about 4-10 weeks to develop.Once a person is infected with a herpes virus, it never really goes away. The viruses are able to lie dormant in our bodies and become active at any time. The only way mono can be spread is through direct contact with infected saliva. That explains why it is known as the "kissing disease". Drinking from each- others glasses, sharing silverware, and coughing can also spread the virus. In rare cases it can be transmitted from person to person through blood transfusions.A person can only be infected when someone who has the virus passes it to someone who has never been exposed. But less than 5% of people w/ mono can recall being in contact w/ someone who had mono. That is b/c some people are strictly carriers. They carry the virus and pass it along to someone else without ever getting any symptoms themselves.Population AffectedAnyone can get mono. About 70-80% of all cases occur in people btw/ the ages of 15-30. Mono is most common among high school and college students who immune systems are usually run down from stress and fatigue. Although mono peaks earlier in females, it occurs more often in males. Females are usually 15-16 when they contract mono and males tend to be around 18-23. It is estimated that by the age of 40, 95% of the population has already had mono. That might be hard to believe, but most people who had mono didn't even know it. They had such mild cases that they thought it was just a cold or flu and their bodies were able to produce antibodies against ever having mono again.SymptomsIf symptoms do appear, they don't develop immediately. The incubation period lasts anywhere from 2 to 7 weeks. The 1st symptoms are commonly mistaken for a cold. They are headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, and chills. The symptoms become more severe as the body's lymphatic system is affected. These include extreme exhaustion, sore throat, fever and swollen glands.

Nelson Mandela :: essays research papers

Nelson Mandela's greatest pleasure, his most private moment, is watching the sun set with the music of Handel or Tchaikovsky playing. Locked up in his cell during daylight hours, deprived of music, both these simple pleasures were denied him for decades. With his fellow prisoners, concerts were organised when possible, particularly at Christmas time, where they would sing. Nelson Mandela finds music very uplifting, and takes a keen interest not only in European classical music but also in African choral music and the many talents in South African music. But one voice stands out above all - that of Paul Robeson, whom he describes as our hero. The years in jail reinforced habits that were already entrenched: the disciplined eating regime of an athlete began in the 1940s, as did the early morning exercise. Still today Nelson Mandela is up by 4.30am, irrespective of how late he has worked the previous evening. By 5am he has begun his exercise routine that lasts at least an hour. Breakfast is by 6.30, when the days newspapers are read. The day s work has begun. With a standard working day of at least 12 hours, time management is critical and Nelson Mandela is extremely impatient with unpunctuality, regarding it as insulting to those you are dealing with. When speaking of the extensive travelling he has undertaken since his release from prison, Nelson Mandela says: I was helped when preparing for my release by the biography of Pandit Nehru, who wrote of what happens when you leave jail. My daughter Zinzi says that she grew up without a father, who, when he returned, became a father of the nation. This has placed a great responsibility of my shoulders. And wherever I travel, I immediately begin to miss the familiar - the mine dumps, the colour and smell that is uniquely South African, and, above all, the people. I do not like to be away for any length of time. For me, there is no place like home. Mandela accepted the Nobel Peace Prize as an accolade to all people who have worked for peace and stood against racism. It was as much an award to his person as it was to the ANC and all South Africa s people. In particular, he regards it as a tribute to the people of Norway who stood against apartheid while many in the world were silent.

Prelude to American Revolution

Creating the New Nation The social, political, and economic consequences of the Revolutionary War and the early American Republic have served as a blueprint for global freedom enabling subsequent generations and the nations to secure the blessings of liberty. With the culmination of the French and Indian War, British and American ethos clashed causing the American colonists to create a new nation founded on the principles of self-government and human liberty. The following paragraphs will detail a succinct history of the events that shaped this watershed historical and political movement. The year is 1754.After years of feeling envious of the Spanish spreading culture around the globe, the British decided to follow in their footsteps, hoping for the same successful results. They set their sights on the New World that promises, â€Å"Land as far as the eye can see† and religious freedom. So they set sail to travel to the Promised Land, only to soon find themselves in a major co nflict. It’s not before long that the British are in battle with the current French habitants. Both sides try to receive as much help as possible, by befriending local Native American tribes. This war is now famously known as The French and Indian War.This brutal, exhausting war lasts seven years. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris is signed to finally end the warfare. Taking note of this, the British Parliament issues the Proclamation of 1763, which forbade any British colonists to settle past the Appalachian Mountains. The tired, beaten-up, colonists were outraged. Some refused to comply and moved out west anyways. This is significant because this is the first sign of rebellious acts that the colonists made leading up to the American Revolution. The damage from the French and Indian War was far more devastating than people realized.Britain was severely in debt and stripped of resources. As a result, a few taxes were placed on the colonies. The most important being The Stamp Act o f 1765. The idea was for the British to place a tax on all documents produced in the British colonies. This was the main form of communication, so having to pay even more for something they used very often frustrated the colonists to an even greater extent. Many colonists thought it was against their rights to be taxed without their consent. The phrase, â€Å"taxation without representation† became more and more popular within the general public.Some colonists even formed rebellious groups and protested the British Parliament’s taxes. On March 5, 1770, a group of protesters were on King Street in Boston, Massachusetts. They began verbally abusing and harassing eight soldiers stationed in front of a building. Without order, the soldiers fired into the crowd, instantly killing three people and wounding others. This major event is known as the Boston Massacre. After several similar events, significant figures such as Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, and many others, signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776.This document stated that America is declaring its independence against the British Government. The thirteen colonies considered themselves â€Å"independent†, not knowing the major actions that Britain was going to commence. The American Revolution had officially begun. A disgruntled colonist named Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet criticizing not only the British, but the colonists also. He thought that no one was actually taking actions in preparations for the war against Britain. He constantly used biblical references to try and influence people to take action.This pamphlet, titled â€Å"Common Sense† is famously known as being the most popular pamphlet in the revolutionary era. In the midst of the Revolutionary War, the young country of America thought they needed some type of constitution; therefore, The Articles of Confederation were established. The A of C loosely linked the 13 states mainly to d eal with foreign affairs. It didn’t create an executive branch. Each state had a single vote and 9 of the 13 states had to vote for a bill before it passed. The main problem with this was that Rhode Island had the same amount of power as Virginia, which had three times Rhode Island’s population.Also, The A of C did not provide the government power to tax, raise an army or navy, and regulate commerce for national interests. States, however, could enforce taxes. Frustration continued throughout the American states for years. A farmer named Daniel Shay, led a small army and tried to revolt against the government. Shay’s Rebellion was stopped, but exposed several major problems. First, there was not standing army to stop a rebellion. Second, many people, including Thomas Jefferson, agreed with Shay. Jefferson stated, â€Å"The tree of liberty has to be watered with the blood of patriots and tyrants from time to time.It is as natural as manure. † And thirdly, the A of C were not working AT ALL. In 1787, a quorum of 55 emissaries from 12 states gathered in Philadelphia. Thomas Jefferson called this a â€Å"Convention of Demigods†, but it was formally known as the Constitutional Convention. They issued many major compromises. One being the CT Plan/Great compromise. This set a standard to how many representatives in each state could be in Senate (equal) and the House of Representatives (based on population). Another compromise they established was the 3/5 compromise.This stated that slaves were to be counted as 3/5 of person. This greatly impacted when bills or policies were in the voting stages. Lastly, The Electoral College was created. The idea of this was to be used for future presidential elections. They were to use the number of congressional electors from each state to determine the president based on the state’s power. For example, California would have more Electoral College votes than Oklahoma because it has a higher population. Realizing that the A of C has led to be a string of failures, George Washington appointed James Madison to construct the U.S. Constitution. Many Anti-Federalists sharply criticized the Constitution because it did not recognize many civil rights. The first 10 amendments of the Constitution, commonly known as the Bill of Rights, is a necessity to the most precious of our rights. It prohibits too much intrusion by the government. In other words, it greatly limits the government’s power. As the country became more and more in debt, Alexander Hamilton argued that Assumption was the right way to go because the debts were caused by the shared goal of Independence.In addition, it put the states under more power by the federal government. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison met with Alexander Hamilton for dinner in Philadelphia one greatly historic weekend. They made a deal: Jefferson would support Assumption and Hamilton would support moving the Nation’s capital to the Chesapeake area. This is why the capital is in the South and called Washington D. C. Once George Washington left office, John Adams took his place as President. Adams was not going to take any negativity for the way he ran things.So the Adams’ Administration established the Alien and Sedition Act which enforced arrest on any people who criticized the government. Thomas despised the way Adams took things during his presidency. So Jefferson runs against him and sabotages Adams’ presidency and wins the Election of 1800, aka The Revolution of 1800. Immediately, Jefferson with the help of James Madison tried to thwart the federal government’s power. In conclusion, Early America, despite all the rebellious acts and criticism, served as a blueprint for global freedom enabling subsequent generations and nations to secure the blessings of liberty.Thanks to many great leaders such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and many more , there is a standard set in the country that the Government must abide by. The impact of events such as the American Revolution, Boston Massacre, Constitutional Convention, etc. , the country has grown stronger and more knowledgeable about foreign affairs and globalization. Although America is still considered to be a young country, the history within this great nation is one of the richest in the world.