Performance Based Budgeting - management systems and techniques Term Paper

Performance Based Budgeting - management systems and techniques - Term Paper Example The requirements include procurement charges, maintenance charges, leisure and retreat activities. Once the budget is formulated and implemented only minor adjustment can be included in the budgets. According to Segal & Summers (2002) this type of budgeting has been used by organizations to ensure that they operate within a specific financial circle. However, budgeting tactics have advanced over the years as units are subjected to high costs of survival. Knaap (2007) argues that the modern cooperate environment does not provide room for an organization to finalize its budgeting at the beginning of a financial year. The author further argues that the specification of a finalized budget does not provide room for innovation and new operational strategies. It is advisable that units have budget specifications that allow for adjustment in case of emergencies without having a major impact to the unit. Financial analyst argue that performance based budgeting is the most significant trend th at budgeting has undergone. Performance based budgeting is a budgeting process based on missions, goals and objectives. PBB is a defined by an organization short term goals. According to Marc (2007) before setting aside funds, the objectives should be set aside. This budgeting is based on the question why should we spend, is what we spend worth the project and is the objective being met by the financial allocations we make. Generally, performance based budgeting is result oriented. Every single financial allocation is aimed at achieving a specific objective. Each objective budgeted for is directed towards achieving the long and short term goals of an organization. Due to the tightened financial crisis performance based budgeting has been the most budgeting method most organizations use. Analysts argue that performance based budgets are more accurate when compared to other budgeting tactics. According to Marc (2007)

Audit of Syphilis Screening in Pregnancy

Audit of Syphilis Screening in Pregnancy Tables Table 1:Syphilis confirmatory test results for forty nine  pregnant woman 18 Table 2:Syphilis screening results of eleven new-borns of  positive syphilis mother 24 Table 3: Positive syphilis confirmatory test results for sixteen  pregnant woman 30 Figures Figure 1: The laboratory turnaround time of syphilis screening  for mothers 28 Figure 2: The laboratory turnaround time of syphilis screening  for new-borns 28 Tables Table 1: Syphilis confirmatory test results for forty nine pregnant woman 18 Table 2: Syphilis screening results of eleven new-borns of positive syphilis mothers 24 Table 3: Positive syphilis confirmatory test results for sixteen pregnant woman 30 Figures Figure 1: The laboratory turnaround time of syphilis screening for mothers Figure 2: The laboratory turnaround time of syphilis screening for new-borns ABSTRACT Objective: A re-audit of syphilis screening in pregnancy was carried out to ensure that the improvements in laboratory and clinical aspects of management for the antenatalof pregnant women with positive syphilis screening and their new-born babies fully met were in accordance with the UK National Guidelines on the Management of Syphilis (Kingston et al., 2008) and the Guidelines for the Management of Syphilis in Pregnancy and the Neonatal Period (Stringer et al., 2013). Methods: Patients’ data were collected via query of the three databases: Clinisys Labcentre, Telepath and EuroKing. The n the data were analysed using Microsoft Access 2013. Results: Samples from Forty nine49 pregnant woman with positive syphilis results serology were referred to a reference laboratory laboratory were sent to MRI for syphilis serological confirmatory testing. Sixteen pregnant woman with of these women were confirmed to have had had positive syphilis were identified. Ten pregnant woman were re-tested screened at least twice during their pregnancy and six pregnant woman were only screened tested once during pregnancy. Over-testing of for treponemal IgM were seen in nineteen patients[h1] with non-reactive RPR titre. Only eleven babies born to mothers with syphilis were followed-up with serial serological tests for syphilis. Only four new-borns were fully screened. Some of the new-borns were not tested with treponemal IgM due to sample insufficiency. Conclusion: There were some improvements seen since the first audit which includes the changes of the confirmatory testing schedule in MRI, lower screening false positive rate, and increased follow-up of the new-borns. There were also things to improve in the management of syphilis in pregnancy and the new-borns of positive syphilis mothers. Treponemal IgM test should be performed only when the RPR test were reactive to prevent over-testing of patients. The test algorithm for screening of syphilis in new-borns should give priority to RPR test and treponemal IgM to prevent under-testing[h2]. In-house confirmatory testing should be considered to allow reduction of test turnaround time’s thereby aiding patient management.Improvements[h3] should be made in the management of syphilis in pregnancy and the new-borns of positive syphilis mothers. Treponemal IgM test should be performed only when the RPR test were reactive to prevent over-testing of patients. The test algorithm for screening of sy philis in new-borns should give priority to RPR test and treponemal IgM to prevent under-testing[h4]. 1.0  INTRODUCTION 1.1  Syphilis Syphilis is an infectious disease caused by Treponema pallidum (T.pallidum) subspecies pallidum. The disease is transmitted from human to human, and humans are its only known natural host (Woods 2005). Epidemiologically, in the UK, cases of syphilis have increased in England since 1997 led by a series of outbreaks reported from Manchester, London and Brighton (Health Protection Agency 2009). Since 1999, diagnoses of infectious syphilis have been made in heterosexuals where the outbreaks are linked to sex work, students and young people. But, there was a changing pattern of infection between 1999 and 2008, when seventy three percent of new diagnoses of infectious syphilis were reported in men who have sex with men (Health Protection Agency 2009). The transmission is primarily by sexual activity (Zeltser Kurban 2004) (vaginal and anal intercourse) and by direct contact with active primary or secondary lesions (Lafond Lukehart 2006) for example through oral sex and kissing at or near an infectious lesion (Kent Romanelli 2008). T.pallidum may invade the host through normal mucosal membranes and also through minor abrasions in the skin (Zeltser Kurban 2004) such as from sexual trauma, causing an inflammation, ulcer and then spreading through the blood stream to other parts of the body (Goh 2005). 1.2  Syphilis in Pregnancy Mothers with untreated syphilis may seriously complicate their pregnancy. Vertical transmission of T.pallidum across the placenta (Singh Romanowski 1999) can occur at any time during pregnancy (Vaules et al., 2000; Oswal Lyons 2008), this leads to wide dissemination of the spirochete in the fetus (Woods 2005). Fetal infection resulting in spontaneous abortion, still-birth, premature delivery, non-immune hydrops fetalis and also congenital infection (Singh Romanowski 1999; Vaules et al., 2000; Ledger 2000). Vertical transmission may occur at any stage of syphilis infection. However, the transmission is more common in mothers with primary and secondary stage of syphilis (Singh Romanowski 1999; Vaules et al., 2000; Oswal Lyons 2008) as the risk of transmission depends on the levels of spirochaetemia which are higher in these stages compared to other stages (Vaules et al., 2000). Syphilis may also be transmitted during birth by contact of the new born with the mother’s genita l lesion (Ledger 2000; Berman 2004). 1.3  Congenital Syphilis Signs of infection for early congenital syphilis may appear within the first two years of the infant’s life with clinical manifestations include hepatosplenomegaly, rash, fever, and signs of neurosyphilis, especially bulging fontanel, seizures, and cranial nerve palsies (Mattei et al., 2012; De Santis et al., 2012). As for late congenital syphilis, the sign of infection may only be seen over the first two decades with clinical manifestations such as frontal bossing, nasal cartilage destruction, and dental abnormalities (Mattei et al., 2012; De Santis et al., 2012). Congenital syphilis leads to multiple organ infection because of the widespread haematogenous dissemination (De Santis et al., 2012) that will further cause death in the fetus or new born. However, the disease is almost preventable if mothers with syphilis are treated early in pregnancy (Walker Walker 2007). 1.4  Serologic Test Diagnosis of syphilis is made based on clinical signs and symptoms, microscopic examination and serologic tests (Little 2005). Two types of serologic testing were available; non-treponemal specific tests and treponemal specific tests (Clyne Jerrard 2000). Non-treponemal tests are widely used for testing and screening for syphilis as they are rapid, simple and inexpensive (Ratnam 2005). The example of  non-treponemal tests include the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test and the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test (Kent Romanelli 2008). Due to the rate of false-positive results which present in about one to two percent for these tests, the positive results have to be confirmed by sets of treponemal-specific tests such as the T.pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) test, T.pallidum haemagglutination (TPHA) test and treponemal enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test (Kent Romanelli 2008). 1.4.1  Antenatal Screening The detection and treatment of infectious syphilis are extremely important in preventing congenital syphilis (Chakraborty Luck 2007; Simms Broutet 2008). An effective antenatal screening programme can have a huge impact in the way of managing both mother and baby. All pregnant women should be screened for syphilis at their first antenatal appointment (French et al., 2009) and the test should be repeated early in the third trimester (Goh Thornton 2007). Also, all infants born to seropositive mothers should be examined at birth and at monthly intervals for three months until it is confirmed that serological tests are and remain negative (Oswal Lyons 2008). The primary screening tests recommended (Kingston et al., 2008) are either treponemal EIA or TPPA/TPHA. If the screening test is positive, it must be confirmed by either one of the opposite tests. VDRL or RPR will be performed when the confirmatory test gives positive results (Kingston et al., 2008). 1.5  Audit on Diagnostics of Syphilis in Pregnancy The diagnosis of infectious syphilis in women in the UK increased between 1999 and 2007. The increase of syphilis cases in women has also led to the re-emergence of congenital syphilis in the UK which may suggest sub-optimal management of patients with syphilis (Health Protection Agency 2009). In 2011, an audit on diagnosis of syphilis in pregnancy was performed at the Pennine Acute NHS Trust (PAHT) to ensure the syphilis screening in pregnant women and also the serological diagnostic of their new-born babies followed the UK standard for Microbiology Investigations in Serological Diagnosis of Syphilis which were introduced by Public Health England in 2007 (Public Health England 2014b). The purpose of introducing the standard was to assure equivalence in the investigation strategies in different laboratories across the UK (Public Health England 2014b). The audit reveals the concerns about the delays in syphilis confirmations and insufficient follow-up for new-borns of positive syphilis mothers. At least eighteen percent of positive syphilis cases took more than one month for confirmation and the turnaround time for eleven percent of the syphilis screening cases out of forty five cases took more than one week. It is also found that there was inconsistency in performing treponemal IgM test where fifty three percent of cases (twenty four cases out of forty five cases) were not tested for treponemal IgM. For the management of neonates, only four new-borns were followed-up and among four new-borns, only one have been followed up according to the guidelines. Recommendations made from the audit includes the improvement of time to confirmation of specimens, changes of confirmation test by using treponemal IgM to all pregnant woman, referral of all pregnant woman with inconclusive syphilis confirmation to Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) clinic and management of new-borns where follow-up should be completed according to the guidelines provided (Vladana et al., 2011). 1.6  Re-audit of Syphilis Screening in Pregnancy A re-audit of syphilis screening in pregnancy at the PAHT was performed to discover if changes made after the first audit recommendations have led to the improvement of services. The re-audit was carried out three years after the first audit done in 2011. The re-audit aimed to ensure that the improvements in laboratory and clinical aspects of management for the antenatal women with positive syphilis screening and their new-born babies were in accordance with the UK National Guidelines on the Management of Syphilis (Kingston et al., 2008) and the Guidelines for the Management of Syphilis in Pregnancy and the Neonatal Period (Stringer et al., 2013). 2.0  METHODOLOGY 2.1  Background The PAHT comprises four major district general hospitals; North Manchester General, Fairfield General Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary and The Royal Oldham. Some 12,000 women annually present for antenatal care. Women usually attend for antenatal care at one of three antenatal clinics or one of several General Practice Clinics within the community. In the UK antenatal infectious disease screening is usually performed at three months gestation (http://www.screening.nhs.uk/). Women are offered screening for rubella immunity, hepatitis B virus infection, human immunodeficiency virus infection and T.pallidum (syphilis) infection. Among 12,000 women screened within the PAHT in the period 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2013, a series of forty nine pregnant woman with positive syphilis serology were identified. To determine whether syphilis screening and follow up care of babies born to these mothers followed the UK Guidelines of the Management of Syphilis (Kingston et al., 2008) and the Gui delines for the Management of Syphilis in Pregnancy and the Neonatal Period (Stringer et al., 2013), a retrospective study was performed. 2.2  Diagnosis of Syphilis Pathway Patients’ blood sample was collected with informed consent at the antenatal clinic and laboratory test requests were made. The patients’ information was recorded in the maternity information system database; â€Å"EuroKing† (Euroking, Chertsey, Surrey, UK). Samples were transported to The Royal Oldham Hospital (TROH) microbiology laboratory via the hospital transport system to be tested. Patient demographic information was recorded in the laboratory data system Clinisys Labcentre (Clinisys, Chertsey, Surrey, UK). If the syphilis screening test was negative, a report was generated and then posted to the antenatal clinics where the sample came from. If the syphilis screening test was positive, the sample was sent to a reference laboratory, Manchester Medical Microbiology Partnership Laboratory at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) for confirmatory testing. Testing at the MRI comprises two treponemal enzyme immunoassay tests for total treponemal antibody; a T.pallidum specific assay (EIA); the T.pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA); the reagin precipitin assay (RPR) and where appropriate a T.pallidum specific IgM enzyme immunoassay (IgM) in accordance with national guidelines (Kingston et al., 2008). These results were recorded in the MRI laboratory database system, (Telepath; CSC Healthcare, Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK) and a printed copy of the patient test results was sent back to TROH microbiology laboratory. The reference laboratory report was transcribed onto the Clinisys Labcentre system and a printed report was generated to be to the antenatal clinics. Finally, the patients’ report received by the antenatal clinics was recorded in the patients’ notes and updated in the EuroKing system. 2.3  Data Collection Data collection for the study was accomplished via query of the three databases: the PAHT laboratory database system, Clinisys Labcentre, the MRI database system, Telepath and the maternity information system database, EuroKing. The data gathered including the patients’ hospital number, NHS number and specimen number, date of birth, the date of sample collection and report, and also the syphilis serology data which includes the patients’ treponemal EIA, TPPA, RPR and treponemal IgM results. The sample collection and sample reported data were obtained to investigate the turnaround time taken for the diagnosis within the laboratory. 2.4  Analysis of Data The laboratory system data was presented as Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (Microsoft Corporation, Seattle, USA). All the patients’ data were then imported and assembled in Microsoft Access 2013 (Microsoft Corporation, Seattle, USA). The data for the forty nine pregnant woman with positive syphilis serology were analysed using Microsoft Access 2013 (Microsoft Corporation, Seattle, USA). 2.5  Clinical Audit This was conducted under the Clinical Audit provision of the NHS National Research Ethics Committee (National Research Ethics Service 2008). The work was registered and approved as a Clinical Audit with the Clinical Audit Department of the PAHT. Data analysed was anonymised before release from the Trust to comply with Data Protection Guidelines (Caldicott Committee 1997). The clinical audit used the UK National Guidelines on the Management of Syphilis (Kingston et al., 2008) as a standard. 3.0  RESULTS Fifty positive syphilis serology results were identified from forty nine pregnant woman undergoing routine antenatal infectious disease screening at TROH microbiology laboratory. All specimens were screened with Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay test using the Abbott Architect Syphilis TP Assay (Abbott Diagnostics, Chicago, USA). The fifty specimens were also sent to the Manchester Medical Microbiology Partnership Laboratory, MRI which acts as a reference laboratory for syphilis serological confirmatory testing. 3.1  Confirmation Methods by MRI The reference laboratory confirms syphilis screening with two treponemal EIAs, a semi-quantitative TPPA, a semi-quantitative RPR, and where appropriate a T.pallidum specific EIA for IgM antibody in accordance with national guidelines (Kingston et al. 2008). The first treponemal EIA test was the same Abbott Architect Syphilis TP Assay (Abbott Diagnostics, Chicago, USA) used at TROH for syphilis serological testing; the second treponemal EIA test used the DiaSorin Liaison XL System (DiaSorin S.p.A, Saluggia, Italy), the semi-quantitative TPPA was the Serodia TPPA Assay (Fujirebio Diagnostics, Inc., Tokyo, Japan), the semi-quantitative RPR was the Abbott Syfacard – RR card test (Abbott Diagnostics, Chicago, USA), and the T.pallidum specific EIA for IgM were run using CAPTIA Syphilis-IgM Assay (Trinity Biotech, Ireland, UK). Where necessary, further testing using T.pallidum specific immunoblotting and/or T.pallidum specific polymerase chain reaction testing are also used in confir mation testing. All specimens were confirmed using treponemal EIA, TPPA and RPR but only about twenty nine specimen out of fifty specimen were tested using treponemal IgM. There were seventeen positive screening with syphilis and thirty three negative screening with syphilis. Negative screening was defined by having negative results for either one or both treponemal EIA, TPPA titres of less than 1:80 and RPR titre of less than 1:2; positive results were defined by having positive results for both treponemal EIAs, a TPPA titre of greater than or equal to 1:160, RPR titre greater than or equal to 1:2 and positive results of treponemal IgM (Table 1). Table 1: Syphilis confirmatory test results for forty nine pregnant woman. Patient numbers with symbol â€Å"*† are pregnant woman with positive syphilis results. Patient Test TEIA1 TEIA2 TPPA RPR IgM EIA InterpretationResult 1 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Not Done Negative *2 1 Positive Positive 1:640 Negative Not Done Positive 2 Positive Positive 1:320 Negative Negative 3 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Not Done Negative 4 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Not Done Negative *5 1 Positive Positive 1:5120 1:64 Not Done Positive 2 Positive Positive 1:5120 1:64 Not Done 3 Positive Positive 1:2560 1:8 Not Done Patient Test TEIA1 TEIA2 TPPA RPR IgM EIA Result 6 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Negative Negative *7 1 Positive Positive 1:640 Negative Not Done Positive *8 1 Positive Positive 1:1280 Negative Not Done Positive 2 Positive Positive 1:2560 1:1 Not Done 9 1 Negative Negative Negative Negative Not Done Negative 10 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Negative Negative 11 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Not Done Negative 2 Positive Negative Negative Negative Not Done *12 1 Positive Positive 1:5120 1:4 Negative Positive 2 Positive Positive 1:5120 1:4 Not Done Patient Test TEIA1 TEIA2 TPPA RPR IgM EIA Interpretation *13 1 Positive Positive 1:640 1:64 Not Done Positive 14 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Negative Negative 15 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Not Done Negative 16 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Not Done Negative 17 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Negative Negative 18 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Not Done Negative 2 Positive Negative Negative Negative Not Done *19 1 Positive Positive 1:640 Negative Not Done Positive 2 Positive Positive 1:1280 Negative Not Done 20 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Not Done Negative Patient Test TEIA1 TEIA2 TPPA RPR IgM EIA Result 21 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Not Done Negative *22 1 Positive Positive 1:640 1:4 Not Done Positive 2 Positive Positive 1:1280 1:4 Not Done 23 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Not Done Negative 24 1 Positive Negative Negative Negative Not Done

human genome project :: essays research papers fc

What would you do if you were given the power to change your genetic code from brown hair to blond?. Man has had this ability through natural selection for some time without knowing it, but in the near future scientist will be able to speed the process of natural selection by changing a persons genes. Scientists have identified what constitutes human DNA located in the nucleus of a cell. The Human Genome Project was established to identify the genes that make us who we are and is now an international organization. The massive task of identifying the numerous gene combinations has created a problem. In the nucleus are 22 genomes, plus two sex chromosomes which have already been identified. In the 22 genomes there are approximately 3 billion base pairs of DNA, which contain 50,000 to 100,000 genes, a basic unit of heredity. The identification of these base pairs is the goal of the Human Genome Project, which started in 1990 and whose job it is to identify the letters or chromosomes in DNA. These letters represent nucleotides called adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine (or A, C, T, G). ('92 BSCS pg. 1) The Human Genome Project idea originated in the mid 1980's and was discussed in the scientific community and media through the latter part of that decade. In the United States the combined effort of the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Health were involved in the project planning. (The National Center For Genetic Research) The Human Genome Project has several goals including identifying the genes of a human assessing the genes and comparing human DNA to that of bacteria, yeasts, the fruit fly, mice, and the Arabidopis thaliana, a small genome plant that grows rapidly. A major purpose is to determine how evolution proceeds from lower organisms to humans, and discover why the smaller genomes of animals have less junk or unneeded DNA. Geneticists use two types of maps to characterize the genes they discover--a genetic linkage map and a physical map. A genetic map registers the distance between the fragments of DNA we know according to the frequency with which they are inherited. The physical map measures the actual physical distance between two markers. Scientists want to map and develop technology for rapid genotyping, plus develop markers that are easy to use as well as generate new mapping techniques. (Instrumentation) Scientists can map genes but it is still expensive.

Argumentative Essay on Legalization of Marijuana Essay

Ever since marijuana’s first recorded use five-thousand years ago, it never had much popularity until the last century with prohibition and anti-war movements. The legalization of marijuana has recently been a rather controversial issue, although there should be no issue at all. Marijuana should be legalized. Prohibition was once tried with alcohol and it was a proven failure, and it should be soon proven again with marijuana. Marijuana is a relatively safe drug, especially when compared to other illegal drugs and even some legal drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco. There are many reasons marijuana is illegal and frowned upon today; most of which are irrational or ill-informed, while the rest are underlying reasons and irrelevant to the actual safety of marijuana and its users. There are many obvious benefits to society if marijuana were to be legalized. This includes the elimination of a large portion of underground drug dealers and their consumers. Financially, the common taxpayer would also be positively impacted. More than 300 economists, three of them well known, have estimated that the US government could save as much as $13.7 billion per year; $7.7 billion saved by not having to enforce the current prohibition, and $6 billion if the government taxed marijuana similarly to alcohol and tobacco (1). Not to mention the many jobs that would be created for American citizens in order to actually produce and market the marijuana. Medicinal reasons should also be accounted for, which include the need of medical marijuana for patients to live without pain. To put it simply; ill and ailing people are denied life-altering medicine because marijuana is illegal. Marijuana is a proven, effective, medicine. The Institute of Medicine’s report on marijuana, published in 1999, states, â€Å"In conclusion, the available evidence from animal and human studies indicates that cannabinoids can have a substantial analgesic effect.†(2). Included in this report is evidence supporting, to a lesser extent, marijuana relieving clinical depression, and was also shown to suppress  nausea and vomitting commonly associated with chemotherapy. Marijuana can also be especially effective in improving the appetite of AIDS and cancer patients. It is completely irrational to have such a potentially beneficial drug illegal, while thousands of American’s die each year from legal drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco. Marijuana is, in every way possible, safer than alcohol. Alcohol is toxic to healthy cells and organs, a side effect that results directly in about thirty-five thousand deaths in the US annually from resulting illnesses. Heavy alcohol consumption can depress the central nervous system, inducing unconsciousness, coma and death. Worldwide, alcohol consumption causes a staggering four percent of all deaths worldwide; more than AIDS, tuberculosis or violence (3). By contrast, the active compounds in marijuana, known as cannabinoids, are relatively nontoxic to humans. Unlike alcohol, marijuana is incapable of causing a fatal overdose, and its use it inversely associated with aggression and injury. The difference between marijuana and tobacco is even more evident. There is a common myth floating around claiming that one marijuana joint is equal to five cigarettes. This false conclusion is originally derived from a study by Dr. Donald Tashkin in which the researcher examined airflow resistance in the lungs of tobacco smokers compared to that in the lungs of marijuana smokers (4). He did find that daily pot smokers experience a â€Å"mild but significant† increase in airflow resistance in the large airways, greater than that seen in people smoking sixteen cigarettes per day. But what is not usually told is that, ironically, Dr. Tashkin also found, in the largest study ever of its kind, other, more important markers of lung health, in which marijuana smokers did much better than tobacco smokers. It is also rarely mentioned that the researcher’s study unexpectedly found that smoking marijuana, even regularly, does not lead to lung cancer. Zero people have died from the use of marijuana, nor has there been a case of marijuana causing any form of cancer. The fact that marijuana is illegal today is sufficiently caused by the amount of money, jobs, and pride invested in the war on drugs. The government simply cannot turn back. They make a concerted effort to inform  American citizens that marijuana is bad for the taxpayers. Billions of dollars have gone towards fighting the war on drugs – marijuana specifically -, which would seem wasted if all this money was spent on something that was legalized anyway. The US government, as an investor, is in a relatively unique situation. It just wouldn’t be logical for the government to throw away their money, jobs, and pride without extreme pressure from an outside force. They would never abandon such a huge investment, unless they had to politically. Of course, there are many voices to be heard when concerning counter-arguments to the legalization of marijuana. Unfortunately, many can be disproven logically. For example, a common argument is ‘It is morally wrong to get high.’ The people who say this are usually theists of some sort, and don’t fully realize that morals vary from person to person, or religion to religion. Without a set standard of morals, the government or anyone else for that matter should have no right enforcing one set of morals onto another, especially if no one but themselves are affected. Then there is the classic, ‘Marijuana is addictive.’ This is true, but not in the way implied. Marijuana is not physically addictive in any way as are cigarettes; you can get addicted to marijuana just as you would get addicted to food, sex or anything else in life, for it is only psychologically addictive. There are those that claim that marijuana is a gateway drug, and therefore, should not be legalized. Well, if marijuana was a gateway drug, it would be far less effective as such if it were legalized; being forced into an underground market to buy an illegal drug would unavoidably serve as a ‘gateway’ to more illegal drugs, and can only be prevented by either getting rid of the entire market of illegal drugs, or simply legalizing marijuana. The use of marijuana is not as harmful as the government wants its people to believe, but nevertheless the government sponsors scare tactics on TV, using misleading or wrong information. Renowned scientists around the world have agreed that marijuana’s ability to play a significant role in medicine is more evident now than ever. Marijuana causes absolutely no long term health issues and can improve the quality of life of millions of sick, ailing people. Harmless and innocent people will continue to be harrassed,  arrested, and forced to suffer until this ‘horrible’ drug is legalized.

Persistence Of Memory Essay

Art can be used in a number of  Ã‚   ways:   to communicate and activate persistence of memory in people. It is not only in the modern days that art is used for   communication and sensation of memory but also   in the olden times. Just to revisit the kind of writing in the olden times the cuniform way of pictures which represented actions or episodes. On seeing the pictures, one could figure out what that meant. In this, I refer to records maintained in sculptures, paintings, posters, puppets, cartons, shapes e.c.t A carving of an Ape like man could stir somebody’s memory about the early man and the evolution. Pictures drawn or painted and given the names of   some of the Medieval time inventors give   a clear picture of the type of people who lived during the time and their ways of life. This includes clothing mode of transport ( incase of a picture of an old   locomotive). The weapons they used, the houses they used to build e.t.c It is apparent that there were no cameras during those days and before   then, but artists have made things vivid for   scholars to see and figure out how things used to be in the past. Take for example, sculpture or   sculptural/ artifacts which   are all over in the   Museum and other   historic preservation sites. They are sites of   attraction to the modern generation   which   admire their beauty. They impart a lot into the minds of the viewers   and it is unlikely for one to forget what he/she has seen. Colour also has a lot of appealing before the eye of the viewer. Artist have it that different colours   stand for different meanings. For Example Red – May  Ã‚   among others things stand   for   danger Yellow for cowardice, green for peace   and e.t.c. Religious people have different   perspectives on the colours especially Christians associate red with the   blood of Jesus, black with sin and white   with glory   so you can see that colours also   form   persistent memory in people. Nowadays, political critics use cartons in the newspapers to criticize or ridicule politicians or an event they feel should not go uncommented. Cartons analysis enjoy seeing them and getting the fun of   them. You will find that with such cartons one   cannot easily forget the episode  Ã‚   displayed by the cartons. This is another artistic way of creating and maintaining memory in ones mind. Some painting works have remained in the memories of people from the time in the past   to date. If you take the impact the painting of Monalisa about   the last supper and the effect   has with   Christians today, you will marvel about   the magic it holds. Leornado Da Vincil   of Florence painted the Monalisa between 1503-08 but   although Monalisa was stolen in 1911,the effect it had on the Christians still lives today . Since copies   of it and the recreation of much more about it had   been scarred all over the world by the Christians   and the lovers of art.   Today   few makers   have produced   films which are showing   allover the world   over   his artistic   achievements. On seeing a film or paintings about the last supper, Christians are reminded a fresh in their memory of their salvation. Last supper not support   has the symbolism of Jesus giving to   his followers his body and blood in commemoration of their salvation. Educators say that seeing believes. When you watch a   film, you are not likely to forget what you have seen. So, films, play a great role in persistence memory enhancement   for it is not easy for one to forget what he has seeing in a film. The world is full of art. These artistic objects keep on recurring into   our memories when we talk about them or see similar objects. So, there   should be no   doubt that art elucidate in terms of   others and reveal about the way they see the world.