Psychological Disorders and Their Treatment An Overview of the Recent Progress and the Current Challenges in Treating Autism in Children

In the given paper, the issue of psychological disorders is being addressed in reference to the ideas expressed in Chapter 11 â€Å"Psychological Disorders† in Carole Wade and Carol Tavris’s Invitation to Psychology (5th Ed.).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Psychological Disorders and Their Treatment: An Overview of the Recent Progress and the Current Challenges in Treating Autism in Children specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Section I Textbook References: Psychological Disorders and Their Treatment Chapter 1 What Is Psychology, Court Finds no Evidence in Linking Vaccine to Autism, MMR vaccine, 2. Chapter 1. What Is Psychology, Avoid Emotional Reasoning, autistic children, vaccination, 3, 15, 16. Chapter 1. What Is Psychology, Cautions about Correlations, vaccines, 23. Chapter 3. Development over the Life Span, From Conception through the First Year, Prenatal Development, bipolar, 74. Chapt er 9. Learning and Conditioning, Operant Conditioning in Real Life, social and language skills, 316.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Chapter 11, Psychological Disorders, Use of Dogs for Vets with PTSD Is Growing, therapy for children with autism, 404. Chapter 11 Psychological Disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, antisocial/psychopathic personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder, autism, 402– ­404. Chapter 12, Approaches to Treatment and Therapy, Biological Treatments for Mental Disorders, antipsychotic drugs, neuroleptics, nonpsychotic disorders, depression, behavioral problems, problems of biological origins, attention deficit disorder, 406 ­426. Section II Discussion: Psychological Disorders as They Are Seen Today: A Current Research Analysis Both the book and the article in question provide an extensive amount of information concerning psycho logical disorders, such as autism in both children and adults. However, there are still considerable differences concerning the way in which the material in each of the sources is represented. First and foremost, it is necessary to mention that, unlike the book, the article offers a large variety of factors that might enhance the development of autism in children: â€Å"But while research is focusing very heavily on the genetic basis for autism, we have not yet identified either the specific genetic sites or the mechanisms of effect† (Schreibman para.1). The book, on the contrary, offers little to no explanations as for where autism comes from, stating only that it has â€Å"biological origins† (Wade and Tavris 423). In addition, while the book states that there are skill-training programs that can possibly help â€Å"autistic children how to behave appropriately† (Wade and Tavris 414), Schreibman states clearly that there is no cure for autism at present: †Å"Unfortunately, we have no cure for autism† (Schreibman para.4).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Psychological Disorders and Their Treatment: An Overview of the Recent Progress and the Current Challenges in Treating Autism in Children specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, it is worth mentioning that the book and the article have number of common points concerning the issue of autism. For example, both the book and the article outline the key problems that the autistic children have, starting from the basic learning process and up to more complex social relationship issues. In addition, it is noteworthy that the article, as well as the book, recognizes autism as a psychological disorder, even though the existence of the problem of autism has been questioned for quite long; according to some of the sources, children with autistic syndrome only have a different mindset. The given sources, howeve r, prove this idea wrong. Conclusion: There Is Still Much to be Done Judging by the evidence provided in the article, the line between a psychological disorder and a peculiarity of a child’s development has not been drawn clearly yet. Blurring the line between a mental dysfunction and specifics of a child’s development, such phenomena as autism and ADHD pose a number of questions to the modern medicine; among the most crucial ones is the question concerning addressing the given disorders. Learning the ways to approach autistic children and the children with ADHD as the patients that need a unique method of acquiring new skills, one can possibly develop the program that will allow the children with ADHD or an Asperger’s syndrome integrate into a modern society successfully, which the given book chapter and an independent research show. Works Cited Schreibman, Laura, 2012, 25 April. Individualized Treatments Are Future of Autism Therapies, According to Psychologis t. Web. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/04/autism-therapies. Carole Wade and Carol Tavris, Invitation to Psychology. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2012. Print. This research paper on Psychological Disorders and Their Treatment: An Overview of the Recent Progress and the Current Challenges in Treating Autism in Children was written and submitted by user Maddox K. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Battle of Princeton essays

Battle of Princeton essays The Battles of Trenton and Princeton In the fall of 1776, Washington and his men were camping out in New York City after the defeat they suffered in Long Island. The soldiers shivered around the campfires night after night without shoes, blankets, or winter uniforms. Washington knew that being surrounded by water left him and his 19,000 troops extremely vulnerable to the British with their naval mobility and larger forces. On November 21, 1776 Washington moved his troops south joining the troops from Fort Lee. He then continued the journey into Newark, New Jersey and waited there for a militia to rally, but few showed up. The next leg of this journey would take them to New Brunswick, leaving on the 28th, just as the British were arriving in Newark. Then on December 1st, the British forces moved to New Brunswick and Washington repositioned his men to Princeton. On their way to Princeton, Washington had his men destroy all bridges and cut down trees behind them to delay the British who were in pursuit of the American army. Once they had reached Princeton, the Americans fell back to Trenton along the Delaware River, which is the border with Pennsylvania. Then on December 2nd, two thousand Pennsylvania militiamen joined Washington at Trenton. Most men decided to stay home to protect their families from the enemy and any valuable possessions from the British and Hessians. The British and Hessians at this time were destroying Jersey homes, farms and possessions as they moved through the state. As Washington moved to Princeton, General Greene was faced with the advancing British and was forced to retreat. Joining Washington, the combined army now moved back to Trenton and then across the river. Washington had every boat that could be found moved to safety across to the Pennsylvania side. Reaching the Delaware on the 8th, Howe positioned himself across the river. After the search for boats up and down the river fail...

What to Do if Social Security Declares You Dead

What to Do if Social Security Declares You Dead You might arrangements for somebody to take care of your affairs after you die, but what if that â€Å"somebody† ends up being you? What should you do if the Social Security Administration (SSA) prematurely declares you dead? I’m Not Quite Dead Yet It starts with little clues, like when your ATM card no longer access your bank account or your druggist informs you that your health insurance seems to have been cancelled. You actually start to feel like you no longer exist. Then, the next day, a letter from the Social Security Administration confirms your fears by offering its sympathy for your death, informing you that your monthly benefit payments will stop  and that any payments made since your â€Å"death† would be removed from your bank account. Poor, poor dead you. Being incorrectly tagged as dead by Social Security can be devastating. Once SSA decides you are dead, it publishes your full name, Social Security number, birthday and supposed date of death in a publicly-accessible document called the Death Master File. Created to help prevent fraud, like somebody getting a credit card in a dead person’s name, or using dead peoples’ names to get tax refunds, the Death Master File too often exposes living people incorrectly listed on it to identity theft. Most cases of being incorrectly flagged as deceased are due to simple clerical errors, sometimes related to the actual death of close relatives – like spouses – who have the same last names. Sometimes states send incorrect or incomplete death information to SSA, or data entry errors might occur if SSA employees manually input death records.   How Often Does it Happen? How likely are you to be incorrectly listed as dead? According to a 2011 audit report from the Social Security Administration’s inspector general, from May 2007 to April 2010, almost 36,657 living people – 12,219 per year had been incorrectly listed as deceased on the Death Master File. The inspector general further estimated that since the file’s inception in 1980, from 700 to 2,800 people had been incorrectly declared dead every month a total of more than 500,000. Considering that the SSA receives about 2.5 million death records each year from many sources, the error rate is really very low, and when the SSA becomes aware it has posted a death record in error, the agency typically moves quickly to correct the situation.   Maintaining the Death Master File involves a complex, multi-level reporting process, so most cases of being incorrectly flagged as deceased are due to simple clerical errors; sometimes related to the actual deaths of close relatives, like spouses, who have the same last names. How Do You Fix It? It’s easy to prove you are not â€Å"a† dead person, but not so easy to prove you are not â€Å"the† dead person. How do you do it? According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), if you suspect you might have been incorrectly listed as dead on your Social Security record, you should visit – in person your local Social Security office as soon as possible. Most offices allow you to call ahead for an appointment. When you go, make sure to bring at least one of the following pieces of identification with you: Passport;Adoption record;Drivers license;Employee ID card;Military record;School ID card, record or report card;Marriage or divorce record;Health insurance card (except a Medicare card);Certified copy of medical record;Life insurance policy;Court order for name change; orChurch membership that establishes your identity. Important: The SSA stresses that the identification documents you show them must be original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued to them. They will not accept non-certified photocopies or notarized copies. In addition, all identification documents must be current. Expired documents will not be accepted. Finally, the SSA will not accept a receipt showing you applied for a document. Ask for Your ‘Proof of Life’ Letter When and if the correct your records, the SSA can send you a letter that you can give to banks, doctors or others to show that your death report was in error. This letter is called the Erroneous Death Case - Third Party Contact Notice.† Be sure to request this letter when you visit your SSA office. The Death Master File Cuts Both Ways Just as the SSA can wrongly declare people dead, it can declare then immortal, which poses an expensive problem for all living taxpayers. In May 2016, another SSA inspector general reported that more than 6.5 million Americans aged 112 and older still have active Social Security numbers. Seems strange, considering that a New York resident believed at the time to be the world’s oldest living man at age 112, died in 2013.

Analyzing Data in a Mixed Methods Research Essay

Analyzing Data in a Mixed Methods Research - Essay Example The study will involve comparing student achievement levels using quantitative analysis of academic results and qualitative survey findings but the qualitative component will in addition seek to identify if there are any underlying differences in student interest and motivation. One hundred participants will be drawn from the student population of Northcentral University School of Education with an equal number of students studying online and studying in classrooms. Online learning as opposed to face-to-face traditional classroom learning became a possibility with the advent of computer networks, most notably the Internet. It usually takes place over a distance, in which case it is a form of ‘distance learning’, or it can be combined with the traditional methods either in-class or remotely, in which case it is known as ‘mixed-mode’ or ‘blended learning’. For this study, the researcher proposes to examine online learning by comparing it to traditional classroom learning with a view to ascertaining whether it leads to any greater achievement among online students. A brief background of the study overviews the rise and growth of online learning pointing out that it is roughly commensurate with the growth of the Internet and online educational technologies. The problem statement highlights the concern among providers of online education and the complications involved in making comparisons between online and traditional learning and justifying the former in the face of counter evidence showing no significant differences. The purpose statement sets out the purpose of the study by detailing the aim, method, control variables and sample characteristics. This is followed by the theoretical framework, which is a prelude to a full literature review and sets the proposed study in context by mentioning other studies that have previously made similar comparisons. The research questions formally define the precise questions that will be

Measuring Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Measuring Performance - Essay Example This report is fundamentally structured in two parts such that first part of the report highlights financial analysis of FDP with the help of ratio analysis. Last part of the report evaluates the non-financial indicators through Balanced Scorecard. Conclusion is provided at the end of this report which summarizes the performance of FDP. Background Information Cut throat competition, shrinkage in profits and increasing redundancies turned out to be the prime factors that lead FDP to change its business strategy. The company’s streamline business used to have both non-urgent and urgent delivery system of the parcel from both mail order companies as well as from internet retailers. The normal non-urgent parcel delivery system used to take around 5 to 7 working days but due to excessively increasing and tightening situation of competition especially with the entrance of international players, it has become extremely difficult for FDP now to survive in such closed competitive envir onment of the non-urgent parcel delivery system. The board of directors of the company has realized all the situations and considered different options in order to boost the revenues of FDP. The final strategy that has been selected by the board is the discontinuance of the non-urgent parcel delivery system by replacing a fast urgent delivery system which would ensure that every parcel is delivered to its recipient within 2 hours of the order booking. Such adoption of the strategy requires significant amount of investment in the existing operations of the business as the company requires more infrastructure and advancements in its communication and information technology based machines. It is intended to provide the parcel delivery personnel a notebook computer along with a parcel scanner such that they are linked with the central database system of FDP. Through all this communication devices, the tracking, collection and delivery of parcels would be delivered with much more conveni ence as well as ensuring their delivery less than 2 hours. The board has also decided to charge the premium price in respect of the urgent delivery system from the customers. Impact of Implementation of New Strategy upon the Financial Performance of FDP This strategy would be implemented from 1 December, 2011. Therefore, the impact of the change in strategy would definitely change company’s financial performance for the upcoming year. The performance of the company in respect of its profitability, leverage, efficiency, liquidity and financing has been discussed as under: Profitability Profitability is the most highly concerned area of financial performance as it is the basis upon which every business decision is taken whether it is small as per company’s perspective or large. Whatever the decision the company takes, everyone is interested to know as what would be the impact of that decision upon the profitability position of the company. Generally there are few profita bility ratios that actually highlight the profitability in terms of various different perspectives. Some of those ratios are discussed as under: Net Profit Margin The company was struggling to maintain a steady growth rate in terms of its Net profit Margin in the past two years but with the implementation of the new strategy, the company can stabilize the growth rate of net profit margin

Indian Civilization Essay

Indian Civilization Essay Introduction India civilization begins from riverbanks which is the Indus river and the Ganges river. India derives its name from the Indus river. Knowledge of Indian civilization has come from two leading cities: Mohenjo Daro and Harappa. These cities are carefully planned where they had wide, straight streets lined with brick houses. These cities had elaborate drainage and sewer systems. Achievements in science and technology of ancient India are divided into few sub parts such as mathematics, astronomy, list of Indian inventions, etc. The history of science and technology in India begins with prehistoric human activity at Mehrgarh (known as Pakistan in present-day) and continues through the Indus Valley Civilization to early states and empires. The British colonial rule introduced western education in India in its efforts to give rise to a native class of civil servants, exposed a number of Indians to foreign institutes of higher learning. Following independence, science and technology in the Republic of India has included automobile engineering, information technology, communications as well as space, polar, and nuclear sciences. The earliest evidence of technological progress in the Indian subcontinent is to be found in the remains of the Harappan civilization (4000-3000 BC). Archaeological remains point to the existence of well-planned urban centres which is orderly fashion along with roads and drainage systems complementing them. The drainage systems were particularly remarkable for the times since they were built underground and were constructed in a manner to allow for regular cleaning. Smaller drains from private homes connected to the larger public drains. Larger private dwellings (flats) were constantly multi-storied and all homes were constructed from standardized fired bricks and provided for separate cooking areas and toilets. Storage facilities for grain and goods for trade were built as were public baths and other buildings intended for various public functions. Urban centres were often planned near riverside or sea-ports. Accurate weights and measures were in use and ports such as Lothal were developed as export centres of early manufactured products from smelted copper and bronze. Kilns (oven for burning) for smelting copper blocks and casting tools were in existence as were metal tools such as curved or circular saws, pierced needles and most significantly, bronze drills with twisted grooves. The drill enabled the production of items with unparalleled precision for the times and could be regarded as an ancient precursor of the modern machine tool. There is also evidence of planned irrigation systems and it appears that fire and flood control measures to protect farms and villages were also in place. Artisans made use of the wheel and clay pottery was decorated in a variety of colours and designs. Cotton was grown and used to produce textiles. Urban centres in the Harappan region traded with each other as well as with counterparts in Babylon, the Persian Gulf, Egypt and possibly the Mediterranean. The span of the Harappan civilization was quite extensive, and included much of modern Sindh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Western UP. But prior to its disappearance, there is also evidence of considerable social decay and disintegration. Excavations from the later phases of the Harappan civilization suggest that population pressures led to greater anarchy in building construction. Urban dwellings became smaller and settlements became more unplanned indicating a breakdown of social practices and structures that promoted urban regulations and enforced construction codes. Between 1800 and 1700 BCE, civilization on the Indus Plain vanished. The degeneration of these people is unknown. One suspected cause is a shift in the Indus River. Another is that people dammed the water along the lower portion of the Indus River without realizing the consequences such as flooding up river. Another suspected cause is a decline in rainfall. Agriculture declined and people abandoned the cities in search of food. Later, a few people of a different culture settled in some of the abandoned cities, in what archaeologists call a squatter period. Then the squatters disappeared. Knowledge of the Mohenjo-daro and Harappa civilization died until archaeologists discovered the civilization in the mid-19th century. From complex Mohenjo-daro and Harappan towns to Delhis Qutub Minar, Indias indigenous technologies were very sophisticated. They included the design and planning of water supply, traffic flow, natural air conditioning, complex stone work, and construction engineering. In forthcoming sections, we are going to discuss in detail about the ancient Indias civilization and their contributions towards science and technology in the present world. Indians Contribution towards Mathematics In the period of 400 AD to 1200 AD, important contributions were made by scholars like Aryabhata, Brahmagupta and Bhaskara II. The decimal number system that we are using today was first recorded in Indian mathematics. Indian mathematicians made early contributions to the study of the concept of zero as a number, negative numbers, arithmetic, trigonometry and algebra formulae. Some of the areas of mathematics studied in ancient and medieval India includes Arithmetic (decimal system, negative numbers, zeros, floating point numbers, number theory, infinity, transfinite numbers, irrational numbers), Geometry (square roots, cube roots, Pythagorean triples, transformation, Pascals triangle), Algebra (quadratic equations, qubic equations and quartic/biquadratic equations), Mathematical logic (formal grammars, formal language theory, the Panini-Backus form, recursion), General mathematics (Fibonacci numbers, earliest forms of Morse code, logarithms, indices, algorithms, algorism) and Trigonometry (trigonometric functions, trigonometric series). There are some evidences showing the application of mathematics by ancient Indians. Excavations at Harappa, Mohenjo-daro and other sites of the Indus Valley Civilization have uncovered evidence of the use of practical mathematics. Those people manufactured bricks whose dimensions were in the proportion 4:2:1, considered favourable for the stability of a brick structure. They used a standardized system of weights based on few ratios like 1/20, 1/10, 1/5 and etc. with the unit weight equalling approximately 28 grams. They mass produced weights in regular geometrical shapes which included hexahedra, barrels, cones and cylinders, thereby demonstrating knowledge of basic geometry. The inhabitants of Indus civilization also tried to standardize measurement of length to a high degree of accuracy. They designed a ruler (the Mohenjo-daro ruler) whose unit of length (approximately 1.32 inches or 3.4 centimetres) was divided into ten equal parts. Bricks manufactured in ancient Mohenjo-daro often had dimensions that were integral multiples of this unit of length. Indians Contribution towards Constructions Field The Indus-Sarasvati (Harappan) Civilization was the worlds first to build planned towns with underground drainage, civil sanitation, hydraulic engineering, and air-cooling architecture. Weights and measurements were standardized and oven-baked bricks were invented in India using these guidelines. There are many pioneering (first to explore new ideas/method) items of civil engineering such as drainage systems for water (open and closed), irrigation (water supply) systems, river dams, water storage tanks carved out of rock, granaries with ducts and platforms, moats (wide water channel dug surrounding a place), middle-class style homes with private bathrooms and drainage and even a dockyard (place to repair ships). There is evidence of stairs for multiple-storied buildings. Many towns have separate citadels (military stronghold); strongly fortified upper and lower towns. There are separate worker quarters near copper furnaces (place to heat material at very high temperature). Indians also pioneered many engineering tools for construction, surgery, warfare, etc. This includes the hollow drill, the true saw and the needle with the hole on its pointed end. Indians Contribution through Usage of Materials Since iron can be a secondary product of copper technology, its likely to be origin from India because copper was a well-known technology in many parts of ancient India. A smelting furnace dated 800 BCE is found in Naikund (Maharashtra), India. Recent discoveries reveal that iron was known in the Ganga valley. The Indian wootz steel[1] was very popular in Persian courts for making swords. Rust-free steel was an Indian invention and remained as an Indian skill for centuries. Delhis famous iron pillar, dated 402 CE is considered a metallurgical wonder and shows a very few signs of rust. The famous Damascus steel swords were made from Indian steel imported by Europeans. The acclaimed Sheffield steel in UK was Indian crucible steel. The best brains of European science worked for decades to learn to reverse-engineer how Indians made crucible steel and in this process, modern alloy design and physical metallurgy was developed in Europe. Another important Indian contribution to metallurgy was in the isolation, distillation and use of zinc. From natural sources, zinc content in alloys such as brass can go no higher than 28 per cent. A major breakthrough in the history of metallurgy was Indias discovery of zinc distillation whereby the metal was vaporized and then condensed back into pure metal. Brass in Taxashila has been dated from third century BCE to fifth century CE. The earliest confirmed evidence of zinc smelting by distillation is Zawar. This is the earliest place for zinc smelting and production of metallic zinc by distillation process anywhere in the world. Europeans learnt it for the first time in 1743, when expertise was transferred from India. Until then, India had been exporting pure zinc for centuries on an industrial scale. At archaeological sites in Rajasthan, retorts[2] used for the distillation are found in very large numbers even today. Once zinc had become separated into a pure metal, alloys could be made with the required zinc component to provide the required properties. For instance, strength and durability increase with higher zinc component. In addition, copper alloys look like gold when the zinc component is higher than 28 per cent. Most early brass objects found in other countries had less than 10 per cent zinc component, and, therefore, these were not based on zinc distillation technology. It was in Zawar, Rajasthan, where this first became industrialized on a large scale. Zinc mines have been found in Dariba (11th century BCE), Agucha (sixth century BCE) and Zawar (fifth century BCE). These mines have pots and other manufacturing tools of these dates, but the mining could be even older. Unsurprisingly, developments in metallurgy also had their impact on artillery (large guns) production. According to A. Rahman (Science in Medieval India), by the 16th century, the heaviest guns in the world were being cast in India and a variety of weapons were being manufactured in the subcontinent. The Jaigarh cannon factory was one of Indias best and before the crucial battle of 1857, the Jaipur Rajputs laid claim to owning Asias largest cannon. Yet, none of the Rajput cannons were ever used to confront the British who succeeded in conquering the sub-continent without ever having to fight against the countrys best equipped armies, thus demonstrating that technological progress is not an end in itself. Indians Contribution through Usage of Nature Resources Many interesting findings have recently come out about the way forests and trees were managed by each village and how a careful method was applied to harvest medicines, firewood and building material in accordance with natural renewal rates. Discoveries concerning the manufacture and application of natural and artificial dyes were first implemented by Indians. Block printing and dye and other textile-dyeing techniques were popularized. The use of mordants[3] in colour-fast dyeing of textiles became known as did the knowledge of lacquers that could be applied to wood or leather. Paints that could be used on different building materials were developed and elaborate techniques were employed to prevent fading and loss of colour during the heavy monsoons. Indian farmers developed non-chemical, eco-friendly pesticides and fertilizers that have modern applications. These traditional pesticides have been recently revived in India with excellent results, replacing Union Carbides[4] products in certain markets. Crop rotation and soil technology that has been passed down for thousands of years are traditional practices which India pioneered. Historically, Indias agricultural production was large and sustained a huge population compared to other parts of the world. Surpluses (excess of production/supply) were stored for use in a drought year. But the British turned this industry into a cash cow, exporting very large amounts of grain even during food shortages. This caused tens of millions of Indians to die of starvation in the 19th century. Given the importance of fresh water in India, it is no surprise that the technologies to manage water resources were highly advanced from Harappan times onwards. For example, in Gujarat, Chandragupta built the Sudarshan Lake in late 4th century BCE, and was later repaired in 150 BCE by his grandson. Bhopals Raja Bhoj Lake, built in 1014-1053, is so massive that it shows up in satellite images. The Vijayanagar Empire built such a large lake in 14th 15th century CE that it has more construction material than the Great Wall of China. Scientists estimate there were 1.3 million man-made water lakes and ponds across India, some as large as 250 square miles. These are now being rediscovered using satellite imagery. These enabled rain water to be harvested and used for irrigation, drinking, etc. till the following years rainfall. Indians Contribution towards Medical Field Genuine cures were listed with unscientific practices without clear distinction. But during the rational period in India the emphasis on the scientific method led to a much greater level of accuracy with respect to the efficacy of different medicines and medical procedures. The more accurately the Indian medical practitioner was able to observe reality, understand bodily functions and test the efficacy of popular medical techniques, the more successful were the prescribed cures. Dissection of corpses and careful monitoring of different diseases was an important component in the study and practice of medicine. With greater success in treatment came greater confidence and allowed medical practitioners to conduct surgical procedures using a variety of surgical tools though its unsophisticated in comparison to modern surgical equipment. Procedures for inducing unconsciousness or numbing body parts that were to be operated on were required and developed. Tools for excision, incision, puncturing, probing, organ or part extraction, fluid drainage, bloodletting, suturing and cauterization were developed. Various types of bandages and ointments were used as were basic procedures for ensuring cleanliness and limiting contamination. The caesarian section was known, bone-setting reached a high degree of skill, and plastic surgery developed far beyond anything known elsewhere at the time. Indian surgeons also became proficient at the repair of noses, ears and lips lost or injured in battle or by judicially mandated mutilation. Traditional cataract surgery was performed with a special tool called the Jabamukhi Salaka, a curved needle used to loosen the lens and push the cataract out of the field of vision. Brahmanic hospitals were established in what is now Sri Lanka as early as 431 BCE. Ashoka also established a chain of hospitals throughout the Mauryan empire by 230 BCE. While all ancient societies cherished and admired the skills of the medical practitioner, it was the more determined adoption of the scientific approach that enabled Indian medicine to make a quantum leap over the older medical systems of the time. Progress in medicine also led to developments in chemistry and chemical technologies. The manufacture of alkaline substances, medicinal powders, ointments and liquids was systematized, as were chemical processes relating to the manufacture of glass. Advances in food processing (such as manufacture of sugar, condiments and edible oils) took place as did the manufacture of personal hygiene products and beauty aids (such as shampoos, deodorizers, perfumes and cosmetics). Indians Contribution towards Shipping, Trading, Geography and Astronomy Shipbuilding was one of Indias major export industries until the British destroy it and officially prohibited it. Middle Age Arab sailors purchased their boats in India. The Portuguese also continued to get their boats from India and not Europe. Some of the worlds largest and most sophisticated ships were built in India and China. There is also extensive archival material on the Indian Ocean trade in Greek, Roman, and Southeast Asian sources. Indians are well known as traders of items like diamond, brass ornaments, gun powders, metal made swords, iron made indigo dye, copper, bronze, wootz steel, textiles, etc. Archaeologists have found geometric compasses which linear scales made of ivory. The compass and other navigation tools were already in use in the Indian Ocean long before Europe. Using their expertise in the science of seafaring, Indians participated in the earliest-known ocean-based trading system. Few people know that an Indian naval pilot, named Kanha, was hired by Vasco da Gama to captain his ships and take him to India. Deep-sea shipping had existed in India as Indian ships had been sailing to islands such as the Andamans, Lakshdweep and Maldives around 2,000 years ago. Kautilya (sacred scripture) which describes the times that are good and bad for seafaring was used as guidance. Astronomy is one area which has fascinated all mankind from the beginnings of history. The first textual mention of astronomical concepts comes from the Vedas (religious literature of India). In India, the first references to astronomy are to be found in the Rig Veda which is dated around 2000 B.C. Vedic Aryans in fact deified (worshipped) the Sun, Stars and Comets. Indians also prepared lunar calendars which were based on lunar cycle. This type of calendar (lunar calendar) is still in use today. According to Sarma (2008): One finds in the Rigveda, intelligent speculations about the genesis (origin) of the universe from nonexistence (non-real), the configuration of the universe, the spherical self-supporting earth, and the year of 360 days divided into 12 equal parts of 30 days each with a periodical intercalary (in leap years) month. Famous mathematician and astronomer, Aryabhata gave some great calculation regarding space that is almost correct. He presented his theory of heliostat, which means that planets revolve around the sun. This theory was presented about a millennium before than the theory presented by Galileo. In 20th century, world famous S Chandrashekhar presented his theory regarding black holes. References [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_valley_civilization [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Indian_science_and_technology [3] Aspects of Ancient Indian Technology H.C. Bhardwaj [4] An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology edited by A.Ghosh Volume I [5] http://yomi.mobi/egate/History_of_Indian_science_and_technology/73/a [6] http://dont-forget-your-passport.blogspot.com/2009/12/ancient-indias-contribution-to-science.html [7] http://members.tripod.com/~INDIA_RESOURCE/technology.htm [8] http://www.indianchild.com/harappa.htm [9] http://www.archaeolink.com/ancient_indus%20and%20indian%20civilizations_ancient_india.htm [10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_inventions [1] an exceptional grade of iron ore steel first made in southern and south central India and Sri Lanka perhaps as early as 300 BC [2] a container used in distilling liquids [3] combines with dye and fixes it in material [4] one of the oldest chemical and polymer companies in the United States

Concept of Martyrdom Essay

The world became astounded after it has witnessed one of the greatest tragedies of humankind. September 11, 2001 is the date where the international community has been introduced to an unknown face of an enemy. With no specified structure, its organization remains to be a vague concept with evidences and facts which are not thoroughly determined. The world is unsure who to put the blame when the phenomenon of terrorism has been revealed, thus, resulting into preconceived notions of racism to track down its roots. Perhaps the conscious recognition of terrorism launched a new concept of war in international affairs. The conventional war used to occur between two states and their respective allies, but after the World Trade Center attack, the war is waged against individuals and factions suspected of terrorist activities. Led by the United States, the war on terrorism commenced and military forces moved to alleged havens of terrorist groups which are mostly situated in the Middle East. Information regarding these factions has been acquired and the most famous of them all is named as Al Qaeda. From this information, terrorism eventually earned an identity and a face where the most wanted man in America has been associated as Al Qaeda’s leader. Osama Bin Laden, the notorious man suspected of numerous American embassies bombings even prior to the 9/11 attack. The war to hunt down Al Qaeda revealed other terrorist groups whose network stretched all over the world. As terrorism information expanded to the public, the international community saw how these groups and its members carry out their tasks to be able to hit their targets. From hijacking public transportations to kidnapping, terrorists have been known to be trained to conduct these acts. As the war on terrorism continues, the means of terrorists in fulfilling their tasks are increasing and expanding just as much as the growth of their membership. The following discussion will focus on one method of terrorism which is prominent in attacking sectors of society and have stirred strong concerns from spectators who witness the damages it cause. Suicide terrorism, as derived from its name, usually refers to an individual who has bombs attached on his or her own body and detonate it within the proximity of the target. The hijacking of planes of 9/11 is also considered as part of suicide terrorism. The usage of suicide is not a new means in the field of warfare; however, what made suicide terrorism as horrific as it is today is for the reason that it targets civilians, unlike in conventional war where it aimed at combatants. Since the whole concept of warfare has shifted its participants, acts of terrorism reflect a deeper background which needs to be further understood. First is to provide a general history of suicide attacks prior to 9/11 which focus on the evolvement of using suicide from non-terrorists to terrorists. It will be followed by examining the role of religion to the terrorist factions and how the concept of martyrdom serves as a religious duty. Following the flow of the discussion, this leads to elaborating how these groups perform suicidal attacks operating under principles established by the organization. This is to attempt in looking suicide terrorism in totality to be able to determine its implications on society. History of Suicide Terrorism In his recent book entitled Suicide Bombers in Iraq, Mohammed Hafez (2007) described suicide attacks or terrorism as â€Å"a premeditated attack by an individual who willingly uses his or her body to carry or deliver explosives to attack, kill, or maim others† (p. 6). From the preceding texts it has been briefly mentioned that suicide attack is not a new method to be used in any form of battle. Even prior to the 9/11 incident, suicide attacks has been consistent in the concept of â€Å"self-sacrifice for the interest of a broader cause† (Linden, 2003, p. 77). Before suicide attacks has been used by terrorists — tagged as part of non-state actors in the international community — this form of attack has been utilized by state combatants especially during the world wars. Kamikaze: Tactical Suicide Such notable for using suicide to gain larger benefits is the infamous Japanese Kamikaze which surprised the Americans during the sudden attack of Pearl Harbor. The usage of kamikaze has been used especially at the height of the Pacific war where Japanese pilots crashed their fighter planes into the enemies’ largest warships to further incapacitate its advantage for battle. This form of suicide attacks is determine as the tactical kind of suicide (Battin, 2005, p. 241) but it is more than just a war strategy. It is considered a duty to be fulfilled not just as a soldier but as a Japanese living to the ideology of a dignified death which is deeply embedded in their culture. Lebanon Bombings: Start of the Terror Trend The creation of dynamite from the late 1800s later evolved into customized portable bombs which are attached secretly into public facilities. By the time the production of these explosives became abundant, it has been used for performing small-scale attacks which are more inconspicuous and less suspicious attaining higher possibilities of killing the target. After the major world wars, civil wars ensued within countries especially those which are left torn by the Cold War. Prominent suicide attacks frequently occurred during the civil wars in Middle Eastern countries, one of the most significant events which gave meaning to a new concept for suicide attack are the bombings in Lebanon in early 1980s. The targets became the embassies of foreign states which have been participating in the civil war as either allies or peacekeeping forces (Hafez, p. 7). The high rates of property damages and death tolls prompted for the removal of other foreign forces out of Lebanon which made a significant impression that suicide attacks in this form are effective (Hafez, p.7). The bombings in Lebanon started the trend for the modern day suicide attacks. Basically, the two events that have been mentioned conveyed the division line which showed the difference of how attacks transformed from a part of a war strategy to inducing terror alone. The so-called success of the bombing in Lebanon in 1980s paved the way for the creation of non-state factions who act independently without any government support. Using suicide attacks became an essential method in inducing terror into a society to either kill or send a message to their enemies. Suicide terrorism encompasses a diverse field of goals whether for political reasons, economics, or attaining recognition. However did the purpose of suicide attacks expanded into, performers of this act surely behaved according to a set of principles and ideologies. These principles maybe rooted out from one’s culture such as the Japanese Kamikaze and others can be derived from nationalism, idealism, motivated by personal interests, and religion. The focus of this paper will deal with religion as the main motivation for the modern suicide attacks usually associated with religious extremists in the Middle East.