Hephaestus, the Master Craftsman

Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire, is most revered for his master craftsmanship. In works of art he is usually depicted as a middle-aged smith working in his forge, often making a thunderbolt for Zeus. Born of Hera alone, he was cast down as a baby from Olympus by his mother for his defective ugliness and fell for a whole day before he hit the ground. Nine years after he was thrown from the heavens, he returned to Olympus and became one of the twelve Olympian Gods. With Zeus’s favor, he was able to marry Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who sadly never returned the love he gave to her.Hephaestus was loved by the mortals for his kindness and he had an important role in Athens alongside Athena. Nearly every weapon, piece of armor, or building of any importance was crafted by Hephaestus. Hephaestus, rejected by his mother for his ugliness, helped countless mortals and gods, married Aphrodite, and rose to Olympus to become the master craftsman honored by all. Hephaestus is the god of fire but only in its positive and useful aspect. This also includes everything that is accomplished by fire. Therefore, any fire that destroys or damages is not attributed to him (Berens 73).He, being a smith, is the protector of smiths, both goldsmiths and blacksmiths and jewelers. Also as a master builder he is the god of builders, masons, and carpenters (Graves 15). He is also considered to be the god of volcanoes because this is where it was believed his forges were located. Inside his forges, he uses Cyclopes as his helpers because they have a natural talent for forging (Bolton 178). Not only is Hephaestus a smith, he is also an architect, craftsman, and an artist (Bulfinch 13). In fact, he is known as the master craftsman (Hansen 185).He makes nearly everything that the gods want from their weapons and armor, to their homes, palaces and chariots (Hamilton 36). Hephaestus is an ugly god. He is often illustrated with grotesque facial features and malformed legs but with massi ve upper body strength. Usually he is shown wielding a hammer and working on a weapon or object of some kind (Berens 76). In other depictions of art, items often associated with work, such as an axe, a mule, and a pilos, otherwise known as a workman’s hat, are used to represent him (Hansen 186). Hesphaestus is also represented by the quail.This bird’s strange dance in the springtime is seen as similar to how Hephaestus hobbles when he walks (Graves 15). Several stories exist on how Hephaestus was born. While all stories agree that he was born to Hera, the goddess of marriage, they differ on when he was born and whether he had a father at all. Some say that he was born to Hera, alone, because she wanted to give birth to a child by herself after Zeus solely gave birth to Athena (Martin 88). However, this is contradicted by the story that it was Hephaestus that helped Zeus give birth to Athena by splitting Zeus’s head open to allow Athena to pop out.Therefore, Hera could not have been jealous of Athena’s single parent birth since Athena hadn’t been born yet (Berens 21). This leads to the rumor where Hera had Hephaestus long before being married to Zeus (Martin 88). But the easiest explanation is that Zeus was indeed his father, and he was born before Athena (Bulfinch 15). After Hephaestus was born, Hera realized that he was ugly and crippled, and to rid herself of such an embarrassment, she threw him off Olympus (Graves 86). He plummeted into the sea, and immediately he was saved by the sea-goddess Thetis.Thetis took him to an underground cave where she and an oceanide Eurynome took turns caring for and raising the young god (Hansen 183). For nine years he remained hidden in his secret, underground home. By the end of the nine years he was already an expert craftsman. He made elaborate items of jewelry, much to the delight of his caretakers (Martin 89). He also made useful objects like clasps, pins, and cups (Hansen 184). While Hephaestus was living with Thetis in the underwater cavern, she told him stories of his birth mother, Hera. After hearing these stories, Hephaestus desperately wanted revenge on his mother for throwing him off Olympus.He began to work non-stop in his forge, leaving only for ambrosia and nectar. Some time later he emerged with a shining black and gold throne, his first masterpiece. Displayed across the entire throne were different scenes depicting the stories of the gods. He requested that Thetis take the throne to Hera up on Mount Olympus as a gift. When the throne was placed in front of Hera, she admired it for a long time. After she sat down, she realized that she could not move. Invisible bands of force held her in place. She yelled frantically, trying to escape but with no success.The other Olympians quickly came to her aid but none of them could release her either. They soon came to the conclusion that a god had made the throne, but they did not know who could have made it (Mar tin 89). Thetis, who happened to still be there, explained to the gods who made the throne. Ares immediately volunteered to fetch Hephaestus, and set off at once for the underwater cave. When Ares arrived, however, Hephaestus fought him off using flaming brands. Ares returned to Olympus empty handed and Hera began to fear that she would spend eternity stuck in a chair. Luckily for Hera, Dionysus decided he would give it a try.He gathered an excessive amount of wine and traveled to the cave. He made no sign that he was trying to take Hephaestus to Olympus. Instead he gave Hephaestus the alcohol and soon had him so drunk that Hephaestus couldn’t even walk. Dionysus then called upon his satyrs and donkey to escort Hephaestus back to Olympus in a grand parade of flute-playing and cymbal-smashing satyrs. Once they arrived at Olympus, Dionysus declared, on behalf of the drunken Hephaestus, that Hera could go only if Hephaestus was allowed to stay on Mount Olympus. Every god favored the agreement so Hephaestus unlocked the throne, setting Hera free.From then on, Hephaestus the smith was one of the twelve Olympians (Martin 90). Many people wonder how Olympus’s ugliest god became the husband to the most beautiful goddess. There are several different explanations on how this happened. One story says that when Hephaestus first saw Aphrodite, he immediately fell in love with her and went straight to Zeus and Hera for permission to marry her. Since they both agreed, they became husband and wife (Bolton 178). Another story states that Zeus gave Aphrodite to Hephaestus in thanks for him forging his lightning bolts (Bulfinch 4).A different story explains that Zeus married them to keep Aphrodite out of trouble. He thought she needed a hardworking and disciplined husband, so he chose Hephaestus (Graves 16). Lastly, one theory says that Zeus set it up as revenge for when Aphrodite refused him as a lover (Bolton 178). No matter how they got married, one thing is alw ays agreed upon. Hephaestus loved Aphrodite, but Aphrodite never returned that love (Hansen 184). Aphrodite never loved Hephaestus because she thought it was shameful to have a crippled and hideous husband (Graves 17).So instead of being a loyal and faithful wife, Aphrodite had many affairs with gods as well as mortals. The most prominent affair was with Hephaestus’s brother, Ares, the god of war. When Hephaestus found out about her affair with Ares, he became especially angry (Hansen 184). Helios came to Hephaestus and told him of the affair between Aphrodite and Ares. Hephaestus’s immediate reaction was of rage and revenge (Hansen 184). He went to his smithy and crafted a pair of invisible and indestructible chains. He took the chains and laid them over top of his bed, checking to see if it was concealed.Hephaestus told Aphrodite that he would be leaving on vacation to Lemnos and pretended to depart. As soon as Aphrodite thought he was gone, she summoned Ares to come . They laid down in Hephaestus’s own bed and instantly became trapped (Hansen 185). Hephaestus then returned to his house and summoned all of the gods to come with him. There, he let them view the humiliated and trapped lovers in bed (Bolton 180). Hephaestus explained to the gods how Aphrodite hated him for being crippled and loved Ares for being attractive. All the male gods commented on the scene and viewed it without disgust.Several of the goddesses, however, did not enjoy themselves as much as the male gods did (Hansen 185). Everyone laughed though, and made fun of Ares and Aphrodite, but some mocked Hephaestus as well (Bolton 180). Finally, with some pleading from Poseidon, Hephaestus let the embarrassed lovers go (Hansen 185). Hephaestus may have had some problems with his wife, but he was very popular among the mortals. He taught them smithing and the art of metalworking (Berens 74). Aside from that, he was known for being very helpful. Orion once came to Hephaestusâ⠂¬â„¢s forge on Lemnos after being blinded.Hephaestus took pity on him and sent a guide to take him to Apollo. Because of his helpfulness, all the mortals honored him, and many of them worshiped him (Berens 73). He has temples on the volcanic Island of Lemnos and Mt. Maschylus (Graves 88). He also has a temple on Mount Etna and in Athens. To enter the temple on Mt. Etna, the mortals must pass fearsome hounds, who serve as guards. These hounds have the ability to smell if people are good or evil. With these special guards, only the clean and righteous souls can enter (Berens 76). His temple in Athens stands alongside the temple of Athena.In Athens he serves alongside Athena as the patron of handicrafts, specifically the guardian of the smiths (Hamilton 37). Hephaestus, being the master craftsman, made a great deal of objects for the good of mankind. Many times he helped heroes on their quests, such as Hercules, Aeneas, and Achilles. For Hercules, Hephaestus crafted several gifts. Fir st, he constructed an enormous pair of clappers that were somewhat like cymbals. Hercules used these to scare the Stymphalide birds (Berens 286). He made a golden breastplate on Hercules’ behalf (Hansen 185).Lastly, he sent Hercules a golden quiver as a gift for when he became famous among the gods (Berens 282). For Aeneas, he crafted an impressive set of armor at the request of his goddess-mother (Bulfinch 155). Aeneas used the armor to defeat Turnus in battle. Finally, to the hero Achilles, he gave a set of impenetrable armor after Thetis, Achilles’ mother, asked him to help her son. Achilles had lost his previous armor and needed a replacement to protect him in his search for Hector. When Hephaestus was visited by Thetis and heard her request, he set all other work aside to complete it (Bulfinch 121).Besides helping mortals, Hephaestus had other responsibilities. As the master craftsman, he solely designed and built the numerous palaces on Mount Olympus. These inclu ded the wondrous palace of Zeus and Hera at the peak of Olympus to the palaces of every other Olympian god to even the majestic thrones that sat in each (Berens 20). Again, being the master craftsman, he built many other things. For mighty Zeus, he made the shield, Aegis and constantly replenishes his supply of thunderbolts (Bulfinch 2). To Artemis he gave armor and arrows to help her on her hunts (Bolton 178).Some of his greatest works were built for Apollo, the god of the sun. These included the magnificent palace of the sun in the east, as well as Apollo’s own Sun chariot (Bulfinch 23). Hephaestus lived through his harsh and misfortunate creation to become a well respected god, loved for his kindness and honored by the humans and gods that he assisted in numerous ways. Ordinary man chose the common quail, whose springtime dance is like his limping walk, to represent him. When he was born, his ugliness caused Hera to cast him off Olympus to rid herself of the embarrassment. Thetis took him in, raised him, and he later returned to Olympus in revenge to Hera. Aphrodite became his wife although her loyalty was to Ares, Hephaestus’s brother, and not to her husband. Hephaestus was honored by having temples in Athens and on Mt. Etna. The most marvelous works known to gods or mortals were created by Hephaestus. Even though Hephaestus is the ugliest god on Olympus, he became one of the most popular in heaven as well as on earth by happily aiding humans and kindly assisting his fellow gods alike.

Difference between dogs and cats

Every animal has its own characteristics and features. Generally speaking, each animal is adapted for existence in a certain environment and may be unable to survive or reproduce in other environments. Environment includes such factors as temperature; light; moisture; atmospheric and water pressure; and gas and mineral content of air, water, and soil. The various factors of the environment in which any particular animal lives may not remain constant at all times. Most animals are adapted to withstand certain environmental variations. This paper scrutinizes the difference and similarities between the cats and dogs.Cats are meat-eating animals. The cat family includes not only the domestic cat, but also the tiger, lion, leopard, lynx, bobcat, and many others. Wild cats are dangerous predators, but domestic cat is a pet and companion and is valuable as a means of controlling rats, mice, and other rodents. The young of most wild cats are called cubs; the young of domestic cats are kitten s. All cats, from lion to housecat, are adapted for hunting. The head is large and broad, with powerful jaws and sharp, slashing teeth. Long whiskers on the sides of the face are believed to aid the cat in feeling its way through narrow places.The eye has a vertical pupil that closes to a narrow slit in bright sunlight and opens wide in dim light, maintaining the keen vision so necessary to a hunter. A cat, like a dog, is largely color-blind. Its sense of smell and hearing are very well-developed. The cat has a lithe body, with a loose skin. There are five toes on the front feet and four on the hind. The feet are padded for silent motion. Except for the cheetah, which has feet that look much like a dog’s, all cats have claws that can be drawn backward and upward into protective sheaths. Some cats are good swimmers, but most avoid water.The traditional belief in the â€Å"nine lives† of the cat can be traced to the animal’s cleverness in getting out of trouble, a nd to its vigor and strong hold on life. Cats can live for several days without food, and recover from injuries that would kill most other animal . Kittens should be fed crumbled bits of cereal in milk, finely chopped cooked meat, or canned baby food four or five times a day. Gradually the number of feedings is reduced, but the amount increased until at 9 to 12 months the cat is receiving an adult diet. Adult cats do best on two meals a day.Suitable foods include ground lean meat, cooked, non-oily fish, canned cat food, or dry cat food. Fresh clean water should also be provided. Cats not intended for breeding purposes should be kept indoors, it should be provided with a sanitary tray. New kittens should be confined to the tray area until they begin to use it. Most cats over thee months of age use the tray readily. A fixed, padded post for the cat to scratch on will help to keep it from scratching on furniture. On the other hand, the dog is a carnivorous mammal that was domesticated by humans thousands of years ago.It serves in a variety of ways—as a companion, hunter, herder, and protector, and as a draft animal. For the blind, dog serves as guides. In some places, dog racing is a popular sport. Because of its loyalty, obedience, courage, and friendliness, the dog is often referred to as â€Å"an’ best friend. † Dogs have held a prominent place in mythology and literature. Dogs are mentioned in the Bible and in such historic works as The odyssey. The domestic dog is Canis familiaris of the family Vanidae, which also includes the coyote, jackal, and wolf. Domestic dogs retain some wild instincts.This explains why some dogs chase moving objects, scavenge for food, and turn around several times before lying down, as their ancestors did to trample down high grass for a bed. Domestic dog often sleep curled up with their tails over their faces, just as wild dogs do to protect their faces from the elements. Domestic dogs, like wild dogs, eat quic kly and are protective of their food. Dogs have very acute senses. The most highly developed are hearing, smell, and sight. Dogs can hear sounds at high frequencies, higher than the upper limit of human hearing.The sense of smell is the most important sense to a dog. Dogs can locate particular scents, follow them when reencountered. Taste buds on the tongue help the dog distinguish sweet, sour, salty, and bitter tastes. Dogs see in black and white. They have a relatively wide field of vision but a limited capacity to judge distances. A third eyelid, called the nictating membrane, is hidden behind the lower eyelid. A dog can feel pain, pressure, cold and heat. Certain hairs on the body are especially sensitive organs of touch. In addition, dogs communicate by a variety of means.The sounds they make, such as barking, growling, and whining, can indicate a number of things, including aggression, excitement, fear, and submission. Puppies are active and need three meals a day until the ag e of six months, when they need to two meals a day. A puppy needs a balanced diet containing protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. A diet of cooked meat, eggs, milk, and cottage cheese, or commercial puppy food provides necessary nutrients and calories for a growing puppy. By the age of one year, a dog needs food only dog food or a diet of meat, eggs, and cheese. Water should be provided with meals and after exercise.Since many dogs develop tartar, a thick deposit of bacteria and food particles on the teeth, knuckle bones or commercial dog biscuits are recommended to help break down the deposits. It is believed that cats were first domesticated in northern Africa. Egyptian carvings made more than 4, 500 years ago depict cats as domestic animals. The cat was a sacred animal in Egypt, associated with the goddess Pasht, or Bast. Many mummies of Ehyptian cats have been found. On the other hand, dogs are descended from Miacis, a small carnivorous mammal that lived in Nort h America over 60,000,000 years ago.Miacis was a civet-like mammal that had a long body and tail, short legs, and large teeth for tearing and chewing meat. In conclusion, cats and dogs have a common ancestor in small, extinct meat-eating animals called Miacindae, which lived about 40,000,000 years ago. Cats have seen to have developed rather suddenly from the civet branch of the carnivore group of animals. Both cats and dogs are helpful to man. Although they have different characteristics yet these animals show similarities of some ways in food and its physical features.

Benjamin Franklin

The Benjamin Franklin is quintessential American in the American history. The Benjamin Franklin was a great scientist, politician, printer, musician, economist, inventor, and environmentalist. He was a person with many historical stands with him which illustrated his excellence in various field whether it was politics or science or painting or any other field. He was an intuitive and sensitive person with many qualities. He was one of the persons who were known as the founders of America. He had a diverse area of interests and thus was having diverse qualities.He was a political leader, but at the same time he was a scientist also. This shows his quality of grasping and using his skills. The life span of Benjamin Franklin started in 1706 and lasted up to 1790. This was remarkable as the age above 80 was very rare in the in 17th century. He was the core person in the American Revolution who utilized his qualities to evolve as the politician in the American history. He used his scienti fic, diplomatic, industrial, philosophical ways to contribute to American Revolution.He conveyed his knowledge throughout the America for the building and construction of the America of his beliefs. Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts on 17th January, 1706. (Benjamin Franklin 1) His father Josiah Franklin was a wax maker. His mother’s name was Abiah Folger. The Benjamin Franklin was the youngest son among the 17 children from his father. He was 15th in his brothers and sisters. Initially his father earned his money from selling soap and candles. He was very naughty boy in his childhood. But his father did not earn well.His father as was not a rich person could not send him to school, so the Benjamin Franklin did his studies through voracious studies. Thus the Benjamin Franklin was not having enough education in his childhood as his father was a poor person. He was a person with very hard will and thus he evolved himself from the core. The Benjamin Franklin sta rted working with his father and sold soap and wax. He was an intelligent and practical person without relying on the theories. After this, he started working with his brother for five year in printing press.During these five years he had access to many books which he had borrowed from his partner sellers. Thus he started his education actually from these books related to various fields. Thus he gained his control over many fields and which he utilized further in his life. The elder brother of Benjamin Franklin started a news paper, The New England Courant where Benjamin started working and used his skills and became the apprentice. He wanted to write for his news paper, but his elder brother was against his writing in news paper.He moved to Philadelphia from Boston and worked as a printer. The elder brother of Franklin did not allow him to write for the newspaper, so he wrote some articles with a pseudo name even. He was a man with great deed. The Benjamin Franklin started working as a clerk in Denham’s merchant business. He founded a library with his friends for studying the books as the books were rare and expensive to purchase. This showed that he was very fond of reading and studying.In 1728, after the death of Deham, Franklin established a printing partnership with Hugh Meredith. In 1732, Franklin started the newspaper Philadelphische Zeitung. Up to 1734 he was a prominent person in Pennsylvania and for the first time he published the first book, reprinting of James Anderson’s The Constitution of the Free Masons. He wanted to became a high quality writer which would be renowned for his works. He spent his many years in England and made known his famous Poor Richard’s Almanac and the Pennsylvania.In his these books he used his writing skills and cited many proverbs which got famous from that time. These proverbs are used today also. He formed a public lending library and fire department in America. He was against many political steps like Iron Act in 1750, the Albany Plan of Union in 1754, but favored the stand for paper money as currency. He was acknowledged as a national hero in America at that time when he went forward to oppose the parliament to put down the Stamp Act.He also became a minister and went to Paris where he was respected comprehensively by the French people. Later in his life he became the Postmaster General and was the President of the Supreme Executive Council. He made great efforts to contribute in the American Revolution. The Benjamin Franklin was a writer also through out his life. His famous works were Poor Richard’s Almanac. This book comprised of many proverbs like â€Å"a penny saved is two pence dear†, â€Å"Fish and visitors sink in three days†.These were some of the famous proverbs from his book. These famous proverbs showed his high level of his writing. Franklin was a scientist and an inventor also in his life. He was assumed to be a magnificent person in field of science in 17th century. His famous experiment of flying kite showed his deep interest in field of electricity. He showed the concept and theory for positive and negative charges. He was the first person who showed the conservation of charges. This later became a theory.He invented Franklin stove, Catheter, Swim fins, Glass Harmonica, and bifocals. He founded the American Philosophical Society in 1743. He had a deep interest in philosophy. He was also elected as the first President of the American Philosophical Society. He started his experiments in this society about the electricity. He got retired from the printing press in 1748. In 1759 he gave his suggestion for experiment of electricity in lightening. Due to his renowned work he was elected as the first American for Royal Society’s Copley Medal.In his political career he became a councilman in 1748 in Philadelphia and in 1751 he was elected as the Justice of Peace in Philadelphia. He was appointed as the deputy postm aster general in 1953. He was elected as chief of a delegation to Albany Congress. He was sent to England to protest against Penn family in 1757. In 1763 when Franklin returned back to Pennsylvania, where he saw some war was there known as the Pontiac’s Rebellion. There were attacks on his character during this period and so he lost his assembly election in 1764.In 1764 when he reached England, King George III sent him back to Pennsylvania as the agent for the colony. He also became agent of Georgia, New Jersey and Massachusetts colonies also. He opposed the Stamp Act in London and later Townshend Acts of 1767 ends his wishes for working for English Government. He was a man with zeal and passion to work and to oppose also. So when he watched the disgusting acts of the English Government, he opposed them severely. This showed his character for freedom against the oppression.The Franklin came back to Philadelphia where the American Revolution had started. The Pennsylvania Assem bly had selected the Benjamin Franklin as delegate for the Second Continental Congress. He was a member of committee which drafted the Declaration of Independence of America in 1776. The Franklin devoted himself as a leader in the American Revolution for the independence of his nation. He coordinated with great Thomas Jefferson and made many changes in the drafts proposed by the Thomas Jefferson.He was an Ambassador to France from 1776 and became the commissioner for the United States. He lived in the France up to 1785. He was very famous personalities in France as many people buy his paintings. He, when, returned to the America back then he received an honor as he was placed just below the George Washington. He became an abolitionist in America after 1785. He worked in many fields for welfare of the people also. He donated 200 Pound for the development of Franklin Collage. He also finished his autobiography during this period of 1771 to 1788.His political career went to the peak wh en he was elected as the President of the Pennsylvania in 1785. He was the President for just three years. Thus this was the end of his political career. He worked as the President to work for the people and for the welfare of the country. He thus was very famous and respected among the people. When he was President, the people felt relaxation and were content. He, during his office duration worked with many great people or politician like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington etc.Many famous writers like Thomas Paine wrote about him and admired him for his qualities. The Benjamin Franklin was a most important character in the history of America whether it was related to science or politics or development also. The Benjamin Franklin through out his life work for the America and just remained a part of American politics up to his death. His death was termed as great loss to politics in America. He advocated the republicanism of his country in his life. He advocated this concept widely. He thought that his country when became a republic could remain when the people would attentive for their social rights and their duties. He also explained this concept in famous book Poor Richard’s Almanac. The person with a deed and character was known as Benjamin Franklin. He worked in the American Revolution for the freedom of the America from colonialism of England. He fought against the English Empire although he had worked for them. But he had a great love for his country.He had worked as the politician through out his life and became the President of Pennsylvania for the benefit and safety of his state. He was a very wise man and had rebellion character also. He strongly opposed the English Government for Stamp Act and Townshend Act in England. He worked in many committees as the delegates to explore the new political ideas. Even he was in the committee known as Committee of Five for drafting the Declaration of Independence which was comprised of Thomas Jefferson.He w as also rewarded as the second person to George Washington in his time which was a great political honor. This honor was given to him as he was hero in American Revolution. There were many myths prevailed about Benjamin Franklin as he was a great character. Some of them were true and some of them never had been proved by the people. One of the myths was that the Benjamin Franklin was a womanizer when he was residing in France as the Ambassador from America.He had thirteen children which were not legal. It was a myth that he had an illegal relation with a French woman. But it was termed to be a fake as no historian or any other captured any note about this relation. Although he had many woman friends associated with him like Catherine Shipley which was only eleven year old when she came in contact with Benjamin Franklin. He was very lovable character in women. But there were no proof that he had gone with any illegal relations with these women.But he had academic, brave and scholar r elations with them. The Benjamin Franklin was wise men who devoted his time and indulged himself completely to make a new and constructive America. There were many myths encountered through out his life which were accepted in the history. He was venerated for his beliefs which had grown to a myth. He called a three days of prayer session during recess in July, 1787 and clergyman for the prayers for daily meeting in the constitutional convention.It was also stated that the after these sessions of prayer gathering, the constitution was written very speedily. This myth was true as there were many records about this myth. There was also myth related with the Benjamin Franklin that he discovered electricity when he was flying the kite and his kite got struck by the lightening. But real fact is that when Benjamin Franklin was flying a kite, his main goal was to prove the electrical nature of lightening. Hi kite just picked up the stray charges which cause the phenomenon of stray capacitan ce.If his kite got struck with the lightening, he might be killed at that instant. He discovered the nature of charge in the lightening and thus discovered the electricity. He was the first person who showed high interest and make use of his high quality knowledge for this experiment. Thus this belief that the Benjamin Franklin had discovered the electricity was true. There were many myths about the acceptance of symbol of America at the time of Benjamin Franklin.Many people wanted eagle to be the symbol, but the bald eagle was accepted as national symbol of America. These myths were also related with the Benjamin Franklin. He was not agreed upon the bald eagle to be a symbol of a nation. It did not seem good for having bald eagle as the symbol of a nation as according to the Benjamin Franklin. But in his letter to his daughter Sally on January 26, 1784(The Eagle, Ben Franklin, and the Turkey 1), he putted his doubt on using the Bald Eagle as the symbol for America.The statement poi nted to the Benjamin Franklin â€Å"a penny saved is a penny earned† represents a myth which was broken later in the history. He wanted to utilize the money through the savings. Thus he was incorporated with the foundation of habit of saving. He was closely associated with saving the money and thought that saving money is the best method of earning. But this myth was broken as the due to modernization of the society today. There are certain myths and stories behind the Benjamin Franklin which were not true.These myths were held across the nation was due to the lack of information medium in America at that time. The medium of information was the major factor which was lagging extensively. This myths stands throughout the history because the information which was given by one person when had reached the last person, had changed due to replacement from different persons. Sometimes it might happen that, when an historian or writer had written some myths about the Benjamin Frankli n, they got reached other person.Thus these myths reached from one person to other. The major reason for the spread out of these myths was gossiping. These gossiping were the main reason for these myths. The Thomas Jefferson was very inspired with Benjamin Franklin and wrote â€Å"I have seen, with extreme indignation, the blasphemies lately vended against the memory of the father of American philosophy. But his memory will be preserved and venerated as long as the thunder of heaven shall be heard or feared. † (The Real Benjamin Franklin, pages 232-233).Instead of all the myths and stories which proclaimed about the Benjamin Franklin, he was renowned as the great and legendry personality of American history. He was one of the founding fathers of America. He had done widely for America and American Revolution with his full efforts. Work-Cited: 1) Benjamin Franklin, From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin 2) Thomas Jefferson, The R eal Benjamin, Page 232-233. 3) The Eagle, Ben Franklin, and the Turkey. http://www. greatseal. com/symbols/turkey. html

Politics of the healthcare reform billl Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Politics of the healthcare reform billl - Essay Example With lobbyists for health insurance companies, trial lawyers, doctors and drug manufacturers taking part in closed-door meetings with the proponents of the bill (Abelson) to reach a consensus about how Senate were to proceed with regard to the proposal. Moreover, advertisement campaigns were launched, as well as community meetings so as to reach out to the voters in an effort to win them over (Rutenberg). President Obama was also involved in meeting many of his own party Senators in an effort to win them over, as well as those from conservative groups in an effort to make his proposal and its acceptance as bipartisan as possible (Pear, â€Å"Obama’s Health Plan†). In March of 2009, President Obama presented his proposal before Congress (Geisel). The proposal faced two main difficulties; the Republicans were very vocal against the proposal from the onset. Even though President Obama had just made a basic outline, with giving Congress the free hand to fill in the details later (Pear, â€Å"Obama’s Health Plan†), the Republicans were not convinced that such a revamping of the healthcare system was necessary. Therefore, from the onset, under the leadership of Senator McConnell, they decided that they would try their best not to let it pass by causing as much procedural delay as they could (Herszenhorn, and Pear). On the other hand, a group of Democrats did not favor it either, as they thought some of the provisions laid out in the bill were against their principles or stance (for instance, restrictions on abortions) (Herszenhorn, and Pear). For the latter group of people, many concessions were made, with new resolutions introduced into the bill that would remove the objections of the Representatives (Herszenhorn, and Pear). However, there were also meetings that took place between the Speaker of the House, Ms. Nancy Pelosi and the reluctant Democrat members of the House

Bertrand Russell (1912) The Value of Philosophy and Brie Gertler Essay

Bertrand Russell (1912) The Value of Philosophy and Brie Gertler (2008) In Defense of Mind-Body Dualism - Essay Example Deliberating fundamental questions on the meaning of life, human nature, the cosmos, etc do not have any commercial value. But a life lived without such philosophical speculation is quite limited and enslaved. Philosophy helps us to broaden our intellectual and emotional horizons by subjugating our self-interest. It cultivates in us to focus on the non-Self, which liberates us from individual petty concerns and veers our consciousness toward bigger questions on the human condition. In other words, if specialized disciplines in science are preoccupied with the ‘how’ question, philosophy is concerned with the ‘why’ question. As Russell aptly terms it, philosophy helps us to move beyond the ‘here and now’. In doing so, it makes us separate from the particular circumstances of history and culture, thereby experiencing a universal mode of existence. Uncertainty is a basic feature of philosophy, where various answers are proposed for any given question. It is this element of uncertainty that distinguishes philosophy from other scientific disciplines. But instead of causing ambiguity, the open-ended speculations actually enhance our imagination and identify novel solutions. As the magisterium of our mind is expanded we become calmer and more secure. Unlike the defensive and anxious behaviour of the unenlightened person, the one well-versed with philosophy is able to negotiate all sorts of contingencies in life with relative ease. I totally agree with Russell’s assessment of the value of philosophy. I strongly believe that philosophy should be moved into mainstream academia, away from its perception as an esoteric pursuit. Today, almost every major problem in society is caused as a result of an unenlightened citizenry. With education increasingly becoming skill-oriented or vocational, generations of adults graduate from college without social consciousness. Studying philosophy mitigates this phenomenon by prompting us with valid questions. And in

Small Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Small Business Management - Essay Example These businesses have an entrepreneurial tool that allows them to effectively compete with other small businesses and with the large corporations in the market. Integrity and responsibility plays a significant role in enabling small businesses to excel in customer service and in good product quality. Customers always respond to evidenced integrity by being aware of the business’ ethical issues. Innovation is also central to small businesses’ success. Small business entrepreneurs excel by seeing opportunities and business ideas differently through innovative approach to business (DTI, 2001). Innovation allows small businesses to compete with the large corporations, such innovations are not only reflected by the new products but are also reflected by the way business carries out business, the involved business processes, technology and leadership approaches. According to Gooderl et al (2005, p. 10), small businesses differ from other types of businesses in terms of potent ial for growth. Some of the small businesses have promising startups implying that they have potential to drastically attain significant profitability and size. Other small businesses have marginal startups implying that they lack such prospects. Small businesses offer great rewards to their owners, some of the small businesses rise to become multinationals. ... economy; its future strength and growth potential. There are various scholars who have written about small businesses and their growth and have provided the various benefits related to small businesses in an economy. Small businesses in U.K. have played an important role in reducing unemployment, improving people’s living standards and improving performance of the economy (Moore 2008, p. 249). Small business sector is thus vital in boosting of the economy. It is the small businesses that are translated to the medium and the large businesses allowing for continued flow of new small businesses. Despite the importance of small business sector to the country’s economic growth, U.K. is still dominated by the large corporations, which on average prove more innovative than the small firms. However, the economy has shown increasing growth of small business companies in the various sectors and the government has been supportive to the sector. Besides the contribution made by the small businesses sector to the U.K. economy, there are various other factors that reflect people desire to invest in entrepreneurship. There are various reasons that facilitate growth of small businesses that emanate from the owners or the entrepreneurs. There are few studies that have been on done exploring the relationship between the theory and small business management and the management behaviours of these businesses. This study will explore the small business sector by identifying one small business in U.K and examining the various aspects of the firm and relating them to the existing theories and literature on small business management. This study will seek to answer some of the following questions: What are the reasons that influenced the entrepreneurs of the

The Shawshank Redemption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

The Shawshank Redemption - Essay Example Becoming a filmmaker is not like becoming a dentist that involves having a role model and going to dental school for some years and then going to that line of work. The movie business is based on a lot of intellectual things like instinct, talent, effort, persistence and believing in yourself. So the real answer for those who are listening to me is I was my own role model; I found my own path because I believed that what works for another person cannot work for me and vice versa. It is as a result of my ambition that I struggled for 9 years to become a writer before starting earning a living from it. The movie Shawshank Redemption is rated as an uplifting, profoundly satisfying drama with not only sensitive direction, but also fine performances. Can you please explain what might have led to your movie achieving such a profound rating? First, I will attribute the rating of Shawshank Redemption as one of the best movies to have been produced to the flow of the story. The story presented in this movie can be understood by almost every person who watches it. The choice of key characters is also another thing that enhanced the success of the movie. The main characters in the Shawshank Redemption were Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, who were among the renowned actors in that time. Incorporation of these two characters in a movie was by itself a success. Apart from storyline and choice of characters, cinematography also played a part in enhancing the success of the Shawshank Redemption in the movie industry. My working together with Roger Deakins, a renowned cinematographer, enhanced production of quality photographic images and effects. In relation to the cinematography that you have just touched on, throughout the movie you have used lighting.

How We Listen by Aaron Copland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How We Listen by Aaron Copland - Essay Example He succeeds in the clarification because of two main methods: People look on the sensuous plane for pure entertainment. For example, turning on the radio while doing something else and absentmindedly bathes in the sound. A good listener should realize that a lovely sounding music is not necessarily great music. I believe the sensuous plane before the other two is a useful technique since this is the plane most people often relate to the most. Second plane is the expressive one. Copland then discusses the notion of meaning in music. In his view, music has a meaning but the meaning is not concrete, and sometimes it is difficult for it to be expressed in words. This plane explains why music has a moving and relaxing effect on us. It is harder to grasp and requires more deep thought because Copland claims that meaning in music should be no more than a general concept. This issue is very philosophical, and one must accept the train to understand this plane (4).  Ã‚   The next plane deals with the manipulation of the notes and offers a more intellectual approach to enhancing musical appreciation. The actual structure of the music as such the length of the note, pitch, harmony, and tone color are emphasized in this section of the essay. This fundamental study of the structure is necessary to form a firm foundation for the musical piece and to understand the diagnosis of it. This technical and more scientific plane is contradictory to the philosophical sensuous plane. For this reason, it is another useful technique of Copland to use factual observations to explain the listening process to the satisfaction of the readers. After expounding his theory in the way we listen, Copland uses the analogy of a theoretical play to drive the point home. This is yet another useful technique used by him: it gives him the leeway to demonstrate clearly the interrelating of the three planes. Regarding the ideal listener, Copland says: In a sense, the ideal

The impotance of market structure to a firm Essay

The impotance of market structure to a firm - Essay Example It is likely that all the small firms have similar costs of production and this is shown in the cost curve named as ATCo. It is a natural process for one of them to become larger than others, and then it can produce items at a cost lower than others and then the cost curve for it may change to ATC'. This permits the larger firm to sell its products at a lower cost than others, and this hurts the other firms which are smaller as they incur losses at that price. It is not only development of production capacities that leads to this situation, and this concept of "natural monopoly" was first used to explain the development of the telephone industry in United States. (Microeconomics: Chapter 11) The situation in the early years was that most cities had more than one Telephone Company to provide telephone services. This was not an efficient operation as it required subscribers to contribute to the services of more than one company for getting a call through as the companies were not interconnected. Due to the fact that it was one of the first to start, Bell was larger than other companies. Since the cost of providing services to additional customers was relatively small, it was able to provide services to new customers at lower costs than others. ... The situation changed only at the end of the 20th century when the government decided to break up the company. This was believed to be a result of technological developments. (Microeconomics: Chapter 11) There are also other reasons for development of monopolies, and it happens in New Mexico due to the ownership of most known sources of desiccant clay by a single family. Even in the personal desktop industry, there are monopolies due to ownerships of software and chip technology. Monopoly also takes place due to high costs of investments for entering an industry and these come in various forms - high advertising costs for establishment of brand names, special purpose machinery needed for production, establishment of stocks at different levels for being able to make the goods available in the market, and so on. Patents and licenses are also methods of prevention of entry for new organizations, though there is justification for the provision of patents to ensure a return for research. At the same time, this permitted Polaroid to hold on to its business of instant film for a long time. (Microeconomics: Chapter 11) In UK, the distribution of industry was to a large extent controlled by the government and its public sector which changed through the privatization program that began in 1979. The first phase continued till 1983 and during this period, the government sold shares of organizations that were small in size and operating in competitive markets. The value received for the shares was more than the value of property sold, and at the same time, it reduced competition. There were some sales that did not affect competition, like the sales of more than one million publicly owned housing which gave the government a value of more than 15 billion pounds. The second phase

The author’s decidedly negative Essay Example for Free

The author’s decidedly negative Essay Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide touches on many important themes, including identity and the role of reputation within society. On top of those themes, the author also uses his work to speak to an idea of â€Å"home† within the novel. Though this work does not include a typical literary representation of home as a developmental ground for young, aspiring successes, he does illustrate how home can be a highly safe and dangerous place all at the same time. Just as Jekyll and Hyde represent a personal dichotomy, home is shown as a place that can be multi-faceted. Because of the intimate nature of the relationships developed between a person and his or her home, that person can be manipulated by the safety of home. While it might seem like a place to barricade one’s self from the rest of the world, home can actually be the single force stripping individuals of their ability to function. In this particular work, home is a place where madness persists and it is essentially ground zero for all that is wrong with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In this way, the author is accepting some of the views on the role of home, asserting that even in a sea of positives, home can play a negative role, as well. In this book, home is most certainly a place of comfort and violence. The author challenges the assertion that home could be a place where people go just to get their own measure of comfort. While it is true that Dr. Jekyll retreats to his home to get away from much of the scrutiny surrounding him, the author is quick to point out that this experience takes away from Jekyll in a big way. During one portion of the book, suspicions are at an all-time high and people continue to visit Jekyll to figure out his situation. Both the police and concerned citizens have made their way into his home, and in the early part of the book, it is not a place of comfort. In this way, it can be said that the traditional idea of home is lost for the doctor during those moments. He has police officers going through his personal effects and turning his home upside down. He has individuals peering through his windows, providing him with little privacy or comfort of any kind. During this portion of the book, the traditional idea of home is absolutely smashed. Instead of being a refuge, it is a fish bowl where immense and intense pressure is put on the doctor over a period of months. The author does use this opportunity to show the importance of a traditional safe haven, though. As Jekyll is essentially ambushed in his home, he begins to long for the comfort and the privacy traditionally expected in that kind of setting. When Jekyll stops receiving visitors, he is reaching out for the comfort of his home. He grows very tired of constantly being harassed for various reasons, even if those reasons are legitimate. He locks the doors and makes home his refuge. He takes comfort in his work in the lab, but home is also a place of violence. He lives through a kind of unchangeable madness while in his home, constantly working on concoctions and hiding from the truth about who he is. This violence is finally culminated in his suicide, which not surprisingly happens right in the middle of his comfort zone. This use of violence within the home by the author is meant to show that the comfort provided by home is a slipper slope. As the traditional views hold, the ideal of home is one that is delicate. In one moment, home can provide a place for a person to get away from criticisms and attention. In another moment, it can be a place where madness and violence consumer a person’s life. Additionally, the author presents a picture of home as the breeding ground for many of the crazed acts of Mr. Hyde. In short, every minute that Jekyll spends in his home or lab is just another moment where the reader anticipates some terrible event. Through creative sequencing and skilled foreshadowing, the author makes it very clear that the home is an ominous place for Dr. Jekyll. Though he does use it as a refuge, the author makes it seem as if he is only picking the time of his next crazed act. The traditional views hold that home is a place where one develops his or her skills to move forward in the future. Most would say that this is a positive critique of what home is all about. That is not the picture of home that Stevenson paints, though. He does use the ideas of preparation and planning, but it is always for something negative. Much like Dr. Jekyll experiments with various things in his lab, home is a place where there is decisive scheming. In this way, it is much more planning than it is preparation. There is no real personal growth taking place for the doctor; he is only hiding from his identity and attempting to conceal his acts. The author’s decidedly negative view on the role of home in terms of preparation is an interesting point. Stevenson challenges the idea that a person can receive some sort of nurturing from home that would make he or she a better person overall. Instead, he paints home as something of an independent force. For people who have the innate ability to develop and grow, home can be a good place to do that. It does provide the type of repetitive environment where individuals can focus on continued good habits. The author, at least in this work, offers the opinion that home in itself is not enough to develop those who would otherwise not get development. Additionally, he paints this repetition as a bad thing in the case of Dr. Jekyll. The doctor gets into a terrible cycle where he continues to self destruct, time and again. Because home is a place where individuals are protected and where there is very little to balance out such acts, it creates an environment where people can fall into traps. Home is not nearly corrective enough in this story. With this view, Stevenson may be offering an argument that home is only a positive when the people inside the home are providing the correct amount of support. Because it can be so many things and go so many ways, home itself is truly not to blame. It is only a framework from which people are expected to work. The real blame must go on the individuals who use the home and on the people who should be providing the customary support that goes along with being at home. For Dr. Jekyll, home is his refuge, and it acts as a place that he cannot wait to return to. As the reader clearly sees in this book, the first thing that Dr. Jekyll always does after one of Mr. Hyde’s acts is that he comes back home. There are dangerous out on the streets and he could potentially get himself into trouble, but when the doctor comes back home, he has the ability to cover things up, clean behind his tracks, and turn his life into something â€Å"normal† yet again. While many things change for Jekyll over the course of the book, including his professional reputation, his personal relationships, and his ability to manage his personalities, home is something that remains constant. It is a strong place for him to come and truly dedicate his time to his craft. Despite this somewhat positive view of what home is supposed to mean, the book indicates that Jekyll feels incredibly trapped by this situation. He is actually forced to feel like a stranger within his own home, and he comes to resent it after a short while. For the longest time, Jekyll looks forward to coming home because it provides him with safety after some of the acts of Mr. Hyde. This changes as the book moves along, though. No longer is there real excitement about coming home. Instead, he comes because that is the only place that he can go. Home becomes a restrictive force, and all that is positive about it is thrown out of the window. This is the author’s critique on the place of home. In one instance, it can be a place that people need, and it can provide the framework for success. It does not take much for home to take on a negative connotation, though. Just as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can be switched on and off in a split second, a positive view of home and a negative one can come about very quickly. The traditional view of home as a dichotomy offers the opinion that different pictures of home can be experienced by different people. For some people, home is a good thing, while it is resented by other people. Stevenson complicates this by adding an element of personal indecision on the role of home. Dr. Jekyll experiences all of these emotions within himself. His entire life is dedicated to his work in the lab and the things he has going on at home. That is truly a place of great joy and utter accomplishment for him. Later, it completely switches for him and becomes a place of death, quite literally. Not only does he kill himself right in the middle of the floor at his home, but he also sees his professional life die right in that home. People are constantly peering in, wanting to take a look at the strange and complicated Dr. Jekyll. His reputation dies and any respect that he worked so hard for in that lab goes away along with it. It is no coincidence that the author chooses the doctor’s home as the place where all of this would take place. This speaks loudly about the importance of home to a person’s development. Whether positive or negative, home does play a substantial role in shaping what a person will become. In the case of Dr. Jekyll, home is a roller coaster and home has seen the full range of experiences that he has gone through. Home, in the traditional sense, is a mostly positive place with some negative possibilities. Most authors take the view that home provides something for a person until a time comes when home is a limiting force. In this work, home is something a little bit different. Both a refuge and a place of imprisonment for Dr. Jekyll, home goes through quite a transition as the work goes along. In the end, home is a place of horrible tragedy and death, and it serves as the fitting setting of a man’s twisted, double life.

An overview of the Ozone Layer

An overview of the Ozone Layer INTRODUCTION â€Å"THE OZONE LAYER† The ozone layer is a portion of earth atmosphere that contains high levels of ozone. The atmosphere is divided into five layers: the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere, the thermosphere, and the exosphere. The troposphere is the layer closest to earth and is where all weather happenings occur. The stratosphere is located directly above the troposphere, about 10-50 kilometers above the planet, and houses the ozone layer at an altitude of 20-30 kilometers. The mesosphere is located approximately 50-80 kilometers above the earth, while the thermosphere rests at an altitude of approximately 100-200 kilometers above the earth surface. Finally, the boundary of the outermost layer, the exosphere, extends roughly to 960-1000 kilometers above the earth. The ozone found in our atmosphere is formed by an interaction between oxygen molecules (composed of two oxygen atoms) and ultraviolet light. When ultraviolet light hits these oxygen molecules, the reaction causes the molecules to break apart into single atoms of oxygen (UV light + O2 > O + O). These single atoms of oxygen are very reactive, and a single atom combines with a molecule of oxygen to form ozone (O3), which is composed of three atoms of oxygen (2O + 2O2 > 2O3). Need for OZONE LAYER The ozone layer is essential for human life. It is able to absorb much harmful ultraviolet radiation, preventing penetration to the earth surface. Ultraviolet radiation (UV) is defined as radiation with wavelengths between 290-320 nanometers, which are harmful to life because this radiation can enter cells and destroy the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of many life forms on planet earth. In a sense, the ozone layer can be thought of as a UV filter or our planets built in sunscreen. Without the ozone layer, UV radiation would not be filtered as it reached the surface of the earth. If this happened, cancer would break out and all of the living civilizations, and all species on earth would be in jeopardy. Thus, the ozone layer essentially allows life, as we know it, to exist. A Dobson Unit is a measurement of how thick a specific portion of the ozone layer would be if it were compressed into a single layer at zero degrees Celsius with one unit of atmospheric pressure acting on it (standard temperature and pressure STP). Thus, one Dobson Unit (DU) is defined as .01 mm thickness at standard temperature and pressure. Since the ozone layer over this area would form a 3 mm thick slab, the measurement of the ozone over Labrador is 300 DU. Ozone depletion: Who is responsible? It is important to recognize the sources of ozone depletion before one can fully understand the problem. There are three main contributors to the ozone problem: human activity, natural sources, and volcanic eruptions. Human activity is by far the most prevalent and destructive source of ozone depletion, while threatening volcanic eruptions are less common. Human activity, such as the release of various compounds containing chlorine or bromine, accounts for approximately 75 to 85 percent of ozone damage. Perhaps the most evident and destructive molecule of this description is chloroflourocarbon (CFC). CFCs were first used to clean electronic circuit boards, and as time progressed, were used in aerosols and coolants, such as refrigerators and air conditioners. When CFCs from these products are released into the atmosphere, the destruction begins. As CFCs are emitted, the molecules float toward the ozone rich stratosphere. Then, when UV radiation contacts the CFC molecule, this causes o ne chlorine atom to liberate. This free chlorine then reacts with an ozone (O3) molecule to form chlorine monoxide (ClO) and a single oxygen molecule (O2). This reaction can be illustrated by the following chemical equation: Cl + O3 > O2 + ClO. Then, a single oxygen atom reacts with a chlorine monoxide molecule, causing the formation of an oxygen molecule (O2) and a single chlorine atom (O + ClO > Cl + O2). This threatening chlorine atom then continues the cycle and results in further destruction of the ozone layer . Measures have been taken to reduce the amount of CFC emission, but since CFCs have a life span of 20-100 years, previously emitted CFCs will do damage for years to come. Natural sources also contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer, but not nearly as much as human activity. Natural sources can be blamed for approximately 15 to 20 percent of ozone damage. A common natural source of ozone damage is naturally occurring chlorine. Naturally occurring chlorine, like the chlorine released from the reaction between a CFC molecule and UV radiation, also has detrimental effects and poses danger to the earth. Finally, volcanic eruptions are a small contributor to ozone damage, accounting for one to five percent. During large volcanic eruptions, chlorine, as a component of hydrochloric acid (HCl), is released directly into the stratosphere, along with sulfur dioxide. In this case, sulfur dioxide is more harmful than chlorine because it is converted into sulfuric acid aerosols. These aerosols accelerate damaging chemical reactions, which cause chlorine to destroy ozone. Rocket Launches May Need Regulation to Prevent Ozone Depletion As the rocket launch market grows, so will ozone-destroying rocket emissions, if left unregulated, rocket launches by the year 2050 could result in more ozone destruction than was ever realized by CFCs. Since some proposed space efforts would require frequent launches of large rockets over extended periods. In the policy world uncertainty often leads to unnecessary regulation, this could be avoided with a more robust understanding of how rockets affect the ozone layer. Current global rocket launches deplete the ozone layer by no more than a few hundredths of 1 percent annually. But as the space industry grows and other ozone-depleting chemicals decline in the Earths stratosphere, the issue of ozone depletion from rocket launches is expected to move to the forefront. Today, just a handful of NASA space shuttle launches release more ozone-depleting substances in the stratosphere than the entire annual use of CFC-based medical inhalers used to treat asthma and other diseases in the United States and which are now banned. Highly reactive trace-gas molecules known as radicals dominate stratospheric ozone destruction, and a single radical in the stratosphere can destroy up to 10,000 ozone molecules before being deactivated and removed from the stratosphere. Microscopic particles, including soot and aluminum oxide particles emitted by rocket engines, provide chemically active surface areas that increase the rate such radicals leak from their reservoirs and contribute to ozone destruction. Every type of rocket engine causes some ozone loss, and rocket combustion products are the only human sources of ozone-destroying compounds injected directly into the middle and upper stratosphere where the ozone layer resides. Although U.S. science agencies spent millions of dollars to assess the ozone loss potential from a hypothetical fleet of 500 supersonic aircraft a fleet that never materialized much less research has been done to understand the potential range of effects the existing global fleet of rockets might have on the ozone layer. Since 1987 CFCs have been banned from use in aerosol cans, freezer refrigerants and air conditioners. Many scientists expect the stratospheric ozone layer which absorbs more than 90 percent of harmful ultraviolet radiation that can harm humans and ecosystems to return to levels that existed prior to the use of ozone-depleting chemicals by the year 2040. Rockets around the world use a variety of propellants, including solids, liquids and hybrids. Ross said while little is currently known about how they compare to each other with respect to the ozone loss they cause, new studies are needed to provide the parameters required to guide possible regulation of both commercial and government rocket launches in the future. To reduce the risk that unpredictable and more strict ozone regulations would be a hindrance to space access by measuring and modeling exactly how different rocket types affect the ozone layer. Volcanic Aerosol Clouds and Gases Lead To Ozone Destruction The volcanic gases released during eruptions accelerate reactions that lead to ozone destruction. The researchers found that even relatively small volcanic eruptions can destroy ozone and create localised holes in the stratosphere. Previously, scientists had concentrated on the climatic effects of the tiny particles of volcanic sulphate created from the sulphur dioxide gas emitted during an eruption. For the first time, analysing data from a 2000 eruption of the Hekla volcano, Iceland, the researchers discovered that volcanic gases may also lead to the formation of ice and nitric acid particles. This is a critical finding as these particles switch on volcanic chorine gases, accelerating reactions that lead to ozone destruction. Volcanic eruptions which penetrate the stratosphere can lead to the formation of the type of clouds that promote reactions with volcanic chlorine gases gases that destroy stratospheric ozone and lead to the formation of mini-ozone holes. The ozone hole: Why over Antarctica? When the topic of the ozone layer arises, many people immediately think of the hole over Antarctica, but few know why the hole is actually there. In 1985, British scientists discovered this hole. A special condition exists in Antarctica that accelerates the depletion of the ozone layer. Every Arctic winter, a polar vortex forms over Antarctica. A polar vortex is a swirling mass of very cold, stagnant air surrounded by strong westerly wind. Since there is an absence of sun during Arctic winters, the air becomes incredibly cold and the formation of ice clouds occurs. When the sun returns in the spring, the light shining on the nitrogen oxide filled ice particles activates the formation of chlorine. This excess of ozone destroying chlorine rapidly accelerates the depletion of the ozone layer. Finally, when the polar vortex breaks up, the rapid dissolution decreases. It is evident that the effects of the polar vortex are dramatic.For about two month every southern spring, the total ozone declines by about 60% over most of Antarctica. In the core of the ozone hole, more than 75% of the ozone is lost and at some altitudes, the ozone virtually disappeared in October, 1999. The average size of the ozone hole is larger than most continents, including South America, Europe, Australia, and Antarctica, and the maximum size of the ozone hole in 1996 was larger than North America. Finally, one must note that the hole over Antarctica is truly a hole only in the Antarctic spring, when the depletion is extremely severe due to the vortex. The hole above Antarctica has clearly proven to be detrimental. Plankton, organisms that live on carbon, light, and nutrients such as nitrogen, are near the bottom of the food chain, and are accustomed to low levels of UV. In December of 1994, on the island of Bacharcaise off Antarctica, increased levels of UV radiation decreased the number of photoplankton dramatically. Photoplankton are the main source of food for krill, which in turn are the main source of food for various birds and whales in the Antarctic region. At this time, due to the decreased number of photoplankton, the krill level was so low that it could not support the penguin population. Thus, some penguins were forced to travel up to two hundred miles in search of food, but most returned with none. Furthermore, when summer came, only approximately ten of the 1800 hatched penguin chicks survived. This tragedy illustrates the fact that even underwater creatures are not protected from harmful UV rays, and is a perfect example of the entire food chain being affected due to an increase in the UV radiation as a result of the thinning ozone layer. EFFORTS TO REDUCE OZONE DEPLETION Internationalefforts to attempt to limit the production and release of CFCs began once the role of CFCs in ozone destruction was established. In 1987 the United Nations Montreal Protocol was agreed and came into effect in January 1989. The countries that signed up to the protocol aim to phase out the use of CFCs globally. The main CFCs ceased to be produced by the signatories in 1995, and the European Union ceased using them in 1998, except for a very small amount in limited and essential uses such as medical sprays. Although the Montreal Protocol has been successful, it should be noted that without the subsequent amendments, recovery of the ozone hole would have been impossible. Thehydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) were developed to replace CFCs. These gases can still damage ozone if they reach the stratosphere, but they are less likely to since their extra hydrogen atom allows them to be destroyed in the lower layers of the atmosphere. These gases are also controlled under the Montreal Protocol and were phased out after 2004. The gases that replaced both the CFCs and HCFCs are hydro-fluorocarbons (HFCs), which do not contain any chlorine atoms and so have no ozone depleting effect. Unfortunately, many of them are powerful greenhouse gases and could contribute to global warming if emitted in large quantities. SincetheCFCshaveatmospheric lifetimes of about 50 to 100 years, and take 5 to 10 years to reach the upper atmosphere where they are broken down, the atmosphere reacts slowly to the cuts made in emissions of these gases. Stratospheric ozone should begin to increase as the amount of chlorine and bromine decreases. However, ozone is affected by changes in other gases, such as methane, temperature changes due to climate change, and also indirectly by particles from volcanic eruptions. Compoundscontainingbromine, such as methyl bromide (mainly of natural origin) and the brominated CFCs (halons: used mainly as fire retardants), are also ozone-depleting chemicals. While the total amount of chlorine in the lower atmosphere peaked in 1994, and is now slowly declining, the total amount of bromine is still increasing. An assessment by the World Meteorological Organization in 1998 estimated that global and Antarctic ozone levels would return to pre-1980 levels by 2050, and in 2003 evidence suggested that the rate at which ozone is disappearing had indeed slowed down markedly, although estimates as to when ozone can return to a proper balance have now been revised to the latter half of the 21st century. However, many factors influence ozone, and future levels are not completely predictable. SOCIAL ASPECTS The most obvious, and perhaps most important connection between society and the ozone layer is the fact that scientific research suggests depletion of the ozone layer directly and indirectly endangers the health of the population. Research has focused on connections between the depleting ozone layer and skin cancer, immuno-suppression, cataracts, and snowblindness. Ozone depletion and skin cancer: What is the connection? Exposure to UV radiation increases the risk of skin cancer and causes damage to the DNA in the skin cells. DNA is extremely sensitive to UV radiation, especially UV-B radiation. UV radiation is located in the optical radiation portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, while UV-B radiation is a subdivision of the ultraviolet spectrum and consists of a wavelength of 280 to 315 nanometers. Thus, DNA is especially sensitive to radiation with a wavelength between 280 and 315 nanometers . When UV radiation hits the skin, it can cause the cell to lock up and scramble or delete DNA information. This action causes confusion in the DNA, and the body loses control of the growth and division of the cell. If the conditions are right, the cell may become cancerous. It is important to note that not all affected cells turn into skin cancer, for many can repair themselves. However, continual exposure to UV radiation increases the risk of skin cancer due to cumulative damage of the DNA. Skin cancer can be divided into two categories: melanoma and non-melanoma. The melanoma form of skin cancer is the more dangerous of the two. This type of cancer has the ability to spread quickly throughout the body and invade other cells. On the other hand, non-melanoma skin cancer is not to be taken lightly either, but is a less serious form of the disease. Non-melanoma skin cancers are not usually life threatening, and removal is relatively routine. However, treatment does include radiation therapy or surgery. The concern of many is that sunburn may lead to increased risk of acquiring skin cancer. Some forms of cancer are associated with sunburn, while other forms are not. Melanoma skin cancer is a form that sunburns may play a leading role in. Jan van der Leun, a Dutch scientist, explains that, light hitting the outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, triggers the production of some substances which diffuse into the dermis below. The dermis is filled with blood vessels, and the c hemical substances cause them to dilate, making the skin red and warm to the touch. The bottom line is that UV ray exposure increases the risk of skin cancer. However, controversy lies around the question of whether or not the depletion of the ozone layer will lead to more sunburns, and in turn, more skin cancer. Some scientists suggest that the skin will gradually adapt to higher UV-B levels as the ozone gradually depletes. The opponent to this theory would state that the thinning of the ozone layer would lead to more human UV-B exposure. This increased UV-B exposure would, in turn, increase the damage to the DNA making it difficult for the cell to correct the damage before it divides. This damage accumulates over time and increases the chances that a cell will turn cancerous. In addition, since UV-B radiation damages the immune system, it is much more likely that a cell will turn cancerous.In animal studies, immunosuppressive effects caused by UV-B have indeed been shown to play an important role in the outcome of both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Furth ermore, states that for the non-melanoma skin cancers, the evidence is compelling and there are estimates that each percentage decrease in the stratospheric ozone will lead to a two percent increase in the incidence of these cancers. Thus, if the ozone depletes by ten percent over a certain time period, 250,000 more people would be affected by these cancers each year. Due to controversy in the scientific community, it is difficult to clearly state whether or not ozone depletion will lead to an increased risk of skin cancers, but scientists agree on the fact that UV-B radiation plays a large role in the formation of cancer. Thus, it may very well be that as the UV filter we call the ozone layer thins, the increased amount of UV-B radiation posed on human skin may contribute to an increased amount of skin cancer. Yet, one can only weigh all the evidence and speculate, for science has yet to provide a cut and dry answer for society to base its judgments on. DISCUSSION Regardless of the details of the arguments, it is obvious that the depletion of the ozone layer is a serious problem that poses many consequences to society. Although scientific controversy exists, the possibility seems high that the depletion of the ozone layer will prove detrimental if action is not taken. For example, research shows the strong possibility of a number of health risks associated with increased UV-B exposure as a direct result of the thinning ozone layer. These health risks include skin cancer, immuno-suppression, cataracts, and snow blindness. Furthermore, the possibility that increased UV-B radiation results in lower crop yields should provide a wakeup call to those who feel the thinning ozone layer is not a problem. For if we are not able to breed UV-B resistant plants, the worlds food supply would become dramatically decreased, resulting in higher levels of famine and malnutrition. Studies from Antarctica tell society that increased UV radiation can directly affect the food chain. Recall the decrease in food supply as a result of reduced levels of photoplankton in Antarctica. This may seem like an isolated, non-significant, and remote problem; however, this incident illustrates the dangers of reduced food supply and alteration of the food chain as a result of the thinning ozone layer. Even though the photoplankton were located at the bottom of the food chain, the whole chain was affected. In the future, problems like this could potentially affect the global food web and result in an overall decrease in food supply. Thus, realize that the dangers posed by ozone depletion are real now, and will be in the future, if action is not taken. Take Action: Teamwork does the trick Although the earth will be able to heal itself if the CFC level continues to stay as it is, the depletion of the ozone layer is still a problem that society should be concerned with. In order for earth to repair the damage humans have posed on the ozone layer, society must take an active role. There are many tasks individuals can involve themselves in to help combat the problem of ozone depletion. First of all, one can simply check product labels for ozone friendly status. Many companies have gone to great lengths to remove CFCs from their products. These products do not do as much damage to the ozone layer, and thus, are denoted as ozone friendly. A collaborative effort by society not using products with CFCs is a major step toward the healing of the ozone layer. Unfortunately, many products still used in society are detrimental to the ozone layer. For example, CFCs marketed under the trade name Freon are used in appliances with refrigerants such as refrigerators and air conditioners. When individuals must dispose of products with refrigerants in them, certain actions must be taken in order to prevent the CFCs from escaping from the disposed product. For example, when an agency, such as a waste hauling company, comes to pick up the unwanted appliance, check to make sure refrigerant-recovery equipment is used by the agency. This equipment allows for the disposal of refrigerants without damage to the ozone layer. Society can also help the problem of ozone depletion through education, as well as through various donations. If individuals contribute time or money to environmental agencies focused on healing the ozone layer, the agencies will be able to organize activities promoting the understanding of the ozone problem. If society is educated through these means, more individual efforts will be taken to make ozone smart decisions such as using ozone friendly products. Although thinning ozone may not directly affect the generation growing up today, future generations depend on the actions taken now. Thus, it is important for society to recognize that the thinning ozone layer is a problem and to take action in order to ensure the safety and survival of future generations. Result It is very much clear from the above discussions that there is an urgent need of the hour to realize the importance of the very critical ozone layer which is just like a god gift to human civilisation. It acts as a protection shield which prevents the dangerous and harmful UV rays entering the earth surface. It job is to filter those harmful particles present in the rays that can lead to severe destruction of mankind, wealth and property. The impact of ozone depletion can be seen on the world`s economy today it has slow down the progress of not only any particular nation rather it is a global phenomenon which is hindering development. According to surveys conducted it has been seen that year 1998 observed max. decline in amount of ozone depletion. SUMMARY The ozone layer is essential for protecting society from harmful UV radiation by acting as a filter. However, this protective layer has been thinning due to three main sources: human activity, natural sources, and volcanoes. Human activity is responsible for the most damage to the ozone layer, thus, society should recognize that much can be done to prevent ozone layer damage. In 1985, in a region over Antarctica, the yearly polar vortex had caused the ozone layer to deplete so greatly, that it could be classified as a hole. In 1996, this hole was large enough to cover Antarctica. The depletion of the ozone layer does not come without problems. Scientific research has suggested the probability that increased UV-B radiation as a result of the thinning ozone layer leads to increased cases of skin cancer, immuno-suppression, cataracts, and snowblindness due to radiation damage of the DNA. Additionally, experiments have shown a correlation between increased UV radiation and crop damage due to UV radiation damaging the plants DNA. Some scientists, however, feel that this will not be a problem in the future due to the possibility of breeding UV resistant crops and plants. Many national governments and agencies recognized the problem of ozone depletion, and therefore, united in 1987 to sign the Montreal Protocol. This agreement was implemented to decrease CFC levels in order to help protect the thinning ozone layer. Clearly, ozone depletion is a dangerous problem due to possible disease outbreaks and famine as a result of increased UV-B radiation. However, society can collectively attempt to combat this problem by relatively simple means such as education and the practice of ozone smart behavior. For if society acts now, future generations will be handed a safe and healthy planet.

Impact of Work Related Stress in Nurses

Impact of Work Related Stress in Nurses WORK RELATED STRESS AMONG NURSES AND ITS EFFECTS ON QUALITY CARE DELIVERY IN TAMALE TEACHING HOSPITAL BACKGROUND Stress is a concept describing the interrelationship between a person and the environment. It is the response by a person to stressors in the environment. Selyes General Adaptation Theory (Selye, 1976) described stress response as biophysiologic in nature. When the person is subjected to a stressor, a characteristic syndrome of physical reactions will occur. The stress concept can also be seen as active in a holistic view of the person. The stress response can be physical, psychological, emotional or spiritual in nature and is usually a combination of these dimensions. Stress, similarly, can arise from one or more dimensions and can be either internal or external. Stress and the negative outcomes of stress have been recognized as financially costly to any health care organization. Negative outcomes of job stress among nurses include illness, decline in overall quality of care, job dissatisfaction, absenteeism, and staff turnover (Schwab, 1996). Job stress describes the stress associated with the professional or work environment. Tension is created when the demands of the job or the job environment exceed the capacity of the person to respond effectively. Job stress varies with each work environment. Job satisfaction has been shown to be closely affected by job stress. In a metaanalysis of variables related to nurses job satisfaction, Blegen (1993) identified the variables of age, autonomy, commitment, communication with peers and supervisors, education, fairness, locus of control, professionalism, recognition, stress and years of experience. Blegens analysis found stress and commitment to have the strongest relationship with job satisfaction. Irvine and Evans (1995) also found a strong negative correlation between stress and job satisfaction although not as strong as that found by Blegen. Job satisfaction has also been negatively linked to intention to leave and actual turnover (Hinshaw Atwood, 1983; Irvine Evans, 1995; Price Mueller, 1981). Although job satisfaction is a complex construct, the strong negative correlation to stress and behavioral intent to leave employment warrants the attention of nursing administrators. Attention to job satisfiers may not be sufficient to o ffset the job stress experienced by nurses thus leading to thoughts of leaving employment. ÂÂ  Freudenberger coined the term burnout in 1974 to describe workers reactions to the chronic stress common in occupations involving numerous direct interactions with people. Burnout is typically conceptualized as a syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. PROBLEM STATEMENT Nurses occupy a particularly interesting position in the provision of health care. Often they are the sole intermediary between the doctor and the patient and in the front line of health services. Nursing requires a great deal of collaboration with other clinical professionals with different cultures, social backgrounds, as well as the ability to take on various roles during a single workday. These might include participation in teams, attendance during rounds and meetings, field trips, palliative work, providing counseling to patients and their families, and social services. These stressful situations obviously caused problems for nurses in their daily work. Job stress among healthcare staff is becoming a common occurrence in most public health services (Winstanley and Whittington, 2002:303). In the high demand for effectiveness and efficiency of public health service delivery, nursing staff is placed on a high responsibility to ensure the demand of public citizen is satisfied (Ritter et al., 1995:164). Nursing focuses on activities that relate to diagnosis and treatment of human responses to health and illness phenomena. However, inherent in this caring occupations are numerous sources of built-in stress that become occupational hazards for nurses (Huber, 1996:560). There are many components to this experience of stress such as staff shortages, high level of responsibility, dealing with the death and the dying, dealing with patients relatives, coping with the unpredictable, making critical judgment about interventions and treatment, and balancing between work and family commitments. These are forces that realistically generate stress am ong nurses (Gordon, 1999:285; Aurelio, 1993:1-10). The issue of insufficient nursing staff and its effects has caused many nurses experiencing job stress in carrying out their responsibility and maintaining the standards of patient care in public health services (Mackay, 1989:60-61). Furthermore, staff shortages with increasing workload raise concerns to the nurses ability to cope and deliver adequate service to the client, which in turn create a stressful environment within nursing profession (Mackay,1989:60; Huber, 1996:561). PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study is to determine the level of work related stress among nurses of tamale teaching hospital, its effects on their health and effects of the stress in their delivery of quality care to the patients. OBJECTIVES To determine the level of work related stress among nurses and its effect on quality care delivery in Tamale Teaching Hospital. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES To investigate the most prominent sources of job stress among nurses in Tamale Teaching hospital To investigate the most prominent effects of job stress among nurses in Tamale Teaching hospital To explore the most preferred coping mechanism to reduce job stress among nurses in Tamale Teaching hospital RESEARCH QUESTIONS What are the most prominent sources of job stress among nurses in the hospital What are the most prominent effects of job stress among nurses in the hospital What is the most preferred coping mechanism to reduce job stress among nurses in hospital SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This research is to identify the sources of job stress, effects of job stress on the nurse and coping mechanism adopted among nurses. It is hoped that the findings will provide great understanding of the major causes of job stress and its effects towards nurses in Tamale Teaching Hospital. The findings will also address some implication concerning the coping mechanism adopted by nurses in Tamale Teaching Hospital when dealing with job related stress. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS Stress is a concept describing the interrelationship between a person and the environment. Burnout is typically conceptualized as a syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. LITERATURE REVIEW Stress has been used to describe the bodys mobilization on dealing with a challenge or threat (Griffin, 1990). Drafke and Kossen, (2002) defined stress as the bodys non-specific response to any demand. Selye classified stress into two categories, each with two variations: distress (harmful or disease-producing stress) and eustress (beneficial stress) (Drafke and Kossen, 2002). Selye introduced General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) model in his study of stress, which consisted of 3 stages; alarm, resistance and exhaustion. The distinction between short and long term effects of stress on the body is brought out by this model (Marshall and Cooper, 1979). Besides the physiologically oriented approach to stress represented by the classic GAS model, attention is also being given to the psychological and the behavioral dimension of stress (Luthans, 1998). All three dimensions are important to the understanding of job stress and coping mechanism in modern organizations. Stress is an unavoidable feature of modern living.ÂÂ   The impact of dynamic and uncertain environment characterized by restructuring, reengineering, layoff and downsizing threatenes ones personal security of employment (Huber, 1996). Generally, stress is always thought of in negative terms. That is, stress is perceived as something bad, annoying, threatening and not wanted (Mckenna, 1994). For example, words or phrases such as depression, feeling out of control, overworked, migraine or headache, time pressure, anxiety, cannot sleep, are commonly used to express what stress means to us personally (Sutherland and Cooper, 2000). Stress is one of those words that everybody knows the meaning of but none can define it (Woodham, 1995). As a result, it is vital to give attention to what stress is not about in todays organization. As pointed out by Luthans (1998) three major misconceptions about stress are as follows: Stress is not simply anxiety. Anxiety operates solely in the emotional and psychological sphere, whereas stress operates both and also in the physiological sphere. Thus, stress may be accompanied by anxiety, but the two should not be equated. Stress is not simply nervous tension. Like anxiety, nervous tension may result from stress, but the two are not the same. Unconscious people have exhibited stress and some people may keep it bottle up and not reveal it through nervous tension. Stress is not necessarily something damaging, bad or to be avoided. Stress is inevitable. Stress is not damaging or bad and is something people should seek out rather than avoid. The key is how the person handles stress. A certain amount of stress is essential to sustain life and moderate amounts serve as stimuli to perform but overpowering stress can cause a person to respond in a maladaptive physiological or psychological manner (Sullivan and Decker, 2001). From the organizations viewpoint, stress in the workplace usually is perceived as something undesirable and is a normal pressure most people experienced at work (Krumm, 2001). Stress is generally viewed in terms of the fit between peoples needs, abilities, and expectations with environmental demands, changes, and opportunities (Cummings and Worley, 1997). The General Adaptation Syndrome or GAS is an early model of stress which viewed stress response as a natural human adaptation to a stressor (to change or leave the stressors) in the individuals physical or psychological environment (Champoux, 2003). Selye described the process of GAS into three stages (Cooper and Marshall, 1978): Alarm reaction in which an initial shock phase of lowered resistance is followed by countershock during which the individuals defense mechanisms become active. Resistance the stage of maximum adaptation and hopefully successful return to equilibrium for the individual. If, however, the stressor continues or defense does not work, the individual will move on to; Collapse or Exhaustion when adaptive mechanisms collapse. Fully understanding stress and its many effects must involve great attention to the three related stages (Selye, 1956). Arousal rises quickly to high levels and many physiological changes that prepare our bodies for strenuous activity (either flight or fight) to take place. The body prepares to fight or adjust to the stressor by increasing respiration, heart rate, muscle tension and blood sugar. The initial reaction is soon replaced by the second stage known as resistance. At this point, if a stressor is too intense the individual may feel restless to cope with it. However, after a short period of alarm the individual will gather all strength and start resisting the negative effects of the stressor. The body tries to return to a normal state by adapting to the stressor. If stress persists, the bodys resources may become depleted and the final stage known as exhaustion occurs. During the exhaustion stage the body begins to wear down from exposure to the stressor. At this point, the ab ility to cope decreases sharply and severe biological damage may result if stress persists. If a person experiences the stressor long enough and does not effectively manage the source of stress then stress-related illnesses can appear. The damaging effects of stress occur in this stage for both the individual and organization (Baron and Greenberg, 1990; Champoux, 2003; Payne and Walker, 1996; Greenberg, 2002; Griffin, 1990). While stress is reflected by the sum of the nonspecific changes which occur in the body at any one time the GAS encompasses all nonspecific changes as they develop throughout time during continued exposure to a stressor (Selye, 1956). The GAS is a useful model for explaining physiological processes which may lead to stress-related illness (Payne and Walker, 1996). The GAS theory says (Selye, 1956; Rice, 2000; Lyon, 2000). All life events cause some stress. Stress is not bad per se, but excessive or unnecessary stress should be avoided whenever possible. The stressor is the stimulus eliciting a need for adaptation; stress is the response. The nonspecific aspects of the bodys reaction to an agent may not be as obvious as the specific effects. Sometimes, only disease or dysfunction will make an individual realize that he or she is under stress. Stress should be monitored. Removal of the stressor eliminates stress. Stress is a natural and essential part of living and growing (Burns, 1992). Moderate levels of stress and stimulation such as challenging but achievable goals can energize and motivate employees. The middle area of the graph shows the stress levels that result in the greatest performance. When a level of arousal exceeds our ability to meet the demand placed upon us we will experience feelings of burnout, exhaustion and ultimately will impair employees performance (Wright and Noe, 1996). Extremely high and extremely low level of stress tends to have negative effects on performance. A certain amount of stress among employees is generally considered to be advantageous for the organization because it tends to increase work performance. However, when an employee experiences too much or too little stress, it is generally disadvantageous for the organization because it tends to decrease work performance (Certo, 2000). In conclusion, stress is an environmental action that places special physical and/or psychological demands that produce an adaptive response that is influenced by individual differences (Kreitner and Kinicki, 2004). SOURCES OF STRESS A variety of studies have shown that quantitative work overloads are potent sources of stress in the workplace in which individuals are asked to do more work than they can complete in a specific period of time (Cassar and Tattersall, 1998; Mullins, 1999; Fox et al., 1993; Ganster and Murphy, 2000). Another major source of job stress is associated with a persons role at work (Marshall and Cooper, 1979). Role ambiguity refers to an employee who is uncertain about how to perform on the job, what is expected in the job and unclear relationship between job performance and expected consequences (Rue and Byars, 1997). Role conflict arises from inconsistent expectations of the organization or from job-related expectations conflicting with a persons other roles (Wright amd Noe, 1996). Cooke and Rousseau (1984), in their study on Michigan teachers to investigate the effects of family roles and work-role expectations on strain. Role theory predicts that multiple roles can lead to stressors (wor k overload and inter-role conflict) and, in turn, to symptoms of strain. The results of this study were generally consistent with the role theorys prediction for work-role expectations that were found to be related to work overload and inter-role conflict and these stressors were found to be related to strain. The finding also indicated that family roles found to be related to strain in three ways: interaction with work-role expectation, those who are married, and those who have children (Cooke and Rousseau, 1984). In addition, there is a consistent relationship between the behavioral characteristics of different jobs and the levels of various stresses experienced by a group of employees. The findings indicated that five of the divisional job dimensions correlate with at least half of the 18 stress variables. Two studies, were conducted on occupational stress and its relation with antecedent variables and job performance among nurses in four hospitals. The finding of the first study indicated that work overload, uncooperative patients, criticism, negligent co-workers, lack of support from supervisors, and difficulties with physician caused stress to hospital nurses. As a result, nurses performed their jobs less effectively. The finding of the second study indicated that there was no significant relationship in years of nursing experience, age, tenure in their nursing unit, tenure in their hospital, or whether they worked full time or part time with job-related stress and job performance among n urses (Motowidlo, 1986). The lack of supportive relationship or poor relationship with peers, colleagues and the superiors are also potential sources of stress, leading to low trust and low interest in problem solving (Khan and Byosiere, 1995; Baron and Greenberg, 1990; Schultz and Schultz, 1994). Relationship at workplace can be classified into relationship with superiors, colleagues, subordinates, those who use your goods/services, those who supply you with goods/services and those whose decisions affect your status and resources (Ward, 1987). It is not possible to obtain a complete stress profile by looking only at sources of stress in the workplace. Thus, it is vital to consider the interfaces that exist between work, home and social life of an individual that contribute to stress. These include marriage, pregnancy, illness, divorce (Baron and Greenberg, 1990), hassles of daily life-household hassles, time pressure hassles, inner concern hassles, environmental hassles, financial responsibilities (Baron and Greenberg, 1990), worries about children, health, misplacing things, worry about crime and rising prices (Schultz and Schultz, 1994). EFFECTS OF STRESS It is vital to know the effects of job stress on physical health, psychological and behavioral on an individual after understanding the nature of stress and major sources of job stress. There is overwhelming evidence to indicate that continuous exposure to stressful situations, or an accumulation of stressors over a period of time, is directly associated with the onset of illness, emotional stress and engaging negative activities (Burns, 1992; Jones, 1988). The fact that stress can make people ill and is implicated in the incidence and development of coronary heart disease, mental illness, certain types of cancer, smoking, dietary problems, excessive alcohol consumption and substance abuse, life dissatisfaction, accident and unsafe behavior at work, migraine, stomach ulcers, hay fever, asthma and skin rashes, marital and family problems (Dalton, 1998; Cooke and Rousseau, 1983). Moreover, it was identified that an individual who has poor problem-solving and coping skills, inability to understand and cope with own emotions, and lack of social and self- assertion skills is more vulnerable to stress and subsequent alcohol and drug misuse (Vetter, 1981). Generally, the effects of work stress occur in three major areas. The effects of stress on physiological include increased of blood pressure, increased of heart rate, sweating, hot and cold spells, breathing difficulty, muscular tension and increased of gastrointestinal disorders. Effects of stress on psychological consist of anger, anxiety, depression, lowered self-esteem, poorer intellectual functioning, inability to concentrate and make decisions, nervousness, irritability, resentment of supervision and job dissatisfaction (Chen and Spector, 1991). Decreased performance, absenteeism, higher accident rates, higher turnover rates, higher alcohol and other drug abuse, impulsive behavior and difficulties in communication are few effects of stress on behavioral (Hellrigel, 1986; Bhagat, 1985). COPING MECHANISMS Based on the above reviews, job stress can be a detrimental to the health and well-being of an individual. Therefore it is important to discuss effectively ways of responding to stress on the individual level. Generally, coping has been focused on internal and external resources for coping with stress which deal with work and general life stresses (Cartwright and Cooper, 1996). Coping can be defined as constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external and/or internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984). Coping is also viewed as a dynamic process and response to situation characterized by uncertainty and important consequences (Latack, 1986). Furthermore, coping is illustrated as a process oriented, non-automated adaptive behavior, effort, and managing life stressors (Backer et al., 2000). With these general definitions, coping can be best illustrated as managing taxing circumstances, expending efforts to solve lifes problems and seeking to master or reduce stress (Burke and Weir, 1980). From the literature, successful coping does not mean eliminating all stress. It is important to understand the nature of stress at workplace and its effect before we can reduce or moderate stress. A healthy person will face stress confidently, deals with it and gets beyond it. It is important for an individual to develop coping mechanisms to reduce job stress and apply these coping mechanisms into use in his/her everyday life (Krohne, 1996). The involvement of workers or workers group of all phases is equally necessary to ensure successful implementation of stress intervention to combat job stress in the workplace (Murphy, 1995). A coping mechanism can be effective if resources are targeted to specific problems and aimed at the elimination of the sources of stress. The success to reduce job stress in the workplace embraces both individual coping mechanism and effective organizational intervention on stress management. METHODOLOGY This chapter describes the study design, the study area, the study population and the sampling procedure as well as the recruitment of respondents and the data collection procedure. The data entry and analysis is also outlined in this chapter. RESEARCH DESIGN This study is a cross-sectional study method designed to determine the level of work related stress among nurses of tamale teaching hospital, its effects on their health and effects of the stress in their delivery of quality care to the patients. RESEARCH SETTING The study will be conducted at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH). It is a primary tertiary referral centre providing patient care to residents of Tamale and neighbouring towns and cities. The hospital has about 30 wards from which the respondents would be solicited. TARGET POPULATION This study will target the registered nursing staff with at least three years experience at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. SAMPLE, SAMPLE SIZE, AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE The sample size is 240 respondents this was arrived at by the using Cochran formula. Sample Size = [z2 * p(1-p)] / e2 / 1 + [z2 * p(1-p)] / e2 * N] N = population size z = z-score e = margin of error p = standard of deviation N= 655 Z= 1.96 (using 95% confidence interval) E=0.05 P= 0.5 Sample size = [(1.96)2*0.5(1-0.5)]/0.052 / 1 + [1.962*0.5(1-0.5)]/0.052* 655 Sample size = 384.16/1.6375 Sample size= 235 An extra 5 was added to make it 240 respondents. INCLUSION CRITERIA Respondents must be registered nurses with at least 3 years working experience in the Tamale Teaching Hospital. EXCLUSION CRITERIA Nursing students and nurses who have not worked up to three years will be excluded from the study. DATA COLLECTION TOOL A well-structured questionnaire will be used to collect socio-demographic data, knowledge on work related stress from the respondents. PROCEDURE FOR DATA COLLECTION Probability sampling technique will be used. This will be done to give an equal opportunity to all the targeted population. The data collectionÂÂ   will employ the use of structured questionnaire which respondents willÂÂ   checked and also gave short answers to some questions to solicit data from respondents. All the wards will be successfully visited on a daily basis to get eligible participants for the study. Purposive sampling will be used to select clinicians from the hospital who will be available during the data collection from Tamale Teaching Hospital. The study collected data on the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, general knowledge about hand washing, assess the differences across age groups, gender and their experiences regarding handwashing through the use of a structured questionnaire administered by the research assistants with minimal clarification from the research assistants. Primary data will be collected and used in the analysis. DATA ANALYSIS The data will be coded into excel and then entered into SPSS V.16 for analysis. Responses were assigned codes in the form of numbers, which made it easy for keying in the responses into a computer format. Univariate analysis was done for socio-demographic characteristics of respondents and also for areas that require only descriptive statistics. Bivariate analysis will be performed to find associations or relationships between socio-demographic characteristics and level of knowledge, attitudes and practices of clinicians on handwashing ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Approval will be obtained from the Ethics and Research Committee of the hospital. Formal consent will be obtained from the respondents prior to administration of questionnaire. Participants will be informed the study is purely for academic purposes and names will not be needed and assuring them of their privacy. Respondents were also told that they had the right not to participate in the study. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The main limitations will be resources, time. 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