DIBS Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Sometimes he sat mute and unmoving all morning or crawled about the schoolroom floor oblivious to the other children or to his teacher.† The book Dibs is a testimony of a child who seemed to be mentally retarded because he has created his own world inside of him. In her book, Virginia Axline proves that the therapy by the play is a way of curing people such as Dibs. During her book, she gives lecture to the reader of a recording taken from the sessions with the little child. During this expose, we will develop Dib’s relation with adults in particular his teachers, parents and grand mother. Then we will analyze another relation: the one with his therapist. In the second part the phenomena of rejection will be analyzed in both sides: in the mother and the father side but also with Dibs itself. Later, we will try to understand which role play therapy had occurred on Dibs change. When the books starts, Dibs is in the school since two years. At the beginning he refused to talk. Sometimes he could stay dumb and still during an entire morning. Other times, he could have violent bout of anger when it was time to go back home, which provoked towards teachers and director of the school a big anxiety. Was he mentally retarded? Was he suffering of a mental illness since his birth? Did his brain have received a shock? No one knew, even his parents who always refused to talk about their son’s attitude. But as the author, Virginia Axline, said â€Å"there was something about Dibs behavior that defied the teachers to categorize him, glibly and routinely, and send him on his way. His behavior was so uneven. At one time, he seemed to be extremely retarded mentally. Another time he would quickly and quietly do something that indicated he might even have superior intelligence† (Axline, Virginia Dibs in search of Self, 15). The staff meeting of class finally dec ide to help Dibs and to do something for him. It is at this point that the Doctor Virginia Axline, â€Å"specialized in working with children and parents† is called. Dibs relationship with his teachers was non existent. His reaction was the one of an assisted person. When it was going-home time, the child used to stay in the class without a gesture waiting for the teachers to put his coat on while saying â€Å"No go home! No go home! No go home!† (Dibs in search of Self, 1... ...ip with the examiner, whom he had never seen before† explains Virginia Axline in her books. The results of Dibs indicated that Dibs was an â€Å"exceptionally gifted child† capable of getting a score of 168 at a I.Q at fifteen years old. The reader will found in annex, a letter written by Dibs himself when he was fifteen in order to protest against an injustice. This letter shows first of all a maturity certain of the adolescent and the miracle that Play Therapy had on him. I found personally incredible to realize that this child who was predominate to stay in his own world all his life had been capable to write this letter where the theme of humiliation and revenge are once again present. Works Cited Axline, Virginia. Dibs in Search of Self. New York: Ballantine Books, 1964 Axline, Virginia. Play Therapy. New York: Ballantine Books, 1969 Battachi, Marco W. Une contribution à   la psychologie des à ©motions : l’enfant humilià ©. Paris: n.p, 1993 Brenner, Charles. An Elementary Textbook of Psychoanalysis. New York: Anchor Books Doubleday, 1973   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Winnicott, Donald. Playing and Therapy. London: Tavistock Publications, 1971   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Chaim Potoks The Chosen †Rueven and Danny :: Potok Chosen Essays

The Chosen – Rueven and Danny In the novel, The Chosen, Chaim Potok successfully captures the strange customs of a Jewish community through wit and satire. Potok's novel focuses on two Jewish boys, who live in a world where their families expect high standards of achievement of them. The wish to become an insightful leader in the Jewish community was an always-predominant custom of the two families. But with hard work and perseverance, the two boys (Rueven and Danny), find out that they really are, and what lives they will lead in the future. The novel concentrates on the desire to conceive a person's personal wants while conforming to tradition. The basis of all the conflicts in the entire novel stem from the differences in family life, which are brought on by the discrepancies of religious beliefs. Rueven, who is an Orthodox Jew, goes to a parochial school where Hebrew is taught instead of Yiddish (which would be considered the first Jewish language). Rueven's school is also very integrated with many English-speaking classes. But on the other hand, Danny, who attends a yeshiva (also a Jewish school), considers himself a true Jew because he (unlike Rueven) wears the traditional side curls and is educated in Yiddish. At first the two boys cannot stand each other, many times Danny refers to Rueven as "apikorsim," (32) which basically translates to... someone who is not true to their religion. These differences between the two soon become obsolete with one unfortunate accident, and make them realize they could use each other to get through some hard times. "Silence is all we dread. There's ransom in a voice--But Silence is infi nity."-Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson's quote can be related to the novel in several ways. "Silence is all we dread," can relate to Danny's lifestyle and how he cannot stand the silence in which his father lives. The only time Danny makes conversation with his father is when he is studying the Talmud. " It occurred to me suddenly that not a single word had passed between him and his father all evening, except for the Talmud contest" (145). This silence is basically what drove Danny to search for guidance or someone to talk to. "There's ransom in a voice," relates to Rueven being Danny's savior. As Danny explains to Rueven what he said to his father, "I told him we were good friends, I really think we are" (119).

Stephen King Ars Poetica on Horror

Danse Macabre, he views Lovecraft as a major impact in the field of dark horror fiction writing and also acknowledges the fact that King himself considered him as a major source of inspiration, which was embedded In his style of writing. When he reminisces about how he got Introduced to the genre, he states that his first pick of the countless texts happened to be one of Lovecraft's short stones. King mentions, that although many consider this writer as a hack. hat could be clearly seen from his writings is that â€Å"the man himself took his work eriously*' (Danse Macabre 1 17), Based on the excellent horror works that Lovecraft produced, Stephen King shares the belief, that the most powerful horrors could only work, if the reader felt the weight of the size of the universe and the contradictory size of one individual, and these works implied such not mentioned forces so powerful, that they could â€Å"destroy us all If they so much as grunted In their sleep† (Danse Macabre 80).This, as a matter of fact, Is the basis for all xenophobic tales and serves as a basis tor creating the scary atmosphere and which Lovecraft efers to as ‘cosmic fear'. We have established that a working piece of macabre is one that has the ability to create a connection with our feeling of fear. However, this cannot stand by itself and it is the writer's responsibility to portray these embodiments.A great amount of imagination is essential from the reader's part for the piece of horror to work, King however looks at imagination both as a blessing and a curse (Danse Macabre x), since people with a massive Imagination are the sanest, most down-to-earth people, they are clear on the dangers posed on our everyday Ilfe rom almost any direction. King refers to this phenomenon as ‘seeing in darker spectrums' (Danse Macabre x), which is a healthy outlook on the world, healthier than the so-called ‘ostrich policy', where one acts as if the problem is non-existent.That i s why he Jokingly mentions readers of horror as ‘sick, but lively puppies' (Danse Macabre x). Accepting the fact that threats are all around us one makes it easier to go on with life, since this can be viewed as accepting our mortality and not being clouded by delusions of Invlnclblllty. However, merely reallzlng the dangers Is not ufficient, one has to watch out not to go to extremes: because neither could work, both ends of the extreme reject something vitally important to our everyday life.That is why it is Imperative to find a balance between reality and imagination. And since readers of horror have a pretty stable mindset despite the topics they are reading about, we can agree with King when he calls readers of horror saner the average person (Danse Macabre Why Horror Is Needed To some extent every person needs horror In their life according to King. He believes that by exposing ourselves to unreal and fearful scenarios through different media, e exert a therapy that is m ost beneficial to our healthy mindset.King mentions in his foreword of his short story collection Night Shift, that many view the love of horror as an unhealthy obsession. He calls it ‘slowing down and looking at the accident' syndrome (3), because people are curious by nature, always looking for stories and answers, even though they may not find one. And when the time comes that one has to Tina tne answer, It may not De solved alone.I nat Is wny Klng says tnat norror fiction is a ‘safety valve, a kind of dreaming awake' (Danse Macabre x), which means hat it is used to let pressure out, since as he says ‘the world of our normal lives looks ever so much better when the bad dream ends'. We take refuge in make-believe terrors, we know evil is lurking around and seeing it come to life reassures us of the fact, that we are not paranoid and there are other people out there who think alike about the dangers in our everyday lives. It is a battle one has to fght with a real life emotion by oneself.But a horror fiction can only work if the reader is personally touched. ‘They grope into our subconscious minds, and find the things so terrible we annot articulate them and confront them' (Danse Macabre xi), which is in Stephen King's opinion a definition of horror of good quality and what every artist should strive to achieve when creating a tale that was meant to scare. By stimulating our ‘psychological pressure point' (Danse Macabre 86) as he calls it – usually in connection with our own mortality – writers might be able to evoke the type of fear that King is trying to describe.This however has to be done not on a direct level, but with the use of symbols in the horror piece. The writers strive to create a dream-like tmosphere in hopes of illustrating or recreating the nature of their problem in the reader's mind. Dreams are volatile forms of coping, unless it hits the ‘pressure points', the impact might not be as deep and it might be forgotten in a short amount of time. As King puts it: [A great horror story is] one that functions on a symbolic level, using fictional (and sometimes supernatural) events to help us understand our own deepest real fears (Danse Macabre xi).He emphasizes ‘understand' here and avoids saying ‘know', because if one is introduced to it without actually having the roper background explained; one would lack the ability to confront it or would not be able to come up with a plan to tackle it. Only supernatural elements, however, make it harder for the reader to exercise their suspension of disbelief; another essential tool has to be integrated, which is none other than realistic elements. In his book King mentions, that he particularly remembers a movie, which had a great impact on him: The Blair Witch Project.Since it is a movie, it has visuals to work with as well as music, and although it was made with a small budget, it looked and it felt eal, according to King. Although in the movie itself there is not much action and we do not see the witch, Just by placing it in a very realistic environment, it made the film believably true, further supporting the idea of realism as a ground for suspense. But making a good horror is hard, since the genre and the audience are constantly changing in the sense that new topics need to be introduced every once in a while.Horror writing is a very volatile and delicate form of art, says King, and it is in constant need of innovation. What worked once may not work again, â€Å"catching ightning in a bottle†, revisiting the same ideas may wear out after a time (Danse Macabre xii). As time passes the object of people's fears are changing, while at the same time it stays the same on an instinctive level, that is why horror writers need to invent new ways to make us fear the unknown and to let us indulge in its dark atmosphere.Horror works on two levels: ‘gross-out' level, meaning the distasteful images and the horrid monsters in the tale, and on a more potent level, describing horror as a kind of dance, a slow rhythmic search for our deepest level of emotions, he simple and brutally plane hole of a Stone Age cave-dweller (Danse Macabre 218). I nls Is Daslcally slmllar to wnat LovecraTt was trylng to explaln In nls essay, tne instinctive fear that has been present since people exist.So we can conclude that the definition of a real danse macabre is when the creator of a horror story is able to unite the conscious and the subconscious mind with one potent idea, usually with a dash of realism and an equal amount of supernatural used, so that the readers can still rely on their suspension of disbelief. Is Horror Art? We have established, that for a good horror to be written, many elements have to be in place. And that raises the question: is horror a form of art.Although this is a yes- no question, the answer to this is not as simple as it looks like. Not every piece of this genre can be viewed as a form of art, because several elements have to work together to create a good horror story. King goes ahead and claims that since it was composed like a piece of music or painting, and it was looking for something that would predate art: phobic pressure points (Danse Macabre 18), then we can safely all horror an art form. This point of view might be a bit biased; King himself admits that he is an avid fan of the genre.He does agree with the fact that some narratives are not as well thought out as they should be, but he does not mention that by doing so, they are failing to fulfill their primary purpose of introducing readers to their own fears. Carroll on the other hand has a more critical approach on the subject: he agrees that it might as well be an artistic genre, but generalization of it should be avoided (38). He calls horror a â€Å"concept with fuzzy and perhaps developing oundaries†, which basically suggests that it does not require a tight definition.W e could try and categorize horror by how well it exerts the phobic pressure point idea. Most works are able to find the so-called national phobic pressure points – which as the name suggests, is not aimed at the individual, it is experienced on a grander scale -, most successful pieces of horror media always plays upon and express fears which exist across a wide spectrum of people, fears often political, economic, and psychological rather than supernatural. In connection to this phenomenon King entions the time, when the movie version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers came out.The motion picture had come out at the time of the Red Scare, when people were afraid that their close friends or even relatives might be communists. The movie tells the story of an everyday American little town, with everyday American people who are slowly being replaced by pod-people, who look and act like the switched humans. We can see the parallelism between the two and although Finney, whose book was the one that got adapted into film format, claimed that the story itself was written ithout any intent of a political undertone.But because of the timing, it has emerged as one of the most well-known horror tales. Another example of well-timed symbolism that has affected big audiences would be the emerging of the zombie culture. Taking a look at the historical overview, we can determine that this fad has been gaining ground since the terrorist-scare in America. The image of ruthless, animalistic, seemingly unstoppable beings that only know how to kill and hunt people without remorse would be exactly how the American government tries to depict errorists.We can agree that applying pressure on the national phobic pressure points work, still, King raises an interesting paradox about the issue: it is a generally accepted idea that negative emotions are usually associated with ‘mob instincts', when in reality these are what drive wedges between individuals, and then we are lett alone wltn our Tears, ana In Tact tney ao not unlte us. Yurtnermore ne asks wny we need make-believe horror when there is so much real horror going on in life (Danse Macabre 27).Or putting it another way: why people need stories of isintegration, Just to, by outletting our pent up emotions, bring them back to a constructive state again. The answer is right there in the question, to help people cope with the harshness of reality in the form of entertainment. this feeling of reintegration, arising from a field specializing in death, fear, and monstrosity, that makes a danse macabre so rewarding and magical†¦ that, and the boundless ability of the human imagination to create endless dream worlds and then put them to work† (Danse Macabre 28) – explains Stephen King why he chose this particular media to express himself.

Diversity from the Perspective of a Food Service Director Essay

An effective and successful â€Å"food service director† is somebody who has a heartfelt/genuine desire or yearning to establish, maintain, and continuously improve a hospitable and compassionate atmosphere for everyone regardless of what culture an individual belongs to or what beliefs he or she practices or what traditions he or she holds (Purdue University n. p. ). This means that a â€Å"food service director† should always be on the lookout on how to advance â€Å"cultural awareness, as well as, diversity† among its subordinates and everyone in the company he or she is working for, for that matter (Purdue University n. p. ). The subordinates of the â€Å"food service director† should be obliged to undergo â€Å"diversity training† wherein they will be taught certain languages or dialects that their clients speak (of course, this depends upon the location of their food service) (Purdue University n. p. ). For instance, in some places, there are mostly Filipinos and Spaniards who dine and so the â€Å"food service director† should make an effort to learn the language and even the culture of the aforementioned clients to make them feel that they are most welcome and so that they will also enjoy the service provided to them that will surely make them go back to that particular restaurant (Purdue University n. p. ). The same is true when it comes to the workforce of the â€Å"food service director†; he or she should be able to learn to respect other people’s cultures, practices, beliefs and be a perfect example for everybody he or she leads (UNESCO n. p. ). The â€Å"food service director† should be able to work with his or her subordinates effectively and this is a way to do it; upholding such will also improve the working relationship of the subordinates and thus they are motivated to become more productive as well (UNESCO n. p. ). Comparison of Culturally Diverse Groups For example, if we choose Filipinos as a culturally diverse group and compare its differences, as well as, similarities to the Americans, which in this case is the main-stream group, we will find out that for Filipinos, rice is a â€Å"major staple food† unlike Americans where they enjoy mashed potatoes a lot more than rice (BBC News n. p. ). Another difference that should be respected by the â€Å"food service director† is the use of eating utensils; he or she should be aware that Filipinos utilize spoon and fork typically instead of the spoon and knife that the Americans are used to (Kwintessential Cross Cultural Solutions n. p. ). In addition to the aforementioned, Filipinos usually arrive â€Å"fifteen to thirty minutes later† especially if it is a large party, unlike Americans who always pay particular attention to the time (Kwintessential Cross Cultural Solutions n. p. ). On the other hand, what these two cultures have in common is the fact that they dress properly when dining out (Kwintessential Cross Cultural Solutions n. p. ). Certain Accommodations/Adjustments that the Food Service Director has to Make There are several things that a Food Service Director can do and some of these are the following: First of all, it is important for the â€Å"food service director† to value certain differences (UNESCO n. p. ). This example portrayed by him or her will surely be instilled in his or her subordinates and will surely play a large role in the success of their service, and consequently that of their company as well (UNESCO n. p. ). Second, â€Å"food service director† has to learn the communication practices of their clients, for instance, there are certain cultures that appreciate being complimented on the clothes they wear and some think it is rude for strangers to comment on such personal issue; the â€Å"food service director† really has to develop tolerance for such (UNESCO n. p. ). The same is true with regards to suggesting on what food to order, in some cultures, they consider it rude if the â€Å"food service representatives† directly suggest; they appreciate it much better if they ask first before the â€Å"food service representatives† speak to them (UNESCO n. p. ). Third, the â€Å"food service director† has to be knowledgeable about certain languages that clients typically utilize to give them a sense of being exceedingly welcome (Purdue University n. p. ). Finally, the â€Å"food service director† has to uphold cultural awareness among his or her subordinates (Purdue University n. p. ). Conclusion It is important to be culturally aware so as to achieve more productivity; this is good for the food service business (Purdue University n. p. ). Furthermore, working relationships are upheld and maintained when the â€Å"food service director† and everyone around him is culturally-aware, this means that they value differences and that they respect each other (Purdue University n. p. ). Moreover, clients feel extra comfortable knowing that the places they dine at know, understand, and respect their culture, beliefs, and traditions as well (Purdue University n. p. ). This only shows that tolerance for culturally diversity is an extremely important issue nowadays and that properly/not properly addressing such issues will make or break a certain individual/career/business (Purdue University n. p. ). Works Cited BBC News. Rice Prices Hit Philippines Poor. 6 April 2008. n. a. 16 May 2008. http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/business/7330168. stm Kwintessential Cross Cultural Solutions. Philippines: Language, Culture, Customs, and Etiquette. n. d. n. a. 16 May 2008. http://www. kwintessential. co. uk/resources/global-etiquette/philippines-country-profile. html Purdue University. Purdue Housing and Food Services Wins National Diversity Award. 13 November 2007. n. a. 16 May 2008. http://news. uns. purdue. edu/x/2007b/071113CoulsonDiversity. html UNESCO. Promoting Tolerance. 2007. n. a. 16 May 2008. http://portal. unesco. org/shs/en/ev. php-URL_ID=6551&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201. html

Reviving the Hemingway in Me

Writing is regarded as one of the fundamental learning skills that every student should learn. When we were in our early years, we are taught of how to write the alphabet. I could still remember the tedious experience of filling the pages of my notebook with the letters. Everyday, different letter is documented in the pages of my notebook. This activity aims to attain the perfection of writing characters adhering on the blue and red lines of my writing notebook. I could also remember when I started practicing the cursive form of writing, involving loops and sloppy curves. At first, my handwriting was illegible, that even I had a hard time reading the papers I wrote. After attaining perfection in recognizing and writing the timeless characters of the alphabet, the time of constructing sentences and simple paragraphs was the next in the line of my learning in my English class. The construction of my sentences includes grammar and syntax. My childhood experience in this aspect includes wrong choice of words and wrong subject-verb agreement, but these things were forgivable as I was a beginner back then. The words I used widen my ever-growing vocabulary and add up to the increasing body of knowledge I hold. As the sadistic education process progresses, the integrated requirements in the curriculum took a notch to the higher level. Subjects became harder and professors require loads of work. Essays have become a common and everyday work in English classes and other subjects. Almost every aspect of school suddenly required writing. My calloused fingers never stops working as I tediously finished all the necessary requirements for my classes. Through this activities that were often unnoticed by the students honed our essential craft in writing. The assignments that our mentors give out serve as practice in developing further what we already know. Determining one’s level of writing has become difficult. Because there are no agreed determinants for the quality of writing. Moreover, writing have different aspects and criteria could never be generalized. Literary writers are very proficient in utilizing adjectives and idiomatic expressions, and have very good writing skills. But they could not be as competent in technical writing or writing research papers and business related texts. In my personal view, my writing skill is average, for there are certain aspects of writing that I ought to learn. I am able to accomplish assigned writing tasks though I am not confident that it would satisfy every person's taste. For writing is subjective or relative, it may be good for one but not to all. I am able to write compositions of different kinds, like literary, formal and technical writing based on the requirements for the text. I can easily adjust my writing style on the needed criteria for the writing assignment. My strong points include the fact that I am well-versed and able to utilize the English language appropriately. I am able to play with words, especially in literary writing which requires the use of adjectives and style. Modesty aside, I could regard myself well in developing a certain topic and including relevant information needed in written work. I am also a wide reader that I think is very essential in writing for reading enables you to include all kinds of relevant information you obtain through research. I am also knowledgeable in the different citation style, like MLA and APA. Though I am not very familiar with the other citation styles, I am very willing to learn this for it will be useful in my study. I am also open to constructive criticisms for the improvement of my writing style. My weaknesses would be on grammar, though this is only minimal errors. But sometimes, I tend to overlook some of my sentences and if I already committed errors in the written work. There are times that my mood affects my writing. Sometimes I tend to manifest my emotion through writing. The way I feel sometimes had an effect on my writing and my desired outcome on my manuscript. Instances like when I suffer melancholic situations, I tend to write about lonely stuffs or even not to write at all. But the positive side of me is I am eager to learn of the things I know nothing or little about. I am very open to criticisms especially when it comes to improving my writing capabilities. I am excited to take on challenges and this includes writing about topics I am not familiar with, for this is regarded as a new experience for me. Taking on subjects on unknown field gives me a wonderful feeling of discovering and learning new things. I am expecting that I will further improve and grow as a writer and I will be able to utilize my talents and skills for great outcomes. I am also expecting to learn new things like techniques that I am able to use in creating wonderful works on my craft. After taking this course, I expected to have that wonderful feeling that I am capable to write like my favorite novelist and develop stories that I could eventually share not only in the class but to others. This is the time that I could proudly say that I finally found the Hemingway in me.

Abdominal Pain Critique

‘Assessment of the patient with acute abdominal pain’ is an article published in Standard Nursing in 2006, written by Elaine Cole, Antonia Lynch, and Helen Cugnoni. In this article, Elaine Cole, Antonia Lynch, and Helen Cugnoni provide an overview of how nurses can thoroughly perform an assessment of abdominal pain in adults. For this reason, it is important that nurses obtain an accurate comprehensive patient history and assessment. This article also provides an overview of the anatomy and physiology of the abdomen, the various causes associated, and vital questions to properly perform an assessment of the abdominal pain. Summary of Article Abdominal pain is the one of the most common reasons that people seek help for medical care (Cole, Lynch, & Cugnoni, 2006). The abdomen is the largest cavity in the body and contains many organs and structures. The abdomen consists of the stomach, liver, spleen, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys, small intestine, and large intestine. For assessment purposes the abdomen is divided into four quadrants: left upper quadrant, left lower quadrant, right upper quadrant, and right lower quadrant. Abdominal pain has many causes, from simple to complex presentations (Cole et al. , 2006). Therefore, it is essential for nurses to understand the anatomy of the abdomen and be able to distinguish between acute and non-acute conditions to provide an effective treatment plan. According to Cole, Lynch, and Cugnoni (2006), It may be difficult to establish the cause of the abdominal pain because of the diversity of clinical signs and symptoms. A brief description of the common causes of abdominal pain and related symptoms are further discussed. Just to name a few causes, for example, appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix that often has a colicky pain around the umbilicus or epigastrium; symptoms include vomiting, constipation, loss of appetite, or occasional diarrhea (Cole et al. , 2006). Another, cholesystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder with a constant colicky pain in the right upper quadrant; symptoms include anorexia, nausea, vomiting and fever (Cole et al. , 2006). In addition, hepatitis is an infectious disease affecting the liver. There are several different types of hepatitis but the most common is hepatitis A; the pain is usually in the right upper quadrant with anorexia, jaundice, dark urine and pale stools, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly, pyrexia, and urticaria (Cole et al. , 2006). Furthermore, a urinary tract infection (UTI) is also a very common cause associated with abdominal pain. Women are most prone in developing this infection. UTI’s are often characterized by suprapubic discomfort, dysuria (pain or burning during micturition), frequency, hematuria, urgency and cloudy urine (Cole et al. , 2006). In order for a patient to receive the appropriate care needed for the abdominal pain, nurses must complete an accurate and detailed history and assessment. According to Cole et al. (2006) a systemic approach to perform an assessment should be used so that vital information is not overlooked. Questions should be asked concerning: pain, associated symptoms, past medical history, medication history, family history, and a social history. Questions regarding pain should include the position, radiation, quality, character, relieving and exacerbating factors, severity, timing and duration. Additionally, other questions to ask would be pertaining to appetite or weight change, bowel habits, and nausea and vomiting, and urinary symptoms. As well as, a complete past medical history, current medications, social and family history should be included. Regardless of the symptoms or diagnosis, all patients should have nothing to eat or drink in case any operative interventions are needed. The physical assessment should present the patient’s vital signs: temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. Further, diagnostics should consist of an electrocardiogram, urinalysis, lab test, and fluids. Patients may benefit from non-pharmacological methods of pain control such as positioning, warm compresses, and anxiety reduction through reassurance; nevertheless, analgesia will be prescribed to relieve pain and distress (Cole et al. , 2006). Also, anti-emetics are usually accompanying the pain medication to relieve any nausea and vomiting. Evaluation of the Article This is an interesting article, presenting an outline of an assessment of a patient with abdominal pain. The title clearly defines what the article is all about. The focused population, the major outcome being measured, and a brief description of the possible causes are all included in the title. The focused population here is adults experiencing abdominal pain. The major outcome being measured is the nurses overall understanding of anatomy and physiology and a thorough history taking and a brief description pointing out the most common causes of abdominal pain in a clinical setting. The author emphasizes on the most common causes of abdominal pain, as well as to assist nurses in the history taking and physical assessment. The article provides valuable knowledge of the assessment strategy in an organized fashion and a clear manner. However, the authors did not present any evidence, such as real cases or statistics. The purpose of this article is practical, interesting, and relevant. Practical since the assessment tools can most definitely be useful in the everyday use of health providers, so it can be easily adopted into nursing practice. Interesting as it goes into detail about the numerous possible causes and symptoms of abdominal pain. Relevant since it applies to nurses and other health providers in an acute clinical setting. The content discussed in the article will benefit nurses and practitioners. The summary in this article was able to provide me with an excellent overview of the topic encouraging me to want to read on and on. Also, the summary was short and concise. After reading this article, a deeper insight into understanding the anatomy and physiology of the abdomen is developed. The authors did a great job providing a table displaying the organs in the abdominal cavity, which was refreshing to one’s memory while reading about each possible cause of abdominal pain, thus allowing the article to be easily read. Additionally, the pneumonic used for the causes of pancreatitis is a great tool to have for future reference. The research in this article is sufficient in providing information on the health assessment and does not need additional research. Lastly, many terms mentioned in the article were well defined, but there were spelling errors in the article, pointing out a few words such as localized, generalized, feces, characterized, and summarized. Overall the article was good, yet, it could benefit from some improvement. Conclusion  This article provides a practical overview of the many abdominal pain causes, from acute to non-acute conditions. Nurses play a key role in collecting an accurate patient history and assessment of a patient presenting with abdominal pain. Abdominal pain is the most common reason people seek medical help and can reflect physical discomfort. Therefore knowledge of the many causes of abdominal pain and management is vital. Furthermore, it is essential that nurses understand the anatomy and physiology plus the symptoms related to abdominal pain.

Calibrating a pressure gauge using an air-operated dead-weight pressure gauge tester for air gauges

Calibrating a pressure gauge using an air-operated dead-weight pressure gauge tester for air gauges INTRODUCTION: Calibrationis the set of operations that establish the relationship between the values of quantities indicated by a measuring instrument and the corresponding values realized by standards. The result of a calibration allows for the determination of corrections to be made with regards to the indicated values. It may also help in determining other metrological properties such as the effect of influence quantities. The results of a calibration are usually documented and referred to as calibration certificate or a calibration report. Necessary adjustments are made to the instrument after calibration so that it always indicates readings corresponding to given values of the quantity measured. When the instrument is made to give a null indication corresponding to a null value of the quantity to be measured, the set of operation is called zero adjustment . The Calibration Process The first thing to consider in calibrating an instrument is its design. In order to be able to cal ibrate an instrument, the design of the instrument has to be capable of measurements that are â€Å"withinengineering tolerance† when used within certain conditions and over a reasonable period of time. The criteria used for assigning tolerance values vary according to regions and according to type of industry. Manufacturers of instruments assign a general measurement tolerance and suggest the calibration interval as well as the optimum environment for use and storage of the instrument. The user of the instrument on the other hand assigns the actual calibration interval, on the instrument’s likely usage level. For example, if a manufacturer states that an instrument needs to be calibrated after usage for 8-12 hours of use 5 days per week is six months, that same instrument in 24/7 usage would generally get a shorter interval. The assignment of calibration intervals can be a formal process based on the results of previous calibrations. Calibration process versus cost G enerally, the process of calibrating an instrument is a difficult and expensive one. As a rule of thumb, the cost for ordinary equipment support is generally about 10% of the purchasing cost of the instrument on a yearly basis. Exotic devices such asscanning electron microscopes,gas chromatographsystems andlaserinterferometerdevices can be even more expensive to calibrate. When the instruments being calibrated are integrated with computers, the integrated computer programs and any calibration corrections are also under control. The calibration paradox Successful calibration has to be consistent and systematic. At the same time, the complexity of some instruments requires that only key functions be identified and calibrated. Under those conditions, a degree of randomness is needed to find unexpected deficiencies. Even the most routine calibration requires a willingness to investigate any unexpected observation. Theoretically, anyone who can read and follow the directions of a calibra tion procedure can perform the work. It is recognizing and dealing with the exceptions that is the most challenging aspect of the work. This is where experience and judgement are called for and where most of the resources are consumed. THEORY Principles of Operation Of Dead Weight Testers Pressure is defined as force per unit area i.e.