The High Performance Concrete Construction Essay

The High Performance Concrete Construction Essay Concrete admixtures Construction materials Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction The High-performance concrete (HPC) is a mixture of many materials usually 5-10. The interaction between these materials is the reason of the various workability cases, and also the different ratios and portions added causes this variability. Testing the concrete is not the best solution for examining the workability properties, The testing process of the concrete need huge number of labor and materials, which is not cheap. There is, therefore, a need to predict the workability of concrete through a simpler, cheaper laboratory approach. Concrete workability is de ¬Ã‚ ned, according to American Concrete Institute (ACI), as the ease of placement of concrete and is usually quanti ¬Ã‚ ed by the result of the slump cone test. Rheological tests on cement paste were used to select the type and dosage of mineral admixtures that improved concrete workability. The conclusions reached based on cement paste tests were validated by concrete slump tests. It was also deemed interesting to compare the fundamental parameters (yield stress and viscosity) measured with a  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uid rheometer with the results from two commonly used empirical tests, the minislump and the Marsh cone tests. If a relationship could be established, the empirical tests could be used to design materials for a given yield stress and viscosity or, at the very least, rank different materials base on yield stress or viscosity. The decision to study the in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence of mineral admixtures was dictated by the recent increase in use of mineral admixtures for improved concrete durability. Economics (lower cement requirement) and environmental considerations have also had a role in the growth of mineral admixture usage. The lower cement requir ement also leads to a reduction for carbon dioxide generated by the production of cement, while the use of a mineral admixture utilizes a product that would ordinarily be bound for the land  ¬Ã‚ ll. Thus, there is a double environmental bene ¬Ã‚ t from using mineral admixtures. Chapter 2: Literature review Background Concrete workability characterization Concrete workability cannot necessarily be sacri ¬Ã‚ ced for improved hardened properties, such as durability or strength. Workability is typically quanti ¬Ã‚ ed in the  ¬Ã‚ eld by the result of the slump cone tet. Nevertheless, a survey conducted by the National Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) determined that, for I-IPC, the slump cone value is not representative of the ease of handling HPC in the  ¬Ã‚ eld. It was reported that concrete mixtures with the same slump might not behave the same way during placement. This implies that the slump value does not give enough data to fully characterize concrete  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ow. In the construction  ¬Ã‚ eld, terms like workability,  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡owability, and cohesion are used, sometimes interchangeably, to describe the behavior of concrete under  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ow. The de ¬Ã‚ nitions of these terms are very subjective. Therefore, there is a need for a more  ¬Ã‚ rndamental and quantitative description of concrete  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ow. Rheological measurements of concentrated suspensions can be used to describe the  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ow of concrete. Numerous researchers have success ¬Ã‚ rlly used the Bingharn equation. Two parameters de ¬Ã‚ ne the  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ow: yield stress and plastic viscosity. Yield stress is related to slump, but plastic viscosity is usually ignored because only a few type of instruments exist to measure it. However, the viscosity may be related to properties such as stickiness, p1aceability,pumpability, and  ¬Ã‚ nishability. In addition, segregation could be de ¬Ã‚ ned as the ability of the aggregate to migrate (or sink) in the cement pa ste. This phenomenon is linked to the viscosity of the cement paste and the concrete mixture design. Therefore, methods to predict concrete workability need to take into account more than just the yield stress. What are Admixtures? Admixture is a material or a combination of different materials that are added to the concrete during mixing to enhance a property or more properties of the concrete mix, and providing it with new features that suits the need either if it is made by central batching plants, pre-stressed concrete factories or in-site mixing. Admixtures may enhance the workability, durability or strength of concrete. They can also be used to overcome extreme circumstances such as cold or hot weather w lower water-cement ratio. Admixtures are materials other than the main concrete mix components (water, cement, aggregate) which means that the admixture is added to the mixing water before or during the mixing process to give the concrete the needed properties, taking into consideration that there are some admixtures are added after a certain duration after mixing. Admixtures are divided into 2 types according to origin: chemical admixtures and mineral admixtures. Chemical admixtures They are materials that are found as fine particles or liquid and are added to the concrete to enhance it and give precise properties that are unobtainable in plain concrete mixtures. Usually, admixture quantities are not more than 5% of the mass of cement and are put into the concrete at the period of mixing. Public kinds of admixtures are. Accelerators that increase the speed of the hardening of the concrete. Normal materials utilized are calcium chloride, calcium nitrate and sodium nitrate. However, using chlorides could cause rust in the steel underpinning and it is banned in a some states, so nitrates are recommended. Retarders sluggish the hardening of the concrete and are utilized in colossal or tough dispenses whereas partial setting before the dispense is finished is undesirable. Normal polyol retarders are sugar, sucrose, sodium gluconate, glucose, citric acid, and tartaric acid. Air entrainments makes very small air bubbles inside the concrete during the batching process. It helps in protecting it from the harm made by frequent freezing and defrosting cycles. It also makes better workability, better consistency, less segregation and less bleeding. More than 80% of concrete pavements in the USA are made of air-entrained admixtures. Entrapped air, are huge air voids while entrained air, are very small voids range from 10 to 1000 micrometers. The admixture may be a liquid added during mixing or a powder mixed with the cement. Plasticizers raise the workability of the fresh concrete permitting it be easily placed, without joining efforts. Plasticizers can be utilized to decrease the content of water of concrete as keeping the workability, thats why they are called sometimes water-reducers. This action improves its strength and durability properties. Super plasticizers (Also known as High Range Water Reducers HRWR) They have the ability to reduce the amount of water needed for the concrete by 12-40% of the needed water. They produce concrete with the same workability but with lower water content ratio, they are also used to make highly flowable concrete. HRWR made out of polyether-polycarboxylates have higher efficiency and are used more widely. HRWR are added often in the site because of its low workability period, it increases the time of setting but increases the flowability for a longer period. Concrete that have HRWR in it has higher strength than that predicted by water content ratio, as the water content is not high so the permeability and shrinkage are lowered but the durability is increased. Corrosion inhibitors: rusting of steel reinforcement is a huge problem that encounters the durability of the reinforced concrete structures, from the causesof rusting of steel are the chlorides, they come from many sources like the deicing salts used to melt ice in winter or from sea water or they may come from the admixtures. From the ways of resisting the rust resulting from chloride is the use of corrosion inhibitors admixtures, they are added to the concrete during mixing to protect the steel by delaying the debut of rusting and also decrease the rate of rusting after it starts. They last for many years after the setting of concrete. Mineral admixtures There are inorganic materials having pozzolanic characteristics. These extremely fine-grained materials are added to the concrete mixture to enhance the properties of concrete or as a substitute for the cement, they decrease cost, permeability, enhance the strength and change other concrete characteristics, from the types of mineral admixtures are: Fly ash: A by-product of electrical coal-fired producing plants and can vary according to source; it is utilized to partly substitute the cement. The particles of fly ash are made of spherical glassy particles, its use has started in the USA in the 1930s, tests has proven that concrete can be replaced by one third with fly ash. Experiments made on high strength concrete has shown that its strength levels were up to 100 MPa at age of one year. Air-entrainment admixtures maybe required because of the carbon inside the fly ash. Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS or GGBS): is a product of made when the molten iron is put rapidly in water to decrease its temperature, it is crystalline shaped granular product of high adhesion, and so it be work as a substitute for part of the cement, the most favorable ratio is 50% of the cement if there is no salts and 25% if there is. Silica fume: A by-product aims to achieve both high strength and low permeability requirements made out of the creation of silicon and ferrosilicon alloys. Silica fume is compared to fly ash. The size of its particle is smaller by 100 times. This makes a higher ratio between surface and volume and a way faster reaction. Silica fume is utilized to raise the concrete strength and durability, but usually superplastisizers are needed for the workability. High reactivity Metakaolin (HRM): the concrete made using metakaolin has the same strength and durability of the concrete made using silica fume. As silica fume is normally dark gray or black in color, high-reactivity metakaolin is normally brilliant white in color, creating it the favored choice for architectural concrete whereas emergence is important. Types of Admixtures 1. Air entraining admixtures They are liquid chemicals that are added to the concrete during mixing to produce small air bubbles that are called entrained air. The air helps the concrete to resist the damage made by thawing, freezing and deicing salt. In hard concrete, the air enhances workability and decreases the bleeding and the segregation. Air entrainment is not important for the concrete used inside the structures as it is not exposed to either freezing or thawing, It ought to be evaded for concrete flatwork that have a flat troweled finish. In high cement content concretes, entrained will cut strength by 5% for every single 1% of air added; but in low cement content concretes, adding air has less result and could even cause a humble increased strength due to decreased water demand for needed slump. 2. Water reducers Are utilized for two purposes: (1) to decrease the water content in plastic concrete and rise its strength; (2) to attain higher slump without the need of adding water. Water-reducers will usually cut the needed water content of a concrete combination for a given slump. These admixtures disperse the cement particles in concrete and create extra ef ¬Ã‚ cient use of cement. This rises strength or permits the cement content to be decreased as maintaining the alike strength. Water-reducers are utilized to rise slump of concrete lacking adding water and are functional for impelling concrete and in hot meteorological conditions to offset the increased water demand. A little water-reducers could aggravate the rate of slump defeat alongside time. Mid-range water reducers are nowadays usually utilized and they have a larger skill to cut the water content. These admixtures are accepted as they enhance the finishability of concrete  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡atwork. 3. Retarders Are chemicals that postpone the early hardening of concrete by an hour or more. Retarders are regularly used in hot climatic conditions to counter the quick hardening caused by elevated temperatures. For colossal jobs, or in hot climate, specify concrete alongside retarder to permit extra period for pumping and  ¬Ã‚ nishing. Most retarders additionally work as reducers. 4. Accelerators Reduce the early hardening period of concrete and give higher strength after small period. They do not work as an antifreeze; they decrease the time of the hardening and rate of strength increase, thus the concrete would be stronger to endure damage from cold in chilly weather. Accelerators are additionally utilized in fast trail assembly that needs early removal of forms. Accelerating admixtures consists of two types: chloride and non-chloride based. One of the extra competent and frugal is calcium chloride that is obtainable in fluid or  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ake form. For non-reinforced concrete, The CaCl can be utilized to an amount of 2% by the heaviness of the cement due to worries of corrosion of reinforcement instigated by Cl. Pre-stressed concrete and concrete that have aluminum or invigorated metal inside it ought not to have chloride-based materials because of the increased possibility for the rusting of the metal. Non-chloride established accelerators are utilized whereas there is fear of rusting of embedded metals or concrete reinforcement. 5. HIGH RANGE WATER-REDUCERS (HRWR) It is a distinct type of water-reducer. Also known as, super plasticizers, HRWRs decrease the water content of a concrete mix by 12% to 25%. HRWRs are consequently utilized to raise the strength and decrease permeability of concrete by decreasing the water content in the mix; or considerably raise the slump to make  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡owing concrete lacking the addition of any extra water. These admixtures are vital for elevated strength and enhanced concrete mixes that have higher contents of adhesive materials and mixes having silica fume. Beside these kinds of admixtures, there are other materials obtainable for improving concrete characteristics for different types of applications. These products include rust resistors; admixtures that decrease shrinkage, anti-washout admixtures, and admixtures to decrease possibility for alkali aggregate reactivity, admixtures that helps pumping and a collection of colors and products that improves the concrete aesthetics. Fly Ash 1 Production Fly ash is a bi-product resulted from the finely divided residues generated from the combustion of coal electrically in thermal power plants; the dust collection system removes the fly ash, as a fine particulate residue, from the combustion gases before they are discharged into the atmosphere. The particles are finer than cement usually and consist off spherical glassy particles. 2 Properties Permeability The fly ash reacts with the calcium hydroxide chemically during the hydration process forming calcium aluminate and calcium silicate hydrate which decreases the risk of infiltration of calcium hydroxide and the permeability of concrete. The fly ash enhances the permeability of concrete also by decreasing the ratio of water to cement, which decreases the volume of pores. Its spherical shape also enhances the consolidation of concrete which reduces permeability. Use Fly ash has a spherical shape that allows it to create a ball bearing effect in the mix which improves the workability without increasing the water and also helps in increasing the pump-ability by decreasing the friction between the concrete and the pump line. It also increases the concrete pump-ability by increasing its cohesion and making it less subject to segregation. It also increases the gaining of strength of mixes for periods much longer than that of Portland cement only. The most important use of fly ash is that it increases the life cycle expectancy and durability. It also increases the resistance of corrosion of concrete reinforcement. Fly ash is used in concrete by replacing a portion of the Portland cement that may goes up to 30% of the total cement mix.

Euthanasia Essay - Physician Assisted Murder :: Free Euthanasia Essay

Physician Assisted Murder Physician assisted suicide is illegal in all states but Oregon. Physician assisted suicide is defined by Religious Tolerance.org: a physician supplies information and/or the means of committing suicide to a person, so that they can easily terminate their own life. The decision of when and where the time of our death should occur is one that only God has the right to decide. Because no person or doctor has the right to end a life, physician assisted suicide should be illegal. Some feel that a terminally ill patient should have a legal right to control the manner in which they die. Physicians and nurses have fought for the right to aid a patient in their death. Many families of the terminally ill have exhausted all of their funds caring for a dying patient and would prefer the option of assisted suicide to bankruptcy. While there are many strong opposing viewpoints, one of the strongest is that the terminally ill patient has the right to die in a humane, dignified manner. However, dignity in dying is not necessarily assured when a trusted doctor, whose professional ethics are to promote and maintain life, injects a terminally ill patient with a lethal dose of morphine. Every culture has a taboo against murder, including our own. The practice of physician assisted suicide is wrong across all religious and cultural groups. According to Leon R. Kass, M.D., the taboo against doctors killing patients, even on request, "is the very embodiment of reason and wisdom. Without it, medicine will have lost its claim to be an ethical and trustworthy profession." Before a physician is allowed to practice medicine, he/she takes the Hippocratic Oath, which is described by Encyclopedia Britannica as " a pledge to prescribe only beneficial treatments, according to his abilities and judgment; to refrain from causing harm or hurt". This oath has been practiced for more than 2000 years. If a doctor breaks that promise and helps a patient to purposely die, then the oath has meant nothing. Physician assisted suicide is illegal in all states but one state. Oregon law states that when a patient requests physician assisted suicide they must be suffering from a disease that will end his or her life within 6 months.

Do Animals Have Language Essay

†Language is the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way†(1) Language is humanity’s way of communicating with each other, there are over 6,500 different languages spoken around the world. Every language is communicated by two or more people. Every person can have a combination of languages. It all depends on what that person chooses to do. Some individuals believe that there is no communication without language. But many like myself, beg to differ. As I believe there are numerous ways to communicate, whether it is by speech, symbols or sound. A few might argue that speech and sound are the same thing, to me they are completely different. Yes we need to make sounds that represent the letter that make up the word, but in some languages the sounds are the words. For example the Xhosa language; spoken by approximately 7.9 million people of the South African population, it is a tonal language. I believe that animals communicate using the same technique. I see that certain animals have a specific sound for their specie. For example a dog’s bark, a cat’s meow, and the whale’s songs. They are all a series of sounds, to each other they are understood. Upon being put in the right sequence they convey the message to the other members of that specie. It is a language they use, that we cannot comprehend. The languages present here in Earth are very detailed and elaborate, because humans have a very complex life, they need a lot of words to make sense of it. Animals live very simple lives, needing to communicate when in danger, or directing others. That is why their languages are probably much more simpler than ours. Other animals communicate through dance, and movements. I consider this a language of its own, as these dances create symbols, and symbols are a language. This is still considered using language as a method of communication. So yes, I do believe animals have a language, through sounds. Although those language are most likely very simple, they are their way of communicating with each other. (1):http://www.google.com.sa/search?hl=en&safe=active&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=596&q=language&tbs=dfn:1&tbo=u&ei=TbpMUMmDL4fvsgbWsYC4BA&ved=0CB0QkQ4

Generally, Laggard High School is a safe place for students.

The buildings and classrooms are well-structured and convenient for both teachers and students. I feel safe inside these classrooms since they are complete with the facilities and materials we need for teaching and learning. Moreover, I also feel safe in school because of the presence of the fire service. Probable fire incidents, as well as other untoward emergencies that may happen in the building, can be easily prevented because of an efficient and effective fire service just across the street. Being bounded by an ivy-league university like the Baylor University creates a positive influence on the part of the students as well as the community. Since high school students see what university students do, they pretty much have an idea of what life in the university is, which could lead them to pursue their own education, if not in Baylor, then in other colleges or universities in the city or in another state. It is a good thing that Baylor is there because as early as freshman in high school, a student can already be influenced to think about what course or study to pursue. Furthermore, since Baylor is a Christian school, particularly the largest Baptist university in the world in terms of enrollment, it fosters a caring and sensitive atmosphere not just for the students in Baylor but also for the whole of the community. Baylor University’s presence generates a sense of safety and security on my part, because I do not have to worry much about Laggard High School’s students’ future. However, not all areas in and around Laggard High School foster a friendly and safe ambiance. Since numerous cars enter through the main entrance and students need to stay behind the main door until 8:30 in the morning, possible accidents may happen. Students flock near the main entrance to wait for time as cars come and go. This could be a trouble area especially for students entering the school and those closest to the car park, who are consumed with their conversations that they do not notice the cars coming in and out of the school premises. This somehow unsafe and trouble area can be fixed by having someone monitor or guard the students coming in as well as the cars that enter and leave the school premises. Also, a conducive and comfortable waiting area, where students who come in early can stay, should also be designated. Another possible solution is letting the students enter 10 minutes before the time so that they can settle and be safe inside their classrooms. In addition, some cars entering the main entrance can use the entrance near Central Avenue so that the number of cars entering along with the students via the main entrance will be lessened, thus less accidents are avoided. Another area I do not feel safe in is the cafeteria. This could be another possible trouble spot because the area lacks adequate monitoring. There should be someone designated to monitor the hall. Monitoring would include watching over the behavior of the students to avoid any untoward trouble among them, as well as restricting the students to go from the cafeteria to the playground. Some students use the cafeteria to sneak out and play in the playground. And since the school lacks sufficient monitoring on some areas and on students’ behavior, we do not know if they could be safe in their playing. Moreover, since they have easy access to the playground, they are influenced to stay there longer than they are supposed to. We do not want this because our real focus is their learning inside the classroom. Students should be advised to know their time for study and their time for play. The Laggard High School is generally a very conducive and safe place for students, but then it also faces monitoring problems that need to be studied so that students, teachers, and parents would feel much safer.

Family Approach Research Paper Essay

Abstract This research paper will in detail find influences donating to the degeneration of African American marriages, increase of African American divorces, and how structural family therapy can impact it. Structural Family Therapy was developed by Salvador Minuchin and his associates in the 1960s due to the growing curiosity in alternative ways of hypothesizing suffering and familial dilemmas. Structural family therapy is reinforced by an undoubtedly expressed model of family functioning, and has been developed and used reliably in counseling sessions for children and their families (Ginginch & Worthington, 2007, 343). Also, this report will examine what can be done to change this disturbing status amongst African American families. Monetary, emotional, and cognitive stability are a few of the common reasons and profits of marriage. Studies have discovered that marital couples in contrast to unattached couples are better-off, healthier, less stressed, and tend to live well into their mid-80s (Pindgerhughes, 2002, p. 269). Thus, there are numerous welfares of being married; it could be assumed that matrimony would be a shared objective for most citizens regardless of race. However, studies have publicized a radical deterioration of marriages inside the African American families alongside an increase in separations. African Americans are the least expected to wed, when they wed, they complete this task later in life, spending a smaller amount of time wedded than White Americans, and are more likely to become divorced. Keywords: African American, Marriages, Structural Family Therapy, Minuchin Family Approach Research Paper African American Marriages There is a strong importance for research of the state of African American and marriage because there have been major changes from past African Americans’ marriages relating to this major decline. According to the National Center on African American Marriage and Parenting’s (NCAAMP) Marriage Index, in 1970, 70.3% of African Americans were wedded and those ratios steadily fallen about 61% in 1982, 51.2% in 1992, 38.9% in 2003, and  41.7% in 2010. The rate is declining so noticeably that marriage has been referred to as an â€Å"alternative life† for African Americans (Dixon, 2009). The NCAAMP’s marriage index exposed the proportions of wedded Americans which comprises 77.8% in 1970, 70.1% in 1980, 59.3% in 1990, 62% in 2000, and 59.7% in 2008. An assumption can be drawn from the above Marriage index reports that there is certainly an important variance between all married Americans and married African Americans along with a change in rates of matrimony fr om 1980 to modern periods. Additionally, the declining rates of marriage, African Americans seem to be at greater hazard for matrimonial instability (Dixon, 2009, p. 30). Many of these influences are related to high male imprisonment, low sew ratio, poverty, uncertainty toward marriage and premarital sex. Rendering to research, there are numerous dynamics affecting the decline in marriages and rise of divorces among African Americans. These influences can be characterized as organizational, ethnic, individual, and interactive. Organizational issues as economic and demographic are most commonly focused on during the course of history. The extreme sex ratios between African American males and females have emotional impact on the African American nuptial rates (Rowe, 2007, p. 19). In 2003 there were an estimated 1.8 million more African American females in the population than males (U.S. Census, 2005 & Pinderhuges, 2002, 269). Another donating feature is the high confinement and mortality rate of African American males (Hill, 2006, p. 421). African American males make up about seven percent of the populace but over fifty-one percent of the prison population (DuCille, 2009, p. 605). Furthermore, the desire to marry women of different races and choosing homosexual lifestyles contribute to the African American marriage rates. Another major issue that makes African American males less desirable for marriage is their struggles of the workforce. The joblessness rate among African American males has been consistently twice that of White American men from the time of the 1930s (Holland, 2009, p. 113). Research has also discovered that companies show negative opinions of African American men comprising that they are indolent, unreliable, deceitful, contain little work ethic, drag their feet, have deprived verbal skill and many others characteristics. Consequently, these men do not have the capability to deliver for their families also make African American men postpone marriage and also become regarded as less  wanted to espouse by the female population. The second sort of factor studied is ethnical. There has been shifting cultural trends disturbing African American marriage. The sexual revolt, gay and lesbian efforts, and activist movement are activities that distress wedding rates. Forty years ago, sex without marriage was not acceptable, but now it is a communal standard of culture. The feminist movement allowed women to obtain advanced positions in the labor force declining their dependence on males, triggering them not to marry or endure unhappy marriages. And, unconventional lifestyles were presented through the gay and lesbian population (LaTaillade, 2006, p. 327). Moreover, living together (cohabitation) is a cumulative behavior particularly within the African American community. Historically, living with a partner before marriage was unacceptable, but is now widespread among African Americans and many other races. In contemporary times, individuals are determining on gaining independence before becoming married (Dixon, 2009, p. 31). The mass media industries and the way relationships are depicted on television and through music contribute to the marriage decline. Because of the support of extended family networks, divorce may seem less detrimental, making it more of an option when marriages are faced with challenges among African Americans (Hill, 2006, p. 439). Individual factors are tided in by considering individuals’ desire to marry, features they look for in spouses and what makes them commit to a relationship. For an individual to get marry the desire to be married has to be present. One study found that when compared to White American men, African American men, anticipate less improvement from marriage in their sex lives and personal friendships and these account for most of the difference in the desire to marry (Holland, 2009, 107). The mate desired characteristics and expectation of marriage and whether it is realistic plays a major role in marriage. Similar to other cultures, African Americans generally believe in the husband being superior economically, educationally and acts as the provider of the family. Unfortunately for African American women, when compared to African American men, they are more likely to attend college and to marry someone below their educational and professional status. This pattern of education continues as two-thirds of African American college graduates are women (Hill, 2006, p. 423). The desire to commit is another donating factor in related to marriage. Recent studies  have revealed the beliefs of African American males having the incapacity to pledge to an eternal relationship. Lastly, as stated above separation rates are greater amongst African Americans than another culture. The features cited directly above are funding to these separation rates as well as African American not having the means to allow them to uphold vigorous long-lasting relationships. Studies have also displayed that the African American population is less expected to pursue marriage therapy adding to the state of African American divorce rate currently. Structural Family Therapy Structural family therapy (SFT) is a counseling technique of therapy developed by Salvador Minuchin which addresses problems in functioning inside a family. Structural Family Therapists attempt to pass in, or â€Å"connect†, the family in therapy in order to understand the boundaries and rules which oversees its effectiveness, record the associations between family members or amongst subsystems of the family, and eventually interrupt dysfunctional relations within the household, triggering it to become stable into healthier arrangements. Minuchin states that dysfunction does not rest in the singular identification, but within the entire family system. Minuchin’s tactic is originated on the interrelationship of the entire, and the foundation that individuals cannot be detached from the whole. Therefore, Minuchin assumed that a change in the conduct of one household member will necessitate a consistent transformation in the behavior of other family member. Duplicate roles can affect the ability for a mother to parenting effectively. For example, a mother attempting to a both a parent and a friend or a father that was forced to raise his younger siblings (Rowe, 2007, p, 23). Structural therapists view the facilitation of structural variations in the dysfunctional family as the main objective, supposing that individual behavioral modifications as well as lessening of altercations will follow as the framework for the family’s communication changes (Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2013, p. 329). The structural family model expresses families as systems and subsystems, roles and rules (flexible and adaptable to changes), boundaries, power, and hierarchy. Minuchin defines a functional family as one unit with clear boundaries between individuals and subsystems, promotes growth, and prevents  interruption. The primary objective when utilizing Minuchin’s model is assisting the family to change its structure or its organization. For instance, he stated that establishing a structure in which members and subsystems are clearly differentiated from one another and hierarchically integrated. Minuchin and other structuralists perceive standard family life as always altering and as a result endlessly creating adjustments to altering circumstances. What distinguishes functional from dysfunctional families is the flexibility in functional families to change or modify its structure to adjust to changing life cycle stages or to adjust to role changes or situational crises. The clarity of boundaries between subsystems within the family, and an effectively functioning spousal subsystem, help ensure stability despite changing conditions (Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2013, p. 472). Due to a recent mounting body of empirical evidence, studies continue to verify the value of structural family therapy. This method it was widely evaluated during the 1980s by radical novelists and during the 1990s by those interested in the allegations of a social constructionist point of view. Structural family therapy continues to progress in response to experiments built from within the systemic field, and as part of integrative practice and multisystem approaches, with practitioners ever mindful of the need for regular feedback from family members themselves (Rowe, 2007, p. 21). By 1965, Minuchin had become director of the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic, originally in the heart of the African American ghetto, where he focused on intervention techniques with low- income families (Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2013, p. 130). The structural approach to therapy has been critiqued and has withstand various experiments from disbelievers; nevertheless, it has withstood throughout the years. Personal Integration The trial of integrating Christian and non-Christian clients fluctuates between different counselors. When clients unambiguously expressed a want for Christian counseling, for example, if a client initiates a prayer within a counseling session. The Bible frequently assists clients to absorb; the implementation of scriptures can inspire progression within the session. Between sessions homework examining particular biblical themes likewise inspire development. For instance, our Worthington text states that the use  of interventions make change sensible, and thus increases hope. Such interventions can involve physical manipulations, behavioral actions or interactions or making physical products (such as reports, written lists or tapes) that are completed and verbally processed. Worthington (2005) also stated that any theory of marital counseling can be used along with the counselor’s favorite techniques. The requirements of integration are increased hope and willpower, fit within the strategic framework, and make change sensible to clients (p. 262). I believe that the frequency of use of scriptures should be guided by the consumer’s articulated openness. Although traditionally I am trained as a counselor not to reference spirituality or religion unless it is first stated by the client, I believe that many consumers who are not currently attending church would be reassured when I fling open that door. After which they can be provided the opportunity to walk through the door, lock it, or leave it partly open to be entered once ready. If my clients were to inquire for details on my beliefs, I would openly speak about my spiritual journey but also specify that I still have a ways to go. Conversely, this does not take the practice of preaching on my individual Christian principles, or persisting them to trust what I have faith in. In addition, I could look for openings to propose the matter of religiousness and faith in an overall sense as a portion of my holistic approach; I would like to reassure my clienteles to discover the notion that stability in emotional and mental remedies are not exclusively associated with the rectifying of a particular issue; rather, comprehensiveness in therapeutic healing must integrate the multiple magnitudes of the client. With this instruction and initial outline, it would be up to my client to make the decision to discover how their faith and current behavior are correlated to the complications that have been facing and how their spiritual philosophies influence their mental and physical healing. Studies proposes, that it is highly probable that counselors greatly misjudge â€Å"the sum of consumers that are experiencing faith-based problems due to† consumers â€Å"frequently misguided norms that religious concerns were not suitable for conversation† in conditions that were not plainly defined as Christian therapeutic settings (Worthington Jr, 2005, p. 262). Spiritual Genograms In this course, I began to understand how past generational beliefs can still impact my current viewpoint with assumptions and predisposition. As a result, I believe that it would be important for my clients to understand their spiritual journey on both a personal and generational level. During this course, we complete a genogram in order to observe certain behavioral and health patterns; however, I would like to integrate spiritual â€Å"family trees† into my counseling sessions. Spiritual histories, spiritual lifemaps, spiritual genograms, spiritual ecomaps, and spiritual ecograms are five harmonizing assessment approaches that have recently been developed to highlight different aspects of clients’ spiritual lives. Spirituality can be agreed as the client’s connection with (their) God, and religious beliefs can been understood as flowing from spirituality, the open expression of the spiritual bond in specific views, approaches, and principles that have been est ablished in a community with other individuals who hold similar experiences of transcendence (Hodges, 2005). Consequently, spirituality and religion are similar yet present differences. Therapists must understand that a single assessment approach is not ideal for all consumers and circumstances. The assessment tools examined in this article was purposefully designed to highlight different aspects of clients’ spiritual worldview. In a counseling session, these assessment methods can become a useful resource to providers that require assistance with clients handling with challenging issues. These interventions can be used as coping strategies since the user can visibly see their peer support networks on paper. Spiritual assessments are beneficial for clients that have misplaced their connection with God; spiritual ecograms permits the user to see where their spiritual journey is currently and where it used to be. For example, it may benefit clients with major depressive symptoms to recognize support organizations such as professional group memberships, church, and household. An alternative intervention to complete this task would be spiritual ecomaps. Counselors geared with this assessment, can assist their clients survey their previous and existing domestic and faith-based support systems. Subsequently, some assessment approaches will be implemented more effectively in some situations but preferably these assessments are seamless for clients that have gone astray. Various assessments can be used to meet the needs of the client; however, certain assessments may be more operative  with some clients than others. Consequently, the therapist must primarily evaluate the clients’ needs and what they wish to gain from counseling. This will support the therapist in selecting a suitable spiritual intervention approach. If I am offered a client that desires to change to a diverse faith but it religiously disorganized, I would implement spiritual genograms. This intervention would aid counselors to view if the clients’ preceding descendants all practiced the same religion. Accordingly, I could determine that the client has an admiration for customs which is producing the spiritual misperception. A consumer may want to change to a different spiritual belief system but does not want to insult their families; this approach can be paired with spiritual ecograms; letting them to evaluate their previous and current rapport with God. After assessing their support systems and their spiritual journey, the client could productively create the judgment on whether to alter their religion or not; the therapist should not make this choice for them. In my opinion, couples should undergo marriage education and counseling before being able to marry. My marriage and family counseling session would contain the data of African American marriages since couples need to have insight on the problem in order to prevent from being a part of the problem. Hence, unions would gain awareness on the low marriage and high divorce rates within the African American community. Thereafter, perhaps these marriages would fight harder for their marriages and maintaining their families. Conclusion In conclusion, couples receiving education on the state of African Americans marriage and divorce along with counseling prepare them with the utensils required to maintain a healthy marriage. I believe that any union seeking assistance would profit with these counseling technique both prior and during the course of marriage. Additionally, I also have faith that this these methods can produce an upsurge in couples getting and/or staying married and a reduction in the shockingly elevated rates of African American divorces. References Berenson, S.K. (2011). Should Cohabitation Matter in Family Law?. Journal of Law & Studies, 13(2), 289-328. Burton, L.M., Winn, D., Stevenson, H., & Clark, S. (2004). Working with African American Clients: Considering the â€Å"Homeplace† in Marriage and Family Therapy Practices. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 30(4), 397-410. Clarkwest, A. (2006). Premarital Characteristics, Selection into Marriage, and African American Marital Disruption. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 37(3), 361-380. Dixon, P. (2009). Marriage Among African Americans: What Does the Research Reveal?. Journal of African American Studies, 13(1), 29-46. DuCille, A. (2009). Marriage, Family, & Other â€Å"Peculiar Institutions† in African American Literary History. American Literary History, 21(3), 604-617. Gingrich, F., & Worthington Jr, E. L. (2007). Supervision and the integration of faith into clinical practice: Research considerations. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 26(4), 342-355. Goldenberg, H., & Goldenberg, I. (2013). Family therapy: An overview (8th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brookes/Cole. Hill, S. A.(2006). Marriage Among African American Women: A Gender Perspective. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 37(3), 421-440. Hodge, D. R. (2005). Developing a Spiritual Assessment Toolbox: A Discussion of the Strengths and Limitations of Five Different Assessment Methods. Health & Social Work, 30(4), 314-323. Holland, R. (2009). Perceptions of Mate Selection for Marriage Among African American, College- Educated, Single Mothers. Journal of Counseling & Development, 87(2), 170-178. Kostenberger, A. J., & Johns, D. W. (2004). God, marriage, and family: Rebuilding the biblical foundation. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books. ISBN: 9781581345803. Leslie, L. A., & Letiecq, B.L. (2004). Marital Quality of African American and White Partners in Interracial Couples. Personal Relationships, 11(4), 559-574. Marsh, K., Darity Jr., W.A., Cohen, P. N., Casper, L.M., & Salters, D. (2007). The Emerging Black Middle Class: Single and Living Alone. Social Forces, 86(2), 735-762. Martin, T. L., & Bielawski, D. M. (2011). What is the African American’s Experience Following Imago Education?. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 51(2), 216-228. Mc. Clain, C. (2011). Family Stories: Black/ White Marriage During the 1960s. Western Journal of Black Studies, 35(1), 9-21. Pinderhughes, E. B. (2002). African American Marriage in the 20th Century. Family Process, 41(2), 269. Rowe, D. M. (2007). Marriage and Fathering: Raising Our Children Within the Context of Family and Community. Black Scholar, 37(2), 18-22. Worthington, E. (2005). Hope focused marriage counseling: A guide to brief therapy. Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.

Spiritual Beliefs as a Factor in the Performance of Nursing Staff Research Paper

Spiritual Beliefs as a Factor in the Performance of Nursing Staff - Research Paper Example These questions are significant to nursing practice; in order to meet the demands of the population and increase both patient chances of survival and patient satisfaction the role of spiritualism as a factor considered motivational has been studied to evaluate its efficiency. Following a literature review nursing practices have been identified which contribute to better patient outcomes and advanced education has been noted to increase the ability of the nurse to provide spiritual care. Those nurse’s with more experience and those working at a higher grade have a greater understanding of spirituality (Noble, & Jones, 2010). The value of communication with non-verbal cues is necessary and spiritual care must be guided by the patients themselves. Communication has been identified as a strong factor in the ability to deliver appropriate spiritual care in Milligan, 2004; McSherry, 2006; and Ross, 2006 by Noble and Jones. A lack of time is also considered a barrier to providing spi ritual care and the need for better education and training would be welcome by many. Spirituality among nurse’s is related positively to education levels and those having a Master’s degree. It is also related to 11-19 years clinical experience and having received spiritual education and training (Wu, & Lin, 2011). In Lind, Sendelbach, & Steen, (2011) nurses were described as feeling unprepared and unable to meet the spiritual needs of patients. Patient satisfaction surveys in a Minnesota cardiovascular progressive care unit determined that meeting the spiritual needs of patients in the unit was an area that needed improvement. The unit first analyzed the 2001 Joint Commission of 2001Press Ganey national inpatient data which indicated that there is a high value placed on emotional and spiritual care while patient’s are hospitalized. Second, there is a very strong correlation between meeting a patient’s emotional and spiritual needs to their overall satisfa ction and third, this is area in most hospitals that provides opportunity for a significant improvement. Spiritual distress has been named as an appropriate nursing diagnosis by The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association and it is a recommendation of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing that spiritual care is included in all education programs. Despite this fact education and training seems to be lacking to many nurses. Only a small number of nurses feel that they are able to meet the spiritual and emotional needs of patients. The unit began offering a two hour voluntary education program to the nurses with time paid and which 37 or 70% of the nurses attended over the period of a year. The instructor who taught the class was from a local faith affiliated University and the hospital Chaplain participated in each training class. This education program included concepts such as defining spirituality, what spiritual care is, what prevents spiritual care, when to call th e Chaplain and nursing interventions for spiritual care. Sessions were based on literature and staff surveys. The unit implemented a new survey, the HOPE survey, in order to provide spiritual assessment. The survey was taken from a teaching tool that was developed for Physicians. Likert type survey scores which measured patient satisfaction with spiritual and emotional care went up from 65% and 62% to 74% and 71% the two months following implementation of the training program. Pastoral care consultancies were increased from 16 to 27 per month and spiritual care plans were increased from 1 to 4 per month. The success of this program in the

Flight Simulators Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Flight Simulators - Research Paper Example However, before any flight simulator is used for any aviation purpose, it must be evaluated and certified by various authorities like the National Aviation Authority (3). In Canada, this responsibility falls within the mandate of the National Certification Authority and Transport Canada (TC). The device is normally evaluated against a given set of criteria focusing on different aspects. Despite the presence of several types of simulators in the aviation field, the aviation regulators have classified these simulators into three major classes. Full- flight simulators (FFS) flight training devices (FDT), and flight navigation and procedure trainers (FNPT). The full flight simulators are the most comprehensive and consist of completely closed cockpits which create the impression of real aircraft (4). They use very accurate 3D simulations in the training process. The FFS produced by cueSim is certified by the Transport Canada TC and given Level B qualification. This simulator is effective in the training of pilots for S76C++ aircraft types (4). CueSim has been awarded several qualifications for most of its simulators. FFS simulators play a very important role in the initial and recurrent training of the pilots in order to enhance their skills. In this regard, the FSS is granted certifications by different authorities in different countries. While dealing with the flight simulators, the authorities normally differentiate between the technical ability of the simulator and its use in the training process. The evaluation is meant to ascertain the replication of the simulator for training purposes (4). On the other hand, the flight navigation and procedure trainers (FNPTs) offer most of the services realized in the FFS but without the six-axis moving the base. These simulators are normally used in certain levels of flight training and recertification purposes.