Importance of Values in a Religious Pluralist World

Introduction There are certain values that are esteemed universally. Moreover the different religions of the world are deemed to be in support of these values. These human values are several and comprise of such attributes such as peace, respect of human life and dignity, freedom of worship and speech and tolerance.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Importance of Values in a Religious Pluralist World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A human being is valued in the world and should have the right to justice and peace. All people have the right to security and legal recognition. Human rights ensure that the people are protected from arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. As time has passed, there has been an increase in the different religions making it a religious pluralistic world. How do the different religions practice and adhere to these values? Are there times there are contradictions in the way people p ractice these values? Family Values There are times when religious pluralism in a country causes disagreements in the area of family life. In Australia, there have been Muslims who have desired a sharia court so that they can be granted divorce according to their religion. The national courts are able to give them divorce however they feel they are not adhering to their faith when they do not go to their own court. Recently, human rights have touched on the freedom of one choosing who they will marry and giving birth. Previously the State had focused on the freedom of speech and expression but there has been conflict in the issue of same sex marriages and abortion especially when it comes to the teenage pregnancies and health risks in abortion. There has been a shift or a change in the values esteemed in various states especially when it comes to the family values. Traditionally there was a long process to be followed when one wanted a divorce especially in the Christian set up howe ver the State made it possible for the people to be able to get divorce quickly. There are other contentious issues such as abortion and same sex marriages where the church and the people in other religions have not been in agreement as the clergy perceive the acts to be going against the Christian values (Lupu and Tuttle, 480). In the traditional Christian set up especially the Catholic churches there has been the expectation that the people will value life and that is why there had been so many debates on abortion before certain countries legalised the process. There was concern that legalising same sex marriages would be a threat to the usual family set up where there is a female male relationship. As time has progressed, the pluralist religious views have caused many to greatly analyse and even question their beliefs when it comes to marriage, divorce and abortion. It is therefore a tough call for the State to manoeuvre through all these viewpoints.Advertising Looking for r esearch paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are religious people who will not agree to oversee or coordinate same sex marriages or have anything to do it. However at the same time, there can be no discrimination or insensitivity towards these people of different beliefs as it would be going against the universal values of equality and freedom of expression. It is therefore important for all the people to ensure that they practice the universal values otherwise they will find themselves arrested and paying damages. Even as most people agree that peace is a great value, there are times that religious pluralism causes a lot of conflict in the world (Gopin, 15). There have been disagreements and even serious civil wars and conflicts between the Christians and Muslims in African countries such as Nigeria and Sudan. As much as different governments respect human rights there is also an increase in ethnic an d religious conflict. When it comes to issues of religion it touches the core of the person and it gets highly sensitive. The people at times refuse to observe the universal views of human rights and freedom of expression all in the name of defending their religion. The question that remains however is what is more important, defending one’s religion or obeying the rules of the religion which advocate for peace and love with one’s neighbours? Universal Values In Islam, there is emphasis on the community and when the religious people teach the people the law, they emphasize that Allah looks at the community and expects the society to be just. The individual’s rights are protected under the society’s collective responsibility. In Christianity especially the protestant faith, an individual is responsible for his actions and is expected to be fair and just. In the traditional Confucianism religion, the ruler is expected to take care of his subject and manage property matters. If he mistreats his subjects he loses the mandate to rule them which was given to him from heaven. What about the freedom of worship and speech? In most religions there are certain dressings or ornaments that the individuals wear. It is not a matter of choice but it is an act of religious duty and obedience. The Catholics have the crucifix while the Muslim women have the hijab. In Eastern Europe especially France the wearing of religious symbols in public schools has been prohibited.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Importance of Values in a Religious Pluralist World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lately, there has been intolerance, xenophobia and great fear towards Muslims. When they wear their religious clothes it is perceived to increase the risk of violence and threats that go against the democratic values and institutions of the State (Danchin, 6). There have been arguments again st this view. When a woman or man wears their hijab it does not mean they are extremists or fundamentalists or they are against the liberal institutions and processes of the state. After the September 11 terrorist attacks, there arose great debate on the issue of racial profiling in the United States as the people felt that the Muslims were being discriminated against and their privacy was being invaded. The truth is that the people were afraid of their lives and they were concerned that the Muslims did not respect the universal human values of peace and harmony between the people. If anyone had the highest probability to be a terrorist, he would be an individual of Middle Eastern origin who was a practicing Muslim. There were employers who were hesitant to employ people of Middle Eastern descent. Choosing to act on these feelings however would be wrong since one is not allowed to discriminate against others on the basis of their religion. One of the universal values in the world is equality when it comes to opportunities. No one should be discriminated when it comes to what they desire to achieve in terms of their work and family because of their religion. Ever since the terrorist attacks of September 9/11, the Muslim women’s dressing in Australia has come to be perceived as a form of women’s subjugation instead of the expression of their faith. The French government has the view that wearing religious symbols may infringe upon the rights of others. The freedom of others to worship and express them would be adversely affected. The religious symbols may work to pressure people towards a certain religion. It may also be a channel for propaganda and provocation. The government is also concerned about the women in the nation. It does not want the occurrence of any event where women and girls are discriminated against. The question however is whether wearing the hijab causes any harm to the girls or the society. They wear the hijab for their own priv ate reasons.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Political Values There are values that deal with man’s relationship with others. For leaders, more is expected as they are expected to carry out their responsibility well in the society. They are expected to be accountable and have integrity. These are values that are agreed on by all the people even in the face of increasing religious pluralism. The people are expected to live in peace and harmony respecting each other’s belongings and property (Spickard., 8) There are people who view democracy as a value that should be upheld. In the countries where there are fundamental Muslims, they may perceive concepts such as democracy as a Western influence which they do not want to be associated with (Esposito and James, 428). There are those values such as democracy which may actually take time to take root in some cultures or religions. There are countries which do not want to be under cultural imperialism. Even the most repressive cultures however realize the importance of human rights. However they do not want to practice the values under the Western human rights notion. They have chosen to use alternative philosophies of socialism and community development. When it comes to ensuring that there is harmony and peace, the different governments have been trying to separate religion and the state. Religion should be regarded as someone’s private affair. This is what is known as secularism. It is liberal democracy that is regarded to be the optimal environment where equality can be observed (Norris and Inglehart, 40). However when religion is used as an excuse to attack other people or other countries, it is wrong. In the 2001 terrorist attacks, President Bush spoke of the fight between good and evil and the way good has to triumph (Aly and Green, 5). There will be no tolerance for the fundamentalists, extremists and radicals who use Islam as an excuse to terrorize the nationals of a different country. The people of America whether Christian, Hindu or Buddhist stood to defend the sanctity of life. The nationalistic unity came to the front to ensure that human lives are respected. Conclusion With the rise in religious pluralism, there is increasing growth in secularism where the family values in the religious setting will not be practiced in the country by all the people. There will be a shift towards the universal and political values with a great emphasis on human rights as stipulated by the United Nations. Those religions that encourage contrary beliefs will have a hard time interacting with other countries. Works Cited Aly, Ann and Lelia Green. â€Å"Less than Equal Secularism, Religious Pluralism and Privilege† Media and Culture Journal, 11.2 (2008), 1-16. Print. Danchin, Peter. â€Å"Suspect Symbols: Value Pluralism as a Theory of Religious Freedom in International Law† The Yale Journal of International Law, 33: (2008)1: 2-61. Print. Esposito, John and James Piscatori â€Å"Democratization and Islam† . Middle East  Journal, 45.3 (1991) :427-440. Print. Gopin, Marc. â€Å"Religion, Violence and Conflict Resolution† Peace and Change, 22.1(1997):1-31. Print. Lupu, Ira and Robert Tuttle â€Å"Same-Sex Family Equality and Religious Freedom†. Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy, 5(2010): 275-305. Print. Norris, Pippa and Ronald Inglehart. â€Å"Uneven Secularization in the United States and Western Europe† Democracy and the New Religious Pluralism. Ed Thomas. Banchoff. UK: Oxford Publishers. 2006. 31-58. Print. Spickard, James. â€Å"Human Rights, Religious Conflict, and Globalization – Ultimate Values in a New World Order†. International Journal on Multicultural Societies, 1.1(1999): 2-19. Print. This research paper on Importance of Values in a Religious Pluralist World was written and submitted by user N1k0las to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Britain in WWI essays

Britain in WWI essays Britain, as a country of wealth, has proven itself on several occasions to be strong and powerful. It has created this reputation by being a world leader and one of the worlds largest industrial powers. Through morals, industrial revolution, and its Navy, Britain has been able to create a spectacular reputation which allowed it to align with others for protection and support, which in turn made its country the strongest it possibly could. The industrial revolution is what made Britain what it is today, although, it was WWI that brought the British Empire to the peak of its expansion. Imperial contributions had considerably strengthened the British war effort, and victory brought Britain mandates over new territories such as Palestine, Iraq, and Germany territories in Africa. Britain was a major industrial country in the early industrial revolution, but the only problem was that their empire was scattered through out the world, where as Frances empire was mainly based in the desolate reach of north and northwest Africa. Their industrial power was created in respect to the fact that they manufactured many goods, railroads, ships, heavy metals and other products. Their trading industry also contributed to this. Because they were over confident, Britain ended up being slower to engage in scientific research. Britain was becoming a very wealthy country because their machinery was either being exported or copied. The money, which the country was earning, helped to open new factories, which created many new jobs, supporting many more citizens. Money was also used to build railroads in Europe and the U.S. Britain quickly became the worlds greatest trader, and soon enough London was named the financial capital of the world right through 1914. In order to remain on top, Britain continued to invest their money. Investing led the country to imperialism and colonies. The country wanted colonies because t...

Comparative Religions, Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Comparative Religions, Christianity - Essay Example When I do my ablutions and bow down, at the point my forehead touches the ground I have a sense of the greatness and might of Allah, and a sense of how irrelevant I really am. This propels me to adhere to the requirements the Prophets laid out for us in the Koran and the Sunna. There is a time I had a deeper religious experience. This was when all the men in my family circle did a pilgrimage together. Having prepared us through fasting when we chanted and prayed together I really felt that a real person gripped me. The other religious experience I had was when I was faced with some difficulty in completing my studies. Some friends and family of mine got together and helped me out. All of them coming together at this point, I felt there was a common bond that Allah has set for us which can never be broken, and nothing should be allowed to ever break it. My Encounter: I have been around Christian people for some time now. This special encounter started when I was seated at a diner alone and the person who was seated opposite me bowed his head and said something. I realized he was praying. When he finished I told him that he must be a really religious man. He said that he tried to do what is right but that he really wants to be thankful for what he has, because there was a time he did not have much. So every time he eats food he thanks his God, because he remembers a time where he did not have much food. That seemed a really sincere answer, so I asked him as to whom he prays to. He replied that he prayed to God in Jesus name. I was confused because I thought that the Christian God was Jesus. So I inquired along those lines and he said that Jesus was the Son of God. This is a very blasphemous thought. How could God have a Son? So I gestured in a flustered way and said you cannot do this. You are making God to look like humans with a f amily. I did not tell him

Self-Defence and the War on Terror Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Self-Defence and the War on Terror - Essay Example Self-defence seems to be the viable option for many states in the use of force. Some states have even managed to justify their actions under self-defence principles, even if their actions did not exactly fulfil the minimum requirements of Article 51. Since self-defence is an exception to Article 2(4), the policy of the courts in interpreting self-defence has mostly been on the adoption of restrictive considerations (Sahmoudi, 2010). An attempt to expand the coverage of self-defence has been considered under anticipatory self-defence, an attack which is carried out before any initial attack by an aggressor state has been launched. However, widespread acceptance of this new concept has been largely. When the collapse of the USSR caused the world to accept the regime of the US as the one remaining superpower, the possibilities for more general claims on the right to use force has been seen. Most of these possibilities have centred on self-defence and the right to defend against an antic ipated attack. ... One of the main issues in this debate has revolved around whether or not a person has to strictly interpret the legal basis of the Charter or whether or not there can be a more lenient or flexible application of the rules in relation to the current changes in the global community (Bring and Fisher, 2004). The settlement of this debate has been based on a positivist approach to international law. This positivist approach points out that international law are standards which must be interpreted as set rules for similar scenarios, and therefore must be respected by all states. Another approach is the realistic approach which mandates international laws as a way of fulfilling goals and securing some values on the other (Sahmoudi, 2010). The positivist approach is supported by those who believe in the need to control expansion and the use of force and selfish interests (Crossley, 2008). The realistic approach theorists base their perceptions on concepts of human dignity; they justify the use of force as a means of confronting an evil power (Crossley, 2008). In the current context, this paper shall now consider the application of self-defence in the face of the present war against terrorism. Its legality and its appropriate applications shall be evaluated in this paper. Decisions of the International Court of Justice, as well as opinions rendered by legal scholars the court shall also be discussed. Body After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, the UN Security Council immediately passed a resolution which basically condemned the attack. The Security Council also reiterated its goal of opposing all threats on national and international security initiated by terrorist organizations (Berdal, 2003). It also acknowledged the right of states to

2D Guidance in Minimally Invasive Procedures

2D Guidance in Minimally Invasive Procedures Research Strategy (a) SIGNIFICANCE: The use of two-dimensional (2D) Ultrasound (US) guidance in minimally invasive procedures such as percutaneous biopsies,1,2 pain management,3,4 abscess drainages,5 and radiofrequency ablation6 has gained popularity. These procedures all involve insertion of a needle towards a desired anatomical target. Image-guidance facilitates localization of the needle throughout the procedure, increasing accuracy, reliability and safety.7 US offers several advantages over other imaging modalities traditionally used in interventional radiology such as fluoroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT): It provides real-time visualization of the patients anatomy (including soft tissue and blood vessels) vis-à  -vis the needle, without exposure to ionizing radiation.8 Additionally, being portable and low cost (compared to other imaging modalities) are the added advantages of US imaging. Despite these advantages, the effectiveness of 2D US in needle guidance is highly operator dependent. In the in-plane approach, where needle shaft is parallel to the imaging plane, the needle shaft and tip should ideally be continually visible.9 However, aligning the needle shaft with the scan plane is difficult. Even when the needle is properly aligned, steep orientation (required in most procedures) of the needle with respect to the US beam causes nonaxial specular reflection of the US signal off the needle surface due to a large angle of incidence.10 In this imaging condition, the needle shaft will appear discontinuous and/or the tip will be invisible. This scenario is common with deep targets, for example during liver biopsies and epidural blocks. The challenge of needle visibility at increasing depths is compounded by attenuation of the US signal. Further, high intensity soft tissue artifacts, acoustic shadowing from dense structures such as bone and speckle noise obstruct needl e visibility. To recover needle visibility, clinicians conduct transducer manipulation by translation or rotation, movement of the needle to and fro (pump maneuver),11 stylet movement, needle rotation, and hydrolocation.12 These techniques are variable and subjective. An invisible needle can have detrimental effects on procedures, for example, reduced procedure efficacy, increase in procedure duration, neural, visceral or vascular injury, and infection. Diagnostic accuracy of 90-95% has been reported for US guided breast biopsies,13-15 and 83-95% for US guided liver biopsies.16 It is known that targeting errors due to insufficient needle tip visualization contribute to false negative results.17 In pain management, accidental intraneural injections have been reported in 17% of ultrasound-guided upper- and lower-extremity blocks, even when the procedures were conducted by expert anesthesiologists.18,19 Most of these arise because of poor needle tip localization, which makes it difficu lt to distinguish between subfascial, subepineural, or intrafascicular injections.20 In our ongoing work, we have developed an algorithm for needle enhancement and tip localization in 2D US. This, we achieved by modelling transmission of the US signal.21 We incorporated US signal modeling into an optimization problem to estimate an unknown signal transmission map, which was then used to enhance the needle shaft and tip while considering US specific signal propagation constraints.22 Automatic tip localization was achieved using spatially distributed image statistics limited to the trajectory region. However, incorrect tip localization occurred when high intensity soft tissue interfaces were present along the needle trajectory. The algorithm also required a visible portion of the shaft close to the transducer surface, necessitating proper alignment of the needle with the scan plane. We have also conducted preliminary work on needle detection and enhancement in three-dimensional (3D) US, a modality with potential to obviate the limitations of 2D US in needle guidance. Instead of the latters planar view (one slice at a time), 3D US displays volume data, allowing better visualization of anatomy and needle trajectory at all needle axis orientations. This alleviates the challenge of needle alignment in the scan plane.23 Nevertheless, needle obliquity at steep insertion angles, depth dependent attenuation, as well as acoustic shadowing, imaging artifacts and speckle remain.24,25 Needle visibility is also affected by low dimension of the needle with respect to the US volume. In fact, reported false-negative results for breast biopsies under 3D US show no improvement over those with 2D US.26,27. Consequently, 3D US has not replaced 2D US as the standard of care. To overcome the limitations, researchers have proposed computational methods for needle enhancement and local ization in 3D US. These include: Principal component analysis based on eigen-decomposition,28 the 3D Hough transform,29 the 3D Radon transform,30 parallel integration projection,31 and iterative model-fitting methods such as random sample consensus (RANSAC)32. The accuracy of these methods is affected by attenuation and high intensity artifacts. Besides, computational complexity arises from processing the large amount of volume data.33 Projection based methods fail when a good portion of the shaft is not visible and the tip intensity is low. A more robust needle localization framework based on oscillation of a stylus was recently proposed, although it fails in a single operator scenario, especially for shallow angles.34 All the mentioned methods are based on modeling B-mode image data. The current need, in interventional radiology for needle guidance, is a cost-effective, easy to use, non-radiation based real-time imaging platform with an ability of providing continuous guidance with high accuracy during needle insertion without intercepting the clinical workflow. Our long-term goal of developing a computational 3D US based imaging platform for enhancement and localization of needles is informed by this need. To address this pressing need, we hypothesize that automatic, real-time, accurate, and continuous target identification using 3D radiofrequency (RF) US data is feasible and potentially could be used to provide guidance during interventional radiology for needle insertion.Our preliminary work on modeling US signal transmission in 2D US, as well as needle detection and enhancement in 3D US, are strongly supportive that modeling the RF US signal coupled with advanced reconstruction methods will improve needle visualization and localization in 3D US. The envisaged 3D US reconstruction techniques will incorporate emerging work from machine learning and advanced beamforming to achieve needle enhancement and localization. We envision new pathways of processing and presenting US data, which should make this rich modality ubiquitous to all end-users for needle guidance in interventional radiology. The impact of the proposal will be multiplied since the developed algorithms, using open-source software platform, can also be incorporated as a stand-alone component into existing US imaging platforms. (b) INNOVATION: Previous work on needle enhancement has mostly been focused on enhancement of B-mode images. B-mode images are derived from RF data (the raw signal backscattered onto the US transducer) after several proprietary processing steps. The raw signal is known to contain more statistical information35 which is lost along the processing pipeline. Parallel integral projection in order improve needle visibility in soft tissues using 2D and 3D RF data has previously been investigated although no image visualization, needle enhancement or localization was demonstrated.36 It has been shown that the post-beamformed 2D RF signal allows for a more improved enhancement of local features in US images. 37,38 Image enhancement methods applied to RF signal have also shown to produce improved display of orientation of a biopsy needle.37,38 This study is innovative in three respects: 1) To the best of our knowledge, it is the first to investigate needle enhancement and localization from 3D pre-beamformed RF data (previous approaches were using post-beamformed RF information). 2) The utilization of machine learning approaches, such as deep learning for needle enhancement in 3D US will be a first. 3) Although this pilot will focus on validating the developed framework on pain management and liver biopsy procedures as a case study, the new mathematical and computational approaches proposed in this work will lead to developments that can easily be adopted for enhancement and localization of needles in other interventional radiology procedures. We expect that the achieved results will lead in gradual adoption of 3D US as the standard of care in problematic minimally invasive procedures where 2D US is challenged, thus improving therapeutic and diagnostic value, reducing morbidity and optimizing patient safety. (c) APPROACH: We propose to test the hypothesis that needle detection, enhancement and localization based on the raw 3D RF signal will provide a more accurate and robust platform for needle guidance than current state of the art. The basis for this hypothesis is found by precedent in the use of the RF signal for bone localization,39 and our published21,22 and unpublished work on needle enhancement and localization based on 2D/3D B-mode image data. This preliminary data is presented below. Preliminary work 1 Modeling 2D US signal transmission for Needle Shaft and Tip Enhancement When the US signal pulses are sent by the transducer into tissue, they undergo reflection, scattering, absorption and refraction. These phenomena all contribute to attenuation; the loss in intensity of the US pulses as they travel deeper into tissue. Attenuation is responsible for non-conspicuity of the needle tip and shaft at increasing depths. Previously, we have shown that modeling signal transmission in 2D US based on 2D image data, while considering depth-dependent attenuation leads to enhancement of the needle and more accurate tip localization.21 The modelling framework yields signal transmission maps, which are then used in an image-based contextual regularization process to achieve tip and shaft enhancement (Fig.1). A tip localization accuracy of mm was achieved in ex vivo tissue. However, the localization accuracy is lower when soft tissue interfaces are present along the needle trajectory, and when the needle is not properly aligned in the scan plane. In the context of th is proposal, our objective is to apply similar US signal modeling and contextual regularization, this time based on RF data. Preliminary work 2 Machine learning approaches for needle detection and enhancement in 3D US Since 3D US is multiplanar, the challenge associated with needle alignment in the scan plane is partially eliminated when it is used in needle guidance.   Nevertheless, 3D US is also affected by US signal attenuation. Previous methods proposed for needle enhancement and localization in 3D US did not address this need. In addition, most were computationally demanding because of the requirement to process the entire US volume. In this work (results submitted to 20th MICCAI conference, 2017), we have developed a learning-based method for automatic needle detection in 3D US volumes. The pixel-wise classifier generates a sub-volume containing only slices with needle information. In so doing, computational complexity on the subsequent enhancement and localization algorithms is reduced (Fig.2). The tip is automatically localized in 3D. We achieved 88% detection precision, 98% recall rate, a slice classification time of 0.06 seconds, a localization accuracy of mm, and a training time of 1 5 seconds. Figure 2. Learning based needle detection, enhancement and localization in 3D US. Top row: an example of needle detection. Here, the original volume contained 41 slices, and the classifier identified only 7 containing needle data. Bottom row: The enhancement process on the sub-volume. Left, enhanced intensity projection image. Middle, automatically localized tip (red) displayed on the relevant axial slice. The blue cross is the manually localized tip. Right, trajectory estimation indicated by the green line. Specific Aim 1. To develop RF-signal modeling algorithms for improved 3D US image reconstruction For this aim, we hypothesize that adaptive beamforming methods applied to pre-beamformed 3D RF data will enhance needle visibility and improve quality of US volumes. During the formation of an US image, the reflected US signals are received by the transducer elements at different time points due to varying signal travel distances. Beamforming on each scan line is meant to establish signal synchronism before aggregation. The conventional method of beamforming in both 2D and 3D US is delay and sum (DAS). Here, received signals are electronically delayed, followed by application of a beamformer whose weights are reliant on echo signals, leading to undesirable wide main-lobe and high side-lobe levels resulting in imaging artifacts, thus decreasing the image resolution and contrast. 40 In this architecture, the angular resolution is dependent on the length of the scan aperture and the fixed operating frequency.41 In a fixed hardware configuration, these parameters cannot be increased, hen ce resolution cannot be improved. To overcome this challenge, adaptive beamforming methods based on minimum variance42-45 and multi-beam covariance matrices46 have been proposed. Using adaptive beamformers signal detection can be maximized while minimizing the beam-width and side lobe artifacts.47,48 Recently, phase factor beamforming, where phase variations are tracked across the receive aperture domain, has been shown to improve the appearance of bone surfaces from 2D US data49. Bone features, similar to needle features, are hyper-echoic when imaged with US. Therefore, during this aim we will develop an adaptive phase-factor beamforming method in order to enhance the hyper-echoic targets such as the needle from 3D pre-beamformed RF data. Specifically, adaptive beamformer that combines ideas from Minimum Variance (MV) adaptive beamforming,50 signal regularization based on statistical information in RF data,51 and Toeplitz structure covariance matrices52 to minimize computational co mplexity will be investigated. It is expected that this reconstruction technique will adapt the data to the clinical application of needle enhancement through improving image resolution, contrast, and speckle suppression. The algorithms will be incorporated into an open source imaging platform for real-time data collection and processing.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, we expect that the algorithms developed in Aim 1 will allow enhanced representation of US needle data with increased diagnostic value. The images obtained from this aim will be used as an input to the algorithms proposed in Aim2. Specific Aim 2. To develop methods for needle enhancement and tip localization in 3D US images Our working hypothesis for this aim is that learning based approaches for needle detection coupled with image reconstruction methods in 3D US will achieve improved needle enhancement and tip localization. In our previous work, we have shown that a linear learning based pixel classifier for needle data in 3D US, based on local phase based image projections, improves needle enhancement and reduces computational load.   The detector utilizes Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG)53 descriptors extracted from local phase projections and a linear support vector machine (SVM) baseline classifier. Recently, deep learning (convolutional neural network (CNN)) based image processing approaches have shown to produce very accurate results for segmentation of medical image data54. However, enhancement or segmentation of needles from US data using convolutional neural networks has not been investigated yet.   Therefore, for during this aim we will develop a needle enhancement and segmentation m ethod using convolutional neural networks. Needle images with various insertions angles and depths will be labeled by an expert radiologist. Our clinical collaborator Dr. Nosher and several radiologists from RWJMH will be involved during this labeling process. We will use two different datasets during the labeling process. The first data set will be retrospective US images downloaded from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical Hospital (RWJMH) database. Specific focus will be given to liver biopsy and epidural management procedures where US has been used to guide the needle insertion and biopsy procedure. The second data set will involve collecting needle US scans using ex vivo tissue samples as the imaging medium. These scans will be collected at the PIs laboratory using an open source platform US machine with 3D imaging capabilities. The collected ex vivo data will be enhanced using the beamforming methods developed in Aim 1.   Labeling process will involve manual identification of the needle tip and shaft from the two datasets. A fully convolutional neural network54 will be trained using the labeled data. The architecture of this network does not require extensive data sets in order to train the network and yields high segmentation results. Previously this approach was used for segmenting cell structures54. The output of this operation, which will be a fuzzy 3D probability map (high probability regions corresponding to needle interface), will be used as an input to our previously developed needle tip localization method. The automatically identified needle tips will be compared against the manually identified needle tips. More details about the specific clinical data collection and validation are provided in Specific Aim 3 and Protection of Human Subjects. Overall, at the end of Aim 2 we expect to have a system providing continuous real-time monitoring of needle insertion using 3D US for improved guidance in interventional radiology procedures. Specific Aim 3. To validate the developed imaging platform on clinical data To validate the algorithms developed in Aims 1-2, we plan to perform extensive validation on ex vivo and clinical data. No clinical trial will be conducted during this proposal. Our initial validation will be limited to epidural administration and liver biopsy procedures. Ex vivo data: This study will be conducted for validating Aims 1-2. US scans will be collected from two different needles: 1-) A general 17-gauge Tuohy epidural needle (Arrow International,Reading, PA, USA),   and 2-) 18-gauge biopince full core liver biopsy needle (Argon Medical devices, Athens, Texas, USA). The needles will be inserted at varying insertion angles (300−700) and depths (up to 12 cm). Ex vivo porcine, bovine, liver, kidney and chicken tissue samples will be used as the imaging medium. 3Dpre-beamformed RF data will be collected using a SonixTouch US system (Analogic Corporation, Peabody, MA, USA) equipped with the 3D phased array transducer. The US machine, provides an open-source research interface allowing for custom-made applications directly run on the machine, and the 3D transducers. The image resolution for different depth settings will vary from 0.1mm to 0.3mm. In total, we will collect 300 different 3D US scans for each tissue sample (making the total n umber equal to 1500 3D US scans). The collected scans will be enhanced using algorithms developed in Aim1. From the enhanced data, our clinical collaborators will manually identify the needle tips. Three different radiologist, with varying expertise, will be involved during the validation process in order to calculate the inter-user variability error. We will also ask the same users to repeat the needle tip identification process after two weeks to assess the intra-user variability error. The labeled data will be used in order to train the CNN proposed in Aim2. For testing the CNN algorithm, we will collect additional new 500 US scans. The manually identified needle tip locations, from the new dataset, will be compared to the automatically extracted needle tip locations obtained from the algorithms developed in Aims1-2. Euclidean distance error between the two tip locations (manual vs automated) will be calculated for quantitative validation. Clinical data: This study will involve collection of retrospective US data from patients who are enrolled for a liver biopsy or epidural administration as part of their standard of care. Women and minorities will be appropriately represented in the recruited patients. Sex or race will not play a role as an inclusion or exclusion criteria. Specific focus will be given to patients who are 21 years and older and require a liver biopsy or epidural administration. All the US data and the patient information (age, sex, height, weight, and laboratory data) will be assigned a non-identifying alpha-numeric code that will ensure that the risk of re-identification of participants from the acquired data is not possible. Additional information is included in the Protection of Human Subjects. In total, we will collect 1600 different US scans, from 400 patients. For labeling (manual tip and needle shaft localization) in order to train the CNN method developed in Aim2 we will use 1200 scans. During testing, 400 US scans, not part of the training dataset, will be used. Again expert radiologist will be involved during labeling and testing procedures for tip and shaft identification. Error calculations will involve calculating Euclidean distance between the two tip locations (manual vs automated).

Blood Donation Essay Essay

As you are listening to me, you might not think that today is the day that you will save a life. It is quite easy to save a life any day and it only takes a little bit of your time. I’m not talking about being a paramedic or fireman; I am talking about the simple act of donating blood. Almost anybody can donate blood but in order to do so, you must be fit and healthy. In other words; you’re not suffering from a cold, the flu, or any other illnesses. Also, it is extremely critical that you meet the ideal weight which would be anything above 45 KG. You must be between the ages 16-70 if you wish to donate your blood. Make sure that you eat a healthy meal before your donation and that you are drinking an ample amount of liquids preferably juice or water (and absolutely no alcohol) 3 hours prior to donating. [1] There are four key tips in order to have a successful blood donation. Make sure to keep yourself hydrated, wear something comfortable, bring a list of medication that you are taking (as it is important for the doctors to know about any prescription and/or over the counter medications that may be in your system) and lastly, make sure you maintain a healthy level of iron in your diet before donating your blood. Most importantly, you have to relax and feel at ease! Blood donation is an extremely safe procedure and there should be absolutely nothing to be concerned about. [2] Why should you donate blood? The answer is rather quite simple; safe blood saves lives and improves health. Your blood’s main components: plasma, red cells, and platelets are vital for plenty of different uses. Plasma provides the body with plenty of nutrients and protein. Red blood cells are used predominantly in treatments for blood diseases along with cancer. They also help in the making of treating anemia. Platelets contribute to helping repair any signs of damaged body tissue. [3] The donation process from the time you arrive until the time you leave takes about an hour maximum. The donation itself is only about 8-10 minutes on average. The nurse will be sure to cleanse an area on your arm and then insert a sterile needle into it for the blood draw. This shot feels like a  quick pinch and is over in a matter of seconds. Certain donation types such as red cells, platelets or plasma can take up to 2 hours. The nurse draws approximately a pint of blood from you during every donation period. [4] So that now you know how easy it is to donate blood, it’s time to take action. After all, you have plenty of blood, so why not share? When you do, you will feel good about yourself and you will save a life. By giving blood, every donor is contributing to a nation-wide challenge to provide life-saving products whenever and wherever they are needed. Citation: [1] Australian Red Cross Blood Service â€Å"Am I eligible to donate blood?† http://www.donateblood.com.au/who-can-give/am-i-eligible Web. 2014. [2] The American Red Cross â€Å"Donation Process† http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/tips-successful-donation Web. 2015. [3] â€Å"Why give blood?† http://www.blood.co.uk/giving-blood/why-give-blood/ Web. [4] The American Red Cross â€Å"Donation Process† http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/donation-process Web. 2015.

Q: Steve Jobs, the Founder of Apple, Was Asked to Come Back as Chief Executive in 1997 When the Business Was Making a Loss. Jobs Was Appointed to Provide a Clearer Vision for the Business and to Improve Its

Many companies throughout the world have suffered from bad leadership decisions or have not adapted well to business cultures brought in by new leaders. This can cause a spread of problems, both internal and external and often the new leader brought in has to make large changes to the way the business is run. The success of this change of leader often depends on their ability to find the shortcomings of the current business structure and to transform it into a competitive force in the future.Steve Jobs founded Apple as a computer company in 1976 and ran it alongside founders Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne and investor Mike Markkula. He was a strong minded visionary and often went against other workers ideas. Many rifts were created within apple because of the disagreements he had with other people about the way projects were being run within the company. Eventually, in 1985 Jobs left Apple after being removed as manager of the Mac project, something he had put together and built up.He a cquired Lucasfilm’s animation department Pixar and funded this whilst working on his ‘NeXT’ computer project. He worked at NeXT for a number of years until, in 1995 Apple were convinced by Jobs to buy out his computer company. He then returned to Apple in an informal advisory role at a time when Apple was making the biggest losses since it was founded. In early 1997 after 500 days in the job and over $1 billion in losses the, then CEO was sacked. Jobs agreed to become interim CEO and to take on the responsibility of getting the company back onto the right path.His first move was to dramatically cut the number of products being produced by Apple and focused on a simple matrix structure. He made a laptop for consumer users and a laptop for professional users and the same for desktop computers. This distinctly different structure cut costs and made Apple seem a lot more customer friendly as a company. The next step was looking towards preparing their products for th e future, through development and predictions. The result was a modern line of products that turned around Apple’s fortunes and made them a player in the personal computer market once again.His next focus was creating a media hub, this included the iPod and iTunes and proved extremely successful for Apple and showcased Jobs’ ability to see future trends and lifestyles. Jobs managed to completely transform Apple from a company making giant losses to one of the most valuable companies in the world by stripping it down and completely rebuilding the structure and culture. His critical decision making skills alongside his vision of the future allowed Apple to reconcentrate on innovating and staying ahead of competition.