Monday, August 12, 2019

How to fix the stray animal problem in Austin,texas Essay

How to fix the stray animal problem in Austin,texas - Essay Example Among all stray animals dogs occupy the foremost position which over 500 million. This phenomenally large number has emerged as serious predicament for animal welfare organizations as these stray dogs suffering from hunger and illness seek sanctuary in human communities where they are generally seen as a nuisance by people living alongside them. Moreover diseases caused by the bites of dogs such as rabies and distemper are extremely fatal and are not easily curable. (Austin pet Directory) Lack of knowledge and widespread unawareness about the problem has further worsened the problem. Communities in developing countries often take barbaric steps to solve this problem which includes measures like electrocuting dogs or simply shooting them. These appalling methods afflict great pain on the animal and simultaneously are not beneficial in long term as they fail to identify the root causes of the problem. (Wild Life Removal) The city of Austin has always been certified as a 'bird sanctuary' city which can be vindicated from the fact that the city administration has allocated thousands of acres of land to preserve the species and habitats of salamanders and warblers, but concurrently the city lacks greatly when it comes to providing help to animals once they are out of their protected environment and are found injured in the backyard of someone's residence. (ci. Austin)It is commendable to see that over a period of a year or two developments in this particular segment has been phenomenal. The administration of the city has been formulating effective strategies in collaboration with non-governmental organizations to address this issue at a suitable platform. Many organizations and associations which include prominent names like Protection for Animal and Welfare Services or PAWS, Shadow Cats Rescue, The Central Texas SPCA and ARF. All these organizations are playing a laudable role to counter the looming t hreat of stray animals in the city. Among all of these the role of PAWS has been instrumental in every sense. The prime objective of this non-governmental organization is to increase awareness among people by initiatives like educational campaigns and promotion of human standards to prevent cruelty to animals. In addition to this it also focuses on providing shelter to homeless animals and help in the reduction of domestic animal overpopulation. PAWS have also been working in joint ventures with Texas VOAD (Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster) and UAN (United Animal Nations) in natural disasters. (Bats Specialist) In conjunction to this another prominent name is that of Spay Austin Coalition a group of individuals in Austin working collectively to increase acquaintance about stray animals by means of education, resources and opportunities to weather the over-population problem of such animals in the city. Town Lake Animal Center is the largest animal rehabilitation center situated in Central Texas which provides shelter to over 23,000 stray animals found in the city of Austin and other areas adjoining it. The center which has been developed in conjunction with the ASPCA focuses on training people ways by which they can identify and report cases of animal cruelty. (Austin Pet

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Cultures and Traditions of Saudi Arabia and Turkey Essay

Cultures and Traditions of Saudi Arabia and Turkey - Essay Example The geographical location of Turkey makes the country a vantage point over the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. This largely influenced the interest of many neighboring countries to subjugate the area. Conquest did not only mean ruling the inhabitants of turkey. Conquest included the influx of foreign arts, culture, and traditions into Turkey. Records have it that from 1251 up to 1939, Turkey's respective government signed treaties, attended conventions, and signed agreements among different neighboring nations which had interest over the country as a colonizer (Shotwell and Deak 179- 181). For example, in 1251, the Turks took into custody Egypt. As a consequence, France who had a dispensation over the area must end the same. So, St Louis and the Sultan of Egypt concluded with a treaty, closing all of French interest in Egypt as well as in Turkey. But, the end of French concessions in the two countries did not mean that the Francs left with everything that they have brought into Egypt and Turkey. Many of their arts, genes, cultural practices, traditions were left behind with the Turks. Aside from that, merchandize exchanges continued as shipping vessels went through the Black sea reaching Constantinople (Shotwell and Deak 14-15). Many other Western... The Greeks too uses the same location to trade with other countries beside Turkey (Shotwell and Deak 14-15). Alongside, Turkey was also actively involved in trading for their needs and to sell their products outside the country. These activities hugely imported into Turkish people mixture of influences. In the early 14th century, the Ottomans' captured Turkey from the Byzantium emperors which were mostly Catholic Christians and established Islamic Faith in the area (Hitchcock, Lloyd, Rice, Lynton, Boyd, Carden, et al 161) which persist to date. In contrast, in Saudi Arabia since about the 5th century after the death of Christ and during the onset of Islam under Mohammed, Bedouins of the Arabian Peninsula shielded their territory from colonializations. Although, Arabs travel far and wide, and people from different races were allowed entrance and exit, this was only for trading purposes which practices persist to the present time. After the death of Mohammed, Islamic religion was vastly adopted and upon which basic lifestyles, mores and traditions were largely based. A Caliphate was installed as a civilian leader of the land. But as soon as the first Caliph died dominion was left to the family of Ibn Saud. Monarchy was established to maintain the tradition and lead the people into a solid society despite religious differences, and some influences from Western and Asian neighbors (Lipsky, Ani, Bigelow, Gillen, Larson, Matthews, Royce, and Gillen 8). Unlike Turkey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relies on their vast oil deposits which are regularly exported. The magistrate established large corporate companies in association with foreign

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Maslow and behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Maslow and behaviour - Essay Example Once these are met, then they provide a foundation for attaining a higher level of motivation that are based on the basic ones. For instance, after an individual achieves his or her safety and physiological needs, then they would be more inclined into belonging and finding acceptance among their peers and other groups that they identify with. Contrary to the mode of study done by Freud and B.F Skinner, Maslow opted to study successful and accomplished individuals such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, and Fredrick Douglas. Walking through any institution of higher learning such as a college would open ones eye to the striking difference in the students of any one institution. Some of the glaring difference is evident in the health, confidence, and living conditions. However, it is apparent that all the students have needs. Therefore, it is necessary for individuals needs to be identified so that they can be met. This is why initial diagnostic assessment is so important. It is also essential to assess whatever has been put in place to check its suitability for purpose. Regular tracking and monitoring will enable the effectiveness to be measured and any necessary adjustments to be done. Deficiency needs are the first four levels of needs within the hierarchy. These needs must be satisfied before the person is motivated to be able to move to the higher levels. Once a deficiency need has been met the drive or desire to meet that need lessons. For example, you were hungry and could not concentrate on your lesson. You would feel quite differently once you had eaten and would be able to re-engage with your lesson. Having a small group i.e., eight students enables me to work closely with each and develop strong home-college links allowing me to notice if there are deficiency issues and respond accordingly. For example by helping families to access benefits so that they can pay

Friday, August 9, 2019

The religious factors that led to the clash between Native Americans Essay

The religious factors that led to the clash between Native Americans and early Euro-American settlers - Essay Example However, not everything in the Native American/White relations was entirely gruesome. Oppression and conflicts with white people turned Native Americans into a nation with remarkable adaptation potential. The development and change touched all the areas including culture and religion. As a result, while European colonialism was pushing Native American populations westwards, the latter were developing the degree of flexibility, adaptability and cohesion that had been unknown to native populations before 1607. The difference between the frontier line of America and the frontier line of other countries is the following: the other countries knew their boundaries and they knew which countries were beyond these boundaries. The North America frontier underlined the unknown land beyond it. In accordance with Calloway: â€Å"†¦fertile valleys, meeting friendly people bedecked in turquoise, and hearing wondrous accounts of the towns to be found in the north† (p. 133). As far as we can see, the diversity of the North frontier is evident. The nature of the diversity can be found in the first settlers’ necessity to deal with natural challenges and remain self-sufficient. Indian cultures are really unique and peculiar in America. Some Indian tribes have survived, although other tribes have been vanished and completely destroyed. Many of them continued their traditional cultures, while others fully lost their cultures and communities. The history of American Indians in their relationship with Americans is full of brutality and intent destruction and discrimination. (Erchack 1992) Some scientists mention that the history of American Indians is something similar to labyrinth of different opinions and ideas. Indians resides from the cold regions of the Intuit in northern Alaska to the Yahgan. Many Americans consider Indian Americans as noble savages. It became an

Thursday, August 8, 2019

IT Systems Case Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IT Systems Case Study - Assignment Example The institutional archives manager at Campus A learned the tough way that he could not inactively wait till electronic records were conveyed to his office for long-standing access and retention. A research of the records at the campus, aided by the National Historical Publication and Records Commission grant, discovered that over 90 percent of the data sets did not have adequate documentation, hence making archival evaluation impossible (Kahn, 2000, 332). Campus B The archives department at Campus B opted for a method to handling electronic records, which was extremely diverse from Campus A’s. Rather than working with groups all through the university system, the archives department opted to work with a minute group of mainly external experts on creating an electronic-record policy (Kahn, 2000, 336). The challenge to this is that it left out vital departments of the institution meaning that the final policy did not incorporate every department’s view about the endeavor (Kahn, 2000, 337). Also, the campus had limited resources unlike Campus A, which opted to use all the resources they could together for the endeavor. Unlimited resources translated into unlimited support for the system. Strategic Responses to the Challenges Campus A In response to the campus’ IT report, the institution archives director begun by strengthening internet record management in his office and also by seeking the assistance of relevant and significant offices and departments all round the institution. He also started to make use of a new budget-management scheme, which rewarded record-management endeavors all through the university system (Kahn, 2000, 334). The director’s initial move to deal with this problem was to add the role of electronic-record management to the archives department. The appointment of the electronic-record administrator in the archives department was a departure from normal practice whereby record management was housed in an administrat ive scheme. Campus B The archives department allocated a majority of its internal budget resources and a US$130,000 national grant for creating a conceptual strategy for managing electronic records (Kahn, 2000, 335). The money was largely used to recruit a small team and pay faculty to oversee pilot record-management plans and create policy. The archives department director also hired a counseling board which included national specialists in the field of electronic-record management. Just two people in the institution’s hierarchy—a university personnel director, as well as a university information resources administrator—were included on that board (Kahn, 2000, 336). This would assist the campus to come to grips with the policy and management concerns surrounding electronic records. Social Action Theory Social action, in sociology, is an act that considers the actions and reactions of people (or 'agents'). Max Weber considers that "an Action is 'social' if the p erforming person considers the behavior of others and is thus oriented in its course. Campus A Campus A’s archives department is situated at the library adjacent to the geographic center of the main campus. The department is in walking distance to several university

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 61

Philosophy - Essay Example As for Robin Penslar and Aaron Ridley, utilitarianism is teleological moral theory which asserts that the correct action is a function of its consequences ("the greatest good for the greatest number") which can be predicted. The consequences of the good must be distributed as widely as possible; the person making moral choice should look not only for personal good or for whom they care about, but also for welfare. The choice made is provided by the rationale and logical argument and a person can use it on an individual basis. According to this ethical theory, the correctness of behavior is determined by its final use. The supporters of the theory say the utilitarian principle is the only moral criterion of human acts, and this principle is to ensure that we should always seek to maximize the predominance of good over evil. The ethics of utilitarianism defines natural process in a person coming into antagonism with itself in consciousness. According to the utilitarism morality is based upon the common good (happiness for most people) which Bentham called the common benefit, of course, distinguishing it from self-interest, or personal benefit. Under the principle of common benefit he understood the principle of action selection and evaluation of acts, which focuses on the greatest possible benefit. If the act concerns the interests of the community, we are talking about the benefits (happiness) of community, if it is about the interests of the individual, so, the benefits of the individual is a predominant thing. Utilitarism is also a theory directed against selfishness. The admissibility of pleasure or profit made in each case is determined by whether they contribute to a higher purpose. The definition (assessment) of phenomena and events either good or bad is also based on that principle. And according to the theory a person should (bearing in mind the supreme moral principle) strive to provide at

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Female Acceptance into a Computer Based Society Essay Example for Free

Female Acceptance into a Computer Based Society Essay INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Advancement on technology had brought different changes into the society. These aims to provide additional comfort and making things work more efficiently. But there are changes that people cannot prevent to happen. These are biological changes such as getting old.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People respond to the aging process as a negative thing. Misconceptions arises that lead to common negative behavior towards the aging process. Getting old is a natural process. Anti-aging solutions are invented to prevent physical changes that it may cause like gray hair and wrinkles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Its no secret that our bodies change as we age. Physical as well as psychological changes as effect of aging can be experienced.   Some changes are obvious, while others are more subtle. Others, may experience the effects of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, which can gradually diminish their abilities to participate fully in activities. While there are still people age comfortably and remain active, alert and vibrant throughout their lives. Their physiologic age may be quite younger than their chronological age.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because of the negative connotation on the process of aging, women who are known to be more conscious than men generally find it an issue to accept aging as a natural process of life. OBJECTIVES This study aims to discuss the impact of aging to the female group given in a modern and more advance society. This will provide description on how female cope, adapt and react to the aging process. SCOPE AND DELIMITATION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The research covers the issue of aging on female point of view. . It also provide an overview on what is aging and the physical and mental changes it bring to a person. This also identify some misconceptions about aging. SIGNIFICANCE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study is significant to discuss the impact of aging to women. It identifies the reasons on how the female gender response to the stage of aging. It discusses the common misconceptions regarding aging that can be properly addressed. This study is also significant for future researches related to the topic. RELATED LITERATURE Misconceptions on Aging There are a lot of misconceptions about getting old. It is a negative connotation that aging means getting near to the end of growth. And that old age is a lonely stage of life. It is also a misconception that when one is old, he/she believes that there are only limited to certain activities especially in the physical aspect. One fears getting old because of the fear of loosing independence. Another misconception is that people think that the happy days of their lives were experienced when they are young. According to a recent study shown, these several misconceptions vary from the reality regarding the issue of aging.   The research was conducted by VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and University of Michigan researchers to 540 adults who were between the ages of 21 and 40, or over age 60 . They were asked to rate their level of happiness through answering questions. The results are published in the June issue of the Journal of Happiness Studies, a major research journal in the field of positive psychology. There is a stereotype existing between the old and young in the society. One thinks that the happy days of his/her life happens only when he/she is young.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In another research by Linda M. Woolf, Ph.D., the concept of ageism was examined between younger and older men and women in the present study. It was entitled â€Å"Effects of Age and Gender on Perceptions of Younger and Older Adults†. The study discusses the older adults are perceived more negatively than younger adults. Through gender interaction effect, a significant age by was found. Both younger and older men rated stimulus older adults significantly less positively than stimulus younger adults. However, older women rated stimulus older adults significantly more positively than they rated other stimulus-age groups. Older women were the only subject group that did not exhibit a consistent negative bias against older adults. Conversely, younger women rated stimulus older adults more negatively than any subject group. Biological   Effects   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The effects of aging are obvious on the body. Our body is made up of cells and tissues that keep on regenerating and replenishing to keep our body sustaining. As we grow old, this process decreases where replacement of old to new cells are slowing causing the signs of aging to appear.   Physical changes like poor hearing and declining vision takes place. The strength of muscles lessens due to soft tissues like skin and blood vessels that became less flexible are some general changes that occur in the human body as it ages. Skin starts to become dry and wrinkled. It looses its elasticity and the glands function less so sweating occurs lesser than the usual. Moreover, there is an overall decline in body tone that can be observed. The body’s performance becomes less efficient. Not all people experience decreased organ function to the same degree—some individuals are healthier due to good diet and exercise when they are younger. Aging also affects the immune system of a person. Human antibody lessens their act against free radicals. The immune system also changes with age. The antibodies, disease-fighting proteins, protect the body against bacteria, viruses, and other harmful agents in a healthy immune system. A healthy immune system also prevents the growth of abnormal cells, which can become cancerous. With advancing age, the ability of the immune system to carry out these protective functions is diminished—the rate of antibody production may drop by as much as 80 percent between age 20 and age 85. This less-effective immune system explains why a bout of influenza, which may make a young adult sick for a few days, can be fatal for an elderly person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For females, these changes on the body due to the advancement of age have a greater issue.   Aging causes changes on the physical aspect of a person and one of the major effects of aging occurs in the female reproductive system. With aging, a womans breasts lose tissue and subcutaneous fat, reducing breast size and fullness. There is also a decrease in the number of mammary ducts. The breasts lose support. Aging breasts commonly flatten and sag, and the nipple may turn in slightly. The areola (the area surrounding the nipple) becomes smaller and may nearly disappear. Loss of hair around the nipple is common. Breast cancer risk increases with age. Women should perform monthly breast self-examinations. However, because breast self-exams do not always pick up early stages of breast cancer, women should also talk to their health care providers about mammograms. It also affects the fertility cycle of a woman. Menopausal stage takes place on about age 45 to age 55 of a female where the ovaries does not longer produce egg cells. This means that she can no longer bear a child. This is also the end of the menstrual cycle since there is no longer the release of sexual hormones that motivates the cycle. Although the average onset of menopause occurs in the early part of the sixth decade there is an observable, real and significant decline in the 10 to 15 years before menstruation ceases. Scientific studies on natural populations (those with high marital rates and no birth control) and on â€Å"infertility populations† all confirm the presence of an age related decline in female fertility independent of all other factors. This effect becomes most prominent after age 35.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aging cause loss of female fertility. Although menstrual irregularities generally begin to show in the last half of the 5th decade (a time termed perimenopause) there is a marked decrease in fertility in the 10 years preceding this that appears to be independent of male or pelvic factors and despite the occurrence of regular menstrual cycles and ovulation. Similarly a decrease in success rates for IVF is seen in this population as well. The discussion then seems to focus on whether this decrease in fertility is due to ovarian factors, uterine factors or both. In other mammals there does appear to be a host of age related uterine changes that do limit fertility however, initial studies in humans failed to show consistent aging changes. Furthermore it now seems that the endometrium of an ovulatory older woman with appropriate levels of estradiol and progesterone should be able to be appropriately receptive to and supportive of implantation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The catch here is that as we age, even while still regularly menstruating, there are subtle shifts in hormonal patterns that may make the endometrium less receptive. As an example, luteal phase defect is far more common at the edges of reproductive life (very young, very old, newly delivered) but progesterone supplementation, which in theory should overcome the defect, does not appear to have made a significant difference in pregnancy rates for older women. More compelling support for the idea that the problem is primarily ovarian in nature comes from the fact that pregnancy rates for younger women and older women undergoing IVF with donor eggs are quite comparable. There are however, still some questions about uterine receptivity and study is ongoing in attempts to isolate out the effect of the â€Å"older uterus† from the effect of aging eggs of poor quality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The bottom line for now seems to be that although everyone agrees that egg quality and ovarian reserve definitely decline with age and are perhaps the primary factors causing an age related decrease in female fertility, there may be uterine factors in play as well. Further study to elucidate the mechanisms at work and, hopefully, to devise new treatment options are indicated. A number of other studies investigates the effects of aging. Scientists have found, for example, a possible explanation for why women have longer average life spans than men. The difference seems to be biologically determined, and male and female sex hormones are probably responsible. The blood levels of female sex hormones drop sharply during menopause. At that time, the incidence of heart disease and high blood pressure in women increases to match the incidence in men, suggesting that the presence of female sex hormones offers some protection against heart disease. Aging Population   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In developed nations, life expectancy has increased more in the 20th century than it has in all of recorded history. A person born in the United States in 1995 can expect to live more than 35 years longer than a person born in 1900. Today more than 34 million Americans are 65 or older, accounting for about 13 percent of the population. By the year 2030, their numbers will more than double: One in every five Americans will be over age 65. A person who lives 100 years or more—a centenarian—was once a rarity, but today about 60,000 Americans are 100 years or older. By the year 2060, there may be as many as 2.5 million centenarians in the United States. The number of supercentenarians—people 105 years of age and older—will probably be as commonplace in the next century as centenarians are fast becoming now. How to Counteract with Aging   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Knowing what to expect and taking steps to counterbalance the effects of aging can help you maintain a young spirit and an independent life. A healthy diet, regular exercise program and positive attitude can help delay the onset and slow the progression of many age-related changes. Many of the changes in our musculoskeletal system result more from disuse than from simple aging. Fewer than 10 percent of Americans participate in regular exercise, and the most sedentary group is over age 50.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stretching is an excellent way to help maintain joint flexibility. Weight training can increase muscle mass and strength, enabling people to continue their daily routine activities without maximal exertion. Even moderate amounts of physical activity can reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease and some forms of cancer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Much recent research has been conducted on the effects of exercise on aging. In all of the studies described above, exercise had positive effects on aging. It has been found to increase reaction time, assist in predicting good aging, and improve psychological well-being. Factors such as health, social support, efficacy, and motivation are indicators of the maintenance of exercise. One should acknowledge the factors influencing exercise, recognize the numerous benefits of exercise, and take action at any age in order to live a more healthy and happy life now and in old age. Long-term regular exercises may slow the loss of muscle mass and prevent age-associated increases in body fat. Exercise also helps maintain the bodys response time, as well as its ability to deliver and use oxygen efficiently. Just 30 minutes of moderate activity, incorporated into your daily routine, can provide health benefits. An exercise program doesnt have to be strenuous to be effective. Walking, square dancing, swimming and bicycling are all recommended activities for maintaining fitness into old age. The 30 minutes of moderate activity can be broken up into shorter periods; you might spend 15 minutes working in the garden in the morning and 15 minutes walking in the afternoon. It all adds up. But if youve never attempted an exercise program before, be sure to see your doctor before starting one now. Psychological Aging   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Behavioral medicine research over the past several years has identified a umber of psychosocial characteristics that affect the development and course of a wide range of life-threatening illnesses. Included among these psychosocial risk factors are hostility, depression, social isolation, high job strain, and low socioeconomic status. The specific mechanisms whereby these factors influence the patho ­genesis and prognosis of major causes of death such as coronary heart disease (CHD) and cancer have not been identified yet, but considerable research points to accompanying health behaviors (smoking, dietary habits, and alco ­hol consumption) and biological characteristics (altered functions of the sym ­pathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems [SNS, PNS], of the hypothal ­amic-pituitary-adrenal [HPA] axis, and of the immune system) as likely mediators. Finally, research evaluating interventions targeting psychosocial risk factors in groups of patients with CHD and cancer offer considerable promise that secondary prevention will be shown to have an important place in the treatment and rehabilitation of major chronic diseases . Anti-aging can be a difficult topic to address. A war is currently being fought over the meaning of anti-aging (as research, medicine, brand, or simply adjective) and thus even mentioning the term is likely to prejudice many readers. Defining Anti-Aging   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Like it or not, anti-aging now has a number of quite different common meanings and connotations. Each is championed by a particular group or loose coalition of interests, but advocates for these groups have a way of diving into the fray without defining their terms. This makes reading about anti-aging techniques, technologies, medicine, products, and debates very confusing for the newcomer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the scientific community, anti-aging research refers exclusively to slowing, preventing, or reversing the aging process. There is, as of 2007, no medical technology that allows this to be done although the jury is still out on calorie restriction in humans. Nor is there any currently available method (short of waiting for people to die) to accurately measure the effects of an alleged anti-aging therapy. In the medical and more reputable business community, anti-aging medicine means early detection, prevention, and reversal of age-related diseases. This is quite different from tackling the aging process itself, and a wide array of strategies and therapies are currently available. Calorie restriction, for example, is a demonstrated way to lower risk for a wide range of age-related degenerative conditions. The wider business community including a great many fraudulent and frivolous ventures views anti-aging as a valuable brand and a demonstrated way to increase sales. At the worse end of the scale, this leads to snake oil salesmen, anti-aging creams that may or may not make your skin look younger, and infomercials that tout the anti-aging benefits of exercise machines. Broadly, and very charitably, we can look at these varied definitions of anti-aging as meaning to look and feel younger in some way which has no bearing on how long you live or how healthy you actually are.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The confusion of most interest is between the first two definitions. Many interventions lengthen life span for individuals by preventing or curing specific age-related diseases that would otherwise prove fatal. For example, ask yourself whether preventing heart disease or diabetes is anti-aging medicine. This would have no effect on the aging process, but it would help many people to live longer, healthier lives. Is this anti-aging research? Scientists say no, some medical and business groups say yes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aging is such a bad word in our society. We dont want to see old people, much less sit next to them. Even old people dont like to be around other old people.But maybe the reason that many seniors cant embrace their golden years is that they have never had it modeled for them. People today just live longer. The fastest growing segment in todays society is those 85 and older. Its a whole new ballgame for seniors today. A lot are unsure what to do or whats expected of them. In some ways, were pioneers showing younger folk what to do and what they can do when they are this age. Indeed, the work of a person growing old is that of becoming an elder, discovering spiritual treasures and passing them along to others. Despite physical limitations, there are many positives about aging, including more time to be spent in meditation and prayer, working on a closer connection to God and selves. That meditative work can encourage elders to review their lives, see how they made a difference as well as bringing up old wounds and pains. Its here that seniors need to work on forgiving others, themselves and God as they let go of past hurts, grudges and pains. AGING ON FEMALE’S PERSPECTIVE Response to Physical Changes It is a much issue for women when they feel they get old considering females to be a more conscious gender when it comes to the physical aspect. After discussing the physical changes that it can bring, without proper caring, one’s body can be a total wreck. Another issue that aging brought is that it lessen one’s self esteem. Women are conscious of their age. Youth implies beauty. Something that one tries to preserve while she is still has the youthfulness. That is why anti aging creams, pills etc. are in demand to most women. For example, there is a preference of choosing a younger female.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As women age their concerns about health grow—and rightfully so given that women are at greater risks for some health conditions. For example, according to the Illinois Department on Aging, heart disease is the No. 1 leading cause of death among older women. Women are twice as likely as men to die within the first year of having a heart attack. The second leading cause of death for women is cancer—specifically lung and breast cancer—and the third leading cause of death is stroke. Women who have hypertension or diabetes are at greater risk for heart disease and strokes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Like all women, lesbians are at risk for health problems associated with aging. Some evidence suggests that they may even be at greater risk for some age-related health problems. For example, because lesbians as a group are less likely to have been pregnant, more likely to drink alcohol and smoke—and more likely to be overweight—their risk of breast cancer may be greater than the risk among women in the general population. However, we need much more research before we can say much of anything for sure about lesbians’ risks for breast cancer or the other leading causes of death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study we are collecting information about these and many other health concerns of lesbians. We are happy to report that, in general, the 450 lesbians in our study are overall very healthy—in fact, when we first interviewed them in 2000-2001, 74% of them rated their health as good or excellent; only 7% said that their health was poor. Very few women in the study reported being diagnosed with breast cancer , heart disease, or diabetes. However, 17% said that they have high blood pressure (hypertension). One of the reasons for these low rates of problems is that the women are relatively young—the average age of the women in the study is 39 years (only about a quarter of them are over 45 years old). As they get older, lesbians, like other women, face higher risk for these serious health problems. Because we have not yet discovered the cure for aging it is important that we take care of ourselves in order to reduce these risks and improve our overall quality of life. Among the most important ways that we can take care of ourselves include getting regular exercise, not smoking, and using sodium (salt) and alcohol in moderation. Some misconceptions of women and the truth   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The older I get, the worse my body will feel. The increasing stiffness and aches pains that often come with age are not a result of age, but are due to lack of movement. Although there are some changes in the tissues in the process of aging, one can continue to remain remarkably flexible and free of pain through something as simple as regular stretching.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Its too late to start taking care of myself it wont do any good at this age. A healthy lifestyle has been found to be one of the most important factors in how people age. Improvements in lifestyle (with the 3 key areas being good food, exercise and regular relaxation and rest) will bring improvements at any age.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Im getting too old to learn new things Research shows that older people can, and do, learn new things. Attitude plays an important role. People who believe they can learn new things do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sex is only for the young. People can, and do, continue to enjoy sex well into their senior years. People are sexual beings throughout the life cycle, but sexuality is experienced differently at different ages. Changes in hormones affects the experience of sex, and one may need to find different ways to be intimate. Relaxation is key here so that we dont panic when things dont happen the way they used to. Aging does not imply that they are too old for sex but simply they need to give themselves some breathing room to become familiar with our changing physiologies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The older I get, the less attractive I become. There is nothing more attractive than someone who has aged well. There is a special radiance in a elderly person who is at peace with themselves and life. Attractiveness has absolutely nothing to do with age. Its never too late to change the two most important ingredients to graceful aging attitude and lifestyle.   At the risk of sounding like a broken record to those of you whove read my previous articles there are two very simple but essential lifestyle ingredients for successful aging -relaxation and stretching.       References: http://www.hope.edu/academic/psychology/335/webrep2/ageexercise.htm http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/lifestyle/2006-06/17/content_619419.htm http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/lifestyle/2006-06/17/content_619419.htm http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/ageismwoolf.html http://www.seniorwomen.com/articles/articlesElginOld.html http://www.riversidehealth.com/articles/aging.htm http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=224topcategory=Wellness http://infertility.about.com/cs/femalefactors/a/femaleage.htm