Utilisation of Grasscutter for Household Protein Intake

Utilisation of Grasscutter for Household Protein Intake Abstract   Sustainability in Nigerian Agriculture with preference to grasscutter production was examined in this study. The study is considered necessary due to insufficient information on the subject, ineffective reforms embarked upon by government, individual and donor-sponsored animal production projects in the tropics at various levels and scale of production the stock that has little impact. Grasscutter is an herbivore and so can feed conveniently on some forages, crop residues (e.g. rice straw), agro-industrial by-product and kitchen leftovers. Some fodder species that can also be fed to the animals are Pennisetum purpureum (elephant grass) and Panicum maximum (guinea grass). It is concluded that grasscutter production which is suitable for backyard family production offers a great potential for increased food security, income generation, employment opportunities and above all, provision of high quality animal protein intake. INTRODUCTION Animal protein intake is dismally low in less-developed countries than in the developed countries. The Food and Agriculture and Organization (FAO) recommends a minimum of 70g of protein daily per caput, out of which at least 35g (50%) should come from animal protein, but the average Nigerian consumes 10g of protein with 3.2g of this amount from animal protein. Pathetically, Nigeria with population of about 140 million, the highest in Africa, has the highest number of under-five mortality. These deaths occur because of low protein intake. To bridge this gap therefore, all reasonable and practical options deserve thorough consideration. Micro-livestock such as rabbit, guinea pig, grasscutter, giant rat, iguana and pigeons have been suggested by Vietmeyer (1984) as rapid means of obtaining animal proteins. The grasscutter is the second biggest wild rodent after porcupine in Africa. About 40,000 tons grasscutter meat per year is consumed in West Africa of which only 0.2% is provided by d omesticated grasscutters. Its meat, said to resemble that of piglets is greatly appreciated and highly favoured in West and Central Africa (Adjanohoun, 1988). The grasscutter belongs to the mammalian order and family of Rodentia and Tyronomyidae, respectively and is genetically more closely related to the porcupine than to the rat. The expanded demand for grasscutter meat currently poses the greatest threat to its very genetic survival, although the species is currently classified as unthreatened according to the FAOs world watch list (FAO, 2000). The populations of wild grasscutters in West and Central African countries are declining due to over-hunting and destruction of their habitat. In order to ensure their sustainable existence and use, their domestication at this juncture is therefore innevitable,  given the fact that some success in domestication has been achieved in this region (Mensah, 1985). Physical Characteristics of grasscutter Grasscutters are strictly herbivores, and prefer mainly thick-stemmed grass species (Schrage and Yewadan, 1999). Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) also known as cane rat among some people is one of the best animals now domesticated in Nigeria as well as in other sub-Sahara part of Africa. With grasscutter farming, income generation from the initial establishment would continue to flourish because of its fast generation of income. The animal has many traditional names depending on the tribe. Among the Yorubas, it is known as Oya, while some people called it Obije, Nohi as well as Gafya. It is a heavy, compact and the largest African rodent after the porcupine (Hystrix Cristata). When fully grown, the body length varies between 42 and 58cm. its tail measure between 22cm and 25cm and standing height is between 23cm to 30cm. The average adult weighs about 3kg for female and 4.5kg for males making grasscutter to have an outstanding weight than average matured broiler with lesser capit al involvement. Breeds Although many varieties of grasscutter have been described, they belong to two different species: Smaller grasscutter (Thryonomys gregorianus), as described by Thomas (1894) which is smaller in size and may reach 8 kg and a body length of 50 cm and has a shorter tail. They are found in savannas in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Zaire, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and southward to Rhodesia while Larger  grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) Thomas, 1922 which is of greater size, weighs 9 kg or more and has a head-body length up to 60 cm, a rather long tail and spread from Senegal to South Africa (all countries of west, east, and southern Africa). Breeding and Reproduction Grasscutters are induced ovulators (Stier, et al. 1991; Adjanohoun, 1993; Addo, et al. 2001) and breed all year round (Asibey, 1974). Therefore no consideration was given to the time of mating. The female grasscutter is known as doe while the male is known as buck. Puberty in female is attained from 5 month and male from 7th month. The female should not be put to service until 6 month of age and live-weight of about 1.5kg while male can be used for first service from age of 8 months upwards at about 2kg. Some important factors that can affect the reproductive performance of grasscutter are nutrition, lighting regime, stress, and lack of water. The pregnancy or gestation period is 145-167 days with an average of about 150 days (5 months). The gestation period reduce with successive pregnancies. The grasscutter is capable of breeding two times a year. The litter size (number of young ones per birth) varies between 1-7 with an average litter of 4. The doe has no definite oestrus cycle. The incidence of post partum oestrus (i.e. occurrence of oestrus just after giving birth) suggests that the grasscutter can be mated immediately after parturition (giving birth). The recommended mating ratio is one male for every three to six females. MANAGEMENTAL PRACTICES Housing Before the purchase of grasscutter, a place to house them must have been provided. Under the  intensive system, grasscutter may be housed in a container, hutches or deep litter. However, house or building is required for grasscutter. Grasscutter buildings are built to protect the animals against rain, winds, theft, predators, and escape etc. Buildings (houses) should be located in clean and stress-free areas. The infrastructures consist of stable and pens equipped with cages and/ or floor hutches. Other stable and pen equipment indispensable to successful grasscutter husbandry in the intensive system of rearing include feed troughs/mangers, watering place and restraint cages Cane- rat housing should be located far from very noisy environment to avoid stress, should be far from bad odour to prevent illness, and should be close to the residence of the breeder to ensure security, close monitoring and supervision. There are two main types of cages Colony Cages: used for rearing grasscutter in groups and individual cage: used for rearing uncastrated adult male grasscutter and also a quarantine area for sick or injured grasscutters. Colony cages dimension: L * W * H : 2m * 1m * 0.4m. Entrance : L * W : 30cm * 25 cm. Two entrances on each side is recommended. Individual cages : Dimension :- L * W * H : 0.5m * 0.45m * 0.30m. Entrance :- L * W 18 *18 Feeding management Grasscutter are herbivorous animals whose source of food is basically 70 to 80 per cent from the forest. Their major food is Elephant or Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum). They also love to eat certain gramineous plant with thick succulent stalks such as Sugar cane (Saccharum spp), Guinea grass (Panicum maximum), Gamba grass (Andropogon gayanus), Congo grass  (Brachiaria ruziziensis) as well as dried leaf of Leucaena leucocephala i.e. hybrid tamarind. The animal also like Gliricidia sepium, herbaceous legumes like Stylo (Stylosanthes gracilis) and Pueraria phaseoloides. The root and pitch of oil and coconut palms, bark of the anacardium and fruits such as half ripen pawpaw, plantain, pineapple, mango etc are their delight. Food crops such as groundnut, rice, maize, grain legume, tubers like cassava, sweet potato etc also make part of their food. They can also be fed with formulated concentrates like pellet as well as other processed by-products like wheat bran, corn bran, groundnut, soya, oilseed, cotton seed cakes, brewer yeast, grain legume pods, brewers grains, maize and cobs, brewers yeast etc as feed supplements.Fresh formulated feed should be placed in the feeder every day. Irrespective of the kind of forage, grasscutters eat stalks before any other part, the next is the bark of twigs and finally some leaves. This eating habit causes wearing of the animals teeth which unfortunately leads to high forage wastage. The grasscutter does practise coprophagy, when it is hot, water intake is reduced, and when the outdoor temperature is low, the animal drinks much more. (Baptist and Mensah, 1986; Holzer 1986; Holzer et al. 1986; Adjanohoun 1988; Mensah et al. 1986; Mensah 2000). The reason for this rather unexpected behaviour is however not yet fully understood and should be a subjected for further research. Water Consumption: This is determined by an environmental factor (the quantity of water in the atmosphere) low temperature and less forage leads to high rate of water been consumed, and vice versa. HEALTH AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT Preventive measures In order to prevent grasscutter from diseases, the following principles must be adhered to strictly: Only healthy stock should be acquired. Grasscutter should not be raised together with other types of animals in the same building. Rats and wild birds are agents of diseases and should be kept out of the animal house. Adequate control of temperature, humidity and ventilation in the animal house should be maintained. Keep the house (within and outside) clean. Feeding and water troughs should be washed regularly. Restrict movement of visitors in and out of the house. Isolate any sick animal from the group. Any dead animal should be removed immediately. Feed nutritionally balanced diet. Observation and proper records can also be of help. Significant Diseases of Grasscutter Enterotoxaemia: This is caused by bacterium Clostridium perfrigens. The organism produces toxins which are absorbed into the circulatory system of grasscutter causing mortality. Vaccine against this condition is available. Antibiotics can be used for treatment. Coccidiosis: This is caused by organism of the Eimeria family. Symptom of the disease include  diarrhea and prostration. Drugs for treatment are available. Staphylococcaemia: This is caused by a bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus. Most of the signs of this disease are seen at post mortem but discharges from the nostrils and vagina could be seen. Antibiotics are also employed in its treatment. Pneumonia: This is caused by a bacterium, Diplococcus pneumonia and it is prevalent during the cold weather. Aspiration pneumonia could also occur through the inhalation of feed dust. Worm infestation and Ectoparasites like ticks can also affect grasscutter Influence of Grasscutter Production on Sustainable Agricultural Production in Nigeria Grasscutter can serve as a source of food or protein, as the meat of grasscutter can be compared favourably with those of domesticated livestock species. According to Olomu et al. (2003) grasscutter had the highest protein content and lowest fat of 22.7% and 4.2% respectively when compared with rabbit 21.0% and 6.5%; chicken 19.2% and 6.1% and pig with 15.1% CP and 31.0% fat . The meat is also preferred for its tenderness and taste. It can also serve as source of income and employment, as one can depend on grasscutter for his livelihood. In fact, grasscutter can provide job opportunities for both urban and rural dwellers who can be engaged in various aspects of grasscutter production like rearing, processing, transporting, cold storing, hutches building and marketing of grasscutter products. Pancreas of grasscutter is believed to have high concentration of insulin which is a good material in the pharmaceutical company for the local preparations in the treatment of diabetes. Recommendations Government, Non-Governmental agencies and religious bodies can help to organize training in grasscutter production in order to eradicate idleness and hopelessness in the country. Financial crises and crime rates can be reduced in the country when larger citizen especially the unemployed are self employed through grasscutter production. The government should establish a national grasscutter Program with the broad aim of boosting grasscutter production in Nigeria. Grasscutter keepers should also organize themselves into cooperatives where they can have access to some loans and subsidies. Marketing of grasscutter and their products need to be promoted to sustain the economic initiative of the producers. Unemployed youths can be motivated by government, Non-Governmental agencies and religious bodies by training them and making funds available to them. Conclusion Grasscutter production can provide impoverished urban population and the poor rural dwellers the opportunities to meet part of their total protein intake and earn additional income. The grasscutter can be a potential money-spinner if properly managed. In order to achieve this, government, Non-governmental agencies, academics, individuals and planners will have to prepare a well-coordinated action plan to promote grasscutter production.

End of Life Peace Without Pain

End of Life: Peace without Pain Jacqueline R. Reviel Loyola University New Orleans End of Life Peace without Pain Pain management during end of life care is crucial to the comfort and peace of the patient and their family. â€Å"With better pain control, dying patients live longer and better. Pain shortens life. Relief of pain extends life† (Zerwekh et al. , 2006, p. 317). The nurse must educate about (a) disease pathology, (b) signs & symptoms, (c) interventions, (d) medications, (e) alternative therapies, and (f) supportive care, related to end of life care. Pain management involves understanding the pharmacological issues, and management issues surrounding opioid drugs used for pain control. The identification of (a) nursing diagnosis, (b) implementation, and (c) education are essential in keeping the patient and family comfortable and at peace. Pathology, Signs and Symptoms End of life presents with specific pathology which can cause extreme pain and discomfort. The body’s organs begin to shut down as death approaches hypoventilation causes hypoxemia and hypercapnia in turn increasing the workload of the heart as it tries to oxygenate the vital organs. The kidneys and liver begin to fail and toxins begin to build up. The heart fails as it can’t keep up with the demand. Zerwekh (2006) lists specific signs and symptoms associated with death (a) reduced level of consciousness, (b) taking no fluids or only sips, (c) decreased urine output, (d) progressing coldness and mottling in legs and arms, (e) irregular labored breathing; periods of no breathing, and (f) the death rattle. Diagnosis & Interventions Diagnoses related to end of life care are (a) Ineffective tissue perfusion, (b) Alteration in comfort, (c) Activity intolerance, (d) Impaired gas exchange; (e) Ineffective breathing patterns, and (f) Decreased cardiac output. Interventions are attached to each diagnosis and a plan of care is established for the patient. Interventions for alternation in comfort include (a) spiritual, (b) pharmacological, and (c) alternative methods. Ineffective tissue perfusion involves (a) positioning, (b) O2, and (c) fluid management. Activity intolerance is managed by pacing periods of activity with rest. Impaired gas exchange is managed by decreasing fluid shifts with medication. Ineffective airway clearance is helped by (a) positioning and (b) suctioning to clear the airway. Disturbed thought processes interventions are (a) reorient the patient, (b) supporting family, and (c) visitors at times when the patient is most alert. Interventions are tailored specially to the patient’s needs and their disease process. Pain management â€Å"Dying does not need to be painful† (Moynihan et al. , 2003 p. 401). Holistic pain management is crucial during end of life care. Terminally ill patients can have (a) physical, (b) spiritual and (c) emotional pain. Providing comfort is important in decreasing suffering. Emotional pain can be addressed by (a) laughter, (b) memories, and (c) touch. Spiritual pain can be helped with (a) prayer, (b) meditation, (c) talking, (d) listening, (e) pastoral care, and (f) providing the last rights. Physical pain is managed pharmacologically and with alternative comfort measures. Opioids are given to treat severe pain at the end of life. Parlow (2005) used nitrous oxide to control incident pain in terminally ill patients with positive results. Pharmacological issue related to pain management Pharmacological issues surrounding pain management are (a) issues of addiction under medication, (b) legal repercussions, (c) respiratory effects, and (d) side effects. Zerwekh (2006) sums up the fallacy of addiction by stating persons with addiction take their opioids to escape life, whereas persons with pain take their opioids to live life more fully. These issues and lack of knowledge often cause Physicians to under medicate during end of life care. The nurse needs to have full understanding of how opioids work and how to adjust the medications to control severe pain and break though pain without entering into (a) legal issues, (b) respiratory depression and (c) side effects. Complementary and alternative therapies Along with the pharmacological methods to keep the patient comfortable there are many alternative method the nurse can use and teach the family to assist with; giving the family the gift of caring for their loved one and feeling like they are helping. The patient also benefits from the touch and interaction from his or her loved ones. Therapies such as (a) massage, (b) therapeutic touch, (c) guided imagery, (d) aromatherapy, (e) hypnosis and (f) relaxation, are just a few alternative therapies used. Supportive nursing care Often when a family member is dying their loved ones do not know what to say or do and often feel helpless. While providing care for the patient the nurse engages the family in the care and breaks down the fear that they can’t touch the dying patient. The nurse encourages the family to (a) gather, (b) share, and (c) grieve. The family and patient are educated to end of life care so they know what to expect and can recognize it. By giving the family these skills it is a gift so the family has time to say goodbye and to spend the last days in peace not in fear and chaos. The nurse manages symptoms so the patient and the family can concentrate on each other. O’Brien (2011) stated one of the best ways of providing spiritual support in this situation is to allow the patient and family to verbalize their feelings; for the dying person â€Å"one of the greatest spiritual gifts† a nurse can give is to listen (Burns, 1991, p. 1). Patient & Family education Education gives the patient and the family great power and strength to face the path ahead and not be fearful of the process. Discussion around key information such as (a) the patient’s wishes, (b) spiritual care, (c) visitation, (d) pain control, (e) disease process, (f) multi organ failure, (g) specific signs and symptoms, (h) interventi ons that can be provided, (i) interventions the patient may not want, (j) comfort care, and (k) funeral arrangements, must take place with the patient and their family. Patients may believe that pain is to be expected and education informing them that comfort will bring them quality time to spend with their loved ones and to not suffer in silences is vital. Encouraging the family to (a) hold their love ones hand, (b) stroke hair, (c) massage, and (d) talk to them until they take their last breath, is all education the nurse encourages. The nurses’ role is to (a) support, (b) pray and (c) answer question that might arise. Conclusion Caring for patients as they die involves (a) a great deal of knowledge, (b) compassion, and (c) caring, on the nurse’s part. Effective pain management decreases suffering in the terminally ill patient and can make all the difference in how the patient arrives at the end of life. The nurse must be versed and comfortable with the many issues surrounding end of life care so she or he can advocate for the needs of the patient and their family. The nurse’s role in (a) educating, (b) providing spiritual care, and (c) physiological care, to the patient and their family during this very important and stressful time plays a huge part in the comfort and peace that they experience as they journey down the path of loss and grieving. References Moynihan, T. J. (2003). Use of opioids in the treatment os severe pain in terminally ill patients-Dying should not be painful. Mayo Clin Proc. , 1397-1401. O'Brien, M. E. (2011). Spirituality in nursing: Standing on holy ground. Sudbury, MA: Jones ; Barlett Learning. Parlow, J. L. (2005). Self-administered nitrous oxide for the management of incident pain in the terminally ill patient: A blind case series. Palliative Medicine, 19: 3-8. Zerwekh, J. V. (2006). Nursing care at the end of life: Palliative care for patients and families. Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company. LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS NURS 384: End-of-Life Issues Paper Student: _Jackie Reviel__________________________Semester:_Fall__Year:_2011__ Directions: The purpose of this paper is to examine end-of-life issues. Write a 4-5 page paper on one of the topics that are suggested in your syllabus. Focus the paper on the care of the terminally-ill patient; education of patient and family, and supportive nursing care. Use ast least 4 references (current text and articles) for this assignment and format paper in APA style. Criteria: End-of-Life Issues Paper| Max. Points| Score| 1. Describes terminal Illness. Include pathology and signs and symptoms| 15| | 2. Identify palliative care/interventions associated with illness| 15| | 3. Address pharmacological issues related to terminal illness| 10| | 4. Address complementary and alternative therapies | 15| | 5. Describe supportive nursing care related to terminal Illness. | 15| | 6. Discuss at least 5 nursing diagnosis taken from those listed in the North American Diagnosis Association. 15| | 7. Provide key information to be discussed with patients ; families on terminal illness. | 15| | Total Comments: Faculty Signature: _______________________________Date:_______________________ LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS Evaluation of Communication Skills Student: ________________________________Semester: ____Year: _____ Skill in communication is defined as the ability to: (a) effectively express ideas through a variety of media, (b) use communication technology to enhance personal and professional functioning, and (c) use the group process for the purpose of achieving common goals. Note: Your grade on Communication Skills will comprise 10% of your final course grade. You will be rated using a scale of 0-10, where â€Å"0† indicates no credit and â€Å"10† indicates maximum credit for the item indicated. | Writing Criteria: Nursing Research Critique Paper | Score| 1. Use appropriate language and erminology. | | 2. Use correct sentence structure and paragraphing. | | 3. Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. | | 4. Demonstrate knowledge of relevant content areas. | | 5. Express ideas clearly and convincingly. | | 6. Organize ideas logically. | | 7. Use APA format correctly. | | 8. Overall effectiveness of the written work in meeting identified goals. | | Communication Skills: Pt s earned (_____)/ 80 pts = _____% Letter Grade:____ Percent of Final Course Grade: [Pts earned (____)/ 80 pts =___%] X 10 = ____% Comments: Faculty Signature:____________________________________Date:______________

Limitations and Criticisms of the Adlerian Theory Essay

ADLERIAN Limitations and Criticisms of the Adlerian Theory Adler chose to teach and practice over getting organized and presenting a well- defined systematic theory, making his written presentations difficult to follow. More research needed to support the effectiveness of the theory. Limited use for clients seeking immediate solutions to their problems and unwilling to explore childhood experiences, early memories, and dreams. One of its strengths is that it is a therapy for everyone in the society and its practitioners do mind about what kind of generation is coming that will inherit in a comprehensive ecological sense and one of its weaknesses has been fairly an amazing amount of family gathering and lifestyle information that is typically collected. Advantages of Adlerian Theory It can be used for numerous issues and disorders. Uses encouragement. It is phenomenological. it does not consider people to be predisposed to anything. Applicable to diverse populations and presenting issues Disadvantages of Adlerian Theory Difficult to learn (e.g., making dream interpretations) Works best with highly verbal and intelligent clients. This might leave out many people who do not fit that category. Might be too lengthy for managed care. Adlerians do not like to make diagnoses PSYCHOANALYSIS Two Strengths One of the strengths of the Psychodynamic Approach is that it provided a valuable insight into how early experiences or relationships can affect our adult personality. One of the examples of this is that fixations can be caused at the Oral Stage of psychosexual development such as being separated from the primary caregiver too early or having feeding difficulties. These fixations can then lead to psychological problems centred round eating or drinking. Supporting evidence for this strength was carried out by Jacobs at  al (1966) using Rorschach inkblots to compare the orality of smokers and non-smokers. It was found that smokers emerged as being significantly more oral. Another strength of the Psychodynamic Approach is that it is the first approach to try and attempt to explain mental illness in psychological terms and has had an enormous influence on the understand and treatment of mental disorders. An example of this is Psychoanalysis and Dream Therapy which aims to make the unconscious material conscious so it is easier to deal with as Freud believed that dreams showed our hidden thoughts and wishes. Evidence to support this was carried out by Sandell (1999) who studied the symptoms of 756 patients before and after three years or state-funded psychoanalysis and found that patients had significantly fewer symptoms after the therapy. Two weaknesses One of the weaknesses of the Psychodynamic Approach is that most of Freud’s is based on findings of case studies, single individual where cases are often unique and there are problems with generalization. Another weakness of the Psychodynamic Approach is that Freud did not take into account cultural variations. Most of his research was done on white, middle class people. Every class and culture of people have differ ways and values, so his findings cannot be generalized to all cultures. 11 Strengths of Psychoanalysis 1)Offers an in-depth perspective (i.e., transference, countertransference) that emphasizes exploring the origins of psychopathology 2)The focus on developmental considerations 3)Most of the models address sexuality (except self psychology, which sees sexuality as a drive derivative—secondary to narcissistic concerns). 4)Freud brought gender issues to the fore with notion of â€Å"penis envy†. 5) The notion of â€Å"repetition compulsion† transcends theory, often drawn by several models as a central concept. 6)Gabbard—Many people do not respond to medications or brief therapy—Some people want to derive deeper meaning about themselves beyond symptom reduction. 7) The notion of â€Å"unconscious† begins to explain behavior that we are unaware of. 8) There is biological research that supports some of Freud’s claims (â€Å"divided brain† studies). 9)The focus on relationship (particularly by object relations) 10)Self psychology understands psychopathology in terms of â€Å"dysregulation states†, which has been confirmed through neurobiological literature. 11)The universality of defense mechanisms and their use across theories. 6 Weaknesses of psychoanalysis: 1)Psychoanalytic jargon serves to confuse rather than clarify concepts. 2)Some of the ideas (penis envy, Oedipus) are outdated in terms of our contemporary world, and it is questioned by some theorists/practitioners whether these concepts are clinically useful. 3) The approach lacks a theory of intervention—not enough focus on technique. 4)The exclusive focus on the past can lead to â€Å"analysis paralysis† 5)The theory only provides a piece of the pie—often neglecting biological, cultural, and social considerations 6)Too many patients (perhaps psychotic, borderline) are not considered appropriate for psychoanalysis. Person centeret (itouch) Existentialism The therapist Function and role The existential therapist is primarily concerned with understanding the subjective world of the client and how to help them come to a new understanding and option. The therapy focuses on the client’s current life situations. Existential therapist uses various methods for different clients and different methods at different phases of the therapeutic One of the strengths of the existential therapy is their ability to enable clients to examine the degree to which their behavior is influenced by family, cultural, social conditioning. If personal needs cannot be satisfied or personal goal cannot be realized in interpersonal relations, one may experience frustration, anxiety, or depression (Chen, 2009). Limitations for multicultural counseling One of the limitations of the existential therapy in the area of multicultural populations is that they are excessively individualistic and  ignores the social factors that cause humans problems. Even though clients change internally, the social factors and environmental circumstances such as racism, discrimination and oppression severely restrict their ability to influence the direction of their lives. An example is an African American client who comes from the ghetto and the existential therapist consistently tells the client that he or she has a choice in making his or her life better, when in reality he or she does not. . Reality therapy (iotuch other) According to most experts, the main advantages of reality therapy relate to the way it focuses clients directly on solutions to their problems. Reality therapists tend to avoid too much focus on internal issues and things in a person’s past, preferring instead to deal with things that are happening in the present. According to some, the strength of reality therapy can also be its weakness. Some people feel that reality therapists don’t have enough focus on how internal issues and things in a person’s memory can affect present-day behavior, potentially leaving clients with lingering issues. Additionally, some experts feel that the focus on the consequences of life decisions may make patients feel like they are being blamed for their problems, which could be counter-productive. Reality therapy is generally all about identifying problems, making plans to solve them, and then doing what is necessary to keep clients focused on implementing the plans. In this sense, it is a therapeutic method much more focused on solutions than causes. There may be some attention paid to the reason why a person has a problem, but only as much as is necessary to figure out a workable solution. This focus on plans and solving of problems is sometimes seen as a weakness because experts worry that the focus on psychological issues as a consequence of behavior may make patients feel like failures, potentially hurting their self-esteem. REBT Another criticism is that this technique would be easy to practice poorly and since the approach is loose, it would be easy to get off track. Some people would even say that all the talking and â€Å"disputing† could be better spent â€Å"doing† something about the problems. For people who don’t like to talk, this would probably not be the best approach. if the client does not want to  be an active participant in changing the way he/she thinks, this method would not be a good fit. Or even if a client is already very skilled in self-reflection, this might be a less useful approach. As for advantages or strengths, REBT is a drug-free approach for people looking for solutions in changing the way they think, not using drug therapy. The results are seen relatively quickly because of the emphasis on the present. The therapist does not need to delve into every bad thing that ever happened. He/she needs to look at a few activating situations and do exercises about how to change your thinking about these events. another advantage is that once a person becomes well-versed in the technique, he/she can use it anytime if the negative or irrational beliefs appear. When a person is skilled at the technique, there may not be a need to go to a therapist every time. but hard work is the only way to feel better and continue to feel better about yourself. So, we must do the work on a daily basis to help us understand our behavior. Behavioral Therapy Strength It has a wide variety of empirically supported techniques used by behavioral therapists. Another upside to behavior therapy is it’s availability to a broad spectrum of individuals. the efficiency of behavior therapy has allowed for the patient’s complaints to be addressed more quickly than other forms of psychotherapy. Behavior therapy focuses on techniques to address current problems, instead of trying to get to the internal root of the problem through years of intense therapy or looking through the patient’s long history. LIMITATIONS behavior therapy has, over the years, sculpted many of their techniques and methods from clinician experience, which is far from the empirical support they claim to have. One of the more serious criticisms that behavior therapy has received it that it is dehumanizing. Behavior therapy is also said to lack the promotion of internal growth in its clients.

What Is Capillary Action Definition and Examples

Capillary action definition: Capillary action describes the spontaneous flow of a liquid into a narrow tube or porous material. This movement does not require the force of gravity to occur. In fact, it often acts in opposition to gravity. Capillary action is sometimes called capillary motion, capillarity, or wicking. Examples of capillary action include the uptake of water in paper and plaster (two porous materials), the wicking of paint between the hairs of a paintbrush, and the movement of water through sand. Capillary action is caused by the combination cohesive forces of the liquid and the adhesive forces between the liquid and tube material. Cohesion and adhesion are two types of intermolecular forces. These forces pull the liquid into the tube. In order for wicking to occur, a tube needs to be sufficiently small in diameter. History Capillary action was first recorded by Leonardo da Vinci. Robert Boyle performed experiments on capillary action in 1660, noting a partial vacuum had no effect on the height a liquid could obtain via wicking. A mathematical model of the phenomenon was presented by Thomas Young and Pierre-Simon Laplace in 1805. Albert Einsteins first scientific paper in 1900 was about capillarity. See Capillary Action Yourself An excellent easy demonstration of capillary action is done by placing a celery stalk in water. Color the water with food coloring and observe the progress of the dye up the celery stalk. The same process may be used to color white carnations. Trim the bottom of a carnation stem to make sure it can absorb water. Place the flower in dyed water. The color will migrate via capillary action all the way to the flower petals. A less dramatic but more familiar example of capillary action is the wicking behavior of a paper towel used to wipe up a spill.