Monday, April 20, 2020

Obedience To God Through Daniel Essays - Book Of Daniel,

Obedience To God Through Daniel There are a lot of different things the Bible can tell us about obedience and disobedience. Many of which have the same outcome. Others have a very different outcome. In the book of Daniel, there are plenty of ways that the Bible can show you that there are some bad things that come out of obedience and some good things that come out of disobedience. Obedience is part of life. obeying God is a big part. But obeying God doesn't always work out the way we want it, or it can work out better then we want. This is shown many times in Daniel. Two of these different ways obedience can have an effect are shown in Daniel. One in verse 1:8-10. This is where Daniel is denied his obedience to the law even though he wants to be obedient. He is given royal food and wine to eat but asks for something different because it goes against God's law. Even though God makes the official sympathetic, he is still denied something different to eat. He received nothing for being obedient. The next part of this shows that the outcomes can be very different. In verses 12-17, Daniel asks to be tested for ten days and to be given nothing but fruits and vegetables, then to have him and his friends compared to the people given the royal foods to eat. After ten days, Daniel and his friends were in better health then the other people. Because of the way Daniel han dled the situation, God gave Daniel superior knowledge and the ability to understand dreams. Daniel had been put down by obedience and then glorified by obedience shortly after. This same type of situation happens again in the next chapter when the king has a dream that he can't have interpreted. In chapter 2 verses 10-13, the king has all the wise men in his kingdom hunted down and killed, because none of them can explain his dream. This included Daniel and his friends. Once again, by the obedience to God and the king, he is being punished. After finding out what was going on, Daniel had a vision from God. He then was taken to the king and explained to him what his dream was about. The king had thanked him for being so good and obedient by making him ruler over Babylon (vs. 24-48). He was once again glorified for being obedient. Obedience can go to a higher level still as shown through Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The king had them thrown into a fire for not obeying him by worshiping his statue (vs.20), but because they were obedient to God, they were saved from the blazing fire and came out completely unharmed (vs.25). God saves us by our obedience, but he will also punish you for your disobedience. In chapter 4, the king is admiring his kingdom for all its glory, and claims that it was all his doing. As he is saying this, a voice from heaven told him that because he doesn't worship God, he was getting everything taken away from him until he was going to acknowledge that God was almighty (vs.28-32). The king then went and lived like a wild animal. He lived like this for quite some time before he finally admitted that God reigned supreme over everything (vs. 33-34). He was then, after being obedient to God, fully restored to his sanity and royal rank.. One other point shown is when Daniel was thrown in the lion's den. The administrators and satraps that ruled the kingdom with Daniel got so jealous that he was the most distinguished one of them all, that they tried to have him arrested so he could be killed. They couldn't find any grounds to have him arrested on, so instead they convinced the king to have an edict saying if anybody does not worship him for the next 30 days, they would be thrown in the lion's den. Daniel was not going to be disobedient to God so instead, he disobeyed this edict (6:1-11). The king tried to save him since they were friends, but could do nothing. He was unable to repeal his own

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Complete Guide to the Denisovans, Newer Hominid Species

Complete Guide to the Denisovans, Newer Hominid Species The Denisovans are a recently identified hominin species, related to but different from the other two hominid species (early modern humans and Neanderthals) who shared our planet during the Middle and Upper Paleolithic periods. Archaeological evidence of the existence of Denisovans is so far limited, but genetic evidence suggests they were once widespread across Eurasia and interbred with both Neanderthals and modern humans. Key Takeaways: Denisovans Denisovan is the name of a hominid distantly related to Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans.Discovered by genomic research in 2010 on bone fragments from Denisova Cave, SiberiaEvidence is primarily genetic data from the bone and modern humans who carry the genes  Ã‚  Positively associated with the gene which allows humans to live at high altitudesA right mandible was found in a cave in the Tibetan Plateau The earliest remains were tiny fragments found in the Initial Upper Paleolithic layers of Denisova Cave, in the northwestern Altai Mountains some four miles (six kilometers) from the village of Chernyi Anui in Siberia, Russia. The fragments held DNA, and the sequencing of that genetic history  and the discovery of remnants of those genes in modern human populations  has important implications for the human habitation of our planet. Denisova Cave The first remains of the Denisovans were two teeth and a small fragment of finger-bone from Level 11 at Denisova Cave, a level dated between 29,200 to 48,650 years ago. The remains contain a variant of initial Upper Paleolithic cultural remains found in Siberia called Altai. Discovered in 2000, these fragmentary remains have been the target of molecular investigations since 2008. The discovery came after researchers led by Svante Pbo at the Neanderthal Genome Project at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology successfully completed the first mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence of a Neanderthal, proving that Neanderthals and early modern humans are not very closely related at all. In March 2010, Pbos team reported the results of the examination of one of the small fragments, a phalanx (finger bone) of a child aged between 5 and 7, found within Level 11 of Denisova Cave. The mtDNA signature from the phalanx from Denisova Cave was significantly different from both Neanderthals or early modern humans (EMH). A complete mtDNA analysis of the phalanx was reported in December of 2010, and it continued to support the identification of the Denisovan individual as separate from both Neanderthal and EMH. Pbo and colleagues believe that the mtDNA from this phalanx is from a descendant of people who left Africa a million years after Homo erectus, and half a million years before the ancestors of Neanderthals and EMH. Essentially, this tiny fragment is evidence of human migration out of Africa that scientists were completely unaware of before this discovery. The Molar The mtDNA analysis of a molar from Level 11 in the cave and reported in December 2010 revealed that the tooth was likely from a young adult of the same hominid as the finger bone and clearly a different individual since the phalanx is from a child. The tooth is an almost complete left and probably third or second upper molar, with bulging lingual and buccal walls, giving it a puffy appearance. The size of this tooth is well outside the range for most Homo species. In fact, it is closest in size to Australopithecus. It is absolutely not a Neanderthal tooth. Most importantly, the researchers were able to extract DNA from the dentin within the root of the tooth, and preliminary results reported its identification as a Denisovan. The Culture of the Denisovans What we know about the culture of the Denisovans is that it was apparently not much different from other Initial Upper Paleolithic populations in the Siberian north. The stone tools in the layers in which the Denisovan human remains were located are a variant of Mousterian, with the documented use of parallel reduction strategy for the cores, and a large number of tools formed on large blades. Decorative objects of bone, mammoth tusk, and fossilized ostrich shell were recovered from the Denisova Cave, as were two fragments of a stone bracelet made of dark green chlorite. The Denisovan levels contain the earliest use of an eyed-bone needle known in Siberia to date. Genome Sequencing In 2012, Pbos team reported the mapping of the complete genome sequencing of the tooth. Denisovans, like modern humans today, apparently share a common ancestor with Neanderthals  but had a completely different population history. While Neanderthal DNA is present in all populations outside of Africa, Denisovan DNA is only found in modern populations from China, island Southeast Asia, and Oceania. According to the DNA analysis, the families of present-day human and Denisovans split apart about 800,000 years ago  and then reconnected some 80,000 years ago. Denisovans share the most alleles with Han populations in southern China, with Dai in northern China, and with Melanesians, Australian aborigines, and southeast Asian islanders. The Denisovan individuals found in Siberia carried genetic data that matches that of modern humans and is associated with dark skin, brown hair and brown eyes. Tibetans, Denisovan DNA, and Xiahe Looking through the entire Jiangla River Valley at the upper reach of the valley. Biashiya Karst Cave is at the end of the valley. Dongju Zhang, Lanzhou University A DNA study published by population geneticist Emilia Huerta-Sanchez and colleagues in the journal  Nature  focused on the genetic structure of people who live on the Tibetan Plateau at 4,000 meters above sea level  and discovered that Denisovans may have contributed to the Tibetan ability to live at high altitudes. The gene EPAS1 is a mutation which reduces the amount of hemoglobin in blood required for people to sustain and thrive at high altitudes with low oxygen. People who live at lower altitudes adapt to low-oxygen levels at high altitudes by increasing the amount of hemoglobin in their systems, which in turn increases the risk of cardiac events. But Tibetans are able to live at higher elevations without increased hemoglobin levels. The scholars sought for donor populations for EPAS1 and found an exact match in Denisovan DNA. Denisova Cave is only about 2,300 feet above sea level; the Tibetan Plateau averages 16,400 ft asl. A team led by paleontologist Jean-Jacques Hublin (Chen 2019) searched through archived Tibetan paleontological remains and identified a mandible which had been discovered in Baishiya Karst Cave, Xiahe, Gansu province, China in 1980. The Xiahe mandible is 160,000 years old and it represents the earliest known hominin fossil found on the Tibetan Plateau- the caves elevation is 10,700 ft asl. Although no DNA remained in the Xiahe mandible itself, there was extant proteome in the dentine of the teeth- albeit highly degraded, it was still clearly distinguishable from contaminating modern proteins. A proteome is the set of all expressed proteins in a cell, tissue, or organism; and the observed state of a particular single amino acid polymorphisms within the Xiahe proteome helped establish the identification of the Xiahe as Denisovan. The scholars believe that this human adaptation to extraordinary environments may have been facilitated by gene flow from Denisovans who had adapted to the cl imate first. Now that researchers have an indication of what Denisovan jaw morphology looks like, it will be easier to identify possible Denisovan candidates. Chen et al. also suggested two more East Asian bones which fit the morphology and time frame of Xiahe cave, Penghu 1 and Xuijiayo. Family Tree When anatomically modern humans left Africa about 60,000 years ago, the regions they arrived in were already populated: by Neanderthals, earlier Homo species, Denisovans and possibly Homo floresiensis. To some degree, the AMH interbred with these other hominids. The most current research indicates that all of the hominid species are descended from the same ancestor, a hominin in Africa; but the exact origins, dating, and spread of hominids throughout the world was a complex process that needs much more research to identify. Research studies led by Mondal et al. (2019) and Jacobs et al. (2019) have established that modern populations containing admixtures of Denisovan DNA are found throughout Asia and Oceania, and it is becoming clear that interbreeding between anatomically modern humans and Denisovans and Neanderthals occurred several times over the course of our history on planet earth. Selected Sources rnason, Úlfur. The Out of Africa Hypothesis and the Ancestry of Recent Humans: Cherchez La Femme (Et Lhomme). Gene 585.1 (2016): 9–12. Print.Bae, Christopher J., Katerina Douka, and Michael D. Petraglia. On the Origin of Modern Humans: Asian Perspectives. Science 358.6368 (2017). Print.Chen, Fahu, et al. A Late Middle Pleistocene Denisovan Mandible from the Tibetan Plateau. Nature  (2019). Print.Douka, Katerina, et al. Age Estimates for Hominin Fossils and the Onset of the Upper Palaeolithic at Denisova Cave. Nature 565.7741 (2019): 640–44. Print.Garrels, J. I. Proteome. Encyclopedia of Genetics. Eds. Brenner, Sydney and Jefferey H. Miller. New York: Academic Press, 2001. 1575–78. PrintHuerta-Sanchez, Emilia, et al. Altitude Adaptation in Tibetans Caused by Introgression of Denisovan-Like DNA. Nature 512.7513 (2014): 194–97. Print.Jacobs, Guy S., et al. Multiple Deeply Divergent Denisovan Ancestries in Papuans. Cell 177.4 (2019): 1010–21.e32. P rint.Mondal, Mayukh, Jaume Bertranpetit, and Oscar Lao. Approximate Bayesian Computation with Deep Learning Supports a Third Archaic Introgression in Asia and Oceania. Nature Communications 10.1 (2019): 246. Print. Slon, Viviane, et al. The Genome of the Offspring of a Neanderthal Mother and a Denisovan Father. Nature 561.7721 (2018): 113–16. Print.Slon, Viviane, et al. A Fourth Denisovan Individual. Science Advances 3.7 (2017): e1700186. Print.

Friday, February 28, 2020

Week 4 reflection paper ZHA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 4 reflection paper ZHA - Assignment Example Thomas observes that diseases do not develop as a consequence of carelessness in the prevention of health, rather diseases are a result of blind accidents which we do not have control over most of the times(41). Additionally, he observes that germs are everywhere; therefore, we employ all manner of chemical prevention methods such as disinfectants. However, he poses that it is our body‘s reaction that is a threat to our lives, not the bacterial invasion (Thomas). I find this an interesting perception. It is relatively true because extreme body reactions to foreign bodies such as in the case of hypersensitivity reactions in Steven Johnson’s syndrome result in extensive burn-like lesions. Philmus and Hughes opine that a living thing is a complete realization of birth possibilities, and it is sometimes confused with theological predestination (2). They note that although we may modify and recast the human body, the changes would in no way change the offspring (Philmus and H ughes). Mistelli posits that the arrangement of genes and their movement profoundly influence the body functioning in health and disease (68). In a video exposition, medical illustrator David Bolinsky explains that the body is in constant functioning at the cellular level (Bolinsky). Indeed, the body and its interaction with disease-causing agents is a fascinating discovery. Though we may not know even a percent of it, once we figure it out we would have more control of our

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Impact of Heroic Medicine on Contemporary Medicin Research Paper

Impact of Heroic Medicine on Contemporary Medicin - Research Paper Example These developments in the physical sciences cover numerous areas including education, government, culture, society, law, religion, medicine, and economics. These developments also allowed for much discovery and experimentation to be carried out in these fields, allowing for the refinement in the practice as well as related innovations. This course has evaluated the development of the physical sciences and life sciences in the United States and their application from the colonial era up to the present. This course also evaluated the historical role of science in the US and the link between science and other institutions. This study will focus on heroic medicine and its role in general society and in the current application of the practice. Body Heroic medicine covers therapies which are aggressive medical interventions or remedies which were used mostly during the mid-19th century1. This type of medicine mostly includes risky and unproven options of treatment which the more scientific methods of healing have replaced. Benjamin Rush who was one of the first who helped ratify the US Declaration of Independence is one of the advocates and ‘fathers’ of medicine in America and of heroic medicine. His training in medical practice was at the Edinburgh University2. The age of heroic medicine covers from 1780 to 1850 where many educated medical practitioners actively engaged in this practice. During their practice of this type of medicine, they included practices such as bloodletting, intestinal purging, vomiting, profuse sweating, and blistering3. Doctors during these times mostly managed illnesses such as syphilis using mercury-laden salves4. Although these methods of treatment were very much supported by the intention to treat, these interventions were very much harmful to the patients. Heroic medicine became the norm of treatment during the mid-19th century. This practice actually became the accepted practice at that time, that even the educated and trai ned doctors were applying it5. The actual doctors who did not apply it were the ones who were actually known as alternative practitioners. Calomel and mercurous chloride was the most commonly used mineral for the purging practices. Illnesses at that point were viewed to be imbalances in the system which were attributed to an under or over stimulation of the body6. As such, purging was needed in order to rid the body of the illness. Bleeding was considered one of the initial remedies for illnesses as it can easily eliminate any poison in the system, allowing for the balance to be renewed in the system. Signs indicated that the practice indeed worked, or that some interventions were working. Most of the people during this time felt that they were being treated even if some of the treatments led them near death7. The doctor also made it appear that he was in control of the situation. This type of treatment is considered heroic for various reasons. The term comes from the significant im pact of the treatments and the large dose often needed to carry out the treatment. There is often a huge amount of calomel administered to lead to major and immediate effects, like severe vomiting8. As such, the intervention in this case is dramatic and is very bold. Although, these methods may not have been healing, they were certainly dramatic. During the 19th century, America was going through numerous civil and industrial changes in their lives. However, medicine was hardly within the same steady and progressive pace of growth and development9. The qualities of these practitioners were not the same as those who practiced during the 18th century. As was mentioned above, one of the major health practitioners during this time was Benjamin Rush who supported very much the philosophy of natural law10. Based on

Friday, January 31, 2020

Ecological Evaluation of Environmental Problems Essay Example for Free

Ecological Evaluation of Environmental Problems Essay Biodiversity refers to the abundance of life forms (bio means life, diversity means variety or assortment). This includes different animals, plants and micro-organisms. The ecosystem where these living organisms belong, as well as their genetic make-up, is also part of biodiversity. Wide biodiversity is advantageous to species development as there will be various interactions going on among the different species. Among the most bio-diverse ecosystems are rainforests and aquatic ecosystems. Both land and water species can be found in these habitats. The existence, however, of these ecosystems are becoming endangered as a lot of human activities negatively impact these ecosystems. Forest destruction has been an existing issue for the longest time. Pollution – air and water – is also one of the most common problems different ecosystems and the environment itself are facing. Human activities also cause global warming which is not healthy for all living creatures. These things that people do to our environment can definitely be prevented and avoided. We can start by stopping the use of substances with chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which were identified as harmful to the ozone layer. This simple deed can help decrease the effects of global warming to the environment. Local governments should also enforce strict laws against forest destruction. Environmentalists can also start a campaign on reforestation to help rebuild destroyed forests and natural habitats. Maintaining biodiversity is important in human sustainability. Each life form is beneficial to one another. Plants are the producers in the food chain. Some primary and secondary consumers are also taken by humans as food, which is our main source of energy. Continuous destruction of the ecosystems leads to the decrease in these food sources. Thus, preserving the ecosystems and maintaining biodiversity should be seriously considered by everyone. Acid deposition starts with the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Burning of these fuels produces nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide which are considered air pollutants. Volcanic eruptions can also emit these pollutants. When the nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides get released to the atmosphere, chemical transformation happens and sulfuric and nitric acid compounds are produced. These compounds make the air acidic. Eventually, these acidic compounds fall to the surface of the Earth – the process called â€Å"acid deposition†. Deposition can happen in wet or dry form. Wet deposition occurs when the nitric acid and sulfuric acid compounds are transported with rain, fog, or snow. When these compounds are carried as fine particles by the wind, it is called dry deposition. Acid deposition cause severe damages to the ecosystem. Fish species found in lakes affected by acid deposition tend to disappear. Other aquatic resources in lakes and rivers tend to either disappear or die which creates an imbalance to aquatic ecosystems. Acidification also changes phytoplankton composition. Likewise, acid deposition also affects forests by killing a lot of trees due to the acidic compounds settling onto these life forms. This is evident in most forests where there are copper and nickel refineries nearby. This environmental problem can also trigger asthma and some bronchial infections to humans. The effect may not be seen immediately and may take years before it can be realized. In order for us to minimize the cases of acid deposition is to have a global initiative of reducing emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which cause air pollution. Educating the entire world population of this phenomenon can be a good start. Factories and industrial plants burning fossil fuels should try to research and find other earth-friendly alternatives to those harmful chemicals. Cultural eutrophication is the accelerated aging of aquatic ecosystems, especially lakes, through man-made activities. Eutrophication is the natural process of aging of lakes which is characterized by an increase in the growth of algae and aquatic weeds. Eutrophication rate is determined by how fast the lake gets sediments and nutrients from the watershed, and this naturally occurs over a long period of time. However, if the lake is located in an urbanized area or developed region, eutrophication speeds as there is definitely higher number of sediments and nutrients getting into the lake. This is when natural eutrophication becomes cultural eutrophication. The increased sediments and nutrients, which are mainly phosphorous, usually come from road sand, oil, lawn fertilizers, gas, salt and organic matter being transported to the lake through stormwater or groundwater. Inefficient septic systems can also cause cultural eutrophication. This environmental phenomenon can be prevented through continuous monitoring of the local government. Environmental officials should identify the cause of the cultural eutrophication and determine where the increased sediments are coming from. Once this is identified, measures to prevent these nutrients and sediments from getting into the lake could be placed and enforced. Global warming, from the term itself, is the continuous increase in the temperature of our planet. Global warming is mainly caused by increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone and methane forms a gaseous blanket around the Earth. This blanket traps the heat which is responsible for making the Earth warm; else our planet’s temperature would be well over 60 degrees colder. Global warming becomes an environmental issue because the gaseous blanket is getting thicker and thicker over the years which make the Earth’s temperature extra hot. The increase in greenhouse gases which causes global warming is due to burning of fossil fuels, agricultural byproducts, industrial processes, waste disposal and treatment among others. By the year 2100, Earth’s temperature will rise by 3 °C to 5 °C and sea levels will rise by 25 meters, at least, because of global warming. This would mean an increase in the occurrence of heat waves, floods, tornadoes and drought. Agricultural yields will be low due to these extreme weather conditions. Diseases will also spread easily. Global warming is already a known issue. The only thing that we have to do is to make significant changes in the way we do things like the use of fuels contributing to the increase of greenhouse gases. Little things can help curtail the effects of global warming such as changing filament light bulbs to fluorescent bulbs, making sure the refrigerator and freezer doors are always shut properly, and other measures of conserving electricity. This will not only help save the Earth from global warming, it will also help you save money due to less electricity consumption. Electricity is the most common form of energy people use daily. Currently, electricity is being generated mainly by burning fossil fuels. We all know from the above discussions that fossil fuel combustion creates air pollutants that contribute to acid deposition and global warming – in short, environmental destruction. If this way of using energy continuous, we would be in danger of losing a healthy planet to live in a hundred years. Another danger of this is not having enough fossil fuels to use in the future as this is not a renewable source of energy. Fossil fuels such as coal and oil can be depleted because there can only be as much of them in our planet. In order for us to prevent global environmental destruction, we should all try to use sustainable energy in order for us to have reserves in the future. Examples of sustainable energy are renewable sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and wave power among others. Power plants and electric companies should slowly convert their electricity generating processes to one of these in order to lessen the waste pollutants of fuel combustion. Big companies may also want to initiate a study if its facilities and offices would run on self-built solar power. Other than the big savings, it will definitely help in reducing the number of fossil fuel electricity consumers.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Virginia Woolfs Use of Moments of Being Essay -- Biography Biographie

Virginia Woolf's Use of Moments of Being      Ã‚   Virginia Woolf is recognized as one of the great innovators of modern fiction. Her experiments with point of view and her use of stream of consciousness have influenced many writers that followed her. But one particularly interesting technique that does not seem to receive much attention is her use of "moments of being."    She first mentions moments of being in her essay, "A Sketch of the Past," which was to be the beginning of her memoirs. She begins with one of her earliest memories: a night in the nursery at St. Ives. She vividly recalls the way the blinds fluttered in the wind, the light coming through the window and the sound of the sea. She had a feeling of "lying in a grape and seeing through a film of semi-transparent yellow" (65). This memory is so strong that when she recalls those sensations they become more real for her than the present moment. This observation leads her to wonder why some moments are so powerful and memorable--even if the events themselves are unimportant--that they can be vividly recalled while other events are easily forgotten. She concludes that there are two kinds of experiences: moments of being and non-being. Woolf never explicitly defines what she means by "moments of being." Instead she provides examples of these moments and contrasts them with moments of what she calls "non-being." She describes the previous day as:      Ã‚  Ã‚   Above the average in 'being.' It was fine; I enjoyed writing these first   Ã‚  Ã‚   pages . . . I walked over Mount Misery and along the river; and save that   Ã‚  Ã‚   the tide was out, the country, which I n... ...ople. When the cotton wool is rent, when one experiences a moment with full consciousness, one experiences the true intensity of life. These moments of being can be read as brief poems hidden among the trivial details of life that some characters--and readers with them--are fortunate enough to experience.    Works Cited    Winterson, Jeanette. "A Gift of Wings." In Art Objects: Essays on Ecstasy and Effrontery. New York: Vintage Books, 1995.    Woolf, Virginia. Between the Acts. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1969.    -------. Mrs. Dalloway. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1981.    -------. To the Lighthouse. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1981.    -------. "A Sketch of the Past."In Moments of Being.Ed. Jeanne Schulkind. 2nd ed. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1985.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Child Abuse and Neglect Essay

Almost one in every hundred children gets abused in the United States, and it happens every day. Child abuse is when a child is physically, sexually, emotionally, and mentally abused. Sexual exploitation, neglect, abandonment, and maltreatment are also forms of abuse. Physical abuse includes but not limited to, throwing kicking, burning, or cutting a child. Striking them with a closed fist; shaking them when they are under the age of three, interfering with their breathing, threatening them with a deadly weapon, or doing any other act that is likely to give the child bodily harm and other minor to major injuries to their health, welfare, and safety. Sexual abuse is committing or allowing to be committed to any sexual offense against a child as defined in the criminal code and sexual exploitations when a child is prostituted, being filming in pornographic acts, or being a part of a live action of pornographic acts. Neglect and maltreatment is when the child is not provided with an ade quate amount of food, shelter, clothing, supervision, or healthcare. Abandonment is when a child is deserted by their guardian, left without food, water, shelter, clothing, hygiene, and medical healthcare, or when the guardian is just not doing things they are supposed to do for a child, they relieve themselves from their duties. We are all mandatory reporters. Meaning that any citizen that sees anything suspicious should report, or if you know of a child being abused and don’t report, you are just as guilty. Almost five children die every day as a result of child abuse. Child abuse is no doubt a hidden epidemic in our society today. Ninety percent of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrators in some way; sixty-eight percent are abused by family members. Child abuse also happens no matter how rich or poor you are, doesn’t matter what color you are, and it doesn’t matter how smart or dumb you are. Thirty percent of women in prison were abused as children, and sixty percent of people in drug rehabilitation centers report being abused or neglected as a child, and are 3.8 times more likely to develop drug addictions. About thirty percent of  abused and neglected as children will continue the cycle with their children as well. Eighty percent of twenty-one year olds that were abused as children met at least one criteria for a psychological disorder. Also abused children are twenty-five percent more likely to experience teen pregnancy. I think child abuse is inclining locally because drugs are becoming more known in younger generations, and their also experimenting sexually earlier, and not being safe about which leads to more teen pregnancies. Some of the reasons child abuse occurs in the first place is because of young parents and drugs/alcohol. So if the rate at which those things or more rapidly happening, and at a younger age, the child abuse rate is bound to incline. It doesn’t help that we are a bad drug city and we have one of the highest count of child abuse cases in our city. One way to help stop and prevent child abuse is to recognize it, look for the signs and report it. Make your children aware of sexual abuse, teach them the proper names, and tell them that if anyone tries to engage with them in a way that their private parts are involved, to tell their â€Å"support person†. Teach young parents how to take care of their children before they leave the hospital. Never discipline children when your anger is out of control, ever leave your children unattended. Listen and believe them. If you see child abuse happening, stop it, don’t let it happen. To help end abuse, first you should learn how to recognize it in the first place. Child abuse will never truly come to an end, but there are ways to make sure it happens less. CPS needs to better investigate into cases. If you’ve ever read â€Å"the child called it† then you would know that if they go to the house and everything checks out, they believe it. I think they should go deeper into the investigation, if that means surveillance outside their house for a week then so be it. CPS also needs to better background check their own foster parents. I saw on the news a while back that CPS supervisor was abusing the kids she was fostering. CPS is supposed to be a safe haven for kids to go, yet they go to further get abused. I myself was in foster care, and my â€Å"parents† weren’t the nicest. It’s hard to honestly say anything about improving â€Å"families† considering we aren’t in there every day life, and we may not even know them. How we can best help families is to  make child abuse awareness more public and known, and if we come across a family that has this problem, then intervene. I couldn’t find much on factors of abuse being â€Å"heredity†, but what I could find is that it is not heredity. What generally happens is the child grows up with the type of abuse they know, and because that’s all they know, that’s how they express their â€Å"love† to their child. Not all abused grow up to do the same to their children, I assume the ones most mentally scarred and got psychological problems from it, grow up to do the same. I don’t think that our society is necessarily feeding the abuse to anybody. I don’t really know who would, that’s a touchy subject in the first place. Although I can infer that all of the drug, drinking, partying, and sexual innuendo that is seen everywhere is what is feeding to a worse environment for our society. Drugs, alcohol, and partying is such a huge and wide topic everywhere you go in our society, because of that, it’s more common. Although no one can honestly end child abuse, it is something that we can make more known so that all the poor children that are dying and suffering everyday can also be loved and saved. Learn the signs, report anything unusual.