What factors influence the onset of drug addiction?

What factors influence the onset of drug addiction? Familial Risk Factors Favoring Drug Addiction Onset Introduction: The purpose of the study is to indicate the factors that are suspected to be affecting children for drug abuse. The author Zimic and Jukic have concluded their work Familial Risk Factors Drug Addiction Onset which is a sound research based on a sample of 146 addicts and 134 control subjects. The hypothesis of the study is drug addiction might surely be seen from parental standpoint. The hypothesis is taken on the basis of past results, different case studies, and research papers on the subject of drug addiction. The authors seem to have biased thinking towards drug addiction related with parents and the child’s upbringing. Though there is a direct relation between a child and parents but it is not certain that they are the reason for this drug abuse. The paper, however, discusses very little about other factors including peer groups, friends, social environment and other factors. According to the authors, drug addiction is most prone to children in their teen age for which surveillance from parents is much required in order to have a look at their daily routine, the friendships they have, and relations with the people surrounding their children (Zimic and Jukic, 2012). The behavior of overlooking a child in the teen age causes serious troubles to let them astray from their supposed pattern of life, a happy and healthy life, to a drug addicted life which remains for lifetime. These are the factors, the major points and real time facts which have been discussed in the study along with the familial factor that, according to authors, make drug addiction more stream line for a child who doesn’t have enough knowledge for outside world in the teen age. Methods: The study was conducted in time interval from 2008 to 2009 in which they took a sample of drug addicts and normal (non-drug addict) people from the population. The total number of drug addicts was 146 in which there we 92 men, 51 women and 3 other people who didn’t specify their gender but their age was between 18 and 46 years. The survey was done using questionnaire, having around 67 different variables involved in the questions. This study was taken while the addicts were undergoing through the recovery process in different psychiatrist hospitals. The sample for control group or the normal group had a total of 134 people of which 88 were men, 45 were females and 1 of the 134 people didn’t specify the gender but the age of that individual was between 17 and 44 years of age. The study is pure quantitative in nature and is experimental since individuals from both the groups are being tested using questionnaires, asking their school background, age, sex, place of birth, place of birth and more such questions that the researchers found important to consider so that they may have complete insight of the subjects. Though the questions asked were qualitative because of the fact that additional information regarding the background of the subjects was needed. The questions comprised of open ended and closed ended questions and also had given the subjects with an option â€Å"other† so that if they had any other answer to the question, they could put that in the â€Å"other† option. The purpose for this additional option was to have complete knowledge of the subject without missing any single piece of information. The questionnaire were given to the subjects in hand rather using any other medium such as mail or email. Open-ended questions were analy zed by the researchers categorizing them as either positive, negative, or neutral. Statistical software, SPSS, was used to analyze the research questions and get more appropriate findings. The procedures chosen for the research were valid, appropriate and accurate enough to achieve suitable results, those which were statistically right. Ethical Aspects: The researcher took into account all aspects of ethics and other factors that should be taken care of while performing a research on such sensitive cases where medical teams, hospitalized patients; more importantly patients those who have imbalances psychologically are involved. The ethical criteria were fulfilled before performing the research. The approval was taken by the research team from Board of Ethics of University Medicine in Zagreb and Board of Ethics of Hospital Vrapce and Clinical Hospital Sister of Mercy. The research team did not only fulfilled this aspect of ethical moralities but also attached cover letters with the questionnaires to all the subjects that explained the purpose of the study. They took the information from the subjects after providing a notice to all the subjects that the information provided will be held hundred percent confidential and this the reason why the questionnaire did not have questions such as name, date of birth and like. Results: The results of this study were taken out in several categories and in different aspects of the subject’s information received. In the familial sociodemographic feature aspect, the researchers did not find any statistically sound differences such as the subjects mostly came from three-five members family, they were firstborns among the siblings and like. The only difference in this aspects was found in the parent’s marital status. In the familial development feature aspect, significant differences were recorded in further several aspects such as: separation of parents before the age of seven, parental divodrce or death of one of parents in early childhood or adolescence, psychological stress or trauma experienced in the life, parental surveillance, and parental support. In the familial interaction features aspect the results were more intense and shocking differences were found between the two samples. The results for this aspect were taken further in to: Unfavorable emo tional relationship with the parents, especially with the father throughout the childhood and adolescence. People from addicts had favored their mothers when they were asked to choose from their father and mother for emotional attachment. Most of the non-addict subjects also favored their mothers over fathers when asked for attentiveness of their parents. The results showed that addicts had more intense and distant relationship with their fathers because of the fact lack of appropriate communication in the early childhood. Even in the case of lack of communication with the mother, the subjects favored their mothers to have better level of understanding and that the mothers were more caring and attentive towards their child than fathers. The results also concluded that addicts were of the view that the decision-making at home were eventually made by their fathers while mothers were given less or no chance to make decisions. While on the other hand, the control group had a different point of view. The results showed that the control group had answered in the favor of both the parents that the decision is made considering the point of view of the parents. In the familial sociological features aspect, results showed huge differences between the two subject samples. Discussion and Conclusion: The study was taken out in the normal environment without the subjects knowing that they were being experimented. The research outcomes suggest that early childhood relationships with parents, especially with the father had more adverse effects on the lives of their children. The results showed the statistically proven, the addicts had more complaints regarding their father’s attitude and lack of attentiveness and emotion intent during their childhood and adolescence which eventually resulted in non-compliance to surveillance during the teen age, emotional relationship, and openness to freedom of speech. The addicts who were sampled were more inclined towards their mothers than fathers because of their caring attitude, level of interest in the child and degree of emotional intent. On the other hand, the control group had more of a balanced relationship between their parents, they said that they had better understanding between them, more balanced decision-making right and that they were taken care from both almost equally. Other reasons for drug addiction were the past experiences, stress, trauma or any unsuitable event that had jolted the addicts. People who were exposed to war environment in their lives, had more trauma and stress level ultimately ending up in the shape of drug addiction. The study also discussed the parental differences, the divorce, deceased and single parent factor which had direct impact on their children. The study had more appropriate results and the tests performed were statistically sound which gave the results more close to reality. Parents do have direct impact on their children and the upbringing of a child significantly matters for the rest of their lives. Parents who oversee their children actually put them in trouble later, sometime, in their lives. To save the lives of their children from drug addiction, parents do have to play a vital role from the day a child is born till, at least, the teen age and proper surveillance be made in order to get the insights of the daily routine of their child. A child learns from their parents, so this comes on to the parents who can make a life or break it. References: ZimiĆ¡, J. I., JukiĆ¡, V. (2012). Familial risk factors favoring drug addiction onset. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 44(2), 173-185.

Background and Structure on the United Nations

Student Handout Background on the United Nations Basic Facts of the United Nations The United Nations was founded in 1945 with the mission to maintain world peace, develop good relations between countries, promote cooperation in solving the world’s problems, and encourage a respect for human rights. It uk/why-nations-fail-chapter-5-review/">provides the nations of the world a forum to balance their national interests with the interests of the global whole. It operates on the voluntary cooperation and participation of its member nations. Nothing can be accomplished without their agreement and participation.Currently, there are 191 member countries with different social, political, and economic systems. These countries agree to peacefully settle disputes, refrain from threatening or using force against each other, and refuse to help other nations that oppose the U. N. ’s mission. Headquartered in New York City, the U. N. is a separate and independent entity with its own f lag, post office and postage stamps, and its buildings sit on international territory. Six official languages are used at the U. N. – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Creation of the United Nations The creation of the U.N. resulted from a long history to promote international cooperation. Nineteenth century European philosophers and statesmen like Immanuel Kant had proposed a federation of nations dedicated to protecting the rights of smaller countries caught up in struggles between larger ones. The federation would punish any nation that committed an act of aggression against another. This idea became a reality after World War I with the establishment of the League of Nations. The League was the brain-child of U. S. President Woodrow Wilson and some of the victorious European powers.During its operation from 1920 and 1946 it enjoyed a few notable successes but ultimately faltered when it couldn’t prevent World War II. It suffered from two major flaws: 1) several of the world’s most powerful and influential countries were not members, including the Untied States; 2) The League required unanimous agreement to oppose aggression. If any member disagreed, the League was powerless to act. Thus, when Germany, Italy, and Japan took military action against fellow members of the League in the late 1930s, they would not agree to take action against themselves to stop their aggression.In the end, the League failed in is primary mission to prevent another world war. While fighting the Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II, United States President, Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin met several times between 1941 and 1945 to develop an international peacekeeping organization with the goal of preventing future wars on the scale of World War II. In April of 1945, even before the war was officially over, representatives from 50 countries met in San Fr ancisco to create the charter for the United Nations.Similar to the League of Nations, the U. N. was created to promote international peace and prevent another world war. To avoid the structural failures of the League, the U. N. founders gathered the support of the world’s most powerful nations. U. S. participation was secured when the U. N. headquarters were located in New York City. To provide enough power to impose and enforce its will, a security council was developed with authority to take action against aggressor nations. To reassure powerful nations that their sovereignty would not be threatened, the U.N provided veto authority over its actions. The five victors of World War II – the U. S. Britain, France, the Soviet Union (which Russia gained at the break up of the U. S. S. S. ) and China – received this veto power. A veto provides any one of the five permanent Security Council members the authority to reject any U. N. resolution. The Structure and opera tion of the United Nations Accomplishments of the United Nations: During its 60-year history, the U. N. has achieved many remarkable accomplishments in fulfilling it goals.The U. N. has peacefully negotiated 172 peace settlements that have ended regional conflicts and is credited with participation in over 300 international treaties on topics as varied as human rights conventions to agreements on the use of outer space and the oceans. The U. N. has been involved in every major war and international crisis since its inception and has served as a catalyst for the prevention of others. It authorized the international coalitions that fought in the Korean War (1950-53) and the Persian Gulf War (1991).It provided a forum for mediation in the ArabIsraeli conflict resulting in numerous peace accords and keeping the conflict localized to the Middle East. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the U. N. was used as a podium by the United States to challenge the Soviet Union’s placeme nt of nuclear missiles in Cuba. The embarrassment of public indictment was instrumental in forcing the Soviets to remove the missiles. U. N. military forces (provided by member states) have conducted over 35 peacekeeping missions providing security and reducing armed conflict.In 1988, the U. N. Peace-Keeping Forces received the Nobel Prize for Peace. The U. N. has also set up war crimes tribunals to try war criminals in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. The U. N. has also made great strides in raising the consciousness of human rights beginning with the â€Å"Universal Declaration of Human Rights† adopted by the General Assembly in 1948. The U. N. Commission on Human Rights through its investigations and technical assistance in promoting free and fair elections has helped many countries in the transition to democracy. The U. N. s intense attention to specific human rights abuses helped end apartheid in South Africa. In its humanitarian efforts, more than 30 million refugees f leeing war, persecution, or famine have received aid from the U. N. High Commissioner for Refugees. The International Court of Justice has helped settle numerous international disputes involving territorial issues, hostage-taking and economic rights. Since the end of the Cold War, the U. N. has become increasingly involved in providing humanitarian assistance and promoting improvements in the health of the world’s peoples.In addition to providing relief for humanitarian crises caused by international conflicts, the U. N. can also respond to emergencies caused by natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes. On a proactive level, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other U. N. affiliated groups have eliminated smallpox and are actively pursuing a battle against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria around the world. The WHO played a significant role in diagnosing and containing the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. U. N. rograms, like the United Nati ons Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have saved and enriched the lives of the world’s children through immunization programs for polio, tetanus, measles, whooping cough, diphtheria and tuberculosis. The lives of over 3 million children a year have been saved. The U. N. operates under the principle that promoting economic and social development will help bring about lasting world peace. The United Nations Development Program provides economic assistance through expert advice, training, and limited equipment to developing countries.The U. N. Development Program coordinates all the U. N. efforts in developing nations and has had success in part because it is not perceived as an outside group threatening a developing countries’ authority or degenerating it to colonial rule. In addition to promoting workers rights and the right to organize and bargain for better pay and working conditions, the U. N. has also played a significant role in improving agricultural techniques and increasing crop yields in Asia, Africa and South America. The U.N. has also helped developing nations obtain funding projects through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, also known as the World Bank. A related U. N. agency, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) promotes international cooperation on monetary issues and encourages stable exchange rates among nations. Sources: Wikipedia Encyclopedia: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/History_of_the_United_Nations Encarta Encyclopedia: http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761564986/United_Nations. html

The Difference Between Control Group and Experimental Group

In an experiment, data from an experimental group is compared with data from a control group. These two groups should be identical in every respect except one: The difference between a control group and an experimental group is that the independent variable is changed for the experimental group, but is held constant in the control group. Key Takeaways: Control vs. Experimental Group The control group and experimental group are compared against each other in an experiment. The only difference between the two groups is that the independent variable is changed in the experimental group. The independent variable is controlled or held constant in the control group.A single experiment may include multiple experimental groups, which may all be compared against the control group.The purpose of having a control is to rule out other factors which may influence the results of an experiment. Not all experiments include a control group, but those that do are called controlled experiments.A placebo may also be used in an experiment. A placebo isnt a substitute for a control group because subjects exposed to a placebo may experience effects from the belief they are being tested. What Are Groups in Experiment Design? An experimental group is the group that receives an experimental procedure or a test sample. This group is exposed to changes in the independent variable being tested. The values of the independent variable and the result on the dependent variable are recorded. An experiment may include multiple experimental groups at one time. A control group is a group separated from the rest of the experiment such that the independent variable being tested cannot influence the results. This isolates the independent variables effects on the experiment and can help rule out alternative explanations of the experimental results. While all experiments have an experimental group, not all experiments require a control group. Controls are extremely useful where the experimental conditions are complex and difficult to isolate. Experiments that use control groups are called controlled experiments. A Simple Example of a Controlled Experiment A simple example of a controlled experiment may be used to determine whether or not plants need to be watered to live. The control group would be plants that are not watered. The experimental group would consist of plants that receive water. A clever scientist would wonder whether too much watering might kill the plants and would set up several experimental groups, each receiving a different amount of water. Sometimes setting up a controlled experiment can be confusing. For example, a scientist may wonder whether or not a species of bacteria needs oxygen in order to live. To test this, cultures of bacteria may be left in the air, while other cultures are placed in a sealed container of nitrogen (the most common component of air) or deoxygenated air (which likely contained extra carbon dioxide). Which container is the control? Which is the experimental group? Control Groups and Placebos The most common type of control group is one held at ordinary conditions so it doesnt experience a changing variable. For example, If you want to explore the effect of salt on plant growth, the control group would be a set of plants not exposed to salt, while the experimental group would receive the salt treatment. If you want to test whether the duration of light exposure affects fish reproduction, the control group would be exposed to a normal number of hours of light, while the duration would change for the experimental group. Experiments involving human subjects can be much more complex. If youre testing whether a drug is effective or not, for example, members of a control group may expect they will not unaffected. To prevent skewing the results, a placebo may be used. A placebo is a substance that doesnt contain an active therapeutic agent. If a control group takes a placebo, participants dont know whether they are being treated or not, so they have the same expectations as members of the experimental group. However, there is also the placebo effect to consider. Here, the recipient of the placebo experiences an effect or improvement because she believes there should be an effect. Another concern with a placebo is that its not always easy to formulate one that truly free of active ingredients. For example, if a sugar pill is given as a placebo, theres a chance the sugar will affect the outcome of the experiment. Positive and Negative Controls Positive and negative controls are two other types of control groups: Positive control groups are control groups in which the conditions guarantee a positive result. Positive control groups are effective to show the experiment is functioning as planned.Negative control groups are control groups in which conditions produce a negative outcome. Negative control groups help identify outside influences which may be present that were not unaccounted for, such as contaminants. Sources Bailey, R. A. (2008). Design of Comparative Experiments. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-68357-9.Chaplin, S. (2006). The placebo response: an important part of treatment. Prescriber: 16–22. doi:10.1002/psb.344Hinkelmann, Klaus; Kempthorne, Oscar (2008). Design and Analysis of Experiments, Volume I: Introduction to Experimental Design (2nd ed.). Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-72756-9.