The Respiratory System essays

The Respiratory System essays The human respiratory system is a complex system involving the coordination of organs with different structural, functional and defensive mechanisms. The high costs and the high fatality rates associated with chronic respiratory disorders require some serious rethinking in our approach to managing the problem. It transpires that the maxim prevention is better than cure is very apt in the management of respiratory disorders. Smoking is identified as the single most important cause for most of the serious respiratory problems including COPD and lung cancer, and hence abstaining from smoking eliminates the risk for the onset of several serious respiratory disorders. The human respiratory system is a well-developed and complex system involving many different organs such as the nasal cavity, pharynx, trachea and the lungs. Though the actual physiological function of breathing begins only at birth, the development of the respiratory tract, the diaphragm and the lungs occur much earlier in the embryonic stage. Structural and functional changes continue from infancy to adulthood and into old age, as the respiratory system matures with age. There are various diseases of the respiratory system such as asthma, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, lung cancer, etc. While Asthma is a genetic disease, Tuberculosis, lung cancer, etc, are acquired pulmonary diseases. Life style and environmental factors are important in contributing to and increasing the susceptibility to respiratory disorders. The following discussion includes a brief overview of the structural development of the human respiratory system followed by an o verview of COPD and Tuberculosis, two of the prevalent diseases of the respiratory system, and their impact on occupational performance. The development of the Respiratory System The development of the respiratory system starts after the fourth week of gestation. The respirat...

History of Naturalization Requirements in the U.S.

History of Naturalization Requirements in the U.S. Naturalization is the process of gaining United States citizenship. Becoming an American citizen is the ultimate goal for many immigrants, but very few people are aware that the requirements for naturalization have been over 200 years in the making. Legislative History of Naturalization Before applying for naturalization, most immigrants must have spent 5 years as a permanent resident in the United States. How did we come up with the 5-year rule? The answer is found in the legislative history of immigration to the U.S. Naturalization requirements are set out in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the basic body of immigration law. Before the INA was created in 1952, a variety of statutes governed immigration law. Lets take a look at the major changes to naturalization requirements. Before the Act of March 26, 1790, naturalization was under the control of the individual states. This first federal activity established a uniform rule for naturalization by setting the residence requirement at 2 years.The Act of January 29, 1795, repealed the 1790 act and raised the residency requirement to 5 years. It also required, for the first time, a declaration of intention to seek citizenship at least 3 years before naturalization.Along came the Naturalization Act of June 18, 1798 - a time when political tensions were running high and there was an increased desire to guard the nation. The residence requirement for naturalization was raised from 5 years to 14 years.Four years later, Congress passed the Naturalization Act of April 14, 1802, which reduced the residence period for naturalization from 14 years back to 5 years.The Act of May 26, 1824, made it easier for the naturalization of certain aliens who had entered the U.S. as minors, by setting a 2-year instead of a 3-year interval between the declaration of intention and admission to citizenship. The Act of May 11, 1922, was an extension of a 1921 Act and included an amendment that changed the residency requirement in a Western Hemisphere country from 1 year to the current requirement of 5 years.Noncitizens who had served honorably in the U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam conflict or in other periods of military hostilities were recognized in the Act of October 24, 1968. This act amended the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, providing an expedited naturalization process for these military members.The 2-year continuous U.S. residence requirement was done away with in the Act of October 5, 1978.A major overhaul of immigration law occurred with the Immigration Act of November 29, 1990. In it, state residency requirements were reduced to the current requirement of 3 months. Naturalization Requirements Today Todays general naturalization requirements state that you must have 5 years as a lawful permanent resident in the U.S. prior to filing, with no single absence from the U.S. of more than 1 year. In addition, you must have been physically present in the U.S. for at least 30 months out of the previous 5 years and resided within a state or district for at least 3 months. It is important to note that there are exceptions to the 5-year rule for certain people. These include: spouses of U.S. citizens; employees of the U.S. Government (including the U.S. Armed Forces); American research institutes recognized by the Attorney General; recognized U.S. religious organizations; U.S. research institutions; an American firm engaged in the development of foreign trade and commerce of the U.S.; and certain public international organizations involving the U.S. USCIS has special help available for naturalization candidates with disabilities and the government makes some exceptions on requirements for elderly people. Source: USCIS Edited by Dan Moffett