Laser Hair Removal: Strategies, Types and Uses

Laser Hair Removal: Strategies, Types and Uses Test patch: [10, 19] A test patch is performed by many physicians before performing the actual fist sitting of the procedure. A test patch is usually done on two or three different spots using different parameters. This helps in physician’s evaluation of the ideal treatment parameters and pain threshold for an individual case and also gives an idea to the patient about the procedure and the associated discomfort. This helps in reassuring the patient about the procedure. The patient is called after 72-96 hrs to assess the development of any delayed adverse effects and if there is no adverse sequel, the procedure can be started immediately. The energy density that is required in the first sitting is the one that caused a perifollicuar erythema and edema in the test spot.[ 30] However, a test patch may not always be feasible and is as such not recommended in all cases. It may be considered important in difficult to treat areas and in patients who are apprehensive. Laser safety It is paramount to observe safety precautions in all cases. This includes laser safety precautions and personnel safety precautions. These have been listed in box 3 Box3: Laser Safety Guidelines [19] Treatment Protocol [19,21] Pat should be asked to wash the treatment area with soap and water to remove any grease, dust or make up. Pre treatment photograph should be taken. The area to be lased should be marked with a white skin marking pencil. [Figure 38.8] Topical anaesthesia or ice cubes can be used to make the patient more comfortable during the procedure especially, if the patient is apprehensive or experienced pain during the test patch. The hair on the treatment area should be trimmed to the skin with the help of an electric trimmer or shaved with a disposable laser just prior to the procedure. The residual hair growth should not be more than 1mm -3mm. If the hair is stuck on the skin surface after shaving, these can be removed with the help of a micropore tape. The exact parameters to be used should be determined based on the test patch result or on basis of the skin and hair type of the patient. Prior to starting the procedure, it is important to recheck the parameters fed in to the system. Make a f inal check on the safety measures prior to starting the procedure as mentioned in box 3. It is especially important to confirm that all personnel in the treatment zone are wearing safety goggles. The patient should be informed before firing the laser. The hand piece should be kept perpendicular to the skin surface with firm but gentle pressure and there should be complete contact of the hand piece with skin. In case of areas such the mandibular edge, where complete contact in not possible the skin should be pulled towards the flat surface, e.g. cheek, to effect a complete contact. The pressure should be enough to reduce the capillary blood flow and push the hair follicles towards the skin surface. All areas should be treated in a single sitting. The complete area should be covered by proper placing of the handpeice with not more than 10% overlap of the treatment area. Care should be taken that the same area is not lased more than once which can lead to development of adverse effects . Care should also be taken to lase the entire treatment area and not leave behind untreated spots . This can lead to development of patchy hair growth. A treatment grid may be used to prevent these errors. Adequate cooling during the procedures can be achieved by using cool air sources or immediate application of ice packs on the treated area by an assistant. The recent equipments come equipped with cryosprays or precooled sapphire tips for intraprocedure cooling. Development of dusky discolouration or blister formation indicates incorrect parameters and these should be immediately rectified or the procedure should be stopped. Certain difficult to treat areas require special care. These are mentioned in box 4. After completing the procedure the patient should be asked to apply ice packs to reduce pain and edema. At the end of procedure a sunblock cream is applied on the treated area. The procedure details should be immediately noted and this should include the patient details and s kin and hair type, procedure details including date/ time, photograph record, fluence, pulse width and cooling method used and lastly the record of any untoward incident should be noted. Post procedure care at home should be explained and this should include avoidance of heat or hot water bags on the area for at least 24-48 hours, using mild soap and pat drying the treated area and in case if there is a blister formation or any other adverse effect, patient should be advised to apply an antibiotic ointment and inform the treating physician. Box 4: Laser hair removal in difficult to treat areas Adverse effects with Laser hair removal [30] Most complications are mild and transient such as pain erythema and edema. Sometimes superficial thermal burns may be seen. [Figure 38.9 and 38.10] These are generally caused due to wrong parameter settings, physician error during procedures, lack of adequate safety measures and inadequate sun protection by the patient. Table 6 lists the complications during a laser hair removal procedure and its management. Apart from these certain uncommon adverse effects are possible which the clinician should be aware of. Paradoxical hair growth is seen in 0.6% to 10% of patients treated as per data available from different studies. [30]. The possible etiology is the stimulation of vellus hair to form terminal hairs by the low fluences in the areas near to the treatment zones. Another theory is the synchronisation of the hair growth cycle to form terminal anagen hair from the dormant hair follicles. [ 57] Darker skin types [III-VI skin types] and patients with Hirsutism seem to be more prone to d evelop paradoxical hair growth. Continued laser treatment of the affected area is the treatment for the paradoxical hair growth. Persistent severe urticaria has been reported in a number of patients after laser epilation. Some authors believe it to be due to the delayed hypersensitivity reaction to the ruptured hair follicular antigen. [58]. Nd: YAG Laser treatment of axillary hair has been reported to cause persistent hyperhidrosis. This is possibly due to the stimulatory effect of laser on the hair follicle. [59]. Premature hair greying and ingrowing hair are some other complications reported. [30] Table 6: complications and its management during laser removal What’s New in Laser Hair removal? Newer devices are focussing on faster treatments with better patient experience. Devices with pneumatic skin flattening (PSF) help in reducing pain by working on the ‘gate theory’ of pain reduction. This theory states that on stimulation of the non-nociceptive nerves, signal transmission of pain is reduced. The device suction in the skin that has to be treated and this suction pressure on the skin stimulates the tactile nerve endings that reduces pain sensation transmission. This also helps in bringing the target chromophore closer to the laser window and reduces capillary flow which helps in optimising the treatment as has been explained above [illustration 38.4]. [30] SHRâ„ ¢ technology is another improvement that uses low fluence with rapidly delivered pulses (5-10Hz) and higher average energy. This necessitates the use of multiple passes to build the necessary energy but is faster and has a better patient experience. Another development for performing rapid treatm ents is computer controlled laser scanner mirrors. These help in automatically placing the laser beam in a perfect non-sequential pattern over a larger skin area. [60]. The technology helps in treating larger areas of various sizes by automatically addressing the issues of correct beam placement. Miscellaneous pearls in laser hair removal procedure The procedure of laser hair removal can be optimised by matching the patient and his correct parameters. Table 7 describes the ideal parameters for various skin and hair types Table 7: Laser parameters based on skin and hair characteristics As the hair structure changes from thick terminal hair to thin vellus hair, the laser parameters need to be changed to a smaller spot size. Hence a different laser may be needed as the therapy proceeds. Concurrent use of multiple laser wavelengths could have a synergistic effect and this needs to be probed further. Treatment grids are very helpful to prevent skip areas especially when a large area needs to be lased. Some patients may not respond to the therapy. In these cases, changing the wavelength may be helpful. Conclusion Laser hair removal remains one of the most commonly availed laser populations. The results post therapy are very gratifying. The learning curve with lasers for hair removal is not as steep as with some other indications. It is important not to be very aggressive, since that can lead to adverse effects. Newer technologies minimize pain and the treatment duration time. Home hair removal systems may prove to be a an essential aid in every house hold in the near future especially since the price are reducing and the newer technologies have made these equipments significantly effective. It is important to keep a standard operating protocol and following it diligently to reduce iatrogenic complications. Summary Hair has a lot of aesthetic value irrespective of age and gender. There is a decreased quality of life in hirsute patients. The laser equipments work in the wavelength range of 600-1100nm. Lasers act through the principle of selective photothermolysis and target the melanin but hair reduction occurs by the transfer of heat to the stem cells which are located in the bulge and the hair papillae. This works on the extended theory of selective photothermolysis. The parameters that have to be monitored for optimal therapy are the wavelength, fluence and the pulse width. Multiple equipments are available for hair reduction such as diode, alexandrite, Long pulse Nd YAG and IPL Home use laser hair removal devices are now available but are expensive at present. The commonest indication for hair removal is hypertrichosis in a female, however multiple other indications can be corrected by laser hair removal. Patient assessment includes detailed history and examination. An informed consent shoul d be taken prior to the procedure. The actual procedure is nearly the same with all machines with few subtle differences. Most adverse effects are iatrogenic and following a strict protocol helps in ameliorating these complications. Newer technologies are making the procedure faster and pain free.

Technology - A Futuristic Prom :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

A Futuristic Prom RING, RING! "Hello, this is Matty337." "Hey Matty337, it's Zinc451, what's up?" "Nothin' much, I am just enjoying my Saturday afternoon home alone." "Oh, I Just called to ask you a question." "What is it Zinc? Is something wrong?" "No, Matty, I was just wondering if... well I know it's kind of short notice, but I was wondering if... you would like to go to the Neptunian Starlight Prom with me." "Sure Zinc I'd love to go!" "Yeah, I'll pick you up at 7:30, O.K.?" "Ya, I'll see you at 7:30, bye!" "Bye, Matty!" Finally, he asked me. I've been waiting all my life for Zinc to ask me out on a date. After all, I've only had a crush on him since the year 2149. Just think, the most astronomical guy in school asked me to the Neptunian Starlight prom of the year 2153. It's going to be the best night of my life! Oh no, I totally spaced it out. The prom is tonight and I don't have a dress. The Mars Mall is too many miles for my spacecraft to fly this afternoon from my galaxy purple house on 95070 Jupiter Street. What will I do? Suddenly, it dawns on me; I can order a dress off of the Universal Wide Web and have it teleported to my own house! My teleporter is a very complex machine used to make one object disintegrate and appear somewhere else in perfect replica. This is a machine that works on 3-dimensional objects as opposed to 2-dimensional sheets of paper. It looks almost like a fax machine and scans the original object, breaks it up into billions of tiny atoms, scans it to a new location and rearranges it in its perfect form. I run down stairs as quick as possible, there is no time to waste. I open the office door and plop down in the chair in front of my new 2153 Model Astrocomputer. After turning on the super fast computer and atomic laser printer I begin to work. When the 3-D super pixel screen comes up I immediately click on the blue U for Universal Explorer. I plug in my Interstellar Satellite Modem. I go to the top of the screen where the word DESTINATION: jumps out at me. I suddenly get a rush of excitement all throughout my body. Finally I am going to get the perfect prom dress! I click on the destination box and begin to type- www. Technology - A Futuristic Prom :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers A Futuristic Prom RING, RING! "Hello, this is Matty337." "Hey Matty337, it's Zinc451, what's up?" "Nothin' much, I am just enjoying my Saturday afternoon home alone." "Oh, I Just called to ask you a question." "What is it Zinc? Is something wrong?" "No, Matty, I was just wondering if... well I know it's kind of short notice, but I was wondering if... you would like to go to the Neptunian Starlight Prom with me." "Sure Zinc I'd love to go!" "Yeah, I'll pick you up at 7:30, O.K.?" "Ya, I'll see you at 7:30, bye!" "Bye, Matty!" Finally, he asked me. I've been waiting all my life for Zinc to ask me out on a date. After all, I've only had a crush on him since the year 2149. Just think, the most astronomical guy in school asked me to the Neptunian Starlight prom of the year 2153. It's going to be the best night of my life! Oh no, I totally spaced it out. The prom is tonight and I don't have a dress. The Mars Mall is too many miles for my spacecraft to fly this afternoon from my galaxy purple house on 95070 Jupiter Street. What will I do? Suddenly, it dawns on me; I can order a dress off of the Universal Wide Web and have it teleported to my own house! My teleporter is a very complex machine used to make one object disintegrate and appear somewhere else in perfect replica. This is a machine that works on 3-dimensional objects as opposed to 2-dimensional sheets of paper. It looks almost like a fax machine and scans the original object, breaks it up into billions of tiny atoms, scans it to a new location and rearranges it in its perfect form. I run down stairs as quick as possible, there is no time to waste. I open the office door and plop down in the chair in front of my new 2153 Model Astrocomputer. After turning on the super fast computer and atomic laser printer I begin to work. When the 3-D super pixel screen comes up I immediately click on the blue U for Universal Explorer. I plug in my Interstellar Satellite Modem. I go to the top of the screen where the word DESTINATION: jumps out at me. I suddenly get a rush of excitement all throughout my body. Finally I am going to get the perfect prom dress! I click on the destination box and begin to type- www.

Macbeth Blood Will Have Blood :: essays research papers

Blood will Have Blood “These deeds must not be thought / After these ways; so, it will make us mad';(II, ii, 32-33) Translation today: A guilty conscience can make a man go crazy. In the play Macbeth, this is a recurring theme throughout one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies. There are many different images that help contribute to this theme such as sleep/sleeplessness, water, & children, but the most significant image would probably that of blood. Throughout the story, the characters’ guilt is exposed through images of blood. This guilty conscience caused serious mistakes, which eventually led to the downfall of Macbeth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This blood imagery adds to the guilty theme because all the characters are driven to the brink of insanity when they see blood on their own hands or in other places. This can make a character react to the people surrounding him in a unnatural way, or if it is all kept inside, these feelings might make the person totally breakdown.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.';(II, i, 33-34) The first image Macbeth sees is right before he kills Duncan. This image is not really there, yet it makes Macbeth worried. A second later, “and on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood /Which was not so before. (II,i, 46-47), there was blood on that imaginary dagger. Macbeth probably appeared very serious and very worried at this time. A dark and lonely setting helped to make Macbeth’s fears even greater. This vision was the first of many that eventually drove Macbeth’s heart to be cold and his mind to grow crazy. After the murder is committed Macbeth tries to clean himself and dispose of all evidence that might lead to any suspicions of Macbeth as the guilty party.“ Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood /Clean from my hand?';(II, ii, 59-60) The blood on his hands didn’t seem to be coming off even though it was probably already washed clean. It appeared that way to Macbeth because of his guilty conscience trying to tell him that what he did was wrong. The blood on his hands signified the blood of the highest stature, that of Duncan’s. This helped emphasize the change of power but the remnants of blood also showed that Duncan’s legacy was not completely gone and would eventually return to power.

Internet Addiction Disorder

Theme : Science and Technology Topic : Internet Addiction Disorder Good morning, everybody. I’d like to show you a presentation about Internet Addiction Disorder. Let’s start. First of all, ask yourself â€Å"without your computer or the Internet what would you do? † In the world of quickly advancing technology, it is hard to ignore the Internet which is becoming more and more important in lives of users worldwide. But the ugly truth is that the Internet is as addictive as it is useful. IAD is a speculated mental disorder made and introduced by Ivan Goldberg in 1995. With the increased role of the Internet in society and business, some of its users have become addicted; these addicts show a set of symptoms that are accompanied by a variety of negative consequences. Internet addiction could be categorized into individual groups. Each group has their unique and distinct characteristics. For effective treatment it is essential to diagnose the correct type of Internet addiction. Soule, L. C. , Shell, W. & Kleen, B. A. in their article â€Å"Exploring Internet addiction: Demographic characteristics and stereotypes of heavy internet users† describe types of IAD (2003). They are Cybersexual Addiction, Computer Addiction, Net Compulsion, Information Overload, Cyber-Relational Addiction. Let's look at some types in more detail. Firstly, Cyber-Relational Addiction. People who suffer from an addiction to chat rooms or social networking sites become over-involved in onli ne relationships or can participate in virtual adultery. Online friends quickly become more important to person often at the expense of real life relationships with family and friends. In many cases, this will lead to a marriage disagreement and family instability. Authors say that Net Compulsion is an addiction to online gaming, online gambling. It is quickly becoming new mental problems in the post-Internet Era. With the instant access to virtual casinos, interactive games, addicts loose excessive amounts of money and even destroy other duties connected with work or essential relationships. Let me turn now to causes of IAD. Release of graphic intensive online games has lead to innumerable teenagers getting addicted with the Internet. Blogging and Youtube are also some of the temptations that many individuals find difficult to resist. However, these are just the obvious reasons. There are much more than it seems at first sight. Jennifer Ferris in article â€Å"IAD: Causes, Symptoms, and Consequences† describes several causes of IAD (2005). Firstly, it’s Psychodynamic and Personality. Psychodynamic and personal opinions explain addiction through emotional shocks through childhood which has left a person with problems as an adult, together with other personality attributes and/or other disorders, and inherited psychological characters. Certain people, because of set of the reasons, are inclined to developing an addiction, such as heroin, gambling and sex. For example, even if a person only sometimes drinks alcohol, he may develop an addiction to alcohol if he increases consumption continuously. The same hypothesis remains for Internet addiction. Given the right combination of time, person and case, addiction can take place. The next cause is Cyber-relationships. In almost 75% of cases, Internet addicts use applications like chat rooms, instant messaging, or online gaming as a safe way of establishing new relationships and more confidently relating to others. This is because some people may have lack the social skills that would enable them to meet people in person instead of online; hence they prefer to make friends without direct contact to people. In addition, they get rid of any stranger or people who they don’t want to chat with just by â€Å"blocking† them. Another causes are anonymity, hunger for knowledge and convenience. I'd like now to say about consequences of IAD. Kimberly Young in her article â€Å"Internet addiction: Symptoms, evaluation, and treatment† says there are several consequences of IAD. The first is Familial Problems (1999). Dr Kimberly Young discovered that serious relationship problems were reported by 53% of Internet addicts surveyed. Marriages, dating relationships, parent-child relationships, and close friendships have been noted to be heavily damaged by Internet. The second is Academic Problems. Survey has shown that 86% of responding teachers, librarians, and computer coordinators are convinced that the use of the Internet by children does not raise quality of academic performance. The next is Occupational Problems. Employees who are addicted to the Internet, can be fired, if they aren’t able to suppress the desire and are caught using network resources of companies for their own entertainment. Let's look now at treatment of IAD. Kimberly Young gives some types of treatments. Firstly, Practice the Opposite. A reorganization time is a major element in the treatment of the IAD. For example, if your habit involves you checking your e-mail or the Net first thing in the morning, try taking a shower and breakfast first instead. Then, make yourself a positive reminder card. Write a list of the five major problems caused by your addiction to the Internet. Next, write out the five major benefits of reducing your Internet use. This simple reminder will help you subconsciously. Next treatment is Family Therapy. It will be necessary for addicts whose family relationships have been destroyed under influence of Internet addiction. A strong feeling of family support can help patient to recover from Internet addiction. To sum up, everybody should remember that Internet Addiction is a very real thing. It will not only continue to be a problem but it will become more popular as technology develops and becomes more widely used. However, despite of negative consequences of the Internet, it is very useful thing. The Internet is not bad just because people become dependent on it, Internet has many important and necessary advantages.

Critical thinking skill Essay

Learning, according to the Wikipedia, is the knowledge acquired through study, experience or being thought. Parents often think that learning only takes place in the school area for their children, where the information that are being thought to their child are sufficient for them to be able to get a good grades. For me, this is not true. Effective learning also takes place beyond the school, in so many cases. Every person should be learning more from real life than in the class room. All knowledge are being junked inside a student’s brain by only the specific subject thought by the teachers, and not from a real-life experience. Personal experience is essential for every human kind to obtain knowledge that cannot be forgotten. For instance, in an early age, the teacher would teach students about animals. The students can never forget the knowledge if they are being brought to a zoo and see them in real life compare to the the information given in the class. Knowledge that are given by a life-experience, will remain in one’s memory, and will never be loss. Students should be able to use their critical thinking skill to answer various kind of questions, on the spot. This skill is necessary for students to be able to be successful in modern life in general. If this skills are not being teach in a public school system, then the system, by definition, is failing. Critical thinking is best learnt outside the classroom, where students can actually develop their brain by responding to (†¦ idk how to explain) For example, Scientificamerican.com, which is a news-blog, said that students can gain more critical thinking by watching a television, rather than being inside a classroom. By watching the daily show with Jon Stewart, students can form a pile information and interactions that do not comes from a tight school’s environment. This shows that effective learning, in this case critical thinking, do takes place outside the school.

Reading Assessments Essay

INFORMAL USE FORMAL USE FORMATIVE USE SUMMATIVE USE | ANECDOTALRECORDS| To observe students in instructional settings. Used for identifying reading comprehension benchmark. (Boyd-Batstone, 2004),| THINK ALOUDS| Stragey for the think aloud enables modeling for students. Enables them to see how accomplished readers create the meaning from the book. Enables students to monitor their thoughts as they read and advances their intellectual capacity. It educates students to look back over a sentence, read in advance to clarify, and/or look for context sign to make logic of what they read. SELF-EVALUATI0N| To progress accomplishment in the classroom. Supports the idea of a collaborative learning environment. Assessment offers educators to increase ways to connect students to be more imaginative. (Stiggins, 1991,2001). | END OF UNIT TEST OR PROJECTS| When assessments reproduce the affirmed learning objectives, a well-made end of unit test provides teachers with information relating to individual students. | | | | | | FEEDBACK | Teacher create written or oral feedback to student discussion or work. | | | | | | | | | | STANDAR-ADIZED ASSESS-MENTS | Tests that precisely reveal state performance and content standards offers a clue of how many students are accomplishing established grade-level expectations| | | | | | | | PORTFOLI0S | When used as part of an assessment of student learning, portfolios make available proof to support attainment of stated learning objectives| | | | | | CURRICULM BASED MEASUREM-ENT (CBM)| Set of standardized measures is used to decide student progress and performance (Deno, 2001). | | | | READING LOGS| | COMPREHENSIVE TEST OF PHONOLOGIC-AL PROCESSING | Spotlight is on observing learner replies. Monitor progress with instruction. Presents instantaneous responses to both the educator and student on the topic of the learning process. | DISCOVERY TALK | Conversations used to unearth out what is going on in students life that might be affecting performance at school. (Zimmerman,1996)| | | | ORALRETELLINGS| Gives evidence that students comprehend what they are reading. †¢ Students retell the story by using their own words and recalling the sequence of events correctly. †¢ Students should be able to answer to questions about the chapter/book †¢ Have students create drawings that demonstrate comprehension. Relate new knowledge to prior knowledge (Rathvon, 2004). | DIBELS| Set of measures and procedures for assessing the achievement of early literacy Intended to be short (one minute) fluency dealings used to regularly observe the growth of early literacy and early reading skills. Developed to measure, recognized and empirically confirm skills related to reading outcomes. | | | | | | RECORDEDOBSERVATION| Offers assessment to center the focal point on the student’s potential to identify logos or common signs in or out of the context. (Compton,1997). | Story Construction from aPicture Book| Enables teacher to see how a student interprets the story and observation of reading skills. | | | | | | STUDENTPORTFOLIOS| Supplies data to document recognized reading goals. (Paris, 2002)| Use collections of classroom assessmentInformation to get ready for parent conferences. Classroom assessment assist to be aware of the whole child| | | | | | | . References Boyd-Batstone, P. (2004). Focused anecdotal records assessment: A tool for standards-based, authentic assessment. Reading Teacher, 58(4), 230-238. Compton, D.L. (1997). Using a developmental model to assess children’s word recognition. Intervention in School and Clinic, 32(5), 283. Deno, S. L. (2001). Curriculum-based measures: Development and perspectives. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www. progressmonitoring. net/CBM_Article_Deno. pdf. Hoge, R. D. , & Coladarci, T. (1989). Teacher-based judgments of academic achievement: A review of literature. Review of Educational Research, 59(3), 297–323. Paris, S. G. , Paris, A. H. , & Carpenter, R. D. (2002). Effective practices for assessing young readers. In B. Taylor & P. D. Pearson (Eds. ), Teaching reading: Effective schools, accomplished teachers (pp. 141-162). Mahwah, NJ:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Rathvon, N. (2004). Early reading assessment: A practitioner’s handbook. New York: Guilford Press. Stiggins, R. J. (2001). The unfulfilled promise of classroom assessment. EducationalMeasurement: Issues and Practice, 20(3), 5-14. Zimmerman, B. J. , Bonner, S. , & Kovach, R. (1996). Developing self-regulated learners: Beyond achievement to self-efficacy. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Mexican War and the Spanish American War Essay

Both the Mexican War and the Spanish War were a result of unfair treatment against weaker nations. The origins of the Mexican War lay with the United States and its expansionistic policies. Most Americans believed they had a divine right to bring their culture among others, because they were superior. This belief was put forth by Manifest Destiny, which had been circulating around the United States for a long time. The ignorance possessed by the Americans show no courtesy toward the Mexicans. Under the administration of President Polk, America adopted an aggressive expansion policy that often ignored many inferior countries. In 1492, it was Spain whom sailed across the Ocean and colonized the Amerindian nations of the Western Hemisphere. At its greatest extent, the empire that resulted from this exploration extended from Virginia on the eastern coast of the United States south to Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America excluding Brazil and westward to California and Alaska. The ambitious United States paid no attention to Spain and aggressively sought more territory and influence in Cuba, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. The war started when the United States declared war on Spain after the sinking of an American vessel (Battleship Main) in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898. They war ended on December 10, 1898 after the unfair Treaty of Paris, in which Spain lost all of its overseas possessions including Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippine Islands, Guam, and many others. Both the Mexican War and the Spanish American War were a direct result in the abusive ways of superior power and influence. Manifest Destiny was more encouraged when Polk became President. He was elected president because of his strong support in bringing Oregon and Texas into the Union. President Polk was clearly the antagonist when he sent troops under General Zachary Taylor into land that Mexico held sovereignty, sparking a war. Polk now drafted a message to Congress: Mexico had â€Å"passed the boundary of the United States, had invaded our territory and shed American blood on American soil.† Whether the Mexicans had fired the first shot or the Americans, whether the armies were on Mexican territory or American territory, Polk got his war. Despite the plea of innocence, Mexico cannot escape blame for the war. Mexico never had a strong centralized government to negotiate with a foreign state. Mexico was never even  successful in governing themselves for the time being. Mexico was on the verge of bankruptcy and their army was inadequately trained and equipped. The country was awash with political turmoil throughout the war, indeed, throughout the century, making it near impossible for them to ever conduct a sound defense of the country. Nevertheless, the United States, as a superior nation under Polk’s Presidency assumed an aggressive war like attitude toward Mexico without consideration of the Mexican stance. The conflict between the Spanish and Americans grew dramatically when General Valeriano Weyler began implementing a policy of Reconcentration that moved the population into central locations guarded by Spanish troops and placed the entire country of Cuba under martial law in February 1896. The American government was once again looking to exploit their defenseless neighbors and gain more influence in the countries. The main targets were Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Cuba was the first to initiate its own struggle for independence from Spain. America, being the closest superior power intervened in Cuba’s affairs. The Philippines were also growing intolerable to Spanish rule, and the United States took interest in the Philippines. Following its declaration of war against Spain issued on April 25, 1898, the United States added the Teller Amendment asserting that it would not attempt to exercise hegemony over Cuba. Under Commodore George Dewy at the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1st, the Spanish fleet under Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo was destroyed. The most disrespect followed the signing of the Treaty of Paris when Spain lost all of its overseas possessions. The superior powers, such as the United States, are always looking to profit themselves. During the Mexican war and the Spanish-American War, the dominance and ethnocentric ideals that America held flourished in many un-called-for, disrespectful disputes. The aggressive stance the troops held under Zachary Taylor under the orders of President Polk did not give room for negotiation. If the United States did not get what they wanted, they would insist by force, not by allowing the inferior nation in their eyes to make suggestions that regard their country and dignity. Both the Mexican War and the Spanish-American War resulted because of the unfair and unjust treatment that the United States held in their so-called foreign policy. Hispanic Division Library of Congress http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/intro.html A People A Nation 6th Edition The Mexican American War Memorial Homepage -from UMAN The Mexican American War Memorial Homepage -from UMAN Hispanic Division Library of Congress http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/intro.html Hispanic Division Library of Congress http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/intro.html