Twas The Night Before Finals Essays - , Term Papers

Twas The Night Before Finals Twas the night before finals, and all through the college, The students were praying for last minute knowledge. Most were quete sleepy, but none touched their beds, While visions of essays danced in their heads. Out in the taverns, a few were still drinking, And hoping that liquor would loosen up their thinking. In my own room, I had been pacing, And dreading exams I soon would be facing. My roommate was speechless, his nose in his books, And my comments to him drew unfriendly looks. I drained all the coffee, and smoked soom more pot, No longer caring that my nerves were shot. I stared at my notes, but my thoughts were muddy, My eyes went ablur, I just couldn't study. some pizza might help, I said with a shiver, But each plase I called refused to deliver. I'd nearly concluded that life is too damn cruel, With futures depending on grades made in school. When all of sudden, our door opened wide, And Patron Saint , Mr. Put It Off stubled inside. His spirit was stoned, his manner was mellow, All of a sudden, he started to bellow. On Cliff Notes, and Crib Notes, on Last Year Exams. On Wingit and Slingit and Last Minute Crams. His message delivered he vanished from sight. Bet we heard him laughting ourside in the night. Your teachers have pegged you as freaks, so do you best. Happy Finals to all and to all a good test. Poetry and Poets

Improve Grades with These Study Group Ideas

Improve Grades with These Study Group Ideas Many students get more out of study time when they study with a group. Group study can improve your grades, because group work  gives you more opportunity for comparing class notes and brainstorming potential test questions. If you are facing a big exam, you should try studying with a group. Use these tips to make the most of your time. If you cant get together face-to-face, you can create an online study group, too. Exchange contact information. Students should exchange email addresses, Facebook  info, and phone numbers, so everyone can be contacted to help the others. Find meeting times that work for everybody. The bigger the group, the more effective the study time will be. If necessary, you could assign two times a day, and those who show up each scheduled time can study together. Everybody bring a question. Each member of the study group should write and bring a test question and quiz the other group members. Hold a discussion about the quiz questions you bring. Discuss the questions and see if everyone agrees. Compare class notes and textbooks to find answers. Create fill-in and essay questions for more impact. Divide a pack of blank note cards and have everyone write a fill-in or essay question. In your study session, swap cards several time so everyone can study each question. Discuss your results. Make sure each member contributes. Nobody wants to deal with a slacker, so dont be one! You can avoid this by having a conversation and agreeing to commit on the first day. Communication is a wonderful thing! Try communicating via Google Docs or Facebook. There are lots of ways you can study without actually gathering together, if necessary. Its possible to quiz one another online.

HR Manual - Arcadia Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

HR Manual - Arcadia Group - Essay Example For this purpose, this manual is intended to provide concrete set of guidelines to the managers in merchandising managers all across the groups and brands with regards to manpower planning, staff sourcing, recruitment, training and development, motivation, communication and stress management of fresh graduates. Manpower Planning Manpower planning is one of the integral activities in staff management. In this regard, all the managers in merchandising department are expected to have an account of their current staff and their future needs in terms of head count. Furthermore, where an employee is being promoted and there is a position available that is required to be filled, managers are expected to send their recommendations to HR department and an appraisal meeting of the nominee will be conducted with HR Manager, department manager and Department Heads to make a final decision. In addition to that, where an employee is leaving this organization, it is the responsibility of the depart ment manager or team lead to make necessary notifications to HR department (in case where HR department is not included in electronic communication). In case of dissociation and employee departure, HR department will conduct exit interviews and will keep the input confidential until unless there arises a need to discuss any issue or problem with the department managers. Furthermore, department managers are expected to conduct bi-annual appraisals of the staff reporting to them (with the help of evaluation forms available with HR department). In case of fresh graduates, a report is required to be generated after ending of 6-months probation that would indicate if the employee can be retained further. Department managers are required to conduct a meeting with HR manager (or any other person assigned by HR manager) at the end of every quarter to analyze the current staffing needs and heads available in the department. As a result of this analysis, new induction, rotation, induction fro m other brands or group companies, and amalgamation of job roles may take place. In this meeting, succession planning will also be discussed at length followed by the outcomes of last appraisals, peer evaluations and 360 degree surveys. Staff Sourcing Like stated earlier, Arcadia group has a substantial employer branding and it has secured eminent positions in Times Employer Rankings. Therefore, attraction of potential talent is a convenient process that continues throughout the year. However, in order to attract top notch talent, we have following practices streamlined: 1) Arcadia Groups’ Career Portal 2) Other Web portals 3) Employee Referrals 4) On-Campus Recruitment 5) Referrals from Students’ Affairs departments of leading business schools 6) Outsourcing staff from other vendors Out of these practices, we have found employee referrals and on-campus recruitment to be the most practices for staff sourcing. In order to ensure that our campus recruitment campaigns mee t our needs for fresh talent, it is suggested that managers share their requirements for additional staff with HR department in quarterly meetings i.e. April and August. This step is intended to ensure that we are aware of our requirements before actually beginning the mass recruitment cycle that would take place in the months of May and August (before

Reading Journals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Reading Journals - Essay Example In addition to that one magazine called To The Bride, about a hundred another different texts written in the postwar period are analyzed by Neuhaus in order to develop an understanding of the ideology behind female gender norms popular in those years. It dawned on the author that most of those texts targeted newly wed women thus getting them familiar with the path men wished the women to follow for the rest of their lives and which stretched from their kitchens to catering to their husband’s needs. The article interestingly reveals how marital concepts during the 1950s set in contrast with the present ideologies by identifying that a woman was only eligible to get married if she knew how to make the best steak or pie for her husband to be. In this way the author aims to convey to the public how stereotypical gender roles were promoted during the 1950s through cookbooks that young girls were encouraged and even pushed to act out. One question regarding this article that I would like to be discussed in the class is about how women’s dependence on men in the 1950s could be demonstrated by the fact that men claimed themselves as meat consumers and women as meal

Public Presentation Speech on Hofstra UNIVERSITY Baseball Essay

Public Presentation Speech on Hofstra UNIVERSITY Baseball - Essay Example The Hall of Fame was introduced in 1939 with Dale Petroskey as the president (Vaccaro, 73). This gesture by the university has been forceful in encouraging students to participate in sports. It seeks to appreciate the University’s alumni who did their best to take their respective sports at higher levels. The hall of fame includes students who have shown their prowess and alacrity in sports. Each year the University’s department of sports, though a high caliber panel selects candidates for this hall. This year Greg Polli who played baseball for the university in 1983 was selected for the hall of fame. The History of Hofstra baseball is one that is remembered with nostalgia that is drawn from the memories of the university’s pioneers of fame, pride and dominance. The Hafstra baseball course was initiated in 1938. According to (Vaccaro, 73) an online sports news desk, Brant Alyes who played in1959-1961 was the first baseball player from Hafstra University to make it to a major league level. Ken Singleton 1966-1966 is another baseball icon who made it to a major league. It is almost inevitable to mention the baseball players of Hafstra University who have gone professional in Hafstra baseball discourses. Greg Polli is a former All- American player who was also ranked third in the nation. Lance Schulters who played soccer for the university between 1996 and 1997 went professional. His professional soccer was at its prime when he was picked for the fourth time in 1998 by NFL in Francisco where he played for a decade (Vaccaro, 73). Finally it is commendable of the university to see the efforts put in all aspects of the university. Hafstra has become not only an academic giant but also a center of producing all round, disciplined and focused citizen of our republic with sports proving to be the best tool for its ambitious endeavors

Study of Dialogue between Nurse and Pneumonia Patient

Study of Dialogue between Nurse and Pneumonia Patient My patient Mrs. S.K., is an 81 year old female. She was diagnosed with Pneumonia. Mrs. S.K. had been in the unit for almost three days prior to the dialogue. She reported not being ever diagnosed with any medical condition ever before. During the morning shift I went with my assigned nurse J to the clients Mrs. S.K room. She was lying in her bed awake. While given her medication, Nurse J mentioned to her that I was a nursing student from York University who would be shadowing her. I took this opportunity to introduce myself and asked her if it was okay with her. She nodded with a smile DIALOGUE: 1 Mrs. S.K was sitting in the chair and looking out through the window. Nurse: Nice view (pointing to the window), How are you doing? (I stood right beside her near the window) Mrs. S.K.: I am feeling much better now. Yesterday, even moving from bed to chair was very exhausting for me. I felt breathlessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Much better now. Nurse: Hummm, I listened attentively. When did you first notice any changes in your breathing? Mrs. S.K.: I was in U.S at family function. While I was reading our holy book and was almost on conclusion I found really hard to even recite the hymns. My son asked me to get myself checked, I just ignored. I wanted the ceremony to end smoothly without any interruption. Nurse: I nodded to convey I was listening Mrs. S.K.: The journey from U.S. airport to here (Toronto) was very hard. I was coughing constantly. I felt so much tightness in my chest. Nurse: I know how you would have felt. It is hard to go through all this. How did it feel being in such a situation? Mrs. S.K.: I was so anxious and fearful. I did not even know whether I will be able to catch my next breath (pause). I am grateful to God, my family is really caring. They immediately brought me to the hospital. Nurse: So, you have a really caring family. Mrs. S.K.: Yes,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦now I am a great grandmother (She smiled) Nurse: Wowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. I smiled back. (Someone knocked at the door, it was her relatives. I introduced myself to them).Your relatives are here, I am going to leave you with them for now so that you can spend some time with them. I will check on you later on. Is that okay with you? Mrs. S.K.: Noddedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Yes. Nurse: See you later Mrs. S.K. (With a smile and I left the room) CRITICAL REFLECTION Through this paper I will critically reflect on the dialogue that I had with my patient -Mrs. S.K, who was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. In this paper, I will identify blocks to communication in the dialogue and will focus on integrating the principles of dialogue with the client-centered care (CCC) core processes. Prior to beginning the dialogue, my only intent was to know Mrs. S.K. better and to listen to her concerns if any so that I could better meet her needs. It hurts not to be listened to (Nichols, 1995).While critically reflecting on the dialogue I realized that actually I was making an effort to be build trusting relationship with her by giving her my undivided attention. Clients often wait to express their needs and concerns until the nurse gives them undivided attention (Messner, 1993). I initiated the discussion with open-ended question. I asked Mrs. S.K., How are you doing? As a result, she had a liberty to choose whatever she wished to reveal. I also attempted to carry the open-ended question throughout the conversation. I wanted Mrs. S.K. to feel that I was really interested to know more about her health issues or other concerns that impact her health. I think I went with the flow during the dialogue with Mrs. S.K. I did not interrupt in between when Mrs. S.K. talked about her concerns with breathing a day before and her visit to U.S. I followed her lead, listened attentively and patiently to her, as this is what she wanted to talk about. According to the human becoming theory, going with the flow is very crucial in order to recognize the ups and downs and the joys in the context of the clients situation (Parse, 1998). Also, keeping the client- centered care in my mind, most of the time I spoke with my client in her mother tongue that is Punjabi. This made her more comfortable and confident to express her true feelings and concerns. Validating was one of the blocks that were evident during the dialogue with the client. Though, I made proper eye contact with Mrs. S.K. and listened to her in a non-judgmental and caring manner, but I felt that if I would have sat at eye level with her during communication she would have felt even more comfortable. When Mrs. S.K. talked how hard her journey from U.S. airport back to Toronto due to illness, I validated her experience by saying I know how you would have felt. It is hard to go through all this. This is in total contrast to the CCC value of honesty. Each individuals meaning of a particular circumstance is totally unique. Therefore no one can really know or experience the same meaning as the other (Beitel, 1998). Also, when she showed her concern about feeling breathless yesterday, I could have asked her Tell me more about it. This would have helped me to seek depth and clarity about her concerns. Other then that I did not act on the need to do something to fix things my client, neither did I gave her false reassurance. As this was my very first experience of having a reflective dialogue with the client, it was a good learning experience for me. I realized the importance of a good dialogue in assessing the needs and concerns of the client. Openness, good eye contact and genuine interest in the client go a long way in building a caring relationship build on trust. In future dialogue, also I would focus on being truly present with the patient. I will ask open ended questions to get in depth insight about clients concerns. This would help me to better understand a situation from clients perspective. I will not validate clients emotions or experience. Instead I will listen to the patient with openness.

Cyber-Learning To Make Cyber-Teachers :: Internet Education Learning Essays

Cyber-Learning To Make Cyber-Teachers Cyber-culture is a large group of people the majority of which are young. This is because the internet's prominence is new. Fifteen years ago very few people were on-line at home. Children who have grown up with the Internet are more likely to use it as a tool for learning and communicating; they had the choice of not writing by hand, of always emailing instead of phoning. People who grew up without the Internet did not have that choice; there was a time when they had to write by hand, when they had to use the phone. So there are many children who have always learned and communicated with the Internet; they are the core of cyber-culture, they are the cyber-children. The cyber-children of today read and write differently. George Landow, in his essay â€Å"Twenty Minutes into the future, or How Are We Moving Beyond the Book†, said, â€Å"These new digital information technologies involve fundamental changes in the way we read and write, and these radical differences, in turn, derive from a single fact, the physical to the virtual† (219). The fundamental changes that Landow is talking about need to be recognized; they need to be understood by the teachers that cyber-children have. Cyber-children are not going to respond to ways of teaching that were designed before the Internet. And since most of the teachers today finished school and got their degrees and teaching certificates before the Internet’s present prominence, there is a problem. Teachers need to use methods of teaching reading and writing that reciprocate the needs of cyber-children. There is a problem with the ways in which teachers teach these children who are the core of cyber-culture. Much of the problem stems from how the students learned to read and write as it differs from how the teachers learned. Cyber-children have learned to read on-line, their teachers learned with print. James Sosnoski, in his essay â€Å"Hyper-readers and Their Reading Engines†, points out differences between reading printed text and reading what he calls hypertext. He says that readers of hypertext use, â€Å" . . . filtering: a higher degree of selectivity in reading† (402). So cyber-children are geared toward the bigger picture, and they leave out details.

Personality psychology Essay

â€Å"We are born at a given moment, in a given place and, like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season of which we are born. Astrology does not lay claim to anything more† (Carl Gustav Jung). Ever since humans looked toward the sky for some kind of meaning to life and answers to the big questions, astrology has been a part of many people’s lives. It is also known to hold knowledge on one’s personality and character. After reading my Pisces personality profile, I realized that there are similarities and differences between my personality and the profile provided. Aside from the similarities, the profile also consists of traits which are different from my own. I feel that I am a long term planners and I am very decisive about my life goals as opposed to the profile which says that Pisces â€Å"[go] where the wind blows†. I feel that I am a very determined person and example of this is that in grade 8, I had thought about each and every single major step stone in my life. I had decided that I would go into McMasters to study Health Sciences, then go into UFT medical school, complete 3 years of specialization in neurology and after completing my residency, become a neurosurgeon. Saying that I go where the wind blows is an invalid statement. In addition, I do not feel that I have a strong connection with music which again disobeys the profile personality. It says that Pisces â€Å"[are] often channeled into creative outlets,† and have a strong connection in â€Å"music and film†. I feel it very hard to connect to music personally because I feel I have no relations with the topics a singer sings about. Even though certain music can be inspirational and represent an important topic, most of today’s music just seems to be about money, fame and girls. Just yesterday I felt depressed due though personal circumstances and thought music might aid but I personally had no relief. Moreover, I also disagree with the fact that I have â€Å"a feminine nature†. I consider myself being more masculine and bold. In particular, during my summer job when my employer asked me to do something I felt was unsafe, I gallantly spoke out whereas if I had a feminine nature I might have said nothing. As a result I feel that certain elements of this personality profile do not match with mine. In conclusion, there are similarities and differences between my personality and the profile personality provided. Even though it consisted of several traits which I felt resembled me, it also contained traits which I could not relate to. Scientists have always dismissed astrology as a load of old bunk. Now, a British astronomer has said that there might be something in it after all. Could the planets really control our fates? Bibliography Yoga, Lexi. 101 Astrology Quotes. October 2009. Web. 11 September 2010 .

The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Essays

The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Essays The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Paper The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Paper Human cells are the smallest structures capable of maintaining life and reproducing. They compose all living things, from single-celled plants to multibillion-celled animals. The human body, which is made up of numerous cells, begins as a single newly fertilized cell. Almost all human cells are microscopic in size. To give you an idea of how small a cell is, one average sized adult body, according to one estimate, consists of 100 trillion cells. The brain cells that create brain activity are called neurons. â€Å"The neuron (nerve cell) is the information-processing and information-transmitting element of the nervous system† (Carlson, 2007 p. 30). The brain and spinal cord are made up of many cells, including neurons and glial cells. Neurons are cells that send and receive electro-chemical signals to and from the brain and nervous system. There are about 100 billion neurons in the brain. There are many more glial cells; they provide support functions for the neurons, and are far more numerous than neurons. Structure of Brain Cells Each of the neurons has a cell body. â€Å"The soma (cell body) contains the nucleus and much of the machinery that provides for the life processes of the cell and its shape varies considerably in different kinds of neurons† (Carlson, 2007 p. 30). However, there are two kinds of fibers: axons and dendrites. Axons are â€Å"the long, thin cylindrical structure that conveys information from the soma of a neuron to its terminal buttons† (Carlson, 2007 p. 30). Dendrites are â€Å"a branched, treelike structure attached to the soma of a neuron; receives information from the terminal buttons of other neurons† (Carlson, 2007 p. 30). Each neuron has one axon along The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 4 which it sends electrical impulses to other neurons. Each neuron has a variable number of dendrites which have many branches. The axon from one neuron is attached to the dendrites of other neurons. The point at which they attach is called the synapse. The synapse is the â€Å"junction between the terminal button of an axon and the membrane of another neuron† (Carlson, 2007 p. 30). Furthermore, dendrites bring information to the cell body and axons take information away from the cell body. This is the process of thinking (Cohen, Kessler Gordon, 1988). A Map of the Brain Corpus callosum – Band of nerves between two hemispheres of the brain. Thalamus – Switching station for information going into the brain Basal ganglia – Control movement and cognitive functions Hypothalamus – Regulates sex hormones, blood pressure and body temperature Pituitary gland – Produces hormones; influences hormone production in other glands Amygdala – Regulates heartbeat; orders flight-or-flight reactions Hippocampus – Critical to long-term memory function Cerebellum – Coordinates movement How Nerve Signals Travel Carlson, (2007) states nerve signal proceeds in the following manner: 1. An electrical impulse is generated in the body of a neuron (nerve cell). The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 5 2. The impulse travels down the axon to an axon terminal (nerve ending). 3. At the axon terminal the impulse triggers the release of neurotransmitters. 4. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that enable a nerve impulse to jump across the synapse (the gap between nerve cells) at the axon terminal. 5. Once across the synapse, some neurotransmitters trigger the receiver cell; others prevent it from firing. Role of Brain in Mental Illness The belief that the mind plays an important role in physical illness goes back to the earliest days of medicine. From the time of the ancient Greeks to the beginning of the 20th century, it was generally accepted by both physician and patient that the mind can affect the course of illness, and it seemed natural to apply this concept in medical treatments of disease. Chemicals produced by immune cells signal the brain, and the brain in turn sends chemical signals to restrain the immune system. These same chemical signals also affect behavior and the response to stress. Disruption of this communication network in any way, whether inherited or through drugs, toxic substances or surgery exacerbates the diseases that these systems guard against: infectious, inflammatory, autoimmune, and associated mood disorders (Robert Sapolsky, 1998). The brain’s stress response system is activated in threatening situations. The immune system responds automatically to pathogens and foreign molecules. These two response systems are the body’s principle means for maintaining an internal steady state called homeostasis. A substantial proportion of human cellular machinery is dedicated to maintaining it. When The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 6 homeostasis is disturbed or threatened, a repertoire of molecular, cellular and behavioral responses comes into play. These responses attempt to counteract the disturbing forces in order to reestablish a steady state. They can be specific to the foreign invader or a particular stress, or they can be generalized and nonspecific when the threat to homeostasis exceeds a certain threshold. The adaptive responses may themselves turn into stressors capable of producing disease. The immune system’s job is to bar foreign pathogens from the body and to recognize and destroy those that penetrate its shield (Rubin Staddon, 1999). The immune system must also neutralize potentially dangerous toxins; facilitate repair of damaged or worn tissues, and dispose of abnormal cells. Its responses are so powerful that they require constant regulation to ensure that they are neither excessive nor indiscriminate and yet remain effective. When the immune system escapes regulation, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases or immune deficiency syndromes result. The central nervous and immune systems, however, are more similar than different in their modes of receiving, recognizing and integrating various signals and in their structural design for accomplishing these tasks. Both the central nervous system and the immune system possess â€Å"sensory† elements (Rubin Staddon, 1999), which receive information from the environment and other parts of the body; and motor elements, which carry out an appropriate response. Both systems also rely on chemical mediators for communication. Electrical signals along nerve pathways, for instance, are converted to chemical signals at the synapses between neurons. The chemical messengers produced by immune cells communicate not only with other The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 7 parts of the immune system but also with the brain and nerves (Robert Sapolsky, 1998). Chemicals released by nerve cells can act as signals to immune cells. Hormones from the body travel to the brain in the bloodstream, and the brain itself makes hormones. Indeed, the brain is perhaps the most prolific endocrine organ in the body and produces many hormones that act both on the brain and on the tissues throughout the body. A key hormone shared by the central nervous and immune systems is corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH); produced in the hypothalamus and several other brain regions, it unites the stress and immune responses (Science, 2001). The hypothalamus releases CRH into a specialized bloodstream circuit that conveys the hormone to the pituitary gland, which lies just beneath the brain. CRH causes the pituitary to release adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH into the bloodstream, which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, the best-known stress hormone. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that increases the rate and strength of heart contractions, sensitizes blood vessels to the actions of norepinephrine, an adrenaline like hormone, and affects many metabolic functions as well as actions that help the body meet a stressful situation (Gerrig Zimbardo, 2002). In addition, cortisol is a potent immunoregulator and anti-inflammatory agent. It plays a crucial role in preventing the immune system from overreacting to injuries and damaging tissues. Furthermore, cortisol inhibits the release of CRH by the hypothalamus which also keeps this component of stress response under control (Rubin Staddon, 1999). Thus, CRH and cortisol directly link the body’s brain regulated stress response and its immune response. The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 8 CRH-secreting neurons of the hypothalamus send fibers to regions in the brain stem that help to regulate the sympathetic nervous system, as well as to another brain stem area called the locus ceruleus. The sympathetic nervous system, which mobilizes the body during stress, also innervates immune organs, such as the thymus, lymph nodes and spleen, and helps to control inflammatory responses throughout the body. Stimulation of the locus ceruleus leads to behavioral arousal, fear and enhanced vigilance (Rubin Staddon, 1999). Perhaps even more important for the induction of fear related behaviors is the amygdala, where inputs from the sensory regions of the brain are charged as stressful or not. CRH-secreting neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala send fibers to the hypothalamus, the locus ceruleus, and to other parts of the brain stem. These CRH-secreting neurons are targets of messengers released by immune cells during an immune response (Rubin Staddon, 1999). Cytokines is the more general term for biological molecules that many different kinds of cells use to communicate. Each cytokine is a distinct protein molecule, encoded by a separate gene that targets a particular cell type. A cytokine can either stimulate or inhibit a response depending on the presence of other cytokines or other stimuli and the current state of metabolic activity (Science, 2001). This flexibility allows the immune system to take the most appropriate actions to stabilize the local cellular environment arid to maintain homeostasis. Activation of the brain by cytokines from the peripheral parts of the body induces behaviors of the stress response, such as anxiety and cautious avoidance that keep an individual out of harm’s way until full healing occurs. Anyone who has experienced lethargy and excess The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 9 sleepiness during an illness will recognize this set of responses as â€Å"sickness behavior† (Carson, Butcher, Mineka, 2000). Brain and Depression Although the role of the stress response in inflammatory disease in humans is more difficult to prove, there is growing evidence that a wide variety of such diseases are associated with impairment of the HPA axis and lower levels of CRH secretion, which ultimately results in a hyperactive immune system. Furthermore, patients with a mood disorder called atypical depression also have a blunted stress response and impaired CRH function, which leads to lethargy, fatigue, increased sleep and increased eating that often results in weight gain. A deficiency of CRH could contribute to lethargy in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Injection of CRH into these patients causes a delayed and blunted ACTH secretion by the HPA axis. That same response is also seen in patients whose hypothalamus has been injured or who have a tumor (Dobbs, 2006). Also, fatigue and hyperactivity of the immune response are associated with cortisol deficiency, which occurs when CRH secretion decreases. The hormone levels and responses in patients with fatigue syndromes suggest, but do not prove, that their HPA axis functions are impaired, resulting in a decrease in CRH and cortisol secretion and an increase in immune system activity. Together these findings indicate that human illness characterized by fatigue and hyperim unity could possibly be treated by drugs that mimic CRH actions in the brain (Dobbs, 2006). The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 10 When it comes to the chemistry of the human brain, dopamine and serotonin are the reigning stars. Like other neurotransmitters, they trigger and modulate the electrical signals that nerve cells use to communicate. In comparison, the chemicals called trace amines are considered mere bit players. Now, a study reveals that people have genes that encode cell surface proteins dedicated to responding to trace amines (Kowalski, 1999). Trace amines, so named because they’re present at low concentrations in the human brain, drew considerable interest in the 1960’s. They turned out to be the key neurotransmitters in insect brains, but interest in the chemicals waned when scientists failed to find dedicated receptors in vertebrates. The low concentrations of trace amines and their rapid turnover in the brain also made them difficult to study. Meanwhile, scientists identified receptors for dopamine and serotonin, which led to the development of crucial drugs (Kowalski, 1999). The trace amines, which include tryamine, betaphenylethylamine (beta-PEA), tryptamine, and octopamine, continued to draw some attention. Studies showed that diets rich in these chemicals can elevate a person’s blood pressure and trigger Imipramines in patients taking antidepressants know as MAO inhibitors. The reason for this is that unlike axons, there are no voltage-activated ion channels in the cell membrane of dendrites, so the electrical signal cannot regenerate itself. Instead, it gets smaller and smaller as it travels from the synapse to the cell body (Kowalski, 1999). Brain and Anxiety The classic form of depression, melancholia, is actually not a state of inactivation and suppression of thought and feeling; rather it presents as an organized state of anxiety. The The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 11 anxiety of melancholia is chiefly about the self. Melancholic patients feel impoverished and defective and often express hopelessness about the prospects for their unworthy selves in either love or work. The anxious hyper-arousal of melancholic patients also manifests as a pervasive sense of vulnerability (Carver Scheier, 2000). Many studies have been conducted on patients with major depression to determine whether the excessive level of cortisol associated with depression correlates with suppressed immune responses. Some have found a correlation between hypercortisolism and immunosuppressant; other have not. Because depression can have a variety of mental and biochemical causes, only some depressed patients may be immunosuppressed (Goldstein Dekker, 2001). The excessive secretion of cortisol in melancholic patients is predominantly the result of hyper secretion of CRH, caused by a defect in or above the hypothalamus. Thus, the clinical and biochemical manifestations of melancholia reflect a generalized stress response that has escaped the usual counter regulation, remaining stuck in the on position. The effects of tricyclic antidepressant drugs on components of the stress response support the concept that melancholia is associated with a chronic stress response. In rats, regular, but not acute, administration of the tricyclic antidepressant Imipramine significantly lowers the levels of CRH precursors in the hypothalamus (Jeanette, Webster Esther, 2002). Imipramine given for two months to healthy people with normal cortisol levels causes a gradual and sustained decrease in CRH secretion and other HPA axis functions, indicating that down regulation of important The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 12 components of the stress response is an intrinsic effect of Imipramine (Goldstein Dekker, 2001). Brain and Stress Stress not only is personal but is perceived through the prism of social interactions. These interactions can either add to or lessen psychological stress and affect our hormonal responses to it, which in turn can alter immune responses. For instance, in humans, loneliness is associated with a â€Å"threat,† or adrenaline-like pattern of activation of the stress response and high blood pressure, whereas exercising is associated with a â€Å"challenge† pattern of high blood flow and cardiac output (Sternberg, 2001). Studies have shown that people exposed to chronic social stresses for more than two months have increased susceptibility to the common cold. The popular belief that stress exacerbates inflammatory illness and that relaxation or removal of stress ameliorates it may indeed have a basis in fact. The interactions of the stress and immune systems and the hormonal responses they have in common could explain how conscious attempts to tone down responsively to stress could affect immune responses. How much of the response to stress is genetically determined and how much can be consciously controlled is not known. The set point of the stress response is to some extent genetically determined (Sternberg, 2001). In addition, factors in early development, learning, and later experiences contribute to differences in stress responsiveness. An event that is physiologically highly stressful to one individual may be much less or so to another, depending on the sum of each person’s genetic tendency to hormonal reactivity and their previous The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 13 experience. In my opinion, the degree to which stress could precipitate or exacerbate disease would then depend not only on the intensity and duration of the stressful stimulus but also on the person’s ability and learned perception of the event as stressful and on the set point of the stress system. Psychological stress can affect an individual’s susceptibility to infectious diseases. The regulation of the immune system by the neuro-hormonal stress system provides a biological basis for understanding how stress might affect these diseases. Thus stress hormones released from the brain, cortisol from the adrenal glands, and nerve chemicals, such as norepinephrine and epinephrine released from nerve endings, all modify the ability of immune cells to fight infectious agents and foreign molecules (Mayer Saper, 2000). There is evidence that stress does affect human immune responses to viruses and bacteria. In studies with volunteers given a standard dose of the common cold virus rhinovirus, individuals who are simultaneously exposed to stress show more viral particles and produce more mucus than do not stressed individuals (Jeanette, Webster Esther, 2002). Stress and the Role of Social Support in Bereavement; A Theoretical Analysis According to cognitive stress theories, critical life events such as bereavement are stressful because they require major readjustments. The intensity of stress created by a life event depends on the extent to which the perceived demands of the situation tax or exceed an individual’s coping resources, given that failure to cope leads to important negative consequences. Stress theory provides the theoretical underpinning for the â€Å"buffering model,† The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 14 which suggests that high levels of social support protect the individual against the deleterious impact of stress on health (Lazarus Folkman, 1984). According to Cohen and Willis (1985), there are two ways in which social support can buffer the individual against the negative impact of the stress experience. First, support can intervene between the stressful event and a stress reaction by attenuating or preventing a stress appraisal response. Second, adequate support may intervene between the experience of stress and the onset of the pathological response by eliminating the stress reaction or by directly influencing physiological processes. Whereas these two pathways reduce the individual’s vulnerability to the impact of the stressful event, however a third way in which social support may affect individual stress response, namely, by aiding in recovery. Thus, social support may also help individuals to recover more readily from the impact of the stressful life event. The Deficit Model of Partner Loss was developed as an application to cognitive stress theory to bereavement. On the basis of the interactional definition of stress, the deficit model offers an analysis of the situational demands characteristic of widowhood and of the coping resources needed to deal with these demands. Marital bereavement marks the end of a close mutual relationship, and the loss of a partner is likely to result in a number of deficits in areas in which the spouse had previously been able to rely on the partner. The Deficit Model suggests that the loss of a partner leads to deficits in areas that can broadly be characterized as loss of instrumental support, loss of validational support, loss of emotional support, and the loss of social contact support. The Deficit Model postulates that social support alleviates the stress of The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 15 bereavement, but only to the extent to which it helps to replace the deficits created by the loss of a partner (W. Stroebe M. Stroee, 1987; K. Gergen, M. Gergen, 1980, 1982). It follows from the Deficit Model that bereaved individuals are in greater need of social support than married individuals. The model therefore predicts an interaction of social support and marital status on the level of psychological symptoms, such as the buffering effect. However, because it is unlikely that family and friends are able to alleviate completely the deficits caused by the loss of the partner, one would also expect a main effect of marital status on symptomatology. In contrast, attachment theory rejects the notion that supportive friends can compensate for the loss of an attachment figure (Bowlby, 1969; Weiss, 1975). Bowlby (1969) proposed that the attachment figure, unlike other people in the social environment, was uniquely able to foster general feelings of security and that other people could not simply take over this function. He thus goes beyond optimal matching by not only requiring a match between the characteristics of stressful events confronting the individual and the form of social support that is beneficial in this context, but by stating categorically that this type of social support can only be provided by one specific type of person (Cutrona Russell, 1990). Weiss (1975) elaborated these ideas in his relational theory of loneliness, in which he drew a fundamental distinction between emotional and social loneliness and argued that the two types of loneliness cannot compensate for each other: The loneliness of emotional isolation appears in the absence of a close emotional attachment or the reintegration of the one that had been lost. Those experiencing this form of loneliness are apt to experience a sense of utter The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 16 aloneness, whether or not the companionship of others is in fact accessible (Weiss, 1975). Thus, according to attachment theory, social support from relatives and friends cannot compensate for the major deficit caused by bereavement, namely, the loss of an attachment figure. However, social support should help with a second type of loneliness, namely, the loneliness of social isolation. Social loneliness is associated with the absence of an engaging social network, and this absence can only be remedied by access to such a network. The dominant feeling of this type of loneliness is boredom, together with feelings of marginality (Weiss, 1975). Attachment theory thus suggests that marital status and social support influence well being by distinctly different pathways, with the impact of marital status being mediated by emotional loneliness and the impact of social support by social loneliness. According to this Dual-Path Model, one would predict main effects of marital status and social support on measures of symptomatology, but no interaction. Because each of these main effects is assumed to be mediated by a different type of loneliness, one would further expect marital status to affect emotional but not social loneliness and social support to affect social but not emotional loneliness. Finally, one would expect that control for emotional loneliness should reduce or eliminate the impact of marital status on symptomatology, whereas control for social loneliness should reduce or eliminate the effect of social support on symptom levels. The two major theories of bereavement outcome thus make different and partly contradictory predictions about the role of social support in adjustment to loss. Consistent with popular beliefs about the helpfulness of social support to the bereaved, cognitive stress theory predicts a social support times a marital status interaction on symptomatology constitutes the The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 17 buffering effect, in addition to a main effect of marital status. In contrast, attachment theory predicts main effects of both marital status and social support on levels of symptoms, but no interaction. It further suggests that these two main effects on symptomatology are mediated by different types of loneliness. These predictions have not yet been addressed by empirical research. Stress and the Role of Social Support in Adjustment to Loss; A Review of the Evidence Guided by stress theory, research on the role of social support in adjustment to loss has focused exclusively on testing the buffering against the main effect model. As Cohen and Wills (1985) argued in their influential review of the literature on the social support, such tests require a factorial design that includes at least two levels of stress and two levels of social support. Furthermore, to test whether social support buffers individuals against the negative impact of the loss of a marital partner, one has to compare the impact of social support in bereaved and married samples. Buffering effects would be reflected by a statistical interaction of social support with marital status on health. In the earlier review of literature on social support and bereavement up to 1986 (W. Stroebe M. Stroebe, 1987), there were no studies found that satisfied these criteria. In the meantime, a few studies using adequate designs, comparing the impact of levels of social support in bereaved samples to that of married controls, have been published. The results are not unanimous in favor of buffering. Although some do indeed report evidence of buffering (Krause, 1986; Norris Murrell, 1990; Schwarzer, 1992), albeit using measures of social integration or received social support, other do not (Greene Feld, 1989; Murphy, 1988). The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 18 Krause (1986) studied the impact of life stresses and social support on depressive symptoms in a random sample of 351 individuals older than 65 living in Galveston, Texas. Social support was assessed with a modified version of the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors (ISSB: Barrera, Sandler, Ramsay, 1981). Depressive symptomatology was assessed with the Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977). Whereas no buffering effects occurred for the overall indicator of stressful life events, buffering was found for the numerically undefined subgroup of individuals who had been bereaved within the previous year. These buffering effects modified weak bereavement main effects. As part of a larger study of individuals aged 55 and older, Norris and Murrell (1990) obtained interviews of three samples of older adults: 45 persons who had recently lost a spouse, 40 who had lost a parent or child, and 45 who were not bereaved. Depression was assessed with the CES-D. Social support was measured with the Louisville Social Support Scale which consists of two subscales reflecting social integration, or embeddedness in a social network, and expected help. â€Å"Expected help taps the respondents more specific expectations of help in an emergency from family, friends, and community† (Norris Murrell, 1987 p. 431) and appears to reflect aspects of perceived social support. However, expected help had no impact on depression, an ameliorative effect of social embeddedness on depression was reported. The more individuals were embedded in their social networks, the less they were depressed nine months after their loss. This association between social embeddedness and depression was The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 19 stronger for the widowed sample than for a combined control group consisting of individuals who were either not bereaved or had lost a parent or child. Schwarzer (1992) studied a sample of 248 individuals about the age of 60, of which 152 had lost a family member or a friend within the previous year. Social support was defined in terms of visits by children and family members. The criterion measure in this study was anxiety, assessed with a German version of the State-Trait Personality Inventory (Schwarzer Schwarzer, 1983). When the sample was dichotomized into those who were visited at least every other week and those who received fewer visits, a clear buffering effect was observed, with loss having no impact on anxiety for individuals who received many visits but a strong impact on those who received few visits. One puzzling feature of these studies is that buffering effects were observed for measures of social support that typically do not yield buffering effects. According to Cohen and Wills (1985), buffering effects ought only to be found with measures of perceived social support but not with network measures or scales assessing received social support. In contrast, the above studies report buffering effects with measures of social network (Krause, 1986) or received social support (Norris Murrell, 1990; Schwarzer, 1992). The one study that assessed both social embeddedness and perceived social support did not find any effects for perceived social support (Norris Murrell, 1990). It is plausible that this discrepancy has something to do with the fact that the study included only elderly individuals, a subgroup for whom the needs, provisions, consequences, and perceptions of social support are very different from those of younger groups. The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 20 Two studies, both using samples of more long term bereaved, did not find buffering effects. In a follow up assessment of 49 family members and close friends of 51 adult disaster victims of the Mount Saint Helens volcano eruption conducted 3 years after the disaster, in which their mental distress was compared with that of a non-bereaved control group, there was no evidence or main or buffering effects (Murphy, 1988). Social support was measured with an index developed by scientists that assesses social embeddedness, as well as perceived social support (Coppel, 1980). Greene and Feld (1989) examined the relationship between social support and well-being in groups of 151 married women and 60 widowed women who had lost their partner within the previous five years. Respondents were drawn from a national sample of women aged 50 and older. Social support was assessed in terms of the number of social support function for which respondents mentioned one or more social supporters. Well-being was measured w

Macbeth Essays (1030 words) - Characters In Macbeth, Free Essays

Macbeth Essays (1030 words) - Characters In Macbeth, Free Essays Macbeth Does the statement "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" thoroughly expresses the many themes of Shakespeare?s ?Macbeth The first time we hear the statement is very early in the play when the witches say the exact line "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" only for Macbeth himself to repeat it very closely two scenes later. This repetition of the lines shows me that the characters themselves believe that there are many foul events taking place. In this essay I will endeavour to prove that the above statement doesn?t express ?Macbeth? thoroughly. Firstly I will show the fair Macbeth himself degrading into a foul inhuman monster. Secondly, I will compare the witches to Macbeth to demonstrate the real foulness in these characters. I will then show why I believe that there simply isn?t any fairness existing in ?Macbeth?. Then I will point out that there are simply too many themes in Shakespeare?s ?Macbeth? to be summed up in one line. Macbeth, in the beginning, is a man of valour, honour and nobility. By his loyal traits he helps maintain Scotland?s stability. Macbeth, on the outside, seems to be the fairest man in all Scotland, however we know better. Under the cloaking shadows of his skin, Macbeth hides his one weakness - that is ambition. His wife knows of his ambition and stirs him to act on it. Macbeth struggles with a choice; should he let the witches prophecies realise themself, or should he take steps to the achieve them. He knows that the latter choice will involve the murder of his virtuous king Duncan, but even this isn?t enough to sway him as he, after urging form his wife, chooses the latter. In doing so, Macbeth unrobed himself of all that is good in the human soul - kindness, courage, honour and love. Macbeth becomes so obsessed with his chase of glory that he turns away from all that he once cherished, even his wife. Macbeth becomes so blinded by his new robes of kingdom that he doe! sn?t even notice his wife slipping away into insanity. In the beginning Macbeth had great trouble with the concept of murder, he regrets killing Duncan - "Wake Duncan with thoust knocking, I would if I could." However, by the end of the play Macbeth shows no sign of his human qualities, he has in fact become quite inhuman, quite foul. Sometimes if we don?t look carefully we only see things skin deep. Take the scene when Macbeth and Banquo first see the three witches. If we don?t look carefully we see the fair Macbeth talking to the foul witches. However, are the witches really the foul ones? I think Macbeth is really the foul one of the party. This doesn?t say that the witches are fair, but it does say that they are not foul. The real blackness lies deep within Macbeth. So, who are the fair ones? I can?t really say. I mean Macbeth is not because we know he is a cold murderer in the end, and I don?t think that the witches are either. I have trouble in saying the witches are fair, because, they are witches. I would go as far to say that neither of them are fair. However, I need to point out that those who don?t look deeply enough would call Macbeth fair and the three witches foul. Beauty is only skin deep, but the will to do evil is deep to the bone. This doesn?t mean that the witches are not fo! ul. In fact I think they are, witches are said to be the lovers of Satan, they carry with them images of darkness and death, how could these supernatural beings not be described as foul? As you can see I haven?t identified any fairness in ?Macbeth?. This is because I believe there is none. ?Macbeth? has been described as the "Most profound and mature vision of evil." How can there be anything fair in a play based on evil, murder and treachery? People may argue that Macduff, the eventual victor of Macbeth was the true and good man in the play, but I would say that by winning the crown in violence, Macduff has repeated Macbeth?s act.

Mobile Computing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mobile Computing - Research Paper Example Further, the mobile banking security risks also cause distortion of the financial information and transactions of the victim. Ultimately, the whole system of mobile banking is compromised. This escalates the number of fraud cases with every attempt at conveniently performing business transactions via the mobile phones. Most financial institutions, including the best in the world, can attest to the insecurity of mobile banking (Odoke, 2011). The technology behind the personal data assistants, iPads and e-Readers demystify the need for newspapers, paper books, music CDs and gameDVDs. This is due to various valid reasons. First, the advanced gadgets offer faster solutions for the thirst of information than the original books and newspapers. Further, information that the gadgets give people access to is from different sources. This makes them a better option for comparison of information from different sources than the traditional newspapers and books. People get timely updates from their gadgets instead of waiting for publishing of newspapers and paper books (Guardian on Kindle). The combined efforts of these advantages of the new technology gadgets drive the public from acquiring the traditional newspapers and paper books. This changes the reading culture of people and decreases the amount of revenue from the sale of books, newspapers and other traditional devices. The public chooses to move to a cheaper way of acquiring information and entertainment; a more convenient means that suits almost everyone’s lifestyle (Curwen & Whalley,

Should the alcohol drinking age be increased or decreased Essay

Should the alcohol drinking age be increased or decreased - Essay Example In the modern world it is quite observant that teenagers consume more alcohol compared to an adult. There are strict laws in place regarding consumption of alcohol before attaining a minimum age still most of the college students have made consumption of alcohol a new trend in the society. Many people argue in favor of consumption of alcohol after attaining a certain age but the dangerous effects of alcohol consumption is significant. Alcohol consumption is highly dangerous for teenagers as well as adults because consumption of alcohol increases the flow of blood from the heart to other parts of the body (Johnston 5). Due to increase in blood circulation the pulse rate goes high and people become more exited compared to normal state. The high circulation in blood also results in extraction of other body hormones resulting in abnormal secretion of hormone. Excessive drinking results in high blood pressure and it can be dangerous for a person’s health if blood pressure always remains at a high state. High blood pressure can cause several neurological diseases. Due to high flow of blood in the brain and other parts of body the brain starts behaving abnormally. This abnormality reflects in a person’s behavioral characteristics. If a person consumes more alcohol he/she starts losing out control of anger. Adults who consume alcohol on a regular basis should remember that alcohol can cause serious health p roblems if consumed at a large scale. Teenagers attaining age 16 or above mostly have a tendency to consume alcohol with friends in unsafe places. Alcohol has many disastrous effects starting from stomach infection to kidney and liver failure. Alcohol is available in different compositions in market today. They are some medicinal effects of alcohol especially in case of heart problems. Since alcohol has a tendency to increase the flow of blood hence it can be used for proper blood circulations at times. However doctors strictly mention that