Saturday, August 31, 2019

Person-Centred Therapy Essay

The Person-Centred Approach developed from the work of the psychologist Dr. Carl Rogers. In 1940s to 1960s, Carl Rogers approach to therapy was considered revolutionary. His specialist knowledge didn’t come from a theory but rather from his clinical therapy. Consequently, theory came out of practice. Person-Centred Therapy was originally seen as non-directive. The reasoning for that was because Rogers didn’t believe that therapist was the expert. The crucial part of his theory was based on the natural tendency of human beings to find fulfillment. (Rogers 1961). Carl Rogers had the basic trust in human beings and believed that people are naturally moving toward constructive fulfillment. (Carl R. Rogers 1980, p.117). Rogers believed that ‘Individuals have within themselves vast resources for self-understanding and for altering their self-concepts, basic attitudes, and self-directed behavior; these resources can be tapped if a definable climate of facilitative psycho logical attitudes can be provided.’ ( Carl R. Rogers 1980, p.115-117). The important part of person-centred approach was creating particular psychological environment in order for a client to be open to the experience. The key for Rogers was to be present with another. ‘Being was more important than doing .(Rogers 1961) The importance of psychological environment explained by Rogers is because clients’ need to feel free from threat, both physically and psychologically, to move away from defensiveness and open to the experience of therapy. (Rogers 1961). This environment could be achieved when client is in a therapy with a person who was sincerely empathic, accepting and non-judgmental – offering unconditional positive regard, and genuine -congruent. Therefore, when these three core conditions are provided: congruence, unconditional positive regard and empathy, Rogers believed that client would naturally move in a constructive and positive direction. Congruence Congruence (genuineness) suggests that there should be correspondence between a therapist’s inner experiencing and their outward responses to the client.  (Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling p 30.) The therapist’s goal is to express genuinely felt responses to the client’s   experiences in the instantaneous moment; and for the client to perceive the therapist responses as genuine, transparent and honest. (Person-Centred Rehabilitation Counselling, p 30) Unconditional Positive Regard Unconditional positive regard refers to seeing a client in a non-judgmental way that is free of the conditions that client might have been experiencing within family, friends and society. Unconditional positive regard is offered as a model of non-judgmental self-acceptance for clients together with an ‘understanding-seeking approach’ to working with clients from ‘different’ and ‘diverse’ backgrounds (Lago, 2007, pp. 262–263). Empathy Most therapists acknowledge therapeutic value of empathy. However, from Rogers’ (1961) perspective, empathy is an attitude rather than a set of reflective techniques. It offers acceptance and safety to explore painful and difficult issues. Furthermore, empathy is regarded as a more active process in which a person tries to understand others by reaching out to or feeling with them in multiple dimensions. (Coulehan, J. 2002. p. 73-98). Empathy conveys the therapist unconditional positive regard and conveys to clients that they are deeply heard. (Bozarth, J.,2007. 182–193). Carl Rogers believed that person couldn’t teach another person directly; a person can only facilitate another’s learning. (Rogers (1951). Therefore, in the person-centred therapy the role of therapist is to be present and reflective. Rogers was really passionate to inspire people to live life fully. This process of the good life is not, as Rogers believed a life for the faint-hearted. It involves the widening and growing of one’s potentialities and fulfillment. It involves the courage to be and to opening oneself fully into the flow of life. (Rogers, Carl. (1961). Furthermore, in Person-Centred Therapy clients have a freedom of choice and evident creativity. They are not constrained by the restrictions that influence an  incongruent individual, so they have a variety of choices they can make more confidently. Client can see that they play a role in determining their own behavior and feel responsible for their own behavior and their life. (Rogers 1961). However, it can be challenging to put these into practice because person-centred therapy does not use techniques but relies on the personal qualities of the therapist to construct a non-judgmental and empathic relationship with their   client. In my belief, there is a vast opportunity to blend the person-centred approach and principles such as empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence in all aspects of our lives. These principles could be transferred to all kinds of relationships. For example in education, teaching and coaching, management, organizations, patient care, conflict resolution, every day work and relationships. I will certainly apply and be more mindful and aware of significance of person-centred therapy in my practice. It allows clients to feel acceptance and safety to explore painful and difficult issues throughout therapy. References 1. Bozarth, J. (2007). Unconditional positive regard. In M. Cooper, M. O’Hara, P.F. Schmid, & G. Wyatt (Eds.), The handbook of person-centered psychotherapy and counselling. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. 2. Coulehan, J. (2002). Being a physician. In M.B. Mengel, W.L. Holleman & S.A. Fields (Eds.), Fundamentals of clinical practice 2nd à ©d. New York, NY: Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers. 3. Lago. C, (2007). How to Manage a Counselling Service in S.Palmer & R. Bor (Eds.) The Practitioner Handbook. London, Sage. 4. Person-Centred Rehabilitation Counselling. Article in Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling 5. Rogers, Carl. (1951). Client-centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications and Theory. London: Constable 6. Rogers, Carl. (1961). On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy. London: Constable 7. Rogers, Carl. (1980). Way of Being. Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Friday, August 30, 2019

The Testosterone And Suicide Health And Social Care Essay

Testosterone is produced from cholesterin in the Leydig cells in the testicle. Testosterone synthesis in the foetal human testicle begins during the 6th hebdomad of gestation. Leydig cell distinction and the initial early testosterone production in the foetal testicle are independent of luteinizing endocrine ( LH ) ( 5, 6, 7 ) . During testicle development production of testosterone occurs under the influence of LH which is produced by the pituitary secretory organ. Synthesis and release of LH is regulated by the hypothalamus through gonadotropin-releasing endocrine ( GnRH ) and inhibited by testosterone via a negative feedback cringle ( 8 ) . Testosterone is metabolized in some tissues to a more active metabolite, 5I ±-dihydrotestosterone. Testosterone is present in the blood as free ( unbound ) testosterone, albumin edge and sex hormone-binding globulin ( SHGB ) -bound testosterone ( 5-8 ) . Testosterone is a C19 steA ¬roid with an unsaturated bond between C-4 and C-5, a ketone group in C-3 and a hydroxyl group in the B place at C-17. It is largely produced in the tesA ¬tes of males and the ovaries of females, although little sums of testosterone are produced by the adrenal secretory organs. Testosterone is found in mammals and other craniates. Blood testosterone degrees are much greater in males than in females: an grownup male organic structure produces about ten-times more testosterone than an big female organic structure. Females are more sensitive to testosterone than males. Testosterone regulates male sexual development and affects musculus strength, degrees of red blood cells, bone denseness, sense of wellbeing and sexual and generative map in both males and females. SHBG concentrations may be decreased or increased in many often observed medical conditions. In clinical pattern, alterations in SBHG are critically of import to see in the diagnosing of male hypogonadism. Because plasma entire testosterone concentrations are affected by changes in SHBG degrees, precise measurings of free or bioavailable testosterone are necessary to measure the sufficiency of Leydig cell map, to clear up whether a patient is hypogonadal, and to supervise the testosterone replacing intervention in patients with alterations in go arounding SHBG concentrations. Testosterone and self-destruction Multiple surveies suggest that testosterone plays a function in the ordinance of temper and behaviour. The research surveies of the relationship between testosterone and self-destructive behaviour produced variable consequences ( 9-14 ) . Some ( 10-13 ) but non all ( 14,15 ) probes of the relationship between testosterone and suicidality found assoA ¬ciations between testosterone and self-destructive behaviour. Tripodianakis et Al. compared plasma testosterone concentrations in work forces after a suicide effort with testosterone degrees in healthy work forces of the same age ( 10 ) . The writers found that the self-destruction triers had lower testosterone degrees compared with controls, and that the triers who used violent methods had lower plasma testosterone concentrations compared with the nonviolent triers. Markianos et Al. examined plasma testosterone degrees in a group of male psychiatric patients who had attempted to perpetrate self-destruction by leaping, in a group of male topics who were hospitalized after accidentally falling from a high tallness and in healthy controls ( 11 ) . Both accident and suicide effort patients had lower testosterone degrees compared with the control group, and at that place was a tendency towards lower testosterone degrees in self-destruction triers compared with the accident group. We have late examined whether there is a relation between plasma test osterone degrees and clinical parametric quantities in bipolar self-destruction triers and found that testosterone degrees positively correlated with the figure of frenzied episodes and the figure of suicide efforts ( 12 ) . Some other observations have shown that testosterone/anabolic androgenic steroids may play a function in the pathophysiology of suicidality ( 13 ) . A recent survey found no difference between male self-destruction triers and male controls with respect to plasma testosterone degrees ( 14 ) . A survey of associations between neuroactive steroids and suicidality in military veterans with posttraumatic emphasis upset besides found no association between serum testosterone degrees and a history of a suicide effort ( 15 ) . Disappointment over rejections at efforts for sexual interactions has been cited several decennaries ago as an of import trigger for self-destruction ( 16 ) . Impending divorce, matrimonial troubles, menace of losing a love spouse and rejection by a loved one were besides regarded as motivations for self-destruction for many old ages ( 17 ) . It has been observed that rejection of sexual intercourse was frequently associated with male self-destructions and self-destructive ideation ( 18 ) . A nexus between testosterone and the neurobiology of self-destructive behaviour may be related to ( 9 ) : a ) A direct consequence of testosterone on suicidality via certain encephalon mechanisms ; and/or B ) A testosterone consequence on aggression and, accordingly, suicidality ; and/or degree Celsius ) A testosterone consequence on temper and, accordingly, suicidality ; and/or vitamin D ) A testosterone consequence on knowledge and, accordingly, suicidality. Testosterone and self-destructive behaviour in striplings and immature grownups Suicide and testosterone/anabolic androgenic steroids At least one survey has demonstrated a relation between high degrees of testosterone and self-destruction in immature people ( 19 ) . Twenty-nine topics ( 17 self-destructions, 12 sudden deceases ) in the ages 23 to 45 old ages were included in the survey. Analysis indicated no important difference in ages between the two groups of topics ( suicide M = 33.35 yr. , sudden decease M = 35.67 yr. ) . There was a important difference in the average testosterone degree ( P & lt ; 0.007 ) between victims of self-destruction ( M = 376.41?183.64 ng/ml ) and victims of sudden decease ( M= 241.83?117.3 ng/ml ) . Eight instances of self-destruction, in 21- to 33-year-old males, with a history of current or recent usage of anabolic androgenic steroids ( AAS ) have been described in a instance series study ( 20 ) . Five self-destructions were committed during current usage of AAS, and two following 2 and 6 months after AAS backdown. The writers suggested that long-run usage of AAS may lend to completed self-destruction in predisposed individuals. A possible function of aggression A important figure of surveies suggest that high testosterone degrees are associated with aggression ( 9 ) . It has been shown that violent individuals have higher plasma, spit and CSF testosterone degrees compared to non-violent controls ( 21-23 ) . For illustration, in a survey of unprompted wrongdoers with alcohol addiction and antisocial personality upset, higher CSF testosterone degrees were observed compared to healthy controls ( 24 ) . The writers proposed that high CSF testosterone degrees may be associated with aggressiveness or interpersonal force. In the same paper, the writers reviewed the scientific literature on the nexus of testosterone to aggression in worlds, and proposed that both a insistent form of aggressive behaviour get downing early in life, and a insistent form of aggressive behaviour under the consequence of intoxicant are associated with increased degrees of testosterone. Research workers have observed that persons having testosterone are more likely to hol d an aggressive reaction to comprehend menaces than topics having placebo ( 25-27 ) . Fluctuations of testosterone concentration may be associated with aggression and temper alterations in striplings ( 28-30 ) . Salivary testosterone concentrations were evaluated in 40 kids, aged 7-14 old ages ( 37 male childs and three misss ) , with a history of aggressive behaviours and an association between higher testosterone degrees and aggressive behaviours was observed ( 29 ) . In another survey of stripling males, higher testosterone degrees were associated with aggravated verbal and physical aggression, a determination proposing that reactive unprompted aggression is correlated with higher testosterone degrees ( 30 ) . Fifty-eight healthy 15-17 twelvemonth old male childs, public school pupils participated in this survey. A high degree of testosterone led to an amplified preparedness to react energetically and forcefully to aggravations and menaces. Testosterone besides had an indirect and less strong consequence on another aggression dimension: high plasma concentrations o f testosterone made the male childs less patient and more cranky, which in bend intensified their sensitivity to prosecute in aggressive-destructive behaviour. The fact that higher testosterone degrees were associated with aggravated verbal and physical aggression suggests that reactive unprompted aggression correlatives with higher testosterone degrees. Therefore, aggression may medicate the consequence of high testosterone degrees on self-destructive behaviour in striplings and immature grownups. Not all surveies have observed differences in testosterone degrees between aggressive and unaggressive male childs ( 31 ) . A survey of 4-10 twelvemonth olds found no grounds of a relationship between testosterone degrees and aggressive behaviours. This indicated that such a relationship may be nonexistent in prepubescent kids. Animal theoretical accounts have contributed of import informations sing the effects of anabolic androgenic steroid ( AAS ) usage on aggression ( 32,33 ) . For illustration, surveies in gnawers confirmed that exposure to the AASs testosterone and Durabolin additions aggression. A side consequence of AAS usage reported in worlds is â€Å" roid fury, † a province of unselective and motiveless aggression. It has besides been observed that pubertal rats having AASs respond suitably to societal cues and they are more aggressive toward integral males than are eunuchs. Testosterone-treated male rats are most aggressive in their place coop. Probably, adolescent AAS exposure may increase aggressive behaviours. Some writers have postulated that there are significant similarities between aggression against the ego and aggression against others, based on the clinical and epidemiological observations that some suicide triers may portion personality traits with violent felons ( 34 ) . We have besides observed an association between aggression and self-destructive behaviour in our surveies ( 35,36 ) . For illustration, we have observed that a history of suicide effort in bipolar upset is associated with lifetime aggressive traits ( 35 ) . We have besides shown that the higher prevalence of suicide triers among down patients with a history of alcohol addiction compared to down patients without a history of alcohol addiction was related to higher aggression tonss in the group with alcohol addiction ( 36 ) . In drumhead, high testosterone degrees may be associated with self-destructive behaviour in striplings and immature grownups. This consequence of testosterone on suicidality in striplings and immature grownups may be mediated by testosterone-related elevated aggression. It is besides possible that in immature people, high testosterone degrees are straight linked to suicidality via certain encephalon mechanisms. Testosterone and self-destructive behaviour in older work forces Testosterone lack or hypotestosteronemia is a normally known hormonal alteration associated with male aging ( 37-39 ) . The prevalence of testosterone lack may be every bit high as 30 % in work forces aged 40-79 old ages ( 40,41 ) . In up to 12 % of affected work forces, hypotestosteronemia can be associated with clinical symptoms ( 40,41 ) . Age-related plasma testosterone lessening is a consequence of different biological changes such as primary structural gonadal harm, age-related degenerative alterations of the pituitary secretory organ, inadequacies of the neurohypothalamic system, and primary peripheral metabolic abnormalcies such as the age-associated addition in the concentration of serum sex endocrine adhering globulin ( SHBG ) , with a attendant lessening in free testosterone ( 39 ) . In the aging adult male, there is about a 1-2 % lessening of entire testosterone degrees per twelvemonth with a more rapid bead in free testosterone degrees because of a attendant addition in SHBG with aging. Because of this gradual lessening in testosterone degrees the androgen lack of the aged adult male is defined as partial androgen lack of the aging male ( PADAM ) or late oncoming hypogonadism ( LOH ) . Symptoms of testosterone lack in work forces include sexual symptoms ( such as reduced erectile map and lessened libido ) , reduced musculus and increased fat mass, and reduced bone denseness among others. It is ill-defined whether aging is to be considered as the lone variable linked to age-related testosterone lessening. Assorted facets such as familial factors, chronic diseases, medicines, fleshiness, and the life style may impact the testosterone metamorphosis ( 37,42-44 ) . Decreased testosterone degrees are associated with depressive symptoms, hapless cognitive map and Alzheimer ‘s disease ( 9,45-48 ) . In fact, increased incidence of hypogonadism is observed in work forces with major depression ( 9,47 ) . Depressed work forces often have low plasma or serum testosterone ( 9,48 ) . Testosterone has mood-enhancing belongingss and antidepressant effects in work forces ( 9,49-51 ) . Testosterone replacing efficaciously improves temper. Testosterone users sometimes develop frenzied or hypomanic symptoms during testosterone usage and depressive symptoms during testosterone backdown ( 52-55 ) . In gnawers, testosterone has antidepressant effects in elderly male mice and protective effects against the development of depression-like behaviours in rats ( 56,57 ) . A recent survey found a testosterone-dependent ordinance of hippocampal ERK2 look which suggests that ERK2 signaling within the dentate gyrus country of the hippocampus is a critical go-between of the antidepressant belongingss of testosterone ( 58 ) . Experimental surveies suggest that testosterone has neuroprotective effects ( 59 ) . However, in intercession clinical research on aged work forces, testosterone replacing had a good influence on temper merely if work forces had clearly subnormal testosterone degrees ( 60 ) . It is of import note that sexual disfunction can hold a major consequence on the quality of life and emotional wellbeing ( 61,62 ) . The consequences of placebo-controlled randomised surveies of the effects of testosterone on the quality of life and down temper have been inconsistent and frequently the quality of life as assessed by different questionnaires did non better significantly ( 63 ) . Higher blood degrees of testosterone are associated with better cognitive operation, particularly in older work forces ( 45,46 ) . For illustration, greater serum degrees of testosterone late in life predict a lower hazard of future Alzheimer ‘s disease development in older work forces ( 45 ) . Higher blood testosterone degrees are associated with better visuospatial abilities, semantic memory and episodic memory in work forces, with larger positive consequence with increasing age ( 46 ) . Both depression and cognitive damage are associated with self-destructive behaviour ( 64-67 ) . At least 60 % of persons who commit suicide suffer from depression. Hence, depression and cognitive damage may medicate the consequence of testosterone lack on suicidality in older work forces. This suggests that the intervention of hypogonadism in older work forces may better temper and knowledge, and accordingly, cut down self-destructive behaviour. Decision In drumhead, it is sensible to suggest that self-destructive behaviour in immature work forces is associated with high testosterone degrees while suicidality in older work forces is associated with reduced testosterone secernment. This indicates that the effects of testosterone on suicidality in work forces should be studied individually in immature and old persons. It is likely that plasma and salivary testosterone checks can assist in placing paediatric and grownup patients that would react best to certain interventions. Further surveies of the function of testosterone in the pathophysiology of psychiatric upsets and self-destructive behaviour are merited.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

I have no idea Essay

1.Is it ethical to sell a product that is, at best, only mildly effective? Discuss. Product? Discuss. ANS: Selling a product that at its best mildly works is ethical because the product does work. The issue that persons are having is that it varies in effectiveness per person. 2.Is it ethical to exploit cultural norms and values to promote a product? Discuss. ANS: I believe that is it perfectly correct to exploit culturally values norms. Marketers depend on cultural values and norms to market products. It is through the understanding of the markets culture and values that companies better understand the customers’ needs. 3.Is the advertising of Fair & Lovely demeaning to women, or is it promoting the fairness cream in a way not too dissimilar from how most cosmetics are promoted? ANS: Fair and lovely has taken advantage f the position that cosmetic companies promote. Cosmetic companies promote that women are imperfect and perfection can be achieved through their products. Fair and lovely has epitomized this through their campaigns 4.Will HLL’s Fair & Lovely Foundation be enough to counter charges made by AIDWA? Discuss. ANS: The product still has acceptance in the Indian market so it may be that the foundation has been effective. The foundation also does a great job in countering the believe that the product demeans women by empowering them. 5.In light of AIDWA’s charges, how would you suggest Fair & Lovely promote its product? Discuss. Would your response be different if Fairever continued to use â€Å"fairness† as a theme of its promotion? Discuss. ANS: In light of AIDWA’s response I recommend that Fair & Lovely promote the product without using fairness as the theme. If they do continue to use fairness as a campaign they should alter the perception of fairness as not being light skinned but representing toned and healthy skin. 6.Propose a promotion/marketing program that will counter all the arguments and charges against Fair & Lovely and be an effective program. ANS: I propose that a simple change in the promotion from advocating for fairer skin towards healthier toned skin can relieve the pressure being faced by the company. How can they go about this campaign? Fair and Lovely should launch a campaign promoting that beauty is not only fair but dark also. This campaign should headline women of varying skin tone, shapes and sizes using the product not to change their skin tone but enhancing their own skin tone. 7.Now that a male market for fairness cream exists, is the strength of AIDWA’s argument weakened? ANS: Male market for fairness cream does in essence weaken the argument that fairness cream is demeaning to women. However it can strengthen the argument that the company has widen its grip on exploiting cultural norm and values by advocating for universal â€Å"fairness† of both males and females. 8.Comment on using â€Å"Shakti Ammas† to introduce â€Å"fairness cream for the masses† in light of AIDWA’s charges. ANS: Fair and Lovely is responding to the demand of the market. In spite of the claims of AIDWA the market is still demanding the product. AIDWA may need to to attack the culture vs. attacking the company. 9. Listen to â€Å"In India, Skin-Whitening

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

BLE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

BLE - Essay Example †¦7 Superior financial performance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 CSR leads to competitive advantage and sustainable development†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦..8 Stakeholder management and CSR: a critical review with respect to TBS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 CSR facing internal pressures†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 CSR facing external pressures†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.9 Governmental and regulatory pressures†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 Pressure from NGOs and other alliances†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Applying Power-Interest matrix on TBS to assess its stakeholder management success†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦12 Appendices†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..13 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦16 Introduction Ethics and social responsibility is one emerging topic which has caught the attention of both the academics and the practitioners. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) in particular has gained immense prevalence and significance amidst globalization and blurred cross boundary activities. CSR in its essence is about promoting and building sustainable businesses through a three-pronged approach of environmental, social and economic welfare and contributions to the overall betterment of the society and the planet we live on (ASOCIO Policy Paper 2004). Scholars are of the opinion that CSR counts a lot in exercising effective leadership and promoting healthy business practices at work. It also involves the element of transparency in business-society communication and adhering to the relati onship marketing approach (What’s Relationship marketing? n.d) for the involved stakeholders like investors, consumers, government, communities and partners (Appendix 1). Nowadays, CSR is being acknowledged as a valuable tool in gaining competitive and sustained advantage over rivals and also a promoter of sound financial performance for companies that operate globally. This is so because CSR adds value to business propositions by bridging the communication gaps between company and its stakeholders and also anchors the vested interests of business towards society and development in the long run (McKinsey Global Survey Results n.d). To illustrate the concept of CSR and to prove the practical significance of CSR importance, the Body Shop is taken as the organization where CSR concepts have been applied and

The Similarities and Differences of Nature versus Nurture in Regards Essay - 5

The Similarities and Differences of Nature versus Nurture in Regards to Plato and Aristotles Theories - Essay Example Nature and nurture debate is a discussion that concerns the comparative significance of individuals’ innate qualities. Nature refers to the physical world and its contents. On the other hand, nurture refers to the total of milieu controls and conditions operating on an organism. The fundamentalism in this debate underpins the establishing or causing personal dissimilarities in physical and behavioral qualities. This debate has lasted numerous decades and it is believed to last longer due to the existing and emerging theories of explaining the human behavior Plato believed that behavior knowledge was a result of innate factors. Plato’s theory implied that all knowledge is present at birth and the only thing the milieu does is to remind humanity of the information they already knew. Aristotle believed that, when humans are born into the world, they are just blank slates, whose behavior and thoughts are due to experience, which is attributed to the environment. Aristotle’s theory explains that the environment is a fundamental element in the development of humans’ behavior. Considering Jeannette’s case in the â€Å"Glass Castle† the environment that surrounded her upbringing was harsh. For instance, her father applies a sink or swim approach to teach her how to swim. Later we see Jeannette grows to a strong and outstanding woman who excel in academic and other areas of life. This is a true reflection of Plato’s theory that, the environment consists of influential forces that shape an individual’s behavior. The nature of Jeannette’s perseverance is immensely correlated to the harsh milieu of upbringing characterized poverty that she was she brought in.  Ã‚  

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

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

Reading journal - Essay Example not necessarily translate into the death of their own culture as proven by the Japanese lifestyle that successfully combines the traditional Japanese culture with their own brand of American influence in their modern culture and traditions. Therefore, it is his honest opinion that America and globalization cannot be blamed for the evolving cultures and traditions in a world that shares influences amongst one another via various fields of technology, economic progress, or law creation. This reading raises a concern for me though. America has been at the forefront of globalization since the late 20th century, heavily promoting open markets and other â€Å"capitalist† beneficial actions on the world stage. Globalization is not something that happened because the world wanted it to happen. There was a country that was instrumental in influencing the other nations to give it a try. Up until recently, before the economic slump of the United States, that role was something was something the capitalists of the nation adhered to as a business model, thinking that it would be beneficial to their business growth. But the minute the model failed, they refused to accept the blame for what happened. That is not the United States that has been recognized as a world leader for centuries. Nye wants us to believe that the United States is blameless in all that has happened and that the same thing would have happened regardless of who the world leader was. On the contrary, t here are more conservative cultures in other countries that would not have allowed the same thing to happen because they would not have thought of globalization as a world business model in the first

Monday, August 26, 2019

Beer Garden International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Beer Garden International - Essay Example However, as the globalisation has emerged as a favourite concept in both the academia as well as business, it came as an apprehensive thought to expand the business further to Australia. Australia got the taste of beer at the beginning of Western Colonisation. In the year 2004, in per capita beer consumption, the country was ranked as fourth. The most popular beer style in this country is Legar. However, the Australians love to taste all the beer styles with same enthusiasm. It has been noticed that the people in Australia like to enjoy themselves and they would prefer to mix nice cold beer with this enjoyment. So, it does not seem to be bad idea to open one hefeweizen beer outlet in there. The beer outlet is supposed to be designed taking inspiration from Australian culture and their beer consumption styles. This would be to done to satisfy the consumer requirements in Australia. This report will consider the macro as well as micro environments of the business to frame a set of tact ical recommendations for the beet store. Types of stores operating in the industry in the city In Australia, the consumption of alcohol (especially beer) is quite high. Beer was introduced in Australia during the colonial history and soon it turns out to be one of the favorite drinks among the people. With passage of time, high consumption of beer turns out a major problem in the country. In 1979, consumption per capita was almost 6.4 liters per year. However, due to stringent action taken by the government to control the situation, consumption of beer in Australia started declining. As per the data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2009, per capita consumption declined to 4.49 liter per person per year. The past analysis of alcohol consumption pattern among Australian indicates a unique change; now people are shifting from quantity to quality. Consumption of low strength beer has declined by 25 percent, consumption of middle strength beer is almost unchanged and t he conception of full strength beer increased constantly. In 2009, 63 million liter of alcohol consumed in Australia was in form of wine whereas 79 million liter of alcohol was as beer. Almost ten years back the consumer in Australia were consuming three brands on regular basis but today it is almost seven different brands that comprises of both premium as well as traditional brands. This is good news for the international brands (Williams, 2010). This change in consumption habit of Australian people has influenced the type of stores and outlet where beer is sold. In Australia the state government is responsible for formulating rules and regulation for alcoholic beverage sales. Beer, wine and other spirit are sold at the bottle store, locally called bottle-o. Such stores can be as separate section in a super market or it may be as an individual store. The well known brands have their own bottle shops franchises near to the super markets. In these stores, apart from purchasing the co nsumers can sit and have their drinks. Apart from the bottle shops the driving establishments also have the legal permission to sell alcohol products to the customers but it is for off-site consumption. Considering the increasing pace of life, concept of drive through alcohol retail is also gaining popularity. In the drive through retiles shops customers can escape the tedious

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Criminal activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Criminal activity - Essay Example In the criminal judicial system, discretion plays a very significant role especially as to how decision-making process are made by each of players involved and the interdependence that they have. The court administrator has a very important task of not only giving such ample time for the judge to effectively adjudicate cases, but must also display â€Å"management knowledge and capability† for the judiciary to fulfill its function (USAID, 2006). Hence it necessarily sees to it that there is a smooth and efficient operation of courts. Selection of a court administrator should not only be based on his or her knowledge of the law but must also have such management skills to cope with such responsibilities and therefore, should have a high degree of competence and qualification.. In reality however, judges appoint or select a staff of their own who may not necessarily hold such qualifications required or desired of a court administrator (Neubauer, 2007). Aside from this selection problem, bureaucracy must also be taken into consideration as there is a need to manage large numbers of personnel as well appropriately budget the local government or state funded operations of courts (Neubauer, 2007). The efficiency in the operation of courts is not only affected, but impacts as well on the judgment of a court administrator’s discharge of duties. The prosecutor, an important player in the criminal justice system, has such â€Å"broad discretion† in the choices available to him in a criminal case such as â€Å"filing charges, prosecuting, not prosecuting, plea-bargaining and recommending sentence in court† (Garner, 2004). However they also must ensure that justice is dispensed with in each case they handle (Neubauer, 2007). Their conduct is governed by rules of procedure, which in case of violation, may be admonished by the district attorney’s office

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Why is the Oil Industry and Corruption so closely linked Research Paper

Why is the Oil Industry and Corruption so closely linked - Research Paper Example It has been alleged that these TNC and The MNC are always on the move to increase their market profits and to an exceptional gain competitive advantages, this they achieve by indulgence in unscrupulous activities like money laundering, corruption, bribery and many other malpractices showing little appreciation for social requisites and laws. These corporations have covered their community relations by hiding under the claims of being socially responsible and of the reputable ethical conduct, although the evidence in this paper proves the otherwise. The present decade is however no exception bearing in mind the tendency in the relationship in between these corporations and the civil society actors, the emergence of collaborative relationships, only benefit the business’s image than it does to the community society, it is however, unfortunate that even the media and the already published literature seldom examines greedy practices of corporations despite the fact that, the pract ices impact negatively on the stakeholders. This has resulted into several ethical questions on the real intentions and practices of the leaders in these corporations, the efficacy of their public association’s campaigns and the strategic location of the various civil society actors. This paper answers various arising questions by giving a thorough examination of the activities of an oil corporation, Shell, and looking into its relationship with communities in Niger Delta, Nigeria, it also looks into loop holes existing corporate anti corruption and acts, it goes ahead to show that companies really engaged in corruption and various malicious money laundering claiming that it is part of them being responsible social conduct. Purposely paying a close attention to Shell’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives which were aimed at developing the communities of Niger Delta. The case study is founded on both secondary and primary sources that included field observ ations and interviews with some key executive members of the corporation, local communities, government officials and some senior members of the oil companies in the Nigeria’s Niger Delta area. The paper argues that the corporations have made use of the political elite in the country to expand their global earnings and to gain competitive advantages by unscrupulous means such as bribery and other inducements to attain some government contracts in Niger Delta area, Nigeria. 1. Introduction A sector of business which makes firm claims to business ethics, Transparency, stakeholder’s rights, Employee rights, Corruption and human rights and codes of practice can safely be said to be the oil sector (Lawan 98). Oil Corporations are very dynamic and have leadership roles in coming up with allowable corporate practices and key acceptable codes of conduct in various places of work and involvement with various facets of the community. The involvement of Shell, in the famous Volun tary Principles on Security, United Nations’ Global Compact, and Human Rights, are just some instances. Its contribution towards the development programmers in construction, education, Transport and health, etc, cannot be underestimated. In spite of these contributions and achievements to the society, like many other corporations it has targeted of many negative or anti-corporate campaigns, such as corruption in the past few decades. Most civil society actors, including the anticorruption, anti-capitalists and anti-corporate

Friday, August 23, 2019

Unit 6 Assessment professionalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 6 Assessment professionalism - Essay Example The person simply withdraws from the whole situation or sidesteps it. Compromising refers to when a person looks for a solution that works for both of the parties concerned in the conflict. It is sort of loose- loose situation where both parties cooperate and work together to get a solution. Accommodating means taking in the other party’s concerns more than your own. It has a higher level of cooperation than assertiveness and is a perfect style when the other party is an expert in the situation leading to the conflict. Collaborating is when both parties in conflict work jointly to tackle the situation and come up with the best resolution to the situation. This style has equal levels of cooperation and assertiveness. In most conflict management situations, I prefer the collaborating strategy of conflict management because it comes up with a resolution that is mutually satisfactory to both parties in a situation. This is a win-win situation. Collaborating is still the best style in my opinion especially when it involves a long-term relationship, and it means that the problem will be actually solved. Conflict management means preventing unproductive conflicts in the work place and addressing those conflicts that cannot be prevented (Raines, 2013). Burnout is a condition of emotional, psychological, and bodily fatigue caused by extreme and extended stress. It comes about when a person feels weighed down and incapable to meet regular demands. As the stress builds up, the levels of motivation and productivity reduce. It leads to distrust and indifference. Some of the signs of burn out I would be on the lookout for including frequent fatigue and feeling drained most of the time. This means that the person feels a lack of energy and feels emotionally and physically exhausted. Another sign is that the person has reduced concentration and higher levels of forgetfulness. This later leads to a point where your

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Vanity Fair & Male Vanity Essay Example for Free

Vanity Fair Male Vanity Essay Through the course of history as gender relates to either sex, the flamboyance of either gender is dependent upon culture. The male birds of the Amazon are typically more colorful than their female counterparts, and their mating dance is very unique in its structure, and the female for her part does not have to ‘go through the loops’ of such ritual as the male does. This is true for other animals as well from the battle of rams to the dolphin fights in the ocean; the importance of strength and beauty has dominated the sexual history of animals. This is also true for the human race, and in no other culture and time in history as in the Victorian culture is the human male more ‘colorful’ than the female. The idea of vanity as it is expressed in Vanity Fair will be explored throughout this essay. William Makepeace Thackeray explores this concept in his characters and how vanity, or the ‘color’ of the male gender in the Victorian culture, is the motif of everyday living for such protagonists. This idea will be presented in this essay will textual support from Vanity Fair as well as Laura George’s article The Emergence of the Dandy and Russell A. Fraser’s Pernicious Casuistry: A Study of Character in Vanity Fair. Throughout the course of the novel, Thackeray employs the recurrent theme of the â€Å"dandy† or as George states, â€Å"†¦sparks, fops, beaux, swells, coxcombs, popinjays, macaroni, butterflies†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (George 2), a term that can be used to describe â€Å"men who aspire to be genteel. † The dandy was envisioned by a man who went by the name of George Beau Brummell, as George states, â€Å"†¦Brummell frequently represented all that was abjected by modern masculinity: love of fashion, of fabric, of the shape and cut of one’s clothes. Brummell himself bore a complex relationship to the emerging regime of masculine fashionable austerity† (George 1). By focusing upon this concept of the dandy and the effects it can have upon an individual’s personality, Thackeray decides to focus upon his male characters, Joseph Sedley and George Osborne, in particular. While the other characters within the novel are capable of accepting whatever amount of dandyism they might have, it is these two characters that remain transfixed upon their ability to maintain being dandy, which ultimately lead them to their unfortunate deaths. They were too consumed with thoughts about appearance both physically and socially to the extent it affected their ability to function in the world of â€Å"Vanity Fair†. In other words, these characters are seen being prime examples of how Thackeray’s novel is concerned with how each â€Å"character’s presentation will determine their success or failure†. Soon after Thackeray introduces his readers to the world of Vanity Far, the reader learns too quickly that these characters belonging to the middle class aspire to be part of the aristocracy hence the role of the dandy coming into play. It has often been said that the â€Å"aristocratic dandies, is at once a unique person- the model of dandyhood for all time- an embodiment of a common middle-class fantasy of aristocratic distinction† ( Cole, 137), which is why we see many of Thackeray’s characters constantly finding opportunities to better themselves, and their rank in society. Sir Rawdon Crawley, for example, was the one of few characters belonging to the aristocracy and was happily willing to give it up when he married Miss Rebecca Sharp. In the passage, â€Å"By these attentions, the veteran rake, Rawdon Crawley, found himself coveted into a very happy submissive married man† (191) indicates that while Joseph Sedley and George Osborne would be unhappy had they lost their rank in society, Thackeray illustrates at how some people are content with the simpler things in life, things not involving money. The dandy or in the case of Vanity Fair, Sedly and Osborne were distracted by other things in life, despite their apparent unimportance to livelihood and more to do with ambiance, as George states of the dandy (and as it illustrates the dandy’s vanity in Thackeray’s novel); There are traces of the man of fashion as ‘thing’ usage earlier, but the habit seems to coalesce around the time of the Restoration, and for good reason. Throughout the tumultuous seventeenth century, the relations between masculinity and fashion were violently contested, as the various Stuart courts were accused of conspicuous consumption, luxury, and effeminacy (along with a regrettable tendency to belive in their own divine rights); as Puritans pointed to the theological meanings of clothes; as domestic texatile manufactourers (as opposed to traders) sought an economic voice; and as the stakes and status of imported fabrics changed. It was in this context, as David Kuchta has argues, that Charles II adopted the three piece suit as the new sartorial model for masculinity (George 4) Joseph Sedley is the epitome of a dandy in Thackeray’s novel, and he illustrates of each of these points made by George. It seems that the gaining of wealth is the main preoccupation of the characters in Thackeray’s novel, and it was with the dandy that this wealth was displayed best to the public. Joseph Sedley’s nickname in the novel is ‘Waterloo Sedley’ because of his uncanny obsession with the Duke of Wellington. It seems that throughout the novel, Joseph Sedley, attaches himself to nobility purely on the grounds of their nobility as he relates himself with Lord Tapeworm despite his impecunious state merely because he is a lord. Joseph Sedley pays extra attention to his appearance, more so than the pages describing the women getting prepared to go out. In all, the essence of a dandy is one whose ego is larger than his humility and this is exceedingly true for Joseph Sedley as he does not concern himself with other’s judgments (except if they are noble) and eats and drinks and parties in a constant orgy around London (when he is in London). He does not like military life and is said to quaver at the sound of a canon at one point in the novel. Joseph Sedley fears any authority figure who could cut him down in front of nobility (such as his father) and he only pays attention to his own appearance and not to any politics, or other socially engaging conversation. Also, Joseph Sedley’s egoism is so large and his dandy state corresponds to this that he does not change throughout the course of the novel. Joseph Sedley believes that his state of being is appropriate and he is happy being who and what he is to care to change. It is through this fault of being a dandy and having such a large ego and such a selfish personality that Becky is able to ensnare him into marriage. With Rawdon Crawley’s rejection of the aristocratic ideal, Thackeray uses this to portray the idea of the dandy being solely a middle-class virtue. It appears that this â€Å" flamboyant aristocratic model of the eighteenth century was gradually rejected and supplanted by a restored and virtuous† (Reed) high class, which is why characters like Lord Steyne can still be considered dandy without sacrificing their own ideals; even though, he tries to exude his fantasies of Rebecca. Again, none of his actions can be compared to those of George Osborne. For example, when Dobbin publicly embarrasses George about the lack of affection he has towards his fiancee Amelia, George decides to prove his affections by purchasing a gift for his dear Amelia. Although George’s act of kindness is provoked as a gesture to prove his feelings for Amelia to the ever judgmental William Dobbin, he still decides to pursue what Thackeray displays as being a mockery of the middle-class gentleman. A true gentleman would not need to borrow money from his friend as George is seen doing when deciding to buy Amelia’s gift, to a man he is already trying to prove himself. George’s inability to conjure up the sufficient funds indicates his lack of knowledge of what it means to be dandy. In order to truly exude the essence of being a dandy, the use of flamboyance displayed in clothing as well as a countenounce of style must be utilized, which it seems George lacks as his countenance is spurred by jealousy and a certain essence of revenge and a little pride in his buying Amelia a gift, not as a dandy would buy a gift for the purpose of sharing their flamboyance but more to prove another man wrong, which is more ‘white-collar’ than noble (as the nobility in the definition of the dandy was the main element in society they wanted to portray). Here it seems that George, in the analogy of the animal kingdom and the male having to display his power and beauty in order to waylay other men from taking his choice in female, George is truly playing the part of the dominant male. Thus, his definition of a dandy may be split in half. His actions speak towards being too masculine and paying too much attention to the jealousy and revenge and pride in his nature on how much he loves his girl, while the other part of him is paying strict attention to his dandy nature in him buying her a gift in order to win her affections, thus ‘dancing’ for her. However it is in his intentions with the gift that George can most decidedly not be a dandy. In order to have a true lack of definition of a dandy to apply to George Osborne, a more thorough review of the main definition of a dandy is needed, as George writes, Anxieties about young sparks selling land in order to waste money on the transitory notions of fashion date at least to the Renaissance, but in the wake of the Puritan Commonwealth and in the midst of concern about Stuart affiliations with the French court, the political stakes of fashionable choices seemed particularly stark†¦Addison and Steel were particularly annoyed by the fops who troubled boundaries they were working to stabilize. That is, as fashionable consumption enriched manufacturers and shopkeepers at the expense of the aristocracy, Addison and Steele sough tot portray fashion itself as feminine in particular ways: as prone to ungovernable appetites, unreasonable fancies, and as generally wasting in its seductive powers. Men who gave into its allure risked becoming feminine, or risked losing their humanity altogether. The figure of the Romantic –era dandy, then, addressed old concerns, stirred up old fears, and challenged strongly defended distinctions between masculinity and fashion (George 5). According then to this statement, George’s obsession with proving himself to his fellow male friends would put him the category of half a dandy as he does not display all of the necessary traits that being a true dandy entails. However, it is his vanity that truly defines George’s personality. His vanity on how he will appear to his friends is what initiates his gift-giving and thus, it is vanity that is the main propellant to this character’s impetus on most of his actions in the course of the novel. His vanity in his own ego just like Sedley’s drives this character forward in Thackeray’s work, and it is vanity which engulfs him in relationship with Amelia. By failing to exhibit many of the traits of what defines a gentleman throughout the novel, George is seen trying to hold on to this idea of being a dandy, a trait he obviously lacks. It is in his pursuits that Thackeray appears to be a making a mockery of George and what he believes makes him superior to his much hated rival, Rebecca. However, the two of them are very much alike, each character is seen as taking advantage of each opportunity to better their position in society, and it is their pursuits that Thackeray allows the English class system to shine through in his novel. For instance, when Rebecca is seen writing a letter to her beloved Amelia about her first encounter with Rawdon Crawley where she writes â€Å"Your Indian Muslin and your pink silk, dearest Amelia, are said to become me very well. They are a good deal worn now; but you know, we poor girls cannot afford des fraiches toilettes† (Thackeray 115), Thackeray has her ending the letter with the story of her scarf. This scarf does not represent a gift, but a class distinction. He wants to remind his audience of the different privileges available to the middle class, and it is through the use of the dandy that his message is conveyed. In Rebecca’s position as a â€Å"penniless governess† her only exposure to anything Indian would be this scarf that Amelia herself did not want. This scarf appears to be Amelia indirectly displaying her thoughts of the lower class believing them to only be worthy of her trash—or it could also be her tactless manner and her own inability to see beyond the scope of her own world and thus her giving this as a gift is her ignorance being displayed in Thackeray’s novel and how privileged women are not always the smartest despite their positions. Interestingly, Rebecca took it as an act of kindness, and as something of value. It appears that by her taking advantage of the scarf it is her way of holding on to some piece of the middle class, her wearing of the garment is a way to fool people of the reality of her situation. Despite her tactless manner, it seems that Amelia is one of the only redeeming character’s in Vanity Fair, again this may be attributed to her ignorance, as Fraser writes

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The relationship between humanity and the rest of creation Essay Example for Free

The relationship between humanity and the rest of creation Essay a. Describe the teachings of the religion of which you are studying about the relationship between humanity and the rest of creation. Christianity teaches that God created the Earth and that human beings are the stewards who should protect the gift they have been given. The relationship between humanity and the rest of creation is not a simple one. To look at Christian teachings on this relationship, the state of creation must first be examined. Yet, despite human beings being seen as the most intelligent life form and having responsibility for the Earth, many of the problems facing the planet are mainly due to human activity. Stories and headlines featuring pollution, global warming, over flowing landfills and the extinction of both animals and plants are, unfortunately, no longer uncommon. These problems are not confined to the UK and are, in fact, happening worldwide. Global warming is one of main problems. There are thin layers of gas that surround the Earth which keep in enough heat from the sun for the Earth to be at a perfect temperature, however, a build up of carbon dioxide from sources such as cars, is causing the layers surrounding the Earth to get thicker so more heat is being trapped causing the temperature to rise. Temperature rise will cause polar ice caps to melt and sea levels to increase causing flooding, storms and hurricanes, resulting in loss of human life. Christianitys teachings on humanitys responsibility for the environment seem to be having little effect as the world is facing huge problems. The Christian story of creation can be found in the first two chapters of Genesis, in the Bible. These chapters describe how God created the Earth, from nothing, in 7 days, and it was on the 7th day that he rested. After creating the Earth, the sky, the seas and plants, God made birds and fish on the fifth day and animals and humans on the sixth day So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27) Although the Bible often gives more than one opinion on some subjects it is clear when it comes to expressing the view that God created the world. The Bible teaches that the Universe is Gods creation, not an accident, and that it is filled with meaning and purpose. The Old Testament, in particular, reflects these ideas. O Lord our God, your greatness is seen in all the worldWhen I look at the sky, which you have made, at the moon and stars which you have set in their places ( Psalm 8:1,3) And again in Psalm: In his hands are the depths of the depths of Earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is His, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. (Psalm 95; 3- 6) It can be seen therefore, that the Psalm teaches that God made the Earth but the people have the task to keep it how it was created. Despite the New Testament not giving the same emphasis to God creating the world, it still shows that he did. Look at the birds in the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly father feeds them. (Matthew 6: 26) Christianity teaches that Christians, as stewards, have the responsibility to look after the Earth because God put people in charge of the world. A steward is someone who takes care of things and is responsible when things go wrong. Therefore, Christians have the job of caring for the planet and they should try to put things right when they go wrong. The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis acts a reminder to Christians that humanity has been given the role of stewards. In the story of Adam and Eve God provided a perfect environment for them but it was their responsibility of taking care of it. Then the lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it. (Genesis 2:15) When Adam and Eve disobeyed Gods orders and they ate the fruit on the tree of knowledge, they were banished from the garden. The story of Adam and Eve is often compared with todays situation; people are abusing the resources given to them by God. In the Bible it says And God saw it was good (Genesis 1:1) This suggests that when the world was created by God it was perfect so clearly todays problems have been caused by human activity and their disregard for the planet. There is Biblical evidence to show that humans were asked to take care of the planet. For example, in the Old Testament after crops had been harvested the fields were allowed to rest for a certain period of time so that the soil could replenish itself. They Jews were also told not to destroy trees when attacking a city. When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees of the field people, that you should besiege them?'(Deuteronomy 20:19) Pope John Paul II said this Look to the future with hope and set out with renewed vigour to make this new millennium a time of solidarity and peace, of love for life and respect for Gods creation. The Assisi Declaration was made on the 29th September 1986 when Christian leaders joined leaders from the other 5 major world religions, in Assisi, to declare their promise for nature. The meeting was held in Assisi in honour of St. Francis, who lived there in the 13th century, because he preached about conservation and described all creatures as his brothers and sisters. The Declaration on Nature, Assisi, (1986) said: Christians repudiate all ill-considered exploitation of nature which threatens to destroy it and, in turn, to make man the victim of degradation. This shows that some Christians do want to take care of the world and protect it from catastrophe. To conclude, Christians are the Stewards of the world and should take responsibility for their actions because humans have been clearly given this power.

Neuroimaging Research To The Understanding Of Psychopathology Psychology Essay

Neuroimaging Research To The Understanding Of Psychopathology Psychology Essay Over the last ten years, neuroimaging techniques has been employed to an ever increasing extent in the investigation of the biological substrates of psychopathology (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Non-invasive brain imaging techniques such as PET and fMRI have been successfully applied in the localization of sensory functions (van Eijsden et al. 2009). For more complex psychological processes such as language, fMRI is now used to guide surgical decisions regarding hemispheric dominance in patients with refractory epilepsy (van Eijsden et al. 2009). Although still in its infancy (Crowe and Blair 2008), neuroimagings existing contribution has been hailed as significant (Linden 2008, Radaelli et al. 2008). Reliable biomarkers are not known for most, if not all psychiatric disorders (Linden 2008). Limited knowledge concerning the aetiological mechanisms underlying disorders thwart efforts at primary prevention and hamper secondary prevention due to the lack of reliable, comprehensive prognostic markers (Glahn et al. 2008). The lack of pathognomic neural markers, difficulties achieving clinical consensus regarding diagnostic definitions and symptom heterogeneity within the existing diagnostic entities have encouraged neuroimagings pursuit of biomarkers and endophenotypes (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008); (Pan et al. 2009). The research agenda for DSM V underscores this theme working towards an aetiological and pathophysiological based diagnostic system rather than the current symptom and syndrome based approach (Pan et al. 2009). Neuroimagings contribution may be through refining, validating and augmenting existing diagnostic classifications or replacement of the existing phenomenologically d erived system with neuroanatomically defined biomarkers (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Neuroimagings contribution may be constrained by limited knowledge regarding interregional connectivity and interactions within the brain (Honey et al. 2002). Furthermore, the pathways by which genetic and environmental risk factors interact and impinge upon behaviour ultimately manifesting as pathological symptoms is largely unknown (Glahn et al. 2008). Complexity is increased further by consideration of the points of discontinuity between psychopathology and normal variation (Glahn et al. 2008). To date, the majority of neuroimaging research has attempted to correlate functional, structural and chemical abnormalities of the brain with the presence and/or severity of symptoms (Radaelli et al. 2008). Critics argue that neuroimaging research encourages a segregationist approach to psychopathology, attempting to map complex functions onto discrete, localized brain areas (Honey et al. 2002). This tendency has been influenced by assumptions within cognitive psychology (van Eijsden et al. 2009), namely that mental functions are comprised of modules with identifiable, specific cognitive content processed by a computer like brain (van Eijsden et al. 2009). Thus, elements of psychological function are assumed to activate specific, reproducible brain regions, a model known as massive modularity(van Eijsden et al. 2009). Traditionally, neuroimaging techniques have been categorized according to their data acquisition methodology, focusing upon structure, function, connectivity, electrophysiology or underlying chemistry (Pine 2006). Recent advancements in multimodal imaging (MMI) enables an admixture of approaches attempting to integrate the strengths of different techniques (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Rather than detecting actual neural transmission, fMRI relies on the paramagnetic properties of deoxyhaemoglobin, providing an indirect measurement of the coupling between neural activity and blood flow (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Similarly, PET is an indirect measurement of neural activity measuring blood flow, metabolism or ligand-receptor interactions of particular neurotransmitters (Zimmer 2009). Compared with SPECT, PET offers increased spatial and temporal resolution and permits imaging of a greater range of brain activity than SPECT tracers (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). However, it does not offer equivalent spatial resolution to fMRI. DTI tractography images neural tract trajectories, enabling the modelling of white matter fibres localization, orientation, connectivity and integrity within the brain (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008); (Honey et al. 2002); (Thai et al. 2009). Neuroimaging research can adopt either a whole brain or region of interest (ROI) approach (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008) with important implications for interpretation. As ROI approaches examine fewer brain regions than whole brain univariate approaches such as VBM, they offer increased statistical power with a concomitant decrease in explanatory power (Ecker et al. 2010). In contrast, techniques such as VBM offer increased explanatory and moderate statistical power due to the necessity of multiple comparison corrections. Therefore, mass univariate approaches may be too conservative to detect subtle neuroanatomical abnormalities particularly with small samples (Ecker et al. 2010). Additionally, neuroimaging studies can be contrasted in terms of experimental design ranging from block, factorial to the most recently developed event-related designs. Event-related designs permit randomization of experimental conditions throughout scanning (Honey et al. 2002), allowing the response to a sing le event to be examined in a context-independent manner (Friston et al. 1998). This paper will evaluate the possible applications of neuroimaging research to the understanding of psychopathology in terms of its existing contribution and developments which may arise due to further technological innovations in the future. Initially, it will provide a brief introduction to a number of methodological considerations associated with neuroimaging research. Following this discussion, it will primarily focus upon neuroimagings contribution to aetiological research of psychopathology. In addition, it will evaluate the application of neuroimaging techniques to diagnosis, prognostic considerations and treatment. The paper will conclude with a review of recent technological developments within neuroimaging and evaluate the extent to which these innovations may further increase neuroimagings application to the understanding of psychopathology. Methodological and Technological considerations Critiques of neuroimaging research as The New Phrenology in its attempts to locate complex psychological phenomena in discrete brain regions have been described as the localization fallacy. The complexity of conducting research with patient groups and interpretation of associated results is emphasised when patient characteristics are considered (Honey et al. 2002). Psychiatric conditions are heterogenous in their presentation and difficult to define as discrete and homogenous entities. This increases the difficulty in obtaining a clinically homogenous sample for research purposes. Disorder and symptom heterogeneity manifesting as inconsistent neuroimaging findings may be a result of different aetiological pathways, variability in compensatory processes, chronicity of illness or the patients unique symptom profile (Honey et al. 2002). These inherent difficulties have been demonstrated by conflicting findings of hypofrontality in Schizophrenia (Keshavan et al. 2008) and led to the foll owing conclusion as long as we are not able to disentangle the heterogeneity question at the clinical level, it is not likely that heterogeneity at the aetiological and pathophysiological levels can be resolved (Peralta and Cuesta 2000). If a well matched sample is obtained, their symptomatic profile may be a manifestation of the final common pathway of disorder rather than representing a group matched for common aetiological mechanisms (Honey et al. 2002). To counteract these issues, many neuroimaging studies have adopted a symptom level approach, for example exclusively examining AVH (Honey et al. 2002). Critics have argued that symptom provocation studies may be imaging interference processes, compensation for diminished performance or other co-occuring symptoms (Honey et al. 2002). If the assumption that symptoms occur in isolation is correct, their location within discrete brain regions may over overly simplistic, it is more likely they are an element of complex, dynamic neural activity (Honey et al. 2002). The phenomenon of pure insertion asserts that a phenomenon of interest can be identified or manipulated in isolation from other mental processes (Honey et al. 2002). For example, linear increases in cognitive load (task demand) may not be associated with linear increases in neural activity. Furthermore, is it conceivable that ruminations in OCD can be isolated from other processes such as memory, attention and speech? (Honey et al. 2002). The subtraction technique is the most commonly employed method to identify brain areas that are active relative to one another; therefore, experimental task pairs should only differ in terms of one parameter. This is based on the assumption that by changing one parameter, that only one aspect of processing is altered (Nair 2005). Neuroimaging results may thus be misinterpreted as the cause of disorder or the disorder itself (Fuchs 2006). Thus, there are a number of important issues to consider when interpreting neuroimaging results such as whether differences reflect a symptom profile, a diagnostic entity and whether differences within these groups relate to state related phenomena or underlying aetiological differences at the genotype level (Honey et al. 2002). These ambiguities have led some researchers to question neuroimagings utility to aetiological research advocating a focus upon diagnostic imaging (Honey et al. 2002). Recent shifts towards a focus upon systems level, dynamic connectivity within the brain appears to be counteracting neuroimagings characterisation as the new phrenology (Zhou et al. 2009). The complexity of neuronal function has important implications for the analysis and interpretation of neuroimaging results. It is necessary to quantify both the relationship between neuronal activity and indirect measures of it via the haemodynamic responses and the associated temporal delay (Honey et al. 2002). It has been shown that BOLD signals are more responsive to increases rather than decreases in blood flow, known as the haemodynamic rectification effect (Keri and Gulyas 2003). These matters become increasingly complex when the contribution of neurotransmitter release and reuptake, receptor binding and electrical activity to rCBF, metabolic changes and behaviour are considered (Keri and Gulyas 2003). For example, low levels of neuronal activity may not be accompanied by rCBF changes, in a PET experiment, the lack of activation in this area does not exclude the area from being involved in the response under examination (Keri and Gulyas 2003). In contrast to sustained stimulati on, rapid changes in the brains functional state result in a brief uncoupling of perfusion from oxidative metabolism (Keri and Gulyas 2003). Imaging procedures must also model the effect of major blood vessels draining activated brain regions (Honey et al. 2002). Existing technology does not offer equivalent spatial resolution across the whole brain, there are also inherent difficulties differentiating between excitatory and inhibitory activation when using the proxy of the haemodynamic response (Honey et al. 2002). The complexity is further increased when the impact of experimental design is considered. fMRI images particularly those based on block designs frequently are static representations of haemodynamic activity averaged over time (Nair 2005). Furthermore, activity in some regions may only be detectable with more sophisticated event-related rather than block designs (Fusar-Poli et al. 2007). However, it has been shown that even in event-related fMRI paradigms that short inter stimulus intervals result in an overlap of haemodynamic responses to individual events (Ecker et al. 2008), thereby precluding confident analysis of condition specific activity. It has also been demonstrated that path co-efficients within SEM fMRI reflect changes in the temporal characteristics of the HFR induced by experimental design (Ecker et al. 2008) emphasising the effect of experimental design on effective connectivity studies. Recent developments In recent years there has been increased interest in furthering understanding of interactions between brain regions known as connectivity analysis (Sato et al. 2009b). Functional connectivity refers to the dynamic relationships between brain regions typically based upon correlational analyses (Thai et al. 2009). Effective connectivity studies infer causal or modulatory relationships between brain regions or networks and their directional, temporal interactions (Thai et al. 2009). SEM and DCM are the most commonly employed methods to investigate connectivity within fMRI data (Sato et al. 2009b). In SEM, the strength of an interaction is provided by a path co-efficient measuring the average influence of one ROI on another in a specified time period (Ecker et al. 2008). For example, using effective connectivity, it was demonstrated that the sACC and pACC had a strong directional influence on the right amygdale during an emotional processing task (Zhou et al. 2009). Rather than occurring as functionally distinct, feedforward sequential processing stages, it was shown that mental rotation performance includes both feedforward and feedback connections with indirect evidence of parallel processing (Ecker et al. 2008). Machine learning and pattern recognition methodologies, such as SVM are powerful techniques for the classification and prediction of mental states so called brain reading or decoding (Sato et al. 2009a); (Sato et al. 2009a). SVMs are used to identify statistical properties of imaging data which discriminate between groups of participants or brain states (Sato et al. 2009b), essentially, whether a new observation belongs to a training data set or otherwise. Not only do they offer the potential to categorize, their ability to anatomically localize discriminative information generated by the classification process presents the possibility of brain mapping (Sato et al. 2009a). Potentially, this methodology could be used to describe a healthy population, measuring the distance of subsequently tested participants from normative fMRI data (Sato et al. 2009b). For example, SVMs ability to distinguish between visual and auditory stimulation was 95.34% +/- 18.77 (Sato et al. 2009a). ANN and SV M based tools have employed in the identification and classification of pathology of patients with Alzheimers or Parkinsons disease from control participants (Bose et al. 2008). The development of imaging genetics offers the possibility of mapping the biological pathways and mechanisms whereby individual differences in brain function emerge and potentially predispose individuals to risk of psychological dysfunction (Viding et al. 2006). It enables the evaluation of the functional impact of brain relevant genetic polymorphisms with a view to understanding their impact on behaviour (Viding et al. 2006). For example, studies of healthy adult 5-HTTLPR S allele carriers found increased amygdala activation, reduced grey matter volume of the perigenual ACC and amygdale and altered functional connectivity of the pACC and amygdale relative to the LL genotype. Furthermore, 30% of variance in behavioural harm avoidance scores during this fMRI challenge paradigm was predicted by amygdala pACC functional connectivity (Viding et al. 2006). Aetiology Significant ambiguity remains surrounding the pathogenesis of schizophrenia (Keshavan et al. 2008). Although the majority of psychological disorders are thought to be multifactorial in origin (Glahn et al. 2008), genetic factors appear to exert a significant aetiological influence on the major psychoses, twin studies estimating heritability at 80% (van Os and Kapur 2009). Structural MRI studies have revealed reductions in whole brain and grey matter volume as well as increases in ventricular volume (Keshavan et al. 2008; van Os and Kapur 2009). Reductions have been observed in temporal lobe structures (in particular the hippocampus, amygdala and the superior temporal gyrus) and the prefrontal cortex, thalamus, AC and corpus callosum. There is evidence of a relationship between superior temporal gyrus volume and positive symptoms; medial temporal lobe reductions correlating with memory impairment. Qualitatively similar but less marked structural changes have been observed in the affec tive disorders. Whilst structural abnormalities may be consistently found in Schizophrenia, they are diagnostically non-specific and may be common amongst patients across diagnostic classifications. Evidence of progressive brain changes during the course of schizophrenia suggests that structural abnormalities may be a result of early and later developmental dysfunction (Karlsgodt et al. 2008). The onset of frank symptoms has been associated with progressive changes. Using longitudinal research designs, deviations from normative development can be examined (Serene et al. 2007). For example, longitudinal studies of early onset schizophrenia demonstrated progressive grey matter loss across the lateral surface of the brain, with treatment refractory patients displaying the most pronounced and rapid cortical grey matter loss. However, the explanatory power of progressive brain structural changes as the primary pathophysiological process within schizophrenia is diminished due to the prese nce of potentially confounding factors secondary to the illness such as symptom profile, severity, medication history and status and the duration of illness (Karlsgodt et al. 2008). Furthermore, structural changes are generally subtle and of relatively small effect sizes (Keshavan et al. 2008). Inconsistency has mired findings of hypofrontality in Schizophrenia, functional imaging meta-analysis have calculated moderate effect sizes for activated and resting state conditions. Conversely, once performance differences are controlled for, patients have shown increased prefrontal activation relative to controls perhaps indicative of an inefficient frontal response to task demands. There have been similarly inconsistent findings regarding other brain regions. Functional imaging research has found alterations in prefrontal and occasionally temporal lobe function (Shergill et al. 2007), with speculation regarding a specific abnormality in the reciprocal modulatory interaction of frontal areas and the hippocampus (van Os and Kapur 2009). Hyper- and hypoactive network responses have been demonstrated depending on experimental paradigm (van Os and Kapur 2009). Inconsistencies in the functional imaging literature may be a result of the diverse experimental designs employed, non-uniform standardization of resting state conditions, lack of control for performance differences, typically small sample sizes and medication confounds which curtail the interpretability of these results (Keshavan et al. 2008). MRS studies have corroborated regions implicated by structural and functional imaging results demonstrating reductions in neuronal and membrane integrity in at risk and early schizophrenic groups. However, it can be concluded that many of schizophrenias putative biomarkers are of less than robust effect sizes, non-specific and too time consuming or expensive to consider implementing as potential diagnostic biomarkers (Keshavan et al. 2008). It is proving difficult if not impossible to explain the features of this disorder and its associated functional deficits in terms of selective, focal abnormalities (Fusar-Poli et al. 2007). The disconnectivity hypothesis of the pathophysiological basis of vulnerability to psychosis implicates abnormal interaction/disconnectivity of the prefrontal cortex, temporal lobe and subcortical regions (Fusar-Poli et al. 2007). Findings of disturbed functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal, thalamic and cerebellar regions in relatives of patients with schizophrenia have provided support for this view (Fusar-Poli et al. 2007). Although evidence for disconnectivity in schizophrenia is strong, its relationship to aetiology, pathophysiology and implications for symptomatic behaviour remain unclear (Stephan et al. 2009). AVH have been found to activate a wide network of language areas in the frontal and temporal lobes and limbic areas such as the amygdale and hippocampus (Vercammen et al. 2009). The subjective intensity of AVH has been correlated with activation of the primary auditory cortex. Schizophrenic patients who experience AVH have been found to activate differential brain areas relative to healthy controls and non-hallucinating patients with schizophrenia, displaying altered activation of the anterior cingulate and superior temporal regions bilaterally (Mechelli et al. 2007; Shergill et al. 2007). DTI studies have demonstrated differences in the orientation of white matter fibres relative to patients without AVH and healthy controls. Examining the effective connectivity of AVH using DCM demonstrated a specific impairment of functional integration between the left superior temporal cortex and the dorsal part of the ACC during the evaluation of self and alien generated speech in patients with AVH (Mechelli et al. 2007). This implies a relationship between impaired functional integration and AVH experiences, Mechelli et al, speculate that a similar impairment in effective connectivity may diminish patients ability to process their own inner speech. Furthermore, a whole brain DTI study illustrated that propensity to experience AVH was associated with increased fractional anisotrophy (FA) within lateral aspects of the superior longitudinal fasciculi bilaterally, the main connection area between Wernickes and Brocas areas (Shergill et al. 2007). Similar differences in FA have been reported in at risk and first episode patients. However, it is possible that these connectivity changes may be a result of experiencing AVH rather than being causative in nature. Increased frequency of AVH may enhance connectivity in these regions. Studies conducted during the prodromal phase permit the prospective investigation of the pathophysiological processes underlying vulnerability and development of the disorder (Fusar-Poli et al. 2009; Pantelis et al. 2003).Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated qualitatively similar abnormalities to those evident in established schizophrenia and bipolar to those present in first episode psychosis and individuals without psychosis but with a strong familial risk (Pantelis et al. 2003). At risk individuals who subsequently developed psychosis had smaller grey matter volumes in the right medial temporal region, including the hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex, in a right lateral temporal region encompassing the superior temporal gyrus, a right inferior frontal region including the orbital portion of the inferior frontal gyrus and adjacent parts of the insula and basal ganglia and a cingulate region including the anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus bilaterally which mimics findings in probands of MZ twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia, first degree relatives of patients with psychosis and people with schizotypal personality disorder. Longitudinal examination of patients who transitioned to psychosis, showed a significant bilateral reduction in grey matter volume between baseline and follow up in the cingulate gyri, the left parahippocampal gyrus, left fusiform gyrus and left OFC (Pantelis et al. 2003). This study demonstrated that pathophysiological anomalies predate the onset of overt psychosis but that further grey matter volume changes are associated with the first expression of frank symptoms. It is unclear however, whether these changes represent a cause or effect of psychosis. Pantelis et al conclude that MRI may in the future prove a valuable tool in the identification of ultra high risk individuals. Neurochemical PET and SPECT studies investigating the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia with 18 F-dopa and 11 C-raclopride have shown that schizophrenia in its acute psychotic state is associated with an increase in dopamine synthesis, dopamine release and resting state dopamine concentration (van Os and Kapur 2009). Research has also demonstrated pre-synaptic dopamine overactivity in schizophrenic patients and first episode patients (Fusar-Poli et al. 2009) Studies of prodromal patients have demonstrated elevated Striatal 18 F-dopa uptake with levels approaching those of Schizophrenic patients (Howes et al. 2009). 18 F-dopa uptake in the ARMS was directly correlated with symptom severity and the degree of neuropsychological impairment. The most pronounced dopaminergic abnormality was found in the associative subdivision of the striatum in both schizophrenic patients and individuals with an at risk mental state (Howes et al. 2009). Thus, it has been suggested that pre-synaptic striatal dopamine function may be a worthwhile target for novel drug development and that these findings may provide a neurophysiological rationale for the introduction of anti-dopaminergic preventative intervention in high risk individuals (Howes et al. 2009). Multimodal studies of a verbal fluency task during the ARMS demonstrated an association between altered prefrontal activation and striatal hyperdopimergia (Fusar-Poli et al. 2009). Controlling for performance differences, there was increased activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus and the right middle frontal gyrus suggesting reduced efficiency or a compensatory process to achieve a similar behavioural response as controls. Improvement in prodromal symptoms has been associated with a normalization of the exaggerated inferior frontal response during a verbal fluency task. Previous findings linking the degree of elevation of striatal hyperdopimergia with symptom severity suggest that striatal hyperdopaminergia may underlie both symptoms and neurocognitive dysfunction although it is possible that another pathway is responsible. The observed correlation may represent the effect of prefrontal cortex on striatal dopamine or vice versa. Crucially, this study demonstrates that abnormal ities which were heretofore regarded as key pathophysiological features of Schizophrenia are correlates of vulnerability rather than sufficient for development of the disorder (Fusar-Poli et al. 2009). Interpretation of ARMS findings is difficult due to uncertainty regarding the degree to which they reflect trait or state factors, that is, psychosis liability or prodromal symptoms (Fusar-Poli et al. 2007). Thus, neuroimaging findings indicate changes in gray matter structure indicative of connectivity deficits at the level of synaptic connections and neuropil allied with white matter changes indicative of large scale deficits in connections between cortical regions (Karlsgodt et al. 2008). Although several biological abnormalities have been replicated (abnormally large ventricles, abnormal dopamine concentration and altered P300) they are not sensitive enough (usually only seen in 40-50% of patients) or not specific enough (seen in only 30% of first degree relatives) to be of diagnostic influence (van Os and Kapur 2009). Anxiety Disorders Neuroimaging research of anxiety disorders have implicated brain areas involved in the stress response as being associated with anxiety symptoms, including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala (Engel et al. 2009). However, potential brain structures implicated in the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders are extremely difficult to image due to their sizes and locations these include the amydala, brainstem nuclei and periaquaductal gray (Engel et al. 2009). Neuroimaging of PTSD highlights many of the complexities involved in conducting this research. Complexities relate to symptom presentation in terms of their variable content and emotional arousal in particular during the retrieval of traumatic memories (Peres et al. 2008). Symptomatic heterogeneity is extremely difficult to control for, additional potential confounds include nature of the traumatic experience (s) and the length of time since its occurrence. It is questionable whether it is appropriate to generalize from i maging results based on a sample of war veterans to survivors of childhood abuse (Peres et al. 2008). However, the results of neuroimaging studies appear to offer support for two broad subtypes of PTSD, one being primarily dissociative, the other characterised by intrusions and hyperarousal (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Structural studies have demonstrated reduced ACC and hippocampal volumes in studies across a variety of traumatic experiences. Increased amydala activation has also been observed (Crowe and Blair 2008). Impaired hippocampal function has been speculatively linked to the memory fragmentation process observed in PTSD (Peres et al. 2008). However consistent findings of structural or functional change, they do not necessarily imply a causative relationship. Depression Research investigating the pathophysiology of depression have highlighted decreased anterior paralimbic and cortical activity in both major and bipolar depression (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). These decreased activation patterns are found to reverse with successful treatment. For example, in studies of major depression it has been observed that diminished activation of the dorsalateral prefrontal cortex can be increased following effective treatment. PET studies of the serotonin transporter SERT have demonstrated increased thalamic SERT in depressed patients relative to controls. Across the affective disorders, findings of hyperamydala and hypofrontality have led to speculation that these abnormalities may represent a critical pathway or potential predictive biomarker for those at risk of future development of psychopathology (Viding et al. 2006). However, it remains unclear as to whether these findings represent state or trait related function. The search for trait related biomarkers offers the potential to uncover early warning signs of impending psychological disorder as they may be present prior to symptom onset (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). The clarification of state related changes affords the possibility of monitoring differential responses to treatment over time (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Cautious interpretation of existing neuroimaging findings is advised due to the complexity of emotional networks and lack of understanding regarding their integration with higher cognitive processes (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Diagnosis As of yet there are a limited number of neuroimaging studies attempting to classify or categorize disorder (Glahn et al. 2008). Ongoing research endeavours to uncover pathophysiological biomarkers complements the development of diagnostic imaging systems. The discovery of biomarkers of schizophrenia may assist in early diagnosis and haveprognostic value (Bose et al. 2008). Initial diagnostic research efforts focused on measurement of striatal D2 receptor levels. Although it appears that striatal D2 receptor levels are elevated in schizophrenia, inconsistent and variable PET and SPECT results (possibly related to samples tested) have precluded its use as a diagnostic variable (Bose et al. 2008). Machine learning and pattern recognition techniques provide methods for analysing imaging data that may improve the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis (Bose et al. 2008). Using ANN modelling of striatal [18F] fluro-L-DOPA influx constants, it was found that an ANN model correctly classified 84% of schizophrenic patients and 74% of controls (Bose et al. 2008). Sensitivity analysis revealed that the posterior putamen and anterior caudate nucleus were the most important areas within the ANN classification. The addition of multiple risk facto rs to the ANN classifier such as neuropsychological, genetic or structural imaging results may improve the ANN classifiers accuracy further (Bose et al. 2008). Bose et al, 2008 suggest the potential util

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Roses Journey Upon the Ship of Dreams :: Creative Writing Titanic History Essays

Rose’s Journey Upon the Ship of Dreams My journey started when I saw a report on the television. The report was about a picture which the ocean archaeologist’s found. The picture was of me, not now a course but when I was a young teenager. Titanic researchers with the ocean archaeologists were looking for a ruby which was worn by someone on the titanic, they’d been looking for 20 years but now they’d come across a picture of a lady wearing it around her neck. They had found the picture miles under the ocean, they were showing there founding’s on TV. I just caught a little glimpse of the image on TV. I was ecstatic; I was so excited I thought I had lost that picture for ever but I was wrong. It was remarkable that the picture had been under water for nearly 100 years and it was still in good condition. I had to see it, for real. I phoned the helpline; a young man answered the phone there was lots of racket in the background but could here this young man speaking on top of it all, â€Å"hello how we can help you?† He asked. I replied by saying â€Å"I wanted to know if you have found the heart of the ocean yet?† He sounded quite surprised. â€Å"What’s your name?† he asked. â€Å"Rose Dawson† I responded. â€Å"Now, Rose Dawson you have me attention,† he uttered. â€Å"Now tell me who that lady in the picture is Rose?† he continue to questioned. â€Å"The lady in that picture is me!† I said. â€Å"That can’t be true, if it was, u must be over 100 years old† he claimed â€Å"Actually I’m 101 next month† I countered I was invited to the ship, not the titanic, but to the research ship. I stepped out of the helicopter. There were so many machines and so much noise and racket. There were people running about, It reminded me of that night when the ship hit the ice berg. I felt so vulnerable. I was also quite anxious to believe that I was here 100 years ago, when the titanic foundered. I could see the sights I saw that day, crossing my mind back and forth. It was like a time bomb had exploded in my head and I was remembering everything. The young man presented my room. It was so basic two beds and a window and a TV. I was sharing my room with my granddaughter who I didn’t think knew what was going on, she look confused. â€Å"Would like anything else Mrs. Dawson† the young man asked.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Influenza in London :: Journalism Spanish Flu Heatlh Essays

GLOBAL INFLUENZA REPORT: LONDON Bill Smith is a Health Correspondent for the "The Times" in London. He sends weekly reports to the Irvine World News. For the week of 22 October to 29 October 1918. With an end to the war on the horizon London continues to be ravaged by the Spanish Flu. As reported in The Times "The general death-rate last week increased to 41 per 1,000 of the population per annum compared with 12 at the same period last year. This is the highest death-rate for over 20 years."1 As a result of the current drastic increase in the number of people inflicted with the flu, all sectors of Society are being gravely impacted. In many areas schools are being closed with the reasons for closure being vast, the primary reason being the effort to prevent the spread of influenza amongst pupils. In other areas schools are being closed due to a lack of healthy staff. However, some medical authorities believe that the closing of schools is unnecessary, as closing schools would "...simply release the children and allow them to congregate in places where the danger of infection is greatest. [At the moment] Efficient ventilation and segregation are considered the best means of fighting the disease."2 In other sectors of public service, telephone services have been impacted as the complement of healthy telephonists has decreased.3 In Sleugh, as well as in many other communities, post offices have been closed, as postmasters have not been available. Additionally, Omnibus services are starting to be affected and it is expected that the number of schedule changes will increase if the outbreak is not brought under control. More concerning is that in several areas emergency services have been greatly reduced. As of Saturday 26 October "There were stated to be 1,300 members of the Metropolitan Police Force suffering from the disease yesterday, and in 25 cases it proved fatal.... Eighty-two members of the London Fire Brigade are off duty owing to influenza."4 Lord Nelson, of the Mayfair Community Council expressed the sentiment that he and his fellow residents are extremely distressed with the number of police and fire fighters inflicted with the flu, and that they hope that their fellow citizens will continue to be extra vigilant so that the services of these people will not be needed unnecessarily.