The Global Digital Divide essays

The Global Digital Divide essays The global digital divide in simple terms, refers to the lack of access less developed nations have to the Internet, as compared with more developed nations. While discussing this topic in class, I found it astonishing the amount that the US and a few other leading nations use the Internet. Almost one-half of the people in the world have never made a phone call, yet we use sources like the Internet without even giving it a second thought. What many of us also never give a second thought to is the types of opportunities that people miss out on due to the lack of technology and infrastructure in their homeland. Despite these facts, there are organizations that are out there trying to help bridge the gap of the global digital divide. As I stated there are many groups whose purpose is to deter the affects of the digital divide. One of those groups is the UNDP or United Nations Development Program. The main goal of this group is to help poor countries gain access to the digital economy. One particular priority they have is to use the cuts in transaction costs offered by ICT to find new ways of expanding micro-finance initiatives for the poor. I think that this is a great idea. The more money that can be saved and used for business purposes in underdeveloped countries, the better. Why not take advantage of what the Internet has to offer, and allocate some of the funds to help strengthen the economy of a particular nation. In addition to the idea stated above, the UNDP also trains small groups in developing countries in the uses and opportunities of the Net. Once again, I have to say that I agree with this technique. With a problem such as the one at hand, perhaps the best way to handle the situation is to chop away at it one piece at a time. Many of the other groups involved in the fight against the digital divide use techniques similar to the UNDP. My personal opinion is that we need a combi ...

Use of Instant Messaging in Business essays

Use of Instant Messaging in Business essays This is a feasibility study for Clinical Study Applications, Inc. on the need for, and benefits of, installing and utilizing a real-time instant messaging communications program for use between CSA's offices in Arizona and Wisconsin. The paper will look at the technology involved in computer based instance messaging software, (IM), the various instant messaging packages available, and what can be the advantages for companies whose employees use instant messaging to communicate between offices or while on the road. This study will also address concerns such as the security issues and potential abuse of instant messaging, and how these concerns can be Instant messaging was once the domain of teenagers who had found the high-tech equivalent to passing notes in class. They used the Internet and on-line services to chat from their computers. Nevertheless, with 600 million messages being sent on a daily with America Online's messaging service alone, plus the huge volume of messages being sent by other popular instant messaging services such as Yahoo, ICR, MSN Messenger and Lycos Instant Messenger, use of this service has clearly moved to the mainstream. Adults inside and outside of the office find instant messaging an easy, convenient way to communicate with friends, family and colleagues with more immediacy than e-mail and without the expense of long-distance cell and In addition there has been rapid growth in what is called short message service, (SMS), on mobile phones. This means that the same types of short "instant" messages that are being sent over the Internet are now being sent to and/or between mobile devices, most commonly phones. According to Uday Shukla, (2002), enterprise use of IM is growing at approximately 20 percent annually, and is expected to be in use by 70 percent of all companies by the end of 2002. By 2005, the use of instance messaging ...

The Evolution of the Civil Society Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Evolution of the Civil Society - Term Paper Example Locke and Hobbes diverge on the notion of sovereignty. Locke argues that civil society precedes the state. For him, it is a society that provides the state its essential source of legitimacy. He contends that when the rulers fail to encourage interests, independence, and equality of individual humans, the social contract is breached and it is the responsibility of the members of society to oust that ruler. This is based on Locke’s assertion that the state of nature is based on equality and if people are equal, then the civil society is the state. The state is no greater than the society that made it: â€Å"A state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another† and that â€Å"the lord and master of them all should, by any manifest declaration of his will, set one above another, and confer on him, by an evident and clear appointment, an undoubted right to dominion and sovereignty†. Hobbes believes the contra ry because it is the state that creates a civil society. Civil society is the product of civil society’s enforcement of the social contract, as he expresses in the Leviathan: â€Å"This is more than Consent or Concord; it is a real Unity of them all, in one and the same Person, made by Covenant of every man with every man† (Hobbes). For Hobbes, the people authorized the government to have the authority in directing civil society. I believe that Locke and Hobbes make good points. I agree with Locke that sovereignty is not only about the autonomy of the state.

IT - Radio Frequency Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

IT - Radio Frequency Identification - Essay Example This arises because of the simple reason that an wireless monitoring system is capable of checking the work that a person does or claims to have done in addition to even the personal chores that one might attend to. It is like any other personal monitoring system, like say a video-graphy station in a parking lot. There will of course, be occasions when the monitoring station infringes in to the privacy of the individual. The user of such devices has to exhibit caution and responsibility in addition to technical prowess. RFID comes under two basic technological models. One, we call the passive RFID tag and the other an active RFID tag. While the passive RFID tag has a pretty long life with no supporting batteries inside the tag, the active RFID tag has a battery inside it which makes the life of the tag relatively lesser though the power consumption of such tags are very small1. The corollary of such a limited life is that, the RFID tags cannot be embedded permanently inside any object or an animal body including man. If it has to be done, then it has to be a passive tag. The passive tags have another major limitation being that they cannot be read from a distance that is greater than two feet effectively. There are passive tags that are supposed to read even from greater distances but are not found effective. Technologically this limitation arises because of the fact that the RFID tag uses the induction technology of the radio frequency waves. There is always an RFID reader that is placed at strategic points. These readers emanate radiations all around and get triggered once it senses a response. These readers are generally directed and emit radiations only in one direction. In case of a passive tag, the waves sent out by the reader induces a current in the tag itself. This powers the operation of the tag and it passes to the reader a specific number or identification that forms the basis of communication between the two. However, in case of an active tag, the active tag receives the signal and is able to boost it and send it back to the reader. Since this has an internal source of power, the active tags can respond to even very feeble signals from the readers. This is the reason why while passive tags can be read out of a distance of one and half feet to two feet, that of the active tag is much more. And as we have seen earlier, the same reason also has a disadvantage that of life time limitation. RFID provides its users the facility of storage, retrieval, erase and rewriting of the data in the RFID tags from the remote reader. This makes the RFID immensely powerful and enables it to have details like the entire patient history in case of hospitals, payment histories in case of customers / vendors and production data in case you need to monitor the work in progress. Remote reading and writing of data into the RFID tags also make it the right kind of tool to monitor animals in a farm and assets or library books that are issued and returned or routed to some body else. All these are massive advantages for industries. However, these can also be misused by having and storing data that goes into the

Saving Private Ryan by Steven Spielberg Essay Example for Free

Saving Private Ryan by Steven Spielberg Essay Write a newspaper film review analysing how Steven Spielberg makes the cinema audience regard the pain of others. In the Omaha Beach sequence at the beginning of Saving Private Ryan. Saving Private Ryan Cast Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Matt Damon, Edward Burns, Jeremy Davies, Vin Diesel, Adam Golberg, Barry Pepper and Giovanni Rabisi. Director Steven Spielberg. Producers Ian Bryce , Mark Gordon, Gary Levinsohn. Screenplay Robert Rodat. Cinematography Janusz Kaminski. Music John Williams. U.S Distributor DreamWorks SKG/Paramount Pictures. Viewer Rating 15. Internationally acclaimed 1940s war epic Saving Private Ryan directed by Steven Spielberg, this outstanding box office hit picked up five academy awards for:- Best Director. Cinematography. Film Editing. Sound and Sound Effects editing. Best Picture This award top grossing American Motion Picture of 1998. Saving Private Ryan opens with a cinematic battle that is, without a doubt, one of the finest, most graphic and realistic half-hours committed to film. This sequence, a soldiers eye view of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, is brilliant, not only in the terms of technique but in the depth of viewer reactions it generates, such films as Platoon, and the Apocalypse dont come close to the immense scenery Spielberg has portrayed. It is certainly the most violent, gory and realistic depiction of war that I have ever witnessed, the levels of pain put across with splitting sounds and visuals on screen. Spielberg spares the viewer nothing of the horrors of battle, using unbelievable images to display the utter chaos and senselessness that any soldier will encounter in an engagement with the enemy. Spielberg presents us with graphic scenes of Omaha Beach, the sequence is random, unstructured and subject to sheer chaos made all the more effective to the emotion on screen. Spielbergs portrayal of war on camera is outstanding, Spielberg also uses other methods to capture his sense of war, hand held cameras, a slight speeding up of images and also slowing up of images to show complete bewilderment the soldiers have to go through in the heat of battle. Also muted sound is used as to show when a shell or grenade has exploded close by and a soldier has lost their hearing. The soundtrack at the start of the sequence when soldiers are exiting the landing craft is like you are falling underwater and with a blurred sense of vision and hearing. Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) goes through a sequence of shell shock where he is witnessing his fellow countrymen die around him, not only death in a clean and typical country and western fashion, but horrific, Spielberg shows the sheer randomness and shocking way that someone can die in the heat of battle The hand held effect used by Spielberg is used to give you the perspective of what a solider is looking at in the bedlam of battle, bullets piercing everywhere, decapitation and death surrounding everything, truly shocking images being displayed, it doesnt bare thinking about to actually experience being picked off like sitting ducks on a pond, no where to go, no where to hide, knowing that the only way you can survive is to advance towards the enemy! In the opening sequence we see an American Amphibious landing vehicle approach Omaha Beach, as soon as the door drops on the front of the vessel facing the enemy the scene explodes into intense rapid machine gun fire. Nine out of ten instantly get pierced-feared dead. This shot has been used wit the German gunner out of view, showing a dark figure with no emotion and no care in the world, which is what the worlds prospective was of the Nazis at this time of sorrow. The camera effect fades right as the gun in the view aims in the direction of a vessel, giving the effect that it is in fact the aim of a Nazi soldiers eyes. The camera quickly switches to a shot down in the water at the beach where a soldier has been set foot into the water at waist height. As the soldier struggles through the water he sinks under, the soundtrack changes at this point to men shouting and the sound of gunfire, as the soldier is oblivious and concentrating on making it out of the water alive, he is shot through the chest and falls motionless into the water, the camera is shaking at the shells smashing into the beach whilst the camera is on a soldiers eye view, like the solider is witnessing his comrades die. It just makes you think an awful lot about the daunting task that the army had to embark upon that day. The first really graphic moving image Spielberg introduces to us in is near the start of the sequence, he doesnt hold back the gory images at all, the audience witnesss the pain of others but showing for example a soldier walking up the beach with a determined look on his face, when he suddenly shelled and is left leg is decapitated to the hip, he hits the floor feared dead with bright red blood spurting out onto the grey beach. Spielberg also shows the power of a shell by re-enacting a blast and following it up with the soldier rather overreact to some peoples point of view, do a cart wheel in mid air, there is also a fellow dead solider lying beside him in this shot. The next shot is where Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) is first introduced into the film and this is done by him crawling up the shell battered beach, clenching his helmet, making his way to shelter behind an ALD (Anti Landing Device) used by the Germans to prevent the amphibious vehicles getting up the beach. In my opinion, I think the introduction of Tom Hanks distracts the viewer from what really is going on., there is a war going on, but this shot is when a plot begins to emerge. Carrying on the sequence it shows through Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) eyes, view pointing on a squirming solider who is very young trying to save himself from enemy fire. This is showing human emotions and reality of war and what effect it can have on a person. This young soldier has given up on his objective, he is crying and trying to push another solider out of the way so he can get more cover from enemy fire, which gives the impression of every man for himself. Again Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) is shown in close up, his emotion is dazed. The soundtrack suddenly fades and sounds like he is underwater, gurgling sounds and sounds in the distance. This shot has been used to show how much of what you are looking upon can effect you. Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) looks upon his fellow men dying around him, his face really shows how much he cares but also looking very unaware of where he is and what he is doing. The following scene (shot) is seen through Captain John Millers (Tom Hanks) eyes, he looks at a soldier approaching the higher tier of the beach, with one solider with a flame thrower on his back being followed by two other infantrymen. The flame pack gets pierced by a bullet and explodes, engulfing him and the other soldiers, this is where colour is properly introduced with the flames and Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) still dazed, the sound is like a brush of wind through trees. This shot gives the sense of how war can backfire on you, its ironic how this American soldier was going to use his unique weapon to kill the enemy but as a result it killed him in an horrific manor, showing countless ways that people can die in wartime. Moving back to Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) looking through his eyes, he sees a man who has had his arm decapitated and is searching for his lost limb in confusion, after being re united with his mangled arm, he simply walks off down the beach. The scenery behind this injured soldier has been framed behind the Anti Landing Devices to keep the mood of battle and with soldiers crawling around underneath this soldier to show more authenticity and amazement at what the soldier is doing. Once again showing randomness in war, with the man who simply has given up his objective. Still with no dialogue introduced yet. The following shot in this sequence brings you back to Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) after just seeing three men being engulfed in flames, a wash of blood sprays onto Captain John Millers (Tom Hanks) face and dribbles down, but he just closes his eyes, still dazed and a doesnt seem fazed by this, although looking surprised he is still without proper hearing. This is used to still represent confusion in war. Spielberg shows the machinery in wartime used in the D-Day landings, he represents them by a landing craft is on fire and American soldiers pouring out on fire. Landing craft called PA30-31 designed to drive up the beach, but unsuccessful and engulfed in flames. The soldiers arent bothered about getting shot, they are just worried about getting the flames off them by diving into the freezing cold water, running around like headless chickens, showing that not everything goes to plan in war, and again the randomness of it all. Also showing that you cant always die by the bullet. This shot is still looking through the captains eyes, the first scene with a crowd sense. The soundtrack at this moment is still with Captain John Millers (Toms Hanks) hearing disabled slightly and you hear the sound of flames and shouting. Showing the sense of uncertainty and danger the soldiers are in. The camera is used in a way that helps us to understand Millers confusion. One shot has the camera panning away from Millers eyes as his hearing slowly returns, to the sound of explosions and endless gunfire, illustrating that Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) has suddenly become aware of what is around him and what he has to do to survive. Miller is seen putting his helmet on which is filled with sea water stained red with blood, the camera follows this action closely as the blood runs down his face, again illustrating the stark reality of his situation. This is further emphasised by the introduction of the first real dialogue, What do we do now sir? Miller is slow to respond and the soldier shouts, I said what the hell do we do now sir!? To say that the film starts with a BANG! Is an understatement, Spielberg uses grotesque images of blood, gore, drowning, dismemberment and death to create impact and then shows us by his clever use of camera angles and close ups shots, the mental and physical pain that these men experienced. This ultimately leaves the viewer shell shocked and in complete empathy with those who experienced the D-Day landings on June 6th 1944.

Dismantling the Wall Essay -- Literary Analysis, Robert Frost

The storyline in most high school English classes is the analyzing or overanalyzing of poetry. Often this train of thought winds into a one-track argument between teacher and students. The pupils object about readers manufacturing meaning where none exists; the instructor insists that the poem merits deep examination. Granted, some poets write simple poems for the primary sake of entertainment (i.e. Jack Prelutsky). However, some poets manage to compound a dense significance into a concise poem, and these poems warrant the analysis of their deep meaning. Robert Frost is one poet capable of creating these masterpieces of poetry, such as tackling a subject as grand as the Apocalypse and commenting on it in terms of fire and ice (â€Å"Fire and Ice†). Frost succeeds in the task again in his poem â€Å"Mending Wall,† which literally tells the story of two men who, following every winter, repair the stone wall that separates their fields. In this poem, Frost implements a specific physical structure along with poetic devices including, dialogue and metaphors to derive a deeper social commentary from a common occurrence- building a wall. The physical construction of the poem â€Å"Mending Wall† reflects the literal wall and the metaphorical barrier being erected between the two men. Instead of dividing his poem into stanzas, Frost â€Å"presents an unbroken sequence of lines† (Andrews 1). First, the poem is left justified over its entirety and lacks any stanza breaks. These two characteristics cause the poem to appear on the page as resembling a jagged, serrated wall. The effect can be truly revealed by tilting the poem sideways, placing the flat (left justified) side on the bottom and the jagged edge on top. The poem physically appears as a stone wall... ...a common border. Through double meanings and an effective story and title, Frost is able to entertain with strong poetry while conveying his subliminal commentary. To summarize, Frost’s â€Å"Mending Wall† is a work of respectable value not only for its poetic ingredients but also for its multi-faceted secondary meanings. Beneath the first layer of context lays a deep social commentary that is apparent through engaged analysis. Whether in support or dissent of the excessive examination of poetry, â€Å"Mending Wall† by Robert Frost possesses the poetic devices of traditional works and a deeper social commentary that is expected from Robert Frost. The meeting of rational thinking and primitive instinct occurs in society regularly. Human beings share this duality within themselves, and this poem depicts the struggle between the two points of view, the two sides of the wall.

Psychology and the Bipolar Disorder Essay

Abstract Bipolar Disorder is a serious psychiatric condition that manifests usually in the late teens and affects about one in fifty people. Afflicted individuals experience heightened and extreme states of mania or elation to severe depression, with one in six sufferers inclined to commit suicide. Researchers have discovered biological and genetic links to this illness. Environmental factors such as stressful situations and even diet have been revealed to trigger its onset to those who are biologically inclined to have it, or aggravate its symptoms to those who are already diagnosed with BPD. Bipolar Disorder is a psychiatric condition previously known as manic depression. It is a mental illness that influences how a person acts, feels and thinks. Generally, people with bipolar disorder experience a cycle of mood swings that range from elation to depression. The degrees of these mood swings likewise vary from mild to extreme. The experience of extreme elation is also known as mania. Studies have shown an estimated one percent of the population develop bipolar disorder. Symptoms usually manifest itself in early adulthood. For many people with bipolar disorder, this condition usually lasts throughout their lives. The effects of bipolar disorder also extend to social and occupational aspects. Sufferers may withdraw from family and friends, and sometimes find themselves unable to work. There is a tendency for bipolar disorder to occur in sporadic episodes. Between episodes, the individual may experience no symptoms and function normally. About a third of them however may continue to experience mood difficulties or problems socially or with work between bipolar occurrences. People who have bipolar disorder often are not fully conscious of their condition. Those who fail to receive treatment may experience an average of four episodes in ten years. A minority of people with bipolar disorder (15%) may have many episodes in a year. Bipolar disorder is brought about by both biological (brain chemistry) and genetic (history of the disorder in the family) factors, as well as lifestyle (stressors and diet) and environmental (mania in spring, depression in winter) factors. In other words, both â€Å"nature† and â€Å"nurture† influence the occurrence of bipolar disorder in people. This paper will examine the inter-relationship between the various â€Å"nature† and â€Å"nurture† factors, in giving rise to the onset of bipolar disorder in people (The Australian Psychological Society, 2008). It is estimated that more than two million Americans have it. Men and women are equally affected. Onset of the condition is usually during late teens. It is also estimated that an additional one million children and pre-teens are suffering from the early stages of bipolar disorder. Detection and diagnosis are at most times delayed. Often people suffer for a decade before condition is diagnosed (Time Magazine – Young and Bipolar, 2002). In the United Kingdom, about half a million people are estimated to have bipolar disorder (University of Edinburgh, 2007). Bipolar disorder is a major psychiatric illness. According to a study in Australia, bipolar disorder affects around one in fifty people, and one in every six people with bipolar disorder will commit suicide (University of New South Wales, 2006). Biological Causes of Bipolar Disorder In the Seventh International Conference on Bipolar Disorder in June 2007, two studies have linked the brain as containing vital clues or markers for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Dr. Husseini Manji, chief of the laboratory of Molecular Pathophysiology at the National Institute of Mental Health suggested that bipolar disorder occurs as a result of abnormalities in neuronal plasticity cascades. This is the complex machinery inside new cells which regulates various processes in the human body. Disruptions in these pathways were discovered to lead to many of the primary symptoms of bipolar disorder. Dr. Mary Phillips, Director of Functional Neuroimaging in Emotional Disorders at the Western Psychiatric Institute and the Clinic of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, has discovered patterns of abnormalities in the neural systems that bring about emotional processing and cognitive control uniquely attributed to the bipolar brain (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 2007). In Time Magazine’s interview with Dr. Wayne Drevets of the National Institute of Mental Health, five parts of the human brain were described to have abnormal activities in the bipolar brain. The Ventral Striatum is that which helps the brain process rewards. In the bipolar brain, this Ventral Striatum is over-active, with about 30% less gray matter in this region. The resulting behavior is a loss in judgment for certain behaviors such as overspending or being indiscriminate. The Prefrontal Cortex, or parts of it, regulates emotion. It is also vital in processing motivation and rewards. In the bipolar brain, braches that supposedly connect neurons are lost, leading to a 20-40% reduction of gray matter. The Amygdala is one of the brain’s emotional centers. It helps in the identification of facial expressions and tones of voice. When a person is emotionally stimulated, neural transmissions increase. When a person is repeatedly exposed to the same stimulating images or experiences, habituation or reduced response occurs. In the bipolar brain, habituation the repeated stimuli occurs slowly, thus the brain remains reactive even beyond the usual response period. The Hippocampus is one of the brain’s centers of memory. The subiculum, a layer of the hippocampus, helps recognize circumstances that represent reward or danger. In the bipolar brain, the branches that connect neurons are lost. Thus leading to a constant state of anxiety since the person can no longer identify situations that are safe. The nucleus in the brain stem contains the serotonin cell bodies. These create and disperse the neurotransmitter to various sections of the brain. In a bipolar brain, there is 40% less serotonin receptor in the nucleus. The resulting atrophy of neurons usually lead to depression (Kluger & Song, 2002). People with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia have been discovered to have overactive protein kinase C (PKC) enzymes. This enzyme impairs higher brain functions, according to a study of Yale University in 2004. This study tested the effects of increased PKC activity in the prefrontal cortex of animals that performed working memory tasks. The regulation of thoughts, behaviors and feelings all takes places in the prefrontal cortex region of the brain. Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia renders the prefrontal cortex dysfunctional. Direct or indirect activation of PKC in animals dramatically impaired functions of the prefrontal cortex. PKC triggers the cognitive symptoms as a response to stress. When the chemical norepinephrine, the stress-sensitive messenger, binds to cell membrane receptors in the prefrontal cortex, the PKC is activated through a cascade of events. The PKC enzyme thus travels out to the cell membrance, opens the ion channels which heighten the cell’s excitability, and strokes the protein machinery which propels neurotransmitters into the synapse. Inhibition of PKC on the other hand, protected the prefrontal cortical function. For cognitive tasks that did not rely on the prefrontal cortex, no changes in performance were observed (NIH/NIHM, 2004; Yale University, 2004). This particular research results contributes to the mounting evidence of that excessive activity of the PKC may cause distractibility, impulsivity, disturbed thinking and impaired judgment seen in people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (Yale University, 2004). In Australia in 2006 scientists at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the University of New South Wales discovered the first risk gene specifically associated with bipolar disorder. People with this particular form of gene are twice as likely to develop the disease. Studies with families, unrelated patients and therapeutic drug mouse models led to the discovery of this gene called FAT – a gene related to the connection of brain cells. The research’s initial findings pointed that the popular lithium treatment for bipolar disorder exerts a therapeutic effect by altering FAT gene expression and also alters the expression of genes encoding FAT’s protein partners. This particular research on the FAT gene continues to discover further how it functions, to be able to develop better diagnostic tests and treatment (University of New South Wales, 2006). Genetic factors of Bipolar Disorder It is unlikely that scientists will expect genes to tell the whole story about major psychiatric diseases. However, the persistent frequency of mental illness in one percent of the international human population, across ethnic and cultural differences, and its tendency to manifest itself in families point to a strong genetic link (Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 2003). Scientists have reason to believe in that bipolar disorder can be passed on to next generations of families genetically. In â€Å"gene penetrance,† families susceptible to certain illnesses develop it differently throughout generations. It is more common-place that later generations suffer worse than previous generations due to a genetic mechanism known as â€Å"trinucleotide repeat expansion.† Each time genes are inherited, defective sequences of these genes grow longer. This results in descendants coming down with the illness. Trinucleotide repeat expansion has been associated with Huntington’s disease, and evidence is currently mounting to this genetic condition increases the risk of having bipolar disorder as well. The National Institute of Mental Health has worked with eight research centers around the United States to study genomes of 500 families with a history of bipolar disorder to examine what genetic quirks are shared. Ten out of forty-six human chromosomes were discovered to show irregularities that may be linked with bipolar disorder. Chromosome 22 is the most interesting of which. This same chromosome has also been associated with schizophrenia, and velo-cardio-facial syndrome. All these disorders are related by patients’ experience of delusions (Kluger & Song, 2002). Environmental triggers of Bipolar Disorder Environmental factors in itself are not believed to singularly cause bipolar disorder in people. Dr. Michael Gitlin, Head of the Mood Disorders Clinic at the University of California in Los Angeles says that most doctors and scientists do not think environmental stress causes bipolar disorder. But these factors can trigger the condition in people who are already vulnerable (Kluger & Song, 2002). Like many latent emotional disorders such as alcoholism, anxiety conditions, depression, bipolar disorder can also be triggered by major life events such as death, divorce, losing one’s job, or rights of passage such as moving out to start college, marriage, birth of a child. These and other situations that cause stress and anxiety are believed to trigger bipolar disorder (Kluger & Song, 2002). The Yale University study has also revealed thatt mild stress can activate PKC, and thus contribute to the worsening of symptoms in patients already with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The link between outside stress as stimulating the PKC can thus be used to explain deterioration of higher brain function, and why bipolar disorder and schizophrenia patients are most susceptible to dysfunctions that are stress-induced (Yale University, 2004). Dietary factors and ingested substances as triggers to Bipolar Disorder What a person eats and drinks are also believed to trigger bipolar disorder. Caffeine triggers mania for those with bipolar disorder. Teens are thus advised to stay away from coffee and tea. Children already diagnosed with bipolar disorder must avoid caffeinated foods such as chocolate and sodas. Teens and adolescents must avoid alcohol and drugs. The risks for addiction to these substances by bipolars is substantially higher, and treatment for bipolar disorder will be much more difficult since the patient’s mind is already clouded by these recreational chemicals (Kluger & Song, 2002). Lead poisoning was discovered to have links with distractibility and impulsivity that are evident in children with bipolar disorder. Even low levels of lead can activate the PKC enzyme, thus impairing the individual’s self regulation of his/her behavior. (Yale University, 2004). Lizzie Simon has bipolar disorder. She has written a book about her condition entitled â€Å"Detour,† which even inspired an MTV Special entitled â€Å"True Life: I’m Bipolar.† Time Magazine featured excerpts of her book, describing the first significant onset of bipolar disorder symptoms when she was seventeen years old, and her particular circumstances during this time. She was in Paris on her senior year abroad. She was having a wonderful time, and remembered thinking that she had never been this happy for this long in her entire life. She then received a letter of early admission to Columbia University. Early the next morning, after such a perfect day prior, she felt insane. She experienced an uncomfortable light fuzz building up in her head. She described the feeling as if her jeans were too tight and her shoes were too big, but in her head. She remembered her place ride home for Christmas, and getting intoxicated with a guy in the last row. At that point for Lizzie, things started to fade. Between Christmas and New Year, she felt drifting and drowning. Her walls swooned. She documented in her journals thoughts of suicide attempts, experiences of being broken- hearted, sadness and other dark experiences. After receiving an initial treatment of Paxil, an anti-depressant, Lizzie returned to Paris and brought her pills with her. In Paris, Lizzie was in a manic state. She remembers sitting in a cafà © on a sunny day, then standing up and announcing loudly that she was going to walk until she got laid. Lizzie experienced many more psychotic episodes from manic to depressive during this period – sitting in her bedroom and thinking that there were microphones everyone, expecting killers to enter her room, feeling that the Mona Lisa was smiling at her, thinking she was a cat infested with bugs. She even bit her hand until she broke her own skin. At one time, she was about to jump off a terrace, only to be disrupted by the ringing of her phone. She remembered the caller being a woman who sounded like her mother. But she then thought then it was the CIA. She sought treatment at the American Hospital in Paris. She was advised to stop taking Paxil, and was diagnosed to have bipolar disorder. She flew home and later on, started taking Lithium (Simon, 2002). It is interesting to note that Lizzie Simon’s grandfather had bipolar disorder. Since her family kept it a secret, Lizzy had no idea of this particular aspect of her family history until after she was diagnosed, and after the symptoms developed into more severe forms. He was diagnosed the year she was born. Lizzie was diagnosed the year her grandfather died (Simon, 2002). This is not an issue of nature versus nurture. What the evidence points out is more of a â€Å"nurture enhancing nature† inter-relationship. Although numerous studies have shown that there are people who are predisposed biologically and genetically to bipolar disorder, external factors such as events, stress and even diet can not only trigger bipolar disorder. These factors can also worsen the symptoms of already diagnosed bipolar patients. Lizzie Simon’s story is just one of thousands of incidents of people inheriting the genes that lay the foundation of bipolar disorder, the prominent symptoms of which are triggered by emotional and stressful external events and circumstances. In the same manner, people with bipolar disorder, or those who are most inclined to develop this condition (having parents or grandparents with bipolar disorder) can prevent its occurrences, or at least lessen the severity of its symptoms, depending on how they personally manage stressful situations in their lives. The principle of external and environmental factors as triggering the onset, or worsening the symptoms of bipolar disorder is already widely accepted internationally. But studies to better understand the details of these inter-relationships of â€Å"nature† and â€Å"nurture,† particularly to develop better diagnostic tests and treatments are on-going. References Australian Psychological Society (2008) What is Bipolar Disorder? Retrieved January 1, 2008 from http://www.psychology.org.au/community/bipolar/ Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (2003, April 1). Families With Severe Form Of Bipolar Disorder Help Scientists Narrow The Search For Disease Genes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/April%20Santos/Desktop/Essay/4%20Bipolar%20Disorder%20$40/Families%20With%20Severe%20Form%20Of%20Bipolar%20Disorder%20Help%20Scientists%20Narrow%20The%20Search%20For%20Disease%20Genes.htm Kluger, J. & Song, S. (2002) Young and Bipolar. Time Magazine. Retrieved January 1, 2008 from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101020819-336003,00.html NIH/National Institute Of Mental Health (2004, November 3). Stress Impairs Thinking Via Mania-Linked Enzyme. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/April%20Santos/Desktop/Essay/4%20Bipolar%20Disorder%20$40/Stress%20Impairs%20Thinking%20Via%20Mania-Linked%20Enzyme.htm Simon, L. (2002). Everything was perfect†¦and then I went insane. Time Magazine. Retrieved January 1, 2008 from http://www.time.com/time/cov ers/1101020819/detour.html University of Edinburgh (2007, July 21). Manic Depression Linked With Brain Tissue Loss. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/April%20Santos/Desktop/Essay/4%20Bipolar%20Disorder%20$40/Manic%20Depression%20Linked%20With%20Brain%20Tissue%20Loss.htm University of New South Wales (2006, January 13). FAT Chance Of Becoming Manic-depressive. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/April%20Santos/Desktop/Essay/4%20Bipolar%20Disorder%20$40/FAT%20Chance%20Of%20Becoming%20Manic-depressive.htm University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2007, June 9). Brain Holds Clues To Bipolar Disorder. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/April%20Santos/Desktop/Essay/4%20Bipolar%20Disorder%20$40/Brain%20Holds%20Clues%20To%20Bipolar%20Disorder.htm Yale University (2004, November 5). Enzyme Linked To Mania And Schizophrenia Impairs Higher Brain Func tions. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/April%20Santos/Desktop/Essay/4%20Bipolar%20Disorder%20$40/Enzyme%20Linked%20To%20Mania%20And%20Schizophrenia%20Impairs%20Higher%20Brain%20Functions.htm

Good vs Evil †English Essay Essay

There is neither a definite good nor evil, but only the grey area in-between. The Japanese proverb of Yin and Yang states that in all good there is some evil and in all evil there is dome good thus without good there can be no evil and without evil there can be no good. Evil was once described to me as ‘The inability to feel sympathy’ and at first I agreed with this analogy but upon further thought and deliberation I decided that it was not entirely true, for if evil is the inability to feel sympathy then that makes all acts of sympathy good. However, that analogy would make an act, one that almost the entire world agrees is purely evil, an act of good. The act in question is the destruction of the twin towers of 9/11, because the perpetrators were sympathetic. They were sympathetic towards their country and their people who, contrary to popular knowledge, had already been invaded and were being oppressed by the USA who were trying to secure their oil reserves. There is no way to moderate universally what is considered good and evil. Every man believes in some way that their own actions are just and righteous whilst also believing that their enemy’s actions are acts of evil purely because they oppose his own wishes thus making all man good in his own eyes yet evil in the eyes of those he opposes. Each and every one of us must decide for ourselves what is good and what is evil, and yet we must still conform to the â€Å"norms† of society. The definition of what is right and what is wrong may come from many different places. Some blindly accept what society tells then to where others question society and still others actively oppose society’s views. Some get their definition from the relative religious scripture and follow that without question whereas others merely see it as a general guideline whereupon to base their actions. I believe that the concepts of good and bad, righteousness and evil, just and unjust exist purely to justify man’s actions and that they have and will continue to change to fit the person whose action requires justifying. Alas, these unflinching opposing forces are bound to perpetually clash as they strive for a balance. For without either life as we know it could never exist, perhaps life at all could not exist.

Using Narture Efficiently essays

Using Narture Efficiently essays Using Nature Efficiently Mans relationship and treatment of nature, in terms of the outdoors, has changed dramatically over time. This change has been almost directly related to how man relies on nature to survive. The problem has been deciding if our treatment of nature is appropriate and fair to all of which nature impacts. Do humans have the right to use nature in a way that meets our needs and wants, but takes away from those of animals? Humans relationship and treatment of nature should correspond to our societys needs and goals, taking from nature only what we need and trying to address the needs of everyone affected. Our societys increased urbanizations and industrialization worldwide has decreased our direct dependency on nature to survive. In turn, our relationship with nature has changed dramatically. Barry Lopez is a writer known for his nature essays. In The American Geographies, he describes this change of dependency by saying, it has only been in the last few hundred years or so that a people could afford to ignore their local geographies as completely as we do and still survive (152). This quote emphasizes the lack of a personal relationship with nature that most of us possess today. A thousand years ago, man used the earth to attain all needs for survival; food, clothing, and shelter were all derived from pure forms of nature unaltered by any synthetic processes that we use today. They grew all of their food and made shelters and clothing from natural substances using tools made of elements found directly in nature. But they still used and took from nature what they needed to sur vive, just in a different way than we do today. These people of ancient times used nature in a respectable way, taking only what they needed to survive and leaving plenty for the natural environment around them. But their small population and nomadic lifestyl...

Definition and Illustrations of Example in Writing

Definition and Illustrations of Example in Writing In composition, example (or exemplification) is a  method of paragraph or essay development by which a writer clarifies, explains, or justifies a point through narrative or informative details. The best way to reveal a problem, phenomenon, or social circumstance, says William Ruehlmann, is to illustrate it with a single, specific instance. (Stalking the Feature Story, 1978). The etymology comes from the Latin, to take out. Examples and Observations I argue that there is a sense of belonging, a sense of national/cultural identity that differentiates one people from others. Let me look at Vietnamese students studying in Australia as an example. . . .(Le Ha Phan, Teaching English as an International Language: Identity, Resistance, and Negotiation. Multilingual Matters, 2008)Illustrations affected me more strongly  than reality; a picture of falling snow, for example, whether in black-and-white line drawing or blurry four-color reproduction, moves me more than any actual storm.(John Updike,  Self-Consciousness, 1989)Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.(Dave Barry)There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance, is a very slight interference.(Henry David Thoreau, Paradise (to Be) Regained. Democ ratic Review, Nov. 1843) Before long I came to regard all kinds of activities - asking for more toast in a hotel, buying wool-rich socks at Marks Spencer, getting two pairs of pants when I really needed only one - as something daring, very nearly illicit. My life became immensely richer.(Bill Bryson, Notes From a Small Island. Doubleday, 1995)ensure that you use specific and relevant examples;include multiple examples to make your point; andprovide an effective argument Functions and MethodsBecause examples are so important for clarification, adding interest, and persuasion, writers rely on them all the time, even when they use other patterns of development. Thus, you will see examples in essays developed largely with cause-and-effect analysis, process analysis, comparison-contrast, and other patterns or combinations of patterns. Say, for instance, that you are using cause-and-effect analysis to explain why sexually active teenagers often do not use birth control. Once you note that teenagers may not always understand when and how pregnancy can occur, you can illustrate with an example you read of a 15-year-old who became pregnant because she thought she was safe since it was her first sexual experience.Regardless of your purpose for using exemplification, your examples will support, clarify, or explain a generalization, which is a statement of something that is typically true in your own life or in a broader context.(Barbara Fine Clouse, Patterns f or a Purpose. McGraw-Hill, 2003)Whether example is a supporting mode or the dominant technique, you need to(W.J. Kelly, Strategy and Structure. Allyn Bacon, 1999) Examples of SuperstitionsMany superstitions are so widespread and so old that they must have risen from a depth of the human mind that is indifferent to race or creed. Orthodox Jews place a charm on their door-posts; so do (or did) the Chinese. Some peoples of Middle Europe believe that when a man sneezes, his soul, for that moment, is absent from his body, and they hasten to bless him, lest the soul should be seized by the Devil. How did the Melanesians come by the same idea? Superstition seems to have a link with somebody of belief that far antedates the religions we know - religions which have no place for such comforting little ceremonies and charities.(Robertson Davies, A Few Kind Words for Superstition. Newsweek, Nov. 20, 1978) MementosIn the small, shabby apartment there were mementos of other places, other things. There was, for example, a childs day bed folded up in a corner of the living room. Toys - if you opened the closet door too quickly - fell on your head. Tiny scuffed white shoes were still hiding - one of them, anyhow - under the headboard of the bed. Small worn dresses, ripped, faded or in good repair, hung on nails in a small back room.(Alice Walker, Meridian. Harcourt Brace, 1976) Memories of Autumn in EnglandSoon it will be the endless evenings, fraught with old, thin memories of Bovril and Sooty, wet streets, lighting-up time, tentative girlfriends gone away to university, beer and colds, waiting outside Halfords for the number 29 bus, melancholy nights with headlights making patterns on the bedroom wall. Autumn is a Sunday evening indefinitely expended. It is the season of the provinces, bedsits in Sheffield, Cardiff sea-mists, raincoats and station platforms, desolation and loss.(Michael Bywater, The Chronicles of Bargepole. Jonathan Cape, 1992) The Lighter Side of ExamplesIt is an important and popular fact that things are not always what they seem. For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons.(Douglas Adams, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Pan, 1979)

Noise Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Noise Control - Essay Example In my opinion, the first restriction that community members will desire is that of a set boundary. People visiting the night club should not be allowed to loiter, and must stay within the actual boundaries of the night club, and not wander into the residential area. Second, the night club should be expected to shut its doors at a particular time period each night, and stay open no later than 1:30 AM in the morning. Next, the night club should not be too loud so as to disturb the people in the neighborhood; the night club should maintain a respectful volume so that the citizens of the area and the children of the area are well rested enough to wake up and go to school and work in the morning. If the volume is kept at a level where it does not interfere with the community, the community would be more likely to accept the nightclub in its area. The night club should also make sure to maintain a heavy security staff, since the night club is close to a residential area, and intoxicated in dividuals should not be allowed to wander or wreck havoc in the residential area. Furthermore, a heavy security staff will probably also help to make the community itself more comfortable with the idea of a night club in its area. Hearing protection should be worn by employees of the night club.

Literature Review on Learning Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Literature Review on Learning - Dissertation Example It has been estimated that around 1 billion people around the world use English everyday (Crystal, 1996). These same individuals would be speaking or writing the language in a wide variety of settings such as the business world or the academe. Such a scenario reinforces the fact that teaching English can be a very daunting task. Prospective teachers must not only deal with the sheer complexity of the language itself but also due to its global nature, the differences in each pupil’s capabilities and learning preferences that are becoming broader. Over the years, various scholars of different nationalities have attempted to formulate their own methods to improve instruction in a native language or to introduce a second language. A careful study and comparison of their works especially the researches on improving English instruction, may aid in the formulation of a successful teaching program.James Asher (1966) was known for his studies which became known as the Total Physical Response experiments. This proceeded with students listening to commands being given in a specific target language, where the whole class including the instructor, would immediately respond by performing the appropriate physical action. When these commands become familiar, the teacher would remain seated and only the students will continue responding to the given commands. Sometimes, a few unfamiliar utterances may also be given. Verbal responses by the students would only be initiated when the students feel they are ready. Many of the grammatical featur es in a language can be introduced through this method with almost any grammatical constituent being able to get taught.