Describe and Evaluate Two Approaches to the Treatment of Self-Defeating Behaviour Essay Example

Describe and Evaluate Two Approaches to the Treatment of Self-Defeating Behaviour Essay Word count – 2553 Describe and evaluate two approaches to the treatment of self-defeating behaviour. Module Five Jane Ovington May 2012 Jane Ovington Chrysalis North2A Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 1 of 9 Introduction This essay aims to describe and evaluate two approaches to the treatment of self defeating behaviour. To do this I am using the description of Anorexia Nervosa as a self defeating behaviour, one which has far reaching consequences. I will include possible origins, causes and maintenance of Anorexia and describe two of many ways in which a therapist may help with this condition whilst weighing up the strengths and weaknesses of each. Main essay What is self defeating behaviour? Self defeating behaviour could be described as behaviour that when compared to other possible courses of action, it is never the best possible action for that individual. A self defeating behaviour will at some point have been used successfully as a coping strategy to get through a difficult situation. This course of action is then stored in the subconscious by that individual as something that ‘worked’ and therefore the behaviour will be re-produced again in times of perceived trouble. The self defeating behaviour will by its very nature actually serve to ensure that the fear or consequence that the person is trying to avoid will in fact come to pass. (Chrysalis Year 2 Module5) What is Anorexia? Anorexia is an eating disorder whose main feature is excessive weight loss and obsessive exercise. We will write a custom essay sample on Describe and Evaluate Two Approaches to the Treatment of Self-Defeating Behaviour specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Describe and Evaluate Two Approaches to the Treatment of Self-Defeating Behaviour specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Describe and Evaluate Two Approaches to the Treatment of Self-Defeating Behaviour specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer A very low weight is achieved which is then maintained abnormally low for the patients age and height. The sufferer develops an intense desire to be thinner and an intense fear of becoming fat. Their body image becomes completely distorted and their body weight and shape become the main or even sole measure of self worth as maintaining an extremely low weight becomes equated with beauty, success, self-esteem, and self-control. It is not seen as a problem by the sufferer. Jane Ovington Chrysalis North2A Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 2 of 9 Contrary to popular belief this psychological and physical condition is not usually about food. It is a self defeating behaviour used as a way of taking control and trying to make life better and is accompanied by a variety of changes in behaviour, emotions, thinking, perceptions, and social interactions. The name Anorexia nervosa is somewhat misleading as it literally means nervous loss of appetite. However, for people with this disorder all waking thoughts are dominated by food, weight, and body image and incredible levels of self control are used to fight feelings of intense hunger. http://ehealthmd. com/content/what-anorexia-nervosa) Approximately 95% of those affected by anorexia are female and most often teenage girls. Higher incidence of anorexia is often seen in environments where thinness is deemed to be especially desirable or a professional requirement, such as athletes, models, dancers, and actors. In order to enter the state of Anorexia Nervosa, a person must lose weigh t. The majority set out to do so deliberately because rightly or wrongly they feel that they are too fat. For most people, dieting to lose weight is a struggle. Most dieters cheat or give up before they lose all the weight which they had intended to shed and for those who do reach their intended weight there is a measure of satisfaction and re-education of eating habits which allow them to maintain a healthy weight. In contrast, the soon to be anorexic finds slimming easy, rewarding and something they can be good at from the start, something they can control which brings feelings of success, power and triumph. The sense of satisfaction gained from the suppression of hunger and the level of self denial required to be successful is frequently reported by anorexic sufferers to be very empowering and so here we see how effective this behaviour may be viewed by the sufferer as a coping strategy. Jane Ovington Chrysalis North2A Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 3 of 9 My own experience of this condition was one that arose when my best friend died at the age of 17. I knew for many months prior to her death that death would almost certainly be the outcome of her condition. I felt ‘out of control’ there was nothing I could do to change the course of events. The one thing I could control however was what went into my mouth. This gave me a comforting sense of taking control of something. Something I turned out to be good at, something I could focus on to make all the other uncontrollable feelings subside. Once these feelings arise, a fear of losing control prevents the sufferer from resuming normal eating habits. Their experience is dominated by these feel good feelings of control and power but it is perceived by the sufferer to be precarious and vulnerable and therefore threatened by any behaviour that may cause unwanted weight gain. The sufferers preoccupation with maintaining this new postition begins to distort all other interests, concerns and relationships. In some cases the current position is never enough and weight loss progresses until it becomes life threatening. In most cases it seems that the anorexic starts out with similar behaviour and similar intention to the ordinary slimmer but something goes wrong and the slimming behaviour is inappropriately prolonged (My own experience). Ironically, while Anorexia starts out as a feeling of taking control, it rapidly descends into a fear of losing the control the sufferer perceives themselves to have taken. All the while the condition is actually controlling the sufferer. While the media definitely plays a role in how we view ourselves, anorexia is a way of coping with what’s going on in a teen’s life. Stress, pain, anger, acceptance, confusion and fear can all become triggers for this debilitating eating disorder. The goal is one of trying to make their whole life better. Families can play a huge role. Some families are over protective and smothering which can create a need or rather a demand for independence. Jane Ovington Chrysalis North2A Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 4 of 9 Some families are critical of weight gain, academic or sporting accomplishments or are rigid and even abusive. Some younger people do not feel safe in their own homes, they don’t know where to turn or what to do and the need to find a way to deal with what’s going on in their lives. Life transitions such as a break up, a divorce, death of a loved one, failure at school or at work are all stressful incidents that need to be dealt with. Genetic factors can also play its part in contributing anorexia in teenage girls occurs eight times more often in people who have relatives with the disorder. Anorexia – a guide to sufferers and their families R. L Palmer 1980). My own Mother was grossly overweight at the time of my condition and I viewed her as someone who was completely out of control with no respect for herself. This was a very negative view, one which I could not see in myself at the other end of the spectrum! Effects on families and friends For parents and oth ers who are close to a person who is trapped inside the condition of anorexia, there can seem like there is no escape. It is difficult for them to understand and empathise with self destructive behaviours. It becomes extrememly distressing to see a loved one wasting away whilst refusing offers of food which seem such a tantalisingly simple solution to the problem. Feelings of helplesness and guilt set in, along with frustration, anger and despair. (Quote from my Mum from 1991). My Mother set about criticising my ‘ridiculous behaviour’ in a bid to scare me into eating this only served to make me more determined to empower myself with what had turned from self defeating behaviour into self destructive behaviour and ultimately formed a self defeating behaviour in my Mother. Jane Ovington Chrysalis North2A Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 5 of 9 Treatment The idea of being ‘cured’ of Anorexia by the sufferer is usually completely undesirable because what that ‘cure’ implies is that they will eat more food, put on more weight and become fat, the very thing they are trying to avoid! Therefore, Anorexia has to be acknowledged as a problem by the sufferer before effective treatment can take place. Traditionaly the disorder is treated with a combination of individual psychotherapy and family therapy to look beyond the basic issue of food intake and address the emotional issues that underpin the disorder using a psychodynamic approach. Important ethical considerations It is important for therapists to consider that Anorexia Nervosa, although starts out as a self defeating behaviour, it’s consequences lead to many serious medical conditions which can range from malnutrition, loss of concentration and loss of periods to total organ failure and death. Therefore a therapist should never aim to treat the condition alone, but any psychological intervention to treat the underlying causes should take place alongside appropriate medical care. Any therapists working with an anorexic client would always need written medical consent and specialist supervision and should be experienced in this field of work. However, members of the sufferers family and close friends may also benefit from therapy to address any stress, anxiety and guilt surrounding the issue and in the absence of any other contraindications, medical consent for this group would not be necessary. The psychodynamic approach The psychodynamic approach will view the clients behaviour as being derived from some internal conflict, motive or unconscious force. Once it is discovered where this conflict began the therapist can set about working through those issues to a resolution. Jane Ovington Chrysalis North2A Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 6 of 9 Generally, it is believed that if behaviours are discontinued without addressing the underlying motives that are driving them, then a relapse will occur. During my battle with Anorexia, I was hospitalised and fed to increase my body weight. I ate willingly and was quickly considered cured and discharged from the hospital. However, I had deliberately manipulated the situation with the view that the sooner I could ‘escape’ the quicker I could get back on with the job. Taking control, to bring back the feel good feelings and the sense of empowerment that meant even more to me after having been ‘overpowered’ in the hospital. Clearly this treatment was very ineffective. Later I sought help through a therapist who, using a psychodynamic approach, was able to take me back through the death of my friend and deal with the grief in an appropriate way. This eventually helped me to let go of controlling my food intake as a way of dealing with these suppressed emotions. Behavioural symptoms in the psychodynamic approach are viewed as expressions of the patients underlying needs. Often issues can disappear or lie dormant with the completion of working through these issues. However, a psychodynamic approach to anorexia is not all encompassing. During the recovery process, anorexics will frequently suffer from feelings of panic as they learn to lessen their control. As weight is gained, they will feel anxious much of the time and suffer from low self esteem or perhaps even feel that they are a bad person and have to become a people pleaser to make up for it. Anorexics are very often perfectionists and can be very harsh on themselves. All these things combined can make the process of recovery a very stressful, anxious and self deprecating experience (My own experience). A cognitive behavioural therapy approach may best meet the needs of a client feeling this way. Anorexics are often not fully aware of the initial cause of the condition and therapy may be a way to Jane Ovington Chrysalis North2A Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 7 of 9 lift the lid off of buried emotions to enable sufferers to deal with their underlying emotions. During the grip of the disorder the over-riding emotion felt is fear and this fear over rides the bodys natural wisdom around food and eating, the sufferer distrusts themselves and fears that their secret greedy self may emerge and they will lose control completely. The sufferer will hate their secret greedy self and cognitive behavioural therapy would be a valuable tool in rebuilding self trust, improving self esteem, and overcoming fear and anxiety that arises through the process of recovery. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a time-limited and focused approach that helps a person understand how their thinking and negative self-talk and self-image can directly impact their eating and negative behaviours. CBT usually focuses on identifying and altering dysfunctional thought patterns, attitudes and beliefs that may perpetuate the sufferers restrictive eating. A researcher in the early 1980’s by the name of Chris Fairburn developed a specific model of CBT to help in the treatment of Anorexia, using the traditional foundations of CBT therapy – helping a person understand, identify and change their irrational thoughts (the ‘cognitive’ part) and helping a person make the changes real through specific behavioural interventions such as promoting healthy eating behaviours through rewards. (http://psychcentral. com/lib/2006/treatment-for-anorexia/all/1/) Strengths and weaknesses It is clear to see that both approaches are somewhat lacking and a multi-model approach should be taken to ensure success. The psychodynamic model will uncover the initial cause of the behaviour and addressing these issues will go a long way toward a successful outcome. However, it does not address the subsequent negative thought processes that keep the sufferer a prisoner within the condition. This is something that a CBT approach can successfully address but a CBT approach could fail to prevent a relapse if the underlying reasons for the negative self talk are not uncovered. Both treatments together will hold more strength in long term success, but neither seeks to address nutritional issues, food related symptoms or deep seated behavioural rituals of the eating disorder. Jane Ovington Chrysalis North2A Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 8 of 9 Summary Anorexia although initially can be viewed as a self defeating behaviour, is a complicated and mulit-faceted field and I would expect a consistent and long course of therapy that may focus on a psychodynamic approach alongside person centred counselling, alongside cognitive behavioural therapy, alongside appropriate medical intervention. Hypnotherapy may also be used to improve self esteem, reduce stress and anxiety, coping with panic and confidence building to help the sufferer relax levels of control and resume a more healthy relationship with themselves. As the anorexic begins to regain trust in themselves and their body, they can begin to feel back in control of their emotions and thoughts, thus lessening their levels of anxiety and helping toward a successful recovery. Ultimately, the pace of therapy has to be set by the client and the client has to admit to the problem in the first place before any type of therapy can begin. References: I personally suffered from this disorder from the ages of 17-21 and some of the information used has been based on my own experiences and that of my Parents. (Chrysalis Year 2 Module 5) R. L Palmer – Anorexia Nervosa. A guide for sufferers and their families. Penguin Books 1980 (http://ehealthmd. com/content/what-anorexia-nervosa http://psychcentral. com/lib/2006/treatment-for-anorexia/all/1/) Jane Ovington Chrysalis North2A Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 9 of 9 any type of therapy can begin. has to be set by the client and the client has to admit to the problem in the first place before

Free Essays on Propaganda and Its Uses By Countries

Propaganda and Its Uses By Countries, Especially During War In order to gain the support of the public, countries use propaganda. During the Gulf War, Saddam Hussein and George Bush used propaganda to gain the support of their respective public. Propaganda was everywhere. It was on the radio and television and it brought the war into millions of homes. Propaganda was a vital part of the Gulf War because it provided the US and Iraq with the support of their public. Propaganda is always geared towards the populace claiming that the other country is the oppressor. The truth is often stretched or even fabricated to garner a public outcry for justice. The real truth, however, is very difficult to distinguish from fiction. The blame is often pushed to towards the other country. Iraq claimed that they were the victims and that the United States was the aggressor. Hussein declared that they had been victimized by Kuwait. According to Iraq, they had to pay back money that they did not have and Kuwait was responsible for the cutback on healthcare and other vital services. Since Kuwait voted against raising the price of oil, Iraq was unable to receive any revenue. It was because of this that Iraq invaded Kuwait. The United States claimed that Iraq was the aggressor. In the American media, Iraqi tanks were shown to enter a defenseless Kuwait amidst destroyed buildings. The American public was convinced that their troops were only there to protect and that Iraq was harassing Kuwait. Iraq quickly retaliated with their own propaganda. Hussein showed footage of the damage that the US had supposedly inflicted on innocent people. Images of a bombed milk factory and a starving child provided the Iraqi public with enough â€Å"evidence† to accuse the US of being a ruthless military power. The main targets of propaganda were those that were presumed most innocent: women and children. When women and children are killed, it... Free Essays on Propaganda and Its Uses By Countries Free Essays on Propaganda and Its Uses By Countries Propaganda and Its Uses By Countries, Especially During War In order to gain the support of the public, countries use propaganda. During the Gulf War, Saddam Hussein and George Bush used propaganda to gain the support of their respective public. Propaganda was everywhere. It was on the radio and television and it brought the war into millions of homes. Propaganda was a vital part of the Gulf War because it provided the US and Iraq with the support of their public. Propaganda is always geared towards the populace claiming that the other country is the oppressor. The truth is often stretched or even fabricated to garner a public outcry for justice. The real truth, however, is very difficult to distinguish from fiction. The blame is often pushed to towards the other country. Iraq claimed that they were the victims and that the United States was the aggressor. Hussein declared that they had been victimized by Kuwait. According to Iraq, they had to pay back money that they did not have and Kuwait was responsible for the cutback on healthcare and other vital services. Since Kuwait voted against raising the price of oil, Iraq was unable to receive any revenue. It was because of this that Iraq invaded Kuwait. The United States claimed that Iraq was the aggressor. In the American media, Iraqi tanks were shown to enter a defenseless Kuwait amidst destroyed buildings. The American public was convinced that their troops were only there to protect and that Iraq was harassing Kuwait. Iraq quickly retaliated with their own propaganda. Hussein showed footage of the damage that the US had supposedly inflicted on innocent people. Images of a bombed milk factory and a starving child provided the Iraqi public with enough â€Å"evidence† to accuse the US of being a ruthless military power. The main targets of propaganda were those that were presumed most innocent: women and children. When women and children are killed, it...

Computer Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

Computer Security - Essay Example In this research a proposal of an offensive defense comprising of a corporate partnership with successful cyber defense software companies to provide a united front against malware is of the highest preference. The initial capital investment of free anti-virus software to users would be offset in time by added security and stability. The key to which is integration of the social subsystem in order to execute such a strategy. Computer users’ basic lack of knowledge on the dangers that lie within the network system, such as the use of weak passwords or just trusting any e-mails sent to their mailboxes actually makes it easier for hackers to gain access to the vulnerable computers over the networked systems. Presently, the web is a host of viruses, worms, Trojan horses, making unsecured computer devices or computers that their protective software are not up-to-date easier to pull down through introduction of malwares into the systems. Solutions there in are to ensure safe and sec ured system administration. Situation Analysis This project rolls out several ambitious although critical objectives that are directed towards: laying out the central concepts for the current situations in regards to computer security of the stand alone or interconnected devices; to come up with the best definitions that covers the logic encompassed by insecurity consequences over the unprotected computer systems; and the subsequent establishment of a set of foundations that the thereafter work can be build upon. Organizations and individuals whose operations extensively dependent on the use of computers and their services do describe their needs for information security under major concepts of integrity, secrecy, availability and accountability of their required information. Therefore, every computer user has to make prompt decisions on what security as a measure means to him/ her. It is from this description of the user’s needs for security with his/ her personal computer o f organizations’ computers that security policies are established; and hence, a system that effectively meets those needs is termed as a secure system (Venkatesh, V. et al., 2003, pp. 425-478.). In computer security, it is important take note that technology in never enough for a trusted system. Any business organization must ensure that its secure program takes into account other managerial controls, means of recovery from security breaches, and also full awareness and acceptance of people who are entrusted with the use of such devices (Weirich, D., and Sasse, M. A., 2001, pp. 137-143.). This idea of recognizing a person is brought about by the fact that security cannot be attained in an environment where people are not of full commitment in achieving a secure computer operation as a goal. Security continues to sap vital resources and manpower from the Information Technology (IT) departments. Rather than focusing on the efficiency of knowledge management, IT professionals ar e increasingly swamped with cyber security tasks. Profits from cyber-crime are shifting the threat from board teenagers to well financed professionals. A security survey analysis concluded that as break-ins morph from prank to business, profit-driven attackers

Evaluate aspects of inclusive learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evaluate aspects of inclusive learning - Essay Example Nevertheless, when bearing in mind inclusive learning and the need for belonging, there are extra measures a teacher can take (Simpson, 2014: 1). In planning of lessons, it is significant to not only consider what is being taught and where but also how (Melbourne, 2012: 1). In order to aid the feeling of an inclusive group, a teacher can take into consideration the learning physicality of the environment and if possible change it to support inclusivity. Where suitable this could be as modest as moving desks from a theatre style to a horseshoe style or cabaret to boost group communication as well as ascertain that all students can access or perceive their teacher equally. This action is supported by Bandura’s social learning theory. This theory says that learning happens in a social context just as much as what is learned is via observation of others (Bandura, 2014:Â  1). By having seating arrangement in a way that creates clear lines of sight and simple social communication, the teacher will permit students to develop a social bond to aid learning. In conclusion, inclusive teaching is all about accommodating, recognizing, as well as meeting learning needs of all students. In addition, it acknowledges that students have a range of personal learning needs. Melbourne, L. 2012. PTLLS PGCE CTLLS Post 16 Education Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector [online] Available at: [Accessed 2 April

The past in a streetcar named desire Essay Example for Free

The past in a streetcar named desire Essay The Role of the Past in a Streetcar Named Desire French writer Andri Maurois once said: A man cannot free himself from the past more easily than he can from his own body. This quote exemplifies one of the central themes in Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire. The past is something that characters are locked within chaining them to secret misdeeds and shameful actions ultimately leading them to the question of reality versus illusion, revealing their weaknessess and leading some of them towards their downfall. Williams presents to the audience the first issues of dealing with the past by one of the protagonists, Blanche. Born and raised in the Southern aristocracy, she cannot free herself from her rich past. She first arrives at the Kowalskys aparment daintily dressed in white in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklaces and ear-rings of pearl, white gloves and hat (pg 117) conveying the idea of a summer classic, completely contrasting with the jungle-like atmosphere of decay prevalent in the French Quarter. The author focuses on Blanches introduction as a dramatic technique in order to emphasize the idea of someone who is drawn to the past, by simply describing her wardrobe. Her white clothing portray her similar to a moth, drawn by the light, instead of repelled by it as the audience will soon notice. Her pearls symbolize the sadness she suffers from loss of love and failure. Despite all this, she maintains her rich-girl posture to remain linked to her past in Belle Reve. The plantation in which she and Stella grew up in was lost as their fathers, uncles, and brothers spent all their money drinking, gambling and womanizing. She is haunted by the deaths of her ancestors, which she attributes to their epic fornications. The sins of the fathers are visited upon their children is a good example of Blanches hysterical outburst in page 126, where she says, in an emotionally loaded phrase, I fought and bled. Tennessee Williams makes it clear that one cannot escape genetic inheritance because at the end, it all comes back. Another aspect of Blanche is also introduced to the audience in Scene 1, adding to her characterization: alcoholism. Blanche suffers from delirium tremens as she is drinking from Stanleys whisky bottle in page 120. She effortless tries to convince herself that ones her limit but instead just goes on drinking. Alcohol offers her a temporary amnesia, and a feeling of reassurance but instead, her actions become quite convulsive as she is talking to Stella and shaking all over and panting for breath as she tries to laugh. A state of drunken stupor enables her to take a flight of imagination, such as concocting a getaway with Shep Huntleigh. Her actions, however, do not go unnoticed by Stellas husband, Stanley, as he remarks liquor goes fast in this hot weather (pg 129). Equally, bathing has the same effect on Blanche, as the action is a motif for cleansing, as in baptism, where one is introduced to a new path, a new light. In light of her efforts to forget and shed her illicit past in the new community of New Orleans, these baths represent her efforts to cleanse herself of her odious history. Stanley also turns to water to undo a misdeed when he showers after beating Stella. The shower serves to soothe his violent temper; afterward, he leaves the bathroom feeling remorseful and calls out longingly for his wife (pg 153). Blanches long baths can be seen in almost all Scenes followed by her comments of being freshly bathed and scented, and feeling like a brand-new human being! (Pg 135). However, as Blanche finds herself in constant struggle against her past, Stella has no trouble forgetting it and marrying Stanley. Although she does feel sympathy for the loss of Belle Reve and weeps as Blanche accuses her of indifference (pg 127), she has thoroughly moved on and found confort in Stanleys arms and has chosen to be a part of his life, even adapting to his likes, such as that of reading a book of coloured comics. She no longer has a desire to live the aristocratic life as the plantation is an illusion of the past. By contrast, this scenery has been destroyed, giving space to a urbanized, modernized New Orleans setting. Stella can be seen as a catalyst to Stanley and Blanche as she is driven towards comercialism and has ignored to role of a fallen woman. She has married to Stanley Kowalsky, who has an intense, brutish masculinity, and takes pride in his sexual appetite. Stanley, in a way, denies his roots by responding to Blanche as she calls him a Polack, But what I am is a one hundred per cent American, born and raised in the greatest country on earth and proud as hell of it, so dont ever call me a Polack. (Pg 197) Following Stanley, Mitch is introduced. He acts as a foil to Stanley, as he is clumsy, slow thinking, shy, and insecure. The jokes present at the beginning of scene 33 (pg 144) are a parallel to Mitch, implying that he has spent so much time taking care of his ill mother that he has completely lost his sexual appetite. He has lived with his mother for his entire life, and cannot get away from the comfort zone. The only way to get away is by getting married to Blanche, which at first seems like a good idea for she does everything to look as feminine as possible, trying to conceal her past. For herself, Blanche sees marriage to Mitch as her means of escaping destitution. Mens exploitation of Blanches sexuality has left her with a poor reputation. This reputation makes Blanche an unattractive marriage prospect, but, because she is destitute, marriage is her only possibility for survival. Her will to impress Mitch is addressed by Williams through the interaction between them, where he speaks ungrammatically short and contemptuous lines, while Blanche evidently speaks with an enormous and overused vocabulary, which is artificially calculated and constructed by her in order for her achieve her aims. This is especially true in this scene, since Blanche resorts once more to the educated speech of a schoolteacher in order to take control of an aggressive situation (pg 150-51). The question of which characters represents light and dark is debatable, but it seems that both have an aspect of softness and harshness, whichever the audience decides to sympathize with. Even though Mitch and Blanches characters are complete opposites, there is one correlation between them. Blanches love letters from her husband as well as Mitchs cigarette case with love inscriptions with Blanches favorite sonnet by Mrs Browning (pg 149) show both of them holding onto their past. The silver metal case symbolizes Mitchs closed nature, inflexibility, as well as how he is not open for new ideas. Blanches love letters, on the other hand, symbolizes her young husband, who committed suicide as a result from her disapproval of his homosexuality. The love letters are taken as sacred objects, having a more than a sentimental value. In Scene 2, when Stanley is looking for Belle Reves papers, Blanche cannot contain herself from making a scandal after he touches the love letters instead, Your [Stanley] hands insult them, Ill burn them now! (Pg 139) The antagonistic relationship between Blanche and Stanley is a struggle between appearances and reality propelling the plays plot and creating an overarching tension. The author also conveys the idea of hiding from the past with the motif of light. Blanche tries to maintain the illusion of youth because she is afraid that she will become less attractive as she ages. She hides from all light, and when Mitch finally realises this (I dont think I ever seen you in the light pg 203), he shines a light on her, representing the death of her illusions, the possibility of getting married again. In general, light also symbolizes the reality of Blanches past. In Scene 6, she says the young boy turned a blinding light on something that had always been half in shadow. Bright light, therefore, represents Blanches youthful sexual innocence, while poor light represents her sexual maturity and disillusionment. She is haunted by the ghosts of what she has lost-her first love, her purpose in life, her dignity, and the genteel society of her ancestors. Blanche covers the exposed lightbulb in the Kowalski apartment with a Chinese paper lantern, and she refuses to go on dates with Mitch during the daytime or to well-lit locations. He points out her avoidance of light in Scene Nine, when he confronts her with the stories Stanley has told him of her past. Mitch then forces Blanche to stand under the direct light as she responds by saying that she doesnt want realism. I want Magic! Yes, yes, magic! I dont tell the truth. I tell what ought to be truth! This passage in page 204, clearly describes her inability to accept her present status both socially and relationship wise. Blanches inability to tolerate light means that her grasp on reality is also nearing its end. Other dramatic devices used to portray the interference of the past in the characters lives are the sound effects. The Varsouviana, a song originally from Polands Warsaw, is used to dramatise the influence of the past on the present. It plays whenever Blanche remembers her past in Belle Reve and especially her husband Alan, who she always refers to as a boy, emphasising her feeling that they were too young to be married. When the music first appears, in scene one, it is because Stanley asks Blanche if she was married. This immediately shows the audience that the Varsouviana is related to Blanches past and will be a recurring motif throught the text. The polka and the moment it evokes represent Blanches loss of innocence. The suicide of the young husband Blanche loved dearly was the event that triggered her mental decline. Since then, Blanche hears the Varsouviana followed by a revolver shot whenever she panics and loses her grip on reality. The music plays in Blanches brain continuously as a recording that only the audience is likely to hear. In conclusion, the past is therefore recurring as all the characters have something hid, incapacibilitating them from performing some actions. It is unveilled as the play progresses proving once more, than one cannot free itself from it, but instead have to confront it, eventually leading some of them (Blanche) to their human desingtegration. Tennesse Williams A Streetcar Named Desire conveys the idea of the importance of ancestry and adds to the question of does your background affect what kind of actions you will persue in the future? Show preview only

Bottom Up Approach Of Urban Planning

Bottom Up Approach Of Urban Planning Some developing countries like India and China have adopted the bottom-up approach in urban planning, solving the urban problems faced by their cities. The reason of the emergence of this phenomenon was obvious that the central governments of the developing states need to pay more attention to boost the nations economy while cities of the states are still facing a lot of urban problems like poor living environment, poor public infrastructure, lack of housing, over-crowding, pollutions or even widespread poverty. Bottom-up approach of urban planning generally means that local governments or committees formed by local citizens are responsible for urban planning of their own districts, solving the urban problems and planning their future development, and thus the districts link together to make the whole nation or region become more developed. In this paper, advantages and disadvantages of the approach will be covered and examples of cities in developing countries like China and India will be cited before having the final conclusion. It cannot be denied that the bottom-up approach is more man-centered than the classic Top-down approach which means the districts need to follow the guidelines and instructions of the central government to develop. Also, the voices of the citizens can be listened during the policy making and planning of the future development of the districts. Decision making is faster and desperate and serious problems of districts could be alleviated or solved in a shorter time. AR.UTTAM K.ROY (2009) had a research on West Bengal in India and wrote a report called Integration of Top down and Bottom up approach in Urban and Regional Planning: West Bengal Experience of Draft Development Plans (DDP) and beyond. According to the report, West Bengal enacted the West Bengal Municipal Act in 1993 to decentralize spatial and socio-economic planning of different districts. Municipalities and municipal corporations are required to prepare the Draft Development Plans of five years. AR.UTTAM K.ROY (2009) found that DDP could really involve people in the problem identification, prioritization and validation of the plan and desperate and serious urban problems faced by the people were alleviated. Besides, Bottom-up approach could reduce the burden of the central government and more central resources could be used for macro-economic development. As mentioned by P.K. Mohanty(1999),the Director of Ministry of Urban Affairs and Employment of New Delhi in India, in a book chapter, Decentralization Reforms and Innovations in Municipal Management in India, Decentralization, if pursued properly, is likely to yield various benefits, including:..freeing of central resources for macroeconomic concerns such as stabilization, structural adjustment ,and poverty alleviation. On the district level, local resources could be exploited and allocated better. Thus, the efficiency of service delivery could be improved. Also, as citizens have a greater chance to involve in urban planning and decision of policies, grass-root democracy could be promoted. As their opinions could be listened and accepted and social problems could be solved, social stability can also be raised. Stable and peaceful society benefits the development of local economy. However, such planning approach also has some disadvantages. Firstly, some long-term planning cannot be drawn up sometimes. When local people can get involved in urban policy making, they may only focus on the issues related to the immediate needs of citizens. According to the book Planning from the bottom up written by professor Anirban Pal(2008)of Delft University of Technology and the repor by AR.UTTAM K.ROY(2009)cities which used the bottom-up approach, the local planning organizations or committees like the districts in West Bengal in India can seldom come up with the development projects for future residential growth or future spatial land use plans. And small scale projects like opening up of green space, creation of health centers, beautification of parks remain the majority of the work of the local committees and organizations. Therefore, some professionals doubt that whether the bottom-up approach is a good urban planning method for cities sustainable development or not. In fact, the lack of long-term plan of the development of the city and spatial land use plans would make the land use pattern of the cities become chaotic, raising other kinds of social problems and hindering the long-term development of the cities. Secondly, the bottom-up approach can lead to competitions between different districts within cities which can result in social instability. Professor Anirban Pal (2008) used Beijing, the capital of China, as an example in his book Planning from the bottom up. Different districts in Beijing are now trying to carry out different policies to raise their own attractiveness for foreign investments. The district level governments compete in carrying out widespread redevelopment and forced evictions. This has led to social unrest in Beijing. Therefore, it can be seen that bottom-up approach may lead to social instability if district level governments are too ambitious. Thirdly, the process of planning would not be truly bottom-up if the local district power is concentrated in the hands of one political organization and there are few channels for the local citizens to get involved in the planning process. Such problem can be found in Kolkata according to V.Ramaswamy. The ruling party in Kolkata has great power and high social status and thus there is no effective opposition to it. And the ruling party control the urban policy making and planning and local citizens do not have so much chance to get involved in the planning process .In this case, the process of planning is not really bottom-up to a large extent. This also shows that the planning organizations should be independent of the ruling parties. If not, the bottom-up approach can never be really effective. Moreover, there is a problem of lack of expertise in LDCs. It is not uncommon that citizens of LDCs do not hold a high education level. Although local citizens have the rights in planning the development and the land uses of the cities, most of them do not have the professional knowledge in the area of urban planning and urban policy. Just like in India the education level is low, more than 140,000,000 people do not have primary educational level and only about 400,000 people have received tertiary education level. Therefore , it is very difficult to guarantee the plans drawn up by the local organizations without expertise are long-term plans which can benefit the growth and development of the cities. The local groups may only concern about the immediate needs of the local people, neglecting environmental conservation and long-term socio-economic development. From the above, it can be seen that the bottom-up approach also has certain limitations and such approach may even harms the long-term development of the cities in LDCs. However, it is very obvious that the urban problems faced by citizens in LDCs cannot be solved easily by the traditional Top-down approach as the central government may focus on the development of whole country rather than district issues and it is very hard for the central government to recognize every district issues. Thus, it seems the bottom-up approach is the most effective method to solve the immediate issues in the districts and satisfy the needs of the local people. Furthermore, if the local immediate problems like poverty, poor living environment could not be solved, the development of whole country would be hindered. To put it simply, the bottom-up approach is a good urban planning method for LDCs when tackling the urban problems in the districts but not so beneficial for further development. In order to achieve sustainable development, cities of LDCs should adopt an approach which consists the elements of Top-down approach and bottom-up approach .This means the government can set up general guidelines and instructions for the districts to follow while granting them enough freedom and resources in tackling local affairs and drawing up plans of future development. Also, Kurian Joseph, R. Nagendran (2007) and Kumar. SA jay (2007) recommended in their papers, Top-Down And Bottom-Up Approach For Sustainability Of Waste Management In Developing Countries and Participatory Spatial Planning A Model from Kollam District, espectively that groups of multi skill professional should engage in the process of planning and tackling urban problems. In fact, tackling issues like environmental problems especially needs the engagement of the professionals. Whats more, in order to facilitate the urban planning process, the central government should enact laws to restrict the participation of politicians like members of ruling parties and government officials in local urban planning, educate the public and raise their awareness on the urban problems around them and start introduce the concept of sustainable development to the communities. For the general development of whole country, central government should monitor the development of different districts and avoid vicious competition between the districts which may lead to social unrest. When vicious competition emerges, central government should intervene in order to make the political scene and society stable. However, it should be noted that the state government should not intervene so much if there is no vicious competition between cities. According to the paper which is called Vision 2021: Urban Governance in India by Dinesh Mehta(1999),the state government should intervene as little as possible if the cities develop in a right way. All in all, the bottom-up approach is a good urban planning method which can really address the problems faced by the local citizens of LDCs. But the classic Top-down approach still cannot be forgotten as it is good for cities further development. Therefore, an approach which integrates both approaches would be a suitable way for cities of LCDs to achieve sustainable development.

Filipino Philosophy Essay

Filipino Philosophy is the attitude, worldview, and notion of the natural citizens of the Philippines towards the day-to-day experiences in life, religion, communication, survival, interrelationship with people and intra-relationship with his sakop or to oneself – the â€Å"I,† and the uplifting of one’s soul – the Filipino being. Filipinos are used to be stereotyped as the bamboo grass for it always sway with the wind. The Filipino people has gone through tough and rough times, good and bounty years, and yet they always stand as firm as it was on the day our ancestors fought Magellan. Our own worldview explains why we stand all erect despite economic downfall, political crisis, natural calamities. One thing that is to be observed, everything revolves in relationships, in the sakop, in the upliftment of one’s soul. Justice for the Filipino people is the satisfaction of the needs of the self and his relations. These and more is the pattern of Filipinos which leads to the general behavior of the nation – the philosophy of the Filipinos. It is the critical examination of the grounds for the fundamental beliefs of Filipino being as an individual and as a universal; likewise it is an analysis of the basic concepts employed in the expression of their worldview. Included in this study is the study of Filipino worldview from different tribal groups to mainland people and to the new generation of the modern times. Since it is a study and the Filipinos have a diversity of life as it has a seven thousand one hundred islands, there should also be different branches of Filipino Philosophy of which I categorize as: (1) Ethnolinguistic-Tribal Philosophy where Bicolano, Cebuano, Tagalog, Ilocano Philosphies would fall under; (2) Filipino Philosophy of Religion; (4) Animism and Practices of Filipinos; and (5) other Filipino Phylosophies that Filipino scholars may add and institutionalize that is not or only partially influenced by the Western Philosophy and purely in the Filipino context. Ethnolinguistic-Tribal Philosophy will further explain and discuss the main ideas and the worldviews of the linguistic groups in the country. Particulars bring about the general. Each particular small group philosophies combines into one distinct philosophy which is the Filipino Philosophy. What unites it or what is common among the philosophies? The self or the â€Å"I,† or that individual characteristic – sakop orientedness. The Filipino is more others-centered than self-centered. Filipino basic personality is made up of Filipino beliefs and knowledge that are equated and related to various rituals and formal and informal education passed from generation to generation. The family contributes to and maintains the Filipino values and to the individual self most specially that the Family is part of the â€Å"self† being the â€Å"sakop.† Filipinos value family highly and rely on family relations in defining and seeking help for problems or disorders. The family name is valued more highly than that of the individual. These values bind the individual to the family, making him/her to consider how a decision will impact the family. The Filipino cannot be discussed on a person by person basis. Unlike western practices, a Filipino is not complete without his relationships A Filipino cannot be defined sans family †¦ these are his essential relationships — with one another, with family — and no Pinoy is truly Pinoy without them. This relationship-seeking attitude is most evident when introducing Filipinos in every corner of the country. The basic unit of the Philippine social organization is the family that includes the mother, father and children, and the bilateral extended family that embraces all relatives of the father and the mother. Of special importance is the sibling group, the unit formed by brothers and sisters. There are no clans or similar unilateral kinship groups in the Philippines. The elementary family and the sibling group form the primary bases of corporate action. The Philippine society is characterized as familial. This means that the influence of kinship, which centers on the family, is far-reaching. The Filipino family is the nuclear unit around which social activities are organized – it is the basic unit of corporate action. The interests of the individual in Philippine society are secondary to those of the family. Filipinos have a unique way of establishing kinship without actual blood relations. â€Å"Pakikiramdam† or known as Smooth Interpersonal Relationships is the core identity of the Filipino. It is a natural skill for all Filipinos to read between the lines. He has this internal language to sense the surrounding. Filipinos rarely get involved if they have no personal concern regarding the activity or the project. A Filipino will exert more effort when he/she is related to that specific given task or his name and the name of the â€Å"sakop† is involved. Along with this also arises the need for a personal touch. A simple personal invitation is a hundred times more regarded than any formal written invitation. Filipinos likes to be invited even if it is only a joke and even if it is an occasion within the clan or nearby neighborhood. A neglect of this personality leads to misunderstanding or â€Å"pagdaramdam.† Filipinos usually like to associate themselves with a higher power and, in return, submit to this higher person if the need arises. This is most likely true to the â€Å"Masa† and even to elite people of the Philippines. It becomes the source of their strength and the source of a wall to lean on in times of crisis and in job seeking opportunities. Filipinos value small-group centeredness which can be seen from the word ofkami. A Filipino has a â€Å"barkada† aside from his immediate family where he/she can pour out his/her angst and happy moments with. It is the ultimate manifestation of small-group centeredness because it is a tight bond among friends which dictate what the group would think, do or say. Amor propio, the stubborn pride that Filipinos possess and hold on to despite the situation is another distinct element of being a Filipino. The expression wala ka namang pakikisama easily coerces Filipinos to act in peculiar manners especially if the pakikisama is determined by the barkada. Pakikisama is very important in a group, in a workplace, and in areas where there is a social group. Another characteristic is that Filipinos seek to succeed and make himself a person in his own right. It may be a show of being bida and sikat all the time that is a manifestation of pasiklaban, the Filipino does this only to share his glory with his family. Therefore, the Filipino is not inconsistent with the established fact that Filipinos are others-centered because his pagsasarili is a result of his desire to uplift his family or his loved ones – others-centeredness-responsibility. Hiya is a Filipino social behavior regulator that prevents a Filipino from violating a norm, a family value, and a group goal. This is also the root of the Smooth Interpersonal Relationships that Filipinos highly prize. This is the golden rule among Filipinos in the sense that a Filipino makes it a point not to intentionally embarass a person just as he wouldn’t want to be embarassed by another. Euphemism is an important Filipino procedure for all relationships. This tactfulness mirrors the Smooth Interpersonal Relationship that Filipinos highly regard. In the interdependent Philippine society, reciprocity is an essential to all relationships. Utang-na-loob, a Filipino is indebted to another until such a favor is returned in kind. This utang na loob is very much rampant in 95 % of Filipinos specially those who are native of the Philippines and among Filipinos in other countries. Utang na loob may stem from Hiya or mainly from the uniqueness of the Filipino â€Å"self.† Many of the provinces of the Philippines are separated from each other by water because the Philippines is an archipelago. Large islands, Luzon and Mindanao have mountain ranges also separate different land areas. As a result of the physical isolation from each other, Filipinos have a rich, multi-cultural heritage and speak 150 different languages and dialects. It must be noted that even though Filipinos speak many languages, there are only eight major languages based on the number of speakers: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilokano, Hiligaynon/Ilonggo, Waray, Bikolano, Pangasinense, and Kapampangan. Of these, Filipino, which is based onTagalog and was formerly spelled as ‘Pilipino,’ is the official language along with English. Most textbooks, laws, signboards and mass media are either in English or Filipino. From this language barrier and indifferences come out regionalism which dates back from the the colonial past of the Philippines under Spain and the United States. Spaniards encouraged regionalism to dissipate any nationalist revolt against them. They practiced a â€Å"divide and rule† policy wherein they employed Filipino soldiers from one region to put down an uprising in another region. In addition, Spanish friars, in their desire to evangelize, studied the native tongues and incorporated Catholicism into Filipino social customs and religious observances. In doing so, the Spaniards preserved the native languages and dialects of the Filipinos. They also implanted Roman Catholicism in the Philippines, and influenced the Philippine legal system, social institutions, literature and arts. Meanwhile, the American colonial rule also unwittingly encouraged regionalism.[11]. Language differences and regionalism are just a few factors of the rich cultural herritage and behaviors of individual – tribes in context – that give color and blend of Filipino Philosophy. major factors influencing Filipino Philosophy are its Education, Language and Geography, Western and Eastern Philosophies, and most especially Religion. Education shapes the mind of individuals. It is the way of acquiring and disseminating knowledge. Through education, cultures, thoughts and ideas, concepts and theories are handed down from one generation to another. It is by education that we learn the Western thoughts and their civilization which we try to imitate and to live-out. It is by education that we inculcate to the next generation, the ideal self and the justified and unjustified, true and false beliefs. Language and Geography determine the type of the desires, the taste and the perceptions of the people. It is one of the major factors contributing to the indifferences of major cultures in the Philippines most especially that the country is separated by water. Culture takes part in the molding of history and of man. And the rest, together with culture and history runs in circle around the development and of the nature of Filipino Philosophy. Culture, like history, modifies the worldview of the Filipinos. For every ethno-linguistic community, society, province or region whatever you want to call it, every individual or the whole group has its own worldview on how to enrich, practice, and show his or her own culture. Despite the indifferences of cultural background and ancestral indifferences, the Filipino worldview in the context of the self has never changed. Culture is passed from generation to generation through time (history), through psychological time, but the self being that self, which is others-oriented-kin-related-self, remains the same as it is. In this regard, the Filipino self is unique and his worldview, which is to be in harmony with all that is around him or her, is true to every Filipino from age to age and from culture to culture. Filipino Philosophy is unique in itself and is a pride of the Filipino people. It doesn’t matter which general worldview it belongs. What matters is that the country that belongs to the eastern coast has a philosophy that is distinct and rich in itself. The choice is left to the people whether to take it as a material for its national pride and left to the critics, the Filipino philosophers and scholars if they push our philosophy to the limits and to the level of other philosophies or to drag it down. For it shapes the Philippine politics, economics, justice system, and the rest of that which revolves in the society of the country. A Filipino has two major ways of dealing with his society depending upon the basis of relatedness to the self. Individuals always value pakikitungo, pakikisalamuha, pakikisama to people whom he does not know; and likewise, he/she deals on how to be in harmony with the related individuals to his life – involvement and â€Å"pakikiisa† are two very important values to consider.

Environmental Science and Population Essay

sing the textbooks, the University Library, or other resources, answer each of the following questions in 100 to 200 words. 1. What would you include in a brief summary on the history of the modern environmental movement, from the 1960s to the present? There were many notable events during this time period. The very first environmentally sound act was the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955. The act declared that air pollution was harmful to public health as lung carcinoma became more prevalent within communities. Strict Government regulations and pollution requirements became the norm for other facets of the Environment as well. www.epa.gov/air requirements. The Federal water pollution control act followed in 1965 gave the Government limited controls to federal water pollutants due to limited enforcement authorities and money. This act was finally solidified in 1970 revision with an imposed clean water act without exceptions. www.water.epa.gov. My own personal favorite involves the marine conservation law of the seas. Developed by the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act of 1999, the act was designed to protect and manage threatened migratory and marine species: Including Wales, Dolphins, Porpoises and threatened Fauna. www.environment.gov.au/marine species. 2. Explain the primary concern over exponential population growth. What promotes exponential population growth? What constrains exponential population growth? Exponential Population growth is the main concern that the earth would not have enough resources to supply its inhabitants. There are two basic principles involved, the idea of exponential growth and its ultimate control. Believing that with the over population of people the earth becomes over used and the resources are depleted, which in turn affects the quality of the planet directly and indirectly. Modern medicine, health care and education has allowed people to live longer lives now than ever before, with knowledge and contraceptive devices people have more control over the population birth growth. Unlike China and other countries  that still limit how many children a family may be allowed to reproduce in order to keep the population growth rate lower. www.nature.com/exponential/logistics. 3. Explain the primary concern over exponential population growth. What promotes exponential population growth? What constrains exponential population growth? 4. What is carrying capacity? Compare predictions for human population growth in developed countries versus developing countries. What will occur if carrying capacity is exceeded? 5. How do individual choices affect natural ecosystem? Provide examples from your personal or community experience. 9. What is carrying capacity? Compare predictions for human population growth in developed countries versus developing countries. What will occur if carrying capacity is exceeded? A Carrying capacity is determined by how much the earth can sustain the population with its current resources. The largest factors involved is the ability to obtain education and wealth. The competition is tough for food and water. It is critical that the carrying capacity be controlled or the natural resources will be depleted. If this happens the human race will not thrive. www.science.howstuffworks.com. 10.  How do individual choices affect natural ecosystem? Provide examples from your personal or community experience. There are many way how we affect our eco system; smoking, polluting the air in our lungs and the environment of others, riding a bike other than driving a car to limit pollutant emissions, wasteful water usage, washing the car or watering the lawn. My own example is that I don’t recycle plastic, paper, or glass. Plus, I am lax when leaving rooms with lights on.

Effects of chronic immobilization stress on hippocampal brain-deprived neurotrophic factor and TrkB in juvenile and aged rats The WritePass Journal

Effects of chronic immobilization stress on hippocampal brain-deprived neurotrophic factor and TrkB in juvenile and aged rats Introduction Effects of chronic immobilization stress on hippocampal brain-deprived neurotrophic factor and TrkB in juvenile and aged rats IntroductionMethods AnimalExperimental ProcedureImmunohistochemistryQualitative AnalysisExpected ResultsDiscussionREFERENCESRelated Introduction The hippocampus is a vital region of the brain that regulates major aspects of learning, memory and emotions.   The hippocampus has also been linked in the regulation and control of anxiety response and conditioned fear (Yee et al. 2007) and yet it can also retain a high degree of plasticity (McEwen, Gianaros 2010). Looking at the structure of the hippocampus, one would find a curved arrow on either hemisphere. The curved region is known as the CA1-CA3 subfields which contain the pyramidal layer while the arrow known as the dentate gyrus (DG) is made up of a granular cell layer. The neurons in CA3 (the lower part of the curve) connects directly to CA1 (the upper part of the curve), which would receive input from the DG. Another component of the hippocampus is the brain-deprived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its specific receptor TrkB. It has been found that in previous research that there is a high level of BDNF expression in the central nervous system in which it plays an important role in the survival, protection, maintenance and differentiation from insults to neural cells (Barde, 1989). In the hippocampus however, BDNF helps with long-term potentiation (Figurov, 1996). The majority of the neural effects of BDNF are regulated by binding to the TrkB receptor (Barde, 1989). The BDNF and TrkB could also play a role in the stress response in hippampal neurons (Tapia-Arancibia et al. 2004, Pardon et al. 2005, Sirianni et al. 2010). Previous research has observed how BDNF and TrkB in the hippocampus play a role in the regulation of the HPA axis. Its role has to do with the termination of hypothalamopituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis responses to stress (Pizarro et al. 2004, McCormick et al. 2010), essentially the regulating the stress circuit to help maintain homeostasis (Herman et al. 1995). Other studies have found that this structure regulates the HPA axis through inhibiting its activity of BDNF and TrkB (Herman et al. 1996) and that hippocampal neurons can be hypersensitive to stress (Rot et al. 2009). They are especially vulnerable to long-term damaging influence of the glucocorticoids and can decrease expressions of BDNF (McEwen and Magarinos 2001, Bartolomucci et al. 2002, Murakami et al. 2005). It has been found that the consequences of long-term exposure to stress in the hippocampus can remodel hippocampal cells, which then can result in a malfunction of the affected area (Diamond et al.1996, Bremner 1 999). Different types of chronic or acute stress can modulate the reduction of BDNF and TrkB mRNA expression in the hypothalamus and in the pituitary gland of adult male rats (Rage 2002, Murakami 2005, Givalois 2001). Stress can play a more damaging role in the hippocampal regions of young and aged rats as well. Hippocampal vulnerability and reduction in neurotrophic factors have also been found in stressed and aging rats (Smith 1996, Li Yi 2009), and as well as in age-dependent rats that were postnatally exposed to maternal deprivation, which changed the BDNF expression in selected rat brain regions (Roceri, 2004).   All of which can possibly affect the structural synaptic plasticity which is has been found to be preserved in the dentate gyrus of aged rats (Geinisman, 1992) and has been linked to certain mood disorders (Duman, 2000). Many previous studies on the role of BDNF and TrkB in the hippocampus under certain stress conditions relied mainly on the observations of modifications in the matter of these proteins in adult animals during immobilization stress (Givalois et al. 2001, Rage et al. 2002, Marmigà ¨re et al. 2003, Reagan 2007). All of which has found a difference in the expression of BDNF in certain regions of the HPA axis in adult male rats, which again can lead to the dysfunction of that affected region. Furthermore, to my knowledge no reports have been published about chronic immobilization stress-induced responsiveness of BDNF and TrkB and their role in juvenile and aged animals exposed to immobilization stress during two critical stages of brain morphologic and functional transformations. The hypothesis of the proposed study is that juvenile rats will have a reduction of the hippocampal region than those of aged rats when exposed to chronic immobilization stress. Methods Animal Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats from two age groups would be used for this study. The first group described as juvenile –JUV (postnatal 28 days) and the second group described as aged –AGE (postnatal 360 days).   They would be housed in groups of five animals per plastic cage in a room maintained under standardized light (8am to 8pm-hour light-dark cycle) and temperature (22 ±3 °C) conditions. They would be housed at least 1 week prior to the experiment. The animals would receive free access to food pellets and tap water. The care and treatment of the rats would be in accordance with the guidelines for laboratory animals established by the National Institute of Health as well as by the Local Ethical Committee of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Experimental Procedure All tests were conducted once a day in 60-minute sessions for 20 consecutive days at the same time, between 10:00am and 3:00pm. JUV and ADT animals would be divided into experimental groups (n=5), exposed to chronic immobilization stress and control non-stressed groups (n=5), which would remain in their home cages until perfusion. The control animals would be handled for a few minutes daily by the same operator. The chronic stress stimulation would begin for JUV rats at postnatal seven days old. Chronic Immobilization Stress During each session, the animals would be immobilized in accordance with a well-established protocol (Badowska-Szalewska, 2010). Rats are fixed on a wooden board (18Ãâ€"25 cm) in a supine position by means of a leather belt, after which each of their legs was fixed at an angle of 45 ° to the body midline with adhesive tape (Badowska-Szalewska, 2010). Experimental and control animals were sacrificed on postnatal day 28 (JUV) and 360 (ADT), 90 min after the final session. All animals will be deeply anesthetized with a lethal dose of a drug (choice pending) and then perfuse with 0.9% saline solution with heparin, followed by 4% paraformaldehyde solution in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) (Badowska-Szalewska, 2010). The brains will be removed and kept overnight and serial coronal sections of brain (40-ÃŽ ¼m-thick) will be cut. Immunohistochemistry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bordering sections would be processed for BDNF and TrkB with immunohistochemistry. The free-floating sections will be blocked in 10% Normal Goat Serum (NGS) for 2 hours and   incubated at 4 ºC for 3 days with the primary polyclonal rabbit anti-BDNF antibody and primary polyclonal rabbit anti-TrkB antibody (Badowska-Szalewska, 2010). After multiple rinses in a buffered saline (TBS), the sections will be incubated (2-3 hours, room temperature) with a secondary antibody. The controls for the immunohistochemical procedures will be processed with the same procedure with the exception of the primary or secondary antibodies. Therefore, no staining will be observed in the control slides. Qualitative Analysis An image analysis system will be used to analyze the number of BDNF-ir and TrkB-ir positive cells in the hippocampus. The total number will be divided into three (counted separately) areas of the hippocampus: CA1 subfield, CA3 subfield and dentate gyrus (DG). The cells that will be counted are the BDNF-ir cells or TrkB-ir cells in the pyramidal layer of CA1 and CA3, and in the granular layer of DG. The hemisphere and sampling will be chosen at random. The data will be analyzed by a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the factor groups (intact vs. chronic immobilization stress) and age groups (juvenile-JUV and aged-AGE). Expected Results Under chronic immobilization stress exposure, juvenile rats should have a significant decrease in the density of BDNF immunoreactive (ir) neurons and TrkB-ir cells should be observed in CA1, CA3 and DG. After chronic immobilization stress exposure of aged rats, the density of BDNF-ir and TrkB-ir cells should not decline in any of the sub-regions of the hippocampus. Discussion The present study would investigate the age-related changes in the density of BDNF-ir and TrkB-ir neurons in the under the exposure of immobilized stress. Prolonged forced swim has been found to affect the amount of BDNF-ir and TrkB-ir cells in the hippocampus of juvenile, not aged rats (Badowska 2010). The number of cells that contains these proteins would   be higher in DG than in CA1 or CA3, which is mostly to be related to the various   intrinsic and extrinsic interactions of the denrate gyrus (Amaral and Witter 1989). If proven, then the high levels of BDNF and TrkB that are present in the hippocampus indicate that these molecules have important physiological functions in different stages of life (Tapia-Arancibia et al. 2008). It is extremely important as demonstrated during adolescence; BDNF influences almost all aspects of development, including stimulation of growth, differentiation of neuronal stem cells and many other various roles (Mattson et al. 2004, Tapia-Arancibia et al. 2004). The flip side of the coin is that during aging, BDNF may play a protective role by preventing neurodegeneration, and stimulating sprouting in the hippocampus (Smith 1996, Tapia-Arancibia et al. 2004), or increasing neuronal repair (Smith et al. 1995). As for TrkB, it exerts positive influence on dendritic branching and dendrtic integrity/plasicity in the hippocampus (Sato et al. 2001), therefore a reduction in the level of this protein may be underlying factor in the synaptic changes that occur with age in the hippocampus (Geinisman et al. 1992). It is also known that adolescent rats, versus adult subjects, tend to be more susceptible to the influence of aversive stimuli, which is created by   HPA axis activation (Avital and Richter-Levin 2005, Lupien 2009), by the prolonged secretion of glucocorticoid (Romeo et al. 2004, Cruz et al. 2008, McCormick et al. 2010).   Also the expression of BDNF and TrkB is possibly regulated in opposite direction, meaning that the gr owth of BDNF content occurs with the fall in the level of TrkB in the hippocampal cells of aged rats (Frank et al. 1997, Nibuya et al. 1999, Sommerfeld et al. 2000, Silhol M et al. 2007, Tapia-Arancibia et al. 2008).Therefore, the higher density of BDNF-ir and the lower density of TrkB-ir cells in AGE group of experimental rats may signify their protective effects against hippocampal damage of aging animals in stress conditions. This study will demonstrate that hippocampal subfields of juvenile and aged rats show different density of BDNF and TrkB immunostaining cells. Chronic immobilization stress would influence the density of BDNF-ir and TrkB-ir in juvenile animals and the aged rats would be the determining factor in the changes in the density of BDNF-ir and TrkB-ir in the hippocampal regions. REFERENCES Alleva, E., Santucci, D. (2001). Psychosocial vs. â€Å"physical† stress situations in rodents and humans: role of neurotrophins. Physiol Behav 73: 313–320. Avital, A., Richter-Levin, G. (2005). Exposure to juvenile stress exacerbates the behavioural consequences of exposure to stress in the adult rat. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 8:163173. Badowska-Szalewska, E., Klejbor, I., Cecot, T., Spodnik, JH., MoryÅ›, J. (2009). Changes in NGF/c-fos double staining in the structures of the limbic system in juvenile and aged rats exposed to forced swim test. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 69: 448–458. Badowska-Szalewska, Spodnik, E.,   Klejbor, I., MoryÅ›, J. (2010). Effects of chronic forced swim stress on hippocampal brainderived neutrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor (TrkB) immunoreactive cells in juvenile and aged rats. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 70: 370–381. Bartolomucci A, De Biurrun G, Czà ©h B, Van Kampen M, Fuchs E. (2002). Selective enhancement of spatial learning under chronic psychosocial stress. Eur J Neurosci 15: 1863–1866. Bremner JD. (1999). Does stress damage the brain? BiolPsychiatry 45: 797–805. Bridges N, Ã…  lais K, Sykov E (2008) The effects of chronic corticosterone on hippocampal astrocyte numbers: a comparison of male and female wistar rats. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 68: 131–138. Cheng A, Wang S, Cai J, Rao MS, Mattson MP. (2003). Nitric oxide acts in a positive feedback loop with BDNF to regulate neural progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation in the mammalian brain. Dev Biol 258: 319–333. 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strong people essays

strong people essays Do you admire strong people? What about people who you wish you could be like? Or, are you someone who likes a real man who treats a girl right? Debbie Maccomber puts all of these elements in Navy Brat. Erin MacMamera is a hard working woman whos strong, and Brandon Davis is a charming man, who every girl would dream to have. I highly recommend that this book be read. First of all, Brandon Davis is a good guy, and every girl would dream to be with him. Brandon is a very gorgeous looking person. Most good looking guys dont even give girls a chance, unless they are perfect. This is because most men are jerks and only care about looks. They dont try to see inner beauty. Brand is different. Even though hes drop dead gorgeous, he falls for Erin. Erin isnt the prettiest woman. She is described as a sophisticated and distinctively Irish. The author says shes pretty but shes not even close to being strikingly beautiful. Brand sees past this and treats her like a woman should be treated. To him, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. What girls wouldnt want a guy like that? When Brand was away at sea because he was in the navy, he wrote Erin a letter every single day. No matter what, he made it a point to write to her. If thats not sweet, then I dont know what is. He was very persistent with Erin because he wanted to be with her. But if she wante d him to stop pushing her he did. He never forced her to do anything she didnt want to, and he backed off when she needed space. Quite clearly, Brand is an extremely wonderful man. Not all men are like that. A lot get bored, give up easily, or treat girls poorly. Brand is totally different. Hes definitely a dream guy that any girl would want! Second, the character of Erin MacNamera is an extremely admirable one. Shes a very strong, well educated, and caring individual. She picked her life up on her own and moved...

Auditing,(True and Fair view and Independence) Essay

Auditing,(True and Fair view and Independence) - Essay Example However, Dean and Clarke (2007) have declared the truth, fairness and independence to be near impossibility due to â€Å"Faulty foundations of accounting†. An auditor’s selected procedures to conduct audit depends upon the auditor’s judgment including the assessment of risks of material misstatement. In making those risk assessments the auditor considers internal controls relevant to the entity’s preparation of financial statements that give a true and fair view of the accounts, he also evaluates the appropriateness of the accounting policies and procedures. Hence, an experienced auditor can even give opinion on the â€Å"faulty foundations of accounting† (Dean and Clarke, 2007) through careful selection of procedures of audit. The objective of accounting remains to present, statements not for accounting only, but also to satisfy the auditor’s judgment which stretches beyond the books, since accounting leads to accountability only when audito r goes through it. What constitutes â€Å"true and fair† by the auditor is being widely discussed criticized, and explored equally by the governments and the corporate sector. Auditors can never be sure that their opinion presents true and fair view of the financial statements( Christopher J. ... on (2010) have taken pure philosophical aspect of TFV and discussed the â€Å"ethical discretion† that gives him â€Å"dramatic ethical role† able to either build or completely ruin the â€Å"trust† of the company under audit. Their conclusion again leads into interlinking the pure morality to be guide through some laid down principles and procedures of accounting. To give â€Å"moral weight†, an auditor has to† show the desirable results† (Campbell and Houghton, 2010), desirable for the stakeholders in general, though the stakeholders may vary from the employees of the company to the shareholders. Thus, claiming the entire morality for TFV in auditing revolves around setting standards and developing systems to ensure TFV. The role of TFV in auditing thus becomes pivotal and the objective of the TFV should be to give an opinion about the assertion of the management, for the shareholders, the strength of the financial position, its standing in t he market so as to lure potential buyers to invest on â€Å"economically informed basis† (Campbell & Houghton, 2001). â€Å"The Immediate role of audit independence is to serve the audit† the prime objective of audit independence is to â€Å"improve the cost effectiveness of capital market† (Jacobson, Peter D, 1998). Independence is â€Å"fundamental to the reliability of auditor’s report† (Ramsay, 2001). An â€Å"objective and disinterested† (Ramsay,2001) assessment of the financial assertion is said to be the foundation of the independence of the auditors, for effective corporate governance, the cost effectiveness of a business, for investor’s confidence, and particularly in wake of recent corporate failures. There are some key ways an auditor can make sure that they are perceived to be independent. Ramsay identifies these as

America's Involvement in WWII and Vietnam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

America's Involvement in WWII and Vietnam - Essay Example In the late 1938, Hitler continued with violent Nazi policies that discriminated against the Jews in Germany which led to several deaths of the Jewish people. Moreover, Hitler and his Nazi army attacked Poland and France who finally surrendered to Hitler. Consequently, the U.S president Roosevelt decided to circumvent the neutrality act and assist the British by sending them weapons secretly going against the public demands to stay out of the European war. Committees were formed in America which perpetuated the neutrality act and a larger population supported it until when Japan started bombing America’s Pearl harbour. Consequently, America declared war on Japan which led to Germany and Italy declaring war on America thus the beginning of America’s involvement in the world war two. The United States joined the Vietnam War to stop spread of communism in East Asia. Moreover, the North Vietnamese anticipated support of Americans and successfully fought back the South Vietnamese. However, the military situation began to lose ground in South Vietnam and it was blamed on Diem’s corruption. Consequently, the then U.S president J.F Kennedy’s government organised a coup d’etat which led to Diem’s death. The American government began establishing attacks secretly against the North Vietnam because of their communist government (Tucker). Moreover, U.S president Johnson who took over after Kennedy’s death, ordered for a surveillance mission at the coast of North Vietnam. Furthermore, the South Vietnam were supplied with weapons and trained by Americans. In addition American destroyers passed beyond the boundaries of Gulf of Tonkin which led to the North Vietnamese troops firing at them. Consequently, Johnson declared war on the North Vietnam and the American public supported the move of war on Vietnam. The war began in Vietnam which led to the Tet offensive committed by the North