Biochemistry perspective Essay

Diabetes is an ailment which is caused due to high amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood. The main reason for high glucose levels in blood is due to the inability of body to utilize it properly. Glucose comes from the digestion of sugar and foods rich in carbohydrates that enable the liver to create glucose. The high concentration level of glucose in blood is termed as Hyperglycemia. In 1910, Sir Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer suggested people with diabetes were deficient in a single chemical that was normally produced by the pancreas. He proposed calling this substance insulin. The term is derived from the Latin insula, meaning island, in reference to the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas that produce insulin. (Patlak, 2002) Insulin: An Introduction Insulin is a polypeptide containing 51 amino acids arranged in two chains. The chain A contains 21 amino acids and chain B contains 30 residues. These two chains are cross linked by two sulphur bridges by cysteine residues. Insulin is formed by proteolytic cleavage of its 84 amino acid prescursor Proinsulin. Insulin has a molecular weight of 5808 Da. It has the molecular formula C257H383N65O77S6. Insulin structure varies slightly between species. Its carbohydrate metabolism regulatory function strength in humans also varies. Porcine which is pig insulin is close to humans. The image above is computer-generated image of insulin hexamers. The zinc ions holding it together and the histidine residues are involved in zinc binding. Insulin Action A pharmacological action of insulin includes carbohydrate metabolism, protein metabolism, lipid metabolism and other actions. Insulin increases the use of sugar in the tissue and stimulates transportation of glucose into the cells. Insulin also stimulates protein synthesis and growth. It increases synthesis of messenger RNA and decreases gluconeogenesis. A gluconeogenesis is a formation of glucose from glycogen. It also increases amino acid uptake in the muscle. In adipose tissues, insulin increases fatty acid synthesis, glycerol phosphate synthesis and triglyceride deposition. Other action of insulin includes prevention of ketone boy formation and increases potassium uptake. After the release of insulin from the pancreatic beta cell into the interstitial compartment, it enters the circulation after crossing endothelial barrier. Insulin action effect at the cellular level is achieved by activating and suppressing the activity of enzyme. It can also be achieved by changing the rate of synthesis of enzymes at the level of transcription and translation. Insulin stimulate glucose uptake into fat cells by glucose transporters. Glucose transporters are small vesicles which contain specific protein macromolecules. Insulin increases the rate of fusion of these vesicles with the plasma membrane, and activates the transporters to transfer glucose across the plasma membrane into the cell. Insulin synthesize hoxokinase, an enzyme which phosporylates glucose as soon as it enters the cell. Insulin is an anabolic hormone. It encourages the storage of fats and the synthesis of proteins. Each receptor of insulin contain a pair of alpha subunits, which are located on the outer surface of the membrane, and a pair of beta subunits which crosses the membrane and stick out at both the outer and inner surfaces. Both alpha and beta subunits are held together by disulphide (S-S) bonds to form an aggregate. In humans, the insulin receptor gene is located on chromosome 19. Insulin binds to the receptor at a specific site on the alpha subunit. This causes increased phosphorylation of the receptor by ATP, mostly tyrosine residues of the intracellular portion of the beta subunit. Increased phophorylation of these tyrosine residues activates the beta subunit to function as a kinase enzyme. Some intracellular effects of insulin that occur after insulin-receptor binding may be mediate through nucleotide regulatory proteins (G proteins) a family of proteins associated with the inner surface of the plasma membrane. Cyclic AMP also has some intracellular effects of insulin. The major function of insulin is to counter the concerted action of a number of hyperglycemia-generating hormones and to maintain low blood glucose levels. Because there are numerous hyperglycemic hormones, untreated disorders associated with insulin generally lead to severe hyperglycemia and shortened life span. In addition to its role in regulating glucose metabolism, insulin stimulates lipogenesis, diminishes lipolysis, and increases amino acid transport into cells. Insulin also modulates transcription, altering the cell content of numerous mRNAs. It stimulates growth, DNA synthesis, and cell replication, effects that it holds in common with the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and relaxin. Specific protease activity cleaves the center third of the molecule, which dissociates as C peptide, leaving the amino terminal B peptide disulfide bonded to the carboxy terminal A peptide. Insulin secretion from beta cells is principally regulated by plasma glucose levels. Increased uptake of glucose by pancreatic b-cells leads to a concomitant increase in metabolism. The increase in metabolism leads to an elevation in the ATP/ADP ratio. This in turn leads to an inhibition of an ATP-sensitive K+ channel. The net result is a depolarization of the cell leading to Ca2+ influx and insulin secretion. In fact, the role of K+ channels in insulin secretion presents a viable therapeutic target for treating hyperglycemia due to insulin insufficiency. Insulin, secreted by the beta-cells of the pancreas, is directly infused via the portal vein to the liver, where it exerts profound metabolic effects. These effects are the response of the activation of the insulin receptor which belongs to the class of cell surface receptors that exhibit intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity as shown in the figure. Insulin produces its action through specific insulin receptors which consist of two subunits ? and ?. Insulin receptor complex then initiates a chain of biochemical reaction involving cAMP, protein phosphorylase, protein kinase, phosphatase and lipase. A diabetic condition result when receptor of insulin is desensitization. Therefore, Insulin is used medically in diabetes mellitus. Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus depend on insulin (commonly injected subcutaneously) for their survival because they make no hormone. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have either low insulin production or insulin resistance or both. Therefore, they require insulin administration when other medications become inadequate in controlling blood glucose levels. Actions of insulin-insulin receptor interactions at the level of IRS1 and activation of the kinase cascade leading to altered activities of glycogen phosphorylase and glycogen synthase. The insulin receptor is a heterotetramer of 2 extra cellular alpha-subunits disulfide bonded to 2 transmembrane beta-subunits. With respect to hepatic glucose homeostasis, the effects of insulin receptor activation are specific phosphorylation events that lead to an increase in the storage of glucose with a concomitant decrease in hepatic glucose release to the circulation. Only those responses at the level of glycogen synthase and glycogen phosphorylase are represented. This image shows Insulin-insulin receptor actions on glycogen homeostasis showing the role of protein targeting glycogen, PTG in complex formations involving many of the enzymes and substrates together. Also diagrammed is response of insulin at the level of glucose transport into cells via GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane. GS/GP kinase = glycogen synthase: glycogen phosphorylase kinase. PPI = protein phosphatase inhibitor. Arrows denote either direction of flow or positive effects, T lines represent inhibitory effects. In most nonhepatic tissues, insulin increases glucose uptake by increasing the number of plasma membrane glucose transporters: GLUTs. Glucose transporters are in a continuous state of turnover. Increases in the plasma membrane content of transporters stem from an increase in the rate of recruitment of new transporters into the plasma membrane, deriving from a special pool of preformed transporters localized in the cytoplasm. GLUT1 is present in most tissues, GLUT2 is found in liver and pancreatic b-cells, GLUT3 is in the brain and GLUT4 is found in heart, adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. In liver glucose uptake is dramatically increased because of increased activity of the enzymes glucokinase, phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1), and pyruvate kinase (PK), the key regulatory enzymes of glycolysis. Lack of Insulin Usually the inefficiency and lack of insulin are bracketed together, as both situations result in diabetes. There are two types of diabetes, diabetes insipidus and diabetes melitus, which is by far, the most common. Diabetes mellitus in turn has two types: Type 1, also known as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, IDDM Type 1 is characterized by decreased productions of insulin so must be treated with insulin. It is most often found in children and adolescents. Type 2, also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes melitus, NIDDM Type 2 is caused by either decreased insulin production or abnormal cell sensitivity to the insulin that is present. It may be treated with diet alone, with oral hypoglycemic agents, or with insulin. It is more commonly diagnosed in adults. (Perspective Press, 240-43) Insulin does not cure diabetes. It is merely a treatment for the diabetes. Over time, many complications can occur in diabetic patients taking insulin. Some of these are coronary heart diseases, peripheral vascular diabetes, eye disorders, renal failure, and limb amputations. Because of reduced circulation and nerve damage, diabetic patients are essentially prone to developing foot ulcers, a major cause of amputations. They are able to feel foot infections, which allow it to grow and cause permanent damage. Proper foot care is essential and includes avoiding injuries oral restricting circulations, cleaning wounds, controlling infections, relieving weight from the ulcer area, and improving circulation. A new genetically engineered drug, becaplermin, promotes the healing process in diabetic foot ulcer. Lack of insulin or ineffectiveness of it may trigger some response from the body. The predominant tissue responding to signals that indicates fluctuating blood glucose levels is the liver. One of the most important functions of the liver is to produce glucose for circulation. Both elevated and reduced levels of blood glucose trigger hormonal responses to initiate pathways designed to restore glucose homeostasis. Low blood glucose triggers release of glucagon from pancreatic Alpha-cells. High blood glucose triggers release of insulin from pancreatic Beta-cells. In elderly people pancreas either fails or does not secrete right amount of insulin. In this patient insulin per injection becomes drug of choice when oral antidiabetics have failed. Insulin was also used to induce shocks in schizophrenics. Insulin secretion is controlled by concentrations circulating glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids, various hormones and neuron-transmitter agents. In the fasting state, when glucose concentrations are low, insulin secretion is minimal. As glucose concentrations rise after the utilizing carbohydrates meal the raised glucose concentration stimulates insulin secretion. Insulin resistance develops over time. Therefore, doses have to be increased. This occurs because of the development of insulin antibodies in the blood. This also can be somewhat corrected by changing the type of insulin injection and by giving cortiscosteroids which are immunity suppressant drugs. Yet, it also produces negative effect by increasing blood sugar and this is why they are not used. Types of Insulin There are many types of insulin and many salt forms of it. It can be derived synthetically of from different animal sources such as beef and pork. There is now genetically engineered human insulin available. Different insulin differs in the onset of action and the duration of action. Some are mixed together to achieve a desired effect such as a quick onset but a longer duration of action. The most common mixtures is regular insulin with NPH insulin (70units NPH and 30 units regular insulin per milliliter) The different categories of insulin’s are: 1. Short-acting insulin types: regular insulin (crystalline zinc insulin), semilente insulin (prompt insulin zinc suspension), insulin lipsor; 2. Intermediate – acting insulin types: NPH (isophane insulin suspension) and linte insulin (insulin zinc suspension); 3. Long-acting insulin types: PZI (protamine zinc insulin suspension) and ultralente insulin (extended insulin zinc suspension). Administration Insulin is injection instead of giving orally because it is destroyed in the gastrointestinal tract. Also, the molecule is too large to be absorbed by the intestinal membrane. Therefore, injection of soluble crystalline insulin is given by subcutaneous injection which is quickly absorbed. Peak effects of insulin are achieved quickly and also excreted quickly within a few hours. However some insulin such as simelente is absorbed slowly. The peak is reached slowly and is sustained. This type of insulin excretion is also very slow and sometimes partly destroyed by insulinase enzyme in the liver. Controlling glucose level with insulin injections is a complex task since: a) Glucose concentrations fluctuate based on food ingestion. b) Cell sensitivity to insulin changes. Exercise increases sensitivity while stress, pregnancy, and some drug decrease insulin sensitivity. As a result some diabetic patients take multiple injections for a short-acting insulin preparation to produce peaks in insulin concentrations and a long acting formulation to establish a baseline concentration. Variable rate infusion pumps are also used. Patients who use insulin need to be instructed on the rotation method of taking their medication. Insulin is absorbed more rapidly with administration in the arm or thigh, especially with exercise. The abdomen is used for more consistent absorption. Glucose levels should be checked as per physician orders. All insulin must be checked for expiration date and clarity of the solution. Insulin should not be given if it appears cloudy. Vials should not be shaken but rotated in between the hands to mix contents. If regular insulin is to be mixed with NPH or lente insulin, the regular insulin should be drawn into the syringe first. Unopened vials should be stored in the refrigerator, and freezing should be avoided. The vial in use can be stored at room temperature. Vials should not be put in glove compartments, suitcase, or trunks. Humulin is a new type of insulin and is often the patient’s preference because it can be taken orally. It is imperative that the physician be called if any adverse reactions to the medications are observed. (Jahangir Moini, P 150-154) Undesirable Effects Insulin The main undesirable effect of insulin is hypoglycemia. This is common, and can cause brain damage. Intensive insulin therapy results in a threefold increase in severe hypoglycemia. The treatment of hypoglycemic is to take a sweet drink or snack, or, if the patient is unconscious, to give intravenous glucose (50% w/v solution) or intramuscular glucagon. Rebound hypergly (Somogyi effect) can follow excessive insulin administration. This results from the release of the insulin-opposing or counter-regulatory hormones in response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia. This can cause hypercemia before breakfast following an unrecognized hypoglycemic attack during sleep in the early hours of the morning. It is essential to recognize this possibility to avoid the mistake of increasing (rather than reducing) the dose of insulin in this situation. Allergy to insulin is unusual but may take the form of local or systemic reactions. Severe insulin resistance as a consequence of antibody formation is rare. A high tire of circulating anti-insulin antibodies is more likely to occur with bovine than with porcine insulin. Note, however, that virtually all patients treated with animal insulin have antibodies against the hormone, albeit usually flow. Human insulin is less immunogenic than animal insulin but may still evoke an antibody response, since the source of the hormone is not the only determinant of immunogenicity; insulin undergo physical changes before and after injection which can increase their potential for provoking an immune response. (HP Rang et al, 200-270) References 1. Patlak M. 2002. â€Å"New weapons to combat an ancient disease: treating diabetes†. Available on http://www. fasebj. org/cgi/content/full/16/14/1853e 2. Perspective Press. 2003. â€Å"The Pharmacy Technician† 1st edition: Morton Publishers. P 240- 243. 3. Jahangir Moini. 2005. â€Å"Comprehensive Exam Review for the Pharmacy Technician†: Thomson Delmar. P 150-154 4. H. P. Rang, M. Maureen Dale, James M. Ritter, Philip Moore. 2001. â€Å"Pharmacology†: Churchill Livingstone. P 200-270

Development programme Essay

12 minutes run on the Treadmill in level 11.5 and 5 minutes cycling a steady pace.  12 minutes run on the Treadmill, in level 11.5 with 5 minutes cycling at a steady pace  Circuit training programme which we will include 1 minute cycling at a fast pace rest for 2 minutes, 1minutes sprint with 1 minute rest and back to the cycling. This will go 4 times.  And finally cycling for 5 minutes in a steady pace to get rid off lactic acid. Bicep curls, Triceps push down, Bench press, seated leg extension and seated leg curl all of this, 3 sets of 15 repetitions with 1 minute rest between sets and 2 minutes rest between different exercises. Keeping the same weight as last session.  Bicep curls, Triceps push down, Bench press, seated leg extension and seated leg curl all of this, 3 sets of 15 repetitions with 1 minute rest between sets and 2 minutes rest between different exercises. Keeping the same weight as last session. Bicep curls, Triceps push down, Bench press, seated leg extension and seated leg curl all of this, 3 sets of 12 repetitions with 1 minute rest between sets and 2 minutes rest between different exercises, this week we will only increase 1 kg in every exercise.  Passive stretches on the less flexible muscles with serious extension to see a good improvement (groin, hamstring, quadriceps, back, biceps, triceps, gastrocnemius and gluteus). All will be kept for 45 seconds. Passive stretches on the less flexible muscles with serious extension to see a good improvement (groin, hamstring, quadriceps, back, biceps, triceps, gastrocnemius and gluteus). All will be kept for 45 seconds.  Passive stretches and static stretches in every muscle (groin, hamstring, quadriceps, back, biceps, triceps, gastrocnemius and gluteus). All will be kept for 50 seconds.  I think this week really will help to maintain a good cardiovascular development and a good muscular strength. In both fitness components I’ve increased some type of resistance such as doing the really hard session in Friday for cardiovascular and adding 1 kilogram per exercise in the muscular strength training. I think the flexibility exercises I developed, will really help to see a difference in next week’s sessions. Next week I will increase 10 seconds in each stretch to see if week 4 really helped him to improve.  This wee I’m going to focus in two things, muscular strength and cardiovascular system. As its one more week left for the training programme to be finished, I am concentrate on the two major things that need improvement. To improve my cardiovascular I will do a Fartlek training session and a hard weight session by adding more weights, in Wednesday, everything it’s going to be a normal week and in Friday I will do an interval training to prepare for next week hard sessions and I will also do a very hard session for muscular endurance. For flexibility I will maintain adding seconds but won’t focus as much at it.  Monday  Wednesday  Friday  Fartlek training programme which will last 12 minutes and will be done in the athletic centre. It will have serious changes of speed every 3 minutes. A bike session of 2 minutes as harder as possible.  12 minutes run on the Treadmill, in level 12 and 5 minutes cycling at a steady pace  In this session a Interval session is being produces which will be jogging for 10 minutes, then do 3Ãâ€"100 sprint with a rest between of 1 minute jogging and finishing with another 10 minutes run. Finally cycling for 5 minutes in a steady pace.  Bicep curls, Triceps push down, Bench press, seated leg extension and seated leg curl all of this, 3 sets of 15 repetitions with 1 minute rest between sets and 2 minutes rest between different exercises. Adding 2 more kilos for the duration of the whole session. Bicep curls, Triceps push down, Bench press, seated leg extension and seated leg curl all of this, 3 sets of 15 repetitions with 1 minute rest between sets and 2 minutes rest between different exercises. Keeping the same weight as last session.  Bicep curls, Triceps push down, Bench press, seated leg extension and seated leg curl all of this, 3 sets of 12 repetitions with 1 minute rest between sets and 2 minutes rest between different exercises. Adding another 2 kilos for the duration of the whole session. Passive stretches on the less flexible muscles and static stretches on more flexible group muscles (groin, hamstring, quadriceps, back, biceps, triceps, gastrocnemius and gluteus). All will be kept for 50 seconds.  Passive stretches on the less flexible muscles and static stretches on more flexible group muscles (groin, hamstring, quadriceps, back, biceps, triceps, gastrocnemius and gluteus). All will be kept for 50 seconds. Passive stretches on the less flexible muscles and static stretches on more flexible group muscles (groin, hamstring, quadriceps, back, biceps, triceps, gastrocnemius and gluteus). All will be kept for 55 seconds.  I think this session can really help obtain a difference for the last week of the development programme. Making him work in the cardiovascular system as much, will help him psychological and physically to be more determine in sports, as he put all his effort in this week session and hopefully was done perfectly, with motivation and confidence. Flexibility stood the same but we added 5 more minutes in the last session so we can see an improvement in next weeks last session.

Big Skinny Essay

Big Skinny wallets are water resistant and tough enough to machine-wash regularly. k. â€Å"Thinnest Wallet Ever† great marketing scheme 13. Core Weaknesses l. They won’t appeal to luxury customers because they are made of nylon instead of leather which is seen as a luxury material people may not be inclined to invest in a wallet that lacks the stylish approachm. â€Å"Thinnest Wallet Ever† could create competition of other wallet distributors to create thinner wallets and have Big Skinny constantly competing for the title c. Product Development Analysis vi. Made from a durable, water-resistant nylon micro-fiber 10 times thinner and lighter than leather yet just as durable. vii. â€Å"World’s Thinnest Wallet† viii. Thinner due to unique designs such as our Super Skinny wallet or sport wallet. Or our very unique leather nylon wallet hybrid series. ix. Wallets are small, lightweight, and often in need of replacement; hence, wallets are natural impulse purchases, often bought as gifts. x. the slimmest and most durable microfiber materials he could find, Kiril eventually developed a proprietary material tough enough to be machine-washablexi. The Big Skinny material was . 21mm thick—thinner than a normal business card and about one-eighth as thick as regular leather2. Problem Decisional Statement d. How should Big Skinny attract visitors to its site and how should Big Skinny convince those site visitors to buy wallet? 3. Heuristic Frames e. Continue business as usual f. Expand social networking marketing plan on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. g. Partner with larger social network sites for sponsorship and ads. Blogs, video sites, etc. h. Expand to larger retail stores putting wallets in stores building name and prestige and offering the online service as an alternative choice i. Invest in Infomercials to expand online appeal andpopularity j. Partnering with another brand such as (Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Nautica) making big skinny style wallets k. Sell the business l. Billboard marketing of the website m. In addition to the website branch onto online shopping retailer sites like Amazon, Ebay, etc. n. Have a celebrity endorse or sponsor the wallets. o. Have a larger business or retailer exclusively sale the wallets as a specific brand4. Issue Analysis p. K xii. Pros 14. Having more in house products in other stores can allow for more marketing possibilities as well especially online 15. Turn the brand into a household name, eventually people will branch from buying them in stores and instead only buy from online shops 16. Turning the business into a more so manufacturer instead of a direct manufacturer to consumer business could helpxiii. Cons 17. Adds to cost and expenses for shipping to retail shops 18. A somewhat gamble to take it from the â€Å"fair market† especially given its limited popularity 19. Doesn’t allow for individuality much and creates middle men. 5. Recommendation q. Recommend selling the wallets exclusively through a major retailer because it could expand the brand and putting the website out there. Even the holiday season maybe have deals or holiday style advertising. Having it in larger retail stores such as Target or Wal-Mart and putting them every store across the country expands name and business and could create more online traffic. To add to the existing. Could build the name and prestige to the company. Having it as an exclusive product could open opportunities to later expand it to other stores as well. Have Wal-Mart brand exclusive Big Skinny Wallets. Similar to how the iPhone was exclusively sold by AT&T and how the Apple products for some time were exclusively sold through Apple and now they are being sold at more retailers. Exclusive sales of Big Skinny wallets can increase online traffic maybe even selling a unique brand of wallets only from the company website. Offer exclusive deals.

Status of women defined in the Arab culture Assignment

Status of women defined in the Arab culture - Assignment Example Many aspects in the Arabian cultures and including religion evidently show that Arabian men and women do not share equal privileges and rights in society. Women in Arabian countries hold lower status than that of their male counterparts. Most Arabs in Arabic countries, and those found in different parts of the world are known to follow the Arabic principles and customs. Although Islam is dominant in Arabic states, some Arabs belong to the Christian faith, while others are Jews. However, these still adhere to some of the Islamic principles. Therefore, the religion of Islam plays the major role in determining the different ways through which Arab men and women interact, including their status in society. Since Islam is a religion that has been present for many years, it is considered part of the culture in Arab countries, and this highly influences different social and cultural aspects of Arabs. The mainstream, secular discourse believes that Islam is oppressive to women. This is reflected in various practices in the Arabian cultures, which require women to act differently from men, in a rather discriminatory manner. For instance, women’s dressing is highly restricted. In most conservative Arab countries, women can only dress in clothes covering their whole bodies, and even veils for the head and face, as some allow women to only show their eyes, and not any other part of their bodies. This is in addition to many other practices, including those involving property ownership, which undermine women in Arab countries (Desiree Web). The status of women in Arab countries is directly related to the religion of Islam. In past times, women in Arab countries were secluded, and were not given the opportunity to take part in the public life. Women were rather confined to their private lives only. After independence however, Islam countries such as Tunisia have considerably changed the status of their women

The Last Samurai -comparing and contrast between Nathan and I Essay

The Last Samurai -comparing and contrast between Nathan and I - Essay Example Captain Algren is called upon by the Japanese Emperor’s to train a conscripted Japanese army. This army was to quell Samurai warriors who are battling to protect their long held cultural traditions, including the western modernization of their nation. Captain Algren was captured during the battle and detained by the Samurai warriors. During his days in remand, he slowly understands and appreciates what the warriors were defending. Algren himself changes and gets assimilated into the Samurai tradition. He becomes one of the Samurai warriors, and he offers to fight against well-trained Japanese government troops alongside other courageous Samurai warriors. This paper thematically relates the life and cultural changes Algren experienced in Japan, with the cultural changes I experienced when I moved from Liberia to America. The journey of Algren, essentially, gives people an insight of the level in which the eastern nations value their traditional cultural beliefs and practices. They are proud to show that their old cultures are not old and boring, irrelevant and out-of-date (Zwick & Ed 17). The Samurais are part of the old Japanese tradition and it is their duty to defend their culture against any external threat. Katsumoto realized the need to protect Japan from a tide of western modernization that was slowly sweeping their country. Algren believes the ways of the Samurais will always be respected attributes and necessary (Zwick & Ed 18). Samurais deserve honor in everything they do: They are cable of conversing with foreigners in English, and engaging in a battle with trained army troops. Their identity and moral codes would be lost if they did not defend it. The main theme of the movie is whether to forget about the past cultural beliefs and embrace the future, or to stick to the old traditions (Zw ick & Ed 26). Cultural assimilation is one of the factors that significantly affect most people who move to settle in foreign lands. Every country and

Eating Habits of Students Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Eating Habits of Students - Essay Example The importance of a healthy lifestyle is inevitable. A good and healthy lifestyle starts with the diet one takes (Bailey, 2007 ). A blend of calorie intake together with fruit and vegetable consumption, as part of the diet, is advisable in ensuring a balanced diet. It helps prevent lifestyle-related disorders and diseases (MacClanccy, Henry, & Macbeth, 2009). Strict dietary guidelines help maintain a healthy diet and avoid the big gap in dietary divide experienced today by many people. The prevalent short lifespan emanates from the wrong choice of diet that end up affecting our health (Shepherd & Raats 2006). The young generation seems to pay little attention to the crucial topic of diet and health. Their choice of diet remains a secondary consideration in their responsibility for their health (Gullotta, Adams & Ramos 2005). Dietary disorders among young people are on the rise at an alarming rate. Instances of obesity in young people are increasing more than ever experienced. Accordi ng to Richards, 2007, guiding the young generation on issues of diet and health become essential. Topics such as the choice of food, awareness of a well balanced diet and the need to create attention to nutrition among by young people need further elaboration. Teaching the youth about diet and health, therefore, is indispensable an issue most governments must consider engaging (Berg 2002). Statistics in the United Kingdom show that several schools going students have poor knowledge of diet and health (McGinnis & Gootman 2006). Several students express low attention to nutrition. The choice of a better diet by students is poorly in several students (Glass 2009). In what areas many students pay less attention to, as far as diet and health are concerned, this report sorts to find out. The report discusses the important dietary areas overlooked by students and their extent of caution to their health. 2. Method In order to find out the eating habits of students, a survey was conducted wi th the help of an oral questionnaire. Total 30 randomly selected students in the UK took the interview in different learning institutions for the purpose of representing the student population. The group of respondents composed of students from different learning institutions at different stages of studies. The respondents consisted of fifteen boys and fifteen girls. The questionnaire (attached in the appendix) consists of different kinds of questions which chiefly build upon each other. The question types used is, for example, â€Å"yes/no†, multiple choice and ranking questions. In addition, some questions require the respondents stating their own opinion or telling more about their own experiences. While the questionnaire is not plainly segmented, it focuses on one major topic of health and diet. The questionnaire consists of seventeen (17) questions. The first question asks about the respondent’s gender. The second question asks about the frequency of meals taken b y students per day. The number of meals ranges from one (1) to four (4) per day. The third asks the opinion of the responder, whether he or she gets a balanced diet. It offers five options of response to the question. The fourth question inquires the respondent’s knowledge of a balanced diet. The fifth question asks the respondent about his or her preferred meal.

DISABILITY & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DISABILITY & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY - Essay Example One a person fall under the stated description, there are several laws and immunities that protect the fundamental human rights of the person. One of these rights is the right to stay healthy and participate in activities that keeps the person healthy (Antonio, 2005). Indeed one of the ways for a disabled person to keep him or herself is through sporting activities. Luckily, this consideration has been made at the world level to such an extent that the world Olympics committee recognizes the involvement of disabled people in Olympic Games through the Paralympics Games. Sadly though, there are repairable challenges that continue to face disabled people in the country as far as access to sports facilities is concerned. This report looks at the peculiar instance of challenges faced by disabled sports personalities in Islington Borough and these can be solved. Indeed the city is privileged to have a number of sports facilities that are enviable for the promotion of sports and constitutes a very good account of Islington Borough as a sports destination. Some of these sports facilities include fitness studios, swimming pools, squash centre, climbing walls and physical enhancement training gymnasiums. This not withstanding, there are basic prohibiting factors to the access and progressive use of these facilities by the disabled sports personalities in the Borough. The first of such challenges is the absence of a sell resourced volunteer sector to offer help and assistance to disabled sports men and women. By well resourced, reference is being made to volunteers who are well trained, professionally qualified to handle disabled people and who are well motivated to go about their duties. It must be established that people with disability are people who have been identified to needing great deal of support in order to excel in sports (Adams, 200 1). In the absence of such basic support, it will be very difficult for them

Concidering Aristo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Concidering Aristo - Essay Example Aristotle also opined that a hero must have a tragic flaw as this is what shows that he is not only a true human but also a true tragic hero. Oedipus’ tragic flaw was seen when he experienced a change of fortune from good to bad (Meyer & Downs 1535-1537). Oedipus was a king that was destroyed after the people learnt that he killed his own father and married his own mother and this was Oedipus’ tragic flaw. These are the qualities that Oedipus possesses and makes him qualified to be called a good but flawed king. It is therefore not wrong to classify Oedipus as a true tragic hero going by Aristotle’s notion that a true tragic hero must be a good man that also has his own flaws (Meyer & Downs). Oedipus played his role as a king effectively and appropriately and proved that he was appropriate for his position. Oedipus’ pride and arrogance is something that is typical of kings as they try to show that they are in control and the fact that Oedipus had this attribute is a pointer that he was appropriate for his position in life. If there is any attribute that should be appreciated in Oedipus, it is his self-confidence (Meyer & Downs 1532-1535). Oedipus’ confidence was seen when he summoned courage to solve the puzzle of the Sphinx in spite of the Sphinx’s threat to kill anybody that failed the puzzle. The fact that Oedipus summoned enough courage to stand up to the challenge of the Sphinx showed that he was a man that played his role as the king perfectly as he led by example. Oedipus was a courageous man that had confidence in himself and this is what makes people believe that he was arrogant. It is expected that a king should be unyielding and rigid as t hese are the true hallmarks of a great leader and the fact that Oedipus possesses these great qualities is an indication that he was a great king that could take decisions on his own without regretting them. This shows that Oedipus was a true tragic hero as he

Managing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing - Essay Example All these will be aimed at engaging with the organization in the closet manner possible so that the quality of data collected would be good enough to answer the question under study. To enhance authenticity of the entire process the process will be carried out in a number of days to avoid jeopardising the normal operations of the organization that would result in skewed information being collected that would not depict the real situation in the firm. Research ethics will be given priority through the entire process and in that light the study will be conducted with objectivity as I will try to avoid any form of bias in the experimental design that might tend to depict the firm in a negative manner. Data integrity will be highly observed as all the information sourced from the employees and the management will only be used for the purpose of the research and no other intention whatsoever. Confidentiality of classified data will also be maintained, and the information about the organization will not be published or exposed to third parties without prior consent of the management of Qvc Inc. Finally, the research will observe respect for intellectual property, and any scholarly article that will be utilized in the process will have to be acknowledged

Report Education System in Japan Essay Example for Free

Report Education System in Japan Essay Japan has already begun to experience a population decline, with the result that many universities are already having difficulty maintaining their student populations, although entry into top ranks of the universities remains hugely competitive. The emerging and foreseeable trend is that many universities will have to try to attract large numbers of foreigners or diversify or face closure. It is also now said that a university education in Japan is within easier reach of students today, but that the quality of that higher education is now in question despite the many educational reforms that have been set in motion. Each academic year begins in April and comprises of two semesters. Basic general degrees are four-year degrees, a feature adapted from the American system. Undergraduate students receive instruction via the lecture and seminar group method. The general degree may be followed by two-year Masters degrees (generally a combination of lectures and guided research) and then a three year Doctorate (largely based on research) where these are offered. Graduate education in Japan is underdeveloped compared to European countries and the United States with only slightly more than 7 percent of Japanese undergraduates going on to graduate school as compared to 13 percent of American undergraduates. Postgraduate educational offerings are weak and the number of universities offering postgraduate programmes or a wide variety of programmes, is small, compared to that in other industrialized western countries. Japan has about three million students enrolled in 1,200 universities and junior colleges and consequently the second largest higher educational system in the developed world. Japan also has one of the largest systems of private higher education in the world. The 710 odd universities in Japan can be separated into 3 categories: highly competitive, mildly competitive and non-competitive (the schools that are first-tier being the infamously difficult to enter ones). Public universities are generally more prestigious than their private ones with only 25 percent of all university-bound students being admitted to public universities. More than 65 percent of high school graduates continue their studies; of these, over 70 percent are enrolled in private colleges and universities. Only about 10 percent of private institutions receive their financial resources from public funding, with most public funds on higher education being spent on the national and local public universities. Despite the impressive statistics, Japanese universities are considered to be the weakest link in the countrys educational system. While many western writers have, time and time again, attributed the economic success of Japan to the well-educated and highly literate population of Japan, recent writings and studies tend to be far more critical, lamenting the deplorable state and quality of higher education in Japan today. Despite the famed exam rigors and competitiveness, declining standards in education and the high school students lack of interest in studying have lately been under spotlight. Some attribute this disinterestedness to the fact that academic effort no longer assured automatic rewards with the disintegration in the formerly stable and guaranteed lifetime employment system. Japanese students are also widely known to traditionally consider their university days to be a social playground, a reward for the hard work and having made it there, and, as many critics have recently pointed, professors demand relatively little from their students. Despite the institutional change and sweeping national reforms underway in response to these criticisms, the key problems remain unresolved: the pyramidal-structure of the university system and entrance exam wars; the centrally-controlled curriculum and lack of individuality and creativity of students as well as the lack of competitiveness in educational suppliers.

Purpose Of Computer Components Computer Science Essay

Purpose Of Computer Components Computer Science Essay There are many peripherals inside computer base, which process instruction via buses/wires to other hardware/software. Those are hardwares that works together and shows output/input. Such as Motherboard, Monitor, Operating system, Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers, CPU (Central Processing Unit), Hard Disk (storage devices) and Graphic card /video card. My aim is to describe about hardware, role of hardware and specification. Nowadays, technology growing very fast, even mobile, PDA works as computer, without having hardware like computer. In this report, the user will get more knowledge about hardware. The CPU is main device to maintain and provides order to RAM. If we go to deep then, the CPU has for factor of execution, such as PC (program controller), CU (control unit), and ALU (arithmetic logic unit) and finally is storage (registers). But clock is important device which maintain frequency (voltage) within computer system. A RAM is short term memory hardware which gets order from CPU and sends it hardware to run and launch. A RAM have priority to transmit data to anywhere within system. Secondary memory is non volatile because it holds data for permanent and CPU is not direct contacting with memory. A magnetic disk and optical device is secondary device because you use that device anywhere and any location by modelled by USB system. A supportive device and input/output devices also important to support other device for improve efficiency, performance and execution. Process of computer system Other I/O e.g. USB, ETHERNET and other components Diagram (1.1) [1] Control CLOCK KEYBOARD CPU, CATCH SRAM/AVL, general register MAIN MEMORY HARD DISK Data buses, 64 wire Address bus 16, 32, 64 serial wires Control buses: lot of different signal RW line e.g. clock signal Diagram 1.1 shows a CHIP clock is manages and handles all activity of hardware and software. It controls the traffic (frequency/voltage/bandwidth) within internal buses that make sore every components of computer system should get right amount of duty (instruction). When user gives command to computer system, than a CPU (central processor unit) gets instructions, that moment a clock chip controller performs to processor should get reliability. After, a processor passes information within second to Memory RAM. A memory ram is short term storage devices which executes information from CUP and shows output to user. A RAM sends instruction to other internal devices to perform. After that, a software/ or hardware start functioning. I would like to describe about hardware of computer system. [3] CPU (central processing unit) is a main primary hardware of computer system which is carryout the commands from software and categorise task in sequential order. A role of CPU is to perform programs that stored in the main memory via fetching their orders. It is responsible of fetching commands from the memory and formative their type. It has four major models which are Arithmetic logic unit (ALU), Control unit, registers, and Clock. A CUP calculates Arithmetic, assignment statement, Boolean statement and logical statements which are performed by CUP. It also holds high-speed memory to store output and some control statements. Central processing unit (CPUs) [2] This memory is registered with functions; the most important program is program counter (PC), which indicates to next command to be executed. And also there is another register which contains instruction of current processing task. A CPU needed a motherboard and RAM to transmit instructions and Ventilation sink to cool down the CPUs internal materials (buses). [2] CPU processing cycle: it is execution process where the instructions processed by sequentially within CPU from memory. A cycle mean it keep reaping and executing instructions until a task is finished or reached. Primary memory and secondary memory RAM (random access memory) [5] before in 2003, RAM shared 512 memory that provided by system but nowadays RAM memory reach up to 1 or 4 GB, when RAM is not capable to transmit the data flow within its ability, then the user might have install another RAM. So the system can run faster and task will be monitored by operating system. As we know that memory controls the signal traffic, but upgrading latest RAM, improves the traffic signal of data/task, works faster than before and also you will get quick response from computer system. Basically, memory is measured by increase of bits and bytes. [4] It stores data that can be access sequentially. If the data is not reached or not found at present position, than each memory bytes checked until get full information or found data. A SAM (serial access memory) is a partition of RAM that helps to transfer (buffer) data; organise data in order and then stores. A memory is integrated circuit (IC), which developed by 100 thousands of transistors and capacitors. Most basic RAM circuit is DRAM (dynamic memory random access memory). A capacitors and transistors produce a memory cell, which represents a signal bit of data (1 or 0). A capacitors is contains one signal digit at one time (voltage) and transistor works as switch, so it lets the control circuitry on the memory circuitry reads that binary words that capacitors contains and modify its position. Memories consist of a cells and each cell organised by address. A CPU (central processing unit) interact with main memory by sending signals to two registers of memory, which are memory address register (MAR.) and memory buffer register (MBR). When a CPU wants instruction from memory, it sends address of instruction to MAR and send digital frequency to memory the memory. After that the memory stats functioning and insert that instruction to MBR, where the CPU can access that frequency. The CPU set the address into MAR and cells are stored in the MBR. Finally, the memory is starts working and store set of instruction. A memory needs slots to locate into motherboard. The user can input two memory chipset at one time. There are two type of chipset which are DDR and SDRAM, its sends instruction twice at same time. [5] A program only launch from main memory and OS (operating system) holds instruction until needed. Secondary memory As I defined differences of primary memory; a CPU can be directly access it but in secondary memory, CPU does not access instruction or data directly. Normally, secondary memory is cheaper, longer and has larger capacity. Also it hold large amount of data. Hard drive Today, the hard drive is available in various formats, such in larger capacity. It used to hold up permanent data such as operating system, files and application. A disk is made from metal or made from special glass or aluminium or alloy material, which is LP phonograph used to record. The user can save large amount of data for permanent. A memory does not disappear when computer is shutdown. It holds memory until user needs. A hard disk is holds bytes and bit and that converted into file/folder. However, when program is running that moment the hard disk retrieves instructions and sends data to CPU at the one time. Commonly, the hard drive is transmitting data between 5 to 40 Mbps. When a CPU request for data from hard drive, that time the data transmitted to CPU between 10- 20 milliseconds. [15] Information is printed on a patterns and tracks. Track means concentric circles and patterns are in pie shaped. The disk has hundreds of tracks per shell. There are data reader head that move to closer or move back to central. The head is long enough to read or write data from whole CD, when its spinning. A hard drive have many disk installed vertically by inch apart and every disk patterns have a head that movies together and executes data at same time. Each disk drive has installed with disk controller. The controller transmits data between main memory and disk. Once a data start executed, the memory set the address for that data and keep information about where to go? And keep address of data that executed from. A disk have many sectors are divided by tracks, basically, 10 to 100 sectors per track. [15] Disk storage and USB storage: A disk is third memory storage device because the user can take anywhere. A DVD drive is rewritable compact disk knowledge. A user can save data from hard drive or load the data into it for purposes. It is burns various type of disk in different formation such as music, video and file. There also external DVD drives that can be connect via wire. A DVD drive data read rate is 48* (CD) and 16* (DVD); also writing rate is 48* (CD), 6-8 * (DVD) and 12* (DVD RAM). A user need a disk drive that record data into disk, but in DVD drive a laser reads data from surface of disk and then transmitted into computer system. A purpose of the Disk is to backup data and for protection. [6] A USB (universal serial bus) devices are very easy to use and a device created for universal use, because a small chipset, it can store large data. It usually works in any computer or other device and range of components can be connected easily. A USB 1.1 has ability to transfer maximum rate of1.5 12mbps. [6][7] Input and output devices Scanner/printer: a scanner is important device to convert paper base information into digital information and printer is printing digital information into paper. Basically, the user gives instruction to printer to print data but computer recognises its components by driver. Most common function of scanner is CCD arrays. It collects small lights -responsive diodes which change light into digital. However, an inkjet printer uses small droplets of ink to create image. The dots are very small and tiny between 10-3 dots per millimetre and positioned to exact location. [8] Keyboard, Mouse A keyboard is very common hardware to input/guide instruction and for manage computer system. It can connect via wire or USB ports. It has many characters to interact with PC, such as numbers, symbols and alphabets. It has switches to translate the person who type character into bytes so computer can understand. Most of keyboards have 80- 110 keys including functional key, control key, numeric pad and typing keys. Inside the keyboard, it has own circuitry and processor to take instruction to CPU. [9] A mouse is best model to interact with computer system without typing in; control censor movement and have ability to point on the object on computer monitor. It gives you easy accessibility to perform function of computer system. A mouse (device) installed with either sensor or roll ball to create/navigate motion. There are different mouse developed which is optical, touchpad and roll ball. An optical mouse has track sensor (CMOS: complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor) that scan surface and does not need a pads to support. The CMOS sensor transmits every collected image to digital signal processor (DSP) for analysis. Basically, a DSP measured the collection of data that how patterns are moving from previous image. [10] Support devices Motherboard Motherboard is main part of the computer and it handles communications between devices via transmitting electromagnetic power. A motherboard has many supports components to hardware, such lithium betray, DDR memory slots, 12v ATX power connector, AGP slots, chipsets, USB headers, PCI slots, CPU, HDD headers, IEEE (network) etc. Each function of motherboard has own responsibility to support internal hardware. There are many comprised individual circuit traces that is in collection of form of buses. Traces are skinny conductors or circuits on motherboard that works combine for a specific aim. It transmits electrical frequency (signals) from HDD, CPU and RAM then to other devices. A motherboard Bus is work with internal chipset/circuit to move exist data within motherboard. A motherboard can be process 32/64 bits, and transmit data up to 800-2000 MHz Major functions of the motherboard is chipset which is north and Southbridge; usually, it behave as traffic signals on the motherboard to measure high and low voltage communication to reduce data crashes. A Northbridge manages high speed communication between CPU, Ram and supportive hardware but Southbridge manages slow speed of communication based device between ports and slots, such as USB, IDE, parallels, serial, keyboard etc. [11] Graphic card A graphic card is provides supportive abilities for media bases software or hardware to work and run properly. Specially, an Intel chipset (G965, GM965, G33 etc) developed to support games animation, high resolution, and GUI (graphical user interface). A graphic card is allowed to experienced high definition GUI without needed for add-in components. Most of the graphic card is installed within motherboards AGP slot. A role of GPU (graphic processing unit) is to draw entities (geometric and mathematic calculation) that moving fast image that observe the monitor and its high level of language produce for graphic interface. To target that real time animation, the GPU must perform much floating-point operation per second. A GPU measured a shape and type of data and passes to execute function at GPU [12]. A GPU modelled by vector processing modelled, to support high application and support their functionally and GPU parallel architecture allows to perform faster, boosting rate of executi on. A manufacture developed much kind of GPU and to support; the user needs to install drivers. Currently, there are two type of GPU interface, which is OpenGL and DirectX [ref]. Because, those are interfaces developed for programming graphic operations. Figure 1.4[12] Reason I wrote about GPU because it has big responsibility give graph card to support other elements. An image we see on the monitor, it is tiny dots of pixels and that pixels are common regulation setting; each block of cells has thousands of pixels. Graphic card is translator binary data from CPU and convert into image. Basic principal of CPU is to transmit instruction that provided by software and graphic card decides how much pixels have to use to describe image. After that it transmits information to the monitor through cables. It also contains output/input technology, such as memory, processor, heat sink, motherboard connector. [13] Conclusion To conclude all about computer hardware, including CPU, memory and supportive device that work together. My aim is to describe about ability, specification and role of hardware. When the user is interact with computer system by mouse or keyboarded. The CPU gets information and converted into instruction. Basically, CPU produces order for components via using different device, such as RAM, ROM. My decision is that, by upgrading hardware, the computer system may work fast, reliable and accessibility will improve. Normally, Secondary memory provides space to hardware/software to launch and primary memory directly communicates with hardware. There are various memory which helping RAM to work faster which is registers, catch memory. The registers are addresses the executed instruction and processed instructions. A CPU does not communicate with secondary storage device, because the data is keeps permanents and can only use when needed. Its also known as magnetic disk, which is a data store in tracks and addressed blocks but when computer is shutdown, the data cannot erase. This is advantage of having secondary memory in computer system. A disk is also important to back up data, so user can use in different computer. Recently, optic storages are growing and making place in market, because it can be use anywhere and more protected. However, the user can re-write on disk or optic storage device. A scanner scans paper based information and converted into image, but that image, a printer prints it. The advantage of having scanner is to keep data in digital way and when it needed data will printed. A purpose of mouse is to interact and select object from monitor, so without inputting, a system going to run much easier. But a keyboard has many symbolic buttons and each buttons are address by bytes which keyboard processor convert into binary and transmitted to CPU. A motherboard developed by many functions to support and provide communication channel to hardwares which is connected to. Basically, it transmits an electric power via system buses and Northbridge manages high speed of CPU, RAM and ROM but Southbridge manages high speed of external devices, such as secondary and optic memory. A graphic card has important role as well to provide clear and sufficient image on the monitor. GPU is measures complex geometric shape and do mathematical calculation to make GUI (graphical int erface system) system.

Overt or covert observations

Overt or covert observations Question 1 The researcher says that [i]ntense observations in the classroom and playground area were completed [and] detailed observations were conducted in lessons(p.184). What can you infer about the things she observed and the methods she used to record her observations? Qualitative research is an effort to understand situations in their uniqueness as part of a particular context and the interactions there. (Merriam, 2009:14) An ethnographer participates, overtly or covertly, in peoples daily lives for an extended period of time, watching what happens, listening to what is said, asking questions; in fact collecting whatever data are available to throw light on the issues with which he or she is concerned. (Flick 2005:146) The author, Lisa Russell is a young female ethnographer entering the research field for the first time. This paper is a description of The implications of investigating student resistance and the importance of how the researchers; personal dispositions influence the research process are discussed. (Russell, 2005:181) The research was conducted in three culturally diverse schools of Birmingham and Sydney and the information was gathered through observations and interviews. Students in the age bracket of 14-16 years were identified for observation, especially the ones finding the experience difficult either academically or emotionally (Watts, 2001; Russell, 2005:184) According to Esterberg, ethnography is intensively studying a specific social group by observing the group in its natural setting (Esterberg, 2002:8). Sometimes ethnography and participant observation are used interchangeably. But to its contrary, ethnography requires a participation observation style of fieldwork. Participant observation thus can most usefully be seen as a means of producing ethnographies rather than as synonymously with ethnography. (Thorpe Holt, 2008:100) Russell being new to the field entered her research ground with no ideal, logical step-by-step approach (Russell, 2005:182). She used her relative inexperience to her advantage. She started her research by observing students in various classes and free time. She observed them in their favorite and least favorite modules, covering one of the most popular aspects of student resistance. Once the trust between them grew, she advanced to spending time with them in their own comfort zones, which gave her more of an insight to their personal lives. This way she managed to get valuable information concerning their behavior and problems. There were instances when she witnessed highly disruptive behavior of students, like that of a male student kick and bash a school vendor machine during break-time (Russell, 2005:193) but blinded herself to the situation. At the same time, there were occasions when she found herself caught in uncomfortable circumstances like the time she landed up in the deputys office as she was with students who got late for class. Names like the follower and leech suggest that during the initial stages Russell was not accepted by the students as she shadowed them all around. But gradually she managed to gain one of the most vital aspects of the study trust. Ethnographers are viewed differently as a relationship is built up and trust developed. (Cassell Symon 2004:316). I feel her main tool for recording data was a daily logbook, but filling the same in front of her research subjects could make them very suspicious and inquisitive. Although as her relationship with the students strengthened, she allowed the researched the chance to see what was being written about them (Russell, 2005:187).This she did to gain feedback and more importantly trust. To conclude, I feel the main aspect she focused throughout was to develop a trustworthy relationship with the students. This she did over a gradual period as she observed and learned from them. Question 2 The author is a young ethnographer researching teenagers (p.193). What difference does our knowledge of her age and personal details make to the account? Qualitative research is a form of interpretative inquiry in which researchers make an interpretation of what they see, hear and understand. Their interpretation cannot be separated from their own backgrounds, history, contexts, and prior understandings. (Creswell, 2009:176) The author, Lisa Russell is a young, novice, female, white, northern English ethnographer (Russell, 2005:181). Her smallness in height and build influenced how students and teachers interacted with [her]. (Russell, 2005:182) Russell used a very reflexive approach towards her research and took into consideration how different aspects of her personal disposition affected her entire study. Researchers reflections on their actions and observations in the field, their impressions, irritations, feelings and so on, become data in their own right, forming part of the interpretation, (Flick, 2005:6) I feel her age -23-24 at the time of field work (Russell, 2005:182) and youthful nature helped her immensely in developing a trustworthy bond with the students. The students opened up to her about their grievances which they might not have done with someone older and more experienced. The researchers ability to build relationships and develop rapport with subjects is crucial. (Thorpe Holt, 2008:151) Her repetitive emphasis on her age and naivety throughout the paper shows that these facets of her personal disposition helped her to engage in discussions and activities with the teenaged students, which if she was older wouldnt have been able to do. Her closeness to their age made it simpler for both herself and the students to be able to relate to each other. Although, at the same time it was difficult for her to develop a similar bond with the teachers and she felt exceptionally uncomfortable in staffroom discussions. In my opinion, she put in a lot of effort and time into understanding the point of view of the students and didnt do the same with the teachers. But as she graduated to the third school her heightened confidence and greater experience (Russell, 2005:188) made it easier for her to relate to and interact with the teachers. This paper also brings into account the being there quality. Good ethnography is about communicating the impression of having truly been there, of having had close-in contact with far-out lives while at the same time making the reader feel he or she has been there too. (Bate, 1997:1163) In the context of Russells paper the way she elucidates her experience and subsequently her problems, make it very easy for us to believe and understand her observations. I as a student believed that the intense description about her personal characteristics played a significant role in helping me comprehend her entire research. I also inferred that as an amateur, she mentioned her young and novice personality keeping in mind that even if her study was not up to the mark it would have been excusable. I held a degree of emotional attachment towards some students given the significant time I had spent with them and the nature and detail of their lives they had shared with me. (Russell, 2005:196) This confession of hers illustrates that she let herself get emotionally involved with the students. Students also, at times would seek for support and guidance (from her or consider Russell as a shoulder to cry on (Russell, 2005:196). Since this was her first ever ethnography leaving the field and detaching herself from her research subjects, became difficult. Russells reflexive approach and personal disposition especially her age influenced and widened her scope for the study. This nature of the report helped her retain authenticity throughout the paper. Question 3 Russell claims that her ethnographic research investigates the complex and sometimes contradictory culture(s) of student resistance to schooling (Wills, 1977) (p. 181). How is this claim supported in the paper? According to Russell This study examines the significance and relationship between class, gender and ethnicity in the construction of resistance. It aims to understand how the wider societal and cultural environment influences the working of a school and the behaviour of the actors within it. (Russell, 2005:182) Student resistance is often perceived as explicit rejection of formal education. It is a deliberate yet hesitant activity of students arising due to social, cultural, emotional and academic concerns. According John Deweys comment that teaching and learning are much like selling and buying: One might as well say he has sold when no one has bought, as to say that he has taught when no one has learned'(Dewey, 1910,p.29) (Provenzo, ed. 2006) The students selected for the research ranged from truancy issues and students negative attitude towards school and learning to low self-esteem concerns.(Russell, 2005:184). Taking the instance of a student who had an alcoholic mother and [was struggling] to cope with her domestic responsibilities (Russell, 2005:185) shows that how a family related problem can hamper a persons education and make her unenthusiastic about school. In my opinion this supplement is a conflicting account. As mentioned clearly in the paper it aims at providing an insight to student resistance to schooling, where as there is not much mentioned about the same. According to my inference, it explores the experience and problems faced by the researcher, Lisa Russell during the course of her research. She at the same time concentrates on describing the methodologies used for observations and to gather information. On the other hand, she made the study interesting for readers to read by providing examples to support her content. Ethnography is art, science and craft rolled into one. As artists we seek to capture experiences in images and representations which symbolize reality; in this regard, expression is more important than precision. (Bate, 1997:1153) This repository statement, expression is more important than precision holds true in this study. I as a student found the report very engrossing because of the way she articulated her encounters with her research subjects. Some which put her into awkward situations while trying to gain trust from disruptive students made the account appealing. A few others were when she witnessed students truant, thieve, damage school property, take illegal substances and even [asked her] to participate. (Russell, 2005:193) Russell subconsciously seemed to be bias towards the students. Bias may be viewed as unavoidable as researchers often hold sympathy for some groups over the others. (Russell, 2005:190) Since this study was centered around students she preferred to take their side predominantly, intending to gain further insight into student resistance. I personally would have preferred to know more about the teachers since they played an equally important role in the research. She could have discussed the teachers reaction to some of the above instances in detail. In conclusion I believe this paper constitutes more about Russells experiential data and personal disposition than on its primary topic of student resistance. Reconsidering Work-Life Balance Debates: Challenging Limited Understandings of the Life Component in the Context of Ethnic Minority Womens Experiences Nicolina Kamenou Question 1 The author appears to have had difficulties recruiting interviewees (see especially p.s102). Why, for example, might an organization withdraw from the study claiming restructuring was in progress? (p.102) Work-life balance means that individuals have successfully segmented or integrated life and work so as to achieve a satisfying quality of life, overall satisfaction and less strain or stress around juggling conflicting role demands. (Blyton et al., 2006:2) The work-life balance equation (Kamenou, 2008:S99) is a vast concept covering a number of aspects ranging from career, ambition, family, pleasure and culture. Suitable prioritising between the same helps to accomplish ones goal in life. This article is centred on ethnic minority womens experiences of managing their work and personal lives. (Kamenou, 2008:S99). The author, Nicolina Kamenou, collected the data via semi structured, in depth interviews primarily with ethnic minority females. The perception of ethnic minority men, white women and white men was also taken for comparison. The broader study aimed to investigate best practice on the equality issues but also to examine whether the reality matched the rhetoric of equality of opportunity within organizations by exploring employees perceptions and experiences. (Kamenou, 2008:S102). The author evidently faced difficulties in recruiting interviewees, since only three out of the twenty organisations approached responded positively to the invitation (Kamenou, 2008:S102). Further to this, one of them withdrew claiming restructuring was in progress. The basic strategy for in depth interviews should be in three stages prepare, contact, and follow up (MacDougall Fudge, 2001). These stages include preparing for the research by describing and constructing a sample, negotiating with the key people or organisations personally, and providing feedback and maintaining relationship with the participants. Initially I feel a loop hole in the recruitment procedure could have led to rejection from many of the organisations contacted. Besides this there could be many reasons for it. This study is mostly based on topics such as ethnicity, culture, religion, racism and sexism which are very sensitive in nature. One of the main reasons for companies to withdraw from the research could have been to avoid any controversy. They would not want to risk their reputation and find themselves involved in any problematic situation as a consequence of the research. The firm which withdrew claiming restructuring was in progress was a financial organisation. This shows that the management could have been worried about the companys inside information since such a research could have revealed confidential data to the market and its competitors and thus affected its integrity. The company possibly had something to hide. On the other hand if a company is confident, a research is a good way of gaining credibility and even one of the cheaper ways of getting feedback from its employees. I also feel, stating the real names of the participating organisations could have been avoided. Kamenou should have used pseudonyms instead as confidentiality is a significant factor of researches. Confidentiality must be assured as the primary safeguard against unwanted exposure. All personal data ought to be secured or concealed and made public only behind a shield of anonymity. (Denzin Lincoln, 2000:139). Kamenou could have most definitely got a better response from the companies initially contacted, had she offered to keep the names anonymous. In my opinion, the sensitive character of the study and the matter of confidentiality, were the main reasons which lead to the difficulties faced by the researcher while recruiting interviewees. I also believe, that a better response could have been achieved had the interviewees been assured about the authenticity of the information being published. Regarding the financial company no conclusion can be drawn as we have no proof against them. Question 2 Would you expect differences between the people in organizations where formal access had been been granted and the independent group identified through personal networking? (p. s102) If so, what might these differences be? In this article, Kamenou focuses on the specificities in the experiences of ethnic minority women, incorporating other groups experiences where necessary, with regard to balancing their work and personal life (Kamenou 2008:S107). For this purpose both males and females from different cultural backgrounds were selected to be interviewed. The researcher recruited these interviewees formally from organizations. An independent group of participants was also identified through personal networking across a range of various public, private and voluntary organizations. All the participants varied in their occupations. The researcher derived information from a number of job profiles, to name a few there were nurses, managers, lawyers and psychologists. The researcher conducted semi structured, in-depth interviews. The main goal of these interviews was to explore a topic more openly and to allow interviewees to express their opinions and ideas in their own words. (Esterberg, 2002:86). The researcher must have certainly got different responses from the formally approached people and the independent group. Since the exact procedure of recruiting the interviewees has not been mentioned, I feel that the participants of the organizations where formal access was granted may not have been given a choice. Thus, they may not have voluntarily agreed and would have been least interested in the research. They would have restrained from giving out information concerning their organization with the fear of it reaching higher authorities and thus loosing their jobs. At the same time their response could have been manipulated by the employers to gain publicity. On the other hand, the independent group were people selected through personal networking and thus their cooperation was completely voluntary. We can refer to it as snowball sampling. This basically means when existing research subjects refer future subjects from among their acquaintances to help widen the information base. Such participants would have been interested and involved in the interview. They would have been more forthcoming with their response. Since these participants were being interviewed without any pressure form an organization, they would have been more willing and open about discussing their personal experiences. The only problem in such sampling is that of bias. The researcher could have recruited these participants according to her own convenience. She might have selected them with the point of view of extracting maximum information. In my opinion, the independent group would have been more fascinating and appropriate to interview since they would have provided with more intense and authentic information than the formal access participants. A key reason for including the independent group was to add richness to the data by looking at minority womens work and career experiences in a variety of sectors and occupations. (Kamenou, 2008:S103) On the whole, the author managed to acquire a wide range of experiences and data from both types of participants. Thus, this gave us a deep understanding of the problems faced by ethnic minority women while balancing work with other responsibilities in life. Question 3 From reading the paper, what do we know about the author? How might the identity of the author have made a difference to the research? This paper is an example of feminist research approach. In such a study the goals are to establish collaborative and nonexploitative relationships, to place the researcher within the study so as to avoid objectification, and to conduct research that is transformative. It is a complex area of inquiry with numerous frameworks (e.g., male oriented, white feminist oriented, able-bodied female oriented) and difficult issues (e.g., the absence and invisibility of women, who can be knowers) (Creswell, 2007:26) Of the various forms of qualitative research, ethnography is the most common one used by females. A researchers personal disposition plays a very significant role in a research, especially when done by a female. Reflexivity also has a big impact on such studies and makes the output of the same extremely relatable. In this paper, Nicolina Kamenou, explores minority womens perceptions of the reciprocal relationship of career demands and other aspects of their lives, such as family and community expectations and responsibilities (Kamenou, 2008:S99). The authors method in this research is not reflexive at all. At no point in the study does she reveal any personal information regarding herself. There is no mention of the influence her personality has on the study nor of the interpretations she derived from the same. In my opinion, if the author had made revelations about her personal details, the research would have been more engaging. Even though this article gives a rich insight into the work life equation, it does not elaborate on the authors experience and relationship with her research subjects. It would have been appealing to know her age and cultural background because these seem to be the two most important factors which could have influenced the research. She has left the readers guessing her identity. If the author was associated with the ethnic minority group, she could have given an account of her experiences and hence added some personal touch to the research. But at the same time, if she had adopted a reflexive approach, she would have left the readers questioning her objectivity towards the research. We as readers would have assumed that she was bias towards her subjects and thus she would need to justify herself to us. In my view, Nicolina Kamenous approach towards her research was very different as compared to Lisa Russells. Russells adopted a very reflexive approach and described in detail the impact her personal disposition had on her subjects, interpretation and conclusion of the research. She does not keep the readers guessing her identity and gives away a considerable amount of personal information which helps us as learners relate to her. On the other hand, Kamenous approach is far from being reflexive in nature. The readers gain no knowledge about her personal characteristics and the impact of the same on her research. In conclusion, Lisa Russells study gave an excellent account of the authors personal impact on the entire research, where as it didnt focus much on the information she derived from it. On the other hand, Nicolina Kamenous research offered a rich insight to her topic of discussion, while it didnt enlighten us with her thoughts towards the study. Overall, the papers gave me a good understanding of two contradicting accounts in the vast field of qualitative research methods. References: Bate, S.P. (1997) Whatever happened to organisational anthropology? A review of the field of organisational ethnography and anthropological studies, Human Relations, 50 (9): 1147-1175 Blyton, P., Blundson, B., Reed, K., Dastmalchian, A. (2006) Work-Life Integration: International Perspectives on the Balancing of Multiple Roles, 1st ed. New York: PALGRAVE MACMILLIAN Cassell, C. Symon, G. (2004) Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research, Thousand Oaks: SAGE Creswell, J.W., (2007) Qualitative Inquiry Research Design : Choosing Among Five Approaches,2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Creswell, J.W. (2009) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches,3rd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Denzin, N.K. Lincoln, Y.S. (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE MacDougall, C. Fudge, E. (2001) Qualitative Health Research: Planning and Recruiting the Sample for the Focus Groups and In-Depth Interviews [Online], 11(117) Available at: [Accessed 16 November 2009] Esterberg, K. G. (2002), Qualitative Methods In Social Research, New York : The McGraw-Hill Companies Flick, U., (2005) An Introduction to Qualitative Research, 2nd ed. London : SAGE Kamenou, N. (2008) Reconsidering Work-Life Balance Debates: Challenging Limited Understandings of the Life Component in the Context of Ethnic Minority Womens Experiences. British Journal Of Management, Vol. 19 s99-s109 Merriam, S. B., (2009) Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation 2nd ed. San Francisco: Joosey Bass Provenzo Jr, E.F., ed., 2006. Forthcoming in the Encyclopedia of the Social and Cultural Foundations of Education [online] Available at : http://danbutin.org/Resistance%20-%20Encyclopedia%20entry.pdf [Accessed 18 November 2009] Russell, L. (2005) Its a question of trust: balancing the relationship between students and teachers in ethnographic fieldwork. Qualitative Research Vol. 5 (2) 181-199 Thorpe, R. Holt, R. (2008) The Sage Dictionary of Qualitative Management Research. London: Sage

The Spark :: essays research papers

The Spark Unfair taxes, extraneous patrols, and Britain’s monopoly on trade. These all incited the rebellion against Britain, but one thing before all of these also egged on the rebellion- the French and Indian War. The French and Indian War helped fuel the Revolution because the taxes that it caused, the limitations that were forced upon them with the treaty, and the way the colonists were treated by the British after the war. The French and Indian War left Britain in a huge war debt because of supply costs and the length of it (seven years, which is why it is also known as the Seven Years War). The British needed to pay it off no they laid heavy taxes onto the colonists. The colonists might have been okay with them if Britain asked them and let them have a say, but they did not so the colonist motto soon became â€Å"No taxation without representation.† It is the cause and effects of these first taxes that will start many conflicts and battles. When Proclamation of 1763 (the treaty of the French and Indian War) was signed Britain closed off the trans-Appalachian region, enclosing the colonists within the thirteen colonies. The British did this so the colonists would not start expanding territory, which would mean more soldiers to pay to protect them. The colonists did not like this one bit. If they were able to go out west, it would mean more land, more opportunity, and more land means more money so even the poor would have a shot at making money. The colonists expected to be treated as full-fledged British citizens, but of course, the British just treated them as inferiors. To the British, America was the worst place you could go, full of convicts and criminals.

Society MUST Understand how the Natural World Works Essay -- Argumenta

Society MUST Understand how the Natural World Works Except for children, few of us spend much time wondering why Nature is the way it is; where the Cosmos came from, or whether it was always here; or whether there are ultimate limits to what humans know. There are even children who want to know what a black hole looks like; why the sky is blue; how does a balloon stay up in the air; what makes the human body work; and why there is a Universe. I have many opportunities to teach children at various ages and have observed that many of these children are natural born scientists. They have inquisitive little minds filled with curiosity and wonder. Provocative and insightful questions bubble out them with enormous enthusiasm. I am often asked follow-up questions that have the potential to take up the whole day. These children have never heard of the notion of a dumb question. I find something all together different when talking to middle and high school students. A great deal of them seem to get by by memorizing facts and the joy of discovery that led to those facts has gone out of them. They have lost most of the wonder, and gained little skepticism. This particular age group's main concern is not taking up class time asking dumb questions. They are willing to accept inadequate answers and they don't ask follow-up questions. Many of them are more concerned with the placement of the hands on the clock and when the school bell is going to ring. The middle and high school classrooms are often saturated with indirect glances to judge the approval of their peers. As a graduate student, it is frightening to see the same behavior acted out in upper-level college courses. The negative glances from those who lack respect for learning defi... ..., drive to learn things and then to exchange the information with others (239). I understand the natural world to be an absolutely essential tool for any society with a hope of surviving the next century. It is of tremendous importance that we take responsibility as parents and teachers and start generating critical, curious, and imaginative students. The worlds needs and deserves a society with a basic understanding of how the natural world works. Works Cited Bishop, J. Thomas. "Enemies of Promise." In the Presence of Others: Voices That Call for Response. Second Edition. Andrea A. Lundsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. St. Martin's Press. New York, 1997. 26-261. Thomas, Lewis. "The Hazards of Science." In the Presence of Others: Voices That Call for Response. Second Edition. Andrea A. Lundsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. St. Martin's Press. New York, 1997. 239.

BADM 3601 †Operations Management Assignmen

Caroline Walsh BADM 3601 – Operations Management Assignment # 4? Due: Monday November 12th ? 5:00 PM (a) Â  A study? aid desk manned by a graduate student has been established to answer student’s questions and help in working problems in your OM course. The desk is staffed eight hours per day. The dean wants to know how the facility is working. Statistics show that students arrive at a rate of four per hour, and the distribution is approximately Poisson. Assistance time averages 10 minutes, distributed exponentially. Assume population and line length can be infinite and queue discipline is FCFS.Using this information, answer the following questions. i. Calculate the percent of utilization of the graduate student P= 4/6 = 2/3 = . 6667 percent utilization ii. Determine the average number of students in the system ?= 4 per hour ?= 6 students helped an hour Ls= 4/ 6-4 = 4/2 = 2 students in the system on average. iii. Calculate the average time in the system Ws= 1/ 6-4 = ? = . 5 hours average time in the system iv. Find out the probability of four or more students being in line or being served P0= 1 – 4/6 = 1- 2/3 = . 33 probability that there are 4 or more students being in line or being served. . Before a test, the arrival of students increases to five per hour on the average. ?Compute the average number of students waiting under this scenario. Lq= 4^2 / 6 (6-4) = 16/ 12= 1. 33 student waiting in line on average. (b) Â  What are the three characteristics of a waiting? line system? 1. Arrivals or inputs to the system: these have characteristics such as population size, behavior, and a statistical distribution. 2. Queue discipline, or the waiting line itself: characteristics of the queue include whether is it limited or unlimited in length and the discipline of people or items in it. . The service facility: its characteristics include its design and the statistical distribution of service times. —————— ———————————————————————– Question 2. Radovilsky’s Department Store in Haywood, California, maintains a successful catalog sales department in which a clerk takes orders by telephone. If the clerk is occupied on one line, incoming phone calls to the catalog department are answered automatically by a recording machine and asked to wait.As soon as the clerk is free, the party who has waited the longest is transferred and serviced first. Calls come in at a rate of about 12 per hour. The clerk can take an order in an average of 4 minutes. Calls tend to follow a Poisson distribution, and service times tend to be exponential. The cost of the clerk is $10 per hour, but because of lost goodwill and sales, Radovilsky’s loses about $25 per hour of customer time spent waiting for the clerk to take an order. ?= 12 ? = 15 (a) What is the average time that catalog customers must wait before their calls are transferred to the order clerk?Wq= 12/ 15 (15-12) = . 2667 average time to wait before transferred (b) What is the average number of callers waiting to place an order? Lq = 12^2 / 15 (15- 12) = 3. 2 average number of callers waiting to place an order (c) Radovilsky’s is considering adding a second clerk to take calls. The store’s cost would be the same $10 per hour. Should it hire another clerk? Explain your decision. Yes they should hire another clerk because the customer average wait time and average number of callers waiting to place an order indicate that a second representative is needed.

Detailed semiotic analysis of a music video

The video that I am analysing is Simian mobile disco VS Justice – We Are Your Friends. The video belongs to the music genre of Electro / Psychedelic / Alternative. This genre's broad characteristics include DJ sets with crowds and bizarre storylines. The relationship between the lyrics and the visuals creates an idea of irony. For example the lyrics state We Are Your Friends, whilst simultaneously we view an individual experiencing a practical joke as a cat gets thrown at him whilst asleep. The relationship between the visuals and the music allows the cuts to be in time with the beat. There are no solo instrumental sections as the video is all-visual around the concept. The video also changes pace with the music; for example, through the build up there are less cuts and longer shots. This happens during the section 1:00 minute to 1:32 minutes. The use of the extraordinary concept of the video helps to sell this track, as it is recognisable and extravagant. Also the combination of the two artists justice and simian mobile disco combining, will have a considerable effect on the size of the audience. Throughout the video there is no appearance from the actual artists. However the audience can create an image of the artist after having watched the video. As the artists are combined they have not released any previous music videos together. The videos of simian mobile disco are however eccentric and unusual for example â€Å"Its The Beat† roughly matches the style of â€Å"We Are Your Friends†. There are no specific motifs followed on from other videos, as it is just a spontaneous video that is unrelated to any other work done by either Justice or Simian Mobile Disco. Even though I would not say that this brands them as achieving a new image, it can although be categorised with some previous work. As the artist does not appear in the video they cannot have been put on sexual display. Considering the other actors within the video there is also no use of sexual display by male or female individuals. There are no other factors within the video linking to the use of sexual display. This music video is approximately 90% concept based and 10% narrative based. This is because there is no performance and the whole video is shots of foolish tricks performed to recovering individuals. The narrative section is small and consists of the link between all the performers having being drunk the night before.

Btec Business Unit 1 D1 Essay

I am going to evaluate the influence that stakeholders exert on Sainsbury’s. I will be evaluating the following stakeholders: customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, the government and owners. The first stakeholder I am going to evaluate is customers which are external stakeholders. Customers contribute to profit levels and turnover through buying products and services. People are stakeholders in a company for financial reasons, customers do not want to have to spend an excessive amount of money to purchase a product, so if the product is cheaper in one store, such as Sainsbury’s, than in another store then customers will buy the cheaper one which then attracts more customers. An organization survives through customer loyalty i.e. having regular customers. Sainsbury’s ensures that they get regular customers by giving them loyalty cards, promotions such as â€Å"buy one get one free†, discounts and other special offers. Sainsbury’s are getting regular customers which bring in more profit which then can be used to help expand the business even more. Customers demand cheaper products so local and national stores such as Sainsbury’s will try to have the cheapest products for customers to buy which then encourages competition between the stores, whichever store has the cheapest price for a particular product then they would be attracting all the customers. The second stakeholder I am going to evaluate is employees which are internal stakeholders. An employee is any person hired by an employer to do a specific job. Employees are important as any other stakeholder because they have first contact with customers so if the customers want to ask a question about the organization or about a product then the employees can help with that and that employees could also recommend products to customers which will bring in more customers.

Edgar Allen Poe Alcohol’

Sam Doueiri Edgar Allan Poe and substance abuse The Bottled Curse Edgar Allan Poe was one of America’s most celebrated poet and story teller. His life started early with misfortune. Both of his parents were already dead, when Edgar was 3 years old. His father died of tuberculosis and his mother died of tuberculosis and pneumonia. He was adopted and attended school until he was 17 years old. He started the abuse of alcohol with 17 and he started gambling.As his adopting father figured out, he stopped all financial supports of his adopted son. Edgar had to leave the University and he enlisted in the U. S. military, and later obtained a military school. Edgar Allan Poe was expelled from the military school after one year attending. During his time in this school he published his first poetry book. Over the years Poe established a reputation as a writer. Drinking remained a lifelong problem. Edgar adopted a lifestyle which included a constant abuse of alcohol.Although writing brou ght him fame, he had to struggle through his whole life with financial issues. Because of the leaking copyright protection to his time, he never was financially rewarded for his excellent masterpieces of poetry and literature. Therefore he struggled through his whole life with money issues. Throughout most of his writings Edgar Allan Poe mentions the abuse of alcohol â€Å"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity. During these fits of absolute unconsciousness I drank †¦ God only knows how often or how much.As a matter of course, my enemies referred the insanity to the drink rather than the drink to the insanity. † Courtney JF: â€Å"Addiction and Edgar Ellen Poe† Med Times 1972; 100:162-163. He started in a young age with the excessive abuse of alcohol, as a classmate recalled: â€Å"He would always seize the tempting glass, generally unmixed with sugar or water- in fact, perfectly straight- and without the least apparent pleasure, swallow the cont ents, never pausing until the last drop had passed his lips. Bonaparte M: â€Å"The Life and Works of Edgar Allan Poe†, Imago Pub, London 1949:31-32 Alcohol appears frequently in Poe’s stories, usually connected to some following violent act or event: † One night, returning home, much intoxicated, from one of my haunts about town, I fancied that the cat avoided my presence. I seized him; when, in his fright at my violence, he inflicted a slight wound upon my hand with his teeth. The fury of a demon instantly possessed me. I knew myself no longer. My original soul seemed, at once, to take its flight from my body; and a more than fiendish malevolence, gin-nurtured, thrilled every fiber of my frame.I took from my waistcoat-pocket a penknife, opened it, grasped the poor beast by the throat, and deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket†¦. When reason returned with the morning- when I had slept off the fumes of the night’s debauchery-I experienced a sentiment half of horror, half of remorse, for the crime of which I had been guilty; but it was, at best, a feeble and equivocal feeling, and the soul remained untouched. I again plunged into excess, and soon drowned in wine all memory of the deed. † Poe’s â€Å"The Black Cat† www. heliterature network. com pages 2-5. In conclusion, Alcohol abuse became a part of Edgar Allan Poe’s life, it affected his writings his perception and his creativity. He went into almost a â€Å"Dark Side† in his life and gave little windows of his mind through his literature. It seems almost as if the Alcohol took overhand and had finally a body of mind, from which on the Alcohol himself and parts of Poe’s personality were writing in between two different worlds, the â€Å"Dark side† and the â€Å"pure and innocent side† of life.His way of writing very â€Å" Dark† finds an interesting base of making the reader being curious what will happen next. It is† miserable† itself what makes the reader keep reading. Courtney JF: â€Å"Addiction and Edgar Ellen Poe† Med Times 1972; 100:162-163. Bonaparte M: â€Å"The Life and Works of Edgar Allan Poe†, Imago Pub, London 1949:31-32 Poe’s â€Å"The Black Cat† www. theliterature network. com pages 2-5.