Huntingtons Disease Essays - Huntingtons Disease, Senescence, DNA

Huntingtons Disease Huntington's Background Huntington's disease is inherited as an autosomal dominant disease that gives rise to progressive, elective (localized) neural cell death associated with choreic movements (uncontrollable movements of the arms, legs, and face) and dementia. It is one of the more common inherited brain disorders. About 25,000 Americans have it and another 60,000 or so will carry the defective gene and will develop the disorder as they age. Physical deterioration occurs over a period of 10 to 20 years, usually beginning in a person's 30's or 40's. The gene is dominant and thus does not skip generations. Having the gene means a 92 percent chance of getting the disease. The disease is associated with increases in the length of a CAG triplet repeat present in a gene called 'huntington' located on chromosome 4. The classic signs of Huntington disease are progressive chorea, rigidity, and dementia, frequently associated with seizures. Studies & Research Studies were done to determine if somatic mtDNA (mitochondria DNA) mutations might contribute to the neurodegeneration observed in Huntington's disease. Part of the research was to analyze cerebral deletion levels in the temporal and frontal lobes. Research hypothesis: HD patients have significantly higher mtDNA deletionlevels than agematched controls in the frontal and temporal lobes of the cortex. To test the hypothesis, the amount of mtDNA deletion in 22 HD patients brains was examined by serial dilution-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and compared the results with mtDNA deletion levels in 25 aged matched controls. Brain tissues from three cortical regions were taken during an autopsy (from the 22 HD symptomatic HD patients): frontal lobe, temporal lobe and occipital lobe, and putamen. Molecular analyses were performed on genomic DNA isolated from 200 mg of frozen brain regions as described above. The HD diagnosis was confirmed in patients by PCR amplification of the trinucleotide repeat in the IT 15 gene. One group was screened with primers that included polymorphism and the other was screened without the polymorphism. After heating the reaction to 94 degreesC for 4 minutes, 27 cycles of 1 minute at 94 degreesC and 2 minutes at 67 degreesC, tests were performed. The PCR products were settled on 8% polyacrylamide gels. The mtDNA deletion levels were quantitated relative to the total mtDNA levels by the dilution-PCR method. When the percentage of the mtDNA deletion relative to total mtDNA was used as a marker of mtDNA damage, most regions of the brain accrued a very small amount of mtDNA damage before age 75. Cortical regions accrued 1 to 2% deletion levels between ages 80-90, and the putamen accrued up to 12% of this deletion after age 80. The study presented evidence that HD patients have much higher mtDNA deletionlevels than agematched controls in the frontal and temporal lobes of the cortex. Temporal lobe mtDNA deletion levels were 11 fold higher in HD patients than in controls, whereas the frontal lobe deletion levels were fivefold higher in HD patients than in controls. There was no statistically significant difference in the average mtDNA deletion levels between HD patients and controls in the occipital lobe and the putamen. The increase in mtDNA deletion levels found in HD frontal and temporal lobes suggests that HD patients have an increase mtDNA somatic mutation rate. Could the increased rate be from a direct consequence of the expanded trinucleotide repeat of the HD gene, or is it from an indirect consequence? Whatever the origin of the deletion, these observations are consistent with the hypothesis: That the accumulation of somatic mtDNA mutations erodes the energy capacity of the brain, resulting in the neuronal loss and symptoms when energy output declines below tissue expression thresholds. (Neurology, October 95) Treatments Researchers have identified a key protein that causes the advancement of Huntington's after following up on the discovery two years ago of the gene that causes this disorder. Shortly after the Huntington's gene was identified, researchers found the protein it produces, a larger than normal molecule they called huntingtin that was unlike any protein previously identified. The question that they did not know was what either the healthy huntingtin protein or its aberrant form does in a cell. Recently, a team from Johns Hopkins University found a second protein called HAP-1,

Chile earthquake Essay Example

Chile earthquake Essay Example Chile earthquake Essay Chile earthquake Essay Nature of the temblor Beginning and account of the strength The strength of the temblor on 27 February 2010 was 8.8 on Richter s graduated table. The temblor hit 325 kilometres sou-west of the capital, Santiago, at a deepness of 35 kilometres at 3:34 ante meridiem, the U.S. Geological Survey reported that. The epicentre was merely 115 kilometres from Concepcion, Chile s second-largest metropolis, where more than 200.000 people live along the Bio Bio river. The Northern two-thirds of Chile prevarication on top of the Nazca Plate, which, traveling eastward about 10 centimetres a twelvemonth, is doing its manner under the Continental home base of South America. This motion resulted in the formation of the Peru-Chile Trench, which lies beyond a narrow set of coastal Waterss off the northern two-thirds of the state. The trench is about 150 kilometres broad and has norms about 5000 metres deep. The same supplantings that created the Peru-Chile Trench make the state extremely prone to earthquakes. During the twentieth century, Chile has been struck by 28 major temblors, all with a force greater than 6.9 on Richter s graduated table. The strongest of these occurred in 1906 ( 8.4 on the Richter graduated table ) and in 1960 ( 8.75 ) . This last one caused a tidal moving ridge that hit several fishing small towns in the South and raised or lowered subdivisions of the seashore every bit much as two metres. The hit between the Earth s surface plates has besides generated the Andes, that, in Chilean district entirely, includes about 620 vents, and many of them are active. Almost 60 of these had erupted in the twentieth century by the early 1990s. More than half of Chile s land surface has a volcanic beginning. The part of the Chile Trench along the west seashore of South America between approximately 45 A ; deg ; 40 S and 47 A ; deg ; S is the site of a hit between the actively-spreading Chile Ridge and the Chile Trench subduction zone. The Chile ternary junction part is one of merely two active illustrations of a trench hit at the minute, an event that has occurred a batch around the convergent borders of the Pacific Ocean. Scientific probes of the active Chile three-base hit junction part can supply of import observations that will better our apprehension of these of import home base tectonic phenomenon s, particularly penetrations into past procedures that may act upon the present geological development and besides act upon the temblor hazard of coastal California. Several researches have been traveling on in the part of Chile and the ternary junction in the last decennary, including a elaborate SEABEAM swath bathymetric and seismal contemplation study led by several research sails have been conducted in the part of the Chile s border ternary junction in the last decennary. So the temblors are ever reasonably strong because Chile is located at e ternary junction of three home bases. This makes the surface vibrate more than when it is located at the boundary of 2 home bases. History of temblors Opportunity of temblors in that part The largest temblor of all time recorded was in Chile on May 22, 1960, with a magnitude of 9.5 on Richter s graduated table and killed 1655 people and left 2 million people stateless. The tsunami that it caused killed people in Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines and caused harm to the West seashore of the United States. The Chile ternary junction border is the merely soon active ridge-trench hit where the overruling home base is composed of Continental lithosphere. It provides the best, and merely, active modern illustration of the geological consequences of ridge subduction along Continental borders. This procedure has earnestly affected the geology of Tertiary western North America. The elaborate relationships between home base gestures and Continental border geology can be efficaciously studied here. The Reconstructions that they make while analyzing those relationships show that the Chile Ridge foremost collided with the Chile trench about 14 million old ages ago near the latitude of Tiera del Fuego. A long ridge portion was subducted between Tiera del Fuego and the Golfo de Penas between approximately 10 and 14 million old ages ago. Another portion was subducted next to the Golfo de Penas about 6 million old ages ago and a short ridge portion was subducted to the Taitao Peninsula about 3 million old ages ago. The comparative home base gesture vectors change well following the transition of the ternary junction along the border. Prior to the ridge hit the Nazca home base was being subducted at a fast rate, about 8 cm/year for the past 3 million twelvemonth and about 13cm/year for the late Miocene, in a somewhat north-east way. Following the transition of the ternary junction, the Antarctic home base is subducted at a much slower rate, about 2 centimeters a twelvemonth somewhat south-east. New SEABEAM day of the month accurately define the contemporary geometry and location of ridge/trench hit. North is the Nazca home base being subducted beneath the South American home base, south the Antarctic home base is subducted beneath South America. The Nazca/Antarctic home base boundary is comprised of the Chile Ridge distributing centre, which intersects the Chile Trench, organizing a ridge-trench-trench ternary junction. The ridge is distributing and moves about parallel to the trench, ensuing in a ridge-trench hit. While the break zones associated with the Chile Ridge distributing system tendency within about 20 A ; deg ; of perpendicular to the trench. The ternary junction part appears to be the beginning of the great 1960 Chile temblor with 9.1 at Richter s graduated table. Southern portion of Chile Peoples thought that the Cascadia border of offshore Oregon and Washington has the potency for a great temblor based on similarities to strongly match subduction zones. Lending to this decision are the observations that both borders have deposit filled trenches and both are subducting immature crust. However, it is non clear how similar the two borders truly are and what parametric quantities are critical for comparing the borders. Therefore, in order to realistically compare southern Chile with Cascadia it is necessary to larn a batch more about the southern Chile border. Three Phases in Ridge Subduction The subdivision of the Chile Ridge between the Darwin and Taitao break zones is presently go throughing beneath the landward trench incline. The SEABEAM image provides a more elaborate image of the interaction between the ridge and the trench. On the SEABEAM map we can follow the ridge axis from the Darwin break zone at 45 A ; oslash ; 52 S south to 46 A ; oslash ; 08 S. Along this portion of the ridge, the axis is characterized by tonss of little vents and by an axial magnetic high. On the offshore side of the axis there are a additive sequence of rift vale walls. Based on these pictures/measurements, we can state that the spreading is happening in a reasonably normal mode. In a conventional diagram of the hit zone, we refer to this part of the ridge and trench incline as the pre-contact zone. A little sum-up The Triple Junction border of Chile is the best modern illustration of the subduction of an active spreading ridge at a Continental subduction zone. Thus it is every bit near as the modern universe offers to what happened along the West seashore of North America over the last 20 million old ages. The geologic consequence of ridge subduction can easy be studied in Southern Chile because they are still happening at that place. When you compare it to California you do nt hold to look trough many million old ages of subsequent geologic events to place the effects of the ridge subduction. Because ridge subduction represents a big alteration in the thermic construction of the Continental border, it has permanent effects on the construction of the crust where it has taken topographic point. These alterations might act upon such of import modern phenomena as temblor seismicity. The ring of Fire ( besides really nice vocal of Johnny Cash ) The Pacific Ring of Fire is an country where big Numberss of temblors and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean. About 90 % of the universe s temblors and 80 % of the universe s largest temblors occur along the Ring of Fire. The Ring is a direct consequence of home base tectonics and the motion and hits of home bases. The eastern subdivision of the ring is the consequence of the Nazca Plate and the Cocos Plate being subducted beneath the due west traveling South American Plate. On this site you can see that there are tonss of temblors in that part and you can see that they have ever at least a magnitude from 7 Ms. More info about this tabular array subsequently on. Why yes/no a opportunity to tsunamis with the temblor? Here you see a list with all the temblors from Chile from 1570 until now. They indicate with a T if there was vitamin E tsunami and besides if it was e destructive or a major one. Because the Ring of Fire follows the coastlines of the Pacific Ocean, about any big temblor can besides bring forth a tsunami, a powerful moving ridge that travels from the epicentre across the ocean basin. That s what happened in 2004, when a 9.3-magnitude temblor caused a destroying Tsunami to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. That s what is likely to go on following today s 8.8 magnitude temblors off the seashore of Chile. Beginnings hypertext transfer protocol: //www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/27/chile-earthquake-83-magni_n_479294.html hypertext transfer protocol: //earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/index.php? region=Chile ( really really good site! ) hypertext transfer protocol: //ssn.dgf.uchile.cl/home/terrem.html I ve tried to rewrite everything in my ain words, but some parts are merely non possible to rewrite better or in any other words so it is still apprehensible. That s why I ve put my beginnings here so there is no opportunity of faulting me for copying illicitly.

Assessment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Assessment 2 - Essay Example raditional operation of open market policy, whereby the federal government buys and sells securities to change money supply to keep federal fund rates at a specified target value (Carbaugh, 2013, p. 361). Historically, researchers perceived QE as being negative to the currency because increase in supply of money may lead to inflation thus devaluing state’s currency (Yotov, 2013). However, in recent years there have been arguments suggesting QE is not necessarily bad for the currency. These arguments imply that there are benefits to QE when its usage is for the creation of inflation to avoid deflationary periods in the economy. This leads to quick economic recovery after a prolonged recession (Yotov, 2013, p. 64). According to Carbaugh (2013, p. 361), QE is not an exact science and there exists a debate on its effectiveness or lack thereof. Nevertheless, QE is a last resort measure used to stimulate the economy. The US Federal government has utilized quantitative easing several times. The first time was in 2008 that extended until March 2010. The original value was supposed to be $600 billion but in the end, the Fed had used $1.75 trillion (Costa, 2014). This Fed spread the amount on the mortgage-backed securities and the Treasury notes. The second quantitative easing included adding $600 billion in form of Treasury securities, which are long-term in nature (Costa, 2014). The Federal purchased the Treasury securities from November 2010 to 2011 June. The quantitative easing had several effects on the US interest rates and money market (Costa, 2014). The first effect of the QE was that it resulted to a surge of stock prices. When the Fed announced the first QE, money market experienced a big rally in the prices of stock. The S&P 500 gained by 36.4 percent when it elevated from 857.4 to 1,169.4 (Costa, 2014). The increase was from 25 November 2008 to 31 March 2010. The second QE fuelled the rally even more as the S&P 500 gained by 26 percent when it increased

The Four Fields of Philosophy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Four Fields of Philosophy - Term Paper Example These four branches are different from one another with regards to its concerns, but they nevertheless intersect at certain points. The reason for such is that all of philosophy, as mentioned above, aims towards one goal, i.e. truth. Therefore, regardless of what aspect of reality is focused on, philosophy remains wherever truth is sought after. The Philosophy of Mind: Identity of Minds â€Å"Of all the mysteries in the world, none is more puzzling than the mind† (Poundstone 222). This section aims to discuss a concept that has taken for granted, namely, the human mind. What is the identity of the human mind? What is the difference between our mental from non-mental phenomena? What is the difference between my mental states of believing it will rain from physical objects such as pencils and papers? Upon addressing the aforementioned problem, I shall focus on the behaviorist view of the mind, specifically, logical behaviorism. I shall argue that the claims of logical behavioris m are merely based on the assumption that the mental states cause certain corresponding bodily or behavioral states. However, if it is only based on an assumption, then its entire theory is unfounded, and thus invalid. Thus logical behaviorism will not suffice to provide an analysis of the identity of the mind. ... behavioral terms such as I will complete my assignments regularly, I am disposed to limp, and I will wear light clothes today when I leave the house. Herein, â€Å"the property of being in a certain mental state is identical with the property of being in a certain neurophysiological state† (Fodor 86). In other words, mental terms are characterized in terms of their corresponding manifested physical behaviors. Given that mental states are nothing but neurophysiological behavioral states, either the mental states that mental terms refer to do not exist or such mental states exist. For, in claiming that one’s mental states can be understood with reference to its corresponding behavioral state, then we no longer are talking about mental states per se, but behavioral states for that matter. For instance, I say â€Å"I think it’s going to rain† and before stepping out of the door, I bring with me an umbrella. Herein, the act or behavior of bringing an umbrella w ith me can be identified with my assertion that â€Å"I think it’s going to rain.† Thus, under this view, the simplest solution is sought. For, every non-objective mental state can be identified with an objective physical state, which in turn makes it verifiable. But will this tactic of reducing mental states to behavioral dispositions sufficient so as to account for the mind’s identity? I disagree. For, in order to claim that mental terms refer to behaviors is to assume that both mind and body are necessarily interconnected so as to produce a corresponding behavior for each mental term. Hence, logical behaviorism only makes sense, provided that both mind and body causally interact with each other. Moreover, it seems quite absurd to portray this view as a possible view of the mind for it leads to a kind of

The Similarities and Differences of Two Early Civilizations Essay

The Similarities and Differences of Two Early Civilizations - Essay Example There are various characteristics of civilizations, including the type of subsistence, form of government, economic system, education, social stratification, and human settlement patterns. Moreover, civilizations are characterized by religious beliefs, art, and architecture among other aspects (Trigger, 2007, pp. 57-65). This paper is a critical examination of the Nile valley and Mesopotamia ancient civilizations. Discusion The Nile valley civilization existed back in the 3000 BC and it consisted of three major civilizations, namely Nubia, Egypt, and Kush (Ikram, 2009). Geographically, the Nile valley civilization was located in the Lower Egypt in the river Nile’s delta and in the Upper Egypt along the river in Africa’s interior. The rich alluvial and silt deposits of River Nile provided the Nile valley civilization with rich agricultural land for farming along the banks and the delta. The inhabitants dug complex channels to irrigate their crops from the waters of the r iver. The government of the Nile valley civilization became theocratic after the unification of the Upper and Lower Kingdoms in 3100 BCE (Ikram, 2009). Pharaoh became the ruler of the unified Egyptian kingdom after establishment of the first dynasty in the civilization. Theocratic government implies that pharaohs were regarded as gods, and they served as political and religious leaders (Scarre & Fagan, 2007). Egyptians believed that pharaohs were omnipresent and continued ruling after death. Consequently, their bodies were mummified, preserved, and buried in special tombs enclosed in huge pyramids. The Nile valley civilization was polytheistic and believed in life after death. The society of ancient Nile civilization was stratified and consisted of four classes, namely the royal family (Pharaoh), upper, middle, and lower classes. The upper class consisted of priests, government officials, landowners, and military leaders while the middle class consisted of traders and other skilled people. The peasant farmers and other unskilled people belonged to the lowest class (Trigger, 2007). Nile valley civilization provided social mobility – people from the lower class could rise to middle and upper classes through hard work or marriage. Men and women had almost equal rights, sharing privileges such as education, seeking divorce, and property ownership (Ikram, 2009). According to Scarre and Fagan (2007), Mesopotamia was located between Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Persian Gulf and it is the oldest recorded civilization. The rivers provided water for irrigation and fertile silt, which formed rich agricultural land for the Mesopotamians. These favorable conditions amidst the harsh desert climate in the region attracted the settlement of Sumerians. Sumerians are credited for the creation of the earliest civilization in Mesopotamia and for introducing city-states, education, and better technology in addition to foundation of organized institutions. Though city- states shared the same culture, they were autonomous. Each city-state had its own government that was led by its own leaders (Trigger, 2007). Temple priests led early Sumerian governments. In an economy that relied heavily on agriculture, farmers believed in appeasing the gods to enhance agricultural production. Therefore, the priests were regarded as the appropriate leaders to mediate between the farmers and the gods. However, military rulers later took over the leadership of Mesopotamia civilization

Predicting Individual differences in Mindfulness

Predicting Individual differences in Mindfulness Predicting Individual differences in Mindfulness: The role of Trait Anxiety, Openness and Parental Nurturance  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ Abstract Mindfulness is a way of paying attention, intentionally and without judgement to the present moment. Mindfulness training has shown impressive outcomes in a number of areas such as depression and pain reduction; however, the literature has failed to account for natural, individual differences in levels of mindfulness. This research provides an exploration of the variables: Trait Anxiety, Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance and their ability to predict individual differences in Mindfulness. 123 participants each completed four questionnaires: The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to assess Trait Anxiety, the NEO-FFI was used to measure Openness to Experience, the Parental Nurturance Inventory was used to measure Parental Nurturance, and Mindfulness was assessed using the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). Partially consistent with the predictions, Trait Anxiety was shown to negatively predict Mindfulness, Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance where n ot as strong predictors of Mindfulness. Key Terms: Mindfulness, Trait Anxiety, Openness, Parental Nurturance. Introduction Mindfulness is a way of paying attention, intentionally and without judgement to the present moment. The practice of Mindfulness originated in East India and is at the heart of Buddhist meditation. According to Kabat-Zinn (1994, 4) ‘This kind of attention nurtures greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present-moment reality’. A lack of or reduced awareness to the present-moment, however, has the opposite affect which results in fear driven ‘unconscious and automatic actions and behaviours’. Continuing in this pattern of diminished awareness results in erosion to ones confidence and hinders the possibility of a life of satisfaction, health and happiness (Kabat-Zinn, 1994). Traditionally, Mindfulness was viewed as a spiritual practice, heavily steeped in Buddhism; however, more recently this practice has been widely encouraged in the western society (Baer, 2003). According to Baer (2003) there are two main Mindfulness training programmes namely the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Programme and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Other therapies such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Relapse Prevention incorporate principles of Mindfulness into the programme. Most Mindfulness training programmes run for a serious of 8-10 weeks, with a one day a week group meeting which is held for approximately 2 hours. Clients are also required to do homework session including 45 minutes per day, 6 days a week. Evidence suggests that Mindfulness-based training intervention is effective. Research indicates that Mindfulness-based training is effective in working with borderline personality disorder, mood disorders, pain, generalised anxiety disorder, stress, alcohol and substance abuse, and eating disorders (Baer, 2003; Roemer, 2002; Williams, Teasdale, Segal, Soulsby, 2000; Witkiewitz, Marlatt, Walker, 2005; Woodman, Noyes, Black, Schlosser, Yagia, 1999; Zettle Rains, 1989). Without any way of accurately, and objectively measuring levels of Mindfulness, positive findings were attributed to the training alone. Brown and Ryan (2003), however, proposed that individual differences may account for differences in levels of Mindfulness. The introduction of a measure for Mindfulness has made room for researchers to explore this proposal in greater depth. The present study attempts to explore a question: to what extent do individual differences influence levels of Mindfulness. The literature highlights three such individual differences that may be of interest: Trait Anxiety, Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance. The experience of anxiety is one that is familiar to most people; and Kaplan and Sadock (1998) describe the related symptoms as including an uneasy feeling followed by automatic responses such as headaches, perspiring and tightness in the chest. Trait anxiety, as apposed to state anxiety, is a persistent and does not wane in less stressful times. These researchers identify anxiety as having two components, namely awareness to the physiological sensations and awareness to being afraid. These experiences often lead to feelings of embarrassment, and in order to feel justified for the anxiety, people tend to focus on certain, conforming aspects of the environment and overlooking others. As a result of this bias to attention, a person is unable to experience the presence as a whole. Trait Anxiety is therefore expected to have an inverse relationship with Mindfulness. Openness to Experience is one of the five main personality domains and is described by McCrae and John (1992) as encompassing such things as imagination, aesthetic sensitivity, awareness of inner feelings, an inclination towards variety, and intellectual curiosity. Individuals who score high on this scale tend to be motivated to discover their environment, ask questions and have a readiness to question authority. As such, it is hypothesized that a high level of Openness to Experience would be a positive predictor of Mindfulness, since these individuals approach their environment with awareness, which is not clouded by judgment. The manner in which a parent responds to their child in the first years of his or her life has a far reaching impact on their adult life, affecting their relationships, both intimate, social and professional, how they interpret information given to them from the environment and whether or not they view the world as a safe place, and whether or not people are trust worthy (Fonagy, Gergely, Jurist, Target, 2005). According to this theory of attachment, Parental Nurturance is also an important factor in determining an individual’s ability to contain his or her own emotions. From this, it is hypothesised that positive Parental Nurturance will be a good predictor of Mindfulness as individuals are able to be present in their environment in a trusting, non-judgmental way. The present study explores the predictive value of these variables for increased levels of Mindfulness. In light of the literature, it is thought that a low level of Trait Anxiety will have an inverse relationship with Mindfulness, and that Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance will be positive predictors of Mindfulness. Method Design and Measures For the purpose of the present research study, a cross-sectional, correlational design was adopted. Information was thereby elicited from people in a number of different conditions, namely Trait Anxiety, Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance (independent variables), and the dependent variable of Mindfulness. The following measures where used: Spielberger’s (1983) State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to assess Trait component of Anxiety. The STAI is designed to measure and distinguish between anxiety as a trait or as a state. Trait anxiety is a relatively stable personality trait and is marked by feelings of apprehension and tension, which is heightened in times of perceived threat. State anxiety, however, fluctuates and is heightened at times of stress and low in less stressful periods. This is a self-report, four-point rating scale, including 20 statements that ask people to describe how they feel at a particular moment. A high score is indicative of a high level of Trait Anxiety. Costa and McCrae’s (1991) NEO-FFI was used to assess Openness to Experience. This is a 60-item version of the NEO PI-R, which measures only the five factors of adult personality, however for the purpose of this study, only the twelve-item scale assessing Openness was employed. This is measure makes use of a five-point rating scale, where participants demonstrated the degree of agreement with given statements. A high score on this scale is indicative of a high level of Openness. Buri’s (1989) Parental Nurturance scale was used to assess this component of the study. This is a self-report, five-point Likert scale, where participants are required to describe positive and negative aspects of the parental nurturance they received. This is repeated twice, once for information pertaining to the mother and the second time for information relating to the father’s nurturance. An average of these combined scores is used as a final result, with a high score indicative of elevated levels of Parental Nurturance. Mindfulness was measured using the FMI (Walach, Buchheld, Buttenmuller, Kleinknecht, Schmidt, 2006). This is a short scale, 14-item, self-report measure, requiring participants to indicate their degree of agreement with a given, mindfulness direct statement. A high score on this measure is indicative of elevated levels of Mindfulness. Procedures, Participants and Ethics Participants were purposively sampled and personally invited by written invitation to participate in this study. Of the initial 153 participants, 123 were included in the present study. A detailed outline of the nature and details of the study, including a description of what would be required of them was provided in the initial invitation. Participants were assigned to one of three separated testing groups. On receiving consent, participants were handed a package of four questionnaires (STAI, NEO-FFI, Parental-Nurturance Inventory, FMI). Each questionnaire was marked with separate instructions for completion. Each participant completed the pack of questionnaires in the same order. Results Reliability of Measures A reliability analysis of the questionnaires was conducted, yielding satisfactory results indicating that the participants responded in a consistent manner to the questionnaires. The reliability coefficients were as follows: Mindfulness (ÃŽ ± = .78); Trait Anxiety (ÃŽ ± = .88); Openness (ÃŽ ± = .73); Parental Nurturance – mother (ÃŽ ± = .96); Parental Nurturance – father (ÃŽ ± = .96). Descriptive Statistics A descriptive analysis of the data obtained across the variables of Mindfulness, Trait Anxiety, Openness and Parental Nurturance is given in Table 1. As shown, the mean score for openness was 3.62, with a standard deviation (SD) of .55. The total results on the measure of Trait Anxiety yielded a mean score of 2.19, with a SD of .59. The mean score for Parental Nurturance was 3.71, with a SD of .79, and the Mindfulness mean is indicated at 2.69, with a SD of .46. Table 1: Presentation of Mean Scores and Standard Deviations from the Measures Employed to assess Openness to Experience, Trait Anxiety, Parental Nurturance and Mindfulness. Inferential Statistics The correlational analysis undertaken to explore the relationship between the dependent variable, Mindfulness, and the independent variables, Openness, Trait Anxiety and Parental Nurturance. These results are presented in Table 2. A significant, positive correlation was found between Mindfulness and Openness (r = .02, df = 3, p Table 2. Correlational Analysis Presenting the Relationship between Mindfulness and the Variables: Openness, Trait Anxiety and Parental Nurturance. * Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (1-tailed). ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (1-tailed). An analysis of the degree of variance (ANOVA) yielded F=19.496, which is indicative of a statistically insignificant effect. Therefore, there is no relationship between the constant and the independent variables as a group. With this information in hand, a regression was undertaken to see what differences exist in each group. These results are given in Table 3. Table 3. Presentation of the Individual Differences between Variables. From this it is clear that Trait Anxiety has the strongest, inverse relationship with Mindfulness, which is a negative relationship. Therefore, lower levels of Trait Anxiety are a strong predictor for Mindfulness. Openness is shown to be an insignificant predictor of Mindfulness, and Parental Nurturance is approaching significance. 4. Discussion The results of this study partially meet the predictions made. Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance were not demonstrated as positive predictors of Mindfulness, although Parental Nurturance bordered on significance. Trait Anxiety was found to be a negative predictor of Mindfulness, where the lower the level of Trait Anxiety, the higher the level of Mindfulness. These results can be explained in terms of awareness to the environment. Individuals having a high level of Trait Anxiety are unable to be present in the moment since they are subject to cognitive bias, which inhibits the information they are able to process. According to Harvey, Watkins, Mansell and Shafran (2004) individuals with high levels of anxiety have explicit memory bias for concern-relative information. These authors make further reference to the Cognitive Avoidance Theory of Worry, and describe how people who worry excessively have, as a result reduced their awareness of aversive imagery, as well as physio logical and emotional responses, which inhibits emotional processes. Since individuals with high levels of Trait Anxiety are working hard at suppressing unpleasant experiences in terms of physiological, emotional and psychological responses, they are reducing their ability to be Mindful. A key component of Mindfulness is the ability to absorb the environment as a whole, without judgement and being completely present in the moment. Individuals with low levels of Trait Anxiety are able to process their environment without bias, they are not fearful and ashamed, and are not required to be vigilant and suspicious of the environment and others. The qualities are similar to those describe in the description of Mindfulness, and should therefore yield similar outcomes of ‘greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present-moment reality’ Kabat-Zinn (1994, 4). From this study, it can be said that the variable of Trait Anxiety is a good predictor of the individual differences in Mindfulness. Further research into the predictive value of other personality variables may aid in the understanding of this phenomenon. Bibliography Baer, R.A. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 125-143. Brown, K.W. Ryan, R.M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822-848. Buri, J. R. (1989). Self-esteem and appraisals of parental behavior. Journal of Adolescent Research, 4, 33-49. ** Costa, P. McCrae, R. (1991). The NEO-Five Factor Inventory – Form S. Odessa, Florida: Psychological Assessment Resources. Fonagy, P., Gergely, G., Jurist, E.L. Targer, M. (2005). Affect Regulation, Mentalization, and the Development of the Self. London: Karnac. Harvey, A., Watkins, E., Mansell, W. Shafran, R. (2004). Cognitive Behavioural Processes Across Psychological Disorders: A transdiagnostic approach to research and treatment. Oxford University Press. Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness meditation for everyday life. NY: Piatkus. McCrae, R.R. John, O.P. (1992). An introduction to the five-factor model and its implications. Journal of Personality, 60, 175-215. Roemer, L. (2002). Expanding our conceptualization of and treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: Integrating mindfulness/acceptance-based approaches with existing cognitive-behavioral models. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9(1), 54-68. ** Spielberger, C. (1983). State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for adults. Redwood City, California: Mind Garden Walach, H., Buchheld, N., Buttenmuller V., Kleinknecht, N. Schmidt, S. (2006). Measuring mindfulness – the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). Personality and Individual Differences, 40, 1543-1555. Williams, J.M.G., Teasdale, J.D., Segal, Z.V. Soulsby, J. (2000). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduces over-general autobiographical memory in formerly depressed patients. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109, 150-155. Witkiewitz, K., Marlatt, G.A. Walker, D. (2005). Mindfulness-Based relapse prevention for alcohol and substance use disorders. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 19(3), 211-228. Woodman, C.L., Noyes, R., Black, D.W., Schlosser, S. Yagia, S.J. (1999). A five year follow-up study of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 187, 3-9. Zeattle, R.D. Rains, J.C. (1989). Group cognitive and contextual therapies in treatment for depression. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45, 436-445. ** References borrowed from given notes.

Earthquakes: Application of Mathematics Essay example -- Geology

Earthquakes: An Application of Mathematics The October 13, 2010 earthquake triggered a large buzz across Oklahoma University’s Norman campus, startling students walking to class or sitting in the middle of calculus. This magnitude 4.3 earthquake was 10 miles southeast of Norman and was felt as far north as Stillwater. To many students, the few seconds of shaking was unrecognizable as an earthquake because Oklahoma’s seismicity is not well known. In reality, Oklahoma experiences multiple earthquakes, almost daily; they are usually just not strong enough to be felt. While understanding how and why earthquakes occur in Oklahoma involves knowledge of faults and rock types, the methods involved in locating the epicenter of an earthquake and determining its magnitude require an awareness of the mathematical principles involved The focus of an earthquake is the spot within the earth where the earthquake originates, where the fault is first ruptured. The epicenter of an earthquake is the location on the earth’s surface directly above the focus. When attempting to locate the epicenter of an earthquake, an understanding of seismic waves is crucial. There are two types of seismic waves, body waves and surface waves. Love and Raleigh waves are surface waves that travel across the earth’s surface and are responsible for a majority of the shaking felt during an earthquake. The two types of body waves, p and s-waves are more useful in determining information about earthquakes. Body waves travel throughout the interior of the earth, propagating from the focus of the earthquake eventually reaching seismograph stations. The arrival times of p and s-waves are used to locate the epicenter of the earthquake as the waves are recorded onto ... ...here are debates about which scale is the most precise, although most seismologists claim the moment magnitude scale to be the most consistently accurate. Works Cited http://eqseis.geosc.psu.edu/~cammon/HTML/Classes/IntroQuakes/Notes/waves_and_interior.html http://eqseis.geosc.psu.edu/~cammon/HTML/Classes/IntroQuakes/Notes/waves_and_interior.html http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/geol204/eqcauses.htm http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/geol204/eqcauses.htm http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/measure.php http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/measure.php http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/richter.php http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/measure.php http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/measure.php http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/measure.php http://www.okgeosurvey1.gov/media/Oct13-2010-FactSheet_Revision2.pdf

Debut Albums and Hell Risen Youth

Charming and Intellectual beyond this universe. I am Traveon, an angel blessed and hell risen youth. As the Prince of California, I look to expand my territory, and make Arizona a part of my domain. I am the son, of Timothy Presley and Jamie Freeman. I have helped young children, build dreams, not even they could destroy. I have helped, the Queen of my birth, through many obstacles in which she too, has returned the favor. What you see on the outside, is not, what is on the inside.You see tattoo's, and there shall be many more. My body is, and for ever will be, marked up so those who seek to see my inside shall understand, this sacred soul. I have many skills, and am known as the best. A beast on the gridiron, I am called and known, as a Goblin. When I step on the field, I transform. I become Ferocious, Powerful, and Callous. Not the biggest, but I have proven to be ticking time bomb, test me, and feel my wrath. l, Assassin of the holy ground, have been noticed, for my destruction.Wi th a full-ride scholarship, I wait for more offers. My inferiors talk sweet in my face, and curse me behind my back. Jealous of my accomplishment, I pay them no mind, whether it is good or bad, it's Just fuel to my fire. No matter what they say, I will never back down, or never lose focus, because they cannot deny, nor will they get in the way of my mission, Dominance. I close my eyes, and listen, as Lucifer plans to lead me in the wrong direction, he loathes my success.It does not phase me in any ay, for the creator of all man, has given me enough strength, to walk past his facile and futile attempts to fluster me, and knock me off course. I continue in the same direction as I started, straight, the fork in the always remain in this direction, no matter how often my father neglects me, or how often he denies ever forgetting me and blames our separation, on the golden princess that raised me. He only wants me to carry his name, he knows what IVe become, and only sees that my future is promising.I hold his blood, but I have already found my father, Blaine Freeman. I will no longer let the dread of my familys drama decide my dedication or failure, my happiness or my sorrow, I have overcome it. Pain is something I do not express, I hate the pity, I only wish to pursue my dreams, I will not pretend or be humble, and I will make it to the top. It will not take too much longer though; I am already way ahead of everyone else.

Heroes in Literature Essays

Heroes in Literature Essays Heroes in Literature Essay Heroes in Literature Essay Heroes in Literature BY mana05136 Who is your hero? It could be a firefighter, a police officer, even a celebrity; but what makes a hero? What is a hero? A hero is someone who would give up everything to save or protect people around him. After reading the myth The Orphan Boy and the Elk Dog I saw an actual hero come from, literally, the bottom of the pack. The character rose up from the bottom, to the top for himself and his people. In The Orphan Boy and the Elk Dog, the main character, Long Arrow was deaf. He had no family, except for his sister who was adopted by another Indian tribe. No one wanted Long Arrow since he was deaf and couldnt speak. His tribe moved from place to place, always wanting to leave Long Arrow behind and one day they did leave him. Long Arrow ran after them as quick as he could and liquid came out of his ears bringing his hearing back. After he arrived at his tribe he was adopted by the chief. After a while, Long Arrow wanted to honor his adoptive grandfather by bringing he rare and unknown Elk Dogs. He went on a long Journey to find them, returned back with a herd of them and redeemed his grandfathers honor. Long Arrow didnt do this for glory; he did this for the love of his grandfather. After he did this deed, everyone looked up to him as a hero. You see; you dont have to have supernatural powers or a long cape to be a hero. This young man became a hero to save his family honor and show he was meant to be there in that tribe. Long Arrow was the tribes hero. My hero would be my mom. Yes everyone says their mom is their hero, but my mom has gone through a lot. She went through many obstacles in her life; a pregnancy at a young age, an abusive husband, and having to face her mothers disagreements on her life. Through all of this she has kept her head high and survived the brutal years of her life. Her friends would be out partying while she stayed home and changed diapers. Her friends finished school; she was trying to pay for her daughters school. My mom tries her very best o give me everything she never had. Although we have many disagreements, at the end of the day she was the person that gave me life. Im very grateful for that. Can anyone be a hero? Anyone can be a hero even without tights and a cape. Our definitions of heroes are very different. I believe that a hero is someone who is courageous, can admit they did wrong, and they can always get right back up after they failed miserably. A homeless man could be the hero who Just saved a girl from getting hit by a car. What do you think?

The Bridge of San Luis Rey Commentary Essays

The Bridge of San Luis Rey Commentary Essays The Bridge of San Luis Rey Commentary Paper The Bridge of San Luis Rey Commentary Paper In his novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Wilder develops his conceptual theme of bringing courage into life through an array of literary techniques including atmosphere characterization, diction, irony, flashback, and personification in order to portray character analysis and development . Wilder exploits his own point of view and position on the subject of love in life through the lessons learned by the Condesa. The initial dialogue between Pepita and the Condesa creates a barren and desolate, seemingly lonely atmosphere. When Pepita is questioned upon the letters concerning Madre Maria del Pilar, she abruptly changes the subject and refers back to her duties. She further responds to the Condesa with polite yet often hesitant and wary remarks, feeling as if she had a made a mistake (Wilder 40). Wilder is displaying the character of Pepita, a precautious and apprehensive child who is eager to please. Through the discourse Wilder further depicts the character of Dona Maria. The author highlights upon Dona Marias naiveti and desperation as she chooses to send letters that piteously asked her daughter how much she loved her (41). Wilder is illustrating Dona Marias delicate yet desperate nature. Upon Pepitas disposal of the letter the Condesa at last realizes one central theme to the novel that Wilder presents. The intent of the authors philosophy is conveyed through Dona Marias realization of what precisely life is. Dona Maria ultimately grasps that she had never brought courage to either life or love (41). Wilder The entire existence of Dona Maria was filled with lack of courage, and now she realizes the importance of bringing courage into life. Wilder further uses personification to emphasize Dona Marias ultimate understanding of the significance of life, as the Condesas eyes ransacked her heart (41). Dona Maria at last scrutinizes and carefully inspects the meaningfulness of her life through a set of flashbacks, only to discover that she lacked bravery in all that she did. Through flashbacks Wilder draws out the negative points of the Condesas life, including her amuletsbeads drunkenness wreckage neglect and exclusion (41). By repetition the Condesa blames her meaningless life on the circumstance and the way she was brought up, vowing as well to bring new courage into life. Wilder further emphasizes the beginnings of the Condesas new life through diction and symbolization. When Dona Maria writes her first letter, her first stumbling misspelled letter in courage (41), Wilder voices his intent and the theme of the novel: mistakes in life are normal so long as you live your life with courage. The author uses diction to convey that simple stumbles and mistakes like misspellings in life are normal, but the most important aspect is to display bravery. Wilder uses the letters as a symbol for the character development of Dona Maria. The letters in the beginning of Dona Marias life were filled with self-pity. Now, the first letter symbolizes the Condesas new and courageous, outspoken perspective on life. Wilders diction describing the free and generous letters show that Dona Maria is able to liberally and openhandedly express herself with newfound bravery. No one else has regarded them as stumbling (41), indicating that mistakes in life are typical, and no one truly cares. The first letter, regarded as the famous Letter LVI, contains an immortal paragraph of love (41). Wilder utilizes diction by describing love as immortal, highlighting upon another significant theme of the novel. The author is speaking out through the Condesa on the immortality of love. Wilder voices his position that even through death, love is connected between the land of the living and the land of the dead by the bridge of love. When Dona Maria at last completes her letter, she opened the door upon her balcony and looked at the great tiers of stars that glittered above the Andes (41). The opening of doors is a symbol for Dona Marias new beginnings of a courageous life. The use of personification in the singing of constellations (41) highlights the optimism in the future of Dona Maria. Wilder uses specific positive diction such as glittering and singing to illustrate the new light and brightness of the Condesas life. The emphasis of light is further stressed as Dona Maria brings a candle into theroom, (41) symbolizing the new warmth and light brought into her life. Wilder conveys his themes and intent through the development of Dona Maria in The Bridge of San Luis Rey, drawing upon literary techniques to highlight his point. The Condesa ultimately vows to relive and begin life again with a new perspective, but the irony is revealed in the catastrophic collapse of the bridge. When at last Dona Maria has accomplished her greatest adversity, she becomes tragically victim to the fall of the bridge of San Luis Rey only two days later.

Verbal Communication Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Verbal Communication Skills - Essay Example Words are imitative of sounds. Use of words alone has no meaning because it the people who supply meaning to constituent words. When meaning is assigned to words, there is the development of language which later develops the process of speaking (Williamson 2008, 1). Language develops from the act of working together or doing things together in a socialization circle which leads to coining meaning to words. In every communication we get involved, we need to have nonviolent communication where we use our words in a polite manner so as not to hurt our listeners or cause pain to them. If there is the use of hard languages or vocabularies, communication breakdown is experienced (Rosenberg 2003). In communication, the interlocutor needs to choose words effectively because one does not need to hurt the listener in anyway. It is important to avoid impolite language which may triggers bad feelings because this leads to communication breakdown. In communication one assumes that his or her lang uage and content is understood by the other party by ensuring our needs are felt by the other party in the conversation (Rosenberg 2003) Theory of mind During face to face to communication, it is imperative to apply the theory of mind whereby we use our ability as interlocutors to infer the listener’s mental states. We need to consider their thoughts, desires, beliefs, intentions among others. It is also the ability to interpret what people say to us. In that aspect, we are able to predict their next actions which help us to know of their behaviors. For efficient verbal communication, theory of mind needs to be applied wholesomely so as to acquire the best results in the communication process. This theory helps people to engage in a conversation without any need to explain every bit of their communication in the process (Williamson 2008, 1). Cognitive dissonance theory Cognitive dissonance is derived from the discomfort we experience psychologically when there is something th at is not clear in our lives or conversation. During the communication process, people avoid things that can irritate them or make their information inferior. They avoid talking things that can hurt their listeners because they want to apply ethics their communication (Rosenberg 2003). We ought to give peace by our talks so that we enhance a relationship that mutual benefits us in life. Verbal communications needs the parties involved to have a mutual understanding of whatever they talk about so as to uphold an interaction which brings forth common delivery of information. Distorted information only complicates the messages intended to be got from the verbal communication (Williamson 2008, 1). Communication accommodation theory In this theory the people involved in a communication adjust their styles of communication because they move from one stage of communication to another. They continue understanding one another’s messages by the fact that they continue talking. Continua tion or sustenance of a conversation is an indication that people understand one another and accommodate the information they share in the process of communicatio

Reflective Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reflective Report - Essay Example More importantly, the course has provided me with tools for creativity and for solving problems within the business environment through the successful application of these tools and ideas. The practical application of the creativity and innovation tools has enabled me to have a wider knowledge on how to approach problems in my career and in business and come up with solutions to solve the problems. Through the module, I was able to learn the importance of creativity and how it affects performance and failures in contemporary business practice as well as how to manage them. For instance from the theory of Zeger Degraeve I have learnt on how to create an organizational culture that fosters the business belief of taking risks, experimentation and innovation and he need to focus on the qualities of decision making rather than the outcomes alone. Through the theory of Zeger, I have learnt that the results of decisions is irrelevant as a measure of decision quality as the difference between the time lapse of the decision itself and the realization of the results. In the course of the module and on the basis of Zeger’s theories, I have learnt that the quality of decision is measured at the moment the decision is made as decision-making is always a process is based on valuing the alternatives at the moment they are available and the present information. I have also learnt that the process of making decisions is a reflective and analytical and must embrace the tenets of effective communication. In any business, my personal lessons from this theory is that one should be judged by the quality of their performance and that progress in the career should reflect our intrinsic quality of our contribution to the business in terms of decisions. I have also managed to grasp ideas on the stages of team development from the five-step analysis given by Tuckman as these are necessary for the team in handling the