Construction Business Memo

The contract value for this project will be for a guaranteed maximum price of $). All work will be completed as required in the modified General Conditions and the Standard Form of Agreement for a Guaranteed Construction has great interest in this project because it is a design of steel base construction we are familiar with. The design is ambitious and will be a great addition to the campus. We are familiar with this type of space frame, base isolation design as it was recently implemented in the Lab project for which we were the General ContractorConstruction Manager. This project was successful through the involvement of the construction management team in the preconstruction process. A constant exchange of ideas determined the best fabrication and erection practices and team members were able to agree upon major cost and constructability issues. We propose for this project with the stipulation that we are highly involved in preconstruction process. On a site with such grade slope, shoring, erection and accessibility are complex issues that require strategic planning. Our project and field teams understand base isolator design constructability and will be able to fficiently and safely implement the product per the desired outcomes of To prepare to build a facility being constructed on a narrow steep slope between a road and adjacent buildings we will need to grub and clear the hillside, construct a retaining wall and begin excavation for the concrete pier foundations. This ensures the safety of the general public using the road and will provide the stability needed in a steep hillside. Construction will anticipate and schedule crane picks of steel and material to mitigate partial road closures. Supports will be temp welded to the oundations while the steel is being erected to counter uplift. This is a hazard characteristic of a raised deck structure that many overlook. BIM (Building Information Modeling) will be a valuable tool throughout this project. The facility's design complexity will require a great deal of precise prefabrication. Each structural member of the base frame must be aligned perfectly and this task alone requires innovation. Our pre construction team worked very closely with the design team on our Lab project and the dividends were countless. We encountered one single misalignment in the space frame base which happened to be a flaw n fabrication. The use of BIM proved to not only save costs in time and material but was a means of checks and balances in terms of insuring engineering integrity of the structure itself. Our team is well suited for and recently experienced this preconstruction collaboration. The project will be a testament to the dedication has to pushing design and innovation to its limit. Construction offers the calculated construction techniques needed to safely and smoothly execute these leading edge designs. Please contact myself or our offices with any questions. We patiently await your response.

Medical Billing and Coding Essay

Today the cause and effect of medical billing and coding is that they share a relationship because they each share something similar in a way. They are both understood when they are spoke about. But as you know billing and coding are and can be combined together as well. But what I would like my reader to know is my goals and achievements to become a medical billing and coding specialists as well the understanding of medical billing and coding and what is has to offer if you wanted to take up this major or was looking to get a job in this field of work. And because of the cause and effect of billing relationship medical billing and medical coding share is good for coding to have basic knowledge of the billing process and for a specialist to have a basic knowledge of the coding process. What is medical billing and coding? Medical billing and coding specialists is healthcare professional responsible for processing patient data between physician’s such as treatment records and related insurance information as well as third party payers. Without them, healthcare businesses could not function efficiently. Its also the process of submitting and followed up on claims to insurance companies in order to receive payment for the service. Medical billing and coding professionals hold pivot roles in hospitals; doctor’s offices; physician’s practices and specialty medical practices. Medical billing and coding is a robust career field that is open to anyone with a high school diploma or equivalent GED certificate. I believe my goals for becoming a medical coding and billing specialists I am going to continue working to achieve my A.A. Degree as well as continue into taking some medical courses such as medical terminology, Coding Courses like Part 2 intermediate coding exercises ICD-9-CM coding Instructions. Sequence the ICD-9-CM principal diagnosis in the first diagnosis position. Assigning all reportable secondary diagnosis including V codes and E codes (both cause of injury and place of occurrence) also some Software courses as well as  business classes. In order for me to achieve to become a medical billing and coding specialists I’m going to have to work hard and stay positive and not be a procrastinator. Achieving to become a medical billing and coding specialists to me will be somewhat challenging considering that having a full time job that requires a certain amount of hours a week, so that means you have to take courses around that schedule. That means I’m going to have to work harder to achieve my goals and achievements to become a medical billing and coding specialists. But you know what? I’m going to overcome every obstacle that comes in front of me to achieve my goals to become a medical billing and coding specialists. I’m going to accomplish every step and every achievement that needs to be done in order for me to become a medical billing and coding specialist. As a child growing up, I have seen aunts; uncles and cousins pursue a career in the medical field. So as I get older I wanted a career in the medical field too. My first step would be to talk with an adviser and see what my options would be in order to start course for medical billing and coding and my second step would be to start out with classes that I know need to be done first in order to get myself in the door in a place were I can start and career and finish out the rest of the courses in the meantime as needed for company policy and also make an effort to better my self for a good career and get on the right path . My final step would be to get a certificate so I can work in an office setting and help patients with a different varieties of payment options that better suits them and there needs and as I am done with all courses I can look back and say I am a very good achiever and be proud of myself for achieving my goals. In Conclusion through this essay I gave an idea on what medical billing and coding specialist are and what they do as well as some information about myself as I am also wanting to achieve and give my self goals to become a medical billing and coding specialists. I plan on becoming a medical billing and coding specialists here in the near future so I can tell my self I have a career and that I am on the right path. It is a very good career to overcome. Its always nice to help patients and make them feel good that they walked away knowing that the specialist who helped them find the right payment option for them that fits there needs. Helping anyone has always been one of my goals I love helping people and knowing that is always  a good thing to do. Knowing to have a good career always gives me hope and happiness. Through dedication, hard work and goals and achievements as well as accomplishment I will become a medical billing and coding specialist in no time.

charant Characterization in Sophocles Antigone Essays -- Antigone es

This essay will illustrate the types of characters depicted in Sophocles’ tragic drama, Antigone, whether static or dynamic, flat or round, and whether portrayed through the showing or telling technique.    Martin Heidegger in â€Å"The Ode on Man in Sophocles’ Antigone† explains, in a rather involved theory,   the destruction of Creon’s character:    The conflict between the overwhelming presence of the essent as a whole and man’s violent being-there creates the possibility of downfall into the issueless and placeless: disaster. But disaster and the possibility of disaster do not occur only at the end, when a single act of power fails, when the violent one makes a false move; no, this disaster is fundamental, it governs and waits in the conflict between violence and the overpowering. Violence against the preponderant power of being must shatter against being, if being rules in its essence, as physics, as emerging power(98).    The dialogue, action and motivation revolve about the characters in the story (Abrams 32-33). Werner Jaeger in â€Å"Sophocles’ Mastery of Character Development† pays the dramatist the very highest compliment with regard to character development:    The ineffaceable impression which Sophocles makes on us today and his imperishable position in the literature of the world are both due to his character-drawing. If we ask which of the men and women of Greek tragedy have an independent life in the imagination apart from the stage and from the actual plot in which they appear, we must answer, ‘those created by Sophocles, above all others’ (36).    Surely   it can be said of Sophocles’ main characters that they grow beyond the two dimension ment of his edict; he changes after Teiresias’ visit and warning. Ismene and Haemon become dynamic later in the tragedy. Rarely does the dramatist use the chorus to convey information; most of this comes from exchanges of dialogue, which would be the showing technique.    WORKS CITED    Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999.    Antigone by Sophocles. Translated by R. C. Jebb. no pag. http://classics.mit.edu/Sophocles/antigone.html    Heidegger, Martin. â€Å"The Ode on Man in Sophocles’ Antigone.† In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Jaeger, Werner. â€Å"Sophocles’ Mastery of Character Development.† In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997.

Euthanasia effectiveness and weakness Literature review

Euthanasia effectiveness and weakness - Literature review Example Euthanasia and/or assisted suicide is a criminal offence in almost all countries throughout the world, however recently various countries have started to open up to consider the other side of the argument, and taken steps to legalize the process. Countries such as The Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Belgium and Canada1 are cases in point. Opponents argue that voluntary euthanasia is not equivalent to murder and that it is in fact merciful since it helps those suffering from acute illness and pain. Opponents on the other hand including human rights groups and religious leaders argue that killing is against the will of god and an inhuman act and hence must not be endorsed. CBC News (2013). Quebec to proceed with dying with dignity legislation [Online] Available at: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/01/15/montreal-dying-with-dignity.html [Accessed: March 13, 2013] USA Today (2012). Deaf Belgian twins going blind choose to be euthanized [Online] Available at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/01/14/deaf-belgian-twins-going-blind-euthanized/1834199/ [Accessed: March 14, 2013] The Guardian (2009). Debbie Purdy wins significant legal victory on assisted suicide [Online] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jul/30/debbie-purdy-assisted-suicide-legal-victory [Accessed: March 13,

Impact of external debt on fiscal stability and economic development Case Study

Impact of external debt on fiscal stability and economic development. a of Nigeria - Case Study Example Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The president faces the daunting task of rebuilding a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, the NEW administration must defuse longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, if it is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability. Despite some irregularities, the April 2003 elections marked the first civilian transfer of power in Nigeria's history. (Country Profile: Nigeria, Cia.gov) Although some gains were made because of this return of revenue to the regions of derivation, the proportions were actually less than 20% of national revenue totals so in fact the regions experienced very little financial or budgetary momentum, setting up an easy move toward hyper-centralisation of the revenue-sharing system during the era of military rule from 1966-1979. (Suberu, 2002). By the early 1980's Nigeria had become very dependent on oil, which accounted for 96% of export earnings, 81% of government earnings and 22% of GDP (Ogbe, 1992). Oil wealth increased dependence on imported goods while local industries were ignored. Consumption of imported goods became the order of the day. The 1981 oil glut cau... The 1981 oil glut caused the economy to suffer from price distortion and an overvalued currency. Heavy dependence on importation left the government unprepared to deal with a prolonged period of depressed international oil prices. The sharp decline in oil prices affected domestic production, leading to deterioration in the balance of payments and government finances. The government financed the shortfalls by borrowing, drawing down on external reserves, and amassing of debts on external trade payments. Chapter 2 Literature Review (Historical View) The president had shown greater commitment to implementing liberal economic reforms in his second and last term in office, but still faces a huge task to if he is to turn around the corruption ridden, heavily indebted and oil dependent economy. Mr. Obasanjo may also pursue controversial reforms, such as constitutional changes, to shake up Nigeria's crisis-prone political system. However, these are likely to be resisted by powerful groups with vested interests in maintaining the status quo. Given the background of ethnic and religious divisions, widespread poverty and political disillusionment, there is a risk that the reform drive could destabilize the country if not properly managed. However, assuming that the president is able to navigate Nigeria's turbulent political waters and achieve some progress with reform-against the background of ongoing growth in the oil and gas sector. Political outlook - Legislation had been presented to the National Assembly seeking to curb the powers of the trade unions. Given the controversial nature of the proposed reform, the government may have opened a battle with the unions that proves difficult to win while diverting energy from

Harlequin Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Harlequin - Case Study Example he product since each novel is a prominent segment of a superior product line, whose quality is delivered consistently in a manner that provides immense satisfaction and exhilaration to the consumers (Mark 3). Harlequin should re-enter the single-title business since the business presents the organization with substantive growth opportunities, particularly in terms of enhancing sales volumes. Since trends in the publishing industry show that demand for single-title fictional books continues to increase despite the stable demand of series romance, harlequin should re-enter the business so as to maximize opportunities presented by increasing demand. While single-title publishing presents relatively immense risks, the company’s previous venture into the business will prove beneficial since the company is aware of the mistakes it made during its last attempt at the single-title business. Furthermore, harlequin’s successfulness in the publishing industry is a significant advantage since a vast majority of the risks vary depending on the author’s reputation (Mark 2). Furthermore, harlequin needs to redefine its brand by entering the single-title business. This is primarily because research indicates substantive declines in the growth of the romance series business, which could, in turn, result in massive

Colonization the Area in Florida by the Spanish Article

Colonization the Area in Florida by the Spanish - Article Example The Spanish colonized the area in Florida and were at war with Protestant England. They brought black African slaves to work in the dangerous areas of swampland where diseases abounded to which the Africans had an immunity. They were especially useful on the sugar plantations in the Caribbean. When Sir Walter Raleigh cam into the Carolinas, he went first through Florida and destroyed the settlements and free the slaves This situation did not stop British North Americans from using slaves. Most of them came here with no skills for survival and needed to have things done for them. At first, the slaves were indentured servants, brought for a price which they worked off. When their term was up, usually 7 years, they were given a small plot of land and supplies to get started. The early settlers did not even identify themselves by color at all. The most important divisions were social, religious and economic. Because of the development of rice as a cash crop, slave labor was becoming quite attractive. Runaway white servants usually had a year or two added to their time, but blacks often became lifelong slaves for the same offense. Eventually, plantation owners began buying slaves to work their land. With the invention of the cotton gin, slavery was an economic boon to the southern states, and they were loathed to give it up. So the abolition of slavery was removed from the agenda of the Continental Cong ress after the War of Independence was won. Congress lacked the power to abolish slavery. In fact, even though a number of the Northern delegates disliked slavery, no one at the convention suggested that Congress be empowered to abolish it. (Black 42) In addition, numerous other laws were made in different states to control the slave trade and the slaves.  

Andrew Ryan at VC Brakes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Andrew Ryan at VC Brakes - Assignment Example The dictatorial tendencies, poor rapport in the various levels of management and mistrust from the workforce constitute the confounding issues the faces the implementations of the total management program. The paper utilizes the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as a management tool in order to analyze the case study effectively VC Brakes faced numerous issues emanating from its autocratic culture that dominated the firm’s operations (Cespedes and Yong, 2013, Pg. 2). In addition, VC Brakes had a reputation of poor top- down managerial skills and lack of trust from the production to the professional workforce who felt that the firm was unresponsive to their queries. The introduction of total quality management program by Crossroads Corporation was intended to improve the product quality, management practices and more so, to develop a consistent operational strategy that would be utilized across all sectors in the various subsidiaries found under VC Brakes.Questio n 1The major situation that faced Ryan involved the implementation of total quality management program that would raise the ailing quality productivity at VC Brakes. The autocratic culture evident in VC Brakes is depicted in various situations in the case study of instance, the emphatic condensation of the training sessions. (Cespedes and Yong, 2013, Pg. 6).   The notion would have amassed numerous achievements if it had gone through the initially specified time since it could have provided ample time.

Cooperation Between Government and Adults From the Age of 18 to 25 Term Paper

Cooperation Between Government and Adults From the Age of 18 to 25 - Term Paper Example It can be either in form of words- written or spoken, gestures and body language, tone, pitch and timing of voice, symbols and listening (Phillips 3). Communication can also be done through the way we dress, the things we wear like wedding rings, the tattoos we make on our bodies, the types of cars we drive and so on (Karen 3). There are various practical points which if adapted can make an interpersonal communication better. According to Black (1), these can include speaking for one’s self, discussing ones feelings, revealing ones intentions, explaining what you mean, speaking specifically, getting straight to the point, asking one’s self whether what you want to communicate is relevant and listening carefully to others when communicating. Communication is a two way process-involving sharing of information and it is very important in enabling someone to get along well with others and getting this done (Phillips 3). It depends with size and nature of the audience so wha t can be good for one individual can be very inappropriate for a crowd or a group of people (Vanita 6). According to Boone and Kurtz (297), every communication takes place in some sort of situation or cultural context, which can influence on how well the process will work. For example the way two people might speak to each other in an office is different from how the same two people will be expected to speak to each other on a party gathering. Good communication is very important either to a normal person, a leader, a family, an organization or even to a nation. According to Phillips (3), ability to communicate well results to relationship growth, personal growth and even personal happiness in general. The process by which communication skills are developed is not that much understandable. It is believed that communication skills grow throughout someone’s life form learning how to express one’s self by an infant to the ability to write, speak, listen, read, understandi ng symbols etc. of a well educated adult (Caputo et al 115). Background (community chosen) Aberdeen Township is a town in Monmouth County of the state of New Jersey with a population of 17454 persons per the 2000 USA census. It has a total area of 7.8 sq. miles of which 5.5 sq. miles is land and the remaining is water. It is believed that water makes up around 28.61% of the total area of this town. This township has got 6421 households and 4770 families as per the 2000 USA census and a population density of 3152 people per sq. mile (Aberdeen 1). This community uses the Council Manager form of governance in which a policy making power is concentrated on the council with the mayor presiding its meetings and a municipal chief executive and administration officer appointed to manage it. It adopted this name about 35 years ago and has grown to become a suburban Township with a mixture of residence, light industry, and shopping centers. This community has several boards, which assists the management in making and implementing policies. Some of these boards include Aberdeen Green Team, Community Development Board, Environmental & Shade Tree Advisory Board, Planning Board, Recreation Advisory Board, Senior Citizens Advisory Board and Zoning Board of Adjustments (Aberdeen 1). The Township has two volunteer fire companies that

The Three Models Of Memory Essay Example for Free

The Three Models Of Memory Essay Memory- Task 1 Evaluate the usefulness of the three models of memory (multi-store model, working memory model and the levels of processing model) and discuss practical implications of memory research. Atkinson and Shiffrins Multi- store Model of Memory (1968) hypothesises that there are three stores for memory; Sensory memory, short term memory (STM) and long term memory (LTM). The theory states that a memory passes through each of the stores and that the importance of the memory determines which store the memory is kept in and thus how long it is retained. This relatively simple model is supported by evidence from free recall experiments and from studies performed on patients with brain damage such as HM. An example of a free recall experiment is Murdock (1962) in which participants were shown lists, of differing lengths, of words for a period of one second, they were then asked to recall as many words as possible. Murdock found that the words at the beginning, primary effect, and end, recency effect, were recalled more accurately than those in the middle. This is known as the serial position effect and proves that there are two separate stores from which the memories were recalled, which supports the multi-store memory models short and long memory stores. Studies on brain damaged patients like HM (Milner et al, 1978), who began to suffer from anterograde amnesia after both of his hippocampi were removed in an operation, also support the working memory models theory that STM and LTM are separate stores. HM was able to recall memories from eleven years before the operation yet wasnt able to remember who was president of the United States and forgot who he was talking to as soon as he turned away (Jenni Ogden, PhD, 2012). It is argued however that the multi-store memory model oversimplifies the roles of the STM and LTM. Atkinson and Shiffren also failed to acknowledge the interaction between stores something which Baddeley and Hitch (1974) dealt with in their Working Memory Model. The idea that simple rehearsal accounts for the transfer of a memory from the STM to the LTM was also criticised as this doesnt take into account important events for example a car accident. Events such as this seem to immediately be stored in LTM again this is dealt with by another memory model, Craik and Lockheart (1972) Levels of Processing. The working memory model also fails to recognise memory improvement techniques, for example the method of loci which uses points on an imaginary journey as a  way of memorising particular items. Despite accurately theorising that the LTM and STM are separate stores the multi-store memory model fails to account for many instances in which the flow of memory doesnt follow the three store route and although accurate at the time, research has, over time, out dated it. In contrast Baddeley and Hitchs (1974) Working Memory Model states that a Central Executive allocates resources and decides how attention is directed, although it doesnt have any capacity it does hold memory long enough to direct attention. An Episodic Buffer then integrates the information and is used as a general storage space for acoustic and visual tips. The Phonological Loop holds and rehearses words and the Audio-Visual Sketchpad allows temporary holding of visual images. The intuitive Working Memory Model is far more complex than either the Multi-Store Model or the Levels of Processing and is high in face validity. The validity of each section of the Working Memory Model is supported through various differen t experiments such as Baddeley and Lewis’s (1981) study into the importance of the articulatory loop. By asking participants whether or not a sentence was meaningful, for example, â€Å"the cow ate the grass† or the â€Å"bone ate the dog†, under both normal conditions and when repeating something meaningless to stop them from using their articulatory loop. Doing this seriously reduced recall in the latter results. This, Baddeley and Lewis claimed, supported their theory of a presence of an articulatory loop. In a study by Baddeley et al (1975) the phonological loop was shown to be capable of holding two seconds of information. Baddeley et al (1975) asked participants to recall five words in correct order. What the experiment demonstrated was that it was the length of the word and not the discreetness that determined recall. However further studies have gone on to suggest that a determining factor is the time it takes to pronounce a word as opposed to its alphab etical length. James W. Stigler (1986) found in a study on digit memory in Chinese and English that children, used because they were less likely to have knowledge of memory improvement techniques, from China were more efficient at remembering numbers than their English speaking counterparts. This, Stigler theorises, is due to Chinese numbers being shorter to pronounce. The visuospatial scratchpad, referred to sometimes as the inner eye is what allows someone to remember shapes such as letters and visualise something that isnt there, for example, whether or  not your car would fit into a particular parking space. It can also allow us to hold static images and manipulate them, thus we are able to appreciate a layout of a particular area and find our way around (Psychology Resources, 2000). Logie (1995) argues that the visuo-spatial scratchpad is in fact far more complex and refers to it as the Visuo-spatial Working memory. This is supported by Baddeley and Lieberman (1980) whose pat tern of results suggest that visuo-spatial working memory did indeed comprise a system that was involved in visuo-spatial retention, in visuo-spatial perception, and in motor control. The Working Memory Model is high in face validity and despite being far more complex than either the Multi- Store Model or Levels of Processing Model is reinforced by various experiments. These experiments clearly present the different sections the Working Memory Model. It also takes into account things the other models do not, for example, the Working Memory Model allows for memory to pass directly into LTM without rehearsal, something Multi-Store and Levels of Processing do not, events that are traumatic or massively significant do not require rehearsal and this is something the Working Model addresses. As well as this Baddeley and Lewiss model is highly applicable to real world situations, for example, Baddeley et al (1975) showed the word length effect, a real world counterpart would be attempting to remember a shopping list. The only criticism of The Working Memory Model is the lack of information in regards to the Central Executive, however further investigation is required to discover what its capacity actually is. It is theorised that many accidents are caused by its limited capacity and that information on its exact capacity may have serious implication for accident control (Psychology Resources, 2000). Craik and Lockharts (1975) Levels of Processing Model focuses on the processes involved in memory instead of the stores/ structures (McLeod, 2007). Craik and Lockhart (1975) took a non-structured approach to the memory model, this was as a result of the criticism garnered by Atkinson and Shiffrens earlier Working Memory Model. The chief idea behind the Levels of Processing Model is that memory is a result of processing information and that length of memory is determined by the importance of the information, something referred to as depth of processing. Craik defined depth as the meaningfulness extracted from the  stimulus rather than in terms of the number of analyses performed upon it.† Orthographic processing is the simplest way in which we process information and thus, according to the model, the one which retains the least memory, it is also referred to as shallow processing. This when we consider the physical features of, for example, a word. Craik and Tulvig (1975) demonstrated this by asking is this word in capital letters? this requires you to only process the word physically. Similarly to the Multi-Store Model maintenance rehearsal is also required in order to retain memories the Levels of Processing Model deems shallow. Medium processing or phonological processing as its sometimes called is the second level of processing. This Craik and Lockhart hypothesise takes into account the acoustic value of a word, this they argue is deeper processing than orthographic because it requires you to process a sound instead of an image. Craik and Tulvig (1975) again demonstrated this by asking does this word rhyme with ? this activates your phonological processing as you have to process the word acoustically (Psychology Resource, 2000). The deepest level of processing is what Craik and Lockhart describe as semantic processing. Semantic processing is described by Robert Gallo as allowing subjects to encode more unique features from each word relative to surface processing . . . additional conceptual or semantic features help to differentiate the studied items from each other, making these memories less susceptible to interference . . . â€Å". Semantic processing requires the use of meaning to process a word, Craig and Tulvig (1975) asked would this word fit into a sentence? Jane bought some for dinner in answering the question you would have to process the meaning. The basis of the model is quite simple, the more you process the memory, the more likely you are to remember it. However the model fails to explain why this is the case, meaning the model is descriptive rather than explanatory. The model was the first to suggest that process used have an effect on memory and has had implications on memory improvement techniques, for example, the Method of Loci is the process of placing things at various  points of a journey in order to make them more memorable, this is semantic processing. What there isnt is a way in which processing can be measured, Baddeley (1978) points out that well remembered events are attributed as deeply processed however because of this the argument that deep processing equals better recall is circular and thus cannot be tested (Psychology Resource, 2000). Memory research is crucial in many areas and none more so than in Eyewitness testimony. This is a legal term that is often used, and respected in a court of law. A jury can find eyewitness testimony a reliable source of information however research into memory has shown that it may not be as reliable as previously thought. Elizabeth Loftus theorises that memory under any circumstances is subject to inaccuracy and that there are many wrongful convictions every year as a result of faulty eyewitness testimony. Loftus et al. (1987) showed subjects of slides of a customer in a restaurant. In one version the customer was holding a gun, in the other the same person held a chequebook. Those who saw the gun version tended to focus on the gun. Thus they were less likely to identify the customer in a line-up as those who had seen the chequebook version. Clifford and Scott (1978) also supports Loftuss theory. They found after showing participants a film of a violent attack that recall was less t han a control group who saw something less stressful and were able to recall 40 items of information. However this gun focus theory has been challenged by Yuille and Cutshall (1986) who found that witnesses to a real shooting in Canada had remarkable accurate memories of the event. This contradicts both Loftus et al (1987) and Clifford and Scott (1978). This leads us to believe that memory recall in stressful situations can be subject to very different levels of interpretation. Where Loftus et al (1987) shows us clearly that people focus on, potentially the most shocking item. Yuille and Cutshall (1986) challenge that by using a real event to show some may be able to recall accurately. However this only goes to highlight the radical differences seen in eyewitness testimony. References: Jenni Ogden, Ph.D. (2012). HM, the Man with No Memory.

The Israeli Palestinian Conflict Politics Essay

The Israeli Palestinian Conflict Politics Essay After more than 50 years of war, terrorism, peace negotiation and human suffering, Israel and Palestine remain as far from a peaceful settlement as ever. The entire Middle Eastern region remains a cauldron waiting to reach the boiling point, a potent mixture of religious extremism, (Jewish, Christian and Islamic), mixed with oil and munitions. This paper is an attempt to trace the history of this age old conflict and analyse the viability of internationally suggested solutions. Owing to their history, going back at least 5000 years in time, the paper only throws light on the conflict, post 19th century. And this too, only a cursory overview of a timeline, rather than a detailed description. The paper also attempts to find the bones of contention between the two peoples, clearly laying out the issues and problems along with the need to resolve them. Finally, the paper analyses the two mainstream solutions suggested for resolution of this conflict, being the Two-State theory and the Bi-National State theory. IR theories of Realism and Liberalism are used to broadly analyse these two solutions applicability in the particular conflict. The practical difficulties in the existing political diaspora is highlighted to finally decide the viability. The limitations of the paper is that the complex issues involved do not give enough leeway to say decidedly that one solution is the right solution and the other, wrong. Also, though neutral tones have been imbibed throughout the paper, a humanistic tendency of bias towards the Palestinian cause seeps in, albeit subconsciously. Introduction The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians that began in the early 20th century. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between the Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman and then British rule. It forms part of the wider Arab-Israeli conflict. The remaining key issues are: mutual recognition, borders, security, water rights, control of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, Palestinian freedom of movement and finding a resolution to the refugee question. The violence resulting from the conflict has prompted international actions, as well as other security and human rights concerns, both within and between both sides, and internationally. In addition, the violence has curbed expansion of tourism in the region, which is full of historic and religious sites that are of interest to many people around the world. Many attempts have been made to broker a two-state solution, involving the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside an independent Jewish state or next to the State of Israel (after Israels establishment in 1948). In 2007 a majority of both Israelis and Palestinians, according to a number of polls, preferred the two-state solution over any other solution as a means of resolving the conflict. Moreover, a considerable majority of the Jewish public sees the Palestinians demand for an independent state as just, and thinks Israel can agree to the establishment of such a state. A majority of Palestinians and Israelis view the West Bank and Gaza Strip as an acceptable location of the hypothetical Palestinian state in a two-state solution. However, there are significant areas of disagreement over the shape of any final agreement and also regarding the level of credibility each side sees in the other in upholding basic commitments. Within Israeli and Palestinian society, the conflict generates a wide variety of views and opinions. This highlights the deep divisions which exist not only between Israelis and Palestinians, but also within each society. A hallmark of the conflict has been the level of violence witnessed for virtually its entire duration. Fighting has been conducted by regular armies, paramilitary groups, terror cells and individuals. Casualties have not been restricted to the military, with a large number of fatalities in civilian population on both sides. There are prominent international actors involved in the conflict. This paper details the history of the conflict, giving a purview through a timeline, rather than a detailed description. It also outlines the basic issues involved in the conflict and why their resolution is not cake walk. The two solutions proposed as a solution to the conflict is also analysed in depth, with reference to theoretical concepts of realism and liberalism in IR. The viability of these solutions are dealt with, in the current political scene, though with less insight into the actual political happenings. History of the conflict The origins of the Palestine problem as an international issue lie in events occurring towards the end of the First World War. These events led to a League of Nations decision to place Palestine under the administration of Great Britain as the Mandatory Power under the Mandates System adopted by the League. In principle, the Mandate was meant to be in the nature of a transitory phase until Palestine attained the status of a fully independent nation, a status provisionally recognized in the Leagues Covenant, but in fact the Mandates historical evolution did not result in the emergence of Palestine as an independent nation. The decision on the Mandate did not take into account the wishes of the people of Palestine, despite the Covenants requirements that the wishes of these communities must be a principal consideration in the selection of the Mandatory. This assumed special significance because, almost five years before receiving the mandate from the League of Nations, the British Government had given commitments to the Zionist Organization regarding the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine, for which Zionist leaders had pressed a claim of historical connection since their ancestors had lived in Palestine two thousand years earlier before dispersing in the Diaspora.  [1]  During the period of the Mandate, the Zionist Organization worked to secure the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine. The indigenous people of Palestine, whose forefathers had inhabited the land for virtually the two preceding millennia  [2]  , felt this design to be a violation of their natural and inalienable rights. They also viewed it as an infringement of assurances of independence given by the Allied Powers to Arab leaders in return for their support during the war. The result was mounting resistance to the Mandate by Palestinian Arabs, followed by resort to violence by the Jewish community as the Second World War drew to a close. By 1947, largely through this massive immigration, the Jewish population reached a substantial 33% and owned about 6% of the land. Finally, in 1947 the United Nations decided to intervene. As per the Resolution 181  [3]  , the UN recommended giving away 55% of Palestine to a Jewish state despite the fact that this group represented only about 33% of the total population, and owned under 7% of the land. Jerusalem was to have been an international city shared by all peoples of the region. The Zionist movement embraced the plan whereas the Palestine (and other neighbouring Arab nations) saw the plan as extremely unfair and rejected it. This followed the first war which was to sow the seeds of future conflicts. The Arab League supported the Arab struggle by forming the volunteer based Arab Liberation Army, supporting the Palestinian Arab Army of the Holy War. On the Jewish side, the civil war was managed by the major underground militias the Haganah, Irgun and Lehi, strengthened by numerous Jewish veterans of World War II and foreign volunteers. By spring 1948, it was already clear that the Arab forces were nearing a total collapse, while Yishuv forces gained more and more territory, creating a large scale refugee problem of Palestinian Arabs.  [4]  Popular support to the Palestinian Arabs throughout the Arab world led to sporadic violence against Jewish communities of Middle East and North Africa, creating an opposite refugee wave. Following the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel on 14 May 1948, the Arab League decided to intervene on behalf of Palestinian Arabs, marching their forces into former British Palestine, beginning the main phase of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The overall fighting, leading to around 15,000 casualties, resulted in cease fire and armistice agreements of 1949, with Israel holding much of the former Mandate territory, Jordan occupying and later annexing the West Bank and Egypt taking over the Gaza Strip, where the All-Palestine Government was declared by the Arab League on 22 September 1948. While the Jewish people were successful in creating their homeland, there was no Palestine and no internationalization of Jerusalem, either. In 1948 for example, Palestinians were driven out of the new Israel into refugee camps in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and other regions. At least 750,000 people are said to have been driven out (or ethnically cleansed, as some have described it).  [5]  It should be noted that many Jews were also expelled from surrounding Arab countries. Zionist organizations and even some Arab nations also encouraged many Jews to immigrate to Israel. As with Palestinians, expelled Jews often had their land and/or bank accounts and other property seized. In 1956, Britain, France and Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula after Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal fearing the loss of a major economic trading route entry point for the West to the rest of the Middle East. While Egypt was defeated, international pressure forced the withdrawal of the invading forces.  [6]   In 1967, Israel simultaneously attacked Egypt, Syria and Jordan in a pre-emptive strike against the Arab troops along its borders. Israel captured key pieces of land, such as the strategic Golan Heights to the north on the border with Syria, to the West Bank from Jordan and the Gaza strip from Egypt. In fact, Israel more than doubled its size in the six days that this war took place. Since then, negotiations have been around returning land to pre-1967 states, as required by international law and UN resolutions. Even today, the Palestine Liberation Organisation calls for a two state solution based on the pre Six Day War borders. In 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israel on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur to attempt to regain the land lost in the Six Day War, but failed. This confrontation is also known as the Yom Kippur War. In 1978, the Camp David accords were signed between Israel, Egypt and the US, and Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt in return for peace between them. To the US and Israel, this was a great achievement; Egypt was obviously not to be underestimated in its capabilities, so the best thing would be to ensure it is an ally, not an adversary. In 1978, due to rising Hezbollah attacks from South Lebanon, where many Palestinian refugees still were, Israel attacked and invaded Lebanon. In 1982, Israel went as far up Lebanon as Beirut, as bloody exchanges followed between Israeli attempts to bomb Yasser Arafats PLO locations, and Hezbollah retaliations. The infamous Shabra and Shatila massacre was carried out during this war. In 1985, Israel declared a strip of South Lebanon to be a Security Zone (not recognized by the UN). Many civilians were killed on both sides. Israeli forces were accused of massacres on many occasions. After 22 years, Israel withdrew in May 2000. One of the leading Israeli military personnel was the future Israel Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon. In the late 1980s came the Palestinian uprising-the Intifada. While there was much of a non-violence movement initially, the mainstream media concentrated on the violence. Young Palestinians confronted Israeli troops with nothing more than sling shots and stones. Thousands were killed by the Israeli military. Many suicide activists killed Israeli soldiers and caused other damage. Many innocent civilians were killed on both sides. 1993 saw the Oslo Peace Accord, whereby Israel recognized the PLO and gave them limited autonomy in return for peace and an end to Palestinian claims on Israeli territory. With the signing of the Oslo Declaration of Principles, the PLO denounced violence and recognised the UN Security Council Resolution 242, thereby recognising the right of Israel to exist. In 1994, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip and Jericho, ending twenty seven years of occupation. They were replaced by a Palestinian police force. In April 1996, Israeli forces bombed Lebanon for 17 days, with Hezbollah retaliating by firing upon populated areas of Northern Israel. Israel also shelled a UN shelter killing about 100 out of 800 civilians sheltering there. The above merely gives a broad outline of the conflict, and a more comprehensive analysis of the underlying cause and various other issues couldnt be provided here due to the call of brevity. The Palestine Problem and the need for a Solution As the periodic bloodshed continues in the Middle East, the search for an equitable solution must come to grips with the root cause of the conflict. The conventional wisdom is that, even if both sides are at fault, the Palestinians are irrational terrorists who have no point of view worth listening to. Our position, however, is that the Palestinians have a real grievance: their homeland for over a thousand years was taken, without their consent and mostly by force, during the creation of the state of Israel. And all subsequent crimes on both sides inevitably follow from this original injustice. Whether it is the Deir Yassin massacre in which the Irgun and Lehi soldiers carried out the slaughter of innocent villagers including women and children, or whether it is the suicide bombings perpetrated on Israeli civilians and soldiers by Palestine based terrorist groups, both sides have used a previous occurrences as justifications for a fresh act of violence. After decades of bloodshed, there seems to be no right or wrong anymore. And misery hasnt ceased to exist for the innocent. The major issues that dominate the dialogues on the problem are: Refugees About 726,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled their homes in 1948 in the war that followed the creation of Israel, and additional Palestinians fled in 1967. There are now about 4 million Palestinian refugees. Many of them live in crowded refugee camps in poor conditions in the West Bank and Gaza, in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. Palestinians demand that these refugees should have the right to return to their homes in Israel under UN General Assembly Resolution 194. Israelis note that an almost equal number of Jews fled Arab lands to Israel in 1948. Israelis oppose return of the refugees because that would create an Arab Palestinian majority and would put an end to Israel as a Jewish state. Most Palestinian groups, including the Fateh, agree, and openly proclaim that resolution of the refugee issue by granting right of return would mean the end of Israel. Israeli Settlements One of the major barriers to the creation of two contiguous, sovereign states for Palestinians and Israelis is the existence and continuing growth of illegal Israeli colonies (widely called settlements) on land long recognized by the United Nations as part of Palestine. Despite a repeated international condemnation, the population of these settlements, which currently number 121, has grown by an average of 5% annually since 2001. That compares to an average growth of just 1.8% for the population of Israel proper. Israel has repeatedly refused to dismantle these settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights, and has repeatedly fudged and violated various moratoriums on new growth. Palestinian State Originally formed to regain all of Palestine for the Palestinian Arabs, the Palestine Liberation Organization signalled that it would accept a two state solution in 1988. The Oslo accords were supposed to have led to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, but continued Israeli settlement and Palestinian violence and incitement degenerated into open conflict in September 2000. Mainstream Palestinians demand a state in the West Bank and Gaza. Right wing Israelis are opposed to creating a state, because, they claim, it would be a base for terror groups. In final status negotiations, the Israeli government agreed to a demilitarized Palestinian state with limited control over its borders and resources a state minus. Palestinian terror Almost all Palestinian groups were founded with the declared aim of destroying Israel by violence, and had a history of terrorist activities. Only the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) has renounced this aim officially. In 1993, the PLO signed the Oslo Declaration of Principles, renouncing violence and agreeing to honour UN SC Resolution 242, which implicitly recognizes the right of Israel to exist. In return, Israel allowed the PLO to enter the West Bank and Gaza strip, and Palestinians gained autonomous control of most of the population of these areas. Extremist Palestinian groups that objected to the agreements began a campaign of ambushes and suicide bombings against Israel. The Palestine National Authority claimed they could not control the dissident groups. Final status negotiations faltered in September 2000. Israeli Repression Israel responded to Palestinian violence at the beginning of the Oslo process by limiting the flow of Palestinian workers to Israel to prevent infiltration of terrorists, and by strict checks at border checkpoints. The border closing drastically reduced the Palestinian standard of living. Palestinians who did come to work were often subjected to humiliating searches and very long waits at checkpoints. Following terror attacks at the checkpoints, nervous IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers sometimes were too quick to open fire on suspicious vehicles, killing innocent civilians. Checkpoints around Jerusalem made it difficult for Palestinians to get to work in Jerusalem and to travel between Palestinian towns. The IDF has killed over 3,500 Palestinians  [7]  , demolished houses and uprooted olive groves. After a recent IDF study showed that the demolitions do not deter suicide bombings, demolitions of the houses of suicide bombers were discontinued, but houses are still demolished for other reasons. In addition to measures taken to ensure security, Israeli extremist settlers have harassed Palestinians, destroyed property, uprooted olive trees and killed several Palestinians in doubtful circumstances. The perpetrators are rarely identified and almost never prosecuted. Israeli Security The area of Israel within its pre-1967 armistice borders is slightly less than 8,000 square miles. The distance from Tel Aviv to the green line border of Israel (West Bank) is about 11 miles. Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other Israeli cities are within artillery range of any Palestinian state. Israel therefore insists on guarantees that a Palestinian state would be demilitarized. The West Bank has enormous strategic importance to any country wishing to invade Israel. Israel therefore insists on guarantees that the Palestinian state would not allow a foreign army to enter its borders, and has insisted on bases within the West Bank. Water The land has always had a scarcity of water. The Israel National Water Carrier has made possible a high population density and standard of living.  [8]  The carrier pumps water from the Sea of Galilee and carries it to areas in the center and south of Israel as well as for Palestinian areas. In one day it delivers the volume of water used in all of 1948, but it is not enough.  [9]  The aquifers that supply Israels central area lie in the West Bank. The Jordan river flows through territory that would be part of Palestine. Both sides need water for survival and development and want to ensure an adequate water supply from the limited resources available. Israel has reserved for its own use a large percentage of the water in West Bank aquifers The Two State Solution The current solution for Israel and Palestine suggests that Palestinians ought to have their own state, separate from Israel. In this way a Two-State solution might be reached. The method by which such a solution could be implemented involves a technical division of land with walls, earth mounds, road blocks and fences. This chapter discusses the so-called practical limitations of a Two-State solution. Notably it questions whether a Palestinian State is a viable option. Israel and Palestine combined are no bigger than South Africas Western Cape Province and yet, for such a small amount of land, the Two-State solution seeks the establishment of a Palestinian state, separate from the current Israeli state. Palestine itself is not one land mass. It is currently divided into two territories named the West Bank and Gaza respectively. Gaza has a western coastline on the Mediterranean Sea and shares borders with Israel and Egypt. Gaza is a relatively small territory, merely 45 kilometres in length. The West Bank is landlocked, sharing borders with Israel and Jordan. Although the West Bank is marginally larger than Gaza, it is not easy to freely access the territory as it is surrounded by a 723km concrete wall, 6-9 metres high in most places. The wall has been built by Israel to separate Israel from the Palestinian West Bank. But the wall does not follow the internationally recognised border between Israel and the West Bank. Rather, it cuts into the West B ank annexing 13% of the territory for Israel. The wall is characteristic of Israels selfishness in claiming Palestinian land. Despite the low percentage of land annexed by the wall, this portion of land is, nonetheless, highly fertile and densely populated mostly by Palestinian farmers. The livelihood of these farmers depends on the productivity of their land. Palestinians whose land has been annexed by Israel live in a so-called seam zone between the internationally recognised Israeli-West Bank border and the wall. These Palestinians who live in the seam zone are known as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). By definition they are person who have been forced to flee their homes as a result of armed conflict, violence, violations of human rights or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognised State border.  [10]  Palestinians whose land falls in the seam zone are only permitted access to their farmlands during designated hours with a required permit. If a viable Palestinian state is to be cre ated, the status of these IDPs has to be resolved, either by Israel offering financial compensation for appropriating Palestinian land, or by moving the wall and thereby allowing Palestinian landowners to return. Both of these solutions are technical in nature and are indicative of the so-called rational approach taken by Israeli policymakers. The vexing nature of how to divide Israel and Palestine comes without even discussing Jerusalem, a city which is contested by Israelis and Palestinians. Jerusalem is home to an estimated 250,000 Palestinians and 200,000 Jews. While Israel claims Jerusalem to be its official capital, the international community treats East Jerusalem as Palestinian territory held by Israel under military occupation. Also, the international community does not recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital, and the city hosts no foreign embassies. Palestinians seek to secure a portion of the city as the political capital of a Palestinian State. Israel is, however, unwilling to relinquish any part of Jerusalem for a Palestinian capital. So, the obstacles faced by policymakers favouring a Two-State solution are obstacles of control: which areas are to be controlled by Palestinians and which areas are to be controlled by Israelis. In other words, the question for those concerned with the Two-State solution is how to delineate land which can be controlled by the state. State control over territory is a central feature of the Two-State solution and. This kind of control is termed sovereignty. Policymakers seek to divide Israel and Palestine into two separate states so that each may exercise supreme authority over its territory, without interference from the other. The means by which mutual non-interference is achieved between states is through a principle of so-called recognition. The term itself requires further explanation, in its relevance to the teaching and practice of IR. For IR theorists, recognition is commonly used to describe how states acknowledge one another. The most fundamental aspect of inter-state recognition is respect for each states sovereignty. The Two-State solution hinges on Israelis and Palestinians recognising each other as sovereign entities and thereby not interfering with one anothers domestic affairs. To problematize the notion of interstate recognition it is useful to consider Hegels views. Discussing the relationship between two individuals, a Lord and a Bondsman, he says, Each sees the other, and therefore also does what it does only in so far as the other does the same. Action by one side only would be useless because what is to happen can only be brought about by bothà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ They recognize themselves as mutually recognizing one another.  [11]   There is a perception that Jewish sovereignty is under threat due to the low ratio of Jews to Arabs in the Middle-East. So, in order to protect the identity of this small Jewish population, Jews are insulated within their own sovereign state Israel. Non-Jews living within Israel are viewed as a threat. The protection of Jewish sovereignty would explain why there are limited employment opportunities for Arab workers in Israel and why Arabs receive different education to Jews. Despite the fact that they share territory, it is evident that Israelis and Palestinians believe themselves to be separate nations and thus deserving of separate sovereign states. So the Two-State solution is seen as the so-called rational end for Israelis and Palestinians. Today, the two-state solution is widely accepted among Israelis and Palestinians and around the world. Even elements of the Israeli right are now resigned to the establishment of a Palestinian state, although their conception of the nature of that state is not acceptable to Palestinians. On the Palestinian side, even elements of the Hamas leadership have hinted that they would go along with a two-state solution if negotiated by Fatah leaders and endorsed by the public, as long as they did not renounce their ideological principles. However, a strong view is that neither side would be able to agree to a division that yielded the Temple Mount to the other side. As an attempt to break the stalemate, U.S. President Bill Clinton proposed dividing sovereignty of the site vertically the ground and area below coming under Israeli sovereignty, while that above the ground (i.e. the Haram al-Sharif containing the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque) would be under Palestinian sovereignty. A similar idea was suggested for tunnels and elevated roads connecting communities. In the end neither side accepted the concept. The main point on which the two-state solution formula differs from those for an independent Palestinian state is that it calls for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. To achieve a two-state solution, the negotiations must address and resolve a number of core issues, including the borders of the Palestinian state, the citizenship of the new Palestinian state, the status of Palestinian refugees outside the final borders, and the status of Arab citizens of present-day Israel, besides the future of East Jerusalem. The Two-State Solution: An analysis using IR theories Israelis and Palestinians are clearly interspersed, yet the Two-State solution seeks to divide them into sovereign states. We have seen that the idea of sovereignty underpins the Two-State solution based on the distinct nationalities of Israelis and Palestinians. Sovereignty also forms the core of two IR perspectives that are used in the discipline: Realism and Liberalism. This is not to say that that Realism and Liberalism are the only IR theories that can be used to explain the Two-State solution. Rather, Realism and Liberalism are two of the foundational theories. Therefore it is useful to discuss the Two-State solution from the perspective of Realism and Liberalism. First, let us analyse the Two-State solution through the prism of Realism, the school of thought which has been given the greatest primacy in IR. Realism Realists believe that there is no moral standard which dictates how states should behave toward one another. The lack of an overriding ethical code to structure interstate behaviour is known as so-called anarchy.  [12]  For Realists, power dictates how states interact with one another. Because power relations are central to a Realist understanding of the international arena, states are sceptical of trust. So, instead of trusting one another states choose their alliances based on one anothers strategic value in so-called self-interested behaviour. Selfishness means that interstate warfare is inevitable. In the Realist understanding, the international arena is brutal and the only way to deter actors from going to war is if the costs of doing so outweigh the benefits. So, Realists reduce human interests to strategies or games, advocating that actors constantly seek to maximize their utility through negotiations, trade-offs and alliances. Realist Theory reduces the Israeli-Palestinian bilateral relationship to a power squabble, as each side attempts to gain the ascendency. In these circumstances relations become a ping-pong match of provocation and conflict is inevitable. For example, a Palestinian suicide bombing in a Tel Aviv market might be reciprocated by an Israeli incursion into the bombers West Bank village. Even cumulative small actions by one side can lead to one large action from the other for example, when numerous Qassam rockets, fired into Israel by Palestinian militants, result in an Israeli military offensive. Presumably then, in the Realist understanding, peace is achieved when the costs of going to war outweigh the benefits of doing so. However, a cost-benefit analysis of going to war can

Ignorance Is the Lock, Knowledge Is the Master Key Essay -- Law

Throughout childhood to adulthood, one may oftentimes hear the quote â€Å"knowledge is power†. It is a quote usually drilled into the heads of elementary to college-aged kids in order to encourage his or her pursuit of an education. As much as privileged students roll his or her eyes at the utterance of this quote, it is hard to deny the weight of truth in this quote when examining the history of many countries. This is especially true during times of oppressive rule. Freedom of press, information, and lines of communication are usually the main thing to be restricted when there is a hunger for complete control over a group of people. The shadow of ignorance is used to blind the oppressed and keep/hide them in the dark from any potential aid. In 1989, student demonstrations broke out in Beijing, China in Tiananmen Square. Since the 1970s, China was going through economic reforms under Deng Xiaoping, China’s leader. As time went on complaints were being made over inflation, low job opportunities, and suspected corruption in the national party. The Communist governments of Eastern Europe were failing, causing unrest and lost of faith amongst the Chinese citizens. The breaking point was â€Å"the death of reformist CCP general secretary Hu Yaobang† on April 15th of 1989 (Online). Students congregated in the square to mourn Yaobang’s death. According to the Berkshire Encyclopedia of China the government-run press fabricated what truly going on and attempted to taint the image of the protesters: The party mouthpiece, People’s Daily, published an editorial on 26 April accusing a â€Å"handful of plotters† of creating â€Å"turmoil† with the object of overthrowing the regime. The next day, 200,000 students from over forty universities marched to the squ... ...ite the wicked mistreatment of the slave. Despite being unhappy with their situation, the slaves could not effectively rebel because they did not have enough knowledge and information to do so. Knowledge truly is a power that can be used to help you or used against you. It can help you be in control or be controlled. For this reason, freedom of press and speech are constantly being fought for in many civil wars. Without knowledge, a person is subjected to the control of a person with greater knowledge. Works Cited James, C.L.R. The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Overture and the San Domingo Revolution. 2nd ed. Revised. New York: Vintage, 1989. "Tiananmen Square." Berkshire Encyclopedia of China: Modern and Historic Views of the World's Newest and Oldest Global Power. Great Barrington: Berkshire Publishing Group, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 10 May 2012.

Scarlet Letters Use Of Symbolism To Show Psychological Effects Of Sin :: essays research papers

"The act†¦gross and brief, and brings loathing after it." This was said by St. Augustine, regarding immorality. This is discovered to be very true by the main characters in The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne's story of a woman (Hester) who lives with the Puritans and commits adultery with the local minister (Dimmesdale). In his novel, Hawthorne shows that sin, known or unknown to the community, isolates a person from their community and from God. He shows us this by symbols in nature around the town, natural symbols in the heavens, and nature in the forest. First we see two symbols in the town that show how sin isolates people. In the first chapter we see a plant which stands out, "But on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rosebush, covered†¦ with its delicate gems" (Hawthorne, 46). This rosebush is like Hester, for it too stands out as wild and different. She wears her scarlet letter among the solemnly dressed Puritans as this rosebush wears its scarlet blossoms amidst a small plot of grass and weeds. They both stand separate from their surroundings. Later in the book we hear a conversation between Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth (Hester's unknown husband). They are discussing the origin of a strange dark plant that Chillingworth discovered. "I found them growing on a grave which bore no tombstone, nor other memorial of the dead man, save these ugly weeds that have taken upon themselves to keep him in remembrance. They grew out of his heart, and typify†¦some hideous secret that was buried with him†¦" (Hawthorne, 127). Here we have a special case of one who was not discovered by men to have sinned during their lifetime. However, having avoided punishment in life, this person has been isolated in death. This person tried to keep wrongdoing a secret, hiding it within himself. Yet the sins committed could not be kept secret, evidenced by their final disclosure shortly after death. There remains nothing honorable to show where this person lies, but rather mutant weeds that grew out of the blackness of the person's heart. The final resting place of the wrongdoer has now been separated from other graves as the sins are manifested by natural powers. The next area is symbols in the skies. Our first instance occurs during the second famous scaffold scene. Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl are atop the scaffold when, "a light gleamed far and wide over all the muffled sky.

George Lawrence Mikan :: essays research papers fc

George Lawrence Mikan was born on June 18, 1924, in Joliet, Illinois. He was of Croatian and Lithuanian Decent. George’s height peaked at 6 feet 10 inches and he weighed 245 pounds. His family consisted of his mother Minnie, father Joseph, and two brothers Joe and Ed. All three boys worked in the family restaurant following school each day. At a young age George’s passion was the piano and he wanted to someday be a concert pianist. Throughout his life this proved to be a beloved hobby. As a boy George did not have many basketball skills and broke his leg in a game at the age of thirteen. He gave priesthood a try at the Quigley Seminary in downtown Chicago following his attendance at Joliet Catholic High School. The high school coach had discouraged George from basketball because of his eyesight. The Seminary was a thirty-five mile commute from Joliet, which left George no time for basketball. At this time his 6 foot 10 inch stature had done nothing but cause him to fee l awkward and shy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George gave basketball another try at Notre Dame University. Coach George Keogan was very skeptical of his success because of the quarter inch glasses that he wore. When Notre Dame’s assistant coach Ray Meyer took over as head coach of Chicago’s DePaul University he decided to work with George. The workouts with more agile teammates improved his timing. He followed through with four varsity seasons for DePaul. In George’s first season, DePaul won nineteen games and lost only five. George’s ability to block shots that were dropping into the basket inspired a new National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rule against goaltending. In 1944 they lost the National Invitational Tournament but came back to win it the next season. George was a three time All-American, from 1944-1946 after performances such as his 120 points in his final three games at DePaul with a high of 53. In all, George led DePaul to an 83-18 record scoring 1,870 poin ts, a collegiate record at that time. George played baseball in the off-season and was being scouted by the major leagues as a pitcher. With his height and reputation it was inevitable that he would choose basketball.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The National Basketball League (NBL) had begun in 1937, but with a limited amount of teams it was a small time operation until World War II. George’s team was sponsored in the same way as many bowling teams.

My Greatest Acheivements Essay

When I got the call from the volunteer services office a few days after my interview saying I had been chosen as a volunteer, I was ecstatic. Getting the opportunity to volunteer in a hospital and directly aid doctors and nurses over an entire summer was an honor and I learned many things about a doctor and nurses job from it. My second greatest achievement is starting a book blog, Hidden Gems to help self-published authors market their books. I started my blog Hidden Gems in August 2012, with the hope of reviewing books for self published authors and getting word out about their books. Shortly after setting up my blog and spreading news about the self-published books I got 1000 views in one month. With the high growth of viewers and followers on my blog, I got emails from authors from Australia and publishing houses to review their books. I still try to help self-published authors out and review their books and advertise for them because many of them try to make a living off their books. Helping these published authors is one of my greatest achievements and through this blog I’ve been able to meet other book fanatics like me and hold proper discussions about each book we read. I will continue to write on this blog as long as I can and help these self published authors. – written by kchandwani21

A Report On Architectural Determinism Anthropology Essay

Oxford english dictionary: â€Å" The philosophical philosophy that human action is non free but needfully determined by motivations which are regarded as external forces moving upon the will. † Frequently determinism is related to the ‘will of God ‘ or to ‘fate ‘ . For the psychological theories of behaviorism it is related to the environment environing an being. Watson, Skinner and behaviourism – Watson developed this school of idea, the premiss of which is that â€Å" scientific psychological science should analyze merely discernible behaviour and abandon the survey of consciousness wholly. ( Weiten, p. 6,7 ) The survey of consciousness, since it is non discernible, is more bad and less scientific than the survey of discernible behavior. â€Å" . . .the clip has come when psychological science must fling all mention to consciousness. . . Its exclusive undertaking is the anticipation and control of behavior ; and self-contemplation can organize no portion of its method. † ( Watson, quoted in Koestler, 1967:19 ) Fostering that construct, Watson stated that in the argument between nature and raising, behavior is determined more by the environment and experience ( raising ) than it is by familial heritage ( nature ) . From that theoretical base behaviorists looked to associate open behaviors ( responses ) to discernible events in the environment ( stimulation ) . Using animate beings for such surveies worked more efficaciously than utilizing human topics since their environments could be better controlled and hence there would be fewer variables impacting their behavior. Skinner furthered behaviorism with the rule: â€Å" Organisms tend to reiterate responses that lead to positive results, and they tend non to reiterate responses that lead to impersonal or negative results. † ( Weiten, p.10 ) Given that rule, Skinner went on to demo that he could exercise singular control over the behavior of animate beings by pull stringsing the results of their responses. This was done through conditioning. Conditioning ( Weiten, p. 150-181 ) This is a signifier of larning. Learning is a lasting alteration in behavior or cognition as a consequence of experience. Examples: 1. you cringe at the sound of a tooth doctor ‘s drill 2. you ride a bike 3. a seal juggles a ball on its olfactory organ. Classical conditioning– a stimulation acquires the capacity to arouse a response that was originally evoked by another stimulation. Pavlov ‘s Canis familiaris – ( see Weiten, 1997:152 ) A tone began as a impersonal stimulation – that is, simply a sound. It became a positive stimulation when it was associated with the possibility of nutrient. The presence of the nutrient followed by salivation was an innate association. It did non hold to be learned. Salivation at the sound of the tone was a learned association. It had to be learned. This is known as classical conditioning. Does it use to human behavior? 1. Phobias – eg. a fright of Bridgess created from a repeated childhood experience. ( Weiten, 1997:154 ) 2. Advertising – a merchandise ever seen in association with gratifying milieus or beautiful people. 3. Placeboes – physiological responses. There are other sorts of conditioning than classical ( where the stimulation precedes the response ) . In some signifiers of conditioning the stimulation follows the response. Behaviour, in other words, is conditioned by the outlook of wages after. B.F. Skinner called thisoperant conditioning. â€Å" Organisms tend to reiterate those responses that are followed by favorable effects. † The Skinner Box – ( Weiten, 1997:161 ) â€Å" Although it is convenient to compare support with wages and the experience of pleasance, rigorous behaviourists object to this pattern, because the experience of pleasance is an unobservable event that takes topographic point within an being. † ( Weiten, 1997:164 ) Skinner will merely state that the response is strengthened and this is mensurable by the rate of reacting. Anyone who raises a kid uses operant conditioning. See Weiten pg. 165 If we agree with Watson and Skinner that â€Å" . . . ‘mind ‘ and ‘ideas ‘ are non-existent entities, ‘invented for the exclusive intent of supplying specious accounts † ( Koestler, 1967:21 ) so the lone motive for our actions will come from some signifier of conditioning. In other words, our behavior is determined by external forces. Is one of those external forces architecture?THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR( Jon Lang, Creating Architectural Theory, pp. 100-108 )This construct of conditioning -stimulus-response ( SR ) of classical – has been extended by some to include the reinforced environment. There are four basic places 1. Free-will attack Suggests that the environment has no impact on behavior. 2. Possibilistic attack Perceives the environment to be the afforder of human behavior but nil more. A set of chances upon which action may or may non be taken. Eg. a cup is on the tabular array. I choose to make full it up with H2O or non. It does non do me thirsty. 3. Probabilistic attack Assumes that human behavior is non wholly freakish. The environment does impact behavior but there are many variables. â€Å" Given an person Angstrom with attributes a, B, degree Celsius, set in an Environment Tocopherol with features vitamin Ds, vitamin E, degree Fahrenheit, and with the Motivation for action M it is likely that A will execute Behavior B. † 4. Deterministic attack Implies a simple cause-effect relationship between the environment and behavior. For some this meant better architecture could do better people. Environmental determinism– it is nurture within the scene of our geographical, societal and cultural environments, instead than nature, our heredity, that shapes our values and behaviour. Physical determinism– the nature of the geographic environment determines people ‘s behaviour. There is, for illustration a relation between civilization and clime. Architectural determinism– alterations in the landscaped and architectural elements of the environment will ensue in alterations in behaviour, peculiarly societal behaviour. There are many designers who thought architectural determinism was valid. â€Å" During the 19th century, with the coming of the Industrial Revolution and the large-scale migration of rural workers to the metropolis, many societal critics became cognizant of the strong correlativity between the unpleasant conditions in which people lived and their societal and psychological conditions. It is easy to reason that altering the built environment would alter non merely the life conditions but besides the life style and aesthetic values of the people concerned. The whole societal and beneficent motion of the latter portion of the 19th century, which culminated in the garden metropoliss motion led by Ebenezer Howard ( 1902 ) and the settlement-house strategies, was imbued with the spirit of architectural deterministic beliefs. † ( Lang, 1987:101 )PuginIn 1836, Pugin published his book Contrasts. In it he puts frontward a instance for returning to the Gothic manner of architecture. For him, Gothic architecture represented the revealed truth of the Catholic church. Further, he believed that, â€Å" since Gothic architecture is divinely ordained it is non marked by human imperfectnesss but is an ineluctable world. † ( David Watkin, Architecture and Morality, 1977:19 ) He saw architecture as an instrument for the attainment of societal policy employed to accomplish purportedly ‘moral ‘ terminals. It is here that we can see the beginnings of the relationship between architecture and truth, and so excessively the relationship between that truth and the betterment of the human status. If architecture can be ‘true ‘ so it can besides state a prevarication. This belief runs through The Humanistic disciplines and Crafts motion in England and can be readily seen in the beliefs of such disparate designers as Wright and Corb.LE CORBUSIERArchitecture or RevolutionRevolution can be avoided. He stated that ‘the house machine is healthy ( and morally so excessively ) ‘ ( see p. 13, Towards a New Architecture ) Decoration ( and with it the Renaissance and the Baroque ) was seen as immoral. Hence he looked for pure signifiers. The cone, the domain, the cylinder. These signifiers would travel architecture beyond manner. For much the same ground he found the reason of the applied scientist more to his liking ( p.19 ) Watkin points out that Corb ‘s base in Vers une Architecture is: ‘what is simple, purportedly functional, and mercenary in purpose, visible radiation in coloring material, and instantly intelligible in signifier, enjoys advantages in footings of wellness and morality over other different or more complex solutions. This it must be imposed on society every bit shortly as possible if we are to avoid revolution. † ( p.40 ) Bruno Taut picked up this subject in his book Modern Architecture ( 1929 ) ( see Watkin p 40 ) The same impression held true for CIAM in the 1930s and 40s. â€Å" the public lodging motions in many states were based on a series of premises sing the impact of architecture and urban designs on human behaviour. † The CIAM conferences all â€Å" exhibited a belief that through architectural and urban design all sorts of societal pathologies could be eliminated. † ( Lang, 1987:102 ) This carried through into the work by Oscar Newman and his book, Defendable Space, every bit good. â€Å" The physical environments we have been constructing in our metropoliss for the past 25 old ages really prevent such cordiality and deter the natural chase of a corporate action. † The response to that perceived job is to alter the physical environment. This changed environment can so alter behaviourBibliographyKOESTLER, Arthur.The Ghost in the Machine. London: Pan Books, 1967. LANG, Jon.Making Architectural Theory. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. , 1987. Le CORBUSIER.Vers une Architecture.Trans. By Frederick Etchells, Towards a New Architecture. New York: Praeger Publ. , 1960. WATKIN, David.Morality and Architecture. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1977. WEITEN, Wayne.Psychology: Subjects and Variations( Briefer Version 3rd Edition ) . Pacific Grove, CA, Brooks/Cole Publ. Co. , 1997.

Letter from the Trenches

To My Dearest Elsie, I know this is my 5th letter in 3 days but I need to tell the truth. I joined the army for adventure and the chance to see new places but instead I am living in a mud hole, freezing under constant fear of death. You may laugh and say that I am but whingeing and that I am probably the only scared man here but it's not true. All 5,000 of us are terrified of what may come if we so much as lift our heads into the view of the enemy. Every day I have spent in this trench, we have had shells fired at us. The noise is horrific and the despair in the eyes of many a soldier is evident as another comes over. If and when the shelling stops, many drink or smoke to try relax but you can tell that a few are on the brink of breaking down. Some men have shot themselves in the arm or leg just to have an injury serious enough to get them out of the trenches but not bad enough to kill them. Apart from the threat of having your head blown off, the Germans are now trying to gas us to death. These gas attacks are few and far between but when one is launched the new recruits drop like flies mainly because they do not know anything. One called Jenkins lost his gas mask and when the Germans launched a chlorine gas shell, well, that was it for him really. The vile stuff burns your lungs out. The newbies can do nothing but choke up their burnt out lungs. The other gas they use is mustard gas which is truly evil. It blisters the skin, blinding men who then roll around in agony, clutching their red raw flesh. Forgive me if I am scaring you but I need to talk about this. Our daily food is bully beef. When you first start the army and you are eating this you think it's bland but edible. After 3 months of bully beef and little else, you wonder whether you would actually feel better hungry or with a tin of bully beef inside you. Everyone is given some rum to start the day off which is rather uplifting for most of us. Smoking is allowed in the daytime which takes away the taste of bully beef but at night we aren't allowed as the cigarette light makes us an easy target for a German spy. Tea is freely available but the trouble is that it often freezes in your cup as it is so cold. We aren't allowed coats as our superiors say that we won't be able to walk properly in them so frostbite is common. We wear as many layers of clothing as possible which means that our clothes are dirty and sweaty. Men in the front line can't wash until we are sent back to support or reserve. It's made doubly worse by the mud. The mud is probably the worst aspect or rather what comes with it. The mud is oten knee deep. We have to eat, sleep and fight in piles of the stuff. Putees are no use (that's slang for material wrapped around your shins). Do you remember little Billy Rawlson? He drowned in the mud. He was sleeping and his head went under. By the time we noticed he wasn't perched up where he normally was, he was dead. Send Betty my commiseration's and apologies. The mud brings trench foot with it. Trench foot is where your feet swell up to sometimes double their original size. To start off with, you lose all feeling in your feet. Someone who had trench foot stuck his bayonet into the afflicted foot and didn't even flinch! After a few days of having numb feet, the sensitivity comes back – with avengeance. Men will often have the foot amputated rather than endure the terrific pain that ensues. Trench foot isn't the only illness that is rife amongst soldiers but Dysentery (stomach pains and diarrhoea), Nephritis (kidney inflammation) and VD are very common and, due to the nature of the illness, it makes life here even more difficult even if you yourself don't suffer from the illness. Every single man in this trench has lice of some variety. This may sound disgusting but hunting out lice becomes almost a social pastime. We search for each other's lice and crush them between our fingernails or burn them with our candles but somehow I doubt â€Å"chatting† will catch on back home. Tabby would be happy here. Since there are no cats here, rats run rife. We call them â€Å"corpse rats† because these rats will eat the bodies of the dead on the battlefield. Even injured soldiers have found these infernal creatures nibbling his wounds. There have been reports of rats as big as cats about 3 miles up the trench. That would be a great trophy for the soldier that killed it. Part of what annoys me about the army is how men lose their minds to the generals after a few weeks of training but then how they almost reawake once they're in the thick of it all. To be quite frank, it all disgusts me. The battlefield is nearly as muddy as the trenches but with double the horrors. Masses of bodies are piled up out of the way whilst the rats feed upon the corpses. To step onto that field is death and every night this week that is what we have been sentenced to. The commander sounds his whistle, always at night, and we climb over. We run over the field and then you notice your mates falling to the ground around you. The first time it happened, I thought that the commander had shouted an order and I'd missed it so I lay down too but then I realised that their eyes were shut and they weren't breathing anymore. I haven't been shot yet but surely it'll happen to me and then who knows if I'll be alive to tell the tale. After we attack, the Germans will attack us, with their bayonets attached to their guns just as ours had been and like us they will fall. Everyone hates that old butcher Haig. I tell you Elsie, I'd like to see his face if he saw what hell he puts innocent men through. Please, show this letter to everyone you know who is considering joining the army. Let them know what it's really like. Love, as always Jim

Glutathione

Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide that contains an unusual peptide linkage between the amine group of cysteine (which is attached by normal peptide linkage to a glycine) and the carboxyl group of the glutamate side-chain. It is an antioxidant, preventing damage to important cellular components caused by reactive oxygen species such as free radicals and peroxides. [2] Thiol groups are reducing agents, existing at a concentration of approximately 5 mM in animal cells. Glutathione reduces disulfide bonds formed within cytoplasmic proteins to cysteines by serving as an electron donor. In the process, glutathione is converted to its oxidized form glutathione disulfide (GSSG), also called L(-)-Glutathione. Glutathione is found almost exclusively in its reduced form, since the enzyme that reverts it from its oxidized form, glutathione reductase, is constitutively active and inducible upon oxidative stress. In fact, the ratio of reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione within cells is often used as a measure of cellular toxicity. 3] Glutathione is not an essential nutrient (meaning it does not have to be obtained via food), since it can be synthesized in the body from the amino acids L-cysteine, L-glutamic acid, and glycine. The sulfhydryl (thiol) group (SH) of cysteine serves as a proton donor and is responsible for the biological activity of glutathione. Provision of this amino acid is the rate-limiting factor in glutathione synthesis by the cells, since cysteine is relatively rare in foodstuffs. Furthermore, if released as the free amino acid, cysteine is toxic and spontaneously catabolized in the gastrointestinal tract and blood plasma. [4] Glutathione is synthesized in two adenosine triphosphate-dependent steps: * First, gamma-glutamylcysteine is synthesized from L-glutamate and cysteine via the enzyme gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (a. k. a. glutamate cysteine ligase, GCL). This reaction is the rate-limiting step in glutathione synthesis. citation needed] * Second, glycine is added to the C-terminal of gamma-glutamylcysteine via the enzyme glutathione synthetase. Animal glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL) is a heterodimeric enzyme composed of a catalytic (GCLC) and modulatory (GCLM) subunit. GCLC constitutes all the enzymatic activity, whereas GCLM increases the catalytic efficiency of GCLC. Mice lacking GCLC (i. e. , all de novo GSH synthesis) die before birth. [5] Mice lacking GCLM demonstrate no outward phenotype, but exhibit marked decrease in GSH and increased sensiti vity to toxic insults. 6][7][8] While all cells in the human body are capable of synthesizing glutathione, liver glutathione synthesis has been shown to be essential. Mice with genetically-induced loss of GCLC (i. e. , GSH synthesis) only in the liver die within 1 month of birth. [9] The plant glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL) is a redox-sensitive homodimeric enzyme, conserved in the plant kingdom. [10] In an oxidizing environment, intermolecular disulfide bridges are formed and the enzyme switches to the dimeric active state. The mid-point potential of the critical cysteine pair is -318 mV. In addition to the redox-dependent control is the plant GCL enzyme feedback inhibited by GSH. [11] GCL is exclusively located in plastids, and glutathione synthetase is dual-targeted to plastids and cytosol, thus are GSH and gamma-glutamylcysteine exported from the plastids. [12] Both glutathione biosynthesis enzymes are essential in plants; knock-outs of GCL and GS are lethal to embryo and seedling. [13] The biosynthesis pathway for glutathione is found in some bacteria, like cyanobacteria and proteobacteria, but is missing in many other bacteria. Most eukaryotes synthesize glutathione, including humans, but some do not, such as Leguminosae, Entamoeba, and Giardia. The only archaea that make glutathione are halobacteria. [14][15] [edit] Function Glutathione exists in reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) states. In the reduced state, the thiol group of cysteine is able to donate a reducing equivalent (H++ e-) to other unstable molecules, such as reactive oxygen species. In donating an electron, glutathione itself becomes reactive, but readily reacts with another reactive glutathione to form glutathione isulfide (GSSG). Such a reaction is possible due to the relatively high concentration of glutathione in cells (up to 5 mM in the liver). GSH can be regenerated from GSSG by the enzyme glutathione reductase. In healthy cells and tissue, more than 90% of the total glutathione pool is in the reduced form (GSH) and less than 10% exists in the disulfide form (GSSG). An increased GSSG-to-GSH ratio is considered indicative of oxidative str ess. Glutathione has multiple functions: It is the major endogenous antioxidant produced by the cells, participating directly in the neutralization of free radicals and reactive oxygen compounds, as well as maintaining exogenous antioxidants such as vitamins C and E in their reduced (active) forms. [16][citation needed] * Regulation of the nitric oxide cycle, which is critical for life but can be problematic if unregulated [17] * Through direct conjugation, it detoxifies many xenobiotics (foreign compounds) and carcinogens, both organic and inorganic. This includes heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and arsenic. [citation needed] * It is essential for the immune system to exert its full potential, e. g. , (1) modulating antigen presentation to lymphocytes, thereby influencing cytokine production and type of response (cellular or humoral) that develops, (2) enhancing proliferation of lymphocytes, thereby increasing magnitude of response, (3) enhancing killing activity of cytotoxic T cells and NK cells, and (4) regulating apoptosis, thereby maintaining control of the immune response. citation needed] * It plays a fundamental role in numerous metabolic and biochemical reactions such as DNA synthesis and repair, protein synthesis, prostaglandin synthesis, amino acid transport, and enzyme activation. Thus, every system in the body can be affected by the state of the glutathione system, especially the immune system, the nervous system, the gastrointestinal system and the lungs. [4] Function in animals GSH is known as a substrate in both conjugation reactions and reduction reactions, catalyzed by glutathione S-transferase enzymes in cytosol, microsomes, and mitochondria. However, it is also capable of participating in non-enzymatic conjugation with some chemicals. In the case of N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), the reactive cytochrome P450-reactive metabolite formed by paracetamol (or acetaminophen as it is known in the US), that becomes toxic when GSH is depleted by an overdose of acetaminophen, Glutathione is an essential antidote to overdose. Glutathione conjugates to NAPQI and helps to detoxify it. In this capacity, it protects cellular protein thiol groups, which would otherwise become covalently modified; when all GSH has been spent, NAPQI begins to react with the cellular proteins, killing the cells in the process. The preferred treatment for an overdose of this painkiller is the administration (usually in atomized form) of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (often as a trademarked preparation called Mucomyst ® [1]), which is processed by cells to L-cysteine and used in the de novo synthesis of GSH. Glutathione (GSH) participates in leukotriene synthesis and is a cofactor for the enzyme glutathione peroxidase. It is also important as a hydrophilic molecule that is added to lipophilic toxins and waste in the liver during biotransformation before they can become part of the bile. Glutathione is also needed for the detoxification of methylglyoxal, a toxin produced as a by-product of metabolism. This detoxification reaction is carried out by the glyoxalase system. Glyoxalase I (EC 4. 4. 1. ) catalyzes the conversion of methylglyoxal and reduced glutathione to S-D-lactoyl-glutathione. Glyoxalase II (EC 3. 1. 2. 6) catalyzes the hydrolysis of S-D-lactoyl-glutathione to glutathione and D-lactic acid. Glutathione has recently been used as an inhibitor of melanin in the cosmetics industry. In countries like Japan and the Philippines, this product is sold as a whitening soap. Glutathione competitively inhibits melanin synthesis in the reaction of tyrosinase and L-DOPA by interrupting L-DO PA's ability to bind to tyrosinase during melanin synthesis. The inhibition of melanin synthesis was reversed by increasing the concentration of L-DOPA, but not by increasing tyrosinase. Although the synthesized melanin was aggregated within 1 h, the aggregation was inhibited by the addition of glutathione. These results indicate that glutathione inhibits the synthesis and agglutination of melanin by interrupting the function of L-DOPA. â€Å"[18] Function in plants In plants, glutathione is crucial for biotic and abiotic stress management. It is a pivotal component of the glutathione-ascorbate cycle, a system that reduces poisonous hydrogen peroxide. 19] It is the precursor of phytochelatins, glutathione oligomeres that chelate heavy metals such as cadmium. [20] Glutathione is required for efficient defence against plant pathogens such as Pseudomonas syringae and Phytophthora brassicae. [21] APS reductase, an enzyme of the sulfur assimilation pathway uses glutathione as electron donor. Other enzymes using glutathione as substrate are glutare doxin, these small oxidoreductases are involved in flower development, salicylic acid and plant defence signalling. [22] [edit] Supplementation Raising GSH levels through direct supplementation of glutathione is difficult. Research suggests that glutathione taken orally is not well absorbed across the gastrointestinal tract. In a study of acute oral administration of a very large dose (3 grams) of oral glutathione, Witschi and coworkers found â€Å"it is not possible to increase circulating glutathione to a clinically beneficial extent by the oral administration of a single dose of 3 g of glutathione. â€Å"[23][24] Vitamin D increases glutathione levels in the brain and appears to be a catalyst for glutathione production. 25] The amount of activated vitamin D in the brain is tied to how much vitamin D3 one has, either ingested through supplements or created in the skin via sun exposure. This suggests taking vitamin D3 supplements and/or getting adequate sun exposure boosts glutathione production. In addition, plasma and liver GSH concentrations can be raised by administration of certain supplements that serve as GSH precu rsors. N-acetylcysteine, commonly referred to as NAC, is the most bioavailable precursor of glutathione. 26] Other supplements, including S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe)[27][28][29] and whey protein[30][31][32][33][34][35] have also been shown to increase glutathione content within the cell. NAC is available both as a drug and as a generic supplement. Alpha lipoic acid has also been shown to restore intracellular glutathione. [36][37] Melatonin has been shown to stimulate a related enzyme, glutathione peroxidase,[38] and silymarin, an extract of the seeds of the milk thistle plant (Silybum marianum) has also demonstrated an ability to replenish glutathione levels. [39][40] Glutathione is a tightly regulated intracellular constituent, and is limited in its production by negative feedback inhibition of its own synthesis through the enzyme gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, thus greatly minimizing any possibility of over dosage. Glutathione augmentation using precursors of glutathione synthesis or intravenous glutathione is a strategy developed to address states of glutathione deficiency, high oxidative stress, immune deficiency, and xenobiotic overload in which glutathione plays a part in the detoxification of the xenobiotic in question (especially through the hepatic route). Glutathione deficiency states include, but are not limited to, HIV/AIDS, chemical and infectious hepatitis, myalgic encephalomyelitis chronic fatigue syndrome ME / CFS,[41][42][43] prostate and other cancers, cataracts, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, radiation poisoning, malnutritive states, arduous physical stress, and aging, and has been associated with suboptimal immune response. Many clinical pathologies are associated with oxidative stress and are elaborated upon in numerous medical references. [4][44][45] Low glutathione is also strongly implicated in wasting and negative nitrogen balance,[46] as seen in cancer, AIDS, sepsis, trauma, burns and even athletic overtraining. Glutathione supplementation can oppose this process, and in AIDS, for example, result in improved survival rates. [47] However, studies in many of these conditions have not been able to differentiate between low glutathione as a result of acutely (as in septic patients) or chronically (as in HIV) increased oxidative stress, and increased pathology as a result of preexisting deficiencies. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are associated with lowered glutathione. Accruing data suggest that oxidative stress may be a factor underlying the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and schizophrenia (SCZ). Glutathione (GSH) is the major free radical scavenger in the brain. [48] Diminished GSH levels elevate cellular vulnerability towards oxidative stress; characterized by accumulating reactive oxygen species. Replenishment of glutathione using N-acetyl cysteine has been shown to reduce symptoms of both disorders. citation needed] Cancer Preliminary results indicate glutathione changes the level of reactive oxygen species in isolated cells grown in a laboratory,[49][50] which may reduce cancer development. [51] [52] None of these tests were performed in humans. However, once a cancer has already developed, by conferring resistance to a number of chemotherapeutic drugs, elevated levels of glutathione in tumor cells are able to protect cancer ous cells in bone marrow, breast, colon, larynx, and lung cancers. 53] [edit] Pathology Excess glutamate at synapses, which may be released in conditions such as traumatic brain injury, can prevent the uptake of cysteine, a necessary building-block of glutathione. Without the protection from oxidative injury afforded by glutathione, cells may be damaged or killed. [54] Methods to determine glutathione Reduced glutathione may be visualized using Ellman's reagent or bimane derivates such as monobromobimane. The monobromobimane method is more sensitive. In this procedure, cells are lysed and thiols extracted using a HCl buffer. The thiols are then reduced with dithiothreitol (DTT) and labelled by monobromobimane. Monobromobimane becomes fluorescent after binding to GSH. The thiols are then separated by HPLC and the fluorescence quantified with a fluorescence detector. Bimane may also be used to quantify glutathione in vivo. The quantification is done by confocal laser scanning microscopy after application of the dye to living cells. 55] Another approach, which allows to measure the glutathione redox potential at a high spatial and temporal resolution in living cells is based on redox imaging using the redox-sensitive green fluorescent protein (roGFP)[56] or redox sensitive yellow fluorescent protein. . When we speak of glutathione, what will really come to mind is that glutathione which most Filipino thought of as a whitening agent. It comes in soaps and any other beauty products which hopefully will make one whiter and fairer when used. But what we really don’t know is that glutathione is found in each of three trillion cells in our body. It is the most powerful an antioxidant which we cannot find in a fruit or in a berry a common but it is found in our body. In fact its absence will make one die. In my first blog I ‘ve told you about the glutathione story. Now I’m going to tell you what glutathione really is and its role to our over all well being. So what is glutathione really: Glutathione is a tripeptide, What is glutathione?