Strategic Management - Strategic Audit Format Essay

Vital Management - Strategic Audit Format - Essay Example As such, the registering division is endlessly subject to mechanical development. Be that as it may, an inconsistency emerges as assets are not unbounded in nature. There are additionally a few maintainability issues which have consistently been a test for this industry. 3. Shortage of petroleum product: The PC business depends on low-estimated vitality. Modest vitality sources for the most part originate from petroleum product. The shortage of petroleum product has consistently been a worry for the business as accessibility of vitality sources to control gadgets at sensible cost is essential. 4. Ecological Issues: The PC business is one of the primary explanations behind the developing contamination in the creating countries. An enormous measure of waste is created and there have been difficulties related with the reusing and decrease of waste. Assembling of PCs likewise include the utilization of perilous synthetics like lead and mercury which contaminates nature. 1. Upkeep of classification †Protection of security of the clients must be guaranteed by the PC business. This is a significant test for this industry as, with the expanded linkages between arrange associations, it is significant that PCs are upheld with apparatuses that help to keep up protection of the clients. There are dangers that emerge from infection and malignant programming. Expanded utilization of the web has exasperated such dangers. The business needs to give assurance against malwares which represent a danger during the utilization of secret data over the net. 2. In fact bolster the clients †The PC business not just needs to focus on assembling of PC equipment yet in addition needs to guarantee that all further specialized challenges looked by the clients are investigated and appropriate arrangements are given. There must be a persistent connection with the clients so backing and help can be given at odd hours. This is a significant test for the PC business. 3.

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Vital Management - Essay Example In this paper, the investigation of vital administration will rotate around a little privately-owned company managing clothing apparatuses fix with just two representatives exactly a dad filling in as the expert and his child taking care of issues to do with organization. Key administration joins numerous advantages to a business. Thomas and David Hunger keep up that organizations that consolidate vital administration into their day by day exercises consistently â€Å"outperform† those organizations that don't. At the point when a firm extends, it turns out to be difficult for it to manage the cost of following natural systems. This is on the grounds that, upon extension, a firm’s situation or its layers of the executives changes generously (Wheelen and Hunger, 2011). Nonetheless, as workplace keeps on being increasingly perplexing because of regularly changing frameworks of the board on the planet, today, firms are applying key administration as a type of collaborating and making nature progressively reasonable. Vital administration is useful to a firm predominantly in light of the fact that it encourages assortment of data and plan of strategies. The clothing firm can utilize vital administration arrangements to assemble data from outside and inward condition which thus corporate plan of factors in the firm. With globalization comes wide market. For this situation, globalization empowers a firm recognize general powers that incorporate cultural and indigenous habitats that make it simpler to distinguish various bunches of contenders and clients making it simpler to consolidate a feasible domain. It is important for a firm to have the appropriate data so as to discover manners by which it can satisfy its objectives by means of its corporate strategic (and Hunger, 2011). Globalization makes it workable for a firm to have basic, ingenious, and social data, which is significant for a firm to upgrade its corporate procedure. What's more, vital admini stration empowers a firm to actualize the set strategies and detail the assembled data, which encourages appraisal of its capacities. This thusly draws quantifies that empower the firm to fulfill its customer base by improving its appropriation of items and administrations by means of a sorted out framework. The effects of natural manageability to a business are many. For the clothing firm to accomplish the best in its line of business, it must set up models that assume a significant job towards creation a feasible domain. This shows organizations ought to have models that add to a solid and safe condition. As indicated by natural specialists, a protected domain gives a stage to monetary development and business maintainable turn of events. So as to get benefits that join supported condition, a firm should address natural issues, for example, contamination. In that capacity, this clothing firm should look to address natural issues so as to appreciate imaginative arrangements brought by new market openings (Wheelen and Hunger, 2011). In tending to segments engaged with the natural examining and industry investigation process, investigators spin around ecological appraisal, anticipating, and checking. For this situation, ecological examining manages full scale condition, which comprises of contenders, businesses, customers, markets, and organizations. Natural checking subsequently deciphers innovative and financial occasions just as political patterns that are persuasive to a

How Anger Problems Affect Your Health

How Anger Problems Affect Your Health Stress Management Effects on Health Print The Effects of Poorly Managed Anger By Elizabeth Scott, MS twitter Elizabeth Scott, MS, is a wellness coach specializing in stress management and quality of life, and the author of 8 Keys to Stress Management. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Scott, MS Updated on November 26, 2019 SKA/Getty Images More in Stress Management Effects on Health Management Techniques Situational Stress Job Stress Household Stress Relationship Stress Anger in itself isnt necessarily a problem. Anger can be healthy in that it can not only alert us to issues that we may need to change in our lives, but it can also motivate us to make these changes. Connections Between Anger and Stress When we feel overly stressed, we can become more prone to anger, and in this state, both anger and stress can become more difficult to manage.  When the fight or flight response is triggered and we are physiologically aroused as a result, we may find ourselves more easily angered.  Here are some reasons for this: When stressed, we may more often perceive a situation as threatening, and this can trigger anger more easily.When the fight or flight response is triggered, we may not be thinking as clearly or rationally, which can leave us feeling less capable of coping.When physiologically aroused by the bodys stress response, emotions can escalate more quickly, which can lead to a quick temper.Factors that contribute to stress, like threats to social standing, emotional wellbeing, or just too many demands, can also lead to anger.Anger and stress can feed off of each other, where we may become more easily angered when stressed, and poor reactions to anger can create more stress. Challenges That Result From Poorly Managed Anger Like poorly managed stress, anger that isn’t handled in a healthy way can be not only uncomfortable  but even damaging to one’s health and personal life. This can, of course, lead to greater levels of stress and anger. Consider the following research on anger: One study from the University of Washington School of Nursing studied anger problems in husbands and wives. Researchers cited previous evidence that anger problems and depressive symptoms have been linked to all major causes of death but found that wives specifically found a greater association between anger and symptoms of depression, while men tended to instead experience an association between anger and health problems.According to a study from Ohio State University, those who had less control over their anger tended to heal more slowly from wounds. Researchers gave blisters to 98 participants and found that, after 8 days, those who had less control over their anger also tended to be slower healers. In addition, those participants also tended to have more cortisol (a stress hormone) in their system during the blistering procedure, suggesting that they may be more stressed by difficult situations as well.Another study from the Harvard School of Public Health studied hostility in me n and found that those with higher rates of hostility not only had poorer pulmonary functioning (breathing problems)  but experienced higher rates of decline as they aged.Research with children and adolescents shows that anger management is important for the younger set as well. Findings showed that youth who cope inappropriately with their anger are at greater risk for problem-ridden interpersonal relationships. Their health is also at risk; those who cope poorly with anger tend to have more negative outcomes when it comes to both mental and general health. This highlights the fact that anger management is an important skill to learn early. These are just a few of the many studies linking anger to physical and emotional health problems, from the obvious to the unexpected. Because poorly managed anger presents such a significant problem in so many areas of life, it’s important to take steps toward learning and using healthy anger management techniques in daily life, along with stress management techniques. Dealing With Anger in a Healthy Way Is Crucial Managing Rather Than Ignoring Anger Anger should be managed rather than stifled or ignored  because it can provide us with information about what we want, what we dont want, and what we need to do next. When seen as a signal to listen to rather than an emotion to ignore or be ashamed of, anger can be a useful tool. Listening to anger as a signal does not, however, mean believing and acting on every angry thought we have or urge we have when enraged, obviously. Uncontrolled anger can lead to greater problems than the issues that triggered the anger in the first place. It is simply important to pay attention to feelings of anger when they are mild, evaluate where they are coming from, and decide in a rational manner the best course of action to take to manage the anger and the situation that triggered the anger. This can be easier said than done, however. Here are some things to remember when managing anger. 1. Calm Your Body When our anger is triggered, it can be easy to react in a way that makes things worse, whether that means saying things well regret or taking rash actions that may not take into account all aspects of a situation. Its better to respond from a place of calm than to react from a place of rage. This is why calming your body and mind is a valuable first step in managing anger, if possible. Many techniques that are used for stress management can help in managing anger, such as breathing exercises, quick exercise, or even shifting your focus for a few minutes to gain distance from the triggering event (which is why counting to 10 has been recommended over the years as a first step before reacting when angry). 2. Identify the Cause of Your Anger Oftentimes we immediately know what has made us angry, but not always. When we feel angry, sometimes were angry with something else and the target weve identified is safer than the one thats really made us angry (like when were upset with someone who could hurt us, so we take the anger out on someone who is less threatening). Sometimes there are many things that have built up, and the trigger of our anger is simply the final straw that broke the proverbial camels back. And sometimes the triggering event has simply hit on some deeper unresolved anger that weve been harboring; this is often the case when our response seems disproportionate to the triggering event, particularly when other stresses and triggers arent obviously involved. To help identify the cause of your anger, it can be helpful to write about your feelings in a journal until you feel clearer, talk to a close friend about your feelings and let them help you process your thoughts, or enlist the help of a good therapist. (You can also try a combination of all three.) These activities can help with stress management, too, so its a double-win. 3. Decide on a Course of Action Again, you can enlist the support of a journal, friend, or therapist with this one. Stress management techniques can also come in handy here as well. Techniques that help shift perspective, like cognitive reframing, can help you look at things differently and possibly see something that makes you less angry with the situation, or see solutions that you may not have seen initially. Looking for other peoples perspectives can also be useful in both providing ideas for other actions to take, and alternate points of view to see the situation differently, perhaps in a way that feels less frustrating. Additionally, using resilience-building stress management techniques can help you to build emotional resilience that may help with anger as well. Know When to Seek Support Some people have chronic issues with anger, and some people may find themselves in a specific situation that triggers overwhelming feelings. If you feel that you could use more support with anger management, discussing your thoughts and feelings with a therapist can be extremely helpful, not only in addressing specific issues that trigger anger  but in creating a plan to manage anger and stress in a healthy way in the future. If you feel you need additional support in managing anger, dont be afraid to seek this support. The 7 Best Online Anger Management Classes

The Significance of Literary Knowledge in Parodic Poetry...

A precritical response to any literature can be loosely defined as the initial raw, emotional reaction to the piece. The feeling of confusion, disgust, impassiveness, or pure joy can follow any reading. On the other hand, a critical response is a critical evaluation or, more specifically, an intellectual response to a piece of literature. Critically thinking about a piece of literature involves taking the work and breaking it down into different parts, thus aiding in understanding the work and specific parts of it to the work as a whole. However, this is easier said than done. Being able to think critically about a text takes a vast knowledge of literature and a keen eye to recognize patterns, and each form comes with its own difficulties†¦show more content†¦Hecht’s poem employs the use of a framed narrative to tell the perspective of the woman in the room. It is from her perspective that allows the reader to see where the title of the poem, The Dover Bitch, comes in to play. The speaker says, â€Å"†¦[she] really felt sad, thinking about all the wine and enormous beds†¦and then she got really angry. To have been brought all the way down from London, and then be addressed as a sort of mournful cosmic last resort†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hecht, lines 13-18). From here, the reader is led to understand that the woman could really care less about what the speaker from Dover Beach was saying. She was more preoccupied with missing her materialistic lifestyle in London, or being so close to France and all of the extravagancies it has to offer. In Dover Beach the speaker pleads to the woman, â€Å"†¦let us be true to one another! For the world†¦hath really neither joy, nor love†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Arnold, 29-33). The speaker of The Dover Bitch, at the end of the poem, claims to see the woman from time to time, suggesting that he is secretly her lover. By doing this Hecht, sets up a type of dramatic irony between the two poems. The speaker asked h er to be true to him, and unbeknownst to him she was cheating with the speaker of The Dover Bitch. Thus, a critical analysis of The Dover Bitch can conclude that Hecht was criticizing the idea of Arnold’s poem that love can overcome the sadness and hurt that the world produces, because in the end love can be just as hurtful

How Culture And Perception Are Directly Influenced By...

The idea behind language as culture is explained succinctly by dividing the description into a framework of separate ideas. By breaking down how perception is developed through environment and the presence of norms, culture is demonstrated as the provider that perpetuates this social environment. The cohesion required of large populations begins with cooperation and communication. From the expression of traditions, the reinforcements of norms through stories and the passing of knowledge, language is the cohesive glue of people to environment. This can be exemplified further by a pursuit that transcends individual populations to create a separate culture and therefore maintains its own environment. In this paper I hope to analyze and illustrate how culture and perception are directly influenced by language. Beginning with the knowledge that perception drives the creation of anything from human minds or hands, it can easily be suggested that interactions with the surrounding world are subject to this same perception. The very experience of living is sensory and and dependant on what is presented to stimulate those senses. Following this logic what has been created through the influence of environment is, according to the author and Material Culturalist Richard Grassby, â€Å"subject to both etic and emic analysis† (592). The reality of social interactions within a given environment, and the people who inhabit this space, must also â€Å"be structured to be perceived and understood†Show MoreRelatedIntercultural Communication798 Words   |  4 Pagespeople understand linguistic relativity and language ideologies in order to avoid misunderstandings and achieve effective intercultural communication. First of all, understanding linguistic relativity encourages people to pay attention to differences between various languages. How people perceive and experience the world around them can be influenced by language differences. (Piller, 2011) For example, people may act differently depending on what languages they are using. Daniel Oh explained that inRead MorePerception of Women in the Media1006 Words   |  5 Pages Language is a system of communication which consists of a set of sounds and written symbols which are used by the people of a particular country or region for talking or writing. It is considered as an art because when used it able to help a person develop or create a certain picture in the mind. Language being an artifact of culture means that it is an interesting thing that is created by the people. It is an aspect of their way of life of the people. It also helps in development of theRead MoreImproving Awareness Of The Indigenous Peoples And Cultures1478 Wor ds   |  6 Pages Rationale: The lesson sequence targets AITSL Standard 2.4 and affords Indigenous Australian peoples justice by helping to destroy misconceptions about them, their histories and their cultures. Unfortunately, Australian schools have been identified as a major setting of race-based discrimination (Lester, 2000, p.12). However, children and adolescents are at periods of substantial development in cognitive, social and emotional skills when they are at school (Aboud Levy, 2000, p. 270) and schoolsRead MoreEnglish Part 11367 Words   |  6 Pagescontrasting to Journey, The North Coast What ideas about discovery does this text convey and what techniques does the composer use to represent their view of Discovery?! ! Emotionally or Physically rediscovering something challenges an individuals perception preventing them to stimulate new ideas and speculate future possibilities. As rediscoveries are sudden and unexpected the ramifications differ for individuals and their worlds leading to powerful repercussions. These ideas are shown through TimRead MoreCriminalization Vs Criminalization982 Words   |  4 Pages1. Criminalization is a process where people outside of the dominant social norms is labeled as a criminal, and is influenced by racism, sexism, and nationalism ideologies. In criminalization, laws are made to make certain bodies and acts criminal, and is a multi-step practice in which media representation helps shape popular views of criminal behavior and criminals. Examples are laws forbidding homosexuality and minimum sentencing for possession of drugs. A person can be criminalized for same-sexRead MoreAustralian English and National Identity984 Words   |  4 Pageslike today, and how does it reflect our identity as a nation? Language use in Australia constantly and rapidly changes to reflect the ever-evolving Australian national identity. It is being influenced by American culture, through its pervasive media, and altered to create a unique identity that addresses the needs of the younger Australians. Technology, the loss and gain of expressions, changing perception of taboo words and political correctness also attribute to the way that language has evolved toRead MoreEssay about Concept Analysis on Self Perception1071 Words   |  5 Pagesconcept analysis on self-perception. Self-perception is non-discriminatory in that it crosses all socio-economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds. The effects of self-perception can be and usually are life altering. Self-perception can tear at the fabric of the victims self-confidence, self-worth and trust in their perceptions when relating to life events, eventually causing a chasm or warped view of the inner self. The reason for examining self-perception relat es to how it affects the healingRead MoreMorality Essay examples1606 Words   |  7 PagesMorality is defined as a system or code that we humans use to differentiate between right and wrong. This system could be derived from a number of factors: religion, culture, and upbringing. It is difficult enough to determine what an individuals morals are, but going further to determine how we came to possess those morals is even more ambitious. Still, regardless of its difficulty, this subject consumes many philosophers and psychologists. One such moral psychologists, Jonathan Haidt, is theorizingRead MoreThe Effects Of Rap Music On Social Behavior Essay1693 Words   |  7 Pagesmusic has been at the center of concern in regards to the potential harmful effect of violent media on social behavior amongst youth. This potential behavior could be seen in the music video titled â€Å"Kim† by Eminem. In this music video, the storyline, language and sound encourages hostile thoughts an d feelings amongst its audience. In the music video, Kim husband catches her cheating on him in their home with another man, while he is away. However, when Marshall gets home and finds out that his wife isRead MoreThis Essay Will Be Discussing The Forms Of Communication1513 Words   |  7 Pagesbureaucratic guidelines will be implemented within my department to ensure all employees are working with the same expectations and understanding of their roles. If employees recognize their respective duties and understand their rank within the system and how best to communicate with their colleagues then achieving organisational cohesion will be straight forward. The modes of communication in the workplace (both formal and informal) will be quintessential in ensuring that order is maintained and communication

Kids, Work and Persuasive Essay Topics Elementary

Kids, Work and Persuasive Essay Topics Elementary What's Actually Happening with Persuasive Essay Topics Elementary The cost of an essay is dependent upon the total amount of effort the writer has to exert. After all, the standard of persuasive writing is frequently a product of the topic itself. If you can select the problem by yourself, it's possible to produce the issue of interest! Since you can see, lots of the topics listed are new and handle the recent issues happening in the World today. The Principles of Persuasive Essay Topics Elementary You Can Benefit From Beginning Right Away Books should not be banned. Every American should learn how to speak English. Students ought to be permitted to pray in school. Therefore, many students and employees decide to get inexpensive essay rather than writing it themselves. Type of Persuasive Essay Topics Elementary There are just a few things that define whether an essay you're working on is going to be a good one. Although h aving the ability to write persuasively can look like a tricky thing for children to learn, remind them that everyone has valid opinions. Writing and essay is an excellent method to talk about your own ideas with different individuals. Select a topic to demonstrate like Everybody should use reusable bags when they visit the grocery story. The reader ought to take the author's side by the close of the reading. Don't neglect to bring a strong hook at the beginning (introduction paragraph) and wind up with an impressive conclusion to create the reader want to talk about the interesting persuasive essay topics of your pick. Utilize your individual opinions to correct the reader's point of view. For instance, you ought to keep the readers in mind while you select arguments to strengthen your position. Pick the one which you believe you can offer strong points that will persuade your audience. It is essential to consider various points of view and choose one which you consider correct. Before you commence writing your essay, you should study the sources applicable to the prospective subject, and make certain you have enough evidence to hold up your thesis statement. There are a couple of basic guidelines to follow to be able to be in a position to compose a decent persuasive essay. On the opposite side, acquiring a list of good persuasive essay topics is insufficient. A student ought to keep in contact with the hottest trends and know which persuasive essay topics are related to sound convincing in regards to defending personal opinions. At their next meeting, you'll have the opportunity to state your case. There are a lot of intriguing topics that could be become a persuasive essay if you take the opportunity to think about doing it. Women ought to be fined each time they scream. Kids should have the ability to vote. Some feel parents ought to be allowed to provide permission for their minor children to have tattoos, because they are making the decision for their own children. Children should have to read more. They should be able to use cellphones in school. You need to remember that the structure of a satirical essay is most likely to be identical to any variety of different essays. A satirical essay is going to have an introduction, some principal paragraphs and a conclusion. All persuasive essays are like argumentative essays. An argumentative essay is a certain sort of academic writing. To begin with, if you're arranging a persuasive speech, you ought to think about a topic that may create mental pictures in the minds of your audience. Also explain that preparation a part of the general speech grade. There are a lot of thi ngs which can be discussed in regards to education. Do not neglect to develop an efficient outline to be successful! Make your argument powerful and clear. If you decide on one of these topics, you'll surely succeed to draw the interest of your audience only because they involve the latest discussion topics. If you opt to work on a financial subject, you must know about the subject. Well, first, you're need to find good persuasive speech topics. This list of topics may supply a concept that you could get excited about. Persuasive writing a topic or name the very first, but you desire to find. With all these things to argue about and for, it may be a bit overwhelming to develop a topic all on your own. In the actual sense, it's tricky to pick a fantastic persuasive essay topic from numerous fantastic topic ideas. The Persuasive Essay Topics Elementary Pitfall An argumentative paper is part of the persuasion. Therefore you may not take to fret about the specific assignme nt, never matter if it's considered a sociable science task or a completely new history material. Another good idea is to receive some totally free essay examples of different sorts and on various subjects to find a general idea of the way in which a thriving debatable paper looks. You have to see all them before creating your final option.

Racism and Contact Hypothesis free essay sample

Assessing Three Proposals in Light of Psychological Evidence Daniel Kelly, Luc Faucher, and Edouard Machery At the end of a chapter in his book Race, Racism and Reparations, Angelo Corlett notes that â€Å"[t]here remain other queries about racism [than those he addressed in his chapter], which need philosophical exploration . . . Perhaps most important, how might racism be unlearned? † (Corlett 2003, 93). We agree with Corlett’s assessment of its importance, but ? nd that philosophers have devoted relatively little attention to the issue of how to best deal with, and ultimately do away with, racism. Discussion is often con? ned to cursory remarks at the end of articles mainly devoted to de? ning â€Å"racism† or attempting to capture the essence of racism itself. In this article, we put the issue of how to best deal with racism front and center. We need not start from scratch, however. Despite not being central to many philosophical discussions about race, a number of different strategies for dealing with racism have been suggested. We will write a custom essay sample on Racism and Contact Hypothesis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We have identi? ed three of the most concrete proposals made by philosophers and social theorists, each of which seeks to mitigate racism by inducing psychological changes in individuals. For each, we formulate the line of thought behind the strategy as clearly as we can, supply the psychological justi? cation suggested by its respective advocates, and spell out how the strategy might be concretely applied in practice. Finally, we assess each proposal in light of current empirical work on racial cognition. We conclude that some proposals are likely to fare better than others. Furthermore, the empirical literature shows that even the most promising proposals can be re? ned in light of empirical ?ndings, to help maximize their effectiveness or prevent them from back? ring. 2 Something needs to be said about how we are conceiving of racism, and so what getting rid of it amounts to. Because our discussion will be rather wideranging, we assume an inclusive characterization: A mental state (an emotion, a belief, a motivation, and so on) or an action is racist if it is race-related and if it is morally problematic. We do not take any stance here about what makes racist menta l states and actions morally problematic, but instead rely on an intuitive grasp of the notion. Given this picture of the psychology of racism, we will assess different proposals based on how effective they are in addressing and undermining each of these aspects, according to the available evidence. In what follows, we ? rst consider the idea that disseminating scienti? c information about the biology of race will undermine racism (the dissemination hypothesis). Next, we examine the idea that increasing interracial interactions will weaken various components of racism (the contact hypothesis). Finally, we consider the proposal that, instead of attempting to eliminate racist beliefs and prejudices, people should learn to control them (the self-regulation hypothesis). We end with some concluding remarks on the potential compatibility of the three proposals. 1. The Dissemination Hypothesis According to Naomi Zack, â€Å"[r]acism and widespread ignorance concerning the scienti? c facts about race and racial difference overlap† (Zack 2003a, 263). Her favored approach for dealing with racism ? ows from this conviction, and amounts to a recommendation of explicit education: We should aim to teach people the most important scienti? Built into the meaning and usage of terms like â€Å"water,† â€Å"gold,† or â€Å"race† is a (perhaps tacit) belief that scientists know or will come to know what falls in the extension of these terms. For instance, scientists tell us that anything with the chemical structure H2O properly falls in the extension of â€Å"water. † Sometimes, however, scientists discover Getting Rid of Racism 295 that a putative natural kind term fails to refer to anything at all. Standard examples are terms like â€Å"witch† or â€Å"phlogiston. † When it is discovered that nothing in fact falls within their extension, the terms and corresponding entities are said to have been eliminated. Zack holds that such elimination is the fate destined for race. First, she maintains that racial terms (e. g. , â€Å"Blacks†) function as natural kind terms. Second, she maintains that science has discovered that those racial terms fail to refer to anything because the science of race has revealed that racial groupings are not natural kinds: There is no underlying structure—genetic, psychological, moral, or otherwise—shared by all and only those people grouped together by particular racial terms (Zack 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003a,b). Pairing this reading of the biology of race with her favored theory of the reference of racial terminology, Zack concludes that races will eventually go the way of witches or phlogiston. In her own words: So as the development of modern science contributed to the construction of a secular social ethos that supplanted a religious one, so will the dissemination of conclusions already accepted in the biological sciences eventually contribute to the construction of a raceless society. (Zack 2003b, 144) This does not appear to be happening quickly, however. By all appearances, the folk still believe in the reality of races, and they still tend to structure their social interactions around ideas associated with race. Why? One explanation invoked by Zack appeals to widespread ignorance, â€Å"a failure to recognize that there is no basis for racial categories† (Zack 2002, 13). Given this diagnosis, a solution to the situation is straightforward: Eliminate ignorance by better publicizing and teaching the relevant science. As she puts it, one of the phases of the project of relinquishing false biological notions of race—what she calls the â€Å"cognitive phase† of the project—will be â€Å"the acquisition and distribution of the required information about human biology. This scienti? c literacy will proceed at a slow pace through the academy until it is disseminated at the secondary and primary school levels† (2002, 113). 1. 2 Psychological Justi? cation Zack’s proposal rests on two psychological ideas, each of which we discuss in turn. The ?

The Value Of Honor Essays - Group Processes, Gaming, Medal Of Honor

The Value of Honor There is a priceless respect that everyone in the world possesses, and that is the respect of a person's honor. A person's honor is something that can not be bought, sold, or traded it's something that must be gained by the respect of your peers. An example of how honor is seen in everyday life in through a persons word. A persons honor is supported by their word, and if they do not uphold their word then they are left with nothing. To try and explain the personal trait of honor is something that can not be done in a few words, or a sentence. I feel as though honor is made up of different combinations of personal traits depending on the individual. Some of these characteristics of honor can include loyalty, reverence, respect, and commitment. Even though honor is usually looked at as being a personal trait, there are people who think that honor can only be given, or shown to an individual. Such examples of this can be seen by being presented with a medal, or having a parade thrown in your honor. This is all a horrible misconception of the word honor. A time that honor is displayed more often than any is during a time of war. This is evident through feats of valor, and heroism. Looking at this aspect of honor I feel as though a person who would fight and die for their country would have more loyalty, and commitment to presenting such honor. Such commendations are awarded in the armed forces as a medal of honor. This medal is awarded to an individual who is on active duty, and distinguishes themselves during a conflict or battle. The medal of honor was first awarded during the civil war in the year 1861. Since the medal of honor's creation there has been some 3,400 medals awarded to the different divisions of the armed forces. Until this day there has only been one woman who has received this honor for her service. During World War II there was a black medal of honor awarded for extraordinary heroism in the face of combat. The next instance that I feel honor plays a big role in is in the presidency of The United States of America. This is probably the greatest honor that anyone could obtain in the United States of America. When our president is looked upon as controlling the most powerful country in the world they are looked up to as the strength that makes us a world power. Even in situations where a person who did not vote for the individual that becomes elected to the presidential office, there is an unspoken bond that brings all Americans together as a whole. In such instances as this I feel as though there is more reverence, and respect for the president than there is for any other elected official in the United States. The honor that develops over time in a friendship is one that should never be toyed around with. A good example of this would be two friends losing their friendship because of a woman. A friend is someone that you can trust, someone who's word means something, and a friend is someone that you should not have to question about anything when it comes to their actions. If you take a look at a fraternity there is a great sense of brotherhood and friendship there. There are some fraternities where at the snap of a finger brothers would jump through hoops for each other, but outside of that brotherhood it would be questioned before taking action on the matter. Brotherhood is a bond that can not be broken by anything, anyone, or anything it's a bond that is held together by honor and blood. In my opinion to have honor for yourself is the most important kind of honor to have if any at all. To have honor for ones self is more important than any friend, country, or organization could ever be. Things change, and you will always be there for yourself when no one else can. Because if you can't respect, or be able to remain loyal to yourself then you don't have anyone to rely on at all. The idea of honor is one that should not be taken lightly for any reason at all. For some people honor is all that they have to give. When someone decides to takes that away, and question that persons honor it

Intervention strategies

Intervention strategies Introduction In the process of growth, there are various challenges which are faced by children. This means that there are times when children are able to overcome these challenges and there are times when they are not able to overcome the challenges.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Intervention strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Essentially, in cases where children are not able to overcome these challenges, there are strategies which are employed towards ensuring that the negative effects of these challenges are mitigated. The focus of this paper is to evaluate how these strategies are employed and how their effects on the general well being of the child under study. What is intervention? The term intervention is a term that is broadly used in many spheres. Essentially, it is a term that implies to come in between with an aim of averting a perceived negative consequence. Intervention may be defined as a log ical and orderly step by step process which is geared to assist the intervener or responder from a state of disequilibrium to at least his or her pre-crisis level of functioning. Intervention may be defined as a set of sequenced planned actions or events which are intended to enhance one’s efficiency and increase effectiveness in light of the existing status quo; thus they are deliberate attempts to change on organism or sub unit towards a different and more effective state (Cummings Worley 2001). The main aspect engrained in the process of intervention is based on the fact that to intervene is to enter into an existing system, with a structured and planned activity, directed at a targeted person, to disturb the status quo and shift the person towards a different state and with a goal of improvement and development (Mee-Yan Linda 2011). The process of intervention follows a given elaborate process which has a number of components. These components include immediacy, control , assessment, disposition, referral and follow-up (Mee-Yan Linda 2011). As far as child intervention is concerned that can include positive strategies, programs and other resources that are designed to target a Childs disruptive behavior. These can help reduce their unwanted behavior so that they do not recur, as often. This can include a less restricted environment or LRE (Karnes 1983) However, a child’s behavior is not the only reason to intervene in their lives, whether at school or at home. There are several reasons that are deemed to be an acceptable reason to do so. One of which is a child’s learning abilities and home/school life. Early intervention is famed to be the most practical and sensible time to intervene, if it has been noticed (Karnes 1983).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Children of an early age, primary or younger, who have been discovered to have some sort of condition that requires extra care, because it may well effect their development, fall into this category. The advantages of noticing these conditions at such an early age, means that service provisions, for children and their families can benefit, hopefully, reducing the overall effects of any given condition. This can help with new or already diagnosed problems (Karnes Lee 1983) Early intervention can be with an individual child and/or their family, depending on the situation, at the time of diagnoses. As well as being in a variety of places or in one singular place. But the majority agrees that early intervention should begin as soon as an occurrence appears (Karnes Lee 1983). So, is early intervention effective? Evidence shows that it is. Over 45 years of quantitative and qualitative research shows that early intervention has a significantly high effect on the outcomes of children and indeed their families, both developmentally and educationally alike enha ncing family life and social acceptance (Karnes Lee 1983). This however, can take years of intervention by several agencies and at a cost, sometimes not available to everyone, causing some children to, ‘slip though the net’ (Karnes Lee 1983). Here is one such case study whose intervention was diagnosed early. The child will be henceforth, known as, child A and their family referred to as, the family of child A. Case Study: Child A Child A is a five year old boy who lives with his mother, father younger brother aged two years and older brother aged 8years. He attends preschools for five mornings per week. However, his mother has been disturbed by his behavior which she has described as unbecoming. He was branded by his mother as a â€Å"terror† as an infant. At about two years old, when he had fully began walking, child A’s activity level increased and he was always climbing on everything that he found and running around precariously without listening to the caution of his older sibling or his parents. This behavior persisted as he joined the preschool. This has led to this child being asked to leave several day care and nursery school settings because of his high activity level, short attention span and his physical aggression towards his peers as well as his family siblings. Essentially, the rate of peer rejection has been reported to be particularly high in children who have been displaying both aggression and ADHD (DuPaul Stoner 2003 ).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Intervention strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although he has begun to learn letters and numbers, it seems to be very difficult for his mother or teacher to get him to sit still for any reading or learning activities. It seems that his preference has always been to engage in rough and tumble play. This notwithstanding, he seems to become quite defiant when he asked to sit down and remai n in a more structured quiet activity or pose. On closer observation child A, was reported to have problems or deficits which included inappropriate attempts to join ongoing peer group activities, poor conversational behaviors, employing aggressive solutions and being prone to losing temper control when conflict frustrations are encountered in social situations (Guevremont 1994). Child A and the family From a close observation, it was discovered that Child A’s situation had a major influence in the family. First, it impacted the relationships between him and the parents and secondly it had an impact on the relationship with the siblings. It is worth noting at this point that families have their special and unique challenges, however, when there are challenges which seem to interfere with the very essence of family, the stress levels within the family are likely to increase due to undue pressure. For instance the family of child A faces what we might call logistical problems d ue to the energy which is required to cope with the challenges of bringing up a child who exhibits ADHD. What stood out from the assessment is that there is a consistent irregularity especially because the parents are not able to predict what Child A is up to, this denies the parents the comfort and the ease of bringing up Child A. Furthermore, what was realized was the fact that the family was facing isolation from their relatives owing to the fact that they could not seem to understand the nature of child A. Owing to the fact that child A also exhibits aggressive behavior there has been a strained relationship with the siblings. This is because the relationship between child A and the siblings has been largely characterized by conflict and misunderstanding. In most occasions, the parents have been called quell the feuds. This has eventually impacted the relationships between the family and the other siblings. In conclusion, it would be right to state that the high levels of confli ct which were observed in the child A family were partly attributed to the stress which could â€Å"spill over† into the relationships with other children and the family in entirety.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Diagnosis According to the American Psychiatric Association, the term which describes the children or persons who are exhibiting such extreme problems which have been associated with inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity is known as the attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder or ADHD (American Psychiatric Association 2000). Furthermore, problems of aggression which have been most frequently associated with ADHD include defiance or non compliance with authority figure commands, poor temper control, and argumentativeness and verbal hostility which presently comprise the psychiatric category of oppositional defiance disorder (American Psychiatric Association 2000). In addition, children such as child A who tend to have the trait of displaying aggression and ADHD related difficulties have been reported to be at a greater risk of interpersonal conflict at home, in school (Johnstone Mash 2001) Relative to other childhood disorders, there have been findings that ADHD is a â€Å" high incidence† disorder which has been established to be prominent among the male children (DuPaul Stoner 2003 ). Furthermore, owing to the characteristics which have been established by children who are suffering from this condition, it seems that these children end up having serious adjustments problems in school settings. This has been associated with the inability to sustain attention to effortful tasks, their completion of independent seat work and their performance on class is compromised by the lack of attention to instructions (DuPaul Stoner 2003 ). In school settings, it has been established that these children have been found to be very disruptive and disturbing the entire learning process. For instance, Child A has been found to be in the habit of frequent calling out without permission, he is used to talking to his classmates in class during inappropriate times and he is very aggressive and uncooperative when it comes to dealing with reprimands or frustrating ta sks in class. Child A does not seem to settle down in class, he is always moving around and he is often found to be playing with inappropriate objects. Essentially, teachers and parents frequently report that children with ADHD such as child A underachieve academically compared to their classmates (Barkley 1998). Owing to this, these children have found themselves being denied opportunities as compared to their counterparts without ADHD. This is largely because of their inability to respond to academic material and complete less independent work than their classmates (Pfiffner Barkley 1990). Studies carried out have revealed that children with ADHD often end up into adolescents who are facing the high risks for chronic academic failure as measured by higher rates of grade retention and dropping out rates of school as compared to their peers (Barkley 1998). The strong correlation between hyperactivity and aggression is also well documented in the research literature (Loney Milich 1 982). Intervention Owing to the fact that child A is a child just like any other child there is need to ensure that interventions strategies are put in place to ensure that the child is able to deal with the problems which my be presenting themselves for a secure future. When it comes to interventions, there is need to ensure that apart from the child, the family and the child’s school administration need to be cognizant of intervention strategies which are effective. Types of intervention The heterogeneity in characteristics and symptoms displayed by children diagnosed with ADHD and the variability of their response to treatment means that it is often difficult to decide on the most effective intervention for the affected individuals(Wheeler 2010 ). Though there are several models of intervention, research indicates that a multimodal treatment protocol is more effective than unimodal treatment in addressing the myriad of difficulties associated with this disorder (Weyandt 20 06). Medical interventions Stimulant medications have been found to have positive effects on attention span, impulse control, academic performance and social relationships (Wheeler 2010 ). This is based on the fact that the hormones noradrenalin and dopamine are balanced in the brain by the use of these medications. The aim of medication is to control symptoms and provide a window of opportunity for the child to benefit from teaching – learning experiences provided in the society in general (Alimo-Metcalfe Alban-Metcalfe 2001). Educational interventions Many of the educational and environmental interventions and classroom management strategies already in place in some schools may be differentially appropriate for students who display ADHD characteristics (Wheeler 2010 ). However, educational interventions specifically aimed at children as in the case of child A may need to focus more on homework, organization, memorization, classroom participation and conduct (Robin 1998 ). Nurture groups have also been associated with being an effective intervention approach. For instance, there is evidence that some individuals with ADHD may benefit from this type of setting, which combines the features of a caring, homely environment with those of a standard classroom and where the emphasis is on emotionally supportive and empathic relationships between adults and children (Wheeler 2010 ). Social interventions Studies have revealed that children and young people with ADHD often have poor social skills, finding difficulty in initiating and maintaining friendships just as child A has been. They may be aware of how their behavior affects other people and may, for example, try to join in a game without asking for permission (Wheeler 2010 ). Owing to this, these children may suffer from peer rejection or isolation (DuPaul Stoner 2003 ). Therefore, there is need to impact life skills in these children which shall go along way towards establishing a positive approach towa rds establishing relationships. This shall be accomplished at home by parents, in school and through voluntary agencies (Wheeler 2010 ). There have been a host of suggestions that preschool training should also contain social skills in their curriculum in order to enable children to be better placed in society in their latter years. Alternative or complimentary interventions There are many other alternative and complimentary treatments which have been often used in children with ADHD, however, their reported effectiveness has been variable (Wheeler 2010 ). Many interventions are controversial, and have minimal or no established efficacy for children with ADHD and lack sufficient research evidence (DuPaul Stoner 2003 ). Some of these approaches include the following, cognitive behavior therapy, play therapy and outdoor play in green places, herbal and natural medicines and yoga (Wheeler 2010 ). Marital counseling In families, it has been discovered, just like child A’s family , that ADHD dramatically alters family life and tremendously complicates the job of the parent (Sam Anne.T.Ellison 2002). Family feuds are common in such families owing to the fact that there is no understanding and at times this ends up in one party blaming the other. Sibling rivalry is also a common feature in such ventures. However, this can be contained or controlled by therapeutic strategies to aid families to reduce family stress (Sam Anne.T.Ellison 2002). Marital counseling can aid couples who are having trouble getting along (Gottman and Silver 1999). This is because there is need to ensure that parents understand the kind of children that they have and therefore are able to deal with the problems from an objective point of view. Parent training can help parents intervene more effectively with their children, enjoy their children and reduce the possibilities for children abuse (group 1999). Attachment Theory This is theory which is based on relationships between human bein gs. This theory is based on the fact that children or infants eventually become attached to adults who are sensitive and show concern to their wellbeing in life. This theory was developed by John Bowlby in 1958. Essentially, Bowlby defined attachment as an emotional tie that an infant constructs and elaborates with his principal caregiver(s) in the context of everyday interactions (Benson Haith 2009 ). Furthermore, Benson and Haith state that attachment is different from attachment behavior; while attachment refers to the emotional bond and to a strong predisposition to seek proximity to, and contract with, a specific care giver, attachment behavior is concerned with the desired proximity and contact (Benson Haith 2009 ). In his work, Bowlby acknowledge the fact that quality care to a child has great impact on the well being of the child. For instance, children will tend to develop a cognitive map which describes their relationship with their mother. Mary Ainsworth a contributor t o Bowlby’s theory further asserted that it is not the quantity but it was the quality of the relationship that was of importance in accounting for the different types of infant – mother relationships (Benson Haith 2009 ). Studies reveal that factors which are related to the family environment, parent and child attachment, peer relations, and academic performance may influence the presentation of ADHD related symptoms (Eisen 2007 ). Essentially, attachment theory has been used to explain how early parent child relationships may serve as protective or risk factors for mental illness (Eisen 2007 ). Research carried out has further stressed the fact that attachment issues among children with ADHD are linked to mother’s pregnancy and children’s first year of life (Stiefel 1997), for instance, factors such as insecurity about parenting, lack of significant other or familial support are some of the cause of such cases. Children who are also unsure of whether to approach or avoid their mothers might have difficulty concentrating and paying attention (Eisen 2007 ). Attachment theorist have also proposed that ADHD symptoms are linked to poor attachment between mothers and their children, because the disrupted attachment pattern , in part, leads to impairments in children’s self regulation and interpersonal functioning (Clarke, Ungerer, Chahoud, Johnson and Stiefel 2002). Why intervene Historically, and for many years, ADHD was a condition which most or many believed that it would disappear with age. That is the children would outgrow their behavior difficulties and impulsivities as they moved into adulthood (Sam Anne.T.Ellison 2002). However, studies have revealed that more than 40% of teenagers with ADHD display what would be considered to be a significant rate of behaviors which are antisocial such as fighting, stealing and vandalism (Barkley 1998). This is when they are compared to their non ADHD adolescents. Therefore, there is n eed to intervene early in order to ensure that as the children grow and in our case child A, he should be bale to adjust accordingly to the society and become responsible in his life’s affairs later in life. Children with ADHD when compared to their non ADHD classmates are also at a higher risk for grade retentions, school suspensions, dropping out of school, and substance abuse (Sam Anne.T.Ellison 2002). In addition, statistics from studies reveal that if intervention is not carried out in the right time, then, 25% or more of these children end up developing behavior patterns which are considered antisocial and which are associated with delinquency and adjustment problems characterized by substance abuse, interpersonal difficulties, and occupational instability (Sam Anne.T.Ellison 2002). Ethical considerations It is important to note that it is important to establish the relevance of the standard values when you are working with children. This is because children who are s uffering from certain conditions are most likely to be vulnerable. For instance, it has been agreed that the universal effects of stimulant medications are critical for moderately and severely impaired children with ADHD (Diller 2006 ). However, in an attempt to mitigate the effects of this condition, one opts to use quick fix methods in order to save on time and cost is morally and ethically dubious. Furthermore, there are medications which have side effects which may injure or harm the child in the long run. Conclusion Essentially, every child must have the opportunities to grow and experience the world on their own way. This implies that this responsibility lies with the parents, practitioners and professional who work with children. In our case, child A has the capacity to change and learn to live with his condition. This has been analyzed in light of the strategies which have been discussed. However, we need to realize that it is going to take a consistent effort to be able to achieve that which has been set out to be realized. Early intervention is paramount because it will ensure that the outcomes discussed of adolescents with ADHD are not exhibited. Furthermore, the general attitude of the teacher and the parents is expected to change in light of the discussions in this paper. It is on this basis that this conclusion evaluates some of the changes (in the next section) anticipated after the completion of the entire project. Changes expected Following the observations which were carried out on child A, several changes are expected to be observed in regard to child A’s condition. Essentially, teachers have been reported saying that children with ADHD can be able to improve and they insist that they have improved provided that some interventions strategies are put into place. For instance, the issue of supervision should be given uttermost attention. Studies suggest that when independent work is closely monitored and supervised, children with ADHD a re able to produce a greater quantity and a higher quality of output which is relative to minimal supervision situations (Sam Anne.T.Ellison 2002). Furthermore, these children are also able to show remarkable improvement when they are given activities which they enjoy, stimulate their interests and are in line with their areas of interest. Therapy can not be left out as Beck points out. Cognitive therapy can help someone or an individual to what he calls â€Å"back to reality† which should be geared towards reducing the emotional chaos by thinking clearly about general issues in life (Beck 1995). Therefore child A and his family should be. Reference List Alimo-Metcalfe, B Alban-Metcalfe, J 2001, The development of a new Transformational, Journal of Occupational Organizational Psychology, vol 74, pp. 1-27. American Psychiatric Association, APATFOD-I 2000, Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR., 4th edn, American Psychiatric Association, Arlington, VA. Barkley, RA 1998, Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder:A handbook for diagnosis and treatment, Guilford Press, New York. Beck, J 1995, Cognitive Therapy:Basics and Beyond, Illustrated edn, Guilford Press, New York. Benson, JB Haith, MM 2009 , Social and Emotional Development in Infancy and Early Childhood, illustrated edn, Academic Press, California. Cummings Worley 2001, Organization development and change, 7th edn, Southwestern college publishing, Ohio. Diller, LH 2006 , The last normal child: essays on the intersection of kids, culture, and psychiatric drugs, annotated edn, Greenwood Publishing Group, London. DuPaul, GJ Stoner, GD 2003 , ADHD in the schools: assessment and intervention strategies, 2nd edn, Guilford Press, New York. Eisen, AR 2007 , Treating childhood behavioral and emotional problems: a step-by-step, evidence-based approach, illustrated edn, Guilford Press, New York. group, MC 1999, Fourteen month randomized clinical trial of treatment strategies for a ttention deficit/Hyperactivity disorder, Archives of general psychiatry, vol 56, pp. 1073-1086. Guevremont, D 1994, Peer relationship problems and disruptive behavior disorders, Journal of emotional and Behavioral Disorders, vol 2, no. 3, pp. 164-172. Johnstone, C Mash, EJ 2001, Families of children with ADHD:Review and recommendations., Clinical child and family psychology review, vol 4, no. 3, pp. 183-207. Karnes, MB 1983, The underserved:Our young gifted children, The Council of Exceptional Children, Reston, VA. Karnes, MB Lee, RC 1983, Early childhood, The Council for Exceptional Children, Reston,VA. Loney, J Milich, R 1982, Hyperactivity, inattention and aggression in clinical practice, in M Wolraich, D Routh (eds.), Advances in developmental and behavioral pediatrics, JAI, Greenwich,Ct. Mee-Yan, C-J Linda, H 2011, Organizational Development: Effective Intervention Strategies for Creating High Performance Cultures, Kogan Page Publishers, London. Paterson, R, Douglas, C, Hal lmayer, J, Hagan, M Krupenia, Z 1999, A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial of dextroamphetamine in adults with ADHD, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, vol 33, pp. 494-502. Pfiffner, L Barkley, RA 1990, Educational placement and classroom management, in RA Barkley (ed.), Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder:A handbook for diagnosis and treatment, Guilford, New York. Robin, AL 1998 , ADHD in adolescents: diagnosis and treatment, Illustrated edn, Guilford Press, New York. Sam, G Anne.T.Ellison 2002, Clinicians guide to adult ADHD: assessment and intervention, 6th edn, Academic Press, New York. Weyandt, L 2006, ADHD Primer, Routledge, New York. Wheeler, L 2010 , The ADHD Toolkit, illustrated edn, SAGE Publications Ltd , New York.

List of possible risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

List of possible risk - Essay Example This may also subject the respondent to severe loss of reputation since confidentiality and privacy being the reasons normally given by potential respondents for unwillingness to participate in such surveys. This risk can easily be reduced by the members adherence to confidentiality of the survey responses and to make sure no information is leaked to irrelevant persons and in the long run will boost the confidence of the respondents to give all the information required. Also the computers used in storing the information are locked with passwords which are only accessible by the members only. Data and information security is high priority; this is due to the fact that this information is sometimes confidential. The risk of losing or unprotect the data will mean losing the survey and could lead to the share of the information to a third party. Even after carefully planning and survey administration, problems do take place leading to a data which is not sufficiently valid and reliable. Insufficient measures for keeping data, as in computer information systems also result in loss and alteration of data. (Marrett, 2003). Data can also be lost during the analysis, processing and reporting of data information through incorrect transfer of data in the database, this can therefore by use of any kind of backups on the computers used and also by using cloud computing. Data loss through members of the team can also be prevented by the team administering an oath of allegiances, this will make the members to be more careful on the kind of information they share from the survey. (Marrett, 2003). For a survey to give a consistent, relevant and sound evident, the information it provides must be both valid and relevant to the purpose. For the survey to be reliable, all the measurements must be consistent from one individual to the other involved in the survey at different

Developing Creativity For Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Developing Creativity For Business - Essay Example An impressive example of a creative individual is Steve Wosnaik. Apple computer is the fruit of labor of this individual as the gadget is co-founded by him. Reaching this height is because of his qualities like – sticking to the idea even when they are challenged , maintaining individuality , courage to question the people in power etc. Considering a business as a jigsaw puzzle , creativity is one elusive piece that wins the game for the participant. Creativity has become important more than ever before. According to Stephen P. Robbins , following is the three-component model of creativity .Based on an extensive body of research , this model proposes that individual creativity essentially requires expertise , creative-thinking skills , and intrinsic task motivation. Expertise - the potential for creativity is enhanced , when individual have abilities , knowledge , proficiencies and similar expertise in their field of Endeavour. Creative thinking skills – this encompasse s personality characteristics associated with creativity , the ability to use analogies , as well as the talent to see the familiar in the different light. Intrinsic task motivation – this is the desire to work on something because its interesting , involving , exciting , satisfying or personally challenging. This motivational component is what turns creativity potential into actual creative ideas. Though these are the basic components of creativity , several others are discussed in the following pages. Thus to investigate the concept of creativity , I have taken the business of supermarket as the topic of my report. According to wordiq.com , a ‘supermarket is a store that sells a wide variety of goods including food and alcohol , medicine , clothes and other household products that are consumed regularly. It is often part of a chain that owns or controls ( sometimes big franchise ) other supermarkets located in the same or other towns , this increases the opportunities for economies of sale.’ According to dictionary.reference.com , ‘supermarket is a large retail market that sells food and other household goods and that is usually operated on a self-service basis.’ According to retailindustry.about.com, ‘Wal-Mart which has more than 8400 stores across the world , is by far the largest retailer in the world. France’s Carrefour is number 2.germany’s Metro AG overtook the United Kingdom’s Tesco chain and claimed third position.’ Due to the intrinsic growth and development of countries all across the globe , the local vendor scenario has been taken over by supermarkets. In recent times , supermarkets have shown a phenomenal growth. They now have in-house pharmacies , florists , catering services , prepared foods such as sandwiches , postal services , etc. Some supermarket chains even offer dry-cleaning services and few have started video-rental service. In a nutshell supermarkets are now providing a one-stop-shop experience. Most

Introduction To Medicinal Plants Biology Essay

Introduction To Medicinal Plants Biology Essay About 250,000 higher plant species on earth, more than 80,000 species are reported to have at least some medicinal value and around 5000 species have specific therapeutic value. Herbs are staging a comeback and herbal renaissance is happening all over the globe. The herbal products today symbolize safety in compare to the synthetics that are considered as unsafe to human and environment. Even though herbs had been priced for their medicinal, flavoring and aromatic qualities for centuries, the synthetic products of the modern age surpassed their importance, for a while. However, the blind dependence on synthetics is over and people are returning to the herbals with hope of safety and security. Over three-quarters of the world population relies mainly on plants and plant extracts for health care. More than 30% of the entire plant species were used for medicinal purposes. (Joy, P.P., 2001) Herbals in world market: It is estimated that world market for plant derived drugs may account for about Rs.2, 00,000 crores. Presently, Indian contribution is less than Rs.2000 crores. The annual production of medicinal and aromatic plants raw material is worth about Rs.200 crores. This is likely to reach US $5 trillion by 2050. It has been estimated that in developed countries such as United States, plant drugs constitute as much as 25% of the total drugs, while in fast developing countries such as China and India, the contribution is as much as 80%. Thus, the economic importance of medicinal plants is much more to countries such as India than to rest of the world. (Joy, P.P., 2001) Biodiversity of herbals in India: India is one of the worlds 12 biodiversity centers with the presence of over 45000 different plant species. Indias diversity is UN compared due to the presence of 16 different agro-climatic zones, 10 vegetation zones, 25 biotic provinces and 426 biomes (habitats of specific species). Among these, about 15000-20000 plants have good medicinal value. However, only 7000-7500 species are used for their medicinal values by traditional communities. In India, drugs of plant origin have been used in traditional systems of medicines such as Unani and Ayurveda since ancient times. The Ayurveda system of medicine uses about 700 species, Unani 700, Siddha 600, Amchi 600 and modern medicine around 30 species. About 8,000 herbal remedies have been included in Ayurveda. The Rig-Veda (5000 BC) has recorded 67 medicinal plants, Yajurveda 81 species, Atharvaveda (4500-2500 BC) 290 species, Charak Samhita (700 BC) and Sushrut Samhita (200 BC) had described properties and uses of 1100 and 1270 species respectively, in compounding of drugs and these are still used in the classical formulations, in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. (Joy, P.P., 2001) Sources of medicinal drugs: The drugs are derived either from the whole plant or from different organs, like leaves, stem, bark, root, flower, seed, etc. Some drugs are prepared from excretory plant product such as gum, resins and latex. Plants, especially used in Ayurveda can provide biologically active molecules and lead structures for the development of modified derivatives with enhanced activity and /or reduced toxicity. Some important chemical intermediates needed for manufacturing the modern drugs are also obtained from plants (Eg. ÃŽÂ ²-ionone).The forest in India is the principal(diosgenin, solasodine) repository of large number of medicinal and aromatic plants, which are largely collected as raw materials for manufacture of drugs and perfumery products. The small fraction of flowering plants that have so far been investigated have yielded about 120 therapeutic agents of known structure from about 90 species of plants. Some of the useful plant drugs include vinblastine, vincristine, taxol, podophyllo toxin, camptothecin, digitoxigenin, gitoxigenin, digoxigenin, tubocurarine, morphine, codeine, aspirin, atropine, pilocarpine, capscicine, allicin, curcumin, artemisinin and ephedrine among others. (Joy, P.P., 2001) History of herbal medicine: Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Folk (tribal) medicines are the major systems of indigenous medicines. Among these systems, Ayurveda is most developed and widely practiced in India. Ayurveda dating back to 1500-800 BC has been an integral part of Indian culture. The term comes from the Sanskrit root Au (life) and Veda (knowledge). As the name implies it is not only the science of treatment of the ill but covers the whole gamut of happy human life involving the physical, metaphysical and the spiritual aspects. Ayurveda is gaining prominence as the natural system of health care all over the world. Today this system of medicine is being practiced in countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, while the traditional system of medicine in the other countries like Tibet, Mongolia and Thailand appear to be derived from Ayurveda. Phytomedicines are also being used increasingly in Western Europe. Recently the US Government has established the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institute of Health at Bethesda and its support to alternative medicine includes basic and applied research in traditional systems of medicines such as Chinese, Ayurvedic. (Joy, P.P., 2001) Disadvantages: A major lacuna in Ayurveda is the lack of drug standardization, information and quality control. Most of the Ayurvedic medicines are in the form of crude extracts which are a mixture of several ingredients and the active principles when isolated individually fail to give desired activity. This implies that the activity of the extract is the synergistic effect of its various components. About 121 (45 tropical and 76 subtropical) major plant drugs have been identified for which no synthetic one is currently available. The scientific study of traditional medicines, derivation of drugs through bio prospecting and systematic conservation of the concerned medicinal plants is of great importance. Unfortunately, much of the ancient knowledge and many valuable plants are being lost at an alarming rate. Red Data Book of India has 427 entries of endangered species of which 28 are considered extinct, 124 endangered, 81 vulnerable, 100 rare and 34 insufficiently known species (Thomas, 1997).There are basically two scientific techniques of conservation of genetic diversity of these plants. They are the in situ and ex situ method of conservation. (Joy, P.P., 2001) In Situ conservation of medicinal plants: It is only in nature that plant diversity at the genetic, species and eco-system level can be conserved on long-term basis. (www.ggssc.net) It is necessary to conserve in distinct, representative bio geographic zones inter and intra specific genetic variation. Ex situ conservation of medicinal plants: A. Ethno-medicinal plant gardens: Creation of a network of regional and sub-regional ethno-medicinal plant gardens which should contain accessions of all the medicinal plants known to the various ethnic communities in different regions of India. This chain of gardens will act as regional repositories of our cultural and ethno medicinal history and embody the living traditions of our societys knowledge of medicinal plants. (www.ggssc.net) Current status: There are estimated to be around 50 such gardens in the country ranging from acre to 40 acres some of them were set up by an All India Health Network (AHN). More recently a network of 15 such gardens has been set up in 3 states of South India with the initiative of FRLHT. One of the gardens is located in TBGRI, (Tropical botanical garden research institute) Palode at Thiruvananthapuram. B. Gene banks: In India there is a large number of medicinal plant species are under various degrees of threat. The precautionary principles would suggest that an immediate and country-wide exercise be taken up to deposit seeds of wild medicinal plants with a first priority to known Red listed species and endemic species. Current status: The department of bio-technology, Government of India has recently taken the initiative to establish 3 gene banks in the country. One is with ICAR at the NBPGR (National Bureau of plant genetic Resources) Campus, the second is with CIMAPs, (Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic plants) Luck now and the third with TBFRI in Thiruvananthapuram. C. Nursery network: The most urgent and primary task in order to ensure immediate availability of plants and planting materials to various user groups is to promote a nationwide network of medicinal plant nurseries, which will multiply all the regional specific plants that are used in the current practice of traditional medicine. These nurseries should become the primary sources of supply of plants and seed material that can be subsequently multiplied by the various users. Current status: Planting material for 40 odd species of medicinal and aromatic plants is reportedly available in the ICAR and CSIR (CIMAP) network. In South India FRLHT (Foundation for Rural Revitalization of Local Health Tradition) has recently set up a network of 55 supply nurseries. D. Cultivation of medicinal plants: Figures projecting demand and trade in medicinal plant species globally indicate a step upward trend in the near future. One estimate puts the figure of world trade in medicinal plants and related products at US $ 5 trillion by A.D. 2050 (world bank report , 1996).The demand so far has been met mainly from wild sources. This cant go on for much longer; policy intervention is urgently needed to encourage and facilitate investments into commercial cultivation of medicinal plants. (Joy, P.P., 2001) Cultivation of medicinal plants is inversely linked to prevalence of easy and cheap collection from the wild, lack of regulation in trade, cornering of the profits from wild collection by a vast network of traders and middlemen and absence of industrys interest in providing buy-back guarantees to growers. Current status: In the Govt. sector agro-technology of 40 odd species has been developed by ICAR Agricultural University System and CSIR (CIMAOs RRL, Jammu and Jorhat). In recent years industries like Dabur, Zandu, Indian Herbs, Arya Vaidya Shala, and Arya Vaidya Pharmacy and others have made some symbolic efforts to initiate cultivation. Since1984 NABARD (National Bank of Agricultural and Rural Development) has formulated schemes for financing cultivation and processing of medicinal plants. E. Community based enterprises: The income generated by the traditional medicine industry benefits small section of the society. A strong case exists for promotion of community level enterprises for value addition to medicinal plants through simple, on site techniques like drying, cleaning, crushing, powdering, grading, packaging etc. This will also increase the stake of rural communities in conservation and change the skewed nature of income distribution of the industry. Current status: Three community based enterprises are known in south India, one in Gandhi gram Trust, (Dindigul), Premade development Society (Peer made) Kerala and the third by VGKK in B.R.Hills, Mysore. Importance of Herbal Medicines: Herbal medicines are prepared from a variety of plant material such as leaves, stems, roots, bark, etc. They usually contain many biologically active ingredients and are used primarily for treating mild or chronic ailments. (www.ggssc.net) Herbal remedies can also be purchased in the form of pills, capsules or powders, or in more concentrated liquid forms called extracts and tinctures. They can apply topically in creams or ointments, soaked into cloths and used as compresses, or applied directly to the skin as poultices. A combination therapy integrating ayurveda and allopathy whereby the side effects and undesirable reactions could be controlled can be thought of. Studies can show that the toxic effects of radiations and chemotherapy in cancer treatment could be reduced by Ayurvedic medications and similarly surgical wound healing could be accelerated by Ayurvedic medicines. Modern science and technology have an essential role to play in the process. Systems of Medicine: There are mainly 3 systems of medicine practiced in the world today. They are, Modern System of medicine or Allopathy: This system was developed in the Western countries. In this system drugs (tablets, capsules, injections, tonics etc.) are manufactured using synthetic chemicals and / or chemicals derived from natural products like plants, animals, minerals etc. This system also uses modern equipment for diagnosis, analysis, surgery etc. Medicines or drugs of this system is often criticized for its treatment of the symptoms rather than the cause of the disease, harmful side effects of certain drugs and for being out of reach of common / poor people due to the high cost of drugs and treatment. This system is used in all the countries of the world today. (www.ggssc.net) Alternative Medicine or Traditional System: Different countries of the world developed independently their own traditional systems of medicine using locally available materials like minerals and products of plants and animals. (www.ggssc.net) The World Health Organization (WHO) is giving importance to these alternate medicine systems to provide Primary Health Care to millions of people in the developing countries. Development of herbal medicine: China developed the Chinese system of medicine, which is practiced in China, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan and other countries. In India, Ayurveda (developed in North India), Siddha (developed in Tamil Nadu) and Nagarjuna (developed in Andhra Pradesh) systems of medicine were developed. Ayurveda is practiced in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh also. Herbo-mineral is another traditional system used in India and other neighbouring countries. Drugs (balms, oils, pills, tonics, paste etc) are manufactured and marketed in these systems. (Joy, P.P., 2001) Advantages of traditional medicine: Traditional systems of medicine continue to be widely practiced on many accounts. Population rise, inadequate supply of drugs, prohibitive cost of treatments, side effects of several allopathic drugs and development of resistance to currently used drugs for infectious diseases have led to increased emphasis on the use of plant materials as a source of medicines for a wide variety of human ailments. Folk Medicine or tribal medicine: The medicinal systems followed by various tribals of different countries are popularly known as folk or tribal medicine. In the system, the medicine man or the doctor of the tribe who has the knowledge of treating diseases, keeps this knowledge as a closely guarded secret and passes it to the next generation by word of mouth. No written texts on these systems are available and different tribes follow different time tested methods. The treatment is often associated with lengthy and mystic rituals, in addition to prescription of drugs (decoctions, pastes, powders, oils, ashed materials etc.). Generally speaking, folk medicine can also be regarded as a traditional system of medicine. The basic aim of all the above systems of medicine is to alleviate the sufferings of human beings and their domesticated animals. (www.ggssc.net) Other Systems of medicine: Yoga, Acupressure, Acupuncture, Reiki, Magneto therapy, Pyramid therapy, Flower therapy, Homeopathy, Nature Cure or Naturopathy etc. are some of the other systems of medicine practiced in different parts of the world today. Utilization of Herbal Plants: The utility of medicinal plants has four major segments they are, Medicinal plants utilized in indigenous or traditional systems of medicines (ISM) Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy systems of medicines , OTC (over the country, non-prescription) items / products involving plant parts, extracts galenicals etc. , Essential oils , Phyto pharmaceuticals or plants used in modern systems of medicine. (www.ggssc.net) Medicinal plants used in Traditional Systems of Medicine: As its name implies, it is the part of tradition of each country which employs practices that have been handed down from generation to generation. An important feature of traditional therapy is the preference of practitioner for compound prescriptions over single substance/drug as it is being held that some constituents are effective only in the presence of others. This renders assessment of efficacy and eventually identification of active principles as required in international standards much difficult than for simple preparation. In India, earlier the medicines used in indigenous systems of medicines were generally prepared by the practicing physicians by themselves, but now this practice has been largely replaced by the establishment of organized indigenous drug industries. It is estimated that at present there are more than 1, 00,000 licensed registered practitioners of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani medicine or Homeopathy. In fact reliable data on availability in different regions of country as well as supply and demand of medicinal plants used in production of indigenous medicines are not available. (www.ggssc.net) Plants-parts, extracts and galenicals of medicinal herbs: The direct utilization of plant material is not only a feature of ISM in the developing world but also in developed countries like USA, UK, Germany etc., the various herbal formulations are sold on health food shops. Preparation of decoctions, tinctures, galenicals and total extracts of plants also form a part of many pharmacopoeias of the world. The current trend of medicinal plants based drug industry is to procedure standard extracts of plants as raw material. (www.ggssc.net) Essential Oils from herbal plants: The essential oil industry was traditionally a cottage industry in India. Since 1947, a number of industrial companies have been established for large scale production of essential oils, oleoresins and perfumes. The essential oil from plants includes Ajowan oil, Eucalyptus oil, Geranium oil, Lavender oil, Palmarosa oil, Patchouli oil, Rose oil, Sandalwood oil, Turpentine oil and Vetiver oil. Phyto-pharmaceuticals of medicinal plants: During the past decades, bulk production of plant based drugs has become an important segment of Indian pharmaceutical industry. Some of the Phyto-pharmaceuticals which are produced in India at present include Morphine, codeine, papaverine (Papaver somniferum), quinine, quinidine, cinchonine and cinchonidine (Cinchona sp., C.calisaya, C. Hyoscine, hyoscyamine (Hyocyamus Niger and H. muticus), colchicine (Gloriosa superbad, Colchicum luteum and Iphigenia stellata), cephaeline and emetin (Cephalis ipacacuanha), sennosides A B (Cassia angustifolia and C. acutifolia), reserpine, rescinnamine, ajmalicine and ajmaline (Rauvolfia serpentina); vinblastine and vincristine, ajmalicine (raubacine) (Catharanthus roseus); guggul lipid (Commiphora wightii); taxol (Taxus baccata); artemisinin (Artemisai annua) etc. (www.ggssc.net) Table I: Represents about plants containing Therapeutic value (Joy, P.P., 2001) Plant groups Plant species Family Genera Species Thalophytes 230 I.Monocots A)Liliaceae 45 165 B)Orchidaceae 45 135 Bryophytes 39 II. Dicots A)Compositae 89 331 Pteridophytes 382 B)Leguminosae 91 313 Gymnospermae 55 C)Ranuculaceae 31 208 Angiospermae: a)Monocotyledones b) Dicotyledones 676 3495 D)Laminaceae 46 189 E)Rosaceae 28 146 F)Umbelliferae 34 123 G)Rubiaceae 35 118 H)Euphorbiaceae 30 104 Total 4877 I)Asclepiadaceae 29 101 CLASSIFICATION OF HERBAL PLANTS: They are classified according to the part used, habit, habitat, therapeutic value etc, besides the usual botanical classification.Based on Therapeutic value they are classified as follows. Anti malarial : Cinchona officinalis, Artemisia annua ,Anticancer : Catharanthus roseus, Taxus baccata ,Antiulcer : Azadirachta indica, Glycyrrhiza glabra , Antidiabetic : Catharanthus roseus, Momordica charantia , Anticholesterol : Allium sativum Anti inflammatory : Curcuma domestica, Desmodium gangeticum , Antiviral : Acacia catechu Antibacterial : Plumbago indica , Antifungal : Allium sativum , Antiprotozoal : Ailanthus sp., Cephaelis ipacacuanha , Antidiarrhoeal : Psidium guava, Curcuma domestica , Hypotensive : Coleus forskohlii, Alium sativum , Tranquilizing : Rauvolfia serpentina , Anaesthetic : Erythroxylum coca , Spasmolytic : Atropa belladona, Hyoscyamus niger , Diuretic : Phyllanthus niruri, Centella asiatica , Astringent : Piper betel, Abrus precatorius Anthelmentic : Quisqualis indica, Punica granatum , Cardio tonic : Digitalis sp., Thevetia sp. Antiallergic : Nandina domestica, Scutellaria baicalensis ,Hepatoprotective : Silybum marianum, Andrographis paniculata. (Joy, P.P., 2001) Safety of medicinal plants: The safety and effectiveness of alternative medicines have not be been scientifically proven and remains largely unknown. A number of herbs are thought to be likely to cause adverse effects. Furthermore, adulteration, inappropriate formulation, or lack of understanding of plant and drug interactions have led to adverse reactions that are sometimes life threatening or lethal. Proper double-blind clinical trials are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of each plant before they can be recommended for medical use. Although many consumers believe that herbal medicines are safe because they are natural, herbal medicines may interact with synthetic drugs causing toxicity to the patient, may have contamination that is a safety consideration, and herbal medicines, without proven efficacy, may be used to replace medicines that have a proven efficacy. (Joy, P.P., 2001) Eg: Ephedra has been known to have numerous side effects, including severe skin reactions, irritability, nervousness, dizziness, trembling, headache, insomnia, profuse perspiration, dehydration, itchy scalp and skin, vomiting, hyperthermia, irregular heartbeat, seizures, heart attack, stroke, or death. Poisonous plants which have limited medicinal effects are often not sold in material doses in the United States or are available only to trained practitioners, these include: Aconite, Arnica, Belladonna, Bryonia, Datura, Gelsemium, Henbane, Male Fern Phytolacca, Podophyllum andVeratrum. Furthermore, herbs such as Lobelia, Ephedra and Eonymus that cause nausea, sweating, and vomiting, have been traditionally prized for this action. Plants such as Comfrey and Petasites have specific toxicity due to hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid content. There are other plant medicines which require caution or can interact with other medications, including St. Johns wort and grapefruit. (Phytotherapy , www.wikipedia.com) INTRODUCTION TO DIABETES MELLITUS In recent years, developed nations have witnessed an explosive increase in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) predominantly related to lifestyle changes and the resulting surge in obesity. The metabolic consequences of prolonged hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia, including accelerated atherosclerosis, chronic kidney disease, and blindness, pose an enormous burden on patients with diabetes mellitus and on the public health system. (Goodman Gilmans, 2006) In 1869, a German medical student, Paul Langerhans, noted that the pancreas contains two distinct groups of cells the acinar cells, which secrete digestive enzymes, and cells that are clustered in islands, or islets, which he suggested, served a second function. Direct evidence for this function came in 1889, when Minkowski and von Mering showed that pancreatectomized dogs exhibit a syndrome similar to diabetes mellitus in humans (Goodman Gilmans,2006) In the early 1900s, Gurg Zuelzer, an internist in Berlin, attempted to treat a dying diabetic patient with extracts of pancreas. Although the patient improved temporarily, he sank back into a coma and died when the supply of extract was exhausted. E.L. Scott, a student at the University of Chicago, made another early attempt to isolate an active principle in 1911. Using alcoholic extracts of the pancreas Scott treated several diabetic dogs with encouraging results; however, he lacked clear measures of control of blood glucose concentrations, Between 1916 and 1920, the Romanian physiologist Nicolas Paulesco found that injections of pancreatic extracts reduced urinary sugar and ketones in diabetic dogs. Although he published the results of his experiments, their significance was fully appreciated only years later. (Goodman Gilmans, 2006) Banting assumed that the islets secreted insulin but that the hormone was destroyed by proteolytic digestion prior to or during extraction. Together with Charles Best, he attempted to overcome the problem by ligating the pancreatic ducts. The acinar tissue degenerated, leaving the islets undisturbed; the remaining tissue then was extracted with ethanol and acid. Banting and Best thus obtained a pancreatic extract that decreased the concentration of blood glucose in diabetic dogs. (Goodman Gilmans, 2006) Insulin was purified and crystallized by Abel within a few years of its discovery. Sanger established the amino acid sequence of insulin in 1960, the protein was synthesized in 1963, and Hodgkin and coworkers elucidated insulins three-dimensional structure in 1972. Insulin was the hormone for which Yalow and Berson first developed the radioimmunoassay (Goodman Gilmans, 2006) Insulin regulation is achieved by the coordinated interplay of various nutrients, gastrointestinal hormones, pancreatic hormones, and autonomic neurotransmitters. Glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, and ketone bodies promote the secretion of insulin. The islets of Langerhans are richly innervated by both adrenergic and cholinergic nerves. Stimulation of a2 adrenergic receptors inhibits insulin secretion, whereas b2 adrenergic receptor agonists and vagal nerve stimulation enhance release. In general, any condition that activates the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system (such as hypoxia, hypoglycemia, exercise, hypothermia, surgery, or severe burns) suppresses the secretion of insulin by stimulation of ÃŽÂ ±2-adrenergic receptors. Predictably, ÃŽÂ ±2 adrenergic receptor antagonists increase basal concentrations of insulin in plasma, and ÃŽÂ ²2 adrenergic receptor antagonists decrease them. The sugar is more effective in provoking insulin secretion when taken orall y than when administered intravenously because the ingestion of glucose (or food) induces the release of gastrointestinal hormones and stimulates vagal activity. Several gastrointestinal hormones promote the secretion of insulin. The most potent of these are gastrointestinal inhibitory peptide (GIP) and glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Insulin release also is stimulated by gastrin, secretin, Cholecystokinin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, gastrin-releasing peptide, and Enteroglucagon. (Goodman Gilmans, 2006) Distribution: Insulin circulates in blood as the free monomer, and its volume of distribution approximates the volume of extracellular fluid. Under fasting conditions, the pancreas secretes about 40 mg (1 unit) of insulin per hour into the portal vein to achieve a concentration of insulin in portal blood of 2 to 4 ng/ml (50 to 100 minutes/ml) and in the peripheral circulation of 0.5 ng/ml (12 minutes/ml) or about 0.1 nM. After ingestion of a meal, there is a rapid rise in the concentration of insulin in portal blood, followed by a parallel but smaller rise in the peripheral circulation. (Goodman Gilmans, 2006) Half Life: The half-life of insulin in plasma is about 5 to 6 minutes in normal subjects and patients with uncomplicated diabetes. This value may be increased in diabetics who develop anti-insulin antibodies. (Goodman Gilmans, 2006) Metabolism: Degradation of insulin occurs primarily in liver, kidney, and muscle. About 50% of the insulin that reaches the liver via the portal vein is destroyed and never reaches the general circulation. Insulin is filtered by the renal glomeruli and is reabsorbed by the tubules, which also degrade it. Severe impairment of renal function appears to affect the rate of disappearance of circulating insulin to a greater extent than does hepatic disease. Peripheral tissues such as fat also inactivate insulin, but this is of less significance quantitatively. The important target tissues for regulation of glucose homeostasis by insulin are liver, muscle, and fat, but insulin exerts potent regulatory effects on other cell types as well. Insulin is the primary hormone responsible for controlling the uptake, use, and storage of cellular nutrients. (Goodman Gilmans, 2006) Figure 1: Insulin release from ÃŽÂ ²-cell DIABETES MELLITUS: Diabetes mellitus (DM) consists of a group of syndromes characterized by hyperglycemia; altered metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins; and an increased risk of complications from vascular disease. Most patients can be classified clinically as having either type 1 or type 2 DM. Criteria for the diagnosis of DM have been proposed by several medical organizations. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria include symptoms of DM (e.g., polyuria, polydipsia, and unexplained weight loss) and a random plasma glucose concentration of greater than 200 mg/dl (11.1 mM), a fasting plasma glucose concentration of greater than 126 ml/dl (7 mM), or a plasma glucose concentration of greater than 200 mg/dl (11 mM) 2 hours after the ingestion of an oral glucose load In the United States, about 5% to 10% of all diabetic patients have type 1 DM, with an incidence of 18 per 100,000 inhabitants per year. A similar incidence is found in the United Kingdom. The incidence of type 1 DM in Europe varies with latitude. The highest rates occur in northern Europe (Finland, 43 per 100,000) and the lowest in the south (France and Italy, 8 per 100,000). The one exception to this rule is the small island of Sardinia, close to Italy, which has an incidence of 30 per 100,000. However, even the relatively low incidence rates of type 1 DM in southern Europe are far higher than the rates in Japan (1 per 100,000 inhabitants). There are more than 125 million persons with diabetes in the world today, and by 2010, this number is expected to approach 220 million. (Goodman Gilmans, 2006) Both type 1 and type 2 DM are increasing in frequency. The reason for the increase of type 1 DM is not known. The genetic basis for type 2 DM cannot change in such a short time; thus other contributing factors, including increasing age, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and low birth weight, must account for this dramatic increase. In addition, type 2 DM is being diagnosed with remarkable frequency in preadolescents and adolescents. Up to 45% of newly diagnosed children and adolescents have type 2 DM. There are genetic and environmental components that affect the risk of developing either type 1 or type 2 DM Types: Diabetes can be divided into