Hazrat Ali Essay

Amongst the descendants of Hazrat Ibrahim A.S., Hazrat Ali A.S. belonged to the line of Quraish. He was the son of Abu Talib R.A., son of Abdul Muttalib of the distinguished tribe of Bani Hashim. Only one step above his lineage coincided with that of the Prophet S.A. of Islam. The latter being Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib and the former Ali bin Abi Talib bin Abdul Muttalib. It was his father Abu Talib who had nourished and brought up the Prophet (PBUH) His mother Fatima bint-e Asad was also a noble lady belonging to the tribe of Bani Hashim whom the Prophet (PBUH) regarded as his own mother. Birth Date & Place When the Prophet (PBUH) of God was thirty years old, Ali (A.S) was born on 13th of Rajab in the 30 year of Aamul Feel inside the sacred Kaaba. Family Background Amongst the descendants of Hazrat Ibrahim A.S., Hazrat Ali (A.S) belonged to the line of Quraish. He was the son of Abu Talib, son of Abdul Muttalib of the distinguished tribe of Bani Hashim. His mother Fatima bint-e Asad was also a noble lady belonging to the tribe of Bani Hashim whom the Prophet (SAW) regarded as his own mother. His Upbringing The responsibility for bringing him up devolved directly on Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) who devoted all his time and attention towards nurturing. It was owing to his inherent merit and capabilities coupled with the privilege of being brought up by the exalted personality of a guardian like the Prophet (SAW) that when the Prophet (PBUH) announced his Prophet hood Hazrat Ali (A.S)., though only ten years old, became his foremost follower and testifier of his claim. Marriage The first thing that the Prophet (PBUH) did on his arrival in Medina was to solemnize the marriage of his only daughter, Fatima Zahra with Ali A.S. The Prophet (PBUH) deeply loved his daughter and had so much respect for her that whenever she came to him he used to stand up in reverence. It was in the first year of Hijrah when the Prophet (PBUH) chose Ali A.S. for this honor. The wedding rites were performed with utmost simplicity. (a) He got three sons (Hasan, Husain and Muhsin), and two daughters (Zainab & Umm-i-Kulthum) from her. The youngest son, Muhsin died in childhood. After the death of Hazrat Fatimah he married a number of wives from time to time: (b) Umm al-Banin bin Hizam from whom he got ‘Abbas, Ja’far, ‘Abdullah and Uthman. All of these except Abbas were martyred at Karbala. (c) Saila bint Mas’ud who gave birth to ‘Ubaidullah and Abu Bakr. They were martyred at Karbala. (d) Asma bint Umais who gave birth to Yahya and Muhammad Asghar. (e) S ahba bint Rabi’a who gave birth to Umar and Ruqayyah. (f) Amamah bint Abil ‘As: She was daughter of Zainab (R.A.), daughter of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi we Salaam). Hadrat Ali got Muhammad Aswat from her. (g) Khaulah bint Jalfar who gave birth to Muhammad ibn (h) Umm-i-Sa’id who gave birth to Ummul Hasan and Ramlah Kubra. (i) Mahyah bint Ummul Qais, she gave birth to a daughter who died in childhood. Jihad In first battle of Islam, which is known as the battle of Badar Hazrat Ali had his first experience of fighting a battle? At that time he was He was only twenty-five years old. There were important battles of Uhud, Khandaq, Khaibar and lastly Hunain in which Ali A.S. accompanied the Prophet (SAW) and exhibited his incomparable valor as a warrior. Almost in all these battles Ali (A.S) held the office of standard-bearer also. In all these battles he exhibited indomitable valor and steadfastness. In these engagements, as in others, he showed utmost firmness, tolerance and nobility of character. Title Because of his bravely Hazrat Ali was popularly called â€Å"Asadullah†(The Lion of Allah). He was also known as Al-Murtaza, Al-Amir-ul-Mo’mineen. As Caliph Hazrat Ali (RA) was elected as Fourth Caliph after, the martyrdom of Hazrat Usman (RA), at a time when the world of Islam was in great turmoil In 35 A.H. the Muslims offered the office of Islamic Caliph to Ali (A.S). At first he refused, but when the insistence on part of the Muslims increased, he accepted it on the condition that he would rule strictly in accordance with the precepts laid down in the Quran and the Sunnah (practice) of the Prophet (SAW) without favor and partiality towards anybody. He was the greatest Mujtahid and jurist of his time and one of the greatest of all times. Justice was part of his soul and spirit and was attached to his heart. His administration steered clear of partisanship, favoritism or nepotism. * He was particularly severe on his Governors and kept a regular watch on their actions. * He reprimanded his own friends, governors and employees even if they accepted bread as bribe. * To him wealth was for the use of other needy persons and not for himself and his family. * He never hid his earnings because the purpose of his earning was to help the needy and the oppressed and to save them from the exploitation of the tyrants and to make their lives happier. His Services Besides participating in Jihad he was never averse to do anything for the sake of the Prophet S.A. and Islam. The tasks that he had to perform were of diverse nature. He was responsible for writing down treaties and letters. He was also the custodian of the recorded portions of the Quran. Besides, he was deputed to Yemen by the Prophet (SAW) for the propagation of Islam. As a result of his successful preaching, the entire Yemen embraced Islam. Martyrdom Alas, this protagonist of peace, equality and Islamic values could not escape the malicious designs of the worldly people. In the morning of 19 of the month of Ramadan 40 A.H. while offering prayers in the mosque he was fatally wounded by a sword dipped in poison. Ali A.S. spent two restless days on his sick bed in extreme pain and distress. Eventually the poison spread all over the body and he breathed his last on 21 of Ramadan at the time of morning Prayer. Hasan A.S. and Husain A.S. performed the funeral rites and that prince of humanity was buried at Najaf at the back of the city of Kufa. Distinguishing Publications NAHJAL BLAGHA AL- SAHIFAYE ALAVIYA The two mentioned books consist of sermons, letters, and sayings of Hazrat Ali (A.S). Nahj al-balaghah comprises various issues that cover major problems of metaphysics, theology, tafsir, hadith, prophetology, imamate, ethics, social philosophy, politics, administration, civics, science, literature, etc. Most of the discussions about various theological issues and philosophical notions in Islam have their origin in very book. The book not only reflects the spirit of early Islam and the teachings of the Quran and the Prophet (saw) in the proper perspective, but also serves as a guide to traverse the future in the light of these teachings. The importance of the Nahj-ul-Balagha lies in two dimensions. First, it speaks about the fundamental of Islam such as the matters concerning God, the human being, Islamic views of humanity, prophet hood and its position in human history a means of understanding Islam and thus necessary for us to study. Secondly, the Nahj-ul-Balagha refers to the social problems of a hypocritical society with which we deal today. Accordingly, this book can be a source of Inspiration for us as regards to the social and political problems of life and the possible solutions to them. It is a matter of regret that Nahj al-balaghah was not properly utilized by the Muslims as a source book of Islamic philosophy, kalam, fiqh, and ethics due to misconceptions about its attribution to Hazrat ‘Ali (A.S) In the presence of strong and sufficient evidence in support of the contents of the book being authentic, it was sheer prejudice and lack of the spirit of inquiry that was responsible for neglecting such a reliable source of Islamic ideas. Thoughts on Principal Subject Hazrat Ali’s letter to Malik-e-Ashter throws light on the importance of the principles of administration and justice as dictated by Islam. The following instructions in the form of a letter were written to him by Hazrat Ali, when he appointed him as Governor of Egypt. Highlights It (the letter) deals with the duties and obligations of rulers, their chief responsibilities, the question of rights and obligations, dispensation of justice, control over secretaries and subordinate staff. In it Hazrat Ali advises Malik: * To fight corruption and oppression amongst the officers; to control markets, imports and exports; to curb evils of profiteering and hoarding and of cornering and black marketing. In it he has also explained stages of various classes of society, the duties of government towards the lowest class, how are they to be looked after and how are their conditions to be improved. * He has also commented upon the rights of rulers over the ruled and of the ruled over the rulers. * There is a main central idea running all through these instructions, it is that of the Creator. The government is of God, the governors and the governed are both the creatures of God, their respective duties are laid down by God. * In short this letter is on the one hand the gospel of the principles of administration as taught by Holy Quran; a code to establish a kind and benevolent rule throwing light on various aspects of justice and mercy. On the other hand it is a thesis on the higher values of morality.

Oedipus and Freud

Freud. But on the other and in some sort of situations or moments, according to what Dry. Freud called the unconscious level, we are capable of free our most deep emotions and feelings leaving aside the reason, and acting in a very primitive way. In both cases, these schemes are a predictable behavior or reaction that could be found and several times reproduced in different cultures with different structures. This is a never ending fight between reason and feelings.In order to clarify my point of view I will use some examples from the play Oedipus The King: A) The intelligence and sides of Oedipus I think, is the representation of our desire to control things according to our own schemes, we have to be In control of everything that we are capable of, we neglect our subconscious that In this case Is the prophecy and we Just try to avoid this kind of situations as possible with all of our will. But, what causes more anxiety is that we very deep know that we have to fight our subconscio us desires because they can show at any moment.For example: Page 749: locate: Why should anyone in this world be afraid, since fate rules us (Subconscious) and nothing an be foreseen? A man should live only for the present day (The satisfaction of emotions and feelings (subconscious more than reason Conscious because we are not responsible for what we decided, it is our fate) have no more fear of sleeping with your mother: how many men, in dreams, have lain with their mothers! No reasonable man is troubled by such things.Oedipus: That is true; only if my mother were not still alive! But she Is alive. I can not help my dread. (From a conscious perspective, be aware of our deepest Instincts and fight against them). B) lactate's Insistence of not Interviewing the shepherd: locate: For God's love, let us have no more questioning! Is your life nothing to you? My own is pain enough for me to bear. Oedipus: You need not worry, Suppose my mother a slave, and born of slaves: no baseness can touch you. locate: Listen to me, I beg you: do not do this thing!Oedipus: I will not listen; the truth must be made known. locate: Everything that I say is for your own good! , Oedipus: My own good snaps my patience, then; I want none of it. locate: You are fatally wrong! May you never learn who you are! In this lines I can understand the sire of locate to not let the reason to guide our will, instead of this a less conflictive solution will be found to keep things in the way they are, and you can read the warning that locate does to Oedipus cursing him to never know who he Is.This is again the fight between desire and consent, we from an unconscious level can desire a vast amount of feelings, but our reason and schemes help us to consent only what It Is appropriate. As Dry. Freud says: â€Å"he Is at the same time compelling us to recognize our own inner minds, in which those same impulses, though suppressed, re still to De Taunt. † c) I en sexual Impulse Tanat Dry.Freud ret ire In t : â€Å"l Is ten Tate AT all of us, perhaps, to direct our first sexual impulse towards our mother and our first hatred and our first murderous wish against our father†. I truly believe that Dry. Freud not only refers to a sexual impulse but to a large group of emotions that are represented by the mother and father, from our most basic needs like food, protection, to the most complex ones like sexual behavior with a desire or attraction and the desire of independence and power.

Ap Us History Project

Read, Watch, or Listen (RWL) Project AP US HISTORYName: Directions: Each RWL project will consist of two sections. First, you will choose a source that relates to each of our units in United States history (read a book/portion of a primary source, watch a movie, or listen to an ITunes University lecture). Second, you will either answer five analysis questions or write a reflection paper based upon your source. Unit 1: Formation of Colonies – Colonial Wars (1607-1763) Unit 2: Revolution – Constitution (1763-1789)Unit 3: Early National Period, War of 1812, Era of Good Feelings (1789-1814) Unit 4: Jacksonian Democracy, Antebellum reform movements, and sectional tensions (1814-1850) Unit 5: Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1870) Unit 6: Gilded Age (1870-1900) Unit 7: New Imperialism, Progressivism, and WWI (1900-1919) Unit 8: Interwar Period: Roaring Twenties, Jazz Age, and Great Depression (1920-1939) Unit 9: WWII, Start of Cold War, 1950’s Conformity (1939-1959) Unit 10: Turbulent 1960’s, Cold War continued, 1970’s (1960-1979) Unit 11: Reagan Revolution, End of Cold War, Modern United States (1980-2000)Rubric/Directions for Analysis Questions: APUSH – RWL ProjectNameType of Source: Book, Movie, or LectureDateName of Book, Movie, or Lecture 1. Introduction (1-2 sentences) – What is the topic/theme in American history in your book, movie, or lecture? What year(s) did your source cover? (10%) 2. Brief Summary (1-2 paragraphs) (15%) 3. Identify the Thesis (1-3 sentences) – What was the overall main idea and thesis of your source? (15%) 4. Analysis (2-4 paragraphs) – Based upon your knowledge of American history, was your source’s portrayal of its particular time period — Effective?Accurate? Exaggerated? Biased? (50%) 5. Conclusion (1-4 sentences) – Did you enjoy reading, watching, or listening to your source? If there was evidence of bias or inaccuracies, how could your source be im proved or corrected? (10%)| Rubric/Directions for Reflection Paper: Format(10 points)| 1. ___ typed – size: 12, font: Times New Roman 2. ___ at least two pages 3. ___ double spaced 4. ___ 1 inch margins 5. ___ name, date, and title of source (Iecture, movie, or literary)| Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation(10 points)| 1. __ correct grammar 2. ___ correct spelling 3. ___ correct punctuation 4. ___ appropriate word choice and syntax | Thesis/Introduction(10 points)| 1. ___ clear and concise thesis statement that accomplishes the following tasks: a. introduces the main idea of your source (ITunes U lecture, writing, or movie) b. provides your thoughts on the subject c. Provides categories for analysis (body paragraphs 2 and 3)| 1st Body Paragraph(20 points)| 1. ___ provides a brief summary of your source (ITunes U lecture, writing, or movie) 2. __ 8 sentence minimum| 2nd Body Paragraph(20 points)| 1. ___ elaborate on the main idea of your source and provide your analysis on the topic 2. ___ 8 sentence minimum| 3rd Body Paragraph(20 points)| 1. ___ was it historically accurate? Exaggerated? Bias? How could the inaccuracies be corrected? 2. ___ 8 sentence minimum| Conclusion(10 points)| 1. ___ conclude your essay logically by reiterating your thesis and evaluation| Annotated Bibliography| 1. ___ *** If you do outside research to determine the historical accuracy of your source, you must cite it using MLA***|

Design And Positioning Schools Of Strategy Essay

Design And Positioning Schools Of Strategy - Essay Example According to the research ten schools of strategy have different perspectives on the subject of strategy. These represent different schools of thought on strategic planning and formulation. The ten schools of strategy are design school, planning school, positioning school, entrepreneurial school, cognitive school, learning school, power school, cultural school, environmental school, and the configuration school. The design school of strategy defines strategy formation as a process of conception. Design school of strategy proposes a strategy that matches external opportunities with internal capabilities. The position school of strategy defines strategy as positions in the economic marketplace which are generic and common. Strategy should also be designed, keeping in mind existing and future competitors. The entrepreneurial school of strategy sees strategy making as a visionary process. Also this school makes the chief executive officer as the main formulator of the strategy. The plann ing school of strategy identifies strategy making as a formal process which calls for a mechanical and systematic process of strategy formulation with no or little creativity. The cognitive school sees strategy making as a mental process and takes input from different concepts of psychology. This school is largely conceptual in nature. The learning school stresses on learning from past experience and therefore sees strategy making as an emergent process. The power school of strategy argues that negotiating between different power holders within the organization is an important part of strategy formulation. ... The position school of strategy defines strategy as positions in the economic marketplace which are generic and common. Strategy should also be designed, keeping in mind existing and future competitors. The entrepreneurial school of strategy sees strategy making as a visionary process.( Mintzberg, et al, 2002). Also this school makes the chief executive officer as the main formulator of the strategy. The planning school of strategy identifies strategy making as a formal process which calls for a mechanical and systematic process of strategy formulation with no or little creativity. The cognitive school sees strategy making as a mental process and takes input from different concepts of psychology. This school is largely conceptual in nature. The learning school stresses on learning from past experience and therefore sees strategy making as an emergent process. The power school of strategy argues that negotiating between different power holders within the organization is an important p art of strategy formulation. The environmental school sees strategy making as a reactive process that is dependent on the external environment. The cultural school of strategy calls for group work in formulation of strategy. Finally, the configuration school of strategy sees strategy making as a process of transformation. The different schools of strategy can be grouped into three larger groups (Mintzberg, et al 2002). The first group is prescriptive in nature and consists of design, planning, and positioning schools. This group tells how a strategy should ideally be made. The second group tells how strategy is made and comprises of entrepreneurial, cognitive, learning, power, cultural, and environmental

Management Strategy for MHM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words - 1

Management Strategy for MHM - Assignment Example The company has been continuously meeting the increased demand for electrical equipments and parts with their comprehensive products and competitive prices. The firm is driven by the mission of customer satisfaction. The aim of the company is to expand its range of offering through the innovative usage of technology, skills, knowledge, team work and efficient communication. The customers of the company belong to the industries like construction, infrastructure and public utilities, oil and gas & industries and process control (M.H. Al Muftah EST). Therefore, the company should keep in mind the market condition of these sectors as any changes here would affect the operations of the firm. 1. The website has got a lot of flaws. A website is meant for providing details about a company while website of MHM is having no information about the firm’s annual turnover or even its presence in recent news articles. Moreover there are so many grammatical errors in the presentation of the information and in the construction of the sentences which will definitely affect the reputation of the firm. 2. The company’s logo is not at all appealing and has no relevance with its business. A logo should create an everlasting impression in the minds of the people but the M.H. Al-Muftah Est. logo failed to do so. 3. The company is a leading supplier of famous brands of electrical equipments. However in the present business era, the customers would always prefer to purchase the products from the original manufacturer as the suppliers are known to add carrying cost to the goods. 4. The customers are mostly industry based but there is a lot of scope for the company to acquire individual customers for their simple, day-to-day household products like switches, sockets, fittings and fixtures. 6. Due to poor quality of the website, the company fails to attract foreign clients at a huge number. Also the company lacks proper advertising and promotional campaigns;

American Dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Dance - Essay Example American theatrical dance has expanded through a progression of generations numerous build on the work, thus creating a pedigree marked by innovation. This form of dance cannot be neatly defined. It is a form of style of American modern dance evolving through quest of discoveries and shares the communicative potential of human association. In true sense American theatrical dance comprises of Broadway, modern and ballet forms of dancing style. These forms of dance depict the economic and cultural changes happening in the society. From time to time they have enacted on issues of social significance and always conveyed some messages to the audience through their theatrical dance performances. These dancing form pioneered dance in bare foot and elegant costumes. They portray a form of social affirmation and were means of expressing nation’s and society’s power (Brown). The society values theatrical dance as a communicative and bonding experience forming a well-developed str ucture of communication. This essay will focus on the two forms of American modern dance that is Broadway and Ballet, and how are they different to each other. Broadway Theatrical Dance: Broadway dance forms a part of the modern American theatrical dance. It can be classified as an incorporation of jazz and modern style accompanied with theater and music. At the beginning of the Broadway dance people were tricked and amazed by the concepts of Broadway Theater as this pioneered a dancing form with play’s plot. Initially Broadway was not taken as a serious theatrical dance. People were uncertain about the entire structure of the dance form. But later it evolved as a dance form which had a social message for the society. Soon after, Broadway started gaining popularity amongst the audience as fusion of jazz and modern art dance. This form of theatrical dance was incorporated with exceptional movement and unconventional use of body parts. The entire act was supported by the usage of props, integration of personalities, storytelling of a incident. The entire performance was choreographed and presented through lucid expressions. The entire performances take place with music playing backstage. The music is played as per the theme of the subject matter of the performance. With changing time span Broadway musical took off. It popularity enhanced day by day and gained recognition as an artistic form of theater. Broadway dance form exerted profound influence in the New York life tradition and culture. Their themes were realistic with a touch of whimsical feel. As per the critics it attracted the serious theater goers who were deeply moved by the socio-economical concerns of the society. During its early stage the middle class New Yorkers used to be its target audience. Their theme appealed to them to a great extends. Broadway theatrical evolved as an assembly of multidimensional talents. It consisted of a group of singers, dancers, actors, musicians who emerged as celebrities. Famous Broadway personalities included Anna held, Lillian Russell, Marilyn Miller, DeWolf Hoppe, Ray Bolger etc. These eminent personalities had been a part of this theatrical dance from time to time. Robert Alton had been a choreographer of this dance form who brought out the first modern dances closely related to many dance performances in New York stage today. Nowadays dance performances have become dominated in the Broadway theatrica

The Impacts Employee Motivation has on Organisationalperformance Dissertation

The Impacts Employee Motivation has on Organisationalperformance - Dissertation Example A highly motivated employee is hugely productive in the context of the company. However on the other hand employees who are less motivated works less effectively (Management help, n.d.). The purpose of the study is to underpin the fact that how employee motivation helps an organization to get success in the market place. In other words the primary intention behind the study is to uncover the impacts employee motivation has on organizational performance. The topic was chosen on assessing the factors that are significant for an organization. Nevertheless the study revealed motivation as one of the crucial factor for an organization. ... A primary research will be also carried out to get better insights of the topic. The report will be divided into five sections. The first section will be about the introduction to the vital concepts of the study, in the second section a literature review of the topic will be carried out. Once the literature review ends, the report will clearly depict the methodology to be followed for doing the research. The next section will be about data collection and analysis. In this section mainly primary data will be collected, analyzed and meaningful information will be portrayed. Finally the report will conclude, by answering the research questions and addressing the research objectives. 1.1 Defining Motivation Motivation is imperative for an organization as it offers large number of benefits. Some of the evident benefits of having a motivated workforce within the organization are increased productivity and improved efficiency, helps in achieving the organizational goals, creates a friendly relationship within the organization, makes the workforce stable, and it also assists in utilizing the resources properly. Furthermore it also offers other benefits in the context of an organization. It leads to high performance, reduces the employee turnover rate, decreases the rate of absenteeism, portrays a better organizational image, industrial relations become superior and it also helps the organization to get adapted with the changing business environment (Singla, 2011, p.389). Different employees join an organization with diversified needs and demands. The background of the employees such as education, culture, attitude, perception, values, beliefs and location and the way of their upbringing are different. The objective of every

Summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 12

Summary - Assignment Example The second article, Magnet Schools and the Pursuit of Racial Balance, examines the concept of magnet schools and how they are used to maintain a racial diversity in the school setting. The article also provides a case study carried out in support of the article’s hypothesis, so as to prove the ideas presented in the article right. Accordingly, the article explains how magnet schools have been used as a tool for maintaining racial balance, as well as, desegregation of students in the school setting (Goldring and Smrekar 4). The last article, The Uses of the University, examines the use of universities in societies today. The article looks at the significance of the university to a student, professor, and the community at large. Accordingly, the main use of the university is identified as the production of an integrated community of scholars in the society (Kerr 1). The article argues that the university is responsible for the economic, social, and political growth of the community in which it exists, thus is responsible for the growth and development of societies. Accordingly, the paper also provides seven signs regarding the future of universities in the state (Kerr

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Economics - Essay Example This way corn serves a two-way purpose and that will definitely increase its demand. Corn and soybean are considered as substitutes and according to economic theory if demand for a product raises then the demand for its substitute will obviously decline. Following this principle the price of the soybean will decline. Again corn and soybean shares the same habitat for production, especially the prime raw material for any agricultural production the land. Now an increased demand for corn will also lead to a higher price for the same, since price and demand are directly correlated. A product that is offering higher price will definitely translate into higher profit for the producer and an immediate shift from production of soybean to that of corn. Higher percentage of land and effort will now be directed towards corn production than that of soybean (Pearce, 2006). The above discussion seems economically sound, however a careful investigation might reveal that this holds for short run. O nce the producer starts to devote more land and other raw materials to the production of corn, corn production will rise and production of soybean will fall. Hence in long run owing to higher supply of corn its price will come down and that of soybean will go up as it is scarce now. These points to the fact that in long run an eventual equilibrium will be reached where both will be produced at an optimum level for the economy. Last but not the least since, energy has an ever increasing demand, hence if corn can project itself as a viable source of alternative energy in long run that have enough potential to replace fossil fuels then the trend for substituting soybean production land and raw material in favor of the corn might show a sustained trend, with soybean production looking for an alternative way as itself is a nutritious and valuable food source along with a rich source for food oil. It is obvious that since there is high need of alternative form of energy and that especiall y of bio fuel; corn oil as an important source of bio fuel will enjoy this boom in demand and price for this product will go up. The magnitude of this rise in price is subject to much debate. First of all if demand for a product is matched by its supply then the rise in price is minimal or zero. However if this is not the scenario that is there is excess demand then the price will go up. Interestingly it is worth noting that in case of excess supply the price might also go down even courting a rise in demand for the concerned product. The excess supply often follows a rise in demand owing to the behavioural pattern of the producer who might over estimate the rise in demand and increase his supply of corn in tune of his expectations. Apart from this demand-supply interaction, many other factors do operate while determining the fate of the corn oil. If people are well aware of the potential that corn oil holds as a fuel and alternative source of energy that will definitely translate i nto higher demand. Again this has to be also undertaken into the realm of analysis that whether any other form of substitutes to corn oil does exist, that might be cheaper, easily available in plenty and better source of energy. As a viable source of alternative energy in the long run corn oil will face quite a competition with Jatropha and Pongamia pinnata (Bridgewater, Halford and Karp, 2010, p. 236) and that outcome will

The Choice of Green Technology Project by Projmanics LTD Assignment

The Choice of Green Technology Project by Projmanics LTD - Assignment Example Finally, it intends to get the views of the management on whether the project will deliver their set objectives. The team conducted a research to find out the needs of the consumers and stakeholders who are the main beneficiary of this project. The methods employed in collecting data from the stakeholders of this project included interviews, focused group discussions, and customer reviews from the website of projmanics (Sproul, Wan, Mandel & Rosenfeld, 2014). This was done to ensure that the needs of the stakeholders were prioritized in coming up with this type of project. The team intended to come up with an idea that was user-centered and not an idea that originates from the management. When users of projmanics were interviewed to give their opinion on the types of products and services they wanted, they were fast to point out innovation. Being concerned about their environment and the prevailing climate change, the citizens of UAE wanted to see the company come up with environmentally friendly products. This was motivated by the recent entry of the country in the list of top tourist destinations in the world. Projmanics, which for a very long time had dealt in the manufacture of various products ranging from electronics to machinery, also had to share in the vision and goals of their consumers (Harris, Barucci, Cano, Fitzsimmons, Fulchignoni, Green & Schà ¤fer, 2013). It is against this backdrop that the team proposed green technology as the next feature to see the growth of the company in the country and also abroad. This was to join the rest of the world and be on the forefront in leading the green technology revolution. The aim of this project is to see the company build another plant responsible for the manufacture of eco-friendly products such as electronics and machinery. These  include such things as energy generating equipment like solar panels, wind turbines and other machines that utilize green energy like solar-powered automobiles.

Nationalistic Design in Practice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nationalistic Design in Practice - Assignment Example In this way, the above products all represent some form or fashion of American ideology and majority belief. The Campbell’s soup retains the traditional labeling that has defined the product for so long as a staple of American life. Likewise, the brand’s labeling holds true t the use of Red and White – both colors of the American flag. Secondly, the Ford F-250 is also a quintessentially American product that hearkens back to the days in which a vast frontier stretched before would-be settlers (Ford 1). Reminiscent of the Conestoga wagons, the massive truck is the epitome of American oversize and excess. Lastly, the Dickies brand of work clothes invokes the idea that America is still a country of industrial producing workers (Dickies 1). Although this is far from the truth, the brand continues to evoke such ideas with its careful use of Red, White, and Blue along with the inclusion of a horse shoe in the logo. With regards to three products that are noticeably non-nationalistic in origin, this analysis has chosen to examine Pepperidge Farm’s Pirouettes, Ford’s Fiesta, and American Apparel’s European-themed product offerings. Due to the fact that each of these products draws on inspiration from the other side of the Atlantic, the amount of nationalist influence on the products is limited if not non-existent. Firstly, the Pepperidge Farm product does not even bear a comparable name in English. It is marketed as a French creation even though it is made and distributed by an American bakery (Pepperidge Farm 1). Secondly, the Ford Fiesta has recently had a major face-life and redesign from its earlier days as a very boring and non descript econo-box (Ford 2). As such, the designers have drawn on inspiration from Ford’s European division to design a product offering for the American market that draws heavily on European

Marijuana and Alcohol Essay Example for Free

Marijuana and Alcohol Essay It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that alcohol and marijuana comprise the two most commonly abused drugs by young adults in America. But while many would ask why young adults use these drugs, it’s more important to understand how these drugs affect the body. What exactly do these drugs do to the body and how does the body process them? Are the effects always negative? Does the amount consumed make a significant difference? First I will give a brief history of each drug, followed by the physiological processes of digesting each drug in the body, and I will conclude by examining the short and long-term effects of prolonged use of each substance. My goal is to give honest explanations about the effects of each drug using the most recent and accurate scientific data and statistics. To understand these drugs more effectively, it is important to give a brief history of each. Marijuana use has been documented as early as 2737 B. C. in ancient China. It spread through India, North Africa, and Europe as an â€Å"agent for achieving euphoria† and as a medicine for a variety of illnesses (â€Å"History of Marijuana†). It was first introduced in America in 1611 in Jamestown, Virginia. Up until the 20th century, it was never made illegal in the United States because the users didn’t seem to cause harm to themselves or others while on the drug. It wasn’t until the 1930’s that legislation was introduced to portray marijuana as a dangerous, addictive drug that would lead to narcotic addiction. 40 years later, in the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, marijuana was legally classified as a Category 1 drug (the same category as LSD and heroin). During the Reagan administration, very strict marijuana laws were passed in attempt to further discourage teenagers from using the drug. The end result was a decrease in usage in the short term, but there has been a steady upward trend of usage since the early 1990’s (â€Å"History of Marijuana†). The history of alcohol also dates back thousands of years. Fermented grain, fruits, and honey have been used for alcohol production since 7000 BC. Again, the first documented use is in China. Gradually, the use of alcohol spread through India, Babylon, and Europe. By the 16th century, the British government actually encouraged alcohol use for â€Å"medicinal purposes† (â€Å"Alcohol: A Short History†). Not coincidentally, alcoholism became a widespread problem for Great Britain during that time period. But it wasn’t until the late 19th century that attitudes around the world starting changing in regards to alcohol. A movement for prohibition was rising and by 1920, the United States had outlawed production and distribution of alcohol. 13 years later, in response to an enormously uncontrollable black market for alcohol that the government indirectly created, Congress repealed the law. Today, alcohol is widely used by not just those legal to buy it, but also by teenagers and young adults. An estimated 15 million Americans (all ages) suffer from alcoholism and 40% of all deaths due to car accidents involve alcohol. (â€Å"Alcohol: A Short History†) It is important now to focus on the physiological process of digesting marijuana in the body. An article titled â€Å"How Marijuana Works†, written by Kevin Bosner gives extensive detail on how the body processes the drug. Marijuana is most commonly ingested through smoke. The strongest chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannnabinol), which gives a â€Å"high† feeling to users. When smoke from marijuana is inhaled, THC goes into the lungs and is exposed to millions of tiny sacks called alveoli. The alveoli are responsible for the gas exchange between capillaries and lungs. THC enters the alveoli where it is transferred to the blood stream, which then brings the compound into major organs like the brain. Typically, THC reaches the brain within seconds after it is inhaled. After THC reaches the brain, it affects the neurotransmitters in the brain by mimicking and blocking the actions of the neurotransmitters. When neurotransmitters are blocked, the transfer of neurons across the synapse is hindered. This slows down reaction times and cognitive ability. It is also important to note that the brain does have cannabinoid receptors, which process THC, a cannabis chemical. The cannabinoid receptors when activated can have an effect on short-term memory, coordination, learning, and problem solving. The cannabinoid receptors are normally activated by a neurotransmitter called anandamide. THC mimics the actions of anandamide and therefore can bind to cannabinoid receptors, activate neurons, and affect the body and mind. Cannabinoid receptors exist in seven different places in the brain: hippocampus, cerebellum, basal ganglia, amygdala, hypothalamus, neocortex, and brain stem. Each place in the brain controls different functions in the body and each is affected in a different way by the cannabinoid receptors. When THC binds with receptors in the hippocampus, it affects the short-term memory. When THC binds with receptors in the cerebellum, it can affect one’s coordination. THC can affect unconscious muscle movements when its binds to receptors in the basal ganglia leading to a loss of motor coordination skills. People also feel anxious and nervous when ingesting marijuana due to the effect THC has on the amygdala, which is responsible for anxiety, emotion, and fear. When THC binds to receptors in the hypothalamus, it affects one’s appetite, which explains why people tend to get hungry when they feel high. THC impairs problem-solving abilities when THC binds to receptors in the neocortex, which is primarily responsible for â€Å"higher cognitive functions and the integration of sensory information† (â€Å"How Marijuana Works†). Lastly, the effect it has on the brain stem can reduce the sensation of pain. Alcohol, on the other hand, is processed in a different way than marijuana. Alcohol can only be ingested orally, usually in a liquid form that goes straight down the mouth through the esophagus and into the stomach. The Brown University Health Center gives an in-depth discussion of the digestion process of alcohol in an article titled â€Å"Alcohol and Your Body. † Once in the stomach, the alcohol flows through the walls of the stomach into the bloodstream and on to the small intestine. From there it flows into the liver. In the liver, a compound called gastric alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) metabolizes the alcohol. The amount of ADH a person has will determine how well the body can process the alcohol. The more ADH the body has, the better it can process the alcohol. A normal, healthy liver can process about half an ounce of pure alcohol every hour. If the rate of alcohol ingested exceeds 1 pure ounce every hour (about 1 standard drink per hour), the rest of the alcohol continues through the blood stream and flows to the heart. When it enters the heart, alcohol reduces the heart rate, which lowers the amount of blood being pumped through the body. This lets the capillaries relax and as a result, blood pressure goes down. The heart rate will return to normal shortly after the alcohol passes through the heart, but the blood pressure could remain low for up to a half hour after the alcohol goes through the heart. After passing through the heart, alcohol flows through the pulmonary artery into the lungs. After the gas exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide, the blood, which is now oxygenated but still contains alcohol, flows back to the heart through the pulmonary vein, and then out of the heart through the aorta to the rest of the body. It then reaches the brain and retards the transmission between nerve cells that control the ability to think and move. This causes many of the side effects associated with being drunk: fuzzy thinking, impaired judgment, blurred vision, and rubbery muscles. Alcohol also reduces the production of antidiuretic hormones. These hormones prevent the body from making too much urine. A loss of these hormones results in too much urine. Too much urine causes lower levels of liquid, vitamins, and minerals in the body, which is why many people feel so thirsty when they drink and especially the day after they drink. The flow of alcohol throughout the body will continue until the liver can produce enough ADH to metabolize all the alcohol. Obviously, the more alcohol consumed, the more intense the side effects of drunkenness will become (â€Å"Alcohol and Your Body†). Now that the physiological process of alcohol and marijuana is clear, it is necessary to compare the effects of each substance. â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†, an article published on saferchoice. org, outlines both the short and long-term effects. Beginning with the short-term effects (effects felt immediately within minutes of consuming either drug), both drugs impede brain function and cause some similar side effects. However, there are some key differences between the two drugs that must be addressed. First, an excess of alcohol consumption in one sitting can lead to death. If the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) gets too high, (usually . 4% or above) it can slow down the heart to the point where the contractions stop all together causing cardiac arrest. It can impede brain function to the point where unconscious breathing no longer continues resulting in death. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 37,000 people are killed annually in the United States from alcohol abuse (â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†). The CDC does not even have a category for people killed from marijuana use. There has never been a case of an individual dying from a marijuana overdose. Another differing effect is the impact each drug has on brain cells. It has been well documented that alcohol kills brain cells, but marijuana has not been proven to kill brain cells and in fact, a growing number of studies in the medical community indicate that marijuana has properties that protect brain cells (â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†). Alcohol can also have damaging effects in its behavioral components. According to â€Å"Drugs of Abuse and The Elicitation of Aggressive Behavior, an article written by Peter Hoaken, â€Å"alcohol is the drug with the most evidence to support a direct intoxication-violence relationship. † On the other hand, marijuana was shown to reduce the likelihood of violence during intoxication. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism also reports 25-30% of violent crimes in the United States have a link to the use of alcohol (â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†). There is no comparable statistic for violent crimes with a link to marijuana because the government doesn’t track violent crimes related to marijuana use. It is a rare occurrence. Alcohol use has also been shown to contribute to domestic abuse and sexual assault. Obviously, alcohol does not directly cause this problem but those are who more prone to that kind of behavior will likely act on it during alcohol intoxication. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) declared alcohol to be the most commonly used chemical in sexual assault crimes. Interestingly, RAINN’s website gives information about all drugs that are linked to sexual violence and marijuana does not even have a category on their website because it has never been associated with sexual assault crimes (â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†). Clearly, in the short term, the effects of marijuana are less dangerous than alcohol when both substances are used to get intoxicated. But there is another component to the discussion: alcohol is not necessarily used for intoxication. Most adults drink a beer, or a glass of wine with dinner. The drink or two does not cause any of the serious effects associated with â€Å"drunkenness†, but rather might relax the individual by slightly lowering heart rate and blood pressure. While there are a small minority of people of who use marijuana in this way, (perhaps a small dosage before a meal to improve the taste) it is in no way as widely used in this manner as alcohol. Most people smoke marijuana with the sole purpose of intoxication. So it begs the question, can a drink or two daily be good for the human body? There have been a number of studies in the last decade to suggest that it is indeed beneficial to have a drink or two daily. According to an article â€Å"Alcohol is Good For You? † in the New York Times, there is general consensus in the scientific community that a couple drinks a day ward off diabetes, dementia, and even lowers the risk of heart attacks. The article goes on to say though that a growing number of scientists are starting to question whether this is causation or correlation. Many scientists believe that moderate drinking is not something healthy to do, but rather something that healthy people tend to do. That being said, there are certain factors that lead scientists to the belief that a low amount of alcohol consumed daily can be beneficial: alcohol increases HDL cholesterol which has anticlotting effects and alcohol also reduces the heart rate and blood pressure lowering stress on the body. All in all, more studies are being conducted to determine whether or not there is true causation between moderate drinking and marginal health benefits. However, even the largest proponents of moderate drinking acknowledge the limitations in truly proving causation. The study would be costly and in order to avoid bias and controversy, the study would have to be financed by the government and the government would likely avoid the issue because it is controversial. In terms of marijuana though, there is no group of respected scientists that recommend smoking a joint daily for health benefits. There have been studies showing that smoking moderate amounts of weed may not be as harmful as was originally thought, at least to some parts of the body. But again, it still isn’t recommended. According to an article in Scientific American called â€Å"Casual Marijuana Smoking Not Harmful to Lungs†, smoking one joint per day over long periods of time does not decrease lung function. The study compared the effects of cigarette and marijuana smoke on the lungs over twenty years. Obviously, tobacco was revealed to have negative effects on the lungs, but with pot-smokers, lung capacity was not affected at all and even in some cases seen to have mild improvement. Scientists believe though that this may the effect of the â€Å"deep breathing† that marijuana users often do to sustain a better â€Å"high. † Also, the typical marijuana smoker might smoke one joint per day while the typical cigarette smoker ingests between half a pack and two packs per day. Although the study shows some neutral and slightly positive effects of marijuana on the lungs, they also go on to say that chronic moderate marijuana use, meaning those who smoke up to a joint per day for years, has also been associated with anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and depression. Again, it is hard to prove direct causation between marijuana and mental illnesses, but there certainly is a correlation. The article also says that marijuana affects learning and memory, as well as everyday functioning and alertness. These long-term effects are not necessarily shocking, but depending on the age of the marijuana user, the long-term effects can be extremely detrimental. According to â€Å"Adolescent Pot Use Leaves Lasting Mental Deficits†¦Ã¢â‚¬  an article in Science Daily, marijuana use has much more serious effects on adolescents. The study followed a group of teenagers, documenting their IQ at age 13 and age 38. There was an average decrease of 8 points in those who started using pot chronically (at least once a week for a few years) before 18 years old. There was not a similar decline in those who started using the drug after 18. Worst of all, the damage was irreversible. Many of the ones who lost IQ points stopped smoking marijuana after age 18, but never recovered the cognitive ability they lost due to marijuana. Those who smoked chronically before age 18 were also more likely to suffer from mental illnesses at some point in their life. Many of the same losses in cognitive functioning are associated with underage drinking as well. One of the main reasons the drinking age in the United States is 21 is because it has been proven in numerous studies that alcohol abuse as an adolescent impairs cognitive ability and hinders brain function. Generally speaking for drinkers of all ages, one of the largest long-term effects of chronic alcohol abuse is a wide variety of cancers. Alcohol abuse can cause cancer of the stomach, esophagus, colon, pancreas, liver, and even the prostate (â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†). In comparison, marijuana has not been associated with any forms of cancer. There is another alarmingly serious consequence associated with alcohol abuse that has not been found with marijuana abuse: addiction. Alcohol is a very addictive substance. It is not uncommon for the body to go through alcohol withdrawals after continuous drinking over even a short period of time. Common alcohol withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, twitchiness, sweating of the palms, and headaches. Marijuana has not been shown to cause any physical withdrawal side effects. There might be a psychological addiction, but no physical symptoms of withdrawal in the body (â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†). In conclusion, neither drug is recommended in large amounts over a long time period or any time period for that matter. Clearly though, in the short-term, the effects are far less grave and dangerous with marijuana. Alcohol overdoses are deadly. Marijuana â€Å"overdoses† will cause to you to pass out at worst, but will not kill you. Alcohol in large quantities makes people more violent, and can often to lead to sexual assault. Marijuana does neither. Prolonged abuse of either substance though leads to declining cognitive function. Excessive marijuana abuse leads to depression, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses. Excessive alcohol abuse can lead to liver failure, cancer, sometimes depression, and many other diseases. Most importantly, both drugs are especially damaging to adolescents because they affect the development of the brain. Overall, these two drugs, when used in moderation, won’t kill you, and might even have some beneficial effects. For example, marijuana is often used as a medicine: many people recovering from chemotherapy use it to relieve nausea and increase the appetite. One or two drinks of alcohol per day can lower the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, and stroke. The big difference between the two is that alcohol has been studied for decades now. The consensus on alcohol is clear: too much is bad and it is acceptable in moderation. Marijuana has not been studied as extensively and more research will need to be done to determine concrete side effects or benefits associated with long-term usage. Obviously, it is not as harmful as originally thought when it was first made illegal in 1970 and classified as a Category 1 drug. Nobody today thinks marijuana is as dangerous as LSD and heroin. That being said, many more studies need to be done before the scientific community can come up with a general consensus about the long-term effects of habitual usage of the drug. Works Cited Adolescent Pot Use Leaves Lasting Mental Deficits; Developing Brain Susceptible to Lasting Damage from Exposure to Marijuana. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. http://www. sciencedaily. com/releases/2012/08/120827152039. htm. Alcohol and Your Body. Rep. Brown University Health Education, n. d. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. http://brown. edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/alcohol,_tobacco,__other_drugs/alcohol/alcohol__your_body. php. Bosner, Kevin. How Marijuana Works. HowStuffWorks. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Nov.

Electroencephalogram Test on Alcoholics and Non Alcoholics

Electroencephalogram Test on Alcoholics and Non Alcoholics INTRODUCTION The electroencephalogram (EEG) is a measurement of the electrical activity in the patients brain. This electrical activity is produced by the firing of neurons (a nerve cell) within the brain and varies from patient to patient. In 1875, English physician Richard Caton discovered the presence of electrical activity in the brain; however, it was not until German neurologist Han Berger in 1924 used his ordinary radio equipment to amplify the brains electrical activity so he could record it on paper. He noticed that rhythmic changes in brain waves varied with the individuals state of consciousness (sleep, anesthesia, epilepsy) and that various regions of the brain do not emit the same brain wave frequency simultaneously. (http://www.bio-medical.com). The EEG was given its name by Berger who used the German term elektrenkephalogramm to describe the graphical representation of the electrical currents generated in the brain. The scientific community of Bergers time did not believe the concl usions he made and it took another five years until his conclusions could be verified through experimentation by Edgar Douglas Adrian and B.C.H Matthews. These experiments made head-waves and other scientists began studying the field and in 1936 W. Gray Walter demonstrated that this technology could be used to pinpoint a brain tumor. He used a large number of small electrodes that he pasted to the scalp and found that brain tumors caused areas of abnormal electrical activity. (Romanowski 1999) and http://www.ebme.co.uk. The brain is the central part of the nervous system, which is the most complicated system in the body. It is an intriguing organ that has been studied right from the time of brain development in the fetus. The human brain weighs about 1.5kg in adults. The cerebrum, which forms the bulk of the brain, is divided into two hemispheres, the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere. Each hemisphere of the brain interacts with one half of the body, but for unknown reasons, it is the right side that controls the left half of the body and the left half of the brain that controls the right half of the body. However, in most people, the left hemisphere of the brain is involved in language and creativeness, while the right side of the brain is more involved in understanding and judgment. The cerebrum, which is located in the forebrain, is the largest part of the human brain and is associated with higher brain functions such as thought and action. The cerebral cortex is divided into four sections called lobes. These include: the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and temporal lobe. The frontal lobe is associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement and problem solving. The parietal lobe is associated with movement, orientation, recognition and perception of stimuli. The occipital lobe is associated with visual processing and the temporal lobe is associated with perception and recognition of auditory stimuli, memory and speech. (Khan 2009). Over the years with advancements in technology EEG electrodes, amplifiers and output devices were improved and scientists learned the best places to put the electrodes and how to diagnose its conditions. They also discovered how to create electrical maps to produce an image of the brains surface and today EEG machines have multiple channels, computer storage memories and specialized software that can create an electrical map of the brain. (Romanowski 1999). EEG has come a long way since its inception more than 100 years ago and it is used primarily in studying the properties of cerebral and neural networks in neurosciences (Michel et al. 2004). It is used to monitor the neurodevelopment and sleep patterns of infants in the intensive care unit and ultimately enable physicians to use the information to improve daily medical care (Scher 2004). The emergence of neurofeedback or EEG biofeedback has expanded the application of EEG for both cases with particular disorders or among healthy p articipants. EEG frequencies in neurofeedback can be controlled to influence certain cognitive performance and memory task, (Vernon et al. 2003). Interactive Brainwave Visual Analyzer (IBVA) is a form of biofeedback for the brain (neurofeedback). Its a training process of using technology to provide you with more information about what your body is doing than your ordinary senses provide. This feedback helps you learn to use your mind to develop greater control over your body, or, in the case of neurofeedback, your brain. IBVA detects brainwaves phasing at speeds measured in units of Hz for cycles per second between 0 and 60 Hz. It is used for sleep state and hypnosis analysis, image programming for sports training, super learning (photo reading) and for study. EEG biofeedback is effective in treating psychological disorders such as attention deficit, depression, chronic anxiety disorder, chronic alcoholics and neurological disorders like epilepsy. Patients with epilepsy that cannot be controlled by medication will often have surgery in order to remove the damaged tissue. The EEG plays an important role in localizing this tissue. Special electrodes can be inserted through the cortex or alternatively a grid of electrodes placed directly on the surface of the cortex. These recordings, often called Long Term Monitoring for Epilepsy (LTME), can be carried out for periods ranging from 24 hours to 1 week. The EEG recorded will indicate which areas of the brain should be surgically removed. (Smith n.d). Another important application of the EEG is used by anesthesiologist to monitor the depth of anesthesia. EEG measures taken during anesthesia exhibit stereotypic changes as anesthetic depth increases. These changes include complex patterns of loss of consciousness occurs (loss of responses to verbal commands and/or loss of righting reflex). As anesthetic depth increases from light surgical levels to deep anesthesia, the EEG exhibits disrupted rhythmic waveforms, high amplitude burst suppression activity, and finally, very low amplitude isoelectric or flat line activity. Quantitative EEG (QEEG) has come a long way in its relatively short life in terms of use in clinical practice. Now, as clinicians become aware of the scientific basis and power of using parametrically based measures of QEEG to assess an individual against age-matched populations, they find new ways to employ this technique. There are literally thousands of univariate electrophysiological measures that can be derived, transformed and normed into Z-scores (standard scores), to be used to indicate degrees of derivations from normal. QEEG offers a powerful application tool as a method for providing convergent evidence in the identification of clinical syndromes for individuals. Over the years, various clinicians using QEEG have attempted to establish brain maps to correspond with specific disorders such as learning disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), chronic alcoholism and depression. While certain features may be associated with general types of impairments, the utilization of univariate sets of features have, to date, been unable to provide defining specific psychiatric disorders. Looking at only the univariate features without recognizing the full space of all deviant measures, one may not realize the particular cluster of measure that may contribute to specific disorders with distinct features. Multivariate statistical measurement sets encompass the space of regions by measurement, yielding distinctive complex patterns which yield greater sensitivity in discriminability. (Budzynski, Evans and Abarbanel 2008). The basic systems of an EEG machine include data collection, storage and display. The components of these systems include electrodes, connecting wires, a computer control module and a display device. The electrodes used can be either surface or needle electrodes. Needle electrodes provide greater signal clarity because they are injected directly into the body and this in turn eliminates signal muffling caused by the skin. Surface electrodes on the other hand are disposable models such as the tab, ring and bar electrodes as well as reusable disc and finger electrodes. These electrodes may also be combined into an electrode cap that is placed directly on the head (Romanowski 2002). EEG amplifiers convert weak signals from the brain into a more discernable signal for the output device. An amplifier may be set up as follows; a pair of electrodes detects the electrical signal from the body, wires connected to the electrodes transfer the signal to the first section of the amplifier (buffer amplifier). Here the signal is electronically stabilized and amplified by a factor of 5 10 and then next in line is a differential pre-amplifier that filters and amplifies the signal by a factor of 10 – 100. After passing through these amplifiers the signals are multiplied by hundreds or thousands of times. Multiple electrodes are used since the brain produces different signals at different points on the skull and the number of channels that an EEG machine has is related to the number of electrodes used. The amplifier is able to translate the different incoming signals and cancel out ones that are identical; this means that the output from the machine is actually the diff erence in electrical activity picked up by the two electrodes. This therefore means that the placement for each electrode is critical because the closer they are to each other the less differences in brainwaves will be recorded (Romanowski 2002). EEG SYSTEM LAYOUT (www.medicalengineer.com) Recording of the electrical activity in the brain takes place over a short period of time from where information is obtained from electrodes stationed at specific points on the patients head. Electrodes are placed on the scalp of the head usually after preparing the scalp area by light abrasion to reduce impedance due to dead skin cells. In order for the placement of these electrodes to be consistent throughout an internationally recognized method called the 10-20 System is followed. The 10 and the 20 gives the actual distances between adjacent electrodes. This distance can either be 10% or 20% of the total front-back or right-left distance of the skull, i.e. the nasion – inion and preauricular points respectively, http://www.neurocarelaunches.com. Specific measurements from bony landmarks (inion, nasion and preauricular point) are used to generate a system of lines, which run across the head and intersect at intervals of 10% or 20% of their total length as mentioned above. Th e standard set of electrodes consists of 21 recording electrodes and one ground electrode. The distance between the nasion and inion is measured along the midline and the frontopolar point, Fpz, is marked at 10% above the nasion. Frontal (Fz), central (Cz), parietal (Pz) and occipital (Oz) points are marked at intervals of 20% of the entire distance, leaving 10% for the interval between Oz and inion (see Diagram 1). The midline points Fpz and Oz routinely do not receive any electrode. The distance between two preauricular points across Cz is measured. Along this line, the transverse position for the central points C3 and C4 and the temporal points T3 and T4 are marked 20% and 40% respectively from the midline (see Diagram 2). The circumference of the head is measured form the occipital point (Oz) through temporal points T3 and T4 and the frontopolar point (Fpz). The longitudinal measurement for Fp1 is located on that circumference, 5% of the total length of the circumference to the left of Fpz. The longitudinal measurements for F7, T3, T5, O1, O2, T6, T4, F8 and Fp2 are at the distance of 10% of the circumference (see Diagram 3). An electrode is then placed on each of the two ear lobes. (Jasper 1958) and (Jasper 1983). In order for the EEG test to be a success and the best possible results obtained the preparation the patient must undergo is very basic since only a good night sleep before the test is needed along with a grease-free head on the morning of the test. However, it can get more technical should the patient be taking any medication and information on this medication must be passed on to the doctor. An EEG test may be done in a hospital or in a doctors office by an EEG technologist. Using the internationally recognized 10-20 system, the electrodes are placed on the patients head and the technologist can then put the patient through a variety of different tasks such as addition/subtraction of numbers, breathing deeply and rapidly or he can ask the person to wear a goggles sending out a strobe (bright flashing light). These tasks take place normally at 15-20 second durations with 30 second breaks in between. The electrodes attached to the patients head are connected by wires to a computer wh ich records the electrical activity in the brain. An EEG test can last between 1-2 hours and the results obtained from it can be read by a certified doctor known as a Neurologist. The results of an EEG test are in the form of waveforms which gives vital information about the patient. Waves can either be Alpha waves (frequency of 8 to 12 cycles per second), Beta waves (frequency of 14 to 50 cycles per second), Delta waves (frequency less than 5 cycles per second) or Theta waves (frequency of 4 to 7 cycles per second). Basic alpha waves, which originate in the cortex, can be recorded if the patient closes his eyes and put his brain at rest as much as possible. Beta activity is a normal activity present when the eyes are open or closed. It tends to be seen in the channels recorded from the centre or front of the head. Some drugs however, tend to increase the amount of beta activity in the EEG. Theta activity can be classified as both a normal and abnormal activity depending on the age and state of the patient. In adults it is normal if the patient is drowsy. However, it can also indicate brain dysfunction if it is seen in a patient who is alert and awake. In youn ger patients, theta activity may be the main activity seen in channels recorded from the back and central areas of the head. Delta activity is only normal in an adult patient if they are in a moderate to deep sleep. If it is seen at any other time it would indicate brain dysfunction. Abnormal activity may be seen in all or some channels depending on the underlying brain problem. The stroke or blow on the head. (Niedermeyer, Ernest and Lopes da Silva 2004). ALPHA WAVES BETA WAVES THETA WAVES DELTA WAVES (http://www.electropsychology.com) Each type of wave mentioned above gives us information about the patient, for example in a normal patient we tend to observe mainly alpha or beta waves since both sides of the brain show similar patterns of electrical activity. A normal person in this case is described as one who doesnt possess any of the following diseases or injuries; head injury, neurological disease, convulsions, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, memory difficulties, confusion, depression, delusions/hallucinations and learning disabilities. If the patient is abnormal you may find two sides of the brain giving different electrical activities and this may mean there is a problem in one side of the brain caused by a brain tumor, stroke, infection or epilepsy. EPILEPTIC SPIKES AND WAVE DISCHARGES MONITORED WITH EEG (http://www.webmd.com). A stroke, which is a sudden disruption in blood flow to brain, caused by blockage or bleeding of a blood vessel and Epilepsy which is a nervous system disorder, can cause abnormal electrical activity in the brain and this abnormality can be seen from the results of an EEG test. Another common disease which is on the escalation presently is Alcoholism. This disease is known as alcohol dependence syndrome i.e. the most severe stage of a group of drinking problems, and the person who has this disease is known as an alcoholic. Alcohol clearly affects the brain since impairments such as difficulty in walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times and impaired memory are detectable after only one or two drinks and is quickly resolved when drinking stops. We do know that heavy drinking may have extensive and far-reaching effects on the brain ranging from simple slips in memory to permanent and debilitating conditions that require lifetime custodial care (White 2003). Accordi ng to the number 1 website for alcoholism, http://www.alcoholism.about.com, studies have shown that brains of alcoholics are smaller, lighter and shrunken when compared to that of a normal person. The cerebral cortex or gray matter in the brain controls all the complex mental activities and this is filled with neurons connected by single long fibers which make up the hard wiring of the brain. Heavy consumption of alcohol is particularly damaging on this hard wiring hence the reason why the brain becomes lighter and smaller and the alcoholic severe impairments. SCHEMATIC DRAWING OF THE HUMAN BRAIN, SHOWING REGIONS VULNERABLE TO ALCOHOLISM-RELATED ABNORMALITIES. (http://www.elvizy.com). Another major organ apart from the brain which alcohol affects is the liver. Long-term abusers of alcohol usually have some degree of liver damage, ranging in severity from asymptomatic and reversible fatty liver, through hepatitis and cirrhosis, to primary liver cell carcinoma, which is usually fatal. Evidence is accruing to suggest that this spectrum of disorders may be a progressive series of stages of increasing severity. Alcohol liver damage accounts for the vast majority of cases of cirrhosis in patients coming to autopsy. Further, mortality from cirrhosis is associated with national per capita levels of consumption. In North-American studies, alcoholic cirrhosis was one of the top five causes of mortality for people aged 25 to 64 years in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1992, Savolainen, Penttila and Karhunen investigated the relationship between alcohol intake and liver cirrhosis in Finland, where the per capita consumption rates doubles between 1969 and 1974. Rates of liver cirrhosi s mortality rose from 4.2 to 9.7 per 100,000 between 1968 and 1988. The mortality rate from cirrhosis has been estimated as between seven and thirteen times higher in alcoholics than in those who do not drink. Although it is more common in men than in women, there is evidence that liver disease progresses more rapidly in the female alcohol abuser (Knight and Longmore 1996). Alcoholics, they say, are not like helpless victims of measles or cancer. They may have impaired control but they can gain control through will-power and learning certain techniques. While the cause of alcoholism is unknown, a number of risk factors have been identified. These include; availability (Australian Aborigines illustrate the importance of availability of alcohol as a risk factor since when they were forbidden to drink there apparently was a low rate of alcohol abuse), family history (alcoholism in the family is probably the strongest predictor of alcoholism occurring in particular individuals), sex (st udies have confirmed higher incidence of alcoholism in men than in women), age (alcoholism in men usually develops in the teens, twenties and thirties while in women it often develops later), geography (people living in urban or suburban areas are more often alcoholics than those living in farms or in small towns), occupation (waiters, bartenders, Dockers, musicians, authors and reporters have relatively high cirrhosis rates whereas accountants, postmen and carpenters have relatively low rates), religion (almost all Jews and Episcopalians drink, but alcoholism among Jews is uncommon and appear relatively low among Episcopalians, whereas Irish Catholics in the USA and UK have high rates of alcoholism) and school difficulty ( secondary school dropouts have a record of being irritable and melancholy and experience feelings of guilt and remorse which drives them to become alcoholics. These lose interest in life and contemplate suicide which is a common outcome of alcoholism). People who have been drinking large amounts of alcohol for long periods of time run the risk of developing serious and persistent changes in the brain. Damage may be as a result of the alcohol on the brain or may result indirectly, from a poor health status or from severe liver disease (Goodwin 2000). Alcoholics are not all alike since they experience different degrees of impairment and the disease has different origins for different people. Consequently, researchers have not found conclusive evidence that any one variable is solely responsible for the brain deficits found in alcoholics. Characterizing what makes some alcoholics vulnerable to brain damage whereas others are not remains the subject of active research. The good news is that most alcoholics with cognitive impairment show at least some improvement in brain structure and functioning within a year of abstinence, though some people take much longer (Bates, Bowden and Barry 2002), (Gansler 2000) and (Sullivan 2000). Clinicians must consider a variety of treatment methods to help people stop drinking and to recover from alcohol related brain impairments, and tailor these treatments to the individual patient. Development of these therapies would occur over time with advancements in technology. Brain imaging techniques are u sed by medical doctors so that they can monitor the course of these therapies and see how successful they are. This monitoring is important since imaging can reveal information such as structural, functional and biochemical changes in the living patient over a period of time. Promising new medications also are in the early stages of development, as researchers strive to design therapies that can help prevent alcohols harmful effects and promote the growth of new brain cells to take the place of those that have been damaged by alcohol. OBJECTIVES Electroencephalogram or EEG is a tool used to image the brain while it is performing a cognitive task. This allows us to detect the location and magnitude of brain activity involved in the various types of cognitive functions we study. EEG allows us to view and record the changes in your brain activity during the time you are performing the task. Results from an EEG is extremely useful since Neurologists use this to diagnose seizure disorders (epilepsy), brain tumors, brain hemorrhage, cerebral infarct, head injury, sleep disorders and in confirming death in someone who is in a coma. (Tatum 2007). In this research project we have narrowed the study of the EEG to examine male alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients. The general objective of this project requires us to compare EEG results obtained from testing alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex. An alcoholic is one who suffers from the disease known as alcoholism and cannot control how much they consume. Identification of one involves an objective assessment regarding the damage that imbibing alcohol does to the drinkers life compared with the subjective benefits the drinker perceives from consuming alcohol. While there are many cases where an alcoholics life has been significantly and obviously damaged, there are always borderline cases that can be difficult to classify. Apart from the general objective of this research project there were many smaller tasks which had to be completed in order for us to obtain successful results and hence fulfill our main objective. The first task of this research project entailed sourcing alcoholic and non-alcoholic volunteers to test. This was particularly important since the successfulness of this task would revolve solely around our general objective. However, once this first task was sorted out and patients were tested, from the results obtained we used analytical methods such as monopolar absolute power maps, coherence maps and chaos analysis to help us get a clearer illustration of the results and hence make the general objective much clearer. The second objective of this project required us to have sufficient background information on the EEG, the experimental methodology when conducting an EEG (10-20 System), analytical methods used to illustrate EEG results, alcoholism, EEG on alcoholics and other general topics revolving around the area of research. In order for this to be a success the necessary books, journals, websites had to be sourced and read before any practical work commenced. Once these two tasks were performed successfully, we then set out to obtain our general objective of analyzing and comparing EEG results of both alcoholics and non-alcoholics. LITERATURE REVIEW An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that measures and records the electrical activity of your brain by using surface biopotential electrodes. These electrodes are attached to the patients head and hooked by wires to a computer which records the brains electrical activity on the screen or on paper as wavy lines (waveforms). Among the basic waveforms are the alpha, beta, theta and delta rhythms. Alpha waves occur at a frequency of 8 to 12 cycles per second in a regular rhythm and are present only when you are awake but have your eyes closed. They normally disappear when you open your eyes or start concentrating mentally. Beta waves occur at a frequency of 13 to 30 cycles per second and are usually associated with the use of sedative medications. Theta waves occur at a frequency of 4 to 7 cycles per second and are most common in children and young adults. Delta waves occur at a frequency of 0.5 to 3.5 cycles per second and generally occur in young children or during deep sleep. Duri ng an EEG, typically about 20-30 minutes of activity are evaluated and special attention is paid to the basic waveforms, but brief bursts of energy and responses to stimuli, such as light are also examined, (The university of Texas medical branch, http://www.utmbhealthcare.org). Results from an EEG test can tell a lot about the patient and is a read by a neurologist. The waves recorded can be classified as normal or abnormal. Abnormal waves can indicate medical problems, whereas different types of normal waves can indicate various states or activity levels. The value of understanding the normal EEG lies in developing the foundation to provide a clinical basis for identifying abnormality. Knowledge of normal waveform variations, variants of normal EEG that are of uncertain significance, and fluctuations of normal EEG throughout the lifecycle from youth to the aged are essential to provide an accurate impression for clinical interpretation. When abnormality is in doubt, a conservation impression of normal is proper. EEG produces a graphic display of a difference in voltages from two sites of brain functions recorded over time. Extra cranial EEG provides a broad survey of the electrocerebral activity throughout both hemispheres of the brain while intracranial E EG provides focused EEG recording directly from the brain through surgically implanted electrodes that are targeted at specific regions of the brain. (Tatum 2007). Information about a diffuse or focal cerebral dysfunction, the presence of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs), or patterns of special significance may be revealed from an abnormal EEG. For the successful interpretation of an abnormal EEG, one must first understand the criteria necessary to define normal patterns. While a normal EEG does not exclude a clinical diagnosis (i.e. epilepsy), an abnormal finding on an EEG may be supportive of a diagnosis (i.e. in epilepsy), be indicative of cerebral dysfunction (i.e. focal or generalized slowing), or have nothing to do with the reason that the study was performed (i.e. in headache). It is in the clinical application of the EEG findings that imparts the utility of EEG. (Tatum 2007). Two important applications involving EEG wave classification are diagnosis of sleep disorde rs and construction of brain-computer interfaces to assist disabled people with daily living tasks. Sleep occupies roughly one-third of a persons life and is indispensable for health and well-being. Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by a ten-second or longer pauses in breathing during sleep. A person with sleep apnea cannot self-diagnose the presence of this disorder so in order to make diagnoses for sleep disorders, physicians usually need to study patients sleep patterns through sleep recording. A typical sleep recording has multiple channels of EEG waves coming from the electrodes placed on the subjects head. The waves from a healthy subject are stable about zero and show relatively high variability and low correlation whilst the waves from a person with sleep difficulty show less variability and higher correlation. Measuring EEG signals is a non-intrusive procedure since it does not cause any pain to the subject. Sleep staging is the pattern recognition task of classifying sleep recordings into sleep stages continuously over time and is performed by a sleep stager. These sleep stages include rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep, four levels of non-REM sleep and being awake. Sleep staging is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of various sleep disorders. In order to make many EEG-based applications practical enough for routine use, it is necessary to achieve high accuracy in EEG wave classification. For physicians specializing in sleep disorders, improving sleep stage classification accuracy can increase both their diagnostic accuracy and the speed with which they make diagnosis. (Min and Luo. n.d). DIAGRAM SHOWING EEG SLEEP PATTERNS, (http://www.benbest.com) Brain-Computer interfaces (BCIs) are currently being developed to facilitate the control of computers by people who are disabled. As disabled people think about what they want to have the computer do, their thinking is classified based on their EEG waves and corresponding instructions are automatically executed by the computer. Accurate EEG wave classification is a critical requirement for computers to receive correct instructions. There are various kinds of BCIs with the most promising one being the P300 BCI using EEG signals. This is so because of its non-invasiveness, ease of use, portability and low set-up cost. In neuroscience, P300 refers to a neutrally-evoked potential component of EEG. (Min and Luo. n.d). Quantitative EEG signal analysis involves the transformation of the EEG signal into numerical values that can be used to examine selected EEG features. Once a specific feature of the EEG has been quantified, it can be displayed using various graphical methods such as topographic mapping or spectral trend monitoring. Other applications of quantitative analysis include automated event detection, intraoperative or ICU monitoring, and source localization. Normative databases of quantitative EEG features (such as the peak alpha rhyth m frequency or amount of alpha reactivity) can be used for statistical comparisons in research studies. Statistical quantitative EEG analysis is not yet considered reliable as an independent measure of abnormal brain function for clinical purposes. Topographic mapping refers to the graphical display of the distribution of a particular EEG feature over the scalp or cortical surface. Advanced forms of topographic mapping attempt to display EEG activity as it might be seen at the cortical surface by superimposing a color or gray scale image of the EEG feature onto the cortical surface image taken from the subjects MRI. More simplified forms of topographic mapping create a graphic display of an EEG feature over an imaginary head surface. All methods of topographic mapping depend heavily on montage construction. (Fisch and Spehlmann 1999). DIAGRAM SHOWING AN EEG TOPOGRAPHIC MAP, (http://www.cerebromente.org) Automated event detection is a form of quantitative analysis in which certain signal characteristics are used to classify an EEG change. It is most commonly applied to the detection of electrographic seizures during epilepsy monitoring. Intraoperative EEG monitoring is performed using continuous routine EEG visual inspection alone or in combination with quantitative EEG monitoring. The most common application of intraoperative EEG monitoring is for ca

Nature and nurture: Forming attitudes and behaviors

Nature and nurture: Forming attitudes and behaviors How far is that human feelings and behaviors are inborn and how far are they all learned? This has been a very controversial issue over century and it is now come across as the nature versus nurture debate. By birth the same, by custom different is a quotation by Confucius which means that all human being are naturally alike, it is the habits that make each of every human being far apart and different from each other. Evolutional perspective which emphasizes on human kinship and cultural perspective which focuses on human diversity are the two main ideas that dominating the thinking of human similarities and differences in societies nowadays. Some scientists held the opinion that people behave as they do because of their genetic makeup. This is what we known as the nature of human behavior or attitude. While on the other hand, some scientist suppose that people think and act according to the way they are being taught and this is then known as the nurture of human behavior. A lot of r esearch have been done and proved that both sides are partly right. Nature bequeaths us with innate traits and talent and nurture uses the environment factors to mold and shape these genetic tendencies. In my opinion, I think that human behaviors are largely shaped by the environment, in other word nurture play a bigger part in designing our personality and behavior. Evolutional psychology acknowledges that nature and nurture interact to form our behavior and personality. Our biological traits are not fixed blueprints, their expression rely on the environment factors. One of the classical examples is the experiment done by an American psychologist John Watson with a young orphan name Albert. The result shows that phobia could be explained by classical conditioning, an environmental learning. The little Albert started crying every time he see a furry object because he has learned that the furry object will always accompanying by a loud Bang sound that going to scare him. Other psychologist like B.F. Skinner, the father of behavioral science has also done experiments which produced dancing pigeons and proved that human behavior could be conditioned in similar way to the animal. Besides, a study published in New Scientist propose that sense of humor is not genetically inborn but a learned trait that induce by people and cultural. Obviously, environm ent definitely plays a role in shaping humans behavior and traits. If this is not the case, the identical twins should be exactly the same theoretically even they have been brought up in different place. But studies reveal that they are never exactly the same even though they are very much alike in most aspects. Cultural diversity is one of the dominant factors that cause differences among people. There are millions of different culture exist across the world, cultural diversity even exist within nation. Malaysia is a very good example for cultural diversity within nation, despite the different of the physical look among Chinese, Indian and Malay, we are all living under the same environment and taking the same food and yet what make us so distinct from each other? Each of us practices different culture and tradition base on our race and religion, so base on different believe that we held, our behavior and thinking will never be the same even though we are all basically living under the same roof. On the other hand, the cultural diversity is even more obvious when people are from different part of the world. The language, customs, culture, and expressive behaviors that vary from one country to another country make people different from each other. And due to the factors above, people from di fferent part of the world could hold different opinion about the same issue. Some societies do not wear shoes in house while other societies practicing it; some societies consider looking into peoples eyes while talking is a show of politeness while some other societies consider such action as disrespectful. In addition to that, vary in parenting style in collectivist culture and individualistic culture provides a very clear example of cultural diversity between different societies. Parenting style is greatly influenced by the cultural context of a particular society because the cultural context is going to have impact on parents moral values, believe, and socialization goals. So, what is consider normal in one culture maybe labeled as abnormal at another culture. Studies have shown that individualism and collectivism societies often hold different attitudes and value when teaching their child. The parenting style in collectivism societies emphasize on obedience, self-discipline and the importance to do well in school. Moreover, the children are expected to live with their parents until they get marry. While on the other side of the token, the parents in the individualism societies treat their children totally in an opposite way. They encourage their children to voice out their opinion and fight back whenever the children think they are correct. The parents in individualism societies, normally the westerners give much more freedom to their children compare to the parents in collectivism societies. Furthermore, the children of the westerners are expected to live with their own when they reach the age of 18 because they are considered as adult and must be able to stand on their own feet. Thus, we can imagine that how huge the different is it when people are being brought up with different culture. Sometime, all the people behave in the same manner under certain situation; this has nothing to do with our biological trait but is due to the social norm. Social norms are also one of the factors that guide human behaviors and attitudes. Norms is the standards for accepted and expected behavior which society prescribe as proper behavior. Most of our behaviors are largely shape by the society and people seldom go against what the society expect us to do as we scared that we will be rejected by the society. For instance, stop when the traffic light turn red, open the door for an old lady, and keep quiet in the library. Try to imagine you speak loudly while everybody is silently studying in the library, what will happen? Definitely everybody will look at you one kind. Furthermore, there are also norms that we share across different culture. No matter what country are we in and what culture are we practicing, we respect our friends privacy and do not divulge things said in confidence. T his is known as universal friendship norms. Other than that, there are also universal status norms where people will talk in a more respectful way when talking to a higher-status people, for example lecturer and talk in a more casual way when the person is same level as you, for example friends. Lastly, the best known universal norms would be the taboo against incest. Sexual activity is prohibited among family member, neither parents with children, nor siblings with each other. Thus, people will govern their behavior regardless their genetic makeup in order to avoid rejection from the public. Undoubtedly, genetic makeup makes a huge different between male and female. Male and female are born to be physically different, female is born to be has 70% more fat, 40% less muscle, 5 inches shorter and 40 pounds lighter than male. But biological traits only make different in sexes not gender. Gender is the characteristics people assign to male and female. Again, it is the society that assign specific gender role for men and women so that the society can function well with each of the gender carry out their assigned role and responsibility properly. Many people think that men are born to be more dominant and unemotional and women are born to be more emotional and soft which I do not think is true. Due to the gender role allocate to male and female, they are being brought up in a different way since they were young. Men are thought to be more independent, protective, and unemotional because since centuries ago men have been the head of the house, they are responsible to feed and pr otect the family; whereas women are thought to be more emotional, soft, and obedience because they are the one who going to give birth to baby, take care and teach of the child. They do not need to be strong because their job is stay and take care of everything in the house. Thus, it is the nurture that causes the two sexes behave in certain way and I think that men will stand out to be more dominant is due to the gender role that has been assign to them. Men are always given priority in the work place as their wages are always higher compared to the women who have same position as them and they are typical of those in higher-status positions. So, it is unassailable that men have higher status than women in the society and hence they are more dominant. On the other hand women are more emotional attached and express empathy more often is because they are being brought up and train in that way. Hence, the emotional trait inside women is not innate but learns through the families and e nvironment. In a nut shell, nature and nurture interact in forming our attitudes and behaviors. But just as I indicate the points above that in fact nurture plays a bigger part than nature in determining human attitude and behaviors. If human behavior can be determine with merely biological traits, there will not have so many unsolved question and doubt about human thinking and behavior, nor the exits of psychology, sociology, anthropology to study the existence, culture, and behavior of human being. The environment and culture play a major role in the nurture part of molding our personality and behavior. If without the existence of cultural diversity, I believe that all of the people around the world will be much likely behave in the same manner as each and every one of us shares the same culture and the biological traits only play a minor role in determining our behavior traits and its major role is to differentiate us in term of our sexes. It is the same that apply to environment differences, as we are being raise up in distinct circumstance; therefore we act and behave differently. Because of the environment is changing over time, behavior and attitude of human are also constantly changing. Each and every one of us is unique due to environment and cultural that we are living in, so this is why that a same situation given but all of us react differently. In addition to that, people often choose and create their own situation base on their personal preference and believe. Thus, studying of human attitude and behavior is an ongoing process that will never end as long as human beings continue to survive in the earth.