Monday, August 10, 2020

How the Brain Compensates for Alcohol Abuse Damage

How the Brain Compensates for Alcohol Abuse Damage Addiction Alcohol Use Print How the Brain Compensates for Alcohol Abuse Damage By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Updated on July 20, 2019 Science Photo Library - PASIEKA/Getty Images More in Addiction Alcohol Use Binge Drinking Withdrawal and Relapse Children of Alcoholics Drunk Driving Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery Although much of the damage that chronic alcohol abuse does to the brain begins to reverse after the alcoholic stops drinking, some cognitive deficits continue even after long-term abstinence. One study has found that even some motor-skill deficits caused by long-term alcohol abuse also remain long after the alcoholic is abstinent. But, the unexpected news is there is evidence that the brain tries to compensate for that damage by using other regions of the brain to perform those tasks. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), scientists were able to observe regions of the brain during a simple motor task and found that the brain appears to recruit other, unexpected regions to compensate for damage caused by alcohol abuse. Brain Regions Damage in Alcoholics We know from neuropathological studies that the two parts of the brain that are most often damaged in chronic alcoholics are the cerebellum and the frontal lobes, said Peter R. Martin, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology, director of the Vanderbilt Addiction Center at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and corresponding author for the study. Rapid self-paced motor activity such as finger tapping is a function of the motor cortex, the posterior part of the frontal lobe, which initiates a stimulus to the muscles of the hand, that is then coordinated by the interplay between the cerebellum and the frontal lobes. In other words, I reasoned that there would probably be abnormalities in activation of these regions in ?alcoholics during finger tapping. Examining Brain Activity Martin and colleagues observed two groups undergoing fMRI while performing repetitive, self-paced index finger-tapping exercises, alternating between their dominant and nondominant hands. The groups were eight (7 male, 1 female) alcohol-dependent patients after approximately two weeks of abstinence; and nine (7 females, 2 males) healthy volunteers or controls. Using More of the Brain As expected, the abstinent alcohol-dependent patients performed the finger-tapping tasks significantly slower than the controls. Contrary to expectations, the slower tapping was not accompanied by proportionately decreased fMRI brain activation in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum; rather, the alcoholics had a significant increase of activation in the cortical brain region ipsilateral to (on the same side as) the active hand during the dominate hand tapping. In other words, the researchers found, the alcoholics had to use more of their brains to do less. First, we found that alcoholics, generally speaking, tapped more inefficiently, said Martin. Second, in order to generate a single tap, an alcoholic would activate a larger part of their brain than a normal person. So, the results seem to indicate that even though alcoholics, as they recover from drinking, can probably demonstrate relatively normal tapping, they have to use more of their brain to generate the taps. This study underlines the importance of considering the operation of brain circuitry involved even in an ostensibly simple task, said Edith Sullivan, associate professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine. Further, evidence for recruitment of brain regions that are not normally involved in a given task puts a person at risk for performance inefficiency for that particular task, other tasks that need to be done simultaneously, and more complex divided-attention tasks, such as driving. Higher Brain Activity Increased activity in the ipsilateral cortical region of the brain was highly unexpected, said Martin. Normally, when I tap with my right hand, he said, its mostly my left motor cortex (part of the frontal lobes) thats firing, in conjunction with my right cerebellum. Ipsi means the same side, contra means the opposite side. So, were talking about my contralateral cortex and my ipsilateral cerebellum. The significantly higher activity we found in the alcoholics was in the ipsilateral cortex, the side that we dont normally expect to be activated. This finding is compatible with the idea that different regions of the brain are being called into an activity that would not normally be activated in order to meet the behavioral demands. Furthermore, this suggests that even though alcoholics at some level may seem to be performing normally if you raised the level of complexity at which they are being asked to perform, they may exhaust their capacitiesâ€"there may be no more brain to bring in, to recruit, to compensate. The Brain Gets Better at Compensating These findings lead to new questions, said Martin. If we study patients as they progress with their abstinence, do these abnormalities get better? It may be that the brain gets better at compensating, but it doesnt normalize, it just learns how to bring in, even more, parts of the brain. You could say it learns to rewire itself. Another possibility could be that as the brain heals, less activation is required, and thats a real form of recovery. The answers rest with understanding not the tapping itself, but the mechanisms behind the tapping.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Religious Wars Of Religion - 1465 Words

Professori Mark Bocija Hist 1111 Rezvan Ngalla December 14, 2015 The Religious Wars Before and after the 16th century, religion was not a word or a characteristic that was used to describe any one individual. Rather, religion was like a way of life-incorporated into the individuals and also into family values, beliefs and morals. The church played an important role in the community by offering educational opportunities especially through the monarchies, the stability of religious presence etc. The wars of religion were basically a chain of events and happenings that caused religious wars to be waged in Europe. These wars started with the Protestant reformation- Martin Luther s attempt to change the ways of the Catholic church.†¦show more content†¦Let s take a look at where the wars of religion actually got it s activation energy from-The Reformation. In the beginning of the 16th century, the Catholic Church was in a period where immorality, incompetency and corruption were the order of the day. Martin Luther, a renaissance scholar and Augustinian monk pio neered a revolt on the issue of the sale of indulgencies. Luther did not agree with the fact that salvation could be won by the sale of indulgencies alone. The introduction of Luther s belief was a large introduction to the Catholic church and caused a religious upheaval. The church enforced the idea that indulgence was the gateway to salvation. On the other hand, Luther offered a perspective that was more personal and it appealed to a mass amount of people who were frustrated with the catholic doctrine and these people actually followed his philosophy, creating the path to individual thought with regards to religion. Luther s theses gave Christians the courage to confront the corruption of the church. The dispute of religious values led to violent conflicts between the Catholics and protestant believers. As afore mentioned in Luther s writings and 95 points against the catholic church, he objected to the abuses he perceived within the church. It is also important to note that Luthe r s theses was not welcomed by the

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Walgreens Fiancial Analysis - 2167 Words

Walgreens Corporations Financial Analysis Introduction Walgreens operates 7,907 locations in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico with over 247,000 employees serving customers. The company has seen an increase in revenues, but an end to its contract to participate in the Express Scripts pharmacy provider network on December 31, 2011 poses a threat to revenues and profits for 2012 and future fiscal periods. This analysis will discuss Walgreen’s business strategy, provide a current financial analysis of the company, risks associated with the company, address prospective analysis of Walgreens and provide a decision on future investments in the company stock. Business Strategy Analysis A differentiation strategy†¦show more content†¦The negative outlook also acknowledges the sizable level of debt maturities that Alliance Boots which is the largest drugstore in United Kingdom faces and that its interest expense may rise as a result of any potential refinancing of these maturities. This negative outlook shows the risk that both combined Walgreen and Alliance Boots entities may not be able keep the companies leverage as much as the companies currently anticipated (Taylor, M. 2012). Walgreens 8-K currently filed by Gregory Wasson who is the President and CEO of Walgreens filed a Statement of Change in Benefits Ownership pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public and the Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 financial statements that would indicate that the financial statements may be of dubious value (Wasson, G. 2012). Schedules and exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. Under the Investor Relation of company’s 8-K filing, the Company agreed to furnish supple-mentally to the SEC a copy of any omitted schedule upon request (Wasson, G. 2012). The above responses were reported by Walgreens to the Securities Exchange Commission on August 18 2012: Explanation of Responses: †¢ This transaction was effected pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person inShow MoreRelated Marketing Plan for a Cosmetics Company Essay6046 Words   |  25 Pages As the chart shows, the company follows a centralized structure Where all departments must respond directly to the CEO. Underneath the CEO there are 4 departments : production, RD, ? BUSNESS AND IND. NIKOLAS BUSINESS STRATEGY SWOT Analysis A scan of the internal and external environment is an important part of the strategic planning process. In the following points I will try to figure out the strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. Strengths: After studding Cosmo in

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Privacy of Electronic Medical Records Free Essays

A service related health care organization with staff to patient ration of 1:100 can be described as acutely understaffed. This is a scenario where nurses and doctors are allocated more patients than they can handle efficiently. It puts patients at a danger of getting worse medically or even dying. We will write a custom essay sample on Privacy of Electronic Medical Records or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is a situation where drug errors, diagnosis and other medical errors are likely to occur. Due to nurse attrition they may record wrong findings and measurements because of pressure to accomplish certain goals within limited time. In most cases understaffed organizations suffer lack of technological input where it is manifested by use of outdated methods of. In a case where a hospital is understaffed, communication among doctors and other staff in such a hospital is poor thus leading to problems that have a ripple effect nature in the running of the institution. Administrative functions are hampered because most of the duties have to be executed manually. The quality of health care is very poor because every patient is not given the proper personal attention that they require because other patients will be waiting for the physician that is attending to him or her. Lack of accuracy in writing medical records is commonplace for such an institution because writing the information manually can make someone feel worn out at some point and result in erratic writing. Another cause for errors is the fact that some of the prescriptions or diagnoses are done in illegible handwriting giving a hard time to those who are supposed to act on them. Patients’ mortality and morbidity rate is therefore high as a result. Due to the large number of patients that have to be attended to by one nurse, a problem of retrieval of medical information of the patients becomes a hectic task because files have to be searched manually. This puts patients who need urgent treatment at a risk because time may be lost in trying to allocate their personal information which normally has their medical history and forms the basis on which the physicians act. In addition to this the files may be dilapidated because of wear and tear making the information blurred and illegible, and some of the materials could also get misplaced and scattered all over. All these problems summed up, lead to poor co-ordination in the hospital as well as inefficiencies in the administration. Information technology is indispensable in any health organization because according to Jack Duncan it facilitates health care that is of high quality and is cost effective. Through Electronic Medical Records, Once a patient visits the hospital they give their personal information and on diagnosis of their ailment, findings are recorded against the information as well as other details like prescriptions and orders to other health institutions. This technology ensures accuracy, precision and completeness. It is the same development that enables the creation of reminders and alerts for practitioners to administer drugs to patients thereby saving lives. Electronic Medical records are advantageous in that with consent from patients, other health providers have access to their medical records. The advantage of having such a situation is that a patient is attended to in time since less time is used in finding out his or her medical history regardless of which health institution he or she has attended. Some patients call in hospital too sick to talk or are even subconscious but once some basic information is known about them like their identification, the physician goes right ahead with treatment without having to interview them. Electronic medical records are kept by health organizations for reference and must be kept securely. It is a statutory requirement under state and federal laws for every health organization to keep them protected from access by unauthorized people (Barrows, Randolph and Clayton, Paul. 1996). The security is for the protection of patients from victimization by employers because of certain health conditions or by their insurers. Disclosure of patients’ confidential information is capable of jeopardizing the integrity of the organization involved on account of defamation, medical malpractice and subjection of patients to emotional distress (Bennett, Bob. 1995). A health care organization therefore has the legal obligation to provide security for any confidential medical information. Physicians are also not allowed to have access to a patient’s medical record without their consent. Electronic technology enhances efficiency in the storage of medical records as well as accessibility. How to cite Privacy of Electronic Medical Records, Papers

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Effective Employee Performance free essay sample

Abstract Effective employee performance management is important in order to maximize efficiency. In order to perform at the highest-level task support, feedback, knowledge and skills are important factors. If the performer has the knowledge and skills to complete a task it is important to specify what needs to be done and provide them with the necessary resources and procedures to keep the workflow. Performance management is very important when developing and building an organization. Its a way to weed out the performers who are not able to move forward. Moreover, by eing able to target performers who are able to go above and beyond; performance management will help guide the performer towards those goals by assessing what is tools and training is needed in order to achieve the organizational goals. Task Support Heathfield (2007) explains, performance management is the process of creating a work environment or setting in which people are enabled to perform to the best of their abilities (p. We will write a custom essay sample on Effective Employee Performance or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 8). The concept of maximum performance outcome relies on the performer being able to easily identify with the procedures. There must be resources vailable, procedures in place, and a system that is easy to follow. Schanie and Kemper (2008) explain, creating strategic alignment requires that the mission, values, strategic plan and goals of the organization be communicated and ultimately converted into objectives at each organizational chart level, so every manager and individual contributor is clear regarding personal performance expectations (p. 9). By clearly identifying the organizational expectations performers are able to rise above their own level of thinking to a higher level of performance. It is hard to visualize higher expectations unless they are created and explained in a simplistic way. Task support is an important element when managing performance because it allows the performer to enter into a task performance cycle of planning, counseling, assessing and developing. The Performance manager is able to evaluate the performer while carrying out the tasks and then apply reinforcement or reward when necessary (Schanie and Kemper, 2008 p. 10). Knowledge and Skills Schanie and Kemper (2008) refer to the Total Performance Development System nd incumbent to establish performance objectives, determine mutual responsibilities for the achievement of these objectives, and anticipate resources and impediments that condition the achievement of the objectives (p. 10). Objectives and goals that are established through task management can only be accomplished if the performer is able to acquire the knowledge and perform the skills that are necessary. It is important to manage and evaluate the performer in order to supply the proper training to the performer. Task support is very important mentally and physically. In 2010, Luthans, Avey, Avolio, and Peterson explain that performance outcome is effected psychologically, the positive resources that make up an individuals psychological capital are conceptually proposed to fall in between pure states and trait like constructs (pp. 43-44). Completion of tasks relies strongly on the capacity of the performers ability to acquire knowledge and develop skills. It is up to the management to supply the task support however the performer must be able to have the ability to carrying out the tasks.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

The Media and Adolescents Development

Introduction Every individual has a set of values, which, can be personal or cultural. These values define the inward and outward being of such individual directly.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Media and Adolescent’s Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Collective values and measures associated to an individual have a value system of self-concept and self-esteem. Self-concept, therefore, describe an individual through the attitudes, attributes, abilities and values categorized as positive or negative depending on one’s social or antisocial behavior. A child develops into an adult amidst internal and external factors like media that directly influence the general conduct. For instance, an individual who grows within an aggressive society develops antisocial behavior compared to the one within the responsive love and care of an older individual like parents or/and guardians. In order to determine and define an individual’s level of self- concepts, analysis of self-evaluation on positive attributes including contextual behavior change. Self-worth experience in a maintained criterion of positive experience and behavior change helps in defining the self-worth of an individual. One has to believe in him or herself to acquire positivity to self-concept and worth (Santrock, 2007). Role of Media in Adolescent Development The media create, produce, and advance multitudes of theories and ideas that massively influence the adolescent youth in their perceptions to themselves. Adolescents relate media materials to their own self-image and body image especially with the celebrities vastly featured in the media. For instance, media can present a documentary on ideal man and woman’s body will negatively lower self-esteem and self-concept of adolescents who feel they do not attain the ideality. The media literacy reaching the adolescents should contain moderate and general information that do not negatively influence the young (Muuss Porton, 1998). The media post unrealistic images, sharps, stereotypic information that can easily capture the attention of the adolescents especially girls. These young people can easily make unhealthy and confusing decision on how to acquire these sharps or correct the defect without considering the end results consequences: For example, uncontrolled dietary, dieting pills, excessive exercise and other unscrupulous solutions like use of steroids.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The study of media influence on adolescent’s self concept shows that media like advertisements, magazines, articles either screen play or print significantly influence the development of adolescent because their mental level cannot analyze or evaluate the extend at which the media can affect them. Positive Influence to Ad olescents Although media influences the youth negatively, its merits yield beneficial results on the development of the child. The academic performances of adolescents who easily access the media tend to be higher than those who do not. Computer and internet facility increase their interest to do homework, assignments and take away projects. A T.V set similarly is an education tool when used wisely by the adolescents supervised by a guardian or parent. T.V’s talk shows and educational programmes help the learners gasp best the theoretical and abstract content learned at school (Muuss Porton, 1998). Print media materials are appropriate in exposing the young to the outside world and improving on their reading skills and culture. These materials can also boost the quality of articles they write for academic and competition use. Social sites like Facebook and Twitter allow the adolescents to interact with friends and share ideas. Conclusion Media can influence the adolescents b oth positively and negatively depending on the use. To use media for positive change among the adolescents, parents and teachers should closely monitor the nature of materials the young access and more importantly discuss on a round table with the adolescents about the merits and demerits of media on their character influence. Reference List Muuss, R. E., Porton, H. D. (1998). Adolescent Behavior Society. New York: McGraw-Hill. Santrock, J.W. (2007). A Topical Approach to Life-Span Development. New York: McGraw-Hill.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Media and Adolescent’s Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on The Media and Adolescent’s Development was written and submitted by user Sullivan Reed to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Friday, March 6, 2020

The Common Law Background of the Fourth Amendment

The Common Law Background of the Fourth Amendment Most of the legal declarations that make up the Bill of Rights, including the Fourth Amendment, were founded on the Common Law, which existed in the 16th and 17th century in England. As a matter of fact, three British law-related cases prompted the Fourth Amendment. Two out of the three cases were tried in England, and the other, adjudicated in America during the 17th century.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Common Law Background of the Fourth Amendment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The two cases adjudicated in England, Entick v. Carrington in 1765 and Wilkes v. Wood in 1763, were about similar issues. In both cases, Entick and Wilkes were accused â€Å"of seditious libel† for indirectly condemning the king by criticizing his ministers. The men disseminated written statements criticizing actions of the king. The king therefore passed a warrant that allowed his agents to search the residences of the men, and seize every written statement found. This action incited Entick and Wilkes to file lawsuits against the king for damages. They claimed that it was not right for the king’s agents to search their residences in a forcible manner and impounded all their written properties. Lord Camden, the judge in charge of the case, concurred with the plaintiffs and thereby made a pronouncement that the warrant issued by the king to carry out the search, as well as the actions of his agents were indeed wrong on the grounds that the issued warrant permitted the agents to confiscate all their written belongings instead of confiscating only the written materials that were pertinent to allegations, and that the warrant was passed in the absence of a reasonable cause. Also, the Fourth Warrant was inspired by the case between English Monarchs and American colonies. British Crowns imposed taxes on colonists in order to clear war debts. This action forced American traders to smuggle goods in a bi d to dodge exorbitant taxes. As a result, the British crown issued General Warrant, also referred to as Writs of Assistance, to their custom officers, which empowered them to search and impound possessions of people suspected of smuggling items. The Writs of Assistance, permitted government officials to search and impound virtually anything without reasonable cause. Writs of Assistance attained loss of right in 1763, when the French and Indian War ended.Advertising Looking for essay on constitutional law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This event led to the extinction of General Warrant. The Fourth Amendment was therefore incorporated into the United States Constitution in 1791 upon the enactment of the Bill of Rights. Even after acceptance of the Fourth Amendment, issues of search and seizure were not well recognized until 1914 when the Supreme Court case, Weeks v. United States, instituted the â€Å"exclusionary rule†. As determined by this rule, the court will not recognize any evidence presented by the government that is contrary to the Fourth Amendment rights of the suspect, and such evidence is not sufficient to declare that person guilty. In recent times, legal and political pundits have debated about the advantages of the exclusionary rule. Those against the rule argue that it abuses justice, and defends the guilty. Others in support of the rule are of the opinion that it prevents violation of human right by overzealous officers of the law.