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Vietnam How And Why The United States Got Involved Essays

Vietnam: How And Why The United States Got Involved Vietnam: How and Why the United States Got Involved The contention in Vietnam whic...

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Islamic contracts and hedge technique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Islamic contracts and hedge technique - Essay Example The different aspects of the Islamic hedging techniques have been researched and analysed in this paper. Contents Contents 3 Introduction 4 Discussion 4 Background of Islamic Finance 4 Types of Contracts 6 Hedging Instruments of Islamic Finance 7 Profit Rate Swap 8 Foreign exchange Risk Hedging 9 Conclusion 10 11 References 12 Introduction Islamic Finance has been based on the principles of the Quran or more categorically on the principles of Sharia. According to the principles of Islamic Finance the acceptance and payment of interest is unfair. Thus Islamic Finance is devoid of any payment or receipt of interest in case of any business transaction. This kind of financing technique is adopted for the achievement of the goals which are specific to the Islamic economy. The sharing of the profit and loss is the main principle of the Islamic Sharia. According to the Sharia this measure would bring equity as well as justice in the economy. Hence the alternative names for the banks running on the principles of Islamic Finance are PLS bank. In the financial system there are various types of risks that persist which may result in a huge amount of loss. The hedging techniques are adopted in a financial market in order to cover a particular position of exposure which is generally in relation to a particular financial activity by taking a position that is opposite of what the risky situation is. Most of the banks take such hedging techniques in order to cover the exposures that arise out of the mismatches in the asset and liability of the books of accounts. These kinds of hedging techniques are also prevalent in the context of Islamic Finance. This essay looks into the various risk management measures that are being undertaken in order to provide a solution for the risk exposures and the types of instruments that are being implemented for the purpose. Discussion Background of Islamic Finance The main objectives of Islamic Finance are to promote the principles of Sharia in the ways in which business activities are being conducted. This is done with the objective of promoting growth and prosperity in the economy in a fair way. These financial services would conform to the principles of Sharia and would ensure that the distribution of income in the economy would be equitable and there would be optimal allocation of the resources in the economy in a justified manner. As opposed to the conventional modes of financing which considers interest as the opportunity cost of money, Islamic finance considers the existence of interest as an unjust practice. According to the principles of Islam, loans are provided by one party to the other to meet any kind of contingent situation that may arise. A lender should thus help the borrower to get the loan rather than taking undue advantage of it. Therefore there should be a relation of cooperation between the lender and the borrower. There is no relation of debtor and creditor as in case of commercial banking that is pr actice according to the general convention. The principles of Sharia state that there is simply no return that the people can actually reap unless they take any kind of risk. The principle in is practice in both the capital markets as well as the labour markets. This means that the labourers would not be eligible for wages unless they take some risks while working or bear a cost. On the other hand the capital

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Quantification of Bioactive Compounds in Mentat Tablet (MT)

Quantification of Bioactive Compounds in Mentat Tablet (MT) An ultra-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of twenty-eight major bioactive compounds in Mentat tablet (MT), a complex Indian herbal medicine used in the treatment of neurological disorder and improvement of mental health. Multiple-reaction monitoring scanning was employed for quantification in positive and negative mode. The analysis was accomplished on Waters AQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column with linear gradient elution of water/formic acid (0.1%) and acetonitrile/formic acid (0.1%) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The proposed method was validated with acceptable linearity (r2, 0.9984-0.9999), precision (RSD, 0.22–2.11%), stability (RSD, 0.16–1.78%) and recovery (RSD ≠¤ 3.74 %), under optimum conditions. The limits of quantitation were low ranging from 0.28 to 3.88 ng/mL for the 28 compounds. The method was successfully applied to the simultaneous deter mination of 28 compounds in twenty batches of MT tablets. Also, hierarchical cluster analysis and principle component analysis was applied to categorize 20 samples based on characteristics of the 28 bioactive compounds. The results have indicated that this advanced method is rapid, sensitive and suitable to show the real quality of the MT composition and also capable of controlling quality of polyherbal formulations having similar markers/raw herbs. Keywords: Multiple Reaction Monitoring / Multi-Marker Quantification / UPLC-ESI-MS/MS / Hierarchical Cluster Analysis / Principle Component Analysis 1. Introduction Herbal medicines (HMs) refer to one herb or complex mixtures, which usually contains hundreds of chemically different components. Their curative effects are principally based on the synergic effect of their multi-targeting and multi-ingredient preparations [1, 2]. Consequently, quality control becomes troublesome for crude drugs. the method that employs pharmacologically active components to evaluate the quality and authenticity of the complex preparations is confronted with severe challenges. Therefore, better analytical strategies to assure their efficacy, safety, and consistency is essential and in great demand [3]. Moreover, the chemical compounds in the poly herbs in HMs products may vary depending on harvest seasons, plant origins, drying processes and other factors. Thus, it seems to be necessary to determine most of the phytochemical constituents of herbal products in order to ensure the reliability and repeatability of pharmacological and clinical research and to enhance pro duct quality control [4, 5]. Currently, selection of a single or a few specific components from a certain herbal medicine as markers for quality assessment is a widely applied strategy. However, it cannot afford sufficient quantitative information for the other medicinal compositions and cannot accurately reflect the quality of HMs products. All the HMs compositions play important roles in the therapeutic effects. Therefore, selecting multiple constituents from different medicinal herbs as evaluation markers has been gradually applied for the quality control of HMs [6, 7]. Mentat tablets (MT, commercial product) is a polyherbal medication with each tablet composed of multiple herbs extracts (listed in Table S1). Major contributed herbs are Bacopa monnieri, Centella asiaticaand Withania somnifera. MT is a unique all-natural multi-ingredient formula that promotes brain health. It improves the mental quotient, memory span, concentration ability, stress threshold and exhibit significant anti-parkinsonian activity. MT also offers protection against convulsions, which is beneficial in insomnia with its sedative and tranquilizing effects [8-10]. Chemically bacosides, saponin mixture in B. monnieri, triterpenoid glycosides in C. asiatica, steroidal lactones in W. somnifera are the major representative ingredients in MT, in comparison to others. [11-14]. Phytochemical investigations show important classes of bioactive constituents in selected plants which are as in combination of MT that are responsible for the bioactivity [15-20]. Literature survey reveals various analytical methods including thin layer chromatography (TLC) [21], high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) [22, 23], liquid chromatography (LC) [6, 24, 25], liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) [26-29], nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) [30] for the quantitative analysis of the bioactive constituents in HMs to assess the quality of the complex preparations. To the best of our knowledge, there is no method reported for the simultaneous estimation of selected 28 multi-markers in herbals by UPLC-ESI-MS/MSand no such approach has been explored on this important drug combination for quality and consistency evaluation of this herbal preparation. Natural alteration in preparation processes and climate affects the safety and batch-to-batch uniformity of HMs products. Highly sensitive analytical methods are thus required to identify ingredients and evaluate batch-to-batch variation. Compared to conventional TLC, HPTLC, HPLC method which are less sensitive and takes longer analysis time, UPLC-ESI-MS/MS method in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode is more powerful approach. Due to its rapid separation power, low detection limit, high sensitivity, selectivity and specificity, UPLC-ESI-MS/MS offers effective detection to quantify multi-ingredients in complex sample matrices. Previous methods reported in literature only contained one or few compounds, without the consideration of other active ingredients. This paper describes for the first time a simple, accurate and reliable UPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of 28 multiple bioactive compounds from different polyherbs viz., bacoside A (mixture of bacoside A3, bacopaside II, bacopaside X and bacopasaponin C), withanolide-A, withaferin-A, asiaticoside, madecassoside, jatrorrhizine, palmatine, magnoflorine, curcumin, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, ellagic acid, rosamarinic acid, ursolic acid, catechin, apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, rutin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, corilagin, chrysin and chlorogenic acid with single runtime of 10 min. This method is intended not only for quality control of commercial polyherbal formulated products but also for efficient evaluation of raw materials. The quantitative results were further analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis i.e., hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principle component analysis (PCA) to provide more information about the ch emical differences and batch-to-batch variations. Chemical Structures of all analytes and internal standards were showed in Fig 1. 2. Experimental 2.1 Reagents and materials The reference standards (purity≠¥90%) bacoside A (mixture of bacoside A3, bacopaside II, bacopaside X and bacopasaponin C) was purchased from Natural Remedies Pvt. Ltd. Apigenin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, protocatechuic acid, rosamarinic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, ursolic acid, palmatine, withanolide-A, withaferin-A, asiaticoside, madecassoside, jatrorrhizine, magnoflorine, catechin, chlorogenic acid, curcumin, rutin, corilagin, chrysin, gallic acid and ellagic acid were purchased from Sigma Aldrich Ltd. (St. Louis, MO, USA). Reference standards of quercetin, luteolin and internal standards (IS) andrographolide and piperine were purchased from Extrasyntheses (Genay, France). Twenty different batches of Mentat tablets produced by Himalaya Drug Company, Bangalore, India were purchased from local drug stores from different places in India (Table S2). For all solutions and dilutions, methanol, acetonitrile (LC-MS grade) and formic acid (analytical grade) were purchased from Fluka, Sigma–Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA). Milli-Q Ultra-pure water was obtained from a Millipore water purification system (Millipore, Milford, MA, USA). 2.2 Preparation of standard solutions and samples A stock solution containing 28 standards i.e., bacoside A (mixture of bacoside A3, bacopaside II, bacopaside X and bacopasaponin C), withanolide-A, withaferin-A, asiaticoside, madecassoside, jatrorrhizine, palmatine, magnoflorine, curcumin, gallic acid, procatechuic acid, ferulic acid, caeffic acid, ellagic acid, rosamaric acid, ursolic acid, catechin, apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, rutin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, corilagin, chrysin and chlorogenic acid were weighed accurately, dissolved in pure methanol.The working standard solutions were prepared by diluting the mixed standard solution with methanol to a series of concentrations within the ranges from 1 to 1000 ng/mL used for plotting the calibration curves. Meanwhile, each standard was also prepared respectively. The coating of each samples were removed completely, and the remains were smashed into powder. Pulverized sample (0.5g) was weighed precisely, and sonicated by ultrasonicator (53 KHz, Bandelin SONOREX, Berlin) using 50 ml 100% methanol at room temperature for 30 min. The extracted solution was centrifuged at 15000 rpm for 10 min, and the supernatant was filtered through a 0.22  µm syringe filter (Millex-GV, PVDF, Merck Millipore, Darmstadt, Germany) to obtained 10,000  µg/ml. The à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ltrates were diluted with methanol to final working solutions and analyzed directly by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The internal standards andrographolide for negative mode and piperine for positive mode were spiked to each working concentration of mixed standards solution and sample solution at a final concentration of 50 ng/mL (50  µL of internal standards mixture of 1000 ng/mL of each in methanol) were mixed properly. All solutions were stored at -200C until use and sonicated prior to injection. 2.3 Instrumentation and analytical conditions An Acquity ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLCTM) system consisting of an auto sampler and a binary pump (Waters, Milford, MA was used for analysis. The compounds were separated on an Acquity BEH C18 (2.1 mmÃâ€" 50 mm, 1.7 µm; Waters, Milford, MA) analytical column at a column temperature of 25à ¢- ¦C. A gradient elution was achieved using two solvents: 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in water (A) and 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in acetonitrile (B) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The gradient program consisted of an initial of 5% with linear increase from 5% to 60% B over 1.85 to 7.5 min and increased from 60% B to 90% B over 8.5 min, which was maintained for 1.5 min, followed by a return to the initial condition over 2.5 min with a sample injection volume of 5 µL. The UPLC system was interfaced with hybrid linear ion trap triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer (API 4000 QTRAPâ„ ¢ MS/MS system from AB Sciex, Concord, ON, Canada) equipped with electrospray (Turbo V) ion source. The optimized parameters for positive mode were as follows: the ion spray voltage was set to 5500 V; the turbo spray temperature, 550à ¢- ¦C; nebulizer gas (gas 1), 50 psi; heater gas (gas 2), 50 psi; collision gas, medium; the curtain gas (CUR) was kept at 20 psi. Optimized parameter for negative mode were as follows: the ion spray voltage was set to −4200 V, the turbo spray temperature, 550à ¢- ¦C; nebulizer gas (gas 1), 20 psi; heater gas (gas 2), 20 psi; collision gas, medium; the curtain gas (CUR) was kept at 20 psi. Quantitative analysis was performed using multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode and its conditions were optimized for each compound during infusion. For full scan ESI-MS analysis, the spectra covered the range from m/z 100 to 1000. Analyst 1.5.1 software package (AB Sciex) used for instrument control and data acquisition. The results of the precursor ion, product ion, corresponding declustering potential (DP), entrance potential (EP), collision energy (CE), cell exit potential (CXP) were shown in Table S3. 2.4 Multivariate analysis Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) is a tool to identify relatively homogeneous groups of cases based on selected characteristics, using an algorithm that starts with each case in a separate cluster until only one is left. In the experiment, HCA of 20 batches of samples were performed, in which a method called average linkage between groups was employed and 28 markers were selected as the measurement. Similarly, Principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out based on the contents of quantified 28 bioactive compounds in 20 batches of samples. All the experiment was done using software STATISTICA 7.0. When the contents of investigated compounds were below the quantitation limit or not detected in the samples, the values of such elements were considered to be zero.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Technology is a Benefit to Our Society Essay -- Argumentative Persuasi

Technology is a Benefit to Our Society Over the last century, our world has evolved so much, because of the growth of the technological field. Although we spend a lot of money in order to gain new information, the reward goes far beyond the cost of money. In this case, the reward is the ability to save the lives of millions of people. In his essay, â€Å"The Technology of Medicine,† Lewis Thomas describes the three levels of technology; Nontechnology, Halfway Technology, and Effective Technology (582-583). â€Å"Nontechnology† has become the therapeutic part of technology, which helps patients through the emotional and mental effects that a disease can have on them. â€Å"Halfway Technology† is the name given to procedures, such as transplants, that prevent deaths of patients from the failure of certain organs of their bodies. However, the most important level is â€Å"Effective Technology† which consists of inventions used to help manage, eliminate or detect certain types of diseases before t hey have a chance to progress to higher levels within patients’ bodies. All these gadgets show that technology can be used as a benefit to humankind, only when used for the correct reasons to avoid such disasters as the cancer caused by bomb testing in Terry Williams’ essay, â€Å"The Clan of One-breasted Women.† Effective technology has not only touched the lives of people living in the United States, but those living all around the world as well. Through the invention of immunizations, we have been able to eliminate many diseases, such as smallpox, that have caused the death of millions of people in past generations. If not for the invention of antibiotics, the time and money that would be spent on treatments for infections would be much greater than ... ...s made in my life; and if it were not for the different inventions that have come out of technology, many of us would not be here today. How has technology made a difference in your life? Maybe you should think about that question before taking your own decision on this subject. Works Cited Gould, Stephen Jay. â€Å"The Terrifying Normalcy of AIDS.† The McGraw-Hill Reader. 8th ed. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. 594-597 Selzer, Richard. â€Å"Sarcophagus.† McGraw-Hill Reader. 8th ed. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Thomas, Lewis. â€Å"The Technology of Medicine.† McGraw-Hill Reader. 8th ed. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Williams, Terry Tempest. â€Å"The Clan of One-Breasted Women.† McGraw-Hill Reader. 8th ed. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. 598-607 4 Montilus 1

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Cell Energetics Study Guide

Cellular Energetics Study Guide 1. Overall Metabolism a. Oxidation – a molecule LOSSES hydrogen, energy is RELEASED b. Reduction – a molecule GAINS hydrogen, energy is GAINED and stored (the more reduced a molecule is, the more energy is stored in its COVALENT BONDS) *** Always occur in a coupled pair (RED-OX)*** c. Electron Carriers i. Oxidizing Agents: are REDUCED to OXIDIZE another molecule 1. NAD+ – oxidizes glucose to 2 pyruvate in glycolysis, oxidizes pyruvate to CO2 in the Kreb’s cycle (gets reduced to NADH) 2.NADP+- oxidizes H2O to O2 during the Light Dependent Reactions of photosynthesis, final electron acceptor from chlorophyll (PSI) (gets reduced to NADPH) 3. FAD+- oxidizes NADH to NAD during glycolysis and transported to the mitochondrion (gets reduced to FADHs) ii. Reducing Agents: are OXIDIZED to REDUCE another molecule 4. NADH- reduces 2 pyruvate to 2 lactic acid in fermentation, reduces O2 during the respiratory chain (gets oxidized to NAD) *CANNOT pass through the mitochondrion* 5.NADPH- reduces CO2 to form carbohydrates (Calvin Cycle) in the Dark Reactions of photosynthesis (gets oxidized to NADP) 6. FADH2- reduces O2 during the respiratory chain (gets oxidized to FAD) *CAN pass through the mitochondrion* 2. Phosphorylation: Formation of ATP (ADP + P ATP) d. Substrate-level: direct enzymatic transfer of a phosphate to ADP * Only occurs during glycolysis when O2 is not needed to function * Only a small amount of ATP is produced this way e.Electron Transfer /Chemiosmosis: the movement of protons (H+) down a concentration gradient through ATP synthase that can HARNESS THE ENERGY OF THAT GRADIENT (proton-motive force) to bond ADP and phosphate to create ATP through oxidative phosphorylation * Occurs during the Light Dependent Reaction * 90% of ATP is produced this way 3. Photosynthesis f. Balanced Net Reaction: light 6CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2 g. Light Dependent Reaction – occurs on the thylakoid lumen iii. Photol ysis – oxidation of H2O to release electrons used to return PSII to ground state iv.NADP Reduction – NADP receives an electron from PSI as it passes through electron transfer chains, reducing it to NADPH+. Electrons are passed from excited atoms that gain energy from a photon. v. ATP Synthesis – ATP is produced by chemiosmotic phosphorylation. Proton gradient (within the thylakoid interior) is made as electrons from photosystems are passed through proton pumps. h. Light Independent Reaction – occurs in the stroma vi. CO2 fixation: RuBP + CO2 2 PGA (a form that can be easily reduced).The reaction is catalyzed by RUBISCO. 7. In the presence of oxygen, RuBP + O2 Bad Sugar; process is called photorespiration. Plants overcome this by keeping a HIGH concentration of CO2. Land plants must compromise opening the stroma to maintain high CO2 concentration with loss of H2O. There are 2 additional adaptations that evolved: a. C-4 Pathway – formation of Oxaloac etate (C-4) from CO2 + PEP (C-3). Occurs in outer cells (mesophyll). Calvin cycle occurs in inner cells only (closer to supply of CO2, bundle sheath). b.CAM Pathway – like C-4, but fixation only occurs at night, when water loss is minimal. Found in desert plants, like cacti. vii. Calvin Cycle 8. PGA is reduced to PGAL using the products of the light dependent reaction, NADPH (oxidized) and ATP (provides energy) 9. One-sixth of the PGAL produced is used to create glucose for the cell to grow and repair. 10. Five-sixths of the PGAL is used to produce RuBP, completing the cycle (energy requiring). 4. Cellular Respiration i. Balanced Net Reaction: C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O j.Glycolysis – occurs in the cytoplasm. All organisms carry out this process. viii. Glucose is double phosphorylated by 2 ATP and broken up into two three carbon phosphorylated molecules called PGAL ix. Each PGAL is phosphorylated by a free phosphate and ADP to form Biphosphoglycerate (BPG) while NAD is reduced to NADH. x. Each BPG aides in Substrate Level Phosphorylation of two ADP’s to form 2 ATP’s. Water is released. The remaining 3 carbon molecule is pyruvate. k. Fermentation – when pyruvate is used to oxidize NADH to replenish NAD+.Only produces 2 ATP per glucose through glycolysis. Some organisms (anaerobic) do it exclusively. Occurs regularly in all cells, but products can build up when NAD supplied through reduction of pyruvate is not available. 2 Forms: xi. Alcoholic – produces ethanol and CO2 from reduction of pyruvate. xii. Lactic acid – produces lactic acid from the reduction of pyruvate. l. Kreb’s Cycle – NAD required to begin. Takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria or in the cytoplasm of prokaryotes. xiii. Pyruvate is oxidized to Acetyl CoA, Reduced by _______, Releases 1 NADH. iv. Acetyl CoA is added to Oxaloacetate to form Citrate. xv. Citrate is broken down releasing 2 H2O and is oxidized 4x: by NAD+ thrice an d once by FAD+. One Substrate Level phosphorylation occurs producing ATP. Oxaloacetate is the product and continues the cycle by being added to the next available acetyl CoA. m. Electron Transport and Oxidative Phosphorylation – takes place on the cristae (inner mitochondrial) membrane. xvi. NADH and FADH2, products of Glycolysis and Krebs are oxidized by Q (molecule embedded in the membrane).Electrons are passed to cytochrome and protons are pumped into the proton pumps. xvii. The protons diffuse back through ATP synthase in a process called chemiosmosis. The energy harnessed allows an oxidative phosphorylation of ATP. (3 for each NADH, 2 for each FADH2) xviii. Free protons in the matrix and the electrons accepted by E. T. C are passed to O2, which is reduced to water. Stomata Allows gas exchange; since a lot of water can be lost, plants only open stomata for photosynthesis in daylight; at night they close to reduce loss of water. **CAM plants keep their stomates closed duri ng day and open at night*** Mesophyll C-3 Plants: Calvin Cycle during day C-4 Plants: CO2 combines with 3 carbon molecule PEP to form C-4 acid CAM Plants: stores CO2 in organic compounds that are synthesized at night Bundle sheath C-4 Plants: Calvin Cycle during day CAM Plants: Calvin Cycle during day Thylakoid lumen Light dependent reactions Stroma Calvin Cycle/Light independent reactions Inner membrane E. T. C. Cytoplasm Glycolysis & Fermentaion Matrix Kreb’s Cycle Diagrams (know following structures and what takes place there)

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Impact of Wars on Military Society: The Soldiers and their Families Essay

Wars have been part of human history. What shaped the society that is perceived in this time is a result of conflicts and rivalries that occurred in the past. In almost all places on earth, the scars of war and of battle continue to be seen and commemorated. People are divided in this concept of war. For some, it is a way of life and a means of achieving peace and promoting security in the homeland. For some, it is a conflict of opposing forces where nobody wins, but rather, results into crises and extreme loss of life. Publicists have various definitions on war. According to a book entitled, â€Å"On War† written by General Carl Von Clausewitz, war is simply defined as nothing but a duel between two opposing forces but in an extreme scale. It is a struggle between two sides, whose aim is to apply physical force and compel the opponent to surrender and submit, as well as render him unable to engage in further resistance. It is an act of violence towards another in order to fulfill one’s will (2008). Basically, in war, there is violence. Thus, there is always the possibility of death to even an immense scale. In times of war, a lot of elements are affected such the economy, security, the family, and most importantly, the soldiers themselves. During World War II, there were seemingly immeasurable number of deaths both from the allied forces and the axis powers. The event shook the world and created chaos in various countries around the world. Economies crumbled and government policies were disorganized. In the military society, a large number of soldiers were lost that left their families with trauma to even psychological disorders. This paper discusses these impacts of war on the military society, particularly on the soldiers themselves, as well as their families. Because of the advancement in technology and the increasing lethalness of military weapons, a posing threat emerges for individuals who are deployed in warfare. The environment has become more aggressive. The Effect of War on Soldiers In every war, the most proximate effects are felt by the soldiers. The disorder now called as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder had its roots in World War II. Back then the condition was referred to as battle fatigue. Although cases of the condition were already reported ever since the Civil War, the occurrences were very minimal because of the conflict was waged within the soldiers’ own country. Other than that, the weapons used during that time were not as sophisticated as the weapons in the 21st century. During the First World War, this condition was also evident when the Germans introduced â€Å"gas† warfare. However, it was only during the Second World War that information regarding this condition was widely known (Chermol, 9). During World War II, the most common condition was the mild and non disabling battle fatigue. During initial combat operations, dramatic but transient battle fatigue was eminent. More intense cases were referred to as â€Å"Old Sergeant’s Syndrome† which includes physical and psychological burnout that lasted months after combat (10). For the marines and the aviators, the symptoms of battle fatigue they experienced consisted of increased emotionality, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and exaggerated startled response to sudden movements or noises along with some physical complaints (10). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder became the most common disorder in the military since after its recognition. In a report by the Washington Post dated May 27, 2008, the number of cases for PTSD jumped dramatically to 50 percent in 2007 on US troops. This is because of the military buildup that existed in Iraq and the high level of violence in Afghanistan. According to the report, around 40, 000 troops were already diagnosed with the condition since the year 2003. In a statement, the officials said that there may be more because some military personnel simply refuse to reveal their condition. According to experts, many troops suffer from the symptoms of PTSD, particularly on stress. These include nightmares and flashbacks. They stated that these symptoms can be cured if the treatment is early (Jelinek). PTSD, along with other mental conditions was prevalent in military personnel. In the United States, PTSD was common among military personnel because of longer exposures to combat. In the recent years, as supported by the news article of Washington Post, the number of cases increased because of the increased military activity the country is involved in. The government has been involved in almost all wars since after WWII. Such wars include the Korean War, Vietnam War, the Gulf War, War on Afghanistan, and in Iraq. Soldiers had more combat exposures and some were even sent to two consecutive campaigns. The result is more soldiers deployed in hostile areas and longer combat exposure, increasing the risk of psychological and mental disorders. In an article written by Christine Liddell and Jennifer Kemp in the book â€Å"The Psychological effects of war and violence on children†, they pointed out that the effects of war does not necessarily mean that the soldiers have to be adults. The majority of armed conflicts since the 1970s have happened in the African continent. In most of these conflicts, the effects on children have not yet been documented. The situation in these areas is serious because of the fact that the armed conflict in Africa, children and the youth has found themselves in the front line and participates in the struggle (Leavitt). The only thing that may protect soldiers from experiencing stress leading to psychological disorders while in the front line is hardiness. Paul T. Bartone of the U.  S Military Academy at West Point, New York conducted a study on hardiness being a protection against war-related stress in the army reserve forces. After the Cold War, the number of military personnel has slowly decreased, putting great importance on reserve and National Guard units in the United States. The study explored the personality hardiness as a potential protection among army reserve personnel mobilized for the Persian war. Results of regression analysis showed that hardiness interacted with both combat-related stress and stressful life events. The results suggested that hardiness protects against the negative effects of stress. The study produced a number of implications for military personnel that encounter various types of stress such as battle fatigue and separation from their families (Bartone). On Military Families For every soldier that is deployed in the battle field, there is a family that is separated and also suffers from the effects of war. War results into families without fathers or mothers, husbands or wives. The family that is left behind also suffers certain conditions caused by situations such as separation or death of the soldier in battle. To some families, it leads to cases of divorce and marital conflicts. This section discusses the conditions that families of military personnel are experiencing because of war. Evidence suggesting these problems are provided by the study conducted by Joshua Angrist and John Johnson regarding the effects of work-related absences on families during the Gulf War. They used data from the 1992 Survey of Officers and enlisted personnel. They estimated the divorce rates, spousal employment, and children disability rates caused by the Gulf War. The results of the showed that there were no significant increase in the disability rates in the children of the deployed soldiers. For male soldiers, the deployment of female soldiers resulted to a significant increase in divorce rates and marital dissolutions. This suggests that the deployment of female soldiers causes a strain on marriages (Angrist). In the study, the results also suggested that the husband’s work supply is not affected by the deployment of the wives in war. The extended hours given to soldiers put stress on family relationships and create conflicts between husbands and wives regarding child and house care. These conditions increase the possibility for marital dissolutions that could affect the emotional and psychological well-being of the children. These effects are further supported by the study of Ernest Burgees on the effects of war on the American family. The impact of war upon the family can clearly be observed. These effects are significant in the ongoing process of family life. The observable effects of war include the withdrawal o f men from civilian and entering the military, resulting in to an increase in socially disapproved forms of behaviors. This entrance to the military by the male civilians forces the females to seek employment and enter the industry in order to replace the men that were enlisted in the armed forces. Thus, children begin to be neglected, increasing the number of cases of juvenile delinquency, changes in marriage, divorce, and high birth rates. More serious effects of war on the American family include the increasing trend towards the companionship type of family. It also raised the status of women as a more powerful force that gives support to the family since they engage in industrial jobs that make up for the absence of their husbands. Thus, parents begin to lose their function in the family, especially in their responsibilities towards their children. This resulted to the increase in the number of nursery schools for rearing and tending the needs of children in the preschool age and the extension of government interventions for family security. The family, therefore, experiences a significant shift from being an institution to becoming a companionship type of relationship (Burgees). The number of cases on juvenile delinquency is also one of the impacts of war on military families. In countries such as Canada and England, there has been a 40 to 50 percent increase in the number of youth related violence compared with the pre war years. In the United States, this situation is also manifested in Chicago and in Los Angeles where number of youth crimes have been increasing. This suggests that the effects are caused by the absence of a father, older brother, older sister, or mother figure in the family set up because of their deployment in the military or because of the need to work (344). The family shifts from the institutional to the companionship type because of the increasing number of fathers that are deployed in the military. The companionship type family is more modern since it is a contrast of the institutional, patriarchal type. Family members are no longer subordinates but are now free to engage in self-expression, since this type stresses the interpersonal basis of modern matrimony (347). Even wives of military personnel are exposed to psychological and mental disorders as much as their husbands who are at the front lines. In a study, the effects of combat trauma were investigated. The implications of combat-induced psychopathology were examined. The conditions investigated were wartime combat stress reaction (CSR) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The results showed that in a sample of 205 wives of Israeli combat veterans of the 1982 Lebanon war, both CSR and PTSD were associated with increased psychiatric symptoms manifested. PTSD was found to contribute to the wives’ social impairment in a number of contests such as feelings of loneliness, impaired marital and family relations, which extends to a wider range of their social networks (Solomon, et al. ). Hardships in the Modern Military Society In a report prepared by Kari Huus of MSNBC, the condition of American soldiers were revealed through testimonies given by families and other persons about the extended time of deployment given to enlisted personnel. According to the report, the U.  S military has stretched thin its military personnel after more than four years in Iraq and six years in Afghanistan. During this time, military personnel were repeatedly deployed in the warzone with decreasing dwell times between their postings have reached its toll on the families and loved ones of the personnel. Families are beginning to feel exhausted and stressed because of the separation that has been happening more frequently. Anxiety is also one of the problems experienced by families who are always waiting for phone calls from their loved one. According to one testimony by a wife of a soldier, she experiences fears of the worst kind as she imagines what if the calls would stop. The possibility that this would happen is when someone in the company has been killed and all phone lines are to be cut off until the closest kin to the dead personnel has been notified. The prolonged conflicts involved with the United States has forced it army to repeatedly deploy soldiers in the warzone. According to military experts, this sort of scenario was never intended to reach this level. As a result, soldiers begin to experience hallucinations and different psychological disorders which lead some military personnel to take their own life. The children of military fathers also suffer since they seem to sense a number of changes in their fathers after they have gone home after their deployment (Huus). Conclusions As stated in the previous pages, war is basically a duel between two opposing forces in order to resolve a conflict. The only difference is that war is being done in a massive scale. The consequences of this conflict are manifested in the lives of the members of the military society, particularly on the soldiers and their families. The impact of war on the soldiers consists of psychological and mental difficulties such as battle, fatigue, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. These conditions tend to endure in their lives even after the war, which can cause disturbances in other aspects of their lives, most especially on their families. As much what the soldiers are suffering, families left behind by soldiers also suffer emotional and psychological difficulties. Marital relationships have the potential to encounter problems and children also suffer from the absence of their father, mother, or older sibling, brought about by war. The studies and other literature in this paper suggest that the introduction of new interventions regarding troop deployment should be sought, as well as securing the emotional and psychological well-being of soldiers and families, while many still question the significance of war on the development of the society.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Controlled by computers essays

Controlled by computers essays Computers seem to control our lives. It is hard to live without a computer, and no matter how hard you try to remove yourself from computers, they always affect your life. Many people think it is good that computers make things simple. "The Jetsons" was a cartoon where computers controlled the world; their maid was a robot while a computer guided the family to do simple tasks, such as showering and styling hair. It seems that the Jetsons world would be an ideal world to live in, so looking at where computers are headed today the future seems bright. Computers make it so that you can control your heat, air conditioning, pay bills, receive bills, buy groceries, listen to music and watch movies, all without leaving the comfort of your desk. But how would one get the money for this? Computers, once an expensive item, now can be attained by anyone. There are places offering free computers, computers on monthly payment plans and very cheap computers. Once you have one of these com puters, you can then get a job where you work from your computer. After working your Internet job, you can deposit your paychecks directly into an Internet banking account. If you manage to save enough money, you can buy that car you have always wanted, but why buy the car if you never have to drive it? Some people drive places to meet people, but now it is so that you can meet someone online. To most people that conjures a picture of typing messages to someone and never meeting them face to face. Now there are camcorders you can attach to your computer and microphones so you can talk to the person in real time and see them face to face, or screen to screen. In the year 1999, the country went into a frenzy because of computers. Bomb shelters were being built in backyards. People were stocking up on non-perishables for several years; generators increased in sales and TV talk shows featured people who bought a ton of toilet paper. This was n...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Becoming a pshychologist essays

Becoming a pshychologist essays I have always wondered about human behavior. Why does this person scream when he is angry? Why does that person cry? Whenever I see someone who looks confused or discouraged, I sometimes wonder what the disturbance is and if there is anything I could do that would inspire them. I think this is why I want to be a psychologist. I would love to learn all about the way people act, think and feel and at the same time try to help them. I have a very easygoing personality and I love to have fun and laugh. I ask a lot of questions, and I think I am very easy to get along with. Some career goals I have are to graduate high school and go to college. I'm not quite sure yet which college, but I plan to earn a Master's degree or a Doctoral degree in school psychology. I would like to find a job I want to keep that I could make a career out of, and just take one day at a time with desire to make the right decisions and live a pleasant life. I first became interested in psychology a couple years ago. My friend and I were sitting at the park, and we started talking. Well, we ended up chatting for hours about some things that she had been going through, and when the conversation ended, she thanked me. She said, "Thanks for your help, it really meant a lot to me." The feeling I had was just simply awesome. I felt like I had made a difference, and that's what I would like to spend the rest of my life doing. That was just the first time I had talked to someone as I did. After that I conversed with other people. I talked to other friends, my parents, even just saying hi to strangers on the street or at the store and putting a smile on their face made me feel satisfaction. Most of my friends know that if they really need someone to talk to, my door is always open, and I will always listen. I think psychology would be a good career for me because I enjoy the kind of work that they do, and I think I could be good at it if I really ...