Discussion Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Discussion Topic - Essay Example Homobatrachotoxinin is a member of the family of steroidal alkaloids called Batrachotoxinins (Fig 1). These compounds have a molecular formula of C31H42N2O6, with a molar mass of 538.67g/mol and a density of 1.304g/ml. It is highly toxic and the median lethal dose (LD50) is 0.002 to 0.007 mg/kg depending upon species to species (Daly, 1965). The mechanism of its toxicity is related to its action is on the voltage gated sodium channels present in the cell membrane. Since it is a steroidal alkaloid it can easily access the cell membrane of the predators, and binds to the voltage gated sodium channels and keeps them in a state of depolarization. These compounds bind irreversibly to the sodium channels creating a conformational change in them, that keeps the channels always in a open state. Further they also reduces conductance of these channels leading them to be in a state of less excitability. This impacts the nervous system because the membrane cannot become stabilized to its resting level (generation of resting membrane potential is hampered) which leads to impairment of neuromuscular transmission in the predator leading them into a state of paralysis. Apart from neurotoxicity they are also cardiotoxic as these compounds reduces cardiac conduction, cause arrhythmias and ventricular fibrillation. These compounds are tem perature dependant and are effective at an optimum temperature of 37 degree centigrade and also work best in the alkaline pH range to exert its neurotoxic and cardiotoxic effects (Wang, 2007). Conclusion: My hypothesis was supported by the research that Batrachotoxinins are effective avian chemicals tat are potent against predators however when the environmental temperature or core body temperature of predators increases beyond 37 degree centigrade, this molecule might not impact them and may not act as a chemical defense mechanism of the genus

HIS 103 Week 2 Discussion Question 1 Essay Example for Free

HIS 103 Week 2 Discussion Question 1 Essay This document of HIS 103 Week 2 Discussion Question 1 contains: Chinese Social and Political Order Systems Read The Chinese Tradition and Lessons for Women. Compare and contrast Daoism (Taoism), Legalism, and Confucianism. What did each system stress as most important? In what ways did they speak to the people? Which had the most impact on the development of society? Why? Include data from your textbook and supplementary readings to support your response. History General History ASHFORD HIS 103 All discussion questions Pick out classes that are challenging and interesting to you instead of the ones that people think are very easy. Giving yourself a challenge is rewarding. You are sure to gain more knowledge from tough courses, and you might make connections that will benefit you later on. This document of HIS 103 Week 2 Discussion Question 1 contains: Chinese Social and Political Order Systems Read The Chinese Tradition and Lessons for Women. Compare and contrast Daoism (Taoism), Legalism, and Confucianism. What did each system stress as most important? In what ways did they speak to the people? Which had the most impact on the development of society? Why? Include data from your textbook and supplementary readings to support your response. History General History ASHFORD HIS 103 All discussion questions Pick out classes that are challenging and interesting to you instead of the ones that people think are very easy. Giving yourself a challenge is rewarding. You are sure to gain more knowledge from tough courses, and you might make connections that will benefit you later on. This document of HIS 103 Week 2 Discussion Question 1 contains: Chinese Social and Political Order Systems Read The Chinese Tradition and Lessons for Women. Compare and contrast Daoism (Taoism), Legalism, and Confucianism. What did each syste Search for more tutorials here https://bitly. com/1oJNqEQ Pick out classes that are challenging and interesting to you instead of the ones that people think are very easy. Giving yourself a challenge is rewarding. You are sure to gain more knowledge from tough courses, and you might make connections that will benefit you later on. History General History ASHFORD HIS 103 All discussion questions

Epic of Beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

The Hero Beowulf It is very common that a favorite tale told to a small child before he goes to sleep is actually a great epic story that has lived on for many centuries. The tale of Beowulf is just that. Beowulf was written during the Anglo-Saxon era, when heroic deeds and loyalty to one’s leader were traits of a person that lived on forever, by means of poets and writers. Beowulf tells the story of a hero: one that faces many great battles with many great enemies, conquering one after the next only to finally face his death, in his battle against the dragon. Up until the end of Beowulf’s life he was constantly looking to be the hero. Beowulf, through the years, has lived on as a legendary hero, conquering all obstacles as though he were immortal. However, his mortality is exposed by his death, the same death that makes him a superhero, working and fighting evil for the people, and as a person. Beowulf, by all means, is a hero. A hero fears not, death, nor destruction of his own being, but instead risks all that he is for what he believes to be right, moral, and just. In the time of the Anglo-Saxons’ reign of England it was noble and expected for a person of high honor to be more than loyal to his king. In fact, it was considered noble to be loyal to anything that was significant to humanity. In Beowulf, Beowulf is loyal to Higlac. "Higlac is my cousin and my king†¦(142)" says Beowulf in his preparation to do battle with the threatening monster, Grendel. Loyalty to the Anglo-Saxons was heroic; however, the tale of Beowulf has lived on so many years for a greater reason than Beowulf being a loyal individual. Heroes today, as well as heroes of yesterday, such as Beowulf, all share the characteristic of their willingness to die in their attempt to accomplish their heroic act, thus making the act in itself heroic. Beowulf knows that there is a chance that he may die in his great battle against Grendel when he says, "No, I e xpect no Danes will fret about sewing our shrouds, if he wins. And if death does take me, send the hammered mail of my armor to Higlac†¦"; yet he is still willing to attempt to conquer Grendel. Beowulf says, "My hands alone will fight for me, struggle for life against the monster.

Links Between Personality and Health Essay

The importance of understanding the links between personality and health are being increasingly recognized within the scientific and psychological society, over the years research and theoretical advances have begun to uncover that personality can have an effect on health, whether good or bad. Illnesses can be a cause of many factors that may be biological, psychological, environmental or even sociological. Suggesting that illnesses are related to more than just biological infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis, pneumonia, influenza, etc. of which during the 1900’s were major killers within western societies. (Stroebe, 2000) Yet as medicines understanding of these diseases grew and as vaccinations and treatments were made available the major culprit for death was no longer of a purely biological nature. By the year 2000 the major killers were taking the form of cardiovascular diseases which include coronary heart disease(CHD), High blood pressure, and cancer, (American Heart Association, 1999) that have many psychological, environmental and behavioral links, and most importantly links to stress and how our body copes while experiencing it. Selye’s three stages of the general adaptation syndrome (1976) can be directly linked to the above and have on many occasions been associated to personality and its effects on health. These developments have facilitated in the creation of ‘Health psychology,’ as researchers in this field evaluate and study the link between the mind and body, and how the environment may have an impact on these to produce illness or health. The following essay will interpret work written by professionals within the field of Health Psychology and offer an explanation of how Personality can impact health, with reference to research and theories, and to highlight personality’s role in Coronary Heart disease and cancer. The effect of stress on an individual’s physical health can have very serious consequences if the body’s response to the stress is over aroused. The prolonged arousal of the sympathetic system and the adrenal cortical system can cause major damage to the arteries and organs, yet long term stress can have an effect on the body’s immune system, lowering its ability to fight off diseases, this particular notion has had a lot of links to the development of cancer. (Taylor, 1986) Yet the links between the ideas that stress affects health has also been linked to the individual’s personality. Ultimately the concept is that challenging environments produce stress, and that certain individuals that possess a particular personality are poor at coping with stress, this is usually associated with personality traits and certain coping skills. Studies into the effects of ‘Hardiness’ by Kobasa, (1979); Kobasa, Maddi and Kahn, (1982) have shown that men who have had High levels of stress yet low occurrences of illness differed from those that had become ill during stressful events. The link seems logical as those that had less illnesses had felt as if they had more control and commitment in their lives while at the same time seeing certain situations such as losing a job, as a challenge instead of a setback, signifying that those individuals would be able to turn what could have been a stressful situation into their advantage. This particular study was only conducted on males, however and alternative study showed similar results when conducted on females.( Wiebe and McCallum, 1986) An alternative to theory to the Hardiness scale is The Type A personality type that has had links to CHD and other heart issues. Physicians believe that the traits of a Type A personality tend to be, aggressiveness, impatience and often an over involvement in work. The individuals that often exhibit this type of behavior tend to be very competitive and often find it difficult to relax. (Friedman and Rosenman, 1974) In comparison with type A, Type B individuals are those that do not show the characteristics of a Type A person. They can relax and work without a feeling of urgency; they are less likely to become agitated or angry. The Biological connection between Type A people and coronary heart disease suggests that the individual’s sympathetic nervous system responds to stress in a maladaptive way. Most people when exposed to stressors such as high demands at work, feel angry, or agitated yet not to the extent to which it could cause any long term issues, as they are not prolonged and easily returned to a normal state, however an individual with a type A personality would show a much higher increase in blood pressure and heart rate. The sympathetic nervous system on a Type A individual would be ‘Hyper-responsive’ to stressors. The theory is that all of these psychological and physiological changes damage the heart. (Manuck and Kranz, 1986) In relation to the above there have been many large scale studies that suggest that there are larger varieties of risk factors than just CHD, Such as smoking, and obesity. (Rosenman, 1975) patterns shown by research suggests that it is not necessarily the individuals traits such as high ambition and the need to work, instead the negative emotions that a Type A personality possesses such as anger are seen as the main culprits for the health problems. Friedman and Rosenman’s Western collaborative group study was the longitudinal study of 3534 men, between the ages of 39 and 59. Each individual was medically examined and given a category of either Type A or it’s contrasting Type B, it was found that 53 per cent of the participants were Type A and the rest Type B. (Rosenman, 1964) After an 8.5 year follow up results had shown that Type A men had experienced higher numbers of CHD in comparison with Type B over the course of the study. Coinciding studies such as the Framingham Study (Haynes et al, 1978) and the British Regional Heart study (Jognston et al, 1987) looked into the link between Type A and CHD, each study showed higher numbers of CHD (both MI man Angina) among Type A men and women .

Importance of Employee Retention During a Recession

Importance of Employee Retention During a Recession Introduction During a recession companies have to constantly protect and plan for financial attacks from increased expenses, decreased sales as well as customer and especially employee retention. Management must realize that their employees are suffering just as their businesses are with increased expenses and costs for everyday items. All parties must work cohesively to transition through a down economy. Employers must be aware that their employees will be looking for other employment if the company is not providing the tools time and training in order for them to perform their jobs well.This is especially important during recessionary times when the focus needs to be on customer and employee retention. Numerous studies have found and experts agree that â€Å"company culture† is the leading factor in employee satisfaction and retention. Companies must embrace the importance of employee retention through the implementation of various retention practices so that they will be better prepared to continue to grow and be successful even through recessionary times.Companies that grasp that concept and incorporate an environment where employees feel empowered, motivated and engaged will result in greater productivity and teamwork and therefore greater customer loyalty. Company Culture Company culture and in several instances lack of a positive company culture appears to be the leading factor in the retention ratio of employees remaining versus voluntarily leaving a company. The culture of a company is defined by many different aspects. Organizations that focus on employee retention and management programs have found some surprising indications.Employee retention has been a challenge for all companies big and small and across industry lines. Many have researched and studied the reasons why some companies have better retention rates than others similar. Many experts agree that a basic foundation of proven retent ion and management skills being implemented and used effectively will result in a higher retention rate. The consensus of decades of research has found that â€Å"high retention has little to do with formal programs and everything to do with culture† (Duggan, 2010).Companies that aim to make sure theirs is a company that values its most valuable asset, its employees. Years of analysis on employee retention and human resource directives have shown that an environment where employees are valued assets and treated as such as well as one where talent has been developed with the proper tools, time and training show higher retention levels over time in any economic environment. â€Å"Among those who strongly agreed that they work for a manager who cares about their well-being, 94 percent said they intend to stay with their current employer.Of those who strongly disagreed that their manager cared about their well-being, just 43 percent planned to stick around† (Ryan, 2010). A well known gem known among informed and effective management is that employees do not leave companies they leave bad managers. With this knowledge companies should be able to make sure their focus and goal should be to ensure that their company and its management is effective, dependable and respected leaders. This focus in the long run will ensure there is a positive company culture that will allow them to maintain their most valued asset.Importance of Solid Human Resource Practices The human resource department should take the lead when implementing policies, disciplining employees and layoffs or terminations within a company and especially during a down economy. The human resource department can ensure that policies are implemented smoothly and within legal guidelines. They are there to ensure that company policies and procedures are communicated effectively. â€Å"HR must take the lead in workforce management, including, when necessary, conducting layoffs or terminations of em ployees in a systematic, ogical and effective manner â€Å"(Lieber, Spring 2009). Companies are finding that by developing their current pool of employees they will be better able to weather any market trends whether up or down. Employers should focus on making sure that employees receive regular feedback from their managers. Informal weekly meetings are a great start to fostering positive relationships between managers and their staff. Studies have found that consistent communication helps to ensure that employees are comfortable with positive and not so positive criticism.Communications and how effective companies are at communicating new policies and procedures help to foster a level of trust and openness within the entire company. An environment where employees are encouraged to voice their concerns and receive proper feedback ensures that employees are engaged in their positions and in the success of the company. Any positive, proactive measure implemented by human resources, as long as done with honesty, will help to engage employees and contribute to a positive company culture. Misconceptions of Employee RetentionEmployee retention is one of the most important factors in any companies’ success. Along with its importance come several misconceptions as well as adverse effects as a result of them. The majority of employers believe that employees would never consider leaving their jobs during a recession. In fact, a survey conducted by Salary. com showed that 65% of employees admit to passively or actively looking for a new job already (Throckmorton, n. d. ). Experts are in agreement that many times companies focus on retaining their high level executives during difficult times.An article in the Mckinsey Quarterly emphasizes that companies should instead turn their focus on retaining the â€Å"key employees† (Cosack, Guthridge, Lawson, 2010). Key employees are defined as ones that are normal performers and are critical to the company’s success overall. Key employees are not necessarily the high level executives; they are normal performing employees that are critical to the overall success of the company (Cosack, Guthridge, Lawson, 2010). Collectively the departments support the entire company and share in the company’s success.Employers tend to believe that employees are also less engaged in their positions during a down economy because they believe that employees have fewer employment options. This is another misconception. In a study conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership and Booz Allen Hamilton found that employees are more engaged in their positions during a recession. Conclusion As one can conclude maintaining a high and effective retention rate is a challenge for most companies no matter the condition of the economy.Companies that are serious about their success will always value their most important asset, their employees. Successful companies will have embraced the challenges and will enga ge their employees. Companies with effective and ethical leaders will be laying the foundation for long-term success of the company in a any economic environment.References Duggan,  M. (2010,  August). Best practices: Retention. Drug Topics,  154(8),  21. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  2137959661). Lieber, L. (2009). How to manage terminations and layoffs in a recession. Employment Relations Today (Wiley), 36(1), 95-102. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. Cosack, S. , Guthridge, M. , & Lawson, E. (2010). Retaining key employees in times of change. McKinsey Quarterly, (3), 135-139. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. Throckman, R. (n. d. ). Are You Worrying about Retention During the Recession? You Better Be! Retrieved from http://www. strategichrinc. com/articles/rentention-recession. htm. Ryan, J. (2010). Keeping Employees Happy in a Post-Recession World. BusinessWeek. com, 5. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database.