The phenomenon of bipolar affective disorder has b Essay Example For Students

The phenomenon of bipolar affective disorder has b Essay een a mystery sincethe 16th century. History has shown that this affliction can appear inalmost anyone. Even the great painter Vincent Van Gogh is believed tohave had bipolar disorder. It is clear that in our society many peoplelive with bipolar disorder; however, despite the abundance of peoplesuffering from the it, we are still waiting for definite explanationsfor the causes and cure. The one fact of which we are painfully awareis that bipolar disorder severely undermines its victims ability toobtain and maintain social and occupational success. Because bipolardisorder has such debilitating symptoms, it is imperative that we remainvigilant in the quest for explanations of its causes and treatment. Affective disorders are characterized by a smorgasbord of symptomsthat can be broken into manic and depressive episodes. The depressiveepisodes are characterized by intense feelings of sadness and despairthat can become feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Some of thesymptoms of a d epressive episode include anhedonia, disturbances insleep and appetite, psycomoter retardation, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, difficulty thinking, indecision, and recurrentthoughts of death and suicide (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ). The manicepisodes are characterized by elevated or irritable mood, increasedenergy, decreased need for sleep, poor judgment and insight, and oftenreckless or irresponsible behavior (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ). Bipolaraffective disorder affects approximately one percent of the population(approximately three million people) in the United States. It ispresented by both males and females. Bipolar disorder involves episodesof mania and depression. These episodes may alternate with profounddepressions characterized by a pervasive sadness, almost inability tomove, hopelessness, and disturbances in appetite, sleep, inconcentrations and driving. We will write a custom essay on The phenomenon of bipolar affective disorder has b specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Bipolar disorder is diagnosed if an episode of mania occurs whetherdepression has been diagnosed or not (Goodwin, Guze, 1989, p 11). Mostcommonly, individuals with manic episodes experience a period ofdepression. Symptoms include elated, expansive, or irritable mood,hyperactivity, pressure of speech, flight of ideas, inflated selfesteem, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, and excessiveinvolvement in reckless activities (Hollandsworth, Jr. 1990 ). Rarestsymptoms were periods of loss of all interest and retardation oragitation (Weisman, 1991). As the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association (MDMDA)has demonstrated, bipolar disorder can create substantial developmentaldelays, marital and family disruptions, occupational setbacks, andfinancial disasters. This devastating disease causes disruptions offamilies, loss of jobs and millions of dollars in cost to society. Manytimes bipolar patients report that the depressions are longer andincrease in frequency as the individual ages. Many times bipolar statesand psychotic states are misdiagnosed as schizophrenia. Speech patternshelp distinguish between the two disorders (Lish, 1994). The onset of Bipolar disorder usually occurs between the ages of 20and 30 years of age, with a second peak in the mid-forties for women. Atypical bipolar patient may experience eight to ten episodes in theirlifetime. However, those who have rapid cycling may experience moreepisodes of mania and depression that succeed each other without aperiod of remission (DSM III-R). The three stages of mania begin with hypomania, in which patientsreport that they are energetic, extroverted and assertive (Hirschfeld,1995). The hypomania state has led observers to feel that bipolarpatients are addicted to their mania. Hypomania progresses into maniaand the transition is marked by loss of judgment (Hirschfeld, 1995). Often, euphoric grandiose characteristics are displayed, and paranoid orirritable characteristics begin to manifest. The third stage of maniais evident when the patient experiences delusions with often paranoidthemes. Speech is generally rapid and hyperactive behavior manifestssometimes associated with violence (Hirschfeld, 1995). When both manic and depressive symptoms occur at the same time itis called a mixed episode. Those afflicted are a special risk becausethere is a combination of hopelessness, agitation, and anxiety thatmakes them feel like they could jump out of their skin(Hirschfeld,1995). Up to 50% of all patients with mania have a mixture of depressedmoods. Patients report feeling dysphoric, depressed, and unhappy; yet,they exhibit the energy associated with mania. Rapid cycling mania isanother presentation of bipolar disorder. Mania may be present withfour or more distinct episodes within a 12 month period. There is nowevidence to suggest that sometimes rapid cycling may be a transientmanifestation of the bipolar disorder. This form of the diseaseexhibits more episodes of mania and depression than bipolar. .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7 , .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7 .postImageUrl , .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7 , .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7:hover , .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7:visited , .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7:active { border:0!important; } .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7:active , .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7 .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uaef73d3cbf224d60511e53566e0ebcf7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Petrified Man By Eudora Welty EssayLithium has been the primary treatment of bipolar disorder sinceits introduction in the 1960s. It is main function is to stabilize thecycling characteristic of bipolar disorder. In four controlled studiesby F. K. Goodwin and K. R. Jamison, the overall response rate forbipolar subjects treated with Lithium was 78% (1990). Lithium is alsothe primary drug used for long- term maintenance of bipolar disorder. In a majority of bipolar patients, it lessens the duration, frequency,and severity of the episodes of both mania and depression. Unfortunately, as many as 40% of bipolar patients are eitherunresponsive to lithium or can not tolerate the side effects. Some ofthe side effects include thirst, weight gain, nausea, diarrhea, andedema. Patients who are unresponsive to lithium treatment are oftenthose who experience dysphoric mania, mixed states, or rapid cyclingbipolar disorder. One of the problems associated with lithium is the fact thelong-term lithium treatment has been associated with decreased thyroidfunctioning in patients with bipolar disorder. Preliminary evidencealso suggest that hypothyroidism may actually lead to rapid-cycling(Bauer et al., 1990). Another problem associated with the use oflithium is experienced by pregnant women. Its use during pregnancy hasbeen associated with birth defects, particularly Ebsteins anomaly. Based on current data, the risk of a child with Ebsteins anomaly beingborn to a mother who took lithium during her first trimester ofpregnancy is approximately 1 in 8,000, or 2.5 times that of the generalpopulation (Jacobson et al., 1992). There are other effective treatments for bipolar disorder that areused in cases where the patients cannot tolerate lithium or have beenunresponsive to it in the past.The American Psychiatric Associationsguidelines suggest the next line of treatment to be Anticonvulsantdrugs such as valproate and carbamazepine. These drugs are useful asantimanic agents, especially in those patients with mixed states. Bothof these medications can be used in combination with lithium or incombination with each other. Valproate is especially helpful forpatients who are lithium noncompliant, experience rapid-cycling, or havecomorbid alcohol or drug abuse. Neuroleptics such as haloperidol or chlorpromazine have also beenused to help stabilize manic patients who are highly agitated orpsychotic. Use of these drugs is often necessary because the responseto them are rapid, but there are risks involved in their use. Becauseof the often severe side effects, Benzodiazepines are often used intheir place. Benzodiazepines can achieve the same results asNeuroleptics for most patients in terms of rapid control of agitationand excitement, without the severe side effects. Antidepressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs) fluovamine and amitriptyline have also been used by somedoctors as treatment for bipolar disorder. A double-blind study by M. Gasperini, F. Gatti, L. Bellini, R.Anniverno, and E. Smeraldi showedthat fluvoxamine and amitriptyline are highly effective treatments forbipolar patients experiencing depressive episodes (1992). This study iscontroversial however, because conflicting research shows that SSRIsand other antidepressants can actually precipitate manic episodes. Mostdoctors can see the usefulness of antidepressants when used inconjunction with mood stabilizing medications such as lithium. In addition to the mentioned medical treatments of bipolardisorder, there are several other options available to bipolar patients,most of which are used in conjunction with medicine. One such treatmentis light therapy. One study compared the response to light therapy ofbipolar patients with that of unipolar patients. Patients were free ofpsychotropic and hypnotic medications for at least one month beforetreatment. Bipolar patients in this study showed an average of 90.3%improvement in their depressive symptoms, with no incidence of mania orhypomania. They all continued to use light therapy, and all showed asustained positive response at a three month follow-up (Hopkins andGelenberg, 1994). Another study involved a four week treatment ofbright morning light treatment for patients with seasonal affectivedisorder and bipolar patients. This study found a statisticallysignificant decrement in depressive symptoms, with the maximumantidepressant effect of light not being reached until week four (Baur,Kurtz, Rubin, and Markus, 1994). Hypomanic symptoms were experienced by36% of bipolar patients in this study. Predominant hypomanic symptomsincluded racing thoughts, deceased sleep and irritability. Surprisingly, one-third of controls also developed symptoms such asthose mentioned above. Regardless of the explanation of the emergenceof hypomanic symptoms in undiagnosed controls, it is evident from thisstudy that light treatment may be associated with the observedsymptoms. Based on the results, careful professional monitoring duringlight treatment is necessary, even for those without a history of majormood disorders. .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213 , .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213 .postImageUrl , .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213 , .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213:hover , .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213:visited , .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213:active { border:0!important; } .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213:active , .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213 .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u733f6033deabf05e434ccd9a11e56213:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Nutrition vs. sport performance EssayAnother popular treatment for bipolar disorder iselectro-convulsive shock therapy. ECT is the preferred treatment forseverely manic pregnant patients and patients who are homicidal,psychotic, catatonic, medically compromised, or severely suicidal. Inone study, researchers found marked improvement in 78% of patientstreated with ECT, compared to 62% of patients treated only with lithiumand 37% of patients who received neither, ECT or lithium (Black et al.,1987). A final type of therapy that I found is outpatient grouppsychotherapy. According to Dr. John Graves, spokesperson for TheNational Depressive and Manic Depressive Association has c alledattention to the value of support groups, and challenged mental healthprofessionals to take a more serious look at group therapy for thebipolar population. Research shows that group participation may help increase lithiumcompliance, decrease denial regarding the illness, and increaseawareness of both external and internal stress factors leading to manicand depressive episodes. Group therapy for patients with bipolardisorders responds to the need for support and reinforcement ofmedication management, and the need for education and support for theinterpersonal difficulties that arise during the course of the disorder. ReferencesBauer, M.S., Kurtz, J.W., Rubin, L.B., and Marcus, J.G. (1994). Mood and Behavioral effects of four-week light treatment in winter depressivesand controls. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 28, 2: 135-145. Bauer, M.S., Whybrow, P.C. and Winokur, A. (1990). RapidCycling Bipolar Affective Disorder: I. Association with grade Ihypothyroidism. Archives of General Psychiatry. 47: 427-432. Black, D.W., Winokur, G., and Nasrallah, A. (1987). Treatment ofMania: A naturalistic study of electroconvulsive therapy versus lithiumin 438 patients. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 48: 132-139. Gasperini, M., Gatti, F., Bellini, L., Anniverno, R., Smeralsi,E., (1992). Perspectives in clinical psychopharmacology ofamitriptyline and fluvoxamine. Pharmacopsychiatry. 26:186-192. Goodwin, F.K., and Jamison, K.R. (1990). Manic DepressiveIllness. New York: Oxford University Press. Goodwin, Donald W. and Guze, Samuel B. (1989). PsychiatricDiagnosis. Fourth Ed. Oxford University. p.7. Hirschfeld, R.M. (1995). Recent Developments in ClinicalAspects of Bipolar Disorder. The Decade of the Brain. NationalAlliance for the Mentally Ill. Winter. Vol. VI. Issue II. Hollandsworth, James G. (1990). The Physiology of PsychologicalDisorders. Plenem Press. New York and London. P.111. Hopkins, H.S. and Gelenberg, A.J. (1994). Treatment of BipolarDisorder: How Far Have We Come? Psychopharmacology Bulletin. 30(1): 27-38. Jacobson, S.J., Jones, K., Ceolin, L., Kaur, P., Sahn, D.,Donnerfeld, A.E., Rieder, M., Santelli, R., Smythe, J., Patuszuk, A.,Einarson, T., and Koren, G.,(1992). Prospective multicenter study ofpregnancy outcome after lithium exposure during the first trimester. Laricet. 339: 530-533. Lish, J.D., Dime-Meenan, S., Whybrow, P.C., Price, R.A. andHirschfeld, R.M. (1994). The National Depressive and Manic DepressiveAssociation (DMDA) Survey of Bipolar Members. Affective Disorders. 31:pp.281-294. Weisman, M.M., Livingston, B.M., Leaf, P.J., Florio, L.P.,Holzer, C. (1991). Psychiatric Disorders in America. AffectiveDisorders. Free Press.

State of the union 2005 essays

State of the union 2005 essays On February 2nd at precisely 9:00 p.m. president George W. Bush gave the annual state of the union speech to Congress and the Americas people. Bush has many plans for our country in the next four years. Some of which are among social security, cutting our deficit, and man more. When President Bush made his state of the union address during his first term he talked about a plan called the no child left behind act. During his first term it was signed and put into action, the results received seemed to be worthwhile, standards are higher, test scores are on the rise, and the country is in the process of closing the achievement gap for minority students. Now during Bushs second term he is demanding that high schools get a piece of the no child left behind act and requests better test results from all high school students, and not just the grade schools. Also colleges will be getting in on a little of this action. Bush plans to help over 200,000 workers to get better training for a career by strengthening Americas community colleges. Also Bush plans to try and make college more affordable by increasing the number of Pell grants. Bush has a plan to keep our economy growing. About four years ago, Bush had submitted a complete energy strategy that encourages conservation, alternative sources, and more production here at home, including safe, clean nuclear energy. This year however Bush would like congress to pass a clear skies legislation, which will cut, power plant pollution and improve the health of U.S. citizens. Bush has a plan to use part of his budget towards leading-edge technology from hydrogen-fueled cars, to clean coal, and to renewable sources such as ethanol. Bush had said, Choices made today will decide our childs lives! this is significantly true when social security becomes the issue. The way social security is heading, this system will be bankrupt by the time my generation reaches retir...

Violent Video Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Violent Video Games - Essay Example Playing video games has adverse effects especially to the players. This is because they spend most of their time sitting down playing video games. It may result to cases of obscenity because the children are not involving themselves in physical activities (Jamieson, Patrick & Daniel 425). Research has shown that, young men are affected more health wise than girls because they spend most of their time playing video games than girls do. Video games are easily accessed on the internet so young people play online with unknown adults and peers. According to the National Institute on Media and the Family, their research on violent video games effect on children shows that, video games make the kids impressionable. This is because these children involve themselves in playing video games at an age in which teenage brains are in the midst of growing. In this stage, the teenagers are wiring the circuits of relationship, self control and responsibility. This means that, what they acquire from t he violent video games they carry it to adulthood. This becomes their way of life and they do not see anything wrong in practicing what they see in the violent video games.   Research has shown that, video games activate the anger of the young kids this is as a result of playing the violent video games (Anderson et al 39).Video games dampen the brain conscience and children only think violence is the only way to survive. Thus do not even care about hurting people because their brain is dampened by the violent video games.... According to the National Institute on Media and the Family, their research on violent video games effect on children shows that, video games make the kids impressionable. This is because these children involve themselves in playing video games at an age in which teenage brains are in the midst of growing. In this stage, the teenagers are wiring the circuits of relationship, self control and responsibility. This means that, what they acquire from the violent video games they carry it to adulthood. This becomes their way of life and they do not see anything wrong in practicing what they see in the violent video games. Research has shown that, video games activate the anger of the young kids this is as a result of playing the violent video games (Anderson et al 39).Video games dampen the brain conscience and children only think violence is the only way to survive. Thus do not even care about hurting people because their brain is dampened by the violent video games. Another research gro up the American Psychological Association after their research, they observed that, playing video games makes the children less caring and helpful especially towards their age mates. Children play violent video games at a stage in which they are supposed to learn how to relate to the members of the society positively or in the correct manner. At this stage they are also supposed to learn how to solve conflicts once they arise, but when they dedicate most of their time playing the violent video games they do not even learn how they should learn to leave peacefully with the members of the society. As a result of this, even in their adult life they do not even know how to solve conflicts once they arise leading to

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 34

Essay Example This caused the bank to lose focus and only strive for greater profit margins rather than expanding its customer base. After some time, the Union Bank of Norway realized its mistakes and attempted to correct them with the introduction of a single system that tracked the data of each individual customer. Information about their customer base would allow the Union Bank of Norway to correctly predict what its customer would prefer or not prefer in the future. The data warehouse that the bank came up with attempted to address all of these problems. By getting to know its customers, the Union Bank of Norway has been able to base its marketing decision around the characteristics of its customers. Not surprisingly, customer response has been good to this new endeavor. Customers generally like to help organizations wherever they can, so it makes sense to take advantage of this by providing an avenue for them to use. The retention of customer information has helped the Union Bank of Norway ge t back to its roots—working one-on-one with the

The importance of the achievements of Mesopotamian Society Essay Example for Free

The importance of the achievements of Mesopotamian Society Essay Through the development of writing, mathematics, metalworking, detailed law codes, and the wheel, Mesopotamians have shown their ingenuity with many different achievements. The world as we know it could not survive without writing. I am writing right now in order to do this paper, and the economy and so much of our lives is dependent on writing. Although it goes hand-in-hand with writing, mathematics is also a very important achievement of the Mesopotamians. Mesopotamians based their math system on sixty, but it is just as important and influential regardless. Metal work is another great achievement of the Mesopotamians; it improved warfare, made better tools, and is very important in life today also. Law codes, although mostly used as a guideline, helped to keep the peace and gave a true sense of authority and respect for the king. The wheel was one of the most influential inventions of all time, despite its simplistic origins as a potters wheel and then later a solid way of pulling a cart easier. Writing is by far the most important achievement of Mesopotamian society. Developing from writing on clay envelopes as a way of keeping business records, writing was first used as a counting method. Later on, Sumerians, who were the first to develop a writing system, realized that it would be easier to simply write these notes on clay rather than on the round envelope. The writing system that began to emerge is called Cuneiform and pushing a reed into a clay tablet produced these Cuneiform symbols. However, before the Cuneiform we know today developed, pictograms were used to represent several different sounds or words. These pictograms gradually became more abstract over time, and developed into a system of triangular shapes and lines. Writing promoted a persons social status, if you knew how to read and write you were someone. The choicest profession in Mesopotamia was to be a scribe, as almost no common people knew how to write, and even kings usually did not know how to write. With writing and the writing profession, schools began to develop to teach their pupils to become scribes. Most scribes worked either for the government or worked as the town scribe. Writing is extremely important today. It has been used in as simplistic things such as writing journals, to much bigger things, such as declaring independence from a mother country. The clearest way of describing the importance of writing is to show that definable history begins with the  development of writing. Mathematics, used mainly for business transactions, arguably changed the world as much as writing did. The Sumerians were also the peoples to develop mathematics. Their math system was based on the number sixty, and this is where we get the sixty seconds in a minute and sixty minutes in an hour. This system of mathematics allowed the peoples of Mesopotamia to do everyday things such as the area of a room or how old a person was. The Sumerian system greatly improved trade, especially while using the barter system. It allowed Mesopotamians to put a value on goods so that it was possible to know the difference between the value of a sheep and a bag of grain, or the difference between the value of a pound of bronze and a pound of clay. The development of mathematics lead to great advancements in architecture as well. Planning and executing the construction of a building required a great deal of math in order to calculate wall size, shape, angle, etc. Today, mathematics is also very important. Students spend years studying the different methods of math to be able to apply it to their everyday lives. Math and numbers are used everywhere everyday from telling someone your phone number to calculating your percent profit at the end of a busy week. Another important advancement of Mesopotamians is their work with metals. Mesopotamians began to branch out from stone tools and use metals such as copper and bronze. This branching out and grasping a new material lead to widespread specialization of work. Blacksmithing became a known occupation, and allowed for the mass producing of metal weaponry (In the ancient near eastern sense). Metal weaponry became the basis for whether or not you would win the war. If you were still using wooden weapons, a city-state that had copper weaponry could wipe you out or defeat you fairly quickly. The same would be true if you were a city-state that was using copper weapons and an enemy using bronze weapons attacked you. The enemy would either destroy or capture your city-state with a fair amount of ease. Metalworkings and trading were not only important to the daily lives of Mesopotamians for tools and such, but for more than a thousand years they were the definitive factor in warfare. With the development for such weaponry, governments had to institute law codes to help to keep the control and the peace amongst their city-state or empire. The most famous of these law codes, though not the only one found, is the Law Code of Hammurabi, the ruler of Babylonia from about 1792 B.C.E to about 1750 B.C.E. This law code has hundreds of laws dealing with simple matters of contracts and other ordinary functions to laws regarding thievery, murder, and mal practice. Hammurabis code, although used as mainly a guideline for Babylonian judges, was presented to the people of Babylonia as a direct command from the Gods indicating that these were the proper behaviors. This caused the peoples to want to follow the laws even more, because they believed that the Gods would curse them if they did not obey. These punishments, however, had different punishments for different classes, showing the different levels of respect that the government had for its people. Most of these laws, however, dealt with criminals in a very strict, eye-for-an-eye, vengeful manner. Law is very important today because it continues to try and keep the peace on the streets and in our country by making people realize that there are consequences to their actions. This is a great achievement for Mesopotamians because it shows their realization that there must be order in the kingdom for the kingdom to survive, and that there also needs to be obedience and distribution of work for a kingdom to advance in status. The wheel is also one of the greatest achievements of Mesopotamians, because it allowed for faster travel, more efficient warfare, and also lead to thousands upon thousands of inventions in the future. The wheel began as part of a potters wheel for making pots, and then gradually the idea began to emerge to use a rolling something, the wheel, for easier ways to pull something in a cart. Before, sleds were used to drag stuff along, but this method was very tedious and slow because it created a lot of friction against the ground. The wheel was then used as a solid circle attached with an axle to a cart that pulled soldiers to and from places during a battle. A dependable, yet slow moving, donkey-like creature often pulled this cart. The idea for spokes in the wheels did not emerge until later, but it allowed for the cart to become a chariot and be pulled by a horse quickly around battlefields. With the initiation of horse-drawn chariots, warfare improved  by allowing soldiers to fight from their chariots, thus decreasing their chance of injury. The improvements of warfare, and the allowance that the development of the wheel has had on technological advances over time are the reasons that the wheel was such an important achievement of the Mesopotamians. The achievements and firsts of Mesopotamian society are great and numerous. These achievements have paved the way for outstanding advancements in technology that allow us to live the lives we live today and to do the things that we are so accustomed to doing, such as typing this paper using this computer with a spinning hard disk a writing system.

Revealing One’s Personality Online :: Blogs

Revealing One’s Personality Online The Internet has changed the way we communicate. The difference between communication online and communication in â€Å"real life† is that when you are online, people cannot see you, and therefore have no idea who you actually are. So, people often feel a greater sense of freedom and anonymity, which allows them to reveal either who they truly are, or who they want to be. People often reveal their personalities differently online than in real life. The personalities formed in this free environment play an important role online. In â€Å"Psychology of Weblogs,† Grohol states that people use blogs because they enjoy hearing about other people living their lives; they especially enjoy strong or unique personalities. Grohol stated, â€Å"what’s the purposes of the thousands of small, individually-run sites? One word - personality† (Grohol). Communication over the Internet is based on trust. When you hold a conversation with someone online, the person on the other end of the conversation really has no idea if you are who you say you are, and you also have no way of knowing if they are who they say they are. This situation of questionable identity can occur even when you are talking with friends. I am sure many of us have played this game by chatting on someone else’s instant messenger, all the while letting the other person assume we were someone else. The same thing can happen in chat rooms or even on blogs. Bloggers are free to recreate their personality in the virtual community. This situation gives people the perfect opportunity to change the way they portray themselves to others. It is their chance to be someone else. In â€Å"The Good, the Bad, and the Internet,† Globus supports the idea that alternative personalities are used online by stating, â€Å"In cyberspace, looks don’t count. You can also choose to share only the things about yourself that you consider flattering. You can also adopt new behaviors or even a whole new identity.† (Globus) McLaren continues by stating, â€Å"You can’t ever really know if they are who they say they are.† (Globus) After all, 24 percent of teenagers who were questioned about using different Internet communication tools admitted to pretending to be someone else while online (Globus). After all, if you met someone online, would you really want to tell them about your lesser characteristics?

Oracle

How is the IKEA operations design different from that of most furniture retail operations? IKEA is known as one of the world’s largest furniture retailer that focuses highly on cost control, operational process and product development. IKEA differentiates itself from most furniture retailers by offering a wide range of well designed array of home furniture at very attractive prices that remain affordable to a large group of diverse customers. There are some unique features of IKEA as compared to most furniture retail stores (IKEA, 2012) Self – Service’ (minimal service or influence from sales person) Details of all products are made ubiquitous in the showroom thus making sales assistance unnecessary which this in return helps to reduce the hiring cost of labor. Layout of Products (product exposure) Ikea stores are designed in a one-way ‘walk-through layout’ that requires customers to be exposed to the entire products which is unlike from most furnitu re retail stores where by customers may choose to go directly to the section they preferred.Hence, the flow allows increased efficiency from entering the showroom, selecting of products to lastly making payments. Furniture Most of Ikea products are self – assembled products, this helps to reduce the costs of shipping as higher volume of bulk packaging can be done. Unlike most furniture retail stores where free delivery and assembly is given, additional charges apply if fixing of product is required by the customers. Lastly, four dimensions of operations (Volume, Variety, Variation and Visibility) will be used to determine the differences between IKEA operations to that of most furniture retail stores.High Volume – IKEA’s operations are of very large scale, major land space and huge car parks are developed to cater to all customers, everything about the design of IKEA’s operations encourages high volume of throughput as compared to most furniture retail st ores (IKEA, 2012). High Variety of product but Low Variety of service – The variety of products showcase in IKEA is much more than most furniture retail stores, from small items such as kitchen appliances to large items such as tables.However, as far as the variety of service is concerned it is relatively narrow. Most products are self – assembled and there is no sales person to provide any service to the customers, leaving themselves to figure out and make their own decision for the purchase. High Variation on demand – Public holidays and weekends usually attracts more crowded as compared to normal week days, hence result in high variation.However, there will not be any difficulty of getting part-time staff into IKEA during the peak period as the operations in IKEA are well designed. Unlike most retail store which require staff with specific expertise that requires time to hire. Low Visibility – Customer contact is high in certain extend, but overall it is lower than most furniture retail stores considering most of the things are done (‘self-service’) solely by the customers from the start till it reaches the point of payment where it is also a standardized process by IKEA.This ultimately reduces the costs of the transaction as far as IKEA is concerned. What do you think might be the major problems in running an operation like IKEA? Having such huge variety and high volume of product being transacted, it may be tough for them to manage the inventory for all items. Shipping of high volume bulk items may take time and IKEA may face stock-out period, hence their operations planning has to be done and calculated accurately.As all sales are done on ‘self-serviced’ manner, it may not create a great shopping experience as compared to most retail stores where sales person are able to cater a more specific and unique first-hand experience to all customers to create loyalty. Lastly, IKEA being the largest furniture retailer require a lot of natural material such as wood, which may harm the global environment (IKEA, 2012). Reference IKEA (2012) Our Vision and Business Idea. Available at: http://www. ikea. com/ms/en_SG/about_ikea/the_ikea_way/our_business_idea/index. html (Accessed 29 January 2013)