The Roles Of The Nervous System Biology Essay

The Roles Of The Nervous System Biology Essay The nervous system plays an important role in the smooth functioning of the body and is a complex network of cells which transmits signals through the body. The signals are transmitted by the brain, so if someone wanted to catch a ball their brain would transmit a signal to their hands to reach and catch the ball and are specialized in certain function. These cells communicate with each other through electrochemical waves. The neurons and glial cells are the important components of the nervous system. The two parts in which the nervous system is divided are the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. The spinal cord and brain form the central nervous system and neural tissues lying to the exterior of the central nervous system compose the peripheral nervous system. The main function of the nervous system is to keep a control over the systems of the body through these following processes. Sensory receptors of the nervous system are useful for the extraction of information from the environment and sending it to the central nervous system. The sensory neurons carry the information from sensory receptors to the central nervous system. The central nervous system collects information from the sensory receptors and carries out the processing. The task of transferring and interpreting the information is carried out by the interneurons. The peripheral nervous system sends information processed in the central nervous system to the glands and muscles of the body. An appropriate response is then activated by these glands or muscles. The motor neurons carry out the function of sending instructions to muscles or glands. The autonomous nervous system responds involuntarily. The involuntary processes of the body such as breathing, digestion, body temperature regulation and etc, are carried out by the autonomous nervous system. The autonomous nervous system is sub-divided into sympat hetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Coordination of body movements and homeostasis is carried out by the hind brain. Hind brain consists of different parts such as medulla, cerebellum and pons. The receptors are classified as exteroceptors, interoceptors and proprioceptors. The exteroceptors are used by the nervous system in smelling, listening, looking, touching, tasting and feeling. The signals associated with blood pressure, alimentary canal, bladder and osmotic pressure of blood plasma are received by the interoceptors. The movement and position of body parts is tracked by the proprioceptors. This kind of stimulus received by receptors is also one of the modes of classifying the receptors. Chemical receptors, mechanoreceptors and thermoreceptors are different types of receptors classified on the basis of the above-mentioned criteria. Thermoreceptors which consist of warm and cold fibers are excited by rising and falling temperatures respectively. The mechanoreceptors carry information about the mechanical stimulation to the central nervous system. The chemical receptors are sub-divided into olfactory, gustatory and glucose detectors, which are responsible for detecting smell, taste and glucose respectively. The glucose detectors are also responsible for providing information about the acid-base balance in the body Endocrine System The endocrine system is a collection of glands that secrete different hormones for the various functions and chemical reactions occurring within the body. The main function is to maintain a stable environment within the body or homeostasis. For example, maintaining the blood sugar levels according to changes occurring in the body is homeostasis. The other function of it is promoting the structural changes of the body which are the permanent changes occurring in the body over time such as height, development of sexual organs, and etc. There are 8 major glands that help in the functioning of this vital system. These major endocrine glands are as follows, Hypothalamus, Pituitary gland, Parathyroid gland, Thyroid gland, Adrenal glands, Pancreas, Ovaries and Testes. Hypothalamus, a collection of specialized cells that are located in the lower central part of the brain is called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the main link between the endocrine and the nervous systems. The nerve cells of the hypothalamus control the pituitary gland by stimulating or suppressing the hormone secretions. Pituitary Gland, the pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain just below the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland is the most important part in the endocrine system. The pituitary gland secretes hormones on the basis of the emotional and seasonal changes. The hypothalamus sends information that is sensed by the brain to pituitary triggering production hormones. The pituitary gland is divided into two parts: the anterior lobe and the posterior lobe. The anterior lobe of the pituitary gland regulated the activity of the thyroid, adrenals, and the reproductive glands. The anterior lobe also produces hormones such as Growth Hormone, to stimulate the growth of the bones and tissues. It also plays a role in the bodys absorption of nutrients and minerals. Prolactin, activate the production of milk in lactating mothers. Thyrotropin, stimulate the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones. Corticotropin, stimulate the adrenal glands to produce certain hormones. Endorphins, reduces the feeling of pain. The pituitary glands produces hormones that signal the reproductive organs to secrete sex hormones. The menstrual cycle and ovulation in women is also controlled by the pituitary gland. The posterior lobe of the pituitary gland produces anti-diuretic hormone that helps to control the water balance in the body. Oxytoxins that trigger the contractions of the uterus in a woman who is in labour is secreted by the posterior lobe. Thyroid Gland, the thyroid gland is situated in the front part of the lower neck that is shaped like a bow tie or butterfly. The production and secretions of the hormones of the thyroid glands are controlled by thyrotropin secreted by the pituitary gland. Thyroid produces thyroxine and triiodothyronine, that controls the rate at which the cells use up energy from food for production of energy. The thyroid hormones are very important as they help in growth of bones and the development and growth of the brain and nervous system in children. Over or under secretion of thyroid hormones lead to a number of thyroid problems in the body. Parathyroids, these are four tiny glands that are attached to the thyroid gland. They release the parathyroid hormone that helps in regulating the level of calcium in blood along with another hormone produced by thyroid known as calcitinin. Adrenal Glands, there are two triangular adrenal glands situated on each of the two kidneys. The adrenal gland is divided into two parts. The outer part called the adrenal cortex produces corticosteroids, which influence and regulate the salt and water levels. They are also helpful in the bodys response to stress, metabolism, immune system and the function and development of sexual organs. The inner part called the adrenal medulla, secretes catecholamine like epinephrine. This hormone is also called the adrenaline, which increases the blood pressure and heart rate when the body is under stress. Reproductive Glands or Gonads, the gonads are present in males and females and are the main organs producing sex hormones. In men, the gonads are related to testes. The testes are located in the scrotum and secrete androgens. The most important hormone for men testosterone is secreted from the testes. In women, ovaries are the gonads that are located in the pelvis region. They produce estrogen and progesterone hormones. Estrogen is involved during the sexual maturation of the girl, that is, puberty. Progesterone along with estrogen is involved in the regulation of menstruation cycle. These hormones are also involved during pregnancy. Pancreas, these glands are associated with the digestive system of the human body. They secrete digestive enzymes and two important hormones insulin and glucagon. These hormones work together to maintain the level of glucose in the blood. If these hormones are not secreted in the required levels, it leads to development of diabetes. Pineal, the pineal gland is located in the center of the brain. Melatonin is secreted by this gland that helps regulate the sleeping cycle of a person. Genetic System Genes are the basic units of hereditary transmission of characteristics. Heredity is the passing of traits to offspring (from its parent or ancestors). This is the process by which an offspring cell or organism acquires or becomes predisposed to the characteristics of its parent cell or organism. Through heredity, variations exhibited by individuals can accumulate and cause some species to evolve. In humans there are 23 pairs of Chromosomes which are located in the cell nucleus. Each person has 46 chromosomes, half from our mother and the other half from our father. The difference in the sex hormones is that Females have XX chromosomes while Males have XY chromosomes. This full set of genes in any organism is known as the Genome. No single gene determines a particular behaviour due to its complex traits involving multiple genes that are affected by a variety of other factors. But it share traits such as nurturing, cooperation, and altruism. These behavioural characteristics enhance t he survivorship of each species. Raquel Deering (2002) stated that a study performed by Harvard and MIT scientists involved the silencing of the gene responsible for coding of an important enzyme, CAMKII, in lab mice. Mutated mice were found to be unusually aggressive and daring. When placed in an open field, a mutated mouse would dawdle. However, when under the same conditions, a normal mouse would immediately run to the perimeter for cover. The atypical brazen attitude of a mutant mouse would make it much more susceptible to attack by prey in nature. Therefore, this trait is not frequently observed among mouse populations because it has been naturally selected against. A genetically influenced trait tends to be polygenic in characters involving many genes acting in concert to produce a certain response and also depends on the interaction of multiple gene sequences with environmental influences. These multiple gene systems are referred to as quantitative trait loci (QTL), reflecting their ability to quantitatively distribute phenotypic characteristics. The recently completed human genome sequence has greatly assisted the detection of QTLs and polymorphisms It must also be emphasized that genes do not directly dictate action, but rather are mediated by the proteins that they code for (Peter McGuffin, Brien Riley and Robert Plamin, 2001). It is necessary to examine not only the genes but also the assortment of proteins responsible for expression of particular traits (Joseph D. McInerney, 1999). It is anticipated that detailed analysis of the human genome will contribute to understandings about gene organization and transcription, and hence regulatory elements that control expression. By utilizing genomic and proteomic tools, the relationship between gene/protein and behaviour may be more accurately described. (Deering, 2002) Traditional research strategies in behavioural genetics include studies of twins and adoptees, techniques designed to sort biological from environmental influences. More recently, investigators have added the search for pieces of DNA associated with particular behaviours, an approach that has been most productive to date in identifying potential locations for genes associated with major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Genetics and molecular biology have provided some significant insights into behaviours associated with inherited disorders. For example, we know that an extra chromosome 21 is associated with the mental retardation that accompanies Downs syndrome, although the processes that disrupt brain function are not yet clear. We also know the steps from gene to effect for a number of single-gene disorders that result in mental retardation, including phenylketonuria (PKU), a treatable metabolic disorder for which all newborns in the United States are t ested.(McInerney, 2008) The importance of biological perspective in achieving the goals of psychology The field of Psychology is the study of the mind, how it works, and its impact on thinking, behaviours, and our abilities to relate to our environment. Psychologists practice their craft based on different theoretical beliefs of behavioural causes but they all share similar primary goals which are Goals, Description, Explanation, Prediction, Change, Considerations and others have also recognised Observing and Improving as part of the primary goals. Biology has brought in brain and body structural understandings of typical and different types of people for understanding and brought about solutions in how to cure and treat the disorder. Researchers in biological psychology draw techniques and theories from related fields to identify the relationships between the activity of the nervous system and observable behaviour. Example high levels of testorones are associated with increased aggression (Dabbs, 1990 cited in Laura A. Freberg, 2006, pg.3). Biology in this case appears to be driving the behaviour and have helped in achieving goals in psychology through case studies, correlation studies, surveys, laboratory test and others to find the cause and solution for such problems. Researchers have also have brought about Imaging method to watch and identify the differences between how typical people and people with disorders/serial killers brain function by using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and etc . Theres also Recording method whereby it records electrical charges across their membrane using electrodes on the surface of the skull such as Single-Cell recordings and Magnet o encephalography (MEG). Theres also medicine prescribed to help control the fluids, hormones and etc in our body to maintain stability for future health reason. These methods are used to explain to the world how are persons behaviour is determined and what makes their thinking and character unique from others. Since the most important part of psychology is the brain, they must look for the help of biology, which is a sub-field that focuses on the brain movements. They also have found out the ancient histories of human bodies and how it has changed since then and also how will it change further in the further, also known as evolution, was all found out and brought to the worlds recognition and understanding through these biology. Its been stated that single cell organism appeared about 3.5 billion years ago and animals with very simple nerve nets developed about 700 million years ago. More complex animals with the first rudimentary brains, appeared about 250 million years ago and the first human brain probably appeared about seven million years ago (Calvin, 2004, cited in Freberg pg.54) and are using the samples of the ancient body parts to study, refer and relate to the present humans of biological factors and behaviours. Through many studies it has brought about cure and proper treatment plan for disorders or severe illness such as migraine, bipolar disorder, tumour, autism and etc also have predicted what may happen to a person in the futur e and are also still doing more research to study about learned and instinctual behaviours which are still are underlying questions in the world. Biology is the study of life. Without biology, we would have no idea about an organisms makeup or the most basic unit of life, a cell. It plays a very important role in our lives by teaching a person about body functions and how to take care of it. You have a better overall view when you know all areas of academic study. Likewise, you get to know the scientific method. Biology influences a person in many ways. Such as teaching why should we take care of the environment, why of our body, and a better overall view. As mentioned above environmental factors, body factors (genes and bodily functions), food all plays a role in determining and developing a persons behaviour and sometimes explanation is required to the world. Through these fundamentals brought in from biological perspective, it helped in achieving goals in psychology. (2599 words)

Comparison of unusual administration methods of morphine

Comparison of unusual administration methods of morphine Morphine is a widely used analgesic. Its clinical use and the high dependency factor (morphine and heroin have proven to be the most addictive opiates) brought up the need to investigate the classic routes of administration (oral, rectal, iv, sc) and compare them with some not so well established routes (nebulised, intrathecal, transdermal, sublingual etc). Introduction Morphine is a strong opioid derived from the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum1. It is used for the management of moderate and severe pain. It acts directly to central nervous system exhibiting a quick time of action. Along with pain relief, it causes the sense of well being (euphoria). It can also produce a series of other central and peripheral effects such as sedation, cough suppression, nausea, constipation and might cause histamine release2. It is used during surgeries for anaesthesia and as a pain reliever after the operation. It is a drug of choice for terminal care and it is really useful for pain management in cancer patients3. Morphine is available at several formulations and different drug administration routes. The selection of the appropriate administration route is dependent on the extent of pain control required. For instance, parenteral morphine is used for acute severe pain, while oral morphine is used for the treatment of temporary pain. The location of the pain will also determine if it is necessary to apply topical preparations or not. Table 1 Pharmacokinetic Properties of three opioid analgesics Pharmacokinetic Parameters Half life Volume of Distribution Clearance Morphine (iv) 2-3 hours   3-5 litre/kg 15 -20ml/min/kg Fentanyl (iv) 3.5-3.8 hours 5-6 litre/kg 21-29ml/min/kg Diamorphine(iv) 2-3 minutes 25litre/kg Use morphine values Source: Clarkes analysis of drugs and poisons4 Moreover, pharmacokinetic parameters such as bioavailability, half life and clearance and other characteristics of the drug (table 1) like side effects, ADRs and interactions must be taken into account before choosing the appropriate drug route. Patients preference (or fear) for a specific drug route and other psychosocial factors might also affect the choice of the formulation and patients compliance and finally medicines effectiveness. Discussion Oral route Regarding oral route, morphine comes as a solution and as immediate or controlled (systained) release tablets and capsules(fig 2). Fig 2. Oral formulations of morphine Oral Suspension Morphine solutions come in different strengths. Oral solutions can be prescribed by writing the formula Morphine HCl 5mg and Chloroform water to 5ml but the proportion can be altered. Morphine Sulphate solutions (Oramorph) are available at 10mg/5ml and as concentrated solutions of 100mg/5ml3. Other excipients include: ethanol (96%- morphine is slightly soluble in ethanol), corn syrup, sucrose, methyl parahydroxybenzoate (E218), propyl parahydroxybenzoate (E216) and purified water. Due to the high content of alcohol this drug is not recommended to alcohol misusers. Normal adult dose is 10-20mg every four hours although when prescribed in palliative care dosage varies higher or lower according to the severity of the pain and kidney function respectively3. As this formulation is not readily absorbed from GI tract, in order to produce same effects as iv dose a 50%-100% increase in dose must be considered. Overdose risk is high and can cause hypotension, respiratory depression and in some cases death. Naloxone which is an opiate antagonist is the first line treatment in case of overdosing5. Tablets and Capsules Solid dosage forms contain morphine in form of salt e.g Morphine Sulphate and Morphine hydrochlorate. Theses salts in the body will be available as morphine bases. Tablets are available in two preparations immediate release and modified release. The short acting tablets come in 10mg, 20mg and 50mg3. They are given every 2-4 hours to control and stabilise breakthrough pain. These tablets are a way of determining the amount of morphine needed to manage pain. Once the quantity of morphine is established the patient can take slow-release tablets and capsules. These formulations contain enough morphine to control pain for 12 or 24 hours. The starting dose varies and from 10-20mg every 12hours if the patient has not taken any other painkiller previously, to 20-30 mg every 12 hours in cases of replacement weak analgesics3. Note only the dose can increase whereas the frequency must remain the same i.e. every 12 hours. It can take up to 48 hours for the morphine to reach the required plasma levels meaning that it is important to be taken regularly otherwise they lose their effectiveness5. If the patience experience pain between doses an additional dose must be given and the GP should decide if it is necessary to increase the daily dose. Oral morphine is a well established drug delivery method however; problems such as the first pass metabolism, the slow onset and the risk of overdose have raised questions on whether other novel administration routes can be used. Intravenous This route is used only in hospitals and in managing emergency pain symptoms. The bolus administration provides almost instant onset with a short effect. Iv morphine is used when sc route is not tolerated. A popular application of this method is in Patient Controlled analgesia (PCA) where the opioid is delivered using a Hospiral infusion device. The patient can control the morphine intake and establish an acceptable level of analgesia6. Morphine is available in 50 and 100ml vials with strength 1mg/ml3. It is used post operatively especially after transplants surgeries and in the management of chronic pain of malignancy. Although this method is useful for the management of severe pain there are many drawbacks. First of all, most of the pumps are bulky and invasive. Their installation is complicated as they require mains attachment and the patient has limited mobility .There is a high risk of overdose therefore supervision is needed. Side effects such as hypotension and respiratory dep ression might develop while convulsions due to high dosage are likely to occur. fig3. PCA infusion device vs syringe driver Subcutaneous Subcutaneous method is an excellent alternative to oral administration method. It is safe and effective method which is widely used both in palliative care and severe pain management. It is used for patients that present conditions such as gastrointestinal disturbances including indigestion, palindromic motility and obstruction5. A prime characteristic of the sc method is the syringe driver. The driver employs simple syringes and bears a flow rate setting option usually ml/hr which enables accurate dosing over a specific period of time. Unlike PCA infusion devices, it is battery powered, so patients mobility is not an issue (fig 3). The risk of overdose is lower compared to iv route as there is a constant stable administration schedule6. There is no need for continuous strict supervision as the driver is easy to use. Often, the subcutaneous route can cause some skin site problems. Irritation might appear especially when there are high concentrations of morphine or when it is combined with other drugs which are not fully compatible3. This problem can be treated either by diluting the dose or by choosing alternative more compatible drugs. Also some patients might experience needle allergic reactions and action must be taken e.g introduce an alternative Teflon cannula. Patients might feel discomfort, especially those who lack of subcutaneous tissue16. Sometimes, possible leakage of subcutaneous site might be observed. Finally, the sc method is not recommended for palliative care patients with acute vascular conditions. Rectal This drug administration route is quite popular and is used for short term management of acute pain. Also in terminal cancer patients modified release morphine sulphate is administered via this route6. Although the absorption rate varies for each individual, it is estimated that around 300-330 mg of morphine are absorbed rectally every four hours, indicating a sufficient analgesic effect. Studies have shown that for the patients who have never taken morphine, rectal morphine is more effective than the oral administered one5. Rectal morphine is available in the form of suppositories at different strengths (10, 15, 20 and 30 mg) 3. Prescribers must specify both the strength and the morphine salt (morphine hydrochloride or morphine sulphate) that suppositories should contain. Evidence shows two deaths15 after consequent doses of rectal morphine should raise awareness and the need of monitoring the dosing regimen and frequency. Rectal route is not avoiding completely the first pass metabolism; therefore the bioavailability might be influenced. Non conventional routes Apart from the conventional drug routes mentioned before, it is necessary to look into other not so popular ones such as the transmucosal, transdermal, sublingual, intrathecal and nebulised routes of administration and try to compare them. Transdermal- Transmucosal Transdermal route is a relatively painless method. The drug absorption is rapidly. Patches are easy to use and not quite expensive. Although this method is usually tolerated from the patients skin irritation and rashes might appear. Transdermal morphine is not popular as there are questions about the efficacy of this method. However, fentanyl another opioid is the drug of choice. More specifically, fentanyl patches are more effective in managing chronic pain compared to modified release oral morphine9. Also, transdermal fentanyl causes reduced constipation and drowsiness14. Another administration route which fentanyl is again preferred than morphine is the transmucosal route by a buccal tablet. The main reason is that fentanyl is a lipophilic drug while morphine has a limited lipid solubility. More specifically, when fentanyl is placed in saliva it is 80% non-ionized  and it usually takes 20-30 minutes for the analgesic effect to reach its peak14. Note transmucosal morphine is also available but the bioavailability is low and analgesic effect is not significant. Sublingual route This route utilises soluble immediate release tablets and it is recommended to patients that have swallowing difficulties. Morphine enters into bloodstream via sublingual mucosa. Investigations have shown that the absorption of morphine is the same (and in a few cases faster) compared with the oral route7. Same studies have shown that there is no significant difference in the extent and duration of analgesic effect when is compared with oral administered morphine3. Nebulised morphine Nebulised morphine utilises the airways to deliver the drug into pulmonary circulation. It can be used for COPD patients in the management of acute thoracic pain11. Through this route, the effect of hepatic metabolism is avoided and a rapid absorption is noted. However, the plasma drug levels are unpredictable indicating the necessity of further clinical investigations. Studies showed that inhaled morphine was as effective as intravenous PCA morphine without causing strong sedating symptoms8. Although nebulised morphine is well accepted, patients who are not used to opioids might experience nausea and vomiting and in rare cases respiratory depression. Other common side effects include constipation and histamine induced broncho-constriction. Another drawback of nebulised morphine is the high cost of the equipment (nebuliser, injectable vials, etc). It is not a simple method and some patients might find it difficult to use the nebuliser. Studies show a wide range of bioavailability in subjects; relating the bioavailability of the drug with the patients ability to use the nebuliser in the right way10. Epidural/intrathecal Both epidural and intrathecal routes are used mostly in the hospital clinical environment. The bioavailability is high so spinal administered morphine can provide extended analgesic effect at lower doses (compared to the conventional drug routes)12. Although epidural and intrathecal morphine can relieve both acute and chronic pain; studies suggest that these routes should be used only for pain which cannot be controlled by the classic established methods13. For instance, these routes are effective in managing lower body pain. Note that only 1% of the daily iv dose must be used intrathecally and only 10% epidurally5. An implanted infusion pump may be used to deliver intrathecal morphine at a continuous rate. A disadvantage of these methods is the high risk of infection and overdose as the staff must be trained and careful when dosing for breakthrough pains. Studies have reported a number of patients experiencing side effects such as sedation, dyspnoea, nausea and vomiting after spinal administration12. Spinal morphine is not usually preferred while diamorphine is the drug of choice due to its high solubility manner. Conclusion As it was mentioned before, morphine can be administered via different routes. However, it is vital each time to consider the risk- benefit ratio for each method and choose the most effective and safe one. Moreover, before establishing unconventional methods such as nebulised and spinal morphine it is important to further investigate their suitability and ways to improve the drug delivery and minimise side effects. Finally, if it is necessary to choose other opiates (such as fentanyl and diamorphine), which might be more efficient than morphine.

The James Bond Phenomenon :: essays research papers

The James Bond Phenomenon   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  James Bond has gone through a lot of changes in the years with 19 films. James Bond has been played by Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, George Lazneby, to Pierce Bronsman. All being great James Bond characters. The best of them being Sean Connery, why? I don't know why, he has always just been a better actor in every movie he has been in. Then comes Pierce Bronsman because he has been in movies for my generation and I can relate with the stuff going on in his movies. Then would come Timothy Dalton because he looks and acts a lot like Pierce Bronsman. I would guess Roger Moore comes in fourth, why? because I HATE George Lazneby and I have no where else to put him. George Lazenby comes in way last because he is not a actor, he is a talking mannequin. They have all gone through different types of adventures, well ok they were all action/spy problems but they were all different, in some ways anyway. Hey if they suck so much why can't you stop watching them? Why have they made so many of them? eh? thats what I thought. I had my doubts about watching all these James Bond movies, but they were all good. Sean Connery Played a nice cool, slick James Bond, well so did the others but he was better at it because he naturally is cool and slick. Pierce Bronsman played also as a cool, slick James Bond, he really looked like he was a spy, he kept his cool, I really liked that scene in Golden Eye when he is at the tanks of fuel where the satellite comes out of the water and they are shooting at him and there is sparks right next to his eye and he keeps on doing what he is doing. Talk bout a great and intense scene there. Timothy Dalton played as fast acting, nervous person as he played James bond. In my opinion he looked very nervous and very like hyper, he really wasn't that good, but he looked like he was a really bad acting Pierce Bronsman. Roger Moore, well he TRYED to act as a cool, slick James Bond, but he didn't really pull it off right, he just looked like a big dork in my opinion, he wasn't aggressive enough to be a good James Bond. He tryed to be aggressive but he just made a fool of him self, In his movie Live and Let die, the co-starring actors and actresses really made The James Bond Phenomenon :: essays research papers The James Bond Phenomenon   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  James Bond has gone through a lot of changes in the years with 19 films. James Bond has been played by Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, George Lazneby, to Pierce Bronsman. All being great James Bond characters. The best of them being Sean Connery, why? I don't know why, he has always just been a better actor in every movie he has been in. Then comes Pierce Bronsman because he has been in movies for my generation and I can relate with the stuff going on in his movies. Then would come Timothy Dalton because he looks and acts a lot like Pierce Bronsman. I would guess Roger Moore comes in fourth, why? because I HATE George Lazneby and I have no where else to put him. George Lazenby comes in way last because he is not a actor, he is a talking mannequin. They have all gone through different types of adventures, well ok they were all action/spy problems but they were all different, in some ways anyway. Hey if they suck so much why can't you stop watching them? Why have they made so many of them? eh? thats what I thought. I had my doubts about watching all these James Bond movies, but they were all good. Sean Connery Played a nice cool, slick James Bond, well so did the others but he was better at it because he naturally is cool and slick. Pierce Bronsman played also as a cool, slick James Bond, he really looked like he was a spy, he kept his cool, I really liked that scene in Golden Eye when he is at the tanks of fuel where the satellite comes out of the water and they are shooting at him and there is sparks right next to his eye and he keeps on doing what he is doing. Talk bout a great and intense scene there. Timothy Dalton played as fast acting, nervous person as he played James bond. In my opinion he looked very nervous and very like hyper, he really wasn't that good, but he looked like he was a really bad acting Pierce Bronsman. Roger Moore, well he TRYED to act as a cool, slick James Bond, but he didn't really pull it off right, he just looked like a big dork in my opinion, he wasn't aggressive enough to be a good James Bond. He tryed to be aggressive but he just made a fool of him self, In his movie Live and Let die, the co-starring actors and actresses really made

Comparing Mountain Lion and Badger Essay -- English Literature

Comparing Mountain Lion and Badger These are two poems that were written at the beginning and end of the nineteenth century. The views on animal hunting and animal cruelty are very different today. Animals such as badgers were hunted for sport; it was considered to be entertaining to track a badger using dogs and capture and torture it until death. Animas such as the Mexican mountain lion were hunted in Mexico for a profit, their fur was a highly sought after fashion item and was sold at very high prices. Both the poems describe animals that are put through a chase before they are killed. The badger is portrayed as aggressive and fierce yet he is demure, the first two characteristics are masculine but the badger also seems to be in controlled and is calm and collected. The mountain lion is portrayed as a beautiful, elegant creature. The curves of her body also accent the curves in the hills of the environment that she lives in, these are all feminine features. In Badger the poet works more on building up the character of the badger whereas in Mountain Lion the poet focuses more on the image of the mountain lion, he concentrates a lot on describing the lifeless face of the now dead mountain lion, " Her round, bright face, bright as frost." And, "Her round, fine-fashioned head, with two dead ears:" The imagery in Badger brings the poem to life; the poet uses alliteration, "And drives the rebels to their very door." This puts emphasis on the fact that the badger is fighting back and will do everything in his power to survive. The word, "drive" is repeated many times throughout this poem and is a metaphor that best describes the way that the badger pushes the crowd on, it shows that he is in control of ... ...s the impression that something has to be done to stop the hunting of badgers which when the poem was written was not illegal as it is today. Mountain Lion persuades the reader into thinking that the death of this animal was unneeded and will now leave a gap, and empty void in the environment that it once lived. The poet also makes the shocking declaration that he thinks, "how easily we might spare a million or two of humans And never miss them. Yet what a gap in the world, the missing white frost-face of that slim yellow mountain lion!" this gives the horrendous impression that the poet feels that a mountain lion is much more valuable to the world than several million humans. The poet wants the reader to feel regret for the death of the animal and also wants the reader to feel that they need to personally do something to prevent this from happening again.

spider :: essays research papers

First discovered in 1900, little was known about the happy-face spider until 1972. The obviously named happy-face spider is a small spider found in the native rainforests of the islands Maui, The Big Island of Hawaii, Oahu and Molokai at elevations of 1000 to 6000 feet. Typically around a quarter of an inch long, its diet consists of small insects that it hunts mainly during the night for small insects. They spin their webs on the undersides of leaves of specific plants and usually avoid contact with humans or other potentially danger animals, although only birds present a natural threat. Humans present a possible danger due to loss of habitat to agriculture, but the population is apparently healthy. The happy-face spider’s most admired feature is its bright yellow coloring and a strange pattern of red and black spots on the abdomen. These spots vary widely from spider to spider, making them of interest to scientists who have hypothesized that the different spots provide camouflage against birds and other predators. Strangely enough, the red and black spots, combined with the yellow body, tend to make the spider's abdomen look like the widely known yellow smiley face. The expressions on the abdomen of the spider can range from sad, happy, and excited, to bored or angry. Though individuals differ extremely in their color patterns, these differences are evenly distributed, with the same ratio of Yellow forms to Red front forms in every population, regardless of its separation from the others. Mating experiments reveal that the genetic mechanism for achieving these similar color morphs is different on each island. Results for the Maui spiders reveal a more simple system of genetic control where the individual, regardless of sex, will be colored according to a single gene. On Hawaii, however, it is apparent that two genes determine the color morph, with pairs of color forms restricted to one sex or the other.

Economic Analyses – Netherlands

Netherlands National Economy: 2008-2012 Compulsory Assignment April 24 2012 Spur: MM 2nd Sem. Subject: Descriptive Economics Table of contents _ Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 GDP†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 Unemployment Rate†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦ 6 Inflation Rate†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦13 Introduction _ This report is written for the purpose of the completion of a compulsory assignment that was allotted to the second semester students of the Marketing and Management spur. The theory and data that is described herein is related to the subject of descriptive of economics which is a branch of macroeconomic studies.The specifics of the assignment are, according to my understanding, to find a national economy of our choice; analyze the nation’s recent economic growth rate known as GDP (Gross Domestic Product); analyze the inflation rate; analyze the unemployment rate; presen t visual data to support the written information; explain in advance what GDP, inflation and unemployment is from the definitive perspective. The national economy that I have chosen to analyze is that of the Netherlands. The reason that I have specifically chosen this economy is twofold.Firstly, the Dutch economy it is one of many economies within the European Union that is having difficulties recovering from the global financial crisis of 2008/9 and the current crisis that is further evolving in the European Union, more specific insight to this developing may prove beneficial in the post-graduation period when exploring possible job opportunities. Secondly, the NGO Spark that is channeling capital into International Business College Mitrovica is located in Amsterdam, Netherlands; therefore it is interesting to know what economic environment the organization is surrounded by. Dutch EconomyThe Netherlands have a long history of trading with other countries in the world and have throu ghout time become very dependent on trade. The Dutch economy is based on a free market economy system with the government’s main purpose being to set regulations and taxations in the economy. Furthermore, the Netherlands are part of the European Union and have closely bound their economy to the EU by joining the European Monetary Union, that is to say the euro. The Dutch are advocators of free international trade and the reduction and removal of tariffs since it is obvious that they would benefit from more free trade.Past expansions of the Dutch economy were mainly due to an emphasis being put on increasing foreign trade, consumer spending and investment. When compare to other economies the Netherlands rank as the fifth largest economy in Europe with relatively stable industrial relations. When it comes to industrial activities, Netherlands are primarily occupied with food processing. The country is highly technologically advanced when it comes to agricultural development and uses a relatively small labor force to regulate agricultural cultivation. Currently it holds an estimated population of 17 million people.Average unemployment rate in the country is 4. 77 percent; average inflation rate is 2. 08 percent; average GDP growth rate is 0. 61 percent per quarter. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) GDP is the sum in market value of all goods and services (products) that a country has produced in a given span of time, i. e. a year or a quarter of a year multiplied by four. It is a statistical measurement expressed in monetary value. In order to get a comprehensive value of goods and services the prices of those products are added together to get the GDP value.This is only relative to final products and not intermediates such as components that are used to produce the final good or service with the exception of those products that are produced and then stored in inventory; those have momentary or short GDP value. The term â€Å"all goods and services† appl ies only to the country’s output that is legitimate and legal excluding all products derived from illegal activity and those products that are produced and consumed in a household, i. e. homegrown vegetables used only for personal consumption.Other products that are not included into the GDP are those that are not newly produced and sold, this applies to used goods such as cars or machinery. GDP is not concerned with nationality, e. g. if an individual of American nationality opens a company in the Netherlands producing a particular product and sells it in the Netherlands, that is also counted into Netherlands GDP. There is a clear line between GDP and a GDP growth rate. The GDP growth rate is expressed as a percentage and it uses the Real GDP (GDP or Nominal GDP minus inflation or increases in price).It shows by what rate (percentage) the economy as a whole has expanded or contracted from one period to another period (Mankiw 2008). GDP Netherlands: January 2008 – Janu ary 2012 When analyzing the Dutch economy at the peak of the global financial crisis (2009) it is apparent that the Netherlands were affected very deeply (illustrated in the graph above and on the next page). The economy was in a heavy recessive state meaning that the national economy was experiencing a contraction in economic growth or simply put, the national economy was shrinking.The recession or negative growth started in 2008 for the Netherlands dropping from a positive economic growth rate of 0. 5 percent in the first quarter to -0. 4 percent in the second quarter of the year. This recession was by far the worse that the Dutch economy has ever experienced reaching a record low of -2. 2 percent at the end of the first quarter in 2009. The recession was in effect up to mid-2009 with the economy starting to experience positive growth again in the third quarter (0. 8 percent) of the same year.From that point Netherlands GDP was subject to fluctuation in growth rate, however stayin g well on the positive side of growth all the way up to mid-2011 where the economy experienced another plunge and fell to -0. 4 and -0. 6 percent in the third and fourth quarter of the year. The reasons for the recession in 2008 and 2009 are not of an ambiguous nature. The world as a whole had entered a recession primarily driven by the financial disaster created by the banks in the United States. People all over the world had stopped spending money which led to companies reducing trade and production.These developments had a negative impact on the Dutch economy which receives a large portion of its GDP from trading with other national economies. In addition to the negative turn in trade during the recession the Netherlands also experienced a reduction in traffic in its harbors which serve as a center for European transport and contraction to internal spending form companies and households. When examining the more recent recession beginning in 2011 a number of factors were uncovered in relation to the cause of contraction in economic growth.Again the external environment has had a tremendous effect on the Dutch economy this time sparked by the financial crisis that has been unfolding in the European Union. Starting with ongoing financial and economic breakdown of Greece and more recently Spain and Ireland, the Netherlands have been greatly affected by those countries inability to pay off their debts. This has led to a reduction in trade again for the Dutch primarily because the risk that is now associated with the European Union and its lack in competency in regulating the financial crisis.Further on, internal demand and expenditure has again decreased from households and companies. As to why households have stop spending money there is no single answer. One reason can be the rise of unemployment which will be discussed later. Another reason may be people’s uncertainty as to the future value of their currency because of the financial crisis making them unwilling to spend and more eager to save thus withdrawing their money from the circular flow of the economy.In regards to why companies have stopped spending in the Netherlands it can be explained by emphasizing the interconnectedness between households and companies in a nation’s economy. Figure 1 illustrates the relationship between households and companies. If there is austerity in spending form households there is a negative effect on the companies’ willingness to produce goods and services, thus aggregate supply is reduced which also reduces the companies’ expenditure on factors for production.Lastly, the Dutch government has also cut back its spending from 2011 and made adjustments to the national budget which means that there was reduction of injections into the economy. Overall it can be deducted that the four primary factors which drive the GDP growth rate (investment, government expenditure, consumption, exports) have taken a beating due to the ongoin g financial crisis and the physiological effect that it had on Dutch citizens causing the negative impact on the circular flow between households and firms in the national economy (Kaidusch, P. & Ott, C. 2012).Unemployment Rate When speaking about the unemployment rate of a nation it is important to understand how such a rate is derived. There are two essential components needed to calculate the unemployment rate, the first being the number of people that comprise the labor force. Labor force is the number of those people in the country that are employed, either in someone else’s business or their own business, plus the number of those people that are unemployed excluding fulltime students, retirees, homemakers and those incapable of working due to disability or health issues.The labor force is divided by the number of those unemployed and then converted into percentage equaling the unemployment rate (Mankiw 2008). Netherlands Unemployment Rate: January 2008 – January 2012 When looking above at unemployment chart for the Netherlands covering the same period as the GDP it appears that following the start of the recession in 2008 the unemployment rate went upwards (negative increase) starting to slowly rise in the second half of 2008 and shooting up from 3. 6 percent in January 2009 up to 4. in the first quarter of the same year. If we refer back to the GDP chart we can see that exactly at this point of time the Dutch economy experienced its first serious plunge in the GDP rate going from 0 percent down to 1. 1 percent. When further following the trend of the unemployment rate it is relatively easy to spot that it is closely related to the GDP rate in 2009. Basically, with the contraction in the GDP it is the natural order of things that unemployment rises since as explained before companies are spending less for factors of production, i. . less workers are needed. However, if we compare the general unemployment rates for the entire euro area (see chart on the next page) we can see that the Netherlands are actually a lot better off than a large portion of the other European countries that share the same currency with general unemployment rate being above 7. 2 percent since 2008 and reaching 10. 4 percent at the end of 2011. Through this we can deduct that the rises in the unemployment rate in the Dutch economy have been of slighter significance if compared on a larger scale.The question maybe posted as to why the Netherlands employment rate suffered much less than other euro area countries. There are a number of answers but only a few deemed essential will be stated in this report. First, when the financial crisis reached the Dutch economy in 2008 a lot of companies collected and kept their workforce fearing a future shortage; however this was only possible at the price of productivity due to the law of diminishing returns on factors of production. This means that the companies were overstaffed leading to a lot of workers bei ng less productive yet still employed.Second, government expenditure was relatively large with high employment in the public sector up to 2011, when the Dutch austerity measure came into effect. Third, in 2009 the government took certain measures to extenuate the damage of the financial crisis on the unemployment rate by introducing relief programs and subsidies. Lastly, what contributed to the unemployment rate stabilizing sooner than expected in the first recession is that there was and still is a rising number of self-employed individuals in professional services, arts, and creative industries.These people adjusted their prices to the fall in demand easier than large scale businesses and managed to stay in business proving how important SME (Small-medium enterprises) are to the economy. However, now it can be observed that the unemployment rate is rising again due to a new recession that started in 2011. Companies in the Netherlands are adjusting their workforce to the demand in the economy leading to higher unemployment supporting the economic theory all factors of production are variable in the long-run.Government expenditure has decreased cutting jobs in the public sector also causing higher unemployment. It would appear that exactly those things that have contributed to the Dutch economy staying under the general euro area unemployment rate have been cut and reduced in the pursuit of creating a more efficient and effective economy (Janssen 2011). Inflation Rate _ Inflation in macroeconomic terms is the general rise in price of good and services in a given economy and is closely related to the value of money.Inflation occurs when there is an access of money being pumped into the economy usually causing a rise in demand and subsequently a rise in price. The inflation rate in a country is the percentage of monetary value by which prices have risen in general. It is measured from one year to the next. Inflation causes the purchasing power of money to decrea se meaning that that consumers can purchase less goods and services with the same particular sum of money then before inflation has happened, in simple terms inflation causes money to lose it value (Mankiw 2008).The main reason as to why inflation is negative for the economy is because it can have the effect of frightening people from spending money and herd their saving in banks and even worse out of banks causing a complete withdraw of their capital from the economy. Netherlands Inflation Rates: January 2008 – January 2012 When examining the inflation chart for the Netherlands for the period between 2008 to the start of 2012 it can be observed that the inflation rate decreased just about when the global recession hit the Dutch economy.Throughout the recessive period the inflation rate continued to decrease with very little fluctuation up to the point in 2009 when the economy was recovering from the recession. From that point there was a steady rise again in the inflation ra te until the new recession took place in mid-2011 with a declining trend passing over into 2012. Reasons as to why the Netherlands were experiencing a decrease in the inflation rate can be explained as follows. A very base explanation is that there was less money circulating in the Dutch economy which brought about the increase of value in the available oney supply, however there is more to the story. Since the Netherlands are part of the European Union it is not the responsibility of the Dutch Central Bank to regulate policies regarding inflation but that of The European Central Bank. Following the global meltdown of the financial system on a global scale in 2008, the European Central Bank under the presidency of Jean-Claude Trichet did not follow the action of the Federal Reserve in the United States and the Bank of England in the UK by cutting its interest rates which have a definitive impact on inflation.What happens is that when interest rates are cut people tend to borrow more money which results in more money circulating in the economy. â€Å"Inflation is an autonomous occurrence that is impacted by money supply in an economy. Central governments use the interest rate to control money supply and, consequently, the inflation rate. When interest rates are high, it becomes more expensive to borrow money and savings become attractive. When interest rates are low, banks are able to lend more, resulting in an increased supply of money. –Economy Watch 2010 This is a viable explanation as to why Inflation rates started to decrease during the recession in the Netherlands who followed a very similar inflation rate trend as all the countries in the euro area during that period, as illustrated in the chart below. As the Dutch government took measures to reduce the damage to the unemployment rate by giving subsidies and relief programs the money supply in the economy started going up again, people started spending more and the inflation rate began to steadil y rise again as shown on the chart for the Netherlands inflation rate, see previous page.By following this logic it is easy to deduce why inflation rates are now rising again, due to the austerity program that the government brought into effect in 2011 cuts have been made to the spending budget once omre reducing the money supply in the economy. The Relation between Unemployment and Inflation Up to this point in the report we have observed that there is a connection between GDP and the unemployment rate. When GDP is down overall productivity and demand is down in the economy which causes less demand for work force that is a direct factor of production.Thus we could follow what was happening in the Dutch economy when the recession (negative GDP for two quarters of a year) took effect and why unemployment did rise. Further on, the relation between unemployment and inflation will be examined. In the long-run it can be observed that unemployment and inflation are not connected since the y have different determents in the long-run. For the unemployment rate some long-run determinants are minimum wage laws, power of labor unions, and how effective job searching is. The main factor that determines the inflation rate in the long-run is the growth in the money supply (Mankiw 2008).However, in the short-run the two are relevant to each other and to policy makers in the government. In the short-run there is an economic trade-off between inflation and unemployment putting governments in difficult positions. Do they pump subsidies and other monetary aid into the economy and through this increase the aggregate demand in the economy subsequently increasing inflation and decreasing the unemployment rate, or, do they make cuts in spending contracting aggregate demand and thus contribute to the increase to the unemployment rate yet keeping the inflation rate down.The best way to illustrate this trade of is through the Philips curve shown below. A lot could be said on the topic o f the Philips curve and its application in macroeconomic theory on the relationship between unemployment and inflation and for this it is recommended that the works of George Akerlof and the research done by Samuelson and Solow should be further referred to. Getting back to the Netherlands it is obvious that Dutch policy makers were faced with exactly this dilemma even more so during the recession of 2008 and 2009.As the government subsidized and lend aid in the economy the unemployment rate seemed to stay at a reasonable unemployment level further aided by the European Central Bank’s inaction in decreasing the interest rates as mentioned earlier in the report. However, as the government starting making cuts and companies readjusted their work force inflation rates contracted unemployment rates rose for the year of 2011.Conclusion When it comes to the GDP growth of the Netherlands it can be concluded that it’s going to take some extensive time for the economy to recove r from the damage done by the financial crisis. Of course there is much more that could have been said on the topic of GDP however those issues will be left as the topic of another report of a deeper analytical nature.As to the unemployment rates in the Netherlands even though they have been relatively low in comparison to other countries they are on the rise and forecasts by the Dutch treasury agency have been negative describing that the Dutch government has a hefty challenge ahead of itself in the next couple of years stabilizing the lasting effects of the recession, past and present. In regards to the inflation rates they are currently on the decline and may very well stay that way for the upcoming year since another shallow recession is forecasted for the first two quarters of 2012.In the course of this report it was made evident to me as to how interrelated GDP, unemployment, and inflation are in reality. Furthermore, now there is a clear understanding of what kind of difficul t issues policymakers are faced with in the process of regulating this phenomenon called economy. Bibliography 1. Business Dictionary. com (2012), Law of diminishing returns, available at: http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/law-of-diminishing-returns. html (accessed on April 29, 2012) 2.Countries of the World (2012), Netherlands Economy 2012, available at: http://www. theodora. com/wfbcurrent/netherlands/netherlands_economy. html (accessed on April 28, 2012) 3. Dutch State Treasury (2011) Ministry of finance: Outlook, available at: http://www. dsta. nl/dsresource? objectid=7528&type=org (accessed on April 29, 2012) 4. Economy watch (2010) Inflation And Interest Rate, available at: http://www. economywatch. com/inflation/economy/interest-rates. html (accessed on April 29, 2012) 5.Encyclopedia of Nations (2012), The Netherlands – Overview of economy, available at: http://www. nationsencyclopedia. com/economies/Europe/The-Netherlands-OVERVIEW-OF-ECONOMY. html (access ed on April 28, 2012) 6. Kaidusch, P. & Ott, C. (2012), Recession in the Netherlands: is the core turning to periphery? , available at: http://cib. natixis. com/flushdoc. aspx? id=62676 (accessed on April 28, 2012) 7. Mankiw, G. (2008), Principles of Macroeconomics, 6th edition, Ohio: SW Cengage Learning 8. Mike Moffatt

A Cognitive Perspective on Trauma and Memory

The human mind is a complex and marvelous mechanism. Like the operating headquarters of a huge corporation, its functional distinctions are based on information processing based on thought, language, meaning and imagery (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999).In order to understand how trauma and cognition are related, we first need to acknowledge the workings of our memory (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999). Traditionally, theorists have divided memory processes into stages or models of the following: acquisition, storage, and retrieval (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999).   These models came to be known as information processing models that govern the following: sensory, short-term memory and long-term memory (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999).The sensory memory refers to the initial perceptual processing that identifies incoming stimuli. The information then passes to short-term memory before it is coded before deciding if it should be translated into long-term memory (Bruning, Schraw & R onning, 1999). Thus, our cognition process tells us that meaning is constructed and it works hand in hand with our environment: behavior, visual register, and auditory sensors.Together, we are given a fuller sense of meaning of our actions, thoughts and behavior.   In the case of trauma, be it physical or psychological, our body is subjected to a form of shock, harm and hurt that leaves a lifelong effect which creates an unstableness of our perception and thoughts of   life when factors in the environment reminds our memory of the trauma (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999). This paper will discuss the subject of cognition in relation to trauma and memory.When we recall a bad episode it means the cognitive department of our brain has translated meaning from our surroundings. Our five sensors would have been involved in the incident (accident, abuse, etc) sending messages to our brain that the thought is unpleasant. This construction of meaning depends on three things in the act of our cognition: the nature of the stimuli, (2) our background knowledge, and (3) the context in which we encounter the stimuli (Marr, 1982, 1985).For instance, visual perception cannot occur if nothing is seen, likewise with our other sensors. When someone has undergone trauma, a pattern recognition occurs in which the person’s mind recognizes and stores the episode in his memory. Repeated series of trauma can be looked upon as someone being consistently hammered in the head influencing the mind to create side effects physiologically, mildly known as stress but if chronic, we know it as post-traumatic disorders.Post-traumatic disorders can be damaging as it prevents the person from normal daily functions. In this situation, the functional processes we discussed earlier have been disrupted into a form of mutation where the body sends offending signals throughout the entire body weakening the entire human system. Once weakened, the person becomes subject to illnesses such as can cers, mental disorders such as manic depression and suicidal, through to even death (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999).The mind, it is believed, is powerful enough to control the entire human body operated by its mental functions and processes. Thus, trauma, especially in children, cannot be easily dismissed as an episode that can be swept aside.As Freud theorized, the human is like a storage warehouse. Everything that has been experienced are recorded and kept in the warehouse. These chunks of memories leak subconsciously throughout out life from subtle to severe activities such as dreams (or nightmares), Freudian slips, hysteria and flashbacks (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999).