Culture of Portugal

The country of Portugal has many rich cultural facets in food, music and sports. Situated on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula that it shares with Spain, Portugal’s culture was shaped by the influences from the Latin, Visigoth and Muslim cultures. Many men in Portugal go into the Atlantic to catch fish while the women are homebound doing chores like house work or cleaning the fish. The men are the bread winners while the women are the housewives who take care of the home. The kids are free to make their own decisions outside of their home. It is mandatory for children to go to school until 6th grade but after that they are free to choose to carry on in school or help out in the working society. Even though the children have freedom outside their homes, it is within the culture for children to not leave the house until married and have their own children because of the strong family ties. Divorce was not an option in Portugal for many years. After the revolution of 1974, divorce was finally allowed into the Portuguese culture dominated by the Roman Catholic religion. Portugal has been known to be a very homogenous society over the years with mainly one language and one religion, Portuguese and Roman Catholic respectively. The Do’s and Don’ts of the Portuguese Culture are quite simple but different from the way of life that we know here in the States. For example: each time you meet someone new, you take time to get to know them; do not use first names unless you know them very well, the Portuguese have a lot of respect for academic titles for doctors and engineers and are addressed accordingly; upon meeting for the first time, the Portuguese can be quite reserved and formal if they do not know you well; don’t write in red because it is considered rude; if invited to someone’s house, do bring flowers; do not stretch in public because it is also rude; tip taxis 10% on each ride and by just using common sense and smiling at all times you will not go far wrong. The food of Portugal Varies by the region you visit. In the north, there is caldo verde and sardines. Caldo verde is a type of kale & potato soup flavored with a spicy sausage. This soup is eaten with broa, which is a grainy corn bread with thick crust. The traditional wine that goes with this food in this region would be the vinho verde. This is a young wine made from grapes that grow on arbors that often serve as property markers. In the northeastern region a popular dish is the Tras o Montes, which is fresh and cured pork used in many meals. A stew consisted of mixed meats and vegetables called cozida a portuguesa originated in this region has become a national dish. In central Portugal Cheeses are a very important part of the meal and fish like octopus, squid and eel. And finally in the south, a soup called gazpacho with bread and smoked pork. Overall as a nation, Bacalhau, or codfish, has been the most popular fish sine the 15th century. The Bacalhau croquettes are popular appetizers and for dessert cinnamon on top of rice pudding. Port wine which is the symbol of the city Porto, is a major export and is only used in rural households during ceremonial occasions or offered to celebrated guests. The annual killing and preserving of the pig is an important ceremony in the culture of Portugal. The event which last two days, usually occurs in late December or January. This process involves making sausage, smoking ham and salting other parts of the pig, including the stomach area. On the first day of this celebration called Sarrabulho, the noon meal consists of rice, innards and the blood of the pig. The country of Portugal observes fourteen holidays throughout the calendar year. The major days include the following: Freedom day (25th April), day that Portugal went from a dictatorship to a democracy in 1974; Portugal day (10th June), celebrates 16th century epic poem that brought fame and fortune to Portugal; Assumption (15th August), day Mary was taken into heaven; restoration of independence (1st December), celebrates the end of the Iberian Union. Many of their holidays fall are shared and fall on the same days as the US holidays like new years day, Good Friday, Easter, Labor Day and Christmas day. Clothing is a huge essential aspect of the culture in Portugal. The people of Portugal are very particular about their clothing attire and dressing styles. Like in many countries clothing ranges from the modern to traditional dressing patterns. The clothing industry plays a very important role in the economy of the country. The clothing ranges from the urban to the rural region. Usually the city people are extremely well dressed. They bear the resemblance of the western influence with western pattern clothing. In the rural areas, clothing is in tune with the traditional pattern of dressing. Men’s traditional outfits include stocking caps, berets that are teamed with trousers and baggy shirts. Women wear black shawls and long dresses. Black or dark colors are usually worn for carrying out daily chores, however brightly hued clothing is usually worn on special occasions. The music of Portugal was influenced by Ancient Rome’s traditions. The genres music include classical to popular. The history of the music can be divided into music production from the middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic and Modern times. The music in Portugal offers a rich history and privileged geographical location which despite its European roots, reflects the intercontinental interactions with Portuguese discoveries. Despite all the rich culture in music, Portugal and more specifically the city of Lisbon is better known for the birth place of Fado. Fado is a melancholy urban genre of music that was believed to date back to the 15th century when it was believed that women would cry for the longing of their husbands who sailed the seas. Even though Arabs left the region in the 13th century, the instruments like the Portuguese guitar have Arabic imprints that are heavily used in the singing of Fado. In the year 1939, Fado became an international popular genre with Amalia Rodrigues. A Singer and actress, she made stylistic adjustments to Fado that have made her the most influential fadista of all time. Amalia Rodrigues revived the Fado tradition. She was followed by many new, young musicians who have contributed to the social/political revival of the music adapting and blending it with new trends. The new artists walk a fine line of adapting and carrying the old traditions while trying to bring in a new audience. Portugal takes a huge liking to the most popular sport in the world, football. Three major clubs that come out of Portugal are Sporting and Benfica both in Lisbon; and FC Porto based in Porto. The big three as they are known in Portugal not only compete in football but also in basketball, handball, futsal and volleyball. The Portuguese national team is one of the finest in Europe and the world and it evokes tremendous passion on its people. In studies it was proven that during the days of the National team games held throughout Portugal while hosting the Euro 2004 Championships, heart attacks increased by 46% for males with cardiovascular problems. With past players like Eusebio, Figo and now Christiano Ronaldo, Portugal has produced some of the best world class players in the game. Bullfighting is another popular sport. Unlike their Spanish compatriots, the Portuguese do not kill the bulls in the ring. The bullfighters come out usually dressed in an 18th century style coat and three-cornered hat. The horns of the bull are sheathed to protect the horse. The bullfighter, which is always on the horse, is followed by Forcados who are young men that take on the bull bare handed. And finally since Portugal is situated along the Atlantic Ocean, it is a popular destination for aquatic activities. It has become over the years a center for the activities the long seacoast and mild climate make for popular sailing, surfboarding and scuba diving. From the early 1990’s the Portuguese entrepreneurs along with the tourist board have heavily promoted the coastline for these popular sports and have been a revelation for the economy. From it’s vast array of food, including the ever so popular Bacalhau, to it’s most cherished music in Fado; Portugal has a unique mixture of cultural brilliance that’s sets it apart from it’s neighbor Spain and, for that matter, any country in Europe. With its pleasant climate along the coastline, it is not a surprise that they are hosts to many aquatic activities and produce a fine wine in Port. With Football being the hands down most popular sport in the country that drives the passion of the people, there is also an uprising of other sports through the big three clubs (Sporting, Benfica and Porto). Most importantly, family values and the cultures they create for the country of Portugal is still the core to most of the society who continue to live and have deep roots in their society modeled by their Catholic faith. References http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/Portugal.html https://www.britannica.com/place/Portugal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portugal

Children’s literature

Literature is (a) imaginative or creative writing; (b) distinguish writing, with deep sublime, noble feelings. It includes oral tradition passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth (e. g. proverbs, myths, legends, epic, folk song, etc. ). Literature, as defined by the oxford, etc. , valued as works of art (drama, fiction, essays, poetry, biography) contrasted with technical books and journalism; (2) all the writing of a country (French lit. ) or a period (18th Century English Lit. ); (3) printed material describing or advertising e. g. pamphlets; (4) books dealing with special subjects, travel, poultry farming.Literature is an art expressing beauty through the medium of language; a recreation through language of human situation and experiences, the orchestration of the manifold but elemental experiences of man blended into harmonious and desired patterns of expressions and a faithful reproduction of life executed in an artistic pattern (Del Prado). Why Study Literature? Literature leads to personal fulfilment and academic gains.Separating the values into personal and academic is an intellectual distinction, since both types benefit the students and are all proper parts of a student’s schooling. The distinction is useful, however, since teachers and librarians must often justify the benefits of literature in the classroom and find the academic benefits the most convincing ones for administrators and parents. Enjoyment The most important personal gain that good books offer to students is the most obvious one-enjoyment.Those of you who read widely as students will never forget the stories that were so tragic that you almost cried out, some were so funny that you laughed out, the poem that was so lifting that you never forgot it, or the mystery that was so scary that your heart thumped with apprehension. Such positive early experience often leads to a lifetime of reading enjoyment. Imagination and Inspiration By seeing the world around them in new ways and by considering ways of living other than their own, students increase their ability to think divergently.Stories often map the divergent paths that our ancestors might have taken or that our descendants might someday take. Through the vicarious experience of entering a different world from the present one, students develop their imaginations. In addition, stories about people, both real and imaginary, can inspire students to overcome obstacles, accept different perspectives, and formulate personal goals. The Academic Value of Literature to Student In addition to the personal benefits of literature for yong readers, there are several important academic benefits.Reading Many of you may have reached the common-sense deduction that reading ability, like any other skill, improves with practice. Many teachers and librarians believe that regular involvement with excellent and appropriate literature can foster language development to young people and can help them to learn to r ead and to value reading. Writing Since people tend to assimilate or adopt what they like of what they read and hear, young people may, by listening to and reading literature, begin to develop their own writing â€Å"voice†, or unique, personal writing style.By listening to and reading excellent literature, children are exposed to rich vocabulary and excellent writing styles, which serve as good models for their own speaking and writing voices. The acquisition of a larger vocabulary through reading offers young writers a better word choice for their own stories. Devices found in books such as the use of dialect, dialogue, and precise descriptions are often assimilated into students’ own writing. Vicarious ExperienceWhen a story is convincing written that readers feel as though they have live through an experience or have actually been in the place and time where the story is set, the book have given them a vicarious experience. Experiences such as these are broadening students to stories from many lands and cultures, teachers and libraries are building a solid foundation for multicultural and international understanding. Walking in someone else’s shoes often help students to develop a greater capacity to empathize with others.Students around the world can benefit from stories that explain what life is, for people who are restricted by handicaps, politics, or circumstances or whose lives are different from theirs because of culture or geography. Likewise, young readers of today can relate on a more personal level with the events and people of history. Heritage Stories that are handed down from one generation to the next connect us to our past, to the roots of our specific cultures, national heritage, and general human condition. Stories are the repositories of culture.Knowing the tales, characters, expression, riddles, lullabies, songs, and adages that are part of our cultural heritage makes us culturally literate. Stories based on fact hel p young people to gain a greater appreciation for what history is and for the people, both ordinary and extraordinary who made history. Art Appreciation Illustration in some literature books (Children’s Literature) can be appreciated both for its ability to help tell the story (cognitive value) and for its value as art (aesthetic value).Picture books are profusely illustrated books in which the illustrations are, to varying degrees, essential to the enjoyment and understanding of the story. For this reason, illustrations in picture books are said to be integral to the story. The illustration in picture books provides actual plot or concept information as well as clues to character traits, settings, and moods. Without the illustrations, therefore these books would be diminished, and in some case the story would make no sense or would be nonexistent.

Second Foundation 9. The Conspirators

For Dr. Darell and Pelleas Anthor, the evenings passed in friendly intercourse; the days in pleasant unimportance. It might have been an ordinary visit. Dr. Darell introduced the young man as a cousin from across space, and interest was dulled by the clich. Somehow, however, among the small talk, a name might be mentioned. There would be an easy thoughtfulness. Dr. Darell might say, â€Å"No,† or he might say, â€Å"Yes.† A call on the open Communi-wave issued a casual invitation, â€Å"Want you to meet my cousin.† And Arcadia's preparations proceeded in their own manner. In fact, her actions might be considered the least straightforward of all. For instance, she induced Olynthus Dam at school to donate to her a home-built, self-contained sound-receiver by methods which indicated a future for her that promised peril to all males with whom she might come into contact. To avoid details, she merely exhibited such an interest in Olynthus' self-publicized hobby – he had a home workshop-combined with such a well-modulated transfer of this interest to Olynthus' own pudgy features, that the unfortunate youth found himself: 1) discoursing at great and animated length upon the principles of the hyperwave motor; 2) becoming dizzyingly aware of the great, absorbed eyes that rested so lightly upon his; and 3) forcing into her willing hands his own greatest creation, the aforesaid sound-receiver. Arcadia cultivated Olynthus in diminishing degree thereafter for just long enough to remove all suspicion that the sound-receiver had been the cause of the friendship. For months afterwards, Olynthus felt the memory of that short period in his life over and over again with the tendrils of his mind, until finally, for lack of further addition, he gave up and let it slip away. When the seventh evening came, and five men sat in the Darell living room with food within and tobacco without, Arcadia's desk upstairs was occupied by this quite unrecognizable home-product of Olynthus' ingenuity. Five men then. Dr. Darell, of course, with graying hair and meticulous clothing, looking somewhat older than his forty-two years. Pelleas Author, serious and quick-eyed at the moment looking young and unsure of himself. And the three new men: Jole Turbor, visicastor, bulky and plump-lipped; Dr. Elvett Semic, professor-emeritus of physics at the University, scrawny and wrinkled, his clothes only half-filled; Homir Munn, librarian, lanky and terribly ill-at-ease. Dr. Darell spoke easily, in a normal, matter-of-fact tone: â€Å"This gathering has been arranged, gentlemen, for a trifle more than merely social reasons. You may have guessed this. Since you have been deliberately chosen because of your backgrounds, you may also guess the danger involved. I won't minimize it, but I will point out that we are all condemned men, in any case. â€Å"You will notice that none of you have been invited with any attempt at secrecy. None of you have been asked to come here unseen. The windows are not adjusted to non-insight. No screen of any sort is about the room. We have only to attract the attention of the enemy to be ruined; and the best way to attract that attention is to assume a false and theatrical secrecy. (Hah, thought Arcadia, bending over the voices coming – a bit screechily – out of the little box.) â€Å"Do you understand that?† Elvett Semic twitched his lower lip and bared his teeth in the screwup, wrinkled gesture that preceded his every sentence. â€Å"Oh, get on with it. Tell us about the youngster.† Dr. Darell said, â€Å"Pelleas Anthor is his name. He was a student of my old colleague, Kleise, who died last year. Kleise sent me his brain-pattern to the fifth sublevel, before he died, which pattern has been now checked against that of the man before you. You know, of course, that a brain-pattern cannot be duplicated that far, even by men of the Science of Psychology. If you don't know that, you'll have to take my word for it.† Turbor said, purse-lipped, â€Å"We might as well make a beginning somewheres. We'll take your word for it, especially since you're the greatest electroneurologist in the Galaxy now that Kleise is dead. At least, that is the way I've described you in my visicast comment, and I even believe it myself. How old are you, Anthor?† â€Å"Twenty-nine, Mr. Turbor.† â€Å"Hm-m-m. And are you an electroneurologist, too? A great one?† â€Å"Just a student of the science. But I work hard, and I've had the benefit of Kleise's training.† Munn broke in. He had a slight stammer at periods of tension. â€Å"I†¦ I wish you'd g†¦ get started. I think everyone's t†¦ talking too much.† Dr. Darell lifted an eyebrow in Munn's direction. you're right, Homir. Take over, Pelleas.† â€Å"Not for a while,† said Pelleas Anthor, slowly, â€Å"because before we can get started – although I appreciate Mr. Munn's sentiment – I must request brain-wave data.† Darell frowned. â€Å"What is this, Anthor? What brain-wave data do you refer to?† â€Å"The patterns of all of you. You have taken mine, Dr. Darell. I must take yours and those of the rest of you. And I must take the measurements myself.† Turbor said, â€Å"There's no reason for him to trust us, Darell. The young man is within his rights.† â€Å"Thank you,† said Anthor. â€Å"If you'll lead the way to your laboratory then, Dr. Darell, well proceed. I took the liberty this morning of checking your apparatus.† The science of electroencephalography was at once new and old. It was old in the sense that the knowledge of the microcurrents generated by nerve cells of living beings belonged to that immense category of human knowledge whose origin was completely lost. It was knowledge that stretched back as far as the earliest remnants of human history- And yet it was new, too. The fact of the existence of microcurrents slumbered through the tens of thousands of years of Galactic Empire as one of those vivid and whimsical, but quite useless, items of human knowledge. Some had attempted to form classifications of waves into waking and sleeping, calm and excited, well and ill – but even the broadest conceptions had had their hordes of vitiating exceptions. Others had tried to show the existence of brain-wave groups, analogous to the well-known blood groups, and to show that external environment was the defining factor. These were the race-minded people who claimed that Man could be divided into subspecies. But such a philosophy could make no headway against the overwhelming ecumenical drive involved in the fact of Galactic Empire – one political unit covering twenty million stellar systems, involving all of Man from the central world of Trantor – now a gorgeous and impossible memory of the great past – to the loneliest asteroid on the periphery. And then again, in a society given over, as that of the First Empire was, to the physical sciences and inanimate technology, there was a vague but mighty sociological push away from the study of the mind. It was less respectable because less immediately useful; and it was poorly financed since it was less profitable. After the disintegration of the First Empire, there came the fragmentation of organized science, back, back – past even the fundamentals of atomic power into the chemical power of coal and oil. The one exception to this, of course, was the First Foundation where the spark of science, revitalized and grown more intense was maintained and fed to flame. Yet there, too, it was the physical that ruled, and the brain, except for surgery, was neglected ground. Hari Seldon was the first to express what afterwards came to be accepted as truth. â€Å"Neural microcurrents,† he once said, â€Å"carry within them the spark of every varying impulse and response, conscious and unconscious. The brain-waves recorded on neatly squared paper in trembling peaks and troughs are the mirrors of the combined thought-pulses of billions of cells. Theoretically, analysis should reveal the thoughts and emotions of the subject, to the last and least. Differences should be detected that are due not only to gross physical defects, inherited or acquired, but also to shifting states of emotion, to advancing education and experience, even to something as subtle as a change in the subject's philosophy of life.† But even Seldon could approach no further than speculation. And now for fifty years, the men of the First Foundation had been tearing at that incredibly vast and complicated storehouse of new knowledge. The approach, naturally, was made through new techniques – as, for example, the use of electrodes at skull sutures by a newly-developed means which enabled contact to be made directly with the gray cells, without even the necessity of shaving a patch of skull. And then there was a recording device which automatically recorded the brain-wave data as an overall total, and as separate functions of six independent variables. What was most significant, perhaps, was the growing respect in which encephalography and the encephalographer was held. Kleise, the greatest of them, sat at scientific conventions on an equal basis with the physicist. Dr. Darell, though no longer active in the science, was known for his brilliant advances in encephalographic analysis almost as much as for the fact that he was the son of Bayta Darell, the great heroine of the past generation. And so now, Dr. Darell sat in his own chair, with the delicate touch of the feathery electrodes scarcely hinting at pressure upon his skull, while the vacuum-incased needles wavered to and fro. His back was to the recorder – otherwise, as was well known, the sight of the moving curves induced an unconscious effort to control them, with noticeable results – but he knew that the central dial was expressing the strongly rhythmic and little-varying Sigma curve, which was to be expected of his own powerful and disciplined mind. It would be strengthened and purified in the subsidiary dial dealing with the Cerebellar wave. There would be the sharp, near-discontinuous leaps from the frontal lobe, and the subdued shakiness from the subsurface regions with its narrow range of frequencies- He knew his own brain-wave pattern much as an artist might be perfectly aware of the color of his eyes. Pelleas Anthor made no comment when Darell rose from the reclining chair. The young man abstracted the seven recordings, glanced at them with the quick, all-embracing eyes of one who knows exactly what tiny facet of near-nothingness is being looked for. â€Å"If you don't mind, Dr. Semic.† Semic's age-yellowed face was serious. Electroencephalography was a science of his old age of which he knew little; an upstart that he faintly resented. He knew that he was old and that his wave-pattern would show it. The wrinkles on his face showed it, the stoop in his walk, the shaking of his hand – but they spoke only of his body. The brain-wave patterns might show that his mind was old, too. An embarrassing and unwarranted invasion of a man's last protecting stronghold, his own mind. The electrodes were adjusted. The process did not hurt, of course, from beginning to end. There was just that tiny tingle, far below the threshold of sensation. And then came Turbor, who sat quietly and unemotionally through the fifteen minute process, and Munn, who jerked at the first touch of the electrodes and then spent the session rolling his eyes as though he wished he could turn them backwards and watch through a hole in his occiput. â€Å"And now-† said Darell, when all was done. â€Å"And now,† said Anthor, apologetically, â€Å"there is one more person in the house.† Darell, frowning, said: â€Å"My daughter?† ‘Yes. I suggested that she stay home tonight, if you'll remember.† â€Å"For encephalographical analysis? What in the Galaxy for?† â€Å"I cannot proceed without it.† Darell shrugged and climbed the stairs. Arcadia, amply warned, had the sound-receiver off when he entered; then followed him down with mild obedience. It was the first time in her life – except for the taking of her basic mind pattern as an infant, for identification and registration purposes – that she found herself under the electrodes. â€Å"May I see,† she asked, when it was over, holding out her hand. Dr. Darell said, â€Å"You would not understand, Arcadia. Isn't it time for you to go to bed?† â€Å"Yes, father,† she said, demurely. â€Å"Good night, all.† She ran up the stairs and plumped into bed with a minimum of basic preparation. With Olynthus' sound-receiver propped beside her pillow, she felt like a character out of a book-film, and hugged every moment of it close to her chest in an ecstasy of â€Å"Spy-stuff.† The first words she heard were Anthor's and they were: â€Å"The analyses, gentlemen, are all satisfactory. The child's as well.† Child, she thought disgustedly, and bristled at Anthor in the darkness. Anthor had opened his briefcase now, and out of it, he took several dozen brain-wave records. They were not originals. Nor had the briefcase been fitted with an ordinary lock. Had the key been held in any hand other than his own, the contents thereof would have silently and instantly oxidized to an indecipherable ash. Once removed from the briefcase, the records did so anyway after half an hour. But during their short lifetime, Anthor spoke quickly. â€Å"I have the records here of several minor government officials at Anacreon. This is a psychologist at Locris University; this an industrialist at Siwenna. The rest are as you see.† They crowded closely. To all but Darell, they were so many quivers on parchment. To Darell, they shouted with a million tongues. Anthor pointed lightly, â€Å"I call your attention, Dr. Darell, to the plateau region among the secondary Tauian waves in the frontal lobe, which is what all these records have in common. Would you use my Analytical Rule, sir, to check my statement?† The Analytical Rule might be considered a distant relation – as a skyscraper is to a shack – of that kindergarten toy, the logarithmic Slide Rule. Darell used it with the wristflip of long practice. He made freehand drawings of the result and, as Anthor stated, there were featureless plateaus in frontal lobe regions where strong swings should have been expected. â€Å"How would you interpret that, Dr. Darell?† asked Anthor. â€Å"I'm not sure. Offhand, I don't see how it's possible. Even in cases of amnesia, there is suppression, but not removal. Drastic brain surgery, perhaps?† â€Å"Oh, something's been cut out,† cried Anthor, impatiently, â€Å"yes! Not in the physical sense, however. You know, the Mule could have done just that. He could have suppressed completely all capacity for a certain emotion or attitude of mind, and leave nothing but just such a flatness. Or else-â€Å" â€Å"Or else the Second Foundation could have done it. Is that it?† asked Turbor, with a slow smile. There was no real need to answer that thoroughly rhetorical question. â€Å"What made you suspicious, Mr. Anthor?† asked Munn. â€Å"It wasn't I. It was Dr. Kleise. He collected brain-wave patterns much as the Planetary Police do, but along different lines. He specialized in intellectuals, government officials and business leaders. You see, it's quite obvious that if the Second Foundation is directing the historical course of the Galaxy – of us – that they must do it subtly and in as minimal a fashion as possible. If they work through minds, as they must, it is the minds of people with influence; culturally, industrially, or politically. And with those he concerned himself.† â€Å"Yes,† objected Munn, â€Å"but is there corroboration? How do these people act – I mean the ones with the plateau. Maybe it's all a perfectly normal phenomenon.† He looked hopelessly at the others out of his, somehow, childlike blue eyes, but met no encouraging return. â€Å"I leave that to Dr. Darell,† said Anthor. â€Å"Ask him how many times he's seen this phenomenon in his general studies, or in reported cases in the literature over the past generation. Then ask him the chances of it being discovered in almost one out of every thousand cases among the categories Dr. Kleise studied.† â€Å"I suppose that there is no doubt,† said Darell, thoughtfully, â€Å"that these are artificial mentalities. They have been tampered with. In a way, I have suspected this-â€Å" â€Å"I know that, Dr. Darell,† said Author. â€Å"I also know you once worked with Dr. Kleise. I would like to know why you stopped.† There wasn't actually hostility in his question. Perhaps nothing more than caution; but, at any rate, it resulted in a long pause. Darell looked from one to another of his guests, then said brusquely, â€Å"Because there was no point to Kleise's battle. He was competing with an adversary too strong for him. He was detecting what we – he and I – knew he would detect – that we were not our own masters. And I didn't want to know! I had my self-respect. I liked to think that our Foundation was captain of its collective soul; that our forefathers had not quite fought and died for nothing. I thought it would be most simple to turn my face away as long as I was not quite sure. I didn't need my position since the Government pension awarded to my mother's family in perpetuity would take care of my uncomplicated needs. My home laboratory would suffice to keep boredom away, and life would some day end – Then Kleise died-â€Å" Semic showed his teeth and said: â€Å"This fellow Kleise; I don't know him. How did he die?† Anthor cut in: â€Å"He died. He thought he would. He told me half a year before that he was getting too close-â€Å" â€Å"Now we're too c†¦ close, too, aren't we?† suggested Munn, dry-mouthed, as his Adam's apple jiggled. â€Å"Yes,† said Anthor, flatly, â€Å"but we were, anyway – all of us. It's why you've all been chosen. I'm Kleise's student. Dr. Darell was his colleague. Jole Turbor has been denouncing our blind faith in the saving hand of the Second Foundation on the air, until the government shut him off – through the agency, I might mention, of a powerful financier whose brain shows what Kleise used to call the Tamper Plateau. Homir Munn has the largest home collection of Muliana – if I may use the phrase to signify collected data concerning the Mule – in existence, and has published some papers containing speculation on the nature and function of the Second Foundation. Dr. Semic has contributed as much as anyone to the mathematics of encephalographic analysis, though I don't believe he realized that his mathematics could be so applied.† Semic opened his eyes wide and chuckled gaspingly, â€Å"No, young fellow. I was analyzing intranuclear motions – the n-body problem, you know. I'm lost in encephalography.† â€Å"Then we know where we stand. The government can, of course, do nothing about the matter. Whether the mayor or anyone in his administration is aware of the seriousness of the situation, I don't know. But this I do know – we five have nothing to lose and stand to gain much. With every increase in our knowledge, we can widen ourselves in safe directions. We are but a beginning, you understand.† â€Å"How widespread,† put in Turbor, â€Å"is this Second Foundation infiltration?† â€Å"I don't know. There's a flat answer. All the infiltrations we have discovered were on the outer fringes of the nation. The capital world may yet be clean, though even that is not certain – else I would not have tested you. You were particularly suspicious, Dr. Darell, since you abandoned research with Kleise. Kleise never forgave you, you know. I thought that perhaps the Second Foundation had corrupted you, but Kleise always insisted that you were a coward. You'll forgive me, Dr. Darell, if I explain this to make my own position clear. I, personally, think I understand your attitude, and, if it was cowardice, I consider it venial.† Darell drew a breath before replying. â€Å"I ran away! Call it what you wish. I tried to maintain our friendship, however, yet he never wrote nor called me until the day he sent me your brainwave data, and that was scarcely a week before he died-â€Å" â€Å"If you don't mind,† interrupted Homir Munn, with a flash of nervous eloquence, â€Å"I d†¦ don't see what you think you're doing. We're a p†¦ poor bunch of conspirators, if we're just going to talk and talk and t†¦ talk. And I don't see what else we can do, anyway. This is v†¦ very childish. B†¦ brain-waves and mumbo jumbo and all that. Is there just one thing you intend to do?† Pelleas Author's eyes were bright, â€Å"Yes, there is. We need more information on the Second Foundation. It's the prime necessity. The Mule spent the first five years of his rule in just that quest for information and failed – or so we have all been led to believe. But then he stopped looking. Why? Because he failed? Or because he succeeded?† â€Å"M†¦ more talk,† said Munn, bitterly. â€Å"How are we ever to know?† â€Å"If you'll listen to me – The Mule's capital was on Kalgan. Kalgan was not part of the Foundation's commercial sphere of influence before the Mule and it is not part of it now. Kalgan is ruled, at the moment, by the man, Stettin, unless there's another palace revolution by tomorrow. Stettin calls himself First Citizen and considers himself the successor of the Mule. If there is any tradition in that world, it rests with the super-humanity and greatness of the Mule – a tradition almost superstitious in intensity. As a result, the Mule's old palace is maintained as a shrine. No unauthorized person may enter; nothing within has ever been touched.† â€Å"Well?† â€Å"Well, why is that so? At times like these, nothing happens without a reason. What if it is not superstition only that makes the Mule's palace inviolate? What if the Second Foundation has so arranged matters? In short what if the results of the Mule's five-year search are within-â€Å" â€Å"Oh, p†¦ poppycock.† â€Å"Why not?† demanded Anthor. â€Å"Throughout its history the Second Foundation has hidden itself and interfered in Galactic affairs in minimal fashion only. I know that to us it would seem more logical to destroy the Palace or, at the least, to remove the data. But you must consider the psychology of these master psychologists. They are Seldons; they are Mules and they work by indirection, through the mind. They would never destroy or remove when they could achieve their ends by creating a state of mind. Eh?† No immediate answer, and Anthor continued, â€Å"And you, Munn, are just the one to get the information we need.† â€Å"I?†*** It was an astounded yell. Munn looked from one to the other rapidly, â€Å"I can't do such a thing. I'm no man of action; no hero of any teleview. I'm a librarian. If I can help you that way, all right, and I'll risk the Second Foundation, but I'm not going out into space on any qu†¦ quixotic thing like that.† â€Å"Now, look,† said Anthor, patiently, â€Å"Dr. Darell and I have both agreed that you're the man. It's the only way to do it naturally. You say you're a librarian. Fine! What is your main field of interest? Muliana! You already have the greatest collection of material on the Mule in the Galaxy. It is natural for you to want more; more natural for you than for anyone else. You could request entrance to the Kalgan Palace without arousing suspicion of ulterior motives. You might be refused but you would not be suspected. What's more, you have a one-man cruiser. You're known to have visited foreign planets during your annual vacation. You've even been on Kalgan before. Don't you understand that you need only act as you always have?† â€Å"But I can't just say, ‘W†¦ won't you kindly let me in to your most sacred shrine, M†¦ Mr. First Citizen?' â€Å" â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because, by the Galaxy, he won't let me!† â€Å"All right, then. So he won't Then you'll come home and we'll think of something else.† Munn looked about in helpless rebellion. He felt himself being talked into something he hated. No one offered to help him extricate himself. So in the end two decisions were made in Dr. Darell's house. The first was a reluctant one of agreement on the part of Munn to take off into space as soon as his summer vacation began. The other was a highly unauthorized decision on the part of a thoroughly unofficial member of the gathering, made as she clicked off a sound-receiver and composed herself for a belated sleep. This second decision does not concern us just yet.

Amerigo Vespucci Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Amerigo Vespucci - Research Paper Example This fact is proven by letters and other passages of text found attributed to Vespucci (Uzielli). He studied the sciences of physics, cosmography, astronomy, and geometry, contributing immensely to their progress (Uzielli). Therefore, it is fair to say that Vespucci was not just a gifted navigator, as is known of him more commonly, but also an eager student of science, who quickly mastered the existing sciences and was a learned man of his time. After the death of his father in 1483, Vespucci joined the household of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici as steward (Uzielli). Due to his loyalty and his skill, he was promoted in rank and position in the household till he was made a businessman with the family. It was through this business opportunity that Vespucci was able to acquire ships and join the expeditions of Columbus into the New World (Uzielli), this being described fully in the proceeding paragraphs of this paper. In 1491, Vespucci came to Spain and settled in Seville, a place that was to serve as his hometown for the rest of his life, and from where he would launch around four voyages to the New World (Amerigo Vespucci). At that time, it was felt in Europe, due to reasons beyond the scope of this paper, that the East and the Indies should be reached by way of the West, something that became more of a motto for the navigators of that time (Uzielli). Therefore, the voyages of Columbus and later of Vespucci were to become so significant, both economically and geographically. On the 10 of May, 1497, after acquiring three ships from the King of Castille, Vespucci set sail on his first voyage toward the West, through the Fortunate Islands towards either Guiana or Brazil (Uzielli). It is believed that he might have made his made into the Gulf of Mexico and then sailed along a great portion of the United States as far up as the Gulf of St. Lawrence, before returning to Spain on the 15 of October, 1498 (Uzielli). Vespucci sailed on his second voyage from Spain on the 16 of May, 1499 (Uzielli). He was accompanied by Alonzo de Ojeda and Joan de la Cosa (Uzielli). It was on this second voyage that he discovered Cape St. Augustine and the Amazon River (Uzielli). He traveled through Cape Verde and Equator until he landed on the coast of Brazil (Uzielli). Due to the exhaustion that he contracted owing to his long travels, he was taken ill when he returned to Spain in the September of 1500 (Uzielli). It was after he got well again that he wrote an account of his travels in his second voyage (Uzielli). The fourth and the fifth voyages of Vespucci commenced from Portugal instead of Spain (Uzielli). On 1 January, 1502, he named the Gulf of Bahia on his third voyage (Uzielli). In the same voyage, he discovered the Island of Georgia when he was traveling to the South America after he had discovered Bahia (Uzielli). During his fourth voyage in 1503, having found an area rich in brazil-wood, he established an agency in the Cape Frio (Uzielli). Ac cording to some sources, Vespucci made another voyage, a fifth one, in 1505, to the West, during which he found gold and pearls in the area (Uzielli). This was followed by a sixth voyage for the same purpose (Uzielli). However, not much evidence is found of these two last voyages, not even in Vespucci’s own writings (Uzielli). In 1505, Vespucci is believed to have married a lady by the name of Maria Cerezo (Uzielli). She bore him no children, and died either in 1523 or 1524 (Uzielli). However, Vespucci took his brother’

Hospitality Management Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hospitality Management - Scholarship Essay Example This paper declares that the reporter charges moderate tuition fees for teaching English language to the needy students. This supplementary income supports him to balance his budget to an extent. After gaining experience for two years, he   wishes to venture into his own by establishing myself as a consultant for event planning. Besides consultancy, the reporter will take independent contracts for programs. His long term goal is to establish a boutique hotel with an underground Shopping Centre in America and subsequently open its branches in his country, Seoul, South Korea. His   objectives are twofold. Establish and gain popularity for my brand name, and on the strength of the goodwill thus generated try to promote tourism industry in his country by sending regular batches of tourists from America. His   country has tremendous potential to be a great place of tourist attraction. The reporter   have also made the preliminary study of the facilities being offered by commercial banks to entrepreneurs for initiating such ventures. Scholarship is the final solution for the series of problems that he faces at present. International students are required to pay double the amount of tuition fees as compared to the native students. The fees are $10,000 per semester, which is an impossible option for me to meet. His earlier educational institution, the community college, was inexpensive and my parents had no problems to meet the moderate bill on his education. After getting admission to this university for the degree course in Hospitability Management, my parents are unable to meet the present high level of tuition fees. They are in Korea along with his elder brother. He is also a student in the university there and the scale of his tuition fees is high.

The development of privacy laws in the states of America. Missouri Essay

The development of privacy laws in the states of America. Missouri - Essay Example Privacy laws in the United States have their origins in the British common law, which protected individuals from only the interference with their lives and with their property. This came to be further developed in the United States with the institution of state laws and statutes, which further expanded this crime to include the interference with the emotional wellbeing of a person. With the coming and continuous development of mass media, there seems to be very little privacy being left to individuals and this has ensured that the current state privacy laws continue to evolve to make sure that the privacy of individuals is protected (Sullivan, 2010). The Missouri Revised Statute No. 565.253 states that a person will have committed the crime of invasion to privacy of the second degree if such a person deliberately views, films, or takes another person’s photographs without the latter person’s awareness or permission (Missouri Revised Statutes, 2010). Moreover, this crime will be said to have been committed if the person being filmed or photographed is in a state of nakedness or partial nakedness and if this person is in a place where he or she would anticipate a reasonable belief of their own privacy. Furthermore, this statute states that a person shall be considered to have committed the crime of invasion of privacy if he secretly takes photographs or films another person using a concealed camera or camcorder without the latter’s consent. ... These laws were later broadened to include the right of a person to be left alone and property was further defined as comprising of all forms of possessions, both tangible and intangible. Some scholars believe that the historical common law concerning privacy can still be applied today especially in situations where the right to privacy cannot be clearly defined by the current laws (Thaemert, 2002). They believe that the common law is much broader than current laws and that it would be best if it were to be taken seriously in matters concerning privacy and not disregarded as it is today. Common law privacy torts are very rarely used today and in fact, they are not applicable in cases where the affected person is considered newsworthy despite the fact that they provide a broader range of options than the Fourth Amendment. In the United States, the protection against the invasion of privacy varies from state to state and the American constitution itself does not provide strong penaltie s against it. Some states have a high level of protection against the invasion of privacy while some are more relaxed and a suspect may get off the hook easily (Siegel et al, 2009). This is not the case with common law which not only protects the right of individuals to be left alone but it also ensures that their property if protected. The common law is more specific in its application because it protects an individual from the invasion of their privacy from both the government and private citizens (Clapman, 2003). The evolution of the current laws and statutes has been largely influenced by the advent of mass media all over the world and the hunger that many people have for sensational news. Most of this highly demanded news requires that those pursuing it invade the

Self-Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Self-Reflection Paper - Essay Example I was experienced just as much as he and therefore, I expected the company to offer me no less than $65,000. The manager said that he would let me know after consultation with the owner of the company. I agreed. The next day, I received the offer letter via an email that showed that my annual salary would be $60,000. I was disappointed, but since it was a period of financial crisis and there were not many jobs out there, I decided to take a chance if the manager agrees to increase my salary to $65,000 once the probation period of 3 months would be over. I talked to the manager about it and he agreed. I joined the company. From day one, I worked very hard. I wanted to impress the manager and the owner so much with my performance that they would feel obliged to reward me by increasing my salary by the end of the probation period. I started off by studying the organizational culture and identifying loopholes in it, so that the obstacles in the way of organizational progress can be found and eradicated. My focus was on improving the workers’ productivity by facilitating them with everything as part of my duty as the HR Generalist. I was new in the organization and had a spark in me to do something to bring a positive change in the organization. ... He often talked to me and discussed work-related matters with me. One day, he called me and said that he was afraid he might be fired because the branch manager was not very satisfied with his performance. Compared to him, my bosses were very satisfied with me. The productivity of our branch was more than the branch in which my cousin worked. I was very happy and I could almost see my salary being increased by the end of the probation period. Day after day, time passed and we reached the end of the probation period. On the first day of the fourth month of my job, I received an email that read that considering my outstanding performance, I had been made a permanent employee from a temporary employee and that my salary would be $55,000. I was startled to find that my salary had not been increased. What to talk of that the owner had instead decreased my salary. The next day, the first thing I did was ask the manager what was wrong. The manager told me that in order to cope with the fina ncial crisis; the branch manager has decided to cut down the salary of the key staff members. He congratulated me on becoming the permanent employee, but it felt very out of place for the moment. I called my cousin and asked him if his salary had been affected by the company’s efforts to survive through the financial crisis. He said that it had remained the same. When I discussed this issue with the branch manager, he said that the company had a decentralized system and that every branch served liked a distinct company with distinct principles, but I was not convinced anyway. I knew that I had set my foot in the wrong place where people did not care how hard I tried to get there. What was more shocking for me was that the branch manager had broken his

Comparing Two Similar Businesses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparing Two Similar Businesses - Essay Example Initially, the company commenced its operations as an online bookstore. Bezos adopted an unusual business plan initially and he did not expect a profit for first four to five years. Even though this ‘slow growth’ plan caused dissatisfaction among its stakeholders, it assisted that company to survive the dot-com bubble burst successfully. Finally, the company earned its first profit in 2001. Currently, Amazon.com is the largest online retailer in the world and it deals with a range of product lines including DVDs, CDs, MP3s, video games, software, electronics, furniture, food, jewelry, apparel, and toys (Kindle: The world’s best selling e-reader). Like Amazon.com; Borders Books, a US based company, was known for its dominance in international book and music retail sector. The company was founded by brothers Tom and Louis Borders in 1971.Later in 1996, a sister company called Book Inventory Systems was founded to support the operations of Borders Books. Initially, the Borders Books began its operations with used books and progressively it expanded the business. Although the Borders Book had been successful since its establishment, the company started to experience profitability declines since 2004. Although books and music were the core business of Borders Books, it also dealt with other business areas such as magazines, board games, encyclopedias, zunes, calendars, and gift packs. While analyzing Amazon.com, it is obvious that the company adopted Customer Relationship Management and Information Management tactics to promote its internet marketing and sales. In contrast, the Borders had not focused on a specific management approach to enhance its internet marketing operations. Borders Books just tried to increase its sales volume rather than ensuring customer satisfaction. Evidently, this difference in management approach assisted Amazon to survive all market difficulties whereas Borders Books filed for bankruptcy in 2011. As

Law website Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Law website - Essay Example (American Bar Association et al., 2010) of the American laws, where a person is regarded to have had no professional relationship to the injury. It is never permissible for any attorney to list his or her famous client or his or her well known case. These regulations are provided for under America bar rule 7.2 (c) (15) that spells the communications concerning the services of lawyers (American Bar Association et al., 2010). No. attorney is never allowed to pay their former clients especially to quote how well they were presented by the attorney and this is defined in the American bar rule 7.2 (c) (1) (J); the precludes testimonials (American Bar Association et al., 2010). 5. The attorney would like to include a link in the website for web surfers to â€Å"chat with an attorney.† You, the paralegal, may be required to respond to chat calls if the attorney is out of the office. Is this permitted by the rules? Yes. Attorney is never hindered by any regulation; thus, they can include website links for web suffers to chat with them. Nonetheless, paralegal may never respond to these kinds of web chat calls since such are hindered by the America bar rule 7.4 (a) that defines direct contact with prospective client (American Bar Association et al.,

Do all arguments about abortion come down to the question of what is Essay

Do all arguments about abortion come down to the question of what is the moral status of the fetus Explain - Essay Example Debate on abortion has two premises: pro-life and pro-choice. The pro-life argue in favor of the right of the fetus. The pro-choice school of thought is proponent for the mother has a right of choice on whatever she has to do with her body. They argue that the mother can decide to either terminate or keep her pregnancy. They recognize the fact that any being able to be pregnant can make autonomous choices and decisions regarding what they want to do with their body. Pro-life augments based on human reason: The reason why the bible does not speak directly about Abortion is because it was an unthinkable malady in the Israelite culture. Secondly, the bible views children as a gift from God and as such, life begins during conception and should thus be protected including the fetus. Secondly, Christians believe that God is in control of the womb and finally bareness is a bad omen. Apart from the biblical point of view on abortion, there are other arguments that are provided for non-believers. They include researched pro-life arguments whereby studies have been undertaken in medicine. In medicine arguments against abortion arise from the fact that after conception has taken place, this embryo is different genetically from its mother. A growing fetus has a DNA that is different from the mother. An embryo that is developing is scientifically dissimilar from the ova and sperms that created it. There are 46 or 47 chromosomes in a human being whereby a sperm egg is believed to have 23 chromosomes. Since geneticist can easily differentiate embryo’s DNA and that of sperms and ovum. However, there is no clearly distinct difference between the DNA of the fetus and the afterwards fully grown human being. In addition, the idea of defining death and life leads to a medical argument. It is known that death refers to the cessation of the heartbeat of an individual. In the embryo, the heart is formed on the 18th

Poverty in America Essay Example for Free

Poverty in America Essay Poverty is a disturbing but significant global concern. Just as it is for millions of other people all over the globe, poverty is occurring in America. Over the past decades, income disparity is ascending, in addition to the number of communities that failed to keep up with the national economic standard. Although poverty is present everywhere, it is more serious in developing countries, wherein one in every five person lives on not more than $1 for each day, which is the threshold being applied by the World Bank to classify poverty. The unrelenting problem of poverty is a multifaceted one that embraces individuals and communities who, without their fault, find themselves powerless to manage in this information-intensive and constantly developing world. For the majority Americans, poverty implies destitution, or the lack of ability to provide the family with reasonable shelter, clothing, and nutritious food. Despite the fact that material destitution does exist in America, it is relatively confined in severity and scope. To be aware of poverty in America, it is necessary to observe several statistics, as well as to observe the actual living conditions of the persons that are considered poor by the government. Overview of Poverty in America A large numbers of the country’s population live at or below the threshold of poverty, which means payment of bills every month and financing for the essentials, consisting of shelter, clothing, and food, not counting access to health care and a number of simple comforts is a constant struggle. According to estimates in 2003, roughly 25 percent of counties in the United States had low rates of workforce participation, soaring rates of unemployment, high reliance on government transfer expenditures, and incomes that is lower than one-half of the national average or less for each person. The Census Bureau classifies poverty as a family of three earning not more than $14,680, and not more than $9,393 for a worker without any dependent (Blanco, 2004). According to the 2003 statistics of the Census Bureau, almost 36 million Americans lived in poverty, which is 1.3 million more in 2002. Since 2000, the country has experienced an increase of 4.4 million people who lives in poverty (Blanco, 2004). According to a survey, the present American families are experiencing worse living conditions than they have in the previous years, as 10 percent of all families or approximately 7.6 million families in 2003 lived in poverty, which is an enormous ascend from the previous years (Blanco, 2004). In 2005, the registration of the United States Census Bureau of poor individuals in the country totaled to approximately 37 million poor Americans (Rector Johnson, 2004). Therefore, there is one in every eight Americans that is struggling with inconceivable poverty. These millions of Americans are asserted to be deficient of the necessary clothing, shelter, and enough money for the food, as well as being forced to live in unpleasant conditions (Rector Johnson, 2004). Common Factors of Poverty In the concluding half of the 20th century, the three factors that are generally offered to explain movements of poverty in the United States are changes in family structure, economic inequality, and income growth. If the average per-capita incomes are increased, such as increasing wages and employment, then it is expected that poverty will generally decline. Nevertheless, economic inequality can take the edge off the overall constructive impact of income growth if lower-income workforce and unemployed citizens do not benefit from the fruits of such development. On the other hand, changes in the family structure, primarily the ever-increasing number of families headed by female may be linked with higher rates of poverty for the reason that such families are more expected to be poor and are more economically vulnerable. I. Economic Equality Certainly, the country has made several enhancements over the intervening decades in terms of the overall minimum living standard as measured through material conditions. Yet the living conditions of the poor individuals are severely different from that of families and individuals who take advantage of various degree of economic security as measured through income levels that provide unstressed and comfortable situations. The escalation in the number of poor individuals and families in the country ought to provide the government various apprehension, but even more upsetting is the increasing difference between the underprivileged and wealthy in America. In the previous decades, compensation for more affluent Americans has considerably ascended, stimulated by increase in stock options, bonuses, salaries and other rewards. However, the compensation provided for millions of lower-wage workforces dropped off; and in fact, a number of them have even lost their jobs (Blanco, 2004). Therefore, this factor has prevented the advantages of economic growth from being equally drawn out. Moreover, in 2005, non-Hispanic white men, not less than 25 years of age, holding only high-school qualification have $35,679 median income; whereas women within the same age group, need a degree in college in order to obtain a comparable median income (Spriggs, 2007). The outcome is that the households headed by female are harmed by the major earnings gap, which has a poverty rate of 31.1 percent in contrast to their male-headed household counterparts, which only had a 13.4 percent poverty rate (Spriggs, 2007). In 2005, poverty for women is excessively elevated than men, which is14.1 percent in contrast to 11.1 (Spriggs, 2007). The disparity reflects unrelenting gaps in earnings between male and female workers. At the same time, since 1959 the median income of white males with a family of five has been higher than the poverty line, but for women with a family of three, it was only in 1990 that their median income broke beyond the poverty line (Spriggs, 2007). Further, notwithstanding the progressive structure of benefit procedure in Social Security benefits, the constant gap is best reflected in disparities in poverty among the elderly, where the lifetime earnings of women suggest they have lower assets than men. II. Family Structure Higher rates of poverty among women have generally been contributed to the changes in family structure. The percentage of families headed by single female with children rapidly rose over the previous decades of the 20th century, which reached 26.5 percent in 1995 from only 11.5 percent of all families with children in 1970; with higher rates for Hispanics and blacks. At the start of year 2003, roughly 26.1 percent of the entire families with children in the country were headed by single woman. A number of such families do not obtain any or adequate child support from the absent fathers of the children. It is suggested in one study that if fathers married the destitute mothers of their children, approximately three-quarters of the single-parents would instantly be elevated outside poverty status (Rector Johnson, 2004). Obviously, two parents in a household generally earn more than single-parent. The burden of receiving enough income to raise dependent children outside poverty additionally confronts women who are the single head of the family, as well as getting and paying for child care concurrently with their work and management of the household without help. Since this hazard confronted by women of serving non-working dependents as well as their efforts in looking after their elderly parents is not distributed by society, women who head such families are expected to obtain lower levels of education, therefore, resulting to their lower earnings. Aside from the fact that women are more expected to earn significantly less than men with similar qualifications, mothers have a tendency to accumulate less experience than other workers. III. Income Growth Poverty is associated with the lack of sufficient income, so the core problem therefore is the compensation for the workers. Among the poor, only 11.4 percent or 2.9 million jobs around the clock is available for the whole year (Spriggs, 2007). This sector of the population is further directly impaired by minimum-wage laws that have hindered costs of living. This setback is particularly severe for poverty stricken American-Hispanics and American-Asians, where 18 percent of them worked year-round for full time (Spriggs, 2007). There are several reasons why numerous people lack the income to overcome poverty. For instance, people do not work or if they work, they do not earn sufficient amount of money. Whether in good or bad economic times, the ordinary poor family with children exerts only 800 hours of work throughout a year or 16 hours of work for each week (Rector Johnson, 2004). Evidently, almost 75 percent of poor children would be lifted outside certified poverty status if work is provided in every family, that would increase the work hours to 2,000 for every year or comparable to 40 hours for each week all through the year (Rector Johnson, 2004). In 2005, approximately 61 percent underprivileged families have no less than one worker; and of twice-poor families, 71 percent have no less than one worker. In view of the 1990s record job creation, the number of poor but working people declined to 8.5 million in 2000 from 10.1 million in 1993. In short, America is capable of dealing with poverty. But there have been vast stubborn concerns that have lodged the face of poverty. Mounting disparity in the labor market has increased the share of the working age poor citizens, and the unsympathetic federal minimum-wage laws that have amplified the numbers of poor people working year-round for full-time. In a country with a per capita Gross Domestic Product is exceeding the poverty line for a family of four, it is atrocious that there are still more than 12 million poverty stricken American children, and nearly 3 million people work around the clock, for one whole year who are still finding it hard to make ends meet. Facts Concerning the American Poor Sector Based on the American’s accepted definition of poverty, only a small number of the 37 million individuals fit the poor description, contrary to what the Census Bureau classified. Despite the fact that real material destitution undoubtedly does take place, it is limited in severity and scope. A number of America’s underprivileged lives in material conditions that would be considered as well-off or comfortable some generations ago. The following are information obtained from different government reports regarding people classified as poor by the Census Bureau: 1. Roughly 46 percent of the entire poor households actually own their individual houses (Rector Johnson, 2004). The typical house owned by persons identified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with a garage, one-and-a-half baths, with at least a patio or porch. 2. About 76 percent of underprivileged families have air conditioning in their houses (Rector Johnson, 2004). By comparison, merely 36 percent of the entire population of the United States benefited from air conditioning 3 decades ago. 3. Only 6 percent of the underprivileged families are considered overcrowded, and not less than two-thirds of them have extra two rooms for every person (Rector Johnson, 2004). 4. The typical poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Athens, Vienna, London, Paris, and other cities all over Europe (Rector Johnson, 2004). 5. Practically three-quarters of poor families own an automobile, while 30 percent own at least two automobiles (Rector Johnson, 2004). 6. Approximately 97 percent of poor households own at least one colored television, while half of the said percentage has at least two colored televisions (Rector Johnson, 2004). 7. Roughly 78 percent own DVD or VCR players, while 62 percent have satellite or cable television reception (Rector Johnson, 2004). 8. Around 73 percent of the poor households have microwave ovens, one-third owns an automatic dishwasher, and over half own a stereo system (Rector Johnson, 2004). Further, as a group, America’s poor are far from being constantly malnourished. In fact poor children have usual protein intakes of 100 percent beyond the medically suggested levels and consume more meat than children of higher-income do (Rector Johnson, 2004). Nevertheless, despite the fact that in general the poor are well-nourished, there are still several poor families who experience short-term distress due to food deficiencies. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, although most of the time the hunger is temporary, still 2.6 percent of poor children and 13 percent of poor families experience food shortage sometime during the year (Rector Johnson, 2004). Approximately 89 percent of the poor account sufficient food to eat to their families, at the same time only 2 percent says they often do not have adequate food to eat (Rector Johnson, 2004). Conclusion / Recommendations Following the United States government classification of poverty, the typical poor American people have a living standard far superior as compared to what the public envisions. Nevertheless, the typical poor person’s living conditions should not be taken to suggest that every poor American lives devoid of hardship. Millions of Americans are still continually struggling to hang on, making tough choices between housing, hunger and health care for their families. Economic inequality, income growth, and changes in family structure without doubt affected poverty trends over the latter half of the 20th century. Poverty in America can be readily reduced, if parents are provided with sufficient hours of work and if fathers are at all times present with their families. Although marriage and work are unyielding ladders away from poverty, the country’s welfare system uncooperatively continues to be unsympathetic to both. Foremost programs such as Medicaid, public housing, and food stamps keep on reprimanding marriage and rewarding idleness. Therefore, if welfare could be turned around to uphold marriage and work, the remaining number of poor family would quickly decrease. Further, as a matter of course, the United States has employed over the years job creation and economic growth to trim down poverty, but at present situation the courses are consequential only to the extent that inequality on wages is reduced. Poor people are generally not victims of themselves, but of appalling economic policies along with obstructions to opportunity. Since work generates income, it is important therefore that the government must provide a great increase in available working hours in different labor sectors for the poor. Along with the work opportunities, it is also important to eliminate economic inequalities based on gender, age, economic status, and many others in order to provide higher wages and higher incomes to the underprivileged sectors of the country. America is a nation with one of the most productive and strongest economies in the world. As such, the country must exert a continuing effort to fully utilize the abundance and therefore eliminate the country ’s alarming poverty rate.

Technology and Law Enforcement Essay Example for Free

Technology and Law Enforcement Essay This system provides rapid collect and retrieval of data about wanted fugitives, locating stolen property, locating missing people and protecting law enforcement and the public (Siegel amp; Worrall, 2012). The FBI maintains the host computer that provide telecommunication network to the CJIS Systems Agency in every official state (Mass. gov website). Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) Automated Fingerprint Identification System is a type of biometric system that uses a digital imaging to capture a fingerprint that can be compared to a database records to determine a person identity (webopedia). The use of AFIS is growing in the United States This system can classify fingerprints and identify 250 characteristics of the print. AFIS use high speed silicon chips to plot each and every detail and count the number of ridges in a person’s fingers and palm (Siegel amp; Worrall, 2012 pg. 195). I fingerprints 25 to 35 inmates a day on AFIS and it a wonderful tool because with a couple of minute their fingerprint will be sent to Washington D. C and I can identify the person and have their whole entire criminal history. Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) In the late 1980s, the federal government laid the groundwork for a system of national, state, and local DNA databases for the storage and exchange of DNA profiles. This system, called the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). CODIS is a computerized database that allows deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) obtained at a crime scene to be searched electronically to find matches among sample taken from convicted offenders and crime scenes (Siegel amp; Worrall, 2012 pg. 97). In the late 1980s and early 1990s, states began passing laws requiring offenders convicted of certain offenses to provide DNA samples. Currently all 50 states and the federal government have laws requiring that DNA samples be collected from some categories of offenders (justice. gov). Since 2011, my agency started collecting DNA from inmate that was arrested for crimes New Technology 3 against a person such as; rape, homicide, aggravated battery and aggravated assault etc. But now FDLE had added Burglary, grand theft and trespassing. When we reach 2020, no matter what category that an offender in e every offender will have to summit a DNA sample for their crime. Once CODIS make their improvements, DNA evidence will help solve and may even prevent some of the Nation’s most serious violent crimes.

The General Adaptation Syndrome Psychology Essay

The General Adaptation Syndrome Psychology Essay Stress is inescapably present in the lives of every living organism. While some stress can be beneficial, too much of it is almost always disadvantageous. Frequently the word stress is used to describe the imposition of an undesirable psychological or physical state through uncontrollable or overwhelming circumstances. We tend to think of stress as a burden that we carry around with us. One individual might perceive that they are under an enormous amount of stress because of multiple impending deadlines, while another might feel stressed out because their house is not clean and unexpected guests are on their way. Despite the predominantly negative description above, stress itself is not necessarily bad. In fact, stress is an adaptive process without which our survival would be seriously compromised. Moderate stress can even have beneficial effects, such as improving cognitive function to facilitate meeting multiple deadlines and increasing energy supply to muscles to quickly clean th e entire house in a matter of minutes. However, too much or prolonged stress can result in a variety of detrimental effects on both physiological function and cognitive processes. Definition In order to properly understand the effects of stress on cognition, as measured by performance in a variety of mazes, we must first come to an understanding of what stress is. At its core, stress is can be defined as the response to a threat (or perceived threat) against homeostasis, the tendency of a system to maintain a stable internal environment. Living organisms, including humans and rodents, are open systems which work to maintain homeostasis despite being constantly bombarded by numerous external environmental insults. Homeostasis The concept of homeostasis was initially conceived by the French physiologist Claude Bernard in1854. He used the term milieu intà ©rierur to describe the ability of the internal environment (primarily the blood in Bernards time) of the body to compensate for and re-equilibrate in response to the external environment [1,2]. However, it was Walter Cannon who developed the concept of homeostasis. He proposed that the body maintained steady state conditions through multiple cooperative self-regulating mechanisms. One phenomenon observed by Cannon was that organisms respond to a threat by releasing epinephrine (aka adrenaline) from the adrenal medulla thereby increasing the bodys heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure while mobilizing glucose stores and inhibiting non-essential functions such as digestion and reproduction. This phenomenon is the prototypical sympathetic nervous system (a branch of the autonomic nervous system) response, for which Cannon coined the term fight-or-flig ht response [3]. Simply put, when confronted with a threat, an organism, through the narrowing of bodily functions and mobilization of available energy, is primed to respond actively, whether through fleeing or fighting. Thus, the primary contribution of Walter Cannon to the definition of stress was that in response to an environmental insult threatening the internal steady stated, the body initiates the sympathetic response to maintain homeostasis and ultimately increase survival. General Adaptation Syndrome The second major contributor to stress research was endocrinologist Hans Selye. Selye was working to discover a new hormone by injecting ovarian extracts in to rats and observing the physiological effects. He noted several changes after injection of this extract, including the 1) enlargement of the adrenal gland, 2) the atrophy of the thymus and lymph nodes and 3) the presence of gastric ulcers [4]. While he initially thought these effects were direct effects of a novel hormone, through additional control experiments he discovered that the injection of numerous agents, physical injury or even excessive exercise produced the same reliable effects [5]. Emphasizing the non-specificity of this response, Selye called these effects the General Adaptation Syndrome initially and later used the term stress to describe it. He further defined stressors as the factors or agents that triggered the stress response. In addition, Selye established the role of glucocorticoids, steroid hormones excret ed from the adrenal cortex, in the stress response. Furthermore, Selye described that prolonged exposure to stressors (and the stress response) can lead to illness or disease. Summary The combined work of Walter Cannon and Hans Selye formed the basis of stress research. Both agreed that when confronted with disruptive environmental factors, the body generated an adaptive response aimed at re-establishing homeostasis within the internal environment. Cannon focused on the sympathetic branch of this response, while Selye focused on the hormonal (i.e., endocrine) branch of this response. Modern thinking has modified the conceptualization of stress, as it turned out to be not quite as simple as originally thought. Importantly it is no longer thought that stress is non-specific as the magnitude and more subtle characteristics of the stress response are varied based on the type of stressor, the individuals perception of the stress and ability to cope. The following basic features of stress can be gleaned from this historical work: Stressors are any event, experience or environmental insult that threatens or is perceived to threaten homeostasis Stress is an adaptive response to re-establish and maintain homeostasis Stress is ultimately mediated by two branches: The sympathetic nervous system via release of epinephrine from the adrenal medulla The endocrine system via release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal cortex These definitions and characteristics are more conducive to scientific study than the layman use of the term stress which does not distinguish between the trigger and the response, as described in the opening of this section. Thus, the definitions above will be utilized in the following sections. This chapter will further develop these basic concepts and present 1) an overview of the stress response, 2) descriptions of the different types of stressors, 3) the effects of both acute and chronic stress on learning and memory and 4) practical details on how to deal with the nuances of stress in behavioral testing. THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE ACUTE STRESS RESPONSE When a stressor is encountered, the brain triggers a physiological response, aimed at coping with the stressor and restoring homeostasis [6]. This response is governed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Both of these systems are always actively engaged in maintaining homeostasis, but when posed with a disruption to an organisms internal environment, the HPA axis and SNS go into overdrive. When stressors are encountered several central nervous system (CNS) structures are activated to initiate the stress response, including the preganglionic sympathetic neurons of the spinal cord in addition to several brainstem and limbic forebrain structures [7]. These structures then recruit neural and neuroendocrine systems to initiate a stress response, culminating with the secretion of adrenal glucocorticoids (GCs) and epinephrine, the principle mediators of this adaptive response. The Sympathetic Nervous System Two primary pathways are activated by stressors within the SNS, the brain norepinephrine neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) and the sympathetic adrenomedullary circuitry. Many, but not all stressors result in norepinephrine release from the LC, which ultimately contributes to the majority of circulating NE levels as well as numerous adaptive behaviors [8,9]. Activation of the sympathetic adrenomedullary circuitry via preganglionic neurons results in the release of the excitatory neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) onto postganglionic neurons and the adrenal medulla. Sympathetic postganglionic neurons primarily release of norepinephrine directly onto various target organs. On the other hand, activation of the adrenal medulla results in the synthesis and release of epinephrine into the circulation and indirectly onto target organs. Target organs activated by these catecholamines neurotransmitters correspond directly to the symptoms of the fight-or-flight response, including increased heart rate, blood pressure and respiration, pupil dilation, and inhibition of digestion, liver, kidney and gall bladder function. The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (Figure 1: HPA axis from Lupien 2009 Review) The present chapter will focus on the endocrine branch of the stress response. While the activation of the sympathetic nervous system is a key part of stress, many of the effects of stress on learning and memory have been shown to be dependent on GCs. The secretion of adrenal GC hormones is under the stimulatory drive of the medial parvocellular neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. In response to stressors, brainstem and limbic forebrain regions activate these neurons to secrete corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) and vasopressin into the hypophysial circulation to stimulate the anterior pituitary to release adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) into the peripheral circulation which ultimately results in the release of GCs from the adrenal gland [10]. GCs are carried to every organ via the circulation to allow for a coordinated adaptive response between the brain and bodily functions. GCs mobilize energy, suppress immune and inflammatory responses, inhibi t bone and muscle growth and reproductive function as well as increase attention and impact learning and memory processes [11]. GCs also regulate further CRH and ACTH release via negative feedback loops by binding receptors in the pituitary, PVN, hippocampus (HPC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) to inhibit further GC release and to return the homeostatic balance of the HPA axis [10] (Fig. 1). While these are the primary targets of GCs, virtually every neuron in the brain has receptors for these hormones. Thus, GCs are an important enabler of normal brain function in addition to their role in HPA axis function. Corticosterone (CORT), the primary GC in the rat, is the ligand for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), steroid hormone receptors that function as transcription factors and regulate neuronal gene transcription. GR and MR have different affinities for CORT in the brain. GRs are expressed ubiquitously in the brain, and are most concentrated in the CRH neurons of the PVN and ACTH releasing neurons in the anterior pituitary and also in the HPC [10]. The highest expression of MRs in the brain is in the HPC, though they are expressed in other forebrain regions [10]. MRs are saturated by modest levels of CORT, such as those generated during circadian oscillations, and thus mediate daily changes in HPA axis activity. On the other hand, GRs are saturated by more extreme levels of CORT, such as those seen following a stressful experience, and mediate negative feedback to restore homeostasis [12,10]. Time Course of the Acute Stress Response (Figure 2: rise and fall of CORT) The typical stress response begins within a very short period of time. The SNS response occurs more rapidly than the HPA axis response, due to direct neurotransmitter release on target tissues vs. indirect hormonal release into the circulation, respectively. Within seconds, the post-ganglionic neurons of the SNS release norepinephrine and the adrenal medulla releases epinephrine into circulation. Also within seconds, CRH is released from the PVN of the hypothalamus, followed quickly by the release of ACTH into peripheral circulation from the anterior pituitary [13]. Within 3-5 minutes, the adrenal cortex releases CORT into the circulation, by which time peak plasma ACTH levels are reached. While peak levels of GCs vary according to stressor type and duration, circulating CORT levels typically reach peak levels15-30 minutes after stressor initiation [14]. At this time ACTH levels have also returned to baseline [14]. However, the effects of GCs on target tissues do not occur until abou t an hour after stressor initiation [13]. After peak CORT levels are reached, negative feedback mechanisms shut down further CORT secretion so that circulating CORT levels recover to near baseline levels within 60-120 minutes after stressor initiation [15,14]. The time required to reach baseline levels also varies depending on stressor type and duration. Circulating levels of norepinephrine and epinephrine follow a similar trajectory, but with more rapid increases and decreases [16]. Biological Rhythms Plasma levels of CORT are not static, but follow a circadian rhythm that is closely aligned with the sleep-wake cycles. In both humans and rodents, plasma GCs rise as the sleep cycle (inactive phase) ends and peaks upon waking up. From this peak, GC levels fall during the active phase and eventually reach the circadian trough or nadir (the lowest point in the cycle) [17,18]. However, as nocturnal animals, the active phase for rodents is during the dark period and the inactive phase occurs during the light period. Thus, in laboratory animals, peak CORT levels are found just after the lights are turned off and nadir CORT levels are measured when the lights are turned on. In addition, within this circadian rhythm GCs are released in an ultradian (cycles repeated within the 24 hour period) pulsatile pattern which rises and falls according to the circadian rhythm [19]. Basal levels of CORT measured in rats can typically range from 0-200 ng/mL in adult male rats or 100-500 ng/mL in adult f emale rats [18]. In response to acute stressors, peak stress levels of CORT generally range from 200-600 ng/mL in adult male rats and 500-1000 ng/mL in adult female rats. Both basal and peak stress levels of CORT can vary depending on the sampling time within the circadian rhythm. Sex, Age and Strain Differences As noted above, sex differences in HPA axis activity and responses to acute stressors are well documented. Female rodents exhibit higher basal and stress induced levels of both ACTH and CORT [20,21]. Sex differences in CORT secretion are primarily mediated by estrogen, with higher levels of ACTH and CORT found during proestrus, when circulating levels of estrogen are high [20,18]. Much of the research on gonadal steroid regulation of the HPA axis suggests that estrogen has excitatory effects while androgens have inhibitory effects [22-26]. In addition, females have higher levels of corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG), which partially buffers the higher levels of CORT [27,24]. CBG binds circulating CORT and renders it biologically inactive [28,29]. However, CBG levels take several hours to increase after exposure to a stressor, resulting in higher levels of biologically active CORT in females in response to stressors [30]. Acute stress responses can also vary across the lifespan. After birth, from day 2 to 14, rats experience a stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP) wherein circulating basal CORT remain very low and neonatal pups fail to show an elevation in CORT in response to stress or ACTH administration[31-33]. Adolescence is the next developmental epoch, which includes three stages: pre-pubescence/early adolescence (21-34 days), mid-adolescence (34-46 days) and late adolescence (46-59 days) [34,35]. During early adolescence, rats exhibit an exaggerated HPA axis response to both acute and chronic stress compared to adults [36,37]. In addition, sex differences in HPA axis function mature over the adolescent period [38,39]. The acute stress response has also been investigated in aging animals, though a great deal of heterogeneity, particularly with respect to the aging model has been found [40]. However, the general consensus, based on earlier studies, is that aged animals exhibit elevated baseline (or basal) CORT and a prolonged stress-induced elevation in CORT release, possibly due to decreased GR-mediated negative feedback [41,42]. It should also be noted that aging is associated with increased variability in the acute stress response [40]. Sex differences in acute HPA axis responses are not frequently examined in aged rats. However, since estrogen decreases with age, and males demonstrate increased basal CORT, it would be expected that sex differences would become less robust [43,44] Robust strain differences in both basal and peak stress levels of CORT also exist. In general, the in bred Fischer 344 (F344) strain of rats secrete higher levels of both basal and stress induced CORT levels compared to both the inbred Lewis (LEW) strain and the outbred Sprague Dawley (SD) strain (Dhabar 1993). Interestingly, both F344 and SD rats show increased basal CORT levels at the end of the inactive period, while LEW rats did not show a robust circadian rhythm (Dhabar 1993). As mentioned above, strain differences can also interact with age differences to further complicate the picture of a normal HPA axis stress response across the lifespan. CHRONIC STRESS Exposure to chronic stress can result in long term elevations in GCs and has been shown to alter the structure and function of the brain regions involved in regulating the HPA axis as well as learning and memory and numerous other behaviors [7]. Two general responses in HPA axis function occur as a result of chronic stress, namely habituation and sensitization. Habituation typically occurs following repeated exposure to the same (homotypic) mild stressor, with the magnitude of the HPA axis response (i.e. CORT secretion) diminishing with each subsequent exposure to the stressor [45,46]. On the other hand, repeated exposure to different (heterotypic) and unpredictable stressors can diminish the habituation of the HPA axis response [47-49]. Interestingly, both chronic homotypic and heterotypic unpredictable stressors cause sensitization of the HPA axis response to a novel stressor, resulting in increased ACTH and CORT secretion [45,48]. The most frequently studied brain regions that are vulnerable to chronic stress are the HPC, amygdala (AMG) and PFC [50]. In both the HPC and PFC, chronic restraint stress results in dendritic atrophy and decreased GR expression, which facilitates decreased HPA axis feedback and impaired memory [51-54,7]. In addition, chronic stress can also lead to altered hippocampal excitability, neurochemistry and neurogenesis (refs from Conrad 2010 review if needed?). On the other hand, chronic stress causes dendritic hypertrophy and increased CRH expression in the AMG as well as dendritic hypertrophy in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS), which facilitate HPA axis excitability and anxiety and habitual behavior, respectively [7,55-58]. Sex, Age and Strain Differences Sex differences in response to chronic stress exposure are less frequently examined. The above-mentioned effects are well documented in males. However, chronic stress does not appear to have the same effects in females. For example, females appear to be resilient against chronic stress induced dendritic atrophy in the HPC and spatial memory impairments [59-63]. In the PFC, females exhibit dendritic hypertrophy, whereas males demonstrate dendritic atrophy in response to repeated stress exposure [64]. In addition, chronic stress is associated with sex-specific PFC-mediated behavioral effects. Chronically stressed males show impairments in recall of fear extinction, possibly reflecting decreased behavioral flexibility [65-67]. However, chronically stressed females demonstrate impaired memory for the acquisition of fear conditioning, which is more dependent on the AMG [68-70]. Interestingly, males show dendritic hypertrophy and increased activation of the AMG and an associated increase i n the acquisition of fear conditioning following chronic stress [67]. Thus, in females, chronic stress causes more moderate morphological and behavioral outcomes that may be related to sex-specific changes in AMG function. Chronic stress also has differential effects across the lifespan. In general, earlier exposure to chronic stress (i.e. prenatal and neonatal) have protracted and irreversible effects compared to adult chronic stress. Exposing pregnant rat dams to chronic stress increases circulating CORT which crosses through the placenta and reaches the developing fetus to alter brain development and HPA axis activity [71]. The long-term effects of prenatal stress include increased basal and stress induced CORT secretion as well as learning impairments, increased anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and sensitivity to drugs of abuse [72,73]. Postnatal stress is typically induced by disrupting the maternal-pup interactions (i.e., maternal separation or daily handling of pups). The long-term effects of early postnatal stress include altered anxiety-like behavior and stress-induced HPA axis activity in adulthood though the direction of these effects are varied and highly dependent on the age of the p up, as well as the type and duration of the manipulations [72,74,75]. Chronic adolescent stress can result in enduring effects in adulthood, including decreased hippocampal volume, impaired spatial learning, and increased anxiety-like behavior adulthood [76-79]. However, there is less evidence for adolescent stress exposure to result in depressive behaviors in adulthood [80,81]. Studies of long lasting effects of adolescent stress exposure on HPA axis function are mixed, while most report no effect on basal or stress-induced CORT or ACTH secretion, some studies find increased basal and stress induced CORT secretion in adulthood [82,78,76,83,84]. Chronic stress exposure during adolescence can lead to long term behavioral and neuroendocrine effects, depending on the timing of exposure, the sex of the animal and the type of stressors used [82,84,85]. In aged animals, chronic stress has differential effects compared to young or middle-aged adult rats. For example, following 3 weeks of c hronic restraint stress in aged males and females, stress-induced sex differences were no longer evident on spatial and non-spatial memory tasks and chronic stress either facilitated or did not impair performance in aged male rats [86,87]. In addition, in aged animals sex-specific effects of chronic stress are reversed [86,87]. Furthermore, chronic stress in aged rats may potentiate stress-induced neurotoxicity, particularly in the HPC [72,88]. Strain differences are also noted in the effects of chronic stress. Interestingly, and in line with acute stress strain differences, the inbred F344 strain do not demonstrate habituation of the plasma CORT response to chronic stress with a repeated homotypic stressor, while SD and LEW rat strains do [46]. F344, but not SD and LEW, rats also exhibit adrenal gland hypertrophy after 3 sessions of restraint over 10 days [46]. F344 rats also exhibit a lack of HPA axis habituation following 14 days of restraint compared to SD rats [89]. Consistent with these findings, robust differences between SD and LEW rats were not found in either male or female rats in HPA axis response to an acute stressor after chronic exposure to unpredictable heteroptyic stressors [90]. TYPES OF STRESSORS Acute Stressors (Figure 3: Equipment/Stressors) In addition to being a threat against homeostasis, stressors can be described as any event or environment that is novel, unpredictable, poses a threat to well-being or ego, or creates a sense of loss of control (Lupien 2007). Acute stressors are stressors which occur on a single occasion with varying durations. Typically acute stressors last anywhere from 5 minutes to upwards of 6 hours, but in general for a period of time less than 24 hours. Acute stressors of longer durations are sometimes referred to as single prolonged stressors. Essentially the purpose of an acute stressor is for the experimental subject to mount a single stress response, or activation of the HPA axis. There are many different types of stressors and categorization of these stressors is attempted by many, though not all stress researchers agree. Stressors can vary in the type of perceived stress such as physical or psychological (or some combination of the two) as well as intensity and duration. Depending on the type of stressor used, differential effects on the HPA axis and SNS responses will occur. Physical stressors are stressors that are predominantly identified or perceived through the senses or involuntary (autonomic) mechanisms. Examples of physical stressors include extreme temperatures, loud noise, chemical exposure, extreme activity, metabolic or immune system disruptions, hemorrhage and pain. The most extreme physical stressors are necessarily limited to short durations due to discomfort. Many physical stressors can be administered in multiple ways or in combination with other stressors. To manipulate temperature, rodent subjects can be place in a standard cold room (~4-6 °C) or a hot room (~30-40 °C) or in cold (~18-20 °C) or hot water (~25-35 °C) as part of a forced swim stressor (forced exercise) [91-93]. Loud noises stressors are most effective at a range of ~90-110 dB [94]. Chemical stressors include exposure to ether vapors, hypoxic conditions, and injection of formalin or other noxious substances [93,95]. Stressors involving extreme activity include forc ed swim and on the opposite end of the spectrum, immobilization, wherein the subject is splayed out on a board with all its limbs and head secured to prevent movement. Metabolic disruptions can include fasting or food restriction, injections of insulin to induce hypoglycemia or lipopolysaccharide to induce an immune reaction. Hemorrhage or hypovolemia is induced by removing a percentage of blood volume with a moderate hemorrhage consisting of removal of ~20% estimated blood volume [96]. Finally, pain can be induced via numerous methods. Frequently used stressors include tail pinch with clothespins or hemostats. Another common stressor associated with pain is mild ( Psychological stressors are perceived threats against homeostasis or well-being. Important qualities of psychological stressors include loss of control, unpredictability and novelty. Identification of psychological stressors can also be experience or species dependent, in that the anticipation of the event itself can be a stressor, even in the absence of the actual event. Psychological stressors may also induce fear, anxiety or other behavioral changes. The effectiveness of psychological stressors is primarily under the control of limbic brain regions such as the HPC, AMG and PFC [7]. Several types of psychological stressors are used, including those that activate innate and species-specific behaviors and fear, inescapable/uncontrollable stressors, and social stressors. Activation of innate fear (based on a threat to safety/survival) in rodents can be accomplished with exposure to a predator (i.e. a cat or snake) or to a novel or unfamiliar environments particularly those with are op en and brightly lit (i.e. open field or elevated plus maze). Inescapable and uncontrollable stressors include inescapable foot or tail shock, forced swim and restraint. Rodent restraint is the most frequently used and well-documented stressor. It can also be combined with other physical stressors such as being placed in a rotating platform or in combination with tail pinch. Interestingly, even animal handling can be categorized as this type a stressor. Social stressors make up their own entire subcategory. Many researchers believe that social stressors are the most translationally relevant because the primary source of stress in humans comes from social interactions, expectations and even trauma. Rats are by nature social animals, but too much or too little can elicit a stress response. Two of the least effortful social stressors are isolation housing and high density housing (i.e. crowding). Interestingly males show a greater stress response to crowding while females show a greater stress response to single (i.e. isolation) housing [98]. A popular social stressor is social defeat, utilizing the resident intruder paradigm. This paradigm consists of using aggressive male rats (i.e. retired breeders or reared in isolation without handling) as the resident rat. The experimental rat (i.e. the one which will mount a stress response) is the intruder and is placed in the home cage of the resident rat. Typically the rats are allowed contac t with each other until the intruder demonstrates defeat behaviors (i.e. submissive supine posturing). In one modification of this paradigm, the intruder remains in the home cage of the resident rat but is separated, and therefore protected from physical harm, by a wire mesh enclosure [99,100]. A novel socially based stressor that is less labor intensive is to place a male rat in the dirty cage of another male rat. Thus the male rat is in an inescapable territory of another male rat, without physical contact [101]. Chronic Stress Paradigms Chronic stress is prolonged stress that typically occurs for at least 5 days, typically 1-3 weeks and sometimes up to 6 weeks or more. Many different types of chronic stress paradigms can be used, depending on the desired outcome measures. An additional variable to consider with chronic stress paradigms is the likelihood of habituation of the stress response over time, as mentioned above. Examples of chronic stress paradigms include chronic restraint, chronic mild stress, chronic unpredictable stress, chronic variable stress, chronic social stress, and chronic intermittent stress. Chronic restraint stress and chronic mild stress have historically been the most frequently used chronic stress paradigms. Interestingly, these paradigms have different phenotypic outcomes. Chronic restraint stress is frequently carried out with daily 6 hour restraint sessions for 3 weeks (Conrad XXXX). However, because chronic restraint stress is repeated exposure to a single homotypic stressor, habituation of the stress response after the first few days likely occurs as evidenced by blunted CORT and ACTH release in response to restraint following completion of the chronic restraint paradigm [102,103]. This paradigm is well characterized with regard to spatial learning and memory deficits as well as altered dendritic morphology, particularly dendritic retraction in the hippocampus [104]. Interestingly, spontaneous recovery of both altered dendritic morphology and spatial learning and memory deficits has been observed [105]. Chronic restraint stress also alters anxiety- and depressiv e-like behaviors, impairs response inhibition, facilitates fear learning and reduces motivation for food reward [106-108,53] Chronic mild stress (CMS) is typically used to induce an anhedonic (i.e. depressive-like) phenotype [109]. This paradigm typically involves exposure of the subjects to one mild stressor a day, typically for 6-8 weeks [109,110]. Stressors are administered on a set weekly schedule and include wet bedding, cage tilt, mild footshock, alterations in the light-dark cycle, food/water deprivation and cage changes [109,110]. Anhedonic effects of CMS, which can last up to 3 months, include decreased sucrose consumption, increased threshold for intracranial self-stimulation and decreased locomotor activity in the absence an anxiety-like phenotype [109]. Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) is essentially an iteration of CMS, which lasts for a shorter period of time (~2 weeks) and presents mild to moderate stressors once a day in a more randomized order and time of day [111,112]. Depressive-like phenotypes are seen after CUS exposure in addition to anxiety-like phenotypes and cognitive deficits [1 12,91]. Chronic variable stress (CVS) is yet another more severe iteration of a repeated administration of heterotypic stressors. More recently, CVS paradigms have differentiated themselves from CMS paradig