Action Plans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Action Plans - Essay Example As the groups vision suggests, this year we will ensure that Whirlpool’s Innovation Group get a proper name by ensuring that Whirlpool products are the most preferred brands in the associated home of the near future. We will also ensure that every activity that is being carried out in the organization is in line with the mission by ensuring that our products empower our clients in homes across the world. Ladies and gentlemen, Whirlpool’s Innovation Group has set various goals to ensure that the company achieves its mission including; identifying technologies central the connected goals, integrating Whirlpool products with the connected home and ensuring that new technologies make customer’s lives easier. In addition, Whirlpool’s Innovation Group has gone a step further developing various corporate ventures. For instance, Whirlpool’s Innovation Group recently developed a partnership with universities (Smart Zones) as well as Tech Scouting. To achieve its various goals and objectives, Whirlpool’s Innovation Group is planning to establish a presence at one or more Smart Zones for developing connected home technologies for Whirlpool. Additionally, it is planning to establish a scouting group with the purpose of investigating developments in connected homes. Last and not least, the Whirlpool’s Innovation Group is planning to Leverage Smart Zone presence to facilitate technology scouting. As I close, allow me to stress on the action plans, if Whirlpool’s Innovation Group manages to effectively implement these actions plans success will be automatic. The number of connected will determine the metric of our actions home our products release to the market (Whirlpool Corporation, 2015). Results and Updates Full-Year 2015 Guidance. Retrieved from PR Newswire:

Womens career vs. marriage Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Womens career vs. marriage - Research Paper Example It is possible to reduce the social gap between men and women, by creating an environment that makes it possible to pursue their careers. The traditional society had norms and cultures that discriminated against women (Walsh, 41). It defined their roles as house wives, with the capability of doing less paying jobs as cleaners, or even secretaries. This made this group of people to depend on their families, and marriage for social upward mobility. Career development also reduces the level of male domination over women. According to the traditional set up, women and men had different jobs. The responsibility of women was to care for the family, and look after their husbands. The responsibility of men was to feed the family, and provide protection. These roles have not changed, even though women progress in their careers. This is because it is deeply entrenched on the mindset of the two genders, and it would require a lot of time, and efforts to change this particular mindset. It is true, that in certain communities, men are frightened of career women. This is because they threaten their dominion, and authority (Walsh, 51). However it is advantageous for women to work, because they are able to supplement the earnings of their husbands, or the men in their lives. In all cases, financial freedom presents an opportunity to women to gain social freedom. They are able to care for themselves, they are able to resist abuse, and they have the capability of supporting their cause and visions of life. Despite the freedom that comes with financial security, men will still lay a claim over their lives, and try to influence them. However, career development leads to a better livelihood and shelter. It is wrong to assume that because of poor financial abilities of women, majority of them are homeless. This assumption is wrong, because the current global

Genes And Other Factors Of Happiness Psychology Essay

Genes And Other Factors Of Happiness Psychology Essay Genes and circumstances contribute equally to human happiness in the short term, but genes and neurotransmitters cause  80% of the range of happiness people feel in the long term, according to recent research in behavioral genetics and neurochemistry (Sharpe and Bryant 2008:1-9) 1. Genetic information derived from scientific explorations of genetic traits may have important links to understanding the basis for feelings of well-being and potentially the phenomena associated with human happiness. While non-genetic oriented research of social, political, public policy, theology and economic studies have addressed the impact of social and institutional environments on mass political attitudes and behaviors, there is a paucity of solid research on the interrelation and influence of genetic and environmental factors on these parameters. The neuroscience and genes experiments have entailed basic propositions of well being and happiness into human brain which has made science unique. On th e other hands, Social Sciences especially economics, political science, theology or public policy has endeavored different aspects and corners of happiness research which made the issue not much different from what gene, neuroscience and psychology researchers have got. This paper would discuss the inevitability of the Science -Social Science Nexus in Happiness research and the findings. Keywords: Happiness, Genes, Science Social Science Nexus, Factors of Happiness. Introduction: Across culture, people rate subjective well being as most important elements of their life and more important than material success (Diener, 2000)2. Subjective well being is equally treated here as Happiness. In this paper we explore neurogenetics determination and its relationships with social science research on happiness throughout our lives. The abovementioned classical saying from Diener has got great value in Happiness Research. Despite the fact, the invention of Genetics Research during late 1800s flames the fire on Nature versus Nurture debate which has caused a rift within the scientific community, with researchers and theorists passionately defending both sides of the argument. Furthermore the Social science Researchers on Happiness has raised more issues which has become complicated to the neurogenetics researchers and by thus the inevitability of Social science and science nexus in happiness research has become more realistic. This holds especially true in the discourse of the determination of ones happiness.Resaerchers debate Human biological make up, i.e., the happiness is determined by configuration of human genetics. Even happiness is known to be related to personality traits. However, to date, nobody has examined whether personality and subjective well-being share a common genetic structure (Weiss, Bates and Luciano, 2008)3. Its novel approach to scientific analysis fusing biology, psychology and sociology was convincing to some researchers, but also thought of as unsubstantiated and too restrictive by others. The divisive line between those that supported the study of genetics within human behavioral research and those that simply dismissed its findings only grew with time, as more controversial theories and concepts began to emerge. A result of this conflict between nature and nurture is a lack of communication between both sides of the argument. Researchers tend to view genetics and life events as separate entities working to determine which one has greater power over the other in shaping emotional status. Genetics theorists such as David Lykken and Auke Tellegen4 focus most of their experiments on data analysis and genetics testing, while proponents of life events research such as Richard Lucas and Sonja Lyubomirsky use more of the qualitative methods, surveying specific individuals, as was familiar to sociologists. Though the differences between the two sides are stark, the two arguments can work together. Through the revelation of behavioral genetics research it is undeniable that new, significant findings in the realm of sociology will emerge. It cannot be counted out as a major force within the development of human emotion. Nevertheless, the inability of the two sides of this conflict to work together has led to numerous holes in research and conclusions by both points of view. In this paper we intend to prove that behavioral genetics greatly influences human behavior and emotion and should be taken into account in all social science research on individual happiness levels. We will first outline the research on genetics with respect to happiness and how it has evolved. Then we will look at the response to the genetic research by those who argue that happiness is determined by life-events. The final part of the literature will be a discussion of the integration of genetics and life-events, which will include the research which as been completed and that which we believe will further the field. We will then conclude the paper with a summary of the arguments and which side our study has led us to. Methodology: The methodology adopted here is Content Analysis, historical data analysis and analysis of case studies. We have consulted data and analysis of previous reports by scientific and social science experts on happiness research. The methodology is completely based on secondary data analysis and interpretation. In analyzing those data, we have carefully selected data which are related to our themes. We have also used those data and figures to show the science-social sciences nexus of happiness research. Characteristics of Happy People: In her recent study, Lyubomirsky suggests that happiness is determined by three influences: 50% set point or genetic make-up; 40% intentional activity; 10% circumstance (Lyubomirsky 2007).5 In 1996, University of Minnesota researcher David Lykken studied 4,000 sets of twins born in Minnesota from 1936-1955.   After comparing data on identical vs. fraternal twins, he came to the conclusion that 50% of ones satisfaction from life comes from genes. (Lykken, D.   Happiness is a Stochastic Phenomenon.  Ã‚  Minn Psychological Science  7(3), 1996)6 Martin Seligman, PhD, at the University of Pennsylvania taught a single happiness-enhancing strategy to a group of severely depressed people.   These individuals had difficulty staying out of bed.   They were encouraged to log onto a Web site and engage in a simple exercise.   The exercise involved recalling and writing down three good things that happened every day.   Within 15 days, their depression lifted from severe to moderate to mild.   Ninety-four percent reported relief (Authentic Happiness2002).7 Richard Davidson, known by colleagues as the king of happiness research, has been studying the link between prefrontal lobe activity and the sort of deep bliss that people who meditate experience. According to Davidson (2001)8, happiness isnt just a vague, ineffable feeling; its a physical state of the brain-one that you can induce deliberately. As researchers have gained an understanding of the physical characteristics of a happy brain, they have come to see that those traits have a powerful influence on the rest of the body. Numerous studies (Kubzansky, Sparrow, Vokonas, Kawachi, 2001)9 have discovered that happiness or related mental states like hopefulness, optimism, and contentment appear to reduce the risk or limit the severity of cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes, hypertension, colds, and upper respiratory infections as well. The benefits of being happy go beyond the temporary phase of feeling good. Happy people exhibit a high level of energy and can do attitude. They are emotionally intelligent and show more poise and grace in a crisis. Their immune systems are stronger, and they live longer and have more fruitful lives as a result. Over many decades, psychological researchers have begun to place more and more emphasis on understanding influences upon mental and emotional health and well-being. Some of Seligmans own research, for instance, had focused on optimism, a trait shown to be associated with good physical health, less depression and mental illness, longer life, and, yes, greater happiness. Perhaps the most eager explorer of this terrain was University of Illinois psychologist Edward Diener, a.k.a. Dr. Happiness. For more than two decades, Diener had been examining what does and does not make people feel satisfied with life. Seligmans goal was to shine a light on such work and encourage much, much more of it. A recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that people ages 20 to 24 are sad for an average of 3.4 days a month, as opposed to just 2.3 days for people ages 65 to 74. The earlier notion where you live makes you happy, has recently been challenged by the work of North and others (North  et al. 2008)10.  They suggest that  happiness can change and underscore the importance of exploring more deeply the role that family relationships play in facilitating such change and this is not related to economic status (Wenz, 1977)11. Similarly, the idea that  marriage increases happiness has been challenged by the evidence that married people may have been happier than single people because the former were happier to begin with. Scientific Research on Happiness: Genes and Happiness: Genes carry the instructions for the construction of neurotransmitters, their receptor and re-absorption portals. They also impart information on such things as their storage and release rates. Hence, genes can influence the prevalence, scarcity, and activity of serotonin and dopamine, and, in turn, whatever behaviors and feelings these neurotransmitters induce. For each of us, our happiness fluctuates within a small range that our genes largely determine. So concludes Dean Hamer in his review of studies on the role of genes in happiness or misery. Hamer12 directs our attention to two of the more than  300  known neurotransmitters, dopamine (the brains chemical for pleasure) and serotonin, the petrochemical for misery. Neurotransmitters pass information from the synapse or junction between a nerve cell and another nerve cell or a muscle. The nerve cells bulbous end releases them from storage when an electrical impulse moving along the nerve reaches it. Then they cross the junction to dock at the other nerve cells receptor, and either prompt or inhibit the impulses along the second cell. The first nerve cell reabsorbs excess neurotransmitters, but not necessarily all of them. Those that remain free-floating help create our happy or miserable states of being. How you feel right now is about equally genetic and circumstantial, says Hamer. But how you will feel on average over the next ten years is fully  80% because of your genes (Hamer  1996:  125).13 Further evidence for a physical/biochemical basis of happiness comes from neuroanatomy.  Richard Lane  and his colleagues preliminary research indicate that feelings of happiness, sadness, and disgust all co-occur with increased brain activity in the thalamus and medial prefrontal cortex. Greater activity near the ventral medial frontal cortex distinguishes happiness from sadness, whilst happiness correlates with significant increases in bilateral activity near the middle and posterior temporal cortex and hypothalamus. Lane concludes that, spatially distributed brain regions participate in each emotion (Lane, et al.  1997:930)14. Identical twins (those with the same genetic makeup) attain the same level of happiness  44  percent of the time. In comparison, fraternal twins, those who share genes as do ordinary siblings, reach the same level only eight percent of the time. Hamer adds: These data show that the broad heritability of well-being is  40  to  50% (Hamer  1996:  125)15. Studies by David Lykken and Auke Tellegen assess the happiness of twins over five to ten years, and show the slight impact of sex, age, race, and marital status, and the short-term influence of job loss or lottery winning. A recent report by psychologists Christopher Lewis and Stephen Joseph16 suggests that the Depression-Happiness Scale (which psychologists use to calculate happiness) measures happiness as a trait rather than a state, with subjects scores on the scale remaining relatively stable over a two-year period. Other studies show that a persons level of happiness remains stable over many years. Inherited genes account for the majority of this level. Figure- 1:  Happiness genes GENE ASSOCIATIONS DRD2 Alcoholism, Substance abuse, craving behavior, cocaine dependence, smoking, ADHD, parenting, Obesity, video gaming, sexual activity, posttraumatic stress disorder schizophrenia, Parkinsons, brain metabolism, BMI, executive functioning, love styles (EROS) pathological gambling. Pathological aggression, schizoid/avoidant behavior, criminal activity, politics party attachment. Energy, hypertension. Hyperphagia, growth, sexual maturation, brain development, depression, anorexia, bulimia, fibromyalgia, pain sensitivity, hunger, novelty seeking, extraversion, early onset sexual intercourse, defense style (lying), oppositional defiant disorder, panic disorder, developmental personality, Tourette Syndrome, Parkinsons, executive dysfunctioning, pleasure buzz ANNKI Smoking dependence, parental rule-setting, Schizophrenia, cognition deficit, alcohol and opiate dependence, pleasurable buzz, 5HT2A Eating disorders, obesity, Insulin resistance, love styles (romantic), suicide, ADHD, Panic disorders, impulsive aggression, cognitive impulsivity, anger, sweet tooth, antidepressant treatment outcomes, fibromyalgia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, borderline personality, smoking behavior, cocaine dependence, BMI. OPRK1 (kappa -opioid receptor) Alcohol and heroin dependence. Pain mechanisms and tolerance. OPRM1 (mu opioid   receptorreceptor) Pleasure buzz, smoking addiction, heroin addiction, alcoholism, pain sensitivity, BMI, type 2 diabetes mellitus. COMT Psychiatric and affective disorders, alcoholism, substance use disorder, smoking, post-surgical pain, fibromyalgia, Parkinsons disease, ADHD. SLC6A3 Post-surgical pain, cocaine abuse, alcohol dependence, smoking behavior, juvenile delinquency, pathological aggression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, impulsive aggression, cognitive impulsivity. HTR3B Heroin addiction, migraine, impulsive behavioral aggression, cognitive -impulsivity, ADHD, alcoholism. NOS3 Pain mechanism, healing mechanisms, circulation, hypertension, cardiovascular. PPARG Type 2 diabetes, Obesity, Insulin sensitivity, Body composition, eating disorders, BMI, physical exercise, common metabolic disorders, body mass, waist circumference, inflammatory response, immune system. CHREBP Plasma triglycerides, triglyceridemia, obesity ,,improves plasma glucose, FTO Severe obesity, food intake, adiposity, body mass, energy intake, BMI, fat mass, pleasurable buzz. TNFalpha Inflammation, mortality, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, BMI, Immune response. PEMT Proinflamamtory, immunoregulation, apotosis, substance use disorder. MANEA Substance dependence LEPTIN-OB BMI, Schizophrenia, stress, obesity risk, food intake, craving behavior, diabetes, insulin sensitivity, adiposity, body composition, linear growth, metabolic factors, hyperphagia, cocaine dependence, lipogenesis, modulation of sweet substances, anorexia, bulimia, cardiovascular effects, fertility, sexual maturation, brain development, depression, fatty acid metabolism, hunger, MAO-A Pain sensitivity, bipolar affective disorder, ADHD, alcoholism, Substance Use Disorder, violent behavior, juvenile delinquency, smoking, child abuse, suicide, criminal activity, posttraumatic stress disorder, anti-depressant treatment response, alcoholism, panic disorder, schizophrenia, pathological gambling. ADIPOQ Metabolic syndrome, adiposity, fat mass, energy intake, obesity, lipogenesis, type 2 diabetes, BMI. STS ADHD VDR Obesity, BMI, overeating, metabolic syndrome, anthropometric measures, schizophrenia, temporal lobe epilepsy, immune system, type 2 diabetes, physical activity, BONE DENSITY (OSTEOPOROSIS). DBI ANXIETY DISORDERS GABRA6 Autism, alcoholism, stresses response. GABRB3 Autism, alcoholism, stress. MTHFR   Cardiovascular disease, Homocysteine levels, obesity, fat mass, Schizophrenia. MLXIPL (CARBOHYDRATE BINDING ELEMENT) Plasma triglycerides, glucose craving behavior, obesity. VEGF Angiogenesis factor, cognition, tissue healing, pain sensitivity, oxidative stress. DRD4 Financial risk taking, nicotine withdrawal, ADHD, novelty seeking, Alcoholism, aggression, impulsivity, delinquency, memory deficits, anger, temperament, schizophrenia, sexual intercourse, drug abuse, extraversion, obesity, stress, emotional reactivity, infant attachment, oppositional defiant disorder, fibromyalgia, hyperphagia, alcohol craving, pathological gambling, panic disorder, developmental personality, Tourette Syndrome, Parkinsons. VMAT2 Antidepressant treatment outcome, Parkinsons, ADHD, cocaine and methamphetamine dependence, spirituality GOD Gene. CLOCK Circadian system, mood, bipolar, endocrine and metabolic rhythms, stress, reproduction, morphine dependence MELETONIN Sleep anxiety, alcoholism OREXIN Hyperphagis and energy regulation Source: Blum, K et.al. (2009)17 The abovementioned Table showed the genes and its associations with different Situations. Genetic factors may also contribute to the drug abuse-derived pleasure form; in one genomic study on rats exposed to chronic methamphetamine abuse, the SLC6A gene and its variants were shown to be altered upon exposure to methamphetamine (Kobeissy, et al., 2008)(Gold, et al., 2009).18 This disorder is due to genetic defects in the dopamine reward pathways. As a result of such defects the natural rewards are no longer sufficient to improve mood and provide pleasure, and affected individuals pursue an excessive amount of unnatural rewards such as from alcohol, nicotine, drugs, gambling, sex and risk taking in the form of dangerous sports, such bungie and base jumping, sky diving, extreme skiing, race car driving, video gaming and others to stimulate their reward pathways. The SLC6A gene is involved in cocaine abuse, alcohol dependence, smoking behavior, juvenile delinquency, pathological aggression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, impulsive aggression, cognitive impulsity and is a major component in the happiness gene map (see  Figure 1  and  Table 1). In 1995 Kenneth Blum coined the term RDS (Blum et al. 1996; Comings et al 2000; Blum et al. 2000).19 The fact that drugs of abuse such as alcohol, cocaine, speed and nicotine stimulate the release of dopamine explains part of the question of why humans become addicted to things; this does not explain why some people have serious problems with addictions. While environmental factors play a role, there is a significant variation in addictive potential among individuals exposed to the same environment or even substances ( Hoebel, Avena, Borcarsly, Rada, 2009,  Comings and Blum 2000).20  Ã‚   Another facet of certain environmental elements that may affect ones happiness and ultimately longevity is being in control. Langer (1989)21 carried out a landmark study that suggested that being in control resulted in greater longevity. In his study performed in a nursing home for the elderly, one group of subjects was given a plant and told to look after it, they were responsible for the plants health. Another group was also given a plant but told that the staff would look over the plant. Over the next 18 months twice as many of those who were not in control of their plants died compared to those in control of their plants. A test of this hypothesis has been successfully carried out by others in two strains of rodents. One strain liked drinking alcohol more than drinking water; the other strain did not. If the preference for alcohol was due to a defect in the dopamine D2 receptor, then increasing the level of D2 receptor in the reward pathways should eliminate the alcohol preference. This was accomplished by injecting copies of the D2 receptor gene directly in the nucleus accumbens. This resulted in a temporary over expression of the D2 receptors that lasted several days. The over expression of the D2 receptor gene reduces alcohol intake demonstrating that high levels of the D2 receptor gene are protective against alcohol abuse (Thanos et al 2001).22 Post (2005)23 suggests that altruism and volunteerism are associated with happiness, improved mood, enhanced self-esteem, and better mental and physical health; and that helping others, per se, may be a major part of the increased longevity seen in religious versus non-religious individuals. However others have rejected the idea that religion was a key factor. They concluded in their studies of over 8,832 subjects that volunteering, rather than its religious context, explained the beneficial effects and happiness (Musick  et al. 1999)24.  These findings are not so simple and cannot be taken without understanding that  we really cannot determine whether a confound drives an observed correlation. That is, that correlational data is always vulnerable to potential third-variable confounds. As we stated earlier, wealth does not necessarily correlate with happiness. In fact, as pointed out in Comings25 book  Did Man Create God,  a major reason for the lack of correlation between Gross National Product (GNP) and happiness is that people quickly adapt to a wide range of circumstances. He stated, Someone inheriting or winning a great deal of money may be temporarily be happier, but they soon settle back to their previous innate level of happiness. The same holds for those with progressively increasing yearly incomes. In support of this notion  Allen Parducci  (1995)26 suggested that after each raise, people adapt and return to a previous level of happiness (a set point genetically programmed), a phenomena he termed  hedonic treadmill. Figure-2 Source: Ibid, 2009 27 Psychology and Happiness: For most of its history, psychology has concerned itself with all that ails the human mind: anxiety, depression, neurosis, obsessions, paranoia, delusions, etc., and the behaviors they produce. The goal of practitioners has been to bring patients from a negative ailing state to a neutral normal state. Or, as University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman puts it, from a minus five to a zero (Seligman 2002)28. In the tabe-1, we could see that DRD2 genes has associations with the psychological functions like Alcoholism, Substance abuse, craving behavior, cocaine dependence, smoking, ADHD, parenting, Obesity, video gaming, sexual activity, posttraumatic stress disorder schizophrenia, Parkinsons, brain metabolism, BMI, executive functioning, love styles (EROS) pathological gambling. Pathological aggression, schizoid/avoidant behavior, criminal activity, politics party attachment. Energy, hypertension. Hyperphagia, growth, sexual maturation, brain development, depression, anorexia, bulimia, fibromyalgia, pain sensitivity, hunger, novelty seeking, extraversion, early onset sexual intercourse, defense style (lying), oppositional defiant disorder, panic disorder, developmental personality, Tourette Syndrome, Parkinsons, executive dysfunctioning, pleasure buzz etc. At the same time, the gene like ANNKI has the effects on Smoking dependence, parental rule-setting, Schizophrenia, cognition deficit, alcohol and opiate dependence, pleasurable buzz. The gene 5HT2A has got associations with Eating disorders, obesity, Insulin resistance, love styles (romantic), suicide, ADHD, Panic disorders, impulsive aggression, cognitive impulsivity, anger, sweet tooth, antidepressant treatment outcomes, fibromyalgia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, borderline personality, smoking behavior, cocaine dependence, BMI. Genes like OPRK1 (kappa -opioid receptor) has associations with the Alcohol and heroin dependence. Pain mechanisms and tolerance. OPRM1 (mu opioid   Receptor) has associations with Pleasure buzz, smoking addiction, heroin addiction, alcoholism, pain sensitivity, BMI, type 2 diabetes mellitus. COMT has associations with Psychiatric and affective disorders, alcoholism, substance use disorder, smoking, post-surgical pain, fibromyalgia, Parkinsons disease, ADHD. SLC6A3 genes are associated with Post-surgical pain, cocaine abuse, alcohol dependence, smoking behavior, juvenile delinquency, pathological aggression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, impulsive aggression, cognitive impulsivity. Heroin addiction, migraine, impulsive behavioral aggression, cognitive -impulsivity, ADHD, alcoholism is attached with the gene HTR3B. Pain mechanism, healing mechanisms, circulation, hypertension, cardiovascular are associated with the genes NOS3. Type 2 diabetes, Obesity, Insulin sensitivity, Body composition, eating disorders, BMI, physical exercise, common metabolic disorders, body mass, waist circumference, inflammatory response, immune system are affected with the genes PPARG. Plasma triglycerides, triglyceridemia, obesity ,,improves plasma glucose are asssociated iwth the genes CHREBP. Severe obesity, food intake, adiposity, body mass, energy intake, BMI, fat mass, pleasurable buzz are associated with the genes FTO. Inflammations, mortality, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, BMI, Immune response are associated with the gene TNFalpha. Proinflamamtory, immunoregulation, apotosis, substance use disorder are associated with the gene PEMT. Substance dependence is also associated with the gene MANEA. BMI, Schizophrenia, stress, obesity risk, food intake, craving behavior, diabetes, insulin sensitivity, adiposity, body composition, linear growth, metabolic factors, hyperphagia, cocaine dependence, lipogenesis, modulation of sweet substances, anorexia, bulimia, cardiovascular effects, fertility, sexual maturation, brain development, depression, fatty acid metabolism, hunger have great effects of the gene LEPTIN-OB. Pain sensitivity, bipolar affective disorder, ADHD, alcoholism, Substance Use Disorder, violent behavior, juvenile delinquency, smoking, child abuse, suicide, criminal activity, posttraumatic stress disorder, anti-depressant treatment response, alcoholism, panic disorder, schizophrenia, pathol ogical gambling are also affected by the gene MAO-A. Metabolic syndrome, adiposity, fat mass, energy intake, obesity, lipogenesis, type 2 diabetes, BMI has the same associations with the gene ADIPOQ. ADHD has the associations with the gene STS. Obesity, BMI, overeating, metabolic syndrome, anthropometric measures, schizophrenia, temporal lobe epilepsy, immune system, type 2 diabetes, physical activity, BONE DENSITY (OSTEOPOROSIS) has associations with the gene VDR. Anxiety Disorders has associations with the gene DBI. Autism, alcoholism, stress response has association with the gene GABRA6. Autism, alcoholism, stress has strongest associations with the gene GABRB3. Cardiovascular disease, Homocysteine levels, obesity, fat mass, Schizophrenia has associations with the gene MTHFR. Plasma triglycerides, glucose craving behavior, obesity has associations with the gene MLXIPL (CARBOHYDRATE BINDING ELEMENT). Angiogenesis factor, cognition, tissue healing, pain sensitivity, oxidative stress has associations with the gene VEGF. Financial risk taking, nicotine withdrawal, ADHD, novelty seeking, Alcoholism, aggression, impulsivity, delinquency, memory deficits, anger, temperament, schizophrenia, sexual intercourse, drug abuse, extrav ersion, obesity, stress, emotional reactivity, infant attachment, oppositional defiant disorder, fibromyalgia, hyperphagia, alcohol craving, pathological gambling, panic disorder, developmental personality, Tourette Syndrome, Parkinsons has association with the gene DRD4. Antidepressant treatment outcome, Parkinsons, ADHD, cocaine and methamphetamine dependence, spirituality GOD Gene has association with the gene VMAT2. CLOCK gene is associated with Circadian system, mood, bipolar, endocrine and metabolic rhythms, stress, reproduction, morphine dependence. Sleep anxiety, alcoholism is associated with the gene MELETONIN. OREXIN gene has associations with Hyperphagis and energy regulation. So from the above analysis what we could see is that several genes have had associations with the psychological orders and disorders of human body and mind. Genes like DRD2 and DRD4, ANNKI, COMT, SLC6A3, TNFalpha, PEMT, LEPTIN-OB, MAO-A, ADIPOQ, STS, VDR, DBI, GABRA6, GABRA3, MTHFR, VEGF, VMAT2, CLOCK, MELETONIN, OREXIN has associations with the Psychological disorders like Sleep anxiety, mood, bipolar, endocrine and metabolic rhythms, stress, reproduction, morphine dependence, cocaine and methamphetamine dependence, spirituality GOD Gene, Financial risk taking, nicotine withdrawal, ADHD, novelty seeking, Alcoholism, aggression, impulsivity, delinquency, memory deficits, anger, temperament, schizophrenia, sexual intercourse, drug abuse, extraversion, obesity, stress, emotional reactivity, infant attachment, oppositional defiant disorder, fibromyalgia, hyperphagia, alcohol craving, pathological gambling, panic disorder, developmental personality, Tourette Syndrome, Angiogenesis factor , cognition, pain sensitivity, oxidative stress, obesity, obesity, Schizophrenia, alcoholism, stress response, Anxiety disorders, bipolar affective disorder, ADHD, alcoholism, Substance Use Disorder, violent behavior, juvenile delinquency, smoking, child abuse, suicide, criminal activity, posttraumatic stress disorder, anti-depressant treatment response, alcoholism, panic disorder. But the most interesting thing is that not all the genes have the same disorders, rather each of the different genes has different syndroms which affects happiness of human being. But most interesting things is that more genes has associations with the same disorders like Schizophrenia of human being which seriously affects happiness. As well as more genes has the same affects like panic disorders which also affected happiness. In one hand, this is the genes associations with Psychology and happiness and on the other hands, there are more factors involved in the Psychology and happiness. James Montier29, a global equity strategist, has concluded with the almost same view of happiness where genes have the greatest associations with human happiness. About 50% of individual happiness comes from a  genetic set point.  That is, were each predisposed to a certain level of happiness. Some of us are just naturally more inclined to be cheery than others. About 10% of our happiness is due to our  circumstances.  Our age, race, gender, personal history, and, yes, wealth, only make up about one-tenth of our happiness. The remaining  40% of an individuals happiness seems to be derived from  intentional activity, from discrete actions or practices that people can choose to do. Economist Richard A. Easterlin30 at the University  was among the first to notice the paradoxical disconnection between a nations economic growth and the growth of its happiness. The Easterlin Paradox was once thought to be limited to rich

The Electoral Systems of Britain and Sweden Essay -- comparative polit

The Electoral Systems of Britain and Sweden The quality of a democracy is regulated by the electoral system that awards seats in democratic assemblies to those seeking office. This paper will compare the electoral systems of the parliaments of the United Kingdom (herein called Britain) and Sweden in order to determine which country has the preferred electoral system. The quality to be measured is the fairness of democratic representation, which is to say, how properly the various public interests are represented and how much control voters have over their government. The first part of the paper will study each electoral system separately, looking at the mechanics of how the members of parliament are elected, what kind of political party system can participate in the parliament, and how the parties go about setting up the executive branch of government. The second part will compare and contrast the two parliaments, and afterwards it will be shown how one of the parliaments represents its electorate more fairly and democraticall y. These two countries have been chosen because Britain?s electoral system is characterized as a system of single-member districts, and Sweden?s system is considered to provide proportional representation, which strives to elect members of political parties in the proportions in which votes were cast. The Electoral System in Britain Voters in Britain elect members of the House of Commons, the more powerful lower house of the Westminster Parliament, for maximum terms of five years. Each one of the 659 electoral districts sends one member to the House of Commons after being chosen on the basis of plurality. Candidates obtain their places on the ballot by being nominated by their party. Frequently the w... ...). "The Election of the Swedish Riksdag, September 2002," Representation. 39(2): 146-156. Kavanagh, Dennis (2000). British Politics: Continuity and Change. New York: Oxford University Press. Mattila, Mikko and Tapio Raunio (2002). "Government Formation in the Nordic Countries: The Electoral Connection," Scandinavian Political Studies. 25(3): 259-280. Metcalf, Michael F (1987). The Riksdag: A History of the Swedish Parliament. New York: St. Martin?s Press. Nation Master (2003). "British House of Commons." St. Petersburg, Florida: WikiMedia. . Nation Master (2003). "Elections in Sweden." St. Petersburg, Florida: WikiMedia. . Petersson, Olof et al. (1997). Report from the Democratic Audit of Sweden 1996. Stockholm: SNS Fï ¿ ½rlag.

Conflicts Stimulate Maturity Essay

Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima is the first in a trilogy relating the trials and tribulations encountered as an adolescent in New Mexico. Many consider it to be â€Å"classic† Chicano fiction in that it portrays New Mexican traditions and lifestyles the average reader had most likely never encountered while transcending a mere portrait of the southwest by representing Antonio’s rites of passage into maturity in a manner to which nearly anyone can relate (University of New Mexico). The reader follows along as Antonio moves from childish innocence to newfound maturity through a series of crises and conflicts. They begin with Ultima’s arrival and end with her death, stimulating Antonio’s spiritual search and moving him closer to adulthood. Along the way, Antonio struggles through a duality of conflicts, convinced he must choose only one side of his heritage but made uncertain by his loyalties and beliefs for each. Maturity is finally reached when he realizes the solution is to fuse the differing elements in his family. In this way he finds satisfaction for both his inner needs and external influences. The conflicts triggering Antonio’s maturation are the result of the dualities in Antonio’s life: his mother’s versus his father’s families, the Catholic religion versus curanderismo, Western versus Chicano culture, and myth versus reality. His family’s heritage is one of the impetuses to Antonio’s soul searching. On his mother’s side is a heritage of Catholicism and farmers who worked off the land; on his father’s side resides a Hispanic people who made their living as vaqueros on the llano. His mother wishes Antonio to become a priest while his father wishes he carry on in the Marez tradition. This conflict is made clear through Antonio’s dream of his birth: his mother’s family brings him gifts of earth – â€Å"fresh green chile and corn, ripe apples and peaches, pumpkins and green beans† (Anaya, 5), while his father’s family destroys them and provides, instead, â€Å"a saddle, horse blankets, bottles of whiskey, a new rope, bridles, chapas, and an old guitar† (Anaya, 5). While both families rely on the earth and its bounty to provide, they have dissenting attitudes. It is the goal of the Marezes to â€Å"live free upon the earth and roam over it† while the Lunas â€Å"live tied to the earth and its cycles† (Lamadrid, 498). Antonio asks Ultima: â€Å"Now we have come to live near the river, and yet near the llano. I love them both, and yet I am of neither. I wonder which life I will choose? † (Anaya, 38), voicing his concerns over the ability to pick just one lifestyle. According to Black (155 – 157), Antonio’s coming-of-age involves separating from his family while integrating features from both sides. The young man is expected to physically separate from his mother as his brothers have done. Though they occupy little of the text, Andy and Gene also play significant roles in Antonio’s life. In their minds, â€Å"all their lives they had lived with the dreams of their father and mother haunting them†¦. † (Anaya, 62) and Gene avers, â€Å"We can’t be tied down to old dreams†: (Anaya, 62). The brothers are relieved, then, that Antonio is the scapegoat who can please their mother by embodying her dreams, leaving them free to pursue their own. Antonio is different than Andy and Gene, preferring, instead, to use â€Å"both waters† and create a new lifestyle. Gabriel succinctly sums up his son’s spiritual search like this: â€Å"every man is a part of his past. He cannot escape it, but he may reform the old materials, make something new† (Anaya, 236). A further conflict in Antonio’s life is the dichotomy of the Catholic religion as opposed to Chicano beliefs and practices. He begins his spiritual search with the Catholic church, becoming preoccupied with sin and its consequences. After witnessing the death of the town’s sheriff and Lupito, he gives confession. Antonio struggles with the meaning of the Act of Contrition, the nature of confession, and his disappointment with the Communion ritual. He questions the church’s teachings regarding God and its definitions of good and evil, particularly after the deaths of Tenorio and his daughters, Narciso, and Florence. The author states, â€Å"The boy is wrestling with the questions of good and evil and why evil exists in this world† (McDonald, from de Mancelos, 4). Although Antonio wonders, â€Å"Was it possible that there was more power in Ultima’s magic than in the priest? † (Anaya, 99), it is Ultima who consoles him when the Catholic priest fails to heal Lucas. Ultima reaffirms Antonio’s faith in his fellow many by assuring him that the men of the llano would not resort to the act of killing another without good reason. She initiates him into the art of curanderismo. As Antonio begins assisting Ultima in her healing practices, he is introduced to the legend of the golden carp. When he sees the mythical golden carp, Antonio experiences a moment of revelation: â€Å"This is what I had expected God to do at my first holy communion! If God was witness to my beholding of the golden carp then I had sinned! † (Anaya, 105). Antonio does not give up his dream of being a priest, even though is severely disappointed by the Catholic religion. He becomes a different kind of spiritual leader, one his people are not quite ready to accept. In a dream, Antonio cries out to Jesus as he suffers on the cross: â€Å"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me! † (Anaya, 233). He is unable to fully believe in either Catholicism or curanderismo and consequently decides to combine the two different perspectives to gain his own answers. Antonio ultimately becomes â€Å"a man of learning† as Ultima had predicted. He acquires knowledge and understanding along the way to maturity. Antonio appreciates that life is naturally ever changing. He accepts his parents’ flaws as well as his brothers’ sins. He realizes the extent of prejudice and accepts that others, too, are not firm in their beliefs, while recognizing his own sins. The duality of Western and Chicano cultures in his heritage is another conflict Antonio must resolve. The author represents three different acculturations: assimilation, integration and rejection (Black, 146). According to Black, Antonio’s brothers â€Å"are assimilated into the Anglo world in ways that result in their desire to leave la familia and move into the dominant cultural sphere†; because they reject their heritage, they lose their culture (149). Antonio does a better job of assimilating his ethnic identity with Angle culture through adaptation: â€Å"†¦the innocence which our isolation sheltered could not last forever, and the affairs of the town began to reach across our bridge and enter my life† (Anaya, 14). Antonio begins his assimilation in school. He retains his heritage by speaking Spanish and eating his traditional Chicano lunch â€Å"of hot beans and some good, green chile wrapped in tortillas† (Anaya, 54). Although, as he says, â€Å"the other children saw my lunch [and] they laughed and pointed again†, the experience reminded him of the existence of prejudice (Anaya, 54). It makes him feel different until he finally finds friends who share his Chicano roots and he is able to overcome his loneliness. This also helps him to realize that he can live in both worlds. Antonio strives to learn English and stay in school, in direct contrast to the rest of his family. At home, he is educated about Chicano culture through Ultima’s teachings. She urges him to appreciate the beauty of the land and embrace the ancient wisdom of curanderas. His family are the instructors in such things as personal integrity and the Chicano way of life. Belief in myth as opposed to the reality presented by history also create a conflict in Antonio. According to Lamadrid, there is an important relation between myth and the socio-cultural identity of traditional Chicanos (497). He uses examples such as that of la llorona (wailing woman) to define myth as the â€Å"collective interpretation and mediation of the contradictions in the historical and ecological experience of a people† (Lamadrid, 496). This assertion becomes clear in examining Antonio’s representation of evil and native power; he believes La llorona is luring him, but he resists and escapes death. Ultimately, Antonio learns to accept that life is the greater reality and understands â€Å"the tragic consequences of life can be overcome by the magical strength that resides in the human heart† (Anaya, 237). He remembers Ultima’s teachings, which help him to â€Å"take life’s experiences and build strength from them and not weakness† (Anaya, 248). As de Mancelos states, Antonio must â€Å"understand the other side of the myth, the legends, the indigenous beliefs and the power of the earth† as well as more traditional religious beliefs (5). An apocalyptic event – the development of the first atomic bomb for use in World War II combat – juxtaposes with Antonio’s increasing awareness. According to Lamadrid, â€Å"the awareness of the characters of the apocalyptic threat of the atomic bomb†¦demonstrates a real and historical dimension of apocalypse† (500). Upon its arrival, the village women dress in mourning clothes, assert that the bomb resembles â€Å"a ball of white heat beyond the imagination, beyond hell† and lay the blame on ignorant Anglos: â€Å"Man was not made to know so much†¦they compete with God, they disturb the seasons, they seek to know more than God Himself. In the end, that knowledge they seek will destroy us all† (Anaya, 183). The village witnesses the loss of a large number of husbands and sons during the war while the state hosts the very first test of the atomic bomb. Even Antonio is affected as his brothers return from service traumatized. According to the villagers, these are all signs of an apocalypse requiring â€Å"the need for a synthesis†¦in this new time of crisis† (Lamadrid, 500). Antonio is fortunate enough to create his own synthesis by continuing his ties to the desert and La Virgen de Guadalupe, la llorona and the brotherhood of the golden carp. His cultural conflicts are settled because of his synchronicity with Ultima’s belief that the purpose of his life is to do good. Her final blessing, â€Å"Always have the strength to live. Love life, and if despair enters your heart, look for me in the evenings when the wind is gentle and the owls sing in the hills† are the words he will live by(Anaya, 247). Antonio’s maturity comes as the result of completing a journey which alternately takes him away from, and then back to, his heritage. The conflicts of warring factions in his life cause him to question the values and beliefs of each and come up with his own explanation. Rather than refusing his heritage, Antonio fuses the differences and acquires a richness of experience and strength of character. Along with this new understating, Antonio looks forward to a future based on the past but open to new possibilities – a mature outlook indeed. Works Cited Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me Ultima. New York: Warner Books, 1999. Black, Debra B. â€Å"Times of Conflict: Bless Me, Ultima as a Novel of Acculturation†. Bilingual Review, Vol. 25 (2), 2000, pp. 146-159. de Mancelos, Joao. â€Å"Witchcraft, Initiation, and Cultural Identity in Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima†. Revista de Letras, serie II, #3, 2004. 129-134. Lamadrid, Enrique R. â€Å"Myth as the Cognitive Process of Popular Culture in Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima†: The Dialectics of Knowledge. Hispania, Vol. 68, No. 3 (Sep. 1985), pp. 496-501. Stone, Dan. â€Å"An Interview with Rudolfo Anaya†. National Endowment for the Arts: The Big Read. January 4, 2007. Retrieved October 15, 2008 from the NEA website: http://www. neabigread. org/books/blessmeultima/anaya04_about. php. University of New Mexico. â€Å"Writing the Southwest: Rudolfo Anaya†. Retrieved October 15, 2008 from the UNM website: http://www. unm. edu/~wrtgsw/anaya. html.

American Films and Northern Lights

Remember how you felt in that moment when you realized there was a big world out there that needed exploring? I don't remember the first time I saw a photo of Iceland. I know it was of the Northern Lights on a starry night with snow covered mountains in the background. I knew I had get there but, for years, I kept putting it off. And, In that time, my expectations for Iceland became very high.The friendly coals, untouched mountains, Northern Lights, being alone with nature – I built It all up In my head. And, now that I am here, I can safely say Iceland has exceeded my expectations beyond my wildest dreams. There are places you love and then there are places you carry inside forever. Places that change you. They are, In Hemingway words,†a movable feast†. For me, Iceland Is one of those places. I knew It from the first moment I got here.From the warm locals to the untouched landscape to magic f the Northern Lights, Iceland has changed me. It's made me remember the n eed to slow down. Life is too short to only look at pictures. It's too short to look at someone else's journey and say â€Å"one day, I'll go there†. So today's main blob post features ten new websites that will help you reach your travel goals quicker by helping you plan better and travel cheaper. Because your travel dreams shouldn't stay dreams but should become moments you remember.