Smart Drugs essays

Smart Drugs essays Smart drugs are the term, which stands for legal substances intended to influence activity of human brain. Those substances should be of natural origin or they should be at least as much similar to natural substances as possible. One of the key attributes is that those substances are non-addictive. As I said before, those substances are intended to influence and expand activity of brain and thats why they are also called brain nutrients. Brain nutrients are also called smart drugs. This term isnt particularly fortunate, because the term drug is misleading and creates associations with something dangerous and life-threatening. Brain nutrients and neurotransmitters are substances that either directly or after digestion enter the brain and influence quality of neuron nutrition or activate their working activity or possibly replenish their levels to optimal levels, necessary for perfect activity. Concept and term of nootropics (substances in general slang called smart-drugs) was first introduced in 1972 by C.E. Giurgeou, chief research worker in Belgian company, which introduced Piracetam (one of the most widely known substances) at the market. The main areas of use are expansion of studying process, improving storage of information, facilitation of information flow between both brain hemispheres and increasing of brain protection and nutrition. Smart drugs are supposed to work in one of two main ways: either by increasing blood flow to the brain, or boosting the levels of one or other of the neurotransmitters thought to play a part in learning and memory. We can in general divide smart drugs into two groups. Nootropics and Nutrientes. Nootropics are rather intended for immediate use, with rather short effect, while nutrients are of rather longer-time effect (speaking in weeks or months). Now some of the most widely known, used and free sold nootropics and nutrients. ...

Omega 3 fatty acids (and their role) in Nutrition Research Paper

Omega 3 fatty acids (and their role) in Nutrition - Research Paper Example These are termed essential fatty acids, because they are mandatory nutrients for health, but cannot be synthesized by the body. There is a general scientific consensus that the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids should be greater than that of omega-6. The parent fatty acid of omega-3 fatty acids is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA Â  is converted in the body to the fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for further metabolism. (NIH, 2005). A study of the functions of omega-3 fatty acids, the dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids, the adverse effects of fatty acid deficiency, and the role of these fatty acids in the prevention of disease, reveals that the intake of omega-3 fatty acids through food and nutritional supplements is of paramount importance to good health. Omega-3 fatty acids perform several important functions. EPA produces hormone-like agents called eicosanoids, which regulate physiological processes. EPA is concerned with cell division and growth, blood clotting, muscle activity, secretion of digestive juices and hormones, and the permeability and flexibility of the cell membranes. It also reduces inflammatory responses. DHA is an essential contributor to brain function and development. The brain synapses show a concentration of DHA, indicating that it plays a role in signal transmission in the nervous system. DHA also produces resolvins, which reduce inflammation in the brain. (NIH, 2005). In addition, DHA plays an important role in vision, regulating the development and function of the retina. Another function of omega-3 fatty acids is in the regulation of gene expression, particularly in the metabolism of fatty acids and inflammation. (Higdon, 2012). The richest food sources of ALA are flaxseed oil (I tablespoon = 7.3 g) and walnuts (1 ounce = 2.6 g). Other dietary sources are canola oil, soybean oil, mustard oil and tofu. However, as ALA has to be converted into EPA and DHA,

Instructional Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Instructional Strategies - Essay Example There are a variety of categories and disciplines we could address but here our main concentration is on the possible usefulness of the DIRECT INSTRUCTION (DI) method of teaching in today's classrooms. According to the Baltimore Curriculum Project fact sheet (1997), "DI is an embracing model in instructional strategies which is filled with carefully structured and edited lessons that are backed by texts and worksheets." In DI the educator works with a group of students who are performing at roughly the same level. Through exceedingly careful organization, direction and pacing a rapport is formed with the students that facilitates the creation of a healthy, interactive learning environment. This type of interaction is finely crafted to focus on the subject and the pace of the learning activities. The students in these activities respond to questions as both an individual and a group further ensuring that the method of instruction "leaves no individual unengaged" (Baltimore Curriculum Project, 1997). Direct instruction is primarily based on previous theories of instruction which strive to eliminate misinterpretation by the students of goals, necessary skills, and instructions. The theory of DI is purported to greatly accelerate and improve academic performance as well as specific learning when applied in the prescribed manner. Direct instruction has also shown promise in correcting certain affective behaviors that can lead to academic problems. The resulting DI theory emphasizes the use of a small group in which teachers and aides conduct face-to-face (or one-on-one) instruction. This allows educators to carefully articulated lessons so that specific cognitive skills are broken down into small units and/or action sequences. The research of Mr. Siegfried Engelmann and Dr. Wesley Becker is not only a focal point in DI discussions, it also prescribes the correct method for using DI. Their work provides educators with five areas by which all class activities can be organized: GOAL SETTING: Educators emphasize the importance of setting goals for school work. Students are required to write and explain their goals which will ead them to complete the task set before them. Educators and other students provide regular reassurance on the progress toward meeting these goals as well as hints for improvement. ASSIGNMENTS: Educators should endeavor to break the ultimate task into small, manageable parts. Students should be encouraged to further devise personally manageable parts that will lead to successful completion of the task. The true key here is to set a pace that is comfortable to the individual and the class as a whole while ensuring timely completion of the task. Such structuring should lead to a better understanding of the ultimate goal as well as provide more immediate success and feedback. EXPLANATION: The variation in explanation lies at the heart of what makes DI unique. Examples that relate more closely to real life and/or appeal to the students(s) make the subject clearer and personal. Students more readily engage in learning activities that they find personally linked. If an activity seems like fun or useful to the student, it is now personal and worth doing. OUTSOURCING: Frequently asking

Risk Study Report (occupational health and safety) Research Paper

Risk Study Report (occupational health and safety) - Research Paper Example Individual and commercial insurance is a good way to reduce the personal as well as commercial financial risks. I have selected the J. Paul Getty Museum as the visiting location. The location is situated in Los-Angeles. Los Angeles itself is blessed with beautiful landscapes and the building of the museum is made uniquely so that it would attract as many visitors as the museum can hold. On the other hand the entry to the museum is absolutely free, while visitors are charged $15 for the parking. However, after 5p.m the parking is free too. Museums are good places to find cultural, religious and ancient aspects of the location. Around 1.3 million people visit the museum each year (The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2012). The most significant feature of the tourism business is the capability of the operators to deal with the risks and associated factors regarding the tourism business. It is equally viable for the operators to maintain a smooth, receptive and cost efficient insurance that will ensure to meet the legal necessities and requirements. Risk management ensures to make clear reduction in the unnecessary and unintentional events. However, it is important for the risk managers to develop such strategies to reduce the impacts of the unplanned events. The third important perspective of the risk management is to improve the capability to have full control on all the events and associated risks and maintain cost-efficient insurance within the business environment. Risk management strategies will ensure to enhance the recognition of the risks, analyze the risks and the make strategies to reduce the risk. It not only benefits the organization but also the individuals. On the other hand, the risk management techniques will help to face the accident and help us to be prepared for any accidents. The techniques will also reduce the severity and the after effects of the accidents. Financial damages are heavily influenced by the

Time and Life Essay Example for Free

Time and Life Essay According to a popular saying,schooldays are the happiest days of your life. Is there any truth in this? Answers to this question are bound to vary greatly from person to person. A person’s answer will depend on how happy the person’s schooldays actually were and on how happy the rest of his or her life has been since. To give a really true answer to this question you have to be fairly close to the end of your life. Hopefully,by this time you will have lived a long time. If this is the case,then you will have a long period of time to look back on. Will no other period of your life have made you happier than your schooldays? This seems rather unlikely. There are certain momentous times in a person’s life which are usually accompained by a great feeling of happiness,even of ecstasy. One of these is being in love. Another is a person’s wedding day. Yet another, and many parents would put this at the top of their happiness list, is the birth of a couple’s child. These are milestones in human life and they bring happinessto the majority of people who experience them. However, apart from these emotional milestones, there is a wide variation in what makes people happy. To a large extent what brings happiness to a person depends on what they are interested in. For example, athletes might well regard their period of supreme happiness as the time they won a major track or field event, especially an Olympic event. Footballers might regard the peak of their happiness as the time they played for a top-ranking team and scored a crucial goal in an important game. Ambitious businesspeople might be at the hightest point of their happiness when they bring off a particulary successful and shrewd business deal. If there are all these opportunities, and many more, for achieving happiness in life, how has the idea arise that schooldays are the happiest days of our life? It is at least partly because people’s memories, particularly older people’s memories, tend to be imperfect when they look back on the past. Not only that. Especially where childhood is concerned, older people tend to look back at past through rose-coloured spectacles. For example, they might remember the weather during the summer holidays as being much better than it is now. That has nothing whatsoever to do with modern climate change. It has to do with looking back on the past with affection and nostalagia-and a lack of realism. A few people’s schooldays might genuinely have been the happiest days of their lives. On the other hand, some people’s schooldays might have been an absolute nightmare with stern schoolteachers administering harsh punishments and fellow students teasing and bullying them, not to mention the often unbearable pressure of exams. For most people,neither of these extremes fits the bill. Their schooldays are the usual mixture of happiness and unhappiness,like the rest of their lives. Schooldays are not the happiest days of their lives.

Critical Thinking and Business Decisions Essay -- GCSE Business Market

Critical Thinking and Business Decisions Our basic concept of critical thinking is, at root, simple. We could define it as the art of taking charge of your own mind. Its value is also at root simple: "if we can take charge of our own minds, we can take charge of our lives; we can improve them, bringing them under our "self-command" and direction (McCall and Kaplan, 1990)." Of course, this requires that we learn self-discipline and the art of self-examination. This involves becoming interested in how our minds work, how we can monitor, fine tune, and modify their operations for the better. It involves getting into the habit of reflectively examining our impulsive and accustomed ways of thinking and acting in every dimension of our lives and business. Many various "Forms of Thinking" affect the way we rationalize problems and situations. We could approach a problem by utilizing the forms such as in "a logical, scientific, persuasive, or creative fashion (University of Phoenix, 2000)." The way we approach a problem or situation can be and is very important. In addition, all that we do, we do based on some motivations or reasons that are forces which influence our ways of thinking. However, we rarely examine our motivations to see if they make sense. We rarely scrutinize our reasons critically to see if they are rationally justified. "Some of the forces that influence are thinking can be gender, culture, ethnicity, religion, race, economic status, ethics, etc (University of Phoenix, 2000)." As consumers, for example, we sometimes buy things impulsively and uncritically, without stopping to determine whether we really need what we are inclined to buy, whether we can afford it, whether its good for our health, or whether the price is competitive. As parents, we often respond to our children impulsively and uncritically, without stopping to determine whether our actions are consistent with how we want to act as parents, whether we are contributing to their self-esteem, whether we are discouraging them from thinking, or from taking responsibility for their own behavior. The two examples above, illustrate how we could have used a "scientific form of thinking" to come to a conclusion but the "force", whatever it may have been, that influenced that way of thinking, was very strong. The same remains true in business as it pertains to our manageria... ...en seriously, it can transform every dimension of work life: how we formulate rules, how we relate to our employees, how we encourage them to relate to each other, how we cultivate their speaking and listening skills, as well as their decision making skills. Of course, we are likely to make "Critical Thinking" a basic value in work only insofar as we make it a basic value in our lives. "Therefore, to become adept at contemplating critical thinking, we must become committed to thinking critically and reflectively about our own lives and the lives of those around us (Shermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn, 2000)." We must become active, daily, practitioners of critical thought. We must regularly model for our employees what it is to reflectively examine, critically assess, and effectively improve the way we live and think. References Morgan W. McCall Jr. and Robert E. Kaplan, (1990). "Whatever It Takes, Realities of Managerial Decision Making," (New Jersey: Prentice Hall) Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn. (2000). Organizational Behavior. 7th Ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. University of Phoenix, (2000). Critical Thinking: Strategies in Decision Making. (Module) MGT 350.

Aggression as a Negative

Aggression is viewed by many as a negative response in sport, but theories of why aggression occurs contradict each other. Evaluate critically theories of aggression that seek to explain why negative responses often occur in sporting situations Use practical examples for the theories you evaluate. Aggression is any behaviour outside the rules of the game that aims to harm an individual that is motivated to avoid such harm. Some skills appear aggressive for example, a slide tackle in football, however they are perfectly legal in the games rules so it is not seen as aggressive behaviour.Possible negative responses relating to aggression are caused by; actual/perceived unfairness, frustration at performance, displaced aggression from other sources, pressure to win, retaliation, copying others, nature of the game, reaction to a hostile crowd, being on the losing team and previous ill-feeling (derby game). There are 4 theories of aggression; Instinct Theory, Social Learning Theory, Frustr ation Aggression Hypothesis and Aggression Cue Hypothesis.Instinct Theory (Freud) suggests that behaviour is predictable, genetically inherited and it is the Trait view of behaviour. According to this theory, we can tell which players and when they will perform aggressive acts. This says that everyone has aggression within them, it is just a continual build-up of energy that needs to be released through catharsis, for example, small lashes out at an opposition to release pressure (Lorenz). However this theory completely disregards an environmental stimulus that we know exists.Social Learning Theory (Bandura) suggests that behaviour is learned from our environment, for example we observe behaviours through a role model, we perform the behaviour (copy) then this mode of behaviour becomes accepted through reinforcement. For example, young footballer copies Wayne Rooney and kicks out at an opposition player, then gets praise from team-mates, this behaviour is reinforced, then the young player will do it more to create this sort of response again.This theory does the opposite of Instinct Theory and accepts the environmental stimuli however disregards the genetic influence, that we also know exists. These next two are Interactionist Theories that aim to combine environmental and genetic influences. Frustration Aggression Hypothesis suggests that frustration occurs when our goal-directed behaviour is blocked, and there is more frustration if the behaviour is outcome orientated. This hypothesis suggests that environmental build ups create a biological reaction as a cathartic release, if this release fails then we become more aggressive.For example, Jordan Mutch of Cardiff blocked Wayne Rooney from getting past so Wayne Rooney (goal blocked), Wayne Rooney got frustrated, Kicked out at Mutch and received a yellow card as punishment, this cathartic release failed. Aggression Cue Hypothesis suggests that frustration is equal to arousal; it creates a readiness for aggressi on. This aggression will only occur upon environmental cue. For example in football, being on the receiving end of a bad tackle provides the environmental cue which will increase arousal. If there is the presence of aggression, chances of aggression are increased dramatically.