Silver Linings Playbook Character Assessment - 1208 Words

Silver Linings playbook Character Assessment The serious effects of mental illness in America have been captured brilliantly in numerous different modern day films. Silver Linings Playbook, a film directed by David Russell, follows a frustrated love story of two mentally unstable individuals. Pat Solitan, played by Bradley Cooper, is a middle aged white adult who is recovering from a failed marriage, and has just recently returned from an eight-month stay in a psychiatric hospital after attacking his ex-wife’s new lover. He returns home to his parent’s house in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where he meets Tiffany Maxwell, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Tiffany is a young, widowed white woman who has recently lost her job and has moved back in with her parents who live in the same neighborhood as the Solitano’s. The two individuals meet one night at a dinner party, and automatically click over a lighthearted dialoged about the numerous anti-psychotics that they have been placed on. Both Pat and Tiffany dis play abnormal behavior throughout the film. Their journey of dealing with their mental abnormalities is at times heart-breaking, but they are able to use one another as a support system in order to get their mental conditions under control. The two individuals display unique behaviors and personality traits that can be analyzed to meet criteria in the DSM-5 for mental disorders. It can be interpreted from the film that Pat has Bipolar Disorder, and that Tiffany hasShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Movie Silver Lining Playbook Directed By David O. Russell1354 Words   |  6 PagesSilver Lining Playbook Review In the film Silver Lining Playbook, directed by David O. Russell and starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, a character by the name of Pat Solatano Jr. is introduced with the bipolar disorder. Throughout the film Pat goes through life trying to deal with all the ebbs and flows that come his way, all while trying to keep his disorder in check. Have it being his interactions with family and friends, or the way he handles simple misfortunes or disagreements canRead MoreI Am A Sign Of Bipolar Disorder2137 Words   |  9 Pagesrelationship with their peers, ability to work, get an education, and function normally with a balanced mood (Bipolar Disorder,n.d). Bradley Cooper plays a middle-aged man, Patrick Solitano, who suffers from Bipolar Disorder in the movieSilver Linings Playbook. Pat went through many obstacles after a trigger set him off into a rage that landed him at a mental institution for eight months. He spent his life thinking that he just has a short fuse like his fa ther, but later into his adulthood he was diagnosedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Silver Linings Playbook 1614 Words   |  7 PagesIn the movie Silver Linings Playbook, Bradley Cooper plays the main character Pat Solitano Jr. The movie starts off with Pat being released from a psychiatric facility. Pat’s time spent in the psychiatric facility was a plea bargain that his lawyer advised him to make. The court only mandated eight months of inpatient time, and against the will of the doctors in the facility, his mother is discharging him because she thinks that eight months is sufficient time for Pat to become well. On the driveRead MoreThes Diagnosis Of Bipolar Disorder1912 Words   |  8 PagesDiagnostic Assessment: Silver Linings Playbook’s main character appears to be your average man. He comes off as one who may have a steady job that provides him with a reasonable salary, a wife, and possibly a growing family. However, this is only the opinion of someone who has not seen the struggles he deals with daily. After researching through resources such as The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and other scholarly journals, it is evident that PatRead MoreDr. Doe s Disorder1228 Words   |  5 PagesMr. Doe suffers from undiagnosed bipolar disorder, which results in mood swings with stern thoughts brought on by severe stress. John Doe returns home with his parents after being released from an institution and forced to continue therapy. The assessment will look into John Doe’s disorder through the psychologists six theoretical models. Number one of the theoretical model is the biological model. According to Comer, the biological model looks at the biological processes of human functioning toRead MoreAnalysis : Silver Linings Playbook1181 Words   |  5 PagesCassidy Malchow PSYC 275 Dr. Jones Assessment Summary Paper Film: â€Å"Silver Linings Playbook† Identifying Information Patrick Solitano Jr., better known as Pat, is a white male of about 35 years of age who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and is undergoing treatment. He was released from a mandatory hospitalization in a detention facility after eight months on the premise that he would continue taking medication, attend therapy, and comply with his restraining orders. He was also assigned

Life Is Like The Stanzas Of A Poem - 803 Words

Life is a Poem â€Å"Life is like the stanzas of a poem.† Anne Sexton is unlike any other poets, her life, not only influences her poems, but her poems are part of her life. Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty), Baby picture, and Music Swims Back To Me are three examples in which sexton describes her life as poems. The troubled childhood and the depressed adulthood of Anne Sexton lead to the depressed and dark nature of her writing. Trauma from the abused childhood brought about the depressed nature of her poems. In Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty), Anne sexton describes the troubled nature of her childhood. â€Å"I was forced backward. I was forced forward.† â€Å"Each night I am nailed into place.† (st.7,line 5-7.9) That feeling of being forced and helpless. Being drained of life by the one who was supposed to keep her safe cannot be forgotten, if we try to ignore the feeling it will just eat you inside. Sexton unlike others did not try to forget it but embraced it into her poems as a way of treating her depression. She said it aloud to the world in the form of her poems. This depression took the form of words and is an important element of sexton’s work. Like in the first stanza when Sexton was hypnotized and taken when she was 2, and then to the seemingly loving sound of her father: â€Å"Little doll child, come here to Papa. Sit on my knee. I have kisses for the back of your neck.†(st.1, line 15-19) But the meaning becomes very clear as the poem progresses. Although, Sexton’s poetry is mainly sad andShow MoreRelatedLady Lazarus, by Sylvia Plath1110 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Lady Lazarus† is a poem by Sylvia Plath, written in 1962 shortly before her death in early 1963, and published posthumously by her husband, poet Ted Hughes, in 1965 in the collected volume Ariel. â€Å"Lady Lazarus† is a poem about suicide as a rebirth, and was in part inspired by Plaths own life and draws heavily on Plaths lifelong struggle with bipolar depression and suicidal feelings, and uses holocaust imagery to paint a bleak portrait of suicide and hopelessness. Sylvia Plath was born in BostonRead MoreAn Analysis of the Poem Novel by Arthur Rimbaud1151 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ An Analysis of Novel, a Poem by Arthur Rimbaud Arthur Rimbaud, a French poet, wrote the poem Novel in 1870, just prior to his sixteenth birthday. The poem is divided in four parts with eight stanzas (two stanzas each part). Each stanza contains four lines. The poem appears to be a reflection on the wonders of youth, when the world is all new. The title may be interpreted as a reference to life as a novel experience. The poem looks with innocent eyes at youthful affection, and youthful commitmentRead MoreEmily Dickinson s Poem, Because I Could Not Stop For Death877 Words   |  4 PagesEmily Dickinson is known for writing poems that relate to death and dying, and the poem â€Å"Because I could not stop for death† is no exception. This is a narrative poem that illustrates the passage from life to death as a carriage ride through a quiet town. In this particular poem, the speaker has already passed away and is remembering what seems to be a fond memory, however that is not revealed till the final stanza. There are only two characters, The speaker and Death. The speaker is a lady whoRead MoreHer Kind By Anne Sexton943 Words   |  4 PagesThe poem Her Kind by Anne Sexton is a story regarding the past. The narrator is explaining significant dark moments in her life. She briefly explains who she has been in her past life, which is structured into three stanzas. First, she depicts herself as a lonely witch, then a misunderstood cavewomen and lastly a victimized villager. However the most important characteristic of the speaker is that she is a woman and that is not something she is ashamed of, as she makes it clear in the last sentenceRead MoreEssay about Easter Wings1750 Words   |  7 Pages The poem quot;Easter Wingsquot; by George Herbert is a poem full of deep imagery not only in its words but also in the visual structure of the stanzas. In Herbert’s poem why does he use a shape poem? Because he wanted this poem to have many different levels and meanings. Herbert also used huge amounts of mental imagery so that the reader can find new truths and meanings each time he or she reads it. The poem tells of the poets desire to fly with Christ as a result of Jesus sacrificeRead MoreImagery Of Women By Adrienne Rich1540 Words   |  7 Pagesher use of political issues in her poems. She considers herself a socialist because â€Å"socialism represents moral values – the dignity and human rights of all citizens† (Daily News). In one of her poems, â€Å"Necessities of life,† Rich focused on death. Adrienne Rich got a negative reaction to her earlier poem â€Å"Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law† which was her first overly feminist poem (Marilyn Hacker) and thought she had failed, so she focused on death in her next poem â€Å"as a sign of how erased she felt whenRead MoreA Comparison of The Poplar Field by William Cowper and Binsey Poplars Felled 1879 by Gerard Manley Hopkins897 Words   |  4 Pagesnoticeable is that both the poems are about a group of trees alongside a river. The other general similarity between the poems is that they are then later cut down and so the writers are now deprived of their enjoyment in the cool colonnade. However there are many differences between the poems. Firstly we notice that Hopkins uses far more complex rhyming schemes to capture the reader. He uses an erratic rhyming scheme and irregular stanzas. The rhyming scheme thatRead MoreThe Metaphysical Conceit in Donnes Poems1198 Words   |  5 PagesThe Metaphysical Conceit Donne’s Poems â€Å"The Flea† and â€Å"A Valediction† are poems by John Donne that were written in the 17th Century. These poems incorporate the fundamental of something called a metaphysical conceit. Interesting though, both poems use the metaphysical conceit to tell a story about two very opposite situation between two â€Å"partners†. â€Å"The Flea’s† metaphysical conceit is stretched along a lustful, passionate, relationship between two individuals. â€Å"A Valediction’s† metaphysical conceitRead MoreEssay on John Keats To Autumn1696 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Keats To Autumn Life is a beautiful thing that should not be wasted. Life must be lived without warning; it is not to be taken for granted. We will never fully understand life, not even in a million years. The theme of John Keats To Autumn is to enjoy life, even as you grow old and it begins to move away from you. He spreads his message through the time frame, imagery, and diction of the stanzas. To begin with, the time frame of the stanzas begins to prove the theme. By itselfRead More Kenneth Fearing’s Dirge Essay1636 Words   |  7 Pagesrecognition. The dirge is not just written for anyone, but for those deserving of glorification, who survive in the memories of the living as testaments to the greater capacities of humankind. It is against this traditional definition that Kenneth Fearing’s poem, â€Å"Dirge†, is working, not only as an overt commentary on the social, cultural, and political factors surrounding the destabilization of 1930’s America but also as an abstraction of the prevalent views of reality: the dehumanization of the human. Fearing

Ted Bundy free essay sample

Ted Bundy his Killings as Part of the Control Theory Ted Bundy was a serial killer in the 1970s, in Florida. He grew up in normal Christian loving home with five brothers and sisters. There was no drinking, drug use, or any such things round the house. Growing up Ted considered himself a â€Å"normal† kid. As Ted grew into his teens, he started having desirers of something more. Ted felt something was missing. He had a yearning for a release. Ted soon found his relief in store market porn, which served already to demonstrate his lack of ability to control his drive for deviance. As Ted aged, he found that magazine centerfolds helped him sooth his desire but he needed more. Ted progressed to movies, but his yearning needed more fuel. As the desires progressed he added violence to the print and movie porn. Ted still needed more. He needed to have his desired fulfilled. Only two of the seven girls was identified and revealed to be Janice Ott and Denise Naslund who both disappeared on the same day, for both these girls there were eye witnesses stating they say them with a man in a plaster cast who drove a VW beetle. During the months of October and November Bundy took another four victims when he moved over to Utah, one of those victims being the local police chief’s daughter. It was the Utah police that noticed that these crimes were very similar to the ones that had occurred in Washington, and sought assistance from the Washington police. It was Bundy’s partner of five years Meg Anders that recognised the description and called the police saying she thinks the killer might be her husband but because of Bundy’s charm they disregarded him as a potential suspect. On 8th November 1974 Bundy attempted to abduct a girl of the name Carol DaRonch that gave the police the break they needed as Carol had managed to escape her fate. On the same night though Debby Kent was not so fortunate being abducted and killed the same night. Caryn Campbell was the next victim to be identified on the 12th January 1975 succumbing to the vicious killing of Bundy. Police were starting to see that the Taylor Mountains was a favoured spot for Bundy for the dumping of the bodies. Despite though having found the desired dumping place police of all four states were no closer to catching Bundy then they were before. It was on 16th August 1975 that Bundy was picked up after a short chase in Salt Lake City after a police recognised the VX beetle. It was when the vehicle was searched and they uncovered handcuffs, a ski mask and a crowbar that they were able to arrest Bundy. Carol DaRonch was able to pick Bundy out of a line up and police were sure then that have caught the serial killer. A full scale investigation was set against Bundy where Meg Anders was able to assist the police; however Bundy continued to plead his innocence, although police at the time had evidence tying him to the Taylor Mountains area they were not able to tie him to all the murders that were found to be up there. Theories There are a few theories which can be applied to Ted Bundy to link together key events in his life to his offending behaviour. The first theory that will be drawn upon is the psychodynamic or hydraulic model, this theory believes that all humans if not managed properly or held in check will be prone to aggressive impulses and therefore are more likely to commit violent crimes. Sigmund Freud studied this model and came to believe that humans are born with this aggression and that it can build up during growth and if not dissipated or drained it can reach dangerous levels and hence an outburst or aggression of different types. Then there is the modelling theory, which was created by Albert Bandura. Bandura identifies three types of modelling theories being family members, members of one’s subculture and symbolic models provided by the mass media. The last model is the model that would fit best with Ted Bundy. The mass media which can include television, movies, magazines, newspapers and books are all types of symbolic models, with things such as the internet and video games advancing more and more every day. With growing children watching television more and more often, it offers to them hundreds of potentially powerful aggressive and violent models, these can range from what looks like the innocent cartoons all the way up to x rated cable movies that children have easy access to, deeming them model the behaviour they have seen and witnessed and the media no telling that it is wrong to model these types of behaviours (Barton Bartol, 2001). Both these theories can be tied into very critical events happened during his life. The hydraulic or psychodynamic model can be seen when he goes through the break up with Stephanie Brooks and then later that year he found out about his true parentage, which would have created a lot of pent up anger inside him and instead of talking to someone about it he just threw himself into work and university, and we can see this pent up frustration later when he again meets up with Stephanie and starts a relationship with her and then breaks it off with no warning just as she had done with him, giving him the revenge he wanted. Then there is the modelling theory which can be linked with his addiction to hard core pornography. Ted says in an interview with James Dobson â€Å"Before we go any further, it is important to me that people believe what I am saying. I’m not blaming pornography. I’m not saying it caused me to go out and do certain things. I take full responsibility for all the things I have done. That’s not the question here. The issue is how this kind of literature contributed and helped mould and shape the kinds of violent behaviours† (Dobson, 1995). So although the pornography wasn’t the main cause of Ted Bundy’s offences, he does believe that it certainly fuelled him and as he said it moulded and shaped the crimes which he committed. Conclusion In conclusion through this case study it is believed that the two theories being hydraulic and psychodynamic model and the modelling theory can be directly tied to key aspects in Ted Bundy’s life which could have contributed to him offending. It is believed that his addiction to hard core pornography was a key issue and although is not the primary reason he started offending it was a key mould in which fuelled his offending. There was also the break up and the finding out of his true parentage that would have caused very mixed emotions within Ted Bundy which he was not able to express and because bottled up inside of him. It was his intelligence and his charm that put police off him for so many years and was never arrested, but only to his own errors that he was eventually caught and convicted, which ultimately lead to his execution by electric chair on 24th January 1989 at 7. 00am. References Allhoff, F. (2010).

Language planning in south africa free essay sample

Language policy and planning in South Africa must be seen within the context of the countrys sociolinguistic complexity and the relationship between language and a number of serious problems in the country. South Africas sociolinguistic complexity is a function of a number of factors: 1) a multiplicity of languages and cultures; 2) the overlapping demographical and geographical distribution of the countrys major languages; and 3) the politicization of these languages and cultures due to both the colonial past and the policy of apartheid, and the differentiated linguistic manifestation of their politicization (Webb,1994). South Africa is one of the few countries in the world, and the only country in Africa, which has seen, during the 20th Century, the development of a language from one which had no governmental recognition, and existed largely in spoken form, to one in which substantial parts of the government, the national economy, and higher education were run. We will write a custom essay sample on Language planning in south africa or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The population of South Africa is not only multiracial but it is also multilingual. It is estimated that about 25 languages are spoken within South Africa’s borders (Mesthrei, 2006). Historical Background In 1924, Afrikaans, a relatively new, hybridized language in use for only about eight years at the time, became one of the official languages of South Africa. Prior to 1924, English was the only official language in South Africa. In 1948, the infamous policy of apartheid became the law of the land in South Africa (De Kadt, 2006). The apartheid ideology called for the division of South Africas people according to their racial/ ethnic group affiliation and geographic residence. As South Africans were increasingly and systematically separated from each other, the apartheid-based idea of nationalism based on language was also promoted. By stressing language and cultural differences among the nations Black population, which includes members of African ethnic groups, persons of mixed race (Coloreds), and immigrants from India, and physically segregating them on the basis of race/ethnicity, the apartheid regime encouraged tribalism and petty factional conflicts. Prior to the 1994 elections, the language of instruction in South Africas schools for English, Afrikaner, Colored, and Indian students was either English or Afrikaans (the two former official languages), with the other official language studied as a subject. African students, however, were instructed in their home or ethnic African languages for the first four years and then allowed to switch to either English or Afrikaans. Of the two, English was almost always the preferred language. In 1976, the South African government passed a ruling to make Afrikaans the second language of instruction in the African schools (De Kadt, 2006). Seventy years after the language of Afrikaans was first granted official status (in 1924), South Africa set off on another unique linguistic journey. This time, in 1994, the country became the location of an effort to develop, simultaneously, nine indigenous African languages, granting all nine, along with English and Afrikaans, equal status (that is, official language status) and proclaiming that education and governmental documentation would be available in all. Those nine indigenous languages include Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi, Tswana, South Sotho, Tsonga, Swati, Venda and Ndebele. These were chosen because the majority of South Africans, probably more than 98%, use one of these languages as their home language or first language. Currently, English is the most visible and audible language at governmental functions, political rallies, administration, and the upper echelons of business and education. On the other hand, Afrikaans and African languages are very much alive on individual radio stations, in music, some newspapers (chiefly Afrikaans, Zulu, and Xhosa), primary education, and, to a lesser extent, on television (Mesthrei, 2006). I feel that the policy of making 9 languages the official languages of South Africa would progress very slowly as it is faced by several issues. Firstly, the cost and complexity of developing nine languages at once far outscales the costs and difficulties faced by the government in 1924 when making Afrikaans one of the official languages. For example, translation of all the government documents, forms and circulars to 11 official languages is an enormous burden that can barely be carried. Also, there is a great difference between the case of Afrikaans and that of the 9 indigenous languages. The political pressures on the government were very different between both cases. In the historical case (of Afrikaans), the governmental recognition of the language was driven by the existence of a politically significant language community. Whereas, in case of the 9 indigenous languages, it was driven by a demand for equality rather than a demand for language development. The political insignificance of these language communities, I believe, is what inhibits the development of the 9 indigenous languages to the level of English and Afrikaans.

Od vs Hr Essay Example

Od vs Hr Essay â€Å"We are witnessing and participating in an unprecedented dissolution of the boundaries of the field of organization development. In organizations around the world, the HR function is monopolizing the OD function at an unprecedented pace, which is limiting our reach, blunting our effectiveness, and compromising our role. † OD and HR Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? By Matt Minahan Ding. Ding. Ding. OK, time’s up. Time to decide. Will it be door number one, or door number two? The lady or the tiger? In Frank Stockton’s allegory (1882), a prisoner is ordered to choose between two closed doors. Behind one is a woman whom he must marry sight unseen and live with for the rest of his life; behind the other is the tiger which would surely eat him alive. Without knowing exactly what is behind which door, how is one to choose? And, which does one really prefer? Like the mythical prisoner, the field of OD has been standing in front of two doors for too long, putting off the choice between them. One door would leave the OD function embedded within HR; the other would get OD out to stand independently on its own two feet in the organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Od vs Hr specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Od vs Hr specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Od vs Hr specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The field of OD has been putting off this decision for too long—since its inception, in fact—and it is time for us to make the decision. Well into our mid-40s as a field, we can’t really blame all of this mess on our forebears, because frankly we’re dealing with these choices just as badly as they did when the field was first founded. We’re still standing looking at the same two doors between which our OD forebears could not decide. Long History, Deep Roots This question about whether OD should be part of HR or should stand on its own goes back to the founding of our field. What became organization development had its roots in the training and development function, where the T group was the primary intervention. At a panel of the founders of OD at the 2009 Academy of Management conference in Chicago, almost every one of them, to a man, said that they were trained as writers or sociologists or engineers, but attended an NTL Institute T group where their lives changed. (Several also lamented that they were all white men in the field at that time, and on that panel at AoM. Following their NTL experiences, they tried to bring these insights they had obtained into their organizations via the training function. By the late 1960s, just a few years after the field was founded by about a dozen internal training and development people at NTL’s summer home in Bethel, Maine, the theory was, â€Å"let’s transform the way managers think about themselves and the ways they relate to people and solve problems, and once we’ve done that, we can send them back home to transform their own organizations† (Porras Bradford, 2004). Evidently, there were some who said that the OD function should stand on its own and be independent of other influence (Burke, 2004). Others, however, were concerned that the field of OD was too new and unknown and should reside in the personnel or training function, as advocated by Shel Davis of TRW Systems, Sy Levy from Pillsbury, Herb Shepard formerly of Esso, Dick Beckard, and others. Their belief was that â€Å"OD at the time was too new, too ephemeral, and too suspect to survive on its own in the organization . . . Early on, then, two models or scenarios OD and HR: Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? 17 about the place of OD within the organization were debated regarding the wisdom of such a placement† (Burke, 2004). Theory Versus Fact The vast majority of the central thinkers, writers, and scholars in our field today (Cummings Worley, 2005; Marshak, 2009; Feyerherm Worley, 2009; Rothwell, et al. , 2009) write as if OD is a separate and distinct field of practice, but the facts on the ground tell a different story. We are witnessing and participating in an unprecedented dissolution of the boundaries of the field of organization development. In organizations around the world, the HR function is monopolizing the OD function at an unprecedented pace, which is limiting our reach, blunting our effectiveness, and compromising our role. As a field, we are behaving as if there is nothing we can do about it; it is as if we are watching ourselves in an automobile crash in slow motion, worried and concerned at what we see, and yet unable to find the brakes or grab the steering wheel to avert the collision and all of the collateral damage. Maybe the founders of the field were right that OD was too new and too fragile to stand on its own. But they didn’t count on what’s happening now in the field of HR. The Ascendancy of HR Over the past 15 years, we have seen better and better leadership of the HR function, with several universities now offering Masters’ degrees in HRM and HRD and several MBA degrees with an HR concentration. The result has been a generation of stronger, more strategic HR managers who have achieved a seat at the table and are trusted advisors at the top of organizations. Many managers at the top of the HR function are getting better by the year about understanding the dynamics of the organizations in which they serve. Increasingly, they can speak the language of the board room, and are not afraid to undertake even major organization change projects. This new generation of HR leaders clearly understands that people and money are the powers that run organizations; and when the system can provide enough of the latter, their job is to get just enough of it into the hands of the former to get the job done. And then return the rest to stakeholders. And to keep the organization out of court. In these regards, they are notably different from the generation of HR managers and VPs that preceded them, when there was no professional training for HR managers and when these posts often went to the VP who was due to retire next. The evolution of the training function also has had an impact. Ever increasing pressures to reduce costs have forced the training function to get smart about impact evaluation. Kirkpatrick’s (1998) four levels have forced the training function to look beyond end-of-session â€Å"smile sheets† to defend their budgets and make the case that training is a valuable investment. The result has been that training functions are now requiring training managers who have the skills to collect data, analyze it, and think systemically about what to do with it. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? If you needed The days of HR staff being hired principally because they were people persons with good listening skills are gone. The trend toward activity based costing (ABC) is now showing the true cost of overhead functions such as HR, and HR is responding by making itself more relevant to the business of the organization. Many HR staff are now called business partners, often reflecting an aspirational goal, but quite distant from the actual reality of their skills on the ground. With this smarter, more strategic generation of HR managers comes the instinct and desire to have at hand one of the most powerful levers for organizational change and renewal, the OD function. Thus the trend of OD roles and functions being acquired by HR. And, to be clear, in merger and acquisition terms, these are not mergers of equals; they are straight up acquisitions of the OD function by HR. Another factor has been the pressure on HR functions to be relevant to the business of the organization. The days of HR staff being hired principally because they were people persons with good listening skills are gone. The trend toward activity based costing (ABC) is now showing the true cost of overhead functions such as HR, and HR is responding by making itself more relevant to the business of the organization. Many HR staff are now called business partners, often reflecting an aspirational goal, but quite distant from the actual reality of their skills on the ground. someone to do that, wouldn’t you be looking for a good OD person? Often desperate to meet their utilization goals, the training function is very happy to let managers continue to believe that training is the answer to every problem, a kind of panacea for whatever ails. Leaders and employees alike seem to rely on training as the answer, believing perhaps that with the right education they can deliver what the business needs. That is certainly an easier solution to accept than facing OD issues related to how people, teams, and departments relate and connect with one another, how business processes work, and how all connect with and work toward the strategic direction of the organization. So, it is no wonder that smart HR leaders are looking to candidates trained and educated in OD to take on these business partner and training leadership roles, resulting in even more blurring of the lines between OD and HR. 18 OD PRACTITIONER Vol. 42 No. 4 2010 Differences Are Real, and Important By now, this author’s biases are probably clear: there are important differences between the OD and HR functions; and as these roles collapse and the differences disappear, the field of OD is losing its unique position in the organization and its effectiveness overall. We’re behaving as a field as if we should be living in a both/and world around this, when the truth is exactly the opposite. Many in OD struggle to find and hold boundaries that separate people and things. We spend our entire time helping our clients make better connections between each other at all levels—individuals and pairs, cross unit collaboration, organizations working toward better partnerships, etc. But when it comes to OD and our HR cousins, we should be sharpening and better defining our boundaries, not blurring them, because the differences in our functions are real and important. The HR function has a legally mandated, regulatory role: to provide people to fill jobs, to reduce costs (for payroll, health care insurance, benefits, etc. ), and to keep the organization out of the courts and the press by ensuring compliance and avoiding claims of discrimination or harassment. People view HR as the people you go to with a problem that you want to make official. People feel that going to HR puts things in the record. They see HR as the enforcers or policemen. The OD function has a developmental mandate; in fact, our job is to increase the effectiveness of the organization and to maximize the potential of the human beings in the work force. We have theories, concepts, beliefs, and values through which we help our clients assure that there is alignment among strategy, structure, business process, and culture, while at the same time embedding human values such as honesty, respect, diversity, and voice. One model (Marshak, 2006) outlines three domains of knowledge for OD practitioners:  » understanding social systems, drawing on theories and ideas from the social sciences, including psychology, social  » psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science, and others, consistent with OD values; understanding the hows and whys of change, including the bodies of knowledge that help explain how all levels of the system—individual, group, organizational, community, and even societies change; and understanding the role of the third p arty change agent, especially aiding the person in charge as well as the system itself to bring about the desired changes, requiring an understanding of the issues, politics, psychological processes related to being a third party in a change process. That doesn’t sound much like the recruit, retain, train, and develop mandate of the HR function, does it? It is hard to imagine even the highest functioning HR departments being knowledgeable and skilled in all these areas. There are many in HR who look at the list of OD functions and say, â€Å"Oh, we can do that! † And, on occasion, they may be right. But the philosophies of the two disciplines are starkly different, as are the theory bases, the world views, the core skills sets, and their roles within the organization. There is a built-in conflict between the role of OD consultant, coach or adviser with a developmental mandate working toward organizational effectiveness, versus the role of the HR practitioner whose core mandate is regulatory and enforcement. Can a good HR person advise on selected developmental matters, such as training strategies and needs assessments? Yes, as can a good OD person. But the conflict of interest for the HR staff shows up when the Action Research process of retreat planning and design requires them to interview staff about a manager’s effectiveness. What staff member in her right mind would say something critical of their manager to someone from HR, who is likely also to be involved in decisions about that manager’s promotion, pay, and even succession planning? Or their own? HR has its hands on too many of the organizational levers and has too many mandates centering around enforcement and control to ever be effective at drawing out of managers the truth about their insecurities, anxieties, and the shadow sides, that is so necessary to doing good work and being effective in doing OD. Troubling Examples These concerns aren’t just theoretical, either. Quick conversations with a handful of colleagues, both OD and HR, turn up some troubling examples. In a large multinational organization, The Different Functions Organization Development †¢ Improve the effectiveness of the organization †¢ Maximize the potential of human beings and their contributions to the organization †¢ Align strategy, structure, business processes, and behavior into an effective corporate culture †¢ Model and foster humanistic values into the workplace Human Resources †¢ Manage employee attraction, retention, development, and performance management †¢ Develop and manage programs for employee relations, staff well ­being, workforce planning, and workload management †¢ Ensure equity and diversity †¢ Reduce labor costs †¢ Avoid litigation †¢ Enforce corporate policies OD and HR: Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? 19 the OD staff and external consultants were forced to follow the rules that govern the rest of the HR function around meeting with VPs and senior managers. The HR VP insisted that he attend every meeting that the HR—and OD! —staff had with other VPs in the organization. Not just marketing or contracting meetings, but actual project meetings as well. He was unwilling to make an exception for the OD staff lest the HR staff get upset. Within weeks, his it was in Corporate Strategy along with the strategy and budget functions, where it had free reign of the organization and was in constant contact with the top leadership on strategy, structure, and corporate culture. It was later merged into the HR function. The results: the best organization design people in town left (with all of their embedded knowledge) rather than be reassigned to deliver management training programs. Then a succession of HR managers gradu- practitioner is, then anybody can hang out a shingle claiming he or she is an OD consultant. In fact, some years ago, there was an informal study of the members of the OD Network that found that almost one third of them had taken on the label or the role of OD consultant, with no previous education or training in the field. Not All Bad News To be clear, the field has shifted largely positively, over the past few decades, responding to some of the â€Å"red flags† that Larry Greiner (1972) identified for OD, including:  » Putting individual behavior ahead of strategy, structure, process, and controls;  » Overemphasizing the informal at the expense of the formal organization, driving more for openness and trust to change the culture, often at the expense of efficiency, h ierarchy, and accountability;  » Driving open and trusting relationships as a normative model for change, without questioning the context or applicability in a given situation, and assuming that team building was always the preferred intervention;  » Putting process before task, enamored with the human dynamics of working together over getting the work done; and  » Treating the manager as just another stakeholder, relatively uninvolved in the planning and conduct of consultantled programs rather than the key stakeholder. Historically, the field has addressed many, if not all, of these red flags among strong and well-grounded practitioners. However, many of them are still quite evident in HR people who are trying to do OD today. The Right Answer Reflecting on the various options for organizing and structuring the OD function and constructing its relationship with HR, the optimum solution is to establish In a large financial institution, the OD function thrived when it was part of the IT function where it designed and facilitated large business process simplification projects. It had its best years when it was in Corporate Strategy along with the strategy and budget functions, where it had free reign of the organization and was in constant contact with the top leadership on strategy, structure, and corporate culture. It was later merged into the HR function. The results: the best organization design people in town left (with all of their embedded knowledge) rather than be reassigned to deliver management training programs. schedule became a huge onstraint on the work of the OD function because consultants (internal and external) could not get into his calendar to meet with their clients. In a science-based organization the OD function was fully financially self-sufficient, recovering the costs and a bit of an â€Å"upcharge† from its internal clients. Other HR managers got res entful of this chargeback mechanism. They forced the manager of the OD program to stop recouping her costs, which effectively killed the OD function because it had no free-standing budget of its own. In a university, a very strong and capable OD function has been merged and renamed Learning and OD, resulting in the organization’s best OD talent being diverted into managing the training program for the university. In a large financial institution, the OD function thrived when it was part of the IT function where it designed and facilitated large business process simplification projects. It had its best years when ally reduced the OD function to delivering two day team building retreats, and a cadre of dozens of internal and external consultants has been whittled down to less than 10. In one knowledge -based organization we know, the OD person is required to have the HR person present during all contracting and data collection meetings. Clients are now creatively working around the requirement by calling the OD staff directly on their cell phones after hours to discuss matters that they can’t or won’t say in front of the HR people, who are not trusted in that system. No Boundaries, No Standards What Bradford and Burke (2004) said about the lack of standards in the field of OD applies equally well to the lack of boundaries with the HR function. â€Å"When there is lack of clarity as to the boundaries of the field and corresponding confusion about what the appropriate role of an OD 20 OD PRACTITIONER Vol. 42 No. 4 2010 the OD function independently. Ideally, it would have a blended mandate and funding, charging back for local unit-specific work, and centrally funded for organization-wide efforts. There are instances when OD should be working in partnership with the HR function, specialists on one discipline speaking with and working closely with specialists of the other discipline. There are nstances when the HR function would be the OD function’s client; and there are instances when the OD and HR functions ought not to be working together at all, such as when there are conflicts of interest or large scale organization strategy or design pr ojects not ready for implementation. There are disadvantages to being freestanding and independent within the organization. The OD function may become vulnerable to exposure, scrutiny, and politics. Some OD people can’t play in the C-suite (Burke, 2004). The function would have to earn its stripes and compete for money and mandate with other functions in strategic planning, financial management, budget, and yes, even HR. But the upsides of organizational independence are quite significant, and are evident now where strong OD departments are standing on their own. The OD function becomes central to the business of the organization, influencing strategy, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructuring, etc. It works upstream, providing early input on the development of plans and processes, able to bring a systemic perspective and OD values to actions that previously had been made primarily on financial grounds alone. It is present and able to influence the setting of the agenda, not just the implementation of it. But How to Get There? It is no longer enough just to be good at process. To be able to stand independently in organizations, free of the cover and support of the HR function, OD practitioners need to:  » Know the major environmental, regulatory, and financial drivers of the organization;  »  »  »  » Know, be known by, and trusted by the top leadership of the organization; Know what’s involved in evaluating, deciding, and implementing mergers and acquisitions, especially around blending corporate cultures and business processes; Be effective in working across cultures, in global environments, and especially today, virtually; and Be attuned to the organizational politics within the organization and within its governance structures. (Greiner Cummings, 2004) Integrating sustainability and globalization into the world of OD brings another set of challenges. To play effectively as a free standing function, free of support from HR, OD practitioners need:  » New and better ideas for progress, guided by diversity, development, and sustainability;  » To understand and be effective at intervening in economic systems, balancing productivity with innovation, sustainability, and diversity; socially constructed and negotiated (Bushe Marshak, 2008). As the boundaries of the field have expanded over the past 15 years to include more systemic perspectives, there are new challenges for how to educate new OD professionals (Minahan Farquhar, 2008). That’s a tall order for a field that has prided itself historically on being apolitical, focusing on the individual, following the lead of the client, ambivalent about asserting ourselves in leadership roles within our client systems, and seeing ourselves as a bit subversive in being countercultural. There is some good news here, however. For the past 9 months, many of the academic directors of OD programs around the world have been carrying on a conversation sponsored by the OD Network and the OD and Change Division of the Academy of Management about the knowledge areas that are central to the field of OD and to which a solid OD program would want to commit. The criteria are still very much under development, but there is strong agree- Just as it’s tempting to blame our biological parents for our least attractive qualities, it is easy also to blame the founders of our field for leaving us stuck in this bi-polar state. Yes, they’ve dealt us this hand, but we’re the ones playing it now. We’ve been playing small ball, under the cover of the HR function and limited by our own ambivalence about power. It’s time to step forward, and pick a door. To model how human and cultural dignity and diversity are valued in their own right; and To make sure that the ecology has standing in all decisi ons. (Feyerherm Worley, 2008) ment around several, including the history and evolution of the field, its values base, the use of self, systems thinking, organization design science, theories and models for change, leading the consulting process, organizational inquiry and research, organizational assessment, designing and choosing appropriate interventions, facilitation and process consultation at all levels, organizational and global culture, diversity and inclusion, process improvement methods, and organizational acumen and mastery. As the work progresses, there will  » In social constructionist terms, the independent OD function of the future will also be influenced by the new sciences and postmodern thought. It will intervene on the organization as a meaning-making system, in which reality is acknowledged to be OD and HR: Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? 21 be further discussions and consultations with professional organizations, scholars, and practitioners. Just as it’s tempting to blame our biological parents for our least attractive qualities, it is easy also to blame the founders of our field for leaving us stuck in this bi-polar state. Yes, they’ve dealt us this hand, but we’re the ones playing it now. We’ve been playing small ball, under the cover of the HR function and limited by our own ambivalence about power. It’s time to step forward, and pick a door. It may the lady. It may the tiger. But whichever way it turns out, we serve the field, our organizations, our HR colleagues, and ourselves by establishing the OD function independently, declaring our boundaries, and then working together across them, but separately. There’s more to discuss on this topic. Join Matt and others in this conversation at http://mattminahan. blogspot. com.

Reaction Paper to Amish in America Essay Example

Reaction Paper to Amish in America Essay Example Reaction Paper to Amish in America Paper Reaction Paper to Amish in America Paper Nick Stratton Professor Taylor soc 204 May 13, 2013 Reaction Paper to Amish in America In our society today, we have many different groups, religions, cultures, and even sub-cultures. Each one of these groups has their own commonly accepted way of life. In particular, there is a very large community of people who call themselves the Amish. These people live in a society where there are very strict rules, values, and beliefs that they follow on a daily basis. Most modern Americans would strongly reject the lifestyle chosen by the Amish, so it can seem surprising to learn that this group is actually growing. Why is this possible? I believe the Amish are growing because they are approaching a stage in their world where they must adapt their ways or fail to thrive. The Amish have always been a people of the old country; they were taught a way of doing things while still following a very strict moral and religious code. According to the video that we watched in class, when they were doing the documentary on the Amish people, they only wanted to be videotaped in profile in order to have those outside their culture believe they are all one homogenous group. In fact, their religious faith is ultimately the foundation for the reason for everything from what hey wear to what they drive. Ever since the day a child is born into an Amish family, they begin the process of training the child to obey their system of values and beliefs that defines their way of life. This socialization process is crucial to their way of building a strong sense of connection to the rest of their community. As the youth transition from childhood to adulthood, according to the video The America of the Amish, the adolescents are given a period of time between the ages of 16 and 20 during which they are allowed to experience many things outside the Amish culture and norms, without fear of reprisal. This period of time is known as Rumspringa, basically translated from German to mean Jumping around. However, not all Amish people were born into the culture. In the video, we saw a mother and two daughters Join an Amish community after leaving California and moving to Intercourse, Pennsylvania. I believe they did this because the Amish life has a simpler and more straightforward way of doing things. This allows people in the community to live a much more stress free life. In addition, living in an Amish commune adds a sense of safety, security, and overall wellbeing. As th e Amish evolve, they are experiencing more modern techniques to ccomplish day to day tasks. They still dont use electricity but, unlike when the elders held obstinately to the prescribed way, now Amish people have embraced certain advances in technology in order to increase efficiency in their daily life. Men and women have also embraced different ways of earning money other than through agricultural means on their own farm site. One case in point is Amish people running a stand at a local market using electricity in order to make a pront pure fact that the Amish are learning to evolve in todays society is the reason I believe that the Amish community as a whole is growing in the United States.

Broadband Traffic Modeling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Broadband Traffic Modeling - Essay Example Broadband also enhances fair computation, reliable storage and easy manipulation of data responsible for maintaining an acceptable quality of service (QoS) level that is deliverable by the network. Communication infrastructure modes, dates back approximately two thousand years ago. This is the time when Beacon systems couriers and advanced communication networks were engineered Owing to the monumental economical demands of the modern world. Traditional networks have been overridden by the technological renaissance that enhances effective Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) scheme, across the network. Traditional infrastructures were developed on separate networks with unnecessary detractors. Voice in a telephone network for example is too noisy and inefficient for burst data communication. Concurrently data networks, that stores and forward massages using computers have a limited bandwidth connectivity that cannot transmit digital images and voice simultaneously. Fibre Optical Transport Network, based on Wavelength Division, Multiplexing and Optical Cross-Connects technology, offer a tremendous transportation capacity. It calls for a frequent manual intervention for updated management. Due to the inconsistency of the Traffic pattern on an integrated system. Network operators are advised to adopt an optical network a smart, automatic real-time system (ION) or Automatic Switched Optical network, for tractability of the changing traffic load information. 2.3.1 Window sizes A smaller observation window harms the network stability; while a too large observation window worsens the network reliability. Research shows that a suitable traffic observation window size improves the offered Quality of Service (QoS) by reconfiguring the logical layer network at the right time and in the right way. Therefore undesirable observation window size might give less accurate information and trigger the operation at the wrong 2.3.2 Multi-Domain. The performance of multi-domain networks, such as differentiated services (DiffServ), guarantees quality of service across the network. Surprisingly network providers hesitate to use it, since enabling and maintaining it on their production networks requires a lot of new know-how and policy management, and they doubt that it will significantly improve the performance and reliability of their over-provisioned networks, or enable new applications. Hence the proposition, to simulate a model of a network connection, between two computers over a fixed multi-domain route in which the network

The cons and pros of fair value versus historical cost accounting and Essay

The cons and pros of fair value versus historical cost accounting and deprival value - Essay Example Financial reporting requires extremely accurate form of measurement to deliver information to lenders and shareholders who are obliged to know how wisely their money is being spent (Barth 2007). Van Zijl & Whittington (2006) reveal that the current form of measurement is increasingly emphasizing on the use of current value to replace historical costs. The principle reason behind the establishment of accounting standards was to ensure that financial information produced by organizations are accurate, reliable, complete, timely and relevant. In addition, accounting standards would ensure that organizations not only demonstrate accountability but also maintain it while meeting statutory reporting requirements such that the stakeholders are accounted for organizational financial performance to support decision making (Cooper 2007). Currently, the measurement basis for measuring amounts in financial statements includes among others historical cost, amortized historical cost, fair value an d value in use. This paper evaluates the pros and cons of fair value versus historical cost accounting and deprival value. 1.0. Current cost should be used in financial reporting Historical cost accounting works well for liabilities that are not traded; representation of liabilities for contractual business obligations like long term deferred revenue, and other complex issues of life insurance and pension liabilities (Macve 2010). However, more emphasis is given to existing stakeholders and stewardship compared to service to investors in capital market and usefulness in economic decisions emphasized by fair value approach which replaces historical costs (Whittington 2008). Historical cost accounting and deprival value characterize the conceptual framework of ASB while fair value is a recent concept that is available only for the last 20 years in FASB, the IASB and the ASB and is increasingly applied in financial reporting. Penman (2007) argues that while historical cost accounting h as been used in items whose measurement using fair value would be unreliable or expensive to quantify, fair value is considered to be informative given that it is applied within mixed measurement system. Defining and measuring current value Fair value is defined by Penman (2007) as the amount that would be obtained from selling an asset or the amount that would be given away in defrayal of a liability in a transaction deemed as methodical and between wiling and well-informed participants. As a result, fair value accounting information reflects the future and not the past, events or transactions (Whittington 2008; Barth 2006). Barth (2007) reveals that the measurement decisions are made by standard setters through focusing on the application of the definitions of elements in financial reporting and the qualitative attributes of accounting information on the basis of financial reporting objective. The use of qualitative attributes is intended at recognizing the desired measurement cha racteristics while the financial reporting objective brings out the context within which the evaluation of measurement will be evaluated (Barth 2007). 2.0. Importance of deprival value concept Van Zijl and Whittington (2006) argue that deprival value is the implying measurement at substitute cost for an asset that has a recoverable amount superior than the costs to be incurred for replacement. The value of an asset is restricted to replacement costs since the loss incurred in losing an asset

Personality Strengths for a Checkered Career Essay

Personality Strengths for a Checkered Career - Essay Example Indeed in a world where business is no longer insulated from the 21st century globalized competition, being flexible is more of a virtue that is crucial in penetrating the obstacles erected by even the most conservative cultures in history. Noteworthy, ingesting every ideas supplied by nature is in itself detrimental career-wise. Success is determined by how one critically separate useful from non-useful ideas in presented in different circumstances. Through my analytical nature, I have learnt to my voice my opinion whenever necessary, giving well-reasoned out thoughts/feedbacks capable of furthering projects with viable prospects, for organizational ventures are but products of teamwork. While important in organizational wellbeing, Idea Generation is only a single a process that must be augmented by elements. Implementation of such ideas requires strategy/focus. I am more determined than ever to being part of the solution to existing organizational problems by executing the assign r esponsibilities using the best route possible, for innovation is the new, indispensable competition front that any organizations, including my dream destination, cannot do without. Being adaptable to the ever changing circumstances, I am more than certain that I will monitor and adjust/recommend adjustments to organizational plans whenever necessary. Not forgetting the importance of being self-assured, I am more than prepared to motivate colleagues towards believing in themselves and their abilities. Finally, I have tested my resolve to challenges the status quo through innovative ideas, and so come with responsibility. From the very quality of work done to being time conscious, I am more than committed to presenting my commensurable worth in bringing change that the society so needs. Value Addition My education at The Johns Hopkins University, the internships, as well as the experiences in volunteering did help a great deal in equipping me with the professional skills needed as a m arketing researcher. I now consider myself not only a professional, but a responsible individual grounded with certain fundamental work ethics to begin with in any would be destination-organization. Taking responsibility is a much wider concept in organizational growth context, and work ethics is no exception, for the image projected to the public at large depends much on individuals’ responsible decision-making and/or actions summed up together. A marketing executive is a messenger; a messenger with a mission of diverting traffic towards services/products that are in competition for a sliver of potential market. Ethics is, thus, essential in the entire message delivered, which in every sense, must be done in time and within the confines of professional standards. As a foundation of professionalism in this area of service, knowledge is vital. However, it is always never enough as its acquisition is a lifelong process. With all these knowledge, I look forward to a superb caree r where challenges are taken positively and mistakes ingested as learning opportunities but minimized as much as possible. It is important to note that while the delivery of organizational targets may be a priority, doing so at the expense of work ethics

Mechanisms of Musculoskeletal Pain

Mechanisms of Musculoskeletal Pain Musculo-skeletal pain is a complex sensation where sensory, affective and cognitive dimensions of pain alongwith parallel neural networks in brain are associated with constellation of factors. Though pain occurs to show protective gesture, but when it surpasses threshold, exerts debilitating effect upon health and triggers concomitant physiological and psychological concerns of perilous ramifications. Right from the activation of primary afferent nociceptors upto the cortical processing of the pain in the higher regions of the brain, pain trajectory can be dissected into transduction, conduction, synaptic transmission and modulation. Besides, environmental, behavioral and psychological risks involved, all these stages of pain sensitivity, severity and analgesic responses are mediated by different set of genes and genetic variants. Transduction of noxious stimuli is regulated by transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M, member 8 (TRPM8) and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily A, member 1 (TRPA1) encoded by TRPM8 and TRPA1 genes, which plays an important role in the inhibition of background potassium channels. SCN10A encoded, voltage gated sodium channel Nav1.8 is essential for signal generation in response to cold stimuli. The nociception, due to heat stimulus and red hot chili pepper activates the ion channel TRPV1 and capsaicin receptors. However, TRPV1 also regulates the inflammatory pain thresholds, TRPV4, in conjunction with TRPV1 and TRPV2, transduces both thermo and mechano-sensations. The pain related transgenic knockout studies offered significant information on the genes that influence pain transduction. (Lacroix-Fralish ML. etal, 2007). Three genes SCN9A, SCN10A and SCN11A which encode sodium channels are observed to be expressed in sensing neurons. . SCN9A carriers, who have defective Nav1.7 remains pain free, which makes it a novel target for sodium selective analgesic drugs. SCN10A (Nav1.8) is also a significant contributors to the transduction signaling of pain pathway. Though, encoded channel Nav1.8 does not induces action potential but plays a significant role in setting the pain thresholds. SCN11A gets activated, close to the resting membrane potential and mutations in this gene have been associated to the loss of pain perception. Voltage gated sodium channel nociceptors specific genes SCN1A, SCN3A, SCN8A, SCN9A, SCN10A, SCN11A along with potassium channel encoding KCNQ genes play a significant role in nociceptive conduction. Synaptic transmission is regulated by several genes such as GR1N1, GR1N2, GR1A1-4, GR1C1-5, NK1R. Some voltage gated calcium channels encoding genes, such as CACNA1A-S, CACNA2D1 mediates the neurotransmitter release in the pre-synaptic membrane.Several genes and genetic variants have also been implicated in the centr al, peripheral and microglial pain modulation. (Foulks and Wood. 2008). How damage sensing neurons submit input signals regarding the extent and severity of pain to central nervous sytem (CNS) is highly complex. Very many brain areas are involved in sensory discrimination and affective evaluation which determine the nature of pain perception. Genetic variation of COMT gene that encodes catechol-o-methyltransferase regulates the inactivation of catecholamines neurotransmitters and reduced COMT enzymatic activity which leads to increased pain sensitivity and temporal summation of pain (diatchenko L et al. 2005) Decreased adrenalin metabolism due to reduced COMT activity increases pain through the stimulation of ÃŽ ²2/ 3-adrenergic receptor antagonist. A few genome wide association studies (GWAS) on musculo-skeletal phenotypes have been carried out which revealed some strongly associated SNPs within CCT5 and FAM173B genes that influence chronic widespread pain in lumbar spine region. Over the past decade, an intriguing development in cellular genomics has aroused curiosity of the possibility of miRNA in pain research. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are family of small, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression in sequence specific manner. Their non-perfect pairing of 6-8 nucleotides with target mRNA subsequently forming miRNA Induced Silencing Complex (miRISC) generally results in translational repression, destabilization of mRNAs and gene silencing. Some miRNAs have been implicated in pain mechanism including neuronal plasticity, neurogenesis, nociceptor excitability, chronic pain conditions and pain threshold. They engrossed the attention when observed that these miRNAs play an evident role in the conditional deletion in nociceptors of th e miRNA producing enzyme, Dicer and blocks inflammatory pain hypersensitivity. The pioneer studies on the role and relevance of miRNAs in pain demonstrated that miR-134 is modulated in the trigeminal ganglion in response to inflammatory pain. BDNF triggered miR-132 is upregulatedin cortical neurons which is identified as modulation of nociception signaling. miRNA Let-7 that target  µ-opiod receptors plays considerable influence on the opioid tolerance in mice. Activity regulated miR-188 is a significant player of synaptic plasticity tuning. Dysregulation of miR-29a/b is associated with structural plasticity in psycho-stimulant exposure. In the traumatized spinal injury miR-219 is downregulated 7 days after contusion whereby sciatic nerve ligation induces an up-regulation of this miRNA. In chronic pain miR-124 down regulates in dorsal root ganglion neurons in inflammatory muscle as well as in sciatic nerve crush. Researchers are instrumental in understanding the epigenetic mechanisms in relation to pain causation and alleviation. Epigenetic modifications play significant role in cytokine metabolism, neurotransmitter release and response, analgesic sensitivity and central sensitization. Changes in chromatin structure may lead to acute to chronic pin transition. Prior priming (sensitization) of spinal microglia with initial inflammatory challenge, subsequent challenges create enhanced pain intensity and duration. Effects of neonatal pain experience relates to adult pain sensitivity where they exhibit spinal neuronal circuits with increased input and segmental changes in nociceptive primary afferent axons and enhanced or altered pain stimulation. Histone modifications, a significant epigenetic mechanism which may alter the gene expression of pain is highly associated with glutamate decarboxylase (Gad2), Shal related subfamily member 3 (Kcnd3), melting CpG binding protein 2 (Mecp2), potassium vol tage gated channels, oprin 1, Scn9a Genes. Histone acetylation and DNA methylation have also been implicated in chronic pain conditions. Though an epigenetic alteration in relation to the risk of pain is in infancy but in near future, such knowledgeable musings will unravel several novel targets for analgesic drugs and preventive modalities. Brain does more than understanding and responding to pain irrespective of sensory inputs and even in the absence of external inputs. Why even cordectomy or anesthetic blocks of sympathetic ganglia do not stop phantom limb pain? Pain genetics have the capacity to enrich us of several such intricate and unforeseen consequences involved with pain etiology, risk factors and variable analgesia. In future, investigation of relevant genomic sequences has many revelations in store for us, by which we will be able to regulate or control pain by switching on or off various genes that causes it.

Reducing My Personal Impact on Global Climate Change Essay -- Global Wa

Over the years scientist and international stakeholders in global climate and environment such as the IPCC and UNEP have overwhelmingly agreed that the major cause of the earth’s climate change and environmental degradation is of anthropogenic origins. These anthropogenic activities include the release of large volumes of gases into the atmosphere especially carbon gases from both industrial and domestic sources, deforestation, landfilling and encroachment of swamps and wetlands. The effects of the impact of human activities on the global climate and environment are already being experienced by humans in the form of rising sea levels threatening low lying areas, extinction of certain animals and plant species, increase in neoplastic and respiratory diseases especially in newly developing industrial countries such as China. Although others have questioned the validity of the assertion that human actions are responsible for current global climate and environment predicaments, it remains an undeniable fact that the current changes we are experiencing in the global climate and environment is as a result of our actions and the inactions to alter these adverse actions. The adverse effects of climate and environmental change and the rapid rate of damage emanating from this phenomenon place an urgent call on us, as individuals and society, to change our behavior (Ehrlich & Ehrlich 2012, Patchen 2006, Schellinhuber et al. 2006). Although in the last decade many people around the world have been trying to bring relevant changes in policy and behavior in the form of political parties, non-governmental organisations and lobby groups; however, a great number of people seem to be unperturbed about climate and environment change and as such ... ...k, NY, USA. Patchen, M. (2006). Public attitudes and behavior about climate change: what shapes them and how to influence them. East Lafayette, Indiana, University of Purdue. Schellnhuber, H. J., & Cramer, W. P. (Eds.). (2006). Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change: Key Vulnerabilities of the Climate System and Critical Thresholds; Part II. General Perspectives on Dangerous Impacts; Part III. Key Vulnerabilities for Ecosystems and Biodiversity; Part IV. Socio-Economic Effects; Part V. Regional Perspectives; Part VI. Emission Pathways; Part VII. Technological Options. Cambridge University Press. Schlitz, M.M., Vieten, C. and Miller, E.M. (2010) â€Å"Worldview transformation and the development of social consciousness†, Journal of Consciousness Studies, 17 (7-8): 18-36 Steffen et al. 2011. The Anthropocene: From Global Change to Planetary Stewardship. Ambio 40(7): 739–761

Born Too Short

Thirteen year-old, five-foot one Matt Greene has one problem. He also has many talents that go unnoticed. He is very intelligent and can play the guitar. But, he does not get the respect due to him because of his height. He does not play sports, and has gotten rejected by girls he wants to date. They do not want a boyfriend who is the size of a dwarf. Unlike Matt, his best friend, Keith, was the coolest most popular guy. He is everything that Matt is not. He stands a towering six feet three inches tall and is captain of the basketball team. He does not have any problems getting dates with the girls. Matt aspires to be like him, but he just does not have the same effect as Keith. Matt became very angry one day and confessed his jealousy of Keith to himself. He wished that bad things would happen to Keith. He wanted Keith’s girlfriend to dump him. He wanted him to be bad at sports. He also wanted Shania Twain, who was going to star in Keith’s father’s movie, to look like a horse. Suddenly the next day, all of his wishes started coming true. Keith’s girlfriend cheated on him. Keith missed the last point in the championship game, thus causing his team to lose. Shania Twain had a car accident, and had to have plastic surgery on her face, and in the newspaper, she looked like a horse. Good fortune fell upon Matt. He has a scholarship to Paris for music and found himself a girlfriend, named Jose. After realizing what happened to Keith, Matt feels guilty. He feels that his secret envy has ruined his best friend’s life. He wanted to make every thing go back to normal. He had to talk to Keith to resolve the conflict. After a heartfelt conversation with Keith, Matt learns that he does not need to be like his friend. He realizes that every person is different and that is what makes people unique. He appreciates the friendships that he shares with Keith and Jose. Now, Matt is more careful in what he thinks about people without knowing how they may be feeling.

Philosophy quiz bee Essay Example

Philosophy quiz bee Essay Example Philosophy quiz bee Essay Philosophy quiz bee Essay The quiz bee started at exactly game, and the host, one of the professors first introduced all the competing contestants and there are 8 of them who Joined. They were all seated at the stage and the quiz bee has begun. The first component of the quiz bee was the Comic Strip part; they were given 2 comic strips and they were given 2 minutes to think of what can be the possible irony of it. The first comic strip was from Garfield and it goes like this; dieting is easy when you set your mind to it. I no longer crave food. Its the calories I crave. Garfield said. After 2 minutes, all their papers were given to the Judge; Mr Maillot, a theology professor. But their answers were read aloud by Ms. Myra Rexes for the sake of the audience. In my opinion, the participators answers were different from each other but all their answers make sense as well. The second comic strip was from Calvin and Hobbes and it goes like this; Well summer is almost over. It sure went quick didnt it? MIPS Theres never enough time to do all the nothing that you want. And again, their answers were even to the Judge and read my Ms. Myra. The second component of the quiz bee was the Anecdote, they were given 3 minutes to think and answer in this part. They were given 2 examples of anecdotes and they should answer one sentence this way; and yet . After that, the third component was the Situation part. They were given situations and they should give an irony about it. They were asked to answer it for 2 minutes and it should be this way, In this situation, . The first situation is this; What is ironical about planting a seed? I remember hat the possible answer for this is that, in this situation, planting seeds could take a little patience and yet when it grows as big as a tree, it could be a benefit for everyone. Which I totally agree with in a way that planting a seed can be sometimes dreary for it takes more than a year or more to have a fully grown tree but in the end, it will be someday, a fully grown tree that can be an advantage to our lives. The second situation is that What is ironical about the pork barrel case? I think the possible answer for this is that, In this situation, there are lots of unfortunate people ho need the money and yet its the wealthy ones who are spending it. This is my favorite question of all the questions that were given in the whole competition because it really makes sense in a way that there are lots of deprived people in this country who barely needs the pork barrel fund but it Just ends up in the pockets of the government and/or politicians, where we cannot do anything for they have all the power they need and want. And I for one am against it because I know there are people out there who need it the most than the government. The third situation goes hat In this situation, being a bully is somewhat bad and yet it can be a way for the bullies to be closer to the ones theyre bullying. The fourth and last component of the quiz bee was the Parable part. They were given 2 or 3 examples of parables and were asked to write a one sentence irony about it. It should be answered within 2 minutes I think and they should answer it this way, . For me, this was the hard part of the competition because in my opinion, reading a parable with that kind of ambiance, which is too noisy, can make me hard to understand. But that isnt end the competition yet, they first announced the top 4 and the host immediately followed his words that there are 2 who got a tie for the first place and Im very glad to say that our representative is one of them, the other one was contestant #7, Ma. Carbon Aquinas. So they were given a tie up questions which are parables. The first parable was answered by the both of them but the second I think gave the both of them a hard time giving an irony about it maybe because they got bored or maybe because they cant think anymore because of tenseness. But at the end, Mr Maillot has decided who will be the winner and I am proudly to say that our class representative has won the quiz bee. She was given a medal but also, all the other contestants were given certificates as well as a token of effort. At the end of the competition then I realized that in every contest we Join, we will always be proclaimed as winners. There are no losers even before and after the competition starts because everyone did their best and gave too much effort for every game theyll Join in. Also, even if we dont win, there should be no hard feelings instead Just e happy of who will ever win the game for it is the right thing to do. All in all, I am pleased that I attended the Philosophy quiz bee for the reason that I learned a lot of things about it especially thinking ironically in every way possible. Also, having our class representative Join and win at the same time is something the class could be proud of. But in fact the main lesson of this quiz bee is that; In Joining the competition, there are no right and wrong answers, answers always depends on how a person will comprehend it and how a person will think.

Plagiarism-Free Essay Writing

Plagiarism-Free Essay Writing Plagiarism-Free Essay Writing Plagiarism-Free Essay Writing Today, when the number of sites offering professional essay writing service is steadily increasing, customers pay special attention to the issue of plagiarism. Indeed, it would be unreasonable and rather unfair to spend a lot of money and time on essay writing while instead to get a plagiarized essay. We are proud to be among the top-trusted sites in the industry. Our clients get the best writing services as we guarantee plagiarism-free essay writing. Working with us, you get the following guarantees: Relevant, fully-referenced content 100% original writing from scratch Proper in-text citations Full reference list in a proper format Free bibliography page Footnotes or endnotes upon request Non-plagiarized essay writing services No other site offers copies of all sources used for essay writing. We do because it is not a problem for us. We can provide you with copies of all articles we used to do your assignment. Thus, you can easily check the quality of sources, enhance the paper with additional details, and to check the correctness of referencing. We value your trust and we try our best to provide you with superior service at any time of day and night. Our support, as well as writers, are available 24/7! If you need an essay overnight, we will write the one for you. Despite of urgency, we do not plagiarize. We deliver original essays on time. You will be impressed with the quality of our services, adequate customer support, and professional writers. We are industry leaders and we know how to write original, non-plagiarized essays. Custom written essay: original and non-plagiarized We deliver only original essays. It means that your custom written essay is absolutely authentic. It means that you have us specifics of your assignment, while we conduct the research and write your essay from scratch. The format of your essay is tailored to the specific details of your assignment, format requirements, and content nuances. Original essay has never existed before. In addition, you are the only person who gets an essay. In other words, your custom written essay is never posted online and is never resold to third parties. The professionalism of our writers is undoubted as we hire only experienced, trained, and talented essay writers who are able to impress you with non-plagiarized essays. Give yourself a chance to get custom written essay of the highest academic quality! Interesting posts: 250 Words per Page Term Paper Writing Research Papers Writing a Research Paper Write a Research Paper Topics for a Research Paper

Follow the attachment and answer each question in it Essay

Follow the attachment and answer each question in it - Essay Example The literal image was a high resolution photograph taken from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. The factorial design type allowed the independent variables to be manipulated between four different groups of college aged adults at a public University within the United States. The purposes of this research were to advance knowledge on design elements which further enhance the effectiveness and influence of printed education materials. The research hypothesis was that the motivational force of printed education materials would be increased through consistently assigning agency to the virus; meaning that human passivity would make readers consider the virus a predator seeking out potential targets. It was hypothesized that this would heighten the health threat of the virus and perceived susceptibility to the threat. In order to achieve a high level of experimental control in this research study participants were assigned to one of four conditions and in each condition participants received a single page of printed education material that was related. The single page fact sheet was distributed along with a questionnaire. The readability levels of the human and flu agency versions were calculated using five different formulas from an online score tool and the average grade levels for readability were 8.2 and 8.6 ensuring that readability was similar across the groups. Thirteen semantic differential items were used to determine the participants perception of the credibility of the fact sheets. A memory based manipulation check was incorporated with five questions concerning what the participants had read specifically as an index of the participants sensitivity to the linguistic language manipulation. Seven Likert type items assessed participants perceptions of their susceptibility to the virus, H1N1 and their perceptions of the vaccine; their affective

To what extent can the Olympics, help to regenerate an urban area and Essay

To what extent can the Olympics, help to regenerate an urban area and produce lasting benefits Give reference to at least two - Essay Example The International Olympics Committee, the task of which is to evaluate the facilities of each city that bids for holding the Olympics, thoroughly examines the sustainability, accessibility and integrated city development (IOC, 2005). The Report of the IOC Evaluation Commission for the Games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012, for example, stresses out that even bidding for holding the games helps candidate cities to develop positive legacies from the bid, no matter whether the city is awarded the Games or not (ibid). Therefore, it can be said that even an attempt to hold the Olympic games positively influences urban areas in terms of infrastructure, accommodation and technology development. The following factors are evaluated by the International Olympics Committee when choosing a host a city for the Games (IOC, 2001): general national, regional and candidate city characteristics legal aspects customs and immigration formalities environmental protection and meteorology finance marketing spo rts & concept paralympic games Olympic village medical and health services security accommodation transport technology communication and media services olypmism and culture guarantees Consequently, keeping up high standards and complying to the requirements of IOC and International Sports Federations regarding urban development becomes a priority task for each city attempting to stage the Games. After 1960, Summer and Winter Olympic games became extremely visible in the sports world events and started involving large-scale transformations of urban areas, which, as a result, lead to more intense regional development. Advanced transportation facilities and even multiple Olympic villages have become the features of contemporary Olympic games (Chalkley and Essex, 1999). A bright example of how holding the Olympics can change a place is Park City of Utah. From a hill-side mining town, which it originally was, Park City became an internationally acclaimed arts center and a popular tourist ic destination (Arias, 2010). The city’s design and architecture were changed for holding the 2002 Olympic games. Lower slopes of Park City’s valley were made into easy suburban dwelling gave dramatic views of the sporting venues. Straight parallel blocks have intensified highway-to-recreation traffic, while recreational zones got combined with commercial ones, thus having extended the growth ratio of the urban plan. Today Utah Olympic Park, which was initially build in preparation for Winter Olympic Games of 2002, is a popular place used by Olympic and development level athletes as a training center. In addition, the Games gave the city such facilities as 2002 Winter Olympics and Ski Museum, a day lodge, a splash pool, ziplines, and a mountain coaster, among others. On this matter Jill Adler (2010) writes that holding the Games contributed to the growth of Utah’s tourism and convention industries, as well as facilitated economic development. The 29,000-square-f oot three-story building of Park City’s Sports Park is holding a museum, an Olympic highlight gallery, a cafe, a retail shop, a research library, sports exhibits and decks for watching freestyle training areas. Furthermore, the park is frequently used for music, lecture and film series, as well as hosts weddings and banquets (Grass, 1999). Therefore, reconstruction of the city in preparing it for the Olympics has improved the area’s economy and made a small mining city a center for sports, culture and

Write a book review on any book dealing with Islam as a religion Essay

Write a book review on any book dealing with Islam as a religion - Essay Example But Abu Bakar controlled the Muslims with his wisdom. He ruled for two years and was succeeded by Omar. A man of rules, Omar played an important role in Muslim’s revival and also many areas were conquered in his era. His era shows the great development within Muslim world, not only as they conquered different parts of Middle East and Africa, but also he solved many conflicts within Muslim world. He established few basic practices. He remained as a Caliph for almost a decade and during this time, Islam spread worldwide and he conquered large are of land as well. Hence, his era could be called the unforgettable era of Muslims. He established the first public treasury and also financial administration for the first time. Umar succeded by Usman, the third Muslim Caliph, ruled for almost twelve years. Islam spread worldwide during his era. He arranged the Koran in an order and spread it all over with the same order. The Koran that is read by Muslim today is the same version. He was murdered by few young men, as anarchy among Muslims started at that time. He was succeeded by Ali, Shia Muslims consider him as their spiritual leader. Ali was famous for his bravery, his rule is still remembered as the one which kept Muslims united. But after all these Caliphs, Muslims never get united again. After telling about the four Caliphs, writer stated about Ummayad Caliphs. It was established in 661 and last for a century. Damascus was the capital of Islamic World which got wider till that. It includes a great part of Asia and some part of Europe as well. Ummayad era is remembered as a golden era. Islamic conquests continued during this time, including Asia and Europe, the main parts conquered at that time were Central Asia, Spain, France and Indian subcontinent. Not only they did well in Defense side but also they did great at founding and organizing the basic social and legal institutions of the

Research Method in Biological Level of Analysis Psychology Essay Example for Free

Research Method in Biological Level of Analysis Psychology Essay Examine the use of one research method used in the biological level of analysis, including an evaluation of the ethical considerations related to them. The case studies method consists in taking a patient personal history in order to take a diagnosis. It is usually applied in persons that have abnormal characteristics in behaviour, at biological or at cognitive level; it can also be applied to a group of people that are under the same situation. Case study is a long-term research where the patient or the group of people are studied to get into a conclusion. This type of study investigates and recollects qualitative data, such as feelings and experiences. At the same time it also includes quantitative data of measurements such as blood testing, IQ scores and other survey data. An example of case-study method is the Phineas Gage research. Phineas was the man who had an accident and a metal pole entered through its skull. It entered through his left cheek and exited through its frontal lobe. There were many factors that made of this situation really abnormal. Just after the accident Phineas was awake. He lost the vision in his left eye, but in his right eye the vision was perfect. Besides he didn’t suffer any paralysis and had no difficulty with speech or language. However, the doctor noted that his intellectual abilities and his emotional control had been destroyed. Gage had become impatient, indulgent and though he made plans for hi future he could never follow them. He could be described as a child. According to the long-term case study, his frontal lobe provided evidence that the brain affects personality and social behaviour. This is a really important research because it presents one of the biological level of analysis, the one that refers there are biological correlates of behaviour. Here we can see how damaged physiological factor can affect behaviour. Besides it shows us how case studies are really useful, because not all changes in behaviour happen from one day to another. As this study evidenced the process in which the behaviour starts to see affected is a long-term process. Case studies of the brain-damaged patients have led to important findings about the brain. According to the ethics in this type of research, probably there are more negative facts tan positive facts. Case studies researches are not ethical because the patient is treated, observed and examined like it is a completely different person compared to the others. Besides it can invade your personal spaces and take you away some privacy. The researcher gets to know deeply personal information fro the patient, which is not usually shared with other people. Besides, some of this information may be published or at least written up as a research report, in order to be used in a future as valid information in researches, etc. That’s why the identity of the person should be always protected; the researcher needs to cover all the details that could lead others to work out the individual’s identity. In the case of Phineas Gage most of this ethical considerations weren’t taked into count. They didn’t covered up his identity, beside they go into details of his personal life. In conclusion the case studies are really important because are the ones that lead us to conclusions about real life issues and particular problems. The researches done by this method are really accurate and play a really important role in psychology biological level of analysis.

Erroneus Assumptions in The Trial and Death of Socrates Essay -- Philo

Erroneus Assumptions in The Trial and Death of Socrates In Plato's Crito, Socrates explains to his old friend Crito his reasons for refusing an offer to help him escape execution. One of the tools Socrates uses to convince Crito of the righteousness of his decision is a hypothetical argument concerning the state and laws of Athens. Central to this argument is the congeniality that Socrates had always found in Athens, reflected by the fact that Socrates chose to remain in Athens for most of his life. Such a choice, the laws insist, implies a tacit agreement between Socrates and the state of Athens, stipulating that Socrates either obey the laws or, when he deems the laws unjust, persuade the city to act in a more suitable fashion. It is this "just agreement" that prohibits Socrates from fleeing Athens to avoid execution. Socrates proves to Crito's satisfaction that to break this agreement would be to do wrong to the city of Athens, and as such it cannot be seriously considered. As he discusses his situation with Crito, Socrates refutes some of Crito's basic assumptions. Curiously, however, Socrates does not examine his own assumptions; he never once asks if his agreement with Athens is "just." He correctly assumes that Athens' congeniality to him obligates him to follow the tenets of the agreement, but he does not ask if Athens feels similarly obligated. This question is central, for if Athens fails to uphold its part of the agreement the agreement cannot be just and Socrates is freed from any duty to it. I will argue that Socrates' own reasoning, particularly that used in Crito and Euthyphro, will prove that it is not only not wrong to break the agreement, but also that it is wrong to abide by an unjust agreement, such as... ...nywhere in the text of the Crito or the Euthyphro, unlike most of the other claims, which were derived from actual arguments in one of these Socratic dialogues. Whether or not the agreement is rendered unjust by Athens actions is clearly a debatable point, which affects the rest of the argument. There does not seem to be a way to prove undoubtedly that the agreement itself is made unjust if one of the parties unjustly refuses to acknowledge its obligations. Theoretically, the agreement is still sound, but this argument rests on the idea that, in practice, the agreement can never be more than what the parties make it. Although far from incontrovertible, the claim that the agreement is unjust can at least be reasonably defended against criticism. And if the above argument is correct, Socrates died for the sake of the unjust action of adhering to an impious agreement.

Assessment On Guidance And Counselling Education Essay

This brief essay efforts to discourse the function that school counselors, larning and disablement specializers, school psychologist and sometimes even private pattern clinicians play in the procedure of educational ability appraisal. The paper ‘s statements are entirely based on a reappraisal of the modern-day relevant literature. The essay begins with a brief reappraisal of the kineticss involved in instruction ability appraisal and so examines in inside informations, what function that these professionals play. Measuring Education Ability By education/academic ability, the paper refers to a pupil ‘s possible and accomplishment in formal acquisition ( Oosterhof, 1994 ) . The appraisal is conducted to find the degree of possible and or attainment that a pupil has upon exposure to a peculiar acquisition environment ( Oosterhof, 1994 ) . In measuring a kid, the experts involved attempt to measure the extent of basic academic accomplishments that such a kid can or has accumulated at a given phase. In most instances, what is evaluated scope from cognitive accomplishments, reading and composing abilities, comprehension, callback, arithmetic accomplishments, communicating abilities etc ( Oosterhof, 1994 ) . For the intents of this paper, instruction ability assessment shall entirely mention to the potency of a kid to achieve academic accomplishments and non the already achieved accomplishments. Appraisal is besides conceived as supplying a scope of trials that help measure the potency of such a kid to larn and retain cognition in an academic scene ( Oosterhof, 1994 ) . There are those kids who display model academic accomplishments in such appraisals, normally classified in a group of superior larning ability, while others may hold a lower than mean possible, normally classified in a group of larning disablement ( Oosterhof, 1994 ) . Available literature suggests that in the yesteryear, instruction ability appraisal has meant a measuring of a kid ‘s rational ability. Such appraisals have merely constituted of sets and separate subtests of differing academic accomplishments ( Wiggins, 1993 ) . There are times that such assessment becomes critical ( Elliott, 2000 ) . For case, the school can acknowledge a kid who is executing beyond norm and even better than those far in front his or her degree ( Elliott, 2000 ) . These ‘genius ‘ pupils can sometimes hold the ability of pupils 10 old ages older and therefore necessitate particular attending and publicity to their degree of ability ( Wiggins, 1993 ) . At other times, a pupil can bespeak below-par public presentation and the school be willing to carry on a trial to find whether the kid has a disablement in acquisition ( Wiggins, 1993 ) . Independently, pupils are besides put through such appraisals when fall ining a new school, a new class or measure uping for a peculiar entry that requires a peculiar degree of instruction ability ( Taylor, Personal writer, compiler, or editor name ( s ) ; click on any writer to run a new hunt on that name.1997 ) . In all these cases, the appraisal is conducted by a panel of multi -disciplinary professionals, all of whom have single countries of expertness which combine in supplying the assessment consequences of such a kid ( Wiggins, 1993 ) . Professional Roles in Assessing Education Ability Education ability appraisal has attracted voluminous involvements in the last two decennaries. Presently, most of the available literature has been concentrating on the experts behind the appraisal procedure, inclusive of the diverse professionals responsible of doing the appraisal ( Aas et al. , 2009 ) . The assessors ‘ judgements carry important weight and impact for the assessed persons, the instruction plans and their establishments ( Aas et al. , 2009 ) . It is hence imperative that the function that these professionals/experts play be regulated by standardised processs and protocols if the appraisal is to be used for such cardinal determinations as a kid ‘s hereafter. The fact that academic ability appraisals have become a cardinal constituent of academic plans across the Earth in about every state on Earth makes it really of import that there be a cosmopolitan standards, criterion and codification of pattern employed in such procedures. Pertinent to this position is the method employed, the ends set and the functions that each expert plays in the appraisal ( Aas et al. , 2009 ) . Most schools have employed staff school counselors, larning and disablement specializers, school psychologist and sometimes even private pattern clinicians to panel the educational ability appraisal processes whereby they employ their professional expertness and cognition to organize an independent equal appraisal of kids in that school. The professio nals can be hired on a full-time, parttime and long-run footing ( Aas et al. , 2009 ) . One of the functions that these professionals play in the appraisal processes is naming larning jobs in pupils. Using the clinical psychological science theories, the experts diagnose whenever a kid has physiological, psychological and emotional jobs that mar his or her ability to larn. Identification of such jobs helps in finding ways to assist such kids in their acquisition. Second, the clinical psychological science professionals help to fit pupils with their optimum acquisition environments. This is done through measure uping which pupils fit which environment and which do non ( Taylor, Personal writer, compiler, or editor name ( s ) ; click on any writer to run a new hunt on that name.1997 ) . A pupil may be able to get by with certain demands of a peculiar acquisition environment while being wholly unable to get by with another environment ( Elliott, 2000 ) . These professionals help to fit a pupil with his or her ideal degree of challenges, demands and outlooks, non merely to forestall disheartenment and defeat for that kid, but besides to put the kid in the environment that he or she can be at his or her best ( Taylor, Personal writer, compiler, or editor name ( s ) ; click on any writer to run a new hunt on that name.1997 ) . Chiefly, these assessment Sessionss are the footing that many instruction establishments conduct abnormal psychology, psychological rating, psychoeducational guidance, audience, etc, for the pupils or possible pupils of such establishments ( American Psychological Association, 2007 ) . These professionals are charged with a experimental decision-making authorization, whereby they evaluate a kid and do a determination about such a kid ‘s ability to larn in peculiar environments. Notably, these professionals besides help the kids by coaction with the instructors in reexamining the best ways that a kid can be helped to achieve his or her possible ( Elliott, 2000 ) . This provides a important penetration to ideal direction and kid development methods in an purpose to expeditiously come on each kid ‘s cognitive/academic abilities. The professionals are besides able to name jobs in and propose ways of amending the socialisation processes of such kid ( Aas et al. , 2009 ) . In many cases, the professionals accumulate informations that is valuable to instruction and kid development and or psychology research while besides assisting reform educational systems organisations, policies and climes in favour of pupils ( Oosterhof, 1994 ) . Importantly, the professionals are given the authorization of forestalling crises and salving kids before their jobs get worse, utilizing their expertness to nail possible jobs even before such jobs become open ( Taylor, Personal writer, compiler, or editor name ( s ) ; click on any writer to run a new hunt on that name.1997 ) . School counselors, larning and disablement specializers, school psychologist and private pattern clinicians play the parental function in educational establishments by looking into the public assistance of each kid, for intents of heightening their acquisition ( Aas et al. , 2009 ) .