How Leaders can maintain High Quality Performance Term Paper - 1

How Leaders can maintain High Quality Performance - Term Paper Example mise the leader’s interest to promote integrity and performance, as a result of having the feeling that they are privileged such that they cannot lose their jobs and also to the extent of misusing their powers to serve their master’s interests (Morrisson, 2004). However, if this is conducted properly, the leader would be in a position to serve the sole interests of the organization, which are based on quality and sustainable performance and development in all the departments under him or her. This paper is a critical evaluation of ways through which an effective leader can improve performance in his or her place of work. A leader is a person who, to a greater extent, represents the true image of an organization. This means that he is supposed to be a person of high integrity and unquestionable character (Macarthur, 2004). This earns him respect throughout the corporate world such that he would be occasionally cited as a good role model to young people as well as those employees who are under him. For example, it would be wrong for a leader to have the habit of coming to work while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs as this would taken to mean that doing so is acceptable in the work place. Such a leader would set a bad example to his or her juniors, who may go to the extent of doing the same just because their boss is doing it. Similarly, it would be unprofessional for leaders to involve themselves in sexual relationships or harassment of their employees as this may promote indiscipline in the context that these employees may be motivated to do the same, which is unethical in a working env ironment. If anything, leaders should be the first people to observe all the rules and regulations of an organization, in an effort to maintain professionalism and concentration on service delivery. Otherwise, a lot of time would be constantly wasted trying to discipline those who go against the set standards thereby lowering the out put hence low performance. In

Nonwestern Literature Essay Example for Free

Nonwestern Literature Essay Modern literature does not show the extent to which literature has come. Medieval forms of literature reflected an unprecedented level of purity and originality. A study of the similarities and dissimilarities between cultures reveals the exchange of ideology that occurred many centuries ago. This gives weight to the assertion that modern forms of literature from different regions of the world once shared certain characteristics. It should not get assumed that the different forms of literature arose from the same inspiration. Rather, the varying types of literature occurred separately. However, due to improvements in technology and communication, forms of literature have become similar over time. An in-depth look at Egyptian, Indian, and Chinese literatures highlights this clearly. China and India, as countries from the East, have a winding, rich, and spectacular literary tradition. The exchange of literary accomplishments between the two nations has never ceased even until modern times. The primary groundwork for such an exchange became established through the introduction of Buddhism into China. As a result of this introduction, Indian literature began imparting nourishment to its Chinese counterpart. Thus, Chinese literature adopted plenty of influences from Indian literature. Resulting effects on Chinese literature have manifested themselves in aspects of aesthetic tendency, form, subject, rhetoric and vocabulary. In ancient times, Buddhism served as the key medium for Chinese-Indian literary exchanges. Chinese literature has become more and more influenced by Indian literature in recent times due to the assimilation of Buddhist influences. Nevertheless, the extent and nature of the literary exchange between India and China has become two-sided and complementary in recent times. There exist similarities and differences between Chinese and Indian literature. In both Chinese and Indian literature, the form of literature gets classified as primarily oral. In both Chinese and Indian literatures, extensive written forms of literature appeared in later periods compared to the emergence of oral forms of literature. In both Chinese and Indian literature, the emergence of written forms of literature arose due to the spread of literacy programs pioneered by the ruling authorities in both countries. Also, both Indian and Chinese literatures have different forms of literature contributing to the overall state of literature in the respective countries. Moreover, both Indian and Chinese literatures have experienced changes due to modern influences from the western world. On the other hand, a few differences arise between Chinese and Indian literature. Chinese literature has always gotten expression through only one language. This has remained true for the over 3000 years which the Chinese civilization has existed. On the contrary, Indian literature has experienced segmentation due to the presence of numerous languages within India. The Indian culture has officially recognized 22 languages and among these languages, 21 of them have establishes their own unique forms of literature. Indian literature has gotten influence from the various traditions that have governed over the country. Throughout its history, various family traditions have dictated the nature of ownership over the country. In turn, the varying styles of ownership have had an unmistakable effect on the types of literature. Thus, different ownership periods as demarcated by family traditions have different kinds of literature. Conversely, various dynasties throughout the whole period of its sovereign existence have ruled China. This has led to the classification of types of literature based on the particular dynasty that ruled the country at the time of the emergence of the literature. These dynasties include Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing. During the existence of all these dynasties, various forms of literature have arisen. For instance, early woodblock and poetry became embraced during the Tang dynasty while novels gained prominence during the Ming dynasty. Chinese and Egyptian literatures share many points of reference. Both forms of literature began experiencing formative influences before the Common Era. Egyptian literature has its roots in ancient Egyptian culture. Along with Sumerian literature, ancient Egyptian literature gets classified as the one of the earliest forms of literature. In both forms of literature, the ownership periods played a key role towards the definition and classification of different types of literature. Both Chinese and Egyptian forms of literature have pioneered forms of writing, which had not existed earlier. Egyptian literature gave rise to hieroglyphics. Also, the writing of blurbs began in the 14th century Egyptian times. The writing of blurbs thus emerged as a key component of literary writing in the contemporary world. Both forms of literature have allowed the influence of different forms of literature from other countries. Egyptian literature became molded by the influx of foreign poets who flocked the town of Alexandria. These poets originated from Greece and Rome. They immigrated to Alexandria so as to utilize the library facility in the town. As a result of their extended stay in Egypt, the poets began expressing their literature in Arabic language. Inevitably, the existing literature within Egypt became fused with the literature brought by the European poets. The infiltration and influence of Indian Buddhism has played a prominent role in the shaping the Chinese literature toward adopting Indian connotations. Meditation has become a key component of Chinese literature unlike previous times. This lays testament to the fact that Indian Buddhism has left an indelible mark on Chinese literature. In Chinese literature, the initial form of literature consisted primarily of oral forms. Written forms of literature appeared during later periods of civilization. This stands in stark contrast to Egyptian literature, which has the autobiography as its oldest form. Egyptian literature got expressed in papyrus reeds. These provided the writing material on which ancient Egyptian writers would record their literary works. Also, Egypt invented calligraphy, which emerged as a key means of writing during that era. Chinese literature has received influence primarily stemming from the ruling influences within the country. The dynasties that have exercised governorship over the country have molded the types of literature within China. In contrast, Egyptian literature has experienced influences stemming from external sources. The conquering of Egypt by Muslim Arabs had a major impact on the literature in Egypt. Libraries became established and literature thrived. Papyrus reeds became replaced by cloth paper as writing surfaces. Another difference between Egyptian and Chinese literature appears when it comes to the overriding motive behind the change in literature. In Chinese literature, the changes undertaken in literature have occurred involuntarily and with the noble aim of improving the Chinese culture. On the other hand, changes in Egyptian literature have become implemented for the sole purpose of embracing Islam. The majority of Egyptian literature back in medieval times consisted of wisdom literature. This shows that the wider number of Egyptian literary works got written mainly for instruction and guidance. Such instruction recognizes the social format of life that exists in Egypt. Family values take the first place in Egypt. As a result, the forms of literature within the country give precedence to the values honored by families. However, the majority of forms of literature written in China became formulated for the purpose of entertainment. This arises due to the communal nature of the Chinese culture. Hence, the forms of literature become designed in such a way as to amuse and thereby engender a sense of togetherness within the community. ?Egyptian and Indian literatures have stunning similarities and glaring differences. The bulk of both Egyptian and Indian literatures bears literature intended for instruction. Both Egyptian and Indian cultures recognize the supremacy of family values. Thus, the literature of both countries became formulated with the intention of providing the families with instructive information regarding family life. Indian folklore and Egyptian folklore combined as key elements towards the formation of storytelling formats. Both Indian and Egyptian literatures have become molded for the purpose of accommodating religious beliefs. Literature in Egypt has evolved with the passage of time as it becomes more permissible to the Islamic faith and body of beliefs. Since Islam has gained wide acclaim as the state religion, the form of literature within Egypt has sought to reflect this truth in its form. This has endeavored to avoid hurting the religiously-trained consciences of Egyptians. In India, religion has had a major impact towards the changes that have occurred in Indian literature. India plays host to majority of the world’s most populous forms of faith. Buddhism alone has had an understated effect on the form of Indian literature. The prevalence of meditation techniques within Egyptian literature gives evidence of the extent of Buddhist influence.? However, a few differences exist between Indian and Egyptian literatures. Egyptian literature had its beginnings much earlier than Indian literature. This necessarily makes Egyptian literature richer than Indian literature. The superior quality of Egyptian literature becomes apparent through a sober consideration of the genres that have gotten invented due to Egyptian literature. Indian literature has become classified in terms of tradition due to the ideologies that have governed the country. In the contrary, Egyptian literature has always manifested their Islamic inclinations. Also, Egyptian literature received notable influence from European poets while India has risen to become the source of poetic influence to other countries like China. The history of Egyptian literature had its beginnings in ancient Egypt. The River Nile had a massive influence on the development of Egyptian literature. The town of Alexandria served as a major confluence for the emergence of literary influences. This happened because of the presence of the Library of Alexandria. This library served as hubs for poets originating from Greece and Rome, which served as key world powers in that time. The influence of these foreign poets had an unprecedented effect on Egyptian literature. Beginning from the period of the tyrannical Pharaohs until the conclusion of the Roman Empire’s rulership, ancient Egyptian literature got expresses in Egyptian language. Ancient Egyptian literature gains recognition as the world’s earliest form of literature along with other genres like Sumerian literature.? However, forms of writing in ancient Egypt did not surface until the late periods of the 4th century. This included both hieratic and hieroglyphic forms of writing. At some time before the modern era, the available literary works included epistles and letters, texts, hymns and poems, and memorials. These biographical texts got penned so as to document the professional lives of noteworthy administrative marshals. These developments notwithstanding, narrative forms of Egyptian literature became created in late periods of the 17th century BC. The formation of narrative forms sparked a media revolution in the whole of Egypt. Such a revolution occurred due to various factors. The unprecedented rise in literacy levels played a primary role for the revolution. Other factors included widespread access to written literature, rise of an intellectual class of scribes, new cultural sensibilities about individuality, unprecedented levels of literacy, and mainstream access to written materials.? The history and tradition of Indian literature primarily features verse though it also seems fundamentally oral. The earliest works became composed for the purpose of getting sung or recited. In this raw form, they became transmitted throughout a number of generations before getting written down as permanent recordings. As a result of this belated recording, the earliest records of a text appear later by several millenniums than the stated date of its initial composition. Furthermore, probably because the majority of Indian literature appears as either religious or as a reworking of common stories from the Sanskrit tales, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and the mythological writings, the authors often maintain their anonymity. Biographical components and details of the lives of the majority of the earlier Indian authors appear only in much later myths and legends. In medieval Indian literature, the earliest works in many of the languages were sectarian, designed to advance or to celebrate some unorthodox regional. Much traditional Indian literature is derived in theme and form not only from Sanskrit literature but from the Buddhist and Jain texts written in the Pali language and the other Prakrits (medieval dialects of Sanskrit). This applies to literature in the Dravidian languages of the south as well as to literature in the Indo-Iranian languages of the north. Invasions of Persians and Turks, beginning in the 14th century, resulted in the influence of Persian and Islamic culture in Urdu, although important Islamic strands can be found in other literatures as well, especially those written in Bengali, Gujarati, and Kashmiri. After 1817, entirely new literary values were essay, and literary drama (this last incorporating both classical Sanskrit and Western models)—that gradually engulfed the customary Indian verse genres. Urdu poets remained faithful to the old forms while Bengalis were imitating such English poets as Percy Bysshe Shelley or T. S. Eliot.? The history of ? Chinese literature extends for thousands of years. This started from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty. These mature fictional novels became penned for the sake of entertaining the masses of literate Chinese citizens. To various Westerners, Chinese literature remains hugely unexplored in comparison to the rich state of the Chinese culture. As a matter of fact, it is a treasure of a very considerable number of brilliant and profound works as each dynasty, in the long history of China, has passed down its legacy of magnificent events and works. For 3500 years, they have woven a variety of genres and forms encompassing poetry, essays, fiction and drama; each in its own way reflecting the social climate of its day through the high spirit of art. Chinese literature has its own values and tastes, its own reigning cultural tradition and its own critical system of theory. Chronologically, it can be divided into four main periods: classical, modern, contemporary, and the present-age literature. Classical literature refers to the earliest period and covers works from three thousand years ago to the late Qing Dynasty and is a virtually unbroken strand enduring dynastic changes. Since it was nearly always developed under the reign of centralized and unified government, it is imbued with the thoughts of a culture that embraced slavery and a feudal society. It was steeped in an enclosed environment that hardly had any real links with religion or least of all the literature of foreign cultures. ? Modern Literature refers to the period from the Opium War in 1840 to the May Fourth Movement in 1919. As the decadent reign of the Qing failed to inspire the minds of people, the literary forms had remained unchanged; till the Opium War in 1840. Then they absorbed the impact of western thoughts as foreigners poured in China and established their colonies. Novels, poetry and other works began to appear with a theme of patriotism and a revelation of social ills. Contemporary literature spanned the period from 1919 to the foundation of modern in 1949 and took on a new vigor, despite the fact that Chinese was in the throes of checkered and complicated times. This period was distinctive as it brought into being a new and revised literary language, form, content and skills allowing it to evolve into an independent and open art available to the whole of society. It attached great attention to peoples lives and a future with strong political tendencies. Influenced by the tide of the world literature, it provided wide and amiable communication between writers and readers. Present-Age literature has evolved since the establishment of the Peoples Republic in 1949. During this time, there was a logjam as a consequence of the Cultural Revolution that lasted for nearly 10 years. That era is now long past and we now have a favorable turn on events and a great number of responsible writers deepen the literary forms and content. Nowadays literature prospers. As the Chinese nation is a racial mix of Han people together with 55 other ethnic groups, literature reflects this. The various ethnic groups have contributed greatly in this field.? China stands as the only country worldwide with a mono-language literature for over 3,000 years. This continuity comes from the nature of the written language itself. It is the use of characters, not letters as in Western languages, that is, most important in the Chinese language. The characters stand for things or ideas and so, unlike groups of letters, they cannot and need never get sounded. Thus Chinese could be read by people in all parts of the country in spite of gradual changes in pronunciation, the emergence of regional and local dialects, and modification of the characters. A revolution held in China marked the dynasties whereby a clan ruled over an empire. Inevitably, the significant change of Chinese society that occurred with the change of government invariably led to an alteration of literature. Thus, Chinese literature gradually became westernized and Classical language got absolved from utilization. The national government desired for women to enjoy equal privileges like men. This clamor for an equal status in society resulted in plenty of women writers and scholars. As a result, the amount of politically oriented literature doubled. Academicians got unrestrained access to literature from foreign countries while plenty of students received scholarships so as to study abroad. The New Culture Movement became disbanded and writers endeavored to blaze the trail in transforming China into a modern industrialized nation. Writers also intended to replace Confucian life-style with a modern, westernized one. Under the leadership of the national government, there existed some freedom of expression. During that period of relative freedom, lots of different views and styles of literature became widely popular. But at the moment China came under attack from Japan, the resulting Communist victory led to the curtailing of former freedoms. For instance, only literature that met the approval of the government became allowed. Egyptian literature has also experienced plenty of changes due to interaction with western cultures. The expansion of the international market has necessitated the presence of many foreigners within Egyptian soil. As a result of such mingling, Egyptian literature has become influenced by western attitudes and notions. India has become a key player in the Commonwealth of Nations movement. Inevitably, it has become the focal point for conducting business within Asia. Thus, Indian literature has adopted other cultures. Buddhism has also become part and parcel of the literature of many other countries. This highlights the exchange that has undoubtedly occurred between Indian literature and other forms of literature. REFEREENCES Allen, James P. (2000), Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.? Foster, John Lawrence (2001), Ancient Egyptian Literature: An Anthology, Austin: University of Texas Press.? K, Kripalani (1970). Modern Indian Literature.? Knight, Sabina (2012). Chinese Literature : A Very Short Introduction. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, Very Short Introductions Series.? Levy, Andre (2000). Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.? Lichtheim, Miriam (2006), Ancient Egyptian Literature: Volume II: The New Kingdom, with a new foreword by Hans-W. Fischer-Elfert, Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.? M. , Winternitz. (1973) . A History of Indian Literature.? Mair, Victor H. (2001). The Columbia History of Chinese Literature. New York: Columbia University Press.? T. , W. , Clark. (1970). The Novel in India.? Quirke, S. (2004), Egyptian Literature 1800 BC, questions and readings, London: Golden House Publications.

Cardiovascular Effects of Necrostatin-1 (Nec-1)

Cardiovascular Effects of Necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) Abstract Necrostatins have been identified as cardioprotective agents to reduce reperfusion injury after ischemia, preventing necroptosis due to their RIPK1 inhibitory effect. In this study basal cardiovascular effects of Nec-1 and its inactive analog Nec-1i was investigated in healthy rats under anesthesia. Relatively low doses of Nec-1 and Nec-1i were administered (0.8mg/kg and 0.846 mg/kg, respectively) in line with the in vivo dose response model described by Takahashi et al (2012). Basal heart functions were recorded namely, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), P interval, PR interval and QTc interval. The results of this study indicated that administration of Nec-1 but not Nec-1i raised systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, while PR interval was depressed. No statistically significant effect on P interval, and QTc was observed by administration of both necrostatins. The effectiveness of Nec-1 reveals a dual cardiovascular effects, exerting both vasodilator and vasoconstrictor actions as well as a positive inotropic effect on cardiomyocytes. Since no conditions of ischemia or any other oxidative stress are present, which means that no type of programmed cell death is triggered (apoptosis, necrosis, or necroptosis), it can be assumed that Nec-1 acts in a RIPK1-independent manner. Thus, this action of Nec-1 under normal heart conditions remains to be clarified at a cellular level investigating its involvement in signaling pathways (e.g. NO pathway, ÃŽ ²-AR pathway) of all cell types involved cardiovascular function (endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of blood vessels), and cardiomyocytes as well. In general, after the elucidation of the exact mechanisms of action of Nec-1 at a molecular basis, Nec-1 could be applied as a positive inotrope that enhances basal cardiac function in pathological conditions. Discussion Degterev et al (2005) initially introduced necrostatins as therapeutic agents for ischemic brain injury through chemical inhibition of non apoptotic cell death. Three years later the same research group identified RIPK1 as a specific cellular target of necrostatins (Degterev et al, 2008). In parallel necrostatins were also reported as potential cardioprotective agents by Smith et al (2007) as they reduced ischemia reperfusion injury in their experimental trials. Although, current research has used necrostatins as potential inhibitors of necroptosis in ischemic heart experimental designs in vitro and in vivo (Smith et al 2007, Takahashi et al 2012), basal effects of these substances on heart function and haemodynamics have not yet been investigated. In this study administration of necrostatins (Nec-1 and its inactive analog Nec-1i) in healthy rats under anesthesia was performed. The results of this study indicated that administration of Nec-1 but not Nec-1i raised systolic and diastol ic blood pressure, heart rate, while PR interval was depressed. No statistically significant effect on P interval, and QTc was observed by administration of both necrostatins. Interpreting the results of this study is a complicated issue as the availability of comparable data is restricted and sometimes contradictory. The effectiveness of Nec-1 on increasing mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate, reveals a dual cardiovascular effects, exerting both vasodilator and vasoconstrictor actions. When evaluating the effectiveness of Nec-1 using in vivo murine disease models, Nec-1 was suggested to reduce ischemia reperfusion injury as an RIPK1 inhibitor in the TNF signalling pathway, thus preventing necroptosis (Smith et al 2007). But when no conditions of ischemia or any other oxidative stress are present, which means that no type of programmed cell death is triggered (apoptosis, necrosis, or necroptosis), it can be assumed that Nec-1 acts in a RIPK1-independent manner. Thus, this action of Nec-1 under normal heart conditions remains to be clarified at a cellular level investigating its involvement in signaling pathways of all cell types involved cardiovascular function (endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of blood vessels), and cardiomyocytes as well. Interestingly, Eefting et al (2004) reviewed the role of apoptosis in reperfusion injury discussing both pharmacological as well as genetic interventions in animal models. Nitric oxide (NO) appeared to increase myocardial contractility, myocardial function and endothelial function in many reports of this review. NO is a well known regulator of excitation-contraction coupling in myocardial function (Ziolo et al, 2001a) and ÃŽ ²-adrenergic receptor (ÃŽ ²-AR) signalling (Ziolo et al, 2001b). In line with this notion, a recent study in rats demonstrated that renal vasodilatation was induced through the NO pathway with a pharmacological agent (Garcia-Pedraza et al, 2015). Thus, further research could aim in identifying potential interplay of Nec-1 through other signaling pathways starting from the NO pathway. Another approach could be the potential relation of Nec-1 with vascular ATP levels, as the vasodilatory action of intravascular ATP in the coronary circulation was reported to be attributed to the dual and e qual activities of adenosine and ADP acting at purinergic P1 and P2Y1 receptors, respectively (Korchazhkina et al, 1999). Nevertheless, the results of this study indicate that Nec-1 exerts a positive effect on basal cardiac function, by raising heart rate, blood pressure and by depressing PR interval. Since, stimulation of ÃŽ ²-adrenergic receptor (ÃŽ ²-AR) pathway has been reported as the most important regulator of cardiac contractility (Bers and Ziolo, 2001), it could be assumed that Nec-1 affects electrical signal transduction in some way of this pathway. In general, activation of ÃŽ ²-AR activates the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) leading to the phosphorylation of several target proteins within the cardiomyocyte, such as Ica (L-type membrane Ca+2 channels), RyR (ryanodine receptors of the sarcoplasmic reticulum), TnI (troponin I), and PLB (phospholamban). Interstingly, it has been suggested that PLB phosphorylation at Ser 16 by PKA is one the major factors affecting positively cardiomyocyte contraction after ÃŽ ²-AR stimulation (Kohr et al, 2012). In line with these observations, Nec-1 coul d somehow affect the phosphorylation status of proteins responsible for cardiac function. The observed depression of PR interval, in this study, after administration of Nec-1, which represents not only atrial depolarization but also the beginning of ventricular depolarization, reflects that the signal conductance through AV node/His bundle was increased possibly through increased phosphorylation of intracellular proteins involved in cardiac contractility. Noteworthy, Nec-1s has been shown to stimulate directly cardiac contractility through myosine binding protein C (MYBP-C) phosphorylation (Szobi et al. 2015, unpublished data) in animal experiments. Regulation of cardiac contractility by MYBP-C through phosphorylation has been reviewed by Saul Winegrad (1999), along with its role in the formation of the sarcomeric myofibril as a result of binding to myosin and titin. Although, not statistically significant in this study, QTc interval tended to be shortened under the effect of Nec-1. Preliminary data from animal experiments with Nec-1s after ischemia reperfusion indicated decreased QTc intervals, suggesting that Nec-1s might be protective on ventricular arrhythmias (Szobi et al. 2015, unpublished data). The comparison of Nec-1 and its inactive demethylated derivative Nec-1i as factors effecting basal haemodynamics and heart function appears confusing, as previous experimental approaches were applied on disease models using in vivo and/or in vitro ischemic conditions (Degterev et al 2005, Degterev et al 2008, Smith et al 2007, Takahashi et al 2012), and not healthy animals under anesthesia. Additionally, the effectiveness of these substances in previous reports varied not only in a time and dose dependent manner, but also regarding species specificity (Takahashi et al 2012). Nonetheless, in this study Nec-1 but not Nec-1i influenced positively systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate, while PR interval was depressed. These results could be compared with the ones obtained from the in vivo murine model of ischemia-reperfusion injury reported by Smith et al (2007), where Nec-1 (1.65 mg/kg) reduced infarct size whilst Nec-1i (1.74 mg/kg) was ineffective. On the other hand, in vivo Nec-1i was as protective as Nec-1 against lethality associated with TNF-induced necroptosis in high doses (6mg/kg) (Takahashi et al 2012). As both necrostatins were proven to inhibit human IDO as predicted by molecular modeling by Takahashi et al (2012), it can be assumed that Nec-1i cannot be used us a reliable ineffective control for Nec-1. Alternatively, Nec-1s which is a more specific RIPK1 inhibitor lacking the IDO-targeting effect, was suggested by Takahashi et al (2012) as a control substance in experiments investigating the potent effect of necrosatins (Vandenabeele et al 2013). Interestingly, in vitro Nec-1i exhibited paradoxically higher cardioprotection that Nec-1 at high doses (100ÃŽ ¼ÃŽÅ") (Smith et al 2007). In the present in vivo study, relatively low doses of Nec-1 and Nec-1i were used (0.8mg/kg and 0.846 mg/kg, respectively) in line with the in vivo dose response model described by Takahashi et al (2012). Although, low doses (0.6mg/kg) of both Nec-1 and Nec-1i had a toxic effect increasing lethality during TNF-induced necroptosis, suggesting that RIPK1/RIPK3- dependent pathway drives TNF-induced mortality (Takahashi et al 2012), this toxicity effect was not observed in the present study. Of course, in their experiments necrostatins were administered during TNF-induced mortality, demonstrating that low doses were toxic in terms that they were not sufficient enough to protect form induced mortality. In contrast, in this in vivo study, evaluating the comparative effect of low doses of both necrostatins, it could be assumed that these substances maintain their profile of active (Nec-1) and inactive (Nec-1i) factors when administered under normal-non stressful condition. But which signaling pathway is triggered, under the effect of Nec-1 but not Nec-1i, leading to this elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate) remains to be clarified. In general, as demonstrated in this study, enhancement of basal cardiac performance by Nec-1, evidenced by increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure heart rate, and depressed PR interval could be a double-edged sword. Although Nec-1 has been introduced as an agent reducing injury after reperfusion in brain and heart (Degeterev et al 2005, Smith et al 2007, Takahashi et al 2012), the effect of this substance under normal conditions must be further investigated before its administration in other pathological conditions. Thus, examining the response of all cell types (cardiomyocytes, smooth muscle and endothelial cells of blood vessels) under the effect of Nec-1 could be a first step under this point of view. Each cell type, and eventually the overall response to any pharmacological administration, will depend on several distinct or sometimes overlapping factors, such as changes in metabolic conditions (pH, calcium levels, ATP levels), or even active (under phosphorylation or not) signaling molecules and transcription factors. Additionally, in order to clarify the molecular mechanism of action of Nec-1 on basal cardiac function, the comparative effect of other necrostatins apart from Nec-1i, e.g. Nec-1s which lacks the IDO inhibitor effect, would provide meaningful insights. Conclusions Although Nec-1 was introduced to prevent necroptosis as a RIPK1 inhibitor reducing ischemia reperfusion injury, the enhancement of basal cardiac activity by Nec-1 in healthy anesthetized rats, as demonstrated by this study, indicates that this molecule may also act in an RIPK1-independent manner. Thus, further research is needed in order to clarify the molecular mechanism underlying this effect. For example, future directions could aim at identifying the potential interplay of Nec-1 in signaling pathways, such as the NO pathway and the ÃŽ ²-AR pathway, of all cell types involved cardiovascular function. The biochemistry of this involvement could be comparatively analyzed by administration of other necorstatinsm, such as Nec-1s. Finally, Nec-1 after evaluating all these parameters, Nec-1 could be used a positive inotropic agent in cases of cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, heart attack or cardiogenic shock. References Bers DM, Ziolo MT. (2001). When is cAMP not cAMP? Effects of compartmentalization. Circ.Res. 89, 373–375. Degterev A, Huang Z, Boyce M, Li Y, Jagtap P, Mizushima N et al. Chemical inhibitor of nonapoptotic cell death with therapeutic potential for ischemic brain injury. Nat Chem Biol 2005; 1: 112–119. Degterev A, Hitomi J, Germscheid M, Ch’en IL, Korkina O, Teng X et al. Identification of RIP1 kinase as a specific cellular target of necrostatins. Nat Chem Biol 2008; 4: 313–321. Eefting F, Rensing B, Wigman J, Pannekoek WJ , Liu WM, Cramer MJ, Lips DJ, Doevendans PA. Role of apoptosis in reperfusion injury. Cardiovascular Research 61 (2004) 414– 426. Garcia-Pedraza JA, Garcia M, Martin ML, Moran A, Pharmacological evidence that 5-HT1D activation induces renal vasodilation by NO pathway in rats. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2015 doi: 10.1111/1440-1681.12397. Korchazhkina O, Wright G, Exley C. Intravascular ATP and coronary vasodilation in the isolated working rat heart. British Journal of Pharmacology (1999) 127, 701  ± 708 Kohr MJ, Roof SR, Zweier JL, Ziolo MT. Modulation of myocardial contraction by peroxynitrite. Frontiers in Physiology (2012);3:468(1-10). Smith CCT, Davidson SM, Lim SY, Simpkin JC, . Hothersall JS, Yellon DM. Necrostatin: A Potentially Novel Cardioprotective Agent? Cardiovasc Drugs Ther (2007) 21:227–233. Takahashi N, Duprez L, Grootjans S, Cauwels A, Nerinckx W, DuHadaway JB, Goossens V, Roelandt R, Van HauwermeirenF, Libert C, Declercq W, Callewaert N, Prendergast GC, Degterev A, Yuan J and Vandenabeele P. Necrostatin-1 analogues: critical issues on the specificity, activity and in vivo use in experimental disease models. Cell Death and Disease (2012) 3, e437; doi:10.1038/cddis.2012.176. Vandenabeele P, Grootjans S, Callewaert N , Takahashi N. Necrostatin-1 blocks both RIPK1 and IDO: consequences for the study of cell death in experimental disease models. Cell Death and Differentiation (2013) 20, 185–187. Winegrad S. Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein C Circ Res. 1999;84:1117-1126.) Ziolo MT, Katoh H, and Bers DM. (2001a). Expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase depresses beta-adrenergic-stimulated calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in intact ventricular myocytes. Circulation 104, 2961–2966. Ziolo MT, Katoh H, and Bers DM. (2001b). Positive and negative effects of nitric oxide on Ca(2+) sparks: influence of beta-adrenergic stimulation. Am.J. Physiol.HeartCirc.Physiol. 281, H2295–H2303.

Research in Genetic Engineering Should Be Halted :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

"The tools of molecular biology have enormous potential for both good and evil. Lurking behind every genetic dream come true is a possible Brave New World nightmare" (Dudley 13). Although we all might not acknowledge it, these words hold the key to the future of mankind. The science of genetic engineering, also referred to as biotechnology, first came into the scientific realm in the 1970s. This recent technology offered a new way to manipulate an organism or a population of organisms. Researchers and scientists from around the world were thrilled at the upcoming knowledge that could answer many of their questions dealing with all aspects of genetics. The new genetic engineering technology was never meant to hurt individuals. On the contrary, it offered promises of manipulating the molecules that make up the genetics of living matter in order to benefit, even save, an individual's life. Although genetic engineering promises good fortune for the human race, many questions have been raised pertaining to issues concerning safety, necessity, and, most of all, morality of the entire enterprise. It has been shown through the years, that genetic engineering not only provides great risks to men, women, and children but also presents potential dangers to the environment. True, genetic engineering can have numerous medical advantages, but overall, it is a detrimental procedure to the advancement of humanity. The subject of genetic engineering performed on humans has achieved great acclaim as well as great opposition. Some people say that genetic engineering is beneficial to society while others argue that it should be halted. In order to fully understand this issue, it is important to look at both views in this controversy. One must believe that those who do not know their opponent's arguments do not completely understand their own. When the opinion of others is known one can then become a more "intelligent and discriminating consumer of information in our media-centered culture" (Dudley 9). What are the benefits of genetic engineering? For one thing, chronic and fatal diseases can be avoided before they strike. Many lives, as well as medical dollars, could be saved if doctors could identify individuals that have a likelihood of developing heart disease, cancer, and other fatal diseases. If genetic engineering is allowed to continue, there might even someday be a cure for heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer's, cancer, and even AIDS. Genetic engineering might also be used to correct genetic disorders.

Business Systems Hoosier Burger Essay

Improving Hoosier Burger Bob and Thelma Mellankamp wanted to open their own business. They came across Myrtle’s Family Restaurant and saw a sign that said it was for sale. Bob and Thelma bought the restaurant and their own restaurant was brought to life Hoosier Burger Restaurant. The idea was one that everyone dreams of owning their own business but do not understand all the behind the scenes projects that make a business successful. Yes, they have been in business for over 30 years but even they understand that their dream needs some improvement to continue in the market they are in. Bob and Thelma have discussed the idea of a computer system but do not know where to start so Bob wants to bring in a consultant to address some of their weak areas and make suggestions to improve Hoosier Burger. They inform the consultant on how business is ran. This restaurant is behind the curve when it comes to technology. They still do paper trail on every aspect of the restaurant from deliveries, inventories, and p oint of sale (Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2009). Even though paper was what many companies started out with, it is no longer an approved way to do business. Paper allows too many human errors to come into play where as an electronic record keeping system eliminates a majority of these errors but as with any data†¦you get out of it what you put into it. All this means that if you put inaccurate data into the system then the data you get from the system will also be inaccurate. Hoosier Burger has learned this lesson oh too well. Especially, since they did not order enough vanilla ice cream to cover their own special so they had to run to the grocery store to try to get enough for the sales they were doing on the special (Valacich et al., 2009). Bob and Thelma agreed that it would be  valuable to purchase an information system to assist them in the areas of inventory management, marketing, customer service, food preparation, and point of sale (Valacich et al.). Now that it has been decided on what needs to be addressed with thi s new information system. The systems development life cycle (SDLC) begins (Valacich et al., 2009). The four main steps of this process are (1) planning and selection, (2) analysis, (3) design, and (4) implementation and operation. The first phase is to plan the system out and then select the appropriate system for job. This situation a good point of sale system would give this company the system they need for daily operations and growth. A good POS covers all aspects of the restaurant from the dining area to the kitchen and even the storage areas. With any system, you have subsystems that are called components. Components by themselves do not make a system but when put together they make a complete system. In the case of Hoosier Burger one of the components of the system would be an inventory log or database. This subsystem would track usages and deliveries to ensure that stocks are maintain at the properly level for daily operation of the business. The project development team that Hoosier Burger selected w as based on the weaknesses of the organization. The focus of the new system will be on ways to improve inventory management, customer service, and management reporting. Any one of these weaknesses could cripple the organization. The team needs to get as much information as possible to ensure that they are building the correct system for this organization. I would use the interview process to get as much information from the staff as possible and I would use questionnaire to customer input. Also, I would gather as many reports and logs that I could for supporting documentation but with the current processes. This type of information may not be readily available or available at all. After gathering this information, the process of developing a system to correct their weaknesses begins. You would also want to find out if the company has any upgrades planned so that you could incorporate that into the system. In this case, they want to expand to delivery services and a drive through operation. These expansions do not require a lot of upgrades to the building so these will go into effect immediately to increase revenue for the company. The diagram figure 1 shows the flow of information for the new system. Fig 1. As you can see from figure, the information system that need is robust in nature but simple. The system analyst now needs to break down the different entities the company needs to store information about. These entities have particular characteristics that require information to be stored. There are rules used when attempting to place an identifier for each entity. The diagram will show the changes and specify the component’s needed for each relationship. In the text, an entity is a person, object, place, concept, or event in the user environment of which an organization wants to store data(Valacich, George, & Hoffer, 2009). Person entities are usually your employees but can be your customer. Place entities are basically the location i.e. states, regions, countries. Object entities include the machines you use, buildings your work out of, products you produce, and vehicles. Event entities can be considered sales, renewals, registrations. Concept entities include courses, accounts, or work centers. Hoosier Burger needs the ability to store information about their individual entities. The main entity is the customer that frequents the restaurant on a regular basis. They also need to store information about what products the customer is purchasing. Hoosier Burger also needs the ability to store information about the company itself and place entities which are the businesses that order meals from the company. We will now discuss attributes. Attributes according to the text are named properties or characteristics of entities that are of interest to the organization(Valacich et al., 2009). The following attributes should be used for the customer: customer name, customer address, customer phone number, customer’s number of orders, and customer specific orders. These attributes can also be assigned to the business entity by switching out customer with business. Attributes can also be assigned to the end product such as ingredients, price, and amount sold. Identifying the entities require assigning unique identifying  characteristics for the entity type. For example when dealing the with customer entity, you would use an identifier that is easy to use i.e. Customer ID, Customer Name, Customer Address, and Customer Phone. The key when dealing with identifying items is making it user friendly. Once all of these have been put into place, the system analyst now needs to build three working solutions to this company’s weaknesses. The three solutions as discussed in the text are low, medium, and high level. The difference in the three levels usually equates to cost but it also includes how much effort the user has to put into the system and the type of technology used. Time is money and if your employees are having to spend more time with the system than the customer then Hoosier Burger will lose money. All of these factors come into play when developing a system for an organization. The key to success of Hoosier Burger and the project development team is communication and cooperation. The more time these two entities communicate with each the easier it will be for the project team to address the needs of the customer and customer addresses the needs of the project team. It is a two way street. In the end, the job of the system analyst is to develop a system that addresses the wants and needs of the customer while maintaining within the budget. You do not want to sell the customer a â€Å"Corvette† when a â€Å"Camaro† would have done what is needed. Reference Valacich, J. S., George, J. F., & Hoffer, J. A. (2009). Essentials of Systems Analysis and Design (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

A study into the effect of 6 weeks balance exercise program on shooting accuracy The WritePass Journal

A study into the effect of 6 weeks balance exercise program on shooting accuracy 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Introduction A study into the effect of 6 weeks balance exercise program on shooting accuracy , Competitive Sport Shooting: Practical Sport Psychology, [online] bullseyepistol.com/issfbook.pdf, [Accessed on 18 April 2012] Kontinnen, N., Lyytinen, H., Vitasalo, J. 1998. Rifle Balancing in Precision Shooting: Behavioural Aspects and Psychological Implications. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 8, 78-83. Marshall, Catherine Rossman, Gretchen B. 1998.  Designing Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Mononen, K. 2007. The effects of Augmented feedback on Motor Skill Learning in Shooting. Studies in Sport, Physical Education and Health, 122, 3, 31-40. Myer, D., Ford, K., Palumbo, P., Hewett, E. 2005. Neuromuscular Training Improves Performance and Lower Extremity Biomechanics in Female Athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 19, 1, 51-60. Schmidt, R.A and Young, D.E. 1991. Methodology for motor learning. A Paradigm for kinematic feedback.   Journal of Motor behaviour, 23, 13-24.