The Molecular Logic of Smell essays

The Molecular Logic of Smell essays Organisms possess a remarkable ability to detect smells in the environment through the olfactory system. This system originates in the olfactory epithelium, in the nasal cavity. It is made up of three main cell types: the olfactory receptor cells, supporting cells, and basal cells. Olfactory receptor cells are neurons, and send axons directly into the central nervous system. The supporting cells do not pass information - they produce mucus. Basal cells are the source of new olfactory receptor cells, which grow, die and regenerate over a period of 4 to 8 weeks. Small molecules present in the air become dissolved in the mucus lining the nasal cavity. Olfactory receptor cells send dendrites up to the mucus layer. Cilia extend into the mucus, where odorants can bind to the surface and activate the olfactory receptor cells. Olfactory receptor cells send unmyelinated axons by the first cranial nerve into the olfactory bulb. The molecules bind to cilia and activate olfactory receptor cells. Olfactory receptor nerve cells connect with nerves in the olfactory bulb. More nerves connect the olfactory tract to the thalamus. Thalamic pathways then extend to the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex. Direct connections are also made between the olfactory bulb and the olfactory cortex. The mammalian genome contains a family of about 1000 related but separate genes encoding different odor receptors. (But only 40% of these are functional in humans.) The olfactory epithelium of rats expresses several hundred genes not expressed in other tissues. Gene probes for a single type of receptor bind to only 1 in a 1000 sensory neurons in a normal olfactory epithelium. However, rats that express a single type of receptor in large numbers of their olfactory neurons tend to respond much more vigorously to a single type of odorant than to any of the others tested. This article continues to leave the questions in mind. How does the olfactory cortex decode t ...

Tempted by Addictive Shows Heres Why to Avoid Them.

Tempted by Addictive Shows Heres Why to Avoid Them. Last Wednesday afternoon, I received a thought-provoking promotional insert along with my ATT phone bill. It reads: HBO INCLUDED FOR LIFE* ATT unlimited wireless plans come with entertaining movies and addictive shows on HBO. ® I interrupted my housemate’s lunch with my expression of shock: â€Å"Can you believe this? ATT is promoting addictiveness as a reason to get HBO?!! Shouldn’t that be a reason to stay away?† Personally, I have avoided purchasing DIRECTV and such because I am extremely susceptible to binge watching. I’m fine if I don’t start watching, but as soon as I do, I’m hooked. Therefore, the word â€Å"addictive† turns me off. I don’t want it. Do you want to be addicted? Take this 2-question survey. I’m curious. How would you answer these questions? (function(t,e,s,n){var o,a,c;t.SMCX=t.SMCX||[],e.getElementById(n)||(o=e.getElementsByTagName(s),a=o[o.length-1],c=e.createElement(s),c.type="text/javascript",c.async=!0,c.id=n,c.src=["https:"===location.protocol?"https://":"https://","widget.surveymonkey.com/collect/website/js/tRaiETqnLgj758hTBazgd4HXOA_2BAL8aRSL3LZJKxLaJ9EoTH45eK6fxmvPGgncNd.js"].join(""),a.parentNode.insertBefore(c,a))})(window,document,"script","smcx-sdk"); Drug Marketing vs. TV Marketing Historically, companies have attempted to promote products based on the claim that the products are NOT addictive. Perhaps the most apt example is the marketing of OxyContin, a drug introduced in 1996 by Purdue Pharma, which has become famous for its addictive properties. A 2009 paper in the American Journal of Public Health, The Promotion and Marketing of OxyContin: Commercial Triumph, Public Health Tragedy, points out that â€Å"a consistent feature in the promotion and marketing of OxyContin was a systematic effort to minimize the risk of addiction in the use of opioids for the treatment of †¦ pain.† This misrepresentation resulted in successful lawsuits against Purdue to the tune of $634 million. Can you imagine a drug company’s promoting a painkiller with â€Å"It comes with highly addictive properties!†? Probably not. Most people would choose a different drug. At least my phone company and HBO will not be sued for misrepresentation. They own the addictive nature of the TV and video â€Å"drug† straight out. But why would addiction be a selling point? To investigate more, I researched the phenomenon of â€Å"Netflix Addition,† which runs rampant and is growing with every season. It turns out that binge-watching shows like those on Netflix releases fairly substantial amounts of the pleasurable neurotransmitter, dopamine. And the sense of accomplishment from finishing an episode, or a season, releases another pleasurable neurotransmitter, serotonin. The combination is a sure recipe for addiction. The Perils of TV Addiction Why is this pleasurable cycle a problem? Sleep Deprivation Well, for one thing, it makes us spend more time than we know we can reasonably afford to spend watching TV. We say we will stop and then we don’t, often staying up until the wee hours of the morning. As if this sleep deprivation weren’t enough, the light from the shows can boost serotonin and make us feel wide awake, thus decreasing the quality of any sleep we do get. Relationship Strain We frequently ignore calls from friends and family when we’re in the middle of a show or a binge, thus missing out on real connections and distancing people we love. Maybe we even lie to them about how much we’re watching. In actuality, watching shows is a poor substitute for true emotional connection. But we forget that in our addictive haze. Health Consequences While caught up in addictive shows, we sit for long periods and maybe skip the gym, often eat low-nutrient easy-to-grab foods, and maybe even forgo basic self-care because somehow watching just a few more minutes of that show seems more important. Career Blocker – Don’t let this happen to you! Netflix, Amazon or HBO addiction is not conducive to top workplace performance or a successful job search. In addition to not sleep deprivation, there is a part of your brain that will be occupied with wanting to get back to that show you were watching instead of focusing on your job or other important tasks. If you find yourself indulging, how about taking a week off from all those so carefully crafted addictive shows that suck your attention and time? During that week, track whether you sleep more, whether your focus and job performance improve, and whether you stop avoiding the true priorities in your life. If you’re a job seeker, consider this: Getting a blast of dopamine and serotonin with the simple push of a button might seem like more fun than rewriting your resume or LinkedIn profile, but the results you’ll get are ultimately unsatisfying at best, and harmful at worst. While you might enjoy a temporary blast from that next episode of Stranger Things, doing something positive for your long-term goals will ultimately be way more fulfilling. 🙂 Log in to Reply

CRITIQUE OF RESEARCH ARTICLE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

CRITIQUE OF RESEARCH ARTICLE - Essay Example nd Luker should be considered as quite valuable towards the explanation of the role of clinical practice in the provision of quality care to people that are dying (Hinds et al., 2005). More specifically, the above paper focuses on the challenges related with the provision of end of life (EOL) care in acute hospitals across UK. The role of these challenges to the development of specific requirements by the patients and their relatives is also examined. The particular study is mainly based on the following two research methods: observation and interviews (qualitative research). The data collected by the above research are then analyzed and evaluated in order to be used to the formulation of appropriate assumptions regarding the conditions of the provision of EOL care in acute hospitals in UK – these data and the assumptions that follow can be also used in any similar clinical environment taking into account the fact that in the particular area of practice the differentiations am ong hospitals around the world cannot be many (Vickers et al., 2004). For this reason, the study of Willard and Luker can be used as a valuable tool for the evaluation of any similar condition in the clinical practice. It should be also noticed that the writers have chosen to base their research on a ground theory approach trying to identify the data that would be valuable for the evaluation of conditions related with the specific clinical practice area. The specific study should be considered as an excellent base for the identification of any problems related with the provision of EOL care, taking into account the fact that in the research made for purposes of the specific study a significant number of patients with cancer (approximately 73) has participated. The above number represents the patients that accepted to participate in observation; patients that actually gave an interview were estimated to 17. Moreover, a significant number of clinical practitioners (in a relevant hospi tal

The Market System and the Circular Flow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Market System and the Circular Flow - Essay Example The idea of the invisible hand suggests that when competition is assumed, public and private interests coincides. The visible hand also suggests that if the profits of the firms are maximized, the society’s output would in return be maximized. The visible hand theory has two main virtues in the marketing system where it creates room for economic freedom and allocates resources effectively and efficiently. The invisible hand theory also suggests that it is individual’s motivation that drives the growth and development of the economy. EcoCommerce101 suggests that invisible hand theory should the concept of transaction among two individuals. The generated information is absorbed by the two economic participants, therefore, allowing proper allocation of resources. Individuals will always try to produce and provide best goods and services that the people are willing and able to buy; therefore, promoting the interests of the society (Basu, 2010). Meanwhile, the government is also responsible in regulating the types of businesses to be established in a certain region to avoid congestion. The government uses the idea of imposing high taxes to its resources. Conclusively, it does not mean invisible hand is only beneficial t o the economy, but the participants might also experience

How War Is Necessary Essay Example for Free

How War Is Necessary Essay War has been with mankind for many millenniums. The reasons for wars in mankind’s history have all been various, however one big reason for war is that countries want to grow bigger, by taking over one another. Throughout history, rulers would not be satisfied with the amount of land that they had or wanted to spread their beliefs around the world. So, they did it by trying to take over others. However, some didn’t want to give up their land or change, so they fought. Fighting these wars are, however, necessary no matter what people believe. This is because fighting them and winning will stop them from controlling others. Some wars that stopped countries from controlling others are the second world war, the war in Vietnam, and the Revolutionary war. However, there are claims that the Vietnam war could’ve been avoided, but there would’ve been consequences for going to war. War is necessary because it’s a way to try to stop countries from dominating over others and controlling them. There are many ways that war has stopped countries from controlling one another. Firstly, the Vietnamese war was necessary because, the war would’ve stopped the spreading of communism to neighboring asian countries, also known as the â€Å"domino theory†. The idea of communism started with the election of Ho Chi Minh in North Vietnam. Kennedy wasn’t concerned with Vietnam until Lyndon B Johnson called Ngo Dinh Diem the â€Å"Winston Churchill of Asia† because, Diem was the only one trying to resist the communists and Johnson promised to help him. Noam Chomsky, a US philosopher, stated that if a country better its economy due to communism, neighboring countries would try to improve their economy using communism, as seen when China influenced North Vietnam. Had communism been successfully spread to South Vietnam, then Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. Also, other countries would’ve lost faith in the US for not protecting S.Vietnam in their time of need. This shows that the US needed to fight this war to stop the communistic ideals from spreading to countries and to keep the confidence of other countries around the world, so that they could help the US when the US needs them. The second world war as necessary becau se, it showed how the world responds to a fascist ruler controlling a major country, trying to claim the world. It also showed how the US would react when attacked by another major country. Hitler want to create a â€Å"master race†, which was blonde-haired, blue-eyed people. So when he came into power, he had convinced the german people that jewish people were less than humans and should be treated as such. Thus he started taking over various countries in Europe and started killing jewish people to start his plan. While that was happening, the US was maintaining neutrality and supplying Britain, Russia, and China with weapons until the japanese attacked pearl harbor on December 1941. The US then declared war on Japan and fought in the Pacific theater until August 15th, 1945. Had the axis powers won World War II, North America and South America would be surrounded by dictators ready to destroy democracy and take over the world. Also, Hitler’s plan would’ve proba bly been completed and the world would’ve been comprised of blonde, blue-eyed people. However, the war told us that when we are concerned with individualism, we become selfish and corrupted or under the influence of corrupted selfish nations. This war was needed because, when one tries to dominate and take over another country, we become blinded and end falling. We need teamwork to stay strong in the world. Finally, the Revolutionary War was necessary because, it allowed rights normally granted by the king, to be for every single individual. It also sparked other revolutions, along with stopping Britian from controlling the colonies. When the French Indian War concluded, King George III made the Proclamation of 1763, which stated that no colonists may settle west of the Appalachian and anyone other than Indians there had to move from the area. The Boston Massacre also brought them closer to the revolution, because British soldiers killed 5 civilians for calling them names. The Stamp Act of 1765, Townshend Act of 1767, and the Tea Act of 1773, were all attempt of Britian to try and control the colonies in North America. However after the war, the Declaration of Independence was signed and Britian let the colonies rule themselves. With this newfound freedom, the colonists were allowed to trade with anyone they wanted, colonize past the Appalachian Mountains, set up a new government and th e British moved out of the colonies. Had the colonists lost the war, the US would probably still be under British rule to this day. Even with all this evidence that war is necessary, people still see war as a terrible thing. Going back to the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese War could’ve been avoided because the US could’ve stayed neutral and let the problem in Vietnam blow over, instead of sacrificing 50,000 men. The war would’ve been avoided and Vietnam would’ve became a communist country along with possibly, part of Asia. Robert McNamara, defense chief under John F Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson, says that he doubted Vietnam would let China or Russia use them as a base, but that’s the US had feared at the time. The US had feared that China or Russia would use them as a base they could use to control more parts of Asia. The Vietnamese could’ve probably fought the war themselves and probably resisted the communistic ways of China and/or Russia. The belief about if war is needed in the world or not cuts both ways. Either that it helps bring everlasting peace in the world closer or it’s useless and all it does is kill off innocent people. War is a big thing that stops countries from trying to gain total global domination or keeping them at bay until they give up. Until that happens, there will be allies who will attack at a moments notice when a country is trying to bite off more than it can chew.There are so many more examples of how war is necessary in the world that this would be a lot longer than it is already. The concept of war may seem bad, but in the end, it’s all worth it.

Circuits :: electronics circuit board

Circuits, what is up with that? First you need to understand how all the parts of a circuit relate. The main thing that a circuit has is conductance and that all the parts are conductors. Conductors are materials in which electric charges move freely. If the material isn't a conductor, it is either a insulator or a semiconductor. Conductors are mainly metalic substances such as copper, aluminum, and gold. Conductors allow a charge to build up and move "freely" through the conductor. When dealing with circuits and the moving of electrons, free movement at the moment is the best movement. I will get to reasons to but a damper on the movement of electrons later. Now, if a conductor allows a charge to build up and move freely, then it should be easy to understand that an insulator is just the opposite, it might build up a charge but that charge isn't going anywhere. Semiconductors is the crossbreed of the other two types. Semiconductors are usually a conducting material that has been "do ped" or has been added to from a insulating material. This makes it so the charges don't want to move as freely but they can still move. Now, just like lightning, charges have a tendency to try to make their way to the earth if they can. This is why if you have a conducting material and connect it to the earth with a wire or something, it is said to be grounded. Grounding is a good thing to do with circuits because if there is too much charge going through a circuit, you don't want it to stay in the circuit and fry everything, grounding a circuit is generally safe. To finish off the idea of the very basic circuit, we know that it allows a charge to build up and move through it, now we need to know that the circuit must be complete. The ending picture of the circuit must make a complete loop so that those charges that like to move have somewhere to allways go. What happens if you hook a wire from one end of a battery to nothing else.....NOTHING. The circuit is not completed therefore the charges can't move off the end of the wire and continue to go. Voltage, Current, and Resistance When working with circuits, the three basic elements to anaylizing the circuit are voltage, current, and resistance. These three readings help you find out all the information you need on how the cicuit will work and they are all related to eachother through Ohm's law which states that Voltage is equal to current times resistance.

The Great Power of Hellsberry!

As the chilled whisper of wind hits the side of my face, I realised how dazzling, and inspiring this village I was in, really was. The moon shone brightly and luxurious in the sky. It was like a slice of cheese sitting there, ready for it to be taken, and eaten up whole. The colour of blues in the mid-night atmosphere, made it look like the deep ocean. Gentle and tranquil, it stood there, for people's eyes to gleam up, with the brightest of tones that it revealed to the world. The stars stood out of place, with its glittering and scintillating sparkle of light, like a Christmas tree ready for the blissful times to come in life. The folks looked up and gasped how astonishing the heavens looked, on this crisp and cold night. The gigantic mountains were covered with white gleaming snow. It lay there, waiting for the hands of children to pick it up, and be thrown at one another. The snow as I picked it up, rubbed against the smoothness of my hands. Making them feel bitterly cold, which sent shivers and tingles right through the tips of my fingers. The black night sky looked very gloomy, as the mist disguised the peak of the mountains. The dull mist made the mountains look very icy and dangerous for anyone bidding to enter this treacherous unknown land. It appeared very ‘alien', as you did not know where the sky ended and where the darkness of the land started. The village folk were kept warm as they had their fires alight. The glow from the fires shone through the windows of every house, which reflected a stream of ripples on the surface of the snow, making tiny little crystals glisten and sparkle, just like diamonds. Lanterns glow by the sides of beds, shinning through the rooms, making the village beam with warmth, against the background of the dreary hours of darkness. The eye of the beholder could see how magnificent the snow really was. There was a sign of some kind that was partly rotted, and had been blown down by fierce winds. It was covered in snow, and on the edges icicles had formed. I wondered to myself what this mysterious piece of wood was. I scraped the snow and ice off with my bare hands, and it said Welcome to Hellsberry! The name of this place sounded very familiar, I knew I had heard it before, but where? Then it came into my mind. An old and wise woman once told me about a cave that was near the heart of Hellsberry. A small and mystical cave that lay hidden away in the mountains, near a lake that was frozen all through the year, even in summer. Dead rotting trees lay helpless around the lake, with their brown crinkled leaves blown away by the cold and ferocious winds. No animals strolled through this desolate place any more. It used to be a beautiful and tranquil place. The valley was green and lush, with brightly coloured and sweet smelling flowers which danced happily to the gentle breeze. Here, all types of animals would come and graze on the long green grass, and laze around under the warmth of the sun shinning above. The deep blue river was plentiful with lots of different sized fish. With its fresh clear water slashing against the side of rocks, making ripples as it gently meandered down hill. The waterfall cascaded over rocks, by the side where tropical flowers grew. Deers would stride up to the lake to drink from it, while birds would be flying around, chirping and singing to each other. I wanted to find out if this story she told me was really true or not. I arrived at the foot of the mountains, which were a dangerous and risky place for any of mankind to face, after it came and made home in the mountains. Even if mankind were the strongest and bravest on earth, nothing could outwit and defeat this creature of wisdom, fire and great power. It was a creature that many of the villagers were afraid of. After it came, the place of so much beauty turned to something dark and dismal. Leaves dropped off rotted trees, animals ran like their enemy was chasing after them, the waterfall turned brown and died, flowers were crushed and damaged; the river froze over as the chilled air passed through it. The creature did this but for how long would it carry on? Every full moon for the last 300 years, as the night grew dark, and the bright elegant stars appeared in the mid-night sky, a ball of raging fire would move about the black night background. A glowing of bright and angry colours made the village come to light as it reflected down on this innocent and helpless place. It grew bigger and brighter every time it appeared in the eyes of the people, and also the people grew more scared every time it was upon them. They had fought bravely against this creature, but failed to keep it away or even destroy it. I was going to change this. The creature lived in the caves upon the white glossy snow of the mountains. The caves ran for miles along the ridge of the mountains, with numerous turns and winding passage ways. Fire lived in the centre of this mountain, it was the biggest and tallest of all. Hell was placed here for no one to find and seek. The cave was cut deep down amongst snow and ice. Around the area of this large mountain, were frequent snow blizzards. This gave the creature vital protection, as no mankind could reach it. I advanced towards this unknown mountain. There was a collage of deep, dark, grey clouds that gradually got bigger and more furious by the minute, with its forceful power waiting to grasp at anybody entering this place of immorality. As I advanced further up the mountain I could feel the ice cold snow against the side of my face. I forced myself through the extreme weather conditions of the blizzard. The snow was dragging me to the centre of hell. The pain of the cold grew within me. The noise of the screeching wind passed through the inside of my red frozen ears, like a thousand animals running from what they are a most afraid of in their lives. I ran towards the jagged shaped mouth in the cave, with my soul being pulled back behind me to the centre of the storm. The snow got heavier and heavier, as I got further to the cave. There I saw a glimmer of light, making the cave light up through the white background. I got further to the middle of hell where this powerful and unpredictable creature awaits. Its life time was about to end. The cave smelled of dead human remains that had been there for centuries, blood was splattered against the sides of the rough toothed rocks. Bones lay in the corner, one on top of each other, I felt more fearful as time went on, and as I discovered more about the secrets behind the cave. There lay a fire in the middle of the walls. I started to feel vibration under my feet. Something big was coming towards me, I did not know what to expect. It appeared from behind me, a tall dark mysterious figure. It moved closer and closer. I moved back, tripping up over a rock, with blood on it. I banged my head. I was on the floor. My head lay there. I couldn't move. The creature moved even closer. Blood poured down the side of my head. I felt faint. A black figure was in front of me. My eyes closed. I thought to myself what was it?