Give two quotes that depict Ralph and Jack from Lord of the Flies as having similar viewpoints, and give two quotes that depict Ralph and Jack as...

At the beginning of the novel, Ralph and Jack have similar ideas regarding hunting and whether or not a "beastie" inhabits the island. In Chapter 3, Ralph holds an assembly to discuss the boys' main priorities on the island. Ralph says that the island is uninhabited and Jack comments, "All the same you need an army---for hunting. Hunting pigs---" (Golding 32). Ralph shares Jack's idea and says, "we need hunters to get us meat" (Golding 33).

Later on in the assembly, a littlun with a mulberry-colored birthmark asks what the boys are going to do about the "beastie." Ralph comments that the littlun must have been having a nightmare and continually says, "But there isn't a beastie!" whenever the conversation continues (Golding 36). Jack agrees with Ralph and says, "Ralph's right of course. There isn't a snake-thing. But if there was a snake we'd hunt it and kill it" (Golding 36).

As the novel progresses, the obvious differences in Ralph and Jack's opinions and ideologies are magnified. In Chapter 5, an assembly meeting quickly turns sour as Jack attempts to interrupt Piggy while he is holding the conch. Ralph yells, "You're breaking the rules!" (Golding 91). Jack responds by saying, "Bollocks to the rules!" (Golding 91). Clearly Jack does not respect Ralph's authority, much less the rules regarding the conch.

Another moment that depicts Ralph disagreeing with Jack takes place in Chapter 9 when Ralph and Piggy travel to Jack's end of the island for a feast. Jack begins to ask the boys who will join his tribe. Ralph says, "I'm chief...And what about the fire? And I've got the conch---" (Golding 150). Jack responds by saying, "You haven't got it with you...You left it behind. See, clever? And the conch doesn't count at this end of the island" (Golding 150). Ralph then says, "The conch counts here too...and all over the island" (Golding 151). Ralph desperately attempts to regain control by mentioning the conch, but the majority of the boys side with Jack who no longer abides by the conch.

What are sense organs?

Structure and Functions

The sense organs of the body include the cutaneous sense organs, the organs of chemical reception, the organs of vision or sight, and the organs of hearing and balance. The skin is the major organ of sensation for touch, pressure, cold, warmth, and pain; the nasal epithelium and taste buds are the major organs of chemoreception; the eyes are the major organs of vision or sight; and the ears are the major organs of both hearing and balance.

There are five types of cutaneous receptors within the skin, each with a different type of sensory nerve ending and each with a different spatial pattern of distribution. Free (naked) nerve endings are sensitive to pain and are widely distributed over the body’s skin surface, especially at the base of each hair. Overstimulation of any type of nerve ending also results in a sensation of pain, but these nerve endings are so exposed that any stimulation at all is felt as an overstimulation. All the remaining cutaneous receptors are encapsulated in one of several types of end organs. Of these, the end bulbs of Krause may be temperature sensitive; they are most numerous around the conjunctiva of the eye and along the glans of the penis and the glans of the clitoris.

The Pacinian corpuscles each contain a single central nerve fiber, enclosed in many concentric layers of semitransparent tissue resembling the bulb of an onion. These structures, which are about one to four millimeters in diameter, are sensitive to deep pressure and are distributed throughout the skin, principally within the dermal papillae. They are most numerous on the palm of the hand, the sole of the foot, and the insides of many joints such as the front of the elbow or the back of the knee. The tactile (Meissner’s) corpuscles each consist of an oval, bulblike swelling in which the nerve endings run around in spiral patterns at right angles to the long axis. Meissner’s corpuscles are sensitive to light touch and are most numerous along the fingertips (and the hand in general), the tongue and lips, parts of the eye, and the skin of the mammary nipple or papilla. The corpuscles of Ruffini are enclosed in connective tissue sheaths perpendicular to the nerve that serves them. The axons of this nerve branch repeatedly within the corpuscle and these branches intertwine, each ending in a tiny knob. Corpuscles of Ruffini are sensitive to warmth and are very numerous over the fingertips, the forearm, and the skin of the face. The evidence to associate particular nerve endings with particular sensations (such as the Meissner’s corpuscles with light touch) comes largely from patterns of spatial distribution: the areas of the body most sensitive to touch are also those with the highest densities of Meissner’s corpuscles.

Neuromuscular spindles occur in most voluntary muscles and are sensitive to the state of contraction or relaxation of the muscle fibers. The spindle consists of a muscle fiber or small bundle of such fibers, around which are wrapped several turns of infrequently branching sensory nerve endings. The tendons of many muscles also frequently contain neurotendinous spindles, encapsulated structures in which a bundle of tendon fibers receive branched nerve endings. These nerve endings branch slightly just before reaching the tendon fibers but then lose their sheaths and branch profusely within the tendon. These neurotendinous spindles act as stretch receptors, sensitive to the state of stretching of the tendon.

Chemoreceptors of the body include those tissues sensitive to certain chemicals. The carotid body, a swelling within the carotid artery of the neck, contains tissue sensitive to the carbon dioxide or acid content of the blood; it stimulates the breathing reflex when the carbon dioxide level is too high. The taste buds of the tongue are sensitive to the taste of a variety of chemical substances present in moderate concentrations. Each taste bud contains gustatory cells along with nonsensitive supporting (sustentacular) cells. Experimental evidence points to five basic types of taste sensations: sweet (like sugar), bitter (like quinine), sour (like vinegar or citric acid), salty (like sodium chloride), and savory (like chicken broth). Sensitivity to each of these four basic tastes has its own characteristic pattern of distribution over the tongue and palate.

The nasal epithelium is responsible for olfaction, or smell, which is a sensitivity to chemical substances in much smaller concentrations. Most of the nasal epithelium is associated with the nose and the nasal passages, but a small part of this epithelium has become attached instead to the roof of the mouth, where it forms the vomeronasal (or Jacobson’s) organ, which “smells” the contents of the mouth (mostly food). The nasal epithelium is structurally unusual in that the cell bodies of the sensory cells originate within the epithelium and their nerve endings (axons) migrate inwardly to the brain, through the cribriform plate, forming the first cranial nerve or olfactory nerve. All other sensory nerves in the body grow outward from the central nervous system, and their cell bodies are located where their growth began.

Attempts have been made to classify smells according to a scheme similar to the classification system used for tastes, but there are many more basic smells than there are tastes—lists vary from six to twenty to more than ninety—and there is no general agreement on any of these schemes.

The eyes are the body’s principal visual receptors. (Some evidence also exists of the brain’s own ability to sense daily changes in the level of light intensity, especially in the pineal body.) The primary parts of the eye include the eyelids, cornea, lens, ciliary body, iris diaphragm, pupil, aqueous humor, vitreous humor, retina, choroid coat, scleroid coat, and optic nerve. The eyelids protect the front of the eye and prevent injury to the eye by closing. The cornea is the transparent covering of the front of the eye; the lens is the transparent, almost spherical body that focuses rays of incoming light onto the retina; and the ciliary body is a largely connective tissue structure (also containing some muscle tissue) that supports the lens. The colored part of the ciliary body is the iris diaphragm; muscle fibers within the iris diaphragm adjust the size of the pupil for different brightness levels of light. The opening in the middle of the iris diaphragm is called the "pupil." The aqueous humor is the watery fluid in front of the lens, while the vitreous humor is the thick, jellylike fluid behind the lens.

The light-sensitive portion of the eye is the retina. It is almost spherical in shape and consists of two layers: a sensory layer on the inside (closer to the front) and a pigment layer surrounding and behind the sensory layer. Within the sensory layer are contained both the rods, which are sensitive to finer details, and the cones, which are sensitive to colors. The eye’s most sensitive area is called the "area centralis"; it is centered upon a depression called the "fovea." The choroid coat is the connective tissue layer immediately surrounding the retina, which is continuous with the pia mater that surrounds the brain. The scleroid coat is the stronger connective tissue layer that surrounds the choroid coat; it is continuous with the dura mater surrounding the brain. The optic nerve fibers originate from the sensory layer of the retina, where they converge toward a spot called the "blind spot," marking the place where the nerve fibers turn inward toward the brain. A majority of the optic nerve fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain via the optic chiasma, but a small proportion of the fibers remains on the same side without crossing over. Experiments on the physiology of vision have led researchers to conclude that there are three separate types of color receptors (cones) in the retina, sensitive principally to red, green, and blue regions of the spectrum. All other color sensations can be simulated experimentally in people with normal vision by a suitable combination of red, green, and blue stimuli.

The ears are special sense organs devoted to the two distinct functions of hearing and balance. The ear may be divided anatomically into outer, middle, and inner portions or functionally into a cochlear portion for hearing and a vestibular portion for balance. The outer (external) ear consists of a flap called the "pinna" (or "external ear flap") and a tubelike cavity called the "external acoustic meatus." Within the external ear, sound impulses exist as waves of compressed or decompressed (rarefied) air, forming a series of longitudinal waves that vibrate in the same direction in which they are transmitted. The tympanic membrane
(eardrum) is a vibrating membrane that marks the boundary between the outer and middle ears.

The middle ear consists of a cavity containing three tiny bones, the auditory ossicles. Within the middle ear, the vibrations of the tympanic membrane set up a series of vibrations within these tiny bones. The three auditory ossicles are called the "malleus" (hammer), "incus" (anvil), and "stapes" (stirrup). The malleus gets its name from its hammerlike shape, which includes a long handle (manubrium) extending across the tympanic membrane. The incus, the second of the auditory ossicles, rests against the malleus at one end and the stapes at the other. The stapes is shaped like a stirrup, in which the foot is placed when riding a horse. The flat base of the stapes is called the "footplate," in analogy to the corresponding part of a stirrup; this footplate rests against the fenestra ovalis of the inner ear. The opening in the stapes is penetrated by an artery called the "stapedial artery." The cavity of the middle ear connects to the pharynx by means of a tube, the pharyngotympanic or Eustachian tube.

The inner ear is entirely housed within the petrosal bone. It can be divided into cochlear (hearing) and vestibular (balance) portions. The cochlear portion of the inner ear begins with two windows, the fenestra ovalis (oval window) and fenestra rotundum (round window), communicating between the middle ear and the inner ear. Behind the fenestra ovalis lies a vestibule, filled with a fluid called "perilymph" and extending into a long scala vestibuli. Behind the fenestra rotundum lies another long tube, the scala tympani, also filled with perilymph and running parallel to the scala vestibuli. Between these two tubes lies a third, the scala media or cochlear duct, filled with a different fluid called "endolymph." Together, the three are prolonged into a spiral coil called the "cochlea" (Latin for “snail”), which has a bit more than three complete turns. At the end of this coil, the scala media ends, and the scala vestibuli and scala tympani join with one another by means of an intervening loop called the "helicotrema." The basilar membrane separates the scala tympani and the cochlear duct. The spiral organ (organ of Corti) runs within the cochlear duct along the basilar membrane, not far beneath a tectorial membrane that is suspended within the cochlear duct.

The outer ear receives vibrations that travel through the air and transmits these vibrations to the tympanic membrane. In the middle ear, the vibrations of the tympanic membrane are transmitted through the malleus, incus, and stapes to the oval window. These vibrations are transmitted through the perilymph of the inner ear (vestibular portion), where they cause vibrations of the basilar membrane. The vibrating basilar membrane causes vibrations within the endolymph and also in the tectorial membrane, but the tectorial membrane is less flexible than the basilar membrane, creating regions of greater and lesser pressure within the endolymph. The hair cells of the spiral organ are sensitive to these pressure differences and send out nerve impulses to the brain, where they are interpreted as sounds.

The vestibular portion of the inner ear includes two interconnected chambers called the "sacculus" and the "utriculus," both filled with endolymph. The sacculus has a downward extension called the "lagena," and it also connects into the scala media of the cochlear portion of the ear. From the utriculus emerge three semicircular ducts, approximately at right angles to one another, all filled with endolymph: an anterior vertical duct, a posterior vertical duct, and a horizontal duct. Each semicircular duct runs through a bony semicircular canal, filled with perilymph. Each duct has a bulblike swelling, the ampulla, at one end. Each ampulla has a patch, or macula, of sensory structures called "neuromasts," which are sensitive to movements in fluids such as endolymph. Other maculae, or patches of neuromasts, are located in the sacculus, the utriculus, and the lagena.

The vestibular portion of the inner ear is sensitive to movements and especially to acceleration. Normally, this acceleration is caused by gravity, but nonlinear movements (such as the swerving of a fast-moving vehicle around a curve) may also result in accelerations that cause fluid movements within the semicircular canals. These movements are perceived by the sensitive hair cells (neuromasts) within each ampulla. Spinning around or other sudden acceleration causes temporary dizziness (vertigo) and a consequent loss of balance.

Disorders and Diseases

Several types of medical specialists deal with problems of the various sense organs: ophthalmologists deal with diseases of the eye; otorhinolaryngologists deal with diseases of the ears (oto-), nose (rhino-), and throat (larynx); and neurologists deal with all the senses. All these specialists first conduct diagnostic tests in order to detect any sensory malfunction and to determine the probable cause; they then provide whatever treatment may be available for each condition.

The ability to distinguish tastes diminishes gradually with age in older persons as the number of gustatory cells declines, but complete loss of taste is rare. Persons with diminished taste are at greater risk for accidental poisoning and malnutrition. Except for the decline of taste among the elderly, other defects of smell or taste are relatively uncommon and may be indicative of more serious neurological problems such as brain damage or nerve damage or endocrine problems such as Kallman syndrome. The inability to smell is a rare condition known as "anosmia." Similarly, loss of cutaneous sensations, even over a small portion of the body, is usually indicative of nerve damage, while diminished sensitivity to touch stimuli is a common aspect of aging. Such impairment can lead to injuries, pressure ulcers, and temperature-related problems such as heat stroke.

Disorders of the eye range from easily correctable vision problems to total blindness. Impaired function of one or more of the three types of color receptors results in one of the several types of color blindness. The most common type, red-green color blindness, is inherited as a sex-linked recessive trait and is thus more common in men than in women. Blindness may result from various defects or injuries: a defective lens or cornea may limit vision to large objects, and a defective retina may limit perception to light and darkness only. Total blindness results if the optic nerve is damaged or missing. More common visual defects include myopia(nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism (differences in vision along different axes), all of which can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses or by surgical procedures. A failure of the mechanism that drains fluid from the interior of the eyeball may result in a buildup of ocular pressure, a condition known as "glaucoma." In times past, when treatment for glaucoma was not readily available, most cases resulted in permanent blindness. Glaucoma can now be treated, however, either surgically or with drugs. Several changes occur to the lens of the eye in older individuals. As the lens becomes more rigid with advancing age, reading and other near-vision tasks become more difficult, a condition known as "presbyopia." Also frequent among older people are cataracts, tiny opaque grains that cloud up the lens and reduce the ability to see clearly. Untreated cataracts may eventually result in blindness, but various forms of treatment are available to prevent this from occurring.

Diseases of the ear should always be treated as serious. Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, can result from damage to the hair cells of the organ of Corti. Damage to the auditory nerve can result in deafness. Upper respiratory infections can travel up the Eustachian tube and cause a common childhood infection of the middle ear known as "otitis media." Infections of the vestibular portion of the inner ear can result in recurrent or permanent dizziness (vertigo) because the inflamed cells transmit impulses that the body wrongly interprets as resulting from accelerations in unusual directions. Some plant poisons (or the drugs derived from them, such as ipecac) can also impair the function of the inner ear and result in sensations of dizziness, often followed by nausea and by the vomiting of the plant containing the poison. This reaction may have evolved as an adaptive response to possible poisons; the same reaction also results in vomiting in other situations that cause unusual accelerations in the vestibular portion of the inner ear, as in the case of seasickness or other motion sickness
.

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Why does Montag's wife, Mildred, require his immediate attention when he arrives home?

When Montag arrives home at the beginning of the story, we learn through a few specific clues, and a symbolic juxtaposition of Montag's emotional reaction with bomber jets flying overhead, that his wife has heavily overdosed on sleeping pills and is comatose, with her eyes open but unseeing. 

Ultimately she's fine, as Montag is able to call the hospital and they send out a pair of "handymen", further illustrating the degree to which people have become synonymous with equipment, and she neither remembers nor acknowledges the overdose, refusing to believe that she would "do a silly thing like that". We never really get a clear answer as to whether she intended to commit suicide, or, as Montag suggests, she simply forgot that she had already taken pills and kept taking them until she had finished the bottle, which is itself a troubling diagnosis insofar as it tells us about Mildred's inability to care for herself. This is as frustrating an outcome for us as it is for Montag.

What are natural treatments for migraines?

Introduction

The term “migraine” refers to a class of headaches sharing certain
characteristic symptoms. Headache pain usually occurs in the forehead or temples,
often on one side only and typically accompanied by nausea and a preference for a
darkened room. Headache attacks last for several hours, up to a day or more. They
are usually separated by completely pain-free intervals. In some cases, headache
pain is accompanied by a visual (or occasionally nonvisual) disturbance known as
an aura. Migraines are classified as migraine with aura or migraine without
aura.

Migraines can be set off by a variety of triggers, including fatigue, stress,
hormonal changes, and foods such as alcoholic beverages, chocolate, peanuts, and
avocados. When people with migraine headaches first consult a physician, they are
generally advised to identify such triggers and to avoid them if possible.
However, migraines quite frequently occur with no obvious avoidable triggering
factor.

The underlying cause of migraine headaches has been a subject of continuing
controversy for more than a century. Opinion has swung back and forth between two
primary beliefs: that migraines are related to epileptic seizures and originate in
the nervous tissue of the brain or that blood vessels in the skull cause headache
pain when they dilate or contract (vascular headaches). Most likely, several
factors are involved, and more than one stimulus can trigger a migraine
attack.

Conventional treatment of acute migraines has been revolutionized by drugs in the
triptan family. These medications can completely abort a migraine headache in many
persons. They work by imitating the action of serotonin on blood vessels, causing
them to contract. However, although they are dramatically effective for the
majority of people with migraines, a substantial minority do not respond, for
reasons that are unclear.

People interested in prevention of migraines have a great variety of options,
including ergot drugs, antidepressants, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and
antiseizure medications. Picking the best one is mostly a matter of trial and
error. Most people can find some medication that will work.

Serious diseases may occasionally first present themselves as migraine-type
headaches, so if a person suddenly starts having migraines without a previous
history, or if the pattern of the migraines changes significantly, it is essential
to seek medical evaluation.

Principal Proposed Natural Treatments

Several herbs and supplements have shown considerable promise for helping to prevent migraines.

Butterbur. Two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies suggest
that an extract of the herb butterbur may be helpful for preventing
migraines. Butterbur extract was tested as a migraine preventive in a
double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving sixty men and women who
experienced at least three migraines per month. After four weeks without any
conventional medications, participants were randomly assigned to take either 50
milligrams (mg) of butterbur extract or placebo twice daily for three months. The
results were positive: Both the number of migraine attacks and the total number of
days of migraine pain were significantly reduced in the treatment group compared
with the placebo group. Three of four persons taking butterbur reported
improvement, compared to one of four in the placebo group. No significant side
effects were noted.

In another double-blind, placebo-controlled study performed by different researchers, 202 people with migraine headaches received either 50 mg twice daily of butterbur extract, 75 mg twice daily, or placebo. In the three months of the study, the frequency of migraine attacks gradually decreased in all three groups. However, the group receiving the higher dose of butterbur extract showed significantly greater improvement than those in the placebo group. The lower dose of butterbur failed to prove significantly more effective than placebo.

Based on these two studies, it does appear that butterbur extract is helpful for preventing migraines, and that 75 mg twice daily is more effective than 50 mg twice daily. However, further research is necessary to establish this with certainty.

Feverfew. Five meaningful, double-blind, placebo-controlled
studies have evaluated feverfew’s effectiveness as a
preventive treatment for migraines, but the results have been inconsistent. The
best of the positive trials used a feverfew extract made by extracting the herb
with liquid carbon dioxide. Two other trials that used whole feverfew leaf also
found it effective; however, two studies that used feverfew extracts did not find
benefit.

In a well-conducted, sixteen-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 170 people with migraines, the use of a feverfew product made via liquid carbon dioxide extraction resulted in a significant decrease in headache frequency compared to the effect of the placebo treatment. In the treatment group, headache frequency decreased by 1.9 headaches per month, compared to a reduction of 1.3 headaches per month in the placebo group. The average number of headaches per month before treatment was 4.76. An earlier study using the same extract had failed to find benefit, but it primarily enrolled people who were less prone to migraines.

Two other studies used whole feverfew leaf and found benefit. The first followed fifty-nine people for eight months. For four months, one-half received a daily capsule of feverfew leaf and the other half received placebo. The groups were then switched and followed for an additional four months. Treatment with feverfew produced a 24 percent reduction in the number of migraines and a significant decrease in nausea and vomiting during the headaches. A subsequent double-blind study of fifty-seven people with migraines found that the use of feverfew leaf could decrease the severity of migraine headaches. This trial did not report whether there was any change in the frequency of migraines. Another study used an alcohol extract but failed to find benefit.

Magnesium. Magnesium is another natural treatment
that has shown promise for the prevention of migraine headaches. A twelve-week
double-blind study followed eighty-one people with recurrent migraines. One-half
received 600 mg of magnesium daily (in the rather unusual form of trimagnesium
dicitrate), and the other half received placebo. By the final three weeks of the
study, the frequency of migraine attacks was reduced by 41.6 percent in the
treated group, compared to 15.8 percent in the placebo group. The only side
effects observed were diarrhea (18.6 percent) and digestive irritation (4.7
percent). Preliminary studies also suggest that magnesium may be helpful for
migraines triggered by hormonal changes occurring with the menstrual cycle.

5-hydroxytryptophan. The body manufactures 5-hydroxytryptophan
(5-HTP) on its way to making serotonin. When 5-HTP is taken
as a supplement, the net result may be increased serotonin production. Because a
number of drugs that affect serotonin are used to prevent migraine headaches,
5-HTP has been tried too. Some evidence suggests that it may work when taken at a
dosage of 400 to 600 mg daily. Lower doses may not be effective.

In a six-month trial of 124 people, 5-HTP (600 mg daily) proved just as effective as the standard drug methysergide. The most dramatic benefit seen was a reduction in the intensity and duration of migraines. Because methysergide has been proven better than placebo for migraine headaches in earlier studies, the study results provide meaningful, although not airtight, evidence that 5-HTP is also effective.

Similarly good results were seen in another comparative study that used a different medication and 5-HTP (at a dose of 400 mg daily). However, in another study, 5-HTP (up to 300 mg daily) was less effective than the drug propranolol. Also, in a study involving children, 5-HTP failed to demonstrate benefit. Other studies that are sometimes quoted as evidence that 5-HTP is effective for migraines actually enrolled adults or children with many different types of headaches (including migraines).

Putting all this evidence together, it appears that 5-HTP can help people with frequent migraine headaches if taken in sufficient doses, but further research needs to be done. In particular, a large double-blind study is needed that compares 5-HTP with placebo over a period of several months.

Mitochondrial enhancers. Mitochondria are the energy-producing subunits of cells. Based on the highly speculative theory that mitochondrial dysfunction may play a role in migraines, three substances have been tried for migraine prevention: vitamin B2 (riboflavin), coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and lipoic acid. Results have been a bit promising.

A three-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of fifty-five people with migraines found that vitamin B2 (at a daily dose of 400 mg) significantly reduced the frequency and duration of migraine attacks. The majority of the participants experienced a greater than 50 percent decrease in the number of migraine attacks and in the total days with headache pain. A subsequent study failed to find benefit with a combination of vitamin B2, magnesium, and feverfew; however, it is possible that the 25-mg daily dose of vitamin B2 used as the placebo confused the issue by providing some benefits on its own.

Another small, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found benefit with CoQ10 (100 mg three times daily). In this study, about 50 percent of the people taking this supplement had a significant decrease in migraine frequency, compared to 15 percent in the placebo group. A similar study of lipoic acid hinted at benefit, but the results failed to pass tests of statistical significance.

Other Proposed Natural Treatments

In a twenty-four-week double-blind study, forty-nine women with menstrual
migraines received either placebo or soy isoflavones
combined with dong quai and black cohosh extracts. Beginning at the
twentieth week, the use of the herbal supplement resulted in decreased severity
and frequency of headaches compared with placebo. It is not clear which of the
ingredients in the combination was helpful; contrary to what is stated in this
research report, the newest consensus is that neither black cohosh nor dong quai
is a phytoestrogen, but that they may have other effects.

Despite promising results in an earlier and widely publicized study, a much larger
and longer study of fish oil for migraines failed to find
benefit. In this sixteen-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 167
persons with recurrent migraines, the use of fish oil did not significantly reduce
headache frequency or severity. Another small, double-blind, placebo-controlled
study failed to find statistically significant evidence of benefit. Calcium,
chromium, folate, ginger, and vitamin C have also been reported to be helpful for
migraines, but there is no meaningful scientific evidence for any of these natural
products. Identifying and eliminating allergenic foods from one’s diet might be
helpful for reducing the frequency of migraine attacks.

Evidence is inconsistent or incomplete regarding the potential benefit of
chiropractic manipulation or acupuncture for the treatment and
prevention of migraines. Biofeedback, massage, yoga, and a form
of magnet treatment called pulsed electromagnetic field therapy have shown some
promise for migraines. A careful review of twenty-nine trials found psychological
interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy, biofeedback, relaxation, and
coping associated with reduced chronic headache or migraine pain in 589 children.
These treatments were compared with placebo, standard treatment, waiting list
control, or other active treatments.

Herbs and Supplements to Use with Caution

Various herbs and supplements may interact adversely with drugs used to treat migraine headaches, so one should be cautious when considering the use of herbs and supplements.

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While all the action in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House is compressed into three acts that take place in the Helmers' living room, a great deal...

Some serious action occurs offstage in Ibsen's A Doll's House! The most important event that happens is that Nora has taken out a loan and forged her father's signature. Much of the play's conflict revolves around this act, yet the audience never actually sees it. The only way the events are represented on stage is through the characters' dialogue. Nora tells Mrs. Linde about what she's done, and this means that the actual event is seen through Nora, since she is explaining it. Another way the audience finds out about the event is when Krogstad visits the house and talks to Nora about getting a better job, reminding her about her crime as a form of blackmail. 

Therefore, the action that occurs offstage is central to the plot of the story. Because Nora has broken the law and lied to her husband about it, she must play the part of trying to keep it from him while paying back the loan. It is interesting that Ibsen decided to keep this event off stage because it affects the audience's opinion of Nora. Without actually witnessing the event of the loan and forgery, the audience must rely on Nora's version of the event to decide how they feel about her and her subsequent actions.

In The Great Gatsby, what do George Wilson and Tom Buchanan learn about their respective wives and how does each man react?

Both George Wilson and Tom Buchanan learn of their respective wives' infidelity, and they react in opposite ways.

Tom is large, athletic, wealthy, and confident to the point of being a bully. Wilson is "spiritless. . . anaemic," poor, and blond with light blue eyes, which in literature is sometimes associated with being weak, sensitive, and/ or bland.  

We first see the interplay of the two men's personalities in Chapter 2. Tom and Nick stop at Wilson's garage-cum-used car shop. After receiving a hearty slap on the shoulder from Tom, Wilson asks him,

"When are you going to sell me that car?"

"Next week; I've got my man working on it now."

"Works pretty slow, doesn't he?"

"No, he doesn't," said Tom coldly. "And if you feel that way about it, maybe I'd better sell it somewhere else after all."

"I don't mean that," explained Wilson quickly.

This tells us everything we need to know about these men's relationship. Tom knows Wilson needs the car, and insists on taking his sweet time just to show he can. Wilson has to put up with Tom's condescension because getting that car is critical to his financial survival.

Their relationships with their wives are also different. Tom treats his wife Daisy badly, but she stays with him, largely for financial security. Wilson is henpecked. Because Wilson lacks money, his wife doesn't respect him.

Both men learn, apparently on the same day, that their wives are having affairs.  

Tom, who we would expect to react with rage and perhaps violence, is, after his initial shock and anger, unruffled. He is sure he is a better man than Gatsby, his wife's lover, so he simply sets out to prove to Daisy that Gatsby is a fake, and is confident Daisy will never leave him.

George Wilson, who seemed incapable of standing up to his wife, reacts to the news that she has a lover swiftly and decisively. He decides to move her out West. When she puts up a fuss about this, he locks her in her room. After an even worse turn of events, he plans violence against her lover.

Arguably, the men's reactions show Wilson loves his wife—however inconvenient that love may be—while Tom does not love his wife. Tom just needs Daisy for certain things in his life, and he knows she needs him in the same way.

In the world of Suleiman’s childhood, is there a place for innocence?

There is very little room for innocence in the Tripoli of Suleiman's childhood. An innocent child is unaware of the problems of his parents and his world, but Suleiman is subjected to these problems at an earlier age. He sleeps beside his mother's bed after she drinks too much, while "wondering, if, like one of those hand puppets that play dead, she would bounce up again" (page 1). He has to take care of her as if he were the adult and she were the child. His father does not have to care for her in this way, as she only drinks when he's not home. Over time, she tells Suleiman the story of how she was forced to marry at a young age. Suleiman feels responsible for taking care of his mother, and he "wanted to run to her, to hold her hand, to latch onto her dress, as she shopped and dealt with the world, a world full of men, and the greed of men" (page 4). He feels protective of her, sensing that she cannot always take care of herself in a world ruled by men.

In addition, Suleiman is faced with the seeming duplicity of his father and of the state. At the beginning of the book, he sees his father in Tripoli after his father has told him that he would be out of town. His father's eyes are covered with sunglasses, which Suleiman finds "terrible" because "they keep those who wear them at a distance" (page 5). His father does not tell him about his political activities, though his father is attempting to work against the current state. Suleiman and his mother are followed by people from the government who are watching them, so he is fearful even when conducting routine chores. Eventually, members of the opposing party will continue to harass Suleiman's father and friends, making Suleiman's life one of anxiety and instability.

In Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, what does Algernon mean when he says “I keep science for Life" and later connects this idea to...

This statement by Algernon Moncrieff is part of the opening banter of the play. Algy has been playing piano, and he asks Lane, his butler, if he has been listening, which Lane denies. Algy then says that he doesn't play accurately, which is something anyone can do. Instead, he plays with "wonderful expression" and "sentiment." He then states that he keeps science for Life. By the context, we can see that Algy is using the term "science" as a synonym for accuracy and precision. There is some sense to the nonsense Algy is spewing here, because piano is "playing," whereas "Life" is serious, and so precision and accuracy should, rightly, be expended not on play, but on life. However, as with many of Algy's statements, the veracity of this declaration immediately flies out the window within just a couple of lines. Algy uses his statement about keeping science for life as a segue to asking Lane about the cucumber sandwiches he was supposed to prepare for Lady Bracknell, Algy's aunt. Cucumber sandwiches are intricate, precisely made delicacies designed specifically to impress the ostentatious Lady Bracknell, who is all about appearances rather than substance. So in one sense it is true that Algy is applying great precision to the part of "life" that involves making a good impression upon his aunt. But in another sense, to imply that "life" consists of winning approval from snobbish relatives by properly preparing cucumber sandwiches is nonsense. Certainly this is a game Algy and Lady Bracknell are playing, not a serious attempt at "Life" with a capital "L." This banter appropriately sets up the tone and theme of Wilde's play, which is, as he himself stated, to "treat all the trivial things of life seriously, and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality."

What is one other reason that Tom Robinson is considered a symbolic mockingbird other than the fact that he helped out Mayella Ewell?

Tom Robinson could be considered a symbolic mockingbird for various reasons other than generously helping out Mayella. Earlier in the novel, Atticus tells his children that they can shoot all the bluejays they want, but it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Maudie elaborates on Atticus' directive by mentioning that mockingbirds don't nest in corncribs or eat up people's gardens like bluejays. Atticus distinguishes the difference between the "guilty" bluejays and the "innocent" mockingbirds. Jem and Scout can tell by looking at the two birds that they are physically different because the mockingbird is predominately grey while the bluejay is colored blue. Interestingly, Atticus gives his children permission to kill the bluejays that are notorious for wreaking havoc, which represents his ideology regarding punishing guilty individuals. Bob Ewell is symbolically represented as a bluejay because he has evil intentions and lives wickedly, while Tom is symbolic of the innocent mockingbird. Atticus is essentially teaching his children how to distinguish between "innocent" mockingbirds and "guilty" bluejays.

Why are some foods preserved, and what causes food to rot?

Allow me to answer your question by first addressing why foods rot. There are two major factors in the rotting process. One of these is the fact that foods can get "old." In foods like fruit, vegetables, and meat, cell activity has almost entirely come to a halt. These foods are really just parts of a larger organism-- be it a cow or an apple tree-- so when we isolate them and cells begin to degrade, no new cells are being generated to replace them. Light, air, and moisture can all speed up the process of cell degradation, but even in the most protective of conditions, foods will eventually break down at the cellular level. Most foods contain enzymes which enable oxidation and cell degradation.

The second major factor in rot is bacteria! When microorganisms are introduced to a food source, they begin eating away at it. Some microorganisms, like yeast or mold, create colonies on the surface of foods exposed to open air. Others are able to permeate the entirety of a food, especially if this food material is surrounded by liquid. 

Not all rot is bad, though. In fact, some forms of rot are a means of preserving food. Fermentation is the result of bacterial activity and creates a controlled state of rot, allowing the food to be kept longer. Beverages like beer and wine are the result of the fermentation of fruit or grain and can keep for a very long time. Fermented cabbage, like kimchi and sauerkraut, are also well-preserved and keep for a long time. 

Preservation can be achieved through other means, like salting, drying, and pickling. In these cases, the purpose of preservation is to prevent rot by making the food inhospitable to microorganisms. 

In "The Ransom of Red Chief," what is the town Red Chief lives in and how is its name ironic?

The name of the town where Sam and Bill kidnap the boy who calls himself Red Chief is Summit. This name is ironic because, as Sam explains:

There was a town down there, as flat as a flannel-cake, and called Summit, of course.

The irony is that the name suggests a town on top of a mountain. Either the people who named the town didn't know what the word actually meant, or else they wanted a name that would suggest a town that stood out above all the others in the region.

O. Henry wanted to set his story in an area that was perfectly flat. This would make it easier for Sam to collect the ransom--provided that Ebenezer Dorset agreed to pay it. Sam could see the landscape for miles around the tree he had designated as the drop-off place. To make his task even safer he did not plan to approach the tree after the drop-off.

I had a scheme for collecting that ransom without danger of being caught by counterplots that ought to commend itself to professional kidnappers. The tree under which the answer was to be left--and the money later on--was close to the road fence with big, bare fields on all sides. If a gang of constables should be watching for any one to come for the note they could see him a long way off crossing the fields or in the road. But no, sirree! At half-past eight I was up in that tree as well hidden as a tree toad, waiting for the messenger to arrive.

Sam had a perfect vantage spot from up in the tree. If he saw that Ebenezer Dorset complied with the first demand, which was to drop off a letter accepting the kidnapper's terms, then Sam would assume that Dorset would comply with the second demand, which was to leave $1500 in cash at the foot of the tree by midnight. Sam undoubtedly planned to be up in the tree some time before midnight. But the father's letters squelched the whole scheme. Instead of agreeing to pay for the return of the boy, the father politely offered to accept him back if they would pay him $250.

When Columbus arrived at the island of Hispaniola, did he plant a cross and say "this is India and I am taking possession in the the name of...

More or less, yes, although I doubt he stated "This is India". There was actually a fairly standard protocol that the conquistadors followed whenever they made contact with a New World civilization. Generally speaking, the indigenous population greeted the arriving ships with open arms, as they had no idea what the motives of the Spanish explorers and conquistadors were, which was to claim not only the land, but everyone on it and their souls for Spain and the Catholic church.

The protocol went something like this: First, the ships would be spotted by the tribe(s) in question, and many of them would congregate on the shore anticipating their arrival. They would greet the Spanish with a big party, offering friendship, feasting, etc. In turn, the Spanish would engage in a show of force to demonstrate their technological and military might, often by aiming their ship's cannons at a tree or other object on the shore and blasting it to bits. This was meant to instill awe and fear. Then, indeed they would at some point plant a staff in the soil and declare that everything the staff touched, and all that was on the land it touched (including the people) was now the property of the Spanish crown and subject to Spanish authority, which also meant the people were all Catholics and subject to all the requirements of becoming and being Catholic. It did not matter that the indigenous audience did not understand a word of it, or even in the cases where they had translators available, grasp the implications of it.

I should point out that the greeting of the European explorers with open arms routine generally applied only to their first contact with them, since it didn't take the Native people long to figure out what the Europeans really had in mind. Also, it should be pointed out that following first contacts, after the Spanish or other Europeans came and left, anywhere from about 25% to 90% of the population soon succumbed to diseases like small pox that the Europeans carried to which the Natives had no immunity. This was of course an unintended consequence, but it did make subsequent efforts to subdue the Native population that much easier.

My sources for this are my degree in anthropology and minor in Native American Studies, which covered all this pretty thoroughly.

How did Bryon feel about the girls that he had dated and what did he reveal about them?

Bryon says that he has a reputation as a "lady killer" and has always been successful at hooking up with girls. He mentions that he has got himself into some difficult positions with boyfriends that he didn't even know existed. Bryon also says that he has told numerous girls that he loved them before when he really didn't, and comments that his dates with Angela, his ex-girlfriend, either ended in make-out sessions or fights. In Chapter 3, Bryon takes Cathy to the school dance, and they both run into Angela. Bryon is shocked to find out that Cathy is not intimidated or jealous of Angela at all. Byron says that Cathy was the first person he's dated who wasn't scared that some other chick would show her up. In Chapter 7, Bryon says that he remembered all the trouble that Angela had caused, as well as her dramatic, unfriendly family. Bryon resents Angela, and she makes him feel sick to his stomach. Cathy is nothing like the girls he used to date because she is innocent and down to earth.

Bryon's ex-girlfriends are confrontational, have low self-esteem, and are generally immoral individuals. They cheat on their boyfriends, are easily seduced by Mark and believe every word he says. After meeting Cathy, Bryon has no motivation to be involved with them anymore and regrets being with them in the first place.

In Chapter 39 of Great Expectations, what has Magwitch done by coming to England?

Magwitch will be hanged if he is caught returning to England because he was deported to Australia.

At twenty-three, Pip has already come into the mature version of his expectations, although Jaggers still has to lecture Pip about his cluelessness with money. Pip still has no idea where the money comes from, and Jaggers refuses to tell him who it is from or when he will find out his benefactor's identity. Pip does not keep track of his money and pays for things on credit instead of with the money he has.

One night, Pip is in his quarters when he is surprised by a strange, rough-looking man. Once he gets over his shock, Pip realizes the man is Magwitch, his convict. Magwitch explains all Pip's money came from him. He sends it from Australia, where he made his fortune as a sheep farmer. He couldn’t bear to be away any longer, though. At great personal risk, Magwitch traveled to England because he wanted to see what Pip had become.

It warn't easy, Pip, for me to leave them parts, nor yet it warn't safe. But I held to it, and the harder it was, the stronger I held, for I was determined, and my mind firm made up. At last I done it. Dear boy, I done it! (Chapter 39) 

Pip wants to show affection to Magwitch. To a certain extent, he does sympathize with him. The shock of the situation is too much for Pip, though. He sees all his hopes and dreams crumbling and slipping away. His money did not come from Miss Havisham, meaning he will not be a gentleman and marry Estella. 

Estella not designed for me; I only suffered in Satis House as a convenience. . . But, sharpest and deepest pain of all—it was for the convict, guilty of I knew not what crimes, and liable to be taken out of those rooms where I sat thinking, and hanged at the Old Bailey door, that I had deserted Joe (Chapter 39). 

Pip now has to protect Magwitch, which is a task he is ill-equipped for. Jaggers is not much help, because he doesn’t not want to get involved. He won’t even acknowledge that he knows what is happening. Pip may not want Magwitch there, and is mortified to be connected to him, but he also does not want him to be hanged.

What quotes reveal Curley's power in Of Mice and Men?

Curley is the boss's son and is certainly more powerful than the other men on the ranch. He is also a bully and uses his power to intimidate. He is a former boxer and makes sure all the men know about it by showing them newspaper clippings about when he competed in the Golden Gloves (boxing competition). In chapter two he confronts George and Lennie. When Lennie is quiet, Curley becomes irritated and basically orders him to speak:

Curley stared levelly at him. “Well, nex’ time you answer when you’re spoke to.”

In both chapter two and three Curley wields his power by demanding the men tell them if they have seen his wife. He seems to be forever looking for her. At the end of chapter two he again accosts George, this time almost threatening violence:

“You seen a girl around here?” he demanded angrily.
George said coldly. “’Bout half an hour ago maybe.”
“Well what the hell was she doin’?”
George stood still, watching the angry little man. He said insultingly, “She said—she was lookin’ for you.” 

Curley seemed really to see George for the first time. His eyes flashed over George, took in his height, measured his reach, looked at his trim middle. “Well, which way’d she go?” he demanded at last.

In chapter three, after being insulted by Slim, Carlson and Whit about how he's always looking for his wife, he becomes enraged and picks a fight with Lennie. Lennie is smiling broadly over the dream of the farm which George has just been describing. Curley thinks Lennie is laughing at him and promptly challenges him:

Then Curley’s rage exploded. “Come on, ya big bastard. Get up on your feet. No big son-of-a-bitch is gonna laugh at me. I’ll show ya who’s yella.”

Curley initially beats Lennie badly until George yells for Lennie to fight. As Curley is swinging Lennie catches his hand, crushing it badly. Immediately, because of Curley's power on the ranch, George is concerned that Curley will ask his father to fire them. George asks Slim,

“Slim, will we get canned now? We need the stake. Will Curley’s old man can us now?” 

Slim threatens Curley with telling everyone how he was beaten by Lennie, and for a time this changes Curley. He is not so demonstrative around the men. When his wife is discovered dead, however, he reverts back to his authoritarian way. He says he will kill Lennie and organizes the men for a manhunt: 

Curley came suddenly to life. “I know who done it,” he cried. “That big son-of-a-bitch done it. I know he done it. Why—ever’body else was out there playin’ horseshoes.” He worked himself into a fury. “I’m gonna get him. I’m going for my shotgun. I’ll kill the big son-of-a-bitch myself. I’ll shoot ‘im in the guts. Come on, you guys.” He ran furiously out of the barn. Carlson said, “I’ll get my Luger,” and he ran out too.

The threat of Curley's power to actually go through with hunting down Lennie and killing him in a brutal way leads George to make his fateful decision to kill his friend himself. 

`int sin^3(theta) cos^4(theta) d theta` Evaluate the integral

`intsin^3(theta)cos^4(theta)d theta`

Rewrite the integrand as,

`=intsin^2(theta)sin(theta)cos^4(theta)d theta`

Now use the identity: `sin^2(x)=1-cos^2(x)`

`=int(1-cos^2(theta))sin(theta)cos^4(theta)d theta`

Now apply integral substitution.

Let `u=cos(theta)`

`=>du=-sin(theta)d theta`

`=int-(1-u^2)u^4du`

`=-int(1-u^2)u^4du`

`=-int(u^4-u^6)du`

`=-intu^4du+intu^6du`

`=-u^5/5+u^7/7`

Substitute back `u=cos(theta)`

`=-1/5cos^5(theta)+1/7cos^7(theta)`

Add a constant C to the solution,

`=-1/5cos^5(theta)+1/7cos^7(theta)+C`

What are cognitive-behavioral therapies for addictions and substance abuse?

History and Development

Early work by researchers including Ivan Pavlov, John B.
Watson, and B. F. Skinner was
based on classical behavioral theory, which states that learning begins with an
individual's interactions with the environment and that behaviors form from
exposure to stimuli in the environment. In the 1960s theorist Aaron T. Beck
emphasized the impact of each person’s thoughts and emotions on behavior,
referring to therapy that addressed both thoughts and behaviors as
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

General Uses

CBT has been used widely in the field of psychiatry for disorders including those of mood, thought, personality, and addiction. CBT can occur in either a one-to-one therapist-patient setting or in a group therapy setting.

In the area of addictions and substance abuse, research by G. Alan Marlatt and J.
R. Gordon published in the 1980s incorporated CBT concepts into a specific
strategy for preventing relapse of negative addictive behaviors. Experts note that
CBT may be one of the most studied treatments for addiction, and research has
confirmed that this approach, especially when used in a group setting, has a
generally modest but positive effect in persons who have abuse or addiction
diagnoses.

The use of CBT with either medication or other psychosocial approaches may provide
an added benefit in some cases as compared with CBT alone. While CBT differs in
many ways from popular twelve-step
programs such as Alcoholics
Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous that are often used
by people struggling with addictive behaviors, both CBT and twelve-step approaches
encourage participants to pursue activities that are incompatible with the
addictive behavior and to find ways to combat negative thinking.

Persons who participate in CBT to cope with an addiction or abuse problem work with the therapist to understand repeated patterns that promote ongoing substance abuse and addiction. Persons in therapy learn to identify factors that can trigger relapse of abusive or addictive behaviors and learn how to successfully refuse the substance or behavior of abuse.

CBT participants explore the consequences of continued substance abuse behaviors. Scrutiny of even seemingly small decisions that may affect thoughts, emotions, or behavior, as in the case of an alcoholic who may pass a favorite bar on the way to or from work, is strongly encouraged. CBT emphasizes the successful use of coping skills and the adoption of new activities that are completely unrelated to the addictive behavior.

An important aspect of CBT is identifying thoughts that support continued substance abuse or other addictive behaviors (often referred to as cognitive distortions) and learning to replace these thoughts with more beneficial ones. This process is called reframing. Patients engage in role play or rehearsal that is intended to help them cope with cravings for the addictive substance or behavior, or with high-risk situations, such as being invited to an occasion at which the substance of abuse will be available. Patients are often assigned homework, during which they can practice new thought patterns or skills learned during therapy sessions. Treatment goals are usually well defined in CBT, and sessions are structured, brief in duration, and often limited to twelve to twenty-four weeks.

Limitations

While experts have identified many benefits associated with CBT, one potential disadvantage of this approach is the need for specialized and fairly complex training of therapists so that they can use CBT techniques effectively with patients. CBT may have limited usefulness in patients who have higher levels of cognitive impairment or in those who are not prepared to undertake the work that is required for learning new thoughts and behaviors.

Bibliography

Ball, Samuel A. “Psychotherapy Models for Substance Abuse.” Psychiatric Times 20 (2003): 171. Print.

Bennett-Levy, James, et al. Experiencing CBT from the Inside Out: A Self-Practice/Self-Reflection Workbook for Therapists. New York: Guilford, 2015. Print.

Carroll, Kathleen M.
“Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies.” The American Psychiatric
Publishing Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment. Ed. Marc
Galanter and Herbert D. Kleber. 4th ed. 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2011.

Kobak, Kenneth A., et al.
"Web-Based Therapist Training on Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Anxiety
Disorders: A Pilot Study." Psychotherapy 50.2 (2013):
235–47. Print.

Larimer, Mary E., Rebekka S. Palmer, and G. Alan Marlatt. “Relapse Prevention: An Overview of Marlatt’s Cognitive-Behavioral Model.” Alcohol Research and Health 23 (1999): 151–60. Print.

Magill, Molly, and Lara A. Ray. “Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment with Adult Alcohol and Illicit Drug Users: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 70 (1999): 516–27. Print.

Natl. Assn. of
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists. “What Is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy?”
NACBT.org. Natl. Assn. of Cognitive-Behavioral
Therapists, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2012.

Wells, Adrian. Cognitive Therapy of Anxiety Disorders: A Practice Manual and Conceptual Guide. New York: Wiley, 2013. Print.

Winerman, Lea. "Breaking Free from
Addiction." American Psychological Association. American
Psychological Assn., June 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.

Wright, Jesse, Michael
Thase, and Aaron Beck. Cognitive-Behavior Therapy.
Washington: Amer. Psych., 2014. Print.

In the book Arabian Nights and Days, what physical features and social practices of this imagined but very traditional Arab city are learned?

The physical features incorporated into the action depict a land with mountains harboring jade deposits (seemingly mined, since "old jade" is a feature of note) next to areas of agricultural cultivation, which are next to a barren desert.

Following the dawn prayer, with clouds of darkness defying the vigorous thrust of light, the vizier Dandan was called to a meeting with the sultan Shahriyar. . . He went by a road that led up to the mountain on an old jade. . .

[Urg] had to move away from the cultivated land. He had to search for some hole in the desert, for some safe place to keep the body until he had his desires.  

Jade deposits often occur in mountainous areas like the ones Dandan walks through. A present-day example of mountainous jade deposits is in the Jade Mountains in Canada's British Columbia. In contrast, California's San Joaquin Valley illustrates how agricultural and desert areas can exist next to (jade-filled) mountains because of the "rain-shadow effect." Mahfouz's created land is geographically correct (and interesting).

The social practices represented through characters (such as Gamasa al-Bulti) and plot development shows a society that is in many respects a contemporary society. They have "plain-clothed" policemen, police patrols, arrests, interrogations, and intimidating police warnings, like the one Gamasa gave to Fadil Sanaan. They have corrupt government officials ("Let us leave the rulers till ruling corrupts them"), including governors. They have schools of learning from which students graduate, such as Sheikh Abdullah al-Balkhi's school of the Way. They have dissenting religious groups, such as the Shiites and the Kharijites, dissenters Gamasa has the duty to arrest. One thing that isn't contemporary that their society has is magic and deep superstition, depicted by the Cap of Invisibility given to Fadil by the stranger.

Presented simply as a list, other social practices in their society include

• seekers and teachers of higher truth


• typical work schedules: "He scarcely slept a wink that night and went off to work early in the morning."


• blackmail and bribery: "'You should make it ten thousand, master,' Urg said gently."


• political action (petitions to the governor)


• politico-religious dissension: [Gamasa al-Bulti said to Fadil] "[M]y first task, as you know, is to pursue the Shiites and the Kharijites."


• highway robbery


• local security


• local trade (it is known that security and trade are tied closely together and that trade is closely tied to a thriving community)

What different types of computer technology are used in health care?

There are many types of technology utilized by the health care industry. These range from record- and bookkeeping software to lasers used in surgical procedures to the development of imaging technologies to supplement or replace the age-old use of x-rays and other means of diagnosing illnesses and injuries. As with many other types of industries, health care facilities are always adapting to technological developments in their fields and always seeking to upgrade their capabilities to both provide their patients with the best available instruments and to keep pace with a highly-competitive operating environment.

Managing a modern medical facility requires the introduction of state-of-the-art software for maintaining patient records and for billing purposes. Medical billing and coding are two types of activity common to all medical facilities. The role of insurance companies in the regulation of medical care is substantial, and health care providers are in a constant state of communication with insurance companies and with federal and state government medical care programs, such as Medicaid, which is a federally-operated health care program for the indigent, and Medicare, which is a federally-operated health care program oriented towards the elderly, as well as Tricare, which is the health insurance program offered to military families and retirees. The large number of “players” in the health care payment system provides both for competition in the marketplace and for confusion and complications in the billing and authorization processes. Computer software programs intended to facilitate the keeping and processing of medical records for billing purposes, then, have to be constantly updated to keep pace with growing demand for health care among an aging population and for a frequently-evolving system of payers and processors. The transition over time from paper files to Electronic Heath Records both improves the efficiency of the health care industry’s record-keeping processes and makes more vulnerable to theft and violations of patient privacy those same now-electronically-maintained records.

Technologies utilized in the health care field also include those utilized for the diagnosis of illnesses and injuries, from cancerous cells to broken bones. Long-dependent upon x-rays and invasive surgical procedures to locate and diagnose illnesses, the evolution of technology has allowed for more precise and less-invasive procedures. The development of computerized tomography, or CT (often referred to as “cat” scan) imaging technology, and of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices revolutionized the diagnostic industry. Both are routinely used, along with evolved x-ray technology (with much briefer periods of radioactive exposure to which the patient is subjected than in earlier periods) and are very efficient at helping radiologists and others to detect illnesses, like tumors, in their infancy, thereby making successful treatment far more likely.

Finally, technologies used in the performance of surgical procedures have advanced greatly over the years. Cyberknife, for instance, utilizes highly-focused, high-dosage radiation to penetrate the patient’s skin without the use of invasive surgical procedures to treat tumors and other growths. More invasive but oft-used technologies include surgical lasers, which used extremely-intense focused light (laser beams) to cut and repair tissue, a major improvement, in many cases, over reliance on scalpels to cut tissue.

These, then, are some of the most prominent uses of technology in the health care field.

What are natural treatments for autism spectrum disorders?

Introduction

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD, previously called autism) is a
poorly understood family of related conditions. People with ASD generally lack
normal social interaction skills and engage in a variety of unusual and often
characteristic behaviors, such as repetitive movements. There is no specific
medical treatment for ASD and its cause remains unclear. Anecdotal evidence of
remarkable cures with the use of the substance secretin had
raised hopes, but these hopes faded when numerous formal research trials found
secretin ineffective. Also, despite public concerns that the measles, mumps, and
rubella (MMR)
vaccine may cause autism spectrum disorder, the balance of
the evidence strongly suggests that this is not true.

Proposed Natural Treatments

Nutrients. Some physicians involved with natural medicine believe that ASD and many other illnesses are caused by genetic defects in the body that interfere with the metabolism of certain nutrients. For example, there is some evidence that children with ASD may have trouble metabolizing vitamin B6. Based on this theory, various supplements have been advocated for treatment. However, despite a number of favorable anecdotal reports, there is no reliable supporting evidence from meaningful studies. As the secretin example shows, anecdotes can easily be misleading.

One ten-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of eighteen
autistic children evaluated high doses of vitamin C for
its effects on behavior. Participants received 8 grams (g) of vitamin C for every
70 kilograms (kg) of body weight. In this rather complex study, all participants
received vitamin C for ten weeks. After that, half received vitamin C and the
other half received placebo for another ten weeks. During the third and final
ten-week period, the vitamin C and placebo groups were switched. (At this level of
vitamin C intake, many people experience diarrhea.) The results indicated that the
use of vitamin C caused significant improvements in behavior when compared with
the use of placebo. This study, however, was small and had various design
problems. Nonetheless, it does suggest that further research into using vitamin C
for ASD might be advisable.

Another double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study found indications that high doses of vitamin B6 may produce beneficial effects in the treatment of ASD. Again, however, this study was small and poorly designed; furthermore, it used a dose of vitamin B6 so high that it could cause toxicity.

It has been suggested that combining magnesium with vitamin B6 could offer additional benefits, such as reducing side effects or allowing a reduced dose of the vitamin. However, the two reasonably well-designed studies using combined vitamin B6 and magnesium have failed to find benefits. Therefore, it is not possible to recommend vitamin B6 with or without magnesium as a treatment for ASD.

One small study found that the use of a multivitamin-multimineral supplement improved sleep and gastrointestinal problems in people with ASD to a greater extent than placebo.

Other natural approaches. An eight-week, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial of thirty-one children found preliminary evidence that
the supplement carnosine at a dose of 400 milligrams twice daily might be helpful
for ASD. Massage
therapy might also be helpful for ASD, according to one small
controlled study.

It has been suggested that food additives, food
allergies, or other dietary factors may play a role in ASD,
but meaningful supporting evidence for this theory has not been presented. One
small but well-designed study failed to find benefit through eliminating gluten
and casein from the diet. The study followed a double-blind design; parents
generally thought they saw improvement, but perceived improvements were equally
divided between the treatment group and the placebo group. A 2008 review of all
published randomized trials on the subject found no convincing evidence that the
elimination of gluten or casein (or both) from the diet of autistic children led
to any significant improvement.

Bibliography

Adams, J. B., and C. Holloway. “Pilot Study of a Moderate Dose Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 10 (2005): 1033-1039.

Chez, M. G., et al. “Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of L-carnosine Supplementation in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders.” Journal of Child Neurology 17 (2002): 833-837.

Elder, J. H., et al. “The Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet in Autism.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 36 (2006): 413-420.

Field, T., et al. “Brief Report: Autistic Children’s Attentiveness and Responsivity Improve After Touch Therapy.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 27 (1997): 333-338.

Madsen, K. M., et al. “A Population-Based Study of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccination and Autism.” New England Journal of Medicine 347 (2002): 1477-1482.

Millward, C., et al. “Gluten- and Casein-Free Diets for Autistic Spectrum Disorder.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2008): CD003498. Available through EBSCO DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance at http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed.

Molloy, C. A., et al. “Lack of Benefit of Intravenous Synthetic Human Secretin in the Treatment of Autism.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 32 (2002): 545-551.

Nye, C., and A. Brice. “Combined Vitamin B6-Magnesium Treatment in Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2002): CD003497. Available through EBSCO DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance at http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed.

Who is Picasso?

Pablo Picasso was a Spanish artist who lived from 1881-1973 and is credited with being one of the greatest artists of the 20th century; he invented the Cubism style of painting and also contributed strongly to the Surrealism style of painting. He struggled as a student, but he ultimately focused on his art and, thus, he changed the way both artists and non-artists saw the world.

Picasso began to draw as a child, and he showed a talent for it very early on. As he got older, he began to feel confined by the rules and order of the structure of school. It was his talent alone that allowed him to continue to be accepted at some of the finest art preparatory schools in Europe. He discovered that his penchant for invention was desperately needed in the art world; he felt accepted enough to begin to push the definitions of painting techniques, methods, and traditions.

As a result, some of his most well-known paintings are The Old Guitarist, Three Musicians, Girl Before a Mirror, and The Three Dancers. He is also known for the various periods into which his art can be divided, for example: his Blue Period, his Rose Period, his Cubism period, and his Surrealism period.

Picasso's private life was complex and, like many genius artists, troubled. He was involved in a number of relationships throughout his life and earned the title of "womanizer." One of his wives committed suicide after his death, and another of his significant others (though he never married her) committed suicide during his lifetime. He fathered four children.

Picasso transformed the art world by continuing to challenge its status quo and invent new ways to express himself that were picked up and practiced by other artists both during his lifetime and afterward.

Is Polonius a co-conspirator in Hamlet?

Whether or not Polonius is a co-conspirator in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet depends on what you consider a co-conspirator. Indeed, in most adaptations of Shakespeare’s work and in the Bard’s play itself, Polonius is not directly named as a co-conspirator in Hamlet’s father’s assassination. In Act II, Scene II, however, Polonius does in fact conspire with King Claudius to spy on Hamlet and discover if Hamlet’s madness is genuine or feigned. In a key exchange with Claudius, Polonius admits he will do whatever he can to get to the heart of matters:

“Take this from this, if this be otherwise:

If circumstances lead me, I will find

Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed

Within the centre”

(http://shakespeare.mit.edu/hamlet/full.html).

He does eventually spy on Hamlet, which inadvertently leads to his demise. In Act III, Scene IV, Polonius hides behind drapes within Queen Gertrude’s closet. When he is discovered, Hamlet slays Polonius, thinking instead that he may have murdered Claudius. When Queen Gertrude chastises him for murdering Polonius, Hamlet draws the act back to her supposed betrayal of his father:

"A bloody deed! almost as bad, good mother,

As kill a king, and marry with his brother" (http://shakespeare.mit.edu/hamlet/full.html).

In summation, there is no firm evidence that Polonius has a hand in Hamlet’s father’s murder. However, Polonius does conspire to spy on Hamlet, so in that sense he could be labeled a co-conspirator.

In The Bet by Anton Chekov, what is meant when the lawyer says "The geniuses of all ages and of all lands speak different languages, but the same...

Sometime during the second half of the lawyer's sixth year of imprisonment, he began to voraciously study multiple languages.  Over the next four years, the lawyer ordered and consumed around six hundred volumes of various texts across multiple languages.  By that time, ten years of imprisonment had occurred, and the lawyer could claim fluency in six languages.  

Because of his new language abilities, he was able to study the great works of many cultures and time periods in their original language.  After doing so he wrote, 

"The geniuses of all ages and of all lands speak different languages, but the same flame burns in them all." 

What the quote means is that despite wide gaps in time, culture, and language, the same universal truths still are present.  Regardless of race or ethnicity, humans still hunger for and seek greater learning and knowledge.  They all still ask the same basic questions about the meaning of life, truth, and happiness.  In general, the flame that burns is the flame of curiosity.  

How many elements are in the periodic table? Who created the periodic table? What are two metalloids? How many metals are there?

The periodic table is a systematic arrangement of chemical elements, ordered by their atomic numbers and hence electron configuration. Various properties can be generalized simply based on the periodic table. There are trends in atomic size, ionization energy, electron affinity, and metallic property. These properties result from the electronic properties of elements, and are a natural consequence of their periodic arrangement.

While he was not the first to create a table of elements, Dmitri Mendeleev often gets credit for the first periodic table. Mendeleev arranged the elements in order of increasing atomic weights, and what is unique about his periodic table is that he left blanks for elements that weren't discovered during his time, but that he believed to exist based on properties of known elements and patterns arising from his table. Upon discovery of the nucleus—protons and neutrons—and further discoveries in quantum mechanics, the periodic table was revised to reflect an order by atomic number instead of by weight.

The periodic table is divided into various categories—outermost valence shell (which includes s, p, d, and f block elements) or metallic property. Metals are toward the left side of the periodic table and non-metals toward the right. An exception is hydrogen, which is put on the first column due to other properties, such as its tendency to form a +1 ion just like the others in that column. Metalloids are semi-conductors with both metallic and non-metallic properties and sit in between these two groups in a diagonal that includes boron and silicon. The current periodic table has eight metalloids. The number of metals and non-metals cannot be stated, as some elements with higher atomic numbers have not been thoroughly characterized yet. Following the trends, of the 118 elements, 92 must be metals, with the rest being either non-metals or metalloids.

In very recent times, four of the heavy elements—113, 115, 117, and 118—have been properly confirmed and named.

What are sex hormones and motivation?

Introduction

Sex hormones exert an important influence on behavior. These hormones control sexual maturation at puberty, and they have an impact on the sex drive and on sexual activity throughout the life span. In most animal species, sex hormones completely control sexual behavior. In humans, their role is more limited. Human sexual motivation is the result of the complex interplay of hormones, psychological factors, and social factors.

At puberty, the brain releases several hormones that travel through the bloodstream to target organs. In males, the targets are the testes; in females, the ovaries. In response to the hormones released from the brain, these targets begin to produce the sex hormones. The principal male sex hormone is testosterone
(the name refers to the fact that it is produced by the testes). With the production of testosterone at puberty in human males, facial and body hair grows, bones and muscles develop more fully, the voice deepens, and the genitals enlarge. In females, two sex hormones are produced by the ovaries at puberty, estradiol
(often called estrogen) and progesterone. Estradiol is responsible for breast development, changes in female appearance (for example, wider hips), and maturation of the genitals and uterus. Progesterone plays a major role in preparing the female body for menstruation and pregnancy. It should be noted that although testosterone is called the “male sex hormone,” it is also found in females, though in much smaller quantities. The same applies to the female sex hormones, which are found in males.

After puberty is completed, the sex hormones continue to play a role in sexual motivation. In most mammal species, the female goes through a regular cycle, the estrous cycle, during which sex hormones are released, causing an increase in sex drive. During this phase of the cycle, a female will seek a male partner with the goal of reproduction; she is said to be “in heat.” In the presence of a female in estrus, the male experiences an increase in the sex hormone testosterone, and he will be sexually attracted to the female. For example, male rats will ignore a female whose ovaries have been removed and who thus cannot produce estradiol; however, an injection of estradiol will make the female interested in sex, and males will approach her for sexual activity. In these animals, sexual behavior is largely determined by the females’ sexual readiness, which depends on the phase of estrus.

In most animal species, the male learns of a female’s sexual readiness by the presence of a chemical she emits called a pheromone. Pheromones are usually derived from vaginal secretions during estrus. If pheromones are collected from an animal in estrus and applied to another that is not in estrus, males will approach the nonreceptive female and attempt sexual intercourse. In humans, pheromones do not appear to play a significant role in sexual attraction.

The Human Condition

Humans are quite different from other animals in other respects. While the sex hormones do have an important influence, they do not control sexual motivation and behavior. Research has shown that males who have abnormally low levels of testosterone have problems achieving erection and often have a very low sex drive. Injections of testosterone restore the ability to obtain normal erection in these cases. Abnormally high levels of testosterone, however, do not cause an unusually high sex drive. Apparently, there is a minimum level of testosterone necessary for normal sexual behavior, but higher levels do not seem to have any significant effect.

Like females of other animal species, the human female goes through a cycle during which levels of sex hormones are increased. This cycle in humans and primates is called the menstrual cycle. Although human females experience cyclic increases in the sex hormones estradiol and progesterone, there is no clear indication of change in sexual motivation during this phase. For most women, sex drive does not vary with sex hormone levels. For example, women who have had their ovaries removed continue to experience a normal sex drive. The same usually applies to women who have undergone menopause, the stage of the life in the late forties during which the ovaries cease producing sex hormones. Most postmenopausal women continue to enjoy a normal sex life in spite of their reduced sex hormone levels.

Though the role of the sex hormones in sexual motivation in women is limited, it appears that testosterone plays a role. In women, small amounts of testosterone are produced by the adrenal glands, small glands that secrete several hormones and are located atop the kidneys. Removal of the adrenal glands often abolishes the sex drive in women. In adult female monkeys whose adrenal glands and ovaries have been removed, injections of testosterone restore sex drive and sexual activity. In women, while testosterone appears to play a role, many psychological factors such as attitudes and religious beliefs seem to be more important in understanding sexual motivation.

Hormones and Sexual Dysfunctions

Knowledge about sex hormones and their role in sexual motivation has been used in several ways. With the discovery that castration, or removal of the testes, drastically lowers sex drive, it was concluded that some cases of impaired sex drive in males may be caused by low levels of testosterone. For example, a soldier was castrated by an explosive during World War I. As a result, he lost interest in sex, was unable to obtain an erection, and lost significant muscle mass; his hips also expanded. After receiving five injections of high doses of testosterone, he was experiencing normal erections, his sex drive returned, and he began to gain weight and muscle mass. For males whose sexual difficulties are caused by abnormally low levels of testosterone, regular injections tend to restore a normal sex drive and the ability to achieve erections. Studies reveal, however, that not all individuals who are castrated experience changes in sexual behavior. For reasons that are unclear, some males appear capable of sexual behavior in spite of the removal of the testes.

Giving doses of estradiol or progesterone to men has several effects. First, excesses of these hormones cause a sharp decline in the production of testosterone, which may interfere with sex drive, erection, and ejaculation. Administering estradiol also causes breast enlargement in men. When given to men, progesterone causes a decrease in sex drive and erection ability. It does not tend to make males develop a female appearance, as estradiol does. This knowledge has been applied to treating sex offenders. Compulsive sex offenders, especially child molesters, are sometimes given injections of progesterone to help them control their sexual urges. When combined with counseling, this treatment may be useful in helping these persons gain some control over their sexual activity. While receiving the injections, the sex offenders often lose their sex drive and have trouble achieving erections. These effects are only temporary and disappear when progesterone is no longer given.

Women with unusually low levels of estradiol do not appear to suffer from direct sexual problems. They do experience difficulties with vaginal lubrication. Vaginal dryness makes sexual intercourse difficult and painful as a result of friction. One remedy for this problem is the use of a lubricant.

One early theory of homosexuality
proposed that an imbalance in the sex hormones was responsible for sexual attraction to members of the same sex. According to the theory, male homosexuality was caused by a deficiency in testosterone or an excess of estradiol. This would explain why some men display the behavior expected of women: attraction to men and, according to popular stereotypes, effeminate mannerisms. Female homosexuality was believed to be caused by excess testosterone and, possibly, insufficient estradiol. Scientific tests of the theory have consistently failed to support it. Homosexuals, both male and female, do not differ from heterosexuals in their circulating sex hormone levels. Therefore, the hormone imbalance theory of homosexuality is no longer accepted. In fact, abnormally low levels of testosterone in men do not make them sexually attracted to men; the typical result is a decrease in sexual interest for any type of sexual partner. In women, excessively elevated levels of testosterone do not cause lesbianism; if anything, they tend to increase women’s sexual interest in men. Factors other than levels of sex hormones are important in understanding homosexuality.

Another application involves the treatment of transgender individuals—those whose gender identity does not match the one they were assigned at birth based on their anatomy. Sex hormones may be used in hormone replacement therapy for people who want to bring their secondary sex characteristics more into line with their gender identity. For example, transgender women—those who identify as female although they were born with a male anatomy—may be administered regular doses of estrogens. As a result, the person will experience breast growth, smoother skin, loss of muscle mass, and decreases in erection and sperm production. The treatment does not change facial and body hair or raise the pitch of the voice, but physical appearance will become more femalelike. For transgender men—those who identify as male although they were born with a female body—testosterone is administered, which leads to growth of facial and body hair, deepening of the voice, and the end of menstruation. Hormone therapy is often a precursor to gender reassignment surgery for transgender individuals.

Instincts and Culture

The term “hormone” is derived from the Greek hormaein, which means “to set in motion.” It was first used in 1904 to refer to those bodily substances that can have a profound influence on human development and behavior. All knowledge about the sex hormones is relatively new. Undoubtedly, much more will be discovered as medical technology continues to develop rapidly.

Knowledge about the effects of castration dates back to ancient China and Arabic countries. In these countries castration was practiced to provide safe guardians of the royal harem. The castrated guardians, or eunuchs, were considered safe since their sexual motivation was impaired as a result of testosterone deficiency. In Europe, up to the beginning of the nineteenth century, boys in church choirs were sometimes castrated to ensure their continued ability to sing soprano.

Thus, a general understanding about the importance of the testes in affecting human development and behavior is not new. Information about the exact nature and role of sex hormones, however, is relatively new. For example, the eighteenth century physician Simon Tissot believed that the results of castration were caused by impairments in semen production. According to his view, the loss of semen caused a decrease in strength, passivity, and a variety of other complications. It was not until the twentieth century that the loss of testosterone was identified as the mechanism underlying the effects of castration.

Although sexual motivation in lower animals is readily understood in terms of sex hormones and instincts, human sexual behavior is much more complex. A number of cultural and psychological factors, in combination with sex hormones, interact to determine human sexual motivation and behavior. The range of sexual activities in lower animals is limited and rigidly controlled by the phase of the female’s estrous cycle. In humans, there is tremendous variability in types of sexual behavior, timing and frequency of sex, choice of partners, number of partners, and context of sexual activity. These variables are influenced by cultural standards regarding sexual activity. In permissive cultures, such as in Polynesia, sexual experimentation is encouraged and expected. Other cultures are more restrictive and discourage sex before marriage.

Within each culture, other factors such as peer group influence, familial and religious beliefs and values toward sexuality, and individual fears (such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases) can also have an impact on human sexual behavior. For example, the threat of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has led some individuals to change their sexual behavior. Abstinence and monogamy are advocated by some, while others, including many adolescents, have adopted few changes. On the other hand, the development of drugs such as sildenafil (Viagra) that overcome the effects of the normal decline of male sex hormones with age is part of a movement to increase conscious control of and prolongation of sexuality.

Thus, although sex hormones play an important role in human sexual behavior, especially with respect to sexual maturity and sex drive, several cultural and psychological influences are more important. To address the problems of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease, including AIDS, all factors that determine human sexual motivation and behavior must be explored in depth.

Bibliography

Carlson, Neil R. Foundations of Physiological Psychology. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn, 2008. Print.

Hoffman, Anne B. Sex Hormones: Development, Regulation and Disorders. New York: Nova Science, 2011. Print.

Katchadourian, Herant A. Fundamentals of Human Sexuality. 5th ed. Fort Worth: Holt, 1989. Print.

LeVay, Simon. Gay, Straight, and the Reason Why: The Science of Sexual Orientation. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.

Masters, William H., Virginia E. Johnson, and Robert C. Kolodny. Human Sexuality. 5th ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1995. Print.

Pinel, John P. J. Biopsychology. 8th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2014. Print.