Essay On Ray Bradbury - 1154 Words

Who is Ray Bradbury? Well many of you probably already know who he is. He is an author who wrote many good books such as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, and The October Country. I have read his book Fahrenheit 451 and it was a spectacular piece of art. In this paper you will learn more about this legendary author named Ray Bradbury. Ray bradbury was born August 22nd, 1920 in Waukegan Illinois. He died June 5th, 2012 in Los Angeles California at the age of 91. His parents were Leonard Spaulding Bradbury and Esther Moberg Bradbury. As a CHild he liked to watch magicians and liked to read adventure and fantasy fiction. He especially liked the works of L. Frank Baum, Jules Verne, and Edgar Rice Burroughs.†¦show more content†¦While it seemed like a science fiction novel to everyone, Bradbury thought of it as a fantasy. Later on his short stories started to adapted as comic books. Bradbury s best known work was Fahrenheit 451 and personally one of my favorites. It became an instant hit in the era of McCarthyism because of its dystopian theme. Later on in 2007 he disputed that Fahrenheit 451 was not about censorship but about how television drives away the want to read.(Patia Daphne â€Å"Assault on free thought.†) Fahrenheit 451 is about a dystopian future where books are illegal, walls are televisions, and firemen don t put out fires but start them to get rid of books in the house. It is the story of Guy Montag who is a Firemen who goes against it all and reads books in secret and finds out that they shouldn t be burning them and he figures out the true history of the world. In this world there is no interest in doing anything but working and watching television in their parlors, but the people who know what s actually going on are hunted down and killed or put in prison. Later on in his life, despite his hate for television, he advocated for movies and television shows. He had many screenplays written including his take on Moby Dick in 1956, in 1986 he had a television series on HBO based around his short stories and comic books which ran until 1992. He published 30 books, close 600 shortShow MoreRelatedEssay on Ray Bradbury1243 Words   |  5 Pages Ray Bradbury nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ray Bradbury was a dreamer. Bradbury had a skill at putting his dreams onto paper, and into books. He dreams dreams of magic and transformation, good and evil, small-town America and the canals of Mars. His dreams are not only popular, but durable. His work consists of short stories, which are not hard to publish, and keep in the public eye. His stories have stayed in print for nearly three decades. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ray Bradbury was bornRead MoreThe Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury Essay493 Words   |  2 Pagesbelieves in. Imagery is one of the best used literary devices in this short story. Imagery means â€Å"The use of vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas.† (http://dictionary.reference.com/define/imagery) In The Pedestrian Bradbury tells us that Mr. Mead’s house â€Å"had all of its electric lights brightly lit, every window s loud yellow illumination, square and warm in the cool darkness.† (51) This story also uses imagery when it talks about the police car and says, â€Å"†¦peered intoRead MoreFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Essay569 Words   |  3 Pagesof this book is in depth and important to the making of our future. Ray Bradbury uses strong words that help build up the story. This book is a dystopian book written in the 1950’s and having the book takes place in the 21st century. A recommended for this book is to people who are interested in dystopian novels. Also that the reader can relate the story to real life situation, for some things in the book did come true. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is recommended for university students whoRead MoreRay Bradbury Compare And Contrast Essay903 Words   |  4 PagesComparing and Contrasting Characteristics Ray Bradbury’s creation of character Montag in Fahrenheit 451 mirrors his own personal fears, social expectations, and importance of relations. Fahrenheit 451 is split up into 3 characteristics that the author, Ray Bradbury and the main character, Guy Montag share, bringing them to show their most common interests†¦ their love for book. They are willing to go to the fullest extinct for their passion without letting anything get in their way and taking allRead MoreTechnology and Family Issues in The Veldt by Ray Bradbury Essay1493 Words   |  6 Pagesfew hours—the tantrum he threw!† (Bradbury). This line of the story explains the wanting of the family’s children back against technology. It also shows that the technology is winning because of the desire to keep playing in the nursery. â€Å"The Veldt† is a short story written by Ray Bradbury who was born on August 22, 1920 and passed away on June 5, 2012. He was very interested in the science fi ction genre and Edgar Allan Poe (Kattelman). Kattelman states that Bradbury, â€Å"as a young child was influencedRead MoreA Response to Embroidery by Ray Bradbury Essays950 Words   |  4 PagesA Response to Embroidery by Ray Bradbury The short story Embroidery, written by Ray Bradbury is one, which could be classed as a science fiction story with some political aspects to it. Embroidery ends in apocalyptic terms, where an atom bomb is dropped. Written in the 1960s meant that the cold war was still going on and being hit by an atomic bomb was highly possible. I think that because of this a general reader reading this story in the time it was written wouldRead MoreEssay on Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury972 Words   |  4 PagesIn Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, irony is used to convey information and it contributes to the overall theme of the novel. Written during the era of McCarthyism, Fahrenheit 451 is about a society where books are illegal. This society believes that being intellectual is bad and that a lot of things that are easily accessible today should be censored. The overall message of the book is that censorship is not beneficial to society, and that it could cause great harm to one’s intelligence and socialRead MoreRay Bradbury says, READ!!! Essay457 Words   |  2 PagesThroughout all of Fahrenheit 451, there is a sense that the author, Ray Bradbury, is trying to deliver a message to us. There is a purpose behind Bradbury writing this book. Some of the reasons he wrote this book for is to give his thoughts about today’s youth problems, to give us his vision of what will possib ly happen in the future, and tell us the consequences of our actions. The first reason that Bradbury wrote this book is to give us his point of view about books today. For him, people are notRead MoreEssay on Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury2072 Words   |  9 PagesFahrenheit 451 There appears to be some writing on the note ... Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is a science fiction novel that discusses and shows the life of a very controlled society. The society is not allowed to read books and is punished for doing so. The books are burned at 451 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the temperature it takes book paper to burn (Bradbury 1). Although society today isnt like that as far as books are concerned, the author still shows some trends that are occurringRead More The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury Essays1235 Words   |  5 Pagesregions had their own culture and government, but because the West was so much stronger, they were taken over. When these areas were finally freed from years of oppression, their society was left in shambles and much of their culture was destroyed. Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles explores this theme of imperial expansion as applied to the hypothetical situation of humans colonizing the planet Mars. In the novel, the humans who flock to the planet are portrayed as re ckless beings with no care

The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 - 941 Words

A. Plan of the investigation The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a dark and very crucial time in American history. The late sixteen hundreds consisted of relying on young girls for the truth; but to what extent did the puritan’s religion and culture have in the proceedings of the Salem Witch Trials? A focus on the religion that the puritans believed in and their culture will be discussed. Also, how their faith turned them against those who were accused of witchcraft. It is also needed to discuss how they faith of the puritan’s even came about. B. Summary of Evidence The Puritans were a group of people who worked towards religious, moral and societal reforms.1 The Puritans believed that the Bible was Gods law, and that it provided a plan for the living.2 One who lives in accordance with Protestant, should avoid sin.3 They also believed God would punish sins in a severely manner..4 Twenty-four innocent victims lost their lives in the Era of the Salem witch trials. 5 During the years of 1692 and 1693, many people died that was falsely accused of witchcraft. If your name was mention you was automatically punished for witch craft.6 People were hanged, pressed, and even died in prison.7 The accusations, the executions, and the events kept Salem, Massachusetts very much so busy.8 The Puritans had a few major categories that outlined their beliefs.9God made the world good but, Adam and Eve messed that up or everyone to come. All of Gods giftsShow MoreRelatedThe Salem Witch Trials Of 16921281 Words   |  6 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials were a sequence of hearings, prosecutions, and hangings of people who were thought to be involved in witchcraft in Massachusetts. These trials occurred between February 1692 and May 1693(The Salem Witch Trials, 1692. ). The Trials resulted in the execution of twenty people, in fact, most of them were women. The first of the trials began in several towns in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, such as Salem Village (currently known as Danvers), Salem Town, Ipswich, and Andover(SalemRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials Of 16921270 Words   |  6 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials The year 1692 is remembered as one of the most scandalous times in American History. Throughout the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, over a hundred people were accused of practicing witchcraft (the majority of them being women). 14 women were hung, and 5 men were accused leading to a total of 19 people dying due to these trials. One man was even pressed to death by substantial weights for declining to enter a plea (Linder 1). No less than eight individuals passed on in jail, includingRead MoreSalem Witch Trials Of 16921271 Words   |  6 PagesSalem Witch Trials of 1692 Salem was a very disperse community in the Massachusetts Bay colony with a growing Puritan community in the northern America. Towns in the colony were scattered by a half days travel or more. In view of this, transportation and communication was a very slow and the settlers were threatened by the attack of bears and other wild animals. Puritans were spiritual people and believed that God is the ruler of everything they possessed. The puritans believed that they were theRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials Of 1692 Essay2205 Words   |  9 Pages The Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 were a dark time in American history. There were many possible causes of the Salem Witch Trials. A few major causes that led to the Salem Witch Trials were religion, reputations, and lack of laws. Life before the infamous Salem Witchcraft Trials was extremely mundane and normal. Salem villagers led a simple life in the customs of the Puritans. The Salem village and society was based and founded on the Puritan religion. The people had a very set lifestyle withRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trial Hysteria Of 1692879 Words   |  4 PagesThe Salem Witch Trial hysteria of 1692 caused 20 people to be hung or pressed to death and 4 perished in jail. In addition, 200 people in Salem were accused of being witches. On June 10 of 1692, Bridget Bishop was charged with practicing witchcraft and she was also accused of bewitching her husband to death. The result of her not confessing was that she was hung to her death. All of this frenzy started in the house of Samuel Parris. His daughters were consumed by the bizarre tales told by their IndianRead MoreThe Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials Of 1692700 Words   |  3 PagesSalem Witch Trials DBQ   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How would you feel if your life was ruined just because you were considered unfit for society? This is exactly what was going on during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Prior to the trials, there were witch hunts that caused global unease mainly to Protestant societies. King Philip’s War also contributed to this unease by pushing people from the east coast and into Puritan towns. These towns had misogynistic male leadership, depriving many people of humanity becauseRead MoreEssay on Salem Witch Trials Of 16921061 Words   |  5 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials of 1692 In colonial Massachusetts between February of 1692 and May of 1963 over one hundred and fifty people were arrested and imprisoned for the capital felony of witchcraft. Trials were held in Salem Village, Ipswich, Andover and Salem Town of Essex County of Massachusetts, but accusations of witchcraft occurred in surrounding counties as well. Nineteen of the accused, fourteen women and five men, were hanged at Gallows Hill near Salem Village. Hysteria had swept throughRead MoreWitch Hunts : The Salem Witch Trials Of 1692938 Words   |  4 PagesWitch Hunts Essay â€Å"Its funny how everyone hates witch hunts†¦ until they see a witch† - Jon Stewart Even though The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 was one of the most well-known witchcraft trials over the world, the idea of witchcraft stretches over a long period of time and spreads throughout the world. One of the earliest known witch hunts according to (witchcraftandwitches.com) were in the mid 15th century, where Pope Innocent VII claimed that Satanists in Germany were meeting with demonsRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials And The Witch Hunts Of 1692801 Words   |  4 Pagesduring the witch hunts of 1692. The primary source that is being analyzed isn’t about him but is from many stories that he collected and put them together in a manuscript. This manuscript that contains true accounts about the trial and it included the attempted escape of Mrs. Cary of Charlestown Massachusetts told from her husband Nathaniel Cary’s viewpoint. I believe that Nathaniel Cary wanted this account to be written in order to highlight and expose how the puritans handled the witch trials and spe cificallyRead MoreThe Spring Of 1692 Salem Witch Trials1698 Words   |  7 PagesIn the spring of 1692 the Salem witch trials began. During this time in history women accused of being witches often faced being torture, testing, and trials. Most of the time witches experienced executions if not that, put in jail. The townspeople tortured the accused witches in the most inhumane ways. This is considered a very dark and eerie time of the Puritans in Salem, Massachusetts (P., Shaunak). A group of young girls in Salem, Massachusetts told the people of their town they had been possessed

Fast Food and The International Market free essay sample

Analyzes the prospects for exporting American style fast food to the international market. Examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of such an approach. Fast food is an American staple and in some respects has been an American phenomenon, though it has been spreading to other countries with American franchising and marketing. In the U.S., certain types of fast food have long held sway, with the hamburger segment being the biggest. However, by the 1990s both growth and overall sales in the hamburger segment were declining, while there was some growth in other segments. The top three hamburger chains continued to struggle against the tide, facing declining customer base, sales, and profits. The chains were faced with the need to expand their menus in response to the publics demand for lighter, healthier foods and greater variety. Healthier foods have been offered in the fast food format by a number of different chains and in a number of different forms. We will write a custom essay sample on Fast Food and The International Market or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Comment On An Experience In Your Life That Had An Effect On Your Life.

Comment on an experience in your life that had an effect on your life. I was a little worried writing about my mother because I thought it would seem like I was looking for sympathy, but I figured it was a good topic to write about because it had the largest effect on me. My goal became to write an essay that didn't focus on the death or loss but on the change and growth that took place. Being active is something that has always been important to me, and I learned this from growing up with and observing an expert. My mother was more active and involved than anyone I have ever known. She had an endless energy for life, and love for my two brothers and me, and I have tried to be the kind of person that she was. The phrase on her headstone reads: "A joyous and boundless energy." My mother was a highly respected kindergarten teacher for twenty years. In addition to working with children as a professional, she was always involved in my elementary school years, as a class mother or President of the PTO. In the summers there were more children, as we would go to sleepaway camp in Maine and she would be in charge of the youngest group of campers. She was always running, playing, consoling, planning, and caring for children. At home, she was just as active. I remember doing homework with her every night and she got so involved with it that she would practically do it for me, which I thought, at the time, was a pretty good thing. We were always going places, visiting friends, just learning, and there was never a dull moment. Though I didn't know it consciously at the time, she was setting an example which I was bound to follow. Over seven years ago, my mother died after a long battle with melanoma. I was ten at the time, in fifth grade, and I suppose I didn't really understand it all that well, or as well as my older brothers did. This essay is not about that loss or death, but on the change that took place. After she was gone, things were so drastically different, because there was so much dull time with nothing to fill it but thoughts. I think I learned from my mom about how to be active and I must have decided, subconsciously, to continue in her path. I saw how happy she and the rest of my family were, and I wanted to perpetuate that. Though it was a small beginning, I began the next year by becoming class president. I joined every club I could and participated in different sports. I wanted to do as many different things as I could. One of my memories of junior high was being busy every lunch period with meetings: the math team, student government, Junior National Honor Society. I was the this little tiny kid, the smallest in my grade, and I was always running around and talking. I remember being scolded many times for what I thought was having too much energy. I was always taught, by my mother, that energy was a good thing, and when it got me in trouble it was very confusing. I continued with this energy and involvement throughout my high school years. I come from a very small school, and that has had a positive effect in allowing me to explore many different activity options. I wouldn't have been able to experiment the way that I did if I had come from a larger school. I found myself involved in athletics, student government and publications, community service, academic competitions, and drama productions. This experimentation allowed me to see what activities I liked the most, and it gave me a good idea of what I want to continue doing. I loved going to my high school and felt close to the 82 other students in my grade. I think I would like to pursue education at a small school which would allow me to continue to participate the way I have. I don't think it really matters to me exactly what I am doing. I just want to be doing something. Comment On An Experience In Your Life That Had An Effect On Your Life. Comment On An Experience In Your Life That Had An Effect On Your Life. I was a little worried writing about my mother because I thought it would seem like I was looking for sympathy, but I figured it was a good topic to write about because it had the largest effect on me. My goal became to write an essay that didn't focus on the death or loss but on the change and growth that took place. Being active is something that has always been important to me, and I learned this from growing up with and observing an expert. My mother was more active and involved than anyone I have ever known. She had an endless energy for life, and love for my two brothers and me, and I have tried to be the kind of person that she was. The phrase on her headstone reads: A joyous and boundless energy. My mother was a highly respected kindergarten teacher for twenty years. In addition to working with children as a professional, she was always involved in my elementary school years, as a class mother or President of the PTO. In the summers there were more children, as we would go to sleepaway camp in Maine and she would be in charge of the youngest group of campers. She was always running, playing, consoling, planning, and caring for children. At home, she was just as active. I remember doing homework with her every night and she got so involved with it that she would practically do it for me, which I thought, at the time, was a pretty good thing. We were always going places, visiting friends, just learning, and there was never a dull moment. Though I didn't know it consciously at the time, she was setting an example which I was bound to follow. Over seven years ago, my mother died after a long battle with melanoma. I was ten at the time, in fifth grade, and I suppose I didn't really understand it all that well, or as well as my older brothers did. This essay is not about that loss or death, but on the change that took place. After she was gone, things were so drastically different, because there was so much dull time with nothing to fill it but thoughts. I think I learned from my mom about how to be active and I must have decided, subconsciously, to continue in her path. I saw how happy she and the rest of my family were, and I wanted to perpetuate that. Though it was a small beginning, I began the next year by becoming class president. I joined every club I could and participated in different sports. I wanted to do as many different things as I could. One of my memories of junior high was being busy every lunch period with meetings: the math team, student government, Junior National Honor Society. I was the this little tiny kid, the smallest in my grade, and I was always running around and talking. I remember being scolded many times for what I thought was having too much energy. I was always taught, by my mother, that energy was a good thing, and when it got me in trouble it was very confusing. I continued with this energy and involvement throughout my high school years. I come from a very small school, and that has had a positive effect in allowing me to explore many different activity options. I wouldn't have been able to experiment the way that I did if I had come from a larger school. I found myself involved in athletics, student government and publications, community service, academic competitions, and drama productions. This experimentation allowed me to see what activities I liked the most, and it gave me a good idea of what I want to continue doing. I loved going to my high school and felt close to the 82 other students in my grade. I think I would like to pursue education at a small school which would allow me to continue to participate the way I have. I don't think it really matters to me exactly what I am doing. I just want to be doing something.

Current Research on Medications used in the Treatment of Schizophrenia Essay Example

Current Research on Medications used in the Treatment of Schizophrenia Essay Example Current Research on Medications used in the Treatment of Schizophrenia Paper Current Research on Medications used in the Treatment of Schizophrenia Paper 1996), and the proportion had increased to 64. 4% by 2000 (Wong et al. , 2005). However, little is known about the process by which these medications are adopted, i. e. , whether there is a simple switch to a new medication or a more complex process of trial and error. Literature Review The history of antipsychotic drug development is closely linked to the dopamine (DA) hypothesis of schizophrenia. This hypothesis postulates that schizophrenia is associated with a disorder in DA neurotransmission based on several observations: 1. Dopamine agonists, such as d-amphetamine, bromocriptine, and l-DOPA can exacerbate symptoms in schizophrenic patients and can produce psychotic symptoms in non-schizophrenic persons. 2. All currently used antipsychotic drugs share the common property of D2 dopamine receptor blockade both in vivo and in vitro. 3. A correlation exists between D2 dopamine blocking potential and clinical antipsychotic efficacy (Creese et al. , 2006). An increase in D2 dopamine receptors in the drug-naive schizophrenic brain has been reported but this finding has not been replicated (Wong et al. , 2005). In contrast, it has been shown that the D2 dopamine receptor and its gene are reported to be normal in schizophrenia and the antipsychotic drugs can only control symptoms and cannot cure the disease. While this hypothesis provided a rationale for the development of new drugs, there are still many unresolved problems. Not all schizophrenic symptoms can be explained by excess of dopamine. The positive symptoms of schizophrenia are related to a hyperdopaminergic state in the mesolimbic and mesocortical areas (Crow, 2005), and the negative symptoms to a hypodopaminergic state in the medial prefrontal cortical area (Merriam et al. , 2000). Therefore, a dopamine blocking agent cannot logically be the most suitable drug to improve both the positive and negative dimensions of schizophrenia. Current Pharmacological Treatment of Schizophrenic Patients Clinical Goals of Treatment Antipsychotic therapy focuses on four primary symptom domains in schizophrenia – positive symptoms, negative symptoms, cognitive impairments, and disturbance of mood and affect (Tandon et al. , 2005). Positive symptoms are prominent during acute exacerbations of illness, and often precipitate hospital admission. Negative symptoms include both primary and secondary components, due to either the illness itself or due to other factors such as depression, environmental deprivation, or parkinsonian side effects of antipsychotic medications (Miller et al. , 2000). Although they rarely precipitate hospitalization, they frequently worsen during acute psychotic episodes, and typically do not fully resolve after the episode. Negative symptoms are moderately associated with functional impairments between acute episodes of illness. Cognitive symptoms include deficits in all four major areas of neuropsychological function – memory, attention, language, and executive function. Although cognitive functions often show significant premorbid impairment, there is evidence that they continue to decline after the onset of illness, especially during acute episodes of illness. These symptoms are largely due to the underlying pathology of schizophrenia, but are also worsened by secondary factors, such as depression or pharmacologic treatment. Cognitive symptoms are highly correlated with lifetime functional impairment in schizophrenic patients (Bilder, 2007). Mood and affective symptoms common in schizophrenia include depression, anxiety, agitation, and behavioral dyscontrol. These symptoms contribute to subjective distress, functional impairment, and hospitalization, and are appropriate targets for pharmacologic intervention. The remarkable heterogeneity of schizophrenia is attributable in part to the relative contributions of each of these domains of pathology to individual cases of the disorder. Furthermore, the quality and severity of each type of symptom varies over the course of illness in the individual patient, creating a unique mosaic of symptoms over time. Antipsychotic treatment has usually been focused on positive symptoms, which respond most dramatically to pharmacologic interventions. Modest symptom improvement in other domains typically follows reduction in psychosis. There are two major reasons to focus more intently on negative, cognitive, and mood symptoms. First, they are highly correlated with patients’ functional status and quality of life. Second, because they are difficult to treat once they occur, it is critical to avoid the progression of these symptoms, which is usually associated with acute episodes of illness. Thus, prevention of acute episodes benefits the patient not only by avoidance of hospital admission, but also by minimization of the functional deterioration associated with progression of negative and cognitive symptoms. General Principles Antipsychotic medications have been the mainstay of the pharmacologic treatment of schizophrenia. AAP drugs show levels of antipsychotic efficacy comparable with the conventional agents, but are somewhat more effective in the treatment of negative, cognitive, and mood symptoms, and they carry a greatly reduced risk of EPS and TD (Meltzer, 1993). Clozapine is unique in its antipsychotic efficacy, effective treating 30% to 50% of patients who do not respond to other medications (Kane et al. , 1998). Because of its associated risk for agranulocytosis, seizures, hypotension diabetes and weight gain, clozapine is not considered a first-line agent, and is reserved for treatment-refractory cases. In treating a schizophrenic patient, two factors – the temporal and dimensional – need to be considered. Temporal factors include emergency, acute, chronic and rehabilitation treatments and dimensional factors include the positive, negative, cognitive and mood target symptoms. Acute Treatment Acute patients generally enter treatment through the emergency room and, if needed, may get admitted into the psychiatric ward of a hospital. The removal of the patient from the stressful environment, if any, is itself positive. In an acute setting, antipsychotic monotherapy is the most useful line of treatment, and AAP drugs are preferred because of the lack of acute EPS. Antipsychotic drugs are used in therapeutic doses and in most instances, use of high doses is not needed. There is no evidence that schizophrenic patients respond to any one specific medication and the response depends on the individual. Intramuscular preparations are sometimes required to treat acute patients; both haloperidol and ziprasidone are available in intramuscular formulation. Occasionally, lorazepam intramuscularly either alone or with haloperidol is administered to decrease agitation (Salzman, 1988). The goal in acute treatment is to prevent harm to self or others by decreasing excitatory symptoms. When to Expect improvement Positive symptoms improve first. Of the positive symptoms, psychomotor excitement improves in a day or two and sometimes in a few hours. Akathisia and dystonia also occurs most often with in the first 48 hours to a week, and patients need to watched carefully during this period. Hallucinations and delusions take about 3 months to improve and, in some instances, may continue unabated. Thought disorders improve gradually. There is variability in how an individual patient responds. Adjunct medications, increase in antipsychotic medication dose, addition of another antipsychotic drug, or changing the antipsychotic agent within a month is unwise. Maintenance Treatment Continuing antipsychotic medication treatment after acute symptoms are controlled reduces the likelihood of a relapse (Davis, 1995). The antipsychotic medication should be continued indefinitely. Depot injections decrease relapse rates better than oral medications and are indicated in certain circumstances. Tardive dyskinesia is a major risk with CAP drugs, occurring in about 5% of the haloperidol treated patients per year. In older patients, in one year 27 % of patients develop tardive dyskinesia (Jeste Caligiuri, 1993). It is the risk of tardive dyskinesia which is partly responsible for the popularity of AAP drugs as the first choice for treatment. Dose of the medication is an unsettled issue. With regard to antidepressant therapy, the dose that helped a person to improve is the same dose used as maintenance dose. With antipsychotic drugs, there is a need to use the minimum amount necessary to prevent relapses. What the minimum dose is, is a clinical decision. The maintenance antipsychotic treatment has to be flexible to suit the individual needs with a positive risk-benefit ratio. Discussion The introduction of chlorpromazine a half century ago clearly revolutionized the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Unfortunately, neither this drug nor other typical antipsychotic medications are uniformly or optimally effective in the treatment of individuals with schizophrenia. These agents do not reduce psychotic symptoms in all patients and have limited efficacy against other clinical features of the illness (e. g. , negative symptoms and cognitive deficits). In addition, the different side effects associated with these medications have both contributed to problems with compliance and introduced additional sources of morbidity. The availability of atypical agents, such as clozapine, olanzapine, and risperidone, promised advantages in both efficacy and tolerance but raised very important questions, such as, 1) Which antipsychotic medication used is best for a given profile of symptoms of schizophrenia? and 2) just how much advantage in treatment efficacy, especially for negative symptoms, do the current atypical medications actually provide? Clear answers to these questions have been difficult to obtain from the existing literature because the available studies evaluated only a subset of the medications of interest, used different experimental designs and outcome measures that hinder comparisons across studies, and examined primarily acutely ill subjects, making it difficult to determine whether clinical improvement reflected reductions in not only secondary but also primary negative symptoms. In addition, a number of the comparative studies that have been published were developed and sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies whose medications were being evaluated, raising concerns about potential sources of bias in experimental design or interpretation of outcomes. The study by Papanikolaou and colleagues provides compelling new data that address these important issues. These investigators recruited 157 inpatients who had a diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and a history of suboptimal treatment response to adequate duration and doses of one or more typical antipsychotics. The patients were randomly assigned to receive clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, or haloperidol in a 14-week, double blind trial. Total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale scores were significantly improved for all three patient groups treated with atypical agents but were unchanged for the haloperidol treated group. This finding would be expected for individuals who were selected for study because 1) they had not responded adequately to previous treatment with typical antipsychotics and 2) they had not failed previously to respond to treatment with atypical agents. When compared with haloperidol treatment (with conservative corrections for the performance of multiple statistical tests), only clozapine and olanzapine demonstrated statistically significant improvement in negative symptoms. In addition, none of the three atypical antipsychotics produced a statistically significant improvement in positive symptoms or general psychopathology compared with haloperidol. In considering the significance of these findings, several aspects of this study are worthy of note. First, the importance of such double-blind direct comparisons of therapeutic agents is rivaled by the difficulties involved in conducting such studies. For example, achieving the optimal dose for each agent can be a major challenge; as noted by the authors, the dose of risperidone was probably too high, presenting one limitation to the study. In addition to the complexity involved and time required to conduct these types of studies, the staged introduction of new medications produces problems in making direct comparisons across medications. In the study by Papanikolaou et al. , the comparison of haloperidol, clozapine, and risperidone was designed and implemented when olanzapine became available commercially. To enhance the relevance of their study to clinical practice, the investigators subsequently added an olanzapine treatment arm. However, the later addition of olanzapine-treated subjects meant that assignment to treatment with olanzapine was not completely random with the other three medications, creating the possibility of a cohort effect. This raises the question of whether subjects who entered the study later, and received olanzapine, were somehow different from the subjects who entered the study earlier, and received the other drugs, in a way that would account for any differential response (or lack thereof) to a given treatment. The authors have thoughtfully addressed this question and provide reasonable arguments for the absence of such a cohort effect, but they acknowledge that the possibility cannot be completely excluded. Second, the study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), contributions of medications from four pharmaceutical corporations, and supplemental funding for the olanzapine arm (equal to about 18% of the total cost of the project) from Eli Lilly and Company, the manufacturer of olanzapine. This arrangement, a realistic compromise that made possible the direct comparison of four drugs, nonetheless raises concerns about potential bias, given that olanzapine proved to be more effective than other drugs on some measures. However, in contrast to investigations that are initiated and controlled by industry, the authors had complete independence in the design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of the study. In some ways, this study may represent a model approach for the support of clinical trials; that is, the study was designed and conducted by independent investigators, principally funded by the federal government, and supplemented by contributions from, but without undue influence by, the pharmaceutical industry. Indeed, such government/private collaborations for investigator-initiated research have been encouraged by NIMH. Third, despite achieving statistical significance, the differences in efficacy across the medications examined in this study were, as noted by the authors, modest and their clinical significance limited. Thus, the disappointingly small added value of atypical antipsychotics in this patient population clearly underscores the need for the identification of more effective treatments. In this regard, the study by Leucht et al. (1999) in this months Journal provides an informative lesson. These authors conducted a meta-analysis of amisulpride, an atypical atypical antipsychotic that has been used clinically in France for the past decade. Leucht et al. found that amisulpride was superior to typical antipsychotics in improving global symptoms and negative symptoms in acutely ill patients with schizophrenia and more effective than placebo (but not than typical antipsychotics) in patients with predominantly negative symptoms. However, as in the study by Papanikolaou et al. , the additional improvement provided by amisulpride was relatively small. For example, the mean effect size was 0. 11 in acutely ill patients, indicating 11 percentage points more improvement in Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale total score with amisulpride than with typical antipsychotic medications. In addition to clarifying the clinical efficacy of amisulpride, the findings of Leucht and colleagues are informative regarding the pharmacological basis for the atypicality of antipsychotic medications. Although it shares the clinical properties (e. g. , reduced extrapyramidal symptoms at therapeutic doses) that characterize other atypical agents, amisulpride is unusual in that it lacks the combination of activity at dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2 receptors that has been proposed to account for the efficacy and side effect profile of atypical antipsychotics (1). In contrast, amisulpride is a highly selective antagonist of dopamine D2/D3 receptors. Thus, the superiority of amisulpride in terms of clinical response and reduced extrapyramidal symptoms suggests that activity at the serotonin 5-HT2 receptor is not required for atypicality. As a consequence, these findings may indirectly support the hypothesis of Seeman and Kapur (1996) that fast dissociation from the dopamine D2 receptor accounts for the distinctive features of atypical antipsychotic medications. Conclusion The findings of both studies may further enhance the ability of clinicians to make informed, evidence-based decisions regarding the antipsychotic medication that is most likely to be effective in individual patients. However, the modest differences in clinical efficacy of a given atypical medication relative to typical antipsychotics, and especially in comparison with other atypical antipsychotics, both warrant caution in the face of marketing claims of superiority for a given drug and underscore the continued need for the types of basic research that can contribute to the development of novel and more effective medications for the treatment of schizophrenia. REFERENCES Bilder RM. (2007). Neurocognitive impairment in schizophrenia and how it affects treatment options. Can J Psychiatry; 42: 255-264. Creese I, Burt DR, Snyder SH. (2006). Dopamine receptor binding predicts clinical and pharmacological potencies of antischizophrenic drugs. Science; 192: 481- 83. Crow T. (2005). The two syndrome concept: Origins and current status. Schizophrenia Bull; 11: 471-86. Davis JM (1995). Overview: maintenance therapy in psychiatry: I. Schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry; 132(12): 1237-45. Denckner S (2001). The need for long-term neuroleptic treatment in schizophrenia. Acta Psychiatric Scand Suppl; 291:29-43 Jeste DV, Caligiuri MP (1993). Tardive dyskinesia. Schizophrenia Bull 1993; 19(2): 303- 315. Kane J, Honigfeld G, Singer J, Meltzer H. (1988). Clozapine for the treatment-resistant Schizophrenic: a double blind comparison with chlorpromazine. Arch Gen Psychiatry; 45: 789-796. Leucht S, Pitschel-Walz G, Abraham D, Kissling W. (1999). Efficacy and extrapyramidal side effects of the new anti psychotics olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and sertindole compared to conventional anti psychotics and placebo: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Schizophrenia Res; 35:51- 68. Meltzer HY (1993). New drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia. Psychiatry Clinical North Am; 16: 365-385. Merriam AE, Kay SR, Opler LA, Kushner SF, van Praag HM (2000). Neurological signs and the positive-negative dimension in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry 28: 181-92. Miller DD, Tandon R. (2000). The Biology and Pathophysiology of Negative Symptoms. In: Keefe R, McEvoy J. Eds, Negative Symptom of Schizophrenia. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Press; 163-186. Nasrallah HA Eds. (2005). Contemporary Issues in the Treatment of Schizophrenia. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Press; 109-124. Papanikolaou, Wiesel FA, Stone-Elander S, Halldin C, Nordstrom AL, Hall H, et al. (1990). D2 dopamine receptor in neuroleptic naive schizophrenic patients. Arch Gen Psychiatry; 47: 213-19. Remington, G. , and Chong, S. A. (1999). Conventional versus novel antipsychotics: Changing concepts and clinical implications. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 24:431-441. Rosenheck R, Cramer J, Xu W, Thomas J, Henderson W, Frisman L, Fye C, Charney D. (1997). (Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study Group on Clozapine in Refractory Schizophrenia): A comparison of clozapine and haloperidol in hospitalized patients with refractory schizophrenia. N Engl J Med ; 337:809-815 Salzman C. (1988). Use of benzodiazepines to control disruptive behavior in inpatients. J Clinical Psychiatry; 49(suppl): 13-15. Seeman P, Lee T, Chau-Wong M, Wong K. (1996). Antipsychotic drug doses and neuroleptic/dopamine receptors. Nature; 262: 717- 19. Tandon R, Jibson M, Taylor SF, DeQuardo JR. (2005). Conceptual models of the relationship between positive and negative symptoms: Implications for pathophysiology and treatment. Wong DF, Wagner HN Jr, Tune LE, Dannals RF, Pearlson GD, Links JM, et al. (2005). Positron emission tomography reveals elevated D2 dopamine receptors in drug naive schizophrenics. Science; 244: 1558-63 Worrel, J. A. ; Marken, P. A. ; Beckman, S. E. ; and Ruehter, V. L. (2000). Atypical antipsychotic agents: A critical review. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 57:238-255.

Thchnology as a route to immortality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thchnology as a route to immortality - Essay Example Consequently, replication of human thought process brought about immortality of the mind transparently and comprehensibly, since reasoning could not just be replicated but also manipulated (148). Besides thinking without the body, technological advancements promote immortality through promotion of bodies that are impermeable to damage and aging given technology’s ability to health current diseases like cancer; mind uploading that permits existence in virtual reality, alternate bodies or robots, and deep space; and correcting global warming. Based on Cartesian arguments, technological advancements of as thinking machine aimed at relieving human’s immortal mind from its mortal captivity thus lending it a permanent existence both on earth and in heaven (148). Consequently, technology or machine represented secondary individuals with additional perfectionism that will be enhanced through improvements in transhumanism and nanotechnology. The search to imitate the human mind through inventions concluded that machines are thinking, imitate better than human interrogators implying that machines could also learn (151) and function autonomous of human intelligence to make decisions within military context where rational intelligence of artificial intelligence displaces human insanity and limitations (154). Minsky, a pioneer in Artificial Intelligence insinuated that the human interior could be depersonalized and independently replaced by thinking machines (156). Minsky also prophesied the symbiosis of man and machines where AI would accelerate human cognitive process hence promoting high performance machines (157) like voice actuated computers through advancements like ARPANET (158). Like the previous technology enthusiasts, human fascinations with computers incline to spirituality unlike utilitarianism with the brain freeing from the body making it immortal within the cyberspace (160).

Semiotic OR discourse analysis of a magazine advertisement OR TV Essay

Semiotic OR discourse analysis of a magazine advertisement OR TV advertisement - Essay Example Semiotic OR discourse analysis of a magazine advertisement OR TV advertisement It can develop ergonomic design in circumstances where it is vital to make certain that individuals can work together more efficiently with their surroundings, whether it is on a big magnitude, as in structural design, or on a small extent, for instance, the arrangement of images and colours in images. Semiotic Analysis of the Dark Knight’s Advertisement This advertisement has the villain of the movie, rather than the hero. The viewers can easily recognize the Joker through his trademarks - his dark trench coat, the bright red lipstick, his mystifying and concealed face, the worn hang gloves, plus his seaweed green hair. However, the most prominent indicator that this is the Joker is that he has shown scribbling his catchphrase, â€Å"Why So Serious?† in the advertisement. By further exploring the picture, one gets the impression that he is inside or around the city. It is quite a dull day, with immense fog that makes visibility difficult. The townscape in the backdrop is hardly noticeable, and it appears to be very far away. The focus drops directly on the Joker himself. His body posture as well as the position of his fingers appears disorderly and strange. The smile that he is drawing with the red paint - or maybe blood - connotes that the Joker might not be a completely normal person. The fog in the image is an apparent indicator. It smudges and alters the vision, making it tougher to make out something or to recognize somebody (Leeuwen & Jawet, p. 94). The fog in the advertisement is a sign of the Joker’s lack of identity. Despite the fact that the fog is helpful in bringing the Joker into focus, it also helps in smudging his facial features, as well as a great deal of his coat. It makes the Joker appears as if he is a part of the fog; and as a result, the indicator draws attention to the reality that the Joker lacks identity. Advertisers use fog to highlight another point, which is gloominess. The shadowy, grumpy colours along with the fog bordering the image imply that it is a dull and murky situation (Mitry, p. 104). This is rather simple to observe. The gloominess itself is the sign of the personality of the Joker. There is a murkiness that encloses him, a sense of malevolence. Exactly similar to the time when something does not look correct on a dull day, something does not look normal with the Joker. It can be assumed that the gloominess itself is a representation for the Joker. The dull shade of blue in addition to foggy depiction is a sign of a threatening feeling of trouble (Lacey, p. 72). This is mainly because of the connotation of the â€Å"shower scene† that has publicized in various horror movies showing a barely visible hand behind the shower curtain or fogged glass surrounded by the mist. At some point, the picture of the Joker standing there connotes that he is in fact waiting outside a window, or even in your own house. He seems to be a psychopath who has been coming up for you. Another in dicator in this advertisement is the utilization of the Joker’s hands. His fingers are crooked and twisted. This depicts two things. First, he is not totally in control of his personal behaviour. This is a representation that he is psychological instable. Secondly, it reveals that he is suspicious as well as unreliable. It seems that his hands as well as fingers