Oceanic Domain Awareness An Imperative Environmental Sciences Essay

Modern naval scheme is basically based on assorted agencies to turn up possible enemy forces across the oceans, a job complicated by the enormousness of the maritime environment, the immense figure of legitimate users, and the broad assortment of agencies by which an enemy can work the oceans to his advantage. The oceans are complex mediums whose nature provides ample chance for an enemy to avoid detection-weather, sea provinces, and coastal land masses all present considerable challenges to modern detectors. Peacetime economic usage of the seas complicates this job tremendously. The oceans are the universe ‘s foremost ( and arguably most unregulated ) main road, place to a huge and broad assortment of international impersonal transportation that possess no evident menace. Determining the enemy in such a crowded and complex environment is hard during conventional war, during an asymmetric struggle such as the planetary war on panic ( GWOT ) , it is a formidable undertaking. It is the asymmetric nature of GWOT that forms the nucleus of Maritime Domain Awareness ( MDA ) . In conventional naval war the enemy is comparatively good defined and about universally a battler. In GWOT, where literally any vas could be a possible enemy or arm bearer, or when any nautical event can hold an impact on the security of India, demands a much higher degree of consciousness than that usually required in a conventional naval struggle. This is recognised by the formal definition of MDA as articulated by the US authorities vide their document National Security Presidential Directive 41, 2004: – Maritime Domain Awareness is â€Å" the effectual apprehension of anything associated with the planetary maritime environment that could impact the security, safety, economic system or environment of U.S. This is accomplished through the integrating of intelligence, surveillance, observation, and pilotage systems into one common runing image ( COP ) that is accessible throughout the U.S. Government. Unlike traditional naval operations, it is evident that the end of MDA is far more than merely looking for possible maritime enemies poised to assail India. The deductions of â€Å" Anything associated † with the maritime environment that can impact the security, safety, economic system or environment go far beyond a authoritative maritime menace. As per the US reading, these include smuggling of people or unsafe ladings, buccaneering, proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction ( WMD ) , designation and protection of critical maritime substructure, oil spills, conditions, and environmental concerns among other events. Nautical events that could potentially impact India are non the lone wide-ranging component of MDA it is besides indispensable that menaces be identified as early and far from the seashore as possible. The planetary nature of MDA activities happening overseas and in foreign ports is really much a portion of MDA. For illustration, if a lading is loaded in Aden and its ultimate finish is India ( via several other international ports ) , the burden, conveyance, security, and all affairs associated with that container would be portion of MDA. MDA must hence be exercised over all oceans worldwide, and potentially cover all nautical involvements that finally impact India. Puting in topographic point an effectual MDA is a powerful undertaking sing the scope of possible security challenges and tremendous geographic country represented by the maritime sphere. In India a overplus of bureaus possessing a broad scope of operational and intelligence capablenesss would necessitate information merg er under the over-arching MDA. Although many factors are considered in MDA, its nucleus procedure is finally the monitoring of vass and the vass ‘ lading, crews, and riders to quickly bring forth geo-locating information on vass of involvement. This is an analytical procedure that includes trailing, informations base hunts for unknown linkages and anomaly sensing. Cardinal to this is the sensing, monitoring, tracking of vass. This tracking procedure is comprised of five elements designed to concentrate on a narrow country of tactical dimension where menaces can be identified and isolated viz. ; Maritime surveillance, Detection, Tracking, Classification & A ; Identification and aiming. Targeting involves construing sensing and designation information fused with intelligence to screen vessel purposes and determine hazard. MDA ‘s nucleus is using the vas tracking procedure to a superimposed defense mechanism theoretical account centred on the coastline of India, the ultimate end of which is to observe possible menaces early and as far off from the Indian coastline as possible. As there is no individual high value unit to protect MDA â€Å" beds † are expanded to include an full coastline with the overall end of co-ordinated surveillance. Not all countries in these â€Å" beds † are considered every bit, but instead extra attending is given to countries that are possible marks for the terrorist/enemy. The US has the 2000nm bound of the Maritime sensing and Identification zone MDIZ it is based on the legislated 96 hr presentment demand for foreign vass come ining U.S. ports. A vas going 20kts will get at its finish in approximately 96 hours. MDIZ ‘s purpose is to garner more timely information on the vas as it approaches closer to the U.S. seashore. When come ining the MDIZ, places every four hours are the norm while in territorial Waterss the end is to obtain positional informations every 3 proceedingss. There are many systems that could supply a high grade of surveillance and tracking informations, but the existent merger of this information remains a job country. In order to deduce a comprehensive MDA image, information demands to be fused, correlated, and analysed and for it to be relevant to national security it must be designed to run cohesively at tactical, regional and strategic degrees. Strategic MDA On the national degree, nautical scheme is critical for long term planning, operational penetration, and supplying national determination shapers with support to set up precedences, determine schemes of mutualist administrations, allocate national resources, and determine degree of overall maritime menace This is a hard procedure during normal peacetime operations and is peculiarly ambitious in the invariably altering asymmetric maritime environment that MDA is designed to turn to. MDA ‘s ultimate end is to obtain a sense of planetary consciousness that reaches beyond the confines of the tactical and regional degrees. If MDA was merely a defensive scheme against a known military or terrorist menace, it could be obtained by organizing defensive beds around India. But as an informational/awareness system, its ends are far broader, seeking to understand all possible maritime menaces to India, many of which could arise overseas in an unoffending mode. Strategic MDA requires a wide position and capablenesss at the highest degrees of analysis, intelligence, and policy. It requires the realignment of bureaucratism and the re-tasking of national assets toward the overall end of planetary consciousness. A Centre for strategic MDA must hold experience in multi-organisation operations and processs that can exceed the spread between the armed forces, jurisprudence enforcement, and regulative bureaus that are portion of MDA. In the maritime sphere, this is possible through enlargement of bing substructure, specifically developing such a fusion/analysis point. Two countries of detector engineerings that have peculiar pertinence to strategic MDA are a orbiter based feeling capableness and a net work of submerged surveillance detectors.Structure of the Indian MDAThe 26 Nov 2008 onslaught on Mumbai has been analysed and security spreads addressed to explicate the MDA. The cardinal rule for the MDA has been the application of informations blending to acquire actionable int elligence inputs to mensurate, comparison and place and prosecute and forestall sea-borne condemnable activities. The figure of different bureaus at cardinal and province degree involved is 13, and hence effectual coordination is an issue. Some of the enterprises include: – – Launch of GSAT7 orbiter in geosynchronous orbit by lSRO, with Rukmani terminuss ( ex Israel ) placed on Major war vessels for instantaneous informations transportation to run into the demands of the Navy. ISRO is besides likely to set in topographic point by 2013 the Indian Regional Navigation Seven Satellite System ( IRNSS ) which would supply informations within 1000 stat mis of India. – Puting up of The National Command Control Communication and Intelligence web ( NC3IN ) . – The puting up of a radio detection and ranging concatenation ( X band AIS receiving system VHF and Electro-Optics ) of 46 detector Stationss being linked with the AIS inputs ( Covering the full Indian seashore ) , and LRIT and Vessel Traffic Management Systems. Coastal secret plans are maintained by the ICG Regional HQs to back up the Joint Operations Centres ( JOCs ) set up following to naval nautical operations suites ( MORS ) in all naval bids and at New Delhi. – Puting up of Multi Agency Centres ( MAC ) for intelligence inputs and studies. – Registration of fishing vass by provinces, and proviso of battery operated Distress Action Terminals ( DATs ) for vass below 300 dozenss. DG Shipping would supply smaller fishing boats with AIS transponders which has enforced ISPS codification for Port security with port security programs. Supplying Biometric /recognition individuality cards for fishermen which can be identified on a machine on board surveillance platforms. – Puting up of a Marine Police force with 73 Coastal constabulary Stationss across 9 provinces and provided with 5 and 10 ton trade which can police inshore Waterss. – A uninterrupted outline of record of transporting with World Customs Organisation has been enforced and MARSEC security degrees are exercised and coastal villagers educated on demand to be argus-eyed by the IN and ICG. – The Indian Navy has instituted Marine Commandos Rapid Reaction Forces and a Sagar Prahari Bal ( SPB ) of 100 mariners who are being equipped with 80 fast interceptor trade ( FICs ) for protection of naval bases, VAs and VPs. UAVs and Aerostats are besides planned for initiation. – Coordinated coastal and seaward plus patrolling has been strengthened by the IN and the ICG. – All stairss for MDA are networked with the Indian Navy ‘s fleet of ships, pigboats and MR aircraft. The Government of India has put in topographic point a formidable program for MDA, and the single systems are being setup prior to concluding integrating and fusing of informations. It is expected that the MDA would be to the full functional by 2015. However, in close hereafter it can be presumed that Indian Navy would draw a bead on to get formidable sea denial and sea control capablenesss. It is opined that the footings Sea watch/denial/ control are likely to spread out and transform in to ‘Oceanic infinite watch/ denial/control ‘ . The term Oceanic infinite denial/control would encompass a cylindrical infinite in 3D+ dimensions ; that is the sea surface, the atmospheric volume above, the outer infinite at least up to low Earth revolving satellite highs, the H2O volume up to the sea bed, the sea bed itself and besides security of the deep sea mining assets in the EEZ. ( Opinion of the writer ) . The above premiss implies that a broader pelagic skyline is in fact inclusive of non merely extended and broader spacial operating sphere, but besides much wider and broader raid in to the verticals below the surface to the sea bed and above up to fringe of the ambiance. Unless deductions of this nature are anticipated and factored in, technological prognosiss themselves would drag behind the rapid progressing gait of engineering and the synergisms being achieved due to harmonization and version inter and intra scientific Fieldss. Therefore it is imperative that holistic positions into the information consciousness sphere include the pelagic sphere consciousness every bit good as it ‘s connect with India ‘s security and MDA. Oceanic Domain Awareness Scientific survey of the oceans originated in U.S. basically as a map of national security. Probes that focused on the tactical and operational impacts of the fluid, geophysical, chemical and biological Marine environment upon U.S. Navy operations successfully addressed many disputing naval demands ; but oceanographic enquiry in support of naval demands besides triggered unexpected consequences. In many cases the cognition of the oceans that was acquired through directed surveies – and through complementary lines of enquiry that were enabled by tools developed for naval oceanographic research – farther wedged national security in ways that were non anticipated and which transcended tactical and operational significance and could be considered of more strategic effect. The primary drift to the rapid development of oceanology during its twentieth century yearss as a scientific discipline is without a uncertainty the pigboat and the cardinal alterations that occurred when naval warfare became genuinely 3-dimensional. Prosecuting pigboats was executable chiefly through the transmittal of submerged sound, actively by echo sounder to echo-locate marks and passively by listening hydrophones and triangulation. The range of oceanographic attempts in the chase of the pigboat opened all of the oceanographic subjects ( physical, chemical, biological, and geological oceanology ) to increased investing, research attempt and – significantly – to integrating. Twentieth-century oceanology was basically a security-based enterprise to cut down the opacity of the oceans to antisubmarine warfare in WWI, WWII and the Cold War, and harness that opacity for violative pigboat operations, along with a host of other security based naval concerns. In the ocean scientific disciplines, new engineering necessarily leads to new finds and to cardinal progresss in basic cognition. In the old ages following World War II, the first global-scale function and sampling of the seafloor by oceanographic research vass led straight to the find of seafloor spreading and the development of the theory of home base tectonics which has since revolutionised thoughts of Earth construction and development. A decennary subsequently, the first geographic expedition of mid-ocean ridges utilizing deep-towed vehicles and manned submersibles resulted in the singular find of deep-sea hydrothermal blowhole communities with antecedently unknown signifiers of life and a huge, still mostly undiscovered microbial biosphere below the seafloor. Over the past two decennaries, ocean physicists, chemists, life scientists, and geologists have used a assortment of tools, from instrumented buoys to deep-sea boring, to redefine their apprehension of the ocean ‘s f unction in commanding conditions and longer-term clime alteration. The ocean scientific disciplines are now on the threshold of another major technological progress as the scientific community begins to set up a planetary, long-run presence in the oceans in order to understand the temporal variableness of ocean systems on clip graduated tables runing from seconds to decennaries or longer. This chance arises from the meeting of a figure of emerging new technological capablenesss, including: – – Telecommunication engineering ( e.g. , orbiters, fiber-optic pigboat overseas telegrams ) that makes possible real-time telemetry of huge measures of informations to shore every bit good as real-time synergistic control of instruments in even the most distant parts of the deep sea ; – Telecommunication overseas telegrams that enable important degrees of power to run instruments from the sea surface to the deep seafloor ; – New detectors that make possible in situ measurings of physical, chemical, and biological procedures ; – Computational and patterning capablenesss to construct more realistic, multidisciplinary, and prognostic theoretical accounts of ocean phenomena ; – Data archival systems that can hive away, pull strings, and recover immense volumes of informations from arrays of detectors ; and – Computer webs that can convey real-time informations to the desktop, which could potentially immensely increase engagement of research workers, pupils, pedagogues and the general populace in ocean research and find. An illustration of a double usage observatory is the Sound Surveillance System ( SOSUS ) , a classified system developed by the U.S. Navy in the late fiftiess to observe, path, and sort Russian pigboats utilizing arrays of submerged hydrophones. SOSUS is a web of acoustic arrays in which hydrophones are connected to a shore station by a pigboat overseas telegram. Research workers with security clearances have used the system for productive surveies of mid-ocean ridge volcanic-hydrothermal systems, marine mammals, and acoustic thermometry. SOSUS has besides provided the research community with technology know-how that will be relevant to any cabled web of ocean observatories. One lesson from the U.S. Navy ‘s SOSUS type of arrays is that the acquisition and public distribution of acoustic and other geophysical informations in some parts along a state ‘s coastline poses a important national security hazard. Technologies ( e.g. , robust detectors and substructure, independent vehicles ) must be developed to heighten informations aggregation in all conditions conditions to back up high-spatial declaration and near-real-time prediction throughout the Open Ocean and coastal zone. Supplying accurate and comprehensive environmental information will necessitate spread outing experimental webs to supervise, record, and present real-time, surface-monitoring informations ( e.g. , high-frequency, coastal-based radio detection and rangings ) . This enlargement will necessitate progressing detector and engineering development, peculiarly for independent and relentless observations, every bit good as for long-run detecting systems ; spread outing real-time or near-real-time informations aggregation on environmental variables by integrating experimental capablenesss of ships of chance ( e.g. , fishing, lading, and rider vass ) ; and heightening automated and independent bottom-mapping capablenesss for alteration sensing to better rapid, all-out study programming. Datas collected by the detecting systems must be accessible through a comprehensive national information web, either through a individual system or a distributed web. Developing this information web will necessitate new methodological analysiss that address spreads in informations aggregation, sharing, and interoperability of engineerings, and should allow integrating of bing research into operational systems ( e.g. , systems supplying real-time pilotage informations to vass ) . This information web should be able to associate with other databases, such as those concentrating on ecosystem informations, and developed in conformity with international criterions for informations exchange. The national information web will besides supply the informations needed for theoretical accounts imitating multiple scenarios to better understand possible impacts, conditions events or semisynthetic breaks on Marine operations, and to back up operations Restoration programs. The seashore and unfastened ocean are critical spheres for the security of a state with sea as boundaries, both at place and abroad. National-security operations in the ocean take topographic point globally and frequently require uninterrupted, near-real-time monitoring of environmental conditions utilizing tools such as independent detectors, targeted observations, and adaptative modeling. These capablenesss, combined with improved apprehension of the ocean environment enabled by other ocean scientific discipline research activities, will back up accurate ocean-state appraisals and let hereafter forces to carry on joint and combined operations in near shore and deep-ocean operating environments, anyplace and at anytime. In position of the treatment above it has been brought out that the MDA needs to be integrated within pelagic sphere consciousness for completeness of maritime cognition, the deficiency of which can take to serious effects as has been brought out in a recent appraisal of naval exercisings and arm fires in the US, where it was found that over 90 % of them were affected adversely due to amiss assessed or small known environmental factors. In an existent struggle, these would hold led to mission failures. This lone under-pins the fact that Oceanic Domain Awareness is an enabler for the hereafter and an jussive mood for a state like India.

A Frail Economy Raises Pressure on Iran’s Rulers

The news slated in New York Times dated February 3, 2008 regarding gas shortage on a very cold winter days of modern Iran is a manifestation of the growing decline of local government insufficiency to regulate multinational corporations.â€Å"Iran’s natural gas shortage became a crisis when Turkmenistan, to the north, cut off supplies in December over a pricing dispute. Iran does not have the refining capacity to meet its own needs (Slackman 2008)†.Iran’s leaders became vulnerable when its cities experiences blackouts and homes left without heaters for days and weeks.   Women and students being arrested, magazines publications being shut down had questioned the stewardship of the Iranian president by its religious leader.   This is such a bad time for the in convent president racing a March 14 election when the cities are in chaos.The event that is happening with Iran is an example of an economic crisis being encountered worldwide.   However, it is ironic b ecause they seemed not to get hold of what they have, they export oils which run electricity but due to market trade Iranians are deprived of what truly belongs to them.Equitable sharing of wealth seems to have been neglected instead capitalist instigated a maximum return on investments.   Political elites dialogue on revolutionary ideology and seemingly accept defeat that running a country like Iran is difficult (Slackman 2008).   This is something we fear about, a kingdom divided among them cannot thrive.   History keeps repeating itself, civilizations ends when a place is defined only by individuals.As for now we cannot point our fingers on anyone but it is good to analyze where the culprit came from.   What is happening in Iran is a consequence of globalism.   The same way as it affects the Ogoni people in Nigeria and the rest of developing regions and poor countries of the globe.   For these reason a 20/20 hindsight vision must be implemented between capitalism and equality.   For it is an old idiom that the ends do not always justify the means.Radical and extreme solutions may be imposed by the governance to solve the crisis but the big question is whose governance?   For a country whose people are afraid of retribution, these pious poor may be found stiff dead one day.Some contemporary forerunner of anti-globalism is Manfred Steger, the author of the book Globalization: A New Market Ideology.   He pointed out that influence of supranational bodies decreases the ability of governments to regulate capitalist or multinational corporations. As of now fifty one among the 100 top corporations of the world are the wealthiest multinationals.   These companies are funded and supported by the WTO and IMF.Steger also discussed in his writings on how the protagonist of this culture uses these new market trends for the acceptance of the general public.   It is purely hedonistic in culture wherein equality is subject to a chosen few.   He said that globalization is globalony.   It is nonetheless the civilization of consumerism wherein market trades or trends are preferred more than the benefits of mankind.   This scenario limits the choices of man which is not only derogatory but contrary to the free act of man.Owen Wiwa’s brother Ken a physician was hanged when he lead the people for MOSOP a movement for the Ogoni people for survival in 1990 against Shell Corporation.   It was a battle of removing the oil extraction and refineries which was a detriment to public health and safety.   Today the refineries were gone except for the pipelines and people which ended up of not getting paid.Anyone or anything that gets in the capitalist was must be extinguished or removed at all costs.   Owen now continues what his brother have started and talking to some young students taking up law that ten years from now they may be working with these big corporations or with their governments, he asked them that they could make a big influence and by then it will be up to their conscience if they will choose to protect the benefit of man rather than the material things which must only be used to benefit humanity.Equality is difficult to attain when the least is put aside.   The world will seem to be an arena of struggle of the fittest that only the strong can command and will live.We’ve always knew that there is no equality when there are prejudices.   If the giants remain and we allow them to take over the rest, what would our society be in the next few years?   If our technocrats and legislators only think of the future of these wealthy corporations disregarding human values and dignity, how much sufferings would be encountered all over the world?This present generation must be concerned with the upheaval of this new trend: Globalization in the cloak of consumerism and materialism, capitalism versus equitable distribution of wealth, and the lost of dignity of labor. In our own ways we m ust scrutinize how we apply our daily living into the use of these material goods.   Do we became enslave to them or does it help to serve mankind?   Our proposition must always be that man lords the earth and not enslaved by it.We need to bond strongly with one another against any corporate rule that is inhuman and too greedy.   Like Steger and the Wiwa brothers we must struggle too in putting our best efforts to see to it that the goods of this earth are equitably shared by all races of mankind.   We must stop all efforts which sponsors expensive armaments in support of terrorism and enriching uranium plants for the so called â€Å"peace purposes†.The planet is not yet too old, it is only beginning to see the next third generation of the fastest technology.   We hope to see a better world where everyone has the chance to improve his ways and live life to the fullest.ReferencesMichael Slackman 2008, A Frail Economy Raises Pressure on Iran’s Rulers, New York Times, [Electronic Version].   Retrieved 04 February 2008 from,   

A SWOT Analysis of Nike, Inc.

A SWOT Analysis of Nike, Inc. Internal: Strengths The first strength of Nike as a company is that is outsources all aspects of its production to overseas facilities. This is a strength as the company saves money on the labor costs and the helps the company focus on design and research with the additional capital they save. The next strength is that Nike is a globally recognized brand that has strong customer loyalty. Along with this, Nike has a reputation for quality and endurance which makes it the brand of choice for athletes and fitness fanatics. Another strength of Nike is that it is an extremely competitive company with a catchy slogan that summarizes the ideology of the company. â€Å"Just Do It† is globally known and contributes as to why Nike is one of the few dominating companies in the market. Weaknesses The first weakness of Nike as a company is it perceived by some people as too premium and expensive. This is a weakness as a lot of people are migrating to lower prices athletic wear which is primarily focused on quality. The next weakness is that Nike does its business through retailers who sell other competing brands. This kills the exclusivity of the brand as it is often competing against hundreds of other brands who beat Nike in some aspects including price or quality. As mentioned previously, Nike outsources all of its manufacturing to save money. A lot of companies who outsource overseas are faced with negative publicity due to the bad image of â€Å"Sweatshops†. This could turn people off shopping at Nike due to unfriendly conditions that are associated with sweatshops. Opportunities One of the biggest opportunities for Nike is the emerging markets in regards to athletes and sports teams. A lot of people purchase their favorite teams regardless of the brand. If Nike strategically gets access to the biggest sports teams their sale would increase. If Nike continues to diversify into new markets other than footwear they can begin to dominate different markets such as sporting accessories. Nike has the advantage of compromising price to attract new customers. They already have a loyal customer following so they already have large profit margins. If they take the chance of lowering prices they could increase revenue from new customers. Threats The main threat to Nike is competitors such as Adidas, Puma and Under-Armor. Companies in the same market as Nike are continuously growing, putting pressure on Nike as a company that needs to continue to grow. The price of competitors is a big threat to Nike. Consumers today are more price cautions and will often opt for the cheaper products. As Nike uses overseas outlets to manufacture there is a constant threat that they will be exposed for poor trade practices. If they are exposed it would damage the company’s image and consumers might want to purchase from other suppliers.  · Where do our internal strengths match with external opportunities? This represents the best fit between the companys resources and the options available in the external environment. Nike’s internal strengths matches their external opportunities in the sense that Nike is a globally recognized company that has strong customer loyalty. An external opportunity that Nike could take advantage is lowering their price to attract new customers. As of one Nike’s strengths is strong brand recognition, it makes Nike a desirable brand especially if the prices are lowered. There is a possibility that the increase of new customers could increase profit and get more life-long customers.  · Where do our internal weaknesses match up with external opportunities? What opportunities are we not able to capture? The first weakness of Nike that matches up with external opportunities is that Nike is viewed as a premium brand that is too expensive for some consumers to purchase. The opportunity that this matches up to is the chance Nike has to lower its prices and attract new customers. The reason as to why it is difficult for Nike to capture this opportunity is because Nike carries a certain prestige that they don’t want tainted with cheap prices of their merchandise. If everyone can afford to wear Nike the prestige element wouldn’t have as much of an effect and it could possibly lose customers.  · Where do our internal strengths match up with external threats? What resources do we have that might turn a threat into an opportunity? The internal strengths that match up with the external threats in Nike is the face that Nike outsources all of its production to overseas facilities to save money on the cost of production. The matches with the external threats as the conditions of these overseas facilities leave much to be desired. If a report of these conditions were to ever appear it could severely damage Nike’s reputation. The pressure of other companies such as Adidas and Puma could become an opportunity for Nike to continuously grow and slow down in a very competitive market.  · Where do our internal weaknesses match the external threats in the environment? These are the worst possible scenarios for an organization. The internal weaknesses that match the external threats is the fact that Nike do most of its business through retailers. This is a threat as many consumers can compare prices of Nike to other competitors in a retail store. This could introduce consumers to cheaper prices of rival brands.

Undertake a review of the current literature to identify the key

Undertake a of the current to identify the key determinants of capital structure since the global financial crisis - Literature review Example Undertake a review of the current literature to identify the key determinants of capital structure since the global financial crisis It is duly considered to be an important aspect and every organisation is required to consider it in order to make sure that the operations are conducted in an efficient manner. Moreover, Miller (2003) signified that capital structure impose direct impact in the mission and also in the operations of an organisation. A proper assessment and maintenance of capital will eventually facilitate in managing the financial operations of an organisation effectively (Miller, 2003). With this concern, this paper intends to discuss about identifying the major determinants of the capital structure impacting business organisations since the worldwide financial crisis. Literature Review Capital Structure is an Important Facilitator for Financial Decisions According to Baker & Wurgler (2002), capital structure plays a decisive role in making effective financial decisions. The authors affirmed that management of business organisations utilise capital structure in making better exploitation of accessib le financial recourses. It also assists in having a proper assessment and estimating their shares in the business markets. Additionally, the management with the assistance of capital structure is capable to determine the quantity of leverage that it possesses in the marketplace and also in comparison with other organisations. (Mahmud & et. al., 2009; Baker & Wurgler, 2002). Baker & Martin (2011) noted that capital structure is an important instrument of making effective decisions in relation to various significant aspects that include dividend decisions, management decision making along with financial decisions among others. According to Baker & Martin (2011), three important theories of capital structure encompass the ‘market timing theory’, the ‘trade-off theory’ and the ‘pecking order theory’. In this regard, the ‘trade-off theory’ is a model on the basis of which tax benefits and liabilities are calculated to maintain a stable balance of financial considerations of business organisations. The ‘pecking order theory’ provides important and valuable information, aiding in identifying problems, so that the management of organisations can adopt appropriate measures to mitigate such problems. The ‘market timing theory’ is a model, which assists management of business organisations in ascertaining the appropriate time of issuing shares in the market. In this regard, Baker & Martin (2011) have also implied that management of business organisations with the assistance of these theories will be facilitated with the opportunity of making effective investment decisions and attaining superior competitive position (Baker & Martin, 2011; Laugi & Sorin, 2009). Determinants of Capital Structure since the Global Financial Crisis According to Bauer (2004), the capital structure of business organisations mainly comprise various vital factors such as size, tangibility, profitability, industry classif ication, tax and growth opportunity among others. It can be affirmed that these vital factors associated with the notion of capital structure impose considerable impact upon the financial transactions along with the operations of an organisation in an immerse manner. Additionally, the

The Economic Considerations Of Information Security And Its Management Essay

The Economic Considerations Of Information Security And Its Management - Essay Example However, the people who could care for a system were not the ones who suffered the costs of break down. This scenario can be explained with the help of some examples. Well structured billing-management features for the administrators who offered them, but were not so excellent at protecting customer’s privacy. For instance, automatic teller machines gone through under fraud in a lot of developed countries like the Netherlands and United Kingdom, where deprived rules and regulations left banks without enough encouragement to protect their information systems, and allowed them to pay the charges of fraud to their customers. In this scenario, the internet is acknowledged as an insecure medium due to the fact that its liability for attacks is so diffuse. In all of these cases, the technical considerations of security are less important than the economic considerations (Anderson & Schneier, 2008), (NIST, 2010) and (Anderson & Moore, 2007). In this scenario, to implement a solution to this problem there is need to think about following questions like â€Å"do we need to spend an adequate amount of funds keeping viruses, attacks and hackers out of our corporate computer systems? Or do we pay out too much for overall security management? Seeing that after the incident of 9/11, this kind of questions has gained a heightened significance. In this scenario, the economics can depict a lot of puzzling realities regarding internet security. For example, organizations implement email encryption and firewalls not due to the relative efficiency of these technologies, however due to the economic forces that force corporations to install these tools on their systems (Anderson & Schneier, 2008), (NIST, 2010) and (Anderson & Moore, 2007). At the present, organizations hardly ever make public information concerning interruptions due to the economic reasons in doing so. For instance, an un-protected operating system is an international standard, partially for the reason that its financial results are mostly shown not by the corporation that built the operating system, however by the clients who bought it and used it. Furthermore, a number of major controversial cyber-policy matters also exist between information security and economics (Anderson & Schneier, 2008), (NIST, 2010) and (Anderson & Moore, 2007). Economic theory forecasted that the worldwide recession will certainly augment the amount of cyber crimes as the financial recession deepens. There could be a lot of reasons of cyber crime such as an increase in security breaches and hit on more vulnerable and frantic people from those with cyber skills and cyber criminal position for desired income; and a reduced focus on investment in computer security as a result of fewer resources. According to the various researches, the assets of United States households have reduced up to approximately $1.4 trillion; consequently the whole sum of money available to steal has reduced. However, this connection and causation are tremendously hard to demonstrate conclusively. In this scenario, it could be concluded that the cyber crime has been growing at very high rate for the reason that there are less difficulties for the criminals to perform their activities and almost no risk of being trapped and accused. However, this is apart from of the circumstance of the global economy. Despite the fact that appearing at the difficulty of workers of the growing marketplaces, this can be concluded that the financial situation of these nations has been significantly condensed with less hope of development of their condition, cyber crime prospects and thus the number of workers will increase (Guerra, 2009) and (Schneier, 2006). Possibly,

Module review questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Module review questions - Coursework Example I would like to point out that several developments would be made in this sector. Among the most significant trends in the peripheral devices I expect to see in the next ten years is the adoption of a touch screen, wireless mouse and video cards. These are very powerful devices that would enable a computer to produce a more efficient, faster, accurate and high quality work. Basically, a computer system can be classified into supercomputers, mainframe computers and personal computers. The changes in the modern technology have greatly transformed the use of the desktops, laptops, Netbooks, Tablet PCs and Smart Phones. These are the different types of computer systems that are popularly used in the society today. For instance, whereas the desktops are shifting to the use of TFT Monitors, the laptops, Netbooks and the Tablets are becoming more portable and lighter than they used to be before (Ceruzzi, 2000). Besides, the Smart Phones are now able to access the internet and be used in browsing, sending and receiving mails. Application software refers to a set of programs which are exclusively designed to perform a specific application. Even if there is lots of application software, there are certain packages that should be known and thoroughly comprehended by the business and end users. These include, but not limited to accounting software, graphic software and enterprise software. They deal with documentation. So, everyone should know how to effectively operate them. Today, there are so much changes occurring in the software development. A lot of improvements have been made to increase the functionality and effectiveness of the Information Worker Software, Educational Software and Entertainment Software. In future, I would like to see the sophistication of Product Engineering Software and Enterprise Infrastructure Software. This would make them more efficient in their output. The operating system is necessary because it manages both the software

Patient Privacy and Reluctance to Complain Essay

Patient Privacy and Reluctance to Complain - Essay Example It is really impossible for any individual to find out that medial privacy was violated under the Amended rule. Lots of burden needed to be bear in order to show medical privacy violation. Only thing can be done is, if one believes that covered entity violated medical privacy then one has every right to file complaint against the health insurer or complain to the Health and Human services Patients are sometimes reluctant to complain about health care because some patients fear that due to complain they may receive lower service quality in case there is any need for the future arises. Complain can also lead to inappropriate health insurance problems in the health care. Communicating effectively with the patient will reduce the concerns about the health care. Medical providers would communicate with the patient about their problems so that every patient fells special about their health care. Health care organization should be benefited about the patient complaints that are systematically analyzed and recorded. Confidence can be developed among the patients by knowing them that complains can help health care for promoting safety. Communicating with the customers that complaining will improve quality and safety of the patient rather than any harm to patient. This will create awareness and confidence among the patient about complaining on certain issues on health

Science Fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Science Fiction - Essay Example It’s so damn boring.† I wonder whether it is a custom among students to speak in slang or is it a part of university curriculum. I also saw some girls and boys sitting together on some benches sharing notes with each other. I ask myself, â€Å"It might be so that students on Earth share their things with each other but why do they do so when they should hide things?† I cannot come up with an answer since on my planet we hide notes from each other. I see many customs in this campus which are quite surprising for me and which I am sure I will keep on thinking about till many days to come. I see some parents coming into the campus too. One of them is carrying a magazine which says, â€Å"Parent Times†. A magazine for parents? What do parents have to do with a college magazine? And specifically written for them? Too surprising, I must say. And the parents are coming in for the family weekend! That was too hilarious! So, the parents are also involved in the univ ersity activities. â€Å"I will take this idea to my planet†, is the first thought that comes into my mind. The most obvious custom that I observe among students is that female students are being seated in the residence hall while males are standing.

History and Political Science and Why United States Was Able to Defeat Research Paper

History and Political Science and Why United States Was Able to Defeat England - Research Paper Example They were also familiar with the territory and local resource of labor and food. Americans also perceived this war as the second war of impendence and fought with enthusiasm. In addition, many Americans believed that England sought to humiliate them as a sovereign country. American land forces had improved in both quality and leadership. There was a renewed sense of nationhood and urge to avenge indignities suffered by Americans (Newman 23-31). The article of Confederation was a form of union of thirteen independent states and bases of America Constitution. The weaknesses were lack of power by the states to collect taxes, trade regulation was denied to states, the law needed nine of thirteen states for approval, no executive branch, lack of national court system, and amendments could only be done if all members agreed. The greatest advantage of this confederation was that it allowed for the fair development of land to the west of Appalachians. Secondly, it led to the signing of the peace treaty with Great Britain. Thirdly, it led to the expansion of United States territory from Atlantic to Mississippi river, set up the department of foreign affairs and finally it led to states honoring legal acts of the states (Merrill 134-56). An analysis of this clause all points to the framer's intention to deny that it neither prohibited nor allowed slave trade. The clause refers to other economic or social class but does not refer slave as an economic class. However, the location of seats in Congress and number of people to be taxed although only three-fifths led to slaves being considered as human beings. It also led to return of fugitives slaves (Boyd 9- 21). Immediately after revolution abolition was conceived, it did not fade until the civil war. Abolition began as an elite group although religious leader was involved. It began as an appeal to people of colors especially the blacks and women. It led to unease over the legitimacy of  slavery.  

World religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

World religion - Essay Example This yoga holds very importance in both the religions. Tantrism is associated with the religious scriptures known as the Goddess Shakti. She is the sacred feminine in Hindu religion, whom people worship. Hindu considers it as anit-vedic in character. In Hinduism traditionally it contains four parts; Metaphysical knowledge of religion known as Jnana, meditative practices knows as yoga, ritual practices and religious and ethical practices of conduct named as Charya. Today in Hinduism this yoga traditionally exists in Saurya, Shiva, Shakta, Ganapatya and Vaishnava. Tantrism came into being in Buddhism around the 3rd century till 12th .In Buddhism, Tantric is also known as Vajrayana. It is different in Buddhism because of its rituals. Rather than the meditation their goal is to achieve the Godhead, with Upaya/skills.Vajrayanais difficult and complicated than the Hinduism because of its rules and complications in language, to read.It is performed in Buddhism for the followers to experienc e the true Buddha nature, before they tend to achieve the enlightenment(Dolls of India - The Role of Tantra in Hinduism and Buddhism) In the psychological study of religion, considering postmodernity, Erickson has given very much importance to the religion in every stage of life. He has done the biographies on Gandhi and Martin Luther, which have proved his thoughts in the matter of religion. Erick stated that for human personality development, religion plays an important role because it is only primary way where virtues are promoted with each stage of life, on the basis of culture. Erick’s theory couldn’t attain much benefit from systematic empirical study but it left the influential effect on the human minds(Schachter). Whereas considering the postmodernity Jones states that today the world is moving within the new sets of modernity. The thoughts of people are changing as a strong reflection of modern themes, specially the youth ministry. Jones says that youth ministry should

Blue Ocean Strategy Paper Essay Example for Free

Blue Ocean Strategy Paper Essay The Blue Ocean Strategy focuses on the three industries that closely touch people’s lives. Areas they looked at were Autos, Computers and Movie and what companies within those fields are doing to managing sustainable profit and growth through the test of time. The creation of a blue ocean strategy places its focus on strategic moves to place their brand in position long past its rise to fame. Rather than focusing on creating a company and battling your competitor’s blue ocean strategy gears to forecasting innovations and products to make oceans of uncontested market space. (W. Kim, 2004) A product strategy that is much a product of managerial action, rather than the creation or invention of new market space but the development and evolution of the products rather than the company. Primary Strategy Importance The blue ocean strategy takes a look at the host of companies in the thirty plus industries and the key players within them. The process of analyzing and studying the leading and successful players and the unsuccessful and failing competition. Looking for distinct and common differences between the groups, as well as the commonalities to discover the common factors that lead to the successful growth of one and failings of the other. The consistent variable common pattern that shows focusing on competition does not provide for long term successful companies. The common practice is the within the market place the competition style strategy has little advantages to it. (W. Kim, 2004) The irrelevant old school theory that out doing your competitors was not the road to take that leads to profit and success. Placing the value in innovation and creation will lend itself to a new demand and achieve a value that has a largely dominate market with high pay  offs and leave an ocean that separ ates you from the completion. The creation and break out of strategic pricing and targeting the strategy of new demands and thinking of new ideas that competitors are not offering with strategic pricing and low cost you can create a new market that is far beyond the industry and competitors you seek to outdo. Marketing from the point of view of the customer or consumer rather than what planning and research will outdo your competition shows no long term successful models, and the continual innovation and meeting the visionary demands of a new market will leave you as the sole leader of a this variation of new product. Similar Strategic Move Blue ocean strategy shows the critical importance of focusing your strategy not on competition or trying to reinvent the wheel, but innovation and creation of demand that in 20 years will be the trend the need and meet the customer needs that competition (established or not) have failed to see. Important factors of use of the company talent and resources such as cost and general broad customer generic products will satisfy the moment but mostly established players succeed and ride the roller coaster of size and market share. The best example that uses the blue ocean strategy is the Fitness industry and the success of Health Clubs. The gym and fitness industry is a mostly new industry in America and since the 1970’s/1980’s has had more than its fair share of failures as the innovations and offerings mixed with demand were not there. The importance of health and taking care of yourself as well as the eternal trend of looking good was a trend that was gaining strength and today has become a way of life (or you will have no life you will be dead). Gold’s gym which is credited for taking the fitness gym to the level of meeting a way of life in America that has now become a way of life. Insurance companies, doctors, social circles, advertisements, daily activities and stamina, and the demand of your own mother to exercise stay in shape, be healthy is a must. Your insurance companies, your employer, social circles even give discounts, benefits and incentives for those who enroll in gyms and health clubs. Today Gold’s gym has survived the revolving door of new gym clubs that come on the market and leave. Various fitness trends have made things such as cycling, weight lifting, yoga, kick boxing to launch sub-specialty industries who match the services  and demand for health and fitness in huge industry. The estimated revenue of health clubs in the US being $25 Billion dollars a year, and an estimated database of over 48 Million members in America (1/8 of the total US Population) the industry started just thirty to f orty years ago is huge. (Statista.com, 2013) Innovative ways of bring people in to use their facilities and offering of different amenities and services has been the key to what companies will stand the test of time and which will fold. Trying to out price the customers has led to the closure of many successful gyms (in their time) however, not using innovation that would separate them from the competition in terms of staying a head of the curve for demand and trends lead to their closure. Companies that have taken risk such as LA Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness may very well be huge money makers and leaders in the market but take on many elements of those that focused on coverage and competition. Their size may make it difficult for creative new products and services as they have hundreds of clubs in several countries that employ thousands of people that need to be trained and adjusted. Strategy today continues to lend to the success and meet demands and needs of the industry customers want such as multiple locations, low cost, and amenities. Red Ocean Version Pro Con An alternative red ocean move for the health club industry is Belly’s Total Fitness. A onetime industry leader and attributed for making the health club business a chain group in the US is now all but dissolved and absorbed by larger and constantly redeveloping competitors such as LA Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness. The signature and staple business model may have been both the success and failure of the business. Offering multiple locations within the same network and multi-amenity locations that put them as an up and coming trend that cast a shadow of industry leader Gold’s Gym. The growing health clubs such as LA Fitness, and 24 Hour Fitness observed the success of Belly’s and began to open up locations with similar features, but at lower cost to members and offering the latest and greatest in programs, equipment and services. The blue ocean strategy that LA Fitness and 24 Hour fitness use of reading the trends and demands of members and following the strong national focus of fitness and health has allowed them to consume the once leading and fellow competitors growing their network and member base to  levels never expected. With the industry being so new it’s hard to see if places such as LA Fitness and 24 Hour fitness will last the test of time is a question only time can answer. What I do know is that if they are executing an effective strategy of innovation versus the research and development and focusing on and competitor intelligence will show no advantage for their market share and long term profits. Conclusion The fundamentals of blue ocean strategy rest solely in the creation of value seen by the customer and lower cost while simultaneously differentiating your brand, product or service within industry and rejecting old world style tunnel-vision focus strategy of your competitors. By delivering these important features of blue ocean strategy you create a sustained powerful impact on a distinct market that benefits what would have been your competition and creates blue oceans of new opportunity that spin off into a new existing market that you have all to yourself. References Perreault, W. D. (2011). Basic Marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach (19th ed). New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Statista.com. (2013). U.S. Health Club Industry . New York: Ipsos Media, Simmons National Consumer Studies and Consumer Insights from Scarborough Research. W. Kim, R. M. (2004). Blue Ocean Strategy. Harvard Business Review, 10(86), 76-84.

Dress solution Essay Example for Free

Dress solution Essay America’s schools have been faced with increased challenges over the last several years. Aside from seeking out new ways to educate students and keeping up with changes in technology, school leaders are facing a continued rise in social problems in their schools. Among these problems are incidents of school violence, gang activity and bullying which create a tension on school grounds nationwide that prevents many schools from fulfilling their mandate to educate students. Sadly, some of the most tragic incidents that occur in schools stem from the type of clothing that is being worn by students. Often theft and violence can be linked to designer clothes and expensive shoes. Sometimes clothing bearing colors and insignias may be used to identify gang affiliation, thereby promoting fear and intimidation among students. Certain styles of clothing also lend themselves toward easily hiding weapons. Furthermore, the pressure to be fashionable and have the latest clothes can take its toll financially and emotionally on students and parents. These issues are beginning to gain momentum, especially among parents, in school districts across the country. Parental support has become the force behind the increase in school districts adopting student dress policies. A recent survey in Hoke County, North Carolina showed an average of 64 percent of parents supported uniforms in the schools. Student dress also drew the attention of the former President Clinton. In a memorandum on school uniforms to the Secretary of Education, he directed the Secretary to â€Å"develop information about how local school districts have made uniforms part of their school safety and discipline programs. † He also requested that information about school uniforms be made available to every school district in the country. There are no perfect solutions to the social problems that exist in today’s schools. However, schools can and should consider practical steps to create an atmosphere of respect and attentiveness for their students. Implementing a student dress policy is one such option. Although little formal research has been done on the effect these policies have on students, the feedback given by those who have implemented school dress policies indicate these policies are making a difference. This paper will explore the types of school dress policies—school uniforms and dress codes—and the effects they are having in today’s schools. Student Dress as Policy The attention given to school dress codes and uniforms has become more and more focused over the last several years. As dialogue increases among parents, students and school officials about what remedies may exist to deal with the problems facing today’s schools, student dress policies have moved to the forefront. The issue received nationwide recognition in 1998 when, in his State of the Union address, President Clinton recommended school uniforms as a method of reducing school violence. Since that time, there has been a notable increase in the number of schools that have considered and implemented a dress policy for their students. More recently, in his State of the State address, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley recommended school dress codes as a means to address behavior in North Carolina’s schools. In his speech Governor Easley asked every school board to â€Å"enforce a reasonable dress code policy because students come to school to learn—not to party. † It appears that leaders on many levels have begun to recognize the potential benefits that school dress policies can have on the school environment. Uniforms: When implementing a school dress policy, some schools are more directives while others take a more passive approach. School uniforms are certainly the more directive method because they tell students what they must wear. A school uniform policy requires students to wear similar looking outfits to class each day. Some schools do offer an â€Å"opt-out† option if the parents agree to it. Others will also make exception for students whose religious beliefs may be hindered by the uniform. The first known public school in the country to adopt a school policy on uniforms was Cherry Hill Elementary in Baltimore, Maryland in 1987. The first major school district to require school uniforms was California’s Long Beach Unified School District in 1994. 6 According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U. S. Department of Education; only about three percent of public schools require uniforms to be worn by their students. Nationwide, at least 37 states, including North Carolina, give local school districts the authority to require uniforms if they choose to. The first county in North Carolina to require uniforms was Halifax County. As of the 2000-2001 school year, they are the only school district in the state to require uniforms in all their schools. 10 The county school uniform regulations require elementary and middle school students to wear certain combinations of khaki bottoms with navy or white shirts (plaid jumpers are allowed for females). High school students must wear a variety of pants and shirts combinations depending on the school they attend. The Halifax uniform policy does ease penalties for financial hardship and exempts students from wearing a uniform if it imposes a substantial burden on a student’s exercise of religious belief. Though no other school districts require uniforms district-wide, some individual schools within school districts have chosen to require uniforms. For example, in North Carolina’s largest school district—Charlotte/ Mecklenburg—23 of the 144 schools have chosen to require uniforms even though they are not required to do so. Dress Codes: Another less stringent approach to student dress policy is the school dress code. A school dress code instructs students on what they cannot wear instead of telling them what to wear (i. e. no hats, no tight fitting clothes, no vulgar or obscene depictions on clothing, etc. ). Dress codes are much more common in North Carolina’s schools than uniform policies. Out of the 117 school districts in this state, at least 48 have some form of dress code in place. One of this state’s most notable school dress code policies is in Johnston County. Their policy not only prohibits inappropriate clothing such as short shorts and sagging pants, but also prohibits abnormal hair colors and body piercing jewelry. Students who violate the policy may receive a short term suspension from school for up to 10 days and students who repeatedly violate the policy may be suspended for the remainder of the year. Other counties, such as Cabarrus, have similar policies, but leave the responsibility of developing rules and regulation up to each school’s principal. The Effect: There has been little scientific study done on the effects of student dress policies. However, there is empirical evidence that continues to mount, especially with the rising number of schools who are considering these options. One survey of schools nationwide conducted by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) revealed that one out of five (21 percent) public, private and parochial school principles had either instigated a uniform policy, were currently writing one, or had it on their agenda for consideration. With so many schools and school districts adopting school dress policies, it is important to understand why so many have chosen to do so. The purpose for most, if not all, schools that are adopting uniforms and dress codes is to address the issues of discipline and academic achievement. Classroom disruptions are commonplace in today’s schools and having methods in place to promote a better learning environment have never been more important. Furthermore, little debate remains over the dangers and pressures that exist in schools today. With the increased displays of school violence, many school officials, parents and students have become more determined to find solutions. In determining the effectiveness of school dress policies, there is no more compelling evidence that the feedback from the school principals themselves. Though the majority of public schools do not require uniforms, the feedback is very positive from those who do. According to one survey conducted by the NAESP, principals of schools that have uniform policies in place believe that students stay more disciplined and focused in their studies and feel less peer pressure. According to the study, principals identified the following effects of school uniforms: 79 percent believed uniforms positively affected classroom discipline; 67 percent saw an improvement in student concentration; 62 percent noticed a positive effect on school safety; 72 percent saw an increase in school spirit; 85 percent noted a better perception of the school by the community; and 75 percent indicated a positive effect on peer pressure among students. In North Carolina, the feedback from Halifax County is also positive. Dr. Viola Vaughan, principle at Southeast Halifax High School said that their school uniform policy has done a lot for the students both academically and behaviorally. â€Å"Discipline issues have decreased tremendously,† she said, â€Å"when children look around at each other, they don’t see the name brands and clothing that often divides them. † Dr. Vaughan pointed out that even school assemblies are quieter because students act more respectfully. Alan Sledge, assistant principle at Brawley Middle School in Halifax County, said that their uniform policy was â€Å"very effective and places a very valuable role on the academic setting because the kids are more focused on their books over their clothes. † Feedback on school dress codes has also been positive. According to Don Woodard, a high school principal in Johnston County, the student’s â€Å"demeanor is better and there are fewer disruptions because of teasing, or students being uncomfortable because of the apparel that others are wearing. † He also pointed out that the students have more â€Å"poise and are more well-behaved when they have the sense of being dressed for the occasion of learning. †22 Commenting on his school’s dress code, Shelly Marsh, a middle school principle also from Johnston County, said: â€Å"We have high expectations by having a dress code, students know there are expectations and guidelines that they must adhere to. Students’ attitudes are different according to their dress. † Along with school principals, the U. S. Department of Education has acknowledged the positive effect that school uniforms can have. In their publication â€Å"Manual on School Uniforms,† which was ordered to be sent to every school district in the United States by President Clinton, the Department of Education cited the following potential benefits of school uniforms: (1) decreasing violence and theft; (2) preventing gang members from wearing gang clothing at school; (3) instilling student discipline; (4) helping to resist peer pressure; (5) helping students concentrate on academics; and (6) aiding in the recognition of intruders. Safety and Other Benefits Of all the potential benefits of school dress policies, none is more important than improving school safety. With student violence constantly making the headlines, the clamor for solutions continues to grow. Safety in schools today is essential, and creating an environment that reduces incidents of intimidation and violence is necessary for students to learn effectively. Unfortunately, the demand for high priced designer clothing often puts students at risk of theft and violence from other students. Clothing that indicates affiliation with gangs is also a problem and can cause intimidation and fear in schools. The National School Safety and Security Services, an organization that consults nationwide on school safety and crisis preparedness issues, supports school uniforms and dress codes as a way to â€Å"contribute toward improving the school climate† because it â€Å"can play a significant role in reducing security threats and improving school safety. † According to this safety organization, dress codes and uniforms can help reduce potential problems by: (1) reducing conflict stemming from socioeconomic status, such as comments and personal attacks about who has better clothing; (2) reducing ways in which gang members can identify themselves which, in essence, is a form of intimidation and creates fear; (3) reducing the risk of students being robbed of expensive clothing, jewelry, etc. ; (4) in the case of uniforms, helping school administrators to more easily identify non students, trespassers, and other visitors in the hallways who stand out in the crowd. Notable evidence of the effects of a student dress policy can be seen from the aftermath of California’s Long Beach school district implementing mandatory school uniforms. Since they began requiring uniforms, crime in the school district has dropped by 91 percent, suspensions have decreased by 90 percent, sex offenses have been reduced by 96 percent and vandalism is down 69 percent. Interestingly, these improvements came about without any other security measures having been implemented at the time uniforms became mandatory. In addition, a study released by the Harvard School of Education found that the Long Beach school district was among six districts in the nations 34 largest cities that dramatically reduced their dropout rates. During the past five years, dropout rates have declined from 11. 2 to 2. 7 percent. The Center for the Prevention of School Violence, though not endorsing any specific dress code policies, points out that each of the â€Å"three Ps of school safety† — â€Å"place† (physical security of the school), â€Å"people† (those in the school) and â€Å"purpose† (mission of the school)—can be impacted by school dress policies. This is because dress policies define what is appropriate for the school setting while impacting the way in which people relate and interact with one another. The Center acknowledges that though the research on student dress policies is limited, the anecdotal evidence supports the existence of some form of student dress policy. It is important to remember that the solution to school violence does not lie in one single approach—certainly not in school dress policies alone. Yet, because of the likely benefit of curbing school violence, they should be considered along with other solutions. Student dress policies can also benefit students far beyond keeping them safe. Schools with uniforms say that their students have better self-esteem because without the name brand clothing on display, the students are placed on an equal level. Poorer students do not feel and are not treated as inferior because they don’t have nice clothes. This equality also seems to create a sense of school unity. Dr. Viola Vaughan and Allan Sledge, both principals from Halifax county have witnessed an increase in school unity since uniforms were required. Dr. Arnold Goldstein, head of the Center for Research on Aggression at Syracuse University agrees. He believes that uniforms encourage a â€Å"sense of belonging† because they promote a feeling of community among the students and help make a troubled student feel like part of a supportive whole. These effects contribute to a school’s overall sense of order and discipline. As a result, the learning environment improves—making it easier for teachers to teach and for students to learn. Student dress policies also reduce the cost of clothing for students. Parents whose children wear uniforms do not have to spend extra money on multiple outfits for their children. Instead, they need only invest in a few outfits that conform to the school’s uniform policy. This is particularly helpful to the low-income parents who often feel the financial burden of providing suitable clothes for their children. USA Today reported that in 1998 parents of students in non-uniform schools spent an average of $185 per child while parents of children in uniform schools spent an average of $104 per child. 33 Uniforms also minimize the confusion about what to wear to school each day, relieving students of the chaos of choosing and outfit each day. Dress codes are also helpful for parents when shopping for their children because they provide guidelines for parents when purchasing clothes for their children—often ruling out excessive and expensive articles of clothing that conflict with the school’s policies and keeping student dress within reasonable boundaries. Student dress policies offer authority figures in the schools the opportunity to display their own dedication and discipline. Some schools with dress policies include (or extend the option to) teachers to participate as well. Certainly, if teachers and administrators exhibit the same discipline that is required of the students, it will reinforces the guidelines and make students more likely to comply.

The General Adaptation Syndrome Psychology Essay

The General Adaptation Syndrome Psychology Essay Stress is inescapably present in the lives of every living organism. While some stress can be beneficial, too much of it is almost always disadvantageous. Frequently the word stress is used to describe the imposition of an undesirable psychological or physical state through uncontrollable or overwhelming circumstances. We tend to think of stress as a burden that we carry around with us. One individual might perceive that they are under an enormous amount of stress because of multiple impending deadlines, while another might feel stressed out because their house is not clean and unexpected guests are on their way. Despite the predominantly negative description above, stress itself is not necessarily bad. In fact, stress is an adaptive process without which our survival would be seriously compromised. Moderate stress can even have beneficial effects, such as improving cognitive function to facilitate meeting multiple deadlines and increasing energy supply to muscles to quickly clean th e entire house in a matter of minutes. However, too much or prolonged stress can result in a variety of detrimental effects on both physiological function and cognitive processes. Definition In order to properly understand the effects of stress on cognition, as measured by performance in a variety of mazes, we must first come to an understanding of what stress is. At its core, stress is can be defined as the response to a threat (or perceived threat) against homeostasis, the tendency of a system to maintain a stable internal environment. Living organisms, including humans and rodents, are open systems which work to maintain homeostasis despite being constantly bombarded by numerous external environmental insults. Homeostasis The concept of homeostasis was initially conceived by the French physiologist Claude Bernard in1854. He used the term milieu intà ©rierur to describe the ability of the internal environment (primarily the blood in Bernards time) of the body to compensate for and re-equilibrate in response to the external environment [1,2]. However, it was Walter Cannon who developed the concept of homeostasis. He proposed that the body maintained steady state conditions through multiple cooperative self-regulating mechanisms. One phenomenon observed by Cannon was that organisms respond to a threat by releasing epinephrine (aka adrenaline) from the adrenal medulla thereby increasing the bodys heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure while mobilizing glucose stores and inhibiting non-essential functions such as digestion and reproduction. This phenomenon is the prototypical sympathetic nervous system (a branch of the autonomic nervous system) response, for which Cannon coined the term fight-or-flig ht response [3]. Simply put, when confronted with a threat, an organism, through the narrowing of bodily functions and mobilization of available energy, is primed to respond actively, whether through fleeing or fighting. Thus, the primary contribution of Walter Cannon to the definition of stress was that in response to an environmental insult threatening the internal steady stated, the body initiates the sympathetic response to maintain homeostasis and ultimately increase survival. General Adaptation Syndrome The second major contributor to stress research was endocrinologist Hans Selye. Selye was working to discover a new hormone by injecting ovarian extracts in to rats and observing the physiological effects. He noted several changes after injection of this extract, including the 1) enlargement of the adrenal gland, 2) the atrophy of the thymus and lymph nodes and 3) the presence of gastric ulcers [4]. While he initially thought these effects were direct effects of a novel hormone, through additional control experiments he discovered that the injection of numerous agents, physical injury or even excessive exercise produced the same reliable effects [5]. Emphasizing the non-specificity of this response, Selye called these effects the General Adaptation Syndrome initially and later used the term stress to describe it. He further defined stressors as the factors or agents that triggered the stress response. In addition, Selye established the role of glucocorticoids, steroid hormones excret ed from the adrenal cortex, in the stress response. Furthermore, Selye described that prolonged exposure to stressors (and the stress response) can lead to illness or disease. Summary The combined work of Walter Cannon and Hans Selye formed the basis of stress research. Both agreed that when confronted with disruptive environmental factors, the body generated an adaptive response aimed at re-establishing homeostasis within the internal environment. Cannon focused on the sympathetic branch of this response, while Selye focused on the hormonal (i.e., endocrine) branch of this response. Modern thinking has modified the conceptualization of stress, as it turned out to be not quite as simple as originally thought. Importantly it is no longer thought that stress is non-specific as the magnitude and more subtle characteristics of the stress response are varied based on the type of stressor, the individuals perception of the stress and ability to cope. The following basic features of stress can be gleaned from this historical work: Stressors are any event, experience or environmental insult that threatens or is perceived to threaten homeostasis Stress is an adaptive response to re-establish and maintain homeostasis Stress is ultimately mediated by two branches: The sympathetic nervous system via release of epinephrine from the adrenal medulla The endocrine system via release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal cortex These definitions and characteristics are more conducive to scientific study than the layman use of the term stress which does not distinguish between the trigger and the response, as described in the opening of this section. Thus, the definitions above will be utilized in the following sections. This chapter will further develop these basic concepts and present 1) an overview of the stress response, 2) descriptions of the different types of stressors, 3) the effects of both acute and chronic stress on learning and memory and 4) practical details on how to deal with the nuances of stress in behavioral testing. THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE ACUTE STRESS RESPONSE When a stressor is encountered, the brain triggers a physiological response, aimed at coping with the stressor and restoring homeostasis [6]. This response is governed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Both of these systems are always actively engaged in maintaining homeostasis, but when posed with a disruption to an organisms internal environment, the HPA axis and SNS go into overdrive. When stressors are encountered several central nervous system (CNS) structures are activated to initiate the stress response, including the preganglionic sympathetic neurons of the spinal cord in addition to several brainstem and limbic forebrain structures [7]. These structures then recruit neural and neuroendocrine systems to initiate a stress response, culminating with the secretion of adrenal glucocorticoids (GCs) and epinephrine, the principle mediators of this adaptive response. The Sympathetic Nervous System Two primary pathways are activated by stressors within the SNS, the brain norepinephrine neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) and the sympathetic adrenomedullary circuitry. Many, but not all stressors result in norepinephrine release from the LC, which ultimately contributes to the majority of circulating NE levels as well as numerous adaptive behaviors [8,9]. Activation of the sympathetic adrenomedullary circuitry via preganglionic neurons results in the release of the excitatory neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) onto postganglionic neurons and the adrenal medulla. Sympathetic postganglionic neurons primarily release of norepinephrine directly onto various target organs. On the other hand, activation of the adrenal medulla results in the synthesis and release of epinephrine into the circulation and indirectly onto target organs. Target organs activated by these catecholamines neurotransmitters correspond directly to the symptoms of the fight-or-flight response, including increased heart rate, blood pressure and respiration, pupil dilation, and inhibition of digestion, liver, kidney and gall bladder function. The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (Figure 1: HPA axis from Lupien 2009 Review) The present chapter will focus on the endocrine branch of the stress response. While the activation of the sympathetic nervous system is a key part of stress, many of the effects of stress on learning and memory have been shown to be dependent on GCs. The secretion of adrenal GC hormones is under the stimulatory drive of the medial parvocellular neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. In response to stressors, brainstem and limbic forebrain regions activate these neurons to secrete corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) and vasopressin into the hypophysial circulation to stimulate the anterior pituitary to release adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) into the peripheral circulation which ultimately results in the release of GCs from the adrenal gland [10]. GCs are carried to every organ via the circulation to allow for a coordinated adaptive response between the brain and bodily functions. GCs mobilize energy, suppress immune and inflammatory responses, inhibi t bone and muscle growth and reproductive function as well as increase attention and impact learning and memory processes [11]. GCs also regulate further CRH and ACTH release via negative feedback loops by binding receptors in the pituitary, PVN, hippocampus (HPC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) to inhibit further GC release and to return the homeostatic balance of the HPA axis [10] (Fig. 1). While these are the primary targets of GCs, virtually every neuron in the brain has receptors for these hormones. Thus, GCs are an important enabler of normal brain function in addition to their role in HPA axis function. Corticosterone (CORT), the primary GC in the rat, is the ligand for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), steroid hormone receptors that function as transcription factors and regulate neuronal gene transcription. GR and MR have different affinities for CORT in the brain. GRs are expressed ubiquitously in the brain, and are most concentrated in the CRH neurons of the PVN and ACTH releasing neurons in the anterior pituitary and also in the HPC [10]. The highest expression of MRs in the brain is in the HPC, though they are expressed in other forebrain regions [10]. MRs are saturated by modest levels of CORT, such as those generated during circadian oscillations, and thus mediate daily changes in HPA axis activity. On the other hand, GRs are saturated by more extreme levels of CORT, such as those seen following a stressful experience, and mediate negative feedback to restore homeostasis [12,10]. Time Course of the Acute Stress Response (Figure 2: rise and fall of CORT) The typical stress response begins within a very short period of time. The SNS response occurs more rapidly than the HPA axis response, due to direct neurotransmitter release on target tissues vs. indirect hormonal release into the circulation, respectively. Within seconds, the post-ganglionic neurons of the SNS release norepinephrine and the adrenal medulla releases epinephrine into circulation. Also within seconds, CRH is released from the PVN of the hypothalamus, followed quickly by the release of ACTH into peripheral circulation from the anterior pituitary [13]. Within 3-5 minutes, the adrenal cortex releases CORT into the circulation, by which time peak plasma ACTH levels are reached. While peak levels of GCs vary according to stressor type and duration, circulating CORT levels typically reach peak levels15-30 minutes after stressor initiation [14]. At this time ACTH levels have also returned to baseline [14]. However, the effects of GCs on target tissues do not occur until abou t an hour after stressor initiation [13]. After peak CORT levels are reached, negative feedback mechanisms shut down further CORT secretion so that circulating CORT levels recover to near baseline levels within 60-120 minutes after stressor initiation [15,14]. The time required to reach baseline levels also varies depending on stressor type and duration. Circulating levels of norepinephrine and epinephrine follow a similar trajectory, but with more rapid increases and decreases [16]. Biological Rhythms Plasma levels of CORT are not static, but follow a circadian rhythm that is closely aligned with the sleep-wake cycles. In both humans and rodents, plasma GCs rise as the sleep cycle (inactive phase) ends and peaks upon waking up. From this peak, GC levels fall during the active phase and eventually reach the circadian trough or nadir (the lowest point in the cycle) [17,18]. However, as nocturnal animals, the active phase for rodents is during the dark period and the inactive phase occurs during the light period. Thus, in laboratory animals, peak CORT levels are found just after the lights are turned off and nadir CORT levels are measured when the lights are turned on. In addition, within this circadian rhythm GCs are released in an ultradian (cycles repeated within the 24 hour period) pulsatile pattern which rises and falls according to the circadian rhythm [19]. Basal levels of CORT measured in rats can typically range from 0-200 ng/mL in adult male rats or 100-500 ng/mL in adult f emale rats [18]. In response to acute stressors, peak stress levels of CORT generally range from 200-600 ng/mL in adult male rats and 500-1000 ng/mL in adult female rats. Both basal and peak stress levels of CORT can vary depending on the sampling time within the circadian rhythm. Sex, Age and Strain Differences As noted above, sex differences in HPA axis activity and responses to acute stressors are well documented. Female rodents exhibit higher basal and stress induced levels of both ACTH and CORT [20,21]. Sex differences in CORT secretion are primarily mediated by estrogen, with higher levels of ACTH and CORT found during proestrus, when circulating levels of estrogen are high [20,18]. Much of the research on gonadal steroid regulation of the HPA axis suggests that estrogen has excitatory effects while androgens have inhibitory effects [22-26]. In addition, females have higher levels of corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG), which partially buffers the higher levels of CORT [27,24]. CBG binds circulating CORT and renders it biologically inactive [28,29]. However, CBG levels take several hours to increase after exposure to a stressor, resulting in higher levels of biologically active CORT in females in response to stressors [30]. Acute stress responses can also vary across the lifespan. After birth, from day 2 to 14, rats experience a stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP) wherein circulating basal CORT remain very low and neonatal pups fail to show an elevation in CORT in response to stress or ACTH administration[31-33]. Adolescence is the next developmental epoch, which includes three stages: pre-pubescence/early adolescence (21-34 days), mid-adolescence (34-46 days) and late adolescence (46-59 days) [34,35]. During early adolescence, rats exhibit an exaggerated HPA axis response to both acute and chronic stress compared to adults [36,37]. In addition, sex differences in HPA axis function mature over the adolescent period [38,39]. The acute stress response has also been investigated in aging animals, though a great deal of heterogeneity, particularly with respect to the aging model has been found [40]. However, the general consensus, based on earlier studies, is that aged animals exhibit elevated baseline (or basal) CORT and a prolonged stress-induced elevation in CORT release, possibly due to decreased GR-mediated negative feedback [41,42]. It should also be noted that aging is associated with increased variability in the acute stress response [40]. Sex differences in acute HPA axis responses are not frequently examined in aged rats. However, since estrogen decreases with age, and males demonstrate increased basal CORT, it would be expected that sex differences would become less robust [43,44] Robust strain differences in both basal and peak stress levels of CORT also exist. In general, the in bred Fischer 344 (F344) strain of rats secrete higher levels of both basal and stress induced CORT levels compared to both the inbred Lewis (LEW) strain and the outbred Sprague Dawley (SD) strain (Dhabar 1993). Interestingly, both F344 and SD rats show increased basal CORT levels at the end of the inactive period, while LEW rats did not show a robust circadian rhythm (Dhabar 1993). As mentioned above, strain differences can also interact with age differences to further complicate the picture of a normal HPA axis stress response across the lifespan. CHRONIC STRESS Exposure to chronic stress can result in long term elevations in GCs and has been shown to alter the structure and function of the brain regions involved in regulating the HPA axis as well as learning and memory and numerous other behaviors [7]. Two general responses in HPA axis function occur as a result of chronic stress, namely habituation and sensitization. Habituation typically occurs following repeated exposure to the same (homotypic) mild stressor, with the magnitude of the HPA axis response (i.e. CORT secretion) diminishing with each subsequent exposure to the stressor [45,46]. On the other hand, repeated exposure to different (heterotypic) and unpredictable stressors can diminish the habituation of the HPA axis response [47-49]. Interestingly, both chronic homotypic and heterotypic unpredictable stressors cause sensitization of the HPA axis response to a novel stressor, resulting in increased ACTH and CORT secretion [45,48]. The most frequently studied brain regions that are vulnerable to chronic stress are the HPC, amygdala (AMG) and PFC [50]. In both the HPC and PFC, chronic restraint stress results in dendritic atrophy and decreased GR expression, which facilitates decreased HPA axis feedback and impaired memory [51-54,7]. In addition, chronic stress can also lead to altered hippocampal excitability, neurochemistry and neurogenesis (refs from Conrad 2010 review if needed?). On the other hand, chronic stress causes dendritic hypertrophy and increased CRH expression in the AMG as well as dendritic hypertrophy in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS), which facilitate HPA axis excitability and anxiety and habitual behavior, respectively [7,55-58]. Sex, Age and Strain Differences Sex differences in response to chronic stress exposure are less frequently examined. The above-mentioned effects are well documented in males. However, chronic stress does not appear to have the same effects in females. For example, females appear to be resilient against chronic stress induced dendritic atrophy in the HPC and spatial memory impairments [59-63]. In the PFC, females exhibit dendritic hypertrophy, whereas males demonstrate dendritic atrophy in response to repeated stress exposure [64]. In addition, chronic stress is associated with sex-specific PFC-mediated behavioral effects. Chronically stressed males show impairments in recall of fear extinction, possibly reflecting decreased behavioral flexibility [65-67]. However, chronically stressed females demonstrate impaired memory for the acquisition of fear conditioning, which is more dependent on the AMG [68-70]. Interestingly, males show dendritic hypertrophy and increased activation of the AMG and an associated increase i n the acquisition of fear conditioning following chronic stress [67]. Thus, in females, chronic stress causes more moderate morphological and behavioral outcomes that may be related to sex-specific changes in AMG function. Chronic stress also has differential effects across the lifespan. In general, earlier exposure to chronic stress (i.e. prenatal and neonatal) have protracted and irreversible effects compared to adult chronic stress. Exposing pregnant rat dams to chronic stress increases circulating CORT which crosses through the placenta and reaches the developing fetus to alter brain development and HPA axis activity [71]. The long-term effects of prenatal stress include increased basal and stress induced CORT secretion as well as learning impairments, increased anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and sensitivity to drugs of abuse [72,73]. Postnatal stress is typically induced by disrupting the maternal-pup interactions (i.e., maternal separation or daily handling of pups). The long-term effects of early postnatal stress include altered anxiety-like behavior and stress-induced HPA axis activity in adulthood though the direction of these effects are varied and highly dependent on the age of the p up, as well as the type and duration of the manipulations [72,74,75]. Chronic adolescent stress can result in enduring effects in adulthood, including decreased hippocampal volume, impaired spatial learning, and increased anxiety-like behavior adulthood [76-79]. However, there is less evidence for adolescent stress exposure to result in depressive behaviors in adulthood [80,81]. Studies of long lasting effects of adolescent stress exposure on HPA axis function are mixed, while most report no effect on basal or stress-induced CORT or ACTH secretion, some studies find increased basal and stress induced CORT secretion in adulthood [82,78,76,83,84]. Chronic stress exposure during adolescence can lead to long term behavioral and neuroendocrine effects, depending on the timing of exposure, the sex of the animal and the type of stressors used [82,84,85]. In aged animals, chronic stress has differential effects compared to young or middle-aged adult rats. For example, following 3 weeks of c hronic restraint stress in aged males and females, stress-induced sex differences were no longer evident on spatial and non-spatial memory tasks and chronic stress either facilitated or did not impair performance in aged male rats [86,87]. In addition, in aged animals sex-specific effects of chronic stress are reversed [86,87]. Furthermore, chronic stress in aged rats may potentiate stress-induced neurotoxicity, particularly in the HPC [72,88]. Strain differences are also noted in the effects of chronic stress. Interestingly, and in line with acute stress strain differences, the inbred F344 strain do not demonstrate habituation of the plasma CORT response to chronic stress with a repeated homotypic stressor, while SD and LEW rat strains do [46]. F344, but not SD and LEW, rats also exhibit adrenal gland hypertrophy after 3 sessions of restraint over 10 days [46]. F344 rats also exhibit a lack of HPA axis habituation following 14 days of restraint compared to SD rats [89]. Consistent with these findings, robust differences between SD and LEW rats were not found in either male or female rats in HPA axis response to an acute stressor after chronic exposure to unpredictable heteroptyic stressors [90]. TYPES OF STRESSORS Acute Stressors (Figure 3: Equipment/Stressors) In addition to being a threat against homeostasis, stressors can be described as any event or environment that is novel, unpredictable, poses a threat to well-being or ego, or creates a sense of loss of control (Lupien 2007). Acute stressors are stressors which occur on a single occasion with varying durations. Typically acute stressors last anywhere from 5 minutes to upwards of 6 hours, but in general for a period of time less than 24 hours. Acute stressors of longer durations are sometimes referred to as single prolonged stressors. Essentially the purpose of an acute stressor is for the experimental subject to mount a single stress response, or activation of the HPA axis. There are many different types of stressors and categorization of these stressors is attempted by many, though not all stress researchers agree. Stressors can vary in the type of perceived stress such as physical or psychological (or some combination of the two) as well as intensity and duration. Depending on the type of stressor used, differential effects on the HPA axis and SNS responses will occur. Physical stressors are stressors that are predominantly identified or perceived through the senses or involuntary (autonomic) mechanisms. Examples of physical stressors include extreme temperatures, loud noise, chemical exposure, extreme activity, metabolic or immune system disruptions, hemorrhage and pain. The most extreme physical stressors are necessarily limited to short durations due to discomfort. Many physical stressors can be administered in multiple ways or in combination with other stressors. To manipulate temperature, rodent subjects can be place in a standard cold room (~4-6 °C) or a hot room (~30-40 °C) or in cold (~18-20 °C) or hot water (~25-35 °C) as part of a forced swim stressor (forced exercise) [91-93]. Loud noises stressors are most effective at a range of ~90-110 dB [94]. Chemical stressors include exposure to ether vapors, hypoxic conditions, and injection of formalin or other noxious substances [93,95]. Stressors involving extreme activity include forc ed swim and on the opposite end of the spectrum, immobilization, wherein the subject is splayed out on a board with all its limbs and head secured to prevent movement. Metabolic disruptions can include fasting or food restriction, injections of insulin to induce hypoglycemia or lipopolysaccharide to induce an immune reaction. Hemorrhage or hypovolemia is induced by removing a percentage of blood volume with a moderate hemorrhage consisting of removal of ~20% estimated blood volume [96]. Finally, pain can be induced via numerous methods. Frequently used stressors include tail pinch with clothespins or hemostats. Another common stressor associated with pain is mild ( Psychological stressors are perceived threats against homeostasis or well-being. Important qualities of psychological stressors include loss of control, unpredictability and novelty. Identification of psychological stressors can also be experience or species dependent, in that the anticipation of the event itself can be a stressor, even in the absence of the actual event. Psychological stressors may also induce fear, anxiety or other behavioral changes. The effectiveness of psychological stressors is primarily under the control of limbic brain regions such as the HPC, AMG and PFC [7]. Several types of psychological stressors are used, including those that activate innate and species-specific behaviors and fear, inescapable/uncontrollable stressors, and social stressors. Activation of innate fear (based on a threat to safety/survival) in rodents can be accomplished with exposure to a predator (i.e. a cat or snake) or to a novel or unfamiliar environments particularly those with are op en and brightly lit (i.e. open field or elevated plus maze). Inescapable and uncontrollable stressors include inescapable foot or tail shock, forced swim and restraint. Rodent restraint is the most frequently used and well-documented stressor. It can also be combined with other physical stressors such as being placed in a rotating platform or in combination with tail pinch. Interestingly, even animal handling can be categorized as this type a stressor. Social stressors make up their own entire subcategory. Many researchers believe that social stressors are the most translationally relevant because the primary source of stress in humans comes from social interactions, expectations and even trauma. Rats are by nature social animals, but too much or too little can elicit a stress response. Two of the least effortful social stressors are isolation housing and high density housing (i.e. crowding). Interestingly males show a greater stress response to crowding while females show a greater stress response to single (i.e. isolation) housing [98]. A popular social stressor is social defeat, utilizing the resident intruder paradigm. This paradigm consists of using aggressive male rats (i.e. retired breeders or reared in isolation without handling) as the resident rat. The experimental rat (i.e. the one which will mount a stress response) is the intruder and is placed in the home cage of the resident rat. Typically the rats are allowed contac t with each other until the intruder demonstrates defeat behaviors (i.e. submissive supine posturing). In one modification of this paradigm, the intruder remains in the home cage of the resident rat but is separated, and therefore protected from physical harm, by a wire mesh enclosure [99,100]. A novel socially based stressor that is less labor intensive is to place a male rat in the dirty cage of another male rat. Thus the male rat is in an inescapable territory of another male rat, without physical contact [101]. Chronic Stress Paradigms Chronic stress is prolonged stress that typically occurs for at least 5 days, typically 1-3 weeks and sometimes up to 6 weeks or more. Many different types of chronic stress paradigms can be used, depending on the desired outcome measures. An additional variable to consider with chronic stress paradigms is the likelihood of habituation of the stress response over time, as mentioned above. Examples of chronic stress paradigms include chronic restraint, chronic mild stress, chronic unpredictable stress, chronic variable stress, chronic social stress, and chronic intermittent stress. Chronic restraint stress and chronic mild stress have historically been the most frequently used chronic stress paradigms. Interestingly, these paradigms have different phenotypic outcomes. Chronic restraint stress is frequently carried out with daily 6 hour restraint sessions for 3 weeks (Conrad XXXX). However, because chronic restraint stress is repeated exposure to a single homotypic stressor, habituation of the stress response after the first few days likely occurs as evidenced by blunted CORT and ACTH release in response to restraint following completion of the chronic restraint paradigm [102,103]. This paradigm is well characterized with regard to spatial learning and memory deficits as well as altered dendritic morphology, particularly dendritic retraction in the hippocampus [104]. Interestingly, spontaneous recovery of both altered dendritic morphology and spatial learning and memory deficits has been observed [105]. Chronic restraint stress also alters anxiety- and depressiv e-like behaviors, impairs response inhibition, facilitates fear learning and reduces motivation for food reward [106-108,53] Chronic mild stress (CMS) is typically used to induce an anhedonic (i.e. depressive-like) phenotype [109]. This paradigm typically involves exposure of the subjects to one mild stressor a day, typically for 6-8 weeks [109,110]. Stressors are administered on a set weekly schedule and include wet bedding, cage tilt, mild footshock, alterations in the light-dark cycle, food/water deprivation and cage changes [109,110]. Anhedonic effects of CMS, which can last up to 3 months, include decreased sucrose consumption, increased threshold for intracranial self-stimulation and decreased locomotor activity in the absence an anxiety-like phenotype [109]. Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) is essentially an iteration of CMS, which lasts for a shorter period of time (~2 weeks) and presents mild to moderate stressors once a day in a more randomized order and time of day [111,112]. Depressive-like phenotypes are seen after CUS exposure in addition to anxiety-like phenotypes and cognitive deficits [1 12,91]. Chronic variable stress (CVS) is yet another more severe iteration of a repeated administration of heterotypic stressors. More recently, CVS paradigms have differentiated themselves from CMS paradig