Influence of Pain on Quality of Life for Cancer Patients

Influence of Pain on Quality of Life for Cancer Patients Abstract Purpose: Pain is a common complaint of cancer patients which is found to significantly affect the quality of life of Head and Neck cancer patients. For patients suffering from cancer, control of symptoms and pain play a significant role in improving the overall quality of life of head and neck cancer patients. A literature search revealed that studies on the intensity of pain and quality of life before receiving anticancer therapy are lacking. Thus, this study was an attempt to assess the influence of intensity of pain on quality of life of cancer patients before receiving anticancer treatments Methods: A total of 100 histopathologically confirmed cases of head and neck cancer were interviewed. Intensity of pain was evaluated using the Brief Pain Inventory and the quality of life of patients was evaluated using EORTC QLQ-C30 module.. Results: The results showed that majority of patients suffering from oral cancer belonged to 5th and 6th decade of life. Kruskal Wallis test showed statistically significant in the quality of life and tumour stages. Chi square test also gave significant association between the quality of life and pain. Conclusions:. Assessment of Quality of life in cancer patients will direct the attention of clinician to the most important symptom; pain. Thus appropriate interventions can be instituted at right time along with palliative care to improve the Quality of Life of cancer patients. Keywords: Pain, Quality of Life, Cancer, Palliative care Introduction: Head and neck cancer encompasses a group of tumours involving the lip, oral cavity, nasal cavity, larynx, pharynx and paranasal sinuses. By incidence, it is the sixth leading cancer worldwide and eighth by fatality. Every year 0.5 million new cases are reported. It usually develops in 6th-7th decade of life and five year survival rate in a patient suffering from HNSCC is 40-50%. Approximately 40% of these tumours occur in the oral cavity, 15% occur in the pharynx, and 25% occur in the larynx; in 90% of the cases, the most common histologic type is squamous cell carcinoma. (1) Pain is the most burdensome symptom and is one of the most common complaints in a patients suffering from Head and Neck cancer. A systematic review evaluating the prevalence of pain in cancer patients over past 40 years reported high figures in the range of 52-77%. (2) The review also stated that as the stage of cancer advanced the prevalence of pain also increased. They reported a prevalence of 62%–86% in patients with advanced cancer. (2) These figures are in contrast to rapidly increasing research work in the field of pain relief. Pain is one of the most significant symptoms of cancer patients that affects multiple domains of life ranging from its impact on physical functioning to emotional functioning. It is a usual symptom of cancer patients, accounting for 30% to 40% of their chief complaints, and is of multifactorial aetiology. Approximately 58% of cancer patients suffer from unbearable pain, and this prevalence increases to 85% in patients with cancer in advanced stages. (3. A metanalysis which was carried out in the year of 52 studies for evaluating the prevalence of pain in cancer patients, reported that head and neck cancer patients had the highest prevalence of pain exceeding gastrointestinal gynaecological, breast and lung tumours. (2) In Head and Neck cancer patients, pain distresses the oral functions and is chief complaint in approximately 58% of the patients awaiting treatment and in 30% of the treated patients (4,5). The term â€Å"Quality of Life† has been used in literature in various ways both as a concept and an instrument of measurement. Very rarely has it been defined clearly. It may be considered as a subjective term which conveys the perception of a patient about his life which may either be positive or negative. It includes an assessment of general health, satisfaction, fulfilment, ability to cope, happiness, being in control and degree of independence. (6) Not only does pain affect the life of quality of patients before seeking antineoplastic treatment, also it has devastating effect in patients undergoing treatment. Thus there has been a growing interest in the inclusion of measures for improving life quality of patients before, during and after undergoing quality of life treatments. Literature search revealed that studies on the intensity of pain and quality of life before receiving anticancer therapy are lacking. Thus, this study was undertaken to assess the severity of pain and its impact on the quality of life (QoL) in untreated patients with head and neck carcinoma using questionnaire. Also the association of pain severity with clinical stage of the tumour and lymph node involvement was assessed. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in the patients reporting to the outpatient department of K.L.E.V.K.I.D.S and Belgaum Cancer Institute. Ethical clearance was obtained from the institution. A total of 100 confirmed head and neck cancer patients were interviewed. Untreated histopathologically confirmed head and neck cancer patients were included in the study while patients who were receiving, or had completed their course of treatment for cancer, with recurring malignant disease and with compromised physical and mental state which prevented them from answering questions were excluded from the study. Patients were divided into four groups depending on their stage of tumour as follows:- Group I = Stage I=23 patients Group II = Stage II=25 patients Group III = Stage III=25 patients Group IV = stage IV=27 patients Pain was evaluated using â€Å"Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)† (7) which was validated in the North Indian Population.(8) The BPI is a 11 point scale which is presented horizontally from numbers ranging from 0-10. The Questions were translated in the local language of the patient. Patients were asked to rate their pain in the last 24 hours at its Worst, Least and on Average. Patients were also asked to encircle the number indicating the amount of pain they were having at present. The pain was then categorized into four groups: No pain (0), Mild pain (1-4), Moderate pain (5-6) and Severe pain (7-8) The Quality of Life of patients was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) version 3.0 (9) which was validated in Indian Population (10).EORCTC QLQ-C30 is a 30 item questionnaire which consists of five functional scale, three symptom scale, six single items and Global Quality of life question.(8) The functional scale comprises a set of questions to evaluate the functioning of a cancer patient which includes Physical, Role, Cognitive, Social and Emotional Functioning. Symptom Scale includes three items to evaluate the fatigue, pain and nausea in patients. A number of single items such as Dyspnoea, Insomnia, Insomnia, Constipation, appetite loss, Diarrhoea and Financial difficulties were also included. The Symptom scale evaluated Fatigue, Pain and Nausea. Patients were asked to answer each question on a 4 point scale ranging from 1-4; corresponding to pain as Not at all (1), A little bit (2), Quite a Bit (3, Very Much (4). Patients were asked to rate the last two items (Global Quality of Life ) on a horizontal scale ranging from 1-7. All the scores thus obtained were linearly transformed to be expressed on a scale from 0-100. All the data was tabulated and non-parametric tests were applied. The data was subjected to Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal – Wallis test. Results: 100 histopathologically confirmed cases were enrolled in the study. The results showed that head and neck cancer was common in patients in 5th and 6th decade of life (35% and 32% respectively) with a mean age of 54.8 years (age range-24-86 years). Strong predominance of male population (79%) was seen. Out of a total 100 patients, 67% patients had the site of primary tumour in Oral cavity followed by Oropharynx (22 %), Larynx (6%)and Hypopharynx (5%). Lymph node involvement was present in 66% patients. The Mean scores for all the items on the scale was obtained using the EORTC QLQ-C30 Scoring Manual. Patients in the early stages of tumour scored significantly higher on function scale indicating higher functionality and ease in their daily activities. On contrary patients with advanced cancer scored higher on symptom scale indicating hampered quality of life and greater difficulty in doing their day to day work. Kruskal wallis test showed significant difference in the quality of life and the tumour stages, which was statistically significant .(p value On applying Mann Whitney test significant differences in the quality of life of patients with lymph node involvement and without lymph node involvement. (p value Chi square test also gave significant association between the quality of life and pain. (p value Discussion: This study was carried out to assess the influence of pain severity on quality of life of head and neck cancer patients before receiving any antineoplastic treatment. With approximately one million of new cancer cases being added every year in India and 80% of them presenting in advanced stages ( stage III and stage IV)(11)the need for pain relief and palliative therapy is imperative. Cancer pain still being one of the most dreaded and burdensome aspects of cancer patients draws attention to the management of pain in head and neck cancer patients. Inspite of introduction of WHO’s step ladder pattern for the management of pain control in cancer patients (12) it has been reported that less than 3% patients in India have an adequate access to pain relief. (13) . The present study also showed signification association between the cancer pain and stage of tumour. Patients with advanced stage of tumour experienced more difficulty in talking, swallowing etc. and poorer quality of life thus indicating a greater need for the institution of pain relief measures. The findings were consistent with the study done by Oliveira KG et al (14) who concluded that patients in advanced stages showed higher impairment in their functional status. Similar findings were noted by Connely et al (4) who reported that patients with squamous cell carcinoma experienced significantly incr eased function-related intensity of pain rather than spontaneous. The reasons for under treatment and inadequate pain relief could be attributed to poor resources, inaccessibility to morphine, misconception about the drugs for pain relief e.g. addiction, opiophobia of patients and communication problems. (15) Also the nature of Cancer pain is not fixed. It has multiple complex aetiologies and is recurring in nature. One of the very important reasons for the inadequate pain relief in cancer patients is that currently no such medication exists for chronic cancer pain that will provide more than 30% relief to the cancer patients.(16) This makes the institution of palliative and support care even more essential. The World Health Organization has defined Palliative care as â€Å"An approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial, and spiritual.† (17) WHO emphasizes on meeting the psychological, social and mental needs of the patients so as to improve their quality of life. However, it has been reported that approximately 85% of patients who are admitted to palliative care centres have inadequate relief of pain. (18). Despite the fact that HNC has the highest pain prevalence of all the cancers and is one of the initial symptoms that motivate the patients to seek medical opinion, health care professionals concentrate solely on the surgical aspects, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The management of chief complain of the patient i.e. pain is neglected which leads to poor quality of life. Therefore an evaluation of cancer patients before initiating any antineoplastic treatment is critical to because most of the studies concentrate on the assessment of pain during or after treatment. Conclusion: The average time from the admission of patients to palliative care unit and their death is usually less than a month thus indicating that palliative care is usually initiated only in the terminally ill patients, An assessment of quality of life of cancer patients before treatment will draw the attention of the clinician to the most symptomatic and feared aspect of cancer i.e. pain. Thus appropriate measures for pain relief along with supportive and palliative care can be instituted right from the beginning of the treatment which will greatly enhance the quality of life of cancer patients. References: Parkin DM, Bray F, Ferlay J, Pisani P:Global cancer statistics, 2002. CA Cancer J Clin2005,55:74-108. Van den Beuken-van Everdingen MH1, de Rijke JM, Kessels AG, Schouten HC, van Kleef M, Patijn J. Prevalence of pain in patients with cancer: a systematic review of the past 40 years. Ann Oncol. 2007 Sep;18(9):1437-49. Cuffari L, de Tesseroli SJT, Nemr K, Rapaport A:Pain complaint as the first symptom of oral cancer: a descriptive study. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod2006,102:56-61. Connelly ST, Schmidt BL: Evaluation of pain in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. J Pain 2004, 5:505-510 Epstein JB, Emerton S, Kolbinson DA, Le ND, Phillips N, Stevenson-Moore P, Osoba D: Quality of life and oral function following radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Head Neck 1999, 21:1-11. Bjordal K1, Kaasa S. Psychometric validation of the EORTC Core Quality of Life Questionnaire, 30-item version and a diagnosis-specific module for head and neck cancer patients. Acta Oncol. 1992;31(3):311-21. Cleeland CS, Ryan K: Pain assessment: global use of the Brief Pain Inventory. Ann Acad Med Singapore 1994, 23:129-138. Saxena A , Mendoza T,. Cleeland C. The assessment of cancer pain in north India: the validation of the Hindi Brief Pain InventoryBPI-H. J Pain Symptom Manage. 1999 Jan;17(1):27-41 Aaronson NK, Ahmedzai S, Bergman B, Bullinger M, Cull A, Duez NJ, Filiberti A, Flechtner H, Fleishman SB, de Haes JCJM, Kaasa S, Klee MC, Osoba D, Razavi D, Rofe PB, Schraub S, Sneeuw KCA, Sullivan M, Takeda F.The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30: A quality-of-life instrument for use in international clinical trials in oncology. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 1993; 85: 365-376. Chaukar DA, Das AK, Deshpande MS, Pai PS, Pathak KA, Chaturvedi P, Kakade AC, Hawaldar RW, DCruz AK. Quality of life of head and neck cancer patient: validation of the European organization for research and treatment of cancer QLQ-C30 and European organization for research and treatment of cancer QLQ-HN 35 in Indian patients. Indian J Cancer. 2005 Oct-Dec; 42(4):178-84. Seamark D, Ajithakumari K, Burn G, Saraswalthi Devi P, Koshy R, Seamark C. Palliative care in India. J R Soc Med. 2000;93:292–5. Vardy J, Agar M. Nonopioid drugs in the treatment of cancer pain. J Clin Oncol. 2014 Jun 1;32(16):1677-90. Khosla D, Patel F, and Sharma S. Palliative Care in India: Current Progress and Future Needs. Indian J Palliat Care. 2012 Sep-Dec; 18(3): 149–154. Oliveira KG, von Zeidler SV, Podestà ¡ JR, Sena A, Souza ED, Lenzi J, Bissoli NS, Gouvea SA. Influence of pain severity on the quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer before antineoplastic therapy. BMC Cancer. 2014 Jan 24;14:39. Thapa D, Rastogi V, Ahuja V. Cancer pain management-current status. J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2011 Apr-Jun; 27(2): 162–168. Bloodworth D. Opioids in the treatment of chronic pain: Legal framework and therapeutic indications and limitations. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2006;17:355–79. Geneva: World Health Organization; [Last accessed on 2012 Mar 02]. â€Å"WHO Definition Of Palliative Care â€Å"Available from: http://www.who.int/cancer/palliative/definition/en . Lin YL, Lin IC, Liou JC: Symptom patterns of patients with head and neck cancer in a palliative care unit. J Palliat Med 2011, 14:556-559.

Microwave-assisted Extraction Technique for Oil Extraction

Microwave-assisted Extraction Technique for Oil Extraction Result and discussion Optimization by central composite design An experimental procedure based on the CCD was adopted for three independent variables (extraction time, irradiation power and moisture content), which resulted in 20 experimental runs. Table 1 shows the responses obtained in the CCD experiments and the overall design. The results indicated considerable variations in the extraction efficiency of essential oil and TQ amount. These variations reflected the importance of optimization to attain higher productivity of essential oil and TQ. Table 2 comprises the equation of dependent variables and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the effects. Second-order polynomial models used to express essential oil extraction yield (YE) and TQ content. The R-squared statistic indicated that the model explains 97.04% and 92.26% of the variability in YE% and TQ%, respectively. The adjusted R-squared statistic was 0.93 for YE% and 0.83% for TQ%. The p-value less than 0.05 indicate the model terms are significant. The lack of fit p-values more than 0.05 implies the lack of fit is not significant relative to the pure error, which indicated that the models were accurate and satisfactory. The significance of each coefficient was determined by F-value and p-value listed in Table 2. The data indicate that irradiation power (P) and moisture content (M) have significant effects on both YE% and TQ%, but extraction time (ET) influences only YE%. The response surface methodology (RSM) is interested as an excellent tool for obtaining the maximum amount of complex information and the best way to predict the effect of the independent variables on the dependent one. Besides, RSM plays an important role in designing, formulating, developing and analyzing new scientific research, as well as improving existing studies and products (Bas and Boyaci 2007). Three-dimensional response surface of multiple non-linear regression models were applied to explain the interactions between extraction time, irradiation power and moisture content on the YE% and TQ% (Fig. 2A-D). Fig. 2A and C depict the interaction between extraction time and irradiation power on the extraction yield of essential oil and its thymoquinone content. Increasing the extraction time from 15 to 30 min with irradiation power from 180 to 450 W enhanced the YE% and TQ%, while both of them started decreasing when the extraction time and irradiation power were increased up to 4 5 min and 720 W. This might be the reason for the volatilization and decomposition of essential oil and its constituents when the irradiation power and extraction time increased (Qiet al. 2014). The effect of extraction time on TQ% was less than YE%. The results showed that a longer irradiation time and power were not suitable for essential oil extraction. Fig. 2B shows the three-dimensional plot of the response surface for the essential oil extraction yield as related to moisture content and time. The increase of extraction time from 15 to 30 min with an increase of moisture content from 15% to 50% significantly accelerated essential oil extraction, and extraction yield of essential oil decreased when moisture content was higher than 60%. At low moisture content, the evaporation rate was low, resulting in an incomplete extraction. On the contrary, a high proportion of water might lead to hydrolysis of some volatile components (Liet al. 2012). As illustrated in Fig. 2D, an increase in TQ% was observed by increasing the moisture content from 15 to 100% with extraction time from 15 to 30 min, while the TQ% was not more changed apparently after 45 min. Those results suggested that increasing moisture content from 30% to 50% together with an increase of extraction time from 15 to 30 min, the extraction yield reaches a peak value with a good recovery of TQ. The results showed that the amount of oil extracted increased at first when the power was increased, but started to decrease when the power passed 450 W. This reveals that an increase in power enhanced the mass transfer ratio until a certain value, thus increasing the extraction yield. However, the extraction yield of essential oil decreased slightly at higher irradiation power. This might be due to a quick change of temperature, leading to partially thermal decomposition of volatiles (Qiet al. 2014). Based on the results, the high content of TQ (20%) in the highest overall yield of essential oil (0.33%) was obtained through MAE extraction conditions of extraction time 30 min, irradiation power 450 W, and moisture content 50%. Verification experiments were conducted six times under these optimal conditions. The resulting mean extraction yield and thymoquinone percent were 0.32% and 19.47% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 3.16% and 3.78% respectively. Comparison of MAE with HD Compared with MAE method, conventional hydrodistillation (HD) was used as a reference method for essential oil extraction from N. sativa seeds (Table 1). The results revealed that the extraction yields of MAE for 30 min (0.316 0.01%, w/w) were higher than HD for 3 h (0.23 0.035%, w/w). Also, as seen in Table 1, the content of TQ obtained from HD dropped drastically (3.71%) compared with MAE. In contrast to HD, MAE could decrease the rate of oxidation and hydrolysis of bioactive compounds by reducing the extraction time (Qiet al. 2014). In the HD process, the samples were heated by the thermal conductivity from the outside to the inside of samples. However, in the MAE process, heat transfer arises from the samples center to the outer colder environment. Moreover, the internal heating of the in situ water produces areas of compression in the plant, resulting in the serious rupture of glands and oleiferous receptacles (Lucchesiet al. 2007). This might cause the considerable difference i n the extraction yield of essential oil between two extraction methods. Hence, MAE is an efficient, environmentally friendly and energy-saving extraction method. Consequently, microwave-assisted extraction is a promising alternative to extract essential oils from natural products. Structural changes after extraction SEM was employed to evaluate the structural changes of N. sativa seeds when subjected to different oil extraction procedures. Fig. 3A shows a micrograph of the untreated seeds (before extraction), and Fig. 3B and C are the SEM images of samples that have treated by HD (3h) and MAE (30 min), respectively. As illustrated in Fig. 3A, the presence of numerous essential oil cells with a full balloon shape is observed. Most of them became atrophic, rupture and appeared wrinkled after extraction by HD (Fig. 3B). In HD process, the heat transfer is mainly performed by conduction and convection only, while in the process of MAE, it is implemented in three ways: radiation, conduction and convection (Maet al. 2012). As a result, in MAE process, heat is produced from within the glands as well as from the outside. When the glands were subjected to more severe thermal stresses and localized high pressures, as in the case of microwave heating, the pressure build-up within the glands could have exce eded their capacity for expansion, and caused their rupture more rapidly and completely than in conventional extraction (Lucchesiet al. 2007; Qiet al. 2014). After MAE, most of cells appeared completely disrupted explaining that all the cell walls are finally damaged and collapsed, and have resulted into undefined boundaries (Fig. 3C). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry The components of essential oil from N. sativa seeds obtained by MAE and HD were analyzed by GC-MS. The detected constituents, their retention indices and relative percentages are given in Table 3. Thirty components were identified in the essential oil obtained by MAE and HD. The number of identified compounds was lower than that reported by Benkaci-Ali et al. (2007) and Liu et al. (2013). The different origin of the seeds and/or the lower sample injection volume may be the reason for this. The essential oils contained mainly of monoterpenes hydrocarbons (59.93% for MAE and 76.36% for HD) together with noticeable contents of oxygenated monoterpenes (24.61 for MAE and 8.2% for HD) and smaller amounts of sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons (5.57 for MAE and 5.69% for HD). In both methods, the monoterpene hydrocarbons were noticeably dominated by p-cymene (41.99% for MAE and 52.82% for HD) while ÃŽ-thujene, ÃŽ-pinenes, ÃŽÂ ²-pinene, sabinene and terpinene were present at lower amounts. A mong the oxygenated monoterpenes, TQ was the major bioactive constituent especially in oil isolated by MAE (20.41%), together with lower contents of linalool, terpinen-4-ol and carvacrol. In the HD method, the oxygenated monoterpene content of the essential oil was substantially lower than that obtained with MAE, because of the decomposition or hydrolysis of thymoquinone (see Table 3). These results are similar to those of Benkaci-Ali et al. (2007) who reported that the content of oxygenated monoterpenes of the oil obtained by MAE was higher than that by HD for N. sativa seeds. Li et al. (2012) suggested that during the procedure of MAE, microwave irradiation highly accelerates the extraction process without causing considerable changes in the essential oil composition, although the percentages of some components depend on the technique applied. Moreover, Benkaci-Ali et al. (2006) reported that MAE can reduce the time of extraction of N. sativa seeds essential oil to less than 10 mi n. However, the composition of the major products presented a fluctuation according the extraction time. Our results showed that N. sativa seeds purchased from Iran belong to the p-cymene/thymoquinone chemotype, which is in agreement with the results of Hajhashemi et al. (2004). A variety of chemotypes have been described in the literature. Burits and Bucar (2000) reported the chemical composition of the essential oils from N. sativa from Austria. They found thymoquinone (27-57%) and p-cymene (7-15.7%) as the major compounds. Another Iranian N. sativa essential oil was found to be dominated by phenylpropanoid components and displayed a trans-anethole chemotype (Nickavaret al. 2003). N. sativa essential oil from Bangladesh (Liuet al. 2013), Algeria (Benkaci-Aliet al. 2007) and India (Singhet al. 2005) was found to be a p-cymene/thymoquinone chemotype. A chemotype with 33.0% p-cymene and 26.8% thymol and the majority of monoterpenes was reported for N. sativa essential oil from Morocco (Morettiet al. 2004; DAntuonoet al. 2002) and a chemotype with 60.2% p-cymene and 12.9% ÃŽ-terpinene w as reported by Wajs et al. (2008) for N. sativa from Poland. This shows that the contents of compositions of essential oils of N. sativa seeds were dependent on the extraction method as well as the species. Antioxidant activity Owing to the complicity of essential oils, the antioxidant activities cannot be assessed by only a single method, but at least two test systems have been proposed for the determination of antioxidant activity to establish authenticity (Schlesieret al. 2002). In the present study, the antioxidant activity of N. sativa seeds essential oils extracted by MAE and HD were evaluated in vitro by DPPH scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays, and compared with traditional antioxidants. Free radical scavenging activity (DPPH) DPPH assay is often used as an indicator of free radical scavenging capacity; it is an electron-transfer-based assay, which is an important mechanism of antioxidant action (Bayramogluet al. 2008). As shown in Fig. 4A, DPPH radical-scavenging activity (SC %) increased when the oil concentration increased. A low IC50 value indicates strong antioxidant activity in a sample. The IC50 values of the essential oil, obtained by MAE and HD, were 28.10 and 36.90 Â µg/ml, respectively. In brief, the DPPH scavenging effect decreased in the order: VC > MAE > HD > VE. The results showed that essential oil obtained by MAE possessed a higher free radical scavenging capacity than HD. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) The reduction capacity of an extract or oil may use as an important indicator of its potential antioxidant activity (Maet al. 2012). A higher absorbance indicated a higher ferric reducing power. As shown in Fig. 4B, both the essential oil by different extraction methods and standards showed increased ferric reducing power with the increased concentration. Essential oil extracted by MAE at the highest concentrations analyzed, showed the highest ferric reducing capacity in terms of Fe concentrations (1670 Â µM Fe /g) with statistical differences with control VC and VE (1400 and 300 Â µM Fe /g, respectively. The reducing power of essential oil obtained by HD was slightly lower than that of MAE (1580 Â µM Fe /g). It can be due to the reduction of thymoquinone compound which is a major active chemical component of the essential oil studied. As mentioned above the antioxidant activities of Nigella sativa L. essential oil could be mainly due to the action of thymoquinone existing in the essential oil studied. In brief, the reducing power of essential oils and antioxidants revealed the descending order of: MAE > HD > VC > VE. Conclusion Microwave-assisted extraction technique (MAE) was considered for the extraction of essential oil from Nigella sativa L. seeds. Response surface methodology was successfully implemented for optimization of extraction yield of essential oil and its thymoquinone content. The optimum parameters were extraction time 30 min, irradiation power 450 W and moisture content 50%. Thymoquinone content of oil obtained by HD was reduced substantially due to the long time extraction of HD. The antioxidant activity of essential oils extracted by MAE and HD were evaluated by DPPH and reducing power tests, and compared with traditional antioxidants. Based on the results, we conclude that MAE method represents a valuable alternative to traditional HD for the essential oil extraction from Nigella sativa L. seeds owing to the excellent extraction efficiency, higher thymoquinone content and higher antioxidant activity of the essential oil. Further study is recommended to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and other bioactive properties of N. sativa essential oil extracted by MAE and compare this method with other extraction methods. Furthermore, essential oil from Nigella sativa L. seedswould be a novel nature resource for the usage in food and healthy fields.

knowledge and evidence Essay -- essays research papers fc

One definition of knowledge is true belief based on strong evidence. What makes evidence â€Å"strong† enough and how can this limit be established?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The making of knowledge is the process in which personal opinion is fortified by pragmatic evidence. It is to my belief that, evidence is a keystone in the justification of truth, because it is something solid and concrete. Significance of evidence is also magnified by our society as we develop. In major areas such as: scientific investigations, judicial examinations, historical assessments and many other field of knowledge, the value of creditable evidence are strongly advocated. While evidence is a strong factor in eliminating doubts of knowledge, different types of evidence can also affect the reliability of the truth claim which it supports. The fine line dividing valuable evidence and unreliable proof has since been drawn and debated over from the first schools of thoughts to today’s broad fields of knowledge. Likewise, I will also call upon my own experience and understanding to draw my own line in the grey vicinity of this spectrum.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before the declaration of my knowledge claims, I would like to clarify my understanding of evidence and its characteristics; which will be the foundation of this discussion. On a broad view, evidence can be identified as a fact-like assertion that proves or disproves  ¯ to a certain degree  ¯ a notion to be true, and trustworthy. On a closer examination, I realized, it is the evidence’s degree of relevance and authenticity that establishes its value and strength. Relevance, I believe, is the relationship which the evidence has with the theory that it is trying to uphold. As two things with strong connections tend to support each other, evidence with close relationship to the hypothesis, is also able to support the truth within that assumption. Authenticity, on the other hand, is the creditability of evidence. Only when the evidence is valid, will the knowledge that it is trying to justify be accurate. Furthermore, evidence’s strength also lies wi thin its objectivity and creditability. With less personal bias, evidence will be regarded as objective, therefore easier to admit universally. At the end, creditability finalizes strong evidence through the influence of trust. Even though strong evidence can stand as a fact of i... ... imperfection of evidence can only be minimized, but cannot be eliminate, this eventually will result in few controversies. As we find better ways of finding stronger knowledge, the frequency of the controversies will also decrease. Subsequently, I believe, relevance, authenticity, objectivity and creditability are all strong factors in the acquirement of strong evidence, which ultimately affects the validation of knowledge. With different situation and within different fields of study, the degree of these four factors that determines strong evidence may vary, because of the difference in how truth is viewed. In this essay, I have presented my own view and draw my own line which may incorporate my own personal predisposition, but I believe, parts of my mark will still remain on that spectrum as genuine knowledge. (1,560) Bibliography  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Committee On The Judiciary House of Representatives, Federal Rules of Evidence, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, 2001  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Evans, Colin: A Question of Evidence – The Casebook of Great Forensic Controversies, from Napoleon to O.J., John Wiley & Sons Inc., New Jersey, 2003

Internet Censorship Essay - Filters Help Improve Morality :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Internet Filters Help Improve Morality Hello there. My name is Apple Internet Macintosh, known to most people as "iMac". I was born a very long time ago as an Apple Computer; computer nerds keep updating my brain and I seem new and young every new year. I know it is hard to understand, but actually it is really helpful to my users. Most of my users mainly use one of my programs, which is the Internet. Sometimes my users don't use this in a good way and look at nasty and sick sites. I don't like looking at these sites and change is needed. The Internet first came to me and many of my other computer friends from the ARPANET project, a defense related project to help the army become more educated in technology. It came together between UCLA and Stanford in 1969, when UCLA students tried to log "onto the Stanford computer and try to send it some data". Problems occurred, and some major events took place; then, in 1976, networking was available to many, and the Internet was off and running (Gromov). Today you can even shop from home and have products delivered right to your doorstep using the Internet. The Internet is a great way to find anything that you need and even find a loved one you haven't heard from and want to get in contact with again. To do this, there are many search engines on the world wide web that help you find what you are looking for. Some people abuse this help to find porn sites, bomb-making sites, and other dangerous sites. There are many people that use the web every day learning new ways to be sick minded such as making bombs to blow up buildings, killing people, and looking at naked bodies of children. Not only are these sites available, but there are sites out there that teach young people how to damage their bodies by starving themselves or how to hurt others by making weapons. I am not alone in my decision to stop this nonsense. People use my program in many ways, but there is also a different side of this picture. Take the events of September 11, 2001, for example. There are many web sites out there that support Osama bin Laden and his actions. A boy from Florida, for example, flew a small plane into a multi-story bank building trying to recreate the events of September 11, 2001.

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 8~10

Chapter 8 Dinner with the Vampire â€Å"Is there something wrong with your food?† â€Å"No, I'm just not very hungry.† â€Å"You're going to break my heart, aren't you?† Chapter 9 He Knows If You've Been Bad or Good, So You'd Better†¦ For the few days he had been in San Francisco, because of the newness of it all, because of the mystery of the flowers and the worries of finding a job, Tommy had completely forgotten that he was horny. He had always been horny, and had accepted that he always would be horny. So when Jody sat down across from him and the tsunami of hormones washed over him, he was quite shocked that he had ever forgotten. Through dinner he missed most of her small talk and bought all the polite lies she told about her eating habits because his mind was busy with a single obsessive thought: She must move that scarf so I can see her breasts. When Tommy finished eating, Frederick came to the table. â€Å"Was there something wrong with your food?† he asked Jody. â€Å"No, I'm just not very hungry.† Frederick winked at Tommy and took their plates. Jody sat back, unwrapped her scarf and threw it over the back of her chair. â€Å"What a nice night,† she said. Tommy ripped his gaze from the front of her blouse and pretended to look out over the street. â€Å"Yep,† he said. â€Å"You know, I've never asked a man out before.† â€Å"Me either,† Tommy said. He had decided that he would throw himself at her feet and beg. Please, please, please, take me home and have sex with me. You have no idea how badly I need it. I've only done it twice in my life and both times I was so drunk that I had to be told about it the next day. Please, for the love of God, end this suffering, fuck me now or kill me! â€Å"Would you like a cappuccino?† he asked. She shook her head. â€Å"Tommy, can I trust you? Can I be honest with you?† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"Look, I don't want to be too forward, but I think I have to be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I knew it.† He fell forward until his head hit the table, rattling the silverware. He spoke into the tablecloth. â€Å"You just broke up with a guy, and this date seemed like a good idea at the time, but you think that you're still in love with him. And I'm a really nice guy and you'll always be my friend. Right?† â€Å"No. I wasn't going to say that.† â€Å"Oh, then you've just gotten out of a bad relationship and you're not ready to get into another one. You need to be alone for a while and find out what you really want. Right?† â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Right,† Tommy said into the tablecloth. â€Å"But things are moving a little too fast and maybe we should see other people for a while. I knew it. I knew you would break my – â€Å" Jody whacked him on the back of the head with a soup spoon. â€Å"Ouch!† Tommy sat up, rubbing the rising lump. â€Å"Hey, that hurt.† â€Å"Are you okay?† she asked, holding the soup spoon at ready. â€Å"That really hurt.† â€Å"Good.† She put the spoon down. â€Å"I was going to say that I don't want to be too forward, but you and I both need a place to live, and I need some help with some things, and I like you, and I was wondering if you wanted to get a place together?† Tommy stopped rubbing his head. â€Å"Now?† â€Å"If you don't have other plans.† â€Å"But we haven't even, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We can just be roommates if you'd like. And if you need to think it over, I'll understand, but I really need your help.† Tommy was stunned. No woman had ever said anything like that to him before. In just these few minutes she had come to trust him enough to lay herself open to total rejection. Women didn't do that, did they? Maybe she was nuts. Well, that would be okay; she could be Zelda to his F. Scott. Still, he felt as if he owed her some sort of confession that would leave him equally vulnerable. â€Å"Five Chinese guys asked me to marry them today,† he said. Jody didn't know what to say, so she said, â€Å"Congratulations.† â€Å"I didn't accept.† â€Å"Thinking it over?† â€Å"No, I wouldn't two-time you.† â€Å"That's sweet, but technically you'd be six-timing me.† Tommy smiled. â€Å"I like you, I really do.† â€Å"Then let's move in together.† Frederick appeared at the table. â€Å"Well, I can see things are going along just swimmingly between you two.† â€Å"Check, please,† Jody said. â€Å"Right away.† Frederick headed back into the cafe in a bit of a snit. Tommy said, â€Å"You're going to break my heart, aren't you?† â€Å"Irreparably. Would you like to go for a walk?† â€Å"Sure, I guess.† Frederick returned to the table with the check wallet. Jody pulled a wad of cash out of her backpack and handed him a hundred-dollar bill. As Tommy started to protest, standing to dig money out of his jeans pocket, Jody picked up her soup spoon and brandished it threateningly. â€Å"I'll get this.† Tommy sat back down. To Frederick, Jody said, â€Å"Keep the change.† â€Å"Oh, you are too generous,† Frederick gushed. He started backing away from the table in a half-bow. â€Å"And, Frederick,† Jody added, â€Å"Batman is far more over-accessorized than I am.† â€Å"I'm sorry you heard that,† Frederick said. â€Å"An overdeveloped sense of fashion will be my downfall.† He looked at Tommy. â€Å"You're right, she's going to break your heart.† â€Å"Have you seen Coit Tower?† she asked as they walked. â€Å"From a distance.† â€Å"Let's go there. It's all lit up at night.† They walked for a while without talking. Jody walked on the inside and dealt with the barkers with a shake of her head and a wave of dismissal. To one barker she said, â€Å"Thanks, but we're going to put on our own show.† Tommy coughed and tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. He looked at her as if she'd just announced the Second Coming. â€Å"I have to go to work at midnight,† he said. â€Å"You'll have to keep an eye on the time, then.† â€Å"Right. I will.† I can't believe I'm being this aggressive, Jody thought. I hear myself say these things and it's as if they're coming out of someone else's mouth. And he just agrees. I'd have become a tramp a long time ago if I'd known what a great sense of control it gives you. They passed two tall women with enormous breasts and impossibly narrow hips unloading wigs, wads of sequins, and a boa constrictor from the back of a rusted-out Toyota. Shift change at the strip joints, Jody thought. Tommy was riveted. Jody watched the heat rise in his face, just as it had when she caught him staring at her own breasts. He's so open, like a little kid, Jody thought. A cute little neurotic kid. I was lucky to find him. Lucky, considering everything that has happened. They turned on Kearny and Jody said, â€Å"So what do you think about my offer?† â€Å"It sounds okay, if you're sure. But I won't get my first pay-check for a couple of weeks.† â€Å"Money isn't a problem. I'll pay.† â€Å"No, I couldn't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Look Tommy, I meant it when I said I need your help. I'm busy all day. You will have to find the place and rent it. And I have a lot of other things that you'll have to do. For one, my car is in impound and someone has to get it out during the day. If it would make you feel better, I can pay you so you'll have the money.† â€Å"Is that why you asked me if I had my days free in the parking lot last night?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"So it could have been anyone who worked the right hours?† â€Å"Your buddy works the right hours, and I didn't ask him. No, I thought you were cute.† â€Å"I can't deal with that.† He walked along looking straight ahead, saying nothing. They had passed into a neighborhood of apartment houses with security bars on the windows and electric locks on the doors. Ahead, Jody saw waves of red heat signatures coming out of one dark doorway. They were too hot for one person and too cool to be a lightbulb. She focused and could hear men whispering. She suddenly remembered the phone call: â€Å"You're not immortal. You can still be killed.† â€Å"Let's cross the street, Tommy.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Just come on.† She grabbed his jacket and yanked him into the street. When they were on the opposite sidewalk, Tommy stopped and looked at her as if she had just hit him on the head with a spoon. â€Å"What was that all about?† She waved for him to be quiet. â€Å"Listen.† Someone behind them was laughing. Laughing loudly enough to be heard without Jody's acute hearing. They both turned and looked back. A thin man dressed in black was standing under a street lamp a block away. â€Å"What's so funny?† Tommy asked. Jody didn't answer. She was staring at something that wasn't there. There was no heat signature coming off the man in black. â€Å"Let's go,† Jody said, hurrying Tommy up the street. As they passed the doorway across the street, Jody looked over and flipped a middle finger to the three toughs that had been waiting to ambush them. You guys are nothing, she thought. Laughter from the man in black still rang in her ears. It had been a long time since the vampire had heard the sound of his own laughter, and hearing it made him laugh all the louder. So the fledgling had found herself a minion. It had been a good idea to leave her hand partially exposed to the daylight. She had learned that lesson quickly. So many of them just wandered until daylight and burned to death, and he couldn't even enjoy the show unless he wanted to join them in perdition. This one was interesting: so reluctant to give herself to the blood. They only seemed to have two instincts, the hunger and the hiding. And this one had controlled the hunger on her first feeding. She was almost too good. So many of them, if they lasted the first night, went mad trying to live with their new senses. One night and he had to send them to hell with a snap of the neck and a fare-thee-well. But not this one. She had made him laugh; afraid of a few mortals whom she could crush like insects. Perhaps she was protecting her new servant. Perhaps he should kill the boy, just to watch her reaction. Perhaps, but not yet. Some other fly in her ointment then. Just to keep the game going. It felt so good to laugh after so long. Chapter 10 Walking, Talking, and Bumping in the Night Coit Tower jutted out of Telegraph Hill like a giant phallus. Impressive as it was, all lit up and overlooking the City, it made Tommy feel nervous, inferior, and pressured to perform. She had as much as admitted that she was going to take him to bed – had even offered to solve the problem of the Wongs. She was a dream come true. It scared the hell out of him. She took his hand and looked out over the City. â€Å"It's pretty, isn't it. We're lucky it's a clear night.† â€Å"Your hand is freezing,† he said. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. God, I'm smooth, he thought, a complete stud. I'm making a move on an older woman – an older woman with money. Now what? My arm is lying on her shoulder like a dead fish. I'm a geek. If I could just turn my mind off until it's all over. Just get shit-faced and do it. No, not that. Not again. Jody stiffened. She thought: I'm not cold. I haven't been cold since I changed, nor warm, for that matter. Kurt used to say I was always cold. How strange. I can see the heat around Tommy but there's none around me. â€Å"Feel my forehead,† she said to Tommy. Tommy said, â€Å"Jody, we don't have to do this if you're not ready. I mean, maybe, like you said, we should just be roommates. I don't want to pressure you.† â€Å"No, feel my forehead and see if I have a fever.† â€Å"Oh.† He put his hand on her forehead. â€Å"You're as cold as ice. Do you feel okay?† Oh my God! How could I have been so stupid? She tore away from him and began pacing. The guy outside her apartment, the laughing man on Kearny Street, he had been cold. And so was she. How many vampires were out there that she hadn't seen? â€Å"What's the matter?† Tommy asked. â€Å"Did I say something wrong?† I've got to tell him, she thought. He's not going to trust me if I keep it from him. She took his hand again. â€Å"Tommy, I think you ought to know. I'm not exactly what I seem to be.† He stepped back. â€Å"You're a guy, aren't you? I knew it. My dad warned me that this could happen here.† Maybe not, she thought. â€Å"No, I'm not a guy.† â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Are you?† â€Å"There's no need to get nasty.† â€Å"Well, how would you feel if I asked you if you were a girl?† Tommy hung his head. â€Å"You're right. Sorry. But how would you feel if five Chinese women asked you to marry them? Things like that don't happen in Indiana. I can't even go back to my room.† â€Å"I can't either,† she said. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Give me a minute to think, okay?† She didn't want to go back to the motel on Van Ness again. The vampire knew she had been there. But he'd probably know even if she moved. â€Å"Tommy, we need to get you a motel room.† â€Å"Jody, I'm getting mixed messages here.† â€Å"No, don't take it wrong. I don't want to send you back to that room with the Wongs. I think we should get you a room.† â€Å"I told you, I don't get paid – â€Å" â€Å"My treat. It'll be an advance on your new job as my assistant.† Tommy sat down on the sidewalk and stared up at the lighted shaft of Coit Tower. He thought, I have no idea what I am supposed to be or what I'm supposed to do. First she wants me for my body, then she wants me as an employee, then she doesn't want me at all. I don't know whether I'm supposed to kiss her or fill out an application. I feel like one of those nervous little dogs from an electroshock test. Here's a bone, Spot. Zap! You didn't really want that, did you? He said, â€Å"Whatever you want me to do, I'll do.† â€Å"Okay,† Jody said. â€Å"Thanks.† She bent and kissed him on the forehead. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, she thought. If we go to a motel and go to bed together, then he'll have to go to work, and when he comes back in the morning he'll come back to the room, open the door, and the sunlight will hit me. Bursting into flames is no way to impress someone on the first date. Separate rooms is the only way to go. He's going to get fed up and leave me like all the rest. â€Å"Tommy, can you go get your stuff tomorrow?† â€Å"Whatever you say.† â€Å"I can't explain now, but I might be in a little trouble and I have a lot of things to do. I need you to do a lot of things for me tomorrow. Can you do that after working all night?† â€Å"Whatever you say,† he said. â€Å"I'm going to get you a room at my motel. I won't be around until tomorrow night. I'll meet you at the motel office at sunset. When you come back to the room in the morning, the papers for my car will be on the bed, okay?† â€Å"Whatever you say.† Tommy looked dazed. He stared into his lap. â€Å"I'll give you money for an apartment. Try to find a place that's furnished. And no windows in the bedroom. Try to keep it under two thousand a month.† Tommy didn't look up. â€Å"Whatever you say.† I've taken over his mind, she thought. It's just like in the movies, when the vampire can control people's actions. I don't want that. I don't want to force him with my will. It's not fair. He was helpless enough, but now I've turned him into a zombie. I want help, but I don't want this. I wonder if there's enough of his mind left even to function, or if I've ruined him. â€Å"Tommy,† she said sternly, â€Å"I want you to climb to the top of the tower and jump off.† He looked up. â€Å"Are you out of your mind?† She threw her arms around him, kissed him, and said, â€Å"Oh, I'm so glad I didn't turn you into a vegetable.† â€Å"I'll give you time,† he said. Jody stood outside the four-story apartment building on Chestnut, watching and listening. There were no lights on in Kurt's apartment. Already it had become Kurt's apartment, not hers, not theirs. The moment she asked Tommy out, she had transferred whatever dreams and delusions she attached to being a couple to Tommy. It was always that way for her. She didn't like to be alone. She and Tommy had walked Telegraph Park talking about their past lives and avoiding the subject of a singular, future life until it was time for Tommy to go to work. Jody had called a cab from a pay phone and dropped Tommy off at the store with a kiss and a promise. â€Å"I'll see you tomorrow night.† It was only when she got out of the cab at the motel that she realized that the registration and pink slip for her car were still at Kurt's. Why didn't I take a damn key when I left? She toyed with the idea of ringing the bell, but the thought of looking Kurt in the eye after what she had done to him†¦ No, she'd have to get in on her own. Going through the two fire doors and the security bolts wasn't an option. The building was a pseudo-Victorian, the facade decorated with prefabricated bolt-on gingerbread. Jody tried to imagine herself climbing the front of the building and shuddered. To her relief, the side panels on the fourth-floor bay window were closed. No way in there. There was a five-foot-wide alley between Kurt's building and the one next to it. The bedroom window was on that side. No gingerbread for handholds there. She went to the alley and looked up. The bedroom window was open and the wall was as smooth as polished stone. She eyed the space between the two buildings. With her hands against one side and her feet against the other, she could spider her way up the wall. She'd seen guys climbing chimney crevices at Yosemite that way. Experienced climbers, with equipment. Not secretaries who avoided escalators for fear of breaking a heel. She focused on the open window and listened. The sound of someone breathing deeply, sleeping. No, it was the sound of two people sleeping. â€Å"You bastard.† She leaped into the air and caught herself between the two buildings, six feet off the ground, her feet against one, hands against the other. She was amazed that she could do it, but it wasn't that hard. It wasn't hard at all. She tested her weight against the tension in her limbs and it felt solid. She held herself with one hand while she pulled her skirt up over her hips with the other, then she tried a tentative step up. Hand, foot, hand, foot. When she paused to look down she was right under Kurt's window, forty feet off the ground, with only a garbage can and a stray cat to break her fall. She tried to catch her breath, then realized that she wasn't out of breath. She felt as if she could hold herself there for hours if she needed to. But the fear of falling pushed her on. You're not immortal. You can still be killed. She pushed the screen loose from the window with her left hand, got a grip on the windowsill, then loosed the tension in her legs and swung down against Kurt's building. Hanging by one hand, she removed the screen with the other and lowered it to the floor inside, then pulled herself up to the windowsill, where she crouched and looked around the room. Two people were in the bed. She could see their heat signatures rising through the covers and being dissipated by the cold breeze coming through the window. No wonder I complained about the cold. She stepped into the room and waited to see if the sleepers stirred. Nothing. She moved to the side of the bed and looked at the woman with almost scientific detachment. It was Susan Badistone. Jody had met her at Kurt's office picnic and had disliked her immediately. Her straight blond hair was spread over the pillow. Jody twisted a lock of her own curly red hair around her finger. So this is what he wanted. And that's an after-market nose if I've ever seen one. But it's all about appearances, isn't it, Kurt? Jody grabbed the covers and lifted them far enough to look under. She's got the body of a twelve-year-old boy. Oh Kurt, you should have let her finish the surgery schedule before you brought her home. She let the covers fall and Susan stirred. Jody backed away from the bed slowly. She had kept all of her papers in an expandable file under the sink in the bathroom. She went to the bathroom and palmed the cabinet open. The file was still there. She grabbed it and headed for the window. â€Å"Who's there?† Kurt said. He sat up in bed and stared into the dark. Jody ducked below the light coming in the window and watched him. â€Å"I said, who's there?† â€Å"What's a matter?† a groggy Susan said. â€Å"I heard something.† â€Å"It's nothing, honey. You're just jumpy after what that horrible woman did to you.† I could snap her scrawny blond neck, Jody thought. Then, in thinking it, in knowing that she could actually do it, she was no longer angry. I'm not â€Å"that horrible woman,† she thought. I'm a vampire, and no amount of plastic surgery, or breeding, or money will ever make you my equal. I am a god. For the first time since the transformation Jody felt calm, comfortable in her own skin. She waited there in the dark until they fell asleep again, then she climbed out the window and replaced the screen. She stood on the window ledge and threw the expandable file on the roof, then leaped up, grabbed the gutter, and pulled herself onto the roof. At the back of the building she found a steel ladder that went all the way to the ground. The climb between the two buildings had been completely unnecessary. Okay, not a particularly smart god, but at least a god who has her original nose.

How to Gain Weight Eating Healthy Food

Goal: How to gain weight eating healthy food? I want to improve my physical wellness by gaining weight while staying healthy. Behavior Strategy: I. Gather data on what type of food is fattening, but in a healthy way. II. Get help from a nutritionist to make sure I eat healthy foods, but that will also make me gain weight. III. Make a schedule / meal plan to make sure I get more than enough calories on a daily basis. IV. I make a goal for myself to gain ten pounds in six months. Journal Articles Article 1: â€Å"What to Eat to Gain weight-The healthy Way†In Glamour magazine, I found this article â€Å"What to Eat to Gain Weight—The Healthy Way†. This article shows how a person can improve her life style eating healthier, but still gaining weight. One of Glamour’s fashion interns, Ashley, tried a new diet with the help of Rachel Beller, a nutritionist. Rachel looked at her daily choices of food, and made a schedule for Rachel to improve her diet to eat healt hier, but still intake enough calories to gain weight. Ashley will change all her daily habits, and adopt a whole new diet rich in proteins and carbohydrates.Rachel Beller said that Ashley has the right approach in order to gain weight, because she eats three meals and two snacks a day, which is exactly what to do in order to gain weight, she says. Besides, Rachel says that Ashley eats the right amount of calories, but her food choices are too high in simple carbohydrates and unhealthy saturated fats. The nutritionist advises to focus instead in foods with high fiber cereals for breakfast, and high calorie, nutrient-dense meals for lunch and dinner. She also insists in eating whole grain carbs, which have the same amount of calories than regular carbs, however with more fibers.Also, Rachel points out that most people thing in volume when they want to gain weight. The key in gaining weight is choosing low-volume high-calorie snacks, such as granola, nuts, and pretzels, among others. This article I found extremely interesting because it completely applies to my health goal. I used to think gaining weight came along when you eat a lot of food. Reading this made me realize that the quality of food is more important than the quantity. This is the key to my problem. I found it very inconvenient to eat a lot of food all day every day, because I’m not a big eater.Knowing that I can eat a normal amount of food and still can weight makes me think that I can finally reach my goal weight. Rachel Beller made a meal plan suggestion that I already started to apply in my daily habits. It is not constraining, and I really start to find a difference in my life. I don’t fell stressed anymore if I don’t eat a lot because I’m running around too much. I know that what I eat is high in calories protein, and fiber, which will help me maintain or gain weight. Plus, I can finally work out without worrying about losing weight if I don’t indulge in a go od amount of food.Article 2: â€Å"Healthy Foods to Help You Gain Weight† On the website About. com I found an article called â€Å"Healthy Foods to Help You Gain Weight†. This article breaks down the different types of food that are rich in calories. It is said that if you want to gain weight you have to add extra calories in your diet. However, instead of indulging in junk food, instead you should choose foods that are nutrient dense and energy dense. The article shows eight different foods that are fattening but high in good calories.It says, if you want to make good choices while gaining weight you need to focus in nutrient dense calories, which are: Bagels, Pasta, Dried Fruits, Healthy Oils, Avocados, Nuts and Seeds, Granola, and Fruit juice. Most of these foods are extremely healthy, while giving enough nutrients to your body on a daily basis. If you stick with a diet including high fibers, and nutrient, your body mass will increase over time. This article really opened my horizons in what type of food I should eat to reach my goal. I used to have no idea what kinds of foods were rich in calories but healthy.Now I can apply what the article says into my diet. I used to eat a lot of things for breakfast but that were just high in energy without giving me any fat. Now I can eat a bagel with granola and fruit juice, and have a lot more calories for breakfast than I used to. This list of foods has made it so much easier for me to reach my goal without stressing over the amount that I eat and what I eat. Now I have a meal plan for my everyday meals, and it includes all these foods. I just stick with my plan and see how it goes. Right now, I already feel so much better, and I already see a difference in y body. I fill my clothes better than I used to, and to me it’s so motivating to keep up my efforts. Current event articles Article 1: â€Å"Using a weight gain diet to Increase Body Mass Quickly† According to the article, â€Å"Usi ng a weight gain diet to Increase Body Mass Quickly† from the website weight gain diet; it is important to dissociate gaining weight and junk food. The author points out that usually most people think of gaining weight by indulging in sugar and fat. However, even for skinny people it isn’t the right choice to decide to eat about anything in order to gain weight.Underweight people are still at risk if binging on fatty foods, meaning they can get diseases such as cholesterol. That is why it is important to know what to eat in order to gain healthy weight. The foods promoting weight gain are the one rich in protein. However, there are proteins healthier than others. For instance, fish proteins are healthier than red meat proteins. Also, fruits are good to include in a diet, along with vegetables. It is also important to stick with whole grains which are the healthiest. In addition, most people looking to gain weight avoid working out because they think they will burn the c alories needed to gain weight.However, according to the author, this is a myth. Exercising is very important for maintaining a healthy body, and even though someone is trying to gain weight it is important to include exercising in ones diet. In my case, I found this article extremely helpful for my objective. I would usually try to indulge in high protein foods such as beef, chicken and cheese without even knowing that there are unhealthier proteins than others. Also, I would eat regular dairy products without being aware that low fat dairy products weren’t just for losing weight diets.Besides, vegetables can also be a good source of proteins. I thought all vegetables were good for their nutritious factors only, but not for gaining weight. It appears that beans and lentils are extremely good sources of proteins. Another false idea I had before reading this article was, working out isn’t good if you want to gain weight. A year ago, I started to go to the gym five days a week. I realized after few weeks of daily work out that I lost a good amount of weight, so I stopped working out. I wasn’t eating the right type of food, rich in good carbs and proteins.According to the article, it is essential to exercise during a weight gaining diet, because it helps burn the fat that isn’t good for your body. Now that I know what types of food are nutrient dense, I will include a daily workout routine in my weight gaining diet. Article 2: â€Å"Healthy Eating & Diet-Healthy Ways to Gain Weight† Kathleen M. Zelman explains the different ways to gain weight while making good choices. She thinks being a little underweight isn’t a problem health wise; however, it can be an issue if a person doesn’t feel comfortable and would like to look a bit fuller.Doctor Zelman insists on the fact that even skinny people should be cautious of their food choices, and wanting to gain weight â€Å"is not about bellying up to an all-you-can-eat buf fet†. Gaining weight comes when you go for nutrient rich foods. High calories foods are essential, but nutrients are even more. It is important to stay away from sugar, fat and empty calories foods. However, fat is important to gain weight but not all fats are good for you. For instance, fat from nuts are healthier than fat from meat. Also, it is primordial to eat often, like six meals a day, which are three meals and two snacks.Moreover, when exercising, it is imperative to indulge in more calories than usual. If you want to gain weight eating more calories than your body will burn is essential. Also, high protein foods are a good choice, because it helps your muscles recover faster. These foods are fish, lean meats, poultry, legumes, eggs, and whole grains, among others. If a person doesn’t eat enough because of a lack of appetite, eating foods that you like or spicing up bland food can help. This article was very informative. Now, I have all the keys to gain weight. I need to eat often, choose high nutrient foods, and exercise.I used to think three meals a day were enough. However, snacks are considered mini meals. Snacking isn’t only negative. If you make good choices snaking helps with the process of gaining weight. Also, I’m the type of person who won’t feel hungry at all time. According to Doctor Zelman, it is important to lean toward the foods that are in your liking, or using spices to add up some taste on foods that are bland. Very often I feel hungry but I don’t know what I want so I end up not eating. Now, I know what types of food are rich in nutrients, and that I like, so I can stick with these when I don’t feel very hungry.Gaining weight is all about making a new routine for yourself, and knowing what is good for you. Objective Research Most people don’t realize that sometimes it can be much easier to lose weight than to gain weight. Most people that struggle with their weight would want to look healthier and fuller. It is not easy to gain weight and most people that want to lose weight don’t understand it. The majority of people that are overweight don’t understand people who want to gain weight, and think that they are just seeking attention. Yes, it is unhealthy to be overweight, yet, being underweight can be as unhealthy.According to Beth W. Orenstein from the article How to Gain Healthy weight, â€Å"Depending on how underweight you are, it could be just as unhealthy as being overweight†. People usually hear about the health risks of being overweight. However, nobody really hears about the health risks of being underweight. Most people have misconception on the way you are supposed to look, and are driven to lose weight because of the media. Every day, when watching TV, the stick thin figures of models, and other celebrities, are advertised all over. For most people, being thin is how everyone is supposed to look.It became the norm of how soci ety perceives how people should look. However, according to the article, what are the health risks of being underweight? Lillian Downey tells us that being underweight comes with severe health issues. It can cause infertility in women, osteoporosis, and decrease immune function. In the article Lillian says that â€Å"low body weight, intense, prolonged physical activity, low calorie and nutrient restricted diets often cause women to stop ovulating and menstruating†. This affects the functioning of the reproductive system.Moreover, poor nutrient intake, and low body mass affect bones’ health. People that are underweight have more fragile bones. â€Å"Persons who are severely underweight may suffer from loss of muscle mass, which supports bones and joints, and helps prevent bone breaks, dislocations and fractures†. Lastly, the immune system is affect by low body mass. Low consumption of fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals weakens normal immune function, says Ms . Downey. Being underweight has other side effects. It can be dangerous to be underweight depending on how underweight you are.According to the article Dangers of Underweight, the negative effects are: Prone to infection (comprised immune system), Low muscle mass, Hair loss, Irregular hormone regulation, Osteoporosis, Anemia, Pregnancy complications (or inability to get pregnant), Menstrual irregularities. People have misconceptions about skinny people. They think that everyone wants to be thin, so why someone would possibly want to gain weight. People need to realize that skinny isn’t the way to be. It can be very unhealthy, and bring serious health issues.They drive to diet because they want to be â€Å"normal†, which means get to the status of Hollywood, and what the media portrays about what it is to be beautiful. In America, people are really into the whole glamour scene of Hollywood celebrities. They look up to these celebrities and see them as their role model. This means being thin is the way to go, and is how people is supposed to look like. It is important for people to take care of their body, and be more health conscious. Being overweight or underweight can be equally as unhealthy. Eating right is more important than ever. The way you look is subjective to what you eat.So instead of doing drastic changes to gain weight, it is important to eat well. Loading in junk food will bring you the calories that you are supposed to take per day; however, it won’t be good calories. Eating well and nutrient dense foods, will help you can weight in the wanted areas of your body. This will avoid building fat around the belt area. Summary and Conclusion This project successfully broadened my horizon in being food health conscious. All my life I dreamed about having a fuller figure. I wanted to fill my clothes with more curves. I rapidly understood how much of a struggle gaining weight can be.Everyone around me always told me â€Å"why do you want to gain weight while everyone wants to lose weight? † I never really could open up about my issue because no one could understand it. Today, I finally made the decision of changing my lifestyle to the better. All my researches talked about similar ways to gain weight. This includes mainly eating more often, eating nutrient dense foods, and exercising. Since January I have been following this gain weight diet, and surprisingly for the first time in my life it worked. In three month and a half I gained eight pounds. My goal was to gain ten pounds, but I’m really happy about the outcome.I would have never thought I could gain this much in a little time. My daily routine was to eat three nice meals per day, and two snakes. For breakfast, I always eat a whole grain bagel with butter, oatmeal with raisins in it, and two eggs. For lunch and dinner I always eat at least one kind of vegetables with meat of fish, and carbs such as pasta, or rice. I also snack on nuts a lot. I always carry almonds, pistachios or cashew in my bag, if I don’t have much time. If I have time I make myself smoothies with at least three types of fruit with milk, and orange juice, and I also add two scoops of vanilla ice-cream.Also, I make myself peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or I eat Greek yogurts. Even if I’m not hungry I force myself to eat at least a yogurt for a snack or a banana. This project was extremely successful for me. I have a whole new health conscious routine that I will keep forever from now on. I’m today weighing 118 pounds, and would like to be 125 pounds. As soon as I will reach my ideal weight I will keep eating healthy but I won’t stress so much on eating fatty foods. Bibliography * Arrue, Karina. â€Å"What to Eat to Gain Weight-The Healthy Way. † Glamour (2009). * Column, Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, WebMD Expert. Healthy Ways to Gain Weight. † WebMD. WebMD. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. . * â€Å"Using Weight Gain Di et to Increase Body Mass Quickly. † Weight Gain Diet. 2012. Web. * Jegtvig, Shereen. â€Å"Healthy Foods to Help You Gain Weight. † About. com Nutrition. 12 Feb. 2012. Web. . * Gidus, Tara. â€Å"Dangers of Underweight. † Medical Information for Healthy Living. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. . * Downey, Lillian. â€Å"What Are the Health Risks of Being How to Gain Weight Eating Healthy Food Goal: How to gain weight eating healthy food? I want to improve my physical wellness by gaining weight while staying healthy. Behavior Strategy: I. Gather data on what type of food is fattening, but in a healthy way. II. Get help from a nutritionist to make sure I eat healthy foods, but that will also make me gain weight. III. Make a schedule / meal plan to make sure I get more than enough calories on a daily basis. IV. I make a goal for myself to gain ten pounds in six months. Journal Articles Article 1: â€Å"What to Eat to Gain weight-The healthy Way†In Glamour magazine, I found this article â€Å"What to Eat to Gain Weight—The Healthy Way†. This article shows how a person can improve her life style eating healthier, but still gaining weight. One of Glamour’s fashion interns, Ashley, tried a new diet with the help of Rachel Beller, a nutritionist. Rachel looked at her daily choices of food, and made a schedule for Rachel to improve her diet to eat healt hier, but still intake enough calories to gain weight. Ashley will change all her daily habits, and adopt a whole new diet rich in proteins and carbohydrates.Rachel Beller said that Ashley has the right approach in order to gain weight, because she eats three meals and two snacks a day, which is exactly what to do in order to gain weight, she says. Besides, Rachel says that Ashley eats the right amount of calories, but her food choices are too high in simple carbohydrates and unhealthy saturated fats. The nutritionist advises to focus instead in foods with high fiber cereals for breakfast, and high calorie, nutrient-dense meals for lunch and dinner. She also insists in eating whole grain carbs, which have the same amount of calories than regular carbs, however with more fibers.Also, Rachel points out that most people thing in volume when they want to gain weight. The key in gaining weight is choosing low-volume high-calorie snacks, such as granola, nuts, and pretzels, among others. This article I found extremely interesting because it completely applies to my health goal. I used to think gaining weight came along when you eat a lot of food. Reading this made me realize that the quality of food is more important than the quantity. This is the key to my problem. I found it very inconvenient to eat a lot of food all day every day, because I’m not a big eater.Knowing that I can eat a normal amount of food and still can weight makes me think that I can finally reach my goal weight. Rachel Beller made a meal plan suggestion that I already started to apply in my daily habits. It is not constraining, and I really start to find a difference in my life. I don’t fell stressed anymore if I don’t eat a lot because I’m running around too much. I know that what I eat is high in calories protein, and fiber, which will help me maintain or gain weight. Plus, I can finally work out without worrying about losing weight if I don’t indulge in a go od amount of food.Article 2: â€Å"Healthy Foods to Help You Gain Weight† On the website About. com I found an article called â€Å"Healthy Foods to Help You Gain Weight†. This article breaks down the different types of food that are rich in calories. It is said that if you want to gain weight you have to add extra calories in your diet. However, instead of indulging in junk food, instead you should choose foods that are nutrient dense and energy dense. The article shows eight different foods that are fattening but high in good calories.It says, if you want to make good choices while gaining weight you need to focus in nutrient dense calories, which are: Bagels, Pasta, Dried Fruits, Healthy Oils, Avocados, Nuts and Seeds, Granola, and Fruit juice. Most of these foods are extremely healthy, while giving enough nutrients to your body on a daily basis. If you stick with a diet including high fibers, and nutrient, your body mass will increase over time. This article really opened my horizons in what type of food I should eat to reach my goal. I used to have no idea what kinds of foods were rich in calories but healthy.Now I can apply what the article says into my diet. I used to eat a lot of things for breakfast but that were just high in energy without giving me any fat. Now I can eat a bagel with granola and fruit juice, and have a lot more calories for breakfast than I used to. This list of foods has made it so much easier for me to reach my goal without stressing over the amount that I eat and what I eat. Now I have a meal plan for my everyday meals, and it includes all these foods. I just stick with my plan and see how it goes. Right now, I already feel so much better, and I already see a difference in y body. I fill my clothes better than I used to, and to me it’s so motivating to keep up my efforts. Current event articles Article 1: â€Å"Using a weight gain diet to Increase Body Mass Quickly† According to the article, â€Å"Usi ng a weight gain diet to Increase Body Mass Quickly† from the website weight gain diet; it is important to dissociate gaining weight and junk food. The author points out that usually most people think of gaining weight by indulging in sugar and fat. However, even for skinny people it isn’t the right choice to decide to eat about anything in order to gain weight.Underweight people are still at risk if binging on fatty foods, meaning they can get diseases such as cholesterol. That is why it is important to know what to eat in order to gain healthy weight. The foods promoting weight gain are the one rich in protein. However, there are proteins healthier than others. For instance, fish proteins are healthier than red meat proteins. Also, fruits are good to include in a diet, along with vegetables. It is also important to stick with whole grains which are the healthiest. In addition, most people looking to gain weight avoid working out because they think they will burn the c alories needed to gain weight.However, according to the author, this is a myth. Exercising is very important for maintaining a healthy body, and even though someone is trying to gain weight it is important to include exercising in ones diet. In my case, I found this article extremely helpful for my objective. I would usually try to indulge in high protein foods such as beef, chicken and cheese without even knowing that there are unhealthier proteins than others. Also, I would eat regular dairy products without being aware that low fat dairy products weren’t just for losing weight diets.Besides, vegetables can also be a good source of proteins. I thought all vegetables were good for their nutritious factors only, but not for gaining weight. It appears that beans and lentils are extremely good sources of proteins. Another false idea I had before reading this article was, working out isn’t good if you want to gain weight. A year ago, I started to go to the gym five days a week. I realized after few weeks of daily work out that I lost a good amount of weight, so I stopped working out. I wasn’t eating the right type of food, rich in good carbs and proteins.According to the article, it is essential to exercise during a weight gaining diet, because it helps burn the fat that isn’t good for your body. Now that I know what types of food are nutrient dense, I will include a daily workout routine in my weight gaining diet. Article 2: â€Å"Healthy Eating & Diet-Healthy Ways to Gain Weight† Kathleen M. Zelman explains the different ways to gain weight while making good choices. She thinks being a little underweight isn’t a problem health wise; however, it can be an issue if a person doesn’t feel comfortable and would like to look a bit fuller.Doctor Zelman insists on the fact that even skinny people should be cautious of their food choices, and wanting to gain weight â€Å"is not about bellying up to an all-you-can-eat buf fet†. Gaining weight comes when you go for nutrient rich foods. High calories foods are essential, but nutrients are even more. It is important to stay away from sugar, fat and empty calories foods. However, fat is important to gain weight but not all fats are good for you. For instance, fat from nuts are healthier than fat from meat. Also, it is primordial to eat often, like six meals a day, which are three meals and two snacks.Moreover, when exercising, it is imperative to indulge in more calories than usual. If you want to gain weight eating more calories than your body will burn is essential. Also, high protein foods are a good choice, because it helps your muscles recover faster. These foods are fish, lean meats, poultry, legumes, eggs, and whole grains, among others. If a person doesn’t eat enough because of a lack of appetite, eating foods that you like or spicing up bland food can help. This article was very informative. Now, I have all the keys to gain weight. I need to eat often, choose high nutrient foods, and exercise.I used to think three meals a day were enough. However, snacks are considered mini meals. Snacking isn’t only negative. If you make good choices snaking helps with the process of gaining weight. Also, I’m the type of person who won’t feel hungry at all time. According to Doctor Zelman, it is important to lean toward the foods that are in your liking, or using spices to add up some taste on foods that are bland. Very often I feel hungry but I don’t know what I want so I end up not eating. Now, I know what types of food are rich in nutrients, and that I like, so I can stick with these when I don’t feel very hungry.Gaining weight is all about making a new routine for yourself, and knowing what is good for you. Objective Research Most people don’t realize that sometimes it can be much easier to lose weight than to gain weight. Most people that struggle with their weight would want to look healthier and fuller. It is not easy to gain weight and most people that want to lose weight don’t understand it. The majority of people that are overweight don’t understand people who want to gain weight, and think that they are just seeking attention. Yes, it is unhealthy to be overweight, yet, being underweight can be as unhealthy.According to Beth W. Orenstein from the article How to Gain Healthy weight, â€Å"Depending on how underweight you are, it could be just as unhealthy as being overweight†. People usually hear about the health risks of being overweight. However, nobody really hears about the health risks of being underweight. Most people have misconception on the way you are supposed to look, and are driven to lose weight because of the media. Every day, when watching TV, the stick thin figures of models, and other celebrities, are advertised all over. For most people, being thin is how everyone is supposed to look.It became the norm of how soci ety perceives how people should look. However, according to the article, what are the health risks of being underweight? Lillian Downey tells us that being underweight comes with severe health issues. It can cause infertility in women, osteoporosis, and decrease immune function. In the article Lillian says that â€Å"low body weight, intense, prolonged physical activity, low calorie and nutrient restricted diets often cause women to stop ovulating and menstruating†. This affects the functioning of the reproductive system.Moreover, poor nutrient intake, and low body mass affect bones’ health. People that are underweight have more fragile bones. â€Å"Persons who are severely underweight may suffer from loss of muscle mass, which supports bones and joints, and helps prevent bone breaks, dislocations and fractures†. Lastly, the immune system is affect by low body mass. Low consumption of fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals weakens normal immune function, says Ms . Downey. Being underweight has other side effects. It can be dangerous to be underweight depending on how underweight you are.According to the article Dangers of Underweight, the negative effects are: Prone to infection (comprised immune system), Low muscle mass, Hair loss, Irregular hormone regulation, Osteoporosis, Anemia, Pregnancy complications (or inability to get pregnant), Menstrual irregularities. People have misconceptions about skinny people. They think that everyone wants to be thin, so why someone would possibly want to gain weight. People need to realize that skinny isn’t the way to be. It can be very unhealthy, and bring serious health issues.They drive to diet because they want to be â€Å"normal†, which means get to the status of Hollywood, and what the media portrays about what it is to be beautiful. In America, people are really into the whole glamour scene of Hollywood celebrities. They look up to these celebrities and see them as their role model. This means being thin is the way to go, and is how people is supposed to look like. It is important for people to take care of their body, and be more health conscious. Being overweight or underweight can be equally as unhealthy. Eating right is more important than ever. The way you look is subjective to what you eat.So instead of doing drastic changes to gain weight, it is important to eat well. Loading in junk food will bring you the calories that you are supposed to take per day; however, it won’t be good calories. Eating well and nutrient dense foods, will help you can weight in the wanted areas of your body. This will avoid building fat around the belt area. Summary and Conclusion This project successfully broadened my horizon in being food health conscious. All my life I dreamed about having a fuller figure. I wanted to fill my clothes with more curves. I rapidly understood how much of a struggle gaining weight can be.Everyone around me always told me â€Å"why do you want to gain weight while everyone wants to lose weight? † I never really could open up about my issue because no one could understand it. Today, I finally made the decision of changing my lifestyle to the better. All my researches talked about similar ways to gain weight. This includes mainly eating more often, eating nutrient dense foods, and exercising. Since January I have been following this gain weight diet, and surprisingly for the first time in my life it worked. In three month and a half I gained eight pounds. My goal was to gain ten pounds, but I’m really happy about the outcome.I would have never thought I could gain this much in a little time. My daily routine was to eat three nice meals per day, and two snakes. For breakfast, I always eat a whole grain bagel with butter, oatmeal with raisins in it, and two eggs. For lunch and dinner I always eat at least one kind of vegetables with meat of fish, and carbs such as pasta, or rice. I also snack on nuts a lot. I always carry almonds, pistachios or cashew in my bag, if I don’t have much time. If I have time I make myself smoothies with at least three types of fruit with milk, and orange juice, and I also add two scoops of vanilla ice-cream.Also, I make myself peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or I eat Greek yogurts. Even if I’m not hungry I force myself to eat at least a yogurt for a snack or a banana. This project was extremely successful for me. I have a whole new health conscious routine that I will keep forever from now on. I’m today weighing 118 pounds, and would like to be 125 pounds. As soon as I will reach my ideal weight I will keep eating healthy but I won’t stress so much on eating fatty foods. Bibliography * Arrue, Karina. â€Å"What to Eat to Gain Weight-The Healthy Way. † Glamour (2009). * Column, Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, WebMD Expert. Healthy Ways to Gain Weight. † WebMD. WebMD. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. . * â€Å"Using Weight Gain Di et to Increase Body Mass Quickly. † Weight Gain Diet. 2012. Web. * Jegtvig, Shereen. â€Å"Healthy Foods to Help You Gain Weight. † About. com Nutrition. 12 Feb. 2012. Web. . * Gidus, Tara. â€Å"Dangers of Underweight. † Medical Information for Healthy Living. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. . * Downey, Lillian. â€Å"What Are the Health Risks of Being

Academic Stress Essay

This annotated bibliography was prepared at Stanford University under the supervision of faculty from the Law School and the School of Education working in collaboration with Challenge Success. It is not intended to be all-inclusive. If you are aware of articles, books, or other materials that should be included, please send an email to Professor Michele Dauber at mldauber@gmail.com. Please feel free use this bibliography and cite it or the materials in it. You can use it several ways. 1. If you know the topic you are interested in (i.e., depression), you can scroll down and read the â€Å"Summary Findings by Topic,† and then locate the cited articles by searching the document on the author’s name, searching chronologically. 2. You can also search this document for the keyword â€Å"depression† and read the abstracts of the articles that contain that keyword. 3. You can scan the most recent reseach by reading the most recent abstracts in the â€Å"Annotated Bibliography of Sources in Reverse Chronological Order. Internationally, students that are not academically burnt out tend to have higher GPA scores and self-esteem than students that are academically burnt out (Lee et al., 2010). Studies show an important relationship between increased school work and decreased sleep, as well as the relationship between decreased sleep and increased feelings of anxiety, depression, and fatigue (Fuligni & Hardway, 2006). Longitudinal studies show an increasing pressure placed on children and adolescents in terms of expected time spent on school and school-related work, which could result in less time for things like extracurricular activities, sleeping, and spending time with family (Juster, Ono, & Stafford, 2004). Yadusky-Holahan, M., Holahan, W. (1983). The effect of academic stress upon the anxiety and depression levels of gifted high school students. Gifted Children Quarterly 27(42): 42-46. Keywords: academic stress, student anxiety and depression, living situation, gifted students The primary goal of this study was to understand the relationship between living situation (living alone or with a roommate) and anxiety and depression for high-ability, high-achieving students. Findings show that stressors relating to the school environment, academic expectations, and workload were found to be potential contributors to heightened depression. The study had various hypotheses, including the prediction that increased anxiety and depression levels would be found for those students that lived alone, because they were lacking peer support. The participants included sixty twelve-grade students who attended a competitive public school. Thirty of these students lived alone, and thirty had chosen to live with roommates. Measures were taken to limit environmental effects, and three instruments were used to gather three separate tests over a five month period. These instruments included The Depression Adjective Check Lists, the IPAT Anxiety Scale, and the Mooney Problem Check List. The data was gathered before school started, in the middle of the semester, and just before final examinations. Results showed that depression was significantly higher mid-semester versus beginning of the semester, except for females with roommates. Males with roommates and females without roommates reported significantly higher levels of depression during the final exam period. Stressors relating to the school environment, academic expectations, and workload were found to be potential contributors to this heightened depression. Other findings were that only women in single rooms had increased levels of academic stress as the semester progressed (though this may have been due to environmental factors). In sum, this population demonstrated a link between academic stress and depression. This finding, as well as other finding pertaining to living situations, imply that there needs to be increased social interaction in residential living schools to help students cope and gain peer support in a high-stress environment. 1982 Hansell, S. (1982). Student, parent, and school effects on the stress of college application. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 23(1), 38-51. Keywords: stress, college applications, student, parent, and school characteristics This study examined the relationship between student, parent, and school characteristics and the stress of college applications. Data from 254 high school students in an affluent private high school revealed that student and parent characteristics influence the experience of stress during college applications. Students with lower socioeconomic status, higher seniority in the school, or whose parents were most heavily involved in school affairs demonstrated the greatest blood pressure increases. The researchers employed two studies, the first was to assess cardiovascular changes caused by the SAT among eleventh grade students, and the second study involved interviewing students (grades nine through twelve) to elicit cardiovascular responses to the stress of college applications. Though the results of this study cannot be generalized to other types of school environments, there are important implications regarding the influence that student/parent characteristics and school environments have on stress levels surrounding the college application process. 1958 Sarnoff, I., Lighthall, F. F. , Waite, K. S. , Davidson, K. S. and Sarason, S. B. (1958). A crosscultural study of anxiety amongst American and English school children. Journal of Educational Psychology 49: 129-137. Keywords: test anxiety, general anxiety, international comparison This study demonstrates that the link between examinations and anxiety are longstanding. The researchers involved in this study attempted to validate a measure of anxiety, which had been used in their previous studies. The researchers were able to see if correlates of test anxiety were similar across two different cultures, as well as examine the effects that a school examination has on test anxiety. English children must take the â€Å"eleven plus† examinations, which determine their educational future and (at that time) had no counterpart in American culture. After distributing the Test Anxiety Scale and the General Anxiety Scale to equivalent groups of English and American children, results confirmed the hypotheses of the study. English children had higher test anxiety scores than American children, because of the greater importance of their school exams. The children in both countries had similar scores for general anxiety. As school grade increased, the importance of test examinations increased as well. Finally, girls had higher scores on both types of anxiety than boys in both countries, which researchers attributed to more social acceptability of girls to express fear and distress. Again, this study’s findings demonstrate that the link between examinations and anxiety are longstanding. The increasing importance of tests in both cultures could imply the increasing levels of anxiety in children.