The Encoding of Contextual Fear Conditioning - 1296 Words

The formation of new memories requires protein synthesis dependent changes in synaptic structure and plasticity in the hippocampus. Studies in humans and animals suggest that these memories are initially stored in hippocampus but later transferred to cortex for permanent storage. This phenomenon is described as systems consolidation of memories. While the specific role for new protein synthesis in hippocampus in early encoding of memories is established, whether protein synthesis in medial prefrontal cortex play a major role in encoding of memories is unclear. To address this question, we used contextual fear conditioning (CFC) of mouse, a behavior training that induce long lasting memories. A single training session produces robust lifelong memory (8) that can be measured using automated procedures (9). Several studies have used CFC training as a model to study hippocampal-cortical communications and mechanisms underlying systems consolidation of memories. Contextual fear memories a re initially stored in hippocampus and then moved to medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) for long-term storage. We assume that if encoding of contextual fear memories require protein synthesis at both hippocampus and PFC, we will be able to identify translationally active mRNAs in hippocampus and PFC. Because RNAs associated with polyribosomes indicate translational activation, we first isolated polyribosomes from mPFC and hippocampus at two time points (one hour and six hours, hereafter T1 and T2Show MoreRelatedThe Effect Of New Protein Synthesis At Prl Cortex900 Words   |  4 Pages training. Mice infused with anisomycin (n= 12) immediately after conditioning showed impairment in contextual fear memory compared with vehicle-infused animals (saline, n=18) when tested 24 hours after CFC training (DF=28, F=7.19, t-test: p 0.05) (Figure 2A). Surprisingly, irrespective of the overall decrease in freezing percentage, mice injected with anisomycin did not show any statistical difference in the level of freezing within the first 2 minutes of the test (Figure 2B). By the thirdRead MoreAging And Young Blood944 Words   |  4 Pagesset up two cognitive testings, contextual fear conditioning and radial arm water maze (RAWM). The unpaired aged mice are divided into two groups, with one group injected with young plasma and the other injected with aged plasma before the testings. The two groups show no significantly different performance during the training phases of the two testings. Nevertheless, during the testing phases, the mice rejected with young plasma show improved freezing in contextual memory testing and better performanceRead MoreEssay On Aging1000 Words   |  4 Pagescapable to potentiate synaptic plasticity in aged mice. To understand the cognitive changes, they further used contextual fear conditioning and radial arm water maze paradigms (RAWM) to study aging effect to hippocampus related learning and memory. Mice injected with young plasma had increased freezing response in contextual, but not cued, learning and showed significant improvement on fear memory. They also exhibited enhancement in learning and memory in finding hidden platform location. On the otherRead MoreThe Theory of Reconsolidation753 Words   |  3 Pagessuch a critical aspect of learning, it is no wonder that its distinct process has become the topic of much research in the neurobiological universe (Hupbach et al, 2007; Nader Hardt, 2009). After a new memory is learnt, it enters the process of encoding during which the memory is labile and capable of disruption until it becomes stabilised over a period of time (Nader Einarsson, 2010; Nader et al, 2000). This process is called consolidation and originally consisted of the theory that once stabilisedRead MoreA Critical Reflection on Information Processing Theories of Trauma Response1613 Words   |  7 Pagesdisorders have unusually coherent and stable fear memories that are easily activated by stimulus elements that may be ambiguous but bear some resemblance to the contents of the memory (Brewin Holmes, 2003). Adapting this theory to PTSD, Foa et al. (1989) proposed that following a traumatic event, a fear network is formed that stores information about sources of threat. These networks contain trauma related representations strongly associated with fear that can be activated by external or internalRead MoreThe Use Of Hippocampal Neurons On Memory3163 Words   |  1 3 Pagesin a new room and given foot shocks while simultaneously using light pulses to activate the neurons that had been previously labeled in the safe room. After being placed back into the safe room, mice exhibited freezing responses. A false memory of fear was created in these mice as they demonstrated freezing behavior in the room in which they had not been shocked. Multiple methods have been used to manipulate neuronal pathways, and the fact that so many different methods already exist suggest a brightRead MoreThe Human Brain Gains And Loses Information Through Neuroplasticity2001 Words   |  9 Pageshippocampus and dentate gyrus play an important role in the changes in neuroplasticity. The brain’s hippocampus has many important functions and roles: encoding, memory retrieval, memory consolidation, episodic and semantic long term memory, novelty detection, sleep-dependent memory, and pattern discrimination (Bartsch and Wulff 2015). In the process of encoding new words, both activation and deactivation of the hippocampus or dentate gyrus can be observed through various image scanning methods (ShtyrovRead MoreHeredity vs. Environment in Human Development Essay example2307 Words   |  10 Pagesability to change lives foster own develop. NO/Organismic Maslow Selfactualization Theory ETHOLOGICAL Human have adaptive mechanisms to survive periods stressed: predisposition for learning NO/BOTH Bowlbys Ainsworths Attachment Theory CONTEXTUAL Development occurs through interaction between person 5 surroundings interlocking systems of influence Childs Sociocultural context impact on development NO/Organismic NO/Organismic Bronfenbrenners ecological Vygotskys Sociocultural Read MoreAlternative Learning System3522 Words   |  15 Pagesand reinforcement (any means of increasing the likelihood that an event will be repeated) are central to explaining the learning process. For behaviorism, learning is the acquisition of new behavior through conditioning. There are two types of possible conditioning: 1)  Classical conditioning, where the behavior becomes a reflex response to stimulus as in the case of  Pavlovs Dogs. Pavlov was interested in studying reflexes, when he saw that the dogs drooled without the proper stimulus. Although noRead MoreOcd - Symptoms, Causes, Treatment131367 Words   |  526 Pagesemotion of fear, is a universal human experience that plays a central role in human adaptation and survival. The basic function of fear is to signal a threat or impending danger (Barlow, 2002). The feeling of anxiousness associated with making a speech before 3 4 THE NATURE OF OCD a large audience or going for a job interview is understandable, given the potential for embarrassment or rejection. Even some of the phobias that are well known to clinicians, such as acrophobia (fear of heights)

A time when i ran away Free Essays

Everybody at school Jeers at me and constantly bullies me. Even the teachers pick on me, because I’m not exactly the brightest student. Everyday I go home battered and bruised yet my parents still don’t take a second look at me. We will write a custom essay sample on A time when i ran away or any similar topic only for you Order Now I may be shy, but I’m also mysterious, curious and after some thought, and quite a lot of beatings, I decided to try something new, to run away from home. Vive been traveling for ages now, with no insight of where I’m going. The hot sun bears down on me, my lips are parched and I’m desperate for an ice cold drink. I use what little spare change I have, to buy myself a bottle of water, and before I know it Vive gone through the whole thing. I’m exhausted, yet I have no shelter, no food or drink, and worst of all I have no family. I really regret running away. I wish I could Just have a second chance to go back and fix everything. But I know better, that I’m not wanted there, and that they’re all probably throwing a party now that Vive left. I realism that I have no hope, if I keep on moaning and groaning about what an idiot I am. So, instead I decide to make a plan as to how I can survive. Vive never shoplifted before; it’s a completely new concept for me. When I was younger I would always feel guilty about sneaking a few chocolates of the top of the cupboard. So you can see how petrified I am about shoplifting. I try to casually stroll Into Deco’s, but I can’t keep my heart from thumping so fast, I can’t stop the sweat from bucketing down my face. Every aisle has a shop assistant wandering around keeping an eye on everything. I decided to try the confectionery aisle. I sneakily slipped a Fruit Pastilles packet Into my pocket and Just as I done so; I was halted by the assistant. I felt my pulse break; I knew I was in for It. H reached behind himself and took out a sheet. Sprawled out across the front was LOST BOY, with a picture of someone who looked exactly like me. That’s when It hit me that I was the lost boy. No words could describe how I was feeling. I dashed out of the store and sprinted all the way home, only to find It completely abandoned. I asked a passer-by where the occupants of my house were. He calmly pointed to the roof and said they hurdled to their death, because of the heartache of losing their missing son. It was at that moment, that I collapsed to the round, and was once again reunited with my family a time when I ran away By Reverberant-Congratulating petrified I am about shoplifting. I try to casually stroll into Deco’s, but I can’t keep my decided to try the confectionery aisle. I sneakily slipped a Fruit Pastilles packet into knew I was in for it. H reached behind himself and took out a sheet. Sprawled out That’s when it hit me that I was the lost boy. No words could describe how I was feeling. I dashed out of the store and sprinted all the way home, only to find it How to cite A time when i ran away, Essays

Strategic Human Resource Management Sample [Question/Answers]

Questions: 1. Explain the importance of strategic human resource management in organisations. 2. Assess the purpose of strategic human resource management activities in an organisation. 3. Evaluate the contribution of strategic human resource management to the achievement of an organisation's objectives. 4. Analyse the business factors that underpin human resource planning in an organisation. 5.Assess the human resource requirements in a given situation. 6.Develop a human resources plan for an organisation. 7.Critically evaluate how a human resources plan can contribute to meeting an organization's objectives. 8.Explain the purpose of human resource management policies in organisations. 9.Analyse the impact of regulatory requirements on human resource policies in an organisation. 10.Analyse the impact of an organisational structure on the management of human resources . 11.Analyse the impact of an organisational culture on the management of human resources. 12.Examine how the effectiveness of human resources management is monitored in an organisation. 13.Make justified recommendations to improve the effectiveness of human resources management in an organisation. Answers: Ensure the success of your business through effective human resource strategies Human resources are like natural resources; they're often buried deep. You have to go looking for them, they're not just lying around on the surface. You have to create the circumstances where they show themselves. -Ken Robinson This quote speaks a lot about the importance, relevance, need and inherent requirement to strengthen and modulate the human resource management which is the ingredient for a successful business or organization. Strategic HRM lies in the heart of the company to define the plans and goals of the organization achieved by the means of human capital which is a major source of competitive advantage and with the help of a systematic approach (Schuler, 2008) to define objectives. The approach is based over long term issues and some of the macro concerns like quality, values, commitment, and such issues. Strategic human resource management is a task of toil requiring thinking ahead and planning in advance (Bratton, 2007) to match up the goals of the company with the needs of the employees. It is hardly notices, but development of the employees is the key factor of concern of strategic HRM practices. The stress and focus of strategic human resource management is based over emphasizing the code of ethics of an organization, philanthropy (Jackson, 1995), improving quality of life of employees, managing of social impetus of business decisions (Golding, 2010) etc. The study will focus upon two models of HRM namely, Storeys hard and Soft HRM and Best Practice Model. The hard and soft HRM are distinguished as hard HRM lays its focus over costs included by human resources whereas soft HRM is all about all the human related aspects of management. Hard HRM have task focused attitude with a highly defined job description, low span of training, consistent work design, hierarchical structure and no career progression for the employees. Soft HRM on the other hand is people focused with high skill and diverse workforce, bigger picture in descriptions, shared culture, career development, flexible approach (Truss, 1997). On the other hand, the best practice model it is observed that best practices are added onto previous performances to create some new strategies. It is based on universalism (Marchington, 2000) aiming at high performance. The elements of this model are job security, selective hiring, narrow status differentiation, high wages for high performances, decentralization and team work. Great vision without having great people is irrelevant and impossible. It is really essential for an organization to invest time and resources in human resource management as it is the key for sustaining of the business. The objectives of human resource management are to motivate the employees to work in the direction of organizational goals. The department makes sure that there is an integrated group for organizational effectiveness which is creating opportunities for growth by the means of training and development. The role and goal of HRM is to employ the required skills and to enhance the employees satisfaction and the essence of self actualization. The human resource management is responsible for creating a sense of belongingness and team spirit to uphold high level of morality and human relations. Human resource management have organizational, social, professional and corporate significance that is exerted in the company. A framework for human resource management can be well explained with the help of this formalized diagram in which every task is summarized in terms of inputs, processing and outputs for the organization. HRM is an amalgamation of mission of the company, internal forces, external factors, technology, conceptual development, code of ethics, information management, career management, governance, employment and such issues (Schuler, 1993). This diagram is an informal way of understanding the framework for human resource management blending the essence of all the aspects of functioning. The purpose of strategic human resource development is to construct a philosophical framework for strategically focused people. The strategic human resource development adds on strategic and critical thinking to the organization therefore, is required for fueling up the operational aspect of the organization. It is the engine to take the organization onto a next level by integrating business with the growth conditions by aligning the employees towards specific business requirements. The purpose of its inclusion is to analyze the scope of threats and opportunities and to control the activities for organizational objectives. It is the ladder to minimize adverse conditions, to effectively allocate resources and time, to encourage forward thinking and for a great degree of discipline. Therefore, strategic human management is the core of a company to pave the path for success and overall development. The purpose of strategic human resource management is to imbibe in some breakthrough idea s within the organization and handle the dynamic changes in the competitive environment in an efficient and effective manner. Another purpose of strategic human resource management is to make the HRM department competent with the present trends of the market and create higher level of job satisfaction among the employees. It reengineers the organizational processes and manage the change in the industry with well implemented strategies. SHRM is a way to align the business with its objectives. The organizational objectives can be closely related with all the management issues within the organization and SHRM is a key component for formulating strategies for training and development, employee acquisition, compliance management, project management, quality and cost control management. The primary goal of SHRM is to translate the strategies of the business to make them into priorities of human resource. British Airways HR Report There were a myriad of challenges that were faced by British Airways that have brought a sense of urgency to check and control the human resource management of the largest organization of UK. There was a loss of momentum because of recession, mergers, employee turnovers, loss of senior managers (Colling, 1995), and such issues. Human capital management solution should be chosen for recruitment process to experience a full momentum of response and result. It is required to focus over the training programs putting people first and managing people first (Merkert, 2012) for significant human resource management. Individual learning in human resource is to achieve a pool of competencies in every individual employee. An appraisal scheme or reward system should be devised for British Airways to motivate the employees for consistent service. HR plan for merger of British Airways and Iberia The merger was a blend of cultures, trends and styles of two different regions which could have led to enormous bundles of problems and challenges for both the organizations. It is likely to have various human resource problems like employee turnover, lacking expectations, strained relationships, dysfunctional teams and more. Cultural mismatch was the greatest of all the challenges which should have been mitigated towards a mutual benefit. There is a need to check the cultural mismatch issues and become prepared for it. These issues revolve around power distance between the top management and the employees, uncertainty avoidance in terms of risks, individualism versus collectivism, time orientation, masculinity etc. With some of the huge, remarkable and noteworthy gaps between the cultures and values of Iberia and UK, it is essential to map the cultures to a common set goal and value system so as to avoid any kind of discrepancy and conflict. Cultures should be driven down by the path of Top Management Team abbreviated as TMT. Communication, trust and security should be maintained within the organization going in the pace with workplace flexibility. There must be provisions of arranging training workshops to believe in innovation and effectiveness of the strategies. It is required for both of the companies to respect for both of the cultures and to pay regard to the human side of the enterprises. In this situation of a merger, the human resource department helps people to manage and control the challenges as the process unfolds. It fills up the gap between the cultures of an organization by neutralizing the overall work culture of the place. SHRM smoothens out the transition process for the employees by helping them overcome their fears. Human resource communicates the role requirements to employees and make them permeate the new structure of the organization. Reviewing Human Resource Management Ranging from small business to huge conglomerates, human resource management is the catalyst for successful trajectory of any organization. It plays a strategic key role in formulating the strategies of a company and to control the employee centered activities of the company. Human resource management is not a stand alone department in the organization but, is related with every other feature of the company. Each of the strategies, operations, functions, management goes in compliance with human resource department. There are some of the business factors relating the human resource planning that affect them in the company. Political aspects have an external impact on the organization and economic impacts in the society guide the strategic human resource management. The shape of the current economy is a business domain that modulates the course of strategic human resource development. The demographics of workforce and different compensation packages have a close relation with the focal point of human resource development. The technological revolutions have modulated the consumers viewpoint and finally business factors relating them. Impact of organizational structure on HRM The structure of the organization have an essential role to play in management of HRM. There are basically two key schools of thought in which an organizational structure which is based over resource based theory which in which resources and the effective utilization of those resources forms competitive advantage for the company and other one soft HRM in which product differentiation and the cost leadership are the keys for success. In the former school of thought HRM is placed at the center or the heart of the organization and in the latter part, it is regarded as a general business strategy (Huselid, 1997). In a structure for the organization which has its mission focused around people and employees, human resource department is the most refined and dignified department of the company. Departmentalization in an organizational structure should foster interrelation of all the departments including HRM to be able to make sure that there is a collaboration of human resource department with every other section of the company. Decision making power if handled with human resource manager would be a profitable strategy because if the internal employees or stakeholders of a company are effectively managed and are in line of order then every output is systematic and as per the requirements. There is a requirements of flexible structure within the organization to be able to incorporate the dynamicity of the market in context with recruitment, training, development, performance, sustainability, retention and satisfaction (Delaney, 1996), all covered in human resource management. The organization must have a small size or in other words limited span of control so as to have an individual attention over the employees. There must be scalar chain of command as another structure which is rigid and complex, will lead to confusions in the management of human resource. A flat or a hierarchical structure in the organization is best foe germinating the values in human resource dep artment and for its smooth and efficient functioning. Impact of organizational culture on HRM HR policies of an organization having a positive workplace culture and climate are likely to be fully embraced within the organizational mission and SMART goals. The socio cultural environment of the organization affects the work culture and finally the employees catering to human resources. Culture and human resource management are intertwined with each other as corporate culture is itself a past managed (Cox, 1991) by the human resource management. It is a control and exchange mechanism to monitor the response of the workers and employees towards policies of the companies so as to plan the retention policies. A healthy culture with open communication is likely to be employee oriented raising the contentment and satisfaction of the employees and encourage them to perform better for a mutual growth. The corporate culture is the catalyst to monitor and control the behavior of the employees by instilling values (Ferris, 1998) and beliefs of the company and therefore, part of the role o f human resource management is handled by taking care of the culture of the company. An organizational culture that is based over creativity and innovation is most likely to produce practices of rewards, acknowledgements, training, team work and such features in the human resource management. Culture is regarded as an antecedent for the strategic human resource management as a flexible culture is a key for a competitive environment of the human resource management department. New recruits tend to focus more upon the culture of the organization and then become a part of it. Therefore, recruitment, selection, training, relationship and every other domain of HRM is guided by the culture of the organization. Effectiveness of human resource management The effectiveness of human resource management can be measured and analyzed in both qualitative and quantitative methods. For a quantitative analysis, HRM can be combined with business metrics to set some of the KPIs and assign some threshold for the employees performance (Becker, 1996) to be measured at the end of a cycle and evaluate the effectiveness of the human resource management in the organization. The quantitative methodology also focuses upon the effectiveness of HRM in relation with competitors and suggest steps to improve the policies and strategies. The breadth, depth and meaning of workforce data, analytics and benchmarks can be evaluated to build upon effectiveness of HRM. For a qualitative analysis, productivity, absenteeism, turnover, quality, service and other such measurable can monitor the HRM of an organization. Workforce and salary planning also gives a genuine review of the organizational human resource department with an additional control of recruitment recor ds like cost, quality, number and success rate. Job impact indicators can be monitored for the purpose of measuring the effectiveness of training and development (Legge, 1989). Benefit to cost ration, stability index, separation rate and other records can be used to monitor the effectiveness. Workforce scorecard and auditing may also be employed for the purpose. Human resource policies of an organization are to make decisions supporting the administrative personnel, performance management functions, resource utilization and employee relation. Policies further enable clarification for a consistent managerial behavior to help devise action plans for legal and external pressures in the company. Policies are based on some of the common grounds such as principles such as innovation, change management, performance improvement, terms and conditions for contractual agreements, employee relations including unions, safety matters, control over conflicts and work behaviors, equal opportunities in all aspects etc. All organizations under the tab of human resource development must comply with some of the regulatory policies such as Labor laws. Employment Act 2008 protects vulnerable workers by easing their business goals. Employment Relations Act 2004 concerns with collective laws and trade union rights. Employment Rights Act 1996 deals with employee rights in the case of dismissal, time offs or rights of parenting redundancy. Equal Pay Act 1970 prohibits unequal treatment of men and women. Work and Family Act is a balanced package of rights including maternity leaves, four weeks leave and planning for future. Data Protection Act 1998 is for regulation of processing of information. Recommendations for future 1. It is essential to encourage the employees to learn new skills and to test their acquired knowledge in innovative fields. Therefore, training opportunities should be given to the willing employees in order to foster effective strategies for the company. 2. An open communication both verbally and in written must be maintained within the organization to be able to smoothen the exchange of ideas and strengthen the leadership of HRM. 3. Brainstorming sessions, flexible working projects, innovation room, collaborative spaces and such ideas should be implemented so as to increase the cohesion between the employees and make them work as a single entity. 4. Competence management, knowledge management, talent management, and such systems must be included in the toolkit of HRM to enhance the effectiveness. References Schuler, R. S., Jackson, S. E. 2008,Strategic human resource management, John Wiley Sons. Bratton, J. 2007, Strategic human resource management.Human Resource Management iinde, Der: John Bratton,-Gold, Jeffrey, London: Palgrave Macmillan, London, pp. 37-71. Jackson, S. E., Schuler, R. S. 1995, Understanding human resource management in the context of organizations and their environments, Strategic Human Resource Management, 46, pp. 237-264. Golding, N. 2010, Strategic human resource management,Beardwell, J. and Claydon. Truss, C., Gratton, L., Hope Hailey, V., McGovern, P., Stiles, P. 1997, Soft and hard models of human resource management: a reappraisal,Journal of Management Studies, 34, no. 1, pp. 53-73. Marchington, M., Grugulis, I. 2000, 'Best practice'human resource management: perfect opportunity or dangerous illusion?,International Journal of Human Resource Management, 11, no. 6, pp. 1104-1124. Schuler, R. S., Dowling, P. J., De Cieri, H. 1993, An integrative framework of strategic international human resource management,Journal of Management, 19, no. 2, pp. 419-459. Colling, T. 1995, Experiencing turbulence: competition, strategic choice and the management of human resources in British Airways,Human Resource Management Journal, 5, no. 5, pp. 18-32. Merkert, R., Morrell, P. S. 2012, Mergers and acquisitions in aviationmanagement and economic perspectives on the size of airlines,Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 48, no. 4, pp. 853-862. Huselid, M. A., Jackson, S. E., Schuler, R. S. 1997, Technical and strategic human resources management effectiveness as determinants of firm performance,Academy of Management journal, 40, no. 1, pp. 171-188. Delaney, J. T., Huselid, M. A. 1996, The impact of human resource management practices on perceptions of organizational performance,Academy of Management journal, 39, no. 4, pp. 949-969. Cox, T. H., Blake, S. 1991, Managing cultural diversity: Implications for organizational competitiveness, The Executive, pp. 45-56. Ferris, G. R., Arthur, M. M., Berkson, H. M., Kaplan, D. M., Harrell-Cook, G., Frink, D. D. 1998, Toward a social context theory of the human resource management-organization effectiveness relationship,Human Resource Management Review, 8, no. 3, pp. 235-264. Becker, B., Gerhart, B. 1996, The impact of human resource management on organizational performance: Progress and prospects,Academy of management journal, 39 no. 4, pp. 779-801. Legge, K. 1989, Human resource management: a critical analysis,New perspectives on human resource management, pp. 19-40.