#...it should also be properly sourced and cited and grounded in some form of evidence but you know
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
the proper response to reading a history book is to go "huh" and immediately put 3-5 other books on the same topic on hold in the hopes of finding different opinions
#history#thank pelennorfeels for the recs!! i have listed several of them to read later#but anyway if you're not arguing with the book it is not a good book#there should be a thesis! it should make you question!#...it should also be properly sourced and cited and grounded in some form of evidence but you know#if it doesn't make u yell at least once it is not going far enough
160 notes
·
View notes
Video
youtube
academic essay writer
About me
Dan O’Neill’S Top 10 Rules For Academic Writing
Dan O’Neill’S Top 10 Rules For Academic Writing Round-the-clock assist.In this business, it’s important to communicate on a regular basis. That is why our Customer Support service operates 24/7. They’re right here to reply your questions and settle any disputes you have with an essay writer. What is supposed is that our essay writing service offers the identical type of help you'll get if, say, you asked for a help from a tutor proficient in respective field of study. An expository paper is no place for opinions or private views on a subject. A quality paper should use evaluation that consists of factual info on its subject. The creator's key objective is to tell and educate the audience by way of clear logic and facts. Just to provide you an example, this “How to Write an Academic Essay” article could be thought-about as expository writing. This type of essay requires students to reveal their artistic abilities. Therefore, it implies the fixed use of strong adjectives. Their use will help the writer of an essay to create a robust, graphic image for their story and improve the audience's notion of the subject. Although telling a compelling story is principally the principle objective of this sort of essay, there is much more to it than there appears. A well-written narration must also have some extent that is “written between the lines”. Originality is as essential as quality analysis and the proper quotation format. Every student is aware of that plagiarism can result in terrible penalties, so we make sure you received’t this downside. Our writing experts always create tutorial papers from scratch. Our Money Back Guarantee is one more reason to decide on our company. By following the five steps listed under, you'll be able to develop a topic and write an essay with out experiencing undue stress or anxiousness. Another kind of educational writing — an expository essay is used to help readers perceive material by providing grounded info and facts. This kind of writing requires its creator to help the entire information included within the paper with valid evidence. This kind of writing requires the creator to create a compelling story of virtually anything conceivable. In other phrases, it's a tremendous-condensed version of a novel. Even if our writers fail to fulfill your expectations, you received’t regret asking for assist. In addition, ordering your papers right here is a hundred% protected, as we care about your privateness and by no means disclose your personal information to anybody. We check all our papers earlier than delivering them to you. We don’t need you to be disappointed, so every paper should cross our high quality control verify. First, your writer will evaluate the paper and make sure all the data is properly cited. Our editors review the paper and repair any logical or stylistic flaws. They also verify the references and ensure that your paper only consists of relevant information. After this, our experts proofread your papers and repair any grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. Our writers have Ph.D. levels, and all of them need to show their experience in the event that they want to work with us. They must cross varied tests and show strong writing and analysis skills. Once you determine your thesis statement, it’s time to begin your analysis, if necessary. If you’re writing an essay describing a personal expertise or your emotions a few certain topic, research will not be essential. For different types of essays, although, it’s essential to seek out info from respected sources to bolster your argument or current correct information. Writing an educational essay could be intimidating should you’ve by no means written one earlier than or haven’t written one in a very long time. Simply put, there should be a clear message delivered by way of the text. By putting a hidden message between the strains, you motivate the reader to learn the paper in its entirety as it sparks their curiosity. Well-structured text — although essays can be thought-about as one of the least formal forms of writing, they nonetheless have to have a strong structure and comply with the proper tutorial paper format. Are you too busy to finish your educational assignments? If it bothers you, we wish to give you another answer. Recruit a skilled writer in your topic who’ll do the duty for you today. Our essay writing service did our best to make sure that our customers don’t want a degree to be able to order a bit. The ordering course of consists of only four easy steps. And the intuitive design of our web site makes the process crystal clear.
0 notes
Text
Is Wisdom Tooth Removal Worth the Risk?
New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/news/is-wisdom-tooth-removal-worth-the-risk/
Is Wisdom Tooth Removal Worth the Risk?
Oral health is one of my favorite topics to research. I find it fascinating that nutrition plays such an important part in oral health (and conventional dentistry doesn’t mention this!). Wisdom tooth removal is an unfortunate necessity because of the poor diet we have eaten for the last couple of generations and the smaller mouths that result. Or is it? It turns out that wisdom tooth removal may not be as universally necessary as we think.
What Are Wisdom Teeth for Anyway?
Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, are the molars in the back of your mouth that erupt around the age of 18. With so many people getting wisdom teeth removed, many wonder why we have them to begin with. Anthropologists believe that the wisdom tooth’s role is in helping chew the rough foods our ancestors ate (raw vegetables, nuts, meat, etc). They aren’t as essential today with the ability to cook foods before eating (not to mention the large amounts of processed, soft foods in the modern diet), but they are still a living organ of the body.
Why Extract Wisdom Teeth?
If you had your wisdom teeth removed in your late teens or early twenties you may not have thought twice about it. Many dentists look at x-rays and recommend wisdom tooth extraction as a preventative treatment for most people. Here are the reasons that many dentists and oral surgeons recommend removal:
May become impacted – Impaction happens when the wisdom tooth does not fully erupt out of the gum tissue because it’s blocked by another tooth. Impacted wisdom teeth may accumulate food around the gum and harbor bacteria. Most bacteria can decay the tooth next to it. If this isn’t dealt with it could cause a serious infection.
They’re really hard to clean – Dentist also recommend extraction because wisdom teeth, being so far back in the mouth, are really hard to take care of. They worry that wisdom teeth might not be cleaned properly and become infected.
May cause crowding – Some dentists worried that wisdom teeth coming in will crowd the other teeth in the mouth. This is especially concerning for those who already have a crowded mouth. Many people have crowded mouths due to a modern diet low in nutrients.
Easier on young people – Some theorize that recovery may be easier for younger people and that it’s best to do it when the teeth are just emerging and roots haven’t set in.
Additionally, wisdom teeth aren’t essential (we can live without them), so many dentists see no drawback to extraction on a routine basis. With general and local anesthesia available, the procedure seems fairly benign.
The Problem With Wisdom Tooth Extraction
So you knew I was getting to this, right?
Any surgery, including wisdom tooth extraction, should be taken very seriously. General anesthesia, though used often without incident, is still not risk-free. Even local anesthetic has some risks.
Surgery should only be performed when the risks of not doing it are higher than the risk of doing it. Unnecessary medical procedures subject the body to unnecessary trauma.
Here are some of the risks associated with routine wisdom tooth extraction:
Risk of Cavitation
A cavitation is a hole in the jaw bone surrounded by dead or decaying tissue. It’s a breeding ground for bacteria, especially if the surgeon didn’t properly clean the socket or completely remove the periodontal ligament that attaches the tooth to the underlying bone. Cavitation can happen from other dental procedures but happens most often from extraction.
Cavitation isn’t a rare occurrence with wisdom tooth extraction. According to Amalgam.org, one study found that 88 percent of patients who had a wisdom tooth extracted ended up with cavitation.
Risk of Infection and Other Complications
When a cavitation forms, the risk of infection is much greater. Toxins, the byproducts of the metabolic process of the bacteria, enter the bloodstream and make their way to other parts of the body. Even mainstream medical and dental professionals are taking the connection between oral health and overall health very seriously. According to WebMD, poor oral health can lead to issues such as
diabetes
heart disease
osteoporosis
arthritis
lung conditions
obesity
poor birth outcome (for babies of women with oral health issues)
Additionally, dry socket is another concern. Dry socket happens when the blood clot over the extraction site loosens and falls off early. Then bacteria can enter the site and cause pain and infection. A second surgery may be necessary to deal with dry socket.
Paresthesia
Paresthesia (permanent numbness of the lips or tongue) is a very real concern with wisdom tooth extraction. The chances of paresthesia vary based on the positioning of the tooth. But the worst case scenario (a tooth in the worst position) the risk of paresthesia is 6.8 percent. Other teeth in less severe positions obviously cause a lower rate of paresthesia from anesthesia.
Paresthesia can range from mild (general numbness/tingling) to severe (shooting pain). The possibility of paresthesia is even more concerning when you consider that 95 percent of extracted teeth did not pose a problem in the first place, as Dr. Jay Friedman argues in a 2007 American Journal of Public Health article.
Can You Keep Your Wisdom Teeth?
Now that we’ve talked about the risks of surgery, what are the risks of keeping your third molars? Here are some considerations to weigh:
Science Doesn’t Support Removal as a Preventative Measure
Dr. Friedman (cited above) continues to say in the same medical journal article that there is no evidence that removal of wisdom teeth reduces pathology. Most wisdom teeth (impacted or not) do not become infected.
Do Not Cause Crowding
As mentioned earlier, our modern diets of low nutrient foods make crowding in the mouth a concern for many people. So, it seems to make sense not to allow more teeth to enter an already crowded space. But science doesn’t support this idea. Wisdom teeth do not cause other teeth to crowd according to a 1992 study in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
The author argues that by the time they grow in, wisdom teeth are simply not forceful enough to move a whole row of teeth that are already strongly rooted. So whether there is enough room for wisdom teeth shouldn’t play a big part in the decision to take them out.
Risk of Complication Does Not Increase with Age
Conventional wisdom says that the chances of complications from wisdom tooth extraction gets higher with age. This is true to a certain extent (complications are lower in 12 to 24-year-olds than 24 to 34-year-olds).
In other words, many people are being subjected to moderate risk of complications to avoid the high risk of complication in a few that need the surgery between ages 24 and 35. What is not being considered in this school of thought is that the risk of complication is zero for those who don’t have the surgery.
When to Consider a Wisdom Tooth Extraction
While unnecessary wisdom tooth extraction is not safe, there are times when removal is the best and safest option. Here are some of the reasons wisdom tooth extraction may become necessary:
impaction (though some impacted teeth are okay to leave alone)
recurrent gum infection
gum disease
severe tooth decay
abscesses, cysts, or tumors
damage to nearby teeth and bone
The best way to know if you or your child are in need of wisdom tooth extraction is to discuss with a biological dentist, who will help you decide if extraction is necessary.
What If Removal Is Necessary?
Dr. Weston A. Price, a dentist known for his work in studying the effects of nutrition on dental health, has a protocol for extraction that reduces the risk of complications and helps boost healing. A biological dentist should be knowledgeable in Dr. Price’s protocol (or may have his own similar protocol) but you can ask questions to make sure when at the interview.
Dr. Weston A. Price’s Protocol
To get the best outcome from oral surgery, Dr. Price recommends the following before the surgery:
Remove metals from the mouth pre-surgery (possibly including root canals).
Optimize liver and kidney function and pathways.
If ill from the tooth, the patient should take homeopathic remedies for a month before surgery.
Assess and treat tonsil issues (Dr. Price believes that in some cases wisdom tooth issues stem from tonsil issues).
Make sure there is enough protein in the diet for optimal healing.
After surgery, Dr. Price recommends patients do the following:
Take at least 3 to 5 days before returning to normal activity to heal and avoid dry socket.
Use a therapeutic laser for better healing and to reduce the use of prescription pain medications.
Use homeopathic remedies for healing.
Treat the surgical site with one to two vials of mineral-rich Quinton Marine Sea Plasma for healing.
Eat (drink) healing bone broths especially during the first day or two when the site is still open. This helps avoid food particles from solid foods getting stuck in the wound.
Your biological dentist/oral surgeon may have a different protocol than this one that may include ice packs, salt water rinses, and pain medications. But the important part is to take very close care of the surgical site to reduce complications.
Wisdom Tooth Removal – Is It Safe?
If you or your child have been told you need wisdom teeth removal it may be worthwhile to get a second opinion. A biological dentist or oral surgeon can help you navigate the risks and benefits of your specific situation.
Did you have your wisdom teeth out? What was your experience?
Sources
Incidence Levels & Chronic Health Effects Related to Cavitations. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://amalgam.org/education/scientific-evidenceresearch/incidence-levels-chronic-health-effects-related-to-cavitations/
Barker, J. (n.d.). Oral Health: The Mouth-Body Connection. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/oral-health-the-mouth-body-connection#1
Friedman, J. (n.d.). The Prophylactic Extraction of Third Molars: A Public Health Hazard. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1963310/
Southard, T. E. (1992, August). Third molars and incisor crowding: When removal is unwarranted. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1506593
Osborn, T. P., Frederickson, J. R., Small, I. A., & Torgerson, T. S. (1985, October). A prospective study of complications related to mandibular third molar surgery. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2995624/
Source: https://wellnessmama.com/402690/wisdom-tooth-removal/
0 notes
Text
[Eugene Volokh] “Your Honor, My Stomach Just Naturally Produced Alcohol”
"Auto-brewery syndrome" (or "gut fermentation syndrome") is apparently a thing -- but, the Maine high court says, the judge permissibly excluded a particular expert who wanted to testify this thing might have happened in this case.
From State v. Burbank, decided a week ago:
John M. Burbank appeals from a judgment convicting him of operating under the influence [with a blood alcohol level of 0.31] .... Burbank contends that the trial court erred by excluding testimony of [a witness] Burbank had designated ... as [an expert] to testify that at the time of his arrest he had a condition known as "auto-brewery syndrome" [also called "gut-fermentation syndrome"] a phenomenon associated with the production of alcohol within the body itself under certain circumstances. ...
The court first concluded that, although auto-brewery syndrome may well exist as a physiological phenomenon, Burbank's witness was not qualified to testify about it because she had no training or work experience relating to the condition and instead relied only on a limited number of case studies in this area of science, which is still emerging and is not the subject of much literature. The court also concluded that, because significant differences existed between Burbank's purported condition and that of patients with auto-brewery syndrome as revealed in the case studies, the witness's testimony did not sufficiently relate the syndrome to Burbank and to matters pertinent to this case....
Maine Rule of Evidence 702 provides: "A witness who is qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may testify in the form of an opinion or otherwise if such testimony will help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue." We review the court's ruling on the admissibility of expert testimony for an abuse of discretion.
For expert testimony to be admissible under Rule 702, "the trial court must determine that the testimony (1) is relevant in accordance with M.R. Evid. 401, and (2) will assist the trier of fact in understanding the evidence or determining a fact at issue." Expert testimony can be relevant only if it is reliable, and so, for the evidence to be admissible, the court must make a preliminary determination that the proponent has presented a sufficient demonstration of reliability. Indicia of reliability include "whether any studies tendered in support of the testimony are based on facts similar to those at issue; ... whether an expert's conclusion has been tailored to the facts of the case; ... [and] the nature of the expert's qualifications." [Footnote moved: Burbank asserts on appeal that "Like 'credibility,' the 'reliability' of evidence is a factual finding" reserved only for the fact-finder. To the contrary, Maine Rule of Evidence 104(a) requires the court to "decide any preliminary question about whether a witness is qualified ... or evidence is admissible"—precisely the issue here.] ...
First, the court did not err by finding that the proffered expert lacked the qualifications necessary to offer an opinion as to whether Burbank was suffering from auto-brewery syndrome. The expert testified that, although she has a Ph.D. in toxicology and physiology, she had not taken any classes on auto-brewery syndrome and had neither performed any studies nor worked directly on matters relating to the syndrome. Instead, her knowledge regarding the syndrome appears to have stemmed entirely from her review of four articles and four abstracts of different articles she cited during her testimony—sources that predominantly consist of individual case studies.
As the court properly observed while addressing the framework set out in Rule 702, because the witness had no hands-on, experience-based understanding of auto-brewery syndrome, in order for her to qualify as an expert witness any expertise needed to be derived from some other informational source, which here were the articles and abstracts in the professional literature. But as the court found with support in the record, the amount of available research material on auto-brewery syndrome is "thin." The court was entitled to determine, as it did, that the witness's review of only a small number of case studies—even when combined with her general qualifications as a toxicologist and physiologist—did not qualify her to provide expert testimony about auto-brewery syndrome.
Second, the court did not err by concluding in the alternative that the evidence was insufficient to demonstrate that auto-brewery syndrome, as it is understood through the literature, has any bearing on this case. In an attempt to make that connection, Burbank presented the court with an offer of proof describing his anticipated trial testimony: he had not consumed alcohol since the beginning of 2016; he has a family history of diabetes and had been found to be pre-diabetic; and at the time of his arrest he was eating a high-sugar diet and had been taking a prescribed antibiotic for two days.
During her testimony, the witness acknowledged that she had not independently examined Burbank, nor had she ordered any lab work or other testing to determine the levels of yeasts or fungi in Burbank's system that would have been necessary for ethyl alcohol to be produced endogenously. Instead, she pointed to blood tests conducted during routine medical exams in April 2016 and January 2017 showing that Burbank then had levels of blood glucose that were slightly above the normal range. She also noted that the antibiotic he had taken prior to his arrest might have killed his normal bacterial gut flora, which could have resulted in elevated levels of fungal yeasts, which could have then combined with excess glucose to produce ethyl alcohol—but only if there was a contemporaneous "slowing of the gut or stasis in the areas of the gut."
The resulting alcohol, she stated, would work its way into the bloodstream and then into the lungs so that it can be detected in the person's breath, although a breath test instrument cannot reveal whether the alcohol was introduced to the person's system endogenously or exogenously. The witness expressed the opinion that, given Burbank's claim that he had not consumed alcohol at any time relevant to this case, the alcohol in his breath must have been caused by this sequence of events.
Notwithstanding her opinion, the witness admitted that the available information regarding Burbank's condition and symptomatology did not closely match any of the limited number of case studies referenced in the articles and abstracts. She also acknowledged that none of the medical records she had reviewed showed what bacteria or yeast were present in Burbank's system, nor did they indicate the conditions within his system that, in her opinion, would have likely affected the production of alcohol at the time of his arrest.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the court excluded the expert's testimony stating that there was "not enough evidence to show that the hypothesis is tied to the facts of this case and [there are] actually significant differences between most of the case studies and the evidence that we have here about Mr. Burbank."
A trial court is entitled to exclude expert testimony that is supported only by evidence that is so general as to lack reliability and therefore is not relevant. Here, the trial court acted within its discretion by excluding the witness's ostensibly expert testimony. The court was entitled to determine that, as a matter of admissibility, the evidence proffered by Burbank could not reasonably allow a jury to draw a connection between Burbank's elevated glucose levels in April of 2016 and January of 2017 and his ingestion of an antibiotic in the days before his arrest, and the hypothesis that Burbank endogenously produced the alcohol detected in the blood alcohol test administered after Burbank was arrested.
Finally, Burbank argues that by excluding both expert witnesses' testimony, the court violated his constitutional right to be able to present a defense.
The constitutional guarantee of a meaningful opportunity to present a complete defense, though rooted in the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, is nevertheless subject to "reasonable restrictions." "[S]tate ... rulemakers have broad latitude under the Constitution to establish rules excluding evidence from criminal trials ... so long as [those rules] are not 'arbitrary' or 'disproportionate to the purposes they are designed to serve."
Contrary to Burbank's assertion, the court's considered and reasonable application of established principles of evidence and case management did not result in a constitutional deprivation to Burbank....
Because of the specific grounds that lead us to [our] outcome, however, our opinion should not be construed as implicitly accepting the notion that the crime of OUI [operating under the influence] does not encompass a situation where the alcohol in the accused's system is generated through some endogenous process. The parties have not developed meaningful presentations on that broader question, and the court based its ruling entirely on narrower evidentiary principles. Absent a fully developed record and sufficient advocacy that would allow a proper analysis of that categorical question, we leave its resolution to another day.
Justice Alexander's concurrence argues that even if Burbank had been right on the facts, he would still not have had a defense on the law:
[W]e explicitly rejected the "involuntary intoxication" defense to an OUI charge nearly forty years ago in State v. West (Me. 1980). "Since the only elements of the offense charged are operating a motor vehicle and being under the influence of intoxicating liquor while doing so, it follows that intoxication— whether self-induced or not self-induced—cannot establish a reasonable doubt as to the existence of any element of the particular offense here in question." ...
If [the involuntary intoxication] defense is left unaddressed, it may invite many "I didn't know there was vodka in my orange juice" or similar defenses to OUI ... charges.
The statute prohibiting operating under the influence, prohibits operating a motor vehicle "(1) While under the influence of intoxicants; or (2) While having an alcohol level of 0.08 grams or more of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood or 210 liters of breath." Thus, OUI is defined to include only two elements: (1) the forbidden conduct of operating a motor vehicle, and (2) the attendant circumstances of being under the influence of intoxicants or having a blood alcohol content of .08 or greater....
Two years ago, in another OUI appeal, we held that involuntariness is a defense to a crime, but will only "negate the actus reus of a crime when the forbidden conduct was an involuntary act, that is, the conduct was caused by a reflex, seizure, or some other act over which the defendant had no conscious control." "Voluntary conduct is the result of an exercise of [a] defendant's conscious choice to perform [it]," whatever the source of the motivation to do so, "whereas involuntary conduct includes reflex [es], convulsion[s], or other act[s] over which a person has no control." "Conscious choice is best understood by what it is not: a reflexive or convulsive action." ... Burbank does not argue that the alcohol allegedly produced in his gut made his operation of his vehicle physically involuntary or the result of a reflex or convulsion over which he had no conscious control.
I think the concurrence is mistaken (and indeed overreads State v. West, which dealt with a person who "intentionally or knowingly introduce[d] into [her] body substances which [she knew or ought to have known] tend to cause intoxication"); if someone does have auto-brewery syndrome, yet neither knows nor has reason to know this (and neither knows nor has reason to know that he is alcohol-impaired as a result), that should indeed be a defense to a charge of drunk driving. But, though I'm not an evidence law expert, it does sound like the proposed expert evidence here was too tenuous to be admitted under the Rules.
0 notes
Text
5 Benefits of BCAAs for Strength and Recovery
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are now one of the most popular supplements around, earning a place in millions of homes and gyms, worldwide. Numerous studies show a direct link between BCAA intake and improved strength and recovery, fuelling sales growth which shows no sign of slowing.
Whether you are a keen runner, professional tennis player, amateur weightlifter or an Olympic gold medallist, you could certainly benefit from adding more BCAAs to your diet.
Evidence supports the use of BCAA supplementation for strength and recovery during exercise but also recognizes their role in some diseases, such as cancer. Other studies have also linked bloodstream levels of BCAAs to insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes.
In this article, we’ll go over the main benefits of BCAAs for strength and recovery and why you should consider adding them to your diet.
What are BCAAs?
When we talk about protein, we are referring to amino acid residue – which is what protein is made from. BCAAs are essential amino acids because the body is unable to synthesize them on its own, therefore, they must be consumed in our diet. Of the nine essential amino acids, three of them fall into the BCAA category. They are:
Leucine – boosts protein synthesis, helping build and repair muscle. It also assists with insulin to regulate blood sugars and is one of only two amino acids which cannot be converted into sugar.
Isoleucine – enables energy to be stored in muscle cells rather than fat cells by regulating glucose uptake.
Valine – improves mental functioning, reduces fatigue and prevents muscle breakdown.
Other essential amino acids are oxidized (broken down to release energy) in the liver, however, BCAAs are unique in that they can be metabolized in muscle. Why is this important? Well, the body needs BCAAs in the bloodstream to maintain normal bodily functions. If none are available, the body will break down muscle cells to release them. [1] [1]
Food Sources
The supplement industry does a great job convincing us to invest in BCAA supplements to get optimal results. However, for the most part, you will get all you need from everyday foods.
The recommended intake of BCAAs is around 15-20 grams per day, so getting enough from your diet is not all that difficult. You should aim for around five grams per meal (assuming three square meals per day).
Here are some common foods with examples of their BCAA content, per 3oz serving, cooked.
Cheddar Cheese – 4.7g
Ground turkey – 4.2g
Ground Beef (95% lean) – 4.0g
Peanuts – 3.1g
Cashew Nuts – 2.8g
Whole eggs – 2.2g
Chicken breast – 2.1g
Lentils – 1.3g
Black Beans – 1.3g
Lentils, black beans and kidney beans contain all three branched-chain amino acids; however, some plant-based foods are not “complete” proteins. For a food to be a complete protein source, it must contain all nine essential amino acids. While kidney beans and black beans are complete, lentils lack enough methionine.
You can overcome this problem by combining lentils with other foods high in methionine (such as rice) to form complete proteins. Peanuts suffer a similar problem because they lack the essential amino acid, lysine. To make it complete, simply spread it on bread or toast.
If you’re unsure what foods contain complete proteins, head over to nutritiondata.self.com. This fantastic site lists the protein and nutritional profiles of thousands of foods. If a protein is not complete, simply click the “find foods with complementary profile” link to find sources containing the missing essential amino acids.
The 2:1:1 Ratio
When you look at BCAA supplement packaging, you will nearly always find reference to the BCAA ratio. The most common is 2:1:1, made up of two-parts leucine, one-part isoleucine, and one-part valine. While 2:1:1 is the most common, you will sometimes see products with ratios of 4:1:1, 8:1:1 and even 10:1:1.
These higher ratio BCAA supplements all contain more leucine. If you take time to read the packaging or the manufacturer’s marketing materials, they usually reference the muscle-building power of leucine. In reality, they are just cheaper to produce, so you will rarely find them citing existing research to back up their claims.
Scientists have used the 2:1:1 ratio in studies based on the levels found in natural food sources. Historically, there has been little need to investigate other ratios. Nevertheless, the role of leucine in protein synthesis has caught some interest. While current evidence is limited, a ratio of 4:1:1 has shown promise in one study, where results found it to increase protein synthesis by over 30%.
Benefits of BCAAs
1. You’ll Build Major Muscle Mass
When looking to improve strength, or to build muscle (hypertrophy), you need to activate protein synthesis. For this to happen, leucine is the single most important dietary requirement. Chemical signals tell your body to build and repair muscle, and leucine effectively amplifies that signal – especially following resistance exercise. [2]
As leucine is the main amino associated with muscle growth, you might be wondering why this is not recommended as a standalone supplement for muscle growth. As it happens, studies have been conducted to investigate. One such study compared three groups: one took a placebo, the other a leucine supplement, while the third group consumed a regular BCAA drink with a ratio of 2:1:1. While leucine performed better than the placebo, it did not do as well as BCAA group.
The reason for this is simple: all amino acids are required for muscle growth. So, while leucine stimulates the process, other forms of protein are needed to build muscle. Without the other amino acids, leucine is like a motivational building site manager with no workers to do the job. [3]
2. You’ll Be Far Less Exhausted
Getting tired during a workout can be a real drag. You will be glad to hear that branched-chain amino acids – particularly valine – can help with this.
When you exercise, the level of tryptophan (another essential amino acid) rises. When tryptophan reaches the brain, it is used to make serotonin – a hormone been linked to our feeling of fatigue. All amino acids are transported to the brain on the same bus, yet not all are allowed entry to the brain. With limited accommodation available, valine competes with tryptophan and overpowers it. Less tryptophan in the brain means less serotonin, and less serotonin means lower fatigue. [4]
3. You’ll Recover Way Quicker
The body can take a real beating during intensive exercise. Recovering after such a session can take a few days or more.
One study, looking into the effects of BCAA supplementation in experienced resistance-trained athletes, showed positive results. The rate of recovery improved for strength, countermovement jump height and muscle soreness.[5] BCAAs can also speed up recovery time following endurance sports and intensive cardio sessions.4. No More Muscle Catabolism
Our priority, when exercising – whether it’s to lose weight, tone up, or get healthier in general – is usually to improve our body composition; after all, better body composition makes you look more toned, and the health benefits are well documented.
While exercising, we need more BCAAs to function properly. [11] [6]
When bloodstream levels are too low, the body looks for somewhere to get them. At this stage, it begins breaking down (catabolizing) muscle tissue to access the branched-chain amino acids it needs.
Consuming BCAAs ensures an adequate level is available in the bloodstream, reducing the chances of muscle breakdown. During and following intensive exercise sessions, it is important to consume slightly higher levels. This is the reason why some athletes will sip on a BCAA supplement drink during a workout.
Intermittent fasting has risen in popularity in recent years, with millions of people finding success with this form of dieting. As you can imagine, while in the fasted state, the bloodstream is low on BCAAs. Knocking back a very low-calorie BCAA drink during the fasted helps combat this.
Following a workout, a meal or meal replacement high in protein is typically consumed to further replenish BCAA levels. If the aim of the workout was to build muscle, this is the best time to give protein synthesis a boost with some muscle-building leucine. Fast acting carbs are also a good idea at this time, as the energy can be stored in the muscles as glycogen.
5. Massive Muscle Energy Storage
When you eat, the energy you consume is either used or stored. You could be forgiven for thinking that excess energy is stored in fat cells, but it’s not.
Once digested, carbohydrates are converted to glucose, which supplies your cells with energy. The hormone, insulin, helps regulate blood sugar. One of the ways it does this is by helping glucose move through cell walls to be stored.
Unused glucose is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver and muscle tissue. Any excess glucose which cannot be deposited as glycogen is finally stored in fat cells.
The fantastic thing about glycogen stored in muscle cells is this: once stored in the muscle, it cannot return to the bloodstream to be used anywhere else. It can be used only by the muscle. For this reason, encouraging glucose to be stored in muscle cells is preferable to it being stored as fat.
Glycogen stored in muscles is a readily available energy source. So, when blood sugars are too low, contracting muscles will use the fuel stored within them to get the job done. This is where the branched-chain amino acid, isoleucine, shines by promoting glucose uptake by muscles. Greater uptake means less energy is stored as fat resulting in quicker energy access for the muscle. [7]
Dangers, Side Effects & Toxicity
Is There a Risk of Toxicity
It is safe to say that consuming high levels of BCAAs is not toxic. Studies looked at toxicity in mice and rats, concluding there to be no observed-adverse-effect level. [8]
However, if you’re looking to maximize your training efforts, research shows that excessive levels of BCAAs can actually hinder performance.[14] [9]
Inclusive Ties to Type-2 Diabetes
Maybe the largest concern for some people is that there is a direct link between high levels of BCAAs in the blood and type-2 diabetes. [15] On initial inspection, this looks to be bad news for branched-chain amino acids. However, further research suggests it is poor insulin sensitivity which drives higher circulating BCAA levels.[10] [11]
Negative Effects on Insulin Sensitivity in Vegans
During a 2017 study, when supplementing with BCAAs, vegans became more resistant to insulin. [12]
During this study, they consumed an extra 20 grams of branched-chain amino acids per day for three months. Considering the lack of research on the subject, it is difficult to ascertain why this happened. Evidence shows that switching to a plant-based diet lowers the BCAA plasma levels associated with insulin resistance. [13]
The vegan subjects also had much better insulin sensitivity at the start of the study.
Increased Spread of Cancer & Disease
Inside our cells, a series of chemical reactions are constantly taking place. This series of events, known as a biological pathway, is what we refer to as our metabolism. These interactions produce new molecules such as fat or protein and can trigger changes in our cells.
The mTOR pathway forms part of this process. In simple terms, the mTOR pathway regulates cell growth. The branched-chain amino acid, leucine, stimulates the mTOR pathway, which is great for muscle growth, but not so great for some forms of cancer. Many cancers rely on mTOR activity for the growth and spread of cancerous cells. For this reason, much research is taking place regarding BCAAs and their link with diseases. [14]
Take Home Advice: Take BCAAs
It’s easy to see, given the evidence, why BCAAs are such a popular supplement for people engaging in exercise. Faster recovery, increased muscle growth, and reduced fatigue benefit all kinds of athletes, from beginners through to seasoned Olympians.
For those lifting weights, BCAAs will help you get bigger and stronger; marathon runners might delay hitting the wall, and if you’re playing competitive football week in week out, you can recover faster. In contrast, if you are not exercising regularly, there really is no need: just ensure you’re eating enough complete, plant-based proteins such as lentils, black beans, nuts and grains, some fish and meat a few times per week and you’ll be fine.
However, if you are vegan, your family has a history of diabetes, or have been recently diagnosed with a disease such as cancer, you should certainly consult with your doctor before adding BCAA supplements to your diet.
Featured photo credit: Brad Neathery via unsplash.com
Reference
[1]^NCBI: Exercise Promotes BCAA Catabolism[2]^American Physiology Society: Branched-chain Amino Acids Increase p70S6k[3]^NCBI: Branched-chain Amino Acids and Muscle Protein Synthesis in Humans[4]^NCBI: A Role for Branched-chain Amino Acids in Reducing Fatigue[5]^NRC: The effects of acute branched-chain amino acid supplementation on recovery from a single bout of hypertrophy exercise in resistance-trained athletes[6]^NCBI: Leucine supplementation and intensive training[7]^AMJ Physiol:Hypoglycemic effect of isoleucine involves increased muscle glucose uptake and whole body glucose oxidation and decreased hepatic gluconeogenesis[8]^NCBI: Thirteen-week oral toxicity study of branched-chain amino acids in rats[9]^NCBI:Effects of Diets Supplemented with Branched-Chain Amino Acids on the Performance and Fatigue Mechanisms of Rats Submitted to Prolonged Physical Exercise[10]^NCBI:Genetic evidence of a causal effect of insulin resistance on branched-chain amino acid levels[11]^NCBI:Branched-chain amino acids in metabolic signaling and insulin resistance[12]^NCBI: Chronic dietary exposure to branched chain amino acids impairs glucose disposal in vegans but not in omnivores[13]^NCBI: Amino acid changes during transition to a vegan diet supplemented with fish in healthy humans[14]^NCBI:Branched-chain amino acid metabolism in cancer
function footnote_expand_reference_container() { jQuery(“#footnote_references_container”).show(); jQuery(“#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button”).text(“-“); } function footnote_collapse_reference_container() { jQuery(“#footnote_references_container”).hide(); jQuery(“#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button”).text(“+”); } function footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container() { if (jQuery(“#footnote_references_container”).is(“:hidden”)) { footnote_expand_reference_container(); } else { footnote_collapse_reference_container(); } } function footnote_moveToAnchor(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery(“#” + p_str_TargetID); if(l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery(‘html, body’).animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top – window.innerHeight/2 }, 1000); } }
The post 5 Benefits of BCAAs for Strength and Recovery appeared first on Lifehack.
from Viral News HQ https://ift.tt/2HX8in4 via Viral News HQ
0 notes
Text
MGMT 591 Full Course-Latest 2017 November
IF You want to Purchase This And Any Other Then:-
Contact us At: [email protected]
Question
MGMT591 Week 1 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
WEEK 1: HIGH PERFORMANCE ORGANIZATIONS - HPOS
No unread replies.127127 replies.
This week, our text discusses the definition of organizational behavior, and in particular, its applied focus. Our lesson focuses on high-performance organizations (HPOs). However, in order to become an HPO, an organization needs to navigate the complexities of the workforce as well as mitigate the challenges that exist. What are some of the biggest challenges and opportunities that exist for managers in using organizational behavior concepts? Give specific examples. How can the study of organizational behavior help organizations work through these challenges successfully?
dq 2
WEEK 1: TEAM PROJECT COLLABORATION
11 unread reply.7070 replies.
Post in this discussion the leader your team chose and why. No two teams may choose the same leader so be sure no one else has picked one before you post it. Put the name of the leader in the subject line. Also share any insights or issues as your team forms and you create the team contract.
MGMT591 Week 2 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
WEEK 2: SATISFIED WORKERS ARE PRODUCTIVE WORKERS
3737 unread replies.123123 replies.
Our discussion question this week comes primarily from Chapter 3 in the textbook. Assume you are new to your job and on the first day, you have a conversation with your boss, who says, “Satisfied workers are productive workers.” Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? Please support your opinion with evidence from our readings.
dq 2
WEEK 2: TEAM PROJECT COLLABORATION
5151 unread replies.136136 replies.
In this discussion, you will view the voice threads submitted by the other teams and comment on at least 3 of them.
MGMT591 Week 3 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
WEEK 3: MOTIVATION
8585 unread replies.119119 replies.
Dr. Peter Drucker has stated: "You cannot motivate employees; employees must motivate themselves." What does Dr. Drucker mean by this statement in regard to motivational theory? At the heart of this statement is all about can managers motivate their employees. Some would argue that since motivation is “an inner drive that causes action, that managers cannot motivate their subordinates.” Others argue that managers can motivate their subordinates that is part of a manager’s job. What side of this argument do you find yourself and why?
dq 2
WEEK 3: TEAM PROJECT COLLABORATION
4444 unread replies.128128 replies.
In this discussion, you will view the voice threads submitted by the other teams and comment on at least 3 of them.
MGMT591 Week 4 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
WEEK 4: MOTIVATION
8484 unread replies.113113 replies.
“Help! I have just been assigned to head a new product design team at my company. The division manager has high expectations for the team and for myself, but I have been a technical design engineer for four years since graduating from college. I have never managed anyone, let alone led a team. The manager keeps talking about her confidence that I will be very good at creating lots of teamwork. Does anyone out there have any tips to help me master this challenge? Help!” You immediately start to formulate your recommendations. What are the three key things you will advise her to do, and why those three first?
dq 2
WEEK 4: TEAM PROJECT COLLABORATION
5050 unread replies.131131 replies.
In this discussion, you will view the voice threads submitted by the other teams and comment on at least 3 of them.
MGMT591 Week 5 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
WEEK 5: COMMUNICATIONS
8181 unread replies.112112 replies.
While communicating in teams and organizations, there are often gender and cultural issues that add a level of complexity to the process of transmitting a message. What are some of the non-verbal differences involved in communicating your message to members of a diverse organization? How do gender differences play a role in communications? What are some of the ways that organizations seek to account for these differences?
dq 2
WEEK 5: TEAM PROJECT COLLABORATION
7575 unread replies.114114 replies.
In this discussion, you will view the voice threads submitted by the other teams and comment on at least 3 of them.
MGMT591 Week 6 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
WEEK 6: ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE
8282 unread replies.107107 replies.
Our text provides a thorough review of various organizational design structures; let's investigate our own organizational design preferences. Describe your current or most recent employer's organizational design (mechanistic, organic, hybrid). Is the structure consistent with the company goals? If you had the opportunity to redesign your current organization where you are employed, would you maintain its current structure, or change it to another model? What would that model be and why?
dq 2
WEEK 6: TEAM PROJECT COLLABORATION
7676 unread replies.125125 replies.
In this discussion, you will view the voice threads submitted by the other teams and comment on at least 3 of them.
MGMT591 Week 7 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 November
dq 1
WEEK 7: GET YOUR TEAM TO DO WHAT IT SAYS IT’S GOING TO DO
6969 unread replies.106106 replies.
Over the last three weeks, we have focused very much on leadership, power, organizational culture, and teams.More and more organizations are moving to team-based management. The article is Get Your Team to Do What It Says It's Going to Do. The article is located on the Assignments page under Reading. A few opening topics for this week's discussion:
Assess the If-Then Plans model in the article for teams in setting goals. What do you like about the model? From your perspective are there things that are missing in the model?
How receptive might teams be in adopting this model to help them in setting goals?
Share with the class what you found most interesting about the article and why.
dq 2
WEEK 7: TEAM PROJECT COLLABORATION
3838 unread replies.126126 replies.
In this discussion, you will view the voice threads submitted by the other teams and comment on at least 3 of them.
MGMT591 All Course Projects Latest 2017 November
Leadership and Organizational Behavior in Action
Objective
Research shows that people learn effectively when working on real problems grounded in their work experience.To this end, our Course Project is designed to incorporate students' work experience into the learning process in this course.
The project is an opportunity to explore, in-depth, a topic related to the course objectives (COs) that is of significance to you or your organization (current or former).
Summary
Members of the class are required to prepare an applied research paper, with a minimum of 10 pages but not to exceed 15 pages in length (excluding cover page, table of contents and appendices), on a specific issue related to leadership or organizational behavior.
Guidelines
Topic Selection
1. Select a specific organization of interest to you and identify a problem at the firm related to organizational behavior (OB).
2. Think of yourself as an organizational consultant and assume that a key manager has requested a thorough analysis and recommended course of action to resolve an actual organizational problem that will make a difference to the future performance of the organization.
3. Identify which course Course Objectives (COs) are related to the problem you identify.
Research Sources
1. All papers must have a minimum of six scholarly sources cited within the text of the paper and identified in the references section.
2. Additional research sources can be attached in a bibliography.
3. Review the following document for instructions on how to access and use EBSCOhost for your research: EBSCOhost (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
Paper Format
1. All papers should be double-spaced, using an 11- or 12-point font.
2. The length of the paper is to be between 10 and 15 pages, not counting the cover page, table of contents, nor appendices.
3. The first page should include the title of the work, student name, course number and title, date, and professor name.
4. The second page should be a table of contents. It should, at a minimum, reflect the seven items listed in the Grading Rubric.
5. Follow APA style for general format and citations (see the APA Guidelines Tutorial in the Syllabus).
6. The paper sections must adhere to the guidelines below, and each section must be labeled in the text.
7. The language should be clear, concise, and precise.
8. The tone should be professional, consistent, and not filled with jargon.
9. Grammar and syntax (sentence structure) must be correct.
10. The report must be free of misspellings and typos.
Tables and Figures
1. All figures and tables must be referred to in your text before they appear on the page.
1. Figures and tables should appear on the same page as, or the page after, the text that refers to them.
2. All figures and tables need captions. Captions go below figures and above tables.
Quotations and Citations
1. Quotations and citations are crucial components of a research paper and must be present.
2. Failure to properly cite research sources and borrowed ideas is plagiarism.
3. Refer to the APA style guide for assistance with properly citing quoted or borrowed materials and ideas.
4. Turnitin is used on all reports and projects. A report can be obtained for your review prior to submitting your final work. Make sure that you are in compliance with the University's 20/80 rule.
Milestones
Week
Action Required
1
Familiarize yourself with course content and select an organization and problem area to research.
3
Submit a written Brief Proposal of Research containing the following:
1. A brief overview of the chosen organization and your role in it
2. A preliminary problem statement in the form of a researchable question
3. A brief narrative description of the organizational problem that you would like to research and resolve
4. Which Terminal Course Objective(s) your problem is related to
3
Conduct library research on your topic.
1. Identify a minimum of six scholarly resources for your project.
2. All resources for the paper must come from DeVry Library and must be of scholarly quality.
3. Use the librarians for assistance in accessing materials.
4. Review the Using EBSCO tutorial.
Please Note: Articles found online (many on consulting company websites, Internet magazines, or other blogs)will not be considered an acceptable scholarly resource. Conduct your research through a library where you can be assured that the sources are of scholarly quality.
5
Submit a written Expanded Research Proposal containing the following:
1. Title page and Table of Contents
2. Documentation of at least three initial scholarly sources from the library
3. Expanded introduction to the organization
4. Expanded description of your chosen problem
5. Preliminary solution options (can be bullet points)
6. Preliminary analysis of leadership and organizational behavior concepts addressed in the paper
6
Continue to work on the class project; seek professor help as required.
7
Submit the completed project.
MGTM591 Week 2 Team Project Updates Latest 2017 November
Do an assessment of the employee satisfaction in one of the organizations led by the Leader.(Chapter 3)
Assess the "mood" of this Leader and also assess the level of Emotional Intelligence of the Leader especially applying the analysis on pages 1-9 - 113 of the textbook. (Chapter 4)
Apply the Big Five Personality Model to the Leader. Assess how much if any of the Dark Triad applies to this Leader.
Read and apply from the DeVry library the following article- Narcissistic Leaders: The Incredible Pros, the Inevitable Cons. Authors: Maccoby, Michael (Chapter 5)
Apply the criteria on Creative Behavior to the Leader. How does the "Choosing to Lie" box on page 178 apply?
MGTM591 Week 2 Life Styles Inventory (LSI) Assignment Latest 2017 November
Life Styles Inventory (LSI) Assignment Guidelines
Developing a willingness and ability to engage in self-reflection is a critical leadership skill that is not easily learned, yet which reaps many rewards. The Life Styles Inventory enables you to examine your unique way of thinking and how it influences your behavior.
Your Assignment
Complete (on your own) Life Styles Inventory (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., so that you end up with your Life Styles Circumplex profile: 12 personal thinking style scores, with one score for each section of the circumplex. See the embedded link for additional information.
Write a three to five page paper examining and explaining your LSI results. Make sure to comply with the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. provided. The required page count does not include the title page or table of contents. Hint: The table of contents should include the four topics in the grading rubric.
LSI Style Interpretations
Go to the LSI1 Results page, find your circumplex profile, and click on the circumplex slice of one of the styles.The site will bring you to a customized interpretation of the style you clicked on. Click on each of the 12 slices to see all of the customized style description pages.
MGMT591 Week 3 Team Project Updates Assignment Latest 2017 November
Assess the Leader using Mazlow's Hierarchy of Needs, McGregor's Theory X-Y model, Hertzberg's Two-Factor Theory and McClelland's Theory of Needs. Choose and apply two of the Contemporary Theories of Motivation (pages 189-207 from Chapter 7).
Examine the motivational concepts from Chapter 8 and show how the Leader either applied or missed applying these concepts..
MGMT591 Week 4 Team Project Updates Assignment Latest 2017 November
Review the organization this Leader was at the top of and assess what the group behavior was like under this Leader (Chapter 9).
How did teams get implemented in the Leader's organization? Were they successful? What could have been done better? (Chapter 10).
MGMT591 Week 6 Team Project Updates Assignment Latest 2017 November
· Apply concepts from the assigned Chapters.
· Be sure to include extensive research outside the textbook and also to cite the textbook correctly including page numbers.
· This week's paper should be at least 5 pages and less than 7 pages in length (not counting title page, references and any images or charts).
· Answer these questions and use each question as a separate header in the team's report.
o Using your research, apply applicable concepts from Chapter 15 and report on the organizational structure of the Leader's organization.
o Based on your research, use the tools in Chapter 16 to characterize the culture of the Leader's organization.How is your team's guess on what kind of Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI) result this Leader's organization would see?
MGMT591 Week 6 Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI) Assignment Latest 2017 November
Go to the OCI (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and follow the instructions on the site. There are two steps to this assignment.
(1) Submit your OCI results for this week (pdf or copy/paste into Word).
(2) Add three to five paragraphs about your learning experience impacted by the Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI).
0 notes
Text
Expert: “The truth, carefully crafted, is the biggest lie of all.” One of the most important lessons to be learned from the Brexit fiasco has scarcely been picked up on, and that lesson is this: the mainstream media are not only wholly unfit for purpose, they are primarily responsible for this unfolding slow-motion catastrophe. It’s not just the misinformation that was widely pedalled at the time of the UK referendum on Britain quitting the EU, it was the years, and years, and years of misinformation before that which did the real damage. This issue about our mainstream media is desperately serious. People cannot form sound opinions or make good decisions unless the information they receive is beyond reproach. The overwhelming majority of us obtain most of our information about the world around us through the mainstream media, therefore it’s abundantly clear that the duty to provide good, faultless information is a very serious responsibility. But the hard fact is that day in and day out, year in and year out the mainstream media not only fail in this critical duty, their output frequently borders on criminality. The evidence for this is so voluminous that it actually provides a good example of the expression about not being able to see the wood for the trees: there is so much proof of the routinely irresponsible, occasionally-criminal activities of our news providers that it’s difficult to see the fact, and effect of it. It’s not the purpose of this article to provide detailed and comprehensive examples supporting my case; such proofs are easily found elsewhere. But it is, of course, relevant to cite a few examples. Once people see the truth, there’s no further need to keep on proving it. Like the little boy who pointed out that the emperor wasn’t wearing any clothes, doing it once was sufficient. Journalism is, or should be, a fine and very important vocation. There have been a number of truly great journalists, people who value the truth, together with a sense of humanity above all else; people who frequently endanger their own lives in order to try to communicate to us the awful truths they witness, and the importance of those truths to humanity. Phillip Knightley was one such journalist. He wrote a book titled “First Casualty”, which is an excellent comprehensive account of the routine deceits and deceptions of news providers, and those who control them, going back to the very earliest days of newspapers. One of the numerous examples he provides is an account of a cinema newsreel that was shown to British audiences during the Boer War at the dawn of the twentieth century. It purported to be film of a savage Boer attack on a largely defenceless British Red Cross tent. What those cinema audiences didn’t know was that the film was a fake, shot with actors on Hampstead Heath, a suburb of London. Falsehood in Wartime is a book written by Arthur Ponsonby, and published just after the First World War. It’s a fairly comprehensive account of some of the outright lies told by the press about the war, whose purpose was to trick the British people into supporting what everyone now knows was an horrific and unjustifiable abomination. These are just two sources of the abundant proof which supports the central argument of this essay: that our mainstream media must be completely reformed. There are many other sources of proof of this need: Chomsky and Herman, for example, William Blum or John Pilger. Nor is this a case of isolated historical wrongdoing that should be consigned to the history books because it was once a problem that’s now been eradicated. Media Lens, the most excellent media watchdog in Britain, continues to document some of the many current lies and deceptions of today’s so-called “news” providers. Media Lens’ tireless efforts provide a continuous litany of examples of the deliberately cynical manipulation of information by those we trust to tell us the truth. The impending disaster of Brexit is a shining victory for Britain’s tabloid press, because it is they who, over many years, decades even, have poisoned the minds of British voters. It’s the tabloid press that never miss an opportunity to stoke the flames of racism and xenophobia, so that when the economic austerity policies so loved by capitalists inevitably inflict hardship and suffering on the poorest and weakest sections of society, their anger and frustration can be easily directed to focus on immigrants, asylum seekers, and “foreigners” generally. There’s no escaping the fact that most of those who voted for Brexit did so for xenophobic reasons, blaming Eastern European workers for the economic austerity policies of British elites. This distraction of voters’ attention away from the real causes of Britain’s economic woes was the singular achievement of the tabloid press – which, unsurprisingly, are mostly owned by the same elites who benefit from the distraction. The mind-numbing banality, stupidity and outright lies that have long passed for news in the tabloids influenced and changed the so-called “serious” broadsheet papers about fifteen years ago, when they began to use the tabloid format. But it wasn’t just the size of the pages that followed tabloid form, the quality of journalism in the broadsheets quickly deteriorated too, adopting the sensationalist style of what was known, with good reason, as the gutter press. Local newspapers, radio and TV news all copied the growing trend. “Dumbing down” became a widely recognised phenomenon all over the country. The editor of the local newspaper where I once had a weekly column told me that I should imagine the readers of my articles all lived on the most deprived council estate in the town (a mere 5% or so of the actual population), suggesting that my pieces should not be intellectually challenging. I pretty much ignored him. The fact that a sizeable number of people are clearly impervious to the best efforts of the mainstream media to treat them like dribbling idiots is always a source of comfort to me, for that shows there is hope. When the iniquitous Blair regime frogmarched Britain into an illegal war with Iraq in 2003, for example, it relied on, and received, wholehearted unquestioning support from all the mainstream media. But even so, over a million people marched through the streets of London protesting what they knew was wrong. The majority of Britain’s politicians, and nearly all the nation’s press, lied, and claimed to believe the lies of the US empire, but still a million people marched. The Brexit referendum was quite different. For that, both of Britain’s main political parties advised voters to remain in the EU. So too did the US, the IMF and World Bank. But Britain’s main tabloid papers all promoted the “leave” campaign. Most British voters will usually support the status quo, and seldom go against their rulers. So the only plausible explanation for them defying their leaders must surely be that they believed the vitriolic misinformation and outright lies about Brexit that were published in the most widely-read tabloids. To repeat myself, however, it wasn’t just the misinformation and lies about Brexit that did this, but also the years and years of racist and xenophobic bile produced by the tabloids long before the referendum that had already prepared the ground. For years beforehand the tabloids churned out countless sensationalist stories about immigrants defrauding the welfare system, for example, or about new European rules that appeared to be ridiculous. Many of these stories were no doubt based on truth (although many were not), but their unimportance and extreme rarity, compared with the far greater number of cases where immigrants benefited society, and European rules helped protect the weak, were invariably ignored altogether. And, of course, the real cause of Britain’s economic woes – a corrupt and criminally irresponsible system of government, was hardly ever suggested. Thus were the minds of British voters softened up to believe that their hardships will all disappear by the simple expedient of Britain quitting the EU. “Taking back control” was one particularly false slogan that was widely promoted by the Bexiteers and their propagandists. It’s highly significant that the one individual who, perhaps more than any other was responsible for Brexit, Nigel Farage, ran for the hills and immediately quit the leadership of UKIP, his political party, once the result was in. Not for him the task of resolving the disaster he almost single-handedly created – with the full support of the tabloid press. So there can be no real argument about the detrimental effect of the mainstream media in general, and the tabloid press in particular. This communication system, upon which most voters totally rely for their information about the world around them, is not only wholly unfit for purpose, it is also deceitful, dishonest and often criminally culpable. It’s obvious that it must be changed. Some might think that this is an argument for censorship. It isn’t. Freedom of expression and freedom of the press are absolute fundamentals in a free society, which is the only acceptable type of society. Furthermore, censorship of the media is simply unnecessary. All we need is, firstly, proper education of the citizenry to better understand the role of news providers; and secondly, a state-operated public information service whose standards are second to none, and beyond any reasonable reproach in terms of accuracy and ethical values. At the moment we have nothing like this. Our citizenry are poorly educated in the cynical wiles of government and their active complicity in providing poor information; and the one public information service we have, the BBC, has never been anything other than a solid supporter of Britain’s corrupt and frequently criminal system of government. The privately owned media should always be free to produce whatever rubbish they like; but the people should be properly educated to recognise rubbish, and to be careful about what they believe. The public information service should be driven by two goals – to produce the truth, and to provide it with a humane perspective. This is no trivial matter. The BBC frequently promotes itself as being honest and impartial in its news reporting, as do many other so-called news providers. But there are countless examples which disprove this claim, and Media Lens, for example, has a sizeable catalogue of proofs. One standard trick used by these honest purveyors of “news” is the telling of the half-truth, whereby they relate with a fair amount of accuracy one side of an issue, but ignore, minimise or distort any other side that doesn’t conform to their propaganda model. Take, for instance, the many British wars the BBC has reported on over the years. From their positions as routinely “embedded” with the British army, they provide endless coverage of a war through the perspective of the troops. This creates a massive popular base of support at home for the war. What the BBC almost never does is provide the perspective of the victims of the army, or challenge why there’s a war at all, why British troops are even in some foreign country killing defenceless people. There are countless examples of this. What we need is a news provider that tells the real truth about war – the real reasons wars are fought, and the many horrors inflicted on the many victims of wars – on all sides. A properly organised state news provider would do this, as well as the many other serious issues which are currently improperly reported, or hardly reported at all – the disastrous effects of capitalist economics, for example, or the catastrophic situation with our fragile, overpopulated planet’s dying ecosystem – all things the BBC routinely fails to do. Although our education system is also a major problem in that it fails to teach people how to think rationally, and how to search for truth, and how to apply a sense of humanity to knowledge, the single most important area for reform is our so-called news providers. Because even with poor basic education, people could soon begin to properly understand the world as they grow into adulthood if the world was always being properly explained to them by a thoroughly reliable public information service. The great journalist John Pilger recalled the words of American journalist TD Allman who once said, Genuinely objective journalism’ is that which ‘not only gets the facts right, it gets the meaning of events right. Objective journalism is compelling not only today. It stands the test of time. It is validated not only by “reliable sources” but by the unfolding of history. It is reporting that which not only seems right the day it is published. It is journalism that ten, twenty, fifty years after the fact still holds up a true and intelligent mirror to events. (My emphasis).1 That says it all in a nutshell. Those words should be the guiding principle of a new public information service, and engraved on the hearts of everyone who works there – but perhaps add the word “humane” to the type of mirror we use. During a recent BBC “news” bulletin the presenter was talking to a couple of politicians about Brexit. He asked one of them if he thought that voters had properly understood the issues involved before they voted. The politician waffled and never answered the question. The answer was, of course, no they didn’t, and still don’t. A couple of days later, the same BBC newsreader said the programme would be discussing the subject of “fake news”, and asking whether viewers would recognise fake news if they saw it. The answer once again is, in the main, no they wouldn’t. The question was related to the supposed influence of the Russian government in the election of Donald Trump, and the Brexit result. The “news” item focussed on information obtained mainly through social media – especially twitter feeds – and never went anywhere near the far more important role of mainstream news providers. It was actually a little gem of fake news in its own right. Although the misinformation and outright lies of most of the mainstream media are frequently infuriating to endure, I wouldn’t support any move to silence them – because we don’t need to. What we do need is a properly-funded, properly effective public information service. * Hidden Agendas, John Pilger, p. 525. http://clubof.info/
0 notes
Text
Hyperallergic: Not Settled: An Interview with Adam Zagajewski
“All systems are finally a mental poison, the rotten apples of the mind’s life,” writes the Polish poet Adam Zagajewski in his most recently translated book of prose, Slight Exaggeration. Zagajewski’s emphatic rejection of any system is reflected in the book’s flexible form, which consists of a scrolling stream of fragments, often brief and not unlike those of a journal, though he also permits himself more extended considerations. Written between late 2008 and 2010, Slight Exaggeration offers a bracingly proximate encounter with Zagajewski’s thinking as he moves among various speculative preoccupations. There’s a nearly peripatetic sense of the poet’s mind as it searchingly makes its way, never haphazardly but without ever showing a desire to resolve the existential tensions made manifest in his consciousness. “We must live in doubleness, in difficult, impossible doubleness,” he observes.
Such difficulties notwithstanding, Zagajewski consistently writes with lightness, wit, and a dry sense of irony that never shades into cynicism or self-satisfaction. Among the book’s virtues is its account of the poet as an incisive and eclectic reader, especially of what some might deem mere ancillary works — diaries, notebooks, correspondence, and biographies, which, he writes in praise, “end peacefully, quietly, unexpectedly, they end in December or April, without proving a thesis, making a point.” Many of his insights derive from a nearly lifelong engagement with certain books — such as with the notebooks of Emil Cioran and Simone Weil, who with her uncompromising spiritual strictures “still tortures us” — but we also witness his excitement, as it were, in making discoveries, as when he first encounters the Austrian writer Walter Kappacher (unavailable, alas, in English translation) or writes at greater length about the letters of D. H. Lawrence, which testify to a “yearning for another life, for a pure intense existence, although we’re more cautious than he, since we’ve now seen— even experienced — so many false faiths and prophecies.” His enthusiasm for Lawrence emerges out of longstanding concerns: both the spiritual yearning and the burden of lived history cited here are ever-present themes in Zagajewski’s writing, a ground bass always audible in the music of his poetry and prose.
Interspersed among the dance of ideas and readings in Slight Exaggeration are the makings of a different sort of book, a memoir that encompasses not only the poet’s autobiography (including twenty years spent in Paris, and friendships with poets of the stature of Zbigniew Herbert, Czeslaw Milosz, and Joseph Brodsky) but also much of his family’s history. Their displacement from the Galician city of Lvov (now Lviv, Ukraine) to Gliwice in Poland, part of the massive resettlement of the city’s Poles that took place after World War II, was a defining cataclysm for the family — a kind of year zero that forever oriented their self-understanding as exiles. Born in 1945, Zagajewski was made keenly aware by the adult emigrants in Gliwice that he could not feel their longing for Lvov. Yet their forced migration “pierced” him: “I might never have taken up writing if not for the unhappy exiles who didn’t know if they were living in the real world or in some bizarre propaganda film shot by the Allies to demonstrate the joys of daily existence beneath the dictates of the Potsdam Treaty. […] I’m not an exile. But I’m not settled either.”
In passing on his family’s stories and lore, Zagajewski provides glimpses into a remote, now utterly historical world, relating how his grandfather insisted before the First World War that his children learn the purportedly essential skills of swimming, stenography, and German, or how his mother’s right-wing family would rarely speak of her sister, who died young of tuberculosis, because she ran in Communist circles. But the core of the family material in Slight Exaggeration concerns his father, who was in his nineties and suffering from severe mental impairment while Zagajewski was writing the book. (He died in 2010, his passing announced toward the book’s end.) An engineer and professor, the elder Zagajewski was a taciturn presence with a strong moral sense, who loved the serenity of mountains and was given to terse pronouncements, though he also possessed a “marvelous sense of humor.” Although the portrait in the book is admiring (he was “honesty personified” and “a very good father”; “we were on the best of terms”), Zagajewski also considers his father’s anti-poetic worldview, and tells of his own grappling with the engineer’s empiricist outlook and the implications of this ongoing debate for his poetry. The book’s very title is taken from a characteristically laconic remark the elder Zagajewski gave an interviewer when asked to comment on a passage in his son’s essay Two Cities; to the reader’s surprise and perhaps even his own, Zagajewski comes to consider it “actually a good definition of poetry.”
I spoke to Zagajewski about Slight Exaggeration via phone at his home in Krakow.
* * *
James Gibbons: Slight Exaggeration often reads like a diary. Does it have its origins in an actual journal you kept?
Adam Zagajewski: Part of the book goes back to my notebooks, but I’m not a very regular diary writer, so it’s not that the entire book corresponds one-to-one to a diary. There are some short essays which don’t have this diaristic character at all. I used the form in [the previous book] Another Beauty, so it’s not really new, but a continuation of the form I was using there.
JG: It’s evident that as a reader, you’re drawn to the diary, the notebook, and other more personal modes of writing. What are the virtues of such a form, as opposed to, say, the essay or even the novel?
AZ: For me a good diary, a diary which also comprises intellectual elements, is one of the most interesting forms of literature because you have both life and ideas. I’m not a philosopher. Reading ideas in their pure shape — reading Kant is pretty difficult for me. But reading diaries which limit themselves to “I drank a coffee and it was raining” is very boring. So the ideal form for me, not in poetry but outside poetry, is this combination of some empirical life-facts and ideas, literary ideas or observations about history, etc. I see it as a source of life in the writing, to have both — not only life and not only ideas — and to see how they meet, the line where they come together.
JG: Did you follow any particular models?
AZ: There’s a long list of great diarists, it’s hard to say which ones…. Kafka’s diary was a model — well, maybe not a model, but a summit of the form. Among Polish writers, there’s Gombrowicz. Having said that, I think my model is slightly different because I have these short essays, which don’t hide the fact that they are essays. There’s this mix between more diaristic elements and purely essayistic elements. Still, to have the two in vicinity is important to me.
JG: I wanted to ask about the autobiographical material in Slight Exaggeration. From the very first sentence — “I won’t tell all regardless” — you show a certain reticence toward full self-disclosure. In the United States we have something of a memoir industry, and I imagine if you were an American writer pitching this book to an American publisher, you might well be encouraged to be more forthright or even to write in a different manner. Could you talk about your approach to the memoiristic material in the book?
AZ: Partly it’s inherited. You know, there’s this expression “the Polish school of poetry,” but you could also say there’s a Polish school of essay writing, of diary writing, which shies away from divorces, from illnesses, from very personal matters. There’s something stoic, the aesthetic is that you don’t tell…. I start the book with this proclamation: there’ll not be much in terms of intimate disclosures. So it’s inherited. I feel a part of this larger group of writers and I don’t want to abandon this model. It’s also quite personal — I divorced once, but I’d hate telling my reader how it happened, it has no aesthetic interest for me.
JG: I found the material about your father quite moving. Was difficult to write about your father because of his condition?
AZ: By that time, as I mention in the book, he had really lost his memory, in a way he was mentally almost dead, so it was very painful, but it didn’t create any problems from the point of view of the writing. It was personally painful, but at the same time I knew by writing about him I was doing something good for his memory, for his nonexistent memory.
JG: It struck me how you take him seriously as an intellectual partner, in a way. You mention engaging in “polemics” with him and his sense of things. Now that several years have passed, do you still find yourself having this polemical relationship with him — he being the engineer, the taciturn one, and you being the poet, who perhaps have your own silences, but of a different sort?
AZ: Yes. I feel that in a way, a part of him exists in my mind, so I have this dialogue. Sometimes I feel like some voice in me is against poetry, against exaggeration, against metaphors — for the sake of sobriety, of realism. I think I’ve internalized the voice of my father.
JG: You also write about his strong sense of morality. Do you feel you’ve inherited that as well? I must say that from this book I can’t definitively decide whether you should properly be called a moralist.
AZ: Well, no one should be bragging about his or her moral attitudes. I followed his model: in Communist Poland, joining the Communist Party was something that some people would never do, not for the sake of their careers. And my father never did. I never did. My family radiated this conviction. You know, he had his career, which was not so bad, he was the dean of a college, etc. But he never went beyond this. He never spoke — I write about this — he was a silent moralist, he never deemed it OK to be pronouncing himself in moral matters. It was something to do and not to talk about. So the main difference is that I talk, I’m a talker — but I’m a silent talker, because I’m rather taciturn as well. Well, not always…
JG: You recall how later in life he wrote an unpublished memoir, on yellowed typewriter paper, that he called From One Accident to the Next. It’s a title that suggests a kind of randomness in life. Whereas in your writing, there are all these patterns, there’s an associative logic at work that takes care to connect things, pieces of music, for example, with writing (I’m thinking of the passage where you link the openings of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rilke’s Duino Elegies), even if there may not be direct influence.
AZ: It’s like the structure of a poem, it’s the same thing you do in a poem, right? You have this intuitive feeling for which things fit together and which don’t, but there’s no rational way to explain it, it’s a matter of taste, of feeling.
JG: One thing that connects your father to literary writers is his compressed style of speaking. You call him an aphorist. Elsewhere in Slight Exaggeration you consider the aphorism as a literary mode — in particular you take up Emil Cioran and his pitiless aphorisms. The perspective varies. At one point you write that “poetry is defenseless against ironists, aphorisms are like sharp scissors, they can’t function without points.” But you also recommend that poets study Cioran’s Notebooks. The reader can find well-turned aphorisms of your own throughout the book. You seem at once attracted to aphorisms and suspicious of them.
AZ: Simone Weil used to say that atheism is necessarily the new religion because it purifies religion. For me, Cioran is like an atheist, not just in a strictly religious sense, but as a kind of nihilist. I don’t share this, but I can see its purifying power. I hate rhetoric, we poets hate rhetoric — but we don’t actually know how to define rhetoric in poetry. We know that it’s an artificial voice, a voice which comes too easily, which can be ascribed to the crowd. But writers like Cioran are totally anti-rhetorical. This acerbic irony helps to kill rhetoric, I think.
JG: In the book you write a lot about music, which you take very seriously. How does music fit in to your practice as a writer?
AZ: There are different levels. On a basic level, like many writers I have my periods of silence. And I notice that music doesn’t speak to me during these periods, or it does but in a very diminished way. When I have my good periods of writing it’s like an opening of everything — also of music. I feel like music is a cousin in the world of imagination, and it’s also for me a proof that I’m alive again. I have this mystical notion that there’s this kind of energy in music and poetry and painting, and while this energy has totally different ramifications and methods of expressions, at bottom there’s something common. I’m not a philosopher so I don’t need to have a name for it, but there’s this commonality of art, this common denominator, this energy. You know, painting is very important too, but in my everyday work music is more important because it’s there, it’s in my room.
JG: You mention Mahler and Mozart. Are there other composers especially significant for you?
AZ: There’s a long list. Many years ago I wrote the poem “Self-Portrait,” where I mention four composers: Bach, Chopin, Mahler, and Shostakovich. Of course, this is not to exclude Beethoven and Mozart but in a poem you can’t have a list of fifteen names. I chose four names which are still quite representative, I think, of what I need in music. Two days ago there was a very moving concert: an alto singer who has MS and cannot move but still can sing. She sang the second movement of Górecki’s Symphony No. 3, and it was so moving, this woman who is so sick and still has her voice. This symphony is very dear to me as well.
JG: You talk about your “conservatism,” and since it’s such a fraught and easily misunderstood term, could you explain what you mean by it?
AZ: It’s not really political conservatism — in terms of political divisions I’m more on the left than on the right. My ideal is to be in the very center, but that’s very difficult. Right now we have this stupid national government in Poland, right-wing, and when I look at them, I’m a leftist. And I hate them. My conservatism is more aesthetic. I don’t share this enthusiasm for the avant-garde, which was so overwhelming one hundred years ago. So it’s not so much about social life, it’s more a defense of something we can call “the spiritual,” although I don’t know how to define it. It’s more in the mental sphere, the intellectual sphere.
JG: You write about “metaphysical feelings” or spiritual yearnings. One question is how one responds to such feelings or yearnings outside of traditional religious practice. How does one have a sense of the spiritual outside of formal religious tradition?
AZ: It’s hard to explain. One of the central notions for me is the seriousness of writing, which doesn’t exclude a sense of humor or irony well-applied. This seriousness is a kind of awe in front of the world, and the mystery that’s there. I also notice that my poems attract some religious people, who take me as one of theirs, and I don’t protest (unless they’re fundamentalists, I don’t like fundamentalists). There’s no church to which I go: my church is in my work and my ideas, there’s no building in Krakow which would be my church.
JG: It wasn’t entirely clear to me from the account of your boyhood in Slight Exaggeration: were you raised Catholic?
AZ: My family was lukewarm Catholic, like the majority of the Polish intelligentsia, whose families on the surface were Catholic, but not really. They were rather anti-clerical, which is not a contradiction: you can be religious and anticlerical, of course.
JG: Let me return to politics in a broad sense. You write about the dangers facing any writer: “the greatest misfortune is — was — embracing some fashionable or dominant ideology.” But you immediately add: “But we can’t escape at least partial asphyxiation.” How does a writer become inoculated, at least partially, against ideology?
AZ: Remember that when I was very young, I lived in a Marxist state, where ideology was on every fence, on every newspaper. It was a very good lesson about what ideology is, this way of thinking not controlled by the individual mind. As a teenager, I was not strong enough to resist inwardly. But then, and this is something I don’t actually write about, there’s a kind of education that helps you go outside of it: in my case it was not entirely individual, a big part of my generation underwent this process of leaving behind the ideological positions and being much more critical. This is what was happening in Poland in the late 1960s and 1970s. It was a rejection of ideology, and I can say that now I have my defenses, I can see ideology not only in Marxism but in the right-wing thinkers (well, not thinkers, because it’s hard to call this “thinking”), like in the present government in Poland. Building these big schemes instead of going from case to case: these are ideological positions. So this makes me an individualist. Not rejecting society, of course, but rejecting these huge simplifications.
JG: Allow me a mischievous question. Toward the end of the book, you write that a new book of essays “should begin with the author’s admission that he made errors in the earlier book, the conclusions he drew were premature, mistaken, and only now — so he thinks — is he on the right track.” Is there anything in Slight Exaggeration you now feel distance from, that you’d like to revise or qualify?
AZ: It’s a good question. There’s this paradox, when you write a new book, especially if it’s an essay, you think, Oh, now I’ll have a new tone, or, I’ll do something new, and you work under this conviction, and then you finish the book and you find that it’s actually like the other books. You have your voice, and it’s very hard to avoid speaking in this voice. But the simpler answer is no, I don’t revoke anything. It’s more like a feeling of accretion, in the sense of growing. I hope so. You never know if you’re growing or shrinking.
Adam Zagajewski’s Slight Exaggeration (2017) is published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux and is available from Amazon and other booksellers.
The post Not Settled: An Interview with Adam Zagajewski appeared first on Hyperallergic.
from Hyperallergic http://ift.tt/2piCAdX via IFTTT
0 notes
Text
The Media and the First Amendment
The First Amendment is the first right that we all have as citizens. Oddly, we often get into arguments on what constitutes free speech. In the broad sense, we are all allowed to say what we want in a public form, peacefully, without government involvement. That pertains to the individual though. For our democracy to properly work, we need a press that can give us reliable information. So how does The First Amendment effect the press? Are they allowed to do what they wish? Are they given special treatment? Are there restrictions placed on them? Each question can be answered by previous court decisions. Near v Minnesota shows that the government cannot shut down the press based on prior restrictions, Miami Herald Co. v. Tornillo is an example of how the press does not have to give a political candidate a platform. New York Times v United States displays that the government can’t censor the press even if it is a matter of national security. These cases demonstrate that the press can go unchecked by the American Government under the guidelines of the First Amendment which means, evaluating the virtues of the press is the American citizen’s responsibility.
The first case is about a morally dubious newspaper and how the Minnesota government tried to shut them down. Zelezny (2011) One of the major court decisions of the 20th century was Near v. Minnesota. In this 1931 case, J.M. Near’s publication, The Saturday Press, was shut down by the Minnesota government. The paper did not expose names of people who were guilty of violating the prohibition laws of the times if that individual bought enough advertising from the paper or made a big enough donation. This along with occasional anti-Semitic pieces and accusations of Public Officials failing to enforce bootlegging and gambling laws lead the local authorities to shut down the paper. When Near bought the case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, he won in 5-4 decision. This case set a national precedent for the restriction of prior restraint. The lawmakers were not able to shut down The Saturday Press even though the content of what they were printing had no credit. We have an example of the press spreading faulty information but the government can do nothing to stop them. It is up to the public to decide what is credible information.
One of the most important aspects of The First Amendments is the ability for the press to give information to the people. If the government were able to block a newspaper, it would set a precedent to block any source of news. This could lead to a scenario of the Government censoring the truth of current events. What Near’s publication was communicating in regards to current issues were alternative facts without any evidence. It is the publics responsibility to decide what is factual information. In this scenario, hopefully the credible news source is digested over the tabloids. The choice to choose what news to follow is all on the individual and through cases like Near v Minnesota gives that choice. Similar to Near v. Minnesota, the case of Miami Herald v. Tornillo is about suppressing other political voices. This also gives another layer of choice for the citizen to choose form.
Zelezny (2011) In 1972 the Miami Herald wrote an editorial about, Pat Tornillo a candidate for the House of Representatives for Florida. In this piece, they were critical of his actions regarding the illegal strike that he led. He tried to get his voice heard on the paper, which did not happen. He sued and won but the case was taken to the supreme court. This is where he lost. The specific grounds he lost on were this, written by Chief Justice Warren Burger for the Court, “A responsible press is an undoubtedly desirable goal, but the press responsibility is not mandated by the Constitution and like many other virtues it cannot be legislated.” (Zelezny, 2011, pp. 55)
The ruling of the Miami Herald v. Tornillo case means an individual can decide if The Herald is a trustworthy source based on their editorial decisions. The Herald chose to not to represent Pat Tornillo’s side of the story. What the paper did to Mr. Tornillo was unfair because The Herald looked bias against him. The most important aspect of this decision is The Miami Herald editorial staff gets to produce a paper that is not influenced by government propaganda. Governments like Russia and North Korea shape their press’ output and this gives their societies faulty information. For a democracy to truly function the public, needs to be informed by a variety of viewpoints. Not just one. If the government shaped the content of one news outlet, this would set a precedent to shape the content of other media sources which would lead to a misinformed public. The First Amendment protects the right to an informed public and, as Chief Justice Warren Burger wrote for the court, “It has yet to be demonstrated how governmental regulation of this crucial process can be exercised consistent with First Amendment guarantees of a free press.” (Zelezny, 2011, p. 55) The evaluating values of editorial decisions of the press is not the government’s responsibility, it is the public’s.
The case of New York Times v United States is an example of how the freedom of the press is virtually unlimited. (Oyez) This case more famously known as the “Pentagon Papers Case” involved the Nixon Administration trying to block the New York Times from publishing classified documents stolen form the Defense Department. Nixon argued that prior restraint could be used in matters of national security. In a 6-3 decision, The Times won with Oyez.org saying of the court’s decision, “Justices Black and Douglas argued that the vague word "security" should not be used "to abrogate the fundamental law embodied in the First Amendment." Justice Brennan reasoned that since publication would not cause an inevitable, direct, and immediate event imperiling the safety of American forces, prior restraint was unjustified.” (Oyez, 2017) This landmark decision suggests that press could be restricted if releasing information would result in the immediate harm of American citizens which, would make it an open and shut case because immediate harm would take place before a court could be put in order. The argument of national security is a hard case to win with. The result of this means that the press nearly has no restrictions of what it can do per the First Amendment. This is another scenario where the morality of how obtaining such information is up for debate in the public form but, the government cannot control the release of such information. If they were to step in it would be in violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
The result of these court decisions highlight the power of the Freedom of the Press clause in the First Amendment. Near v. Minnesota presents an example of how government cannot close a newspaper just because they are spreading faulty information. By doing so would set precedent of government censorship of the press. The Miami Herald v. Tornillo case showcases that the government can’t force content into the press. To do so would be an example of the government controlling the press. The government can’t even use the excuse of national security to control the content of the press as displayed by the ruling of the New York Times v. United States case. These rulings boil down the point of the First Amendment in general. The First Amendment exists so the induvial and press don’t feel pressure by the government to change their ideals or voice. Whether someone’s or some news organization content of speech is morally good is a debate for the court of public opinion to determine. Finally, the suppression of thoughts and ideas would impede a democracy. Because, for a democracy to truly work, all ideas must be debated.
Works Cited
New York Times Company v. United States. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved February 13, 2017, from https://www.oyez.org/cases/1970/1873
Zelezny, J. D. (2011) Communications Law: Liberties, Restraints, and the Modern Media. Boston, MA: Wadsworth
0 notes
Text
5 Benefits of BCAAs for Strength and Recovery
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are now one of the most popular supplements around, earning a place in millions of homes and gyms, worldwide. Numerous studies show a direct link between BCAA intake and improved strength and recovery, fuelling sales growth which shows no sign of slowing.
Whether you are a keen runner, professional tennis player, amateur weightlifter or an Olympic gold medallist, you could certainly benefit from adding more BCAAs to your diet.
Evidence supports the use of BCAA supplementation for strength and recovery during exercise but also recognizes their role in some diseases, such as cancer. Other studies have also linked bloodstream levels of BCAAs to insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes.
In this article, we’ll go over the main benefits of BCAAs for strength and recovery and why you should consider adding them to your diet.
What are BCAAs?
When we talk about protein, we are referring to amino acid residue – which is what protein is made from. BCAAs are essential amino acids because the body is unable to synthesize them on its own, therefore, they must be consumed in our diet. Of the nine essential amino acids, three of them fall into the BCAA category. They are:
Leucine – boosts protein synthesis, helping build and repair muscle. It also assists with insulin to regulate blood sugars and is one of only two amino acids which cannot be converted into sugar.
Isoleucine – enables energy to be stored in muscle cells rather than fat cells by regulating glucose uptake.
Valine – improves mental functioning, reduces fatigue and prevents muscle breakdown.
Other essential amino acids are oxidized (broken down to release energy) in the liver, however, BCAAs are unique in that they can be metabolized in muscle. Why is this important? Well, the body needs BCAAs in the bloodstream to maintain normal bodily functions. If none are available, the body will break down muscle cells to release them. [1] [1]
Food Sources
The supplement industry does a great job convincing us to invest in BCAA supplements to get optimal results. However, for the most part, you will get all you need from everyday foods.
The recommended intake of BCAAs is around 15-20 grams per day, so getting enough from your diet is not all that difficult. You should aim for around five grams per meal (assuming three square meals per day).
Here are some common foods with examples of their BCAA content, per 3oz serving, cooked.
Cheddar Cheese – 4.7g
Ground turkey – 4.2g
Ground Beef (95% lean) – 4.0g
Peanuts – 3.1g
Cashew Nuts – 2.8g
Whole eggs – 2.2g
Chicken breast – 2.1g
Lentils – 1.3g
Black Beans – 1.3g
Lentils, black beans and kidney beans contain all three branched-chain amino acids; however, some plant-based foods are not “complete” proteins. For a food to be a complete protein source, it must contain all nine essential amino acids. While kidney beans and black beans are complete, lentils lack enough methionine.
You can overcome this problem by combining lentils with other foods high in methionine (such as rice) to form complete proteins. Peanuts suffer a similar problem because they lack the essential amino acid, lysine. To make it complete, simply spread it on bread or toast.
If you’re unsure what foods contain complete proteins, head over to nutritiondata.self.com. This fantastic site lists the protein and nutritional profiles of thousands of foods. If a protein is not complete, simply click the “find foods with complementary profile” link to find sources containing the missing essential amino acids.
The 2:1:1 Ratio
When you look at BCAA supplement packaging, you will nearly always find reference to the BCAA ratio. The most common is 2:1:1, made up of two-parts leucine, one-part isoleucine, and one-part valine. While 2:1:1 is the most common, you will sometimes see products with ratios of 4:1:1, 8:1:1 and even 10:1:1.
These higher ratio BCAA supplements all contain more leucine. If you take time to read the packaging or the manufacturer’s marketing materials, they usually reference the muscle-building power of leucine. In reality, they are just cheaper to produce, so you will rarely find them citing existing research to back up their claims.
Scientists have used the 2:1:1 ratio in studies based on the levels found in natural food sources. Historically, there has been little need to investigate other ratios. Nevertheless, the role of leucine in protein synthesis has caught some interest. While current evidence is limited, a ratio of 4:1:1 has shown promise in one study, where results found it to increase protein synthesis by over 30%.
Benefits of BCAAs
1. You’ll Build Major Muscle Mass
When looking to improve strength, or to build muscle (hypertrophy), you need to activate protein synthesis. For this to happen, leucine is the single most important dietary requirement. Chemical signals tell your body to build and repair muscle, and leucine effectively amplifies that signal – especially following resistance exercise. [2]
As leucine is the main amino associated with muscle growth, you might be wondering why this is not recommended as a standalone supplement for muscle growth. As it happens, studies have been conducted to investigate. One such study compared three groups: one took a placebo, the other a leucine supplement, while the third group consumed a regular BCAA drink with a ratio of 2:1:1. While leucine performed better than the placebo, it did not do as well as BCAA group.
The reason for this is simple: all amino acids are required for muscle growth. So, while leucine stimulates the process, other forms of protein are needed to build muscle. Without the other amino acids, leucine is like a motivational building site manager with no workers to do the job. [3]
2. You’ll Be Far Less Exhausted
Getting tired during a workout can be a real drag. You will be glad to hear that branched-chain amino acids – particularly valine – can help with this.
When you exercise, the level of tryptophan (another essential amino acid) rises. When tryptophan reaches the brain, it is used to make serotonin – a hormone been linked to our feeling of fatigue. All amino acids are transported to the brain on the same bus, yet not all are allowed entry to the brain. With limited accommodation available, valine competes with tryptophan and overpowers it. Less tryptophan in the brain means less serotonin, and less serotonin means lower fatigue. [4]
3. You’ll Recover Way Quicker
The body can take a real beating during intensive exercise. Recovering after such a session can take a few days or more.
One study, looking into the effects of BCAA supplementation in experienced resistance-trained athletes, showed positive results. The rate of recovery improved for strength, countermovement jump height and muscle soreness.[5] BCAAs can also speed up recovery time following endurance sports and intensive cardio sessions.4. No More Muscle Catabolism
Our priority, when exercising – whether it’s to lose weight, tone up, or get healthier in general – is usually to improve our body composition; after all, better body composition makes you look more toned, and the health benefits are well documented.
While exercising, we need more BCAAs to function properly. [11] [6]
When bloodstream levels are too low, the body looks for somewhere to get them. At this stage, it begins breaking down (catabolizing) muscle tissue to access the branched-chain amino acids it needs.
Consuming BCAAs ensures an adequate level is available in the bloodstream, reducing the chances of muscle breakdown. During and following intensive exercise sessions, it is important to consume slightly higher levels. This is the reason why some athletes will sip on a BCAA supplement drink during a workout.
Intermittent fasting has risen in popularity in recent years, with millions of people finding success with this form of dieting. As you can imagine, while in the fasted state, the bloodstream is low on BCAAs. Knocking back a very low-calorie BCAA drink during the fasted helps combat this.
Following a workout, a meal or meal replacement high in protein is typically consumed to further replenish BCAA levels. If the aim of the workout was to build muscle, this is the best time to give protein synthesis a boost with some muscle-building leucine. Fast acting carbs are also a good idea at this time, as the energy can be stored in the muscles as glycogen.
5. Massive Muscle Energy Storage
When you eat, the energy you consume is either used or stored. You could be forgiven for thinking that excess energy is stored in fat cells, but it’s not.
Once digested, carbohydrates are converted to glucose, which supplies your cells with energy. The hormone, insulin, helps regulate blood sugar. One of the ways it does this is by helping glucose move through cell walls to be stored.
Unused glucose is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver and muscle tissue. Any excess glucose which cannot be deposited as glycogen is finally stored in fat cells.
The fantastic thing about glycogen stored in muscle cells is this: once stored in the muscle, it cannot return to the bloodstream to be used anywhere else. It can be used only by the muscle. For this reason, encouraging glucose to be stored in muscle cells is preferable to it being stored as fat.
Glycogen stored in muscles is a readily available energy source. So, when blood sugars are too low, contracting muscles will use the fuel stored within them to get the job done. This is where the branched-chain amino acid, isoleucine, shines by promoting glucose uptake by muscles. Greater uptake means less energy is stored as fat resulting in quicker energy access for the muscle. [7]
Dangers, Side Effects & Toxicity
Is There a Risk of Toxicity
It is safe to say that consuming high levels of BCAAs is not toxic. Studies looked at toxicity in mice and rats, concluding there to be no observed-adverse-effect level. [8]
However, if you’re looking to maximize your training efforts, research shows that excessive levels of BCAAs can actually hinder performance.[14] [9]
Inclusive Ties to Type-2 Diabetes
Maybe the largest concern for some people is that there is a direct link between high levels of BCAAs in the blood and type-2 diabetes. [15] On initial inspection, this looks to be bad news for branched-chain amino acids. However, further research suggests it is poor insulin sensitivity which drives higher circulating BCAA levels.[10] [11]
Negative Effects on Insulin Sensitivity in Vegans
During a 2017 study, when supplementing with BCAAs, vegans became more resistant to insulin. [12]
During this study, they consumed an extra 20 grams of branched-chain amino acids per day for three months. Considering the lack of research on the subject, it is difficult to ascertain why this happened. Evidence shows that switching to a plant-based diet lowers the BCAA plasma levels associated with insulin resistance. [13]
The vegan subjects also had much better insulin sensitivity at the start of the study.
Increased Spread of Cancer & Disease
Inside our cells, a series of chemical reactions are constantly taking place. This series of events, known as a biological pathway, is what we refer to as our metabolism. These interactions produce new molecules such as fat or protein and can trigger changes in our cells.
The mTOR pathway forms part of this process. In simple terms, the mTOR pathway regulates cell growth. The branched-chain amino acid, leucine, stimulates the mTOR pathway, which is great for muscle growth, but not so great for some forms of cancer. Many cancers rely on mTOR activity for the growth and spread of cancerous cells. For this reason, much research is taking place regarding BCAAs and their link with diseases. [14]
Take Home Advice: Take BCAAs
It’s easy to see, given the evidence, why BCAAs are such a popular supplement for people engaging in exercise. Faster recovery, increased muscle growth, and reduced fatigue benefit all kinds of athletes, from beginners through to seasoned Olympians.
For those lifting weights, BCAAs will help you get bigger and stronger; marathon runners might delay hitting the wall, and if you’re playing competitive football week in week out, you can recover faster. In contrast, if you are not exercising regularly, there really is no need: just ensure you’re eating enough complete, plant-based proteins such as lentils, black beans, nuts and grains, some fish and meat a few times per week and you’ll be fine.
However, if you are vegan, your family has a history of diabetes, or have been recently diagnosed with a disease such as cancer, you should certainly consult with your doctor before adding BCAA supplements to your diet.
Featured photo credit: Brad Neathery via unsplash.com
Reference
[1]^NCBI: Exercise Promotes BCAA Catabolism[2]^American Physiology Society: Branched-chain Amino Acids Increase p70S6k[3]^NCBI: Branched-chain Amino Acids and Muscle Protein Synthesis in Humans[4]^NCBI: A Role for Branched-chain Amino Acids in Reducing Fatigue[5]^NRC: The effects of acute branched-chain amino acid supplementation on recovery from a single bout of hypertrophy exercise in resistance-trained athletes[6]^NCBI: Leucine supplementation and intensive training[7]^AMJ Physiol:Hypoglycemic effect of isoleucine involves increased muscle glucose uptake and whole body glucose oxidation and decreased hepatic gluconeogenesis[8]^NCBI: Thirteen-week oral toxicity study of branched-chain amino acids in rats[9]^NCBI:Effects of Diets Supplemented with Branched-Chain Amino Acids on the Performance and Fatigue Mechanisms of Rats Submitted to Prolonged Physical Exercise[10]^NCBI:Genetic evidence of a causal effect of insulin resistance on branched-chain amino acid levels[11]^NCBI:Branched-chain amino acids in metabolic signaling and insulin resistance[12]^NCBI: Chronic dietary exposure to branched chain amino acids impairs glucose disposal in vegans but not in omnivores[13]^NCBI: Amino acid changes during transition to a vegan diet supplemented with fish in healthy humans[14]^NCBI:Branched-chain amino acid metabolism in cancer
function footnote_expand_reference_container() { jQuery(“#footnote_references_container”).show(); jQuery(“#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button”).text(“-“); } function footnote_collapse_reference_container() { jQuery(“#footnote_references_container”).hide(); jQuery(“#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button”).text(“+”); } function footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container() { if (jQuery(“#footnote_references_container”).is(“:hidden”)) { footnote_expand_reference_container(); } else { footnote_collapse_reference_container(); } } function footnote_moveToAnchor(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery(“#” + p_str_TargetID); if(l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery(‘html, body’).animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top – window.innerHeight/2 }, 1000); } }
The post 5 Benefits of BCAAs for Strength and Recovery appeared first on Lifehack.
from Viral News HQ https://ift.tt/2HX8in4 via Viral News HQ
0 notes