2020

- December 22, 2020 0

Mood disorder 

Mood disorder

Usually we all experience feeling and emotions. Feelings and emotion are the common concepts in the world of mental health.

We do not experience same kind of feelings and emotions, in every situation, we feel ups and down in that and sometimes its intensity also varies e.g., feeling of being pushed in the crowd of train or bus and someone pushed you in public by speaking insulting words, in both the situation intensity of the anger emotion is different. 
 
So change in the feelings and emotions is common, but when feelings and emotions become out of control then it will be hard to adjust with. 
 
When the emotions of an individual become harmful for himself and for the society at that we can say that person is having mood disorder. 
 
Mood disorder


In DSM-V mood disorders are explained under the title Bipolar and Depressive disorder.

Among all mood disorders we will get detailed information about Unipolar and Bipolar disorders.

(a) Bipolar-I disorder


Bipolar-I disorder is known as depressive disorder. The main symptom of this disorder is depression. 
 
If the symptoms like reduction in the physical needs like hunger and sleep, reduction of weight more than 10 kg within three months (without any medicine or physical strain), sleep disturbance, lack of libido, lake of interest, reduction in feeling of joy, experience of uselessness, suicidal tendency etc. are seen in the behavior of a person for at least two weeks then we can say that, a person is suffering from Bipolar-I disorder.

(b) Bipolar-II disorder


In Bipolar-II disorder both depressed and maniac emotions are simultaneously experienced by the patient. In this disorder mild mania is already experienced by the person, in which a person becoming more irritating. 
 
But changes in his nature does not obstacle in his social and occupational responsibility and he is not required to get hospitalized. So this symptoms not known as symptoms of the disorder. It gradually turns from mild to moderate. 
 
A person becomes impatient and unable to concentrate on one thing for a longer period of time. When mania and depression both disorders are experienced at different time intervals, it is known as Bipolar-Ii disorder.

Mood disorder questionnaire 

You can download the questionnaire by clicking below link.  

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1DT_GphG4HeJ2umhd9qD27Ddkmi-TUF98

 How to use questionnaire?

Remember this questionnaire should be used as a starting point. It is not substitute for a full medical evaluation. Bipolar disorder is complex illness, and accurate, thorough diagnosis can only be made through a personal evaluation by your doctor. 
 
For more health related articles like this, please check out our social-health or science-health section.

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- December 18, 2020 0

A peer group is one of the agencies of socialization. Let’s understand socialization first.


Sociologists have defined Socialization as follows:

Socialization:

The process of shaping newborn child as a social individual is known as the process of socialization.
It simply means that socialization starts from the time we are born and continues till our end.

In the life of an individual, many agencies/factors play a pivotal role in his/her socialization process. Among them, family, peer group, and school play a very important role.

One of the agencies of the socialization of an individual is a peer group or group of friends. 

Peer Group

Peer Group, Peer Pressure and Solution

An individual interacts with friends, and counterparts and gets socialized in the process. Being proximate, a person develops a close, personal and compassionate relationship with friends and learns discipline, way of behaving and talking, rules, and norms.

Such group can be in neighborhood and also in school. In individual’s relation with his/her friends, is based on good atmosphere, democracy and equality. Hence, it assumes important roles because these relations are not of authority and subordination but are bases on equality and trust.

When a child plays a game it perceives the idea of how to follow laws and norms of the wider society. Further, the sportsmanship of waving thing for each other also develops among them. Socialization is accurately express by the proverb “A man is influenced by the company he keeps”

Peer group means, things we learn from our friends in the process of socialization.

Now let’s us also look into the problems of peer group and how to overcome it.

What is Peer Pressure?

Peer Group, Peer Pressure and Solution

Peer pressure means when an individual changes his moral values, attitude, and behavior towards the society due to the company of his/her friends and colleagues.

Simply put, when a person is being pushed over by friends to do something which he/she would not do otherwise. 

Example of Peer Pressure

Several of your teen’s friends buy high end phone/car/bike. Your teen becomes motivated to buy one for himself and starts demanding.

When your teen deliberately skipped school because its his seniors skip day. 

Your teen purchases illegal substance from online market, just his friend tell him that he can get away with it. 

Solution of Peer Pressure 

Try to avoid situations that you are not comfortable with.

Believe in your gut feelings

Never hesitate to go towards your first line of defense- Parents, teachers, and counselors.

Know your values and stick with them. Remember you are the worthiest person in the world.

Try to focus on positive peer pressure like achieve more in study and in life.

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- November 20, 2020 0

What is the brain made of?


The brain is made up of three main parts- the cerebrum, which is divided into two chambers and controls speech, emotions, intelligence, and more; the cerebellum, which controls movements and coordination; and the brain stem that connects the brain to the spinal cord.

The brain also has two smaller parts called the diencephalon, which transmits sensory information, and the pituitary gland, which controls the release of hormones in the body.

The brain is composed of 60% fat and the rest is a protein with some muscle tissue in the blood vessels that supply the brain. The protein element in the brain is found in the neurons. There are approximately 86 billion neurons in the brain.

What are the different kinds of bones in the human body?

Human bones

The human body has five different types of bones- sesamoid, irregular, flat, long, and short. Each type of bone is equipped for a different function.

Sesamoid bones include those that are found in the hands, knees, and feet. These bones protect the tendons from damage and wear and tear, for example, the kneecap.

Irregular bones have different shapes. Some could be long whereas others could be curved. Their main function is to protect organs, for example, the bones of the spinal cord.

Flat bones are shield-like and are often seen with muscles attached to them, like the pelvic bones.

Long bones support weight and movement and are seen in the arms and legs.

Short bones are always cuboid in shape, for example, the bones in our wrists. They help with movement and provide stability.

How big is the human heart?

The human heart is a three-dimensional structure that measures about 12cm in length, 8cm in width, and 6cm in thickness. It is the size of a closed fist and weighs about 300 gms in men and slightly less in women.

The heart weight is approximately 5% of the total body weight. However, the heart grows to match the amount of work it has to do. A foetal heart, or the heart of an unborn baby, is very different from that of a baby and an adult.

 How does exercise help improve digestion?

Exercise

Certain kinds of exercises are good for the digestive system as they help reduce problems like flatulence (gassiness) and acidity. Walking is an especially good exercise to help clear out waste material from the digestive system.

A raised heart rate, which follows exercise, also makes the intestine function more effectively, thus improving digestion.

Yoga is another form of exercise that helps with digestion and clearing waste from the body. In certain yoga asanas and poses, the liver is twisted. 

This twisting squeezes the liver and detoxifies it. Aerobic exercises that improve breathing also bring more enzymes to the digestive system, thus helping in the digestion of food.

Why do people get kidney stones?

Kidney stone

Kidney stones are hard mineral deposits that can occur in the kidneys. In most cases, they are really small and flush out of the system without causing any harm. 

But if the stone is big, it can get stuck in the urinary system, causing immense pain. Typically, kidney stones that are smaller than 5mm are not likely to pass through the urinary system on their own, without requiring medical intervention.

The main job of the kidneys is to convert bodily wastes into the urine. Kidney stones are formed when waste products do not get exerted as there isn’t enough fluid in the body. 

Kidney stones are of many types- some are caused due to excessive uric acid in the body, others due to calcium and some due to magnesium and ammonia. The best way to avoid these painful stones is to drink at least 3 liters of water a day and eat a balanced diet.

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- September 17, 2020 0
Why is a rainbow formed in monsoon always round?

The rainbow creation is due to moisture. During the monsoons, especially after a storm, when the sun is on the backside, a rainbow is sometimes formed in the front. 
 
To make the explanation a little easier, assume that there are fine raindrops floating in the air. They act as a prism for white sunlight. 
 
The natural light of the sun is made up of seven colors. All have a different wavelength. Red has a maximum (0.0007 mm), while violet has a minimum (0.0004 mm). 

As they enter the droplets, they refract according to their respective wavelength; first, they are reflected by the inner surface of the droplets, and then refract again at the time of exit. In short, the refractive index is not the same for different colored rays. 
 
The red rays form an angle of 42 degrees at the end, while the angle of the rest of the rays is less according to their successively shorter wavelengths. (see the picture below) 
Why is a rainbow formed in monsoon always round? What causes different colors to appear?
As a result, the top band in the rainbow appears red, while the rest of the bands become different colors until violet. 

The condition for the appearance of different colors is that the only geometry that forms the angle that makes them visible is circular in shape, so the rainbow always appears in a circle. 
 
An interesting thing to note: The rainbow that a person sees from a certain place does not appear the same to another person close to him, the rainbow appears to another person is completely different. 

This is because the direct rays that come into the eyes are different from the point of view of the person. If the two changes their position, they will see each other's rainbow.
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- September 12, 2020 0
Which is the most poisonous plant?

This record of the most poisonous plant is nicely expressed on a years-old event.

In 1978, European country Bulgaria's anti-Russian leader Georgi Markov was walking on the sidewalk in London, Britain. Russia was communist at the time, and Bulgaria, like its armpits, was communist too. 

However, Georgie Markov, a patriot, was holding a referendum against Russia's dictatorship, so the KGB, a Russian intelligence agency, decided to kill him. 

Which is the most poisonous plant?
Georgi Markov

Pedestrians were coming and going on the sidewalk. Among them there was a man with an umbrella, He approached Markov, and suddenly, the sharp end of an umbrella pierced Markov's leg and poisoned his muscles through a needle. 

Markov died shortly afterward. Postmortem examination revealed that he had been given a dose of a highly lethal poison called ricin. At that time science did not have an antidote for that poison. 

Even the name of Ricin, considered a weapon of bioterrorism today, was not heard by the common people then.

Which is the most poisonous plant?

Potassium cyanide is generally considered to be the deadliest poison, as a dose of just 0.5 grams is sufficient to kill the average adult. In fact, cyanide should be considered as a ‘mild’ toxic compared to ricin. 

Ricin is about 1250 times more toxic than cyanide and a mere dose of 0.0002 grams can be lethal for humans. Even the venom of King Cobra stands nowhere compared to ricin.

Considering the unmatchable lethality of that poison, it is tempting to assume that its source may be of a rare type. This assumption is also wrong, as ricin is basically a product of the castor plant that provides castor oil. 

Herman Steelmark, a chemist, extract ricin from castor seed in the 19th century and clarified its protein structure, and put it ahead of all other toxins on the scale of lethality.


Which is the most poisonous plant?

Today, castor is the most widely grown crop in India and Brazil. The effect of ricin in the commercial castor oil is not particularly noticeable, as the heat given at a temperature of 140 degrees for a minimum of twenty minutes at the time of production breaks down the chemical composition of the ricin.

Of course, the husk of castor seed left after extracting castor oil does contain about 5% ricin by weight, which can be extracted by a high-tech process. But, not legally. 

In the United States, making ricin is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

Which is the most poisonous plant?

Castor itself is not harmful except for its well-known beneficial effect on the digestive system. But what is the reason for that mild effect? Putting the question in different words as well as in the context of evolution, why are some plants laxatives like castor? 

This is a question that requires a separate article. Till then keep visiting our site for updates.
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- August 25, 2020 0

How mere 2% different genetic blueprint made Chimpanzee so different from a human?

Why Chimpanzee is different from a human?

It is the innate nature of scientists to solve one mystery and chase for another. So research in the field of science never comes to an end.

This is exactly what happened in the year 2000 when the Human Genome Project, which started in 1990 to understand the mapping of human genetic blueprints, was completed.

Scientists undertook a project of genome mapping of the closest animal to humans: “Chimpanzee”. The primary objective of this project was to find out what similarities between chimpanzees and human DNA have. 

In particular, to clarify the question of why the intelligence of the chimpanzee, considered to be the most intelligent of non-human beings, did not reach the level of man.

About 2 million years ago after humans and chimpanzees were divided into two separate factions as descendants of the same ancestor, the human mind became fertile over time, while chimpanzees were left behind. The reason is lying in the genetic blueprint.
How mere 2% different genetic blueprint made Chimpanzee so different from a human?
Genetic Blue Print

When the genome mapping of the chimpanzees was completed, it was discovered that from a biological point of view, the genetic blueprint, which could be called a biography, was written on 8 pairs of chromosomes. 

These chromosomes contain about 2,500 genes, while the total alphabet in those genes is 4.5 billion. More importantly, scientists have found that the difference between a chimpanzee's genetic blueprint and that of a human is not more than 2 percent. 

After one year of careful examination, very interesting findings came to light. Although the difference of two percent is not particularly big, it has differentiated between chimpanzees and humans in many aspects. 

For example, odor-determining genes have abounded in chimpanzee blueprints. Humans have lost many of these genes after abandoning wildlife, so their sense of smell is weaker than that of chimpanzees. 

The difference of two percent is also expressed in the disease resistance. Chimpanzees are almost immune to malaria infections, while we are ahead of them in combating Tuberculosis (TB). 

Chimpanzees also have a different body type than ours due to a difference of two percent.

What is the reason behind the huge gap between chimpanzees and humans in terms of intelligence? The answer to this question came to scientists while decoding the genes of chimpanzees. 

Gene is formed in the blueprint by a precise arrangement of four types of alphabets - Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Thiamine, which is the symbolic code (A, C, G, T) known as nucleotides that creates a particular type of protein.

How mere 2% different genetic blueprint made Chimpanzee so different from a human?
DNA And RNA Structure
This code ultimately determines the factors for the biological action in the body. Of course, the fact that genes exist forever does not mean that they are kept on giving the necessary protein-building commands. 

The bells should be rung at times. For example, to transform from child to adolescent, it is important that adolescent proteins are formed after a few years and that genes should remain dormant until they are actually needed.

After a certain amount of physical structure in adolescence, its genes should shrink its function — otherwise, the man or chimpanzee becomes a super-giant. The question is who instructs the genes when to be active and when to be dormant? 

Answer: Nature has written its instruction in the codebook of the genetic blueprint. GATCCATTG, which forms a generic word, it has a short code consisting of the letters A, T, C, and G at the front of the series, which can be compared with a switch. 

When the switch is on, the gene starts to make the protein, and when it is turned off, the gene closes its “shop”.

The difference between chimpanzees and human intelligence is found in such a switch to the scientific team that studied the genome map for a year. 

The basic components of intelligence are neurons known as brain neurons. The neurons of chimpanzees and humans are very similar. The network that connects these neurons is also no different in both cases. 

How mere 2% different genetic blueprint made Chimpanzee so different from a human?
Neuron Network

Significant differences are observed in the number of neurons. What happens is that at the stage of embryonic development, the single cell divides and divides into 2, then 4, 8, 16, and then after forty such divisions, the human brain takes the shape containing one hundred billion neurons. 

If the division stops a few steps ahead, it creates the brain of the chimpanzee, which is 33% less of the size of the human brain. Obviously, the network of neurons was also reduced by 33%.
How mere 2% different genetic blueprint made Chimpanzee so different from a human?
The difference of brain: Chimpanzee and Human

The intelligence depends not on the shape of the neurons, but on their number and their network. In the case of the chimpanzee, the cause of the split was the early closure of the gene's function, so the monkey never became as intelligent as a human. 

The switch is part of that 2 percent difference and the slight difference proved huge for chimpanzees, both physically and intellectually.
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- August 14, 2020 0
Cases of chronic disease called Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI), which are caused by long hours of continuous work on the computer, are rapidly being reported in the world these days. 

Health Tips When Working With Computers: An Office Guide
Person suffering from RSI
Especially in large cities where millions of operators who sit in front of a computer for long periods of time doing software programming as well as data entry work face daily tingling in the fingers, toes, elbows and shoulders. In other words, they have become patients of RSI.

The computer operator leans his wrist on the keyboard for hours almost unknowingly. Due to which the claws are constantly bent upwards. The constriction produced near the wrist creates a constant pressure on the nerves as well as the muscles passing through it. After months or years, that part of the joint becomes numb and begins to tingle. In the long run, the same mold is formed in the elbow as in the case of claws. The elbow hinge, which is constantly leaning on the handle of the chair while operating, becomes weak. 

Health Tips When Working With Computers: An Office Guide

The biggest trouble is created by computer monitor screen, from which a daily dose of (dim) X-rays emitted is harmful to the operator's eye. That leads to tears, inflammation in the evening and pain in the eyes.

The revolution in the field of computers can no longer be stopped, but like television, computer has become a part of the furniture of many homes. If this 'furniture' is planned in an ideal way, it is possible to get some relief from the disease of RSI. 

This means that if the desktop computer's desk itself is not faulty, then the person operating the computer has to suffer minimum physical problems. A plan prepared by experts is shown in the below diagram.

According to this plan, the height of the table on which the computer is to be placed should be a maximum of 28 inches above the ground level. The minimum distance between the monitor screen and the eye should be 20 inches and the maximum distance should be 26 inches.

It is also important that the head stays upright during the operation and that the angle between the monitor and the eye is at least 10 and at most 30 degree. The keyboard on the desk has to be arranged in such a way that the operator can keep his paws in a straight line and at the same time make an angle of about 90 degree elbows. 

The condition where the finger bends only slightly during data entry is medically ideal. The design of the chair should be such that its seat can be adjusted to a convenient level. There should be a distance of at least 24 inches between the chair and the table too.


The most important thing is that if the operator takes a break of five to seven minutes on an average every hour and during that time relaxes the muscles of the wrists as well as the elbows, then there is no question of recurrence of a number of ailments under the heading of RSI. 

An interesting survey found that in the case of operators who are accustomed to smoking cigarettes more often, the chances of suffering from RSI computer-borne disease are reduced by 50%. Intervals to quench the thirst for cigarettes provide much needed relief to their eyes, waist, paws and elbows.

In short, a reasonable desk for a desktop computer, as well as a reasonable rest for the body under the pretext of a short break while operating, naturally reduces the risk of developing RSI.
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- August 10, 2020 0
Food is not always plentiful for animals and birds in nature. Sometimes food is hard to find and sometimes there is no food at all. In that situation animals and birds saves energy in many ways to pull off the forced “NO FOOD” days.

In order to survive in hard conditions many species of animal and birds disrupts the blood supply to their organs, paralyze their digestive system, lower their body temperature and temporarily shut down the immune system. The buffer stock of fat keeps them alive during that time.

Thus many animals and birds go on full or partial starvation due to lack of food, but some species is known to go on without food for days, months or years. Let’s check out some of them.

20 Days:

How Animals goes without food
Atlas Moth
The caterpillar eats three to four times of its own weight per day but it forsakes eating after it transformed into imago known as “Atlas Moth”. This moth eats nothing; it only survives on body fat. However, the fast ends around twenty days with its death.

7 Months:

How Animals goes without food
Fat Tailed Dwarf Lemur

Madagascar's “Fat-Tailed Dwarf Lemur” does not receive fruit and insect in the mountain forests during the winter, meaning it stays dormant in tree hollows for an average of 210 days, relying on body fat. Meanwhile, its body temperature is maintained at the same level as the air temperature so that it does not have to lose calories through "heat transfer".  

10 Months:

How Animals goes without food
Eastern Pygmy Possum

In Australia's frequent turbulent, unpredictable weather, the “Eastern Pygmy Possum” has no regular food supply. As a result, it often goes without food around 10 months and rely only upon reserve fat.

1.5 Years:

Python
The “Python” is cold-blooded reptile. It does not have to maintain body temperature at certain level, so “Python” saves calories lying idle. Moreover, its metabolism is very slow. Once it finds a prey, it can easily runs without food for a year and a half.

2 Years:

How Animals goes without food
Lung Fish
There is no doubt that a “Lung Fish” is marathon player in fasting. It lives in the lakes of Africa and it actually has lungs in addition to gills. As the water in the lakes dries up, it goes bottom of the soil. During drought, it can go without food for extended period upto two years.  

5 Years:

How Animals goes without food
Burrowing Frog

Burrowing species of “Frog” found in Australia can go without food for years after it buried itself underground. It comes out only when it is raining and at that time, it eats like glutton. It can even prey insects half of its size and put them directly in its stomach.
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- June 19, 2020 1
Did you know that according to the World Health Organization, an estimated 12 million people worldwide die each year from heart related diseases and paralysis? Heart disease is a major cause of death worldwide. But it is also important to note that much can be done to prevent this disease. 

10 Ways To Take Care Of Your Heart

World over, people usually takes cholesterol pills to prevent this disease, which costing billions of dollars annually. Moreover, 736 million (2015 estimate) poor people of the world cannot afford this expensive treatment for heart diseases.

In these circumstances, it is natural to accept the phrase, "Prevention is better than cure." Before we learn how to avoid heart diseases, let's have a simple understanding of types of heart disease.


Types of Heart Diseases

(1) Atherosclerotic Disease

In this type of heart disease, layers of fat, calcium, cholesterol, etc. accumulate in the arteries and block the blood flow.

(2) Cardiac Arrhythmia

In this type, the rate of beating the heart becomes too high or too low.

(3) Heart Valve Disease

The human heart consist four valves. In this type of disease the valve is surrounded by two types of problems. The first problem is that the blood flow in the valve is partially blocked (called stenosis) while in the second problem the blood flow from the valve starts leaking and turns in a direction other than the specific one.

(4) Heart Infections

This problem usually affects people over 60 years of age. In which there is an infection in the heart, causing swelling on the valves and arteries. Swelling often occurs on the internal heart muscles.

(5) Heart Failure

Heart failure simply means the blood supply to the human body stops. This is the widely known problem of heart disease, and also the most fatal one.

After knowing the above details, let's look at the following simple tips that will help you to avoid a heart related diseases. 

Ten amazing tips:

(1) Eat Mediterranean Food


According to a survey, people living in countries around the Mediterranean have a much lower rate of heart disease than others. The people there eat vegetables, fish, garlic, olive oil and often drinks a little red wine. You don't need to be a European to follow  European principles in the diet.

2) Eat Tomatoes

Eat plenty of tomatoes. The reddish color found in tomatoes is due to the Lycopene in them. Tomatoes are strong antioxidant. In addition, research has shown that tomatoes help lower blood pressure and C-reactive protein, which reduces the risk of heart disease.

3) Laugh


An experiment was performed with few volunteers. These volunteers were shown Funny videos.Volunteers who laughed at these funny videos found with relieved blood vessels. Laughter lowers blood pressure, as it relieves stress. So find a way to laugh now and then. So, Laugh and make people laugh with you.

4) Include Fiber in Diet

Use plenty of fiber in the diet. It is well known that fiber is very useful for the intestines and for the proper functioning of the digestive system. Eat a diet rich in fiber, a diet rich in fiber helps to keep the heart healthy.

5) OK to exercise little but do it regularly 

Usually people don't exercise in today's race. It is harmful to health. Even if a little exercise is done according to the convenience of the person, it should be done regularly. Let's do a very good exercise. Get up and walk 100 steps. Do this often. One of the best exercise is yoga, in which you can do various Asanas. Moreover, in yoga itself, sun salutation has been the basis of life since ancient times. Do it. Don’t know how to perform the Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) Don’t worry, you can follow the link below: 

Surya Namaskar a classical form of Yoga

6) Take a Sun bath


The Sun is the basis of life on Earth. Nature uses the power of the Sun. The human body gets vitamin D from the sun's rays. Did you know that people with low levels of vitamin D are more susceptible to heart disease? Spend 10 minutes on a few days each week and take advantage of nature's gift.

7) Let me say you something you all like: “Eat Chocolate”

The Polyphenols in dark chocolate help increase good cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol. Some studies have suggested that a person with a heart attack improves their condition faster if they consume a little chocolate every day. How much chocolate to consume? Well, you only need to eat about 40 grams chocolates per day that contains 70% cocoa.

8) Stress Management

It is not wrong to say that today’s time is the time of mental stress. These days even young children are falling a victim of stress. Stress increases the risk of heart attack by 30%. Therefore, managing stress is very important. Yoga-meditation came to mind again. The Pranayama and meditation shown in yoga are really very beneficial in mental stress. Now you may find some trace management class in your cities, you can also attain it. Walking for 30 minutes is an easy way to reduce stress.

9) Let's do Tai-Chi


People who do regular Tai-Chi have lower blood pressure and heart disease rates.

10) Be positive

There is no guarantee of life and even if we do all the "right" things we can get sick. Even if you have a heart attack, long-term survival and quality of life can be improved by adopting an optimistic outlook of life. To say positive here does not mean to be unreal at all. 

If you use the very simple principles mentioned above, it is very likely that you will not have heart problems and those who have had to rely on pills due to heart problems will be able to reduce that dependence and enjoy good health.
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- June 16, 2020 0
American Constitution
American Constitution
The American Constitution is the constitution of United State of America. It was formed in 1787 after the famous American Revolution (1775-83).

In the year 1787, it was adopted at Philadelphia Convention and came into force in 1789. 

American Constitution
Philadelphia Convention
Now let’s we look into the some of the main characteristics of the American Constitution mentioned below:

Black and White (Written) Constitution

American constitution is classic example of written constitution. It’s the oldest among written constitution of the world. So, what it contains:

  • Some 12 pages

  • A Preamble

  • 7 Articles

  • 27 Amendments.

Apart from above it also includes actual working constitutional system like…

(1) Status of Congress ( Legislature of United States)

(2) The orders (Executive Orders) issued by the President, giving practical shape to statues made by Congress.

(3) Judicial decisions interpreting the constitution through a system like Judicial Review (Implied power)

(4) The political conventions. (E.g., cabinet of the president)

Rigid Constitution

Unlike flexible constitution of some countries like of Britain, American constitution is most rigid in the world. If it required to be amend it can be done so by Congress only and by the means of special process described in the constitution. So, in USA there is clear difference between ordinary law and constitutional law.

Two methods for constitutional amendment are listed below:

1. An amendment can be proposed by 2/3 votes of both the house of Congress. It also need to be ratified by the legislature of ¾ (38 out of 50) of the states within a seven year time span.

2. An amendment can be proposed by convention called by the Congress on the petition of 2/3 (30 of 50) of the state legislature. It needs the ratified by the convention in ¾ (38 of 50) state legislature.

Hence, the procedure to amend American constitution is very difficult. It also evident from the fact that only 27 times the constitution is amended since its inception in 1789.

Separation of Powers

The legislative, executive and judicial power of the government are clearly separated and vested in three independent organs of the Government- e.g.,

 Article – I    Congress

Article-II     President

Article- III   Supreme Court and inferior courts

Presidential Government

USA adopted the presidential form of government. The main features of this follows:

1.  President is the head of state and head of government both. He is the chief real executive.
          As a Head of State – Ceremonial Position

          As a Head of Government - Executive Chief.

2.  Elected by electoral college for a fixed tenure of four years. He cannot be removed by the Congress except by the impeachment process described in constitution.

3. President governs with the help of small groups known as “Kitchen Cabinet”. The member in this group is selected and chosen by president and responsible to him only.

4. President and his secretaries are not responsible to the Congress for their act.

5. House of Representative cannot be dissolved by President.

Checks and Balances:

The principle of separation of powers gave a birth to checks and balances. Each organs of the government is interdependent to each other and that ensures that no organ becomes autocratic and irresponsible.


Key aspects of checks and balance:

1.   President Veto: Veto is of two types namely Pocket Veto and Qualified Veto

2.  Senate confirms higher appointment and international treaties made by the President.

3.  Congress has the power to determine the organization of judiciary.

4.  President appoints judge with a consent of the Senate.

5.  The Supreme Court can declare President or Congress laws as Ultra Vires (means null and void)

Federal Constitution

It is the first and the oldest federal constitution in the world. It comprises 50 states (13 original) and District of Columbia. Each state has its own constitution, legislative, governor and a supreme court.

Bill of Rights

The first constitution in the world that carried the bill of rights. It assures the large number of rights to the American people.

No person is to be deprived of life, liberty and property without the due process of law. This rights also curtails the absolute authority of government. Supreme Court acts as a guardian of these rights by judicial review. These rights were added in the constitution in 1791 through first ten amendments.

Bicameralism

The American Congress is bicameral that is, it consist of two houses:
  • The Senate (Upper House)
  • The House of Representative (Lower House)
Let’s understand the structure: 

Congress
Member
Duration
The Senate
100
Two being elected from each state to serve for a fixed term of six years
The House of Representative
435
Single member constituencies for a fixed two-year term

The Senate is more powerful then the House of Representative, infect, the Senate is the most powerful upper house in the world.

I hope now you understand the key concept of American Constitution. If you like this article please subscribe to my channel.
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