Saturday, August 31, 2019

Literature Review Essay

They warned the investors not to buy unlisted shares, as Stock Exchanges do not permit trading in unlisted shares. Another rule that they specify is not to buy inactive shares, ie, shares in which transactions take place rarely. Themain reason why shares are inactive is because there are no buyers forthem. They are mostly shares of companies, which are not doing well. A third rule according to them is not to buy shares in closely-held companies because these shares tend to be less active than those of widely held ones since they have a fewer number of shareholders. They caution not to hold the shares for a long period, expecting a high price, but to sell whenever one earns a reasonable reward. Jack Clark Francis (1986) revealed the importance of the rate of return in investments and reviewed the possibility of default and bankruptcy risk. He opined that in an uncertain world, investors cannot predict exactly what rate of return an investment will yield. However he suggested that the investors can formulate a probability distribution of the possible rates of return. He also opined that an investor who purchases corporate securities must face the possibility of default and bankruptcy by the issuer. Financial analysts can foresee bankruptcy. He disclosed some easily observable warnings of a firm’s failure, which could be noticed by the investors to avoid such a risk. Preethi Singh3(1986) disclosed the basic rules for selecting the company to invest in. She opined that understanding and measuring return m d risk is fundamental to the investment process. According to her, most investors are ‘risk averse’. To have a higher return theinvestor has to face greater risks. She concludes that risk is fundamental to the process of investment. Every investor should have an understanding of the various pitfalls of investments. The investor should carefully analyse the financial statements with special reference to solvency, profitability, EPS, and efficiency of the company. David. L. Scott and William Edward4 (1990) reviewed the important risks of owning common stocks and the ways to minimise these risks. They commented that the severity of financial risk depends on how heavily a business relies on debt. Financial risk is relatively easy to minimise if an investor sticks to the common stocks of companies that employ small amounts of debt. They suggested that a relatively easy way to ensure some degree of liquidity is to restrict investment in stocks having a history of adequate trading volume. Investors concerned about business risk can reduce it by selecting common stocks of firms that are diversified in several unrelated industries. Lewis Mandells (1992) reviewed the nature of market risk, which according to him is very much ‘global’. He revealed that certain risks that are so global that they affect the entire investment market. Even the stocks and bonds of the well-managed companies face market risk. He concluded that market risk is influenced by factors that cannot be predicted accurately like economic conditions, political events, mass psychological factors, etc. Market risk is the systemic risk that affects all securities simultaneously and it cannot be reduced through diversification Nabhi Kumar Jain (1992) specified certain tips for buyingshares for holding and also for selling shares. He advised the investors to buy shares of a growing company of a growing industry. Buy shares by diversifying in a number of growth companies operating in a different but equally fast growing sector of the economy. He suggested selling the shares the moment company has or almost reached the peak of its growth. Also, sell the shares the moment you realise you have made a mistake in the initial selection of the shares. The only option to decide when to buy and sell high priced shares is to identify the individual merit or demerit of each of the shares in the portfolio and arrive at a decision. Carter Randal (1992) offered to investors the underlying principles of winning on the stock market. He emphasised on long-term vision and a plan to reach the goals. He advised the investors that to be successful, they should never be pessimists. He revealed thatthough there has been a major economic crisis almost every year, it remains true that patient investors have consistently made money in the equities market. He concluded that investing in the stock market should be an un-emotional endeavour and suggested that investors should own a stock if they believe it would perform well. S. Rajagopal. (1996) commented on risk management in relation to banks. He opined that good risk management is good banking. A professional approach to Risk Management will safeguard the interests of the banking institution in the long run. He described risk identification as an art of combining intuition with formal information. And risk measurement is the estimation of the size, probability and timing of a potential loss under various scenarios. Charles. P. Jonesl8 (1996) reviewed how to estimate security return and risk. To estimate returns, the investors must estimate cash flows the securities are likely to provide. Also, investors must be able to quantify and measure risk using variance or standard deviation. Variance or standard deviation is the accepted measure of variability for both realised returns and expected returns. He suggested that the investors should use it as the situation dictates. He revealed that over the past 12 years, returns in stocks,bonds, etc. have been normal. Blue chip stocks have returned an average of more than 16% per year. He warned that the investors who believe that these rates will continue in the future also, will be in trouble. He also warned the investors not to allow themselves to become victimised by â€Å"investment gurus†. Rukmani Viswanath (2001) reported that the Primary Dealers in Govt. securities are working on a new internal risk management model suited for the Indian market conditions. Theattempt is to lay down general parameters for risk perception. The Primary Dealers Association of India (PDAI) is formulating a set of prudential norms for ‘risk management practices’. While internationally the principles of risk management may be the same everywhere, the Association is of the view that they have to identify the relevant issues and apply those principles in the Indian context. It strongly argues that it must work on a model that can help to manage liquidity and interest rate risk. While the existing RBI guidelines on risk management cover mainly statutory risk, the PDAI hopes that its new risk management model will be able to perceive ‘real risk’. These new norms are expected to help gauge several issues like, whether a fall in the prices of securities or yields is a temporary or permanent situation etc. The areas the new norms are likely to address are the assessment of the liquidity situation and envisaging investor appetite for a specific instrument and their appetite for risk. According to thegovt. securities dealers, these norms are expected to help them hedge. FOOTNOTES 1. Grewal and Navjot Grewal, Profitable lnvestment in shares, Vision Books Pvt. Ltd. 36 Connaught Place, New Delhi 1984. 2. Jack Clark Francis, Investment – Analysis and Management, MC Graw Hill, International Editions, 1986. 3. Preethi Singh, Investment management, Himalaya PublishingHouse, Bombay Nagpur and Delhi,1986. . Lewis Mandell, Investments, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, 1992. 5. Nabhi Kumar Jain, How to earn more from shares, Nabhi Publications, Delhi, 1992. 6. Carter Randall Non-stop ~winning from the stock market Vision Books, New Delhi, Bombay (1992). . 7. S. Rajagopal,. â€Å"Bank Risk Management – A risk pricing model†, State Bank of india, Monthly Review, VoI. XXXV, No. 11, November 1996, p. 555. 8. Rukmani Viswanth, â€Å"PDs working on Risk Management Model†, TIE Hindu, Business Lime, Daily, Voi. 8, No. 17, January 18,2001, p. 11

Friday, August 30, 2019

Presentation of the Gospel to Christianity Essay

Every person in this world is inherently under question about his future state of life. Some are trying to answer questions pertaining to the true essence of their existence. People want to know about the life that they were living before they came here on earth. With all these queries in their minds, it was engraved in their hearts that there must be a universal being that governs their life. It will lead to the idea that men were created by a Supreme being called God. In the idea of creation, we tend to realize that everything in this world was created with a purpose. There must be a very important rationale of our existence. In connection with these, it is crucial for us to know why we are here on earth. It is inherent upon man to believe that we are really created by God who is our Father in heaven. Jesus Christ is our brother who was the chosen son of God to save us. We need to experience myriad things for us to know the essence of our relationship with the Savior. Then eventually, we will answer the question on what will happen to us in the days after tomorrow or after we die. Salvation is the most important goal a man should have for the reason that our future life after we die depends on it. This time is our preparation for the next life. Therefore, we must carefully utilize this mortal life to attain salvation. Why is that so? Because when we die, there are so many things that we cannot do that are vital for us without our physical body. Needless to say, any wise man will come to think of it on how lucky we are to be given a chance to live here on earth. So we must enjoy this life and do good in return to the One who brought us here through our dear parents. In this paper, we will delve into the importance of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our life. It will help us appreciate His divine presence in everything that we do. With that, we will strengthen our relationship with Him and follow His example to gain eternal life. It has been promised by Him that we will gain eternal life if we follow God’s will. 2 Presentation of the Gospel to Christianity The gospel is the good news that we receive in order for us to be saved. It is the word of God for man to know and apply in their lives. In this paper, we will discuss how can we attain salvation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ: The Savior The birth of Jesus Christ was so known all over the world. Stories about His birth was present in every corner so that His life was the most influential to any one. About 2,000 years ago, an angel appeared to Mary in Bethlehem and to Joseph who is a carpenter informing them that   Mary will conceive a baby by the power of God (Palmer 1). That started the life of Jesus Christ that was sent by our father in heaven for one special mission: that is to save us from our sins. Jesus Christ lived in this world as a human being although He possesses extraordinary characteristics of a God. He experienced that a man will do when living a life. His earthly life involved His ministry to the people. He teaches the gospel to them with divinity and humility. His matchless life includes his service to the poor, to the sick and to the needy. He teaches everyone through parables guided by principles that until now, was studied and interpreted by many people. He was the one who exemplified most of the power of prayer as He always teaches His disciples in its principle. One thing that we owe to Jesus Christ is His obedience in performing the most important sacrifice that He did for us when He was crucified. That only sent us a message that even the chosen son of God experienced trials and difficulties as an example for us. Knowingly, he has all the qualities of a savior that He was able to do the will of our Heavenly Father. As He had been mocked and looked down by other people, some are alarmed by the fact that He was able to prove that indeed He was the son of the Father when He was resurrected after His death. He left a remembrance for us to always remember Him through the sacrament. 3 As the life of Jesus Christ was so impressive and influential, it is surely a good start in believing that His infinite being displayed so much power. We surely can secure our life in His grace. We only have to do the things that He wanted us to accomplish in this life. The Gospel of Jesus Christianity It is respectfully submitted that we belong into a universal family under heaven. Our father in heaven is so wise in creating us under a family for us to enjoy life. The family is the basic unit of society. It gives us happiness and security. As children of God, it is possible that we should not experience pain and problems in life and we should only be happy eternally. But God is so full of wisdom that He gave us the opportunity to experience earthly life for us to progress. Come to think of it, is it possible for us to value happiness when we do not know the feeling of sadness? Of course not. Our life will be dull in that case. Besides, no one will ever come to attain something without being tested. Each one of us should be given the right to choose. We should have freedom. It is the idea of our Heavenly Father to send us to earth to be tested if we are really worthy to live in His presence when judgment will come. In this mortal life, we were given the freedom to choose between good and evil. We have our conscience to guide us, our ability to distinguish between right and wrong. The goodness comes from God, He is light, love and eternity. The choice of being evil is an act of opposing the will of God and that is destructive to man. However, it is up to him if he will choose darkness. The idea of sin came along. Doing something that is against the will of God is sin. Our freedom to choose between good and evil results to doing sinful things and we should be responsible for the consequences which was not lodged into our discretion. Because man is sinful, there should be a Redeemer to save us. It was the mission of Jesus Christ to save us from darkness. In our probationary earthly life, we should follow His example in order to be saved. We must do our part because He had done his. 4 Salvation is a topic that will enlighten us how essential it is to gain eternal life for progression. Darkness is very scary and no one will ever want to live in that state. Basically, when we do not follow the Savior, we will live in darkness and not in His presence. We should be grateful of our faith and belief in Jesus Christ and work through the guidance of our prayer that all men will gain eternal life (Pulvermacher 1). As the will of God is to save us with our family, we must work hand in hand with family members to attain this goal. It is not the will of our Savior that our families will disintegrate. We are responsible for each member of our family. If this will be followed, then all people in this world will live in harmony. There are so many Christ-like attributes that we need to follow in order for us to be saved. In the presence of our God, He wanted that His children will love one another. Love will result to happiness and harmony. Peace will be attained. These attributes are inherent in man for the reason that we are created in the image of God. We are heirs of His being as we are His children. However, we may not give heed to it because we were given the freedom to choose between right and wrong. The attributes that I am talking about are charity, obedience, service, humility and endurance. If a person is willing to practice all these virtues, he will surely do good things. By faith and prayer, it is not difficult to practice all of these. It will start with our love of the Savior because if we love Him, we will not do things that will hurt Him. But before we come to know about these attributes, we must know first some principles that we need to follow. It include baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, offerings and scriptures. Baptism is very important because it will allow any person to have a close relationship with the Savior. It comprises of covenants that we want to do for Him. In baptism, we tend to take the name of Jesus Christ as the savior, we can always remember Him, keep His commandments that are written in the   Bible and endure to do good things until the end of life. Baptism is immersion in t o exemplify that we are born again in His name and that our sins are left in the waters when we rise. 5 That was a simple idea of baptism but it will give us an impression that it is relevant because we know that the Savior Himself was baptized in the waters of Jordan. We should also offer our tithes and offerings in the Church so that we can please God. Ironically, we can think God do not need money. He is all powerful and as such, He can even create money. But, this offerings that I am talking about can be used primarily to aid the poor and the needy. Reading the scriptures is the most important means of communication between man and God. It is in the scriptures that we know about His teachings and principles. Parables of the Savior are written in the scriptures for us to emulate and apply in our lives. Without the scriptures like the bible and other readings on Christianity, salvation will be hard to attain. It has been the basis of studying and knowing the Savior better and with our labor spread the good news to all the people. Charity is very impressive to practice as it comprises of all good works that a man needed to attain eternal life. It involves patience in everything that happens in life, not being envious to the things others are into, not being easily provoked by any one and not to think bad things about other people. A charitable person knows how to approach a very unkind person. He is very God-fearing as he should leave everything to God when something bad was done against him Being obedient is very hard as naturally, man do not want to be ruled by any one. He wants to do things in his own way. However, God is the maker of wisdom . He is the inventor of knowledge. As such. There are so many things that we do not know that He knows. Why cant we trust Him instead? Like Jesus Christ, our Father in heaven sent here on earth to minister His children and save them also. Knowing the pains of crucifixion, Jesus Christ did not decline to the order of His father. It has been the most difficult task God has asked for a person under His power and truly it was more than we are to experience in life. Thus, we can do good things in this life no matter how difficult the situation we are into. 6 In this world, service is the balancing act of survival. There are things that we cannot do at a time that others will do for us. If we know how to serve, we can be saved. In the Kingdom of God, service is the source of faith because through it, we tend to exercise our love to God. We serve other people because we love them and the one who created them. We want things to be easy for all of us. Being selfish is like living in an island. Even the slightest need of overcoming any state of life needs service. We serve by means of helping in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by helping the poor and the needy, by serving our country where we belong, by serving the sick and taking care of the aged. These are basic things to accomplish but are remarkable to do. Remember that Jesus Christ lived in this world by helping the poor and the needy, the sick people and helpless children as He was fond of them. Service cannot be fully achieved without exercising humility. It is not necessary of who we are in order to serve. Jesus Christ came into the world as a servant even if He was indeed the Prince of Peace as the son of God. Ironically, we are supposed to serve Him. However, the wisdom of the Lord teaches us that being humble is the foundation of a blessed service. Hence, we should serve with humility in order to be noble before the eyes of God. Such service should come from our very hearts. As all of these things are hard to practice, we must endure. Should the Savior choose to decline the mission given by God to Him, our salvation would not be possible by now. The sacrifice that He gave us is a result of long suffering and endurance Now, as discussed earlier we knew that people can commit sin because of the freedom to choose between good and evil. It has a connection with repentance as being taught by Jesus Christ to the people. We must repent of our sins. When we pray we must tell God and admit to Him that we sinned. We must express our intention not to repeat the same mistake again. Our God is full of mercy and He will surely forgive us of our sins if only we are sincere in asking forgiveness. 7 Conclusion In my presentation of the Gospel to Christianity, I am so aware that people have different beliefs in their lives. Normally, they will believe what they know from the teachings of their parents and then to the Church where they belong. I do not blame this people because they are entitled to their own beliefs. However, in this paper, I am also concerned of the opportunity that I can share important points of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and convince any one that we are indeed in the mercy of our Redeemer. No matter how righteous we are, if we do not accept Jesus Christ in our lives through baptism and the corresponding commandments that is part of it, we cannot be saved. Salvation is something that we need to work on. It is not given in a silver platter. The sacrifice that Jesus Christ gave for us to be saved will complete our efforts to be saved. The idea of heaven is very fulfilling because in essence we all want to live there. It is up to us if we truly want to prepare in this life to attain it. If we do not work while we are dominating our physical body, we might lose the opportunity when we die. It is respectfully recommended that we study the scriptures often. It is our constant guide in the gospel. We should pray every time we feel like praying for that is a very special invitation that we feel in our hearts to come closer to Jesus Christ. Finally, I salute those righteous people who are already keeping Jesus Christ in their hearts and already following His gospel. We should not forget that in everything we do in His name, there are oppositions lurking behind it that we need to overcome. Temptations to do bad should not hinder us in living with Jesus Christ through eternity. Eternity would only be a long time if we do not know how to endure to the end. Together with our families and friends, let us freely live the gospel of Jesus Christ. 8 Works Cited Palmer, Ken. 11 November 2007. Life of Christ. 20 November 2007. < http: //www. lifeofchrist. com/life/lifescan/. Pulvermacher, Luclan. 8 December 1978. The Catholic Church and Salvation. 20 November 2007. < http://www. truecatholic. org/cathsalv. htm.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Challenges Through Siddhartha’s Path Essay

Siddhartha is a character in which he searches to find the right way of life through many different paths, which I will be relating myself with. With his decisions, he finds a lot of experiences and varies through the way of life of others. Siddhartha’s life as we know it, is very amusing to others, but not as complete as he would want it to be. Siddhartha’s intelligence, pure spirit, and ability to recognize Atman, gives him a sense of security toward the other Brahmins. His friend Govinda, loves Siddhartha’s every move and gesture which he often tends to make. While he decides to follow him, they go together to become Semanas, but then separate to find their own destiny. Siddhartha decides to continue onto his own path and start a new life, but realizes that he is losing not only his best friend but chooses to start a new life. The path of being â€Å"enlightened† and the journey to be one with God is according to how much you desire this quest. Being one with God, can either take your whole life or just a portion, which you think is enough to think and believe you are one with God. I don’t believe he asks for any favors, or requirements to be where you would like to be. To be able to choose is one of the most powerful abilities that a person has. When you choose, you show that you will do what is desired and wanted by yourself. To tell the truth, I don’t think I’ve ever tried to enlighten myself in any way. If I choose to, I think that I would want to meditate and free myself of all stress, anger, impatience, etc. To be able to feel free and pure of all negativeness, would be as if I were one with God because I know that he doesn’t want me or anybody in a world of anger or hatred. To have a world full with peace and harmony would be my Enlightenment, my stage in life where I have achieved to be one with God. During Siddhartha’s exploration, he views and thinks of other people as being unique and dissimilar from his own way of life. As he walks into other cultures, he begins to realize what he must do to be one with his own Self. Although, he thinks that these people know little about what the true meaning of life really is, he also begins to absorb and become one of them.  Throughout his life, he meets a girl named Kamala, which he chooses that she is the one to teach him about love. He also learns an important lesson and allows him to realize that he can’t love Kamala. A dream occurs to Siddhartha, which is a bird in a golden cage dies. This means that his inner voice and all the good inside of him had disappeared, due to the new life he has adopted to and was now living in. He must run away and regain what he has forgotten as a little boy. After running away, Siddhartha has an urge to kill himself, by throwing himself into the river. By changing his ways of life and searching for his own Self through other cultures, made him realize that his life was now going down the wrong path. In the world today, due to the wars and battles that people all around have begun, I have questioned if this world would ever be able to be one with God. I have never once doubted my belief in God. On Sunday morning, church is available to those Catholics who are willing to go into the house of God and pray for those who you have wished to pray for. I never doubted that God wouldn’t be listening when I needed him by my side. He is everybody’s angel, all you have to do is listen to what the Lord tells to you. I don’t believe that by going to church, you have earned the right to go to heaven. I believe that any person that stays at home and prays to our Lord and to the Rosary, has earned that same right as the other people have. We have the right to choose whether or not we are going to be shooting stars or falling leaves. When your at home and you are afraid, or you’re alone with no one to turn to, I have the instinct to say a little prayer to God, so that he is aware how I feel. I don’t think that there is any other feeling, than to go to Confession and tell the priest what sins you have committed, but then still to know that those sins are now forgiven by the Lord our God. He has given us the most beautiful gift, which is life. I just think that sometimes we abuse that gift, and people need to step back and look at what we have caused. God has given us, something in which no one else could, so my beliefs in God grow everyday, and hope for the day when I can feel what my grandmother is feeling with God. Siddhartha is a character which has gone through many paths to find and be at one with his own Self. As he travels through the different cultures and worlds of other Human Beings, he will begin to realize what he must do to get where he would like to be.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Little Mermaid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Little Mermaid - Essay Example The plot might be conventional but still relatable. At the time of its release, target audience majorly consisted of children. The film adhered to the values of the patriarchal society we live in as it advocated that triumphant women are those who direct their men. They serve as the object of desire; this also reflected the cultural norms of the epoch when this tale was written. The Little Mermaid sacrifices her legs for a pair of legs to marry the man of her dreams, this holds true for women in the so-called modern age (Stoll 16). The only difference is that in reality, plastic surgery assists them in accomplishing this goal rather than magical spells. It should be noted down how Disney films modify their narrative style and content in consideration of the changes in the target audience. A consistent pattern emerges from their earlier films such as Snow White (1937), Cinderella (1950), Sleeping Beauty (1958) etc. This pattern depicts that heroines spent their entire life waiting to be rescued by prince charming, who ultimately showed up. Through a series of such animations, it is emphasised how only a man is the road of happiness for a woman (Stoll 33). This is in conformance with the patriarchal values of those ages. However, Arial emerges as slightly dissimilar and more defiant character than her earlier friends. In the film, she rebels against her father’s orders and falls in love with a human, which was against the norms of the Mer society. She also exhibits wit when she sighs, â€Å"I just don’t see how a world that makes such wonderful things can be bad.† Like all heroes, the prince charming possesses endearing qualities; his affectionate nature is portrayed by the closeness with his dog. Therefore, Prince Eric is the stereotypical prince... It should be noted down how Disney films modify their narrative style and content in consideration of the changes in the target audience. A consistent pattern emerges from their earlier films such as Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty etc. This pattern depicts that heroines spent their entire life waiting to be rescued by prince charming, who ultimately showed up. Through a series of such animations, it is emphasized how only a man is the road of happiness for a woman (Stoll 33). This is in conformance with the patriarchal values of those ages. However, Arial emerges as slightly dissimilar and more defiant character than her earlier friends. In the film, she rebels against her father’s orders and falls in love with a human, which was against the norms of the Mer society. She also exhibits wit when she sighs, â€Å"I just don’t see how the world that makes such wonderful things can be bad.† Like all heroes, the prince charming possesses endearing qualities; h is affectionate nature is portrayed by the closeness with his dog. Therefore, Prince Eric is the stereotypical prince charming. The opening scene of the film revolves around the male world as the introductory scene starts with Eric’s boat and not surprisingly, everybody on the boat is a male. Then, Arial is enlightened with the requirements and characteristics of the ground people. As credits start appearing, we are taken to the sea and again all males! Thereby, the purpose and focus of the film are made explicit that males have a dominant part to play in this world.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Reflective writing baased on Full Body burden Essay

Reflective writing baased on Full Body burden - Essay Example Besides, Kristine gives readers her stint at the weaponry facility where she was employed to work for a short duration of time. In as much as several concepts are evident in the book, it is fundamental to explore the facts and fictions that came out through Karen’s narration of the Colorado plant. Fact is defined as a thing that is known and has been proven true while fiction is something that is not right and untrue. While growing up and working for Rocky Plants nuclear weapon, Kristine encountered a number of challenges and experiences; some are facts while others are fictions (Iversen 3). I find that Kristine’s narration balanced between facts and fictions that help readers share the same viewpoint. The author candidly reveals her personal life to readers in an open manner. The events that surrounded her personal life such as having an alcoholic father and working at the nuclear factory shaped her life and gave her the experiences she needed to write the book. I cons ider the revelation of these secrets important for the development of the story since they were factual (Iversen 31). According to Kristine, she received the information needed for the development of the book from the interviews she conducted on the people, both from the neighborhood and from the plant. This is fictitious because she does not tell us the methods she used for the interviews. Furthermore, she is at pains to illustrate how she corroborated the data. The illustrations are factual because they are based on experiences. This is because it is a first person narration. She was at the same place where events were taking place. I find it tricky to determine facts in a situation where the people to be interviewed have vague memories. Consequently, I believe that the author’s recollection of her family’s memories is false. This is attributable to the fact that she directly quoted some of the conversations she had with members of the family. She pointed out exactly what her sister was doing while on her date. This is fiction because the author fails to declare that she interviewed her sister. Ordinarily, this cannot be factual because the time duration cannot allow persons to recall the exact words said more than a decade ago. This is because she spent twelve years working on the book (Iversen 301). Kristine takes us through the bare facts concerning the plant while revealing the once hidden secrets about the nuclear plant. The government had initially lied to the citizens of Colorado about the dealings of the plant. However, when Kristine exposed the damages that the surrounding environment had undergone due to nuclear weapons disposal by the factory, it disclosed the shocking cover up by the US government. Besides, the radiations from the factory caused hurt not only to the environment but also to human health. This is because several people were diagnosed with cancer. The factory was closed because of these revelations. I find such kind of disclosure by the author factual. Otherwise, the factory would still be operating had the stories been fictitious. A crucial aspect of the book is portrayed in chapter sixteen. The author highlights the decline of a family. Kristine discloses the emotional disconnect that her family had with their alcoholic father. This alcoholism almost caused them their lives when her father was driving when intoxicated. Although the author’s father was a lawyer, he constantly faced trouble with the law due to

Sustainability in construction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sustainability in construction - Essay Example For example, the UK national Grid has planned to cut domestic emissions by 45% by 2029, while the European Union countries are in agreement to harness more than 20% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020; U.K’s target is15% (Huang & Infield, 2002). In addition, Scotland and UK have plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80% by 2050, and a proposed reduction of about 42% by 2020 to curb the climate change threat (Tecs Home Energy Survey Report, 2010). Therefore, as the two articles indicate, energy usage in both domestic and in industrial applications has led to an environmental threat that has been caused by increasing global warming, as a result of carbon emissions from fossil fuels. Jones in the article Reducing emissions through energy efficiency correctly articulates that energy usage in buildings contribute to almost half of carbon emissions in U.K. This is in line with the figures indicated by Tecs Home Energy Survey Report (2010). As Jones illustrates, the UK government has come up with different measures in trying to reduce carbon emissions in line with 2010 proposed emission reductions. ... tial stages of industrialization results from the increasing greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere; this has resulted in the continued climate change, with temperatures in the U.K expected to increase by between 2 to 3.5 degrees centigrade this century. Therefore the intergovernmental panel set up to address this issue according to this report suggested building codes and designs that would eliminate any need for mechanical cooling in homes, which has been attributed to considerable portion of global warming gases in the atmosphere. The report suggests a new perspective in building and construction on how buildings might have special features, which might be responsive to climate changes, and which anticipate and are in accordance with future climate trends. Likewise, Jones in Reducing emissions through energy efficiency concurs with this argument and asserts that energy demand has to be maintained to a minimum by adopting more responsible designs, and adopting the use of renewa ble energy sources. This would include minimizing uncontrolled air infiltration through effective designs, and adopting natural ventilations. Generally according to Jones, this may be only achieved through an integrated design team to ensure harmonization, and good interactions between the various disciplines involved in building designs. This is an effective approach in reducing domestic energy usage, noting that more than 46 % of energy usage in U.K is through air conditioning, heating, cooling, and other general usage that may be controlled through proper designs (TECs Home Energy Survey Report, 2010). However, the article thermal comfort in a 21st century Climate puts much emphasizes on the need to control energy through responsible use of energy by tenants. The article suggests the use

Monday, August 26, 2019

The European Union will not last another Decade Essay - 1

The European Union will not last another Decade - Essay Example The general view among many Europeans is that the Union is gradually becoming an immaterial isthmus of the Eurasian continent. Analysts have identified key issues that make the European Union weak and unable to progress further soon. Structural economic challenges pose the greatest threat to the Unions survival. It is said that globalization has made other regions become more competitive than the Eurozone. Many members of the European Union lack competitiveness. Globalization has allowed business establishments to produce where expenses of producing goods and services are lowest. Third world countries, as well as some of the emerging markets, are competitively outpacing the developed nations in growing and developing their economies. These countries are quickly adapting specialized high-value productions (Sanchis Marco, n.d.). Their labor markets are very skilled, therefore, able to be productive in high technological industries. It is a fact that the working conditions in the European Union for workers is better, that they provide better social amenities and that the working conditions are supremely better in terms of social benefits. However, the better quality of social amenities offered means that the cost of production must sufficiently accommodate those costs, and, therefore, translates to higher prices for goods and services delivered. Private investors have not made the situation any better as they relocate production to the much cheaper cost of production locations in the emerging markets, which serve a double purpose of offering ready markets for some of their products. The proportion of inactive and active individuals in the Eurozone is worsening by the day (Laursen, 2013). It is projected that countries within the European Union will not have enough human assets, while at the same time these countries have failed to

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Analysis of Organizational Change Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analysis of Organizational Change - Term Paper Example Change is, therefore, often considered as a reaction to external threats in volatile environments or as a proactive attempt to grab wider opportunities (Thompson, 1993, p. 697).   Theoretical aspects of Change and Change Management According to the management perspectives, change is a process. For a business that proposes to introduce and implement a change, it is an opportunity as well as a challenge, because the management may have to face varieties of obstacles like resistance to change but the outcome will be more or less profitable to the company. Change is a powerful tool and strategy that can be used as a managerial technique to achieve organizational goals in more effective ways. Change management is a systematic process that encompasses and incorporates different managerial functions such as planning, direction, coordination, supervising, organizing and controlling. As Palmer, Dunford and Akin, (2009, p. 24) argued, change doesn’t occur as an automatic process, but rather it involves strategic activities, people, process, techniques and many other managerial functions too. Strategic change has been defined as an informed and participative process that results in newer ways of doing business that leading the organization to its main goal, ultimate success (Jacobs, 1997, p. 22). Strategic change is a managerial process in which the present state of strategic approach gets altered to another state in order to make the organization able to compete with rivals and their differentiated functions. This would enable the organization to obtains greater adaptability and viability in the organizational environments. Strategic change may be of different kinds such as down-sizing, reengineering, outsourcing, redesigning and realigning the product, product differentiation, product development etc. As Dobson et al (2004, p. 122) denoted, an organization can be said to be excellent if it is able to change through continuous innovating, gearing quick actions a nd conducting regular experimentations. Change management is simply the process of helping a person, group or organization change. As it is a management process, it comprises various managerial functions like planning the change, coordinating among the change activities, directing, supervising and controlling them as well. Change management is an ongoing process of aligning an organization with its marketplace and doing it more responsively and with greater effectiveness than how competitors do (Rothwell, Sullivan and McLean, 2005, p. 17). The change management process thus includes a set of concepts, principles, techniques, strategies, and tools that are applied  to human aspects in order to execute change within the organizational setting.   Change management has also been viewed as a multi-disciplinary activity that the people or team responsible for executing the change are expected of possessing certain skills, supports, experiences, and knowledge.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Vermeers The Music Lesson and Rubens The Three Graces Essay

Vermeers The Music Lesson and Rubens The Three Graces - Essay Example The essay "Vermeer’s The Music Lesson and Ruben’s The Three Graces" discovers Baroque Painting in Relationship to Renaissance Aesthetics. The focus is on the Vermeer’s The Music Lesson and Ruben’s The Three Graces. The way in which light and colour were used emphasized the drama that was sought after during this time. In comparing the work of the Baroque period to the work of the Renaissance, one can see a heavier and richer use of colour, while sharper uses of light and shadow combine to emphasize a climactic point of drama. In order to examine the differences between the works that was done in the Renaissance in comparison to the work done in the Baroque period, pieces with the same theme allow for clear contrasts. The Three Graces by Peter Paul Rubens reveals that the fascination with mythological subjects that was observed during the Renaissance still provided subject matter for the painters of the Baroque period. Rubens’ work allows one to obse rve that there is an emphasis on the curves of the body, the heaviness of the form accentuated with more extreme chiaroscuro. The light and dark of the painting creates a more dramatic look to the work. As well, the tones that are used provide a higher level of drama to the moment of the embrace between the three deities. When you compare the work of Rubens to the earlier works of Botticelliand Raphael, there is a distinct difference in the tension within the composition. In the works of Botticelli and Raphael, the figures are light.... Botticelli, Primavera (1485-1487) interaction creates a higher level of drama in the Rubens work from the Baroque period than in the paintings from the Renaissance period. The Baroque period provided for a more painterly approach to the artwork that was generated. The dynamism of the work was created through a less controlled performance of the act of painting, while the Renaissance had work that was done in a more linear format. According to Beardsley, the linear work of the Renaissance in comparison to the more painterly work of the Baroque â€Å"is comparable to the shift of emphasis from rhythm to harmony† (218). Where linear painting is defined by carefully rendered images that are three dimensional due to the use of carefully controlled perspective, painterly work has an element of randomness that is Figure 3. Raphael, The Three Graces (1504-1505) created through the emotions of the act of painting. According to Staiger, â€Å"Linear perspective uses the artist’s viewpoint to figure out angles of things that recede into the distance† (104). In painterly work, however, the brush strokes are applied where they feel right, rather than through a perspective that is relevant to the position of the artist. The paint strokes are more visible and have a textural effect that is not present in a more linear work of art. Johannes Vermeer did work that embraced the aesthetics of light and shadow in combination with rich toned hues. He was greatly influenced by the changes that were being made away from the aesthetics of the Renaissance period. According to Gowing, â€Å"The baroque provided the example which dominated Vermeer’s beginnings. And while other Dutch painters could carry its rhythm as a

Friday, August 23, 2019

Economic events in the period from Gorge W Bush to Obama Term Paper

Economic events in the period from Gorge W Bush to Obama - Term Paper Example The massive investment of the projects that do not have any return led to the lack of a proper balance sheet making the economy of the country shift downwards. The Obama administration came in when the effects of poor investment begin to get exposed. There was the hardship in the global economic crisis and any measure that the president took could not heal the economy instantly. He stated to work of the projects that would deliver in economic growth in the near future. The president was required to use extra allocations, and the tax rate was hiked to run these projects. The measure saw a lot of hardships to the peoples of the United States. The nationalists could even fail to afford some important amenities such as quality medical care. The Obama administration later engaged in this projects that could help the poor families in obtaining quality amenities at subsidized prices. The previous administration that was led by Bill Clinton is considered to have focused on the economic development. The economy of the largest country in the world is said to have improved in a much higher state. The investment and that savings that had been made by Clinton was later disrupted by the leadership policies of George Bush. Bush is highly blamed for misusing the country’s resources leading to the economic crisis in the country. Economists have argued that the two dominant political units in the country have different formulations of political policies and the difference in leadership is mostly focused around the economic growth. The view that former president George Bush was responsible for the financial crisis that was seen in the country and globally in 2008 is supported by a large margin in the country. Indeed, 50% of the citizens and economic analysts blames the administration on pushing the economy of the country to the wall. From these statistics, 38% of the population believes

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Feet by Seamus Deane Essay Example for Free

Feet by Seamus Deane Essay The following extract is taken from the book- Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane written in 1996. The extract focuses on one of the chapters in the book titled as Feet. The extract is based on a young boy hiding under the table viewing the death of his sister and how she is taken to the hospital. Through the style, setting and characterization, the reader is able to understand the thoughts and feelings portrayed by Deane. The extract is written in an autobiographical style, from the point of view of a young boy who narrates the story. The repetition of I gives the extract a personal touch. Using the boy as the narrator allows the writer to acquire greater intimacy and sympathy for the character. In addition, it makes the extract comic and light hearted, even though it talks about death and loss. This fusion of comedy and tragedy reflects the idea that life is a series of sorrows and joys. The extract is set under the table. Throughout the extract, the boys name is not revealed which allows the reader to explore other characters in the extract through his perceptions. The reader gets the impression that the boy is young and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve. He is not aware of the seriousness of the situation as he loved the names of the diseases. He finds the names peculiar and compares them with Italian football players, racing drivers and opera singers. The dog is symbolic of what the boy feels. The whimpering and quivering of the dog reflects the boys inner feelings. I became deaf to their words and alert to their noise presents the idea that the boy has become like the dog, behaving in the same way. Deane mentions feet in the first line of the extract which reinforces the importance of the title. Also, the repetition of feet suggests the importance and significance of the title since the young boy sees everyone from under the table judging them only on what shoes theyre wearing. Deane uses visual and aural imagery to captivate the readers attention in line 1 and 2- I could only see their feet. But I could hear the noise and some of the talk Deane uses heavy sensory imagery to emphasize the importance of feet as the title. He describes the characters and their social status through the shoes theyre wearing. For instance, in lines 30-34, I recognized Uncle Manuss brown shoes: the heels were worn down Uncle Dan and Uncle Tom had identical shoes, heavy and rimed with mud and cement Dans were dirtier but they werent good shoes. The detailed description of the shoes allows the reader to make judgments about the characters. The description is used for characterization- mud and cement, give the reader the impression that theyre working men at a construction site. Heavy suggests that theyre strong, muscular men and develops their personality in the readers mind. But they werent good shoes suggests that theyre not very rich people. The predicament of the extract is presented through specific and short sentences. Una. My younger sister, Una. This sentence clearly brings the focus on Una, to highlight the importance of her character. The writer tells the readers that she is going to die and goes into great details describing her illness and pain. That morning, Una had been so hot, pale and sweatyshe had made me think of sunken fires her eyes shone with pain and pleasure, inflated from the inside. The coupling of pain and pleasure reinforces the idea that joy and sorrow go hand in hand. With his style, use of imagery, setting and characterization, Deane creates an intriguing story which reflects harsh ideas of death and reality through the innocent, happy world of a young, naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve boy.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Essay Example for Free

Essay â€Å"Children need positive invitations to read, demonstrations, information, explanations that fit their understanding and texts that engage them if they are to learn what reading is all about† Meek in Carter, p. 146 Fables are short stories that have an abstract moral lesson, fables consist on talking animals which have human like qualities while others consist of only humans or both in a story. Fables impart moral values and life skills which are indeed valuable to young children. The Didatic value of two fables will and the way one would approach these texts in a classroom will be discussed in the following essay. Reading which is at the heart of any literature is key to the children’s development be it socially, academically or language development. Fables are a wonderful way of getting children to read as they offer enjoyment; it increases the child’s vocabulary and encourages use of the language. The child’s reading skills are developed and since most fables consist of talking animals and are not time bound it stimulates the children’s imaginations. We will look at two fables whereby one will realise that through the different characters and traits children have the advantage of comparing and understanding themselves or issues at hand. One will also see it expands children’s views of different places and cultures but most of all its scaffolds children to the realisation of moral values. Fables can be used to a teachers favour in a classroom environment. For example, children are playful by nature and there attention span is only that long to keep themselves stimulated you might find some learners disrupt the class by troubling other learners, playing tricks and acting the fool is common disturbances teachers face with youngsters. A fable that will suit children who play tricks on other learners will be â€Å"The boy who cried Wolf† By exposing children to different type of character, places and consciences they develop ‘innerresources’ stated by Bruno Bettelheim. Bettelheim discovered through observation of children at play, they would take on or associate with the main characters personality or traits. Placing into context ‘The Shepherd’s boy and the wolf’ with regards to the disruptive children in the classroom.One must first understand children nature. Children who are generally disruptive in a class are usually bored or simple does not want to take responsibility of the task given at hand. Young children usually don’t know how to express themselves. By reading fables such as the one mentioned above gives them a better platform to differentiate between right and wrong and what the result will be for bad behaviour. They receive the moral of the story subconsciously and respond on an emotional level. I would approach this text in a story telling lesson. Improvising a bit on the story to suit my situation saying that the shepherds boy was bored by looking after the sheep and wanted to play with other children but did not want to carry out the task of looking after the sheep thus neglecting his responsibility his father had trusted him with. As oral mode is   antastic way of relaying a fable. It’s almost magical when one starts a story with a long time ago†¦. Children instantaniously open to a world of fantasy and make belief†¦ After having told this story I will allow children to voice the feelings towards the shepherd’s boy and the angry villages. As them expressing   their feelings will increase their understanding of the underlying message. One must understandmoral lesson in fables are taken in subconsciously. The disruptive children will come to a realisation that him going on the way he does will only be to his demise†¦ the other children will start smarting up and not give him the upper hand and he would have to stop his bad behaviour. By experiencing the boy’s agony this will allow for the children to get in touch with their own feelings thus imparting a life skill and this ‘inner resource will come forth later in life, be it in their work environment or social life, that a liar will dig his own grave. I will not threaten them or point out to them that if you lie this is what will happen but through this fable they will subliminally receive the moral and the result will be in the change of their behaviour. Another fable we can look at his the Hare and the Tortoise Because children are still developing emotionally, psychologically, socially and their vocabulary of language, we must understand their need to feel that they are in a safe environment as the world of unknown is a frightening and overwhelming place for children. By having a clear depiction on good prevailing evil, being able to easily identify with hero and having the happy ending serves a source of security. More importantly the children see what acceptable behaviour is. In this case where the hare was over confident and showing arrogance that he could actually take a nap while waiting for the tortoise these characteristics caused him to ultimately loose the race and on the flip side of the coin, the tortoise who infect had almost no chance of winning was confident and smart despite all the odds which stood in his way. He displayed peserverance. These very personality traits caused him to win. Children will internalise these traits even though it is displayed by an animal children readily accept them as they believe and live in a world where anything is possible. They can easily associate that all livings things have human like qualities this is called ‘Animism’ This specific text I would approach by having a play but firstly have a storytelling lesson. The children would become familiar with the text and characters and then I would prepare them for a play. Personal interaction will make children recall better. I would involve them in preparing props and improvising a bit where other children would dress up like different animals of the forest and give them parts in which they will have a chance to act in the play by expressing their views on the race before it takes place. This will be stimulating exercise as children will experience first-hand the emotions of the characteristics allowing them to bank into their ‘inner resource’ after the play I would ask them to write down their feeling towards the story and what lesson did they learn to see how well they grasped the concept of the moral. Children learn well through fun and games so replaying fables such as these serve not only as good entertainment it also talks to emotions that children can relate to such as fear, love, success etc. and its relevant to children’s life as fables consist of a basic and easy to understand introduction, plot development, conflict, climax and a happy ending in most cases. There characters as seen in the above mentioned fables were clearly identifiable, the hero and the villain and their strengths and weakness were easy to relate to. The diction was suitable for the age of children who take interest in fables

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Hereditary Spherocytosis: Review of the Genetic Disorder

Hereditary Spherocytosis: Review of the Genetic Disorder Ginamar Galvan Abstract This review is on the studies of several scientists whom completed research on the genetic disorder, spherocytosis. Based on several articles in the literature, it was learned that spherocytosis is an inherited anemia caused by the dysfunction of the cell’s cytoskeleton. These articles provide information of hereditary spherocytosis comprising of the disorder on the molecular level and how the patient’s diagnosis is concluded using laboratory testing. Patients can be found to be affected on a certain level ranging from mild to severe. They are then prescribed remedial medical attention pertaining to their level. The research showed that a form of response is to undergo a splenectomy which can ease a patient’s ailment, but has been found to not correct the life span of erythrocytes unlike speculation that it did. Hereditary Spherocytosis: A Review on the Genetic Disorder Introduction Hereditary spherocytosis is an anemic disorder affecting the blood that causes erythrocytes to be produced as spheres while normal erythrocytes are shaped as concave disks. The spheroidal shape is caused by a loss of membrane surface relative to intracellular volume (Gallagher 2005). Spherocytosis is genetically based, meaning that it can be passed down from either parent who already encompasses the disorder. This disorder can be found in all racial classifications but is more prevalent in Caucasians (Oliveira et.al 2012). Spherocytosis in Northern Europe and North America have a 1 in 5000 births in reported incidences and is usually the cause of inherited chronic hemolysis (Huq et al., 2010 and Bolton-Maggs et al., 2004). In the reviewed literature, spherocytosis has been researched and discussed regarding various aspects of this disorder, including the functionality of erythrocytes and what occurs after diagnosis. Cellular Level of Spherocytosis In 1871, hereditary spherocytosis was first explained and the first splenectomy was also performed shortly after (Bolton-Maggs et al., 2004). Between family members, the expression of spherocytosis is somewhat similar but the degree of severity differs throughout. The cause of the irregular shape and lifespan of the erythrocytes is the defect of an element in the cytoskeleton which is made of proteins in which the vertical attachment of the proteins to the lipid bilayer membrane is affected and therefore it is weakened (Bolton-Maggs et al., 2004). Other elements that influence the shape of the cell includes problems with spectrin, ankyrin, band 3 and/or protein 4.2 and the severity of the disorder is influenced by how many of these proteins are affected (Bolton-Maggs et al., 2004). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophorese is used as to determine whether or not these proteins have deficiencies. The defects in the genes of spherocytosis are present in five genes in chromosomes 1, 8, 14, 15 and 17 (Oliveira et al., 2012). Dysfunctions of these genes affect the membrane of the red blood cell which can threaten the cytoskeleton which is meant to maintain the form and elasticity of the cell. When the cytoskeleton is infringed upon, the red cell becomes abnormally shaped and does not live as long as a normal healthy cell (Oliveira et al., 2012). According to the article, â€Å"Guidelines for diagnosis and management of hereditary spherocytosis†, a hundred and seventy-four individuals were recruited from a hundr ed and twenty-three families and spectrin-deficient pro-bands were a larger cause than any other protein defect in patients when compared to parents who were seemingly regular. Diagnosis of Spherocytosis Hereditary spherocytosis is usually diagnosed when the patient is a child who has a varying extent of anemia, jaundice, and splenomegaly (Bolton-Maggs et al., 2004). Family history is also very important when diagnosing because in most cases seventy-five percent of patients will have a family history of the disorder (Gallagher 2010). There are different varieties at which hereditary spherocytosis affects people and treatments can sometimes require blood transfusions. Complications may develop which include severe anemia which may cause growth delay, deferred sexual maturation, tumors, and skin ulcers and many of these patients are transfusion dependent (Gallagher 2010). The patients that participated in the clinical study at the Pediatric Hematology Center of Hospital das Clà ­nicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in the journal, â€Å"Clinical course of 63 children with hereditary spherocytosis: a retrospective study†, were followed for about 19 years and had scheduled follow ups for every three months or in some cases more often if it was deemed necessary. They were diagnosed based upon their clinical history, physical examination and tests done in the laboratory and family histories were studied. Patients were classified as mild, moderate or severe depending on their hemoglobin concentration, bilirubin concentration and reticulocyte count and were also screened by ultrasonography to see if they had cholelithiasis. Splenectomy happened when there is an increase in the size of the organ and hemoglobin is decreased while reticulocyte count increased. Ones that needed a spleen sequestration were given immunizations and penicillin. When hemoglobin and reticulocyte count both decreased the patient was categorized to be in aplastic crisis. Most patients have somewhat balanced hemolysis accompanied by slight to average anemia. Anemia can be asymptomatic except for some fatigue and jaundice occurs in patients about half of the time which is usually in association with viral infections (Gallagher 2010). When some patients’ erythrocytes are stressed, patients may notice symptoms because their body is compensating with amplified erythropoiesis for their hemolysis (Gallagher 2010). In the journal, â€Å"Guidelines for diagnosis and management of hereditary spherocytosis†, several laboratory tests were used for diagnosis which includes osmotic fragility, acidified glycerol lysis test, osmotic gradient ektacytometry, and eosin-5-maleimide binding. Osmotic fragility is affected by elevated reticulocyte count while acidified glycerol lysis test detects autoimmune hemolytic anemia, hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin, pyruvate kinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency as well as chronic renal failure. The osmotic gradient ektacytometry measures red cell deformability and the eosin-5-maleimide binding shows distinct histograms for red blood cells of spherocytosis. And in the journal, â€Å"Clinical course of 63 children with hereditary spherocytosis: a retrospective study†, the tests in the laboratory include the patient’s complete blood count, smear, reticulocyte count, concentration of bilirubin, positive osmotic fragility test and negative direct antiglobulin test. The osmotic fragility of the patients’ looked at the red blood cells in tubes that were washed in mixtures of increasing sodium chloride concentrations that were either put in incubation for 24 hours or not. Treatment of Spherocytosis There are ways to manage hereditary spherocytosis such as using folate therapy if the patient is severe, routine observation, frequent blood tests and in some cases splenectomy. Splenectomy can improve anemia in most patients including even the most severe. The splenectomy can be performed laproscopically and is the more preferred method because it causes less discomfort after the surgery, quicker recovery time, shorter hospitalization, and decreased costs. Splenectomy complications can occur including infection, bleeding and pancreatitis (Gallagher 2010). This operation used to be considered routine in hereditary spherocytosis patients but now is being reconsidered concerning the complications that can arise. The patients that usually receive a splenectomy are diagnosed to be severe or are older patients whose vital organs are inhibited vascularly (Gallagher 2010). Moderate patients possess more options and may not need a splenectomy. In â€Å"Clinical course of 63 children with hereditary spherocytosis: a retrospective study†, when patients were followed up, thirty-five patients needed transfusions and the need for them was more common in the severity group. Fourteen needed spleen sequestration, three had aplastic crisis, twenty-two had a splenectomy, seventeen developed cholelithiasis and ten had a cholecystectomy. Patients had different degrees of jaundice and anemia while most had some enlargement of the spleen. About 2/3 of the patients were anemic and seventy percent had splenomegaly. Patients that were classified as severe were younger and needed more blood transfusions than the other groups. A viral infection could lead to an overestimated severe classification because anemia level rises. All the patients were told and arranged to take folic acid. Does Splenetomy return Red Cell life span to normal? In some patients, anemia, reticulocytosis, and hyperbilirubinemia may disappear and cause some to infer that the patient no longer has problems with their red cell survival rate (Chapman 1968). Using a micro-hematocrit the hematocrit was determined, the reticulocytes were found in a methylene blue contained cover slip smear, and the red cell was counted by an electronic counter (Chapman 1968). The red cells that were being circulated were labeled with Diisopropyl fluorophosphates. DF32P were given to eleven patients that had a splenectomy two to twenty seven years before. The mean cellular hemoglobin content and concentration were higher in males than females. The concentration was of a normal degree in the females and above normal in all but one of the males (Chapman 1968). Mean red blood cell life spans were determined by the disappearance of radioactivity from the circulating blood by calculating linear regression. From the evidence the life span of the red blood cells seems to be somewhat dependent on age after their splenectomy. Patients that are within the same family do not show any consistency of the degree of spherocytosis expression. The red blood cell life span was averaged at about ninety-six days when normal life span is about one hundred twenty-three days (Chapman 1968). The range of life span between the patients ranged from seventy-six to one hundred eighteen days. From these results it is inferred that splenectomy does not repair red blood cell life span. Conclusion Hereditary spherocytosis is often identified in a patient’s childhood or early adult life, although, spherocytosis can be diagnosed at any age conditional to the entirety. This molecular disorder impacts their quality of life regarding aspects of treatment, finances, stress and recovery. As discoveries are made in this area of research, individuals will have a greater knowledge of spherocytosis and advancement in the treatment of this disorder including more options. References Bolton-Maggs, P. H. B., Stevens, R. F., Dodd, N. J., Lamont, G., Tittensor, P., KIng, M. -. (2004). Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hereditary spherocytosis.British Journal of Haematology, (126), 455-474. Retrieved from http://www.bloodmed.com/contentimage/guidelines/2121.pdf Chapman, R. G. (1968). Red cell life span after splenectomy in hereditary spherocytosis.The Journal of Clinical Investigation,47(10), 2263–2267. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC297390/ Gallagher, P. (2005). Red Cell Membrane Disorders. Hematology 2005, 2005(1), 13-18. Retrieved , from http://asheducationbook.hematologylibrary.org/content/2005/1/13.long Huq, S., Pietroni, M. A. C., Rahman, H., Alam, M. T. (2010). Hereditary spherocytosis.J Health Popul Nutr.,28(1), 107-109. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2975852/ Oliveira, M. C. L. A., Fernandes, R. A. F., Rodrigues, C. L., Ribeiro, D. A., Giovanardi, M. F., Viana, M. B. (2012). Clinical course of 63 children with hereditary spherocytosis: a retrospective study.Rev Bras Hematol Hemoter,34(1), 9-13. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459613/pdf/rbhh-34-009.pdf What Is The Importance Of Chelates In Biology? What Is The Importance Of Chelates In Biology? Chelation is the formation or presence of two or more separate bindings between a polydentate (multiple bonded) ligand and a single central atom. Usually these ligands are organic compounds, and are called chelants, chelators, chelating agents, or sequestering agents. The ligand forms a chelate complex with the substrate. Chelate complexes are contrasted with coordination complexes composed of monodentate ligands, which form only one bond with the central atom. The denticity of a central atom, of course, refers to the number of bonds formed by the central atom. Chelants, according to ASTM-A-380, are chemicals that form soluble, complex molecules with certain metal ions, inactivating the ions so that they cannot normally react with other elements or ions to produce precipitates or scale. The chelate effect. The chelate effect describes the enhanced affinity of chelating ligands for a metal ion compared to the affinity of a collection of similar nonchelating (monodentate) ligands for the same metal. Consider the two equilibria, in aqueous solution, between the copper(II) ion, Cu2+ and ethylenediamine (en) on the one hand and methylamine, MeNH2 on the other. Cu2+ + en [Cu(en)]2+ (1) Cu2+ + 2 MeNH2 [Cu(MeNH2)2]2+ (2) In (1) the bidentate ligand ethylene diamine forms a chelate complex with the copper ion. Chelation results in the formation of a five-membered ring. In (2) the bidentate ligand is replaced by two monodentate methylamine ligands of approximately the same donor power, meaning that the enthalpy of formation of Cu-N bonds is approximately the same in the two reactions. Under conditions of equal copper concentrations and when the concentration of methylamine is twice the concentration of ethylenediamine, the concentration of the complex (1) will be greater than the concentration of the complex (2). The effect increases with the number of chelate rings so the concentration of the EDTA complex, which has six chelate rings, is much much higher than a corresponding complex with two monodentate nitrogen donor ligands and four monodentate carboxylate ligands. Thus, the phenomenon of the chelate effect is a firmly established empirical fact. Cu2+ complexes with methylamine (left) and ethylenediamine (right) The thermodynamic approach to explaining the chelate effect considers the equilibrium constant for the reaction: the larger the equilibrium constant, the higher the concentration of the complex. Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid, Widely abbreviated as EDTA is a polyamino carboxylic acid and a colourless, water-soluble solid. Its conjugate base is named ethylenediaminetetraacetate. It is widely used to dissolve scale. Its usefulness arises because of its role as a hexadentate (six-toothed) ligand and chelating agent, i.e. its ability to sequester metal ions such as Ca2+ and Fe3+. After being bound by EDTA, metal ions remain in solution but exhibit diminished reactivity. EDTA is produced as several salts, notably disodium EDTA and calcium disodium EDTA. EDTA is used to bind metal ions in chelation therapy, e.g., for mercury and lead poisoning. It is used in a similar manner to remove excess iron from the body. This therapy is used to treat the complication of repeated blood transfusions, as would be applied to treat thalassaemia. EDTA acts as a powerful antioxidant to prevent free radicals from injuring blood vessel walls. Dentists use EDTA solutions to remove inorganic debris (smear layer) and prepare root canals for obturation. It serves as a preservative (usually to enhance the action of another preservative such as benzalkonium chloride or thiomersal) in ocular preparations and eyedrops. In evaluating kidney function, the complex [Cr(edta)]- is administered intravenously and its filtration into the urine is monitored. This method is useful for evaluating glomerular filtration rate. EDTA is used extensively in the analysis of blood. It is an anticoagulant for blood samples for CBC/FBEs (complete blood count also known as full blood examination). Laboratory studies also suggest that EDTA chelation may prevent collection of platelets on the lining of the vessel [such as arteries] (which can otherwise lead to formation of blood clots, which itself is associated with atheromatous plaque formation or rupture, and thereby ultimately disrupts blood flow). These ideas are theoretical, and have so far been proven ineffective; however, a major clinical study of the effects of EDTA on coronary arteries is currently (2008) proceeding. EDTA played a role in the O.J. Simpson trial when the defense alleged that one of the blood samples collected from Simpsons estate was found to contain traces of the compound. In nature Virtually all biochemicals exhibit the ability to dissolve certain metal cations. Thus, proteins, polysaccharides, and polynucleic acids are excellent polydentate ligands for many metal ions. In addition to these adventitious chelators, several biomolecules are produced to specifically bind certain metals . Histidine, malate and phytochelatin are typical chelators used by plants. Histidine (abbreviated as His or H) is one of the 22 proteinogenic amino acids. In terms of nutrition, histidine is considered an essential amino acid in human infants. After reaching several years of age, humans begin to synthesize it, at which point it becomes a non-essential amino acid. Its codons are CAU and CAC. Histidine was first isolated by German physician Albrecht Kossel in 1896. Malic acid is an organic compound with the formula HO2CCH2CHOHCO2H. This carboxylic diacid is the active ingredient in many sour or tart foods. Malic acid is found mostly in unripe fruits. Malic acid has two stereoisomers, a left-handed L-enantiomer and a right-handed D-enantiomer, but only the L isomer exist naturally. The salts and esters of malic acid are known as malates. The malate anion is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle. Phytochelatins are oligomers of glutathione, produced by the enzyme phytochelatin synthase. They are found in plants, fungi, nematodes and all groups of algae including cyanobacteria. Phytochelatins act as chelators, and are important for heavy metal detoxification.They are abbreviated PC2 through PC11. A mutant Arabidopsis thaliana lacking phytochelatin synthase is very sensitive to cadmium, but it grows just as well as the wild-type plant at normal concentrations of zinc and copper, two essential metal ions, indicating that phytochelatin is only involved in resistance to metal poisoning. Phytochelatin seems to be transported into the vacuole of plants, so that the metal ions it carries are stored safely away from the proteins of the cytosol. In biochemistry and microbiology Virtually all metalloenzymes feature metals that are chelated, usually to peptides or cofactors and prosthetic groups. Such chelating agents include the porphyrin rings in hemoglobin and chlorophyll. Many microbial species produce water-soluble pigments that serve as chelating agents, termed siderophores. For example, species of Pseudomonas are known to secrete pycocyanin and pyoverdin that bind iron. Enterobactin, produced by E. coli, is the strongest chelating agent known. Porphyrins are a group of organic compounds of which many occur in nature. One of the best-known porphyrins is heme, the pigment in red blood cells. Heme is a cofactor of the protein hemoglobin. They are heterocyclic macrocycles composed of four modified pyrrole subunits interconnected at their ÃŽÂ ± carbon atoms via methine bridges (=CH-). Porphyrins are aromatic Hemoglobin (also spelled haemoglobin and abbreviated Hb or Hgb) is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood cells of vertebrates and the tissues of some invertebrates. Hemoglobin in the blood is what transports oxygen from the lungs or gills to the rest of the body (i.e. the tissues) where it releases the oxygen for cell use. In mammals the protein makes up about 97% of the red blood cells dry content, and around 35% of the total content (including water). Hemoglobin has an oxygen binding capacity between 1.36 and 1.37 ml O2 per gram of hemoglobin, which increases the total blood oxygen capacity seventyfold. Hemoglobin is involved in the transport of other gases: it carries some of the bodys respiratory carbon dioxide (about 10% of the total) as carbaminohemoglobin, in which CO2 is bound to the globin protein. The molecule also carries the important regulatory molecule nitric oxide bound to a globin protein thiol group, releasing it at the same time as oxygen. Heme group Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is a green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Chlorophyll absorbs light most strongly in the blue portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, followed by the red portion. However, it is a poor absorber of green and near-green portions of the spectrum, hence the green color of chlorophyll-containing tissues. Chlorophyll was first isolated by Joseph Bienaimà © Caventou and Pierre Joseph Pelletier in 1817. In geology In earth science, chemical weathering is attributed to organic chelating agents, e.g. peptides and sugars, that extract metal ions from minerals and rocks. Most metal complexes in the environment and in nature are bound in some form of chelate ring, e.g. with a humic acid or a protein. Thus, metal chelates are relevant to the mobilization of metals in the soil, the uptake and the accumulation of metals into plants and micro-organisms. Selective chelation of heavy metals is relevant to bioremediation, e.g. removal of 137Cs from radioactive waste. Applications Chelators are used in chemical analysis, as water softeners, and are ingredients in many commercial products such as shampoos and food preservatives. Citric acid is used to soften water in soaps and laundry detergents. A common synthetic chelator is EDTA. Phosphonates are also well known chelating agents. Chelators are used in water treatment programs and specifically in steam engineering, e.g., boiler water treatment system: Chelant Water Treatment system. Heavy metal detoxification. Chelation therapy is the use of chelating agents to detoxify poisonous metal agents such as mercury, arsenic, and lead by converting them to a chemically inert form that can be excreted without further interaction with the body, and was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1991. In alternative medicine, chelation is used as a treatment for autism, though this practice is controversial due to no scientific plausibility, lack of FDA approval, and its potentially deadly side-effects. Though they can be beneficial in cases of heavy metal poisoning, chelating agents can also be dangerous. The U.S. CDC reports that use of disodium EDTA instead of calcium EDTA has resulted in fatalities due to hypocalcemia. Other medical applications Antibiotic drugs of the tetracycline family are chelators of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions. EDTA is also used in root canal treatment as a way to irrigate the canal. EDTA softens the dentin facilitating access to the entire canal length and to remove the smear layer formed during instrumentation. Chelate complexes of gadolinium are often used as contrast agents in MRI scans. Copper-64 is a radioactive nuclide of copper which has unique decay properties making it useful in nuclear medicine for both imaging and therapy. 64Cu-ATSM (diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone)) has been shown to increase the survival time of tumor-bearing animals with no acute toxicity. Areas of low oxygen retention have been shown to be resistant to radiotherapy because hypoxia reduces the lethal effects of ionizing radiation. 64Cu was believed to kill these cells because of its unique decay properties. In this experiment, animal models having colorectal tumors with and without induced hypoxia were administered Cu-ATSM. Cu-ATSM is preferentially taken up by hypoxic cells over normoxic cells. The results demonstrated that this compound increased survival of the tumor bearing hamsters compared with controls. In the control groups, death due to tumor burden occurred within 4 weeks while animals with a dose greater than 6 mCi of the radioisotope tumor growth was inhibited and survival increased. The results also suggested that multiple doses and a single dose of 10 mCi were equally effective while the multiple dose regimen i s safer for non-target tissue. Radiotherapy of cancer cells using 64Cu can be applied in medical research and clinical practice. The advantages of radiotherapy with beta emitters of this energy are that there is enough to do substantial damage to the target cells but the mean range in tissue is less than a millimeter so non target tissues are unlikely to be harmed. In addition, 64Cu is a positron emitter making it a viable PET imaging radionuclide which can give real time images of the physiological processes in the system. These abilities in conjunction enable accurate monitoring of drug distribution and biokinetics simultaneously. Radiotherapeutic efficacy of Copper-64 depends highly upon the radioligand delivery to the target cells, so the development of bifunctional chelates is central to development of 64Cus potential as a radiopharmaceutical. With sufficient development, 64Cu is likely to become a central element in nuclear medicine in the years to come. A preliminary study of the bio availability of iron- and zinc-glycine chelates Groups of rats were fed diets containing marginal levels of Fe and Zn as glycine chelates (tradename Chelazome, Albion Laboratories, Verona, New Jersey, USA), or the same level of mineral as ferrous sulphate or zinc carbonate. The Fe diets were fed to weanling rats for 4 weeks and the Zn diets to young adult rats for 5 weeks. Blood Hb concentrations were significantly higher in the group fed Fe-chelazome than ferrous sulphate, 149 and 128 g/l respectively (P

The Great Gatsby - Narrators Role in Establishing Theme Essay

The evolving character of an interactive narrator can help discern key themes in a novel. F. Scott Fitzgerald's social examination of life in America's Jazz Age relies heavily on Nick Carraway, the narrator, acting as a 'Trojan horse' for Fitzgerald to smuggle his own ideologies into The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald endorses realist class relations as power relations over the romantic and archaic 'Jeffersonian dream of simple agrarian value'. He also favours the view that the American upper class's 'carpe diem' approach to life placed capitalist society in a moral downwards spiral, instead of conforming to mainstream ideas of the Age such as 'money can buy happiness'. Nick?s statement that people are only ?pursued? (generally the upper classes, being chased due to their lifestyle) or ?pursuing? (chasing the lifestyle of the pursued). These mutually exclusive states mean that Nick believes all the characters with which he interacts can be stratified into one of these two groups, seemingly based on class. The narrator also claims that people can also be ?busy and?tired?. Again, these two vaguer classes cannot exist together. At first examination it may seem that this ?black and white? observation of the members of Gatsby?s America is shortsighted. However at that stage on the novel Nick is entitled to make such a judgement. Immediately after Nick?s thought entered his ?heady? mind, he had just learnt the purpose of ?purposeless splendour? from Jordan: that Gatsby had moved to West Egg to be close to Daisy. This ?pursuing? of Daisy, the ?five years? of busy waiting, is certainly a revelation to the reader, and to Nick. Nick also says that he had forgotten about ?Daisy and Gatsby?, though it still must have played on his subcons... ...towards her old family (?Do they miss me), these all serve to promote Fitzgerald?s endorsed theme of the corruption of the traditional values of the West, and how the ?Money can buy happiness? myth sends society into a downwards spiral. The way that Nick Carraway, as an interactive narrator, relates to different characters (and what they stand for) in the novel conveys the extent to which Fitzgerald endorses or challenges that character?s ideologies. Nick tarnishes all characters with a cynical, stratifying brush in order to smuggle in the main ideologies of the text by creating a pastiche of these themes. Nick?s black-and-white thought of the ?pursuing, the pursued, the busy and the tired? serves to reinforce the contrast of what is endorsed and challenged through the book, via the medium of the narrator?s interaction with different creations of the author.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Censoring Huckleberry Finn :: Essays Papers

Censoring Huckleberry Finn Fellow staff, teachers and students, as we all know high school is a time to grow, find yourself and experience different personalities of different people. It is also meant to help you get ready for a world where dealing with different people and situations comes quickly. If you condone certain parts of this real world then you will not be prepared to face the problems and dilemmas of life. Censoring Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a prime example of shutting out the real world. It should be used as a way to portray life in the south during the Civil Rights Movement. To show how wrong we used to live our lives and how much better our lives are today. Huckleberry Finn is a story about a runaway slave trying to live free in the south. The controversy about the book deals with the common use of the word â€Å"nigger† and the character Jim as a stereotypical runaway slave. People believe that it is a perfect example of racism in literature and should not be allowed to be read. Unfortunately, society today is trying to ignore our past and harsh times. In Hannibal, Missouri, where Mark Twain wrote this novel they celebrate Tom Sawyer Days. This is when the whole town celebrates the works of Mark Twain. The sad thing is, Huckleberry Finn is not given its greatest gratitude even in its hometown. They try too ignore it, as if the city â€Å"is upholding a long American tradition of making slavery and its legacy and blacks themselves invisible† (Zwick 2). As they say, History repeats itself and if we are not prepared for it then how can we make things better? Reading Huckleberry Finn today would be just like reading history books. History books teach about slavery and the Civil Rights Movements and we are not pulling them off our high school curriculum. â€Å"Mark Twain told America, ‘This is how you are, like it or not†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Zwick 2). Many people do not want to face the reality that things said in Huckleberry Finn really or actually happened.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

funeral games of Patroclus(iliad) from a different perspective :: essays research papers

The Funeral Games of Patroclus Narrated by Meriones   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hey, I’m Meriones, the son of Molus and the comrade and squire of Idomeneus. Today I found that some â€Å"great warrior† was killed. His name was Patroclus or something. Everyone was acting ridiculous in my opinion. First Achilles called everyone outside so we could drive our chariots around his body. Wow, what a great way to show we care for someone†¦not. While I was driving my chariot everyone around me was weeping and mourning for the loss of Patroclus. To tell you the truth I’ve never heard of Patroclus doing anything special for the Achean army. I think that Zeus probably commanded Achilles to make a big deal out of this death. Otherwise we probably would have just thrown him on some wood and burned him or the easier funeral, throw him in the ocean. Meanwhile Hector, the leader of the Trojan army, was dead and we had the body. Achilles went on a mad streak and dragged the body and threw him out for the dogs. Well that really gives a good reputation for the Acheans. Achilles announced that he is also going to slay twelve noble Trojan men and cattle while they burn Patroclus’ body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later Achilles started getting ready for the funeral. He asked me to go out and find an ox that was worthy enough to get slayed with Patroclus. In that case, I decided that the only thing worthy ebough for him would be a pig. So, jokingly I brought the pig back to Achilles. He shockingly but sternly replied, â€Å" You, Meriones, are a poor disgrace for a soldier, and have never deserved and honor in anything you’ve done. I don’t think you have ever even won anything in your life! Ha! I am ashamed of you especially to dishonor such a great man like Patroclus. Now, go away we do not need your help.† After he said that I got very angry. I had to think of a away to get him back.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later Achilles called us out and told us that Patroclus had come to him in a vision told him to hurry up and bury him so he could enter the gates of Hades. When Achilles said that I couldn’t help but laugh because that right there proves that Achilles is the one with the problem, not me. It seems that just because I’m not as serious as the rest of the army and that I like to have fun, he won’t respect me for who I am.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Portrayed in film Essay

The sociological issue, to be researched is, the representation of the physically challenged in the mass media, concentrating on popular films. I’ve decided to use four main stereotypes, which are most common in the media. After reading into â€Å"Media and Mental illness† by The Glasgow Media Group, I became intrigued and started to reflect on the images portrayed. As I have a physical disability, I thought that I would have a better understanding of my research, and a good empathy for people who are being portrayed badly. After researching on the Internet, based on the research I developed my hypothesis: There will be no physically challenged people portrayed in â€Å"normal† roles, instead they will fit into one of the four stereotypes. Contexts and concepts The Broadcasting complaints Commission study showed that in television programmes 7% of persons were disabled. They showed that disabled people were mostly in broadcast films, drama and soap operas. Langmore (1987) Studied on the different forms of representations of disabled persons, and how the audience reacts to seeing a disabled person on the television as a pose to an able bodied person. The results show that people generally feel a lot more sympathetic, pitiful and patronizing towards disabled people. Sheridan in â€Å"A physical challenge for the media: The effects of portrayals of wheel chair users. He says that whilst there are many images of wheelchair users, they are not always accurate or helpful to the disabled community. To portray a wheel chair user in a film is so that they can be used as a dramatic and provocative tool. He states that it is possible to categorise portrayals into four main stereotypes, the pitiful handicapped, the bitter cripple, the inspirational hero and the set dresser. These are the four stereotypes that I have decided look into. This introduces the concept of stereotypes. A stereotype is a one sided, exaggerated and usually prejudicial view of a group. One myth about physically challenged people is that people with disabilities have a poor standard of life, this is not the case. The stereotypes may have some factual basis, but in most cases are incongruent with reality. Sheridan raises the question that because these portrayals are prevalent, are they an accurate account of what goes on in real life situations. He answered, as there is much diversity as there is commonality in the wheelchair community. There is no consensus as to what is accurate. He offers no solution but says that there are advances in advertising, as people in wheelchairs are not seen as disabled but as consumers. He thinks advertisers will continue to add positively to the way society perceives wheelchair users, and that maybe one day we will change our perception from archaic stereotypes to more realistic portrayals. This brings me onto the concept of identity. To acquire a sense of self identity and an image of your self is through socialization. If some body is labelled a specific type of person, it can be said that a social identity has been added to your self. Your social identity will then be seen as a label to show what kind of person you are. Resulting from the label you have now been given, you might start to think you are that type of person.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Christian perspective in Webster Essay

By close consideration of two extracts of your choice, assess the importance of the Christian perspective in Webster’s presentation of the Duchess.†Ã‚  There has been much debate over whether the Duchess of Malfi is a character who is essentially a victim of her brothers’ tyranny and the corruption of her court, and whose downfall is caused by such, or is responsible for her own negligent and selfish actions by marrying a man she loved but in doing so abandoning her princely duties. Certainly, Webster’s borrowings saw the Duchess as little more than a whore or a strumpet (much like Julia in Webster’s version), but modern audiences, with modern sympathies, have preferred to see the Duchess as a heroine who is sacrificed for love. The two passages I have chosen to consider neatly contrast each other in showing how the Duchess is susceptible to religious corruption (III.ii.305-320), but equally, how she dies a Christian, almost a martyr (IV.ii.210-239).  In I.i, Antonio, the Duchess’ future husband, recounts a description of the French court, the King of which has ‘quitted’ â€Å"his royal palace | Of flatt’ring sycophants, of dissolute, | And infamous persons† (ll.7-9). This depiction acts as a yardstick by which we compare the court of Malfi. In fact, the entire presentation could be taken as an abstract concept presented visually, rather than any actual occurrence – however, the effect is the same either way. Unfortunately, we soon learn what becomes of the King – in III.iii, the corrupt Cardinal tells us that ‘the famous Lannoy’ had â€Å"had the honour | Of taking the French King prisoner†. This shows us just how powerful corrupt courts are. It strikes an ominous note, not filling us with the most hope for the Duchess ‘stars’ or fate. Against this backdrop of sleaze and rottenness, the Duchess hardly stands a chance – and so we come to our first passage (III.ii.305-320). In III.ii.305-320, we witness the Duchess, having confided in Bosola not only that she is married to Antonio, her household steward, but that she has several children by him, is persuaded by Bosola to â€Å"feign a pilgrimage | To our Lady of Loretto† (ll.306-7), under the (clearly ironic) pretence that she  Ã¢â‚¬Å"may†¦ depart  [her] country with more honour, and [her] flight  Will seem a princely progress, retaining  [Her] usual train about [her]† (ll.308-311). In fact, we know that, on arriving in Loretto, where the Cardinal, by design, awaits her, she is shamefully stripped of her princedom, as is Antonio of his lands (III.iv.5ff esp. Stage Directions), and her train, bar a faithfully minority (a sign of hope for us all, displaying the moral rectitude of the few), desert her in her disgrace (III.v.2-3), for reasons of politics, fear, and uncertainty. Clearly, the pilgrims who witness the banishment do not judge either Antonio or the Duchess harshly – rather they sympathise with them (ll.32-43), so perhaps we are meant to too. Having said that, however, they have not seen what we have seen previously – the wise though portentous warning from Cariola, ignored by the Duchess, that â€Å"if you will believe me, | I do not like this jesting with religion, | this feigned pilgrimage† (III.iii.315-18). The Duchess is, by any means, not faultless – to suggest that she ‘defies the evil in her court and her brothers’ hearts’ is too generous – indeed, despite good intentions, good receptions from onlookers, and indeed, sympathy from the audience, especially the modern one, she is not able to over come the evil in her court and in her brothers’ heart in this instance – she falls at their mercenary, Bosola, and, of course unknowingly, gives in to the ‘evil’ – she allows herself, in her own words, to be ‘led by the hand’ at ‘his direction’ (ll.311-2). The Duchess is after all a tragic heroine – her personality is therefore susceptible to the genre which dictated that she should be realistic, like any other human being. The root of ‘the tragedy’ can be traced back as far as Aristotle’s Poetics, which sees it as a form of drama â€Å"in which a calamity is brought about through a flaw in the character of the hero or heroine, who through a flaw in the character of hero or heroine who, through suffering, achieves a dignity and self-knowledge previously lacking.† The audience feels they can identify closely with this character, which has human faults, and the audience is thus sympathetic – even empathetic – to their case – and should experience heights of emotion such as pity, even horror, at the Duchess’ death. They should emerge from the theatre in some way ‘purged’ by the experience. According to this theory, Tragedy is the great dramatic form which shows human nature as unchanging†¦ only increasing the tragedy of the Duchess’ life and story further, especially because we, as a modern audience, know it is based on a true- life story (recorded in Painter’s Palace of Pleasure). The Duchess is motivated by ‘seeking wisely to prevent future sorrows’, ‘lamenting those in the past’ (ll.319-320) – in other words, she has good intentions, but by themselves they are not enough to dispel the power of the corruption which surrounds and suffuses her.  While it may have been established that the Duchess doesn’t really defy the evil in her court and her brothers’ hearts, it is more possibly that ‘she makes a good end’. These are separate things – it is possible to fulfil one, but not the other – and evidence for the truth of the latter statement can be found in the second passage, IV.ii.210-239.